Exploring the Ship: Artemis

Artemis finds the stateroom much as Brother Androcles surmised; ornate and ostentatious in the extreme. From the many martial baubles and the towering mural of Ollanius Pius standing bravely before Horus, it seems this room was built with a mind to impress high ranking guests from the Imperial Guard. The furnishings all have the atmosphere of a military camp, sharply angled and rigid, but filtered through a lens of lavish decadence. In any case, all the furniture apart from the bed is much too puny to accommodate Artemis' superhuman proportions, even if he were to remove his power armor. The bed, on the other hand, looks large enough to hold him comfortably, and like a normal human might be smothered in silks and velvets if they clambered into it.

It's not all ornament, though. Artemis finds the armoire set into the far wall is keyed to his voice, and there he can stow any gear he wishes. After doing so, he sets off in search of the medicae ward.

A guard points him the right direction, and soon enough Artemis locates it, a few twists and turns through the corridors and onto the other side of the deck.

As the doors whoosh open, the steady hum of a busy ward fills Artemis' ears. Men and women in white uniforms flit about, ministering to the many sick and injured. The Horizon's Pride hosts a crew of ten thousand, and so in the packed ward Artemis sees all kinds: rough looking sailors waiting for stitches after a few too many off duty amasecs; pregnant women looking for a checkup; crewmen and women with the cuts and bruises that go along with working in the bowels of a ship. Fortunately, nothing looks too serious.

The buzz of activity slowly dies off as awareness of Artemis spreads through the ward. It seems everyone is staring; it seems Lan's entire crew doesn't share his comfort around Space Marines.

A harried looking young woman pushes he way out of the press. She wears the robes of a Sister Hospitaller, a medical auspex dangling from her belt where a Sister of Battle might carry a bolter. "That's enough. Back to work. Idle hands are heresy."

She approaches Artemis, bows at the waist. "My Lord, you honor us with your presence. I am Sister Magdalena, at your service."

Artemis and the chamber

As Artemis entered his chamber and noticed the opulence in the room. He smiled, as he recalled Androcles words of the possible lavioushness of the place. Androcles was right. Such richness was too much for most of the Astartes, and Brother Marr was of no exception. Perhaps he may remove all the finery from the mattress before using the bed.

He stood up and examined the mural of Ollanius Pius, and puffed up with Pride. Pius had gambled his life in defending the Imperial Palace of Terra during the great heresy from Horus and his turn-coat brothers. Many had also defended the palace, including the Adeptus Custodes and as so many Imperial Fists, including his gene-sire, Regal Dorn. Such stoic bravery in the face of unfathomable odds had always been always viewed highly among the Imperial Fists. Artemis smiled as he traced the artwork gently with a gauntleted hand, not to disturb the paint.

Finding the armoire, Artemis deposited his bolter, harness and scrimshaw tools. The chances of needing the for a fire fight seemed slim in a ship carrying so much security, but he had his combat knife and pistol just in case. For the same reason he saw no reason for the harness. Brother Issiac's Bones can wait for further scrimshawing, and can be resumed when he returns. Artemis closed the armoire.

--------------------

Artemis was not unfazed by the contemptuous stares from the inhabitants of the medicae ward. I wonder if they are staring at me due to the smell of unwashable xenos stench emanating from my armor, or is it because they do not appreciate the intervention from the Astartes, thought Artemis. Artemis had witnessed both adoration, fear and loathing in his lifetime since his ascent from a mere child to the post-human form of the Astartes, so the unkind glares did not phase him. I may not find the closest of friends here, but perhaps i can find some sort of ally.

As Sister Magdalena rose from her bow, Artemis crossed his arms around his breastplate in the sign of the Aquila in response. The honor is mine, sister. I am Artemis Marr. Our gracious host has allowed me and my brothers to tour the Horizon's Pride. Since we are to be guests on this ship, i wished to inspect the medicae ward and its facilities, in case of emergency.

Artemis did not know what to make of the Sister Hospitaller. He had little exposure to the Adeptes Sororitas. While the space marine had heard about the Battle Sisters, and their zeal for the God-Emperor and the Imperial Cult , he knew little else. However, if there was anyway to gain information of the alleged suicide of the Sister of Battle on Aurum, or the other deaths, the best person to inquire would be the sister of battle before Artemis. Artemis thought it prudent to gain some trust with Sister Magdalena instead of demanding the answers immediately. The voyage to Aurum is going to be long, and it the mission probably would be easier to have her as an ally than a unforgiving foe.

I would not wish to impose on your duties, my lady. In fact, if there is any need of my services--, Artemis said as he tapped the the helix symbol on his armor, denoting his position of an Apothecary, let me know. I have set and mended my share of scrapes, cuts and broken bones in my service to the Imperium.

Let me know if i need to make any lore checks or fellowship based skill checks. Should i tell you when i wish to make a test, or will you inform me of possible checks? I do wish to inquire about the suicide incident, but after i gain some trust from the Hospitaler first.

"Your offer is most kind, my Lord, and most welcome. We are hard pressed to treat all the injuries, minor as they are. With the servitors acting up so, many of the crew are having to perform the more risky duties. It's only by the Emperor's grace that no one has been seriously hurt yet." She makes the sign of the aquila, whispers a brief prayer.

"If you'll follow me, my Lord, I'll show you what equipment we have available. If you still wish to help," she motions towards the long line of waiting patients. "you are more than welcome to it. Will you require anything in particular?"


Magdalena leads Artemis on a short circuit of the ward, pointing out the familiar devices and banks of drugs. All in all, the ward appears quite well stocked. Apart from the specialized equipment used for monitoring gene-seed purity and implantation function in Battle-Brothers, it has nearly everything the ward at Watch Fortress Erioch does.

"I apologize for the sloppy state of affairs," she says. "As I said, my Lord, we are quite hard pressed. If you still wish to bless us with your aid," she gestures towards the long line of waiting patients, "you are more than welcome to it. Will there be anything you require in particular?"

If you want to make a roll that's fine, though if you do that you need to have a clear goal, i.e., a particular piece of information you're trying to discover or something like that.

Also, just to be clear, Sisters Hospitaller are not the same as Sisters of Battle. They are both part of the Adepta Sororitas, but Hospitallers are from different orders that are focused on healing, while the Sisters of Battle come from the Orders Militant.

Artemis studied the equipment that was presented to him. Despite the lack of specialized equipment needed to check the purity of Astartes gene-seeds, the current setup was satisfactory. The apothecary would have no difficulty using these instruments.

These facilities will be satisfactory for my current needs, Sister. Please point me to the critically wounded, and perhaps i can help lighten the current load.

Artemis proceeds to the nearest sink to sanctify and sterile his gauntlets and narthecium, for their immanent use on the wounded patients. After cleansing his gear for medical procedures, he presented his hand to the Hospitaller, becconing her to show the way.
So what pray tell, ails my first patient?

silly me. Should have known the Sister Hospitaller not being an Sister of Battle even though both are part of the Adepta Sororitas. Im too used to playing my Sisters of Battle/Witch hunters 40k army i keep forgetting the distinction between the different orders.

atm, just show me to the first patient, and we'll see where we go from there.

Magdalena leads Artemis to one of the ward beds. A grizzled sailor is sitting there, cradling his arm in his lap. Cocked at an odd angle, the man's radius is clearly fractured, perhaps completely, but he seems to be stoically enduring.

"Fortunately no one is too critical. Heltz here is the worse off. His refusal to take anything for the pain isn't helping matters, either," her tone is playfully reproachful.

"You're always telling me pain cleanses the body, Sister." Heltz grimaces, turns it into a grin.

"And that the Emperor frowns on overweening pride, but Heltz only hears the lessons he likes." She motions towards Artemis. "Apothecary Marr will see to you, Heltz. Try to treat him with more respect than you do myself and the Sisters." She inclines her head with a perfunctory, "My Lord," and departs to see to other patients.

"A Space Marine looking after little old me," Heltz says, grinning widely. "Not to sound ungrateful, my Lord, but I get the feeling I've either done something grand or something very bad. And since I think I'd remember if I saved the whole Sector, well. . ." he shrugs as he trails off.

Artemis nodded to the Hospitaller as she walked towards the other patients, then diverted his attention to the grizzled sailor. He liked the man's spunk. The apothecary had aided many non-augmented humans in his service before but few showed the stoic determination to endure a painful looking fracture, without the aid of pain suppressants. As an Imperial Fist he could appreciate men with that quality.


I assure you sir Heltz, if i wished to cause you harm i would be holding a bolter not surgical tools. The procedure to reset your bones might be a bit painful, especially without suppressants, but it will be quick. I must tell you i admire your stoicism in refusing any medication. Before we proceed,

I intend to do a basic inquiry check to determine how he received the injury. Since i don't have the inquiry skill trained i am rolling at half my fellowship at 21, so if i get any information its up to the GM and the dice gods . inquiry on how injury was received: Dice Roll: 1d100 d100 Results: 3

could you tell me how you came about this injury?


While Artemis inquires about how Heltz received the injury, he attempts to diagnose the arm.

Ok, im attempting to do two different tests, a medicae test (type diagnose) to properly diagnose Heltz's arm's ailment, and an inquiry test to question the sailor about how he got the injury. I've used mouse over OOC tags over the sections to show my rolls. Is the above format acceptable?

Heltz grunts. "Some grox turd for brains didn't secure a spare fuel canister below decks. I had my arm in a shelf trying to reach a hydrospanner when one of those warp-begotten servitors bumped into the shelving and knocked it loose. Came down right on my arm."

Indeed, just from the most cursory examination, Artemis can see that the bone has broken as though struck by something heavy, with a livid blue bruise where it struck. The bone has not broken completely through, so it should be easy to set and cast.

Servitors thought Artemis. It was the third time today that someone mentioned them. Lan did mention before that due to a shortage of engineers, they were hard pressed in doing ship repairs, and maintaining the servitors. Sister Magdalena also mentioned this they were acting up, due to lack of maintenance. However, allowing servitors to go in disrepair that they start causing injury would be considered to be heresy to many a tech-marine or tech-priest. Hopefully this is just a coincidence. Artemis sighed under his helmet. In this wide galaxy, there never coincidences. I should ask Sister Magdalena about this matter later he concluded.

Artemis wrenched his thoughts back to his patient. Placing both his hands on the sailor's arm, he turned his head to Heltz and asked This is not the first time i heard about these servitors. Are they causing trouble to other crew members? The rouge trader, Lan mentioned that the he lost an engineer. Are the the staff so hard pressed that they cannot maintain the ship's servitors?

Artemis listens attentively, waiting for the grizzled sailor to start rambling off. When Heltz becomes engrossed in his own tale, the Apothecary seizes the moment of the sailor's lack of attentiveness, and quickly but gently (for an Astartes) yank the mans's arm to reset the bone.

___________________________________

That couldnt have got any worse, i think i may have pulled the man's arm off the socket and killed 'im.
Using a fate point (from my

3 regular fate points and one temporary fate point per mission due to the lone survivor history of my armor

4 Fate Points) to reroll that roll

rerolling medicae,first aid on Heltz's arm:
Dice Roll: 1d100
d100 Results: 8

using fate to not pull off Helt'z Arm.
Left over fate: 3

"Trouble, aye. I don't pretend to understand the techies, m'Lord. Not that I want to. And the servitors, I just do my best to not look at them. But they've been acting up something fierce the past week or so. And then there was this new kid. . .Bennex. He killed one of the Enginseers. Says it was all self defense, the engie tried to kill him when he brought up the servitors acting weird. And the rest of them say they're trying, but they can't keep up with--argh!"

Heltz cries out as Artemis yanks on his broken arm. He bites back a louder scream, swallows. Heltz's arm looks to have set perfectly, the bone fragments nicely mated below the skin. After a moment, the sailor regains his previous composure.

"Something got to be done about them, m'Lord. But I leave that to the engies and the techies. Hope they're up to it."

The Apothecary checks his work, then proceeds to wrap the arm up in a cast. What he had heard so far was not sitting right in his gut. Complications in the voyage, will just delay his mission, which Artemis could not allow. Luckily, his helmet and armor did not betray his thoughts.

Bennex, is it? I assume he is in the brig. Perhaps my brothers and I could question this Bennex, to see if there is any truth in such an accusation.

With the cast fully formed, Artemis Marr proceeds to fit Heltz's arm into a sling. Try to spend the next couple of weeks under rest. It would not help anyone if you overexert your self and damage the arm again. Return in a couple of weeks, and someone will be able to remove the cast and help in further healing.