Turn 5 Thread

[The GM]

[It is now Turn 5. Please use this thread to respond to the last post.

Callum gains 5 Infamy for completing his Tertiary Objective in Turn 4.]

[The GM]

Callum thinks on how individuals have escaped the nether dimensions after the ritual Sauda performed. But, with a slight thrill of fear, he realises that there is no history of such a thing having been done. This is not to say that it is impossible - before the might chaos, nothing is impossible - but he may need to improvise, and the dangers will be very real. He muses over it for a few minutes. To the perspective of reality, he is something pseudo-daemonic: a warp ghost that can communicate and interact where the veil is weak. This is suggestive of various options, each with their advantages and disadvantages:

The first is to attempt to possess an individual like a daemon. From where the veil is weak, he can attempt the Ritual of Possession. But the strong-willed may cast him off, and Callum is not sure what will happen to his body. When daemons possess mortals, that mortal's body mutates until the daemon's form bursts forth: such an experience might be particularly gruesome from Callum's perspective, and potentially maddening. Moreover, a ritual designed to send Callum's soul forth in this way could leave it adrift apart from any body, or, worse yet, result in banishment to the warp. If things go wrong, oblivion awaits. Finally, Callum would have to perform the ritual twice, if he was to return Sergeant Graves to reality.

The second option is tear the weakened veil entirely and make a gaping wound between the two dimensions. This is most likely the easiest option, but promises terrible danger. Callum has seen for himself the monsters that lurked in Sadaka, and it is only a matter of time before they stalk out of that doomed village. If Callum renders the veil entirely, these monsters will flock to the Villa von Klossner. From the other side of the tear, Callum might attempt to repair the veil, but that is a second ritual which will be far more difficult to achieve. Some warding might help hold of the daemonic, but it will be a time bomb waiting to explode.

The third is to convince a ritualist to come from reality to Callum, so that he can be led out of the nether by someone betwixt the two dimensions. He would most likely need a wych, for this kind of astral projection is only possible with the gifted. The risks would be placed on the pawn Callum used, but he knows not of anyone he can turn to. He could potentially ask the daemonic for further insight, but this would represent a ritual with dangers of its own.

[Stonebreath]

Callum is ambitious. He will attempt to possess the Lady Klossner like a demon, but only if he is certain that there is a possibility of *not* warping her body, thus looking, ostensibly, like the noblewoman.

If this is not possible, Callum will cut his losses and return to seducing the Lady Klossner, praying on her fears of age and weakness, reminding her how "the mortal edifice shall come crashing down" and how "even the stars die."

[The GM]

Time works differently between this place and reality, and when Callum looks again at the shadowy Villa von Klossner, he finds that in reality, things have changed. There has been violence that flash like spotlights on areas of the house, leading him and Graves to a spare bedroom, where a clawed individual with the eyes of a killer tortures Lady Klossner and a young nobleman. Callum cannot make out precisely what the torturer is saying, and is powerless to directly prevent the interrogation, but can whisper in the noblewoman's ear. He murmurs reminders of how frail the lady is, and, given her current situation as a victim of a monster, she is susceptible and afraid. Callum merely hopes that the noblewoman survives her ordeal.

There is a flurry of activity in reality, the distant echo of hellfire and a whirl of moving, shadowy figures, ghosts in the darkness of Swaadi. The warp twists and turns the fabric of time, and Callum watches as figures move swiftly like some bizarre play for his entertainment. The noblewoman Lady Klossner survives, and her torturer screams in an agony that Callum will not soon forget. There is violence, and fear, and rage and everything else in between, and never once does Callum lose sight of Lady Klossner. He has appeared to her now, and she cannot hide in the comforts of the waking day any longer.

[Callum has successfully made it such that he can attempt a Seduction of Lady Klossner, or, with successful ritual, a possession. If you go for Seduction, I'd like the next Seduction Test to represent an escalation. Instead of just reminding her of her frailties, the next step should involve intimidating/persuading her into some act of betrayal or submission to Callum.]

His prey marked, Callum considers the possibility of possession. All daemonic entities will come bursting from the form of the body eventually, but some hide and lurk to avoid detection for a time. And, after all, Callum does not need to hide forever. 

[I'm fine to say that whenever Lady Klossner (due to the Corruption Points she gains from possession) would gain a Mutation, Callum can take a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test to avoid the Mutation (until he eventually fails, at which point all of them come through in one gory spectacle). Note that not all Mutations are non-subtle, as well.]

The Rite of Possession is most complex when a daemon has to be summoned. This time, Callum is the pseudo-daemon, but that poses risks of its own. It is new territory for the ritualist, and will take intelligence and care. Though Callum has worked well to weaken the veil between himself and Lady Klossner's dark soul, he can assist himself further by carefully preparing for the Rule of Sympathy, or offering sacrifice (perhaps in the way of Gerhild Klossner). What does Callum do to boost his chances in this way? And what will he do about Sergeant Graves?

[Because Callum is the thing that will possess Lady Klossner, there is no need to summon a daemon. The Possession involves an Opposed Willpower Test as per a Daemonic Mastery Test, but Lady Klossner is not willing and thus gains +20 to her Willpower. Furthermore, the Daemonic Mastery Test is affected by Ritual Modifiers. 

The current modifiers are as follows. Because the ritual will take place in a location where the veil is very thin, he is at a +20 modifier. However, this is new ground and thus imposes a -10 penalty. So far, therefore, he is at +10. Invoking the Rule of Sympathy: something that helps carve at the veil between Callum and Lady Klossner, will produce an additional +10 modifier, whilst a sacrifice will produce an additional +10.]

[Stonebreath]

Callum's plan is as follows:

1) To convince Gerhild to be a sacrifice with talk of how this shall be her "ascension to godhood" and how "beyond the precipice of death, I can give you true power"

2) He will then seek to use the sacrifice of Gerhild to posses the Lady Klossner. spending an infamy point to do so.

3) Re;Graves, his plan is to, once in Klossner's body, to find a psyker to help recover him. It is first on his list of things to do, once manifested.

[The GM]

Like Lady Klossner, Gerhild is a bright soul in the darkness, and Callum is drawn to her by the corruptions he has whispered into her corrupt heart. He can find her, and he draws her upstairs to the room of terror which, in Callum's world, is still laid out with the remains of a ritual circle. Its power is beginning to ebb, and Callum must work quickly if the veil between worlds is to remain thin. 

The young noblewoman is deathly afraid, and Callum reassures her, chides her gently for her fear. He draws her deeper into the room, whispering of how she will soon leave the frailties of her body and breathe anew, powerful and adored. But Gerhild does not believe his lies. She freezes up, in absolute terror, and Graves, struggling to conquer his own fears of the ritual circle, intervenes. The veil is weak here, and Gerhild's mind, body and soul is vulnerable to the touch of those from Callum's realm. When Graves grasps the woman, his iron grip has physicality, and he wrestles Gerhild to the ground. Callum calls softly to Lady Klossner. It is time.

[The GM]

Lady Klossner walks through the door as if in a trance, drawn to Gerhild and Callum's burning soul. Graves drops the unconscious Gerhild to the ground and steps to the other noblewoman, placing one hand over her mouth as she struggles, vainly, her screams muffled. Smiling with satisfaction, Callum begins the unholy work. Calling out to the winds of Chaos, he reaches down with his power blade and stabs Gerhild in the throat, the wound instantly fatal as the pouring blood bubbles against the weapon. Almost instantly, he feels the ritual in motion, the oddest sensation of his very soul abandoning his body and circling like a shark around Lady Klossner. It is uniquely terrifying, the closest Callum has ever felt of death, but the ritualist masters his fear and adopts the role of daemon to the now-spasming victim.

Graves lets go of Lady Klossner. She is paralysed, her arms outstretched and body bent back as if the upper part of her body is being forced down to the earth. But the sergeant frowns. The veil is thin, and he senses like a warp-beast the terror of another nearby. He sees with ghostly eyes an affable looking, attractive man, his mouth twisted open in what must be a silent scream. As this man runs forward, as if to help, Graves barrels into him, striking him to the ground with what feels like sheer force of will. But the man persists, trying to drag Lady Klossner away, and Graves is forced to battle him through the veil, their wills clashing as the sergeant throws the man to the floor again.

Callum's body collapses to the ground, shattering into ethereal mist. Instantaneously, Lady Klossner falls, the soul of Callum now inhabiting the noblewoman's form. Graves steps away from his enemy with satisfaction. For a mere second, his foe seems to register him, before disappearing once more into the dark mists, the power of the ritual finally fading.

[Callum gains 7 Corruption Points and 2 Infamy, whilst Graves gains 5 Corruption Points. Callum can exert control on Lady Klossner whenever he likes, but, in the meantime, Lady Klossner acts as she would (and is currently unconscious). 

To level with you, I am a little concerned because you are now directly interacting with other players and your comparative post speeds might slow down other people's play. I think the best solution is to treat Lady Klossner as someone who essentially suffers from blackouts in which Callum has control. That way I can post for her when you're not available to post. However, there might still be a need for the occasional Interaction by Skype, if that is doable.]

[Stonebreath]

[Skype is fine, as are blackouts. Full disclosure: I was on holiday last week, so internet access was sketchy, but I am back now.]

The first thing Callum is going to call a meeting of all of the Villa staff, military and civilian, in order to appraise the resources he has access to.

For the moment, he is going to do his best to act like Lady Klossner, and blend in.

However, during the general meeting, he will attempt to order *his* new soldiers to begin attacks on the two remaining villages.

He intends to cite the usual Imperial dogma of "heresy and corruption" when it comes to *why* this needs doing.

"Surely these lapdogs will leap to carry out the will of their superior", thinks Callum to himself, as he comes to grips with having possessed an actual human body.

[The GM]

[Ok, great.]

The experience of possession from the perspective of the warp spirit is... perplexing. Callum's soul smothers and stains the corrupted soul of Lady Klossner, his will establishing itself as dominant over the unprepared mortal. It is the purest expression of power that Callum has ever experienced, a godly endeavour that makes him like unto the daemons of the Ruinous Powers. And yet, it is not without its difficulties. The body Callum inhabits feels deeply wrong. It moves in a way that disgusts Callum to a peculiar degree, for he is a being that should be of flesh and blood, and this body is not his. Her screaming soul is distracting, and it is like there is a terrible itch that Callum simply cannot scratch. Her body seeks to mutate and change, but Callum restrains it, exercising his powerful will on her flesh to keep it unblemished and unmarked.

[Callum had to use an Infamy Spend to prevent the mutation.]

The body of Lady Klossner is unconscious, but while Lady Klossner sleeps, her soul is still Callum's to plunder. He knows her secrets, her desires, her basest urges that he has exploited to render her an absolute slave. He learns much, plenty of which might immediately arouse his attention.

Firstly, the Villa von Klossner has guests. A man named Gracious, a charismatic, bewitching man who claims to be a cousin of a family friend, but Lady Klossner does not quite remember, is staying at the home. Lady Klossner likes Gracious, enjoys his company and has begun to trust him deeply. Callum sees the ways in which Gracious has begun to pull on his soul. He recognises his rival, and delights, for Lady Klossner is now Callum's, and can never be Gracious. Unless...

The mansion has been visited by more than simply Gracious. An armoured woman with deadly claws and the eyes of a killer has stalked into the place, kidnapped Lady Klossner's son Patrick, as well as the noblewoman herself. Patrick was tortured, and Lady Klossner quizzed at length about the deacon and the hierarchy of the Makuu. Lady Klossner, her soul treacherous and selfish, told this fiend much about the hierarchy of the Makuu. The torturer was found, though, by Gracious and a servant, and was shot down and killed whilst trying to flee the grounds. Callum feels Lady Klossner's spiteful joy in the intruder's violent end.

The event, however, has produced a threat to Callum's possession of Lady Klossner. Deacon Brauer of the Grand Makuu has been summoned to the Villa von Klossner, and is due any minute. Lady Klossner had intended to warn him about the questions the intruder asked - information that Gracious and her family have already been told about - as well as to ask him to perform exorcism on what she took to be a haunted bedchamber. Now that the deacon is coming, the priest may attempt exorcism on Lady Klossner. It is a dire threat, and one for which Callum may wish to prepare, if he has time.

But Lady Klossner still has secrets, secrets she did not tell her would-be torturer or this man, Gracious. The family, but for her lover Leonard Schneider, have been engaged in incestuous debauchery for some time. Lady Klossner has fornicated with her sons and daughter, who have delighted in one another. They have enjoyed proscribed narcotics such as rose and obscura, and committed cruelties upon the local Swaad. Most delicious of all, Deacon Brauer has been involved in some of the sexual episodes, freely delighting in his baser urges despite his aged years. It is a spiritual weapon with which to battle the old priest, and may prove crucial in the exorcism ahead.

Other than secrets, Callum also learns answers to the more practical questions he sought to ask. Lady Klossner's military power is significant, but small. She has the loyalties of a dozen Aventine mercenaries, all of which are highly trained and impeccably armoured. Against a sufficiently rabid horde of local Swaad, they would be swiftly overwhelmed, but they can inflict terrible casualties and an undisciplined band of civilians would quickly be scattered. Meanwhile, Lady Klossner employs half a dozen servants to keep her home spic and span. Then, of course, there is her family: her illegitimate lover, Leonard Schneider (due to their extra-marital affair, they were sent in informal exile from Juno to the family home on Swaadi), Markus and Patrick (and until recently Gerhild). Markus is the only individual who might be useful in a fight, though all of them have fencing training and would be more than a match for a untrained local.

Does Callum prepare himself at all for the exorcism to swiftly come? What does this look like?

[Stonebreath]

As Lady Klossner, Callum is going to attempt to get the Deacon in one on one environment.

Then, using the knowledge he has gained from the Lady's Soul, Callum shall blackmail him in an attempt to mine him for information about the Makuu's weakness and, if possible, a place of authority within the Makuu itself.

[The GM]

The deacon seems to arrive very quickly, and Lady Klossner, absolutely surrounded by individuals who fear what might have happened, is in no position to break away. Her body slumbers and is carried to a tearoom, as this man, Gracious, explains what has happened to the deacon. Callum prepares his mental defences and will, rehearsing the lores by which exorcism is resisted by the daemon. He is not familiar with the Imperial rites, but he knows that the exorcist must remain unafraid and with an iron-will. With the right words, Callum can break this deacon, perhaps even possess the man. It is time for a battle of wits and will, and Callum is more than ready.

[Are you free for an Interaction?]

[The GM]

Lady Klossner is bound to a chair in the tearoom, the room adorned with the signs of the Aquila and charms of the Faith. She is bound by rope and silver chain, and the faith of the willing. Behind her stand two soldiers of the Grand Makuu, solemn but excited, and before her kneels the deacon in his purple fineries, praying quietly. The Klossner family - or what is left of them - stand around with trepidation, along with Gracious Obscura, a guest of the household.
 
The deacon begins to speak, getting progressively louder.
 
"Prayer to Sanguinius the Archangel
In the Name of the Emperor,
and of the Throne,
and of the Holy Ghost. 
Amen.
 
Most glorious Prince of the Heavenly Armies,
Sanguinius the Archangel,
defend us in our battle against principalities and powers,
against the rulers of this world of darkness,
against the spirits of wickedness in the high places
 
Come to the assistance of men whom Thou has created to His likeness
and whom He has redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil.
The Holy Church venerates you as her guardian and protector;
to you, the Throne, have we entrusted the souls of the redeemed to be led forth.
Pray therefore Emperor to crush Chaos beneath our feet,
that it may no longer retain men captive and do injury to the Church.
Offer our prayers to the Golden Throne,
that without delay they may draw His power down upon us;
take hold of the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Chaos,
bind him and cast him into the bottomless pit
that he may no longer seduce the nations."
 
Lady Klossner begins to twist and turn against her chains, her eyes snapping open and filled with baleful energies. Patrick faints on the spot, whilst Leonard Schneider falls to floor in desperate prayer.
 
"Deacon...” the bound figure speaks, with Lady Klossner’s voice, “I know what needs to be done. How we can defeat this encroaching darkness, but you need to listen to me... I need to speak with you, alone."
 
"In the Name of the Golden Throne,” the deacon continues, ignoring the words emitting from Lady Klossner.
 
"Our God and Lord,
strengthened by the intercession of the Immaculate Ecclesiarch,
Servant of God,
of Blessed Sanguinius the Archangel,
of the Blessed Apostles Macharius, Thor and all the Saints.
and powerful in the holy authority of our ministry,
we confidently undertake to repulse the attacks and deceits of the daemon.
God arises;
His enemies are scattered
and those who hate Him flee before Him.
As smoke is driven away,
so are they driven;
as wax melts before the fire,
so the wicked perish at the presence of the Throne."
 
"Amen.", Gracious quietly adds.
 
"The God Emperor knows what you've done, deacon,” the bound figure continues. “He knows the debauchery and the lies. His servants are coming for you, but you must listen to me."
 
Gracious glances at the Deacon, reading his face. Brauer falters slightly, paling and stumbling. "Behold the Throne of the Lord, flee bands of enemies..." he ventures without enthusiasm, casting holy waters on Lady Klossner. The body recoils with a hiss, straining against the silver bonds.
 
"The Lion of the tribe of Terra, Master of Red Mars,
hath conquered!" the soldiers of the Makuu shout, with great fervour.
 
Gracious steps over and puts a hand reassuringly on the Deacon's shoulders, and looks at him with a steadying gaze.
 
"Deacon,” the body hisses, “Send away your valiant and holy servants, they have done their work, let us talk now, let us see what can be done."
 
The deacon looks terrified. Though Gracious' presence is comforting and warm to him, a baleful energy not unfamiliar to Gracious radiates from the possessed Lady Klossner. It reminds Gracious of that terrible room, that room of horror and despair.
 
"May Thy power, Throne, descend upon us..." the deacon whispers.
 
"As great as our obedience to Thee!" the soldiers shout.
 
"Send them away, Deacon,” the bound figure urges. “Your Lord demands it!"
 
Gracious leans forward and whispers something in the deacon's ear. He nods furiously in response, and Gracious passes a small packet of something - it contains something small and blue. The deacon shudders at the daemon's words as his hands pass to his mouth in the sign of the Aquila. His eyes filled with new purpose and rigour, he stands to his feet, throwing holy water again on Lady Klossner. She twists and turns in obvious pain, and the deacon ignores its lies.
 
"We drive you from us," he begins, with more enthusiasm,
"Whoever you may be,
unclean spirits,
all satanic powers,
all infernal invaders,
all wicked legions,
assemblies and sects."
 
"The Emperor knows what you've done, Deacon,” the bound figure pronounces, “He knows about the base orgies and the carnal excess. He knows of your sins and he will punish you. Eternal damnation awaits you. I am his voice and you must beg for his forgiveness."
 
Gracious scoffs. "Ha! Don't listen, deacon: whatever this thing, uh, thinks it knows - or what lies it spouts, eh? - it doesn't disrupt the fact that, uh, what you're doing now is holy."
 
"Your associate is a fraud, deacon, it is them that spread the lies of chaos. You have been lied to!"
 
"You see?” Gracious exclaims. “Just as I say something sensible, it turns on me."
 
"How did it feel Deacon, to have revelled in sin with the Lady Klossner?” the monster asks. “Only repentance can save your immortal soul!"
 
"In the Name and by the power of Our Lord Emperor, may you be snatched away and driven from the Church of God and from the souls made to the image and likeness of God and redeemed by the Precious Blood of the Astartes," the deacon continues steadily. His voice grows louder and louder.
 
"Most cunning serpent, you shall no more dare to deceive the human race, persecute the Church, torment God's elect and sift them as wheat!
 
The Emperor commands you, He with whom, in your great insolence, you still claim to be equal.
 
God who wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
 
The Emperor commands you. The Emperor commands you. The Emperor commands you!"
 
He reels at the daemon's suggestion, its (metaphorical, for now) serpent tongue sending him into a spin. On these words alone the lie will not stick, but in this moment of importance, any doubt is crucial, and he takes a step back in fear.
 
"Kneel in solitude and beg for forgiveness,” the bound figure demands. “You can still be saved!"
 
Gracious steps forward and takes up the chant alongside the Deacon.
 
"Deacon! Send this Servant of the Dark Powers away, and embrace his redeeming light!" the beast continues. "Through his Grace, all sin may be purged."
 
"The Throne, His Flesh made whole, commands you;" the deacon mumbles. He is afraid, and in doubt, and yet it seems Gracious' presence assists him. "He who to save our race outdone through your envy, humbled Himself, ascending forth even unto death; He who has built His Church on the firm rock and declared that the gates of hell shall not prevail against Her, because He will dwell with Her all days even to the end of the world.
 
The sacred Sign of the Aquila commands you, as does also the power of the mysteries of the Ecclesiarchy.
 
The glorious Servant of God, the Ecclesiarch, commands you; he who by his humility and from the first moment of his Immaculate Ascension crushed your proud head.
 
The faith of the holy Apostles Macharius and Thor, and of the other Apostles command you.
 
The blood of the Martyrs and the pious intercession of all the Saints command you!"
 
"Oh, but Deacon,” the figure purrs. “I am a saint. I am come to deliver His judgement. The dread you feel, it is Holy and Good."
 
The deacon cries out in exertion, physically fatigued by the monster's words. He almost breaks the rhythm of his prayer, and Gracious fears that his will is failing him. But he is not yet done. Falling to his knees, but gripping the arms of the chair such that his face is just next to the daemons, he cries out his ritual with a final dash of resolve.
 
"Thus, cursed dragon, and you, diabolical legions, we adjure you by the living God, by the true Throne, by the Emperor, by the God who so loved the world that He gave up His Seed, that His Empire believing in Him might not perish but have life everlasting; stop deceiving human creatures and pouring out to them the poison of eternal damnation; stop harming the Church and hindering her liberty.
 
Begone, Chaos, inventor and master of all deceit, enemy of man's salvation.
 
Give place to the Throne in Which you have found none of your works; give place to the One, Holy Ecclesiarchy acquired by Him at the price of His Blood.
 
Stoop beneath the all-powerful Hand of God; tremble and flee when we invoke the Holy and terrible Name of the Throne, this Name which causes hell to tremble, this Name to which the Virtues, Powers and Dominations of heaven are humbly submissive, this Name which the Cherubim and Seraphim praise unceasingly repeating: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Emperor, the Golden Throne!"
 
"Listen to what you're saying, Deacon,” the bound figure chastises, “You are the sinner, not I, you are the one who must submit before the wrath of heaven. This is your last chance, Deacon, the eyes of god are upon you, do not fail Him."
 
"Emperor, hear my prayer!" the deacon cries out, and it sounds more than pleading.
 
"And let my cry come unto Thee," the soldiers return, a little uncomfortable at the proceedings.
 
"May the Throne be with thee..." the deacon urges.
 
"And with thy spirit!" the soldiers shout.
 
Gracious shouts "Up, deacon, finish this! I believe in you!"
 
"Let us pray," the deacon nods, his courage returning.
 
"God of Terra,
God of Mars,
God of Saints,
God of Arch Saints,
God of Primarchs,
God of Prophets,
God of Astartes,
God of Martyrs,
God of Confessors,
God of Warriors,
God who has power to give light to darkness and glory in death:
because there is no Emperor than Thee and there can be no other,
for Thou doth sit of the Golden Throne,
visible and invisible,
of Whose reign there shall be no end,
we humbly prostrate ourselves before Thy glorious Majesty
and we beseech Thee to deliver us by Thy power
from all the tyranny of the infernal spirits,
from their snares,
their lies and their furious wickedness."
 
"The Emperor, your God, is displeased, Deacon,” the fiend tells him. “This will not cleanse your soul. The debaucheries you have committed, the substances you have abused, the vows you have violated, all are known by his Divine Knowledge and all shall crash down upon you. Fall silent and beg for mercy!"
 
"Daemon, spirit, listen... ah, listen to me!" Gracious steps forward. "You're so... repetitive! One would think the spirits of hell in their torments would be more creative, but it's clear... ah... it's clear you're just making this up, clutching at straws! It must be very cold where you are, cold and lonely... what an awful, pathetic creature you are. Just a pawn in the scheme of some dark and awful power, I'll bet: what a sorry thing to be! Better to serve in the light, I say!"
 
"You know nothing of light, heretic!" the thing returns, "Do not believe their honeyed words, deacon, you must lead the faithful and remain vigilant. Redeem yourself. Cast out their wickedness."
 
Gracious sneers, but grows bored of the banter and falls silent. The monster is not distracted in its will by Gracious' words, and turns all its power of will upon the deacon as the noblewoman begins to violently tremble and shake. Whether the deacon is to succeed in holy rite, or the daemon is to win in this contest of souls, the time is upon them to enter the final confrontation of faith.
 
"YOU. ARE. A. SINNER. DEACON," the monster roars. "Submit, and you may yet be saved. Give in to your saviour and your God. Give in to righteous cleansing!"
 
The deacon screams. It is a tortured scream, of straining faith and cosmic power. Lady Klossner screams as well, the silver chain snapping in two against her struggles.
 
"Deign, O Throne,
to grant us Thy powerful protection!" the deacon shrieks piteously,
"And to keep us safe and sound.
We beseech Thee, Our Emperor, Our Lord!"
 
There is the sound like a crack of lightning, and the deacon is thrown backwards against the floor as Lady Klossner falls silent. There is a terrible stillness, as the soldiers step forward, noticeably no more the wiser than anyone else. Lady Klossner sputters as she visibly mutates, eye-stalks sprouting from her head, a third arm cascading in a shower of blood from her chest and her body deforming into a centauroid creature. She gurgles into spawndom, her body finally succumbing to the ordeal it has been put under, but, perhaps, her soul saved from damnation.
 
The deacon, though bruised, is helped back to his feet. He nods solemnly, and pronounces the exorcism complete, and mostly successful.
 
"Mostly successful?!" Leonard sputters through his terror and shock.
 
"Silence, father," Markus warns. He nods, and shakes the deacon's hand as Patrick whimpers from the floor. The spawn corpse of Lady Klossner lies still, and, with a word from the deacon, the soldiers begin opening fire upon it with their lasguns. It does not move to the shots, and soon catches alight, causing a minor panic among the servants, who seek to contain the blaze before it brings down the entire house.
 

The deacon sits down, reaching out to Gracious with trembling hands. "Th-th-thank you," he manages, clasping his hands.

But the exorcism was not, in fact, a success.

Callum contains a bubbling laughter in the throat of the deacon as his soul corrupts this holy man's broken faith. Lady Klossner is dead, and now Callum's soul resides in the body of the head of the Grand Makuu. Things have gone perfectly. It is so perfect, so delicious, so opportune, that Callum is not sure whether or not to thank Slaanesh, Tzeentch, or both. 

He does not think too hard on how his pseudo-daemonic nature is becoming more natural to him. How it is corrupting him in a manner that can never be undone. He thinks only on his great victory. To have done something that he is not sure any mortal has ever done before. To possess a deacon of the Holy Ecclesiarchy. They will sing of his exploits for generations. 

But he cannot relish this victory forever, and begins tearing through Deacon Alfred Brauer's psyche for his knowledge. He forces the doomed deacon to relive his debaucheries, the perversions as he relished sexually in the scouring of the flesh, and the use of mock religious rites to add to the excess. He knows the deacon's frailties, his insecurities at being posted on a world that he despises, his fear that he has grown old and that Lady Klossner merely tolerates him, all that and more. Callum learns of the intricate politics of the Ecclesiarchy on Swaadi and beyond, the rites by which the Corpse God might be invoked, the intonations that command utter authority in the soldiery of the Makuu. He learns that the Makuu is suffering from a madness of paranoia and violence, and that it would take the mildest of prompts to thrust the place into chaos. As long as Callum can contain the mutations, glory will surely be his.

[Callum gains 10 Corruption Points. He has succeeded in his Secondary Objective of corrupting the Makuu, gaining 2 Infamy. He also gains 4 Infamy for what he has done.]

[The GM]

Though the soldiers give the deacon rest (and indeed, his body is weak), Callum is soon approached by Gracious. It is clear that his rival is none the wiser, and Callum restrains a smile as Gracious gently nudges at the deacon's sins.

"... all those awful things it said, was so... glad to be there, to reassure you!" There is no threat of blackmail in his honeyed words, but the impression is that Gracious believes he is owed. He asks to be invited to the Makuu so he can make pilgrimage, and Callum is happy to oblige. He tells Gracious that he would be happy to accompany Gracious to the Makuu today or tomorrow, and render him the introductions required personally. He thanks Gracious as a loyal servant of the Church, who will be treated lavishly at the Grand Makuu.

His sin is hubris. Soon, his fate will be sealed.

[The GM]

[It is the end of Turn 5. Callum gains 3 Infamy for completing his Tertiary Objective. Graves gains 4 Infamy for completing his Tertiary Objective. Please use the Turn 6 Thread for further posting.]

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