Only had the book for one day and already got a cool idea for a campign (i hope). this is very much inspired by Inquisitor Quixos in the Eisenhorn trilogy and the Unknown Heretic in Disciples of the Dark Gods. this would be with a new party of characters. this is very early stages and any suggestions would be helpful:

Introduction

The Arch-heretic (insert name) has been finally captured and brought in for trial and interrogation. you and your fellow agents have been responsible for the thwarting of this vile evils plans and so are invited to attend the conclave organised for his trial as a witness and aide at the Inquisitorial Fortress on Salvation (note: own designed system for Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader)

GM Notes

The Arch-Heretic is a extremely radical inquisitor (though he believes himself pure in his works and beliefs) interested in Xenos and Chaos Artefacts and powers. he has allowed himself to be captured so he can strike a mighty blow against the Inquisition lords gathered at the conclave (he believes the Inquisition are holding the Imperium from grasping their destiny a through learning from the forbidden technologies of the alien and powers of chaos). his previous plans have been small ‘experiments’ as well as the trapping and killing of various inquisition agents through various guises. previous attacks included:

> an experiment with alien technology to accelerate and produce psychic ability in normal people, basically trying to artificially accelerate the idea that mankind is develeoping into a psychic race . this device sent out psychic shockwaves through an imperial hive, destroying most of it.

Campaign Plan

> The Trail of the Arch-heretic: the characters witness the trial and subsequent ‘psychic bomb’ at the trial which kills many people. the party is tasked by their master to hunt and kill this vile traitor.
> The Trail of the Monster: the characters are assigned a vessel and her rogue trader captain and begin the hunt through various clues).

Possible Ideas and Notes

> the party will be supplied with a full file detailing the heretics case files, details, history and known associates.

> Another Inquisitor beleives the party itself to be responsible and will be tracking them?

> The Radical would have many allies everywhere and would constantly watch and harry the party?

> possibly more than one inquistor on the conspiracy, maybe have an inside man?

> The attack on the conclave would either be psychic or alien. possibly instead of the arch-heretic it is a clever clone-automaton that either has a bomb built in or psychically detonated.

yeah i know i have an eclectic and somewhat crazy mind but it works

interesting, i guess the first thing would be is to flesh out the psycik bomb idea and earlier experiments the heretik commited. maybe some earlier experiments were weapons testing of the bomb leading to a daemonic incursion or psycik leaches like the psykic virus in DH core book. or experiments involving eldar tech for the farseers (rogue traders rune room?) or eldar in general. he may be working with the logicians if he believes humanity has a higher calling and is commiting experiments where people die. as for chaos stuff, well im lost there.

the bomb would have to be something simple that way it wouldnt be detected perhaps an acolyte of the party unwittingly brings in another unremarkable inquisitors file case to the court room and thats the bomb. the bomb would probably affect non psykers more than psykers (less damage?)

where would the rogue trader take them?

I don't know how keen you are on potential intra-party conflict, but you could have one of the PCs be working for the Arch-Heretic, whether voluntarily or otherwise. The mole would have to choose their loyalties, and preferably stay undiscovered for as long as possible. The mole could merely feed the villain information so as to always stay one step ahead of his pursuers. Perhaps the campaign could culminate, not in the predictable showdown with the Arch-Heretic, but in the discovery that one of their number had been a traitor (and the hijinks that ensue).

If you want to even further down this road, have everyone have mixed loyalties! This would be a case of "sleep with dogs, get up with fleas" - ie. hang around the Inquisition long enough and someone somewhere will find a way to compromise your values. After all, whatever career they're on, they have had to mingle with the most devious manipulators the Imperium can spawn to be where they are now.

This could, of course, turn out to be an utter GMing hell, and there's a good possibility that some players wouldn't be comfortable with this kind of campaign, but it's a thought. As long as actual backstabbing is kept to a minimum (you wouldn't want them to expose themselves to early, now, would you... ), this sort of campaign can be pretty awesome!

Thanks for the ideas. i don't think i'll use the backstabbing idea as it will complicate the campaign and i dont think players would go for it (it could potentially ruin 1 or more good characters, and one thing i don't like in roleplays when i GM is unnecessary character death), though i may use the idea for a one-off adventure . the psychic bomb is going to be some kind of weird alien device from an alien race that the villian is in allaince to complete his plans (the alien race though undesigned so far is basically going to be a horrible ancient race of all-psychers, deeply creepy and otherworldly). also beginning stages of my camapign villian :

Name: Korvus Venefican
Known Aliases: The Bloody Raven, Lord of the dread tomes, Lore-seeker, Bearer of the Keys of Destiny
Thought for the Day: If you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.

Sometimes the most terrible of foes were counted among our heroes and the Arch-heretic known as Korvus Venefica, who actions have lasted for nearly three centuries. Korvus is believed to be from the planet of Crematoria though little is known of his early once a student of the radical inquisitor Belen Pravus, he was personally responsible for his old masters subsequent capture and trial after he learnt of his master’s radical dealings.
Korvus tutelage also passed to the mysterious inquisitor Graven (see attached file:A) of the Ordo Xenos, a deeply mysterious character rarely mentioned in files or records.
Korvus soon ascended the ranks and became a fully fledged inquisitor after successful hunting of the Ash Reapers cult of Crematoria and uncovering and foiling a plot against the high nobles on Redemption.
Soon reports from various sources including other inquisitors of Korvus’s radical dealing such as the taking of believed heretical Grimoires, tomes and artefacts from foes rather than destroying, and increasing interest in Xenos activities. and technologies.
This came to a head at a Inquistorial Conclave at Redemption he declared that ‘there must be a new way of thinking to plan to save what he believed to be a dying Imperium‘ (excerpt of speech on attached file: B) , he did not declare what his plans were but told his plans will bear fruit, he disappeared into space, like a ghost.
The Inquisition immediately sent forth a search team to track down this ‘head-strong’ rogue but could find no trace, and even the task force disappeared.
Over the years, odd occurrences and anomalies in various investigations and cases has led to belief that Korvus was involved either as a dread architect (see Hive Erebus Incident file) or fellow conspirator. it is believed most of his plans or agendas, seem to be a misguided attempt at exploration in dread technologies and knowledge forthe betterment of mankind. He is also believed to be responsible for the deaths and disappearances of several Inquisitors and Throne agents (see Inquisitor Korvex file).
The only known information of Korvus’s plans is a Vox-File left on the body of Interrogator Mikhael Kurtz (see attached file). he was soon after declared Hereticus Diabolus.
Korvus Venefican is believed a very dangerous misguided and powerful heretical who must be captured and subsequently interroagted for further information to cult links and other conspiracies. his plans must be ended for death and destruction follow in his wake.

Attached File B: Speech Excerpt from The Inquisitorial Conclave on Redemption
Note: [ Message obtained by order of inquisition. Study of message without verification will result in immediate inquisitorial investigation and purge.]

‘ My fellow warriors, you live a lie. the Imperium is dying and we are shackled to its decaying corpse. we reach forth and acquire the knowledge of the Xenos and the malevolent, for aren’t we destined to rule the stars and so must use all resources and knowledge at our disposal, even the strange and arcane.
But you the Mighty inquisition, are the ones holding the shackles, for I declare you fools and ignorant believers in ideas long gone, you who will not look at the ideas of the future, for you fear it..
I intend to devote my work to save the Imperium and mankind from itself before it gets consumed and lost to oblivion. I leave you in your own self-dug grave and begin the work. praise the emperor.’

Attached File: Vox-file obtained from Interrogator Kurtz’s body
Note: [ Message obtained by order of inquisition. Study of message without verification will result in immediate inquisitorial investigation and purge.]

‘ You still send your foolish lap-dogs after me? I pity the poor fool he did not see the glory of my work, rather that I was a radical and so must be destroyed. from the ashes of the Imperium the future shall be reborn. I leave this message as a warning and forecast of the future: a strike down my foes with a fiery vengeance and from the destruction shall they see a bright dawn, the first day in the future in mankind!’

Attached File: Investigation into the Death of Inquisitor Corvex
Note: [ Message obtained by order of inquisition. Study of message without verification will result in immediate inquisitorial investigation and purge.]
Author: Interrogator Felix Lucania

The circumstances surrounding the death of The esteemed Inquistor Corvex is most strange and peculiar. it seems he was killed while investigating a Necrophage cult on the planet of Stormholm. it is believed he was contacted by a fellow colleague (identity unknown thanks to security locks) and drawn out into the open. there he was ambushed and killed by a unknown party, what killed him and how is unknown as the Arbite report is missing, though his body was unmarked and cause of death unknown, though his face was locked in an expression of sheer terror. also all his files, assets and equipment are missing. I believe this to be somehow linked to the deaths of Inquisitors Krole and Cortus, who are believed to be the work of the dread heretic Corvus. all three inquisitors are Ordo Xenos which can’t be a coincidence

Note: Interrogator Felix Lucania was discovered dead by the same weird cause two years later on Crematoria.

Attached File: The Erebus Incident
Note: [ Message obtained by order of inquisition. Study of message without verification will result in immediate inquisitorial investigation and purge.]

One hundred terran years ago the city of Erebus upon Icarus was almost destroyed by a psychic explosion, believed to originated from the underground tunnels. the city, itself suffered no physical damage but the same could not be said of its 5 million inhabitants, it is believed almost 80-90% of the population are dead with almost 30% of those in a catatonic or mentally broken state (given the emperor‘s mercy).
The Hive was soon after purged and quarantined, its inhabitants decontaminated, investigated and moved to Inquisition holding camps, the city now declared unhabitable. it was discovered through investigating the ruins and interrogation of certain citizens that the attack was organised the cult known as The Bringers of Fate. who through this ‘experiment’ would unlock the psychic potential in the population. how they would do this is ‘through a glorious arcane device brought forth by the Bearer of the Keys of Destiny’ a mysterious figure, evidence of the device has not been discovered except the epicentre of the attack (psychic investigation showed heavy warp residue and ancient forgotten evil). though strangely the survivors and generations have shown increased chance of psychic potential with almost a 5% increase in psychics predicted.

Just the beginnings of the case file the agents will handed at the start of the investigation. i thought it more interesting if it was a character the players could almost sympathise with.

no more advice or comments, guys?

not really, you seem to have a fair grasp of what you want yourself, i do like that the device actually works in its design, maybe the newly made psykers have something in common with their powers, perhaps all diviners that see the same thing?

Further notes:

Kovus Venefican is a extremely radical inquisitor (though he believes himself pure in his works and beliefs) interested in Xenos and Chaos Artefacts and powers. he has allowed himself to be captured so he can strike a mighty blow against the Inquisition lords gathered at the conclave . his previous plans have been small ‘experiments’ as well as the trapping and killing of various inquisition agents through various guises.

> He is working with an Alien race (still working on design) to further his plans. the race is an ancient horrific psychic-race already corrupted with foul and dark technology (possible sorcery). unknown to Korvus the alien’s are in fact using him as a tool in their dark agenda.
> Graven is in fact one of the alien advisors in disguise having discovered the young acolyte and seen his potential.

> the device Korvus will use will be based on the alien technology provided by the alien race, an early test model was used at erebus. anyone caught in the blast including player characters could be either killed or changed into a wyrd or nacent psyker (unaware to the player of course ) also they will start getting visions of a strange alien city (the alien homeworld)

still need to design the alien race (cthulhu inspired) which i will post up.

Here's a little idea, maybe have the device instead of killing (some of) it's victims, have it slowly corrupt them. (The Heretic prob wouldn't know this, as the aliens are probably lying to him.) The corruption would form as a desire to use the same tech and therefor spread the taint. It might also turn them into the aliens thralls. A few inquisitors would be a powerful too.

As for the aliens, maybe you could try the Yu'vath. Possibly remnants fromt he Angevin Crusade. Otherwise they could be human cultists thinking that the Yu'vath are some sort of supreme being (thinking Radical's Handbook pg 210 Yu'vath resonance) and are using the technology to manipulate him.

Well, that's my two cents. Hope it's helpful.

PS: Maybe the heretic has a Crown of Wonders (pg 211) that is deluding him, that or the head cultist, of couse assuming that you use my ideas.