NPCThe vox in your companion's hand is speaking in your own voice: "There is no need for concern! The Proctor and I are in the middle of examining the documents... together with the governor. I will be back as soon as we are done here..." There is a loud click, indicating that the other side has cut the connection.
NPC(sequence)
AbelardAbelard furrows his brow — what he just heard does not sit well with the old officer. "Oh, I feel uneasy, even though the Lord Captain did report that everything is fine. Something about voice wasn't quite right... Then again, the Proctor is there too..."
end of branch
HeinrixHeinrix grimaces and looks up with a doubtful expression. "I could be wrong, seeing as this accursed planet has too many sources of warp energies, but I seem to sense an echo of the Immaterium coming from above..."
end of branch
Argenta"God-Emperor, grant me the patience to endure this idle wait." Argenta makes the sign of the Aquila and slips into what looks like a quiet prayer.
end of branch
Idira"Shut up, little whispers... Huh, they're really acting up. You know what? I don't care what the Lord Captain said — something's wrong!"
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MarazhaiMarazhai looks around with an ominous grin. "Letting me get bored while I am surrounded by all the frightened prey swarming within this castle is most unwise..."
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Yrliet"Kae-morag! Am I the only one who can hear the strange notes in the elantach's voice? We must head to the top!"
end of branch
Pasqal"Activating standby mode." Pasqal emits a quiet hum as he begins his binharic prayer.
end of branch
JaeJae jerks her foot impatiently, her heel tapping loudly against the paving stones. "First that elevator, now the Rogue Trader is stuck in the local archive. Intuition tells me they are making fools of us, and we are playing right into their hands by standing around down here..."
end of branch
Kibellah"Every moment spent away from the Domin is another defeat for me..."
end of branch
Ulfar"Feeble worms! Do you feel brave, testing my patience so? Present the Aett-Vater! Go on, make come down here — it is a short enough trip!" Ulfar's voice is like a thunderclap, the walls themselves seeming to shake with its mighty echo.
end of branch
Eogunn"An extremely atypical presentation for the Rogue Trader, dearest colleague." Nuncius, hovering nearby, expresses his silent agreement. "The cadence of the voice differs from the norm, and such indecision is uncharacteristic of personality... Psychosis? A curious hypothesis."
end of branch
NPCAs soon as you approach, everyone's attention shifts to you. For now, their reaction feels closer to pent-up irritation than outright hostility.
YOU"It's me! [Name], the Lord Captain! I'm here!"
NPCYour words are greeted with looks of bewilderment. Even the sight of Glaito standing at your side seems only to raise more questions.
YOU"I have fallen victim to profane sorcery! I need my body back!"
NPC(sequence)
HeinrixHeinrix frowns. "She is not lying about the sorcery. There is a strange current of warp energy flowing from her, leading somewhere... up there."
end of branch
Kibellah"Do not weep, child. I will cut your thread quickly and painlessly before your soul succumbs to corruption."
end of branch
NPCYour retinue hesitates. Some exchange puzzled glances, while others frown and look at you intently, as if hoping to see obvious signs of sorcery.
YOU"I have fallen victim to profane sorcery! I need my body back!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Err... I am [Name] von Valancius, heir to Theodora von Valancius, who perished in the course of Kunrad Voigtvir's treachery! What else must I dredge up from my past to make you believe me?"
NPC(sequence)
AbelardAbelard scowls. "You could have memorised a few facts from the Lord Captain's biography... Are we to play guessing games now?"
end of branch
Jae"Not the most skilful attempt, little mouse. Our shereen would have come up with something better."
end of branch
NPCYour retinue exchange a few words among themselves, unable to explain how you know such details.
YOU"I have fallen victim to profane sorcery! I need my body back!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Err... I am [Name] von Valancius, heir to Theodora von Valancius, who perished in the course of Kunrad Voigtvir's treachery! What else must I dredge up from my past to make you believe me?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Look, I have Solomorne's cyber-mastiff with me! Would he order his dog to guard some Thasserian chit?"
NPC(sequence)
Pasqal"This statement... is potentially true. Cyber-mastiff protocols are difficult to breach and override, much less..." Pasqal casts a gloomy look at his surroundings. "In a primitive culture such as this."
end of branch
Heinrix"The evidence is difficult to argue with... unless the Arbitrator was forced somehow."
end of branch
Cassia"If anything could cause Solomorne to be parted from his faithful dog, it would be a threat to the Lord Captain..."
end of branch
NPCYour retinue hesitates. It seems your argument sounds convincing enough to plant a seed of doubt in their minds, at least.
YOU"I have fallen victim to profane sorcery! I need my body back!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Err... I am [Name] von Valancius, heir to Theodora von Valancius, who perished in the course of Kunrad Voigtvir's treachery! What else must I dredge up from my past to make you believe me?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Look, I have Solomorne's cyber-mastiff with me! Would he order his dog to guard some Thasserian chit?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Abelard! Present me to my retinue!"
AbelardAbelard startles. "That tone..." The Seneschal looks you over from head to toe in amazement, but you can see that he is still unsure.
YOU"I have fallen victim to profane sorcery! I need my body back!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Err... I am [Name] von Valancius, heir to Theodora von Valancius, who perished in the course of Kunrad Voigtvir's treachery! What else must I dredge up from my past to make you believe me?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Look, I have Solomorne's cyber-mastiff with me! Would he order his dog to guard some Thasserian chit?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Abelard! Present me to my retinue!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We need to get upstairs! Just trust me on this: you will find the Rogue Trader at the top! Tell the shuttle pilot to take us there — he won't listen to me!"
NPCThe suggestion to stop puzzling over your identity and start acting seems to have had an effect — at least, no one is arguing with you anymore.
end of branch
YOU"We need to get upstairs! Just trust me on this: you will find the Rogue Trader at the top! Tell the shuttle pilot to take us there — he won't listen to me!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Abelard! Present me to my retinue!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We need to get upstairs! Just trust me on this: you will find the Rogue Trader at the top! Tell the shuttle pilot to take us there — he won't listen to me!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Look, I have Solomorne's cyber-mastiff with me! Would he order his dog to guard some Thasserian chit?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Abelard! Present me to my retinue!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We need to get upstairs! Just trust me on this: you will find the Rogue Trader at the top! Tell the shuttle pilot to take us there — he won't listen to me!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Err... I am [Name] von Valancius, heir to Theodora von Valancius, who perished in the course of Kunrad Voigtvir's treachery! What else must I dredge up from my past to make you believe me?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Look, I have Solomorne's cyber-mastiff with me! Would he order his dog to guard some Thasserian chit?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Abelard! Present me to my retinue!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We need to get upstairs! Just trust me on this: you will find the Rogue Trader at the top! Tell the shuttle pilot to take us there — he won't listen to me!"continues where this line first appears above
NPC(sequence)
Jae"Isn't that the meek little lady-in-waiting that was assigned to my shereen? Looks like she's lost the Lord Captain too... and her sanity to boot."
end of branch
Ulfar"Strange little bird! Everyone wishes to wear the Aett-Vater's mantle, but few could bear its weight. Go and tell your tales elsewhere."
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Abelard"Hmph... My dear, were you not the one assigned to watch over the Rogue Trader?"
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HeinrixHeinrix's lip curls as he looks at you. "Warp emanations... strong ones at that. Sorcery at work... before our very eyes." His fingers tighten on his weapon.
end of branch
CassiaCassia frowns, covering her mouth with her hand. "These colours... It is as though they had been copied from those I usually see around the Lord Captain..."
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IdiraIdira stares at you — and her eyebrows start to creep upward. "I'll be damned... either I'm completely out of my mind, or... No, that's just insane! The Lord Captain, in the body of that court lady? That's rich, whispers!" She starts rubbing her eyes as if trying to clear them.
end of branch
Eogunn"Let me take a closer look." Eogunn floats over to you, his hulking form bristling with manipulators as he looms overhead. "Hmm... complex polytrauma... possibly cardiogenic shock... Hysterical twilight state or oneiroid delirium? Or something truly inconceivable? Quite right, Nuncius, a cursory examination is not enough!"
end of branch
YOU"Rejoice, one and all, for Rogue Trader von Valancius has returned to you!"
NPCYour pompous declaration silences the group momentarily and they stare at you in utter bewilderment. Someone lets out an awkward chuckle.
YOU"I have fallen victim to profane sorcery! I need my body back!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Err... I am [Name] von Valancius, heir to Theodora von Valancius, who perished in the course of Kunrad Voigtvir's treachery! What else must I dredge up from my past to make you believe me?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Look, I have Solomorne's cyber-mastiff with me! Would he order his dog to guard some Thasserian chit?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Abelard! Present me to my retinue!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We need to get upstairs! Just trust me on this: you will find the Rogue Trader at the top! Tell the shuttle pilot to take us there — he won't listen to me!"continues where this line first appears above
NPC(sequence)continues where this line first appears above
YOU"At last, I've found you! I need your help!"
NPCThey take no notice of you at first. But after a moment, one by one, they turn their gazes to you. Silence falls over the street.
YOU"I have fallen victim to profane sorcery! I need my body back!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Err... I am [Name] von Valancius, heir to Theodora von Valancius, who perished in the course of Kunrad Voigtvir's treachery! What else must I dredge up from my past to make you believe me?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Look, I have Solomorne's cyber-mastiff with me! Would he order his dog to guard some Thasserian chit?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Abelard! Present me to my retinue!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We need to get upstairs! Just trust me on this: you will find the Rogue Trader at the top! Tell the shuttle pilot to take us there — he won't listen to me!"continues where this line first appears above
NPC(sequence)continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 40 of 40
Voidsman-at-ArmsYou see your trusted shuttle pilot — it seems he went looking for his Lord Captain when you disappeared. You hear a voice coming out of the vox in his hand — your own voice, telling the pilot that everything is in order and that you will return to the shuttle once you are done examining the tithe documents. Judging by his furrowed brows, the pilot has some reservations about following the orders he is receiving.
YOU[Call the pilot by his name] "The Lord Captain is in danger! Back to the shuttle, quickly! I must get to the top of the tower!"
Voidsman-at-ArmsThe pilot stares at you in bewilderment as he tries to fathom how a local stranger knows his name, but his confusion only lasts a moment. With a nod of grim determination, he grabs you by the elbow and hurries down the street with you toward the shuttle.
end of branch
YOU[Throw yourself at the pilot's feet] "I implore you, in the Lord Captain's name! We need to get upstairs immediately — the von Valancius dynasty is in peril!"
Voidsman-at-ArmsThe pilot gapes at the madwoman before him, but the mention of the Rogue Trader dynasty shakes him out of his bafflement. He unceremoniously pulls you to your feet, grabs your elbow, and hurries down the street with you to where the shuttle is waiting.