Ok, I'm currently running Rejoice, and I've got to just before the party at the Alabaster Court. My players have worked out that following:

The tech in the tarot card and the harmony meters is Adranti, and that farcosia is made of psykers (including Saia Strophes). They have informed the Arbites of this (in fact, it was the Arbites lab they used for the gene-scan).

As a result, they are currently planning to go to the party, then once in signal the Arbites and get them to storm the place.

I have no problem with this, I'm just looking for any suggestions on how best to run it, and indeed where to take things afterwards, as I'm not the best at doing this kind of thing on the fly.

Dragonlover

IIRC the scenario kind of requires Theodosius to escape the acolytes so far. So if you want this to happen, think of a way he could evade the Arbites barging in. Perhaps he knows a secret passage or has smoke grenades with him to cover his escape.

But it seems to me that if the Arbites round every one up, the cult will realize their plans are foiled and go to ground, ruining the rest of the adventure anyway

*SPOILERS!!!*

Nice, really good way to cause LOTS of collateral damage.

The way I had it planned out, but was unneeded for my group, was that the SQ had the placed rigged to blow, with Theo having his finger on the button. After all, his orders/plans if he thinks things are sufficiently going to hell is to level the Court and eliminate all high ranking members of the Choir.

When the group springs their trap, have Theo bust into his Eldar on crack mode. His number one priority is to kill off Caros, whom he basically sticks to once they both arrive, so the first thing he would do is to pop a few rounds into the poor man's head and than take off using his combination of stupid speed, bionic legs (giving him sprint and wall walking), and his ability to shoot and move at the same time. With the combination of all those factors, he WILL get away, maybe with some fun civy killing with the buildings demo-charges or one or two of those Melta Bombs that he has. The more arbites and civilians dead the more the acolytes will feel it. The man is built for chase scenes, so make it as fun as you can, but remember that he is well prepared for this sort of scenario.

He is one of the most dangerous (former)humans that your group will have faced to this point and your group will hate him all the more if he gets away again, making his death all the sweeter. And remember, he's experienced and bad ass enough to have fate points (which he may or may not need to escape) so if you do him here before his last stand in the pocket-plane style church make sure it is truely epic.

If you search these forums I made a detailed breakdown of his actions and abilities a while back, as a guide for poor GMs to help make sure he gets away in the first chase. It might help out too

Hi

personally, I think you "screw it" a little. The end of the mission states that only after Farcosia becomes proclaimed HERETICAL the Arbites start to crack down on it (and "ignoring" it at the starting). This would leave it as an Enforcer-Operation. Larger parts of them are bribed and the rest should not be to eager to "storm" a party of noblesm, crashing doors & pointing loaded, unsecured firearms at them.

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Based on this assumptions, I would make in an "Enforcer"-Action (no Arbites). The Enforcers will surround and secure and will go in with armed teams... but rather the crashing doors, they will order the guards ("This is a search! Lay down your weapons at once and stay back!"). The pc might notice how smothly everything goes.

Theodosian will not be present (he and Shoal got a warning), the Enforcers will do a search (presenting arms, but not pointing at anyone) but wil find nothing. The pc are free to search as well. if they do not find the hidden door, the Enforcer will not. They are act rather "lax" since their Captain ordered them to not get cocky "just because these hotshots are in for bloody nose with the noble houses for nothing".

If the room is found, it will be big scandal (of course) and the pc will be able to put Shoal (and his Counselors) under sorrow questioning. Otherwise, their won´t be much happneing.

IF the pc find things, they will get the notion of Ambulon from Shoal or his Counsellors after Questioning
If they didn´t, the Mercenary Strike team will be able to give this clues
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How to get the Arbites out of it Afterward?
Have the local Proctor contacting them "just to get the written warrent for heretical actions" that needs to be present before the Arbs can act against something not now known to them as Heretical-by-Law. If the pc say that they don´t have them, he will buffled "Oh, I expected you would have the written claim by now. Anyway, the Rosetta will do. Please show it". After the pc failing to provide this one as well, he will be upset but keep his manners. Redirecting it to the Enforcers.