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Hidden 8 yrs ago 8 yrs ago Post by Hank
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Hank Dionysian Mystery

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"We determine the guilty. We decide the punishment."

- Codex Arbites



"They live there in that great plascrete tower surrounded by walls and razor wire,
only emerging to seize some unfortunate who has transgressed against the Imperial Laws
or to patrol the city to prove that it belongs to them. There are crystal lenses and
sound wave detectors on that tower that can watch citizens and listen to their
conversations 100 leagues away, Imperial spy satellites watch what they can't see
directly and even the Governor fears them. They aren't from here and have nothing
to do with us, no more than Orks or Eldar, if they have families or children we don't
know about them and we don't care. They wouldn't so much as buy a glowbulb from us
and we would not sell it to them. It's ironic that they have the rather benevolent title of
Arbitrators."

- Vorkas Zolowski


The vast, galaxy-spanning Imperium of Mankind contains an untold number of worlds and an equally infinite number of cultures. The variety and flexibility of mankind is one of its greatest strengths and it has allowed the species to thrive in practically any environment. Even so, for the Imperium to be a single, cohesive entity, there must be a universal constant that binds the galaxy together. Many think that it is the God-Emperor and the Imperial Cult, that it is faith in our most holy Guardian that is what makes the Imperium what it is. And while it is certainly important, as faith inspires devotion more readily than any other cause, it is not what keeps the Imperium together. Belief in the Emperor takes many forms and expresses itself in many different ways. No, there is but one thing that is the same everywhere, unbending, unrelenting, unchanging. The Lex Imperialis. The rule of law.

And we are the law. The Adeptus Arbites is the galactic police force that keeps the entirety of the Imperial population in check, represented on every colonized world by a towering Precinct-Fortress inhabited by grim, faceless men and women in sinister black armor, strangers from off-world. Petty crimes like theft and murder are not what interest us, as those are investigated and punished by local enforcement agencies under the employ the planetary Governor and some of those are no better than hired thugs with a thin veil of legitimacy. We answer only to the Adeptus Terra and even the Governor is subject to our scrutiny. If the Holy Inquisition is the final line of defense against heresy, dissent and rebellion, the Adeptus Arbites are the first bulwark, poised and ready to strike against total subversion of Imperial law. We come when the local enforcers are out of their depth and we come without mercy.

That brings me to the Hive World of Aphrodus Primaris, a seething mass of industrial pollution and overpopulation. Its spires tower miles into the smog and delve even deeper into the darkness of the rotting earth. It is populated by billions of souls and is absolutely rife with corruption. It has been this way for hundreds (if not thousands) of years but the level of unrest among the population has been steadily increasing. Crime, always a problem, is severely on the rise and there are whispers on the street of something far more sinister happening in the shadows of the Underhive. It is our sworn duty to find the cause of this unrest, suppress any potential seeds of rebellion or rioting, and crush whatever insidious infection lingers in the dark.

Signed, in the name of the Emperor,
Judge Kaelon Catulo


I N T R O D U C T I O N

Welcome to Strike Team Omicron, Arbites.

Formed approximately two weeks before the start of this roleplay, Omicron is a self-contained investigative and tactical unit of the Adeptus Arbites designed to respond to the increased threat of societal upheaval on the Hive World of Aphrodus Primaris, as outlined in the fluff piece above. Omicron is one of several of such Strike Teams stationed around the globe and reports directly to Judge Catulo. It is sent to deal with unusual and exceptionally severe situations, fully equipped and trained to handle all manner of criminal transgression. As such, Omicron is a diverse group of Arbitrators and Specialists selected from the best of the best in the precinct.

As directed by Judge Catulo, Omicron will be sent on a missions, details of which are provided by the game masters, and it is up to the individuals of the Strike Team to determine how they wish to tackle the objective. After successfully completing a mission, Strike Team Omicron will return to the Precinct-Fortress to receive new orders from Judge Catulo. The overarching plot will unfold itself throughout these missions but this system allows for short, self-contained stories that will be easier to play.

Below follows all the information required for you to successfully complete your application to Strike Team Omicron. Any further questions can be directed at myself or my partner in crime @Jbcool in this thread.


A P H R O D U S P R I M A R I S

Located within the Segmentum Obscurus, Aphrodus Primaris is a η-class planet, better known as a Hive World, populated by 32 billion humans. Most of the population are manual laborers that slave away in the planet's highly developed mining industry as the planet is very rich in rare minerals and metals. Several nearby Forge Worlds are heavily reliant on the output of Aphrodus Primaris and it is considered an alpha-priority world by the Adeptus Terra, which means it has a very sizable Planetary Defense Force (PDF) and Adeptus Arbites detachment. There is also an Adeptus Astartes Chapter, the Void Stalkers, that uses the planet as a recruiting ground.

Whatever parts of Aphrodus Primaris aren't systematically being hollowed out by the mining corporations are covered in sprawling Hive Cities that house all of the planet's laborers and its aristocratic ruling elite. There are five such Hive Cities, each about the size of a continent, though the borders between the ever-growing cities has become harder and harder to see over the centuries. In theory, law and order in these cities is maintained by a local police force known as the Enforcers that answers to various magistrates of the Planetary Governor's administration. In practice, huge sections of the Hive Cities are lawless, toxic labyrinths where thousands of gangs fight each other for supremacy in the darkness of the Underhive. Only the Upperhive, the large spires that penetrate above the thick clouds of smog and acid rain, are safe havens of civilized society and order. The aristocracy maintain their own retinues of militant-bodyguards and, as such, the Enforcers are mostly focused on protecting the mining industry and ensuring the planet's output remains steady... something the corporations and trading guilds pay them handsomely for. It is but one of many examples of the corruption that is so widespread on Aphrodus Primaris.

Some miscellaneous information: Aphrodus Primaris is the third planet in the solar system, revolves around the sun once every 845 days, and has no noticeable seasons. Most of the planet's oceans have evaporated or been drained and the planet imports nearly all of its food and water. The population is generally of fair complexion, increasingly more pale and gaunt the deeper into the Underhive you go, and dark-haired. The air is so polluted that, especially in the depths of the Underhives, it is toxic to off-worlders. Arbites forces wear a mandatory rebreather whenever they venture outside the walls of the Precinct-Fortress as a result.


T H E P R E C I N C T

Because of the immense size of Aphrodus Primaris' cities and the incredibly dense population, the Adeptus Arbites have spread out across several Precinct-Fortresses. The main base of operations is located near the Upperhive of Saint Sarcage's Hive, the wealthiest and least polluted Hive City, opposite the Governor's palace and the Ecclesiarchy's largest basilica on the Square of Imperial Heroes. It is a large, ominous black structure easily the size of a cathedral that houses hundreds of Arbites equipped to wage a small war. The people that work there see the splendor and magnificence of the very best that Aphrodus Primaris has to offer on a daily basis.

Strike Team Omicron is not so lucky. We are based out of a much smaller Precinct-Fortress on the other side of the globe. It is situated on the edge of Rancunhive, officially designated as Precinct S-12, one of the poorest and most crime-ridden areas of the planet. It is part of the larger city of Macaroth's Splendor, an ironic name for such a revolting place to live. Rancunhive houses more than all of the workers of one of the largest mining operations currently active on Aphrodus Primaris, known colloquially as the Deep Dig, located to the west of Rancunhive. Enormous quarries and tunnel systems have been excavated out of the earth and the smog exhaust of the vast digging machines blots out the sun in Rancunhive on a frequent basis.

These mining workers frequently form gangs and try to supplement their meager wages with less-than-legal means, like narcotics, exploitation of prostitutes and racketeering. Eventually, they quit their day job entirely and turn to a permanent life of crime in the lightless, sub-surface depths of Rancunhive. They battle for territory, raid nearby rivals and terrorize the more innocent and hard-working civilians. The local Enforcers barely deal with them at all as long as the activity in the Deep Dig itself isn't disturbed. When these gangs wars spiral out of control, the Arbites sometimes step in to intervene and restore order with a brutal smackdown that doubles as a population cull. Some of the most infamous gangs that are known to the Arbites are the Bloody Sickles, the Grinning Jesters and the Tunnel Rats. There is also a group of zealous priest-thugs, the Emperor's Wraiths, that haunt the subterranean tunnels and fight all those they deem unworthy of the Emperor's light (namely the other gangs).

Life gets better further up the Hive. The very tip of the Upperhive, above the smog, houses the elite, including local magistrates, corporation officials and trading guild executives. These elite citizens form a local council known as the Rancunhive Collective. Together they decide local rulings, trade agreements with foreign entities and all sorts of underhanded dealings. They are decidedly not friendly with Arbites Precinct S-12.

Below them live the ordinary, Emperor-fearing workers who don't want any trouble and just live out their lives as best they can.


S T R I K E T E A M O M I C R O N

Before I continue, let me briefly explain the general nature of the Arbites organization. It can be broadly divided into two divisions; the Judges and the Arbitration. Judges are the dusty old men who have memorized thousands upon thousands of pages of the Lex Imperialis and know exactly what is and isn't against the law. They decide the eventual punishment in long and complex cases against high-ranking individuals and direct the actions of the militant branch in the field. They are the brain, and the Arbitrators are the brawn.

Strike Team Omicron is, essentially, a fledgling and growing team of Arbitrators and supporting Specialists created by Judge Catulo to rapidly respond to any and all situations out in the field without ever having to call for backup. More than just a squad of armored Arbitrators, Omicron has it all; Combat Medics, Verispex Adepts, a Chaplain, etc etc. The following roles are available to play.




A R M O U R Y

This list details the various pieces of wargear available to the members of Strike Team Omicron. Pick and choose your equipment and make sure that it is available to the role you wish to play.




C H A R A C T E R S H E E T

Please post your character sheets in the comments below so Jbcool and I can review it. Do not post it in the Characters tab until we have approved your character. I welcome constructive criticism from all parties involved, so if you see someone else post a character sheet and you have a suggestion or two to make that character even more interesting, please do so politely in this thread. It's helped me before and I would like to extend that experience to others.

I'd like to take this moment to emphasize that I am from the old guard of Advanced roleplayers, back when this section was a highly elitist clique of self-aggrandizing writers who considered themselves super skilled. Fear not, I am not one of them, but I do have higher standards than what I generally see in this section today. Please put in the extra effort to make your character sheets and posts free of any glaringly obvious spelling, grammatical and syntax mistakes. English isn't my native language so I will let minor stuff slide. I'll probably make those mistakes myself -- or, hell, not even notice them.

Quick note: the Adeptus Arbites are a highly skilled, disciplined and dedicated organization. Edgy lone wolves and arrogant pricks have no place in a force like this and won't be accepted. On top of that, nobody's perfect, so I hope not to see any holier-than-thou flawless Gary Sue characters either.




G A M E P L A Y & R U L E S

The actual meat of this RP consists of various missions that Strike Team Omicron is sent on by Judge Catulo. Should we gather enough members and a sufficient variety and redundancy of roles, Omicron will split up and pursue several missions at once. Members will be selected based on their roles & skills to form a complimentary and wholesome squad.

Once Judge Catulo has given his orders, it will be up to the players to determine how they wish to tackle their objective or solve their case. The gamemasters (myself and Jbcool) will provide all the necessary information and dictate the setting of the mission. Now, to make sure that the gameplay remains interesting and possibly challenging, I will borrow some elements of tabletop gaming and include a dice roll for every round of posting that determines the success of your character's actions to a certain degree. It will still be up to the player to interpret the consequences of these rolls and exactly how the character succeeds or fails. I expect a gentleman's agreement between the gamemasters and the players that writing will be fair and in the pursuit of an interesting narrative instead of personal success. I do not tolerate powergaming. However, fear not: I will not callously or pointlessly have your characters killed off.

An overarching plot will unfold itself throughout these missions but this system allows for self-contained stories that will be easier to play and manage.

Non-combat specialties like the Chastener, Investigator and Verispex Adept will play a little minigame with me when those characters put their respective skills to use. Based on how their dice rolls play out and the written actions of the character (a more thorough and descriptive act of torture by the Chastener yields better results, and the same goes for application of the Verispex Adept's tools, etc) myself or Jbcool will send a PM to the player with the information that their character gained during the application of their skills, like an interrogation or crime scene investigation. This information can then be used however the player sees fit.

The rules are quite simple: be Fonz-cool, don't control other people's characters and the gamemaster's word is law. All of our decisions are final. We're here to have fun, please don't make it difficult for anyone else to do so. For those of you who didn't notice, I am a moderator, so be on your best behavior. ;)

That's it! Questions can be directed at myself and Jbcool in this thread. I look forward to writing with you all.
Hidden 8 yrs ago 8 yrs ago Post by Hank
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Hank Dionysian Mystery

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@Asura@Jbcool@Flagg@The Lioness@DrunkasaurusRex@Quinntessential@Andreyich@GreivousKhan@Themerlinhawk@TemplarKnight07@Dannyrulx@ELGainsborough@Sophrus@POOHEAD189

It's done!

EDIT: Okay, now it's done. Added some hiders.

Feel free to choose any of the open roles but if you're lost and would like a suggestion, important roles are the Commander, Investigator, Shocktrooper, Medic and -- last but decidedly not least -- ordinary Arbitrators. They're the backbone of the team during combat situations. That Suppression Shield is a godsend.

EDIT 2: Roll call; if you're interested in joining and are (thinking of) making a character please leave a post here with your desired role.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by Fallen Muse
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Fallen Muse Where's my Obi Wan?

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Gonna draw up a Arbitrator
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by Asura
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Asura it hurts

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I'm in. Considering Medic or Shocktrooper.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by GreivousKhan
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GreivousKhan Deus Vult

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Woot.

Let's get this party started.

Just killed a bunch of my staff members to save the world from a plague on mother base. Seems like the right frame of mind for this I think.

1x Laugh Laugh
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by Hank
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Hank Dionysian Mystery

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Sounds good, y'all.

For those of you who like that sort of thing, this RP has a channel in the Guild's Discord server. The text channel is called #crimenandpunishment_rp. Link to the Discord server (no signup required): discord.gg/dyxhc4c

Feel free to use that to discuss character ideas or to ask me questions. Either this thread or the Discord channel will do.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by Andreyich
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Andreyich AS THOUGH A THOUSAND MOUTHS CRY OUT IN PAIN

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@Hank An Investigator good? Or will our situations be much too combat oriented to make him any good?
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by Themerlinhawk
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Themerlinhawk Aegis Kai Doru

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I think I may try a Chastener
Hidden 8 yrs ago 8 yrs ago Post by Hank
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Hank Dionysian Mystery

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Feel free to choose any of the open roles but if you're lost and would like a suggestion, important roles are the Commander, Investigator, Shocktrooper, Medic and -- last but decidedly not least -- ordinary Arbitrators.


@Andreyich As you can see, certainly. It won't be all combat. I'll explain some more about how the non-combat specialties fit into the game in the Gameplay section. In the same vein, I forgot to list another important role; the Verispex Adept. That role is instrumental in gathering clues.

EDIT: Added a little explanation to the first post.
Hidden 8 yrs ago 8 yrs ago Post by Flagg
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Flagg Strange. This outcome I did not foresee.

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Hidden 8 yrs ago 8 yrs ago Post by TemplarKnight07
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TemplarKnight07

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Placeholder post
Hidden 8 yrs ago 8 yrs ago Post by GreivousKhan
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GreivousKhan Deus Vult

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Since everyone is doing it these days.

Hidden 8 yrs ago 8 yrs ago Post by Keepvogel
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Keepvogel

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Heya there!

I'd like to apply as well with this here CS. Although I do admit I went for a kind of comic relief character, rest assured his playstyle will be appropriately grimdark with a funny now and again. Biography is a WIP, need some more detail there (names, positions, timeframes). matter of fact, if any of you have criticism or funny/awesome/grimdark additions, feel free to comment.


Pls wreck my shit almighty GMs! @Hank @Jbcool
Hidden 8 yrs ago 8 yrs ago Post by Dannyrulx
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Dannyrulx Don't. Call. Me. A. Goat.

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Idea: My character has an Adeptus Astartes-issue bolt pistol that (s)he uses like a rifle.

Yes, it is somewhat canon that Astartes bolt pistols are like freakin' rifles to regular humans.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by Keepvogel
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Keepvogel

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Idea: My character has an Adeptus Astartes-issue bolt pistol that (s)he uses like a rifle.

Yes, it is somewhat canon that Astartes bolt pistols are like freakin' rifles to regular humans.


Aren't Astartes guns DNA coded to their genetically enhanced owners? They also have a kick not so much like a mule as much as a industrial pneumatic ram. I think it might rip an ordinary arm right off.
Hidden 8 yrs ago 8 yrs ago Post by Hank
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Hank Dionysian Mystery

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Idea: My character has an Adeptus Astartes-issue bolt pistol that (s)he uses like a rifle.

Yes, it is somewhat canon that Astartes bolt pistols are like freakin' rifles to regular humans.


There is no way for a regular human to obtain an Astartes-issue bolt pistol, so no. You can pick your gear from the Armoury list -- stuff like this is exactly why I made that list in the first place.

Let me once again reiterate that this RP is not about personal success. The only feasible reason I could think of for you wanting to use a weapon like that is because it gives you a significant leg-up on the rest of the cast or, if you don't believe having an Astartes-issue bolt pistol is any stronger than any other rifle, because it makes your character even more special. Neither are valid reasons.

Focus on making your character interesting, not their gear.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by Dannyrulx
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Dannyrulx Don't. Call. Me. A. Goat.

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<Snipped quote by Dannyrulx>

Aren't Astartes guns DNA coded to their genetically enhanced owners? They also have a kick not so much like a mule as much as a industrial pneumatic ram. I think it might rip an ordinary arm right off.


Someone took that into account and did the math using modern weaponry. Because they use rockets after the initial shot to accelerate the bolt, the recoil would be... Stiff, but manageable. Kind of. You'd need a few seconds between shots to stabilise it, but that shot would blow heads apart.

<Snipped quote by Dannyrulx>

There is no way for a regular human to obtain an Astartes-issue bolt pistol, so no. You can pick your gear from the Armoury list -- stuff like this is exactly why I made that list in the first place.

Let me once again reiterate that this RP is not about personal success. The only feasible reason I could think of for you wanting to use a weapon like that is because it gives you a significant leg-up on the rest of the cast or, if you don't believe having an Astartes-issue bolt pistol is any stronger than any other rifle, because it makes your character even more special. Neither are valid reasons.

Focus on making your character interesting, not their gear.


Nah, I just think it would be an interesting addition. It doesn't really make sense for my character to have it though. She's a specialist with a bizarre rocket-launcher type thing (carried by a servo skull, because the ammo is heavy enough,) so that's enough I reckon.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by Hank
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Hank Dionysian Mystery

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Nah, I just think it would be an interesting addition. It doesn't really make sense for my character to have it though. She's a specialist with a bizarre rocket-launcher type thing (carried by a servo skull, because the ammo is heavy enough,) so that's enough I reckon.


Do you mean a grenade launcher? Those aren't available to Specialists. Once again, I point you towards the Armoury list in this thread's first post.

Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by Dannyrulx
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Dannyrulx Don't. Call. Me. A. Goat.

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No, it's a specialist rocket launcher. Like a LAW-Launcher type thing.
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