Hecatoncheires OOC (Recruiting!)

[Inquisitor Sargoth]

Basically it's been a goodly while since I did any proper writing, and as you can see I'm pretty damn rusty, but I knocked this up a few days ago and after giving it a quit buff and a shine I've posted it here. I've got got a few ideas that might spawn a thread or even an RP if people are interested in my peculiar brand of weirdness.

Originally I tried to write this in the third person, but... the first person is like Easy Mode for me. I struggle when it gets turned off.

Thoughts, criticisms, etc?

[MarcoSkoll]

A very intriguing start. Infectious insanity is always a good start to a 40k story.

As far as it being an RP, I think that probably wouldn't gel with the retrospective format you've started.

Originally I tried to write this in the third person, but... the first person is like Easy Mode for me.

I'm not complaining.

Personally, it's not a bad thing for me to write in first person. It usually means fewer characters end up heroically appearing just in the nick of time to save the day. Not that a character being the big damn hero is necessarily bad, but I can overdo it at times.

[Koval]

If this does turn into a RP then I agree, you might lose the (presumed) effect this intro has on the reader, but if it does, then it might take a different, possibly better direction depending on where you steer it. In any case, I'm still on Facebook so you know where to find me.

[Dolnikan]

It is very interesting and well-written as always.

As an RP it could be very interesting, somehow I've had far too few characters go completely insane so far, this could easily rectify that.

[Inquisitor Sargoth]

As far as it being an RP, I think that probably wouldn't gel with the retrospective format you've started.

Oh, as fun as it sounds I wasn't planning for an RP to take place in flashbacks. Think of this as an introduction of sorts, a prologue. There's lots of options to be taken up - tell the story of the (doomed) Erich or even Tillinghast, see who else came to investigate, perhaps even the story of what became of the marines of the Night Watch...

With the going insane thing, my hope is to have a more original and unusual spin on it. The idea of being almost a tainted enlightenment of sorts, and perhaps even something more...

[Koval]

If that's how it'll pan out then I'd be a lot more open to this being a RP (assuming that's still the angle you want to take) -- heaven knows I have enough characters that could reasonably be drafted into a Descent Into Madness story.

[Merriweather]

I'm extremely busy for the next several months, but if you can tolerate occasional and poor contributions, count me in!

[Inquisitor Sargoth]

Right. If people are interested, I can build this into one or more threads.

Options -
A) The initial investigation with Tillinghast and Vyzier. Forgone conclusion, sure, but plenty of scope for wacky hijinks with invstigators and conscripts under their command. (or not...)
B) The Night Watch arrive. A shorter, more actiony thread probably even heavier on the horror than the others and with the rare option to play as marines (also, the Night Watch have no background so could be created communally. Plus they have an awesome name).
C) Erich's follow-up. All we know for certain is that he's not gonna make it.

If people get involved, start building characters and I will be generating plot hooks and individual secrets that pertain to what's going on, piece of a larger puzzle for you to all enjoy building.

This is going to be pretty heavy on the horror and investigation themes in gneral but there's plenty of scope for gunplay, swordplay and the scale is going to be pretty damn epic. I cut my teeth on the Amon Dull saga and I want something big, damnit. I don't want to put strict limits on power levels either way, because I care primarily about roleplaying and writing, and a well-written ganger with a laspistol can save the day just as easily as a Grey Knight (though, yeah, no Grey Knights please).

[Koval]

If we go with options A or C, then I can scale a trio of characters up from gangers to Guardsmen to Storm Troopers, depending on the eventual power level you go for. Alternatively I can condense it down to a single character, but I've a surfeit of characters I need to justify actually doing something with.

This is largely dependent on yourself, though.

[Inquisitor Sargoth]

Right. Had a lot of ideas for this while walking and I think it's about ready to become an RP. Annoyingly busy the next few days so not sure when I'll get time to write a proper opener, but in short I'm plumbing for option C. With some interesting twists...

I'll add relevant detail (knowing me far too much detail) on our as-yet unnamed planet over the next few days. It emerged from the warp storm in pretty great shape, population and all, which rather begs the question of what happened to the Night Watch...

The opener will detail Erich setting off to torpedo this world to hell with some (grumpy) Space Marines and introduce what's been going on. Once characters are created and we're ready to go you'll all be receiving a secret (tailored to something you character would be able to find out). So what sort of characters am I looking for?

The way I see it, characters for this have all come to this world because they know what Erich knows, or more likely slightly less. Perhaps they're an Inquisitor who used to work with or know Vyzier, or the acolyte (current or former) of one. Perhaps their astropath was murdered and they've been finding out why. Maybe they intercepted messages themselves and know the danger/potential of what is here. The main question you want to ask is whether you're here to investigate, destroy or exploit (there's potential for an incredible psychic bioweapon here, if you've not heard the full truth, and a chaos cultist would happily see the Imperium ripped apart by madness and mutation).

Your main options are Inquisitors, Interrogators, acolytes and other Inquisitorial servants, other Imperial agents (investigating Ministorum clerics, tech-priests, Adeptus Arbites officials, an enterprising Rogue Trader, an Adeptus Terra tax-collector sent to get the tithe coming again with no idea of what's going on...) or freelancers looking to exploit the situation (chaos cultists, hereteks, pirates, Rogue Traders again, possibly even aliens – a riskier option and limited only to official species, please). You can't play a local, but if you fancy a lower-level character having your main character be a servant/assistant to someone higher up (who can quickly be bumped off) might be a fun way to play a character out of their depth. Power level is very variable – you could be a Malleus daemonhunter with enough gear to bring down a Bloodthirster or an adept with a slide rule and a change of underwear – the danger is the same but you'll be playing a different game.

Finally, we're going to working with an Insanity Points system. Bear in mind this is a specialised form of insanity – if your character is already insane in some fashion it doesn't figure on this scale. Witnessing things affected by... whatever is going on.... will cause you to gain these points. You might have one or two as part of your origin, if you intercepted or otherwise encountered tainted messages from Tillinghast and the like. General witnessing is usually only a point, but if things are weirder or your exposure is prolonged you'll be looking at d2/d4 or even d6 points being gained. There's a d10 being saved for the finale, too...

Stage 0
0-10 points: No effect. Your character is no more insane than they were before, though at higher levels they're less likely to be disturbed by phenomena and may start to notice things about it they can't put into words...

Stage 1
10-15: You begin to act oddly, believing yourself on the verge of enlightenment, or some great revelation or realisation. You may become fascinated by angles, numbers (arithmomania is fun), cryptology and the like, or possibly you begin to take an interest in history or literature, convinced that it is entirely wrong but there's a kernel of truth to be found... It is possible to resist the compulsions, however, and most characters will attempt to do so and try to hide them from their companions. Denial is pretty much a given at this stage – even if you're aware of the contagious madness, you're unlikely to admit you have it. If you've witnessed the transformation firsthand, however, it's hard to deny. Realising what is happening may cause you to gain or, if you're lucky, lose Insanity Points according to roleplaying.
When giving in to compulsive behaviours or in moments of absent-mindedness you may display weaker forms of the 'knacks' seen at the next stage, such as working through the night with no ill-effects, not leaving footprints on a muddy track or forgetting to breathe for a few minutes.

Stage 2
15-20: The strange behaviours are magnified. Firstly you start to consciously notice the 'underlying pattern', though attempts to explain it tend to come off as raving (and can cause others to gain Insanity Points). Sadly, those unaware of their infection (and even some who are) tend to be rather vocal about what they have realised, seeing it as a scientific or philosophical breakthrough. Notably, the things you are becoming obsessed with are starting to go wrong around you. Numbers add up differently, history books are different...
You also gain a 'knack' or two. Knacks are essentially a rule of reality/biology your character can choose to ignore at will. They're not overpowering or showy, but include being able to function without sleep, no longer requiring liquid or air, being able to levitate a few centimetres from the ground, turning transparent so that bullets and blades pass through you, being unable to be burned by fire... All useful, but not overpowering. Your character might resist using their power(s) if a loyalist, or embracing them if traitorous or of a more inquiring/investigative mind. You'll also suffer the early warning signs of mutations (see next stage) in things like mysterious lumps and tender spots, toothaches, itching and the like...

Stage 3
20-24: The character is no longer able to resist their compulsions, and they're getting more and more of them. The character is now permanently subject to whatever knack(s) they learned before, unable to switch it off at any point.
They're also starting to mutate. These mutations are entirely random – they follow a certain set of rules. They focus primarily on extra faces/heads and arms and frankly are not useful – no claws or fiery breath. A secondary torso may grow from your stomach, Total Recall style. Eyes and faces might form like blisters on your back. Fingers might start to bifurcate. More horrifying things like teeth and tongues turning into fingers or growing another body like a Siamese twin is also possible, but this will take a while. Mutation does not occur overnight, though it;s still rapid enough for you to have two mouths to feed within a week.

At 25 points characters are unplayable. Though this is unlikely to happen to many, if any, players, it should be borne in mind that it is possible characters will go irrevocably insane and even die.

Characters crossing a threshold experience a sensation of profound understanding but are not immediately subject to the next stage's effects (you don't suddenly gain a knack or mutation the second or even hour you gain the crucial Insanity Point(s)).

It's also worth noting that it's possible for people at low levels of madness (say 0-10/15 points) to recover, but people in the higher stages are not going to be getting better.

[Koval]

I'll have a think on the bus, but at the moment I can put either one, two or three characters forward, numbers entirely dependent on you. I've detailed above how potentially variable these characters can be (ranging from Imperial Guardsmen to Storm Troopers to Adeptus Arbites to possibly an Interrogator) -- this depends on what would fit better and/or whether it would make sense for me to play someone else's acolytes. Really depends on what you think would work best.

tl;dr What would work better? A lone agent, a pair or a trio?

[Dolnikan]

How would you feel about a confessor coming to investigate the faith and purity of the population?

[Inquisitor Sargoth]

How would you feel about a confessor coming to investigate the faith and purity of the population?

Fine by me. Is he officially sanctioned or doing this off his own back? This will of course affect how he's welcomed (though not so much as you might think).

tl;dr What would work better? A lone agent, a pair or a trio?

Any is fine by me. Duo/trio might make insanity dynamics interesting if one gets ahead of the other/s on the slippery scale. Imperial guardsmen seem an odd choice unless you're going for the 'servant becomes protagonist' route, but maybe you have a cunning ploy?

Also, I think you're all going to be coming on the same ship (probably a big Chartist vessel), though you've probably not met each other. Depending on your character's rank and other things they might end up on the bridge or otherwise in a position to hear things from official channels, but don't let this deter you from playing as middle-of the line and lowest of the low characters - there are other ways of finding things out...

[Dolnikan]

The confessor will be an officially sanctioned one I think. I should finish his background somewhere in the next few days.

[Inquisitor Sargoth]

Excellent stuff. Should get cracking on an introductory post over the weekend, but still plenty of time for people to join.