Rogue Trader - Mini-Contest

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Andrea Chan-Gauthier
Giantfriend
Posts: 342
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2009 6:57 pm
Location: Gravin Threndor - Rogue Trader

Post by Andrea Chan-Gauthier »

Several older men stood around barrel fires on the Great Passage. Many children and their mothers, evensome teenagers gathered around to listen to their tales.

"So the stories say, maybe a thousand years ago, the Invictus Aetera were involved in a great space battle. All those who've checked the records say that there were no battles around that time, but the story is adamant that it was 1000 years ago. And who you gonna believe, that crazy Seneschal, or my Da and his Da and his Da afore him?"

"There came a time in that battle when the men of the forward batteries had some kind of problem. We don't know what, maybe the forward crews these days could tell you, but it means nothing to me, and I have too much respect for them as risk their lives for the ship to try to pry into their business. But, those brave men in that battle a thousand years ago, they urgently needed to tell the Lord-Captain of the time something. And so, they sent off one of their boys as a runner."

"Well, you all know how those gunners can't hear nothing, and they talk by making gestures, if you can believe that. And somehow, the boy got himself lost between the guns and the bridge, and he somehow ended up down here. He kept coming up to people and waving his hands around, not sayin' nothing with his mouth. People'd talk back, but he couldn't hear 'em no how. And so he got fed up with it and moved on down to the next person.

And during that battle, the ship took a shot through one of the bulkheads, and many people died, sucked into the void. But not that little gunner boy. He musta felt himself being sucked towards the breach, and he grabbed hold of something.

No, I don't know what he grabbed, okay? That was 1000 years ago, and my Da's Da never told him what it was. Just shut up and let me finish the damned story, all right?

But he grabbed something, and then used his rope belt to tie hisself to... whatever it was. So when the enginseers came by a couple weeks later to seal up the hole, and we got atmo back in the Great Passage, they found his cold dead corpse still tied there. And the Gunners, they told why he'd been there, and people from down here rememberd him coming around tugging sleeves and wavin his hands at people. And they took his body and gave it a proper rest, since he dies serving his ship.

But sometimes, there's stories of a kid from the gunners who's down here, trying to get people to understand him. And every time, someone'll mention "Oh hey, I saw this kid what couldn't hear, and he was waving his hands..." and then, a few days later maybe... something awful will happen to him. He'll always die horribly.

Every decade or so, there's a new tale to share. My Da heard about a man 30 or 40 years ago, ran into the gunner kid in the Great Passage. Few weeks later, that man gets cut open and bled out over dinner, 'cause his wife caught him staring at some other lady down the hallway.

My grandda, his very brother saw this gunner kid and chose to ignore him entirely. His Da'd told both of them the story, and my great uncle thought he was prepared. He said nothing, didn't even look at the kid, and yet not three days after, he's just gone. They never even found his body.

But all of you listen to me, now. Every generation, that kid comes back, and destroys someone. And I'll tell you this much... in my whole lifetime, I haven't heard of the kid showing up. I done told my kids about it. They know, if they even see a kid from the guns, to run away far and fast. 'Don't let him get to you.' I told them. Let someone else get taken, if someone has to die. But still... he'll have to be back soon. Probably someone here in this room will be the next one."
Revere the Emperor; Honour the name of Amphael, holders of the Sacred Warrant of Trade.

Blessed be the Imperium of Man; blessed be the Sacred Writ.
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Andrea Chan-Gauthier
Giantfriend
Posts: 342
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2009 6:57 pm
Location: Gravin Threndor - Rogue Trader

Post by Andrea Chan-Gauthier »

If you talk to the right people, the'll tell you of a certain section of the ship that's haunted by minor ghosts. Not so dangerous as to kill a man, but it's not uncommon for someone to be ensorcelled down there. Walk in pairs, if you can, and if you see your friend start lookin' all blank, give him a nudge. And hope he'll do the same for you. Some have lost hours down there, or even wandered off into other parts of the ship, even the lower levels where none should go.

But in the last couple weeks, we've been starting to notice. That wych from down in sub-level 12... there ain't no ghosts down in that area. None at all, where she died by the Lord-Captain's righteous hand.

Oh sure, you're asking yourself how that could be a bad thing. But I'm asking myself, what's so horrible about that place that even the ghosts won't go there. Eh? Maybe the Lord-Captain done purified the place for us, and no ghosts can enter the place. But maybe that wych did something so heinous before she was stopped...
Revere the Emperor; Honour the name of Amphael, holders of the Sacred Warrant of Trade.

Blessed be the Imperium of Man; blessed be the Sacred Writ.
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Montresor
The Gap Into Spam
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Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:07 am

Post by Montresor »

Voting is now closed. The top three voted entries were:

1st place: The Gunner-Boy, by Andrea
2nd place: Old Attilus, by Zarkov
3rd place: The Horlae, by Zarkov


All three stories are now officially part of the ship's folk-lore. Perhaps some may hold some truth to them.

Experience awards will be added to the PC sheets of all those who voted, but Zarkov and Andrea also receive 80 experience points (not including XP for voting).

I'll add these stories to the relevant thread when I get some more time.
"For the love of God, Montresor!"
"Yes," I said, "for the love of God!" - Edgar Allan Poe, The Cask of Amontillado.

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