Briefing, Baraspine

302.819.M41

Acolytes, 

Three of the IDs confiscated from the heretics on Cyrus Vulpa appear to have originated on the hive world of Baraspine. Additionally, High Marshal Piper has provided a copy of Arbitrator Walthus' Document of Transfer from Baraspine to Cyrus Vulpa, which was presented when Walthus disembarked the IMMS Contrieta.

Additionally, the Inquisitor has traced a different cell back to Baraspine. She believes this hive world is where the heretical cult is coordinating activity across the sector. Should you need any assistance, the Inquisitor has a contact on Baraspine, code name Blue. You can reach her at the address attached. Blue is not an acolyte. She believes the Inquisitor to be a merchant with the name Madam Oddette.

Go to Baraspine and track down the heretics. Kill them and acquire any information you can regarding other operations.

+++Be Aware+++

Baraspine has a ruthless climate. The winds reach speeds up to 700km per hour, carrying particles of ceramic matter which can be fatal. Try not to leave the relative safety of the hive. 

May the Emperor guide your path,
-Sage Zarkov

Entry 0008, Gunmetal City

For your judgment,
Rectors:


290.819.M41 - After requisitioning an Aquila Lander from the Ordo Hereticus, they fly it to Gunmetal City. This 4 billion person city is a hive built into the basin of a super volcano. Heat from the lava fuels the foundries and manufactorums at the bottom, with the rest of the hive sitting above.

Landing on the upper hive, they begin investigating the Haddon estate, trying to find a way in. They ask about any upcoming events, hoping to get themselves on the guest list, failed to ask people who knew of any. They discuss the possibility of challenging him to a duel. It would certainly draw Haddon out into the open, but could be fatal for his opponent. They consider getting hired on as servants, but are afraid that may take too long. After some time, they ask around again and discover that Haddon is hosting an event where he will showcase his newest designs. The event is on 231.819.M41.

Afraid to wait that long, they decide instead to try and access the mansion via the factory below. There is a cluster of elevator shafts which connect the two, so that the factory may glean geothermal energy off the planet and the mansion may sit with its peers.

Down in the underhive, humanity is packed, shoulder to shoulder. They swarm about the tunnels, work to home and home to work. After having a brief run-in with the local riff-raff, they move to where Haddon's laborers enter and exit the factory. A door stands locked. They wait until it opens and a mass of humanity exists, followed by a second mass moving inward. They quickly move through the door as it is held open by the laborer before them.

A man picks them out of the crowd and stops them. He is the foreman for the shift. He speaks privately with them, and points them in the direction of the factory adepts who are the record keepers and tabulators. My Burdens decide to bribe Adept Arkio for access to the elevators. He willingly leads them to the shafts and types the passcode.

The elevator ride takes a long, long time. When they reach the top, they are greeted by a servant in livery of House Haddon. My Burdens try to get the servant to bring them to Haddon, but the servant insists they go with him to the parlor and wait. When Cain tries to intimidate the servant, four gun servitors step out into the hall. They all go to the parlor in short order. The servant leaves to speak with Haddon. Sander stretches out his senses and finds that the books are actually down in the manufactorum, not in the mansion.

They get a message from Sage Zarkov, stating that Inquisitor Xanatov has requisitioned shuttles and is bringing them to Gunmetal City. Not wanting to wait for Haddon to make the next move, they show their rosettes to the gun servitors. Then they order them to escort them to the elevators, where they leave the servitors. Finding the elevators locked, Sander disappears and reappears inside the elevator car. Opening the door from the inside, he lets everyone in. They descend back into the manufactorums.

They follow Sander's guidance and descend another level, where they find themselves washed over with heat radiating directly off the lava. The red glow is the primary light source, shining on the steel catwalks dangling above. Some paths lead down to large mysterious objects absorbing and transforming the heat into electricity and large foundries melting down raw materials.

Haddon appears from the elevator shaft, leading a retinue of hanger-ons and four gun servitors. Sander guides them across the network of catwalks, onto one which is quite long and isolated. At the far side of the bridge are two industrial servitors, blocking their path as Haddon comes up from behind. They focus fire on Haddon while Cain uses his rosette to command the industrial servitors, preventing them from cutting the bridge supports. As Haddon realizes he is losing the pitched battle, he retreats to grab an RPG launcher, which he aims at the bridge. Garvel knocks the weapon out of his hand and Sander deals the final blow.

After killing the lord, they loot his jewelry, weapon, one of his hands, and his head. using their rosettes, they order the gun servitors to guard their backs as they cross the bridge. They find a number of draftsmen working on blueprints for various weapons. Cain orders the men on the ground, and they obey. Finding Haddon's office, they go in, unlocking it with the still warm hand. Inside they find the books, one opened up on a diagram of a pistol. As they leave, Cain grabs all the blueprints.

My Burdens tie up a loose end as they drop Haddon's remains into the lava below, just as he had hoped to do to them. They leave through the employee exit cutting it open with a lascutter and welding it shut behind them. Diving into the crowds of the lower hive, they escape.

When they reach the Aquila Lander, they find Haddon's mansion surrounded by Inquisitorial shuttles. Inquisitor Xanatov has locked down the whole place, taking control until Lord Haddon can be found.

My Burdens return to the Tricorn and meet with Sage Zarkov. They debrief on recent events. Sage Zarkov takes possession of the books and blueprints. He and Garvel will look through them, looking for heretical technology.

295.819.M41 - They find three blueprints with heretical mechanisms, and destroy them. My Burdens, ever the resourceful, take the other blueprints to Cybry Victrix. They offer to sell them and Haddon's prized pistol for a fee. They throw in Haddon's Jewelry as well, as a sign of generosity. Victrix rewards them with a credstick and says that they can consider themselves Friends of House Victrix.

When they return from their meeting, they find a note at their private residence:

Dear Current Resident,
You serve your master well, which is unfortunate.
Do not interfere with my work again.
X

Until the next report
I am your eyes,
Oculus

Entry 0007, Scintilla

For your judgment,
Rectors:

287.819.M41 - My Burdens have returned to the Tricorn to meet with Sage Zarkov. He orders them to investigate some books. Lord Vendigroth Tristan Haddon, a Scintillan nobleman, is believed to have recently acquired them. He has a Curator named Jessie Seraphina who maintains his private library and artifact collection. Jessie is the one who alerted Zarkov about the books. Jessie is concerned that they are heretical in nature.

The team decides to meet with Jessie, but not at the Haddon estate. They go to a nearby restaurant, the Canoness, and eat a meal to scout out the place and reserve a room in the back. Then they send a servo skull to Jessie and invite her to the restaurant for a midday meal tomorrow. After the meal Cutter goes and looks around the Haddon estate here in Hive Sibellus. He finds the fortress-like structure guarded by armed men and gun servitors. They return to the Tricorn and requisition funds to spend on the investigation, which is given to them.

288.819.M41 - In just before the meeting with Jessie, My Burdens arrange themselves around the area. Cutter and Kaltos are at a recaf shop nearby. Garvel and Cain pretend to shop. Sander is at the restaurant, waiting to meet Jessie. She arrives armed, armored and nervous. She speaks with Sander about the arrival of the books and their basic history. The books are the Encyclopedia Telum, once owned by a Rogue Trader named Thale.

Sander asks for shipping cargo and personnel manifests of vehicles heading out of the estate, which she will try to do. He also asks about Haddon's personality. She describes him as an arrogant duelist. He spends a lot of time in his Gunmetal City estate, personally overseeing operations. He owns a third estate in Hive Tarsus, to oversee trade operations. They talk more and finally part ways, agreeing to meet tomorrow.

The team looks for information on Haddon in the Administratum files and are able to acquire original blueprints of the estates and records showing he has licenses to station gunservitors and armed guards at his estates.

289.819.M41 - Sander and Kaltos go together to meet with Jessie. Garvel, Cutter and Cain are nearby. When Jessie arrives, two men exit a second vehicle and try to follow her, but they stay outside the restaurant and return to their groundcar. My Burdens assume the men work for Haddon and request an Inquisitorial escort to come pick her up after the meal. During the meal she provides what records she was able to procure from Haddon's manifest records.

She also tells them of Cymbry Victrix, who is trying to kill her. Jessie recently worked for Victrix, but Haddon offered a larger salary and other incentives to change employers. Victrix claimed this as betrayal and dueled Jessie, who lost both the duel and an arm. The arm was replaced by a cybernetic one. Victrix was still not satisfied, but has no reason to duel Jessie a second time. Jessie stays in the Haddon estate almost constantly, in fear of Victrix's men. As this excursion proved, they hope to harass her, provoking a second duel, one that will be fatal.

Unsure about this new variable, My Burdens decide to neutralize Victrix's men. Cutter hides on a roof across the street, the others idle around the restaurant as Jessie waits for her groundcar to pick her up. Two of Victrix's men approach her, while a third waits in a groundcar. Cutter fires on them with his silenced sniper rifle, killing the driver. The other two men panic and try and drive the groundcar away, but Cain and Kaltos close on them and force a surrender. The Magistorum officers, in their green greatcoats intervene, but Kaltos orders them off with his Arbitrator authority.

Cain and Kaltos take the two men to My Burden's private residence and interrogate them. They feed them misinformation, in the hopes to confuse Cymbry Victrix, and then let them go. Garvel, Sander and Cutter instead take the corpse and Jessie to the Tricorn, where they meet with Sage Zarkov. After debriefing, they leave Jessie in his custody.

290.819.M41 - They requisition an Aquila Lander and head to Gunmetal City.


Until the next report
I am your eyes,
Oculus

Briefing, Scintilla

287.819.M41

Acolytes, 

We have reports of suspicious books being held in the possession of one Lord Vendigroth Tristan Haddon, here in Hive Sibellus. The report comes from his Curator Jessie Seraphina. She is a trusted contact of mine and has expressed her gravest concerns over these documents. The exact nature of the books is unknown to me at this time, but it is clear that Jessie believes them to be of some heretical nature.

It is your responsibility to: 1) Meet with Jessie Seraphina; 2) secure the books; 3) kill or capture any individuals who have read the books; 4) return to the Tricorn for debriefing. 

+++Be Aware+++

Jessie believes Lord Haddon has some connection to the Ordo Xenos. Should you encounter any agents of the Ordo you are to treat them with respect and dignity. If any agents of the Inquisition have read the texts you are not to kill or capture them, but leave them be. I do not know what their involvement might be, or what their intentions ultimately are. Walk cautiously in the light of Terra.

May the Emperor guide your path,
-Sage Zarkov

Entry 0006, The Witch is Purged

For your judgment,
Rectors:

233.819.M41 - While at the Precinct-Fortress, Kaltos pays a visit to the barracks. There he uses his rank in the Adeptus Arbites to rally some of the Troopers. In total, seven Arbitrators load up and board the shuttle.

Simultaneously, Garvel uses his Inquisitorial Rosette to arrange an emergency appointment with High Marshal Piper. Upon entering the office, he orders the High Marshal to undress, revealing healthy skin not afflicted by the ailments seen on the cultists. After assuring himself of the High Marshal's health, Garvel then orders him to provide a map of the caves consistent with Walthus' testimony. He also orders the assistance of more men. High Marshal Piper promises the map and will reassign Arbitrators from Segetes (where they are investigating the train bombing) to Sarvus Farm, which sits atop the caves.

My Burdens reassemble in an Arvus Lighter and move to the farm where they meet with Cutter. The assassin informs them that he has not seen anyone wandering about, nor has he found the cave entrance. So, in a large group, they explore the area. A loud buzzing noise is heard arising from the ground. They begin digging and quickly find that the cave entrance has been well masked. As a hole is made, a swarm of giant insects flood out into the light. These were likely the cause of Sarvus' crop failures. As the swarm begins its assault, Kaltos calmly levels his shotgun and pulls the trigger a single time. hundreds of metal beads shred the locust-like creatures, until not a one of them is airborne. 

Widening the hole, a horrific stench wafts out of the depths. Braving the cloud of death, they enter. Sending the Arbitrator Kill Team down one tunnel, My Burdens move down a second. Quickly finding a heretic, they chase after him, and nearly walk into an ambush of terrible beasts. The horde of nurglings wash over them, bogging down the battle. In the distance Arbitrators exchange volleys with heretics as an explosion marks the cave entrance closing behind them. 

In the maze of tunnels, Aegrius comes behind them, trying to focus his dark energies. The sorcerer causes havoc as he blinds everyone in the caves and summon up psychic enemies to bombard the mind. Then the battle wanes, as the heretics fall dead and the nurglings are returned to their hellish homes. Only, the witch has slipped out of the fight. Knowing he could not have gone out the way they came in, they search the rest of the tunnels. One tunnel goes below the water table, and is flooded. My Burdens swim down and find Aegrius biding time until he can sneak away. Killing him as quick as possible, they then begin the job of taking count of what is left. 

They destroy the laboratory equipment so that no one else may follow their research. The confiscate most of their equipment, destroying whatever is clearly heretical. 

247.819.M41 - The team stays and supervises the eradication of the Seeds of Freedom. They learn that the Seeds appear to be a unique group, separate from the cultists they cleansed. They learn that some of their IDs were forged in a style consistent with the IDs on the planet Barsapine, and that Walthus was transferred from a Precinct-Fortress on Barsapine. They find the Barbarossa family dead, listed as "succumbed to interrogation." Garvel orders it be in their files that they are innocent of all charges. Similarly, they exonnerate Zolla, allowing her to return to service as a pilot.

248.819.M41 - Leaving Cyrus Vulpa, they board the tithe ship Deliverum. The voyage is without incident.

267.819.M41 - The team arrives at Scintilla and debriefs with Sage Zarkov. Apparently, the Inquisitor has not returned from her mission. They tell Zarkov everything. 

Until the next report
I am your eyes,
Oculus

Entry 0005, Walthus Arrested

For your judgment,

Rectors:

232.819.M41 - Walthus and Kaltos enter the hotel room alone, while Cain waits in the hallway. After a brief exchange of words Walthus draws his pistol and begins firing on Kaltos. One of his cultist comrades exits the bathroom and joins the attack. Kaltos defends himself while Cain shatters the door with his hammer. Outside, two more cultists smash the window of My Burden's room. Only Cutter is in there. The cultists fail to throw a nail bomb into the room, accidentally bouncing it harmlessly off the outside wall. Cutter hides in the room and lines up a clear shot with his silenced hunting rifle. In the hall two more cultists run toward Walthus' room to surround Kaltos and Cain.

Garvel listens on the microbead, while Zolla receives orders to return to the Precinct-Fortress as soon as possible. She begins to comply, until Garvel displays his Inquisitorial Rosette, overriding her instructions and warning her not to speak a word of it to anyone. She takes the Arvus Lighter to the hotel, looking for a place to land. Garvel aims the after-market autocannon at the two men outside, but decides Kaltos and Cain need assistance much sooner. 

The fighting continues until Walthus, a cultist and Kaltos are all lying unconscious on the floor of the hotel room, Cain the only one left standing. All the other cultists have been killed, including the two outside who were picked off by Cutter's keen eye. 

Taking Walthus and the cultist prisoner, they load them into the Arvus just as the local Rangers arrive on scene. With Kaltos stimmed up, they are able to talk their way out, the Rangers eager to dispose of the corpses. 

Landing at the Rangers headquarters in Theolum, they arrange for an interrogation room and an Excrutiator's kit, under Kaltos' authority. For several hours they tear away at Walthus' sanity. In the end, the traitor breaks and tells them of Sarvus' Farm near Yokes. There is a cave there where Aegrius has holed up with a dozen cultists and some unknown beasts. Walthus and the cultist tied up in a cell and go sleep at Ketten's house. 

233.819.M41 - They sell off some of the gear they confiscated from the cultists, then return to visit Walthus. They find that he has been touched by some dark forces which healed all of his wounds in the evening. Disturbed by this, they review the security vids and find that Walthus somehow healed without the aid of anyone, yet Sander is certain the former Arbitrator is no psyker. 

Kaltos arranges for a shuttle to take Cutter to the Sarvus Farm where the assassin hides and waits for any poor soul to wander about.They interrogate him again, but get only contradicting gibberish. It seems his mind is beyond broken and is of no use. It seems Zolla took the Arvus Lighter back to the Precinct-Fortress. When they request her services they find she is being disciplined for failing to follow orders. My Burdens decide to personally visit the Precinct-Fortress where they requisition some equipment for what they believe will be a fight at the farm. 

Until the next report
I am your eyes,
Oculus

Entry 0004, Segetes

For your judgment,
Rectors:

230.819.M41 - While in Segetes they gave to Walthus a copy of the laboratory notes they found in the Barbaretta cave. Then they have Walthus arrange to find an adept who can review the footage from the train station cameras. They give the adept the pict of Aegrius from his file and a sketch based on Abdelus' description. To avoid confusion they tell the adept the sketch is of a second man named Hack.

Then they take Zolla and her shuttle to Yokes where they ask around for Carnelia Lorayne. No one in Yokes knows who that woman is, nor do they know anyone with that family name. Using a vox they message Walthus, saying they believe Carnelia does not exist. Walthus does not respond.

Finding the town bulletin board, Garvel confiscates two stories. The first is a story about mysterious explosions for the last three nights, and the second is regarding Sarvus Farm crop failures due to locusts. They then confiscate Abdelus Barbaretta's groundcar and load it into the shuttle. Zolla the pilot then takes them back to Segetes after dark. Seeing as there is no room at the motel, they sleep in the shuttle.

231.819.M41 - In the morning they go and speak with adept, who happens to be worn out from working all through the night. The adept gives them footage of the man in Aegrius' file, with a backpack, getting aboard the train that blew up. Then they find Walthus and ask him about Carnelia. Since she appears to be an alias, they accuse her of working with Aegrius and lying to Walthus.

My Burdens conclude that Aegrius must have boarded the train and exited it soon before the explosion, hiding in a cave nearby. They ask for a topographical map of the area, which Walthus arranges. They fly to Theolum to visit the Officio Administratum and pick up the maps.

Leaving the shuttle, they take the groundcar to a small cave about a mile north of the crash. Eager to find heretics, they are disappointed to find a mother grox and her young, instead. After killing it they field dress it and drive it back to Segetes, where they sell it to a butcher.

Using the map, they go check out an abandoned mine near Segetes. There are abandoned buildings outside. These mines have long since gone quiet. They find the mines abandoned and empty. They head back to Segetes and sleep in the motel.

232.819.M41 - Walthus has a warehouse in Segetes where pieces of the train have been brought and corpses are laid. Rows and rows of body bags alongside fragments of engine and steel. When my Burdens visit to speak with Walthus he leads them down one of the rows to a body bag which he unseals. The corpse is badly mangled, falling to pieces, but the face is clearly the same as the pict from Aegrius' file. Declaring the case closed, Walthus congratulates them. They tell him that they are not necessarily looking for Aegrius, but for a psyker.

Unsure whether or not to trust Walthus, they show him the sketch of 'Hack'.Walthus momentarily seems to recognize the picture, but quickly clears his expression and says he does not know who Hack could be.

My Burden then moves away and plot to confront Walthus. Kaltos meets up with Walthus and speaks to him in the motel room alone while Cain stays in the hallway. Garvel calls up Zolla on the vox, asking her to return to Segetes. Once there, the two converse on the topic of shuttle maintenance. Sander is at the Oats Tavern getting a feel for the psychic energies. Cutter waits the whole thing out in the team's motel room.

Until the next report
I am your eyes,
Oculus

Entry 0003, Abdelus Ranch

For your judgment,
Rectors:

227.819.M41 - My Burden has opened the hole in the ground, widened it enough for a human to pass through. As they reach the bottom of their rope, they are attacked by gloomhaunts. The bat-like creatures latch onto their heads. My Burdens killed three of them, signalling to the others that they best look elsewhere for prey.

Beyond the dead creatures, they find water pooling in the dips and crevasses. Searching for any clues, they discover a rusty spoon at a fork in the tunnels. Taking the descending tunnel, they find a collection of worn and rotting bunk beds surrounded by miscellaneous cooking tools and a large improvised fire pit. In the ashes of the pit are the remains of a dataslate. Garvel tries to coax it back to functionality, but is unable. The second tunnel ascends upward to daylight. The hole is covered in debris, which they remove. Exploring the area, they once again find the old foundation of the outbuilding.

Descending again into the tunnel they return to where they had climbed in and move past it. My Burdens uncover a cavern filled with desks and some vials, possibly a laboratory, though it has been cleared out in a hurry. Beyond this, there is a larger cavern where they found one lone mutant. Without even speaking to it they shot it such that it's head exploded like a melon under a sledgehammer. This room houses a broken vox and the remains of many grox, their bones poking out of another pile of ash. This fire was covering a circle carved into the rock. A symbol with eight lines radiating out of the center where a smaller symbol sits of three circles in front of three points. It is likely some sort of ritualistic circle.

Kaltos informs Abdelus about the existence of the cave and explains that it is under control, the rancher should return to his work. Unsure if the cultists are going to return, my Burdens plan to set up an ambush outside the entrance, hiding in the tall prairie grass.

228.819.M41 - At night, while they wait in the tall grass, a shuttle lands just outside the ranch. Abdelus calls for help over the microbead. My Burdens quickly move in on the farm house and discover four Adeptus Arbites, led by Arbitrator Ramirez, arresting Abdelus and his family. They have been accused of heresy, witchcraft, and a laundry list of other charges. The warrant for their arrest is signed by Investigator Wathus and it founded on the testimony of Carnelia Lorayne. Kaltos challenges this arrest and persuades Arbitrator Ramirez to find information on Lorayne.

After returning to their overwatch on the cave, the eventually sun rises. They return to Yokes and find a message for them waiting at the train station. It is from Arbitrator Ramirez and it has Carnelia Lorayne's address. It is in Theolum, which is odd. That evening, they take the train back to the capital city where they sleep again in Ketten's house.

229.819.M41 - Carnelia's address is an apartment building in the factory workers district. Pressing the buzzer gets no response, so they call on the building manager. He's never heard of Carnelia, but is willing to check the apartment on the address. Unlocking the door, they find it completely empty.

Unsure what to do next, Garvel rebuilds the broken dataslate using parts from a new one. He uncovers an amateur encryption protecting what appear to be laboratory notes by a man named Vorgen. They tell of experiments on grox which seem to be trying to create a virus or disease to wipe them out. The effects this would have on the Calixian economy are incalculable.

They return to the Precinct-Fortress in search of some answers. They find that Ramirez and Walthus' department was moved out of it's offices and placed in temporary accommodations. Their offices have been infested with rats, and there is a team of exterminators cleaning it out. The team is a specialist company called Marra and Sons. Ramirez is unsure why Carnelia was not at her apartment. He confirms the address in the database. And unfortunately, Walthus is not available, so they return to Ketten's and sleep.

230.819.M41 - In the morning my Burdens decide to visit Marra and Sons, discovering that they do not know how the infestation started. Marra himself has not seen a case like it. Set back, the team head back to the Precinct-Fortress where a message is awaiting them. It is from Walthus and has an urgent classification.

Arbitrator Kaltos, 

Last night the Seeds of Freedom bombed the train headed from Segetes to Theolum. It has been confirmed that Aegrius participated in this attack. Ramirez and I will be in Segetes for a few days assisting with the investigation. 

Investigator Walthus

My Burdens act immediately to requisition a shuttle and pilot from the Arbites. The shuttle takes them to the crash site where they find a train shattered. The engine has been destroyed and the rest of the cars bunched up behind it. Many passengers, crew and grox died in the crash including the engineer and the maintenance technician. There is no sign of pests or psychic powers being used. They continue on to Segetes. They find Walthus who tells them that Aegrius is definitely here and that Carnelia is now in Yokes visiting relatives.

Kaltos tells Walthus they will go to Yokes and speak with Carnelia. They also pay a visit to Mae's Exterminators Inc. The woman behind the desk is unable to recall any incidences of unexplained rat infestations, citing only minor outbreaks.

Until the next report
I am your eyes,
Oculus

Entry 0002, Theolum

For your judgment,
Rectors:

225.819.M41 - At Ketten's abandoned home, my Burdens took their ease. As they slumbered a force of men circled the house, three in front and four in back. With bottles of amasec they lit the roof ablaze, waking those inside. Quickly, the lawns were filled with fire, the strongest light around. Kaltos confronted the four, daring them to attack. He was supported by Cutter and Sander who fired from the windows. In the front the attackers stood behind their groundcar while firing on Cain and Garvel. The team dispatched all but two of the attackers, which they took prisoner.

Drawn by the flames, the local enforcers arrive. They are known as the Rangers. After some discussion they bring my Burdens to their HQ where the prisoners are interrogated with the assistance of a Ranger Interrogation Specialist named Miriam. She extracts knowledge of the existence of one named Aegrius. He is the witch responsible for the murder in Yokes on 191.819.M41.

After several hours they execute one of the prisoners for blasphemy and return to Ketten's restaurant where they consume grox burgers. This refuels them sufficiently to continue the investigation. They pay a visit to the Officio Administratum, seeking any documents with the name Aegrius. In short order they discover a complaint filed by Abdelus Barbaretta, a rancher living in Yokes. He is struggling to pay his tithe of grox, citing the theft of 80+ heads by someone named Aegrius.

They later find the original Arbites report regarding the attack on the warehouse weeks ago. It has details regarding the blood weeping from the walls, which Sander identifies as a psychic effect. Deciding to go to Yokes, they find a map of the planet and download it onto a dataslate.

226.819.M41 - They gather up some of Ketten's possessions and sell them. Then they sell the groundcar used by the men who ambushed them at night. They go to the train station and buy tickets to Yokes with the money. The train only makes two trips a day, once in the morning out of Theolum and once in the evening for the return.

The Arbites keep close tabs on the station, being that the tithes move through it. Two of the Arbitrators on patrol noticed Kaltos' insignias and stopped to speak with him. My Burdens decide to go to the Precinct-Fortress and do some research.

The Precinct-Fortress on Cyrus Vulpa is modeled after the Scintillan headquarters. The smooth black stone walls reach high into the air, topped with military gun emplacements. Gun servitors closely watch all those who come near. A 100m perimeter surrounds the fortress, empty and clean. A fence marks where the perimeter starts, preventing citizens from aimlessly wandering in. Only Arbites are allowed to carry arms within the bounds, so all but Kaltos hand them over.

While there, they find that Investigator Walthus has assembled a dossier of Aegrius, complete with picture. He is a terrorist leader in the rebel group called the Seeds of Freedom. They seek out Walthus and speak with him. Walthus decides for them to split up, Kaltos covering Yokes while Walthus covers Theolum.

227.819.M41 - After a quiet night my Burden returns to the train station in time for the ride out to Yokes. The train moves across the vast prairies of Vulpa, grass waving with the wind. There are herds of grox all about, grazing purposefully.

Arriving at Yokes my Burden share their pict of Aegrius with some officials, but no one recognizes him. Moving on to Abdelus' ranch, they find his wife in the house. She directs them to the field where her husband is wrangling. They learn that Abdelus witnessed grox thieves on his property and overheard the name Aegrius. That is how the name came to be in the official complaint.

They decide to search the ranch for any possible hideouts, especially caves and mines under the open plains. Abdelus lends them Thale and Theodore to help search the property. They find the remains of an outbuilding, long destroyed. It seems someone here has weakened the veil which separates reality from the warp. They continue searching, until a mysterious earthquake shakes the area. Sander hides a guilty look as Cain trips in a hole.

They sent Thale and Theodore back for rope and shovels. After expanding the hole, my Burden descend into it.

Until the next report
I am your eyes,
Oculus

Entry 0001, Plaustrum to Vulpa

For your judgment,
Rectors:

208.819.M41 - I have boarded the Imperium of Mankind Merchant Ship Plaustrum and have identified four of my five Burdens: Kaltos, Cutter, Sander and Cain. My first impressions are mixed. They look experienced, but fresh. It even appears Garvel has missed the embarkation entirely! There is but a single compartment for the passengers where we all sleep on a collection of bunk beds and Garvel is nowhere amongst them. The passenger compartment was originally one of many crew compartments, but has been re-purposed. I've picked a bed close enough to keep an eye on my Burdens.

Day 2 - They keep to themselves, always with an eye out for trouble. Three of them look to be well armed and armored. The witch Sander is not, suggesting either trust in his companions, or confidence in his ability to bend the Empyrean to his will. Kaltos is proudly wearing the marks of his office and duty. Cain is geared for the battlefield, looking out of place. Cutter is quiet with his rifle.

Shortly after boarding they interrogated one of the crew, likely about the whereabouts of their lost companion. Despite their questions, Garvel has not appeared. I suspect he is still on Scintilla wishing Inquisitor Jericus never learned of his existence.

Day 6 - A wrinkle in the Gellar field allowed for visitations. The apparitions of the dead floated among the beds, crying out in whispers. Kaltos spoke intently with the apparition of a small girl, possibly his daughter Ophelia. Many spirits filled the room, causing the first-time passengers to take fright believing it to be an ill omen. After only brief moments, the Gellar field stabilized again, forcing back the Sea of Souls and silencing the room.

Day 7 - We have left the warp and and have entered the Cyrus System Shortly we will the station orbiting Cyrus' second planet Vulpa.


222.819.M41 - It appears a Minima level time discrepancy has obtained. Five days have passed unknown to the passengers of the IMMS Plaustrum. During disembarkation we are greeted by men in black robes and the sign of the Adeptus Administratum. They each wear a beaked mask over their face, showing not an inch of skin anywhere on their bodies. In their hands are flamers, filled with promethium.

They herd us through the narrow stone tunnels of the Wayfarer-class space station. A floating castle in the Vulpa sky, it defends the planet from outside threats. We are led to a large holding chamber, dirtied by the bodies of the many who came before. The beaked men select from the crowd any who show signs of sickness. Coughing, disease, frailty are all inspected. Some of the passengers are escorted out of the room, not to return. The rest of us are left to wait until they grant us passage. Even Kaltos, in his Adeptus Arbites uniform is made to wait. At this point, Garvel rejoins the group. He must have found some place aboard the Plaustrum where he was valued as more than just a passenger.

224.819.M41 - After two full days the quarantine has been lifted. Our cohort is lighter, but healthier. From a second pair of doors on the other side of the room, men with faces welcome us through. Behind the holding chamber is cleansed with the purifying flamers of the beak men.

We each are instructed to face a pict recorder and speak our name. Then on a data slate we are instructed to write our name. Some of the passengers seem unable to spell, fumbling with the slate until the guards simply let them pass.

A constant flow of shuttle traffic moves from Vulpa to the Docks and back. On one, my Burdens all ride, while I take another. I quickly pick up their trail again, as they move out from the port. They move up to a house, possibly the residence of Ketten, the informant. Then, with guns drawn they enter. Scrambling to find a better view, I catch a glimpse of the rooms, already ransacked. Someone beat them here. Searching for answers, Kaltos goes to the neighbors and speaks with them. Though it seems Cain's fearsome stance pulls out more information.

As the team prepares to leave I notice one neighbor, a man with whom they spoke, begin taking his own voice door to door. It seems he has been invested with a duty. Following him, I notice that his task is to form a posse, a thrall of men to safeguard the neighborhood. Clearly, he has failed in protecting Ketten, and damn his soul if it happens again.

But I cannot be distracted, for my Burdens are on the move. They have arrived at Titus Treats, the restaurant owned by Ketten. I carefully take a seat within earshot. It seems that he is missing and no one has seen him for at least three days. Garvel goes into the kitchen. but returns unsatisfied. Then the waitress agrees to show them Ketten's office. Inside they find little of value. They take some records and some bullets and move out.


Until the next report
I am your eyes,
Oculus

Briefing, Cyrus Vulpa

207.819.M41

Acolytes, 

We have reports of suspicious phenomena occurring on the planet Vulpa in the Cyrus System. A warehouse in the town of Yokes was infiltrated by a group of unidentified criminals. Once seen, the criminals attacked the guards, killing one. The other guards report an excessive amount of blood at the scene, covering every surface and filling every nook. They also report one of the criminals disappearing without a trace as the others fled. The Inquisitor believes this to be the result of a witch. 

It is your responsibility to: 1) venture to Cyrus Vulpa; 2) meet with Ketten Makewell, an informant familiar with the events; 3) identify the witch, and neutralize it; 4) return to Scintilla for further missions. 

+++The following is a summary on the planet+++

Cyrus Vulpa is an Agri-World within Golgenna Reach. In the years of colonization the planet was mined clean of its few useful metals, while the fields were being planted. This planet supplies Golgenna Reach with a majority of all grox products and a strong supplement of staple crops.

The planet is covered in prairielands that stretches the horizon with an almost entirely underground water supply making it ideal for cattle like the grox [Xenos Minima]. Unfortunately, the violent tendencies of the grox make it difficult for much diversity in the fauna. Instead, there is a variety of flora on the land that is not used for grazing. It is set aside for various crops which are processed and shipped to hive worlds including Scintilla. There are a variety of small towns spread out on the surface which are hubs of farming and ranching activity. Each town is connected via a high speed train route which ships food and people to and from the capital city of Theolum, the only metropolis and primary spaceport.

The Planetary Governor is Karina Macharius, a wealthy and judicious businesswoman. She keeps her title so long as she can maintain the flow of grox and Serafina grains. Due to the nature of the tithe, the planet is closely watched by the Adeptus Administratum. They maintain a large officio in the capital city, where the Exactors inspect the goods. Within sight of it is the soaring mountain of the Precinct-Fortress. The Adeptus Arbites have only one such building, but regularly are seen in the small towns. The Adeptus Mechanicus maintain a Repairatorium where harvesters are maintained.

There is a small rebel band of note, self-named the Seeds of Freedom. There is little record of them in the Tricorn Libraries, as their crimes have not been investigated by an Inquisitor. They have grievances with the Planetary Governor.

Ketten lives and works in the capital, Theolum. His address is attached. The restaurant he owns is Titus Treats. You have tickets for passage on the Plaustrum, a freighter heading for Cyrus Vulpa tomorrow.

May the Emperor guide your path,
-Sage Zarkov

Inq. Jericus to Sage Zarkov

+++

205.819.M41

Sage Zarkov,

I have received a letter from ============ on Cyrus Vulpa with disturbing reports. It seems that there is more to all this than I had originally believed. It is essential that I personally lead the team on ==================, but that will leave no one to investigate the events on Cyrus Vulpa. If only I had one more cell of Acolytes, I could address both concerns.

Make a list of available individuals for me to review. From that I will award five of them the status and authority of Acolyte. Make arrangements for them to reach Cyrus Vulpa as soon as possible.

Ave Imperator
-Inq. Jericus

+++

205.819.M41

Inquisitor Jericus,

Attached is a list of all individuals currently on Scintilla which have been in the direct service of  Throne Agents in your command.

Your servant,
Sage Zarkov

+++


206.819.M41

Sage Zarkov,

Prepare Inquisitorial Rosettes for the following individuals:
Sander Tiermann, Cain Hastus Tarntor, Kaltos, Garvel Drustos, Guilliman Alaric Barbosa IV.

Also, be prepared to brief them on their mission to Cyrus Vulpa tomorrow at 13:00 hrs. I expect to be out of the Tricorn before that time, and so you are to use my reception office.

Ave Imperator
-Inq. Jericus

It Is The 41st Millennium!