Chapter the First, wherein the Acolyte Cell is formed, darkness is braved, and a new enemy emerges…

Submitted to Interrogator Nero; composed by Technographer Argus on behalf of recently hired investigation squad sent to ascertain nature of disappearances in main hive city on Scintilla. Report begins:

Blessings of the Omnissiah upon you, Interrogator.
This report details the events of the last two days (Scintilla standard), wherein the members of the squad were sent on our way, by way of public tram, to the Coscarla district to gather evidence on possible tech-heretics in the area. We departed the tram area and found that the main square/marketplace was much the same as most major Imperial cities, except for a few small details: the local Enforcers were given a very wide berth in every instance, as though citizens believed them to be a hazardous force. As well, citizens rarely spoke on any subject, and always seemed to want to hurry away and be about their business.
Pistol Ruby questioned the Enforcers about the recent disappearances while Merica kept back and observed the area for any information. I kept next to Grak, the feral worlder. His explosive collar intrigued me greatly. Our Arbitrator received no information from the Enforcers, so we visited a stall vendor in the market, and for the price of what he called a high-quality meat-kebab (I suspect it was quite the opposite), he gave us the location of habstack 7-17, the residence of Saul Arbest. After an extended walk, we arrived at his apartment to find his sister inside, looking very distraught. She was questioned and quickly gave us information that led to a visit to the local templum.
On the way, we passed a vendow affiliated with the Reclaimators, selling outdated tech to passersby. I suspected he was skimping items more valuable to the Mechanicus, and confronted him on the subject. He did not directly answer whether he was or not, but gave the name of Sybas Moran, saying that he wanted nothing to do with a man who gave things away for free. We reached the templum, and our assassin and arbitrator colleagues questioned the priest, a Mr. Fayban, who was very intoxicated, and a man named Evard Zed. He claimed to be Mr. Arbest’s drinking companion, saying that Saul had left the Union bar one night, been attacked by a ganger, and headed for the Alms building before his disappearance. We left the templum and rented a room at the local hostel, run by one Maxus Drayelok, whom we suspected was an Obscura addict (he twitched quite rigorously). We set up a watch and rested for the night with no incident. Merica, claimed to have heard a scream in the night. We did not think much of it until, after stopping by the Alms building and receiving no assistance, we came back to the templum and asked the priest where Evard had gone. He was very much as inebriated as the previous day, and information was not very forthcoming. We headed to the local Union tavern next. And throughout all the places we visited, we saw an increased presence of Enforcers, all of whom seemed to be searching for something, but none of whom would say anything regarding what it was.
Entering the tavern, I stood watch at the door while the others browsed around. The building was clearly a haven for gangers, but it didn’t stop the Arbitrator and Grak from confronting a man at the stairs and asking after Saul and Evard. The man became disagreeable, and the situation escalated to many individuals pulling knives. Deciding not to risk a firefight, we allowed ourselves to be escorted out. Night was falling soon, but we headed back to the Alms building and discovered that Moran was in fact the head of the Alms building. It was startling news, and not news that we were in any current position to investigate.
Heading back to the hostel, we rented the same room and prepared to rest another night. However, we were ambushed by six dregs during the night. I was on watch, and was still slightly surprised, but we were not caught completely off guard. The fight was relatively short, I and the party having disposed of three, two having bolted, and the last being captured for what little information he could give. He was summarily executed, and we found that it was Maxus Drayelok who had set up the ambush, claiming that he didn’t have a choice. Having endured minor injuries, we rested, hoping the next day would bring success.

After arriving in Coscarla, the acolytes investigate and are attacked by Dregs in the black of the Night Cycle. Who knows what awaits in the darkness outside…

Soon after ending the night cycle our agents of the inquisition are attacked by body snatchers from behind. Merica experienced major damage to her back and unfortunately Argus and Grak are rendered useless by their fear, Argus vomiting uncontrollably and Grak shooting wildly. While the remaining two agents continue to fight, Argus is grabbed by a body snatcher who begins to drag him off into the night. As Merica and Pistol Ruby gallantly try to rescue Argus, Grak opens fire in their direction, hitting Merica 3 times in the back rendering her useless enough to be apprehended by a body snatcher. Merica and Argus are both rendered unconscious but, before she falls into the dark oblivion, Merica is able to fire a shot into the head of her attacker. Ruby is successfully able to free Merica but not Argus, who has already been pulled beyond the light of the torches they were carrying. For a few blocks Argus is able to be tracked by the drag lines in the dirt before the trail goes dead in an alley way. Realizing that their comrade is gone they return to the hostel, slightly defeated, to rest in preparation of what is to come.

The following morning, the group is confronted by a burly man, the hired knife from the bar a few days prior. He extends a request from his boss to join him for a business proposition at the local bar, and leaves. Slightly weary, the group heads to the bar where they are sent upstairs to meet the gang leader. He informs them that the alms house, as had been suspected, is not as honorable as it may appear. He explains that they have been receiving their supply of drugs from them, but they are done, they want out. He requests that we take care of the problem. When pressed to see how he expects them to do this, he presents them with an access card to the back of the house and explains that at night, by cover of darkness, his men will create a distraction as they proceed to complete the mission.

As night falls, the group hears the sound of a riot in the streets which they take to be the cue to complete the mission . They set out and are quickly able to get over the wall, through the back door, and enter the kitchen of the alms house. The smell of rot confronts their noses as they proceed inwards. They enter a hallway and open a door to a room that is full of barrels. Cautiously, they open the barrels and are assaulted with the odor and visual of what could only be human blood and offal. Exiting the room quickly, they enter a room that, during feeding times, is clearly for eating. The vast majority of the far wall is covered in a large mirror. The mirror is slightly translucent and something can be seen on the other side. After some investigation it is clear that the only way to access what is behind is to pry the mirror away. After completing this task it is a reveled to be concealing a large cogitator which the data storage is quickly removed from for evidence. The group produces into the main hall and up the stairs that dominate it. They enter a hallway with doors along both sides. A body snatcher stands guard at the door to a room, but is quickly dispatched by a shot fired from Merica’s rifle, Lady Luck. They enter the room and find the tech priest Argus naked in a small cell. They quickly wake him, cover him, and move in search of his belongings. Merica stays in the hall to stand guard. During their search they find the office of the head overseer of the alms house, which has a large desk with documents on it. Argus is able to retrieve his belongings at this point. In the next room the group enters the overseer is sleeping. he awakes and starts shooting. He is quickly dealt with. Unfortunately, in the hallway, Merica is confronted by a grotesque homunculus that effortlessly dodges every shot she fires. The group hears her cries and runs to her aid. Together the group is able to vanquish the grotesque creature and continues into the room where it came form. They see the tools of an alchemist and stairs which they begin to climb.

The floor they enter is the most gruesome of medical wards, with bodies covered by sheets, all except for one. The body of Evard Zed, barely alive and attached to life support, is seen. Upon approaching the bed and taking samples, it is determined that he is no longer fully human and, instead of putting him through a terrible future, Merica puts him out of his misery with one swift swipe of her blade. The group continues into the ward and discovers a reception area with a locked door on the other side. Remembering themselves, Pistol Ruby runs back to the Homunculus and retrieves a key on its body. The door opens effortlessly to reveal a gruesome scene of a robotic woman with skin stretched over her metal skull operating on a living man. A homunculus stands nearby and along the wall are body snatchers plugged in. The back wall is dominated by a large tank that contains a white material. The woman looks up from her work and a scalpel familiar detaches itself from her and moves in the direction of the group, as does the homunculus. The scalpel familiar is quickly destroyed by Merica and the homunculus by pistol fire. Grak is once again useless. Merica continues to take care of the body snatchers as the other members turn their attention to the woman at the table. Unfortunately she turns out to be a more vicious enemy than seen before. Having finally regained his senses, Grak throws a grenade as she turns to escape and damages her, but in the process kills the man. She flees, and as she escapes down a vent, Pistol and Grak retreat down the stairs while Merica repels after her. At the bottom of the shaft she fires and takes three shots, toppling the woman before she can reach a vehicle that leaves without her. The other two arrive with Argus following close behind, carrying samples. The group leaves the dead and bullet-riddled body in search of a way out of this god-forsaken world.

It soon becomes apparent that the rioting has escalated, as the group continue to the main square where they find cover in the enforcers office. The dead body of the commander is found. They make contact to be given extraction and military forces are sent in to beat down the riots and their Interrogator is briefed on the success of the mission.

After extensive testing and debriefing, the Acolytes are given medical care and recovery time, until being summoned to a land-train platform at the very edges of Hive Sibellus.

On this train they are met by Interrogator Nero and Aristarchus the Seer, and briefed on their next assignment. They are to infiltrate the Upper Echelons of the Tantalus Combine, with the intention of discovering any information of the whereabouts or motivations of Sybas Moran, the escaped heretical ringleader from Coscarla.

To accommodate this goal, Merica was set up as a younger member of House Strophes, of the Machenko Dynasty. They also worked closely with Laurent Strophes, the head of the family. With the acolytes of Cell Σ-03 posing as a young noble and her retinue, the investigation into the Tantalus Combine could begin in earnest.

It was discovered that the Combine was disintegrating rapidly after the loss of the Coscarla district to rioting and chaos, and all but a small number of the noble families had abandoned the company. Merica was able to influence a younger member of this house into an invitation to an important meeting of these houses to discuss future plans.

At this meeting, it was discovered that Sybas Moran had been working with these nobles on a plan which was supposed to elevate them to gods. This clearly heretical plan needed to be stopped, and Pistol Ruby attempted to contact the local Arbites to assist in the purge of the house. This contact was detected, and the house was sent into lockdown.

In an attempt to reopen communication, and ensure that Moran was taken alive for interrogation, Cell Σ-03 attempted to access a cogitator inside the home, but was attacked by a mysteriously augmented woman.

The attack on the house begins while the acolytes are searching the house, and they discover Sybas Moran. A fight erupts, and Moran is incapacitated, though he is quickly dispatched by the unkown assassin from earlier. The vast majority of the assembled nobles are rounded up during the Arbites purge, and handed over into Inquisitorial Custody.

After being reprimanded for their failure to gather any valuable information from Sybas Moran, Cell Σ-03 are given a little over 2 months of time to recuperate from their trials, before being summoned by Interrogator Nero.

He informs them that they are to accompany him to the planet Iocanthus, a war world in the Golgenna Reach, and there work with Aristarchus and himself to investigate reports of anomalous phenomena at a newly constructed cathedral.

Upon arrival to Iocanthus, the acolytes are attacked by tribesmen in the town of Port Suffering, and experience many strange phenomena on the trail to Shattered Hope, the site of the cathedral.

On the morning of the Sanctification, Shattered Hope is attacked by the crazed followers of Seth the Voice, a self-proclaimed prophet of the God Emperor. After this attack, the acolytes are commanded to track down and arrest Asha Raine, a wise woman of the local Ashleen tribe.

The acolytes leave Stern Hope and travel into the hills to arrest the Wise Woman…

In the aftermath of the Iocanthos Incident,

The Acolytes discover the information they needed, and race against time to get to it before their rivals. This ultimately fails, the information is lost, their enemies are aware of their interests, and Pistol Ruby falls in combat. They are penalized for failing their mission.

The Acolytes, shaken by the loss of Pistol Ruby, are sent to perform a lengthy do nothing mission as penance for their failure on Prol. <destermined>

After having a new acolyte assigned to the group, they are sent on a new mission, this time into the Periphery.