#rogue trader analysis

[cawyden-gaming]

Rogue Trader - (mostly) Heinrix related romance and general information, toybox flags + etudes

My youtube channel with Rogue Trader videos.

Heinrix romance related

Toybox - general and Heinrix specific information

Devil/closeness flirt

Heinrix romance - flirting differences (devil vs. closeness)

Corruption points

Act 4 - Heinrix + Guard difference (kill/spared) and corruption points

Act 4 - Heinrix 2nd romance scene and Corruption points

Questions

Janus corruption dialog popup when

Heinrix quest flag/etudes + affected endings

Act 4 Date trigger

Toybox Navigator Points

Dialog screenshots/videos

Heinrix - amasec and wine

Act 1 - shard options and affected Heinrix dialog

Act 2 - Black Ship - Heinrix romance specific dialog

Act 3 - Heinrix joining party dep. on romance

Act 4 - Heinrix romance - Date - love confession

Act 4 - Heinrix romance scene if he was not in Commoragh

Act 4 - Heinrix romance specific talk after freeze scene (video bridge talk)

Not romance related

warp event - Heinrix, Argenta and Abelard

Act 1 - Idira prophecies about companions

Act 1 - Heinrix changed voice over in intro

Act 1 - Heinrix recruitment - disguise

Act 1 - Heinrix and Evayne in Prison (Evayne unharmed)

Act 1 - Rykad Minoris - Ritual Chamber + Heinrix dialog

Act 1 - Heinrix dialog at Cassias recruitment quest

Act 1 - lower deck banter (Heinrix+Abelard, Idira+Abelard)

Act 1 - Heinrix - Triumph and Psyker

Act 2 - Heinrix add. dialog for iconoclast act 1 ending

Act 2 - Heinrix Footfall (interactions)

Act 2 - Footfall - Heinrix dialog - Drink in Cantina

Act 2 - Janus - Heinrix and Abelard

Act 2 - Heinrix dialog suppressed on Janus

Act 2 - Kiava Gamma mission talk with Heinrix - additional/hidden dialog line

Act 2 - Kiava Gamma mission briefing

Act 2 - Heinrix at the Magnae if not romanced

Act 2 - Ceremony - joining Inquisition - affected Endings

Act 3 - Heinrix + Achilleas/underlings spoiler

Act 3 - Heinrix + companions interactions in Commoragh

Act 3 - Heinrix escape dialog dep. on Yrliet/Marazhai

Act 3 - Heinrix, Yrilet and Marazhai versions (anat. opera)

Act 3 - Heinrix joining party dep. on romance

Act 3 - Help Achilleas/Wrack return to realspace

Act 4 - Xavier Calcazar - Heretic > 2 and Heinrix reaction

Act 4 - Heinrix on bridge "Lies"

Not act related

Examples of Heinrix not blindly following Xavier

Heinrix and his rosette

Some Heinrix dialog observations

Ulfar and Heinrix interaction

Other

Regicide

Turns and Cycles (time)

Act 2 - Inquisition Signet Ring color

Xavier Calcazar appreciation (spoilers act 2-5 + ending)

Interesting details (Time spent/Theodora/von Valancius dynasty)

[eregar]

heinrix had access to an imperial knight stripped from him and instead, he just made himself into one. he’s still piloting this representation of imperial ideal like he was raised to, only the war-machine carapace isn’t plasteel and adamantium, it’s his body. the sixth canticle of the ritual of becoming asks that you become your knight as it becomes you and that’s exactly what he did.

[grandwitchbird]

My Rogue Trader is an iconoclast. She’s not a good person.

In Ursula K. LeGuin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” a utopian city runs on the suffering of one person. The story refuses to let us be anything but complicit if we choose to engage its premise. Saving that one person might be “good” but it would wreak unimaginable suffering. Reform is not possible. The ones who walk away aren’t heroes. But there is something humane and noble in facing one’s own doom by rejecting an unjust system, in suffering the consequences of conviction. We’re invited to find pathos in a tragedy and to resist our own knee-jerk moralistic desire to be rewarded for ‘righteousness’.

WH40k Rogue Trader exists in a classic order/chaos system. Its parameters and stakes are clearly defined. There is no ‘outside’ to the systems of oppressive control in this universe because there are literal chaos gods that would very much like to devour entire worlds whole and subject everyone to an eternity of torment. The brutal regimes that form in oppositional order to chaos are exactly as reactionary and bloody and hierarchical as one would imagine. The beauty of an order/chaos system is that it inherently renders our familiar good/evil sensibilities useless. Goodness probably exists, but does it matter? Evil certainly exists and comes in all shades, and we are all complicit in it. Which evils can you live with? And do you have a real choice? These are provoking questions, and no easy answers are supplied. Your motives don’t matter to the universe. The terms of the deal are set before you ever make a choice.

My Rogue Trader isn’t a good person. She’s an honest to god mob boss with a talent for winning loyalty. She also feels a certain maternal possessiveness for ‘her’ people. And she values autonomy. She lets people make their own choices. She’s happy to give everyone a chance and grow her fucked up ‘family’ in any way possible. The hierarchy of the imperium is at frequent odds with this. She doesn’t like being told how to run her business or preached at regarding what passes for righteousness in this universe. She values freedom. Her freedom. Her people’s freedom. Whatever that means in this universe. She’ll take the consequences too. And oh boy are there consequences. She let a planet rot in eternal agony to grow her own numbers and power. She rebuilt a manufacturing center that’s already corrupted. Chaos has a stronger foothold thanks to her actions. She can’t be bothered to play politics with the nobility, and that will doubtless come back to bite her as well. But her people trust her. Many are finding real meaning in lives they’d been moving through on autopilot. They’re starting to make their own choices more freely. Autonomy is catching it seems.

There’s something of “Omelas” in this game’s morality system. The grim dark future will remain grim and dark. My Rogue Trader will remain a ‘not good’ person who is increasingly descending into her most codependent and ruthless tendencies. Anything for her fucked up family. But she’s making the choice. And it does mean something. More people are making choices because she showed them a glimpse of the freedom you can claw out of the grim dark future if you’re willing to accept the consequences. It doesn’t make them good people. But there’s something genuinely human and noble and full of pathos in this route.

[amplexadversary]

Welp, this tumbled out of my brain while standardizing old tags today. (I'll note that I'm preceding any added commentary with either ''ancient sins'' or some variant of ''edit 2024:" so that other academics don't beat me with hammers :P)

This isn't meant to be deep so much as it is ''well, that's a stark illustration of how much this sucks, isn't it?''

[redstairs]

Yes!! This is all really on point!

Another take that I often see in less savoury internet places and that I really hate is "well if at least she would put out I'd tolerate her / wouldn't hate her". Great job on your subtext bro, a disagreeable woman doesn't get to live except if she fucks you, got it.

Look, even as someone who loves her, I can fully admit that there are plenty of reasons to distrust/dismiss/even kill Yrliet during or after Act 3. I think saying "I/my RT are not able to get over this" is perfectly fair

But it does frustrate me how many of her most ardent haters are complete hypocrites about what she's gone through herself.

Yrliet's entire home was completely destroyed. Most of the people she has known and cared about in her life are dead and the few survivors are homeless refugees. We learn later that most of them were either killed (many by humans) or captured by the Drukhari to be tortured to death.

The Rogue Trader's direct predecessor was responsible for this, a person that most people in the RT's orbit still praise and speak of with respect. Abelard even tells her to her face that he's glad her home was destroyed.

And then there's the rest of your retinue. Most of them openly hate her, as do the bridge officers, and Heinrix in particular speaks regularly about how she should be tortured and killed.

Yet these same people, the ones who think falling for Marazhai's trap and getting you all captured is worthy of death/banishment, seem to think that she should just get over all of this direct aggression and the fact that she remains cautious and standoffish with humans is a sign that she's just a terrible person.

Make it make sense

[jeudimacabre]

analysis of Marazhai/RT power dynamic will always be lacking if it doesn't include he's a racial minority declared as ontological enemy kept as essentially political prisoner in a ship under a genocidal flag, and you can get him disapeared by the inquisition if you're bored of him. The Rogue Trader will always have objective power because his entire survival on the ship depends on you liking him.

[crazy-hazy-sims]

Tag Game: Nonsims interests

Thank you @freezerbnuuy for the tag!

honestly the moment i started thinking about this i suddenly forgot i like things sometimes lol

okay so,

Music: i know broad topic ! but music has been repeatedly saving my life since i was 13 so yeah! i specifically like symphonic metal so much it really combines my love for heavy gritty shit with the huge dramatically theatrical themes and also i like Numetal metalcore deathcore, the topics in these genres are very real and human they dont shy away from the ugly side of being alive and they dont care about being "hardcore elitist" like the rest of the scene, i also recently got into Goth music specifically ethereal goth again just hits the spot with the dramatically ethereal themes

games: i love games in general i love rpgs and point and click ones i know some people frown on that but idc lol unfortunately i am poor so i dont get to experience alot of games as i cant keep up with the many consoles and pc specs the new games require but what i can get my hand on i play forever!

Dragon age: im very new to the game and fandom only started playing last october but my god am i hooked im reading all these philosophical analysis pieces dissecting every word i come across i think i've replayed inquisition 5 times since october despite DA2 being my favorite!

Baldur's gate 3: im generally interested in D&D and the fantasy world of it so BG3 was like if you took that and intensified it by 1 million

warhammer 40k: this is the newest addition to the list i only played Rogue trader for now but damn i think i've spent a week straight researching it last month again i love big expansive fantasy worlds and steampunk and this is just a sweet spot between the two

the sims 4: i love the sims 4 so much when it allows me to do what i actually want to do meaning i hate that most of the content it has out for it is all sorta mundane realistic shit, i wish it was more fantasy geared ( are we surprised) if we ever get a fantasy life simulation game its over for sims 4 for me, but for now i enjoy it immensely because with the power of mods and my own storytelling and lore making i can shape it exactly how i want and that is a shit ton of fun

webtoon: i know some people think its cringe but idgf AGAIN i love fantasy stories and i originally consumed them by reading endless books and this is just an extension of that i read my webtoons daily as i have my breakfast lol

Lord of the rings: fucking obsessed BUT im not deep into the lore like some amazing people are i wish i had the attention span for such an extremely deep rabbit-hole!

fantasy maps and weapons: 2 things i research and draw often just always doodling and learning new things about them i love making fantasy maps and imagining the travel routs of the world

poems: i love both writing and reading poems although i dont write them much anymore i love reading them i stole a poems book from the school library once because i loved the poems and they were gonna put it in the back to make space for a popular series of novels

sewing: i would say fashion but im not interested in whatever weird planet destroying slave labor flaunting of wealth thats going on right now, i drawing new clothes and making them even if its hard as shit for me, i enjoy gathering inspiration making mood boards extracting motifs and designing clothes i do love sewing alot to but i get lazy with it because it involves math lol

ART: i dont think there was ever a time in my life where i didnt make any kind of art piece, even when i had an art block and couldn't get inspired by shit i still made something...badly... but still art is one of the few ways i can express myself and while i wish my skill didnt fluctuate so violently between " hey im skilled i know what im doing this is easy" to "this is a lost cause it feels like i've forgotten how to draw a straight line i should give up art forever and assimilate and become boring" i still live and breath art

okay thats enough lol

i tag: @smudgedbutter @xandezsims @occultradio @grilledcheese-aspiration @astravires @vampwan @azeterna @stormentsims @aniraklova @aliengirl and it wont let me tag more :( so if you see this you are tagged by me!

[spawnofbhaal]

Was just thinking about the whole Marazhai trial mess and thinking . . . why was Marazhai so determined to get the Rogue Trader there to "testify," other than just being obsessed with them?

Do Drukhari really care that much if a human witness is a mere inquisitorial servant (like Achilleas) or a Rogue Trader? Couldn't Marazhai have just snatched up Achilleas that day on Dargonus and gone ahead with his plan?

But no. No, Marazhai has to take the Rogue Trader specifically, even though doing so got many of his kabal's forces killed at Dargonus (by making them stay so he could sit on the RT's throne and gloat at them instead of just leaving once the RT showed up) and required him to make dangerous, expensive deals with a haemonculus and mandrakes. Rogue Traders are powerful and well protected, so the cost/benefit analysis of abducting one ends up on the side of very costly. As Abelard notes in Act 1, the RT's life (by Imperium standards) is worth more than an entire populated planet.

Marazhai kind of betrays his personal obsession when, if you choose certain dialogue options during the capture and before the trial, he seems excited about keeping the RT as his "pet" once he is Archon. While becoming Archon is no doubt the foremost of his desires, I think he has a fixation on the RT as well, from the beginning. His actions even mirror (darkly) a courtship where he gives the RT what he calls "gifts" (the opportunity to kill Tazarra and the specially designed poison).

Of course this fixation doesn't become something more lasting and serious unless the RT ends up on the "true romance" path, but I think Marazhai's personal interest in the RT starts pretty much from the moment he first sees them on Vhaebos VI. (Which is pretty in character for a Drukhari "romance" according to the Mistress Baeda's Gift short story). Which, IMO, also explains why he's immediately down for flirting with the RT just after he's recruited.

[arach-tinilith]

Im cooking Judith's lore.

So far ive been playing iconoclast operative. Her darkest hour was being kidnapped and brutalized until being rescued.

SO she comes from a Knight World- Doltirian which is overrun with Orks. They usually get mowed down by the imperial knights and its a neverending pissing contest. She found that all to be painfully trite, along with her very cushy life.

I think her childhood was spent being fairly sheltered until she had a rebellious phase and left the safety of her home only to be kidnapped. After she was rescued, her parents wanted to get a retinue of guards to protect her but she decided to pursue self defense. She trained with rifles (her current weapon in-game) and learned hand-to-hand combat. But! She still felt vulnerable and got an augmentation in her brain to make her more efficient at analysis. The other augmentation is due to her kidnappers breaking her nose. The tech-priests said itd improve her sense of smell but she hasn't noticed a difference 🤷‍♀️

She also accepted her little strength was only going to protect her so much so she focused her energy on diplomacy to prevent ever being in a dangerous position again (ell oh ell) and manipulation/coercion to talk her way back to safety.

Her past experiences cause her to play things exceptionally safe. She doesn't lean too far in either rhetoric of dogma or heresy, though she prefers to be more faithful to the Emperor as heresy is far more threatening to slip into. But she's skeptical of the ecclesiarchy. Judith is also withdrawn, hypervigilant, and reserved.

Despite rigorous training and preparation, she couldn't prepare for the grimdark future of 40k (shocker) and when her parents left their planet to make economic arrangements with a nearby forgeworld, rumours began to populate that their ship had become infested with xenos gene stealers. The ship was then eviscerated by what Judith speculates was the inquisition. Unfortunately, she can prove neither infestation nor activity from the inquisition, so she's haunted by the sudden and unknown deaths of her parents.

When Judith's presence was requested by the Rogue Trader, her bastard sister Ariadne was left in charge her home planet's wellbeing. The only communication they have is through letters which Ariadne sends dutifully as she is inexperienced with politics and her lack of legitimacy regularly calls her leadership into question.

Judith was obviously thrusted into the position of Rogue Trader, she's taking it in stride but fears the position draws a lot of unwanted attention on her. So she's a tad power hungry because she's very fearful of being defenseless.

[cawyden-gaming]

Masterlist

-> Star wars side blog Masterlist

Rogue Trader posts Overview

Analysis/guides: Toybox / Heinrix romance / general Rogue Trader stuff

Masterlist

Art: Heinrix / my OC Venria / Venria x Heinrix

Masterlist

Fanfiction and Heinrix x Venria information

Files

Heinrix voiced lines for mobile phone etc.

Party Banter (focussed on Heinrix) and all endings

Christopher Tester (Heinrix VA) - reading

Heinrix poem

Heinrix trying to write a letter after RTs disapperance

Heinrix mobile phone lines (video for the single files above)

Other stuff/ opinion/ answered asks

On how lonely Heinrix must feel

Kibellah and Heinrix content (reg. 1st DLC)

My opinion on Commorragh/Heinrix/Yrliet/Marazhai interaction

My opinion on romantic relationship between Heinrix/male RT

Heinrix smell

Heinrix as Master of Whispers and Xavier

Other art

Batman (by Sanzosin)

Batman practise (by Sanzosin)

Other games

Baldurs Gate 3

Emperor romance scene short video 1

Emperor romance scene short video 2

Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous Overview

Hand of the inheritor pictures

Hand of the inheritor - thoughts about act 4

Targona pictures

Party Banter

My OC - Eowyn

[fearitha]

So, regarding the principle "outside the Imperial borders, the Rogue Trader is king and god!"

Now, imagine a tribunal hearing of the Adeptus Arbites, dedicated to defining the territorial limits of a specific Trader's Warrant. The principle "Intra Lucem Imperatoris" is discussed as a territorial restriction on the scope of this action.

Three of the present Judges have expressions that are unconforming to regulations, because the other two have been arguing about this for eighty years, with six duels, two disciplinary violations, and a dozen hearings on misconduct.

Both agree that "Intra Lucem Imperatoris" does not refer to a specific warp phenomenon, as the visibility of this phenomenon at any given moment in any given place depends on over a million factors, including the observer and the space weather. So, what then does it refer to?

One argues that the key point is the establishment of an Ecclesiarchy diocese. That once an Ecclesiarchy diocese is established, we speak of the onset of the "Intra Lucem Imperatoris" state.

The other argues that historically, and from a constitutional perspective, this makes no sense; first, it’s unclear why Ecclesiarchy dioceses should be given such respect, and second, "Intra Lucem Imperatoris" in legal documents predates the canonical establishment of diocesan creation protocols.

The first responds that he addressed the first point in his treatise "De Reverentia ad Templum" thirty years ago and sees no need to revisit it, while the second argument is countered by pointing out that, although the canonical right regarding diocesan confirmation came after "Intra Lucem Imperatoris", a detailed analysis of historical evidence shows that ecclesiastical territorial institutions existed even before, albeit in a less formalised manner.

The second will respond that the canonicity of the interpretations in "De Reverentia ad Templum" is still under review by the Arbites Segmentum, and he personally submitted a memorandum sepāratum, which outlines errors and incorrect assumptions. His theory of "Intra Lucem Imperatoris" as a territory where the Arbites jurisdiction is established is much more coherent and consistent.

The first sighs and reminds them that, first, there are many territories that, in context, are undoubtedly understood as "Intra Lucem Imperatoris", yet fall outside the Arbites jurisdiction, such as the Mechanicus temples and the Navigator holdings...

...The third judge, who has been dozing off, raises his head slightly and says, "By the way, legally, the inviolability of the Navigator Nobility holdings is questionable, and..."; catching the chairman’s gaze, he falters.

...So, the first repeats pointedly, and the Navigator holdings. And second, the very framing of the issue, that we set the boundaries of our own authority, contradicts the fundamental principle of praesumere stare super eam est...

The tribunal chairman realises that it’s going to be another long day.

Intra Lucem Imperatoris – "within the Light of the Emperor"; this concept originates from the basic Warhammer 40K idea that the authority of Rogue Traders is very vast "outside the Light of the Emperor", where the Light of the Emperor refers to the "normal" Imperium territory, not the wild frontier regions.

"Constitutional perspective" does not imply that the Imperium has any written Constitution as the highest law; it refers to certain basic principles on which the state operates, even if these are vaguely written or not codified in full. "It makes no sense from a principle standpoint."

De Reverentia ad Templum – literally, "Reverence to the Temple".

praesumere stare super eam est – canonically, the Arbites hold the maxim, "Stare super fundamentum Legis est magna nostra officium, Praesumere stare super eam est pessima nostra haereses", meaning "To stand guard over the Law is our greatest duty, to assume we stand above it is our greatest heresy". "Praesumere stare super eam est" is literally "to assume to stand above it."

[noelle666]

Heinrix van Calox - a collection of headcanons

I was thinking about headcanons for Heinrix for some time after rewatching his romance dialogues for several times (to search details I might've missed), thinking about his life before the events of Rogue Trader. So I am making a little collection of them.

Warning! These thoughts are fanfiction/headcanon, some of them may be close to what we see in game (or maybe even repeat some events), some of them related to my RT Noelle (because they are in relationships and of course it is a great base for fan thoughts) and maybe to Maarden too. So please don't take them seriously. =) I think I'll be adding new thought to this post from time to time if I come up with something new.

As I mentioned in this post it was not necessary to remove Heinrix's psyker implants he recieved after completion of his training - he was stripped down of them because Calcazar wanted to test his new acolyte, to see if he is good and strong (and maybe stubborn) enought to recover himself.

Heinrix doesn't waste his powers on small things, like shaving, but he is very picky about his hair (as Tanakia mentioned in chapter 5), so he controls his haircut.

He sees dreams almost every night. He tried to use different technics to sort of "discipline" his slumber because even after many years he still from time to time sees dreams about his past which trigger different emotions he would like to forget on one hand, but on the other they make Heinrix overthink the events of his whole life. This overthinking and analysis makes him "alive", it reminds him he is not emotionless servitor but his longing for home and sisters can be very distractful. Over the years Heinrix learnt not to dive deep into those thoughts.

Heinrix's and Noelle's hearts literally beat in unison but only under specific circumstances: when two of them are together and no one else is around or if one of them is nervous and the other one is near (the heart beat of the one who is calm sort of affects the other one's). Heinrix knows about this detail, he noticed it during Commorragh events: he thinks Tervantias the Archmachinator did something to both him and Noelle. Probably during his experiments he somehow learnt the interrogator has feelings towards Lord Captain (maybe Heinrix was screaming Noelle's name while being tortured and/or something else related to her, or maybe the haemunculus used Idira's telepathic skills to read Heinrix's mind before putting his monstrous device on her). At first Heinrix was worried that such effect could cause a lot of trouble especially if it is permanent and can work on long distances, so he started his observation and research. After discovering that only some conditions are needed to trigger this unison effect, Heinrix felt some relief (but he is still cautious and makes notes about anything unusual).

Heinrix is a tactile and a touch-starved person. Most of a time he distances himself from physical contact because it is not necessary at his work field, plus during his psyker training the discipline was very strict: don't touch if you are not allowed, dont speak if your are not asked, don't look if you are not ordered to do so. He thought he got used to it; even brief contacts with women who were his short-term lovers, did not trigger strong emotional reaction and desire for developing long serious relationships (mostly both parties from the very start new it is only an affair and all were comfortable with it). In the situation with the rogue trader Noelle von Valancius everything was different: she sincerely wanted to know Heinrix better, step by step, she sincerely started to sympathize with him after learning what he had to go through, she saw him as a human being with his own desires and feelings and never treated him as the Inquisition's tool. When Noelle kissed Heinrix at her Magnae Accesio ceremony, the interrogator felt something he never felt before, a pure bright feeling, so strong it could've broken you into pieces and revived the moment after. At this very moment he wanted time to stop, he wanted to never let Noelle go (warmth of her body and lips were something he desperately needed as he realized some time after) and at the same time he experience fear which was as strong as this new emotion born thanks to a woman next to him. Heinrix tried to use all his discipline skills to put out the flames in his chest but eventually realised he failed. Between the ceremony and Commorragh events, Noelle and Heinrix played regicide couple of times, and after each party he was holding Lord Captain's hand in his hands for some time and then he was kissing each of her fingers. In responce Noelle was caressing his cheek: a little gesture, but very important for someone who wanted to feel real human warmth, real touch. After some time, when the two of them developed stronger and deeper relationships and started to share a bed, Heinrix allowed himself to satisfy his "touch hunger" during long foreplays (and Noelle was not against it, on a contrary - they both enjoyed mutual touches with hands, fingers and lips).

Neither Heinrix, nor Noelle never could've thought their first intimate moment would be spent in one of the most cursed places of the galaxy, but both of them agreed - now or never. The place was not the most comfortable: no proper bed, eyes are everywhere, the time they could've shared together was terribly short and both of them were not in the best shape, so they had to act as fast and cautious as possible. Heinrix noticed bruises and scars on Noelle's body (the result of Tervantias and Malice's "surgeries"); this view broke his heart, he couldn't hold himself: he started covering Lord Captain's wounds with kisses while using his powers for healing. Noelle felt cold breath of Heinrix and asked him to stop and to not wasted his talent on her, especially after the torture he survived, but the interrogator only shaked his head: "I cannot just look at you and do nothing. I know we do not have much time now, but please, allow me to heal your wounds. I promissed to help you and be here for you and this is a part of it". In the end, when Heinrix finished his job, they still had time for intimacy. When Noelle and Heinrix were spending their first "proper" night together in Lord Captain's quarters, the interrogator inspected his beloved's body: he was looking at her silently and very attentively checking if all her wounds are healed and to make sure he hasn't missed one.

At first Heinrix didn't really like a company of Maarden: the interrogator found the pyromancer annoying because of his almost endless desire for chatting. After some time two psykers became more open and friendly towards of each other: Maarden explained why he acts as he acts and reduced the degree of his blabbering and Heinrix helped his "collegue" with some technics when Maarden's telepathic powers became stronger. From time to time Maarden was allowed to enter the interrogator's quarters and talk to him on different topics while two of them were drinking recaf.

Heinrix bears a great amount of self hatred. He learnt to suppress it over the years, he almost forgot about it but the problem was always there. Noelle's attitude towards him, her strong empathy, love and sympathy opened old wounds, cleansed them and helped them to start a process of healing: Heinrix slowly started to understand he can show his "weak" sides and not to be judged. Noelle become his "home", her quarters now are the safest place, hence when the "breach" happened whole Heinrix's being, his instincts automatically led him to his beloved's room. He experienced animal terror when Lord Captain was not found in her quarters, he started to call her mentality even understanding it will have no effect since he is not a telepathist, but the sound of her name in his head brought some comfort and helped the interrogator to focus for some time and not be swallowed by ice.

[math-camel]

I can't forget you, MC, during Rogue Trader Appreciation Week! It is always a delight seeing your name appear on my dash or in my inbox. Your AO3 comments never fail to bring a smile to my face, once I'm done blushing about the deep analysis that you give me way too much credit for. It is really, really great to have you around!

I love your work very much and letting you know is the least I can do!

[rats-and-robots]

Blades clash. Sparks jump from the incompatible metals in bright yellows that die in seconds.

"Alright, Aezyrraesh. One melee weapon. Ten minutes. We fight one another until the timer sounds. No more, no less."

The drukhari's face hasn't been anything but an offended scowl since Garion challenged him. It remains now, creased in anger and the desire to hurt this damned human.

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

The timer made loud clicks, like a metronome, as it counted down. He could hear it and it grated with each little noise. That is, when the clashing blades did not drown it out.

"Are you prepared, Aezyrraesh?"

His last name. That which he shared with his sister, his mother, both. Not that which was his and his alone.

Garion took two steps to one side. Marazhai took two to the other. Garion makes a face at him that sang of disappointment.

Why?

Marazhai snarls and darts at the man. And blades sing again. They jump and slide around each other. It's a discordant battle, but the mon'keigh continues to keep his soft flesh away from the fangs of his blade.

"I told you not to call me that, Aezyrraesh."

And why does the Rogue Trader's voice ring in his goddamn head??

Spark. Clash. Tick. Slash. Tick. Lunge. Strike. Clash. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Tick. Step. Tick. Step.

Two steps to one side.

And Marazhai finally sees it. He steps in time with the timer.

And so Marazhai measures his steps the same, in time.

And Garion grins.

They clash again.

Clash. Tick.

Spark. Tick.

Lunge. Tick.

And suddenly discordance becomes a smooth song. A regular back-and-forth. A simple two step. Garion presses twice, and then is pushed back twice.

It's a dance.

Garion is dancing with him.

The scowl has dropped as he focuses on the ticking, now less of an annoyance, and more of a guide. Someone in their 'audience' says something, but he's focused on the dance.

And now he understands. Anger has failed in favor of analysis. What he understands he can exploit.

Sparks fly and, with an intentional twist, blades fly. He has disarmed Garion, but Garion has disarmed him similarly. The dark metal of his blade clatters on the floor and spins, bounces, and then slides to stop at Garion's feet. Garion's mon'keigh blade has gone farther away from himself, but is closer. The timer keeps ticking as they watch each other.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four beats pass as they watch one another. Garion jerks his head towards the Imperium-issued blade at the next... And then the next he suddenly ducks to snatch the drukhari's blade. Marazhai darts for the smaller mon'keigh blade and the dance begins again.

At first, he's awkward. Garion has fought with the weapons of his kind before. He's never handled a human blade, and Garion refuses to let up. His own blade tastes his flesh as Garion slashes his arm open. It's a flash of shame and fury. How dare the Rogue Trader draw first blood between them! A cheer from some of those watching only deepens the wound to his ego, sharper than the wound on his arm.

He maneuvers the weapon and watches. He times Garion's strikes with the ticking of the timer. He has to bare a weakness, an opening, at some point. He has to.

And there it is. Without thinking, his wrist twists and a deep gash blooms open in Garion's flank, his blood spraying to the floor of the ship. Garion's laugh cracks out like lightning. Now unmuffled by the screams of the arena, Marazhai can admire the madness in it.

Blood has been drawn, and it continues to pour. Skin parts from skin as both combatants learn one another. He recalls seeing Garion and Farris battle in the arena.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

It's the same tempo.

Gore.

Slash.

Bleed.

The same tempo as the two had merged with one another in battle. He understands now.

And, as stated before, what he understands he can--

A harsh ringing sounds out and the dancers part.

Time is up. Both are panting and bleeding. Garion's arms spread like a ringleader calling for attention.

"Oh, I could sing." The man's head tilts back and he cackles before drawing breath again, looking to the drukhari.

"Aezyrraesh."

"Marazhai."

The dark eldar narrows his eyes at the man saying his name. His name, not that of his family. Garion's arms fall. There's a slash above his lips and the man's tongue wicks out to swipe the blood off of them. Garion tests his name on his tongue again.

"Oh, Marazhai, what a fight. You... Why, I think you're the first of my new crew to match with me. Farris excluded, of course." He spins the eldar's blade in his hand and tilts his head, "I look forward to fighting with you in the future."

Marazhai grins and tilts his head, "It was pitifully easy. Predictable."

Garion shrugs and winces slightly. A laceration on his shoulder makes the movement painful. He rubs at the muscle above it, "Once you recognized it. And only with the timer ticking in your ear." He taps the flat of the curved blade on his leg, "You struggled before you realized it. Never once hit me until you knew."

Marazhai scowls. He knows the man is right, but he doesn't say anything. He takes a step forward, offering to return the man's blade to him, but--

"Keep it." Garion's grin is half-stained with blood, blood that slipped from that cut on his cheek and snuck into his mouth, "And I'll keep this." He spun the blade in his hand, "You could do with learning human weapons anyways, if you're going to work among us."

Garion turns and Marazhai glares daggers into his back. He furls his hand closed around Garion's blade.

Oh, he likes this one.

[vspin]

2, 6, 12, 24 for your RT ;)

2, 6, 12, 24 f

Ty for the ask!

Rogue Trader Character Building Questions

2. What is their Origin? Who were they before they became a Rogue Trader?

Evangeline is a noble! Prior to the game, she was working as an advisor for a Sub-Sector Governor (I’m assuming in the Calixis sector given the last name the game gives nobles, but no idea if this is lore accurate). Think of a mix between Achilleas Scalander and Clementia Werserian (she was also occasionally an informant for an Inquisitor acquaintance of hers). 

 Before she had that position, she worked for the Adeptus Administratum’s Logis Strategos which per the wiki: is a sub-division of the Adeptus Administratum that serves as an Imperial intelligence and data analysis agency. Its purpose is to analyze the various threats facing the Imperium from xenos species and the forces of Chaos, and devising suitable strategies for countering them with the resources available in the Emperor's realm.

6. What is their Conviction? How adherent are they to it? Does it change at all over the course of the game?

She’s pretty iconoclast with a mix of dogmatic. She believes in the superiority of mankind, but is mistrustful of the institution of the Ecclesiarchy. For example, she destroyed Rykad Minoris not because Imperial Dogma dictates it, but because it is the lesser of 2 evils. I will admit, I play her a bit more iconoclast in the game than she really is. For example, in the game I told Vlyadam I would give Footfall food not for profit, but in reality she would do it to help the people but also for profit and so he owes her a favor. 

She definitely became more distrustful of xenos after act 3 and when it comes to the mutants/genestealers…yeah…she doesn’t have mercy for them. 

12. Who amongst their retinue do they clash with the most?

Answered in depth here! Argenta, Cassia, and Yrliet.

24. Do they place value in how their protectorate sees them? Does this sway their decisions at all?

Eva wants to be seen as worthy of her role from her subjects. She has insecurities steming from being a bastard.

This is the answer she gave Cassia when to came to the "common rabble"

[lordcaptains]

twenty questions - writing edition

(tagged by @avas-poltergeist - thank you!)

how many works do you have on ao3? 22

what's your total ao3 word count? 58,375

what are your top five fics by kudos?

all rodimus' fault (mtmte, rodimus/magnus, e) - 644 

flame on (mtmte, rodimus/magnus, m) - 619 

self control (mtmte, rodimus/magnus, e) - 482 

body shop (mtmte, drift/ratchet, g) - 254 

refractions (mtmte, rodimus/magnus, g) - 244

what fandoms do you write for? i've written for transformers, fallout 4, baldur's gate 3, wrath of the righteous, and rogue trader!

do you respond to comments? why or why not? i try to! sometimes i get intimidated by them and go hide instead, and then four months pass and i feel embarrassed about responding after so long.

what’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? old world (seeing) reds - but that's definitely relative, as angst isn't either my preference or my forte, i'd say. it's about my character grappling with her complicity in the evils of the world before the bombs fell.

what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? i like my happy endings, so most of my fics have them. let's say warmth, which was written out of a bitter sense of frustration with a comic that meant a lot to me.

do you get hate on fics? not so far.

do you write smut? yep!

do you write crossovers? nope.

have you ever had a fic stolen? not that i know of!

have you ever had a fic translated? nope.

have you ever cowritten a fic before? nope. i don't think i would, either - i have enough trouble getting the words in my head to come out the way i want them to.

what’s your all-time favourite ship? well, that's a question. i definitely couldn't pick just one - right now, obviously, it's orica/heinrix. for ships that 1) aren't oc x canon, that 2) i've written for and, that 3) i've shared, i'll say rodimus/magnus! i love them dearly, and i think i always will.

what’s the wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will? good goodneighbor. 

first fandom you wrote for? pokemon. at age 10. i think i still have that wide-ruled spiral notebook around somewhere…

what are your writing strengths? analysis, which is both fortunate and unfortunate, i think - it absolutely flavors my fiction, too.

what are your writing weaknesses? i struggle to write longer fics - my inclination is to say what i want to say as efficiently as possible, which isn't always best.

thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic? i've never tried, and i probably wouldn't unless i spoke the language with at least some degree of fluency.

favourite fic you’ve ever written? the one in my head. (i'll say old world (seeing) reds for coming out very close to what i had in mind.)

i'll tag anyone with an ao3 who wants to do this and hasn't already!