#rogue trader act 2

[cawyden-gaming]

Rogue Trader - Spoiler Ceremony + Ending - Inquisition + RT

At the end of act 2 in the talk with Xavier, you can ask to join his circle (if you are dogmatic 2 at least).

Here is the dialog (not voiced unfortunately):

You will receive "Interrogator's Dagger"

I haven't played through with it but in the localization file among all endings I found these:

"In a half-lit armoury, with no grand ceremony or public fanfare, the dagger adorned with the scull and pillar was melted down and reforged into an Inquisitor Insignia. Xavier Calcazar granted it to the Rogue Trader and inducted {mf|him|her} into the Koronus Conclave, a fellowship of guardians of the Imperium privy to Humanity's darkest secrets."

"By a twist of fate, when the Rogue Trader joined the Koronus Conclave, Heinrix van Calox became the Lord Captain's commanding officer. He gleefully took advantage of every opportunity to chastise and order the Rogue Trader around."

#rogue trader #rogue trader rpg #rogue trader crpg #rogue trader spoiler #rogue trader act 2 #rogue trader heinrix van calox #rogue trader epilog #rogue trader xavier calcazar #heinrix van calox #xavier calcazar

[steelsuit]

Lady Cassia Orsellio

#rogue trader #warhammer 40k #wh40k #cassia orsellio #cassia #warhammer rogue trader #navigator #scifi #pic #im around the end of act 2 rn hhhhh

[lordcaptains]

"Abelard. Just get on with it — say whatever you are going to say. It will certainly be preferable to your silent and palpable condemnation."

"I am torn between two desires — to lecture you about your shoddy timing and choice of setting, or to express my astonishment at the Inquisition's methods of moral support."

#rogue trader #heinrix van calox #abelard werserian #abelard: in the MIDDLE of COMMORRAGH #fun facts the first time i got this dialogue was in the middle of act 2 (before the patch) #and i was Very Confused #and then act 3 happened and suddenly i Got It #rt audio

[rosenfey]

where all my heinrix girlies at

#ambie.txt #ambie plays rogue trader #I'm literally so predictable #I see a man with a nice voice and questionable moral standing and I go ham... sigh #I need him carnally. can't believe he leaves at the beginning of act 2 #like COME BACK I haven't [redacted] your [redacted] yet

[cyberkn1fe]

"Hood wearing religious mechanical engineer with blue optics who used to be a part of a bigger whole and has long since lost access to those memories" is such an oddly specific character type

And yet. If I had a nickel

#im on act 2 but ive seen a whole bunch of spoilers before properly getting into the game. because i didnt expect id enjoy it lmao #rogue trader spoilers #jic #p

[vhaerath]

as much as i like marazhai it's very silly that the only gay male romance option in rogue trader is Psychic Vampire Murderfuck Space Elf

#owlcat it does have unfortunate implications when you make the gay option from the species that likes to do sex and torture as hobbies #i NEED that drukharussy though #im halfway through act 2 i NEED him #buttered poast #rogue trader

[shuunnico]

You like rpgs. Do you recommend any games like baldurs gate 3?

Absolutely. I'll assume you mean CRPGs and not RPGs in general.

Computer Roleplaying Games (CRPGs) refers to a style and genre of game that BG3 follows. Some have started calling CRPGs "Classic RPGs" instead. CRPGs are typically identified by an isometric, top down view style, a heavy focus on story and exploration.

I'm going to split my list it three main categories based on accessibility factors. These factors include the amount of reading involved, the depth of mechanics and the level of abstraction/math required.

Easy Entry Level

Baldur's Gate 3 - 2023 - Larian Studios. The current gold star for easy entry CRPGs. Exceptional graphics, every character voice acted, very little reading and fairly straightforward mechanics and concepts.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 DE- 2017 - Larian Studios. This is basically a less polished, more complex version of BG3 and made by the same studio.

Disco Elysium, Final Cut - 2019 - ZA/UM. Disco Elysium is a detective/social focus game that dives into heavy narrative concepts. Failing rolls is just as viable for the story as succeeding them, making the game's mechanics take a backseat to story. However, there is a lot of reading and that may be a barrier to entry.

Tyranny - 2016 - Obsidian Entertainment. A game about being evil, it's mechanically pretty simple, but there's a fair bit of jank due to it's low budget, and the game ends on a cliffhanger, but it's story is very solid.

Mid Entry Level

Wasteland 3 - 2020 - inExile Entertainment. The long awaited third installment of the Wasteland franchise and significantly less complex than its predecessors. Post apocalyptic, frozen Colorado, grim reality and goofy ideas. This is the franchise that originally inspired Fallout.

Shadowrun: Dragonfall DC/ Shadowrun: Hong Kong EE - 2014/2015 - Harebrained Schemes. Set in the Fantasy/Cyberpunk hybrid setting of Shadowrun. Fair bit of reading, but the game's mechanics are relatively easy to grasp and don't require a lot of math. Always play Dragonfall before Hong Kong.

Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire - 2018 - Obsidian Entertainment. A unique setting, exploring a fictional parallel to the age of piracy. Very wordy (but a lot is voice acted), with a lot of world building, but well worth engaging with. The first game, Pillars of Eternity, is less accessible, but still good.

Kingmaker/Wrath of the Righteous/Rogue Trader - 2020/2022/2023 - Owlcat Games. Owlcat adapts existing systems into CRPGs, like how BG3 is an adaption of DnD 5e. Do not be fooled, these games are where you start hitting a lot of complexity, a lot of math and a lot potential to damage your playthroughs by accident. This is where things start to get difficult.

Difficult Entry Level

Baldur's Gate 1/2 - Bioware - 1998/2000. The prequels to BG3, these games use an older, much more complex version of DnD's rules. Be prepared for a lot of reading and complex mechanics, but you'll be rewarded with some amazing storytelling.

Planescape Torment - Interplay - 1999. Another game using DnD's older mechanics, Planescape is a completely different beast from BG3. Many consider this series mechanically inferior to the Baldur's Gate franchise, but with better storytelling and world building to compensate.

Fallout 1/2 - 1997/1998 - Interplay/Black Isle. One of the most widely known game franchises started as an isometric CRPG. Universally considered more complex, rewarding and deeper than the Bethesda portion of the franchise, you'll need some experience to get into them, but you'll be happy you did.

Games I haven't played but I've heard good things of:

Wasteland 2, DC - 2015 - inExile

Torment: Tides Of Numenera - 2017 - inExile

Neverwinter Nights - 2002 - Bioware

Arcanum - 2001 - Troika Games

Ultima 7 Part 1/Part 2 - 1992/1993 - Origin Systems

Icewind Dale - 2000 - Black Isle Studio

#Baldur's Gate 3 #Disco Elysium #DnD #Fallout #Rogue Trader #Warhammer 40k #Pathfinder #Baldur's Gate #Planescape #Bioware #pillars of eternity

[deputyrook]

man the romance options in rogue trader are something else. like how am I supposed to choose between:

1) imperial interrogator who tortures people for a living. ruthless, uptight, cold, secretly kind of sweet and protective, SO tired of your shit. will disappear your companions if you ask him to without hesitation and also also recommends blowing up a planet as the best course of action at one point

2) literally the main villain of act 2. cenobite torture alien. you can be his pet or you can make him your pet. branding is involved. everyone else on your crew is horrified by this. he is not redeemed at all, he is still very much evil. He makes you worse and will kill your crew members

I love the difference from bg3 where these are just like… very much not good guys at heart LMAO

#I’m romancing Heinrix right now but 👀 #1) is also very anti-alien and 2) is an alien #wh40k rogue trader #rogue trader #rogue trader spoilers #this is 100% serious though I adore both of these choices I’m so torn #I’ll probably Heinrix endgame but flirt w Marazhai

[leadflowers]

Character arc - Niobe von Valancius

portrait by @mayoonrices

I was tagged by @bnbc to participate in @fuchsiareign's Rogue Trader character arc prompt and it sounded like fun!

Niobe's arc is a strange one, and I'll explain why in due course.

To begin with, it's a story of love vs duty and pushing the limits of both in search of the answer to the following questions: which is strongest? Can a balance be achieved? Ultimately, it is a story of personal sacrifice for a perceived "greater good" (no, not in the Tau sense, that's heresy. ;) )

Niobe was born in a world of privilege most citizens of the Imperium could only dream of, but that doesn't mean her life was easy. From an early age, she was groomed to take up a specific position within her family hierarchy: ambassador to the other noble courts in Scarus sector. It's a role she then fulfilled for 2 decades, always on the lookout for ways she could advance her house's interests while undermining their rivals. It was a world of secrets and intrigue and double-dealing and she was profoundly lonely despite being surrounded by people.

Then she was summoned by Theodora von Valancius, THE von Valancius to whom House Theseis which she was part of was related by blood, but distantly enough that they had no right to the name. Until she took up the mantle of Rogue Trader, that is.

In some ways, her new duties weren't entirely unfamiliar to her: she had long been wrangling people with hidden agendas and uncertain loyalties, and she had the poise and authority to go with the title of Lord Captain.

Other things she had no idea about and had to learn as she went along while trying to keep her protectorate from falling apart. Part of what initially brought her and Heinrix close was her appreciation for his sharp intellect and sensible advice.

Then Commorragh happened. That constituted Niobe's "fall from grace" when she almost lost her life, her retinue, her love but most importantly of all, she lost some of her humanity. In order to save Heinrix from further torment, she grovelled before Tervantias and begged for his release, an unforgivable act in her eyes (and that of the Imperium). It left a deep scar and fuelled her existing xenophobia to unprecedented heights. She had never been fond of xenos, but after this she absolutely loathed them and hunted them down with extreme prejudice. She became less inclined to be merciful, and more likely to make examples of those who displeased her.

As for her relationship with Heinrix, it ended in a mutual agreement that their respective duties came first. He went on to become the next Lord Inquisitor while Niobe continued her tenure as Lord Captain, and the two met as often as their many responsibilities permitted. They had a son, Lysander, although Heinrix only found out about it 3 years after his birth.

This is where things get complicated, because I have two possible endings in mind for her - a bittersweet one which is in line with the ending slides I got and a much darker one which I came up with on a whim but which kind of tempts me to make canon. XD

In the first possible ending, she and Heinrix join forces many decades into the future for one last mission against the enemies of mankind, and die gloriously in battle, side by side, by ramming the ship into an enemy dreadnought.

In the second possible ending, Niobe's son Lysander manifests psychic powers and is taken away for sanctioning but doesn't make the cut and is sacrificed to the Emperor instead. Niobe, who had been very reluctant to let him go, is stricken by grief and becomes less and less interested in running her protectorate. Instead, she ends up locking herself up in her son's old rooms, which had been kept completely closed off and left untouched since his departure, and becomes a kind of Space Miss Havisham. In her deeply depressed, hopeless state, she is vulnerable to the predations of Grandfather Nurgle who corrupts her mind and body and gradually those of everyone in the estate. Eventually Heinrix himself calls a purge of that part of Dargonus.

Phew! That was a lot of text!

#rogue trader #von valancius #wh40k rogue trader

[cawyden-gaming]

Have you done a post about harshness/mercy for heinrix/where to find those modifiers in toybox?

No, I haven't. But since you are asking, I actually did now.

That is going to be a long post....spoilers obviously, all acts + endings.

Summary:

His act 2 quest in Kiava Gamma affects the etudes InterrogatorQuestGoodOutcome and InterrogatorQuestEvilOutcome - both affect his act 4 quest and the endings.

His act 4 quest has him acting differently depending on these etudes and sets / unlocks doubtful/stoic Heinrix flags- these can affect the ending too.

Here the toybox screenshots

Look under Etudes or Search'n Pick + Etudes and for "InterrogatorQuest" to get both Etudes. Romance can be started under Etudes too - etude name is just Heinrix (two entries).

Look under Search'n Pick + Flags and for "Heinrix" to see his DoubtfulHeinrix and StoicHeinrix flags.

Long story:

Harsh/mercy counter -> InterrogatorQuestGood/EvilOutcome

So far I noticed the Harsh/Mercy counters for Heinrix first quest on Kiava Gamma. When you speak with the Techpriest and when you encounter the mutants your dialog options set the harsh/mercy counter for Heinrix. This affects his response - if you have a higher harsh counter and then ask him for mercy/iconoclast he might not follow your request...

Here the tech priest dialog option:

Here for the mutants (it also checks the current value for the flags):

And here the effect of the flags if interacting with the cogitator:

But - there might be a bug currently, as the iconoclast option will lead to InterrogatorQuestEvilOutcome.

The outcome will set the Etudes InterrogatorQuestGoodOutcome and InterrogatorQuestEvilOutcome which affect his endings (-> depending on other conditions - if he is romanced and leave the inquisition it seems it doesn’t have an effect?).

2. Doubtful/stoic Heinrix Flags

There are also the two doubtful/stoic Heinrix flags. They are set in his act 4 quest (Emelina) depending on your choice. His responses here are also affected by the InterrogatorQuestEvil/GoodOutcome Etudes.

Depending on your dialog choice (Emelina asks you what you would have done) you will unlock doubtful or stoic flag:

His dialog is also different depending on the InterrogatorQuestGoodOutcome or InterrogatorQuestEvilOutcome.

In the InterrogatorQuestGoodOutcome he will kill Emelina (directly)

in InterrogatorQuestEvilOutcome he will keep her alive to interrogate her and to extract information.

3. Endings in different combinations

I used my run (iconoclast/sided with Xavier but he gets killed in the epilog) and played around with the values. Here are the endings if non romanced:

InterrogatorQuestGoodEnding + Doubtful flag (unlocked):

InterrogatorQuestEvilEnding + Doubtful flag (unlocked):

InterrogatorQuestGoodEnding + Stoic (unlocked):

InterrogatorQuestEvilEnding + Stoic (unlocked):

InterrogatorQuestGoodEnding - no doubtful/stoic

- > same as stoic

InterrogatorQuestEvilEnding - no doubtful/stoic

-> same as stoic

Romanced

If he stays with RT:

No difference found between interrogator evil/good outcome or stoic/doubtful points if he stays with you (requires min. 3 corruption points -> starts etude Heresy). There is also an ending where he is not Master of Whispers - not clear yet how it is triggered.

If he remains with the Inquisition:

You get the romance slide that you have a long distance relationship until you both die and additionally the ending slides for what he does while he is in the inquisition (depending on the flags/etudes set in his quests).

I hoped this answers your question. There are more conditions for the endings of course, such as Xavier not dying for example. From what I heard, making Jae a shadow baron might also help Heinrix to stay alive when he would otherwise be assassinated....

#rogue trader #rogue trader rpg #rogue trader crpg #rouge trader spoiler #rogue trader endings #rogue trader act 2 #rogue trader act 4 #rogue trader heinrix van calox #heinrix van calox #heinrix x von valancius #rogue trader toybox #rogue trader question

[fourgods-nobrakes]

heretic Rogue Trader ficlet

I'm still in chapter 2 but the first encounter with Uralon has been haunting me, so here is a small horny fic where my Rogue Trader also can't stop thinking about it.

Seth von Valancius makes a bad decision and fantasizes about another one. Also on AO3.

Obscura isn't something a person with any ambitions can afford to make a habit of. Seth has known that since before he was old enough to get his hands on any, and it's no less true now than it was then, or later when his little syndicate was running black-market chems on a planetary scale, before Theodora's agents turned up to throw his life completely into disarray. But every once in a while, for a Rogue Trader who has access to the good stuff that's not cut with rat poison—not more than once or twice a voyage, tops—it's nice to have something a little more intense than amasec to relax with.

He tips a little powder from the last confiscated shipment onto the glass top of Theodora's desk, cuts it and lines it up with a shard of wraithbone blade, and snorts a nice long line of medicinal narcotic. His nose goes numb. The room slows down around him. His head gets a little floaty but not in a warp way. 

He leans back in the too-fancy chair with its upholstery probably made from some creature that's been hunted to extinction. The warp shit... has been really weird. It would be, right, most people have at least the vague idea that warp travel is a nightmare. The layperson has no idea how fucked up it really gets.

Seth's throat itches. He rubs at it. There should be bruises there, or burns, or something. A mark on his skin instead of just in his mind. The vision on the way out of the Kiava Gamma Manufactorum was so intense, so vivid, he can't get it out of his head. He can feel that collar and the weight of the chains hanging from it, the chill of the floor seeping into his knees. His heart's speeding up now thinking about the looming, giant figure standing over him, the balefires, the voice that felt like it was shaking his bones. The taste of Chaos in the air and on his tongue.

Fuck, he could have gotten smeared to paste there. It wouldn't even have taken a weapon. The Obscura makes his skin tingle and his mouth feel dry as he falls into the memory. The giant armored hand gesturing in welcome, when it could have crushed his skull so casually. He unbuttons his trousers and reaches in; the Obscura means the first stroke down the length of his cock makes him dizzy, the ship swimming around him like he's back on that cold plasteel floor. He groans, closing his eyes to focus more on that image.

The Chaos Marine close enough to touch. The synthetic smells of the manufactorum overwhelmed by blood and a strange, bitter incense unlike anything the Imperial Cult uses. The weight of the crackling, sparking chains as Seth tried to look up at his captor and couldn't focus on the imposing presence. The arousal he didn't dare pay attention to then and can't deny now.

He's breathing hard, rubbing his cock to the vivid drug haze—the low, rhythmic rumble of the Chaos Marine's voice, like a sermon delivered by distant artillery. The growl of power armor and the flutter of vellum as he moves, the cold ceramite of his armored fingertips against Seth's face, a perfect threat. In the vision Seth couldn't look at his face, but in the dream his eyes glow a cold yellow and his teeth are pointed when he smiles.

Hear your very blood calling, he says in Seth's memory, begging you to submit to me, and Seth imagines a ceramite boot pressing threateningly against his dick and comes just like that, sick warp purples blooming behind his eyelids and tiny psychic shocks crawling over his skin.

The room is swaying gently around him as he falls back in the chair. He doesn't want to open his eyes, and the shreds of sensation are still clinging to his mind. He feels more unsettled than relieved. Surrender is a dangerous thing to be kinked for in a role like his, even when he doesn't really act on it, even when it's just an Obscura dream. 

Well. He won't make a habit of it.

#rogue trader #male rogue trader #uralon the cruel

[vitanithepure]

At what point(s) do Imogene and Heinrix start liking each other as people? At what point(s) do they start liking each other romantically?

This is such a interesting set of questions! 💜

For context, the order of things I did in act 2 was: Janus, Kiava Gamma and finally Dargonus.

I also think Heinrix has a head start when it comes to seeing Imogene as a real person behind the fancy title. The talk they have after dealing with the governor of Janus? At this point, he seems to genuinely care about the wellbeing of the Rogue Trader, not just her reputation or their mission. So I chose this as his “Oh no, I care if her recklessness will get her killed, this is bad.” moment.

Imogene, on the other hand, sees Heinrix as a snitch with an added bonus of a pretty face until Kiava Gamma, where Uralon calls him her “pet psyker” and "watchdog".

She gets a moment of clarity where she thinks, “No, this ain’t right. He’s much more than this to me.”

I believe it is Heinrix who is also the first to catch any kind of romantic feelings. After Kiava Gamma, I have the exact moment in my head for this:

Okay, picture one of their quiet moments in the Rogue Trader’s quarters. They sit down by the regicide table, the game is pretty evenly matched, because they both had a bit of practice up to this point. She’s flirting shamelessly, as she always does, both for her own amusement and to throw him off… and then he gains the upper hand. Imogene is so dumbstruck at what happened that she does the only thing that comes to that idiot brain - she throws a piece from the board to her mouth in an honest-to-god attempt to eat it.

And I think the absurdity of her behavior made Heinrix, perhaps for the first time in his life, laugh until he cried. There is no coming back to being normal about Imogene for him after this xD

And when she realized that there might be something more than an attraction between them?

And let me tell you - many people did, but nobody kissed her like this. And the competition was fierce, because I'm sure Jae wasn't pulling any punches in that regard either, lol xD

#thank you so much for the ask #I was thinking about it and rotating them both in my head since I got it 💜 #OC:Imogene #rogue trader #rogue trader spoilers

[themagnificentmags]

Since I finished Rogue Trader yesterday I'm just gonna jot down some notes on my RT Eltura's character arc with Heinrix because it actually ended up playing out very nicely. Under the cut for spoilers.

Eltura was kind of an ass to him at first, both because he was throwing his authority around and because she was repeating the usual imperial disdain for psykers/mutants. So we got the snippy, "I hope you can control your power better now" / "ew psyker" dialogue options.

She started to warm up to him throughout act 2 (especially the crashed black ship -- oof, what a good way to dig into backstory) but generally kept to the friendly options, with the exception of making out at the Magnae Ascenscio. #worthit

After having a VERY STRESSFUL time of it all through act 3 (a noble/officer/master tactician and Yrliet without drukhari weapon proficiency was a very scary place to be), hot off of having to talk Cassia down from melting her brain, she found Heinrix and approached him as another psyker bomb to disarm... and instead he immediately recognized her and asked for help. The palm kiss!!!!

(Side note, is he using biomancy to identify the RT here? Nifty if so)

Their chat afterwards in the Pit was incredibly good. I love me some sad boys and my god did it deliver -- I didn't expect his backstory to be THAT fucked up. I have a drawing in my mind's eye: the two of them curled up on one of the shitty cots in the back of the Pit, Eltura using her coat as a blanket to get a bit of sleep before they go for the final push in the arena and Heinrix with a warp-haze around one hand finishing up fixing his organs. Maybe now that I've written it down I'll draw it.

(Then of course they went back to yelling as he chewed Eltura out for keeping Yrliet around. Some things never change.)

Then we get the full circle at the end of act 4: when Heinrix had his full-on psychic breakdown, Eltura willingly waded into the ice despite the freaky psyker shit and brought him back.

On Epitaph, when Calcazar tried to tell Heinrix to kill her, she just stood back with the smuggest smile on her face.

Having him as her Master of Whispers afterwards was also *chef's kiss*. 10/10 epilogue.

Bonus: screenshots from my liveblogging to a friend

[act 2]

[end of act 2, when Heinrix pulls you aside to warn you about Calcazar]

[act 3 begins]

[act 2 / act 4, fucking around and finding out with macharius]

[act 4, after killing Uralon]

[act 4, frozen chess table]

[act 4, pasqal's quest]

[act 5, dying inquisition agent on Epitaph]

[bonus bonus: act 1, psyker RT, when the parade gets ambushed. this one's not Eltura -- it's the heretic 2nd playthrough I started while waiting for patches, because I like this game a normal amount]

#rogue trader #I Like This Game A Normal Amount #tragically heinrixpilled

[rollofleaf]

7 Snippets 7 People

Tagged by @cassynite ! Thank you for thinking of me, it’s good motivation to try and push myself to write more. Sorry it took me a few days to get to.

Tagging @arendaes , @iwoszareba , @bearvanhelsing , and @silversiren1101 !

Snippets are from various things I’m working on, I did a different character for each.

1. (Slight nsfw)

Marazhai lounged on his bed with all the smugness of a content cat, completely unashamed in his nakedness. He still proudly bore bleeding scratches along his chest and bruises on his thigh. Heinrix, on the other hand, was hurriedly donning his clothes, desperately avoiding the mildly amused gaze of the Rogue Trader that had interrupted his heresy.

Arethousa strode up to the psyker and grabbed him by the ear, pulling him close despite his gasp of protest. “Now, Inquisitor. If you ever see fit to question the bond I share with Yrliet again, I will be forced to remind you of what I just witnessed. Perhaps that will stop you from criticizing a Rogue Trader in public?”

He winced. Still, it was a fair request considering his shame. “Y-yes, Lord Captain.”

Arethousa released him with a grin. “Good boy. Or is that the xenos's line?” She promptly turned and walked out the door, in need of some soap to scrub the sight from her eyes.

2.

Grace groaned, furiously rubbing her temples as she pulled herself to her feet. She had slept through the night after her kidnapper’s ship crashed on the beach. And… Her mind was still a blank, impenetrable fog. Some part of her had expected her memories to return after escaping the illithids, but such hopes were dashed. She looked around. This place was wholly unfamiliar, though just about nothing was familiar to her. But she was near the ocean, at least.

Grace walked over to a small tide pool, staring into the water to get a good look at her unknown face. She was a tiefling, she knew that instinctively. Deep red skin, straight horns, short purple hair. She was pretty, all things considered. And her cheeks were stained with blood. Sweet, delicious blood. Enough to lick up, yet she wanted more, wanted enough to bathe in. She was hypnotized by the sight until her reflection began to move on its own and speak in a voice not her own.

“Oh, good, you’re alive! How are you feeling, love?”

3.

“You… You speak true. I am terrified… Will I learn to love you only after I kill you? To struggle so long to regain that joy, only to cast it aside in the process like the petals of a dandelion… But… I would rather love again and mourn you. I must do this. I must trust that this will lift the curse and pursue it. What else can I do?”

You can let me save you. The words hung on Ethyn’s lips, begging to be free. But they would mean nothing to her. She could only act for Nyrissa, not placate her with promises. She simply gazed up at the beautiful nymph that had crushed her heart. “If you’re so resolved, then do it. End me.”

Nyrissa raised the knife. Her tears fell on Ethyn’s innocent skin, blossoming into roses as they touched her. She plunged the knife down, into the bedsheets. She couldn’t do it. Even in a dream, she couldn’t force herself to finish Ethyn off. With a furious groan, she tossed the knife aside and rolled onto her back. “I… I cannot.” She laughed out. “A spider with sympathy for what’s caught in her web. And I cannot even feel sympathy… I do not love you. I cannot love you or anyone! So why do I feel this way? Why do you haunt my dreams, make my hands tremble, why do I trust you in this way? Why does that accursed word still hold sway over me?!”

4.

Hilde roared as she brought her axe up, bringing it down with enough force to decapitate the succubus. Arueshalae darted in front of the demon, barely managing to parry Hilde's swing with her starknife. The succubus's hands were trembling, her eyes squeezed shut as she shook violently. "S-stop. S-stop it!" She shook her head as she settled into a fighting stance, leveling her bow at Hilde. Arueshalae was fighting desperately against the control, her eyes pleading and desperate as they stared into Hilde's.

The other succubus let out a pompous laugh as she darted back and away from the melee. "Oh, darling! You want to be a stupid little mortal, so you'll be controlled like one..." Arueshalae flinched and loosed her arrow, crying out in terror and worry as it nicked Hilde's shoulder.

Hilde looked right past her friend, glaring at the succubus controlling her. "You're going to suffer for that. Arueshalae, don't worry. I know it's not you that's hurting me."

5.

There was a distinct skip in the elf’s step as she strode through the thick trees of the lands known as the Hinterlands. A terrible name, this land was anything but hinter! It was beautiful, nearly unspoiled, a treasure trove of unique life and people that Noriaralyn had spent nearly two weeks exploring with relish. What she did not expect to see or hear in her wanderings was the sound of crying. The elf’s long ears perked and flicked as she stopped still to pinpoint the source. Some nearby bushes… She walked over as the wailing grew louder, carefully tugging aside the leaves as the crying suddenly halted. The kaldorei found herself staring into the eyes of an infant, a baby dwarf. Pudgy fingers reached out curiously at the deep purple skin and bright green hair of the face staring into hers as Nori reached out to gingerly pick up the baby.

“Aww… Hello, little one… Why are you here all alone? Where are your parents?" The infant's wails quieted as Nori lifted her out of the bush, brushing some stray leaves off of her.

6.

Ssathera's vision slowly returned. Faded sunlight dappled the surface of the water above her, in her escape she must have thrown herself into the icy river. The ghouls hissed and growled at the water's edge, peering through the murky depths but unwilling to venture in. She let herself sink deeper to hide from them, the naga's gills happy to breathe water oncemore. Still, the chill only made the pain of her myriad bleeding scratches that much worse. Her scales had been torn away where the abomination's hook had landed, and her blue blood seeped into the water.

She felt fear far more chilling than the frigid depths rise in her breast, a tremble in her tail and fins. She should go back. She had sworn to fight and die with her kin and the blood elves. Her sisters, her allies, her friends. But how many had been cut down? She was one siren, what could she do? No, she had to go back, she couldn’t run! Her tail began to beat, propelling her through the water. Away from the battle. Try as she might, she could not fight her cowardice.

7.

The drow’s gaze flitted between Shadowheart and the imposing form of the Nightsong. The two shared unspoken words and Taliira turned to focus on Shadowheart. “I think you should do as your heart tells you to.”

Shadowheart scoffed. “Come now. You must have thoughts on this, -Selunite-.” She spat out the word with all the contempt she could muster. Her hand trembled. She needed Taliira to try to sway her, to fight her and give her the resolve to do what Lady Shar commanded. She needed the drow to prove her doubts right, to prove that she was just a lapdog for Selune that would try to turn her from her faith. If she wasn’t, then she didn’t know what to do with the doubt that swelled in her. If the doubt wasn’t subterfuge from Taliira, where did it come from?

#tag game #rogue trader #pathfinder wrath of the righteous #pathfinder kingmaker #baldurs gate 3 #world of warcraft #tried to include some of my ocs I write about less nowadays

[dekarios]

Hello im thinking of playing rouge trader (because of how much you had fun with it) i just have 2 questions if its okay? First do i need to play other games before this one or know about warhammer or can i play it separately like BG3? Second is it as graphically intensive as BG3 ? My computer can just about handle BG3 with minimal lag in act 3 will it work fine for me? Thank you !

hi hi hi hi pls join me in my hyperfixation .. !!

you do not need to know anything. no game connects to it, and it's specficially about the Rogue Trader ruleset, which has never been turned into a game before as far as i am aware, so it in itself is also separate from a lot of WH40K stuff. the game does a good job at explaining to you all you need to know about Rogue Trader, but not as much about extended lore beyond what shows up itself in game, so if you enjoy the game, go explore the further lore!

it is not graphically intensive, however it is known to make PCs run a little hot (not mine, personally, but i've seen it talked about on the steam discussions).

here's WH40K: Rogue Trader's specs!

and here's BG3s!

#fray.txt #ask #Anonymous

[iamaweretoad]

Did you maybe get a chance to develop an idea for your Rogue Trader? What are they like? And, perhaps most importantly, how do they get along with the members of their retinue? 😊

I am so glad you enjoy the game, hope you have a great day!! 💜

Thank you for enabling me! 💜

god this game is giving me hella brainworms, so apologies in advance for how long this got!

His name is Mago Vanth, though he goes exclusively by his surname and has for a while now. It's a bit awkward with his fancy new surname tacked onto it (all those v's), but so is he, so.... XD

Crime lord background. Lawful neutral. Loyal to his people (crew/gang/etc) and nothing else. Ruthless when necessary. Fast talking. Pragmatic (until he's not). He has a talent for people and synthesizing information/perspectives. Good at tactics, bad at combat (he's gonna give Abelard a heart attack one of these fights). Be gay do crimes.

He was born in a hive world slum. Orphaned at 9 after his mother got sucked into a chaos cult and tried to sacrifice him and his sibling. Started his life of crime young and by his late 20s he was running a successful gang. Unfortunately the leaders of the larger syndicate that his gang was part of ALSO got involved in some Chaos shit, and Vanth was arrested as part of the investigation/crackdown.

I went with Shadow of Torment from the 'Darkest Hour' section of character creation ("You were arrested and thoroughly interrogated using creative and violent methods."), so.... yeah. He claims he lost his eye in a fight, but in reality it was a result of the interrogation.

He (barely) survives and manages to escape, but by that point he is a complete wreck and everyone he knows/cares about is dead, arrested or wants *him* dead for betraying them. So he runs, as far towards the outer rim (or whatever the in-universe equivalent is) as the money in his bailout stash will get him and begins the process of trying to piece himself and his life back together.

8? 10? years later, he's clawed his way up to being the leader of a successful smuggling syndicate (not huge, but a respectable size) when he gets press-ganged into the Von Valencias dynasty.

He's spent his whole life living/working outside of (and often in conflict with) the establishment. And now he IS the establishment and it's killing him. More than that, though, it's the title that he's really struggling with. Heinrix has that line at the beginning of Act 2, something about if you land on Footfall incognito it will be your last chance to be treated like a person -- and like, he means it in a subterfuge/reconnaissance way, not a existential way, but it's still very much true in an existential way. Vanth isn't a person anymore, he's a title, and it's terrifyingly isolating and lonely and he has no idea how to navigate it.

The only thing that is keeping him from drowning completely is a) he is very good at people, and b) he has never known stability in his entire life and is a firm believer in "no plan survives contact with the enemy" so he is very adept at improvising/adapting on the spot. But the amount of focus and energy this requires isn't really sustainable, and it's only a matter of time before he burns himself out.

***

Re: companions -- I just got to Footfall, so I've only got their Act 1 introductions so far (and haven't met the later companions yet). But in terms of very early impressions:

Abelard: Space Dad. They butt heads a fair bit, but his experience and advice is invaluable, and he's the one person Vanth can sorta lean on for support (professionally if not emotionally -- yet). He also seems unafraid to tell Vanth bluntly to his face when he thinks he's being an idiot, which is an indispensable quality even if Vanth doesn't always agree with his position.

Idira: Sibling energy. Someone else who found a way to exist outside of the system. The only person he can have a normal (to him) conversation with. Basically his reaction to Idira was "oh thank fuck someone sane".

Argenta: nails-on-a-blackboard levels of uncomfortable. She swings wildly between compassion, contempt and fanaticism and he cannot get a bead on her. He respects her skill in combat, but he does not trust her at all, AND she picks on Idira, so she's on thin fucking ice.

Cassia: He is trying to remember that she's still a kid (technically an adult, I assume, but he's in his mid to late thirties, so to him she's a kid). And she's a kid who has been intensely isolated, indoctrinated and infantilized her entire life and who has not, until like a week ago EVER come in contact with any information that challenges her perception of reality/worldview. He is also trying to remember that when someone is actually willing to talk to her about that conflicting information, she seems willing to sit with the discomfort and objectively consider it, and in some cases change her view/behavior in response (which is more than can be said for some of the other party members). He is trying to remember that and not have a kneejerk reaction every time she opens her mouth about commoners, but goddamn it's a struggle. Not helped by the fact that even if he succeeds, she can still tell he's angry because she's an empath. He's working on it. He likes her, he's just so fucking tired.

Pasqal: TBD. He doesn't quite know what to make of him yet. (i feel like Pasqual had a much higher ratio of exposition to personal dialogue than the other companions in Act 1 -- which entirely fits the character, but doesn't give me a lot to work with XD)

Heinrix: IT'S COMPLICATED. They got off on the wrong foot for starters, walking in on him interrogating an enemy. Instant trauma flashbacks for Vanth, and then Heinrix immediately escalated the tension by threatening Idira. As first impressions go, could not have been worse. Luckily there was still a station full of cultists trying to kill them and combat is a hell of an icebreaker. He's still a walking trigger and the way he asks questions sets Vanth's teeth on edge, but things are more or less civil between them for now. Vanth values his pragmatism, and he's been kind to Cassia and he helped Evayne (and even Idira in that last combat). And every so often there is a hint of a person underneath all the dogma and red-tape officiousness, which makes Vanth curious despite himself.

#thank you again for the lovely ask! #i hope you are having a great day as well! <3