Space Marine Applicant Quest #4

>>311379
Im ready Brother, may the Emperor grace us with his Guidance this day

>>311379

You've narrowly escaped death more than once already: the plinth that might have severed your arm in a test of faith, the narrow escape from the caves with monstrous xenos in hot pursuit. Shaking your head as you stumble down a dark sand-dune, you realize that not even an hour ago, you fell out of the sky on a flaming jet, and you're only sore - the bleeding from your scrapes stopped before you could even bandage properly, your blood bright red even in the dusk of Carcerum.

The gene-seed is truly stronger than you could have ever believed. Your new form is seemingly not of this world - stronger, than you could have ever imagined. And yet the process has only just started. You have many more implants to go, or so Apothecary Fatho has stated. You can only imagine what bizarre powers you will come to master as you become a full Brother of the Horned Lions.

Nonetheless, you stay alert as best you can with weariness setting into your bones. You've been marching previously so far in your journey - almost at a jog, but you can tell that you're nearing even your more-than-human limits. If you want to keep pushing yourself, it's going to be draining you. And all the while, the chronometer is ticking gently down to 100 hours. You haven't the slightest idea what will happen when the timer reaches zero, but you're not sure you want to find out. You don't take Karlat to be a forgiving trainer. Best not to disappoint, if you can manage.

Your gaze flicks over the horizon - but nothing sighted yet. You keep walking and try to stay focused.

>roll me a 1d10 for your permanent Toughness bonus, /qst/
>roll me a d100 for navigation at you attempt to walk east with no landmarks in the darkness
>roll me a 1d100 for other things

>so a 1d10 and 2d100 total

Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>311411
here's our buff boost

Rolled 63, 39 = 102 (2d100)

>>311411
and now the rest. May the Emperor let me roll low, unlike last thread where Kek attempted to lead us astray

Rolled 47, 36, 58, 49 = 190 (4d100)

>>311421

>total toughness is now 37;

rolling for the remainder to move things along. Kek, you keep your dirty hands off these dice

>>311435
*prays internally*

>>311435

>1 DoF on navigation

You keep checking the horizon, but with the sun of Carcerum set, you have little landmarks to go on. You're used to darkness, having grown up in the Underhive, but not the vast landscape that surrounds you. You've simply never been outdoors in the sense, and so despite your best efforts, you simply can't be sure you're keeping to the east. You're smart enough to know that if you're not confident, then it's likely that you're drifting to one direction or another, but you're afraid to overcorrect and make the situation worse.

As you pass over yet another identical sand dune, you throw your gaze out to all four corners of the desert, but they may as well be identical in the darkening skyline. You're not terrified yet, but there is a sinking pit of despair in your gut: lost in the desert does not seem a clean death to you.

A stray thought seems to catch your mind momentarily - the bolt pistol could be used to prevent your suffering, in the worst situation. You grunt in disgust before continuing down the hillside. Thoughts like these are idle madness. Worse, Karlat would be disappointed in such shameful fantasies. After another hour of depressing thoughts and aimless marching, you're considerably more desperate.

>what do, /qst/?

>climb to the top of the tallest nearby sand dune and try to get your bearings
>pray to the emperor for guidance
>write-in

>>311463
>>climb to the top of the tallest nearby sand dune and try to get your bearings
Let's hope there's some moonlight left to go by.

>>311476

>checking notes to see if Carcerum does, in fact, have a moon

Using the subsector generation tool was a good idea after all

>>311487

>Carcerum has 19 moons

Jesus, how could I have forgotten?

If there's no objection, Finial will ascend to the top of the nearest hill and have a serious look around.

>give me 2d100 please, first is Int, second is Navigation

Rolled 9, 25 = 34 (2d100)

>>311496
Damn, that's gotta be some illumination at night.

>>311507
Shit.

>>311496
I have returned brother, Vigilantly answering your call! WE SHALL ROLL TONIGHT! FOR THE EMPEROR!

>>311507
those are good roles, lower the better,

Rolled 34, 50 = 84 (2d100)

>>311507
>>311513

Rolling another set.

I should be more clear, most action roles have a best of three mechanic.

>>311463
Malgar! Welcome back friend-o-!

>>311520
oh whoops.

Rolled 24, 82 = 106 (2d100)

>>311496

>>311507
The Moon's Guide us brother, the Emperor has opened a clear path for us ahead.

>>311463

Oh shit, almost missed this again. Let us make it through this trial together brothers

>>311507
>>311527
>>311530

>9 and 25 are the best ones
>4 degrees of success on both checks
>Finial is the smartest initiate in a long time, apparently

Realizing the fruitless nature of your wandering, you decide to change tactics - you find the nearest sand dune, and once you've ascended it, you peer out over the surrounding area to find the tallest sand dune. Spotting it directly to the north, you spend a fast few minutes climbing over to the second peak.

You kneel, breathing heavily as you get your bearings. You examine the horizon once again, but you simply can't tell the difference between the desert no matter where you look. In frustration, you roll your head back, and look above. At first, the stars and lights you see are just another landscape to your mind. All this time, you had been thinking of the sky as just another ceiling. In the Underhive, flashing lights and sparking wires often sparkled in the distance.

You see now what a mistake you've making.

The huge crescent shapes you see hanging in the inky void are not simply oddly shaped clouds, as you first imagined. They're real objects. They're real places. In the largest one, a kind of yellowish saucer, you see the markings of craters and valleys - rivers, maybe. Land! It's another world, smaller than Carcerum, but still a world.

Looking wildly across the sky, you see more - at least six more than you can see with your naked eye, although the smallest ones, towards the horizon, are blurry and hard to make out. You stare in wonder at you realize that these other worlds are somehow hanging above you, whirling in the night. Hanging above you! The realization strikes you at once - you could steer by the worlds above you in the night sky. Thinking back to the initial part of your wandering, you realize that you had started by walking with your back to the largest of the strange worlds, and between the four and fifth shapes, both a sickly green. In your haste, you had turned somewhat too far to the south - wherever the plinth is, you reason, you must turn northeast to make up the distance. Hurried and with a clear mind, you leap down the sand dune to correct your error and set your direction appropriately.

>hurry or march slowly? Hurrying will undo your previous time wasting, but you'll have to pass -10 Toughness check to avoid a point of fatigue damage

>>311576
Let's hurry. We're pretty tough for an aspirant.

>>311576
>hurry
Gotta go fast.

>>311586
*initiate sorry.

>>311586
>>311590

Sounds good enough to me - roll me a 1d100, best of three. We're shooting to beat a 37.

Rolled 71 (1d100)

>>311600
Dang. Alright, here's to our knees.

Rolled 36 (1d100)

>>311600
Guide our steps

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>>311607

>36
>37
>36
>passed

>>311607
Well done.

Rolled 14, 37, 10 = 61 (3d100)

>>311600

>>311620
Shiiit hit the wrong autofill

>>311613

With a clear heading, you seem to fall into a steady rhythm - snaking around the largest sand dunes, you find easier paths to manage. With the worlds above you for guidance, you become less fearful of losing your way, and more concerned about keeping your pace. You had lost some time in the earlier part of your travels, but now you're determined to make up that pace.

The first hour passes by without much effort, but soon you're feeling a tad winded once again - it seems that willpower alone can't sustain you forever, even in your amazing new form. Crossing over the next hill, you immediately see the next plinth, despite its distance to you.

It's massive - much larger than the others, it rises over a particularly flat area of scrubland and at its tip, a large beacon flares in the dark. You see now that this portion of the Hunt was truly to test your determination - crossing the wasteland will little to go on and worry gnawing at your resolve. Unlike the other checkpoints you've crossed, there was no attempt to hide or conceal this one's location. You could hardly miss it, even if you had been several kilometers off to either side. Despite this, you feel relieved that you have corrected your course - you're confident that you saved quite a bit of time and energy by coming across this fifth plinth in the most expedient manner.

It takes a surprisingly long time to approach - the clear air of the desert night seems to magnify the object somehow, and you find that it's farther than you anticipated.

Still, you reach the plinth just as the chronometer ticks over - 84 hours remaining. You don't quite feel rejuvenated, but you're in considerably better shape than you thought, despite your shredded skin and painful thirst. These earthly concerns fade as you gaze upon the reflective steel of the Fifth Plinth, in awe of the sheer size. It must stretch at least 30 meters tall, and the forward part of the cylinder has been flattened into a plane. The engraving is magnificently detailed and intricately etched with care. The scene reminds you of the tapestries in the Chapel of the Shadowed Lair.

>cont

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>>311671

In burnished steel, you see the glorious form of the Emperor, slumped in His Mighty Throne. Surrounding him are endless and many angels of various types - heroes from lost ages and servants of all shapes and details. Despite his emaciated appearance, there is a subtle glow of power and warmth that He radiates - the closest figures to him have entrancing looks of pure ecstasy, and the farther ones seem to be directly beams of his power across the steel in deep grooves. The grooves pulse with a subtle light, flowing upwards to a radiant glowlamp that shines almost as brightly as the sun, this close up. Your shadow seems to be carved in relief, as you stand motionlessly observing the plinth.

The inscription below the Emperor's Throne reads: HIS SACRIFICE GUIDES US ALL.

And you see that at chest height, at the very base of the plinth, there is a small platform - almost a desk, that has been built into the steel.

>examine area
>examine base of plinth
>pray for guidance
>write-in

>>311728
>>pray for guidance
GUIDE US EMPRAH!

>>311728
>>pray for guidance

>>311728
>>pray for guidance
As He serves Man, so do we serve the Emperor.

>>311728
>>examine base of plinth
>pray for guidance
Are there any grooves that look like to could you to climb?...
>examine area
Anything of note?

>>311728

>Pray for guidance

We really need to find some water

>>311728
>write-in
> pray to know what's in the base of the plinth.

Shall we put the candle there?

>>311728

You kneel, and in simple words – you give your thanks in prayer to the carved image of the Emperor before you. In view of such a glorious display, your prayers are more zealous than ever before. And something new – a kernel of joy seem to open in your dual hearts, spreading through your limbs. When it reaches your face, you're shocked to feel a single tear roll down your cheek, your hearts swelling with pride, love, joy and determination: determine to serve Him will all your loyalty, with no doubt or reservation in your service. His continued rule of the Imperium is a miracle itself, and so you too must commit yourself to performing miracles in his name.

Breathing deeply, you rise to your feet, feeling at peace with your path and your future. You believe in your role, and with the warmth flowing through your body, you can feel it growing roots in your new form. If you wanted to, you could welcome it – or if you so desired, push it away.

>Finial has become Joyous in his Faith to the Emperor: he is proud and eager to serve, happy in duty and happiest in service to Him on Terra.
>This has hidden mechanical benefits and disadvantages – other faith-based demeanors have different bonuses and penalties
>Consider this a plot-unlock given Finial's past behavior on the Hunt.
>do you accept this gift? Y/N
>Other plot-based faith mechanics will be revealed over time, and switching will be possible.

>>311777
>Y

>>311777
>Y!

>>311777
>Y
I guess we're Thaddeus now?

>>311787
>>311792
>>311798

I'm going to wait for another five minutes or so, just in case HERETICS AND BLASPHEMERS wish to make their case

>>311777
>>Y

>>311802

>mkay, Joyous Faith trait locked in kids

The warmth settles in your bones and mind - and in a few seconds, fades almost entirely. A trace remains, and you know instinctively that when called upon, it will rise to meet your needs.

Staring at the Fifth Plinth though, you realize that you still do not have much to go on - there are no immediate directions to the next plinth, but you're sure that you must do something here - but what?

>examine plinth again
>examine base of plinth, where the small desk is
>examine the grounds of the Fifth Plinth
>write-in

>>311831
>>examine base of plinth, where the small desk is

>>311831
>>examine base of plinth, where the small desk is
locked in for now, you mean.

>>311831
>examine base of plinth, where the small desk is

>>311844
>the desk looks like a great place to rest, sit on it.

>>311851
>implying a great Space Marine needs to nap

>>311831

>examine the plinth again

Just to mix it up, though I figure we can do a look around it and then focus on the desk

>>311831

Stepping forwards, you approach the desk. At chest height for you, it's actuallly quite narrow. Perhaps more of a shelf? At any rate, you brush your hands lightly over the steel to find that it's pleasantly warm - this close to the body of the plinth, you can also detect a low rumble, almost out of earshot. Whatever engine directs the light that beams forth from the top of the plinth, it whispers smooth power to you; a velvet thrum at the edge of your senses.

On the shelf, there is a small circular tube that stands upright, it could perhaps hold a small object - to the left, a thin slit into the desk, you're not sure what it does. To the right, there is a small hole that leads into the plinth - totally dark, as far as you can tell.

Engraved in tiny letters over the depression, an inscription reads: FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE.

You peer at the three objects again, in puzzlement. You're not sure how to proceed.

>write-in

>>311882

>over the depression

Derp, this should read "over the small circular tube". Sorry about that.

>>311882
place the chronometer inside the tube?

>>311882

I figure we put the candle in the tube, but for the other two I have no idea

>>311882
Examine the plinth again. Let's see if we can find any more clues.

>>311882
Candle in tube, Chronometer in slit of desk, walk into the hole?

>>311882
>Put candle in the slot/tube bit
anyone any ideas?

>>311898
Thats all I can think of really?

>>311898
+1 this'n

>>311899
>>311898
>>311897
>>311891
>>311890
>>311889
Time to kill our son, then sit on the plith while asking for a thousand psykers each day for sacrifice.

>>311908
seems legit

>>311908

Let's do it. Kek bless us

>>311908
Then guide a massive psychic lighthouse with our brain, while clenching shut a warp portal with our asscheeks.

>>311899

The hole is really small, I should have been clearer. Maybe only a few centimeters wide.

>>311908

>shush you, filthy heretic

>>311898
>>311899

>start shoving our personal belongings into tiny crevices
> ;)

You empty your pockets onto the shelf, and examining the chronometer, you first attempt to slide into the slit on the shelf somehow. Unfortunately, the chronometer is just a tad too broad - it just won't fit entirely inside, although you can kind of push the very lip of the timekeeping device in there. Leaving the chronometer for now, you gently place the candle in the upright tube.

A-ha! When you do so, a small jet of flame begins burning from the hole in the side of the plinth. There's a problem though - you immediately attempt to remove the candle so you can light it on the flame, but when you lift it up, the fire goes out. The flame is only there when the candle is in the tube, it seems.

>any thoughts on how to beat the puzzle, /qst/?

>>311936
can the chronometer fit into the hole?
Also examine the plinth and the grounds around it too.

>>311936
use a little of our ragged clothes to start the fire? then light the candle with it?

>>311936
We find something else that burns and transfer the fire over, or we see if other things make the fire emerge. I'm going to go with the first one. Take off an article of clothing and burn it, then move the burning stuff over and light the candle.

>>311936
Needs to be grimdark, Let's try to CARRY THE FLAME TO THE CANDLE.

>>311945
>>311946
Yeah transferring the flame was my first thought. That.

>>311936
maybe it has something to do with the image. Follow his example, The lights goes towards the lamp... can we light the candle using that lamp?

>>311945
>>311946

>ding ding ding

You think a bit more - and finally you decide to tear a scrap of fabric off of your gray initiate's robe. At this point in your journey, it's considerably more damaged and frayed than it once was, and filthy, besides. You gently hold the fabric against the flame, and patiently wait - in a few seconds, the fabric is lit. You carefully move the ignited fabric to light the candle and do so successfully. You pause expectantly for a few moments, waiting for something to happen, as the fragrant scent of the candle rises into the air.

With a whirring, a piece of parchment ejects from the thin slit, crumpling somewhat on the chronometer that you had left on the desk. So it was meant for things to come out, instead of go in. At any rate, you examine the paper. It reads: GUIDE HIS BENEVOLENCE TO THE WORTHY.

"Hmm," you grunt dryly. A shame that every step must be a riddle, you think to yourself.

Roll me a d100, best of three /qst/

Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>311973
Brace Brothers

Rolled 71 (1d100)

>>311973

Rolled 53 (1d100)

>>311973

Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>311973
Rolling for new robes.

Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>311973

>>311977

Nice

>>311977

>19, nice!!
>2 degrees of success here, I didn't think you guys were going to get this one.

Holding the paper aloft, you notice something unusual - there seems to be a shadow within the parchment, somehow, or some darker piece within the material.

You carefully hold the parchment against the light of the flame, and you see another message written within the parchment somehow - against the light of the flame, you can barely make out a shadowed message. It reads:

BURN AWAY YOUR DOUBTS

>well, what do /qst/?

>>311994
TIME TO FIND A HERETIC AND BURN HIM A FLAMER

>>311994
Put our hand in the fire. Alternatively put the chronometer in the fire.

>>312001
In this order the emperor protects brothers.

>>311994

Put the paper in the fire?

>>311994
Left hand, over the flame with the cronometer held in hand. Let the flame heat the chronometer and sear us.

>>312008
....sure why not...we got nothing else to burn...though how would that activate a device?

>>312013
Who knows, man. I'm struggling to figure out how any of this works.

>>312016
burn the parchment too?

>>312021
should we just grab the candle and go inside the plinth?

>>312021
Why not? If none of this works maybe we can be like the Tibetans and burn ourselves.

>>312004
>>312001
>>312008

Not quite sure what to do, you hold out your open hand over the flame at first - the flame quickly begins to burn at your skin, but as the seconds pass and the pain builds, you're not sure if you're achieving anything. You remove your hand when it becomes apparent that nothing will happen, although now you do have a nasty burn mark in the palm of your left hand. Maybe you should try something else?

You hold the chronometer in the flame, and it heats up amazingly fast, but before you can really attempt to burn your hand, you notice that the edges of the metal are drooping a little - whatever this piece is made of, it's not very study. You don't want to run the risk of destroying either, or at least that's what you tell yourself as you lay the chronometer down, singing the tips of your fingers in the process.

Hissing a little at the pain, you reach for the parchment - it still reads BURN AWAY YOUR DOUBT - and at this point, it's the last thing you haven't burned. You hold the parchment over the flame, and as the parchment burns, a tiny chip? wire? of some kind crackles and falls out of the parchment. Once again, you hear a whirring sound - and another piece of parchment ejects from the desk. This once reads the same message in black ink as you saw before; GUIDE HIS BENEVOLENCE TO THE WORTHY, but now there's a second message written underneath in smaller letters, seemingly addressed to you:

YOU HAVE DONE WELL AND TRAVELED FAR
COMPLETE THE HUNT BEFORE 100 HOURS HAVE PASSED
TRUE VICTORY IS FOUND WHEN CUNNING MEETS ABILITY
AND ONLY WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT
-GL

You wave the parchment in front of the flame, but this time there is no hidden message. You pick up the chronometer, now only slightly warm, and see that 83 hours remain - turning the chronometer, you see the same initials on the back of the timepiece - GL. You can't be sure, but you suspect that GL of the chronometer and the note is the same person.

>cont.

>>312048

You collect your belongings again, stashing them carefully in your wide pockets. The note is interesting, but you're not sure exactly what it means. Clearly, you're supposed to use the chronometer to keep time, and complete the Hunt in 100 hours. You're not clear on what the part about "ONLY WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT" means though - wouldn't any time below 100 hours count?

You'll have to think about it more as you continue.

Crossing back in front of the plinth, you stare up again at the Emperor's engraving - and you clearly notice hand and footholds in the side of the plinth where none had been before. The engraved figures on right side of the Emperor had shifted position slightly - some figures appeared to have moved a hand, and others a knee, or a foot. All together, they created an irregular kind of ladder - although perhaps "ladder" was too kind. The spaces between handholds were large and the climb itself would be difficult, you were certain. Maybe they had appeared while you were burning the parchment?

>well, /qst/?

>climb the plinth?
>write-in

>>312086
>>climb the plinth?

>>312086
>>climb the plinth?

>>312096
>>312099

2d100, best of three for each please

You're not under duress like when you were climbing in the cave to escape the crab shitters, so I think this will likely go much better.

>>312086
>>climb the plinth?
>>write-in
Make sure the fire is burning below the plinth directly so shadows will be cast along al the place we can grip or any indents we can hold. From there we can stand back look and plan a path. Then climb it

Rolled 16, 30 = 46 (2d100)

>>312107

>>312107

Whoops, lost my trip.

Rolled 80, 9 = 89 (2d100)

>>312107
May he guide our ascent

>>312113

Still got IDs, so we can tell it was you

Rolled 96, 29 = 125 (2d100)

>>312107

>>312112
wel Om9 you did good

>>312112
>>312115

>16 and 9
>3 and 4 degrees of success, respectively.

You're amazed at how well the climb goes - you even manage a few daring leaps here and there, ascending almost gracefully as your new muscles work. The faith that fills your bones now shields you from fear - or at least terror. You used to be somewhat nervous over heights as a child in the Underhive, but here you don't think twice of checking your progress against the ground as you climb.

Reaching the top in short order, you clamber up onto the flat steel that tops the plinth. Here, you can see the massive glowlight that has been embedded into the steel - waves of light washing over you. There seems to be some kind of directionality to the glowlight - standing behind the fixture, you would have expected to be blinded by the sheer intensity, but now that you stand here, you see that a film has been drawn around the backside of the gigantic lantern. It cuts down on the light from this side by a large margin, and you're clearly able to see a small pool of water resting in a basin. The water looks cool and misty to your eye - positively mouth-watering, in fact. Or at least it would be, if there was any moisture remaining in your mouth. Your tongue has long since become a desert, much like Carcerum itself.

You can't help by draw closer to the pool, and to your dismay, you see an inscription at the bottom of the glimmering pool: TEMPTATION CAN BEGIN WITH A SINGLE DRAUGHT.

Your mouth tightens in a snarl. Bastards, you think...

>welp, that's it for tonight! sorry for the short run/delay from yesterday, I've been usually busy this past week
>let me know if you have any questions, I'll be here for a few more minutes
>next thread is likely on Thursday afternoon EST, maybe 2 or 3pm.
>check @hornedlionsque1 for updates

>>312166

Good thread, see you for at least part of the next one

>>312166
those cunning fuckers....

Thanks for the run Carn looking forward to next time

>>312166
Thanks for running. I only just caught up with this thread. I can't believe the paper was the last thing to be burned... That was a pretty obvious one...

>>311379

Next session will begin in this thread at 8pm.

Bring your A-game, /qst/, and praise Kek if you must

>>322219

Oh thank the Emperor, Was worried I would miss the thread today due to work.

>>322219
Would you like to let the good word of RNGesus into your heart?

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>>322317

>praising anything other than the most Holy Emperor of Man

>>322381
>implying

>>322381

>I got impatient, let's roll

You find yourself staring at the basin of water in near agony – somehow, you can tell even from 5 paces that it would be cold and refreshing to the touch, although you don't dare to approach it again. After reading the inscription, TEMPTATION BEGINS WITH A SINGLE DRAUGHT, you took several large steps backwards to surview the top of the plinth where you stand. You're half-afraid that if you come within a step or two you won't be able to stop yourself from taking a drink, and it seems clear that to pass this smaller trial, you must be thirsty.

You raise your eyes to night in exasperation – above you, the moons and tiny worlds that led you to this shining tower, the Fifth Plinth, hang silently you in the sky. Looking around aimlessly, you realize that you'd better get to work on solving whatever mystery this plinth holds: you don't like your odds of success standing around a cold basin of very drinkable water. Even in the night of Carcerum, the heat is cloying and strong – it seems like this whole world is halfway to boiling, even when the sun is set. You were shielded from this growing up in the Underhive – in the jungle of rusted machinery, it always seemed to be cold.

Checking GL's chronometer, you're surprised to see that almost 15 minutes have passed while you were daydreaming – fatigue must be setting in, it's not like you to lose time in reminiscing like this. You review your belongings – a chronometer, that reads 82.5 hours remaining, a bolt pistol with 4 bolts remaining, a crumpled note with a kind of riddle that reads:

YOU HAVE DONE WELL AND TRAVELED FAR
COMPLETE THE HUNT BEFORE 100 HOURS HAVE PASSED
TRUE VICTORY IS FOUND WHEN CUNNING MEETS ABILITY
AND ONLY WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT
-GL

Returning them to the baggy pockets of your increasingly filthy Initiate's Robe, you sigh and look over the top of the plinth. No more excuses – time to move on.

>examine basin of water carefully
>examine top of plinth carefully for clues
>examine the gigantic glowlamp for clues
>write-in

>>322550
>>examine top of plinth carefully for clues

>>322550
>>examine top of plinth carefully for clues

>>322550

>examine basin of water carefully

I believe that the water is there for the temptation, and that we must see through it/ ignore it to reach our true goal, which is a clue to get to the next plinth.

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>>322564
>>322576
>>322578

Avoiding the source of your temptation for you, you instead circle the top of the plinth - and almost immediately you notice something that you had missed in the dark. There are deep grooves that line the edges of the plinth, and directly behind the plinth, and farthest away from the massive glowlight, there are three different grips that rise from the steel. Bending down, you give one a yank, and find that it's not quite as solid as you might have expected. You think if you really strained, you'd be able to pull the grip up, although you have no idea what that will accomplish.

Likewise, the other two grips have a similar feel - like you could pull them out of the ground.

>what do?

>examine water
>pull grips in turn
>write-in

>I drew a shitty map so you guys can see what I'm imagining for this.
>Finial is the X, the blue spot is the basin of water, and the big yellow spot in the glowlight
>the big black lines are the grooves in the surface of the plinth, and the black lines next to Fin are the grips.

>>322617
>>pull grips in turn

Also, just to settle my 'tism OP, deserts get really cold at night, not hot.

>>322617
>pull grips in turn

>>322617
>>pull grips in turn

>>322633
I think OP is implying that due to the nature of the solar system we are in, the desert on this planet doesn't cool down much at night.

>>322617

>pull grips in turn

Pretty unanimous here

>>322642
>>322633

Could be how the atmosphere is too. Since I doubt they care about pollution, there is sure to be plenty of greenhouse gases up there.

>>322651
>>322642
But the extreme heat is due to the lack of clouds, and the escape of heat is due to the same reason
>REEEEE

>>322667

The Warp did it then

File: Techpriest.jpg (744KB, 1003x1599px) Image search: [Google]

744KB, 1003x1599px

>>322707
[angry techpriest noises]

>>322633
>>322651
>>322667

>pull grips, got it

>here's my explanation for the heat, this post has derailed the quest but so be it

So Carcerum is a large, dusty, smoggy, oven. The average temperature is about 50C-100C hotter than Earth average. As you might suspect, this renders whole areas of the planet, including the equatorial region, uninhabitable.

Finial doesn't know it, but the Carcerum Hive spans most of the southern pole, where the temperate is "only" averaging 50-60C. Finial's Hunt itself is happening a bit further to the north, and he started at dusk - and it's still night, almost 20 hours later. Carcerum has a 50+ hour day/night cycle, and the desert IS really cold, for Carcerum. Maybe like 40-50C? In the day, temperatures can reach 110-120C, which is why the Horned Lions drop their Initiates off at dusk - no one can survive a Carcerum day with no equipment, not even Space Marines..

Sorry for the rambling but I figured you guys might want to know that I actually randomly generated these worlds and the subsector too.

Oh shit I made it to a live one

Taming a Allisan Lion wehn?

>>322716

>sperging about desert worlds aside

You reach down and grab onto one of the grips, and straining, you give it your best effort. Surprisingly, there seems to be some sort of counterweighting system - you apply some serious strength, but the grip rises smoothly in your hand.

The right side of the steel plinth is rising from the top - and somehow the ridge of about 10m of steel isi folding outwards, like an elbow. At the end of the arm that you appear to be hoisting, there's a large glass shield or plate. You stare at in puzzlement before you remember that old Glit - the ancient Underhiver you had known in Carcerum, wore similar glass panes over his face - a kind of lense, then.

Completing the effort, you lock the lense arm into place, and the glass lense hands suspended directly in front of the glowlight, over the open desert. You raise the other two grips in succession, and another two lense arms extend forwards at different angles - all the glass lenses hanging in front of the glowlamp.

Frowning, you check all the grip handles to make sure that the lenses have been fully locked - but despite your best efforts, you see that the lenses just don't align properly - there's still about a foot or so of space before the lenses have fully slid over each other. There's something else you have to do, you're sure of it.

>examine pool of war
>examine lense machinery more closely
>write-in

Don't try to make sense about Wh40k celestial bodies.
There are many planets that behave in strange manners.
Ultimately, the imperium is vast and there are many places in the imperium where reality acts in a strange manner.

Could be remants from the Dark Age of Technology going haywire, special type of ore that heats up the planet itself, Archeoxeno ruins, any number of things.

>>322762

>places of the galaxy where reality acts strangely

CONSIDER THIS POST FORESHADOWING

>>322758
>>examine pool of war
I'm sorry for sperging OP

>>322758
>examine pool of war

>>322758
Can we straight up just tip the water out and examine the bowl or whatever it was in?

>>322758

>examine the pool of water

up to and including >>322785 if possible.

>>322775
Every Inguisitor worth his salt knows this. Rogue traders doubly so.

>>322758
Is there a glass or something in the pool we can use to correct the path between the lenses?

>>322778
>>322780
>>322785
>>322788

>examine bowl por favor

Stepping carefully over to the water basin, you peer over the water. You have the best of intentions - examine the bowl only! You run your hands over the rim of the bowl, and you notice that it's a very solid kind of ceramic, and built directly into the steel plinth on a kind of stool-like assembly. Four legs support the bowl, but they're likewise directly attached to the plinth. You give the whole assembly a shove to test it out, and it doesn't budge at all. You think it's pretty unlikely that you'd be able to get the bowl free from the steel plinth without using specialized equipment. While you stand their, the water catches your eye.

You try not to think about how it would taste, but the thirst within you has grown into a terrible demon clamoring for water. Without thinking about it, you've knelt down and placed your hands on the bowl. You both do and don't want to drink it, each side of you desperately pleading with the other for mercy – your hands clutch the side of the basin tightly as you struggle internally. You hear yourself muttering - "just one sip to wet our tongue, how would they know?", and suddenly you're eyeing the lense arms and other fixtures edgily, checking for cams or videoports. You stare down at the inscription again: TEMPTATION CAN BEGIN WITH A SINGLE DRAUGHT, and you shake your head in a tightly controlled rejection before your lips start to droop towards the water against your will.

The thirst is overtaking you, but it's not a good pain!

>roll a 1d100, best of three to resist the urge to drink
>jesus christ, the captcha is really fucking with me today

Rolled 9 (1d100)

>>322809
IT"S POISONED!

Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>322809

Oh god, must resist!

Rolled 40 (1d100)

>>322809
Praise be to the Emperor

>>322814

Very nice

>>322814
Clearly as a hiveworlder he has learned that drinking water from ominous puddles and public fountains is an express trip to living the rest of your days as a mutant in the underhive.

>>322814
>9
>3 Degrees of Success, nicely done

You catch a glimpse of yourself in the reflection of the pool, and you're horrified - your face is a caricature of lust and greed, your cracked and bleeding lips and tongue extended openly to touch the water.

Just like that, the madness seems to have passed from you - breathing a heavy sigh of relief, you rest your hands on the sides of bowl's assembly. You feel something with your left hand - and of course - you pull something free. Will the riddles and puzzles never end? Karlat's grinning face appears in your mind's eye and you wildly swear to yourself that you will make him suffer for these black trials.

Cursing aside, you hold the object up, and it's clearly a small dish or bowl - a miniature version of the one containing the water before you. At the bottom of the bowl, you see a tiny stylized engraving. Surprisingly, it's of the Horned Lions itself - a lion with four horns, jaws open in rage. In tiny letters, you see this statement: A LION CARRIES OUT HIS DUTY NO MATTER THE COST

Well, then.

You stand, holding the small bowl in your hands, one step closer to solving this test of frustration.

>examine lense assemblies
>examine glowlamp
>write-in

>>322873
>>examine glowlamp

>>322873
>examine lense assemblies
See if there's a way to correct the path of the lenses using water as a lense or something.

>>322873
>>examine glowlamp

>>322884
No wait, of course.
There must be a place to put the thing on the glowlamp, water distorts the light.
Distorted light hits the lenses.
Lenses do... that thing they did in Indiana Jones.

>>322873

>examine glowlamp

Going with what others have said, use the bowl and water to distort some of the light

>>322884
>>322888
>>322894

>examine glowlamp

Squinting somewhat from the light, you briskly look over the glowlamp itself. It's taller than you are, and placing your hand on it, find that the lamp is cool to the touch, in contrast to the fiery brilliance its projecting over the desert night. You bend down and examine the joins between the lamp and the steel plinth, but you can't find any obvious openings. Likewise, the back of the glowlight is perfectly smooth - and rapping the side of it with your knuckles, you find it to make a kind of dull thudding noise. It's solid.

Taking a step back, you try to see the big picture here: you have a large light source, a source of water than you clearly need to retain, and three large arm assemblies holding lenses over the light source, just barely out of alignment.

Clearly, the lenses or lense arms should be aligned just a little further, but how?

>reexamine water bowl (don't worry, no WP test this time)
>reexamine grips
>reexamine glowlight
>wildly speculate about the riddle's parentage

If you guys are stuck we can roll for INT for a clue

>>322894
>>322931

>ah fuck, I forgot to include that part

Pretend I included this section in my previous post:

You attempt to use the water to refract the light somehow, but you can't get the angles right - when you try to bend the light, the water spills from the smaller bowl, and beyond that, you have to stretch out precariously over the edge of the steel plinth to do this.

There's got to be a safer solution.

>>322934
>reexamine grips

>>322934

>riddle's parentage

Do you mean in game or where you got this from? Cause this seems like something from Myst.

>reexamine grips

Probably need to get them all at a certain point

>>322934
Can we use the bowl as a mirror and thus change the direction where the light comes from in order make sure the light hits the lenses?

>>322965
>>322974

>>322965
>>322974

You turn and re-examine the grips carefully - and just as you hoped, you notice something that you missed before.

The grip's are attached to steel rods, but at the center of each steel rod and directly underneath the loop of the handhold, there's a tiny channel - where someone might pour down some water they desperately want to drink, if they were very careful.

>pour water down each of the three grip holes?
>write-in

>>323017
>>pour water down each of the three grip holes?

>>323017

I say we pour water down one first, just to see what it does, then pour as needed.

>>323017
>pour water down each of the three grip holes?

>>323017
Well, I guess we could try that.
I'm going to guess we don't have enough water though and we might have to end up using our own blood.

>>323044
A LION CARRIES OUT HIS DUTY NO MATTER THE COST

>>323017
Wait, before we do that, I want to try something.
If this is a hydraulic mechanism, I want to see what happens if you blow into it, because it should work all the same.

>>323024
>>323033

Reluctantly, you make several trips between the larger bowl and the three grips. Slowly, you drain the fluid into the first of the three grip-rods, and although you can't see exactly what's happening, you can see the left-most lense is slowly sliding into position. Carefully, you drain just a bit more fluid into the hole - and stop quickly, as it seems that you've totally filled it the empty space within the rod. A moment later, you feel, rather than hear, a click that reverberates through the plinth, and turning, you see the left most lense gently shift.

The tiny difference in orientation makes all the difference - a huge shaft of light is being reflected through the first lense, and illuminates a wide quadrant of the sky.

>continue with lenses 2 and 3? y/n

>>323044
>>323049

>we'll try these first if no one objects?
>yes, no?

>>323054
Yes but only if the others are out of alignment

>>323048
Though to be perfectly fair, using blood isn't exactly necessary depending on how much liquid we need.

If it's a simple weighing mechanism, we can plug the other two holes and blow into it to get sufficient amount of pressure, seeing that we can't exactly bleed THAT much without dying.

>>323054
Yes

>>323058
Stick to what works for now.
If we run out of water, we'll think of that then.

>>323054
>>323058

Pouring a little water into the second grip's water channel, you glumly watch the water flow into the darkness. But then, you have a thought.

If the water is weighing some device down, then you should be able to push it with your lungs - maybe?

Kneeling, you place your lips against the steel, and blow gently. Amazingly, the mechanism responds immediately - you can't turn your head, but you can catch the middle lense arm moving extremely slowly. Finally, with another kind of catch, the second lense slids the last few inches into position - and the wide beam of light narrows dramatically - a wide plateau to your southeast has been illuminated brightly. The second lense has narrowed the beam - and the third must give the last refinement.

You stand, turn and kneel again, and blowing gently just as before, you force the third lense into position. Expecting some surprise or massive display for your puzzle-solving, you're surprised instead to see that the beam has been tightly focused - maybe only a hand's width wide. The plateau is no longer illuminated - the narrow beam seems to project off into the darkness. And in the distance, you squint, and watch a tiny fire bloom. The beam of light must have ignited some kind of fire on the plateau to your southeast - it must be your next destination!

But that leaves a question for the water - what to do

>drink the water now that the puzzle is solved?
>descend the Fifth Plinth in search of the fire you ignited on the southeastern plateau?
>write-in

>>323110
>>descend the Fifth Plinth in search of the fire you ignited on the southeastern plateau?

>>323110
>>drink the water now that the puzzle is solved?

>>323048
Even though using our blood in the event we run out of water might be totally metal grimdark, smart man would probably try and suck water from the existing tubes and recycle it on the others in the event we run out.

>>323110
>descend the Fifth Plinth in search of the fire you ignited on the southeastern plateau?

>>323110
Don't drink from the strange pool.
Chances are the trainer pissed on it and you'll never hear the end of it.

>descend the Fifth Plinth in search of the fire you ignited on the southeastern plateau?

>>323114
>>323132
>>323141

>timeskipping a tad
>nice job on this puzzle, I hadn't thought of using lung power myself

The climb down the tower is easy, tired and exhausted even as you are. The same leaps and climbs that were a bit dangerous on the ascent are now easily managed with gravity on your side.

Before you left the top of the plinth, you memorized the location of the fire on the plateau , just in case it goes out by the time you reach it. At any rate, the next hour you spend marching at a brisk pace, thinking about what you've achieved.

You've solved fiendish puzzles so far - more mentally challenging than anything you've ever done before, but you've done shocking well. Each task seems to fall in the face of reasoned judgment and logical testing. You can't be sure, but the geneseed must have some role in this - the same material that supercharges your body and strengthens your bones must also have some effect on your mind. And to be sure, your thoughts have never been clearer or more orderly than they are now, despite your exhaustion. Something within you has been fundamentally changing - a powerful strength in your intellect has been revealed.

>roll a 1d10, best of three for your permanent INT bonus
>we're marching up the bonfire, should you hurry or take your time? You can cut travel time by half by hurrying, but you'll have to beat a -10 toughness text to avoid fatigue damage

Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>323169

Rolled 6 (1d10)

>>323169
take our time

Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>323169

I say take our time

Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>323169
Completely nonheretical roll

>>323190

>44+6 = 50 INT
>50 INT for a starting Initiate
>We have more brainpower than some generals, and we're only like 12 years old.

You fight the urge to hurry - victory is within reach, and you're closing in on the bonfire. As you ascend the plateau and get closer, you realize that the bonfire itself is on top of a steel plinth - about five meters tall, it's topped with a blazing fire, still raging over an hour later.

You approach slowly, your eyes on the blaze, and glory in sight.

>roll me a 1d100, /qst/

Rolled 50 (1d100)

>>323228

Praise the Emperor!

Rolled 26 (1d100)

>>323228
No heresy here

Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>323228

Rolled 84, 18, 13, 41 = 156 (4d100)

Don't mind all these perfectly innocent rolls

also one more 1d100 please for Finial?

Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>323264

Rolled 87 (1d100)

>>323264
Fuck I've been rolling wrong. I was so happy about my rolls too!

Rolled 44 (1d100)

>>323264

File: 20081015.gif (25KB, 600x263px) Image search: [Google]

25KB, 600x263px

Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>323264
Perils of the Warp

>>323228

The flickering firelight lures you in, and you come to stop about 10 yards away from the plinth. You take a step forward to catch a glimpse of the engraving on the plinth and -

"Finial!" The voice nearly stops your hearts as you whirl in surprise - and several yards away, you can see a crouching figure, clad in the gray and filthy robes of an Initiate of the Horned Lions. Your jaw drops in shock as you realize that you must not have been alone out here. Was it possible that other Initiates were dropped off first?

"Finial, it's me!" The figure hisses again, and lowers his hood - it's Rab! Your old friend and Underhiver, you've fought and scavenged and gone hungry together for years prior to your abduction and recruitment into the Horned Lions.

"I'm sorry for hiding from you, but I couldn't be sure it who it was - after all these fucking challenges, I couldn't risk it." Rab's gray hair seems wispy in the firelight, and his face has a gaunt cast. Your mind is burning with questions, which do you ask first?

>How long have you been out here?
>Have you seen anyone else?
>I don't understand - I thought I was alone!
>write-in

>>323308
>How long have you been out here?
>And why were you waiting here?

>>323308

>I don't understand - I thought I was alone!

Also, >>323314

>>323308
>>How long have you been out here?

Be on guard, this is a trap. Ask him something personal that only the two of us would know but be ready to fight either way

>>323308
>write-in
>"How did you get here so fast?"

>>323308
>>323325
Actually something like

"It's great to see you Rab, I only wish Fen were here as well" Fen is obviously the wrong name. I want to see how he responds and keep an ear out for that hissing. I'm certain whatever this is it isn't our friend

>>323308

>>323314
>>323321
>>323325

"Rab - I can't believe it!" you respond incredulously. "How long have you been out here? Why were you waiting?"

Rab's eyes turn up in relief at your questions - "Emperor, it's good to just hear another voice - I've been out here for at least a whole day cycle - they dropped me off two sunsets ago, but there's something wrong with this world, Finial. It feels like a week's gone-by - during the day, I had to leave the plateau and find a hole to hide in. The heat is unbearable!"

You ponder his response, but something about it seems off - his eyes seem just a tad too large in his head, and face seems tight against his skull. You decide to test him - if it's really Rab at all. You fake a broad smile, and cross your arms.

"Well, it's great to see that you've made it here, Rab - there's got to be some way to solve whatever puzzle is here together. If only Fen was here, he'd have some new way to look at the problem..." Your voice trails off, and you pretend to be lost in thought.

>Roll me a d100 for your clever rusing, /qst/

Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>323381

Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>323381

Rolled 80 (1d100)

>>323381

Rolled 8 (1d100)

>>323381

>>323396
Nooooo! so close. Man we fucked those rolls

>>323401
That's what happens when you don't let the inquisition do the interrogating.

>>323394

>3 degrees of failure, you needed to beat a 56
>sorry fellas

Rab pauses for a moment, but the confusion you see in his eyes is real. "Fen? Do you mean Sen, Finial?" The gauntness of his face seems to worsen as he considers you with fresh eyes - you unmistakably get the sense that he is now as equally suspicious of you, as you are of him.

"When were you dropped off, Finial?" Rab questions, taking a step backwards. "I've been out here for a long time, you know - and I've never seen any ships coming or going. How far away were you? Why didn't they tell me that you were coming on the Hunt too?"

>how do you respond?

>this one is all you guys to come up with

>>323426
Tell him the truth for the ones we know the answer to, and then for the last one, reply with "I could ask the same of you, brother"

>>323426
"his eyes seem just a tad too large in his head, and face seems tight against his skull"

Ok I was going to suggest simply shooting him in the face but now that I think about it, these seem like symptoms of severe dehydration and exhaustion.

>>Sorry Rab, just a test, I wanted to be sure you were... you. I'm guessing they didn't tell you I was coming because we needed to face those challenges alone and without hope of intervention. We were dropped off about [however many hours ago it was]. I couldn't say exactly how far away, it was a long way though. I've been up and down cliffs, through a cave and blaster off into the sky so far. Looks, lets just solve this last puzzle shall we? We've been through enough already."

>>323441

"I was dropped off last sunset, Rab - for the last 25 hours I've been marching through this fucking desert, and now we're getting close to the end." Without thinking about it, you and Rab have dropped into the low gutterspeak of the Carcerum underhive - it qualifies as Low Gothic, but just barely.

"I was far away, Rab...Well, I had to march over the desert, and then there were some caves, and then more marching in the night. I didn't have a lot to go on, but I got lucky a few times, and I think I got here pretty quickly. And I don't know why they didn't tell me anything - I could ask you the same thing! You know the full brothers don't want to tell us anything, even when we're in the Lair!" By the end of this speech, you're a little hurt and angry at Rab's suggestion that you're an imposter, even though you had suspected the same of him in the beginning.

Rab frowns, deep in thought. "I'm sorry, Finial. I didn't mean to question your judgment or your abilities. The past few days have been very hard on me - I've been here longer than you have, I think. Listen - let's take a look at the last puzzle pillar together - maybe we can work out what they want?"

>go with Rab
>tell Rab you'll go alone while he stays further out keeping watch
>something else

>>323479
>>go with Rab

>>323426
"Because you're an initiate. Why would they tell an initiate anything relating to the trials?"
"As to how far away I was, I started from a statue and used the stars to navigate. I didn't exactly measure the distance."

>>323479
>something else
Do we remember the last time we saw Rab before we embarked on the Trial?

He says he has been here for a long time, but if that is true, then we obviously would have noticed if he vanished, right?
However, if he was still there when we left, that would mean he couldn't have been here longer than us.

>>323479
>>go with Rab

>>323514

It's plausible - we hadn't seen him in a couple days, but that's not unusual either. In the past few weeks, the three of you had been routinely split up for various training activities, which were always solitary. You might pass Fraq or Rab in the halls of the Shadowed Lair once or twice a week, but the three of you are too busy getting the shit kicked out of you in training or praying with the brothers in the Chapel.

>>323486
>>323516

writing

>>323529
Hmm....
So mathematically speaking it is plausible for them to have picked him up a couple of days earlier.
There is however, no water or food. The only living beings we've encountered were those monsters, which if he has battled, should have at the very least left a wound or stains on his robe from their blood.

We are not full space marines yet, so how long would he survive without nutrition. Does his story check out in that regard?
Additionally, were there tracks showing that anybody besides us actually arrived there?

>>323529

The pair of you march quickly up to the plinth - or the "puzzle pillar", as Rab called it. This one is both simpler and more ominous than the others you have seen so far. A mighty warrior wielding a sword is facing another warrior, who is practically a duplicate of the first. They glare at each like mirror images, clearly ready to do battle at any second.

The engraving reads: TRUST IS THEIR GREATEST WEAPON.

You stare at the engraving for a few more seconds, before turning to Rab - to ask him what he thinks. You're shocked to see that Rab is weeping openly, crumbled in a heap on the broken desert ground.

"Rab, what's wrong?" His sobs are ragged and broken - he sounds like he's dying.

"You don't understand what I've had to do out here!" he screams, muffled under his filthy rags. "Please, leave me to die out here..."

>How do you respond?

>Brother, please - do not give up while there is still hope.
>What have you done?
>back away from Rab slowly
>write-in

>>323554
Space Marines eat brains to gain memories, remember that. Also, stop sperging out

>>323554
He clearly couldn't have drank the water, because obviously that would have been gone a while ago.

The only other source of food he could have besides the dangerous cave beasts are...
...the other initiates.

>>323560
>>Brother, please - do not give up while there is still hope.

>>323568
I'd bet there's an auto filling mechanism within the water plinth

>>323560
>>Brother, please - do not give up while there is still hope.
>>What have you done?
>>323560

>>323581
>>323569

"Brother, please - the Emperor has mercy as well as judgment for the faithful. What have you done? What's wrong?" You take a step closer to him out of compassion, as Rab's sobs become weaker and more pitiful.

>Roll a d100 for your persuasion attempt to sooth Rab's outburst

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>323593

Rolled 42 (1d100)

>>323593

Rolled 71 (1d100)

>>323593

Rolling

Rolled 51 (1d100)

"If Emperor's seen fit to pair you with me and be gracious enough to make his will spelled out in high gothic, who are we to argue with that."

>>323593

Rab seems to sink further into the pit of despair - his sobbing nearly ceases, and he is whispering something - something that suspiciously like - "DIE SCUM!" Rab roars, leaping at you with a dagger he's produced out of his robes.

He slashes at you wildly and faster than you can imagine, you withdraw your arms and only narrowly avoid huge gashes being opened on your arms.

The truth of the steel engraving flashes through your mind: TRUST IS THEIR GREATEST WEAPON!

Rab is crouching hungrily, with his dagger flicking from hand to hand, looking for an opening.

How do you respond?

>try to reason with Rab
>shoot him with the bolt pistol
>shoot him!
>write-in

>>323627
Disarm him, get him into a hold, and just keep him there
>Today, anon learned how to deal with an retard

>>323627
>>try to reason with Rab

Rab calm down, we can get through this. We are brothers, both of the Horned Lions and the Hive. Read the Emperor damn plinth Rab, Trust Is The Greatest Weapon.

Wait, trust is THEIR greatest weapon. What if the point here is that they lull you into a false sense of trust and stab you in the back?

>>323633
>>323637

Any other opinions?

I might call it for tonight if there's only the three of us.

>>323627
>try to reason with Rab
"The Emperor has given me a sign that I should trust you and I trust in him, therefore I trust in you."
Hand the bolt pistol to Rab.

>>323633
>>323627
>This

>>323667
"If you do not trust the Emperor as I do, then shoot me, for my faith is my shield."

>>323664

Ah, sorry everyone - we're going to have to resolve this situation on Sunday. I'll stick around for some questions as well.

As always, you can get updates @hornedlionsque1

>anyways, pretty good! You guys narrowly escaped Rab slashing both your wrists open, btw

>>323710
So have we progressed far enough that you're willing to tell us the meaning of this Plinth or is that still spoilers for next time?

>>323717

Will have to wait, unfortunately. You guys continually surprise me during these threads and so a lot of the decision-making changes on the fly for me.

This last plinth had a totally different scenario mapped out when I started the thread. For at least a couple days I was convinced that you guys would befriend the servo skull from the 3rd plinth and then you would have had a servo skull party member up until now.

>>323737
Aww man, missed out on servo-bro. Hahah oh well.

How have you enjoyed running these threads? Is this your first time doing so?

>>323737
If I had participated on that thread, I'd have recommended on rocking the slide of the boltgun till the magazine was empty so we wouldn't have to destroy the servo skull.

>>323745

Pretty fun, but I'm impatient to get you guys out of the training missions and start interacting with some of the other figures in the Inanis subsector.

>is this your first time running

No, I've done some oneshots on /tg/ but that was years ago. I did run a successful parody of a much more popular quest (well over 50 players) that was pretty fun, but my parody fizzled out pretty quickly

Just putting it out there but I think our recent message is infact a warning. its the Heratics greatest weapon, its the mutant and monster's greatest weapon. Trust is how they slip by unseen, trust is how they get behind you.

Remember Innocence proves nothing and the ruinous powers rely on your trust to make a mistake.

We are a Dark Angels successor of course we gotta learn to purge our bretherin...for no reason, just you know...incase

>>324981
Hmm... good point.

>>324981
With that in mind, it is probably the best idea to subdue him.
After all, the warriors were ready to do battle at any second.

However, at the same time, there's a reason why they call it the hunt.
Traditionally chapters that hold this practice send you out to kill something big in order to prove themselves worthy.

This however, is how they pick the initiates in the first place, meaning there's no training or augmentation prior to this normally, so it might be a variation born out of not having access to a proper deathworld or a feral world to recruit from.

>>324981
Should probably be noted too that individual chapter practices only started to develope after the second founding.
This means that Horus Heresy was over and nobody was too keen on trusting anyone.

Unless this is a remnant from the actual Primarch of Dark Angels himself, who was pretty big on secrecy and distrust, so there's no way he'd write anything like that.
Especially since Caliban was close to the Eye, which meant it was constantly infested by Chaos.

>>324981

Just chiming in to say that Finial is aware that that the Horned Lions are a Dark Angels Successor Chapter, and that the current Horned Lions Chapter Master himself was once a Dark Angel. As you might expect, this means that the Horned Lions are more or less Codex-adherent like the DA is.

>>325213

We've mentioned this in previous threads, but the Horned Lions are a very new Chapter with less than 300 Battle Brothers. As a result, they don't really have a good recruiting world yet, although there is a likely target that the CM has his eye on - they've only just been set up permanently on Carcerum a few decades previously.

>>325472
So they're still practically Dark Angels themselves as far as their chapter culture goes.

>>325550

Close but not identical. Obviously the Dark Angels geneseed predisposes you to some things as well

Well it looks like our old pal has lost it...possibly even made a pact with the ruinous powers, put a bolt through him (or a few)

>>327412
Make him repent.

>>325472

New thread tonight at 7pm EST if anyone is still monitoring

>>332473

Here's my trip for proof.

>>332474
Hooray. I have a meeting at that time but will be around an hour later to participate.

hey guys can anyone tell me how to find the previous quests ? have lurked at bit on tg so know about sup/tg but can seem to find the previous threads of this quest in there

>>333055
Yea, that's because somebody has to manually archive them on suptg for them to appear there.
The only way to find unarchived previous threads is using 4chan's own archive, which is rather limited.

I myself could not find the first thread at all.

>>333055
>>295685
Here's the 3rd thread, I don't know if the 2nd and 1st thread still exist.

>>333055
Ah, I actually did manage to find an archive that does contain the 1st and 2nd quests.
1st
http://archived.moe/qst/thread/265146/
2nd
http://archived.moe/qst/thread/279473/#q279473

Just finished reading the first chapter.
I liked how Horned Lions initiates at least were basically told that they're joining a space gang in service of the emperor.

It really fits with the Dark Angels goals that sort of image.

>>332474

Thread will be delayed for an hour - new start is 8PM EST.

>>333316

New thread at >>333507