The Edge of DarknessAn Introduction to

Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay: Dark Heresy

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The Edge ofDarkness

It is the 41st Millennium. For more than a hundred centuries the Emperor has sat immobile on theGolden Throne of Earth. He is the master of mankind by the will of the gods, and master of amillion worlds by the might of his inexhaustible armies. He is a rotting carcass writhing invisibly

with power from the Dark Age of Technology. He is the Carrion Lord of the Imperium for whom athousand souls are sacrificed every day, so that he may never truly die.

Yet in his deathless state, the Emperor continues his eternal vigilance. Mighty battle fleets cross theDaemon-infested miasma of the Warp, the only route between distant stars, their way lit by the

Astronomican, the psychic manifestation of the Emperor’s will. Vast armies give battle in his name onuncounted worlds. Greatest amongst his soldiers are the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines, bio-engineered super-warriors. Their comrades in arms are legion: the Imperial Guard and countless

planetary defence forces, the ever-vigilant Inquisition and the Tech-Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicusto name but a few. But for all their multitudes, they are barely enough to hold off the ever-present

threat from aliens, heretics, mutants—and worse.

To be a man is such times is to be one amongst untold billons. It is to live in the cruellest andmost bloody regime imaginable. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has beenforgotten, never to be re-learned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for in the grimdarkness of the far future, there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of

carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of the thirsting gods.

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“The greatest resource our Holy Imperium possesses is the fathomless multitudesof humanity itself. No power is mightier and no force more dreadful when turnedto a single purpose. By human hands alone we have remade stars in our image.By this token the wise know that true power lies in the mastery of blood and

bone, in the very meat of mankind.”

—Quastor General, Brantus Hurst, Departmento MunitoriumPenitential Command.

IntroductionThe Edge of Darkness is an investigation-based introductory adventure for use withDark Heresy. It is intended for a group oftwo to four players and will probably takethree or six evening sessions of play to com-plete. The adventure starts with a mysteriousdeath connected to a forlorn district of thevast hive city of Scintilla. The circumstancessurrounding this death have piqued theinterest of the Inquisition and the player-Acolytes will be called upon to act covertlyto explore the matter further. If you’re plan-ning to play an Acolyte in this investigation,you should read no further—as you’ll spoilthe mystery! However, if you are going bethe Game Master (GM), then read on.

GMs BriefingThe Edge of Darkness is a mysteryadventure and has much in commonwith a detective story, with the first“clue” being the discovery of the bodyof a hab-worker named Saul Arbest.From here the PCs are presented with anumber of different leads to follow,which in turn will generate further cluesand information, leading them ultimatelyto the uncovering of a conspiracy ofheretical science which, if not stoppedby the Acolytes, could lead to the deathsof a great many more people.

As with many such investigation andinteraction based adventures, there is noexact “right” or “wrong” path in Edge ofDarkness. Although some approachesand pursuing certain leads will be moreeffective than others. Indeed, the wrongquestion in the wrong ear, or the overtdisplay of force too early in the adven-ture will have very unpleasantconsequences as the villains of the piecewill become aware of the PCs investiga-tion and consequently come “gunning”for the Acolytes with possibly fatalresults. Open adventures (like this one),reward clever, imaginative and involvedplayers, and unravelling secret plots,pursuing the truth behind strangeevents and uncovering dark conspira-cies in this fashion are some of the corethemes that Dark Heresy deals with.This is not to say that adventures suchas this lack action, or indeed horror, farfrom it, as in this case the villainsbehind the plot are monstrous individu-als guilty of gruesome crimes who willhave to be stopped by force. In addi-tion, the setting itself is a dangerousone, where violence threatens at anymoment. As a result a mixture of com-bative and more cerebral characters are

recommended, as each will have morethan a fair chance to shine as the adven-ture progresses.

In order to help out novice GMs a faramount of advice on running the adven-ture and using the rules has been includedin the text.

AdventureBackground

Heresy and evil takes root most readily andmost easily in forlorn and forgotten places,be they on distant worlds, in isolated com-munities or, as here, in a place that hasbecome the victim of disaster, economicstarvation and slow neglect. In the shadowsof the mighty spires of Hive Sibellus on theworld of Scintilla, in a run down and decay-ing district called the Coscarla Division, acriminal and heretical conspiracy has takenhold. Using the destitute and fearful popu-lous as a shield and a ready supply of“material” when needed, an individual goingby the name of “the Churgeon” and herlackeys have set up a hidden medical facilityto conduct horrific and forbidden experi-ments. In order to mask their activities, thetech cult has infiltrated and secretly usurpedcontrol of both a local Alms House and thearea’s enforcers to further their ends, and issupplying chemical serums to criminalnarco-gangs in order to induce their com-plicity in the cult’s dark plans.

The Churgeon is a renegade tech-adeptin the employ of the heretical cult known asthe Logicians. She is a bio-sculptor whoseparticular area of interest is the creation of(illegal) alchemical serums and artificialorgans to augment human biology. Sherequires live human subjects for experimen-tation and the downtrodden people ofCoscarla have proved a ready source of vic-tims. She has no care for the lives of herservants or for those her macabre experi-ments kill or mutilate, and already herservants have “vanished” scores of Coscarla’speople. One such abducted experimentalsubject, a man named Saul Arbest, managedto escape before dying on the transit rail. Itis his body, once discovered, that sparks theInquisition’s interest in the matter and theinvolvement of the Acolytes.

Once the Churgeon’s current round oftests are concluded, she intends to cover hertracks by releasing a biological agent tomimic the effects of a plague outbreak,killing perhaps tens of thousands of peoplein the process. She has done it before, and ifnot stopped, shall do it again.

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Using the Edge ofDarkness

This adventure is intendedas a prelude to DarkHeresy—Black Industries’forthcoming role playinggame of intrigue, adventureand horror in the 41st Mil-lennium. This adventurefocuses the Acolytes being“undercover” agents. Edge ofDarkness is a self containedadventure intended forAcolytes fresh to the Inqui-sition’s service and can beused as a taster for some ofthe themes and stories thatthe game focuses on, aswell as, an immersive intro-duction to the wholeWarhammer 40,000 universe.

The adventure alsomakes an excellent preludeto a start of an ongoingseries of adventures if youalready have the DarkHeresy Core Rulebookin your hands; in whichcase just ignore the QuickStart Rules listed here.

For obvious reasons, thefull extent of Dark Heresy’srules and systems cannot berepeated here, however asampling of basic gamemechanics can be found inthe Quick Start Rules onpage 25 (we suggest thatGMs print off these rulespages for their players touse as handy reference).Additional rules and GMstips have been strategicallydotted around the sce-nario—do make sure toread through these rulescarefully. Six introductoryAcolyte Player Characters(PCs) have also been cre-ated for your use and thesecan be downloaded fromthe Black Industries web-site. Other than thisadventure, you’ll need someten-sided dice (d10) ideallytwo per player, and ofcourse some willing play-ers!

Synopsis of the Adventure

The adventure is divided in to three distinct parts,the first is a narrated introductory section wherethe Acolytes are brought together by the Inquisi-tion and briefed on the matter at hand. In thesecond part, the Acolytes are left to their own ini-tiative to explore and investigate the dead manand the Coscarla Division district where theadventure’s action is set. Depending on the fruitsof their progress (or indeed as a consequence oftheir blundering,) the third part of the adventure,where the uncovered conspiracy must be foughtand defeated, can kick in at any point, provingthe adventure’s conclusion in a fast-paced kill orbe killed conflict.

Part I: Among the MissingThe Inquisition’s attention has been stirred bythe discovery of a body on the Sibellus transitrail. This is not in itself an uncommon occur-rence; however the body, under forensicexamination, showed extensive signs of surgi-cal tampering and illegal organ-graftingindicative of heretical science. The Inquisitionhas kept the body and the incident underwraps, and has determined it to be that of amissing hab-worker called Saul Arbest. Arbestwas reported missing over a month ago by hissister, from his home in the dilapidatedCoscarla Division area of Hive Sibellus. TheInquisition is interested in just how this hereti-cal biocraft wound up in the body of thisotherwise unremarkable citizen and will briefthe Acolytes as to what is known and dispatchthem to covertly investigate matters.

Part II: The Twilight CityHere the Acolytes travel to the Coscarla Divi-sion to investigate the dead man and gather asmany clues as they can. They will find an areaof the city dying from slow urban decay andheld hostage to a nameless fear, and if success-ful, they will uncover evidence that somethingtruly evil is coiling at the heart of things.There are opportunities for numerous encoun-ters here, including interaction with localNPCs both fair and foul, and although combatis by no means guaranteed, the Acolytes mayend up in a violent confrontation with localcriminal gangs, corrupt enforcers, murderousdregs or even a barroom brawl. If the Acolytesare circumspect and successful, they will bedrawn to what goes on behind the publicfaçade of the Tantalus Alms House for theiranswers. If they have aroused the suspicions oftheir unseen enemies, they might find them-selves dragged to the Alms House as theChurgeon’s latest victims.

Part III: The Chamber of HorrorsThe true face of what lurks behind the feargripping Coscarla is exposed and the horrors

of the Churgeon’s alchem-lab are revealed—one way or the other. The results of thisexposure may well force the enemy into theopen and the Acolytes will find themselvesfighting for their lives with no escape readilyavailable. If this comes to pass, the Acolyteswill have to be smart to survive and overcomethe Churgeon and her minions, perhaps enlist-ing help from some unexpected sources to doso. Triumphing over the evils of the Churgeonwill be difficult but rewarding, and ultimatelywill save a great many lives, as well as provingthe Acolytes’ worth as new agents for theHoly Ordos.

Dramatis Personae

Here are several important Non Player Char-acters (NPCs) involved in the adventure,detailing their personalities and motivations.Owing to the adventure’s set up and freeformstructure, there are quite a few charactersinvolved, not all of these characters may actu-ally come into play as their roles in theadventure are dependent upon the Acolytesand how your players approach things.

Interrogator Sand: A senior agent of theInquisition, scholar and medicae. He comesacross as a superior and somewhat jaded man.Sand is the one who charges the Acolytes toundertake the investigation into Saul Arbest.

Saul Arbest (Deceased): Saul’s fate is theroot of this investigation; this missing worker’scorpse and, in particular, its hidden modifica-tions are the reason for the Acolyte’sinvolvement. In life Arbest was a man on theslide, laid-off from his indenture, withoutwork and without a future, he drank toomuch, used his mouth too freely and paid avery heavy price.

Lili Arbest: Saul’s sister, Lili is a young womangrown old with worry before her time. She is askilled worker who fears to leave Coscarla beforethe mystery of her missing brother goesunsolved. However, when the Acolytes firstencounter her, she will be in fear of her life andabout to flee.

Warden Locan: A simpering, middle-aged man,Locan is the corrupt enforcer officer nominally incharge of maintaining order in the Coscarla.Abandoned to this “graveyard posting” by hissuperiors in the Magistratum, Locan is an obscuraaddict, a shadow of his former self and long sincecompromised by the local narco-gangs. He isnow under the direct control of the Logiciansand his troopers replaced with their own. Tornbetween his addiction and his terror, he willmake a poor show of the pretence of normality ifencountered.

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From ShatteredHope to the

Edge

Dark Heresy’s first pub-lished demo adventureShattered Hope was anaction-oriented adventurethat dealt with events at theGorgonid Mine on theworld of Sepheris Secun-dus. This adventure,however, assumes no needfor that demo to have beenplayed first and starts witha group of newly recruitedAcolytes for convenience ofplay. You can of coursecarry on one adventurefrom the other (in eitherorder). If you wish to fol-low on from Shattered Hope,then it is reasonable toassume that sufficient timehas passed for wounds toheal, during which theAcolytes will have beenthoroughly questioned andtested for contamination.

Both this adventure andShattered Hope make forexcellent preludes to Illumi-nations—the larger startingadventure contained withinthe Dark Heresy rule-book.

Evard Zed: Another victim of the district’seconomic woes, Zed was one of Saul Arbest’sdrinking cronies. He was with Saul on thenight that he vanished and holds some of thesecrets of Saul’s disappearance. He is layinglow spending his time in the templum, helpingout and hoping to go unnoticed.

Preacher Fayban: Wine-soaked, dishevelledand thoroughly useless religious minister ofthe Imperial Creed. He rarely leaves his smalltemplum and conducts faltering services forthe faithful. Sorrowful, maudlin and broken inspirit, he is wilfully ignorant of the extent ofthe suffering and fear around him.

Sikes the Reclaimator: An itinerant scav-enger and tech-reclaimator, Sikes has set up animpromptu business in a burned out store sell-ing and bartering odds and ends of scrap withthe impoverished locals. Sikes is an outsider tothe district, making his living parasiticallyfrom its troubles, however, there is a good dealmore to him than meets the eye.

Hosteller Maxus Drayelok: Proprietor ofthe district’s only hostel, Drayelok is a gaunt,tattered figure and his establishment sinisterand dilapidated. A psychotic obscura addict,barely in control of his cold sweats andtwitches, Drayelok has the unpleasant habit ofusing down-hiver dregs to murder his guestsin the night so he can rob them to fund hisvice.

“Chord” Luntz: A hatchet-man for thenarco-gang syndicates, Luntz is here to takethe syndicate’s due from the Churgeon andhas a dozen stubjacks and gang blades at hisbeck and call. Privately he has is own reserva-tions and fears about the Churgeon’s otheractivities (and worsening death toll), and istaking out his anger on the patrons of theThird Worker’s Union Hall, where he and hisgangers have taken up residence.

Director Sybas Moran: The director of theTantalus Alms House, Moran presents himself asa cold but efficient adept, administering a dwin-dling supply of alms and assistance for the goodof the workers on an ever-decreasing budget. Intruth he is a practiced deceiver and ruthless killer,but one on who the mask of charity is wearingthin. An senior agent of the Logicians, Moranwould rather see the Churgeon’s work done andthe Coscarla choking on its own dead, so he canmove on to greener pastures.

The Churgeon: The woman known as theChurgeon is more machine than human andquite insane. A renegade tech-adept she is hiddenbehind the scenes of the Alms House where sheworks her profitable alchemistry to win over thecompliance of the narco-gangs so that she maycontinue her murderous experiments uncon-tested. The spate of disappearances in the districtare largely down to her need for fresh test sub-jects, and her appetite for new stock is beginningto prove hard for her lackeys to hide.

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Advice to Novice GMs:On Running Edge of

Darkness

The Edge of Darkness is an adventure basedon an ongoing situation into which theAcolytes are drawn and as such, the eventsand characters involved in the conspiracy inCoscarla have their own motivations withwhich the Acolytes, as outsiders, interact.

Once inside Coscarla’s environs theAcolytes have a free hand about how toproceed and what leads and clues to follow,and it is up to you, as the GM, to respondto their actions as you feel appropriate.When GMing a “non-linear” adventure likethis one, you should always feel free toembellish the details, come up with newencounters and have events and individualsreact to the Acolytes’ actions as this willalways make for a tighter story, a sense ofempowerment for your players and, accord-ingly, a better game all round.

Adventures like this one can demand alittle more from the GM and you’ll berequired to think on your feet, keep an idea

of what’s going on in your head andrespond to whatever plans and ideas yourplayer’s might come up. The key things areto be firm but fair; don’t be afraid to haveNPCs act or react adversely and violently ifthe Acolytes’ actions make this the logicaloutcome, and of course reward quick think-ing and good ideas on the players’ part withadditional clues, information and assistanceas warranted. Also, even more than withmore linear adventures, it is important to befamiliar with the details of the adventureitself, not simply so you know who is whereand doing what, but also how the signifi-cant NPCs will react to the unexpected, andso you can add to things as you go alongwithout risk of messing up your own plot!

Although it may sound obvious, a handynotebook to record names and the like asyou go along, or to record what theAcolytes have learned so far, is heartily rec-ommended! If this all sounds like a fairamount of work for the GM, that’s becauseit is. But at the same time, if you’re some-thing of a storyteller at heart, it can be avery rewarding game experience indeed.

Part I: Amongthe Missing

The adventure begins with the summoning ofthe Acolytes to service for the first time asoperatives of the Inquisition, and their brief-ing into the mysterious circumstancessurrounding a death.

If you haven’t played before, ensure thatyour players each have an Acolyte character toplay and have familiarised themselves with theQuick Start Rules. Tell them that they are allfresh recruits to the service of the ImperialInquisition and that they have been chosen toserve it as Acolytes—agents, experts and spe-cialists. They are to become front line soldiersin the Imperium’s shadowy war against theforces of corruption within and the horrorswithout that wish to subvert and overthrowthe rule of the Golden Throne of Terra. Hav-ing undergone initiation and testing they havebeen left waiting, concealed in plain sightamong the teeming billions of Hive Sibelluson the world of Scintilla, capitol of the CalixisSector, awaiting their new masters’ summons.

The Tradesman’sEntrance

Read aloud or paraphrase the following:

After being singled out and inductedinto the service of the Inquisition, thingshave not quite gone as you had imag-ined them. Removed from your past life,you have been tested and measured,questioned and interrogated. But asidefrom a few lectures given in darkenedchambers that left you sick to your stom-ach and a seemingly endless stream ofcodes and ciphers given you to memo-rize and destroy, you have been leftlargely to your own devices. Lodgingunder a false name in an anonymoushab-block in Hive Sibellus, on Scintilla,the capitol planet of the Calixis Sector,you have bided your time for weekswaiting for the call from your masters,and perhaps, their verdict.

At last that call has come and ablank-eyed courier has delivered to youa note featuring the cipher of the HolyOrdos. The message within was simpleand perfunctory, containing a time, adate and a location. The instruction tocome prepared and expect company issigned off with a single epithet—“TheEmperor Protects”

Just what each Acolyte thinks of the sum-mons, (whether they see it as a chance to provethemselves, a chance to fight the good fight,

an unique opportunity to go far and see much,or as the first step on the path to fame, gloryand power, or simply as a way to survive), is amatter for their player to decide. Regardless, itcan be assumed, that with some measure oftrepidation, they each answer the call at theappointed time, taking with them any gearthey possess and saying farewell, perhaps forthe last time, to their temporary and anony-mous lodgings.

If your players have any last minute ques-tions about their Acolytes, the rules, theInquisition or Scintilla, now’s the time toanswer them the best you can, in particular theBlack Industries website holds a lot of infor-mation you can add to what’s presented hereat www.blackindustries.com/calixis

Once your players have sorted themselvesout and have a handle on the import of whatis happening, read or paraphrase the follow-ing:

At the appointed hour, you have madeyour way through the bustling facelessmasses of the Administratum quarter toan unmarked service elevator platformset in the rear of a vast and imposingbuilding covered in bas-reliefs of skulls,half draped urns and other symbols ofdeath, crowned by an immense statue ofa weeping saint. It appears that you areexpected; the wizened face of the plat-form’s inbuilt servitor studies you andpronounces “Pass” as you climb onboard. As the note implied, you were notthe only person called, and you make foran uncomfortable and diverse lookinggroup standing in tense silence as thecrowds throng by. The servitor controlchimes active as the last one of youboards the platform and the elevatordescends as the hatchway closes aboveyou all with a thunderous boom. Theplatform continues downward for someminutes through maintenance levels,deep into the bowels of the governmentdistrict.

At the end of the elevator’s slow decent theAcolytes will be deposited at the end of a widegrey corridor, lit by pale lumen globes in theshape of cherubs holding torches. Only thefirst part of the corridor is lit and the rest trailsoff into darkness. As they step off the platformmore globes will illuminate to show themtheir path and, as they walk forward, morewill flicker into life before them, while thosebehind them will extinguish. There is but onepath, the corridor is featureless and smellsfaintly of chemical disinfectant.

After about five minutes, the corridor endsin an armoured metal door, which unseals andunlocks with as hiss of pressurised air andopens with a loud grinding of heavy gears.

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GM Advice:Know YourAcolytes!

This slightly tense journeydown the elevator shaft andwalk down the grey corri-dor might be passed instony silence, alternatelythis might be a good placefor the players to have theirAcolyte’s converse witheach other for the firsttime—suggest that yourplayer’s describe theirAcolyte’s physical descrip-tion and demeanour to eachother. This is always a goodthing to do with a newgroup of characters as ithelps everybody (the GMincluded) set the scene intheir own imagination.

The room inside has a jumble of dusty metalcrates (branded with unintelligible symbols)stacked against one wall, while a hospital gur-ney complete with restraint straps has been lefttoppled over on one side against the other.The room’s most striking feature is a wide mir-ror which fills the upper half of the oppositewall from the entrance. The mirror will slowlyclear to transparency to reveal a glittering steelchamber beyond. Inside the chamber lookingout is a tall, thin-faced figure wearing whitemedicae robes with (rather incongruously) ared leather coat draped over his shoulders.Behind him, covered by a mottled grey sheet,is what looks like a body on some sort offrame raised upright for inspection. Whileabove them in the air, a pair of white enam-elled skulls, encrusted with a variety of brassinstruments and long hypo needles, hoverexpectantly.

Sizing up the Situation(and an introduction to

Tests)

Given the unusual and somewhat sinisternature of the unfolding situation, it is likelyyour players will want to know more aboutwhat’s going on and see if they can notice anypertinent details beyond the obvious. This is agood point to introduce the game system forTests. Tests are the most basic and widely usedset of rules in Dark Heresy, in essence theyare dice rolls made on the character’s abilitiesto achieve something tangible, like performinga physical activity, solving a puzzle or recall-ing some particular information or, as in thiscase, spot fine details not noticed by a causalobserver.

Tests aren’t needed for every single actionand idea that the Acolytes have, far from it, butrather should be used when what they areattempting is important, difficult, has impor-tant consequences if it is botched or excelledat or when the Test’s success or failure will add

to the drama of things. For more informationon Tests and rolling dice see page 25.

If your players are novices to role playinggames, you may wish to help them out by sug-gesting the following Tests that they can makeor they may volunteer their desire to knowmore themselves. The following are all appro-priate Tests in this situation and all will tellthem a little more about the mysterious figurebehind the glass:

A Perception Test at Routine (+20) —ifsuccessful will reveal that the man’s leathercoat conceals armoured panels in its construc-tion and that the bulge under his arm can onlybe a gun of some sort.

A Common Lore (Tech) Test at Ordi-nary (+10) —if successful will identify thehovering skulls to be medicae servo-skulls ofthe highest quality; machine-spirit controlleddrones, fashioned from preserved human skullsand fitted with sophisticated medical systemswhose secrets are restricted to the highestorders of the Adeptus Mechanicus.

A Common Lore (Imperium) Test atChallenging (+0) —if successful willrecognise the small, stylised raven and scrollinsignia on his robes as belonging to theHetaireia Lexis, a distinguished and famousorder of scholars.

The Body in Question

The figure in the chamber will beckon theAcolytes up to the glass with a gloved handand after a static rattle, his voice will issuefrom a small grill set into the ceiling:

“Greetings Acolytes, I am Medicae-Interrogator Sand and you are the new blood,are you not? Worthy additions to our holywar? Well we shall see, far be it from me todoubt my betters’ judgement, eh?

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For the GM:Tests and Difficulty

Not all activities are equally difficult and certain thingsthat would in the normal course of events be consideredquite easy, suddenly become a lot more difficult with bul-lets ricocheting around you! The GMs principle task inadjudicating a character’s Tests is by setting a Difficultyrating for them. The baseline for Difficulty assumed inDark Heresy is Challenging (+0) for a Test that posses areasonable challenge to a competent character’s level ofability.

Depending on what a character is trying to do and the cir-cumstances in which they are trying to accomplish it, the GM

should impose a modifier to their Tested score in + or –increments of 10, to a maximum modifier of +30 or –30 tothe Tested number (this is the number you need to roll equalto or under, not the dice roll itself ).

It’s always up to the GM to determine whether a Testis appropriate and how difficult it should be, and youshould never be afraid of simply stating that with perhapsa little time and effort a character simply succeeds, or onthe other hand can’t even hope to try—whichever seemsappropriate to you. From this point on in the adventure,where a Test is suggested the text will list what Charac-teristic or Skill should be Tested and a suggestedDifficulty level for that Test. This is of course all subjectto the GMs own good sense of what’s actually going ontheir adventure!

“Well to the matter at hand. I represent theHoly Ordos of the Imperial Inquisition thatwe all serve. Our masters have called you hereto assist us in the investigation of a matter ofinterest that has recently and unexpectedlycome to light.“Oh, yes, for your information, you are nowin the depths of the Templum Mori, the houseof the dead where the Lords Prefecta Mortemhold court and the fallen and the lost of thegreat city are named and counted. It will notsurprise you then to know you are here to viewa corpse, I doubt it will be your first, but it is,shall we say, quite singular!”

Sand will causally brush aside any questionsand carry on with his lecture, pulling aside thegrey sheet to reveal the dissected and evisceratedbody of an adult human. As he continues to talk,the servo-skulls will dip and bob out of sight toreappear with messy looking organic specimensin tests tubes and jars, clutched in their dextrousbrass callipers, displaying them in turn for theAcolytes’ edification:

“Now if you will kindly attend and pay heed,I will take questions afterward.“The body has been positively identified as

that of one Saul Arbest, male, 23 years of age,hive worker, unskilled labourer certified. For-merly of the Tantalus Indenture, registeredhabitation: chamber 6/23 stack 7-17#Coscarla Division, southern zone, HiveSibelius.“Subject found dead on the mid-hive tran-

sit rail three days ago as the car returned to themain depot. Preliminary examination at thescene suggested death by drug overdose. Postmortem performed by the biologis forensic,however revealed certain anomies that necessi-tated our involvement.“The cause of death was in fact total sys-

temic failure brought on by tissue rejection ofan implanted synthetic graft organ. Said organdestroyed his central nervous system whileattempting to overcome the immune response.“In short this…”

The servo skull displays a sample jar con-taining a ten centimetre long whitish cord ofwaving glassy tendrils, still in motion, stillalive.

“…crushed the life out of him from the inside.“What’s it for? Unknown, but my opinion

would be, in a word, ‘control’—neural andsynaptic override, perhaps worse.“There were other grafts and surgery of a

less singular kind also; one lung replaced by aconcealed storage cavity, possibly for his use asa courier. Also, one optic nerve removed, skinflayed from his stomach, I’ve no idea why. Hissystem’s awash with alchemic traces, clottingagents, panimmune and the like.

“The surgery was expert, but by the lesionsand tissue stresses, I doubt any care was givento whether or not it was painless. In fact, bythe damage to his vocal cords, my guess wasthat he probably screamed as long as he wasable to.“But this little monster is what concerns us.

Oh, you don’t need to know the gene-lore orthe Omnissian edict, just that this is not onlyillegal, it is forbidden, it is heresy. Merely tam-pering with this kind of dark tech is enough towarrant a death sentence from the Holy Ordos,the Arbites or the Mechanicus.“And I’m sure that you, as well as I, am won-

dering how such a rare and vile thing ended upwrapped round the spine of some anonymoushab-prole from the dusty end of the stacks.Well, the Inquisition would like you to

find out.“The man has no prior criminal record, he

was rendered invalid by indenture—laid off ifyou will, some sixty days ago now and wasreported missing thirty-two days ago by his sister,one Lili Arbest, resident of the same hab-stack.More than enough time to get himself into allsorts of trouble, I’m sure you’ll agree. Thesegrafts are no more than eight or ten days old atmost. We have nothing else on him.“This is to be a shadow investigation, no

open official involvement and no notificationof the local authorities, and no one knows he’shere either. Coscarla’s down hive, so a covertapproach will draw far less attention than aboot through the door, and be far less likely tokill any leads to our heretic.“Find out why and where if you can, better

yet, find out how. Best of all, find out who isresponsible. Go with the grace of the God-Emperor, oh and additional samples would bea blessing if you can procure them.

At this point the players (or at least theAcolytes at any rate) will no doubt have anumber of further questions and Sand willhappily answer anything reasonably put tohim. He has looked up what little the Ordohas on the Coscarla Division and has a brieffor them (see Appendix III on page 34) andknows much of its sorry recent history. How-ever, his information is all facts and figures, heknows nothing of the reality on the ground orthe corruption and terror reigning there. Whathe wants is for the Acolytes to do is some oldfashioned ground work, trace down the leadsthat may remain as to Arbest’s fate and get afeel for what might have happened and, if pos-sible, uncover the facts of any conspiracyinvolved. The head of the heretic on a platterwould be a considerable bonus but not some-thing he is expecting as a likely outcome.

Sand has procured for them a “kit” of addi-tional equipment but won’t acquiesce to anydemands for further arms or manpower as hebelieves the Acolytes well armed enough to

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defend themselves, and that they should betalented enough to adapt and overcome ifneeds be. Added to which, he feels that anyflashy displays of high quality gear will onlyget them noticed more easily and be counter-productive to the investigation.

Any request to confirm Sand’s authority tobe able to send them on this mission, or to seehis bone fides, he will meet politely and with-out irony or scorn. His credentials are all inorder and he is operating under the seal of alegate investigator of the Holy Ordos. He hasevery right and title to send them where hewants, and an astute Acolyte might notice, theright to pass judgement on them too if theyprove unworthy.

If any of them complain that they are of insuf-ficient skill or ability to accomplish the task, needmore weapons, or go so far as to ask if theirInquisitor will accompany them, or perhaps holdforth with other uncertainties, feel free to readout or paraphrase the following:

“Yes, well I’m afraid the great chapters of theAstartes and the Blessed Choirs of the SaintsMilitant are all busy right now, so you’ll haveto do...“But I am being churlish. Let me instead ask

you a question: What do you imagine the Inqui-sition seeks for in its agents? Are you to be slavishlackeys? Simpering torchbearers to trail aroundyour master, fawning and muttering his praises?Of course not. Such creatures are commonplace,turn over any rock in the Administratum or,Emperor save us, the Ecclesiarchy, and you’ll finda score of such worthless invertebrates wrigglingout. No, our wars are best waged with agents towhom action and intent are things bred in thebone—we need initiative and will, cunning,savvy, courage and purpose. No, an Acolyte thatcannot act on their own to help overcomemankind’s many foes had better die quickly lestthey kill others with their shameful inadequacies!“Well, enough of that talk, I’m sure this

matter will be a simple one, a mere skirmishwith the foe at best. All we are asking of youis that you carry out a basic investigation,something that should be well within yourcapabilities, dig out a few facts, question,probe, charm and dissemble. See what you canfind out about our dead man here withoutmaking too much of a mess. It’s a chance to seehow you perform in the field as well, considerthis a test of your quality, because in manyways, that’s just what it is.”

Outfitting for a Trip DownHive

Once the Acolytes’ questions are answeredand Sand has cajoled, lectured and perhapschided them sufficiently, he will direct themto one of the larger storage crates linedagainst the wall where he has had prepared

some equipment for their use, which he willtalk through with them.

Coscarla Pass Tokens: (One per Acolyte)These coded devices, each about the size of asmall thick coin, will allow them legal clearancefor the Coscarla Division and free passage on thetransit rail around the mid-hive area.

Coblast Assay Cognomen: (One perAcolyte) These encrypted metal punch cardsare identity markers, there is one tailored foreach of the Acolytes and they include anenforcer code tag allowing them to carry armsfor self defence. They signify that the Acolytesare “bonded agents for the Coblast Assay”, aSibellan mercantile operation of somewhatdubious repute but not inconsiderable power,specialising in tech salvage and “manpowerservices”. Note that these are not “false” iden-tity cards, the Coblast has actually been asecret Inquisition organisation for some time.

Hand Vox: (One per Acolyte) These arecheap and battered looking personal commu-nication devices that use a private encryptedchannel, and are good for a range of a fewkilometres in the hive. Sand will happilyexplain that thanks to signal interference inthe areas of the hive where they are going, voxtraffic is almost impossible over any real dis-tance or between levels, except by wire station,but these hand vox will let them keep in touchwith each other at least.

Low Hiver’s Overcoats: (One per Acolyte)These voluminous and somewhat tattered patch-work leather and canvas high-collared overcoatsare common low-hiver garb in Sibellus and willeasily fit over anything the Acolytes are wearing.They are also quite tough and will provide themwith 1 Armour Point (see theCombat Rules onpage 26).

Chem Lamps: (One per Acolyte) Thesesmall portable lamps use a chemical reaction toprovide light and operate continuously whiletheir shutters are open. Such lamps will illu-minate an area of about a three metre radiusaround it or provide a six metre directed beamof whitish light.

Coded Data-Slate: This worn-lookingbrass cased data-slate carries basic copies ofthe information found in their briefing, aseries of maps and data about the Coscarla and(largely empty) files on the Arbasts, includingpictures of them and addresses taken from theAdministratum register. The slate also hasbasic short range audio and visual recordingand playback functions. The slate features afive key input code which Sand will give them,if it is accessed without this, its core memorywill be wiped.

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Bio-Sample Kit: Added as something of ahopeful afterthought, this satchel carries threesmall bio-storage tubes and a small bio-auspexwith a range of about a metre or so. Set forhuman tissue, the indicator on the auspex willflash red and whine with increasing volume inthe proximity of anomalous tissue. The kit alsocomes with a long bladed, razor edge monoscalpel (this will inflict 1d5–1 plus the wielder’sStrength Bonus (SB) Damage and ignores thefirst 2 Armour Points (AP) of the target). If oneof the Acolytes makes mention of the scalpel andkit and just what they are expected to achieve,Sand will shrug and smile saying, “Well I’m notexpecting deft surgery, but try not to hack at it like anunderdone Grox steak and get it in the jar, eh?”

Money Pouch: This pouch contains 120Thrones in loose coin and used notes, “For sun-dries and bribes. I’m sure if you need more you canbe resourceful,” Sand puts it.

It’s up to the Acolytes how they distribute thegear and gelt, and Sand is eager for them to geton their way. Sand will also encourage theAcolytes to converse with each other if theyhaven’t already done so, pointing out that theirlives may well depend on at least a passingknowledge of each other’s abilities in the field.He will also impress on them that he expectsthem to co-operate to get their mission accom-plished as befits the Inquisition’s chosen, and to“defer to the wisest in their own field when needs be”.

Coscarla is no more than a few hours awayby transit rail car. Telling them he expectstheir report in, “A few days, no more,” theAcolytes are now on their own

Part II:The Twilight

CityThe End of the Line

The journey to Coscarla will take several hoursby transit rail car, during which time theAcolytes will have to change rails repeatedly(into increasing dilapidated and vandalisedcars), and their pass tokens and cognomen willbe repeatedly checked by suspicious Magistra-tum enforcers, dull-eyed carriage servitors andunctuous looking officials.

As their journey progresses they will passfrom the relatively open spaces and clean air ofthe government district, down and across wholehive levels, passed collapsed finery and the fallenarchitectural splendours of the “good of oldendays” and through vast steel sky vaults filled withendless rows of hab-stacks and kilometre afterkilometre of thunderous manufactora. The

further they go the more depressed, ill-maintained and decayed things will become;these are the lower stretches of the mid hive,beyond these no transit rails run. Beyond thisouter circle is the underhive where no law holdssway. Long stretches of the journey will be spentin the stale tainted air of the wormhole-liketunnel passageways within the Hive’s thicksupporting bones and in the nameless black voidsof deserted spaces between, the car’s lights flickerand fail regularly.

After your players have had sufficient time toconverse or lay out their plans, read or paraphrasethe following before allowing them to explore:

Alone in a single car, now deserted but foryour group, the rattling carriage breaksinto another vast and dilapidated hab-vaultand begins to slow. You look out upon avista of vacant and decayed buildings in aworse state than any that you have seen upuntil now, stretching beyond sight into adark horizon beyond.

The rail car shudders to a stop andthe doors open onto a wide, raised plat-form devoid of passengers save for asingle huddled figure dressed in rags.The figure quickly bundles themselvesonboard, flashing a pass to the doormechanism with unseemly haste andtakes up a seat as far from your group aspossible. A moment later a dull, crack-ling servitor intones:“Coscarla Southern Railhead. Passengers

to Coscarla to disembark. This conveyancewill depart in…” The rest is lost in a howlof static.

This is Coscarla and you have arrived.

The Acolytes’ Progress

Up to this point the Acolytes’ course has beenset for them, now it’s up to their own initiativeand abilities to get the job done. HopefullyPart I: Among the Missing should havegiven them an idea of what they are up to, thesituation they face and what the Inquisitionexpects from them. Now it’s up to them todeliver the goods and investigate the life anddeath of Saul Arbest.

The inhabited southern portion of theCoscarla Division is open before the Acolytesand they have around four hours left of the daycycle to use to their best advantage. Their mostobvious clear leads are the dead man’s home andseeking out the sister who reported him missing,both of which will lead them to the same hab-stack. Other clues, suspicions and leads will bethrown up by their own actions, observationsand progress in conducting the investigation, andthe course they may take can have a wide varietyof permutations and paths. With this in mind,rather than provide a linear list of events, much ofPart II is laid out as a series of locations, each

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Lies, Damn Liesand Acolytes

The cover identity thatSand has provided for themis that of roving agents forthe Coblast Assay. Suchmen and women are knownin hive “cant” as regula-tors—hired guns, couriers,tracers, manhunters, merce-naries and other specialists.Coblast’s less than savouryreputation makes theirappearance in Coscarla an“easy sell” to the casualobserver, and their cog-nomen of course will standup to any official scrutiny.Indeed, if the Acolytes con-tinue to look and act thepart, award them a +30bonus to any Deceive Testto carry such an impressionoff.

This deception is ofcourse entirely up to themand they can claim to bewho and what they like, butthe more wild or unbeliev-able the story, the morelikely the wrong peoplewill come to hear of it andwonder. Claiming to be ser-vants of the Inquisition isof course going to be con-sidered an outrageous anddangerous lie by most inCoscarla, to whom theHoly Ordos is a nearmythic entity of distantpower and terror. In fact,the only ones likely to takesuch a claim on face valueare the Churgeon and theLogicians, if it comes totheir ears—the tech-heretics are always in dreadof such discovery. If thishappens the consequencesare likely to be direct andunpleasant for the Acolytes.

with its own NPCs, details and encounters,which the Acolytes’ may or may not visit andinteract with. It is up to the GM to facilitate thisprocess, handle any bridging material or descrip-tion as needed and mark a reasonable passage oftime within the game as they think is appropri-ate. Indeed, several days and nights may pass,and the Acolytes, being human, will need to rest;finding a safe place to do so might prove to haveits own dangers. GMs are encouraged to embel-lish the details provided here, add moreencounters and modify things in reaction to theway that the Acolytes’ behave and how well (orpoorly) they are managing things.

The Acolytes’ investigation into the twi-light city of the southern Coscarla Divisionwill continue until one of two events hap-pens: firstly, they may settle on the idea thatSaul Arbest ran into of his dark fate at theAlms House and investigate that place fur-ther; or, until you as the GM decides thateither through incompetence or ill fortune(on the Acolytes’ part), they arouse thedirect suspicion of the Churgeon or Moranand the Logicians take direct action againstthem. In either of these cases, proceed toPart III: The Chamber of Horrors.

The Shadowed Masses:The People of

Coscarla

The inhabitants of the Coscarla Division are asorry and diminished lot, worn down bypoverty, uncertainly and, more recently, ruledby fear. Most would be described as “unskilledlabour” by work designation; poor families,the old and the infirm. They have been livingon a reduced food supply and with failing

utilities for some time and consequently are agaunt, often sickly and half-starved lot. Theyare not evil, nor are they complicit in thetroubles of the area, but they are trapped in theCoscarla through a mix of poverty, legalconstraint (many are still bound by a worker’sindenture to the Tantalus Combine) and byvirtue of simply having nowhere else to go.The key point to get across when portrayingthe hab-citizens of Coscarla is that they areafraid; this it not simply a matter of theireconomic plight as they are used to hard times(even though these are harder than most), butgenuinely fearful of what is going on aroundthem. They fear the narco-gangs and theviolent strangers who have started coming andgoing in the area. They fear what will happenshould the Tantalus Combine abandon itsinvolvement with them entirely. They fear thedregs and the vermin prowling the derelicthabs in ever-greater numbers. But most of all,they fear what is happening in the night withincreasing frequency, red-eyed shapesglimpsed moving in the darkness and anothercitizen added to the roster of the missing bymorning.

Talking to the Locals

The best way to get information from the peo-ple of Coscarla is to interact with them andsimply to talk to them. Your players maychoose to play through these social situationsor you may wish to have them employ SocialSkill Tests—for example, an Inquiry Testmade after an hour or so of picking up storiesin the market area, or by using the Charm skillto converse freely with a particular individualand overcome their natural wariness of armedstrangers!

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Desolation and Urban Decay: TheSights and Sounds of Coscarla

Coscarla has the feel of a buried and abandoned city, shroudedin darkness beneath a steel sky. It is a cold and empty place,where whole tenements and hab-stacks are blacked by fire, orstare silently with a hundred vacant smashed-window eyes,while ancient and seemingly purposeless columns and archesof black granite soar high into the darkness.

The power supply is poor and the streetlamps along the mainthoroughfares flicker and cast a pale twilight, while refuse anddebris clogs the alleyways where shapeless and half-hidden formsof dregs (and perhaps worse) haunt. The skyline near the southernportion of the district is criss-crossed by the overhead rail lines ofSibellus’s mass transit network, which clatters and sparks intermit-tently through the cycles. Far above, in the high shadowed skies,the periodic exhalations and clamour of the hive’s vast air pro-cessing network is muted into distant thunder, the action of whichmaterialises later at ground level as squalls of sudden chill wind,

and even the occasional curtain of dirty rain lasts too briefly towash the grime from the streets.

There are people living in Coscarla, thousands of them infact, but they are so swallowed up by the vast and darkenedspaces around them that they seem very few, nor do they lingeroutdoors, rushing silently to their destinations with their col-lars turned up and their heads firmly down. They aredishevelled, threadbare and have the look of frightened menand women, determined to get on with life the best they can.

As the night cycle comes on, the whole district takes on atruly nightmarish aspect as the power fades, the light-level fallsand the inhabitants scurry to place bolted doors betweenthemselves and the night. Now the darkness becomes total andoppressive, the hab-stacks stand like cyclopean tombstones insome immense graveyard. Such light that remains comes frompatches of luminous mould growing in the cracks of the rock-crete buildings, radiating a faint and eerie glow, and the fewharsh pools of illumination found around locales such as theWorkers’ Union and the transit railhead, seem like mere falter-ing islands of light amid an abyssal sea.

Getting information from the citizens ofthe Coscarla has a Difficulty of Ordinary(+10), although this may vary depending onwhat questions are being asked and how theapproach is made.

The Inquiries in Coscarla table (following)shows a spread of rumours and information thatmight be gleaned from the common citizenry—rumours, reports and opinions both true and false(although believed by the speaker), and the GMis encouraged to add to these as they see fit. Thebetter the Acolytes’ do, the more that people arelikely to open up to them and express their fears,and in doing so let important nuggets of infor-mation slip out.

Inquiries in CoscarlaTest Result InformationStandard Success “Since the Combine sold off so

many indentures and the black-out fires, the whole district’s goneto ruin! Now I can barely keepclothes on my back and food inmy children’s mouths! I don’tknow where we’d be without theAlms House some weeks.”Or“This used to be a good place,but now, it’s as if the Emperorhas forgotten us. I don’t know,perhaps we sinned and arebeing punished.”Or“This place is dying and thecarrion rats have come to feedon the carcass. The narco-gangs, the scum at the Worker’sUnion, the dregs, scavs andreclaimators too… no insultintended. It’s the way of thehive I know, but I wished Ihadn’t been here to see it.”

One Success “I don’t know anything, make itmy business to keep my headdown and my door locked atnight. But if your looking foranswers, go talk to thatreclaimator, Sikes. Out by theburned out technomat. He’s thecurious sort, seems to know toomuch of everyone’s business.Or“It’s that black pit that worriesme, caved-in during the bigfires a year or so, way up at thenorth end of the Division.Empty up there now. Leadsright down into the under-hive—all the way down. That’swhere it’s all coming from, thedregs, the vermin and the badluck. All from that black pitlike the breath of hell!”

Two Successes “Don’t get caught outdoors inthe night cycle my friend. Youthink it’s dark now… Whenthe power level drops whatlight is left will go with itand… well… Throne helpyou if you’re caught out in theblack, that’s all I’m saying.”Or“All those dead, burned alive intheir habs in the blackouts.Souls burning still… can’t resteasy I say. A friend of mineswore she saw wraiths lurkingthe other night as she was hur-rying home late from therailhead. Where? Oh, out longpassed the square. Their eyesburning red in the dark.Coscarla’s a cursed place now.”

Three or More “There have been disappear-ances… vanishings, you know.People won’t talk about it, notright out, but everyone knowsits happening. At first peoplesaid it was just desertion, butpeople don’t just up and leavewhat little they own behind…do they? Some whisper it’s thethose dregs you see in the aban-doned stacks or maybe thatblade scum hanging round theWorker’s Union, but you don’tsee them too eager to runaround in the dark either, eh?”

Bribery and Other Means ofPersuasion

There have been enough strangers aroundrecently—mostly scavengers and reclaimators,as well as, some “dangerous sorts” hangingaround the Workers’ Union—that the Acolyteswill be noticed as newcomers but won’t be sin-gled out unless they do something to drawattention to themselves. Most of Coscarla’s res-idents will react poorly to threats andintimidation (imposing a –10 penalty to Testsmade to interact with them), but will open upconsiderably if the Acolytes spread a little casharound. A few circumspect bribes in the rightplace will do wonders (worth an additional+10 bonus or +20 bonus on interaction Tests).

As a marker for working out such bribes, amonthly wage for a common hab-labourer (ifthey are lucky enough to draw the work shiftswith Tantalus) is about 25-30 Thrones.

Have you seen this man?

One specific course of action is for theAcolytes to question the people of Coscarla

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For the GM:Degrees ofSuccess and

Failure

Often it’s useful to knowhow well a character suc-ceeded in a Test (or howbadly they’ve failed) as aguide for you to determinethe outcome of things.Dark Heresy uses as sys-tem of degrees to gradesuccess and failure in thisway, and working this outis simple: just compare theresults of the Test with thetested Characteristic andfor every 10 full points bywhich the score is passed, 1degree of success isachieved. Similarly if a Testis failed, each 10 full pointsindicates a degree of failure.

For Example: Junt hasducked into an alleyway and istrying to climb a wall quicklyto escape a mob of mutants.The wall is quite high and slickwith rain, and so the GM callsfor a Challenging (+0)Climb Test. Junt has theClimb skill and a StrengthCharacteristic of 38. Junt’splayer rolls a 14, beating hischaracteristic by 24 and pass-ing the Test with two degrees ofsuccess (24/10 = 2). Thanksto his fine success, the GMjudges that Junt is up and overthe wall quickly before themutants round the corner, mak-ing a clean getaway.

directly about Saul Arbest or his sister. Theanswer from most will be “never heard ofthem” which is quite true, however, a generousGM might allow the Acolytes to encountersome citizens who are acquainted with them.Such people are likely to be those who haveserved on work crews with the Arbests in thepast or who live in the same hab-stack. Withsufficient persuasion they may bring forthsome information:

Saul Arbest: Information gleaned about Saulwill paint him as a solid worker, but someonewhose temperament and behaviour has worsenedrecently with his increasing hardship. Some willhave seen him running his mouth off and drink-ing at the Workers’ Union and “no good’ll come ofthat”, but no one will have seen him for ten ortwenty days or more. If told that he has beenreported missing or is dead, the speaker is likelyto quickly fall silent and find urgent businesselsewhere all of a sudden.

Lili Arbest: Clearly thought well of by thosethat know her, it will be harder to get any infor-mation on her than with Saul as people will notwish her any ill (consider this a Difficult (–10)Charm, Inquiry or Intimidate Test). IfAcolytes can allay the fears of those they are ply-ing for details, they will discover that Lili is ayoung widow, her husband having died in theblackout fires a year ago. She is a literate andskilled worker, with no ties to hold her here buther brother, some wonder why she has remainedin Coscarla so long.

Getting Around Coscarla

The only practical way to get round Coscarla ison foot. Whilst this in itself doesn’t present aproblem on the main thoroughfares which, whilestrewn with old rubbish and abandoned debris,are broad and built to accommodate far morefoot and road traffic than they now handle. Awayfrom these broad streets, the side alleys andgantry walks between the stacks are a differentmatter, and many are choked with old refuse,scorched wreckage from the blackout fires andworse. The footing is treacherous and you neverknow when you’re going to stir up a nest of ver-min or if that bundle of rags you accidentallytread upon will turn out to be a maddened dreg.

Anyone moving at any speed faster than a“careful walk” through the worse areas musttake a Challenging (+0) Agility Test or theywill loose their footing, or perhaps some otherunpleasant incident occurs. (See Appendix IIfor the Dreg and Vapour Rat profiles).

Looking for the Way OutAstute Acolytes, who pay attention (an Ordi-nary (+10) Awareness Test), will notice thatthere appears to be only two viable ways in orout of the Coscarla Division: the intermittent

transit rail service and a single main exit to thehive’s arteria network, through which heavygoods vehicles and a few battered lookingquad-wheelers pass very infrequently. Thereare other portions of the Coscarla Divisionstill inhabited and operating outside of themalign influences described here, they are alsoclustered around a functioning railhead, butthese are all tens of kilometres away through awasteland of abandoned and desolate habs.

Welcome to the Night CycleWhen the night cycle kicks in and the district’spower fades down to emergency levels, theAcolytes are left with a whole new range ofproblems. Outside the immediate areas of lamplight or the pools of illumination provided bya few buildings that have their own powersupply, it is almost pitch black and Perceptionand Awareness Tests (such as finding your wayif lost), as well as attempts at gunplay and thelike all suffer a –30 penalty.

Moving around in the night also has thechance of attracting some very unwelcome atten-tion. For every hour that the Acolytes spendoutside and away from the light, they risk a 20%chance of being pounced upon by 1d5 BodySnatchers (see page 33). The Body Snatchers willretreat if met with stiff resistance, retrieving theirfallen comrades and vanishing into the dark.

Lockdown!

Should the Acolytes battle or kill any of theChurgeon’s Body Snatchers or the enforcers, orrouse any of the Logician’s suspicions for anyreason, Moran will order a lockdown until fur-ther notice. When this happens armed guardswill be placed on the transit rail and access to thearteria will be completely blocked. All wire vox-lines in the area (save for the one in the enforcerstation) will be cut, effectively sealing theAcolytes in. It’s up to them now…

The Vanishing

The reason why so many of the Coscarla’s res-idents disappear during the night is becausethat is when the Churgeon unleashes hersquads of Body Snatchers. These dark tech-augmented servitors, created from her victims,target and abduct members of the citizenryand take them to the Churgeon’s facility (con-cealed within the Alms House) forexperimentation and organ harvesting. Wastebio-matter and failed experiments are then(horrifically enough) disposed of by “recy-cling” them into the Alms House’s foodhandouts. The Churgeon’s experiments arereaching a critical stage and she has increasedher quota to four victims per night, as a resultthe situation is starting to spiral out of controlfor Moran, and the fake enforcers’ abilities tocontrol or cover up.

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Opposed Tests

Sometimes a character willbe called on to match theirability or Skill directlyagainst that of another(such as an arm wrestlingcontest or trying to sneakpassed a guard withoutthem noticing), this iscalled an Opposed Test.In this case, both partici-pants make a Test and theone with the greater degreeof success wins. In the caseof a draw, the participantwith the higher Charac-teristic Bonus wins (withstandard success). If theparticipants’ CharacteristicBonuses are also equal, theGM can decide that either adeadlock has been reached(neither has gained theupper-hand this round) orthat the Test should be re-taken etc. as suits thesituation.

Important Locations in theSouthern Coscarla Division

14

Coscarla

Southern

CoscarlaKey

1.TransitRailroad

2.En

forcer

Station

3.Southern

Square

4.TradeMarkets

5.Tantalus

AlmsHouse

6.The

CoscarlaHostel

7.ArteriaEx

it(Tunnel)

8.Hab-Stack

7–17

9.3rdTantalus

Workers

Union

10.Sikes’Yard

11.SouthernTemplum

1

23

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

CITY

BLO

CK

CITY

BLO

CK

CITY

BLO

CK

CITY

BLO

CK

CITY

BLO

CK

AQUADUCT

ARCHWAY

STAT

UE

CITY

BLO

CK

CITY

BLO

CK

HIVE

WALL

HIVE

WALL

Location 1: The Transit RailheadThe railhead consists of three raised metal transitrails, held up a hundred metres off the ground byan ornate skeletal framework of riveted girdersand beams. A cluster of huge metal platforms,winches, hoists, gear houses and signal boxesmake up the embarkation area, while a score ofwide, metal spiral staircases and gantries provideaccess to the division’s ground level. Clearly builtto accommodate thousands of passengers at atime, the railhead now has a barren and emptylook. Rust and decay clings to everything, win-dows are smashed, the paint flaking and signsthat once contained inspirational slogans for theworkers that passed this way have all been van-dalised and torn down.

The railhead’s control room has been sealedclosed and the process is now entirely auto-mated. A public wire vox-terminal has alsobeen deliberately vandalised and smashed.

Location 2: The Enforcer StationA squat, rockcrete pillbox three stories high,the enforcer station sits in a permanent state ofshuttered lockdown. Most of the division’sreal enforcers are now dead and those on dis-play are in fact Sybas Moran’s men. Only theirfigurehead leader, a broken obscura addictnamed Locan, survives from the real Magistra-tum force to maintain a façade of normalitywith his distant and uninterested superiors.

There are twelve Logician agents posing asenforcers at the station, stone killers all. Locan,when not passed out in an obscura-fuelled hazein his chamber in the station, can sometimes befound wandering fitfully around the market areaor drinking alone in the Third Workers’ Union.

The false enforcers limit themselves to bru-tally enforcing order over the area of theSquare and making periodic sweeps, killingvermin and dregs when they grow bored. Anyattempts by the Acolytes’ to get informationout of them will be firmly and flatly rebuffed.

The current batch of enforcers have an evilreputation with the hab-citizens and a Rou-tine (+20) Perception or Awareness Testwill notice that the two-man foot patrols thatpace the Square occasionally are given anabnormally wide birth by the wary proles.

Importantly, while the enforcers represent adirect danger to the Acolytes if they suspectthem, they are mindful of the deception theymust maintain and so the enforcers will notopenly come after the Acolytes, unless theAcolytes themselves are foolish enough to givethem an excuse by overt lawbreaking or firingfirst. Instead the Churgeon will use her owntools for the job.

Profiles for Locan and the enforcers can befound on page 29.

Location 3: The Southern SquareThe Southern Square operates as the hub of thisportion of the Coscarla Division, it is bounded at

one side by the railhead and several broad road-ways radiate out from it, populated by hab-stacksand the numerous important locations of thisadventure. The square’s most singular feature is afifty metre tall granite statue of a winged felid.The statue is millennia old and headless, a testa-ment to when this entire region was once a singlegreat noble’s estate.

Location 4: The Trade MarketOccupying the area of the Square furthestaway from the Enforcer Station, this raggedsprawl of stalls, pedlars, open-air cook shopsand scavenger piles is now what passes foropen commerce in southern Coscarla. At anytime during the day cycle, fifty to a hundredhab-citizens, as well as reclaimators, dregs anda handful of cocky gang blades, will congre-gate here to do business. The goods on offerare such things as salvaged and ill-repairedhousehold items, patched clothing, foodrations supplemented with barely ediblecooked vermin. The Acolytes can purchase lit-tle of worth here, however information can begathered from the people. About an hour oflistening and questioning is enough to allowfor an Inquiry Test (See page 12).

This area is also an excellent place to fit inany additional encounters or events you maywish to add, whether to provide extra clues forthe Acolytes or the chance to run a small com-bat scene. These might include a chanceencounter with a group of surly gangers look-ing for someone interesting to bully and rob, adisplay of heavy handed enforcer tactics, arobbery from one of the stalls or a hystericalwoman screaming for a child or husband van-ished in the night.

Location 5: The Tantalus Alms HouseProvided in Coscarla’s better days has asdisplay of the Tantalus Combine’s power,benevolence and largesse, this is large build-ing is fronted with green marble, decoratedand over-sculpted, prominently displayingthe Combine’s crest of a gilded scarabbefore a crossed pair of burning torches.The building’s ground floor is made up oflarge refectories, a lecture hall, kitchens andstore rooms, while its upper floors comprisea medicae wing and offices. Like the rest ofCoscarla, the building has become dilapi-dated and run down, most of its serviceshave been closed down and its staff reducedto a single director—an adept called Moran,who has but two juniors and a few servitorsto help him. Once a day, at the mid point ofthe day cycle, the refectory serves a bowl ofprotein gruel and a hunk of starch-breadfrom its soup kitchen (until its vats run dry)to all that can provide a valid citizen pass orpay the demi-Throne for the meal.

While these food handouts are vital for thecommunity, Moran himself and his attendants

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GMs Option:Getting Locan to

Talk

If the Acolytes can getLocan to talk to them and ifthe GM wishes to givethem a few more clues, it ispossible (but not easy) toforce out of him some ofwhat is going on; thisshould be a Challenging(+0) Charm or DeceiveTest. Torn between guilt,fear and self-recrimination,he might let slip dark hintsabout what is going on,mutter the name “Logi-cians” or warn the Acolytesagainst going near the AlmsHouse or Moran, or mutterabout the vanishings oranything else you see fit.It’s worth noting that whileLocan is allowed to wander,the Logicians keep him ona short leash and thereshould always be anotherenforcer or one of Luntz’sblades somewhere nearby,keeping a discreet eye onhim, a fact the Acolytesmight notice.

are not well liked, both because Moran is acold and authoritarian figure and because theyrepresent the Tantalus Combine—who are tobe blamed for much of Coscarla’s woes. Thosewith connections to Coscarla’s darker side alsosuspect that there is a link between Moran andthe narco-gangs, imagining petty corruption,pay offs or drug-running involved in the foodshipments to the Alms House, accounting forsome covert comings and goings between theAlms House, the Enforcer’s Station and theWorkers’ Union.

The truth of things is much, much worsethan is commonly suspected, Tantalus actuallysuspended alms shipments months ago andcovertly the Logicians and the Churgeonmoved in. The building is now a front for theChurgeon’s work, its upper floors a chamberof horrors and the contents of the gruel arebest not described…

Though they may not guess it, venturing tothe Alms House is walking straight into theheart of the enemy for the Acolytes and a sureway to get into trouble if they are not careful.More on the Alms House’s ugly secrets can befound in Part III: The Chamber of Horrors

Profiles for Moran and his helpers can befound on page 31.

Location 6: The Coscarla HostelThis crumbling tenement building of knockedthrough dwellings is marked by the crackedpaint of the sign above the door as the“Coscarla Hostel” and is the only option in thearea for a paid night’s lodgings. Even com-pared to the rest of the area, the hostel is in anawful state, the walls are blighted with damp,the plaster peeling and the furnishings coveredwith patches of mould and unidentifiablestains. The hostel’s proprietor is a bulbous-headed, sickly looking man with largebloodshot eyes and pale clammy skin, perpet-ually drenched with sweat, who calls himselfMaxus Drayelok. Despite his fawning preten-sions of grandeur, his only workforce consistsof his seemingly mute, withered-lookingwife—a minor mutant with a skeletally thinbuild and a badly malformed right hand.

Drayelok offers his twelve double rooms ata rate of a half-Throne a night—“light and bed-ding generously included”— and at the moment,save for the occasional overspill from theWorkers’ Union, he gets very little trade,which is perhaps just as well.

Drayelok is addicted to spiral black, a par-ticularly potent variant of obscura. Drayelok isin debt to Luntz at the Workers’ Union and hewill inform the gang boss of anything he canfind out about his guests, the Acolytesincluded. Drayelok has developed one partic-ularly unpleasant sideline however, and inleague with several of the area’s vilest andmost far-gone dregs, he has taken to murder-ing any guests that his paranoid mind takes

issue with and robbing them to fund his drughabit. If the Acolytes’ stay in the hostel formore than one night, it’s likely they will havesome unwelcome callers (see Room Serviceat the Coscarla Hostel).

Acolytes with an enforcer, Arbites or crim-inal background can make an Ordinary(+10) Scrutiny Test to realise, with certainty,from his appearance and mannerisms thatDrayelok is a drug addict, and far on along thepath to ruin.

What Drayelok KnowsIn his capacities as informant, addict, traffickerwith dregs and nocturnal murderer, Drayelokknows a surprising amount about what’s reallygoing on. He will volunteer none of it unlessforcibly interrogated or pleading for hisworthless life (a Routine (+20) Intimida-tion or Deceive Test in this circumstance). Asuccess gleans the following information:

“South Coscarla’s knee deep in blood andthere’s worse than my sins going on out in theblack of the night”

If pressed about what he means, hewill claim (though he hasn’t seen themhimself ) that the dregs are frightened toleave their bolt holes in the dark hoursbecause of:

“Red eyes they call them, body snatchersthat carry men and women off… and no, Idon’t know where and I don’t want to know!Spire knows there’s enough hab-proles gonemissing, dozens, scores perhaps, but they’re alltoo terrified to say it!”

Drayelock knows nothing of Saul Arbest,but if severely frightened or if the questioningAcolyte gains two or more degrees of successon their Test, he will also offer the opinionthat even Luntz, the narco-boss currently rul-ing the roost at the Third Workers’ Unionwon’t let his men out far after dark unless theygo together and well armed, and that:

“The enforcers are involved in it… the miss-ing proles I mean. Stands to reason, asanybody who complains too loudly that such-and-such has vanished, soon vanishes too.”

Profiles for Drayelok and the dregs can befound on page 28.

Room Service at the Coscarla HostelIn the dead of the night cycle, if Drayelok hasdetermined to kill and rob the Acolytes intheir beds, he will open the back door for his“friends”. A number of dregs (equal to thenumber of Acolytes lodging at the hostel +2)will stalk up the stairs, the lead one havingbeen given a pass key to the upstairs doors by

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Drayelok. The dregs will attempt to bestealthy on the way to the Acolytes’ rooms, butwill attack savagely and recklessly when thetime comes—more than willing to batterdown doors if needs be. The dregs will onlyretreat if half of their number are killed orincapacitated.

Sleeping Acolytes may take a Challenging(+0) Awareness Test to detect the dregsapproach as they mount the rickety stairs andfumble at the locks. If the Acolytes are sur-prised, the dregs will get a free round ofattacks as they try and murder them in theirbeds, gaining a +30 to hit any surprisedAcolytes in the first round of combat.

If the dregs are defeated, Drayelok will shuthimself behind the flimsy door of his office,weeping until the Acolytes come for him,while his wife will flee into the darkness, notto be seen again.

Location 7: The Arteria ExitSouthern Coscarla’s other exit point to the restof the hive is a yawning roadway tunnelentrance, wide enough to fit two huge macro-haulers through at once. During the nightcycle, the arteria exit is blocked by two auto-mated steel and mesh gates which drop downto cover the tunnel’s lower half. The only con-trol system for the gates sits safely inside theEnforcer Station.

Location 8: Hab-Stack 7-17Hab-Stack 7-17 is a boxy, grey ten-story blockdecorated with arched window surrounds andstacked tiers of carved scarab blazons. The stacksits about twenty minutes walk along one of themain roadways from the square. It can be iden-tified by what’s left of the roadway signs thathaven’t been vandalised or burned with a Rou-tine (+20) Intelligence Test, or by gettingdirections from the locals. Despite a generallydishevelled appearance, it seems outwardly to bein as good an order as any in the area.

Inside, the main entrance doors have beenbroken open and much of the foyer has beenvandalised and thoroughly scavenged. Theelevator doors are stuck open, displaying ablack void, the only way up is by a stairwelldecorated with damaged murals depictingactive and happy workers, stylised representa-tions of hive nobles dispensing bounty fromon high and icons of the city’s powerful.

Aside from some muted noises from behinda few shuttered doors, the whole buildingseems empty, silent and devoid of activity.Acolytes may take a Challenging (+0) Per-ception Test or a Routine (+20)Psyniscience Test. Succeeding at either willconfirm that a definite abiding sense of dreadhangs over the place, far worse than anythingthey have encountered so far.

Assuming the Acolytes make a beeline forSaul’s chamber, they will find the door ajar

and the lock broken. It is a simple eight metreby eight metre box chamber with a watercloset and a single arched window. Making afairly poor job of hiding behind the bed in thecorner is a frightened looking woman, hud-dled in an overcoat too larger for her andclutching a rucksack to her chest. They willrecognise her from her pict—this is LiliArbest.

Lili Arbest’s StoryLili will seem relieved when she sees theAcolytes, however her level of co-operationwith them will depend entirely on how theytreat her. She is intelligent and believes, quiterightly, that she is in immediate danger andthat her brother is most likely dead. She willrespond better to the truth than some fabrica-tion on the part of the Acolytes.

If the Acolytes’ give her proof of herbrother’s fate she will be appalled but satisfiedto know the truth, and open to any questionsthat they might have if they indicate they arelooking to deal with whoever is responsible.

If the Acolytes threaten, overtly lie or with-hold information from her, she will tell themno more than she must in order to get awayand flee if she feels threatened.

The following are a few pertinent answersthat she can give to the Acolytes; read out orparaphrase the following as needed:

On Saul’s disappearance: “To myshame, I didn’t know he was gone till daysafterwards. I’d had a contract to work up-hiveand was too worn-out to care. To be honest,Saul had been drinking a lot, drowning hissorrows and sleeping it off. By the time Irealised that he’d vanished he’d been gone fordays. I looked everywhere. I even went into theWorker’s Union to look for him, even thoughthe place makes my skin crawl. Everyone juststared blankly back at me and I knew, I knew!Something terrible had happened.”

On reporting Saul missing: “I wasfrightened to report him missing at first, but Isaw Warden Locan on his own in the Square,he looked… I don’t know… lost. I told himSaul was gone, he seemed angry at first, thenhe just went quiet and looked like he was goingto break down in tears right there. He made meswear by the God-Emperor and by SaintDrusus not to mention this again, especiallynot to the other enforcers. It was strange but Ibelieve he was even more frightened than Iwas. I had no idea he’d actually reported it.”

Why she is so frightened: “I’d made mymind up to leave; There are more vanishingsevery night, I don’t know how many andnobody will say anything! I stayed here lastnight, just one last night, hoping he’d comehome, foolish I know, but it saved my life.

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When I went back to my chamber this morn-ing, on level three, the door had been smashedoff its hinges and the place torn to pieces, therewas nothing taken. If I’d been there…”

What she’s planning to do now:“Escape. I was just waiting till the work shiftreturns and the last rail cars come in, and thenI’ll make a dash for the last car out. I have an oldfriend who works as a scrivener in the PorphyryDistrict, she’ll let me stay with her if I ask. Notmuch, but it’s better than dying isn’t it?”

The Acolytes have no reason to detain her andshe has no reason whatsoever to stay. She doesnot know who took Saul, only that she is in direperil and there is nothing left for her but “evil” inCoscarla now. If they try to detain her she willscream blue murder just as the work shift returnsand the Acolytes will have some very awkwardquestions to answer as several dozen angrylabourers appear to find out what’s going on. Ifthe Acolytes try to help her, perhaps offeringmoney, providing her with a weapon or evenescorting her to the railhead, she will favourthem with one last fragment of information ingratitude before she flees:

“You might try and find Evard Zed, he wasone of Saul’s friends. They used to drown theirsorrows together. He’s a drink-sodden fool, buthe’s been avoiding me and might know some-thing. I think I saw him at the Templum whenI went to light a candle for my brother’s soulthis morning.”

Stake OutsEnterprising Acolytes may come up with aplan to stake out Lili’s or Saul’s chamber thatnight cycle in the hope of discovering what’safoot. In either case they will be rewarded bythe appearance of one or two Body Snatchersin the dark. (See page 33 for their profile).

Location 9: The Third Tantalus Workers’UnionThe Workers’ Union hall is a bar and venuethat was provided by the Tantalus Combinefor the use of its workers, a common practicethat attempts to empty their indentures’ pock-ets of what little coin the masters have paidthem. The establishment has suffered greatlyunder its current sponsor, the Sibellan narco-gang syndicates. Vandalised, brutalised andbullet-ridden, the bar is not a welcoming placefor the Acolytes, filled with nervous gangblades, morose drinkers and smashed-upaddicts. The only regular clientele are the gangboss “Chord” Luntz and his crew who use theupstairs rooms in the hall as a base of opera-tions. Various drifting scum, gangers andrecidivists regularly come to arrange dealswith Luntz.

The Workers’ Union is not a place to gatherrumours or ask direct questions, as the clien-tele and staff are well aware of what Luntzwould do to them for talking to strangers.However, some time spent here and a success-ful Challenging (+0) Inquiry Test will findout that the hall is clearly being used as a cen-tre for illegal drug distribution, a narco-bosscalled Cord Luntz is in charge and for what-ever reason, he is not a happy man. A failureon this Test could be enough to start a poten-tially lethal bar fight (and the Acolyte’sbehaviour might do this anyway regardless).Such fights are common in the Union andunless the Acolytes make a point of stormingLuntz’s operation on the upper floor, no par-ticular repercussions will ensue.

“Chord” Luntz, Gang BossLuntz knows this should have been a sweetdeal for him as the supply of sophisticatedchemicals from the Churgeon has brought himhuge profits. However, as time has passed thedeal appears to have soured; trade is drying up

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Optional Encounter:A Devil’s Bargain

If word comes to Luntz that the Acolytes have proven par-ticularly effective in “dispatching” gangers, Drayelok’smurderous dregs, or (better yet) disposing of some of theenforcers or Body Snatchers, Luntz might approach theAcolytes to do a “job” for him. Luntz believes the Acolytesare new blood for hire and wants to hire them to kill theChurgeon at the Alms House. He believes this “decapitation”of the top boss will allow him to make a clean break withhis ill gotten gains and his skin intact.

Luntz will pay the Acolytes 500 Thrones each for thetask and arm them with shotguns and as much ammo theycan carry for the job. Importantly, he will also give them acopied passkey that allows entry to the Alms House’s rear

service door, as well as several other locks in the place.Luntz can also arrange for the enforcers to be “occupied” bydiversions if needs be. He will tell them all he knows, whichisn’t much: he knows his end of the deal, which he was puton to by “high grade players in the narco-syndicates” and he’ll tellthem how badly things have soured over time. As for theLogicians, he knows the organisation’s name, but nothingbeyond the fact that they’re some kind of “tech cult” and“highly connected.” He knows that they are up to something atthe Alms House and he believes that that is the cause of thenight cycle disappearances. In addition, Luntz knows thatMoran and the enforcers are “stone cold pros, mercenaries wouldbe my guess—the expensive kind”. He has met the Churgeononly once and she scared the hell out of him.

Whether the Acolytes take this bargain with Luntz isentirely up to them.

because word is getting out that Coscarla is a“bad place to do business” and Luntz is begin-ning to realise that he is trapped in a situationwhere things could easily turn for the worse.The Churgeon represents something far worsethan he is used to dealing with and, withMoran’s killers posing as enforcers, Luntzknows that he (and his crew) are outclassedand outgunned.

Profiles for Luntz, and his gangers can befound on page 32.

Location 10: Sikes’ YardSikes is a reclaimator from out of the district(from the deep underhive if truth be told) and he,his two “apprentices” and their crudely aug-mented vermin hound have set up a stall filledwith all manner of refuse, buddle rags, scavengedtech and megre goods in a burned out techno-mat’s shop, just off from the trade market. Sikesis a wily, mercenary character and has lived thislong by keeping his eyes and ears open. He hasan idea about what’s going on even if he hasn’tgot the full story. Sikes has discovered some goodsalvage in Coscarla, however, with developmentsbeing what they are, his self-preservation instinctis kicking-in and he feels that he should be mov-ing on soon.

Sikes is quite willing to barter information forcash—he will give nothing away for free. He is askilled liar when he needs to be and not easilyintimidated (he will meet threats of violence inkind). In order get anything useful out of him, aChallenging (+0) Barter or Charm Test iscalled for; if the Acolytes sweeten the deal withcash, trade goods or a few choice purchases, theymay have a +10 or higher bonus to this Test asthe GM feels appropriate. If the Acolytes’ moneykeeps flowing, Sikes will keep talking—he has atalent for crouching pertinent facts and leadingstatements in rambling anecdotes or rhetoricalassertions, saying much without seeming to saymuch at all.

If successfully questioned about Saul, Sikeswill venture that he knows Arbest’s sister waslooking him (she came to him and madeinquiries herself after he brother), and if theAcolytes pay well, he will tell them where theyare likely to find Evard Zed, Saul’s old drinkingpartner at the Templum—“Hiding under thatworthless preacher’s skirts, that’d be my reckoning.”

Here is a sample of Sikes’ colourfulobservations:

Sikes’ InformationTest Result InformationStandard Success “It doesn’t take a savant to see

there’s something awry here,honest citizens going missing,enforcer’s doing nothing aboutit and a narco-boss sittingscared in that bar yonder withhis hand out eh?”

Or“Alms House eh? Well I’llhave none of it, any man thatoffers you something fornothing, well, that just meanswhat he wants ain’t so obvi-ous, nor as clean as coin—sothey say in my trade.”

One Success “Enforcers, hah! Have youseen ‘em, the way the stand,the way they watch? Theutter disinterest in an honestbribe or two? If they’re localMagistratum lads, like whatyou get in this neck of thewastes, then I’m Miss FancyKnickers, Queen of Blood-Soaked Malfi!”

Two Successes “Oh I’ve seen ‘em and theyaren’t ghosts either, the ‘redeyes’, they’re as solid as thisscattergun. Stalking abouthere and there in the night,dragging off honest proles.Odd that, when you think ofit, isn’t it? No sudden drop inthe dreg numbers, nor are meand my kind bothered, almostlike some one thought we was-n’t good enough eh?”

Three or More “There it stands, the AlmsHouse. They all go drudgingin and out, meek as cattle.Ever sees it once the blackcomes? Pale lights burning inthe dark up high and I’ve seenthe long shadows them insidecast. A downhiver like melearns to read shadows asgood as an adept reads script,sees what’s coming round thecorner by it. No, I’ll havespent my last round beforeany o’ ‘em drags me to thatplace.”

The Acolytes may be interested in Sikes’junk as he has a small quantity of arms andammo for sale. He will sell five stub pistolrounds or shotgun cartridges for a Throne(and has a total of 30 of each ammo type forsale). He also has a battered looking stubrevolver for ten Thrones and his “star buy,one careless owner, regrettably now defunct”, anold autopistol with a rebuilt grip and twoclips for 40 Thrones. (See page 27 fordetails of the automatic fire rules).

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Location 11: The Southern TemplumThis small chapel to the Imperial Creed isthe domain of an alcoholic wreck of apreacher called Fayban. Inside the icons andstatuary are alight with hundreds of tallowcandles, all lit by the lost and the desperate,each one for a vanished friend, family mem-ber or a scream heard in the night. This isperhaps the truest and most visual indicatorof just how bad things have become inCoscarla.

When Coscarla burned in the blackout ayear ago, the other Templum clerics went tohelp the victims and died for their faith, how-ever, Fayban stayed behind and his consciencehas been eating him alive ever since. Now anew terror has come and Fayban’s wilful igno-rance and cowardice has come to the foreagain. He rarely leaves the templum and nevergoes out at night. He is a weak man andshould be portrayed as such, which shouldstrike anger into the heart of any Acolytecleric encountering him.

Evard’s storyAlso hiding out at the Templum is EvardZed, one of Saul Arbest’s drinking compan-ions who was with him on the night of hisdisappearance. Zed is another man plaguedby his conscience and once he is identifiedand questioned, getting him to unburden hissoul is a Routine (+20) Charm or Intim-idate Test. A success means that hesobbingly relates his story:

“I was with him the night… the night hevanished. We were drinking in the Union,not much you understand, just enough topass the time… Anyway, this gang blade, Ididn’t know him, hadn’t seen him before…Anyway, this blade takes issue with Saul.Well he was being very loud, running hismouth, you know. Well, this blade goes andcuts him, not bad you understand, justenough to show him who’s boss… just a cutin the chest, we’ve all had worse at the man-ufactorum a dozen times.Well we weren’t wanted at the Union

anymore, not that night, so we turfed out. Iwas for heading straight for home, but Saul,he was moaning about that cut, wanted togo to the Alms House, see if one of themcharity sirs would stitch him up or, youknow, give him something for the pain. Thelights were on you understand —in theAlms House. We could see it over there,shining in the dark. Me though, I wenthome, that old place gives me the shivers.That was, you see, before all the vanish-

ings really started, Saul, he was one of thefirst.”

Part III: TheChamber ofHorrors

The Turn of Events

The third part of the adventure is focusedaround the secrets of the Alms House and it ishere that the answers to the mystery of whathappened to Saul Arbest can be found. It isalso here that the key to the Acolytes’ contin-ued survival lies.

Sooner or later, one of two things willlikely occur:

i) The Acolyte’s suspicions will have beendirected to the Alms House and its part in thedisappearances. Thus they will seek to find outwhat lurks behind its public front.

Orii) The Logicians themselves (their suspi-

cions aroused due to the PCs actions) willcome after the Acolytes—or at least seek outwhichever force they suspect is at work againstthem in Coscarla.

In both cases, the physical location of theAlms House is likely to pay a significant partit what transpires and for this reason it isexplored here in detail.

The Logicians on the Hunt

As previously noted, once the Logicians’suspicions are aroused they will seal off thearea as a precautionary measure (see Lock-down on page 13) and conduct their owninvestigations into who has come to opposethem. Even if they don’t know for sure thatit is the Acolytes, given the Logicians’resources, they effectively “are” the local lawenforcement and the fact that they can useLuntz’s criminal contacts and informants totrack down the group of “strangers” who areasking too many questions, it only a matterof time before the Acolytes are exposed.

Once this has occurred, the Logicians willfirstly seek to move covertly against them andwill seek to capture rather than kill them out-right—at least while this seems a viable option.The reasons for this are twofold, firstly the Logi-cians (justified) paranoia works againstthem—despite their obvious power, they arecompletely outnumbered by the local populationand Moran is under no illusion that the balanceof terror they have created will not last long ifthey have the enforcers opening fire into crowdsor setting loose the Churgeon’s playthings inbroad daylight. Secondly, they will not be con-tent just to kill the interlopers, they will want to

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Who are theLogicians?

The Logicians are analliance of heretic factionswho have long been athorn in the side of the Cal-ixis and the nearby IxaniadSectors. Founded notaround a single charismaticfigure or dark religion, theyfind their inspiration in aforbidden heretical textcalled “In Defence of theFuture: A Logical Discourse”,banned now for severalmillennia. The Logiciansare a so-called “progressive”cult, they favour theadvancement of mankindthrough progress and theacquisition of technology,believing that they shouldcast-off of the oppressionof the Ministorum, over-throw of the High Lords ofTerra and put an end to thesmothering constraints ofthe Adeptus Mechanicus.Ultimately, the Logiciansaim to bring about a returnto the mythic power of theDark Age of Technology.

Finding adherentsthrough a secret network ofruthless mercantile interestsand power-hungry nobles,they are a haven forhereteks and rogue tech-priests, and are highlyorganised and wellresourced. Although noDaemonic force or apoca-lyptic agenda lies at theirheart, the Logicians are stilla phenomenally dangerousgroup, utterly callous intheir pursuit of power andunceasing in the hunt forever better weapons andtools by which to achievetheir ends.

find out who sent them and all that they know,and at the Churgeon’s hands this will not be apleasant experience.

If the Logicians take the offensive in thisway, Moran will co-ordinate matters from theEnforcer Station, leaving the defence of theAlms House to the capable hands of the Chur-geon and her creations.

Moving against the AcolytesOnce the Logicians have identified their tar-gets and where they might find them, theywill wait until the next night cycle to send outthe Body Snatchers. Such a hunting party willcontain several Body Snatchers (one for eachof the Acolytes is advised), lead by a plain-clothes enforcer armed with a silenced weaponand a dark vision visor. The hunters will stalkand try to overwhelm the Acolytes with bruteforce, as long as they can avoid crowds indoing so. They plan to capture alive as manyof the Acolytes as possible in a surprise attack.This capture team will retreat if they takeheavy causalities, attempting to take theirfallen with them. If they fail, they will escalatematters and try again on a subsequent night.However, if their entire force is overwhelmed,they are obviously betrayed by Luntz orbecome the subject of a mob attack, thenMoran will instigate their destruction protocolinstead (see Countdown to Destruction)before dissolving their operation and escapingin an armoured cargo hauler (with enforcerescort) he has concealed for this purpose outin the waste zone of Northern Coscarla—killing anyone that gets in the way.

Countdown to DestructionIt has always been the Logicians’ plan to covertheir tracks with an act of mass murder by abiological weapon in the shape of a concen-trated plague bacillus. This will only occurduring the adventure if they feel that theirwhole operation is threatened or if their posi-tion in Coscarla has become untenable.

Their original plan (once their work in theCoscarla was completed) was to taint the AlmsHouse’s last food hand-out with a dilute solu-tion of the plague bacillus, which would havethe effect of a widespread contamination (theinfected also becoming carriers) providing asuitable delay while the Logicians couldescape. However, if they feel the game is up inCoscarla, their method will be far cruder andblatant. Any surviving Body Snatchers will bedressed with bandoliers of plague vials, hid-den under dreg’s clothing. They will thensmash the vials systematically in the entrywaysof hab-blocks, public buildings and the like,causing a huge diversion while the Logiciansflee. If this attack occurs, then burning theBody Snatchers (preferably from a distance) isthe only even vaguely safe means of counterattack.

The Layout of theAlms House

The Ground Floor

Security and Dispositions at theAlms HouseDuring the day cycle the Alms Housemaintains a deception of normality,Moran and his two aides carry out thebusiness of the food distribution, aidedby the kitchen servitors, while the upperfloors are barred and off limits. Duringthe night cycle, Moran (unless calledaway) and the others sleep on the sec-ond floor, while a Body Snatcher patrolsthe ground and second floors once everyhour. Each night, two to six BodySnatchers are sent out to “collect” thenight’s crop of subjects, while theremainder await, hooked-up to chemicalcanisters, on the third floor. The Chur-geon and her two homonculites do notsleep.

The Main Portico and ReceptionchamberThe main entryway is made up of a set of highbronze doors, flanked by wide marblecolumns; these doors are open during the daycycle and barred shut from within during thenight. Within, the wide lobby is covered by amosaic floor featuring the icon of the TantalusCombine, now mostly obscured by a thicklayer of grime and dirt. A wide archway to theleft leads to the refectory area, while its paral-lel, to the right, leads to the lecture hall.Directly across from the entrance, two inwardcurving stairways ascend to the landing on thesecond floor and beneath them a high marble-faced reception desk stands, bracketed by twotall and grim statues depicting robed adeptsholding burning torches aloft. Day or night,the waning light from lumen globes mountedwithin the statues’ torches is the only source oflight, casting long shadows across the dirtyfloor. Behind the desk a doorway leads to adisused office and storeroom and off to oneside, is a locked cage elevator.

When food is being handed out, one ofMoran’s men poses as an adept at the desk andchecks citizens for their identity or takes coin,before allowing them to pass into the refec-tory for meals. At all other times it is deserted.

The Refectory WingThis long, square hall is able to seat up to ahundred at a time on long, battered tables setwith miss-matched benches and chairs. Thewalls are lined with inspirational scripture andscenes. Food is served through a series ofmetal hatches from the kitchens. A largecracked mirror has been set into the wall

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Broken Tiles andLingering

Screams: Settingthe Scene in the

Alms House

The Alms House is a largeand ornate building, itsarchitecture and scaledesigned to impose andleave those who humblyenter its halls with nodoubt as to the power andwealth of the TantalusCombine. The building isfronted and tiled insidewith a funerary green mar-ble, the ceilings are highand vaulted, and the wallsstudded with mouldingsand statuary. Now largelydisused and abandoned,tiles cracked and statuesvandalised, the building’sscale and largely emptyrooms are filled with dust,leaving it with a haunted,desolate feeling.

The rooms of the firstfloor, beyond locked doorsand outside of publicscrutiny, are in a worse con-dition with broken andoverturned furniture, scat-tered papers, torn draperiesand the occasional oldbloodstain from the Logi-cians’ unobserved takeover.

The third floor, origi-nally set up as a smallmedicae facility for theCombine’s workers, iswhere the Churgeon hasher lair and is a place ofunspeakable suffering andhorror. The air is filled witha coarse disinfectant reek,barely covering the stenchof blood. The lights flickerand the filthy walls andfloor are sticky wet inplaces and covered in dragmarks, blood splatters, des-perate scratches and handprints.

beside the hatch—an Ordinary (+10) Per-ception Test will reveal that this mirror is arelatively recent addition.

Breaking the mirror will reveal that it istwo-way glass and that a false compartmenthas been set into the wall, forming a com-pact booth. Inside there is a scanning deviceand a small portable cogitator. A Routine(+20) Tech Use or Common Lore (Tech)Test will reveal these to be a bio-auspex, setto take readings from those who pass by themirror, while the cogitator contains medicaland personnel files for the Tantalus Com-bine’s workforce. Note that the cogitator’sliquid-core data cell can be removed for evi-dence.

The Lecture HallConceived so that the workforce could receiveedifying instruction on the value of unques-tioning obedience and the joy of tireless toilfor their masters, this austere auditorium haslong been entirely disused and has no viablelight source still working within.

The Kitchens and StoresThe kitchens and stores are dusty, dirty andentirely unsanitary. The main storeroomcontains surprisingly little by a way of foodexcept for some stacked crates of proteinconcentrate and a vat of fungal medium. Anarea has been set aside with a supply of con-centrated military-style rations, completewith is own sets of cutlery and utensils;these (unlike the rest of the kitchen) arescrupulously clean. The main kitchen area isdominated by two huge soup vats with gasburners underneath, beside which a pair ofancient and decrepit looking servitor dronessit deactivated when not in use.

A locked pair of metal doors lead from theback of the stores to a yard at the rear of theAlms House (locked with the standardpasskey), whilst a pitch-black lift shaft leadsupwards. There are several side doors from thekitchen leading to small storerooms andpantries, a palpable smell of blood issues fromone of them (see The Protein Store).

The Protein StoreEntered through the locked side door fromthe kitchens, this box room contains a seriesof stacked, metal drum canisters and smellsheavily of blood. If these heavy canisters arepried open, they will reveal a thick, clottedred liquid whose coppery stench will beoverpowering. Close inspection will revealcodes and dates stamped onto the sides ofthem. If the Acolytes have already looked atthe cogitator data from the hidden room, anOrdinary (+10) Intelligence Test willrealise the code patterns tally.

Realising what the contents of the canistersare is definitely worth a Fear Test (see page 25).

The First Floor

The landing and the Empty OfficesAccessed either as the first stop upward on theelevator or from the landing, the majority ofthis floor is made up of a series of unusedoffices or austere (former adept’s) chambersdived into corridors by thin partition walls.Many are filled with scattered papers and threehave been used as quarters by Moran’s aides.The cage elevator from the lobby stops on thelanding and, behind a locked side door, a stair-case leads from the end of the landing to thewards on the upper floor.

The Director’s ChamberAccessed from an ornate locked door off thelanding, Moran has maintained a pretenceof normality in this room and the imposingchamber has been maintained in a pristinecondition. The room is dominated by a largemural of the Tantalus Combine’s symbol onthe panelled wall behind the director’smarble-topped desk.

The desk contains a functioning auto quill,neatly stacked layers of clean parchment and asmall (deactivated) matriculation engine ofnickel-plated metal. The desk draw is locked(only Moran has the key) but easily forcedopen with a Routine (+20) Strength Test.Contained within are several bound parch-ments, some data-slates and a laspistol with aspare charge pack.

A quick scan of the data-slates from thedesk (taking about five minutes) and a success-ful Ordinary (+10) Search Test, will reveala receipt acknowledging of the director’srequest to the Tantalus Combine to suspendnormal food shipments some thirty days ago.

A small side door from the chamber leadsto a sleeping cell that Moran has kept like asoldier’s billet.

The Alchemistry LabWhat was a washroom area at the very end ofthe floor has been converted into an alchem-istry lab and is filled with benches stackedwith bubbling glass crucibles, sparking appara-tus and whirling centrifuges, tended by at alltimes by one of the Churgeon’s Homonculites(see page 33), which will attack intrudersremorselessly until destroyed.

This is the lab where the Churgeon’s coverbusiness as a dealer in illegal formulas andreagents for the narco-gangs is carried out.The apparatus is delicate—stray shots orsmashed vessels might result in a fire or evenperhaps a small explosion.

The Third Floor

The Medicae WardsTwo medical wards dominate the third floor,with the main cage elevator from the lobby

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Getting In

There are a number of waysthat the Acolytes can gainentrance to the AlmsHouse: they could break in,use a passkey (all of theLogician agents carry sucha key) or even try and hideamong the crowd enteringfor food and conceal them-selves till later.

Most of the internallocks and the rear door usethe same passkey (unlessnoted in the location),attempting to overcomethese sturdy mechanicallocks is no easy task—treatthis as a Challenging (+0)Security Test. Forcing thelock—treat this as an “auto-matic hit” attack against anobject with a combinedToughness & Armour valueof 10, thus requiring a totalof 12 or more points ofdamage in one hit to breakit—although this secondoption is likely to be verynoisy, especially if it takesthe Acolytes numerous hitsto break the lock.

When moving round theAlms House, stealth islikely to be the order of theday, fortunately the build-ing’s solid construction,general abandonment andlayers of dust make thisfairly easy. Each Acolytewishing to move stealthilymust make an Ordinary(+10) Silent Move TestOpposed by Awareness(35) for any patrollingguard in a position to dis-cover them.

ascending to a central reception point betweenthem. Curtains of semi transparent rubberisedslats hang at the entrances to the two wards,while the lights overhead flicker and pulseslowly, as if power was being bled away. Onthe other side of the ward reception area ablank armoured door has been fitted recently(the previous door lies on its side nearby.)

The two wards are draped with crude par-titions made from plastek sheeting and torncloth, behind which twenty blood spatteredgurneys are hidden from view. Eight of thegurneys are currently occupied by the deadbodies of the Churgeon’s mutilated victims,covered by sheeting. The sight of what hasbeen done to these unfortunates is truly hor-rific, beyond any “normal” violence or sanemind. A shelf along one wall holds jars of har-vested organs and limbs in fluid suspension,while in the far corner a lone “survivor” can befound. This comatose man has fresh surgicalscars on his chest and is hooked up to arcanelooking machinery and drip fed chemicals,while a cogitator next to him chatters andspools a printed sheet into a waiting hopper.

The Armoured DoorThe armoured door is icy-cold to the touchand is featureless except for two diagonalmetal notches at waist height—the lock. Aspecial encoded accessor key is needed to gainentry and these can only be found in the per-sonal possession of the Churgeon, Moran andthe Homonculites. Getting through the doorby force would need heavy weapons, explo-sives or cutting equipment, alternately theAcolytes could wait for something to come outand then wedge it open, as the heavy pres-surised door swings very slowly.

The Operating TheatreBeyond the armoured pressure door is theChurgeon’s domain. It is a large chambermade from knocking down several partitionwalls and crudely sealed off with tape andsheet metal plating. An open lift shaft, cov-ered by a grate, sits off to one side. The roomis icy cold and a heavy mist of vapour hangsabove the floor. The walls are lined with atangle of hissing and crackling machinery, litby corposant arcs of energy, rack upon rackof bubbling sample tanks, containment ves-sels and bewildering alchemical apparatus.One whole wall is given over to a series ofhanging canisters— the Body Snatchers arehooked up to these between missions. Theopposite wall holds a single large transparentchamber, filled with a clear fluid in whichfloats a large whitish mass. The thing in thechamber is being tended by a Homonculite.Acolytes may realise that the thing in thechamber is a far larger specimen of the for-bidden bio-construct Sand showed them attheir initial briefing.

At the centre of it all is the Churgeon. Reador paraphrase the following:

The centre of the chamber is dominatedby a large operating table, surroundedby all manner of strange instruments,flashing cogitator displays and arma-tures ending in clusters of blades,manipulators and drills.

On the table, strapped down and laidopen as if an anatomical exhibit, hisheart still pumping in his splayedribcage, is a young man, clearly con-scious and terrified out of his mind.

Looming above him is a narrow andimpossibly tall figure, shrouded in blackrobes edged with a blood-red cog-toothpattern, who can only be the architectand master of this chamber of horrors.Perched on the figure’s back is a heavymass of burnished metal, surrounded bydozens of twitching mechanical limbs,like some obscene clockwork spider.

The cowled head turns toward youand as the light catches the face within,you can see what remains of a livingwoman’s face stitched to an iron skull.Glowing lenses set in the woman’s deadface focus on you and a grating artificialvoice issues forth:“Foolish meat! In coming here you have

only hastened the harvesting of your unworthyflesh!”

Viewing the Churgeon at her work in thischamber of horrors requires a Fear Test (seepage 25).

End Game

The Churgeon distains physical confrontationand if attacked, will detach her “scalpel familiar”from her back and call on the Homonculitetending the bio-tank, and any remaining BodySnatchers in the chamber, to attack the Acolyteswhile she attempts to withdraw to the rear ofthe room, giving her the opportunity to takeshots at the interlopers with her laser. If it lookslike the fight is not going in her favour, she willquickly programme the machinery to overload(this will take two combat rounds) and fleedown the waiting lift shaft, her internal maglevsystem allowing her to escape swiftly and safelydown the shaft.

Alarms scream, arcs of electrical dis-charge will cascade around the room as themachinery begins to overload. Soon afterthe various tanks start to shatter, spillingfoul smelling ichor on to the floor and sur-faces. The Acolytes have about five minutesto grab whatever evidence they can and getclear before the power chamber goes criticaland blows the top off the building in a fire-ball of plasma.

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The Doctor isin…

The Churgeon is obsessed,far from sane and at a criti-cal juncture in her work. Ifthe Acolytes are detected inthe building, she will dis-patch any remaining BodySnatchers to deal with theproblem and vox Moranand the enforcers to comeand assist her. She will not,however, stop her work, nomatter how badly thingsare going until the Acolytesenter her operating theatre.

Moran and his enforcers are trained profes-sionals not insane fanatics and if the Alms Houseis destroyed or the Churgeon is killed (or hasfled), he and his men will seek to cut their lossesand attempt an escape. In doing so, they will setfire to the Station House and flee through thearteria network in an enforcer half-track unlessstopped. A running gun battle with Luntz’s men(and possibly the Acolytes) will ensue as theymake their break for it.

The Aftermath

If the Acolytes are victorious in defeating or suc-cessfully driving off the Logicians, they canquickly re-establish contact with the wider hiveand an Inquisition-backed sweep by the MagosBiologis and the Adeptus Arbites will soon fol-low. The sweep will round up everybody whohasn’t already fled (there will be no sign of Luntzor Sikes) and the local inhabitants will beprocessed, while forensic teams will sift throughthe evidence with a fine-toothed comb.

The Acolytes will be checked over for con-tamination and thoroughly questioned aboutthe matter. Sand, speaking to them over a voxfrom his own lab, will grant that they “Haven’tperformed too badly,” and he’ll be particularlypleased with any samples that they might havepreserved for him.

The long-term outlook for the Coscarlawill be bleak. For the people of the southerndistrict, rumours will begin to circulate as towhat took place, some of them true, someverging on the heretical. Soon horror andmass hysteria will take hold, and as therumours spread the Coscarla will become aneven more shunned and blighted place.

The End?Once matters are settled, Sand will say (withsome humour) “I’m sure we can find a few more

little tasks that might suit your talents. Why, now Ithink on it, I have the very thing in mind…simplejob off world, a restful journey on the way, why it’llbe no trouble at all…”

Developing the Plot FurtherMany questions may lay unanswered at theend of this adventure. What were the Logi-cian’s wider plans? What other horrors orconspiracies might fester in the wasteland ofthe Coscarla Division? Were there elementsin the Tantalus Combine responsible forturning a blind eye to the situation? Is somefaction in the Combine involved with theconspiracy? How deep do the links betweenthe Logicians and the rulers of the narco-syndicates (far above the likes of Luntz) go?And, on a more practical level, if Moran,Luntz or the Churgeon escaped, the huntfor them will continue apace.

One other mystery that remains lies withthe missing; Moran’s fake adepts kept meticu-lous records of those they had targeted forabduction along with their eventual fate, andonce their encryptions have been broken bythe merciless minds of the Mechanicus, it willbe noted that they simply do not tally. Somesix test subjects, Saul Arbest among them,appearing to be the most successful and stableof the Churgeon’s creations, are not accountedfor—where are they? The conclusion drawnby Sand will be that they were dispatched tosome other locale for study, “Site X” as he willdub it remains to be found, and the supposi-tion occurs that Saul Arbest, who’s dead bodyfound on the transit rail started all of this, wasnot escaping from Coscarla at all, but ratherdied trying to return home…

In all these cases, with their first handknowledge of events, the Acolytes are theperfect candidates for the job of finding outmore.

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Just what was theChurgeon up to?

The Churgeon’s principle goal has beenthe perfection of a genetically stable, bio-cultured neural control graft-organ whichwould enable the Logicians to rapidly cre-ate armies of obedient soldiers and servantsfrom healthy human stock. If perfected, thesubjects would retain their memories andskills (unlike common Imperial servitors),but be entirely controlled by their parasiticimplants, which would also be able to over-ride and regulate their pain receptors, aswell as some other useful tricks. Unfortu-nately the tissue rejection factor has been a

huge problem, killing the vast majority oftest subjects or at best destroying theirhigher brain functions entirely—althoughthese were successful enough for her tocreate the Body Snatchers. Even the betterones (such as the unfortunate Saul Arbest)have proved unreliable, suffering slowdeaths and regressions after periods offunctionality. The Coscarla, with its readysupply of good quality subjects, providedan excellent opportunity to carry out alarge study on rejection factors and,although the fatality rate has been huge,the raw data gathered has been very prom-ising. If the Churgeon escapes, sooner orlater she will move to the next stage in herexperiments…

Appendix I:Quick Start

RulesThe Dice and Making Tests

Like most other roleplaying games, DarkHeresy uses dice to determine chance ofyour character succeeding at an action andto determine lots of other viable events andoutcomes.

This game uses ten sided dice (d10) andit is recommended that each player have atleast two ten sided dice of different coloursto play. Most times when you roll dice in thegame you will be making a Test, in order todo this you roll two dice to generate a num-ber between 01 and 00 (100), reading theresults of one of the dice as “tens” and theother as “units” (which is why its handy ifyou can tell the dice apart!) with the aim ofrolling equal to or under a Characteristicscore, usually with a modifier to that score,depending on the Difficulty of what you aretrying to accomplish.

Example: When making a Test you mightroll a red dice and a white dice, you sayfirst that the red one will be “tens” and rolla 5 on the red dice and a 3 on the whitedice, so the score you have rolled is 53.

The game also uses dice for other vari-ables such as weapon Damage, in this caseyou simply roll the number of dice indicatedadd the totals and that’s your result.

Example: A laspistol might inflict 1d10+2Damage, so when shooting something youwould roll one die and add +2 to the num-ber you rolled for the total damage caused.

Sometimes you will be asked to roll ad5, if you don’t have one handy (yes suchthings do exist!) roll a d10 instead and halfthe result (rounding up).

Your Acolyte

In Dark Heresy you take on the roll of anAcolyte—this is the catch all title for themany different agents in service of theInquisition who are fighting a shadowy warto keep the Imperium of Mankind safe fromits many enemies. The full Dark Heresyrules provide a plethora of options for cre-ating your Acolytes but for convenience’ssake we have provided you with severalentry-level characters to go along with this

adventure (available to download from theBlack Industries website) so you can getstuck in straight away!

Your character is its defined anddescribed in a number of ways, includingCharacteristics which provide a rough meas-ure of their mental and physical abilities andare expressed as a numbered score (thehigher the better!) and their Skills and Tal-ents which define their various special areasof expertise, training and gifts.

If you take a look at and compare theAcolytes provided you will see that theyeach have differing Characteristics scores,Skills and Talents which make them indi-vidual and different to play.

Characteristics

Each Acolyte (not to mention all the game’sopponents and supporting cast of characterscontrolled by the GM) has the same set ofcomparable characteristics, these are:

Weapon Skill (WS): A measure of skill athand-to-hand fighting.Ballistic Skill (BS): A measure of skill withranged weaponry (guns etc.)Strength (S): A measure of how physicallypowerful a character is.Toughness (T): A measure of stamina andresistance to injury.Agility (Ag): A measure of physical speedand co-ordination.Intelligence (Int): A measure of generalintelligence, reasoning and erudition.Perception (Per): A measure of sensoryawareness and perceptiveness.Willpower(WP): A measure of mental andspiritual fortitude.Fellowship (Fel): A measure of socialability.

You will also notice that your Acolyte hasa number of Wounds, this indicates themaximum amount of Damage that yourAcolyte can take before going out of actionor dying.

You will also notice that the “tens” digitof many of your Characteristic scores arehighlighted, this number represents yourCharacteristic Bonus, this is used in cer-tain game rules such as the combat system.

Example: Some hand to hand weapons statethat their Damage is 1d10+1+SB. Thistells you to roll 1d10 and add +1 to theresult, then add your SB (Strength Bonus) togive a final total.

Your Acolyte also has a set of Movementrates used in the combat system to define howfast they are, these rates are listed in metresand equate to Half/Normal/Charge/Run.

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Fear!

Fear, horror and corruptionare all things that anAcolyte must confront inDark Heresy, and are cov-ered in detail in the mainrules. However, for thisdemo adventure we use asimplified version of theFear Test. When yourAcolyte is confronted bysomething that causes Fear(this will be noted in theadventure) they must Testtheir Willpower score(rolling two ten sided diceto get a number equal to orbelow their WillpowerCharacteristic), if they failthis Test they are subject toan ongoing penalty of –10to all Tests while in proxim-ity to the frightening thing,or in the case of a frighten-ing opponent, until thatopponent is destroyed orescaped from.

FateChosen men and women, Acolytes have thehand of destiny on their shoulders. In orderto reflect this, each Acolyte has a number ofFate Points which they can spend each ses-sion of play. Fate Points can have many usesbut for the purposes of our demo we canlimit them to the following:

The Second Chance: You may use aFate Point to re-roll a failed Test. However,you must take the second result even if itworse! Any failed Test may only ever haveone re-roll.

It was Just a Flesh Wound: You mayuse a Fate Point to regain 1d5 lost Woundswhen you have been injured, unless you arekilled outright, or suffer some utterlyterrible fate (so no escaping a severed head!Etc.)

SkillsYour Acolyte has a set of Skills, each repre-senting a particular field of training,education or expertise. Each Skill operatesoff a particular Characteristic which isnoted next to it ( for example, Dodge is anAgility based Skill). In order to Test the Skillyour Acolyte is trained in you simply Testthe Characteristic associated with that Skill.

Example: Jarres wants to swim acrossthe canal. The Swim skill is based upon theStrength Characteristic, Jarres has 32Strength, so he must roll equal to or lessthan 32 to pass the Test.

Some Skills everybody can do (or greateror lesser degrees), even if they aren’t trainedin them. These are called Basic Skills andhave the word “Basic” written next to them.When testing a Basic Skill, you simply halvethe Characteristic score you are Testing.

TalentsTalents are special areas of expertise orinnate ability, this wide category rangesfrom the ability to enter a homicidal frenzy,to manifesting psychic powers or thecybernetic implants of the tech-priests. Alist of the effects of some pertinent Talentscan be found at the end of these Quick StartRules.

Quick Rules for Combat

Dark Hersey offers detailed and fast-pacedrules for savage combat, including a greatmany options covering different types ofdamage, parrying, critical effects, body loca-tions and lots of weapon types, as well as,numerous manoeuvres and actions. Therules presented here are a simplified versionto those found in the rulebook.

The Combat TurnAt the beginning of a combat, all partici-pants roll 1d10 and add their Agility Bonus(AB) to the result; this is there Initiativescore for that combat.

Combat then occurs in the order of Ini-tiative, the character with the highest scoregoes first, then the next highest score and soon. Each takes it in turns to act (see Actions)until all those involved have done so; thiscompletes a combat turn. The combat con-tinues turn after turn (using the sameInitiative order) until one side is victoriousor the fight otherwise ends.

Making An AttackWhen you make an attack, you must pass aWeapon Skill (WS) or Ballistic Skill (BS)Test (depending on the type of weapon thatyou’re using) in order to hit your target.

The combat rules assume that yourenemy in any given fight is aware of what’sgoing on and is attempting to not getshot/hit etc. If you catch a target completelyunawares or by surprise, you gain a +30 tohit during the first round of combat only(your surprised opponent can do nothingduring this first round).

Inflicting DamageWhen you successfully hit your target, rollthe weapon’s Damage. Reduce this Damageby your target’s Toughness Bonus (TB) andany Armour Points (AP) they might have,the result is how many points of Damageyou have caused them (they remove thisnumber from their total Wounds).

If you are using a close combat weaponyou may add the value of your StrengthBonus (SB) to the amount of damage youinflict.

If you roll a “o” (a “10” in other words)on your Damage dice, you may haveinflicted Righteous Fury! Immediately rollanother attack Test, if this is also a success,you inflict and additional 1d10 damage.Damage points scored against a characterare cumulative.

Getting Hurt (and Killed)If your character is reduced to 0 Woundsthen they are hurt badly, suffering a –10 toall Tests. If they are reduced to –5 Woundsor more, then they have been killed and areout of the game.

Note that Non Player Characters (NPCs)and antagonists reduced to 0 wounds areassumed to be killed or otherwise out ofaction.

ReactionIn addition to their action in a given turn, acharacter can react once per turn to a

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successful attack made on them byattempting a Dodge Skill Test to get out ofthe way, negating the hit so that no damageis rolled. You cannot dodge an attack if youwere completely unaware of the danger.

ActionsThe following are all Actions you cantake in combat turn:

Attack: You can make an attackwith a weapon and still move up toyour Half movement rate in metres ina single Action.

Aim: By spending an Action aim-ing a gun, or sizing up your opponentin fight, you gain a +10 bonus onyour next attack Action against them.

Charge: You can run directly at anopponent moving at your charge moverate and attack them in close combat,gaining a +10 bonus as long as youhave moved at least 4 metres to do so.

Run/Evade: You can run at yourfull running speed (but take no otherActions). Until your next turn, rangedattacks against you suffer a –20penalty.

Reload: You can reload a weapon(some weapons are cumbersome and youmight take several rounds to reloadthem—this is noted in their description).

Stand up/Get into cover etc:You can get on or off your feet or diveinto cover and move your standardmove rate in metres in an action.

Other Actions: You may attemptto make any other Actions your GMallows you in a combat turn, bearingin mind this represents only a few sec-onds of “real” time, complex actionsmay take several turns to perform.

Some Additional Rules forGunplay

Short Range: Shooting a weaponagainst a target that is less than half theweapon’s listed range away adds a +10bonus to hit.

Long Range: Shooting a weapon at tar-gets that is over the range of the weaponand up to twice that distance suffers a –10penalty to hit.

Point Blank: Shooting a weapon at atarget up to three metres away (unless theyare in close combat with the shooter) adds a+30 bonus to hit.

Semi-Automatic and Full AutoWeapons: Some weapons are capable offiring several shots in rapid succession or a

burst of fire as their attack Action if theshooter wishes (this must be declared beforefiring the gun).

A weapon’s different rates of fire (RoF)will be noted in their description as S (sin-gle shot)/Semi-Auto rate/Full Auto rate.When these weapons fire, they expendammunition equal to the number listed inthe rate of fire for that mode.

Semi-Auto attacks benefit from a +10 tohit and for each two degrees of successmade on the BS Test (see page 26) an addi-tional hit is made against the target (to amaximum number of hits equal to theweapons Semi-auto rate).

Full Auto attacks benefit from a +20 tohit, and for each degree of success made onthe BS Test (see page 26) an additional hitis made against the target (to a maximumnumber of hits equal to the weapons FullAuto rate).

Weapon Qualities

Some weapons have very particular orunusual qualities than others, such asenhanced armour penetration or accuracyetc. and Dark Heresy uses a number ofweapon qualities to illustrate this, two arepresent in the adventure:

Tearing: Weapons with this quality havea tendency to gouge, rend and shred, whenrolling for Damage with a weapon with thisquality, roll an extra 1d10 and pick thehighest result of the two dice rolled.

Primitive: Certain low-tech or low-impact weapons have difficulty inpenetrating advanced armours and defences,and Armour Points are doubled against theirDamage (unless the armour also has thePrimitive quality).

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Appendix II: NPCs and Antagonists

The Inhabitants of theCoscarla District

Coscarla Hab-WorkerThe following profile exemplifies most of Coscarla’s downtrodden and fearful population, theyare ordinary men and women, enduring the worst of hard times with little more than faith and adesire to survive to sustain them.

WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel20 20 30 (3) 30 (3) 30 (3) 20 (2) 30 (3) 25 (2) 30 (3)

Movement: 3/6/9/18; Wounds: 10

Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Lore (Imperium) (Int), Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int),Trade (labourer or manufactorum worker etc.) (Int).

Talents: Melee Weapon Training (Primitive).

Weapons: Unarmed (1d5+1†, Primitive) or bludgeon (1d10+3† Primitive).

†includes Strength Bonus.

Armour: None

Gear: Drab citizen’s garb, 1d5–3 Thrones, Tantalus Indenture cognomen.

Lili ArbestWS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel20 20 30 (3) 30 (3) 30 (3) 33 (3) 32 (3) 36 (3) 34 (3)

Movement: 3/6/9/18; Wounds: 10

Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Lore (Imperium) (Int), Literacy (Int), Speak Language (LowGothic) (Int), Trade (manufactorum worker) (Int).

Talents: Melee Weapon Training (Primitive).

Weapons: Unarmed (1d5+1†, Primitive).

†includes Strength Bonus.

Armour: None

Gear: 28 Thrones, a battered writing kit, several changes of clothes, a worn prayer book andsome family picts jammed into a rucksack.

Evard ZedWS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel20 20 36 (3) 30 (3) 30 (3) 21 (2) 30 (3) 26 (2) 30 (3)

Movement: 3/6/9/18; Wounds: 10

Skills: Awareness (Per), Carouse (T), Common Lore (Imperium) (Int), Speak Language (LowGothic) (Int), Trade (manufactorum worker) (Int).

Talents: Melee Weapon Training (Primitive).

Weapons: Unarmed (1d5+1†, Primitive).

†includes Strength Bonus.

Armour: None

Gear: 4 Thrones, drab citizen’s garb, Tantalus Indenture cognomen.

Hosteller Maxus DrayelockWS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel20 20 18 (1) 30 (3) 30 (3) 28 (2) 33 (3) 25 (2) 26 (2)

Movement: 3/6/9/18; Wounds: 10

Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Lore (Imperium, Underworld) (Int), Deceive (Fel) +10, SpeakLanguage (Low Gothic) (Int), Trade (Hostelry) (Int).

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Talents: Melee Weapon Training (Primitive).

Weapons: Hatchet (1d10-2† Primitive).

†includes Strength Bonus.

Armour: None

Gear: Badly soiled but once good quality clothing, hostel keys, hand lamp, 7 Thrones.

Preacher FaybanWS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel13 20 18 (1) 22 (2) 22 (2) 30 (3) 33 (3) 25 (2) 35 (3)

Movement: 3/6/9/18; Wounds: 7

Skills: Awareness (Per), Carouse (T) +10, Charm (Fel), Common Lore (Imperial Creed,Ecclesiarchy) (Int), Deceive (Fel) +10, Literacy (Int), Performer (Orator), (Fel), Speak Language(Low Gothic, High Gothic) (Int).

Talents: Melee Weapon Training (Primitive).

Weapons: Unarmed (1d5-1†, Primitive).

†includes Strength Bonus.

Armour: None

Gear: Unkempt clerical robs, a silver aquila on a chain and a hip flask filled with fortified wine.

Warden LocanWS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel23 21 30 (3) 31 (3) 26 (2) 22 (2) 30 (3) 20 (2) 26 (2)

Movement: 3/6/9/18; Wounds: 10

Skills: Awareness (Per), Carouse (T), Common Lore (Imperium, Underworld), Inquiry (Fel) andScholastic Lore (Judgement) (Int), Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int).

Talents: Melee Weapon Training (Primitive, Shock), Basic Weapon Training (SP), Pistol Training(SP).

Weapons: Unarmed (1d5+1†, Primitive) or chastisement baton (1d10+3† Primitive).

†includes Strength Bonus.

Armour: None

Gear: Dirty and dishevelled enforcer flak coat (2 Armour Points) with tarnished rank insignia,unloaded sub automatic, and an obscura injector in his coat pocket.

Scavs and Rag PickersLittle better liked than the dregs, these types have come to scavenge and pick over the bones ofthe district for what they can, and are easily distinguished from the locals by their distinctivepatchwork overcoats, their many bags and trinkets and the vulture’s gleam in their eyes.

WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel20 20 30 (3) 30 (3) 30 (3) 20 (2) 30 (3) 25 (2) 30 (3)

Movement: 3/6/9/18; Wounds: 10

Skills: Awareness (Per), Barter (Fel), Common Lore (Imperium) (Int), Search (Per), SpeakLanguage (Low Gothic) (Int), Trade (ex-labourer or ex-manufactorum worker etc.) (Int).

Talents: Melee Weapon Training (Primitive).

Weapons: Bludgeon or staff (1d10+3† Primitive) about 50% also carry a black powder pistol(15m; S/—/—; 1d10+2; Primitive; Clip 1; Reload 3Full).

†includes Strength Bonus.Armour: Leathers or scavenged gear (1 Armour Point; Primitive).Gear: Scavenger rags, trinkets, odds and ends, 1d5 Thrones, 6 bullets if pistol is carried.

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Sikes the ReclaimatorSikes is a shrewd faced, sharp-eyed man of indeterminate middle age. He has the greyish pallorand colourless hair of the true down-hiver, and his wiry build is hidden beneath layer after layerof scavenged clothing. He is also covered in a seemingly disordered jumble of harness pockets,tool belts and bags. He perpetually carries a pump shotgun dangling on a sling underneath onearm and is a good deal more spry and dangerous than he looks.

WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel28 37 33 (3) 40 (4) 34 (3) 40 (4) 40 (4) 37 (3) 33 (3)

Movement: 3/6/9/18; Wounds: 11

Skills: Awareness (Per), Barter (Fel) +10, Carouse (T), Charm (Fel), Climb (S), Common Lore(Underworld, Sibellan Underhive, Imperium, Tech) (Int), Deceive (Fel), Evaluate (Int), Intimidate(S), Navigation (Underhive) (Int), Search (Per), Scrutiny (Per), Speak Language (Low Gothic, GangCant, Dark Hiver) (Int), Tech-Use (Int), Trade (Rag Picker, Prospector, Technomat), Survival (Int).

Talents: Basic Weapon Training (SP), Light Sleeper, Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), PistolTraining (SP), Resistance (Poison).

Weapons: Pump Shotgun (30m; S/—/—; 1d10+4; 8 Clip; Reload 2Full), Hammer (1d10+2†;Primitive).

†includes Strength Bonus.

Armour: Miss-matched scavenger’s garb (2 Armour Points; Primitive)

Gear: Various tools, trinkets, oddments, spares, charms and tokens, 30 Thrones, a scavenged andrepaired matriculator, an old data-slate with a cracked case, a water bottle and a spyglass. Plus tworeloads for his shotgun.

Downhive DregDregs are the lowest of the low in the hive, a faceless, numberless morass of addicts, wasters,madmen, petty mutants and the lost existing scavenging on the fringes of society. Filthy, ill-conditioned and often diseased, dregs are broadly shunned and feared, not simply because ofwhat such desperate and degenerate people might do, but because they have nothing to loose.

WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel18 18 25 (2) 25(2) 26 (2) 16 (1) 25 (2) 20 (2) 10 (1)

Movement: 3/6/9/18; Wounds: 8

Skills: Awareness (Per), Carouse (T), Common Lore (Underworld) (Int), Concealment (Ag),Deceive (Fel), Intimidate (S), Silent Move (Ag), Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int).

Talents: Melee Weapon Training (Primitive).

Weapons: Improvised clubs, axes, pipe shivs and rusted blades (treat as 1d1o†, Primitive)

†includes Strength Bonus.

Armour: None.

Gear: Filthy rags, soiled trinkets and keepsakes.

Vapour RatSolitary scavengers and carrion eaters, these mutated vermin can prove dangerous to the unwary.The taste of blood can drive them into a feeding frenzy and they readily kill and eat their ownkind. Vile to look at, they appear to be almost skinless, their wet flesh glistening as they blendwith unnatural ease into their surroundings.

WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel22 — 13 (1) 10 (1) 30 (3) 11 (1) 35 (3) 13 (1) —

Movement: 4/8/12/24; Wounds: 3

Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Climb (S) +20, Concealment (Ag) +20, Silent Move (Ag) +10, Swim (S).

Talents: None.

Traits: Bestial (subject to Fear from fire, loud noises etc.), Quadruped, Size Puny (–20 to hit), FeedingFrenzy (if they inflict Damage with their bite, they gain +10 to attack in the next combat round).

Weapons: Bite (1d5+1†; Primitive).†includes Strength Bonus.

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Logician AgentLean and hard looking men, Logician agents are trained professionals, calm, ruthless and efficient.There are fourteen such agents currently in the South Coscarla district, two posing as adepts atthe Alms House and the remainder acting as the area’s Magistratum enforcer detachment.

WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel35 35 35 (3) 35 (3) 35 (3) 30 (3) 35 (3) 35 (3) 30 (3)

Movement: 3/6/9/18; Wounds: 10

Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Ciphers (Logician) (Int), Common Lore (Imperium, Military,Tech) (Int), Deceive (Fel), Drive (Ground Vehicle), Intimidate (S), Interrogation (WP), Silent Move(Ag), Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int).

Talents: Basic Weapon Training (SP, Las), Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), Pistol Training (SP, Las).

Weapons: Autocarbine (60m; S/3/10; 1d10+2; Clip 30; Reload Full), stub automatic (30m;S/3/—; 1d10+3;Clip 9; Reload Full), chastisement baton (1d10+3†; Primitive).

†includes Strength Bonus.

Armour: Enforcer flak coat (2 Armour Points).

Gear: Enforcer uniform, two spare clips for each weapon, micro-bead vox, respirator mask,photo-visor, hand lantern, Alms House passkey.

Note—Moran’s Agents: Moran’s Adepts are identical to this in profile, however they lack theenforcers weapons and armour, instead they wear green-grey adept’s robes with the insignia ofthe Tantalus Combine and they carry a stub auto (30m, S/3/–; 1d10+3; Clip 9; Reload Full),concealed in a shoulder rig at all times.

Sybas MoranWS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel35 42 35 (3) 35 (3) 35 (3) 35 (3) 35 (3) 40 (4) 30 (3)

Movement: 3/6/9/18; Wounds: 13

Skills: Awareness (Per), Command (Fel), Common Lore (Imperium, Military, Tech, Underworld) (Int),Deceive (Fel)+10, Demolition (Int), Dodge (Ag) +10, Drive (Ground Vehicle), Inquiry (Fel), Intimidate(S), Interrogation (WP), Scrutiny (Per), Silent Move (Ag), Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int).

Talents: Basic Weapon Training (SP, Las), Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), Pistol Training (SP,Las).

Armour: Moran wears a mesh bodyglove under his robes, providing him 3 Armour Points.

Weapons: Autopistol with silencer (15m, S/—/6; 1d10+1; Clip 18; Reload Full), mono-edgedcombat knife (3m; 1d5+3†, Ignores 2 AP of armour protection).

†includes Strength Bonus.

Gear: Alms House director’s heavy dark emerald robes and gorget of office, micro-bead vox, apasskey and one of the accessor keys to the surgical chambers. Two spare autopistol clips.

Narco-GangerNarco-Gangs are the blight of the Sibellan underworld, made up of cutthroats and petty thieves.They are criminal scum with no loyalty but to the next payoff or drug hit. Narco-gangers arehated by the lower hivers.

WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel32 28 35 (3) 30 (3) 33 (3) 20 (2) 25 (2) 20 (2)

Movement: 3/6/9/18; Wounds: 10

Skills: Awareness (Per), Carouse (T), Chem-Use (Int), Common Lore (Imperium, Underworld)(Int), Deceive (Fel), Dodge (Ag), Intimidate (S), Speak Language (Low Gothic, Gang Cant) (Int).

Talents: Basic Weapon Training (SP), Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), Pistol Training (Las,SP).

Weapons: Blade (1d5+3†; Primitive), Stub Revolver (20m, S/—/—; 1d10+3; Clip 6; Reload2Full).

†includes Strength Bonus.

Armour: Gang shreds (2 Armour Points; Primitive).

Gear: Ragged clothing marked with gang colours, glyphs and kill scores, 1d5 Thrones, anobscura injector, two spare reloads for stub revolver.

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Gang Boss “Chord” LuntzWS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel36 37 35 (3) 38 (3) 33 (3) 35 (3) 38 (3) 34 (3)

Movement: 3/6/9/18; Wounds: 12

Skills: Awareness (Per), Carouse (T), Chem-Use (Int) +10, Command (Fel), Common Lore(Imperium, Underworld) (Int) +10, Deceive (Fel), Dodge (Ag), Drive (Ground Vehicle), Evaluate(Int), Intimidate (S) +10, Scrutiny (Per), Security (Int), Speak Language (Low Gothic, Gang Cant)(Int).

Talents: Basic Weapon Training (SP), Melee Weapon Training (Chain, Primitive), Pistol Training(Las, SP).

Weapons: Blade (1d5+3†; Primitive), Stub Revolver (20m, S/—/—; 1d10+3; Clip 6; Reload2Full), Custom Hand Cannon (20m, S/2/—; 1d10+5; Clip 4; Reload 2Full)

†includes Strength Bonus.

Armour: Armoured coat (2 Armour Points).

Gear: High grade ganger’s garb marked with numerous kill glyphs, fake cognomen, silver andiron finger rings, personal vox, small chem-testing auger, obscura injector, 30 Thrones, tworeloads for each weapon.

The Hidden HorrorsThe ChurgeonVery heavily augmented with cybernetic systems and implants, her only visible living flesh is the rictus-like mask of skin attached to the metallic skull that houses her living brain. Long since having left sanitybehind, she doesn’t recognise her own sadistic and macabre compulsions, believing them to be purelyscientific in motivation. While she makes for a vicious and tough combatant, she has no interest inphysical struggle and will seek to flee to continue her work if seriously threatened.

WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel25 25 40 (4) 45 (4) 38 (3) 48 (4) 35 (3) 55 (5) 20 (2)

Movement: 3/6/9/18; Wounds: 17

Skills: Awareness (Per), Chem-Use (Int) +10, Ciphers (Logicians) (Int) +10, Common Lore (MachineCult, Tech, Imperium) (Int), Forbidden Lore (Archeaotech) (Int), Logic (Int) +10, Medicae (Int) +20,Pilot (Grav Vehicle) (Ag), Scholastic Lore (Chymistry, Bio-Sculpt) (Int) +10, Speak Language (LowGothic, Tech) (Int), Secret Tongue (Techno-Cant) (Int) +10, Tech-Use (Int) +10.

Talents: Numerous, including Pistol Training (Las), Melee Training (Primitive), Fearless.

Traits: Various implanted systems, including full life support, augmetics and maglev suspensors(can fly at speed 4), Dark Sight and armour plating.

Armour: 4 Armour Points.

Weapons: Scalpel-tipped augmetic hands (1d10+5†), implanted las mechadendrite (30m; S/—/—;1d10+2 E; Clip unlimited).

†includes Strength Bonus.

Gear: Various scientific, surgical and technical equipment, implanted auspex, vox and cogitatorsystems.

The Scalpel FamiliarDetached from its mistress’s back, the scalpel familiar is a spider-like construct of glittering metalwith scores of whip-thin metal limbs, most ending in some sort of drill, needle or blade, and iscontrolled by the Churgeon via an under-slung human skull equipped with dripping hypodermicfangs and multifaceted lenses for eyes. It moves with shocking speed and will bloodily dismantleanything it can get its blades into in a shower of gore. Despite possessing no visible living com-ponents, it will scream like a child and bleed heavily when destroyed.

WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel40 — 30 (3) 30 (3) 36 (3) 20 (2) 38 (3) 40 (4) —

Movement: 6/12/18/36; Wounds: 8

Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Dodge (Ag), Trade (Vivisection) (Int) +20.

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Talents: Sprint, Swift Attack (it may strike twice as an attack Action), Fearless.

Traits: Natural Weapons, Machine (3), Armour Plating, Multi-legged (bonus move alreadyincluded) Small Size (–10 to hit), Dark Sight.

Weapons: Various surgical blades, needles, drills and saws (1d10+4†; Tearing).

†includes Strength Bonus.

Armour: 5 Armour points.

Gear: None.

The HomonculitesThe Churgeon’s two Homonculite assistants are gholem—biological constructs built using for-bidden science from vat-grown flesh and stolen human organs. They are horrifically distortedcreatures to look at, with cancerous weeping flesh, cataract-white eyes and emaciated bodies stud-ded with gurgling pipes and chem-implants. They have no real free will or capacity for originalthought, but their viciousness and cruelty is no mere accident of their twisted creation.

WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel28 20 30 (3) 40 (4) 30 (3) 20 (2) 30 (3) 20 (2) 10 (1)

Movement: 3/6/9/18; Wounds: 12

Skills: Awareness (Per), Chem-Use (Int) +10, Speak Language (Low Gothic, Tech) (Int), Trade(Butchery).

Talents: Melee Weapon Training (Chain), Fearless.

Traits: Fear (viewing these foul creatures causes all to make a Fear Test).

Weapons: Chain Cutter (1d10+2†; Tearing).

†includes Strength Bonus.

Gear: Bloody aprons, stained medicae robes, sewn-on cloth breather masks and chem rigs,passkey and accessor key.

The Body SnatchersThe Body Snatchers are the result of the Churgeon’s failed experiments in synthetic grafted con-trol organs and made from hive workers stolen in the night. They are partly clad in tatteredclothing and their waxy flesh writhes and pulses unnaturally beneath their almost translucentskins. Their joints and fingers have been re-enforced with metal bracings to stop their overpow-ered flesh from tearing itself apart and their heads have been encased in taunt, stitched-shut masksthrough which implanted augmetic eyes glow a dull red.

As the adventure begins, the Churgeon has ten Body Snatchers, but can conceivably make morefrom fresh victims if needed and time allows.

WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel25 15 50 (5) 40 (4) 20 (2) 17 (1) 25 (2) 30 (3) 8 (0)

Movement: 2/2/6/—; Wounds: 14

Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Silent Move (Ag) +10, Tracking (Int) +10.

Talents: Fearless.

Traits: Natural Weapon (Fist), Natural Armour, Dark Sight, Fear (being attacked by these deathlysilent monsters in the dark causes a Fear Test).

Armour: Naturally Resilient Flesh (3 Armour Points).

Weapons: Augmetic Fist (1d10+5†).

†includes Strength Bonus.

Gear: Internal Micro-Bead (to receive/relay instructions only).

Note: The spine, brainstem and nervous systems of these unfortunates are laced with the syntheticcontrol tissue.

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Appendix III: Player Handout—Coscarla Division Briefing

Reference/Subject: Coscarla Division, (Geo/Dem)Designation: Workers Habitation ZoneLocale: Mastraven Zone, Lower Mid-Tiers, Landward Quadrant, Hive SibellusHive Co/Ord: 2345#∑/789/9870001Preparation: Autosavant Dal MaxentiaAttribution: Interrogator Omardha SandOrdinanator: Conclave Calixis/Covenant Sibellus/Chamber ObscuroTFTD: “History is but a catalogue of counted sins”

Geohistorical and Demographic Overview:The Coscarla Division is a sub-district of Hive Sibellus on the Sector Capitol world of Scintilla.Built in the remains of what was once the splendour of the House Coscarla Estates, the district isa seventy kilometre square conglomeration of warren-like tenement-habs and their attendantinfrastructure that has grown up between the vast ruined arches and fallen statuary of its noblepast.

The Coscarla was until recent years a relatively prosperous mid-hive district, predominantlypopulated by indentured labour classes, but has since suffered deprivation, disaster and a loss instatus thanks to a series of misfortunes and incidents. Primary among these have been the dam-age caused buy unrestrained wildfires during the recent Rienholt Blackouts (the Coscarla beingone of seventeen effected hive zones), although the long term withering of the fortunes of theTantalus Combine, (see Addendum) had begun to have significant adverse effects long before thatcalamity.

The Coscarla Division currently awaits Administratum revaluation of its status (projected dueprocess time until preliminary ruling: 3-7 years standard), but unsub-data indicates over 60% ofthe Coscarla is now effectively a waste/scav zone and the viable population is now confined tosmaller sub-zones clustered around transit and utility access points.

The division’s population is also in catastrophic decline, its infrastructure remains effectivelycrippled and lawlessness, poor social cohesion and poverty all exponentially increasing year-on-year.

Addendum: [The State of the Tantalus Combine]The Combine, a long-standing cartel of several Houses Minoris of the Sibellan nobility has seena drastic decline in its fortunes over the last decade. Its fall from power has been brought on byhostile competition from the Skaelen-Har Hegemony and severe damage to its assets and prestigeendured during the period of intrigues and vendettas known popularly as the “Vthorran Prome-nades” [cert.ref: Activities of the Lucid Court].

The resulting effects on several districts of the Sibellus and Tarsus Hives, formerly under theCombine’s sway, have been profound. In the Coscarla Division where Tantalus was the majoritypower, the Combine has sold on the indenture contracts of thousands of skilled workers and thelabour force that remains now works only to meet their master’s debts. As a result, whole swathesof families have been up-rooted or have deserted from the district, thus the effective economicand monetary input to the region is now negligible.

The Tantalus Combine is suffering a long, drawn-out death and is kept going only by its ownfading inertia and the legal wrangling over the disposition of its carcass. It has ceased to existeffectively as a cohesive organisation or political entity.

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ARLAS VREK

IMPERIAL GUARDSMAN GUARD

Know the mutant: kill the mutant

MALE

RUDDY

SVELTE

BLACK

1.75m 70kg

GREEN 43

SCAR

X

X

Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)

Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)

Common Lore (War) (Int)

Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int)

Primitive

Primitive, SP

Blessed Ignorance (–5 to Forbidden Lore Tests)Hagiography

Liturgical Familiarity

Superior Origins

2 8

3 6

3 2

3 1

3 3

3 3

3 2

3 7

4 1

700

X

XDrive (Ag)

SP

4 (Guard Flak)

ARLAS VRAK

AXE

Melee 1d10+1 R 0

Unbalanced, Primitive

KNIFE

Melee 1d5 R 0

Right

13 2

3

6918

23

2 8

3 6

3 2

3 1

3 3

3 3

3 2

3 7

4 1SHOTGUN

Basic 1d10+4 I 030m S/–/– 2 2FULL

Scatter, Reliable

LAS PISTOL

Pistol 1d10+2 E 030m S/–/– 30 FULL

Reliable

Shotgun + 14 Shells, Axe, Knife,

Las Pistol + 1 Charge Pack

Lasgun + 1 Charge Pack

Guard Flak, Stealth Gear, 1 x Corpse Starch Rations

Mercenary License

LASGUN

Basic 1d10+3 E 0100m S/–/– 60

Reliable

FULL

4 (Guard Flak) 4 (Guard Flak)

4 (Guard Flak)

4 (Guard Flak)4 (Guard Flak)

DITA MINX

IMPERIAL ASSASSIN SHADESMAN

Even a man who has nothing can still offer his life

FEMALE

DARK

SVELTE

PINK

1.60m 60kg

BLUE 29

DEVOTIONAL SCAR

X

X

X

Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)

Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)

Common Lore (War) (Int)

Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int)

Primitive

Las, SP

Blessed Ignorance (–5 to Forbidden Lore Tests)Hagiography

Liturgical Familiarity

Superior OriginsAmbidextrous

Furious Assault (on a successful attack, get second free attack)

3 7

2 9

3 0

3 9

3 2

3 7

3 3

4 1

3 5

700

X

XClimb (Ag)

DITA MINX

SWORD

Melee 1d10 I 0

Balanced, Primitive

KNIFE

Melee 1d5 R 0

Left

12 1

3

6918

46

3 0

2 9

3 0

3 9

3 2

3 7

3 3

4 1

3 5SHOTGUN

Basic 1d10+4 I 030m S/–/– 2 2FULL

Scatter, Reliable

COMPACT LAS PISTOL

Pistol 1d10+1 E 015m S/–/– 15 FULL

Reliable

Shotgun + 10 Shells, Sword, Knife,

Compact Las Pistol + 1 Charge Pack

Corpse Hair Charm, Bodyglove

ELSA CONSTANTINE

HIVE SCUM OUTCAST

A mind without purpose will wander in dark places

FEMALE

RUDDY

SVELTE

GREY

1.60m 60kg

GREEN 27

NERVOUS TICK

X

X

X

Tech-Use (Int)

Primitive

SP

Accustomed to CrowdsCaves of SteelHivebound (–10 to Survival Tests)

Wary (+1 to Initiative rolls)Unremarkable

Sound Constitution

4 7

4 0

3 0

3 5

3 7

3 5

3 4

4 2

3 3

700

X

XCommon Lore (Imperium) (Int)

Hive Dialect

XX

SP

Blather (Fel)

X

2 (Quilt)

ELSA CONSTANTINE

BRASS KNUCKLES

Melee 1d5–1 I 0

Primitive

KNIFE

Melee 1d5 R 0

Right

12 4

3

6918

5

4 7

4 0

3 0

3 5

3 7

2 5

3 4

4 2

3 3AUTOGUN

Basic 1d10+3 I 090m S/3/10 30 FULL

Scatter, Reliable

AUTO PISTOL

Pistol 1d10+2 I 030m S/–/6 18 FULL

Autogun + 1 Clip, Brass Knuckles, Knife,

Auto Pistol + 1 Clip

Qulited Vest, Street Clothes

Primitive

EUPHRATI SALAMIS

IMPERIAL ADEPT SCRIVENER

Even a man who has nothing can still offer his life

FEMALE

TAN

SVELTE

BLONDE

1.65m 55kg

GREY 28

FAINT SMELL

X

X

X

Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)

Common Lore (Imperium) (Int)

Common Lore (War) (Int)

Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int)

Primitive

Las, SP

Blessed Ignorance (–5 to Forbidden Lore Tests)Hagiography

Liturgical Familiarity

Superior OriginsLight Sleeper

Unremarkable

3 8

2 8

3 7

4 1

2 9

2 9

2 7

3 3

2 8

700

X

XTrade (Copyist) (Int)

XLiteracy (Int) X

XX

Scholastic Lore (Legend) (Int)Forbidden Lore (Cults) (Int)

3 (flak)

EUPHRATI SALAMIS

Melee 1d5 R 0

Balanced, Primitive

KNIFE

Right

12 2

2

4612

75

3 8

2 8

3 7

4 1

2 9

3 7

2 7

3 3

2 8STUB REVOLVER

Pistol 1d10+3 I 030m S/–/– 6 2FULL

Reliable

THROWING KNIFE

Thrown 1d5 R 010m S/–/– 1 FULL

Primitive

Stub Revolver + 24 Rounds

Administratum Robes, Auto-Quill, Chrono, Data-Slate

Flak Vest, Throwing Knives x 5

Garvel Wroth

VOID BORN ARBITRAITOR ENFORCER

A suspicious mind is a healthy mind

MALE

Milky

Stunted

Auburn

1.65m 55kg

Violet 56

TINY EARS

X

XX

Navigation (Stellar) (Int)

Pilot (Spacecraft) (Int)

Primitive

SP

Charmed (when a Fate Point is used, roll 1d10, if a 9 - don’t lose it)Ill-Omened (–5 to Fellowship Tests)

Shipwise

Void AccustomedRapid Reload (all Reload times are halved (round down))

Disarm (Full Action-make Opposed WS Test, if successful youropponent is disarmed) 3 5

4 2

2 9

3 3

3 5

2 6

3 2

2 9

3 3

700

X

X

XXX

Security (Ag)

Common Lore (Adeptus Arbites) (Int)

Common Lore (imperium) (Int)

Literacy (Int)

X

3 (Flak)

GARVEL WROTH

KNIFE

Melee 1d5 R 0

Primitive

BRASS KNUCKLES

Melee 1d5–1 I 0

Right

12 3

3

6918

41

3 5

4 2

2 9

3 3

3 5

2 6

3 2

2 9

3 3SHOTGUN

Basic 1d10+3 I 030m S/–/– 2 2FULL

Reliable, Scatter

Knife, Brass Knuckles

Shotgun + Box of 20 Shells

Flak Vest, Arbitraitor ID + uniform

Lho-Sticks

Lionus Vern

FERAL ASSASSIN INITIATE

Thought begets heresy: Heresy begets retribution

MALE

FAIR

STRAPPING

PINK

2.10m 120kg

BROWN 31

FILED TEETH

X

X

X

Navigation (Surface) (Int)

Survival (Int)

Tracking (Int)

Primitive

Primitive

Iron Stomache (+10 to Carouse Tests)Primitive (–10 to Tech-Use Tests, –10 to Fellowship Tests)

Rites of Passage (stop Blood Loss as a Full Action)

Wilderness Savy

2 9

3 1

2 9

3 6

3 9

3 4

4 0

3 9

3 5

700

X

XClimb (Ag)

XXXX

Performer (Sing) (Fel)

Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int)Trade (Cook) (Int)

Literacy (Int)

SP

3 (Flak)

LIONUS VERN

HAMMER

Melee 1d10+1 I 0

Unbalanced, Primitive

Right

12 2

3

6918

32

2 9

3 1

2 9

3 6

3 9

3 4

4 0

3 9

3 5STUB REVOLVER

Pistol 1d10+3 I 030m S/–/– 6 2FULL

Reliable

THROWING KNIVES

Thrown 1d5 R 05m S/–/– 1 FULL

Primitve

Hammer, Throwing Knives x 5,

Stub Revolver + 18 Rounds

Flak Vest, Aquila Necklace, Robes, 4 Candles

Skull Charm, Back Pack