Dark Heresy Campaign

The Curse of Solomon

Written by Rob Leigh

Introduction

This campaign was written in 2012 for my friends and run using first edition Dark Heresy. It is inspired by Cthulhu mythos stories, Deliverance, Event Horizon and the Beast of Solomon piece from the Creatures

Anathema source book. It is intended to lead the players on a dark and sinister route through a backward and insular hive world.

Synopsis: Aeons ago a terrible eldritch abomination was sealed beneath the surface of the planet Solomon, trapped by

the original builders of the megalopolis with ancient wards set into the architecture of the city. Recently a sorcerer has learned of a way to free the creature, and has entered into a pact with it.

In exchange for sacrifices, each of which grant the creature power, the entity rewards the sorcerer.

However, the amount of sacrifices required are great, so the sorcerer has begun to foster cults throughout the settlements of Solomon, spreading the myth that the 'Beast' must be appeased by human sacrifice.

Chapter 1: Best left in shadow

(social/investigation/combat)

Otto Horst, an investigator employed by Inquisitor Tyrrius, has vanished while looking into a rash of disappearances on Solomon. His last communication hinted at a cult active in the 'interior' of Solomon; the

party are sent to find out what happened to him and finish his investigation.

They discover Horst has been made a sacrifice to the ‘Beast’ by the villagers of a small settlement named Underpipe. The town is purged, but the 'Beast' is not found.

Chapter 2: Some go unnoticed (investigation)

The trail leads the party to the settlement of Overfall. Overfall is much larger, a small town, and the Beast Cult is smaller and subtler.

Here the cult is lead by a local guild master, who deals with indentured servants. Any servant with a suitably

long contract to fulfil is instead sacrificed to the Beast. The party meet a young girl while in Overfall who is looking for her brother; an indentured servant who has vanished. The man’s trail leads them to the guilder,

who turns to his pit-slaves to eliminate them. When he is finally defeated, the party discover the cult was brought to Overfall by a man calling himself the

Dawnbringer.

Chapter 3: Dead end at Deadend

(investigation/combat) A number of disappearances lead the party to the settlement of Deadend where they uncover another

apparent Beast cult. It turns out the cult is run by a small group who are not actually sacrificing the victims but selling them as slaves.

As the party are wrapping up and it seems the Curse as always been a facade, the real Beast puts in an

appearance, consuming the slavers.

Chapter 4: Dawnbringer’s Lair (investigation/suspense)

Rumours of the Dawnbringer lead the party to an ancient series of catacombs where he was rumoured to

have a lair. The party find evidence that the curse is much older than they thought, and that the Dawnbringer has been instigating Beast sacrifice for quite a long time.

Chapter 5: Deep it is buried, and with reason

(investigation/combat) Evidence from the Dawnbringer’s lair leads the party to a remote sector of the Interior where they find the

ruins of an ancient hive and the lair of the beast itself.

Chapter 1: Best left in Shadow

Party sent to find Otto Horst, an Inquisition agent who has gone missing on the hive world of Solomon while

investigating a possible cult.

Scene 1: Briefing

The party are summoned by Elina who tells them that they are being dropped off at the hive world of Solomon. She tells them that Otto Horst, an investigator who worked for Tyrrius, has vanished while looking

into a series of disappearances among Imperial work parties. In his last commuication Horst explained that he thought that there was definately something more to the disappearances.

Horst has not reported in for almost a month; the party are to find him and, if the worst has happened,

finish his investigation. The party are given the address of the hab Horst was staying in and a bond for 200 Jenks each for expenses.

Scene 2: What Horst knew

The party arrive at Horst’s apartment (Mid-rise 328, Hab-stack 92, Hab 412). Horst’s apartment is empty and obviously hasn't been lived in for some months. There are a number of

papers lying around (handout #1).

Captain Jedia, mentioned in Horst’s notes, is out on a supply run and not expected back for days.

Her colleagues remember she came back from taking Horst into the Interior almost a week ago.

Another sump-barge is easy enough to find and costs 10 Jenks a head for the whole trip. The

captain’s name is Balfonse Chim.

Scene 3: Lowstill

The party travel to the nearest settlement, Lowstill. It takes them about a day by sump-barge to reach the

small settlement, which lies at the near edge of the Interior Zone.

The locals are reasonably pleasant, interaction checks are Ordinary (+10)

The locals tell them that Horst travelled through two weeks ago, asking questions, but moved on

towards Stanchion End.

The locals have heard rumors of disappearances, but have suffered none themselves.

Scene 4: Stanchion End

The party travel to Stanchion End, it takes roughly 11 hours by barge. This takes them into the Interior proper; thick yellow fog hangs everywhere and the locals are all marked by acid scars.

The locals are a little dour, interaction checks are Challenging (+0)

After asking around they are told that Horst stayed for a day or so before heading onwards to

Underpipe.

A few locals have vanished, over the years. They believe it’s the work of ‘ferals’ or mutants living in

the Fog Zones. They tend to stay away from the deep Fog Zones and move in groups.

Heavy acid fog sets in, keeping the party in Stanchion End for the night. They can stay at the local tavern,

for 3 Jenks a head. The tavern keeper’s name is Bolo.

Scene 5: Attackers in the night

While sleeping in the tavern the party are attacked by a band of four thugs who they saw in the common room earlier that evening. The locals can identify the thugs as travelers; they think they came from

somewhere further into the interior.

4 Scum armed with stub autos and knives. 1 with sawn-off, 1 with great weapon (slag-pick).

Scene 6: Underpipe

The party finally reach the furthest settlement; Underpipe. It takes almost a full day by canal to get there,

and when they arrive the locals are acid-scared, grim-faced and suspicious. The settlement is conspicously well-lit by flickering promethium wick-lamps.

The locals are close mouthed and suspicious; interaction checks are Difficult (-10)

The locals tell the party that Horst stayed in the village for a few days, but vanished into the 'Fog

Zone' a week ago and hasn't returned.

Horst arrived on a deep trader’s boat. The captain, Fallaco, apparently left shortly after dropping

Horst off.

Horst stayed in a small shack in the village, the party can look around and will find a hidden stack of

notes marked with a secret Inquisition sign (handout #2).

The locals are tight-lipped about the disappearances. If asked, they reply that “Such things happen,

tis the way of this place” or “Darkness takes it’s due”. They refuse to elaborate.

Scene 7: Horst’s notes Horst's notes reveal he had begun to believe there was something in the fog that took the workers. He

mused that perhaps it was the planet itself taking the men. He reveals that, while out in the Fog Zones, he could sense he was not alone; he was being watched by 'creatures'. He feared that soon they would come

for him too. His final note reveals that he has a map and that ‘he was wrong’. A rough map shows where

Horst went.

Scene 8: The Altar of the Beast The party hopefully head into the Fog Zone. They eventually find a large pipe that has been painted with

ritual symbols and hung with chains. Human blood is evident around the area, and the site is obviously old

and has seen repeated use. As they investigate the area the party are attacked by creatures which turn out to be villagers from

Underpipe dressed in 'beast' costumes.

6 Scum wearing piecemeal armour (AP 4 Primative) and armed with bolos and shotguns.

Alternatively, the players may confront the villagers after finding the notes. In which case the ‘beasts’ will

attack the party in the settlement, with the intention of making them the next sacrifice.

Scene 9: Wrapping up

Once the six thugs are dealt with, much of the fight goes out of the locals. They will tell the party that there were ten men who had been ‘chosen’ to find people to give to the Beast. The other four were the bandits

who attacked the party. The villagers tell the party that about five years ago they suffered a rash of disappearances. When it seemed

to be at it’s worst, a man came to the village from the settlement and taught them about the Beast and that they could keep it away by sacrificing others to the Dark.

The man chose ten men to capture the sacrifices and it seemed to work; the people of Underpipe stopped

vanishing.

The villagers know little about the man; he simple called himself the Herald and told them he had already helped the village of Overfall.

Chapter 1 Handouts

Horst’s Files

A Guild report detailing the disappearance of a number of work parties in Interior Zone 12-7896. Over a five year period three work parties, comprising a total of 23 slaves and 9 Guild overseers, have vanished while

repairing pipes and pyro-towers in the area. The report demands that the Departmento Munitorum investigates the disappearances.

The attached Departmento reply reads “Analysis suggests the work parties have most likely deserted due to

improper supervision or have been physically reduced to negative labor by hazardous local environmental factors. Both eventualities are accounted for in your yearly budget; investigation denied.”

A map dated 4-239662.M40 showing an area listed as Interior Zone 12-7896. Several areas have been

ringed in red ink with dates written next to each ring. Three settlements have been highlighted, with the

names “Lowstill”, “Stanchion End” and “Underpipe” written next to them.

A torn scrap of paper with the following hand-written text partially visible:

“… were passing under this big coolant pipe when [blurred] dropped down on’t back of wagon. Soured

myself I was so scared. [ink stain] eyes like fire an’ skin all scaly and dark, like a sump-dog. Vince went

down, screaming, blood on his neck. Heard [blurred] I ran fast as I could. Lost six men that day, and a full wagon of scrap. Last time I go back there.”

A Departmento Munitorum report detailing a chemical spill of industrial coolant into the water table of Interior Zone 12-7896 on Imperial date 4-781979.M40. According to the report the impact on life and health

in the Zone is expected to be "minimal."

A graph from the Department of Meteorology showing frequency of electrical storms over Interior Zone 12-

7896 in the Imperial year 980. An attached hand-written note reads “?”.

An Adeptus Arbites report, detailing the disappearance of an 8-man Enforcer chaser team who had been dispatched to pursue a know recidivist who had fled into Interior Zone 12-7896 in the Imperial year 978. The

chaser team was never heard from again, but pieces of their equipment were retrieved in 979 during a raid on an illegal vapor mill in Interior Zone 12-7431. The workers at the mill admitted to buying the equipment,

but couldn’t remember where they bought it, even under questioning.

The name of a sump-barge captain, Sila Jedia, scribbled on a napkin. The note mentions she charges 10

Jenks a head for passage into the Interior, and moors at berth 342-Beta in the underdocks.

A note written by Horst:

“It seems that there must be a creature, or possibly creatures, preying on the inhabitants of Interior Zone 12-7896. So far I’ve found reports of three Guild work parties, four scrap caravans and an enforcer squad

being attacked over the course of several years. Have the locals who live in Zone 12-1896 suffered the same depredations? I must find out.”

A hand-written note, hastily scribbled: “1 day by barge to Lowstill. 1 day to look around, 11 hours from Lowstill to Stanchion End. 1 day to look

around, then 1 day from Stanchion End to Underpipe. 1 day to look around. Can get out there and back in 6 days, easy.”

Host’s Personal Notes

A note in Horst’s handwriting reading: “By the God-Emperor I was right! This place is clearly the hub of the activity; I must investigate further. I

can stay out here a few days longer before returning to submit my report. All signs point to a presence here stretching back years, if not even longer! I’ve found passage with a deep trader and tomorrow I head

towards Underpipe, I’m sure the creatures must have a lair somewhere in the deeper Fog Zones.

A scrap of paper with a poem:

“The Darkness takes what the Dark is due, if you can’t pay your debt the Beast will come for you.”

A page seemingly torn from a diary: “Arrived Underpipe this morning. Dreary place, but am confident locals can be won around. Need to hire

guides and explore north, north-west. Sure will find evidence, locals might even have vanished. Will ask.”

A pict-slate of a metal wall. Written on the wall in paint is the phrase “The Darkness will take its due.” An attached note reads:

“Taken in Fog Zone NNW of Underpipe. ‘Darkness takes its Due’, why do all the locals say that? I can find no root of the phrase in any local lexicon, is it specific to the Interior?”

Another note: “While I was exploring yesterday my barge left without me. Damn captain Fallaco, I paid him enough to

keep him here for several days! I have sent word back to Stanchion End, but it looks like I’m stuck here for a few days. Will try to make best of the situation.”

A note in Horst’s handwriting. It’s obviously been screwed up, but then flattened out again: “Have I been out here too long? Maybe there are no creatures, maybe it’s this place taking the guild

workers. Maybe it’s Solomon itself. Is that crazy? Heretical? How many people die on this world every day? Is it enough? Maybe Solomon needs more blood, and now it’s

taking it. Crazy. I’m crazy.”

A note in Horst’s handwriting. His hand was obviously shaking when he wrote it:

“I was out in the Fog Zones to the north of Underpipe last night; I’m sure the creatures were out there watching me. I could feel their eyes on me. Made my flesh crawl. I think they’ve been with me, watching,

since that night out near the ruined pyro-tower. I think they’ll come for me soon, I can almost feel it. I’m scared.”

Another diary page: “Spoke to the old trapper, Amez, last night. He told me where to look and gave me a map. I think some of

the locals saw me talking to him. Superstitious idiots; none of them will act as my guide now. Don’t need them anyway; I know where I need to look now.”

A rough, hand-drawn map showing the area around Underpipe. An area to the north is marked with an X, it

looks like a few hours travel away.

Chapter 2: Some go unnoticed

The trail leads the party to, a small town named Overfall where a corrupt Guild master is sacrificing

indentured servants to the Beast.

Scene 1: Briefing

Depending on their actions, the party will either head to Overfall on their own or they might try to summon aid to take the town by force.

If they attempt to call in aid, they will be told by their inquisitorial contact, Interrogator Prost, that they cannot sanction a full-scale lockdown of the town as it is an important Labour Guild settlement. Instead the

party are told to enter the settlement and locate the source of the trouble before any support can be dispatched.

Scene 2: Arrive in Overfall

The party can travel to Overfall by barge, it takes almost 2 days from Underpipe to get there, or a day from

the main hive. Most barge captains charge 8 Jenk a head for the trip.

Overfall is a large settlement; a guild town on the edge of the Interior. It sits on a huge bridge that spans a massive acid waterfall known as the Venom Falls, and is a hub for traffic in and out of the Interior. Dozens of

barges come to Overfall each week, dropping off cargos and also groups of indentured servants; people who

have ended up in debt to a guild and are working off that debt. Overfall has a large market at the centre where the contracts of hundreds of indentured servants are bought

and sold each week. The town is also famous for its pit fights, where some of the unluckier indentured end up.

The party can ask around about the Herald and the Beast cults.

Asking about the Heral yields no results; no one knows of anyone by that name.

The locals have heard about disappearances out in the Interior, but no one has noticed any near

Overfall. While the party ask about disappearances, they are told a girl has been asking about

missing people as well. They are directed to the Rat and Pipe, a tavern. The party can learn that although the locals have heard the myths of disappearances in the dark, no

one has obviously gone missing in Overfall recently. With enough asking around, a few people will mention the rumour that batches of Indentured have

vanished. The party is usually told to ask Guild Master Kallot about it (master of Labour Resources)

Scene 3: Find the girl

At the Rat and Pipe the party are told a girl, Kyla Fenton, was asking about her brother who has gone missing, as well as a number of other people. Apparently she has been in Overfall for a few days and has

been asking around, the party are told she was headed down to the lower docks.

Unluckily for Kyla, she has asked too many questions and attracted Vorik Lent’s attention. He has sent a

gang of thugs to take care of her. When the party arrive at the lower docks they hear a scream and quickly locate Kyra, cornered in an ally by

Lent’s thugs. 2 Scum and 1 Pit slave

The thugs were hired by the pit slave in a tavern named the Wire Nest, they know nothing

The pit slave will kill himself rather than give up information (hopefully the party will kill him anyway)

Scene 4: Follow the trail Kyla tells the party that some months ago her brother, Jarr, got himself into serious debt due to his

gambling. A guilder offered him a loan and, when he couldn’t pay it back, offered to let him work it off as an

Indentured. What he didn’t tell Jarr was the Indenture contract was for a year per jenk owed; meaning he had agreed to work for over 300 years!

Kyla has recently managed to get the debt erased after appealing to the local Guild Master, and is now looking for her brother to have him returned to the hive. Sadly it seems Jarr has simply vanished; he is listed

as being transferred to the markets at Overfall, but no one knows who bought him or where he has since gone.

While looking for her brother Kyla has discovered a number of other similar Indentured, who were shipped to Overfall and then vanished.

She asks the party if they will help her; hopefully they will recognise a possible Beast Cult and agree.

Scene 5: Some go Unnoticed

The party, either with or without Kyla, can find out with enough asking around that they should talk to Darius Kallot, the local Guild Labour Resource master.

Kallot can be found in the Guild office at the centre of Overfall. The party may have to bribe their way into

see him (a Charm or Intimidate check at -10 will also work). Kallot can tell the party that there have indeed

been a number of Indentured who have arrived at Overfall but have never been sold or recorded as escaped. All Indentured are supposed to be fitted with Custodex chips allowing them to be tracked; all the

missing Indentured cannot be traced.

Over a 10-year period over 300 Indentured have vanished in Overfall.

Depending on their approach, Kallot may well offer the party a reward for investigating the disappearances;

he will offer them 200 jenk each for a successful resolution.

Scene 6: Paperwork! The party are shown to the records hall of the Guild Office. Contained within are decades’ worth of records,

most of them recorded on long reels of parchment by Guild notaries.

By sorting through the paperwork (which takes 6 hours minus the number of successes on a Logic check to

a minimum of 2 hours) the party can learn that almost every missing slave had a contract of over 100 years and all were diverted to holding pen 13.

Asking around, the party can discover that holding pen 13 is an old, unused pen underneath the

Carnivoria.

Sneaking around holding pen 13 the party can find a hidden entrance (Awareness -10) that leads

into the bottom levels of the Carnivoria.

Scene 7: The Carnivoria

The Carnivoria is a large fighting pit at the western edge of Overfall. Part tavern, part circus, the Carnivoria draws huge crowds every evening who come to watch the pit fights and other entertainments. The

Carnivoria is owned and run by Guilder Vorik Lent.

Lower pits (x3) beast fights only 3-20 jenk per bet

Main arena is very expensive 50-500 jenk per bet. Large fighters and exotics Upper pits (x2) duels to first blood only. Swanky.

The party have several options: They can enter as patrons and look around. This won’t tell them much.

They can confront Lent, which will result in the Guilder first throwing them out and then sending assassins after them.

They can sneak in to the Carnivoria, in which case they will have to bypass security such as spy-eyes, vox-thieves and patrolling guards.

They can call in an Inquisitorial strike-squad (boring option)

Scene 8: Confronting Lent

Lent is sacrificing the servants at a site beneath Overfall, an altar that hangs over the acid falls. He usually takes a sacrifice down once a month or so, allowing him plenty of time to locate a new victim each time.

Kyla’s brother has already been sacrificed when they finally confront Lent (if they go to check, all they find

are fresh blood stains and a pair of empty manacles).

Lent can tell the party that 10 years ago he was contacted by a man calling himself the Herald of the Dawnbringer, who explained that a Beast dwelled in the darkness of Solomon and that by making sacrifices

to it Lent could amass great power and riches. The Herald showed him how to draw the beast’s attention by marking a darkened area with certain symbols.

Lent believes the sacrifices do work; since he started making them the Carnivoria has become very successful. He doesn’t know where the Herald came from, or where he went after he spoke with Lent.

Chapter 2 Handouts

Guild Records

Indentured Contract 128791 Name: Darryl Shontz

Indenture period: 223 years

Contract bought by: [unrecorded] Transfer list: Moved to holding pen 6. Moved to holding pen 12. Moved to transit pen 1. Moved to holding

pen 13.

Indentured Contract 564681 Name: Erik Banning

Indenture period: 197 years

Contract bought by: [unrecorded] Transfer list: Moved to holding pen 12. Moved to holding pen 3. Moved to holding pen 10. Moved to holding

pen 13.

Indentured Contract 5154547

Name: Lance Hillebrand Indenture period: 258 years

Contract bought by: [unrecorded] Transfer list: Moved to holding pen 3. Moved to holding pen 4. Moved to transit pen 4. Moved to transit pen

12. Moved to transit pen 10. Moved to holding pen 13.

Indentured Contract 1010547

Name: Noreen Derosia

Indenture period: 314 years

Contract bought by: [unrecorded] Transfer list: Moved to holding pen 2. Moved to transit pen 9. Moved to holding pen 13.

Indentured Contract 24872400

Name: Tameka Guiney

Indenture period: 174 years Contract bought by: [unrecorded]

Transfer list: Moved to holding pen 4. Moved to transit pen 8. Moved to transit pen 9. Moved to holding pen 13.

Indentured Contract 547811 Name: Gardea Hark

Indenture period: 237 years Contract bought by: [unrecorded]

Transfer list: Moved to transit pen 2. Moved to transit pen 12. Moved to holding pen 13.

Indentured Contract 4874561

Name: Clayton Mundt Indenture period: 307 years

Contract bought by: [unrecorded] Transfer list: Moved to holding pen 5. Moved to holding pen 9. Moved to transit pen 3. Moved to transit pen

12. Moved to holding pen 13.

Indentured Contract 75218100

Name: Jarr Fenton Indenture period: 351 years

Contract bought by: [unrecorded] Transfer list: Moved to holding pen 9. Moved to transit pen 1. Moved to transit pen 5. Moved to holding pen

13.

Chapter 2 NPCS

Pit Slave

A bionically and surgically enhanced human, usually an Indentured, intended for pit combat. Lent uses them

as his personal foot-soldiers. WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel

35 15 50 45 35 20 30 30 20 Movement: 3/6/9/18 Wounds: 20

Skills: Awareness, Intimidate Talents: Melee weapon training (Primitive, Chain), Iron Jaw, Ambidextrous

Traits: Machine (2), Armour Plating Armour: Armour plating (Head 2, Arms 2, Body 4, Legs 4)

Weapons: Chainblade (1d10+7 R, Pen 2, Tearing) or Heavy claw (2d10+5 I, Unwieldy) Hardware: Internal micro-bead, Bionic weapons

Vorik Lent Vorik is a tall, thin man with a cruel mouth and quick eyes. He dresses in a long frock coat hung with Guild

Tokens and talks down to anyone he considers beneath him.

Treat Lent as a Recidivist. He is armed with a good-quality Stub Automatic with a red-dot laser sight and

manstopper rounds (giving him +10 to hit) and a monosword.

Lent is always accompanied by his two bodyguards, Raul and Kang. Both are Heavies and wear flak vests (Body AP3); Raul carries a chainsword, Kang is a pit slave.

Chapter 3: Dead end at Deadend

The party is sent to aid in a raid on a village suspected to be home to a beast cult. After pacifiying the village and taking captives, they discover that the original beast cultists were defeated a fortnight earlier by

slavers, who planned on continuing the ‘Lurker attacks’ to secure slaves. Denied it’s sacrifices, the Beast decides to make an appearance.

1: Briefing The party are summoned by both Prost and Elina who tell them that the continued investigation into the

'Beast Cults' have unearthed a series of disappearances in a region of the Deep Zones, centered around a small community named Deadend.

Over the past 8 years’ dozens of travellers have vanished while moving through the area and rumours from

the area describe a race of fog mutants named 'Lurkers' that are reputed to attack barges and caravans.

The Inquisition believes that Deadend contains another Beast Cult and wish to move in and capture the villagers, to attempt to secure a link to the mysterious 'Herald of the Dawnbringer' who seems to be behind

the cults.

To that end, Prost wants the party to lead a squad of Arbites in a raid on the settlement. They are to capture

as many of the locals as possible.

2: Making Ready The party are taken by landtrain to an outlying Guild town named Waygate where they meet their squad of

Arbites and board an Eagle troop carrier. There are 10 enforcers in light carapace and armed with shock

mauls, combat shields and shotguns. One enforcer, Garon, carries a webber. The Eagle has large troop bays, making it possible to carry almost 30 people, it is armed with a single autocannon for defence. The pilot’s

name is Carrik.

The Ranking arbite a Regulator named Henson.

The arbites will take the fore in the attack, so the party are not given any additional equipment. The

enforcers have been told the party are specialists and they have authority over the attack.

3: The Attack The party board the Eagle and head towards Deadend, a trip that takes 3 hours. On route the transport

makes some strange noises as it passes through the fog clouds, but the pilot tells the party it's nothing to

worry about.

Deadend is a small settlement of about 30 people, situated in a valley between two huge pipelines. The Eagle attacks at full speed, dropping the enforcers and party in the center of the settlement.

The settlement is surprisingly empty; resistance appears in the form of a dozen men in flak armour and armed with lasguns, shotguns and autoguns.

4: Revalations

The party discover the men they've captured are slavers, who took the Beast Cultists captive over 2 weeks ago. The slavers are led by a man named Hammond Bargish. He tells the party that they realised the people

of Deadend were taking trade caravans captive when a caravan they were poised to ambush was taken by

'lurkers'. They followed the lurkers back to Deadend, then decided to attack a few days later, claiming the villagers and their captives as slaves.

They then decided to use Deadend as their base and continue the raids.

In one of the larger buildings the enforcers discover a series of slave-pens, containing 25 villagers and 14

traders, captured by both the villagers and then the slavers.

The pilot finds the party and tells them that the Eagle has taken damage flying through the acid fog, making a return trip impossible until it is repaired. It should take him about 24 hours to fix, and he advises they wait

in the village until the heavy fog has passed before they attempt to return.

5: Sacrifices must be made

The captive beast cultists beg the party to sacrifice one of them to the beast; they tell them that they were

told by the Herald to make a sacrifice every four days and are now overdue. They have missed two sacrifices and another is due that night.

They can tell the party that they began suffering disappearances over 8 years ago; people vanishing from

their houses at night or going missing while out among the pipes. One day, after weeks of disappearances, a

tall man came to the village and told them that, in order to stop the attacks, they would have to make sacrifices. He chose three of the villagers and led them away; when they returned they had knowledge of

how to summon the Beast and sacrifice to it. They began attacking caravans, using the age-old rumours of fog mutants to mask their crimes.

One of the Herald’s chosen ones is left; Jannah. Under question he can reveal that the Herald took him and the other two chosen to strange underground temple where he taught them the symbols used to summon

the Beast. He doesn’t remember much of the journey, it seemed unreal to him (they reached it via sorcery), but he recognised the area around the temple as a distant region known as the Rust Wastes (Jannah used

to be a trader). The Wastes are deep in the Interior and are about a week’s journey away. Jannah also suspected that the Herald was getting something from the deal with the Beast and was using the villagers

for his own ends.

The villagers offer themselves up for sacrifice, telling the party that if someone does not die, everyone will.

It may even be too late; the Beast must have it's due.

The sacrificial altar is located outside of Deadend, in a darkened overhang. If the party do make a sacrifice,

they each gain 1 corruption point.

6: The Beast in the Darkness Regardless of whether the party make a sacrifice, the Beast comes for it's due in the night.

Screams wake the party, as the creature first targets the villagers, then the cultists and finally the arbites. It appears as a tall, humanoid shadow with glowing red eyes. It will either slaughter 9 random villagers,

slavers and arbites before vanishing, or it will vanish if the party inflict enough damage on it.

Chapter 3 NPCs

The Beast of Solomon

An 8-foot tall creature of shadow, the beast is the personification of the ancient evil trapped beneath

Solomon. It exists only to kill. WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel

52 20 55 53(10) 50 50 50 50 10 Movement: 5/10/15/30 Wounds: 30

Skills: Awareness, Dodge Talents: None

Traits: Daemonic (TB 10), Daemonic Presence*, Dark Sight, Fear 3, Deadly Natural Weapons (Claws), Unnatural Strength, Shadow Step**, Made of Darkness***

Armour: None Weapons: Shadowy Claws (1d10+10 R, Warp Weapon)

*Daemonic Presence: For 10 meters around the Beast the air becomes thick with shadow, torches gutter and die, flames go out, etc. All characters within the area take a -10 to Willpower checks.

**Shadow Step: The Beast can step between any pool of shadow to another as a Full Round action.

***Made of Darkness: The Beast can be driven back or injured by bright enough light. Photon grenades, bright lights and similar devices do 1d10+2 damage to the Beast, ignoring it’s daemonic toughness.

Part 4: The Dawnbringer’s Lair

The party follow the trail of the Herald of Dawn to an underground temple deep in the Interior of Solomon. They encounter a member of the Divine Light of Solex, who has arrived at the temple following her own

investigation into the origins of a heretek cult.

Within the temple the party encounter the Herald and a number of other cultists, and learn more of the

insidious Dawnbringer and his goals.

1: Briefing Party are either briefed or head to the Temple on their own.

2: The Rusting Wastes The Rusting Wastes are deep inside the Fog Zones and take days to reach by barge; flyers can reach the

area but it’s dangerous as the fog is so thick.

4 days by rover. Rover equipped with twin stubbers. Also carries sets of Mirkers Covers.

The party are accompanied by a squad of 10 Inquisitorial troopers; guardsmen hand-selected by Tyriius to

aid him. The squad is made up of:

Sergeant Orric Dern (Gruff but respectful) Corporal Teela Soto (short hair, aggressive, businesslike)

Troopers Landa, Varrik, Mendos, Sula, Makanan, Harko, Quesh and Durga

All are armed with lasguns, laspistols and combat knives. Sergeant Dern carries a sword and laspistol.

Trooper Durga is a special weapons trooper and carries the squad’s flamer.

The temple itself is under several large pipes, meaning any approach must be on foot. The terrain is haunted

by Lurkers (feral mutants), Stilt Hunters (huge stilt-legged spider-crab monsters) and Gloamwings.

Several attack the party on the way down.

3: Galina Casban As the party approach the temple Galina detects them and approaches. She is accompanied by a gunhound

and a psyberhawk.

Galina explains that she has been hunting the sponsors of a heretek cult named the Eternal Mechanism. The cult were practicing forbidden science (they were creating full-minded vat-grown humans for ritual slaughter

to the Beast) and she destroyed them, but learned from the arch-heretek that they were working on a project for the Herald of Dawn. She has a name for the Herald, wrung from the heretek’s mind by neural-

probe; Marric Salizar.

Galina offers to help the party after learning their goals are similar.

4: The Temple of the Dawn

The temple is a vast edifice constructed centuries ago as a fuel management factory. It is located under a

series of titanic pipes and is lit by votive fires and adorned with grisly totems, designed to scare away intruders.

The temple is home to a community of Lurkers, who serve the Dawnbringer fanatically. They can easily be defeated in a straight-out fight, but much prefer traps and ambushes. They fight armed with bows,

crossbows and harpoon guns.

It is possible to sneak into the temple through a rusted gully on the far side. Inside the temple a large

number of the rooms are empty and abandoned, but at the core of the temple are a series of rooms used by the cult. There is a substantial library, as well as living quarters and a vile shrine to the Beast.

There are also cages, where sacrifices were kept. There are currently 3 prisoners. Currently there are only a few true cultists inside (Ahzrukhal has little need of others), as well as Marric.

They are hard at work, identifying sites that have ‘resonance’ with the Beast.

If the party fight their way in, then the cultists will be ready for them and will fight using las pistols and swords. Marric is a sorcerer, with access to a few minor powers.

If the party sneak in, they will catch them unawares in the middle of research.

Hopefully the party will manage to capture Marric. Even if they don’t, there is plenty of paperwork lying around.

Reading too much of the forbidden tomes in the library will net a character a corruption point

The shrine to the Beast is so hellish that it requires a -10 Fear check to enter

Stuff the party learns: That the Beast is the avatar of an entity known as the Darkness which is sealed away beneath the

planet That sacrifices to the Beast give the ‘Darkness’ power, in return it grants favours

That the Dawnbringer wishes the Darkness to give him the power over the Occulus Tenebris and

usher in the ‘Dawn of Chaos’ Marric tells them (or they find in notes) that Shaira is another Herald and is working in a nearby

hive, corrupting a noble family Marric doesn’t know why she’s there, but knows that it is important.

The Dawnbringer himself is elsewhere, having retreated to ‘The Necropolis’.

Marric believes the Necropolis lies somewhere under the ruins of Hive Ossivar (the hive subsided 234 years ago when several large pipes ruptured.

Chapter 4 NPCs

Marric Salizar, Slaaneshi Corruptor

Marric is tall, slim and darkly attractive with pale skin and dark eyes. In his role as the Herald of Dawn he

dresses in a long red robe with a deep hood.

WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel 42 35 37 38 35 43 36 41 46

Movement: 3/6/9/18 Wounds: 14

Skills: Awareness, Dodge, Charm +20, Leadership +10, Forbidden Lore, etc

Talents: Sorcerer, Master Orator Traits: Mark of Slaanesh, Voice of Slaanesh

Armour: Flak Robes (3 all) Weapons: Masterwork Laspistol (1d10+2 E, +10 to hit), Lathe Dagger (1d5+5, Pen 3, +10 to hit), Hellish

Blast (1d10+4 E, 20m, Warp Weapon)

Arcana: Forget Me (minor), Whispers of the Warp (Minor), Hellish Blast (Major), Shadow Step (Major)

Stilt Hunter Stilt Hunters are enormous spider-creatures that roam the Rusting Wastes, attacking anything they find.

They can digest both metal and flesh, but prefer the latter. Their bodies are large spheres of chitin with a

gigantic maw at the front and a random number of eyes above.

WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel 62 -- (10)57 (8)43 28 15 43 27 --

Movement: 3/6/9/18 Wounds: 31

Skills: Awareness, Silent Move, Tracking

Talents: None Traits: Size (Enormous); Fear 2; Unnatural Strength; Unnatural Toughness; Crawler; Toxic; Deadly Natural

Weapons Armour: None

Weapons: Huge claws (1d10+10 R, Pen 1, Toxic)

Chapter 4 Handouts

An ancient manuscript that crumbles under your touch. The text is barely-legible proto-Gothic.

“Come by et known that, in thee age of my eldefather, a terrible Darkness fell unto thee eart from thee void beyond. Immaterial, vast and terrible, et sent et’s avatar, thee Beast, to stalk thee land, reaving and feeding on thee flesh of oer people, gathering strength as did et. My eldefather and his people, bless’d with knowledge lost to us now, did battle with thee Darkness and ets Beast and were victorious, although the price of thir victory was steep. Unto thus they sealed away thee Darkness b’neath thee eart, trapping et in the necropolis in which we once interr’d oer deade. They sacrificed of thirselves to seal thee gates of that city of thee deade, damning thirselves as they saved thee rest of us.

May thir sacrifice never be forgott’n.”

A page of vellum, seemingly torn from a large tome. The page feels greasy and unpleasant to the touch, and the ink carries a faint, disturbing odour.

“The ancients who sealed away the darkness were powerful indeed and, by fuelling their work with their own lives, leant the ritual even greater power. For millennia the creature has remained trapped; sealed away fathoms beneath us. That said, the prison they forged for the Darkness is not complete. In places the walls of the prison thin, and in those places the Darkness can put forth it’s influence. Perhaps this is why the world has become so dark and tainted; the creature’s subtle influence, drawing Solomon down into the pit inch by inch. Either that, or man’s own inner darkness is slowly wearing away the bonds, weakening them to the point that, one day, they may be broken.”

A diagram of an occult circle and a description: “The Darkness thirsts for blood; for every drop spilled by it’s Beast, the Darkness grows in strength and, once enough blood has slaked it’s thirst, one day it will break free of it’s ancient bonds. Until that time, however, the Darkness will reward any who make sacrifice to it and it’s Beast. These ritual marks, drawn in a place where the walls of the prison are thin, will summon the Beast to do it’s bloody work. They also lay down the compact between you and the Darkness, and the reward you ask of it.”

A small, leather-bound diary. The writing inside is spidery but legible. Most of the entries are meaningless cyphers and heretical diagrams, but a few entries catch your eye.

“Surely Solomon is a world most ideally conditioned to be the birthplace of the Dawn of Chaos, my efforts elsewhere seem paltry by comparison. The rumours of the ‘Curse of Solomon’ are indeed true; in fact the truth behind them is even more terrible and wonderful than I had imagined. The darkness that haunts this world is a real, physical presence; a personification of an ancient entity trapped beneath the earth millennia ago. I have drawn a cult about myself, and brought in elements of my cabals on other worlds to aid me. I will make a pact with this creature and, with the powers it grants me, bring about the Dawn of Chaos.” A page from the same diary.

“Winnow’s End. Underpipe. Tinker Town. Stopsump. Overfall. Deadend. Faithborn. Cannar’s Gap. Eight so far. I need more if the Darkness is to grant me power of the Occulus Tenebris, much more. The Dawn of Chaos must come!” Another page from the diary.

“Sharia has suggested a cunning plan. The nobles are an untapped resource; so far we have concentrated our efforts on the Interior Zones where no one will notice those taken for the sacrifices, but a noble house could spill infinitely more blood and use their status to hide their actions. I have sent her to work her craft in Scapulus Hive; she claims she knows an ideal noble spire there in which she can embed herself.”

The most recent entry in the diary. The writing is splotched in places, as if written in excitement. “Success! The primitive mutants have proved their worth by locating an entrance to the Necropolis! I shall relocate myself there at once, surely sacrifices made so close to the Darkness’ prison will lend it the most strength. Marric can continue here in my absence. By the Powers Undivided, my goal is almost in sight!”

Chapter 5: Corruption in the Spire

The party head to Scapulus Hive to locate Shiara, the Dawnbringer’s other Herald. Shiara has embedded herself in the hive of the wealthy House Burdar, posing as a courtesan, and has begun to manipulate the

Lord of the house to revive an ancient fighting competition once hosted in the spire. The party have no way of knowing Shiara’s identity, however, and must track her down during a soiree.

Houses of Scapulus Hive

House Tabor Extremely wealthy and powerful. Leading house of the hive. Base their rule on control of several large

mineral refineries. Lead by Lord Sosekai Tabor XIV. Lord Sosekai is foppish but cunning. Purple and black.

House Gatrinex

Politically powerful house with familial ties to the Planetary Governor. Lead by Lord Doran Gatrinex, a former

Imperial Navy Admiral and ally of Inquisitor Tyriius. Daughter is Janina, bulter is Batu. Green and Yellow

house colours.

House Burdar A wealthy house which bases its power on a number of Indentured Slave brokerages. Once ruled Scapulus

Hive and hosted the Katricon, a gladiatorial carnival. Lead by Lord Malthus Burdar IV; a tall, well-built man

with a shaved scalp and blue eyes. Red and White.

House Morlon A minor house with connections to the vapour guilds. In recent weeks they have suddenly gained more

influence following the collapse of a rival guild. They have made a deal with an illegal witch who is using his

powers of divination to aid the house. Lead by Lady Samthamine II. Seeing Guild Lord Gillmer. Orange and red.

House Jaggar

A minor house which makes its money from producing pyro-tower repair parts. The old lord Justinus died recently and has been succeed by his son Jorgal. Poisoned by his son with a hallucinogen toxin that sent him

mad. Controls the Honest Labourers Guild. Yellow and Black. Overseer Harran Jaggar.

Local Ad Mech

Magos Ostalan

Local Church

Confessor Maley (Considering decrying the katricon)

Synopsis: Party arrive with Elina, posing as house Gatrinex retainers

Party head to a soiree hosted by leading family of House Tabor with the intention of discovering if

any houses have recently been acting odd.

During the Soiree House Burdar announces their intention of reviving the Katricon, starting in a few

days time.

Rumours abound that House Burdar has already begun its gladiatorial games

Rumours also persist about House Morlon and House Jaggar as well. Apparently Lord

Justinus Jaggar died in strange circumstances and House Morlon’s sudden rise to power is

suspicious.

Rumours tell that Lord Burdar has recently been entertaining a courtesan from off world

named Mamzel Sorsa Mazir

Elina asks the party to investigate all three houses?

The Katricon is slated to be a great event, with dozens of gladiators fighting to the death in a special

arena.

The party cannot just ‘bust in’ to the House Burdar spire; they need to either sneak in or find

another way of confirming Shiara is present before doing so.

Elina suggests waiting until the beginning of the competition and investigating the spire then.

Shiara is with Lord Burdar, she can tell the party where the Dawnbringer has gone.

During the Conclave Lord Burdar brings Toron with him, to show him off.

Toron, Beast of Burdar

Toron is a huge, tattooed warrior created by Shiara who is a living ritual of the Beast. Every warrior killed by

him is a sacrifice to the Darkness.

The areana has also been inscribed so that kills in the areana lend power to Toron.

Interrogating Shaira

As a follower of Slaanesh and a disciple of the Dawnbringer, Shaira is no stranger to pain and suffering.

However, she usually prefers to be the one inflicting torture, rather than being on the receiving end.

Shaira is mortally afraid of the Dawnbringer, however, and this fear grants her a great resistance to

interrogation.

She will harangue and mock the party, inciting them to inflict horrific injuries on her, only for her to continue

to laugh at them. Only when the party have inflicted terminal damage on her will she tell them that the

Dawnbringer is a man named Ahzrukhal and that he seeks to free the Darkness from its prison beneath

Solomon. In exchange Ahzrukhal believes the darkness will grant him control of the living evil that is known

as the Hereticus Tenebrae, the Tyrant Star.

Shaira points the party to the ruins of Hive Ossivar in the Sea of Regret before dying.

Torturing Shaira to death will result in any character involved gaining a corruption point.

Shaira Duvar, Herald of Dawn, Chaos Demogogue Shiara has short blonde hair and blue eyes. She has an imperial aquilla tattooed on her left cheek and

appears to be in her mid-30s although she has obviously used rejuvinats in the past. In her current guise as Mamzel Sorsa Mazir she dresses in extremely fine clothing, a sheer veil covering her

face. Tiana va Duvar

WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel

44 31 32 31 34 41 42 36 (8)46 Movement: 3/6/9/18 Wounds: 14

Skills: Awareness, Dodge, Disguise +10, Charm +20, Leadership +10, Forbidden Lore

Talents: Sorcerer, Master Orator, Fearless, Catfall, Lightening Reflexes, Heightened Senses (All)

Traits: Mark of Slaanesh Armour: None

Weapons: Good-quality Stub Auto (30m, S/3/-, 1d10+3 I, Pen 3, Clip 9, Manstopper), Neural Whip (3m, 1d10+4 E, Flexible, Shocking)

Arcana: Open Wounds (-10 T test or 1d5 R, Warp Weapon), Suggestion (Opposed Will), Fearful Aura

Chapter 6: Deep it is buried, and with reason

The party head for the ruins of Hive Ossivar. The hive subsided 234 years ago when a subsidence caused the

entire hive to collapse, killing millions.

Now the hive is an expansive ruin of rusting pipework and crumbling ferrocrete, surrounded by a vast lake of acid runoff known as the Sea of Regret.

Several small communities ring the lake, skimming base chemicals off the lake in hover-skiffs, but the area has a reputation for backwards superstition and inbred locals.

Ahzrukhal has lead the majority of his cultists to the ruins of the hive where they have tunnelled into the

catacombs and begun making mass sacrifices to the Darkness.

The catacombs, once a necropolis used by the ancient people who first inhabited Solomon, is now the prison

for the dark entity that has come to be known as the Darkness.

Guard Squad

The party are assigned two guard squads and an arbite squad.

616 squad Sergeant Orric Dern (Gruff but respectful)

Corporal Teela Soto (short hair, aggressive, businesslike)

Troopers Landa, Varrik, Mendos, Sula, Makanan, Harko, Quesh and Durga (flamer)

52nd 'Headhunters' Sergeant Fulton (short, efficient)

Corporal Meller Riksos (eye-patch, badass) Troopers Vesh, Mandar, Burgan, Finan, Googan, Waller, Nedwell, O’kar, Gren (Meltagun)

Arbites

Proctor Karnos

Nine faceless arbites

Synposis: The party travel to the ruins of Hive Ossivar

All of the lake-side communities are empty; the locals have either been massacred or

captured and used as sacrifices by the cult The party discover the Dawnbringer camp

The camp is large and contains a number of cultists, plus the local Lurker mutants who have flocked to Ahzrukhal’s summons.

The locals who have been captured are being held in a large corral. Dozens are lead away

each day to be horrifically sacrificed by Ahzrukhal in the catacombs The party must either fight their way or sneak into the catacombs beneath the dig, which

themselves contain a number of horrific mutant creatures. While working their way down into the catacombs they see visions of a ghostly old man who leads

them to a hidden room where they find an ancient tomb and a number of weapons

Detail

1: Everyone’s Dead Dave

The party arrive at the Sea of Regret with Elina and Prost. Before they can cross the lake they need to refuel and they stop at a small guild town named Smoulder. When they arrive they discover the town has been

massacred.

The fuel pumps have been burned, but several hover-skiffs are pulled up on the beach.

2: The Sea of Regret The party cross the Sea of Regret. Huge spars that belong to the fallen hive jut out of the lake, acid fog

reduces vision to a few meters and as they cross several huge creatures cruise past under the acid. None attack the party but use opportunity to scare the players.

2: Dawnbringer’s Camp The party arrive at the island that was once Hive Ossivar. Everything drips with acid runoff and moisture.

It’s easy to find the camp; there are large bonfires burning and the low sound of drums echoes across the island. Gory totems mark the limits of the camp, requiring Hard (-10) Fear checks.

When the party arrive the cultists are engaged in a vile celebration, dancing and drumming as they sacrifice

several captured locals.

The camp is guarded by several Lurkers, who are mostly distracted by the ritual (-10 to Awareness).

There are 20 Cult Initiates and 5 Cult Fanatics, armed with a mixture of lasguns, autoguns and

shotguns The Lurkers all have Tough Hive and Brute mutations and are armed with melee weapons

There are 16 prisoners still in the corral, they can tell the party that there were dozens more, but most were dragged away into the tunnels.

3: The Necropolis

The party head into the catacombs. The tunnels are obviously parts of the ruined hive, but have been

twisted into almost unrecognisable ruins by the collapse. The upper levels of the catacombs are quite dank and there is a steady flow of acid run-off. The

floors creak ominously. As the party move down an arbiter falls through a weakened section of floor to his death.

There are several large caches of mining equipment scattered through the tunnels

There are a number of chaos spawn left in the tunnels as guard creatures, chained at certain intervals.

After travelling down through the tunnels for quite a way the catacombs break into a set of tunnels which

are obviously millennia old and pre-Imperial in design; the Necropolis. As they enter the necropolis any psykers becomes aware that they have entered a place of great

spiritual power and can also sense the ritual being invoked below them

5: Visions of the past

The party travel down through the halls of the necropolis Here and there the tunnels open into vast ossuary’s where ancient bones are stacked in great piles.

As they walk a ghost-light appears and guides them into an antechamber where they discover the skeletal remains of a main in long robes. At his side lies a tome and an ancient –but still keen-

sword. The sword radiates a cool aura of purity and counts as a Holy blade.

4: Against the Darkness

The party reach the main chamber of the Necropolis. At its centre sits a huge shard of warpstone which burns with warp-light and in front of it Ahzrukhal has constructed an altar to chaos.

The sorcerer has sacrificed hundreds of people to the Darkness on the altar and their remains lie scattered

across the chamber while the floor runs with their blood.

As the party arrive Ahzrukhal sends his bodyguard of a dozen fanatics against them while he summons the Beast to aid him.

The Beast can appear, but here in the sanctum it is finally vulnerable. Ahzrukhal will not allow himself to be captured. While the party battle the Beast he opens a warp

gate and slips through, vowing his revenge.

Chapter 6 NPCs

The Beast of Solomon

An 8-foot tall creature of shadow, the beast is the personification of the ancient evil trapped beneath

Solomon. It exists only to kill. WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel

52 20 55 53(10) 50 50 50 50 10 Movement: 5/10/15/30 Wounds: 30

Skills: Awareness, Dodge

Talents: None

Traits: Daemonic (TB 10), Daemonic Presence*, Dark Sight, Fear 3, Deadly Natural Weapons (Claws), Unnatural Strength, Shadow Step**, Made of Darkness***

Armour: None Weapons: Shadowy Claws (1d10+10 R, Warp Weapon)

*Daemonic Presence: For 10 meters around the Beast the air becomes thick with shadow, torches gutter and die, flames go out, etc. All characters within the area take a -10 to Willpower checks.

**Shadow Step: The Beast can step between any pool of shadow to another as a Full Round action.

***Made of Darkness: The Beast can be driven back or injured by bright enough light. Photon grenades, bright lights and similar devices do 1d10+2 damage to the Beast, ignoring it’s daemonic toughness.

Chapter 6 Handouts

Handout: The Ancient Tome An ancient tome written barely-legible proto-Gothic.

“Hence herein my final words lie. We haf trapp’d thee Darkness once moore unto thee darkstone whence et came, although ney one amongst us know how to send thee stone amore unto the firmament from whence et fell. In trapping et, ner’over six of my brethr’n were stuck down, giving thus thir lifeforce to bind thee creature. By thir sacrifice our folk will yet be safe from et’s dark hunger. Comeyet thee avatar which thee Darkness set to stalk the land still haunts this place and my brethr’n half gone to do battle with et, in hopes of sealing it with the tomb we half made ourselves herein. Lamed, I sit here to await their victory, or by et their failure my deathe. Know this, thou that readest here; in this place of honoured dead thee Darkness and it’s avatar the Beast lie vuln’rable. Immaterial it may be, but thee Beast can wounded be. If failure my kin dost wrought in this place, I pray thee victory find where we didst not.”

Major NPCs

Allies

Inquisitor Marcus Tyrrius, Ordo Malleus Party Primary Employer Inquisitor Tyrrius is withered and ancient, kept alive by augmenics and his own immense will. He conceals

himself in a long black hooded robe and supports himself with a force-staff. A large pair of bionic air-exchangers sprout from his back.

A powerful psyker, Tyrrius can divine the future and tends to collect acolytes he has forseen as useful or important.

Elina al-Vashin, Interrogator Party Primary Contact Elina is a slim, dark-skinned woman with long black hair and brown eyes. She moved with the grace and poise that comes with total confidence in her abilities. She is Inquisitor Tyrrius’s current Interrogator.

Javian Prost, Interrogator

Party Secondary Contact Interrogator Prost is stationed on Solomon and poses as an Arbite Investigator, using his position to report to Inquisitor Tyrrius. He is a dour, strict individual who examines everything meticulously and only sends

backup when he believes it is truly needed.

Enemies

Ahzrukhal the Dawnbringer, Chaos Sorcerer

Primary adversary, Master of the Dawnbringers Ahzrukhal is an ancient sorcerer, steeped in evil. He seeks to bring about the ‘Dawn of Chaos’ and leads a

cult known as the Dawnbringers to that end. Ahzrukhal has learned of the Curse of Solomon and has entered into a pact with the Beast, creating

weaknesses in its prison and inciting the inhabitants of Solomon to make blood sacrifice to it.

Marric Salizar, Slaanesh Corrupter

Constantine Personal NPC, Dawnbringer Agent A Dawnbringer agent who once lead a Slaanesh-dedicated cult on Dusk, Marric escaped Imperial custody

and is now free in the Markayn Marches, following his master’s orders.

Shaira Duvar, Chaos Demogogue

Brutilla Personal NPC, Dawnbringer Agent A charismatic speaker and cult leader, Shaira once lead a cult on the shrine world of Valon Urr. When the cult

was betrayed to the authorities by Brutilla Shaira fled. She now operates on Solomon, following Ahzrukhal’s

orders.

Planetary Data

SOLOMON Solomon is a small Imperial hive world in the Markayn Marches.

+++PLANETARY DATA+++ CLASS: Hive World

SUBSECTOR: Markayn Marches POPULATION: 13,000,000,000³

SATELLITES: 2 (Namah, Revam)

MEAN SURFACE TEMPERATURE: 17 degrees PRINCIPLE EXPORTS: Refined Chemicals

PLANETARY GOVERNOR: Lord Governor Quintos Raban IV CONTACT WITH OTHER WORLDS: Stable warp routes to Cantus and Belacane

INFORMATION:

A Departmento Munitorum Fiefdom, Solomon is a fog-shrouded, slowly dying world rife with corruption and

violence.

It’s atmosphere and seas rendered toxic long ago by the countless chemical refineries and gas-stacks that cover its surface, the bulk of Solomon’s population can be found in a series of massive mega-hives that form

the central population centres.

Life in the hives is unpleasant; due to the toxic atmosphere all air is heavily recycled and the domes that seal

the hives create a thick, moist atmosphere that results in omnipresent damp and mould. Personal space is at a minimum; many habitations are tiny, even compared to other hive worlds.

However, life outside the hives is infinitely worse.

Between these hives lay mile upon mile of fog-shrouded rusting pipes and pyro-towers, known as the

Interior. A population of workers calls the Interior home, moving through the thick yellow smog and braving acid fog, electrical storms and mutant creatures to maintain the ancient machinery that covers their world.

The worst areas of the Interior are known as Fog Zones; they are often filled with impenetrable, highly toxic fog.

A series of canals cover the surface of Solomon. Many Interior dwellers use acid-proofed barges to travel

down the canals.

NOTES:

The ambient technology level is Victorian, with clockwork (proof against damp) being the preferred form of technology and many structures made from brass (proof against rust and most forms of acid).

The local dialect is full of colourful slang words: Berk – Fool “Don’t be a flaming berk!” Jenk – Money, specifically the local brass currency “Spare a jenk, master?” Mibix – Unpalatable rubbish “You expect me to eat this mibix?” Master – Lord, anyone of senior position