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 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