++REFERENCE SUBJECT: Athas Mission Analysis
++DESIGNATION: FAILED
++LOCALE: Lower-Mid Tiers, Barracks Quadrant, Hive Athas Prime, Athas
++HIVE CO/ORD: 2684{#}/445/00438451
++PREPARATION: Scribe Servitor 223-G47
++ATTRIBUTION: Acolyte Zanthus Pyrecrow The Ashen Confessor
++ORDINATOR: Terminus Est
++RECIPIPENT: Inquisitor Grey, {ADDITIONAL} Lord Inquisitor Constantine
++THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: “Heresy begets retribution.”
MISSION OVERVIEW
Inquisitor, our mission was a failure. From the time we made planetfall to the time we were retrieved we have failed you and we have failed the Emperor. You gave us the sacred mission of retrieving Kassidan alive if possible or his head intact if not. That was made explicitly clear. You also tasked us to uncover and deal with any cult activity and we did so, dealing with it as much as we were able. During the course of our investigation, we were approached by Lady Anastasia Constantine who had been in place gathering information for approximately one month with superior resources at her disposal. She enabled us to get in to a social function at the Kassidan Manor where we had previously hidden supplies and our gear via a secondary entrance identified by Kassidan’s “daughter”. I slipped away from the main room of the social at first opportunity as per the cell’s agreed upon plan of action. In the storage room, Attias was convulsing from poison, but the materials were still there. I re-equipped myself while the techpriestess dealt with the toxins in his body.
After waiting for a matter of minutes, I grew suspicious that the other members of the cell had not yet arrived. Acolytes Sekutis and Ravion had been detained and were being transported somewhere else. The PDF escorting them down a hallway were obstructing the work of the Inquisition and thus the Emperor. They were also in the employ of a known Heretic. Ignorance is not innocence and they were executed for heresy. Having made a scene because of their capture, I decided to cause a distraction redirecting the guards’ attention to a different section of the house. I uncorked one of the barrels intended for the library and rolled it down the hallway towards the storage room and the other 16 barrels of promethium I had requisitioned. The resulting explosion shook the house and caught much on fire which began to spread throughout the house. On our way to the ballroom, Attias had begun indiscriminately throwing grenades into the crowd, and innocent lives were lost due to his reckless actions. It was at this point that Lady Constantine was mortally injured by grenade shrapnel. The techpriestess located Kassidan as well as his traitor daughter and we took off as soon as Lady Constantine’s assassin took charge of the body.
We quickly found ourselves in the depths of the Library of Flesh itself, a repugnant feeling but nothing I had not been trained to endure. We arrived in what I would describe as the heart of the library. Kassidan was at an altar reading from a foul book while his whelp stood before the altar facing us. There were several cultists in attendance as well, but they were trivial in comparison to the sorcerer. The cell opened fire and in a split second, his foul daughter revealed herself to be a daemon with many arms and legs. I was torn between my hatred for heresy and my hatred for daemons, but seeing that several others were facing the daemon, I attempted to attract Kassidan’s attention. I succeeded. I charged past the distracted daemon and severed Kassidan’s arm. He proceeded to fling me across the room with a blast of warpfire. I am confident that the Emperor protected me, as I was barely able to stand after the blast. I staggered towards him again and as he batted my halberd aside, I felt newly invigorated and brought the only other item at hand to bear against him. I possess the skull of an Imperial Saint, Saint Helbrecht the Purifier. I proceeded to bludgeon Kassidan in the face with Helbrecht’s skull which caused the cultists to screech and the library itself to react. Kassidan began to immolate as a result and he slumped to the floor as his unholy spawn was annihilated by the remainder of the group.
I believe it is important for you both to be aware of the following: After the fighting was done, Praetus Ravion crushed Kassidan’s chest to ensure his death. Then, well after the rush of battle had subsided, he caved in Kassidan’s skull in direct violation of the objective you tasked us with. At that point, the library began to react and the assassin threw fire grenades into the room as we made our escape.
FORMAL DECLARATIONS
Praetus Ravion
- 2x counts of obstruction of the Emperor’s Holy work
-Being captured by PDF, necessitating rescue and diversion of resources/manpower
-Killing Kassidan and crushing his head, direct violation of mission objectives 2x count of conspiracy
Conspire independently of the group with Damian Sekutis regarding item below
Received something unidentified from Lady Constantine upon her death {Pending further investigation}- 1x count of deceit towards a higher ranking member of the Inquisition
-Lied regarding the conditions surrounding the death of Kassidan - 1x count of desertion
-A psyker is to remain within monitoring/communication range of other members of the cell - 1x count of cowardice
-Did not intervene when I engaged heretical action in a blood arena
Suggested disciplinary action: INTERROGATION, SUMMARY EXECUTION OR MIND PROBE
Damian Sekutis
- 1x count of obstruction of the Emperor’s Holy work
-Being captured by PDF, necessitating rescue and diversion of resources/manpower 2x counts of conspiracy
-Conspire independently of the group with Damian Sekutis regarding item below
Received something unidentified from Lady Constantine upon her death {Pending further investigation}- 1x count of cowardice
-Did not intervene when I engaged heretical action in a blood arena
Suggested disciplinary action: INTERROGATION, SUMMARY EXECUTION OR MIND PROBE
Attias
- 2x counts of termination of valuable human resources {pending interrogation}
-Possibly arranged the death of valuable contact Corporal Enoch
-Responsible for the death of Lady Anastasia Constantine (Grenade shrapnel) - {Unknown}x counts of friendly fire with different types of grenade including hallucinogen
Suggested disciplinary action: INTERROGATION, EQUIPMENT RESTRICTION-CLASS B, HYPNO-INDOCTRINATION
Bail
- 1x count of desertion
-Presumed dead
Suggested disciplinary action: INTERROGATION, SUMMARY EXECUTION OR MIND CLEANSE
Zanthus Pyrecrow
- 3x counts of negligent ignorance
-I had suspicions of the actions of other cell members but did not act on those suspicions - 2x counts of termination of valuable human resources
-I started the distraction which Attias took to be the signal to assault the ballroom. I am responsible for the death of Lady Anastasia Constantine
-Bail was standing watch on my suggestion, I am responsible for his death - 1x count of desertion
-At the blood arena, I charged into the arena without the remainder of the cell aware of my actions - 6x counts of knowledge corruption
-I informed the other members of the cell about the daemonic threat, in hindsight divulging too many details to their untrained minds.
Suggested disciplinary action: INTERROGATION, CONFESSION, SUMMARY EXECUTION, PURGE ALL RECORDS
I await the judgment of the Emperor.
Comments
If this were just a journal I would not say anything, however, as this might actually have some bearing on things that may happen in game, I find the need to comment. Also, this is not an accusation of meta gaming or cheating or anything as sometimes we all find ourselves mixing in and out of character knowledge. This is not a criticism or meant to insult or demean in any way.
There are a couple of items which I thought you were not around for and so should not have knowledge in character that is shown here.
Note: I may also remember wrongly, however, I spoke with Ben (Damien), and he seemed to agree with what I said and will hopefully comment here as well.
1) I don’t think any of us were actually present when grenades were thrown. We suspect there were grenades or some other sort of explosive in the ball room. At the time that this happened, we were in the basement lighting the prometheum.
2) Anastasia Constantine – Once the techpriestess declared that she would not live, it was my understanding that you both turned and left while I declared that I sat down with her to talk to and comfort her in her last moments. Damien and I were the only ones who really observed that I was given something by her and possibly Septis the other Assassin.
3) With respect to killing Kassidin and crushing his skull: I hit him in the chest before the demon died. One round later I crushed his skull before the demon died. Your character would most likely be aware that there was still fighting and your character admits that after the skull was crushed the library began to react.
Forgot to mention – Attias – At this point the only time hallucinogen has affected friendly personnel is when you had already left with Kassidin’s daughter.
Also for Attias – As far as arranging the death of Corporal Enoch – we really don’t have any evidence of that. Damian had the data slate and didn’t show it to anyone except for when we had it decrypted. At that point all we had was information. I do not believe it was revealed that it was Enoch’s slate or anything else was given that might cast suspicion on, however, on this, I do not remember exactly.
Attias told me about the grenades after action.
I did not recall leaving Anastasia until the position of Kassidan was determined by the techpriestess. She pinpointed it after Anastasia died if I remember correctly. I think you were thinking of the scum and the psyker who made for the front exit to see if he had gone there.
As far as my character’s interpretation of the skull-crush, I’m not going to change that. From his perspective, Kassidan was out of action since he was missing a torso.
And as for Enoch, it was logical to implicate Attias because it was only when pressed for information about Enoch (after his death) that he mentioned “by the way, Enoch is dead”. That wouldn’t strike you as suspicious coming from an Inquisition-trained assassin?
Of course, I definitely could have misinterpreted it, I’ll wait for Alan to adjudicate it.
I’ll be happy to adjudicate next game night. Will that be to everyone’s satisfaction? I suspect we can find a simple way to resolve any issues :)
I also want to point out that you’ve now all incurred my wrath by drawing me away from my second reading of the last Wheel of Time book.
Heh, just fyi, for my note: I definitely remember you guys leaving before she died, for I remember the joke the techpriest made going “Hmm, she’s not going to live… zzzzp… looking for kassiden.” A second later she headed off and everyone followed. We had to catch up, (which is why we were at the back of the pack when the fighting started). Furthermore, you guys would have talked to the assassin, who appeared just after Bart received the item. The main reason I remember this was because I asked Alan if I knew about any last rights for Anastasia… but I wanted to ask you, but you had already left so I couldn’t. Which is why I just closed her eye’s and left. That’s all she got, three people standing around her as she fades to nothing.
NOTE: The above description is what I remember and why I remember it (like wanting to ask you about last rights but not being able too). That said… I am not saying my memory is perfect, and it can be flawed, and flat out wrong. It was just a sad moment for my character/me because no-one stayed once she was declared terminal. No one but me and the psycher. What a sad, cruel, world. (or so my character was thinking). Heh… welcome to the 40th Melinium.
Once again my memory could be wrong though.
If that’s the only little detail you guys are worried about, I’ll take it out for now so we can get on with life and you two can focus on your reports. It’s not going to change the gist of what’s in mine.
For the record, I remember leaving only after Kassidan was pinpointed which I thought was after she died. Just because I wasn’t interacting with her didn’t mean I wasn’t there. After we actually knew where Kassidan was (which took a bit of time I thought), I recall all moving as a general gaggle of acolytes towards the Library. If anyone had to rush to catch up, wouldn’t they have likely missed the first part of the fight anyways?
I apologize if I have offended you.
It is difficult to convey body language and vocal inflection by text. No offense taken from either of you guys, I’m just defending my reasoning.