PGQuest - Longblade Squadron

LONGBLADE SQUADRON - 4 SWORD FRIGATES
Battlefleet Nobilis Proscriptae established Longblade Squadron in order to better leverage its assets out on the distant frontier. By combining several idiosyncratic frigates which had fallen into Battlefleet's possession with more standard frigates, it was hoped the squadron would be equivalent in capability to a lone battlecruiser patrol in capability, while allowing for the battlecruiser to be held in reserve or be rotated to drydock for maintenance. The squadron was redirected to Daysimir during the former Lord Governor's rebellion and has since been seconded to newly-ascended Lady-Governor Elyssa von Braun.

=]+[=+=]+[=+=]+[=

Sword-Class Frigate "Imperator Patientia"

>Weaponry
Dorsal Fore: Sunsear Mark 2 Laser Battery (Long-ranged and powerful, but power-hungry. Reliable, difficult to damage.)
Dorsal Aft: Sunsear Mark 2 Laser Battery
Turret Rating: 2

>Critical Components
Bridge type: Command Bridge (Easier to control servitors and crew in combat, allows for greater automation and more accurate weapons fire. Fragile.)
Plasma Drive: Jovian-pattern Class 8.1 (Produces less power, but very robust and reliable.)
Warp Drive: Ryza Mark 1 (Draws large amounts of power, travels faster through the warp. Is better equipped to ford warp disturbances.)
Gellar Field: Incaladion Type 1-a (Based off xenos-research; increases in protective strength as warp conditions become wilder. However, it does not react well to sudden changes in warp condition and is very vulnerable to sudden warp shocks or power surges which weaken and warp the field.)
Void Shields: Incaladion Repulsor Shield (Repels stellar debris and detritus, allows ship to move unimpeded through nebulae, asteroid belts, etc. Counts as 1 shield.)
Vitae-pattern Life sustainer: Standard life support unit.
Augurs: W-240 Passive Detection Arrays (Allows for stealthy scans in addition to standard capabilities.)
Voidsmens QUarters: Standard Voidsmens quarters.

>Supplemental Components:
Extended Supply Vaults: Allows for greater time between resupply.
Reinforced bulkheads: Reduces damage to the hull.
Reinforced Prow: Not a true armored prow, it still provides a measure of protection to the fore of the ship. Deals extra damage when ramming.

>Past History: Death Cult (The Blade of the Emperor Awaiting)
Amongst the low-decks indentured crew, strange perversions of the Imperial Creed have arisen, glorifying death to celebrate the Emperor. Reduce Crew Population permanently by 8. However, reduce all Morale loss from any source by 2, due to the crew’s unwavering faith. Additionally, ship officers and members of the Ministorum will have to deal warily with the cult and its leaders. Death cults do produce skilled assassins...

>Complication: Rebellious
This vessel does not suffer authority willingly. At times is seems to take pleasure in interfering with the plans of its masters. During no more than one space combat per game session, the GM should randomly select one of the ship’s Components that becomes unpowered until repaired. However, whenever the ship suffers a critical hit (for any reason) roll 1d10. On a 8 or higher, the critical effect is ignored.

>Biography
"Imperator Patientia" began life as the "Spear of Xanchek," a Sword-class frigate built in orbit of the forgeworld Incaladion, and was tainted with that forge's obssession with xenos technology. It was a vindication of the radical magos of that world that the "Spear of Xancheck" performed as well as it did, winning great glory in the Hynemann Crusade thanks to its borderline-heretek warp engine and gellar field. These, combined with its large supply vaults and robust construction, allowed it to lead a squadron of similar frigates deep behind enemy lines and attack unprepared positions and supply convoys.

However, this practice would lead to the vessel's loss roughly thirty years into the crusade, when a freak warp storm sent the vessel into the Chaos-tainted Phrygian system. Boarded by Chaos raiders and cultists and under heavy fire, the wounded vessel was barely able to escape into the system's dense Oort cloud. There, the battle continued as the ship's crew cleansed the vessel of cultists and taint. The Spear was cleft in twain by the conflict that raged within her hull, her stores and enginarium held by the loyal crew while renegades and traitors held the bridge and prow. Torn between the bridge and the enginarium, the control systems of the Spear were eventually lost and the ship drifted in a cold orbit around Phrygia.

The two sides settled into a bitter stalemate. What the renegades could use to signal the vessel's  position, the loyalists destroyed or sabotaged. When a man lost his faith and attmepted to turn the tide of the war, he would find no mercy at the hand of his former crew. Under the constant isolation and pressure, one could either abandon their faith, or condense it into an adamantium core that could sustain him through heresy and loss.

The battles these sides waged to keep the vessel hidden and take control of the ship raged for decades, until the Crusade finally moved on the Phrygian system. By the time the Spear was rescued, her crew were hardbitten veterans who trusted the tarot and their guns more than any Ministorum preacher or Battlefleet commissar. Ever since, her crew has retained their skills in "uncovering" the tainted and removing their presence, and have been used in Naval politics as deadly assassins knowledgeable about Battlefleet customs.

Sent back to Incaladion for repairs, long-since prosecuted for straying too far into xenos-heresy, the vessel retained her unique technologies. Her experiences, however, led to a redesign that incorporated  a reinforcement of her damaged superstructure to allow the vessel to retain its speed advantages. Recommissioned as the "Imperator Patientia," she sailed to the far reaches of the Ultima Segmentum carrying a hitherto unnoticed stubbornness, prone to losing power or being unresponsive at critical moments, yet always triumphing against its enemies. This stubbornness has also allowed the vessel to shrug off hits that would've disabled another ship; the hidden assassins of the Imperator whisper that the blessing of the Emperor-Omnissiah is given for every tainted soul purged by their hand.

You do not currently know the fate of other vessel's of her type. However, you do know that Incaladon-forge components are looked upon with suspicion by the naval establishment and are difficult to find so far away from the forgeworld. Her current captain and squadron leader is Lord-Captain Theofan Almattor, the third son of a minor sector house.


=]+[=


Sword-Class Frigate "Light of His Eyes"

>Weaponry
Dorsal Fore: Sunsear Mark 2 Laser Battery (Long-ranged and powerful, but power-hungry. Reliable. Difficult to damage.)
Dorsal Aft: Tau Railgun Battery (Special dispensation, see Xenostech for more information.)

>Critical Components
Bridge Type: Combat Bridge (Designed to withstand the rigors of combat, this bridge has extensive damage control systems.)
Plasma Drive: Jovian-Pattern Class 2 (Standard frigate plasma drive.)
Warp Drive: Incaladion Mark 3 (Efficient warp drive, but complex and difficult to repair.)
Gellar Field: Incaladion Type 2-a (Based off xenos-research; increases in protective strength as warp conditions become wilder. Has a tendency to "blink" when under extreme strain.)
Void Shield: Incaladion Glimmer Shield (Draws less power than standard void shields, while retaining protective qualities. Complex and difficult to repair.)
Augurs: Mark-100 Augur Array (Standard augur array.)
Life Sustainer:  Vitae-pattern life sustainer (Standard life sustainer.)
Quarters: Mechanicus Quarters (Spartan in comparison to standard void quarters, filled with Mechanicus icons. Modular and allows for easy maintenance and repair.)

>Supplemental Components
Reinforced Prow: Not a true armored prow, it still provides a measure of protection to the fore of the ship. Deals extra damage when ramming.

>Xenostech
Tau Railgun Battery: Stripped from a damaged Tau ship, the magos of Incaladion have allied with radical elements of the Ordo Xenos and Ultima Battlefleet to study these railguns and their interface with Imperial technology as well as design Imperial derivatives. More energy-efficient than Imperial railguns and with a longer effective range than Imperial macrobatteries, it suffers from a lower rate of fire and requires a better augur system to make full use of its capabilities. Mounted here it is more comparable to a lance than a macrocannon, dealing powerful single blasts rather than eroding void shields. (Long-ranged and powerful, but with a very low rate of fire. Can increase rate of fire at expense of draining power and lowering ship capabilities with every shot. Difficult to repair.)

>Past History: Xenophilious
Through dealings with some xenos race, this vessel has been outfitted with examples of their blasphemous technology. When constructing this vessel, players must select 1 Xenotech Component of their choice. However, any Tech-Use Tests to repair the ship suffer a -30, due to the strange and blasphemous nature of the machinery. Should the character attempting the repairs have Forbidden Lore (Xenos), the penalty is only -10. Also, the forces of the Ordo Xenos have an interest in the vessel and who controls it.

>Complication: Wrothful
The ship’s spirit constantly smoulders with anger. In battle, it explodes into a berserker fury, straining and exhausting its systems. During combat, the ship gains +1 Speed and +7 Manoeuvrability. Out of combat, the ship suffers -1 Speed and -5 to Manoeuvrability and Detection.

>Biography
Constructed at the forgeworld of Incaladion, "Light of His Eyes" was initially a testbed for a frigate-sized lance battery that would be capable of providing full fore, port and starboard coverage. During the Damocles Gulf Crusade, it proved to be too underpowered and development was stalled as new designs were drawn up. As a consequence, the lance battery was stripped and the "Light" was laid up in drydock. It was during this time that the decision was made for the Light to continue its service as an Imperial testbed, and the xenophilic elements of Incaladion had their turn. Salvaging a Tau railgun battery from the battle of Dal'yth, elements of Ultima Battlefleet and the Inquisition were curious as to the workings and possibilities inherent within the weapon that had proven so deadly during the Crusade. Under the guise of a new, multi-purpose macrobattery capable of fulfilling the capabilities of both lance and cannon.

The refit complete, "Light of His Eyes" was reassigned to the Nobilis Proscriptae sector, ostensibly under the command of Captain Ewin Dhrake, where it joined the Longblade Squadron. Thus far, the Tau railgun has proven itself to be better supremely unsuited to standard macrocannon tactics, draining the vessel's power too quickly to be fired in a standard broadside or rapid-fire. However, it's armor-penetrating capabilities have made it equivalent to a lance. This turn of events has led to increased Mechanicus interest in Tau railgun technology, as well as attracting the interest of more puritanical elements within the Mechanicus. Thus far, its patrons have shielded the experiment from interference and continue to gather battlefield and maintenance data.

The "Light of His Eyes" is outfitted in an unusual mix of Imperial Navy and Adeptus Mechanicus styles. Though the officers of the ship are loyal to Battlefleet and the Imperium, most of its low crew are bonded Mechanicus menials, the better to maintain security. Amongst these menials, a fable has spread, that the "Light's" primary cogitator was transferred from a ruined Imperator titan, necessitating the transfer of Mechanicus personnel knowledgeable about the proper rites and propitiations to contain the machine-spirits fury. Though you know of no evidence to support this rumor, it is true that the "Light of His Eyes" is particularly battle-hungry, moving faster and acting more swiftly in battle while sullenly plodding in the times between the highs of combat.


=]+[=


Sword-Class Frigate "Knight-Lord Hesperidan"

>Weaponry
Dorsal Fore: Sunsear Mark 2 Laser Battery (Long-ranged and powerful, but power-hungry. Reliable. Difficult to damage.)
Dorsal Aft: Sunsear Mark 2 Laser Battery

>Critical Components
Bridge Type: Armored Bridge (This bridge is uparmored and shielded against external damage. Can serve as a fortified strongpoint in boarding.)
Plasma Drive: Mars-Pattern Class 2 (Ancient plasma drive pattern, simple to build and maintain and capable of lifting a vessel from a planet. It provides greater motive power at the expense of less power generated for components.
Warp Drive: Strelov Mark 1 (Standard warp drive.)
Gellar Field: Gryphonne Class 2 (Standard gellar field of Southern Ultima Segmentum. Projected from aquila icons along body of the ship.)
Void Shield: Gryphonne Field Array (Robust void shield array, capable of absorbing greater amounts of damage at the expense of slower recharge speeds.)
Augurs: M-100 Augur Array (Standard augur array.)
Life Sustainer:  Mark 1.r Life Sustainer (Most basic life sustainer system. Keeps the crew alive at least...)
Quarters: Bilge-rat Quarters (Located in the core of the ship, they provide a measure of protection to the crew but are difficult to maintain and tend to be fairly simple.)

>Supplemental Components
Adamantium Plating: Increased protection at the expense of speed.
Reinforced Prow: Not a true armored prow, it still provides a measure of protection to the fore of the ship. Deals extra damage when ramming.
Tenebro-Maze: The interior of the ship is full of sally points, hidden bunkers, blind compartments, strongpoints in a maze-like configuration for any unfamiliar with the ship. Provides bonuses against boarding actions, as well as offering secure locations to store valuables.

>Past History: Haunted
Some nameless horror haunts this vessel’s past, leaving voidsmen to whisper stories of ghosts wandering through the corridors and cabins. Reduce Morale permanently by 10. However, strange premonitions flicker on the auger arrays, granting a +6 to the ship’s Detection. Additionally, all non-crewmembers suffer -5 to Command Tests involving boarding actions or hit and run actions against the haunted vessel. The presence of these spirits may cause many other issues, depending on their origins and how they came to haunt the vessel (something the GM should determine).

>Complication: Stoic
The vessel behaves like a beast of burden, plodding but reliable. Due to its somewhat plodding behaviour, whenever the crew would gain Profit Factor from an Endeavour, reduce the amount gained by 1. However, whenever one of the ship’s Component’s becomes damaged or unpowered, roll 1d10. On a 7 or higher, the ship shrugs off the damage and it is ignored.

>Biography
Launched from Tor Anestus, a primitive feudal world in the Marroneck Sector of the Ultima Segmentum, in 500.M40, the "Knight-Lord Hesperidan" cost hundreds of lives in construction accidents as the inhabitants of Tor Anestus struggled to meet the harsh demands of their Imperial masters. Hundreds more died in the "Hesperidan's" first engagement, as she broke the orbit of Tor Anestus and was promptly swarmed by the Dark Eldar raiders who had plagued the planet for decades. Though the people of Tor Anestus were skilled warriors, prized by the Dark Eldar for their gladiatorial pits and haemonculi experiments, the Dark Eldar were always able to outmaneuver and overwhelm the human forces on their home ground. Part of a collection of eight star systems cordoned and blockaded by Dark Eldar raiders, Tor Anestus found itself slowly bleeding to death and cut off from Imperial aid. Salvation presented itself in the form of a damaged Mechanicus troop transport, which crashed into the bare, rock mountains of the world. Among the survivors were several learned Archmagi, who worked with the kings of Tor Anestus to create a battleplan that would leverage the strengths of the world's native people.

Shrugging off the blows of the Dark Eldar vessels, the Hesperidan pushed itself out towards the heart of the system. Dozens of Dark Eldar warriors were already onboard, attempting to capture slaves and disable the ship. What they found was a hardened core of elite warriors, backed up by Mechanicus murder-servitors and Skitarii elite. The Dark Eldar were overwhelmed, though not without drenching the quarters and enginarium of the "Hesperidan" in blood. Meanwhile, the vengeful Eldar were closing on the "Hesperidan," which they had finally disabled. As their shard-cannons locked onto the frigate, they were ambushed by the Imperial fleet coming around the shelter of the star. The Mechanicus magi had carefully coordinated their launch with the arrival of Imperial reinforcements, and the Dark Eldar were annihilated. The "Knight-Lord Hesperidan" was taken for tithes unpaid and finished in the yards of Tannyde. Though not gifted with a surplus of technology, the spacedock was capable of finishing the necessary elements of construction to make the frigate a true interstellar warship.

The "Knight-Lord Hesperidan" is said to be haunted by the spirits of those who died in her birth. Doors open and close without warning, though never fatally. The vessel's augur systems occasionally display screaming faces before hostile contacts are detected, and dreams of claustrophobic battles and nightmare enemies are said to plague its psy-sensitives and officers. More overtly, ghostly buildiers dressed in rough cloth and wielding primitive tools are said to walk the abandoned ghost decks, maintaining them and keeping them clear of the usual horrors of interplanetary starships. Security teams rushing to a boarding action often report seeing the figures of primitive knights locked in fierce combat, yet the corpses only show signs of being killed by modern weaponry, even when post-battle autopsy shows they died long before the security teams arrived.

Ever since her birth, the "Hesperidan" has proven itself to be rugged and stubborn, if a little sluggish and slow to respond. Attributable to the circumstances of its construction, overengineered by Mechanicus magi to account for the quality of the materials and construction of the ship as well as its initial purpose as a durable lure, the simplified construction also allows for easier maintenance and repair. Though the "Hesperidan" has suffered for its sluggishness, particularly in the rare rearguard actions in which it participates, her robustness and ease of repair have allowed it to shrug off damage that would have crippled a lesser ship. One prominent example in the "Hesperidan's" history was the Battle of Circe, where the blow of a Hive Ship tendril nearly destroyed the vessel's enginarium and vomited a swarm of termagaunts into the heart of the ship. In desperate straights, the vessel's enginseers rerouted and replaced the ship's damaged parts as the crew fought the boarding tyranids. Through the grace of the Omnissiah, the vessel's plasma core had survived the tendril's blow and remained in operation. The "Knight-Lord Hesperidan" was able to escape the battlefield before the sacrifice of the "Dominus Astra" and survived the First Tyrannic War.

The crew of the "Hesperidan" retains a healthy respect for the spirits and martial traditions of the vessel's builders and first crew, and are more skilled at crew-to-crew combat than most Imperial crews. Taking advantage of the "Hesperidan's" unique traits and crew, the vessel has often found itself at the forefront of close assault actions and baiting tactics. The vessel was assigned to the Longblade Squadron twelve years ago as part of a multi-sector restructuring, where its traditional tactics have found little use under the cautious strategems of Lord-Captain Almattor.


=]+[=


Sword-Class Frigate "Khalybdis de Memorium"

>Weaponry
Dorsal Fore: Sunsear Mark 2 Laser Battery (Long-ranged and powerful, but power-hungry. Reliable. Difficult to damage.)
Dorsal Aft: Starbreaker Lance (Weaker than standard Lances but draws less power. Slow rate of fire compared to Laser Battery but deals finishing blow.)

>Critical Components
Bridge Type: Combat Bridge (Designed to withstand the rigors of combat, this bridge has extensive damage control systems.)
Plasma Drive: Jovian-pattern Class 2 (Standard frigate plasma drive.)
Warp Drive: Nulimanen Mark 1 (Rumored to be derived from experimental grand cruiser warp drives. Source of much debate within the Adeptus Mechanicus as to whether its unique spatial geometries cause it to attract warp entities and Chaos taint.)
Gellar Field: Mars Class 1 (STC-pattern gellar field. The baseline Imperial gellar field.)
Void Shield: Mars-Pattern Void Shield (STC-pattern void shield. The baseline Imperial void shield.)
Augurs: BG-15 Assault Scanners (Optimized for pinpointing key ground-based targets, such as anti-air batteries and power stations.)
Life Sustainer:  Vitae-pattern life sustainer (Standard life sustainer.)
Quarters: Ecclesiarchy Quarters (More ostentatious than standard quarters, designed to impress the majesty of the God-Emperor and uplift the faithful. Increases morale and willpower.)

>Supplemental Components
Reinforced Prow: Not a true armored prow, it still provides a measure of protection to the fore of the ship. Deals extra damage when ramming.
Hail-pattern Drop Pod Launch Bays: Allow for the launch of drop pods to assault a planetary position. The Hail-pattern is fairly small, allowing six pods to drop every ten minutes. It carries a maximum of 24 pods.
Barracks: Allows the vessel to transport one regiment of ground troops for use in boarding actions or planetary assault.

>Past History: Turbulent Past
Over the years this ship has been used to perform deeds dastardly to some and heroic to others. The GM selects a social group (pirates, heretics, the Imperial Navy, the Inquisition, or inhabitants of an important locale like Footfall). All ship’s crew suffer a -20 to social Skill Tests when interacting with that group. The GM then selects a second group naturally opposed to the first. All ship’s crew gain +20 to social Skills when interacting with that group. The additional problems that could arise from being hated by a particular group of people are limitless.

>Complication: Blasphemous Tendencies
Some unidentifiable aspect of this vessel’s spirit resonates sympathetically with the Immaterium. Captains find this ship swims through the warp more easily, as if it was more at home there...All Navigation Tests made to pilot this vessel through the warp gain a +15 bonus. However, while aboard the ship, all crew suffer -5 to Willpower based Tests.

>Biography
Constructed in the shipyards of Kar Duniash in the heart of the Age of Apostasy, the Khalybdis was commissioned in commemmoration of the Frateris Templar's victory over the oppressed people of Khalybdis. OUtfitted as a planetary assault frigate and given to the Frateris Templar for use in leading dmall punitive expeditions against rebels and heretics. During the Reign of Blood, the "Khalybdis" gained a dark reputation for the brutality of its Frateris Templar and a fanaticism which  repelled even their allies. As the forces of the Confederation of Light gained strangth,  the "Khalibdis" was dispatched alongside a battlefleet to reconquer the Death World of Maudlin, which had rebelled against the excesses of Goge Vandire and allied itself with the Confederation. The expedition was a trap; the regiments deployed on Maudlin found themselves suffering more losses to the deadly nature of the world than to the rebellious natives and Guard regiments or announcing their defection, alongside large portions of the accompanying battlefleet. The "Khalybdis" was one of a handful of loyalist ships to escape, and found itself increasingly isolated as the tyranny of High Lord Vandire was overthrown. By the end of the Age of Apostasy, as news of the victory of Sebastian Thor upon Terra spread throughout the Imperium, the vessel would find itself the subject of sanctions and pursuits as it defied the decrees of the new Ministorum. The vessel had became part of the budding heresy of the Temple Tendency. Even now, members of the Ministorum look upon the ship with suspicion and distaste for its links to such ancient heresies.

The desperate fanatcism of her crew led them to commit brutal raids against Imperial vessels and assets, as it turned against the empire which it had once been a part of. As the decades passed, the vessel found itself suffering an increase in Warp incidents, depleting its crew and resources as repairs became more difficult to effect. When the newly-minted Rogue Trader Marcus Panalokos finally cornered the "Khalybdis" in a barren star system, the vessel was closer to a hulk than a functioning warship. Undaunted, Panolokos repaired and refit the vessel, upgunning it with a small lance, and used it to enforce payments from his debtors. In this capacity, the "Khalybdis" saw itself used more for intimidation than battle, running across millions of light-years of Imperial space transporting troops and escorting freighters carrying payments to House Panakolos. During this time, it acquired something of a reputation for passing lightly through the warp.

After some time, the vessel was sold to Battlefleet Nobilis Proscriptae as House Panokolos raised funds for an expedition. She was not warmly welcomed; her history was ignominous, to say the least. Those deeds which could be considered great had not been done under Battlefleet command, and the dark times which followed were the source of much suspicion. Even after a full consecration and commissioning ceremony, there were few happy to serve aboard her. This all changed with the Kaynigh Sanction. The hive world of Kaynigh, home to one of the sector's primary shipyards as well as a major staging point for Administratum tithe shipments, was dragged into a devastating civil war when elements of the Temple Tendecy were uncovered in the leadership of its greatest hive. As the subordinate hives mustered their forces beneath the banners of the Ecclesiarchy and the INquisition, the heretic leaders struck back through the deployment of turned PDF regiments and anciot eet, which blockaded the system as the Tendency desperately fought to gain control of the world. Fortunately, the shipyards had been playing host to several elements of Battlefleet Nobilis, which managed to avoid capture by the rebels and tied up the rebel fleet elements in the system. Despite this success, the loyalist forces found themselves locked in a standstill; the rebels outnumbered the Imperial presence in space, dominating Kaynigh's near-orbit and using their control of the planetary high ground to contain the numerically superior loyalist ground forces. It was the "Kalybdis" which finally turned the tide, first penetrating the rebel defenses orbiting the planet then bombarding the rebellious hive before deploying its armsmen to secure the surviving rebel leadership in coordination with Inquisition elements within the hive itself. For this, the vessel was permitted to bear the Naval Aquila along its prow, a sign of the vessel's triumphant rehabilitation and acceptance within Battlefleet.

After a few years in drydock for repairs, the "Khalybdis de Memorium" was transferred around the sector, through no fault of the crew. The vessel's unusual configuration made its place within Battlefleet strategy unclear, yet the Lord-Admiral of the sector was unwilling to lose such a versatile asset. In the end, she was placed in Longblade Squadron not only to improve the squadron's anti-ship punch, but to provide the squadron with some of the ground attack capabilities of a capital ship in order to better engage any ground-based enemies the patrol might encounter.