So my campaign hit an interesting note last night and as always I am depending on the most excellent denizens of this place to explore what should or could happen next. I may be vague on some of my answers here...because few of my players caught on to me and read everything I put up here now! (Looking at YOU Ryan, Kaes, and Josh!!!)
So without further ado...this is what happened!
The Ordo Hereticus asked the Deathwatch for Astartes Support in determining why there has been a recent influx in the number of mutants within the Fortress world of Pyrathas. There are also disturbing reports of missing cardinals and other nasty things happenning in the hives below.
The kill team arrived at the Naval Fortress Adamant where the Inquisitor had set up operations. Immediately on arrival they were surrounded in a parade of zealots, censor burners, flaggellants, and preachers who surrounded the marines and served as a honor guard to bring the Astartes to meet Inquisitor Khazia. The players were forced to endure the theatrics of seeing people losing themselves in a religious fervor for their benefit. At one point, the Black Templar spoke to the ringleader merely to say "You speak the Truth" and after a moment of stunned silence from the crowd, the man next to the ringleader pulled a blade and slit his own throat because he had simply seen everything he ever wanted to see and knew he wanted that to be his last memory. Eventually, the Kill Team arrived at the large chapel within the station that held the Inquisitor in it. Sitting atop an imposing dias was Inquisitor Khazia, in the middle of a sermon / mission briefing. It turns out that the station was in almost Anarchy because General Calligoras had refused the inquisitors request for aid with hunting down and eliminating any mutants that might exist on the station. As such, the hundred thousand men that were following orders were prosecuting a campaign within the station to deal with the roughly 50,000 guardsmen who were resisting under the Generals Orders. There were still 30,000 traitors left and the inquisitor demanded that the General be killed or delivered to him for judgement and interrogation.
Agreeing that all mutants must die and all traitors must be annihilated, the Astartes managed to make their way to General Calligoras. The whole way being at first terrifying but then being cheered as the men of both sides assumed the Astartes were here to fight with them against the traitors. When they arrived the General explained that he and the regiments with him had served with valor and were heroes. They had come here for refit and resupply before being sent back to Khazant to continue their glorious fight against the great enemy. He then continued that his men were Heroes and he would NEVER comply with the outrageous demand that he has received. The Aid that the Inquisitor has requested was that the General select 10% of his forces at random and that they will be turned over for full mutation screening, which involves the painful vivisection and dissection of a subject to determine genetic purity. He was convinced that such a debased request could only be coming from a servant of the Enemy himself, and that they are attempting to undermine the crusade with such efforts.
The Astartes informed the General of the Error of his was and that the Inquisitor was in fact Genuine, and that he had disobeyed orders and caused the deaths of many more than 10% of his men. At this the General declared that he would meet this Inquisitor and attempt to broker a peaceful resolution. Returning to the Inquisitor with half of the kill team they informed the inquisitor that they had arranged this meeting and suggested he attend as they had brokered. Climbing atop his baroque edifice, the throne began to float along behind the marines as they escorted the him to the meeting place. In a room dominated by seven astartes and the inquisitor on his throne, General Calligoras entered the room and proudly addressed the Inquisitor.
The two spoke for several minutes and finally reached an accord. The General would take full responsibility for his actions and his men would be subjected to less fatal screenings (85% survival, but everyone would have to take the tests) However, the General was a Warrior and insisted on a death in combat. He issued a challenge to the Inquisitor that they should duel and the Inquisitor accepted with zeal.
The two fought with their power blades and it was clear that they were a close match, but that the General was the lesser man. Deliberatly opening himself up to a quick slash across the ribs which smoked and smouldered, he had set himself up for a perfect killing blow and with all of his strength began to thrust his blade two handed into the inquisitors gorget. His blow never landed though as the Iron Hands Techpriest had been preparing for such an event and tore the General apart in a hail of heavy bolter rounds.
Covered in gore and realizing that he was about to lose that fight, Inquisitor Khazia looked at the marines with a crazed look in his eye and declared "Kill All of Them!!!"
At this half of the marines descended on Inquisitor Khazia with chainsword, heavy bolter fire, and a bolter with Kraken rounds and he was destroyed utterly as his Conversion fields failed him. As soon as he died, his melta bombs denotated on him as the explosions were ripping him apart. The Resulting explosion caused a chain reaction within his Throne that caused it to explode in a white hot ball of a plasma detonation that tore the room apart and opening it to space. The marines luckily had ran out to the room before this happened and were spared the world of it's fury.
With both leaders dead, the Astartes again split into two groups and were able to broker a peace between the two sides that should hold as the Generals second in command stepped in. One of the two Interrogators of the Ordo Hereticus took control of his men and assumed that the whole thing had been a trap from the General. The Astartes convinced him that the General was the culprit the whole time and that the corruption had been cleansed. With this situation at the very least temporarily dealt with, the Kill team began to confer with the other agents that were in play about what was going on in the world below. But that is an adventure for next week.
So here is my main question...obviously the kill team is screwed because they killed an Inquisitor Lord. But what would be some fun ways to make them suffer AHEM...feel as though their actions have consequences...
Some initial thoughts i have...
1. Give all of them Rival - Ordo Hereticus
2. Have this simply haunt them as other members of the inquisition become somewhat less included to accept their support. Or withhold Ordo Hereticus Support at a timely moment
3. Have them actually go through a trial on Watch Fortress Erioch to determine if they did the right thing
4. Buy the Black Crusade book and start posting my questions on THAT forum...