Evervigilant 29

<Vigilant_GM> IT IS THE 41ST MILLENNIUM...
<Vigilant_GM> "O.C. Nils, Bonded Oathsmen" reads the plaque beside the doorframe of the largest office in the Purity Gate. The precinct continues to function normally as the acolytes study the vox-caster left behind by the participants of the bloody shootout. The device is linked to a channel, remains fully operational, yet receives no transmissions. Nonetheless, atuning it to the cell's micro-bead
<Vigilant_GM> local frequency is a simple task.
<Vigilant_GM> With a double knock to the office door, Captain Nils enters her usual work space.
<Vigilant_GM> "I have requested promethium tanks to carry out the necessary cleansing. Soon, the facilities will be rid of this... curse."
<Baird> "Afternoon Oath-Captain, that is certainly good news to hear, barring of course unfortunate situation regarding the medicae."
<Vigilant_GM> She nods, solemnly.
<Vigilant_GM> Another knock on the door, and the Oath-Captain beckons a sanctionary to enter.
<Vigilant_GM> "Captain, word has returned on the requisition for another medicae specialist."
<Vigilant_GM> She reaches for the strip of parchment, "Thank you, Niklaus."
<Vigilant_GM> With a salute, the sanctionary leaves, closing the door behind him.
<Baird> "Well letting us use your office is appreciated Oath-Captain, the time has come for us to get out of your hair and continue to pursue our..other leads." Baird pauses and grimaces slightly at the thought of having to descend into Gantry once more. Noticing the strip of parchment Baird gives Nils a quizzical look. "Good news I hope?"
<Vigilant_GM> Nils shakes her head in frustration, and discards the strip of parchment. "They have given up on us, up-hive. But it's an agonizing death for the Purity Gate..."
<Vigilant_GM> "They refuse to provide what we require, yet they keep the garrison here," she pauses.
<Vigilant_GM> "My apologies. Please, let me know if you will need anything else from me."
<Baird> "Sounds inefficient as feth Oath-Captain. Will, once again your help is appreciated."
<Vigilant_GM> "Emperor be with you. Don't turn your back on that scoundrel... please."
<Baird> "I imagine I'll grow a third eye just to watch him Nils." Baird chuckles slightly at his poor joke and then turns to his fellow acolytes. "Well..everyone ready to descend once again?"
<Nitrous> "Yes."
<Karpath> "Yep, whenever you are ready to head out."
<Tony> "Once more into the breach, I am ready when you are."
* Shiv shrugs.
* Baird nods. "Alright, let's get this done."
<Vigilant_GM> Descending past the Purity Gate, the sanctionary sentries watch you go into an area which even they have given up on. Less than a kilometer away from the final bastion of law, it is clear that the gang activity has flared up of late as you come across bodies slumped over a badly damaged motorbike, the corpses wrapped around the tattered remains of matching thick jackets of grey and
<Vigilant_GM> brown.
<Vigilant_GM> Some twenty minutes of descent later, and you find a row of bodies lifted up by hooks along what used to be lighting poles - their flesh cut a hundred or more times, corpses left to bleed out. It is a statement. A symbol, or ward, to those who are unwelcome.
<Tony> "Seems a little more welcoming since last time."
<Nitrous> "Indeed."
<Baird> "Oh definitely, at least there's no walking corpses."
<Shiv> "Not yet anyway."
<Baird> "Don't jinx us Itkit or I'll give you a colonoscopy with your flamer."
<Vigilant_GM> The stuffy atmosphere and irregular temperature rising, the muted echoes of your footsteps and of the falling underhive 'rains', all accent your descent as darkness begins to take over along the lower levels.
<Vigilant_GM> One of the many lowly dregs catches your attention. He rattles old scrip-coins in his crude wooden bowl. Despite his appearance as a dreg of the underhive, however, you notice that the man does not share the downtrodden bearing of the many others normally inhabiting this dreadful place. In truth, he is the only one you have noticed past the Purity Gate, in this land of death, violence,
<Vigilant_GM> and ganger struggle.
* Tony Looks at the Old man and goes to Baird for a moment and whispers something to him
<Vigilant_GM> Sat on the side of the dark road, with just the distant glow of a sump fire at the end of an alleyway, the dreg hears you approach, and outstretches his wooden bowl, shaking it with some added vigour.
* Baird approaches the 'beggar'. "Now what's an old man doing here in the middle of a gang war eh?"
<Vigilant_GM> He nods in recognition, shaking his bowl.
* Baird takes a risk and drops one of the coins made of bone into his bowl.
<Vigilant_GM> The drop of the Thaur coin catches his attention. He lowers the bowl, and picks up the bone currency, examining it closely.
<Vigilant_GM> "Blessed," he says in a weak, coarse voice.
<Vigilant_GM> "Blessed," he repeats.
<Baird> "Blessed." Baird repeats flatly.
<Vigilant_GM> He nods, putting the coin away.
<Baird> "So, I'll ask again, what're you doing down here amidst a gang war? Awfully dangerous don't you think?"
<Vigilant_GM> "Krumb bothers no one," he shakes his head. "No one bothers Krumb."
<Baird> "Surely there is a reason, Krumb. I believe you were put in our path for a reason, I'd like to know what it is."
<Vigilant_GM> "Our paths cross for a reason, pistolier."
<Baird> "What reason is that 'Krumb'? You can tell me."
<Vigilant_GM> "You are the eyes of the Emperor, even as you work towards penance for your own sins," at this last part, his eyes lock with Shiv.
<Shiv> "What?"
<Tony> "The Emperor watches many of us Krumb, but you seem blessed yourself being left alone out here not bothered."
<Vigilant_GM> "We may all work towards redemption," he nods.
<Tony> "Why do you seek your redemption Krumb?"
* Shiv lifts his mask a bit and lights a lho stick.
<Vigilant_GM> "We are sinners, and instruments of the Emperor both," he pauses, "it is a path that brings relief, understanding, and purpose... would you not agree?"
* Tony He Nods
<Baird> "That we are Krumb." Bairds stands and turns back towards the path.
* Karpath turns a follows.
<Vigilant_GM> He picks up his wooden bowl and begins shaking it once more.
<Tony> "Emperor Protect you Krumb."
* Tony as he catches up with the group
<Vigilant_GM> Then, in a surprisingly strong -if coarse- tone of voice he calls out. "Your course is true!"
* Baird calls back to him, turning slightly. "Who's course Krumb?"
<Vigilant_GM> Rattling his bowl, he says to himself once more, "Blessed."
* Baird shakes his head and continues moving forwards.
<Tony> "Might just be a Pilgrim that might be down on his luck Raolin.""
<Vigilant_GM> The path forward winds into emptied tanks of the old Charnel Houses that once operated down here. The echoes of leaking and dripping pipes are accompanied by the stench of the dreadful operations they once housed.
<Vigilant_GM> Out of the darkness, a light whistling in the air is all that precedes the blade flying towards Karpath. A split-second reflexive dodge sees the blade narrowly miss his face.
<Karpath> Getting up from his near miss, he draws out his bolter.
<Vigilant_GM> A massive ganger with a sword the size of a man charges at Nitrous, swinging just wide of his mark.
* Nitrous goes into a defensive stance
* Shiv takes off his mask and yells "IT'S US, YOU IDIOTS! WE WORK FOR YOUR BOSS!"
* Shiv takes out his chainsword from his backpack.
* Karpath goes into a defensive stance as well.
* Tony Pulls out Lil Friend and readies himself.
 Tony Pulls out Lil Friend and readies himself
<Vigilant_GM> "I 'ave an axe ready to fly inna your chest, up-hiver! Who the feck are you?"
<Baird> "Put down your fecking weapons and if know what's good for you you'll take us to Vornas. We're friends of his, I mean fuck unless you're either new or stupid you should know who we are given that we helped you save Gantry and all. NOW PUT THEM DOWN!"
<Vigilant_GM> "I fecking told you, dumb cunts! Them's the off-worlders, not up-hivers. Put'em down!"
<Vigilant_GM> The Red Walk gangers sheate their weapons, one of them walking past Karpath to retrieve his blade.
* Nitrous breaths a sigh of relief.
* Karpath relaxes from his stance and puts away his bolter.
* Tony lowers his Lil Friend and puts it away seeing the situation defused
* Shiv puts his chainsword back into the backpack and puts on his mask.
<Vigilant_GM> "Crimson expecting you?" their leader asks, approaching.
<Baird> "Unfortunately no, but we need to talk with him. It's important."
<Vigilant_GM> "Gantry fucked again?"
<Baird> "It's a possibility, more of that shite we were dealing with has reared it's filthy head again."
<Baird> "Let's hope it hasn't spread down that far just yet."
<Vigilant_GM> They all laugh.
<Vigilant_GM> "You don't know the half of it."
<Baird> "Fecking great, well let's get down there."
<Vigilant_GM> They lead you down further into their territory.
<Vigilant_GM> "The corpse-lovers got real sore after all that happened."
<Vigilant_GM> "Been acting up against Vornas' operations, mid gang-war."
<Vigilant_GM> "Crimson treats'em just like the other though. Another group of dumb cunts getting in the way of business."
<Baird> "Well we certainly agree on something."
<Baird> "They are dumb cunts."
<Vigilant_GM> "Nothin' like that big push o'theirs when you all arrived. But a fecking nuissance needin' takin' care of."
<Vigilant_GM> Ahead, you hear the sounds of a struggle.
<Vigilant_GM> Some ten meters ahead, a man falls to his death from the top of a semi-collapsed building.
<Vigilant_GM> The gangers, however, don't seem worried.
<Nitrous> "Hrm."
<Vigilant_GM> The King of Blades holds on to a malnourished, scrawny man by his shirt, threatening to drop him, too.
<Vigilant_GM> "He's up there" the gangers nods up.
<Vigilant_GM> A stream of blood falls with a wet sputter against the ground.
<Vigilant_GM> A corpse follows.
<Baird> "Preciate it." Baird begins to move inside the building to speak with Vornas.
<Vigilant_GM> You are eyed cautiously by the men within. That is, until a few begin to recognize you.
<Vigilant_GM> You receive nods in greeting, some going so far as to offer salutes with their blades.
* Baird returns the nods and salutes as he ascends upwards through the building.
<Vigilant_GM> "Don't let that fucking rat escape!" you hear Vornas call from above.
<Vigilant_GM> A bald, tattooed man wearing only pants and rope around his wrists races down the stairs straight towards you.
* Baird quickdraws his bolt pistol and blows out the fleeing mans kneecap.
<Vigilant_GM> The limb is gored, blood splattered on the wall, steps, and Shiv's legs.
<Vigilant_GM> "Now, where do I know that sound from?" Vornas calls, before emerging on the stairs above. The man by your feet cries and howls in pain, cursing Baird in a veritable littany of vitriol.
<Shiv> "Fecking... feck...FFFFFF. *exhales*."
<Vigilant_GM> "Do me a kindness and drag that up with you," he points to the would-be escapee with his sword.
<Baird> "You know damn well who it is you old scoundrel! Yeah yeah we'll bring him."
* Karpath nods and grabs the man by the leg.
<Vigilant_GM> Vornas disappears back on the roof as you make your way up.
* Karpath drags the man by his leg up the stairs.
<Vigilant_GM> Kicking and screaming the prisoner is dragged all the way up, until you see a line of three other prisoners on their knees guarded over by two men Vornas has brought up with him.
* Karpath drags him over to the other group of prisoners.
<Vigilant_GM> "I'd say it's good to see you, but it can't be good news," he says with a wide mischievous smile as he waves Karpath over with a long knife.
<Vigilant_GM> "Put him here."
<Baird> "So I see you've made some friends while we were gone, and you're right, it isn't."
* Karpath nods and drags the man over.
<Vigilant_GM> Vornas steps on the prisoner's wound, bends down, and cuts off his ears.
<Vigilant_GM> "The problem with prisoners who don't listen," he begins over the loud screams of his prisoner, "is that they run away even when you've told them the consequences." Bringing up one of the ears close to his mouth, he whispers, "Isn't that right, you rat fuck?"
<Vigilant_GM> Finally, he nods to his men. They lift the bleeding prisoner and hurl him off the building.
<Vigilant_GM> "It's been a busy time, I can't lie," he says taking a seat on an old chair.
<Baird> "I can certainly see that." Baird chuckles a bit.
<Vigilant_GM> He crosses his legs casually, and offers lho-sticks as he takes one with his lips.
<Baird> "Sorry to drop in on you while you're doing business but I need to ask a favor." Baird takes an lho-stick and nods appreciatively.
* Shiv takes a lho-stick and says "Thank ya."
<Vigilant_GM> "You saved the shitpile I build my empire on," he laughs, putting away the lho-pack. "What do you merry band of travellers need?"
<Baird> "I've been told there are tunnels and such that lead out of the city, preferably I'd like a guide and any info you might have on how to contact a group out in the wastes that might have information."
<Vigilant_GM> "Please, mister Crimson..." a feeble voice interrupts from behind you.
<Vigilant_GM> Vornas gets up to his feet, and taps Baird on the shoulder as he passes by. "The Wastes are worse than my Grantry," he opens the man's throat with his blade. "What are you looking for in that fucking sandpit?"
<Baird> "So I've heard, but there's a group out there that may have a lead on the...'people' I'm looking for."
<Vigilant_GM> "You know," he says taking a seat once more, "it's not the first time waste-folk come to my attention this week."
<Baird> "Fecking hell."
<Vigilant_GM> "Your friends, the corpse-fuckers we had to tend to. They've been angsty after we cut 'em up good. Nothing like the shit we saw, but enough to get in the way of business."
<Vigilant_GM> "Other day we had a little chat with a few of 'em."
<Baird> "I'm guessin’ that's where the waste-folk come into it."
<Vigilant_GM> He nods. "Seems they got friends from the outside. Been striking at their stockpiles of... artefacts; off-world shite I don't understand or care for."
<Vigilant_GM> "They've been gettin' robbed blind by these dust-lovers."
<Baird> "Sounds like it might be the people I need to have a chat with."
<Vigilant_GM> "I'm willing to bet those old smuggling tunnels you're lookin' for are already busy as is."
<Vigilant_GM> He chuckles. "They've been real sore about losing their trinkets," he takes a puff of smoke.
* Baird chuckles as well. "I'm sure they are."
<Vigilant_GM> "Tell ya what. I'll have Rikk take you to the tunnels. He's a real mean fucker these days, but he knows the vents."
<Baird> "Appreciate it Vornas. We'll let you get back to your business. And hey once we can wrap this up if you need some help I might be able to repay the favor somehow."
<Vigilant_GM> He nods. "Just don't piss him off," he walks over to the edge of the roof and shouts down. "Rikk! Get your ass ready for a trip. Got some old friends needin' help!"
<Vigilant_GM> At that, he beckons another prisoner over, and prepares a blade.
<Baird> "I'll just let him handle him, they're besties apparently." Baird laughs quietly while gesturing towards Shiv.
<Shiv> "Well, he did protect me against those damned walking corpses."
* Baird begins to head back down the stairs towards the base of the building. "Good luck with the corpse-fuckers and these other feck-heads Vornas. You'll need it" Baird chuckles once more before continuing down.
* Nitrous follows along
* Shiv follows behind Baird.
* Karpath follows as well.
* Tony Mostly waiting Tony follows
<Shiv> "I hope we don't actually have to go out to the wastes. Shits nasty out there."
<Vigilant_GM> When you descend you see Rikk. A gas mask is now permanently fixed to his face, a bulky rebreathing unit on his back connecting to the mask by tubes. His right forearm has been amputated just below the elbow, and the limb has been turned into a massive cleaver.
<Baird> "Well don't be shy Itkit, go say hello to your best buddy."
<Vigilant_GM> "Rat," Rikk growls through his mask.
* Tony Looks to Rikk and Nods to him
<Shiv> "Rikk."
<Karpath> "Good to see you again Rikk."
<Baird> "Well, go on, hug it out. Don't be shy now.
* Shiv is annoyed and says "I would but blade arms give painful hugs."
<Vigilant_GM> "What's the trip?" Rikk demands.
<Baird> "Well Vornas said you'll be our guide to the smuggler tunnels that lead out into the waste."
<Vigilant_GM> "Fuckin' vermin in there..." he points to Shiv, "He'll fit in."
<Vigilant_GM> He starts down the road.
* Shiv follows beside Rikk and says "Very clever, Rikk."
* Baird follows the duo down the road.
* Tony Pulls out his Lil Friend
<Tony> "Well we best be on the lookout for these Vermin."
<Vigilant_GM> The path leads towards Gantry, though rather than continue towards the chasm, Rikk sticks to the outer hive sections.
* Karpath has his Bolter out at the ready.
* Nitrous pulls out his rifle
* Shiv has his hand flamer and flashlight ready.
<Vigilant_GM> Collapsed pipes block the entrance to an abandoned warehouse of some sort.
<Vigilant_GM> "Feckin' hive quakes..." Rikk curses.
<Vigilant_GM> He approaches and begins removing the collapsed piping.
* Tony Looks to Nitrous and points to them as he overwatches
<Nitrous> "Yup."
<Tony> ++Watch out gang++
<Vigilant_GM> Shots ring out from within, striking Rikk on the side!
<Nitrous> +Cultist up ahead.+
* Nitrous aims with his sniper rifle and aims for the head and kills a cultist
* Karpath opens fire on the cultist up in the windows but his shots miss.
* Shiv puts away the flashlight and pulls out the flamer. He advances forwards afterwards.
<Vigilant_GM> From atop the warehouse, an autogun rings out, a single bullet striking Baird on the shoulder.
* Tony Runs past Rikk and runs up to the Pipe Cover as he slides prone into cover
* Baird grunts as the bullet strikes his shoulder and then moves quickly off to the left for a better vantage point on the cultists.
<Vigilant_GM> Yet another cultist opens up with autogun fire, targeting Nitrous.
<Vigilant_GM> Sidearm fire follows, but fails to hit its mark.
<Vigilant_GM> Enraged, Rikk begins to climb the collapsed piping to get to the other side.
<Vigilant_GM> Two shots from a sidearm hit him in the torso, but the ganger appears to ignore this altogether.
* Nitrous gets into cover
<Tony> "You got a grenade on hand?"
* Tony He looks to Nitrous
<Nitrous> "Nope."
<Tony> "You take the guys above, I will suppress the guys behind here."
<Nitrous> "Got it."
* Karpath moves into cover and takes one shot at one of the cultist up in the window areas, hitting one in the leg.
* Shiv quick draws his hand flamer and shots at the cultist while moving for cover. He sets the cultist on fire.
<Vigilant_GM> A heavy clang against the pipes is followed by a deafening blast that shreds a segment of the makeshift barricade. Tony leaps out of the way just in time, while Nitrous's positioning means only minor shrapnel strikes his armor.
* Tony leaps up as he runs into the warehouse up to the barricade to get a flank on the Cultists behind the pipe
* Baird draws both of his bolt pistols dropping two cultists in a barrage of well placed bolts before dodging out of the way as their compatriots retaliated with a burst of autogun fire.
<Vigilant_GM> once atop the pile of piping, Rikk finds footing to launch himself to the face of the warehouse, gripping the railing on an overseer's platform before climbing up and into the warehouse.
* Nitrous aims for another cultist and splatters in his brain
* Karpath fires at the last guy up in the upper section but the cultist dodges out of his shot.
* Shiv runs to the staircase.
<Vigilant_GM> From above, another grenade is dropped straight down.
<Vigilant_GM> Tony is in the blast zone, receiving shrapnel to the chest.
* Tony Coughing out blood he pulls up and Full Autos with his Autogun angry at the Cultist that shot him
* Tony Spits out blood clearly bloodied
* Baird lines up another round of bolts at the final cultist, dropping him with a hail of gunfire.
* Shiv pulls out his medikit and patches up Tony.
<Tony> "Damn Grenades"
<Shiv> "You are gonna need a new shirt, detective."
<Vigilant_GM> Rikk stomps down the stairs, leaping off the lower landing. He grabs one of the corpses gored by bolt fire, and throws it against the wall, crushing bones and organs alike.
<Tony> "Thanks Itkit, but where we are going we won't need appearances as much."
<Baird> "Everyone alright?"
* Shiv shrugs and says "Maybe you could pick up sewing as a hobby."
<Nitrous> "Should probably pile the bodies and set them on fire."
* Karpath gets up from his cover, "Yea, I'm good."
<Baird> "Looks like you get to have some fun with your flamer Itkit."
<Tony> "A bit hurt all over but I will live."
<Shiv> "Yep.". He reloads his hand flamer.
<Baird> "Good to hear it Tony."
* Shiv starts gathering the bodies into a pile.
* Tony gets himself back up eventually as he begins to look about where they are
<Vigilant_GM> Calming his anger some, Rikk approaches the Acolytes, and points with his cleaver-arm at the end of the warehouse. A massive ventilation shaft has collapsed against the warehouse wall at an awkward slope. "Smuggler shafts through there."
* Karpath looks towards the shaft.
* Tony Walks up to get a closer look at the Shaft
* Nitrous follows along