Okay, a couple things. 1. I'm relatively new to Warhammer 40k (only played the PC RTS game
), so if I make any mistakes in-character, let me know what I've done wrong, ok? =P And 2. Apparently a
lot has changed in the mod since the first release... lol I'll do my best, and the fort probably won't go down on my turn (especially not from how well-off we are as far as food and drink goes), but I may need pointers on the odd occasion.
From Tal's RecordclipThis is the record clip of Talvieno Controltrades. It menaces with spikes of volume. Etched on the item is a stick figure of a grox. The grox appears to possibly be doing something.
The audio recording begins, heavily laden with static.
"Ahhhhh... Okay... Never had one of these before, so..." High-pitched feedback screeches through the room, and you wince, wondering how this oaf could've ever become overseer of Entrypage.
"Ach, no... okay, I think I've got it now... no... Augh, it's like everything else." The sound of someone beating the recordclip against a table emanates loudly from the device, and you turn the volume down with a flick of the finger, rolling your eyes at his incompetence. Moments later you're forced to return the volume patch to its original state, as the voice continues, in a quieter, clearer tone. The static is almost gone, but the recording is somewhat lower quality.
"Okay, I think I got it this time... Ach, what a nightmare. Okay, so... Let me begin."My name... my name is Talvieno Controltrades - that's Gubernocommercium in the native language here, but it's a bit of a mouthful, so... but anyway. A few years ago I wound up here, in Entrypages. Not sure how - I was kinda on the border walls outside the farms on the roof, and they had to build a' impromptu ramp ta get me down. I don't remember much... um... well, I do remember a bit, but I've forgotten most of it - my life before I came here. I remember - I remember blue skies, far as the eye could see... I remember green grasses and a sweet smell in the air... ach, I miss that, goddamn. Seems like worlds ago... and mayhap it was. I don't remember where or when it came about - not to mention how - but later I found myself on a ship. She was s'posed to be the best ship this side of the Empire... 'least... that's what they told me afore I got aboard. Toilets stank and had ne'er been cleaned, saw spiders all through my little bunk... some were sleepin in the mattress, too - inside the mattress, I tell ya. That thing was hard as a rock... but then... no, I can't remember..."I do remember the cap'n, though - real ornery guy, sayin we'd be impacting on the planet surface, dayside... I'd been in there for well o'er six months - I just wanted to see th' light of day again, no problems from me... Tho... for some reason tension raised, and tempers started to flare aboard the ship - I don't recall why. Jus' that the bigger the planet got on the viewscreen, the more people yelled at each other - like it was evil; gettin in their heads. Finally someone got killed - knived to death. I didn't see who, but the crew blamed me for it... an' everyone believed them. What with democracy and all that - it was a weird ship - it was determined I'd be left adrift in space til I died of a lack of oxygen in the suit, or stellar radiation. They took me and put me in the airlock - I fought like mad, let me tell you," Talvieno laughs uncomfortably at the unpleasant memory.
"I didn't want to die, jus' like any other air-breathin' creature alive. I didn't want to die...""But goddamn, the view... By all that's holy, if you've never been adrift in space before, you've got to try it sometime... Adrift among the emptiness of space, the darkside of the planet dominating your vision... stars and nebulae sprinkled 'cross the void... cupping stardust in your palms... the gentle glowing of the atmosphere below... feeling so... so free... 'twas like magic... damn, I wouldn mind goin' back up there, not for a minute."But I didn't leave it there - I caught hold to the inner wing rudder as the ship passed by and held on for dear life, 'cause you know - beautiful as space is, I still didn't want to die... but that's when they changed course and I lost my grip... and for a moment I thought I was lost - just 'til I smashed my head against the thruster cone. I blacked out..."I dunno how I got down to the surface - perhaps pirates? sightseers? I couldn't have survived the fall through the atmosphere, so someone must've taken me down, but there I was... I forget a lot... I remember a bunch of helmeted folks telling me to follow them. I was holdin' a spear - I ain't never held a weapon in my life... and I was stabbing enemies like it was natural to me. I didn't feel a thing wrong about it. It felt normal... But then the enemy forces came over the ridge from behind and tore down our flag - enraged, I stormed towards them, and one of them pointed... The ground exploded 'neath my feet."Next thing I remember was that I was here - 'Stupid migrants', they were saying, trying to get me down from the top o' the wall. I didn't know if they were the same people I'd fought, so I've gone with the migrant story ever since... hopefully nobody'll know I wasn't born here 'til I die, at least... I'd like a proper burial, too, though."But such a hellhole I found myself in this time... the toilets onboard the ship weren't nothin' compared to this place. I guess it's all for the best, but goddamn... People walkin' round everywhere without socks or shoes, some kids without shirts... Anybody's upset they just lock them in their rooms and don't let them out. Grox - grox beat anything I've ever seen, but they've got such good milk... That alone makes it all worthwhile, I suppose... Never seen rats so large, either. Can't believe how strong they are, but I guess they just adapt. Make good pets, anyway - I've got a couple of my own. Urna and Verbero, I call 'em. Not a mating pair, no - don't want to mess with babies runnin' everywhere - not that my room isn't enough of a mess already. But I'm gettin' sidetracked... I do that. Anyhow..."Turns out I had a wife... Specula... Pretty little thing - pale skin, russet hair... the most gorgeous eyes you've ever laid eyes on, too. Whene'er we get bats in here I gotta get 'em out for her, she's terrified of the things... She's terrified of most things, really, but we had a couple daughters at least - really sweet girls. She says sometimes I forget things... She says if I give it a while, it'll come back. I'm keepin' this audiolog to try to help my memory come faster - not sure that it's working yet... I can't remember how I met her, but I don't dare tell her, she'll break down."There are several minutes of silence here in the clip, followed by slow humming in a deep voice, presumably that of Talvieno. Occasionally he mutters "such beautiful eyes" and other such things, before finally seeming to snap out of it.
"Oh, goddamn, where was I... Okay, right... Um... I'm overseer now." He laughs deeply, amused.
"I have no idea how it happened. Everybody here must be crackpots to pick me, but I won't blame 'em for it. No, no, not at all... If they want to let me be overseer, then by all means, I'll gladly take the spot - but not for forever, though. I want to spend some time with my girls.
"And... um... I think that's everything." He seems somewhat taken aback by this fact, and mumbles quietly through the rest of the tape as the static gradually increases.
"I... um... okay, I'll make another log here soon. I kinda like this recordclip, though... real nice of her to get it for me..." And the voice fades out.
__________
Anything I ought to know, anything uncompleted I need to finish?