Between the Darkness/Session 20

Separated: Mercution

tylorva: After you capture, you are dragged away into a make-shift cell and chained to the wall, cold shackles digging into your wrists. You are left to simmer for a good long while before the door is suddenly kicked open and Horatio storms in. "Traitor!" he says right into your face, covering your cheek with spittle.

Mercution: "Likewise, scum." Mercution returns the sentiment - and the spit.

tylorva: "You left us! You ran away, whilst the rest of us remained below, trying to survive however we could. You have no say!"

Mercution: "And only I disappeared, you sold everyone of our people - body and soul - to the cult and their leaders. " He lowers his eyes, not before the man standing before him, but in contemplation of what this man did. "Betrayed the gang"? You betrayed the Emperor himself, madman."

tylorva: "The Emperor never cared about us!"

Mercution: "You are not even pretending, do you, heretic? There was never a cause for you, never a fight! You are just a filthy dreg, crawling through the sludge and trash... So yeah, I guess, Emperor never cared about you anymore, than you cared about him!"

tylorva: "We're all just filfthy dregs! The bottom of society! No one cares about us! No one wants us! Most people don't even know we are here, and those that do prefer us to be hidden away never to be seen! Why should I care about the Emperor?"

Mercution: "Parasite, that what you are!" He continues. "What did he did you you, that's the only you care about, only thing you are asking! What, maybe you think those feathered fanatics care about you? That they are here just to welcome you with open arms and relieve of suffering?! While people like Intios, Custorla, Passon - we were out there, fighting, so no twist or brute or cannibal could hunt innocent people out there, brutalize our families. You never did care, do you? The first thing you did, was invite them and shelter their like - and you never thought of the price you will have to pay. The Emperor was there for us, traitor. It seems you never knew him and abandoned all pretence - and you will suffer the consequences."

tylorva: Your speech just seems to enrage Horatio and he lashes out at you with a punch to the stomach. The blow knocks all the air out of you for a moment. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you now!"

Mercution coughs and falls silent for a moment, then snaps back. "Eh, sorry. Tried to get into your mindset to come up with one... *cough* but can't think - *cough* it's just... too... stupid. "

tylorva: He pummels you with more punches - the man is as strong as ever. "Why did you come here?" he says eventually.

Mercution: "To trade wits. But, crap, there is no market for it." It may be of use to drag time, but not in revealing anything. He prepared for more punches.

tylorva: The punches come, with Horatio bellowing questions into your ear - why you are here, how you joined the inquisition, what you came here for - but his interrogation skills are rubbish.

Mercution: "Wait...*cough* you didn't even figure out that?!" Mercution manages between the shouts and the punches. The moron wouldn't guess what a hungry scaly wants even with the mutants stuffing him into his mouth, but still, he was going for a gamble, on a risk of slipping important information. Something might be acquired in return.

tylorva: "Why are you here?"

Mercution: "I thought... heh... You agreed on those Spiral's offer, 'cause you knew, who they work for and what they did. Maybe, thought it's ironic or something."

tylorva: "We made an alliance to stand against Reinhardt and the Inquisition." He stares at you. "They say you work for the Inquisition now. you're one of them."

Mercution: "An alliance". Sure, they needed some agents, I guess - considering it is them... Well, not exactly them, they are just lackeys... *cough* who brought the Inquisition here. Although, give me one piece, I'll give you the rest - where is Kirian?"

tylorva: "Reinhardt took him. Or rather, one of his friends did."

Mercution: "Hah, sure." Now, what this supposed to mean? He continues, subtly mocking. "You saw that yourself? Were they shouting "Inquisition", or, maybe, were clad in carapace? The friends of your friends are influential enough to get hose."

tylorva: He shrugs.

Mercution: "Listen here. Kirian was a witch, sure, but a special one - kept chained, like a dog, doing some blasphemous tricks for a large-scale heretic cult, whole clique. They let him slip. Then, tried to track him down - not just him, there was a big escape. A lot of dust rose, mud was splashed around, Inquisition got wind. " Mercution was not finished. "Now, they are here. And they never got their quarry. But guess who was all this time trying to return their rogue psykers, sent their agents and filthy little branch cults to find them and get them, use all this commotion, all this suffering and your sorry state - all to recruit some new fledgling little cultists?"

tylorva: He turns red as he enrages. "You know nothing!" he yells. "You weren't even here! This is my gang now, got it? MINE!" He jabs you in the chest and then turns to stalk off, perhaps to start a fight elsewhere.

Mercution waits several moments, catching his breath, enduring the bruises, resentment and disgust and cold rage coiling inside - and vague hope, that his bluff would provoke Horation to some rash actions. Then, alone and in silence, he assesses his situation again.

tylorva: After a lot of effort, you manage to squeeze your hand through the shackles, practically dislocating your thumbs in the process and leaving huge slithers of skin behind. But you are free. You can hear commotion from the main room beyond.

Mercution rubs his wrists, then winces, when his callous hands rub on raw flesh. Nursing his hand, swearing silently, he approaches the door and presses ear to the surface, listening.

tylorva: You notice straight away that Atella has some kind of mark on her cheek- blackened and opainful looking, it seems that a symbol has been carved right into her.

Reunited

tylorva: The main room is buzzing with life, much as before with people lounging around, cooking, sleeping, chatting and playing games. Horatio seems to be yelling loudly and mostly incomprehensible at everyone he sees, and punches a few people leaving a trail of broken noses behind him. Everyone else quickly start getting out of his way. Atella approaches the door where she

tylorva: thinks Mercution is being held and pushes it open to reveal Mercution leaning against it on the other side, listening out.

Atella: "Pissed off the big guy, huh?"

Clavis_Morden: Standing in her cell, free but clad only in her thin undergarments, Clavis concentrates trying to feel the warp echo of Mercution.

tylorva: He's close by.

Mercution_Hastus: "Oh, hello." He stands up suddenly and looks around, then steps back in the shadow of his (former) cell. "Somewhat. You got out, I see. ))

Clavis_Morden: Gathering her courage Clavis opens the door and strides out as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Atella: "Yeah... I think it was my winning personality"

Clavis_Morden: Following the vague sense of direction Clavis makes her way toward Mercution.

Clavis_Morden: At the same time she looks around for something - anything - to be used as a weapon.

tylorva: Clavis finds Mercution and Atella standing just inside the door to another cell. The gangers don't seem to pay much attention - they are more interested in the drama with horatio.

Atella: looks Clavis up and down

Atella: "Trying something different? I like it"

Atella: shrugs out of her overcoat and hands it to Clavis

Mercution_Hastus: for some reason is not amused. His expression is serious and grim. "Get in here." He gestures. "How did you got out? Learned anything useful?" Meanwhile, he looks carefully outside, trying to figure out, what's going on.

Clavis_Morden: "Terrible manners, those guys, taking away my mesh," Clavis says through clenched teeth, which rather takes away from the forced 'tough gal' tone.

Clavis_Morden: As she comes closer she looks at Atella with dismay. "What did they do to you?" She touches her own cheek with an empathic wince. When Atella offers the coat she hesitates, uncertain.

Atella: "I got uh... drafted, apparently."

Atella: shrugs and looks Clavis up and down again

Atella: "I'm not complaining, but aren't you cold like that?"

Clavis_Morden: "Into the service of the Archenemy?" There's a rising touch of hysteria in Clavis' voice.

Mercution_Hastus: meanwhile slides down the wall, breathing heavily - he still felt the force of the shock mall. He wasn't sure, is anything was broken. "Drafted? Where? Cleaners certainly don't have any marks like this."

Atella: "Hey, guy cuts me, says I'm drafted, lets me go, that's all I know"

Clavis_Morden: ((did Clavis come across anything weapon-like, btw?))

tylorva: (( There's plenty of weapons in the room, but most of them are on the gangers. There are a few lying around, but that will need some kind of concealment roll to pinch them without being noticed. There are a few cells and storage areas around the main room as well as the alcove with the shrine. ))

Clavis_Morden: ((even somethink primitive like a club or even just a piece of pipe?))

Atella: "Thing hurts like hell."

Clavis_Morden: "That's a mark of Chaos, the symbol of the demon this cult worships. It means they *own* you now." Clavis shakes her head, close to flipping out. "I thought he was just saying that to convince me!"

Atella: "So... not going to be able to get it off then?"

Clavis_Morden: "Emperor on Earth, that thing is a death sentence at best! And possibly much worse."

Atella: "... awesome."

Atella: sighs

Clavis_Morden: "That's not awesome, it's terrible!" Clavis exclaims, too hysterical to read Atella's tone.

Atella: looks at Clavis, hesitates, then looks away again

Mercution_Hastus: "That... can't be. You can't just brand someone to... Chaos? Can you?" He coughs, then shakes his head, repeating Clavis' gestire. "We... As soon as we get out of here, we will cut it out."

Atella: "Well, can't cut it out here, emperor knows how badly infected it'll get"

Atella: hiccups

Clavis_Morden: "The ..." Clavis' voice turns into a near-whisper. "The Inquisitor might know a way. But any member of the Holy Inquisition would kill you just for having that thing!"

Atella: "It's not like I asked for it..."

Atella: touches her cheek and winces

Mercution_Hastus: "Where is Sand?"

Clavis_Morden: "Emperor's Grace, *we* should probably ... I mean, in theory ..."

Atella: "I... don't know. Haven't seen him."

Clavis_Morden: absently points in a direction

Atella: "I'll go take a look. They *like* me now. You stay here."

Atella: puts her coat around Clavis and walks off in the direction she was pointing in

Clavis_Morden: covers her face with her hands. "This is a nightmare. This is all a nightmare and I'm going to wake up soon ..."

tylorva: Sand still seems to be alive and is in one of the cells.

Mercution_Hastus: "I have... I'm not sure. Just a thought." He pulls himself up slowly. "I may try to scout for weapons, but I am afraid I'm not that good at the moment."

Atella: looks into the cell Sand is in

Clavis_Morden: "Would you accept psychic healing?" Clavis asks through her hands.

Mercution_Hastus: "I... Well, you did show the brand... Everything is right and proper, I guess." He coughs and smiles suddenly. "Is it painful?"

Clavis_Morden: "Usually."

Mercution_Hastus: "Not reassuring." He shrugs. "Go on."

Clavis_Morden: lightly touches Mercution's shoulder and concentrates. There is a very strange, squirming feeling as strained muscles relax and a rising heat as bruises fade. It's anything but comfortable, but leaves Mercution less pained than before.

Clavis_Morden: (4 wounds healed)

Clavis_Morden: "If I had the medicae kit I brought with me I might be able to do more, but ..." She sighs. "We have to get back that equipment."

Clavis_Morden: shakes her head. "That symbol ... their priest said he would remove it. In exchange for a service rendered."

Clavis_Morden: "We're well and truly caught - we can't actually help them, nor can we leave that mark in place. And even if we could get all your former friends on our side and come out victorious I'm not sure we could force him to take it away again."

Mercution_Hastus: "Thanks, doc. Wasn't as bad as I expected - better not to become a habit, though, I think." Still, he hisses during the process and shakes his head some time after, trying to shake off the strange nausea and slightly unnerving unfamiliar feeling, that came with the healing.

Clavis_Morden: "Let's try to avoid the necessity," Clavis agrees.

Clavis_Morden: "Since they want us to do something for them I think they'll just let us go ... so we could just go and grab our things? What do you think? I for one would like my clothes back."

tylorva: (( Thanks all. I'm going to call it a night there, as I'm feeling really tired and grotty and it seems a good place to stop. So we'll carry on next week (back to Tuesday as normal)

Mercution_Hastus: ((Understood. Thanks for the game. Sorry, was a little slow myself, unsure what to do and how to proceed with Horatio.))

Clavis_Morden: ((that was fun :) ))

Atella: (for you maybe ;)

Atella: (I'm going to die a horrible death!)

Mercution_Hastus: (Don't worry. We all may. ))

Clavis_Morden: ((That sorcerer has to be pretty damn stupid, though. Send someone with an obvious chaos mark to do his infiltration and spying for him, what?))

tylorva: (( Chaos: It turns your brain to mush ;) ))

Clavis_Morden: ((Just Say No ;) ))

Clavis_Morden: ((btw, xp? ;) ))

Atella: (you've been stripping for xp, you naughty girl? ;)

Clavis_Morden: ((Atella should get extra, or a FP or something for getting that nasty mark, I vote))

tylorva: (( Yeah, good idea. Atella can have an extra permanent FP for as long as she has the mark. :) ))

Atella: (yay)

tylorva: (( Call it the luck of Tzeentch... ;) ))

Mercution_Hastus: Ah, by the way, was testing out the newly-acquired tablet during the session.

Mercution_Hastus: http://s60. radikal .ru/i170/1106/33/7635f10d769a.jpg

Clavis_Morden: (( That's so cool :) ))