With your soured family reunion behind you, your vessel finally rejoined the wolfpack in the distant star system known as Wilson's Refuge. Finding that Jess Morix and her ship had indeed survived, though not without a dark tale and lingering marks to prove it, you also learned that the other rookie Captains of the wolfpack had been lost during encounters with orknoids in other systems. As your crew began construction of a camp to enjoy the embrace of a habitable world, the wolfpack was betrayed by Captain Morix even as you were attempting to meet and speak with her. Only the sacrifice of Lord Wilson's 'handler' assigned to you aboard his vessel, Erwin Estiban, saved your life as you encountered Morix's men. Pinned behind a bulkhead and alone against superior numbers, you offered to let your peer pass unopposed. Really, what could you have done but throw your life away? You declined her offer to run away with her, however, and gave chase to keep up appearances even after telling your XO the truth of your view upon Morix's situation. When your ship's course turned out to be off by a single degree, allowing Morix to escape, you asked no further questions. Second and third shifts make simple mistakes. After Morix's vessel tore into the warp to make its escape, your own vessel made a paltry attempt to follow before giving up the chase and instead choosing to return to the wolfpack with another prize.

>recap dump in progress

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In the Valkyria system, your crew ambushed a ship in orbit of a habitable world and pressed her crew to surrender in under an hour. As fate would have it, you caught the transport after her command crew had gone to the planet below, searching for an earlier expedition that had gone missing. Even as your people moved the ship out of the system, the command crew missed several scheduled check-ins. Bringing a lowly astropath from the ship's choir into your service and securing several other persons of minor interest, you chalked the vessel's capture up as a suitable first prize for your crew and headed back to the wolfpack.

Upon your victorious return you found that the wolfpack was to turn the habitable world's surface into fiefdoms of various Captains, each to eventually be divided as new Captains were granted commands. You yourself took some of the decidedly less desirable portions of the planet, after securing the mountainous island your initial ground-side camp was founded upon. Frankly, you'll likely never fully explore that island in your life time. Emperor help the souls that try to explore the massive death continent that forms the majority of your claim. Most of the other Captains took smaller swathes of land in the calmer Eastern continent, where they've begun massive agri operations with their slave holdings. An expedition to explore the highlands and mountains around your camp turned into a fight for survival for your people after the warm climate was suddenly struck by a snowstorm that covered the lands in over a meter of snow in some places. Taking shelter in a cave near a series of hot springs, your newly acquired astropath stumbled upon a strange chamber, covered in runes of some kind. After an incident that covered yourself and several others in a sudden, thin layer of frost, you forbade Miss Alekto from any further astopathic shenanigans in the chamber.

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Finally the time came to gather the wolfpack once more and depart upon raids to secure supplies, equipment and wealth. You joined two of your fellow Captains in returning to the Valkyria system, convinced in both the system's bounty for your needs and quietly hoping to fulfill a promise to search for the Captain of the vessel you captured there, as his pregnant wife was now one of your guests. Leaving Alica to oversee the captured transport and your holdings in Wilson's Refuge, you departed.

The raid did not quite go to plan, however. Warp travel can be fickle at the best of times, and the three ships making up the raiding party you joined ended up scattered across Valkyria. For just over four months you stalked the star system, first gathering your fellow Captains and then hunting for prey. A ship from Brinica Prime was your victim, and you were shocked to find that the vessel's officers quarters was actually a terestial ship of sail within the voidship. Taking the flippant Lord Fulton and those present as your captives, your men assisted Edgar Oslo in capturing the ship's bridge in exchange for some kickbacks. The Royal Brinican Marines refused to yield the ship without a fight, however, and managed to inflict heavy casualties among the wolfpack's armsmen. In the bloody fighting, your veteran armswoman, Ana, was severely wounded. Chief of Medicae Orsola Magnus has done her best, and Ana's fate is simply in the hands of the Emperor now.

With the wolfpack bloodied, warships moving to intercept your wolfpack, and a transport Captain willing to plunge his vessel into a planet's atmosphere to dissuade your ships from attacking, your forces made for the system's edge to escape with the ship in hand. Bidding your fellows luck in their travels, your vessel set out for the Labado system to investigate a possible lead for ransoming your rather valuable prisoners. Arriving at the system's 4th world, Labado, you set about conducting some quiet trade with the representative of the planet's Don, Mr. Mickler. So far, you've gained a fair price for the various Brinicans you've picked up, arranged for future ransoming of a Navigator from the first transport you took as a prize, and offloaded some of the more difficult goods to be rid of from this raider's holds.

It was all going too well to last, however. A savage woman you liberated from the Brinican ship, Miss Tiereea, has seemingly decided to share your bed for the time being has been on edge lately, speaking of a 'blood spirit' that she could smell. The fear that you may have picked up an unbound psyker crept into your mind, prompting you to seek the wisdom your ship's astropath may be able to provide. Miss Alekto had apparently been aware of the fact Miss Tiereea has been feigning ignorance when she comprehends the majority of your language. The scarred astropath was adamant that if Miss Tiereea is a psyker she be handed over to the black ships before her powers become a danger to herself and others, though she also offered the alternative; Miss Tiereea could simply be more sensitive to either daemonic presences or her sense of smell could be superior due to her origin. Something to investigate later, however, as you added Father Enes to the trio of minds formulating a solution to a possible daemonic entity aboard your vessel.

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Leaving the minds with some information on such subjects to brew, you set your attentions upon the lesser Brinicans about to depart your vessel. A reputable privateer can never have too few crewmen, after all. Unfortunately, one of the men began to sing some unsufferable song about Brinican sailors being quite merry. Only the two maids formerly in service to the more abusive high born Brinicans parted company from their fellows and joined your crew.

That two of the others would go missing during their transfer to Mr Mickler's care was unexpected, and the search results upon your ship were grim.

Mr Edwards contacts you, his team locating the men. "Captain, they've been- Their skulls are missing."

Mr Mickler looks at you with a grim expression. "I take it you have a very serious problem, Captain."

>Orders?

>Due to the lengthy hiatus this has been on, I expect things to be slow. Which may work, since things left off as they did.

>>34138205
Quarantine the ship to start with, don't let anything off, and gather the crew in large spaces like mess halls, don't want people wandering around the corridors alone. Consult with Miss Alekto and Miss Veritas as they will be among the very very few people aboard who know about shit like this.

>>34138277
Quarantine is possible. Unfortunately your ship lacks anything really counting as 'large spaces'. At best, you can put about half of your crew into the larger areas of the vessel like mess halls, empty cargo areas, gunnery areas, and possibly portions of the medicae.

You are currently off the vessel, meeting with Mr. Mickler and his men as they transfer your ransomed Brinicans to their facilities.

Miss Alekto and Miss Veritas are aboard ship. Where do you wish to summon them?

>>34138573
I think we should finish up our business with Mr. Mickler then return to our vessel and consult with the psykers.

As for the large spaces, just ensure there are no small or isolated groups of crewmen wandering around.

>>34138610
Did our psykers take a close look at Tiereea?

Either way, >>34138610 what he said.

Aww shit the quest to Rouge Trader begins again

>>34138610
>>34138751

Anything specific you want to say to Mickler, or just cut and run to deal with the problem?

>>34138822
Hmmm How about we ask if he knows anyone that might be able to help?

>>34138822
"A problem I will deal with immediately, Mr. Mickler. I hope you don't mind suspending any further discussion until later."

KEEP THE SISTERS CLOSE, SO CLOSE THEY CANT DIE, EVER

>>34138822
Just wrap up the transfer and then excuse ourselves.
We don't particularly mind letting him know that something urgent came up and we're in a bit of a hurry, but certainly don't tell him what it involves.

>>34139024
>Can't die

But Anon what if the Emperor wills it?

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>>34139066
>Dead Pirates
>The Emperor NOT willing it.
i shiggy diggy

>>34138946
>>34139027

These two seem agreeable. Does anyone have strong objections? you have 15 minutes to voice them.

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>>34139128
>Pirates

How vulgar anon. Pirates are heretical deviants. I prefer the term privateer or dare I say Entrepreneur.

>>34139154
I can dig it

>>34139154
Call our sisters to us or make sure they have a proper guard around them

"A problem I will deal with immediately, Mr Mickler. I hope the two missing souls aren't a major hurdle for our deal to conclude? I'm afraid I must suspend any further discussion until later."

"You wouldn't be the first to have such an issue, Captain. My needs in this deal are satisfied, and we'll deliver the last of the payments over the next day, once we've had a chance to spread some of your more... sensitive cargo among our peers." Mr Mickler offers a polite grin, his pipe in hand. "Good luck with your problem, Captain."

As Mickler departs the dock, you order your men to secure the payments delivered, staying in groups for the time being.

>Orders?

>To the scene of the crime! You should investigate the scene for clues!
>Meet with the experts! You'll need their insight into this.
>You need to protect Synne. Find her immediately.
>Other?

>>34139500
>>To the scene of the crime! You should investigate the scene for clues!

>>34139500
>You need to protect Synne. Find her immediately.
Muh whyfoo

>>34139500
>Meet with the experts! You'll need their insight into this.
>You need to protect Synne. Find her immediately.

>>34139593
She's your sister, not your waifu. You should be aiming to get her a good husband.

>>34139684

This.

>>34139684
lol wut r u a homo or sumtin?

>>34139500
Gather Miss Alekto and head to the scene of the crime!

>>34139500
>Meet with the experts! You'll need their insight into this.
>You need to protect Synne. Find her immediately.

Let's just hope it's a murderous psychopath not a murderous Heretical psychopath.

>>34139684
Yeah, me.
What are you, some kind of normal person?

>>34139684
>Good Husband

Anybody but Keller right?

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>>34139801
Or a murderous heretical psychopathic daemon.

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>>34139801
Anon, a heretical psychopath would probably be a better option than the more likely situation of a daemon being around.

>>34139684
Gotta keep the family blood strong anon

>>34139841
>We end up marrying her to Vect himself
Oh boy

>>34139956
Marry her off to the captain we owe money to unless we pay enough to get rid of that debt.

>>34139875
>>34139880
But Anons Heretical Psychpoaths can summon the Demons

Why did the thought that it's a murderous post surgery insane Anna just flick through my mind? That's impossible.

R-Right?

>>34139986
>Implying a woman is worth that much money
I know Synne is busty and attractive but she's not that good.

>>34139986
>Using the family that actually likes you as trade goods

Disgusting

>>34139986
Only if we fuck her and thoroughly make love to her throughout the warp journey to his ship

>>34140036
Yeah. They both are excellent officer material.

>>34140055
Then she loses a lot of her value for being used trade goods.

If this keeps up Synne's probably going to become a Daemonette or something And I'd be perfectly fine with that

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>>34140055

>>34140055
Man, that would be fun.

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>hot sister wat do quest

>>34140055
I'd support this course of action for every warp travel

>>34138790
Man Rouge Traders got it Gud the empra tells them to go be in a way, Heretics and they get paid for it too

>>34140145
Probably MachineSpirit's fault from taking a frail, sickly and rather lithe rather than obnoxiously going in the complete other direction

You need the insight of people with knowledge in these kinds of matters, but you also need to protect Synne.
"Aurex to bridge. I want someone to find Synne and bring her to Miss Alekto's quarters immediately."

Kihomi's voice responds. "Copy, Captain. I'll have her there."

Miss Alekto sits with Father Enes, reading over some tome as Miss Tiereea stands behind them with mild interest. The priest looks up as you enter, adjusting his spectacles. "Captain Aurex! We were wondering when you'd come to investigate our progress."

>Orders?

>You need information.
>There have been murders.
>There have been murders. The skulls are missing.
>I need you to follow me. (take them to the bodies)
>Other?

>>34140186
How can you legit blame MachineSpirit on people wanting to bang Percius' sister when he's made no indication she's even into that or that Percius is into that?

>>34140226
>There have been murders. The skulls are missing.

>>34140226
>>There have been murders. The skulls are missing.
>>I need you to follow me. (take them to the bodies)
There's still a small chance it's just some human killer taking skulls. Or maybe we have a death cult forming in our ship now.

>>34140244
>How can you legit blame MachineSpirit on people wanting to bang Percius' sister
He made her more attractive than her original idea, therefore it's partially his fault for tempting the players

>>34140301
U wot m8? Not a single time can I say I've been tempted

>>34140226
>>There have been murders. The skulls are missing.
>>I need you to follow me. (take them to the bodies)


It's good to be back.

>>34140350
>Implying you're everyone
What next, you going to say everyone's a homosexual with a tiny dick?

>>34140226
>There have been murders. The skulls are missing.
>I need you to follow me. (take them to the bodies)

50 thrones on Heretics anybody want in?

5 Thrones on its Miss Tiereea

>>34140355
Glad to see you're still around.

>>34140355
For House and Domi-

I mean TIME TO PIRATE SHIT!

>>34140377
>>34140301
I'm all for laughing at people calling for incest, but lets keep the board sticky in mind.
>>15396072
1. BE EXCELLENT TO EACH OTHER.
2. PARTY ON, DUDES. (AND DUDETTES)

>>34140472
>calling for incest
Absolutely disgusting, do you know no shame?

>>34140472
>TIME TO PIRATE SHIT!

Time to Rouge Trade shit when?

>>34140492
Well Perrow doesn't!

>>34140560
Perrow?

>>34140619
Man who buggers his sister all day and night, hangs around #risingsons and acts like a cunt

>>34140492
>do you know no shame

http://youtu.be/zq7Eki5EZ8o?t=1m38s

And now back to business.

>>34140639
>Man who buggers his sister all day and night, hangs around #risingsons and acts like a cunt
10/10 guy, would drink with

>>34140645
Goddammit MS I don't know whether to laugh or cringe I'll settle for both

"Two of the Brinicans we were releasing into our host's custody were just found murdered. Their skulls are missing. I need you to come with me and help investigate the site."

Everyone present recoils at the mention of missing skulls, though Father Enes seems to quickly set himself into quite a serious mood. "I'll need a weapon, Captain."

"You'll need a what?" blurts Miss Alekto, shocked by the audacity of the man's tone.

"A weapon. I should like to defend myself, should the situation call for it." Enes looks you directly in the eye for what must be the first time. "Faith may protect my soul, but I am very well aware that it may not protect my flesh from attack."

Synne and Kihomi choose that moment to arrive, buying you a moment to think upon your captive's demand.

>Give Father Enes a weapon?

>Yes/No?
> privateerquest.wikia.com/wiki/Percius_Aurex

>Will you leave anyone behind in Miss Alekto's Quarters?

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>>34140922
>Yes

What type of question is this? The answer is always yes

>{PURGING INTENSIFIES}

>>34140922
Yes
Because: Reasons

>>34140922
Give him a weapon. This is a little more serious than worrying about him. Leave Kihomi with Synne.

>>34141055
>>34141198
>>34141211

Do you wish to arm him with anything from your armory/collection?[see wiki page given] Or just find him a laspistol or something?

>>34141281
>Iron Monk's Staff
HIT EM
HIT EEEEEEEEEM!

>>34141281
We don't really have much. Not sure if I trust him with a hellgun or our inferno pistol. Laspistol isn't going to do much but I guess it's the only other option at this point.

>>34141281
How much would he like to purge with that iron monk staff?

Those heretical scum

>>34140922
Yes

We should ask him to pick his poison. Tell him what we have of our "personal" stash to see what he feels like he can handle and we can have someone go and get it or make a detour.

In the mean time we can give him our laspistol
>>34140416
Not even the warp itself could keep me away.

>>34141374
We should totally wear the Iron Monk's Mitre while hunting down this killer.

>>34141425
We should burn it alongside any other Iron Monks we find

"I've a modest selection of such things for you to choose from, Father Enes."

In short order Father Enes has found a laspistol and carries the Iron Monk's staff, though he makes several comments about needing to replace the symbol atop the staff once there is time. For now, he gives the object a liberal dosing of liquid from a flask that always seems to be at his side.

"Alcohol?" Asks Kihomi.

"I'm a faithful priest of the God-Emperor of Mankind. I can damned well bless anything I require in order to purge corruption." Father Enes resumes blessing his new equipment, then turns to follow you.

Leaving Synne and Kihomi behind, you lead your little cell of investigators toward the scene of the murders.

Hugh Edwards and the armsmen with him have exited the small compartment where the decapitated bodies were found, several of them having made a complete mess of the site after stepping in the pooled blood. Someone seems to have sprayed all five of the men down, in their armoured vac suits, to prevent any contamination from spreading from the site. The Brinican equipment they've added to their kit includes an additional photo-visor layer to their face plates, giving them a laughably 'faceless mook' look.

The maintenance compartment the bodies are within is roughly six by three meters, nearly the entire floor, most of two walls, and some equipment running thru the bulkheads toward the ceiling covered in blood. The entire compartment seems to be trampled with footprints from your armsmen.

"The site is contaminated, but they were clearly alive when they died" says Father Enes, pointing toward the equipment above the bodies and the walls. "The spray tells us as much."

>Orders?

>afk a bit for dinner. A plan of attack for how you'll investigate the compartment and possibly the area surrounding it will likely result in bonuses.

>>34141985
>they were clearly alive when they died"
I call bullshit

>>34141985
Investigate the bodies and see if we can get an idea on what killed them. While there might be footsteps all over the place, see if we can find any bloody foot prints outside of the immediate killing area or possibly any blood trails. If the heads/skulls were taken, unless we find evidence to suggest they were cleaned they might give us a trail to follow.

>>34142192
This seems like a good initial approach.

Do we have any surveillance near this section MS

>>34141985
>alive when they died
I see what you did there

>>34142098
>>34142461
Hahahah. my bad.

That should read "They were clearly alive when the heads were removed."

>>34142192
Roll 3d100

Rolled 94 (1d100)

>>34142854
Here goes everything

Rolled 14, 12, 75 = 101 (3d100)

>>34142854
ROLAEN

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>>34142890
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucccccckkkkkkkkkkk me there went everything

>>34142890
Good job, faggot

>>34142192
Might also be a good idea to get a statement from the armsmen who were there to discover it.

After our initail investigation over the body we should have it sent to the medica for a exact cause of death and to see if there are any indications to what did it.

>>34142890
Well I'm an idiot I rolled a 1d100 does it count?

>>34143104
I take the first 3 rolls, so yours only counts for the first of 3.

You spend the better part of an hour with Father Enes, picking about the scene and following six sets of footprints that all seem to be from your armsmen. Mr. Edwards admits that he entered and exited the scene before anyone else arrived, to avoid vomiting in his suit. All of the footprints terminate where the five men were sprayed down for decontamination after they noticed that blood had been fresh enough to drip down upon them from the equipment above. "We missed whatever did this by minutes, Captain Aurex" says Edwards.

There are no signs of any further trails out of the compartment, but Miss Tiereea eventually finds a not-so-sealed void-rated bag stuffed into a maintenence compartment several compartments toward the prow. Marks consistent with voidsuit gloves smear the outside of the bag, while inside are the bloody heads of the two Brinicans. You recognize one as the bastard that started that damned song during your attempt to recruit the lot of them. "They were certainly careful, Captain Aurex. Most of your crew have access to voidsuits of some kind." Enes isn't helping, and he knows it. "My apologies, Captain."

Comparing the wounds on both the heads and torso, you're experienced enough to conclude that the killers didn't expect the heads to be found. The wound on the head is clean, clearly a blade and likely a single cut to sever the head while it was being pulled back. The killer seems to have mutilated the torso with additional wounds, possibly as a distraction?

By the time you're ready to conclude you've gathered every bit of evidence possible, Miss Eberhardt and Keller have arrived and assigned another thirty or so armsmen to secure the surrounding area. With Mr Edwards and the other four men in full combat kit, everything is beginning to feel a little cramped in the corridor.

"So we've got roughly twenty thousand armed souls aboard the vessel and not a single lead?" says Edwards, giving the informal hand signal for 'clusterfuck' used by the armsmen.

>>34143953

Miss Alekto's voice fills your head, but still seems hushed. "Miss Tiereea is looking at Edwards and attempting to scream at me with her mind."

>Orders?

>>34143982
"Can you gleam anything from her mind screaming?"

>>34143982
Does Edwards have his weapons on him? If he is the killer, there's a chance he might not have been able to clean his weapon but I'm not sure if we want to accuse him just yet.

>>34144346
Edwards, along with every armsman on your ship, has been armed and armoured since the search began. He was supposedly with 4 others the entire time, leading them.

>>34144203
"HIM"

>>34143953
>>34143982
>>34144487
Where are the other four? We need to get them all together. Thank them for their work and i'm sure they will understand if we ask them a few questions.

Then we start a "light" interrogation session to make sure they were where they said they were. I don't like it that someone who I liked due to hunting together might have done this.

>>34144658
I suggest we question Edward's our self but have one of our other XO's or the priest question the other 4 after we inform them we think Edward's is lying about his whereabouts. Just make it look like we want an official statement from Edwards while we buy time for the other 4 to get questioned so we can find holes in the stories.

>>34144487
Well the way I see it

We could just regularly detain and interrogate him

We could Invite him for drinks and try to subtly interrogate

Invite him for drinks clonk him over the head and pretend to be the person who did it by keeping a sack over his head and have him in a dark room

Keep investigating while either having him detained somewhere to see if it happens again or having the hat skull follow and observe him

Well I have to go now for an hour good luck gais

>>34144658
all of them have been standing nearby, securing the area.

>Calling it here for the night, unfortunately. I'll continue briefly in the morning and probably around 2pm EST tomorrow if the thread is still around.

bump

bump

>>34143982
We should contain Edwards and the armsmen he was with under the guise of 'quarantine' while in actual fact its merely to separate them from everyone else and investigate and see if our resident brown skinned daemon sniffer's concerns are true

bump

bump

bedtime bump, can someone else keep this thread alive please?

a heads up MS, foolz is dead/dying, so you might want to start archiving your threads on Sup/tg/ more

bump

whole lot of bumps.

I'm seeing slightly more support for isolating Edwards and the men with him as a group, then a mixed lot on how to actually go about questioning them.

>Where will you quarantine Edwards and the four other armsmen?

>How will you go about investigating this lead?

>Ask some basic questions as a group
>Ask some basic questions one at a time, keep them as a group due to quarantine
>Ask some basic questions one at a time, isolate them individually
>Ignore them for now. Speak with Miss Tiereea once they are clear of the area.
>Other

>>34157461
Isolate them in some spare quarters for now and then question them one at a time. While they are being taken away, might as well question miss Tiereea now.

>>34157461
>>34158310

While things are still slow...

What are you telling Edwards and the armsmen in question to get them into quarantine?

What you're telling/saying to them could have a massive impact upon the situation.

>>34157461
I'll second >>34158310

>>34159045
I'm not sure what we could say that would positively impact the situation, maybe make something up about the victims having some sort of disease thats short lived outside the body, and we think it may have hitched a ride on them as they were first at the scene and we need to properly scrub their gear and give them a 'vaccine' or something

>>34159045
>Ask some basic questions one at a time, isolate them individually

Tell them we are going to be round up people from the surround sections for a lengthy process of interviews to try and see if anyone saw anything. Being the ones that were first on the scene they get to go first and their testimonies should serve as a baseline for the events that happened.

This is just normal procedure.

"Miss Eberhardt, if you'd take charge of securing some empty quarters, we will place crew from this and surrounding sections by themselves until we are able to take statements."

"Aye, Captain." With a nod, your XO begins searching through her dataslate.

"Mr Edwards." You turn toward the man that helped you fell that massive beast upon Wilson's Refuge, looking over his voidsuit and the faceplate that now hides him from your view. "As the first men on scene, I'll need your men to provide individual statements, which we'll then use to vet statements from crew in the area. Mr Keller will assign a detail to escort you and your men once quarters are located, where you will then be examined by someone from medicae. I don't need something in the blood of those Brinicans getting my crew sick. You'll be confined to those quarters until interviews are complete."

"That doesn't sound too fair, boss. This what we get for doing our job?" says Edwards. A few of the men with him grumble as well.

"I can make it an order, Mr Edwards."

"Yes, Captain Aurex." Edwards offers a lazy salute favored by most of the ship's armsmen, and you're certain he's grumbling as he is finally led away a few minutes later.

"Captain, you sure a pair of jackass Brinicans are worth a witch hunt among the crew? They're not even one of us." says Keller, once most of those gathered are out of earshot. You notice that Elise and Father Enes both seem to have caught the question from your Master-at-Arms.

>What say?

>Investigation Orders?

>Talk to Miss Tiereea
>Give orders to someone?
>Consult Father Enes?
>Other?

>>34161548
"We don't know why they were killed. If we leave this as it is, who knows if it will escalate."

Talk to Miss Tiereea and see what she has to say before we begin questioning.

>>34161548
Normally the crew takes care of itself in it's own way without "too" much interfeerance from us, but this is about the death of two who had been killed under our roof while they were our "guests".

Another is to make absolutely sure this isn't something much darker. The cutting off of heads is a particular way to kill someone.

>>Talk to Miss Tiereea
>Consult Father Enes?

>>34162290
Sounds good to me.

"We don't know why they were killed. If we leave this as it is, who knows if it will escalate."

Keller doesn't seem too pleased by the answer, but he has the sense not to question you further.

"Miss Tiereea, I take it you have something to add to our investigation?"

The savage woman's eyes narrow at your words, but she points toward the blood and then runs her finger across each of her cheeks and forehead, as if marking herself with a double set of horns. "Equijo Ocha"

"I'm sorry?"

"E-qui-jo O-ch-a" says Tiereea, repeating the markings upon her face.

>Orders?

>>34162987
"U wot m8?"

"I'm guessing thats the name of our "blood spirit"? What can you tell us about it?"

>>34162987
"Can you tell me more about what you mean?"

Watch Edwards has painted his face up in blood and all we need to do is de-mask him.

>>34163102
>>34163222
I should probably throw out the reminder that Miss Tiereea has been hiding the fact that she comprehends and speaks gothic from the majority of your crew.

In theory, only you and Miss Alekto are aware of this, and you're with quite a few other people.

This is a chance to either end the charade, or allow it to continue.

>>34163391
Point. Ask Miss Alekto to see if she can converse with Miss Tiereea via her mind then? Psyker's cheat. Who are they to question how she understands her.

>>34163422
Sounds like a good compromise to me.

Have Miss Alekto to "translate" for us.

This is getting to be bothersome, but you indulge Miss Tiereea's little charade a while longer.

"Miss Alekto, could you use your abilities to give us a translated version of Miss Tiereea's thoughts?"

"I shall try, Captain Aurex." The astropath rolls her head about as if trying to work a kink from her neck, then carefully places her hands upon either side of the other woman's head. Tiereea cringes at the action, but allows it as the psyker begins to hum a soft, oscillating tune, specifically the one you found her singing in the odd chamber upon Wilson's Refuge.

"She smells a blood devil upon Mr. Edwards, Captain. She believes it seeks to consume him and... oh, my." Miss Alekto breaks contact with the savage woman, bringing a hand to cover her mouth. "My apologies, Captain. Her mind seems to have wandered."

Miss Tiereea offers you a victorious grin.

>Orders?

>>34164133
Miss Tiereea derailed her train of thought into lewd things, possibly relating to Percius, didn't she?

Confer with Father Enes and Miss Alekto. Is it possible he was possessed and is there any way we can deal with it if so?

>>34164296
Blahd Demons is srs bsns and I'm thinking fire might make things better

>>34164296
It is entirely possible she did that.

If this "blood spirit" is responsible it will need to be dealt with. If her people know about such things maybe they can deal with them also.

Otherwise we might have to consult the father with this information and hope that fire isn't involved with clearing such spirit away.

"Does she know of any methods to deal with these blood devils?"

"Slay those consumed or appeal to the spirits of her home world" says the astropath. "I suspect the latter isn't of much use to us."

"I take it much of her knowledge of such matters is likewise limited to her home world." After a moment's thought, you turn to Father Enes. "Care to add anything to this, Father?"

The preacher takes a sip of the flask from his hip, cradling the Iron Monk staff in the crook of his arm. "Taint can only be purged by faith and fire, Captain Aurex. Corruption will seek the weak and take root. Of those strong of body, it will seek a weak mind. Of those of strong will, it will seek weak flesh. Armour yourself in contempt, arm yourself with hatred, and draw strength from your faith."

"That sounds like you've had it prepared for a while, Father" says Elise.

"I simply accept the truth of this universe, Miss."

"None of that answers my question, Father Enes."

"I have added what I know. If Taint has taken root, the only option is to destroy it before it may spread." Enes takes another sip of his flask.

>Orders?

>>34165491
Not much else we can do but question those we've detained. Unless we find out Edwards is just cray cray and not warp tainted, we might have to off him.

>>34165920

Anything specific to ask?

>>34166096
If we can, I'd want to question them individually. Ask them what they saw when they found the body. If they noticed anything, who found the body, what they were doing prior to finding the body (eg did Edwards go "hey guiz check dis out" or was he leading them somewhere by chance/on patrol?). Probably not going to find much but there's a chance Edwards might have got sloppy and given us something to call him out on. Unless we just take a gamble and ask to check his bladed weapons or accuse him outright.

>>34166096
What he was doing near this part of the ship.
His daily routine.
Normal Patrol routes if any

Same thing for the rest of the men and maybe to check their weapons

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>34166247
>>34166326

best of 2 rolls for questioning

roll 1d100

Rolled 90 (1d100)

>>34166992
Here goes nothing.

Rolled 70 (1d100)

>>34166992
I ain't scared.

>>34167008
>>34167059
Well... Fuck

It takes several hours to question each man in turn, verify that their words are recorded correctly, and then compare all of them to each other with your little team of detectives.

Leaning back and trying your damnedest to not throw something across the room, you look at the ceiling. "There isn't a single hole in their collective story, beyond what they had for breakfast."

"They could all be responsible" says Enes.

"Or we're looking at the wrong people. We're not... you know," Elise looks behind herself and at each doorway, a hand on her sidearm. "Them."

"Mr Edwards would at least be guilty of wasting out time, if we were." Enes fiddles with a simple Aquila pendant, running a thumb over the double-headed eagle.

"So let me get this straight" says Keller, leaning over the table and gesturing with his knife. "The Captain's bed-warmer thinks Hugh smells like some sort of evil spirit, so he must be responsible for the killings, since his team found the bodies while the blood was still wet and the bodies warm, and we can't find anyone that was less than five sections away when we think they were killed. Nor do we have anything from their own statements that we can find a hole in, and they say they did a standard five man sweep of the section, finding the bodies as they were about to move on to the next. None of them have a clue how the heads got where they did, nor did they see anything. And the only real clues we have are that someone used a blade to behead the folks alive before they put the heads into a void-sealed bag that we could probably find in any given crewman's quarters or personal storage. Oh, and we think the killer was wearing a voidsuit, or the gloves from one."

"Sounds about right" you admit, "but don't forget that another armsman had the bright idea to decontaminate Hugh and his team because there were some blood drops on them and they stepped all over the murder scene. And all but one had started to clean their kit by the time we questioned them."

>>34168128

"Well fuck, couldn't miss witch here just tear the information from them if they were guilty?"

"I am not a witch!" says Miss Alekto, pounding the table. "I have been trained, bound unto the Emperor's light and sanctioned as an astropath in his service!"

"We have more important matters than those of philosophy over sanctioned psykers and psykic powers, may we please remained focused?" pleads Father Enes.

>Orders?

>>34168165
Ask Alekto if there's anything she can do to help using her powers if not I say we just keep an eye on Eddie and his boys

>>34168165
Well fuck. I'm hesitant to just act on the information Tiereea gave us since it'd be bad for morale without real justification. Unless someone can come up with another lead, we might just have to monitor him for now. Or we take the bigger gamble and just accuse Edwards in a one on one conversation. Perhaps bluff that Alekto was able to get the information from him while we were doing our investigations and see how he reacts to that.

>>34168375
>>34168378
Going to have to agree.

I immensely dislike the thought of having one of our people being "under the influence" as it were, but if we can't prove it I don't just want to condemn them because of what one person says.

If Miss Alekto isn't able to help us we will just have to keep an eye on them.

(Even with the evidence I seriously hope it isn't Edward. We hunted together and everything!)

>>34168560
>tfw we were his true prey

>>34168165
We should probably defend Alekto a little too. That's not cool, Keller.

"Miss Alekto, could your powers assist us in this task?"

"My gifts," she lays quite a bit of emphasis upon the word, turning away from Keller "are not suitable to such things. I can read coarse emotions, send my voice into unguarded minds, and when a person puts effort into it, read surface thoughts or visualizations. With the exception of astrotelepathy, I have no further abilities. What is not forcefully offered is beyond my ability to obtain."

"You saw that chameleonic creature upon Wilson's Refuge."

"As I said then, Captain. The Emperor may have taken my eyes, but he did not take my ability to see."

>>34169907
Is this a wat do?

>>34170048
Yes, though I think if there are no concrete actions to be taken I'll call it here for the week.

>>34170197
While I trust Tiereea's claims about who did it, acting on them now will only cause worse morale issues unless we have proof. Not getting any leads from questioning means we should probably wait and see with some careful monitoring.

Although I am very tempted to say we try to bluff Edward into giving himself away by using Alekto's powers on why we're accusing him. He doesn't know what she can do. If enough people support it, I say we go for the bluff in questioning him directly. Otherwise, I suppose it will have to be called here.

Next thread Tuesday (I think/hope!)

>>34171643
See you next week, MS. Glad to see you back.