Drhoz
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Still haven't got the recording of the Cthulhu game off Ian for transcription, yet, sorry. Here's today's Rogue Trader game instead.
The first foray into the C-6751246 Ji Xiu system being an almost unmitigated disaster ( although Marzu points out it wasn't his ships that were reduced to burnt-out hulks ) the Rose Tattoo and the surviving Adeptus Mechanicus cruisers flee to the Lucin's Breath system to regroup and repair. They manage the trip in record time, thanks to the good fortune of Navigator Netzach Benetek being among the survivors of the disaster.
GM : He got a glimpse of the future, and he was already waddling for the salvation pods before the torpedos even launched.
Navigator Benetek : The House of Benetek owes the lineage of van Baroque a boon, for saving the lives of myself and my attendants. I propose this favour be my service upon one of the van Baroque vessels. Of course, I won't insult you by offering a discount.
Navigator Benetek : Please don't be too impressed by my family name.
Acting-Captain Marzu : That's OK, I'm not.Although he should be. Benetek's personal analogy for the Warp is for an endless and treacherous ocean, and his spectacularly successful Navigation is imagined in suitable ways.
GM : Hanging ten off the front of a Hawaiian longboard, skimming down the front of a forty-foot wave, so fast that everybody else on board gets the eerie sensation that their souls just got pressed to the back of the ship by the acceleration, until the Rose Tattoo gets spat out into reality at the end of a half-AU long trail of Empyrean energy, and the three AdMech cruisers dragged along in your wake.
As implied above, Benetek is spectacularly corpulent - one of the mutations he enjoys in addition to the Navigator Gene that allows him to look unshielded into the Warp. After he'd huffed off to meet the borrowed Navigator and familiarise himself with the Rose Tattoo's Navigator Spire, and despite Navigators being among the oldest, richest, and most powerful families in the Imperium ( and the Beneteks especially so ), the other characters did enjoy a few jokes at his expense. Such as implying that the reason he has the attendants is to grease him up and squeeze him through doorways.
GM : squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Acting-Captain Marzu : POPMalakai : I'm under orders to check into the Navigators' apartments every now and then, to make sure Benetek hasn't eaten the other one.
GM : He might not look it, but Benetek is a very dangerous man
Acting-Captain Marzu : What, if you get between him and his lunch?GM : He's somehow manage to gain visibly more weight over a three-day voyage.
Acting-Captain Marzu : *stares* Are you going to get so heavy you fall out of the universe?Acting-Captain Marzu : I know how we can deal with the Logicians - we just park in orbit and drop Benetek on them.
Acting-Captain Marzu : Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, FATMAN. He is the jelly that rolls in the night.
The fact that the ship is already on short rations doesn't help.
Acting-Captain Marzu : *to some crewmen* Good work. You'll get extra rations tonight.
Adrik : Do well, eat well.
GM : Don't do well, and we feed you to the Navigator.Acting-Captain Marzu : Well done, I'm promoting you to Trophy Room orderly. You can clean up after all the birds. Try not to look the big red one with the teeth in the eye, it doesn't like that.
We also get further evidence of the power going to Acting-Captain Marzu's head, within seconds of their arrival back at Lucin's Breath.
Acting-Captain Marzu : *Looms over bridge crewman threateningly.*
Crewman : ... sir?
Acting-Captain Marzu : Remember what I said the first thing we do when we enter a system was?
Crewman : Uh, yessir, but it's hard to concentrate with you staring at me like that.
Acting-Captain Marzu :*starts to count off seconds*
Crewman : *hurriedly scans*
Acting-Captain Marzu : Good man. You get to live.Malakai : We really ought to build a big boom outside the ship, with a bubble on the end.
GM : Why?
Malakai : Marzu can park his arse out there and look around for everything the sensors missed.
Adrik : Why do we even have an Observation Dome?
Acting-Captain Marzu : So you can all observe me being AWESOMEActing-Captain Marzu : That's why we need so many crew on this ship. They open the sliding doors and make hissing noises as we go past.
The presence of Inquisitor Konstantin Lammergeier leads to some frantic running around among the officers, especially when his acolytes are noted asking lots of questions, and turning up in places that the explorers really wish they wouldn't. While the Rose Tattoo is laid up for repairs, Lammergeier takes the opportunity to invite them all to his cabin, one-by-one, for a little chat. He seems worryingly interested in the events surrounding Lord-Captain van Baroque's illness, and even more so at comments about the heretek on 105 Andrasta that Marzu somehow failed to mention at his own interview. Marzu removes the X-I Unit from the security of the Faraday cage in his private lab and hides it in an air vent, before anybody can come knocking with a warrant.
Marzu : Oh, that does it. The Inquisitor's cabin is going to be gaining a window.
GM : *raises eyebrow* You're going to kill an Inquisitor?
Marzu : Of course not. Decompression is going to kill the Inquisitor.Most of the rest of the weeks of repairs is spent trying to decide what to do next. Even the van Baroque dynasty's fortune won't stretch to buying a half-wrecked starship to use a bomb, or even to improved weapons for the Rose Tattoo. The AdMech will no doubt send in more ships, to deal with the hereteks that deny the sin of Progress, but Marzu suspects that inviting other Rogue Traders to get involved will lead to more trouble than it's worth. And they daren't even replace lost crew or hire mercenaries, for fear of Logician assassins getting on board as well. And if they blow more of the dynasty's funds, they'll have the van Baroques sending killers after them too.
Acting-Captain Marzu : Like they'll be able to afford any.
Adrik : At least we know where we can get an Ork Rok we can salvage.
GM : You do?
Adrik : Yeah, that one.. oh wait, that was the Dark Heresy campaign.
GM : And the other end of the GalaxyBut they do get one moment of pleasure during the wait. Their former Navigator, the one that caused them so many difficulties, eventually gets in contact with a pointed inquiry about when he'll be able to resume duties. The explorers happily give him the good news. Even better, he's of a rival Navigator House to the Beneteks.
Navigator Benetek : But if you ever wish to learn how to Navigate the warp properly, I'll be delighted to add you to my retinue and give you a few pointers. After all, I'm sure any future employers you manage to find wouldn't want to endure the ham-fisted attempts you've made while you were on this ship.
Navigator Gazmati : *vein throbbing* And you are?
Navigator Benetek : Netzach Benetek, at the van Baroque's service.
Navigator Gazmati : A Benetek?!? You hired a Benetek?!? Oh, you'll regret this. I'll see you all burn in the Warp -
Jak Frost : Assuming you can find it. -
Arnu said:
I am running my campaign based around a Rogue Trader crew with inteludes for Dark Heresy and Deathwatch (these are interludes that relate to elements touched upon in the in the main campaign - a good way to tie up loose end and give clues to the major story arc happening in the background).
WEll, in that case you'll have to incorporate the Inquisitor - how has he gotten such a hold over the RT crew? That could be your cross-over hook - the Rogue Trader gets tempted into doing something really really bad, much worse than merely smuggling - and the Inquisitor arrives to let him know that he's prepared to overlook this, on the condition that he does a few small favours for these acolytes, etc... transporting them to a planet where the RT has many political rivals, etc.
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Norticus Noctum said:
Yeah, Iknow. I did that to them alot for 6 months of ingame time
. Because of that I granted the Arch-Militant and Void-Master Paranoia and Light Sleper talents
. The chief of guard (A-M) was so paronoid that he disambled parts of straships to make regular cages with gaint locks, kept them seperatly and 4 guards 24h for each monkey (his acting towards securing safe trips with them onboard was pircless acting
). But best point was when one of JOKAERO grabed a guard schock/tranqulizer guns shoot back and hit and then run, they also changed one of the small craft generators in "small" time bombs, boy was it fun to torment the crew with them. And once he got report of missing "silverware" the first thing he did was check the monkeys. And the best part was that I said that they could not put them in Stasis- or Cryo-stasis pod, for they would loose their superior mental and crafting abilities.*thumbs up*
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pair off the allied and enemy ships (or two to one, or whatever) and resolve the combat between the PCs and it's counterpart/s, and assume similar results for the other pairings?
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Well, what characters do you have in the game? Tailoring this first mission to match the party make-up will help get them engeged. Even better, have two missions running, but which conflict with each other or with the personal prejudices of the PCs. Would you players enjoying setting up a smuggling pipeline? Or an apparently simple request to obtain a particular species from a backwater world, that turns out to be much, MUCH more dangerous than anticipated?
also, check your spelling at the top - unless party make-up has double meaning XD
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MDMann said:
What did you think to the New Bulwark?
Very useful - I wanted something in orbit over the planet, and this will do nicely
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MDMann said:
Imperial Navy: Perhaps the easiest faction to enlist the aid of, and also the hardest. The IN will help if merely asked as it is duty bound too, although the conflict doesn't meet its goals, ties up valuable resources and is contrary to its long-term aims.And that's going to be a problem - after all, if Battlefleet Koronus *withdraw* support from a world of 3 billion humans, they're unlikely to be overly bothered by one small planet of Logicians, especially now the Reclamator has been trashed.
MDMann said:
Adeptus Mechanicus: The Explorator Fleets are reeling and wary, but dactional politics demands their considerable help and investment. They'll provide 3 Secotor; 3 Lathe and 4 Firestorm, all they can spare after previous debacles.*nods* They'll certainly throw in more ships, and considerable ground troops. Of course, the Logicians have predicted this.
MDMann said:
Ministorum: No fleet assets of their own but happy to supply considerable bodies of Frateris Militia and a Commandery of Adepta Soritas. May provide financial backing, all they require is victory.Given the Rose Tattoo was supposed to be delivring a cargo of missionaries to Zayth before the explorers got distracted with this little war, the PCs have some apologies to make first.
MDMann said:
Adeptus Astartes: Very difficult to obtain, but if explorers have good reputations with the Astartes, Deathwatch or Ordo Xenos they may be able to obtain one Firestorm with 3 squads of Astartes (from mixed chapters). 2 Tactical and 1 Veteran Assault squad.Rogue Traders: Essentially dependent on the explorers contacts although Lord Admiral Basstille or Lady Sun Lee may be interested as this appeals to their warlike natures, or Jerehmiah Blitz the inveterate gambler. If Winterscale is made aware of Aspce Chorda's interests within the system he'll dispatch 3 Lunar Cruisers to help (with those interests as their primary target). All RTs will follow their own interests above all else.
'Very Difficult' is an understatement. And Marzu would have to pray that the Astartes don't find out about that relic in his private lab. Hiding it from the Inquisitor they picked up is going to be hard enough.
Re: other RTs - the only two they've even talked to are Harlvesk ( friendly, but annoyed that it's taken them so long to return his borrowed Navigator) and Maximillian dePledge, who would be delighted to profit from this war, perhaps by shipping in supplies, but is unwilling to risk his own vessel in a minor squabble like this.
And the PCs are currently owed a favour by Chorda - which makes Winterscale's actions unpredictable
Re: Xenos - Eldar are possible. Kroot certainly. And of course the Stryxis have been gleefully profiteering. And Orks showing up is a real possibility, and will give an opportunity to re-introduce Kaptin Buzzkill.
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Norticus Noctum said:
I don't know how far your are with the players in that campaign. But to anoy your Explorers even more if by chance they infiltrate the planet fortress of the logicians they could be attacked not by servitors, regular military troops but by Squadrons of Servo Skuls with Melta Bombs or other explosives attached to them. Quite horrifying enemy in small places or tunnels. And yes they are numerous. It is just an idea if you use, it's up to you.
thanks
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Norticus Noctum said:
And all that while transporting incognito 10 JOKAERO to Footfall. If you got few simple ideas join them to form a life-long adventure for players with wariety of atractions.Good grief, how on Holy Terra are they managing to keep the Jokaero locked up? The first thing they'd do would be unscrew the lightbulb, tinker with it, and blast their way out with their new pocket-sized conversion cannon. And then escape the ship in a customised vending machine.
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And characterise the rival as someone your players will love to hate
A memorable NPC can come back again and again. -
It doesn't have to be an STC - even coming back to report, say, the last resting place of a minor Imperial Saint, etc, would be valuable to the right people. Then you can profit by selling navigational info to the appropriate departments of the Missionaria Galaxia, or escorting pilgrim fleets out and back.
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There's fluff that some Rogue Traders have filled up their ships and headed Out, but nobody has heard from them since.
And, of course, Tyranids originated Out There....
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Well, first you have to tell us what you've already got
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I gave Ian the option to put together a few ships for the second fleet. He's threatening to include Nova Cannon. Any suggestions as to how the Logicians could cope with a weapon of such range?
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in the Mykybe's Veil campaign, Tech-Priest Marzu is the biggest problem - particularly since his intelligence and and various enhancements mean he can pass intelligence-based checks by 12 degrees of success, and sometimes more.
I've decided that all the other players get to roll a check first - they might not pass, in which case they can fall back on Marzu, but at least they don't feel completely superfluous.
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MDMann said:
I'd still make the offer, just to make them wonder...Besides, they can always smuggle or do low key trades.
The Navy might want to end the Logicians but they're low priority for them (they can't just ignore them however convienient that might be, but theirs aid and then theres AID), they're far more invested in anti piracy, chaos and hostile xenos (particularly the Children of Thornes, Orks and Rak' Gol).
The Ad Mech on the other hand is riven by factionalism, and a few bribes (some of this archeotech) might help them look the other way. Of course this would be a pretty precarious position (as some are very keyed up about the Logicians)...
that's true
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MDMann said:
Cool.
Optional Encounter: Crassus at Bay.
the Explorers finally come across Cassus and his bodyguard. He'll attempt to bribe them before combat and will (truthfully) offer trading partner status together with claims to a Promethium mine and technological gewgaws. If combat ensues this former Magos Biologicus is accompanied by 20 Strxis Vat Brutes, 10 Golephi and his Orgyn Bodyguard, the extensively modified two headed Mongo. Crassus will flee if things get sticky.
I fear that because they've already informed the Navy & the AdMech about the Logicians, and they have that Inquisitor aboard, any chance of them accepting a trading offer, even if they wanted to, is out of the question. Silly, silly PCs.
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I thought of another thing for them to encounter down on the surface - when the Logician leader gets in contact for the reveal, the dialogue will include "I realise you're not a genetek, Marzu, but I'm sure you're familiar with the Square-Cube Law. Around here, we consider that more of a guideline..."
Logician fun with regenerating mutants, cybernetic implants, grav-plate technology, and growth hormones....
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Sounds like a very promising start
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It's like you've been reading my mind
And it's likely the Logicians will have months to regroup as the PCs and the AdMech get over their shock and try to assemble an even bigger fleet to go "Crush the heretek upon the Anvil of Destruction".And they have a slew of horrible biological surprises waiting for them on the surface too XD
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Your advice and ship designs worked beautifully - Marzu and the others are quite outraged
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Slightly short on quotable quotes this week, since four of the six players couldn't make it. That said, I'm quite pleased with the session, since Acting Captain/Tech-Priest Marzu lead a fleet of seven cruisers into the Logician-occupied C-6751246 Ji Xiu system, and barely escaped with his life.
In the months it took the Rose Tattoo to catch up with the Explorator Fleet - their borrowed Navigator proceeding very cautiously through uncharted space, after all - Marzu had plenty of time to research possible weapons against the Logicians, and interrogate the deadly X-I Cogitator Unit that got them in so much trouble originally. Some of the weapons are rather heretical, but then Marzu has an alarming amount of sympathy for the Logician cause - the Adeptus Mechanicus' abhorrence of progress really is holding humanity back.
Acting Captain/Tech-Priest Marzu : When I'm in charge of the Cult of Mars, things will be different!
Very careful questioning and data-mining of the X-1 reveals secrets that are almost as alarming. Not only do time-stamps suggest is it dates from the time of the Hours Heresy or earlier, he confirms that it was once the core cogitator of a Man of Iron - and one specially commissioned from the Cult of Mars for an unidentified Primarch of the Space Marines. It's also almost completely full of image files of alien texts and documents.
Psyker Xanthis Raytheon OOC : Somebody downloaded a lot of porn then.
This is extremely worrying - not only can they not tell whether the robot was made for the Loyalist or Traitor factions during that apocalyptic war, they have no idea what these alien books are, why they are so important, or how it ended up on Zayth, or in the hands of the presumably late Rogue Trader Bel Ingeneri. Further reflection leads Marzu to wonder just what horrible surprises the Logicians will have in store for them, even assuming the Space Marines don't come down on him with both feet for stealing their most ancient of secrets.
Psyker Xanthis Raytheon OOC : What's that sound?
Acting Captain/Tech-Priest Marzu OOC : Could be impending doom.Now properly paranoid, Marzu sets new orders for his erstwhile crew - open entering real space they are to immediately ready weapons and scan the surrounding void with a fine tooth comb. For one thing he doesn't trust the Stryxis not to have immediately run off to the Logicians to sell them the Rose Tattoo's destination.
Acting Captain/Tech-Priest Marzu : Anybody who fails to carry out these orders will be fired. From the starboard cannon.
During one of the more difficult warp jumps, Marzu takes Xanthis to one side to enquire exactly how a psyker manages to get this far into the Expanse without a chaperone. Xanthis claimed that the Orks killed them all the Whyteman's Burden. Certain doubts are raised about this story, by the three ghosts in Scholastica Psykana uniforms that stare and point accusingly at Xanthis from behind his back. Marzu has certain problems with similar warp phenomena, suffering flashbacks to his first encounter with the Logicians, and ends up shooting the hell out of one of the Rose Tattoo's corridors. All aboard are highly relieved when the warp storm clear enough for them to safely re-enter real space.
Psyker Xanthis Raytheon : At least we didn't have any more possessed ten-year-old girls to worry about.
Acting Captain/Tech-Priest Marzu : Yeah, I'm still picking off bits of the last one.The Magos in charge of Explorator Fleet X-120-Rho welcomes Marzu aboard, and the two exchange pleasantries and congratulations.
Magos Vilchis : 11001010010010011100010010010
Acting Captain/Tech-Priest Marzu : 00010010100100100001010
Magos Vilchis : 10001000101110010?
Acting Captain/Tech-Priest Marzu : 11000C://
Magos Vilchis : LOL
Acting Captain/Tech-Priest Marzu : ROFLThings get markedly less pleasant when Marzu hands over the co-ordinates of the C-6751246 Ji Xiu system, because according to the AdMech charts, that star has no planets. This implies that somebody high up in the Explorator Corps deleted the planet from the charts with nobody noticing, to ensure nobody had any excuse to visit the star.
GM : Much more believable than deleting an entire star system, but leaving all its gravitational effects in the chart. I mean, a five-year-old could see through that.
Meanwhile, Xanthis is making friends with some of the other people in the room - a bald and elderly man with kindly eyes and dull black outfit, accompanied by a small horde of scribes and bored-looking stormtroopers.
Man in Black : First time aboard an AdMech vessel?
Xanthis : Yes, I'm afraid so.
Man in Black : Would you like me to arrange some refreshments? I suspect our hosts will be at this for some time.
Xanthis : Yes, thank you, that would be nice. I'm Xanthis Raytheon, by the way. Pleased to meet you.
Man in Black : Where are my manners, I should have introduced myself first - Konstantin Lammergeier of the God-Emperor's Most Holy Inquisition.
Xanthis : F***Inquisitor Lammergeier takes Xanthis aside for a polite conversation about how he got involved in all this, what he knows and thinks about all the officers of the Rose Tattoo, and what exactly happened to Lord-Captain van Baroque to leave Marzu in charge. Xanthis makes the fatal error of lying about some of it, to an Inquisitor's face. If you think he'll get away with this, you're as naive as he was.
Marzu distracts Vilchis from his new-found paranoia by bringing up the matter of van Baroque's medical condition. Vilchis agrees that rebuilding him as a servitor would be a good use of human resources, and suggests a few improvements to Marzu's design.
Magos Vilchis : The boltgun you intend to attach to his skull would cause unacceptable recoil - we should install two supplementary spines.
Marzu also makes his choice from the various surveyed worlds on offer for destroying the Reclaimator. He selects one with a primitive atmosphere, native algae, and highly radioactive natural nuclear reactors in every estuary. Such Oklo pools suggest valuable mineral resources.
GM : This other one is promising for colonisation, apart from being a waterworld.
Marzu : Does Kevin Costner live there?
Xanthis : We could film a terrible movie!Lammergeier transfers himself and his acolytes to the Rose Tattoo. Given what happens to the AdMech fleet later, this is just as well. Upon entering the C-6751246 Ji Xiu system, Marzu surveillance spots two enemy cruisers matching velocities with the Reclaimator's hulk, now halfway across the system, and four raiders escorting a lumbering mass hauler trying to reach the breakout point on the far side of the sun. Unfortunately, they also spot the Rose Tattoo and the six AdMech cruisers, and the cruisers and raiders soon turn to fight. To the horror of the Imperials, the heretek cruisers blow two of the AdMech cruisers to fragments in the first exchange of fire, and the survivors are soon fleeing for the edge of the system before the cruisers can turn around and catch up.
Xanthis : Jesus Christ!
GM : That should be 'God-Emperor!' or 'Throne!'
Xanthis : Whoops, sorry.
GM : Yes, you're already in enough trouble with that Inquisitor.Rescuing the utterly traumatised Magos from the wreck of his cruiser, and after consultation with the Inquisitor, the surviving ships jump back into Warp Space, circle around the system, and re-emerge to target that lumbering Mass Hauler - clearly the most important personnel are trying to evacuate the system. But shortly after re-emergence Xanthis, Adrik, and the Inquisitor's pet psyker all clutch at their temples, suffering a sudden psychic pain.
Xanthis : There's no content to the pulse...
Inquisitor : But that doesn't mean it isn't a signal...
Marzu : Orders?
Inquisitor: It's a trap. Get us out of here.
Helmsman : Captain? I'm getting a warp breakout signal.. make that two.. four!The Imperial ships scatter, because a squadron of four Meritech raiders was in warp space just outside the star system, waiting for anybody who thought the mass hauler was easy meat. One of the Admech Cruisers, damaged in the fight earlier, is too slow, and is blown apart by volleys of vortex missiles. The Rose Tattoo manages to destroy two of the raiders in turn, before fleeing for the break-out point just ahead of the vengeful Logicians. But despite some damage to the Rose Tattoo, Marzu and the rest get away, having learned they're going to need some heavy reinforcement before they dare attempt a second foray into C-6751246 Ji Xiu...
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MDMann said:
Magic.
Don't forget if things are too easy this is only the System Defence Fleet, and the Logicians are not above hiring Mercenaries or calling in allies (Rogue Traders and especially the four raiding fleets of the Contessa's Cortelax, with whom they have a strong alliance).
*nods* I certainly intend to have reinforcements turn up. Indeed, the players having found the location of this world, and broadcast the news to all and sundry, will have mightily pissed off a number of Imperial factions. The various radical Inquisitors with a stake in the project are going to be frothing at the mouth, for one thing.
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MDMann said:
Cool. Could Hermesia be a Planetoid ala Uranus? A small cold hard ball of rock in the systems depths far distant from its sole planetary body?
More like Sedna or Quaaor, but certainly
Indeed, the homeworld for the Rose Tattoo crew was a rogue planet in the Merates cluster that the Meritech clans were using as a fortress and research base.
New to Rouge Trader, have some questions.
in Rogue Trader Gamemasters
Posted
Well, let us know how it goes