Eisenhorn

Warhammer 40,000: Tales of the Inquisition

Hive World Terrias
Hive Terrias Primus (De Facto Capitol of the the planet and Sector)
Unlisted Private Quarters

---

Inquisitor Andros Xersus was not in the most pleasant of moods, although he didn't betray this to the Governor Militant's men as they showed him to the quarters that he had requested be furnished for he and his retinue. The man, despite being sorely outranked by the Inquisitor who had arrived on his world, was stubborn and sorely refused to believe that his world was no worse off than it already was. The planet itself was undergoing efforts to repel a Chaos incursion to begin with, about a third of the planet was firmly in the Enemy's hands, while half of the planet was firmly in the Imperium's. The remaining bit was no man's land, or so utterly destroyed that nothing could be considered valuable in holding such ground. A PDF Chimera had dropped him off ahead of his Retinue, and had narrowly avoided several artillery shots that were landing. The local Guard, from what he had gathered, were used to this sort of daily shelling, it was almost like a lethal, constant rainstorm that came through on a daily basis. Most of the Hive was underground, including this bunker of a place he was going to be calling a local HQ for the time being, which was fortunate in a safety regard. Hopefully no one was hoping for a penthouse view of the warzones, he thought with a slight smirk. The building itself was part of the Guard command complex, which suited his purposes fine, if the need arised, he could commandeer comm relays and get a hold of the nearest reinforcements and get them over here in a hurry, and it was well guarded to boot. The PDF detachment here was of some concern, in case they were corrupted, but PDF were rarely a serious threat to anyone of his, or those accompanying him, caliber.

But the bunker that he and his retinue were residing in was spacious enough, for such a place, and was clearly an auxiliary command space for emergency uses. A command table, with a holo uplink to various locations and stations, now including his personal Ship in Orbit, as well as various outposts on the front lines, who were rather surprised to have an Inquisitor on the Vox, requesting up to date field reports about the current situation, stranger than usual occurrences, and so on and so forth. Information had led him this far, and as he dismissed the PDF escorts back to their normal duties, which they happily did, rather than continue to deal with the armored inquisitor before them. He leaned on the holo table, reports and orbital surveillance pouring across his vision, while the Hive city's layout, current troop distribution, enemy assault sectors, and other information was lit up in the background, all as up to date as the Guard General in charge of the defense, and eventual reclamation, of the planet, should no Space Marines be available. And what with the 13th Black Crusade going on now, resources were scarce for fronts beyond that one, since things did not sound like they were going as smoothly as they could have been.

But they were here for one thing, and one thing only. There was a renegade Psyker, which normally would not fall under Xersus' care or jurisdiction, what with galactic events as they were. But this renegade had something that the Inquisitor wanted. Information, on a certain relic he had been tasked with hunting for sometime. An unholy device, capable of opening rifts into the Immaterium, or so it was rumored. Hardly something that could just be left floating about, disrupting events wherever it ended up. And Emperor forbid the results if that thing should end up in Abaddon's hands, which was a current, and very real, fear, since the forces here could be linked back to the Black Crusade forces, a raider detachment to do as much damage as possible, while claiming resources and other unique prizes. And what a prize this cursed artifact could be for whomever claimed it. So this would explain why an Inquisitor of the Ordo Malleus, who would otherwise be better served aiding in the efforts to repulse this latest assault by the forces of Chaos and its Traitor Marines, Daemons, and such, was on this minor world, hunting rumors and chasing shadows. But such was the life of the Inquisition, but looking at the climate on this planet, well, he suspected things wouldn't be remaining a quiet skulk through the alleyways and shadows, hunting such rumors, unless they got lucky.

But his Retinue would be arriving after Xersus, and he was awaiting them as he compiled the reports into one single brief for those that he called allies. A varied enough bunch, compared to some, their diverse skills hopefully, Emperor willing, would be more than enough for the tasks ahead of them. But that was for the future, right now, Inquisitor Xersus, already clad in his full power armor, awaited his retinue to arrive, hopefully without complication. He really didn't need an artillery shell inconveniencing one of them by removing their vehicular transport here. That would be a waste of time and resources, having them walk after the transport was ruined, since that would delay their start of the search further, something that, looking at the information on the situation on the planet, could not be afforded lightly. He suspected the raiders knew full well what had fled here for sanctuary, and would no doubt be looking to capture this renegade Psyker for their Dark Gods. Well, Xersus figured, he would have to disappoint them once more, he had questions that rather pressingly required some real, concrete answers. And with his retinue, this renegade would be found, and broken, any and all useful information taken from the psyker's mind, forcefully if need be.

Warhammer 40,000: Tales of the Inquisition

@mattmanagon: The sistesr are approved, welcome to the retinue.

@Pyro V: The revamp is accepted also, just be warned, carrying a daemonblade is going to draw some close watch and suspicion from her peers.

@FallenMuse: Both the Vindicare and Callidus are accepted

@Crazy Guy: I figure its a mixture of new and old members, so I'll leave it to each person to decide whether they have had some time in the retinue or not.

@Mortarian: If an opening does crop up, I'll try and pass word along your way, if you want.

And now, allow me to introduce our Inquisitor, more of his background will become apparent as the story progresses.

Inquisitor Xersus

Name: Andros Xersus

Gender: Male

Age: 148

Appearance:


Equipment:
Artificer Armor: Expected to stand against the foulest minions of Chaos and defend the Imperium of Man against its gravest threat, both from within and without, Xersus has access to incredible resources, should he need them. One of his most reliable, and well used, pieces of equipment is his personal set of Artificer Armor, blessed and warded against the forces of Chaos. Rather than the ornate designs and colors that some of his fellow inquisitors favor, his armor is a gunmetal silver, lacking the sheen and decoration that other armors have. However, he oft pairs his armor with a crimson cloak attached to his armor, creating an imposing image, an armored figure, bearing lance and fury, to crush the machinations and plans of the Daemon and Heretic.

Mastercraft Force Sword: Unlike many of his fellow Malleus inquisitors, Xersus does not favor the Daemonhammer that many others do, finding the size unwieldy and impractical if he is operating without his armor. Instead he favors the reliable, and wide variety of maneuvers he can apply using his personal blade, a gift from his mentor when he attained the rank of Inquisitor many years ago. Deceptively light, even without armored assistance, Xersus could be considered a master of the sword, having spent almost his entire life fielding a blade of some sort or another, and this is only amplified when he pours his psyker powers into the blade, creating a force capable of rending targets far beyond the normal abilities of a sword into pieces, should it be necessary.

Mastercraft Storm Bolter: Mounted to his wrist, rather than held, this weapon is only seen when Xersus is in his power armor, providing a fair bit of ranged punch as the Inquisitor closes the gap, each round that the weapon fires Psybolt rounds that, while not as powerful as a Psycannon rounds themselves, are more than capable of utilizing the psyker prowess of its wielder to be charged, tearing apart shields, hostile psykers, and daemons. Due to the ammunition system that this weapon requires, it is only seen when the Inquisitor is wearing his power armor.

Inferno Pistol: An ancient pistol that his former mentor used, before disappearing, and left the weapon to his acolyte and now Inquisitor Xersus. A melta weapon compacted into pistol form, but retains the power of larger melta weapons, this particular pistol has banished its fair share of daemons and destroyed plenty of vehicles in its long lifespan, and has done plenty more damage in the hands of Xersus, all in the Emperor's name, of course.

Rosarius: An elegant device worn around his neck like a collar, the deceptively small emblem generates a powerful Conversion Field, capable of stopping a wide variety of attacks, including those from hostile psykers. Without his armor, this is dangerous enough, but coupled with his Artificer Armor, all pretense of subtly is gone, if something manages to overcome the shield, the Artificer Armor gives him a better chance to survive the, most likely, weakened attack long enough to get into cover from whatever happened to overcome the Conversion Field.

Personality: At a glance, one would not assume that Xersus was an Inquisitor, outside of his armor. He does not maintain that aura of power and position that others might favor, but nor does he simply fade from thought, like some shadow that one is never sure they ever actually saw. He holds himself with a quiet dignity that can be considered rare, and blends in far better than a hidden shadow that prompts some to seek, and a zealot the prompts others to hide. A soul that thirsts for more knowledge and effective ways to defeat the foes of Man, which might concern some, considering the depths of depravity one can find while seeking such things, but a analytical, cautious mind set keeps his thirst for knowledge in check when confronted with things that are far too dangerous to even consider using.

This does not mean he is merciful or kind towards those who have fallen so far into the Abyss they no longer serve the Emperor of Man. He watches those who walk the line between Puritan and Radical beliefs carefully, those who are considered Radical more so, though he is more tolerant of their methods than others, though he is more than wary of any treachery they might undertake, taking one too many steps into the darkness and turning on all of their fellows. It is from these brothers and sisters that have fallen so that he holds his cautious attitude towards the most, having seen more damage done by such extremists than could be justified beyond base lusts for bloodshed and power. He has no qualms about executing a radical, but only after evidence has shown they are, indeed, corrupted beyond their worth.

All this quiet cautiousness hides the warrior mentality that Xersus displays when put on the front line. The time for subtelty and subterfuge has effectively passed now, and the time for precise, well timed, and overwhelming force has come. Wielding over a hundred years of experience in the arts of war, from the sword to the pysker powers he demonstrates, he believes that, once a crack has been found in the enemies defenses, it must be struck with such overwhelming force that it will leave naught a speck of dust in the remains. He fears no foe, and while caution tempers his actions now, he strides forward when the time comes, no matter the situation, the air crackling with power, and he takes good practice in making his foes fear him more than anything before, for such blind fear can render them even more ineffective than they might have been already.

History: -Redacted-

Warhammer 40,000: Tales of the Inquisition

@Crazy Guy: That section is kind of a "How you see them operating in the retinue" kind of deal, although the link Grohtnor provided is certainly acceptable as well!

@Grothnor: Thats fine, and Revna is accepted

@Commian: Either the arco-flagellant or the Black shield is fine, Eversor's tend not to be able to function outside combat situations, being kept in stasis until needed.

@Dragonruby: Our voidborn friend Atellus is accepted

@mattmanganon: I'd be cool with either the Brides of Death or the Chaplain Tennik, so go with whomever you have more of a preference for.

@Pyro V: Interrogator Cassius is accepted, welcome to the retinue.

@Honored Brother: Welcome to the Retinue, Father Christus

@Everyone: Alright folks, we got quite the group up and running right quick, so beyond Commian, Crazyguy (If he wishes to participate), Mattmanganon, and one more person I'm expecting a character from, I'll be closing this off for now towards adding new people, since I don't want this to get too large. I'll be getting to work on an actual IC post when I'm working today, I'll also compile a list of Accepted characters in the first OOC post for ease of referencing characters. If people need to drop off, dissapear, or otherwise are forced to be unable to continue, then I'll open up slots, but for now, I think we got a good sized group for this.

Warhammer 40,000: Tales of the Inquisition

And an OOC is finished, so feel free to wander on this a ways.

Warhammer 40,000: Tales of the Inquisition

It is the 41st Millenium, and the universe only knows war.

The God Emperor of Mankind resides upon his Golden Throne, interred many millenia ago and now acting as a beacon for which all of the Imperium guides its ships through the warp with, as his armies march forward to defeat the enemies of Man. From the numberless Imperial Guard, where a hundred thousand dead is meaningless so long as victory is claimed, to the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines that provide the tip of the spear for the Imperium of Man. But their deeds and tales, many times, pale in comparison to those of the Inquisition, the hidden heroes of the Imperium of Man. These hidden enforcers of the Imperial rule, from the hunters of the Xenos to those that purge the Heretic and deal swift defeat to the Daemons that invade the real space. Such agents are varied in origin and creed, and just as varied, if not more so, are those that are sworn to follow them.

Loyal men and women from all walks of life can find themselves within the employ of an Inquisitor in a heartbeat. From the lowliest Guardsmen to the most illustrious Adeptus Arbites enforcer of the law, and most men and women in between, the retinue of an Inquisitor defines the methods and resources available to the Inquisitor. For a well equipped, loyal retinue indicates a well to do Inquisitor, while poor equipment or renegade thoughts indicate far darker methods are employed. Some Inquisitors that have no qualms with employing more radical means can find the likes of Xenos and chaos corrupted tools and weapons within their armaments and Retinue, all for the Emperor in their defense, although far too many are corrupted by their own means. But such varied Retinues, and so many varied Inquisitors, methods, and ideologies, that there is no feasable means to control how Inquisitors act, assuming they would allow such a burden and restriction to be placed upon them.

While the Inquisitor is widely feared for his, or her, ability to sniff out any target they see fit, and rightly so, it is the retinue that really shines when working on a task set before them. From those that would smash their way to the objective, to other retinue's that specialize in cunning and stealth in their goals, each Inquisitor and his method of operation often times defines how his retinue forms up, whether combat heavy, specialist focused, or a jack of all trades group capable of filling any role required of it, albeit not as well as dedicated specialists. But an Inquisitor is oft far less of a threat, relatively speaking, alone than he is with back up from his personal, and most loyal, minions and, in some cases, friends that make up his personal retinue. Such men and women provide a, in many cases, final line of defense before hell finally catches up to the Inquisitor, and can also be the tip of his spear, lancing out and starting the assault that finally breaks the back of the enemies of Man. It is such that, regardless of background, numbers, or specialization, the Inquisitor's retinue can be the single most important investment such men and women make, and they often do well to make sure such an investment is well made.

Such is the men and women that serve in the retinue of the man this tale chronicles, an Inquisitor of rising renown known as Xersus, well on his way to the mantle of Inquisitor Lord. Inquisitor Xersus has had notable success in tracking down and banishing Daemons, both ones that their pattern of reappearance is known, and those new ones that are cropping up wherever men are frail of spirit and weak in mind, allowing the taint of unholy Chaos to settle deep in their hearts. Inquisitor Xersus, of the Ordo Malleus, has shown iron resolve in the face of the daemon, and now is tasked with tracking down an artifact capable of rending open gates into the immaterium, large enough to emit ancient, known, and feared greater daemons without the normal limitations, so long as a prime host is available for use. Such a relic is only known that it exists, and the forces of chaos seek its use, for obvious reasons. The 13th Black Crusade makes resources scarce, so now more than ever, having a retinue capable of accomplishing the impossible is more vital than ever. This is a story of Inquisitor Xersus and his retinue, and through this, the tale of the notable men and women that make up such an group.

Alright, so each player will be taking the part of a member of Inquisitor Lord Xersus personal Retinue, member of the Ordo Malleus, the Daemonhunters. I have a few brief rules to cover before the CS, I'll keep it brief!

Rules:
1. Each character is going to be tough, powerful, experienced, and so on and so forth, each in their own right. This does not make them unstoppable, or indestructible. Characters CAN die, this is Warhammer 40,000, after all. Keep that in mind.

2. Metagaming, god modding, controlling other players characters, the usual stuff is not cool, to say the least.

3. I try to be pretty relaxed and lenient about stuff, so if you have ideas or concerns, do bring them up. I also want folks to try and be nice, or at least civil, with each other when OOC. IC, I don't expect people to get along, but try and keep OOC drama and stuff down. And as another note here, if you have ideas or thoughts for the story or characters that your not sure about, feel free to ask! I'll do my best to hear you out and see what I think, in relation to how things are moving along.

4. Try and have fun, I don't want this to devolve into some chore that no one wants to really continue, fair enough?

5. Try to post at least regularly, I don't expect some high speed posting, but if you dont post once every couple days, I will keep things moving. I understand stuff happens, so if at all possible, giving some fair warning can just get your chara moved to an NPC role until your able to come back to posting.

Alright, CS Time!

Name:

Gender:

Age:

Appearance: (Image or Equipment)

Equipment:

Personality:

History:

Position in Retinue: (What kind of role do they fill/why are they included in the retinue?)

Warhammer 40,000: Tales of the Inquisition

Alright, here is a basic skeleton for a CS while I get to work on getting an OOC proper up and running.

Name:

Gender:

Age:

Appearance: (Image or Equipment)

Equipment:

Personality:

History:

Position in Retinue: (What kind of role do they fill/why are they included in the retinue?)

Warhammer 40,000: Tales of the Inquisition

If we can get a few more people interested, and I'll get the OOC up and running proper. And yea, a free form Dark Heresy is a good way to put it.

Warhammer 40,000: Tales of the Inquisition

It is the 41st Millenium, and there is only War.

The God Emperor sits upon the Golden Throne, as his armies march forward to defeat the enemies of Man. From the numberless Imperial Guard, where a hundred thousand dead is meaningless so long as victory is claimed, to the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines that provide the tip of the spear for the Imperium of Man. But their deeds and tales, many times, pale in comparison to those of the Inquisition, the hidden heroes of the Imperium of Man. These hidden enforcers of the Imperial rule, from the hunters of the Xenos to those that purge the Heretic and deal swift defeat to the Daemons that invade the real space. Such agents are varied in origin and creed, and just as varied, if not more so, are those that are sworn to follow them.

Loyal men and women from all walks of life can find themselves within the employ of an Inquisitor in a heartbeat. From the lowliest Guardsmen to the most illustrious Adeptus Arbites enforcer of the law, and most men and women in between, the retinue of an Inquisitor defines the methods and resources available to the Inquisitor. For a well equipped, loyal retinue indicates a well to do Inquisitor, while poor equipment or renegade thoughts indicate far darker methods are employed. Some Inquisitors that have no qualms with employing more radical means can find the likes of Xenos and chaos corrupted tools and weapons within their armaments and Retinue, all for the Emperor in their defense, although far too many are corrupted by their own means. But such varied Retinues, and so many varied Inquisitors, methods, and ideologies, that there is no feasable means to control how Inquisitors act, assuming they would allow such a burden and restriction to be placed upon them.

A more recent note of a Retinue defining the Inquisitor, in his later years, is that of Inquisitor Lord Xersus, of the Ordo Malleus, banisher of daemons and bane of the heretical, acted far more through his Retinue in his later years, as his reputation grew and would often preceed him, while his retinue would be faceless and often nameless in records and prior annals of history. So it would be this band of peculiar characters, warriors, and specialists that would define the later years of the operations and procedures of the Inquisitor Lord Xersus, and from this, we have the records and annals that are presented here today. A tale that is not released outside the Inquisition, but should be known to other members, as to never underestimate what a well prepared Retinue can accomplish.

So, this is an idea lurking in my head that I have tried before, but circumstances forced it to end prematurely. The overall idea, however, I think can be done, so would anyone be interested in the above? Details such as which Ordos is used, the inquisitor himself, and such can be changed easily enough to fit interest, but as an overall idea, would anyone be interested? Feel free to post any questions ya'll might have, and I'll do my level best to answer them.

Sailing the Seas of Aquarianus! (A D&D 3.5 High Seas Adventure!)

Well, the good Captain has his reasons for putting his foot down on slavery, which he considers more than valid. So take that for what you will. Such things will probably come up in due time, of course.

Sailing the Seas of Aquarianus! (A D&D 3.5 High Seas Adventure!)

Gerald was quiet as the various people discussed matters among themselves, while taking note of several key moments, well, more note than he would have taken of other events that he was keeping track of, mainly, who opposed his position of Captain, or at the very least did not support it. The female elf flat out cast her vote in his favor, keeping short and to the point. An interesting, if blunt, thing. Short an to the point he could work with, as could the others he would hope. The man who spoke next was human, like himself, though it appeared he took a far different path in life than himself, which was respectable enough. His offer to support, in return for the role of Navigator, made him think, rather than just blindly accept the extra support and move on. The man seemed capable and level headed, but his talents as a navigator were unknown. Then again, so were his as a captain, so it was only fair to trust in return. He nodded after those moments of quiet thought, before the next person spoke. "A fair offer, and if you desire the role of Navigator, I will assume you have some skill in the art. I would see to it you assume the role as navigator, aye."

The half naked elf was going to be a problem, sounding like a religious fanatic of his clan of elves. Other than as fellow crew aboard vessels, such as Ragbeard's own ship at one point, did he deal with them, and he did not terribly like their culture. The will of their god to make this woman, who did not want the role, captain? He did not betray anything on his face, still seated as the elf bellowed out his thing, probably thinking himself clever or the like. He tried not to dislike such beings, of any sort, but he suspected he and this elf may not get along very well. He spoke quietly, in notable contrast to the bellowing, not a man to raise his voice unless circumstance demanded it. "I respect your belief as much as the next man's, but I do not personally feel letting the interpretation of the will of a god, which generally, by their nature, is rarely knowable, decide. If this Jayros would truly make it so, then it will become apparent, despite any actions made by ourselves. Simply my opinion, of course."

Gerald personally put his faith in another being, but he did not go about madly claiming all the others were wrong and would burn in the pits of whatever hellscape they deserved. He didn't like bringing religion into decision making needlessly, zeal could be blinding, after all. A half orc spoke next, casting his vote in his favor as well, granted, he did not seem terribly pleased with the situation. That was something he would have to inquire about in due time, in case it would prove to be a problem of some sort or another to the ship and crew. The next man to speak also cast his vote in Gerald's favor, offering his talents as a book keep and mage, both of which would be welcome additions. He inclined his head to both the half orc and mage as they had spoke in turn, replying to them as well. "The addition of a mage, and one versed in the care of books, would be welcome. And I am sure your ferocity in battle will be most welcome as well." The latter half of his sentence was clearly directed at the half orc, he was simply being polite by not calling him a half blood or some such issue.

The other half orc spoke next, calling for a final vote and tally and be done with the event, so they could go about drinking and being merry. Well, they would, if he made Captain, Gerald would be retiring early to investigate what had changed since he last served upon that old ship, but the half naked elf was seemingly oblivious to the current of events still, blowing them off and focusing on the elf woman who was clearly unhappy with crossing paths with this other elf again, and the very end of his rant caught his clear attention. Slavers, he knew which tribe they hailed from, if his name spouting hadn't given that away. A twitch of his eye, ever so brief, was the only betrayal of his inner thoughts, and his voice remained quiet, but had hardened in tone a bit. "Well, allow me to point out that I shall not be engaging in slave trade of any sort. But I digress." He stood, arms linked behind his back as he faced the other owners of the ship, in agreement with the half orc, though his reasons differed. "If we all have voiced our opinions, a final tally can be made, and those who wish it, may get drunk on ale and be merry. I would request each person give their final opinion, and vote, should no other nominations be made." It would fall in his favor, but once the issue was decided, they would all go about their business for the evening.