NPC"May your servants stand against the heretics, a glorious indestructible wall!"
NPC(sequence)
NPCAt the appointed time, the hives of Dargonus shook from the thunderous tread of combat vehicles. An army of enforcers came to wage war on the mutant heretics. The heretics, despite having time to prepare their defences, could not match the planetary guard's weaponry.
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NPCThe enforcers were supported by an enraged mob led by a fanatically howling priest. The fight quickly devolved into a bloody riot.
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NPCThe clueless followers of the minor cults rallied around the foreman clan, seeing the attackers as yet another attempt to oppress them. They were unaware that they were helping sustain a genetic plague that had infected their world.
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NPCThe death cultists of the capital world took to the streets and swirled in a sacred dance, their blades whistling as they cut short the lives of the wicked — a great ritual to praise His name.
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NPCThe inhabitants of the hives readily threw their support behind the enforcers after watching them severely punish the minor cults — the lesson in obedience had been learned, and the volunteers hoped to obtain some spoils from the losing side.
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NPCEverything was over after one planetary cycle. The filthy shrines and the heretic sanctuaries were set ablaze, the cult's agents mercilessly exterminated, and the rest of the aberrations' strength crushed amid street battles.
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NPCThe next planetary cycle brought heavy losses for Dargonus. Mustering additional forces, the heretic cult struck back. The raging hordes of degenerates, sabotage, explosions, and skirmishes claimed the lives of thousands of the dynasty's best servants. But the outcome was predetermined, and the filthy shrines of the heretics were set ablaze.
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Entry point 2 of 10
NPCOnly one thing filled the Rogue Trader's servants with unease. Inside the cult's main temple, they found the den of some grotesquely enormous monster — it was empty. They did not find the beast. If the Emperor had been merciful to Dargonus, the monster would surely have perished in the fires that had engulfed the hives during that cycle.
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Entry point 3 of 10
NPC"I will tell you where the inactive beacons we can use are hidden on Dargonus... You thought that you had discovered all of my secrets, did you?"
NPC(sequence)
NPCAt the appointed time, the undeclared war against the cult began — the leaders of the cult were quietly eliminated, all without lifting the veil of secrecy.
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NPCThe surprise raid of the Drukhari proved to be an excellent distraction — the heretics could not have guessed that this attack was being directed at the behest of the Rogue Trader, who had uncovered their despicable conspiracy. This attack granted the Lord Captain's servants some precious time.
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NPCWhen the heretics finally realised that they were facing extermination, it was too late. Their leaders were slain and the rest of them died amid the carnage of the street battles.
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NPCUnfortunately, the cult realised that their secret had been discovered before all the leaders of the heresy could be exterminated. The final order was given — retaliate!
end of branch
NPCThe next planetary cycle brought heavy losses for Dargonus. Mustering additional forces, the heretic cult struck back. The raging hordes of degenerates, sabotage, explosions, and skirmishes claimed the lives of thousands of the dynasty's best servants. But the outcome was predetermined, and the filthy shrines of the heretics were set ablaze.
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NPCThe Engine Vandals arrived to assist the cult, led by the voice of the brood. They too had been corrupted by the gene plague. The outskirts of the hives were scorched by promethium flames, and tens of thousands of innocents perished in the ensuing inferno.
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NPCThe allies of the cult among the Engine Vandals heard the voice of the brood pleading for help, yet very few of them answered — those leaders still loyal to the Rogue Trader had been warned in advance and had treacherously killed most of those intending to raid the hives.
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NPCA pathetically small band of the Engine Vandals who answered the call of the brood died ignominiously outside the walls of the hives.
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Entry point 4 of 10
NPC"I commend your discretion, Lord Captain."
NPC(sequence)continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 5 of 10
NPC"I will send the Inquisition directives developed specifically for this scenario to Dargonus."
NPC(sequence)
NPCAt the appointed time, the enforcers started their simultaneous raids in all the hives of the capital. Relying on stealth and surprise, they did not use heavy weapons of war.
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NPCAt the same time, the Astropathic Choir launched a truly devastating attack on the grim psychic shadow hanging above the hives of Dargonus. This attack stunned the brood of heretics and temporarily cut off their psychic communication.
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NPCBut the heretics did not go down without a fight. Soon, an enraged outcry of psychic energy from the brood swept through the hives, plunging the dynasty's brave warriors into horror or bloody insanity. The Astropathic Choir managed to drown it out with their menacing chants, but this was a test of wills, and only the most disciplined and steadfast psykers withstood its sheer force.
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NPCThe element of surprise facilitated the swift extermination of the cult leaders, leading the rest of the heretics to lose heart. The filthy shrines of the heretics were set ablaze.
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NPCAlas, the element of surprise was not enough to decapitate the cult. After the initial shock, the heretics' leaders rallied their kinsmen for a final confrontation.
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NPCThe next planetary cycle brought heavy losses for Dargonus. Mustering additional forces, the heretic cult struck back. The raging hordes of degenerates, sabotage, explosions, and skirmishes claimed the lives of thousands of the dynasty's best servants. But the outcome was predetermined, and the filthy shrines of the heretics were set ablaze.
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Entry point 6 of 10
NPC"May your servants stand against the heretics, a glorious indestructible wall!"
NPC(sequence)continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 7 of 10
NPC"A fair price for the cleansing of our capital."
NPC(sequence)
NPCThe wrecked ships came crashing down in great flames — an impressive demonstration of the strength and power of the Rogue Trader, who had turned the very sky against his/her enemies.
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NPCAt the appointed time, the infected residential sectors were synchronously shaken by explosions and collapsing structures. Though innocents also perished under the debris, the heretics could not escape retribution.
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NPCSadly, both the plague and the influence of the foreman clan had already spread far and wide, multiplying the death toll.
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NPCThe main forces of the cult were thankfully gathered at the Scipione labour settlements, where the extermination process caused low collateral damage.
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NPCThankfully, there were much fewer cult hideouts in the hives than expected. Losses were relatively small... on a planetary scale.
end of branch
NPCRaging fires incinerated the shrines of the heretics, and the enforcers, following behind the searing wall, finished the job in a quick and bloody fashion.
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NPCUnfortunately, the cult also had shelters that were impossible to strike. Realising that they stood no chance, the heretics' leaders gave one final order — retaliate!
end of branch
NPCThe next planetary cycle brought heavy losses for Dargonus. Mustering additional forces, the heretic cult struck back. The raging hordes of degenerates, sabotage, explosions, and skirmishes claimed the lives of thousands of the dynasty's best servants. But the outcome was predetermined, and the filthy shrines of the heretics were set ablaze.
end of branch
Entry point 8 of 10
NPC"Ha, how I would enjoy seeing the carcasses of the spacecraft burn in the atmosphere and come crashing down on the heads of these miserable heretics!"
NPC(sequence)continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 9 of 10
NPC"May the mutant heretics perish in the cleansing flames!"
NPC(sequence)continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 10 of 10
NPC"Terrible news from Dargonus, Your Lordship/Ladyship! Your vigilant servants have discovered an abscess of treachery on our capital world, one that has grown far too large and could rupture at any moment! The informants report that the group known as the foreman clan is actually a cover for a horrendous cult of genetic aberrations, who currently have their people in every echelon of the hive! They are traitors to the purity of Humanity, traitors to the Creed, rebels and heretics!"
YOU"What exactly did my people find out?"
NPC"One tenacious clerk from the Administratum questioned the authenticity of the reports coming from the ruins of Scipione 84-249. He personally observed the debris removal and entered the lower levels of the fallen hive. There he discovered signs that proved Scipione had been infected by the gene plague. Thousands of corpses of the extra-armed abominations had been buried in a mass grave!"
NPC"He also found the remains of Achilleas Scalander's people. It seems that they had noticed the signs of corruption, and the traitors, aiming to cover up their crimes, buried their misdeeds under the ruins of the hive! On the way back, the clerk's transport was destroyed, but he miraculously managed to survive. Now the heretics think that they have covered their tracks once more, and so they continue their plots, oblivious and unprepared for our attack."
YOU"What exactly did my people find out?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What is this mutant plague that has affected our capital?"
NPC"A horrendous distortion of the human form! It seems that they spread their poison by biting and enslaving their victims. Some of them are indistinguishable from normal humans, while others are disgustingly ugly — the heretics hide them away from prying eyes. They seem to be connected by a common consciousness and are absolutely loyal to the despicable cult! The Astropathic Choirmaster of Dargonus has suggested that the cult may be behind the extermination of the psykers on the planet — he can sense the ghost of a powerful consciousness of some sort."
NPC(sequence)
NPC"The sanctioned psykers we have gathered on Dargonus are prepared for the psychic engagement. They are disciplined, powerful, fearless, and will remain unwavering against the blows of our sinister enemy."
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NPC"The unsanctioned psykers gathered on Dargonus are ready for the psychic engagement. Sadly, they are not very skilled, but they do not fear death — they are too used to its constant companionship. The enemy will not strike fear in them."
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NPC"The Astropaths we have forced to serve on Dargonus are afraid. They do not wish to become a living shield if the enemy launches another psychic assault at us. I fear that this line in our defence is quite fragile."
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YOU"Do those abominations look like the ones on my ship? The same cursed brood?"
NPC"I am afraid so, Your Lordship/Ladyship. The descriptions from Dargonus are quite similar to what we have witnessed ourselves: the same deformities, the same underhanded tactics. Either they are kin to our aberrations, or they are another branch stemming from the same foul root."
YOU"What exactly did my people find out?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What is this mutant plague that has affected our capital?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Do those abominations look like the ones on my ship? The same cursed brood?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The foreman clan is a cover for this disgusting cult?"
NPC"Indeed. They probably began by recruiting workers — it is easy to blend in with the labouring riffraff. Posing as a union of technomats, they were able to conceal their secret operations and infiltration into the upper echelons of power. Each new crisis allowed them to gain more of our trust and resources."
NPC"And most despicable of all is that they have perverted our faith! They revere the God-Emperor in the form of a four-armed monstrosity. Their prayers are full of hatred toward those in power and promises of a reckoning when their dreadful 'deity' will come and equate them with their oppressors... With us, that is. Many fools and troublemakers have fallen for their lies."
NPC(sequence)
NPC"By letting them infiltrate the other hives, we allowed them to spread like an epidemic. Now their cult has cells everywhere."
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NPC"Living in the secluded labour settlements of the ruined Scipione, they could act with impunity, but at least it prevented them from infecting the hives as severely as they could have done."
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NPC"Praise be! It was wise not to let them into the hives on pain of death! Scurrying through the wastelands, they could only recruit the Vandals dwelling there, and very few of the cult's cells managed to form inside the hives themselves."
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NPC"The suppression of the minor cults dealt them a harsh blow. By bringing the flock back into the fold of obedience, we have reduced the number of potential new recruits."
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NPC"When Your Lordship/Ladyship stood up for the minor cults, they received a golden opportunity to recruit more openly to their ranks, which are now brimming with fools who have yet to realise that they are partaking in a heretical conspiracy."
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NPC"The death cults that had sprung up through the intercession of the Bloodspun Web had gotten wind of the trouble and sent quite a few misguided parishioners to the Undying One, depriving the heretics of some recruits."
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YOU"Heinrix, what are those mutants?"
NPC"They are called Genestealers, and they are not simple mutants. They are a xenos plague that breeds inside the human brain, forever distorting their genetic makeup and enslaving them to the brood. This is much more threatening than the Drukhari fleet that ravaged the capital earlier. If they are on Dargonus, then they will try to overtake the entire planet sooner or later."
YOU"What exactly did my people find out?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What is this mutant plague that has affected our capital?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Do those abominations look like the ones on my ship? The same cursed brood?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The foreman clan is a cover for this disgusting cult?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Heinrix, what are those mutants?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What forces do they have at their disposal?"
NPC"The heretics mostly consist of workers, but some have infiltrated the guard as well. Their weapons are primarily made from repurposed industrial machinery. The cultists are fearless and will readily sacrifice themselves for the sake of their common goal. But the worst part is their psychic threat. We cannot even begin to gauge it."
YOU"What exactly did my people find out?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What is this mutant plague that has affected our capital?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Do those abominations look like the ones on my ship? The same cursed brood?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The foreman clan is a cover for this disgusting cult?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Heinrix, what are those mutants?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What forces do they have at their disposal?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We have to act."
NPC"Absolutely right. It is impossible to negotiate with the degenerates. Our only option is to completely annihilate them. We should start from the top. Should we attack decisively and quickly, or should we show our hand by bringing assault vehicles into the capital and gain an advantage in firepower? Do we quietly eliminate their leaders, or do we rain destruction upon the infected territories and cleanse them of traitors?"
YOU"Argenta is right. We will announce to the people that we have an enemy in our midst. They should come to the aid of the enforcers who will be attacking in full force."
YOU"The enforcers must arm themselves and stand fast. With all their might, let us crush them."
YOU"Heinrix, prepare a plan for a psychic attack. After that, we shall launch a surprise assault on the cult's headquarters."
YOU"The enforcers should attack the headquarters swiftly and suddenly."
YOU"Marazhai, we shall feed the heretics to your kinsmen. And then we will finish off the disorganised enemy."
YOU"We shall make this quick and quiet. You should get rid of the leaders first."
YOU"I like Ulfar's plan — we shall do as the Emperor's Angel said! Let us crush the infected sectors from orbit."
YOU"We should give them a taste of their own medicine. Organise collapses and system failures inside the infected sectors that are guaranteed to destroy them."
NPC(sequence)
NPC"[Name], raise the people to battle, and publicly proclaim war. Tell the people that the heretics are hiding among them and the millions of loyal subjects will grind the thousands of traitors to dust. May Dargonus cleanse itself of this filth!"
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NPCMarazhai's caustic laugh sends shivers down your spine. "Let others sully their hands. Just one beacon — and my kinsmen will descend upon the affected hives. Perhaps they will cause some additional casualties here and there... but, have no doubt, none of your enemies will survive, even hiding in their little nests."
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NPC"The cleansing should be thorough. A good few wrecks of dead ships still linger in orbit after the day the xenos scum attacked your world. Command your fleet to pick them up and send them plummeting toward the nests of this spawn trying to encroach on your domain!"
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NPC"Since all of them are linked by a common will, we could start by launching our attack there. If the Astropathic Choir could drown out the voice of the brood, we would be able to launch a sudden strike and act quickly enough before the enemy could restore cohesion and alert their forces to the assault."
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NPC(sequence)
NPC"We fear that the tribes of the Engine Vandals will support them as well, partially influenced by the plague and partially lured by the promise of a good raid."
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NPC"Some of the Engine Vandals could be infected by this plague, but most of them are more likely to come to our aid — they are too used to eating out of Your Lordship/Ladyship's hand to bite it."
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NPC"If we had not crushed the Engine Vandals, they could have joined the ranks of the cult. At least we warded off that particular threat in time."
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YOU"We have to act."continues where this line first appears above
NPC"The messengers of the Great Devourer... My kin can sense the shapeshifters, but you should stay vigilant, elantach. For a species as psychically weak as the mon-keigh, their arrival may spell death."
YOU"What exactly did my people find out?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What is this mutant plague that has affected our capital?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Do those abominations look like the ones on my ship? The same cursed brood?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The foreman clan is a cover for this disgusting cult?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Heinrix, what are those mutants?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What forces do they have at their disposal?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We have to act."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What forces do they have at their disposal?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We have to act."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The foreman clan is a cover for this disgusting cult?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Heinrix, what are those mutants?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What forces do they have at their disposal?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We have to act."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What is this mutant plague that has affected our capital?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Do those abominations look like the ones on my ship? The same cursed brood?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The foreman clan is a cover for this disgusting cult?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Heinrix, what are those mutants?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What forces do they have at their disposal?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We have to act."continues where this line first appears above
NPC(sequence)
NPC"Apparently, their unholy sermons speak of 'the three sorrowful phalanges of a finger pointing the way to retribution and unity.'"