NPCYour comm-bead comes alive. Vigdis's voice struggles to get through the thundering static. "Lord... tain, this is... x Master! Please sta... ll immed... ly send a..."
YOU"Vigdis, what is going on?"
NPC"...ptain... erference... repeat..."
YOU"Vigdis, what is going on?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We are en route to the starport."
NPC"...ptain... erference... repeat..."continues where this line first appears above
NPC"Star... py that... the starp..."
NPC"...pening... ve observ... sappearance of the star from... vacuate..."
NPCThe comm falls silent. Many eyes stare at you.
YOU"Does anyone have any idea what just happened?"
NPC(sequence)
Argenta"The Final Dawn!" Argenta says furiously. "We stopped short of puzzling out the enemy's entire plan... O Emperor, forgive us for this negligence. I swear we will find a way to right it!"
end of branch
Heinrix"Only an incomplete picture." Heinrix sounds deadly serious. "Every warp-active person on this planet is sensing the presence of sorcery... It's rising like a tsunami. I have hardly ever encountered anything like it in realspace. And, most remarkably, the sorcery is still growing. I cannot, however, say what set off this reaction or where the light has gone."
end of branch
IdiraIdira is holding her nose, trickling with blood. "I saw blurry shadows reaching for a ball of bright fire and pulling it away. And another shadow, much larger and more terrifying, that followed them. It opened its colossal eye when the others were gone with their loot. I saw no connections, no complicity... it was like a loop catching on a hook. A small terror made another, greater one, crawl out of its lair and act. That's the best I can explain it."
Idira"But what I can say is that I only see death in Rykad Minoris's future. Death and nothing else. And I mean its immediate future! In other words, it's time to leg it."
end of branch
IdiraIdira looks askance at Argenta. "Patience, everybody. Holy sis here is almost done powdering her nose..."
end of branch
NPCA chill runs down your spine. You seem to feel Aurora's gaze upon you once again... only it is not coming from her corpse any longer, but from everywhere.
YOU"Does anyone have any idea what just happened?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"All we can do now is try to make it to the starport."
NPC(sequence)
Heinrix"Bad news. But not unexpected."
end of branch
Frightened Rebel"And us? What about us? Can we go with you, Your Lord/Ladyship? Please, don't leave us behind!"
end of branch
Elderly CitizenThe old woman looks at you, not particularly hopeful and a little distrustful, as if she is reluctant to ask her question.
end of branch
Argenta"Rogue Trader! We must help these people evacuate. The Emperor Himself has entrusted their fate to us."
end of branch
NPCThe sense of alarm keeps growing stronger. As does the sensation of an intent gaze fixed upon you.
YOU"Does anyone have any idea what just happened?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"All we can do now is try to make it to the starport."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We're not abandoning people in distress. Everyone can come with us."
NPC(sequence)
Pilot Raquel"Jaspar and I must get weapons — any weapons. We'll catch up with you at the starport. We might even pick up some people from the garrison or civilians along the way."
end of branch
Frightened Rebel"Th-thank you, Your Lord/Ladyship! I'll walk behind you... yes..."
end of branch
Elderly Citizen"I'm no fast walker. But I'll hobble after you. If you get into a fight, it's not like you'll want an old woman to get in your way anyway. And I think there will be more fighting..."
Fanatical Old Man"There sure will be. It looks like some of my former comrades are still on the loose." The old man's voice sounds lethargic and almost robotic.
end of branch
Private Camille Regias"We'll follow behind you, keeping a bit of distance. We must escort the remaining civilians. Without the guard's help, they'll scatter or fall into the enemy's hands."
Frightened Rebel"I won't run off. I promise!" The red-haired woman hooks her arm through the soldier's resolutely. "It's so good to have someone who'll protect you and take you to safety..."
end of branch
NPCThe sense of alarm is now almost physically drilling through your temples. The fleeting little whispers at the edge of your hearing are sinister and gleeful.
YOU"Does anyone have any idea what just happened?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"All we can do now is try to make it to the starport."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We're not abandoning people in distress. Everyone can come with us."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I am under no obligation to save anyone. It is every man for himself."
NPC(sequence)
Private Camille RegiasCamille frowns but salutes nonetheless. "Good luck, Your Lord/Ladyship!"
Frightened Rebel"You, soldier! Care to help a lone, exploited civilian save herself?" The red-haired woman hooks her arm through the soldier's resolutely.
end of branch
Elderly Citizen"Let's go, Aryld." The old woman takes her husband by the hand wearily. "Perhaps we'll find our grandchildren and sit with them one last time. And if we don't... then it'll just be the two of us."
end of branch
NPCThe sense of alarm is now almost physically drilling through your temples. The fleeting little whispers at the edge of your hearing are sinister and gleeful.continues where this line first appears above
YOU"That's it. Let's move out!"
end of branch
YOU"I am under no obligation to save anyone. It is every man for himself."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"That's it. Let's move out!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We're not abandoning people in distress. Everyone can come with us."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I am under no obligation to save anyone. It is every man for himself."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"That's it. Let's move out!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"All we can do now is try to make it to the starport."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We're not abandoning people in distress. Everyone can come with us."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I am under no obligation to save anyone. It is every man for himself."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"That's it. Let's move out!"continues where this line first appears above
NPC(sequence)
NPCAn otherworldly cacophony, which until now resembled the rumbling of distant cannons, suddenly swallows you with its full intensity — the warp energies seemingly bursting out of thin air, rushing inside your exposed mind like an unstoppable wave of filth. For a moment it feels like your head might explode... but then the sensation retreats, leaving in its wake a different one — that of someone's touch on your temples.
HeinrixHeinrix removes his hands and shakes his head as if trying to drive away whatever is assailing him. His voice trembles when he says, "A simple solution to stabilise your condition. Keep it together. Do not give in to the force trying to take hold of you."
end of branch
Heinrix"Pull yourself together, Lady Tlass. And do not resist. It's a simple technique that will bring you relief." Heinrix leans over Idira and puts his hands on her temples.
Idira"Friendly... agents... of th-the Inquisition... make me so n-nervous!"
Heinrix"I'm not being friendly. What's happening is beyond normal cultist scheming. We can't afford to lose a single fighter."
end of branch
Private Camille RegiasCamille runs up to you, his weapon still in hand. "Your Lord/Ladyship! What are your orders? We have no idea what's going on! Civilians are fleeing in panic and we can't get through to the governor or our senior officers!"
end of branch
Argenta"I shall fear no darkness, for light is within me, the light of my faith in Thee. I shall flee before no enemy, for there is no enemy more terrible than cowardice, and I shall overpower it..." Argenta prays aloud, all the while checking her equipment with deft fingers.
end of branch
KibellahKibellah gives you a faint smile and whispers, "A great dance begins. But I am still with you, Domin. Fear not, for I will not let your soul fall into the clutches of the unclean. If it comes to it... I will be quicker than them."
end of branch
Fanatical Old ManThe old man peers at you gloomily. "You told me my faith was false. You made me turn away from Aurora. Now what do you say, Rogue Trader? Who was right? Here it is — the Final Dawn!" He makes a sweeping gesture with his hand.
Elderly Citizen"Hold your tongue, Aryld! Dawn or no dawn, I'll die before I let those eyeless freaks maim me! So keep quiet and do as His Lord/Her Ladyship says! He/She'll tell us what to do!"
end of branch
Pilot NimasJaspar clasps his fiancée's hand firmly. "To the abyss with this masquerade! The whole place's gone insane and here I am, dressed in civvies and without my vox-caster! What do we do, Your Lord/Ladyship? Raquel says we have to fight our way to the starport. That's where her shuttle is, and yours as well, I suppose."
end of branch
Frightened RebelThe red-haired ex-rebel sits down on the pavement, tears running down her face. "When will this end already... when... I wanna go hooome!"
end of branch
Cassia"Red, black, red, black... and lots of blinding white fear. The whole city's quaking! No — the whole world!"
end of branch
Abelard"Less talk, more action! What's Vigdis saying, Lord Captain? Are they going to send a shuttle for us?"
end of branch
Heinrix"We must move out toward the starport at once. The shuttles aren't going to find us here even if the comm link stabilises. Which it won't."
end of branch
NPC"...pening... ve observ... sappearance of the star from... vacuate..."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We are en route to the starport."continues where this line first appears above