Dark Heresy
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Dark Heresy is a yet unnamed campaign by Panzerman.
Setup
The protagonists are acolytes in the employ of the Inquisition. They are currently trying to end a Redemptionist uprising in a Hive Pontifex on Piety.
Characters
345518-C5 Silon
345518-C5 Silon was produced on the Turanshush Forge World as part of the Adeptus Mechanicus contingency program. After the first years of basic training and augmentation he was sent to Canopus to serve as a servitor handler at a warehouse and logistics hub to further develop in the Mechanicus path of existence.
When a cogwheel spins, all cogs are as important. When your time comes you must be ready to perform your duty. If a cog is missing when it should be in grip the machine will halt. The duty, and only the duty, is the virtue of existence. This means self-preservation is a viable approach to serving the Omnissah.
Silon perished to the flames of the heretics at Pontifex Hive on Piety after being severely wounded from the orbital barrage.
Alasondro Alegré
Alasondro Alegré is an Arbites, the armored kneepad of the Imperium of Man.
Born to an upper middle class family in Hive Elysium, young Alasondro spent his time in the Young Pioneers, unwittingly being brainwashed into a fanatical drone like a million million others. On coming of age a punch card fell in the basket marked "Arbites" from an ancient Hollerith machine addled by a thousand years of Mechanicus secretions. And so one young man was made to not give a particular damn about the suffering of his fellows, walk with a frightening limp, and grow one truly awesome mustache in the service of the Eternal God Emperor of Man.
Recently, the young junior Arbiter was headhunted by what seems to be an Inquisition recruiting program. It remains to be seen if he will sink or swim, but working for the Inquisition has awakened a fierce ambition in Alasondro and has already given him some intimidating facial scarring.
Ivan Volkov
Ivan Maximovich Volkov is a soldier in the glorious Imperial Guard, formerly of the 34th Rodina Airborne Regiment. He was one of the few soldiers in his regiment to survive the brutal action on Malice. Ivan was evacuated with other wounded wounded and woke up on a hospital on Canopus after extensive surgery. He was ordered to report to a warehouse at the spaceport where he met a motley crew of similarly uniformed recruits.
Ivan is a simple soul and likes vodka, cigarettes, and women. Like many soldiers, he is a fatalist, ready to give his life for the God-Emperor. He usually wears his guard flak armor and is always armed. He wears his blue and white striped shirt with pride. It reminds him of the sky and clouds of Rodina, which he knows he will never see again.
Before he was inducted into the Imperial Guard, Ivan was a tractor driver on one of the many collective farms on Rodina. It is an agriworld with vast plains, wide rivers and large forests. Local mines and factories produce vehicles for local use. The primary exports are food, lumber and and alcohol.
Private Volkov was killed in action during an attempt to purge the heretics of Pontifex Hive on Piety. When he was set on fire by a Redemptionist flamer, he realised he had only moments to live. He charged a group of cultists and pulled the pins on several grenades, and took four cultists with him.
Sister Ophelia
“That thou wouldst bring them only death,
That thou shouldst spare none,
That thou shouldst pardon none,
We beseech thee, destroy them.“
– From the Fede Imperialis, the Battle-Hymn of the Adepta Sororitas
Sister Ophelia is a Seraphim of the Order of the Valorous Heart. She was raised in the Schola Progenium on Scintilla in the Calixis Sector. Ophelia does not remember her parents, and knows only that they were servants of the Administratum who were lost in the Empyrean. She prays daily to the Emperor to keep their souls safe and guide them to Him on Holy Terra.
Her earliest memories were of prayer and toil in the halls of the Schola Progenium. The Drill Abbess took notice of her zeal and pure faith, and assigned her for training with the Adepta Sororitas at the Convent Sanctorum. After her final vows, she joined the Order of the Valorous Heart. She was soon assigned to the ranks of the Seraphim, where her agility and zeal could bring swift death to the heretics.
She has seen battle in the mutant uprisings on Sepheris Secundus and other worlds in the Calixis sector. She was recently assigned as a guard to the psyker Solaria. Ophelia has been told that the psyker is a tool and not a witch, but to destroy her without hesitation if she is possessed by the powers of the Warp.
Ophelia strives to pious, chaste, and humble. She finds joy in service to the Imperium, but never more than in combat against heretics. Each bolter round fired is a prayer to the Emperor. Each heretic slain is a soul purified with faith and fire. Praise the divine God-Emperor of Mankind!
Ophelia has yet to join the acolyte cell on Piety.
Solaria "Sol" Petit
Sol was in her late teens when the Arbites cleansed the hive sector and imprisoned her along with the few surviving members of her gang. The special talents she presented forced the Arbites to keep her sedated until the Black Ship arrived.
The trials shaped her. Lured her. Tested her devotion. Her vocal chords revolted against the strain and fled into the warp. All doubt disappeared. She was born again before the Emperor at Holy Terra. The sanctioning ritual was complete.
Her artificial voice unit is unable to speak the names of the ruinous powers, she is always to be accompanied by an armed guard and her trust in the Emperor is focused in her Mercy Blade. She is a short woman with black and white hair and small tattoos of prayer glyphs cover her body.
The purification took its time. Thirty years has passed since the Arbites saved her. Some years less since she was touched by the Emperor. She was to report for duty with the Planetary Defence Force at Piety when caught in the middle of an ongoing heresy at Hive Pontifex.
The explosive collar around Sol's neck was activated by two nervous handlers after a few too many psychic manifestations during a fight to drive off some Ork boarders.
Kostian von Zeppelinder de Fomalhaut
As the seventh son of house Z de F one of the higest placed dynasties on Scintilla. Kostian took a somewhat slack approach to working. As he loafed around he sharpened his people skills and his watchfulness. Since he had several younger brothers wanting to get closer to the main bank account. After being recruited by the I he has been behaving himself, and has found a renewed faith in the Emperor. Wholeheartedly dedicated to serving the Emperor trough the will of the Inq. he is now a happy, dedicated man.
Castus Obfirmatus
There is no substitute for zeal
The divination has formed every inch of Castus life. Born on a backwater imperial world no one dares to remember he was brought to the Ecclesiastes at an early age after his parents were victims of a heresy that has since faded from the collective memory. Though the hatred lingers...
Armed with a sword, a gun and a burning zeal he charges forward wherever enemies of the Empire occurs, inspiring courage in those who watches.
Missions
Session 1
Recruited by inquisition.
Session 2
Riot in the hive. Fighting in a commuter station.
Session 3
Investigating potential organized rebellious behaviour in Hive Elysium. Shoot out in the commuter Tunnels
Session 4
Meet Interrogator Augustus and other Acolytes. Travel to Schlaraffenland Hive to seek out source of las carbines for rebels. A smuggler on the train tried to evade Arbites Allegré and dropped a package of drugs in front of Volkov and fled.
Person following the Acolytes discovered and slain. Assassination attempt foiled by grenade. Spire Lordling confronted by acolytes with charges of corruption. Executed by local Arbite.
Session 5
The acolytes continued their investigation of the illegal drugs (made from human brains). The courier from the train had been found dead by the Enforcers in Schlaraffenland. Interrogation of prisoners in the Enforcer precinct led the acolytes to a bar in the lower part of the hive, looking for a man in a fancy white. As luck would have it, he was at the bar but killed himself rather than let himself be taken alive. One of his minions had fled to Hive Elysium, but the Inquisitor cell was able to pick him up and interrogate him fatally. The druglords were holed up in a hydroponics plant. The heroes entered the plant and terminated the ringleaders and most of the scum while a PDF company secured the perimeter.
Session 6
Acolytes are transferred to the cruiser Dignitas and introduced to Inquisitor Harkonnen. Given formal recognition and provided with new gear.
New Mission: Hive Pontifex on planet Piety has been lost to double heresy (Redemptionists and Unbelief). Leadership of both are highly likely to be witches. Take them out! Landing by drop pod and hasty exit because of plasma missile barrage. Fifteen plague zombies disposed of.
Session 7
Fighting more zombies. AdMech have locked themselves in. Civilians were happy to see agents of the Inquisition. Killing two zombie-herding witches. Travelled up towards Redemptionist blocks by cargo elevator. Something huge managed to squeeze in an arm and bash around a bit until driven off. Enjoy your Corruption points!
Session 8
The elevator ascended up the shaft, and the Acolytes prepared defenses to meet the inevitable attacks of the Redemptionists. When the elevator neared the upper floor, Silon scanned multiple signatures of bolter and flamer type weapons.
The elevator platform stopped, the doors opened, and a firefight ensued. Several squads of Redemptionists surged into the elevators, flamers blazing. The Acolytes killed scores of the cultists, but were unable to stop the tide. Silon perished in the flames. When Private Volkov was immolated, he found the will to rush a group of enemies before detonating his remaining grenades, thus allowing the rest of the cell to escape down the shaft.
As told by Arbite Allegre:
The misguided fools stomped our tails.
I can fault no-one for it. We knew there would be a welcoming party. We had set up a strong defense. Silon's servitor was fully loaded and ready.
Kostian was first to go, blasted into a hole in the elevator floor as the Redempionists opened up with heavy bolters and a volley of frags.
It was a confused firefight. For a while we held them back. We did learn one thing: the Redemptionist leadership is not merely misguided but actively heretical. The men of one assault squad heard our calls to the Emperor and realized their error, and their commander had their heavy support element turn their guns upon them. These Redemptionists at least died well.
I saw Volkov's final charge, smiting the enemy with the full power of his faith. Alas, the blessed weapon he carried was lost in the blast of his grenades.
I saw Silon hold back the enemy gun-carriages with mechanical power, and I saw him cut down. He did not flinch in the face of overwhelming odds.
Myself, I fell burning through a gap in the floor. Below, I found myself facing an angel and a witch. I shall have to trust them both with more than my own life.
Valeria, too, escaped. Having struck many enemies down with faith and fury, she too fell. Fell and was saved by Kostian who by some blessed miracle had escaped death in the abyss below.
Two good men died and I fear we will not be able to recover Volkov's weapon. For myself, I have been baptized in fire and felt mercy burn away: it is my hope that I can prove myself a better servant of the Emperor for it.
In the company I keep, how could I even imagine our mission will not succeeed?
GM's Notes: Continuous Character logs will provide small bonuses of XP/Luck Points
Session 9
Burning heretics, recruiting Sanctioned Psyker Solaria and Sister Ophelia, killing heretic leader, escaping plague zombies. Hive plasma bombed. Go back to Dignitas.
Session 10
Investigating a colony that has gone silent, discovering strange alien creatures.
Session 11
Trying to mediate between two Inquisitors, jumping a Land Raider while doing it.
Session 12 - 15
Investigating and solving an apostasy
Session 16
Last entry in the journal of Solaria Petit
The Dignitas weaved with a huge crash and we all got scrambled by a general alert for battle stations. Our vessel had been rammed and boarded by greenskins!
Our first orders were to push them back. Through the doors we faced a massive amount of small greenskins that were easily taken care off with a cleverly executed fear power. But something felt...different. Suddenly my usually so trigger happy handlers were charging into close combat with the runts and it was not long before the statues by the walls were weeping blood and our guns jammed simultaneously. I had never seen this amount of psychic manifestations before, the Orks must be augmenting the energies in some weird way. I had to restrain my powers, but not before I finished off some sorry excuse for a dreadnought with a few well placed meltaguns shots.
I could see my handlers getting nervous and starting to fingering the remotes for my collar. Luckily for me they got astray by new orders. The marines had scavenged a Plasma Warhead and it was our mission to bring it as deeply as possible into the Ork Hulk and setting it off. Well, anything to keep some fingers off some remotes and I sure got the skills for the job.
While fighting our way through the hulk more augmented psychic phenomena occurred. Damn those Orks. A few more well-placed meltashots and we were home. As the timer was set a huge tin can Ork was fighting that assassin girl. I hit it two times with my meltagun and the gun was empty. Ophelia ordered me to pull out, looks like they were too scared of the Orks to hold them off until I could reload. Apparently it was time for us to get back to Dignitas through the wall of greenskins to the safe spot the marines had set up.
The hulk was pushed away and we saw it vanquish as the Plasma Warhead did it's work. My handlers still seemed a bit nervous so I decided to demonstrate that the psychic disturbance had go-Error: Autoquill connection lost-
Session 17
The party acquired the cleric Castus Obfirmatus from a shrine world. Investigation of strange activities at a mining asteroid, where the overseer was withholding wages.
Session 18
Discover the reason behind strange activities at the mining asteroid. Valeria sacrificed herself to kill a Keeper of Secrets.
Session 19
Party is commissioned to investigate a stagnant civil war at a planet. The local Ecclesiarchy does not take sides. Purging operation is countered by order with Inquisitorial seal.
Session 20
Get an offer to help Inquisitor XX or get killed. Transported to other side of the front, get stuck in pilgrim march. Meet Archconfessor Bronsky and break into sealed church chamber where the priesthood has been killed long time ago. Secure tainted artefact. Archconfessor Bronsky destroys Khorn tainted artefact in space, ending the 200 year civil war.
Session 21
Back at Dignitas, reporting and resting. Inquisitor Harkonen has used a lot of influence to get the possibility to take us to Holy Terra. Long Warp Jump. Decent down through the tower to bow down before the golden throne. Kostian get promoted to Inquisitor. The party is disbanded.
(Transision to Ascention)
Session 22
Five years has passed before. The party get summoned at a Shrine World in the Ultramar sector. The mission is to secretly investigate the differences in goverment from other sectors, the Inquisitorial presence has been low for a long time. Investigations show that the church is run very close to the military, and is managed in a way very much like the military. The focus is on discipline and education,clerical aspirants are head-hunted through the military by recruitment teams.
Travel to a mining colony and get the warm welcome from Ordo Xenos sentry stations. After some diplomacy we get invited to help investigate an assumed possession. A Tyranid Carnifex held in stasis is proven to be possessed by a strong daemon. Apparently Tyranides are appearing from the warp randomly in the area, affected by the warp. This fact is disturbing.
Session 23
The party investigates the moon where the carnifex was found, some humanoid xeno footprints are found. An Eldar spaceship is found to be spiralling towards the nearby planet and is boarded. The Eldar has abandoned ship and the party make a big barbecue of the ripper infestation, including a warped multi-headed ripper with psychic abilities. The party descend to the planet at the landing site of the Eldar escape shuttle and find a savage human tribe. The tribe describes how they sometimes kill members of an evil tribe who keep monsters. The evidence indicates a Genestealer cult. Confessor Castus promise to take care of the cult.
People
Canopus
- Lord Lugosi
- Lord of Hive Elysium
- Lord Karloff
- Lord of Hive Schlaraffenland
- Tech Adept Claudius
- A diligent member of Adeptus Mechanicus. Works at the Plasma Reactor underneath Prosperina Spire.
- Preacher Maslow
- Imperial preacher
- Preacher Skinner
- Imperial preacher
- Skronsky
- Layman technologist of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
- Draisine Driver 425219
- Drives a draisine. Lives in the garage along with his meticulously maintained vehicle.
- Lordling Chaney
- Lesser lord. Executed.
- Lord Justinianus Lee
- Lesser noble. Rowdy and aggressive drunk.
Inquisition
- Inquisitor Vespera Harkonnen
- Petite. Superior of Augustus. "Roaming" inquisitor
- Inquisitor Junioris Augustus
- Short, tough. Favours bolters and power armour. Inquisitor.
- Inquisitor Solomon
- Other inquisitor serving under Harkonnen.
- Amelia
- Imperial Guard, Sanctioned Psyker. Tall, lanky and fond of good booze. Served in 112th Darwin Light infantry. Acolyte to Interrogator Augustus.
- Paust
- Mnemnotician. Average height, formal and humorless. Human data slate. Acolyte to Interrogator Augustus.
- Singh
- Adeptus Arbites. Acolyte under Inquisitor Solomon
Locations
Piety
Piety is a hive world (in)famous for it's wide spread corruption and crime. It is a literal "hive of scum and villainy". Recently lost Piety Secundus to a double heresy.
Piety Secundus
The contested hive.
Canopus
Canopus is a minor hive world that has seen better days. The effects of the stagnating economy are being harder and harder to ignore. This is the starting point for the campaign.
Hive Elysium
- Cornucopia Space port
- Main space port for Hive Elysium
- Felix Arabia Spire
- Ruling spire of Hive Elyisum
- Prosperina Spire
- One of many industrial spires of Hive Elysium
Hive Schlaraffenland
- Space Port Opulence
- Main space port for Hive Schlaraffenland
Organizations and Other Entities
- Feuerzauber Ltd.
- Codename for the Acolyte group.
- Dreams of Glory
- Cargo space ship. Not Warp-capable.
- Spirit of Redemption
- Cargo space ship. Not Warp-capable.
- Dignitas
- Firestorm-class cruiser. Flagship of Inquisitor Vespera Harkonnen.
