Hi again guys, mainly up here now hoping I could get a lil' help or advice for a new campaign I'm working on. I'll admit I've only run pre-built campaigns before now. So with this one I've been working on now does have abit of trouble for the middle, all I've gotten built so far is an opening on a recently reclaimed world where the majority of the nobility are warring cults over Khorne and Slaanesh.

Like I said, any advice anyone could help me with would be greatly appreciated.

Sounds like a good concept. Some questions, more to get you thinking about possibilities than for need of answers:

What level of technology is the world at? Is it mostly feudal or primitive, or up to imperial standards? Does it have a large population by Imperial standards (ie, 10s of billions on continent-spanning hive cities) or a more modest base? Does it have anything else interesting about it, perhaps xeno or archeotech presence or some terrible past event which might be linked to the fact that cult activity has flourished here?

For the cults, how do they disguise their activities? Do they have legitimate seeming fronts for the beliefs (ie, a cult of the Emperor as a Warrior vs one sort of like the Joyous Choir in Purge the Unclean)? Have they set up smaller cults to take the fall for them if need be, perhaps?

So far closest thing I've got is for the Khorne worshipers, they're predominantly rife amongst the Gladiatiors amongst the planet and their owners. As for the Slaanesh followers, they've kept things in the dark so far. I'm kinda looking at keeping them as a suprise towards the end, but want to make it like their presences isn't completely oblivious.

Well, I would suggest the following:

Slavegladiatours vs. debauched masters
What if it not the "gladiator masters" are turned to Khorne but only the Gladiators? And if the nobility that enjoys "the show" are into Slaanesh worship? You could have an "old school gladiator rebellion", the story of Spartacus. With the sick twist that at the core of both side are chaos worshipping cults.

The investigation could start as...

[Hereticus] a "simple" investigation on the gladiator and slave revolts that emassed recently
[Malleus ] a rumor that at a major arena spectacle at a fest of a major noble familiy a bloodletter (or other demon of khorne) appeared in the arena (few
survivors, the noble family tries to mask it as a gladiator uprising..but rumours are around)
[Xenos] an investigation of the "cold trade", since a smuggler ship has been brought up recently that sold xeno beast, obviously for the fighting pits

Thereby, you could have them investigate there matters... with more and more hinds about the "core" showing up. The further the invesitgation goes, the more do the acolythes gain the attention of both "puppet masters" (the khorne kult turning the gladiator rebellion into there tool and the slaaneshi cult subverting the nobles to gain a quiet hold on this world).

If the khornates will respond "blatantly" to the acloythes (attack by "escaped" gladiatoures, suicidal mass attacks that lead into the appearance of khorne daemons in the aftermath) the pc will turn on them first. The slaaneshi could even the pc along. At the end of it, the pc will find out. Either trough minor clues adding up over the course of the game or due to the final curses of khornite "blind inquisitorial dogs leashed to the coils of the SnakeLord! (name of a Slaani Daemon, the "Coil of Lust") or due to some final attempt of the slaani to eliminate them after a big showdown with the khornites ("it wasn´t mattering to us whom of you would win... it was mattering to us that you would tear each other to pieces during the fight so we could give you mad dogs final mercy!")

But a strong advise!
If it is the first time you plan a campaign by your own, do not start with "world conspiracy". Make it local. Perhaps about a major city known for fabolous arena combat... very "ancient rome" in style and feel. Remember, you must keep a good overview of the "big picture". So, better start with a "not-so-big big picture"

The khornites (idea blatantly stolen from one of the Eisenhorn novells)

The (local) head of the khornites is a merchant (perhaps a minor free trader? Perhaps part of the Beast house? Or ex associate of it?) who is knee deep into the slave trade. One of his beast sources is a wild barbarian world at the fringes, far out. He enjoys the fighting and bloodletting himself as much as he enjoys watching. Over the years, he studied the rites of the wilds and so came to the worship of Khorne. His plan is to bring about a slave revolution..on in which the revolt gladiators are sworn to khorne so there blood spilled is all offering to him...bringing this world to the warp and turning it into a field of endless battle and bloodshed.

Therefore, he ensure that while in the schools, the believe of khorne is allowed to spread and the Khornites are sold for more then fair price "for such wild, bloodlusting and entertaining gladiators". But he does not only teach them to be gladatiores...his most trusted trainers help to train in escape and into leading a rebellion. Then, the gladiatores are sold to the arenaes and the house holds... and after a while, more trouble starts.

The Slaani
The circle calls himself "the coils of Lust" and worhips "She-of-the-ravaging-kiss", a demon of slaanesh. A certain familiy is deeply routed into this cult and tries to subvert the the other nobles with there orgies and festivals. By now, they managed to have a solid buffer and do not spread the word themselves, leaving the in-bringing of "new recruits" to the other families which now operate as "snake nests". Only if prove loyal and debauched enough, the "new initiates to the Coils of Lust" are introduced to the center of things.

One of the "nest families" has sons and daughters in position of city guard (enforcers & soldiers alike) so they have tools of fighting the khornites (which they have grown aware of, but not knowing much of them besides that this cult is festering among the gladiatores).

Not bad, but I was also thinking that there might be a particularily debautched group of gladiators who themselves worship Slaanesh, and enjoy giving and recieving pain in the arena, the attention of the crowd, etc. These might be more showy "favourites" of the masters if you go with Gregorius' idea, or maybe even masters who fight in the arena with the odds grossly stacked in their own favour. Following the Slanesshi theme, these gladiators would tend to be showy and agile, probably favouring whips, knives, or rapier-like blades.

How about a tribal/feudal society with a few odd and occasional anachronisms, like lasguns, blackpowder weapons, the odd mono weapon here and there, as relics of a bygone era/tools of the powerful.The aristocratic society that is aiding the PC's worship an obscure imperial saint as a fertility icon, believing he or she will help their long lived (but very slowly reproducing) people breed and multiply and flourish. In the meantime, this faction is being assailed by local tribal warlords intent on destroying everything. Think of it as barbarian tribes vs greco-roman style culture, with all the trabbings iof civilisation on one side, and savage barbarism on the other. Neither side is open and blatent in their evil. The Khornate warlord tribesmen believe in strength and honour and martial skill, though they are becoming more and more corrupt and savage and debased, little by little. Meanwhile, the PC's erstwhile allies are the very models of sophistication, even as they slither little by little into the depths of excess and perversity...

Locque said:

A very good idea! One question: would say there is "open warfare" between the "warlords" and the "nobility" or does knowbody know whom the attack barbarians really belong to?

Thanks for the ideas guys, probably the last thing I forgot to mention is making none of this known to the PCs until they're on the planet. I was mainly kicking this around as events that start up while the Acolytes are on R&R.