IC II: DH The Purity of Sacrifice

[Haval]

Orla only grins at Hound's assessment of her etiquette.

The man shrugs at Orla's first reply, even chuckling at her suggestion about a stabbing. He replies, "Unfortunately, such an action would probably be frowned on by our host," his voice filled with humor. He even pauses for a moment to lay a playful glare at the man behind him.

'Oh, so you know the General do you? Lord...?' Orla leaves an opening for the man to introduce himself, or possibly correct her. 'I like his house.'

[Bennosuke]

Orla's question about the man's acquaintance with the General causes the man to grin again, showing that several of his teeth are capped with gold. Mirthfully, he replies, "Casmirre," before turning his back to face the group of card players and sitting himself back down in his large, lovingly carved wooden chair. Ignoring Orla, Rogue Trader Perrus Casmirre begins reaching across the table and bellows, "Give me yer cards. I'm dealing, since the lot of yeh can't be trusted!"

The faces of the group of men at the table are filled with fear, visible even in those who are trying not to show it.

[rax]

Hound glances over quickly at Orla when Casmirre has turned away and returned to the table. "This should be interesting news to relay to 'Master Jarkov'. If he can get in with Casmirre here, that could open up a path to Lord Durchesse," he whispers.

[Haval]

Hound glances over quickly at Orla when Casmirre has turned away and returned to the table. "This should be interesting news to relay to 'Master Jarkov'. If he can get in with Casmirre here, that could open up a path to Lord Durchesse," he whispers.

'You think Jarkov is any good at cards?' Orla whispers back. 'I know I'm not.'

[rax]

"Let's step outside and ask him," Hound suggests.

Making his way back into the corridor, he calls Ezekiel on his micro-bead. "Sir - we have located Lord Durchesse and Rogue Trader Casmirre one floor up. Lord Durchesse does not seem approachable at this time, but Casmirre is in the midst of a card game and more open to small talk. Perhaps you could invite yourself to join the game as a means of making contact?" he speaks quietly into the bead.

[Bennosuke]

Hound waits for a moment as all he hears is static coming from the micro-bead, and then the Interrogator's voice comes in. "Yes, yes! That sounds lovely," he says, his voice slightly far-off sounding in the comm, "Would you give me just one second?" There is static for a another second, and then Ezekiel's voice comes in more clearly, though his tone bellies annoyance, "Why don't you come down here and talk to me?" Then he cuts the line.

Assuming Hound and Orla obey, they come back downstairs and wander through the area for another almost ten minutes till they find Interrogator Ezekiel standing and talking with a pair of women. From appearances, one is an older woman, dressed in white and red laces, her wiry white hair tight tight in an ornate bun. She stands talking to Ezekiel with regal poise, one hand holding a goblet of amsec, the other resting on a gilded ivory cane. Her companion is a younger woman, equally well dressed, but youthful and full bodied. She keeps a hand lovingly at the back of her older companion, and sips at a glass of straw colored wine from a fluted glass. The two chuckle at some joke of the Interrogators, and it is hard to tell who is falling for his charms more strongly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ezekiel catches the approaching acolytes. Refusing to acknowledge them, he leans close to the older woman and places a gloved hand on the one of hers resting on the cane. "Give me just one moment dear," he says, as if she was a favored aunt, before giving her a polite bow of the head, turning and intercepting the acolytes before they can come to close to his party. "What is it," he asks loudly with annoyance, so that the women can hear, though with his back turned to them, they can't see the look of sincere concern in the Interrogator's eyes.

[Haval]

"Let's step outside and ask him," Hound suggests.

'Or I suppose we could ask Milo. Hasn't he got money to lose?' If Casmirre wasn't actually going to kill amyone Orla will follow Hound downstairs. She'll nod to Kertz the guard on the way past.

Orla will try not to look too amused at the Interrogator's situation as she leans forward and speak quietly in his ear, 'You want to meet Casmirre boss? I'd offer to join his game but it would get me into trouble fast.'

[Bennosuke]

Orla will try not to look too amused at the Interrogator's situation as she leans forward and speak quietly in his ear, 'You want to meet Casmirre boss? I'd offer to join his game but it would get me into trouble fast.'

The Interrogator opens his mouth to speak, eyes wide with surprise, and then he shuts his jaw with an audible click of his teeth. Under his breath Ezekiel asks, "The Rogue Trader is here? Where?" his eyes darting about the room in suspicion. Through gritted teeth, he adds, "Unbelievable that Drimmle would have him invited. What is he doing?"

Before either Orla or Hound can reply, The Interrogator's eyes glance over at his two female companions, making sure they were not attempting to listen in or picking up on the tension that had suddenly settled over his group.

[Haval]

The Interrogator opens his mouth to speak, eyes wide with surprise, and then he shuts his jaw with an audible click of his teeth. Under his breath Ezekiel asks, "The Rogue Trader is here? Where?" his eyes darting about the room in suspicion. Through gritted teeth, he adds, "Unbelievable that Drimmle would have him invited. What is he doing?"

Before either Orla or Hound can reply, The Interrogator's eyes glance over at his two female companions, making sure they were not attempting to listen in or picking up on the tension that had suddenly settled over his group.

Assuming the Interrogator wasn't interrupted Orla will add, 'At the moment, gambling upstairs.' On the matter of why he was invited, 'Maybe he knows the General.' It seemed likely to her that most rich people probably knew each other.

[Bennosuke]

"Of course," Ezekiel says under his breath when he finds out The Rogue Trader is upstairs gambling. The man's expression softens though and a wry smirk spreads across his face. He pats both HOund and Orla on the shoulder and says, "Good work." He eyes the two women again before saying with hushed voice, "I'm hesitant to make contact, though I don't know how easy it will be to spy on him. Any chance either of you are good at cards?"

Spoiler: OOC

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Is there an in universe card game people play? I think Regicide is their chess...

[Haval]

Orla glances towards Hound before turning back, 'I know how to lose. Doesn't seem that useful. And he already threatened one of the other players for cheating.'

Spoiler: ooc

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I feel like I saw what was basically poker somewhere. Other then that I don't know anything official.

Orla isn't rich enough to be good at gambling so she doesn't have the skill. So I suppose it depends what else she might be able to roll for it.

Unless we ask Milo

[rax]

"Sir, as you well know, I am a scribe, not a gentleman of leisure - I have no facility with games of chance. However, as you are here to make useful connections, then perhaps this is simply a situation where sacrifices now will lead to the opportunities you seek later," Hound suggests.

OOC: Haval has brought up the idea of using Milo to gamble, and if Ezekiel doesn't want to take the plunge, perhaps that's the best idea, but I have no clue as to whether or not Milo has Gamble as a trained skill.

[Bennosuke]

The Interrogator frowns, his lips drawing tight on his well structured face. "The Rogue Trader has likely been to Carcus," he says almost with a sigh under his breath, "I've done as best I can to research my cover, but it would be risky meeting him face to face. He may be able to find cracks in my identity." He shrugs and adds, "Besides, gambling well isn't really the point. Just to get as much info from being around him as possible. If gambling is off the table, maybe just being around him and watching."

Spoiler: OOC: On Milo

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Honestly my goal, preference is that the PCs are doing most of the interesting things, as I feel having the Interrogator be the focal point will be less fun. That is kind of my concern with using Father Milo as well. Having checked his character sheet, he does not have gamble, but of course has a bunch of other social skills.

I'd be okay with Milo getting involved, but would suggest having one of the players RP as him instead, for the same reason I am hesitant to have the Interrogator "steal the scene". Let me know your thoughts.

[Haval]

Orla briefly looks to Hound, 'I could hang around outside and see how loudly they're talking. Maybe find out who the rest of them are.' How much interference with their game would they accept from someone who wasn't actually joining in? 'Or I get closer and see how they take it. Maybe see if Casmirre is hiring? What's the worst that can happen?'

Spoiler: ooc

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Don't really have the bandwidth to rp someone else. I suppose if losing money at gambling is a problem I can rely on Milo for a loan. Getting in on the gambling would be a better justification for Orla being in the room.

Holding to see if Rax has a better idea

[Bennosuke]

Seeing that Orla was not speaking directly to him, Ezekiel will simply offer to the two, "That would not be an unreasonable plan. I would offer that in general caution might be the best approach."

[Bennosuke]

Upon returning with the navigation files retrieved from the Rogue Trader's lighter, Arl and Marcella agree to do some further investigation into Officer Kant. After reviewing his files provided by the Interrogator, they decide to tail him, and if possible confront him in a semi-public space.

The station that Kant works at is a distance away, in one of the less desirable sections of the midhive. The building is brutalist in design, a grey two story rectangle with barred windows, and barb tipped electrified fencing. The streets in this neighborhood are dotted with litter, sidewalks cracked and streets pocked with potholes. Though not nearly as desperate or toxic as the underhive, this is even a far cry from the neighborhood of the cell's prior base of operations in the midhive.

Kant is out of the office in the evening on the dot of his end-of-shift. He's a heavy set man, years of abuse and neglect at a desk weighing on a previously athletic frame. He leaves the station with heavy steps, shoulders slouched, his heavily bagged eyes glazed and seeing little. He does not notice Marcella and Arl as he walks to the lot and gets into his beat up and outdated four seat automobile. The car starts with a groan, and trundles its way through the neighborhood. Kant eventually guides it to an even darker and dirtier part of town, where most of the street lights seem to be failing, and with minimal pedestrian foot traffic. He parks it in the alley next to a dingy looking tavern ironically named "The Sister's Blessing", before wandering inside.

From outside the small pub, there is the low throng of some outdated genre of local instrumental music. The windows of the establishment are all tinted, so that you can't see inside. But the door is not attended by bouncer. It's big enough that Kant could likely be tucked away in some corner, unless a large amount of the space is taken up by something like a stage. A quick check of the perimeter shows that there is a back door as well to the tavern. Steam and the smell of humble cooking wafts from the cracked back door.

[BananaPhone]

Marcella


Upon returning to their hab, Marcella hummed happily to herself as she deposited the treasured star charts in a safe lockbox to ensure their protection and retention. Though seemingly 'easy' to acquire, the risk had been extraordinary, and it was frankly a miracle that they had managed to evade notice and scrutiny, lest they be forced to shoot their way out. Though as exciting a prospect as that was, Marcella much preferred to deliver to Ezekiel the good news that they'd gotten in and out without a trace, especially after that Astarte's sized cockup back at Drimmle's mansion.

However, the Pskyer would be lying if she said a part of her wished she had kept her mouth shut and got to go to the fancy ball. Oh how her heart bled a little, thinking of the champagne, the music, the dress she could wear, the unmarried noble sons to flirt with....oh and of course the mission at hand, of course. But ultimately, who was she kidding? She was a Sanctioned Psyker. She was just one bad day away from getting possessed by interdimensional demons and serving as a conduit into the materium for the hellish minions of the Warp to enter and slaughter. What man would want to put a ring on that? Best content herself with this life, she told herself. At least if she performed well in the Inquisition she could rise the ranks and carve some type of ambition out for herself while doing her part to safeguard mankind against the horrors of the galaxy, before going on to join the Emperor in eternal rest following the final curtain call.

Nevertheless, the day was not yet over. Seeing that the others had not arrived back yet, Marcella agreed to assist Arl with pursuing the next lead. Not believing she'd need to be particularly well-armed, the Psyker deposited her firearms into her room and kept only her Orthlack-10 Armsman on her and a suppressor separately on the inside of her flak cloak pocket. She could attach the two if need be.

When they tracked down Officer Kent, Marcella followed Arl's lead, trusting the assassins investigatory instincts over any that she possessed, until finally the pair were in front of a seedy looking bar after having watched the heavyset corrupt official shoulder his way inside.

Looking over at Arl, noticing the back entrance and the front, the shorter girl asked softly in the grimy streets of the seedy part of town, "we going in the front, or the back?"

Of all the group, it was curious to the Psyker that it was Arl with whom she was on this task. When they had first been gathered to pursue this investigation in the first place, there had been a Battle Sister initiate, a Tech-priest, another guardsman sort, Arl and herself. Now they were all gone, with only the assassin and her remaining out of the initial five.