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2012/05/08

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

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