The Ruinous Powers (40K CYOA)

[Endemic]

Not bad. Though this could be heading towards a messy end for Lena.

 

[Cheesecake]

Votes

A: Endemic, Kipeci, Major_Blackhart, Storyfag, hellofriend, lightbane, oscar, The Brazilian Slaughter,
B: Baltika9,
C:
D: ERYKFRAD,
E:

Current Character Sheet

Name: Lena Cythriel

Gifts:
Daemoniac Tongue
Tough Skin
Perfection

Favor:
Khorne - Hated
Nurgle - Slighted, favored
Tzeentch - Uncaring
Slaanesh - Favored

Known Characters:
The Captain - Hated
Detox, apothecary - Beloved
Hooker, sergeant - Indifferent
Entek, tech-priest - Annoyed
Tempestus, chaplain - Hated
Sorcerer - Unknown

Items:
Artificer Armored Bodyglove

Location:
Mercenary vessel, Scourge of Wealth
Currently in battle aboard the Scourge of Wealth.

You raise your arms to show your harmlessness and follow the servitors. You sense the scribe secretly following, darting behind corners whenever the servitors turn to scan the area. You reach the outside of the Captain's command deck. The servitors disperse and the door opens. Strangely, the Captain's command throne is missing. The scribe stands by your side, shaking vehemently. You take a step into the room.

And instead of your foot landing on the floor, your entire body is sent flying as the bulging figure of the Captain rams into you. Dazed, you look at your attacker. He looks even more inhuman than before, with the more Chaotic features plainly visible. So great is the man's anger that froth brims from his fanged mouth, and every vein bulges and strains violently. Despite your quick reflexes, the Captain leaps and bulls into you, cracking your ribs.

Your vision swims, and every time you are about to regain your sight a heavy fist collides with your face, smashing you mercilessly. The pain to you is negligible, even pleasurable, but the damage is severe.

"Took your sweet time!" He punches. Something snaps. "I ordered you to do something." He punches. Something crunches. "And you go try on outfits?" He begins strangling you, his barrel-wide arms crushing your neck.

"That's enough!" comes the gurgling growl of Detox. Along with the Captain, he too shows more of his Chaos deformities. He rips the Captain off of you, and is met by a flurry of savage attacks that would have instantly obliterate a human being. Yet Detox, with his unholy constitution, is entirely unfazed.

The Captain inhales deeply. "Just teaching her not to play with me." He calms himself down, his human facade slowly replacing his bestial form. "Did you at least succeed in what I told you to do?"

Weakly, you convey what the prisoners told you, as well as the possession of one of the prisoners presumably by the Sorcerer. The Captain snorts. Detox shakes his head. "Temper yourself, Captain. We can't interfere with the Master's plans."

You get up, unholy energy invigorating you. "Who is your Master?"

"I am."

All eyes look upon the scribe. The weak, weedy scribe who toured you around the ship. Whose name you still don't know. "I am your Master. And the Sorcerer you've been so painstakingly searching for, Captain."

The Captain's facade fades again. He pulls out two boltpistols from his toga and trains it on the scribe. Just as he is about to pull the trigger, the guns falter and fizzle. From behind the scribe steps Entek, muttering magical machine-speak. "STATEMENT: I cannot permit harm to this sorcerer. Doing so would set me back approximately three days, four hours, and fifteen seconds. Such delay is blasphemy."

The Captain screams in primal, daemonic fury as he leaps towards the puny scribe. Two men get in his way and are annihilated. Getting a better view, Sergeant Hooker stands guard with her men, all bearing the mark of Chaos Undivided proudly. "Can't let you hurt him, sir. Orders are orders," she says, matter-of-fact-ly.

"Why? Why send us on this goosechase to look for you when you were with us all along? asks Detox.

"I needed more champions to further my cause. When I started I only had this hothead to command, and he isn't much of a follower. He would much rather look for me to kill me, and on the way I'd recruit more to join me, than if I had simply commanded him to do my bidding." The scribe smiles. "But since I picked up Detox I've just been doing it for fun."

"Why'd you pick us at random?" you ask. "I was a nobody merc before you made me what I am."

The Sorcerer shakes his head. "I never made you what you were. I was only the middleman between you and the dark gods. They're fickle with who they choose, but who am I to question their judgement?"

"Why reveal yourself now?" the Captain asks, managing only marginally to keep his wrath at bay.

"Magos Entek here has successfully repurposed many of the ship's onboard Machine Spirits and servitors. Sergeant Hooker has converted most of the men to the true gods, and, er, disposed of the rest." Turning around to face the corrupted mercenaries, the scribe scans the scene. "I reveal myself now that the pieces have been laid in place. And earlier, my identity had been compromised. Chaplain Tempestus is going to kill me."

As the final word is spoken, a bullet rips through the scribe's head, who smiles as he falls to the ground. An explosion disintegrates a hallway of mercenaries. Lasfire fire haphazardly at the unknown enemy. The Captain takes arms, leaping into the fray, with Detox loyally beside him. Entek casually begins making for his armory. Hooker, having recovered from the initial shock, rallies her men, fighting the traitors (or loyalists, depending on the view).

Through the fire and smoke, through the shrieking wails and blinding lights of the ship's defense alarms, you see a lone figure, draped in black, armed with a chainsword revved to rend and tear. His face is masked behind an ornate skull-helm. And strapped to his body are numerous grenades, bombs, meltas and plasma charges. Readily and easily, the Chaplain slaughters those who've turned to Chaos, reciting the Lectitio Divinatus madly with each kill.

Amid the din of battle, you decide to:

A. Charge and fight the Imperium's slaves! Assist Hooker and her men.
B. Join the Captain and Detox as they fight the loyal dogs!
C. Follow Entek as he retreats to the safety of his armory.
D. Abandon the voidcraft by sneaking to the loading bay and hijack a personal transport craft.
E. Hunt down Tempestus before he inflicts even greater harm on the ship with his vast array of explosives.
F. Do something else: ___

 

[Storyfag]

E

 

[Karwelas]

E. Shit may be bad, but blowing up ship is really fucking bad. Also, he may be most dangerous opponent around so I have other idea.

E+F - deal with Chaplain by using some sort of diversion first. I don't know, push someone on him, attack when he will be distracted, anything to don't deal with him when he will be aware of us.

 

[Nevill]

C. Let the boys sort it out.

 

[Azira]

D

 

[oscar]

D. We don't even have a weapon and in offensive capabilities aren't much more use than your standard soldier. I'm not certain the tech priest will even let us in.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

D

 

[Random Word]

A - we're a decent shot if someone will hand us a laspistol. Close combat is not our forte. Fleeing into a shuttle without Gellar fields while in the Warp sounds like a fantastically stupid idea, even for us.

 

[Endemic]

D

 

[Karwelas]

OK, after a while I decide to flop to D. It will be safer... Let's just be sure that we don't explode along with everyone.

 

[lightbane]

So our gal is predictably beaten to near death, but then she heals very quickly, presumably because she has popamole regeneration powers. Not sure to rate it or . Anyway, I believe we should use our assets to charm or at least distract Tempestus' men, turning these against him if possible. So I vote for A.

 

[The Brazilian Slaughter]

Looks like the Bodyglove is not all that fancy. Althrough it might have saved us from being killed, I think.

Anyway, Let's join with Hooker and CHAAAAAAAAAAARGE at filthy Corpse-God worshippers!

 

[Cheesecake]

Counting votes!

 

[hello friend]

C>D

I don't know what our powerlevel is, but the Captain just beat the shit out of us and Tempestus has Chaos as his favoured enemy. Also, never run toward the bombs. That's dumb. The smart thing to do would be to take no chances, bail on the ship and get the fuck out of dodge. The interesting thing to do is see what Entek will do next. +Entek is annoyed at us, maybe we can repair relations.

 

[Baltika9]

E

 

[Cheesecake]

Votes

A: Random Word, lightbane, The Brazilian Slaughter 3
B:
C: Nevill, hello friend 2
D: Azira, oscar, ERYKFRAD, Endemic, Karwelas, (hello friend) 5(6)
E: Storyfag, Baltika9 2
F:

Character Sheet

Name: Lena Cythriel

Gifts:
Daemoniac Tongue
Tough Skin
Perfection

Favor:
Khorne - Hated
Nurgle - Slighted, favored
Tzeentch - Uncaring
Slaanesh - Favored

Known Characters:
The Captain - Hated
Detox, apothecary - Beloved
Hooker, sergeant - Indifferent
Entek, tech-priest - Annoyed
Tempestus, chaplain - Hated
Sorcerer - Unknown

Items:
Artificer Armored Bodyglove
Laspistol

Location:
Mercenary vessel, Scourge of Wealth
Transport Craft
Currently in battle aboard the Scourge of Wealth.

The logical and natural course is to survive, as years of experience has taught you. Leaping and bounding atop both mercenary and servitor, you make great strides in your escape. Expertly, you duck and weave and dodge the incoming lasfire, and those that do hit are harmlessly absorbed by your bodyglove. Any mercenary stubbornly in your path, Chaotic or Imperial, are easily killed with precise punches and kicks. Having escaped the thick of the fight, you find yourself nearing the loading bay.

The anarchic fighting near the command deck is reflected here by mobs of scribes and dock workers clawing at each other as they scramble for the remaining drop ships. Laspistols are drawn, shots are fired, and a shootout occurs between the non-combatants. Former friends show their true colors as they easily abandon each other for the safety and freedom of the personal transports. A mechanical rumble is answered by a sickening crunch and a pained scream as the dock workers crush a scribe with construction vehicles and power tools.

Using the anarchy as a veil, you sneak unnoticed to one transport ship. Pass-phrase sealed, the ship's entrance will not open. You beguile a fleeing dockworker, promising your affection and to take him aboard with you if he'd open the door. Eagerly he agrees, and as soon as the doors open you steal his laspistol from the confused man and cauterize his brain.

You waste no time in preparing to leave the Scourge of Wealth, but not before you see the mercenary fighters spill onto the loading bay. At the forefront, you see the Captain clearing a path with claw and boltpistol, Detox being a bulwark, soaking fire that would have hit the majority of the mercenaries, and Hooker, leading the ragged remnants of her men. The Chaotic forces are heavily thinned, caught unawares by Tempestus' ambush. Only a third of the fighting force remains.

A chilling voice blurts from the vox-casters. "Heretics, all! In holy prometheum, I do bathe this craft and Your wayward children. With blessed plasma, I do rend and eviscerate in Your name. With las and chain, I do murder in Your name." From afar, explosions are heard and the ship shudders as vital components detonate. "Emperor deliver us."

The onboard systems and flight arrays are currently powering up. Violent tremors rattle the ship, and the battle outside is reduced to chaotic bloodshed as sides and allegiances are blurred. The Captain, Detox, and Hooker are making their way to your ship. You don't know whether they're aware that you're inside, but the door is still pass-phrased sealed and you have the power to let them on board. Entek seems to have caught up with them, bearing strange machine-relics that he presumably gathered from his armory.

As the the Scourge implodes around you, you decide to:

A. Leave, without risking opening the door.
B. Take one of the four with you: I. Captain II. Detox III. Hooker IV. Entek.
C. Take two of the four with you: ___
D. Take three of the four with you: ___
E. Take them all with you.
F. Leave the ship and fight as a last stand.
G. Do something else: ____

 

[Inf0mercial]

Hmmmmm, either we grab detox or we leave.

Not pissing of Nurgle more to the point he yanks a gift says detox oh and detox is a bro as well, but self preservation says run.

I say B2, always good to have backup and hedge the gods favour.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

B3>C23

 

[hello friend]

D

Drop the Khornate. He's a rageaholic and his god hates us.

 

[oscar]

B2. Though to be honest I have no clue how we will actively let only one aboard while the others patiently wait.

 

[Baltika9]

E, I like our ragtag group,they're fun .

 

[lightbane]

E. We cannot ditch our Nurglite bro nor the techpriest. Besides, saving the Captain's life will make him extremely butthurt. It is the most trollish and Codexian choice.

 

[Nevill]

I don't know if Detox is even with Nurgle anymore. He chose the Sorcerer as a Master, didn't he?

But ok. He is the only crew member who likes us.

D234>B2.

The Captain can die in holy fires for all I care.

E> C234

You probably meant D234.

 

[Karwelas]

B2>D234

Fuck Captain.