Enginseer"You are not just ignorant. Your words are disdainful and dangerous. Could you be a servant of lies and deception? Could you have come to halt the work of the sacred filter?"
EnginseerSuddenly, the mingled stench in the room is drowned out by the sharp, piercing smell of ozone and grease. You sense that the nauseating atmosphere that prevailed in the room has condensed into a single point of evil in the depths of the ship... and is now hurtling toward you.
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Entry point 2 of 15
Enginseer(no text)
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Entry point 3 of 15
Enginseer(no text)
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Entry point 4 of 15
Enginseer(no text)
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Entry point 5 of 15
Enginseer(no text)
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Entry point 6 of 15
Forgefiend"Fierce, fierce flesh-bag! Billowglut wants no quarrel with you, I want your new toys, I want them, I want them! I will grant you my flaming boon if you keep your part of the bargain! Take me, take me to my new shell!" With a shriek of anticipation, the beast stomps off.
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Entry point 7 of 15
Forgefiend"Foul, foul flesh-bag! Then I will take your shell from you and listen to your slimy form squelch and slosh under my feet!"
ForgefiendThe beast lets out a vicious roar that turns into the ear-splitting screech of a broken vox — and then it attacks.
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Entry point 8 of 15
Enginseer(no text)
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Entry point 9 of 15
Enginseer(no text)
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Entry point 10 of 15
Enginseer(no text)
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Entry point 11 of 15
Forgefiend"Very well, flesh-bag. Billowglut accepts your conditions! I will grant you my flaming boon if you keep your part of the bargain! Take me, take me to my new shell!" With a shriek of anticipation, the beast stomps off.
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Entry point 12 of 15
Eogunn(no text)
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Entry point 13 of 15
Enginseer(no text)
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Entry point 14 of 15
EnginseerThe air in the room is permeated by a wild mixture of miasmas of both mechanical and biological origin. Blood, rust, vomit, machine oil, excrement, kerosene — all these smells blend together into such a thick stench that it almost feels palpable.
EnginseerJust as the air here is one mad tangle of odours, the device in front of you is a mishmash of wriggling wires and transplanted fragments. In all the clutter, one could almost miss the main "component" — a heavily augmented man, whose upper body is embedded into the frame of the machine, dozens of wires piercing his flesh.
Enginseer(sequence)
YrlietYrliet's keen eyes are the first to make out the human being amidst the jumble of wires, and she stiffens in shock and disgust.
end of branch
EnginseerA crust of congealed blood and other bodily fluids covers the man's entire body, but his eyes are open and his gaze is keen. This gaze is turned to you, devoid of surprise or deference. "Who are you, disturbing the peace of holy martyrs in the home of our grief? What do you want?"
YOU"Even looking at this creature unnerves me. Magos, speak with your brother, find out what happened here."
PasqalAfter a brief exchange of binharic greetings, the Tech-Priest's vox barks out: "You have been identified and recognised, tech-sentinel. I express my sympathy for your malfunctions, may the Omnissiah strengthen your data-vows. Requesting information about the status of the blessed ship."
Enginseer"Ship? There is no ship. There is only purgatory, a world of evil, made to harrow and torture those who follow the Omnissiah. It has already killed many of my brethren... but those who remain are strong, so very strong. We will keep the corruption of the Machine at bay. I will! I will hold it back."
Enginseer"I have accepted a higher calling, the only one among my brethren to do so. As they keep the evil at bay with prayers and sacred symbols engraved on their traitorous flesh, I take this evil inside myself. I imbibe it as one does water! But it can do me no harm, for I am the eye of sanctity. I am the sacred filter, the link that protects other parts of the Machine from this caustic taint. And for as long as I remain here, the corruption will not prevail!"
YOU"Even looking at this creature unnerves me. Magos, speak with your brother, find out what happened here."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Who are you?"
Enginseer"A servant of the Omnissiah, an acolyte of the Machine, a prisoner of purgatory, and a keeper of corruption," the man whispers via the implanted vox. Every word or motion causes his crippled body to shudder. Bloody foam glints from inside the wire-pierced wounds.
YOU"Even looking at this creature unnerves me. Magos, speak with your brother, find out what happened here."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Who are you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What happened to your ship?"
Enginseer"Ship? There is no ship. There is only purgatory, a world of evil, made to harrow and torture those who follow the Omnissiah. It has already killed many of my brethren... but those who remain are strong, so very strong. We will keep the corruption of the Machine at bay. I will! I will hold it back."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What evil are you talking about?"
Enginseer"The great evil that pervades the universe, tempting with the unattainable, seducing with false Knowledge. Evil has many names, but its essence remains the same. It was that evil that trapped us in here! But we were stronger."
YOU"Even looking at this creature unnerves me. Magos, speak with your brother, find out what happened here."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Who are you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What happened to your ship?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What evil are you talking about?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The symbols your brethren 'protect' themselves with are symbols of Chaos."
Enginseer"Your knowledge is lacking, invader. Those are secret holy symbols, imparted to us by the Omnissiah. How else would my tech-comrades have survived, if not for their protection? So many of us were devoured by evil..." He falls silent, as if lost in thought.
YOU"Even looking at this creature unnerves me. Magos, speak with your brother, find out what happened here."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Who are you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What happened to your ship?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What evil are you talking about?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The symbols your brethren 'protect' themselves with are symbols of Chaos."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"There is no fate more honourable than purgation through suffering in the name of faith. But you were deceived, servant of the Omnissiah! Your torment is not holding back the corruption — it is sustaining it. It is not too late to expel this blight!"
EnginseerThe man's eyes clear for a moment. They still lack understanding, but there is a hint of surprise — he slowly looks around the room, at the ecstatic priests, at his own mangled body. His vox hisses, as if he is struggling to say something.
EnginseerSuddenly, the mingled stench in the room is drowned out by the sharp, piercing smell of ozone and grease. You sense that the nauseating atmosphere that prevailed in the room has condensed into a single point of evil in the depths of the ship... and is now hurtling toward you.continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You've been consumed by madness. Or worse — Chaos sorcery. If you don't come to your senses, your fate is sealed. Snap out of it and speak clearly — what happened here?"
YOU"Wake up! All the signs are clear as day. You and your brethren have fallen prey to the forces of Chaos, and you don't even realise it."
YOU[Kill him] "I am not interested in you. I wish to see what you have been trying to hold back!"
Enginseer(sequence)
PasqalYou can barely make out Pasqal's agitated voice over the angry crackle of interference. "I am registering that contact with a corrupting entity is tech-heresy beyond categorisation."
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HeinrixHeinrix pierces you with an icy glare. "[Name], need I explain that you are skirting a very narrow edge right now?"
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ArgentaArgenta clutches her weapon so hard you hear her knuckles crack. "[Name]. Don't."
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Yrliet"The mon-keigh has decided to harness the spawn of the Dark Gods? What hopeless stupidity!" Yrliet clutches her spirit stone and takes half a step back.
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Enginseer"How dare you encroach upon the sacred essence of the Machine! How..."
EnginseerAs soon as he stills forever, the oppressive atmosphere around you deepens into literal darkness. One by one, flaming slits begin to appear in the gloom — perhaps eyes, perhaps mouths, ready to devour the mortal who has laid claim to it. A foreign, otherworldly will rails against you — and crumbles when confronted by the forces that keep you safe in the service of the Dark Gods.
YOU[Force the entity to become your servant on the ship]
EnginseerYou mentally order the entity to leave the vessel, stow away on the shuttle, and, as soon as the shuttle returns to your ship, infiltrate the ship's systems. The daemon responsible for the desecration of the dead or deranged crew will now faithfully serve you.
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YOU[Challenge the entity to a duel]
EnginseerSuddenly, the mingled stench in the room is drowned out by the sharp, piercing smell of ozone and grease. You sense that the nauseating atmosphere that prevailed in the room has condensed into a single point of evil in the depths of the ship... and is now hurtling toward you.continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Kill the man] "I've seen and heard enough."
Enginseer"How dare you encroach upon the sacred essence of the Machine! How..."
EnginseerSuddenly, the mingled stench in the room is drowned out by the sharp, piercing smell of ozone and grease. You sense that the nauseating atmosphere that prevailed in the room has condensed into a single point of evil in the depths of the ship... and is now hurtling toward you.continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Kill the man] "What did you call yourself? A sacred filter? I cannot resist — I'm dying to see what a rupture in the filtration system looks like."
Enginseer"How dare you encroach upon the sacred essence of the Machine! How..."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"There is no fate more honourable than purgation through suffering in the name of faith. But you were deceived, servant of the Omnissiah! Your torment is not holding back the corruption — it is sustaining it. It is not too late to expel this blight!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You've been consumed by madness. Or worse — Chaos sorcery. If you don't come to your senses, your fate is sealed. Snap out of it and speak clearly — what happened here?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Wake up! All the signs are clear as day. You and your brethren have fallen prey to the forces of Chaos, and you don't even realise it."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Kill him] "I am not interested in you. I wish to see what you have been trying to hold back!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Kill the man] "I've seen and heard enough."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Kill the man] "What did you call yourself? A sacred filter? I cannot resist — I'm dying to see what a rupture in the filtration system looks like."continues where this line first appears above
Enginseer(sequence)
Yrliet"We all know which evil we mean," says Yrliet finally, recovering herself. "He is blind! He does not see that he has already let the darkness in, that it is here, all around us..."
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YOU"The symbols your brethren 'protect' themselves with are symbols of Chaos."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"There is no fate more honourable than purgation through suffering in the name of faith. But you were deceived, servant of the Omnissiah! Your torment is not holding back the corruption — it is sustaining it. It is not too late to expel this blight!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You've been consumed by madness. Or worse — Chaos sorcery. If you don't come to your senses, your fate is sealed. Snap out of it and speak clearly — what happened here?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Wake up! All the signs are clear as day. You and your brethren have fallen prey to the forces of Chaos, and you don't even realise it."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Kill him] "I am not interested in you. I wish to see what you have been trying to hold back!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Kill the man] "I've seen and heard enough."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Kill the man] "What did you call yourself? A sacred filter? I cannot resist — I'm dying to see what a rupture in the filtration system looks like."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What happened to your ship?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What evil are you talking about?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The symbols your brethren 'protect' themselves with are symbols of Chaos."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"There is no fate more honourable than purgation through suffering in the name of faith. But you were deceived, servant of the Omnissiah! Your torment is not holding back the corruption — it is sustaining it. It is not too late to expel this blight!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You've been consumed by madness. Or worse — Chaos sorcery. If you don't come to your senses, your fate is sealed. Snap out of it and speak clearly — what happened here?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Wake up! All the signs are clear as day. You and your brethren have fallen prey to the forces of Chaos, and you don't even realise it."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Kill him] "I am not interested in you. I wish to see what you have been trying to hold back!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Kill the man] "I've seen and heard enough."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Kill the man] "What did you call yourself? A sacred filter? I cannot resist — I'm dying to see what a rupture in the filtration system looks like."continues where this line first appears above
Enginseer(sequence)
Pasqal"This statement is false! I am registering corruption in this unit identical to that surrounding us. I am registering a violation of the cleansing protocol, which dictates steering the ship into the heart of the nearest star for the purposes of cleansing annihilation! I am registering betrayal of the sacred machine spirits placed in the charge of those weak in faith."
EnginseerThe man looks at his comrade and replies with a long series of clicks in Techna-Lingua.
Pasqal"Permission to use the sacred language has been revoked. Impurity will not be permitted to enter the pure speech of binharic. Your mortal shell will soon exhaust its vital energies. Pray mutely while you still have the time."
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EogunnEogunn gazes upon the madman with a look of mournful compassion. "I pity you, my brother in service. Entropy and falsehood have taken root within your cogitative thoughts, inverting your perception of truth and lies. Your sacrifice is hollow, defiled by irrationality — you are nourishing the very evil you wish to guard against. I shall uplift a prayer to the Motive Force, in the hope that it will cleanse your soul upon the cessation of your functions. Nuncius, prepare to execute the binharic requiem."
EnginseerThe Tech-Priest fixes Eogunn with a piercing stare, shaking his head from side to side. "You are mistaken. But I will save you as well, for my sanctity is absolute..."
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IdiraIdira looks the man over with an expression of disgust and fear. "I've seen similar symbols. Caught a glimpse of them. In my dreams. Whenever the warp wormed its way into them and whispered about its virulent gifts. I doubt these lunatics were given visions of these runes by their god."
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YOU"Who are you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What happened to your ship?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What evil are you talking about?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The symbols your brethren 'protect' themselves with are symbols of Chaos."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"There is no fate more honourable than purgation through suffering in the name of faith. But you were deceived, servant of the Omnissiah! Your torment is not holding back the corruption — it is sustaining it. It is not too late to expel this blight!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You've been consumed by madness. Or worse — Chaos sorcery. If you don't come to your senses, your fate is sealed. Snap out of it and speak clearly — what happened here?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Wake up! All the signs are clear as day. You and your brethren have fallen prey to the forces of Chaos, and you don't even realise it."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Kill him] "I am not interested in you. I wish to see what you have been trying to hold back!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Kill the man] "I've seen and heard enough."continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Kill the man] "What did you call yourself? A sacred filter? I cannot resist — I'm dying to see what a rupture in the filtration system looks like."continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 15 of 15
EnginseerThe man's mutilated body is wracked by wave after wave of convulsions. "Evil... that was evil incarnate... evil, the corruption that watches us day and night..."
EnginseerSuddenly, the man raises his head and looks you straight in the eye. "You have banished the evil... you tried to warn me, but I was deaf... the ship... Kiava Gamma... it followed us from there..."
YOU"Kiava Gamma? Is that where your ship is from?"
Enginseer"Yes..." the man whispers. "The ship... and the planet... the traitors among our brethren, tormenting the sacred mechanisms, letting corruption into their systems. They turned that which is holy into the unholy! And they set these new, twisted machines on us, their tech-comrades! We managed to flee, but one of the monsters found its way onto the ship."
EnginseerA tear appears at the corner of his eye, he thrashes frantically in the mess of wires piercing his body. "We fought. We cut off one module after another, as one cuts away rotting flesh. But it followed. Its invisible influence, the corruption it exuded — it claimed us, one by one. The crew were merely humans of flesh and blood, they were so weak, they succumbed so easily... We could not save them from evil, and so we gave the ship to the darkness among the stars."
Enginseer"But the darkness came for us too. In this last module, where we intended to make our last stand. Then I... sacrificed myself... I became a filter, a stopper against the corruption emanating from the machine. I succumbed... The corruption came for our souls. The corruption of Kiava Gamma... traitors..." With the last of his efforts, he rasps, "The Fabricator-Censor! It all started with him! He was the one who let this taint into the sacred code! He was the one who doomed our brethren! He was the one who spawned the steel monstrosities in the furnace of our planet!"
YOU"Kiava Gamma? Is that where your ship is from?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I brought peace to Kiava Gamma. Rest in the knowledge that the wicked have been punished, and you and your brethren have been avenged."
EnginseerA glimmer of awareness — and joy — shines in the madman's eyes.
Enginseer"I was a part of the great force that drives the universe. I do not fear... the cold of death." A wheezing breath escapes the man's chest, then his eyes close.
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YOU"Kiava Gamma was restored to its rightful owner — me."
EnginseerA glimmer of awareness — and joy — shines in the madman's eyes.continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Rest in peace. You will be avenged."
Enginseer"I was a part of the great force that drives the universe. I do not fear... the cold of death." A wheezing breath escapes the man's chest, then his eyes close.continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You have succumbed to Chaos and paid for your weakness."
Enginseer"Weakness... The flesh is weak... The spirit must be stronger... The spirit reaches out to the Machine... to..." The madman's whispers gradually turn into wheezing, then stop.
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YOU"I brought peace to Kiava Gamma. Rest in the knowledge that the wicked have been punished, and you and your brethren have been avenged."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Kiava Gamma was restored to its rightful owner — me."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Rest in peace. You will be avenged."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You have succumbed to Chaos and paid for your weakness."continues where this line first appears above
EnginseerThe shaking intensifies, the breathing grows ragged, heralding the beginning of the end.
YOU"Kiava Gamma? Is that where your ship is from?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I brought peace to Kiava Gamma. Rest in the knowledge that the wicked have been punished, and you and your brethren have been avenged."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Kiava Gamma was restored to its rightful owner — me."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Rest in peace. You will be avenged."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You have succumbed to Chaos and paid for your weakness."continues where this line first appears above