Only War – RPG/TRPG Session
Run by Will
Imperial Guards;
Baine Bravith – Jason (jymmijamz)
Jools (NPC) – Chris (alcoholandaphorisms)
Hans ‘Loki’ Lokisson – Me
Odetta – Tanja
(Write-up by Chris)
EPISODE TWELVE
The fiery immolation that moments ago was Father Deimos bursts up through the ceiling of the chamber, passing without mark. All that is left is the charred skeleton of Deimos piled in the centre of the chamber. Deimos’ squad mate Jools looks to the Ogryn Baine open mouthed at the murder the Ogryn has just done. Jops, Jools and Baine are silent for moments. Silent at the final sacrifice made to the god emperor, one of millions made every day.
“Saints have mercy, that was like the tales of the past. Like the sacred throne of holy Terra” Jools mutters.
Baine just shrugs, shoulders his ripper gun and walks out of the chamber, silently smiling to himself. The priest is dead now, by his hand
Jops approaches, slightly worried “Baine. BAINE! I don’t want to be a downer, but what do we say to the others?”
“He died in combat” Baine grunts
“Well he certainly did that, but I don’t think Jools will go along with saying it was the orks.”
“Never said orks. Said died in combat” Baine replies.
As the two walk amongst the mess of human rioter and xenos corpses it slowly dawns upon them. There is not a living soul to be seen
“Why no more fighting?” Baine grumbles
The answer is a groan of pain in the distance, what sounds like xenos death throes .
“Did you hear a noise” Baine says “Maybe we should look?”
“Well we could look.” Jops offers “Or we could get the hell out of dodge”
“We should get out of here” Jools voice says as he rejoins them “No good sticking our nose where it’s not wanted”
Another groan of pain rises in the distance
“and I, for one did not hear that” Jools says as he starts heading to the exit. There they separate, Jops and Baine heading to investigate the noise as Jools heads to the exit. As he walks he wraps a chain around his las carbine, a chain he took from the burnt pile that once was Deimos, a skull on the end of the chain. One surely a holy relic by now. The door is blocked and barricaded, moving not an inch as Jools pushes it.
“OI.” Jools clonks the but of his rifle against the door twice “Open t’door!”
Outside Loki stands watching the door, weapon raised.
“Everything is fookin’ weird in here” Jools continues “Everything’s fookin dead.”
Another silence.
“You are going to make me climb t’fooking steps aren’t you? Damnit. I’ll see you in a minute”and with that Jools starts the long walk to the top of the tower, to grav jump down on the other side.
Meanwhile Baine is closing in on the sound of orkish screams of pain. In the midst of a small chapel room a xeno with skin charred black writhes. Around them the sacred runes once desecrated now form back to their original splendour. Baine watches the orks pain for a few moments. The greenskin is in so much agony that it is not even aware of their presence. Then, in a show of rare mercy, Baine lifts his mighty chopper and embeds it in the xenos’ skull, ending its pain.
That done, Baine and Jops head back to the gateway off the monolith, to be confronted by the barred gates, just as Jools was. Baine shoves then shoulder barges the door. By second impact the barricades splinter then fall before the Ogryns strength. Just as he has shoved a large enough gap to reach his arm through Baine is met by a wave of flame from the other side.
Loki stands there, flamer up, unleashing it upon whatever has broken through the barricade he has set up. Screaming in pain, Jops and Baine collapse to the floor as the flame flickers over them. Hearing human screams, Loki releases the flamers trigger and watches to see what happens next.
After agonising minutes Baine stands again, skin burnt, but mostly intact. Jops badly off, and with patches of hair missing. The flames finally died out.
“Hold fire. It Baine. Don’t shoot Baine. Don’t burn Baine”
“Baine supposed to be jumping from top of Monolith not use door” Loki replies.
The sound of a massive hand slapping against its forehead signals Baines sudden realisation of what the original plan was. Tearing the doors from the hinges he steps out to rejoin Loki.
Moments later Jools hurtles from the monolith banisters, riding the grav waves down to the ground. On landing he heads over to the others, throwing a salute
“Private Jools reporting for duty” he says, glancing at the charred Ogryn.
“Where’s Deimos” Loki asks
“You don’t know?” Jools replies “Thought that was why you were burning the Ogryn. We had bit of a weird one in there. Ton of xenos around and warp shit going on, so Deimos poured flamer fuel over himself. Tried setting himself on fire. He couldn’t so he called the mutant a big girls blouse until the Ogryn murdered him. Which caused a big flame saint thing in the thrones name. So anyway, I thought you were flaming him for killing the priest”
Loki looks over at Baine “Really? I see”
“Aye. Though I figure he was just doing what we expect. Being a mutant and all.” Jools says “Bit stupid but he kills stuff when we need him to. Guess he did the job we needed in that way”
With a shrug Loki starts walking back towards the exit “Aye. That’s what I thought as well”
The next problem the Hadeon 13 squad faces is both more simple, and more permanently blocking their progress. The map lists their exit zone in High Gothic. A language none of the group can read. Slowly they start their way hiking back to where they last saw the refugees. Maybe some are still loyal to the emperor and can translate for them. Failing that one that isn’t loyal but is susceptible to torture will do. By the time they reach the landing site where they encountered the others the sun is long below the horizon. The ruins around are dark uninviting places, easy lairs for trip wires and other such traps.
Thus the squad hunker down in what shelter they can, watching in shifts until daylight comes again and they can explore in relative security. Loki stands first, watching the night for signs of greenskin or rebellious locals. As his shift comes to an end without incident he moves to the slumbering bulk of Baine.
“Your shift”
Baine just rolls over in his sleep
“I said your shift” Loki slams the butt of the flamer down on Baine’s head to emphasise his point. Baine’s arm snaps round, muscles shifting and tensing as it slams down inches away from where Loki once stood. As Loki finds his feet again from leaping back he slams down the trigger on the flamer, and the night vanishes before the wave of flame that roars out from its barrel.
As night becomes day and screams of pain mix with the roaring of promethium Jools snaps awake, hand scrabbling for his las carbine. By the time his mind has caught up with his body he is already kneeling and sighting down the carbines sights towards the burning figure, finger taking first pressure on the trigger.
“It’s your watch you bastard” Loki says causing Jools to pause. That isn’t the usual thing to say when fighting xenos. Confused Jools looks back to the burning screaming mass. Eventually he recognises the shape of Baine through the flames. With this realisation he pats his satchel, pulling out some goopy glucose stacks from the rations and affixes them on the end of a stick. This done he holds the glucose snacks over the flame upon Baine to cook, and then hands one to Loki to eat, consuming the other himself.
Finally as the two enjoy their treat, the flames go out, leaving a charred Baine, with bare remaining armour and uniform, lying in front of them.
“Why you burn me?” He says with a pitiful sound to his voice.
“Good question” Jools answers “Why did we burn him this time?”
“You forgot your watch” Loki says
“No one told me” Baine complains
“Burn him again” Jools says, causing Baine to push himself to his feet, lower lip out and quivering.
“I go on watch now”
Loki just shrugs as Jools looks over to Jops
“Why didn’t you keep him under control. I know he’s hard work lad but for fooks sake”
“I would if I had been woken first” Jops answers
The drama done, all but Baine settle back down to sleep as the Ogryn paces, distracted by stars and flashing lights at regular intervals. The sky brightens despite the long set sun, the Monolith shining in the distance, flaring for a moment a sheet of lightning passing from it and disappearing in the distance, leaving the sky dark once more.
Jops glances over “Hey, think that was the orks up to something over there?”
“No. Think it a lightning storm”
“Nah. Wasn’t lighting, cos there was no thunder. You get that with lightning, or you did back home”
“This not home” Baine says
“Good point. I still don’t like it”
The rest of the watch passes silently until Baine shuffles over and prods Jools awake with his foot. Yawning Jools rises
“Ah, there you are lad. Anything interesting on your shift?”
“Lightning storm”
“Aye?” Jool says, surprised “Can’t say I heard it, right well get your head down for a few hours. I promise I won’t stomp on it”
Jools wanders, spying some fungus sprouting up from the ground around them. Different to the ones they encountered before, but still he takes a branch from the fire and applies it, just to be safe. Soon enough day breaks. Jools swears he was nowhere near it at the time. As the rest of the troop rises he greets them
“Right lads, I think we should get moving. Long day ahead of us”
“Right, we need to find someone who can read this” Loki replies, holding the pick up point details in the air.
“Bloody typical innit. T’posh nobs assume we are are like them. Can read high gothic with our noses stuck in the air.”
“Yeah, bloody idiots. Like Ogyrns”
“Aye, glad we aint dumb like Ogryns” Jools agrees, the footsteps of Baine just behind him as he speaks.
Following the footsteps of refugees before them the squad move double time down the roads and soon come across bodies, people who have fallen of festering wounds by the roadside. Unburied, just turned and placed in ceremonial positions to rot.
Hours later they come across more bodies, pale bodies. Ones who died quick of bloodless and relentless wounds. Weapons up the squad watches the tree line for signs of ambush when Jools suddenly swears loudly.
“Throning twattery! We are going the wrong way. These are the people who died in the initial assault. The refugees moved away from this!”
“Might as well continue on “Loki says “We are near the city, may find something we need there”
Weapons up they progress, keeping to the cover of the terraced dwellings that rise six stories tall on either side, encapsulating their entrance to the sacked city. Man made canyons that draw them down to where the killing took place.
“Right lads, guess we are looking for survivors who can read or flares to signal for help” Jools says “Oh, and anything with a red light. Been bloody ages since I’ve had a hand shank, been getting my murder on past few days and feeling right randy now”
The squad splits, examining ruins and alleyway for any clues on where what they need may lie. Loki and Jools spy a number of cables running along the window ridges and a seal that Loki could swear is that of the Adeptus Mechanicus. “Vox maybe?” Loki asks
“Could well be”
The ruminations are halted by Baine’s voice booming over the micro bead
“FOUND IT”
Sprinting back the squad find Baine stood before a building marked with some sort of ancient sigil. The building is ransacked, a huge desk tossed through the ruined double doors that once were the entrance.
“Right lad, what have you found here?” Jools asks
“What we looking for. Vox. Here”
A distinct smell wafts through the ruined doors. That of fungus and the stench of ork blood.
“I tell you” Jools says “All my nipples are tingling with hate right now. I’m so hard to kill xenos I could spit”
Shoulders dropping, disappointed Loki just storms away “Oh for fucks sake”
“What’s wrong lad?”
“We’re wasting time, we don’t need more conflict”
“Listen, orks may have holed up in the coms centre. I’m going to have a look in”
Thus as Loki storms off Baine and Jools head in carefully, low behind what cover they can find. Well, Jools does, Baine stomps in with wild abandon, tossing the door from his way. Baine has reached but three steps in when two balls of flesh and movement like greased lightning leap down upon him. Teeth biting and gouging where they can.
Two more leap, bouncing balls of teeth that plunge towards towards Jools. Smacking one back with the butt of the las carbine Jools brings it up and ready to fire, sinking three rounds out at point blank range, two punching a hole through and the third cauterising the massive wound before the creature can hit the ground, dead. The second creature pauses as Jools growls
“If you don’t piss off I am gunna fuck ye to death”
Roaring Baine tries to pluck the biting leaping creatures from him, their teeth embedded in the remnants of his armour. Finally tossing one loose and embedding the chopper in it as it falls towards the ground.
Pinning the bouncing greenskin to the ground with the barrel of his gun Jools lets loose another burst, tearing a ragged hole in the side of the creature. Leg broken it tries to hop away, and is cut down by a final burst into its back. Turning back to the fray Jool spies Baine lifting the final one above his head and tearing it in two. With a smile Jools activates his micro bead and reports in
“Four contacts. Four slotted. Job’s a good ‘un”
The report is cut short by a pained groaning in the back of the building. Non ork groaning. The two, Baine and Jools, advance carefully, Jools shouting out as he approaches
“Right there lad or lass, in a minute your going to see something big, ugly and scary come around t’corner, and an Ogryn as well. Don’t panic we are here to help
They turn the corner to see a mutilated human form, so badly wounded that the gender is not immediately obvious. Blood and rank aroma all around, the pained figure reaching out mournfully.
“Don’t think much of yours” Jools mutters.
GAMING TALES 