[M] Penitence

[Azazeal849]

ALL the credit to Dakka and Paint for that mammoth post, including identifying a couple of plot holes that I hadn't originally considered.

Your move, AD. Raechel and Nikolai of course remember Vizkop from Krystek's story back in Silent Forge.

Imp, I'm entertaining the sisters in law today, but I'll reply to your co-post when possible.

[Atrum Daemon]

In which we see Viz being a bit of a troll and just watching. And that he doesn't like being called by his full name.

Nice to see these two back though!

[Azazeal849]

In which we see Viz being a bit of a troll and just watching.

I am now picturing Vizkop's skull-mask as an LED screen, flickering through various meme-faces as appropriate to the situation.

Will fire you a PM shortly to avoid conducting the conversation as one-liner posts.

[Atrum Daemon]

His next helmet is officially going to be a blank screen that shows various emoticons to coincide with his mood. Thanks for the idea, Az

[dakkagor]

Name: Nikolai Oppen

Faction: Adeptus Mechanicus

Role: Ocularis Dragon

Age: 32

Appearance:

Nikolai is still the tall, gangly young man with pale skin from his days aboard the Greeds Reward, but has decided to grow out his hair into a short brown mop, as he has discovered 'baselines' are less unnnerved by bald people. Part of his job remit is to observe Imperial activities, and the hair helps cover up his cranial augmentation scars. He still appears very human to casual observation, not at all like the heavily augmented monsters that serve the Lords Dragon as their visible right hand.

Personality:

Despite his stated role as an observer, Nikolai's curiosity generally gets the better of him, resulting in him getting involved in whatever is happening around him. Tempered and dangerously capable, his assistance often comes at the price of snarkiness leavened with 'mathematicians answers' that leave baselines frustrated. Despite that, he is a dedicated and loyal servant of the Machine God, willing to risk all to complete his mission, and keep his companions safe.

Equipment:

Inferno pistol, refractor field, powered knife.
He has two class 1 data-interface mechandrites, a type XXII high capacity storage device built into his cranium, an Alpha++ grade MIU interface in his neck and both his eyes have been replaced with high grade, real seeming augmetics. These augmentations allow him access to Nospheric, Haptic and MIU interfaces. Apart from his white robes, reinforced with mesh armour, he also carries a variety of tools, data slates and other storage mediums.
He is also now accompanied by a High quality auspex servo skull, which he can operate remotely if required.

History:

Born on the primary forge world of Proxima into a data-crypt genic program, he showed remarkable talent and was selected for the top grades of augmentation. However, he was never happy with the simple sifting and re-cataloging of old data. After getting into trouble one to many times for trying to get into sequestered archives or spending too much time downloading starship sensor readings onto his cogitator (and in one particularly infamous incident crashing a whole bank of cogitators in the process) After a review it was decided his talents could be best put to use off Proxima and he was sold to a trade guild as quickly as possible. As part of a payment from this guild, he was transferred to the Greeds Reward where Magus Nahela decided he would best serve on the bridge. After several years of loyal service, he became embroiled in a plot to 010101010001111100CENSUREDORDERSLORDDRAGON01010010 1000001010101111, and showed several traits the Mechanicus finds officially 'useful, but dangerous' such as initiative, drive, and leadership. Rather than reassign him to a mundane posting, he was recruited directly by the Lords Dragon, a secretive cabal that functions much like the Inquisition for the Adeptus Mechanicus. Trained as an 'Ocularis' his role is to be the dragons eye, watching events unfold, recording the deeds of his once contemporaries, and bringing that report to the Lords Dragon no matter what fate may befall him. He was trained and equipped to find, process and store vast quantities of information, and also put through a grueling combat basics program to equip him for field work. He is several investigations into his career now, including a difficult deployment with mixed Mechanicus/Inquisition forces to the dead, chaos tainted forge where he recruited his current partner, Adept Kuscelian. These experiences have tempered the young agent and given him a hard edge, and his interactions with non-mechanicus personnel are now marked by a certain condescending streak and a fair amount of sarcasm in stressful situations.

[Azazeal849]

Thank you, sir.

I just noticed that this thread has over 1400 posts. Jesus.

EDIT - I have updated posts #1 and #3 of this thread with all current characters and NPCs.

[Imperial1917]

()

[Azazeal849]

Now here's an announcement: after 40-odd pages of Word, Paint is approaching the end of his Stan updates, which means we can soon re-open Shades and finish off the last third of the story! Are people still up for that?

On topic for this thread: AD, Dak, did you receive the PMs I sent you a few days ago?

Imp, I notice you haven't posted - are you writing / waiting on more scenes?

[Azazeal849]

We will be seeing Viz and Raech's conversation soon enough, but for the rest of you, we have a prepared position to close down. I have made a short post putting you in position, but I will leave the plan of attack up to you all.

Extra information:

The ground floor is divided into several long office galleries with partitioned rooms made of plasterboard. Near the back door where Tomas' group will enter there is a boiler room and switch room, with a small devotional shrine. There are also shrines to the machine god at the end of each office, but they have been petulantly smashed up. A number of cultists in menial overalls with small arms are occupying this floor, and of course there's the overwatch (including the bipod-autocannon Marc mentioned) from the windows above. There are no bombs or booby traps rigged to any of the entrances, as the cultists have not been here long. There is, however, a cleared space formed from several knocked-through office cubicles with a big pentagram-shaped burn mark on the floor, as if from a Chaotic ritual that has already been completed. That particular area of the office reeks of decay and brimstone.

[dakkagor]

OK, I have been a terrible garbage person and not done any work on this. My muse has officially fled the building. I will try and crank something out this Sunday.