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