NPC"Lord Captain, we've spotted a planetoid with an unidentified xenostructure. Something tells me this is the place we've been looking for."
YOU"Are there any traces of Calcazar?"
NPC"Plenty. We're picking up the remaining vox-echoes of conversations, standard signals belonging to augur observation systems, the gas-thermal trails of shuttles preparing to land... You know, Lord Captain, it seems to me that this place is about to fall apart. Augurs detect a multitude of signs pointing to structural damage in the tomb located on the planetoid. And they are very fresh."
YOU"Are there any traces of Calcazar?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Commence preparation of the landing party. I will lead it personally."
NPC"Are you certain, Lord Captain? I beg your pardon for such audacity, but this old void wolf's gut tells him that this tomb is very likely to become ours. I have this bad feeling, as if... Forgive me, Your Lordship/Ladyship, I've completely lost my senses, giving out advice like that..."
YOU"I am ready to face whatever lies in wait. We make the landing."
NPC"Be careful, Your Lordship/Ladyship. We'll wait as long as it takes for your retrieval signal even if every xenofleet in the world appears to swat us from orbit."
end of branch
NPC"We will await Your Lordship/Ladyship and not leave orbit until you have assumed your throne on the bridge once more. May our prayers for your imminent return be answered."
end of branch
YOU"The advice has merit. Postpone the landing."
end of branch
NPC"I am sorry, Aett-Vater, but I cannot follow you. My pack's trail was lost somewhere amidst these systems, and honour calls me to find them. If you mean to descend to this shard of firmament, our paths diverge."
YOU"We can track down your brothers after my business has been settled."
NPC"The spirits tell me otherwise. I cast the runes, and they bade me follow the sound of the Baleful Howl. Each of us bears the burden of the fate woven for him, and mine is now coiled around my throat, choking me, keeping me from going with you." Ulfar frowns, bowing his head stubbornly.
YOU"We can track down your brothers after my business has been settled."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Very well. First, we shall find your pack, and then we shall return here."
NPC"Thank you, Aett-Vater. Your concern for our fate will not be forgotten by the Baleful Howl."
end of branch
YOU"Farewell, then. Good luck to you in your search, warrior."
NPC"Good luck in battle, Aett-Vater. I am sorry I cannot be there with you."
NPC"Be careful, Your Lordship/Ladyship. We'll wait as long as it takes for your retrieval signal even if every xenofleet in the world appears to swat us from orbit."continues where this line first appears above
NPC"We will await Your Lordship/Ladyship and not leave orbit until you have assumed your throne on the bridge once more. May our prayers for your imminent return be answered."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Very well. First, we shall find your pack, and then we shall return here."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Farewell, then. Good luck to you in your search, warrior."continues where this line first appears above
NPC"Lord Captain, I dare not question your orders, but the mere thought of disembarking on this cursed place has knocked the deck out from under me. I beg your leave to recommend that you check your gear and general combat readiness before landing."
YOU"I am ready to face whatever lies in wait. We make the landing."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The advice has merit. Postpone the landing."continues where this line first appears above
NPC"I am sorry, Aett-Vater, but I cannot follow you. My pack's trail was lost somewhere amidst these systems, and honour calls me to find them. If you mean to descend to this shard of firmament, our paths diverge."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Let the landing wait."
end of branch
NPC"Quite a few: residual vox-echoes of conversations, standard augur surveillance signals, and thermal trails from shuttles coming in for landing. There are also older... traces. Our augurs are observing extensive structural damage to a tomb located on the planetoid. The damage is quite recent. It is surprising that the structure hasn't collapsed already."
YOU"Are there any traces of Calcazar?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Commence preparation of the landing party. I will lead it personally."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Let the landing wait."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Commence preparation of the landing party. I will lead it personally."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Let the landing wait."continues where this line first appears above
NPC"Augur-clerics detect a field of void mines on our trajectory toward the planetoid."
YOU"What do we see on the planetoid?"
NPC"Practically nothing — the augur-clerics say that magnetic radiation blinds the machine spirits. We see some kind of wicked pyramid and we're picking up a few encrypted vox-transmissions."
YOU"What do we see on the planetoid?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Tell me more about these mines."
NPC"Good mines, I know from experience. Encased in ceramite under a coat of cameleoline, their cognidetonators are inhabited by the most malicious and cunning machine spirits you've ever seen. Far too good for pirates, and given that they've been planted for seven cubic kilometres, I reason that these are gifts from the Lord Inquisitor's own stores."
YOU"What do we see on the planetoid?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Tell me more about these mines."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We will break through the mines and make a landing."
NPC"But Your Lordship/Ladyship, the repairs..."
NPC"It will not cost anything. At least, not to us. We'll withstand four, at most five blasts. There will surely be at least twenty. You see, these mines were placed here specifically to prevent such a breakthrough. We need a navigable channel."
YOU"What do we see on the planetoid?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Tell me more about these mines."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We will break through the mines and make a landing."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Transmit the deactivation code we found in the outpost of the Lord Inquisitor's men."
NPC"Beginning transmission. Receiving return signal... Five percent of mines report a transition to sleep mode. Receiving coordinates of an area designated as 'main landing site.' We have a safe channel of approach toward Epitaph and coordinates for landing."
YOU"Are there any traces of Calcazar?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Commence preparation of the landing party. I will lead it personally."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Let the landing wait."continues where this line first appears above
NPC"Beginning transmission. Receiving return signal... Five percent of mines report a transition to sleep mode. Receiving coordinates of an area designated as 'main landing site.' We have a safe channel of approach toward Epitaph and coordinates for landing."
YOU"Are there any traces of Calcazar?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Commence preparation of the landing party. I will lead it personally."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Let the landing wait."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Let us leave this place."
end of branch
NPC"Will be the least of our problems. The ship can withstand four or five blasts, but there are many more mines than that. I'm afraid the Lord Inquisitor foresaw this possibility and has taken steps to prevent a brute force landing."
YOU"What do we see on the planetoid?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Tell me more about these mines."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We will break through the mines and make a landing."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Transmit the deactivation code we found in the outpost of the Lord Inquisitor's men."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Let us leave this place."continues where this line first appears above
NPC"But Your Lordship/Ladyship, the repairs..."
NPC"It will not cost anything. At least, not to us. We'll withstand four, at most five blasts. There will surely be at least twenty. You see, these mines were placed here specifically to prevent such a breakthrough. We need a navigable channel."continues where this line first appears above
NPC"Will be the least of our problems. The ship can withstand four or five blasts, but there are many more mines than that. I'm afraid the Lord Inquisitor foresaw this possibility and has taken steps to prevent a brute force landing."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Transmit the deactivation code we found in the outpost of the Lord Inquisitor's men."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Let us leave this place."continues where this line first appears above
NPC"It's hard for me to offer an assessment. I imagine Helmsman Ravor could tell you, but... ahem, I apologise, Your Lordship/Ladyship, I can only assume that these mines were left by the Lord Inquisitor."
YOU"What do we see on the planetoid?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Tell me more about these mines."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We will break through the mines and make a landing."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Transmit the deactivation code we found in the outpost of the Lord Inquisitor's men."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Let us leave this place."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We will break through the mines and make a landing."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Transmit the deactivation code we found in the outpost of the Lord Inquisitor's men."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Let us leave this place."continues where this line first appears above
NPC"We have limited data — our attempts at scanning are being hampered by strong magnetic radiation. The augur-clerics have only observed an oddly shaped pyramid and picked up a few encrypted vox-transmissions."
YOU"What do we see on the planetoid?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Tell me more about these mines."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We will break through the mines and make a landing."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Transmit the deactivation code we found in the outpost of the Lord Inquisitor's men."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Let us leave this place."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Tell me more about these mines."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We will break through the mines and make a landing."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Transmit the deactivation code we found in the outpost of the Lord Inquisitor's men."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Let us leave this place."continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 2 of 2
NPC"Lord Captain, we are observing a planetoid with an unknown xenostructure. I believe this is the place you have been looking for."
YOU"Are there any traces of Calcazar?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Commence preparation of the landing party. I will lead it personally."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Let the landing wait."continues where this line first appears above
NPC"A field of void mines has been detected on the approach. The augur-clerics report that they are not xenotech, but of human design."
YOU"What do we see on the planetoid?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Tell me more about these mines."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We will break through the mines and make a landing."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Transmit the deactivation code we found in the outpost of the Lord Inquisitor's men."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Let us leave this place."continues where this line first appears above