[b]Redana![/b]

"It is a miracle we survived," said Iskarot. He is not speaking in generalities - he is acknowledging the Bloody Handed God's influence. "Imagine how much worse this would have been if we had made the mistake of planning this."

Standing shivering in the void[1], watching the severed upper half of your space-ship drift away into the rainbow darkness, the zenlike nature of this statement is difficult to understand. Perhaps it is one of the more advanced mysteries of the Hermetic Cult. Perhaps you should [s]ask Bella to[/s] take notes.

"Come," buzzed the Hermetician, making his way back into the ship's interior. "It is cold outside."

[1] It may be questioned by the inexperienced or the alien how such a lackadaisical approach is taken to the void of space. This is no magic of Imperial blood or Hermetic technology; this is a simple truth of this galaxy. All life is so miraculously bio-engineered that stepping out into the void of space without a suit is equivalent to going outside during a blizzard without a coat - unpleasant and potentially bad for you if sustained, but by no means immediately lethal. As to the Hermetic's ability to communicate in a vacuum, this is a product of him signalling the Princess' auspex eye.

*

"It is important to remember when performing feats of engineering in the void that you stand a great chance of angering the Prismatic Lord," Iskarot said as you hauled the massive grav-plates down the corridor. Behind you came the ocean, following you as obediently as the moon flees from Artemis. "Humans are not the only creatures that pray, and Great Poseidon has many children who he cares for. Even if you are directly favoured by him he is fickle and you must be ready for his moods. Having the assistance of Ares Spearbreaker is the greatest guarantor during times of catastrophe. I prefer to pray for the strength to survive the storm rather than pray that the storm never comes."

The engine chamber begins to flood as the grav-plates are set in place, water lapping once again at rusted and coral-scarred walls and pipes. The Hermetician took a moment to rest, and for the first time since you've met him he seems an elderly man instead of a piece of machinery wrapped in robes.

His talk of Ares is alien to you. Though not forbidden in the same way as he was during the era of Molech, the War God is disfavoured in the martial traditions of the Empire. Certainly of your many religious responsibilities as an Imperial Princess vanishingly few had to do with Ares.

"Observe," said the Hermetic. "I will set the reactor to a main sequence transition. This is a technique that can provide an emergency burst of power but makes the engine deck uninhabitable due to the heat bleed. The real art is ensuring that the sequence fails and burns itself out rather than resulting in a Starbreach, observe my actions carefully..."

[b]Dolce![/b]

"There are," Hera agreed. "This ship has known more than a few already." 

She tapped the wall. From her expression she probably wasn't thinking of the time last week Redana cut the whole damn thing in half without telling anyone, leaving you spiraling without power in the void for hours. It would be hard not for that to be one of the first few things that comes to your mind.

"Why not take a walk?" she suggests. "The Princess has cleared the lower decks, and there are so many stories and lessons these walls conceal."

[b]Alexa![/b]

Isty's blows start to shift as she fights. She begins with excellent, if generic, thrust work. Warfare to be proud of. A spear is a weapon for concentrating power into a single tiny point, a precision device - a weapon of organized co-operative warfare, as you demonstrate again, and again, and again. You're better at this style of battle than her, able to disassemble the Ceronian's invisible phalanx while still holding the princess at bay. 

Then she swings the weapon at you like an enormous club.

It's terrible, atrocious form - a snapped reaction of frustration and confusion. And would that warfare were fair, the frustrated and confused and hot-headedly blunderous side should be at a disadvantage. But that is not how it goes, and you are forced defensive, parrying with the haft through hammering blows bang, bang, bang until at last [i]crack[/i].

It is her spear not yours that has shattered in half but that does not even slow the princess whose crimson hair swirls like the bloody handprint of Ares. She fights you now with a broken half-spear in either hand, whirling like a dervish, clattering against your defenses and pushing you back. She seeks to drag this battle down into a state of anarchy and raw physicality, to get inside your guard where weapons are useless and pull you down with raw muscle.

Does she? Can she? Or are you yet able to bend this wolf to your will?

[b]Bella![/b]

"Oh, trivial to accomplish," Beljani said smoothly, charmingly, helpfully. No hesitation or fear as she discussed her own extinction. "Remove from me my comforts. Torment me, abuse me, treat me like an animal. Or just issue me an impossible mission and leave me in the field alone for long enough. Soon enough I'll stop identifying myself with my body and start identifying myself with the virus. When that happens there are no limits to what I might accomplish for you, Praetor."

"Praetor," said Mynx, trying to keep her voice professional, but there was a waver in it. It had been there when discussing the Rampancy of the other assassins, but it was particularly pronounced here. "Be careful. This is like a drug for her - for them. The Oratus Temple has been destroyed before for letting it get out of hand."

"Dear Mynx is just being protective," said Beljani with so much warmth in her voice that you [i]envy[/i] Mynx that affection. "We trained together you know, before our Ascendancies? She was always prepared to do anything for the people she loved, it's what made the Grandmaster choose her as bodyguard to begin with."


[hider=Beljani, Oratus Adept]
[b]Beljani, Oratus Adept[/b]
[i]A voice as sweet as opium[/i]
[b]Voice of the Divine:[/b] An Oratus can convert any individual or group of people into a Threat under her command.
[b]Self Sacrifice:[/b] While this stat is undamaged, anyone within reach of the Oratus or any of her subjects cannot bring themselves to harm the Oratus directly.
[b]Rampancy:[/b] When a Temple Assassin has reached the stage of Rampancy, it becomes a Threat to the World. It also has the ability to instantly destroy any other threats contained within the Environment.
[/hider]