<One time>

"Doesn't matter who he is or how powerful he is, if you have something valuable to him, something he can't live without, you can use it against him," Nova replied, "It's even easier when you guys worship Slaanesh, because that superiority and pride is always your downfall, if you play it out correctly."

<Other Time>

"It's a mark of another entity within the Warp, a creature of Chaos not powerful as the four Gods but still strong enough to send its minions around. I don't know its exact name, but I recognize the symbol. It's written in a dialect of an ancient tongue, similar to our High Gothic. The actual word described by the symbol is "malitia" which can roughly be translated as "badness" or "scam" or "ploy". The only thing I know is that it's bad news in most cases, because in some texts it's said that this entity is even worse than others. Why? Well, I kinda don't know exactly, they don't speak much about it and all..."

-Mortia @Uriel1339 At Mortia's room
It was in Mortia's room Solara found her Rex was on the ground laying and possibly staring at the wall more flesh had grown on him to cover his head but his eyes still grown it was all over his body now and a few pops of hair sprouted on him, Mortia herself was working on one of the robes she had gotten from the Shrine world.

"Ahh hello miss Solara. My own Knowledge of the warp is little, My own experiences of it come from when I learned about my powers when I was first escaping for my Life out of Hive Narlik." Mortia says as a expression on her face as if she is remembering something from a long time ago.

"It was First in a sewer I was trying to find the way out of many various mutants none of them much into talking or much interacting with a person besides tearing them apart and eating them, I first learned about it while Under stress and in despair wishing for something to help me find a way out. I was looking at a group of rats at the time When I felt a part of my self Detach as I looked at the rat felt its own will and my own and I attempted to have it to help me by trying at first to try to show it by putting a bit of my own emotions onto it slowly. While I was doing that though I felt a sense of being watched though A sense of hope yet Despair at the same time, I can only feel those things at the same time at the shrine of the undivided near nurgle and tzeentch.

Only thing I did then was Frighten them and stress them out. So I waited and again attempted to experimented by changing my mood to a somewhat hopeful one with thoughts of escape out. This time I was able to put a part of my will on the rat and was able to see through its eyes. Using that I soon began to follow the rats to find a safe way out I think the gods had let me do it that day since I had not abused them like I did later in my tale, Before that though I found out the perils about using my powers."

Mortia's face then turned into a frown as she began to speak "A Peril or a possibly bad sign and likely a good time to switch from your powers to more physical things is often times as only I can explain it as either bad luck or the gods them selves punishing someone. I have only a few examples of this and one going back to when I started using my powers, It was In the sewers I found a way out but there was a group of arbites that where doing a purge in the sewers. I had Just managed to get a shotgun from one of there corpses from a mutant that managed to kill one.

But managed to get stuck in a 3 way fire fight between the arbites, Myself, and the mutant gang. I was a friend of neither and freedom was at my grasp. I tried using my powers to blow a Gate that was standing between me and the swamp lands out of the hive. As I Tried Casting a blow of lighting to blow the gate I felt Something Scream at me as if it was in my own head.

As I looked around the Fighting had stopped and the arbites and mutants where screaming, some where fighting each there own allies others where cutting into themselves. The screaming itself wouldn't stop at me I couldn't tell what others where saying and I began bleeding from my noise and a Ear, I began to panic and needed to escape to escape as I think I began to hallucinate and thought I saw what I can only describe as a twisted being Begin howling at me coming at my way, Thought it was going to eat me, and I panicked hard at the great and I forced myself to use my powers again.

Very bad Idea it was. As I tried doing it again. I Felt something Hoist me into the air and heat near a growing heat around me, A explosion came that destroyed the gate and threw me out of the sewer, Almost was killed for it. Was blood dripped from my nose and a eye and I was pretty sure I did some damage to my bones, and I kept hearing those voices for several weeks after and felt as if I was being watched still feel like I am. That was likely a punishment from them for not heading the first warning about using it after there warning." She said she then wen't to think about the warp itself.

"The Warp itself I learned some from Damaim and chaos gods from Urtus. Urtus said chaos is represented in teh eight pointed star the 4 gods each taking 2 sides on the star, all of them having two sides, Khornes is blood and bone, One side dense and hard to break another Freely and thicker and denser then water, Nurgle is life and death, having both the powers to let the dead rise from there grave and to end life itself, Both hope and despair, Tzeentch is a god of both deceiver and is a god of knowledge both having two sides. Slannesh is a god of both gendars both being"

"opposites but both representing the same being, That can both give pleasure and pain. The warp itself I heard from one is where the gods resides so I imagine parts of it would be there realm, to be some what like them, The rest of the warp though would represent of all chaos I think Clashing much of the times similiar to how opposites followers sometimes clash,"

Mortia- @Colapse Nova's cabin
"Well its a bit of change of scenery at least, Got to look at brighter side of things now. Anyways." Mortia thought for a moment then had a idea about what to talk about. "So know anything about those Grav vehicles that were on your planet how they were made or where they were bought?" She asked trying to change the subject to something a bit brighter.

<Other Time>
"Well.... I'm not sure I should be rejoicing cause it's not Slannesh, or really worried cause it's from a more obscure entity.... " Latrynix trailed off, unsure of what she could say. It was yet another question that needed answering in a long list of others she had. Either way, the Wych had her question answered so she said "Thank you for that Nova, I gotta get going now" while she left the girl's cabin. All the new knowledge.... Seemed to keep crawling onto her nerves, so she'd have to find a way to calm them....

<Now>
When Latrynix entered the place, it was clear from the décor which was soft and curved yet somewhat practical that it was a pub first, cat-house second and there definitely were a few Eldar customers. Still, the nice environment didn't stop her from noticing a high-up Corsair with a Void Sabre flirting/bargaining with another Eldar who looked like he worked in the secondary role of the place, while she stalked over to the bar. When the human bartender came over, before the mon'keigh could even suggest something for the Dark Eldar she said "A strong drink, please."

As the bartender went to make the Wych the drink she requested, she wondered if it was feasible to steal that Void Sabre that the Corsair had, given that she needed more than the Eldar did. After all, when was that person ever going to land in the same situation that she was in?

~~ At Another Time #2 - Mortia (@Vulpas ) ~~

Solara listened with the same awe as she did to Beowulf's story. Instantly saddened once Mortia had completed her story. Unkowingly to herself and instantly she grabbed for a hand of Mortia, holding it with both of hers.

"I do not know how to repay you... For all of this... Your instructions about the warp. And the story you have told along. You are an amazing person. No wonder you were gifted with a pet of your own." She motioned to Rex with her head. "I will definitely attempt to heed my instinct, the gods and such, to learn from your wisdom and past mistakes. Thank you, Mortia." She smiled bright, truly appreciating that the fellow female was so open and hopefully honest to her.


~~ At Another Time #3 - Nova (@Colapse ) ~~

"I see... Which in this case was your information...." Solara put a finger on her chin, thinking about her words. "So you did turn pride against him... Scarring him... Perhaps even drove him to prove himself against Khorgar... Causing his death." She lowered her head for a moment but then looked at Nova a bit closer again, stepping also a bit closer in fact. "Makes me wonder... What faction, what side you represent, your higher goals... Although I believe. Just given that I have heard the tales across the Planetary Defense Force and such. You are in for the ride. You were never shackled by the Imperium, nor your father, not really anyway. You simply enjoy to cause havoc to those that do not treat you properly and make friendship with those that respect you.... I wish I would be as strong as you." The former officer sighed deeply and let her shoulders hang. No matter who she met on the Black Rain, she felt envy for everyone's skills or smarts.

Aegis can kill probably a hundred men on her own. Knives is a master of the warp. Nova is a governor's daughter and fell an Astartes only with her words. Even Mortia had still a master. And then of course Beowulf who could kill any known monster in the known universe. Khorgar even, he after all is a creature made with the essence of his god. There was nothing in Solara that made her special. She was just some random person surrounded by people talented a thousand times more than herself. The reason why Horatius or even Velodonus picked her would forever be a shrouded mystery to her. Perhaps she was just another tool, or they enjoyed having weaklings around to make themselves feel better.

"Dammit Solara, what kind of sad face is that?" Nova frowned, "Get yourself together girl, if they sense your indecisiveness and how weak you believe yourself to be, they will kill you! These people are not Imperials, like that's not obvious, they are power-mongering psychopaths and the only way to survive is to become like them, or at least act like it!"

"Listen, if Khorgar wanted to kill you like he slaughtered Urtus, he would've done so already which means - he wants something out of you. Maybe he sees something we both can't, which is also big possibility, maybe he just wants to play a game, but fuck it, that doesn't matter - what matters is that there's something about you he finds useful and THAT is the card you need to play. So, when he sees you again you tell him that you are your own master, that you are strong, you don't need anyone and you are ready to serve. With that, you'll probably buy enough time to see what's that he wants and maybe even use it to your advantage!"

Girl leaned back, satisfied with her reasoning. "Now, don't ever tell that my family never did anything good for people of Borelos!"

~~ At Another Time #3 - Nova (@Colapse ) ~~

The woman blinked a few times, not having expected such profanity and vulgar speech. "First of all, ma'am... I don't have means to contact your family, even if I wished to." Solara smiled weakly. "And, I will follow your advice. Though I was never good at the whole lying and deception ordeal. But there is at least some truth that I feel more empowered than under the rule of the Imperium." She scratched the back of her head, somewhat unsure how to feel about the whole ordeal.

But she recognized in retrospect that, that was what the others shared. Even Aegis defied, or well, did not follow into the death of her master, yet obviously she was loyal to him and protected him well. "I shan't bother you any longer, ma'am. If there is anything I can do to return the favor, feel free to seek me out. I believe we are short to arrive at our destination, which means that Khorgar's mission for me comes to an end."

Perhaps the first time since she was 'freed' Solara walked with tall head, strength in her steps and actual confidence towards the bridge. No doubt shall cling on her soul, at least for now. Even if Solara could not be certain, she would simply decide in her own mind that Nova's words were true. Khorgar saw something in her, he needed her for something, perhaps the same that Horatius and Velodonus needed her. But she was not enslaved, no. They indirectly begged her to stay alive, hiding it in the shape of duties bestowed upon her! She would rise and elevate, to truly claim one day the title Queen of the Maelstrom.

Knives, Lesson in Boundaries.
She was close, too close. Knives could see the whites of her eyes to the color of her hair. A creamy aroma filling his nostrils and dulling his senses. For the briefest of moments, the mage envisioned himself taking Solara by the hair, slowing making their way to his quarters, and... 'Beware self-indulgence!' The words burned in his ears as pain brought him back to his senses. The haze melted away from his more primitive mind.
Taking hold of Solara's shoulders, the Blood Mage's unkept nails digging into her soft skin. He forces her to arms length, releasing her with a shove. "Listen, and listen well. I am NOT your Blood Brother. I am no one's hand holder. Look around you! This is what it means to gain power in service to the Blood God. These mutants and cultists were given the same choice. Kill or be killed. I used my gift to bring out the warrior's fury within us and to the death we battled. And here I stand, triumphant!"
"Your power comes from a VERY different source. I can see it now. Just beneath the surface, waiting to claim its first prize. The sorcerer's influence no doubt." Knives says as his bloodshot eyes start to glow red.
Raising his finger to Solara's forehead, "If you truly wish to learn from me, then here is your first and only lesson I offer you... [pain]." With red spark, Knives ignites the sensation of pain within the aspiring witch. From the tips of her toes to the dome of her head, Solara would feel as though her blood vessels were being put to the torch. Her heart and blood racing on overdrive.
"To control your power, you must be prepared to receive pain from the Gods and to suffer for their amusement. Only by over coming this can you grow stronger as a psyker and earn the Dark God's favor. If you doubt or give into the pain, then you're as good as dead already. Steal yourself and you can take back control! With control comes power, and with power... you can carve your own destiny."
It was a harsh lesson, but one better learned early. As the Gore Priests of the Blood Pact had done to him and those like him, so had Knives done to Solara. In doing so, those too weak were culled and those with promise unlocked greater access to their abilities. Unfortunately for Solara, this method made up almost ninety percent of Gore Priests "training." Save yourself some hope and Don't ask about the mortality rate.
While Knives waited to see if Solara had what it took to over come pain. He made sure to collect the skulls of the defeated combatants. If the test proved too much for Solara, Knives would either summon the medical Marine to revive her or accept the tribute by adding her skull to his collection.

bridge ( @Colapse )

veron walked into the bridge his maul in hand looking at the daemon thing stood before him in his lords body "i have to say thanks for killing the raven it makes it so much easier to replace" as the apostel spoke the room was not as empty as he had thought as he heard from behind the activation of a power feild "whos there" as the apostel turned around he saw a crimsomend armored warior with a sword and sheild "no not now" as he spoke he put his maul at the redy "i made sure everyone but veron died on the day our planet burned" as he spoke his form showed weakness

"i was at the death watch station" as the crimson figure spoke he walked foward a power katana "ive been searching for you for a long time valen or is it veron now" as he spoke before veron could answer the marine was in front of him faster than he expected as the katana cut through the maul and then his remaining arm "i care not you killed our chapter and for that i swore a blood oath to kill you, several inquisitors and death watch marines got in my way and lie dead where they fell still" with that he beheaded the apostel.

as the body fell the marine walked over to the lord "i am luminous umbra former member of the 2nd company of the blood watchmen, i wonder if you have use of a swordsman in youre force daemon"

<Bridge> @Uriel1339

Eventually, Solara found her way on the Bridge again, where Khorgar sat upon his throne of skulls. Raven Guard's body went through some changes since the last time she saw him (OOC I wrote the description somewhere earlier, so I'll not write everything again) - his overall bulk was bigger, on some places instead of armor joints daemonic muscles and flesh could be seen pulsing with unnatural strength. While his eyes remained somewhat the same, flaming embers with color of the boiling blood gazing upon little woman, his hands ended up in long claws, exchanging his old weapons for new.

"Tell me Solara. Is your mission over? What did you learn?"


<Bridge> @lord-watchman

"Most interesting," Khorgar spoke, looking at the fallen corpse of the dead Apostle, before turning to Luminous, "Of course, I am in need of a good swordsman. You are most welcomed to join my army, there will be spot for one such as you in the upcoming conflict, I'm sure of it."


OOC Like usual, if there are some actions that are not finished, use "Pre-Briefing" tag for them when you write your posts

<<Mission #3 Briefing>>

After a day spent on the small asteroid station, "Black Rain" was properly repaired and refueled, and once again it set sail towards their old base, the space station of New Carthage inside the Maelstorm. Their trip took them couple of days and once they were near it, Khorgar summoned his entire Team on the Bridge, similarly like Alion
did in the past, in order to explain them their next step.

"I have promised power to those who would swear their allegiance to me and I have already bestowed it upon them, so my words were not hollow like the words of your former Captain," Khorgar spoke, this time around he was standing near the strategic table, map of New Carthage spinning in the display. "And now I will show you that the way to power and glory lies paved with the blood of our enemies. Metal Queen of New Carthage insulted you last time you were here and what did your Captain do? He turned his tail and ran. Thankfully, I'm not him and I act when my Team is dishonored and smeared by likes of those below us."

"Because of that and because I need a proper station and a base of operations, we will right the wrongs and show everyone in the Maelstorm that we are a force to be reckoned with. Therefore, we will attack Metal Queen, kill her and her minions and seize the control of New Carthage from their dead hands. However, brute force will not help us here for they are many and our armies are thin since most of the mutant soldiers died during the assault on Sororitas Fortress. But no matter, I have devised a plan for us to use the Station's many inhabitants and turn them against the Queen."

"Since the Station is quite large and Metal Queen enforces her command over many of its denizens by having a strong Dark Mechanicus force as well as a host of Iron Warriors mercenaries, we will undermine their effort by striking on different places at once, turning the inhabitants against them and toppling her rule with a dozen blows. There are couple of different missions I prepared for you, all of you can chose which you want to tackle and through our joint effort, we shall see this place in our hands before the next dawn rises."

"Any Questions?"

OOC Basically, I'll offer you couple of mini-missions that, if completed, will play the part in the "final battle" against Metal Queen and her lackeys This time around, I'm giving you free choice to pick on which mission your character wants to go. If some of you end up indecisive, Khorgar will send you on some mission himself. Note that he will also tackle one of the missions himself in case there are no people interested for it, but results may wary


<Mission I - Enemy Below>

"It has come to my knowledge that a certain creature inhabits the old sewer system of New Carthage. As it usually goes, Dark Mechanicus built chambers and workshops over those found earlier, making most of the older part of the station now lost in the passage of time and pretty much unused. It became a shelter for worst of the worst, hiding from the prying eyes of Station's overlords as well as other, more nefarious forces. In any case, I sensed a powerful presence withing those sewers, an old and dangerous creature even Queen is afraid of, because of which she guards the entrances to the system with a sizable force of Iron Warriors. That is the situation on most entrances except on one in the warehouse district, which is guarded by a small mercenary force that shouldn't be much of a problem to deal with. I want you to go there, kill the defenders and enter the sewers in order to find this creature and ask it to fight for us in the coming battle. With its help and knowledge of the "underground" system, I'm sure that we'll be able to outflank most of our enemies and strike them from where they least expect."


<Mission II - Supply and Demand>

"We all know that main service New Carthage provides to pirates and warlords is that its docking bays host a great number of servitors and fallen tech adepts who repair and rearm ships in no-time. Besides that, the Station hosts many smaller shops, mechanicus workshops and other artisans for those who aren't that rich to pay directly to the Queen herself. Owners of these shops who aren't in direct link with the Queen have to pay her protection and a certain fee to even work on this station. Suffice to say, some of them are quite unhappy with this situation and their rage is clear even to me, while most of them have pretty good equipment and together can pose a significant threat. It would take only a small nudge to set them against their "masters", maybe set a fire to one shop and blame the Queen's lackeys for it, turn them against each other and see how the fire spreads across the station."


<Mission III - Arena Master> (everyone's favorite )

"Besides the Iron Warriors mercenaries working for the Queen, this Station hosts a great number of other mercs looking for work in the Maelstorm, after all that is how you all came to join Alion in the first place. Dark Eldar pirates, Ork Freebooters, Renegade guardsmen gangs, you name it. In order to control the station we will need their support and there is no better way of doing it by winning the famed "Blood Sport" tournament hosted across Station's many arenas. They say that the winner of it has the respect of every soul on the station and if using it correctly, he might rally the mercenary force under his banner and use them against the Queen, promising them loot and great spoils. I want you to go to one of the smaller arenas, enlist in the tournament and fight your way to the top. Win it and you'll have both mercenary and my blessing."


<Mission IV - Power to the People>

"Since the station that has such great reputation for providing repairs to damaged ships, this machinery could hardly work without a great workforce behind it. For this need, Metal Queen uses great number of slaves, mutants and other kinds of scum in order to fuel her station's many workshops. Most of these people are located in the slums district, living in ugly conditions and barely surviving the overall situation. In most cases, their miserable fates would not interest me but I feel a great cauldron of rage brewing inside their souls, it screaming to be unleashed. They number at least ten of thousand of various individuals, all of them wanting something to happen in their lives that would make it better, to have a meaning, and that is where we come in. I want you to go to the slums district and lead a rebellion against the Queen's slavers. I believe they have a processing camp there from which they send the workforce to their deaths in many great facilities around the station, so perhaps striking there and showing those workers that there is someone out there who is capable of fighting and killing the oppressors might make them join our effort or at least point the mass in the right direction. With such numbers behind us, we can drown the defenders in bodies and use them as meatshields in the upcoming battle."


Map of New Carthage:



OOC Pick whatever mission your char wishes to tackle and\or ask if you have any questions

Player reminder:
@Grall_Stonefist
@Uriel1339
@lord-watchman
@Maleth
@Kalle
@Wincent
@Vulpas
@DaKaptin
@PorOborosCain
@Casavay
@matt23
@Skarboy

~~ Earlier - At Another Time #1 - Knives (@DaKaptin ) ~~

Solara was first taken by surprise, then gasped as the pain jolted through her body. Only because of some misunderstanding the Blood Mage went utterly insane! Obviously she could not just bite the pain down and instead screamed. She screamed in pain like never before, but something else within her was suddenly released like a survival mechanism. Perhaps more, she thought to have heard another one's voice in her mind as her scream went from a mortal one to frequencies beyond normal vocal cords capabilities. Unknowingly how she managed to do it, it simply would cause equivalent pain that Knives caused her back to him.

In that moment she stepped back and breathed hard. "I ONLY MEANT TO SAY YOU ARE A BLOOD MAGE WITH SOME MORE SOPHISTICATION, BY THE FORSAKEN ONES THRONE!" She eventually yelled at him once Solara caught her breath. "YOU ARE AN AGENT OF KHORNE AND THEREFORE A BROTHER OF THE BLOOD!" The woman shook her head in disbelief of the mere brutality Knives had shown.

"I thought that you as a non-Astartes would understand better.... But it appears I had been wrong.... Nonetheless... Thank you.... Even if your ways of teaching are not adequate to me...." She brushed her flamboyant robes and frowned. "Just because I hope to worship Slaanesh.... Does not mean I desire to have intercourse with everyone. I am still human at heart, and I ought to find friends, because I do not want to grow old, bitter and lonely like Master Velodonus." She shook her head as she left the Gore-mage to his own devices...

~~ Earlier - At Another Time #4 - Khorgar (@Colapse ) ~~

"I learned a lot, Khorgar." She smiled and bowed only her head. "The warp has many ways, and depending on whom you ask it appears to have different... Affinities." Solara found no better word for it. "While the Blood Mage, Knives, is first and foremost believing it is mostly pain that one gains strength from, it is Mortia who appears to have found strength in it through despair."

"But what is far more important. I have learned that nobody is born with prestige, honor, respect or even strength. That is where Urtus Velodonus made a mistake. He believed to have been born from Slaanesh. That lie fed his ego to levels beyond comprehension, yet he was blessed - or trained well enough to appear in combat to be the child of a chaos god. However, would he have held the essence of a god, he would have not faltered as easily under your power as he has. And that is why Beowulf, and I for example shall prevail. We do not claim to have been born strong or any such prestige. We craft our future in the present through actions. Through experience. Only that way one can become strong and claim titles. He who has slain sea serpents can claim he is powerful. He who just makes everyone believe he has slain sea serpents can claim he is powerful, too. But once both are fighting one another, the truth will cometh forth through the victor."

"Last but not least, Khorgar. I have learned that I am an important asset to you. Which is why I demand to further serve you, not as your slave, but as my own mistress. And that is why I shall be from now on known as Solara Orion, given I lacked a last name, I only saw it fit to give myself one." The eventually-to-be Queen of the Maelstrom crossed her arms, waiting the judgment of the daemon.