If Dave, Andy, Ste or Paul from Burnley are reading this please stop now, you'll only spoil it for yourselves if you do.

The group have just arrived at the main location of the current adventure, see below, and I’m worried I may have written myself into a corner. Basically I was re-writing the Black Sepulchre to fit into The Haarlock Legacy as I much prefer that campaign, renaming a few things, stealing themes, getting rid of things which annoyed me (Sorry but an Imperator Titan does not just walk around with no crew or anything IMO).

The basic plan is that The Dei-Phage imprisoned in the Haemetite Cathedral, 'just' a building now not a titan, was trapped there by Erasmus Haarlock (The Haemetite cathedral is located near the terminus line on the tidally locked planet and as such is a place of flux and power). Haarlock interrogated the daemon as part of his quest to undo the death of his wife and daughter, upon the completion of the interrogation Haarlock bound the daemon into the fabric of the cathedral itself and left. This happened over 200 years ago (my game is set in M41 960) and in the intervening time the story of the night of lightning, and the devastation of the surrounding, was forgotten and the temple left idle. 10 years ago a group of missionaries, the Rialtors, headed to the Haematite Cathedral to ‘reclaim’ it for the Emperor and while they were there they were corrupted by The Dei-Phage and tricked into partially releasing it. It managed to manifest a small portion of its power into one of the missionaries and his arm grew to resemble the daemons own arm and the group quickly fell to worship of the Dei-Phage and started gathering the supplies to release it fully and shatter Haarlocks potent wards of binding. Unknown to the missionaries however they were not alone in their knowledge of the Cathedral and the secrets it contained.

The Slaugth were aware that the Haematite Cathedral has a link to Erasmus Haarlock and already had a presence on Amstris (alternate name for Baraspine) via The Amaranthine syndicate so they sent a small group to investigate the cathedral and managed to stop the ritual eventually and killed the possessed Rialtor. Wanting to get the arm of the Dei-Phage away from the cathedral the surviving Slaugth infiltrator left in the remaining Rialtor vehicle and took the arm off world where it eventually (not sure how yet!) made its way to house Luc and Pallidus Chan.

The following post will contain a lot more detail, basically everything I’ve written so far, but I’m now having problems with the actual cathedral part of the adventure.

I want a spooky atmosphere and plan on their being a few, 3 at least, ghosts of the missionaries in various parts of the Cathedral which the group will have to investigate to uncover the secrets of the place through scattered diary pages growing more and more deranged and through other means such as visions. The daemon will toy with the group, trying to possess/dominate people to get them to kill with each other, create figments to mislead the players and manipulate them into releasing it as even a daemon as powerful as The Dei-Phage wants to get the hell out of dodge as it senses Haarlocks return growing closer (do you notice a resemblance to Damned Cities there?) and while it will, if forced, bargain for its release it would rather trick the group into releasing it.

I basically would like any advice or ideas on challenges for a group of players at 7,000 XP composed of a scholastic Psyker, a sniper, a Moritat assassin & a tech-priest. Also any suggested ways to include the themes from the haarlock legacy (13, clocks, spiders etc) would be nice

Would bringing the Slaugth in, for a bit of ‘proper’ combat at some point to mix things up, be too much especially as the group have been very circumspect so far and only one person on the planet knows their identity?

I’ve probably been unclear in places so if any clarification is required please don’t hesitate to ask and if anyone wants to nick something for their own sessions please go ahead.

Ok tenses will get mixed here as I’ve compiled various typed notes and sheets I’ve prepped for the adventure and the final paragraph is a very brief description of what happened in the game

Following the groups ‘successful’ completion of their investigations into House Lux and the defeat of Pallidus Chan who had donned the hand of the Dei-Phage and the subsequent travails with Rykehuss (see this thread) the group has a month of downtime. The majority opted for a retreat to an isolated monastery to cleanse themselves (but back CP & IP) and shortly after their return their Inquisitor summons them for their next assignment.

They are to be sent to Amstril, specifically Dakar Manus, which has been tidally locked since a mysterious disaster over a millennia ago and is located within the Malfian sub-sector. Amstril has no official Inquisitorial presence and is experiencing growing political instability as Dakar Primairs and Pormane, located within the Northern and Southern Polar Regions respectively, vie for supremacy. Dakar Manus is located on the equator over 1,500 miles from the Terminus line and it’s only source of ‘natural’ light is received from an orbital mirror reflecting light onto a cathedral in the heart of the city called The Emperors Light. The group have passage booked on the Rogue Trader vessel The Void Sage which is going to collect processed exotic metals, the only produce of the desolate decaying planet.

If the players take time to research & investigate Dakar Manus (Inquiry or Intelligence Test) in the week provided they will discover that much of the cities buildings are abandoned with the populace having took refuge within Mechanicus provided sub-surface hab-blocks (Inquiry success or Int test w/1DoS). The population have become indentured servants of the Mechanicus and are paid a small stipend for their arduous labour and the only surviving non-Mechanicus enterprises are supported by the soldiers stationed in the city who are of questionable aptitude (Inquiry w/1DoS or Int test w/2DoS). The soldiers are ill-disciplined and bored, law enforcement in the city, outside the Mechanicus sectors, is non-existent and there have been rumours of small clashes between the Divine Guard of Dakar Manus & the Southern defence Force (Inquiry w/2DoS or Int test w/3DoS). The vagrant population, those ‘downsized’ by the Mechanicum & deemed unfit, or unworthy, of servitor conversion are left to fend for themselves and while Deacon Maine tries his best death from intent or disease is rife and there are reports of people and bodies disappearing (Inquiry w/3DoS).

The Void Sage is a Havok Class Merchant vessel captained by a middle aged woman named Cala Syaneese. Her command crew is Karnon (Seneschal; wary but welcoming), Fieken (Arch-Militant; beautiful, stern, cold), Kuxor (‘Aide’; mild, quiet, unassuming…lethal), Rolin (Void Master; disdainful of ‘dirt scrubbers’, professional) & Ish-271 (Primary Enginseer; typical Mechanicus! Welcoming of Alpha & eager to conduct data swaps). The crew is just under 3000 humans and 14,000 servitors & the group will be more or less left to their own devices though Karnon requests that they stay within their nominated suite as the servitors can “be a bit odd around non crew-members”. They’ll be invited to weekly dinners with the command crew though nothing of import beyond gossip occurs. This is a perfect second chance for the PCs to gather information on Kephistron Altis as well as hear of the Amaranthine Syndicate for the first time.
Kephistron Altis

The journey will take 3 months subjective time and their first sighting of Amstril will be uninspiring and the contrast with the bustling heavens above Scintilla marked. Their lander will swoop down on the dark side approaching Dakar Manus from the North-West flying over frozen mountains, desolate wastes and abandoned cities. The city itself looks bare with The Emperors heart glowing with light in the darkness and the imposing Shield wall being the dominant features and most other buildings are either, abandoned, collapsing or mere 1 storey access to subterranean complexes. Upon disembarking the group will be approached by 3 raw looking PDF troopers and a grizzled old Administratum representative requesting their reason for being on Amstril. If the players reasons are too vague he will warn them that the planet is no playground and they’d better watch their backs. If they reveal themselves as Inquisitorial agents he will remark that it was about bloody time and ask them to check in with Tithe Agentum Borolis in the Administratum offices, the Slaugth will hear of their presence within 6 hours.

The majority of Dakar Manus’ buildings are shells, skeletal frames reaching up into the dark skies lit by The Emperors Light. There are a few shops and bars though at the time of the acolytes arrival there will be few people on the streets. The ones that are visible are a marked contrast from the people of Hive Sibellus with the majority wearing dark robes and blank almost formless metal masks. They speak an almost incomprehensible form of Gothic and make warding gestures that are a mixture of Ecclesiarchy and Mechanicus rituals to ward themselves against the vainglorious outsiders. Traffic is near non-existent and the roads decaying with the obvious dominating sight being The Emperors Light, at one point all of the locals chant as one “the dark traveller draws near” and then continue on as if nothing happened while 13 dark feathers (a running theme with the psyker who’s now terrified of birds!) flutter down around the group…

The Emperors Light – An impressive building coated in a gold coloured compound created from rare minerals in the ash wastes to the South-East it glows with light reflected from an orbital mirror illuminating the centre of the city.

"All Cathedrals are grand monuments to the will of the God-Emperor of Mankind and this is an exceptional display of his majesty, your eyes are magnetically drawn to its sweeping architecture despite its near blinding brightness. It is a towering edifice of gold, a shining heart to the decaying city, a place of reverence and humility for any mortal stood before it. A single beam of sunlight breaks the perpetual night illuminating the cathedral in the darkness, as you climb the steps to the grand doors of the building an ancient wizened figure steps out to greet you. His form is stooped and shrouded in a white hooded robe, he holds in his gnarled hand a large staff with a hefty tome bound to a plate at the head. He pushes back his hood and his deep sonorous voice belies his fragile appearance, the light of faith and conviction burns deep in his eyes. “Welcome servants of the Holy Ordos, I am Deacon Maine and I have been told to await your arrival. I am honoured to place myself and those under my charge at your disposal. Come. Enter. Surely you will wish a repast after such a long journey”.

He leads you into the cathedral and after administering a blessing to each of you he summons 2 aspirants to take your equipment and opens the doors to the main hall. A cavernous room with a ceiling 50m above you displaying a mosaic of the God-Emperor stood above the arch-betrayer triumphantly ascending to the Golden Throne. The air is smoky and rich with incense and the low sound of hymns praising the God-Emperor surrounds you. The nave seems too empty for such a grand cathedral and you would expect more priests to be present than the few scattered around the chamber. Deacon Maine leads you past the ornate altar and beyond a stout wooden door displaying the sigil of the Ecclesiarchy and into a wide corridor. He opens another door revealing a well-appointed, almost luxurious, room dominated by a large table. Once you’re all seated he inquires to your needs and then bustles off to get the requested refreshments leaving you alone in the room."

The food is simple but sufficient and Deacon Maine is more than happy to answer any questions about The Emperors Heart. If asked about the Haemetite Cathedral he informs the group that 10 years ago a group of missionaries known as The Rialtors arrived en-route to the cathedral, over 1,500 miles away, and they seemed to be progressing well until 2 years ago when their periodic returns to Dakar Manus to collect supplies ceased. There were reports of a battered vehicle bearing the symbols of the Rialtors arrived in the city nearly 2 years ago but the driver, clad in a heavy robe and clutching a bulky object to his chest, left on a shuttle shortly after arriving. The loss of communication has been reported however a reply could take decades, and Maine sent a small group of Aspirants to check on the Rialtors after communication ceased but they never returned and he wasn’t willing to risk more servants of the God-Emperor. Maine is hostile towards the Mechanicum for the way they have treated the people and blocked them from the Emperors sight, he also mentions how the downsized seem to have survived when they should have starved by now even with the help of the church.

Algars Fleet Fleet – Algars Fleet Fleet is a decrepit 2 storey building. From the exterior the metal shutter is rusted and stone gargoyles broken and cracked with a swinging sign over the door. The interior is messy with engine parts scattered across various workbenches and Algars back is turned to them. He’s a short, squat, compact man wearing a quilted jacket, rough pants and sports a big ginger beard and a shaved head. He’s all business with the group trying to get as much as possible for his vehicles of which there are a few small civilian vehicles (1000 Thrones), a pickup truck (1500 Thrones) and a decommissioned ex-pdf chimera (3000 Thrones) though he can be haggled down by 25% with Charm or Trade (merchant) or by 50% if they reveal their status. If they revealed their allegiance at the space port the vehicle will be bugged as Algar has recently, in desperation, took a loan from the Amaranthine Syndicate and they offer him an easy way to repay some of it. If not the vehicle will be exactly as it looks and will take 4 hours to fully prep and tune for the Acolytes journey. Algar is a squat refugee after his people were near wiped out by a Tyranid splinter fleet and is a typical Squat, including his disregard for the “mumbo jumbo of the Mechanicus” though he won’t say so out loud and makes token gestures towards the machine spirits of his technology.

Administratum – The Administratum offices are in one of the few sturdy buildings left in the city and disorganised chaos is the best way to describe it. When the group enter they see a flustered agent, Bianrin, underneath cursing a cogitator muttering about “how come this planet makes cogitator parts but none of ours bloody work” and he’ll smack his head when the group announce their presence. He’ll query their reason for being in the Administratum building and reluctantly lead them to Tithe agent Borolis when they insist. The main room is a hive of cogitators, some discarded, and reams of paper printouts cover desks and sections of the floor with Borolis’ office overlooking the room. The Tithe Agent is tall, almost stretched, pale and almost languid as he directs the group to find a seat as he dismisses Bianrin.

Once they’re alone and they inform him of their status he activates a fuzzing privacy field and respectfully requests a reason for why they’re on the planet though he doesn’t push. In turn he informs the Acolytes that the Mechanicus is slowly abandoning the city as the rare minerals in the region are exhausted, they move about 90% of the workers in each complex to a more bountiful area and leaves the oldest and weakest behind as they’re no longer necessary. So far 3 of the 4 Manufactorum Complexes in the city have been abandoned, their machines stripped out and genatoriums removed leaving an estimated 300,000 people behind to fend for themselves. If asked about an Administratum response or refugee effort Borolis is genuinely confused as such matters are beyond his purview though he will note that they must be getting food from somewhere because they haven’t expired at the calculated rates. If asked about The Amaranthine Syndicate he knows little beyond they’ve shown quite an interest in the abandoned facilities though their operations are focussed in Skaltine and Kephistron Primaris so knows no more. After a brief meeting he cites the workload and wishes the Acolytes all the best in their endeavours.

Abandoned Mechanicus Complex – These are dark, depressing places. While a single storey building on the surface they delve deep into the surface with level after level sinking ever deeper. The people who were left behind haunt the hab-blocks and complex searching by flickering torchlight for anything left behind, they’re thin on the point of starving and have various diseases with an occasional corpse just dragged off to the side to rot in the darkness. If the acolytes try to talk to any of the dispossessed they will find little of value though there will be a muttered curse about people disappearing when they delve too deep and partially eaten corpses being discovered in dark corners. Access between levels is by stairs though the lowest levels can only be accessed via abseiling down the lift shaft. If the players go down here they will encounter some very dangerous foes, a Slaugth overseer, 5 Slaugth converts (a home-made addition to the Slauth) and 2 Slaugth infiltrators, on their own turf…

If the group have revealed their Inquisitorial statement to anyone other than Deacon Maine they’ll be attacked by a contingent of 20 Divinatory Guard as they are about to collect their vehicle. However if they have kept their identity a secret they will collect their vehicle with no problems and can leave the city for the long drive to the Coastal Cathedral. As they drive out of the city they witness a cloaked figure dragging a body off towards one of the abandoned Mechanicus Complex’s.

Basically my group arrived, kept under cover, went to The Emperors Light, got their vehicle and set off – no messing around investigating abandoned Mechanicus facilities & no starting fights for a change! The journey took 2 days of travel through an ominous frozen forest, mountains whipped by ferocious winds and heavy snow and then a frozen plain scattered with abandoned settlements neared razed to the ground somehow. As they neared the Haemetite Cathedral I described a growing sense of dread in their stomach and they decided to approach it on foot. As they entered the gardens I sprung a few Risen, from Damned Cities, on them. Then a few more and a few more until they decided to retreat into the Haemetite Cathedral, when they entered it the doors slammed shut behind them and they all heard a distant high pitched cawing laugh and the session ended