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