Not entirely sure if this belongs here or if it should be in another section...or if I should perhaps post some of the stuff directly here instead of referencing (although that sounds a bit tiresome)?

The Campaign is called 'the Maiden of Golgenna' - which is also the name of a ship that features in the intro, but that also has another meaning, which will be made clear later on.

Anyway, I've been preparing to start a new DH campaign, and this time I've tried my hand at doing it blog-style. So far it contains a lot of background and setting info, and we've also started on a sort of interactive introductory adventure (which is actually VERY loosely based on the Shattered Hope scenario). Once we sit down face to face the blog will become more of a campaign blog, although I imagine I'll keep adding background from time to time.

The campaign will only have two players, at least for now. To some it might seem excessive to do all this work preparing for such a small game, but i find that I enjoy doing that part. Besides, it not the number of players, but the quality of the gaming that matters.

If you want to just look at the actual Adventure arc I suggest sorting by category Adventure:

http://heresy.twilightpeaks.net/b2evolution/blogs/index.php/DHblog/adventures/]http://heresy.twilightpeaks.net/b2evolution/blogs/index.php/DHblog/adventures/

Or you can just browse around a little and see what else is there:

http://heresy.twilightpeaks.net/b2evolution/blogs/index.php/DHblog/]http://heresy.twilightpeaks.net/b2evolution/blogs/index.php/DHblog/

At any rate I hope that some might find it an interesting read and/or pick up something that they might use in another game - or something that they would really really NOT want to see in a game of theirs. I mean, I have my own take on 40k/Dark Heresy, which I'm sure doesn't exactly match that of every other player

Enjoy and feel free to comment if you want to.

We've yet to start playing face-to-face, but we're enjoying a prolonged 'prologue' based around blog posts.

Current situation: The PCs (two in number) and various other NPCs have recently dropped out of the warp after a particularity unpleasant trip through the Immaterium, only to find that there be orks...

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Timestamp: 7.277.996.M41

Location: Free trader vessel Maiden of Golgenna, K4 V 'OCG-001671A' system, 10 AU out

Situation: Aboard the Maiden of Golgenna, entering the inner system of unexplored orange main sequence star 'OCG-001671A'

Body: Nearly ten days have passed since your last status meeting with Xerza. Ten days of steady deceleration, slowing the Maiden to a relative crawl. Your still hurtling through space at a speed of several thousand kilometers per second, but compared to your earlier velocity that is nothing. At 10AU (by comparison Saturn is 9.5 AU, or about 80 light-minutes, from Sol) you've still got a way to go. It will take four more days of braking and course-alterations before you intersect the orbit of your intended target, whose orbital speed around its parent star is no more than 20 km/s - a measly 72.000 km/h.

Vern has spent most of his waking hours pouring over the data gathered by the ship's augur-arrays. Not only has he gotten a lot more data in the form of broadcasts from the planet, but he's also been able to gather additional information on local space using grav-auspexes and spatial prognosticators. As an old Rogue Trader the Maiden sports quite a bit of advanced detection gear, even if some of it has been removed or is no longer properly maintained.

His findings indicate that the planet you're heading towards is a rocky core world with a mass close to 1 Earth standard (which should give a surface gravity of around 1G), with ample hydrosphere and a breathable (if slightly polluted) atmosphere. It's located at approximately .7 AU from its sun, putting it within the life zone of the slightly-cooler-than-Sol star. The planet has one very large moon in a relatively low and irregular orbit; a moon tidally locked to its parent and massive enough to cause a significant tidal pull (the planet's coastal areas are most likely uninhabitable due to violent flood tides).

From intercepted transmissions Vern has discerned that the locals call their home 'Corax Secundus' - it being the second planet from the sun. Corax is of course the name of the Primarch of the Raven Guard Legion, but like all the other Primarch names 'Corax' is extremely popular throughout the Imperium. Just look at yourselves - both Haxtes and Maxi are named after Primarchs! Most likely the system was named in the Primarch's honor, or someone bearing his name got credited with its discovery and/or settlement. Vern can recall 217 other worlds/moons/habitats that contain 'Corax' as part of their names...

There is also civilization down there, and most likely industry since the planet seems technologically advanced - perhaps up to Imperial standards. Industry could account for atmospheric pollution or it could be a natural feature, since Corax appears to be more geologically active than average (Vern suggests tidal forces exerted by the big moon might be responsible). From what Vern can tell the planet is inhabited by rogue humans. They seem to be aware of the existence of the Imperium - they even speak a dialect of Low Gothic - but are apparently content to exist outside the protection offered by Terra. There are indication that the planet my be host to a divergent religion (i.e. not dedicated to the God-Emperor), and that may be the reason they avoid Imperial entanglements. But its too early to tell with any certainty if the religion is heretical beyond simply failing to recognize the Master of Mankind.

Vern has also picked out what appears to be some voidship activity. He's counted six probable warp-jump footprints over the course of the last two weeks, and has added another three confirmed over the course of the last three days. The probables were too far away to classify, but the confirmed one were close enough - two mid-sized STC-compliant cargo vessels and one multi-million-tonnes craft of possible xenos manufacture. The cargo vessels were jumping away, but the xenos vessel was entering the system. Probably location for the xenos - in high orbit above Corax Secundus.

Starting 24 hours ago changes in atmospheric composition (increased ash and dust levels), as well as unexplainable gamma spikes, indicates that the planet has been subjected to a series of high-yield atomic strikes. This is all well and good - but there is another catch too. Augur telemetry gathered over the past six hours has shown that an unidentified vessel is maneuvering away from Corax to intercept you. Confirmation of its class and origin just came through - it is 95% probable an Ork raider-class vessel, massing in at less than half a million tonnes, far smaller than the xenos vessel Vern picked up earlier.

The Maiden IS armed, but its not a warship, and at any rate many of its offensive/defensive systems have been sold off or been deactivated to save on maintenance. What you've got are some point defense batteries and decent void shields; the only offensive weapon system still operation being four drone-ships. If you try to fight it it will blow you out of existence long before you even get within weapons range.

None of you know much about Orks except by reputation; big, stupid, and warlike. Dangerous in big mobs, but easily slain by the valiant defenders of the Imperium. So surely you can get out of this one, no?

...if you like this you can read more on the blog, or wait until I post some more here ;D

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Brief synopsis so far: The two PCs are one assassin (Haxtes) and one arbitrator (Maximilian - or Maxi for short). They don't get along very well, which is half the charm. Both were very recently recruited into the Inquisition by Interrogator Xerza (on behalf of her master, Inq. Tancred) and were heading from Malfi (where she found them) to Scintilla (Tancreds HQ is located there).

Things didn't go as planned, and after a rather unpleasant incident concerning the possessed captain of the ship (they are still on it, though the captain got sent back to the warp) they were traveling with, they are now in an unexplored system, with more unpleasantness to come...

...and yes, since Rogue Trader just appeared on my shelf this part of the campaign is a tiny tribute to that game

I like this idea, and would love to hear more.

Since you have a blog about it all ready, are you able to simply post a summarized series of event and such here?

Inquisitor Renfield said:

I'm sure I could do some summaries from time to time; not the whole deal, that would be too much, but a summary should be fine.

OOC: The players are pretty sure that the orks are going to board them. They realize perfectly well that whatever they do it will have only a miniscule effect (none of the PCs are spaceworthy whatsoever) on the space battle, so it would be grossly unfair and completely meaningless to simply blow them apart. So a little meta-thinking tells them that invasion is the only likely outcome - after the GM has had the opprotinity to portary what space combat might feel like in this campaign.

Preparations are made aboard the Maiden for the upcoming battle, including preparing for any boarding action. Orks have a penchant for that, so its only reasonable to prepare. The Acolytes did the exact opposite not too many weeks ago - fought to take control over key areas aboard the Maiden - so they know what must be protected. They also decide to utilize the remaining combat servitors as well as the most combat-capable crewmen. Too bad so many servitors and crew died last time, or more would have been available. And this time the Maidne's machine spirit is working WITH them, not against, so that a plus too.

Sure enough, the Maiden doesn't get blow apart, and the orks get aboard - but fortunately not in too great numbers. IF the Acolytes can hold the line, they might have a chance at victory...

(fight ongoing)