>>13693761

As quickly as it started, everything stopped, the world around you ravaged and warped by the massive displacement of energy. Stone and concrete buildings, once tall, were now twisted into horrible shapes, the souls used in the construction of the realm pressing out of the walls in atrophied, vaguely-humanoid shapes. Fog began to roll in as an icy wind blasted you from somewhere deep in the realm.

Behind you, where the building once stood, gaped an enormous pit. A massive, ragged tear in the very fabric of warp-space.

You could feel dread's cold talons working their way into your mind as you gazed into the wall of fog, your limbs heavy with fatigue. Your companions looked similarly, their bodies hunched and shivering.

Rodwen's whispered voice cracked the silence. "It knows we're here..."

You shook your head, swallowing hard, determined to keep strong. It didn't go past you that the swarm was gone, either destroyed or having fled from the crushing blow to the structure of this reality.

sage

And for my questers, as promised, a gift.

Esme... In Ink!

>>13693792

... And color.

Admittedly this one isn't quite done. I need to add more shadowing and re-ink it.

FOUND IT- gimme a minute OP to catch up

so the quest is back then?
excellent

"Excellent job, everybody. If it is this angry, then we must have struck a powerful blow."
I gesture for everybody to draw near me, and I cover everybody with a heavy dose of my aura.
The god seemed absolutely pissed at us, and I didn't want to present an opening for it to strike at us.
I glance at Rodwen. "Would we be able to switch out people right now? I would like to send Fortran back, since I don't think she will be able to help us any further."
As for who we bring in, I say in order of preference: Anna if she is awake, Sonja if she feels up to it, and Florencia if she has her armor fixed.
I'm assuming that the fog is also the boundary to the god's realm?
Once we change everybody out, push on!
Maybe something along the lines of, "Come, everybody, the beast is on its heels, we completely surprised it. Time to push on and do more damage, before the thing recovers."

"... Let it. It was going to happen sooner or later. Better that we have struck it while it was still unawares."
I sigh, and cross my arms.
"Still, I guess the going will be tougher from here on out. I think that as soon as we come across another tear in reality, we should switch out again."
I turn, roughly facing what I believe to be the straightest route to the center of this place.
"Come on. Where there's smoke there's fire. And I don't want to see what the chaos god will send to put *that* fire out." I say, pointing to the tear in reality

>>13693764
"Emperor Preserve us. I didn't think we would do such damage to the realm itself." Esme holds her head in her hands. "Do you think we might accidentally destablize this realm itself if we destroy more of the power centers?"
She releases her hands, sighing deeply, before turning to her companions, looking them over carefully with all of her sights. "Well... that's to worry about later. How does everyone feel? Anyone feel the need to return to the materium?" She paces, looking around her, trying to find some sign of where to head to next. "Rowdan- the energy signature of that... ball, thing, do you feel anything like it elsewhere in this place?"

>>13694145
>>13694033
>>13694011

Tessa shook her head to clear it. "I'm fine Esme." Rodwen was standing stoic, uninjured save for a light cut across her forehead. Fortran clicked a few times. "System diagnostics report no injuries."

Fortran gestured to where the building once stood. "This hole is what basically amounts to a giant crack in the god's realm. It would be a simple matter to..." She let her voice drift off, the rubble at your feet clattering softly as the ground began to shake. A huge fist erupted from the hole in reality, cracking the concrete as it dug its fingers into the ground, pulling itself out. The largest bloodthirster you've ever seen.

"A rift wide enough for the servants of khorne..." Chaos marines, Hounds of Khorne, bloodletters and other minions of khorne pouring into the realm. A screech pierced the air, creatures pouring from every direction toward the source of the realm's disruption.

The bloodletter looked to you, drawing its lips back over its yellowed teeth. Your companions tensed, Tessa reaching for her chainsword. "We will hold fast... As long as the realm is wounded, eyes will turn from you. Do not trouble yourself with the little ones. Good hunting, human. Make haste, or your prey will escape."

>>13694255
"..... Thank you?" Esme asks, emotions of horror, disgust, relief, and shame pouring through her body. "I.... I suppose."

>>13694255
Well.... that was unexpected. Alright Esme, just pretend they're like the Scavenger demons. It hurts, but right now any Ally is a good ally.
She pinches her brow, and sighs. "Alright- Good hunting yourself. Watch out for the sky behemoths, and I'm sure that after we finish this fight, we go back to being the direst of enemies, right?"

>>13694255
The warrior of the God emperor nods, her hand finding itself on Tessa's shoulder plate and squeezing it gently. "Yes. Thank you. And to you as well. Any suggestion on the next target to hit?"
As soon as this conversation is over, she speaks to Tessa, whispering sidelong. "Just ignore it for the moment, Tessa- better that they're fighting this new god then us."

>>13694642
>>13694583

The daemon turns and plods off to face the onrush of creatures with its brethren. Rodwen grabs your arm. "Wipe that look of disgust off your face. With those daemons slaughtering each other, there will be less of both to bother us at the journey's end."

Tessa bit her lip, nodding. "Come on Esme. Waiting here any longer will simply attract unwanted attention."

You take a deep breath, looking around. There are several routs open to you. The first is straight down the path your on. Almost no cover means you'll be easily spotted, though the same can be said for your enemies. You could also travel between the buildings. Going will be a little slower but it will provide you with stealth. Any potential ambush in such a place would be unavoidable though.

whelp, so much for bringing Florencia back. Do we want to replace anyone while we have the Chance?

>>13694856
>>13694255
I think we should swap out Fortran for Chloe- she would be able to point us in the direction of our next mark easier, I think

>>13694952
>>13694856

Daemons are coming out of the rift. I don't think anyone is gonna get near it. Lets actively look for another crack but press on.

"We'll keep to the buildings, and keep an eye peeled out for any potential artifacts or explanations of the nature of this realm is, and the area of provedence this god covers." Esme says, pointing. "So far, it appears to be cover coldness, decay. Do you think it could be entropy?"

>>13695017
I'd say buildings too. We wouldn't want to waste the distraction caused by all these nice chaos demons

>>13695428
>>13695017

You gesture to the others, moving quickly away from the massing daemons, sticking to the shadows between and behind the icy buildings.

It was hard moving. Huge chunks of ice, rubble, and other debries scattered in your way. You press through, struggling to keep traction on the slippery ground. The terrain did nothing for your headache which was steadily growing worse.

Out of your group, the Farseer was struggling the most, the Tech Priestess and Tessa stopping repeatedly due to her slipping. It didn't stop her from taking note of your condition.

"You really have had little experience with your abilities mon-keigh... You have tripled your protection over us. At this rate you will drain yourself of all power and not even your Emperor will be able to save us of the horrors to come."

Tessa struck the wall, letting out what almost sounded like a growl. "Do not speak ill of the Emperor, xeno! Through faith, we will triumph."

The farseer humphed softly. "Believe what you want. Nothing can take the place of raw skill."

>>13695500
"I'm sorry Farseer- I'm inexperienced with the usage of these powers. You may be right- it's hard for me to tell how much power I have on hand at any given moment. I know, however, that I feel strong enough to continue" Esme says, taking a moment to sit. When was the last time she had had a moment off her feet when she hadn't been knocked unconscious, she wonders to herself.
"And that Tessa is right though- above all the Emperor protects."
She pauses, tapping the hilt of her sword to her chin. "You seem a little worn out yourself. Tell you what- I can fly without expending too much energy. How about I carry you until I get tired, and you, in turn can help me channel these holy energies more efficiently?"

>>13695500
"Easy Tessa. Xeno scum though she may be, we have to admit she has more experience fighting the forces of Chaos then our entire Order combined." Esme says, hoping to keep the conversation Civil. "We should at least hear her out, even if we don't act on her plans."

>>13695500
"Tripled protection? I wasn't even aware of I was increasing it, nor even cogniziant of how."

hold on my questers. gotta make some dinner

>>13696107
Kay, will be back
In the meantime, esme sifts through the rubble, looking idly for some clue or creature to lead her to her next target

>>13695985
>>13695832
>>13695613

You sit on a large piece of rubble, the stone fracturing from the age and wear of ice, coupled with the immense weight of her power armor. You cradle your head in your hands. You hadn't realized how bad your headache was until you stopped to think about it.

"It is not a matter of efficiency Esme." Rodwen crossed her arms. "Flight you merely lift yourself with your mind without physically projecting more than a little energy. Whenever something happens you strengthen this shield around us when far less would be efficient. In fact, in my experience, you 'Battle Sisters' could most likely survive unprotected for short periods of time given your resistance to psykic attack. If you keep up the pace your going at, you may find your shield to fail."

Fortran clicked a few times, her mechanical eye focusing. Tessa rested her chainsword on her shoulder. "You underestimate us Farseer, but you are also... correct. Esme? hon? We'll be fine. Tone it down a bit."

Fortran looked about to speak when her chasis let out a very faint beep. She turned quickly, looking over her shoulder. "Motion tracker is picking up something..." her eye focused several times. "I do not see it though. Thermal and the Dataslate settings show nothing."

Tessa turned in the direction of Fortran's gaze, readying her evicerator, taking a step back. "I think... We should move on..."

Rodwen put one hand on the wall to stabilize herself. "Esme tone down your powers and lets get moving."

Ok, tone back the shield to about 1.3 times the original strength. have Esme take point, while Tessa covers the rear. make sure Fortran keeps an eye on the motion tracker as we go.

Probably couldn't hurt to check up on Rodwen, since shes struggleing

>>13696929
"...Alright." Esme says, trying her best to concentrate on the source of the shielding power, and bringing it down a few levels.
"We should make haste. Farseer- I wasn't joking about carrying you. If we're being stalked by something, I'm not going to let someone fall behind, nor impede the movements of my comrades."

>>13696929
The warrior woman frowns, but nods, complying. She turns to Fortran as the group starts up again. "Any idea about how big this thing following us may be? More of those snatchers, you think?"

>>13696929
>>13696929
Esme lays a gentle hand on Rowdans shoulder. "Are you alright? The last I want is you wearing yourself too."

"Alright Tessa. Sorry. I guess I'm just.... worried. This place runs fingernails down my soul."

>>13696929
"Thank you for the advice, Rodwen," I chuckle tiredly,"It's nice to have a mentor. Of sorts."
I slowly drop my shield around the group, leaving it at about one and a half of what I had originally had.
As the shield drops, I feel at least some of the heavy burden on my shoulders lift.
I nod and stand. "The Emperor shall provide me strength. Let us move, we cannot afford to wait."

>>13698041
Hee Eldar mentor in psykic training.
I wonder how Galatea would respond to that.

>>13698085
EXTRA HERETICAL!
PRAYKILLBURNPRAYKILLBURN!

>>13696929
"A wise idea, let's get going." Esme responds to Fortran, giving the techpriest a vigorous nod.
Before beginning to move again, Esme carefully reduces the amount of power used for the protections of her allies to slightly above the level they started.

Turning towards the Eldar, Esme lays a hand on the exhausted Eldar's shoulder. "Farseer, do you sense any sign of another tear in the god's realm? I think it's necessary to replace some of my companions for the time being." Giving a slight smirk she adds "Don't worry, we'll have you out of here in no time and I promise, we won't tell anybody else how you actually took a break from calling us mon-keigh." As she prepares to move the Exalter Martyr turns around once more and adds "You filthy xenos." in a playful voice.

"Fortran keep an eye on that motion tracker. Everybody ready? Well then, let's get going." Wary of any surprises, Esme and the group move cautiously forward, she and Tessa keeping up defensive positions to shield their allies from harm.

>>13698098
No, that's Florentia.

Galatea would probably just light her pipe, and make a few quiet puffs, before arching an eyebrow and asking
"Is that so?"
And it would be a thousand times worse then KILLMAIMBURN

>>13698041 >>13697809
>>13697428 >>13697215
>>13697171 >>13697126

The moment you relax your sheild, your party tenses, shivering from the cold. You begin moving with as much speed as possible with Tessa pressing forward from the rear of the pack.

You make great time, despite the unsure footing. Fortrain clicked again. "There are... a lot now... And they are getting closer. I can not identify where they are coming from."

You could feel Rodwen's scowl behind you. You were just about to say something when Tessa spoke up. "Withdraw your aura from me!"

You come to a halt, the farseer and tech priestess both bumping into you. Tessa made a wide gesture. "Withdraw your aura from me and go. I'll hold them here. I'll catch up."

>>13698225
".... Like hell!"

>>13698225
Better idea, we lower everybody's aura to 1/3 and focus what we would otherwise use on them on some random object. That should distract our pursuers.

>>13698225
"What? Never! Tessa, how in a thousand years would you ever think that would be a good idea?"

>>13698225
"What are you thinking? If I completely drop the aura, you'll die! Love, I left you once, and I don't want to do it again."

>>13698219
This needs to be canon. Galatea needs a pipe, and to use the phrase "Indulge me."

>>13698225
"Tessa, that's brave of you, but I'm not going to let you martyr yourself. If anyone is going to do that, it's going to be the exalted martyr herself." Hmmm, what to do though
I suggest we set some sort of trap, or at least a distraction

>>13698225
Can't we ask Fortran to adjust the heating of our armour? Those are supposed to run on micro-fusion plants, so I doubt that a few additional degrees would matter.

>>13698605
I don't think the cold is a physical thing- it's probably more mental. Like, the psykic aura of the place radiates it

>>13698612
Would leading them in prayer help or only attract attention?

>>13698515 >>13698316
>>13698256 >>13698267

Tessa pushed forcefully past Fortran and Rodwen, grabbing you by the armored ring of raised metal protecting your neck, pulling you forward.

"You need the energy Esme, and what you're doing is so much more important than anything else here, including me. You will go on, and you will destroy this accursed place."

She pulled you in for a quick kiss. "Besides... There's no way I'm dying before we spend some proper time together. That's a promise. Do not underestimate me."

So, nobody's got any opinion on my idea >>13698257 ?

Got a question OP.
Just how long could she last without the aura?

>>13698828
I think the Aura is shielding us from the surrounding environs, rather then making us stand out. So, that would really have the opposite effect

>>13698747
I weep unashamedly as she pulls back from the kiss.
"Please...don't do this."
As she makes her promise, I see how calm her eyes are.
It terrifies me.

>Mfw when I'm just a nameless death korps of krieg guardsman stuck on some shit world without back-up and these empeor-cursed sisters and saving their own hides, but I can't because the machine-spirit in my tank because it's too hot and it's pissed off so it won't drive.

FOR MY LIFE. Also, mfw when I don't have a face because this gasmask won't come off.

>>13698855

Depends on the dice but different sisters have different amounts of resistance to it. Tessa's is fairly high

>>13698747
Oh goddamnit Tessa.
Anyone- should we leave her? I don't want to.
If she so concerned, then we'll just swap her out at the next tear in the gods Realm, is all

>>13698828
I don't think there tracking us by our aura, but it might work if its a big enough object and we use it like a wall.
hope that makes sense

I dunno, maybe you guys should let her kill herself and save the god damn planet.

I mean, even we manly Krieg troopers know that this love is mushy and it's shit.

tl;dr Sisters are a bunch pansies.

I vote we leave her.

I sage. Sisters of Battle working with Xenos and Daemons? Heresy of the highest order, and the durrhurr lesbianism just caps it all off. Really, this is the sort of faggotry that defines a shitty quest thread.

>>13698948
>>13698916
think what you want. i'm having fun.

>>13698948
Is this the guy who got butthurt about Filigree?

>>13699016
wouldn't surprise me

>>13698948
Ah go boil your head

>>13698916
>>13698948
Come on, you should at least try to hide your samefagging a bit better.

alright we had our chuckle at the failtroll but what are we gonna do about tessa?

>>13698948

I agree with this dude but in a less douche manner.

I mean, I enjoy the writing but lesbianism+xeno collusion+Daemon collusion is quite gone too far. :(

>>13699090
Thanks for keeping it civil. I'm a bit iffy about the daemon thing myself, but I don't view it as collusion so much as running from the mass of fighting daemons so that we can do the Emprah's work.

>>13699090
I think the other gods are going for a "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" kind of deal here. A 5th chaos god poses a huge threat, and its already been established that the daemons of the big 4 were walled off from the realm. We just ripped a big hole in it.

Its more for convenience I think. Lets not look a gift horse in the mouth.

>>13699125
>>13699172
>>13699090

This is kind of what I intended.

also are you guys happy with Esme's response?

>>13699220
She never did say that she agreed to it, just maintained dumbstruck silence.
I suppose that's at least plausible for a Sister.

>>13699090
Thanks for being polite. I like to think of it being more along the lines of ignoring minor threats in the face of large ones and, well, just a little narrative loosness, because it would be half as fun without it.

>>13699220
I think that it was very appropriate, all things considered. Seeing as how she can see into the heart of hearts of others with her wytch sight, and can tell that Delessa has complete control over Filigree, and isn't corrupted by her influence

Yeah this works just fine.

back on the quest though I think we should leave Tessa. we've got to get out of here and if ANYONE can hold the line it is probably Tessa

>>13699318
I would never leave her alone though. If we leave her, she'll die, most probably. She comes with us- if we get ambushed, well, we stand a better chance fighting them off together then divided.

>>13698897
Gah. I would more okay with this if we knew how long it would take us to complete our next objective and be able to come back to her. I don't want to leave her alone for an extended period of time in this place

I would tell her no, but i don't think theres much point in arguing with her. Lets just hurry. She's Tessa, our waifu, and she is badass enough to make it!

>>13699558
>>13699503
>>13699318
>>13698885

Tessa gives you a shove, moving back toward the signals, revving her chainsword. You hesitate before withdrawing your aura from her, her body visibly stiffening as she is exposed to the raw energies of the chaos god's realm.

She surpressed a shiver of cold, her breath visible as she glanced back at you. "Go! Hurry. I'll find you when I'm done here." She turned back and slipped low into a fighting stance.

You turned and moved off quickly, the Farseer and Tech-Priest following in silence. You had put a lot of distance between you and Tessa when you came to a place the alleyways ended. The buildings were far smaller, homes perhaps.

The air off to the left shimmers slowly. A crack between worlds.

>>3699090
You have a good point, but the hilarity that will insue when all this is over should make all our uber heresy worth it.
>>13699350
agreed. Even if she survives, that still leaves us with a noncombatant and a tired Farseer as our only support. We are good, but I don't think we could keep them both alive if we get jumped by a significant force.

>>13699739
to late. Crap.

>>13699763

sorry bout that. :P

>>13699738
"You've both been invaluable, but I can tell how weary both of you are. Do you have any objections if I send you two back?"

As for who to bring, do we get three or only two?
If two, I think that the twins might be valuable for the coming missions.
If we get a third, twins and Eden or Galatea.

>>13699794
I agree. I suggest going for two and getting the twin set. So that way we can protect Tessa when she gets back.
Damnit... I wish we had said goodbye to her more... beautifully

>>13699763
Happens to me quite often in this quest as well, nothing we can do about it.

>>13699855
I agree on both accounts. Getting the twins is a good idea because they're the only ones we haven't deployed in the warp before and we need to keep that one space open for Tessa.

>>13699855
Surprisingly, Tessa pulled off the badass speech of love and duty.
So I think we didn't fail too hard.

>>13699855

we can always inner monologue.

>>13699794

You get three.

>>13699855
>>13699878
Plus, if we get the twins, we can just fly everywhere

>>13699919
Or make an awesome reunion scene.

>>13699928
I'm going to have to go with Eden as the third. Better for scouting, won't drain our aura, and I don't want to take the Sister's commander.

>>13699954
The other option would be Galatea but I agree, I'd like to keep the third "aura-slot" free for Tessa. She's going to need it when she comes back.

>>13699855
I like to think that if we had stoppped to say goodybe, we would have never left

I also like the idea of the twins

>>13699929
>>1370015

Fortran enters the crack with no objection, but Rodwen hesitated. "Do not let Tessa's absence distract you from your goal."

You nod slowly. "Have them send the twins."

Rodwen stepped into the rift after Fortran. They vanished instantly and you stepped in after them.

The twins appeared a few moments later, both of them stumbling forward, clutching their heads, crying out, disoriented.

You increase the shielding around them slightly to keep out the psykic pressure just long enough for them to calm down. You slowly lowered it down to a neutral level, helping the twins to their feet.

"Ah Esme..."Thank you."We were not prepared for that."Forgive us. This is very new."

>>13700397
"Don't worry. You'll get used to it as time goes on, Carol, Coral. Just remember- almost every action here is as much mental as it is physical." Esme grins. "You'll love flying, though."

>>13700397
(Hrmm, wonder what the deleted linked one was?)
"Good to see you two again." Esme says brightly, extending a helping hand to get them balanced. "A little disorientation is to be expected, but you'll get over it quickly." She says, smiling brightly, looking at them keenly with her wytch sight, hoping to find out more about their odd... condition. "We got a lot of ground to cover though."

>>13700432
>>13700540

They manage to hold steady, looking around, hugging themselves and shivering a bit.

You activate your mantic sight, the fabric of the warp revealing itself to you. The twins were... Identical... no... the same. They shared a large part of their soul. On closer inspection they did in fact have a small aspect that was unique to each of them.

You deactivated your sight, both twins looking at you quizzically. You must have been staring at them oddly. ""Are you alright Exalted Martyr?""

>>13700640
"Of course. Just getting a gauge on you two. I assume your jump packs are filled?" I ask, trotting in the direction I was heading before, letting the twins getting accustomed to the icy landscape. "Ah, a word to the wise. There are massive creatures that patrol skies here. They work by some form of warpcraft- don't ask me to explain it. All I know is that they are dangerous while flying, but can be taken down through teamwork and destroying it's thinking organs."

>>13700704
I've got nothing to add.

>>13700640
Esme shakes her head. "One thing that's constant here- besides everything trying to kill you that is- is how cold it gets. I can block out the worst of it through a psykic shield, but it still permeates everything."

>>13700704

The twins followed a bit clumsily. "Our jump packs work like the space marine's."They don't run out of fuel."They just need to cool periodically."Caramel's needs an upgrade."Oh yes. Agreed."

They manage to catch up with you. looking around. "Exalted Martyr...?"Where's Tessa?"

>>13700821
Noticable slowing her gait, Esme begins to talk to the twins. "She... she demanded to enact some sort of ambush on our potential pursuers. There was not sense arguing with her." Esme's glance hardened visibly as she continued. "She better had not anything happen to her - Emperor, I couldn't..."

"Tessa... Tessa is off, buying us time." Esme says. "And every minute we spend is one she's given us. Let's use her time wisely." I say, looking to the sky. "Are you ready to fly?"

>>13700821
"Tessa is being heroic right now, which means her life is now in constant danger and I can't interfere lest she beats me over the head with her eviscerator." Esme says, placing her head in her hands. "Let's hurry- the faster we kill this thing, the less likely Tessa is to die."

>>13700821
>>13700821
"I'll remember that for the future." Esme says, grinning. "And as for Sister Tessa- well.... she's fighting off a rearguard action, at the moment. I don't know how long she has. Let's move along quickly, shall we?"

>>13700821

Can we keep a psychic eye on Tessa? I doubt you'll have her killed off-screen without any way for us to save her.

>>13702153

(tessa had a very interesting set of rolls... Just trust me)

>>13701396
>>13700934
>>13700915
>>13700869

The twins glanced at each other before moving to either side. "Calm yourself Exalted Martyr."Focus on our next goal so we may reach it sooner."Let us show you a trick."Something Florencia taught us."

The wrap one arm around each of yours, moving into a run, their jump packs firing slowly until they were skimming the ground. The twins glanced at each other once before firing them at full force, sending the three of you rocketing over the land, several meters from the ground. The twins were synchronized perfectly in their movements, never losing an ounce of stability.

They touched down two minutes and a mile and a half later, the cooling fans on their packs straining to keep up with the strain. "Let them cool"before firing again."

>>13702559
After carefully scanning her surroundings for any immediate threats, Esme allows herself to relax a bit.
"Well, I have admit that this was fun." She gives the twins a slight smile, it may not be totally honest as she's still concerned about Tessa, but the two girls have managed to lift her spirits. "Thank you, I needed that. You do know that I can fly by myself, right? - Anyway, how is the situation back home?" The Exalted Martyr asks, obviously very glad to have a moment of respite. "Has there been any progress improving Anna's condition? How are the others doing? I hope the fluffball managed to survive the trip."

>>13702559
"Thank you," I say earnestly.
"That saved us a great deal of time. The sooner we do this, the sooner I can get Tessa."
With slight optimism , I begin to stride deeper into the realm while we wait for the packs to cool.

Also, I agree with checking the news from home.

>>13702559
"That was... amazing." Esme says, a little flabbergasted. "How did you ever learn to do that?"
She thinks back to her own time, not so long ago, as a novice gazing wonderingly as the silver winged Seraphims flew in formation

eating and a few things then I will sit down with this for a few hours.

>>13705003
Take your time OP

>>13702627
>>13704675
>>13704100

The twins hmm for a moment. You sneak a peak. to your right, seeing the twin's scar ran from the upper left to the lower right. Coral. And Carol must be on your left.

"Its standard to learn."Flying in formation."Our link lets us transport things between us."Our movements are perfectly synchronized."We wont hurt our cargo like the others will."Even Florencia was impressed."We first discovered it when another angel, Tara, was injured on the field."We carried her to safety.""And then got chewed out by Florencia about its dangers.""

It was a little odd hearing the conversation go from side to side like this. You were grateful when they spoke at the same time.

"Eventually we proved ourselves."We specialize in recon and rescue because of it."It's for the better really."We have no desire to be big heros."

The twins smile. "Anna is not much better."But she is concious."She's still very out of it though."She is terrified of everything except verity."It's quite cute."But also sad."

The twins slid to either side of the road, examining various things, still talking. The only other sound besides their voices was the snow-muffled sound of your footfalls. "That fluffball has been nothing but trouble."It bit Galatea's powerfist and wouldn't let go."The sisters almost shot it."Then it ran back to Caramel and hid behind her leg."

>>13706009

They moved back to your side. "The inquisitor lord is doing better actually."Turns out he has a small degree of corruption from when he was younger."It's actually pushing him towards recovery."It was hard keeping Florencia from killing him."Well not really actually."She's too tired to do much."

The twins were silent for a moment. ""Why do you keep switching people so frequently?""We mean the first time you switched for Elizabeth"You had been in there for a good 30 minutes."But after that you have been switching more frequently."Every few minutes in fact."The tech priestess was only in this realm for 3 or 4."We've already been in this realm longer than her."

>>13706009
>>13706017
"That is just what I need you for. We are searching for another nexus of the slumbering god."
I smile, relieved at the news.
"It's good to hear that Anna's on her feet again. It would have been a shame to lose her."
I laugh a little bit at the news about the inquisitor, and say,"I suppose that will help Delessa's chance of avoiding execution if we escape."
I blink in surprise at their statement. "Really? It has felt like we've been fighting for hours, if not days. We've already done a great deal, and I had to send them back because they were weary after dealing with the god's assault on their mind."

>>13706017
"Hmmm" Esme pondered the twins' words for a few moments before addressing them. "I am pretty sure Fortran was with us for more than 4 minutes. I'd guess it's a reversal of the effect experienced during warp travel - instead of time passing slower in the immaterium, this god's real is actually accelerating time. Probably pleases the god's favour for decaying landscapes and general entropy. It seems to be the case that the further we progress into its realm, the faster time progresses. Be careful, this realm usually saps our strength quickly."

After letting her glance wander once more over the surrounding landscape, the Exalted Martyr continues. "I'm glad both the Inquisitor Lord and Anna are better, and I do agree - Anna and Verity make a cute couple. You know, it was my fault that caused those scars. I had noticed the way chaos attacked too late, and it cost her dearly."

"Anyway, that something I'll have to take care of once we're done with this. Say, how far can you fly if you don't have to carry anything?"

>>13706017
Esme waves a hand noncommitantly. "Time passes differently the warp. A year may take only a second, a day stretched out into a century. It's just something I don't think about." She shudders. "Among other things I've seen here."
"And I'm honestly surprsied Florentia hasn't popped a blood vessel yet, all things considered and how angry I saw her when she left. She took a real beating, and needs to slow down before she permanently hurt herself."

>>13706017
"Corruption? In what way?" I ask, a little surprised. "Mutation?"

>>13706017
"Poor Anna. I wish I could be there to help her."

>>13706277
Wow... that's a really good theory. The closer we get to the chaos god, the faster time flows for us

>>13706440
Damn. That means that the closer we move in, the longer it will take women to be rested enough to be brought back into the realm.
We have already burned through the majority of our choices, so we need to get this done as quickly as possible.

>>13706277
I'm sorry for the horrible grammar, general orthographical mistakes and repeating words in that post - it's really late around here.

>>13706576
It's cool. All of us have had some embarrassing posts, but it's no big deal.
Some of the stuff that I posted when I was sleep deprived still makes me cringe.

>>13706576
>>13706622
S'alright. Content is better then grammatical accuracy

>>13706541

This ALSO means that you don't need to worry as much about the god consuming Ophelia VII before you have a chance to stop it. Aren't I nice? >:3

>>13706350 >>13706329
>>13706318 >>13706277
>>13706238

The twins nodded. ""A difference in the passage of time makes sense.""

Both twins freeze as you hear the distant crack of something breaking. An enormous flying ray daemon took off from behind some ruined buildings, drifting lazily in the direction you were coming from. All three of you dove behind some shrapnel to hide, but it didn't seem to see you anyway.

After a few minutes of silence, the twins spoke up in hushed voices. "That's what we're fighting?"Its huge"No fair!"This god cheats!"

A little shaken, you move on, the fog that you had seen at such a distance was now starting to swirl around your feet, obscuring your vision. The twins talk in much lower voices. "Evangela revealed it after you left."The inquisitor made a pact with a daemon a long time ago."She helped him kill it, releasing him from any obligation to it."It was something to help him survive severe injury."It left him slightly tainted."That odd pattern in his eyes was the resulting mutation."To avoid getting executed he pledged himself to the sisterhood."Now he is watched constantly by sisters and other members of the ecclesiarchy."If he ever grew worse someone would notice."This was actually during Evangela's rise to sainthood."So the concept of a 'new living saint' distracted enough people from him."If you support Delessa, you can probably save her."

""As for our Canoness..."" both girls frowned. "...If she hasn't popped a vein by now..."...I doubt she ever will..."

>>13707522

You were so busy concentrating on following the back and forth nature of the twin's speech, you nearly walked straight into a large barrier of broken shrapnel, rubble, and ruined vehicles. The fog didn't help either. You stopped and looked up, your limited vision preventing you from seeing the top. You shook your head momentarily. There was a slight buzzing in your head, dulled by your protective aura. It reminded you of... Of the orb in the building!

"...I'm not sure I want to fly over this."Agreed. We don't know what's on the other side."Even if there is no monster..."With fog this thick we wont be able to see where we land."A leg injury, even a twisted ankle, could prove to be fatal."Maybe there is a different way."

The twins banter brought you back to reality. You looked around quickly, trying to find another way. The barrier extends into the fog on both sides, making it impossible to see if you could go around it. It might take a little backtracking but it was probably possible. You sighed and looked straight up. There was always risking that... or... You glanced down. You were standing on a metal disk fitted into the road. A sewer system perhaps? There would be NO fog down there, though emperor knew what ELSE there might be.

>>13707525
So our choices are:
Sewers - probably crawling with unpleasant stuff.
Fly over it - risk injury.
Find a way around it - costs time and we might bump into more enemies.

Any opinions?

>>13707522
I nod. "I'm pretty shure we could pull Delessa into a similar pact with the Sisterhood. I'll have to bring it up to her to see what she thinks."
As I look at the sewer lid, I feel a faint sense of dread.
It seemed like the lesser of two evils, but the idea of working their way through tunnels wasn't very appealing.
I sigh, and direct the twin's attention to the sewer.
"It seems we have two options. I'm not too fond of the idea of using the sewers, but it seems safer than this fog. We could run into one of those flying daemons or a mass of other beasts and not know it until it is too late."
I shrug, and ask,"Do you have any preferences? Your link should at least make working through the pipes easier."

>>13707604

Dungeon crawl sounds fun right about now.

sewers.

>>13707604
Going around it is not an option, I don't think.
We really don't have any time, since the twins will wear themselves out fairly quickly, and I don't want to leave Tessa exposed for any longer than we need to.
As for hopping over the wall, I really don't want to jump into the unknown.
We might be able to avoid the god's attention if we sneak in through the sewers.

>>13707525
"I doubt there will be anybody keen on seeing Delessa burn. Well, maybe Florencia but I think I'll really have to have a talk with her once this ordeal is over."

"Now, we can either search for a way around, risk the jump over the barricades or try our luck with the sewers. Any preferences?"

>Seems like you guys are favouring the sewers, I'm undecided - so I guess we'll try our luck with the dungeon crawl?

Sewers it is then. I ned to go pick up some medication and run a few errands. This will have a map similar to the Engineering section of the ship.

Hrmm, the twins whole schtick is that they fly.... but I guess we can't risk them injuring themselves in the fog.
"I hope you girls don't mind bad smells and small dark enclosures." Shivers
"I know I do," I add, sotto vocco as I tip up the edge of the manhole cover

Greetings, all. In celebration of the quest coming back, I wrote up a piece of fic.
This one is between Delessa and Rodwen, and I apologize to the anon who has been requesting this for my holding off on this.
No romance, either, so that should hopefully please those who grew weary of the rampant lesbianism (Which must be a first for /tg/).

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6625058/7/Sororitas_Quest_Fic

>>13708960
Ah, writefag! Good to see you again. I was almost afraid you'd been scared off or something.

>>13709225
Nope, just laying low for a while. I've been questing here as well, so I haven't totally dissapeared.
It's nice to know that I'm appreciated.

>>13710833
Of course. M'glad to have you back. Good fic, by the way. Rowdan always did strike me as someone who would be passionate, once she loosened up

I'm back but I still have some work to do. Will scribble up a map and post asap.

>>13708268
>>13707661
>>13707947

As you uncover the manhole you feel a blast of heat and can hear the faint sound of mechanics working. Along with it came a putrid smell, making you gag momentarily.

The twins watch you remove the cover, wrinkling their noses. "Exalted martyr..."It's... pretty disgusting smelling down there..." They clearly hesitate before drawing their Phase blades and meltas and descending into the pit, having to tilt to get their jump packs to fit properly.

You climb down after them, the green glow of their blades, coupled with the purple glow of your force blade and slight glow of your divine cast very odd shadows in places. You were in a long tunnel, thankfully dry, one direction running along the route you were going to take, and the other leading back the way you came, blocked by bars. The direction you wanted to go had a faint red glow at the end.

>>13712636
"It seems the only way is forward. Let us make haste," I say, with more confidence than I feel.
I take the lead, so that my aura will light the path for the twins behind me.
We move carefully to the red light, on guard for anything suspicious.

>>13712756

You came to a fork in the road, your psykic senses going haywire. The twins also seem affected, both of them blinking and shaking their heads as if they could clear the buzzing in their minds.

You see the orb in the room before you, accompanied by sewer pump controls and another door against the far wall. Your current route is barred by a pulsing symbol of the chaos god. Crucified upon this symbol was a sister of battle. Her colors were difficult to discern in the mixed light but the symbol of the order on her sash was that of the Blue Robe. Fleshy vines ran from the symbol, connected to her form.

She was leaning forward, breathing shallowly, whispering a litany of salvation. Her form shuddered and wavered with the rise and fall of the prayer's words. A captured soul. Her body lay just to your left. Judging by the wounds, she had been killed very recently.

She raised her head slowly as you approached, groaning and closing her eyes. "No more tricks... Your forms and tricks will not break me daemon! Leave me be!"

>>13714030
"Peace Sister. I am not a trick, nor an attempt to destroy you. I am Esme, the exalted martyr. I am here to grant you peace, and move on to the Emperors side." Esme says, trying to radiate feelings of calm.

>>13714030
Esme walks forward, letting her holy radiance sweep over the injured sisters soul. "Don't worry. I'm on your side." She looks around taking her corpse and the gate beyond. "Sister- how did you end up here? What is this vile contraption that binds you to this gate?"

>>13714030
"Carol, Coral - cover the approaches!" As the twins move into defensive positions, Esme turns towards the tortured soul.

"Tell me your name sister. I can see that you are of the order of the blue robe." If Esme knows anybody from that order, know would be the right time to mention them in order to show the sister that we aren't just a daemon trying to break her.

>>13714030
>Judging by the wounds, she had been killed very recently.

Can we get the soul back into her body somehow? We might be able to bring her back again. This is the warp, after all.

>>13715300

(you may wanna get her un-crucified before trying that)

>>13714853
>>13714237
>>13715094

She flinched a little at your aura, drawing in a breath. "Alessa... My name is Alessa...Merciful Emperor..." She struggled against her restraints to no avail. "I was on my way to Ophelia VII when our ship's gellar fields began to fail. We warped out nowhere near our destination but the gateway didn't close. I was pulled in as I attempted to save my squad. I don't know how long i've been in this place..." she closed her eyes. "I've failed in my duty."

The twins look nervous. "She bars our entrance..."Should we go around?"

You look at her with your witch sight. She is bound to the barrier that is in your way. Destroying the barrier would mean killing her. The power of the barrier itself seemed to be fueled by the orb. Then again the bond didn't seem *too* strong... Enough power could shatter it without hurting her. You'd have to guess shattering the sphere would have the same effect. There was clearly another way into the room. You just needed to find it in this hellish maze of a sewer.

>>13716436
"You have served your duty admirably sister, even now you resist the foul influences of the warp. I'm sure the other sisters of your order are grateful for your sacrifice, no servant of the Emperor suffers in vain."

Turning to the twins, Esme relays what she has found out about the barrier to them. "It seems we have three choices. We can either shatter the barrier and condem our sister here to a fate worse than death - something I would very much enjoy to avoid -, sever the barrier's connection to the orb, or find a way around and destroy the orb." In order to let the information sink in, the Exalted Martyr gives her companions a few moments to think.

"I would prefer finding a way around. If the barrier's connection was easily shattered, it wouldn't have been placed here. It might just as well act as some kind of warning system." Esme gives another look to sister Alessa. "I wish I could leave one of you behind to keep her company, but I think it is best if we make haste." Before moving out, Esme leads the sisters in the Prayer of Relief from Torment (I know you have the Primer, so I won't bother typing it if you don't mind).

"Emperor guide my path." she mutters when faced with deciding her pat.
>Left or right guys?

>>13716436
Just as a crazy idea, but would carving through the wall further down from her work?
I'm assuming not, since there are probably tendrils going down that way, meaning that it would hurt her if we tried to sever them.

"Worry not, Sister. You have served well. Rest for now, we will find a way to release you."
I look from one path to the other. I sigh, and make a decision.
"I am thinking about going to our right. The path is on the same level as the door, so there is a pretty good chance of there being a path to it."
As we move down the path, I make a remark,"Try to focus on the buzzing feel of that orb. If we can try to keep moving towards the feeling, we might be able to find the path."

I have the distinct feeling this is going to be horrible. It's for another Sister, though, so I guess it isn't too bad.

>>13718178
Well, you suggest moving down the side closer to the area marked "Horror" on OP's map. So yes - yes, I'd say there might be a pretty good chance that things will be horrible there.

>>13718340
Fair enough. I was just putting my theory out there.
Feel free to vote, since I think we should discuss this anyway.

>>13718470
There's very little indication on which side will be better or quicker. The left direction will lead us to a lower floor, while the other seems to stay on the same but is unpleasantly close to those "horror" areas.

I'd agree that the right side is probably the faster one.

>>13718501
I agree. We need to get to Tessa as quickly as possible, so I went with what appeared to be the fastest route.
So, safety or speed?

>>13718654
Tessa? Did I miss reading some information on her except OP saying that she had interesting rolls?

Let's take the right side. It seems it's just the two of us at the moment, and I've been leaning towards that side as well.

>She flinched a little at your aura, drawing in a breath
I hope she's not some kind a daemon in disguise.

>>13718654
We might take the flight of stairs down, take a quick look around and if there isn't another flight leading up again in the same room go back and proceed down the corridor to the righ.

>>13718763
That sounds heretically reasonable.
But I'm fine with it. Might as well scope out our options.

i've got a few things to do but then i'll be postin today

>>13716436
So-plans regarding Sister Alessa. Freeing her through brute force? Going around and destroying the orb?
Are we going to try to reanimate her body? Should we heal it now?

>>13716436
"You have not failed Alessa." Esme says gently placing her hand on the sisters form, trying to give her some ease of pain. "Right now, you can be of aid to the god emperors cause. We need specifics. Where did your ship end up? You say there have been others down here? What did they look like? Finally, who did this to you?"

>>13719149
Healing her body or placing it in short-term stasis is probably a good idea.
Great thinking!

Page 11 bump.

>>13718717 >>13718178
>>13716953 >>13719149
>>13719183 >>13718763

You move to her body, weaving your aura over it while asking your questions.

"No... Its only me. Myself and one other sister lost our footing on the ship and were pulled in. She had a bolter round left. I did not." She took a shuddering breath. "My ship... I do not know. We did not make it to the Ophelia system. I'd imagine rescue will come when the warp becomes less turbulent. As for what did this to me; it was a creature of deception. I came down here seeking shelter from the cold, and ran across a floating ball of malevolent light. I was about to enter a room when a creature posing as another sister called to me from nearby. As I turned to greet it, it ran me though with a sword before dissolving into a puddle of water. When I opened my eyes I hoped to see the emperor and to be brought to his side with my fellow sisters, but instead I found myself here." Her voice was shaking a bit. "What foul beast would deny me a final rest?"

>>13721128

You finished with the body. It was still fresh enough that cells were still repairing and dividing, and so you were able to heal the wound and put it in stasis. The realms magic ate away at the protective layer though. Moving quickly would be a good idea.

You left the sister with a nod and a promise of salvation and start to the right, hesitating. You decide to go check what is down the stairs before continuing on the same level.

You hurried quickly down the stairs, the temperature dropping as you progressed, and stopped just short of the bottom. The room's floor was covered in several inches of black sludge. The room itself was rectangular and extended to your right with another doorway a ways down on the near wall. There was another obstacle however. Tall, crab like creatures on stilt legs walked very slowly through the sludge, small delicate claws reaching in and pulling tiny objects out and bringing them to their multi-part mouths. You tensed expecting a fight, but the creatures ignored you. They had no visible eyes. Blind perhaps.

>>13721128
At the sight of the creatures, and the indirect path I would have to take, I make a tough decision.
Haste was of the utmost importance to save the Sister, and I couldn't afford to search for a path to the orb.
I turn around, making a sign to be quiet to the twins, and make my way back to the right-hand hallway.
I pray to the Emperor as I walk for protection and guidance.

shit, which way do we go?
Maybe we could float over the crabs and avoid their attention using our holy aura, while the twins head down the other passage way

>>13721304
Seperating our squad in a horror environment? I doubt that's a good idea.

>>13721304
Do you think we could keep in contact with them? Psykically? Or maybe through the use of a comm bead, if they work and they have them

How much time will it take till the protective aura disappears? If we don't have much, I say we just break the bonds of the barrier with our powers now

>>13721350
Would OP bother to offer us three alternatives if it was that easy?

>>13721364
>the bond didn't seem *too* strong... Enough power could shatter it without hurting her.

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the easiest to overlook

There is no way that OP would give us an easy decision, here.
Breaking the barrier would require an immense amount of energy, which we don't have right now.
We are tired, and maintaining the aura is a slow drain.
Not to mention we don't know if the Sister is a trap in the first place.

As for splitting the group, definately not. Sewers are treacherous, and we are in the warp.
It would be asking for trouble.

>>13721437
Time is of the essence though
And the twins should be able to hand themselves- and are smart enough to run when they know they're outmatched.

Can we fly over the crabs AND carry the twins? Maybe they can use their jump packs.

>>13721498
I'd guess that Esme might manage but the twins using their jump-packs in the confined quarters of these sewers? Doubtful.

>>13721556
Not to mention that jump packs are noisy, and would be sure to draw the ire of these things.
The twins could just hang on as Esme floated over them, if you really wanted to.

we could just burst through the wall cool aide man style, I suppose

>>13721801
We could cut through it. Maybe make our way down the corridor a little bit and then slice our way through.

>>13721153
Could we use our warp-o-vision to see if the other exit from this room leads upstairs again?

>>13722010
I doubt it- we can sense others souls, not see through rock.
...
maybe we could use it to see if there are other monsters lurking for us though
Hey, we still got those datapads? Wip those out and give this place the looky loo
maybe will find a directory or sign saying "this way to boiler room" somewhere

>>13722194
Brilliant idea to use those, might give us some clues on where we should go.

>>13722194

You pull out one of the dataslates, the blue tinted one, and look through it. The sludge is replaced by corpses, the crabs picking up bits and pieces of those long dead and chewing on them. You quickly put the slate away. You don't risk using the green one and Tessa had the red one.

You glance back at the twins. They shrug their armored shoulders. it was your call.

>>13723201
I return the shrug, and make my way back up the stairs.
There was no easy route that way, and time was of the essence.
As we pass Allessa, I give her a reassuring smile.
I feel a rush of determination. We might be able to save her yet.
The thought speeds my footsteps, and I move swiftly to the path to the right.

Agh.... I still think we should fly over there and check the door, just to make sure we're not missing anything on this side

Alright, let's have a vote
Go investigate the other side or turn back down the hallway?

>>13724081
Turn around.

>>13724081
I suppose turn around, but keep looking through that datapad for clues

I say that we go and check out the other door, just quickly, flying over the crabs. If we don't see anything interesting or if it's something obvious like it's blocked off, then we head back the way we came.

I say we go back, renew the protection around her body as we pass.
"Carol, Coral- we need to be on edge around here. There are monsters here, that can take on the forms of others- if we get separated, I want to work out a pass code so that way we know that we're talking to each other. I'll say Imperator Nostre, you'll say Dominea Qoud."

argh you people. I take some time off and you're nearly going back. Haven't any of you done a basic maze before? You have to go in the oddest directions to get to the end.

>>13724773
Alright, but what about the twins? I don't want to get into a fight with the crabs.
Check them for comm equipment

I say we explore this lower path We carried a tech-priest and Tessa. Power armor is by no means light but a tech-priest has to be heavier. we can handle the twins.

Gah not sure what to pick!
WHATEVER WE DO
DO IT QUICK!

Eurobump.

I say lower path as well. the cab things seem more like a cleanup crew than a threat.

Pre-class bump and a vote for turnting back.

I vote for going forward

I vote back!~

awake now. will post at least once before class.

Update schedule will be a little more haphazard mon-wed and better thurs-sun. i'll try to declare friday the biggest questing day

good to see you OP.

I vote forward.

Err.. okay people... forward or back? we seem to have mixed feelings...

>>13732306
FORWARD

>>13732306
I believe it is a dead even 5 for forward completely, 5 for back completely, and 1 that is kind of in the middle.

To offer my opinion on why we should head back, I offer proof that any of our quester should support.
If we hurry enough down the right-hand path by heading back, we might be able to save Allessa, and claim a new waifu.
More waifus>less waifus, so I rest my case.

>>13732427
Well, what if there's nothing in the right hand side. Then all we've done is just wasted time.
This is why I recommend splitting up, and letting the twins go right while we investigate the other end.
BUT ONLY IF WE CAN STAY IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER
(Also, OP. I Love your Esme drawing. The arm is bitching! Her mouth looks alittle funny though)

>>13732579

(why thank you anon. Mouth is a bit funny because I forgot to reink and shade a few bits. That and my style is largely inspired by the 80's and 90's anime)

on the subject of splitting up, yes that is uber risky and the further you and your companions are apart the harder it is to maintain an aura around them.you wont have to worry about this though if you just give them a bit of power instead of maintaining it yourself (like you did with the corpse). takes more energy though.

and yes, you have micro-beads and stuff. You may or may not experience some interference from the stone walls and from being in the warp though. Your choice.

>>13732867
I'd say sending the twins off is too risky. Their wound-1-make-the-other-one-useless-as-well deal is a real setback in a situation where we might not be able to reach them quickly.

>>13732955
I agree. Sewers are notoriously tricky, and getting lost would be fairly easy.
Couple that with confirmed hostiles in the area, and you've got a recipe for disaster.

>>13732427
>>13732579

One more vote for trying the right corridor. Even 40k architects won't require you to take a detour through another floor to reach a room on the same level.

Oh, and in b4
>After quickly ascending the steps again, You and your entourage hurry along the other path. The temperature dropping as you progressed, you happen upon another door. Carefully opening the gate, a familiar sight greets you. The room's floor was covered in several inches of black sludge. The room itself was rectangular and extended to your right with another doorway a ways down on the near wall. There was another obstacle however. Tall, crab like creatures on stilt legs walked very slowly through the sludge, small delicate claws reaching in and pulling tiny objects out and bringing them to their multi-part mouths. You tensed expecting a fight, but the creatures ignored you. They had no visible eyes. Blind perhaps.

I know i promised to post but your arguments are taking a bit long. I've got to get to class. I'll post when I get home. Hopefully you've come to an agreement.

>>13733302

yeah but look at the map. The room is a "pump control room" while the downstairs area is clearly a flood tunnel. there may be stairs leading up to either side.

also what's the point of having a second wrap around path to get to the same area on the same floor? a person trying to get to the other side could just walk through the pump control area. The right path is likely to lead off somewhere else or take an absurdly long time meandering around.

If we MUST go down the right path, i say we compromise. We take a LOOK down the right path and maybe follow it to the next room and see where it takes us. If it is in the opposite direction of where we want to go, i say we go back, float the twins over the sludge pit, and take a look up the door.

or vice versa.

GAH JUST FLIP A COIN ALREADY AND DECIDE BEFORE ALESSA DIES AGAIN OF OLD AGE

>>13733434
If anybody's interested in my opinion - honestly I doubt OP will penalise us for simply choosing one direction over the other. There is very little reason to choose one path over the other. Proponents of both choices have given good arguments for their favoured direction.

I think it will come down to how we'll handle the way itself and not which one we take.

>>13733602
Probably the only way this will ever be resolved.

rolled 1 + 0 = 1

>>13733602
Rolling a d2.

1-> Left side.
2-> Right side.

That way we can blame /tg/'s RNG if anything goes wrong.

>>13734484
Left side it is
Let's try to avoid the crabs

>>13734518
Good enough for me. Let's float above the things while pulling the twins.

>>13734484
Heh, I did actually favour the right corridor, but the dice have been cast.

After what feels like an eternity to her, Esme makes up her mind. Signalling for the twins to keep quiet and to hold on to her. As she prepares for the task ahead, the Exalted Martyr remembers the advice the Farseer gave to her only a few hours ago. Careful not to make any sounds or bump into anything, she lifts off the ground and begins levitating towards the other exit.

Page 10 bump.
Good night.

Page 10 bump

(heh wow it took the RNG to sort this out)

>>13734973

You take the twins each in a hand and float silently into the air. You begin to cross, moving quickly, having several close calls as the crab things mulled about, oblivious to you.

You reach the other side and quickly ascend the stairs, opening the door to the top. You stop short, holding out each arm and catching the twins before their momentum carried them through the door.

The room was actually the same as the previous one. A pump control for the flood drains, lit by red light. This one was also covered in the same horrible material as the other, only this time it was wall to wall. Now that you were closer you could see it was weblike and looked kind of like melted plastic. Within this web sat hundreds of large translucent spheres, the contents moving as if alive.

Movement caught your eye and you looked up to see another crab like creature, this one far smaller and bloated, scuttling across the webwork. It was a nest, or maybe the outskirts of a hive. Either way, it may be for the best to make haste before mommy shows up.

There was another door to your right as well as another door on the opposite wall. There appeared to be a door on the far wall as well, judging by the structure of the room, but it was blocked with ice and debris.

>>13737940
I pull out the blue slate once more, and use it to look at both doorways.
I had no better ideas, and it might give us a clue as for where to go.

May I just say like we are headed in a very bad direction?

>>13737940
It looks like we are on the same level as the room we need to be in, good stuff.
The doorway to our right very well might lead to the orb, as well, so everything is going well.
I say we look through the slate like >>13738127
And then float to the doorway if nothing interesting shows up.

>>13737940
Sphere, huh? Do they have any psykic aura to them? I am tempted to smash them, just to see what happens. Probably horror.
Also. "Good. I think we're on the right track," Esme says, keeping her voice low. "Let's head through this door to the right- it looks like it will head to the place we're looking for."
You know, the doorway parallel to the one blocked by the sister's soul?

Alright, the horror stuff isn't good. Let's float over that too.

Bedtime bump

should we screw around with the pump controls you think?

Bump.

>>13739405
Fun as that sounds, I think that we should probably avoid anything in this room that we don't need.
We are near what appears to be a nest, so if we start screwing around there might be some unintended consequences.
By which I mean death.

Another thing that has been bugging me.
What are we supposed to do if the orb goes critical again?
How are we supposed to advance in that case?
How are we going to revive the Alessa?

So, anything we should say? Avoid?
"Carol, Coral- you're from a forge world, right? Do you recognize any of the equipment here? Perhaps operate it?"

>>13741786
Good questions. We are definately going to have to scoot the moment we destroy the sphere.
Maybe weaken it enough in order to break the bonds, and then guide the soul back to the body? Then destroy the orb.
As for getting out quickly enough, we might want to scout out some alternate routes in case the ceiling starts to cave in. We also might have to have the twins do their carrying trick.

Any other theories?

getting some work done. will post when i'm done.

>>13743842
I don't think the walls will collapse in
Hopefully, if we destroy the sphere, the measure will be less... chaotic as last time. Or perhaps some friendly deamons will poke their heads in.

>>13742570
>>13738395
>>13738127

The blue slate shows the room how it was before the eggs had been laid, splattered in fresh blood from the crab's rampage.

You turn to the twins, asking their advice.

"Well, yes, we could turn on the pumps."But we'd rather not disturb these eggs."It might be best to use the machine in the other room."Perhaps we can flood that sludge filled tunnel that we saw."Provided the water isn't frozen solid."Ohhh good point. I did not think of that."

You bring up the door.

"Yes. I like that course of action."As do I."

You've once again completely lost track of which twin was which.

>>13744769
I nod my head, and gesture for them to wrap themselves around me.
"I'm just Ms. Popular today, I have all the ladies hanging off of me," I mutter as I levitate off the ground and carefully float to the doorway.

Oh, and OP, did we get a look at the blocked doorway with the blue slate?
I want to know what that was.

>>13737940
>This one was also covered in the same horrible material as the other, only this time it was wall to wall.

Is that stuff only covering the floor or is it like a gigantic spider's web?

>>13744769
>>13744769
"Hopefully there won't be any other major obstacles in our way." Esme says, picking up the twins and heading to the door that she hopes will lead towards the pump room that Sister Alessa blocked.

Page 8 bump.
Good night guys.

been working on homework. class now. will bbl.

Not sure what to add, except time is running out

Bedtime bump.

>>13745267
>>13744861

You glance once more through the blue slate, this time at the locked doorway. It was just a door, like any other.

You pick up the twins and float slowly over to the door, opening it and floating inside. You land quietly, closing the door behind you. You were in some sort of maintenance storage room There are several lockers to your left, crates to your right, and a large pile of sheet metal and other replacement parts. There is a door directly ahead of you.

"I think we've come full circle."I hope we can save Alessa."

>>13750240
>>13750240
"I hope so too Carol." Esme says, taking a stab at the dark, and hoping she picked the right name.
She turns the door that she can only hope leads into the rome of the orb, and gingerly steps forward.

I will actually post something useful later.
For now, bump.

>>13750240
"Girls, last time I destroyed an orb like this it tore a gigantic tear into the gods realm. I'd like to try something to avoid this but I need a few seconds to prepare myself. There's little you can do to help me with this but it might be wise to check the lockers and crates in this room for anything helpful."

As the twins begin checking the containers, Esme focusses on what little the Farseer taught her. "There must be a way to contain the resulting rift with what little power will remain to me after I destroy the orb" the Exalted Martyr mutters to herself.

>Any ideas? Btw. when we find the next tear, would it help Esme to regain her powers if she moves into the tear for a few minutes? She'd essentially be outside of the god's realm.

>>13750240
"I hope so too," I say reassuringly.
As I look at the door that will lead to orb, my mind is working furiously.
How could we contain the explosion of the thing long enough for me to get Alessa back into her body?
As the twins search the lockers and crates, I come up with a few ideas.
Maybe if I hit the thing with a slightly weaker bolt, it will take a while before it detonates.
Alternatively, if I hurl the orb away from us, into the nest that we just left, it might buy us a few moments to rescue the Sister.
Outloud, I say,"Once I destroy the orb, I'm going to need you two to clear out of the area. The door that Alessa is bonded to will probably open, and I'm going to need both of you to pull that carrying trick to get her out of here. I will follow behind as I can."

Those are about the best ideas I have. We might come up with something better once we are in the room, though.

Page 10 bump

alright questers i'm here for a bit. then class. once the weekend rolls around i'll sit down with the quest for a nice long stretch of time.

and btw going left was, in fact, the faster choice.

>>13756243
Glorious. I'm right here with you, OP.
Damn, so much for my theories. All's well that ends well, I suppose.

>>13756243
Huzzah
I was right~

>>13756243
First good roll I've seen from our RNG during a quest when it counts.

>>13750825
>>13754213
>>13754334

Carol smiles faintly and nods. You guessed correctly.

The twins pull out several friction-charge flashlights, shaking them and testing them before adding them to the hooks on their belt. They also find a few containers of aluminum powder out of a paint set and add them to the small bags at their waist. They empty out another container and take out a pair of knives, scraping some of the rust off the locker. it isn't long before they get the container filled. They notice you staring at them. "We can make Thermite."It might save us melta ammo" One of them, Coral you think, took out a magnesium based flare.

You nod and walk into the room, the twins following. The safest method would most likely be to move the orb into the next room, away from Alessa. You focus your power around the sphere, half forcing it into the next room. You could hear the twins talking to Alessa, trying to comfort her. It was now or never. You shot the orb into the room, following up with a bolt of power. The orb hits the far wall and detonates, the entire room quickly falling away. The walls themselves began to warp under the strain of the displaced power. You could hear the ceiling collapse in several places, and quickly move away to check on the twins, ignoring your headache.

One of them was already hacking the pump controls, causing the crab filled tunnel to surge. The other was holding the now freed Alessa, guiding her to her body. The spirit vanished the moment she contacted it, gasping and sitting straight up, shivering uncontrollably. Immediately you wrap her in your divine aura, focusing on warming her. She recovers quickly, climbing unsteadily to her feet. "By the Emperor..." She looked down at herself, flexing her hands. "I'm alive..."

You move slowly, standing in front of her, the sister falling to her knees in her worship of the Emperor and murmuring blessings and thanks to you. You lay one hand gently on her head, Alessa gasping as she is filled with your power, the blue paint peeling from her gauntlets, greaves, and part of her breastpate, her filthy white sash bleached pure.

You manage to get her to her feet, ceasing her praises of you as you felt the realm shift, a horrible cry coming from the tear. A plaguebearer slowly hefted itself out of the wound in the realm, licking some of the rust off of its huge blade. You could hear the screams of some foreign creature and the distant scuttling and creaking of an exoskeleton. These creatures knew their nest had been violated.

The twins grab both you and Alessa. ""Time to go!""

The tunnel you had come from was now blocked by rubble and the sludge/crab tunnel had been flooded by one of the twins. You glanced at Alessa who was fumbling for the plasma pistol on her hip. You best find out more about her as you continue.

>>13757049
I breathe a sigh of relief as Allessa's soul reaches her body.
My plan had worked! I smile as I bless the revived Sister.
As we step outside of the room the orb had occupied and saw the blocked entrance, I quickly pivot and say to the Sisters,"Down the other path! We cannot escape through either of the tunnels we have been in."
As we trot down the path, I talk to Allessa, as much to calm her as to get to know her.
"How are you feeling? Do you have any combat specialties? Also, I've heard of your Order before, but never in great detail, could you tell me about it?"

Also, excellent job everybody, waifu count +1.

>>13757049
>>13757059
"There will be time for that later," Esme says, scooping Alessa up in her arms. "Now, concentrate on getting out!" With that she dashes after the twins, avoiding crumbling concrete and reinforced prybars. "Carol, Coral. Pick up the pace!" She says, even as she tries to psykically keep the integrity of the tunnels stable for a moment as her party runs through the long corridors

>>13757059
Esme allows a rather strange expression to show on her face. This went much better than she had dared to expect.

"Seems like we haven't got much choice which way to take. Carol, Coral - take point. I need a few minutes to catch myself after the strain of destroying that orb, and it seems like sister Alessa has to reacquaint herself with her body." As the twins begin to move out, Esme places a hand on their shoulders. " I doubt I could have managed to come so far without your help. Thank you."

As the group beings to proceed down the remaining corridor, Esme tries to learn more about her new companion. "Are you feeling alright? You said you lead a squad in the defense of your ship, would you mind telling me about them?" If she has enough time, Esme might to bring her up to date on the defense of Ophelia VII as well.

>>13757049
"Carol, Coral, HIT THE PUMPS!" I shout before we leave the quickly crumbling room. I don't know what it will do, but at this point I doubt it will hurt

>>13758223
We still have the chance to drown ourselves, so I'd rather not.

>>13758256
But what if the only way out is now blocked? I say that we hit them now. There is a better chance they'll help then not helping

Bumping from page no. 11.

>>13758256
>>13758223
hold on, wait
Didn't the twins already turn on the pumps?

>>13760978
Yes, we did. I guessed from his post that he wanted to destroy or damage the pumps.

back from class but dragged off to watch Waitress. tis a good movie.

>>13762236
It's cool OP, we'll be waiting.

bedtime bump

A second bedtime bump

last bedtime bump

Bump.

Not really sure what to add except lets get a move on
Also, don't destroy the pump

Pre-class bump. Will be back soon.

Бумп.

Page 11 bump.
In the interest of starting conversation while OP is busy, any fic wishes?
Hopefully this request won't start a shitstorm.

Op, where'd you go?

>>13770918
I would like to see Galatea training Tessa and Esme when they were novices.
Chloe and Fortran would be good too- they make a good odd couple.
Evangela needs more love, of course
Or something with Tybalt. Everybody loves that dog.

bumpan

>>13770918
Oh, do a fic of Tessa and Esme. I know you've already done one, but they need more d'aaaw

sorry guys. went up to visit my 91 year old grandma. I thought i posted the message but apparently captcha blocked me.

I promised to treat her to lunch when she had recovered from the hospital visit. Traffic was bad on the way home.

MFW she eats almost half a chicken, a bunch of mashed potatoes and fruit and still have room to eat half of the enormous hot fudge sunday.

That and she talked a lot about the depression and her time in the service. Twas a good day.

>>13772789
aww
It sounds like you enjoyed yourself. Good for you OP

Hey, you guys want to pock around in that horror stuff? Just to see what it is?

>>13772789
Old folk are awesome. Glad you could hang out with your Oma.

Good to have you back, OP, we wait with bated breath.

remember guys tomorrow is the big posting day. it might be better for me to just wait until then and just have today off. I'm pretty dang tired and not sure if my posting is up to par atm. I'm gonna unwind with either some soulstorm or SS13 or System Shock 2. If any of you questers play any i'll gladly join in a game.

>>13773162
Heh. Sorry OP. don't have either.
Good luck killing heretics and remember, Atmosia, Atomsia, is the land of the free, Atmosia, Atmosia, belong to you and me!

That's fine, OP. Have a good rest.
As for the fic, I have the outline written up for Tybalt.
I will post the fic this weekend, since I have a lot to do tonight/tomorrow.

>>13773305
Yay!
DOGGY

Pre-bed bump

bump

bump

Will probably start posting around 3PST

Hopefully the last bump before we get something done.

nother

Reporting in. Ready and willing, OP.

I HAVE RETURNED.

took a little longer than i guessed it would. sorry bout that.

adding on to the maaap

>>13783393
Hooray!

>>13757939
>>13757889
>>13757199

You move on to your new path, a hall stretching before you

Alessa sighed. "The Order of the Blue Robe is very small an particular about its duties. We guard nobles in several sectors and root out local heresy. We were on our way to visit Ophelia VII. I think the rest of my squad made it." The twins were moving just ahead of you, but were still within earshot, clearly curious.

At the end of the long hallway is a steel door. You hold up one hand to momentarily silence Alessa, attempting to open the door. It takes a bit of effort but you manage to get it open, and it becomes obvious why. The entire room was covered in the web like material. The door had cracked open several of the eggs, squirming, squeaking white things wiggling piteously on the ground.

An gutteral roar answered the creature's death squeals, two huge crab-like creatures sliding out from under the webbing. Unlike the ones you previously saw, these could see and had huge, scythe-like claws.

>>13783986
"Everybody, back up! Don't go through the doorway, let them come to us!" I shout, quickly back-pedalling.
Meeting the crabs on their terms would be foolish, after all.
It was a much better plan to let the doorway funnel them, allowing us plenty of oppurtunity to strike.
"Allessa, if you would kindly use that plasma pistol," I say as the behemoths charge towards the doorway.

>>13783986
"Aim for the eyes!" I shout, my form wreathed in holy flame.
I look about the vault, checking to see if I have enough room to fly above the gaping pincers of the crabs. If so, then I do so.
I begin to blast the crabs with withering holy bots, concentrating my fire on their eyes and the joints of their legs.
"Look for weak spots in their armor!" I say, "Discolorations, anything. Let's hope we got lucky and that these are soft shelled crabs!"

>>13784057
how much you wanna bet the crabs charge through the wall, kool aid man style?

>>13784277
I'm really not sure which is scarier. Those crabs, or that drinkable eldritch abombination.
Moving back should allow us to get one shot off, in seriousness, so it should be worth it.

Also, I should think that not using our powers right now would be best.
We don't want any minions of the sleeping god to follow us too quickly, after all.

>>13784324
alright, retreat back
But use at least a little psykic bolts

Anything else we should do besides blinding them?

>>13784617
Nothing that I see. All that's left is to see what they can do.
And I'm perfectly fine with some psychic bolts to the eyes once Allessa squeezes off a few shots.

>>13784324
>>13784212
>>13784057

(I think everyone I know has forgotten what "shut up, I'm busy" means. Ugh)

You back up quickly, and taking your headache into consideration, you fire a single, well-aimed psykic bot at the nearer crab. You hear a resounding crack as its shell fractures, enraging the best.

The twins fired up their jump packs, rushing forward. Their C'tan blades hummed as they ducked low, removing a leg on either side of the closer daemon. It swiped at them, roaring in pain, managing only to nick one of the twin's feet, destabilizing her momentarily.

Despite her trembling, Alessa drew her plasma pistol and aimed carefully, her shot taking out one of the creature's eyes.

The other daemon rushed forward, heading straight for you, its grating roar making your teeth ache.

>>13785023
"Carol, Coral, keep that crab away from Allessa! Allessa, just keep taking shots as you are able," I shout.
I propel myself underneath the rushing beast with a short psychic burst, and rip upwards with my claw.
As I pass under its legs, I pivot, using my blade and claw to remove a few legs before attempting to thrust the force blade into the cracked carapace.
The tactic has served me well, and I pray that it works again

>>13785023
"Make every shot count. Make it immobile or near immobile. We aren't planning on sticking around." I say, hoping on top of the most wounded crab and sticking my holy blade through the crack in it's shell. I use it as a base and jump forward onto the next crab, trying to scissor through it's weak support joints if possible.

Still with us OP? I've got nothing to add to the posts we have.

>>13785126
>>13785247

You push Alessa back, rushing forward and trying to slide under the crab. Almost instantly, you find yourself tangled in the thick, sticky web covering the floor. You still manage to thrust your power claw up as it passes, shearing off a part of its carapace. It screams in pain, falling before it reaches Alessa.

The twins continue to harass the first crab you struck at, their inferno pistols punching through and widening the cracks in its carapace. One of its claws manages to grab the wrist of one of the seraphim, plucking her out of the air. She increased the thrust of the pack, the motor whining as she struggled to not get pulled in.

>>13786037
I give a quick pulse of my aura to burn the ties that bind me, and leap at the crab who grabbed the twin.
"Try and shear off the claw!" I shout as I free myself, just in case I couldn't get there in time.
As I finally free myself, I jump onto the crab, stabbing with both the claw and sword into any gaps in its carapace.
"Stay back Allessa, try to pick off the downed one's eyes," I order.

>>13785986

yeah i'm around. I keep getting pulled away. its really pissing me off

>>13786137
It's cool, OP, I'll be around for a couple of hours.

>>13786096

To make things more clear

Alessa's being driven into the hall by the one that charged. You are between the two crabs.

>>13786277
Understood. I want to attack the one that is grabbing hold of the twin.
I hate to play math with people, but if she gets hurt that is two members lost instead of one.
Not to mention the other crab is down for the moment, so I can at least free the twin, then turn my attention onto the other one.

>>13786037
Focus our attention on the crab endangering the twin.
"Aim for the broken parts of it's shell! Cook it from the inside out!" Esme shouts to Alessa. "And watch out for it's grip!"

>>13786491
>>13786366

You struggle to get free, your psykic powers making the webs pulse and grow. You struggle fiercely, unable to get free.

Alessa moves deeper into the tunnel, the crab scrambling to its feet, chasing her, its carapace far too wide to fit through the tunnel. It screeched, reaching into the tunnel, its claw screeching against the concrete floor.

Both twins screamed as the monster slammed its captor against the wall, the uninjured one going berserk, leaping on its back. The c'tan blade sheared through its armor, cracking and burning. The creature howled, releasing its captive and lashing out on the other twin, its claws grating against her power armor.

>>13786920
Feeling a deep rage come over me, I drag my claw in a circle around me, the power field severing the strands that hold me from aiding the twins.
No beast shall harm my Sisters!
I launch myself at the abomination, seeking out a gap in the carapace with my force-sword.
If I could just get it into flesh, I could destroy the thing from the inside out.

At least Allessa is doing fine.

>>13786920
"Damn it!" I cry, frustrated at my entangled state. I slash at the webbing with my sword and jump forward, aiming to plunge my blade into the weakest spot I could find of the uninjured crab.

We're starting to hit auto-sage.
A new thread, OP?

>>13787433

yeah working on it hold on. ugh damn real live...

NEW THREAD: >>13787873

btw just to make sure you guys know, the less injured one is the one attacking Alessa.