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[Lenglon]

So Indaria's still in negotiations with the daemon, but there's a good chance she's going to end up playing its game. - It managed to find something that legit tempts her, which at first was a major roadblock.

how about the rest of us?

[Egan_BW]

Still waiting for stirk mostly but since I can't sell my soul I'm considering challenging the demon to strip poker as a conciliation.

[Caellath]

I've come to make an announcement: the daemon is a bitch-ass motherfucker.

[Maximum Spin]

I had a perfectly fine time.

[Lenglon]

And the coin is in the air.

[Caellath]

I still think we should fire our laser-piss at the daemon.

[Lenglon]

I mean, Indaria had a good time, and is leaving on good terms.

Seems like our Imperial captain didn't enjoy himself?
by the way, I'm thinking of putting what happened in her dream into a spoiler either here or in IC, so that nobody that doesn't want to know things their character doesn't ends up accidently opening it, but it would be available for public view by anyone that doesn't mind being spoiled. It's not like the game's PVP after all.

[Caellath]

I just refused to play on the daemon's terms and left. Marco is too strait-laced and suspicious to ever deal with daemons in any way.

[Lenglon]

Spoiler: Indaria's Dream (click to show/hide)

During a rare moment of rest from fighting off the infestation, you are able to get what qualifies for a night of sleep in your personal quarters. When your eyes finally close you find yourself in a dream. A casino, filled with faceless shadows gambling with games from across the galaxy. You recognize a few of the games, enough to understand what is going on at least.

There is one inhabitant of the dream that sticks out. Resembling something of a Daemonette with more masculine features than the archetypal example - broad muscles, square jaw - wearing a flamboyant outfit modeled after a peacock. The eyes on the "tail" are real human eyes in vibrant colors, following your every movement. You detect a powerful Warp signature radiating from the creature, far more than what would radiate from a Daemonette.

The creature sashays over to you and speaks in a falsetto voice.

"Why hello there little kitten! Fancy a game? I can give you an-y-thing you could possibly want. Power? Weapons? Freedom? Just tell old Mattius what your little heart desires and I'll put it on the table. Of course you'll have to put something on the table too. The game is no fun without the risk. It doesn't seem like you brought much with you...so your soul will have to do."

Indaria looks around, seeing if she can identify the games at play, and especially ways that they can be cheated by either the players OR the house.

"What're the odds?"

I need to know before making any decisions, and asking buys time to learn.

The creature "smiles", showing its pointed teeth and elongated tongue.

"Now that depends on the game of course. You don't gamble much do you little kitten? The worse the odds, the better the payout. The more you risk, the greater the reward. Ab-so-lutely thrilling! Of course the odds never favor the gambler. The best you'll ever get here is 50/50. The safe route is always more boring, but my fa-vo-rite game has those odds with a little twist that makes my blood pump."

You see some of the games common among the Ark Royal's population, including simple dice and card games. There is also an ongoing game of Regicide. A variety of machines, elaborate displays, and gaming equipment of likely xeno origin join them, but you do not recognize any. Cheating on the dice or card games would involve the usual - theoretically simple for either a player or the house assuming your opponent is not quick or streetwise enough to catch you. Other games like the lottery or machines could be rigged by the house but would be difficult to cheat on. Assuming the rules of reality are at play here, of course.

"And what game is that?"

And... is there anything I want bad enough to risk this? Is there anything worth it? I... what do I even want? I... I know there's *something*, but... I can't even be sure quite what it really even is. Why *am* I so discontent?

The creature pulls out a corrupted stub revolver and places it to their own temple.

"It is a classic going back millennia. It has gone by many names across the Imperium, but my fav-or-ite is Destiny."

"Ah. Extreme, but fair. But... I don't want anything enough to play those stakes for it... Not yet anyway."

Comon me! What do I want?!?

"Do you really believe that little kitten? After all you put your life on the line for far less that what I'm offering ev-er-y day. But no matter, I don't need all your soul. I'm fine to take half of it, or a quarter should you not be up to parting with it entirely."

"I... No, I don't believe that. But I don't know what I really want."

Why is it so easy to speak here?

Indaria is actually kinda embarrassed. She doesn't know why but she feels welcome here. She knows it's dangerous but...

“I know what you really want, little kitten. The same thing ever-y-one wants. A good time! It is what mortals live for, it is what mortals die for. The only question is how to get there. Do you want the thrill of tearing your enemies asunder? Perhaps you want to walk among your kin as a normal human? Or maybe you would rather have them bow before you?”

"It'd be nice if that were true. But I'm not that lucky."

All of those are fleeting, moments of joy that I could earn for myself. Well, except maybe getting to live like someone normal? But...

"I... I want to earn those. I don't want to win them like this. It... it wouldn't count if this is how I got those. Except..."
Indaria sighs
"Except maybe getting to be normal. But that... that's special. I... it's been really, really important for me to learn to accept that part of who I am. I... I don't really get why I'm like this, but Meleria did it to me for a reason. I can't just throw that away. It... it really sucks sometimes, but I'd be less of a person without it."

“Meleria isn’t a giver, little kitten. She takes and takes and takes until you have nothing left to take. She’s the greediest thing in the expanse, and that’s counting all the Rogue Traders floating around. She took your humanity from you. Little me is just offering a way to get it back. Biomancy, the power to shape your own flesh. To become normal, when you want to. To become a monster, when you want to. Isn’t that what you want right now?”

"I... that..."

if I could do that then I...

"I... yeah. That... that is something I want. Something I can't earn for myself. That... that would be amazing. I..."

Little Kitten composes herself, reminding herself of where she is and what are the stakes.
it's time to bargain
"Okay. Now there's something worth wagering for, but it's not worth what you want me to wager. 50/50 odds for a soul fraction."

****

The power will be based off of Shape Flesh from Dark Heresy -

Focus Time: Full Action
Sustained: Yes
Range: You
Shape Flesh is the point where
your flesh and will become
indistinguishable—the goal of
many a biomancer. Shape Flesh
allows you to twist your physical
frame in nearly any way you can
imagine. Each manifestation of
this power produces one of the
following effects:
• Gain any one of the following
traits—Burrower (1), Crawler, Dark
Sight, Flier, Hoverer, Natural Armour
(2), Natural Weapons or Quadruped.
These traits are described in
Chapter XII: Aliens, Heretics &
Antagonists, page 329.
• Assume the appearance of any one
creature. You may make Disguise Tests
as if you had the Disguise skill and
at a +10 bonus. If you already have
the Skill, you gain an additional +20
bonus.
• Gain Natural Weapons (Bite,
Claws, and so on) to deal 1d10+SB
Damage.
Unlike most powers, you can manifest
this power multiple times. Each time,
choose a different effect.

In addition you may increase your size by one category. A smaller category gives -10 Strength -10 toughness, but makes you harder to hit. A larger category increases strength by 10 and toughness by 10, but makes you easier to hit. It will count as a psyker power, using it will result in the usual psychic shenanigans.

Mechanically loosing a portion of your soul will result in an increase in corruption, usually up at least to the next level.

*****

"Oh? Little me was being generous, maybe Meleria has some competition for queen of greed? What is your counter offer little kitten?"

"I mean, I had to try."
Little Kitten shrugs.
"it is true that the soul is worth more than the power. I want good odds of getting what I want, and 50/50 seems as fair of odds as odds gets. What stakes do you need, and what shall we play?"

The creature cracks its claw. One of the shadows approaches with a silver coin on a velvet pillow. It picks up the coin and shows it to you. One side has the mark of Slaanesh, the other the symbol of Chaos Undivided.

"A coin flip is nice and clean. Call it in the air? As for the stakes...somewhere around a quarter of your little soul seems thrilling."

****

1d2, pick 1 or 2.

Success and you get the previously mentioned power.
Failure and your Corruption will be set at 31, the next highest level forcing a mutation test.

"Deal."

She watches the coin carefully, waiting for the coin to enter the air, and around the peak of its flight calls out.

"Undivided."

(2)

The Shadow tosses the coin. It spins around in the air. It spins around on the floor. It keeps spinning and spinning for what feels like an eternity.

It comes up Undivided. You will not be tainted today - at least no more tainted than whatever accepting the deal will have done to you.

The creature claps its claws together. "Well played, well played! Did you feel it little kitten? The ex-ta-cy of gambling? It beats any drug, I've tried them all and none compare! We just have to play again some time. But I think that is enough for today. I'll let you quit while you're ahead little kitten."

The creature picks up the coin and shoots a hole through it with the weapon it had pointed at its own head earlier. Thus begins a strange ritual. The shadow people join in, leaving their games to chant and bow toward the daemon. They then begin to murder each other, beating one another with their bare hands or sufficiently lethal gaming equipment. Bloodstains cover the room - appearing as if they had been there for years. Blood covers the coin. Blood covers you. The ritual completes as the daemon takes out a string of beads and makes a necklace out of the blood stained coin.

"It fits you perfectly little kitten. Take the coin and the powers. You earned it."

Little Kitten bows forward slightly and accepts the coin and necklace with all the grace her untrained and unpracticed self can muster, believing that in this place the intent behind the gesture is more important than the details.
"Thank you, and it was a good game. I did very much feel the threat, the thrill, the relief, the joy, the rush of the game and satisfaction of getting lucky. I did enjoy myself, but you're right, I should stop for today. Thank you."
beginning to step away afterwards, she hesitates for a moment to say,
"Good games and good luck!"
before respectfully taking her leave, and beginning to stir herself awake.

You wake up. You find the necklace on your person in the waking world, still covered in blood and Chaos markings. Your instincts tell you this is likely the source of the power the daemon promised, given the psionic reading.

[Caellath]

Spoiler: Marco's very exciting dream (click to show/hide)

Stirk
 —
11/14/2023 3:52 PM
During a rare moment of rest from commanding the ship, you are able to get what qualifies for a night of sleep in the captain's quarters. When your eyes finally close you find yourself in a dream. A casino, filled with faceless shadows gambling with games from across the galaxy. You recognize a few of the games, enough to understand what is going on at least.

There is one inhabitant of the dream that sticks out. Resembling something of a Daemonette with more masculine features than the archetypal example - broad muscles, square jaw - wearing a flamboyant outfit modeled after a peacock. The eyes on the "tail" are real human eyes in vibrant colors, following your every movement.

The creature sashays over to you and speaks in a falsetto voice.

"Why hello there little captain! Fancy a game? I can give you an-y-thing you could possibly want. Money? Power? A new ship perhaps? Just tell old Mattius what your little heart desires and I'll put it on the table. Of course you'll have to put something on the table too. The game is no fun without the risk. It doesn't seem like you brought much with you...so your soul will have to do."

Caellath
 —
11/15/2023 1:42 AM
Marco is, of course, not the sort who'll even consider consorting with demons. So instead of speaking anything, he looks away, pinches himself and tries to will himself awake while mentally chanting protection hymns.

Stirk
 —
11/15/2023 2:03 AM
The creature clicks it’s elongated tongue in disappointment. “Such a killjoy. The door is that way. If you arn’t worried about your precocious crew’s souls, go ahead and take it.”

Indeed a door appears.

Caellath
 —
11/16/2023 2:57 PM
Captain Marco carefully approaches the door to see if it's a lie or if it's truly the exit. Everyone knows daemons are liars. He knows the threat to his crew is (most likely) an attempt to make him reconsider just because he'd care.

Stirk
 —
11/16/2023 4:00 PM
The door is an empty space at the edge of the casino. Light pours through from the void beyond. Touching the door sends you back to the waking world, unless this is some truly elaborate trick on the daemon's part.

[Stirk]

It's not like the game's PVP after all.

It wasn’t until you told the LC you are a heretic

[Lenglon]

Indaria has made a point of not lying to him. Ever.
That doesn't change even now.

[Caellath]

This is a delicate situation to say the least. Let me preface any discussion on it by asking: Lenglon, what are your expectations as to what happens next, or do you not have any?

[Lenglon]

Lenglon's expectations are that there will likely be a disagreement, and that Indaria will have to explain herself. She came to him immediately and directly instead of dancing around things in any way, and she did that because she believes that it's important that she doesn't hide anything from him, as well as to establish goodwill.

I find it interesting how Stirk prompted her statement as her claiming to be a heretic, because that isn't actually what she said. But that's meta and irrelevant.

[Egan_BW]

Stirk's a shitposter, so OOC statements shouldn't be counted as indicative.