This post actually fulfills two of my dark purposes. One is to seek out any dark heresy players in north london islington- i am offering to start a game and should you be interested READ NO FURTHER but simply reply to this post.

My second purpose was to test the waters with an adventure synopsis. Although these forums seem busy there often seems to be a dearth of actual adventures that a lazy gm can quickly adapt for a night or two of gaming. If anyone can point me in the direction of such a thread or site then i would be extremely grateful. Anyway on with the plot

This adventure takes place on Scintilla within Hive Sibellus (Although is suitable for any hive world)

The order to investigate comes from one of the players handlers (Karl zettin) an inquisitor in training, former member of the chaliced commisariat. He is part of the inquisitor lords "rapid response" team in the hive. The information gruffly imparted to the players is that there has been an escape of wild animals in the lower parts of the hive. (Sub hive district Golgotha to be exact- a run down area on the brink between the mid hive and underhive sumps) This would ordinarily be of little concern to the inquisition aside from the more fastidiuous members of ordos xenos but the report also comes with signs of otherworldly activity. The players should present themselves as overt inquisitorial agents to gain compliance of the local arbites

estress the fact that this has all occurred in the last few hours and so events are by extension still fluid. On arrival the responding arbiter team have not finished the first sweep to check the area. The players are led to the scene of a ruined pit fighting club. the scene is one of chaos with dead and wounded animals spilling out of the place mixed in with the bodies of the handlers. Feel free to draw a map but the principal locations are

1. The pit, bloodstained but unoccupied

2. Holding cells for animals (unoccupied and unlocked from the outside)

3. holding cell for the contestants (occupied by a former servant of house strand- Karl nemo- who after being caught stealing from the house was to be served up as lunch to set an example to the rest of the staff) Even if killed his background is ascertainable from the house tatoos/brands.

4. Office contaning coded cyphers for drug delivery/animal delivery off world and pick up locations for the wealthier viewers.

5. Optional wounded beast handler who can give further information if the players are a bit stumped

Drama! The arbiter team are actualy in on this. They have been taking hefty bribes from house strand and will therefore attempt to trash evidence and witnesses if at all possible. A suitable time may be if one of the wounded xenos isnt quite as dead as first suspected. Suitable beasties are maw flukes, war dogs, ripsaw scuttlers etc

oops ran out of space

The office should also contain drug "cooking" equipment to prepare it for administration. There will also be evidence of the packing material used to disguise the drug during transport (packets of "nutrigrox" food supplement There is also evidence of beastie and human tracks leading away into the underhive

Furthermore there should be witness in terms of the surrounding hab blocks. There will be reports of poltergeist activity/temperature drops etc all of which fit with perils of the warp and a potentaily unsanctioned psyker.

What the hell is going on here? Ok time for more explanation. The background to all of this is that there was a beast house/pit here run by a Noble house called strand. they recruited a verminspeaker to help control the beasties. Furthermore they decided to ensure compliance by having the staff addicted to locally obtainable narcotics. Verminspeaker has however got the hump and decided to leave and take some friends with him. Unfortunately he remains addicted and must therefore seek out sources of drug. House strand are very upset by the expense caused to them as well as the liability and will set kill teams and corrupted local police forces to track him down.

So what now? Well if the players dont follow up the drugs or nobility links then the verminspeaker begins to attack local dealers in the sub sector with fairly trademark actions. the arbites fail to track him down in his underhive lair and will therefore start sporting some difficult to explain injuries and losses to the acoyles. "the grapevine" will also be a useful source of info as the noble hive is mighty pissed and offering bounties to every dreg and hired gun.

Other locations - house strand is a shipping magnate flying xenos to one of its shadowy (but traceable) hive landing platforms

the Nutrigrox drug warehouse is an obvious target for the verminspeaker and therefore stakeoutable by the players

further drama can also come from beasties released by the verminspeaker in his break for freedom (Can you saw ambull in the underhive)

Right im not sure if any of that is remotely coherent but comments and flaws please

You'll find some adventure material here: http://www.darkreign40k.com/adventures/index.php

It is an overall very well done site and I recommend giving it an extensive look through.

Okay, here some "contra-suggestions":

About the arbites:
I would not use the arbites, but would exchange them for "enforcers" (If you are inside of Hive Sibillus, this should be the "magistrate man", if I am correct"). Why so? First, the "enforcers" are more likely to be bribed then the "Arbites". Secound, Arbites only start to act in the case of major riots or "heresy". True, all those monsters around might count as a "major riot", but on the other hand it might not. The enforcers, on the other hand have to react on something like this for sure.

About the drugging:
Since "running a fighting pit" isn´t illegal in itself, I do not see why the staff should get drugged. But the smuggling is good thing. Perhaps it is not like the whole house is involved, but only the guy responseable for the arena. On the other hand, if this was an illegal arena (using xenos/beasts band from by imperial law) you have reason for such a behavior..and for the arbites! But keep in mind...the whole thing will work even if the arena was legal in the first place. Perhabs your vermin speaker simply found out, turned into a "buyer" (his payment? Refusing to black-mail those in charge!) who then simply went crazy after "a shot to much" and decided it was time to leaf...with his "friends".