Confessor AdalbertAdalbert, the ship's confessor, solemnly raises his hands above the altar and speaks mournfully, "Heed me, O guardian spirits! We have come to punish a great desecration: heresy has made its lair in the dynastic crypt and disturbed the peace of our honoured dead. I beg you to perform the ritual of unsealing and allow us passage."
NPCA hand-shaped panel opens in the altar of unsealing. The panel is lined with sharp spikes.
Jocasta Sauerback"Lord Captain, we now require your blood. The crypt will not open without the Rogue Trader's genetic signature."
YOU"Master-at-Arms, are your people ready?"
Jocasta Sauerback"Ready as never before, Your Lordship/Ladyship. They are incensed by this profane intrusion and eager to exterminate the menace before the eyes of our departed ancestors. My enforcers will secure the side sections of the crypt to prevent any flanking attacks."
YOU"Master-at-Arms, are your people ready?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Children of the Emperor, I bless your crusade! Today, He watches over us!"
NPCTheir faces glow with righteous indignation and a drive to exterminate the traitors who dared to invade the sanctity of the dynasty's most eminent dead. Your sermon has ignited a fire in their hearts.
YOU"Master-at-Arms, are your people ready?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Children of the Emperor, I bless your crusade! Today, He watches over us!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Shout] "Soldiers! Our ship lies behind us, and our enemy awaits ahead! No mercy, no cowardice, and no turning back — this is my order to you!"
NPCThe warriors' faces show staunch pride and a readiness to die rather than bring shame to their commander.
YOU"Master-at-Arms, are your people ready?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Children of the Emperor, I bless your crusade! Today, He watches over us!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Shout] "Soldiers! Our ship lies behind us, and our enemy awaits ahead! No mercy, no cowardice, and no turning back — this is my order to you!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Confessor Adalbert, I ask for your blessing before a righteous battle."
Confessor Adalbert"May the Emperor protect His children who carry forth His cleansing flame. Hear the roar of chainswords and the bellow of autoguns, for they are His voice. Oft do I preach clemency to our noble officers, but this I say to you now: lay aside pity and show no mercy!"
YOU"Master-at-Arms, are your people ready?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Children of the Emperor, I bless your crusade! Today, He watches over us!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Shout] "Soldiers! Our ship lies behind us, and our enemy awaits ahead! No mercy, no cowardice, and no turning back — this is my order to you!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Confessor Adalbert, I ask for your blessing before a righteous battle."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Place your hand inside the panel]
NPCThe panel's mechanical teeth sting your flesh, and you feel your blood trickling down the small ducts into the altar's bowels. You hear a click, and the crypt doors open with a piercing creak. Beyond them, you see nothing but darkness.
Confessor Adalbert"Sacrilege! The hallowed crypt must remain illuminated at all times to drive away the shadows from the place of the ancestors' final repose!"
Jocasta Sauerback"This was done on purpose, I'm sure of it. Our coming is expected. Vanguard, provide the Lord Captain with a luminator servo-skull!" She gives you a surprisingly easy smile and bows. "Take care, Your Lordship/Ladyship, and watch out for dark corners. Move out! For House von Valancius!"
NPC"Your Lordship/Ladyship, wait! There's been..." Einrich bursts into the antecompartment and stops short when he sees the open doors and the gloom beyond. "Damn it, I'm late. I meant to report an act of sabotage. They've cut off the promethium supply to the crypt's lighting. You're walking into an ambush."
YOU"Why did you fail to discover this earlier?"
NPC"They covered their tracks well. But I was... worried about your safety." Einrich smiles somewhat sheepishly. "Which is why I took the liberty of sending maintenance patrols to inspect the perimeter of the crypt."
YOU"Why did you fail to discover this earlier?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Your expeditious performance is laudable, Infernus Master."
NPCThe officer bows his head with dignity. You notice fresh oil stains on his coat — it seems he not only sent his underlings, but also went to investigate the area himself.
YOU"Why did you fail to discover this earlier?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Your expeditious performance is laudable, Infernus Master."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Whether through darkness or well-lit halls, we are going in."
NPC"I fear we might be underestimating the enemy. The enforcers have already done it once. I... The Infernus Guild would join you in this fight, if you would have us. To get inside, the aberrations would have had to make a passage for themselves somewhere in the crypt's perimeter. No one knows the maintenance tunnels better than us. We could find this breach and attack the enemy from the rear. I doubt a few workers armed with axes and torches will make much of a difference, but we would be honoured to die in your name."
YOU"Then arm yourselves properly. A torch seems like a poor weapon indeed."
Einrich Monteg"Depends on who's wielding it," Einrich says with a chuckle, but then his expression darkens. "The Infernus Guild is banned from taking up arms. Our clan is branded because our ancestors were rebels. The station where we originally hail from once rose against Lady Theodora's predecessor. The traitors were killed, and the rest of the station was left stranded in the void to die without air or water. Out of those who repented, the Rogue Trader selected a thousand who were allowed on board."
Einrich Monteg"Those spared people became the Infernus Guild — repairmen, firefighters... those who bear the brunt of any disaster and are the first to die. That was our penance. It's been centuries, and still we die not just because our duty demands it, but because we atone for what our ancestors did. The enforcers keep reminding us about it, and if they see an armed infernus, they'll execute them on the spot. Such was the Lord Captain's will."
YOU"Then arm yourselves properly. A torch seems like a poor weapon indeed."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I hereby remove the brand of shame from the Infernus Guild and permit them to carry weapons, fight, and die for this ship."
Einrich MontegHis eyes widen in astonishment. "Your... I... I never would have dared to ask, Your Lordship/Ladyship. We will live up to your expectations, I swear it. Those who die today will die smiling, for today is a great day for our people!"
NPCThe Infernus Master and his people leave the hall. The doors of the crypt are open. It is time to step into the darkness.
end of branch
YOU"Then you will use the means you have to fight. And die, if it is required of you."
Einrich Monteg"We will, Your Lordship/Ladyship. Dying is second nature to us. The Emperor protects!"
NPCThe Infernus Master and his people leave the hall. The doors of the crypt are open. It is time to step into the darkness.continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Those who descend from traitors deserve no trust. You are not allowed inside the crypt."
Einrich MontegEinrich hangs his head. "I understand. I hope we will redeem ourselves before the dynasty one day. Since we may not enter, we will focus our efforts on finding the breach in the maintenance tunnels. We won't launch a surprise attack on the traitors, but at least we'll block their escape routes with our bodies and axes."
NPCThe Infernus Master and his people leave the hall. The doors of the crypt are open. It is time to step into the darkness.continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Do not throw your lives away. Stay out of this."
Einrich Monteg"As you command. Please be careful, Your Lordship/Ladyship."
NPCThe Infernus Master and his people leave the hall. The doors of the crypt are open. It is time to step into the darkness.continues where this line first appears above
NPC(sequence)
AbelardAbelard scowls. "What opportune time you've chosen to tell this tragic tale, Monteg. So... convenient."
end of branch
YOU"I hereby remove the brand of shame from the Infernus Guild and permit them to carry weapons, fight, and die for this ship."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Then you will use the means you have to fight. And die, if it is required of you."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Those who descend from traitors deserve no trust. You are not allowed inside the crypt."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Do not throw your lives away. Stay out of this."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Whether through darkness or well-lit halls, we are going in."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Your expeditious performance is laudable, Infernus Master."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Whether through darkness or well-lit halls, we are going in."continues where this line first appears above
NPC(sequence)
Argenta"Show no mercy!" Argenta's face brightens in anticipation of battle, and her eagerness spreads to the enforcers.
end of branch
Ulfar"A fight, at last! For the Allfather! Fenrys hjolda!" The enforcers match Ulfar's roar with growing excitement.
end of branch
YOU[Place your hand inside the panel]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Confessor Adalbert, I ask for your blessing before a righteous battle."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Place your hand inside the panel]continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Shout] "Soldiers! Our ship lies behind us, and our enemy awaits ahead! No mercy, no cowardice, and no turning back — this is my order to you!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Confessor Adalbert, I ask for your blessing before a righteous battle."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Place your hand inside the panel]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Children of the Emperor, I bless your crusade! Today, He watches over us!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Shout] "Soldiers! Our ship lies behind us, and our enemy awaits ahead! No mercy, no cowardice, and no turning back — this is my order to you!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Confessor Adalbert, I ask for your blessing before a righteous battle."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Place your hand inside the panel]continues where this line first appears above