TEXT: ™
  PART I OF THE APOSTASY GAMBIT 
  ADVENTURE TRILOGY
  ™
  ®
  ™
  ™
  ®
  
  ROLEPLAYING IN THE GRIM 
  DARKNESS OF THE 41ST MILLENNIUM
  TM
  TM
  
  Introduction
  2
  FANTASY
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  CREDITS
  Credits
  H
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  TM
  Lead Developer
  Mack Martin
  Written by
  Ben Counter
  Additional Writing By
  Ian Hardin, Kevin Rubitsky, Sam Stewart, and Ross Watson
  Editing
  Patrick Rollens
  Proofreading
  Graham Davey and David Johnson
  Dark Heresy Designed by
  Owen Barnes, Kate Flack, and Mike Mason
  Graphic Design
  Kevin Childress and Mark Raynor
  Cover Art
  Kekai Kotaki
  Interior Art
  A.L. Ashbaugh, John Blanche, Yoann Boissonnete, Alex Boyd, 
  Matt Bradbury, Chris Burdett, Anna Christenson, Ioan Dumi, 
  Dave Gallagher, Zach Graves, Marcin Jukabowski, Marco 
  Morte, Marc Lee, and Mark Smith
  Art Direction
  Zoë Robinson
  Art Administration
  Kyle Hough
  Production Manager
  Eric Knight
  FFG Lead Game Designer
  Corey Konieczka
  FFG Lead Game Developer
  Michael Hurley
  Publisher
  Christian T. Petersen
  Games Workshop
  Licensing Manager
  Owen Rees
  Head of Licensing
  Paul Lyons
  Head of Intellectual Property
  Alan Merrett
  special Thanks
  “Bolters Solve Everything” Kevin Rubitsky with Ian Hardin, Charles 
  May, Scott Ollenberger, Don Richardson, “Sons of a Rogue Trader” 
  Robin Everett-McGuirl with Matt Robenhymer, Chris Brandmeier, 
  Nate Taylor andAdam Hargrave, “Furies for Everyone!” David 
  R. Schumpert III Esq. with Adam Schumpert, Pierre Wagenseil, 
  Marthinus J. Linde, David Hudock, Paul Shivery, Nathan Walters and 
  Chris Hebert, Charles Kellner with Eve Bloom, Jacob Martasek, Jeff 
  Rubinoff, Megan Cook and Pavel Ort, Dave Cerezo with Andrew 
  Schneider, Dave Evensen, Gregory Sabino and Peter Burke, Michael 
  Underwood with Aaron Bond, Andrew Fields, Jason West, John 
  Beavers and Nathaniel Nicholson, “Dicebag Posse” Chris Stevens with 
  Derek Keltgen, Jesser Aubart, Mike Weigt and John Schwartzbaur, 
  Drew Peterson, Matt Root, Dennis Walter and Chrissy Monfette, Ron 
  Devalk with Ross Watson, Sam Stewart, David Johnson, Timothy 
  Kilgriff and Chris Pembelton
  
  Contents
  3
  Contents
  Chapter I: Death From Above 
  Area 1: The False Chapel .................................................... 10
  Area 2: The Hall of Ancestors ............................................ 12
  Area 3: The Menagerie  ....................................................... 13
  Area 4: The Courtyard  ....................................................... 16
  Area 5: The Mansion  .......................................................... 16
  Area 6: The Hall of Histories ............................................. 16
  Investigation ......................................................................... 17
  Troubleshooting ................................................................... 18
  A Call from The Dark ......................................................... 18
  Chapter II: The Haematite Cathedral 
  A Tale of Woe ....................................................................... 20
  Getting There ....................................................................... 21
  Unforunate Events ................................................................ 21
  Inciting Events ...................................................................... 22
  Home Again .......................................................................... 22
  Medispex Servo-skull .......................................................... 22
  The Gilded Cathedral .......................................................... 24
  Abbot Jurutas ........................................................................ 24
  The Black Sepulchre ............................................................ 24
  The Librarium of Reflection ............................................... 24
  Razored Wing ...................................................................... 25
  Area 1: The Grounds ........................................................... 27
  The Unburied Dead ............................................................. 27
  Area 2: The Nave ................................................................. 28
  The Cog-Key ........................................................................ 28
  Area 3: The Skulleria  .......................................................... 29
  Area 4: The Hidden Laboratory ......................................... 29
  Gustavus Hekate ................................................................... 31
  Reanimated Victims ............................................................. 31
  Area 5: Trophy Room .......................................................... 32
  Area 6: Warrant Room ........................................................ 32
  Area 7: The Scholaria .......................................................... 33
  Area 8: The Chambers ........................................................ 33
  Area 9: Barricaded Chamber .............................................. 34
  Area 10: The Ballroom ........................................................ 35
  Area 11: Nikea's Tower ....................................................... 36
  Area 12: The Librarium ....................................................... 38
  Area 13: The Solarium ........................................................ 39
  Area 14: Sanatorium ............................................................ 40
  Area 15: Medicae Theatre ................................................... 41
  Area 16: Planetarium ........................................................... 42
  Koronath's Opus .................................................................. 42
  The Device ............................................................................ 42
  Koronath Hekate .................................................................. 43
  The Belly of the Beast ......................................................... 44
  Troubleshooting ................................................................... 44
  Experience Points ................................................................. 44
  Chapter III:The Macharian Peace 
  The Reveal ............................................................................ 46
  Area 1: Spinal Shaft ............................................................. 48
  Area 2: Gear Housing .......................................................... 48
  Area 3: Genatorium ............................................................. 49
  Genatorium Daemons .......................................................... 49
  Area 9: Princeps Tactorum ................................................. 50
  Area 4: Armoury ................................................................... 50
  Area5: Moderati Quarters ................................................... 51
  Area 8: Medicae Suite .......................................................... 51
  Area 6: Bridge ...................................................................... 52
  Against All Odds .................................................................. 54
  Troubleshooting ................................................................... 54
  Experience Points ................................................................. 54
  Chapter IV: Behold the Dei-Phage 
  Librarium Nox ...................................................................... 57
  Quake Cannon ..................................................................... 58
  Furies ..................................................................................... 58
  On Wings of Madness ......................................................... 59
  The Dei-Phage ..................................................................... 59
  Aftermath .............................................................................. 60
  What’s on the Vid-File? ....................................................... 60
  Chapter V: Appendix
  Inquisitor’s Orders #1 ......................................................... 62
  Maps of House Thrungg ..................................................... 63
  Thrungg’s Journal ................................................................. 64
  Inquisitor’s Orders #2 ......................................................... 65
  Librarium of Reflection Excerpts ....................................... 66
  Map of the Haematite Cathedral........................................ 68
  Hadria Hekate’s Diary ......................................................... 69
  Koronath Hekate’s Notes .................................................... 70
  DeVayne’s Evidence ............................................................. 71
  
  Introduction
  4
  Introduction
  “What is there, but dynasty? The stars are out of our reach. The 
  great cities of this sector, the spires and cathedrals, they are not for us. 
  All we have, is each other. All we have is dynasty.”
  –Nikaea Hekate
  B
  lack Sepulchre is the first part of The Apostasy 
  Gambit, a Dark Heresy campaign that takes a cell 
  of Acolytes from investigating the tragic history of 
  a warped Cathedral to crusading against a conspiracy at the 
  heart of one of the Imperium’s most vaunted organisations. 
  The Black Sepulchre can be played on its own, or it can form 
  a part of the grand Apostasy Gambit campaign.
  The Black Sepulchre ends with the Acolytes finding 
  evidence of a long held secret. The nature of this secret is 
  purposefully left ambiguous. While the adventure provides 
  the hook into the next book in the series in the form of 
  evidence against Arch-Cardinal Ignato, it is presented to the 
  players as a handout available on page 71. To alter this secret 
  so that the campaign follows a different storyline a GM must 
  merely replace this final hand out and description.
  Game Master’s 
  Briefing
  T
  he Black Sepulchre is primarily an investigative 
  adventure in which the Acolytes, after obtaining the 
  hand of a Daemon Prince, investigate an ancient 
  fortress named the Haematite Cathedral. There they find the 
  unquiet spirits of the cathedral’s former inhabitants, they who 
  belong to the Hekate Dyansty, and delve into their tragic fates 
  to discover the cathedral’s greatest secret.
  The adventure in the Haematite Cathedral is non-linear—
  the Acolytes can explore the cathedral and encounter its 
  denizens in any order, and part of the challenge facing 
  them is understanding the information they accrue on the 
  Dynasty’s grim past. The Hekate Dynasty has three stories to 
  reveal to them, each the sad tale of a corrupted soul, but the 
  Acolytes might uncover parts of the stories intermingled with 
  one another. The less hostile warp apparitions can help them 
  understand the cathedral’s past, and part of the challenge for 
  the Game Master is portraying these unfortunate creatures 
  who are part of the Cathedral. Another challenge is ensuring 
  that the cathedral is infused with all the atmosphere that 
  psychic apparitions, tragedies and the corruption of Chaos 
  can give it. The true nature of the Haematite Cathedral and 
  what has occurred there is the real mystery in this adventure, 
  and the task of the Acolytes is to uncover this nature piece by 
  piece. At the same time, the location itself is both adversary 
  and ally to the Acolytes, with the mutants and psychic echoes 
  being simply a symptom of something larger and far fouler.
  Once the adventurers delve into the cathedral’s lower levels 
  and discover its greatest secret – that it is actually the upper 
  torso of an Imperial Titan, half-buried and condemned to lay 
  dormant by the presence of a daemon – the adventure features 
  more action and life-or-death moments. The daemon prince 
  is freed, the Titan walks, and all manner of mayhem erupts 
  before the Acolytes can decipher the terrible truth held captive 
  for centuries. This truth is crucial to the Apostasy Gambit 
  campaign, and introduces a new and terrible threat intent on 
  bringing ruin and catastrophe to the entire Calixis Sector. 
  The only hiding 
  place for a coward 
  is in death.
  Dest: Cpt. Scipio
  Scintillan Protectorate 
  12th Sky Cavalry
  Captain Scipio and his "Scraper Falcons” 
  come highly recommended to me by Inquisitor 
  Medina. I will require use of these men 
  as well as no fewer than a squadron of 
  Valkyrie Gunships. Records for this action 
  are to be sealed and opened only upon 
  punishment of corporeal mort
  
  Introduction
  5
  ADvENTURE STRUcTURE
  I: Death From above
  The Acolytes are thrown right into the action of an 
  Inquisitorial assault. They are part of an attack on the 
  Scintillan estate of Bulagor Thrungg, an idle noble who has 
  fallen into corruption and amassed a fearsome collection of 
  forbidden artefacts and writings. Along with special forces 
  seconded from the Army of the Scintillan Protectorate, the 
  Acolytes storm the estate, deal with Thrungg and his lackeys, 
  and discover upon Thrungg the left hand of a Daemon Prince. 
  This clue leads them to the secluded Haematite Cathedral.
  II: the haematIte CatheDral
  The Acolytes arrive at the Haematite Cathedral. Their 
  explorations reveal both the history of the Hekate Dynasty 
  who lived there, and the existence of a malign force known as 
  the Dei-Phage that influenced three Rogue Traders to become 
  degenerate villains. After exorcising the three malevolent 
  psychic echoes, the Acolytes come into possession of a key 
  that allows entrance into the lower reaches of the cathedral.
  III: the maCharIan PeaCe
  The Acolytes discover the truth about the Haematite Cathedral 
  – that it is, in fact, the upper torso of an Imperial Titan 
  known as the Pax Macharia. The Dei-Phage summons lesser 
  daemons to stop the Acolytes as they explore the workings 
  of the Titan, including its plasma reactor and the chamber 
  where its machine-spirit is stored in ancient cogitators. They 
  communicate with the machine-spirit and learn of the Black 
  Sepulchre, a device designed to decode evidence of corruption 
  at the heart of the Calixian Ecclesiarchy. The Titan has been 
  kept dormant by the Dei-Phage, which was summoned to 
  keep it silent about a terrible secret it knows.
  Iv: beholD a DeCayIng angel
  At the heart of the capital of Barsapine is a holy shrine, built 
  to prevent the Black Sepulchre from completing its task. The 
  encryption of the evidence is a geometric cypher whose key is 
  the stars themselves in motion. To this end the Pax Macharia 
  breaks free of the mountainside and travels to the outskirts 
  of the nearest city, Kephistron Altis, so it can free the Black 
  Sepulchre to look upon stars and decypher the ancient code. 
  The Dei-Phage manifests and battles the Acolytes across the 
  cathedral’s rooftops, and only with its defeat can the Pax 
  Macharia reach the city. 
  Once the Black Sepulchre has performed its operations, it 
  can reveal the holo-recording that serves as damning proof 
  of a massive conspiracy. This recording tells of the founding 
  of a conspiracy, the Maledictor’s Hand, and its head... 
  Arch-Cardinal Ignato himself. Alas, the decrepit Black 
  Sepulchre self-destructs, forever destroying the only proof the 
  Acolytes have.
  baCkstory
  Several hundred years ago, the Maledictor’s Hand was founded 
  as a conspiracy of Ecclesiarchy clergymen who believed that the 
  Calixis Sector was beyond redemption and should be cleansed 
  through a religious catastrophe. Their aim was, and still is, to 
  bring about such religious strife that the resulting war and 
  upheaval will effectively destroy the sector and kill billions of its 
  sinful inhabitants. The ceremony at which the Hand was founded 
  was witnessed by a spy, Inquisitor Griegor DeVayne, a member 
  of the Ordo Hereticus, charged by the Imperium with rooting 
  out evidence against conspirators within the Imperial Church. 
  DeVayne fled with a holo-recording of the ceremony. He 
  reached the Glorious Fortune, the vessel of the Rogue Trader 
  Barabus Zanatov. The Inquisitor intended to marshal forces 
  to bring against the conspiracy, but, pursued by the agents 
  of the Maledictor’s Hand, he was murdered before the ship 
  entered the warp. Zanatov, a loyal friend to DeVayne, hid the 
  evidence, smuggling it to Barsapine.
  Knowing he could not escape the power of the Ecclesiarchy, 
  Barabus Zanatov took the name Hekate and began work to 
  decipher the evidence acquired by his friend. He died before 
  his work was complete. His fortune was nearly exhausted by 
  the task of establishing a noble dynasty and building a device 
  capable of deciphering the proof Inquisitor DeVayne gave his 
  life to acquire. The Black Sepulchre, however, was complete and, 
  given its position on Barsapine, could use the stars themselves 
  as a cypher to unlock the mysteries and expose the conspiracy.
  The final deathblow to the Hekate dynasty was his 
  discovery by the Maledictor’s Hand, who stopped his Black 
  Sepulchre from performing its duty and brought to bear a 
  Daemon Prince known as the Dei-Phage to destroy him. 
  Not without friends on Barsapine, the Rogue Trader Zanatov 
  mustered his forces so that his device might have the last 
  desperate moments it required. The Daemon Prince and his 
  army were stopped by the Pax Macharia, an Imperator Titan. 
  However, in one last desperate ploy, the Pax Macharia was 
  forced to wade into the sea, forever chaining the Daemon 
  within itself. The Titan’s fate was forgotten, and over time its 
  lower half became buried in rock and sediment, leaving its 
  ornate upper half part of the shoreline. With the Die-Phage 
  maimed and the Titan badly damaged, the story would have 
  ended if not for the ignorance of subsequent generations.
  Centuries later, the waning Hekate dynasty, believing 
  the exposed torso of the Imperator Titan to be a once-
  lavish abandoned cathedral, began to restore the building 
  in a desperate attempt to rebuild their waning status. Over 
  the years, the last heirs to the Hekate fortune moved into 
  the building, which they knew as the Haematite Cathedral. 
  The Dei-Phage was still present, woven into the fabric of 
  the place, and its malign presence corrupted them to its dark 
  purpose. The Hekates eventually destroyed themselves and 
  the Haematite Cathedral became abandoned once more.
  No part of the story was ever recorded in Imperial 
  record and the events and cathedral itself would be forever 
  lost if it weren’t for the Dei-Phage’s severed hand that 
  eventually washed ashore on Barsapine and was sold into the 
  underground artefact market. It found its way to Scintilla and 
  into the hands of the apostate Bulagor Thrungg.
  
  Introduction
  6
  THEMES
  The Apostasy Gambit has distinct themes that run through 
  all three parts of the trilogy, and The Black Sepulchre is no 
  exception. These themes crop up again and again, sometimes 
  foreshadowing danger, sometimes suggesting solutions or 
  truths to the Acolytes, and sometimes just keeping them on 
  their toes. Game Masters should feel free to include further 
  instances of these themes whenever they want to inject a little 
  more foreboding and tension into proceedings.
  Secrets. The climax of The Black Sepulchre has the 
  Acolytes discovering a secret of shattering importance, and 
  exposing the secrets of the Hekate dynasty is crucial to their 
  success. Other parts of the trilogy include revealing secrets 
  about the Ecclesiarchy, the history of the sector, and even 
  about Saint Drusus himself. Secrets are everywhere, as are the 
  efforts by others to prevent their discovery.
  Wings and feathers. The Dei-Phage takes flight on 
  pinions of ragged feathers, and feathers signify the beast’s 
  influence on the Haematite Cathedral. Feathers are, in turn, 
  a symbol of the Chaos God Tzeentch, whose arcane touch is 
  everywhere in the trilogy.
  Moral corruption. Bulagor Thrungg, the Maledictor’s 
  Hand and the Hekate dynasty have all suffered moral 
  corruption, either through deliberately abandoning morality 
  or through the presence of Chaos.
  Ill-advised alliances. The Maledictor’s Hand’s alliance 
  with the Dei-Phage (and other daemons) seals its position 
  as an enemy of mankind, while the dalliances in darkness by 
  members of the Hekate dynasty were behind the tragedies 
  that befell them. The Maledictor’s Hand’s alliances with the 
  dark powers crop up throughout the trilogy and serve to lead 
  them to damnation.
  Desperation. The antagonists of the trilogy have made 
  their terrible deals and decisions believing that working with 
  the Dark Powers is the only option left to them.
  USING THIS ADvENTURE
  The adventure is mostly investigative, but several combat-
  heavy events mean that Acolytes with little experience might 
  be overwhelmed, while those with a lot of experience and 
  wargear might find some encounters trivial (in particular 
  characters using the rules in Ascension). Options are given 
  in the relevant sections for increasing or decreasing the 
  challenge of combat scenes, mainly concerning the power of 
  the Dei-Phage and its access to daemonic allies.
  The adventure begins on the hive world Scintilla “in 
  medias res”, on board a Scintillan special forces gunship as it 
  makes its final approach over Bulagor Thrungg’s estate. This 
  is a sudden, exhilarating action opening, similar to an action 
  movie that throws the explosions and carnage at the audience 
  without any delay. After the initial gunfire dies down, the 
  Acolytes have time to ask questions, buy equipment, and 
  generally prepare for the adventure’s next section. 
  The adventure assumes the Acolytes are working for an 
  Inquisitor who is a member of the Calixian Conclave. It can 
  be used as the beginning of a new Dark Heresy campaign, 
  in which case the GM can select an Inquisitor from the core 
  rulebook or invent one. It can also take place during an 
  ongoing campaign, in which case the Acolytes may need to 
  get to Scintilla (where Death From Above is set) before the 
  adventure begins. In fact, the location of Death From Above 
  is not crucial to the plot, so little adjustment is needed to 
  transfer the first section of the adventure elsewhere in the 
  Calixis Sector.
  The Acolytes’ patron Inquisitor is not present during 
  the events of The Black Sepulchre and is rarely, if ever, 
  seen during the trilogy, so there is a great deal of flexibility 
  regarding the this character. Matters can be complicated if the 
  patron Inquisitor is a Radical, but the plot of the adventure 
  need not be changed if this is the case. A Radical Inquisitor 
  might ask his Acolytes to recover and bring to him any Chaos 
  artefacts or writings they recover, for instance, and might 
  even give them instructions to bind any daemonic presence 
  they find into a daemonhost or interrogate it for secrets 
  concerning matters of the warp. The Dei-Phage must still be 
  defeated before the Acolytes can achieve such goals, since it 
  has been imprisoned within the Pax Macharia which prevents 
  it divulging of secrets. Once the Dei-Phage’s physical form 
  has been defeated, Acolytes can attempt rituals to question or 
  bind it according to their master’s wishes.
  
  Death From 
  above
  assault on the 
  aPostate ChaPel
  •
  thrungg’s menagerIe 
  oF horrors
  •
  the museum oF 
  heresy
  •
  Call From the Dark
  
  I: Death From Above
  8
  Chapter I: 
  Death From 
  Above
  “The powers within the Dei-Phage’s hand are my birthright. They 
  alone know the worth of my ancestry. They have brought you here to 
  die within my grasp!”
  –Bulagor Thrungg
  The engines of the assault carrier roar as the rear ramp slides 
  open. The wind shrieks in, almost deafening your very thoughts. 
  The troopers seated alongside you check their weapons, throw one 
  last grin at their fellow soldiers and lower the visors of their helmets. 
  The spires of Sibellus whirl below you, a thousand mansions and 
  noble estates competing for space among a forest of spires and flying 
  banners.
  Your mission is clear. Bulagor Thrungg is the last of a proud 
  line. His dynasty squandered on ecstasy, he has turned to heresy as 
  an entertainment. Somewhere in his manor is a museum of apostasy 
  that you must locate and investigate. The Scintillan Protectorate is 
  attempting to take Thrungg alive, if possible, for questioning.
  The Valkyrie swoops down low over House Thrungg. The 
  compound walls enclose a mansion with one wing covered by glass, 
  the rest of the building a frowning gothic monstrosity. Rows of 
  tombs cover the gardens around the mansion, and household troops, 
  tiny specks from this height, run along the walls and through the 
  grounds.
  “Men of the Protectorate!” yells Captain Scipio, hanging onto 
  one of the handholds mounted overhead. “We drop in thirty seconds! 
  Come down fighting and check your targets!’” He shoots you a nasty 
  look, “And you. You’re coming down in the false chapel. Find the 
  proof you need and try not to get yourself killed!”
  T
  he Acolytes are riding on a Valkyrie belonging to the 
  Army of the Scintillan Protectorate. They are executing 
  a raid on the estate of the noble Bulagor Thrungg, on 
  the orders of the Acolytes’ patron Inquisitor. Captain Scipio 
  is the officer in charge, and though he has orders to take the 
  Acolytes on the mission with him, he isn’t happy about it. 
  The objective of this mission is to capture Bulagor Thrungg, 
  preferably alive, and deliver the Acolytes into his mansion 
  so they can search for forbidden texts and artefacts. The 
  Inquisitor’s full briefing is available as a handout on page 62. 
  If they are to fulfill this task, however, they are going to have 
  to pull their weight in the firefight about to erupt.
  the CrImes oF  bulagor thrungg
  Thrungg’s crimes are possession of forbidden texts and 
  artefacts. Thrungg, an indolent noble without responsibilities, 
  has dedicated his privileged life to accumulating examples of 
  the bizarre and frightening, so he can shock and enthral his 
  fellow nobles. His collection, assembled at vast cost, includes 
  the Liber Ex Mentis, a tome authored by an insane warp-
  prophet, and the Dei-Phage’s Hand, a weapon created by an 
  unknown daemonic source. Also in his collection is a record of 
  his attempts to perform dark séances that provide evidence of 
  a daemonic presence on Barsapine. Thrungg spoke too freely 
  of his collection, and rumours among the nobles reached the 
  ears of the Acolytes’ patron Inquisitor, who sent them with 
  Scipio’s squad to arrest Thrungg and search his mansion for 
  incriminating items.
  PlayIng sCIPIo
  Captain Fidelicus Scipio is a lifelong soldier, a grizzled and 
  uncompromising special forces sergeant in the Army of the 
  Scintillan Protectorate. He takes absolutely no groxcrap and 
  considers his unit to be an independent entity that does not 
  need any help from outsiders, hence his lack of appreciation at 
  being burdened with the Acolytes, even if it is by Inquisitorial 
  order. Scipio’s qualities lie primarily in leading his squad and 
  enforcing their discipline, but his own combat skills are far 
  from lacking. He’s a few paces over the hill, but he has no 
  problem putting anyone in a headlock if they’re asking for it.
  hIgh rank CharaCters
  Higher rank or Ascension characters (or Acolytes the GM 
  deems have earned the esteem of the guard) can expect a 
  degree of respect from Scipio. Replace the last paragraph of 
  the read aloud text:
  “Men of the Protectorate!” yells Captain Scipio, hanging 
  onto one of the handholds mounted overhead. “We drop in thirty 
  seconds! Come down fighting and check your targets!” He gives 
  you an understanding nod, ‘Sirs, the battle plan has you coming 
  down in the false chapel, I leave it to you to find the proof you 
  need and we will try not to get in your way.”
  outFItIng the aColytes
  Only a cruel and irrational Inquisitor would consider 
  sending acolytes into an assault like this without 
  proper equipment. The Acolytes should be issued the 
  following gear:
  • A Las Carbine or Pump-Action Shotgun
  • 3 Las Packs or 20 Shotgun Shells
  • 1 Frag and 1 Krak Grenade
  • A Knife
  • A Flak Jacket
  They are not required to use any of these, but each 
  character should have the option. In addition, these 
  items come from the Inquisitor’s armoury, not that of 
  the Imperial Guard. The Acolytes should be allowed 
  to replenish spent ammunition and grenades after the 
  assault and use the same equipment in later chapters.
  
  I: Death From Above
  9
  Instruments of my Inquisitorial will,
  It pleases me that the heretic Bulagor 
  Thrungg should be brought to justice. 
  His apostasy is assured, his agents have 
  purchased a planted "artefact" that I 
  had inserted into the Scintillan black 
  market. He is certainly the man behind 
  the so called Museum of Apostasy. It is 
  without a doubt somewhere hidden within 
  his Ancestral home.
  To this end I have requisitioned the 
  use of a Valkyrie and forces from the 
  Army of the Scintillan Protectorate. They 
  will strike the mansion building while 
  you, my Acolytes, will deploy into the 
  mansion’s apostate chapel, there to hold 
  the location until the main building 
  can be captured. Intelligence suggests 
  the chapel will be poorly defended and 
  deploying there will protect you from 
  both troops on the ground and aircraft 
  bane weapons rumoured to be present among 
  the estate’s tombs. 
  Your purpose is to acquire evidence of 
  Thrungg’s possession of forbidden items, 
  and to assist in his capture if necessary. 
  I expect to soon take solace in news of 
  your success.
  In the name of the Emperor, let none 
  survive who turn their faces from Him.
  Priority Inquisitorial Communique
  Dest. Scintilla 
  Adeptus Astra Telepathica
  Thought for the day:
  He who hesitates is damned.
  
  I: Death From Above
  10
  AREA 1: THE FALSE cHAPEL
  The side doors of the Valkyrie slide open with a thudding 
  noise. A pair of Protectorate Guardsmen bring heavy bolters to 
  life, shattering the windows of the Chapel skylight, creating a 
  clear point of entry for your descent.
  As the grav-chutes slow your fall to a manageable speed, you 
  are able to get a clear view of the landing area. Two rows of 
  steel benches with cushioned backs line the area. There is a squat 
  stone dais, probably reserved for sermons. The intel had shown 
  this area empty, but unfortunately a pair of guard have fallen 
  back to this position along with a Servitor, his left side converted 
  to a metallic housing for an Autogun.
  The Acolytes’ mission is to go in through the glass roof by grav-
  chute. This wing of the mansion contains House Thrungg’s 
  dynasty chapel, and is not expected to be held in any numbers 
  by the household troops. The Acolytes are to hold the chapel 
  until Scipio’s men can capture the rest of the mansion and kill 
  or capture the household troops defending it. 
  The Acolytes must first land in the chapel. Using a grav-
  chute successfully requires an Ordinary (+10) Agility Test or 
  an Easy (+30) Acrobatics Test. Characters who pass the Test 
  land on their feet. If they fail, the character hits the ground in a 
  crouched position and must roll with the motion, ending prone 
  but otherwise combat ready. 
  The intelligence gathered for the assault suggests the 
  chapel is not defended. Unfortunately for all concerned, this 
  is inaccurate, and the Acolytes find themselves engaged with 
  enemies. The landing zone for the Acolytes is approximately 
  30 meters from the House Thrungg troop’s position. The pews 
  on either side provide 6 Armour to the legs when a character 
  is standing behind them, or 6 to all but the head if they are 
  kneeling. A single movement is enough to get the Acolyte out 
  of the open lane of fire and behind a pew.
  The three House Thrungg Troops are scared but ready for 
  a fight, and open fire as soon as the Acolytes hit the ground. 
  The house guards are not being paid enough to mess with the 
  Inquisition, and once one of their number has been taken out of 
  action, or a Challenging (+0) Intimidate Test is made, the house 
  troops surrender. They do not have control of the gun-servitor, 
  however, which is programmed to kill any intruders, and the 
  Acolytes have to destroy or disable it themselves.
  InvestIgatIng the ChaPel
  Once the fight has died down, the Acolytes will likely wish to 
  investigate the chapel area itself. The altar at the head of the 
  chapel is home to the body of a grizzled priest whose left arm 
  has been removed. The stump still bleeds onto the floor and 
  hundreds of black feathers have been used to soak the blood. 
  A Challenging (+0) Intelligence or Routine (+20) Medicae 
  Test lets the Acolytes know that the arm was apparently torn 
  off at the elbow, rather than being chopped away. Anyone 
  who makes this realisation must succeed on an Routine (+20) 
  Willpower Test or gain 1 Insanity point.
  Clutched in the priest’s remaining hand is a treatise 
  on the Imperial Creed that has been heavily annotated. A 
  Challenging (+0) Common Lore (Imperial Creed) Test 
  reveals that these changes are designed to prepare sermons 
  on the nature of faith that will slowly lead the audience to 
  heresy over the course of months. 
  A Hard (-20) Search Test will reveal a secret trap door 
  beneath the pool of blood that leads into Thrungg’s Museum 
  of Apostasty, (see page 17, Investigation). If the Acolytes 
  discover it, give them a few minutes to peruse the artefacts 
  before moving on to Area 2. If the Acolytes do not find this 
  room now they will automatically find it later when the battle 
  is complete and the Acolytes have time to do a more complete 
  search of the house.
  If at any time the players seem stumped (or are just ready 
  for more action) then it is time to move on to Area 2, with 
  Captain Scipio calling for them to head off Thrungg.
  
  I: Death From Above
  11
  house thrungg trooPs
  These gunmen are paid to protect the House Thrungg enclave 
  from thieves, trespassers, and the agents of other families. Their 
  job description does not include fending off an assault by 
  special forces assisted by Acolytes of the Inquisition. They fight 
  as best they can, but it does not take too much to break them.
  The guards wear a uniform of thick brown cloth with a blue 
  Armoured jacket held closed in the front by a row of two dozen 
  dense brass buttons. They wear no helmets, their hair worn 
  long in a single braid weighted by an ornamental skull. While 
  their weapons are ornately covered in scrollwork telling the 
  deeds of a house Thrungg ancestor, the weapons themselves 
  are common quality.
  House Thrungg Troop Profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  20
  20
  25
  25
  25
  20
  25
  20
  20
  Movement: 3/6/9/18 
  Wounds: 8
  Skills: Speak Language (Low Gothic), Awareness (Per), 
  Intimidate (S). 
  Talents: Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), Basic Weapon 
  Training (SP).
  Weapons: Shotgun (30m; S/-/-, 1d10+4 I, Pen 0, Clip 2, 
  Rld 2Full, Scatter & Reliable).
  Armour: Armoured Uniform (All but head 3).
  Gear: 10 Shotgun Shells, 1d5 Thrones, House Thrungg Keys.
  house thrungg gun-servItor
  This unthinking machine consists of a human brain inside 
  a housing of metal and flesh, festooned with guns and 
  programmed to shoot dead anyone who does not belong in 
  the House Thrungg enclave.
  House Thrungg Gun-Servitor Profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  13
  29
  47
  42
  14
  09
  22
  31
  04
  Movement: 1/2/3/6 
  Wounds: 10
  Skills: Trade (Armourer) +10.
  Talents: Basic Weapon Training (SP), Heightened Senses 
  (Vision), Melee Weapon Traning (Primitive).
  Traits: Armour Plating, Auto-Stabilised, Dark Sight, Machine 
  (4), Natural Weapon (Pneumowrench).
  Killswitch: The gun-servitor has a quick shutdown 
  mechanism in case of accidental activation. The servitor 
  can be deactivated with a Challenging (+0) Tech-Use Test. 
  Making this Test is a Full Action, and the character making 
  it must be adjacent to the servitor and may not make any 
  Dodge or Parry Reactions that Round. Any Tech-Priest or 
  another Acolyte with the Tech-Use +10 Skill would know 
  about the kill switch.
  Armour: Armour Plating & Machine (4) (6 all).
  Weapons: Pneumowrench (1d10+5 I; Primitive), autogun 
  (90m; S/3/10; 1d10+3 I; Pen 0; Clip 30; Reload Full).
  Gear: Internal micro-bead (receiving/relaying instructions 
  only), killswitch unit, ammo hopper equivalent to 3 clips.
  sCalIng the enCounter
  If your Acolytes are higher than rank 3 or have more than five members, then include six guards in the attack. In this 
  case they would not break until at least 3 of them are defeated. 
  If the Acolytes are rank 5 or higher, then the House Thrungg Servitor can be equipped with a Heavy Bolter. The 
  grav-chute test may also be increased in difficulty one step for rank 5 or higher characters. 
  For Ascension level characters, the Servitor should be equipped with a Ryza-Pattern Plasmagun and have an additional 
  20 wounds. The House Thrungg troops should number two for each Throne Agent.
  The House Thrungg troops should not be increased in skill, allowing the players to feel powerful in comparison to 
  such laughable opponents.
  more ComPlex enCounter oPtIon
  The GM may wish to provide a more complex encounter that ties the Acolytes into the over all assault more directly. 
  This is especially appropriate for combat heavy parties or for players experienced with the system. Groups that are new 
  to Dark Heresy or for campaigns with a more investigative theme should use the original encouter.
  This initial encounter can be a surgical strike to remove a defensive point. The Acolytes descend into the room as 
  described above, with the goal of defeating an Autocannon emplacement. The guards protecting the position will 
  attempt to wheel the cannon around to fire at the Acolytes, so they must make short work of the weapon.
  Every other round the weapon is wheeled to fire at the Acolytes inside the chapel, on the other rounds it must rotate 
  again to point out the large glass window and fire on the Valkyrie strafing its position. The Gun-Servitor is replaced 
  by three troops manning the autocannon emplacement, while the other House Thrungg troops will fight the acolytes.
  
  I: Death From Above
  12
  AREA 2: THE HALL 
  OF ANcESTORS
  When the gunfight in the chapel is done, the Acolytes receive 
  a call from Captain Scipio over the vox-net.
  Your vox bead crackles to life, the sounds of gunfire can be 
  heard echoing over the channel. Captain Scipio’s voice rings 
  clear against the din of combat, “Thrungg’s making a stand in 
  the menagerie! It’s to the west of your position. Our aerial intel 
  shows that you’re just down the hall. Head west, make yourselves 
  useful, and head him off!”
  The smell of smoke fills the air, stray blasts of lasgun fire have 
  ignited the building during the initial breech. A single pane of the 
  chapel windows shatters and there is the briefest glimpse of the 
  battle in the courtyard beyond. A Chimera APC has breached the 
  outer walls, allowing more Protectorate guardsmen to spill into 
  the immaculate garden.
  On the western wall of the chapel is a gilded doorway with 
  a large, dense wood door. A bronze plaque aids visitors in 
  navigating the mansion. It reads: 
  Hall of Ancestors
  Managerie
  Servants Quarters
  There is a doorway to the west from the chapel that leads 
  into a long hallway decorated with portraits of the Thrungg 
  ancestors. The door itself is not locked but the player who 
  first opens it should make an Easy (+30) Awareness Test. 
  If successful, he feels that the door knob is warm to the 
  touch and opens it slowly, releasing pressure without taking 
  damage. However, if he fails the Awareness Test he will be 
  knocked prone by the hot air and must make a Challenging 
  (+0) Toughness Test or suffer 1 level of fatigue. 
  The hallway beyond is ablaze. While much of the mansion is 
  made of rockcrete, these walls are ornate wood and the passageway 
  contains floor to ceiling portraits of the Thrungg family over the 
  last thousand years. The heat from the blaze is not dangerous but 
  the smoke obscures the end of the hall from sight.
  Characters with rebreathers (or other breathing aparattus) 
  suffer no ill effects in the hallway. Those without take a -10 
  penalty to all Tests while in the hallway.
  Approximately halfway down the passage there is a servant 
  door that has a large gothic cabinet pushed in front of it. 
  An Ordinary (+10) Strength Test pushes the cabinet aside,.
  Failure causes one degree of fatigue to the character but the 
  door is still opened. Within the small chamber is a scared 
  chambermaid wearing a singed servant’s tunic and hiding 
  behind a row of mannequins displaying the attire of famous 
  Thrungg dynasty leaders. An Easy (+30) Charm, Interrogate, 
  Intimidate, or Inquiry Test reveals the following information 
  (read aloud each one, up to the scored successes):
  Failure: She sobbingly clings to the most devout-
  appearing Acolyte, pressing a key into his hand.
  Success: “Emperor preserve us! Thrungg has locked 
  himself in the menagerie and is claiming that he will kill us all 
  if we don’t fight for him. Here, take this key and stop him!”
  1 Degree of Success: “He’s got those beasts with him 
  too, be careful!”
  2 Degrees of Success: “I caught a glimpse of his hand as 
  he shut the door, I can’t imagine what made him do that to 
  himself, it was grotesque!”
  After that she falls into hysterical sobs, gasping for breath 
  and is completely unintelligible.
  There is a locked blast door at the end of the hall that can 
  be opened with one of the keys off the bodies of the guards 
  or the servant woman. It can also be opened with a Difficult 
  (-10) Security Test or with the use of an explosive (even a 
  grenade will do) and a Routine (+20) Demolition Test.
  hIgh rank CharaCters
  The doorway into the Ancestors Hall could be trapped 
  instead, a grenade crudely wedged between the door knob 
  and jam on the opposite side of the door. Instead of allowing 
  an Awareness Test to avoid damage, every character within 5 
  metres must make a Hard (-20) Dodge Test or suffer 1d10 
  damage with 0 Penetration.
  Due to her terror, the Test to get information from the 
  servant should be increased to Challenging (+0).
  Finally, replace the first paragraph of the read aloud text:
  Your vox bead crackles to life, the sounds of gunfire can be 
  heard echoing over the channel. Captain Scipio’s voice rings clear 
  against the din of combat, “Thrungg’s making a stand in the 
  menagerie! It’ is to the west of your current position. Our aerial 
  intel shows that you’re just down the hall. We aren’t in position 
  to persue, but if are quick enough you just might be able to head 
  him off.”
  
  I: Death From Above
  13
  AREA 3: THE MENAGERIE 
  Bulagor Thrungg has no intention of being captured. If push 
  comes to shove, he is willing to die rather than face the justice 
  of the Inquisition. He is barricaded in the menagerie and 
  Scipio’s squad can’t get in, but the door from the chapel to 
  the menagerie is unguarded, so the Acolytes can get at him 
  easily. If the Acolytes refuse to attack Thrungg, the heretic 
  flees from the menagerie to the chapel and the Acolytes have 
  to face him anyway.
  The menagerie is a private zoo, with several cages containing 
  various exotic animals, each more deadly than the last. The 
  many birds kept here have escaped their aviaries and are flying 
  around in a state of agitation, attacking each other in primal 
  displays of dominance, making an unholy din. Such is the 
  number of birds flying around the enclosed space that Ballistic 
  Skill Tests are at a –10 penalty beyond Short range while in the 
  menagerie. While the screeching beasts are pre-occupied with 
  each other, should the Acolytes attack the birds in an attempt to 
  remove their interference, then they will attack for 1d5 rounds 
  (until they return to each other), dealing 1d10+2 damage each 
  round unless the Acolyte finds cover (or dives into one of the 
  cages). The flock has a WS of 45 and cannot be eliminated 
  during this battle (there are just to many of them).
  Thrungg is accompanied by his pets, slavering quadrupeds 
  somewhat resembling a cross between a crocodile and a hyena, 
  although larger than either. Thrungg refers to these creatures as 
  ‘My Pets,’ and has trained them to attack on command. Thrungg 
  himself is armed with the Dei-Phage’s Hand, a daemonic weapon 
  that fits over one of his hands. It can spit shards of bone at enemies 
  and drain their blood up close. The Dei-Phage’s Hand is proof of 
  Thrungg’s possession of a forbidden artefact, and so the Acolytes 
  have caught him literally red-handed.
  Thrungg sends his pet in to attack moments after the 
  Acolytes enter the room. He attempts to use the power of 
  the Dei-Phage’s Hand from approximately 20 metres away as 
  his pet engages the most heavily armoured Acolyte in melee.
  The glass domed ceiling of the menagerie is obscured by the 
  eratic flight of hundreds of exotic birds. Their cages opened 
  by remote, they swoop and dive in hysteria, squawking and 
  attempting to escape the confines of the building.
  A rockcrete path winds to the top of a small hill at the 
  centre of the chamber. There stands a noble that can only be 
  Thrunng. In his right hand he holds the reins to two powerful 
  beasts. Reptilian eyes dart about, locking briefly on the throats 
  of possible victims. Their shape is made all the more hideous by 
  matted canine fur and large snapping jaws. 
  Hideous as they are, the monstrosities pale in comparison 
  to what Thrungg has done to himself. His left arm twisted 
  into a mockery of flesh, armoured plates marked in foul 
  ruinous decoration guard his wrists. Above the elbow he is 
  indistinguishable from any other noble citizen of the Imperium. 
  His face relaxed in the expression of mild amusement that so 
  many of his class practice.
  With a sly wink he presses a small button on the leash of the 
  xenos creatures and calls “Perhaps you will provide me some 
  amusement. Save their hearts for, my pets!”
  thrungg’s DeFeat
  When Thrungg is killed or rendered unconcious, he dies and 
  the Dei-Phage’s Hand slips from his body. 
  Thrunng’s body begins to shudder and convulse. Rivulets of 
  black ichor bleed from his mouth, eyes and nose. His muscles 
  strain at his bones and the sick crack and snapping of cartilage 
  echoes through the now silent menagerie. 
  His daemonic left hand slides from his body, revealing his 
  own mortal form beneath. The arm itself is hollow in the stump 
  for another apostate to brandish against heroes of the Imperium.
  The players may wish to destroy the arm, but it appears 
  impervious to all harm. The resources of an Inquisitor will be 
  required to purge it from reality.
  sCalIng the enCounter
  The encounter can be made more difficult by giving 
  the Unnatural Toughness (x2) trait to Thrungg’s Pets or 
  by increasing the number of pets Thrungg unleashes.
  Ascension characters may have to deal with Thrungg 
  as more of a threat. The hand has taught him foul 
  sorcery. He has an effective Psy Rating of 2 and the 
  Lightning Arc psychic power.  He rolls on the Haematite 
  Cathedral chart, on page 21 when he causes Perils of 
  the Warp. In addition his reckless abandon means he 
  will Push every time he activates a psychic ability.
  
  I: Death From Above
  14
  usIng the DeI-Phage’s hanD
  Bulagor is armed with the Dei-Phage’s Hand, the remains 
  of a daemon prince’s left hand. The hand is completely 
  invulnerable to normal damage, providing 8 points of Armour 
  to the right arm when attached. Only the resources of an 
  Inquisitor can find a way to destroy it. 
  The Dei-Phage’s Hand is the left arm from the elbow 
  down of the creature fought in the last climactic battle of 
  this adventure. This might be a hook usable for a later game 
  session, as the Acolytes struggle to destroy the artefact after 
  the events in later chapters. Unscrupulous Acolytes might 
  decide to keep the Dei-Phage’s Hand and use it themselves, 
  rather than handing it over to the Inquisition. This is certainly 
  the act of a Radical (or worse) and Puritan Inquisitors will 
  look angrily upon Acolytes who take this path and get 
  caught, probably condemning them to execution. 
  Attaching the Dei-Phage’s Hand requires an 
  Ordinary (+10%) Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) 
  check. Once the weapon is attached, it cannot be 
  removed until the current user is dead. Attaching 
  the weapon causes the user to gain 1d10 Corruption 
  Points as the user’s humanity is eroded. In addition, 
  each time the Dei-Phage’s Hand kills another living 
  being, the user must take a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test. 
  A failure means the character acquires another Corruption 
  Point as he is influenced by the weapon’s nature.
  The weapon can hurl razor sharp shards of bone, feeding 
  on blood to replenish its reserves. In melee it is a terrifying 
  weapon capable of cutting through flesh and armour with 
  a single strike.
  In addition, the hand has such a strong tie to the Dei-
  Phage that any psyker wearing it will have visions of the 
  creature. Whenever the character looks in a reflective 
  surface he will see the Dei-Phage with a single hand on his 
  shoulder. Any Psychic Phenomenon created by the psyker 
  will roll on the Haematite Cathedral chart on page 21.
  the DeI-Phage’s hanD
  Name
  Class
  Range
  RoF
  Dam
  Pen
  Clip
  Rld
  Special
  Wt
  Availability
  Boneslivers
  Basic
  60m
  S/2/–
  1d10+5 R
  2
  10
  Special
  Tearing
  3kg
  Unique
  Claw
  Melee
  —
  —
  1d10+2 R
  4
  —
  —
  Hungry
  3kg
  Unique
  Reload: The Dei-phage’s Hand does not need ammunition, instead growing a bony core from which ammunition is flaked 
  off as needed. It can only be reloaded by draining the blood via the Hungry special rule or by the owner suffering one level 
  of Fatigue to feed it his own blood. A single Fatigue level reloads the weapon to full capacity as a Free Action.
  Hungry: A character taking damage from the Dei-Phage’s Hand in melee must make an Ordinary (+10%) Toughness 
  Test or suffer 1 level of Fatigue as the weapon drains his blood. This only affects living creatures with a circulatory 
  system – creatures with the Machine, Amorphous, or Strange Physiology traits may be immune if the Game Master 
  determines that they would not be edible by the hand.
  
  I: Death From Above
  15
  bulagor thrungg
  Thrungg is a degenerate, libertine, glutton, and coward. 
  He was raised with lots of money and no responsibilities, 
  a situation typical of second sons in Scintilla’s minor noble 
  houses. Thrungg, having worked his way through most 
  mundane vices, is jaded and finds satisfaction only in knowing 
  he is doing something that would outrage any moral-minded 
  Imperial citizen. To this end he has collected some forbidden 
  artefacts, although he does not have the contacts or the cunning 
  to assemble a truly formidable gallery of horrors. Thrungg 
  thinks he is rather more outrageous than he is, and when faced 
  with taking responsibility for his actions he is more likely to 
  soil himself than to laugh in the face of authority. Thrungg’s 
  debased life has left him rather thin and he dresses in the most 
  ridiculous of Hive Sibellus’s cutting-edge fashions.
  In combat, Thrungg prefers to hide behind something and 
  shoot, relying on his pets to deal with fighting up close. He 
  fights only through desperation, because he is scared of being 
  captured — if taken alive he breaks down and begs for mercy 
  for a moment before the Dei-Phage’s Hand lets go of his body, 
  killing him in the process.
  Bulagor Thrungg Profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  31
  25
  28
  32
  30
  40
  30
  28
  39
  Movement: 3/6/9/18 
  Wounds: 12
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Blather (Fel), Carouse 
  (T), Common Lore (Imperium) (Int), Decieve 
  (Fel), Dodge (Ag), Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) 
  +10, Forbidden Lore (Heresy), Forbidden Lore 
  (Cults), Gamble (Int), Literacy (Int), Speak Language 
  (High Gothic, Low Gothic) (Int), Trade (Merchant) (Int).
  Talents: Decadence, Exotic Weapon Training (Dei-
  Phage’s Hand), Melee Weapon Training (Power, 
  Primitive, Shock), Pistol Training (Las, SP), 
  Quick Draw, Sure Strike.
  Armour: 
  Mesh-armoured 
  ermine 
  robe 
  (Arms 4, Body 4).
  Weapons: The Dei-Phage’s Hand.
  Gear: Fashionable clothes, 300 Throne Gelt, 
  Best Quality Sword, Best Quality Las-Pistol.
  bulagor’s Pets
  Bulagor’s Pets are large and very ugly reptilian predators kept 
  in line through the use of a drug injector controlled from 
  the interface on the end of its leash. Thrungg usually has 
  his pets to loll around nearby and look impressive, but when 
  pressed into combat he sets the beasts to kill-mode and hopes 
  they will swallow his attackers. The pets are not intelligent 
  combatants, usually going for the closest enemy and trying to 
  crush it between their powerful jaws.
  Bulagor’s Pet Profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  35
  0
  52
  55
  25
  11
  40
  38
  08
  Movement: 6/12/18/36 
  Wounds: 20
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Swim (S)
  Traits: Dark Sight, Natural Armour (2), Natural Weapons 
  (Teeth), Size (Hulking), Sturdy, Unnatural Speed (x2)
  Armour: Natural (2)
  Weapons: Crushing Jaws (1d10+5 R; Lockjaw)
  Lockjaw: If the beast successfully grapples a target it does 
  1d5+2 R damage (targets of a grapple normally suffer no 
  damage).
  
  I: Death From Above
  16
  AREA 4: THE cOURTYARD 
  There is a minor skirmish between Thrungg’s guard and 
  the Scintillan military forces going on in the courtyard. The 
  players can attempt to get to this location, but the moment 
  they do, Scipio calls for them to head off Thrungg in the 
  Menagerie. If they try to help, Scipio yells at them, telling 
  them that he has it under control and that they better not fail 
  to stop Thrungg. The Scintillan military has a Chimera APC 
  that is making short work of any hostile forces, and it should 
  be made clear that this battle is well under control once the 
  Scintillan soldiers have cleared out the defensive positions of 
  Thrungg’s guard.
  Players who are eager to take part in the battle can be 
  given a chance here. Rather than having the Protectorate 
  forces  winning the skirmish, they are in a stalemate with the 
  House Thrungg troops.
  The Acolytes have a clear line of sight (from their position) 
  to the Sergeant of House Thrungg’s guard. With a successful 
  Ballistic Skill Test an Acolyte can kill the leader in one shot, 
  if he fails then his position is given away and the Sergeant 
  repositions himself, ruining the vantage point and the 
  stalemate continues.
  AREA 5: THE MANSION 
  This is the rest of Thrungg’s mansion. It is an opulent building 
  that has been set aflame by the firefight taking place in the 
  courtyard. Entering here is dangerous. Assuming Thrungg has 
  been defeated, some players may wish to rescue servants after 
  Thrungg has been captured. 
  Each player should describe what they are doing to fight 
  the flames or rescue those inside. Each player should then 
  make a Challenging (+0) Test appropriate to their actions. 
  Failures do not hamper the process, but count the total 
  Degrees of Success the group achieved as a whole. For every 
  degree of success, one servant is rescued from the blaze, to a 
  maximum of 10 servants.
  Example Tests that players could try (but they are not 
  limited to these):
  • Dodging the flames and dragging people out of the fire 
  would require an Agility Test.
  • Breaking down barred doors or creating new exits for 
  those inside could be a Weapon Skill or Strength Test.
  • Rallying the Protectorate to help in the rescue with a 
  successful Fellowship Test could prove useful.
  • There is a defunct fire suppression system that an 
  IntelligenceTest could repair.
  AREA 6: THE HALL 
  OF HISTORIES
  While the passage from Menagerie (area 3) to the Mansion 
  (area 5) is intact, Thrungg’s Hall of Histories has been nearly 
  destroyed. Where once there was a passageway that boasted 
  his dynasty’s long history upon Scintilla, only rubble remains. 
  The ceiling and walls have collapsed as the Chimera APC 
  rammed its way through the mansion walls into the courtyard. 
  If the players wish to get to the rest of the mansion, they must 
  pass through the menagerie or the courtyard.
  Passing through the courtyard is inadvisable, as anyone 
  not in cover becomes an instant target for the Gun-Servitors 
  of the House Thrungg’s Guard. If the GM wishes to nudge 
  the players towards the Menagerie conflict then he can 
  make this readily apparent. If the players, however, are more 
  interested in the battle raging outside or the other events in 
  the house then it is advisable to not attempt to force them 
  down the presented path, instead consult the sidebar “The 
  Sandbox Approach”.
  the sanDbox aPProaCh
  It is not the intention of this adventure to force the 
  players along a specific path. If the players are serious 
  about getting to the mansion (or declare their intent 
  before they hear about Thrungg moving to the 
  Menagerie) simply allow them to dodge their way 
  across the courtyard into the burning manor and 
  save a few servants from the flaming house. One of 
  them presents the Acolytes with the key they would 
  normally find in the Hall of Ancestors (area 2) and tells 
  them that Thrungg himself set the house ablaze and 
  fled to the Menagerie.
  In games where the players wish to be traditionally 
  heroic, then Thrungg’s whereabouts might be 
  completely unknown. Scipio can instead be heard 
  over the Vox rallying his men to fight the troops and 
  lamenting that he cannot get to the people in the 
  house. He could even ask the players for help, allowing 
  them to turn his opinion of them around as they save 
  those in the burning building.
  Once the people are rescued, then the players are 
  pointed to the Menagerie while Scipio continues 
  fighting in the courtyard.
  
  I: Death From Above
  17
  Investigation
  “On pain of death you are hearby bound by judgement.”
  —Acolyte Haxtes during the “arrest” of Bulagor Thrungg
  W
  hen Thrungg is captured or dead, the house 
  guards’ resistance crumbles and Scipio’s men 
  rapidly take control of the estate. A search by the 
  Acolytes over the next few hours reveals a secret room with a 
  collection of art and artefacts. 
  It was almost impossible to notice at first glance, but the 
  blood stain from the dead priest was draining away. The feathers 
  soaked much of the fluid, but a steady pull from beneath tugged 
  at each quill until they floated slowly to the cracks that revealed 
  the trap door beneath the false chapel.
  The room is immense. Dimly lit by dozens of servo-skulls 
  floating above each display, a single light pointing beneath them. 
  Rows upon rows of heretical proof are presented for viewing in an 
  audacious display of wealth, influence and damnation. Any single 
  exhibit could earn Thrungg a death sentence, and by Scintillan law 
  his family holdings can be seized, destroying the entire noble line.
  Captain Scipio descends the small staircase after you and 
  gives a whistle of awe, “You boys sure have your work cut out 
  for you. This room needs a routine sweep, I’ll take care of it, 
  don’t want the men to see what’s down here.” He begins to move 
  through the dark room pointing a stab-light and Lasgun at 
  shadows or perceived movement.
  There are dozens of daemonic and xenos artefacts as well 
  as several pieces of ancient text that the Ecclesiarchy will 
  be glad to see recovered. In addition there is a collection of 
  expensive weapons used by sergants and commanders during 
  notable battles of the Angevin Crusade.
  The GM may wish to limit the equipment, but this is an 
  opportunity to give acolytes some unique gear iconic to the Dark 
  Heresy setting. Any of the following items might be available 
  in the museum; much of which could reasonably be claimed by 
  Acolytes as “seizure of family holdings” under Scintillan law:
  • A Best Quality Long Las with several scratched X’s in the 
  stock, that was used by a Ratling to slay the Seigemaster 
  during the Gunmetal Uprising.
  • A Xenos sword that is effectively a Good Craftsmanship 
  sword with the Mono weapon upgrade. An Easy (+30) 
  Forbidden Lore (Xenos) Test reveals this to be of Eldar 
  design.
  • A Bolt Pistol used by Commissar Gild during the Lugg City 
  Massacres to execute over a hundred of his own men.
  • A laspistol with an odd knotwork pattern on the grip. It 
  functions normally, but has the Unstable quality.
  • A Xenos Cloak from the thick skin of a Cruorian War Beast 
  that functions as a Good Quality Mesh Combat Cloak.
  • A decanter of Amasec so old that it no longer has a label, 
  but it remains sealed and fresh.
  • A fine chrono depicting an ancient and fading symbol on 
  a thin titanium chain with an Auspex built into it. A Hard 
  (-20) Forbidden Lore (Inquisition) Test lets the character 
  know that the symbol was once used by the Ordo Chronos.
  There are at least a dozen other books of various relgious 
  or  heretical content, but a few are notable: 
  • An Ordinary (+10%) Forbidden Lore (Daemonology 
  or Heresy) Test identifies the Liber Ex Mentis among 
  the exhibits and confirms that it is a forbidden text. 
  Reading any portion of the book requires an Easy (+30) 
  Willpower Test or the Acolyte gains a single point of 
  Insanity.
  • An Ordinary (+10) Common Lore (Imperial Creed) Test 
  identifies the musings on faith of Palatine Selera. This 
  small, unassuming, leather bound journal was transcribed 
  from the original text and will be valued by members of 
  the Ecclesiarchy.
  There are various other objects on display such as a single 
  Bolt Shell from an Astartes bolter, a pair of feeding brands 
  used by ancient Scintillans to cook and eat their food at the 
  same time, and a clay brick made from mud from Holy Terra 
  (although this is easily uncovered as false).
  The GM should feel free to get creative, using items in the 
  museum to lead to further investigations in later adventures.
  the leaD
  As you pore over the dozens of heretical artefacts Scipio 
  returns from his sweep of the room. “I don’t know what you 
  expected to find here, but I certainly didn’t expect this. I’ll leave 
  you boys to it. Odd though, the ‘spex kept acting up around that 
  dataslate in the back. You might want to check that out.”
  Thrungg has a data-slate on display, which is odd considering it 
  is a mundane item among Scintilla’s nobles. It is encoded.  any 
  character using Scholastic Lore (Cryptology), Logic or Tech-
  Use can decipher the code and reveal the diary of Thrungg 
  with ease, although the GM may require them to make a Test 
  to see how long it takes, Thrungg has kept exact records, 
  including pict recordings of séances he has performed in an 
  attempt to discover more about the Dei-Phage’s hand.
  The Acolytes’ patron Inquisitor can identify the Liber Ex 
  Mentis and the Dei-Phage’s Hand if the Acolytes do not, 
  although he may not be impressed if they missed them. He 
  can also have the data-slate investigated if the Acolytes lack 
  the required skills.
  Once they have deciphered the data-slate, give the 
  Acolytes the dataslate handout found on page 64.
  The data-slate reveals the cryptic musings and flashes of 
  insight about a golden cathedral with a black heart beneath 
  a night sky. Any Cleric or Adepta Sororitas Acolyte will 
  immediately recognize this as the Gilded Cathedral on 
  Barsapine, which is made entirely of a gold coloured alloy 
  mined from Barsapine’s desert. If the Acolytes do not have an 
  Ecclesiarchal character with them, then Scipio remembers an 
  image he saw once of a cathedral made of gold on Barsapine 
  and mentions it to the Acolytes.
  
  I: Death From Above
  18
  TROUBLESHOOTING
  During this first chapter, the Acolyte should be fairly assured 
  of success. While a GM should make every attempt to prevent 
  Acolytes from getting lost or confused during the game, it 
  is impossible for a GM to predict the infinite combinations 
  of character concepts, Acolyte abilities and previous gaming 
  history that any gaming group may have. If players appear 
  stumped it is important for the GM to give them a new clue 
  to keep this part of the plot moving forward.
  The Acolytes have a clear objective and a reasonable 
  amount of authority. Thrungg cannot argue or plead for 
  compassion and the soldiers fighting the battle outside will 
  win given enough time. The Acolytes should feel confident 
  and capable during this opening chapter. Keep the action 
  going!
  • If the Acolytes miss an important clue (such as the keys 
  for the blast door in area 2) the Imperium loyal servants 
  of Thrungg can otherwise tell them or cry for help to 
  draw them to important locations.
  • If a character has suffered a significant amount of fatigue or 
  damage, then one of the servants can dress their wounds or 
  provide a dose of stimm (which is of a high enough quality 
  that it also cures fatigue).
  • If the Acolytes are in really bad shape and definitely 
  going to lose when they encounter Thrungg, he might be 
  single handedly holding off a group of guardsmen in the 
  Menagerie (firing bone shards at them as they take cover 
  behind a door). He has been wounded in his fight and the 
  Acolytes can get the jump on him.
  • If the Acolytes attempt to leave with the Dei-Phage’s 
  hand before discovering Thrungg’s Museum of Apostasty, 
  one of the Imperial Guardsmen will come and get them, 
  desperate to show them the room just uncovered.
  • If the Acolytes are about to die (or have been greatly 
  incapacitated), Thrungg will escape. His museum will 
  still be found but the Acolytes will have to track him 
  down later.
  The second chapter of Black Sepulchre is designed to 
  make players nervous. There will be plenty of opportunities 
  to terrify and jeopardise the Acolytes later. This chapter 
  creates a moment of strength that the Acolytes must reclaim 
  in the third act by defeating the Dei-Phage. 
  A cALL FROM THE DARK
  The journal on the data-slate that was in Thrungg’s collection 
  references the powers of the warp, and leads the Acolytes to 
  the Gilded Cathedral on the world of Barsapine. It is the clue 
  that sends the Acolytes on the next stage in their investigation, 
  so it is essential they either find it themselves or are told of its 
  contents by their patron Inquisitor after Thrungg’s collection 
  has been captured. 
  The Acolytes’ patron Inquisitor has many investigations 
  currently running under his aegis, and cannot attend to this 
  himself. However, the journal is suitably disturbing that he 
  orders the Acolytes to go to the Gilded Cathedral, ascertain 
  the truth of the writings, and deal with any moral threat that 
  might be present.
  exPerIenCe anD DowntIme
  Following this chapter is an opportunity to award experience 
  and allow the players some downtime while their patron 
  Inquisitor looks into the signal they have found. It takes 
  four months for the proper research to be done and for them 
  to travel to Barsapine. The characters should accrue wealth 
  during that time to spend as they see fit.
  Experience Earned: Each player should earn at least 300 
  xp. If you are using the detail-based experience method, use 
  the following.
  Experience Earned:
  • Base: 100 xp
  • Defeated Thrungg: 75 xp
  • Turned the Dei-Phage’s Hand over to their Inquisitor for 
  destruction: 75 xp
  • Uncovered the contents of the data-slate that leads them 
  to Barsapine without aid from their Inquisitor: 100 xp
  
  the 
  haematite 
  CatheDral
  barsaPIne anD 
  kePhIstron altIs
  •
  InvestIgatIons In the 
  gIlDeD CatheDral
  •
  exPloratIon oF the 
  haematIte CatheDral
  •
  Into the belly oF  
  the beast
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  20
  Chapter II:  
  the 
  Haematite 
  Cathedral
  "Sometimes I am moved to wonder... do I live in this place, or does 
  this place live in me?"
  –Koronath Hekate
  W
  hile this chapter begins with a visit to the Gilded 
  Cathedral the Acolytes spend much of The Black 
  Sepulchre exploring the Haematite Cathedral 
  and assembling clues about the location's sinister past. 
  Descriptions of important rooms and actions the characters 
  are likely to take are given. The players should be free to 
  explore the ruins of the cathedral in any order.  
  The Cathedral is inhabited by a powerful Chaos daemon 
  prince, the Dei-Phage, and has become corrupted as a 
  result. This corruption is more obvious in some locations 
  than others, but it is always present in the form of eerie 
  and foreboding events and sensations. While exploring the 
  Haematite Cathedral, the GM can adjust the tone and pacing 
  by describing one of the many strange events that might rattle 
  the Acolytes. This also serves to foreshadow the Dei-Phage 
  later on. These events might be experienced by all Acolytes 
  or only one at a time, perhaps by means of a note handed 
  to that Acolyte’s player. If the players find themselves stuck, 
  these strange happenings can be used to hint at a new clue or 
  guide them to an area they have missed. Imaginative Game 
  Masters can doubtless come up with many more examples.
  • A piece of art, such as a portrait or sculpture, that depicts 
  a human form appears fleetingly to possess tattered, 
  feathery wings and to be in a state of decay.
  • An Acolyte glimpses himself in a mirror or a window 
  pane. A shadowy, winged form behind him lunges 
  forwards, closing spindly talons on the Acolyte’s 
  shoulders and then disappears.
  • Some trivial mundane item belonging to the Acolyte, 
  such as a chrono or a block of corpse rations, appears 
  without explanation to be extremely old, tattered, rotten, 
  rusted, or otherwise decayed. In the case of organic 
  matter like food, the item has reduced to a foul-smelling 
  black mass writhing with maggots.
  • The Acolyte idly touches a surface like a wall or a 
  tabletop. His palm comes away slick with blood, with no 
  hint of where the blood came from.
  • The sinister voice whispers, “How long before they 
  betray you too?”
  • When an Acolyte opens a door, a single black feather floats 
  to the floor of the room beyond. There is no indication of 
  where the feather came from or what was holding it up.
  A TALE OF WOE
  For over a decade, the Hekate Dynasty lived in the cathedral 
  in attempts to discover the secrets that Inquisitor DeVayne hid 
  with Barabus Zanatov. Notably Koronath Hekate attempted to 
  continue Zanatov's work and took up residence in the years 
  before his death, desperately attempting to rebuild the Black 
  Sepulchre halted by the Maledictor's Hand. Unsuccessful, the 
  Dei-Phage drove him mad.
  Nikaea Hekate attempted to conquer the cathedral out of 
  pride. She served as the Rogue Trader's seneschal, but was driven 
  from her sanity. Believing herself a true noble, she looked to the 
  Haematite Cathedral for proof of her divine position. She was 
  forever lost to the Daemon despite her indomitable will and sense 
  of purpose.
  Gustavus Hekate, however, was a heretical cultist when he came 
  to the Haematite Cathedral to serve the creature he witnessed in 
  his dreams. He murdered uncounted innocents and cobbled new 
  horrific constructs until the Dei-Phage betrayed him.
  The Dei-Phage desperately wants to be released but the Pax 
  Macharia and the Hekates struggle against it. Each warp apparition 
  has a piece of a key needed to release the Dei-Phage hidden away. 
  Once they are defeated, the Dei-Phage is able to place the key in 
  the hands of those foolish enough to free him.
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  21
  GETTING THERE
  The Acolytes arrive on Barsapine on a rogue trader vessel from 
  Scintilla. The voyage should take some time, allowing the 
  characters to accumulate two months of income. After being 
  ferried down by lander to Kephistron Altis (the closest city to 
  the Haematite Cathedral) there is an unarmed transport vehicle 
  waiting for their use. They can spend some time trading in the 
  city; anything up to a Scarce rating is available, and the players 
  might find Rare items if they are willing to reveal that they are in 
  service of the Inquisition. What is available is really up to the GM’s 
  discretion, but the players are going into a dangerous area where 
  they are unlikely to have any opportunity to equip themselves.
  Provide the characters with the hand out on page 65, their 
  orders from their patron Inquisitor. This describes their mission 
  here on Barspapine and provides some initial clues to follow. The 
  characters are expected at the Gilded Cathedral by Abbot Jurutas. 
  When the Acolytes have finished about the city or decide to head 
  to the Gilded Cathedral, the adventure begins on page 24.
  UNFORUNATE EvENTS
  The isolation of the Haematite Cathedral can make dealing 
  with possible character death very difficult. If a character does 
  die, there are few ways to introduce a new Acolyte to the cell 
  that blend into the overall storyline.
  • As punishment for perceived transgressions, a local desert 
  tribe locked someone (one of their own or someone they 
  captured) in the manse. This person has been chained in a 
  closet as the Dei-Phage attempts to drive him mad. This 
  character should begin the game with 1d10 Insanity points.
  • An Ecclesiarchal servant from Kephistron Altis has been 
  watching the Haematite Cathedral for a long time, mindful 
  of dark rumours surrounding the place. When the Acolytes 
  arrived he followed them into the cathedral.
  • The Administratum occasionally sends out adepts to survey 
  the property, or the Mechanicum could have sent a Tech-
  priest to investigate the rumours of the Haematite Cathedral 
  as a remnant of the war with the Greenskins.
  haematIte CatheDral Phenomena
  The Dei-Phage so saturates the Haematite Cathedral that any psychic phenomenon generated within call upon his vile 
  form. Whenever a psyker generates a Psychic Phenomena, use this table rather than the one in Dark Heresy.
  roll
  result
  1-9
  Wings of the Angel. The psyker takes 1d5 Explosive Damage to the torso as bloodstained, black-
  feathered wings burst from his back. This damage is not reduced by Armour or Toughness. The wings 
  then quickly rot away, leaving only a pair of bloody scars on the psyker's back.
  10-18
  Matter Warp. All Aquilas within sight of the psyker appear to have rotting feathered wings for a 
  moment and then return to normal.
  19-27
  Merciful Blindness. The psyker’s eyelids melt together, rendering him blind for 1d5 Rounds.
  28-36
  The Angel Passes. Several dozen black feathers flutter down from the air above the psyker.
  37-45
  The Cathedral Speaks. All open doors slam shut, and all closed doors bang open, within a radius of 
  1d10 x 10 metres.
  46-54
  Mark of Change. The psyker feels a point of extreme cold forming on his forehead, but nothing 
  appears there to the naked eye. For the next hour, all mirrors and reflective surfaces show a stylised 
  crescent moon in the centre of the psyker’s forehead.
  55-63
  Rot Thy Soul. A force of corruption and decay grips the heart of everyone within 5d10 metres of the psyker, 
  including the psyker himself. All those affected must make a Willpower Test or gain 1 Corruption Point.
  64-72
  Truth Hurts. The Dei-Phage whispers a secret about the psyker into the psyker’s ear, a truth so horrible 
  that it cannot be expressed in words. The psyker must make a Willpower Test or gain 1 Insanity Point.
  71-81
  Bless This House. The Haematite Cathedral reacts violently to the Acolytes’ presence. The psyker 
  and all within 5d10 metres of him are assailed by a cacophony of fragmented sounds and images, an 
  onslaught that can shatter minds. All affected must pass an Intelligence Test to rationalise what they 
  see and hear. If they fail, they gain 1d5 Insanity Points.
  82+
  Perils of the Warp. The psyker’s actions reach out to the warp beyond the Haematite Cathedral. Roll 
  on the Perils of the Warp table.
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  22
  INcITING EvENTS
  The Haematite Cathedral contains clues to the actions of 
  three rogue trader dynasty descendants; Gustavus, Nikaea, 
  and Koronath Hekate. Each of these three linger on as psychic 
  apparitions in the cathedral, bound shadows of their former 
  real selves in the immaterium, they each serve the Dei-Phage 
  now in a state of endless madness. The Acolytes may stumble 
  on clues that lead them on the trail of one or another of the 
  cathedral’s villainous warp apparitions, but in case they do 
  not, an inciting event may be used to set them on the right 
  trail. A different event can be used to put the Acolyes on the 
  path of each villain. 
  Gustavus Hekate: A few pages from Hadria Hekate’s 
  diary appear in an Acolyte’s belongings. The pages mention 
  Hadria’s fears that his father is involved in something sinister, 
  and mentions the barricaded chamber that contains clues to 
  the demise of Hadria Hekate (see the handout on page 69). 
  The pages can turn up at any time, particularly when the 
  Acolytes are not sure what to do next or are pursuing a dead 
  end. This can prevent the players from becoming frustrated.
   Nikaea Hekate: A psychic howl from the audience 
  chamber of thecathedral alerts the Acolytes to some presence. 
  The howl is a cry of utter rage, and is issued by the psychic 
  apparition of Nikaea Hekate, whose pride has been crushed 
  by her failure to solve the riddle of the cathedral.
  Koronath Hekate: Before the Acolytes’ eyes a series of 
  impossibly complicated equations and mathematical symbols 
  appear on the walls, ceiling, and floor, apparently written by 
  an invisible hand, and burned into the wood panelling or 
  stones rather than made in ink. The symbols spiral around 
  until they form a single trail that leads along the floor until 
  it reaches the door of the Sanatorium Wing. A Challenging 
  (+0) Logic or Ordinary (+10) Scholastic Lore (Numerology) 
  Test suggests that the symbols, while evading standard 
  mathematical thinking, suggest a form of twisted logic 
  redolent of a brilliant but disturbed mind.
  HOME AGAIN
  The Black Sepulchre is written under the assumption that 
  the characters will not leave the Haematite Cathedral once 
  they have arrived there, and that they will see the adventure 
  through to victory or defeat without returning to Kephistron 
  Altis. However, the Acolytes have easy transport back to the 
  city, and if the players are determined, there is nothing to stop 
  them breaking off their investigation into the cathedral. They 
  might want to return to Kephistron Altis to heal up, resupply, 
  find a new member, or try to contact their patron Inquisitor 
  (although their Inquisitor is likely far too busy to nursemaid 
  them through the investigation, and is unavailable to speak 
  with them until they are finished at the cathedral). 
  Optionally, the Maledictor's Hand may attack when they 
  attempt to go back to their vehicle to leave the cathedral, 
  destroying the transport and assaulting the Acolytes. Thus 
  leaving them with little choice but to continue investigating.
  MEDISPEx SERvO-SKULL
  Within the manse, the Acolytes will be called upon to make 
  Medicae Tests discern information about corpses. If the 
  group does not have a character with the Medicae skill, their 
  Inquisitor has provided them with this rare Medispex Servo-
  Skull. A type of Servo-Skull, this assistant has a variety of 
  calipers, syringes and chem-scrapers that allow it to analyze 
  corpses for data. 
  It has the same statistics as a Servitor Drone found on page 
  344 of Dark Heresy. When required to make a Medicae Test 
  to determine information about a corpse, the Medispex Servo-
  Skull allows a character to make an Intelligence or Tech-Use 
  Test in place of a Medicae Test.
  In addition, the servo-skull has a built in treatment device.
  Whether the user wants it to or not, it will automatically 
  attempt to inject any wound with a painful stim-salve, causing 
  the user 1 point of fatigue but healing 1d5+2 Wounds from 
  a Lightly Wounded character or 2 wounds from a Heavily 
  Wounded character. It has no effect on a Critically Wounded 
  patient. It does not place itself in harms way, instead waiting 
  until after combat to heal the Acolytes.
  Characters trained in medicae may instead use the 
  Medispex to augment their own treatments, adding 1d5 to 
  the amount that they would normally heal a Lightly 
  Wounded target.
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  23
  barsaPIne
  The bulk of The Black Sepulchre is set on Barsapine, an Imperial World 
  in the Adrantis Nebula subsector. The planet is tidally locked and does 
  not rotate. Its magnetic western face is a burnt desert and warm winds 
  sweep across the planet from the west. Kephistron Altis is located 
  along the night ridge, and is under an eternal night, warmed only 
  by the winds and lit by reflected light from the Gilded Cathedral.
  Planetary Data
  Population: 1.5 billion 
  Tithe Grade: Exactus Extremis
  Geography/Demography: Temperate/Desert climate, the populations 
  concentrated around the poles. Seven continents, three populated. 
  Principal cities: Kephstron Altis, Kephistron Inferior (northern polar), 
  Skaltine (planetary capital), Descrayne (southern polar). Numerous smaller 
  communities make up approximately half of the total population. The northern 
  and southern polar regions typically communicate little and the planet’s history has 
  included periods of war between the two.  
  Governmental Type: Divinatory Thaumocracy. Regional leaders and governorship decided by divination.
  Planetary Governor: His Magnificence Ordus Malinar Vel Coronasse, Chosen of the Soothsayers’ College.
  Adept Presence: Low. Adeptus Arbites (Skaltine and Kephistron Inferior), Administratum tithing mission (Skaltine).
  Military: Northern Arctic Bonded Guard (low quality standing army based near Kephistron Inferior), Divinatory Guard 
  (medium/low quality civil protection units based at Skaltine). Considerable rivalry between the two forces reduces their 
  effectiveness as a planetary defence force.
  Economic Notes: Barsapine’s principal production is cogitator parts, which make up the majority of its tithe. The rest 
  of the tithe consists of raw materials and manpower. Barsapine pottery is considered among the sector’s finest and can 
  command high prices from collectors.
  Barsapine is a dismal world of little importance in the grand scheme of the Calixis Sector, save for the cogitator 
  parts its large isolationist cities produce. The Acolytes do not see much of the planet since the Haematite Cathedral is 
  some distance from the closest city, Kephistron Altis. The spaceport of Kephistron Altis is a quiet, grey place of toil and 
  religiosity. Barsapine’s more interesting aspects are hidden below the surface – its people are modest and fatalistic, rarely 
  claiming any ambition, and tend to go about masked and cloaked so they can hide themselves from the Emperor’s sight 
  and not commit the prideful sin of seeking out His attention. Their true selves are revealed in private and among the 
  planet’s countless secret societies.
  My old friend Inquisitor Medina,
  I have received your correspondence on the matters requesting 
  information on the practices of the faithful here on Barsapine. I 
  am happy to report that of all the worlds I have come to loathe, 
  my hatred for Barsapine is minor at best. While the climate and 
  solar cycle leave something to be desired, once I became accustomed 
  to the forced twenty four segment day it became tolerable. Indeed, 
  because there is no natural cycle on Barsapine the local population 
  have instead tied their artificial night and day to that of Terra, 
  in the hopes that they may worship at the correct times. 
  The population spends much of its time beneath the surface 
  or indoors, depending on their location as sunward or starword, 
  respectively. It is currently the fashion for both ladies and gentlemen 
  to wear simple slate grey masks and hoods when in public. These 
  fashions occasionally cycle, but often maintaining muted colors. 
  The nobility favours elaborate coverings, often bejeweled about the 
  eyes and cheeks. Their hoods too are grey, but often present fine 
  trimming of gold or silver.
  he secret societies on Barsapine are the only troubling element 
  tion. At first I believed these to be a breeding 
  r, after personally joining several, 
   affairs, designed to 
  nature 
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  24
  THE GILDED cATHEDRAL
  All Cathedrals are grand monuments to the will of the God-
  Emperor of Mankind. The sweeping architecture drives the 
  viewer to moments of silent faith in open structures. The Gilded 
  Cathedral before you now is a towering edifice of solid gold. 
  Where stone or iron would brand the perpetual night skyline 
  with but a shadow, the Gilded Cathedral would reflect even the 
  smallest candle. A single beam of sunlight shines down from orbit, 
  reflected by a massive mirror. The citizens of Kephistron Altis use 
  the glow of the cathedral to mark the day and night cycles, living 
  their lives by the will of the God-Emperor's servants.
  As you climb the steps to the doors of the building, an ancient 
  figure greets you. His wizened form stooped and shrouded in a 
  hood, he holds in his hand a large staff with a hefty tome bound 
  to a plate at the head.
  "Welcome servants of the Holy Ordos. I am Abbot Jurutas 
  and I have been told to expect your arrival. Surely you will wish 
  a repaste after such a long journey."
  The Abbot is happy to discuss the situation with the Acolytes 
  and may be a font of information as long as that information 
  eventually leads the characters to the Haematite Cathedral. 
  He is willing to provide the Acolytes with rooms that, while 
  sparse, are furnished with well crafted and comfortable items. 
  In addition he can answer any questions about the cathedral's 
  purpose or even the mirror in orbit as they progress through 
  the cathedral.
  abbot Jurutas
  The Abbot is an aging man, passed over by his superiors 
  countless times for his bland demeanor and uninspired 
  sermons. This is just as the Abbot, and the Maledictor's Hand, 
  want it. He watches the cathedral and the Black Sepulchre, 
  occasionally attempting to break through the impenetrable 
  field that surrounds the device without any success. 
  Jurutas received communication from the Acolytes patron 
  Inquisitor and immediately contacted his superiors within 
  the Maledictor's Hand. Seeing this is a grand opportunity 
  to release one of their most power servants, the Dei-Phage, 
  they have ordered him to guide the Acolytes to the Haematite 
  Cathedral (although he knows nothing of the Dei-Phage or 
  its  true history). The Abbot happily shows the Acolytes to 
  their quarters or the Librarium.
  He has found several books on the history of the Haematite 
  Cathedral and added them to the collection in the Librarium of 
  Reflection. They tell of a great war between Xenos forces and the 
  Imperium in which the Haematite Cathedral was built to defend 
  against ocean attacks.
  These books were written in ernest by their authors, who are 
  simply mistaken. There was a great war between the Greenskins 
  and the Imperium, and the Pax Macharia was first brought to 
  the planet for that purpose and the authors have extrapolated the 
  most likely truth... albeit a wrong one.
  the blaCk sePulChre
  The thick doors are pushed open by a dozen servitors, six 
  on each side, their augmetics struggling to move the wrought 
  gold slabs. Rows of polished silver pews with red velvet cushions 
  line either side of the audience chamber, framed with pillars 
  depicting movements in the life of St. Drusus. At the end of the 
  centre isle is a velvet-covered dome several stories high, above it 
  the Aquila shaped pulpit hangs by chains from the ceiling..
  "I see you have noticed the Black Sepulchre. Beneath that 
  black shroud is a tomb. Within it lies a weapon against the 
  enemy beyond that, when the God-Emperor deems it necessary, 
  will be a hammer of his righteous fury."
  The Abbot knows only a portion of the story behind the 
  cathedral's founding. He has been told (and believes) that 
  there is a powerful field beneath the velvet that holds a relic of 
  impossibly ancient power, that will one day lay low a daemon 
  and his servants. If the Acolytes attempt to look under the 
  cloth they will be reprimanded. If they later return to check 
  under it any way, they will find an impenetrable force field of 
  strange design. Behind the field is an ancient sepulchre with 
  silent stone guardians and an odd turbo-laser-like protusion 
  that has been highly modified to look like nothing even a 
  Tech-Priest has ever seen before.
  the lIbrarIum oF reFleCtIon
  Several servo-skulls and a curator-servitor tend to a pair of 
  book cases groaning under the weight of large leather bound 
  tomes. Through a pair of wavy glass doors is a small garden 
  enclosed by high walls. The light from above shines down on 
  what must surely be the only trees in the entire city. Stone benches 
  provide a place to sit as the servitors hold books aloft for careful 
  study. A pair of clerics sit along a wall quitely discussing the 
  contents of an old red leather book.
  "This is the Librarium, I have been told you have much 
  research to do into the history of this place. I am here to assist 
  you in any way I can. I do ask that you refrain from discussing 
  these matters with the students, however, as their minds are not 
  ready for the horrors Acolytes of the Holy Ordos must face."
  The Librarium has been seeded with several books that the 
  Abbot intends the Acolytes to find. Have one of the Acolytes 
  make a Literacy Test. For each Acolyte trained in literacy who 
  wishes to help, the acting character gains a +10 bonus to 
  the Test. If the Acolytes fail they find a partial inventory of 
  Ecclesiarchal holdings (hand out 66) that notes a Haematite 
  Cathedral. If they succeed, they have also found a stray passage 
  in an unrelated book with cryptic notes in the margin, the co-
  ordinates in the note could match the location described as 
  the Haematite Cathedral.
  These are designed to direct the Acolytes to the Haematite 
  Cathedral. A location that Abbot Jurutas is easily able to 
  direct them to, and provide them with transport.
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  25
  RAzORED WING
  I
  deally this encounter takes place on the steps of the Gilded 
  Cathedral as the Acolytes leave for the Haematite Cathedral. A 
  four man cell of cultists have learned from their patron daemon, 
  the Dei-Phage, that the Acolytes are investigating the cathedral, 
  and set out to ambush and kill them. This cell, which calls itself 
  the Razored Wing, knows nothing of the Maledictor's Hand 
  or the plots of Cardinal Ignato, and believes that its members 
  alone have been spoken to by the Dei-Phage who promises them 
  eternal life and infinite knowledge in return for their service and 
  their souls. The  Razored Wing is afraid that the source of their 
  power may be released, and against the wishes of the Dei-Phage 
  they intend to stop the Acolytes from reaching his prison. 
  If any of the cultists survive the conflict, they are gibbering 
  thanks to the influence of the Lacksoul herbs, the vapours of 
  which they have inhaled. Any survivors can be questioned with a 
  Hard (-20) Interrogation Test. They can reveal the Razored Wing 
  is composed of disparate individuals linked by shared visions 
  when under the effects of narcotics (including the Lacksoul herb 
  the cult favours). No one member knows how many others there 
  are, only that those sent to ambush the Acolytes and received 
  their orders via coded messages left in dead drops. None of the 
  members knows the whole structure of the cult or any details 
  of its leadership. The Razored Wing members worship the Dei-
  Phage (which they know by a variety of far less sinister names), 
  which they believe is an emissary from the warp who has chosen 
  Barsapine as the planet on which it will rise and begin a new age 
  of enlightenment where death and ignorance will be no more. 
  This is all a lie spun by the Dei-Phage, but the cultists believe in it 
  absolutely, even to the moment of death.
  Alternatively this encounter can happen at any time on the 
  road to the Haematite Cathedral or even at the cathedral itself.
  razorwIng Psyker
  These mad psyker wears tattered robes and carries a staff 
  topped with a rusting iron ring that has been sharpened on 
  the outside to maintain a dangerous edge.
  Razorwing Psyker
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  25
  30
  25
  35
  20
  35
  30
  35
  35
  Movement: 2/4/6/12  
   
   
  Wounds: 10
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag), Psyniscience (WP), Speak 
  Language (Low Gothic) (Int).
  Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Las, SP), Melee Weapon 
  Training (Primitive), Psy Rating 3
  Armour: Armored Robes (2 All).
  Weapons: Razorwinged Staff (1d10 +4 R, Balanced, Primitive)
  Gear: Lamp Pack, Canteen of "water", 1d10 Thrones
  Psychic Powers: Deja Vu, Touch of Madness, Psychic Shriek
  Dei-Phage Servant: This Psyker creates Psychic Phenomenon 
  from the Haematite Manse Phenomenan table. Re-roll any result 
  of 82+, this Psyker does not suffer Perils of the Warp.
  razorwIng mutant CultIsts
  These mutants are mishappen and covered in tiny self inflicted 
  cuts. They are dressed in tattered blue robes each decorated 
  with a pair of false, bright-feathered wings strapped to their 
  backs. They wear masks that cover their noses and mouths 
  and resemble the beaks of birds. These masks are stuffed with 
  a psychoactive herb (effectively Frenzon). The cultists are not 
  that heavily armed but they are fanatical mutants lead by a 
  rogue witch. The cultists, mind-addled as they are, rant as 
  they fight .They are all completely mad and eager to die in 
  the Angel's service.
  Razorwing Mutant cultists
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  30
  10
  30
  25
  25
  15
  30
  20
  20
  Movement: 3/6/9/18  
   
   
  Wounds: 10
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int).
  Talents: Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), Throwing Weapon
  Armour: None
  Weapons: Flail (1m; 1d10+5 I; Flexible, Primitive).
  Gear: Lamp Pack, Canteen of "water", 1d10 Thrones, 
  1 Lacksoul Herb (Frenzon).
  the lItany oF razoreD wIng
  The cultists recite the following six lines as they fight, 
  each one chanting one line on their action. If a cultist 
  falls, the next takes up the chant in his place.
  Three puppets tied to strings!
  All pirouette on rotting wings!
  Wear your flesh dance upon the maw.
  You are but grit for the craw.
  The gilded one will damn us all!
  Upon the Pax the souls shall fall!
  Once the entire litany is finished, the cultists endlessly 
  chant these two lines as they fight:
  Skin upon the bones of men,
  Razors on the Macharian Sin!
  Any character that memorizes the litany must 
  immediately pass a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test or 
  gain 1d5 Insanity Points. Acolytes with the Total Recall 
  talent will certainly remember the words to this Litany.
  sCalIng the enCounter
  There should be at least one Razorwing Cultist for 
  each acolyte. If there are more than 5 Acolytes then 
  an additional Psyker should be added with additional 
  mutant cultists.
  The Razorwing can be more challenging for 
  characters of rank 5 or higher the Mutants should be 
  given the Necrophage Mutations found on page 335 of 
  the Dark Heresy rulebook. 
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  26
   
  Locations not labeled on this map are accessed through 
  other areas and cannot be travelled too without passing 
  through one of the shown locations.
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  27
  AREA 1: THE GROUNDS
  The journey from Kephistron Altis to the cathedral can be 
  skipped, depending on the GM’s style of play and the tendencies 
  of his players. If the GM wishes to fill in more detail, the Acolytes 
  arrive at the spaceport and find a ground-effect vehicle waiting 
  for their use. A journey of several hours yields no experience more 
  dramatic than a sight of Barsapine’s wasteland – vast flinty shards 
  of the planet’s crust reaching up towards a stormy grey sky. The 
  Acolytes get their first sight of the cathedral, and of the sea, as the 
  vehicle rounds a low stony hill.
  Months of travel and research have brought you to the 
  Haematite Cathedral. The mad writings of Thrungg and the 
  books within the Librarium of Reflection point to this accursed 
  location as the source of the Dei-Phage's Hand. 
  The journey from Kephistron Altis took the better part of 
  the day as the path to the cathedral left the well kept lanes of the 
  Governor's rockcrete dispensorways for dirt roads and finally the 
  heavy grit terrain. As you move further away from Kephistron 
  Altis, the sky begins to lighten into a perpetual state of twilight, 
  the Barsapine star glowing patiently along the western horizon.
  The Haematite Cathedral is a hideous gothic construction. 
  Sitting on the edge of a cliff that gives way to a slate-grey 
  churning sea, the cathedral is as isolated as it is threatening. The 
  tumbledown steeples of a dozen extensions frown at overgrown 
  gardens. Black arrow-slit windows glare like narrowed eyes. A 
  hundred gargoyles seem frozen mid-cackle, mocking the sorry 
  state of this once-grand house. A number of tombs and grave 
  monuments stand choked in vegetation in the shadow of the house, 
  and in the half-light of Barsapine, the cathedral seems to loom 
  down on you like the harbinger of some grim fate.
  The cathedral’s grounds are overgrown and dark. The grass is 
  knee-high and dense, and the branches of the trees grow together 
  to form dense canopies that shut out the sun. Once, raised planting 
  and elegant topiary created an impressive if rather regimented 
  garden, but now the grounds speak of nothing but neglect.
  The characters may attempt to search the grounds but there 
  is nothing of value in the overgrown grass itself. A Hard (-20) 
  Forbidden Lore (Occult) Test tells the Acolytes that the shrubbery 
  and paths once formed an intricate protection symbol. The only 
  visible entrance to the building are the great double doors leading 
  into the main chapel. However, some players may attempt to enter 
  through an outside window which can be easily accomplished, 
  leading them into a different area.
  Acolytes who undertake a search of the grounds discover 
  the dried remains of an ornamental water receptacle, and 
  a house built for a long forgotten groundskeeper. On the 
  banks of the water feature is a folly, an artificial cave built to 
  beautify a waterfall that once fell in front of it and which has 
  long since dried up. The remains of the giant archaic pumps 
  which once powered the waterfall can be found in the dense 
  undergrowth beneath the trees. 
  Inside the cave are about two dozen sets of human 
  bodies that appear to have been rotting here for only a few 
  weeks. Little can be told about them except by their number, 
  although a Difficult (-10) Medicae Test reveals marks on 
  various exposed bones suggesting they died by violence, and 
  that some of them may have even been dismembered before 
  being hidden in the cave. On the back wall of the cave, the 
  words "Burn in a thousand hells Gusta..." have been carved 
  with a blade, the words trailing off as if the carver lacked the 
  strength to finish them.
  This is where Gustavus disposed of some of his victims' 
  corpses once he had finished experimenting with them. The 
  words were carved by a victim who survived a short time 
  before succumbing to the wounds Gustavus had inflicted.
  the unburIeD DeaD
  If the GM wishes, these corpses (and dozens more buried 
  in shallow graves) can awaken should the Acolytes reach an 
  impasse in their investigation. The corpses respond to the dark 
  will of Gustavus, whose Warp Apparition has been awoken 
  by the characters. Body parts stitch themselves together and 
  shamble towards the house, desperately moaning "please" to 
  Gustavus Hekate, begging him to allow them to die.
  These sorrowful shades are all that remains of the victims 
  Gustavus buried in the cave by the edge of a water feature and 
  in shallow pits on the grounds. The Unburied Dead swarm one 
  or two Acolytes at once, trying to overwhelm with numbers.
  gustavus' vICtIms
  Decaying and mishapen human forms with sunken faces 
  and rotted-out eye sockets, their mouths yawing as they 
  beg for release. Many appear to be cobbled together from 
  multiple bodies, flesh sewn seams weep blood where they 
  connect. At the end of wrist stumps or the remains of fingers 
  are protruding jagged bones, sharpened by the gnawing of 
  vermin.
  Gustavus' victims
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  25
  0
  25
  30
  15
  00
  25
  25
  00
  Movement: 1/2/4/8  
   
   
  Wounds: 1
  Skills: Speak Language (Low Gothic).
  Talents: Heightened Senses (Smell), Natural Weapons.
  Armour: None.
  Traits: From Beyond, Fear 1.
  Weapons: Begrimed Claws (1d10+2 R; Primitive).
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  28
  AREA 2: THE NAvE
  A large reception alcove gives way to the Nave proper, once 
  a place of worship and grandeur. The Nave is a vast room, 
  dominated by a grand staircase wrapping around the remnants of 
  a massive cannon and leading to a landing with doorways to the 
  cathedral's second floor structure. Cobwebs and dust are thick on 
  the pews here, which in spite of their disrepair suggest a stifling 
  opulence, as if the clergy of this place were trying to crowd out any 
  disbelief in the worshippers by cramming it with valuable works 
  of art and craftsmanship of several clashing styles. Most of the 
  furnishings are bolted to the floor, gold trimmings hiding where 
  carved wood meets fading carpet. 
  The Nave serves as a hub for the entire building with thick 
  wooden doorways leading into the rest of the building. The second 
  floor landing has additional pews for the faithful to worship from 
  and a pair of doors leading into other areas of the building. 
  In spite of the length of time the cathedral appears to have been 
  abandoned, a large clock near the cannon still dolefully ticks away 
  the time, chiming every quarter hour. 
  The Nave is probably the first area of the cathedral the 
  Acolytes will encounter, unless they look around the grounds 
  before entering. The primary purpose of this room is to look 
  impressive – it is two stories high, with the grand staircase 
  leading to a mezzanine floor. The floor was once deeply 
  plush, but the carpet is now a drab mass of mould and damp 
  stains. The tattered leather-backed pews, on closer inspection, 
  turn out to have been upholstered in xenos hides and the altar 
  where sermons were no doubt delivered from is crafted of a 
  tropical hardwood.
  When any of the three villainous warp apparitions – 
  Gustavus, Nikaea, and Koronath – is defeated, their corpse is 
  unearthed by the powers of the Dei-Phage and found seated 
  on one of the pews in the front row, if the players have not 
  already found the body elsewhere. On their lap is a piece of 
  the cog-key. Once disturbed in any way (including picking 
  up the cog-key piece) the body immediately crumbles to dust, 
  rapidly decaying away, leaving only the cog-piece behind.
  A successful Easy (+20) Common Lore (War) or Forbidden 
  Lore (Archeotech) Test reveals that the cannon could be made 
  to function still and is currently loaded. 
  the Cog-key
  The ancestor's clock is still ticking, even though no one has 
  been around to wind it for a very long time. Examining the 
  clock reveals that it is not mechanical but runs off a power 
  pack similar to that found in a lasgun – the inside of the clock 
  contains no weights or clockwork, but only an empty space 
  through which can be seen the wall behind it. In the wall 
  is a depression about the size of a man’s palm, in the shape 
  of a cog. Any Tech-Priest will recognize this impression's 
  outline as belonging to the Adeptus Mechanicus, although its 
  purpose cannot be discerned at this time. The depression is 
  plated with metal and is, in fact, a keyhole, shaped to receive 
  a three-part key in the shape of a skull surrounded by a cog. 
  When this key is inserted into the depression, a hidden door 
  slides open, revealing a small elevator. This elevator leads to 
  the lower floors of the Haematite Cathedral (see Macharian 
  Peace, page 45). A Difficult (-10) Search Test reveals the 
  existence of a door, but there is no means to open it. The 
  ancient technology of the Pax Macharia is proof against any 
  technological means to fool the lock, as well as explosives 
  since it is made of the same super-dense alloys as the rest of 
  the war machine.
  The parts of the key fit together to form the key without 
  any difficulty or need for skill Tests. If the Acolytes have 
  acquired the key but have not discovered the keyhole behind 
  the clock, it chimes once and then stops working, and the 
  front visibly swings open a bit.
  Once the players have taken enough time in the Nave or 
  ask about exits and the layout of the rest of the cathedral read 
  the following:
  Visitors can rapidly gauge the general layout of the Haematite 
  Cathedral from small bronze plates inlaid into the walls. There 
  are three towers as well as two wings connected to the Nave you 
  are currently in. 
  Located through a thick wooden door is a wing containing 
  a Skulleria, an indoor garden, a series of personal rooms and a 
  grand audience chamber. 
  A heavy iron door with rusting hinges has been secured by 
  a pair of thick metal bars and sealed with mortar. The bronze 
  plaque reads "Sanatorium".
  One of the towers doors has been caved in with rubble, the 
  spire having collapsed into the sea long ago. The central tower 
  is accessible only from the second floor of the Nave, as it must be 
  passed under to enter the chamber proper. The remaining tower is 
  clearly marked and contains a Librarium and Solarium. 
  There are two additional towers visible from the outside of the 
  cathedral, however, the layout of the building suggests that they 
  are only accessible from the wings.
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  29
  AREA 3: THE SKULLERIA 
  The Skulleria is a dismal and windowless place where only 
  servants would normally have trod. Now water drips from the 
  ceiling, forming stagnant puddles. An enormous oven covers one 
  wall, with a massive steel door like the entrance to a furnace in 
  a factorium, large enough for several men to stand side by side. 
  The other walls are lined with work surfaces, each with score 
  marks where thousands of beasts were butchered and prepared for 
  the house's occupants. Empty cupboards reach the ceiling, doors 
  hanging open. A dusty pantry contains only spiders, whose webs 
  have caught a few flies. The remnants of a long decaying servitor 
  stand leaning against a wall, its knives and utensils having rusted 
  into uselessness. Perhaps once this place bustled with harried 
  servants, but now all is darkness and silence save for the steady 
  drip of water.
  Searching the Skulleria reveals a tattered book whose title is 
  illegible. This was once a hand written preparation manual 
  containing hundreds of recipes for local wildlife, all of them 
  for over-complicated and almost unpalatably rich meals that 
  take a minimum of eight hours and several servitors to prepare. 
  The cook, who worked here in Nikaea’s time, annotated the 
  book thoroughly. These are mostly notes complaining about 
  the incompetence of others but she occasionally comments 
  on punishments she had dreamt up for her sub-servants, 
  including the sharpening of feathers to be stabbed into flesh. 
  The servitor is long past repair, but its remains have dozens of 
  black feathers sharpened and stuck into what was once flesh.
  The Skulleria is the location of the entrance to Gustavus 
  Hekate’s hidden laboratory. The entrance is very well 
  concealed, consisting of a hinged plate inside the enormous 
  oven. It can be accessed by crawling into the oven and 
  operating a complex hidden switch under the flagstone. 
  Finding the switch requires a Hard (-20) Search Test, or it can 
  be found automatically using the information from Gustavus’ 
  study. The entrance leads to a short, pitch-black staircase of 
  cold, sweating stone ending in a solid bronze door inscribed 
  with the Hekate dynasty crest. The smell of preservative 
  chemicals is heavy in the air. The door is not locked, and 
  leads to the Hidden Laboratory (area 4).
  AREA 4: THE HIDDEN 
  LABORATORY
  This dismal room is lit only by the feeble light reaching here 
  from the skulleria above. The flagstones and granite walls are 
  sweating with condensation. Cages line the walls, and into the 
  floor is inscribed a complex circular symbol. Laboratory benches 
  with arcane implements and devices form a study area at one 
  end of the room. Though this place looks abandoned, the smell 
  of sweat, blood and decay still tinges the air. The floor near the 
  entrance is metal, hard and impervious, but it gives way to dirt 
  with simple stone laid atop it.
  This room is where Gustavus Hekate conducted experiments 
  on his captives or the bodies of those he killed, hoping to 
  summon the Dei-Phage and find out the secrets it promised 
  to tell him. Early victims were simply killed, later ones were 
  horribly mutilated or used to create bizarre stitched hybrids 
  at the Angel's instruction.
  The room is dark, so without additional lighting, Tests 
  affected by sight (like Search, Ballistic Skill or Weapon Skill 
  Tests) are at –20. Acolytes will probably have to provide or 
  rig their own light source.
  The cages contain a mixture of detritus, mostly dried leather 
  scraps and bones. A Routine (+20) Medicae Test confirms most 
  of them as human, with a few dogs and wild animals thrown in. 
  The laboratory benches have lots of scientific implements and 
  Down the ragged path to the Librarium Nox. There 
  lies not madness but freedom. Shed your corpse god's 
  chains and allow your mind to be filled. Wash away 
  the grime and soot of those who wish to paint your 
  soul black. The body is an illusion of flesh that only 
  the blessed can carve in their own image.
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  30
  dissection tools, and bizarre abstract symbols are burned into 
  the wood. An Ordinary (+10) Scholastic Lore (Chymistry) Test 
  suggests the implements are for various forms of alchemy, mostly 
  fringe sciences based around the manipulation of non-existent 
  elements and the transmutation of one material into another. 
  An Ordinary (+10) Scholastic Lore (Occult) Test identifies the 
  symbols as concerning transmutation and eternal life. A Routine 
  (+20) Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) Test identifies a version 
  of the stylised crescent moon symbol among the scorched 
  images, a symbol associated with the Chaos god Tzeentch, lord 
  of change and sorcery.
  A Routine (+20) Awareness Test is enough to notice that 
  one of the walls is false, and the stone fronting can be swung 
  away to reveal another wall beneath. On this wall are mounted 
  some of Gustavus’s creations. When they are discovered, 
  any Acolyte witnessing them must pass an Ordinary (+10) 
  Willpower Test or gain 1 Insanity point.
  These bodies are all withered beyond identification (even 
  genders are unclear), but Gustavus used preservative and taxidermic 
  techniques to keep them from rotting away completely.
  Two corpses are stitched together to form a monster with one 
  set of legs but two torsos, heads and sets of arms. Another body 
  has had feet transplanted onto the ends of its arms and had its 
  pelvis and legs altered, so it is now a quadruped that looks like, 
  in life, it ran like a dog. Another body is still human-shaped but 
  has horned scales running along its arms and legs. These growths 
  burrow into the bone and resemble hard seedpods or the chrysalises 
  of pupating insects. The final corpse is a serpentine horror of six 
  limbless torsos sewn together end on end, topped by a head which 
  has a horribly enlarged jaw crammed with distorted fangs. 
  The most important feature of the hidden lab is a well, 
  hidden beneath one of the large flagstones in the floor. A 
  Routine (+20) Search Test reveals that one flagstone is not 
  mortared in and covers a shaft in the floor. If the Acolytes 
  do not pass this Search Test, a strange event such as a single 
  feather falling onto the flagstone takes place to point them in 
  the right direction.
  The well is about twenty metres deep. Almost its entire 
  depth is full of decayed bodies, a mix of foul black sludge 
  and age-browned bones. Gustavus dumped unneeded bodies 
  here so he had a convenient source of body parts for future 
  experiments and rituals. Opening the shaft causes Gustavus’ 
  psychic apparition to manifest, as his anger flares at his 
  possessions being disturbed.
  “You! What do you think you are doing? This is my place of 
  study! You have no right to disturb my work! Explain yourself!” 
  A powerfully built man in regal clothing barrels his way into the 
  room. He is furious, brandishing his fist at you in rage. He would 
  look almost healthy if not for the massive hole in his abdomen. 
  The wound refusing to bleed or heal.
  If the Acolytes simply attack, Gustavus is happy to 
  accommodate their desire for a fight. If they talk, he turns to 
  violence once he has become bored with explaining himself.
  Gustavus is accompanied in this combat by five corpses 
  of his victims, animated by his evil will. They crawl out of 
  the well at the rate of one per Round. Hauling the flagstone 
  back over the well requires a Full Action and a Challenging 
  (+0) Strength Test, but prevents any further animated corpses 
  from emerging.
  Gustavus taunts the Acolytes with their perceived inferiority 
  and lack of culture and learning. He fights to destruction, 
  whereupon his psychic apparition dissipates. His last words 
  are “And now, you see that even death means nothing to the 
  truly great…” His defeat exorcises him, his body slumps to 
  the ground and quickly erodes into a decaying corpse. In his 
  clenched fist is a part of the cog-key.
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  31
  gustavus hekate
  Gustavus Hekate is a monster, a supremely arrogant, cruel, 
  and brutal man with no sense of empathy for anyone else and 
  concern only for his own needs. Gustavus was easy prey for 
  the influence of the Dei-Phage, which only had to whisper 
  suggestions that he might find power and eternal life by 
  sacrificing victims. Gustavus killed his victims to offer them 
  to the powers of the warp, use them in various rituals, and 
  prove his superiority over his fellow human beings. Gustavus 
  is a bulky, bull-headed man who wears severe formal dress 
  and his expression ranges from glowering to raging.
  Gustavus Hekate is a psychopath and killer and is eager to 
  mix it up with his foes in hand-to-hand combat. He uses the 
  reanimated corpses of his victims to isolate one foe and kill 
  that enemy up close, before moving on to whoever remains.
  Gustavus Hekate
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  35
  25
  50
  40
  30
  40
  40
  25
  40
  Movement: 3/6/9/18 
  Wounds: 22
  Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Common Lore (Imperium) (Int), 
  Deceive (Fel) +10, Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) (Int), +20 
  Interrogation (WP, Intimidate (S), Scrunity (Per), Literacy 
  (Int), Speak Language (High Gothic, Low Gothic).
  Talents: Crushing Blow, Fearless, Frenzy, Iron Jaw, Melee 
  Weapon Training (Primitive), Basic Weapon Training (SP, 
  Pistol Weapon Training (SP).
  Traits: Fear 1, From Beyond, Warp Weapon (Bloodstained Fists)
  Warp Apparition: Gustavus's substance can be made incorporeal 
  at his whim, allowing him to both fight in combat and allow 
  incoming attacks to pass harmlessly through him. This works 
  like the Dodge skill, except it uses Gustavus' Perception attribute 
  instead of Agility. Gustavus cannot use her perception attribute 
  to dodge weapons with the Sanctified trait.
  Weapons: Bloodstained Fists (1d10 +3 I: Primitive).
  Armour: Flak Greatcoat (3 Arms, 3 Body, 3 Legs).
  reanImateD vICtIms
  These foul creatures are the pathetic remnants of those victims 
  that Gustavus murdered in the hidden laboratory. They are 
  reanimated by his evil will and have no consciousness of 
  their own. They shamble forward to claw at foes, trying to 
  grapple and overwhelm them, and have no concept of self-
  preservation. Once Gustavus is dispatched they immediately 
  crumble to dust.
  Gustavus's victims
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  28
  10
  35
  50
  15
  10
  35
  25
  00
  Movement: 1/2/4/8 
  Wounds: 10
  Skills: Awareness (Per).
  Talents: Double Team, Enhanced Senses (Smell), Fearless.
  Traits: Natural Weapons (Teeth).
  Abominable Stench: Such is the unholy stink of these 
  shambling monstrosities that any character within 10 metres 
  of one, except Gustavus or another Reanimated Victim, suffers 
  a -10 penalty to all Toughness Tests.
  Weapons: Teeth (1d5 +3 R; Primitive).
  Armour: Desiccated Flesh (2 All).
  talkIng to gustavus
  Gustavus fully intends to kill these intruders, but he is also willing to indulge his arrogance by explaining a little of 
  what he is trying to achieve. If the Acolytes try to bluff or sweet-talk their way out of the situation, Gustavus finds an 
  excuse to explain his purpose.
  “This is my life’s work. I seek nothing less than eternal life! Thanks to an intercession by a most gracious patron, I am 
  but a few experiments away from the ritual that will endow me with life everlasting. The living are fuel, you see. Fuel 
  for this process. For how can life be created but from life? Few of these people were missed. I have had hardly anyone 
  asking after a missing relative. The only trouble came from the Astropath Hadria, and I saw to it that she shall interfere 
  no more. What think you, then, of my work? It is as much an art as a science.”
  “I see I deal with lesser minds after all. How terribly ordinary you are. And so your fate shall be most ordinary, too, 
  reduced to mere ingredients for the whims of a greater man!”
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  32
  AREA 5: TROPHY ROOM
  This long gallery contains several freestanding stuffed 
  animals and the heads of larger beasts mounted on the walls. The 
  most spectacular is a bipedal ursine creature with reptilian scales 
  and a long tail posed rearing up with its jaws wide open. Most 
  of the animals are badly moth-eaten. A few frames of mounted 
  insects and beetles also hang on the wall. A pair of brackets 
  holds a long ornate rifle over the window, in front of which is 
  a handsome desk with a surface of tessellated bone fragments. A 
  glass-fronted display cabinet holds the claws, teeth, and stingers 
  of several presumably dangerous animals, all carefully labelled. 
  There is a closed door on the eastern wall that bears a single 
  hand print in smeared and dried blood.
  The various hunting enthusiasts of the Hekate dynasty, in 
  particularly Vorkas, built an impressive collection of trophies. 
  Nikaea Hekate displays her favourite kills in this room, when 
  she thought that the cathedral would be the proper place to 
  transplant her dynasty. Her hubris was short lived and in her 
  insanity she avoided this room for fear the trophies would come 
  alive. A Routine (+20) Scholastic Knowledge (Beasts) Test reveals 
  that all the stuffed animals are native to Barsapine, including the 
  large scaled creature, which is actually a docile herbivore from the 
  planet’s desert equatorial regions. The stingers and claws were 
  collected from dealers from across the sector.
  The hunting rifle is a valuable and sought-after weapon 
  made by an exclusive shop in Descrayne that no longer exists. 
  It belonged to Vorkas Hekate, now a mutant locked up in the 
  Sanatorium Wing.
  The desk's surface folds up, revealing a compartment 
  containing a hip flask half-full of well preserved spiced alchohol, 
  a stub revolver with two reloads, and a folded letter sealed with 
  wax. The letter is signed by Vorkas Hekate and is so damaged that 
  is requires an Easy (+30) Literacy test to decipher. It warns the 
  authorities in Kephistron Altis of Koronath’s suspicious behaviour. 
  Vorkas went mad and was consigned to the Sanatorium Wing 
  before he could send the letter. 
  The door to the Gallery has a bloody hand print. When the 
  players approach it, it locks itself with a loud click.
  AREA 6: WARRANT ROOM
  The carpet and wood panelling of this room have mostly 
  been spared the damp that has claimed much of the rest of the 
  house. On the walls hang dozens of portraits, each one would 
  have been moodily lit by now ruined servo-skulls so the painted 
  faces seem to loom out of their dark backgrounds. The frames 
  are ornately gilded, and the paintings themselves are in a heroic 
  style that has each subject posing regally in their finest clothes. 
  None of the paintings are intact, but remnants of one still shows 
  its subjects.
  The centre of this room is dominated by a large circular 
  viewing couch. In front of the one visible portraits sits the corpse 
  of a matronly woman. Her skin long eaten away by the ravages of 
  time. Her large powdered wig and ball gown smeared with dried 
  bloody hand prints. Her dress matches the woman in the portrait. 
  Atop a small platform at the centre of the viewing seat is 
  a glass covered stone platform. One pane of the glass has been 
  shattered open, but the stand for a large object remains. A small 
  adamantium plate reads “Zanatov Warrant of Trade”.
  The door has locked itself (in front of the players). It is easy 
  enough to kick the door in or simply pick the lock. If Nikaea 
  Hekate has been defeated in her tower then the door does not 
  lock itself and the Acolytes may simply enter.
  The Hekate dynasty had the best of Barsapine’s artists (who 
  were all mediocre by sector standards) paint them looking as 
  rich and important as possible. None of the gallery’s portraits 
  are intact and have suffered the effects of time and damp 
  conditions and are faded beyond repair.
  A Routine (+20) Medicae Test shows that the blood on the 
  corpse's dress and wig is her own, left when she attempted 
  to adjust her clothing while her hand was dampened by her 
  own fluid. Even a cursory inspection of the body reveals part 
  of the cog key gripped in her lifeless fingers. From the look 
  of the corpse's clothing this could be Nikaea Hekate's body.
  The pedestal at the centre of the couch once held the 
  Rogue Trader warrant for the Zanatov family, this is the first 
  clue that the Hekate’s might not be what they seem.
  the sCaPula Iv
  The Scapula IV Highlander Penetrator Excel is a vintage weapon that can command a very high price in the hands of 
  collectors, who value it both for its outstanding penetration of big game animals' hides, and the status such a fine and 
  rare weapon brings in such circles. An example coming up for sale provokes an auction among the Calixis Sector's gun 
  fanciers. The Scapula IV can bring a +10% bonus to Fellowship Tests when dealing with collectors. The rarity and value 
  are purposefully left out, as this is up to the GM to determine how he wishes to handle a possible sale of the weapon. 
  It is possible that any attempt to do so would bring the attention of the cell's Inquisitor. The Scapula IV is considered a 
  "Best Quality" weapon, however it does not function as such until the Acolytes have had several days to properly clean 
  and care for the firearm.
  Name
  Class
  Range
  ROF
  Damage
  Pen
  Clip
  Reload
  Special
  Wt
  Scapula IV
  Basic
  150m
  S/-/-
  1d10+3 I
  4
  6
  Full
  Accurate, Reliable
  7kg
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  33
  AREA 7: THE ScHOLARIA
  This small, neat room has been relatively unharmed by 
  the years, save for the coating of dust over everything and the 
  stains of age on the window, which render the room dark. An 
  autoscribe's desk plate stands under the window, still strewn with 
  yellowing papers. The autoscribe itself is nowhere to be found, 
  but a cupboard above the desk has ink wells and replacement 
  quills for the servitor. Several framed certificates hang opposite, 
  proclaiming services rendered to the Imperial Governor, and 
  beside the desk is a large leather upholstered dictation throne.
  This room served as Gustavus's study, and the Hekate dynasty 
  kept it in much the same condition as when he used it. 
  The papers on the desk include, among various mundane 
  household receipts, designs for a hidden trapdoor concealed 
  among the large flagstones of a floor. Acolytes who have been 
  to the Kitchen, or go there after seeing the designs, recognise 
  the Kitchen as the location of this hidden trapdoor, and are 
  able to find the trapdoor using the designs without a Search 
  Test.
  In the top desk drawer are a stub automatic (without any 
  ammunition, although the gun still works), a glass paperweight 
  with the skull of a rat set into it, and a loose handful of human 
  teeth. The certificates on the wall are honorary accolades 
  and memberships from various educational and military 
  establishments in Kephistron Altis, suggesting the study was 
  used by an individual of very high social standing. 
  In the cupboard are a number of framed boards with dozens 
  of insects pinned to them. They vary from elegant butterflies 
  to ugly fat beetles and spider-like predators. Behind these are 
  stashed the remains of a servo-skull that was once used to 
  perform medical procedures. It is brown with age, and can be 
  identified with an Easy (+30) Medicae Test as having fluids 
  for preserving corpses in several of its syringes. 
  AREA 8: THE cHAMBERS
  The personal chambers in this wing include several rooms. 
  Once-lavish they are now utterly ruined. For some reason the 
  windows here have been left open, as have the doors into the 
  central corridor, and the resultant wind and rain have all but 
  obliterated the finery within. Mouldering bedclothes lie rumpled 
  beneath mildewed curtains, and most of the drapes have been 
  blown entirely off their rails. In one room is a large chest with 
  its gaudy paint now muted and peeling. In another, a wardrobe 
  stands open, revealing several elegant floor-length dresses, now 
  tattered on their hangers. Birds’ nests and colonies of insects have 
  set up on window sills and on the torn canopies of four-poster 
  beds. A chill gust of wind ruffles the remaining drapes. 
  T
  here is, in fact, one secret chamber closed off. The 
  door to the Barricaded Chamber is not immediately 
  obvious since it has been painted shut and blends in 
  well with the wall. It is not hidden, however, and any Acolyte 
  who makes a search of the chambers notices this single 
  door painted over. Opening this door is discused in Area 9: 
  Barricaded Chamber.
  Little remains of use in the other chambers. The chest 
  contains a few leather straps and pieces of curved metal. An 
  Easy (+30) Medicae Test reveals these to be restraints similar 
  to those in the Medicae Theatre. The clothes in the wardrobe 
  are barely wearable, and are all damp and musty with their 
  embroidery coming off. While the Acolytes have little to 
  discover in the open chambers, this is a good place for an 
  eerie or inciting event to take place.
  How long until they betray you too? I have seen a 
  thousand men turn upon a thousand brothers. The 
  trust you give them is undeserved. Are you certain 
  I do not speak to them? You may ignore what I offer, 
  but you've seen others who do not. What makes your 
  companions different? Nothing.
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  34
  AREA 9: BARRIcADED 
  cHAMBER
  The air in this room is close and heavy, laden with the smells 
  of age and decay. The drapes are closed, letting only a thin film 
  of light into the room. It is cluttered, with pieces of furniture 
  and cast-aside clothes everywhere. Though the light is poor, the 
  gloom cannot disguise the shape lying on the bed. It is a human 
  skeleton, its bony hands still clutching the dagger thrust through 
  its midriff into the mattress underneath, G.H. inscribed on the 
  small gold pommel.
  The door to this room is both painted shut and locked. The 
  lock is rusted making it difficult to pick, needing a Difficult 
  (-10) Security Test. It is easier to bash it open with an 
  Ordinary (+10) Strength Test. If this Strength Test fails, the 
  Acolyte succeeds in barging the door open, but takes a level 
  of Fatigue in the process. 
  This room was the chamber of the Astropath Hadria. She 
  was murdered by Gustavus and left where she was killed on 
  the bed. Gustavus subsequently had the room sealed up, and 
  no one in the dynasty ever sought to open it and see what 
  was inside. Hadria’s body can be identified as belonging 
  to a female of average build, probably in her thirties when 
  she died, with an Easy (+30) Medicae Test. There are no 
  suggestions of any injuries other than the sword through 
  her body, which partially severed her spine. The bedclothes 
  below her are stained black and dried out, the processes of 
  decay long since having been completed. The weapon is an 
  aged power blade whose power source has long since died. A 
  Challenging (+0) Tech-Use Test can repair the device, failing 
  by more than 2 degrees of failure will ruin the blade forever.
  The furniture includes a chest of drawers full of mouldy 
  clothes, a desk under the shaded window, a table beside the 
  bed, a couch and a footstool. In the chest of drawers, on top 
  of the clothes that fill one drawer, is a small leather bound 
  book. This book, which is found by any Acolyte checking the 
  chest of drawers or the room, is Hadria's journal.
  The entries are spaced far apart and give little detail, for 
  Hadria was not a great diarist, relying on the scribe-servitors 
  as much as she had too. However, it reveals that she was an 
  Astropath on a vessel of the Rogue Trader Barabus Zanatov 
  and that the crew came to this place possessing a great secret. 
  Hadria became suspicious of Gustavus's behaviour, which 
  included sudden, violent mood swings and long periods 
  of unexplained absence. Meanwhile Hadria noticed many 
  strange phenomena about the cathedral, including whispering 
  voices, psychic echoes and sudden changes in temperature. If 
  the Acolytes have been given the pages from Hadria’s diary 
  as an inciting event (see page 22), they can see that the pages 
  they found have been torn from this same book. If they have 
  not, then the diary has those pages loosely folded into the 
  book's cover.
  These entries are the most relevant, and can be found on 
  page 69 as a handout (Extract from Hadria Hekate’s Diary). 
  They describe how Hadria became suspicious that some recent 
  visitors to Gustavus at the cathedral had been reported missing 
  in Kephistron Altis, and that Hadria had been asking questions 
  in the city about a clergyman who recently came to visit and 
  appeared to have vanished. She fears that Gustavus might 
  become angry with her if he discovers her investigations. 
  Indeed, she was right to fear this, for this was why Gustavus 
  murdered Hadria and sealed her chamber.
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  35
  AREA 10: THE BALLROOM
  Two long feasting tables dominate this high-ceilinged hall. 
  The stained glass windows at the head of the room are largely 
  intact, sending shafts of strangely coloured light slanting through 
  the dusty air. Spiderwebs hang between the candelabras on the 
  tables and the corpses sitting in the chairs, frozen in a moment of 
  a high society elegance.
  This Feasting Hall was the location of Nikaea Hekate’s grand 
  celebration of her dynastys proud history. Blissfully insane, 
  she clung to the hopes that her nobility could be proven 
  despite her discovery that the entire Hekate dynasty was a 
  fraud perpetrated by the Rogue Trader Barabus Zanatov. Here 
  is the final scene of the last events to take place within the 
  cathedral before the arrival of the Acolytes. A grand ball was 
  thrown in her family's honour, but none of the Barsapine 
  nobility would travel to the manse to attend. In her madness 
  she dressed her servants in the best finery she could manage so 
  that they might stand in for her absent guests. Poisoning their 
  food, she watched them all die.
  When the Acolytes arrive there are a number of bodies 
  sitting at the tables equal to the number of Acolytes in the 
  group. The first Acolyte to investigate discovers that the 
  bodies are all versions of himself in different times of his life. 
  The Acolyte who notices this is subject to a Disturbing (+0) 
  Fear Test.
  When another Acolyte inspects the bodies this horror is 
  gone, each body is different. An Easy (+30) Medicae Test 
  reveals that most of the bodies show signs of a lifetime of 
  hard work. Clubbed fingers, numerous healed bone fractures, 
  inferior augmetics and curved spines are not the hallmarks of 
  nobility but rather the drudging class. 
  A Trivial (+50) Trade (Valet) Test reveals that the clothing 
  was popular twenty years ago, but the location of Barsapine in 
  the Calixis Sector would suggest that the style of dress arrived 
  here within the decade. The notable exception to the bodies 
  are three actors who are wearing cheap representations of 
  clothing not popular for nearly a millenia. One of them has 
  a copy of Rodrigo and Thesaladona tucked in his shirt pocket. 
  Nikaea hired these players to put on her favourite play for 
  the assembled crowd and invited them to sit in for the nobles 
  who did not come. 
  If a player inspects the food a Challenging (+0) Trade 
  (Cook) or Scholastic Lore (Chymistry) Test reveals that the 
  food was poisoned with an incredibly fast acting drug popular 
  with nobility called Redux. A single dose can be found in a 
  vial near a stack of wine glasses on one of the tables.
  Some characters may wish to loot the fine dinner ware here 
  and depending on the campaign the GM may wish to allow 
  such actions. The easiest to transport (and most valuable) 
  things here amount to roughly a thousand thrones worth of 
  jewellery and gilded cutlery. It is unlikely (given the nature of 
  the adventure's ending) that they will be able to come back 
  for the hundreds of plates and other expensive finery that has 
  withstood the Test of time.
  A small doorway leads to the tower staircase. When the 
  Acolytes approach it the door locks itself. Picking the door 
  requires a Challenging Security (+0) Test that takes a full 
  minute. If the character achieves 2 or more degrees of success 
  they do so in under thirty seconds. For every degree of failure, 
  the lock takes another minute to pick. Bashing open the thick 
  wooden door requires a Hard (+10) Strength Test, failure 
  deals 1d10 damage to the leg or arm (depending on the strike) 
  that is not modified by armour, but the door still opens.
  reDux
  This powerful psychoactive drug causes its victims to repeat the last moment of their actions until it wears off. The 
  embiber usually does not even notice that they have done anything odd. Common amongst nobility as a means to 
  embarass their lessers, Redux can be deadly if given in large doses.
  Redux is distilled from the local sulfuric plant life that grows on the dark side of Barsapine. The plant grows near 
  locations rich in underground magma pools or rivers and is only visible above ground as a single knee high black reed 
  about as big around a man's finger. Rumours abound that a beast capable of surviving in the lava feeds upon these plants, 
  but as of yet no expedition has successfully located such a creature. The thin reeds produce toxins as a waste product. 
  Spaced metres apart, the can go unnoticed until it is to late. Large patches of the plant can cause travelers to become 
  lost as they inhale the toxin without knowing it and simply continue to walk without stopping until they do not know 
  where they are.
  The smell and taste of Redux is extremely potent, overpowering most food or drink. It tastes sweet, however, and in 
  circles where it is used frequently bitter or sour foods become popular. However, once ingested via food it is likely that 
  the target will continue laughing and eating, repeating the last bite until death unless the dose is closely monitored.
  When a character first embibes Redux he must make a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or suffer 1d10  Toughness 
  damage and immediately repeat the last action he took, which often involves consuming whatever had the drug in it. 
  Recognising the flavour of the poison requires a Challenging (+0) Trade (Cook) or Scholastic Lore (Chymistry) Test and 
  does not require the character to taste enough to be affected.
  If used in combat, this drug causes the victim to repeat their last action, just as if they had been subject to the Deja 
  Vu psychic ability. Redux can be coated on a weapon or ingested.
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  36
  AREA 11: NIKAEA'S TOWER
  Mirrors line every inch of this grand stair case that loops 
  back and fourth in a helix pattern up the tower's height. 
  Landings every few floors lead to massive display rooms. Empty 
  of all their grandeur, they were yet to be filled with specimens 
  and trophies. Small circular couches in the centre of each hint 
  that viewers were to spend hours in the echoing chamber.
  At the peak of the ascent there is a single reinforced wooden 
  door. Three iron bands wrap around the centre band, set with 
  a large lock. A heavy click at first sounds like the door locking 
  itself, but as the door cracks open the sliver of light hints that the 
  noise was the door becoming unsecured.
  Within the room is a massive stone table, covered in a fine 
  silken cloth. Lit by large silver candelabras, the meal set out is 
  prepared for the first course. Roasted fowl appears to be set out 
  in anticipation of the main course and the corpses of several 
  servitors stand rigid, holding silver trays laden with additional 
  courses. 
  Each high backed chair is plush and comfortable, a single 
  manila card set on each plate has the birth name of each attendee 
  assigned a place setting. 
  When the Acolytes investigate they discover that the place 
  setting names cards are their own. A place at the table is 
  reserved for each of them except for one at the head of the 
  table. The other end of the table should have the name of 
  any character with the Noble background or, failing that, 
  the character who is presented the most elegantly (typically 
  determined by highest fellowship but other factors may play 
  into it as the GM determines appropriate).
  The food is, of course, drugged with Redux, but a 
  much smaller dose was available than that used down 
  stairs in the Ballroom. The poison is in 
  the desert course, but all of the food 
  was created with foul warp energy. A 
  Challenging (+0) Psynisicience Test will 
  tell the character that eating this food 
  is dangerous, even if it is not drugged. 
  Consuming a course of the meal makes the 
  character feel refreshed (curing 1 level of Fatigue and healing 
  1d5 wounds) but the character also gains 1 Corruption point. 
  The food is made supernaturally enticing and any character 
  suffering from at least one level of Fatigue or who has any 
  wounds must pass a Hard (-20) Willpower Test to not sit 
  down and dine. There are a total of 5 courses (the last is the 
  drugged desert course) and as each course is finished, any 
  character who is still injured must pass another Hard 
  (-20) Willpower Test, if at least one Acolyte fails this 
  Test then the decayed servitors lurch forward and set 
  another course out for the Acolytes to feast upon.
  If the characters all refuse to eat, the Acolytes attack 
  her servitors or they attempt to leave the room before dining, 
  then Nikaea rushes up the tower and into the room, attacking 
  the characters in a fit of blind fury, focussing her attacks first 
  on any character with the Noble background. If the Acolytes 
  dine she waits until the fifth course and strikes just as the 
  poison takes its effect.
  Acolytes may attempt to save some of the food to consume 
  later for healing. Unfortunately for them, the food looses any 
  of its special properties once Nikaea has been defeated and 
  simply rots away to dust.
  When Nikaea is defeated, she howls in anger but quickly 
  erodes away into dust along with the contents of the room, 
  leaving only a barren stone floor and the servitors. If the 
  Acolytes have not found her body in the Warrant Room then 
  her corpse now appears in one of the front pews in the Nave.
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  37
  nIkaea hekate
  Nikaea Hekate is the dragonish matriarch who desperately 
  seeks to prove the nobility of the Hekate dynasty. Nikaea 
  shares many of Gustavus’ qualities – arrogance, cruelty, and 
  a willingness to kill. Unlike Gustavus, however, she does 
  not actively dabble in the dark arts. The Dei-Phage chose to 
  make her ignorant of her own corruption. Instead, Nikaea 
  was always deeply concerned with keeping up appearances, 
  maintaining stultifying etiquette when dealing with guests 
  and dressing in all the most impractical of fashions. She 
  deals with others in as decorous and proper a way as can be 
  imagined, unless she is moved to anger or feels disrespected, 
  in which case she is moved to a violent, murderous rage 
  from which no one can calm her. Nikaea is a large and 
  matronly woman, her ample frame made to look even larger 
  by her manner of dress. She is deeply concerned with her 
  appearance and favours voluminous many-layered ballgowns 
  and the kind of towering wig that is at once ridiculous and 
  intimidating.
  Nikaea’s warp apparition dislikes the crudeness of hand 
  to hand fighting. She uses her ranged powers as much as 
  possible, hurling nearby objects and demanding to be given 
  the respect she deserves. She constantly derides her enemies 
  for not showing the respect she is sure she is owed, cursing 
  their ugliness and crudeness to her last breath.
  Nikaea Hekate
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  25
  29
  30
  37
  28
  42
  38
  45
  38
  Movement: 2/4/6/12 
  Wounds: 15
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Lore (Imperium) (Int), 
  Deceive (Fel) +20, Forbidden Lore (Psykers) +10, Invocation 
  (WP) +20, Literacy (Int), Scholastic Lore (Heraldry, Occult) 
  (Int), Speak Language (Low Gothic, High Gothic). 
  Talents: Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), Fearless, 
  Resistance (Psychic Powers), Psy Rating 3, Strong Minded
  Traits: From Beyond.
  Warp Apparition: Nikaea's substance can be made 
  incorporeal at her whim, allowing her to both fight in combat 
  and allow incoming attacks to pass harmlessly through her. 
  This works like the Dodge skill, except it uses Nikaea's 
  Perception attribute instead of Agility. Nikaea cannot use her 
  perception attribute to dodge weapons with the Sanctified 
  trait.
  Psychic Powers (Psy Rating 3): Compel, Dominate, 
  Terrify, Psychic Shriek.
  Weapons: Sceptre (1d10+3 I).
  nIkaea's servItors
  Nikaea employs four servitors to tend to her banquets. In life 
  these creatures were souless automatons, blindly following 
  orders but never having the opportunity to fulfil Nikaea's 
  greaTest dreams of noble life. Their flesh is long dead and 
  they are little more than animated objects, performing their 
  tasks not at the whim of their instructions but rather the foul 
  sorcery Nikaea can conjure from the warp. Their metal bodies 
  have powerful blunt augmetic limbs that can, if necessary, be 
  used as clumsy clubs.
  The Servitors have no natural weapons and shamble 
  forward to block the Acolyte's attacks. They clumsily 
  strike any Acolyte who attacks Nikaea, attempting to place 
  themselves between the attacker and their master. 
  When Nikaea is defeated, these servitors cease to function 
  entirely. Their bodies go rigid and simply stand motionless. 
  Nikaea's Servitors
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  19
  ––
  22
  44
  20
  07
  13
  17
  05
  Movement: 2/4/–/– 
  Wounds: 15
  Skills: None.
  Traits: Machine 6.
  Armour: 6 All.
  Lifeless Husks: The Servitors do not have a reaction and 
  may only take Standard Attack and Move actions. They 
  cannot charge. They are immune to any psychic power that 
  affects the mind or sense of the target, but not those that 
  would damage the body.
  Weapons: Hands (1d5+2 I, Primitive).
  I shan't be questioned by you. You are  
  beneath me, as the dirt is beneath the 
  stars. You may but look upon my kind 
  and dream of coming closer, you may 
  imagine what it must be to attain such 
  heights, always outside your grasp.
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  38
  AREA 12: THE LIBRARIUM
  High bookcases line the walls of this room, winding up a 
  massive staircase reaching to the ceiling. In an alcove formed by a 
  large bay window is a huge reading desk with high-backed chairs. 
  Various timepieces tick and chime from placement along the 
  height of the tower, and the smells of decaying paper and leather 
  are very strong. The carpet, once a deep burgundy, has been 
  ruined with damp, as have many of the books. In similarly poor 
  condition is the fresco on the ceiling. It once depicted scenes from 
  the lives of Imperial saints, but large parts have been obliterated 
  as the damp plaster beneath has fallen away. 
  The Librarium of the Haematite Cathedral holds thousands 
  of volumes. Many are now ruined but the survivors are mostly 
  books on Imperial history, dogmatic texts of the Imperial 
  Creed and various esoteric philosophical works. 
  The Librarium is a useful resource. While an Acolyte has 
  free access to its various books, he gets +10 to Scholastic 
  Lore Tests. Koronath Hekate’s warp apparition is willing to 
  follow an Acolyte into the Librarium during the course of the 
  debate, so the Librarium can be of considerable advantage to 
  an Acolyte debating with Koronath when the time comes.
  One of the bookcases contains a hidden compartment that 
  contains some of Koronath’s books. A Hard (-20) Search Test 
  reveals its location, but the Test is automatically successful if the 
  Acolytes have found Koronath’s notes in the Medicae Theatre. A 
  section of one shelf swings forward revealing three heavy books 
  chained to their own concealed shelf. There is one book with a 
  dark green binding emblazoned with the image of a planet with 
  two interlocking rings, another with a cover of cracked brown 
  leather, and a third with a cover of hinged bronze. These books 
  are saturated with psychic corruption and are dangerous in 
  their own right, as is revealed by a Routine (+20) Psyniscience 
  Test. A further Difficult (-10) Psyniscience Test reveals that the 
  green and the leather-bound books are particularly nasty, and 
  handling them may be very unhealthy.
  An Acolyte who picks up the green book is assailed by 
  apocalyptic visions of ruination, with whole planets boiling 
  away in vast conflagrations bleeding forth from the warp. 
  The Acolyte must make a Difficult (-10) Willpower Test or 
  suffer 1d5 Insanity Points as the visions find purchase in 
  his unprotected mind. The book then crumbles into foul 
  greenish sludge in his hands. He must pass a Challenging 
  (+0) Toughness Test or the foulness forces its way through 
  the skin of his hands and arms. The horrendous sensation of 
  something unclean and aware courses chillingly through his 
  veins and causes the Acolyte gains 1d5 Corruption Points. 
  An Acolyte who picks up the leather-bound book must 
  pass a Challenging (+10) Willpower Test as unreasoning 
  anger bubbles up within him, and his blood seems to boil 
  with hatred. If he fails this Test, he is taken over by the 
  maligned intelligence of the book and must immediately 
  attack his nearest fellow Acolyte. Such is his rage that all 
  Ballistic Skill and Weapon Skill Tests made in this state are at 
  –10, and he must hold the book in one hand. Each turn he 
  is entitled to another Challenging (+0) Willpower Test. This 
  Test is Difficult (-10) if the character's fellow Acolytes have 
  taken offensive action against him such as attacking or trying 
  to restrain him. If he passes this Test, he snaps out of his 
  rage and is able to act normally, although he gains 1 Insanity 
  Point and may be given more at the GM’s discretion if he has 
  badly wounded or killed an ally. He also snaps out of it in the 
  same way if the book is wrested from his grip, although he 
  resists any attempt to take it from him. The book continues 
  to inflict its madness on anyone who touches it, and it is best 
  destroyed, preferably by fire. Keeping the book (perhaps by 
  wrapping it up or otherwise sealing it away from human 
  touch) is a radical act and would be looked upon dimly by 
  most Inquisitors. Should the characters decide to keep the 
  book, it is up to the GM on how to proceed. 
  The bronze-covered book is not as dangerous, although 
  it is certainly a heretical artefact. It is a work penned by 
  Koronath Hekate, mostly consisting of intricate diagrams of 
  the night sky over Barsapine and the way patterns in the sky 
  can be made to fit depictions of mythical beasts and various 
  occult symbols. It also reveals that Koronath believes a 
  conjunction of the Barsapine system in which a simultaneous 
  eclipse of the seventh and ninth planets would create a great 
  pattern he believes links all the constellations together, and 
  that this pattern, once interpreted, will reveal a great truth. 
  Such an alignment is extremely rare and occurs once every 
  twenty thousand years or so. The next is not due for about 
  five thousand years. The Acolytes’ players can read a section 
  of this book in the form of the handout on page 70.
  A final work of note in the Librarium is entitled The 
  Collected Plays of Soloman Grish. One particular play, Rogerigo 
  and Thulsadonna, is heavily thumbed and annotated. The play 
  is a high melodrama of forbidden love and doomed rivalries 
  in which the entire cast list dies during the histrionic final act. 
  This is Nikaea Hekate's favorite play, and its inclusion here 
  may lead to an inciting event that leads the Acolytes to her.
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  39
  AREA 13: THE SOLARIUM
  This large conservatory is entered through a trap door in the 
  ceiling of the librarium. It was once home to dozens of plants 
  that climbed the trellises leading up to the steepled glass ceiling, or 
  bloomed in neat rows in raised flowerbeds. Now the plants are all 
  dead, just a few grey-brown stalks remaining in the dried out soil. 
  The panes of the ceiling covered in grime and clay have darkened 
  the room and little light breaks in. The turf that once grew 
  underfoot is similarly dead, leaving little more than a dirt floor. A 
  rickety spiral staircase leads to a balcony overhead, where a few 
  dead vines still dangle. A wrought iron bench once presumably 
  afforded a grand view of the cathedral’s grounds, but the foliage 
  outside is too overgrown to see more than a few metres.
  T
  he Solarium is home to a regular manifestation of 
  Gustavus Hekate’s psychic apparition. Occasionally, 
  Gustavus’s warp echo appears leading a spectral man 
  in the robes of the Ecclesiarchy around the Solarium, proudly 
  pointing out the plants that once grew there. If the characters 
  spend any significant time in the room and have not banished 
  Gustavus then he appears, walking through the doorway.  
  Two men, walking side by side, enter into the Solarium, 
  through the floor, they speak quietly to each other. Their voices 
  echo as if from a great distance. An unmistakable feeling of 
  sorrow and suffering stifles the air. They appear murky, as if 
  being viewed through melting glass.
  “See, this speckled brainvine can no longer be found in the 
  wild,” says the powerfully built man. “Mine is the sole exemplar 
  in the whole sector. And these wormblossoms have won prizes in 
  Skaltine, don’t you know?”
  As the two men walk and talk, the speaker takes a shimmering 
  blade from behind his back, and raises it as if to stab the 
  unsuspecting clergyman. Before the blow can fall, the men turn 
  to dust and blow away. 
  The haunting here represents the killing of one of 
  Gustavus’s many victims, who was indeed stabbed to death in 
  the Solarium. The psychic echo here cannot be interacted with, 
  and simply appears performing the same actions over and over 
  again as is necessary for the GM to scare the Acolytes. When 
  Gustavus is exorcised, the haunting in the Solarium ceases.
  The balcony overhead is in extremely poor repair and is 
  on the point of collapse. An Acolyte who ascends the spiral 
  staircase, which sways alarmingly under his weight, must pass 
  a Challenging (+0) Agility Test or fall when staircase shears 
  away from its mountings. The fall is about 6 metres and 
  does 1d10+5 Impact Damage. On the balcony are several 
  dangerous plants in large pots. Most of them are long dead, 
  but one is lush and flowering. It has curled spiny fronds 
  and large red glistening flowers, and smells pleasant but 
  overpowering. This plant is a Lacustan faceripper bloom, and 
  can be identified with a Challenging (+0) Scholastic Lore 
  (Beasts) Test along with its dangerous status as a carnivorous 
  plant that is unusually fond of the flesh of humans. Characters 
  from certain Feral worlds may be allowed to make this Test at 
  the GM's discretion, intuitively knowing that this plant might 
  be dangerous.
  The Faceripper Bloom attacks anyone who comes close, 
  although Acolytes should get the chance to identify it before 
  they venture into its attack range. The Acolyte who handles 
  the plant or gets within a hand’s breadth of its blooms is snared 
  by its fronds, and bare skin will be injected by thousands of 
  tiny hair-like needles. The Acolyte must pass a Routine (+20) 
  Toughness Test or suffer a debilitating condition caused by 
  the Faceripper’s toxins, which inflicts 1d3 levels of Fatigue. 
  This Fatigue can be alleviated by an Ordinary (+10) Medicae 
  or Scholastic Lore (Chymistry) Test, with each Degree of 
  Success removing one level of Fatigue. Otherwise, the Fatigue 
  heals at the standard rate.
  In the Faceripper Bloom’s plant pot, buried in the soil, is a 
  badly pitted human skull.
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  40
  AREA 14: SANATORIUM
  The Sanatorium wing door is heavily reinforced, but time and 
  decay have eroded the hinges that keep it in place. The players 
  can break down the door with an Easy (+20) Strength Test or 
  by simply working at pulling it from the iron bars that lock it 
  in place, which takes about an hour.
  Beyond the reinforced door lies a corridor lined with cells. 
  This was likely a dark, filthy, misbegotten place even before the 
  decay affecting the rest of the cathedral took hold. Pools of foul 
  water lie fed by constant dripping from the ceiling, and streaks of 
  rust run down the steel doors. A thin, cold breeze whispers through 
  the corridor and one of the cell doors bangs against its frame. 
  “Koronath?” comes a reedy voice, barely more than a whisper. 
  "Koronath? Is that you? Have you come for us?”
  One of the cell doors bangs open and a decaying figure 
  crawls out. It is a woman, her eyes hollow pits and her fingers 
  long silvery claws. Hatred washes across her long-dead face as 
  the entity sees you.
  “You are not Hekate!” she hisses. Her mouth distends to 
  hideous dimensions and she screams. In response, more figures 
  emerge from their cells, angry mutations intent on stripping the 
  souls from the intruders.
  This wing was built by Koronath Hekate to contain 
  the servants and staff driven mad by a combination of his 
  writings and the influence of the Dei-Phage. The dynasty 
  members who died here include Vorkas Hekate, whose prized 
  possession, his hunting rifle, lies in the Trophy Room and 
  may be in the possession of one of the Acolytes. The wing 
  leads to the Medicae Theatre, but to get there the Acolytes 
  have to face the angry mutants.
  Once the mutants are vanquished, the Acolytes are free 
  to search this place. There are a total of eight cells. The 
  first six cells are open, while the last two are barricaded 
  with sharpened support rods. They require a Routine (+20) 
  Security Test to unlock them without collapsing. These are 
  the cells inhabited by Vorkas Hekate and are covered in words 
  scratched into the walls. The only legible passage reads:
  “Koronath has promised I can go free when the heavens are 
  aligned. Then he says all knowledge will be his and time and 
  space will run like wax. He says the secret is in the seventh 
  planet! He says I can hunt again when I am free… I have 
  counted the days for so long that numbers mean nothing…”
  The body of Vorkas can be found among those mutants 
  that attack the Acolytes. The index finger of his right hand, 
  which was used to scratch the words on the wall, is worn 
  down almost to the first knuckle.
  On the first six cell walls is the crude image of a winged, 
  hooded figure gouged into the plaster by hand. In one of 
  these cells (the fourth one) sits a massive barrel full of several 
  eyeballs suspended in preservative fluid. This vat is fed by 
  a runoff pipe of brackish water. The corpses of half eaten 
  vermin litter the floor around the barrel. Any Acolyte who 
  finds this must succeed on a Challenging (+0) Willpower 
  Test or gain 1 Insanity Point as he realises this is where the 
  mutants must have sustained themselves. 
  A Very Easy (+40) Search Test also finds a cell with a 
  cache hidden by one of the inmates. It contains a knife, two 
  injectors with doses of frenzon, one injector with a dose of 
  spook, one injector with a dose of stimm, and a tome full of 
  crude drawings. The sketches are mostly of angels with skeletal 
  or decaying faces, and several pages are covered in dense 
  patterns of feathers. One picture is of a planet surrounded by 
  two interlocking rings, underneath which is written a word 
  that requires a Hard (-20) Literacy Test to decipher. It reads 
  simply "beware" but was written by someone so frightened 
  that they could not keep their hand from shaking violently.
  At the rear of the Sanatorium is an iron bound door 
  leading into the Medicae Theatre. It is not locked and rests 
  slightly askew in its frame. When an Acolyte moves to inspect 
  the door it is a perfect time for an inciting event.
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  41
  the sanatorIum mutants
  The servants of Koronath Hekate have been trapped in the 
  Sanatorium wing and are hopelessly and violently insane. 
  They appear as rotting decaying figures, glistening muscles 
  showing through ragged pale skin, and they move in an 
  inhuman crawl as they scrabble towards living intruders. 
  They screech and howl, uttering random snippets of speech 
  drawn from their shattered memories. 
  The Sanatorium Mutants want to tear the living limb from 
  limb to express a wordless hatred instilled in them by the evil 
  of the cathedral. They rush their enemies and try to tear them 
  apart, without any thought for tactics or cunning. They can 
  climb the walls and ceiling to get past one another and close 
  with their prey.
  The mutants attack in a frenzy, with no thought for 
  preserving their own existence. They are both male and female, 
  of unidentifiable age, numbering two for each Acolyte. The 
  Mutants charge the Acolytes as quickly as possible, pairing off 
  on their targets. Vorkas Hekate concentrates on any Acolyte 
  who possesses his prized rifle, cursing them as thieves. Vorkus 
  will attempt to wrestle the rifle from the character and if 
  successful will use it as a club, which will destroy the weapon 
  on the first successful hit, dealing 1d10+5 Impact damage.
  The Sanatorium Mutants
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  33
  07
  22
  28
  44
  11
  35
  19
  09
  Movement: 4/8/12/24 
  Wounds: 8
  Skills: Awareness.
  Talents: Swift Attack, Lightning Reflexes.
  Traits: Dark Sight, Natural Weapons (Talons), Unnatural 
  Senses (15m), Fear 1 (as a group).
  Wall Crawl: The Sanatorium Mutants can move along walls 
  and ceilings with no penalty or need to make Climb Tests.
  Weapons: Spectral Talons (1d10+2 R).
  AREA 15: MEDIcAE 
  THEATRE
  This room, which was tiled in white before mould and decay 
  yellowed them, reeks of untold crimes. Black stains speckle the 
  floor and walls. A surgical table sits in the middle of the room 
  with the remains of a decrepit skeleton in wrist, ankle, and neck 
  restraints. A complicated device on one end of the table not only 
  holds the head of the subject in place, but also mounts several 
  forceps and drill bits with which to perform operations on the 
  skull. An autosurgeon unit, a device of spindly metal limbs, is 
  folded up on the ceiling. A medical cabinet and a set of large 
  metal sinks complete the furnishings in this dismal room.
  Koronath Hekate performed procedures on those driven mad 
  by the Dei-Phage in this Medicae Theatre. The autosurgeon 
  unit is very old and has malfunctioned, so the Acolytes 
  cannot make use of it. In the medical cabinet are numerous 
  medical implements, including a miniature handheld circular 
  saw attached to a power pack which still works (1d10 R, Pen 
  4, Unwieldly), as well as several dozen scalpels and needles, 
  most of which are rusted and blunt.
  Several loose pieces of paper, notes from Koronath’s 
  studies, are stuffed into the back of the cabinet. They describe 
  various observations about the brains of his subjects, which 
  generally remark on his disappointment that their madness 
  seems to be exacerbated rather than cured by surgery, and 
  conclude with the decision to concentrate more on observing 
  the heavens and leave them to tough it out in their cells. It 
  also describes how he has built a secret compartment in the 
  Librarium to hide the books that he understands could be 
  viewed as heretical, along with the details of the locking 
  mechanism. This information can be used by the Acolytes to 
  locate the hidden bookshelf. 
  The autosurgeon unit is in a state of terrible disrepair. A 
  Challenging (+0) Tech-Use Test can repair it well enough to 
  function for one person plus an additional person for each 
  degree of success. The autosurgeon is able to make Medicae 
  Tests to treat Lightly and Heavily wounded Acolytes (but 
  not critically wounded) with an effective Intelligence of 25. 
  Alternatively a character trained in Medicae may use the 
  autosurgeon in place of a medicae kit to gain a +30 on any 
  Medicae Tests made here.
  sCalIng the enCounter
  The Sanatorium Mutants strike quickly, dealing little 
  damage with each hit but posing a serious threat in 
  numbers. The Acolytes should have a reasonable chance 
  at killing a mutant in one shot because they have a low 
  Toughness and  few Wounds. For Acolytes of rank 5 or 
  higher, the mutants should gain the Unnatural Strength 
  (x3) trait (giving them an SB 6). Against Ascension 
  Characters the mutants gain an improved regeneration 
  ability and heal all wounds at the start of their turn.
  The mind cannot be understood without 
  first knowing its failures. Do you know 
  the limits of yourself until you fail? 
  Without knowing what we cannot do, we 
  cannot hope to ever expand beyond our own 
  minds and grasp the stars in our fist.
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  42
  AREA 16: PLANETARIUM
  The stairwell to this tower is crammed with scraps of metal, 
  odd gears, chains and large wrist-sized wire bundles. Several times 
  while ascending, piles of toppled debris must be shuffled about. 
  At the peak, a plain red door opens to reveal a turret-topped, 
  circular room dominated by a model of the Barsapine system. 
  A huge, golden orb represents Barsapine's sun, with the eleven 
  planets of the system orbiting on gilded hoops. Each planet in the 
  device is represented by a single human skull encased in an orb of 
  tinted glass. The model is powered by a complex set of oversized 
  clockwork gears set into the floor. On the walls are elaborate 
  murals of the night sky, the stars connected to form images of 
  various constellations in the shape of mythical beasts and heroes 
  of Imperial history. A section of the domed roof looks like it slides 
  aside to allow a large and ornate telescope to gaze upon the night 
  sky. A desk and bookcase form a place to work near the telescope. 
  Though dust is heavy in the air, this room is largely intact and 
  has not suffered as greatly from age as much of the rest of the 
  cathedral.
  The model of the Barsapine system is key to summoning the 
  warp apparition of Koronath Hekate. It is here that Koronath 
  spent endless hours working, observing the night sky and 
  noting down what he glimpsed there. Koronath’s spirit is 
  linked to the planetarium, and it is here that the Acolytes can 
  summon and defeat him.
  The model of the Barsapine system holds two secrets. The 
  first is that the base of the device contains a hidden cache 
  of Koronath’s belongings. This cache can be found with a 
  Challenging (+0) Search Test. It contains a book entitled 
  Prodigious Heavenly Occurrences of the Barsapine System, a slim 
  volume penned by Koronath at the height of his madness. 
  Also in the cache is Koronath’s personal weapon, an inferno 
  pistol with the Accurate and Recharge qualities and several 
  vials of yellowish fluid. A Difficult (-10) Medicae Test 
  identifies this as cranial fluid. Koronath drew the fluid from 
  the skulls of his dynasty members while 'treating' them in the 
  Sanatorium wing.
  koronath's oPus
  Prodigious Heavenly Occurrences of the Barsapine System is a 
  baffling collection of equations and astronomical observations 
  that make an appalling, obscure sort of sense to a psychically-
  attuned mind. It can be used to add +3 to a Power Roll used 
  to activate a psychic power. However, each time the book 
  is used, one of its chapters is wiped clean, the pages turned 
  blank. The book has a total of five chapters. The book itself 
  is worth barely anything, for in the hands of any potential 
  buyer it appears to be nothing more than several dozen pages 
  of gibberish.
  the DevICe
  The second secret in the planetarium is that when the model 
  is aligned to represent a simultaneous eclipse of the seventh 
  and ninth planets, Koronath Hekate’s warp apparition is 
  summoned. Koronoath appears seated at his desk, poring 
  over spectral star charts in his hands. He can be recognised 
  from his portrait in the gallery, and wears a tattered formal 
  suit and elaborate multi-lensed spectacles.
  A voice begins to echo from the small desk near the telescope. 
  A handsome, well-dressed man sits studying star charts. His skin 
  is covered in hand-drawn mathematical equations.
  “Yes, yes,” he murmurs. “It is as I thought. The stars themselves 
  speak unto us! There… there the secrets are to be found! All the 
  truths of the galaxy can be found in the stars!”
  The section of the roof above slides open and a yellowish 
  light bleeds into the room, as if all the stars were turning their 
  gaze on the Planetarium. Koronath turns to see the Acolytes who 
  have summoned him.
  “No!” he cries. “The eclipse of the seventh and ninth worlds 
  it not due for another five thousand years! How dare you disturb 
  the equilibrium of this place! How dare you interrupt my 
  studies? Do you have any idea of what I am about to accomplish 
  here? Do you? Well, do you?”
  If the Acolytes do not attempt to placate Koronath or 
  engage him in debate, Koronath starts using his corrupted 
  Psy Gaze, and he must be defeated if the Acolytes are to 
  exorcise him.
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  43
  If the Acolytes give him a reasonable answer, however, 
  Koronath can be spoken with and even convinced to abandon the 
  Haematite Cathedral. Koronath is eager to speak with someone 
  who is as intelligent as he believes himself to be, and expresses 
  gratitude that at last he has encountered a mind far sharper than 
  those of his dynasty, who he views as dull and bovine.
  A total of three Degrees of Success in debating with 
  Koronath causes him to see that he has no more to 
  learn among the walls of the cathedral. Acolytes can use 
  Challenging (+0) Logic, Scholastic Lore (Astromancy or 
  Numerology), Forbidden Lore (Warp), or Psyniscience Tests 
  to accrue these Degrees of Success. Alternatively the Acolytes 
  can try to dazzle Koronath with debating skill rather than 
  knowledge, using a Difficult (+10) Charm, Literacy, or a 
  Speak Language (High Gothic) Test to gain their Degrees of 
  Success. Attempts to Intimidate Koronath will only drive him 
  to anger, and Acolytes should be made aware of this before 
  they attempt such a Test.
  This scene should heavily involve roleplaying, Tests are 
  made after the players describe their characters actions or 
  interact with Koronath. It is also possible to simply roleplay 
  the scene and not require players to make Tests to challenge 
  Koronath but instead simply talk to him.
  Once convinced, Koronath says:
  “Of course! I had not considered before the paucity of 
  knowledge I can gain here. There is nothing in this place for me 
  but madness and dust. I shall ascend from here, I shall leave this 
  place, and seek what I can beyond the veil! Farewell, my friends. 
  Perhaps we shall meet again, in that future where all knowledge 
  has melted to one truth!”
  Koronath’s body then rots away, along with the strange 
  starlight, and the roof grinds closed.
  If the Acolytes fail any of the Tests by more than three 
  Degrees of Failure, Koronath scorns their inability to string 
  two thoughts together. Deeming them unworthy of his 
  presence, he attacks as above. When Koronath is exorcised by 
  either of the two methods, his form erodes to dust and simply 
  blows away on a soft breeze. He leaves a piece of the cog-key 
  on the table.
  koronath hekate
  Koronath was perhaps born with a fractured, vulnerable 
  mind. Certainly it took little effort for the Dei-Phage to 
  turn his natural intelligence and curiosity into a destructive, 
  unquenchable thirst for profane knowledge. Pale, slender 
  and unassuming, Koronath responded to the madness caused 
  by the Dei-Phage by imprisoning and experimenting on his 
  relatives and, after his attempts to find a cure failed, to shut 
  himself in his Planetarium and seek answers among the stars. 
  Koronath is eager to debate high-minded matters such as 
  astrology and philosophy, and sees no conflict between the 
  tragic fates of his dynasty and the lofty aims of discovering the 
  secrets of the universe. Koronath does not appear dangerous 
  at first, looking very much like the bespectacled intellectual 
  he is.
  When forced into combat, he is infused with an ecstatic 
  passion as the sum total of his vast, obscene knowledge flows 
  through him. He keeps moving, hurling bolts of baleful psy 
  gaze and never staying in one place or focusing on one enemy 
  for too long. To fight Koronath is to fight a madman who 
  does not obey the rules of tactics or common sense, gripped 
  as he is in the equivalent of a religious ecstasy.
  Koronath Hekate
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  28
  40
  25
  28
  34
  55
  43
  30
  29
  Movement: 6/12/18/36 
  Wounds: 20
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Knowledge (Imperium) 
  (Int), Forbidden Lore (The Warp) +20, Literacy (Int), Logic 
  (Int) +10, Scholastic Lore (Archaic, Astromancy, Numerology, 
  Occult).
  Talents: Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), Deadeye Shot, 
  Fearless, Sharpshooter.
  Traits: From Beyond.
  Weapons: Psy Gaze (20m, S/-/-, 1d10+2 E, Pen 5, Clip 
  —, Rld —). The Psy Gaze has no effect and deals no damage 
  unless Koronath hits his target in the head. It does not require 
  eye contact, instead lashing out at the target's mind. A target 
  hit by the Psy Gaze must pass a Challenging (+0) Willpower 
  Test or gain 1 Corruption Point from Koronath's visions of the 
  warp. Koronath will therefore aim for the head of his targets.
  
  II: The Haematite Cathedral
  44
  The Belly of 
  the Beast
  This chapter ends when the Acolytes have successfully re-
  assembled the cog-key to enter into the lower levels of the 
  Haematite Cathedral, there to discover the secrets of what 
  transpired with Inquisitor DeVayne and the Maledictor's Hand.
  TROUBLESHOOTING
  The Acolytes need to have unraveled several mysteries. If they 
  have missed key clues or simply not connected the dots by 
  the end of this chapter, each mystery will need to be revealed 
  or additional clues made available. 
  the hekate "Dynasty"
  The Acolytes should have discovered that the Hekate dynasty 
  was really the crew of a Rogue Trader vessel driven mad by 
  the Dei-Phage. If they did not discover Hadria's body or 
  notes then they should be guided to the barricaded room by a 
  scream that clearly comes from the room. The person screams 
  (it sounds natural, occasional yells of "No, Gustavus don't!" 
  or "I won't tell") as the Acolytes hear her murdered over and 
  over again until they break into the room. The pages from her 
  journal are clutched in her lifeless hand.
  the DeI-Phage
  If the Acolytes have not figured out that the Dei-Phage 
  corrupts the Haematite Cathedral they need to be led to a clear 
  clue. As the Acolytes pass a window or reflective surface they 
  see a hunched hooded figure with large feathered wings. Its 
  eyes glow from beneath the hood and its beaked face shrieks 
  while clutching the stump of its arm. The Acolyte must pass an 
  Easy (+30) Willpower Test or gain 1 Insanity point. 
  ExPERIENcE POINTS
  It is likely that the exploration of the Haematite Cathedral 
  will take more than one game session, therefore GMs may 
  wish to award experience every game session rather than 
  waiting for the exploration to finish.
  Experience earned: Each player should earn at least 500 
  xp by the conclusion of this chapter. If you are using the 
  detail-based experience method, use the following.
  Experience Earned:
  • Base: 200 xp
  • Defeated Nikaea Hekate: 75 xp
  • Defeated Gustavus Hekate: 75 xp
  • Defeated Koronath Hekate: 75 xp
  • Discovered that the Hekate Dynasty was false and 
  actually a Rogue Trader and his crew: 75 xp
  
  the 
  maCharian 
  PeaCe
  the Pax maCharIa
  •
  out oF Power
  •
  the tItan strIDes
  •
  agaInst all oDDs
  
  III: The Macharian Peace
  46
  Chapter III: 
  The 
  Macharian 
  Peace
  “Rust, steel, and fail ye engines! Fall silent, O guns, and give up your 
  wisdom, my cogitators, to the talons of time! Yet the machine-spirit 
  shall never weaken.”
  –The Princeps of the Pax Macharia
  The Haematite Cathedral’s secret is that is it actually the upper 
  torso of an Imperial Imperator-Class Titan, a bipedal war 
  machine. Titans have an almost mythical image in Imperial 
  culture, ranking alongside the mighty Space Marines and the 
  most powerful naval battleships as symbols of the Emperor’s 
  might. The Titan in question, the Pax Macharia, is an ancient 
  machine that was buried here when the Princeps sacrificed 
  his machine to trap the Dei-Phage.
  The Pax Macharia is in as bad repair as the cathedral. The 
  Titan lacks many of its weapons, and the Genatorium and 
  maintenance levels, which the Acolytes can access through the 
  cathedral’s Nave, are dark and rusted places. They are haunted 
  by the minions of the Dei-Phage, and these foul creatures are 
  determined to prevent anyone from uncovering the secrets held 
  by the Titan. Sinister events can still occur in these levels, as in 
  the cathedral above, and the revised Psychic Phenomena chart 
  still applies. The Acolytes also have the chance to follow the 
  path of Griegor DeVayne, the Inquisitor who made the pict-
  recording to which the Pax Macharia is now the only witness.
  In this chapter the Acolytes delve into the cathedral’s 
  lower levels, discovering the Titan itself. The Pax Macharia 
  is aware of the Acolytes the moment they enter into the 
  Spinal Shaft. It watches them silently through its pict-orbs 
  stationed throughout the halls and chambers. A Challenging 
  (+0) Tech-Use Test is needed to tell where the pict-orbs are 
  looking, but once the Acolytes are aware of them it becomes 
  apparent that they are being watched.
  The Pax Macharia’s machine spirit is a combination of the 
  cogitators on board as well as the mind of the Princeps in 
  command of the machine when it imprisoned the Dei-Phage. 
  It works hard to keep the daemon prince trapped within 
  its walls, but will change this once it learns of the Black 
  Sepulchre along with the Acolytes. 
  The Pax Macharia no longer speaks, but it can puppet 
  the corpse of the Princeps still seated in the command 
  chair. It will roll its head to look at components (directing 
  the characters) or point if it can. More likely, however, it 
  communicates by editing pict-recordings of the Princep. The 
  Pax Macharia is not able to communicate through the pict-
  screens until the Genatorium has been restored, however, 
  and it is likely that the Acolytes will assume that it is further 
  trickery or corruption by the Dei-Phage. Discerning the two 
  may be quite a challenge for the Acolytes.
  THE REvEAL
  At the end of this chapter is the “big reveal” of the adventure, 
  that the Haematite Cathedral was a Titan all along. Players 
  may guess at this as they move through the body of the 
  Pax Macharia. If they do, allow them to find evidence that 
  supports this suspicion. Dark Heresy is a game of mystery and 
  uncovering such a massive secret will no doubt be a moment 
  players remember fondly.
  
  III: The Macharian Peace
  47
  
  III: The Macharian Peace
  48
  AREA 1: SPINAL SHAFT
  The hidden door in the Nave opens onto a black shaft of 
  ribbed steel, like a negative cast of an enormous spine. Rusted 
  handholds lead downwards into the blackness. The smell of oil 
  and rust reaches you on the faint breeze from below, along with 
  the sound of grinding machinery.
  This shaft is difficult to navigate. Descending it without 
  mishap requires a Routine (+20) Climb Test. The use of a 
  rope or other sensible climbing equipment gives an additional 
  +20 to this Test. 
  Acolytes who fail the Test slip and fall down the shaft. 
  This is not as dangerous as normal, thanks to a tank of fuel 
  run-off that lies at the bottom of the shaft. Acolytes who fall 
  down the shaft, land in the tank, which is full of foul-smelling 
  brownish gunk. Such Acolytes must pass an Ordinary (+10) 
  Toughness Test to avoid swallowing the fluid. Acolytes who 
  can reasonably claim their mouths are covered, such as those 
  wearing respirator masks, can automatically pass this Test. 
  Swallowing the gunk is a horrible experience and causes 
  great inTestinal discomfort. The cramping pains, retching and 
  dizziness impose a level of Fatigue.
  At the bottom of the shaft, which is scattered with spare 
  parts and other maintenance detritus, is a door set into the 
  shaft wall. This door is electronically sealed and can be opened 
  either with an Easy (+30) Security Test, with explosives, or 
  with a Challenging (+0) Strength Test. An Acolyte who fails 
  this Strength Test still wrenches the door open, but suffers a 
  level of Fatigue in the process. 
  There is a small room at the base of the shaft. It is poorly 
  lit by a single glowing, green, bar-shaped bulb. Below it are 
  a half dozen Servo-Skull Flamebearers. These servo-skulls 
  will follow any character and shed light roughly 10 metres 
  from the electorch mounted on their underside. This will be 
  the characters only light (other than what they brought with 
  them) until they restore power to the machine.
  There is a round door leading to the Gear Housing area that 
  attempts to open as the Acolytes approach it, but cannot due 
  to age. It opens approximately half way, forcing the characters 
  to squeeze through one by one. While not dangerous, this is 
  a chance to play up the mystery of the cathedral and add a bit 
  of fear to the room.
  AREA 2: GEAR HOUSING
  The floor of this large, circular chamber has collapsed, 
  leaving the enormous churning cogs below exposed. In spite of 
  the time this place has been abandoned, the cogs are still working 
  ceaselessly. Maintenance walkways still cross the chamber, 
  connecting the many doors leading in various directions. On 
  one wall is a diagram of escape routes, headed with the name 
  Pax Macharia. The shape of the diagram suggests some sort of 
  large machine. You are currently in its centre area. Around and 
  below you are other areas accessible from this chamber, but the 
  markings and name plates have long since worn away and are 
  nearly illegible.
  From this chamber, the Acolytes can access the various parts 
  of the Pax Macharia. The gears are as dangerous as they look, 
  and anyone falling or being thrown into them suffers 1d10+8 
  Rending Damage each Round from being crushed and 
  shredded by the teeth of the churning cogs. A Routine (+20) 
  Climb Test can get the victim back onto one of the walkways.
  An Ordinary (+10) Perception Test causes an Acolyte to 
  notice a room beneath the gears, just glimpsed through the 
  cogs. Reaching this room requires the cogs to be stopped. 
  A Challenging (+0) Tech-Use Test locates a junction box 
  on the wall from which the cogs in question can be shut 
  down. Alternatively, jamming a suitably large piece of debris 
  (a steel bar from the floor of the Spinal Maintenance Shaft 
  will do) into the cogs will stop them temporarily, but the 
  accompanying explosion of shattered debris and shards of 
  metal inflicts 1d10+3 Rending Damage to everyone in the 
  chamber (this damage can be Dodged, but not Parried).
  A map located in a small window-box labels the exits out 
  of the Gear House as follows:
  Ge-at-r--m: Area 3. The Genatorium and is the doorway 
  directly across from the spinal shaft.
  -rmo-r-: Area 5. Armoury and is reached via a short ladder 
  climb and a narrow catwalk around the curve of the room.
  Mo-e-ati Qu--t-rs: Area 6. A large cog slowly turns, 
  requiring the characters to duck between the gaps to get to 
  this room.
  -o-it-t-r Core: Area 8. This is the Bridge at the bottom 
  of the gears reachable only if the gears are shut off (or if the 
  Genatorium is re-activated).
  Prompt the players as to which room they wish to enter 
  based on these illegible labels. While some groups will simply 
  enter the rooms methodically, many players will enjoy the 
  puzzle of deciphering the decrepit script as they go. The 
  GM should indulge those players wishing to investigate 
  the mystery and perhaps figure out the nature of the Pax 
  Macharia before the machine itself is re-activated.
  All prisons fail. Bars shall rust. Gates 
  will bend. Guards will grow weary. It may 
  be a day, or an age, but this cell too will 
  release its captive unto the stars. I cannot 
  be forever contained.
  
  III: The Macharian Peace
  49
  AREA 3: GENATORIUM
  This large, circular chamber is distorted and befouled by 
  some daemonic presence. Stinking ichor runs down the walls and 
  pulsing, veiny growths cross the floor. A thick, cylindrical shield 
  prevents access to the centre of the room.
  The Genatorium is the heart of the daemonic infestation. 
  Daemons wait here to be awakened by the raising of the 
  generator shield. 
  An Ordinary (+10) Tech-Use or Search Test locates an interface 
  in the wall from which can be read the state of the Genatorium 
  and allows a character to raise the shield. If they fail to find this, 
  there is another option for raising the shield in the Princeps 
  Tactorum (Area 4). The Genatorium is currently in working order, 
  but is dormant. To activate the Titan’s power systems, the shield 
  must be raised and the plasma fuel rods inserted. The Tech-Use 
  Test also notes that the fuel rods are radioactive and should be 
  handled only with appropriate protective gear.
  A compartment in the wall contains a withered servitor. This 
  is a menial model which is of no use in combat and possesses 
  only rudimentary programming. It can be reactivated simply 
  by disturbing it. An Ordinary (+10) Tech-Use Test confirms 
  that the servitor is programmed to insert the fuel rods into 
  the reactor. The servitor trundles around the Genatorium idly 
  until the blast shield is raised, whereupon it picks up the four 
  fuel rods one by one and inserts them.
  Once the shield is raised, the central console is revealed 
  with four holes. Beside it, in four transparent cases, are the 
  fuel rods, each a shiny black rod about a metre and a half 
  long with a faint greenish glow. The raising of the shield 
  also releases the lesser daemons inhabiting the Genatorium 
  to manifest and attack. The daemons attack with abandon, 
  lusting for violence and blood after so long in this artificial 
  prison. The daemons consist of four Genatorium Daemons. 
  Once the daemons are dispatched, the Acolytes are free 
  to insert the fuel rods. If they have reactivated the servitor, 
  it does this for them, removing each rod from its casing and 
  inserting it until all four are in place. Otherwise, the Acolytes 
  have to do it themselves. Removing the rods from their casings 
  and inserting them requires no Test, but the Acolytes are at 
  risk from the corruption pumped out by the rods. An Acolyte 
  handling a rod must make a Routine (+20) Toughness Test 
  or suffer 1d5+2 Energy Damage to the arm. This damage 
  ignores Armour, but not Toughness. Wearing the protective 
  garments from the stash in the Armoury grants a +40 bonus 
  to the Toughness Test. This Test is only required once per 
  Acolyte each time they handle a rod.
  Once all the rods are inserted, a loud thrumming fills this 
  room. Various lights and gauges are illuminated and the floor 
  vibrates as the whole Titan starts pulling power from the 
  generator to become fully active again.
  genatorIum Daemons
  These foul pink creatures are minions of the Dei-Phage, 
  and are lurking in the immaterium watching the Titan’s 
  Genatorium. Rolling, twisting, twitching masses of iridescent 
  flesh and fire, these Horrors serve their master with the powers 
  of change and sorcery. Their many mouths scream and gibber, 
  and their shifting, clawed hands twitch with incantations. 
  The Genatorium Daemons are not very intelligent and speak 
  only gibberish.
  Generatorium Daemons
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  35
  25
  25
  30
  30
  20
  35
  40
  10
  Movement: 3/6/9/18 
  Wounds: 10
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Psyniscience (Per) +10, Speak 
  Language (any one) (Int).
  Talents: None.
  Traits: Daemonic (TB 6), Dark Sight, Daemonic Presence†, 
  Fear 2, Fire of Tzeentch‡, From Beyond, Natural Weapon 
  (Teeth or Claws), Regeneration, Warp Instability.
  Psychic Powers (Psy Rating 2): Fire Bolt.
  †Daemonic Presence: All creatures within 20 metres take a 
  –10 penalty to Willpower Tests.
  ‡Fire of Tzeentch: These daemons are immune to Perils of 
  the Warp.
  Weapons: Claws and teeth (1d10+3 E).
   
  
  III: The Macharian Peace
  50
  AREA 4: PRINcEPS 
  TAcTORUM
  Three massive map tables dominate this room, along with 
  a brass-cased cogitator built into an ornate desk. A couple of 
  yellowing maps still lie on the tables among compasses and other 
  drawing implements. On the walls hang military honours and 
  icons of the Cult Mechanicus.
  The Tactorum, found by passing through the Genatorium, is 
  where the Pax Macharia’s captain, the Princeps, pondered tactical 
  problems. He was also able to pilot the Titan from here using the 
  cogitator, a measure intended to keep the war machine mobile if 
  the control centre in its head was destroyed. 
  The maps are very old indeed and depict areas of the 
  planet Barsapine. A Challenging (+0) Common Lore (War) 
  Test dates the map to the Angevin Crusade. Several more 
  maps are rolled up in drawers in the sides of the map tables, 
  all of them areas of Barsapine.
  The cogitator here is shut down but it switches on as the 
  Acolytes enter the room. Once it has been reactivated, its 
  pict-screen displays an Aquila. 
  The cogitator can be used by a Princeps to pilot the Pax 
  Macharia in desperate times. The lack of power, however, 
  makes the cogitator far less useful to the Acolytes. The 
  instructions that appear on the screen describe how to restart 
  the Genatorium (calling it by name) and prompt the user on 
  how to activate the control panel in the Genatorium to raise 
  the shield and replace the fuel rods.
  Characters trained in Secret Tongue (Tech) understand 
  the instructions immediately. Otherwise a Challenging 
  (+0) Speak Language (High Gothic) or Hard (+20) Speak 
  Language (Low Gothic) Test should be made by every 
  Acolytes who can read the pict-screen.
  If at least one character succeeds read the following:
  The cogitator describes a simple process for performing the 
  Right of Replenishing. The sacred shield is first to be released 
  through the proper activation runes. Once this is completed, the 
  faithful must remove the voided rod and into its chamber place 
  an Isotropic fuel rod. The faithful will repeat this thrice more. 
  The sacred shield is to then be brought to bulwark position.
  If the Acolytes fail, read the following:
  It’s unclear, but this machine apparently has instructions for 
  raising the shield in the Genatorium and replacing fuel rods.
  After the Genatorium is activated, this room can be used 
  to communicate with the Pax Macharia in the same way as 
  in the Bridge, although it will direct them to that location so 
  that it can better communicate with the Acolytes.
  AREA 5: ARMOURY
  The walls of this chamber are padded to prevent sparks, 
  and its floor is panelled with wood. Inscriptions on the gigantic 
  ammunition hoppers call for the Emperor to lend strength to 
  the guns of the Pax Macharia. A loud rattling comes from one 
  of the hoppers and a shell casing the size of a man rests in the 
  corner.
  The Armoury is home to the armaments of the crew stationed 
  in this part of the Pax Macharia. The ammunition hoppers 
  still contain dozens of shell casings and other debris, and 
  the Acolytes can use this as an opportunity to replenish their 
  weapons or gather equipment useful in the Genatorium.
  Acolytes can search the Armoury. Behind one of the ammo 
  hoppers, next to an aperture through which shells were fed to 
  one of the Titan’s guns, is a steel case, the contents of which 
  are still in good repair. If an Acolytes is low on ammunition 
  you may allow them to scrounge additional rounds suitable 
  for their ballistic weapons, but most of the ammo here is 
  designed for the much larger weapons of the machine.
  There is a steel wall-mounted case that holds a stash of 
  emergency supplies for the crew. A large Adeptus Mechanicus 
  symbol is stamped on the sliding doors of the cabinet. It 
  includes weapons, rations, safety and survival gear and a 
  religious pamphlet extolling the Pax Macharia as an aspect 
  of the Emperor reborn (see the handout on page 67 for an 
  extract). The rest of the stash contains in total:
  • 2 lasguns
  • 2 laspistols
  • 4 charge packs (2 basic and 2 pistol)
  • 12 packs of corpse rations (spoiled and inedible)
  • 3 sets of protective overalls (AP 1, Body, Legs & Arms)
  • 1 welder’s helm (AP 5, head, -10 to Tests involving sight)
  • 2 rebreathers with full canisters
  
  III: The Macharian Peace
  51
  AREA 6: MODERATI 
  QUARTERS
  This room is a cramped dormitory for five or six people. 
  Devotional icons of the Priesthood of Mars are fixed over each 
  bunk bed and on the doors of several storage lockers. A headless 
  corpse holding a bolt pistol sits on one of the bunks with a vox 
  recorder in its lap. The body is wearing a uniform reminiscent 
  of an Imperial Navy officer, but covered in ornaments and 
  additional armour plates.
  This is the corpse of  Barabus Zanatov. He took his own life 
  rather than be driven insane by the Dei-Phage. On his lap 
  are his last words, if a character plays the recording, read the 
  following aloud:
  Damaged by time, but still functional, the vox-record plays 
  back the static filled message of a desperate man. His voice weary 
  but determined.
  “My name is Tauron Hekate. No, that’s a lie. My last words 
  shan’t be a lie. My name is Barabus Zanatov. I came to Barsapine in 
  service of Inquisitor DeVayne, whose faith and strength I admire even 
  more in these last days. I do not have his will, but I carry his mission.
  “The evidence he entrusted to my care was safely within a 
  cypher and in my hands. Unfortunately, the process for unlocking 
  its secrets were not. The details of what brought me to this place 
  are inconsequential. Should a loyal servant of the Imperium of 
  Mankind find this recording, know this... the Dei-Phage does 
  not wish the secrets I nearly decyphered to be brought to light.
  “I am pursued by agents of the ruinous powers, men who 
  hide among the flock of the faithful. My ruse, masquerading 
  as a noble here, served me well this last decade. I have nearly 
  bankrupted the fortunes gathered by my family’s warrant. It was 
  worth it. The Black Sepulchre was built, the evidence nearly 
  decoded. That’s when they caught up to me.
  “They have taken my Black Sepulchre. Unable to dismantle it 
  they took the land to raise up a new monastery. If they manage to 
  block the night sky, the translation will not proceed.
  “The Daemon, I can’t forget the Daemon. It spoke to us all, 
  calls itself the God-Eater. Promised us... everything. I resisted 
  but not all of my servants did. It’s talking to me now. I won’t 
  listen.
  “I’ve asked one last thing of my old friend, the Magos has 
  brought to arms this machine. This last chance to prevent the 
  fall of all of Barsapine. This last chance to stop the Dei-Phage. 
  “I will not see the battle through. I cannot. It wages even now, 
  but should the Daemon take my mind I will be too dangerous to 
  the cause. Uncover the Black Sepulchre marked on the Princeps‘ 
  maps, learn the truth I could not discover.
  “Emperor Protect us all.”
  A single explosive shot from a bolt pistol is the last noise 
  from the vox-record.
  The Pax Macharia listens along with the Acolytes. If the 
  Genatorium has been activated, it attempts to summon them 
  to the Bridge by playing a loop of the Princeps voice saying 
  “Enginseers Excellar to the Bridge.” 
  If the Genatorium has not been activated, then the 
  Machine-Spirit simply bides its time, knowing that it must 
  take the Acolytes to the Black Sepulchre.
  The location of the Black Sepulchre is clearly labelled 
  on the maps in the Princeps Tactorum among dozens of 
  other locations. It is easy to determine the location once the 
  Acolytes know what they are looking for.
  The bolt pistol is a Best Quality Bolt Pistol with seven 
  Sanctified Rounds. These Sanctified rounds ignore the 
  Unnatural Toughness of any Daemon they hit. Some players 
  may not wish to loot the weapon of a dead man. However, 
  it may be considered an even bigger heresy to leave such a 
  revered weapon here to rust. The coat was custom made for 
  the Rogue Trader, it provides 4 Armour to every location 
  except the head. The coat, on the other hand, is not revered 
  and only truly debased scum would consider taking it.
  There are a pair of double doors leading out of this 
  chamber, clearly labelled to anyone with training in Secret 
  Tongue (Tech), they lead to the Medicae Suit.
  AREA 7: MEDIcAE SUITE
  Though small, this medical room is well equipped. An 
  autosurgeon, apparently in working order, is fixed to the ceiling 
  above a surgical bed, and medical equipment is housed in glass-
  fronted cabinets.
  The autosurgeon is indeed intact and functional. An Acolyte 
  who uses this room to heal his wounds or remove Fatigue 
  is set upon by the autosurgeon’s many bladed limbs which, 
  with mechanical precision, sew and bind his wounds. The 
  autosurgeon can be used, giving +40 to any Medicae Tests 
  made in this room. It can also heal wounds on its own, making 
  Medicae Tests with Intelligence 40. Any successful Medicae 
  Test made in this room to restore a character’s wounds heals 
  1d5 additional Wounds.
  The medical implements in the cabinets are in working 
  order. Among them are several scalpels, bonesaws, and empty 
  syringes. A Routine (+20) Search Test finds two injectors 
  with a dose of stimm, and one with a dose of spook, in a 
  hidden compartment.
  
  III: The Macharian Peace
  52
  AREA 8: BRIDGE
  Slabs of glossy black data-medium, like standing stones, line 
  the walls of this room. The room is cold, with minimal power 
  used to operate the climate control system that pumps frigid air 
  from vents in the ceiling. A thin freezing mist clings to the floor.
  Massive viewing windows dominate one end of the room. 
  It’s possible that some sort of observation chamber lies beyond, 
  but thick adamantium shutters block the view. Pict-screens and 
  cogitator consoles dominate the remaining walls. 
  At the centre of the room is a control chair. At first the 
  occupant appears to be a tech-priest, ready for battle. The cold 
  has, however, stifled the decaying process, this servant of the 
  Omnissiah has been dead for quite some time.
  The Bridge is the brain of the Pax Macharia. It contains the 
  Titan’s machine-spirit, the ancient intelligence that helps to 
  govern the Titan’s actions. The cogitator needs a lot of power, 
  and until the Genatorium is reactivated, it cannot be switched 
  on, even with a Tech-Priest’s potentia coil. 
  IF the Power Is on
  Once power is restored by restarting the Genatorium, the 
  central cogitator comes to life, wheezing and clanking as its 
  valves and cogs begin to move. The vid-feeds on the pict-
  viewers show the cathedral above and the ocean below, an 
  Easy (+20) Perception Test allows the Acolytes to notice 
  bits of metal structure all the way down to the ocean floor, 
  hinting that this structure may be much deeper than what is 
  explorable currently.
  The crew has a cache of equipment that is easily noticed 
  in the light of the room when the power is on. It contains:
  • 6 doses of Frenzon
  • A Medikit
  • A Laspistol with a Red-dot laser sight
  • 4 Hot-Shot Charge Packs
  • A flask of Best Quality Amasec
  IF the Power Is oFF
  The body can be identified as a Princeps 
  with an Easy (+30) Forbidden Lore (Adeptus 
  Mechanicus) Test.
  IF the Power Is oFF
  The Acolytes may power individual vid-feeds 
  using an external power source with an Routine 
  (+20) Tech-Use Test. 
  The cache of weapons requires a Challenging 
  (+0) Search Test to find while the power is off.
  gettIng In the ChaIr
  In the event that one of the acolytes (likely the Tech-
  Priest) wishes to get into the control chair, they may 
  attempt to do so, but it is extremely dangerous and 
  has only a limited reward. Removing the Princeps’ 
  body from the chair requires a Hard (-20) Tech-Use 
  Test, failure damages a component and it will take 
  special parts to repair. Interfacing with the Pax-
  Macharia without the proper Princeps bionic interface 
  will require a Very Hard (-30) Willpower Test, failure 
  causes a level of Fatigue for every Degree of Failure. 
  Once interfaced, the acolyte does not have control of 
  the vessel but may look through any of its vid-feeds 
  and automatically notices the size of the structure. The 
  control chair is otherwise damaged beyond use.
  
  III: The Macharian Peace
  53
  Once the Machine-Spirit has heard the Vox-Record and 
  the Genatorium has been restored and the Acolytes are in the 
  Bridge read the following:
  Dozens of pict screens throughout the room spring to life. 
  Each shows a drawn and pale man hunched in a command 
  throne. Even at a glance, the augmentics are identical—this 
  can only be a recording of the individual whose corpse now sits 
  behind you.  
  A mechanical voice booms through out the room, “Brace—
  drives engaging!” You have scant moments to grasp handholds 
  and the edges of consoles before the entire room lurches violently. 
  With a deafening hiss and burst of static, the pict screens switch 
  to showing myriad vid-feeds from points within the structure, the 
  cathedral above, and the surrounding grounds. 
  As you watch, cracks split the earth around the cathedral, the 
  soil shuddering and falling away. Before your eyes, the cliff-face 
  begins to disintigrate, collapsing into the surrounding ocean. 
  You can feel the floor lifting and shifting beneath your feet, as a 
  deep, terrible groan reverberates through the structure.
  “Primary drive-train engaged. Power at 38 percent.” the 
  voice says tonelessly. 
  The adamantium shutters at the front of the room suddenly 
  clatter open, allowing you to see out of the viewports. Rocks 
  and dirt block the outer frames, but even as you watch it sloughs 
  away, revealing a grey, leaden sky and the expanse of the ocean. 
  The horizon seems to be moving. 
  Peering out the veiwports, you realize that the cathedral and 
  entire structure beneath it are somehow rising into the air as the 
  remains of the cliff sink into the waves around you. Massive 
  arms—encrusted in barnacles and covered in sea-bed silt—rise 
  out of the water on either side. 
  The machine finishes straightening, and bone-shaking 
  seige-sirens blare—the sound flattening the ocean and nearly 
  deafening you. Then the voice speaks again.
  “Primary reactor core lit. Weapons at 17 percent capacity. 
  Motive-power at 27 percent standard. Imperator Titan Pax 
  Macharia...operational.”
  The Hematite cathedral was nothing less than the 
  superstructure of an Imperator Titan, which now stands waist-
  deep in the ocean, the shards of the cliffside that encased it 
  sinking away on either side. 
  With full view of the Titan’s surroundings from the bridge, 
  the power of this machine becomes clear. The vast ocean and 
  endless shoreline feel small and conquerable. 
  At first you mistake the screeching for a the wail of metal on 
  metal. Its source darts across the main viewport before stopping 
  to hover directly in front of the Titan. It is a robed figure, 
  massive feathered wings holding it impossibly still in the air. 
  Dwarfed by the Pax Macharia, it is none-the-less massive, large 
  enough to crush a battle tank with its fists. It turns its long neck 
  to look directly into the chamber. A name resounds through the 
  mind of all present. None can mistake that this... this is the Dei-
  Phage made manifest before you.
  The Pax-Macharia speaks again “Crewmen, Battle Stations. 
  Man the cannons.”
  
  III: The Macharian Peace
  54
  Against  
  All Odds
  T
  his chapter ends when the Acolytes have successfully 
  awoken the Pax Macharia and in the process freed the 
  Dei-Phage from its prison. They are now being told by 
  the ancient machine to man the large Quake Cannon located 
  in the Nave. The next chapter begins with the Acolytes 
  rushing to the seige weapon to fire its last remaining shot at 
  the Dei-Phage itself.
  TROUBLESHOOTING
  By this stage the Acolytes should know that the Dei-Phage 
  came to this world at the behest of a shadow cult that wished 
  to stop the Black Sepulchre from deciphering its encrypted 
  evidence acquired by Inquisitor DeVayne.
  the beast to Come
  The Acolytes must now face the Dei-Phage in the final 
  climactic battle. They will need to face a variety of fear 
  causing foes as well as a wounded Dei-Phage. If the Acolytes 
  have not found at least 1 dose of Frenzon per Acolytes then 
  the Pax Macharia can point the Acolytes to a store of the 
  drug in the Bridge, opening a small door and booming “Steel 
  thyselves for battle” over the laudhailer.
  In addition, if the Acolytes lack qualified combatants, the 
  rounds in the Bolt Pistol found in the Moderati Quarters 
  can be Psybolt rounds. These shells ignore the Dei-Phage’s 
  Unnatural Toughness quality.
  no Power
  If the Acolytes cannot figure out how to restore power to the 
  Pax Macharia, then the Servitor in the Genatorium can be 
  used to perform the task. It begins making a loud noise (as it 
  fights against some restraints) and once freed to perform its 
  task it will lift the shield and begin replacing the fuel rods. 
  Of course this will cause the Genatorium Daemons to attack 
  if they have not already.
  baD InJury
  If the Acolytes are badly wounded, the Medicae Facility in the 
  Moderati Quarters is now fully operational. Drawing on the 
  power and databanks of the Pax Macharia allows it to repair 
  additional damage and provide drugs to help shrug off pain. 
  It cannot cure Critical Wounds but through a combination 
  of bonecrete and liquid skin, the Acolytes can have all other 
  wounds healed.
  ExPERIENcE POINTS
  The Acolytes should be at least Rank 3 by this time. If it seems 
  realistic, the GM may allow Acolytes who gain a new Weapon 
  Training talent to search the Armoury of the Pax Macharia 
  for such a weapon and a single reload of ammunition.
  Experience earned: Each player should earn at least 300 
  xp by the conclusion of this chapter. If you are using the 
  detail-based experience method, use the following.
  Experience Earned:
  • Base: 100 xp
  • Defeated the Genatorium Daemons: 50 xp
  • Found the body of Barabus Zanatov: 75 xp
  • Restored Power to the Pax Macharia: 75 xp
  
  beholD the
  Dei-Phage
  the lIbrarIum nox
  •
  the Quake Cannon
  •
  uPon wIngs  
  oF maDness
  
  IV: Behold The Dei-Phage
  56
  Chapter IV: 
  Behold The 
  Dei-Phage
  "I have borne witness to it! It had wings like a crow that shifted 
  amongst the colours that cannot be seen without madness taking hold. 
  It was dead, or dying. Its wings moulted and rotting away. It needed 
  strength. It needed the will. It would have it, it would take it from us."
  —Mallica Hekate 
  T
  he final part of The Black Sepulchre pits the Acolytes 
  directly against the Dei-Phage. By now they should have 
  had this confrontation thoroughly foreshadowed by 
  the mad writings of the cathedrals occupants and by the eerie 
  events that have followed them throughout the investigation. 
  The Dei-Phage first turns the Haematite Cathedral into 
  a psychological gauntlet. The Acolytes are subjected to 
  merciless mental Tests. Once they have passed or failed these, 
  and perhaps suffered accordingly, they can reach the Nave 
  and face the Dei-Phage in combat. Such a powerful daemonic 
  entity is likely beyond the Acolyte's ability to confront 
  directly. The Pax Macharia, however, has one trick left. The 
  Quake Cannon in the Nave is in bad shape, but it can still fire 
  one last time. The Acolytes must fire the cannon while the 
  Dei-Phage is distracted in its battle with the Pax Macharia, 
  wounding it severely enough that they can defeat it.
  As the Pax Macharia approaches Kephistron Altis, the 
  Dei-Phage makes its final, desperate attempt to stop the Titan 
  from uncovering the Black Sepulchre. It manifests fully into 
  the material world, which gives it the power to interfere 
  directly with the links between the machine-spirit and the 
  Titan’s systems. 
  Unlike previous portions of this adventure, the battle with 
  the Dei-Phage is more linear. The Acolytes are assailed by 
  the daemon and must resist his powers while desperately 
  attempting to reach the Quake Cannon in the Nave.
  As this is the climax to the adventure, it is an entire chapter 
  of its own. The Acolytes must deal with a series of encounters 
  to finally fell the beast... if only temporarily.
  If the Acolytes do not know that they need to head to the 
  Nave, then the Pax Macharia will urge the Acolytes to rush 
  to the main Quake Cannon, repeating the phrase “Crewmen, 
  man the cannons.” 
  where Few have FaIth to treaD
  Upon defeating the Dei-Phage, the Acolytes have 
  managed to do something few mortals can claim to 
  have accomplished. They have faced a daemon in 
  mortal combat and emerged victorious. Any acolyte 
  who survives this chapter should gain 1 Fate Point. 
  In addition, they should automatically gain the 
  Talent: Into The Breach.
  new talent: Into the breaCh
  The Acolyte can trust the bonds of loyalty forged 
  when facing the worst the warp has to offer. When 
  confronted by Daemonic foes with the Fear trait, the 
  acolyte treats the Fear Rating as 1 less (to a minimum of 
  1) if he is accompanied by at least two other characters 
  with this talent.
  
  IV: Behold The Dei-Phage
  57
  AREA 1: LIBRARIUM NOx
  Where before the central Gear Chamber stood, now there 
  soars a towering Librarium wreathed in flame. Endless bookcases 
  reach up to the impossibly high ceiling, containing thousands 
  upon thousands of books. The entrance behind you is gone, 
  replaced by another bookcase that, like most of the bafflingly vast 
  Librarium, is on fire. Blue and pink flames ripple across the floor 
  and the surfaces of the bookshelves. Scraps of burning paper fall 
  in a smouldering rain and the air is almost too hot to breathe.
  Someone stumbles through the flames towards you, blazing 
  from head to toe.
  “Speak its name!” the burning figure gasps. “Speak its name 
  and… and…” With that the figure falls to the ground, a 
  guttering, charred remnant.
  The flames coalesce in the heart of the Librarium to form a 
  vast winged figure composed of multicoloured fire floating in the 
  centre of the room. It reaches out a claw, and a bolt of flame, like 
  a comet, hurtles towards you.
  This hellish scene is the result of the Dei-Phage attempting 
  to use its dark magic upon the Titan. The Acolytes have, 
  temporarily, stepped into the mind of the Daemon, able to 
  learn crucial secrets. So startling is the transition that each 
  Acolyte must succeed in a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test 
  or gain 1d5 Insanity and Corruption Points (roll once and 
  apply the result to both).
  At the start of every round, the Librarium defender (part 
  of the Dei-Phage's own mind) hurls a firebolt at a random 
  Acolyte, with a Ballistic Skill of 40. This bolt can be 
  dodged normally. Any Acolyte hit is wreathed in fire must 
  pass a Difficult (-10) Toughness Test or pass out from the 
  pain. Acolytes who pass out have failed the challenge of the 
  Librarium Nox and collapse to the floor like the guttering 
  corpse who met them. Their minds are full of profane words, 
  mad prophecies, and the threats of fates too hideous for a 
  human tongue to speak. Those who pass take the pain and 
  the flames die away, but they may be hit again in subsequent 
  Combat Rounds.
  Finding out the daemon’s name is the key to success during 
  this challenge. An Easy (+30) Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) 
  Test or a Challenging (+0) Scholastic Knowledge (Occult) 
  Test causes an Acolyte to recall that a daemon has many 
  names, and that one, its true name, gives power over it. 
  The daemon’s name is written in one of the many books 
  in the Librarium. Four successful Challenging (+0) Search 
  Tests are required to hunt it down. The first successful Test 
  finds the section of the Librarium that contains information 
  on forbidden subjects, including tomes describing heretical 
  cults and the collected writings of warp-prophets. The second 
  Test finds a shelf holding catalogues of daemons, their names, 
  and their deeds. The third locates a particular book entitled 
  ‘Ye Monstres of Feather and Claw’, which has an illustration 
  on the cover of a robed daemon with decaying wings and 
  vicious talons. The fourth Test locates the page on which the 
  Dei-Phage is described.
  Written below the illustration is an impossibly convoluted 
  sequence of letters. This is a part of the Dei-Phage’s true 
  name, and uttering it aloud will banish this manifestation and 
  cause the remaining Acolytes to pass this Test. The human 
  tongue rebels against such an unholy pronouncement, and 
  the Acolyte reading out the true name fragment must pass a 
  Challenging (+0) Willpower Test to force the sound out. If 
  he fails he may not utter it, but he or another Acolyte may 
  try again next turn (assuming any of them are left after the 
  next firebolt).
  When the true name fragment is uttered, the fire is 
  extinguished by a freezing gale that blows through the 
  Librarium. Thousands of sheets of parchment are caught on 
  the wind and the Acolytes are all but smothered by a tide of 
  ancient pages that fly into their faces. When the papers blow 
  away, the Acolytes find they are lying on the landing between 
  the Haematite Cathedral’s various chambers. 
  Some characters may choose to instead fight the daemon 
  head on. He cannot be reached on foot, although a clever 
  Acolyte may try to climb the book shelves and drop down 
  on top of him. Ranged weapons can distract him although 
  it should be made clear that no real damage is being dealt. 
  Instead the Dei-Phage targets the Acolyte who dealt the most 
  damage to him in the previous round. In this way Tough 
  characters can support their researching companions.
  If the Acolytes do not immediately understand that the way 
  out of this hellscape is to defeat speak the Daemons true name 
  then every round additional flaming corpses can emerge from 
  behind book cases and give them clues before combusting.
  Acolytes who are struck down by the fire bolts during the 
  Challenge of the Librarium Nox must make a Challenging 
  (+0) Willpower Test. If they pass this Test, they acquire 1 
  Corruption Point from the torrent of unholy knowledge that 
  coursed through them. If they fail, they instead acquire 1d5 
  Corruption Points. Any Acolyte not rendered unconcious by 
  the flames hurledy by the Librarium's defeder do not suffer any 
  additional corruption at the end of the challenge.
  Once this Test is completed or failed, reality snaps into 
  view, read the following:
  The Pax Macharia sways with unsteady steps, the floor 
  tilting drunkenly beneath you. The massive grinding gears 
  replacing the inferno of the twisted Librarium within the Dei-
  Phage's mind. 
  The obvious way up is to climb the spinal shaft that you 
  came down through, bringing you directly into the Nave where 
  the Quake Cannon is housed. The way out of the Titan’s lower 
  floors and up the Spinal Maintenance Shaft is clear enough, 
  albeit made more shocking by the Titan’s motion, alarm klaxons, 
  and warning lights. The cogs in the Gear Housing jerk and 
  spin at an alarming rate, but now a small lift is operational. 
  Climbing the shaft is likewise less challenging as the machine-
  spirit is able to extrude narrow metal steps from the shaft walls 
  to form a cramped spiral staircase. 
  
  IV: Behold The Dei-Phage
  58
  AREA 2: QUAKE cANNON
  With the movement of the Pax Macharia it has become clear 
  why the pews in the vast main hall were bolted to the floor. 
  Debris tumbles through the broken glass of the windows with 
  every step of the machines, powerful legs. Below, the ocean has 
  disappeared, replaced by the dunes of the Barsapine desert as the 
  Titan strides towards Kephistron Altis and the Black Sepulchre.
  Keeping pace with the Titan is the physical form of the Dei-
  Phage. Hovering below the windows of the Nave in front of the 
  Bridge, the tattered wings sweep back in forth with the each step 
  of the Pax Macharia. The Daemon shrieks unintelligible words 
  that can be heard even over the sirens.
  Directly below it is a swirling whirlpool of colour and flame. 
  Glimpses of foul warp beasts can be seen flickering momentarily 
  across the surface of this breach into the Immaterium.
  Due to the incredible noise, the Acolytes have to shout while 
  near each other just to be heard. This can make the job at 
  hand more difficult. 
  A Challenging (+0) Psyniscience or Forbidden Lore 
  (Warp) Test (or another Test the GM feels is appropriate such 
  as Daemonology) lets the Acolyte know that the Dei-Phage 
  is attempting to enact a sorcerous spell. Two or more degrees 
  of Success lets the Acolytes know that this spell will allow 
  the Dei-Phage to possess the body of the Pax Macharia, 
  something it could not do while trapped inside. If it is allowed 
  to continue the entire planet is likely doomed.
  The warp rift is a side effect of the powerful sorcery the 
  Dei-Phage is attempting to call and from it daemonic Furies 
  are pressing their way into reality.
  To fire the Cannon requires three steps, none of which will 
  be easy while under constant attack from the furies. In the first 
  round, a Fury flies from the portal and attacks the Acolytes. 
  Every round after that another Fury flies through the portal 
  on a 1d10 result of 7 or higher and attacks the Acolytes. If 
  they dispatch the one they are fighting they may have a few 
  moments to complete their task, although they will probably 
  attempt to fire the cannon while fighting off beasts.
  First the cannon must be prepared. Because it is so ancient 
  and in such disrepair, it must first have its barrel cleared of 
  debris. The Acolytes must succeed in three Very Hard (+30) 
  Strength Tests to get large chunks of stonework from the 
  barrel. Characters may provide assistance as described on 
  page 185 of Dark Heresy; there is no limit, however, to the 
  number of characters allowed to help.
  Next the final loading sequence must be accomplished. 
  This requires a Very Hard (+30) Intelligence Test or a 
  Challenging (+0) Tech-Use Test. Any character who begins 
  this process will become the main target of the Furies, who 
  will dive to attack him. A character under attack suffers a -20 
  penalty to any Tests to perform this function, so Acolytes will 
  want to grapple or kill any remaining Furies to make this Test 
  as easy as possible.
  Lastly the weapon must be fired, requiring a Ballistic Skill 
  Test as if firing a weapon. Acolytes will most likely suffer a 
  negative for not being trained in the use of a Quake Cannon. 
  The shell in the Quake Cannon is old and the explosion from 
  the barrel is not the launching of a massive explosive but 
  instead a torrent of fire and shell shrapnel. Read the following:
  There is a brief moment as nothing happens. Despair is 
  replaced with fear as the weapon tears itself apart. Its low angle 
  ripping the weapon from its moorings and shattering the stone 
  floor beneath it. You are each cast aside into the pews and against 
  the walls as the explosion smashes through the Nave.
  A torrent of fire and shrapnel blast forth from the Quake 
  Cannon barrel even as the weapon itself is destroyed. The shell 
  was long deteriorated and rendered useless by the ravages of time, 
  and it fires now as something more reminiscent of an enormous 
  shotgun than the holy siege weapon it was meant to be.
  The flames and force of the blast consume the Daemon and 
  the portal beneath him. As the sand and glass forged by the heat 
  settle, there is a moment of pure silence, no screeching or alarms 
  sound. The quite is short lived.
  With a screech, a charred figure, its feathered wings still 
  smouldering, hurls itself up from the scar. Its clawed feet 
  gripping into the cracked stone as it lands. Easily three men high, 
  the beast tosses the remaining slag of the cannon through the 
  decimated wall of the cathedral.
  If the Acolytes hit the beast then the Furies are now gone, 
  banished along with their portal. The weapon has greatly 
  damaged the Daemon but the players as well. If the Ballistic 
  Skill Test was passed then the explosion merely knocked them 
  about the room. If it was failed, they each take 1d10 Impact 
  damage reduced by armour and Toughness as normal. When 
  the Furies are defeated, the Dei-Phage strikes as described in 
  "On Wings of Madness" on page 59.
  FurIes
  Furies are found on page 352 of Dark Heresy and are 
  reprinted here for easy of use.
  Bestial predators in the service of no single power, these 
  twisted and disfigured hunting Daemons are grim and winged 
  in the manner of nightmarish gargoyles.
  Furies
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  45
  25
  45
  40
  40
  20
  45
  40
  10
  Movement: 4/8/12/24 
  Wounds: 15
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Psyniscience (Per), Speak Language 
  (any one) (Int).
  Talents: Furious Assault.
  Traits: Daemonic (TB 8), Dark Sight, Daemonic Presence†, 
  Fear 3, Flyer 8, From Beyond, Natural Weapon (Teeth or 
  Claws), Warp Instability.
  †Daemonic Presence: All creatures within 20 metres take a 
  -10 penalty to Willpower Tests.
  Weapons: Claws and teeth (1d10+4 R; Primitive, Tearing).
  
  IV: Behold The Dei-Phage
  59
  AREA 3: UPON WINGS  
  OF MADNESS
  T
  he Dei-Phage's wings are still ablaze, making flight 
  difficult for the monster. While immensely powerful, 
  the Dei-Phage has been weakened by the attempt to 
  possess the Pax Macharia and gravely wounded by the blast 
  from the Quake Cannon. It intends to destroy the Acolytes 
  and then perform the ritual of Possession again. 
  In chopped speech that seems to defy space and time, the Dei-
  Phage calls a name that is at once familiar and completely alien. 
  It points one of its long taloned fingers as its wings, still ablaze, 
  fan out behind it, silhouetting the beast against its own flaming 
  pinions. All of its wounds are fresh, save one... its left arm is 
  missing and long ago the wound healed, a twisting scar at the 
  end of a stump of muscle and feather.
  When the Dei-Phage is defeated, it lets out a terrible 
  howling scream and sinks to the floor. 
  The Dei-Phage's feathers begin to shed from its wings, a soft 
  wind catching them and swirling them in all directions. When 
  finally all the feathers are stripped away, all that remains are the 
  Dei-Phage’s filthy robes in a heap on the cathedral floor. The 
  air in the cathedral feels clean, the dry desert air still carries a 
  hint of brine and salt from the Barsapine Sea. The beast has been 
  laid low... for now.
  The Acolytes need do no more to defeat the Dei-Phage 
  and exorcise the Titan. The Pax Macharia now strides 
  purposefully towards Kephistron Altis. 
  the DeI-Phage
  The Dei-Phage is an evil and cunning creature of the warp, 
  summoned by the Maledictor's Hand to destroy Barsapine 
  and ensure that their secret could never be revealed. It is a 
  thing of utter corruption, as evidenced by its influencing of 
  the Hekate dynasty towards madness and evil. For most of 
  The Black Sepulchre, the Dei-Phage is in the background, 
  commanding its lesser daemons and warping the reality of the 
  Haematite Cathedral, but it is always present and watching, 
  and it is well aware of what the Acolytes are doing. Though 
  it has been sealed within the Pax Macharia, infesting the 
  structure of the cathedral through daemonic sorceries, in its 
  physical form it is a deadly foe indeed.
  The Dei-Phage does not have a personality as humans 
  understand it, being composed of the raw madness of the warp. 
  It appears, however, to be a sardonic and mocking creature, 
  its attacks punctuated by baffling or infuriating statements 
  about the inevitability of the warp's victory over reality and 
  the meaninglessness of the Acolytes' existence. Even in combat 
  it remains inscrutable, even calm, the only evidence of its 
  intelligence the rasping cries that issue from its beak beneath its 
  rot-stained hood. It prefers to destroy enemies from afar with 
  its psychic powers or tear them apart with its talons, reserving 
  its Possession ability for large prey.
  In appearance the Dei-Phage is a tall, hunched figure in 
  robes charred black from the flame, long taloned fingers with 
  pale blue flesh and a pair of vast smouldering wings that 
  constantly drop burning feathers are the mark of its passing. 
  The very presence of the Dei-Phage is an affront to reality and 
  sanity, and its manifestation is a thing of otherworldy horror 
  with the capacity to wound the soul as badly as the body.
  The Wounded Dei-Phage
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  39
  49
  49
  59
  49
  29
  49
  69
  39
  Movement: 6/12/18/36 
  Wounds: 29
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Deceive (Fel) +20, Forbidden Lore (Cults, 
  Daemonology, the Warp) (Int) +20, Intimidate (S) +20, Literacy 
  (Int), Logic (Int) +20, Scrutiny (Per) +10, Speak Language (High 
  Gothic, Low Gothic, Secret Tongue (Razored Wing)) (Int).
  Talents: Swift Attack, Psy Rating 4.
  Traits: Daemonic (TB 10), Dark Sight, Daemonic Presence, 
  Fear 4, Flyer 6, From Beyond, Gift of the Change God, 
  Natural Weapons (Talons), Size (Enormous), The Stuff Of 
  Nightmares, Unnatural Strength, Possession.
  Gift of Tzeentch: The Dei-Phage does not suffer from the 
  Perils of the Warp.
  Psychic Powers (Psy Rating 4): All Minor Psychic Powers 
  plus Fire Storm, Psychic Crush, Mind Scan, and Terrify Major 
  Psychic Powers.
  Note: If the Acolytes succeeded in the test of the Librarium 
  Nox, lower the Dei-Phage's Fear Rating by 1. If the Acolytes hit 
  the Dei-Phage with the Quake Cannon, reduce its Fear Rating 
  by 1 as well.
  
  IV: Behold The Dei-Phage
  60
  Aftermath
  With the defeat of the Dei-Phage, the Pax Macharia completes 
  the journey to the outskirts of Kephistron Altis. It stops, tilting 
  backwards a few degrees as if looking upon the night sky. A voice 
  booms from below. “Here warriors. Here is the Black Sepulchre built 
  by DeVayne so long ago. It is here that you must bear witness.”
  Clinging to the shattered remnants of the Pax Macharias’s 
  cathedral, you peer over the massive slope of the Titan at the buildings 
  of Kephistron Altis spread out beneath you. You can hear the sounds 
  of sirens and alarms below you, as the city panics with the Titan’s 
  arrival. In your wake, smoke and tiny flickers of flame dot the 
  ground, the destruction wrought by the Pax Macharias’s footsteps.
  The Macharias’s torso turns slowly, and then powerful stab-lights 
  in the behemoth’s torso ignite, transfixing the Gilded Cathedral in 
  their blinding, blue white glare. The golden edifice that once appeared 
  so monumental and awe-inspiring seems little more than a toy next to 
  the bulk of the god machine. In the square between the Macharias and 
  the cathedral you can just make out crowds gathering as the Arbites 
  vainly try to disperse them.
  Suddenly, the Titan’s siege sirens blare and you stagger, hands 
  clasped over your ears in a vain attempt to protect against the 
  deafening noise. Below you, you can see brief glints and flashes as the 
  windows in the surrounding buildings shatter. The siege sirens blare 
  again, twice, and the crowd panics, fleeing the square and the Titan 
  looming over it. As your hearing slowly returns, you can make out the 
  distant screams of the crowd, and something else. A humming noise, 
  slowly building in intensity.
  You search for the sound, as your hair begins to stand on end and 
  the stench of ozone fills the air. Finally, leaning out over the Pax 
  Macharias’s left shoulder, you spot the charge coils on the massive 
  plasma annihilator that is the Titan’s left arm glowing as electricity 
  crackles around them.
  There is no time to descend to the Titan’s head to stop the machine. 
  Even as you watch, the weapon fires. A blue-white flash sears your 
  eyes and the howling fury of a star’s wrath knocks you off your feet.
  Slowly, you stand, your ears bleeding, your clothes and hair 
  singed, and your eyes still filled with retinal after-images. Carefully, 
  you peer over the balcony.
  The Gilded Cathedral is destroyed, the building’s core vaporised 
  by a direct hit as every building surrounding the square shakes 
  furiously from the weapon’s blast. Even as you watch, the golden walls 
  of the cathedral twist and deform from the furious heat, collapsing 
  into lakes of molten metal that spread across the blackened wasteland 
  that used to be the cathedral square.
  All that remains at the epicentre of the devastation is a stone 
  building surrounded by solemn robed statues standing silent vigil. 
  A single, massive defence laser protrusion has been re-purposed into 
  a telescope, pointing at the horizon of Barsapines eternal night sky.
  The path from the Nave to the Black Sepulchre below is clear, 
  and the Pax Macharia aids you in scaling to the ground. A 
  spotlight illuminates the rubble of the cathedral where the 
  Black Sepulchre lies. A shimmering void shield fails out of 
  existence allowing the players to enter the newly revealed 
  machine. Give players a moment to react to the devastation 
  they have wrought before they move into the Sepulchre.
  Through the cogs, pistons, and astronomical devices you 
  can see the Pax Macharia above you. A beam of light shines 
  down through the mechanism as the device achieves its purpose, 
  deciphering an ancient pict-file using a cypher congealed from 
  the night sky above Barsapine. 
  The players have completed the adventure and should now 
  be given the pict-file handout on page 71. The adventure ends 
  with the Acolytes witnessing the pict-file and the revelations 
  it holds.  
  WHAT'S ON THE vID-FILE?
  Game Masters might wish to use The Black Sepulchre to send 
  their Acolytes off on a different adventure that diverges from 
  The Apostasy Gambit trilogy. The pict-file they find at the end 
  of The Black Sepulchre creates the perfect hook to send them 
  in whatever direction the Game Master wishes. Examples of 
  other subjects for the hidden pict-file might include:
  • A ritual in which another Inquisitor of the Calixian 
  Conclave is shown being implanted with a xenos 
  creature, something like a many-jointed worm, which 
  writhes its way into the back of his skull.
  • An image from a deep-space monitoring station, which 
  shows realspace tearing open and a whole planet 
  emerging from the warp. The file is very old, and the 
  planet in question is now a heavily settled Imperial world.
  • A pict-file of a woman giving birth in a plush private 
  medicae suite. The midwife attending her picks up the 
  baby only to see that it is a horrible, mutated thing with 
  two heads, eight arms, and a nest of writhing tentacles in 
  place of legs. On one wall is the coat of arms of Sector 
  Commander Hax's dynasty, and the mother in the pict-file 
  can be identified as Hax's own mother.
  The Acolytes' patron Inquisitor is likely to now send the 
  Acolytes to investigate Ignato who, being a summoner of 
  daemons and a conspirator against the Imperium, is no doubt 
  a moral threat who must be expunged and his plots exposed. 
  However, that is a matter for another adventure, and indeed 
  the investigation into Arch-Cardinal Ignato forms the next 
  installment in the Apostasy Gambit series. The Inquisition 
  might not dispatch the Acolytes on this mission straight away, 
  however, and there is plenty of time for them to engage in other 
  Dark Heresy adventures until their patron decides the time is 
  right to send them after Ignato and the Maledictor's Hand.
  Either way, the Inquisition is now on a collision course 
  with the conspirators within the highest echelons of the 
  Ecclesiarchy. The scene is set for a conflict that will drag the 
  whole of the Calixis Sector into its terrible coils, a conflict 
  that threatens to shake the sector to its knees.
  ExPERIENcE POINTS
  The Acolytes have defeated a major threat to the Calixis 
  sector.  Each Acolyte should earn at least 500 XP by the 
  conclusion of this chapter. Games using the detailed system 
  for experience should still award 500 XP for defeating the 
  Dei-Phage and uncovering such a dangerous conspiracy.
  
  aPPenDix
  InQuIsItor's orDers #1
  •
  thrungg's PalaCe & 
  Journal hanDouts
  •
  InQuIsItor's orDers #2
  •
  exerPts From 
  the lIbrarIum oF 
  reFleCtIon
  •
  haematIte CatheDral 
  maP anD hanDouts
  •
  Devayne's evIDenCe
  
  V: Appendix
  62
  Instruments of my Inquisitorial will,
  It pleases me that the heretic Bulagor 
  Thrungg should be brought to justice. 
  His apostasy is assured, his agents have 
  purchased a planted "artefact" that I 
  had inserted into the Scintillan black 
  market. He is certainly the man behind 
  the so called Museum of Apostasy. It is 
  without a doubt hidden somewhere within 
  his ancestral home.
  To this end I have requisitioned the 
  use of a Valkyrie and forces from the 
  Army of the Scintillan Protectorate. They 
  will strike the mansion building while 
  you, my Acolytes, will deploy into the 
  mansion’s apostate chapel, there to hold 
  the location until the main building 
  can be captured. Intelligence suggests 
  the chapel will be poorly defended and 
  deploying there will protect you from 
  both troops on the ground and aircraft 
  bane weapons rumoured to be present among 
  the estate’s tombs. 
  Your purpose is to acquire evidence of 
  Thrungg’s possession of forbidden items, 
  and to assist in his capture if necessary. 
  I expect to soon take solace in news of 
  your success.
  In the name of the Emperor, let none 
  survive who turn their faces from Him.
  Priority Inquisitorial Communique
  Dest. Scintilla 
  Adeptus Astra Telepathica
  Thought for the day:
  He who hesitates is damned.
  
  V: Appendix
  63
  Instruments of my Inquisitorial will,
  It pleases me that the heretic Bulagor 
  Thrungg should be brought to justice. 
  His apostasy is assured, his agents have 
  purchased a planted "artefact" that I 
  had inserted into the Scintillan black 
  market. He is certainly the man behind 
  the so called Museum of Apostasy. It is 
  without a doubt somewhere hidden within 
  his Ancestral home.
  To this end I have requisitioned the 
  use of a Valkyrie and forces from the 
  Army of the Scintillan Protectorate. They 
  will strike the mansion building while 
  you, my Acolytes, will deploy into the 
  mansion’s apostate chapel, there to hold 
  the location until the main building 
  can be captured. Intelligence suggests 
  the chapel will be poorly defended and 
  deploying there will protect you from 
  both troops on the ground and aircraft 
  bane weapons rumoured to be present among 
  the estate’s tombs. 
  Your purpose is to acquire evidence of 
  Thrungg’s possession of forbidden items, 
  and to assist in his capture if necessary. 
  I expect to soon take solace in news of 
  your success.
  In the name of the Emperor, let none 
  survive who turn their faces from Him.
  Priority Inquisitorial Communique
  Dest. Scintilla 
  Adeptus Astra Telepathica
  Thought for the day:
  He who hesitates is damned.
  
  V: Appendix
  64
  indeed I dare say she was quite mad after the experience. If one were to attempt to put 
  into words the majesty of what the three of us saw within the hand they would surely fail. 
  I have dined with poets, Navigators and Astropaths and none have described in words what 
  the soul knows when it bears witness to it. Through the hand we three touched the mind of 
  a god, horrific to comprehend and impossible to ignore. 
  Day 72
  My compatriots have been dealt with. Poor Skrivus was so shaken by the truth of things, by 
  the unbridled knowledge thrust into us, that he fell to petty worship again. He certainly 
  would have confessed his sins had he been given time. My pets made quick work of any 
  evidence, perhaps I should be concerned that they are developing a taste for more refined 
  meals.
  Day 76
  The confluence of signs, invisible to the unaware, is almost nigh. My communion with the 
  hand will see the true birthright of the Thrungg dynasty thrust into the stars. The meek 
  will bow, I will be recognised the seer of seers. The stars above Gunmetal City wink and 
  twinkle in an almost unperceptable pattern. They speak to me, a voice from beyond the 
  percievable. They call in a language so ancient that none can pronounce it, but all is 
  understood. Taste upon me thy words, touch within me thy message.
  Day 78
  Without traversing the body from the museum, the mind has crossed the ocean of the warp 
  to my tutors realm. I now know the glorious destiny set forth for me, carved by chance. 
  Teeth like blades, scales like the sky, a single spine that hooks behind. Perfect in its 
  creation, surely a child of my tutor. 
  I have seen the great conflict. The thousand-fold truth battles against the knight. A 
  standstill, they hold each other, a grapple so implacable that even time stands still in 
  its grip. The Dei-Phage rots in the fist, but the fist cannot move, it must not move. 
  What have we become? Skrivus was right. It matters not unto... it doesn't. No, Skrivus was 
  a coward. We have traveled too far down this road to turn back. Devotion remains ahead.
  Day 80
  I have borne witness to the fortress of the eater of gods. The temple of gold with a heart 
  of coal. It stands alone against the darkness, shining for all to see. It is but a marker 
  on the path, but a path to the Dei-Phage is a home to all who have the will to understand. 
  A path to he who will swallow the unworthy god and supplant him. I will be at his side 
  when Hekate’s champion rises from the brine!
  Day 83
  We are one! Glorious to my flesh. Certainly my ascendance is near, for I have touched the 
  hand of the Dei-Phage and it has blessed me as it has no other. I alone have the mastery 
  of this gift, I alone survive its gentle caress.
  Day 85
  He tells me that doom is coming. That the wings of the warrior angel bear into the 
  flesh the righteous indignation of false gods. Even in my enlightened state there is no 
  deciphering such cryptic promises. Doom for who? Is this the doom I will strike across the 
  stars? Is this my own doom, a warning from my friend so that it can be avoided? I will not 
  risk my destiny on such a chance. The house guard have been resupplied. Watches at all 
  times and no fewer than fifty men on duty. A small pittance to pay for the certainty of 
  
  V: Appendix
  65
  Instruments of my Inquisitorial will,
  Our investigations into the crimes of 
  House Thrungg are now complete. While you 
  have been in transit to the Gilded Cathedral 
  on Barsapine, the holdings and titles of 
  Bulagor Thrungg as well as those of his 
  extended family have been revoked. Service 
  in His name is never complete and it falls 
  to you now to continue the investigations 
  into the source of the most dangerous 
  artefact among those deemed heretical.
  The faemonic hand that you reclaimed 
  from the corpse of Thrungg has its roots 
  somewhere on Barsapine. It is my concern 
  that the noble houses there as well may 
  be harboring corruptive influences. Abbot 
  Jurutas has been informed of your arrival 
  and will provide you all the succour and 
  assistance you require while investigating 
  the Gilded Cathedral for clues to point 
  you to the corruptive influence.
  Priority Inquisitorial Communique
  Dest. Barsapine 
  Adeptus Astra Telepathica
  Thought for the day:
  In His service one is never 
  sacrificing, nor shall one ever 
  sacrifice enough.
  Find the source of this object and bring to it the righteous light of He Who Is On Earth. 
  Leave no stone unturned and no thread unravelled in your search. 
  Awaiting you when you make landfall will be a transport for your use on Barsapine, as 
  well as several devices you may find useful. The Medispex servitor is an old device that 
  should be treated with care, I expect it to be returned in proper order when your mission 
  concludes. Additionally, the armaments you had available in the assault on Thrungg Manor 
  are available here as well. Should you require anything supplementary I leave you to your 
  own devices.
  One last note, please be subtle in your efforts. Abbot Jurutas knows your purpose but 
  the others within his parish do not. The Gilded Cathedral is the most holy location on all 
  of Barsapine and I do not wish to disrupt its day to day operations without reason.
  In the name of the Emperor, let none survive who turn their faces from Him.
  
  V: Appendix
  66
  EcclesiarchalHolding #117, The Chamber of 
  Uplifted Voices located within Kephistron Altis, 
  Clergy in Residence Abbot Vernstehn. His holy 
  hymn ceases not.Assigned supplemental clergy upon 
  the feast of St. Drusus, expected pilgrimage requires 
  no fewer than fifty clergy prepared to administer 
  penance.
  EcclesiarchalHolding #118, The Gilded Cathedral 
  located within Kephistron Inferior, Clergy in 
  Residence Abbot Clandis. The Light of the God-
  Emperor shines upon us all and gives day where there 
  is night. Request Adeptus Mechanicus assistance 
  determining function of Black Sepulchre. 
  EcclesiarchalHolding #119, The Chapel of St. 
  Drusus located within Kephistron Altis, Clergy 
  in Residence Cleric Adalmento. The Saint's truth 
  shared with the honest soldiers of the Brontian 
  Longknives 407th infantry battallion. Re-assign 
  Cleric Adalmento after re-deployment of 407th.
  EcclesiarchalHolding #120, Haematite Cathedral, 
  located upon the Twilight Ridge along eastern 
  coastline, Clergy in Residence None. Assign no clergy 
  to this accursed place. Request Ordo Hereticus 
  investigation into activities of Koronath Hekate, 
  Gustavus Hekate and Nikaea Hekate. 
  EcclesiarchalHolding #121, Outpost 408 located 
  Along Western Coastline, Daylight Ridge, Clergy 
  in Residence Missionary Sleel. Shining the light 
  of the God-Emperor upon the nomads of the desert 
  wastes.
  EcclesiarchalHolding #122, Bulwark of Sevatian 
  located within Desacryne, Clergy in Residence Drill 
  Abbot Von Marker. Preparing the faithful pupils 
  for purging of possible greenskin infestation.
  EcclesiarchalHolding #123, Outpost 410 located 
  along Twilight Ridge on western coastline, Clergy 
  in Residence Cleric Stednesh. Observing the sea for 
  greenskin threats. Cleric Stednesh has been in solitude 
  for fifteen years, summon to Desacryne for 
  
  V: Appendix
  67
  The march of the Titan Legions is a sight like no other. These 
  towering God-Machines stride into battle with unstoppable force, their 
  honour banners inspiring thousands of warriors who mill about their 
  churning feet like tiny insects. The rippling corona of void shields surround 
  the Titans with tinctures of actinic fire, a blazing borealis that shrugs 
  off enemy fire as a mere annoyance. Each thunderous step of a Titan 
  shakes the ground with powerful impacts, and the psychological impact of a 
  Titan’s presence is simply impossible to ignore. I have seen vast armies of 
  lesser foes turn tail and flee at the sight of a rampaging Titan of Mars.
  What must it be like, to command such a machine? To walk amongst the 
  mightiest army like a god, dispensing death and mercy with but a thought? 
  I am but a humble scribe, but my dearest wish is that I could have joined 
  those men and women, the princeps and moderati who serve upon a Titan’s 
  bridge and direct the God-Machine’s actions on the battlefield.
  The Tech-Priests who venerate these massive war machines accord 
  them all obeisiance; to the Machine Cult, Titans are pure expressions 
  of the Omnissiah’s wrath, and the Mechanicus will go to any length 
  to recover even the smallest portion of a Titan’s sanctified body. I 
  have witnessed the massive open bays where Titans rest upon the mass 
  conveyors as they are transported between the stars; swarms of Tech-
  adepts bestowing the Omnissiah’s blessing upon every cog and switch, 
  chanting litanies of maintenance upon every circuit and relay.
  The greatest of these Titans are mountainous in size, able to stride 
  across cities. Among these Titans are the Imperator-class, majestic and 
  colossal. Armed with lasers, cannons, and more esoteric weapons of immense 
  size and power, Imperator-class Titans are one of the ultimate war 
  machines fielded by the Adeptus Mechanicus. There is a legend that one 
  such Imperator-class Titan, the Pax Macharius, fought alone against an 
  entire greenskin Waaagh! during the Angevin Crusade. At the conclusion 
  of the battle, only the Titan remained, surrounded by a burning waste, the 
  air choked with tons of ash made from the flesh of its foes.
  P.M. West 478 North 222 Reverse
  The Dei-Phage? Haematite Cathedral?
  
  V: Appendix
  68
  
  V: Appendix
  69
  I fear these are the last words I shall write. Gustavus 
  is rampaging about the house looking for me. I have 
  never been so certain that he has done terrible things, 
  and now he knows my suspicions, surely my death shall 
  soon be among his crimes. I hide here in my chamber, 
  knowing that I cannot ever truly hide from him. This 
  room, I fear, shall become my tomb.
  Perhaps these pages will reach someone beyond the 
  Cathedral. I cast them now into the air, knowing the 
  descent from my window to the grounds is too perilous. 
  Would that these words make that journey, and cast 
  upon the winds of Barsapine find sympathetic eyes 
  to read them. If you are such a friend, find my body, 
  punish Gustavus, and uncover that which lurks in this 
  damned place.
  -Hadria Hekate
  Of Gustavus, I become more suspicious by the day. 
  For not but two days ago a clergyman came to visit. 
  Though I witnessed Gustavus leading the gentleman 
  about the Solarium and other places in the house, I 
  did not see him leave, nor did I hear them talking in 
  the evening when I might have expected them to be 
  discussing matters of religion and politics.
  The next day, while Gustavus and Vorkas were 
  out hunting in the dunes, I risked much to travel to 
  Kephistron Altis in disguise without his knowing. 
  There I found, from enquiries at the chapels and 
  house of this clergyman, that he has not been seen there 
  since he came to the Cathedral! I greatly fear that 
  some grave fate has befallen him at the hands of the 
  mad Gustavus.
  I have resolved to investigate the efforts Gustavus 
  puts forth in his secret study. He believes his room 
  hidden perfectly beneath the skullaria but I have 
  divined that he perofrms some dark act beneath the 
  great furnace. I must be careful in this not to involve 
  Bellica, for Bellica is both simple of mind and 
  devoted to Gustavus, and he will surely react to any 
  suspicion of hers with the anger of the betrayed. No, 
  it must be my burden alone to discover what he has 
  been doing that has caused so many to go missing 
  after attending this house.
  I shall be careful. Gustavus has little love for 
  me and will no doubt move against my every action, 
  perhaps even with violence, should he suspect I am 
  on the brink of turning against him. Might I also 
  disappear? I shall not be missed, I fear, and then 
  surely no one will look for me for none have come to 
  seek any at the Cathedral save perhaps a few that 
  Gustavus has dealt with in turn. I must be vigilant. 
  My old friend shall not have cause to turn on me. 
  He must not. 
  -Hadria Hekate, 
  3rd sun of Drusus’ Month.
  
  V: Appendix
  70
  In conclusion, it is this specific alignment, a 
  simultaneous eclipse of the seventh and ninth planets in 
  the Barsapine system, that will create a meta-galactic 
  prophetic space. It is nigh impossible to describe such 
  an event in mundane geoshape concepts. 
  Indeed the last such confluence happened during the 
  Angevin Crusade, when the great warmachine of the 
  Imperium wrested this planet from the Greenskins. The 
  turmoil of warfare no doubt caused scholars of the day 
  to miss the importance of such an event. Surely if one 
  had taken advantage of the meta-galactic prophetic 
  space then a record would exist someplace within the 
  Imperial archives. I have spent considerable resources 
  looking for such documents and have found none.  
  Such an event would form the crux upon which 
  future history shall tip and thusly deliver unto us a 
  thousand truths from which shall flow the power that 
  lies beyond the Veil. Surely this must herald an event 
  of no less importance than the coming of St. Drusus, 
  for which the first confluence served as harbinger. 
  Alas, the next such alignment is not due to take 
  place for another five thousand years. Would that I 
  knew just one of those secrets, that of greatly extended 
  lifespan, so that I might be alive to see such a prophecy 
  enacted in the sky above me! Alas my occulary must 
  serve as the key to my own secrets. So too shall an 
  eclipse of the seventh and ninth planet be the key.
  So a legacy must be left behind. If I cannot be there 
  to witness the sacred alignment, I must ensure that my 
  work is continued by the society of Barsapine, though 
  afflicted by cultural poverty it be. To this end my 
  work in curing the mental afflictions of my relatives 
  has been expanded to controlling them in the hope that 
  with the techniques thus perfected I can manipulate 
  the society of this small-minded world to continue on 
  my work when I am gone. 
  As long as one soul on this planet understands the 
  significance of the double eclipse, then hope for the 
  enlightenment of the human race shall not die.
  Koronath Hekate
  
  V: Appendix
  71
  DeVayne's 
  Evidence
  T
  he interior of an ornate chapel, dimly lit by candles 
  flutters into view all around you upon the black stone 
  walls of the sepulchre.
  Two dozen or so robed figures gather in the centre of the 
  chapel. One draws back his hood to reveal a man with a thin 
  face, narrow eyes, and an air of authority. He holds up a skull 
  into which are set several rubies, emeralds, and diamonds.
  “Brethren,” he says. “By this gathering is the Maledictor's 
  Hand founded. Let there be no mistaking our purpose. We are 
  all of the same mind, that the Calixis Sector is a pit of sin and 
  depravity, and that it must be cleansed. Our task is to bring 
  about a religious cataclysm, the fires of which shall burn this 
  sector’s corrupt and stagnant worlds, to be replaced with a 
  fresh crop of believers under the rulership of the clergy we 
  place in power.”
  The thin-faced man holds up the skull and pours a trickle 
  of something viscous and red from its eye sockets, which drips 
  onto his lips. He hands the skull to the robed figure beside him, 
  who drinks from it in the same way before passing it on. 
  “What is our next step, my lord?” asks one of the robed 
  figures closest to the commander.
  “Now we go on our separate ways,” replies the leader. “Seek 
  out positions of influence in the Ecclesiarchy. I shall set my 
  sights on the Deaconship of the Cathedral of Illumination. 
  My ascension to the position of cardinal is already all but 
  assured. We shall not meet in this way again, but by certain 
  signs and code words I have distributed among you, members 
  of the Maledictor's Hand shall know one another should our 
  paths cross. To be specific, several of us shall ensure that our 
  members are…”
  “My brothers!” cries one of the robed figures. “We are 
  discovered, we are no longer secure!”
  “Stop him!” cries another. “Seize him! The spy must be 
  silenced, activate the arco-flaggellants, do not let him escape!”
  “Kill him! Tear out his eyes!” The leader screams his 
  debased commandment and for the briefest moment his face 
  is painfully clear. Though younger and in better health, it is 
  unmistakable. The man at the head of the Maledictor’s Hand 
  is Arch-Cardinal Ignato, the unquestionable authority over 
  the Ecclesiarchy within the Calixis Sector.
  Several of the figures turn in the direction of the vidcap 
  recording the pict-file. The image shakes as if someone 
  holding the vidcap moves suddenly. The viewpoint swings as 
  the device is picked up and the person carrying it flees. The 
  image is filled with static, then the images turn black and the 
  file ends. 
  The Black Sepulchre groans under the weight of ages and 
  an acrid black smoke fills the air. It is clear that whatever 
  stored this data is now lost and the Black Sepulchre ruined in 
  the process. There can be no more witnesses to this atrocity 
  and no proof of what transpired.
  
  ™
  743JAN10
  A decadent noble uncovers a heretical 
  artefact of dark origins. This crime 
  sends the Inquisition on an investigation 
  from his palace to a lost fortress on 
  a distant world. Can you solve the 
  mysteries of the Haematite Cathedral?
  This book is the ﬁ rst chapter of an epic trilogy of 
  Dark Heresy adventures.
  The Acolytes must solve the riddle of the Black 
  Sepulchre to uncover a truth so dark the Calixis Sector 
  may never recover from its discovery.
  This adventure takes the Acolytes from the spires of Hive 
  Sibellus to the twilight coastlines of Barsapine.
  Can the Acolytes survive the siren’s call 
  of the twisted Dei-Phage?
  Designed for all levels of play, beginners and veterans 
  alike can explore many different paths to success. 
  Suitable for characters of all ranks.
  A copy of the DARK HERESY Core Rulebook
  is needed to use this adventure supplement.
  DISCOVER A CONSPIRACY THAT THREATENS 
  TO SET THE CALIXIS SECTOR ABLAZE!
  ™
  WWW.FANTASYFLIGHTGAMES.COM
  TM
  ™
  ™
  The Black Sepulchre                  DH13
   ISBN: 978-1-58994-552-4
  9 781589 945524
  52495
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Warhammer/40k/UNSORTED (help requested)/Roleplaying Games/Dark Heresy/First Edition/Scenarios/Apostasy Gambit/Dark Heresy - Apostasy Gambit 1 - The Black Sepulchre.pdf