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 | | Subject: Adélaïde Beaudoin, Daemon World Survivor Fri May 31, 2019 7:37 pm | |
| Ordo/Faction/Allegiance: None/Humanity/The God Emperor of Humankind Speech Color: PurpleAppearance: Body Type: Lean/Muscular Height: 5' 10" Weight: 125 lbs. Skin: Dark Brown Hair: Black Eyes: Blue (left), Green (Right) Notable Marks: From her neck, going down under her clothing are what appear to be horrific burn scars. Outfit: Light blue Imperial robes that, while clean, have seen better days wrap around this woman’s strong body. On her broad shoulders she carries a well-packed backpack and in her hand a duffel bag. What is in the duffel bag is anyone’s guess, but it looks heavy. Similarly well-worn sandals hug her feet, wrapping up around her calves. Just by looking at her, one could tell she could probably run an easy mile or two in them if need be. She probably has. There is a tanned belt around her thin waist but from what type of animal is impossible to tell at a glance. Four interlocked metal rings keep it tight at the front. Impossible to see are the items concealed on each of her thighs. Personality & Tactics: Flaws – Liar and Untrusting Forced by circumstance and trauma to erase her past, Adelaide says very little about her life before her assignment to Inquisitor Yannick. When pressed, she simply lies. She doesn’t care if people believe her or not – deception is both an escape and survival mechanism for her. Similarly, and perhaps ironically, she is very slow to trust anyone else. It will take an incredible amount of care and hard work for her to even consider someone somewhat deserving of her trust. Perhaps that person will then get to the truth of who she is. She isn’t quite sure why the Inquisitor chose her for this assignment. She is not particularly good at investigations, charming, or intimidating. She can lie, but is no expert wordsmith. She can handle herself in a fight, however, though others on the team will surely be superior. She can deceive idiots, but the scrutinous will see through her. She is agile and stealthy, but any assassin will make her seem as though she’s banging pots. Perhaps it is her overwhelmingly strong willpower – her need to fight, push through, and survive no matter the odds. Perhaps the scars of her past have molded her into something stronger than even she realized. She is tough as all hell and it takes more than most have to break her. In a fight, she keeps to the back of the group – providing support either through keeping the enemy’s heads down with her autopistol, or absolutely annihilating them with her Heavy Crossbow Anima. Background: - Spoiler:
+++Damascus-Epsilon 431. Planetary Record: REDACTED. Authorization: Magenta+++
Adelaide caressed the rosewood stock of the weapon as she slid it into place tightly into her shoulder. Ancient mechanisms had already ensured the firing string was taught and ready to accept another bolt. Slowly, she set the monstrous rod of carbon fiber into the slot. Its steel tipped head, wickedly sharp, practically begged for blood. She shook the thought out of her mind that she had in fact “heard” it beg. It was only her imagination, but this place was taking its toll. Her mind briefly went back to the young man. She sighed. He really never had a chance.
“Take it. Just keep them off my back until I can send the signal out.” His handsome face had some blood on it, but he was determined as he spoke.
He had been on that vox unit for some time. The operator lay dead – as did everyone else in his retinue. Why they had come to this planet he had never said, but they were the good guys. Of course they were. They were all dead. In the end, she had fired as fast as she could, but his dreadful screaming told her that the outgoing vox message was worthless. So, she had taken the heavy weapon and ran. It was hers now.
And now they were going to pay. She gently let her left hand run up and down the length of the beautiful wood body, fingers tracing themselves over runes and words she could not even begin to understand. They looked like Low Gothic, but she could not read them. It didn’t matter; they gave her calm and serenity.
The Wandering Lunatic walked into her sights. He was only fifty meters away from her now, no bodyguard in sight. And why would he have one? This was his home territory. His domain. His castle. He felt comfortable and safe. She remembered how the Lunatic had dismembered that handsome young man after his death. She let the memories fuel her as she sighted down the cold-iron sights. In the distance, a tiny pin-prick of red gently caressed the Lunatic’s chest. She took a deep breath. Held it. Slowly, started letting it out. Halfway through, she squeezed the trigger. 225 pounds of drawn back wire sent the bolt flying. There was a second when she swore the Wandering Lunatic looked left – looked right at her. Then the bolt struck home. Like a balloon, a stream of pressurized blood sprayed out of his chest and mouth. He flew some distance back before the inertia impaled him onto a wall.
But Adelaide didn’t get to see that. She was already moving.
+++
She awoke with a start. She had no recollection of falling asleep, which explained why she couldn’t understand the four stark-naked figures standing around her chanting. Smoke filled the room. Knives slashed at her body, but not fatally. There was a baby.
No. God-Emperor on Terra, no.
She screamed. The baby was crying. Then it stopped. She felt wetness on her cheeks – they were forcing it into her mouth. She tried screaming again, but she was retching. The light in the room grew immensely as a castrophany of sound nearly blew out her eardrums. Then, all was silent.
Visions. Nothing made sense. Existence was pure torture, like peering through a vision slit of a tank as it killed everything and everyone you ever loved, powerless to stop it. But it was her. She was. It was. Her emotions were trapped, as though in a dream, as she watched the slaughter. It laughed at her pain and torment. Her mind was on the brink. Just as it was about to snap, bright light.
Brilliant and white. It burned her so badly, but she embraced it. It was the burn she needed. Chanting voices screamed praises of the Emperor and incantations of hatred of the beasts. She screamed. She would die here, but she would be free. The thought made her weep like a baby. Then she realized she could feel and hear herself weeping. A figure stood over her, flowing gowns over armor. Brilliant armor.
“If you are alive, speak child.”
Instead, she wept.
+++
Adelaide sat quietly as the ship tore through the veil and back into realspace. Her belongings were in a footlocker at the edge of her bed, but her weapons were in an armory somewhere else on the ship, she had been told. The first night without any form of protection was pure terror. And every night after that. But nothing compared to her home world. Nothing compared to-
A knock on the door brought her out of her reverie. The woman who had liberated her entered. She wore a robe of white silk with black carapace armor over it. Had they not escaped the reach of that horrible planet? Had they not been traveling for days? Then it hit her. She wore it because Adelaide might be a threat.
Adelaide spoke first. “I need my weapons.”
“I am afraid that is not permissible at this time. I understand you’ve been through more than most, but you are safe now. You know that right?” The woman's gray eyes were warm and full of tenderness, but there was a tenacity and resolve behind them.
Adelaide thought for some time. “I won't never be safe.” She felt her upper lip quiver, as a single tear formed in her right eye.
“It cannot hurt you – never again. I saw to it.”
She bit her lip, pushing her feelings deep down inside of her, and wiped her face. “Why? Why me? Why'd you save me?”
“It wasn’t just you, child. We liberated twenty three. But…” She paused, unsure as to whether or not she should continue. Eventually she said, “But ten have already committed suicide. The rest have been quarantined, but most will not recover from their madness. Which leaves you." She took a step closer. "Adelaide, there is a reason you survived. There is a reason you ran into our ground team. There is a reason you have that crossbow.”
Adelaide looked into her eyes, pleading for the reason.
“We just don’t know what that is yet. Only the Emperor does. But a mutual friend may be able to help…”
NPCs: +++REDACTED BY ORDER OF THE INQUISITION+++ | |
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