This is the hook Im running for my next RT campaign. Tell me what you think:

During the Age of Apostasy great warp storms cut off expanses of the imperium from the emperor and others were swollowed whole. One, the cross sector, fought the gathering forces of the warp to their last breath... and even beyond, their spirits clashing against the daemons as the remains of their holy battlefleet was crushed and fused into one of the greatest space hulks ever known to exist: The City of the Dead.

As the warp storms ravaged other areas of the galaxy, the souls of dead men and women cried out, for in the storm, they could not find peace with the emperor. The despair was a beacon to The City and more worlds died, it would arrive to ferry the desperate, living and otherwise, away from the chaos gods.

Years later, after the storms began to subside, The City came into contact with other battlefleets of the imperium, and its speakers, dead yet not, welcomed their brothers and sisters with open arms. The fleets fired upon the hulk, fearing it a creation of the dark powers. The City was mighty, and not even the firepower of the imperium's greatest ships could destroy it, but the wounds it was dealt managed to shear off smaller sections of the hulk that anchored it to realspace, casting it adrift into the warp.

The City of the Dead has not been heard from in the thousands of years it had last appeared, though it still moves throughout the imperium just outside reality, offering to safeguard the souls of the dead that lose their way. Recently the small pieces of the hulk that remain in realspace have gathered in the collection holds of various calixian noble families. Though unknown to most, with the correct knowledge the objects can be used to pull the city back from the warp.

Various powers in the Calixis sector seek its return. Rogue trader dynasties and noble houses seek it for the ancient treasures within it's hull, as well as it's power over death. The forces of chaos seek it for the untold number of souls within, speaking of a great feast that will soon be offered to the dark prince Slaanesh.

The chaos gods themselves have tried to consume the space hulk whole before, but their hunger creates great unstoppable waves within the warp, always pushing it away from their hungry jaws. The gods know that they themselves will forever be too greedy to take the City of the Dead themselves and for years have relied on more mundane means to gain their quarry.

Yikes. Forgive the double post.

What double post?

Guess it was removed.

There could really be some amazing branches off just the starting description that you gave. How were you planning on getting the players started on the journey, if you dont mind my asking.

Razseal said:

Not at all. The 2nd campaign Im running for my PCs takes place many years after theyve established themselves as a successful dynasty. They are in calixis overseeing the christening of a new ship to add to their fleet when they recieve word that forces of the imperial navy have turned traitor and are assaulting a nearby system which much of their profit lines run through. After they assist the sector in purging the invaders they have to clean up the damage to protect their dynasty's interests, interacting with the local factions to do so. Eventually they find that these factions have been collecting anchoring artifacts either as trophies or being fully aware of their purpose. Having so many in one place was one of the things that drew the traitor legions out. Eventually the artifacts will be used by the PCs or one of the other factions to bring the space hulk back to realspace. Some might want to destroy it, others might want to command it's power.

your story is a real one, I've enjoyied reading!

you just have to be sure to stay away from the "treasure hunt" template, catch a bit that leads you to the second and so on.

it could be real fun, but it's something your players could expect.

try giving them other reasons for finding the artefacts, maybe one is the centuries have turned to be holy for some sect that your RT want to hit for some reason, another is requested by a noble he want to grease a bit and so on.

but when three or four of them are in the cargo bay of the starship, here comes the astropath (or someone else down to the eyes in dark and forbidden lore) telling the party the real nature of what they're transporting.

what they're gonna do now?

at least that's my try or how I could like to drive the story...

have fun!

Thanks for the advice.