Dramatis Personae

First codified by Praeparcus Filianatis, the following pronouncement are what he believed was at the core of his own success, and the success of humanity as a whole.

Born in 662:M41, Parvus Filianatis saw his clan go from a glory to almost nothing. Every Rogue Trader of the Dynasty has died an ignominious death since Teral Filianatis was tripped by a hole in the ground and broke their neck in 712:M41. He saw 13 ships lost to the warp never to return; ancient allies among the Merchant clans abandon them due to pirates that targeted their association; every expedition beyond the sector coming back with nothing or returning utterly broken­. By 830:M41, when Parvus took on the warrant, there had been 83 rogue traders who had dies in violent, unnatural ways, none lasting more than 5 years. These times made him a bitter, anxious, paranoid individual; the last Filianatis of the main branch. He had seen so many stride forth boldly to regain their birthright only to fail miserably that he could believe only believe their dynasty had been cursed.

Nonetheless, Parvus is a man of keen intellect and cruel cunning. Unlike his peers, he minimized risk, gradually liquidating the last assets of the Dynasty while his last agents scoured the sector for any member of the branch families that might have been unaffected by the curse; bastards, reprobates, distant relations, all where acceptable should they not be followed by doom. There was only one vessel he could not sell, so he refitted the Anatem Imperabit, in dry-dock for centuries, using what liquidities and favors he still had left. He assembled a team of descendants and skilled, ambitious operators, giving them full operational freedom lest his presence bring the curse forth. He had to trust these nearly-strangers, for he could not trust his own decisions.

Pit Crew NPCs

Master of Etherics: Valry Mace

Valry Mace comes from an backwater planet on the edge of the system that hardly bares mentioning, or so some say. Others say other, worse, things. Her background is unknown as she is somewhat of a paranoid introvert. If not for her station as being the Master of the Auspex, and having to talk to the Captain, she would gladly avoid all personal contact and remain in her quarters. When approached, she avoids eye contact and talks in short statements to try and end the conversation. Despite her introverted nature, Valry is incredibly particular about her appearance and puts an inordinate amount of effort into how she presents herself. Some say it's because of the loss of her hand, but who knows? Valry is an enigma.
Valry, are you picking up a signal from that ship? ....... Valry? ....... Valry?!

Master of Ordinance: Boris "allmighty" Volkov

Boris is a monster of a man from the ice planet of Vostroya. His size and volcanic anger, paired with his penchant for heavy ordinance has landed him with the nickname "Allmighty". He's a cold individual with ice cold eyes, and an even colder hatred for those who fall foul of him, slacker and enemies alike. He drives his gangs with everything but the lash, most of the time, which causes many to hate him, but his crews are also some of the most efficient and well drilled in the sector. Despite being hated by those under him, his is respected by those above him for iron will and ability to make his crews throw unimaginable amounts of heavy ordinance at the enemy. Just when things look like they are hopeless, somehow another broadside volley becomes ready for fire. When he isn't pacing through the gun decks cursing the swine under him or inspecting the magazines, he can be found perfecting his recipe of Vostroyan Nastoiki. He does enjoy a drink, as it's the only thing that can warm his soul above freezing.

Mudaks! *whip crack* If these scum don't blow us out of the void, I'm going to skin you all alive and use your skins to wipe my zhopa! *whip crack* Sling that shell faster! *whip crack* You swine over there, get that spent cell out of the repository and ready another! What are you standing there for! Gavno, I'm going to yebat your mothers after we are through here so that I can beat you all like disobedient redheaded step-bastards!  *whip crack*


Master at Arms: Victoria Stein

Victoria is a blonde beauty hailing from a family that has served in the Emperor's armed divisions for the last 1500 years. Not beholden to any particular branch, members of her family seek active military service wherever their skills serve them best. Victoria's father was served in the Astra Militarum, and her mother in the Navy. Victoria decided to seek out the far reaches of the Imperium and combine the best of both worlds by serving as a Master of Arms aboard the Anatem Imperabit Mundus. She is a strong silent women, who speaks like she is being charged by the word, but she also has a wickedly morbid sense of humour which her subordinates find endearing and somehow inspiring. Her prowess in battle, paired with her fine looks and impeccable breeding, means there is no shortage of suitors looking to try their luck. However, she rebukes all who try.

What is that? Why would I be impressed, it's not even cute...

Commander Okwaho-Company of the Dead


Lieutenant-Armsman: Ahab Deloris

of the old line Deloris, wielder of the power harpoon, and colonel of the bridge guard. His stance held much swagger; he was dark-skinned with long, wavy black hair.

Lieutenant-Armsman: Eladrine Corland,

of the old line Corland, guardian of the banner of the golden, and colonel of the hull guard. A small, mousy woman with light skin and a bald head.

Lieutenant-Armsman: Hecatomb Baldar,

of the new line Baldar, colonel of the Engine Guard. A twitchy character ressembling a chameloen, he seemed constantly on edge.

Tech NPCs.

Chief Chirurgeon: Biologos Tech-priestess Ossona Kistka Hailing from Forgeworld Echidna, Ossona is optimistic, aggressive, and unusually spirited for a tech-priestess. When working against a malady, she taunts it and speaks as if she is engaging in battle with it. Ossona hopes that through her presence in the expedition, she will encounter new diseases and earn her place as a Magos Biologos through researching cures for them. “I’ve injected you with 30ccs of antiviral formula Q. That should send this illness into oblivion! Take that you tiny molecules of death, my antivirals are already unspooling your foul genetic strands! Ah…There may be some… collateral damage in the digestive area, but such things are unavoidable in war. Give it two days, and if you have not experienced complete victory, come and see me again.”

Drivesmaster: Mech-Deacon Balfour Rankine A meticulous but neurotic man, Balfour is always worried about some imperfection or another. Growing up on a vessel of the imperial navy, Balfour lived next to the powerful engines of a battlecruiser, and the interest he showed in them had him inducted into the machine cult at an early age. He was nominated as Drivemaster due to the results he has achieved as the drivemaster of smaller, more basic ships, but a persistant case of imposter syndrome haunts him, and he feels deep down that somehow he will fail dramatically and ruin everything. His presence can be a bit grating as a result of this, but it also drives him to even greater heights of perfectionism and micro-management. ++The output of the third plasma chamber is oscillating in a most perturbatory pattern. What? Yes, yes, it is within the parameters of what is typically pleasing to the machine spirit. Still… I will have to bring it into line with the others somehow.++

Omnissiac congreagator: Electro-priestess Hikari Rai, Electro-priestess Rai is extremely spiritual and high-minded, reveling in the electrical pulse of the machine spirit. Born in a hive wold and living in the underhive, she once found a way to sneak into a spot where she could watch the weekly sermons of the hive's machine cult. One day, however, she was caught by the tech priests, and she would have been killed for her insolence except that when interrogated about what she had heard, she revealed a surprising comprehension of the subject matter. She was inducted into the cult from there, and has swiftly risen through the ranks, finding herself eventually aboard the Iron Law, and then further elevated to this position, so close to the machine spirit of the ancient vessel. Hikari perceives the voice of the machine-spirit in the semi-random variance of electrical current, and she regularly subjects her brain to electro-shock to induce visions and speak prophecy. She also leads the majority of the Mechanicus sermons aboard ship, making ample use of her electro-priest capabilities to move the crowd and demonstrate the power of the motive force. “The power of life flows only from the motive force! They who live according to the flesh will inevitably die, but through circuit and silica, you can be preserved! Only through total surrender to the motive force can one walk with the Omnissiah and access his power!”

Warp Crew


Carto-Artifex(es), Ellen and William Craft: One a master Astrographer and the other expertly skilled in navigating both the void and warp, this husband and wife duo are as meticulous in the perfection of their craft as they are lively. Ellen has a lighter complexion than her husband and somewhat handsome features while William is dark of skin, broad at the shoulders, with close cropped hair and a beard. It is a rare sight to catch one of them without the other, and their partnership is one of inspiration and hope to more than a few aboard the vessel. But the package deal comes with its perks, as they are second to none in their combined task of cartography and interstellar navigation.

"Ha! I told you this route was safe. Did I not?"

"You might have waited until I consulted the records before confirming the jump, William."

He knew he was in deep grox shit. She had called him "William" and not "Willy."

"I'm only sayng I had a strong feeling about it; I checked the stellar debris, saw no contacts in the fields, and shaved three days off of our trip. So, how about a kiss?"

Klaxons sounded on the bridge.

"Oh, look. Pirates. How about you kiss my ass instead?"

William smiled. "Gladly, my angel," he said as he strapped on his carapace and adjusted his power saber.

William Craft:

Ellen Craft:

Master of the Vox, Andallia Dawnsun: An Astropath and obsessive compulsive, Andallia Dawnsun was the premier choice for Master of the Vox. Her attention to detail and order have ensured clear communication throughout the ships she has served on. Furthermore, her ability to help tune the astropathic choir has made her invaluable in relaying important psychic information to the Astropath Ascendent and vice versa. She can be a little overbearing and uptight, make no doubt, but she is diligent and competent and a valued member of the crew.

"Fourteen contacts and closing. No, no, no don't find a firing solution. They're hailing us from some fringe empire for diplomatic and goods exchange. No, they're not technically human. But their Gothic is impeccable and extremely poli..... *sigh* yes, sir. Relaying to the Master of Arms to find firing solutions."

Andallia Dawnsun:

Heng Kaelan, Ship's Steward

Heng Kaelan is an old, ancient man. His parchment thin, greyish wrinkled skin wouldn't look off on a corpse, nor would his cataract fouled eyes or toothless mouth. Those are about only things on him that are not either plasteel, adamantium or glass. This methuselah was only kept going this far by his numerous friends he gained during his lifetime serving on a ship with so many mechanicus agents. He wears extremly modified void suit, a piece of technology that could be called a recycling holy grail.

Three pipes run from the suit, two are integrated into the corner of Heng Kaelan mouth, one in his left nostril.

What little bodily fluids he secretes, the suit processes back to water, and the rest is filtered from  the moisture in the air.

His lingering biological parts are also supplied with stale air, one that was reoxygenized countless times over.

A thin stream of greyish-pink-green slurry mixture tickles into his mouth, supplying him with nutrients and giving him a bad case of halitosis.

The story goes that Heng Kaelan never leaves the ship, nor that he has ever left it. The truth of this is known only to him and maybe some long forgotten ship memory files. What is certain is that Heng Kaelan know the ship recycling system to the bone. He can discern faulting air pumps with a single sniff of his nose, he can taste the waste contamination of the water from a single drop, and he can sense, when in the lean times, twists meat is added to the corpse starch. He is universally hated by the crew, but the truth is there is no malice in his actions, only a necessity.

Heng Kaelan:

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[td]Bonus NPC from my backstory:

Mechanicus Liason officer Third Lieutenant Sidonia Tolan.

Hailing from a prosperity cult Shrine world, Sidonia bought a commission as an officer on the Rogue Trader ship The Iron Law when she realized that there was no further room to advance without becoming a priestess. After surviving that debacle, she's been invited to a higher post on the Anatem Imperabit Mundus by the Enginseer Prime, which she quickly accepted. Technically working under the Chief Bosun, Sidonia is responsible for arbitrating disputes and misunderstandings between those crewmembers who are of the Mechanicus and those who are not. She's also responsible for ensuring that the Enginseers have all the supplies and equipment that they need, by whatever means necessary.

A cunning scoundrel at heart, Lt. Tolan is deeply corrupt, but almost flawlessly so, and does both the official and unofficial parts of her job well enough that she manages to keep everyone happy. She also does a good job making sure that vice and contraband are kept from becoming a noticeable problem.

"Look, I'm not saying that you can't modify your pict viewer to play bootleg recordings, I'm saying that you're not allowed to. There's a difference. That you're not allowed to means that there will be consequences if one of the cogboys catches you. Understand? Now, if you'd like to talk about the best ways to make sure that there aren't consequences, I can tell you 'not doing it' for free. If you want other options, maybe that's something we can discuss."[/td]
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Stavos "Bull" McCaffrey, Infernus Master


Stavos knows that one day the flames will take him unless some other calamity in the void doesn't claim him first. He is the bravest of the brave and his crew look up to him as a son looks to his father. His crew are his 'younger brothers' who he looks out for and constantly drills. A loss of one of his team eats at him badly although he knows its part of the job and he remains stoic to those around him. He is covered in burn scars from not one but multiple incidents over his years. Stavos is all about safety first where everyone but himself is concerned. Out of hours he is a heavy drinker to drown out the pain.

Stephan Gusin, Purser

Morbidly obese, Stephan Gusin is the man who manages the payment and rewards on Anatem Imperabit Mundus. Popular story with the crew is that extra profits are eaten by Stephan, but never to his face. Meticulous to extreme, not even a single Throne can get past by him. For all his pettiness, he is respected member of the crew. Crew may by payed miserably, but they at least know they will be paid down to a last Throne, always on time.

As his weight practically stops him from walking on his own legs, he mostly moves around in a modified motorized wheelchair capable of supporting his frame. His usual attire is grease stained custom-tailored robes and grox-skin leather pouch that steadily rattles with a sound of grinding coins. If some Thrones find a way to his pockets he is more then able to cover up his tracks, for Anatem Imperabit Mundus is enormous vessel with uncounted crew.

Gusin prefers the company of his two servitor bodyguards over that of other humans, who always seem to look at him with disgust or pity. He usually confers with his cherub, Malyutka, a childlike flying high-grade servitor that helps him in his endless task. The link between the two goes beyond that of master and automaton, for their minds are linked with an advanced mind impulse unit. When away from the Gusin, Malyutka reverts to his most basic functions and if the separation is prolonged it seems to become frightened and lost. Link goes both ways as many of the crew have learned, for when Malyutka is away for maintenance, Gusin is irritable, annoyed and toxic.

Stephan Gusin:

Malyutka:

Master of Whispers: Cleo Siegal
A wise woman in her late 60s, Cleo spent her life in the underworld of Skarus Prime, negotiating the ever-shifting ganger territories, alliances, politics, and power-struggles. His aunt, she watched Torian grow up, and has been his most trusted underworld adviser and ally ever since. Little gets past her sharp eyes and ears, and few blend into shadows quite how she does. Upon joining the Filiantus dynasty, she quickly stuck in as Master of Whispers. Now there are few secrets on-board that she does not know, and mutinies tend to end before they even begin: a little blackmail here, a few words there, a knife in someone's back.

"You're actually going down to that shithole rock? Well stay out of the manufactoria quarter of the eastern part of Hive Vaal, it's a warzone at the moment. The Grinders have half the production on halt with threats of bombing. It's just a show to keep the arbites busy while they fill the power gap left when Madame H was dethroned. Either way, stay out of this one, unless you happen to find yourself in need of the good favor of one of their many enemies and feel like risking your life."