#in hindsight chazaqiel rolling not to be able to sense the datadisk

[nemossubmarine]

Warhammer 40k: Wrath & Glory RP #40

Alice and Larry have a chat about the coming night. Since there’s a chance of death, Larry wants Alice to know she’s been important to him. Alice warns Larry about getting too sappy. But they exchange words of platonic love. They talk about making sure they survive, neither have any qualms of pushing some Wolves onto the path of any enemies. Alice says that Larry has been a good friend, even if he left Michael behind. Larry apologises and says he doesn’t feel safe around him, even Chazaqiel told them to be careful around him. Alice says she needs to tell Larry something, if she might die, she needs the world to know… that Michael has a huge dong. Alice hadn’t told anyone because she was spiteful that no one else was interested. It was kind of an accident (the situation was), but also for science. Larry says knowing this might not change his stance on Michael, but he’ll reconsider it, and will let the world know if worst comes to worst. He doesn’t know what exactly the knowledge will garner them, since he’s not sure if Michael (/Astartes in general) swing in any way, but hey, you never know.

Rebecca asks Izarak if he has a moment to talk. Roberto has apparently gone to have a chat with Ferrus. Rebecca apologizes for Roberto, he hasn’t really expected to see Izarak ever, so being angry at him has been easier for him. She says Roberto would however never let any actual harm come to pass on Izarak. She hopes Izarak doesn’t doubt that Ada is loved and well cared for. Izarak says he has no doubts about that. Rebecca says she doesn’t know where Ada will go after she comes home, as Dimmamar is unlikely to be safe for several years due to orks, but where-ever that’ll be, she invites Izarak over to visit. Izarak said he’d like that, but he has no idea where he’ll himself be, saying that he’s in some mid-to-big-sized trouble with the priesthood. Rebecca says if her and Roberto’s name is any help in Izarak’s troubles, he’s free to use them. She then asks him to bless her Knight, which he does.

Ranan and Coco are checking their weapons for the night. Ranan expresses sorrow that Coco has to be part of this kind of violence, as she’s no guardsman. Coco tends to agree, saying she’d much rather be at home. She asks if Ranan has any regrets, and Ranan replies that he has plenty, but doesn’t really elaborate. Coco says she’s thinking about going back home and doing some yelling about people not standing up to her against the accusations that she killed her brother. They talk about Omar taking over the family business, and Ranan is a bit doubtful they would, as it had never before been in the cards. Coco asks Ranan to tell Ace if she dies, and asks if anyone needs to be told if he dies. Ranan says his moms have mourned him a couple of times over, and Hackney would know if he simply just doesn’t show up. Coco says she’ll tell Hackney nevertheless.

The plan involves Rebecca hiding with Saef, Izarak, Coco and Larry under the tau stealth drone, while the Wolves pull attention with some poorly (on purpose) set up traps. There is backup within one building in the form of Wolves and Roberto, and Alice is waiting with Ferrus and couple of Wolves some way away, in case Ferrus’ eye is needed. Uffe and Ranan are sniping from the rooftops.

They have to wait until night-fall before anything starts to happen. It starts with bells beginning to ring in one of the bell towers. It is answered by another and another, and soon everywhere a sound of bells ringing can be heard. No sight of anyone, until a lone figure shambles out of one of the buildings. It is a human, dressed in the robes of the priests, and most notably missing his head. One of the Wolves shoots it down with his bolter.

More corpses begin to appear, and some are on the roofs, tossing down their heads. They’re not particularly difficult to disperse with, but there is quite a lot of them. Some start appearing near where Rebecca and the others are hiding, and they have to be shot down. Some infected corpses and bigger funeral processions start making it to the field. Ranan shoots one down to deter corpses making it towards Rebecca. Some of the corpses are starting to get close to the Wolves, and its clear they’re aiming to grab Skarde. It doesn’t look like Chazaqiel is aware who has the actual datadisk in hand.

Alice notices some water rippling from where she is standing, and a creature made up of corpses tossed into the water emerges. It starts to make its way towards where the Wolves are, which would take it straight through Rebecca. Uffe tosses a grenade to break down a wall to make it so that it can’t walk into Rebecca. The thing attempts to climb up a wall, but it’s not very good at that.

Coco gatches a glimpse of some blue-ish light beyond the roof-tops and sneaks to take a looksie. The light turns out to be Chazaqiel sneaking about. He eventually moves to a place where Ranan can see him. Ranan takes a shot, but it doesn’t appear to do much damage. The Wolves taunt Chazaqiel for him to show his face.

Despite the Wolves calling out Chazaqiel for cowardice, it doesn’t look like he’s going to move in. So the Wolves agree to move out, leaving only the people hiding with Rebecca and Uffe to watch over the square, and Roberto hiding in the building. 

When the Wolves start moving away, eventually the hiding folk can see Chazaqiel moving towards the square. He is going towards the Wolves’ ship but before he can reach it, from the darkness, with Coco calling out the shot, Rebecca shoots at him, hitting him on the shoulder quite badly. Chazaqiel takes one look at the situation, and runs off. Coco gets on the rooftops to follow, and gets even one shot in, but doesn’t manage to pierce his armor. Rebecca lines another shot and blasts his feet from under him.

Coco gets to a roof-top close to Chazaqiel, and notes that he is attempting some kind of a psychic ritual(?). Afraid that he might be escaping and urged by Larry, Coco takes the final shot, her bullet cracking through his helmet. Chazaqiel goes: “Oh father, please, not like this”, before bursting into blue flames. His corpse burns for a bit. Once the flames have died down the rest of the people come examine him. Coco gets a high-five from Rebecca.

Uffe turns what remains of Chazaqiel around, and after a moment’s inspection, says they’ll take the remains to Baal. Larry asks Uffe aside, and voices his concerns that Chazaqiel’s existence being known more widely might speak trouble for them. Uffe says that they can not prove the Mechanicus’ innocence without something to show for it, and he’d rather give it up to the Blood Angels rather than the Ecclesiarchy. Larry, though still not enthusiastic, asks for their group’s involvement to be kept to a minimum.

When the rest of the party is told of the Wolves’ plan, they bring up Michael back at Llosie, but Uffe says it’s too out of the way. They can however come along, explain his situation to the Blood Angels, and perhaps the Blood Angels would have someone come along and pick Michael up. That sounds good so it’s off to Baal for the next session.