Turn 4 Thread

[The GM]

[It is Turn 4, and so you can select another Secondary Objective that can be completed.]

[The GM]

Callum decides to help weaken the veil with daemoncraft. Well-tutored in diabolical lore, Callum is aware of many rituals. The most appropriate - the Rite of Sundering - works to tear at the veins of reality itself, but can only be performed by wyches. Callum, to achieve his ends, will have to do something of a work around: to perform a ritual for some entirely separate purpose, and allow that ritual to wreak its natural damage on the veil.

What kind of ritual does Callum want to perform? What kind of effect does he wish to bring about, other than sundering the veil?

[Stonebreath]

Callum wishes to perform a ritual that will create an aura of unholy dread upon an area, preferably the noblewoman's mother's chamber.

He consults his knowledge of demonology and the occult to see if this is possible.

[The GM]

Callum indeed has heard of such a rite, in hushed whispers and fearful rumours. It is the Ritual of Fear Untold, and has a particularly grim reputation for the ritualist and victim alike. 

The rite itself is fairly straightforward, and is a ritual dedicated to Nurgle. The ritualist must find something that represents their greatest fear. That representation must then be melted down and added to a horrid concoction of hallucinogenic poisons and vomit. It must be stirred by the ritualist for exactly seven minutes while the ritualist sings the Baleful Dirge, when the ritualist must then down the drink in one. 

The ritualist must then keep down the drink, as well contending with hallucinations of their greatest fear standing before them, whilst continuing to recite (or possibly scream) the words of power. If they can do this, then their own fear will be passed like a contagion onto the world, creating an aura of unholy dread upon an area contained within a ritual circle.

The ritual is typically conducted by the unwilling (for obvious reasons), but needs must. Callum has heard of one such individual, Margroth, who penned a short treatise on her experimentations with the vile rite. Margroth recommends equipment to restrain the ritualist: equipment that can prevent the ritualist from fleeing from the ritual circle, as well as preventing any concoction being spilled. A key insight Margorth learned was that it does not matter if the ritualist vomits the concoction, as long as it is funnelled directly back into their mouth until they do finally keep it down.

[In terms of mechanics, once the ritual is in action the Heretic must down the drink, taking a Difficult (-10) Toughness Test. On a failure, and for every two additional degrees of failure, the ritualist takes a level of Fatigue. If failed by four or more degrees of failure, the ritualist does not keep the drink down. If the drink is spilled on the ground, the Rite fails. If it is instead funnelled back into the ritualist, the Heretic must take the Test again until they pass or are rendered unconscious. If they are rendered unconscious, the ritual fails. 

Once the drink is ingested, the Heretic must then take a Fear (4) Test as they are confronted with hallucinations of their greatest terror. If they are rendered unconscious, or leave the ritual circle, then the ritual fails. 

Finally, the Heretic must take a Difficult (-10) Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) or Challenging (+0) Scholastic Lore (Occult) Test to conduct the ritual. This Test is modified by Ritual Modifiers, such as Rule of Sympathy, sacrifice etc. Note that this Test may also be modified by Fatigue level or the effects of Fear. If the Test is passed, then all those (other than the Heretic) within the ritual circle must contend with the effects of Fear (4) every turn they are in it, for a number of hours equal to the Heretic's Degrees of Success + 7. Note that the effects of this through the veil will be weaker, but still significant.

The Cost of the Ritual is the fatigue suffered, 1d5 Corruption Points and the chance of a Mental Disorder from the fear. The Price of Failing the Ritual is as follows. If the final Test of the ritual is failed, then there is no ill-effect: the ritualist has at least struggled through their ordeal and Nurgle takes no offence. If the Heretic fails the ritual by passing out from Fatigue, then they gain 1d5 Corruption Points as if from a Failing, and permanently lose 1d5 Toughness. If the Heretic fails the ritual by passing out from Fear, then they gain 1d5 Corruption Points as if from a Failing, and gain a Mental Disorder (if the Heretic has already gained a Mental Disorder, they gain an additional Mental Disorder).]

[Stonebreath]

Callum will undergo this dark ritual. Afterall, he is feeling hubristic.

He tasks Graves with locating the necessary apparatus for the ritual, perhaps from the kitchens, before setting about to undergo the ritual himself with the aim of driving the head of the Klossner household mad with its power.

[I can't remember how infamy points work in forum games, but, if spending them during this will help, I am resolved to do so ]

[The GM]

Sergeant Graves nods when he hears Callum's strange requests, happy not to know why precisely his charge requires a bucket, funnel, rope and restraints. He makes his way down to the kitchens, moving quietly out of habit - though there is nothing but ghostly shadow. He swiftly finds a funnel and bowel, but has to search for some time in the larder before he acquires bundles of twine-rope. Having once served in the Imperial Guard, he is crafty with knots, and figures that he can restrain someone just fine with this set of equipment. He makes his way back to Callum, and, upon learning that it is Callum he needs to restrain, gets to work.

The sergeant works quickly and expertly, and Callum is quite satisfied by his restraints. Though the rope is grass twine, such that a brute could in theory break free, the knots are tight and little slack given. While he was waiting for Graves, Callum has been busy setting out the ritual circle. Has he made any efforts to meet the Rule of Sympathy, and, if so, what? Does he use Graves or Sauda as a sacrifice?

[Stonebreath]

To invoke the rule of sympathy, Callum will demand that the assemble company talk at length about their fears, and threaten "that the warp itself shall consume them" if they do not.

As for a sacrifice, Callum will simply ask the both of them to decide between them. He'd prefer it to be Sauda, but will sacrifice Graves if things are difficult.

[The GM]

Nervously, Graves begins confessing his fears. What does he say?

Sauda, meanwhile, cackles at the idea of confessing her fears. The endeavour seems alien to her, but she is cajoled by Callum into taking it seriously. When she starts, it seems that she is afraid of very little. Death, the Church, torture, starvation, poverty... the wych is too far gone to be much concerned by such things. And yet, there is one thing still worthy of her terror.

"He told me to talk to them, to make the voices go away," she murmurs, rocking back and forth. "So I talked to them, but they didn't go away. No, they got louder. And they wanted so many little things, and they told me that they would go away each time. Each time! And the little things became big things, and they didn't go away. And then I fed them, and such a feast!, but they didn't go away. They brought me to them, and the meal can only last so long, and then..."

She locks eyes with Callum. "Us."

As might be expected, the suggestion that one of Sauda or Graves should sacrifice themselves does not go down particularly well. It is a somewhat awkward situation, because both Sauda and Graves could individually murder Callum with ease. A pretty speech alone will not convince them to die for him, nor can he force them with violence. Perhaps Callum could one against the other, but it will take wiles and manipulation. 

[Note that having a sacrifice isn't obligatory, but offers a +10 bonus to the ritual. Rituals are very dangerous and +10 modifiers can be the difference between success and something very bad, but also bear in mind the dangers of acquiring sacrifices in this instance.

Another note: Graves is in your control and so can be convinced by Callum if you, as the player, decide so. It would be nice to justify this in fluff, however. Sauda, for her part, cannot be convinced by one Interaction Test alone to die for Callum (it would take days, if not weeks, of cultivating that kind of sacrificial relationship between them - a kind of relationship Callum and Sauda very much do not have at the moment).]

[Stonebreath]

I think Callum actually has a moment of empathy, despite himself, and continues the ritual without a sacrifice.

[Stonebreath]

Graves talks about the Commissars and Imperial authoritarianism. His biggest fear isn't being killed by them, it is becoming a slave to them.

[The GM]

Putting aside the demands for sacrifice, Callum begins preparing himself for the ritual. He first must find something that represents his own greatest fear, and melt it into a concoction of hallucinogenics and vomit. Sauda notes that hallucinogenics can be found in the Swaadi wilds, and goes, cackling, to find them. Vomit is easy enough to produce, with a little discomfort, but what about the artefact of Callum's fear?

[Stonebreath]

An Imperial Aquilla is the artefact of his fear.

"It represents the darkest, most reprehensible facets of mankind," he says to Graves in something that sounds like an off-hand comment.

"We have to be better than what it represents, or we're all doomed."

[The GM]

Sauda the wych melts an Imperial Aquila into a stained, copper bowl, sticking her fingers into her mouth and adding her vomit to the foul concoction. She sprinkles hallucinogenic herbs into the disgusting mixture, as Graves tightens the restraints to keep Callum in place but for one, stirring arm. 

Secured inside the ritual circle and barely able to move, Callum swallows back his apprehension, his mouth mostly covered by the device designed to catch any liquids that fall from his lips. Any ritual is a dangerous enterprise, but this rite is particularly unpleasant. Moreover, if anything goes horribly wrong, he is trapped in place, barely able to defend himself. He begins to stir the ritualistic ingredients. For seven minutes, he stirs, singing the Baleful Dirges. Sauda joins in with relish, the dirge mournful and deep, echoing unnaturally off the shadowy walls of this strange, half-reality.

Callum downs the drink.

The taste is truly awful. Vomit, half-cooled molten metal and tangy herbs combine to form a meal that would suffice as a form of torture. Callum wretches, but keeps the liquid in his mouth, forcing it down with pained, exaggerated gulps. He feels the flecks of sick flicking down the back of his throat, feels the burn of the metal as it makes it way down to his stomach. His eyes roll as the hallucinogenics, psychically charged by ritual, take affect with immediate force. 

[Callum takes 3 levels of Fatigue.]

Callum reels against his binds as he feels something taking root inside of him, something growing and violently seeking to escape the confines of his stomach. He screams in agony as the two heads of a rabid eagle pierce outwards from his gut. He feels the iron wings scraping inside his abdomen as the living Aquila forces itself out in a torrent of blood, waste and ash. It flops onto the ground, attempting to fly, but it is held down by ignorance, fear and intolerance. They weigh it down, and, in the bird's panic, it instead claws at Callum's flesh, dragging him down too. He shrieks in pain and fear, but holds his ground, trying to desperately remember what is happening. The hallucinogenics make it hard, but reason prevails, and he proceeds with the ritual.

[Callum cannot willingly approach the source of his Fear, and is at -10 to all Tests for the remainder of the Encounter. I opted not to use his Unshakeable Will Talent to re-roll his Fear Test, as he was rolling against 10 and he only failed by 2 Degrees (i.e. not madness producing).]

He attempts to speak the words of power, and stumbles in their pronunciation, consumed by nausea, pain and terror. He speaks them, but these words have a power of their own, and must be pronounced in precisely the right way to fulfil their magical potential. Callum slips, and for a moment it seems that all is lost, before Sauda lends the full might of her psychic potential to the rite. A wave of dread, a viscous, black liquid, emanates from Callum, picking up speed before crashing like meeting a cliff wall against the boundaries of the ritual circle. The rite is done.

[Callum used 1 Infamy Spend. He gained 1 Corruption. Anyone in the ritual circle for 9 hours must contend with Fear (4).]

The warp responds in a whirlwind of power, and the wych collapses to the ground, unconscious, as something leaks from the veil to claw its way into this reality. She bleeds from the mouth, which coalesces to form a larger and larger figure, its skin tough and crimson, its feet hooves, its head crested and in its arms a mighty hellblade. This is a Bloodletter of Khorne, and it wants Sauda dead. 

Callum keeps his cool, but he is confined by his binds and must struggle his way out of them if he wishes to help. On the other hand, he has one hand free. Graves, meanwhile, freezes up in terror. What do they do?

[Stonebreath]

Callum will attempt to bring Graves around and get him to untie him so they can all flee.

"Graves! We need to get out of here, now, get me out of these bonds, we haven't much time."

[Could a leadership test be used to represent this, or is it mechanically impossible at this point?]

[If possible, I would like to spend another infamy on this action.]

[The GM]

The calm confidence of Callum's command snaps Graves from his reverie, and he sways back into consciousness, jumping forwards. The daemon swings its mighty hellblade into the unconscious wych, almost severing her leg entirely, as the sergeant's chainswords make quick work of Callum's binds. They begin to run just as the bloodletter finishes the job, removing the wych's leg with a sweep of its weapon, causing a torrent of blood to spray over the floor.

The pair run, but the daemon having finished with the wych, it has turned to them. They make for the stairs, but stumble down it - difficult as it is to run down such a path. The daemon, for its part, simply vaults over the side of the banister, landing hard on its knees, but rearing up tall and letting loose a roar of pure rage that shakes the very walls. Callum quickly thinks through his options.

[I'd like to know your strategy from here. Some potential tactics are as follows. First, they might try barrelling past the daemon and getting lucky with some dodges before making out the main door. Second, they might run back up the stairs, but will risk being cornered by the daemon. They could jump from a window if it came to that, but the daemon might follow suit. Third, Graves might jump forwards to slow the thing down while Callum runs or hides. Or perhaps some combination! What do you want them to do?]

[Stonebreath]

The party are going to attempt to run back up the stairs and hope for the best.

"If we outrun it for long enough, the demon will return to the warp!" he shouts as he gestures towards the stairs.

[The GM]

The pair run back up the stairs, adrenaline beating a sharp staccato rhythm in their temples. The bloodletter, cheated of a direct combat, roars in anger and pursues. Its booming war-cry threatens to bring the whole stairs down, so terrible is its voice.

Upstairs, Callum thinks quickly, logically thinking through the best places to run where they have maximum distance before a wall. He leads Graves down the corridor and through a portrait hall, culminating at the end with a solid wall. Callum has brought them time, and the daemon's grasp on reality will start to weaken, but the beast is close behind and there is nowhere left to run. Graves, emboldened by Callum's presence, steps forward.

"Stay behind me," he tells his charge, drawing one of his chainswords and adopting a defensive stance.

The daemon grunts in appreciation as it barrels forward, its deadly hellblade making a wide arc of fire through the air. It is met by Graves' weapon, but the chainsword is severed in the middle of the blade. It slows the swing of the bloodletter, giving Graves time to jump back, and he draws his other weapon with professional speed. The sergeant jumps forward with a stab to abdomen, but it is a feint, and as the daemon exposes its other side to the duellist, Graves lands a terrible blow into its torso. It roars as blood spurts forth, burning the floor where the liquid lands with a hiss of smoke. 

Graves frowns as he pulls on the weapon to release it, but the daemon has got a hold of the chainsword's gnashing teeth. It takes the sergeant an effort to retrieve his weapon, and he does not jump back swiftly enough to avoid another sweep of the daemon's deadly weapon. He howls in pain as the blow opens a long wound in his torso, causing him to double over in terrible pain as the blood spills forth. 

To his side, Callum has drawn his pistol and takes his shot at the combat. It misses, but it distracts the daemon for a moment, and its next swing passes over Graves' head. Given the time to recover, the sergeant swings his weapons overhead for the daemon's skull before bringing them both round in a pincering motion on its torso. The bloodletter brings its weapon up high to defend itself, and does not notice the feint until it is too late. The first blade - a half-rent chainsword, cuts deeply, whilst the other - its gnashing teeth still spinning, tears the daemon in half. It falls to the ground, its skin burning in hellfire as buckets of blood awash their surroundings with gore. Graves breathes for a second, but the blood is still pouring from his wound and he hastens to patch it up. Having done so, he throws his broken blade the ground and tentatively picks up the hellblade. The daemon defeated, the weapon is his.

[Graves is at -4 Wounds and 3 levels of Fatigue. His chainsword (without the tox-dispenser) is broken, but can be repaired. He also has a Hellblade (Melee; 1d10+6(+7) R; Pen 10; Balanced, Power Field, +2 damage in an encounter after each kill). Finally, he gains 2 Infamy and 5 Corruption... which also means he mutates!

Here are Graves' options. Remember that he has the Illusion of Normality, so you don't have to worry about his mutations being too overt. 


Magnificent Horns: Graves grows an impressive set of horns. His minions have +10 Loyalty, and Graves' attacks cannot be parried on the Charge.
Mechanoid: Graves' body becomes fused with the machine. He gains the Machine (+1) Trait.
Chaos Organ: Graves gains some aspect of one of the many daemons of Chaos. He can select Natural Weapons, Heightened Senses (any one), or Unnatural Characteristic (+1) (any one).
Cyclops: One of Graves' eyes seals over and he is haunted with visions of his own death. He permanently loses 1d5 Perception and counts as having the Conspiracy Theorist Mental Disorder.
Darksoul: Graves radiates with the power of the warp, and gains the Fear (1) Trait.]

[Stonebreath]

[I feel Chaos Organ (+1 unnatural strength) would be appropriate given the nature of what just went down.]

Callum is satisfied with what has occured, but is deeply worried for his charge. Callum will attempt to locate a medical facility within the mansion where he can do his best to heal the Sgt.

"Come with me," he says, his voice laced with adrenaline and genuine concern for the only human being he trusts in all creation.

"We are going to find medical facilities and I am going to heal you."

[The GM]

The pair make their way downstairs. Graves notes that he has seen some kind of workshop downstairs, and though it is not a dedicated medical facility, it does have various useful pieces of kit: absorbent fabrics and plenty of needles. When Callum sees it, he realises that it a tailor's workshop. The pieces are clothed in darkness, a central dress strangely bland in the dimension between dimensions. Callum winces. It's not perfect, but it will have to do.

Callum gets to work, gingerly removing Graves' chestplate to a spill of blood. Though everything in this dark place is grey, the blood runs bright crimson, and seems to shine off a hidden illumination as it slips to the floor. Callum works steadily and methodically, and despite his primitive resources, does an excellent job.

[Graves has healed for 4 wounds, taking him to 0 Wounds. Not bad when Callum was at -40 for his injuries!]

Having patched up the sergeant the best he can, Callum takes stock of the situation. The wych is dead. This may prove problematic for escaping this hell dimension, but part of Callum is glad that a dangerous unknown has been removed. Khorne, after all, must occasionally take His due. Meanwhile, the ritual was a success. There is an aura of terrible dread emanating from upstairs, and the veil will be powerfully weakened in the bedchambers of Lady Klossner. That, plus the terror inspired in the noblewoman's heart by Callum's ritual, makes her easy prey for his manipulations.

Callum glances up as he feels eyes upon him. For the briefest moment, he sees the gleaming eyes of a killer, before they disappear into shadow. It is unsettling, and Callum is not quite sure what to make of it.

[Stonebreath]

Calllum urges Graves to stay alert, before gesturing back towards the bedchambers of Lady Klossner.

"Come with me and stay alert, we are going to break Lady Klossner. Once that is done, we shall recuperate."

Callum intends to go back to the bedchambers, taking it as easy as he can, given his injuries, and begin the process of driving Lady Klossner mad and/or corrupt her.

He does this using his knowledge of the Occult. He also tries to discover her insecurities by observing her, and, if he can, use them against her.

He also reprises the techniques he used against her daughter.

[The GM]

Where Callum is, time works strangely and sometimes in the opposite direction to reality. When he makes his way up the stairs, he sees Lady Klossner fleeing her room in terror before disappearing in shadow. Yet, opening the door to her bedchambers, Callum finds the noblewoman preparing for bed, speaking to someone who Callum cannot see or hear.

"You would say that," Lady Klossner retorts to someone. She wipes away her makeup, occasionally glancing into the mirror in an inscrutable manner. Apparently satisfied by what she sees, she looks directly at her reflection. She pulls at her taught cheeks, frowning slightly, examining her forehead. 

"She thinks she's getting old," Graves observes from outside the room. He hasn't dared come in, for he is not immune to the power of the ritual that Callum has performed. Callum nods. The noblewoman is vain and consumed with insecurities about her appearance. She looks for wrinkles, but the skin is so tightly pulled that she looks gaunt and unwell. 

When she sleeps, Callum bends down beside her bed and whispers in her ear. She murmurs fitfully in her sleep, the darkness of the ritual seeping from Callum's domain into reality, bleeding into her dreams. What does Callum say to her?

[Stonebreath]

"You look so tired... so worn... you can't continue like this..."

Callum smiles, savoring the suffering of this vain woman - an embodiment of the superficial hollowness of the Imperium.

"You're frail. You're going to die..."

"But you can control it. Take your own life. Go to the Beyond. See happier times again. Be young, forever. You can do it, but you have to leave *permanently*."

[The GM]

The woman twists and turns in the throes of discomfort, her fears whispered in her ear by the grinning heretic. In this cursed place where the veil runs thin, and terror bleeds from the void, she is susceptible and weak, and Callum can almost feel it as her soul begins to become enthralled to him.

[Callum has started a Seduction of Lady Klossner. He has succeeded on the first Test, and can attempt a new Test every day.]

Soon, it becomes too much for the lady, and she screams in terror. The noise somehow illuminates the darkness and shadow, and for a few moments Callum sees a man in the bed beside her, a young man with dirty blonde hair and baby blue eyes. He is yelling too, apparently troubled by similar nightmares, and the two of them sprint from the room in just the same manner that Callum saw as he was making his way in. His eyes narrow as the door opens, and he sees a monster standing there: a grinning man with his three arms outstretched, ready to welcome the fleeing nobles into his corrupt embrace. Soon, the figure disappears, along with the nobles. Could it be competition?

[Stonebreath]

Now realizes that he is going to have to exit the world-between-worlds to defeat this competition.

"Graves. We are going to have to go back, if this entity gets in the way of my plans, we need them eliminated."

Graves nods in sombre approval.

Callum wracks his brain, and tries to think of a ritual that could allow him entry back into reality.

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