Contains Spoilers for the Chemical Burn adventure!

Distraction? Yeah, Arn could provide a distraction. As the last of the workers swarmed into Manufactorum 6.938 Arn threw open his cape, revealing the uniform below and chainsword at his hip. The huddled Knives took notice, one of them being nudged forward. 

“Wat you want ‘uniform’?”, he said taking a few steps towards the big man. 

Arn shrugged and continued to eyeball the approaching ganger. 

The Vylathi glanced back at his comrades. They nodded him forward. 

“You deaf? I say ‘Wat you want’? Dis is Knives territory.”

Arn said nothing. 

“I have nuff ov dis”, drawled the ganger, bravado spurring him closer. 

Arn don’t hesitate. As soon as the ganger was in striking range, he raised his boot in a swift kick, dropping the man. The Knife rolled on the ground, hands cupping his injury and deep groans droning from him. 

The others started toward Arn, every previously empty hand now holding a glinting blade. They paused in their tracks as Arn grabbed the downed ganger by the scruff of the neck and drew his chainsword, gunning the promethium engine.

Distraction? Yeah, that’ll do. 

The Vylathi on watch had noticed the commotion, but as he moved towards the cloaked man he stumbled over the joy girl wrapped around him. She had been a welcomed distraction. The others had said she’d be trouble. Ending up sprawled on the Promenade probably isn’t what they’d had in mind. Something heavy landed on him, a yelp emanating from the girl. 

Kael’ion timed the drop perfectly, her knee hitting the small of the gangers back hard. Jaq was there a moment later, laspistol in hand. Pressing it to the Knife’s temple, he growled, “This is a Civitas mark Laspistol, known for its durability and reliability. Do exactly as we say or you’ll find out why!”

The joy girl ran, but they didn’t bother pursuing her. They had who they needed; someone with answer and few pointed questions. 

“Stand down”, Jaq voxed to Arn, but the revving of the chainsword drowned out the comms. 

Jaq’s shotgun had Raguel transfixed. 

Hands in the air the spike-headed ganger remained calm. 

“We make deal. I have Solars… what you need?”

“Where to you get this?”, Jaq asked, a hand pulling a sachet of Gratis from his inside pocket. 

“Amaranthyne dey call demself. New gang. They give Gratis, we pay with stuff.”

“Stuff? What stuff?”

Raguel glances down. Jaq realises there’s something under the bed. He leans to look, taking his eyes from the ganger for just a moment. Raguel is lightning fast, a hand darting toward a hidden knife. A silent flash. A scream of pain. Raguel grits his teeth and looks disbelievingly to his bloody hand, now pinned to the wall. He turns to its source. The masked mechanicum adept had been preternaturally fast. Raguel’s hand was throbbing, but he respected precise bladework. Besides, if he lived through this, it’d leave a pretty scare. 

Here’s what happened in Session #3:

  • The party stake out Manufactorum 6.938 and see Vylathi Knives dealing to workers waiting for the shift change. 
  • They seize a Knife on watch, learning that:
    • Raguel the Red is the Vylathi who provides the Gratis. 
    • He can be found at The Pit, in the Bowels, several levels down or at the Edifice of Tears on this level.
    • The ganger suggests a reward would be paid for his safe return to The Pit. Kael’ion pulls a knife across his neck. A wound that will never scar. 
  • The party move to the Edifice of Tears, taking up positions in nearby hab units to view the open air bar between the ancient statues feet. 
  • They see workers drowning their misery with ‘Angel’s Tears’, gangers from a variety of gangs, including ones with scarred hands, penitents scrubbing the statue’s feet, and a strangely tattooed person in shimmering robes moving from penitent to penitent. 
  • And they spot Raguel the Red. 
  • When he eventually leaves, a joy girl (with an augmetic leg) at his side and two Knives tailing him, the party follow. 
  • It isn’t a straightforward pursuit, but they keep tabs on him… all the way to the Thaler Hostelry! The guards leave, now that Raguel is safe inside. 
  • There the party meet Nedabeus, the other ‘manager’. He’s less than helpful, until they apply some ‘pressure’. He gives up the location of Raguel’s room. 
  • An unlocked door, a shotgun waved in his face and eventually a knife through the hand have the pragmatic Raguel talking:
    • He gets the Gratis from the Amaranthyne a new gang to have emerged in the Bowels a couple of planetary rotations ago. 
    • He gives them battery packs, which the Knives ‘acquire’ from the Manufactora, as payment. 
    • They can be found in The Pit, which used to be exclusively a Vylathi hangout. 
    • He’s willing to take them there. He wants to make a ‘deal’.

And that’s where we left it.

Until next time,

Owen