The acolytes are in the room with the dead bodies with a Janissairie having turned on his brother. There is a bit of uncertainty in the air about how to continue.
Tertius
Tertius watches the raving Janissary get cuffed and tranquilized. Deep in though he walks over to where Servius is by the body of the man in the chair. He whispers to Servius as he starts to search the body, “Let us hope these are not our friends from the Ordo Malleus.”
Servius
Servius replies, with slight worrisome in his voice, “Indeed. Let us hope not…” He continues, “Is there a way to determine who these bodies were and where they came from?”
Aleister
Aleister speaks up “Do they have any form of identification on them?”
Tertius
“I am searching for such now.” He says as he continues to rummage through pockets.
GM
Further investigation around the room reveals eight additional bodies; all have the backs of their heads blown out and in some cases the muzzle of their gun is still between their frozen jaws. Unlike the relatively fresh corpse under the bloody wall, the other bodies appear to have been frozen solid and have likely been there for an extended period of time. Their pockets have little of value mostly comprising personal effects, rations, and lho sticks.
Tertius
“I see no indication that these are Inquisitorial allies.” He says to the group after finishing his inspection. He moves back towards them all and addresses the Janissaries. “Brothers of my homeworld, sacred Maccabeus Quintus, the archenemy seeks to assail our very minds during this holy endeavor. Fortify yourselves with contemplation on the Emperor and His blessed Saint Drusus.”
He produces a small, satin green box from under his cloak and opens it. “Behold brothers, this is a piece of the true tomb of the Saint, certified by the Ecclesiarchy as a class three relic. Pass it among yourselves now and pray that Saint Drusus will help us discern how to discover and annihilate the Emperor’s enemies.” He hands the tomb shard to the nearest guardsman and leaves them to their prayers.
Tertius beckons the rest of the group, Silinius included, into a huddle out of earshot of the troopers. “Let us discuss our course of action.”
Thorn
Thorn, watching the Janissaries closely, comes close.
Aleister
Aleister approaches and whispers to Silinius and Thorn “We need to speak about something concerning.”
Servius
Servius whispers to the group, “I don’t think we can stay here or this could be the same for us. Which way do we need to proceed?”
Tertius
Tertius listens to Servius but gets distracted by Aleister’s whisperings to Thorn and Silinius. “Pardon me Aleister, if you have any secrets to discuss it is high time that they be shared with the rest of us I should think.” He says snappishly.
Thorn
“What do you mean, Aleister? What have you learned?”
Aleister
Aleister quietly says “I don’t know if you have noticed but, something is not right with the Veil around here… Almost as though something is bleeding through”
Thorn
“I’m not sure what that means but there are certainly some strange things occurring.”
Theta
Theta is actively observing. Watching the janissaries and listening to everyone else. Her gun is at the ready but not aimed anywhere.
Tertius
Less snappish but obviously still tense given the situation, Tertius asks Aleister, “We knew there would be a warp disturbance here, though I did not expect to encounter it until we were deeper into the mining complex. Are you able to detect a focal point of this ‘bleeding’? If so that may well lead us to the location of the Blind Tesseract.”
Aleister
Aleister replies “I have been trying to locate a source of it, but it appears to be all around us…”
Tertius
Somewhat disappointed, Tertius ponders for a moment, “Then we must proceed until the entrance can be found. Whatever path takes us deeper into the mines should be in the right direction.” He points to the barricaded door, “This may be the way though we have not explored every room on this level yet.”
“However, before we move further we need to make a decision on what the Janissaries should do. The report I read indicated that these psychic attacks would occur, though I am taken aback that they have begun with us being on Mara for less than two hours. During the Mara Landing Massacre event, the guardsmen turned on each other as we have already witnessed and over 4000 of the 5000 that landed here were killed. I do not desire to be in constant worry that we may be in combat with these men at any moment.”
Servius
Servius quips, “Well, do we take them with us deeper or send them back to the ship to guard it?”
Tertius
“Sending them to secure the ship is an excellent idea, assuming they are able to exit this warp disturbance. Mayhaps we send a portion of them back and the rest continue with us. That would lessen the potential threat to us shile still giving us some assistance.”
Aleister
Aleister pipes up “Would it possibly behoove us to limit their access to weaponry until the time calls for it?”
Tertius
“That is a thought, though when the time for combat comes with the enemy I would rather them be armed. Let me propose this: four of the Janissaries go back to secure the lander and they take the disturbed fellow with them. If they can enter into the ship and power it on they will be safe from the elements and ready to assist us when we are ready to depart. The remaining three we have lead the column so that we can keep a watchful eye upon them.”
Aleister
Aleister hands his Auspex to Tertius and says “You seem to be knowledgeable with the human body, does there seem to be anything abnormal with these men?”
Tertius
Tertius looks at the auspex scanner young Aleister is offering. “No thank you. I have my own.” He points to the servo-skull hovering over his shoulder. “That does remind me.” He gets the servo-skull’s attention with a gesture and points to the barricaded door. “Full spectrum scan through that door.” It zips away to do Tertius’ bidding.
He turns back to Aleister while the scan proceeds. “In regards to these dead, merely suicide, nothing unusual biologically. The fatal atrack was that inflicted on the mind which, as I warned the Janissaries, we must guard ourselves against.”
He notices Theta’s ready stance, body language very familiar to him after so many missions together. “Let us send a group of the guardsmen back and then we will proceed.”
He speaks to the Jannisaries and sends 5 back. One of which is the one in cuffs. They have orders to try to secure the ship, defend against any new visitors, and vox in any updates. They are warned not to go back through the strange door.
The remaining three troopers are ordered to standby at the door being scanned. Tertius gets his relic back and pockets it.
GM
A group of the Jannisaries begin heading out of the facility leading their still struggling brother in monicles toward the freezing surface. The corridor leads gently upward toward the surface as they retreat from view. The emergency lighting in the room flickers as Samiel speaks up, “It is best we proceed with urgency. We were prepared for the warps’ intrusion into real space in this accursed place. The longer we stay in one place the more likely it is to affect us. Remember that our emotions must remain calm to prevent calling attention to ourselves. Hatred, fear, bloodshed, it will only hasten our demise.”
Tertius is studying the results of his servo-skull – it appears that that room on the opposite side opens into a large chamber but no life signs are detected.
Deciding to continue on the team clears the barricade and the door opens to what appears to be a large cargo access loading area. Boxes of ore and crystals are stacked against the walls now heavily rimed with frost.
Towards the center of the room is a decapitated figure laid out on the frosted floor, the red arterial spray from the neck fanning out vividly across the ice-crystal-caked floor. His Administratum robes immediately recognizable by Tertius.
Another body nearby is fused with a mangled lump of what appears to have been machinery, the metal framework of which has crumpled and run like candle wax exposed to a blowtorch.
Tertius
Tertius frowns as he sees the dead Administratum agent. “Let us not linger long here. Quickly inspect the room for any exits, perhaps there is a cargo elevator here?” He motions to the group to explore the room as he walks over, kneels down, and inspects the decapitated body.
Thorn
“Tertius, what do you make of the body that is fused to the machinery? I have a very bad feeling about this room but i cant figure out what this means…”, Thorn says while pointing to the body.
Tertius
Tertius looks up from his grizzly business. “Hmm… curious and troubling. If you would like to inspect it then be on guard.”
GM
Tertius examines the body in the center of the room. The bloody Administratum robes are those of a high rank over an environmental body glove. He wears a signet ring bearing the emblem of the Hetaireia Lexis – a noted university on Scintilla with reputedly radical leanings – easily recognizable with Tertius’ adeptus background. The corpse’s webbing belt also reveals numerous notebooks, data-slates and a laspistol with an overcharge pack and two spare power cells. There is no sign of the dead savant’s head.
Tertius
Tertius loads the ring, notebooks, and data-slates into his backpack. “This man was a scholar at a famed university on Scintilla. With the Emperor’s blessing we can root out his heretical fellows at a later date.” He quickly flips through whichever notebook looks most recently used while the others investigate the room.
Servius
Servius looks at Tertius and asks the obvious question… “Why was “he” here?” “That’s the only question in this room. I think we need to move faster. We can be cautious but, still move with the Emperor’s haste. I do not wish to meet the same fate.”
Tertius
Without looking up from the journal he replies to Servius, “He was here for the same reason we are but for a different purpose. I hope he may have had some knowledge of how to enter the Tezzeract.”
Servius
Servius replies, “Understandable but, unless his purpose was a precautionary one, I say we keep moving. Whatever was left in this room must not have been important to who or whatever left it.”
Tertius
Somewhat perturbed, “Well then by all means expediate our departure by assisting the others in searching for other exits.”
GM
Theta loops around the outer wall of the cargo room surveying her surroundings. There are large doors on the far side of the room that are big enough for vehicles to enter or exit. Open corridors exit the room on both sides. Observing the slight slant of the floor indicates that the one on the right of entry leads downward.
Tertius thumbs through the notebooks. Two appear unused and brand new the other contains planetary notes about Mara. It contains numerous details about the planet and its history although you don’t notice anything you were not already aware of.
Aleister carefully makes his way to the left side of the room and takes a peek down the hallway on the left. Servius checks the garage doors to see if they are locked.
The corridors both left and right are dark with low light coming from the active emergency lighting.
Servius begins opening the large central doors and sees a slight ramp up to the grey sky above. The biting wind blowing into the room as the doors become ajar.
Tertius
Starting at the lethal cold, “Servius! Shut those doors for all love!” Tertius shouts.
He then makes his way over to Theta who is standing by the descending corridor to the right. “Down to the depths we go.” He motions for the guardsmen to take point and urges the team forward.
Tertius holsters the bolt pistol and begins to inspects the two bodies near him. He mutters under his breath. “These had best not be Ordos men.”
GM
Tertius investigates the bodies the Janissaries killed on the ground floor. With their protective gear burned from las weaponry it takes a minute to appraise them. Both appear covered in heretical tattoos (roll forbidden lore to determine the nature). They each have frag grenades and autopistols.
Aleister and Servius inspect the bodies on the mezzanine and on the floor. They each appear equipped differently in terms of armor and weapons leading your suspicions to them being a motley crew. They all appear battle hardened with heavily used weapons and scars across their face and arms. Servius suspects that this is a mercenary group of some kind.
Tertius
Tertius wipes his hands on what little non-blood soaked clothing on the body by him has left. He stands up and breathes a sigh of relief. “These were not our allies, merely heretics. Pilgrims of Hayte by the look of them. They might be part of the reason for the Ordo Malleus’ presence here since the Daemonhunters worry over their ability to harness the warp to their foul ends.”
He looks around at the others and his eyes fall on the fallen creature on the gantry above. “Unless I am mistaken I believe that creature to be none other than a Psychneueium, a Warp Predator in Low Gothic that is. Inquisitor Ark Ashtyn’s report on Mara indicated their presence here three centuries ago, and that in infestation level numbers. I recall that they are particularly drawn to psykers. The presence and use of psykana lures them in fact. Curiously, they attack the psyker with the intent of gestating their progeny within the victim’s mind. Oh yes, of the multiple related strains of the Psychneueium in the Calixis Sector, those on Mara are held to be the most deadly.”
He casually says, “Servius, Aleister. Have you made a positive identification on those bodies?”
Aleister
Aleister lets out a loud gulp, “They do not appear to have any identification on them but their weapons are very heavily used and their armor is well worn. But most importantly what exactly do you mean by “gestating their progeny within their victim’s mind?!” Aleister tightens the strap on his helmet. The last sentence Aleister spoke you swear you may have heard his voice crack.
Tertius
Tertius walks over to Aleister. “Yes, fascinating isn’t it! Whilst on Scintilla I had the privilege of studying under Magos Biologis Lamarck, the foremost expert in the sector on warp beasts you understand. It is known that the Psychneueium is attracted to a psyker by either open use of the psyker’s powers or by not being sufficiently trained to lessen their visibility within the Immaterium. To your question, Magos Lamarck theorized that the Psychneueium, once drawn to it’s intended host, will then attach itself and inject it’s genetic material within the psyker. The mind of the psyker, being directly linked to the warp, will then serve as a womb of sorts for the beast’s offspring. It grows from the energies of the warp it has access to in the Materium, safely housed in the host’s mind, until it has reached a pupa state and thus emerges. This is all theory of course since no host, nor those near the host when the young beast “hatches”, have ever survived to be able to bring sufficient information to settle the mystery.”
Tertius uses quotation fingers when he says hatches, clearly very excited about the subject.
Aleister
Aleister starts checking to make sure his sanctified rounds are loaded in the revolver he was given.
Servius
Servius answers back to Tertius once the psyker and warp commotion settles down. “These soldiers have different markings on their armor. More like a “motley crue” of mercenaries. I wonder if we walked into a mercenary on mercenary scuffle?”
Tertius
To Servius, “Mercenary on heretical faction. The Pilgrims of Hayte are possibly the most dangerous group in the sector. The question is who employed those mercenaries?”
Tertius begins to talk with the last Janissary who identifies himself as Corporal Helenith. “Your comrades fought well Corporal. They brought two hated enemies of the Imperium to justice and severely wounded a powerful warp beast. Saint Drusus will certainly tell of their deeds to the Emperor.” Helenith and Tertius offer up a prayer for the deceased. He then instructs the Guardsman to take any grenades and sanctified weaponry his fallen friends might have and load those items up on the servitors.
He looks up at the gantry, eagerly wishing there was time to take field notes on the slain warp predator. He sighs, “Well let’s not tarry. That mercenary may bring reinforcements. It looks as if we have three exits. The mercenary went through the North door above and the beast came from an Easterly direction. Unless someone sees a map of the facility abouts we will need to reach a consensus on where we are headed.”
Aleister
After witnessing the creature phase through the wall midcombat, Aleister sits on one of the central tables and closes his eyes.
Servius
Servius contemplate for a moment and comments, “I wonder what they were fighting over or if they were fighting the warp predators too?”
Servius snaps out of the contemplation and responds to Tertius, (realizing the state he was just in because of the beast) “I think we would rather fight men that warp beasts.” He continues, “But… Is ‘our issue’ towards beast or men?”
Tertius
Responding to Servius above him, “It may be that your mercenaries were defending this position. Perhaps whoever employed them has found the entrance we are looking for and left men behind to keep others from following. I reccomend we take the route the injured mercenary fled.”
Seeing there is no objection to following the mercenary, Tertius urges everyone to prepare to leave.
Aleister
Aleister speaks up after sitting at the table for a minute or so saying, “Normally I would be able detect if there were more of these… creatures(clearly terrified after hearing about the nature of the creatures) nearby but, there is so much interference around here from all the tom-fuckery going on here that I can not pinpoint any more of these… creatures I apologize I can not be of further assistance in locating these beings but from Tertius’s revealing description of these creatures, the rest of you seem safe from their assaults.” While saying this Aleister clearly looks at Tertius, Theta, and Servius.
