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The Azure Abyss (Rogue Trader 2nd Ed Homebrew)

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Aliexster said:
Aeysha Marlikath: A Sanctioned Psyker that was taken from an early age from her family to serve in an auxiliary astropath in the Imperial Guard, until it was all but wiped out and rescued by a lucky Rogue Trader. Now with a new lease on life, she wants to make a name for herself and become something more than a long distance radio. Ambitious, inquisitive, a bit envious, and trying to be as noble as she can. Want to build an Astropath that is actually useful outside of being a radio.
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This is actually a pretty interesting character.
 
I've played a little DH, so I'll read up on Rogue Trader and make a character sheet. I'm thinking of a Guardsmen gone mercenary with a paranoid streak a mile wide.
 
tryrar said:
Hrm, I might be interested in playing a voidmaster, but I don't have any real concept in mind. Plus, this would be my first game of Rogue Trader proper(Maugan's quest doesn't really count:V). Ah, screw it, I'll work out the crunch first then come up with some fluff!

Edit: anyone know where to find hosted rogue trader char sheets? I know alectai said he didn't need them yet, but as I said if I work out the cruch first I can probably come up with a good concept
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Considering that this is a homebrew, you are probably better off with not looking at the crunch for now. Since you know the Mechanics that we'll actually be using is going to be different from the norm.
 
al103 said:
*drags something very old from the memory*

Is this fine for start of character concept? It's certainly need fleshing out and choice of career, but as starting concept. I'm fine with either surviving sibling as character. Sister gives a bit more range, brother of a Navy captain fit only as RT or Void Master.
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Well, to expand on idea...

Kalaghans were a major noble family on not so major agriworld that doubled as supply depot for local Navy contingent. Founder of the family Gerhard Kalaghan or as he known locally Saint Kalaghan ascended to power as leader of local resistance to Chaos incursion and later leader of the Crusade that pushed them back out of held worlds. His descendants were not as famous but had solid fortune and connections with Chartist Captains, Trade Houses and Navy which allowed them to be major players in the sector politics.

Until one unfortunate day when Lord Admiral Astolphus Borclaw decided that sector (and his pride) need a short victorious war and bordering minor xeno empire was just a perfect target. It didn't ended well neither for him nor his backers and only timely reinforcements from Black Templars that were nearby purely by chance saved sector from xeno counter-offense. In result Kalaghans lost most of their fortune and better half of the family in that debacle. Star of the Kalaghans was on sharp decline.

Seventeen generations later family manage stabilize situation and gain momentum again even if they were far from reaching their previous status. But that didn't come without cost - while old Kalaghan family were known as benevolent even if not without hiddent poisoned dagger, new Kalaghans by necessity became harsh, some may say too harsh, even if not on the level of cutthroat feuding families of secor capitals and major hive worlds and with saving grace of being harsh on themselves first and foremost. But that also changed after a patriarch of the family lost his wife and remarried... and not for the better.

After Lord Inquisitor Arghail of Ordo Hereticus finished purge of the chaos cult that put it's clutches on Kalaghans (and third of the rest of planetary nobility and many of they contacts in the sector) the only ones that were left were Gerhard and Annet Kalaghan, children of family traitor patriarch...



Gerhard Kalaghan, Inquisitorial Agent and former captain of Navy cruiser Indominable Will

Before incident - young but successful Navy captain with great career ahead. After - object of constant suspicion for what happened with his family even if he was one that brought that to light (though not by his superior Lord Inquisitor Cassius Arghail of Ordo Xenos). Always strict and reserved, though now there is a deep cold rage for all things Chaos and traitors beneath cold exterior. Loves his sister dearly though that shouldn't come unless other sibling would be NPC.

If chosen I see him in two variants - either older version as Rogue Trader that gained chance to restore his family in the service of Lord Inquisitor, or younger version as Void Master that doubles as (un)official Inquisitorial representative on this venture.



Annet Kalaghan

10 years old at the time of incident Annet spent her earlier years after that aboard of Inquisitorial Light Cruiser "His Punishing Light" that acted as mobile headquarter for Lord Inquisitor and which her brother was captain of. After that I'm not sure about her story and it can be molded for what needed if she's chosen. Personality is a bit in flux because of that too - only constant thing being idolization of her brother.

While she obviously have ties with Inquisition it's not necessary as close as her brothers. If she stayed on Light with brother the she is like with her brother (un)official representative on the mission as...
Senechal - she stayed as scribe and later investigator, meaning that there is a bit (or actually much) of fake face going on. Probably most cynical version.
Void Master - apprenticed under her brother she would turn in model officer. Strict, blunt, secretly nice.

If not then either Gerhard either used his connections or asked Lord Inquisitor to settle her somewhere.

Void Master - Navy career. Still strict, still blunt, not at all nice and very, very good duelist - because of reasons that should be obvious.
Senechal - settled on some planet as noble scion, got education, "walked in the right circles"... not as cynical and jaded as inquisitorial version of the career, but much more of a snake

While other careers are possible for character, but I don't want to play that versions of her, Senechal or Void Master. Maybe ArchMilitant.

PS. Well, or Lord Inquisitor just dropped pair "out of sight" on his contact that would be RT... but it only works as pair with Annet being 10 years old little girl NPC (that still a very good shot with laspistols, lol) and Gerhard is Void Master that still didn't dealt with his trauma.
 
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Well, certainly expressing interest. Specifics will have to wait until after work finishes today, but always up for some high adventure in the grim darkness of the far future...
 
Patrick Harper:

A bear of a man who grew up as a ganger and head-cracker on a hive world. Joined the Imperial Guard to flee a murder investigation, and rose to the rank of Sergeant due to his bellowing voice and ability to lift new recruits over his head.

Participated in the Perseus VI campaign, where his regiment were part of a division sent out to blunt a feral Ork Waagh before it reached the local population center. Due to an administrative mixup, right before a major push their resupply was sent to the wrong planet, and they were ordered to charge without ammunition. After a few executions they fixed bayonets and charged, and were massacred by the stronger and numerically superior Orks.

Sergeant Harper survived due to pure luck, and took advantage of his regiment's disbanding to leave the Imperial Guard. He harbors a strong dislike for the Administratum and is a twitchy and untrusting person who always carries a spare powerpack for his lasgun. Archmilitant career
 
Cassandros Dornal ​

Background: (Hive World, Child of the Creed, Criminal(Judged and Found Wanting), The Hand of War, Endurance)
The Child that would grow up to become Cassandros Dornal was a typical Underhive Orphan who grew up in Hiveworld Sestilis, a typical Hiveworld. An Lanky youth who spend his days scurrying around beneath the wars of the Gangs trying to survive, and like many he eventually joined/was drafted into one of the gangs, this case the Silver Boots. This brief Criminal Career ended when, after a particularly violent skirmish, he was left for death by his comrades and he woke up in the care of an old Priest.

Under the care of this small Imperial Church, for the first time in his life Cassandros was enlightened to the glory and might of the Emperor. Thus when time came that he made a full recovery, rather than return to his roots he stayed. He discarded his old life and dedicated himself to the Emperor and all His Magnificence. While the youth had no talent for speech nor scholarship, his strength of character and body were soon noted by the Priesthood, leading them to give him the surname of Dornal in honor of the Primarch Dorn, in hopes that he would follow the example of his namesake. Beyond that, they believed that he would have made an okay Priest, but he had the makings of a excellent Enforcer. So it was that he was sent to the Schola Progenium to receive training to join the Adeptus Arbites

As an Agent of the Imperial Law Arbitrator Cassandros proved to be supremely effective. His experience in his youth allowed him to navigate the Underhives with far more ease than one would normally expected. And had things gone differently, perhaps that would be it for him, satisfied with doing his duty for the Imperium and content with his life. Alas that was not the case, for Sestilis was infested by the most heinous of enemies, Chaos.

Chaos Cults erupted in full revolt all across the planet, foul heretics poured into the streets and slaughtered the faithful. Debased rituals were call upon to bring the stench of Daemons and other foul things on the Emperor's territory. Before long almost all the Hives had fallen, with only one still standing thanks to the desperate efforts of the Arbites and the PDF. The worst was avoided however, with the arrival of a relief force of Imperial Guard and Space Marines. Reclamation took decades, Corrupted Hives were blasted into pieces, those judged irrevocably lost were burned in their billions, but Cassandros would not see the end of it.

As the reconquest was underway, the Arbites began a throughout sweep of their own house, to see how it was they could have possibly missed such an large infiltration and soon they found an answer. Many of the Chaos Cults had their start in the Underhive gangs and through them they spread all over the world. Suspicions fell upon those Arbites who originated from the Underhives and soon it was decided that it was better to be safe than to be sorry.

Dornal barely survived the purge, losing an arm in the process, and was forced to fake his death and flee from his homeworld, hoping to find solace in the Void.

Personality:
Resolute and unyielding, Cassandros is a true Believer of the Imperial Creed and holds the Lex Imperialis close to his heart, despite his current status as an fugitive. That he can so easily slip back to the old criminal habits of his youth is something that deeply unsettles him. In many regards, that he came to the edge of the Imperial space, can be seen as him seeking an Lawless Area where he can lay down the Law on the Criminal masses once more.

As befitting of both his background as an Underhive thug and an Arbitrator, he is an harsh man with a permanent scowl on his face, someone who prefers to be as blunt, honest and direct as possible in order to get things done efficiently and quickly.

Intended Career: Arch Militant

Back-Up: Ex-Knight Rogue Trader and Pompous Navigator.
 
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Quite interested, but I want to wait for the houserules before putting a character together. I also tend to fill, and am/will play anything except an Astropath, so I'm more than willing to wait.

If you want a character pronto, I can put together one of my older characters for you.
 
Well I got one vote for expanding upon Aeysha as a character.

Anybody else want to ask which one sounds like a winner?

Save Candra, since Arika is a bit of a better version of her.

I will say that I do like Dornal a bit. Good to have a straight man on the team.
 
I'm writing up a potential Void Master right now, but apparently my character backstories tend towards the extremely verbose, so it's taking me a while to edit down to something reasonable.

Edit: Here we go.

Asarhaddon Salamanassar
Career: Void Master or Rogue Trader
Origin Path: Noble-Born, Savant, Duty Bound (Duty to the Throne), Calamity, haven't decided on the last.

Asarhaddon belongs to the House of Salamanassar, a noble house of middling prestige based mainly on the hive world Ninua, capital of the Ashur Sector, with strong ties to the sector battlefleet and mercantile interests throughout the sector. Following his forebears into the Imperial Navy, Asarhaddon studied at the fleet's academies on the orbital fortress of Dur Sarrukin and began his naval career as a third lieutenant aboard the Sword-class frigate Tireless Servant.

Through several years of routine patrols and an occasional anti-piracy action, Asarhaddon rose to the rank of Flag-Lieutenant and was reassigned to the Dauntless-class light cruiser Adamantium Arrow. His first and last voyage aboard the Arrow was a reconnaissance mission to the agri-world Kalhu after sector command lost contact with it. After discovering and attacking an invading xenos fleet—to substantial success—the tide turned and the Arrow's squadron of escorts were destroyed. The Arrow took heavy damage from attack craft and boarders and fled the system.

Thanks to the fickle will of the Warp, the Arrow was becalmed for months. With morale already low and rations beginning to run out, the remaining crew were split in two by mutiny. By the time the Arrow limped back into port, most of the crew were dead, including all but a hundred armsmen and seventy percent of the officer corps. Asarhaddon was the highest ranking survivor, though even he was heavily wounded.

An official inquiry was held that resulted in a posthumous demotion for the captain of the Adamantium Arrow for his failures, the execution of hundreds of ratings on charges of mutiny, and Asarhaddon's promotion to the rank of Captain. He couldn't shake his association with the disaster, though, and never received his own command, instead taking up a teaching position at the same academy he attended. Though his work there was not disagreeable, he felt he could do more good in a more active role, so eventually he obtained an honourable discharge and set out to find his own way.
 
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Deacis Maxiam​

Background story: Facrauma II was what could be considered a fringe world by the majority of the Imperium. Only colonized a mere 200 years ago, it served as a combination of outpost and minor waystation for the various Imperial fleets passing through the region. With no exceptional elements in the population or particularly significant reserves of raw materials that were desired by the Imperium at large, the future of Facrauma seemed set on becoming another of the endless legion of easily forgettable worlds sending tithes of men and materials.

This fate was derailed when one day they were graced by the presence of an Explorator following a lead from a fragmented Cogitator record depicting a potential location of an Archeotech site. Unfortunately the region of the planet in which he was looking was known for combinations of mineral deposits and terrain features, that while of little value tended to thoroughly scramble auspex scans. As the Explorator didn't have sensors on his ship advanced enough to cut through the clutter or the man-power to manual search the entire region he turned to the locals for assistance.

In the township of Trastrum he came across young Deacis. The boy was the son of the local blacksmith/maintenance man and often explored the nearby caves and hills on his hunting trips. Overhearing what the Tech-priest was requesting of the administrator, he asked if what the man of Mars was looking for resembled some of the machines he'd found buried in the caves.

After questioning the boy and analyzing the bits and bobs he had collected and attempted to repair/rebuild over the years, Explorator Rusk had Deacis lead him and his retinue to the site. After some excavations, investigations, hacking, firefights against malfunctioning security drones and some frantic macgyvering to prevent the entire complex from going up like a transport truck filled with Vortex grenades*, the two were in possession of a minor DAoT-era production facility. While very few of the STC files remained and even those that did were terribly fragmented, combined with the remaining machinery it was a very fine feather in the Explorator's cap and his report had his Forge World of Xennos sending reinforcements and additional specialists to secure the site as fast as the Warp could carry them. Facrauma II would be an unknown backwater no longer.

For Deacis because of his aid in discovering the site and skills shown during the adventure, Rusk offered the greatest possible reward he could give: Induction into the Cult Mechanicus and becoming his personal apprentice to learn everything Rusk had to offer. The accepted and with the blessing of the town priest and his father, left with Rusk for Xennos to pursue his future with only the clothes on his back and an Archeotech multitool (one of several recovered) that Rusk incorporated into the boy's replacement arm.**

Years passed and despite learning much, his advancement up the ranks of of the Mechanicus was slow due to him retaining a somewhat unorthodox mentality similar to his master. Instead of continuing to strip his gears fighting against his superiors he decided to follow his master's example and seek knowledge and fortune as an Explorator, whether independent or attached to a Rogue Trader. At the very least it would allow him to continue his studies without having the Magos and his cronies constantly breathing down his neck.

*After everything blew over, Rusk spent a fair amount of time performing repairs and supplications to the facilities machine spirits for the hasty kludge he had done. Sometimes forgiveness is better than permission and he really hadn't wanted to be atomized (or worse) when the reactor went critical.

**As Archeotech goes the tool wasn't all that impressive, something like a reasonably advanced mechadendrite that could be used by a normal person. Rusk figured why the heck not, the boy had earned it after that insanity. As for the lost arm, let's just say the lasers were flying fast and thick towards the end.

Appearance: A tall heavily built man with dusky features wearing red robes and surprising human countenance for a tech-priest. However closer inspection will show various places where metal is sticking up through the skin, mechanical eyes and a completely bionic right forearm along with a set of coiled mechadendrites along his spine.

Personality: Constantly curious and interested in figuring not only how something works but how it was made in the first place, Deacis is always poking at a bit of tech. He can be surprisingly emotional and open for a tech-priest viewing the various chemical and mechanical augs that others constantly use to dull/prevent emotional responses as foolishness. After all abandoning humanity for pure machine logic is the sort of thing that potentially lead the humanity of the DAoT to be destroyed by the Men of Iron. For true knowledge, man and machine must walk together, the flaws of either side being supported by the other.

Intended Career: Tech-priest/Explorator

AN1: What do you guys think? It's my first real character design/back-story for 40k.
AN2: The guy tends to use bionics and implants to add functionality that the human body can't replicate while enhancing his flesh via the Genetor tricks and methods that he's picked up. He'll get bionic replacements but generally only if the flesh is iriverably damaged or blown off.
 
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Aeysha Marlikath​

Background: Aeysha can barely remember life before being taken by the Black Ship, she remembered a nice place with blue skies, green ground, and her loving parents. The rest is lost in being taken to Terra to be judged of having some worth in existing and trained by the Temple Psykana to serve a greater purpose for the Imperium. She was branded, and inducted into the Imperial Guard as the dedicated psyker for the command squad of the 7th Kalrisstia Mechanized Division. Pretty much an extended vox man to keep in contact with high command when the fast moving troopers get out of standard communication range.

The first two campaigns were some garrison duties and ensuring that Imperial rule was maintained. There Aeysha learned how hated psykers were in the world at large, getting harsh glances and insults thrown at her frequently from the locals she was here to help. The men she was serving with were a little better, treating her more like a liked pet rather than a member of the army kept on a short leash by the regimental commissar that gave no doubts to his low opinion of her. Despite these draw backs, Aeysha enjoyed being out of the temple and learning new things about humanity, even if it was some of it's most negative aspects.

The third time out, the Kalrisstians were sent into a major war zone, a heretical insurrection that turned out to be far more intense than high command would ever know. Three months after landing on Palserdam, a heretical task force of war ships entered the system, capturing what was in orbit, and launching a high speed drop campaign upon the Imperial forces. When the enemy had zeroed in on their position, they launched an orbital bombardment upon the division, the command Chimera on the edge of one of the shells was torn in half, with the rear thrown several meters away with Aeysha inside. Once she gained consciousness, most of the regiment was dead with some heretic troops combing through the wreckage for survivors. Hiding from the troops as long as she could, Aeysha learned a rather important thing about the enemy, that their commanders were all psykers over more normal troopers. With some alterations to her robes and proper displays of her mutant nature, she was able to talk her way out of being tossed into the back of a meat wagon with the others when discovered.

While most people would take this turn of fortune to join the heretics to become someone with power in their debased organization, that was not who Aeysha was. Instead she broke out her comrades and started a small guerilla war, freeing Imperial prisoners, helping in infiltration missions, passing on false intel between their command's psychic network, and helping in some assassinations of high level heretics. She was not the leader of that little rebellion for long, but she was always in the inner circle trying to keep the loyalists together against the heretic forces. The ground war was not enough to break the Heretic's hold of the system, but it did draw enough resources to keep them establishing a proper hold on the world. When the Imperial reinforcements, with some help from privateers and a Rogue Trader they were able to establish a beachhead to quickly overtake the enemy regime.

Once things had settled down, the issue of what would happen to Aeysha was in serious question. The fact that she did remain loyal to the Imperium and help take back the planet was something that should be rewarded. Though many in high command did not like the idea of a dirty psyker with actual command experience over normal troops, let alone one as obviously deceptive as Aeysha back into the guard. So instead, the Guard commanders allows her to serve out the rest of her tour of duty in the employ of the Rogue Trader who helped liberate the planet.

Appearance: Aeysha tries to stay out of the typical Astropathic robes as much as possible, preferring flowing pants and tunics with some actual armor over them. Her skin is a bit on the Talleran side of the complexion spectrum, and tries to take care of herself despite the usual hardships psykers usually go under. Her long hair is dyed scarlet, primarily as a means to further impersonate some of the heretic psychic commanders, but now wears that dye with pride to go along with the common legend of that particular color always belonging to witches. She commonly just wears a pair of shaded glasses to cover her 'eyes' and to blend in a little better with the rest of humanity, despite having an obvious Temple Psykanna amulet around her neck.

Personality: Aeysha is an odd one to be certain, while still loyal to the Imperium she shows an unnatural amount of ambition for a psyker that should be glad that she isn't burnt at the stake. She loathes that mentality, the galaxy is built by those willing to tell the universe how it is going to be and wants to live up to that fine tradition of humanity. She tries her best to act like 'one of the blunts' despite a slight bit of pride in being a psyker, part of it comes from a slight sense of envy. More than anything, she wants to make herself a productive and prosperous person in the galaxy, living a life like most others. She is not afraid of working hard to achieve it, or cheating a little if the need calls for it.

Role: Astropath/Sanctioned Psyker going into Telepathy and Biomancy
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And there we go, tell me what you guys think of this background. Too much, not enough?

Also will say I love Maxiam's background.
 
Aliexster said:
Also will say I love Maxiam's background.
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Thanks. I wanted something very different than the standard Forge-world sourced tech-priest and figured the best way would be the character getting roped into an Explorator's adventure and managing to survive.

That and I ran across the blurb for Frontier worlds when checking for info on Dark Heresy and thought if would be a great basis for a Tech-priest origin theme:
  • Frontier World: (Introduced in Enemies Within) Frontier World Character gains +20 bonus to tech use tests when applying personal weapon modifications, and a +10 bonus when repairing damaged items
    • Characteristic Modifiers: Bonus to Ballistic skill and Perception, penalty to Fellowship
    • Starting Fate Points: 3 (Emperor's Blessing on 7+)
    • Aptitude: Ballistic skill
    • Starting Wounds: 7+1d5
      • You think kludging is not just an emergency measure but an art-form. You named your guns after family members that have passed away. You like to shoot first and ask questions eventually. You've had shoot outs with claim-jumpers and bandits and orks and squatters. You always carry around a roll of duct tape, just in case. You like small towns and wide open spaces, it's the big cities that really bug you.
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Ergo he might not be super informed on the really shiny tech that the Rust tower priests like to keep to themselves but he's good at improvisation and potentially building stuff literally from the ground up.
 
How serious of a campaign is this going to be? Can I pull out the Navigator with such a bad sense of direction he has to use his Warp Eye just to get around normally? Or the fanatic from a deathworld who has only the faintest idea of who the Emperor is? Or the voidmaster from an ocean world who treats every battle like an Age of Sail one?

My policy is never to take Warhammer too seriously, but if that's not the sort of setting you want, please let me know.
 
Nervos Belli said:
How serious of a campaign is this going to be? Can I pull out the Navigator with such a bad sense of direction he has to use his Warp Eye just to get around normally? Or the fanatic from a deathworld who has only the faintest idea of who the Emperor is? Or the voidmaster from an ocean world who treats every battle like an Age of Sail one?

My policy is never to take Warhammer too seriously, but if that's not the sort of setting you want, please let me know.
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I think I can help you here.

Alectai tends to take Warhammer relatively seriously but not to the Grimdark level because it's boring that way. So having a quirky and fun character that you like playing is not a problem at all. So long as you have fun with them, they are well written and can function competently it'll be fine. Take for example, Alectai's Renegade Sorceress Quest

*Grasp*

The ultra-heretical Female Space Marine! Who is also competent at her job, and who still has to act as an Powerful Space Marine that is active in 40k with all it entails, so the joke doesn't detract from the character.

So I would say that your first concept might be taking it too far, but your latter two are perfectly fine and sounds fun as heck. This is RT, go Swashbuckling to the max if you wish.
 
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Just don`t go too Don Quixote. A certain level of eccentricity is fine as long as the individual can deliver competent results. Outright insanity tends to lead to a rather short career and said person getting turned into a Servitor.
 
OK listing off the various creations that have been made so far:
jacobplm: Myron Lucian The Fifth-Rogue Trader,
cyrileom: Anton Raston-Seneschal,
Salbazier: Arika Tengen-Missionary,
Aliexster: miscellaneous list, Aeysha Marlikath Astropath/Sanctioned Psyker,
al103: collection of character ideas,
Nervos Belli: Patrick Harper-Arch militant,
Deadly Snark: Cassandros Dornal -Arch Militant,
Seventeen: Asarhaddon Salamanassar-Void Master/Rogue Trader,
jwolfe_beta: Deacis Maxiam-Tech-priest/Explorator,
LastChronicler: Sebastion Ringeck von Falkner-Rogue Trader,
I'll try to edit in new character entries as they are added.
 
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I think I might actually try my hand at a Navigator, considering the entries thus far. Not sure on the specifics just yet - finding time to sit down and come up with something has been surprisingly difficult, and Boundless Profits has sort of monopolized my Rogue Trader-based attentions...
 
Maugan Ra said:
I think I might actually try my hand at a Navigator, considering the entries thus far. Not sure on the specifics just yet - finding time to sit down and come up with something has been surprisingly difficult, and Boundless Profits has sort of monopolized my Rogue Trader-based attentions...
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No worries.

Though I might write up a secondary character just for insanity's sake. Though my crack-filled brain is currently stuck on the idea of a Ratling Seneschal.
 
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