Illumination - Dark Heresy

[TheKiller333]

"Lower your weapons, and do not have the stupidity to fire on an Imperial Priest!" Calaeastius shouts in his anger.
To his suprise, The Guards lower their weapons slowly. It worked? But not for much longer

Clutching at the wound on his head, Calaestius makes his way over to Carcer and Garvel. "As much as I dislike you Carcer, i'm afraid I'll have to ask, Are you both ok?"

OOC: See, the priest is capable of niceness! Charm Test, passed. Though I'm not sure if it was supposed to be Intimidation... =/

[masterofweirdness]

The guards indeed did lower their weapons, "sorry m'lord," one of them mumbles, "we did not realize that you were a venerated priest." After a moment, the same man says, "I apologize for the way those men acted, the locals have been restless for some time, I'm not sure why.

[Baron Spikey]

Garvel turns to look at the Priest with an expression not far off admiration imprinted on his face.
"Knew there was a reason we kept you around Calaeastius, Imperator servo"
With a grumble of suppressed pain and many a swear word Drake walks over to Carcer and offers him some aid
"Might be wrong about you Carcer, your a good man" saying that the muscled mercenary puts the wiry criminal's arm over his shoulder to support him...

[masterofweirdness]

As Garvel picks up Carcer, the man nods his wordless thanks.

The arbites soldiers, apparently now much more willing to serve, seem ready to help, "any questions m'lord?" one of them says to the Imperial Priest.

[TheKiller333]

"Where is the local Cathedral? We wish to pray to the God-Emperor before we carry on our duties.." Replies Calaeastius. Inwardly, he is smiling. It wouldn't seem unusual for a priest to be asking after a Cathedral. And the Arbites didn't need to know the entire truth of the matter..

[Ides]

Blake sighed. Great, if they weren't careful this whole meeting would be drowned in platitiudes. Shaking his head, he winced as pain flared in his chest. He'd need to get that looked at later once they met this Aristarchus. He also needed a drink now that he thought about it. Reflecting that there was never a bar around when you needed one, he turned his attention back to the conversation.

"Where is the local Cathedral? We wish to pray to the God-Emperor before we carry on our duties..."

The hell we do.

So much for not drawing attention. Not for the first time, Blake wondered what he was doing here. He didn't need the money, and truth be told he didn't really care for the mission. It was a job, an unpleasant job that he had to do along with these three wasters, but a job all the same. Maybe he just wanted to get away from his homeworld for a while, do some new things, kill some interesting people. He almost laughed at that. He was here because the inquisitor had demanded it, nothing more.

Subconciously, he checked that his makeshoft bandage was still holding, glancing over to see whether Carcer and Garvel were still standing. They looked a bit worse for wear but it was nothing he needed to worry about. If nothing else they'd succeedd in drawing fire off of him for a bit. Still though, if there was ever a time to move on... He left Angelus talk to the leader, and turned to one of the other guards himself.

"You said the locals have been restless lately. Can you tell us why?" He glanced around again, wondering if a cathedral would be large enough to be seen over the other buildings. "And I've heard there's a seer here, is...is he any good?"

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OOC: - Charm Test, 2 degrees of success I think.

[masterofweirdness]

"A seer? Ah, yes, Aristarchus, the Inquisitorial Agent. I wouldn't know, haven't had much dealings with him. He keeps to himself mostly. He is currently housed in the Refectories. Why? Does the priest have a meeting with him?

"As for a the locals being restless. I don't know, they just are, and frankly, I'm to busy keeping them under control to bother asking them why I need to control them. Besides, it hasn't been to bad, the riot two years ago, THAT was bad."

The guard that Angelus questions answers the man plainly, "Not really, the Alms House of course has its own shrine, and you'll find a number of shrines in the Pits, but neither of them are really suitable for travelers as you, sir. I can lead you to the Refectories, were all traveling adepts and the like are housed, their should be a shrine where you can offer your prays and the like there."

In the background of this scene, the trio again spots the servitor again, floating about, waiting.

[Baron Spikey]

Garvel might not be the quickest Grox in the herd but even he can spot Blake's thinly veiled contempt for the rest of the group, and he was getting sick of it.
He didn't mind if the Priest looked down on him, after all that's how those Emperor bothers treated everyone, frak even Carcer had some reason to be arrogant (God-Emperor knows what that might be), but Garrus?
Feh, he was just another ground pounder like himself, a decade younger too, so he wasn't going to let the damned 'rookie' start lording it.

With these thoughts running through his head the mercenary walks, painfully, over to the waiting servitor and motions for it to continue...
Let the others question the damn rent-a-arbites, he was going straight to the source of information- Aristarchus himself.

[BrainDeleted]

Carcer gives one of the Arbites (A little away from the rest of the group) a friendly tap. "Hey man? I'm just a servent...not some machine like my masters. Know where I can drink this off?" He motions to the rapidly bruising wound on his chest, "And maybe meet a few young miss's?" A friendly wink follows that comment. Bars are a nest of information waiting to be pried, beaten, and/or kicked in the crotch out of people.

Carcer loves to act, in another life he might of made his living of these skills of his.

[masterofweirdness]

The soldier Carcer spoke to smiled, "sure, that'd be the the pits, plenty of places you can have a good time there."

Finally, Angelus speaks up, answering the man who was questioning Blake, "As a matter of fact I do have a meeting with the seer, would you mind escorting us, to make sure that nothing happens?"

"Umm... well... umm, I really don't have the authority to umm do that... you'd have to ask the sergeant," the man replied.

"Well then, ask him," the priest replied.

The man nodded and approached another one of the uniformed men, muttered something to him, and the man approached the priest, "You want an escort, what for, sir?"

Angelus smiled, "to protect us of course, to protect us from any more of those... savages."

The man seemed undecided, but he finally said, "sure, I don't see why not, we don't have anything else to do."

The man then turned to his men and ordered them about, and they then marched off in the direction of the Refectories along with the acolytes.

[Ides]

Garrus smiled and inclined his head to the priest. It was a bit irritating to have him forestall the reply, but Garrus knew better than to complain. Like everything else, he took it in his stride. The guard exchanged a few words with his superior and through some miracle they had acquired an armed escort.

Better and better, he thought.

Whatever chances they’d had of keeping this little jaunt as a quiet, discreet affair were dissolving rapidly. At least they didn’t need to worry about any more brawls today, which something. Then he smiled. If what they’d told Carcer was true, there had to be at least one good bar on this rock. Mentally, he made a note to find it even if he had to demolish the city to do it. On that comforting thought, he shrugged to the guard and cast an amused glance at Garvel’s retreating back.

Act like idiots…

“So he says,” Garrus responded when the man turned back. “I was told it was a routine escort, but if, as you say, the inquisition is involved, well…” He spread his hands helplessly. “Just seems like a lot of unnecessary trouble to me, is all.”

Which was true enough. Whatever conclusions the man decided to draw from that were his own business. Glancing over to where Garvel was waiting with the servitor, Garrus reflected that the man had a point. They’d lingered here long enough. How far was it to the refectories anyway? He tried to recall the map from the dataslate but drew a blank. Right now he was more anxious than ever to meet this Aristarchus and get on with the real job. Still it couldn’t hurt to talk shop for a while.

“These riots,” he said, walking slowly over to where the servitor hovered uncertainly, “do they happen often?”

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OOC: and with that bit of small talk aside, you can move me along as you see fit.

[masterofweirdness]

“These riots,” he said, walking slowly over to where the servitor hovered uncertainly, “do they happen often?”

"Riots?" the arbites that Garrus is talking to replies, "naw, not big ones at least. Brawls and muggings, often enough. Whats strange is that recently we've seen a spike in attacks, most of them random enough. We don't have the power to get rid of the scum in this town, just kill 'em when they they step out of line, so things been bad lately.

"But don't worry. Your master will be safe in the refectories, we have guards there 24/7. Never once in the history of this planet has the refectories been breached."

The arbites took formation around the priest and began moving out of the alleyway. The remaining three men quickly took note and followed them. The servitor, who realized his job was no longer needed, simply faded away back into the streets of the Port Town.

The streets were still crowded. But the arbites presence helped the group pass through the streets quickly.

For the first time you notice a strange, iron-like smell, Carcer sniffs the air and asks a nearby arbite, "that smells like a narcotic, what is it?"

The man simply replies, "Ghostfire pollen, sir."

After several minutes of brisk marching, the group arrives at the Refectories, the arbite sergeant says to Angelus, "sir, if we may, I and my men will take our leave. My name is Sergeant Jak, contact me if you need anything."

Angelus nods and wordlessly sends them off with a wave of his hands.

As the arbites leave, a small man, wearing fine clothes arrives. "Ah yes, the offworlders. Come to see Aristarchus, sirs?"

Angelus answers in the affirmitve, and the four men are led into to somewhat comfortable looking chamber. Thick rugs cover the floors, and there are a few pieces of wooden furniture. A man, wearing the robes of a pilgrim, head shaven, and the mark of a pyker on his right cheek sits at a desk reading a data-slate. As the four men enter the room, the man looks up. "Welcome! I am Seer Aristarchus. I trust the trip passed quickly?" As he says this, you notice a a set of large ivory cards, which is promptly places in a silver case which he then places in a pocket of his robes.

The man gets off his chair and approaches the group. At his side is a large black satchel hanging at his side. It is made from an expensive emadar silk, and held shut with several lead purity symbols, each one baring a long crimson ribbon that trails behind him. He shakes each and everyone of your hands with a warm smile. He then gestures for you to sit, there are several rough chairs and a couch in the room.

[BrainDeleted]

"Ha." Carcer is impressed by the manner of this new character....And he is to be our leader on this? With a quick glance around to his comrades Carcer initiates the dialog with the seer: "You're it, huh? Well...I want to know my role. Screw formalities, I hate this planet, lets get this done. Tell me my assignment, I'll assume you've been reading our backgrounds and know Everything you need to about us...No need for introductions!" Carcer's speech carries his trademark disrespect thats for sure.

[masterofweirdness]

The Seer raises an eyebrow at Carcer's remarks were definatly rude, however, the Seer does not seem to comment on this, instead he says, "your role, hiver, well I assume that you have already been briefed on this. However, I will restate what I assume our fellow master has told you. You are to aid me in the investigation of supposed sorcerous happenings near and around a Cathedral out in the desert. If you do in fact discover something amiss, then you are to report back to me. I myself will be attending the the dedication ceremony of this Cathedral. If you did not know, but the man who conquered this planet, a saint of great renown, is in fact, an ancestor of mine. Does that answer your questions?"

[BrainDeleted]

Carcer smiles that wicked smile of his. "Ain't ancestry great? I believe my Ol' Grand pop accused the poor o' our hive of a blood libel and slaughtered a couple mil' just to repossess their homes...He gots a Holy day now-a-days in the place...Now...Lets have us a transport, eh?" Maybe Carcer doesn't feel the need to act anymore...His language skills seem to of been reduced to that of a lower class hiver.

[masterofweirdness]

Originally Posted by BrainDeleted

Carcer smiles that wicked smile of his. "Ain't ancestry great? I believe my Ol' Grand pop accused the poor o' our hive of a blood libel and slaughtered a couple mil' just to repossess their homes...He gots a Holy day now-a-days in the place...Now...Lets have us a transport, eh?" Maybe Carcer doesn't feel the need to act anymore...His language skills seem to of been reduced to that of a lower class hiver.

"Indeed," Aristarchus says, "well then, I suppose you believe we have much in common?" he finishes disdainfully.

Then turning to the rest of the group, the seer says, "do any of the rest of you have any questions?"

[BrainDeleted]

Carcer snickers softly, that eerie grin still plastered to his face. "Actually, I was tryin' to illustrate how one man's saint is another's butcher and, frankly, that I don't fricken' care who birthed ya."

(I've got so much free time...Just tell me if I'm replying to much/quickly.)