ARCANA (40K Perpetual Quest)

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    • Trigger Warning: This chapter contains mention of certain sensitive topics.
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    The bar was well lit.

    Oh, sure, one might think it'd be dimly lit: a shadowy den of intrigue and conspiracy. The problem is, a shadowy bar was something for those who had something to hide. The sisterhood didn't: the wooden walls were lit by strings of lights, flourescent bulbs hanging off the ceiling, each wall coated in white paint: a sign of the gangs relative wealth.

    Swallowing dryly, you walked in and saddled up next to someone you really, really didn't want to see right now. "Ulysses!" Dragovax said, grinning, downing a mug of beverage: probably some brew they had purchased from the Shiners, a minor underground gang who specialized in...well, it was in the name.

    "What brings you to this fine haunt?" She said, slamming down her cup. "Come to pay off the debt early? Or did you want to go ahead and get the finger chop over with?" She eyed you, words completely sincere, causing your skin to crawl at the notion: why on earth did she think you'd even consider- "Seriously, if you want, we can get it out of the way early: means you'd have two months to start payments."

    You honestly considered it for a moment, before pushing past the idea: better to try and fail. If you couldn't raise the money, sure, but if you succeeded you could avoid losing any fingers.

    ...The fact that you even had to make that calculus really made you lament the paths your life had made.

    You gave a dry, nervous swallow, sitting down next to her, doing your best to stifle your nervousness: you had been on the receiving end of Dragovaxes beat downs before in the past: the woman would and could snap you like a crust-stick: be polite, be mostly truthful. "N-no, I'm, uh. Just here to socialize, make friends, build connections and-"

    Networking Roll: 66-5(Untrained)-10 (Suspicion): 51: Bare Pass

    Dragovax raised an eyebrow, skepticism clear on her face. "You're here to butter me up in order to figure out an alternate way to pay off your debt," She said, deadpan, unwilling to let you try and bullshit her. Well. She wasn't wrong: if you had it your way you'd be literally anywhere but here.

    ...

    "...Also to figure out how the hell my forgery was found out," You admitted. Look, you weren't going to lie to Dragovax: you were pretty sure it'd end up with you in a ditch. Dead, probably, but being alive in a ditch was only marginally better because you'd probably get eaten by Squigs looking for an easy meal. The enforcer nodded, looking pensive.

    "Alright. I'm not going to tell you how we figured out it was a fake: no offense, but I trust you as far as I can throw you," Dragovax responded, leaning back, deciding yo humor you, and you felt a massive weight lift off your shoulders. "But I'm willing to throw you a bone...IF you pay for drinks," She said, grinning, a smugness filling her gaze.

    Oh. Well. That wouldn't be so ba-

    _______________________________________________________________

    You wept as you watched Dragovax down another mug of Shine paid for with your money, before letting out a loud belch. "And twenty five!" She said, her smug, infuriating face still stuck in that stupid grin as she spent your money. "Alrighty, since you've been SUCH a good sport..." She gave an exaggerated pensive look, aiming her gaze skyward as she placed a finger on her chin.

    "Weeeell, I don't know. What IS available? Agathion could use more workers at the Brothels-"

    You desperately shook your head, and Dragovax snickered. "You sure? You'd sell well there: so few scars, and no doubt there'd be plenty of people who would just LOVE thirty minutes alone with the Shanties local near pariah."

    "I, uh. I'm very sure," You replied shivering. You knew what went on in those Brothels well enough, and there was no amount of fingers worth it. You generally rejected the notion of death not being the worst fate available, but the Sisterhoods Brothels were one of the seven things that severely tested such a thing.

    "Wellllll," She said, voice still high and singsong, mocking you. "We're also sending out a Martyr Band soon. You could always try your luck, see if you're the one in fifty Martyrs that comes back. Do that, and I might be willing to cut a bit off your debt: half a months worth, what do we say?"

    ...Shit. That was...God, it was risky, but if you pulled it off, that actually would be a decent score: you'd be able to sell for salvage some of the Bands kit, you'd get whatever bounty you could collect from Ork heads, AND get a fairly decent chunk of your debt knocked off. "And where would we be marching?" You asked, giving another dry swallow. God, you were thirsty. Perhaps you'd stop by the well on your way back, try your luck: either you'd quench your thirst or you'd spend the night evacuating your bowels.

    "Gorgoroth."

    Your hope died in your chest. Gorgoroth was the local Dark Orkium. Every continent had one: an Orkium so large, so infested that venturing inside was almost guaranteed death. It was said that Gorgoroth was the worst of them: a place where the Hand of the Beast conducted dark, alien rituals and sorcery. It was said that it was haunted by the ghosts of fallen orks, bound to that place by their hatred and bloodlust. Others claim it was cursed, the site of so much death and brutality it had tainted the very ground, the fungal growths in the place producing twisted, mutated creatures insane even by Ork standards.

    You nervously tapped your hand on the counter. "And, ah, why- why Gorgoroth? I didn't think the Sisterhood was, ah, interested in-"

    "Don't ask," Dragovax said, playfulness gone. "Suffice to say, if we had any other choice, we'd take it." She gave you a rather intent stare. "However, recent events- NOT helped by you screwing us over- has made this the simplest solution to...recent problems."

    God. Was it worth it? If you succeeded, it could be potentially incredible. If you failed...

    You sighed. "I'll need to think it over."

    "Think away!" Dragovax said, grinning. "The Martyr Band isn't leaving for another few weeks. You've got time." She lifted up another mug, downing it. "Be seeing you Ulysses."

    Gained Potential Big Score: Gorgoroth Martyr Band
    Payout: High.
    Risk: Absurdly High.

    Gained Contact: Sister Dragovax: A Sisterhood Enforcer, she is the primary collector of your debt, and should you default, the one who will collect your fingers.

    Networking Progress Roll: 2D3+2=7

    7/15 Progress until Networking (Trained) is gained.
    ___________________________________________________________________________________

    "So, whats the, er, news? How have things been with you?" You asked the Artefact Hawker, who rolled his eyes.

    It was a slow day at the Artefact Market: only a handful of potential buyers. It was why you were comfortable approaching the man: you were pretty sure he'd try and deck you if you actually got in the way of selling.

    The mans name was Heiram. A large colossus of a man, he wasn't a typical artefact hawker: he didn't dig for the things himself or forge them. Instead he worked as muscle: in exchange for providing a strong hammer arm and a decent shot with a gun, he got a certain amount of any dug up Artefacts. The dark skinned bouncer didn't even spare you a glance. "What do you want Ulysses?"

    "I'm just trying to be a bit more friendly-"

    Networking Roll: 31-5(Untrained)-10 (Suspicion): 16: Failure.

    "No you aren't," Hieram snorted. "You're trying to find a big score because you fucked up and got caught by the Sisters." He spat. "Serves you right, freak."

    You sighed. And that was why you didn't like Hieram. Out of all your opposition, he was the most vocal. "Hieram, are you really going to try and play that card? Literally everyone here sells forgeries from time to time: hell, the only reason you don't is because you're ass at woodcarving."

    Hieram snorted. "And yet, not everyone here is cursed. Besides, you've cheated me enough times that your due commupance." Ah, that. Admittedly, not all of Hierams reasons for hating you were stupid: you had screwed the man over more than once by squirreling away some valuable artefact riiiiiiight from under his nose.

    "I'm not-" You snorted, refusing to verbally concede the idea that you may have had it coming: if it was someone you didn't despise, maybe, but you'd never give Hieram that satisfaction, not ever. "Whatever. What will it take for you to give me a good site?"

    "Hundred Thrones."

    "Fifty-" You choked. "That's about twice what I'd MAKE on a good site! If I broke even, I'd be lucky!"

    Hieram chuckled. "And yet, if you want my help..." He paused a moment, giving a greasy grin, his wooden teeth stained yellow from the years of smoking lho-sticks. "If it incentivizes you a bit, its a new Orkium: untapped, completely virgin, and only a handful of people know about it."

    "And what, I ask, is the catch?" You asked sharply. The description given changes your assessment in its totality. A completely untapped Orkium? That was a gold mine: the kind of thing that could MAKE Artefact Hunters. If Hieram was offering its location, that meant there was probably something dangerous about it. Probably a klan of feral orks made it their nest, or there was a radiation leak, or something.

    "Nine out of ten of the last few Artefact Hunters who ventured inside never returned," Hieram said, grinning. "All that was found was their corpses, ripped limb from bloody limb."

    ...Ah. That would explain it.

    "So, still interested? If not, then shoulder off, I've got artefacts to sell."

    [ ] Buy the Untapped Orkium location. Cost: 100 Thrones. Reward: Gain potential Big Score: Untapped Orkium.
    [ ] Do Not

    Untapped Orkium
    Payout: Absurd
    Risk: Extremely High

    Gained Contact: Hieram: A Artefact Hunter who hates you for various legitimate and illegitimate reasons, he none-the-less has considerable reach among your profession, which is matched equally by his knowledge.

    Networking Progress: 4

    11/15 progress until Networking (Trained) is gained.
    _______________________________________________________________________________


    Streetwise Roll: 57-5(Untrained): 52: Pass.
    Investigate Roll: 56-5(Untrained): 51: Pass

    You decide to put your ear to the ground, and hear some interesting rumors.

    Supposedly, a new gang is gaining slight prominence: the Children of Y'drg, a cult that worships a minor pagan god of unity. They apparently have access to a working farm, and are using it to bolster their ranks by providing food for the hungry among the Shanty, converting who they can to their cause. Well. You can't say it isn't effective, at least: the Children have managed to gain considerable number of soldiers, whom they've been using to increase their territory. Largely by taking it from the Iron Mongers, another minor gang. So far, despite technically being heretical on the surface as Y'drgian worship has been banned by the Santica for decades, the Children so far have been ignored by the Elocutors.

    A few children have disappeared from the Shanties, only for their remains to be found weeks later. So far, the cases are small: only twelve children have gone missing. However, this has still put the Shanty on edge: not helping matters is the strange, eldritch scrawls found near univerally near the remains, branded, it seems, into the wood and stone as if by a hot poker, strange whorls and bizarre angles.

    The Iron Mongers have requested volunteers: in exchange for labouring in their mine, they're promising a small payment of Thrones based on how much ore is recovered. Apparently, they're using the ore to buy weapons they can use to beat the Children back. The pay isn't fantastic, but it could give you an in with the gang...

    Of course, while you're doing this, you dig into recent events surrounding the Sisterhood, and its then that you discover something chilling. According to rumors and hearsay, the Sisterhood made a deal with Sharky's gang: you don't know the specifics, but apparently they were going to trade Sharkey, in exchange for...something, they'd give up a valuable Orkish artefact: it was apparently a high value trade.

    ...It just so happened to be the Artefact you gave them. And it turns out, Sharky knows enough about Orkish artefacts that he personally identified it as a fake, forcing the the Sisters to pay him instead ten thousand thrones as a penalty for trying to cheat him.

    This was, of course, very bad. It meant that, potentially, it wasn't just the Sisters who were pissed at you. You could also have Sharky gunning for you.


    Gain this weeks Rumor Mill.
    Learned about Potential Hidden Menace: Sharky's Wrath.
    Gained Potential Score: Iron Monger Mine

    Iron Monger Mine
    Risk: None
    Payout: Potential Iron Monger contacts, small throne gain.

    Investigate Progress: 6/15
    Streetwise Progress: 8/15
     
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    • Leads on 2 big scores sounds promising. I think I trust the literal Suicide Squad more than the tipoff from the guy who doesn't like us though. Either way we need to train our combat skills a ton.

    [X] Do Not
     
    wrecksalot said:
    Either way we need to train our combat skills a ton.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Protip, unless you find access to a tutor with a higher skill rank than you, usually the only way to train a skill is to actually exercise it. Meaning if you want to train a combat skill, get into a combat situation where you'd find cause to use it.
     
    [X] Do Not

    Probably not worth it considering the failed networking roll
     
    [X] Buy the Untapped Orkium location. Cost: 100 Thrones. Reward: Gain potential Big Score: Untapped Orkium.

    I'd say it's worth it.
     
    [X] Buy the Untapped Orkium location. Cost: 100 Thrones. Reward: Gain potential Big Score: Untapped Orkium.
    the faster we die the faster we realize dying isn't so bad and can abuse that
     
    [X] Buy the Untapped Orkium location. Cost: 100 Thrones. Reward: Gain potential Big Score: Untapped Orkium.

    Going to gamble, but what are the odds we're going to the same place as the Suicide Squad?
     
    [X] Buy the Untapped Orkium location. Cost: 100 Thrones. Reward: Gain potential Big Score: Untapped Orkium.

    Most of the places are high risk for high reward. I'd try my hand at this for the combat experience, and potential equipment before the suicide squad and some money.
     
    [X] Buy the Untapped Orkium location. Cost: 100 Thrones. Reward: Gain potential Big Score: Untapped Orkium.


    We need to try something. We are also a perpetual so the quest won't end even if it goes badly.
     
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