Friday, June 14, 2013

Dark Heresy - The Black Spiral Campaign – Character Presentation and Session 1 Summary:




Dark Heresy Campaign – Character Presentation and Session 1 Summary:

We have finally started the bi-weekly Dark Heresy campaign we discussed on the Deployment Zone podcast.  The game kicked off very well and we are using Google Hangout and the www.roll20.net website to play this campaign.  While it doesn’t replace the experience of a face to face tabletop roleplaying session, it does allow players who normally would not have a chance to play with each other to connect.

I started the Acolytes out at Rank 5 – since this campaign is scripted to go all the way into the Ascension expansion at its culmination.  We also used a character mapping exercise where you ask the players five questions and write down their answers beside the question then you include a few important items such as in this case their Inquisitor’s name, the Ordo Xenos, etc..  Each question you ask is designed to draw upon a background element for their character such as “Name a rival within the Ordo” or “Name someone who owes you a favor”, etc… Once all the questions have been asked, you have each player one by one draw a line from the answer of one of their questions to the answer of another players on the sheet.

Example:  Roy draws the answer from “Name a rival within Ordo” to Reuben’s “Name your greatest accomplishment”.  This line now links the two background aspects of the characters and provides the GM with an opportunity to create a plot line that centers on that relationship or it adds further depth and notion between characters and players.

It’s a great tool to use in the first session as people finish up their characters since it allows for immediate character development and turns it into a group exercise that will help shape the campaign.

So with that said…

I present the Acolytes of Inquisitor Mavin DeOrc of the Ordo Xenos:

Ben Aker – a Hive World Arbitrator played by Josh.

Voroll – a Forge World Tech Priest played by Roy.

Gregor Markoff – a Feral World Guardsman played by Bryan

Khorodai – Feral World Scum played by Reuben

Gavrik Molenor – a Void born Imperial Pysker played by Mike


Session 1 Summary:

The Errants of DeOrc – Chapter 1: Separation Anxiety.

The acolytes of Inquisitor Mavin DeOrc of the Ordo Xenos have been called to assemble before him at the Inquisitor’s private occlusiatorium in the Calixian Conclave in the Tricorn Palace of Scintilla.  The group arrives at the Tricorn palace and immediately head towards the audience chambers to present themselves before their Inquisitor.  When the acolytes arrive they notice that almost the entire network of Inquisitor Mavin’s acolytes is present and assembled in the occlusiatorium.  The Inquisitor himself rather than this Interrogator Tomas addresses the group. 

Inquisitor Mavin DeOrc of the Ordo Xenos, eradicator of countless Xenos threats, signals for everyone to be silent and signals the servitors at the end of the great doors of the chamber to seal the room.  The Inquisitor addresses the group saying that someone has broken into the Inquisitorial vaults in the Calixian Conclave and stolen various xenos artifacts.  The Inquisitor knows it had to have been one of his staff since all the passcodes require his identifier which his acolytes all possess.  As the Inquisitor speaks, the massive doors to the occlusiatorium close and six large combat servitors activate and march out of their security pods located within the occlusiatorium’s walls.  The combat servitors with their Mark III – Mars Pattern autocannons surround the acolytes as the Inquisitor begins to rage from his position at the podium on the raise dais. 

The players did notice that the Inquisitors Inner Circle acolytes were not present except for the Interrogator Tomas.  The players failed to notice one of the acolytes moving through the crowd and more importantly passing by each of them during the Inquisitors rant.

 The Inquisitor then gives the acolytes who were responsible one last chance to come forward before he reveals what was taken and then begins questioning each acolyte individually under Inquisitorial arrest.  When no one comes forward, the Inquisitor begins to announce what was taken when each of the players’ characters have a small beacon on their person begin to glow with a red light.  The players failed to notice the glowing red light emanating from the logis matrix of each combat servitor and as the Inquisitor opens his mouth to speak, an autocannon round evaporates his head in a crimson mist. 

As the Inquisitor’s headless body falls to the ground, chaos erupts as the combat servitors begin firing into the crowd of acolytes.  The gunfire only lasts 3-4 seconds but when the smoke clears most everyone is either dead or on the ground with the exception of the player characters who are untouched.  A few moments pass then the great doors of the occlusiatorium are flung open as a dozen inquisitorial Storm Troopers enter the room and order immediate surrender. 

Confused and alarmed, the acolytes begin to collect their wits when one of the acolytes outside their group accuses them of controlling the servitors and killing the Inquisitor.  The Storm Troopers are observed as being part of Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx’s retinue and after receiving a message from the internal vox within his helmet, tell the acolytes that they are being placed under Inquisitorial arrest and they are to relinquish their weapons and get on the floor.  After the Storm Trooper Sergeant bellows his orders to the acolytes, the red beacons on the players begin to glow again as do the combat servitors’ logis matrix.  The players and the acolyte that accused them tear off towards the exit on the other side of the chamber as gunfire erupts once again from the other end of the chamber, only this time the combat servitors are targeting them.  The players recognize the acolyte that accused them of slaying the Inquisitor as the Scum Voross.  The players overtake, wound and capture Voross during their escape to the hangar bay where they steal a shuttle and break free of the Tri-corn palaces air space and that is where they 1st session ended.
 

 

 

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