In the nightmare future of the 41st millennium, Mankind teeters upon the brink of extinction. The galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man is beset on all sides by ravening aliens, and threatened from within by malevolent creatures and heretic rebels. Only the strength of the Immortal Emperor of Terra stands between Humanity and its annihilation. Dedicated to His service are the countless warriors, agents and myriad servants of the Imperium.
Dark Heresy is a roleplaying game based upon the universe of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000. The setting of Warhammer 40,000 is a dark, gothic future where the Imperium of Man is beset by dangers within and without. In Dark Heresy players take on the roles of Acolytes of the Inquisition, aiming to uncover and combat the enemies of mankind, be they aliens, heretics or mutants!
Sand's voice replies to Jericus's reply, "I have given you most the information about this man there is on file. I will prodide you this data on a coded data slate, along with his sister's information so you will not have the task of trying to remember. I would not wish to put extra strain on you." The man holds the sheet in one hand still as the skull drones fly around the chamber behind the mirror setting down the jar with the strange white organ in it.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
"This lays within the realm of my expertise. I know the hab-blocks and have spent some time among the workers, protecting them from gangers. They should speak to me without too much convincing." Solaria smiles to herself. Already, her skills will be of use to the group. She has always hated being a fifth wheel and would spare them the burden had she been.
I am the voice of Never Never Land, the innocence of every man, I am the empty crib of Peter Pan. A silent kite against the blue, blue sky, every chimney every moonlit sight. I am the story that will read you real, every memory that you hold dear...
Haxtes simply says, "We should go. The quicker we search this out the more probable it is that we shall find an answer. There is no reason to delay." The Tech-Priest looks over the strange man before them, then Jericus, awaiting the others to make their way toward the exit.
"Kings have no friends, only subjects and enemies."
The stratchy voice comes through the voice box agian, "Wait Tech-Priest. You are too eager. You have not even collected the dataslate." Its true Haxtes is ready to leave without being given the dataslate or asking any questions what so ever about the location, the people, or the job. Of course such blind loyalty is excellent, but diving head first blindly isn't always the best move.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
"Is there any information you have about this man or the creatures that infected him that won't be on the data slate?" Jericus is very matter-of-fact in his tone, almost as if he were asking Sand for information to fill out an administrative form.
The man gives a sly smile, "No. We require more samples of the cratures to learn what they are. That is one of your primary goals, but you must do some investigations to find out more about Saul Arbest and who is behind this. To do this however, you will have to remember to remain incogneto. In order to better complete this task I have set up alternate ID cards for the lot of you, as well as a small kit of supplies for the task." He motions at the crates behind you, suggesting the goods inside belong to you now.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
Solaria moves to the crates, lifting off the lids and nodding to herself. She has seen fake ID's before and checks their craftsmanship. After looking one over, she digs through the case to see what else it contains.
I am the voice of Never Never Land, the innocence of every man, I am the empty crib of Peter Pan. A silent kite against the blue, blue sky, every chimney every moonlit sight. I am the story that will read you real, every memory that you hold dear...
Solaria moves to the crates and starts to pop the lids and rumages through the various objects within. She finds several things... among the items she inspects the ident cognomen, and realizes the items are not fakes, but are real ident markers for the Coblast Assay, your cover story.
Coscarla Pass Tokens: (One per Acolyte) These coded devices, each about the size of a small thick coin, will allow them legal clearance for the Coscarla Division and free passage on the transit rail around the mid-hive area.
Coblast Assay Cognomen: (One per Acolyte) These encrypted metal punch cards are identity markers, there is one tailored for each of the Acolytes and they include an enforcer code tag allowing them to carry arms for self defence. They signify that the Acolytes are 'œbonded agents for the Coblast Assay', a Sibellan mercantile operation of somewhat dubious repute but not inconsiderable power, specialising in tech salvage and 'œmanpower services'. Note that these are not 'œfalse' identity cards, the Coblast has actually been a secret Inquisition organisation for some time.
Hand Vox: (One per Acolyte) These are cheap and battered looking personal communication devices that use a private encrypted channel, and are good for a range of a few kilometres in the hive. Sand will happily explain that thanks to signal interference in the areas of the hive where they are going, vox traffic is almost impossible over any real distance or between levels, except by wire station, but these hand vox will let them keep in touch with each other at least.
Low Hiver's Overcoats: (One per Acolyte) These voluminous and somewhat tattered patchwork leather and canvas high-collared overcoats are common low-hiver garb in Sibellus and will easily fit over anything the Acolytes are wearing. They are also quite tough and will provide them with 1 Armour Point (see the Combat Rules).
Chem Lamps: (One per Acolyte) These small portable lamps use a chemical reaction to provide light and operate continuously while their shutters are open. Such lamps will illuminate an area of about a three metre radius around it or provide a six metre directed beam of whitish light.
Coded Data-Slate: This worn-looking brass cased data-slate carries basic copies of the information found in their briefing, a series of maps and data about the Coscarla and (largely empty) files on the Arbasts, including pictures of them and addresses taken from the Administratum register. The slate also has basic short range audio and visual recording and playback functions. The slate features a five key input code which Sand will give them, if it is accessed without this, its core memory will be wiped.
The body has been positively identified as that of one Saul Arbest, male, 23 years of age, hive worker, unskilled labourer certified. Formerly of the Tantalus Indenture, registered habitation: chamber 6/23 stack 7-17# Coscarla Division, southern zone, Hive Sibelius.
Subject found dead on the mid-hive transit rail three days ago as the car returned to the main depot. Preliminary examination at the scene suggested death by drug overdose. Post mortem performed by the biologis forensic, however revealed certain anomies that necessitated our involvement.
The cause of death was in fact total systemic failure brought on by tissue rejection of an implanted synthetic graft organ. Said organ destroyed his central nervous system while attempting to overcome the immune response.
The man has no prior criminal record, he was rendered invalid by indenture'€"laid off if you will, some sixty days ago now and was reported missing thirty-two days ago by his sister, one Lili Arbest, resident of the same hab-stack. More than enough time to get himself into all sorts of trouble, I'm sure you'll agree. These grafts are no more than eight or ten days old at most. We have nothing else on him.
Coscarla Division Briefing
Reference/Subject: Coscarla Division, (Geo/Dem)
Designation: Workers Habitation Zone
Locale: Mastraven Zone, Lower Mid-Tiers, Landward Quadrant, Hive Sibellus
Hive Co/Ord: 2345#'ˆ'/789/9870001
Preparation: Autosavant Dal Maxentia
Attribution: Interrogator Omardha Sand
Ordinanator: Conclave Calixis/Covenant Sibellus/Chamber Obscuro
TFTD: 'œHistory is but a catalogue of counted sins'
Geohistorical and Demographic Overview:
The Coscarla Division is a sub-district of Hive Sibellus on the Sector Capitol world of Scintilla. Built in the remains of what was once the splendour of the House Coscarla Estates, the district is a seventy kilometre square conglomeration of warren-like tenement-habs and their attendant infrastructure that has grown up between the vast ruined arches and fallen statuary of its noble past.
The Coscarla was until recent years a relatively prosperous mid-hive district, predominantly populated by indentured labour classes, but has since suffered deprivation, disaster and a loss in status thanks to a series of misfortunes and incidents. Primary among these have been the damage caused buy unrestrained wildfires during the recent Rienholt Blackouts (the Coscarla being one of seventeen effected hive zones), although the long term withering of the fortunes of the Tantalus Combine, (see Addendum) had begun to have significant adverse effects long before that calamity.
The Coscarla Division currently awaits Administratum revaluation of its status (projected due process time until preliminary ruling: 3-7 years standard), but unsub-data indicates over 60% of the Coscarla is now effectively a waste/scav zone and the viable population is now confined to smaller sub-zones clustered around transit and utility access points.
The division's population is also in catastrophic decline, its infrastructure remains effectively crippled and lawlessness, poor social cohesion and poverty all exponentially increasing year-onyear.
Addendum: [The State of the Tantalus Combine]
The Combine, a long-standing cartel of several Houses Minoris of the Sibellan nobility has seen a drastic decline in its fortunes over the last decade. Its fall from power has been brought on by hostile competition from the Skaelen-Har Hegemony and severe damage to its assets and prestige endured during the period of intrigues and vendettas known popularly as the 'œVthorran Promenades' [cert.ref: Activities of the Lucid Court].
The resulting effects on several districts of the Sibellus and Tarsus Hives, formerly under the Combine's sway, have been profound. In the Coscarla Division where Tantalus was the majority power, the Combine has sold on the indenture contracts of thousands of skilled workers and the labour force that remains now works only to meet their master's debts. As a result, whole swathes of families have been up-rooted or have deserted from the district, thus the effective economic and monetary input to the region is now negligible.
The Tantalus Combine is suffering a long, drawn-out death and is kept going only by its own fading inertia and the legal wrangling over the disposition of its carcass. It has ceased to exist effectively as a cohesive organisation or political entity.
Bio-Sample Kit: Added as something of a hopeful afterthought, this satchel carries three small bio-storage tubes and a small bio-auspex with a range of about a metre or so. Set for human tissue, the indicator on the auspex will flash red and whine with increasing volume in the proximity of anomalous tissue. The kit also comes with a long bladed, razor edge mono scalpel (this will inflict 1d5'€"1 plus the wielder's Strength Bonus (SB) Damage and ignores the first 2 Armour Points (AP) of the target). If one of the Acolytes makes mention of the scalpel and kit and just what they are expected to achieve, Sand will shrug and smile saying, 'œWell I'm not expecting deft surgery, but try not to hack at it like an underdone Grox steak and get it in the jar, eh?'
Money Pouch: This pouch contains 120 Thrones in loose coin and used notes, 'œFor sundries and bribes. I'm sure if you need more you can be resourceful,' Sand puts it.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
