SeberianThe noblewoman's smooth, melodious voice sounds familiar. It is the same voice that you heard on the vox-station of the dead Sister of Battle you discovered outside. The von Valancius heir is playing both sides, communicating with the Inquisition under the call sign "Elana."
SeberianSeberian says nothing for quite some time. Finally, he squares his shoulders slightly, and you hear the quiet grinding of augments. "Quite right, Juvenna, where are my manners?" The Rogue Trader turns to you and nods graciously, not removing his hand from his weapon. "Esteemed strangers, you may introduce yourselves before I call you to account."
YOU"What a woeful production. Do you think I can be fooled by this travesty of Dargonus?"
SeberianThe Rogue Trader's vox-grille emits a screech that you do not immediately recognise as laughter. Seberian dabs at a tear at the corner of his eye with a handkercher that seemingly appeared out of thin air. "War claims the lives of some and the sanity of others. God-Emperor, have mercy on this poor soul."
Seberian"I treated you with respect, one foe to another, and gave you the chance to speak your last. And I find myself underwhelmed." Seberian's tone becomes flat, as if this entire situation has bored him. "I believe I have fulfilled my minimal obligations to etiquette. Guards, shoot them."
YOU[Resist] "I will not give in without a fight!"
SeberianYou exchange fire with the small complement of guards, even as reinforcements are already pouring in from the back of the courtyard. Seberian lunges at you with a hoarse shout, trying to shield the Seneschal with his body. But a well-aimed shot pierces his bright blue eye.
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YOU[Do nothing] "This, then, is my fate."
SeberianA dozen bullets pierce your body with a repulsive crunch. The last thing you see is the departing figure of that mechanical monster, unaware that it has spilled the blood of its own kin.
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YOU"Abelard, enlighten these... puppets of this sacrilegious spectacle as to whom they are addressing."
AbelardAbelard shows a hint of hesitation for the first time, shifting his gaze from you to Seberian and back again, as if wishing to make sure you are serious about your request. But when the Seneschal begins to speak, there is note of challenge in his voice, and his eyes are fixed on Laria: "Before you stands His Lordship/Her Ladyship Rogue Trader [Name] von Valancius, heir to the greatest protectorate in the Koronus Expanse and bearer of the sacred Warrant."
SeberianThe Rogue Trader's vox-grille emits a screech that you do not immediately recognise as laughter. Seberian dabs at a tear at the corner of his eye with a handkercher that seemingly appeared out of thin air. "War claims the lives of some and the sanity of others. God-Emperor, have mercy on this poor soul."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"It's a trap! We're all caught in a time loop, don't you see?"
Laria Voigtvir"It sounds utterly mad, Father. But it isn't hard to test that hypothesis either. The wax is still warm, stranger." Her last phrase seems devoid of meaning, but Laria's tone is serious. She catches your eye, waiting for some kind of reaction — but what?
SeberianThe Rogue Trader's vox-grille emits a screech that you do not immediately recognise as laughter. Seberian dabs at a tear at the corner of his eye with a handkercher that seemingly appeared out of thin air. "War claims the lives of some and the sanity of others. God-Emperor, have mercy on this poor soul."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I am a loyal servant of House Gaprak, Your Lordship, and have come to your aid."
Seberian"House Gaprak? If what you say is true, your noble title does not exonerate you of your transgression. Still, I fear the intervention of a handful of vassals is not enough to turn the tide of battle."
SeberianHe shakes his head as if to ward off some hallucination. "It does not matter. Though your intentions may have been honourable, the defenders of my palace fell by your hand. There can be no excuse for that."
YOU"My lord, the Merovians mistook us for the enemy and were the first to open fire."
SeberianSeberian pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his organic eye. You suddenly see the exhausted man underneath all the augmetics. "Fine. Let these fools pass. Laria, dearest, find these idlers something useful to do. And make sure they do not repeat their stunt from earlier, or I won't be answerable for my actions."
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YOU"The penal soldiers were punished for the unforgivable insolence. They were a hair's breadth away from rioting."
SeberianSeberian pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his organic eye. You suddenly see the exhausted man underneath all the augmetics. "Fine. Let these fools pass. Laria, dearest, find these idlers something useful to do. And make sure they do not repeat their stunt from earlier, or I won't be answerable for my actions."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Lord Captain, I am but one of the many servants of the dynasty who have come to your aid."
Seberian"Nonsense. I would remember if I—" Seberian stops suddenly. He peers intently at you before he speaks again. Confusion rings in his vox-distorted voice: "Wait a moment. Perhaps... perhaps I have seen you before. Or heard of you."
SeberianHe shakes his head as if to ward off some hallucination. "It does not matter. Though your intentions may have been honourable, the defenders of my palace fell by your hand. There can be no excuse for that."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Speak the code phrase] "The wax is still warm, Seneschal."
Laria VoigtvirLaria's eyes widen ever so slightly, yet her voice remains perfectly even. "Father, these people are part of my agent network. The servants of the Inquisition could not have obtained the code phrase."
SeberianSeberian pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his organic eye. You suddenly see the exhausted man underneath all the augmetics. "Fine. Let these fools pass. Laria, dearest, find these idlers something useful to do. And make sure they do not repeat their stunt from earlier, or I won't be answerable for my actions."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We serve Mistress Elana, Lord Captain. Has she reached the palace?"
Juvenna von ValanciusJuvenna clears her throat. "Father. I should have known! These people are from Lady Elana. You remember her, of course? I received word of her death a few hours ago. They seem to be part of her retinue. Let me deal with them."
SeberianSeberian pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his organic eye. You suddenly see the exhausted man underneath all the augmetics. "Fine. Let these fools pass. Laria, dearest, find these idlers something useful to do. And make sure they do not repeat their stunt from earlier, or I won't be answerable for my actions."continues where this line first appears above
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Seberian(no text)
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Entry point 5 of 6
Seberian(no text)
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Entry point 6 of 6
SeberianThe gates of the palace look impregnable, but as you approach, hydraulic bolts hiss open, sliding into the walls.
SeberianThree nobles, accompanied by enforcers, come out to meet you. They are led by a man wearing a uniform in von Valancius colours. There is something vaguely familiar about the intact portion of his face — the rest of the stranger's flesh has been replaced with implants that have turned him into a macabre semblance of himself. The nobleman narrows his organic eye in suspicion, its cerulean blue hiding beneath his dark lashes. You hear the hiss of servo-motors and the creak of metal against metal as he casually rests his augmented fingers on the hilt of his sword, which is clearly of xenos origin.
YOU"Are you really... Seberian? Seberian von Valancius?"
Seberian"You are standing in my palace. Whom else did you expect to see here?" Despite the overwhelming degree of augmentation, the voice coming through the vox-grille is not without a touch of irritation. "Seneschal, if you will."
Laria VoigtvirLaria clears her throat, drawing everyone's attention. "Before you stands His Lordship Rogue Trader Seberian von Valancius, possessor of the greatest protectorate in the Koronus Expanse and bearer of the sacred Warrant of Trade, Saviour of House von Valancius, Dispeller of Darkness, and Conqueror of Janus." The female Seneschal's piercing blue-eyed stare is uncannily reminiscent of Theodora's fugitive Master of Whispers.
YOU"Are you really... Seberian? Seberian von Valancius?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Your deeds have brought me to the doors of this palace, Seberian. I have been following your trail for some time."
Seberian"You massacre an outpost of Merovians, and then boldly present yourself at the gates of my palace... I would admire your reckless valour if you weren't so impudent. What madness compels such agents of the Golden Throne, I cannot fathom, but you shall not get what you came for." The voice coming from the vox-grille sounds weary.
Seberian(sequence)
HeinrixHeinrix pitches his voice low so that only you can hear: "He seems to have mistaken us — you — for an agent of the Inquisition."
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SeberianSeberian's bionic eye whirrs as it focuses on Ulfar, and the Rogue Trader's voice sounds almost reverent: "I was not aware that Diodas had managed to secure the support of the God-Emperor's Angels. However, even faced with His Angel, I cannot forsake the duties placed upon me by the Warrant."
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SeberianNoticing the xenos in your retinue, Seberian lets out a nasty chuckle. "Is Diodas flaunting his hypocrisy for my amusement? Using xenos to fight heretics is a tad ironic, wouldn't you say?"
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Seberian"I see the esteemed members of the Adeptus Mechanicus did not refuse to abet the vigilante af Irramon. How could you turn to him after all the privileges I have showered upon the servants of the Omnissiah?" The Rogue Trader's bionic eye lights with red fire, and even his mechanised voice cannot hide his bitterness.
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Seberian"You..." Seberian abruptly falls silent. The wrinkles around his organic eye smooth out. When his gaze slides over your companions and comes to rest on you, there is not even a flicker of his past feeling in it, only the haughty coldness with which he met you for the first time.
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Seberian"It is a sad state of affairs when loyal servants of the God-Emperor are forced to fight one another like hounds at the whim of a cruel master." You do, in fact, hear regret in Seberian's voice as his fingers close around the hilt of his weapon with a metallic clank. "And your master is truly cruel."
YOU"Wait, you have misunderstood! I don't serve the Inquisition at all!"
Juvenna von Valancius"Father, Inquisitor af Irramon is no fool. I do not believe these lunatics serve him. We should give them a chance to explain themselves." Only the colour of the woman's eyes betrays the kinship between her and the half-mechanical monster beside her.
SeberianSeberian says nothing for quite some time. Finally, he squares his shoulders slightly, and you hear the quiet grinding of augments. "Quite right, Juvenna, where are my manners?" The Rogue Trader turns to you and nods graciously, not removing his hand from his weapon. "Esteemed strangers, you may introduce yourselves before I call you to account."continues where this line first appears above
Juvenna von Valancius"Father." You unmistakably recognise the voice of "Elana" joining the conversation. "Let me dispel your doubts — these people serve me. The Servitium Dargonus, under the direct command of the governor. Whatever occurred at the outpost with the Merovian scum, my servants must have had their reasons. Why don't I handle the enquiries and you return to more important matters?"
SeberianSeberian pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his organic eye. You suddenly see the exhausted man underneath all the augmetics. "Fine. Let these fools pass. Laria, dearest, find these idlers something useful to do. And make sure they do not repeat their stunt from earlier, or I won't be answerable for my actions."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I have no master but the God-Emperor!"
Juvenna von Valancius"Father, Inquisitor af Irramon is no fool. I do not believe these lunatics serve him. We should give them a chance to explain themselves." Only the colour of the woman's eyes betrays the kinship between her and the half-mechanical monster beside her.continues where this line first appears above
Juvenna von Valancius"Father." You unmistakably recognise the voice of "Elana" joining the conversation. "Let me dispel your doubts — these people serve me. The Servitium Dargonus, under the direct command of the governor. Whatever occurred at the outpost with the Merovian scum, my servants must have had their reasons. Why don't I handle the enquiries and you return to more important matters?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I have come for your artefact, and I demand that you hand it over immediately."
SeberianThe Rogue Trader's vox-grille emits a screech that you do not immediately recognise as laughter. Seberian dabs at a tear at the corner of his eye with a handkercher that seemingly appeared out of thin air. "War claims the lives of some and the sanity of others. God-Emperor, have mercy on this poor soul."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Wait for Seberian to invite you to introduce yourself]
Seberian[The same-old situation, the same-old words. Everything is repeating itself. Now you can decide whether to follow what is predetermined or to try to break the cycle.]
YOU"What a woeful production. Do you think I can be fooled by this travesty of Dargonus?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Abelard, enlighten these... puppets of this sacrilegious spectacle as to whom they are addressing."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"It's a trap! We're all caught in a time loop, don't you see?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I am a loyal servant of House Gaprak, Your Lordship, and have come to your aid."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Lord Captain, I am but one of the many servants of the dynasty who have come to your aid."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Speak the code phrase] "The wax is still warm, Seneschal."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We serve Mistress Elana, Lord Captain. Has she reached the palace?"continues where this line first appears above
Juvenna von Valancius"Father." You unmistakably recognise the voice of "Elana" joining the conversation. "Let me dispel your doubts — these people serve me. The Servitium Dargonus, under the direct command of the governor. Whatever occurred at the outpost with the Merovian scum, my servants must have had their reasons. Why don't I handle the enquiries and you return to more important matters?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Your deeds have brought me to the doors of this palace, Seberian. I have been following your trail for some time."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I have come for your artefact, and I demand that you hand it over immediately."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Wait for Seberian to invite you to introduce yourself]continues where this line first appears above
SeberianThe realisation strikes you instantly — that is the sword you saw in the portrait of Seberian von Valancius, the one on board the flagship.
YOU"Are you really... Seberian? Seberian von Valancius?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Your deeds have brought me to the doors of this palace, Seberian. I have been following your trail for some time."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I have come for your artefact, and I demand that you hand it over immediately."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Wait for Seberian to invite you to introduce yourself]continues where this line first appears above