Harriet Lime

Name: Harriet Lime
Home world: Wien V (Hive world)
Background: Outcast
Role: Sage
Divination: "The only true fear is dying without your duty done" (https://orokos.com/roll/592984)
Demeanor: Inquisitive/ insensitive

WS 32
BS 32
S 32
T 31
Ag 33
Int 52 ***
Per 45 **
Wp 39 *
Fel 33
Inf 32
*denotes purchased advances
(https://orokos.com/roll/591569)

FP: 3/3 (Temp. Fate Point Awarded for Background Story - used 9/17/2018)
Wounds: 0/12 (https://orokos.com/roll/591646)
Critical Damage: 0
Fatigue: 0
Insanity: 0/100
Corruption: 0/100
Movement: 3m/6m/9m/18m
Max Weight: Carrying - 36kg; Lifting - 72kg; Pushing - 144kg.

Skills:
Acrobatics(Ag)
Athletics (S)
Awareness (Per) +10
Charm (Fel)
Command (Fel)
Common Lore (Int)
-Adepta Soritas
-Adeptus Arbites
-Adeptus Astra Telepathica
-Adeptus Mechanicus
-Administratum
-Askellon Sector
-Chartist Captains
-Collegia Titanicus
-Ecclesiarchy
-Imperial Creed
-Imperial Guard
-Imperial Navy
-Imperium
-Navigators
-Planetary Defence forces
-Rogue Traders
-Schola Progenium
-Tech
-Tau Empire
-Underworld +10
-War
Commerce (Int) +10
Deceive (Fel)
Demolitions (Int) +10
Disguise (Fel)
Dodge (Ag)
Forbidden Lore
-Chaos Space Marines
-Criminal Cartels
-Daemonology
-Inquisition
-Pirates
-Xenos (Eldar, Tau, Orks)
Inquiry (Fel)
Interrogation (Wp) +10
Intimidate (S)
Linguistics (Int)
- Low Gothic
- High Gothic
- Chaos Marks
- Eldar
- Tau
- Ork
Logic (Int) +10
Medicae (Int)
Navigate (Int)
Operate (Ag)
Parry (WS)
Psyniscience (Per)
Scholastic Lore (Int)
- Astromancy
- Beasts
- Bureaucracy
- Chymistry
- Crytology
- Heraldry
- Imperial Worlds
- Judgement
- Legend
- Numerology
- Occult
- Philosophy
- Tactica Imperials
Scrutiny (Per) +10
Security +10 (Int +10
Stealth (Ag)  
Survival (Per)
Tactics (Int)
- Guerilla
Tech Use (Int) +10
Trade (Int)
- Linguist
- Loremancer
- Cryptographer

Talents
Clues from Crowds (Can reroll test to gain knowledge from a group)
Infused knowledge (All Common and Scholastic lore counts as known)
Keen intuition (Can reroll a failed awareness test at -10)
Jaded (Fear 1 has no effect)
Resistance - Fear

Weapons Training
- Chain
- Solid projectile

Traits
Quest for knowledge (Spend fate to succeed at any logic/lore test- DoS intelligence bonus)
Never Quit (Toughness bonus counts twice for fatigue)
Teeming masses in metal mountains (Crowds count as open terrain. In enclosed spaces +20 to navigate surface)

Armor:
Armoured bodyglove (2 All)

Weapons:
Autopistol "Inkpot" (Pistol, 30m, S/-/6, 1d10+2 I, Pen 0; 18 rounds, Full reload-reloadx1)
Chainsword "The pen" (1d10+5 R, Pen 2; Balanced, Tearing)

Gear:
- Turkey Leg (Looks absolutely delicious!)
Best quality Chrono (Gold pocket watch, inside face flips up to reveal many other faces that can be used for a multitude of functions)
Photo visors (when used, character counts as having Dark Sight)
Good quality Data Slate
Injector x1
Slaught x6

Cybernetics: n/a

Aptitudes: Fieldcraft, General, Intelligence, Knowledge, Perception, Social, Tech, Willpower.
XP: 150/6,400
XP Expenditure:
Characteristic Advances:
- Int (simple, 100xp)
- Int (inter, 250xp)
- Int (trained, 500xp)
- Per (simple, 100xp)
- Per (inter, 250xp)
- Will (simple 250xp)

Skills:
- Awareness (known, 100xp)
- Awareness(trained, 200xp)
- Commerce (known, 100xp)
- Commerce (trained, 200xp)
- Demolitions (known, 100xp)
- Demolitions (trained, 200xp)
- Forbidden Lore
  - Chaos Space Marines (known, 100xp)
  - Criminal Cartels (known, 100xp)
  - Daemonology (known, 100xp)
  - Inquisition (known, 100xp)
  - Pirates (known, 100xp)
  - Xenos
     - Eldar (known, 100xp)
     - Tau (known, 100xp)
     - Ork (known, 100xp)
- Interrogation (known, 100xp)
- Interrogation (trained, 200xp)
- Linguistics
  - Chaos Marks (known, 100xp)
  - Eldar (known, 100xp)
  - High Gothic (known, 100xp)
  - Tau (known, 100xp)
  - Ork (known, 100xp)
- Logic (known, 100xp)
- Logic (trained, 200xp)
- Security (known, 100xp)
- Security (trained, 200xp)
- Scrutiny (known, 100xp)
- Scrutiny (trained, 200xp)
- Tactics
  - Guerilla (known, 100xp)
- Tech use (known, 100xp)
- Tech use (trained, 100xp)
- Trade
  - Linguist (known, 100xp)
  - Loremancer (known, 100xp)
  - Cryptographer (known, 100xp)

Talents:
Infused knowledge 400xp
Keen Intuition 200 xp
Jaded 300 xp

Description:
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 58 kilos
Age: 26
Skin: Tanned, freckly
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Jet black, tight on sides and longer on top
Appearance:
Harriet generally wears her black armoured bodyglove as a protective underlayer. Above this she has thick brown boots that almost reach up to her knees, and a series of looping belts around her waist from which hang various pockets and straps for storage. As well as books, and her data slate, these also hold mechanical odds and ends, flora and fauna she has picked up, scribbled notes, and in a small hard to find pocket on her right hip, a plain ring.
She has decorated the top half of her bodyglove with a series of small white stones, which if viewed with a knowledge of astronomy depict the Spiral Galaxy Ferris. Over this she has a loose brown duster, its pockets heavy with additional items, including her gold chrono pocket watch, and auto pistol "inkpot". She keeps her specially shortened chainsword "The pen" strapped to her back in a protective leather case, though if she discovers anything of interest it is generally flung carelessly to the side.
She likes to keep her coal dark hair up as much as possible, mostly through the use of her photo visors with only a few stray strands framing her ink or oil spattered face or draped over one shoulder. Her soft chocolate coloured eyes, are always staring, either at other people around her, or at the pages of a book and they are the most alive part of her blank face.

Whenever she isn't wearing her bodyglove, she wears faded loose fitting vests and shorts and through these it is possible to see the number of tattoos she has, namely an ancient spotted cat draped around her shoulders and a falcon up her spine, with its wings folded underneath her breasts. These are the two most noticeable, though she has a number of other symbols and phrases written in her own personal code on either hip, thighs and forearms. She is smaller than the average human, with a slim frame without any noticeable muscle definition.

Personality: Harriet is deeply inquisitive and views the gaining and using of information as more important than almost anything else. Her interests are wide and far ranging, including science, myths, history, biology, technology, history, culture and languages, though she has a particular speciality in codes and ciphers. She almost never smiles but she isn't particularly unfriendly, viewing people as yet another puzzle to investigate. This can make her appear insensitive and has offended others with the nature of her questions. If someone says something she finds particularly interesting she will take notes on them, and if they bore her she will read something else while they speak. She has only had meaningful social relationships with a handful of others and of these most of these are negative, though there are a few she would consider friends/allies. She has a preference for Harry, 'arry or even Lime but is generally called Harriet. She keeps her weapons well maintained as a means to an end but has rarely been called to use them.
From an early age she developed a particular phobia of fire, and even as an adult is deeply uncomfortable around open flames.

Background
Harriet was born to a middle caste family, in the middle of one of the many high rise tower complexes of the Hive world Wien V. The planet had been consumed some years prior to a large scale insurrection, finally put down through the destructive energies of the Blood Angels. Recovery was slow and the city she grew up in was marked by its damaged and still smoking buildings, cracked streets and starving multitudes. Black markets dealing and gangs were rife and largely accepted by the ruling families. Her parents were highly ambitious and had flirted with the pirates and rogue traders that supplied the vital necessity to the city. On the eve of her 11th birthday, they took the supreme gamble and made a large deal with one of the cartels in which she was handed over as collateral. She had stood on the bridge, clutching a book and watched as fires broke out anew through her city as the Blood Angels moved in again.

Rogue Trader Captain Franchesca Noiree had been tempted to dump her on the first available planet, but despite herself had become intrigued by the little girl who watched and questioned, and showed no noticeable feelings about her missing parents. She was eventually handed over to the Seneshal to act as his scribe. For Harriet, it was here that her life really began. She had always known she was good with details, though had little chance to use these. Aboard Rosa Lux she was suddenly able to access more records and information than she had any idea existed and it became quickly clear that her memory was almost perfect. It wasn't long before she was suddenly of use to ship and following this, the entire cartel. She became a valuable chattel, serving on 18 different ships before she reached her twentieth birthday.
She had translated deals with growling musclebound Ork mercenaries their blades burnished with dried blood, hunted for Eldar relics in strangely dead and whispering forests, taken part in hit and run attacks on Imperial transports and spent weeks in dusty libraries hunting for maps. In all of these activities she had no choice, moved from place to place and told what she had to do. She belonged to the cartel, rather than belonged in it.

Everything changed again when she was 26.

----------------------- Information redacted-----------------------------------------------------------

NPCs
Captain Franchesca Noiree:
The charismatic and urbane Rogue Trader has grown from strength to strength, rising from a mere captain to leading the entire Spinoza cartel, an enterprise of some 35 vessels and with contracts beyond even the Askellon Sector. As such she is a person of no ordinary influence. She had just taken command of her first vessel when she met the young Harriet. Though Harriet would sometimes go for a year or two without seeing the Captain, the relationship with Franchesca is the oldest and closest that Harriet has and one of significance to the Captain too. It has long been Franchesca’s belief that Harriet’s worst enemy was herself. While she has always maintained the very clear power dynamic between them, Franchesca has grown to really care about the often frustrating and maddening sage, and it was only with great pressure that she was forced to sell her on. She is somewhat guilty about this as well and if possible would like to make amends, or to check up on her wellbeing though she is an extremely busy figure, with fingers in a lot of pies.

The Dread Captain Kimi O'Toole
The Dread Captain, a charismatic and rambunctious Lord of the Stars, has no truck with Rogue Traders who take part in some piratical activity, like Captain Noiree. Instead he is a pirate through and through, refusing to conduct any so called legitimate activity like trade, and spends his time almost exclusively pillaging. Spending half his day drunk and the other half in bed, the Captain  is famous for his banquets, where everyone loses something. Captain O'Toole first came across Harriet at one of these banquets where she was acting as a translator and after discovering her fear of fire, had her suspended in a swaying cage above their bonfire. He has no particular memory of this but she does and he is one of the only people Harriet truly hates. In the years following this, if the opportunity came up to do the Dread Captain ill she took it, whether it was something her employers wanted or not. She is not fully sure what she would do if he was fully in her power.
Though its apparent that Captain Kimi is aware of Harriet, his feelings towards her, if any at all, are impossible to decipher as of yet.


Warlock Isenmyna
Isenmyna is relatively young for the Eldar, only midway through her second century. Growing up on the Iyanden Craftworld she soon found the rigid constraints of the Aspect code and her duty to reanimate departed souls for the wraith constructs too much for her soul to bear. Instead of despairing as her world died around her, she preferred instead to relive its glorified past, to explore and experience the stars for herself. She left alongside one other, the daughter of a noble scion and also a Seer, a move which left much acrimony amongst their people. Tied in purpose and object, they joined twin Corsair ships and decreed that they would spend a century thus before returning together. To live for long away from the rigid disciple of the Craftworld requires great personal strength, and it is of no particular surprise that Eldar pass through the raiding ships pretty regularly. Isenmyna has stayed though, finding more and more of the Universe to explore and experience. She is now the Captain of her ship the “Aemedona”.
She has only met Harriet twice before, the first time eight years prior and once after. She is amused and intrigued by the human and indications are that she would like to add her to her crew, though for what reason is unknown.


Character Flaws
Apathetic- Harriet generally shows very little emotion, beyond inquiry and interest in whatever is occurring. As such she finds it extremely difficult to build emotional relationships with other people as she takes what she is told, as simply another source of information. She is not completely numb to all emotions, but it takes a lot for her to become aware of the differences between life in the real and on the page.

Humourless- As might be expected, Harriet takes everything literally and seriously and thus often fails to get jokes and had difficulty understanding why they are used.
Nosy- Harriet is quite obsessive when it comes to collecting information. She will ask intrusive or awkward questions if there is information that she doesn’t understand or will seek to discover this information in another way.

Remorseless- When it comes to following orders, or in the extremely rare examples when she has been able to make her own decisions, Harriet has shown herself capable of acting without pity and with a relentless focus on achieving the goal

Skeptic- Harriet does not discriminate in terms of the information she takes in, all is welcome. As someone though well versed in both practical and theoretical information she labels information internally as either fact or belief dependant on her own definition.

Tactless- As has been shown above, Harriet is rarely able to read the room, either through ignorance or lack of interest and will often ask, or say things that are liable to offend.

Specific Flaws
Phobia: Fire- This fear has been with Harriet longer than she can remember and she has never had a rational explanation for it. Small or contained fires will cause extreme unease with her and she will attempt to keep her distance. Fire burning wild or free, or of sufficient size engenders terror in her.

Follows orders- In those who Harriet views as being in charge of her/ owning her, she will obey everything they ask of her, up until it actually causing harm to her. Due to her tendency to take things literally, this can include throwaway comments or sarcasm. This complex, comes from an almost life time spent as property of various pirates and others and is so deeply ingrained, that she doesn’t even notice it. It is possibly that if given more autonomy, this may fade.
She sometimes also finds it difficult to ignore the commands of others who do not have authority over her if they have significant presence but if a conflict occurs she will always side with the commands from those with more ownership of her.

Unable to tell lies- Harriet takes information and fact so seriously, that it is almost impossible for her to make up information. She can to a very limited extent withhold information but this difficult for her.

Eight years prior

He lifted his sabre, his arm perfectly straight and pointed towards the stars. Everyone was suddenly quiet, waiting on the moment, but perhaps enjoying all the attention that was concentrated on him, the pirate held his blade in position. The large woman next to Harriet who had taken a deep breath in time to the sword raising, was red faced trying to fall in line with the performance.
All around, there were the micro movements of people who were too aware of their need for stillness and silence. Harriet saw Captain Noiree turn to catch the eye of Xaka Soppall, her Arch-millitant and shake her head.

There was movement on the raised pillar. With languorous slowness, the Dread Captain Kimi O’Toole reached into his bright red jacket with his spare hand and lifted out a square device of some kind. Harriet strained her eyes as she stared with no success, thinking with longing of the goggles currently stowed beneath her bunk. It fitted easily into his hand, and he seemed to be able to access it with just his fingers. A custom data pad of some kind? A device with a singular or multiple purposes?
She had turned, meaning to scan the rest of the room to see if anything had changed, and thus almost missed the moment.
Finally the Captains blade had swept down.
“Release the vines!”

On his command four teams of deck crew had lifted the white ropes, each as thick as their torso’s and pulled. There was a snap, a series of cracks and then mass splintering as the wood finally gave way. The four ropes had been attached to the lids of four enormous wooden casks, positioned on their side by the vaulted observation windows. As the lids came loose, a cascade of blood red wine burst out and crashed down the clear plastic slope. Waiting at the bottom were a number of revellers, positioned around their patchwork ships. Each had been given one hour to build their craft and Harriet had been certain that some would not survive the ride. A similar realization seemed to be coming to one man in particular and he was looking up at the onrushing tidal punch with mounting fear. Seconds later and the frothing wine had swept through them and was rushing down the rest of track.
Captain Kimi didn’t even appear to be watching his own event. As soon as his signal had been made he had swung out over the course on a line, to land on an opposite balcony. Within seconds he had pulled someone clear of their balcony seat and began ravishing them against a pillar. The cheers echoed around the cavernous deck, and ripped clothes drifted in the air.

As the wine washed into the circular pool area, Harriet watched Captain Franchesca Noiree lean over the ledge of their raised platform.  Her Captain was dressed in an ornate two tone uniform. Her skin tight breeches were the colour of a baby fawn, and reached down to the knee over which were two richly jewelled knee guards. These were attached to a pair of riding boots polished to a dark luxurious brown. Above this she had a corset, a matching light tan and with dark blue belts. The corset was buckled with golden buttons to her outer layer, a soft dark blue jacket, which reached from her wrists, to a high collar and then all the way to an inch off the ground. The way it rippled and clung around her, it often appeared like a dress and it wasn’t until you saw her from the front, that it was clear what it was. Her hair was black and shaped into a large oval on her left side, held in place with large pointed needles. Her lips were a rich red, her eyes a dappling greeny brown, and her right hand, which had been replaced with a cybernetic replacement, a light shining blue. It was the uniform of rank, power and wealth.
Franchesca was busy inspecting the first of the battered craft to emerge from the rapids and limp into calmer waters. She turned and with a loud neigh of laughter, lobbed a brown bag towards another Captain, who caught it onehanded, his right hand still gripping a smoking joint as thick as her arm. He was a tall man, with a well-worn black duster, and a chunky gold falcon necklace. His dreadlocks were rich and dyed red and the sabre at his side had been steadily dripping for the last hour.

“Mzuka Uso Roho, you sharp eyed bastard. Every year without fail. If I wasn’t assured of your scrupulous honesty I might be suspicious.”
Captain Roho exhaled a dense cloud of smoke, causing all those around him to choke, and stood tall and announced to all the pirates and crew below, while gesturing with his thumb at Captain Noiree and those with her.
“Captain Roho’s too slammin’ for these blown up scrubs. They be lounging in my stomping ground.”
He took another deep draw, and looked down to the bottom of the staircase which led to their platform.
“I see you skulking and sulking. Dipping and diving when you were fronting and flashing. On you come Hands! It’s time to see the tiger about his cream.”
He laughed and leaned back against the platform rail and drained a skull embossed goblet.

Captain Noiree turned around to look at Harriet and spoke under her breath.
“Captain Roho has been paid off. That makes six.”
She paused a second and gave the boisterous captain, currently leading a chant against those climbing the stairs,  a contemplative look.
“I can’t be certain though….. Stay out of sight, see who he talks to beyond Chief Boson Hands. Wait say maybe an hour and then meet us by the tide pool.”
Harriet nodded and kept her eyes on Roho while her Captain left. The Dread Banquets were typically trying affairs. Whatever information she was able to learn, always seemed to her to be of minimal importance. Her knowledge of how various chemicals, drugs and alcohol affected people and what it induced them to do might now be backed up with overwhelming practical experience but she doubted she would ever be able to use it. On the other side of the slate, she was resigned to the fact she would leave drenched in various liquids and bruised from hands which grabbed. And there was always the chance she’d be put back into The Cage.
She shivered and concentrated as Boson Hands finally made his way to the Captain to make his awkward greetings. Captain Noiree was in the midst of a vindictive power struggle with Captain Delmarsh, also of the Spinoza cartel. The Dread Banquets were supposed to neutral ground, Captain O’Toole not caring in the slightest who led the cartel he only vaguely acknowledged. Captain Noiree had come with business on her mind though and was trying to make sure of her allies, and it was highly probable that Delmarsh was doing the same. It was information certainly but just not one Harriet was particularly interested in. Back in the cabin waiting for her was data of a different kind. The account of an ambassador who had negotiated a peace treaty with the Tau. She was just beginning to learn the language and the Xeno’s marked her current obsession. She just had to do her job first.

Harriet moved through the press of bodies, with a normally absent grace, The drunken dancing, staggering and pushing was infinitely easier to navigate than it was to catch a mag-train on her home world. She emerged from the crowd to find Captain Noiree sprawled on a low divan next to the pool, holding her goblet up to the light and examining the contents.
“I wouldn’t advise drinking that captain”
“Neither would I Kenji”
Franchesca knocked back the goblet in one and raised her left eyebrow at her navigator. Kenji Katsuki sighed, unfolded his legs, and got to his feet. He was slim, and very attractive, with a moustache and beard growth only on his chin, long black hair, pulled back with a grey bandana, which also disguised his pineal eye. His robes, were also light grey, over a black underlayer and they were obviously expensively tailored. He spoke with an easy confidence, with more than a hint of archness in tone. He leaned over and dipped his own goblet in the pool. Giving the contents a very suspicious look, he lifted it to his lips and started to drink, staring straight back at Noiree. After a gulp his attractive face screwed up and after a few more he started to choke, the goblet clattering off the floor, spilling its contents.
Franchesca didn’t bother to hide her amusement as she watched him splutter and gasp.
“Don’t make a meal of it Kenji. We had worse back on Rhygar”
“Yo….you’ll ahugh,… you may remember Rhygar but I certainly don’t.”
“Oh yes, now I think about it, you did have quite an experience then. Writhing around in the Captain’s chair, trying to open up communications with all and sundry. All the while, as naked as the proverbial. I’m sure you remember Xaka?”
The Arch-millitant was leaning against the corner barrier of the pool, her arms folded. She was a tall and powerfully built woman, her onyx coloured skin littered with the scars of countless battles, especially across her bare forearms. Her most noticeable scar though, was across the back of her head, which was depressed in at this point.  Rather than cover the mark with her hair, she had instead shaved her skull bald and repeated this every morning. Harriet had heard that this scar had been as a result of a Chaotic Warhammer, and that if one looked closely enough, you could read the rune that had been on the weapon. Unfortunately Xaka was too tall for Harriet to see the scar up close yet. She was dressed in a flak jacket and reinforced pants, both of which were heavy with ammunition clips for the pair of guns she had on either hip. Her eyes had been busy surveying the room but at the mention of her name, she looked up and gave Kenji a crooked smile and suggestively licked her lips. Her voice was deep and slow, with the burr of a stringed instrument.
“I remember it well”
Kenji scowled as he returned her look.
“You know I can get that image scrubbed from your mind if I wanted.”
“You do that and I’ll have reason to get you drunk again.”
Kenji had turned towards Franchesca to protest when he spotted Harriet waiting.
“Ah she’s back. Captain, Ha…...Hu…..Ku….??”
His brows furrowed for a moment and then he seemed to lose interest.
“The scribe is here.”
He gave her a distracted smile before turning back to Xaka.
“Right then- lets see you do it in one”
“I’m on duty.”
“You’re on duty, my exquisitely waxed chest. Mush”

Franchesca turned her back on them and gave Harriet a nod. The younger girl immediately started to recite a series of names.
“Any connection between them and Delmarsh?”
Harriet paused for a second, thinking on each name, before shaking her head.
“There are some vague or possible slight links but nothing very probable.”
Franchesca was testing the strength of the goblet in her metal hand.
“It was a long shot but worth checking. All indications are that he was on my side but…Harriet stop that.”
Harriet removed her finger from beneath her starched white collar and stared up at her captain.
The eighteen year old was giving Noiree such a sulky look, that the captains face broke into a broad smile. She raised her fingers to her lips and leaned back and eyed Harriet again, mischief in her eyes.
The sage was in a plain back dress that hung to her ankles, black sleeves with stiff white wrists and a starched collar that touched the bottom of her ear lobes.
“You really don’t like wearing that do you? Don’t tell me you are planning to finally take an interest in your appearance?
A muscle seemed to tighten in the girls cheek but she said nothing.
“It’s your fault you know my dear. That’s the only thing with a high enough collar to block that new…” she waved her hand at Harriet’s covered neck. Harriet had recently unearthed images of long extinct Terra fauna and her neck and shoulders were tattooed with a large sprawling snow lespurrd.
“You know I pass no judgement, but if the other captains saw a servant like you strutting about with something like that, there’d be trouble. Now wipe that look off your face, I’ve got some translation for you. You two!”

Xaka’s face was pale and she had just given a violent shiver but she was holding the empty goblet up with a wide grin, while Kenji was giving her a sarcastic clap. They both turned to the Captain and nodded, falling into position behind her as she walked back into the main body of people, Harriet completing the back point of the diamond.
Around them, Pirates and Traders of every hue and size imaginable were mingling, drinking and cavorting. They passed tables groaning under tankards of beer, thickly cut meat and fluffy bread, next to delicate platters of crafted delicacy’s that looked like they might float away. There was no central bar as such, but in almost every corner of the wide room, alcohol of various kinds was flowing freely, literally in the case of the wine pool, which made up most of the centre of the chamber and in which a good number had joined ‘The Brave Sailors’ and their disintegrated craft.
None of which was of any real interest to Harriet. She had spotted something else up ahead, that had made her heart start to pound with uncomfortable vigour.
Unconsciously her fingers started to flicker at her sides and her face burned hot.
Please, please, please let us be going to them, she thought.

The visitors had clearly just arrived, the six standing gracefully by a table, which had held fruit, but now only held, their mushed and sticky remains. They seemed to be scanning the party, a kind of lazy contempt clear on their aquiline faces. There was a loud intake of breath from Kenji, a disguised cough from Xaka and even Francesca had slowed. Harriet was looking around the flowing coat of her captain, staring with furrowed intensity at the Xenos. She wanted to be analytic, to keep her information pure, but even at ten paces back, the beauty and bearing of these visitors seemed to cut into her and she found it difficult to look away from their faces.
Three of the Eldar were standing to the front, their armour at first glance black, but then blue. The colour seemed to shift as they moved, sometimes the colour of the melted sea and then back to soulless void where if you concentrated you could almost see….
The armour followed the delicate contours of their bodies, looking more a second skin than a defence, and was patterned with the easily recognisable Eldar sigils. Two of those in front also had long pattered jackets which they wore over their shoulders and ornate spears in their hands from which she could swear she almost heard something. Their hair sat high above their heads, running straight up through a blue band before cascading back down their heads. The third Eldar’s armour, though still beautiful, was slightly duller in colour and it was clear he was of lower rank. Two of those in the back row, had similarly faded armour, and they had guns in their hands, but pointed at the floor. The last figure was something different. She was dressed in a graceful red robe, decorated with symbols in sky blue and white. Protruding from her chest was what looked like a complicated bone shape, either on or emanating through the robe, it was difficult to tell. The bottom half of it was roughly triangular and the top stretched out like a bird. Like all the others, her features seemed sharp enough to cut, but she also had a curved gold band which followed the line of her brown hair and from which a gold disk with another Eldar symbol was affixed, in the middle of her forehead.
Joachim Massena, Captain Delmarsh’s one eyed Seneshal was attempting to converse with the lower ranked Eldar, who was acting as a translator. He looked up as they approached, and his face clouded with suspicion.
“What are you doing here….. Captain?”
“Merely wishing to greet our welcomed guests.”
She gave a low bow, arms spread wide.
“I hope you had safe trip”

The two most gaudy of the Eldar in front looked at each other and a ghost of a smile whispered across their faces.  
<Before the painted stone face, so do the monkeys prostrate themselves.>
<Idramaer, with reason drowned by feeling, debasing the honour of her ancestors .>
<And lo the rat jumps, will it sink or drown?>
This was the first time Harriet had heard the language actually spoken by the Xenos themselves in the flesh. All her prior practice had been with old Vox recordings and deck hands who slaved on the galley ships. It was faster than she was used to, and some of the metaphors she had to guess based on the context.

“Your greeting is well met. How is that that we can aid each other?”
With many flowery diversions Franchesca started suggesting a trade exchange, weapons for food supplies. Massena kept cutting in, doggedly insisting that an exchange of trade routes was a much better deal, namely the outer reaches of the nearby galaxy in exchange for a more central shipping lane.
<The beauty does not see the mirror is a window. Do they think we cannot see the teeth of the oncoming wolves? The fingerless hand attempting to hold.>
<They build their ash into little piles and open their hands.>
<Encourage the virgin lover to talk of the other captains. >
<If they knew the jewel that was shining in….. >
<SILENCE>

Both Eldar suddenly started, and one of them, half looked over his shoulder before returning his eyes to the front. The interruption was so clear it stopped the talk in Low Gothic, though the humans had no clue about what happened. The Eldar at the back stepped forward, and was now easily identifiable as female, her red robes swirling as she passed her kin.
“As enjoyable as they are, we should stop the games. We have no need for our translator, and you have no need for yours.”
She focused her pale blue eyes on Harriet and to the teenager it suddenly felt like her limbs froze shut, trapping the very breath in her lungs.
<Come on little one, step forward. Show yourself to me.>
Unwillingly Harriet felt herself move forward until she was staring up into the face of the Eldar. The breath was still frozen in her chest and she felt a mounting panic.
<The chick singing out to the falcon, wishing it could take to the skies. You can understand our language can’t you? And speak it too? A rare spirit dancing with witch fire. What is your name little one? Tell me and I’ll let you fly.>
Harriet clenched her body, against what she couldn’t feel, but she pushed, forcing her mouth open.
<And you are … Warlock…. What.. is your….name?>
The Eldar’s delicate eyebrows rose and she looked faintly amused. In a voice so low, Harriet wasn’t even certain she’d heard it, the Warlock whispered <Next time little one.>
The pressure suddenly left Harriet, and she had to stumble to keep her feet. She could feel damp cold sweat running down her collar and down the length of her spine. She bit her lip to stop herself from panting, and tried to hold herself still. The two well-dressed Eldar were watching her, one with curiosity and the other with calculation.
The Eldar female turned to Massena and Noiree and gestured to a table in a quiet corner.
“Shall we sit and continue our negotiations?”
Massena was also staring at Harriet, with an oddly similar look to one of the Eldar, while his fingers brushed his precise little beard.
“Oh of course. After you.”
Captain Noiree reached out and gripped Harriet’s shoulder with her metal fingers. The sage winced and was brought back to the present as her Captain led her away from the group.
“Anything?” Franchesca whispered, her voice hard and with a definite edge.
“They are looking for a specific cargo. One of our captains has it, but they don’t know who. The female who spoke is a warlock… aghneeen.. oww…They know the Imperial Navy is on its way, making the trade route useless and they don’t want to exchange for food.”
Franchesca let go of her shoulder and Harriet immediately put up a hand to massage the bruised flesh and looked up at her Captain with some confusion.
“No more games, you are on record now. Out of sight and sound, understand? Understand Harriet!”
The captain stepped forward, her hand shining and Harriet took a step back.
“Of course. Out of sight, out of mind.”

What was happening? She felt like she had just woken up, and had been thrown overboard into a storm. While personal relationships weren’t something she gave much thought to, she was mostly able to explain why things were happening. Captain Noiree was furious with her and she couldn’t understand why. Her brain still felt foggy and she kept her face down as she passed the Eldar to take up position in the shadow against the wall behind Noire and her crew and tried to pull herself together. In the end, it all came down to information, everything and anyone, she told herself, and she could control information. With enough background, she could understand anything. Her breathing slowed and she felt the heat ease from her face. She had regained control.
Something suddenly hit her from above and it took a half a second to recognise that it had been done with no real force. It took another half second to realize that she was now drenched, with what seemed to be wine. There was a thump beside her and she turned to find the Dread Pirate Kimi O’Toole standing with his legs wide apart, hands on hips, beside a black rope. He gave her a sideways look
“You’ve got red on you.”
The next second another figure came down the line, her dress billowing out around her, her laugher a shrill call. Captain Kimi swept her up from the rope and bent deep over her, biting, licking, down her neck and past her breasts. She gasped and Kimi dropped her, returning to his previous position. He took out a thick cigar, lit it and gave a puff before looking down at Harriet again.
“Who the fuck are they?”
“Seneshal Massena, Captain Noiree, Arch- Millitant Soppall, Navigator Katsuki and.. Eldar visitors.”
“I know who the humans are. Why answer when you’ve nothing to say?”
He pointed at her.
“You need to watch that tongue or it will flap away. Hold this”
Seconds later she was holding a steaming goblet, her insides tight with anger and her dress starting to cling to her, while the Dread Pirate strode over to the table. With a short jump, he was standing on it and looking down at all the faces around him.
“Xenos, pirates. Pirates, xenos”
He bent down on his haunches to look at the female Eldar in red, and pointed towards Noiree.
“She calls herself a Rogue trader but she’s really a pirate. Just like you are really pirates too. And when a pirate starts trading, she’s swimming when she should be breathing.”
He looked at Noiree and pointed at the Eldar in red.
“This is just a game to her. She’ll sow her oats and burn fingers before returning to her proper place in the Craftworld. She’s the cuckoo in the nest”

He eased back up to his feet and then pointed at Kenji and one of the jacketed Eldar.
“Two slots in my bed up for grabs.”
Both looked a little startled but after a momentary hesitation the Eldar looked her leader in red, and Kenji looked to his captain, who gave him a distracted flick with her fingers. The Warlock merely nodded.
“We leave at 06.00, whether you are aboard or not”
Captain Kimi had already turned, jumped from the table and was lifting his goblet from Harriet’s hands. He stared at her with his expressionless blue eyes, and then turned the goblet towards her.
She felt her body clench again, but this wasn’t to fight off a psychic attack. This was pure anger. She hated every bone, every blood cell, every atom that made him who he was. And she stared back into his eyes.
He gestured again.
“Take a drink”
Her hands were fisted and shaking at her sides. Her teeth clenched so hard, she was sure they’d crack. And she didn’t care. She bent slowly forward, eyes on his the whole time. Her mind was completely empty, so concentrated on this action that she wasn’t even breathing. The wind had rose in her ears and her scream pierced. It was toneless, thoughtless and hopeless. And no one could hear it.
Her lips touched the goblet. Her lips felt the liquid. It slid down her throat.
The Dread Captain cocked his head to the side and stared at her, his face slightly furrowed. One long second passed. And then another. A stray drop of wine slid down her chin.
Captain Kimi shook his head and with a flick of his wrist flung the goblet into her arms.
“Finish it then.”
Without a look behind him he marched off towards the main crush of bodies, trailed by three.
Stray wine drops dripped down Harriet’s forehead and cheeks. She was holding the steaming goblet between two shaking hands. Her throat was burning and she felt dizzy. Slowly she lifted the goblet. The scream was making her ears ring. And then it was lifted out her hands.
“I think Captain O’Toole meant for us all to share this.”
Captain Noiree was looking down her, her eyes steady and clear. Harriet nodded and as the wind died, she became suddenly aware of her heart thumping and she swayed, staggered and then gathered herself.
“You can stand where you were. We have a few things to discuss and then we’ll return to the ship”
Captain Noiree was speaking not unkindly. She gave the smaller girl a nod and then turned back to the table. As Harriet regarded them again, she noticed they were all staring, the Eldar Warlock especially. Her face was impossible to read but she continued to stare long after the others had stopped. Harriet swayed by the wall. She wasn’t sure what was making her feel so weak and dizzy, the effects of the alcohol or the adrenaline rush caused by her anger. She felt like she had been so diluted that her essence was only a drop. But she was here on a job. Pulling herself back together, she watched and listened to all that happened at the table.


“He asked about her.”
“I was afraid he would. He honestly doesn’t remember meeting her before?”
“Did they meet before Captain? To be honest I’ve never paid her much attention.”
“And right too Kenji. The amount of attention she gathered last night was many times beyond her actual worth.”
Captain Noiree sighed, leaned back in her high backed chair and ground her palm into her forehead. Her dressing gown was richly patterned, squares of fine silk detailing the exploits of the Noiree family over the generations, and her black hair hung loose past her shoulders.
“Who is she Captain?”
Noiree’s metal fist slammed into her console.
“She’s no one Kenji. Her parents? Nobodies. Everyone she knows? Nobodies. Who should be interested in her? Nobody. Aren’t you listening? She’s just a useful tool. Like a portable library. But its questions like that, that get people exaggerating, imagining and giving her an importance that will get us into trouble.”
Xaka, took a brief swig from her mug and returned to warming her hands around it.  
“Will Captain O’Toole try and get involved? Or Captain Delmarsh?”
“Massena was definitely interested but the Eldar sided our way. They have nothing the Xenos want so if they did, it would be a straight raid, which isn’t Delmarsh’s style. On the other hand the Dread Captain would definitely countenance it, even just for the sake of it. But if I’m to go with my gut, I’d say we’d be better to keep a close eye on the Eldar. They will stab us in the back, we just have to determine when. Kimi wasn’t interested in this deal, so I’m prepared to take the risk that he’ll stay away.”
“And Harriet?”
“No way I’m taking her on the trade, despite how useful a translator would be. That Xenos was far too interested in her, and you can never judge an alien by the same measure as us. Remove her and you remove the risk. Captain Snori is certain he’s uncovered this long lost legal easement across the Wyncrum way. He needs a researcher for a month or two to go through the legal records on the library at Starlight and its always useful to be owed a favour. Might find her enough other work to keep her out there for at least half a year or so. We’ve got better things to worry about. What were you able to learn from the alien Kenji?”
The early morning dawned around the three on the bridge as they discussed the night before and the day to come.

So much to review. So happy.

First things first, for characteristic scores, did you follow the + + - system that DH2 lays out (rolling 3d10 and taking the two highest for + characteristics and the two lowest for - characteristics?)

I plan on having a much closer look at this soon.

Hey hey man- yeah I followed that system. It didn't make a huge difference though- as you can see I didn't really get any really high or low scores- just lots in the middle.
My plus's were agility and perception and my one low one was willpower.

Let me start by saying that I absolutely love the picture you have for Harriet (with your permission, I'd like to put it at the top of the page so everyone's drawn to it immediately). I did find, however, another picture that is kind of my current head-canon for her... only less tall.



Hahaha, cheers, bro.

That is amazing.

Ha ha ha- that's a great picture too. Going to seem like a weird coincidence but I was toying with her having a stuffed animal for quite a while before changing my mind. I'll move mine up- but I do like your head cannon too.

Christmas Gift:

Apply XP now and you will find your item sometime during gameplay. Merry Christmas.

Harriet prospective XP purchase
400xp (Christmas Gift)

Willpower (simple, 250xp)

150xp left over

Perfect.