Eisenhorn

Warhammer 40k: Enigmas of the Warp

<Snipped quote by rivaan>

My Hider

@Rithy

"3.6 Manifestations of the Warp. Not great, not terrible."

"The meter only goes up to 3.6!"

Warhammer 40k: Enigmas of the Warp

Stukov silently thanked the Throne that the buckshot tore apart the Horror he'd fired on, seeing the fast work of the rest of the team clean up the horrors in rather short order. Especially the combination of psyker powers and judicious application of grenades. Still, that left the Chaos Spawn that seemed to no longer be content simply lingering and trying to look menacing, instead choosing to engage. The armsman was ready to charge it when he saw it crouch down, and then launch a volley of these quill things at the retinue as a whole. Given his closer proximity, Stukov had little recourse but to shield his vitals and pray. He grunted in pain as his left arm was turned into a pincushion, the flak armor under the greatcoat's sleeves doing little to protect against the attack compared to what it was designed to work against, and he could feel one in the meat of his thigh as well as one that was scraping against his stomach, that had punched in at an angle through the carapace armor and nearly impaled him in the gut as well. He tried to reach down to rip that quill out of the armor, but he realized the naval pistol was quite literally pinned to his hand at the moment, rendering pretty much his entire left arm useless. Great.

He couldn't work a pump action shotgun one handed, and the quill that left the naval pistol stuck to his hand probably ruined the magazine well as well, meaning he likely only had a few shots left in it assuming it worked at all still. That left the chainsword and using the pistol as a bludgeon. Either way he couldn't easily evade another volley of those quills and he raised the chainsword as he stormed forward in the wake of the attack, weapon roaring to life as he charged its left side, his injuries plainly evident as he engaged on the side that didn't have the large, hulking pincer, looking to kill the thing as fast as he could as he engaged it with the only weapons he had left to him. Getting its attention would let the others focus on bringing the thing down, and then they could worry about whatever it was that was being a problem that Sis tried to get a hold of them over. He'd dropped any pretenses of trying to speak further, teeth gritted in anger, and in pain, as he focused his efforts on assaulting the Spawn with chainsword and faith.

Warhammer 40k: Enigmas of the Warp

"Not now, entertaining daemons is never worth the cost!" Stukov was glaring at the other two, Smiles was concerning him given the back and forth she seemed to be having with herself. Coupled with those....damned eyes in the jump through the warp, and he would have questions that might need answering. Of course, the illusion fizzled out after commenting on being such a strange bunch and leaving them a gift. No gift from a warp spawned abomination was going to be worth waiting for, but given they had deeper to breach into this cult's lair, well, they had little choice in the matter. Of course, with the illusion vanishing, the runes on the door also vanished, and the silence settled in. That was....bad. Very bad, if he had to hazard a guess that door was holding this Throne damned 'gift' back, and it was only a matter of moments before they were dealing with whatever was going to make their lives more difficult. He braced, every muscle tensed and ready to launch in any direction or action he was capable of.

With the doors going as violently as they did, the Armsman darted sideways, evading the thoroughly destroyed remains of the door, and of course things got worse. Horrors, and a Warp Spawn, all with Tzeentchian influence. That meant flight, the horrors splitting upon trauma, sorcery and the works. He hated Horrors, they didn't know when to stay banished, and he leveled the shotgun and racked a shell, taking aim as it rushed him. Uttering a silent prayer to the Throne above, he opened fire, slam firing the shotgun into the oncoming Horrors, starting from the one immediately coming for him. The first one he hit, rather than simply ignoring the damage or splitting, seemed to reel and actually get torn apart by the blast, sharp eyes seeing the flashes of the blessed buckshot tearing the Horror apart. He kept firing until it was very thoroughly gone, racking the next shell and taking aim at the Spawn.

"Deal with the rest, I'll get its attention!" Stukov went to slam fire the weapon at the Spawn, but only got a single shell of blessed buckshot off, the resounding, worrying sound of the weapon running empty answering his attempts to keep firing. Throwing it back on the sling, the Armsman ripped the chain cutlass from its sheath, the roar of the weapon coming to life as he drew his Naval Pistol, an autopistol designed for maximum damage to flesh without damaging components. He opened up with the pistol, ready to respond to either a deceptively fast charge, Spawn were tricky like that, or if the Horrors tried to turn from their targets of choice. He was ready, though, ready to face the warp spawned abominations again. Throne above preserve him and his damned fool allies.

Reality's Champions

Alexei Argenti

Alexei Argenti

"Down and out, and out of luck
We're spinning, but the needle's stuck
Let's go have some fun before
They go and put us in the ground"
- Sinners, Barns Courtney

Full Name: Alexei Argenti
Nickname(s)/Title(s): Quicksilver

Age: 22
Birthday: August 21st

Orientation: Pansexual
Gender: Male

Species/Race: Faunus - Raven
Species Description: Faunus are one of two intelligent races in Remnant, the world that Alexei hails from originally. Having an animalistic trait of some sort or another, in Alexei's case he has a pair of raven wings granting him the ability of limited flight. Faunus see varying levels of discrimination, leading some to conceal their faunus traits when necessary. Some also display non physical similarities with the animal they borrow a physical trait from, though this is far more of a case by case basis.

Appearance:

Visual Reference

Standing at roughly 5'11", with gleaming silver eyes, Alexei prefers a rather flashy or at least showy outfit, often times letting his wings spread freely on his back, though begrudgingly can conceal them if need be. The long coat was originally his father's, as was the hat that goes with it, although both have been modified to fit the raven faunus and his unique needs for clothing. All lean muscle from getting into fights on the streets growing up, he has no shame in his looks and his general bearing usually gives this away. A word to the wise though, don't touch his hat, not if you want to stay on his good side.

Point of Origin: Shade Academy, Remnant (RWBY)

Personality:
Chatty and disrespectful are two quick ways to describe the raven Faunus' typical day to day handling of himself. Always keeping himself relaxed and calm, Alexei isn't one for long, complex plans, preferring to just live in the moment and let the whims of fate carry him along. Fittingly, his mouth is usually running, chattering and commenting on the situation, his surroundings, his current companions, or just about nothing in particular. Of course, this hasn't endeared him with most people, considering he'll casually remark on missteps and failures he spots, even if it would be better to wait until later, and someone might be forgiven for mistaking his remarks as attempts at goading others to do better through some insulting remarks. Of course, none of this chatter is going to be about himself, he loves his secrets and will rarely share anything about himself unless completely necessary, and his definition of completely necessary being rather stringent indeed. Add in a nasty habit of casually lifting or otherwise 'acquiring' trinkets or other shiny objects that catch his eye and fancy, and he can an abrasive, though useful, friend to have.

Bio:
Born in an impoverished part of a city, Alexei's father was a human Hunter while his mother was a Faunus nurse, working at a local clinic. While his father caught figurative flak from some people for marrying a Faunus, he shielded his wife and child from such things as best he could, though he made sure that Alexei was well aware of the stigma his race brought, according to some people. He was known as a trouble maker and scrapper in school, accused of picking fights with humans and generally being a pain in the ass for most of his teachers. Of course, defending himself and others from bullies wasn't a good excuse to kick the ever living shit out of someone, but his parents swore they would never punish him for standing up for others. His father even taught him how to defend himself in hand to hand, only amplifying the problem as he quickly outpaced any school yard bullies. He would eventually go on to attend a hunter's academy, though not the same that his father had, finding his place far more readily in Shade Academy instead of Atlas. He was right at home in the academy, spending his four years rather happily, before graduating and moving on to his duties proper as a Huntsman in the world of Remnant.

Likes:
A: Drinking and relaxing.
B: Collecting curiosities and trinkets of interest.
C: Brawling/Scrapping

Dislikes
A: Overly sugary foods.
B: Racists.
C: Uptight, inflexible outlooks.

Fighting Style:
High speed assaults are the name of the game for Alexei. Closing the gap using the shotgun form of Mocking Bird, or outright ambushing them if he wasn't noticed, and then getting into the fight proper using the gladius and gauntlet melee form, he lives for overwhelming enemies in close range assaults. Capable of hit and run with his wings and the flight they provide, alongside his Semblance, he can overwhelm a target in sheer aggression or leave them reeling long enough to realize they never pinned down the one who attacked them. The farther away he is from a fight, the more increasingly useless he gets, lacking the means of seriously reaching out and grabbing someone outside of catching them or otherwise pinning them down thanks to allies or his own tricks. He has surprising staying power when not engaging in hit and run, solely thanks to the durability of his Aura, though once he's finally spent it takes more time to recover, leaving him vulnerable if a fight drags on for too long, meaning he does aim to finish them fast and hard even if he can slug it out for awhile.

Skills:
As a Huntsman, Alexei has honed and trained to fight monsters known as Grimm, as well as handling more mundane problems and troubles when they arise. As a fighter, he is used to dealing with creatures that have no intent but to kill him and those he is protecting. As such, he is a natural for fighting asymmetrical fights, almost always outnumbered, utilizing what he has learned and awakened during his training. He's also a good team player, able to fill in gaps that are missing in a team when possible, be it hanging back a bit and taking potshots, getting stuck in to give allies breathing space, or otherwise act appropriately. Beyond combat, he's good at tracking and chasing both human, faunus, and Grimm, either from the air or on the ground as well, plus he's learned some basic first aid from his mother while his old man taught him some nasty, underhanded tricks in a brawl.

Powers:

Aura

The manifestation of the soul, Hunters employ this physical manifestation for a variety of purposes, and Alexei is no exception in the matter. Most commonly it is used to protect and shield the user, allowing them to take blows from Grimm or others that would incapacitate or outright kill, while there are other, less obvious benefits to the utilization of one's Aura. In Alexei's case, he utilizes it as primarily a defensive force, though he also makes good use of it as a means of protecting against hazardous weather, such as snowstorms, as well as a form of 'gut instinct', getting a sense when being watched without prior knowledge of the watcher, as an example. Aura can be depleted, and as it grows weaker, it begins to 'flicker' and eventually can even break, a silver sheen in Alexei's case indicating the hunter is now without their usual protections. Aura recovers over time when not in use, and while Alexei's is slower to recover, it is also slower to drain.

Semblance: Hall of Mirrors

Semblances are a unique manifestation of an individual's power or self, and provide some sort of unique power, ability, or other such means of manipulating how a Hunter approaches combat or a fight. While powerful additions to a Hunter's bag of tricks, prolonged or heavy overuse of one's Semblance can be extraordinarily taxing, and must be used carefully so that it doesn't leave their user about to collapse from exhaustion. As for Alexei, he refers to his as the "Hall of Mirrors", which is hardly the most serious name, but he likes it all the same.

Alexei appears to shatter into a number of shimmering, crystalline appearing clones when he chooses to engage his Semblance, sometimes in response to a direct blow to further throw off assailants. One is actually Alexei, the rest fakes made up of his Aura, making it impossible to detect the real through analyzing his Aura. Each duplicate can fight and project his voice, though remain unstable, so a sufficiently powerful blow causing the fakes to shatter explosively, peppering the unwary with glass like shrapnel, and acting as a one off armor esq effect should the real Alexei be struck, though it lacks the risk of damage to the assailant, it can render the attack far more impotent. The duplicates cannot normally be detonated at will, but can be dismissed and fade into nothing, allowing the Aura used to create them to be used as normal. The more duplicates he creates, the more it taxes his Aura, and too many could leave him without his normal protection when finally discovered.

Equipment:

Mocking Bird

Alexei's personally built and maintained weapon of choice as a Huntsman, like all weapons utilized by hunters, this one is capable of maintaining several forms. In its compact/travel form, it is effectively a rectangle that can be hanged from either his hip or shoulder, depending on where he wants it at the time, and in this form is completely useless for combat. Which, given its meant to carry this way, is not really a concern. From this form he can immediately shift into either the ranged or melee forms, depending on what he needs at the time.

The ranged form is a lever action shotgun, sporting an unusually designed bayonet and thicker than normal frame, it is heavy and very much an unsubtle weapon. Loud, and with a lot of kick, there's no concealing when he fires it, and without using Dust, he can either fire buckshot or slugs, though seems to prefer buckshot to the point of forgetting the slugs are an option. While the bayonet is an option in melee, he's much better off either creating distance and resuming firing, or shifting into the melee form.

The melee form splits the bayonet from the shotgun, expanding the weapon into a full sized gladius. The rest of the shotgun unpacks and forms a gauntlet around Alexei's left hand, acting as equal parts defensive parrying tool and offensive punching tool. In this state it cannot be fired, as the internals are currently lining the inside of the gauntlet to protect them while its used as a gauntlet, but is a far more effective melee weapon, well suited to highly aggressive assaults.

Dust

Not unique to Alexei, many Hunters choose to augment their weapons and, when possible, Semblance with Dust. There are a large, varying amounts of Dust, capable of creating a large and varied amount of effects depending on the specifics, though Alexei himself only carries a basic array of Dust crystals and powders, giving him a flexible set of alterations to his weapon and Semblance when the need arises. He only has a limited supply, and who knows when he'll get another chance to replenish them, so has to use them sparingly. They are, as follows:

-Fire: When loaded into his weapon, Mocking Bird, it allows the blade to be coated in flame while the shotgun blasts are more akin to sprays of intense flames. When used to alter his Semblance, each crystalline duplicate seems to shimmer like a heat mirage, making it more difficult to land direct, destructive blows and adding a searing effect to the crystal shards, potentially cauterizing the very wounds they make. Obviously of little use against fire resistant foes, and the lingering damage after detonation is lost due to the cauterization effect.

-Electricity: When used to enhance Mocking Bird, each strike of the blade can stun and paralyze muscles, while the shotgun form loses the buckshot, instead causing a chaining effect from the first target to others close to the target. When augmenting his Semblance, arcs of lightning bounce from clone to clone, creating an environmental hazard between each clone that can stun and electrocute enemies, though the charge in each clone makes it hard to maintain them, slowing their movements down and rendering weapons harder to use by the non Alexei clones, making picking out which is him easier for those who know what to look for.

-Ice: Light blue in appearance, application to Mocking Bird leaves a frigid wake in the blade's path, slowing and deterring attacks while reinforcing the gauntlet that is paired with the blade in melee form. The shotgun blasts, while losing damage potential, can slow or outright freeze targets in place, though larger foes require more Dust, and sufficiently heated enemies can outright ignore the Ice dust. When applied to the Semblance, the clones become reinforced, able to trade blows and fight for longer before detonating. However, rather than explode, they simply shatter and melt, lacking the energy to detonate when infused with Ice.

Other: He has a modest collection of gems that are part of his collection, usually looking to add to it whenever he can. He can also sing rather well, though he wouldn't admit it even if caught singing.

Courage

Reality's Champions

Fair points on both counts, I had originally included it as a power since it was used to alter the other abilities, but it makes sense under equipment too. I'll shift it over and get the CS over into the tab as well now.

Reality's Champions

Alright, apologies for the delay, but here's the fellow I'd like to submit.

Alexei Argenti

Alexei Argenti

"Down and out, and out of luck
We're spinning, but the needle's stuck
Let's go have some fun before
They go and put us in the ground"
- Sinners, Barns Courtney

Full Name: Alexei Argenti
Nickname(s)/Title(s): Quicksilver

Age: 22
Birthday: August 21st

Orientation: Pansexual
Gender: Male

Species/Race: Faunus - Raven
Species Description: Faunus are one of two intelligent races in Remnant, the world that Alexei hails from originally. Having an animalistic trait of some sort or another, in Alexei's case he has a pair of raven wings granting him the ability of limited flight. Faunus see varying levels of discrimination, leading some to conceal their faunus traits when necessary. Some also display non physical similarities with the animal they borrow a physical trait from, though this is far more of a case by case basis.

Appearance:

Visual Reference

Standing at roughly 5'11", with gleaming silver eyes, Alexei prefers a rather flashy or at least showy outfit, often times letting his wings spread freely on his back, though begrudgingly can conceal them if need be. The long coat was originally his father's, as was the hat that goes with it, although both have been modified to fit the raven faunus and his unique needs for clothing. All lean muscle from getting into fights on the streets growing up, he has no shame in his looks and his general bearing usually gives this away. A word to the wise though, don't touch his hat, not if you want to stay on his good side.

Point of Origin: Shade Academy, Remnant (RWBY)

Personality:
Chatty and disrespectful are two quick ways to describe the raven Faunus' typical day to day handling of himself. Always keeping himself relaxed and calm, Alexei isn't one for long, complex plans, preferring to just live in the moment and let the whims of fate carry him along. Fittingly, his mouth is usually running, chattering and commenting on the situation, his surroundings, his current companions, or just about nothing in particular. Of course, this hasn't endeared him with most people, considering he'll casually remark on missteps and failures he spots, even if it would be better to wait until later, and someone might be forgiven for mistaking his remarks as attempts at goading others to do better through some insulting remarks. Of course, none of this chatter is going to be about himself, he loves his secrets and will rarely share anything about himself unless completely necessary, and his definition of completely necessary being rather stringent indeed. Add in a nasty habit of casually lifting or otherwise 'acquiring' trinkets or other shiny objects that catch his eye and fancy, and he can an abrasive, though useful, friend to have.

Bio:
Born in an impoverished part of a city, Alexei's father was a human Hunter while his mother was a Faunus nurse, working at a local clinic. While his father caught figurative flak from some people for marrying a Faunus, he shielded his wife and child from such things as best he could, though he made sure that Alexei was well aware of the stigma his race brought, according to some people. He was known as a trouble maker and scrapper in school, accused of picking fights with humans and generally being a pain in the ass for most of his teachers. Of course, defending himself and others from bullies wasn't a good excuse to kick the ever living shit out of someone, but his parents swore they would never punish him for standing up for others. His father even taught him how to defend himself in hand to hand, only amplifying the problem as he quickly outpaced any school yard bullies. He would eventually go on to attend a hunter's academy, though not the same that his father had, finding his place far more readily in Shade Academy instead of Atlas. He was right at home in the academy, spending his four years rather happily, before graduating and moving on to his duties proper as a Huntsman in the world of Remnant.

Likes:
A: Drinking and relaxing.
B: Collecting curiosities and trinkets of interest.
C: Brawling/Scrapping

Dislikes
A: Overly sugary foods.
B: Racists.
C: Uptight, inflexible outlooks.

Fighting Style:
High speed assaults are the name of the game for Alexei. Closing the gap using the shotgun form of Mocking Bird, or outright ambushing them if he wasn't noticed, and then getting into the fight proper using the gladius and gauntlet melee form, he lives for overwhelming enemies in close range assaults. Capable of hit and run with his wings and the flight they provide, alongside his Semblance, he can overwhelm a target in sheer aggression or leave them reeling long enough to realize they never pinned down the one who attacked them. The farther away he is from a fight, the more increasingly useless he gets, lacking the means of seriously reaching out and grabbing someone outside of catching them or otherwise pinning them down thanks to allies or his own tricks. He has surprising staying power when not engaging in hit and run, solely thanks to the durability of his Aura, though once he's finally spent it takes more time to recover, leaving him vulnerable if a fight drags on for too long, meaning he does aim to finish them fast and hard even if he can slug it out for awhile.

Skills:
As a Huntsman, Alexei has honed and trained to fight monsters known as Grimm, as well as handling more mundane problems and troubles when they arise. As a fighter, he is used to dealing with creatures that have no intent but to kill him and those he is protecting. As such, he is a natural for fighting asymmetrical fights, almost always outnumbered, utilizing what he has learned and awakened during his training. He's also a good team player, able to fill in gaps that are missing in a team when possible, be it hanging back a bit and taking potshots, getting stuck in to give allies breathing space, or otherwise act appropriately. Beyond combat, he's good at tracking and chasing both human, faunus, and Grimm, either from the air or on the ground as well, plus he's learned some basic first aid from his mother while his old man taught him some nasty, underhanded tricks in a brawl.

Powers:

Aura

The manifestation of the soul, Hunters employ this physical manifestation for a variety of purposes, and Alexei is no exception in the matter. Most commonly it is used to protect and shield the user, allowing them to take blows from Grimm or others that would incapacitate or outright kill, while there are other, less obvious benefits to the utilization of one's Aura. In Alexei's case, he utilizes it as primarily a defensive force, though he also makes good use of it as a means of protecting against hazardous weather, such as snowstorms, as well as a form of 'gut instinct', getting a sense when being watched without prior knowledge of the watcher, as an example. Aura can be depleted, and as it grows weaker, it begins to 'flicker' and eventually can even break, a silver sheen in Alexei's case indicating the hunter is now without their usual protections. Aura recovers over time when not in use, and while Alexei's is slower to recover, it is also slower to drain.

Semblance: Hall of Mirrors

Semblances are a unique manifestation of an individual's power or self, and provide some sort of unique power, ability, or other such means of manipulating how a Hunter approaches combat or a fight. While powerful additions to a Hunter's bag of tricks, prolonged or heavy overuse of one's Semblance can be extraordinarily taxing, and must be used carefully so that it doesn't leave their user about to collapse from exhaustion. As for Alexei, he refers to his as the "Hall of Mirrors", which is hardly the most serious name, but he likes it all the same.

Alexei appears to shatter into a number of shimmering, crystalline appearing clones when he chooses to engage his Semblance, sometimes in response to a direct blow to further throw off assailants. One is actually Alexei, the rest fakes made up of his Aura, making it impossible to detect the real through analyzing his Aura. Each duplicate can fight and project his voice, though remain unstable, so a sufficiently powerful blow causing the fakes to shatter explosively, peppering the unwary with glass like shrapnel, and acting as a one off armor esq effect should the real Alexei be struck, though it lacks the risk of damage to the assailant, it can render the attack far more impotent. The duplicates cannot normally be detonated at will, but can be dismissed and fade into nothing, allowing the Aura used to create them to be used as normal. The more duplicates he creates, the more it taxes his Aura, and too many could leave him without his normal protection when finally discovered.

Dust

Not unique to Alexei, many Hunters choose to augment their weapons and, when possible, Semblance with Dust. There are a large, varying amounts of Dust, capable of creating a large and varied amount of effects depending on the specifics, though Alexei himself only carries a basic array of Dust crystals and powders, giving him a flexible set of alterations to his weapon and Semblance when the need arises. He only has a limited supply, and who knows when he'll get another chance to replenish them, so has to use them sparingly. They are, as follows:

-Fire: When loaded into his weapon, Mocking Bird, it allows the blade to be coated in flame while the shotgun blasts are more akin to sprays of intense flames. When used to alter his Semblance, each crystalline duplicate seems to shimmer like a heat mirage, making it more difficult to land direct, destructive blows and adding a searing effect to the crystal shards, potentially cauterizing the very wounds they make. Obviously of little use against fire resistant foes, and the lingering damage after detonation is lost due to the cauterization effect.

-Electricity: When used to enhance Mocking Bird, each strike of the blade can stun and paralyze muscles, while the shotgun form loses the buckshot, instead causing a chaining effect from the first target to others close to the target. When augmenting his Semblance, arcs of lightning bounce from clone to clone, creating an environmental hazard between each clone that can stun and electrocute enemies, though the charge in each clone makes it hard to maintain them, slowing their movements down and rendering weapons harder to use by the non Alexei clones, making picking out which is him easier for those who know what to look for.

-Ice: Light blue in appearance, application to Mocking Bird leaves a frigid wake in the blade's path, slowing and deterring attacks while reinforcing the gauntlet that is paired with the blade in melee form. The shotgun blasts, while losing damage potential, can slow or outright freeze targets in place, though larger foes require more Dust, and sufficiently heated enemies can outright ignore the Ice dust. When applied to the Semblance, the clones become reinforced, able to trade blows and fight for longer before detonating. However, rather than explode, they simply shatter and melt, lacking the energy to detonate when infused with Ice.

Equipment:

Mocking Bird

Alexei's personally built and maintained weapon of choice as a Huntsman, like all weapons utilized by hunters, this one is capable of maintaining several forms. In its compact/travel form, it is effectively a rectangle that can be hanged from either his hip or shoulder, depending on where he wants it at the time, and in this form is completely useless for combat. Which, given its meant to carry this way, is not really a concern. From this form he can immediately shift into either the ranged or melee forms, depending on what he needs at the time.

The ranged form is a lever action shotgun, sporting an unusually designed bayonet and thicker than normal frame, it is heavy and very much an unsubtle weapon. Loud, and with a lot of kick, there's no concealing when he fires it, and without using Dust, he can either fire buckshot or slugs, though seems to prefer buckshot to the point of forgetting the slugs are an option. While the bayonet is an option in melee, he's much better off either creating distance and resuming firing, or shifting into the melee form.

The melee form splits the bayonet from the shotgun, expanding the weapon into a full sized gladius. The rest of the shotgun unpacks and forms a gauntlet around Alexei's left hand, acting as equal parts defensive parrying tool and offensive punching tool. In this state it cannot be fired, as the internals are currently lining the inside of the gauntlet to protect them while its used as a gauntlet, but is a far more effective melee weapon, well suited to highly aggressive assaults.

Other: He has a modest collection of gems that are part of his collection, usually looking to add to it whenever he can. He can also sing rather well, though he wouldn't admit it even if caught singing.

Courage

Warhammer 40k: Enigmas of the Warp

Stukov breached the door after preparing, finding any cultist noises that had been from beyond the door had either fled or vanished. That was... concerning. Enemies just up and vanishing into the void was always trouble, especially given the general attire and firepower they had employed so far. He would continue to take point, his gut instinct remaining very much unsettled and distrustful of the situation at hand, cautiously leading the way down to regroup with Celeste and the rest of the team down on the first floor, following her orders as he reached back onto the first floor much more conventionally than he had reached the sixth floor to begin with. Getting down to the first floor, he nodded to Celeste and the rest of the team. "Alright, we're back. Heavy bolter crew very much sorted out properly. Ready to keep moving when you are."

The armsman would fall in step with the Celestian as she took point, a close second as she disarmed a trap designed to incapacitate rather than outright kill. That didn't sit well with him, honestly, any cult wanting to make prisoners of an inquisitorial strike team that was supposed to be at least pretending at being subtle before their first move, grumbling under his breath at the idea. Prisoners were, if they were lucky, died relatively quickly, but it was unlikely they'd be lucky to get such a fate. "Information, torture, sacrifice, the usual that a cult wants. If they were ready for us, which it seems tehy were, probably a lot more insidious trouble. Don't get taken alive, I'd advise."

Given his experience with the forces of Chaos prior to the retinue, well, he'd sooner save a bullet for himself rather than let the traitors ever take him alive. Continuing to the door, he took a position as Celeste took up her position and threw a grenade into the room, and was second in after her, shotgun raised and sweeping the room as he moved to cover the angles that the Sister wasn't covering immediately. Nothing, then the sickening energy filled the room, causing him to snap his shotgun and slamfire the weapon at the daemonette as she appeared, watching as both his weapons fire and Celeste's failed to do anything. Then the bitch started talking, and he hardened his heart with righteous hatred as he started loading the blessed buckshot he saved for daemons. Leveling the shotgun at the image again, he snarled as he replied.

"If you knew half as much as you claim you wouldn't waste your words, now get back to the warp where you belong, abomination."

Warhammer 40k: Enigmas of the Warp

"Yeah I know its a bad idea, beats getting shredded by a... you get the idea." Stukov had enough of warp exposure to last him several lifetimes, given his prior experience as an Armsman before the Inquisition, but Throne above there wasn't any other particularly valid options outside rush the building and try and punch through whatever defenses were in place to keep just that particular thing from happening. Close quarters brawls and battles were his forte, but even he could only work so fast through a fight. Still, once Smiles teleported over, dwarfing him by her unusual height in comparison, and gave her a steady nod when told to lock and load as she got a firm grip on his arm. "Already done, I like to keep this handy for close encounters after all."

Still, he had to mentally steel himself given his experiences, and sure enough, as he silently and mentally prayed to the Emperor to protect his faithful, though apparently foolish, servant, the jump into the warp, however brief, was very, thoroughly unpleasant. Even braced, every instinct screamed that he should be fighting, something, anything, first and foremost would probably be the damned pair of daemonic eyes glaring down at him. He didn't have time to register the glee, no matter how malicious, in the damn things eyes before, mercifully, they were pulled back into realspace. His ears were ringing, mind, and his heart racing at a borderline dangerous level as his body dumped as much adrenaline as it possibly could into his system. The grip on his shotgun was white knuckle, and for a moment he could have sworn he was back on the old battleship trying to get back into real space. Of course, Smiles had the right thought to bark an order, and where the mind reeled, instinct and muscle memory took over.

"BACK TO THE WARP YOU WRETCHED BASTARDS!" Shotgun snapped up, trained first on the heretic that was responding first, the alternate that Smiles hadn't seen to, aiming high and thoroughly blasting the head clean off the cultist, sending a spray of blood and viscera as Stukov slam fired his shotgun, tracking from target to target, emptying his shotgun into the remaining cultists, nevermind he had more buckshot than there were targets manning the heavy bolter. Assuming emptying the shotgun into the remaining cultists left the rest of them dead, and the crew served weapon dead, he'd start quickly loading shells into the shotgun, reloading and pumping it, higher faculties back in line, and glanced over at Smiles. "Right, I'd say remind me to save that request for emergencies in the future, but that was redundant. Let's start clearing the building, see if we can't find that thing you detected in the process. I'm on point, ready?"

Warhammer 40k: Enigmas of the Warp

"THAT WASN'T A REQUEST FOR YOU TO PROVE ME RIGHT YOU BASTARDS!" The moment the heavy bolter opened up, Stukov roared at the assaulting weapons team as he ducked down and went for solid cover, finding himself right next to the Celestian behind the curiously placed metal barrier. They had room to move, at least, though trying to cross the open ground to get into the apartment building, fight his way up to the right floor, get through the barricades, and clear out the nest would take too long. Even if he was just sprinting up floor after floor, they didn't have the luxury of time to let the heavy bolter chew away at the cover. That meant he had to skip all that running, and he had a plan. It was an Emperor damned bad one, mind, but sometimes that was the primary option. Glancing over at where Smiles ended up, he spoke loud enough to be heard over the heavy bolter fire.

"I can't get an angle on them from here, get me up there Smiles. I don't think this barricade will hold long enough to run in and up six flights of stairs. We can cut off anyone trying to escape from two directions then." Stukov was bracing himself, her method of travel was never pleasant, never would be he suspected, but none of those heretics would be ready for an irate, shotgun wielding armsman just appearing and slamfiring the shotgun and clearing out the room. His other options were firing his naval pistol, and hoping to land a hit, try and long arm a grenade up there, or just praying one of the other squad members could silence the gun from down here. Or charge in and fight his way up to the nest, but a heavy bolter would chew through a barricade in relatively short order.

Warhammer 40k: Enigmas of the Warp

Stukov kept an ear on the situation, though the statue seemed to revert back to what it should have been, one dedicated to the God Emperor. That was...peculiar, but not completely foreign. The warp was deceitful and tricky when not properly controlled, and he lowered the shotgun from aimed to a low ready, scanning the surroundings carefully, looking for the slightest thing out of place or otherwise wrong. He'd rely on gut instinct as well if it came up, though he much preferred trying to pick out trouble on a ship. Urban wasn't too bad, though this was a far cry from working through a hiveworld or the like as well. Moving back away from the statue, he would turn after satisfying himself that he couldn't spot any impending trouble and nodded to the soldier. "Thanks for the cover, mate. Let's regroup and figure things out, that blast probably spooked anyone too stupid to run from the sound of us touching down."

Moving back, while continuing to do regular glances around, waiting for the sudden crack of weapons fire to finally open up after the explosion, he moved to the rest of the group, offset enough to hopefully avoid clustering up into a nice, juicy grenade target. Seems that Celeste was alright, her armor soaking most of the blast, though the comms seemed to have indicated her systems fluctuated. Might want to get that checked, he thought, but didn't say it out loud. Though once she was done addressing the psyker, he chimed in, turning to scan while he spoke to the Celestian. "You were closest, but my gut says that was meant for lighter targets. Smiles foiled that one, but given what it did to you, would have wrapped me around a tree. No doubt there's eyes on us, but I have a feeling there was an expectation that would be enough. Now that I said it, watch, they'll open up..."