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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Zen_Pollo" data-source="post: 5199819" data-attributes="member: 11404">In the Year of the Light of the Golden Throne 047.816.M41++The Continuing Voyages of His Divine-Majesty's  Ship, the Dawn TreaderLord Captain's Log; The Countess Lucretia Von Krak, CommandingIn the Year of the Light of the Golden Throne 047.816.M41++Location:  The Battlegrounds in the Koronus ExpanseCourse:  En route to the Port of FootfallImmaterium:  The Ruinous Powers of the Warp have made their presence felt on this voyage!  The morale of the crew is at an all time low.  I was inclined to implement an old Imperial Naval cure for discipline issues – forced decimation of the crew.  However, the Missionary persuaded me that he could improve morale simply by giving a sermon on the virtues of our God-Emperor.  I'm not so sure the Death Cult hiding in secret amongst the crew will be swayed by a simple sermon; their tastes tend to be a bit more...viszeral.Comments:  Over the last few days it has occurred to me that the Dawn Treader is in a race against the Fell Hand to be the first to salvage the Righteous Path.  Hadarak Fel must have had some means to discover the location of the hulk, and also some method to chart a course to the Magoros System – otherwise, it would have been pointless for the Rogue Trader to leave Port Wander in the first place!I queried members of my crew regarding my suspicion.  Our Astropath commented that the raven-servitor bound to Lady Ash, the unsanctioned-Psycher working for Lord-Captain Fel, had carried the nmemolith for a brief period during the skirmish at the marketplace.  The raven-servitor may have  carried the stone long enough for the Psycher to ascertain the location of the Righteous Path via the power of her psychic bond.  As for plotting a course to the Magoros System, it is hard to say how Fel managed to glean that information so quickly.  Orbest Dray, whom I ordered to accompany me on this journey, suspects foul-play on the part of Hadarak Fel against the Magnate Scrivener Journ.  I must act under the assumption the Lord-Captain of the Fell Hand has discovered a route to the Magoros System; the Dawn Treader cannot afford to tarry! Which is why I am saddened that we must pass through the Battlegrounds so quickly – I would have enjoyed perusing the area at my leisure.  The Battlegrounds form a strange locale in the Warp where thousands of excoriated ships, space hulks, and random debris float endlessly in the chaotic eddies at the exit of the Maw.  The ships are rumored to be the detritus from a Warp-space battle held long ago.Ordinarily, I would salivate at the opportunity to explore such abandoned vessels in search of plunder.  However, only a fool would dare salvage vessels and hulks bathed in the Chaos of the Warp for untold-centuries without the protection of a functioning Geller Field.  I shudder to think what manner of Xenos and Chaos-tainted hostiles roam those silent hulls...Yet, as my Grandfather would say, a keen Rogue Trader thirsts for Profit and Glory as a chloro-morph does water.  Sadly, Goderick's tastes led to his own demise...Nevertheless, two recent developments today have intrigued me.   First, the Void-Master, Quinn Vanberg, informed me that the Dawn Treader had encountered a distress beckon in the vicinity of the Battlegrounds.  Upon investigation, the beckon appeared to emanate from a pilgrimage ship which had suffered a mechanical failure of some sort. My first inclination was that I could capture the vessel, enslave its crew and passengers, and sell them in Footfall for rich Profit!  For that matter, I might even press-gang the pilgrims into service on my own  vessel.  The Death Cult's predations tended to reduce the crew to a minimal level required to maintain the Dawn Treader's core functions but no more – it was an unstable equilibrium awaiting disaster.Despite my gluttony for spoils, I decided the race to the Righteous Path was our first priority.  I had the Navigator mark the location of the beacon so we could double back at a later date.  Besides, if the pilgrims starve in the meantime, it will make it easier to salvage the vessel...The bridge crew and I agreed that we would keep the incident secret from the Missionary, Brother Mordechai, whom was praying in the Dawn Treader's giant temple at the time.  No need to upset the priest with news of his stranded brethren...However, the second development was much more interesting.  The helmsman detected a second, fainter, beacon also in the vicinity.  This beacon belonged to an old Imperial Naval vessel, HDMS Bounty.  The cause of the wreckage was unknown, but the salvage from a Imperial warship would be simply fantastic!  Unfortunately, there are more legal requirements for salvaging such hulks.  I would need to procure a special Writ of Salvage from the nearest Imperial garrison.  Footfall is only a few days away and we can lobby the garrison commander for this assignation.  I ordered the Navigator to mark this second way point and carry on to our destination.  I have decided to make the salvage of the HDMS Bounty our next priority, after the Righteous Path, of course!I am Lord Captain of the Dawn Treader, The Countess Lucretia Von KrakDen Stets-Siegreichen Imperium!</blockquote>

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