It's funny that none of my siblings chose a career with the Imperial Navy. Guard service certainly didn't work out for us (one brother murdered by his own troops, the other killed in "glorious combat"), so why not turn to the stars instead? I wish I could share some fancy lie of why I really signed my life away to naval service, but in all honesty I did it because it was the fastest way out and away from my family. As luck would have it, my family was all too happy to send me off and at the late age of nineteen I joined one of the many Navy academies strewn across our grand Imperium, staying there for six years as they attempted to teach me all they could. I am proud to say some of it stuck, but I was far from a perfect pupil. I had a feeling that the only thing keeping me there were the annual family donations. In the end they gave me my rank pins, uniforms and my first commission on board an orbital, just to get rid of me.

This went on for some time until I managed to forge transfer documents that saw me go to a place that, not to dishonour my current commission, is the best one I've ever had. Nothing beats being a security officer on board of a system transport for the rich on a vacation. Did I mention it had a casino and a massive store of fine drink?

- G.

I keep seeing a face in my dreams. I can never quite remember it though I get a feeling I've seen her before. I feel happy whenever I see her in my dreams, at ease.

Have we met before mysterious stranger?

"Oh muse of mine, please come home, are near or are you far? How I wish I was where you are.."

Bloody hell.

Character sheet: Intelligence officer Georg von Leopold (17-07-2011)

WS 40

BS 33

S 38

T 34

Ag 36

Int 45*

Per 46*

WP 30

Fel 51*

Homeworld: Noble born

Birthright: Vaunted

Lure of the Void: New Horizon – Seeker of Truth (100 XP)

Trials and Travails: Darkness – Forbidden Knowledge (200 XP)

Motivation: Pride – Reliquary of a Saint)

Career: Seneschal / Imperial Navy Intelligence officer

Skills: Barter, Command, Commerce, Common Lore (Administratum, Imperial Navy, Underworld), Deceive, Evaluate, Forbidden Lore (Pirates, Archeotech), Inquiry, Literacy, Scholastic Lore (Cryptology), Speak Language (Low Gothic, High Gothic)

Talents: Peer (Nobility), Peer (Administratum), Decadence, Paranoia, Enemy (pirates), Basic weapon training (universal), Pistol weapon training (universal), Unremarkable, Secret Tongue (Imperial Navy)

Gear: Microbead, void suit, arms case, footlockers (3), Uniform (SP1), Greatcoat (SP 2 B + A), Enforcer light carapace armour (SP 5), Iron Talon service pistol, Iron Claw boarding shotgun, Officer’s Cutlass, Book (Imperial Infantryman’s Uplifting Primer), Reliquary of Saint Samantha (a thigh bone in a wooden box with a glass panel)

Acquisitions: Dataslate, multi-keys, chrono.

Skills purchased: Inquiry (100 XP), Security (100 XP), Common Lore (Imperial Navy)(200 XP), Command (200 XP), Awareness (100 XP), Command +10 (300 XP),

Talents purchased: Unremarkable (200 XP), Secret Tongue (Imperial Navy)(100 XP)

Advances purchased: +5 Int (100 XP), +5 Per (100 XP), +5 Fel (100 XP)

XP left to spend: 100 XP

Golden Solitude

Oh "Golden Solitude", how I miss your velvet lined rooms and ready access to the fun stuff. My first official assignment on a ship, one that ferried the rich from their gilded spires and palaces to a vacation resort on a pleasure planet a few hundred million kilometres away.

A trip of a few days, a few days of fun and indulging in the some vices.

I have quite a few, courtesy of those four years of service on board the "Golden Solitude". In all honesty, I got all my vices from serving and rubbing elbows with the lords and ladies. I like my cigars, only the best and most exotic of leaf for me.I like my wine and strong spirits, which I am not that picky about as long as it warms the spirit and dulls the mind.I like a good game of chance, especially when the odds are stacked.I also very much love and adore those fey creatures of the opposite gender. Many a fine lass had graced my suite over the course of those trips. I don't like opiates and narcotics much though. I know enough about that poison through personal use, something I greatly regret ever doing to this very day.I'm not driven by my vices, but I am not one to deny them either in all honesty.

Of course, I had my duties, but who cared about that? I had subordinates who did their work well enough before I came along, so why interfere now? An easy four years you know? Thanks to some vague contact still maintained with my family I was well-funded and stacked the for many nights spent mingling with the guests under the pretence of keeping an eye out for trouble. Outside of the odd drunk no trouble there really.

I did get challenged to a duel once because some nob claimed I violated his daughter's honour by admiring her and favouring her with a sly wink. I also did something else with her, to which she consented mind you, but that was only after beating her daddy dearest in a fair fight with drawn blades. Guess I am a scumbag like he said.

Best four years ever but all good things must come to an end some day. Just another day, got myself a sleepover buddy for the entirety of the trip and had just secured a nice fortune for those nights when I had to "keep tabs" on the guests.

But who decided to drop by for a few games of cards and drunken pillage?

Mother. Fragging. Pirates.

They crippled the engines, used assault boats to board us, quickly seized the bridge and killed the command crew. I was at my station at that time and helped the security forces fend off the attackers. But they were too many and the damage the ship sustained was too severe.

We had to abandon ship.

My formative years

As a youth I was constantly reminded of my lack of worth to the family thanks to my many, many siblings. While fratricide was an option (one my siblings certainly considered more than once), I felt I was better off elsewhere. I could run off, but the life of luxury had grown onto me. I could've tried running a business of my own, but my family name could and would make it all the harder to pull off.

I toyed with the notion of becoming a man of the cloth, but I like my wine and women too much. Not to mention it feels like an oppressive vocation. Not that I denounce those that follow Him as fools mind you! We all serve the Emperor, blessed be thy name, in our own way.

I seriously considered buying myself a commission with the Imperial Guard for the longest of time. Our world seems to crap out a regiment every few years as a tithe to Terra. Two of my brothers had already joined up and I almost joined them until I learned that the unwashed masses have a severe dislike for us nobles, having killed one of my brothers in his sleep no less.

As they say, I had to rethink my options.

It's  funny that none of my siblings chose a career with the Imperial Navy. Guard service certainly didn't work out for us, so why not turn to the stars instead? I wish I could share some fancy lie of why I really signed my life away to naval service, but in all honesty I did it because it was the fastest way out and away from my family. As luck would have it, they were all too happy to send me off and at the late age of nineteen I joined one of the many Naval academies dotting our grand Imperium, staying there for a short six years as they tried in vain to teach me all they could about commanding a vessel. I am proud to say some of it stuck, but I was far from a perfect cadet. I had a feeling that the only thing keeping me there were the family donations to the academy. In the end they gave up and handed me my rank pins, uniforms and my first of many short commissions aboard a space station, just to get rid of me.


It took me some time to perfect the art of forging transfer documents but at after two years of hopping around stations I finally nailed the commission of my dreams. No disrespect to my current commission and peers, but nothing beats working "security" on board of a luxury system ship for the rich and important. Did I mention that it also had a casino and a massive selection of the finest drinks found in the system?

- G.

Introductions

My name is Georg von Leopold, twelfth son of a noble family and because of that, not a heir to the family throne any time soon. I was born on a hive world, one I longer care to recall or remember. I do remember living in top of a spire, above the cloud level, far from the pollution and the unwashed masses below us. I also remember my siblings. Most of them were a horrible lot, except for dearest Ophelia, our eldest sister, heir to the family throne and everything our parents had hoped for. She was about the only decent one in the bunch. I wonder if the old man is dead and cremated and that she's running the show now. She'd make a good leader.

I feel like I'm rambling now, keeping a journal is all rather new to me.

- G.