Evervigilant 66

<Vigilant_GM> IT IS THE 41ST MILLENNIUM...
* Baird draws his plasma pistol and launches a superheated blast of energy at the daemon-child and without waiting to see it's effect fires another silver bolt at the creature, hoping to deal a mortal wound.
<Vigilant_GM> A pulse-like shockwave radiates in short bursts from the child's position, each stronger than the last. Though obscured by the thick, unnatural darkness beginning to fill the canyon, some of the Throne Agents begin to notice a glow building up from within the child's rib-cage.
* Sister_Thesse charges the unholy creature and misses her attack.
* Velam makes some quick calculations and decides his best bet is to take his time in aiming at the creature.
<Almarax> The daemonic rage that overcame Almarax forces him against the will of his human mind to once again charge the deamon. His chainsword whirrs to life, each swing ripping chunks out of the beasts destabilized image, before the image of the child returns. After the final blow the image of the child fails to return and instead a bloody mess of daemonic gore is left on the ground, the anger effecting Almarax subsiding.
<Vigilant_GM> The remnants of the creature glow red, then orange, then a bright white before atomizing, to leave no remnant of its presence.
<Velam> "Emperor's teeth, what a blow."
<Almarax> "Threat Neutralised."
<Baird> "Well done Reclaimator."
* Almarax nods acknowledging the interrogator before glazing over to analyse his auspex readings.
* Karpath makes his way over to Clare and begins to treat her wounds with the help of Davos.
<Velam> The savant moves up to where the 'child' was, noting nothing remains of it. "Fascinating..." He makes several notes of it after making a small prayer to the Emperor.
<Almarax> "I am detecting an unknown energy, however it is slowly dispersing. Presumably remnant effects of the creature."
<Almarax> "Not seeing any immediate threats from whence the creature came."
<Velam> "No other readings?" Velam is of course recording all of this as well.
* Karpath has quit (Client exited)
* Karpath (Karpath@sux-4923800D.sanbrunocable.com) has joined
<Almarax> "Negative, still significant interference."
<Vigilant_GM> The Janissaries gather, you hear and see signs of a struggle between them.
* Baird turns towards the grouped Janissaries. "Lieutenant, what's the issue here?"
<Velam> Given her current state, dazed and wounded, Velam accepts the warp-sensing contraption. With quick instruction he learns it's use and takes a quick 360 sweep of their immediate area.
<Vigilant_GM> "Take it from him!" you can hear him bark at his men before turning to Baird, "Sir, stand back!"
* Baird doesn't approach the men but beckons the Lieutenant over. "What's going on?' Baird repeats.
<Vigilant_GM> A single, deep blast tears through the squad, shrapnel bouncing off the floor and high canyon walls.
<Vigilant_GM> As the ringing in your ears subsides, several Janissaries begin to slowly find their feet again.
<Vigilant_GM> Where they once gathered, three shredded corpses now litter the bottom of the canyon.
* Velam slips the device off as the explosion thunders through the canyon. "Oh dear..."
* Karpath takes cover.
<Baird> "Explain Lieutenant." Baird surveys the shredded corpses.
* Davos dives into cover.
<Vigilant_GM> "Stay... stay down," you see their Lieutenant wave one of the wounded men to remain on the ground before looking up at Baird. "Madness, sir. It... overtook him. Suddenly, without warning."
<Almarax> The optical mechanderite swivels to observe the commotion, Almarax himself maintaining his watch of the tunnel.
* Baird swears under his breath. "Julian, Sister Meryl, see to the men's physical and mental wellbeing. Give everyone a once over."
<Vigilant_GM> "Sir," he takes a step forward, speaking in a muted tone. "Sir, what are we dealing with here?"
<Baird> "Heresies of the deepest pit Lieutenant. Steel yourselves, this is likely only the precipice."
* Karpath starts to stand up from where he took cover and goes to check on the men.
<Vigilant_GM> "Saint Drusus lend us strength," he says under his breath.
* Sister_Thesse says softly "Understood, Lord Gulijan." She visits the men to check on them with Karpath.
<Vigilant_GM> Try as she might to fulfill her duties, Sister Thesse is uncommonly terse, and cold, with the men. In truth, her intervention puts them ill at ease.
<Baird> Seeing the effect Thesse is having on the Janissaries Baird takes the men aside and speaks to each of the encouragingly, painting pictures of heroic heroes of the imperium fighting against the darkness.
* Karpath takes care of the wounded and patches their wounds.
<Vigilant_GM> While care is given to those affected by the encounter with the troubling creature, sibilate whispers begin to bounce across the canyon walls.
* Velam looks around, searching for the origin of the whispers. He should know better given where they are.
* Davos scowls in disapproval at the whispers.
* Almarax coms the cell +The whispers are not detected by the auspex. You will not find the source.+
<Vigilant_GM> "Sir, we're ready to move... are you quite alright, sir?"
* Baird is looking around erratically, trying to find where Mortem's voice is coming from, his head jerking in random directions.
<Vigilant_GM> The Lieutenant steps forward, placing a hand on Baird's shoulder in an attempt to ground him.
<Vigilant_GM> "Sir, are you alright?"
* Baird jerks at the hand of the Lieutenant regaining his wits and realizing that the Inquisitor isn't present. He takes a deep breath to calm his nerves and nods. "Yes Lieutenant, see to your men, we must press on."
<Vigilant_GM> "Yes, sir," the Drusian nods.
* Karpath decides to holster his Condemnor boltgun and takes out his storm bolter.
<Velam> At his command Velam pulls out the multi-compass and begins to lead the grim procession as it was now. Keeping himself in the lead, only about a meter in front of the rest of the group though. "A fascinating device, works quite well." He comments as he continues to switch from reading the device and looking up.
* Almarax makes sure to stay close enough to the scholar to offer protection if needed.
<Karpath> "Yea just don't lose it."
<Vigilant_GM> The steady gales of wind create a perpetual flow of dust in the air, swirling and falling, obstructing clear vision too far ahead.
<Velam> "I would never dream of it, my friend!"
* Davos put's on his respirator.
* Sister_Thesse puts her respirator on as well.
<Vigilant_GM> Several kilometers into this procession, and the scent of promethium begins to overtake other sensory information.
<Velam> +Smell that?+
<Baird> +Difficult not too Tabarius. Any thoughts on the cause?+
<Vigilant_GM> For a brief moment, a figure appears to cross from the top of one end of the chasms, to the canyon floor across. Brief, dark, and obstructed by the dust, only noticed by four of the Throne Agents.
<Velam> +Generators perhaps? Or maybe we're smelling the fuel used for burning... there's a dozen other things I can think of.+
<Velam> +Movement.+ He stops suddenly, also stopping the group. +Confirm?+
<Baird> +Movement ahead, anyone have eyes on?+
* Karpath draws up his Storm Bolter also seeing the figure. +Confirmed.+
<Vigilant_GM> The Janissaries ready their weapons.
* Davos prepares for combat.
<Almarax> +Confirm visual lost.+
<Velam> Only now noticing some people have their respirators on, Velam takes a moment to put his own on as people keep a vigilant watch for any other movement.
<Vigilant_GM> Then, a group of man-like figures begins to pace from behind one of the turns up ahead, less impaired by the dust, and with all the benefit of the Throne Cell's attention in that direction, it is easy to make out the number, six in total, and their gait, a solemn processional line in which they slowly walk in unison.
* Baird clips on his respirator as well.
<Velam> +Should we move closer?+
* Karpath puts on his Rebreather.
<Baird> +Main group advance slowly, maximum vigilance. I need a volunteer to scout closer while we advance.+
* Karpath steps up +I can take this one sir.+
* Karpath looks to Davos, +Can I borrow your camo cloak?+
* Davos presennts the Chameleoline Cloak for Karpath's use stating, "Here."
* Karpath takes the cloak from Davos. +Thanks.+ He then puts it on and moves up.
<Vigilant_GM> As Karpath closes in to view, an indistinct pattern of voices can be heard echoing from somewhere within the canyon walls. The echo carries until it reaches the men outside who, strangely, one by one also repeat its words; "The material corrupts. Our bodies, too, tie us to a corrupting existence," then all turning to Karpath, they repeat yet another carried echo from within, "Do what
<Vigilant_GM> you must, for we who are nearer the Emperor are not afraid."
<Vigilant_GM> They wear pitiful habits, old and tattered canvas held together by belts of rope and simple leather straps.
<Karpath> +I'm not sure what the are sir.+ he whispers into the comms.
<Baird> +Give a guess.+
<Karpath> +But I think there is something possibly heretical about them. The sounds from the echo's of the wall are also coming from within them it seems.+
<Karpath> +They seem to be repeating it.+
<Karpath> +They wear some sort of tattered canvas that is only held together by ropes and simple leather straps.+
<Baird> +Sounds similar to the other pilgrims we met. As for the echoes we can only guess. We advance.+
<Karpath> +Will say they did turn to look at me as well.+
<Baird> Baird's eyebrows raise. +That's an important piece of info Julian.+ Baird turns to the group as a whole. "They know we are here. Let's move up, stay as a group but move quickly.+
* Velam leads the way or at the very least leads the way with Baird.
<Vigilant_GM> As the Throne Agents approach, the men move into an opening on the wall of the canyon, in as calm a single-file line as before.
<Almarax> "I fear our only choice to get to the bottom of this is to follow them."
<Baird> "Davos, does this path match the directions?"
<Davos> "Different path, same end point."
* Baird nods. "Then we follow."
<Davos> "Yes sir."
<Velam> "Should I continue leading then?"
<Baird> "Just follow them and make sure the path doesn't deviate."
<Velam> "Very well, my lord." He starts following the 'heretics.'
* Sister_Thesse follows Velam.
<Vigilant_GM> The opening on the canyon wall is somehow well carved into the rough metallic material. Within, soft artificial lighting exaggerates the imperfections of the interior walls, and casts long shadows for each of its inhabitants. Here, for the first time, you realize the men in matching habits have had their eyes removed, or sealed shut.
<Vigilant_GM> They tend to pilgrims, who appear to be recent arrivals and from different far away corners of the wastes. Chants, hymns perhaps, can be heard from chambers unseen.
<Almarax> "This structure doesn't match any Imperial architecture, could potentially be from before Juno was rediscovered."
<Velam> "Ooooooh yes, I think I agree with you friend." He starts paying more attention to the surroundings of the place, making mental notes.
<Baird> "Reclaimator, Tabarius, make sure you make not and record everything we find down here."
<Velam> "Do humans breathe, m'lord?" Is all the response Velam makes.
<Vigilant_GM> From an unseen chamber, two words echo down, as they are heard by the blinded, they are repeated. "Shed the material, unburden your soul."
* Karpath joins up back with the group.
<Almarax> "Transferring any immediate recordings from temporary to permanent storage."