(This is a closed game for a group who I am forming please do not post if your not in it)
Prologue Dim cyan green lights flicker on the rusty tables and bar of The Black Peril tavern located on the void docks in Port Wander. A thickly black bearded man wipes a glass with a dirty rag. One other patron sits keeled over snoozing with a half spilled beer mug in one hand. The barkeep looks towards you “What’ll ya have?”
You're drawn here from a message on the imperial networks about a bounty on a familiar greenskined face, Badzappa. Here you hope to find comrades with a similar goal on hunting down this wily ole ork who has been pillaging the galaxy for the past fifty years.
As I am sitting at the bar, having my drink quietly, I try to listen to the conversations of the rest of the customers, in case I pick up anything useful. It's been a lot of days since I started chasing after that particular Big Mek. I could feel his every move when he was close. But now that trail is gone. And the voices won't stop talking all at once.
Concentrate. You don't need them in your head now. You need to listen to the rest of the patrons. Focus dammit!
OOC: Well, @nichodemus we weren't sure if you would join Hectic said he contacted you about it. Yes it's the Rogue Trader, the Warhammer 40k RPG And yes of course there is a slot xD So far, it's me, Hectic, Kat and Swarmlord. I asked JACK but he hasn't been online for a month now unfortunately...
I look around the Tavern, glancing at the rest of the patrons. Mutants, most of them. Underdogs in the Imperial Worlds, they've found solace here. Poor souls. Some Aliens here too. All the more reason to avoid the Imperial space. The Ordo Xenos is very...conservative when it comes to Alien Affairs.
Suddenly, the woman sitting near me got up. Noticing the apparent change in behavior, I follow her with my look as she goes to sit down at another table. I watch her a couple of minutes as I keep listening for anything interesting. As she turns to notice me, I quickly turn my eyes away.
Huh. These clothes can only mean one thing: Spacefaring. Probably a Voidborn or a Scapegrace. Wandered around multiple Star Systems at the edges of the known Galaxy. She might have been an outcast too in Imperial Space. Here, in the Outer Systems though, nothing of this matters. At least not now. The voices have stopped and I enjoy the silence in my head, the noisy Tavern filling the gap perfectly. I decide to remain here for a while, watching and listening. Our Big Mek was not known for his subtlety after all...
(OOC, this may work better if we have some initial basic info about each other's character. At least the things that are visible. Mine is an Arch-Militant so the Hellgun, the power pack and the armor are rather obvious. In a Tavern like this though, one would be crazy NOT to have a gun so that's nothing unnatural. The heavy coat I am wearing, indicates I am not one to stick around in one place for long.)
(Well somethings might be obvious others might not if you want people to know about each other thats fine but sometimes its isn't obvious, if you want to really "observe someone and know who they are it usually takes rolling a dice :P. Skill tests in this game comes in two fashions, a Normal Skill Test and an Opposed Skill Test, Normal Skill Tests are based on your stat for example Jonstonne uses Scrutiny to determine Unna's line of profession, Unna then can use several skills such as Disguise, Deceive or Concealment to oppose his Test, both roll a 1d100 vs their characteristic, Jonstonne rolls 1d100 vs his perception which is Scrutiny Base characteristic, since he is not trained in Scrutiny but its a basic skill he has to divide the Perception by 2, so 1d100 vs 19, if he rolls below 19 he succeeds, Unna will roll one of the other skills to oppose Jonstonne, You can find more information in the core book about Tests on page 230 )
The old automatic door slides open with a light hiss a large figure in heavy robes ducks under into the tavern, he stays stooped over for the low ceiling forces him too. The barkeep asks the same question and the large figure answers in a bassy voice "Estu***emi", He finds the strongest looking chair in the room and sits down. A tiny objects hovers around him with a buzz, The man sits waiting, occasionally sipping on his glass of wine that seems too small in his hands.
I enter the tavern, attempting to avoid attention. This is futile as the mutants, scavengers and xenos clearly see my expensive clothes and my power sword in its scabbard. An unusually inquisitive servo skull following me looks at everything but is careful to not stray too far away from me. I sit down at the bar and ask for a drink. A man and woman are sitting beside each other at the end of the bar. I evaluate them and the situation (test failed). I don't notice anything so, out of curiosity, approach them.
"Hello!" I say in a friendly voice, "What brings you to this tavern?" (charm test passed by 3 degrees)
(Perception test was unsuccessful, 41. Off topic, but do tests count as actions? How many tests can we have in each of our 'posts', which I assume is the equivalent of a round, in a sense?))
Unable to determine anything about the others, I remain silent, hoping to listen anything important. A lot of people must have gathered here with the same intent as me, so why not them?
Still, I couldn't know for sure. Nothing was clear in this noisy Tavern and I was never good with people. Especially making contact. If I wanted to avoid suspicion, my best bet was to remain quiet and keep casually drinking...
Let's just hope the voices don't seize this opportunity and use my dark thoguhts to enter my mind again.
"Could you be after Badzappa? That is why I'm here" The skull, aware of the woman's relaxed demeanour, hovers closer, always interested in finding out more about everything to add to its database.
( rounds are only for fighting, I think and no, only an action if it is a proper action)
"This is what happens when subtlety is your forte" I think to myself and smile at what I just heard. Clearly that man had limited communication skills, if that's the way he is trying to find people who share his goal...
Then again, he did mention Badzappa. Which means that he was after the same Mek. Finally, my patience has paid off. Should I talk to them? Reveal the reasons for my presence there? That I am after the same Big Mek?
(Fellowship Test unsuccessful)
Maybe not... Warfare is the only skill I've got. Besides that patience is finally paying off. Let's wait for more info.
Looks like that smile was less subtle than I thought..."now who is being obvious?" I sarcastically think to myself. Maybe he should learn I am not to be trifled with.
(Intimidate test - Intelligence: 62. Unsuccessful)
At the last moment, I change my mind. I keep looking away, without letting the man know that I am watching. Or at least attemtping to do so. If this conversation is interrupted after all, I will have achieved nothing...
In order to avoid suspicion, I try to turn my attention somewhere else, maybe determine something about the man who entered some moments ago and who sat on the strongest chair in the Tavern.
(Perception test - 62 Unsuccesful -_- )
But his heavy clothing, his idle look, they don't point to any particular characteristic. Sigh. Well, anyway, this is definitely the place, and I am going to stay as long as necessary to gather info on Badzappa.
So instead, I turn my attention to the man with the servo-skull. (perception test 22 - passed) From what I can determine, he seems quite capable in combat and determined to find the Big Mek. The imperial uniform also suggests noble background, possibly a high class citizen. A man like that has got to be resourceful. I think he is exactly who I need.
I notice that the servo skull is making the woman uncomfortable (awareness 13/41). I gently tug one of its power cables.
"Sorry. He does that sometimes. So, if you 'might be' hunting the Ork, do you have a ship, or do you travel on public transport?" (Charm 41, failed so do as you would naturally, with no influence)
(66, failed to notice Doom)
At this point I couldn't hold a giggle. "You sound like a creep, has anyone told you that?" I say to the fancy man in the Imperial uniform. I look at him with a casual smile on my face. The second thing you say to a lady you just met is "Do you have a ship?"? So, what's next, "can we go hang out in your ship, you and me?"? Hahahh...
"Mate, all I am saying is, I don't know how you interacted with people in your high class aristocratic homeworld, but out here, saying things like that can get you killed. Well, pretty much everything can in these parts."
I stop for a minute and then continue with the same casual smile:
