TEXT: EVERYTHING YOU 
  KNEW WAS A LIE
  ®
  ™
  ™
  ™
  
  ™
  ROLEPLAYING IN THE GRIM 
  DARKNESS OF THE 41ST MILLENNIUM
  ™
  
  Introduction
  2
  FANTASY
  FLIGHT
  GAMES
  Fantasy Flight Games
  1975 West County Road B2
  Roseville, MN 55113
  USA
  Copyright © Games Workshop Limited 2010. All rights reserved. Games Workshop, Warhammer 40,000, the Warhammer 40,000 logo, Warhammer 
  40,000 Roleplay, the Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay logo, Dark Heresy, Ascension, Calixis Sector, and all associated marks, logos, places, names, creatures, 
  races and race insignia/devices/logos/symbols, vehicles, locations, weapons, units and unit insignia, characters, products and illustrations from the 
  Warhammer 40,000 universe are either ®, TM and/or © Games Workshop Ltd 2000–2010, variably registered in the UK and other countries around 
  the world. All rights reserved. Published under license to Fantasy Flight Publishing Inc. Fantasy Flight Games and the FFG logo are trademarks of Fantasy 
  Flight Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved to their respective owners. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or 
  transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publishers.
  ISBN 978-1-58994-711-5  Product Code DH11  Print ID: 716DEC09
  Printed in China
  For more information about the Dark Heresy line, free downloads, answers to 
  rule queries, or just to pass on greetings, visit us online at
  www.FantasyFlightGames.com
  L
  A
  E
  D
  G
  C
  I
  P
  M
  P
  W
  L
  L
  I
  H
  S
  W
  G
  CREDITS
  Credits
  P
  A
  Lead Developer
  Ross Watson
  Written by
  Alan Bligh, Andy Hoare, John French, and Sam Stewart
  Additional Writing by
  Owen Barnes
  Editing
  Leigh Anne Gross
  Dark Heresy Designed by
  Owen Barnes, Kate Flack, and Mike Mason
  Graphic Design & Layout
  Kevin Childress and Mark Raynor
  Cover Art
  Henning Ludvigsen
  Interior Art
  Mark Bedford, John Blanche, Alex Boyd, Matt Bradbury, 
  Kevin Chin, Victor Corbella, Paul Dainton, Sascha Diener, 
  Simon Eckert, Wayne England, David Gallagher, David 
  Griffith, Illich Henriquez, Imaginary Friends Studio, Nuala 
  Kennedy, Igor Kieryluk, Anton Kokarev, Karl Kopinski, Clint 
  Langley, Fares Maese, Aaron Panagos, Adrian Smith, Greg 
  Smith, Theo Stylianides, Tiernan Trevallion, Andrea Uderzo, 
  Kev Walker, John Wigley, and Liu Yang
  Art Direction
  Zoë Robinson
  Production Manager
  Gabe Laulunen
  Managing RPG Developer
  Michael Hurley
  Publisher
  Christian T. Petersen
  Games Workshop
  Licensing Manager
  Owen Rees
  Licensing & Acquired Rights Manager
  Erik Mogensen
  Intellectual Property Manager
  Alan Merrett
  Head of Legal & Licensing
  Andy Jones
  Proofreaders
  Jay Little, Thaadd Powell, James Savage, and Paul Tucker
  Special Thanks
  Craig Williams with Cheona Crabb, Stefan Elliot, Leonard Goulds, 
  David Thatcher, Danica Zuks, “Bring the Noise” James Savage 
  with Davie Gallacher, Thomas S. Ryan, Stewart Strong, “Curious 
  Pastimes” Paul Tucker with Ben Cawkwell, Sarah Cawkwell, Pel 
  Pearcey, “Sons of a Rogue Trader” Robin Everett-McGuirl with 
  Chris Brandmeier, Adam Hargraves, Peter Larotta, Bob Leuzarder, 
  Matthew Robenhymer, Nate Taylor, David Schumpert with David 
  Hudock, Martin Linde, Adam Schumpert, Pierre Wagenseil, Benn 
  Williams with Gary Beller, Chris Lancaster, Aric Wieder, Rebecca 
  Williams, Eric Young, and Bo Hasle Buur
  
  Introduction
  3
  Contents
  Introduction
  What is in this Book? .............................................5
  Chapter I: Additional Rules
  Expanded Ranks and Experience Scale................9
  Fate Points for Ascended Characters ..................10
  The Gift of Fate .....................................................10
  Spending Fate Points ............................................11
  Burning Fate ..........................................................11
  Influence and Acquisition ....................................13
  Measuring Influence .............................................14
  Using Influence .....................................................15
  Manipulating Others ............................................16
  Chapter II: Inquisitor and Cadre
  Forming a Team of Agents...................................20
  Creating New Ascended Characters ...................23
  Acolytes to Agents ................................................23
  Chapter III: The Path to Ascension
  Transition Packages...............................................30
  Using Transition Packages ...................................30
   Crusader Packages ...............................................30
   Death Cult Assassin Packages ............................31
   Desperado Packages ............................................32
   Hierophant Packages ...........................................34
   Inquisitor ...............................................................35
   Interrogator ...........................................................37
   Judge ......................................................................38
   Magos ....................................................................39
   Primaris Psyker ....................................................40
   Sage........................................................................42
   Storm Trooper ......................................................43
   Vindicare Assassin ................................................44
  General Transition Packages ................................46
  Ascended Careers ..................................................49
  Skills .......................................................................49
  Ascended Traits .....................................................49
  Crusader .................................................................50
  Death Cult Assassin ..............................................54
  Desperado  .............................................................58
  Hierophant .............................................................62
  Interrogator ............................................................66
  Judge .......................................................................70
  Magos .....................................................................74
  Primaris Psyker .....................................................78
  Sage .........................................................................82
  Storm Trooper .......................................................86
  Vindicare Assassin .................................................90
  Inquisitor ................................................................94
  Chapter IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  The Purpose of Ascended Skills and Talents .. 100
  Mastered Skills ................................................... 101
  Using Mastered Skills ........................................ 101
  Gaining Mastered Skills .................................... 102
  New Skill Groups ............................................... 103
  Paragon Talents .................................................. 104
  Gaining Paragon Talents ................................... 104
  Talents of Influence............................................ 110
  Positive and Negative Influence ....................... 110
  Peers and Enemies ............................................. 112
  Reputation and Power ....................................... 113
  Other Ascendant Talents ................................... 120
  Chapter V: Ascended Psychic Powers
  Manifesting Psychic Powers ............................. 124
  Psychic Ascendancy ........................................... 125
  Special Rules of Ascended Psychic Powers .... 126
  Stormwroth ......................................................... 128
  Maelstrom of Destruction ................................. 129
  Will Unleashed ................................................... 129
  Burning Apocalypse  ......................................... 130
  Daemonsbane  .................................................... 131
  Witchesbane ....................................................... 132
  Psychokinesis  ..................................................... 132
  Temporal Manipulation ..................................... 133
  Chapter VI: Ascended Armoury
  Commissioning Items and Weapons ................ 136
  New Weapon Special Qualities ........................ 137
  Ranged Weaponry.............................................. 138
  Melee Weapons .................................................. 141
  Armour ................................................................ 143
  Force Fields ......................................................... 144
  Gear ..................................................................... 145
  Unusual Ammo ................................................... 147
  Implants and Augmetics .................................... 148
  Chapter VII: Serving the Inquisition
  The Holy Remit ................................................. 151
  Sanctions ............................................................. 154
  The Bearers of the Seal ..................................... 157
  Factions ............................................................... 160
  The Balance of Power ....................................... 165
  Becoming an Inquisitor ..................................... 165
  The Inquisitorial Rosette ................................... 166
  Inquisitorial Cadres ............................................ 167
  The Inquisitorial Household............................. 168
  The Ordos ........................................................... 169
  Interaction ........................................................... 174
  Chapter VIII: Game Mastery
  The Inquisitor and His Cadre ........................... 182
  Power and the Inquisitor................................... 183
  How the Cadre Functions ................................. 185
  Threats and Challenges ..................................... 187
  There is No Satisfaction Without Toil ............. 187
  There is Always a Bigger Fish .......................... 188
  The Immediate Threat  ...................................... 188
  The Conspiratorial Threat ................................. 189
  Running a Campaign......................................... 191
  The Campaign Focus ......................................... 191
  Campaign Types ................................................. 192
  
  Introduction
  4
  Chapter IX: Ascended Adversaries
  Ordo Hereticus Adversaries .............................. 197
  The Burning Princess ........................................ 197
  Eversor Assassin ................................................. 198
  Governor Malaki Vess ........................................ 199
  Magos Vathek ..................................................... 201
  Zashlun, Shroud Mistress of the Pale Throng 202
  Ordo Malleus Adversaries ................................. 203
  Herald of Khorne ............................................... 203
  Marabas, Lord of Change.................................. 204
  Ordo Xenos Adversaries .................................... 206
  Dire Avenger Exarch .......................................... 206
  Slaugth Intendant Recusant .............................. 207
  Slaugth Warrior Vassal Construct .................... 209
  Chapter X: The Red Wake
  The Setting ......................................................... 212
  GM’s Briefing ..................................................... 212
  Synopsis of the Adventure ................................ 213
  Lords of the Imperium ...................................... 213
  GM Resources .................................................... 215
  The Principal Actors .......................................... 215
  Sydom’s Conspiracy ........................................... 215
  The Noble Houses of Malfi  ............................. 216
  The Temple Aleph ............................................. 218
  Dramatis Personae .............................................. 219
  Part I: A Feast Among Vipers ........................... 227
  You are Cordially Invited…. ............................ 227
  What the Holy Ordos Knows .......................... 228
  What the Holy Ordos Wants to Know ........... 228
  The Burning Parade ........................................... 229
  The Feast of Welcome ....................................... 230
  The Festivities ..................................................... 230
  Part II: Death at High Mass .............................. 235
  The Ceremony of Investiture ............................ 236
  Darkness, Panic and Murder Most Foul .......... 236
  The Breaking Storm .......................................... 237
  Part III: Cause and Consequence ..................... 242
  Going After Ensor .............................................. 242
  Into the Catacombs ............................................ 242
  Ceremonies of Mourning and Guilt ................ 244
  Rewards ............................................................... 245
  Matters of Church and State ............................. 245
  Antagonists & NPCs .......................................... 246
  The Clergy and their Servants .......................... 246
  The Noble Houses ............................................. 248
  The Commercia .................................................. 249
  The Powers of Ruin ........................................... 250
  Map of The Temple of Alepth.......................... 251
  Map of The Tabernacle ..................................... 252
  Ascension Character Sheet ................................ 253
  
  Introduction
  5
  Introduction 
  “This time you will stand alone and fight for yourselves. Now you 
  will pay the price of your freedom in the currency of honest toil and 
  human blood.”
  –Inquisitor Czevak, address to the Council of Ryanti
  A
  scension is a book about power. It is about playing 
  characters who wield great and terrible powers; the 
  power of a master of the arts of death to strike down 
  enemies, the power of those who are peers of the Imperium 
  with the right and duty to exercise that power for the 
  protection of the Imperium of Mankind. Characters using the 
  tools within this book have entered a new realm of possibility 
  where they wield the power of the Inquisition unmediated 
  by others, but not without consequence. The power of life 
  and death now rests within the character’s hands, for good, 
  or for ill. 
  Having ascended to a new plane of personal power and 
  authority it might, perhaps, be tempting to think that the 
  darkness subsides—that the problems one faced when one was 
  merely an Acolyte will dissolve in the face of the great power 
  the characters now possess. This is a lie. The Calixis Sector is 
  a dark and dangerous place for an Acolyte, and it is no less 
  so for those who ascend to be masters of the Imperium. The 
  darkness deepens, the dangers become more complex. Who 
  do you trust? What will the consequences of your actions 
  be? The possession of unlimited power is simply a door into 
  a world of lies, treachery, and uncertainty where the newly 
  ascended would be well advised to follow the wisdom of the 
  ancients: trust no one and assume nothing. 
  WHAT IS IN THIS BOOK?
  Ascension contains all the tools needed by both players and 
  game masters to play ascended games of DArk Heresy, which 
  is a shorthand way of saying the characters will possess either 
  full Inquisitorial rank or similar power. These tools include 
  wider and more powerful personal abilities and rules for how 
  characters can wield and develop their political and temporal 
  power within the Calixis Sector. The process of a character 
  transferring to the ascended realm of play is addressed both 
  in terms of the mechanics of DArk Heresy, and the in-game 
  transition for the character. Also provided is guidance for a 
  game master wishing to run an ascended game, a selection of 
  suitably powerful adversaries, and an adventure that showcases 
  the ascended game of DArk Heresy itself and the perils of 
  high politics and religion in the 41st Millennium. 
  Chapter I: addItIonal rules
  Chapter One introduces new rules for use in ascended games 
  of DArk Heresy. Here you will find the rules for expanded 
  Characteristic increases and gaining additional ranks beyond 
  the eighth rank. It also features new options for spending and 
  burning Fate Points and rules for a new game system called 
  Influence, which represents an ascended character’s ability to 
  wield authority. 
  Chapter II: InquIsItor and Cadre
  Chapter Two looks at the formation of a cadre of Throne 
  Agents around an Inquisitor. It presents the options available 
  to characters that ascend from the careers in the DArk Heresy 
  Rulebook to ascended careers. Guidelines and advice are also 
  presented for those who wish to create brand new characters 
  at the ascended tier. 
  Chapter III: the path to asCensIon 
  This chapter begins with Transition Packages for each 
  ascended career, representing how a character ascends from 
  Acolyte to Throne Agent. Chapter Three contains twelve 
  ascended careers: Inquisitor, Interrogator, Crusader, Death 
  Cult Assassin, Desperado, Hierophant, Judge, Magos, Primaris 
  Psyker, Sage, Storm Trooper, and Vindicare Assassin.
  Chapter IV: asCended  
  skIlls and talents
  Chapter Four presents a broader, more powerful form of 
  skills; Mastered Skills. It also presents a new type of talent—
  the Paragon Talent—and a number of other new talents for 
  use by ascended characters. Also presented in this chapter are 
  talents that characters can take to enhance and personalise 
  their influence within the Calixis Sector.
  Chapter V: asCended psyChIC powers
  Chapter Five presents new ways for ascended psykers to use 
  their powers, and presents new potent psychic powers. 
  Chapter VI: asCended armoury
  Chapter Six contains information and rules for iconic weaponry 
  and equipment used by Inquisitors and Throne Agents. A wide 
  variety of equipment, from combi-weapons to the specialised 
  gear of the Vindicare Assassin, may be found here.
  Chapter VII: serVIng  
  the InquIsItIon
  Chapter Seven delves into the secrets of the Inquisition and 
  how it operates within the Imperium of Mankind. It focuses 
  on the place of an Inquisitor as a peer of the Imperium, the 
  power of Inquisitor Lords, and the nature of the Ordos.
  
  Introduction
  6
  Chapter VIII: game mastery
  Chapter Eight focuses on the challenges faced by a Games 
  Master running an ascended game of DArk Heresy. How to 
  deal with issues of player-character authority within the game 
  universe, as well as advice on creating wide-ranging threats 
  and running long-term campaigns are all discussed in detail.
  Chapter IX: asCended adVersarIes 
  Chapter Nine presents new adversaries for Throne agents to 
  face. From the influential and corrupt Imperial Commander 
  to the remorseless Eversor Assassin, ascended characters will 
  not lack for enemies to match their ascended power.
  Chapter X: the red wake
  Chapter Ten is a complete adventure designed for ascended 
  play. Murder comes to the great temple Aleph on Malfi during 
  the investiture of a senior priest of the Ecclesiarchy. With 
  power, wealth and treachery in abundance the Inquisitor 
  and Throne Agents find a way out of the maze of lies and 
  blood, and if they find the truth, do they let it be known—or 
  substitute their own?
  “Some may question your right to destroy ten billion people. Those 
  who understand realise that you have no right to let them live!”
  –In Exterminatus Extremis
  desIgner’s note
  Ascension takes DArk Heresy characters from the 
  position of Acolytes working for an Inquisitor and 
  propels them into the position of Throne Agents, 
  working directly for the Holy Ordos. No longer 
  will the characters simply take orders from invisible 
  patrons. Instead, the Inquisitor himself is by the Throne 
  Agents’ side every step of the way. Thus, this book is 
  written with the understanding that one of the player 
  characters will take on the role of an Interrogator or an 
  Inquisitor. Therefore, if the group does not possess an 
  Interrogator or Inquisitor amongst them, the GM may 
  need to make some appropriate adjustments. The GM 
  should keep in mind that a sufficiently authoritative 
  Throne Agent such as a Judge or Magos can also 
  effectively fill the required role.
  
  AdditionAl
  Rules
  ExpandEd Ranks and 
  ExpERiEncE scalE
  •
  FatE points FoR 
  ascEndEd chaRactERs
  •
  inFluEncE and 
  acquisition
  
  I: Additional Rules
  8
  Chapter I: 
  Additional 
  Rules
  “As an Ensign, I served once with Captain Leoten Semper. He was 
  a bold man, and never let the enemy set the rules of the engagement. 
  Captain Semper always used to say it was better to make them dance 
  to your tune than the other way around.”
  –Imperial Navy Admiral Joachim Wellax
  T
  his book contains a wealth of new, additional rules 
  to enhance the experience of your Dark Heresy 
  campaign. ascension takes Dark Heresy Acolytes 
  to the next tier, bringing them to greater heights of both 
  power and peril... for the Inquisition is rife with bitter rivalry, 
  treacherous schemes, and enemies far more deadly and 
  dangerous than mere cultists. This is the book that details 
  what happens to a Dark Heresy character who advances 
  beyond Rank 8.
  It is important to note, however, that ascension does 
  not replace the core game rules of Dark Heresy. Rather, 
  ascension adds to those rules, bringing new options for 
  player characters and presenting an entirely new way to play 
  the game at a higher tier. 
  This chapter introduces new levels of Characteristic 
  Advances to grant a Dark Heresy character greater aptitude, 
  a new and expanded Rank structure for experience points and 
  Advances, new ways to use Fate Points, and the introduction 
  of Influence—a system to represent an Inquisitor’s power and 
  authority in the 41st Millennium.
  One important distinction introduced in this book is that 
  the player characters are no longer assumed to be Acolytes. 
  Instead, they are now Throne Agents, people who are trusted 
  and relied upon by the Holy Ordos of the Inquisition. In the 
  name of the God-Emperor of Mankind, the player characters 
  do the work of the Inquisition on a whole new level.
  thRonE agEnts?
  Also known as a Trusted Acolyte, the term “Throne 
  Agent” is used throughout this tome to indicate an 
  Acolyte who has ascended to the higher ranks of the 
  Inquisition. Throne Agents have much greater degrees 
  of freedom, power, and responsibility than an Acolyte, 
  and therefore have earned their title.
  
  I: Additional Rules
  9
  ExpandEd chaRactERistic advancEs
  A Characteristic Advance is an increase to a character’s raw 
  abilities. When a character gains a Characteristic Advance, 
  he adds +5 to the Characteristic on the character sheet. In 
  Dark Heresy, Characteristic Advancements are divided into 
  four progression levels: Simple, Intermediate, Trained, and 
  Expert. ascension introduces two additional levels: Heroic 
  and Master.
  As a character improves his characteristics, he must advance 
  through each of the progression levels in turn, starting at 
  Simple. Once the character has attained the Expert level, 
  he may then increase his characteristic to the Heroic level, 
  and once there, he can further improve to the Master level. 
  In order to take the Heroic and Master level Characteristic 
  Advances, a character must have already moved into one of 
  the Ascended Careers in this book.
  The cost for these increases for each Ascended Career is 
  listed in the relevant Ascended Career section in a table that 
  looks like this:
  As you can see, the Heroic level +5 increase to a Vindicare 
  Assassin’s Weapon Skill costs 1,500 xp. The next +5 (at the 
  Master level) costs 2,000 xp.
  The costs for Characteristic Advances are cumulative. 
  Therefore, you could not simply pay 2,000 xp for a +10 
  increase. Rather, you would pay 1,500 xp for the Heroic 
  Advance and then pay 2,000 xp for the Master Advance.
  ExamplE
  Ross wants to increase the Weapon Skill of his character, who has 
  the Vindicare Assassin Ascended Career. The character’s current 
  Weapon Skill is 45, and it costs 1,500 xp to buy the Heroic Weapon 
  Skill Advance. Ross spends 1,500 xp and increases the character’s 
  Weapon Skill to 50. Ross wants to raise his character’s Weapon Skill 
  even higher. Therefore, he spends another 2,000 xp (the cost of the 
  Master Advance) to increase the Vindicare Assassin’s Weapon Skill 
  by another +5. In the end, Ross’s Vindicare Assassin has increased 
  his Weapon Skill to 55 (45 + 5 + 5=55) and has spent 3,500 xp 
  to do so (1,500 + 2,000 = 3,500).
  nEgativE valuE advancEs
  A negative value advance is an advance that imposes a 
  negative or inhibiting effect on a character. These advances 
  are intended to deepen the options for character development 
  by allowing characters to actively choose a limitation or 
  drawback for their character. These advances are almost 
  exclusively Influence Talents that limit or focus the use of the 
  cadre’s Influence (see page 13 in this chapter). Negative value 
  advances are listed with a minus sign in front of them. When 
  a character takes one of these advances, he gains the number 
  of experience points listed to spend on other advances. Only 
  one such advance of each kind (i.e., Rival and Enemy) may 
  be taken by a Throne Agent, although an existing advance 
  may be upgraded to a higher level, at which point the Rival 
  becomes an Enemy instead. Therefore, a character may only 
  have one Enemy and one Rival at a time, but the Enemy and 
  the Rival may be different organisations. Naturally, the GM 
  may ‘award’ more than one Rival or Enemy to a character as 
  the campaign requires.
  ExamplE 
  Adam decides to take Rival (Chartist Captains) as a negative value 
  advance at Judge rank 14. This advance has a cost of minus 200. 
  When Adam takes this advance his character immediately gains 200 
  experience points to spend.
  ExpandEd Ranks and 
  ExpERiEncE scalE
  A character’s Rank is a general measure of his experience 
  and capabilities. It represents the progression of a character’s 
  abilities as he grows in power and status. Rank is determined 
  by the total amount of Experience Points that the character 
  has spent. Each Rank has a corresponding Advancement 
  Scheme that contains a combination of Skills, Talents, and 
  other bonuses that the character may purchase with xp.
  A character may buy Advances from any Rank Advancement 
  Scheme he currently holds or has previously earned. As the 
  character climbs in Rank, he gains access to more and more 
  Advancement Schemes, and therefore gains more options for 
  the player to customise.
  Ranks are initially easy. However, gaining new Ranks 
  becomes progressively harder throughout the life of a 
  character. Reaching the rarefied heights of power in the 
  Imperium is a long and difficult climb, but the rewards are 
  well worth the effort!
  adjusting thE Ranks FoR daRk 
  hEREsy campaigns
  The Expanded Rank Table in this Chapter presents a 
  slightly altered rank structure from the one presented 
  in the Dark Heresy Rulebook. This is an intentional 
  change in order to make a character’s Rank progression 
  more balanced and smooth.
  If you want to use this Rank structure with an 
  existing Dark Heresy character (or adopt it for your 
  campaign), note that the largest change occurs at Rank 6 
  and continues with some smaller adjustments thereafter. 
  Most Dark Heresy characters do not experience any 
  changes, and at worst, some characters gain some of the 
  higher Ranks earlier than they did before.
  The Expanded Rank Table presented here also 
  brings the Rank structures in Dark Heresy and rogue 
  TraDer closer together and integrates the Ranks for 
  future books in the Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay line.
  Vindicare Assassin Characteristic Advance Scheme
  Characteristic
  Heroic
  Master
  Weapon Skill
  1,500
  2,000
  
  I: Additional Rules
  10
  gaining Ranks
  Characters automatically gain Ranks by spending xp. Once 
  a character’s total amount of spent xp reaches the necessary 
  number, the character’s Rank increases. Note that Rank 
  increases always occur after an Advance has been taken.
  All of the Careers in Ascension require the same amount of 
  spent xp in order to increase in Rank. The spent xp needed to 
  advance in Rank is listed on the table above.
  Most characters in Ascension begin at Rank 9, having spent 
  13,000 Experience Points. Existing Dark Heresy characters 
  who are moving into an Ascended Career may begin with 
  a higher amount (however, most existing Dark Heresy 
  characters entering an Ascended Career begin at Rank 9).
  ExamplE
  Ross’s Vindicare Assassin has spent a total of 38,000 xp on various 
  Advances. In the course of the game, Ross earns an additional 2,000 
  xp, which he decides to spend upon a Characteristic Advance. He 
  receives permission from the GM to take the Advance, then adjusts his 
  unspent xp total by 2,000 to reflect the change. He notes down the 
  Advance on his character sheet and alters his Characteristic Profile 
  to account for the Advance he took. Finally, he adds the 2,000 xp to 
  his current total of spent xp. Ross’s character has now spent 40,000 
  xp (38,000 + 2,000=40,000). When he consults the Rank table 
  on this page, he sees he has enough spent xp to earn Rank 15. He 
  removes his old Rank (14) and notes that his Vindicare Assassin is 
  now Rank 15 upon his character sheet.
  Destiny Awaits: 
  Fate Points 
  for Ascended 
  Characters
  “Strike true, and strike with precision!”
  –Storm Trooper battle cry often heard 
  during the Margin Crusade
  S
  ince the first day he realised he was entering the God-
  Emperor’s service, the Throne Agent knew he was 
  bound for a greater destiny. Fate had elevated him 
  above the huddled trillions, the terrified masses that inhabit 
  the Imperium. He had been given a purpose, and as his fellow 
  Acolytes bled, died, or were found wanting in their duties, the 
  Throne Agent stayed true to that belief. 
  Now, he has taken a great step in the service of the 
  Inquisition. No longer a single, faceless Acolyte amongst an 
  Inquisitor’s web of servants and contacts, he is now an Agent 
  of the Throne. Surely, the destiny that awaits him is close  
  at hand. 
  ThE GifT of faTE
  A Throne Agent has survived and perhaps even prospered 
  throughout a long and dangerous career as an Acolyte. 
  This is at least in part due to the power of Fate he is able to 
  manipulate to his own ends. Now that he is either a trusted 
  agent of the Inquisition—or even a full-blown Inquisitor—
  Fate continues to play an ever-more active role in his life and 
  career. After all, why would he have survived this long, if not 
  for some purpose? 
  Upon entering his Rank 9 Career, each Throne Agent 
  receives a number of additional, permanent Fate Points. The 
  number of Fate Points each Throne Agent gains is linked to 
  how many Fate Points he has remaining after a dangerous 
  life hunting down heretics, daemons, and aliens. Each Throne 
  Agent should consult Table 1–2: Additional Fate Points 
  to see how many Fate Points he receives. Remember, however, 
  Table 1–2: Additional Fate Points
  Fate Points a Throne 
  Agent Currently Has
  Fate Points Awarded
  0
  3
  1
  2
  2
  1
  3+
  0
  Table 1–1: Expanded Rank  
  Advance Table
  Rank 1
  Rank 9
  XP: 0–499
  XP: 13,000–16,999
  Rank 2
  Rank 10
  XP: 500-999
  XP: 17,000–20,999
  Rank 3
  Rank 11
  XP: 1,000–1,999
  XP: 21,000–24,999
  Rank 4
  Rank 12
  XP: 2,000–2,999
  XP: 25,000–29,999
  Rank 5
  Rank 13
  XP: 3,000–4,999
  XP: 30,000–34,999
  Rank 6
  Rank 14
  XP: 5,000–6,999
  XP: 35,000–39,999
  Rank 7
  Rank 15
  XP: 7,000-9,999
  XP: 40,000–44,999
  Rank 8
  Rank 16
  XP: 10,000–12,999
  XP: 45,000–49,999
  
  I: Additional Rules
  11
  that more than anything else, Fate is fickle. Those who have 
  taken more risks and nearly suffered death more often may 
  find Fate favours them more than those who have played it 
  safe during their lives. 
  contRolling youR dEstiny: 
  maximum FatE (optional RulE)
  Fate is a vital characteristic for both Acolytes and Agents 
  and greatly increases their chances for survival in a deadly 
  and uncaring universe where a stray bolt shell or vengeful 
  chain blade can swiftly end their existence in a shower of 
  blood and gore. For this reason, having at least a few Fate 
  Points is important—however, the GM should be careful not 
  to allow PCs to amass too many; five or more Fate Points can 
  lead to situations where PCs become blasé about situations 
  in which their character might be killed, knowing that they 
  have numerous ‘lives’ up their sleeve. The GM should also be 
  aware of the increased combat potency which a large store 
  of Fate Points grants a character, providing them bonuses 
  to tests, re-rolls, and instant healing. Finally, Fate Points are 
  special and should feel that way. If a character only has 1 
  or 2 Fate Points remaining, the player is going to carefully 
  consider how and when he spends them.
  For these reasons, it is recommended that GMs limit 
  a character’s Fate Points to a maximum of five. This is, 
  however, only a guideline, and the GM can allow his players 
  greater Fate Point totals if he feels it suits the style of his 
  campaign. The GM should also take note of the Favoured by 
  Fate Talent on page 121.
  spEndinG faTE poinTs
  Over his career, a Throne Agent has learned what risks he can 
  take and just how far he can push his luck. As he enters the 
  next phase of service to the Inquisition, he finds that his luck 
  stretches further and fortune smiles on him more frequently. 
  Or perhaps, it only seems that way. After all, a Throne Agent 
  has survived where so many of his fellows have died.
  Fate Points are still used following the same mechanics 
  laid out in the Dark Heresy Rulebook, and all the options 
  presented there are still valid. Each player has a pool of Fate 
  Points equal to their number of Fate Points that they may 
  spend each session. Once spent, a Fate Point may not be 
  spent again until it is ‘restored’ at the beginning of the next 
  gaming session, but spending a Fate Point does not remove 
  it permanently. 
  However, instead of spending Fate Points to perform the 
  actions listed in Dark Heresy, a Throne Agent may now 
  also spend one Fate Point to do one of the following:
  • Re-roll any test, whether or not the test failed or 
  succeeded. This is done after dice are rolled. The results 
  of the second roll are final—an additional Fate Point 
  cannot be spent to re-roll again.
  • After inflicting Damage on a target, re-roll all dice used 
  to determine that amount of damage. The results of the 
  second roll are final—an additional Fate Point cannot be 
  spent to re-roll again.
  • Gain a +10 bonus to a test. This must be chosen before 
  dice are rolled.
  • Count as rolling a 10 for Initiative. The Fate Point can 
  be spent after Initiative has been rolled normally.
  • Add two degrees of success to a test. The Fate Point 
  must be spent immediately after rolling the test.
  • Instantly remove an amount of Damage equal to the 
  Throne Agent’s Toughness Bonus. This cannot affect 
  Critical Damage. The Fate Point must be spent at the 
  beginning of the Throne Agent’s Turn.
  • Immediately recover from being Stunned and remove all 
  levels of Fatigue. The Fate Point must be spent at the 
  beginning of the Throne Agent’s Turn.
  Spending a Fate Point is always treated as a free action.
  BuRninG faTE
  As described in Dark Heresy, player characters have the 
  option of avoiding certain death by permanently burning 
  Fate Points. By burning a Fate Point, they are reducing their 
  overall number of Fate Points by one, but that is infinitely 
  preferable to dying. Of course, a Throne Agent must have at 
  least one Fate Point (the Fate Point may either be spent or 
  unspent) in order to burn it. 
  
  I: Additional Rules
  12
  When a Throne Agent burns a Fate Point to avoid death, 
  he has two options he may choose from:
  • The first option is the Throne Agent survives the 
  situation that kills him, but only just. He does not suffer 
  any permanent penalties that would have been inflicted 
  by the Critical Hit table, and eventually recovers. This 
  option is exactly the same as the option found on page 
  185 of the Dark Heresy Rulebook. 
  • The second option is that the Throne Agent survives 
  what would have killed him, and rises to his feet, bloody 
  and battered, but unbowed. The Throne Agent ignores 
  whatever penalties (permanent or not) would have been 
  applied from the Critical Hit table due to the injury, and 
  immediately regains 1d5+1 wounds. The drawback of 
  this, however, is the Throne Agent can still be killed 
  again during the session, which may necessitate him 
  burning more Fate Points to survive. 
  There is a third way for a Throne Agent to burn Fate Points. 
  In this situation, it is not to avoid death, but to accomplish a 
  truly epic task.
  • The Throne Agent may burn one Fate Point to 
  automatically succeed in any Test (Characteristic Test, 
  Skill Check, or roll to Hit) he is required to make. If the 
  Throne Agent does this, he succeeds at the Test without 
  having to roll, scoring a number of successes equal to the 
  bonus of the Characteristic being tested. 
  only human: maximum Wounds 
  (optional RulE)
  By the time an Acolyte reaches the point where he is ready 
  to ascend, he has probably accrued a significant number of 
  additional wounds purchased through advancements from his 
  existing career path. For most of the career paths, this total 
  is probably going to be less than 25, though some (such as 
  Guardsmen) could have more.
  While there is no absolute limit on the number of wounds 
  a character may have, it is recommended that the GM not let 
  characters have more than 25 wounds. After all, as powerful 
  as Acolytes become, they are still (for the most part) human 
  and limited to the frailties of their bodies. If the GM does 
  wish to allow a character to exceed 25 wounds, he should, 
  with the player, consider the reasons behind his level of 
  extreme robustness. Excessive wounds should always come 
  with a price, however, be it the inhuman mechanical monster 
  a Tech-Priest might become or the augmented mountain of 
  meat a gene-engineered Guardsman might evolve into.
  mind and soul: dEaling With 
  insanity and coRRuption
  Life as an Acolyte can be both mind-bending and terrifying, 
  and it is almost unheard of for a character to attain the 
  maximum rank in their basic career without accruing at least 
  some Insanity and Corruption points. For the most part, this is 
  entertaining and character-building. However, it can become 
  a problem as these characteristics creep towards 100 and the 
  prospect of losing a well-loved character. In this book, there 
  are a number of ways for characters to reduce their levels 
  of both Corruption and Insanity, from transition packages 
  to talents. However, especially in the case of characters 
  particularly badly affected by one or both of these maladies, 
  it may be that these are not enough or not suitable for them 
  in particular. In this case, the GM is encouraged to offer 
  alternatives to removing IP and CP. All three of the following 
  options represent different methods that the Acolyte can 
  undertake to address his condition, including anything from 
  therapy to meditation and reflection upon the horrors he has 
  faced—or even a kind of grim acceptance of the inevitable 
  result of opposing the forces of heresy and Chaos.
  Spending Experience: As a general guideline, the GM 
  should allow players to use experience to buy off both 
  Corruption and Insanity points at a rate of 100 xp per point. 
  If the character has a large number of Corruption or Insanity 
  Points, however, the GM may decide to be a bit more generous 
  and reduce this to 50 xp or less. If points are removed in this 
  way, the GM should be lenient with lasting effects, since the 
  players has spent hard earned experience to remove them.
  Sacrificing Characteristics: Another method is to allow 
  the character to remove points at a price to the Acolyte’s 
  mind, body, or soul as he is cleansed. Instead of using 
  experience (or if the character has no experience to spend), 
  the character suffers damage to his characteristics. A general 
  guideline is 2 points of permanent characteristic damage 
  allows an Acolyte to remove 1d10 points of either Insanity 
  or Corruption. The GM can decide exactly what method is 
  being used based on the characteristic damaged. For example, 
  the loss of Intelligence might reflect memory wipes whilst 
  the loss of Fellowship might involve tattooing the 999 Holy 
  Words of Saint Drusus across the Acolyte’s entire body. A 
  character may suffer a maximum of 6 characteristic damage 
  in this manner. The characteristic damage must be allocated 
  in 2-point groups to a single characteristic.
  Trading Insanity for Corruption: The final method 
  involves trading either Insanity for Corruption or vice versa. 
  This should be a straight swap of points, so if the character 
  loses 10 points of Corruption, he immediately gains 10 
  points of Insanity. This can be reasoned out in a similar 
  fashion to ability damage. For example, if the character loses 
  Corruption but gains Insanity, he may have reasoned out this 
  growing taint by reading proscribed texts and looking into 
  the beyond, whilst if he lost Insanity and gained Corruption, 
  it may be that he has come to terms with his madness by 
  embracing darker powers. In either case, the GM and player 
  should work together to come up with a reason that suits 
  both the character and the campaign.
  
  I: Additional Rules
  13
  Influence and 
  Acquisition
  T
  he Inquisition is the shadowy left hand of the 
  Golden Throne, and arguably the most powerful 
  single organisation in the Imperium of Man. As 
  such, each individual Inquisitor wields a measure of that 
  power and authority—and has at his back the resources 
  of a million worlds. While the least of the Inquisition’s 
  operatives may scrimp and save Throne Gelt, an Inquisitor 
  does not concern himself with the minutiae of earning, 
  accumulating, and investing wealth. Nor should he, for 
  the safety and preservation of humanity are dependant 
  on his ever-vigilant attention towards those who would  
  destroy it. 
  To ensure an Inquisitor has what he needs to perform 
  his duties, the Imperium is quite willing to supply him with 
  considerable resources. In the Calixis Sector, for example, a 
  portion of the collected Imperial Tithe is funnelled through 
  the Tricorn and into the coffers of the Calixian Conclave. 
  Trying to determine the specifics of the Tricorn’s finances is, 
  of course, extremely unwise, even for most of the Conclave’s 
  members. However, it can be assumed that no matter how 
  miniscule the diverted fraction of the overall Tithe, the 
  staggering quantities of wealth involved guarantee that the 
  Conclave’s resources (both monetary and in other forms) rival 
  the value of some sub-sectors. 
  These resources are distributed to the multitude of 
  Inquisitors in the Calixis Sector as needed. The Inquisitors, 
  in turn, allocate them amongst their trusted agents and 
  colleagues. Thus, a trusted Throne Agent should never be 
  forced into petty crime for inconsequential wealth, and is in 
  the rare and enviable position amongst the Imperium’s masses 
  of not having to concern himself with money.
  What an Inquisitor and his Throne Agents are concerned 
  with, however, is Influence. Far more important than 
  monetary wealth, Influence allows an Inquisitor to conduct 
  far-reaching investigations, direct the actions of the likes of 
  planetary governors and Lords Militant of the Imperial Guard, 
  and even requisition the vast and shadowy resources of the 
  Conclave itself. After all, the Inquisition is an organisation 
  of politics and favours, blackmail and back-stabbing, and 
  Influence is a measure of an Inquisitor’s success in navigating 
  that treacherous ocean. Too little Influence, and he quickly 
  finds himself sinking below the surface, sent on trivial 
  errands of little consequence or even used and exploited by 
  his more powerful peers. Should he amass enough, however, 
  he soon finds himself rising to the heights of the Inquisitorial 
  hierarchy, perhaps even sitting on the Calixian Conclave’s 
  High Council at Lord Inquisitor Caidin’s right hand. 
  Rather than a single, quantifiable resource, Influence 
  represents many aspects of a Throne Agent’s career: his 
  choices, accomplishments and failures, debts owed, promises 
  given and received, reputation amassed, friends, rivals, and 
  foes. Influence also represents the funds he can draw on as a 
  member of the Inquisition and Calixian Conclave. Influence 
  can be used softly, to subtly influence actions and events, or 
  bluntly with the full power of an Inquisitor’s Rosette of Office. 
  It can be used to requisition supplies and equipment for an 
  Inquisitor and his Agents, manipulate the actions of other 
  members of the Adeptus Terra, or even allow the Inquisitor 
  to issue absolute orders to almost any Imperial citizen. It can 
  also be used for much, much more. 
  Influence is a single statistic that is used communally 
  amongst all players in a group. The actions of any member of 
  the group can affect the Influence as it pertains to the whole. 
  This section covers some more common uses of Influence, 
  as well as how Throne Agents can accumulate, use, and lose 
  Influence.
  Requisition and Commission: Influence is used by Throne 
  Agents to obtain the use of specialist equipment, services, 
  and supplies for varying periods of time, or obtain rare and 
  valuable items for their personal use and duties. 
  Manipulate and Control Others: Throne Agents can 
  bring their Influence to bear in order to manipulate others 
  into doing their bidding. This can either be subtly—to the 
  point that the target may not realise he is being manipulated 
  or who is behind it—or bluntly with Rosette and threat 
  of the Inquisition’s wrath. This can also be used to bring 
  the Inquisition’s considerable resources in to deal with a 
  situation. 
  ExpandEd tEst diFFicultiEs
  In Ascension, characters face greater challenges 
  and possess greater resources than ever before in 
  Dark Heresy. This means that tasks are sometimes 
  trivially easy or hellishly difficult, depending on the 
  cirumstances of the situation. Below, you will find a 
  handy table that outlines these expanded difficulties 
  and the modifiers associated with each level of 
  difficulty. The difficulty modifier is applied to the 
  governing Characteristic associated with the Test.
  Table 1-3: Expanded Test Difficulty
  Difficulty
  Test Modifier
  Trivial
  +60
  Elementary
  +50
  Simple
  +40
  Easy
  +30
  Routine
  +20
  Ordinary
  +10
  Challenging
  +0
  Difficult
  –10
  Hard
  –20
  Very Hard
  –30
  Arduous
  –40
  Punishing
  –50
  Hellish
  –60
  
  I: Additional Rules
  14
  MEasuRinG influEncE
  In Dark Heresy, Influence is typically measured as a value 
  between 1 and 150, though it can go higher. The higher 
  the value, the more Influence the Throne Agents command. 
  Influence is measured as a single value shared amongst a group 
  of Throne Agents, with each Agent’s actions contributing to 
  its increase or decline. Therefore, each Agent can affect the 
  status of the entire group. It is, after all, assumed the Throne 
  Agents are working as a team. 
  The Throne Agents’ cell should start with 40 Influence, 
  although the GM may increase or decrease this starting value 
  if he sees fit. 
  Influence usually increases when the Throne Agents 
  accomplish great deeds, perform useful services to more 
  powerful individuals, or accumulate favours and debts 
  from others. Influence usually decreases when the Throne 
  Agents fail in their tasks or duties, abuse their Influence and 
  anger their superiors, or when an enemy turns former allies  
  against them. 
  incREasE as a REWaRd
  When the Throne Agents successfully complete adventures 
  or missions, the GM should award Influence as well as 
  experience. The amount awarded should be tied into the 
  difficulty and importance of the mission (representing the 
  Throne Agents’ increasing good standing and reputation 
  amongst the Inquisition) and can be left up to the GM’s 
  discretion. However, a good guideline for the GM is to total 
  up the average amount of experience earned by a player 
  during the adventure. For every full 1,000 experience earned, 
  the GM should award 1 Influence to the group, to a suggested 
  maximum of 4 Influence per session. 
  Table 1–5: Availability Modifiers
  Availability
  Modifier
  Unique
  –70
  Near Unique
  –50
  Extremely Rare
  –30
  Vary Rare
  –20
  Rare
  –10
  Scarce
  +0
  Average
  +10
  Common
  +20
  Plentiful
  +30
  Abundant
  +50
  Ubiquitous
  +70
  Table 1–4: Influence Levels
  Influence
  Example
  5
  Hab Supervisor, Hive Gang Boss
  10
  Mid-spire Noble,  
  Imperial Guard Captain
  20
  Chartist Captain, Commissar
  30
  Upper-spire Noble, Imperial Guard 
  Regimental Commander
  40
  Newly-minted Inquisitor, Planetary 
  Governor of a Frontier World 
  50
  Sub-sector Ministorum Official,  
  Hive World Governor 
  70
  Calixian Battlefleet Admiral, 
  Established Inquisitor
  90
  Sector Ministorum Official
  110
  Lord Inquisitor, High Archmagi  
  of the Lathes
  130
  Member of the Calixian Conclave’s 
  High Council, Lord-Sector Hax
  150+
  Lord Inquisitor Caidin,  
  The Calixian Conclave
  
  I: Additional Rules
  15
  incREasE BasEd on playER actions
  Players may choose to focus on increasing their Influence by 
  performing vital services for more senior Inquisitors, senior 
  members of the Adeptus Terra, or other powerful individuals. 
  As a reward for these actions, the GM should establish an 
  amount of Influence (between 1–5, depending on the difficulty 
  and importance of the service) the players receive should they 
  successfully complete the task. However, if the service is being 
  performed for an individual or organisation whose own Influence 
  is less than 50, each Throne Agent should receive a Peer (that 
  individual or organisation) Talent, instead—representing 
  the fact that someone with relatively small Influence is in no 
  position to aid the Throne Agents across the sector. 
  dEcREasEs duE to FailuRE
  Influence is a fickle thing, and just as it can be increased 
  by the Throne Agents’ successes, so can it be decreased by 
  their failures. Once stories of failure circulate amongst the 
  Inquisition or even the other Adeptus Terra, individuals and 
  organisations are less likely to trust or aid the Throne Agents. 
  Should the players fail to successfully complete an adventure 
  or task that would normally award Influence, the GM should 
  decrease the group’s influence by the amount that would have 
  been gained. If the players would have gained a Peer Talent 
  instead of influence, they do not lose influence. However, the 
  GM can give them an Enemy Talent instead, if the failure was 
  particularly horrendous. 
  dEcREasEs duE to ExcEssivE usE
  Among other things, Influence is a measure of one’s standing 
  amongst his peers, and abuse of Influence can turn them against 
  him. Whenever a Throne Agent fails an Influence Test by four 
  or more degrees, his group’s Influence is decreased by 1.
  “this onE thing i ask oF you”
  In certain desperate cases, a Throne Agent may use all the 
  leverage at his disposal to force someone to perform a vital 
  task, gain access to a deeply proscribed artefact, or find success 
  in some other important but difficult situation. In this case, 
  the Throne Agent can voluntarily lower his group’s Influence 
  score by 1d5 to automatically succeed at an Influence test. 
  Naturally, it is recommended that the Throne Agent consult 
  with his fellows (and especially the Inquisitor) before taking 
  such a drastic step!
  usinG influEncE
  Whenever a Throne Agent wants to use his Influence—
  whether to requisition or commission equipment or items, or 
  influence or manipulate the actions of others—he must make 
  an Influence Test. The Influence Test is a 1d100 roll against 
  his group’s Influence, much in the same way as a Characteristic 
  Test. In some situations, degrees of success or failure can also 
  come into play (see “Decreases Due to Excessive Use” above). 
  In addition, certain factors can modify the Influence value 
  being tested against. 
  Influence Tests can take two forms, depending on whether 
  a Throne Agent is attempting to requisition or commission 
  items, services, or equipment, or control or manipulate the 
  actions of others.
  inFluEncE tEsts FoR REquisitioning
  Throne Agents can use their Influence to obtain mundane 
  or specialist equipment for specific missions, rent the use of 
  apartments or villas, procure Inquisitorial relics and ancient 
  weapons for dangerous tasks, or obtain the services of 
  individuals or organisations affiliated with the Inquisition or 
  Adeptus Terra. This last could be anything from a ride aboard 
  a Navy frigate, to a team of scribes delegated to search an 
  archive, to a company of Imperial Guardsmen to storm a hive-
  spire. In general, procuring goods and services is known as 
  requisitioning. 
  Table 1–6: Duration Modifiers
  Duration
  Modifier
  A single mission (1–2 
  sessions)
  +20
  An entire adventure
  +0
  Permanently
  –20
  numBERs and thE inquisition
  For the services of things like large-scale organisations 
  and Imperial Navy vessels, the Number Modifiers do not 
  apply. The Throne Agent must make one Requisition 
  Test for each organisation, item, or vessel in turn.
  Additionally, the Inquisitor may acquire the services 
  of a larger group than a company, but doing so is usually 
  more of a factor of the plot of the campaign rather than 
  a single die roll. The Inquisition has great power, but it 
  is often easier to take a force that is already present and 
  re-direct its efforts rather than building such a force 
  from scratch.
  Table 1–7: Number Modifiers
  Numbers
  Modifiers
  A single person
  +0
  A squad (2–5)
  –10
  A platoon (10–30)
  –20
  A company (50–100)
  –30
  
  I: Additional Rules
  16
  To make an Influence Test for requisitioning, the Throne 
  Agent must first determine what (or who) he is requisitioning, 
  what organisation or individual he is making the requisition 
  from, and the duration of the requisition as shown on Table 
  1–5. Then, the Throne Agent must roll less than his Influence 
  (after modifiers) on 1d100. The roll may be modified by the 
  duration of the requisition, the Availability of the Item, or the 
  number of individuals providing services. 
  If the roll is less than or equal to the group’s Influence, the 
  Test is successful and he requisitions the items or services for 
  the time specified. 
  If the roll is greater than the group’s Influence, then the 
  Test fails, and the Throne Agent does not gain the requisition. 
  In addition, if the Test fails by four or more degrees, the 
  group loses 1 Influence. 
  REquisitioning sERvicEs
  Sometimes an Inquisitor may require the services of individuals 
  outside his personal cadre. This could be anything from a 
  squad of Imperial Guard Storm Troopers, to a single scribe 
  tasked with organising three years of overdue reports to  
  the Conclave. 
  Requisitioning services is performed in the same fashion as 
  other requisitions, with the following caveats. Requisitioning 
  the services of a group or individuals can only be performed 
  by an Inquisitor, or an Inquisitor’s agent vested with his 
  authority (usually in the form of his Inquisitorial Rosette). 
  In addition, the requisition of very large groups, though 
  technically possible for any Inquisitor, is in practice a very 
  sticky political issue that can easily backfire. Usually only 
  someone as powerful as an Inquisitor Lord attempts to 
  requisition and command entire armies or fleets. 
  Requisitioning services must take Number modifiers into 
  account as well as Duration modifiers. In addition, the GM 
  should assign an Availability Modifier based on the individuals 
  whose services are being requisitioned. 
  ManipulaTinG oThERs
  A Throne Agent inevitably finds that he must convince others 
  to do his bidding, either subtly or directly. Perhaps he needs 
  the local enforcers to conduct purges of certain criminal 
  elements in a hive in order to distract those criminals from 
  the Throne Agent’s true activities. Maybe the Throne Agent 
  needs to request information from Administratum archives, 
  or convince a powerful merchant house to recall a transport 
  suspected of smuggling proscribed elements. In these cases, 
  the Throne Agent can use his Influence to force others to do 
  his bidding. 
  Using Influence to manipulate others takes the form of 
  an opposed Test between the Throne Agent’s Influence and 
  the Influence of the individual or organisation he is trying 
  to manipulate. The GM should determine the other party’s 
  Influence by assigning a value based on Table 1–4 on page 
  14. Both sides Test against their Influence statistic. Whoever 
  scores the greater number of successes (or fewer failures) wins 
  the Test. The GM can modify the difficulty of the Throne 
  Agent’s Test due to circumstances, and should also take into 
  account whether the Throne Agent has any relevant Talents 
  that may pertain to the test (such as Peer or Enemy Talents). 
  Should the Throne Agent win, he can force his opponent 
  to do his bidding or obey his commands on a single specific 
  topic. This does not grant the Throne Agent complete 
  authority to force his opponent to obey his whims forever. 
  Alternatively, the Throne Agent can choose to use the test to 
  manipulate future interactions with his opponent. In this case, 
  every degree of success grants him +5 on all Interaction Skill 
  Tests with the opponent for the remainder of the mission. 
  Table 1–8: Availability Modifiers Based 
  on Services Provided
  Availability
  Example Services
  Plentiful
  Underhiver informants
  Average
  Low level Adepts in the Administratum, 
  Ministorum Servants
  Scarce
  Full Ecclesiarchy Clerics, Adeptus Arbites 
  Arbitrators, transport aboard commercial 
  transport vessels
  Rare
  Military Forces from the Imperial 
  Guard or Navy, Senior Adepts of the 
  Administratum, transport aboard (or use 
  of ) Rogue Trader or Chartist Vessels
  Very Rare
  Tech-Priest Magos, Arbites Judges, 
  Imperial Guard Storm Troopers, 
  transport aboard (or use of ) Naval 
  frigates
  Extremely Rare
  Adepta Sororitas Battle Sisters
  Near Unique
  Transport aboard (or use of ) a Naval ship 
  of cruiser size or larger
  Unique
  Adeptus Astartes Space Marines
  inFluEncE and pRoFit FactoR
  The Influence mechanic in ascension has certain 
  similarities with the Profit Factor mechanic in rogue 
  TraDer. These two systems are, in fact, parallel. 
  However, they are not interchangeable. Profit Factor 
  is concerned primarily with wealth, while Influence is 
  concerned with authority and prestige amongst one’s 
  masters and peers. While Profit Factor can be used to 
  influence others, and Influence can be used to obtain 
  items, a group of Throne Agents could be relatively 
  poor and still have a high Influence Score. This reflects 
  the focus of each game—Rogue Trader is focused on 
  the accumulation of wealth, while Dark Heresy is less 
  concerned with counting Throne Gelt, and more with 
  authority and power. 
  However, if the GM wishes to, Influence and Profit 
  Factor can be used alongside one another. Both can be 
  used to influence and persuade others via opposed tests, 
  so it is perfectly acceptable to test Influence vs. Profit 
  Factor if say, a Throne Agent is trying to persuade a 
  Rogue Trader to do something (or vice versa!).
  
  I: Additional Rules
  17
  Conversely, every degree of failure penalises future Interaction 
  Skill Tests with that opponent by –5. 
  thE poWER oF thE RosEttE
  The uses for Influence detailed here mainly concern an 
  Inquisitor’s influence and standing among individuals and 
  organisations with a similar power level. In other words, these 
  are organisations that may have enough power and influence 
  to refuse an Inquisitor’s request and get away with it, such 
  as Sector Governors, Lord Admirals of the Navy, and other 
  Inquisitors. 
  The vast majority of the Imperium is much less powerful 
  than this, however. For them, the mere sight of a Rosette is 
  enough to inspire abject terror and instant obedience in equal 
  measure. The mere fact that an Inquisitor is who he claims to 
  be is enough for them obey his every order.
  If an Inquisitor (or other Throne Agent with his Inquisitor’s 
  Rosette and authority) wishes to use his Influence with any 
  non-Adeptus Terra organisation or individual (local PDF, 
  factory bosses, chartist captains, or even minor planetary 
  officials) with an influence of 40 or less, he automatically 
  succeeds provided the target knows his true identity and 
  authority. 
  inFluEncE: othER FactoRs
  Besides the factors listed in the chapter, many other things can affect one’s influence. 
  pEERs and EnEmiEs
  Obviously, Influence is more effective amongst one’s friends than one’s enemies. In Dark Heresy, this can be represented 
  by the Peer and Enemy Talents (and other Influence Talents).
  If a Throne Agent has a talent, such as the Peer Talent, he gains his interaction bonus to any Influence Tests when 
  dealing with that particular group. In the case of Peer this is +10. However, if a Throne Agent has an Enemy or Rival 
  Talent, any influence tests with that group automatically fail, unless he is using his Influence subtly. In that case, he 
  suffers a –30 penalty instead. Even when concealing his identity, a Throne Agent has more contacts amongst a group 
  whom he counts as an ally.
  Other talents may effect the use of influence. See Talents of Influence on pages 110–120 in Chapter IV: Ascended 
  Skills and Talents. 
  appEaRancE
  Though no Inquisitor worthy of the Rosette would make the mistake of judging solely by appearances, others may not 
  be so wise. Fine clothes, ornate armour, expensive and ostentatious weapons, and trappings of the office of Inquisitor 
  may increase one’s presence and influence. Meanwhile, the plain robes of an adept or itinerant street preacher likely have 
  the opposite effect. The GM can modify the Influence Test by anywhere between +20 to –20 to take into account the 
  appearance a Throne Agent displays. 
  Note: If the group is using Influence subtly, the GM should only award bonuses or penalties if the Throne Agent is 
  wearing an appropriate disguise (see page 18). 
  social skills
  Just as appearances may affect a Throne Agent’s ability to influence others, so can his bearing, attitude, or ability to 
  handle social situations. Before attempting any sort of Influence Test, the Throne Agent may request to use a single 
  Interaction Skill (specifically Charm, Deceive, Intimidate, or Command) to favourably influence his opposition. The 
  skill must be relevant to the situation, and the GM must agree to its use. He may then test the skill. For every degree of 
  success, he can increase his Influence by 2 for that Influence Test only. 
  BoRRoWing With no intEntion to REtuRn
  Needless to say, most organisations frown on those who abuse their goodwill and provide an undue drain on their 
  resources. Some organisations or individuals are less willing to aid the Throne Agents in the future, while others, such 
  as the Inquisition, may decide on more direct action. 
  If a player makes a requisition for a specific duration, then keeps it past that duration, the GM should determine the 
  Influence of the organisation or individual that owned the requisition previously. The Throne Agent group’s Influence 
  should be decreased by a value equal to 10% of that organisation’s or individual’s Influence. In addition, if the requisition 
  was an item of Near Unique availability or higher, each member of the group should receive an Enemy Talent pertaining 
  to the organisation or individual they slighted. These penalties can be somewhat mitigated (reversing the Influence loss 
  by 1/2 the amount and/or removing the Enemy Talent) if the item is returned. Naturally, the organisation still looks 
  unfavourably upon the borrower and sees them as untrustworthy for the future.
  
  I: Additional Rules
  18
  thE pERil oF thE RosEttE
  The perils of an Inquisitor using his authority openly are 
  subtler than the benefits, but no less dangerous for it. The 
  biggest risk, of course, is that for an Inquisitor to use his 
  authority openly, he must reveal who he is. 
  Though this may not seem like a problem, the mere 
  presence of an Inquisitor will most likely send malcontents, 
  heretics, and renegades—the very individuals he may be 
  investigating—fleeing for their lives. The Inquisition is feared, 
  and rightly so, but this fear can work against an Inquisitor who 
  must find witnesses and suspects to interrogate, and evidence 
  to study. Whole investigations have been ruined on planets 
  when a mere rumour of an Inquisitorial presence was spread; 
  the targets of the investigation ceasing any illicit activities 
  and vanishing into as deep a hole as they could find. 
  On the other extreme, the enemies the Inquisition hunts 
  can control adversaries just as dangerous as a Throne Agent. 
  Sometimes, these enemies decide it is more prudent to go on 
  the offensive, and whole cells of unwary Throne Agents have 
  been wiped out when they walked blithely into traps and 
  ambushes after their identity was exposed. 
  In Dark Heresy, the consequences of a Throne Agent 
  using his authority and influence openly are not quantifiable, 
  but this does not mean they cannot be dire. The GM should 
  carefully consider the type of investigation being run, who 
  the Throne Agents reveal their identity to, and just how 
  dangerous and resourceful their adversaries are, before 
  devising an appropriate response. 
  suBtlE inFluEncE
  The most successful Throne Agents learn quickly when to 
  hide their identity and tread carefully, and when to use their 
  authority to the fullest. Therefore, a Throne Agent may always 
  attempt to test Influence subtly, meaning he is attempting to 
  succeed at a test without anyone realising his true identity. 
  Before making the test, the Throne Agent must declare 
  he is using his Influence subtly. If he does so, the test suffers 
  a –20 penalty. In addition, if he succeeds, it takes 2d5 days 
  for the effects of the test to be realised, minus the number 
  of successes the Throne Agent scored (to a minimum of one 
  day—the time frame can be modified at the GM’s discretion 
  based on circumstances). 
  In exchange for these penalties, the Throne Agent is able to 
  use his Influence without identifying himself. In addition, he 
  does not lose Influence for failing tests by 4 degrees or more. 
  ExamplE
  Judge Gordon Titus is conducting an undercover investigation on 
  Malfi, and needs the local Arbites to raid a smuggling den he suspects 
  is a front for the Beast House. He does not wish to use his influence 
  openly, however, so he elects to use some old friends in the sub-sector 
  Arbites to get the job done subtly. Titus’s Influence is 55, and testing 
  subtly imposes a –20 penalty, down to 35. However, Titus, being 
  a Judge himself, has the Peer (Arbites) Talent, for a +10 bonus. 
  His total is thus 45, and he makes an opposed roll against the local 
  Arbites Marshal (Influence 37). Titus rolls a 23, meaning two 
  degrees of success, while the Marshal only rolls a 35, resulting in 
  success with no degrees. Titus wins, sending an anonymous message to 
  the Marshal’s superiors, who in turn put pressure on the Marshal to 
  do what Titus wants. 
  pockEt monEy  
  and monthly incomEs
  If a group does not want to use the Influence Rules 
  presented here to obtain items, and prefers to determine 
  their purchasing ability based on the Dark Heresy 
  income system, each Throne Agent should receive a 
  monthly income of 1,000 Thrones multiplied by their 
  character rank. This means a rank nine character (the 
  starting rank in Ascension) receives 9,000 Thrones 
  every month. 
  Alternatively, a Throne Agent may need to obtain 
  spending money in the course of an undercover 
  investigation to facilitate expenses or maintain a 
  fictional cover. The Calixian Conclave does provide 
  its members with certain blind accounts from 
  which they may withdraw funds to facilitate their 
  operations. Accessing an account requires a Routine 
  (+20) Influence Test with no other modifiers, and 
  provides the Throne Agent with 500 Thrones. For 
  every additional 500 desired, the Test becomes one 
  degree more difficult. Unless the GM rules otherwise, 
  accessing these accounts should only take place at the 
  beginning of the mission. 
  REpREsEnting FailuRE
  Just because the group fails an Influence Test 
  doesn’t mean that their target has directly defied 
  the might of the Inquisition, inviting and deserving 
  horrible retribution for his insolence. Most groups 
  within the Imperium know full well the penalty for 
  directly defying the Inquisition. However, failure can be 
  represented in other ways. In the case of a requisition 
  request, the item or service being requisitioned may 
  not be available, and the players simply have to get on 
  without it, or try at a later date. If they are attempting to 
  manipulate others, perhaps their target does not know 
  the information they seek, does not have the authority to 
  accomplish their request, or simply ties their request up 
  in the endless red tape of Imperial bureaucracy.
  
  InquIsItor
  and Cadre
  Forming a Team oF 
  agenTs
  •
  CreaTing new 
  asCended CharaCTers
  
  II: Inquisitor and Cadre
  20
  Chapter II: 
  Inquisitor and 
  Cadre
  “The Daemon has many forms. You must know them all. You must 
  tell the Daemon from his disguise and root him out from the hidden 
  places. Trust no one. Trust not even yourself. It is better to die in 
  vain than to live as an abomination. The zealous martyr is praised 
  for his valour; the craven and the unready are justly abhorred.”
  –From The First Book of Indoctrinations
  A
  s Acolytes, best serving the Inquisition meant 
  following orders, no matter how difficult to 
  understand or achieve; accepting any challenge, no 
  matter how dangerous or deadly; and acknowledging that 
  any true understanding of the machinations the Acolytes are 
  involved in may never be reached. However, upon ascension 
  to the ranks of the Inquisition itself, all of that changes, 
  utterly and forever. Acolytes no longer, these individuals have 
  ascended to join the ranks of the most trusted and powerful 
  extensions of the Emperor’s Will—they are now Throne 
  Agents, and they form the retinue (also known as a cadre) of 
  an Inquisitor, and sometimes become Inquisitors themselves.
  Forming a  
  Team oF agenTs
  The nature of a Throne Agent is complex, but at its core, it 
  revolves around the concepts of power, responsibility, and 
  scale. Throne Agents possess many resources that Acolytes 
  do not, ranging from the nearly limitless authority of the 
  Inquisitor’s Rosette to the blend of sophisticated technology 
  and lethal skills of the Vindicare Assassin. In addition, more 
  is expected from a Throne Agent than from an Acolyte—the 
  level of responsibility grows, and the risks of failure increase 
  commensurate with the threats Throne Agents routinely 
  confront. For most Throne Agents, it is not enough to 
  simply uncover a conspiracy or locate the core of a heretical 
  cult. Instead, Throne Agents are often solely responsible for 
  completely rooting out the conspiracy, or are charged with 
  the utter and complete destruction of every cult cell within 
  a system. Throne Agents also work on a completely different 
  scale than Acolytes. The affairs of an Inquisitor are moves in a 
  very dangerous and complicated game played by the various 
  factions and Ordos of the Inquisition itself. To serve as (or 
  directly with) an Inquisitor is to place oneself squarely as 
  one of the foremost pieces on the game board, and there are 
  many both within the Inquisition and without (often powerful 
  members of the Adeptus Terra) who seek to use the Throne 
  Agents to their own ends. No longer is it enough to merely 
  confront the enemies of Man—Throne Agents must also watch 
  their back and prepare for the machinations of their allies.
  
  II: Inquisitor and Cadre
  21
  sTrengTh in diversiTy
  Ascension opens many new doors for DArk Heresy 
  characters, and offers a multitude of ways to take characters 
  in new directions. In some ways, taking a group of Acolytes 
  and ascending them to Throne Agents is like starting anew 
  with a shared purpose. This is a great opportunity for the GM 
  and the players to take a fresh look at their characters and talk 
  things over collectively to round out the group’s strengths 
  and weaknesses. For example, this would be a good time to 
  note that Fellowship may become much more important to 
  many groups!
  At this stage, many groups benefit from asking and 
  answering the question, “What kind of DArk Heresy 
  game are we most interested in playing?” Groups that value 
  investigation, for example, could take this chance to bulk out 
  some investigation-oriented Skills and Characteristics, whilst 
  another group that has had difficulty in combat might instead 
  seek more militant Talents to become more effective when 
  fighting the Imperium’s many foes.
  Just as each Acolyte in DArk Heresy has his niche, so 
  do the Ascended Careers. Each have their own speciality 
  and expertise. This Chapter presents a number of options 
  for a group of DArk Heresy characters to realise their full 
  potential and undergo ascension.
  opTions For adepTs
  Adepts are uniquely suited to the acquisition and organisation 
  of knowledge. Service to the Inquisition often involves the 
  manipulation of knowledge, from the presentation of pertinent 
  facts to the (often brutal) suppression of forbidden lore. Many 
  say that “knowledge is power,” and in the Inquisition, that 
  claim is often proven true.
  For those Adepts who have a great dedication to solving 
  ancient puzzles and accumulating secrets, the Sage Ascended 
  Career is a natural fit.
  Adepts may also become Inquisitors and Interrogators, 
  turning proclivities for ferreting out facts towards the 
  persecution of the Imperium’s many foes. The learned Ordo 
  Xenos Inquisitor Van Vuygens began in this way, and is still 
  considered a prominent scholar in his field.
  opTions For arbiTraTors
  Arbitrators often have a focus and a drive that many other 
  Acolytes lack, and more than a few Inquisitors prefer to rely 
  upon an Arbitrator’s sense of justice and determination when 
  the stakes are high. Often, Arbitrators continue to perform 
  their duty even under the most onerous of circumstances. 
  Reliable and determined Acolytes are often rewarded by 
  Puritan-minded Inquisitors, and the knowledge and skills of 
  a street-wise Arbitrator are never to be discounted lightly.
  Arbitrators who have given years of diligent service to the 
  Adeptus Arbites are often promoted to the rank of Judge. 
  Many Inquisitors consider the counsel of a learned Judge to 
  be priceless, especially when dealing with the other Adeptus 
  Terra of the Imperium or the lawless depths of an underhive.
  The discipline of an Arbitrator also suits them well for 
  transitioning into other Ascended Careers focused on combat 
  and protection, such as the Crusader.
  In addition, some Arbitrators find that their normal duties 
  pale in comparison to hunting down heretics and cleansing 
  a world from a cult’s pernicious influence. Such Arbitrators 
  often leave the Arbites behind to become an Interrogator 
  or even a full Inquisitor—Inquisitor Astrid Skane is a good 
  example of just such a path.
  opTions For assassins
  The Inquisition has many places for those who make the 
  dealing of death their vocation. A loyal and faithful Assassin is 
  of great interest to an Inquisitor, for in the byzantine operations 
  of the Holy Ordos, there is always a need for a troublesome 
  obstacle to be removed in a most final fashion.
  Assassins that focus on delivering death face-to-face in the 
  wild melee of blades and blood often enter the Death Cult 
  Assassin Ascended Career. Others with a talent for slaying a 
  target at range are sometimes given a rare opportunity to be 
  reborn as a Vindicare Assassin.
  Other Assassins find that their talents lead them in other 
  directions, and a sponsoring Inquisitor can arrange for them to 
  be trained as a Storm Trooper or a Crusader.
  In some rare cases, an Assassin may ascend to become more 
  than he was, and grow beyond the simple role of a death-dealer 
  into an Interrogator, or even more rarely, an Inquisitor.
  opTions For CleriCs
  Many Inquisitors consider the services of a Cleric to be critical 
  when facing heresy and the daemons of the warp. Proper 
  application of fiery faith can turn the tide of recidivism and 
  make even hardened traitors think twice. Some Inquisitors seek 
  to maintain good ties with the Ecclesiarchy for the purpose of 
  ensuring that the zeal of the Imperial Creed remains a useful 
  tool in their investigations. For those Clerics who serve such 
  an Inquisitor, they find many opportunities for advancement—
  and not only amongst the ranks of the faithful.
  Clerics that excel in the service of the Imperial Creed and 
  the Holy Ordos are often raised up to become Hierophants, 
  living examples of the power of faith.
  Particularly militant-minded Clerics are also often selected 
  for the Crusader Ascended Career.
  Some Clerics that have a special talent for seeking out 
  and persecuting heretics and unbelievers occasionally join 
  the Holy Ordos themselves as Interrogators, and eventually, 
  Inquisitors. Witch Finder Rykehuss and Inquisitor Al-Subaai 
  are two examples of where the Cleric career may lead whilst 
  in service to the Inquisition.
  
  II: Inquisitor and Cadre
  22
  opTions For guardsmen
  The Imperial Guard encompasses professional soldiers from a 
  numberless amount of cultures, backgrounds, and specialities, 
  containing experts in a bewildering variety of fields. The 
  Inquisition is no stranger to taking advantage of the Imperial 
  Guard’s impressive manpower and versatility, and several 
  Inquisitors regularly place skilled Guardsmen at the core of 
  their retinues.
  Guardsmen that excel on the field of battle are sometimes 
  hand-picked to join the ranks of the elite Storm Troopers.
  Other Guardsmen who are no strangers to close-quarters 
  battle may be chosen to achieve the Ascended Career of a 
  Crusader.
  In some rare cases, the Imperial Guard produces an 
  individual with peerless skills at striking from the shadows as 
  a sniper. The most skilled from amongst these are occasionally 
  taken into the service of the Officio Assassinorum and become 
  Vindicare Assassins.
  Some Guardsmen show an aptitude for leadership above 
  and beyond taking command of a platoon on the bloody field 
  of battle. The Holy Ordos sometimes finds a special use for 
  such rare men, and it is not unknown for an Inquisitor to take 
  such a Guardsmen into his retinue as an Interrogator, perhaps 
  eventually to earn his own rosette as a full Inquisitor.
  opTions For imperial psykers
  The use of Sanctioned Psykers in the Imperium is a necessity 
  to keep the far-flung borders of the Emperor’s realm united 
  and strong. Although many Puritan Inquisitors frown on 
  the use of psykers, many more amongst the Holy Ordos 
  recognise the inherent benefits of their skills. Psykers are 
  found amongst many an Inquisitor’s retinue, often serving as 
  either the first line of defence against the horrors of the alien 
  and the daemon, or as a lightning rod to draw such foes out 
  into the open where they may be crushed.
  Particularly powerful and reliable psykers are sometimes 
  chosen to be trained by the elite of the Scholastica Psykana 
  to reach their full potential as Primaris Psykers.
  Other psykers hone their gifts towards methods more 
  divinatory than destructive. These valued psykers are 
  sometimes embraced by a particular Inquisitor and elevated to 
  the rank of Interrogator. Some Inquisitors are themselves 
  psykers, such as the mysterious Inquisitor Vownus Kaede.
  opTions For sCum
  The Inquisition cannot always operate openly—many cults 
  and conspiracies are too canny to remain when rumours of 
  less-than-subtle Inquisition involvement fly fast and heavy. 
  Therefore, many Inquisitors rely upon their own unsavoury 
  resources in the form of Acolytes who are linked into the ebb 
  and flow of the underworld—in short, Scum. Armed with 
  such an Acolyte, Inquisitors are much more able to operate 
  without attracting undue attention and can often catch their 
  prey unawares.
  Scum are supremely suited to the fringes of Imperial 
  society, and the most able amongst their number often survive 
  to gain the Desperado Ascended Career.
  A handful of Acolytes can survive long enough in the service 
  of the Inquisition to attract the attention of their superiors. In 
  this manner, Scum are sometimes singled out to become an 
  Interrogator. If a good service record is maintained, they 
  may even be able to overcome the challenges of their past and 
  gain the rosette of an Inquisitor.
  opTions For TeCh-priesTs
  For the Adeptus Mechanicus, knowledge and dedication to 
  the Machine Cult are among the most important measures by 
  which a Tech-Priest grows in power and influence. Service 
  to the Holy Ordos of the Inquisition is often another path to 
  greater responsibility and the discovery of secrets brings one 
  closer to the Omnissiah’s will.
  Tech-Priests who achieve great works in the Omnissiah’s 
  name and build a comprehensive knowledge in one or more 
  areas of science and technology may be granted the title 
  of Magos.
  The Adeptus Mechanicus values the accumulation of 
  knowledge, and some Tech-Priests quest endlessly for more 
  and more data. Such Tech-Priests are drawn to the Sage 
  Ascended Career.
  opTions For adepTa sororiTas
  The ranks of the Adepta Sororitas—also known as the Sisters 
  of Battle—are ideal candidates to recruit into the ranks of 
  the Inquisition. Due to the martial nature and fanatical faith 
  of the Adepta Sororitas, many find themselves drawn to the 
  Ascended Career of the Crusader where their natural hate 
  for the heretic lends them martial strength. Battle Sisters are 
  also immersed in the Imperial Creed and righteous zeal of 
  the Ecclesiarchy, and thus are well-suited to the Heirophant 
  Ascended Career. Not surprisingly, many Sisters of Battle 
  who serve as Acolytes in the Inquisition naturally move on to 
  greater service in the name of the Golden Throne. For these 
  women, there can be no higher calling than to be chosen as 
  an Interrogator and eventually an Inquisitor.
  
  II: Inquisitor and Cadre
  23
  Creating New 
  Ascended 
  Characters
  “Duty unto the death of the enemies of Mankind, and beyond.” 
  –Creed of the Crusader
  T
  he acolytes of the Holy Inquisition are commissioned 
  with a grim and often thankless lot. They are tasked 
  with descending into the dark and filthy depths of 
  mankind’s civilisation to fight humanity’s vilest foes. They 
  scrabble desperately for information they pass on to their 
  superiors without understanding, and are sometimes even 
  sacrificed without knowing why. Only the most dutiful 
  Acolyte could refrain from desiring the power and privilege 
  of his superiors, even occasionally envying them in their lofty 
  status amongst the Imperium’s elite. 
   What they may never know is that their envy and desire is 
  sorely misplaced. Power, their superiors do possess, but hand 
  in hand with that power is the direst duties. Throne Agents 
  are fated to know the true secrets of the Imperium. 
  acolyTes To agenTs
  Players make Throne Agents in two different ways. The 
  first is by levelling up an existing Rank 8 character from 
  DArk Heresy. In this situation, the player should follow the 
  steps found on page 28, taking their character through the 
  Transition Package Process, choosing an Ascended Career, 
  and spending the 500 experience automatically awarded 
  once a character reaches Rank 9. 
  The second way is to build a Throne Agent from scratch. 
  There could be several reasons for a player to do this. Perhaps 
  he has newly joined a group whose characters have already 
  levelled up to Throne Agents, or possibly he is a veteran player 
  whose previous character was killed or otherwise lost during 
  or just before an Ascended Campaign. Or perhaps a group of 
  players simply want to start out a campaign at a higher level, 
  and begin playing with their characters already at Rank 9. 
  In any case, players have to make their characters using 
  both this book and DArk Heresy. After all, Throne Agents 
  are not green recruits in the Inquisition, or lowly citizens of 
  the Imperium only recently offered a chance at something 
  greater. Throne Agents are often seasoned veterans who have 
  served the Inquisition for years, if not decades, and survived 
  to tell of it. Even if they are newly joined in the ranks of the 
  Holy Ordos, one does not become a Throne Agent unless that 
  person can demonstrate exceptional talent and aptitude in an 
  area the Inquisition finds useful (which covers a wider range 
  of categories than one might think). Either way, a Throne 
  Agent—even one newly minted—possesses a wealth of skills 
  and talents far beyond the average Imperial Citizen.
  What this means, in game terms, is that when making a new 
  Throne Agent from scratch, a player is going to have a great 
  deal of experience to spend before his character is finished. 
  First, however, there are several steps the player must take. 
  These steps are very similar to the ones taken when creating 
  a DArk Heresy character, but in a different order. The player 
  should obtain an unused DArk Heresy character sheet (like 
  the one presented on page 253 of this book), then proceed 
  with the following steps.
  • Choose an Ascended Career: The player needs 
  to decide what type of Throne Agent he wants to 
  play. Whether a brash Desperado, calculating Sage, or 
  dangerous and cunning Inquisitor, the player must select 
  one of the 12 Careers found starting on page 49.
  • Generate the Character: The player now returns to 
  DArk Heresy—on page 13 he finds a list of home 
  worlds, as well as instructions to generate Characteristics 
  for his character (if the player wishes to use any alternate 
  The high reaper  
  oF The moriTaT
  The Moritat are a secretive death cult devoted to a form 
  of the Imperial creed. They are devotees are masters 
  of death with razor, sword, and serrated edge. The 
  internal organisation of the Moritat is made up of cells 
  led by individual masters or mistresses. Each Master is 
  part of a complex hierarchy that leads through killers 
  of ever greater skill until it reaches one lone master 
  of death referred to variously as the High Reaper, the 
  Angel of Cut, or one of a profusion of sinister titles. The 
  High Reaper is said to be the only one of the Moritat 
  to know, and have mastered, the two hundred and 
  nineteen sacred cuts. She possesses over ten thousand 
  vials of blood taken from those who have died on the 
  edge of her blades. Unlike the other masters of the 
  Moritat, the High Reaper is said to keep no cell of 
  faithful assassins around her, but instead keeps a single 
  disciple as her personal companion and apprentice. To 
  this disciple she teaches the most sacred methods of 
  death. From the disciple, however, the High Reaper 
  keeps the single most revered cut: the cut that cannot 
  be taught, but only given by the Emperor’s divine 
  inspiration; the only cut by which the High Reaper 
  herself may be defeated. Once the disciple realises this 
  truth, he attempts to slay his mistress. If he succeeds, 
  he is gifted the final, most venerated cut as a revelation 
  at the moment that he uses it to kill her. In so doing, he 
  becomes the High Reaper. If, however, the revelation 
  does not come, the disciple dies and another is selected 
  to take his place. Whether this figure exists in truth is 
  a matter much discussed amongst peers of the Calixian 
  Conclave. Some believe that there is no High Reaper, 
  that it is merely a lie created to shield the identity of 
  the Moritat’s creators and patrons within the Holy 
  Ordos. Others think that the High Reaper is all too 
  real and that her master may be closer to them all than 
  anyone suspects. 
  
  II: Inquisitor and Cadre
  24
  home worlds provided in supplemental DArk Heresy 
  books, he should feel free to do so at this time). The player 
  should generate his character’s Weapon Skill, Ballistic 
  Skill, Strength, Toughness, Intelligence, Perception, 
  Agility, Willpower, and Fellowship using the standard 
  method described on page 22 of DArk Heresy. Once 
  this is completed, the player should roll for Fate Points, 
  starting Wounds, and his character’s Divination, and then 
  note the results down on his character sheet along with 
  any benefits or detriments granted by the character’s 
  home world choice. 
  • Select a Dark Heresy Career: The player should now 
  select a DArk Heresy Career for his character. When 
  doing this, the player should make sure that this Career 
  is compatible both with his selection of home worlds and 
  his selection of Ascended Career. Not all Careers work 
  with either. If need be, the player may need to modify his 
  choice of home world in order to work with his choice 
  of Career and Ascended Career, or vice versa. At this 
  point, the player should not spend any experience on 
  Background Packages or Advancements. 
  • Generate Insanity and Corruption: No veteran 
  Throne Agent can achieve his status without seeing 
  the worst the universe has to offer, and seldom does 
  such an individual emerge unscarred. Take 8d10 dice, 
  then subtract 1d10 for each point of Willpower Bonus 
  the character currently possesses. Roll the remaining 
  dice. This is how many Insanity Points the character 
  possesses. Now take 8d5 dice, then subtract 1d5 for 
  each point of Willpower Bonus the character currently 
  possesses. Roll the remaining dice and add the results 
  together to determine how many Corruption Points 
  the character possesses. Make note of these results on 
  the character sheet. Then turn to pages 234–239 of 
  DArk Heresy, and consult the rules for Insanity and 
  Corruption, determining whether the character has any 
  mental disorders, malignancies, or mutations. In the case 
  of malignancies, the player should roll on the chart as 
  normal, as in the case of mutations. In the case of mental 
  disorders, which are provided by the GM, the player 
  should simply note that his character has one or more of 
  them. He has opportunities to rid his character of them 
  before he is finished—if he does not, the GM can then 
  create a suitable disorder for the character. 
  • Select a Transition Package: Most DArk Heresy and 
  Ascension Careers have a Transition Package linking 
  them. Provided the player has taken compatibility into 
  account when selecting each career, he should now have 
  several options to choose from. He should select the 
  Transition Package he feels fits his character’s concept the 
  best, and apply its effects to his character immediately. 
  • Spend Experience: Once the previous steps are 
  accomplished, the player now has a character with 
  13,000 experience to spend on his previous career before 
  he can advance into his character’s career as a Throne 
  Agent. There are two ways to do this. 
  spending experienCe
  When creating a Throne Agent from scratch, the player 
  finds himself with a great deal of experience to spend on 
  his character’s previous Career as an Acolyte—13,000 
  experience, to be exact. This experience must be spent on rank 
  and characteristic advancements from the character’s previous 
  career. The player has two different options as to how to do 
  this. The first option is the most straightforward, but also 
  the most time consuming. The second option is slightly more 
  complex, but also faster. These are referred to as the bottom-
  up and top-down approaches. 
  Bottom-up approach
  The simplest way to spend the experience is to start at the 
  bottom and work up. The player begins by selecting any 
  desired background packages, then spending his experience 
  in the same manner as described on DArk Heresy pages 41-
  43. Basically, he is creating his character in the same way as 
  he would if he played his character up through Rank 8—but 
  at a vastly accelerated rate. All the usual rules for levelling a 
  character apply here: the player must spend a certain amount of 
  experience before advancing his character to the next highest 
  level, he may choose any advancement that is at his current 
  level or lower, and he may take Alternate Ranks provided 
  he replaces certain Ranks with them. He also has to choose 
  between various branches on his Rank Advancement scheme 
  for his Career. Once he has spent 13,000 experience, he may 
  continue to complete his character as a Throne Agent.
  
  II: Inquisitor and Cadre
  25
  This approach has the advantage of being straightforward 
  and uncomplicated. It follows all the rules for increasing 
  in Rank provided in DArk Heresy. However, it is time 
  consuming, which is why the top-down approach was 
  created.
  Top-down approach
  The top-down approach allows players to build their character 
  in a quicker and more free-form manner. To do so, the player 
  begins by selecting a background package for his character, 
  if desired. He also notes if he is going to want to take any 
  Alternate Ranks, and what those Careers are. 
  The next step is to spend experience on Characteristic 
  Advances. All the rules for purchasing Characteristic 
  Advances apply, and the player must purchase Advances from 
  his character’s Career. He may purchase up to the Expert level 
  in any of his Characteristics provided he has the experience 
  to do so.
  After this, the player should decide how many Sound 
  Constitution Advances he wishes to purchase. For this, the 
  player should consult the following chart, rather than using 
  his character’s Career advances.
  Each Sound Constitution Advance costs 100 experience. 
  Note, this amount of Sound Constitution Advances may be 
  less than would normally be available to a Career, and likely 
  costs less Experience. Both of these factors have been taken 
  into account.
  Once the player has purchased as many Sound Constitution 
  Advances as he wishes, he should tally his remaining 
  experience. Then—ideally starting with the Rank 8 advances 
  in his Career and working backwards—he simply selects 
  any advancements he likes from any branches of any rank 
  in his Career or any Alternate Ranks he may have chosen 
  beforehand. When doing this, several rules apply:
  • The player is not required to spend any amount of 
  experience at any particular rank. He may spend any 
  amount of available experience at any rank he chooses.
  • The player is not required to select a particular branch 
  in his career. All branches are open for him to select 
  advancements from.
  • The player is not required to replace a rank with an 
  Alternate Rank. He simply may select advancements 
  from the Alternate Rank as well.
  • The player may not select Sound Constitution Advances 
  at this point. He’s already had a chance to do so.
  • The player does not select Skills in the order of Skilled, 
  +10, +20. Instead, he must select the highest level of 
  training he wants in that Skill, and note that level’s cost. 
  If that level is “Trained’ he must pay that cost. If that 
  level is “+10” he must pay that level’s cost x2. If that 
  level is “+20” he must pay that level’s cost x3. Any Skills 
  not normally allowed for the Career may be purchased 
  as Elite Advances, each costing 500 xp. Skills gained in 
  this manner begin at Skilled and may be then upgraded 
  to +10 and +20 as listed previously.
  • Any Talents selected must have any prerequisites satisfied 
  by the time the character is finished.
  • If by some chance the player has the option of purchasing 
  an Advance for one experience cost at one rank, and at 
  a different cost at another rank (such as an Advanced 
  Rank or two different aspects of the same branch) he 
  must always pay the higher of the two costs.
  • The player continues spending experience until he has 
  spent the remainder of his 13,000.
  This process is designed to be a much simpler way to create 
  a DArk Heresy character than doing so from the bottom-up. 
  Players also get the opportunity to spend their experience 
  far more freely. However, this is balanced by the premium 
  they pay on some Skills and Talents, and the likely reduced 
  opportunities to purchase Sound Constitution. 
  Finishing The CharaCTer
  Whichever way a player chooses to spend their experience 
  in creating their character, eventually they find themselves 
  with a 13,000 experience character, newly entering Rank 9 
  as a Throne Agent. The player should then check the Fate 
  Point Chart on page 10 to determine the number of Fate 
  Points possessed by his Throne Agent. The player should 
  then proceed to page 28 and follow the steps found there, to 
  complete his character’s final steps.
  Table 
  2–1: 
  Sound 
  Constitution 
  Advances
  Career
  Number 
  of 
  Sound 
  Constitution Advances
  Adept
  6
  Arbitrator
  8
  Assassin
  6
  Cleric
  8
  Guardsman
  9
  Imperial Psyker
  5
  Scum
  7
  Tech Priest
  8
  Adepta Sororitas
  9
  
  II: Inquisitor and Cadre
  26
  
  The 
  PaTh To 
  ascension
  TransiTion Packages
  •
  ascended careers
  •
  crusader
  •
  deaTh culT assassin
  •
  desPerado
  •
  hieroPhanT
  •
  inTerrogaTor
  •
  Judge
  •
  Magos
  •
  PriMaris Psyker
  •
  sage
  •
  sTorM TrooPer
  •
  Vindicare assassin
  •
  inquisiTor
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  28
  Chapter III: 
  The Path to 
  Ascension
  “All who serve the Emperor are children of greatness.”
  –Ancient Imperial Maxim
  W
  ith Ascension, your character stands on the cusp 
  of a grand new world. His life as he knows it is 
  set to change and progress beyond the surly bonds 
  of Imperial society, taking him to places both wondrous 
  and terrifying. The process of ascending an existing DArk 
  Heresy character follows a series of steps similar to those 
  laid out in Chapter I: Character Creation in the DArk 
  Heresy Rulebook. Each of these five steps—from choosing 
  your intended ascended career path to spending a bonus 
  allotment of experience on your Ascended Career’s Rank 9 
  advances—quickly and easily converts your character and 
  completes his ascension to his new career path and position 
  within the Inquisition.
  sTeP one: choosing your PaTh
  The first step in ascending your character is to select an 
  ascended career path. This new career path adds to your 
  old path, representing a progression of your character’s 
  development. You may select one Ascended Career from the 
  options presented for your DArk Heresy Career Path. Each 
  DArk Heresy Career Path has a number of options available:
  • Adept—Inquisitor, Interrogator, and Sage
  • Arbitrator—Inquisitor, Interrogator, Crusader, and Judge
  • Assassin—Inquisitor, Interrogator, Crusader, Death Cult 
  Assassin, Storm Trooper, and Vindicare Assassin
  • Cleric—Inquisitor, 
  Interrogator, 
  Crusader, 
  and 
  Hierophant
  • Guardsman—Inquisitor, Interrogator, Crusader, Storm 
  Trooper, and Vindicare Assassin
  • Imperial Psyker—Inquisitor, Interrogator, and Primaris 
  Psyker
  • Scum—Inquisitor, Interrogator, and Desperado
  • Tech-Priest—Magos and Sage
  • Adepta Sororitas—Interrogator, Inquisitor, Crusader, and 
  Hierophant
  It is important to remember that whilst choosing an 
  ascended career path opens new doors for your character and 
  gives him access to powerful new skills, talents, and traits, 
  it does not prohibit him from taking advances from his old 
  career path, reflecting the years of training and practice he 
  already possesses in his chosen vocation. 
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  29
  sTeP Two: Making The TransiTion
  Once you have chosen your intended ascended career path, the 
  next step is to choose a Transition Package. Note that you only have 
  to select a Transition package once, and this is done upon moving 
  from Rank 8 to Rank 9 or for creating a new Ascended character. 
  You do not have to select a Transition Package if your character 
  changes from one Ascended Career to another (most often, this 
  would only occur when moving from Interrogator to Inquisitor—
  see page 49). Transitioning from an Acolyte to a Throne Agent 
  typically does not happen overnight! The Transition Package is a 
  way of explaining what happened to the character between the 
  end of Rank 8 and the beginning of Rank 9 when he ascends to a  
  Throne Agent. 
  These packages represent the event, special training, or 
  circumstances that have led to your character’s ascension. 
  Each Transition Package contains a set of changes—usually to 
  Characteristics, Talents, or Insanity and Corruption—which you 
  must apply to your character to represent the particular trials and 
  training he has had to endure to enter his ascended career path.
  Should your GM agree, you can even create your own 
  Transition Packages to reflect the unique nature of your own 
  characters and campaigns.
  All the details for using Transition Packages, as well as a collection 
  of packages, can be found below.
  Transition Packages and Time
  The Transition Packages in this section provide a representation 
  of the time between Rank 8 and Rank 9 for a Dark Heresy 
  character as he completes his ascension. That period of time may 
  vary from months to years. If the GM desires, he can establish 
  that all the characters in the same Dark Heresy campaign have 
  taken the same period of time to complete their training. Those 
  characters who ascend faster than others are considered to have 
  spent the remainder of that time being involved with low-level 
  investigations and other tasks to aid the Inquisition until such 
  time as the other Throne Agents are fully prepared. There is no 
  set amount of time for each Transition package. However, if the 
  GM wishes, he may either assign a number of months or years for 
  completing each or roll 3d10 and add up the result for the number 
  of months that the Transition Package required to complete.
  sTeP Three: choose your  
  ascended TraiTs
  After applying the effects of your Transition Package, the 
  next step is to choose an ascended trait from your new career 
  path. Every career path has powerful traits associated with 
  it, reflecting the potent nature of those that walk the path 
  of an ascended career. All characters that enter the career 
  automatically receive the first (the Interrogator receives both 
  the first and second) of these traits and they should be added 
  to your character immediately. Of the others, however, you 
  may only select one. Each of these additional traits represents 
  a different aspect of your chosen career and provides a way 
  of personalizing your character. Choose carefully, however, 
  as you do not get a chance to choose from these traits again, 
  and once your choice is made it shapes the kind of ascended 
  character you eventually become.
  A list of your possible ascended traits can be found 
  in this Chapter at the start of your chosen career path’s  
  advancement tables.
  sTeP Four: adJusT To ascension
  When your character ascends, he passes a significant milestone 
  in his existence and has a chance to restore and replenish his 
  vitality as well as mend the mental and physical scars of years 
  of Inquisitorial service. To reflect this, adjust your Fate Points, 
  Wounds, Insanity Points, and Corruption Points using the 
  guidelines in Chapter 1.
  sTeP FiVe: sPending XP
  Finally, your newly ascended character receives a bonus 500 
  experience points to immediately spend on Rank 9 advances 
  for his new career. These bonus experience points must be 
  spent on advances available to your new career and not on 
  advances from your previous career path. At your GM’s 
  discretion, he may also allow you to immediately spend 
  any stored experience points from your previous career on 
  advances from your ascended career. 
  Your character is now ascended and ready to do the will 
  of the Emperor! 
  The adePTus Mechanicus and 
  The inquisiTion
  The doctrines and dogmas of the Cult Mechanicus 
  demand that the servant of the Omnissiah surrender 
  not just everything he owns, but everything he is and 
  everything he could otherwise have been. The rites of the 
  machine change not only the initiate’s body, but also his 
  mind and very soul. It is a route from which there is no 
  return, for once the glory of the Omnissiah is revealed to 
  a Tech-Priest, every other strand of faith and every other 
  calling seems frail and hollow. As the Tech-Priest’s limbs 
  are augmented with prosthetics of iron, so is his brain 
  matter is replaced with silicon. However, despite these 
  physical changes, it is the soul of the Tech-Priest that is 
  altered the most. The truths of the universe revealed unto 
  him are so terrible that without the protective Rites of 
  the Omnissiah, his soul would be shattered. Although 
  the Quest for Knowledge might take him into regions 
  of thought and deed many would proclaim as heretical, 
  it is to the Omnissiah, in all its forms, that the Tech-Priest 
  owes his deepest allegiance.
  So all-encompassing is the Quest for Knowledge, 
  so total a Tech-Priest’s surrender of mind, body, and 
  spirit to the Omnissiah, that he may never espouse any 
  other calling or creed. He may not therefore become an 
  Inquisitor, an Interrogator, or a devout member of the 
  Ministorum, for each of these makes equally stringent and 
  mutually exclusive demands on his being.
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  30
  Transition 
  Packages
  “Arise, my servant—the Emperor has work for you…”
  T
  he following section provides a set of rules called 
  Transition Packages. These are included by way of 
  an explanation of how your character ‘Ascended’ to 
  the dizzy heights of their new career in the ranks of the 
  Inquisition—in short, the Transition Package details how 
  the character is able to enter his new Ascended Career. Each 
  provides a background explanation for the ascension, as well 
  as a number of hooks and story strands GMs and players can 
  use to progress the character further still. Some contain ideas 
  for how the character might be roleplayed, such as the Sage 
  who has contracted a ‘meme-virus’, or the Hierophant who 
  has spent untold time in the figurative and literal wilderness 
  before emerging the pious individual they are today.
  Furthermore, each Transition Package contains a set of 
  alterations you should make to your character’s profile. In 
  most cases, these are alterations to characteristics, such as 
  an increase or decrease in Willpower or Fellowship. These 
  changes represent the specialised training the character has 
  undergone, or other events he has experienced that have left 
  an indelible mark on his psyche. Some Transition Packages 
  include Talents, which further define their effect on the 
  character’s career. Lastly, a number include an increase or a 
  decrease in Insanity or Corruption Points. The former indicates 
  the character has undergone a traumatising experience during 
  his ascension, the latter that he has been cleansed, whether 
  spiritually or mentally. Both provide great opportunity for 
  roleplaying and storytelling.
  Using TransiTion 
  Packages
  Transition Packages provide a set of adjustments to 
  Characteristics, Insanity Points, Corruption Points, and (in 
  some cases) Talents. Any adjustments made to your character 
  by selecting a Transition Package does not count as an 
  Advance for the purposes of increasing your Rank, nor do 
  increases or reductions count toward the improvement of 
  your Characteristics through normal means.
  To select a Transition Package, you must be ascending to 
  the career indicated. All of the following Transition Packages 
  are organised by Career Path, and thus, you may only select a 
  package that matches the career you are ascending to. You may 
  find that packages grant you Talents you might not otherwise 
  be able to take because of Characteristic restrictions. You do 
  not have to meet the requirements of any listed Talent gained 
  from the package.
  You may only choose one Ascension Transition Package, 
  and you must choose one. You should discuss your choice 
  with your GM, so that between the two of you, a background 
  that matches you character and campaign can be developed. If 
  at all possible, it’s a good idea to avoid any two characters in 
  your group having the same Transition Package, although this 
  is not always possible. Discussing the matter with your GM 
  ensures that the story is progressed to everyone’s benefit.
  eXaMPle
  Adam has been playing his character, Arbitrator Rex, for some time 
  now. Through many trials and tribulations, he has reached the lofty 
  rank of Justicar. The group’s GM determines that the characters are 
  all ready for ascension. The group gets together to plan the next stage 
  in their characters’ careers, and everyone agrees that Rex is the best 
  candidate for the role of Inquisitor. Adam looks at the Transition 
  Packages available, and likes the look of Baptism by Fire. Discussing 
  this choice with the GM, the two decide that this fits in nicely with 
  their last adventure, in which Rex’s actions narrowly averted the 
  destruction of an entire hive spire on Fenksworld. Adam adds 10 
  to Rex’s Perception Characteristic, and rolls 1d5 to see how many 
  Insanity Points he gains, resulting in 5. Inquisitor Rex is born!
  crUsader
  The following Transition Package is intended for use with 
  characters ascending to the career of Crusader.
  inducTion
  “My Crusader House teaches ninety-nine of the sacred strikes—and 
  I have discovered for myself a further six. Any who approaches too 
  close to my charge this day will die by my hand, and perhaps I’ll 
  discover another strike.”
  –Crusader Mikaelus, at the Conclave of the Ninth Sun
  An Acolyte that serves the Inquisition well, whilst displaying 
  exceptional martial abilities combined with an iron shod 
  spiritual fortitude, may attract the attentions of one of the 
  Crusader Houses. A Crusader is a warrior-ascetic sworn 
  exclusively to serve the Inquisition. They do so by offering up 
  their very lives to protect that of an Inquisitor, accompanying 
  the master wherever he may go in the course of his Emperor-
  granted duties to the Imperium.
  Induction into a Crusader House is on an invitational basis 
  only. A warrior whose deeds have become near legendary 
  may be quietly approached by a servant of a Crusader House. 
  This hooded individual radiates a palpable aura of strength 
  and fortitude, his voice low, and his movements fluid, yet 
  unassuming. The servant speaks of honour, duty, and the 
  heights of martial attainment at which a warrior may become 
  one with the Emperor himself. He may promise to teach the 
  warrior such methods as can scarcely be imagined possible. 
  However, there is a price.
  That price is the voluntary divestment of self and the 
  shedding of material things. Only those who the servants of 
  the Crusader Houses have observed from afar, and already 
  judged worthy, are invited to join their ranks. Thus, it is very 
  rare that a warrior-Acolyte refuses. 
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  31
  If he agrees, the Acolyte is inducted into an entirely new 
  world of ritual, duty, sacrifice, and training. He undergoes 
  trials, practice, and instruction into the hidden mysteries each 
  House keeps. The induction period may last months or even 
  years. The warrior sleeps upon the stone floor of a tiny cell. 
  He drinks only water, and studies and trains with his every 
  waking hour. His life becomes one grand meditation, and he 
  attains such a trance-like state that he may well find difficulty 
  later on remembering this period clearly. Eventually, the 
  warrior is judged whether or not he is worthy to take up the 
  mantle of Crusader. Those who are deemed insufficient to the 
  task are never heard from again.
  Upon completing the training, the Crusader awaits such a 
  time as the House is approached by an Inquisitor in need of 
  its services and is assigned his duty. The Crusader may attend 
  to the Inquisitor for a single, short mission or be detached 
  for an extended period. Either way, he never leaves the 
  Inquisitor’s side, so utterly dedicated is he to protecting the 
  charge. Many Crusaders serve alongside a specific Inquisitor 
  for their entire lives, never returning to their House. These 
  individuals become utterly in tune with their master, and 
  serve as the Inquisitor’s right hand, enacting the will of the 
  Inquisition with peerless dedication.
  effects
  Characteristics: Increase Toughness by +5.
  Insanity Points: Remove 1d5 Insanity Points.
  Corruption: Remove 1d5 Corruption Points.
  deaTh cUlT assassin
  All of the following Transition Packages are intended for 
  use with characters ascending to the career of Death Cult 
  Assassin.
  BaPTisM oF Blood
  “I’ve seen so much these last few years, but there’s really only one 
  thing that matters—the shedding of the blood of those who would 
  deny us our future.”
  –Jhen Harrak, Assailor of the Widow-Maker Cult
  The lives of many Throne Agents are blood-soaked and often 
  short, with violence and insanity the only constant. Small 
  wonder, then, that some become so enamoured of death that 
  they gravitate towards one of the many Imperial Death Cults.
  It is unlikely, of course, that an Acolyte awakens one day 
  and decides that the spiritual balm he so craves is to be found 
  in the arms of a Death Cult. More likely, he becomes slowly 
  more obsessed with delivering the Emperor’s Justice to his 
  foes, such that the act of slaying becomes the focus of his 
  activities—the mean becomes the end in itself. A spiritual 
  pall settles over the Acolyte’s soul, a fugue that only lifts 
  during the wild, pure rush of combat. He becomes withdrawn 
  when not engaged on a mission, and spends all of his down 
  time practising his blade craft and maintaining his weapons. 
  He seeks out works on those of the Imperium’s plethora of 
  warrior-scholars who endorse such a life, seeking comfort in 
  the fact that many of the greatest of martyrs had the blood of 
  millions upon their hands.
  In time, the Acolyte may seek out a Death Cult, or in fact 
  a Death Cult may find the Acolyte. If fortunate, the Acolyte 
  comes into contact with one of the few cults that accept 
  outsiders into their ranks and demonstrates his suitability for 
  induction. There may follow a period of indoctrination into 
  the outer circles of the cult’s mysteries, setting the Acolyte on 
  a path that sees him progress through the cult’s ranks, one tier 
  at a time, until eventually, the ultimate secrets are revealed.
  Returning to his compatriots in the service of the 
  Inquisition, the Acolyte is entirely rejuvenated, filled with a 
  new purpose and divested of the spiritual malaise that had 
  afflicted him. Such converts make exceptional, if somewhat 
  single-minded Throne Agents, for their new role as a Death 
  Cult Assassin fulfils a fundamental drive that stems from 
  deep within the soul. That drive is to shed the blood of the 
  Emperor’s foes, and it is the ultimate honour a Man can offer 
  the creator and saviour of Humanity.
  effects
  Characteristics: Increase Weapon Skill by +10.
  Insanity: You gain 1d5 Insanity Points.
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  32
  The caliXian candidaTe
  “Somehow, the call has always been there, the whisper in the blood, 
  the blessing in its shedding. Only now, I can hear it clearly.”
  –Adept Zalkov, Vindictor of the Cult of the Sacred Blade 
  Death Cults exist across the length and breadth of the 
  Imperium, and the Calixis Sector is home to more than its fair 
  share. Membership ranges from less than a dozen individuals to 
  many thousands. Most operate on a hereditary basis, whereby 
  members are born into the cult and may never leave it, under 
  pain of death. Other Death Cults operate a system whereby 
  new members are normally recruited in incremental steps so 
  that the true nature of the cult is not divulged until the very 
  last. There is another type, however, whose methods are the 
  very stuff of nightmares.
  Such Death Cults forcibly recruit their members. They do 
  this through a wide range of methods, but the most common 
  is simply to kidnap the individual and spirit him away to some 
  secret lair, then to ‘convert’ the poor unfortunate with ritualised 
  psycho-conditioning techniques. Needless to say, many of the 
  Death Cults that practice such methods are proscribed across 
  the entire sector and subject to ruthless purging whenever 
  discovered. Yet, many of the ‘legitimate’ Death Cults utilise 
  such methods as well, this fact being conveniently overlooked 
  by the authorities should they have need of the services of  
  their members.
  The process by which the agents of a Death Cult select a 
  candidate for the process varies, but it is likely the two parties 
  have crossed paths at some point. Perhaps the Acolyte served 
  alongside one of the Death Cult’s Assassins in an Inquisitorial 
  cadre, the cultist reporting back the suitability for later 
  recruitment. Or the exact opposite may be the case—the 
  agents crossed swords with the Death Cult, and the Acolyte’s 
  suitability was noted as some cruel joke.
  At some point, a team of Death Cult Assassins are dispatched, 
  their mission to abduct the Acolyte. This might occur during an 
  unrelated mission, the assassins taking advantage of a confused 
  combat to strike and spirit their target away, or the attack might 
  occur when the Acolyte is alone and his guard is down. 
  When the Acolyte awakens, he finds himself in a personal 
  hell. He is restrained and subjected to a terrifying range 
  of mental and spiritual assaults. He may undergo cerebral 
  intrusion and ritual re-education, a process that combines the 
  very worst of pseudo-surgical and occult practices. If fortunate, 
  the Acolyte remembers none of this, but in many cases, he 
  retains an indelible total recall. Worst of all, perhaps, is the 
  fact that the Acolyte may remember every detail of the ordeal. 
  However, some regard the conditioning as a positive process 
  akin to spiritual cleansing.
  Assuming the process is successful and the Acolyte survives, 
  he is fundamentally changed. Some are unaware of the change, 
  yet it is there nonetheless, whilst others feel the change and 
  welcome it. Regardless, as part of the conditioning, the Acolyte 
  has been thoroughly indoctrinated into the most secret rites 
  of the cult, and is utterly in thrall to its tenets. The new Death 
  Cult Assassin is as deadly and dedicated an adherent as a cultist 
  raised in the very bosom of the temple.
  Afterwards, the new cultist may return to his duties as a 
  Throne Agent, there to utilise his new talents towards the 
  furtherance of the cult’s objectives as well as those of the 
  Inquisition. Many are counted amongst the most dedicated 
  and deadly of the Inquisition’s weapons, relishing their new 
  calling as only a new convert may.
  effects
  Characteristics: Increase Weapon Skill by +5 and Willpower 
  by +5.
  Insanity Points: You gain 2d5 Insanity Points.
  desPerado
  All of the following Transition Packages are intended for use 
  with characters ascending to the career of Desperado.
  ghosT FroM The PasT
  “You never expected to see me again? Your mistake. Luckily, it’s your 
  last mistake.”
  –Credited to the killer of Gang-lord Drasca
  Many have a difficult time saying farewell to their former 
  lives. They are unable to see the power and resources that 
  come with being a part of the Inquisition without considering 
  them through the outlook of a criminal, and exploit them 
  accordingly. Others, however, see their service in the Holy 
  Ordos as an opportunity, a chance to make a clean break with 
  their former life and become something far greater than they 
  could have ever expected as a street thug. 
  However, before a Scum can make a clean break with his 
  past, there is always some loose end he must tidy up. Perhaps 
  he has family or relations who are indebted or indentured to 
  an underworld baron or petty official. Perhaps he is the one 
  who is in debt, or possibly there is someone who harmed 
  him or those close to him in the past, who must be repaid 
  in kind. Whatever the situation, he is not able to serve the 
  Holy Ordos wholeheartedly so long as this issue hangs over 
  him. Therefore, he must ask his superiors for time to resolve  
  the situation. 
  This resolution can take months, or even years. The 
  Inquisition, of course, would never provide one of its servants 
  with official backing to accomplish a personal goal, so the 
  Scum must accomplish it using his wits, skill, and personal 
  resources. Luckily, these are all things Scum are known to 
  have in quantity. 
  Once the Scum’s past phantoms are laid to rest, he leaves 
  them behind him and returns to the service of the Holy Ordos. 
  There, he is able to serve untroubled by his past life.
  effects
  Characteristics: Gain +5 Willpower.
  Talents: Lose one Enemy or Rival Talent of your choice.
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  33
  lord oF The underworld
  “The God-Emperor may rule the Imperium, but down here in the 
  sump, you worship me.”
  –Lorin Martelle, ‘King’ of the Infernis
  Whilst most of those who enter the Inquisition’s service leave 
  their previous lives behind, some Throne Agents have been 
  known to maintain closer ties to their former existence than 
  usual. This can prove especially true for the Scum who elect 
  to serve under the Inquisitorial seal.
  A true criminal recognises the value in who he knows. Scum 
  often have extensive contacts from their past life amongst the 
  Imperium’s underbelly; friends and comrades they stay in 
  touch with, and enemies and foes they are unwilling to forget. 
  These contacts can keep them tied to their pasts, resulting in 
  a split between the criminal they were, and the Throne Agent 
  they have become.
  Eventually, of course, each must make a choice. Some beg 
  leave from their masters, taking time to return to their old 
  worlds and old lives to resolve what they see as unfinished 
  business. If and when a Desperado returns home, his 
  enemies often learn, to their sorrow, that the Throne Agent’s 
  harrowing adventures in a wider galaxy have made him a far 
  more dangerous foe than when he left. 
  When a Desperado returns home, there are only two 
  possible outcomes. Even if he does not wish to rise to the 
  top of the hierarchy of outlaws, those who already occupy 
  that position likely see the Desperado as a threat to their 
  status, and act accordingly. The criminal hierarchy is brutal 
  and simple: the strongest and smartest rise to the top, and 
  they stay there only as long as they can eliminate their 
  competition. Therefore, the Desperado is faced with a stark 
  choice—kill or be killed. 
  The ensuing power struggle to control the Desperado’s local 
  criminal underworld can last weeks, months, or even years. 
  However, the outcome is seldom in doubt. Desperados have 
  cut their teeth destroying malefic cults, xenos, or daemonic 
  foes. A local crime baron often proves an insignificant obstacle 
  in comparison. That isn’t to say the Desperado won’t take a 
  few knocks along the way—or far more than a few—but 
  eventually, he becomes the master of criminal enterprises in a 
  city, hive, or even a minor world. 
  Of course, as powerful as the Desperado has become, 
  he is still wise to remember that he serves a master who is 
  far mightier and far more ruthless. The Desperado lets his 
  new enterprises tend to themselves in order to make himself 
  available to the needs of the Inquisition. In turn, many 
  Inquisitors tolerate their Throne Agents’ unique proclivities, 
  as in turn they gain an operative who wields a surprising 
  amount of personal resources. 
  effects
  Influence: You gain a +5 Influence bonus that only applies 
  to your character, as well as the Peer (your criminal enterprises 
  and operations) Talent. 
  Characteristics: Gain +5 Intelligence.
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  34
  Hard Knocks: You have permanently lost one Wound. As 
  a result of your injuries, you have replaced one body part of 
  your choice with a common-Craftsmanship bionic implant.
  hieroPhanT
  All of the following Transition Packages are intended for use 
  with characters ascending to the career of Hierophant.
  PilgriM’s Progress
  “Until you’ve added your own voice to three million others, every one 
  chanting the death-song of Saint Drusus, you’ll never understand 
  what faith can be. Never…” 
  –Frater Kuluminius, Rector-Cardinate
  There exists across the entire Imperium a class of Humanity 
  largely invisible to the bulk of Mankind. Each year, countless 
  billions of the faithful put aside their lives to ply the warp 
  routes as pilgrims. Pilgrims hear the call of long dead saints, 
  and are compelled to answer. Any may hear the call, from 
  pampered noble to scabrous hive-scum, all being equal, 
  it is said, in the eyes of the God-Emperor. Some are able 
  to purchase luxurious berths on one of the hundreds of 
  merchantmen that serve each sector, whilst others must stow-
  away, praying the cargo container they are hidden in is not 
  destined for a vacuum-sealed hold. Despite the risk and the 
  fact that uncounted numbers perish on these voyages into the 
  unknown, the drive to embark on a pilgrimage is, for many, 
  impossible to ignore.
  Pilgrims travel from one sacred site to the next, often 
  hoping to attend the shrine of a particular saint at the height 
  of that saint’s holy festival. Countless works are published 
  each year, setting out the holy days, months, and years of 
  every saint in a particular sector, the most exhaustive taking 
  the forms of mighty illuminated tomes for the consumption 
  of the privileged. Conversely, innumerable poorly copied or 
  entirely fictitious guides are published each year to be sold 
  to destitute pilgrims, many promising the secrets of how to 
  reach a particular destination while avoiding any unnecessary 
  official entanglements.
  The objects of these pilgrimages are the countless Shrine 
  and Cemetery Worlds to be found across the Imperium. 
  Many of these worlds are dedicated entirely to the worship 
  of a single saint, perhaps a great figure who fought a mighty 
  battle there long ago. At particular high days, the populations 
  of these worlds can swell many times as an influx of pilgrims 
  arrives to worship. The streets become filled with the chanting 
  masses and violence simmers just below the surface, ready 
  to erupt into riot should the pious hordes feel the ultimate 
  object of their pilgrimage denied them by officious temple 
  attendants. Hawkers ply their wares, selling supposed relics 
  at exorbitant prices to those desperate for some memento of 
  their act of devotion.
  Even an Acolyte may become a pilgrim, and embark upon 
  a journey to a distant Shrine World such as Drusus, Orendal’s 
  Tomb, or Pilgrim’s Pause. Some attend just the one location 
  before returning to service, whilst others spend many years 
  travelling from one Shrine World to the next. The experience 
  is said to be humbling and supremely enriching, as one’s 
  will is supplanted within the mass of the faithful. To become 
  just one pilgrim in a seething ocean of chanting piety is to 
  surrender oneself to an experience quite unlike any other, and 
  many who return are changed beyond all recognition. They 
  have witnessed miracles, and shared, to some small degree, 
  the holy sacrifice of the God-Emperor of Mankind.
  The ultimate pilgrimage, which few ever make, is to travel 
  to distant, near-legendary Terra, the cradle of Mankind and 
  seat of the Emperor and the Senatorum Imperialis. Only the 
  greatest of the great ever sets foot upon that sacred ground, 
  but many hope one day to attempt that most hazardous and 
  sanctified of journeys.
  effects
  Characteristics: Increase Fellowship and Willpower by +5.
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  35
  The shriVing
  “I went into that wilderness with nought, nought but my pain. I 
  returned enriched, the word of the Emperor booming in my ears, and 
  ready to face whatever horrors the galaxy can throw at me.”
  –Prelate-Imperialis Alkinwak Dias 
  (sometimes called the ‘Mad Monk of Mara’)
  As a servant of the God-Emperor progresses along the 
  spiritual journey that is a lifetime of service to the Saviour 
  of Mankind, it is not uncommon for them to pause along the 
  way in order to test themselves before continuing. Such self-
  imposed penance takes many forms, some proscribed by the 
  writings of learned Adeptus Ministorum theosophists, others 
  revealed on a more personal level during prayer or fasting. In 
  order to be recognised as a Hierophant, an individual must 
  demonstrate a burning, inner faith that often comes only after 
  they have faced and conquered such threats as would shatter 
  the belief of a lesser man. This process is often referred to as 
  the Shriving.
  The essence of the Shriving is that an adherent of the 
  Imperial Creed has faced things that are a direct blasphemy 
  against the God-Emperor of Mankind, and emerged with 
  their faith not weakened, but confirmed. As such, it is only 
  undertaken by those utterly dedicated to the teachings of the 
  Ecclesiarchy, for there may be great risk in exposing one’s 
  soul to the uncounted vile heresies at large in the galaxy.
  The blasphemies that must be endured during the Shriving 
  are many and varied. They range from exposure to heretical 
  doctrines through delving into forbidden archives, to facing 
  the enemies of Mankind on the field of battle. Following the 
  exposure, the individual experiences a period of fundamental 
  spiritual crisis, and often seeks to separate himself from the 
  bulk of humanity. Many literally go off into the wilderness, 
  walking miles into toxic wastes or ravening Death World 
  jungles in order to endure inner and outer turmoil and to face 
  every challenge to their faith imaginable. There, the individual 
  meditates upon the nature of his faith, praying fervently day 
  and night and fasting until purged, body and soul. How 
  long is spent in this state depends upon the individual as 
  well as the nature of the blasphemy they were exposed to. He 
  may have sustained bodily, as well as spiritual wounds, and 
  needs to heal injuries inflicted by the slavering xenos or the 
  unholy followers of the Ruinous Powers. Some experience 
  a short, but burning period of revelation, attaining a state 
  of grace and oneness with the Emperor even the most holy 
  Ecclesiarch could scarce imagine. Others entirely lose their 
  minds for a period of years, until one day they emerge from 
  the wilderness, ragged and filthy, but visibly filled with the 
  Emperor’s power.
  effects
  Characteristics: Increase Toughness by 1d10.
  Corruption: Reduce Corruption points by 1d5.
  Insanity: Add 1d5 Insanity Points.
  inqUisiTor
  All of the following Transition Packages are intended for use 
  with characters ascending to the career of Inquisitor.
  BaPTisM oF Fire
  “To know the true heart of a man, he must have faced his worst 
  nightmare, and refused, utterly refused to yield, even in the face of 
  his doom. Whatever else he sees, knows, or does, then holds for him 
  no dread.”
  –Inquisitor Sajinavus, Convenor of the Third Tier
  A common route by which an individual attains the 
  Inquisitorial Seal is for him to be put to some terrible test, 
  in which his life, and often that of many others, is in mortal 
  danger. It is very likely that the individual being tested has no 
  idea at all that the world-shattering events unfolding around 
  him have been orchestrated by a distant master. In some cases, 
  the imposition of the test may never come to light at all, or 
  turn up in a dusty archive many generations later. Such was 
  the case when Inquisitor Lord Okonawk discovered that the 
  mission during which, as a senior Acolyte, he had lost his 
  entire Cadre and 100,000 citizens of Acreage had burned 
  was in fact a test of his fortitude imposed by his then master, 
  Inquisitor Lord Khazul. Okonawk slew his erstwhile master, 
  so bitter had he been made by his baptism of fire.
  One form of test has been referred to as the ‘Armageddon 
  Protocol.’ This method involves exposing the individual 
  being tested to increasingly disturbing portents of destruction. 
  These portents can ultimately only point to an imminent 
  ‘Armageddon Event’—i.e., the destruction of an entire world. 
  The actions of the aspirant as he attempts to avert the end 
  of the world are studied in great detail, and responses to 
  his actions orchestrated from afar. To lend the Armageddon 
  Protocol verisimilitude, genuine acts of destruction are often 
  performed, the innocent giving their lives unknowingly that 
  the Inquisition might ensure the calibre of future Inquisitors. 
  In many cases, the unknowing aspirant actually fails to avert 
  the Armageddon Event. In fact, he may actually have had no 
  chance of success. How many times the counter has reached 
  zero and the world has not ended cannot be known. It may 
  be that the aspirant was being tested on whether or not he 
  would surrender to fate or carry on to the last, even when 
  failure and annihilation loomed large before him.
  Another type of baptism by fire is even more deadly. The 
  aspirant (again, often unaware that his master is testing him) 
  finds himself awakening from an unexplained fugue, body 
  stiff with fatigue. Upon raising his head to look around, 
  he discovers he is lying naked in a jungle clearing, a data 
  slate bearing a grid reference relating to a position an entire 
  continent away laying nearby. It is soon evident that the 
  planet is a Death World (such as Phyrr or Zel Secundus), and 
  the aspirant has no choice but to face its terrors if he has any 
  hope of reaching the indicated coordinates and escaping.
  A particularly cruel variation on the Death World trial 
  involves the aspirant being abandoned in the midst of the 
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  36
  wastes at the bottom of a Hive World and being forced to 
  survive the attentions of anarchic Hive gangs to escape. To 
  make matters worse, he may find that all record of his identity 
  has been removed from any municipal systems, meaning he 
  must rely entirely on his own wits to escape.
  The individual that emerges from a baptism by fire may 
  be changed entirely from his former self. He may be deeply 
  scarred by the experience, or he may be reborn, having 
  triumphed in the ultimate test of fortitude. He has gained 
  new skills and discovered inner strengths previously hidden 
  to him, making him an ideal bearer of the Inquisitorial Seal.
  effects
  Characteristics: Increase Perception by +10.
  Insanity Points: You gain 1d5 Insanity Points.
  riTual Trial
  “Of that ritual I will not, cannot speak—except perhaps to say, I left 
  my lifeblood upon that altar, yet I came away with so much more…”
  –Inquisitor Quillentius of the Ordo Hereticus
  Within the unknowable echelons of the Inquisition there exist 
  countless groupings. Some are formal, such as the three Ordos, 
  others less so, such as the many and varied factions. Many are 
  little more than a gathering of individuals brought together by 
  fate, whilst others have come to resemble something of a secret 
  society within the dark workings of the Inquisition. 
  Many of these groups are bound together by rites and 
  ceremonies passed down from one generation of practitioners 
  to the next, stretching perhaps as far back as the founding of the 
  Calixis Sector, or even beyond. Should an Inquisitor sponsor 
  a pupil to bear the Seal, he may gather his compatriots and 
  enact a secret ritual. During the ritual, the aspirant is exposed 
  to a sanity-shattering ceremony designed to test his faith and 
  strength to the very limit. The purpose of this ceremony is 
  fulfilled when the individual that emerges is fully capable of 
  performing the terrible duties that are expected of him.
  These rites and ceremonies vary as much as their participants, 
  and due to the secrecy that surrounds them, few outside of 
  the sealed circle of participants are ever likely to bear them 
  witness. Many rituals are intended to seal an alliance, or cabal 
  of Inquisitors. Perhaps the most effective way of ensuring such 
  an alliance holds strong is to expose all of its members to the 
  same risks, for them all to bear the same burden, and for no 
  secrets to exist between them. Thus, should one participant 
  become compromised, all are in mortal danger, ensuring every 
  member has not only his own interests in mind, but also those 
  of his fellows.
  Some rituals are very simple in form, lacking the pomp and 
  circumstance common in the Imperium’s upper echelons. They 
  may consist of little more than the speaking of an oath or the 
  placing of a personal sigil. Others may be highly complex 
  and ritualised, and last many hours (or even days). Such rituals 
  involve scores or even hundreds of hooded, anonymous 
  participants. 
  The focus of the ritual is obviously the aspirant. Having 
  first proved his mettle as an Interrogator, his time has now 
  come to be judged if he is worthy of the rosette. What trials 
  and tortures the would-be Inquisitor must undergo varies 
  hugely. In some rituals, the aspirant is required to witness 
  terrible things, perhaps being restrained, his eyes forced open 
  so he may not turn away from the truth. In others, the aspirant 
  has a long and complex part to play in the ritual, practiced for 
  many weeks before hand, the deviation from which may be a 
  crime so terrible his life may be forfeit.
  effects
  Characteristics: Increase Willpower by +10.
  Insanity Points: You gain 1d5 Insanity Points.
  sPiriTual reTreaT
  “I came with questions, and left in silence. Truly, the horrors of the 
  universe were revealed unto me, and truly, I fear them not.”
  –Inquisitor Doniss, the Scourge of Zakkon City
  None can tell for certain the true extent of the Inquisition’s 
  holdings in the Calixis Sector, but it is certain that it maintains 
  far more resources than what little is visible, such as the Tricorn. 
  It is likely that entire worlds are turned over to the exclusive 
  use of the Ordos for every dark purpose imaginable—from 
  biological weapons testing to xenos quarantining. Every 
  major settlement in the sector hosts safe-houses owned by an 
  Inquisitor. Such places are attended to by loyal servants for 
  many years until needed (perhaps only once) by an Inquisitor 
  and his cadre. Aside from these holdings, the Inquisition 
  maintains many secret retreats, places of sanctuary in which an 
  Inquisitor in need of spiritual respite might seek peace.
  Retreats can take many forms. One is little more than a 
  chapel atop an isolated mountain, whilst another is a mighty 
  spear of rock rising from a storm-wracked ocean. One is an 
  impeccably-maintained garden in the midst of an urban sprawl, 
  whilst another is an abutment clinging precariously to the sheer 
  side of a rearing hive tower. All are well hidden from prying 
  eyes, and even those seemingly staffed by only a handful of 
  occupants are protected from harm by terrible weapons of 
  unknown manufacture.
  Some of these retreats are home to a number of incredibly 
  wise teachers, learned in every aspect of the Inquisition’s duties. 
  Many are ancient and stooped sages, others are Inquisitors 
  too aged or crippled to take to the field. Such teachers may 
  offer their wisdom to those who would seek it, and be judged 
  worthy of tuition.
  One of the purposes to which these retreats are put is 
  the judging of those aspiring to bear the Inquisitorial Seal. 
  Sponsored by a master, the aspirant (having spent some time 
  as an Interrogator) makes the journey to the retreat, a task that 
  often forms part of the trial in itself. Once there, the individual 
  must gain entrance, often by convincing a gatekeeper that he 
  is worthy to do so. Having gained admittance, the aspirant is 
  invariably required to undergo a number of tasks in order to 
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  37
  prove himself worthy of the teacher’s attentions. The nature of 
  these tasks varies according to the character of the teacher, but 
  they range from philosophical debate to tests of the aspirant’s 
  resistance to torture and pain. If these tests are considered 
  passed, the aspirant enters a period of instruction, which might 
  range from the imparting of a single, world-shattering truth, to 
  several years of intense study. 
  Whatever the nature of the tests and study, the aspirant 
  returns from the retreat a changed individual, able to face 
  whatever horrors the galaxy throws at him. Some, however, 
  never return at all, having been found wanting by those who 
  maintain the terrible secrets of the Inquisition.
  effects
  Characteristics: Increase Willpower by +5.
  Corruption: You lose 1d5 Corruption Points.
  inTerrogaTor
  All of the following Transition Packages are intended for use 
  with characters ascending to the career of Interrogator.
  Friends in high Places
  “Perhaps the only thing worse than well-placed enemies, are well-
  placed friends…”
  –Interrogator Maxim Locke, 
  prior to his mission to Zel Secundus
  Whilst some Acolytes find themselves judged and tested at 
  every turn before attaining the rank of Interrogator, others 
  find their ascent inexplicably unobstructed. These are the rare 
  individuals who appear to have the patronage (whether they 
  are aware of it or not) of a friend in a very high place indeed.
  Within the shadowy circles of the Inquisition, it is nigh-
  impossible to trace even a small fraction of the impossibly 
  complex web of influence and intrigue that connects each 
  member. However, it is undoubtedly the case that some 
  Inquisitors ‘sponsor’ promising Acolytes, lending them aid, 
  often from afar, in the pursuit of their duties. The exact 
  reason for doing this depends on both the Acolyte and the 
  Inquisitor. 
  There are some Inquisitors who indulge in anonymous 
  patronage as what appears to be some form of cruel 
  entertainment. They issue mysterious commandments and set 
  nigh-impossible tasks whilst ensuring that the Acolyte has all 
  the tools and every opportunity to succeed. In time, an Acolyte 
  in such a position is likely to become resentful or paranoid, but 
  if he can endure such torment for long enough, his capricious 
  master grants him the rank of Interrogator.
  In other cases, there may be some form of binding link 
  between Interrogator and patron, which again, the former 
  may be entirely ignorant of. Several times in the histories of 
  the Ordos Calixis, an Acolyte has found himself raised to the 
  rank of Interrogator, and discerned throughout his subsequent 
  career the hidden hand of an unknown patron. Such was the 
  case for Interrogator Abigayle Cruz, who ascended to the rank 
  of Inquisitor after a career as an Interrogator that lasted only 
  three years. She subsequently discovered that the father she 
  had believed long dead was in fact an Inquisitor Lord, and 
  that he had ensured her meteoric rise. Upon becoming an 
  Inquisitor, her first act was to denounce her new-found sire 
  for such blatant abuse of his position, and the two became 
  sworn enemies.
  The aid which an Interrogator might receive from a distant 
  patron ranges from cryptic messages containing high-level 
  access ciphers received at exactly the moment they are most 
  needed, to entire companies of Imperial Guard being dispatched 
  to extract him from an otherwise hopeless situation.
  Some might wonder what the patron gains out of this 
  arrangement. In many cases, there is indeed a price to be 
  paid, a debt to be called in at some undisclosed point in the 
  future. Many are the newly ascended Inquisitors who have 
  found themselves beholden to a superior in this manner. 
  The example of Witch Hunter Rzeel is a case in point. This 
  zealous, fiery individual rose through the ranks from Acolyte 
  to Inquisitor in spectacular fashion, being invited to join the 
  ranks of the Ordo Hereticus within a decade of being granted 
  the Seal. It was only upon his induction into the Ordo that 
  he discovered his rise had been sponsored and orchestrated 
  by one Inquisitor Nhekalax; an individual ostracised by his 
  fellows and widely believed to be set upon the path of the 
  Radical. Rzeel found himself indebted to Nhekalax to such an 
  extent that he had little choice but to share in the dark path of 
  his erstwhile patron.
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  38
  effects
  Characteristics: Increase Fellowship by +5.
  Talents: You gain Peer (Inquisition) and Good Reputation 
  (Inquisition).
  gaze FroM on high
  “For many years, I felt the presence of an unseen master; a whisper 
  in the darkness, a furtive movement in the shadow, a stray shot in the 
  fusillade. Only much later did I discover the truth. By the Emperor, I 
  wish I had not…”
  –Interrogator Nunnis, Ruminations on Damnation (suppressed)
  To attain the position of Interrogator, an individual must have 
  attracted the attention of the most highly placed of Inquisitors, 
  for few take on the responsibility of training a pupil in the 
  ways of the Inquisition. In fact, it is the lot of the vast bulk 
  of Humanity to toil away an entire lifetime and never receive 
  a word of thanks or recognition. Thus, to attain the notice 
  of a potential master is a great honour and achievement in 
  itself. Such individuals become trusted Acolytes, yet they 
  are haunted by the notion that their every action is being 
  scrutinised, even if they have no reason to explicitly believe 
  this to be the case.
  Step by step, these Acolytes come to realise that the 
  eye of a hidden master is upon them. Perhaps they receive 
  information their fellow Acolytes do not. Perhaps they are 
  given secret objectives that appear at odds with the cadre’s 
  mission. Perhaps they are questioned or criticised far more 
  than the others during a mission debrief. 
  Eventually, the day comes when the Acolyte discovers that 
  his fellow agents are expendable, or at the least secondary to 
  mission considerations. It is the Acolyte’s actions on which 
  the success of the mission is judged. To be scrutinised in such 
  a manner is to have one’s soul stripped bare by the blinding, 
  all-seeing gaze of the Emperor’s Inquisition. Many are those 
  who wither and perish under that glare, unable to meet the 
  gaze or confront what they know is being revealed.
  Those Acolytes who can withstand the scrutiny, however, 
  are granted the rank of Interrogator. Some might imagine 
  the terrible scrutiny they have been subjected to for so long 
  is at an end. They are mistaken, for it has only just begun; 
  the judgement, examination, and scrutiny is set to increase 
  a hundred-fold. Though many are judged wanting, such 
  scrutiny is a sign that great things have been foretold for 
  the Interrogator; that he is numbered amongst the greatest 
  servants of the Inquisition.
  effects
  Fate Points: Gain an additional permanent Fate Point. 
  JUdge
  The following Transition Package is intended for use with 
  characters ascending to the career of Judge.
  grooMed For coMMand
  “Task force, Verispex? We are the task force.”
  –Judge Gordon Titus
  The vast majority of the Adeptus Arbites are made up of 
  the Arbitrators and Proctors. Black-armoured and armed 
  with shotguns and suppression shields, they are the face 
  of Imperial justice to the average citizen of the Imperium. 
  Their duties consist mainly of patrol, direct enforcement, and 
  suppression. Alongside them are the Verispex technicians 
  who process forensic evidence, and the Chasteners who 
  conduct interviews and suspect interrogation. Above them are 
  the Marshals, who can direct the efforts of Arbites stretched 
  across an entire planet. 
  Only the most competent Arbitrators are considered for 
  promotion to the rank of Judge. Such Arbitrators must be well-
  rounded individuals, capable of reciting rote passages from the 
  Lex Imperialis, navigating the byzantine mazes of precedence 
  and jurisdiction, and wielding the tools of enforcement—
  shock maul, combat shotgun, and bolter—with consummate 
  skill. An Arbitrator who can lead a suppression raid into the 
  low hive and consider how ten thousand years of case law 
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  39
  applies to a current decision often draws the attention of 
  his superiors, and is placed on the path towards becoming 
  a Judge. Many Arbitrators do not meet these exacting 
  standards, but the Adeptus Arbites do not compromise on 
  the demands of the law. Judges bear both great power and 
  responsibility in their station, able to mobilise massive forces 
  of Arbitrators to deal with insurrection and rebellion with the 
  harsh punishments dictated by the Lex Imperialis. Very few 
  within the Imperium can afford to dismiss the remit of an 
  Adeptus Arbites Judge, for they possess sweeping powers and 
  authority within their purview.
  Many factions within the Inquisition have a habit of 
  working closely with the Arbites. In fact, many Inquisitors 
  count Arbitrators amongst the ranks of their trusted agents. 
  These Arbitrators may choose to work more closely with 
  the Inquisition, forgoing their ties and authority within the 
  Arbites to join the ranks of the Holy Ordos. If they do not, 
  however, and choose to maintain their ties with the Arbites, 
  often their Inquisitors see the wisdom in helping them rise in 
  station. After all, Judges wield power and authority not many 
  other Throne Agents possess. 
  With Inquisitional backing, an Arbitrator’s promotion 
  to Judge is more likely, though by no means guaranteed. 
  However, the Arbites expects the newly promoted Judges 
  to serve them as well as their masters. In these situations it 
  is traditional for new Judges with Inquisitional involvement 
  to temporarily leave the service of the Holy Ordos and be 
  assigned to a world unfamiliar to them (though usually in 
  the same sector). Considering the powers and responsibilities 
  of a Judge, working with an Inquisitor is often more like 
  a partnership than servant/master relationship. Although 
  the Inquisitor is unquestionably the greater authority, few 
  amongst the Holy Ordos ignore the experience, training, 
  and instincts of a hardened Judge. Simply put, Judges are too 
  valuable an ally to dismiss lightly! Thus, it is not uncommon 
  for an Inquisitor to lend his influence to a favoured Arbitrator 
  Acolyte and see that Arbitrator given a chance to fulfil his full 
  potential as both a Judge and a Throne Agent. The Judge’s 
  respect for the Lex Imperalis, commitment to justice, and 
  hard-earned practical experience make them a common sight 
  in the retinues of Puritan-minded Inquisitors, where they 
  strike fear into the Inquisitor’s foes.
  effects
  Characteristics: Gain +3 Intelligence and +3 Fellowship.
  Corruption: Lose 1d5 Corruption Points.
  Magos
  All of the following Transition Packages are intended for use 
  with characters ascending to the career of Magos.
  access denied
  “You damn me now, but I promise soon you will beg me for the 
  wisdom I have won.”
  –Magos Deltanak (detained pending trial)
  Whilst engaged upon the Quest for Knowledge, there are those 
  amongst the Adeptus Mechanicus that discover lore so terrible 
  it becomes a nigh-unbearable burden weighing down upon 
  the soul. Such individuals may find themselves engaged in 
  areas of research considered anathema or expressly forbidden 
  by the Cult Mechanicus. However, a sufficiently experienced 
  and senior Magos often considers himself outside of the 
  constraints quite rightly placed upon lesser Tech-Priests and 
  continues in his researches.
  The knowledge uncovered might stem from xenos 
  technology, and therefore run counter to the doctrine that 
  machines created by any other than Mankind are corrupted. 
  The research might have uncovered some artefact of psychic-
  engineering, such as that utilised by the Eldar in their creation 
  of Wraithbone. It might relate to the nature of the warp and 
  the vile things that lurk in its depths. It might even relate to 
  the absolutely forbidden realm of thinking engines.
  A Magos engaged in the pursuit of such knowledge might 
  find himself shunned or outright rejected by his peers. The 
  Cult Mechanicus is conservative in the extreme, and very slow 
  to adopt a new technology. Far better that old knowledge is 
  recovered, many Tech-Priests believe, than new knowledge 
  created. Despite this inherent conservatism, many so-called 
  heresies have given rise to new technologies, often following 
  decades or even centuries of investigations by the most 
  senior of Tech-adepts. It may be that the originator of a new 
  technology is purged as a ‘heretek,’ only to be raised centuries 
  later to a status akin to that of a saint.
  If this research is unknown to his fellows, a Magos is wise 
  to separate himself from potential enemies, for a time at least. 
  A Magos engaged upon such a quest might find his path 
  crossing with those outside of this order, such as Inquisitors, 
  with whom he shares a common interest. An Inquisitor hunting 
  down a pernicious xenos threat, for example, might value an 
  alliance with a Magos who is particularly knowledgeable on 
  that species. An agent seeking to purge a mutant cult might 
  find common cause with a Magos whose particular speciality 
  is geno-cleansing. 
  A Magos engaged in investigations in this manner seeks 
  to return one day to his order. There, he bows down before 
  the altar of the Omnissiah and shares his knowledge with the 
  Machine God. If the Magos and the knowledge he brings 
  are found worthy, the sum of knowledge is increased, if only 
  by an incremental sum. Such is the life’s work and greatest 
  reward of those who serve the Machine God.
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  40
  effects
  Talents: You gain the Good Reputation (Inquisition) and 
  Enemy (Adeptus Mechanicus) Talents.
  The riTe oF clear ThoughT
  “Some say they ‘know no fear’, but really, they mean that they have 
  mastered their fear, conquered it, and fought on. I was like that once. 
  Now, I truly know no fear. It is alien to me; as alien as doubt, rage, 
  or mercy.”
  –Magos Arkenald, Master Artificer of 
  Forge-Stack Epsilon 12.
  As a Magos advances in his service to the Machine God 
  and furthers the eternal Quest for Knowledge, he gradually 
  replaces his body’s biological components. Arms are replaced 
  with powerful claws, hands with tentacle-like manipulators, 
  eyes with brass-rimmed lenses capable of viewing the 
  microscopic, and he acquires neural plugs that link his brain 
  to a cogitator’s machine spirit. Central to the doctrine of the 
  Cult Mechanicus is the absolute certainty that the flesh is 
  weak, and the machine superior. Only through casting off the 
  inferior biological body and replacing it, one part at a time, 
  can Man transcend the limitations of creation and evolve to 
  the next level.
  However, it is not only the biological body that the Cult 
  Mechanicus seeks to upgrade in this manner. The mind itself 
  is subject to replacement and enhancement. The Biologus 
  Adepts have mastered the arts of neuromancy, excising specific 
  parts of the brain and replacing them with superior, augmetic 
  components such as memo chips, ingrams and electrografts. 
  Mental capacity can be greatly increased by augmenting 
  the cortex and replacing crude, soft grey matter with hard, 
  ever-lasting silicon. Enhancement of the cerebellum radically 
  increases the Magos’ capacity to learn and form hypotheses.
  It is accepted as essential to the doctrine of the supremacy 
  of the machine that as biological neurological organs are 
  replaced with mechanical counterparts, so too does the 
  psyche of the Magos change. He becomes ever more focussed 
  and single-minded, less susceptible to the distractions of an 
  undisciplined mind. Emotions recede, to be replaced with 
  cold, hard logic. The ultimate expression of this core article 
  of faith is the Rite of Clear Thought.
  During a ritual surgery conducted by the highest ranking 
  and most skilled of Biologus Adepts, the entire right 
  hemisphere of the Magos’ brain is excised and replaced with 
  machine components. The removal of the hemisphere held 
  to control the intuitive and creative aspects of the human 
  mind and its replacement with a mechanical augmentation 
  of the left hemisphere—that which controls logic and 
  analysis—results in an entirely changed individual. Gone 
  are the weaknesses of emotion, the distractions of empathy, 
  and the cares of interaction. In their place, the Magos finds 
  his capacity to learn and analyse increased exponentially. For 
  the first time in his life, the Magos thinks clearly, his mind 
  quiet and focussed and able to commune with the machine 
  as an equal, though others who are not similarly gifted may 
  consider him divorced from reality and driven mad. His 
  thought patterns are remoulded as new synaptic pathways are 
  seared into what remains of the grey matter of the brain, itself 
  kept alive by horrifically produced anti-agapic elixirs. His 
  thought patterns are remoulded as new synaptic pathways 
  are seared into what remains of the grey matter of the brain. 
  Blessedly, the Magos thinks as a machine, and is that much 
  closer to the Omnissiah.
  So central is the Rite of Clear Thought to the dogma that 
  it is used as the order’s symbol—the skull with the right side 
  replaced with a machine augmetic. A Magos that has received 
  the Rite of Clear thought is a powerful ally for an Inquisitor; 
  he is able to function under enormous pressure and resist 
  temptations that would seduce even the most strong-minded 
  and pure of Throne Agents.
  effects
  Prerequisite: The character must possess the Rite of Clear 
  Thought Talent.
  Characteristics: Reduce Fellowship by –10, and increase 
  Intelligence and Willpower by +5.
  PriMaris Psyker
  The following Transition Packages are intended for use with 
  characters ascending to the career of Primaris Psyker.
  Judged By your Peers
  To become a Primaris Psyker is no easy task. The Scholastica 
  Psykana is the final judge of who is worthy to bear the rank 
  of Primaris, for it is more than simply a title. Primaris Psykers 
  are some of the most powerful psykers sanctioned by the 
  Imperium, and more importantly, they are given a measure 
  of trust and responsibility not awarded to lesser psykers. 
  Throughout the Adeptus Terra, Primaris Psykers are placed 
  in positions of power and authority; in the Imperial Guard 
  they can even be granted battlefield commands. This means 
  that the Scholastica Psykana is unwilling to grant a psyker the 
  rank of Primaris casually. 
  Potential candidates are brought to one of the Scholastica’s 
  facilities, where they are tested and tried by other Primaris 
  Psykers. These trials take many different forms, and often 
  last for weeks or even months. During this time, the subject 
  is pushed through gruelling mental endurance regimes, has 
  his mind probed by high level telepaths for any chinks in 
  his mental armour, and is forced to participate in duels with 
  cadres of battle-psykers. 
  Part of this test is to see just how powerful the candidate 
  is, for it is not uncommon for psykers to unlock greater levels 
  of power as they grow and mature. A delta level psyker may 
  have become a gamma or even beta level since he was first 
  sanctioned. However, the Scholastica is more concerned with 
  learning just how strong the psyker’s mind is against perils 
  such as possession or psychic witchery. Since one of the perks 
  of being a Primaris Psyker is far greater independence from 
  the watchful eye of the Scholastica Psykana and the Imperial 
  authorities in general, the Scholastica must be positive they 
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  41
  are not granting that to someone who easily falls prey to 
  malefic forces.
  The final stages of the Primaris Sanctioning Rites consist 
  of deep mental conditioning and the embedding of wards, 
  runes, and other psychic defences into the psyker’s scalp 
  and skull. This process alone takes weeks, during which the 
  psyker lives in a dream-like fugue state, responding only 
  instinctually to the pain/pleasure impulses and cerebral goads 
  of the conditioning process. Recovery takes even longer, 
  however the end result is a psyker who can stand amongst 
  the more powerful in the Imperium and is worthy of the title 
  “Primaris.” 
  effects
  Characteristics: Gain +5 Willpower. Lose 5 Toughness.
  Insanity: Lose 1d5 Insanity and 1d5 Corruption.
  TeMPered By Fire
  “I don’t care what brought you here, you’d better grab that lasgun or 
  you’ll be just as dead as the rest of us!”
  –Sergeant Vitalie Orshenko to a new arrival at the front. 
  Many of the Inquisition’s psykers are sent to serve the Holy 
  Ordos directly from the Scholastica Psykana. The Inquisition’s 
  voracious appetite for psykers of all types is never sated. 
  Psykers are used for interrogations, protecting their masters 
  from the assaults of witches and daemons, precognitive 
  abilities, and, of course, the dangerous powers they can wield 
  on the battlefield. All this, plus the fact that psykers often 
  have an unfortunate tendency to be consumed by their own 
  abilities, means that the Inquisition snaps up psykers as fast 
  as the Scholastica can provide them. In fact, Inquisitors have 
  often been known to take promising psychic individuals from 
  the other Adeptus Terra to accomplish their goals. 
  Unfortunately, this does tend to mean that such psykers 
  are woefully untrained in one area the Inquisition would find 
  very useful—the art of warfare and combat. The Scholastica 
  Psykana focuses on training a psyker’s mind, not his physical 
  prowess, and many of the branches of the Adeptus Terra are 
  more concerned with administration, supply, and governance. 
  Even many of the psykers in the Imperial Guard must be 
  accompanied to the battlefield by ‘minders’ who are tasked 
  with both protecting them if they come under direct attack, 
  and dealing with them should their powers overwhelm  
  their control. 
  An Inquisitor, however, often needs a psyker who is 
  capable of cool-headed thinking in dangerous situations, 
  handling himself physically, and is not completely reliant on 
  his mental powers. Such psykers are usually hard to find, thus, 
  an informal tradition has arisen amongst certain Inquisitors, 
  specifically those serving in the Calixis Sector. These 
  Inquisitors make a habit of identifying promising psykers 
  from amongst the ranks of their low-level operatives. These 
  psykers are not integral to the Inquisitor’s operations, nor are 
  they irreplaceable. The Inquisitor then dispatches them on 
  some task or minor investigation that sees them attached to a 
  regiment of the Imperial Guard being dispatched to a combat 
  zone. Some Inquisitors mention to their psykers that they 
  will be joined with the Guard unit for the duration of their 
  combat tour, others choose not to. 
  The task the psyker was assigned to complete usually 
  has little actual importance. It is simply an excuse to get 
  the psyker assigned to a situation where he is plunged into 
  the crucible of battle. After all, in a war zone there are no 
  non-combatants, and the psyker has no choice but to learn 
  the soldier’s trade—close combat, tactics for small and large 
  units, survival skills, weaponry training and any number of 
  other useful talents—or die. 
  Eventually, the psyker’s master comes for his servant. If 
  all has gone well, he finds a psyker hardened by the fires of 
  war, far more suited for his service with the Golden Throne. 
  In addition, although he has not formally gone through the 
  Scholastica’s approval process, the Inquisition has little trouble 
  getting him sanctioned and approved as a Primaris Psyker. Of 
  course, in war, one’s survival is by no means guaranteed, and 
  many psykers do not survive their trial by fire. However, to 
  the Inquisition, the potential payoff is worth the risk. 
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  42
  effects
  Characteristics: Gain +3 Weapon Skill, +3 Ballistic Skill, 
  and +1 Wound. 
  Skills: If you do not already have them, gain Common Lore 
  (War) and Survival as Trained Skills.
  Insanity: Gain 1d10 Insanity Points.
  Corruption: Gain 1d5 Corruption Points.
  sage
  All of the following Transition Packages are intended for use 
  with characters ascending to the career of Sage.
  curse oF The auTosaVanT
  “Leave? Please master, no, we can’t leave now! I have only three giga-
  stacks remaining to compile, we can’t leave!”
  –Adept Lissen, 90 seconds before the detonation of the 
  nucleonic pile at New Thule
  Many Adepts are prone to extremes of behaviour when it 
  comes to their particular field of expertise or specialist 
  knowledge. Some scholars seek out every last fact relating to 
  their particular field, whilst there are those census-enforcers 
  who do not leave a world until every last citizen is accounted 
  for. For some, the obsession becomes so deep they begin 
  to exhibit signs of psychosis, leading to the metaphorical 
  contraction of what in some quarters is referred to as a  
  meme-virus. 
  An individual with a meme-virus exhibits extremes of 
  obsessive behaviour far in excess of even the most thorough 
  of census-enforcers. They are, in a literal sense, mentally 
  and physically addicted to the gathering and processing 
  of information. Furthermore, they cannot help themselves 
  but to pass on this data to others, leading to the condition 
  being described as a virus. In this case, the meme, or datum, 
  is the body seeking to replicate itself, and the sufferer as 
  an autosavant. An individual suffering from a meme-virus 
  does not appear to be suffering at all, unless deprived of a 
  source of fresh data. Then, the victim exhibits exactly the 
  same behaviour as a drug addict experiencing withdrawal; in 
  extreme cases, it has been known to have fatal consequences.
  The Inquisition, of course, has found great utility in 
  autosavants, for they are living, walking, talking cogitators 
  with a tireless drive to uncover every hidden fact. Let loose 
  in the catacombs of the Prol IX archives, for example, an 
  autosavant could uncover secrets entirely unknown to the 
  generations of Decatalogues that have laboured there for 
  centuries. The only issue from an Inquisitor’s point of view is 
  the fact that the sufferer not only seeks to acquire and process 
  the data, but is driven to transmit it onwards, engaging in a 
  near-constant stream of seemingly unconnected and irrelevant 
  facts to any within earshot. The Inquisitor must be sure that 
  secrets recently uncovered are not spilled to those who should 
  not be party to them. Many Inquisitors gag their autosavants. 
  Others have their vocal ability removed so that they must 
  communicate silently by way of a constant stream of spidery 
  text written upon spools of parchment. These are often 
  referred to as the ‘silent-savants,’ for obvious reasons.
  Although the services of an autosavant are of great value 
  to the Inquisition, those afflicted by the meme-virus often 
  end up as tragic figures. They become increasingly addicted 
  to the gathering of information, until eventually they are 
  unable to communicate on the same level as the remainder 
  of Humanity. Only a very fortunate few end their days as 
  archivists of one of the Administratum’s vast data-repositories, 
  entirely submerged in planet-wide oceans of information. The 
  unfortunate find themselves stranded or abandoned, every 
  available scrap of data absorbed and processed, until insanity 
  and death claims them.
  effects
  Characteristics: Increase Intelligence and Perception by +5. 
  Reduce Fellowship by –10.
  The Burden oF TruTh
  “I had the most terrible nightmare. A nightmare in which my body 
  was flayed, layer by layer, my organs removed and held before my 
  very eyes that I might witness the ruin done to me. And then I awoke, 
  and pain was all I knew…”
  –Adept Ventus, Mnemonicus-Logi of Bureau Omega-M, 
  sub-archive 4949444.1
  During a period of service to the Inquisition, an Acolyte 
  is likely to come into contact with a wide range of secrets 
  denied to the greater mass of Humanity. The Ordos Calixis 
  utilise untold numbers of adepts, each an unparalleled expert 
  in their field, and the question of who can be trusted to 
  keep the Inquisition’s secrets is an ongoing concern. Many 
  are the Acolytes or other contacts that simply find out a 
  secret so damaging they cannot be allowed to live with such 
  knowledge in their heads. These unfortunates disappear, 
  likely at the hands of a Death Cult Assassin or other agent 
  of the Inquisition, never to be seen again. Some, however, are 
  brought into custody that their continued existence might be 
  debated and decided.
  To awaken strapped into a filth-encrusted chair at the heart 
  of a pulsing mass of cables and gleaming probes is perhaps one 
  of the most terrifying of ordeals a Throne Agent can undergo, 
  particularly as they are fully aware that their captors are their 
  erstwhile employers. An Acolyte brought into captivity in 
  this manner is all too knowledgeable of the ruin a skilled 
  Excrutiator can enact upon his mind and body, and his sanity 
  is stretched to the very limit as his captors bear down upon 
  him and the questioning begins. Accompanying the questions 
  may be the administration of serums and elixirs, each with the 
  purpose of eliciting a biological or psychological response to 
  which the victim has no defence. The Acolyte reveals every 
  last corner of his soul, every secret ever hidden away in the 
  depths of his unconscious mind. A skilled practitioner of the 
  Inquisitor’s arts can deconstruct the subject’s psyche to such 
  an extent that he is left with only the purest essence of what 
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  43
  makes that individual who he is. Afterwards, the measure of 
  the man may be taken, and judgement passed—life or death.
  Those judged unworthy of life or simply too dangerous 
  to be allowed to bear the Inquisition’s secrets are disposed 
  of there and then. A very unfortunate few are revived only 
  to have the judgement delivered to them. A fortunate few are 
  judged strong enough to carry the knowledge into which 
  they have come into possession. These are revived, their 
  psyche rebuilt stronger and purer than before.
  Upon awakening, the individual is acknowledged as 
  worthy and able to keep the secrets of the Inquisition. A 
  whole new world of secrets is opened to him, a fact that at 
  first might seem the greatest of honours. In fact, many come 
  to rue the fact that they were judged worthy at all, so terrible 
  are the things they must know of and do in the name of the 
  Holy Ordos of the Emperor’s Inquisition.
  effects
  Characteristics: Increase Willpower by +10.
  Insanity Points: You gain 1d10 Insanity Points.
  sTorM TrooPer
  The following Transition Package is intended for use with 
  characters ascending to the career of Storm Trooper.
  schola ProgeniuM  
  sTorM TrooPer Training
  “First to victory.”
  –Motto of the 1st Scintillan Storm Trooper Company
  The Schola Progenium exists to adopt children whose parents 
  died in the Emperor’s service and train them to become the 
  bedrock of the Imperium. The Schola’s graduates are scattered 
  across Imperial society: the Ecclesiarchy, Administratum, 
  Adeptus Arbites, Commissariat, Adepta Sororitas, or even the 
  Inquisition. However, for those who prove to be particularly 
  martial and aggressive, the Schola reserves its most difficult 
  and dangerous training. This is the instruction provided to 
  the famous Imperial Guard Storm Troopers.
  Storm Trooper Training begins immediately after the 
  Schola Progenium’s primary education but does not supplant 
  it. After all, potential Storm Troopers are expected to be 
  more than simply warriors. Each is expected to be both well-
  schooled in basic education and Imperial lore and history, and 
  be unwaveringly loyal to the Imperium as well (something a 
  Schola education works diligently to impart). 
  Although the vast majority of Storm Troopers are 
  progena, at times a senior official of the Imperium (such as an 
  Inquisitor) uses his authority to have an individual inducted 
  into the Storm Trooper Training of the Schola Progenium. In 
  these situations, the Schola Progenium makes no distinction 
  between a barely-teenage new recruit and a grizzled veteran 
  with years of service, and any complaints those veterans 
  may have are quickly crushed under the weight of training. 
  When (or if ) those recruits emerge as Storm Troopers, they 
  are often removed from their squad and assigned to their  
  patron, instead.
  To be selected to become a Storm Trooper in this manner 
  happens but rarely, usually after some act of outstanding 
  courage and dedication. The candidate must show developed 
  martial skills, a strong mind resistant to terror and panic, and 
  a deep faith in the Imperial Creed. Naturally, the sponsoring 
  Inquisitor has his own, often obscure, agenda for sponsoring 
  an Acolyte into this training as well. Storm Troopers make 
  excellent Throne Agents, often serving as an Inquisitor’s 
  bodyguard in extremely dangerous situations and valued for 
  their martial training and knowledge.
  Often, such an unusual candidate is examined carefully 
  by the Drill Abbot instructors before being declared fit to 
  the train with the Storm Trooper progena. Rigourous study 
  with the Inquisition is also required for the candidate in 
  order to acquire the same knowledge already learnt by the 
  other progena—this often includes an understanding of the 
  Tactica Imperialis, advanced stealth techniques, and a basic 
  communion with the machine spirits of their special wargear, 
  such as targeters and grav chutes. In most cases, the ‘proper’ 
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  44
  Storm Trooper progena never recognise the qualities of the 
  outsider candidate, and prefer to remain aloof. The candidate, 
  after all, has entered the training from the sponsorship of a 
  higher power, and many of the other progena will doubt his 
  own personal qualifications for such an honour. Traditionally, 
  the Drill Abbots stand apart from the social aspects of their 
  charges, and provide the candidate with no more and no less 
  instruction than given to any other progena. Many a grizzled 
  veteran may find his pride difficult to swallow when treated 
  no differently than a raw and untested recruit by the Drill 
  Abbots. However, swallow it they must if they are to complete 
  their training and fulfil the expectations of their sponsor.
  Should the candidate survive the gruelling regime of harsh 
  training, he is now an Imperial Storm Trooper. However, 
  candidates sponsored by the Inquisition are not meant to 
  join a proper Storm Trooper unit, nor to deploy with the 
  Imperial Guard. Instead, these Storm Troopers, with their 
  training complete, are taken by their sponsor to serve a higher 
  purpose—a permanent place on an Inquisitor’s retinue.
  effects
  Characteristics: Gain +3 Ballistic Skill, and +3 Willpower. 
  If your Strength is below 40, gain +5 Strength. If your 
  Toughness is below 40, gain +5 Toughness. Lose –10 
  Fellowship.
  Vindicare assassin
  The following Transition Package is intended for use with 
  characters ascending to the career of Vindicare Assassin.
  The arT oF deaTh
  For those that defy the Imperium, only the Emperor can judge  
  your crimes. 
  Only in death can you receive the Emperor’s judgement.
  –Motto of the Officio Assassinorum
  Most Imperial Assassins are trained from early childhood, 
  specially chosen from the progeny of death world populations, 
  feral world warrior societies, and the hunter-gangs of the 
  most dangerous hive cities in the Imperium. However, in 
  some rare cases, particularly exceptional recruits are found 
  amongst adults who have proven themselves fearsome and 
  ruthless killers, strong in mind, body, and faith. Such a recruit 
  must first establish himself as a standout amongst his peers, 
  uniquely talented and capable of executing murder in a variety 
  of methods. Cunning or crude, the results of the killer’s 
  methods are weighed most carefully before he is designated as 
  a potential candidate to become an Imperial Assassin.
  The Officio Assassinorum
  The Officio Assassinorum is one of the most secretive organisations in the Imperium. Its hidden Grand Master is one 
  of the High Lords of Terra, the cabal of awesomely powerful individuals whose every decision affects untold billions of people 
  and immense tracts of the Imperium.
  Only the High Lords themselves can sanction the deployment of an Imperial Assassin, fearing that their own weapons 
  may be used against them. It is said that in the distant past, Grand Masters used assassins to further their own 
  ends, and a reign of terror clutched even the High Lords themselves. In the anarchic Wars of Vindication, the Grand 
  Master himself fell to the Assassin’s knife. Following these events, the Inquisition stepped in to maintain a certain level 
  of oversight over the Officio Assassinorum with the foundation of the Ordo Sicarius.
  To those few who are aware of its existence, the Officio Assassinorum is often considered to be the ultimate Imperial 
  tool of destruction and diplomacy. In an Imperium that spans an entire galaxy, there are many who believe they can defy 
  its authority. Some simply crave independence from the Imperial Creed and the endless bureaucracy of the Adeptus Terra. 
  Others have fallen under the domination of heretics and the foul whispers of Chaos. This is the Assassin’s battleground, to 
  punish the misguided, the foolish, and the overly ambitious, to purge the enemies of the Emperor.
  Planetary Governors and Imperial Commanders across the Imperium must understand that abuse of their power is 
  not tolerated, and results in the justice of sword, venom, and gunfire. Some may be able to avoid the Judges of the Adeptus 
  Arbites, flee the wrath of the Adeptus Astartes, or hide from the soldiers of the Imperial Guard, but very few indeed 
  escape the vengeance of an Imperial Assassin.
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  45
  These unusual candidates are often identified by certain 
  Inquisitors or other highly-placed Imperial agents throughout 
  the Imperium, all part of a network of information maintained 
  by the shadowy masters of the Officio Assassinorum. Some 
  Inquisitors occasionally make a request for an especially 
  promising acolyte to be trained, trading on the Officio 
  Assassinorum’s desire to maintain goodwill with the  
  Ordo Sicarius. 
  If a particularly gifted killer meets the appropriate 
  requirements, he is given an opportunity to prove his skills. 
  The candidate is anonymously contracted to slay a particularly 
  challenging target, often another killer of his own calibre or a 
  similarly difficult task. If the candidate passes this first test, he 
  is given passage to Terra aboard a swift vessel. Upon arrival, 
  he is sedated and blinded and taken to the Temple that has 
  chosen him.
  There, his senses are restored, and he begins his 
  indoctrination into the traditions and techniques of that 
  Temple. His formal training has truly begun. Again and again 
  he is taken to the brink of death in brutally lethal scenarios 
  designed to instruct the candidate in the Temple’s signature 
  methods of execution. If the candidate survives this merciless 
  training regimen, his skills are honed to a razor-sharp edge. 
  Over a long period of time, he becomes a living weapon, an 
  instrument of the Emperor’s Judgement.
  At the conclusion of his training, the candidate is chemically 
  placed into a brief catatonic state and purified in holy oils. His 
  body is ritually blessed and augmented with special bionic and 
  genetic upgrades to heighten his speed, accuracy, and reaction 
  time. He receives hypno-conditioning to harden his mind 
  against all moral threats, and any remnant of his former life is 
  cast away, often ceremonially burned to ash.
  When he awakens, he is an agent of the Officio Assassinorum. 
  His former life has ended, and he dons the black synskin of 
  an Imperial Assassin—a symbol of mourning for the lives he 
  snuffs out in the Emperor’s name.
  effects
  Characteristics: Increase Ballistic Skill by +5, Weapon Skill 
  by +5, Willpower by +5, and Agility by +5. Intelligence 
  and Fellowship are reduced by –5. You suffer 1d10 Insanity 
  Points.
  Fate Points: You permanently lose one Fate Point. This is 
  subtracted after you receive your additional Fate Points for 
  becoming a Throne Agent (see page 10).
    
   
   
  The Assassin Temples
  Imperial Assassins of the Officio Assassinorum are indoctrinated into one of many secret Temples. Each Temple 
  approaches the art of death in its own unique style, and each trains its assassins to use highly specialised wargear and 
  techniques to carry out missions of murder. Four of the most prominent Temples are summarised below:
  Vindicare: Assassins from the Vindicare Temple specialise in the arts of stealth and killing from long range. Marksmen 
  without peer, Vindicare Assassins bring inglorious death to the Emperor’s foes with a sniper’s precision.
  Callidus: The most subtle of the Assassin Temples, Callidus Assassins utilise the shape-altering drug known as 
  polymorphine to adopt a nearly-impenetrable disguise. The Callidus Assassin is a living weapon, often dropped behind enemy 
  lines to assassinate a particular individual and take his place. Often, the misinformation they sow is just as effective as their 
  more lethal arts.
  Eversor: The Eversor Temple specialises in shock and terror tactics, and its Assassins are instruments of brutal 
  destruction. Eversor Assassins are engineered to become superhuman killing machines with advanced bionic, genetic, and 
  chemical augmentations. In addition, the Assassin’s mind is focused entirely upon the annihilation of his targets with 
  psycho-conditioning techniques and a vast array of combat drugs, turning him into a nearly unstoppable killing machine. These 
  hyper-aggressive killers are carefully stored in cryo-suspension between each mission.
  Culexus: Among the most sinister of the Assassin Temples, the Culexus Assassins are usually deployed to destroy enemy 
  psykers, sorcerers, and others who rely upon warp-tainted powers. The Culexus Temple takes in Untouchables, beings who 
  have a null psychic signature in the warp and are therefore antithetical to psykers and their strange abilities. These killers 
  are soulless, horrifying creatures that are closely observed and controlled by the Temple.
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  46
  general TransiTion 
  Packages
  The following Transition Packages are designed to be 
  selected by multiple careers. Each provides general benefits 
  that can be useful to almost any Throne Agent, and represents 
  occurrences that could happen to almost anyone. Almost any 
  Acolyte that did not receive access to Psychic Powers may 
  want to consider the Mind’s Eye Opens, for example, in order 
  to unlock their full psychic potential. On the other hand, if a 
  character is nigh-crippled by Corruption or Insanity, they may 
  be willing to pay the heavy price to purge themselves of their 
  burden with Cleansed and Purified or A Mind Repurposed. 
  a Mind rePurPosed 
  “What do you remember about your operations in the Gorgonoid 
  Mine?”
  “Not to be impertinent, sir, but where’s that?”
  –Unknown subject undergoing mind-cleansing
  Ascended Career: Any
  Insanity is a constant problem for the agents of the Holy Ordos. 
  The terrors they must deal with on a regular basis can easily 
  drive lesser individuals mad. Throne Agents are by no means 
  lesser individuals. However, even they cannot withstand the 
  mind-blasting horrors they must confront and emerge unscathed. 
  Too many Throne Agents are retired from the service of the 
  Holy Ordos prematurely, exiled to sanatoriums or convalescent 
  homes where their worst enemies are their own twisted, haunted 
  memories and imaginings. 
  For most, that is where their story ends. However, some 
  individuals have the mental fortitude required to fight through 
  their mental prisons. Such persons are incredibly rare. However, 
  the Inquisition makes a point of recruiting such individuals, and 
  thus a Throne Agent is far more likely to recover from their mental 
  nightmares than most. 
  Should a Throne Agent demonstrate such a potential, the 
  Inquisition has certain resources it can bring to bear to hasten 
  and enhance his recovery. Such resources vary depending on the 
  Throne Agent, as well as the whims of his superiors. Some prefer 
  lengthy convalescence on paradise planets reserved for Imperial 
  nobility, or on worlds dedicated to the Adeptus Ministorum. 
  Time surrounded by the relics and trappings of Imperial faith can 
  do much to restore and reinforce one’s mental fortitude. Other 
  Inquisitors prefer mind-cleansing and mental reprogramming and 
  conditioning. Such techniques are brutal and invasive. However, 
  often the most effective way to repair a damaged mind is to force 
  it to forget the trauma it suffered to begin with. 
  A Throne Agent who undergoes this conditioning emerges 
  with a new-found mental clarity and fortitude, ready to continue 
  serving his superiors against the horrors that beset mankind. 
  And if the conditioning leaves the subject slightly duller and less 
  mentally acute, well, that is a small price to pay. 
  effects
  Insanity Points: Reduce your number of Insanity Points to 
  1d10+4. You lose any Disorders you possessed. 
  Characteristics: Permanently lose 1d5+2 Intelligence. 
  Familiar Patterns: Though your thoughts are calmed, they 
  may yet stray into familiar patterns. At the GM’s discretion, 
  should your character earn any Disorders in the future, they 
  should automatically be Disorders you possessed before you 
  purchased this Transition Package.
  cleansed and PuriFied
  “In pain there is redemption. In trial there is salvation.” 
  –Mantra of the Flagellant 
  Ascended Career: Any
  Few members of the Inquisition can perform their duties 
  and keep their soul pure and unsullied. The twisted nature 
  of malefic-tainted foes, the insidiousness of xenos infestation, 
  and the pure corrupting influence of the warp—all are perils 
  a Throne Agent undoubtedly faces over the course of his 
  career. All of them are also threats to more than his physical 
  body, but also his very soul. 
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  47
  This is an all-too common problem amongst the Imperium’s 
  militant forces. If the corruption is not severe, tainted 
  individuals continue to be utilised to serve the Imperium’s 
  needs. Too often, however, such corruption is overwhelming 
  enough that such individuals are doomed, and may doom 
  their fellows as well. In that case, Imperial doctrine is as 
  cautious as it is unforgiving, stating that those who become 
  ‘irreversibly contaminated’ are to be granted the mercy of a 
  quick death.
  However, at times, such individuals are too valuable to be 
  cast aside. In these rare cases, the Inquisition is able to employ 
  certain techniques to purify an individual’s soul. These are 
  exhaustive, invasive, and time consuming. The techniques 
  usually consist of a combination of flagellation, shrive-surgery, 
  prayer, contemplative fasting, and chemical compounds and 
  vitae-purifiers cycled directly through the subject’s body. It 
  is an exorbitantly expensive process that can only be utilised 
  by the most powerful of the Imperium’s organisations. Even 
  then, an individual’s survival is by no means guaranteed. 
  Those that emerge from this process whole are reborn, 
  purified, and reaffirmed in their duties to the Golden Throne. 
  Their bodies are cleansed of malignancies just as their soul is 
  cleansed of darkness, and in a very real way, they have been 
  granted a second life they can spend in service. 
  effects
  Corruption Points: Reduce your number of Corruption 
  Points to 1d10+4. You lose any Malignancies and Mutations 
  you possessed. 
  Characteristics: Permanently lose 1d5+2 Toughness. 
  Dark Tendencies: Though your soul and body are pure, they 
  may yet stray into familiar patterns. At the GM’s discretion, 
  should your character earn any Malignancies or Mutations 
  in the future, they should automatically be Malignancies or 
  Mutations you possessed before you purchased this Transition 
  Package. 
  hero oF The inquisiTion
  Your name will be remembered for millennia.
   
  –Engraved on the entrance to the Lucid Palace’s 
  Hall of Heroes
  Ascended Career: Any
  Though the Inquisition is a secretive organisation, the deeds 
  of some can still stand out. Contrary to popular belief, one 
  does not have to be an Inquisitor to become famous amongst 
  the ranks of the Holy Ordos. During the Angevin Crusade, 
  the Crusader Welgon Rouss became a hero amongst the 
  Inquisitorial personnel attached to the endeavour for his 
  actions on the world of Gelmiro Tertius during the War of 
  Brass. When rebel psyker-sorcerers summoned fell daemons 
  to their side and attacked the gates of Sub-Hive Mortia–5, 
  Rouss stood alone against their onslaught. Though the 
  main gates were wrought asunder, the breach was only wide 
  enough for three men to stand abreast, and this was where 
  Rouss made his stand. With suppression shield and blessed 
  power sword, he held back the daemonic incursion for four 
  hours, until the forces of Daemonhunter Markus Eddards-
  Konnor launched a drop-pod assault into the heart of the 
  malefic beings and scattered them to the winds. Rouss would 
  go on to lead the bodyguards of no less than four Lords of 
  the Calixian Conclave. 
  In more recent centuries, Adeptus Arbites Judge Astrid 
  Skane became famous amongst the Inquisition when she 
  rooted out a series of pleasure cults amongst the nobility of 
  Scintilla’s hives. The cults’ malign influence extended as far as 
  the world’s ruling governance and had tendrils rooted deep in 
  the Magistratum. Skane found herself fighting a lonely battle 
  against adversaries wielding power both political and martial. 
  Her success (with several allies from the Tricorn) eventually 
  saw her inducted to the ranks of the Calixian Conclave and 
  elevated to the status of Inquisitor.
  Needless to say, not all heroic actions need be as far-
  sweeping or life-changing as these, but they must be beyond 
  the scope of a Throne Agent’s expected duties in order for his 
  actions to be noticed by the wider Conclave. Independently 
  organising crucial investigations and operations, heroic rescues 
  of important Imperial personnel, single-handedly dredging 
  up important clues to questions long gone unanswered, all 
  these can cause a Throne Agent’s star to ascend in the eyes of 
  the Calixian Inquisition. 
  Such an individual finds many doors opened to them 
  that would otherwise be closed; advanced training, better 
  equipment, and extensive opportunities to advance in rank. 
  However, such rapid ascension through the Inquisition is 
  likely to draw unfriendly eyes as well. A Throne Agent whose 
  name is spoken in many places is likely to earn detractors and 
  enemies—whether due to resentment, doctrinal differences, 
  or darker reasons—he never even knows about, until it is 
  too late. 
  effects
  Characteristics: Gain +5 Fellowship.
  Talents: Gain the Peer (Inquisition) and Good Reputation 
  (Inquisition) if you do not already have them. If you do, gain 
  +2 Influence. However, the GM secretly chooses one faction 
  of the Inquisition. You gain the Rival Talent for that Faction. 
  War Wounds: You have permanently lost one Wound. As a 
  result of your injuries, you have replaced one body part of 
  your choice with a common-Craftsmanship bionic implant.
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  48
  sole surViVor 
  “Three thousand souls went down in Drop Shuttle Three. One 
  returned to orbit.” 
  –Redacted report on Mara Drop-site Massacre
  Ascended Career: Any
  The missions of the Holy Ordos are seldom simple, and almost 
  never safe. The Inquisition fights against the tri-fold enemies 
  of mankind—the enemy without, the enemy within, and 
  the enemy beyond—in their most dangerous and insidious 
  forms. Lawbreaking and recidivist behaviour are handled by 
  the Arbites and Enforcers, whilst full-scale wars are dealt with 
  by the Imperial Guard, Imperial Navy, and the Space Marines. 
  The Inquisition’s purview falls on those threats too dangerous 
  for the former, and too subtle and secretive for the latter. It is 
  unsurprising that its agents constantly flirt with death.
  Thus, it is also not uncommon for a Throne Agent to be 
  temporarily assigned to a team or cadre—possibly because of 
  specialist skills or rare talents—that is dispatched on a mission 
  that turns out to be much more deadly than it first appeared. 
  Perhaps the team’s enemies learned of the Inquisition’s 
  interest, and rather than fleeing the wrath of the Holy Ordos, 
  decided to attack them head-on instead. Suicide raids, deadly 
  ambushes, or even launching full-fledged insurrections or 
  wars are all possible, and often not even a team of Throne 
  Agents can survive unscathed. Or perhaps, the team simply 
  got caught up in something unexpected and unrelated. Three 
  Acolyte cells of Inquisitor Lord Caidin were wiped out on 
  Tranch when the Pale Throng sparked the planet into uprising, 
  simply caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Perhaps 
  more tragic was the case of Interrogator Hawle, who was 
  leading a party of savants and sages to Fenksworld’s Library 
  of Knowing to conduct decades of research. Their ship was 
  found adrift and dead twenty years after they set out—their 
  Gellar Field had apparently failed while in transit. 
  Occasionally, however, a Throne Agent survives the 
  circumstances that kill off his entire team, and emerges battered 
  but unbowed by terrible circumstances. Some members of the 
  Holy Ordos shun these individuals, considering them cursed 
  or ill-fated. Others, however, prefer to employ these sole 
  survivors, reasoning that someone who has cheated death 
  once may likely be able to do it again. 
  effects
  Characteristics: Gain +5 Perception, +3 Agility, and +3 
  Willpower. Lose –5 Fellowship.
  Scars: Gain 2d5 Insanity Points and permanently burn one 
  Fate Point (after receiving your additional Fate Points for 
  becoming a Throne Agent). As a result of your injuries, you 
  have replaced one body part of your choice with a common-
  Craftsmanship bionic implant.
  The Mind’s eye oPens
  “I’ve seen things…you wouldn’t want to believe.”
  –Interrogator Albin Thrace, 
  newly returned from sanctioning 
  Restrictions: Imperial Psykers and Tech-Priests may not take 
  this Transition Package.
  Prerequisites: Psy Rating 1 or higher or Nascent 
  Psyker (Trait)
  Ascended 
  Career: 
  Interrogator, 
  Inquisitor, 
  Primaris 
  Psyker, Sage
  Most psykers are detected whilst they are yet young and their 
  powers are rude and immature. They are scooped up by the Black 
  Ships and sent to Holy Terra where they are judged according 
  to their ability and potential. According to Imperial Law, this 
  is something all psykers must undergo, and indeed the vast 
  majority do. The remainder—rogues, witches, and renegades—
  are hunted down, to be sent to the Black Ships in turn, or burnt 
  on the pyre. In fact, one of the duties of the Inquisition, and the 
  Ordo Hereticus especially, is to do just that. 
  However, there are cases of psychic powers manifesting in 
  individuals later in their life. Sometimes these individuals are 
  already servants of the Holy Ordos. In these cases, that person 
  (and possibly his superiors, depending on how forthcoming the 
  individual is about his newfound powers) is faced with a choice. 
  His first option is to attempt to hide his abilities from those around 
  him. This can be difficult; the effects of psychic powers can be 
  easily recognised, and Imperial servants are charged to always be 
  watchful for rogues. However, his status in the Inquisition may 
  aid him, as an Inquisitor and his closest retinue are generally 
  considered beyond the reach of Imperial law. His second option 
  is the exact opposite; come clean and submit willingly to the 
  Black Ships. Indeed, for most puritan Inquisitors, this is the 
  only choice. 
  Those who travel to Holy Terra to be judged by the 
  Scholastica Psykana run the risk of being sacrificed to power the 
  Astronomicon or nourish the God-Emperor with their souls. In 
  truth, however, the risk is far less for a tried and tested Throne 
  Agent. His years of service have likely hardened his mind against 
  horrors that would drive a lesser soul mad, and his veteran 
  experience is not something to be discounted. 
  Most Throne Agents return to serve alongside their colleagues 
  after several years. Their minds are honed and opened by the 
  rigourous training of the Scholastica Psykana, and their souls are 
  strengthened against the predications of the warp. 
  effects
  Psy Rating: Increase your Psy Rating by +1. If you do not 
  currently have a Psy Rating, gain Psy Rating 1. Select one Major 
  Psychic Power and two Minor Psychic Powers from the DArk 
  Heresy Rulebook. 
  Sanctioning: Gain the Sanctioned Psyker Trait (DArk Heresy 
  Rulebook page 26), but increase your age by 1d5 years instead 
  of 3d10. Roll once on the Table 1–5: Sanctioning Side Affects 
  on page 26 of the DArk Heresy Rulebook. 
  Characteristics: Decrease Toughness by 1d5. 
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  49
  Ascended 
  Careers
  “One strike from the shadows, and I can change the tide of battle.”
  –Vindicare Assassin cognomen-designate LIIVI
  T
  he following Ascended Careers all utilise the same basic 
  structure and rules as the Career Paths found in Chapter 
  II of the DArk Heresy Rulebook. All the starting gear, 
  unless stated otherwise, is of common craftsmanship.
  skills
  If, for some reason, the character does not already possess 
  these skills, all of the following Ascended Careers have access 
  to the Literacy, Speak Language (High Gothic), and Tech-Use 
  Skills as Elite Advances for a cost of 200xp each.
  ascended TraiTs
  Each Ascended Career has a special ability that sets it apart 
  from the others. In addition, each Ascended Career has a 
  selection of bonus Ascended Traits that the character may 
  choose from when entering the Ascended Career. Therefore, 
  when a character enters an Ascended Career, he gains both 
  the Ascended Trait associated with that Ascended Career 
  and may choose one additional Trait from that Ascended  
  Career’s selections.
  inTerrogaTors To inquisiTors
  The inclusion of the Inquisitor Career presented here is intended to represent the ability to play as an Inquisitor 
  right from the start when using Ascension. The Transition Packages for the Inquisitor Career include a relatively 
  small period of time serving as an Interrogator, representing a highly motivated or blessed individual who is granted 
  his rosette in short order.
  Many Inquisitors spend a significant amount of time as an Interrogator, and if the GM prefers, he can instead treat 
  the Inquisitor Career as an Elite Advance Package and require a character first complete at least one (and potentially 
  more, depending on the GM’s wishes) Rank in the Interrogator Career. Using this option means that the granting of the 
  rosette is entirely up to the GM and is likely to occur within the campaign itself. This could be quite an opportunity to 
  recognize a particular group’s roleplaying talents in the context of the ceremony.
  When using this option, a Throne Agent with the Interrogator Career may transition into the Inquisitor Career at any 
  point that the GM feels it is appropriate. Normally this occasion is a momentous one, although the exact circumstances 
  may vary depending on the current state of the campaign.
  Making The TransiTion
  Becoming an Inquisitor is treated as an Elite Advance that costs 2,000 xp and requires the GM’s permission. An 
  Interrogator moving into the Inquisitor Career abandons his Ascended Career—he may select advances from any former 
  rank he has previously held at the GM’s discretion, but from that point forward he selects advances from the Inquisitor 
  Career of his current Rank. The character loses the His Right Hand Ascended Trait and replaces it with Indomitable Will 
  of the Inquisition. The character does not gain any additional Ascended Traits from the Inquisitor Career, but he may 
  trade in any other existing Ascended Traits (with the exception of Wild Skills and Talents) to gain an Ascended Trait of 
  his choice available to the Inquisitor Career.
  eXaMPle
  Ross’s Dark Heresy character is a cleric named Zane Tokari. Zane has taken the Interrogator Ascended Career and has risen to Rank 11 
  as an Interrogator. Having received his GM’s permission and spending 2,000 xp, Zane may become a Rank 11 Inquisitor. Zane loses the 
  His Right Hand Ascended Trait and gains Indomitable Will of the Inquisition. He also trades in his Master Questioner Ascended Trait 
  for Conviction is Strength. Zane may select any advances from Ranks 9–11 of Interrogator, Ranks 9–11 of Inquisitor, and Ranks 1-8 of 
  Cleric. However, for selecting any advances from a higher Rank, Zane may only select advances from the Inquisitor Career.
  TransiTioning FroM oTher ascended careers
  If the GM wishes, he can allow other characters to transition into the Interrogator Career as if it was also an Elite Advance 
  Package. The GM follows the same guidelines as presented above, except that the character should choose one Ascended 
  Trait from his previous career to keep, then gain only the His Right Hand Ascended Trait from the Interrogator Career. 
  Then eventually, the newly minted Interrogator can progress to become an Inquisitor. However, the GM should think 
  carefully before allowing a player to do this.
  The following careers cannot transition into Interrogators: Death Cult Assassin, Magos, and Vindicare Assassin.
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  50
  Crusader
  “By this oath, I pledge to stand by thee, against traitor, beast, or 
  fiend, for only in death does duty end.”
  –Crusader Kardronus Stown, protector of Inquisitor Sefidi 
  for twelve decades.
  A
  cross the Imperium there exist countless orders that 
  combine martial and religious ideals, each venerating 
  and serving the God-Emperor according to its own 
  ideals and traditions. To such warrior-monks, war and worship 
  are one and the same. One type of order, little known to 
  anyone outside of the Inquisition, is the Crusader Houses.
  Crusaders are warriors of utmost dedication and potency, 
  sworn to serve the agents of the Inquisition with no regard 
  for their own desires whatsoever. These puissant warriors are 
  inducted into one of the Crusader Houses, each of which is a 
  closed and secretive community with as few as a dozen or as 
  many as several thousand members. Many of these Houses are 
  located near to Inquisitorial facilities, and some are housed 
  inside the larger Inquisitorial fortresses. The Tricorn in Hive 
  Sibellus on Scintilla hosts a number of Crusader Houses, the 
  warriors of each always close at hand to accompany Throne 
  Agents wherever their duties may take them.
  The duty of a Crusader is to protect a specific Inquisitor, to 
  whom he is bonded by a solemn, unbreakable oath. However, 
  they are more than mere bodyguards. A Crusader is the 
  Inquisitor’s right hand which delivers the coup de grâce or 
  parries the attacks of his foe. To have been inducted into a 
  Crusader House, the warrior must have been judged nigh-
  incorruptible, at least in so far as any mortal can be judged so. 
  Induction into a Crusader House occurs only at the invitation 
  of one of its senior members, and only after the 
  subject has been scrutinised from a distance, 
  sometimes for many years. Having joined the 
  cloistered ranks of the Crusaders, the inductee 
  puts aside all thoughts of personal ambition 
  and dedicates himself body and soul to the 
  House and the greater cause pursued by the 
  Holy Orders of the Emperor’s Inquisition. 
  From that moment on, the Crusader casts 
  off wealth and all possessions beside his 
  weapons, armour, and the articles of his 
  faith. He takes residence in a bare stone cell 
  within the Crusader House until such time as 
  he is called upon to serve an Inquisitor. Then, he 
  goes where his master wills.
  Crusaders study every aspect of the arts of close combat, 
  excelling in the use of melee weapons. As a matter of 
  dogma, they eschew ranged weapons, believing that the 
  pure essence of duty is only to be found in the clash of 
  steel on steel, where blood is shed and bone hewed asunder. 
  Crusader Houses teach many and varied martial techniques, 
  many houses favouring a specific, signature weapon by which 
  its members are known. Such weapons are invariably ancient 
  and highly venerated, bedecked in devotional scripts and 
  purity seals. They bear the intricately inscribed names and 
  deeds of former owners, reminding the current bearer of his 
  duties and that the eyes of the past are ever upon him. Many 
  Crusader Houses favour long, heavy power swords, their 
  reach able to intercept any blow that threatens their charge. 
  Others favour massive polearms, often wielded two-handed 
  so that the mighty haft breaks the blade of any blow it parries.
  In addition to their melee weapons, many Crusaders 
  carry suppression shields of one type or another. Over the 
  centuries, the shield has become something of an emblem 
  of the Crusader, symbolising the essentially defensive nature 
  of their calling. Yet, common to all suppression shields 
  is some type of offensive capacity. Many house a compact 
  generator that delivers a powerful stun charge when an 
  enemy’s weapon comes into contact with its outer surface, 
  stunning the attacker so that the Crusader can deliver the 
  killing blow or rendering them insensible and ready for the 
  Inquisitor’s attentions. Other suppression shields incorporate 
  single-use fragmentation rounds, melta charges, or even gas  
  release devices.
  Many Inquisitors call upon the services of a Crusader, and 
  Witch Hunters in particular are known to value their skills and 
  spiritual fortitude. Although many Inquisitors are more than 
  capable warriors themselves, others are more thinkers than 
  fighters, preferring to surround themselves with specialists. 
  A Crusader provides the very best personal protection an 
  Inquisitor could hope for, allowing him to pursue his own 
  duties safe in the knowledge that no danger can approach 
  whilst 
  the 
  Crusader 
  stands watch.
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  51
  sTarTing skills, 
  TalenTs, and gear
  Gear: Best-craftsmanship power sword, crusader suppression 
  shield, best-craftsmanship carapace armour, badge of office, 
  micro-bead.
  ascended TraiTs
  When you take up the path of the Crusader, you automatically 
  gain the Shield Against Harm Trait. You must also choose one 
  other trait from the list below.
  shield against harm
  Part of a Crusader’s role is to protect his Inquisitor—with his 
  life if need be. This can entail interposing himself between 
  his master and danger or taking damage so that his lord may 
  escape unscathed. During combat, a Crusader may perform 
  the following abilities if he is no more than 4 metres from his 
  Inquisitor’s side:
  • The Crusader may make a Parry test as a Reaction to block 
  an attack made against the Inquisitor. 
  • Sacrificing his next turn, the Crusader may take all of the 
  damage from one hit just suffered by his Inquisitor. 
  choose one…
  scourge of heretics
  The Crusader has taken a vow to purge heretics wherever he 
  finds them and has honed his skills in dispatching them. This 
  is not a blood-fuelled rage but rather a cold, calculated skill 
  drilled into the Crusader through countless hours of training 
  and prayer. The Crusader gains a +10 to his WS and a +2 to 
  melee weapon damage when combating heretics. It is up to 
  the GM to decide exactly which enemies count as heretics.
  hunter of aliens
  Aliens are a foul and constant threat to the Imperium, and 
  the Crusader has taken a vow to ride the galaxy of their foul 
  presence. Though he knows such a task is greater than his 
  actions alone, he hopes that vile xenos blood he spills goes 
  some way to winning the Emperor’s war against this most 
  terrible of foes. The Crusader gains a +10 to his WS and a +2 
  to melee weapon damage when combating aliens.
  slayer of daemons
  Vowing to battle the beyond, the Crusader has marked the 
  warp-spawned for death. A most terrifying and brutal foe, few 
  Crusaders who choose to take the battle to the denizens of 
  the warp live long and happy lives—although the Inquisition 
  praises them for their courage. The Crusader gains a +10 to 
  his WS and a +2 to melee weapon damage when combating 
  creatures with the Daemonic trait.
  Crusader Characteristics Advances
  Characteristic
  Heroic
  Master
  Weapon Skill
  1000
  1500
  Ballistic Skill
  3000
  3500
  Strength
  1000
  1500
  Toughness
  1500
  2000
  Agility
  1000
  1500
  Intelligence
  3000
  3500
  Perception
  1500
  2000
  Willpower
  3000
  3500
  Fellowship
  3000
  3500
  Rank 9 Crusader Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Basic Weapons Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Workers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Death Cults)
  –100
  Influence Talent
  —
  Melee Weapon Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Observation Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Exotic Weapon Training (Choose One)
  500
  Talent
  Sound Constitution (x3)
  500
  Talent
  Guardian
  500
  Talent
  Ag 40
  Unarmed Warrior
  500
  Talent
  Ag 40
  Secret Tongue (Throne Agent) 
  500
  Skill
  —
  Peer (Ecclesiarchy)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Feral Worlders)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Inquisition)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Hivers)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  52
  Rank 11 Crusader Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Athletic Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Driving Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Storm of Blows
  500
  Paragon Talent
  WS 35, Ag 40
  Peer (Adeptus Arbites)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Nobility)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (PDF)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Planet (specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Underworld)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Good Reputation (Workers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Workers)
  Enemy (Death Cults)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rank 12 Crusader Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Blade Dancer
  500
  Paragon Talent
  Ag 40, Acrobatics skill, WP40, Melee Weapon 
  Training
  Favoured by Fate
  700
  Talent
  —
  Peer (Academics)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Death Worlders)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Government)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Officio Assassinorum)
  –300
  Influence Talent
  —
  Good Reputation (Enforcers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Enforcers)
  Good Reputation (Military)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Military)
  Good Reputation (Middle Class)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Middle Class)
  Good Reputation (Pilgrims)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Pilgrims)
  Unarmed Mastery
  700
  Talent
  WS 45, Ag 45, Unarmed Warrior
  Rank 13 Crusader Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Heightened Reactions
  500
  Paragon Talent
  Ag 40, Per 40
  Peer (Adeptus Astartes)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Administratum)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Ecclesiarchy)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Ecclesiarchy)
  Good Reputation (Feral Worlders)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Feral Worlders)
  Good Reputation (Inquisition)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Inquisition)
  Good Reputation (Nobility)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Nobility)
  Good Reputation (PDF)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (PDF)
  Good Reputation (Planet (specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Planet (specific))
  Enemy (Underworld)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rank 10 Crusader Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Death Blow
  500
  Paragon Talent
  WP 50, St 40
  Mental Aegis
  500
  Paragon Talent
  WP50
  Fieldcraft Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Peer (Enforcers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Imperial Guard)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Imperial Navy)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Middle Class)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Pilgrims)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Favoured by Fate
  1000
  Talent
  —
  Sturdy
  1000
  Trait
  —
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  53
  Rank 14 Crusader Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Pure Faith
  700
  Faith Talent
  —
  Berzerker
  500
  Paragon Talent
  WP 50, St 40
  Unassailable Grace
  500
  Paragon Talent
  Agility 50, Dodge 
  Peer (Adeptus Mechanicus)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Astropaths)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Navigators)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Void Born)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Academics)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Academics)
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Arbites)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adeptus Arbites)
  Good Reputation (Death Worlders)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Death Worlders)
  Good Reputation (Government)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Government)
  Good Reputation (Hivers)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Hivers)
  Good Reputation (Imperial Guard)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Imperial Guard)
  Good Reputation (Imperial Navy)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Imperial Navy)
  Enemy (Officio Assassinorum)
  –300
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rank 15 Crusader Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  The Emperor Protects
  700
  Faith Talent
  Pure Faith
  Peer (Adepta Sororitas)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Astartes)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adeptus Astartes)
  Good Reputation (Administratum)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Administratum)
  Forbidden Lore Mastery
  800
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Blessed Radiance
  700
  Faith Talent
  Pure Faith
  Sound Constitution (x3)
  700
  Talent
  Unarmed Ascendant Mastery
  700
  Paragon Talent
  WS 45, Ag 45
  Favoured by Fate
  1000
  Talent
  —
  Rank 16 Crusader Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Rite of Protection
  800
  Other Talent
  WP 40
  Watched From On High
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Member of the Tyrantine Cabal
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Chartist Captains)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Mechanicus)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adeptus Mechanicus)
  Good Reputation (Astropaths)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Astropaths)
  Good Reputation (Navigators)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Navigators)
  Good Reputation (Void Born)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Void Born)
  Wrath of the Righteous
  700
  Faith Talent
  Pure Faith
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  54
  Death Cult 
  Assassin
  “Let this death be sacred to the Emperor, let this blood be His 
  sacrament. With this blade, I bless thee…”
  –Dakloss, Assassin of the Inner Circle of the Thrice Blessed
  U
  ncounted Death Cults are known to exist, scattered 
  across the length and breadth of the Imperium, from 
  the densely populous worlds of Segmentum Solar to 
  the most isolated of frontier planets. Death Cults are essentially 
  religious sects composed of utterly ruthless killers dedicated 
  to shedding the blood of the enemies of Mankind in honour 
  of the blood of martyrs (the seed of the Imperium) and the 
  Emperor of Mankind. All such cults are highly secretive, and 
  indulge in a wide range of ritual practices. As such, most Death 
  Cults walk a perilous line between fanatical dedication to the 
  Imperial Creed (albeit expressed in a quite singular manner) and 
  outright doctrinal heresy. Many, in fact, step over an invisible 
  line. Thus, they become pawns, knowingly or ignorantly, of 
  the ruinous powers. Many are the cults that have stumbled into 
  the arms of the Blood God or the Prince of Pleasures through 
  increasingly extreme ritualistic practice. It is little wonder that 
  the Ecclessiarchy views the Death Cults with great distrust, and 
  that the Inquisition keeps a very close eye on them indeed.
  The life of a Death Cult Assassin is utterly dedicated to 
  ritualised death. No two Death Cults are exactly alike, but all 
  share the belief that the ultimate worship of the Emperor is to 
  carry on the work of slaying of the enemies of Mankind. Cult 
  Assassins train endlessly in a wide range of weapons, honing 
  their skills so that every stroke of the blade, every drip of blood 
  spilled is an offering to the Emperor. Often, Death Cultists have 
  many deviant practices, including devouring human flesh in 
  cannibalistic rituals and performing ceremonies focused around 
  the drinking of blood. The vast majority of Death Cults eschew 
  the use of ranged weapons, though a number make use of short 
  ranged weaponry such as throwing stars, stilettos, and the like. 
  Many Death Cults prefer to use a number of highly-specialised 
  and lovingly maintained melee weapons, including punch-
  daggers, rending claws shaped like eagle talons, or even entire 
  blades carved from the bones of the faithful.
  The targets of the Death Cult Assassins are those deemed by 
  the cult’s leadership to be deserving of death. Few cults engage 
  in indiscriminate murder, for local authorities would soon 
  challenge them, although those in more isolated regions may 
  occasionally do so. Most instead concentrate their efforts on a 
  particular group of enemies. Some hunt down those they have 
  deemed heretical in the eyes of the Emperor, perhaps adherents 
  of a rival Death Cult or natives of a planet that once defied the 
  will of the Emperor. Others hunt down particular species of 
  alien. Some cults defend a specific territory, believing perhaps 
  that the Emperor Himself once trod there and any who trespass 
  upon such holy ground must be slain. Death Cultists believe 
  themselves purified by consuming the corpse of an enemy. 
  Drinking the enemy’s blood claims the enemy’s strength and skill 
  for themselves. Many 
  offerings of blood 
  are drained from the 
  dead and presented 
  to 
  the 
  Emperor 
  during a pilgrimage to 
  a great Cathedral of the 
  Ecclessiarchy.
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  specifics of those they 
  hunt, many Death Cults are 
  equally discerning in those 
  they employ as hunters. Some 
  Death Cults recruit only from 
  a particular region, or from 
  a specific class. Others 
  recruit assassins from 
  those who have no 
  hope, such as the 
  dispossessed orphans 
  of hive gangs or refugee 
  communities. Still more 
  recruit exclusively from 
  the followers of a particular 
  strand of the Imperial Creed, 
  creating in effect an invisible core 
  within the faithful. It is rumoured 
  that some cults abduct would-be 
  assassins at a young age, stealing 
  babes away in the dead of night 
  to be raised by hooded strangers 
  until inducted into the cult. Some 
  cults employ only men, others only women, citing a myriad of 
  reasons as varied as the cults themselves.
  When not engaged in the hunt, a Death Cult Assassin either 
  hones his martial skills, meditates upon some aspect of the 
  cult’s dogma, or engages in one of the cult’s bloody rituals. 
  Most of these rituals involve the shedding of blood in some 
  manner. Sometimes, it is the blood of the cult’s adherents that 
  is spilled, in remembrance of that shed by the Emperor in the 
  name of Mankind. Others conduct grisly ritual sacrifices of 
  captured foes, and these often stray perilously close to heresy 
  and excommunication.
  Because of their prodigious skills, many Death Cult Assassins 
  end up in the service of individual Inquisitors. It appears that 
  there is no formal connection between the two groups. Rather, 
  the Inquisitors strike some manner of pact with individual 
  Death Cults, perhaps overlooking a doctrinal transgression in 
  return for the services of a Death Cult Assassin. In some cases, 
  an Inquisitor has been known to be inducted into the cult’s 
  membership or to have persuaded the cult to take on a trusted 
  Acolyte and teach him the arts of death in which it specialises.
  To become a Death Cult Assassin, an individual must 
  display both exquisite martial skills and an utter dedication to 
  the Emperor. It is this unique blend of deathly expertise and 
  religious fervour that makes Death Cult Assassins the utterly 
  lethal weapon they are. In a Death Cult Assassin, an Inquisitor 
  can be certain he has the services of one dedicated to a singular 
  cause from which he may never be knowingly turned.
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  55
  sTarTing skills, 
  TalenTs, and gear
  Talents: Peer (Cult (Death Cult)) (Influence Talent)
  Gear: Two best-craftsmanship power swords, best-
  craftsmanship synskin or hardened bodyglove, injector with 
  three doses of Slaught, badge of office, micro-bead.
  ascended TraiTs
  When you take up the path of the Death Cult Assassin, you 
  automatically gain the Preternatural Speed Trait. You must 
  also choose one other trait from the list below.
  Preternatural speed
  The life of a Death Cult Assassin is one of constant training 
  and sacrifice. Only when they have truly given up their ties to 
  mortality and pointless shackles of morality can they arise to 
  the bloody heights as masters of death—combat masters who 
  can perform feats of physical prowess almost supernatural in 
  their agility and grace. A Death Cult Assassin can use Swift 
  Attack and Lighting Attack as a Half Action rather than a 
  Full Action. In addition, the Death Cult Assassin may use the 
  Swift Attack and Lightning Attack Talents during a Charge.
  choose one…
  cult of Blood
  There are countless death cults within the Imperium, all of 
  which prescribe to a slightly different aspect of worship of 
  the Emperor. Most train long and hard in the arts of murder 
  and are supremely skilled in dealing out damage, pain, and 
  death. The Death Cult Assassin automatically confirms all 
  Righteous Fury rolls when inflicting damage with a melee 
  weapon. In addition, the Penetration of all melee weapons the 
  Assassin is using in combat are increased by 1. 
  cult of death
  Whilst some cults worship the means and execution of killing, 
  others worship death itself. Rumours say that some of these 
  cults have knowledge of killing that surpasses mere skill at 
  anatomy and enters into the supernatural. Once per combat, 
  the Death Cult Assassin may achieve Righteous Fury on any 
  melee weapon’s damage dice result of a 7 or higher during 
  one Round. In addition, all critical hits with melee weapons 
  that the Assassin makes are increased by 1.
  cult of Pain
  While most death cults are highly skilled at inflicting both 
  pain and death on others, there are some who also teach 
  the skills of resisting such torments. Followers of these cults 
  injure themselves almost unto death, bleeding themselves 
  white or breaking their bones so that they may learn how to 
  kill even when death itself reaches for them. Once per game 
  session, the Death Cult Assassin may ignore all wounds from 
  a single hit, including any special effects or damage it would 
  have caused. In addition, all critical hits on the Assassin are 
  reduced by 1 point.
  Death Cult Assassin Characteristic 
  Advances
  Characteristic
  Heroic
  Master
  Weapon Skill
  1,000
  1,500
  Ballistic Skill
  1,500
  2,000
  Strength
  1500
  2,000
  Toughness
  1,500
  2,000
  Agility
  1,000
  1,500
  Intelligence
  3,000
  3,500
  Perception
  3,000
  3,500
  Willpower
  1,500
  2,000
  Fellowship
  3,000
  3,500
  Rank 9 Death Cult Assassin Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Basic Weapons Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Melee Weapon Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Storm of Blows
  500
  Paragon Talent
  WS 35, Ag 40
  Fieldcraft Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Stealth Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Peer (Feral Worlders)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Cult (specific))
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Death Worlders)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Pilgrims)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Unnatural Agility (x2)
  1000
  Trait
  Exotic Weapon Training (Choose One)
  500
  Talent
  Sound Constitution
  500
  Talent
  Guardian
  500
  Talent
  Ag 40
  Secret Tongue (Throne Agent) 
  500
  Skill
  —
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  56
  Rank 10 Death Cult Assassin Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Blade Dancer
  500
  Paragon Talent
  Ag 40, Acrobatics skill, WP40, Melee Weapon 
  Training 
  Athletic Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Forbidden Lore Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Shadow Craft Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Peer (Underworld)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Ecclesiarchy)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Enforcers)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Military)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Enforcers)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Combat Sense
  500
  Talent
  Per 40
  Thrown Weapon Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Rank 11 Death Cult Assassin Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Heightened Reactions
  500
  Paragin Talent
  Ag 40, Per 40
  Driving Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Observation Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Hidden Cultist
  500
  Influence Talent
  —
  Favoured by Fate
  700
  Talent
  —
  Peer (Planet (specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Adeptus Arbites)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Hivers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (PDF)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Adeptus Arbites)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Good Reputation (Feral Worlders)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Feral Worlders)
  Unarmed Warrior
  500
  Talent
  WS 35, Ag 35
  Rank 12 Death Cult Assassin Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Mental Aegis
  500
  Paragon Talent
  WP50
  Unassailable Grace
  500
  Paragon Talent
  Agility 50, Dodge
  Crimelord
  500
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Academics)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Government)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Imperial Guard)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Imperial Navy)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Inquisition)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Middle Class)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Cult (specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Good Reputation (Cult (specific))
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Cult (specific))
  Good Reputation (Death Worlders)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Death Worlders)
  Good Reputation (Pilgrims)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Pilgrims)
  Good Reputation (Underworld)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Underworld)
  Peer (Enforcers)
  200
  Talent
  Fel 30
  Enemy (Enforcers)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  57
  Rank 13 Death Cult Assassin Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Exotic Weapon Training (Choose One)
  500
  Talent
  —
  Rival (Ecclesiarchy)
  –100
  Influence Talent
  —
  Good Reputation (Ecclesiarchy)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Ecclesiarchy)
  Good Reputation (Enforcers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Enforcers)
  Good Reputation (Military)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Military)
  Good Reputation (Planet (specific))
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Planet (specific))
  Good Reputation (Recidivist Organisation 
  (specific))
  500
  Influence Talent
   Fel 50 Peer (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  Enemy (Adeptus Arbites)
  –200
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Unarmed Master
  500
  Talent
  WS 45, Ag 40
  Rank 14 Death Cult Assassin Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Pure Faith
  500
  Faith Talent
  —
  Peer (Adeptus Astartes)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Adminstratum)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Nobility)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Arbites)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adeptus Arbites)
  Good Reputation (Hivers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Hivers)
  Good Reputation (PDF)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (PDF)
  Enemy (Cult (specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Fear (1) Disturbing
  1000
  Trait
  Unarmed Ascendent Mastery
  1000
  Paragon Talent
  WS 45, Ag 40
  Rank 15 Death Cult Assassin Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Wrath of the Righteous
  700
  Faith Talent
  Pure Faith
  Worthy of the Calixian Elite
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Member of the Tyrantine Cabal
  800
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Peer (Adeptus Mechanicus)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Astropaths)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Navigators)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Academics)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Academics)
  Good Reputation (Government)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Government)
  Good Reputation (Imperial Guard)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Imperial Guard)
  Good Reputation (Imperial Navy)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Imperial Navy)
  Good Reputation (Inquisition)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Inquisition)
  Good Reputation (Middle Class)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Middle Class)
  Enemy (Ecclesiarchy)
  –300
  Influence Talent
  —
  Unnatural Agility (x3)
  1000
  Trait
  Unnatural Agility (x2)
  Rank 16 Death Cult Assassin Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Rite of Protection
  700
  Other Talent
  WP 40
  Watched From On High
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Adepta Sororitas)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Chartist Captains)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Officio Assassinorum)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Astartes)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adeptus Astartes) 
  Good Reputation (Adminstratum)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adminstratum)
  Good Reputation (Nobility)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Nobility)
  Unnatural Agility (x4)
  800
  Trait
  Unnatural Agility (x3)
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  58
  Desperado 
  “Well now, Master No-neck. Seems what I’ve got ‘gainst you and 
  your four toughs is this here pistol. Want to get another four bullet-
  soaks, just so things are fair?”
  –Nilus Borres, dealing with a spot of trouble on Varaxinhive. 
  C
  ertain Inquisitors have always been willing to utilise the 
  human scum found in the Imperium’s underbelly. After 
  all, many have certain talents the Inquisition might 
  be hard-pressed to find elsewhere, be it burglary, confidence 
  schemes, infiltrating a criminal underworld, or simply a certain 
  lack of morals. Quite simply, the Inquisition has plenty of 
  dirty jobs that need doing, and all too often, criminal-minded 
  operatives are uniquely suited to the task. 
  This is not to say that all Desperadoes are criminals—the 
  term identifies a certain man on the edge of society, whether 
  he is a charming rogue, a bounty hunter, a tracker of mutants 
  or a glory-hounding gunslinger. 
  However, when it must use these types of individuals, the 
  Inquisition demands the very best. Certain individuals tend 
  to rise to the top of the Imperium’s criminal hierarchy, and 
  their fellow miscreants refer to them in awed terms simply as 
  Desperados. 
  Just as there are countless varieties of vice and crime, 
  a Desperado can come in many forms. Some are crime 
  barons, persons who have claimed a portion of the 
  underworld and rule it with an iron fist. Others 
  can be charming cons able to work the highest 
  strata of society, cunning smugglers and pilots, 
  master thieves, or simply a lethal hand with a 
  gun or blade. 
  It is these shining examples of criminality 
  that certain Inquisitors seek out. In some 
  cases, an already established Desperado 
  attracts the Inquisitor’s attention (perhaps in the 
  course of an investigation), and the Inquisitor makes 
  him an offer he truly can’t refuse. Other Inquisitors 
  prefer to locate promising miscreants and induct 
  them into their service early, encouraging them 
  to develop their unique talents while grooming 
  them to become valued Throne Agents.
  However they come to serve the Throne, 
  Desperados are extremely valuable resources. 
  Each is likely to possess a wide array of useful 
  skills which can range from breaking into 
  a security-room to piloting a guncutter. In 
  addition, Desperados are very used to working 
  alone, without the monolithic support of the 
  Imperium behind them. That, plus their 
  intimate familiarity and comfort with the 
  Imperial underworld and its criminal 
  classes, makes them highly skilled and 
  resourceful covert operatives. 
  Many Desperadoes favour the use 
  of twin pistols, and tend towards a 
  sense of pride in accurate hip-shots 
  and blazing away from both hands in a firefight. Others 
  (particularly bounty hunters or ex-slavers) prefer to use 
  powerful rifles, shock mauls, and nets or whips. Desperadoes 
  often dress in sturdy protective clothing that usually conceals 
  padded or plated armour for added protection.
  Often, Desperados have more problems when teamed with 
  other Throne Agents, especially those whose backgrounds 
  are very different from their own. Certain Throne Agents—
  especially those with a background in enforcing Imperial 
  Law—may dismiss them as worthless out-of-hand. Of course, 
  Desperados in general have a much less ‘orthodox’ view of 
  the Imperium and its monolithic institutions. From their 
  viewpoint, the Imperium has been more of an opponent to 
  be defied than an authoritarian entity to be obeyed. Other 
  Throne Agents may be disquieted or even offended by these 
  opinions. A Desperado may not think much better of their 
  viewpoints, and may also have trouble working within the 
  very institutions of law and order he spent much of his life 
  trying to evade. 
  However, when a team of Throne Agents is dispatched 
  to the dark depths of a world’s underhive, or is sent to 
  investigate the operations of criminals and cultists, few can 
  deny the Desperado’s utility. Beyond even his considerable 
  skills, a Desperado’s mindset gives him a unique insight into 
  the Inquisition’s myriad investigations into lawbreakers of all 
  types. After all, who better to catch a criminal than another 
  criminal—and Desperados are the best criminals there are.
  sTarTing skills, 
  TalenTs, and gear
  Gear: Two common-craftsmanship 
  bolt pistols or two best-craftsmanship 
  laspistols with overcharge packs (or 
  stub automatics with man-stopper 
  ammunition). Best-craftsmanship flak 
  armour, multikey, badge of office, micro-
  bead.
  ascended TraiTs
  When you take up the path of the 
  Desperado, you automatically gain the 
  Criminal Mastermind Trait. You 
  must also choose one other 
  trait from the list below.
  criminal 
  Mastermind
  In a world of thieves, muggers, 
  confidence tricksters, rakehells, gangers, 
  and common murderers, Desperados 
  are simply the best. Part of that is the 
  skill to operate unhindered in 
  that world, or any Imperial 
  underworld, as if one had 
  been born there. Once per 
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  59
  game session, a Desperado may automatically succeed on 
  any one Interaction Skill Test in the minimum time possible, 
  provided the Skill Test involves any group for which the 
  Desperado possesses a Peer or Good Reputation Talent. 
  Should degrees of success be a factor, then the Desperado is 
  considered to have rolled a 01 on this test.
  choose one…
  Master of coin
  It is a Desperado’s business to understand the way thrones 
  move and flow throughout the Imperium. A skilled master of 
  coin knows just when to sell, when to buy, just what should 
  be paid, and just how much he can get away with. Whenever 
  the Desperado, or a group being headed by a Desperado, 
  makes an Acquisition or Influence Test to purchase goods or 
  services, add +5 to the roll. The GM may, at his discretion, 
  decide that this bonus does not apply in cases where the either 
  no coin is involved or the Desperado would very obviously 
  not be able to use his abilities.
  shady reputation
  Many criminals draw a web of respect, fear, and awe around 
  themselves and value their reputations almost as much as their 
  own lives. Death can come from anywhere in the underworld—
  it can leap out at the most unexpected times, and those who 
  survive have a seemingly preternatural awareness of danger. 
  The Throne Agent gains the Rapid Reaction Talent if he did 
  not already possess it, and may automatically succeed at any 
  one Dodge Test (instead of rolling) once per game session. 
  Should degrees of success be a factor, then the Desperado is 
  considered to have rolled a 01 on this test.
  Master of locks and Tricks
  While those that reach the heights of Desperado seldom do 
  their own dirty work, there are still those who revel in their 
  skill at thievery. Such men and women are never content to 
  simply stand by and let others have all the fun; not when 
  they still crave the challenge of swindling others and lifting 
  their goods. Once per gaming session, the Desperado can 
  automatically pass a Concealment, Disguise, Security, Silent 
  Move or Sleight of Hand Test. Should degrees of success be 
  a factor, then the Desperado is considered to have rolled a 01 
  on this test.
  Desperado Characteristic Advances
  Characteristic
  Heroic
  Master
  Weapon Skill
  1500
  2000
  Ballistic Skill
  1000
  1500
  Strength
  3000
  5000
  Toughness
  3000
  5000
  Agility
  1000
  1500
  Intelligence
  1500
  2000
  Perception
  1500
  2000
  Willpower
  1500
  2000
  Fellowship
  1000
  1500
  Rank 9 Desperado Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Inquiry +20
  500
  Skill
  Inquiry +10
  Intimidate +20
  500
  Skill
  Intimidate +10
  Shadow Craft Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Combat Master
  700
  Talent
  WS 30
  Lightning Reflexes
  700
  Talent
  —
  Pistol Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Chartist Captains)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Cult (Specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Hivers)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Rogue Trader)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Underworld)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Workers)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Middle Class)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Government)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Decadent Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Rival (Enforcers)
  –100
  Influence Talent
  —
  Secret Tongue (Throne Agent) 
  500
  Skill
  —
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  60
  Rank 10 Desperado Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Athletic Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Stealth Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Heightened Reactions
  500
  Paragon Talent
  Ag 40, Per 40
  Basic Weapons Expertise
  600
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Melee Weapon Expertise
  600
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Crimelord
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Adeptus Arbites)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Underworld)
  1000
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Underworld)
  Rank 11 Desperado Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Commerce Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Observation Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Tech-Lore Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Gunfighter Saint
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peerless Marksman
  600
  Paragon Talent
  BS 40
  Peer (Administratum)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Ecclesiarchy)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Inquisition)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Planet (Specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Workers)
  1000
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Workers)
  Good Reputation (Recidivist Organisation 
  (specific))
  1000
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  Rival (Government)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Nobility)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Unarmed Warrior
  500
  Talent
  WS 35, Ag 35
  Rank 12 Desperado Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Charismatic Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Fieldcraft Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Piloting Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Thrown Weapon Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Unarmed Ascendant Mastery
  500
  Paragon Talent
  WS 45, Ag 45
  Unassailable Grace
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Storm of Blows
  600
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Cult (Specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Enforcers)
  1000
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (PDF)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Nobility)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Planet (Specific)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Shadow Lord
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Good Reputation (Hivers)
  1000
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Hivers)
  Good Reputation (Middle Class)
  1000
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Middle Class)
  Good Reputation (Rogue Trader)
  1000
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Rogue Trader)
  Favoured by Fate
  1000
  Talent
  —
  Rival (Cult (Specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Combat Sense
  800
  Talent
  Per 40
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  61
  Rank 13 Desperado Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Sound Constitution 
  700
  Talent
  —
  Common Lore Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Investigation Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Indomitable Fortitude
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Sleeper Agent
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Voice of the Masses
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Good Reputation (Nobility)
  1000
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Workers)
  Good Reputation (Recidivist Organisation 
  (specific))
  1000
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  Enemy (Enforcers)
  –300
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Enforcers)
  Unarmed Master
  500
  Talent
  WS 45, Ag 45, Unarmed Warrior
  Rank 14 Desperado Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Sound Constitution
  800
  Talent
  —
  Linguistic Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Death Blow
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Sleeper Agent
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Good Reputation (PDF)
  1000
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (PDF)
  Good Reputation (Planet (Specific))
  1000
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Planet (Specific))
  Member of the Tyrantine Cabal
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Rogue Trader)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Nobility)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Enemy (Adeptus Arbites )
  –300
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Adeptus Arbites)
  Enemy (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  –300
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  Target Selection
  800
  Talent
  BS 40
  Rank 15 Desperado Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Hidden Cultist
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Cult (Specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Death Worlders)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Recidivist Organisation 
  (specific))
  1000
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  Watched from On High
  1000
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Chartist Captain)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Ecclesiarchy)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Enemy (Cult (Specific)
  –300
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Cult (Specific))
  Soul of Stone
  600
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Rank 16 Desperado Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Sound Constitution
  800
  Talent
  —
  Blade Dancer
  700
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Officio Assassinorum)
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Sleeper Agent
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Good Reputation (Government)
  1000
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Government)
  Enemy (Chartist Captain)
  –200
  Influence Talent 
  Rival (Chartist Captain)
  Enemy (Government)
  –400
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Government)
  Enemy (Rogue Trader)
  –400
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Rogue Trader)
  Lord of Domains
  1000
  Influence Talent
  —
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  62
  Hierophant
  “Ask me not to define faith, for faith is that which defies definition. It 
  is that which, when everything around you collapses and is proven a 
  lie, remains, pure, intact, pristine.”
  –Frater Millay, Confessor to Inquisitor Krand, addressing 
  Interrogator Eulis at the Cleansing of the Palace of Sin
  H
  ierophants are members of the Adeptus Ministorum 
  who have risen above the multitudinous ranks of the 
  common clergy. They are judged to have transcended 
  the confines of the Ecclesiarchy’s hierarchy through their 
  service to the Imperium at large, and taken on a new duty to 
  the Emperor.
  That duty is to exemplify, in every word and deed, the 
  irrefutable truth of the Imperial Creed. This sacred mission 
  is to be carried out according to the Hierophant’s own 
  judgement, as he responds to the will of the Emperor as 
  revealed to him in his heart. Such individuals burn with the 
  fervour of their calling. Their very presence instils in 
  the faithful unshakeable devotion, and fills the hearts 
  of Mankind’s enemies with unutterable terror. As 
  such, many Hierophants find a common cause with 
  those of the Inquisition who go out boldly amongst 
  Humanity, rallying the Emperor’s flock against the 
  terrors of the universe. Others find themselves serving 
  amongst more clandestine Inquisitorial cadres, their 
  presence and wisdom bolstering the hearts of their 
  fellows so that they may prevail in the face of otherwise 
  insurmountable odds. Frequently, an Inquisitor’s duties 
  lead him to uncover things forbidden to common man—
  the presence of a Hierophant provides a lifeline by which 
  the cadre might be pulled back from the precipice of heresy 
  should they stray too close. Some Hierophants even serve as 
  personal confessors to their Inquisitor, providing wisdom 
  and insight and hearing his most dire of admissions. The 
  Hierophant thereby has the power to grant absolution, and 
  is entrusted with one of the most valuable and coveted assets 
  in the entire Imperium—the soul of an Inquisitor. 
  The common view of a Hierophant is of an individual 
  swathed in holy raiment and bellowing testament to 
  the Emperor. Though by far the most common type, 
  others exist. Some Hierophants exude a serenity so 
  pure it touches the souls of all who come near. Others 
  are endowed with palpable wisdom or an air of authority.
  It is from amongst those servants of the Imperial Creed 
  known as Hierophants that many Imperial Saints are 
  eventually drawn. The Imperial Canon recognises 
  a staggering number of its devotees as Saints. 
  Each of the million and more worlds of the 
  Imperium venerates particular figures, and over 
  the millennia, uncounted numbers of these 
  legendary figures have been recognised as Saints. 
  The vast majority of these ‘beatifications’—
  the bestowment of the title of ‘Saint’—occur 
  centuries, even millennia after the death of 
  the Hierophant. Only after an exhaustive 
  series of investigations by many generations of Ministorum 
  officials is the title bestowed. Often the title ‘Hierophant’ is 
  bestowed alongside it, again, long after the recipient’s death, 
  in order to affect an air of legitimacy regardless of the new 
  Saint’s status and pedigree. 
  Some Hierophants, however, come to be regarded as Saints 
  in their own lifetime. Such an occurrence is highly unusual, 
  and there exists no formal procedure by which it comes 
  about. Such individuals radiate the Emperor’s glory and often 
  attract multitudes of followers in their wake. They are able to 
  call upon the Emperor and enact his will through miracles 
  and acts of faith so startling that the faithful often drop to 
  their knees and weep, believing themselves to be witnessing 
  one touched by the saviour of Mankind himself. The nature 
  of such manifestations might vary enormously and is rarely 
  predictable. At times, the saint’s eyes blaze with a blinding 
  holy light that sears the very soul. At other times, the saint 
  rises into air as if lifted in the arms of the Emperor himself. 
  Sometimes, the saint is blessed with the strength of ten men, 
  able to strike down the heretic and the blasphemer with nigh-
  supernatural strength.
  When such ‘Living Saints’ arise, the Ecclessiarchy and the 
  Inquisition often seek to establish their nature and ensure the 
  Saint’s agenda does not present a threat to their own. Should 
  any clash of ideals be identified, the authorities may act to 
  terminate the individual, often covertly, lest the multitudes 
  rise in vengeance. Should the Saint be judged genuine, he 
  may end up working alongside the Ministorum or 
  the Inquisition, their interests co-aligned in the 
  name of the God-Emperor of Mankind. 
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  63
  sTarTing skills, 
  TalenTs, and gear
  Talents: Peer (Ecclesiarchy) (Influence Talent) and 
  Pure Faith.
  Gear: Best-craftsmanship chainsword, flamer or hand flamer, 
  carapace armour or Rosarius, badge of office, micro-bead.
  ascended TraiTs
  When you take up the path of the Hierophant, you 
  automatically gain the Favoured of the Emperor Trait. You 
  must also choose one other trait from the list below.
  Favoured of the emperor
  Those that live in the light of the Emperor live knowing that 
  His divine hand protects them from harm. For a Hierophant, 
  this becomes more than faith and is an actual shield against 
  the denizens of the warp and the twisting influence of the 
  anathema of man. Such is the potency of this protection that 
  creatures with the Daemonic trait must pass a Challenging 
  (+0) Willpower Test each Round to make melee attacks 
  against the Hierophant. In addition, once per game session, 
  the Hierophant can ignore a single increase to his Corruption 
  Points regardless of its size or source.
  choose one…
  Voice of the emperor
  The cult of the God-Emperor grows on the strength of His 
  teachings and the glory of His words. Hierophants often 
  become skilled orators for this very reason, and many become 
  capable of incredible impassioned speeches and damning 
  litanies capable of moving a crowd to rapture or murderous 
  rage. When dealing with the faithful of the Emperor (the 
  true faithful of the Imperial Creed), the Hierophant gains a 
  +30 to all Interaction Skill Tests. In addition, if he has the 
  Master Orator talent, then the Hierophant can now affect 
  anyone that can hear and draw line of sight to him with  
  Interaction Skills.
  Wrath of the emperor
  The Emperor is vengeful, and Hierophants can channel his 
  anger through their weapons, especially when striking out 
  against the most hated foes of Man—creatures of the warp. 
  Melee attacks made by the Hierophant, and by those within 
  4 metres of him, count as holy and blessed attacks when 
  applying damage.
  Note that this power does not affect, and is not affected by, 
  any Faith powers the Hierophant may have. Instead, this 
  ability exists in addition to any Faith ability.
  Mercy of the emperor
  A skilled Hierophant can use his connection to the Lord of 
  Mankind to mend wounds and restore the broken, though it 
  is a rare and special gift given only to a few. The Hierophant 
  can perform a faith healing a number of times per day equal 
  to his Fellowship Bonus. To perform this miracle, he must lay 
  both his hands on the subject and make a Routine (+20) 
  Fellowship Test. This restores 2 wounds to the subject 
  plus an additional 2 wounds for each degree of success. This 
  counts as a Full Action if performed in combat. This healing 
  may only be performed once per person per injury.
  Note that this power does not affect and is not affected by 
  any Faith powers the Hierophant may have. Instead, this 
  ability exists in addition to any Faith ability.
   
  Hierophant Characteristic Advances
  Characteristic
  Heroic
  Master
  Weapon Skill
  1,500
  2,000
  Ballistic Skill
  1,500
  2,000
  Strength
  1,000
  1,500
  Toughness
  1,000
  1,500
  Agility
  1,500
  2,000
  Intelligence
  3,000
  3,500
  Perception
  3,000
  3,500
  Willpower
  1,000
  1,500
  Fellowship
  1,000
  1,500
  Rank 9 Hierophant Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Basic Weapons Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Soul of Stone
  500
  Paragon Talent
  WP 40
  Pious Observation
  500
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Adepta Sororitas)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Ecclessiarchy)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (PDF)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Pilgrims)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Workers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Polyglot
  1000
  Talent
  Secret Tongue (Throne Agent) 
  500
  Skill
  —
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  64
  Rank 10 Hierophant Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Pure Faith
  500
  Faith Talent
  —
  Mental Aegis
  500
  Paragon Talent
  WP50
  Charismatic Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Peer (Academics)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Administratum)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Feral Worlders)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Enforcers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Government)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Hivers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Military)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Planet (specific))
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  –300
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rank 11 Hierophant Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Purge the Unclean
  500
  Faith Talent
  Pure Faith
  Melee Weapon Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Transendent Hate
  500
  Paragon Talent
  Fel 30
  Driving Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Wide Correspondence
  500
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Adeptus Arbites)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Death Worlders)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Imperial Guard)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Imperial Navy)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Middle Class)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Cult (specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Good Reputation (Adepta Sororitas)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adepta Sororitas)
  Good Reputation (Ecclessiarchy)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Cult (specific))
  Good Reputation (PDF)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (PDF)
  Good Reputation (Pilgrims)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Pilgrims)
  Good Reputation (Workers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Workers)
  Rank 12 Hierophant Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Divine Ministration
  500
  Faith Talent
  Pure Faith
  Berzerker
  500
  Paragon Talent
  WS 50, St 40
  Voice of the Masses
  500
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Adeptus Astartes)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Astropaths)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Inquisition)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Nobility)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Adeptus Mechanicus)
  800
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Rival (Underworld)
  800
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Good Reputation (Academics)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Academics)
  Good Reputation (Administratum)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Administratum)
  Good Reputation (Feral Worlders)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Feral Worlders)
  Good Reputation (Enforcers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Enforcers)
  Good Reputation (Government)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Government)
  Good Reputation (Hivers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Hivers)
  Good Reputation (Military)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Military)
  Good Reputation (Planet (specific))
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Planet (specific))
  Enemy (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  –300
  Influence Talent
  —
  Warmonger
  500
  Influence Talent
  —
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  65
  Rank 13 Hierophant Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Wrath of the Righteous
  500
  Faith Talent
  Pure Faith
  Death Blow
  500
  Paragon Talent
  WP 50, St 40
  Observation Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Ally of the Departmento Munitorum
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Lord of Domains
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Conciliator
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Astropaths)
  –100
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Arbites)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adeptus Arbites)
  Good Reputation (Death Worlders)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Death Worlders)
  Good Reputation (Imperial Guard)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Imperial Guard)
  Good Reputation (Imperial Navy)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Imperial Navy)
  Good Reputation (Middle Class)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Middle Class)
  Enemy (Cult (specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Rank 14 Hierophant Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  The Emperor Protects
  500
  Faith Talent
  Pure Faith
  Indomitable Fortitude
  500
  Paragon Talent
  T 40, WP 40
  Storm of Blows
  500
  Paragon Talent
  WS 35, Ag 40
  Worthy of the Calixian Elite
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Hidden Cultist
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Navigators)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Astartes)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adeptus Astartes)
  Good Reputation (Astropaths)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Astropaths)
  Good Reputation (Inquisition)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Inquisition)
  Good Reputation (Nobility)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Nobility)
  Enemy (Adeptus Mechanicus)
  –300
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Enemy (Underworld)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Unarmed Warrior
  500
  Talent
  Ws 35, Ag 40
  Rank 15 Hierophant Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Blessed Radiance
  500
  Faith Talent
  Purge the Unclean, Divine Manifestation, The 
  Emperor Protects
  Common Lore Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  The Ear of the Lord Sector
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Specific Inquisitor)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Chartist Captains)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Specific Noble)
  –200
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Enemy (Astropaths)
  –100
  Influence Talent
  —
  Unarmed Master
  700
  Talent
  WS 45, Ag 45, Unarmed Warrior
  Rank 16 Hierophant Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Forbidden Lore Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Watched From On High
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Revolutionary
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Good Reputation (Navigators)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Navigators)
  Favoured by Fate
  1000
  Talent
  —
  Unarmed Ascendant Mastery
  1000
  Paragon Talent
  WS 45, Ag 45
  Sound Constitution (x3)
  700
  Talent
  Member of the Tyrantine Cabal
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  66
  Interrogator
  “I’ve served at my master’s side for twelve years now. I’ve seen him 
  stare down a Pit Thing as if it were a yaprat and send an Ambull 
  scurrying back down its hole in terror. If I ever learn one tenth of 
  what he knows, I swear I’ll be Lord Sector by the age of 50…”
  –Interrogator Lenk, prior to his death on Zel Secundus
  T
  hose who have served an Inquisitor as an Acolyte may 
  be granted the rank of Interrogator. Few Acolytes 
  ever earn such an honour, and most Inquisitors only 
  make the appointment after they themselves have served for 
  many decades. An Interrogator is, in essence, an Inquisitor’s 
  apprentice. He is a student set upon a path that ultimately sees 
  him granted the Inquisitorial Seal, or, more likely, perish long 
  before being judged worthy of that singular responsibility.
  Interrogators are drawn from a wide range of backgrounds. 
  Although most have served as Acolytes, others may have been 
  plucked unexpectedly from obscurity, unaware of having been 
  observed by their new master from afar. Some Interrogators 
  are dispatched to hidden collegia, there to study assiduously 
  with others of their station before 
  being assigned a master. Others are 
  appointed directly by an Inquisitor, 
  to accompany him at all times and 
  to learn his vocation through 
  first-hand experience.
  However, an Interrogator 
  is far more than a journeyman 
  Inquisitor yet to come into his 
  full abilities. An Interrogator 
  knows that the eye of judgement 
  is upon him at all times. His 
  every act is weighed in the 
  balance, 
  recorded, 
  and 
  judged. Each success takes 
  him that one step closer to 
  the ultimate honour of being 
  awarded the Inquisitorial Seal; 
  every failure may be his last. 
  Many Interrogators pursue their 
  apprenticeship with a fervour 
  that would put to shame the 
  most bombastic Drill Abbot, 
  pushing themselves to greater 
  extremes to prove themselves 
  worthy in the eyes of their 
  master. Many such individuals 
  pay the ultimate price for 
  their zealousness, performing 
  the greatest of service to 
  the Inquisition and giving 
  their lives that their masters 
  might prevail. Countless are 
  the Interrogators that have 
  interposed themselves bodily 
  between master and foe, suffering 
  mortal wounds but buying time for that master to deliver the 
  killing blow to the enemy. Some say that the Interrogator 
  is uniquely blessed, existing in a state of grace. As such, 
  Interrogators often seem to be the recipients of some form of 
  divine protection and intervention. Many are the writings of 
  ancient Inquisitor Lords that appear to lament the loss of such 
  grace upon their appointment to Inquisitor.
  There exists no formal structure to an Interrogator’s training. 
  Some may serve for decades, their master teaching them every 
  aspect of the Inquisitor’s duties with minute attention to detail. 
  Others may find themselves Inquisitors in short order, perhaps 
  in recognition of some great service performed in the course 
  of an investigation. In general, however, it is expected for the 
  Interrogator to learn the most important aspect of their vocation, 
  that which gives them their title—the art of interrogation. It is 
  said that no secret can be withheld from an Inquisitor, for they 
  seek the truth in the name of the Emperor Himself. Few would 
  be capable of deceit in the face of an Inquisitor, for they are 
  figures of myth and horror across the Imperium, as feared in 
  their way as the mutant and the witch. Those who do withhold 
  the truth must be brought to heel, the Inquisitor peeling back 
  layer after layer of deceit until the truth is finally revealed. 
  The methods used range from subtle guile and artful cunning 
  to the horrors of the auto-rack and psychic trepanning. An 
  Interrogator must master all such methods before being judged 
  worthy of progressing to the rank of Inquisitor.
  There are many more fields in which an Interrogator may 
  be schooled, the depth and scope dependent upon the methods 
  and skills of their own master. They may also be schooled by 
  other members of their master’s cadre. They may learn martial 
  skills from a loyal bodyguard, or the arts of communion 
  with the machine-spirit from a learned Magos 
  of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Each of these 
  tutors impart their specialised knowledge, 
  and their judgement is sought by the 
  master in the Interrogator’s progress. Yet, 
  despite all of the knowledge and skills 
  an Interrogator may learn throughout the 
  course of their tutelage, there is one quality 
  that cannot be taught. They must prove beyond 
  all doubt that they are willing and able to look 
  in the eye the most terrible of Mankind’s 
  foes, and not falter, even should 
  their life be forfeit. Only 
  when judged able to bear 
  the most terrible of truths 
  does the Interrogator have 
  any hope of receiving the 
  Inquisitorial Seal.
  sTarTing skills, 
  TalenTs, and gear
  Talents: Watched From On High (Influence Talent)
  Gear: One basic weapon of choice (may not have an 
  Availability greater than Rare), one melee weapon of 
  choice (may not have an Availability greater than Rare), 
  best-craftsmanship flak armour, badge of office, micro-bead.
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  67
  ascended TraiTs
  When you take up the path of the Interrogator you automatically 
  gain the His Right Hand Trait and Wild Skills and Talents. You 
  must also choose one other trait from the list below.
  his right hand
  An Interrogator’s role is to enact the will of his master, when 
  and where it is needed. In this capacity, they learn the basics of 
  many skills and abilities, often mimicking those of their master. 
  Once per game session, an Interrogator may count as having a 
  Talent or Skill (though not Paragon Talent, Special Talent or 
  Mastered Skill) possessed by his Inquisitor. He does not need 
  to meet the normal requirements to use this Talent or Skill 
  (with the exception of Tech-Priest and Psychic Talents), and its 
  effects last for a full encounter or the duration of one combat.
  Wild skills and Talents
  The first two Ranks of the Interrogator Career Path contain 
  a number of Skills (Any) and Talents (Any). These are skills 
  and talents that can be chosen from ANY basic career path 
  from the DArk Heresy Rulebook (excluding Tech-Priests 
  and Imperial Psykers), reflecting an Interrogator’s wide range 
  of aptitudes. Prerequisites for these skills and talents must 
  be met as normal. Note that Sound Constitution may not be 
  selected by this ability.
  choose one…
  inquisitorial student 
  An Interrogator is a student of his Inquisitor and has learned the 
  secrets and skills that his master and mentor have to pass on. 
  In this way, an Interrogator hangs on the words of his master, 
  soaking up his knowledge and speeding his own learning. Any 
  Talent, Paragon Talent, Skill or Mastered Skill that is available to 
  an Interrogator as an advance (and which he of sufficient Rank to 
  take)—which has also already been taken by his Inquisitor—may 
  be purchased at a discount of 100xp (to a minimum of 100xp).
  Master questioner
  It is not without reason that Interrogators’ bear their title, 
  and many are well versed in the art of interrogation and 
  finding truth. Once per game session, the Interrogator may 
  automatically pass one Interrogation test, even if penalties 
  would normally make passing such a test impossible. Should 
  degrees of success be a factor, then the Inquisitor is consider 
  to have rolled a 01 on this test. In addition, the GM may 
  allow the Interrogator to use the Interrogation skill on subjects 
  normally immune to its effects.
  The Psyker’s gift
  As with their masters, many Interrogators are psykers and 
  develop their powers under their master’s tutelage. You must 
  already be a psyker to select this trait. You may select the 
  Minor Psychic Power Talent as an Elite Advance for 500xp, 
  the Major Psychic Power Talent as an Elite Advance for 
  750xp, or the Ascended Psychic Power Talent as an Elite 
  Advance for 2,000 xp. You may also increase your current 
  Psy Rating by +1 as an Elite Advance for 1,500 xp. The xp 
  cost of the Ascended Psychic Power Talent may be reduced 
  in the normal fashion (see page 125).
  Interrogator Characteristic Advances
  Characteristic
  Heroic
  Master
  Weapon Skill
  1,500
  2,000
  Ballistic Skill
  1,500
  2,000
  Strength
  3,000
  3,500
  Toughness
  3,000
  3,500
  Agility
  1,500
  2,000
  Intelligence
  1,000
  1,500
  Perception
  1,000
  1,500
  Willpower
  1,500
  2,000
  Fellowship
  1,000
  1,500
  Rank 9 Interrogator Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Basic Weapons Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Pistol Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Academics)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Inquisition)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Workers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Skill (Any)
  700
  —
  Skill (Any)
  700
  —
  Skill (Any)
  700
  —
  Talent (Any)
  700
  Prerequisites must be meet as normal
  Talent (Any)
  700
  Prerequisites must be meet as normal
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Choose one)
  700
  Talent
  —
  Secret Tongue (Throne Agent) 
  500
  Skill
  —
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  68
  Rank 10 Interrogator Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Gunfighter Saint
  700
  Paragon Talent
  BS40, Ag 40, Pistol Weapon Training (any)
  Driving Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Peer (Government)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Middle Class)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Military)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Administratum)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Imperial Guard)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Imperial Navy)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Underworld)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Void Born)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Skill (Any) +10
  700
  Skill
  Skill (Any)
  Skill (Any) +10
  700
  Skill
  Skill (Any)
  Talent (Any)
  700
  Talent
  Prerequisites must be meet as normal
  Talent (Any)
  700
  Talent
  Prerequisites must be meet as normal
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  Rank 11 Interrogator Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Peerless Marksman
  700
  Paragon Talent
  BS 40
  Fieldcraft Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Linguistic Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Favoured by Fate
  700
  Talent
  —
  Peer (Enforcers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Feral Worlders)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Ecclesiarchy)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Hivers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Pilgrims)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Planet (specific))
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Adeptus Mechanicus)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Astropaths)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Workers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Workers)
  Rank 12 Interrogator Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Heightened Reactions
  700
  Paragon Talent
  Ag 40, Per 40
  Mental Aegis
  700
  Paragon Talent
  WP50
  Charismatic Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Forbidden Lore Mastery
  800
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Investigation Mastery
  800
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Observation Mastery
  800
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Pious Observation
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Lord of Domains
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Adeptus Arbites)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Death Worlders)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Navigators)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Nobility)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (PDF)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Inquisition)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Inquisition)
  Good Reputation (Academics)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Academics)
  Good Reputation (Government)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Government)
  Good Reputation (Middle Class)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Middle Class)
  Good Reputation (Military)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Military)
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  69
  Rank 13 Interrogator Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Melee Weapon Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Common Lore Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Scholastic Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Stealth Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Renowned Warrior
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  –100
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Good Reputation (Enforcers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Enforcers)
  Good Reputation (Feral Worlders)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Feral Worlders)
  Good Reputation (Ecclesiarchy)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Ecclesiarchy)
  Good Reputation (Hivers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Hivers)
  Good Reputation (Pilgrims)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Pilgrims)
  Good Reputation (Planet (specific))
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Planet (specific))
  Rank 14 Interrogator Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Storm of Blows
  700
  Paragon Talent
  WS 35, Ag 40
  Shadow Craft Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Tech Lore Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Worthy of the Calixian Elite
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Hidden Cultist
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Adeptus Astartes)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Cult (specific))
  –100
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Arbites)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adeptus Arbites)
  Good Reputation (Death Worlders)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Death Worlders)
  Good Reputation (Navigators)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Navigators)
  Good Reputation (Nobility)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Nobility)
  Good Reputation (PDF)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (PDF)
  Rank 15 Interrogator Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Sleeper Agent
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Member of the Tyrantine Cabal
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Underworld)
  –100
  Influence Talent
  —
  Good Reputation (Administratum)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Administratum)
  Good Reputation (Imperial Guard)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Imperial Guard)
  Good Reputation (Imperial Navy)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Imperial Navy)
  Good Reputation (Underworld)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Underworld)
  Good Reputation (Void Born)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Void Born)
  Enemy (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  –100
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Rank 16 Interrogator Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Warp Lore Mastery
  800
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Cryptological Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Revolutionary
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Chartist Captains)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Cult (specific))
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Astartes)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adeptus Astartes)
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Mechanicus)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adeptus Mechanicus)
  Good Reputation (Astropaths)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Astropaths)
  Enemy (Cult (specific))
  –100
  Influence Talent
  —
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  70
  Judge
  “You are bound by the Lex Imperialis! Submit in the Emperor’s name, 
  or I will strike you down with His will!”
  –Judge Gordon Titus, during the purge of Solomon’s 
  Interior Zone 13. 
  T
  he Imperium’s laws are iron and absolute. They must 
  be, for they are the only bulwark between the huddled 
  masses of humanity and a sure descent into chaos and 
  destruction. To enforce those laws—taken from the Book of 
  Judgement, and known as the Lex Imperialis—the Imperium 
  relies on the strength of the Adeptus Arbites. The laws of the 
  Imperium as a whole are the Arbites’ jurisdiction. They are 
  the Imperium’s police, as well as the watchful eyes ensuring 
  that local authorities and planetary governors maintain their 
  loyalty to the greater Imperium. Within the Adeptus Arbites, 
  there are the Arbitrators—the militant arm and the fighting 
  forces used to quell rebellions and the like—and the Judges. 
  Judges are lords of justice who have great powers and sweeping 
  influence within their purview not far below that of an Imperial 
  Inquisitor. Judges are given both the power of enforcing the 
  law and passing judgement on those who break it. 
  A Judge must be able to pass judgement just as ably as he 
  dispenses justice, and although the Lex Imperialis is uniformly 
  harsh in its sentences, it is also fair. For every crime there is 
  a punishment, established through millennia of rulings, legal 
  decisions, and precedents. At some point in their career, if not 
  from the very outset, all Judges make a pilgrimage to Terra and 
  the great Hall of Judgement to study there amongst the vast 
  and ever-growing labyrinth of laws and ordinances that govern 
  the Imperium’s scattered worlds. Although portable cogitators 
  exist that contain a portion of the relevant Lex Imperialis for 
  a Judge’s purview—suitable for simple issues of precedence 
  and crime amongst the Adeptus Terra—a vastly more lengthy 
  process is necessary when dealing with more heinous and 
  elaborate crimes. Whilst the Book of Judgement is extensive, 
  it is not a perfect science, and finding the correct answer can 
  take years, even decades or centuries in particularly complex 
  cases. Most cases involve contradictory laws that would result 
  in differing results for the accused. In the inner sanctum of the 
  Hall of Judgement, Judges spend much time immersed in this 
  reality until they are truly ready to render a fit judgement to 
  those who stand beneath the Emperor’s justice. Many Judges 
  never leave, a lifetime of deliberation and scrutiny passed on 
  to the next Judge, and the next, and so on for millennia, until 
  the accused are long dead—but still a ruling must be found, 
  and justice meted out to the vaguest of descendants and those 
  obliquely associated with the original accused.
  This does not mean that a Judge is any stranger to violence 
  and bloodshed. On the contrary, the Lex Imperialis dictates a 
  Judge must be as willing to dispense his judgement as he is to 
  pronounce it. Sometimes this judgement is public floggings, 
  exile to a prison world, condemnation to a penal legion, or even 
  a public execution. Far more often, judgement is pronounced 
  as a summary execution and delivered from the barrel of a bolt 
  pistol. For the most widespread and heinous crimes, retribution 
  involves deploying the uncompromising and brutal power of 
  the Arbitrators. When the Pax Imperialis is truly broken, the 
  full military might of the Emperor’s armies can be brought to 
  bear, such is the power and influence of the Judges—peers of 
  the Imperium. 
  For their part, Judges are some of the most willing agents of 
  the Inquisition. They see the Holy Ordos’ work as an extension 
  of their old duties, bringing justice to the miscreant, criminal, 
  and heretic. They also tend to maintain ties with their former 
  colleagues, and can call on the resources of the Arbitrators, as 
  well as those of the Inquisition. Unlike many other Throne 
  Agents, Judges often carry on with their duties to the Adeptus 
  Arbites whilst accompanying a Puritan Inquisitor, the two’s 
  work being mutually beneficial to both. This combination of 
  investigator and militant is what makes Judges so appealing to 
  the Inquisition. Judges have a valued place within the Ordos as 
  highly valuable Throne Agents.
  However, Judges tend to be rather unyielding and absolute 
  when Imperial Law is involved. This can prove to be a problem 
  when an investigation requires bending those rules. Judges are 
  required to be intractable and incorruptible, and 
  are often unwilling to overlook lawbreaking 
  (or break laws themselves) in order to pursue 
  a larger investigation. They may also be 
  unwilling to work with Throne Agents 
  with backgrounds originating amongst 
  the Imperium’s criminal 
  underworld. 
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  71
  For these reasons, Judges often find themselves working 
  with Inquisitors and Throne Agents of a more Puritan mindset. 
  sTarTing skills, 
  TalenTs, and gear
  Gear: Best-craftsmanship combat shotgun with Executioner 
  rounds, common-craftsmanship bolt pistol, common-
  craftsmanship Arbites carapace armour, power maul, badge of 
  office, Arbites badge.
  ascended TraiTs
  When you take up the path of the Judge, you automatically 
  gain the Imperial Authority Trait. You must also choose one 
  other trait from the list below.
  imperial authority
  For most of those who live on Imperial worlds, obedience 
  is not a virtue, but a necessary means of survival. Absolute, 
  unquestioning obedience of Imperial authority has been drilled 
  into most Imperial citizens since birth, as well as the terrible 
  consequences for failing to do so. A Judge can issue orders 
  that Imperial citizens are conditioned to obey. If this takes 
  place during combat, it counts as a free action that a Judge 
  may perform once per turn. When the Judge issues this order, 
  a number of targets equal to his Willpower Bonus must make 
  an Easy (+30) Willpower Test or obey the order. The targets 
  must be Imperial citizens, must be able to hear and understand 
  the order, and the order must be simple (able to be accomplished 
  during a single round). Some possible orders are “halt,” “get 
  into cover,” or “stop that man!” In addition, the Judge must be 
  carrying something to identify himself as Arbites (this could 
  be a badge, power maul with an Arbites logo, etc.). The GM 
  may determine that certain targets (such as long-time cultists or 
  hardened recidivist criminals) are immune from this ability. If 
  the Judge is wearing a full set of Arbites Judge’s regalia (Arbites 
  carapace armour and Arbites badge) and the target can see the 
  Judge issuing the order (this can include a pict-caster screen!), 
  the test becomes Challenging (+0) instead. If the Judge has the 
  Air of Authority Talent, he can affect a number of targets equal 
  to 10x his Willpower Bonus instead. 
  choose one…
  hammer of heretics
  Many judges specialise against a particular menace, learning 
  everything they can about their adversaries so that they might 
  be more adept at bringing it to justice. Heretics are a common 
  foe who represent a constant threat to law and order. The 
  Judge gains a bonus of +20 when making Intimidate or 
  Interrogate Skill Tests against heretics. In addition, heretics 
  that are also Imperial Citizens suffer a further –10 against 
  his Imperial Authority power. It is up to the GM to decide 
  exactly which enemies count as heretics.
  Master of Mutants
  Mutants form a large proportion of the population of many 
  Imperial worlds, where they are used as cheap and plentiful 
  labour. As any Judge will tell you, however, mutants are 
  nothing but trouble. The Judge gains a bonus of +20 when 
  making Intimidate or Interrogate Skill Tests against mutants. 
  In addition, mutants that are also Imperial Citizens suffer a 
  further –10 against his Imperial Authority power.
  Judge Characteristic Advances
  Characteristic
  Heroic
  Master
  Weapon Skill
  1,500
  2,000
  Ballistic Skill
  1,000
  1,500
  Strength
  3,000
  3,500
  Toughness
  1,000
  1,500
  Agility
  3,000
  3,500
  Intelligence
  1,000
  1,500
  Perception
  1,500
  2,000
  Willpower
  1,500
  2,000
  Fellowship
  1,500
  2,000
  Rank 9 Judge Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Command +20
  700
  Skill
  Command+10
  Search +20
  700
  Skill
  Search +10
  Talented (Interrogation)
  700
  Talent
  —
  Basic Weapons Expertise
  400
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Pistol Expertise
  400
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Adeptus Arbites)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Enforcers)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Hivers)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Workers)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Arbites)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Adeptus Arbites)
  Good Reputation (Enforcers)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Enforcers)
  Rival (Underworld)
  –100
  Influence Talent
  —
  Secret Tongue (Throne Agent) 
  500
  Skill
  —
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  72
  Rank 10 Judge Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Dodge +20
  700
  Skill
  Dodge +10
  Talented (Command)
  700
  Talent
  —
  Talented (Intimidation)
  700
  Talent
  —
  Talented (Scrutiny)
  700
  Talent
  —
  Charismatic Mastery
  400
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Driving Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Investigation Mastery
  400
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Observation Mastery
  400
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Indomitable Fortitude
  400
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Melee Weapons Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Government)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Middle Class)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Inquisition)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Hivers)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Hivers)
  Outspoken Monodominant
  400
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Recidivist Organisation (Specific))
  –100
  Influence Talent
  Rank 11 Judge Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Talented (Search)
  700
  Talent
  —
  Common Lore Mastery
  400
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Athletic Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Heroic Leadership
  400
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Gunfighter Saint
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Nobility)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Underworld)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Administratum)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Planet (Specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Middle Class)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Middle Class)
  Good Reputation (Government)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Government)
  Good Reputation (Inquisition)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Inquisition)
  Revolutionary
  400
  Influence Talent
  —
  Pious Observation
  500
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Cult (Specific))
  –100
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rank 12 Judge Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Stealth Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Peerless Marksman
  400
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Storm of Blows
  400
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Conditioned Intellect
  500
  Paragon Talent
  Peer (Ecclesiarchy)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (PDF)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Cult (Specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Nobility)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Nobility)
  Watched from on High
  400
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Recidivist Organisation (Specific))
  –100
  Influence Talent
  —
  Enemy (Recidivist Organisation (Specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Recidivist Organisation (Specific))
  Enemy (Underworld)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Underworld)
  Unarmed Warrior
  500
  Talent
  WS 35, Ag 35
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  73
  Rank 13 Judge Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Shadow Craft Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Unarmed Master
  500
  Talent
  WS 45, Ag 45, Unarmed Warrior
  Soul of Stone
  400
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Academics)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Military)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Imperial Guard)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Planet (Specific))
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Planet (Specific))
  Good Reputation (PDF)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (PDF)
  Conciliator
  400
  Influence Talent
  —
  Warmonger
  400
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Nobility)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rank 14 Judge Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Scholastic Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Cryptological Mastery
  600
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Heightened Reactions
  500
  Paragon Talent
  Ag 40, Per 40
  Heavy Weapons Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Blade Dancer
  600
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Chartist Captains)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Academics)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Academics)
  Member of the Tyrantine Cabal
  500
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Chartist Captains)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Unarmed Ascendant Mastery
  500
  Paragon Talent
  WS 45, Ag 45
  Rank 15 Judge Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Peer (Adepta Sororitas) 
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Chartist Captains)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Chartist Captains)
  Shadow Lord
  500
  Influence Talent
  —
  Worthy of the Calixian Elite
  500
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Recidivist Organisation (Specific))
  –100
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Cult (Specific))
  –100
  Influence Talent
  —
  Enemy (Recidivist Organisation (Specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Recidivist Organisation (Specific))
  Enemy (Cult (Specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Cult (specific))
  Enemy (Nobility)
  –400
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Nobility)
  Combat Sense
  700
  Talent
  Per 40
  Rank 16 Judge Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Forbidden Lore Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Peer (Planet (Specific))
  400
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Adepta Sororitas)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Adepta Sororitas)
  Ear of the Lord Sector
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Recidivist Organisation (Specific))
  –100
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Rogue Trader)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Enemy (Recidivist Organisation (Specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Recidivist Organisation (Specific))
  Enemy (Chartist Captains)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Chartist Captains)
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  74
  Magos
  “I grow weary of this flesh I was born into, strangely disgusted by 
  its nature. I crave only the cold, clean certainty of steel and silicon, 
  that I might become one with the Blessed Machine. I do not expect 
  you to understand, you who cling to your flesh as if it were immortal, 
  seeking only to preserve it, to protect it. One day, you will see the 
  folly of your ways, and then no doubt you will come begging to my 
  order to preserve you…”
  –Magos Deruss, making polite conversation with a minor 
  scion of the House of Persis
  A 
  Magos is an adherent of the Cult Mechanicus who 
  has served the Machine God for so long and with 
  such dedication that the greater part of his body now 
  takes the form of the sacred machine. Over decades, even 
  centuries of service, the Magos’ limbs and organs have been 
  replaced, one by one, with superior cybernetic versions that 
  never grow weak, never tire, and never wither with age. The 
  further along this path, the more machine parts the Magos 
  has. In fact, the oldest Magos have none, save a small core of 
  grey matter buried deep within an armoured cortex amidst a 
  mass of cables, ports, and vents.
  As a servant of the Omnissiah advances further in 
  his Quest for Knowledge, it is not only his physical 
  appearance that alters. Even as his body is rebuilt, 
  so too does his mind change. The Quest for 
  Knowledge exposes the Magos to all manner of 
  alien technologies and esoteric doctrines, many of 
  which threaten the individual’s very sanity with 
  their expositions on the nature of reality. Many 
  pursue such lines of inquiry to the exclusion of 
  all other duties, sometimes spending decades at a 
  stretch locked away in a laboratorium, studying 
  some scrap of technology from a long-lost 
  civilisation. The outcome is there exists an entire 
  class within the Adeptus Mechanicus who appear 
  to an outsider to be actively pursuing all manner of 
  heresies. Yet, these ‘heresies’ do not spread, as they 
  perhaps would within another institution. Were a 
  Priest of the Adeptus Ministorum to actively seek out 
  daemonological texts for example, it would be expected 
  that he would become tainted, and that the cancer 
  of heresy would spread in short order, 
  condemning hundreds to the pyre. It is 
  rarely so amongst ranks of the Magos, for 
  these individuals are so far from human 
  and so preternaturally single-minded that 
  notions of heresy and forbidden knowledge 
  are entirely below them. They approach 
  the mysteries of the universe with an objective 
  detachment entirely appropriate to their calling, 
  their machine-augmented minds all but filtering out 
  the echoing voices of long-dead xenos.
  Individuals pursuing a similar line of investigation 
  within the great Quest for Knowledge often band 
  together, forming factions within the greater 
  body of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Undisputed masters of 
  technological achievement, a Magos often becomes known by 
  his particular specialty. Among these titles are Magos Technicus, 
  Magos Metallurgicus, Magos Alchemys, Magos Physic, Magos 
  Biologis, Magos Ordinatos, and many more.
  In addition to his pursuit of technological esoterica, 
  the Magos is able to commune with the greater will that is 
  the Omnissiah. It is said that as the body and mind of the 
  servant becomes more mechanical, so his communion with the 
  Machine God becomes stronger. They attend to the Machine 
  Altars of the Forge Worlds, each of which is interconnected 
  with the rest so as to form a galaxy-wide web through which 
  the will of the Omnissiah and the unadulterated sum of the 
  knowledge of the Cult Mechanicus is transmitted. As they shed 
  their inherited biological weaknesses and become one with the 
  machine, so the Magos become more and more part of the 
  gestalt sum of ultimate knowledge. Eventually, at the end of 
  his Quest for Knowledge, the Magos divests himself of the 
  last shred of Humanity, uploading the contents of his cerebral 
  cortex, and perhaps his very soul, by way of the Machine Altar, 
  and becoming one with the Omnissiah.
  But until that time, the Magos continue their quest, wherever 
  it may take them. Many find themselves serving alongside 
  Inquisitors during the course of their quest, the interests of 
  both groups converging, if only for a time. An Inquisitor finds 
  a Magos a powerful member of his cadre, able to uncover and 
  exploit knowledge that would drive others insane. 
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  75
  sTarTing skills, 
  TalenTs, and gear
  Talents: Peer (Adeptus Mechanicus) (Influence Talent).
  Gear: Best-craftsmanship carapace armour or common-
  craftsmanship power armour, power axe or power maul, best-
  craftsmanship hellgun or common-craftsmanship bolter with 
  red-dot laser sight, two Best-craftsmanship bionic implants 
  or cybernetic limbs of choice, badge of office, auspex, combi-
  tool, vox-caster.
  ascended TraiTs
  When you take up the path of the Magos you automatically 
  gain the Soul of Iron Trait. You must also choose one other 
  trait from the list below.
  soul of iron
  True servants of the Omnissiah inevitably give up humanity 
  in order to embrace the glory of the machine god. This is 
  especially true of most Magos who only vaguely remember 
  a time when the concerns of mortals plagued their mind. 
  All Interaction Skill Tests used against a Magos suffer a –30 
  penalty. The Magos should choose one appropriate Common 
  Lore, Scholastic Lore, Forbidden Lore, or Trade Skill as his 
  main focus and area of expertise. The Magos gains one bonus 
  degree of success with any of his successful Skill Tests involving 
  Tech-Use or his chosen Skill, and in addition gains +10 to any 
  Opposed Test involving Tech-Use or his chosen Skill.
  choose one…
  Weapon-Tech
  All Magos become masters of machine spirits and the sacred 
  workings of tech. Many, however, specialise learning the 
  blessed and secret intricacies of particular devices such as 
  guns. Once per combat, the Magos can enhance his weapon, 
  or seek out the weak points in an opponent’s armour, 
  increasing the Magos’ deadliness. Once per game session, a 
  weapon personally wielded by the Magos from the las, melta, 
  plasma, shock, or power category (this may also include the 
  Exotic category at the GM’s discretion) increases its Damage 
  and Penetration by an amount equal to his Intelligence Bonus 
  for one Round.
  armour-Monger
  The finest armours and most powerful shields are all products 
  of the followers of the machine god, based on the fabled and 
  ancient designs of man’s glorious past. With years of training, 
  a Magos can learn to enhance these protections, or use them 
  in their optimum fashion. The Magos increases the Armour 
  Points of any armour he wears by 2 on all locations it would 
  normally cover as long as he has at least an hour each day 
  to bless and prepare the armour. This bonus applies only to 
  armour worn by the Magos.
  Tech-Tinker
  Not all Magos focus on war. Some favour the workings of 
  other more miscellaneous kinds of machinery. A Magos can 
  increase the effectiveness of a piece of technology, increasing 
  its function or output. Once per day as a Full Action, the 
  Magos can increase the power of a piece of technology which 
  is neither a weapon nor protective device. This, in effect, 
  increases its function by 50%, be it the range of the signal 
  it can broadcast or the amount of items it can fabricate. This 
  boost only lasts for the duration of a single scene or encounter 
  (this amount of time may be extended at the GM’s discretion). 
  The GM always has final say in the exact effects of a boosted 
  piece of tech.
  Magos Characteristic Advances
  Characteristic
  Heroic
  Master
  Weapon Skill
  3,000
  3,500
  Ballistic Skill
  1,000
  1,500
  Strength
  1,500
  2,000
  Toughness
  1,000
  1,500
  Agility
  3,000
  3,500
  Intelligence
  1,000
  1,500
  Perception
  1,000
  1,500
  Willpower
  1,500
  2,000
  Fellowship
  N/A
  N/A
  Rank 9 Magos Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Call of Iron
  500
  Paragon Talent
  Mechanicus Implants
  Driving Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Tech Lore Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Peer (Adeptus Mechanicus)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Cult (specific))
  –100
  Influence Talent
  —
  The Flesh Is Weak 1
  500
  Talent
  Exotic Weapon Training (Choose One)
  500
  Talent
  Sound Constitution (x3)
  500
  Talent
  Trade (Any) +10
  500
  Skill
  Secret Tongue (Throne Agent) 
  500
  Skill
  —
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  76
  Rank 10 Magos Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Basic Weapons Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Machine Spirit Empathy
  500
  Paragon Talent
  Int 30, Fel 30, Mechanicus Implants
  Peer (Academics)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Workers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Planet (specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Mechanicus)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Military)
  Rival (Ecclesiarchy)
  –300
  Influence Talent
  —
  The Flesh Is Weak 2
  500
  Talent
  The Flesh Is Weak I
  Heavy Weapon Training (Choose One)
  500
  Talent
  Sound Constitution (x3)
  500
  Talent
  Trade (Any) +20
  500
  Skill
  Machinator Array
  1000
  Talent
  Rank 11 Magos Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Electro Illumination
  500
  Paragon Talent
  Mechanicus Implants
  Voice of the Omnissiah
  500
  Paragon Talent
  Mechanicus Implants
  Observation Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Ally of the Departmento Munitorum
  500
  Influence Talent
  —
  Conciliator
  500
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Peer (Enforcers)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Hivers)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Government)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Imperial Navy)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (PDF)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Adepta Sororitas)
  –300
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Enemy (Cult (specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent 
  —
  The Flesh Is Weak 3
  500
  Talent
  The Flesh Is Weak 2
  Rank 12 Magos Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Conditioned Intellect
  500
  Paragon Talent
  Int 40
  Mental Aegis
  500
  Paragon Talent
  WP 50
  Soul of Stone
  500
  Paragin Talent
  WP 40
  Forbidden Lore Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Warmonger
  500
  Influence Talent
  —
  Favoured by Fate
  700
  Talent
  —
  Peer (Adeptus Arbites)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Adeptus Titanicus)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Administratum)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Imperial Guard)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Enforcers)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Enforcers)
  Good Reputation (Hivers)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Hivers)
  Good Reputation (Academics)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Academics)
  Good Reputation (Workers)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Workers)
  Good Reputation (Planet (specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Planet (specific))
  Enemy (Ecclesiarchy)
  –300
  Influence Talent
  —
  Enhanced Bionic Frame
  1000
  Talent
  The Flesh Is Weak 4
  500
  Talent
  The Flesh Is Weak 3
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  77
  Rank 13 Magos Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Exemplar of Metal
  1000
  Paragon Talent
  Mechanicus Implants
  Melee Weapon Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Piloting Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Peer (Astropaths)
  700
  Influence Talent
   Fel 30
  Peer (Adeptus Astartes)
  700
  Influence Talent
   Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Government)
  700
  Influence Talent
   Fel 50, Peer (Government)
  Good Reputation (Imperial Navy)
  700
  Influence Talent
   Fel 50, Peer (Imperial Navy)
  Good Reputation (PDF)
  700
  Influence Talent
   Fel 50, Peer (PDF)
  Enemy (Adepta Sororitas)
  –300
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Rank 14 Magos Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Gravitic Levitation
  500
  Paragon Talent
  Mechanicus Implants
  Revolutionary
  500
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Cult (specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Inquisition)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Navigators)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Void Born)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Arbites)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adeptus Arbites)
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Titanicus)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adeptus Titanicus)
  Good Reputation (Administratum)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Administratum)
  Good Reputation (Imperial Guard)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Imperial Guard)
  Sturdy
  1000
  Trait
  Exemplar of Metal
  Heavy Weapons Expertise
  1000
  Paragon Talent
  Rank 15 Magos Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Purity of the Machine
  500
  Paragon Talent
  Mechanicus Implant
  Cryptological Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Member of the Tyrantine Cabal
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Chartist Captains)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Astropaths)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Astropaths)
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Astartes)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adeptus Astartes)
  Good Reputation (Recidivist Organisation 
  (specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
   Fel 50, Peer (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  Armour Plating
  1000
  Trait
  Machine Trait
  Unnatural Toughness (x2)
  2000
  Trait
  Exemplar of Metal
  Unnatural Intelligence (x2)
  1000
  Trait
  Rank 16 Magos Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Indomitable Fortitude
  500
  Paragon Talent
  T 40, WP 40
  Mnemonic Purging
  500
  Other Talent
  Int 45, WP 45
  Watched From On High
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Oath Bonded to the Angels of Death
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Rogue Trader)
  700
  Influence Talent
   Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Cult (specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
   Fel 50, Peer (Cult (specific))
  Good Reputation (Inquisition)
  700
  Influence Talent
   Fel 50, Peer (Inquisition)
  Good Reputation (Navigators)
  700
  Influence Talent
   Fel 50, Peer (Navigators)
  Good Reputation (Void Born)
  700
  Influence Talent
   Fel 50, Peer (Void Born)
  Hoverer (6)
  2000
  Trait
  Gravitic Levitation
  Unnatural Strength (x2)
  2000
  Trait
  Exemplar of Metal
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  78
  Primaris Psyker
  “Defy me, and I will split open your thoughts and sear your  
  very soul.” 
  –Primaris Psyker Haddrin Malfumme
  T
  here are many fates awaiting a psyker in the Imperium 
  of Man. The vast majority are doomed from birth—too 
  unstable or corruptible to be trusted—they are gathered 
  by the Black Ships and sent to Holy Terra. There, they are 
  consumed by the Emperor to prolong his life, or drained 
  whilst powering the Astronomicon. Others are trained under 
  the Adeptus Astropathica, and some show the aptitude to be 
  seconded directly to the Inquisition for training.
  However, not all psykers are equal in power. Those that 
  show both power and the aptitude to control it are sent to 
  the Scholastica Psykana. There they are trained to serve the 
  Imperium with their abilities, in order to repay their debt 
  of being born with an innate connection to the dreaded 
  Immaterium. Those who survive the training become 
  Sanctioned Psykers, and in time, may develop their abilities 
  to the point where they are considered Primaris. 
  Like Sanctioned Psykers, Primaris Psykers (also 
  referred to as primary-psykers or psyker-lords) 
  are seconded by the Scholastica Psykana to 
  the Imperium’s myriad Adeptus Terra. For 
  example, those who show expertise in the arts 
  of divination and telepathy often find themselves 
  working amongst the Administratum, where their powers 
  can augment the workings of the Imperium’s overarching 
  bureaucracy. Meanwhile, more militant and destructive psykers 
  are sent to serve as battle psykers in the Imperial Guard. And 
  of course, a not inconsiderable number are swept up to 
  serve in the ranks of the Inquisition as Throne Agents.
  For those Inquisitors willing to trust them, Primaris 
  Psykers provide a host of abilities far beyond those 
  possessed by other Throne Agents. A Primaris Psyker 
  can burn a room full of enemies to ash, know the 
  thoughts of a suspect without speaking a word, or even 
  project his consciousness into the aether to hunt down the 
  Imperium’s enemies. 
  However, these fantastic abilities come with a price. 
  Like all psykers, the Primaris Psyker must live with the 
  constant threat of being consumed by the power he 
  draws upon. The warp lurks at the back of the psyker’s 
  subconscious, waiting for the moment when he 
  overreaches himself and leaves an opening for 
  something to slip through. To help combat this, the 
  Scholastica Psykana provides Primaris Psykers with 
  several fail-safes. Some of these are tangible; complex 
  micro-circuitry and neuro-active wiring can be built 
  into a hood or collar grafted onto a Primaris Psyker, 
  and the Scholastica Calixis has even been known to 
  inlay such devices into the bone of the psyker’s skull. 
  Such systems can help to bleed off residual warp 
  energy or alleviate the worst of a psy-overload. After 
  all, Primaris Psykers are considered a highly valuable 
  resource by their masters, and it is worth a great deal of expense 
  to preserve them. 
  Of course, there are certain situations where even the most 
  powerful and resilient psykers can fall prey to the corrupting 
  influence of the Immaterium. Such situations may result in 
  horrifying phenomena, possession, or worse. In those situations, 
  the psyker’s only hope is to trust that his mental conditioning 
  allows him to kill himself, rather than becoming the means of 
  not only his own destruction, but that of his colleagues, friends, 
  and any number of innocents.
  sTarTing skills, 
  TalenTs, and gear
  Gear: Common-craftsmanship force weapon or best-
  craftsmanship power weapon, common-craftsmanship bolt 
  pistol or hellpistol, best-craftsmanship flak armour, psy-focus, 
  badge of office, micro-bead.
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  79
  ascended TraiTs
  When you take up the path of the Primaris Psyker, you 
  automatically gain the Scholastica Psykana Failsafes Trait. 
  You must also choose one other trait from the list below.
  scholastica Psykana Failsafes
  Wards and psy-active micro-circuitry have been surgically 
  grafted into the Primaris Psyker, granting him some manner 
  of defence against the warp’s predications. When the Primaris 
  Psyker is required to roll on the Perils of the Warp Table 
  (but not the Psychic Phenomena Table), he may modify the 
  result rolled by 1d5 (either increasing it or decreasing it as he 
  chooses). In addition, if the Primaris Psyker ever rolls a result 
  on the Perils of the Warp Table that would result in him being 
  possessed, he must make a Challenging (+0) Willpower 
  Test. Success means his conditioning activates, and he kills 
  himself with whatever weapon he has at hand (or his Psykana 
  Mercy Blade). The Psyker may still permanently burn a Fate 
  Point to avoid death; if he does so, he does not count as 
  having suffered any of the listed effects from his Perils roll. 
  choose one…
  Psychic soldier 
  Many Primaris Psykers end up in the ranks of the Imperial 
  Guard, serving as part of a high ranking officer’s command. 
  However, such a position does not protect them from combat, 
  and such assignments often see them on the front lines, where 
  they must learn to use their powers swiftly and without 
  mercy. Once per combat, the Primaris Psyker may use a 
  psychic power that normally requires either a Full Action or 
  a Half Action as a Free Action. He may still only use a single 
  psychic power in his turn. 
  Untainted core
  Some Primaris Psykers can create a calm around them within 
  the warp, stilling the raging energies that they must channel 
  in order to use their powers. These skilled individuals are 
  almost impossible to disrupt, disturb, or cut off completely 
  with the use of warp witchery. Once per turn, the Primaris 
  Psyker may ignore the effects from a single source that affects 
  either his chances of invoking the perils of the warp or rolls 
  he makes on the perils of the warp table (including psychic 
  phenomena). If affected by multiple sources of disruption, the 
  Pysker must choose which to ignore at the start of his turn. 
  Note that this ability does not overcome sources that block 
  psi powers, such as Untouchables, but only those that disrupt 
  them and make them more unstable. 
  a ghost in the Warp
  It is useful to the Imperium, especially the Inquisition, to have 
  Psykers that can move about undetected and without a trace. 
  Such men and women are feared even by other Psykers, for 
  surely such a dark ability can only lead to evil. Once per 
  game session, the Psyker can leave no signature or trace 
  when using psychic powers and can choose for his powers 
  to have no visual or auditory effects (unless these would be 
  required for the power to function). In all other respects, his 
  powers function as normal. At the GM’s discretion, he may 
  decide that some powers are so potent or destructive that they 
  cannot be hidden by this ability.
  Primaris 
  Psyker 
  Characteristic 
  Advances
  Characteristic
  Heroic
  Master
  Weapon Skill
  3,000
  3,500
  Ballistic Skill
  1,500
  2,000
  Strength
  1,500
  2,000
  Toughness
  1,500
  2,000
  Agility
  3,000
  3,500
  Intelligence
  1,000
  1,500
  Perception
  1,000
  1,500
  Willpower
  1,000
  1,500
  Fellowship
  3,000
  3,500
  Rank 9 Primaris Psyker Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Dodge +20
  700
  Skill
  Dodge +10
  Ascended Psychic Power
  1,000
  Talent
  —
  Warp Lore Mastery
  400
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Melee Weapon Expertise
  400
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Astropaths)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Peer (Inquisition)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Revolutionary
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Ecclesiarchy)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Adepta Sororitas)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Exotic Weapon Training (Choose One)
  500
  Talent
  —
  Secret Tongue (Throne Agent) 
  500
  Skill
  —
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  80
   
  Rank 10 Primaris Psyker Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Sound Constitution†
  700
  Talent
  —
  Psy Rating +1
  800
  Talent
  Psy Rating 1+
  Forbidden Lore Mastery
  400
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Pistol Expertise
  400
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Conditioned Intellect
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Navigators)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Peer (Administratum)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Astropaths)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Astropaths)
  Sleeper Agent
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Good Reputation (Inquisition)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Inquisition)
  Rival (Cult (Specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Enemy (Adepta Sororitas)
  –400
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Adepta Sororitas)
  †You may take this Talent up to two times at this Rank.
  Rank 11 Primaris Psyker Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Ascended Psychic Power
  1,000
  Talent
  —
  Observation Mastery
  400
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Soul of Stone
  400
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Cults (Specific))
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Peer (Academics)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Navigators)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Navigators)
  Good Reputation (Administratum)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Administratum)
  Member of the Tyrantine Cabal
  400
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Recidivist Organisation (Specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Underworld)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Enemy (Ecclesiarchy)
  –400
  Influence Talent 
  Rival (Ecclesiarchy)
  Rank 12 Primaris Psyker Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Psy Rating +1
  800
  Talent
  Psy Rating 1+
  Sound Constitution
  800
  Talent
  —
  Investigation Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Decadent Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Hidden Cultist
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Hidden Cultist
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Void Born)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Peer (Middle Class)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Peer (Government)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Peer (Imperial Guard)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Peer (Military)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Peer (Nobility)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Sleeper Agent
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Pious Observation
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Good Reputation (Academics)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Academics)
  Rival (Middle Class)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Enemy (Cult (Specific))
  –300
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Cult (Specific))
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  81
  Rank 13 Primaris Psyker Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Ascended Psychic Power
  1,500
  Talent
  —
  Scholastic Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Heightened Reactions
  500
  Paragon Talent
  Ag 40, Per 40
  Good Reputation (Military)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Academics)
  Good Reputation (Nobility)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Nobility)
  Ally of the Departmento Munitorum
  400
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Cult (Specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Enemy (Recidivist Organisation (Specific))
  –300
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Recidivist Organisation (Specific))
  Rank 14 Primaris Psyker Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Psy Rating +1
  800
  Talent
  Psy Rating 1+
  Storm of Blows
  400
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Adeptus Arbites)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Peer (Cults (Specific))
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Peer (Imperial Navy)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Sleeper Agent
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Good Reputation (Government)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Government)
  Good Reputation (Void Born)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Void Born)
  Lord of Domains
  400
  Influence Talent
  —
  Enemy (Adeptus Arbites)
  –300
  Influence Talent
  —
  Enemy (Enforcers)
  –300
  Influence Talent
  —
  Unnatural Willpower (x2)
  1000
  Trait
  Rank 15 Primaris Psyker Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Ascended Psychic Power
  1,500
  Talent
  —
  Blade Dancer
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Hidden Cultist
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Chartist Captains)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Peer (PDF)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Peer (Rogue Trader)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Imperial Navy)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Imperial Navy)
  Worthy of the Calixian Elite
  500
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Cult (Specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Enemy (Government)
  –300
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rank 16 Primaris Psyker Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Psy Rating +1
  500
  Talent
  Psy Rating 1+
  Heroic Leader
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Indomitable Fortitude
  600
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Sleeper Agent
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Good Reputation (PDF)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (PDF)
  Good Reputation (Chartist Captains)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Chartist Captains)
  Good Reputation (Rogue Trader)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Rogue Trader)
  Rival (Recidivist Organisation (Specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Enemy (Cult (Specific))
  –300
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Cult (Specific))
  Enemy (Adeptus Astartes)
  –500
  Influence Talent
  —
  Enemy (Officio Assassinorum)
  –500
  Influence Talent
  —
  Unnatural Willpower (x3)
  2000
  Trait
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  82
  Sage
  “Of course I can trace the Duke’s great great grand uncle three times 
  removed, I just need to conduct an alpha-omega meta-probe of the 
  Saint Capeline Repository. It’ll have to be a silent scan though, 
  don’t want those data-sentinels back-tracing my cogitation pattern. 
  That can hurt…happened once during a mission on Malfi, I 
  was unconscious for three days, or so I’m told…had the strangest 
  dreams…did I tell you I can trace the Duke’s relative for you? All I 
  need to do is…”
  –Adept Gatasis (presumed dead)
  M
  any Inquisitors amass a veritable army of scholars 
  and scribes throughout the course of their duties, 
  each contributing specialised knowledge and skills 
  otherwise entirely beyond even an Inquisitor’s ken. During 
  the course of his duties serving alongside other Acolytes, an 
  Adept has seen sights none of his kind could imagine and 
  learned secrets that would damn others to mind-wipe. At the 
  conclusion of such duties, an Inquisitor may be presented 
  with a conundrum—scour the Adept’s memories and return 
  him (possibly as a drooling idiot) to his 
  former masters, or induct him fully into 
  the secrets of the Inquisition. Such 
  are the unique mental abilities of 
  many Adepts that they are able 
  to uncover and decipher any 
  riddle to which they are exposed, 
  leading many Inquisitors to recruit 
  them on a permanent basis lest they 
  unintentionally expose secrets the Inquisition 
  wishes to remain hidden.
  Sages 
  (also 
  sometimes 
  known as Savants, Calculus 
  Logi, or Lexmechanics) are 
  those Adepts who have moved 
  beyond the confines of their 
  previous vocation. Whilst many 
  maintain links to past lives that they 
  can exploit in the course of their duties, 
  they have become permanent members 
  of an Inquisitor’s staff. Others serve the 
  Inquisition as a whole, being cloistered in 
  such places as the Tricorn until detached 
  to serve on the cadre of an Inquisitor in 
  need of their services. Thanks to the Sage’s 
  largely unintentional thirst for knowledge, 
  most Inquisitors prefer to make use of their 
  own, more trusted Sages, preferring that these 
  walking repositories of damned knowledge remain 
  close at hand at all times.
  The reason that Sages are of such use to 
  the Inquisitor is that there is no secret so 
  veiled, no archive so sealed, and no mystery 
  so impenetrable that the truth cannot be 
  revealed. Sages are utterly dedicated 
  to the unearthing of every last fact, 
  no matter how apparently obscure. They display a dedication 
  to the unearthing of trivia so far beyond the abilities of a 
  normal Man that it is commonly held that they must be gifted, 
  or indeed cursed, by some form of genetic predisposition not 
  unlike that which allows a Navigator to guide a vessel through 
  the Warp. A Sage is capable of penetrating the machine-
  systems of any archive, navigating strata of millennia-old data, 
  accessing files long sealed, and unlocking ciphers intended to 
  be unbreakable.
  It often falls to the Inquisitor to draw conclusions from the 
  information the Sage recovers, but a skilled overseer allows 
  his data-hounds a long leash. The Sage might spend countless 
  hours immersed in an invisible realm of data, conducting ‘meta-
  probes’ of ancient archives. Many become so immersed they 
  must be supervised lest they neglect their bodily needs and 
  functions. Some even succumb to what has been described as 
  a range of ‘meme-viruses,’ driving them to acquire more and 
  more seemingly worthless information in an endless quest to 
  piece together the most obscure truths of the universe. 
  The most long-serving of Sages find that their heads 
  eventually become filled with the knowledge they have acquired 
  and refused to forget. The mind of man appears capable of 
  absorbing a staggering wealth of information, and few use their 
  Emperor-given potential to its full. Some Sages, however, find 
  themselves weighed down by the sheer amount 
  of knowledge they have amassed. They might 
  enhance their abilities with cerebral implants 
  provided by the Adeptus Mechanicus, 
  sacrificing something of their humanity 
  for the added memory capacity. Others 
  undergo a process by which memories 
  they regard as superficial are 
  expunged, leaving only the facts 
  gleaned in the pursuit of their 
  duties. Such individuals become 
  increasingly detached with each 
  application of the process, 
  able to remember in minute 
  detail every mission they 
  have embarked upon, 
  yet unable to recall what 
  happened in between 
  missions.
  Sages engaged on a 
  mission often find themselves 
  getting into all manner of 
  perilous situations from which 
  their fellows must protect them. 
  Very often, a simple data-probe 
  turns into a full sweep, but the Sage 
  remains entirely unaware that his 
  fellow agents are fighting off wave 
  after wave of enemies whilst he 
  processes the information from the 
  terminal he is accessing. It often 
  appears that Sages have very little 
  sense of self-preservation, their 
  unquenchable thirst for raw 
  data driving them ever 
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  83
  onwards no matter the risks to themselves or their compatriots. 
  Despite the risks, however, most Inquisitors find the services of 
  a trusted Sage entirely indispensable in the quest to expose the 
  activities of the enemies of the Imperium.
  sTarTing skills, 
  TalenTs, and gear
  Talents: Peer (Academics) (Influence Talent).
  Gear: Best-craftsmanship hellpistol or solid projectile 
  pistol of choice, best-craftsmanship flak armour, one best-
  craftsmanship cybernetic implant of choice, cerebral plug, 
  auto-quill, badge of office, data-slate, micro-bead.
  ascended TraiTs
  When you take up the path of the Sage, you automatically 
  gain the Knowledge is Power Trait. You must also choose one 
  other trait from the list below.
  knowledge is Power
  A Sage’s mind is an incredible thing, always working, 
  always in motion, as it considers countless possibilities and 
  outcomes. Once per session, a Sage may automatically pass 
  an Intelligence Test or a Skill Test based on Intelligence. This 
  automatic pass is only considered a standard success and does 
  not grant any additional degrees of success.
  choose one…
  cyclopaedic learning
  Sages accumulate a vast store of knowledge over their lives 
  and learn far more about the universe than anyone truly 
  has a right to know. Most Sages also focus on a single 
  area of expertise and become exhaustive encyclopaedias of 
  knowledge on that subject. The Sage can choose a single 
  Common Lore, Scholastic Lore or Forbidden Lore skill (not a 
  Mastered Skill) to master. From now on, all tests against this 
  skill automatically succeed. If degrees of success are required, 
  the Sage is considered to have rolled a 01 on his test. 
  Unknown and Unnamed
  Such is the vast amount of data a Sage gathers during his 
  studies that he is likely to know at least a little about almost 
  anything. The Sage may treat all Common, Scholastic, and 
  Forbidden Lore Skills as Basic Skills. In addition, he may 
  use this trait to make a Lore skill test (using the Lore skill 
  of his choice) to learn about things for which no Lore skill 
  exists. The GM, however, has the final say on what can be 
  learnt using Lore skills. The Sage also gains a bonus degree of 
  success with any successful Investigation Skill Test.
  Unfazeable
  In his studies, a Sage often comes across things that can break 
  the minds of mortal men. For this reason, many Sages become 
  adept at “reading without reading” and gleaning knowledge 
  from texts without looking too closely at the writings. The 
  Sage no longer gains any Insanity Points or Corruption 
  Points from indirect sources, such as reading books or similar 
  texts. The GM, of course, may still rule that particularly vile 
  or warp-touched tomes have other effects on the Sage.
  Sage Characteristic Advances
  Characteristic
  Heroic
  Master
  Weapon Skill
  1,500
  2,000
  Ballistic Skill
  1,500
  2,000
  Strength
  1,500
  2,000
  Toughness
  1,500
  2,000
  Agility
  3,000
  3,500
  Intelligence
  1,000
  1,500
  Perception
  1,000
  1,500
  Willpower
  1,000
  1,500
  Fellowship
  3,000
  3,500
  Rank 9 Sage Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Conditioned Intellect
  500
  Paragon Talent
  Int 40
  Common Lore Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Linguistic Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Wide Correspondence
  500
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Government)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Unnatural Intelligence (x2)
  1000
  Trait
  Exotic Weapon Training (Choose One)
  500
  Talent
  Sound Constitution
  500
  Talent
  Combat Formation
  800
  Talent
  Int 40
  Polyglot
  500
  Talent
  Secret Tongue (Throne Agent) 
  500
  Skill
  —
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  84
  Rank 10 Sage Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Commerce Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Forbidden Lore Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Scholastic Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Peer (Military)
  700
  Influence Talent
   Fel 30
  Peer (Administratum)
  500
  Influence Talent
   Fel 30
  Pistol Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Sound Constitution
  500
  Talent
  Mental Aegis
  1000
  Paragon Talent
  WP 50
  Infused Knowledge
  700
  Talent
  Favoured by Fate
  1000
  Talent
  —
  Rank 11 Sage Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Cryptological Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Driving Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Pious Observation
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Enforcers)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (PDF)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Adeptus Mechanicus)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Planet (specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Government)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Government)
  Soul of Stone
  1000
  Paragon Talent
  WP 40
  Favoured by Fate
  1000
  Talent
  —
  Rank 12 Sage Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Basic Weapons Expertise
  800
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Tech Lore Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Mnemonic Purging
  500
  Other Talent
  Int 45, WP 45
  Peer (Adeptus Arbites)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Imperial Guard)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Imperial Navy)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Astropaths)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Military)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Military)
  Good Reputation (Administratum)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Administratum)
  Favoured by Fate
  1000
  Talent
  —
  Rank 13 Sage Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Shadow Lord
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Lord of Domains
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Adeptus Astartes)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Ecclesiarchy)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Inquisition)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Middle Class)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Middle Class)
  Good Reputation (Enforcers)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Enforcers)
  Good Reputation (PDF)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (PDF)
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Mechanicus)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adeptus Mechanicus)
  Good Reputation (Planet (specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Planet (specific))
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  85
  Rank 14 Sage Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Revolutionary
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Ally of the Departmento Munitorum
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Favoured by Fate
  700
  Talent
  —
  Peer (Adepta Sororitas)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Nobility)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Void Born)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Ecclesiarchy)
  –200
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Arbites)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adeptus Arbites)
  Good Reputation (Imperial Guard)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Imperial Guard)
  Good Reputation (Imperial Navy)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Imperial Navy)
  Good Reputation (Astropaths)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Astropaths)
  Rank 15 Sage Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Observation Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Worthy of the Calixian Elite
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Member of the Tyrantine Cabal
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Chartist Captains)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Cult (specific))
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Navigators)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Administratum)
  –100
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Astartes)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adeptus Astartes)
  Good Reputation (Ecclesiarchy)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Ecclesiarchy)
  Good Reputation (Inquisition)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Inquisition)
  Unnatural Intelligence (x3)
  2000
  Trait
  Unnatural Intelligence (x2)
  Rank 16 Sage Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  The Ear of the Lord Sector
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Watched From On High
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Adeptus Titanicus)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Academics)
  –100
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Rival (Inquisition)
  –200
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Good Reputation (Adepta Sororitas)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adepta Sororitas) 
  Good Reputation (Nobility)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Nobility)
  Good Reputation (Void Born)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Void Born)
  Enemy (Ecclesiarchy)
  –200
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Unnatural Intelligence (x4)
  3000
  Trait
  Unnatural Intelligence (x3)
  Favoured by Fate
  1000
  Talent
  —
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  86
  Storm Trooper
  “Valkyrie Beta, begin low altitude insertion, fifty metres elevation. 
  Squad Primus, prepare for low level jump. Last one on the dirt 
  carries my pack!” 
  –Sergeant Marcus Blaine, making his 100th assault drop. 
  S
  corned by the average Guardsmen—who refer them as 
  “Glory Boys” and “Big Toy Soldiers,” Storm Troopers 
  are nevertheless the elite of the Imperial Guard. 
  Equipped with heavy carapace armour and other speciality 
  gear, and armed with high-powered armour-piercing hellguns, 
  a single squad of Storm Troopers can be more dangerous than 
  an entire company of regular Guardsmen. 
  The vast majority of Storm Troopers are the children of 
  high ranking Imperial servants—such as commanders of the 
  Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy, Administratum, or Adeptus 
  Arbites—who fall in battle. These orphans are taken to one 
  of the Schola Progenium orphanages scattered throughout 
  the galaxy, where they are raised. There, they are given a 
  consummate education, consisting of a regime of unremitting 
  prayer, study and physical exercise. They are also taught to 
  love the Emperor, instilling in them an absolute loyalty 
  and debt of repayment to the Imperium that has 
  expended so much effort in raising them.
  Once they come of age, those orphans who 
  show the correct combination of aptitude 
  and skill are sent through exhaustive 
  training regimes. Few complete their 
  training, and some do not survive. 
  Those who do become Imperial  
  Storm Troopers. 
  Storm Troopers are the special 
  operatives of the Imperial Guard, 
  scattered 
  throughout 
  Guard 
  regiments in squads or companies 
  to augment and support standard 
  Guard formations. They are trained 
  and equipped for almost any mission, 
  sabotage, 
  airdrops, 
  spearhead 
  assaults, and operations behind 
  enemy lines. 
  It is this versatility and competence 
  that makes Storm Troopers so 
  appealing to the Inquisition. The 
  Holy Ordos does not make a point of 
  maintaining standing armies. However, 
  Inquisitors often find themselves 
  needing professional soldiers in the 
  course of their operations. When 
  they do, they often requisition 
  squads from Imperial Guard 
  Storm Trooper Companies, who serve 
  with the Inquisitor for the duration of the investigation. 
  Some Inquisitors of a more militant mindset may develop an 
  understanding with a particular squad of Storm Troopers, and 
  keep them in his services for an extended length of time. 
  And sometimes, an Inquisitor is so impressed with a particular 
  Storm Trooper, he permanently adds him to his retinue. 
  A Storm Trooper’s training means he is little use in an 
  Inquisitor’s more subtle investigations and operations. Their 
  education in the Schola Progenium deliberately omitted the 
  study of esoteric, ancient, or forbidden secrets and knowledge 
  to preserve their mental purity. Still, Storm Troopers are a 
  valuable asset to any cadre of Throne Agents. Simply put, 
  when it comes time to execute armed tactical operations 
  against aliens, mutants, and heretics, few members of an 
  Inquisitor’s retinue are better prepared. Whether leading an 
  assault on an underhive cult, airdropping into a xenos kill-
  strike, or leading his fellow Throne Agents in the maelstrom 
  of combat, a Storm Trooper is always an expert.
  sTarTing skills, 
  TalenTs, and gear
  Gear: Good-craftsmanship Storm Trooper carapace armour, 
  good-craftsmanship hellgun, good-craftsmanship hellpistol, 
  three frag grenades, 3 krak grenades, badge of office, The 
  Imperial Infantryman’s Uplifting Primer (Calixis Edition).
  ascended TraiTs
  When you take up the path of the Storm 
  Trooper you automatically gain the 
  Special Operations Training Trait. You 
  must also choose one other trait from the 
  list below.
  special operations Training
  Storm Troopers train to proficiency 
  with almost every weapon and piece 
  of military equipment used in the 
  Imperium’s militant forces. However, 
  they are especially proficient in 
  their signature weapons and 
  equipment; hellguns and 
  carapace 
  armour. 
  When 
  a 
  Storm 
  Trooper is firing 
  a 
  hellgun 
  or 
  hellpistol, 
  these 
  weapons 
  gain 
  the 
  Tearing Quality as a result of constant 
  practice with these guns. In addition, Storm 
  Troopers wearing Imperial-issue carapace 
  armour do not count that armour’s weight 
  against their carry limits (see page 215 in 
  the DArk Heresy Rulebook). 
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  87
  Storm Troopers are skilled with wearing and maintaining 
  their carapace armour—therefore, a Storm Trooper’s carapace 
  armour always counts as one step higher in Craftsmanship. 
  For example, a Storm Trooper that dons a set of common-
  craftsmanship carapace armour gains the benefit of wearing 
  good-craftsmanship carapace armour.
  choose one…
  specialist: Field command
  All Storm Troopers are trained to use their initiative and be 
  aggressive on the battlefield. Particularly talented Troopers 
  are singled out for field commands and given the extra 
  training and skills to lead men in battle. One per combat, the 
  Storm Trooper may, as a Full Action, choose to direct allies 
  within range of his voice (this could also include those who 
  can hear his voice over a vox or via psychic means) with a 
  successful Challenging (+0) Command Test. Those under 
  his direction gain a +2 to their Initiative scores and may re-
  roll failed Ballistic Skill Tests (for using personal weapons, 
  not those on a vehicle or any other outside source) for  
  that turn.
  specialist: drop Trooper
  Storm Trooper regiments use a variety of vehicles to both 
  carry them into battle and fight once there. Storm Troopers 
  are especially skilled in aerial insertions and extractions using 
  Valkyrie assault carriers. The Storm Trooper gains +10 to all 
  Skill Tests made to drive or pilot a military ground vehicle, 
  walker, skimmer, or flyer. When using a grav-chute, the Storm 
  Trooper automatically passes all tests to manually deploy  
  his chute.
  specialist: recon
  Storm Troopers are frequently used as recon and covert 
  assault troopers (one of the reasons they are favoured by the 
  Inquisition). Often, entire Storm Trooper companies receive 
  specialised training in the art of stealth and infiltration. The 
  Storm Trooper gains +10 to Concealment and +10 to Silent 
  Move checks, and +2 to Initiative. However, carapace armour 
  is the heaviest armour a Storm Trooper can wear and still gain 
  these bonuses. In game terms, any armour with more than 7 
  AP negates these benefits.
  Storm 
  Trooper 
  Characteristic 
  Advances
  Characteristic
  Heroic
  Master
  Weapon Skill
  1,000
  1,500
  Ballistic Skill
  1,000
  1,500
  Strength
  1,000
  1,500
  Toughness
  1,500
  2,000
  Agility
  1,500
  2,000
  Intelligence
  3,000
  3,500
  Perception
  1,500
  2,000
  Willpower
  3,000
  3,500
  Fellowship
  3,000
  3,500
  Rank 9 Storm Trooper Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Awareness +10
  700
  Skill
  Awareness
  Chem Use +10
  700
  Skill
  Chem Use
  Command +10
  700
  Skill
  Command
  Concealment +10
  700
  Skill
  Concealment
  Interrogation +10
  700
  Skill
  Interrogation
  Intimidation +10
  700
  Skill
  Intimidation
  Silent Move +10
  700
  Skill
  Silent Move
  Swift Attack
  700
  Talent
  WS 35
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Athletic Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Fieldcraft Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Pistol Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Basic Weapon Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Imperial Guard)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Exotic Weapon Training (Choose One)
  500
  Talent
  —
  Strong Minded
  500
  Talent
  WP 30, Resistance (Psychic Powers)
  Secret Tongue (Throne Agent) 
  500
  Skill
  —
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  88
  Rank 10 Storm Trooper Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Awareness +20
  700
  Skill
  Awareness +10
  Chem Use +20
  700
  Skill
  Chem Use +10
  Command +20
  700
  Skill
  Command +10
  Concealment +20
  700
  Skill
  Concealment +10
  Interrogation +20
  700
  Skill
  Interrogation +10
  Intimidation +20
  700
  Skill
  Intimidation +10
  Silent Move +20
  700
  Skill
  Silent Move +10
  Lightning Attack
  700
  Talent
  Swift Attack
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Driving Mastery
  400
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Heavy Weapon Expertise
  700
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Melee Weapon Expertise
  700
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peerless Marksman
  700
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Good Reputation (Imperial Guard) 
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Imperial Guard)
  Rank 11 Storm Trooper Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Talented (Command)
  700
  Talent
  —
  Talented (Intimidate)
  700
  Talent
  —
  Stealth Mastery
  400
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Tech Lore Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Berserker
  700
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Indomitable Fortitude
  700
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Death Worlders)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Feral Worlders)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Peer (PDF)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Rival (Enforcers)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rank 12 Storm Trooper Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Observation Mastery
  400
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Piloting Mastery
  400
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Death Blow
  500
  Paragon Talent
  WS 50, S 40
  Storm of Blows
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Soul of Stone
  600
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Imperial Navy)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Peer (Military)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Peer (Void Born)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (PDF)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (PDF)
  Good Reputation (Death Worlders)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Death Worlders)
  Unarmed Warrior
  500
  Talent
  WS 35, Ag 35
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  89
  Rank 13 Storm Trooper Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Decadent Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Heroic Leadership
  600
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Inquisition)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Planet (Specific))
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Feral Worlders)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Feral Worlders)
  Good Reputation (Military)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Imperial Guard)
  Renowned Warrior
  1000
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Recidivist Organisation (Specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Cult (Specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Planet (Specific))
  –300
  Influence Talent
  —
  Combat Formation
  700
  Talent
  Int 40
  Guardian
  500
  Talent
  Ag 40
  Target Selection
  500
  Talent
  BS 40
  Rank 14 Storm Trooper Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Common Lore Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skills
  —
  Gunfighter Saint
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Adeptus Mechanicus)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Peer (Adeptus Arbites)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Imperial Navy)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Imperial Navy)
  Good Reputation (Void Born)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Void Born)
  Good Reputation (Inquisition)
  400
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Inquisition)
  Enemy (Recidivist Organisation (Specific))
  –300
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Recidivist (Specific))
  Unarmed Master
  700
  Talent
  WS 45, Ag 45, Unarmed Warrior
  Rank 15 Storm Trooper Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Investigation Mastery
  600
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Transcendent Hate
  600
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peer (Adepta Sororitas)
  700
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Rival (Cult (Specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Enemy (Cult (Specific))
  –400
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Cult (Specific)
  Enemy (Planet (Specific))
  –500
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Planet (Specific)
  Member of the Tyrantine Cabal
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Sound Constitution (x3)
  500
  Talent
  Exotic Weapon Training (Choose One)
  500
  Talent
  Unarmed Ascendant Mastery
  600
  Paragon Talent
  WS 45, Ag 45
  Rank 16 Storm Trooper Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Peer (Adeptus Titanicus)
  500
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Peer (Adeptus Astartes)
  500
  Influence Talent 
  Fel 30
  Good Reputation (Adepta Sororitas)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Adepta Sororitas)
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Arbites)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50 Peer (Adeptus Arbites)
  Watched from On High
  500
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Recidivist Organisation (Specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Enemy (Cult (Specific))
  –400
  Influence Talent
  Rival (Cult (Specific)
  Favoured by Fate
  1000
  Talent
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  90
  Vindicare 
  Assassin
  Exitus Acta Probat: The Outcome Justifies the Deed.
  –Dictatus Vindicare
  I
  mperial Assassins are specially trained, equipped, and 
  conditioned killers that serve the Officio Assassinorum, 
  dispatched by the Lords of Terra to eliminate threats to the 
  Imperium of Man. Selected from the galaxy’s most ruthless 
  killers and hunters of men, the Imperial Assassin is a feared 
  symbol of Imperial might. Assassins are conditioned and 
  trained by one of a number of Assassin Temples, each with 
  their own unique style and approach to the art of death. 
  Normally, Assassins are trained from early childhood when 
  they are selected from amongst the most dangerous regions of 
  the Imperium, including everything from death worlds to feral 
  societies to the industrial depths of hive cities. These recruits 
  are then taken to Terra, and their training begins even before 
  they set foot upon the starship that will bring them there. The 
  instructors are merciless in their testing, weeding out the weak 
  and foolish right from the start so that only the bravest and 
  fiercest candidates hold up under the enforced discipline.
  Candidates must survive on limited food and air for days at 
  a time, and are constantly tested in combat against each other, 
  armed and unarmed, in conditions of total darkness or blinding 
  light, zero-gravity or bearing crushing weights, withstanding 
  stifling heat or freezing cold. By the time the recruits arrive on 
  Terra, there may only be a fraction remaining, and sometimes, 
  the ship arrives empty—all the recruits having 
  somehow failed during the 
  journey.
  Upon 
  arrival, 
  the 
  candidates are divided up 
  amongst the hidden 
  temples of the 
  Officio 
  Assassinorum, and the training becomes even more rigourous 
  and thorough than before. The recruits are tested to their utmost 
  limits, with days spent in battle against complex and deadly 
  exercise-engines, whilst simultaneously mastering the specialist 
  equipment, weapons, and techniques of their Temple. Thus, the 
  Officio Assassinorum provides the High Lords of Terra with 
  only the most finely honed and efficient living weapons—the 
  lethal disciples known as Imperial Assassins.
  Assassins of the Vindicare Temple are master snipers and 
  nearly matchless at remaining unseen and unheard; a lethal 
  shadow who strikes from hiding and fades away. These 
  Assassins eliminate enemy leaders with one precise, surgical 
  strike. Vindicare Temple Assassins are often assigned to slay 
  those who use mob rule and rousing oratory, rewarding 
  sedition with the seemingly divine retribution of an invisible, 
  untraceable sniper. Many false clerics have fallen to a Vindicare’s 
  bullet as they preached their blasphemous credo. Rebellious 
  politicians, cultist rulers, and revolutionary leaders who speak 
  out against the wisdom of the Imperium constantly fear being 
  cut down upon the rostrum. When such charismatic figures die 
  at the hands of a faceless servant of the Emperor, their followers 
  become disillusioned and fearful. This method ensures that 
  many heresies are silenced with a single shot.
  Often, Vindicare Assassins are dispatched when the Imperium 
  cannot or will not send a larger force. The disruptive effect of a 
  sniper upon enemy morale and its chain of command can keep 
  entire armies pinned in place, its leaders frightened that making 
  any move will lead to their doom. The Vindicare Temple trains 
  its Assassins to infiltrate quietly onto a planet’s surface and locate 
  a prime position to observe the enemy. Vindicare Assassins are 
  renowned for selecting only the most advantageous location to 
  take their shot, sometimes waiting unseen for weeks on end to 
  make the perfect kill.
  The signature weapons of the Vindicare Assassin are his 
  Exitus rifle and pistol, exquisitely-designed and maintained 
  firearms specially constructed by the Adeptus 
  Mechanicus and customised to each 
  individual Assassin. With these tools in 
  hand, the Vindicare Assassin is a lethal 
  expression of the Emperor’s Judgement, doling out 
  death to those who dare defy the Imperium. The 
  Exitus weapons are the instrument of the Vindicare’s 
  symphony of death, guiding uncannily accurate fire from 
  target to target until his scope is clear.
  Like all Imperial Assassins, the Vindicare is extremely adept 
  at evading enemy attacks. His reflexes are honed to a razor’s 
  edge and boosted via special conditioning, neural implants, 
  and hypno-training. Few opponents are capable of landing 
  a blow upon an Imperial Assassin, and fewer still survive the 
  experience.
  Imperial Assassins are often dispatched to assist an Inquisitor 
  if his need is particularly great, for the skills and abilities of the 
  Assassin are highly valued by the Holy Ordos. The Vindicare 
  Assassin is particularly prized for his exceptional talent in the 
  arts of stealth and for his ability to kill with precision. 
  Many times, the Vindicare Assassin is dismissed as a simple 
  sniper by those who have never seen one in action. Throne 
  Agents who work alongside an Imperial Assassin, however, are 
  well aware that these exceptional killers are more than simply 
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  91
  the sum of their parts. Aside from the specialist skills and 
  equipment, Imperial Assassins provide a unique outlook upon 
  any situation, quickly able to determine and weigh risks against 
  rewards. Although often considered a grim and humourless lot, 
  many Vindicare Assassins possess a dry, sarcastic wit, and there 
  are some quite creative and even artistic personalities amongst 
  their number. In the course of their assignments, Imperial 
  Assassins must often find unusual solutions to the challenges 
  that lie between them and their prey.
  The conditioning of an Imperial Assassin means that they are 
  usually quite guarded from forming friendships or attachments, 
  for those whose calling is death must be prepared to kill or be 
  killed at a moment’s notice.
  sTarTing skills, 
  TalenTs, and gear
  Gear: Stealth suit, spy mask, Exitus Rifle, Exitus Pistol, one 
  Exitus hellfire, shield-breaker, and turbo-penetrator round, 
  mono-knife.
  ascended TraiTs
  When you take up the path of the Vindicare Assassin, you 
  automatically gain the Temple Assassin Trait. You must also 
  choose one other trait from the list below.
  Temple assassin
  Imperial Assassins are trained and augmented to be ultimate 
  killing machines. They exist for this single purpose and so 
  are bred for combat, their minds and meat carved into forms 
  useful to the Emperor and the power of the Imperium. This 
  physical superiority grants the Assassin two main benefits. The 
  first is physical perfection which grants him a re-roll on any 
  Acrobatics, Climb, Contortionist and Swim Test. The second 
  is a preternatural grace which allows the Assassin a number 
  of extra Reactions equal to his Agility Bonus. These bonus 
  reactions may only be used to make Dodge or Parry tests. The 
  Assassin may still only attempt a single Dodge or Parry against 
  each attack made against him. Additionally, the Assassin may 
  attempt to Dodge any attack, including attacks that are not 
  normally eligible for a Dodge Test, such as massive explosions, 
  a descending titan’s foot, or an invisible psychic attack (The 
  GM should make the final decision on which attacks may not 
  be Dodged, and at his discretion, this ability may not apply).
  choose one…
  sacrificial Past
  It is common for an Assassin’s past to be purged when he is 
  inducted into the Temple. Such a process wipes away most 
  of who the person once was, but remakes them stronger and 
  more stable. When this trait is chosen, the Assassin loses all 
  his accrued Insanity and Corruption Points and any effects 
  related to Insanity or Corruption. However, he must now 
  re-roll his Intelligence, Willpower and Fellowship using 
  2d10+20, losing his old characteristics forever. All advances 
  to his previous characteristics (of those listed above) are 
  also lost. Apply any effects from Transition Packages to 
  Intelligence, Willpower and Fellowship after the Assassin has 
  generated his new scores.
  Note: This trait may not be combined with any other talent 
  or Transition Package which reduces Insanity or Corruption.
  killing sprint
  Assassins are taught to kill swiftly and without mercy. Unlike 
  Death Cultists, a Temple Assassin does not revel in the blood 
  and pain of his victims, but only cares that they are dead. If 
  the Assassin kills (reduces to 0 wounds or less) an opponent 
  in his turn, then he gains either a +10 to WS (if the kill was 
  made with a melee weapon) or +10 to BS (if the kill was 
  made with a ranged weapon) in his following turn against 
  a new target. This can continue if the Assassin continues to 
  make a kill each turn up to a maximum of +30 to either WS 
  or BS.
  conditioning
  An Assassin’s mind is his fortress, shielded against those that 
  would try and subvert him from his mission. Fellowship 
  Tests and Skill Tests based on Fellowship have no effect on a 
  Assassin. In addition, any attempt to control or influence the 
  Assassin using tech, psychic powers, or drugs either imposes a 
  –20 penalty to the aggressor or a +20 bonus to the Assassin 
  to resist. The GM has the final say in what powers and effects 
  can be affected by this trait. 
  Vindicare 
  Assassin 
  Characteristic 
  Advances 
   
   
  Characteristic
  Heroic
  Master
  Weapon Skill
  1,500
  2,000
  Ballistic Skill
  1,000
  1,500
  Strength
  3,000
  5000
  Toughness
  3,000
  5,000
  Agility
  1,000
  1500
  Intelligence
  1,500
  2,000
  Perception
  1,000
  1,500
  Willpower
  1,500
  2,000
  Fellowship
  3,000
  5,000
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  92
  Rank 10 Vindicare Assassin Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Ciphers (Throne Agent)
  500
  Skill
  —
  Scholastic Lore (Chymistry) +10
  700
  Skill
  Scholastic Lore (Chymistry)
  Scholastic Lore (Judgement)
  700
  Skill
  —
  Scholastic Lore (Tactica Imperialis) +10
  700
  Skill
  Scholastic Lore (Tactica Imperialis)
  Stealth Mastery
  800
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Unarmed Warrior
  800
  Talent
  WS 35, Ag 35
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Target Selection
  400
  Talent
  —
  Heightened Reactions
  800
  Paragon Talent
  Ag 40, Per 40
  Mnemonic Purging
  400
  Special Talent
  —
  Rank 11 Vindicare Assassin Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Scholastic Lore (Judgement) +10
  400
  Skill
  Scholastic Lore (Judgement)
  Scholastic Lore (Tactica Imperialis) +20
  400
  Skill
  Scholastic Lore (Tactica Imperialis) +10
  Sleight of Hand +20
  400
  Skill
  Sleight of Hand +10
  Perfect Shot
  400
  Talent
  —
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Talented (Concealment)
  700
  Talent
  —
  Talented (Tracking)
  700
  Talent
  —
  Unnatural Toughness (x2)
  2000
  Trait
  —
  Rank 12 Vindicare Assassin Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Forbidden Lore (Officio Assassinorum) +10
  800
  Skill
  Forbidden Lore (Officio Assassinorum)
  Scholastic Lore (Imperial Creed)
  400
  Skill
  —
  Observation Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Autosanguine
  700
  Talent
  —
  Exotic Weapon Training (Choose One)
  700
  Talent
  —
  Resistance (Psychic Powers)
  700
  Talent
  —
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Talented (Acrobatics)
  700
  Talent
  —
  Unnatural Strength (x2)
  1000
  Trait
  —
  Rank 9 Vindicare Assassin Advances 
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Forbidden Lore (Inquisition)
  500
  Skill
  —
  Forbidden Lore (Officio Assassinorum) 
  500
  Skill
  —
  Secret Tongue (Throne Agent) 
  500
  Skill
  —
  Scholastic Lore (Tactica Imperialis)
  500
  Skill
  —
  Speak Language (High Gothic)
  500
  Skill
  —
  Athletic Mastery
  800
  Mastered Skills
  —
  Fearless
  700
  Talent
  —
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Basic Weapons Expertise
  800
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Pistol Expertise
  800
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peerless Marksman
  800
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Unnatural Agility (x2)
  1000
  Trait
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  93
  Rank 13 Vindicare Assassin Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Forbidden Lore (Inquisition) +10
  500
  Skill
  Forbidden Lore (Inquisition)
  Pilot (Military Craft) +20
  700
  Skill
  Pilot (Military Craft) +10
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Talented (Silent Move)
  700
  Talent
  —
  Unarmed Master
  800
  Talent
  WS 45, Ag 40, Unarmed Warrior
  Unassailable Grace
  800
  Paragon Talent
  Agility 50, Dodge
  Combat Formation
  1000
  Talent
  Int 40
  Infused Knowledge
  1000
  Talent
  Int 40
  Rank 14 Vindicare Assassin Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Forbidden Lore (Inquisition) +20
  700
  Skill
  Forbidden Lore (Inquisition) +10
  Scholastic Lore (Chymistry) +20
  700
  Skill
  Scholastic Lore (Chymistry) +10
  Scholastic Lore (Imperial Creed) +10
  700
  Skill
  Scholastic Lore (Imperial Creed)
  Scholastic Lore (Imperial Creed) +20
  700
  Skill
  Scholastic Lore (Imperial Creed) +10
  Exotic Weapon Training (Choose One)
  700
  Talent
  —
  Peer (Inquisition)
  700
  Talent
  —
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Unarmed Ascendant Mastery
  800
  Paragon Talent
  WS 45, Ag 45
  Rank 15 Vindicare Assassin Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Ciphers (Throne Agent) +10
  700
  Skill
  Ciphers (Throne Agent)
  Forbidden Lore (Officio Assassinorum) +20
  700
  Skill
  Forbidden Lore (Officio Assassinorum) +10
  Secret Tongue (Throne Agent) +10
  700
  Skill
  Secret Tongue (Throne Agent)
  Scholastic Lore (Judgement) +20
  700
  Skill
  Scholastic Lore (Judgement) +10
  Speak Language (High Gothic) +10
  700
  Skill
  Speak Language (High Gothic)
  Exotic Weapon Training (Choose One)
  700
  Talent
  —
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Rank 16 Vindicare Assassin Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Ciphers (Throne Agent) +20
  700
  Skill
  Ciphers (Throne Agent) +10
  Secret Tongue (Throne Agent) +20
  700
  Skill
  Secret Tongue (Throne Agent) +10
  Speak Language (High Gothic) +20
  700
  Skill
  Speak Language (High Gothic) +10
  Good Reputation (Inquisition)
  700
  Talent
  —
  Exotic Weapon Training (Choose One)
  700
  Talent
  —
  Sound Constitution
  700
  Talent
  —
  Indomitable Fortitude
  800
  Talent
  Toughness 40, Willpower 40
  Unnatural Speed (x2)
  600
  Trait
  —
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  94
  Inquisitor
  “I come to set straight that which is twisted; to cleanse that which 
  is unclean; to judge he who is guilty; to punish he who has sinned. 
  These things I do in the name of the most Holy God-Emperor of 
  Mankind, and I do them gladly.” 
  –The ‘Missive to the Damned’, issued by Lady Garielle of 
  the Ordo Hereticus by way of planet-wide vox-cast, upon 
  her arrival on Fenksworld.
  I
  nquisitors are tasked with the most terrible of all sacred 
  missions and privy to the most soul-crushingly stark of 
  secrets. Their duty is to walk amongst Humanity, protecting 
  the Imperium from threats so dark the common man would be 
  reduced to a gibbering wreck at the vaguest description. More 
  often than not, Humanity must be protected from itself, for 
  Man has ever dabbled in the forbidden in the eternal search for 
  power or immortality. Inquisitors must sit in judgement over 
  their fellow human beings and be prepared to cast a million 
  souls into the fires of purgation that a billion more might be 
  saved. Such is the weight of duty that rests upon the shoulders 
  of the agents of the Holy Ordos of the Emperor’s Inquisition.
  Amongst the teeming billions of Humanity, only the most 
  singular of individuals prove worthy of becoming an Inquisitor. 
  None can say how many Inquisitors are at large in the Imperium, 
  but it is certain that those few who bear the title are individuals 
  possessed of a devotion to the Imperium and a will to protect 
  it that is unparalleled amongst the masses of anonymous 
  Mankind. For such properties to have been noticed at all is in 
  itself a sign that the individual has the weight of fate bearing 
  down upon his shoulders. To be judged worthy of induction 
  into the outer circles of the Inquisition, the individual must 
  have displayed great potential indeed. To survive as an Acolyte 
  in the service of a Master, they must have displayed utter 
  dedication and prodigious skill. To be granted the Inquisitorial 
  Seal, the individual must have been judged able to bear the 
  terrible weight of that office and to be capable of enacting the 
  ultimate of sanctions so that the Imperium might prevail in a 
  universe set upon the eradication of Humanity itself.
  Inquisitors stand first and foremost alone against the terrors 
  of the galaxy. Each is invested with the authority to condemn 
  entire worlds to the fires of Exterminatus, and it is to their 
  own conscience that an Inquisitor must answer. Though they 
  share many qualities, no two Inquisitors are exactly alike. Over 
  decades and even centuries of service, each develops a unique 
  method, outlook, and approach to the duties of the Inquisitor. 
  Some become intolerant and quick to condemn, seeing heresy 
  in the souls of all and enemies in every shadow. Others retreat 
  into those shadows themselves, orchestrating vast networks of 
  agents from afar and never revealing their face to those who 
  serve them. Many Inquisitors become supremely idiosyncratic 
  in temperament, method, or appearance, testament to the fact 
  that few can face the horrors that would enslave Mankind and 
  emerge unscathed.
  Despite the weight that they alone bear, few Inquisitors 
  engage in their duties in isolation. Most utilise allies and 
  servants; individuals possessed of skills of use to the course 
  of the Inquisitor’s duties. Some maintain only small retinues 
  of trusted servants, whilst others are possessed of entire  
  household armies. 
  Whatever their individual approach to their duties, all 
  Inquisitors are utterly dedicated to their mission. They have 
  the strength of will to face the unutterable horrors of the 
  universe and stand firm in their dedication to the survival of 
  Mankind. However, this singular mindset brings with it what 
  is at once the Inquisition’s greatest strength and most insidious 
  vulnerability. Each Inquisitor must pursue their mission as they 
  see fit, leaving no stone unturned in the righteous hunt for 
  heresy and deviation. None are above the Inquisitor’s scrutiny, 
  even other Inquisitors. No fact is above their questioning, 
  even forbidden archives sealed by the highest order. Many 
  Inquisitors pursue lines of investigation that ultimately lead 
  to them being confronted by their peers and condemned as 
  heretics themselves. Such is the weight of responsibility that 
  every Inquisitor must bear.
  Wherever their investigations may lead, the Inquisitor 
  pursues the enemies of the Imperium unto their very last breath. 
  They may confront alone the mutant overlord in putrid, stygian 
  sewers. They may lead a cadre of handpicked warriors against 
  a cult that has infiltrated an entire planetary government. They 
  may lead an entire regiment of Imperial Guard seconded to 
  their command. They may stand upon the bridge of an Imperial 
  Navy battleship, watching dispassionately as a world burns by 
  their pronouncement. The power of the Inquisition is total, and 
  the dedication of the Inquisitor terrible to behold.
  sTarTing skills, 
  TalenTs, and gear
  Talents: Peer (Inquisition) (Influence Talent)
  Gear: Best-craftsmanship autopistol or bolt pistol, 
  common-craftsmanship power sword or best-craftsmanship  
  chainsword, Inquisitional Rosette, one digital weapon of 
  choice, micro-bead.
  ascended TraiTs
  When you take up the path of the Inquisitor, you automatically 
  gain the Indomitable Will of the Inquisition Trait. You must 
  also choose one other trait from the list below.
  indomitable Will of the inquisition
  To become an Inquisitor is to have strength of will beyond 
  that of normal men, to be able to look into the face of man’s 
  worst fears and carry on regardless. No one who carries the 
  rosette does so without the will to back it up. Once per game 
  session, the Inquisitor may automatically pass one Willpower 
  test (this may also include skill tests based on Willpower and 
  psychic powers). Should degrees of success be a factor, then 
  the Inquisitor is considered to have rolled a 01 on this test. 
  This ability can be used before or after the character makes 
  the Willpower Test, and can always be made regardless any 
  other modifiers that apply to the Test.
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  95
  choose one…
  conviction is strength
  By the time an Inquisitor receives his rosette, he has usually 
  already had a great deal of experience in serving the 
  Inquisition and dealing with its foes. For many, this steels 
  them against the horrors they must face and protects their 
  iron minds against whatever evils the universe may hurl at 
  them. From now on, the Inquisitor reduces all Insanity Points 
  he gains by half (rounding down).
  The Psyker’s gift
  Many Inquisitors are also psychically gifted, their powerful 
  wills and intimate knowledge of the warp lending themselves 
  to the path of the psykers. You must already be a psyker to 
  select this trait. You may select the Minor Psychic Power 
  Talent as an Elite Advance for 500xp, the Major Psychic 
  Power Talent as an Elite Advance for 750xp, or the Ascended 
  Psychic Power Talent as an Elite Advance for 2,000 xp. You 
  may also increase your current Psy Rating by +1 as an Elite 
  Advance for 1,500 xp. The xp cost of the Ascended Psychic 
  Power Talent may be reduced in the normal fashion (see 
  page 125).
  Purity is The only defense
  To be an Inquisitor is to have a rare insight into 
  the very soul of the Emperor. This affects men in 
  different ways, sometimes affirming their faith and sometimes 
  shattering it. Those who stay true to the path of the Emperor, 
  however, have a powerful shield against the darkness of the 
  warp and the insidious whispers of its inhabitants. From now 
  on, the Inquisitor reduces all Corruption Points he gains by 
  half (rounding down).
  Rank 9 Inquisitor Advances (Continued on Next Page)
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Basic Weapons Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Charismatic Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Driving Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Forbidden Lore Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Investigation Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Favoured by Fate
  700
  Talent
  —
  Inquisitor Characteristic Advances
  Characteristic
  Heroic
  Master
  Weapon Skill
  1,500
  2,000
  Ballistic Skill
  1,500
  2,000
  Strength
  3,000
  3,500
  Toughness
  3,000
  3,500
  Agility
  1,500
  2,000
  Intelligence
  1,000
  1,500
  Perception
  1,000
  1,500
  Willpower
  1,000
  1,500
  Fellowship
  1,000
  1,500
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  96
  Rank 10 Inquisitor Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Heroic Leadership
  700
  Paragon Talent
  Fel 30, WP 30, Command
  Mental Aegis
  700
  Paragon Talent
  WP50
  Pistol Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Linguistic Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Wide Correspondence
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Academics)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Administratum)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Ecclesiarchy)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Enforcers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Imperial Guard)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Imperial Navy)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Middle Class)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Planet (specific))
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Workers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Cult (specific))
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Underworld)
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Enemy (Recidivist Organisation (specific) 
  –200
  Influence Talent
  —
  Common Lore Mastery
  500
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Observation Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Stealth Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Rank 11 Inquisitor Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Indomitable Fortitude
  700
  Paragon Talent
  T 40, WP 40
  Scholastic Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Shadow Craft Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Shadow Lord
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Pious Observation
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Lord of Domains
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Adeptus Arbites)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Astropaths)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Death Worlders)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Pilgrims)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Void Born)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Ecclesiarchy)
  –100
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rank 9 Inquisitor Advances, Continued
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Peer (Feral Worlders)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Government)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Hivers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (PDF)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Military)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Recidivist Organisation (specific)
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Chartist Captains)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Inquisition)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel
  Peer (Navigators)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Nobility)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Underworld)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Acolyte Network
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Unnatural Willpower (x2)
  1000
  Trait
  Secret Tongue (Throne Agent) 
  500
  Skill
  —
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  97
  Rank 12 Inquisitor Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Cryptological Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Fieldcraft Mastery
  700
  Mastered Skill
  —
  Renowned Warrior
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Revolutionary
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Sleeper Agent
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Conciliator
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Enforcers)
  –100
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Good Reputation (Inquisition)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Inquisition)
  Good Reputation (Academics)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Academics)
  Good Reputation (Administratum)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Administratum)
  Good Reputation (Ecclesiarchy)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Ecclesiarchy)
  Good Reputation (Enforcers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Enforcers)
  Good Reputation (Imperial Guard)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Imperial Guard)
  Good Reputation (Imperial Navy)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Imperial Navy)
  Good Reputation (Middle Class)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Middle Class)
  Good Reputation (Planet (specific))
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Planet (specific))
  Good Reputation (Workers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Workers)
  Rival (Specific Inquisitional Faction)
  –300
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Rival (Specific Inquisitor)
  –300
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Rank 13 Inquisitor Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Exotic Weapon Training (Choose One)
  500
  Talent
  —
  Worthy of the Calixian Elite
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Warmonger
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Member of the Tyrantine Cabal
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Hidden Cultist
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Adeptus Astartes)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Adeptus Mechanicus)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Cult (specific))
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Adeptus Arbites)
  500
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Rival (Administratum)
  500
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Arbites)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adeptus Arbites)
  Good Reputation (Astropaths)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Astropaths)
  Good Reputation (Death Worlders)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Death Worlders)
  Good Reputation (Pilgrims)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Pilgrims)
  Good Reputation (Void Born)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Void Born)
  Enemy (Ecclesiarchy)
  –200
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Enemy (Specific Inquisitional Faction)
  –300
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Enemy (Specific Inquisitor)
  –300
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Tech Lore Mastery
  800
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Warp Lore Mastery
  800
  Mastered Skill 
  —
  Rank 11 Inquisitor Advances, Continued
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Good Reputation (Feral Worlders)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Feral Worlders)
  Good Reputation (Government)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Government)
  Good Reputation (Hivers)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Hivers)
  Good Reputation (PDF)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (PDF)
  Good Reputation (Military)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, (Military)
  Melee Weapon Expertise
  500
  Paragon Talent
  —
  Peerless Marksman
  500
  Paragon Talent
  BS 40
  
  III: The Path to Ascension
  98
  Rank 14 Inquisitor Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Soul of Stone
  700
  Paragon Talent
  WP 40
  Conditioned Intellect
  700
  Paragon Talent
  Int 40
  Rite of Protection
  800
  Other Talent
  WP 40
  The Ear of the Lord Sector
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Committed Xanthite
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Denouncer
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Adepta Sororitas)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Peer (Rogue Trader)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Adeptus Astartes)
  –300
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Adepta Sororitas)
  –200
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Rival (Astropaths)
  –100
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Rival (Navigators)
  –100
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Good Reputation (Chartist Captains)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Chartist Captains)
  Good Reputation (Navigators)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Navigators)
  Good Reputation (Nobility)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Nobility)
  Good Reputation (Underworld)
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Underworld)
  Enemy (Enforcers)
  –100
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Rank 15 Inquisitor Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Pure Faith
  700
  Faith Talent
  —
  Transcendent Hate
  700
  Paragon Talent
  Fel 30
  Outspoken Monodominant
  700
  Influence Talent
  —
  Oath Bonded to the Angels of Death
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Peer (Officio Assassinorum)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 30
  Rival (Adeptus Mechanicus)
  –200
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Rival (Chartist Captains)
  –100
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Enemy (Navigators)
  –100
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Astartes)
  800
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adeptus Astartes)
  Good Reputation (Adeptus Mechanicus)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer, (Adeptus Mechanicus)
  Good Reputation (Cult (specific))
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Cult (specific))
  Enemy (Adeptus Arbites)
  –200
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Enemy (Administratum)
  –200
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Rank 16 Inquisitor Advances
  Advance
  Cost
  Type
  Prerequisites
  Purge the Unclean
  700
  Faith Talent
  Pure Faith
  Storm of Blows
  800
  Paragon Talent
  WS 35, Ag 40
  Mnemonic Purging
  800
  Other Talent
  Int 45, WP 45
  Watched From On High
  800
  Influence Talent
  —
  Rival (Rogue Trader)
  –200
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Rival (Inquisition)
  –200
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Rival (Officio Assassinorum)
  –200
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Good Reputation (Adepta Sororitas)
  700
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, Peer (Adepta Sororitas)
  Good Reputation (Recidivist Organisation 
  (specific))
  500
  Influence Talent
  Fel 50, (Recidivist Organisation (specific))
  Good Reputation (Rogue Trader)
  500
  Influence Talent
   Fel 50, (Rogue Trader)
  Enemy (Adeptus Astartes)
  –300
  Influence Talent
  —
  Enemy (Adepta Sororitas)
  –200
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Enemy (Astropaths)
  –100
  Influence Talent 
  —
  Enemy (Navigators)
  –100
  Influence Talent
  —
  Unnatural Willpower (x3)
  2000
  Trait
  Unnatural Willpower (x3)
  
  Ascended 
  skills And 
  TAlenTs
  Mastered skills
  •
  Paragon talents
  •
  talents of influence
  •
  other ascended 
  talents
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  100
  Chapter IV: 
  Ascended 
  Skills and 
  Talents
  “To the ancients, a mind able to correlate all its contents was 
  considered an impossibility that would result in terror and madness. 
  As one who has achieved this ascendancy to the impossible, I can say 
  that the ancients were wrong; for I feel no terror and I can assure you 
  that I am quite sane.”
  –from the unfinished writings of Witchfinder Morndark
  T
  he chosen few who ascend through trails of fire and 
  death to serve as Inquisitors or their close associates 
  are possessed of abilities and knowledge that have 
  been acquired through the test of danger and adventure. To 
  experience the power and resources of the Inquisition opens 
  possibilities of learning and progression that are greater still. 
  To the studied knowledge of the venerable sage, the possibility 
  of hypno-transference and inference conditioning can open 
  new heights of intellectual achievement, while to the skilled 
  warrior, noetic-imprinting and training by the finest tutors 
  can raise his skills to a sublime and terrifying level. It is not 
  only knowledge and skill with blade and bolter that sets apart 
  the peers of the Imperium; it is also the influence that they 
  hold over the machinery that turns beneath the surface of 
  the Imperium, and how they choose to exert that influence, 
  that makes them more than their fellow servants of the God-
  Emperor. This chapter shows how such skills and abilities can 
  be related to ascended characters in Dark Heresy. 
  The PurPose of 
  Ascended skills And 
  TAlenTs
  The purpose of the skills and Talents presented in this 
  chapter is to give ascended characters abilities that reflect the 
  status and position they have achieved. These abilities are 
  deliberately powerful and approximate the qualities of many 
  lesser abilities that can be acquired separately. They are the 
  abilities of true lords and masters of the Imperium in their 
  chosen paths. They are also intended to reduce the number of 
  entries on a character sheet and remembered or referenced by 
  a player. It is intended that ascended characters have fewer, 
  more powerful abilities, with a greater scope of application 
  than characters created from the Dark Heresy rulebook and 
  other Dark Heresy supplements.
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  101
  Mastered 
  Skills
  “Knowledge is power: power beyond that of guns, or swords or 
  thronging armies. It is power because in a realm of ignorance those 
  with knowledge are lords of all.”
  –Corwanius Tare
  M
  astered skills represent a character’s mastery over a 
  broad area of endeavour which contains a number 
  of individual skills. Mastered skills replace a 
  number of individual skills, or skills with a number of skill 
  groups with a single Mastered Skill. This grants the character 
  a bonus to all of the skills that it replaces. Mastered skills can 
  also be used in conjunction with a number of characteristics 
  depending on the type of skill test being taken. Mastered 
  Talents also allow for the possibility of a character having a 
  particular speciality within a Mastered Skill. 
  exaMPle
  A character may have had the Acrobatics, Climb, Contortionist, 
  Dodge, and Swim skills, all at different degrees. When he purchases 
  Athletic Mastery, however, he would remove all of these individual 
  skills from his character sheet and simply use the bonus granted by 
  Athletic Mastery to all of the skill tests that would have been covered 
  by the individual skills.
  using MAsTered skills
  Mastered Skills are used in skill tests in the same way as 
  described on page 182 of the Dark Heresy Rulebook. A 
  Mastered Skill always grants a character a +20 bonus to 
  skill tests to which it can be applied. A Mastered skill can be 
  applied to all of the circumstances covered by the skills which 
  it replaces, and may also be applied to other circumstances that 
  the GM deems appropriate. In this way, the skills replaced by 
  a Mastered Skill are guides for what kinds of circumstances 
  the mastered skill may be applied to.
  characteristics
  Skills normally have an associated characteristic that is 
  specified for use in conjunction with that skill. Mastered 
  skills do not have a specified characteristic; they may be used 
  for skill tests in conjunction with a variety of characteristics 
  depending on what the character is trying to do. In the 
  case of activities that were covered by a skill that has been 
  absorbed and replaced by a mastered skill, the characteristic 
  associated with the normal use of that skill should be used. 
  If, however, a player introduces a use of a Mastered Skill that 
  is not covered by the skills it replaced then the GM should 
  specify what characteristic should be used fir the skill test.
  exaMPle
  A character is wants to dodge a blow which has successfully hit him. 
  He has Athletic Mastery, which replaces the Dodge skill and tests 
  using his Agility (the characteristic associated with dodging) and 
  applies the +20 bonus granted by Athletic Mastery.
  skill descriPtors
  Skills normally have a descriptor which tells the players and 
  Game Master what type of activity that skill is used for (see 
  page 96 of the Dark Heresy Rulebook for more details). 
  Mastered Skills do not have a single descriptor; they may 
  replace a number of skills with different descriptors and so 
  may be used as a combat, crafting, interaction, investigation, 
  movement, or operator skill as required by the type of task 
  the skill is being used for. 
  sPecialities
  Even after a character has acquired a mastered skill, it is 
  possible for him to enhance his ability in a particular field. 
  This is referred to as a speciality, and can be taken for any 
  of the skills that the Mastered Skill has replaced. When a 
  character passes a skill test relating to one of his specialities, 
  he counts as passing by an extra degree of success.
  Gaining Specialities: Mastered Skill specialities are the areas 
  of specialisation that are covered by the skills the Mastered 
  Skill replaces. Thus, a character with Athletic Mastery may 
  gain a speciality in climbing by purchasing the Climb Skill 
  again. However, the cost of this speciality is only 100 xp. A 
  character may have a number of specialities in a Mastered 
  Skill up to the number of skills it replaces.
  exaMPle
  For example if a character has Athletic Mastery and a speciality 
  in climbing, he would make tests to climb with a +20 bonus. If he 
  passed, he would count as having succeeded with an extra degree 
  of success. 
  talented, and other  
  skill-effecting rules
  There are a number of rules that can affect skill tests, such as 
  the Talented Talent. These rules are unchanged by the use of 
  Mastered Skills and apply to only the specific use of a mastered 
  skill that was covered by the originally specified rule. 
  exaMPle
  If a character has the talented (Acrobatics) Talent and Athletic 
  Mastery, he gets the +10 bonus when performing acrobatics. The 
  +20 bonus from Athletic Mastery would then be combined with the 
  +10 from the talented (Acrobatics) Talent to grant the character a 
  +30 bonus to his skill tests for performing acrobatics.
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  102
  the liMits of Mastered skills
  Mastered Skills have their limits. While they have very broad 
  applications, they are not universal. There are always things 
  that even a master of a particular field cannot be capable of. 
  This is particularly important for Mastered Skills which replace 
  skills that have a large number of skill groups. In these cases, 
  it is assumed that the Mastered Skill does not allow access to 
  areas not specified in a skill’s original set of skill groups.
  exaMPle
  If a character has Linguistic Mastery, he speaks and writes High 
  Gothic, Hive Dialect, Low Gothic, Ship Dialect, and Tribal Dialect, 
  but does not have the same mastery of the Eldar tongue.
  gAining MAsTered 
  skills
  Mastered Skills may be gained by characters in two ways: by 
  purchasing them with experience points from a rank or as 
  an elite advance, or by mastering all of the Skills which the 
  Mastered Skill replaces.
  Purchasing Mastered Skills: Mastered skills are available as 
  advances in the careers featured in this book (see pages 49-98 
  in Chapter II: Ascended Careers). 
  Replacing Existing Skills: If a character has achieved +20 
  in all of the skills listed as being replaced by a Mastered Skill, 
  he gains the Mastered Skill at no cost. Remove the individual 
  skills from the character sheet and replace them with the 
  Mastered skill. 
  athletic Mastery
  Replaces: Acrobatics, Climb, Contortionist, Dodge, Swim
  Athletic mastery reflects a complete control over motion, 
  power and coordination by a character. 
  coMMerce Mastery
  Replaces: Barter, Evaluate, Trade (Merchant) 
  Commerce mastery is the mastery of all manner of commercial 
  transactions and estimation of potential value. 
  coMMon lore Mastery 
  Replaces: Common Lore (all skill groups)
  A mastery of common lore reflects a profound knowledge of 
  the Imperium and those who dwell within it. 
  cryPtological Mastery
  Replaces: Ciphers (all skill groups), Secret Tongue (all 
  skill groups)
  A character with cryptological mastery is an expert in all 
  manner of secret communications and is able to crack codes 
  and create complex cryptic languages.
  decadent Mastery
  Replaces: Carouse, Gamble, Performer (all skill Groups), 
  Decadent mastery is the fruit of a life spent in epicurean 
  indulgence and reflects expertise in imbibing all forms of 
  intoxicants, gambling, and revelling with abandon.
  charisMatic Mastery 
  Replaces: Blather, Charm, Command
  Charismatic mastery reflects a peerless ability to influence 
  others through force of personality, oratory, skill with 
  conversation, and flattery. 
  driving Mastery
  Replaces: Driving (all skill groups)
  A character with driving mastery has the ability to control all 
  forms of vehicle with equal skill. 
  Table 4–1: Mastered Skills
  Mastered Skill
  Replaces
  Athletic Mastery
  Acrobatics, Climb, 
  Contortionist, Dodge, Swim
  Commerce Mastery
  Barter, Evaluate 
  Common Lore Mastery
  Common Lore (all skill groups)
  Cryptological Mastery
  Ciphers (all skill groups), 
  Secret Tongue (all skill groups)
  Decadent Mastery
  Carouse, Gamble, Performer 
  (all skill Groups)
  Charismatic Mastery
  Blather, Charm, Command
  Driving Mastery
  Driving (all skill groups)
  Fieldcraft Mastery
  Navigation (Surface), Survival, 
  Tracking, Wrangling
  Forbidden Lore Mastery
  Forbidden Lore (all skill 
  groups)
  Investigation Mastery
  Inquiry, Interrogation, 
  Intimidate, 
  Linguistic Mastery 
  Lip Reading, Literacy, Speak 
  Language (High Gothic, Low 
  Gothic, Ship Dialect, Tribal 
  Dialect)
  Observation Mastery
  Awareness, Scrutiny, Search
  Piloting Mastery
  Pilot (all skill groups), 
  Navigation (Stellar) 
  Scholastic Mastery
  Logic, Scholastic Lore (all skill 
  groups)
  Shadow Craft Mastery
  Deceive, Disguise, Security, 
  Slight of Hand
  Stealth Mastery
  Concealment, Silent Move, 
  Shadowing
  Tech Lore Mastery
  Chem-Use, Demolition, 
  Medicae, Tech Use 
  Warp Lore Mastery
  Invocation, Psyniscience
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  103
  fieldcraft Mastery
  Replaces: Navigation (Surface), Survival, Tracking, Wrangling
  Fieldcraft mastery is the total command of the skills needed 
  to survive in the wilderness or far from civilisation.
  forbidden lore Mastery
  Replaces: Forbidden Lore (all skill groups)
  Forbidden Lore Mastery represents a character’s extensive 
  knowledge of things that it is better not to know; from the 
  ways of aliens to the mysteries of the warp and the power  
  of daemons.
  investigation Mastery
  Replaces: Inquiry, Interrogation, Intimidate, 
  Investigation Mastery is the mastery of the skills used in 
  conducting an investigation such as gathering information 
  from witnesses or extracting confessions from suspects.
  linguistic Mastery
  Replaces: Lip Reading, Literacy, Speak Language (High 
  Gothic, Low Gothic, Ship Dialect, Tribal Dialect)
  A character who has Linguistic Mastery has command of High 
  and Low Gothic and can decipher all its derivative dialects in 
  verbal and written form.
  observation Mastery
  Replaces: Awareness, Scrutiny, Search
  Observation Mastery represents a highly trained ability to 
  notice details about places, people, and situations.
  Piloting Mastery 
   
  Replaces: Pilot (all skill groups), Navigation (Stellar) 
  A character who has achieved Piloting Mastery controls all 
  craft that soar through the air and void with peerless skill.
  scholastic Mastery
  Replaces: Logic, Scholastic Lore (all skill groups), 
  Scholastic Mastery represents total mastery of all branches of 
  scholarly knowledge. 
  shadow craft Mastery
  Replaces: Deceive, Disguise, Security, Slight of Hand
  Shadow Crafts are the skills of those who exist in a world of 
  lies, of false identities and secrets. Mastery of Shadow craft 
  makes the character a master of this other world of shadows 
  and lies. 
  stealth Mastery
  Replaces: Concealment, Silent Move, Shadowing
  A character with Stealth Mastery moves like a ghost, unseen 
  and unheard unless he wishes to be.
  tech lore Mastery
  Replaces: Chem-Use, Demolition, Medicae, Tech Use 
  Tech Lore Mastery is the mastery of all of the knowledge 
  of machines, their spirits, of biology and the alchemical 
  mysteries of chemicals. 
  warP lore Mastery
  Replaces: Forbidden Lore (Warp), Invocation, Psyniscience
  Warp Lore Mastery is the Mastery by a psyker of their 
  perception of the warp and the means to summon its power.
  new skill grouPs
  ciphers (Throne Agent)
  Used to communicate a private and pre-arranged code 
  between given agents of the Inquisition. Note that these 
  codes are unique to specific Ordos within the Inquisition.
  Note: This Skill Group simply replaces and updates 
  Ciphers (Acolyte).
  forbidden lore (officio Assassinorum)
  Secret knowledge of the Officio Assassinorum, the Assassin 
  Temples, their particular wargear, styles, and methods of 
  operation.
  secret Tongue (Throne Agent)
  A pre-arranged series of code phrases and inflections 
  intelligible only to a fellow Throne Agent. Note that 
  each group of Throne Agents has a unique version of this 
  language.
  Note: This Skill Group simply replaces and updates Secret 
  Tongue (Acolyte).
  creating other  
  Mastered skills
  The mastered skills presented here cover all of the 
  skills from the Dark Heresy Rulebook and can be 
  used without any intervention from the Game Master. 
  A Mastered Skill is made up of a group of skills that 
  are linked by a common theme or mode of use. If Game 
  Masters and players wish to create a new or alternative 
  Mastered Skills, they simply have to select the skills 
  that the Mastered Skill encompasses and a rationale for 
  why they can be grouped together. It is best to group 
  skills based on an area of knowledge that they represent 
  portions of, or because they represent a wider ability 
  made up of several skills.
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  104
  Paragon 
  Talents
  “Yes, yes of course there are others who claim to be the finest pistol 
  knave that Gunmetal has ever produced. In the case of my friend 
  here, she really is; a fact which you are all about to witness.”
  –Inquisitor Kaede confronting the magi of 
  the Mirrored Visage
  P
  aragon Talents represent the pinnacle of achievement 
  in a particular sphere. They combine the effects of a 
  number of ordinary Talents and usually grant a further 
  benefit in addition. Paragon Talents have prerequisites that 
  a character must meet in order take the Talent and use its 
  abilities in the same way as other Talents in Dark Heresy (see 
  pages 110-122 in Chapter IV: Talents in the Dark Heresy 
  Rulebook). Paragon Talents may also list two or more Talents 
  which they replace. If a character gains a Paragon Talent and 
  they have any of the Talents listed as being replaced, they are 
  removed from the character sheet. The Paragon Talent counts 
  as all of the original Talents for the purposes of prerequisites 
  for other Talents, Traits or rules.
  gAining PArAgon 
  TAlenTs
  Paragon Talents may be gained by characters in two ways: 
  by purchasing them with experience points from a rank or 
  an elite advance, or by obtaining all of the Talents which the 
  Paragon Talent replaces.
  Purchasing Paragon Talents: Paragon Talents are 
  available as advances in the careers featured in this book 
  (see pages 49-98 in Chapter II: Ascended Careers). The 
  amount of experience that these advances cost is not reduced 
  if the character already has one or more of the Talents that 
  the Paragon Talent replaces. These advances cost an amount 
  of experience to purchase. This amount is not reduced if the 
  character already has one or more of the Talents which the 
  Paragon Talent replaces (see below).
  Replacing Existing Talents: If a character has acquired all 
  the Talents that a Paragon Talent replaces, then he may replace 
  these Talents with the Paragon Talent for no experience 
  cost. For example, if a character has the Ambidextrous, 
  Two-Weapon Fighting, Dual Shot, Independent Targeting, 
  and Gunslinger Talents, he could replace them all with the 
  Gunfighter Saint Paragon Talent without spending any 
  experience.
  basic weaPons exPertise
  Replaces: Basic Weapon Training (Bolt, Flame, Las, Launcher, 
  Melta, Plasma, Primitive, SP)
  The character can use all basic weapons, with the exception 
  of exotic weaponry, without penalty.
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  105
  berserker
  Prerequisites: Weapon Skill 50, Strength 40
  Replaces: 
  Battle 
  Rage, 
  Berserk 
  Charge, 
  Frenzy, 
  Furious Assault
  The character fights with an unrestrained fury that only the 
  death of all those who stand against him can sate. 
  When the character makes a charge manoeuvre, he gains a 
  +20 bonus to Weapon Skill instead of the usual +10 and may 
  instantly enter a Frenzied state as a free action. While frenzied, 
  the character gains a +10 bonus to Weapon Skill, Strength, 
  Toughness, and Willpower, but suffers a –20 penalty to 
  Ballistic Skill and Intelligence. While frenzied, the character 
  must attack the nearest enemy in melee combat if possible. If 
  the character is not engaged with the nearest enemy, he must 
  move towards that enemy and engage them if possible. While 
  frenzied, the character is immune to fear, pinning, stunning 
  effects, and the effects of fatigue and will not retreat or flee 
  but may Parry and Dodge. The character remains Frenzied for 
  the duration of the combat. Whenever the character hits an 
  opponent whilst using the All-Out Attack Manoeuvre, he may 
  spend his reaction to make an extra attack (this extra attack 
  retains any bonuses or penalties of the original attack).
  Table 4–2: Paragon Talents 
  Paragon Talent
  Prerequisites
  Replaces
  Basic Weapons Expertise
  Basic Weapon Training (Bolt, Flame, Las, Launcher, Melta, 
  Plasma, Primitive, SP)
  Berserker
  WS 50, S 40
  Battle Rage, Berserk Charge, Frenzy, Furious Assault
  Blade Dancer
  Ag 40, Acrobatics skill, WS 40, 
  Melee Weapon Training (any)
  Assassin’s Strike, Blade Master, Combat Master, Counter Attack, 
  Wall of Steel
  Call of Iron
  Mechanicus Implants
  Ferric Lure, Ferric Summons
  Conditioned Intellect
  Int 40
  Foresight, Total Recall
  Death Blow
  WS 50, S 40
  Crippling Strike, Crushing Blow, Precise Blow, Sure Strike 
  Electro Illumination
  Mechanicus Implants (Electoo 
  Inductor/Potentia Coil)
  Energy Cache, Luminen Blast, Luminen Charge, Luminen Shock
  Exemplar of Metal
  Mechanicus Implants
  Enhanced Bionic Frame, Machinator Array, Mechadendrite Use 
  (Gun, Manipulator, Medicae, Optical, Utility), The Flesh is Weak
  Gravic Levitation
  Mechanicus Implants
  Maglev Grace, Maglev Transcendence
  Gunfighter Saint
  BS 40, Ag 40, Pistol Weapon 
  Training (any)
  Ambidextrous, Two-Weapon Wielder (Ballistic), Dual Shot, 
  Independent Targeting, Gunslinger
  Heavy Weapons Expertise
  Heavy Weapons Training (Bolt, Flame, Las, Launcher, Melta, 
  Plasma, Primitive, SP) 
  Heroic Leadership
  Fel 30, WP 30, Command
  Air of Authority, Iron Discipline, Into the Jaws of Hell,  
  Master Orator
  Heightened Reactions
  Ag 40, Per 40
  Quick Draw, Paranoia, Rapid Reaction, Rapid Reload, Leap Up, 
  Light Sleeper, Lightning Reflexes
  Indomitable Fortitude
  T 40, WP 40
  Die Hard, Hardy, Iron Jaw, Resistance (Cold, Heat, Poisons),  
  True Grit
  Machine Spirit Empathy
  Int 30, Fel 30, Mechanicus 
  Implants
  Binary Chatter, Electro Graft Use, Gun Blessing,  
  Technical Knock 
  Melee Weapon Expertise
  Melee Weapon Training (Primitive, Chain, Shock, Power)
  Mental Aegis
  WP 50
  Mental Fortress, Resistance (Psychics), Strong Minded
  Peerless Marksman
  BS 40
  Crack Shot, Deadeye Shot, Marksman, Mighty Shot, 
  Sharpshooter
  Pistol Expertise
  Pistol Training (Bolt, Flame, Las, Launcher, Melta, Plasma, 
  Primitive, SP)
  Purity of the Machine
  Mechanicus Implants 
  Autosanguine, Chem Geld, Orthoproxy, Prosanguine, Rite of 
  Pure Thought
  Storm of Blows
  WS 35, Ag 40
  Ambidextrous, Dual Strike, Lightening Attack, Swift Attack, 
  Two-Weapon Wielder (Melee)
  Soul of Stone
  WP 40
  Armour of Contempt, Fearless, Insanely Faithful, Jaded, 
  Resistance (Fear), Unshakeable Faith
  Thrown Weapon Expertise
  Thrown Weapon Training (Primitive, Chain, Shock, Power)
  Transcendent Hate
  Fel 30
  Hatred (all), Inspire Wrath, Litany of Hate
  Unarmed Ascendant Mastery WS 45, Ag 45
  Disarm, Unarmed Master, Unarmed Warrior, Takedown,  
  Street Fighting
  Unassailable Grace
  Ag 50, Dodge
  Deflect Shot, Hard Target, Step Aside
  Voice of the Omnissiah
  Mechanicus Implants
  Disturbing Voice, Feedback Screech, Mimic, Rite of Awe, Rite  
  of Fear
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  106
  blade dancer
  Prerequisites: Agility 40, Acrobatics skill, Weapon Skill 40, 
  Melee Weapon Training (any)
  Replaces: Assassin’s Strike, Blade Master, Combat Master, 
  Counter Attack, Wall of Steel
  The character fights with a deadly, athletic grace; flipping 
  over opponents, deflecting blows, repositioning and killing 
  with swift, precise cuts. 
  When attacking with a sword or a knife of any type, 
  including chainswords and powerswords, the character may 
  re-roll a missed attack once per round, and may make an 
  additional parry once per round. In effect, this gives the 
  character a second Reaction that may only be used to parry, 
  thus allowing him to make two parries in a turn. Note he 
  may still only attempt a single parry against any one attack. 
  When the character successfully parries an opponent’s attack, 
  he may immediately make an attack against that opponent 
  using the weapon which was used to parry. This attack takes 
  a –10 penalty to the test.
  Opponents fighting the character in hand-to-hand gain no 
  bonuses for outnumbering.
  After the character makes a melee attack, he may make an 
  Acrobatics test to make a move equal to half his move rate. 
  This move is as a Free Action and the opponent may not take 
  the customary free attack for the character Fleeing (see page 
  192 of the Dark Heresy Rulebook). 
  call of iron
  Prerequisites: Mechanicus Implants
  Replaces: Ferric Lure, Ferric Summons
  The character may lift or move any unsecured metal objects 
  weighing up to 2 kilograms per point of Willpower Bonus 
  within a 40m range. He may move the objects slowly 
  anywhere within 30m but cannot make attacks with objects he 
  manipulates. Once he ceases controlling the object, it falls to 
  the ground. Alternatively, the character may instantly call the 
  metal objects to him. The character must make a Willpower 
  Test and spend a Half Action to activate this Talent, and it 
  may be ended as a Free Action.
  conditioned intellect
  Prerequisites: Intelligence 40
  Replaces: Foresight, Total Recall
  By spending ten minutes studying or analysing a problem, 
  the character gains a +10 bonus to his next Intelligence 
  Test. If the character succeeds, he counts as having passed 
  by an additional degree of success. The character can also 
  automatically remember any piece of information he might 
  feasibly have picked up in the past. When trying to recall 
  more detailed or obscure facts, such as the precise layout of a 
  crime scene or a page he read in an ancient grimoire five years 
  ago, the character must make an Intelligence Test.
  death blow
  Prerequisites: Weapon Skill 50, Strength 40
  Replaces: Crippling Strike, Crushing Blow, Precise Blow, 
  Sure Strike 
  The character can kill with a single, immensely powerful 
  blow to the enemy’s most vulnerable points. 
  The character adds +2 to all damage he inflicts in melee. 
  Further, when the character deals critical damage to an 
  opponent using a melee weapon, he deals an additional 4 
  points. The character may nominate the location hit by 
  any successful melee attack. The nominated location is 
  automatically the location hit by the attack. 
  electro illuMination
  Prerequisites: Mechanicus Implants 
  Replaces: Energy Cache, Luminen Blast, Luminen Charge, 
  Luminen Shock
  The Tech-Priest has mastered the electricity that flows 
  through his biological and mechanical components, allowing 
  him to use it as a deadly weapon or to feed the hungry circuits  
  of machines.
  The Tech-Priest may blast his enemies with electricity at 
  a distance by making a ranged attack (requiring a Ballistic 
  Skill test) against a single target within 10 meters, ignoring 
  all range modifiers (the bonus for Aiming still applies, but not 
  for Short or Point-Blank range). The Tech-Priest may also 
  deliver a deadly shock to an opponent in combat by either 
  making a single melee attack, or by grappling to deliver the 
  blast (yes, this Talent may be used while grappling). The 
  attack does 1d10 + Willpower Bonus Energy damage, has 
  a Penetration equal to the character’s Willpower Bonus, and 
  has the Shocking quality. The Tech-Priest may opt to spend 
  wounds to boost the Damage and Penetration of the attack 
  by one point each per wound. If the loss of these wounds 
  cause critical damage, it counts as Energy Damage to the Tech-
  Priest’s body. 
  On a successful Toughness Test, the Tech-Priest may use his 
  bio-electrical field to recharge or power machinery. This takes 
  one minute of meditation and ritual incantation to activate. 
  The difficulty of the Toughness Test varies depending on the 
  nature of the technology, as follows:
  Note that at the GM’s discretion, some technology is simply 
  too arcane, broken or power hungry to activate. 
  Difficulty
  Example
  Ordinary (+10)
  Chemical Battery, Glow Globe
  Challenging (+0)
  Las Gun Charge Pack, Data Slate, 
  Personal Heater
  Difficult (–10)
  Overcharge Pack, Air Conditioning 
  Unit, Servo-skull
  Hard (–20)
  Land Speeder Engine, Las Cannon 
  Charge Pack, Servitor
  Very Hard (–30)
  Industrial Press, Cogitator Engine, 
  Xenos Tech
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  107
  exeMPlar of Metal
  Prerequisites: Mechanicus Implants 
  Replaces: Enhanced Bionic Frame, Machinator Array, 
  Mechadendrite Use (Gun, Manipulator, Medicae, Optical, 
  Utility), The Flesh is Weak
  Haloed by prehensile mechadenrities bearing blades, tools 
  and weaponry, the Tech-Priest has passed far from the weak 
  human form and is now an exemplar of the strength of the 
  machine. The Tech-Priest has been enhanced to the point 
  where his body is a powerful frame of metal driven by pistons 
  and servos rather than muscle. 
  This Talent completely exchanges its benefits for those of 
  the Talents it replaces (including the Characteristic increases 
  from Machinator Array and the Armour increases from The 
  Flesh Is Weak). The Talents that are replaced by Exemplar 
  of Metal can nevermore be taken by the character. The 
  character’s Strength and Toughness are increased by +10 
  each, and his Agility and Fellowship reduced by –5. The 
  character weighs three times as much as a normal person of 
  his size, may no longer swim, and has the Auto-stabilised and 
  Machine (7) Traits (see page 329 and page 330 of the Dark 
  Heresy Rulebook). The Tech-Priest may use any type of 
  mechadendrite and any Ballistic Mechadendrite he possesses, 
  and may mount a single pistol type weapon or close combat 
  weapon for which he has the Weapon Training Talent to use, 
  rather than the usual compact laser design.
  gravitic levitation
  Prerequisites: Mechanicus Implants (Potentia Coil)
  Replaces: Maglev Grace, Maglev Transcendence
  The character has mastered the secrets of anti-Gravitic field 
  generation. He floats above the ground and can even raise 
  himself to float through the air in defiance of gravity.
  The character may hover, at will, 20 to 30 centimetres off 
  the ground, and may move normally while doing so. He may 
  deactivate and reactivate this effect at will as a Free Action. 
  Should the character fall, he takes no damage so long as this 
  rite is active when he reaches the ground. Once every 6 hours, 
  the character may spend a Half Action to gain the Flyer (3) 
  trait, which he may maintain for a number of minutes equal 
  to the character’s Toughness Bonus.
  gunfighter saint 
  Prerequisites: Ballistic Skill 40, Agility 40, Pistol Weapon 
  Training (any)
  Replaces: Ambidextrous, Two-Weapon Wielder (Ballistic), 
  Dual Shot, Independent Targeting, and Gunslinger Talents.
  The character is a gunfighter of terrifying skill; in his hands, 
  pistols seem to have a will of their own, a will that wants only 
  to bring death to the living. 
  When this character is fighting with two pistols at the same 
  time, he may shoot with either hand without penalty. When 
  using the Multiple Attacks Combat Action, he may fire both 
  pistols at the same target by making a single Ballistic Skill Test, 
  or he may shoot one pistol at one target and his other pistol as 
  a second target by making two separate Ballistic Skill Tests.
  heavy weaPons exPertise
  Replaces: Heavy Weapons Training (Bolt, Flame, Las, 
  Launcher, Melta, Plasma, Primitive, SP) 
  The character can use all heavy weapons, with the exception 
  of exotic weaponry, without penalty.
  heroic leadershiP
  Prerequisites: Fellowship 30, Willpower 30, Command 
  Replaces: Air of Authority, Iron Discipline, Into the Jaws of 
  Hell, Master Orator
  The character’s presence, deeds, and words inspire those 
  around him to face the darkness without fear and perform 
  deeds equal to the greatest heroes of the Imperium.
  On a successful Command Test, the character may affect 
  a number of friendly targets equal to 1d10 x his Fellowship 
  Bonus. All those affected by his command test are ‘inspired’ 
  by his Leadership. He may attempt to get non-servants to 
  follow his commands by making a Command Test with a –10 
  penalty. While he is visible to them, his minions and those 
  ‘inspired’ by his leadership are immune to fear and pinning 
  and may re-roll failed Willpower Tests. Note that this Talent 
  may affect those whom he does not normally have formal 
  authority over. In this case it is his inspiring words and deeds 
  that motivate those around him, regardless of relative rank or 
  status. In addition, all other Fellowship Tests and Fellowship-
  based Skill Tests can affect 10 times the normal number  
  of people. 
  heightened reactions
  Prerequisites: Agility 40, Perception 40
  Replaces: 
  Combat 
  Sense, 
  Quick 
  Draw, 
  Paranoia, 
  Rapid Reaction, Rapid Reload, Leap Up, Light Sleeper,  
  Lightning Reflexes
  The character is constantly attuned to danger and reacts faster 
  than sight when under pressure. 
  When rolling for Initiative, the character has a +2 bonus 
  and may add either twice his Agility Bonus, or his Agility and 
  Perception bonus, to the roll. When surprised or ambushed, 
  he may make an Agility Test to act normally. He is always 
  considered to be awake, even if he is asleep, when making 
  Awareness Tests. In addition, the GM may secretly test the 
  character’s Perception to see if he notices hidden threats. 
  Ready actions and standing up are Free Actions for the 
  character, and all reload times are reduced by half (round 
  down)—so a half action reload become a Free Action, a full 
  action reload becomes a half action and so on. 
  Pure faith
  For more information about Pure Faith and other 
  related Talents, see pages 50–51 of THe InquIsITor’s 
  HanDbook.
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  108
  indoMitable fortitude
  Prerequisites: Toughness 40, Willpower 40
  Replaces: Die Hard, Hardy, Iron Jaw, Resistance (Cold, Heat, 
  Poisons), True Grit
  The character’s unbending will, combined with a constitution 
  like tempered steel, allows him to disregard injuries that would 
  cripple others. 
  The character has a +10 bonus to Toughness tests to resist 
  the effects of heat, cold, poisons, suffocation (see page 210 
  of the Dark Heresy Rulebook), vacuum (see page 210 of 
  the Dark Heresy Rulebook), to avoid permanently losing a 
  broken limb (see page 211 of the Dark Heresy Rulebook) 
  and to resist the negative effects of critical damage. Whenever 
  the character does suffer critical damage, halve the result 
  (rounding up). Further, when the character suffers from blood 
  loss, he may roll twice to avoid death. For the purposes of 
  removing damage, the character is always considered to be 
  lightly wounded, and when he becomes stunned, he may make 
  a Toughness Test with a +10 bonus to shrug off its effects.
  Machine sPirit eMPathy
  Prerequisites: 
  Intelligence 
  30, 
  Fellowship 
  30, 
  Mechanicus Implants
  Replaces: Binary Chatter, Electro Graft Use, Gun Blessing, 
  Technical Knock 
  The character can form close bonds with the spirits of devices 
  and machinery; coaxing information from them, soothing 
  their anger, and persuading them to do his bidding. 
  The character gains a +10 bonus to any attempt to instruct, 
  program or question servitors, semi-sentient devices, data 
  stores and similar systems, and gains a further +10 bonus to 
  Common Lore, Inquiry or Tech-Use Tests while connected 
  directly to a machine via a data point. The character may 
  also un-jam a weapon by touching it as a Half Action. He 
  may restore an uncooperative but intact machine to function 
  by touching it and passing a Challenging (+0) Fellowship 
  Test. As a Full Action, the character may un-jam weapons 
  within a 10 meter radius by passing a Challenging (+0) 
  Intelligence Test. If the test is passed, the character may un-
  jam a number of weapons equal to their Intelligence Bonus 
  plus the number of degrees of success. 
  Melee weaPon exPertise
  Replaces: Melee Weapon Training (Chain, Power, 
  Primitive, Shock)
  The character can use all melee weapons, with the exception 
  of exotic weaponry, without penalty.
  Mental aegis
  Prerequisites: Willpower 50
  Replaces: 
  Mental 
  Fortress, 
  Resistance 
  (Psychics), 
  Strong Minded
  Either through subconsciously repeated words of warding, or 
  through sheer force of will, the character is armoured against 
  witchery and the powers of the warp. Such are the strengths of 
  the character’s defences, that should a psyker turn his gaze on 
  the character the backlash may kill him. 
  The character has a +10 bonus to all tests he makes to 
  resist the effects of all psychic or warp based effects (including 
  daemonic abilities and sorcery) and may re-roll failed Willpower 
  Tests to resist any psychic powers that affect his mind. In 
  addition, when the character is the target of a psychic attack of 
  any kind (including direct physical attacks using telekinesis) he 
  may force the attacking psyker to make a Willpower Test. On a 
  failure, the attacking psyker suffers 1d10 points of damage plus 
  1 damage per point of the character’s Willpower Bonus. This 
  damage is considered Impact Damage, directed at the head 
  (more specifically, the face). The attacking psyker can reduce 
  this damage by an amount equal to his Willpower Bonus but 
  this damage bypasses armour and Toughness Bonus.
  Peerless MarksMan
  Prerequisites: Ballistic Skill 40,
  Replaces: Crack Shot, Deadeye Shot, Marksman, Mighty 
  Shot, Sharpshooter
  The character’s marksmanship is so developed that he can kill 
  a distant target with a single shot.
  The character adds +2 to damage inflicted with ranged 
  weapons, and when he inflicts critical damage with a ranged 
  weapon, he causes a further 4 points of damage. Further, 
  when making a called shot, the character does not incur the 
  normal –20 penalty and suffers no penalties for shooting at 
  long or extended range. 
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  109
  Pistol exPertise
  Replaces: Pistol Training (Bolt, Flame, Las, Launcher, Melta, 
  Plasma, Primitive, SP)
  The character can use all pistols, with the exception of exotic 
  weaponry, without penalty.
  Purity of the Machine 
  Prerequisites: Mechanicus Implants
  Replaces: 
  Autosanguine, 
  Chem 
  Geld, 
  Orthoproxy, 
  Prosanguine, Rite of Pure Thought
  The character has been freed of the weakness of his remaining 
  flesh’s desires and physical vulnerability. Blessed technology 
  filters the character’s blood, making him immune to its whispers 
  and mitigating its vulnerability, while cranial circuitry suffuses 
  his thoughts beneath layers of binary prayer. 
  For the purposes of healing, the character is always 
  considered to be Lightly Wounded. In addition, the character 
  heals at an increased rate, removing 2 points of damage each 
  day. Once every 12 hours, the character may make a Tech-Use 
  Test. On a success, he may remove 1d5 points of damage plus 
  one point per degree of success. This process of regeneration 
  takes ten minutes of meditation and ritual incantation  
  to activate.
  This paragon Talent grants the character a +20 bonus to 
  Willpower Tests made to resist mind control, interrogation and 
  intimidation, and he is immune to Fear and Pinning. Seduction 
  attempts against him automatically fail, and the difficulty of 
  all Charm Tests made against him increases by two steps (a 
  Challenging (+0) Test becomes Hard (–20) and so on).
  When taking this Talent, the character gains 1d5 insanity 
  points. The GM should remove any Mental Disorders that are 
  no longer relevant to the character’s machine-like psychology, 
  and substitute new ones of equal severity.
  storM of blows 
  Prerequisites: Weapon Skill 35, Agility 40
  Replaces: Ambidextrous, Dual Strike, Lightning Attack, Swift 
  Attack, Two-Weapon Wielder (Melee) 
  The character becomes a storm of violence and death in battle, 
  raining blows on his enemies with remorseless fury. 
  As a Full Action, the character may make three melee attacks. 
  If the character is armed with a melee weapon in each hand he 
  may make four melee attacks as a Full Action, choosing how 
  many attacks he makes with each weapon. These attacks, made 
  with either hand, do not suffer any penalty to hit. When armed 
  with two melee weapons and taking a Full Action to make 
  multiple attacks, the character may make swap two attacks for 
  a single attack made with both weapons simultaneously as a 
  Full Action. Make a single Weapon Skill Test. On a success, 
  the target is hit with both weapons. The target’s armour gets 
  applied as normal to both hits individually, but Toughness only 
  counts once against the combined damage rolls of both hits. 
  A single successful Dodge or Parry Test from the target avoids 
  both blows. The remaining two attacks may be made normally 
  with either weapon or swapped for a further simultaneous 
  strike with both weapons. 
  soul of stone
  Prerequisites: Willpower 40
  Replaces: Armour of Contempt, Fearless, Insanely Faithful, 
  Jaded, Resistance (Fear), Unshakeable Faith 
  The character’s soul is as cold and unfeeling as stone. Sights that 
  would terrify others are as nothing to them and the corrupting 
  claws of the warp can find no purchase within them.
  The character is immune to the effects of fear, pinning, 
  and intimidation, and never gains insanity points from 
  sights of blood, death or violence, or indeed any mundane 
  horror. Whenever the character would gain corruption points, 
  reduce the amount he would earn by 5. In addition, he may 
  test Willpower as a Free Action to ignore the effects of his 
  accumulated corruption for 1 minute.
  thrown weaPon exPertise
  Replaces: Thrown Weapon Training (Primitive, Chain, 
  Shock, Power)
  The character can use all thrown weapons, with the exception 
  of exotic weaponry, without penalty.
  transcendent hate
  Prerequisites: Fellowship 30
  Replaces: Hatred (all), Inspire Wrath, Litany of Hate
  The character’s hate for his enemies is so profound that it has 
  transcended single groups and is projected onto any who stand 
  against him. 
  The character may declare any enemy a hated foe and 
  gain a +10 bonus to all Weapon Skill Tests made to attack 
  him. As a Full Action, the character may make an Easy (+20) 
  Charm Test to extend the effects of his Hatred Talent to those 
  around him. A successful test grants two allies per point of 
  the character’s Fellowship Bonus a +10 bonus to Weapon 
  Skill Tests when fighting the hated foe. The effects last for 
  the duration of the encounter. In addition, this Talent grants 
  the character a +20 bonus to Interaction Tests when inspiring 
  hatred or anger, and allows him to affect double the normal 
  number of individuals when doing so. This Talent can be 
  combined with Master Orator to further increase the number 
  of listeners affected.
  unarMed ascendant Mastery 
  Prerequisites: Weapons Skill 45, Agility 45 
  Replaces: Disarm, Unarmed Master, Unarmed Warrior, 
  Takedown, Street Fighting
  The character has mastered techniques of unarmed combat 
  to such a level that he is as lethal unarmed as armed; able to 
  strike with hammer-like force, knock out opponents with a 
  well-placed blow, or take an enemy’s weapon from his hands 
  at will. 
  The character’s unarmed combat attacks do 1d10+SB (I) 
  points of damage and no longer have the Primitive quality. If 
  the character deals critical damage when unarmed, using an 
  improvised weapon, or a knife, then he deals an additional +4 
  points. As a Free Action, the character may declare that he is 
  attempting to takedown an opponent before testing Weapon 
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  110
  Skill. If he hits and does at least 1 point of damage, this 
  damage is ignored and the opponent must make a Toughness 
  Test or be stunned for a number of rounds equal to the 
  character’s Strength Bonus. When engaged with an opponent 
  wielding a melee weapon, the character may use a Full Action 
  to disarm his opponent by making an Opposed Weapon Skill 
  Test. If the opponent loses, he drops his weapon at his feet. 
  Should the character get three or more degrees of success, he 
  not only disarms his opponent, but also takes his weapon.
  unassailable grace
  Prerequisites: Agility 50, Dodge
  Replaces: Deflect Shot, Hard Target, Step Aside
  The character reacts to attacks so quickly and fluidly that he 
  seems to dance through blade swings and gunfire, knocking 
  bullets from the air and pivoting aside from danger.
  The character may make an additional reaction per round. 
  In effect, this gives him a second Reaction that may only be 
  used to Dodge, thus allowing him to make two Dodges in a 
  turn. Note he may still only attempt a single Dodge against 
  any one attack. The character may spend a reaction to knock 
  an incoming ranged attack out of the air with a melee weapon, 
  so long as the attack is from a Primitive or Thrown weapon. 
  If the character fails to knock the attack out of the air, he 
  may also try to dodge the attack so long as he has a reaction 
  remaining. Additionally, whenever the character charges or 
  runs, all opponents take a –20 penalty to Ballistic Skill Tests 
  made to hit him with a ranged weapon. This penalty lasts 
  until the start of his next turn.
  voice of the oMnissiah 
  Prerequisites: Mechanicus Implants
  Replaces: Disturbing Voice, Feedback Screech, Mimic, Rite 
  of Awe, Rite of Fear
  The character has total control over the emissions from his 
  vox unit implants enabling him to produce blurts of disturbing 
  binary code, imitate others voices, or turn his own synthesised 
  voice into a fearful distorted rasp.
  The character may produce a terrifying voice to gain +10 
  bonus to all Intimidate or Interrogation Tests. Activating this 
  effect is a free action.
  The character may attempt to mimic the voice of others. 
  The character must have listened to the target for at least ten 
  minutes in order to study his voice properly. The character 
  must also understand the language and be of the same race 
  (a human, for example, cannot convincingly copy an Ork). 
  Listeners must succeed on a Difficult (–10) Scrutiny Test to 
  realise the character is not the person he is mimicking. 
  As a Full Action, the character may cause all creatures 
  within a 50 metre radius to make a Willpower Test or lose a 
  Half Action on the next turn and take a –10 penalty on their 
  next test. All enemies consider the character to have a Fear 
  Rating of 1 for two minutes, during which time the character 
  may not speak but may otherwise act normally. 
  Talents of 
  Influence
  “Ah, I see that you think to take this matter up with the Lord 
  Marshall? Yes? Oh, but I am afraid that Lord Gorman and 
  myself have a mutual understanding of considerable pedigree. You 
  understand, I am sure, my dear.”
  —words of Inquisitor Rathbone in confrontation with 
  Senior Arbitrator Drusil 
  T
  alents of influence are Talents which represent a 
  character’s relationships and influence with other 
  organisations within the Imperium. By taking Talents 
  such as being a Peer of a particular division of the Imperial 
  apparatus, or by deliberately setting themselves in opposition to 
  particular factions using negative influence Talents, characters 
  can build their own place within the ever-turning wheels of 
  Imperial power. The Talents in this section work in concert 
  with the systems presented in the Influence and Acquisition 
  section (see Subtle Influence on page 18 in Chapter I: 
  Additional Rules for more details), though a number also 
  have an affect on immediate character interactions.
  PosiTive And negATive 
  influence
  Talents which interact with Influence can have either a positive 
  or negative effect on exerting influence over a particular 
  group or organisation. Both negative and positive influence 
  Talents are available as advances for Ascended Characters 
  (see Chapter III: The Path to Ascension), with positive 
  influence Talents costing a character experience and negative 
  influence granting a character an amount of experience to 
  spend on other advances in recompense. Negative influence 
  Talents may represent an enemy, or a negative perception of 
  the character held by a particular organisation. Talents which 
  have a positive effect on influence may be a good reputation, 
  accolade or honour that a character has earned.
  tainted by association
  A character that has a negative relationship or poor reputation 
  with a particular group has a negative effect on the group’s 
  attempts to use Influence. This is because the character’s 
  negative relationship taints all his fellows by association. The 
  group may, of course, attempt to use their influence subtly 
  to mitigate these consequence of negative influence, but this 
  is always more difficult (see page 18 in the Influence and 
  Acquisition section of Chapter I: Additional Rules for 
  more details). 
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  111
  building the MaP of influence
  By taking both positive and negative Talents of influence, 
  a character is creating a set of favourable and unfavourable 
  dispositions that relate to the other powers that operate 
  within the Imperium. Combining together the influence 
  traits of the entire group, you can build a map of where the 
  influence of an Inquisitor and his close associates lies; where 
  it is strong, where it is neutral, and where it stops or runs into 
  complications, rivalry, or animosity.
  organisations and factions
  The Imperium is a complex machine made up of many 
  divisions and sub-divisions of authority, power, and 
  responsibility. In addition to the many layers of organisation 
  within the Imperium, there are countless more that exist 
  outside the official architecture of power, or exist only within 
  particular locales of the Imperium. Included here is a list of 
  some of the organisations that are used in the descriptions of 
  the Talents that follow. 
  Organisations of the Adeptus Terra
  Organisations of the Adeptus Terra are an established part 
  of Imperial authority and so span the galaxy, transcending 
  local differences in government, society, and custom. When 
  using Influence, whether or not an organisation is part of 
  the Adeptus Terra can be relevant. For clarity, the following 
  organisations are considered Adeptus Terra organisations and 
  all other organisations are non-Adeptus Terra organisations. 
  Note that there are others but they are unlikely to be 
  encountered in a game of Dark Heresy; if they are it is the 
  Game Master’s responsibility to make their status clear.
  Adeptus Terra Organisations: Adeptus Arbites, Adeptus 
  Astra Telepathica, Adeptus Astartes, Adeptus Astronomica, 
  Adeptus Custodes, Adeptus Mechanicus, Adepta Sororitas, 
  Adeptus Titanicus, Adeptus Administratum, Adeptus Astra 
  Telepathica, Adeptus Ministorum, Imperial Guard, Imperial 
  Navy, Inquisition, Navis Nobilite, Officio Assassinorum, 
  Imperial Commanders, Departmento Munitorum, Planetary 
  Governors, Schola Progenium, Scholastica Psykana
  Table 4–3: Organisations and Factions
  Organisation
  Description
  Administratum
  The vast bureaucracy of the Imperium that administers the domains of the God-Emperor of mankind.
  Adeptus Arbites
  The keepers of Imperial law and enforcers of loyalty to the Golden Throne. 
  Adeptus Astartes
  The genetically enhanced, power armour clad angels of death, specific to a single Chapter.
  Adeptus Mechanicus
  The Tech Priests who are the preservers of technology and fabricators of machines, specific to a single 
  Forge World
  Adepta Sororitas
  The female holy orders who include the Sisters of Battle, specific to a single Convent
  Adeptus Titanicus
  The Titan Legions whose vast war machines shake planets when they walk, specific to a single Legio.
  Astropaths
  The telepaths who are soul bound to the Emperor and who unite the Imperium through their 
  telepathic communications
  Chartist Captains
  The masters of space craft who voyage within the bounds of the Imperium
  Cult (specific)
  One of numerous cults of the Imperial creed, heretical faith or Chaos worship.
  Ecclesiarchy
  The keepers of faith in the Emperor’s divinity
  Enforcers
  The keepers of local laws imposed by the decree of planetary, sub-sector or sector governors, specific 
  to a single planet, sub-sector, or sector
  Government
  The ordained means of government within a particular part of the Imperium, specific to a single 
  planet, sub-sector, or sector
  Imperial Guard
  The Imperium’s vast armies of men and women
  Imperial Navy
  The forces of warships that defend the worlds of the Imperium, carry its troops to battlefronts and 
  persecute its wars in the darkness between stars, specific to a single Battlefleet
  Inquisition
  The secretive protectors of the Emperor’s dominion, specific to a single Ordo or faction.
  Navigators
  The mutants whose abilities allow starships to pass through the warp and so travel between distant 
  stars, specific to a single house (i.e., Modar, Reshar, Rey’a’Nor, Banetek, Gazmati, and Term’L).
  Officio Assassinorum
  The secret bringers of death, specific to a single Temple (i.e., Callidus, Culexis, Eversor, or Vindicare)
  PDF
  The military forces raised on planets to defend against invaders, specific to a single planet or system
  Recidivist Organisation 
  (specific)
  One of the many criminal organisations that exist in the shadow filled corners of the Imperium
  Rogue Trader 
  One who possesses a charter granting them the right to voyage beyond the borders of the Imperium 
  with power unbound, specific to a single Rogue Trader dynasty
  Schola Progenium
  The schools that teach orphans of Imperial officials who have given their lives in the service of the 
  Emperor.
  Scholastica Psykana
  The organisation that trains and sanctions Imperial Psykers.
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  112
  social groups
  In addition to the countless organisations that exist within 
  the Imperium, its population is in places stratified; divided or 
  united by broad social groups with varying degrees of outlook 
  and culture in common. A character’s affinity with one of these 
  social groups represents his understanding of that group, his 
  connections within it, and his perceived standing in relation those 
  who belong to that group. Just as many organisations transcend 
  those that exist within the Imperium, so too do different social 
  groups penetrate into each and every organisation within the 
  domains of the God-Emperor of Mankind. Presented here are 
  a selection of the most easily identified social groups within the 
  Imperium, though there are countless more that Game Masters 
  and players should feel free to create and detail as needed. 
  Peers And eneMies
  The Talents featured in this section represent the broad 
  relationship between a character and a particular organisation 
  or social group, both positive and negative. The Talents in 
  this section appear in other Dark Heresy books, but have 
  been modified here to accommodate the use of Influence and 
  to allow for the greater scope of association and influence 
  open to Ascended Characters. Therefore, the Talents in this 
  section replace existing Talents of the same name in order to 
  make use of the Influence system described in Chapter I.
  eneMy
  Talent Groups: Academics, Adeptus Arbites, Adeptus Astartes, 
  Adeptus Mechanicus, Adepta Sororitas, Adeptus Titanicus, 
  Administratum, Astropaths, Chartist Captains, Cult (specific), 
  Death Worlders, Ecclesiarchy, Enforcers, Feral Worlders, 
  Government, Hivers, Imperial Guard, Imperial Navy, Inquisition, 
  Middle Class, Military, Navigators, Nobility, Officio Assassinorum, 
  PDF, Pilgrims, Planet (specific), Recidivist Organisation (specific), 
  Rogue Trader, Underworld, Void Born, Workers
  The opposite of Good Reputation, you are particularly 
  despised by a specific social group or organisation. You suffer 
  an additional –10 penalty to Fellowship Tests when dealing 
  with this group. This Talent is cumulative with the Rival Talent, 
  for a total –20 penalty.
  The GM and player may agree to award this Talent when 
  appropriate to the adventure or campaign. This Talent can be 
  removed with an Elite Advance, and the approval of the GM, if 
  the Acolyte has redeemed himself with the group in question.
  good rePutation
  Prerequisites: Fellowship 50, Peer (of that group)
  Talent Groups: Academics, Adeptus Arbites, Adeptus Astartes, 
  Adeptus Mechanicus, Adepta Sororitas, Adeptus Titanicus, 
  Administratum, Astropaths, Chartist Captains, Cult (specific), 
  Death Worlders, Ecclesiarchy, Enforcers, Feral Worlders, 
  Government, Hivers, Imperial Guard, Imperial Navy, Inquisition, 
  Middle Class, Military, Navigators, Nobility, Officio Assassinorum, 
  PDF, Pilgrims, Planet (specific), Recidivist Organisation (specific), 
  Rogue Trader, Underworld, Void Born, Workers
  You are well respected within your social group or organisation. 
  You gain an additional +10 bonus to Fellowship Tests when 
  dealing with this group. This Talent is cumulative with Peer, for 
  a total of a +20 bonus. This bonus also applies to Influence tests 
  when dealing with this particular group. The GM and player may 
  agree to award this Talent when appropriate to the adventure or 
  campaign.
  Peer
  Prerequisites: Fellowship 30
  Talent Groups: Academics, Adeptus Arbites, Adeptus Astartes, 
  Adeptus Mechanicus, Adepta Sororitas, Adeptus Titanicus, 
  Administratum, Astropaths, Chartist Captains, Cult (specific), 
  Death Worlders, Ecclesiarchy, Enforcers, Feral Worlders, 
  Government, Hivers, Imperial Guard, Imperial Navy, Inquisition, 
  Middle Class, Military, Navigators, Nobility, Officio Assassinorum, 
  PDF, Pilgrims, Planet (specific), Recidivist Organisation (specific), 
  Rogue Trader, Underworld, Void Born, Workers
  You know how to deal with a particular social group or 
  organisation. You gain a +10 bonus to all Fellowship Tests when 
  interacting with your chosen group. The GM and player may 
  agree to award this Talent when appropriate to the campaign.
  Table 4–4: Social Groups
  Organisation
  Description
  Academics
  The savants, archivists and sages who lurk in libraries and data vaults across the Imperium
  Death Worlders
  Those born and raised on worlds whose environments are hostile to life and on which human settlement is 
  a miracle 
  Feral Worlders
  Those from worlds who have regressed to primitive savagery
  Hivers
  Those born in one a teaming urban hives
  Middle Class
  Those who have a profession rather than a duty of labour or a craft; medicae, copyists, traders, technicians 
  and adepts might be considered typical of this social group
  Military
  Those whose craft is the waging of war
  Nobility
  The high born elite of the Imperium
  Pilgrims
  Those who voyage between the stars at the calling of the faith
  Planet (specific)
  Those who were born and raised on a specific planet, or who have dwelt on that planet for a significant time
  Underworld
  Those who are part of, or are associated with, criminals and recidivists
  Void Born
  Those who were born not on a planet but in the void on a starship or space station
  Workers
  Those who in their uncountable numbers toil at industry, agriculture or another manual trade 
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  113
  rival
  Talent Groups: Academics, Adeptus Arbites, Adeptus 
  Astartes, Adeptus Mechanicus, Adepta Sororitas, Adeptus 
  Titanicus, Administratum, Astropaths, Chartist Captains, 
  Cult (specific), Death Worlders, Ecclesiarchy, Enforcers, Feral 
  Worlders, Government, Hivers, Imperial Guard, Imperial 
  Navy, Inquisition, Middle Class, Military, Navigators, Nobility, 
  Officio Assassinorum, PDF, Pilgrims, Planet (specific), 
  Recidivist Organisation (specific), Rogue Trader, Underworld, 
  Void Born, Workers
  Essentially the opposite of Peer, this Talent represents 
  aggressive competition and some animosity with a particular 
  social group or organisation. You suffer a –10 penalty to all 
  Fellowship tests when interacting with the group in question.
  The GM and player may agree to award this Talent when 
  appropriate to the storyline. This Talent may be removed with 
  an Elite Advance and the approval of the GM if the character 
  has taken suitable actions to earn the trust of the group.
  rePuTATion And Power
  The Talents in this section represent how a character’s 
  achievements and honours can affect his influence within the 
  Imperium, and are intended to give characters a richly flavoured 
  ways of using their cadre’s influence. As such, they are intended 
  to be used with the Influence and Acquisition section on pages 
  13–18. Using them, a character can build up a particular type 
  of reputation and way of operating that both opens possibilities 
  for using influence and closes others. For example, having a 
  reputation as a warmonger may make those of like mind more 
  easily swayed by the application of influence, but may have the 
  reverse effect on those who have a more subtle and nuanced 
  approach to the threats that face the Imperium. 
  the balance of influence of inquisitor glavius wroth
  Glavius Wroth is a staunch Amalathian who has built a reputation as a pragmatic but steadfast defender of Imperial order and 
  stability. While he does take a personal hand in many of his operations, he also maintains a wide sphere of influence that is 
  balanced by the fact that he has as many enemies as he has allies; not least of which are a number of powerful Inquisitors within 
  the Calixian Conclave. 
  Close Allies: Wroth has very close ties with the Adeptus Arbites and has cultivated key allies within their senior ranks 
  including Kae Drusil of the Divisio Immoralis, and Lord Marshal Gorman, the most senior member of the Arbites in the 
  sector. He also has close friendship with General Kasir, commander of Imperial forces on Tranch. Amongst the ranks of the 
  Ecclesiarchy, Wroth has formed a number of useful relationships chief amongst which is Deacon Priam. High Prefect Momulus, 
  Administratum overseer of the Golgenna Reach, has long been one of Wroth’s closest allies and informants on the internal 
  politics of the Imperial bureaucracy in the sector.
  Well Disposed Individuals and Organisations: Wroth has great respect for Lord Inquisitor Caidin, a compliment which 
  the Lord Inquisitor broadly returns in recognition of Wroth’s effectiveness as a bulwark against instability. Although it is a close 
  secret, Wroth is in correspondence with the mysterious Inquisitor Marr, a relationship that has profited both Inquisitors. 
  Conflicting Interests: Wroth sees Lord Sector Marius Hax as a paranoid fanatic who is a long-term risk to the stability of 
  the sector; an opinion that Wroth has not succeeded in keeping secret from the Lord Sector’s allies within the Inquisition. On a 
  number of occasions, Wroth has clashed with the Lord Sector’s upstart military police, the Chaliced Commissariat, and there is 
  little love lost between the Inquisitor and ‘Hax’s hounds.’ Wroth has always mistrusted the function and intent of the Tyrantine 
  Cabal, and relations between him and most members of the Cabal are strained at best. His denouncements and persecution of 
  two radical Inquisitors in the course of his career puts him in broad conflict with all Inquisitors of a radical persuasion.
  Enemies: Though Wroth does not know it, Inquisitor Lord Anton Zerbe, convenor of the Tyrantine Cabal is an enemy that 
  even now moves against him. Wroth’s suspicions regarding the Tyrantine Cabal, and information that he has assembled about 
  the secret Tenebrae Collegium within the Cabal, have made him an intolerable threat to Zerbe’s plans.
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  114
  what these talents do
  The Talents in this section grant characters an advantage in 
  using influence in particular ways, usually by granting them 
  the chance to re-roll their Influence Test if they are doing 
  something where the Talent may apply. Conversely, some 
  Talents may inhibit the use of influence under particular 
  circumstances, either by forcing a successful Influence Test, 
  or by preventing influence being used in a particular way. 
  Some Talents may also open up uses of influence that are only 
  available to characters that have that Talent. 
  re-rolls
  Many of the Talents in this section grant re-rolls to players or 
  force re-rolls of successful Influence Tests. If two Talents would 
  both grant a re-roll under a particular set of circumstances 
  only one re-roll may be made. If two Talents apply to an 
  Influence Test in which one allows a re-roll for a failure and 
  one forces a re-roll of a success, the Talents cancel out and no 
  re-roll is made, of either successes or failures.
  gaining slights, dishonour and 
  accolades
  The Talents featured in this section are available as advances 
  in the careers and character packages featured in this book. By 
  taking them, a character can introduce in game effects to mirror 
  how they see a character’s evolving influence within the Calixis 
  Sector. Game Masters are, however, encouraged to award this 
  type of Talent as rewards for role-play and for the players taking 
  particular actions. If, for example, an ascended character spends 
  a great deal of time in acts of obvious piety, awarding them 
  the Pious Observation Talent is both a reward for committed 
  role-play and reinforces that part of the character’s behaviour 
  in the future. Game Masters and players are also encouraged 
  to modify and invent Talents that effect influence to meet the 
  circumstances of their campaign or character.
  career restrictions
  All the Talents in this section have a career restriction that lists 
  the career that a character has to be in order for him to take 
  that Talent. This restriction is intended to limit the Talents 
  that a character may take to those that he could reasonably 
  have acquired through his actions. Game Masters should feel 
  free to remove or change these restrictions to meet the needs 
  of the campaign.
  Acolyte network
  Career: Inquisitor
  The character maintains one or more cells of chosen acolytes 
  who perform missions for him, and can act as his proxies and 
  agents when he are not present. These acolytes are talented 
  servants who carry out dangerous missions and investigations 
  at the will of their Inquisitor, often on their own and with 
  little direct intervention from their master. The number of 
  acolyte cells an Inquisitor maintains beyond his personal 
  cadre varies as much as the nature of individual Inquisitors. 
  Some maintain vast networks of dozens of acolytes working 
  alone or in cells, others maintain only a single cell of carefully 
  Table 4–5: Talents of Reputation and Power
  Talent Name
  Careers That May Select The Talent
  Acolyte Network
  Inquisitor
  Ally of the Departmento Munitorum 
  Hierophant, Magos, Primaris Psyker, Sage 
  Conciliator
  Hierophant, Inquisitor, Judge, Magos
  Committed Xanthite†
  Inquisitor
  Crimelord
  Desperado or Death Cult Assassin
  Denouncer
  Inquisitor
  Hidden Cultist
  Death Cultist, Desperado, Hierophant, Inquisitor, Interrogator, Primaris Psyker
  Lord of Domains
  Hierophant, Inquisitor, Interrogator, Sage, Primaris Pysker
  Member of the Tyrantine Cabal†
  All
  Oath Bonded to the Angels of Death
  Inquisitor, Magos
  Outspoken Monodominant†
  Inquisitor, Judge
  Pious Observation
  Hierophant, Inquisitor, Interrogator, Judge, Primaris Psyker, Sage
  Renowned Warrior
  Inquisitor, Interrogator, Storm Trooper
  Revolutionary†
  Hierophant, Inquisitor, Interrogator, Judge, Magos, Sage, Primaris Pysker
  Shadow Lord
  Desperado, Inquisitor, Judge, Sage
  Sleeper Agent
  Desperado, Inquisitor, Interrogator, Primaris Psyker 
  The Ear of the Lord Sector
  Hierophant, Inquisitor, Judge, Sage
  Voice of the Masses
  Hierophant, Desperado
  Warmonger
  Hierophant, Inquisitor, Judge, Magos
  Watched From On High
  All
  Wide Correspondence
  Hierophant, Inquisitor, Judge, Sage
  Worthy of the Calixian Elite
  Death Cult Assassin, Hierophant, Inquisitor, Interrogator, Judge, Sage, Primaris Pysker
  † Selecting this Talent means that the character may not possess any other choices with this designator.
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  115
  chosen servants. The advantage of maintaining an acolyte 
  network is that an Inquisitor can address many tasks without 
  being personally present and can draw on a pool of loyal and 
  experienced operatives who are personally loyal to him.
  Effect: At the point that the character gains this Talent, he 
  must reduce his Influence by –5 for every acolyte cell he sets 
  up. This loss represents the cost and resources required to 
  set up a network of acolytes. The character may spend more 
  Influence points in this manner at any time to create new 
  Acolyte cells or to replace one that was lost or destroyed. The 
  character may use his acolyte network in two ways: to carry 
  out specific missions, or as a resource of people to draw on. 
  Missions: To set an acolyte cell on a mission, the character 
  simply needs to set out the mission objective. The GM 
  then decides, in secret, if the mission succeeds and to what 
  extent; if he wishes to do this randomly, he should make a 
  test using the character’s influence modified as he sees fit for 
  the difficulty of the mission. As the Inquisitor is not acting 
  directly in the mission a –20 penalty is imposed on this test. 
  Personal Resource: The character may attempt to 
  requisition individuals of a particular expertise from amongst 
  the acolytes he maintains to accompany him in person. This 
  is done in exactly the same way as requisitioning personnel 
  using Influence, but no negative modifiers for the duration 
  of requisition apply, and the character can only requisition 
  individual acolytes. This means that he has to test for every 
  acolyte he wishes to requisition in this way.
  Ally of the departmento Munitorum 
  Career: Hierophant, Magos, Primaris Psyker, Sage 
  The character is a close associate of the Departmento 
  Munitorum, the military arm of the Adeptus Administratum 
  that is responsible for the gathering and distribution of every 
  aspect of the resources consumed by the Imperium’s armed 
  forces. The character may be closely involved in the supply 
  of men or material to the Munitorum, or indeed have held a 
  position of importance within the Departmento, and so has 
  close ties with senior figures within its ranks. Such connections 
  are of great use in securing the supply of weaponry, equipment 
  and military aide. 
  Effect: The character may re-roll failed influences tests when 
  attempting to requisition equipment or troops from the 
  Imperial Guard, Imperial Navy, or a PDF.
  conciliator
  Career: Hierophant, Inquisitor, Judge, Magos
  The character has a reputation for working towards the 
  conciliation of, and unity amongst, the various factions, 
  divisions, and organisations that exist within the Imperium. 
  This reputation allows the character to access equipment and 
  aid from within those organisations that are the central pillars 
  of Imperial order. Many Inquisitors of Amalathian conviction, 
  and their most trusted comrades, have such reputations.
  Effect: This Talent grants the character the option to re-
  roll a failed Influence Test when attempting to requisition 
  or commission equipment or services from the Adeptus 
  Administratum, Imperial Guard, Ecclesiarchy, or Adeptus 
  Mechanicus. This Talent may only be used when the cadre’s 
  influence is being used overtly; it may not be used when 
  influence is being used subtly. 
  committed Xanthite
  Career: Inquisitor 
  Within the Inquisition, the character is viewed as a radical who 
  embraces the Xanthite doctrine of using the enemies’ weapons 
  against them. This view may have been formed through deeds, 
  rumour, or open declaration. To be viewed as a Xanthite is 
  highly dangerous as, perhaps of all radicals factions, Xanthites 
  are prone to the censure of their peers.
  Effect: This Talent grants the character the ability to attempt 
  to requisition items of a forbidden and dangerous nature 
  through exerting influence over other Xanthites. He may also 
  re-roll failed Influence Tests when trying to exert any type 
  of influence over other Xanthites or any of their servants. 
  The character’s radicalism, however, means that any overt 
  use of influence on puritan Inquisitors, or their servants,  
  automatically fails. 
  crimelord 
  Career: Desperado or Death Cult Assassin
  The character is a respected and feared figure amongst criminal 
  organisations within the Calixis sector. His Inquisitorial 
  associations are either not known by his criminal associates, 
  or rumours of his power within the governing powers of the 
  sector only help to enhance his mystique. The character’s 
  association with an Inquisitor and his Cadre may be extremely 
  useful in acquiring information and less than savoury help, but 
  also makes dealings with keepers of Imperial or sector laws 
  extremely difficult.
  Effect: This Talent grants the character the option to re-roll 
  failed Influence Tests when dealing with the underworld and 
  recidivist organisations, and low-life scum such as hive gangs, 
  assassin guilds and smugglers. This Talent, however, may not 
  be used in conjunction with overt displays of Inquisitorial 
  or Imperial authority. The character’s association with the 
  Inquisitorial cadre means that successful Influence Tests made 
  to influence the Adeptus Arbites or Enforcers must be re-rolled. 
  If influence is used subtly, however, no re-roll is needed.
  denouncer
  Career: Inquisitor
  The character has denounced the actions of one or more of his 
  peers, calling them unclean in the sight of the Emperor and 
  citing evidence of their crimes. Such a denunciation can make 
  others within the Inquisition see the character as an unflinching 
  servant of justice, while to others it may make him seem a 
  traitor to the realities of the Inquisition. Not all denunciations 
  result in the denounced Inquisitor being condemned; if he 
  is not, then by making an unsupported denunciation, an 
  Inquisitor casts his own judgement into doubt and makes at 
  least one enemy who never forgives him.
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  116
  Effect: The character and the GM must agree who was the 
  subject of the PC’s denunciation and whether the denunciation 
  was sustained in the eyes of his Inquisitorial peers. If it was 
  sustained, the character may re-roll Influence Tests which 
  involve aggressively using his influence within the Inquisition 
  and its associated vassals. The GM should, on occasion, impose 
  a –20 penalty to Influence tests of the same type to represent 
  the negative reputation that even a successful denunciation can 
  cause within the ranks of the Inquisition. If it is agreed that the 
  denunciation was not sustained, then the character must re-
  roll successful tests to aggressively use his influence within the 
  Inquisition. Any player taking this Talent should also acquire 
  at least one dogged and bitter enemy within the Inquisition 
  which should be handled by the GM as he sees fit.
  hidden cultist
  Career: Death Cultist, Desperado, Hierophant, Inquisitor, 
  Interrogator, Primaris Psyker
  The character is secretly a member of the inner circle of a 
  cult. His identity concealed, the character can manipulate the 
  workings and activities of the cult from within, using them as 
  weapons against other enemies or as part of a wider and more 
  subtle conspiracy. The cult in question may be a sect of the 
  Imperial Creed, or a more sinister organisation that follows 
  heretical beliefs, or even one that is engaged in the worship of 
  daemons and the Dark Gods of Chaos. In these later cases, the 
  character treads a dangerous path of radicalism, on one side of 
  which is the wrath of the heretics they manipulate, and on the 
  other discovery by and condemnation of their peers. 
  Effect: The player and Game Master should agree on a specific 
  cult that the character is manipulating from within. Possibilities 
  might include the Red Redemption, The Pale Throng, The 
  Brotherhood of Horned Darkness, or any that are active in 
  the campaign being played (for ideas of possible cults and 
  details of their activities see DIscIples of THe Dark GoDs). 
  The character may only subtly influence the cult, but does not 
  suffer any negative penalty for doing so. When attempting to 
  manipulate the cult, if the character fails his Influence Test by 
  four degrees or more, his identity and role have been discovered 
  by the cult or by others outside of it (such as other members 
  of the Inquisition). The Game Master should decide which, 
  and on appropriate consequences of this revealing of the 
  hidden cultist.
  lord of domains
  Career: Hierophant, Inquisitor, Interrogator, Sage, Primaris 
  Pysker
  The character has holdings on a number of worlds within the 
  Calixis Sector. These holdings may vary from great estates 
  maintained by armies of servants, to a quiet retreat on a distant 
  pleasure world. These holdings are the bases of operation for the 
  character and their comrades, as well as fortresses from interference 
  and places were things may be done and stored in private. Such 
  holdings, however, drain wealth like a glutton at feast; thousands 
  of servants, materials and supplies must all be bought and paid 
  for alongside guards and security, without which such holdings 
  would be worthless to a servant of the Inquisition.
  Effect: When a character takes this Talent he must specify how 
  many holdings he is going to maintain, what the nature of each 
  of those holdings is, and where the holdings are located in the 
  Calixis Sector. For every holding, the cadre’s influence is reduced 
  permanently by the amount indicated in the Influence column 
  in Table 4–6: Domain Guidelines. Once created, the domain 
  counts as an organisation under the control of the character. The 
  domain has an Influence value equal to the amount listed under 
  the Influence column on Table 4–6.
  Table 4–6: Domain Guidelines
  Domain Type
  Influence
  Properties
  Secret Sanctuary
  3
  Small building or living 
  quarters that is secret from 
  all outside the cadre
  Isolated Retreat 
  5
  Medium sized building 
  such as a lodge or tower 
  in an isolated location
  Fortified Manse 
  10
  A large building with 
  several wings, extensive 
  security, guards, library, 
  dungeon, and other 
  facilities
  Grand Estate
  15
  A vast area of land, or 
  volume of hive, enclosed 
  and guarded; several 
  separate buildings exist 
  within it, the primary 
  manse is vast and houses 
  luxurious living quarters
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  117
  The table above presents only broad guidelines of the cost 
  and nature of domains and Game Masters should feel free to 
  modify them as they see fit for the needs of their campaign. 
  The players and GM may mutually agree on any details they 
  please about the holdings (such as names, layout, etc.), but can 
  also keep such details vague. It is also recommended that the 
  player selecting this Talent talk over this selection with the rest 
  of the group.
  If a player wishes to use a resource that is linked to one 
  of their domains, such as guards, then the Game Master may 
  either make a judgement about what is available from a domain 
  or may opt to decide randomly if a domain has such a resource 
  available for use by its masters. To decide if a domain has a 
  particular item, the character makes a resource test using the 
  domain’s Influence. For example, if a character thought that 
  he might have a particular book about archaic history in the 
  Library of his Grand Estate, he would make a resource test 
  using the estate’s Influence of 15. If the test is passed, the book 
  is found to be in the library. If the test is failed, then the book is 
  not in the estate’s library or perhaps simply cannot be found.
  Member of the Tyrantine cabal
  Career: Any
  The character is a member of the Tyrantine Cabal and has 
  been branded with an electoo in the form of a star haloed 
  chalice which is the mark of the Spectarians. The character is 
  an acknowledged member of the Cabal whose chief concern 
  is the meaning of the Prophecy of Darkness and the Tyrant 
  Star. As such, he has access to the resources amassed by Lord 
  Inquisitor Zerbe in the Bastion Serpentis on the Scintillan 
  moon of Lachesis, which includes vast stores of knowledge, 
  cells, laboratories, dangerous objects, and weaponry. It is also 
  possible for him to call on the aide of other Spectarians and 
  even can try and mobilise the collective will of the Cabal to 
  a particular end. Much, however, depends on the character’s 
  status within the Tyrantine Cabal and the disposition of its other 
  disparate members. Much of the most precious information 
  and resources are hoarded by Zerbe’s inner circle and are both 
  unknown and unavailable to most members of the Cabal. 
  Effects: The character may gain access to the Bastion Serpentis 
  without the use of Influence. He may also re-roll failed Influence 
  tests when trying to influence other members of the Tyrantine 
  Cabal, or to requisition equipment or services from those 
  resources assembled by the Cabal for the use of its members. 
  oath Bonded to the Angels of death
  Career: Inquisitor, Magos
  The character has an honour bond with one of the chapters 
  of Adeptus Astartes; a bond that is formed from debts of 
  respect and blood and sealed with solemn oaths. Such a bond 
  is a very rare thing even within the ranks of the Inquisition 
  and is one of the greatest expressions of military power an 
  individual can possess. Though an oath bond carries with it 
  no deference nor submission to the direct command of the 
  Inquisitor, it affects the heart and soul a Space Marine: his 
  pride and honour. Invoking a bond of oaths, an Inquisitor 
  can call on the might of the Space Marines with a familial 
  request, and receive their aid with greater swiftness and surety 
  than the most renowned Inquisitors who petition a Chapter 
  Master citing only the authority of the Holy Ordos. Such a 
  bond may, however, inhibit him in his dealings with other 
  Chapters of Space Marines who may see the character’s oath 
  bond as precluding their involvement with one so closely 
  connected to a single Chapter. 
  Effect: The character and Game Master must agree on a 
  specific Space Marine Chapter that the Inquisitor is oath 
  bonded to. When requisitioning aide from this Chapter the 
  character counts any negative availability modifiers greater 
  than Extremely Rare (–30) as Extremely Rare (–30) (see Table 
  1–5 Availability Modifiers in Chapter I: Additional 
  Rules) and may re-roll all failed Influence tests involving 
  the specified Chapter, including tests for requisitions. If 
  the character uses his influence with any Chapter of Space 
  Marines other than the one he has an oath bond with, he 
  suffers a –20 penalty to all Influence tests. 
  outspoken Monodominant
  Career: Inquisitor, Judge
  The character is a fanatical puritan of the Monodominant creed 
  who announces loudly his beliefs with impassioned rhetoric 
  and a history of deeds soaked in blood and fire. Such firebrand 
  puritans are seen by many of their peers as, at best, lacking subtlety, 
  and at worst as crude, short-sighted, and dangerous. To others 
  who share the character’s bombastic and intolerant beliefs, he is 
  a shining example of what a true servant of the God-Emperor 
  should be, and many can use their reputation to great effect 
  when dealing with those of a like mind. The Mondominant’s 
  intolerance of psykers and mutants of all kinds also puts them 
  into conflict with the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, the Navis 
  Nobilite, and indeed other members of the Inquisition. 
  Effect: The character and his cadre suffer a –50 penalty when 
  attempting to use influence subtly (rather than the usual –30 
  penalty). He must also re-roll any successful test to use influence 
  on Astropaths, psykers, Navigators, and Radical Inquisitors. 
  He may, however, re-roll failed tests when attempting to 
  influence an Individual or organisation that broadly shares the 
  Monodominant intolerance of all deviancy, heresy and mutation. 
  Within the Calixis Sector, the cult of the Red Redemption is one 
  such organisation. 
  Pious observation
  Career: Hierophant, Inquisitor, Interrogator, Judge, Primaris 
  Psyker, Sage
  The character makes a great show of his devotion to the 
  Imperial Creed, and his intense faith in the Emperor is well 
  known throughout his peers and those of consequence. The 
  character caries with him an air of gravity and holy purpose, 
  often quoting from sacred works to illustrate his points, and 
  is arrayed in clothes woven in holy writ and is ever seeking 
  guidance through prayer. Such a reputation for devotion 
  makes him the natural ally of the Ecclesiarchy and those of 
  most closely bound to the Imperial Creed. 
  Effect: The character may re-roll failed Influence Tests when 
  overtly influencing members of the Ecclesiarchy.
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  118
  renowned warrior
  Career: Inquisitor, Interrogator, Storm Trooper
  The character is a warrior famed for his skill and bravery and 
  whose deeds are spoken of with respect by fellow soldiers. 
  Such a hero can use his renown as a tool to manipulate 
  those who idolise him or are awed by his reputation. From 
  persuading Imperial Guard officers to change their plans, 
  to getting access into the restricted records of Battle Fleet 
  Calixis, the renown of a warrior earned in blood can open 
  many doors far away from the battlefield. 
  Effect: The character may re-roll failed tests when overtly 
  using his influence to manipulate or control members of the 
  Imperial Guard, Imperial Navy, or PDF.
  revolutionary
  Career: Hierophant, Inquisitor, Interrogator, Judge, Magos, 
  Sage, Primaris Pysker
  The character believes in dangerous philosophies that 
  countenance change in the body Imperium. These views, even 
  if not loudly voiced, make him distrusted by the conservative 
  forces that pervade the Imperium. Such individuals, however, 
  often cultivate contacts and relationships with the most 
  brilliant minds in the Imperium and their allies may be found 
  in unexpected places both high and low. 
  Effect: The character must re-roll successful Influence 
  Tests when attempting to overtly Influence within the 
  Administratum, Ecclesiarchy, Adeptus Arbites or puritan 
  Inquisitors who follow the Amalathian philosophy. He may, 
  however, choose a number of organisations in which he 
  has comrades of a similar progressive spirit. The number of 
  organisations that the character may nominate is equal to his 
  Fellowship bonus. When subtly using influence within the 
  organisations, the character may re-roll failed Influence Tests 
  and cannot be forced to re-roll successful Influence tests when 
  it is being used subtly on the specified organisations.
  shadow lord
  Career: Desperado, Inquisitor, Judge, Sage
  The character dwells in a realm of secrets and lies where 
  he is one of the masters of the hidden and unseen. Using 
  spies, trickery and subtle manipulation of peerless nuance 
  he achieves his ends without his enemies realising who has 
  undone them, and his allies never know who they are aiding. 
  Such shadow lords are the true masters of the hidden and 
  secret wars that rage within the heart of the Imperium.
  Effect: The character only suffers a –10 penalty for using 
  influence subtly. The character also never loses Influence for 
  failing an Influence Test by four or more degrees when he is 
  using his influence subtly (see Decreases Due to Excessive Use 
  on page 15).
  sleeper Agent 
  Career: Desperado, Inquisitor, Interrogator, Primaris Psyker
  The character retains an agent imbedded within the organisation 
  of his supposed allies or enemies. These agents may have 
  had their true identities concealed, even from themselves, by 
  psychic manipulation or may simply be masters of infiltration 
  and deception. These sleeper agents spend years working their 
  way into the heart of an organisation. Once imbedded, they 
  wait until they are activated. Most sleeper agents are only of 
  use for a very limited time once activated, and so are only used 
  in the greatest of need.
  Effect: Setting up a sleeper agent within an organisation 
  permanently reduces the Throne Agents’ Influence by -5. 
  When attempting to use his influence to subtly manipulate or 
  control others, the character may declare that he is activating 
  a sleeper agent. The use of this Talent must be declared before 
  the Influence Test is made. Once the use of a sleeper agent is 
  declared, the test is passed automatically with no need to roll. If 
  the number of degrees of success needs to be determined, they 
  are equal to the roll of 1d5. Once the effects of the successful 
  test are worked out, the sleeper agent is expended and cannot 
  be used again. However, the Throne Agent may reduce the 
  group’s Influence by -5 to set up another sleeper agent in a 
  different organisation.
  The ear of the lord sector
  Career: Hierophant, Inquisitor, Judge, Sage
  The character is able to exert influence over one of the most 
  powerful men in the Calixis Sector: Lord Sector Marius Hax, 
  the Imperial Commander of the Sector who rules it in the name 
  of the God-Emperor of Mankind. The character’s influence 
  over Hax may be because he is a trusted confidant or advisor 
  to the Lord Sector, or alternatively, he may have corrupted a 
  number of his inner circle so that they whisper certain advice 
  in the great man’s ear. Having the ability to manipulate such a 
  powerful individual is a weapon of unparalleled power; using 
  it can effect changes far beyond the scope of the character’s 
  power. To manipulate an individual such as Marius Hax is a 
  dangerous enterprise; the Lord Sector is paranoid, intelligent, 
  and his anger is formidable. Making the slightest wrong move 
  in manipulating him is potentially fatal.
  Effect: The character may elect to subtly manipulate the Sector 
  Governor to exert his influence to achieve the character’s ends. 
  Such a manipulation requires an Influence test with a –20 
  modifier (for using influence subtly) to manipulate Marius 
  Hax to use his influence as the character desires. The test is 
  not opposed. If the test is failed by two degrees of failure 
  or more, then this Talent is lost permanently and may never 
  be purchased again. If the test is failed by four degrees of 
  failure or more, this Talent is lost permanently and Lord Sector 
  Marius Hax becomes the cadre’s personal enemy. If the test 
  succeeds, then the character may immediately use an Influence 
  value of 130 for a single Influence Test of any kind.
  voice of the Masses 
  Career: Hierophant, Desperado
  The character has cultivated a wide and popular reputation as 
  someone who empathises with those outside of the spheres 
  of direct Imperial power. Such a reputation may have been 
  acquired from sermons on the importance of all faithful 
  subjects of the God-Emperor, or it may be that he has acquired 
  a reputation as one who has backed the weaker local faction 
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  119
  against the might of the great organisations of the Imperium. 
  No matter what its source, such a reputation carries great 
  weight amongst those who stand outside or beneath the iron 
  pillars of Imperial authority.
  Effect: When the character is using his influence, both subtly 
  and overtly, with any non-Adeptus Terra organisation or 
  individual, he may re-roll any failed Influence Tests.
  warmonger
  Career: Hierophant, Inquisitor, Judge, Magos
  The character is a notorious warmonger who ferments violence 
  and is unceasing in his advocacy of breaking any threat with 
  iron and fire. Such a reputation can win the character many 
  allies amongst the agencies of war within the Imperium. It 
  may also, however, turn others who hold a more subtle and 
  conciliatory philosophy away from aiding him. 
  Effect: The character may re-roll failed Influence Tests when 
  overtly attempting to requisition weapons and military forces. 
  However, he also suffers a –20 penalty to Influence Tests 
  when attempting to use their influence in any other way.
  watched from on high
  Career: Any
  The character has been marked for greatness by the powers that be 
  who watch the progress of his career with a keen interest. When 
  the character succeeds, the attention of his superiors is confirmed, 
  and his power and prestige is enhanced by that of those whose 
  eye he is beneath. Those who watch over the character may be 
  secret watchers whom the character is completely unaware of, or 
  they may be powerful mentors amongst the most senior ranks of 
  the organisation in which they serve. 
  Effect: Whenever Influence is awarded for completing an 
  adventure successfully, the cadre gains a bonus of+1 Influence 
  to the group’s total.
  wide correspondence
  Career: Hierophant, Inquisitor, Judge, Sage
  The character communicates widely, and has countless people 
  with which he exchanges information, rumours, and ideas. These 
  correspondences may take the form of encrypted astropathic 
  messages to and from Administratum Prefects, sealed parchment 
  letters carried from the hand of writer to reader by trusted 
  couriers, or pictographic recordings held on data-slates carried by 
  intermediaries. Such a correspondence brings to light all manner 
  of information, some of great import, others seemingly trivial 
  pieces of gossip, but all are of incalculable wealth to someone 
  who knows when and how to deploy such information. 
  Effect: The character may use influence to try and gather 
  information on any topic from any source within the Imperium, 
  though he must always do so with the subtle use of influence. 
  In addition the Game Master and player should also mutually 
  create close correspondents who are individuals who regularly 
  correspond with the character. The maximum number of these 
  close correspondents is equal to the character’s Fellowship 
  bonus. Each close correspondent should be a named individual 
  and their position within the Imperium should be agreed upon. 
  excoMMunicate traitoris
  There is one Talent of Reputation and Power 
  that is not one that players can purchase on 
  their own. That Talent names the Inquisitor and his 
  Cadre to be Excommunicate Traitoris, and this status 
  denotes a significant change in the group’s status with 
  the Inquisition. To be Excommunicate Traitoris is to 
  be an enemy of the Inquisition and the Imperium as a 
  whole, and thus it is not something to be taken lightly! 
  The GM should carefully consider whether this Talent 
  should be awarded to a Throne Agent—in most 
  cases, such a judgement is only handed down after 
  important and thorough evidence and debate amongst 
  the Ordos. Placing this status under the GM’s control 
  ensures that he will be aware of the circumstances and 
  consequences for his Dark Heresy Campaign.
  excoMMunicate traitoris (talent of 
  rePutation and Power)
  Career: Any but by extension all members of the 
  Inquisitor’s cadre
  The character has been judged by his peers to have 
  betrayed the ideals they were oath bound to uphold, 
  to have broken with the ancient trust of the God-
  Emperor of Mankind, and to have become an enemy 
  to those who once called him brother and stood 
  by his side. Being named Excommunicate Traitoris 
  effectively means that the Inquisitor and his Cadre 
  can no longer take their place amongst their peers 
  without their lives being forfeit. They also will not 
  have access to many of the resources that they once 
  enjoyed and will be hunted for the rest of their days 
  by other Inquisitors. This exiled and condemned 
  status, however, is far from the end of an Inquisitor’s 
  power. Using sympathetic comrades and allies within 
  the Inquisition, hy can still achieve much. On many 
  worlds, there is little or no means for other Imperial 
  authorities to confirm an Inquisitor’s status and very 
  few would dare do so in any case. 
  Effect: The character, and by extension the entire 
  cadre, may not use influence within the Inquisition, 
  though they may continue to do so subtly. In any 
  circumstance where the player overtly uses his 
  Inquisitorial authority with members of Imperial 
  organisations, there is a chance that other members 
  of the Inquisition will hear of it and come to bring 
  the character down. The chance should be determined 
  by the GM, but in most cases it can be considered 
  to be equal to the Influence of the organisation, or 
  individual, that the character is attempting to influence. 
  For example, if an Imperial official had an Influence 
  of 45, then the GM would roll a d100. If the result 
  was equal to or under 45, then the excommunicated 
  character would soon find other Inquisitors and their 
  Acolytes or Throne Agents coming for them with 
  violent intent.
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  120
  The character may ask a ‘special favour’ of these correspondents, 
  which allows him to use subtle influence on the organisation 
  which the correspondent is a part of, without the usual negative 
  penalty for doing so. However, if the character fails the Influence 
  test by three degrees or more, after having asked to use a ‘special 
  favour,’ the close correspondent breaks off communication 
  and is lost. It is also recommended that both player and GM 
  occasionally write in-character correspondence between the 
  character and his named correspondents as this greatly adds to 
  the enjoyment of playing such a character.
  worthy of the calixian elite
  Career: Death Cult Assassin, Hierophant, Inquisitor, 
  Interrogator, Judge, Sage, Primaris Pysker
  The character moves amongst the most refined social circles 
  of the sector, and is welcomed in the company of the most 
  wealthy and powerful as an equal. Such associations give the 
  character unrivalled influence over, and knowledge of, the 
  nobility. However, as is true for any who move amongst the 
  high born, the character has acquired enemies and vendettas 
  like a flame gathers insects. 
  Effect: The character may re-roll any Influence Test when 
  using their influence on the nobility or others who might be 
  considered part of the high-born elite (such as very wealthy 
  merchants). He also, however, has a number of enemies who 
  have sworn a vendetta against him for some real or imagined 
  insult or slight. The character has a number of enemies equal 
  to the cadre’s influence, divided by ten, rounding up. As the 
  cadre’s influence increases, the character acquires new enemies 
  amongst the nobility. Each enemy actively works against the 
  character to undermine him, thwart his activities, or assassinate 
  him. Each enemy must be individually identified by the Game 
  Master, though their identities may be unknown to the character. 
  Each enemy has an influence equal to the cadre’s influence at 
  the time that the enemy is made, –10. This means that as the 
  cadre’s influence grows, the character makes progressively more 
  and more powerful enemies amongst the sector’s elite. 
  Other 
  Ascendant 
  Talents
  “Do not linger too long on your own greatness; it is as ash and your 
  pride as fragile as sun bleached bone. Think instead only of the light 
  of Him on Earth, which illuminates both life and death, rise and fall, 
  and is forever unfailing in its greatness”
  –from Reflections of Purity, dictated by Arch Deacon 
  Procurator Priam
  T
  he Talents presented in this section represent new Talents 
  used by characters created using the rest of this book. 
  They represent the options and abilities not reflected by 
  Paragon Talents or other Talents used in Dark Heresy.
  ascended Psychic Power
  Prerequisites: Psy Rating 1+
  The Throne Agent may select one Ascended Psychic Power. 
  He gains the ability to use the Rank 1 version of that Power 
  for no additional experience cost. At any point later in his 
  Table 4–7: Other Ascendant Talents
  Talent Name
  Prerequisite
  Benefit
  Ascended Psychic Power
  Psy Rating 1+
  The character gains an Ascended Psychic Power.
  Combat Formation
  Int 40
  Use Intelligence Bonus for Initiative.
  Combat Sense
  Per 40
  Use Per Bonus instead of Ag Bonus for Initiative.
  Enhanced Bionic Frame
  Machinator Array
  The character gains the Auto-Stabilised Trait.
  Favoured by Fate
  The character gains a Fate Point.
  Guardian
  Ag 40
  Switch location with an ally.
  Infused Knowledge
  Int 40
  Treat Common and Scholastic Lore as Basic Skills.
  Machinator Array
  Mechanicus Implants
  The character has advanced Mechanicus augmetics.
  Mnemonic Purging
  Int 45, WP 45
  The character can remove memories.
  Perfect Shot
  Vindicare Assassin, 
  BS 60
  The Vindicare Assassin may Aim after slaying a target.
  Polyglot
  Int 40, Fel 30
  The character has an innate ability with languages.
  Rite of Protection
  WP 40
  The character can protect themselves from corrupting and mentally damaging 
  experiences.
  Target Selection
  BS 50
  The character can shoot into melee without penalty.
  The Flesh is Weak
  Mechanicus Implants
  The character gains the Machine Trait.
  The Emperor Protects
  Pure Faith
  Spend a Fate Point to inspire fearlessness and heroism.
  Unarmed Master
  WS 45, Ag 40, 
  Unarmed Warrior
  Attacks do 1d10+SB damage and lack the Primitive quality.
  Unarmed Warrior
  WS 35, Ag 35
  Deal 1d10–3+SB with unarmed attacks.
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  121
  career, he may purchase the use of that Power’s Ranks 2 and 
  3 by spending the Experience listed under each rank. Further 
  information on Ascended Psychic Powers are found on page 
  124. Note that purchasing this advance lets the character 
  gain access to a particular set of ranks within one Ascended 
  Psychic Power. Buying additional ranks for an Ascended 
  Psychic Power to which the character has access does not 
  require purchasing an Advancement from his Ascended Career 
  Advancement Charts—instead, the character may spend the 
  required xp cost and acquire the additional ranks from that 
  Ascended Psychic Power at any time.
  coMbat forMation
  Prerequisites: Intelligence 40
  The Throne Agent has directed his comrades to be prepared 
  for danger, planning out their actions for many contingencies 
  if attacked. Before rolling initiative, all other members of the 
  group may choose to use the character’s Intelligence Bonus for 
  all initiative rolls rather than their individual Agility Bonuses.
  coMbat sense
  Prerequisites: Perception 40
  The Throne Agent has the ability to consciously recognise the 
  proddings of his subconscious as it reacts to his preternaturally 
  sharp senses, giving him an edge that mere speed cannot 
  match. He can use his Perception Bonus in place of his Agility 
  Bonus when rolling Initiative. 
  enhanced bionic fraMe
  Prerequisites: Machinator Array
  The Throne Agent’s already impressive bionic body structure 
  is steadied by a gyro-array guided by a targeting system 
  linked to the machine-spirit. The Throne Agent gains the 
  Auto-stabilised Trait (see Dark Heresy page 329).
  favoured by fate
  Prerequisites: None
  The Throne Agent is particularly blessed by the Emperor’s 
  Grace, or perhaps simply destined for greatness. The Throne 
  Agent gains 1 permanent Fate Point.
  guardian
  Prerequisites: Agility 40
  Years of serving as a bodyguard allows the Throne Agent to put 
  himself in the line of fire, or to take a murderous attack that was 
  intended for another. He may sacrifice all of his Actions for the 
  next Round to switch places with an ally within 2 metres (as 
  long as there is no obstruction in the way). This may be done 
  at any time, even interrupting another action. The character 
  becomes the target of any attacks previously targeting the ally. 
  This Talent may not be used more than once per combat.
  infused knowledge
  Prerequisites: Intelligence 40
  The Throne Agent has been infused with a great wealth of lore 
  and knowledge, either through punishing noetic techniques or 
  by arcane methods kept secret by the guardians of technology 
  and knowledge. The Throne Agent treats all Common and 
  Scholastic Lore Skills as untrained Basic Skills. This Talent 
  also provides a +10 bonus to any Tests involving Common or 
  Scholastic Lore for which he already possesses the Skill.
  Machinator array 
  Prerequisites: Mechanicus Implants
  The Throne Agent has returned to the crèches of the 
  Mechanicus so they can bring him closer to the most holy of 
  forms, adding an extensive machinator array to his existing 
  augmetics. The Throne Agent’s Strength and Toughness 
  Characteristics are increased by +10, and his Agility and 
  Fellowship are reduced by –5. His mass increases to three 
  times that of a normal person, and he may no longer stay 
  afloat or swim in water or similar liquids. The character may 
  mount a single pistol type or close combat weapon on any 
  Ballistic Mechadendrites he possesses. He must still have the 
  proper Talent to use the mounted weapon.
  MneMonic Purging
  Prerequisites: Intelligence 45, Willpower 45
  The character has been conditioned and trained so that he is 
  able to deliberately remove his memories. Such an ability may 
  be used to prevent others extracting dangerous information 
  from the character by torture or psychic violation of his mind. 
  It might also be used by the character to protect himself from 
  insanity or the corrupting touch of Chaos by removing the 
  memories of past events.
  To use this Talent, the character must specify a particular 
  memory he wants to remove. The character must then make a 
  Willpower test, modified by the GM for the approximate size 
  of the memory involved using the guidelines in Table 4–8: 
  Memory Purging Modifiers and Required Time.
  If the test is passed, the memory is removed. The character is 
  no longer able to recall any part of it, and it is inaccessible using 
  any effect that allows access to others’ memories. In addition, 
  any Insanity points acquired during the period of memory that 
  has been removed are lost, along with any attendant disorders 
  Table 4–8: Memory Purging Modifiers 
  and Required Time
  Size of memory 
  Modifier
  Time Required
  An instant
  +30
  5 minutes
  A few seconds
  +20
  10 minutes
  A few minutes
  +10
  15 minutes
  An hour
  +0
  Half an hour 
  A day
  –10
  One hour
  A year
  –20
  A day 
  Several Years
  –30
  A day per year of 
  memory
  
  IV: Ascended Skills and Talents
  122
  that the character has acquired as a result. Half of any Corruption 
  points acquired (rounding up) during the remembered period 
  are also lost. If the character fails the test, the memory is not 
  removed and he acquires an additional Insanity point for every 
  degree of failure up to a maximum of five. 
  The character also requires an amount of uninterrupted time 
  to purge a memory. The approximate time required to purge 
  memories of different sizes is listed in Table 4–8: Memory 
  Purging Modifiers and Required Time. If the character is 
  interrupted during this time his attempt automatically fails and 
  he gains 1d5 insanity points.
  Perfect shot
  Prerequisite: Vindicare Assassin, BS 60
  Vindicare Assassins are renowned for their matchless skill 
  as a sniper—slaying one target leads naturally to centring 
  the next in the cross-hairs. If the character kills a target with 
  an Exitus weapon, he may use a reaction to Aim at another 
  eligible target (as if he were taking a Half Action to Aim).
  Polyglot
  Prerequisites: Intelligence 40, Fel 30
  The Throne Agent has an innate ability to derive meaning 
  from unknown languages and make himself understood using 
  this intuitive grasp. He treats all languages as Basic Skills. This 
  is not the same as true knowledge of the language, and tests 
  using this Talent suffer a –10 penalty due to the simplistic 
  nature of translation.
  rite of Protection
  Prerequisites: Willpower 40
  The character is able to deliberately induce a state of 
  consciousness where he can function, but remembers nothing 
  of what has passed after a certain time. This ability is taught to 
  agents of the Inquisition as the Rite of Protection and is used 
  when confronting things the mere memory of would break the 
  mind and soul of even the most hardened operative. When such 
  a perilous phase of a mission is begun, the character prepares 
  his mind so that after it is complete he has no memory of the 
  horrors he has faced. Thus, being Rite protected, he can face 
  what horrors await and, if he survives, be untouched in mind 
  and soul.
  To use this Talent the character must pass a Routine (+10) 
  Willpower Test and specify how long he wishes the Rite of 
  Protection to last. If the test is failed, the character does not 
  gain the benefits of the Rite of Protection and may not attempt 
  to use it again until 24 hours have passed. The length of time 
  specified for the duration of the Rite of Protection can be no 
  greater than a day, but may be expressed in terms such as ‘until 
  we have cleansed the Temple Catacombs.’ If the test is passed, 
  the character can act normally, but at the end of the specified 
  time he loses all memory of what happened from the point 
  that he began the Rite of Protection until that moment. Any 
  Insanity gained during this time is removed and the effects 
  of any resulting shock, trauma or mental disorders are lost. 
  Likewise any corruption gained during this time is halved.
  target selection
  Prerequisites: BS 50
  The character’s dread gaze marks out his chosen victim, and 
  not even the riotous confusion of close combat interferes. The 
  character may shoot into melee with no penalty.
  the eMPeror Protects
  Prerequisites: Pure Faith
  The power of the Emperor flows through the Explorer, 
  protecting the faithful and emboldening them to heroism in 
  the face of terrible things.
  By spending a Fate Point, the character grants himself and 
  a number of allies equal to his Willpower Bonus immunity to 
  the effects of Fear and Pinning. Additionally, all ranged or 
  close combat acts made against the character and the specified 
  allies are at a –10 modifier. These benefits last for the duration 
  of the encounter.
  By burning a Fate point, the character may allow an ally 
  (never himself ) to resist the effects of any single attack, 
  effectively allowing the ally to emerge unscathed as if by a 
  miracle. The Fate point must be burnt once the attack has hit 
  but before Damage has been rolled.
  the flesh is weak
  Prerequisites: Mechanicus Implants
  The Throne Agent’s body has undergone significant bionic 
  replacement to the point where he is far more machine 
  than man. 
  This Talent grants the Throne Agent the Machine Trait (see 
  page 365 of the Dark Heresy Rulebook) with Armour 
  Points equal to the number of times this Talent has been 
  taken. The Throne Agent may purchase this Talent multiple 
  times in accordance with his Career Advances. In this case, 
  note the number of times this Talent has been taken, such as 
  The Flesh is Weak 3.
  unarMed Master
  Prerequisites: Weapon Skill 45, Agility 40, Unarmed 
  Warrior
  The Throne Agent has developed unequalled mastery of 
  unarmed combat techniques. His unarmed combat attacks 
  do 1d10+SB (I) Damage and his attacks no longer have the 
  Primitive quality.
  unarMed warrior
  Prerequisites: Weapons Skill 35, Agility 35
  Due to extensive training in unarmed combat, the Throne 
  Agent’s unarmed combat attacks do 1d10–3 (+SB) I Damage 
  instead of 1d5–3. Because of his advanced training against 
  both armed and unarmed foes, he does not count as Unarmed, 
  as defined on page 199 of the Dark Heresy Rulebook, when 
  making attacks against armed opponents. The character’s 
  attacks still count as having the Primitive quality.
  
  Ascended 
  Psychic 
  Powers
  Manifesting Psychic 
  Powers
  •
  Psychic ascendancy
  •
  new Psychic Powers
  
  V: Ascended Psychic Powers
  124
  Chapter V: 
  Ascended 
  Psychic Powers
  “I counted twenty thousand souls bound for service. Men, women and 
  children. Young and old. The sick and the sound. I sensed their pain 
  and felt their chains as if bound about my own body. But the decision 
  was not mine to take, to separate those who would live from those 
  who must die. I am a guardian of the Adeptus. Souls such as these I 
  carry to the Emperor’s table.”
  –from the confession of a unknown Adept
  T
  o be a sanctioned and approved psyker within the 
  Imperium is to be part of a select few. The vast majority 
  of psykers in the Imperium are deemed too unstable to 
  train and too weak to resist the corruption the warp can spew 
  into their unprotected minds. These hapless souls are rounded 
  up on the great Black Ships of the Inquisition and taken to 
  Holy Terra itself. There, they are sacrificed in unimaginable 
  numbers, either to power the Astronomicon, the beacon that 
  guides the Imperium’s ships through the warp, or to sustain 
  the continued existence of the God-Emperor.
  The Scholastica Psykana serves as the training organisation 
  for the psykers of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica. The supreme 
  task of the Scholastica Psykana is to ensure that Mankind 
  is protected from psykers who would misuse their gifts. 
  Therefore, all psykers are collected by the infamous Black 
  Ships of the Inquisition and rigourously tested upon Holy 
  Terra to cull the most dangerously weak-willed, mad, and 
  otherwise unsuitable from the rest. Those who survive this 
  testing are separated according to the needs of the Adeptus 
  Terra. Some psykers are destined to be given to the Adeptus 
  Astronomica and consumed by the luminous power of the 
  Astronomican, the beacon that shines in the warp and allows 
  Navigators to find a path through the immaterium. More 
  powerful psykers undergo the ritual of Soul Binding, their 
  eyes burned out as they join the ranks of the Astropaths 
  whose psychic communications hold the Imperium together. 
  From amongst the stronger psykers, a rare few are selected as 
  suitable for advanced battle-training, and are conditioned to 
  use their bizarre abilities to smite the Emperor’s foes in the 
  fires of war.  
  the scholastica Psykana and the 
  inquisition
  Within the Calixis Sector, the Scholastica Psykana and the 
  Inquisition have an understandably close relationship. The 
  reason for this is simple—to fulfil its duties, the Inquisition 
  needs a steady supply of the most talented, reliable, and 
  disciplined psykers the Scholastica trains.
  Sometimes these psykers are identified while still in 
  training on Terra, and claimed by an Inquisitor immediately 
  upon their graduation from the Scholastica. Other times, the 
  Scholastica notices a sanctioned psyker who seems unusually 
  talented, and passes this information along. And of course it 
  is always possible that the Inquisition itself comes across a 
  likely candidate and inducts him into their ranks, only later 
  informing the Scholastica Psykana of their actions.
  It is far rarer, though not unheard of, for a high-ranking 
  agent of the Inquisition (sometimes even an Inquisitor) to 
  manifest a latent psychic ability. The most common course 
  of action within the Calixis Sector is for these individuals 
  to be sent to the Scholastica Psykana to be trained in their 
  newfound abilities. Normally, such an individual would be 
  sent all the way to Holy Terra. However, in some unique 
  circumstances, Inquisitors and Throne Agents are given 
  the change to be judged “in the field” due to their lofty 
  position. In any case, the individual must undergo the rites 
  of sanctioning and gruelling training to become a sanctioned 
  psyker. He may take comfort in one fact, however. His time 
  serving the Inquisition has hopefully left him strong-willed 
  enough that his chances of being sacrificed to the Emperor 
  are relatively small. 
  Manifesting Psychic 
  Powers
  To be an Imperial psyker is to constantly flirt with madness, 
  death, and far, far worse. To fuel their supernatural abilities, 
  psykers draw on the limitless potential of the Immaterium. 
  However, the warp is anathema to humanity, filled with 
  predatory creatures and malign intelligences. Should a psyker 
  drink too deeply from the warp’s power, he runs the risk of 
  attracting the unpleasant attention of its denizens. 
  If a psyker survives long enough to be elevated to the rank 
  of Primaris, he learns how to mask his presence from the 
  warp. A psyker can modulate, or fetter, his powers, reducing 
  the the warp energy he syphons through his mind. Doing so 
  has the drawback of reducing the sheer power behind his 
  abilities. However, the psyker’s presence does not stand out 
  amongst the warp’s chaotic and shifting tides. 
  Of course, sometimes caution must be forsaken if 
  circumstances are dire enough. Just as the psyker can temper 
  the power he taps from the warp, so can he exceed his limits 
  and gather as much as his psyche can hold, and more. This is 
  known as ‘pushing,’ and both the results and the consequences 
  can be truly impressive. 
  When a psyker wishes to use a psychic power, he has the 
  option of using it at a fettered level, an unfettered level, or he 
  can push. This is in addition to the rules for “Using Psychic 
  Abilities” found on page 161 of the Dark Heresy Rulebook. 
  A psyker may attempt to manifest any of his psychic powers 
  at any of these three levels, unless the power specifically states 
  otherwise (including Minor, Major, and Ascended Powers). 
  
  V: Ascended Psychic Powers
  125
  When using psychic powers, a psyker rolls a number of 
  d10s related to his Psy Rating, then adds his Willpower 
  Bonus, with the goal of the final result equalling or beating 
  the power’s Psychic Threshold. If a psyker wants to use his 
  power at a fettered level, he may only roll a number of d10 
  dice equal to or less than half his Psy Rating (rounding up). 
  However, his roll does not invoke Psychic Phenomena, no 
  matter how many 9s he rolls.
  If a psyker wants to use his power at an unfettered level, 
  he may roll a number of d10 dice equal to or less than his 
  Psy Rating. If the psyker does this, he manifests Psychic 
  Phenomena normally as described on page 161, rolling once 
  on the Psychic Phenomena Table for every result of 9. 
  exaMPle
  Scarus Vane is a Primaris Psyker with a Willpower of 51 and a 
  Psy Rating of 6. He wants to manifest the Ascended Power My 
  Will, Known, which has a Threshold of 20. If he chooses to play 
  it safe and manifest this power at a fettered level (allowing him to 
  avoid Psychic Phenomena if he rolls any 9s), he can choose to only 
  roll three dice (equal to half of his Psy Rating of 6). However, this 
  means the dice have to achieve a combined result of 15, possible but 
  by no means guaranteed.
  Instead, Scarus chooses to use his power at an unfettered level, 
  rolling five dice (less than his Psy Rating of 6, but more than he 
  could use at the fettered level). His results are a 9, 0, 1, 3, and 
  4. He manifests the power with a combined result of 32 (adding 
  in his Willpower), and even achieves a two levels of Overbleed. 
  However, he also managed to roll a 9, and must also roll on the 
  Psychic Phenomena table. 
  If a psyker wishes to push his power, however, he must 
  roll a number of dice equal to his Psy Rating plus three 
  additional dice. When a psyker pushes to use a psychic power, 
  he automatically invokes Psychic Phenomena and must roll 
  on the Psychic Phenomena table. In addition, he adds +5 to 
  his result for every 9 he rolled to use the power. If his roll 
  results in Perils of the Warp, the psyker does not add the +5 
  to his Perils of the Warp roll. 
  Psychic 
  Ascendancy
  F
  or Primaris Psykers, and other psykers of similar skill 
  and training, the concept of psychic disciplines begins 
  to take on less importance. Rather than limiting their 
  powers to a particular area of expertise, these psykers tend 
  to focus on perfecting their mastery over several individual 
  abilities, learning to manipulate them with consummate skill. 
  In doing so, the psyker willingly allows his understanding 
  in some periphery abilities to lapse, but what he sacrifices in 
  breadth, he more than makes up in depth. 
  In addition to any career restrictions to taking an Ascended 
  Power, the psyker must be at least a Rank 9 character. 
  Learning an Ascended Power costs a considerable amount of 
  experience. However, the psyker may reduce the amount of 
  experience he must spend to access an Ascended Power (via 
  the Ascended Psychic Power Talent) by trading some of his 
  existing Major and Minor Psychic Powers. When a psyker 
  trades a Power, he willingly gives up his ability to use it, as 
  if he never had it in the first place. However, for every Minor 
  power he trades when purchasing an Ascended Power, he 
  reduces the cost of the Advanced Psychic Power or Talent by 
  100 xp. For every Major Psychic Power he trades, he reduces 
  the cost by 500 xp. A psyker may trade in as many Major or 
  Minor Powers as he likes, however, he may not reduce the 
  cost of the Advanced Psychic Power or Talent below 500 
  Table 5–1: Levels of Power
  Level
  Power
  Consequences
  Fettered
  Dice equal to one 
  half Psy Rating 
  or less
  Cannot invoke 
  Psychic 
  Phenomena
  Unfettered
  Dice equal to Psy 
  Rating or less
  Invokes Psychic 
  Phenomena for 
  every dice result 
  of 9.
  Push
  Dice equal to Psy 
  Rating +3
  Automatically 
  invokes Psychic 
  Phenomena, a 
  +5 to the roll 
  for every 9.
  
  V: Ascended Psychic Powers
  126
  xp. Note that the xp gained from ‘trading in’ psychic powers 
  in this manner is intended to be used for purchasing new 
  Ascended Psychic Powers and not for any other purchase. 
  The GM may, at his discretion, decide that the xp gained from 
  trading in psychic powers can be used for other purposes.
  exaMPle
  Scarus Vane wants to purchase the Ascended Psychic Power Talent to 
  gain access to the Stormwroth Ascended Power. Normally, he would 
  have to spend 1500 experience to do so, but Vane only has 1000 
  experience. However, Vane is willing to trade in some of his lesser 
  powers in order to lower the Talent’s cost. He trades in the Major 
  Power Force Bolt (he expects to be doing far more damage with 
  Lightning Arc), reducing the cost by 500 experience. Then, Vane 
  uses the opportunity to trade in several Minor Powers he seldom uses; 
  White Noise, Wither, Spasm, Deja Vu, and Call Creatures. This 
  reduces the cost by another 500 experience, meaning Vane can pick 
  up Stormwroth, and still have 500 experience left over. 
  Once a psyker learns an Ascended Power, he may use the 
  Power’s Rank 1 ability. To access the Rank 2 or 3 abilities, 
  he must spend experience equal to the amounts listed next to 
  the ability. A psyker may only unlock Ranks in an Ascended 
  Power that he has already purchased. However, once the 
  Power has been purchased, he is able to unlock those Ranks 
  in the same manner as purchasing any other Advances. There 
  are no level requirements for unlocking ranks.
  exaMPle
  Scarus Vane has just purchased the Stormwroth Ascended Power. At 
  this point, he can only use the Rank 1 ability; Lightning Arc. After 
  purchasing the power, he gains another 500 eperience points and now 
  has a total of 1,000 experience. This is enough to unlock the Rank 2 
  ability, Lightning Field, which costs 1,000 experience. Vane does so, 
  and now can use Stormwroth’s Rank 1 and Rank 2 abilities. 
  Purchasing ascended Powers
  Some players may wonder how ‘trading in’ psychic powers 
  works in game, or feel that it does not fit with how they envision 
  their psyker. After all, why should their psyker ‘forget’ how to 
  use a power like Wither in exchange for using a power like Will 
  Unleashed? 
  Trading in lower level psychic powers is not mandatory, 
  of course. If a player wants to pay the full experience cost for 
  an Ascended Psychic Power, that is his choice. The option to 
  ‘trade in’ is given so that players can divest their characters of 
  powers they no longer find themselves using. On reaching rank 
  9, a Sanctioned Psyker often has dozens of Minor and Major 
  powers, many of which he will no longer use once he has access 
  to Ascended Powers. Trading them in can be justified by saying 
  a psyker has further refined his abilities, or simply no longer uses 
  his powers in the ‘lesser’ manner that a Minor Power represents. 
  In addition, psykers are not sorcerers, and their powers are innate 
  and instinctual to a degree. Psykers must practice with their 
  powers, and it is possible for a psyker to forget how to use a 
  psychic power after long periods of disuse. 
  Players may also notice that some Ranks cost more Experience 
  than others, and some Ranks cost less than taking the Ascended 
  Psychic Power Talent did in the first place. This is done deliberately 
  as a balance mechanic between the various powers.
  By what naMe, Power? 
  The reader may notice that some ranks share similar names 
  with pre-existing powers, though their actual abilities are 
  always different. This is because, unlike sorcery, true psychic 
  power is an innate ability, focused and affected by those who 
  wield it. Therefore, psychic powers are often different in 
  subtle but vital ways.
  All this makes no difference to the average Imperial citizen, 
  of course. To them, one ability that imbues a psyker’s hands 
  with glowing power and allows him to rip apart adamantine 
  bulkheads is the same as the next. The subtle variances are 
  unimportant.
  sPecial rules of 
  ascended Psychic 
  Powers
  Shooting Attack: Certain Ascended Powers are classified as 
  shooting attacks. The psyker does not need to test Ballistic 
  Skill to attack the target unless the power states otherwise; 
  if he succeeds in meeting the Power’s Threshold, the target 
  (or targets) is automatically hit. These Ascended Powers 
  always count as hitting the target’s body, and the target can 
  gain additional APs from cover. The pysker may increase the 
  Power’s Threshold by 4 to strike the body location of his 
  choice, instead. 
  The target may also use a Dodge reaction to avoid the 
  attack. If the Power generates multiple attacks, the number of 
  successes on a Dodge reaction equals how many attacks the 
  target can avoid, and the psyker can allocate his attacks to any 
  number of targets within 10 metres of each other. If affecting 
  a target in melee, a shooting attack has a 25 percent chance 
  of striking the target’s opponent(s). 
  unnatural willPower and 
  ascended Psychic Powers
  In ascension, it is possible for psykers to gain the 
  Unnatural Willpower Trait. The GM should be aware 
  of the impact of Unnatural Willpower on psychic 
  powers. Often, it is very high-rated Psykers who 
  possess Unnatural Willpower, meaning that characters 
  with this Trait will be considered both extremely 
  powerful and extremely dangerous by their peers.
  
  V: Ascended Psychic Powers
  127
  Table 5–2: Ascended Psychic Powers
  Name
  Cost
  Threshold
  Focus Time
  Sustained
  Range
  Stormwroth
  Lightning Arc
  †
  16
  Half Action
  No
  30m
  Lightning Field
  1,000 xp
  21
  Full Action
  Yes
  Self
  Lightning Storm
  1,000 xp
  30
  Full Action
  No
  20m
  Malestrom of Destruction
  Malleus Hammerhand
  †
  17
  Half Action
  Yes
  Self
  Enrage
  1,000 xp
  19
  Free Action
  No
  10m
  Bloodboil
  2,000 xp
  27
  Full Action
  No
  4m
  Will Unleashed
  My Will, Known
  †
  20
  Full Action
  Yes
  10m
  My Will, Obeyed
  600 xp
  22
  Half Action
  Yes
  20m
  My Will, Manifest
  1,200 xp
  30
  2 Full Actions
  Yes
  Self
  Burning Apocalypse
  Flameshroud
  †
  16
  Half Action
  Yes
  Self
  Conflagration
  1,000 xp
  24
  Full Action
  No
  20m
  Inferno
  1,500 xp
  32
  Full Action
  Yes
  20m
  Daemonsbane
  Banishment
  †
  18
  Full Action
  No
  5m
  Sanctuary
  500 xp
  21
  Half Action
  Yes
  Self
  Word of the Emperor
  1,000 xp
  25
  Full Action
  No
  30m
  Witchesbane
  His Will Be Done
  †
  20
  Full Action
  No
  20m
  Hammer of Witches
  1,000 xp
  22
  Half Action
  No
  24m
  Purgatus
  1,000 xp
  24
  Full Action
  No
  36m
  Psychokinesis
  Lift
  †
  14
  Half Action
  Yes/No
  30m
  Barrier
  500 xp
  22
  Full Action
  Yes
  Self
  Tempest
  1,000 xp
  30
  Full Action
  Yes
  100m
  Temporal Manipulation
  Precognition
  †
  18
  Free Action
  No
  Self
  Stasis Shell
  1,000 xp
  24
  Free Action
  No
  20m
  Warp Time
  1,500 xp
  36
  Free Action
  No
  15m
  †The first rank of a particular power is granted by purchasing the Ascended Psychic Power Talent. To gain access to more than one 
  Ascended Psychic Power, the character must purchase the Ascended Psychic Power Talent again, once for each Ascended Psychic Power 
  Talent he wishes to have access to.
  
  V: Ascended Psychic Powers
  128
  Area Attack: Certain Ascended Powers do damage to 
  anything over a wide area. The attacks may not be dodged, 
  and cover provides no protection against them. They affect 
  anything and anyone—friend or foe—caught in the blast. 
  The size of the area affected is detailed by the power.
  Manifestation Limit: A psyker can only attempt to 
  manifest one Ascended Power per turn (though he may be 
  sustaining several others). 
  Sustaining Ascended Powers: Sustaining ascended 
  psychic powers works in a similar manner to sustaining other 
  psychic powers. For every 10 rounds a psyker maintains a 
  psychic power, he must make a Power Roll equal to or 
  greater than the power’s threshold to continue to maintain 
  it. If the sustained power had an Overbleed ability the psyker 
  was benefiting from, the psyker does not need to reach the 
  Overbleed threshold this second time—he must just reach 
  the power’s basic Threshold. In addition, this Power Roll is 
  performed as a free action at the start of the psyker’s turn, and 
  the psyker cannot manifest Psychic Phenomena from it. 
  If a psyker becomes unconscious or is killed, any powers 
  he is sustaining end instantaneously. 
  The rules for sustaining multiple psychic powers are found 
  on page 164 of the Dark Heresy Rulebook. 
  storMwroth
  The psyker focuses on summoning warp lightning to smite 
  his enemies or wreathe him in a protective field of electricity. 
  Those who master the ability to manipulate this etheric energy 
  are greatly prized by the Imperial Guard. 
  rank 1: lightning arc
  Threshold: 16
  Focus Time: Half Action
  Sustained: No
  Range: 30 metres
  The psyker channels the warp into electric energy that crackles 
  from his fingertips, burning through his foes. The psyker 
  launches a number of lightning bolts equal to his Willpower 
  Bonus at his target(s). Each bolt is treated as a shooting attack 
  dealing 1d10+10 Energy damage with a Penetration of 3 
  and the Shocking Quality. 
  Overbleed: For every 5 points by which the psyker exceeds 
  the threshold, he may launch one additional bolt or boost the 
  power’s range by 5 metres. 
  rank 2: lightning field
  Cost: 1000 xp
  Threshold: 21
  Focus Time: Full Action
  Sustained: Yes
  Range: Self
  The psyker surrounds himself in a cracking, sparking nimbus 
  of electricity, daring his enemies to strike him. Whenever 
  an opponent hits the psyker in melee, he takes Energy 
  damage with the Shocking Quality equal to 1d10 plus the 
  psyker’s Willpower Bonus. If the psyker is hit by a weapon 
  that has the Shocking Quality while manifesting this power, 
  he automatically passes the Toughness Test to see if he is 
  stunned. 
  Overbleed: None.
  rank 3: lightning storM
  Cost: 1000 xp
  Threshold: 30
  Focus Time: Full Action
  Sustained: No
  Range: 20 metres 
  With charged air and the stench of ozone, the psyker reaches 
  into the warp and lets forth a blast of etheric lightning. Bolts 
  arc in all directions, striking all those the psyker chooses. 
  Every opponent of the psyker’s choice within the range of 
  the power is targeted by a shooting attack doing 2d10+10 
  Energy damage with a Penetration of 5 and the Shocking 
  Quality. 
  Overbleed: For every 2 points by which the psyker exceeds 
  the threshold, he may extend the range of Lightning Storm 
  by 1 metre. 
  
  V: Ascended Psychic Powers
  129
  MaelstroM of 
  destruction
  The psyker delights in the frenzied chaos of the melee, using 
  his powers to turn himself into an unstoppable, deathdealing 
  berserker. 
  rank 1: Malleus haMMerhand
  Threshold: 17
  Focus Time: Half Action
  Sustained: Yes
  Range: Self
  The psyker’s hands glow with otherworldly power as they 
  are infused with a terrible strength. He is unable to hold any 
  weapons, but he does not require them, as his fingers can gouge 
  armour plating, and his fists can shatter ceramite. The psyker’s 
  hands count as melee weapons—meaning the psyker counts 
  as being armed—dealing 2d10 Impact damage, plus double 
  the psyker’s Strength bonus. This damage is not primitive, 
  and the psyker can parry melee attacks. When parrying or 
  being parried, the psyker’s hands count as possessing the 
  Power Field quality. If the psyker does not already have it, he 
  gains the Two Weapon Wielder (Melee) Talent, allowing him 
  to make two attacks, one with each hand. These follow all 
  rules for fighting with two melee weapons. 
  Overbleed: For every 5 points by which the psyker 
  exceeds the threshold, he may increase the Damage of his 
  Hammerhand attacks by 1, or the Penetration by 1. 
  rank 2: enrage
  Cost: 1,000
  Threshold: 19
  Focus Time: Free Action
  Sustained: No
  Range: 10 metres
  The psyker reaches into the minds of his opponents, 
  momentarily crushing their psyche with a blank, murderous 
  rage. Rational thought, sense, and even skill with weapons 
  are lost in an overwhelming desire to slay the source of their 
  sudden hate. The opponent must make an opposed Willpower 
  Test with the psyker. If he fails, on his next turn he drops any 
  ranged weapons and attempts to enter melee combat with the 
  psyker. He directs any melee attacks solely against the psyker 
  using any melee weapons he has, but suffers a –30 penalty to 
  Weapon Skill. This effect lasts for one turn only. 
  Overbleed: For every 7 points by which the psyker exceeds 
  the threshold he may affect one additional target, or gain one 
  additional degree of success (or one less degree of failure) on 
  the opposed Willpower Test. When affecting multiple targets, 
  the psyker should test his Willpower once and compare it to 
  all of his opponents’ tests. 
  rank 3: BloodBoil
  Cost: 2000
  Threshold: 27
  Focus Time: Full Action
  Sustained: No
  Range: 4 metres
  The psyker’s frenzy for destruction burns hot in his soul. At 
  a thought, it flashes out from him and heats the blood of his 
  opponents to boiling temperatures, cooking them from the 
  inside out. The psyker must immediately make a Challenging 
  (+0) Willpower Test. Success means every enemy within 
  range of the psyker takes 1d10 wounds ignoring armour or 
  Toughness. For every additional success, each enemy suffers 
  an additional 1d10 wounds. Needless to say, this power does 
  not work on machines, or other targets that do not have blood 
  or some other ichor within them. Every time a Psyker uses 
  this power, he suffers one level of Fatigue.
  Overbleed: For every 5 points by which the psyker exceeds 
  the threshold, he may gain one additional degree of success 
  (or one less degree of failure) on his Willpower Test. 
  will unleashed
  The psyker’s mind has grown in potency until it is far too 
  powerful to remain within his skull. At the apex of this 
  power, his psyche roams free, unfettered by flesh, reading the 
  thoughts of others at a whim, and frying their synapses where 
  they stand. 
  rank 1: My will, known
  Threshold: 20
  Focus Time: Full Action
  Sustained: Yes
  Range: 10 metres
  The psyker’s awareness radiates out like a blanket, suffusing the 
  very atmosphere around him with his consciousness. All those 
  present feel a strange sensation, like delicate fingers tracing the 
  inside of their skull. Unless they are shielded from his senses 
  in some way, the locations of all creatures within the power’s 
  range are known to the psyker, as are their surface thoughts. 
  Though this is not sufficient to pry forth their deepest secrets, 
  they psyker does know the individuals’ immediate plans and 
  intentions. In a combat situation, this grants the psyker a +10 
  bonus to Ballistic Skill, Weapon Skill, Dodge, and Parry Tests 
  as long as the power is active—after all, he knows his enemy’s 
  intentions as soon as they do. 
  The psyker can also touch the minds of his allies, warning 
  them of danger and guiding their attacks. The psyker can spend 
  a Half Action and make a Difficult (–10) Willpower Test to 
  share this bonus with one other individual within the power’s 
  range. If he fails the test, the psyker retains the bonus.
  Knowing the current thoughts of an individual can also be 
  very useful in many other non-combat situations.
  Overbleed: For every 5 points by which the psyker exceeds 
  the threshold, he may extend the range of the power by 5 
  metres or affect one additional ally. 
  
  V: Ascended Psychic Powers
  130
  rank 2: My will, oBeyed
  Cost: 600
  Threshold: 22
  Focus Time: Half Action
  Sustained: Yes
  Range: 20 metres 
  The psyker projects his consciousness into another, fighting 
  through the target as if wearing his flesh. The psyker may 
  select one human target to project into. The target must be 
  aware of the psyker’s intent and accept it. 
  If the target is aware of the the psyker’s intent and accepts it, 
  the psyker occupies the mind with little trouble. While the 
  power is active, he effectively controls the possessed as if it 
  were his own body. His own body goes into a trance while the 
  power is active, although the psyker is always aware of it and 
  what is going on around it. 
  While occupying the possessed, the psyker manipulates 
  the target’s actions, effectively using the target’s body instead 
  of his own. He does not have access to the target’s deeper 
  thoughts and memories, only surface thoughts. In combat, 
  however, he can access any combat training the target has. In 
  effect, this means the psyker can use the target’s Weapon Skill, 
  Ballistic Skill, Strength, Toughness, Agility, and Perception, 
  any Skills related to these Characteristics, and any combat 
  related Talents (if there is any question as to what constitutes a 
  combat related Talent, the GM is final arbitrator). For all other 
  Skills, Talents, and Characteristics, the psyker uses his own. 
  The psyker may also manifest powers while occupying 
  another. In all cases, ranges are measured from the possessed, 
  not the psyker’s body. For every ten minutes the psyker 
  maintains this power, he suffers one level of fatigue. (This 
  time may be increased or decreased at the GM’s discretion). 
  If the possessed is killed while the psyker is maintaining this 
  power, the psyker takes 2d10 wounds ignoring armour and 
  Toughness. If the target possesses a psy-focus, the range of 
  this power becomes 20 kilometers per Psy Rating applied to 
  this power.
  Overbleed: For every 2 points by which the psyker exceeds 
  the threshold, he may increase the range by 20 metres. 
  rank 3: My will, Manifest
  Cost: 1200
  Threshold: 30
  Focus Time: 2 Full Actions
  Sustained: Yes
  Range: Self
  The psyker’s psyche leaves its fleshy prison, roaming free as 
  an invisible being of etheric energy. In this state, the psyker is 
  all but invulnerable to mundane threats, and can travel great 
  distances while leaving his body behind.
  When this power is manifested, the psyker’s body collapses, 
  and for all appearances goes into a deep coma. The psyker 
  becomes an ethereal being of light and crackling energy with 
  the Incorporeal Trait. He is also completely invisible to non-
  psykers, although anything with a Psy Rating perceives him 
  normally, and mechanical devices perceive strange ‘auspex 
  ghosts’ or ‘visual anomalies.’ The psyker’s new form has a 
  movement speed equal to his Willpower bonus, though a 
  successful Challenging (+0) Willpower Test allows him 
  to quadruple his speed for 10 Rounds. The psyker may use 
  other powers in this form as normal. In this state, the psyker 
  perceives the world differently—psy-active beings or items 
  glow with brilliant light whilst more mundane surroundings 
  seem muted and grey.
  Unlike normal Incorporeal beings, in this state the psyker 
  may attack non-Incorporeal targets with a Psy Rating, and 
  they may attack him in turn. Both may make melee attacks 
  using Willpower instead of Weapon Skill, and dealing 1d10 
  plus their Willpower bonus in damage, ignoring armour and 
  Toughness.
  If the psyker’s body is killed while in this state, the psyker 
  dies. If the psyker wants to return to his body, he must move 
  back to it and spend one half action to renter it. He may 
  renter it instantaneously from any location—however if he 
  does so, he immediately takes 2d10 wounds, ignoring armour 
  and toughness. 
  Overbleed: None
  Burning aPocalyPse 
  The psyker’s soul burns with the intensity of a barely 
  contained inferno. Pyrokinetics are rare, and those who can 
  control their abilities enough to avoid self-immolation are 
  rarer still. The few that can often focus on their ‘inner fire’ 
  to the exclusion of other disciplines and abilities—obsessed 
  with the destruction they can render. 
   rank 1: flaMeshroud
  Threshold: 16
  Focus Time: Half Action
  Sustained: Yes
  Range: Self
  Should the pyrokinetic wish to survive his self-generated 
  holocausts, he must learn to endure the flames he creates. 
  Powerful psykers can summon flames from nothing, enveloping 
  themselves in a roiling fire that never consumes them. 
  Although the psyker is covered in fire, his clothing, 
  weapons, and equipment are unharmed. While maintaining 
  the flameshroud, the psyker is immune to Flame weapons; 
  the fires surrounding him seem to draw the flames into the 
  shroud, making it burn even brighter. The psyker also takes 
  half damage from las, plasma, and melta weapons, and any 
  Psychic Power involving flame and fire (with the exception 
  of Holocaust). Any melee attacks the psyker makes (with 
  the exception of power weapons) forces the target to make 
  an Agility Test or catch on Fire. Likewise, anyone making a 
  melee attack against the psyker must make an Agility Test or 
  catch on Fire.
  Although these abilities are impressive, the true purpose 
  of the flameshroud is to let the psyker lose himself in the 
  flames, and in doing so gain greater control over them. 
  While sustaining the flameshroud, the psyker does not suffer 
  threshold penalties for manifesting other psychic powers 
  involving fire or pyromancy. 
  Overbleed: None.
  
  V: Ascended Psychic Powers
  131
  rank 2: conflagration
  Cost: 1,000
  Threshold: 24
  Focus Time: Full Action
  Sustained: No
  Range: 20 metres
  The air around the psyker is choked with ash and cinders, 
  swirling in an unseen wind. The very atmosphere grows hot, 
  burning the eyes and throat. With a thought, the psyker can 
  send the cinders whipping around an unlucky individual, 
  enveloping him in flame. 
  This power fills the area within range of the psyker with 
  heat, ashes, and cinders. Easily flammable items, such as paper 
  or promethium, ignite. (Although the focus time is only a Full 
  Action, these effects may linger for some time.) Beyond that, 
  Conflagration has two potential effects. 
  The first option is that the psyker may select a number 
  of targets less than or equal to his Willpower Bonus who 
  are within the power’s range. Each target takes 2d10 Energy 
  damage with a Penetration of 4 (although it is not a shooting 
  attack, the target can Dodge). If the target takes damage, he 
  must make a further Agility Test or be set on fire.
  The second option is the psyker can fill the area with 
  choking ash and smoke. The area is considered to be suffering 
  from darkness (though the psyker can see through it with no 
  problem), and everyone within the area of affect must make a 
  Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or begin suffering from 
  Suffocation. The cloud persists for 1d10 rounds.
  Overbleed: For every 5 points by which the psyker exceeds 
  the threshold, he can select one additional target. For every 
  10 points by which the psyker exceeds the threshold, he can 
  double the power’s range. 
  rank 3: inferno
  Cost: 1,500
  Threshold: 32
  Focus Time: Full Action
  Sustained: Yes
  Range: 20 metres
  Some of the most powerful pyrokinetics can wipe out whole 
  hab-blocks or villages by summoning a true inferno. The fire 
  washes out from them like waves, burning all unlucky enough to 
  be near them. However, what is truly terrifying about this power 
  is not the ease with which a powerful pyrokinetic can summon 
  it, but the difficulty they have in putting it out. 
  When a psyker manifests the inferno, fire erupts out of him in 
  all directions, indiscriminately incinerating anything in its path. 
  Anything within range of the power takes 1d10 times the psyker’s 
  Willpower Bonus in Energy Damage, and is automatically set on 
  fire. (At the GM’s discretion, things like heavy ceramite shielding 
  or deep pools of water can protect individuals from this power.) 
  For every round this power is maintained, the range of the power 
  increases by 10 metres, and everyone within range of the psyker 
  takes the above damage, and is automatically set on fire if they 
  are not already.
  This power is taxing on the psyker, however. For each turn 
  past the first the psyker maintains the power, he must make a 
  Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or suffer one level of 
  fatigue. This test increases in difficulty by one step for every 
  subsequent turn that the power is sustained. To end the power, 
  the psyker must make a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test. 
  Failure means the power continues to be sustained. Of course, if 
  the psyker cannot maintain control over his inferno, and passes 
  out, he is consumed and suffers the same damage as his victims. 
  This damage takes place after he becomes unconscious, and is an 
  exception to the rules covering sustaining psychic powers (see 
  page 164 in the Dark Heresy Rulebook). 
  Overbleed: None
  daeMonsBane 
  The Inquisitors and psychic Daemonhunters of the Ordo 
  Malleus learn to turn their prodigious mental powers towards 
  the destruction of their warp-spawned adversaries. 
   rank 1: BanishMent
  Threshold: 18
  Focus Time: Full Action
  Sustained: No
  Range: 5 metres
  The psyker focuses his mental powers on the bonds that tie the 
  Daemon to the immaterium, snapping it with his indomitable 
  will. This power may only be used against a creature with 
  the Daemonic or Warp Instability Trait. The psyker makes an 
  Opposed Willpower Test with his target. For every degree by 
  which the psyker wins, the target takes 1d10 damage ignoring 
  armour and Toughness. If the psyker wins by five or more 
  degrees, the Daemon is flung screaming back into the warp—
  counting as destroyed. 
  Overbleed: For every 5 points by which the psyker exceeds 
  the threshold, he can either extend the range of the power by 5 
  metres or impose a –10 penalty to the target’s Willpower Test. 
  rank 2: sanctuary
  Cost: 500
  Threshold: 21
  Focus Time: Half Action
  Sustained: Yes
  Range: Self
  The glory of the God-emperor is channelled through the 
  psyker, causing all who would strike him and those who stand 
  with him to quail against the terrible radiance. While this 
  power is active, anyone who wants to target the psyker with a 
  ranged attack or approach within 3 metres of him must make 
  a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test or forego their turn. In 
  addition, any attacks with the Warp Weapon Trait that hit the 
  psyker do not ignore armour and deal half damage. 
  If the psyker makes any ranged attacks, the power ends 
  immediately. 
  Overbleed: For every 4 points by which the psyker exceeds 
  the threshold, he can extend the benefits of Sanctuary to one 
  ally within 3 metres of him. If the ally makes a ranged attack 
  or move more than 3 metres from the psyker, he loses the 
  benefits of Sanctuary and cannot regain it unless the power 
  is re-manifested. 
  
  V: Ascended Psychic Powers
  132
  rank 3: word of the eMPeror
  Cost: 1,000
  Threshold: 25
  Focus Time: Full Action
  Sustained: No
  Range: 30 metres
  The psyker’s belief in the power of the Emperor is so strong, 
  it overpowers the minds and wills of the Daemon and 
  unbeliever. His holy liturgies and chants crush their puny 
  psyches. The psyker may select a number of targets equal 
  to his Willpower Bonus. Each must make a Hard (–20) 
  Willpower Test. If they fail the test, they must forego their 
  next turn. If they fail the test by 4 degrees or more, they take 
  2d10 damage ignoring armour and toughness as the holy 
  words of the Imperial Creed sear their minds and cause their 
  ears to bleed. 
  If a target fails the first test, he must make a Challenging 
  (+0) Willpower Test on the next turn they can act or forego 
  that turn as well. This continues until he makes a Willpower 
  Test or Combat ends. 
  This power has no effect against a staunch and true 
  believer of the Imperial Creed (the GM should determine 
  who qualifies as this). 
  Overbleed: For every 10 points by which the psyker exceeds 
  the threshold, he can increase the difficulty of the initial and 
  subsequent Willpower Tests by one step. 
  witchesBane 
  Although the witchhunters of the Ordo Hereticus abhor the 
  witch and unsanctioned psyker, many are not above using 
  psychic abilities to accomplish their goals. Many claim their 
  powers are a gift of the Emperor, and therefore acceptable to 
  use. Others simply acknowledge that the ends always justify 
  the means. 
  rank 1: his will Be done
  Threshold: 20
  Focus Time: Full Action
  Sustained: No
  Range: 12 metres
  The psyker’s mind reaches out to the minds of his friends 
  and allies. Emboldened by his indomitable will, they become 
  furious manifestations of the Emperor’s justice. 
  The psyker may select a number of allies, without the 
  Machine or Bestial Traits, equal to his Willpower bonus. 
  Each ally must immediately make a Standard Attack Action 
  (ranged, or melee if adjacent) against a target of the psyker’s 
  choice. Each individual affected still takes a full turn during 
  his next turn. 
  Overbleed: For every 4 points by which the psyker exceeds 
  the threshold, he may select one additional ally. 
  rank 2: haMMer of witches
  Cost: 1,000 xp
  Threshold: 22
  Focus Time: Half Action
  Sustained: No
  Range: 24 metres
  The psyker reaches to the strings that connect a psyker to his 
  source of power, the warp. With a swift blow, he overwhelms 
  the psyker’s control of those strings, inviting the dangers of 
  the warp. 
  The psyker selects one target with a Psy Rating within the 
  power’s range. The target may not use psychic powers during 
  his next turn, and must make a Hard (–20) Willpower 
  Test. If he fails, he must immediately roll on the Psychic 
  Phenomena table. 
  Overbleed: For every 2 points by which the psyker exceeds 
  the threshold, he may force his target to add 10 to his roll 
  on the Psychic Phenomena and Perils of the Warp Table. For 
  every 6 points by which the psyker exceeds the threshold, he 
  may increase the difficulty of the target’s Willpower Test by 
  one step. 
  rank 3: Purgatus 
  Cost: 1,000 xp
  Threshold: 24
  Focus Time: Full Action
  Sustained: No
  Range: 36 metres
  The psyker’s sinister gaze pins a heretic in his sights, his 
  potent will flaying the unfortunate’s mind until it is an empty 
  husk. This is the fate of those who defy the God-Emperor—
  to be lost in mind as well as body. 
  The psyker selects one target within the power’s range. 
  The psyker and his target must immediately make an opposed 
  Willpower Test. For every degree by which the psyker wins, 
  the target must take 1d10 permanent Willpower damage. 
  Should this reduce the target to 0 Willpower, the target is 
  reduced to a drooling vegetable, his mind utterly destroyed. 
  If the psyker loses, he takes one level of fatigue. 
  This power does not work against targets with the Bestial 
  or Machine Trait. 
  Overbleed: For every 4 points by which the psyker exceeds 
  the threshold, he may increase the difficulty of his opponent’s 
  Willpower Test by one step. 
  Psychokinesis 
  Most psykers are able to master the ability to manipulate and 
  move objects with their mind to some degree. Somewhat 
  rarer, however, are the true psychokinetics, psykers able to 
  lift cargo-eight haulers with a thought and hurl them at their 
  enemies with a gesture. 
  
  V: Ascended Psychic Powers
  133
  rank 1: lift
  Threshold: 14
  Focus Time: Half Action
  Sustained: Yes/No
  Range: 30 metres
  The most basic of the psychokinetic powers is the ability to move 
  objects with one’s mind, and it is an ability that can be used in a 
  wide variety of ways. When manifesting this power, the psyker 
  should choose one of the following effects:
  Move: The psyker may lift and move any object within range 
  that weighs less than 50 kilograms times the psyker’s Willpower 
  Bonus. The psyker may move the object up to his Willpower 
  Bonus in metres each round as a Half Action. When the object 
  is dropped, it falls normally. This version of the power can be 
  sustained, and must be sustained if the psyker wants to move the 
  object over multiple rounds.
  Hurl: The psyker picks up a nearby object weighing 10 kilograms 
  times the psyker’s Willpower Bonus or less with his mind and 
  throws it at his target. This is a shooting attack where the psyker 
  must make a Ballistic Skill Test. If he hits, the projectile deals 
  2d10 Impact damage, plus two points for every five kilograms of 
  weight. For this power to function, there must be an item available 
  to pick up, and depending on what the item is, the GM may 
  determine that it deals more damage or has additional affects.
  Levitate: The psyker gains the Fly (X) Trait, where X equals 
  the psyker’s Willpower Bonus. This version of the power can be 
  sustained, and must be if the psyker wants to fly over multiple 
  rounds. 
  Overbleed: The effects of overbleed vary depending on the way 
  this power is used.
  Move: For every 5 points by which the psyker exceeds the 
  threshold, he may increase the weight moved by 50 kilograms, or 
  the speed he moves the object by 1 metre per round.
  Hurl: For every 2 points by which the psyker exceeds the 
  threshold, he increases the damage dealt by all projectiles thrown 
  by 1. For every 10 points by which the psyker exceeds the 
  threshold, he may throw one additional available projectile at 
  the same, or an additional, target (test Ballistic Skill separately for 
  each projectile). 
  Levitate: For every 4 points by which the psyker exceeds the 
  threshold, he increases his Fly value by 1. 
  rank 2: Barrier
  Cost: 500 xp
  Threshold: 22
  Focus Time: Full Action
  Sustained: Yes
  Range: Self
  The psyker’s mind is so agile he is able to swat aside projectiles 
  with a thought, causing them to deflect harmlessly mere 
  inches from his skin. The psyker becomes immune to damage 
  from Primitive and SP weaponry (or any other weapons 
  that rely solely on solid projectiles to deal damage; needle 
  weapons or webbers would be two examples). Bolt, Launcher, 
  Las, Plasma, and Melta weapons (or any weapons that rely 
  both on intense heat or energy as well as kinetic force) deal 
  half rolled damage. Flame weapons deal damage as normal. 
  Overbleed: None
  rank 3: teMPest
  Cost: 1000 XP
  Threshold: 30
  Focus Time: Full Action
  Sustained: Yes
  Range: 100 metres
  The most powerful psychokinetics can agitate the very air 
  around them, creating swirling vortexes of wind and debris. 
  Though this power is arduous to maintain, the damage it can 
  deal is truly devastating. 
  The psyker summons up what is essentially a psychic 
  storm. The psyker occupies the storm’s eye, and around him, 
  out to the limit of the power’s range, are high winds, freezing 
  temperatures, and possibly rain or even hail. Any unsecured 
  objects lighter than five kilograms are picked up and flung 
  around by the winds, and the swirling debris, rain, and dust 
  reduce visibility to 1d10 metres (roll once when the power is 
  manifested)—the psyker’s vision is not affected. All Ballistic 
  Skill Tests suffer a –20 penalty. Additionally, all those caught 
  in the tempest must make a Challenging (+0) Strength 
  Test or only be able to take a Half Action each round.
  During the psyker’s subsequent rounds, he may spend a 
  Half Action and make a Willpower Test to briefly focus his 
  thoughts on one specific area, sending a barrage of debris 
  scything through it. This shooting attack deals 1d10 damage 
  to all targets within 2 metres of a specific point, plus an 
  additional 1d10 damage per degree of success. This attack 
  always strikes the targets’ Body locations. 
  For every round after the first that the psyker sustains 
  this power, he must make a successful Ordinary (+10) 
  Toughness Test or suffer one level of fatigue. 
  Overbleed: For every 5 points by which the psyker exceeds 
  the threshold, he may do an additional 1d10 damage with 
  successful attacks. For every 10 points by which the psyker 
  exceeds the threshold, he may increase the range of the 
  Tempest by 100 metres. 
  teMPoral 
  ManiPulation
  That the warp can have an affect on the passage of time is 
  well known. It is a phenomena experienced by those starship 
  captains who have travelled short times in the immaterium, 
  only to arrive at their destination and discover centuries have 
  passed in the rest of the galaxy. 
  Less known and understood are those few psykers who 
  use this aspect of the warp to twist time to their own ends. 
  Conventional wisdom of the Calixian representatives of the 
  Scholastica Psykana holds that such psykers simply ‘speed 
  up’ or ‘slow down’ the perceptions of themselves and their 
  fellows, rather than actually manipulating time. Perhaps they 
  can also see glimpses of future events, granting them a far 
  better chance of success in certain actions, but no more. 
  Their arguments are unconvincing, however the majority 
  of the Calixian Conclave accepts them—perhaps because the 
  potential ramifications of the alternatives are too terrible to 
  contemplate. 
  
  V: Ascended Psychic Powers
  134
  rank 1: Precognition
  Threshold: 18
  Focus Time: Free Action
  Sustained: No
  Range: Self
  One aspect of temporal manipulation that most often manifests 
  in psykers is the ability of precognition—an ability to see the 
  myriad possibilities of the future. Even the strongest psykers 
  can only see the possibilities of the next few moments of their 
  life, and even then, only for a brief instant. However, that can 
  often be enough. 
  While in combat, precognition can be used at any time 
  during the psyker’s turn, and its effects last until the beginning 
  of the psyker’s next turn. After the power is manifested, the 
  psyker can re-roll any failed Ballistic Skill, Weapon Skill, 
  Dodge, and Parry Tests (his glimpse of the future showing him 
  which of his actions will be successful and which will fail). 
  Out of combat, this power can be used in a similar way, 
  allowing the psyker to determine whether actions will be 
  successful or not before undertaking them. However, as this 
  power only allows the psyker to see a few moments into the 
  future, each manifestation only allows him to determine the 
  success of an action that would take roughly six seconds. 
  As an example, the psyker could tell if entering a passcode 
  into a secured door would set off an alarm or not, but could 
  not predict how a suspect would react over the course of an 
  interrogation. 
  Overbleed: For every 8 points by which the psyker exceeds 
  the threshold, he may extend the effects of precognition for 
  one additional round while in Combat, or for an additional six 
  seconds outside of combat.
  rank 2: stasis shell
  Cost: 1,000 XP
  Threshold: 24
  Focus Time: Free Action
  Sustained: No
  Range: 20 metres
  The psyker creates a spherical area in which time seems to 
  completely stop, leaving whatever is inside perfectly frozen in 
  time. When the affect ends, the occupants do not realise any 
  time has passed. The psyker selects a spherical area roughly 
  three metres in diameter that is fully within range of his power. 
  Anything fully within this area is effectively frozen in time, 
  and may not take actions, move, speak, or do anything. In turn, 
  however, they may not be harmed or affected by any means. 
  Anything outside the area of the stasis shell may not enter or 
  pass through the area affected by the shell, which is treated as 
  an invulnerable barrier. Anything partially within the barrier 
  when it manifests rolls 1d10, on a 6 or higher, they are treated 
  as inside the shell, on a 5 or lower, they are treated as outside 
  the shell. The stasis shell lasts for 1d5 rounds. 
  A psyker may only manifest one stasis shell at a time. Should 
  the psyker attempt to manifest the shell on something that is 
  too large to fit within it (such as one section of a Leman Russ 
  Battle Tank, the power does not take effect. Instead, the psyker 
  is treated as being within a stasis shell for 1d5 rounds, as time 
  backlashes against him. (GMs may provide a certain amount of 
  leeway here. For instance, the stasis shell may encapsulate part 
  of the floor of a hab-building without a problem, even though 
  technically the shell does not envelop the entire building.)
  Overbleed: For every 4 points by which the psyker exceeds 
  the threshold, he may increase the time the stasis shell lasts by 
  one round. For every 8 points by which the psyker exceeds 
  the threshold, he may extend the diameter of the shell by one 
  metre. 
  rank 3: warP tiMe
  Cost: 1,500 XP
  Threshold: 36
  Focus Time: Free Action
  Sustained: No
  Range: 15 metres
  The most powerful psychic adepts of the temporal arts are able 
  to speed and slow the passage of time, both for themselves, 
  their allies, and their enemies. Before using this power, the 
  psyker must announce whether he is going to Slow Time or 
  Hasten Time.
  Slow Time: The psyker selects a number of targets within 
  range of the power equal to his Willpower Bonus. Each target 
  loses one half action during their next turn. 
  Hasten Time: The psyker selects a number of targets 
  (including himself, if he wishes) within range of the power 
  equal to his Willpower Bonus. Each target (including the 
  psyker) must make a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test at 
  the beginning of their next turn. If they fail, nothing happens. 
  If they succeed, however, they gain an additional full action 
  during their turn. All the normal limits to taking actions 
  during a turn apply, with the exception that they may make an 
  additional attack action with this extra full action. 
  Both of these powers end at the beginning of the psyker’s 
  next turn. If the psyker manifests Psychic Phenomina and then 
  rolls Perils of the Warp, in addition to suffering all effects of the 
  roll, the psyker may not take any actions for the following 2d5 
  turns, as reality takes back the time he stole with interest.
  Overbleed: For every 4 points by which the psyker exceeds 
  the threshold, he may extend the power’s range by 5 metres. 
  For every 8 points by which the psyker exceeds the threshold, 
  he may affect one additional target.
   
  
  Ascended 
  Armoury
  Ranged WeaponRy
  •
  Melee WeaponRy
  •
  aRMouR
  •
  geaR
  
  VI: Ascended Armoury
  136
  Chapter VI: 
  Ascended 
  Armoury
  “God-Emperor, infuse this weapon with your wrath, that I might 
  deliver your righteous anger unto your enemies.” 
  –Munitorum Battle Blessing
  J
  ust as a Throne Agent is expected to take on the Imperium’s 
  direst enemies, the Inquisition equips him with weaponry 
  and equipment to make him equal to the task. Though a 
  Throne Agent’s best weapons are his wits and mental fortitude, 
  he cannot be expected to fight his foes with determination 
  and his fists. Throne Agents can expect the vaults of the 
  Calixian Conclave to be opened to them (within reason, of 
  course), and a varied arsenal of weapons, amour, and sundry 
  gear made available. 
  Commissioning items 
  and Weapons
  Though most Throne Agents are unconcerned with mundane 
  possessions, many of them do prefer to personalise their kit to 
  a degree. This can often take the form of weapons, armour, or 
  other gear that has been commissioned by them personally and 
  is constructed by the finest artisans or other craftsmen. After 
  all, many Throne Agents see no reason to use anything but the 
  best in the prosecution of their duties, and the influence of their 
  office gives them the authority to do just that.
  Commissioning an item means the Throne Agent is charging 
  an artisan to construct it for his personal use. To locate such an 
  artisan and convince him to do the work, the Throne Agent 
  must make an Influence Test. This Test suffers no modifiers 
  for Duration, simply for Scarcity. Only a single item may be 
  commissioned through the Test, and only one item may be 
  commissioned per session. At the GM’s discretion, a Throne 
  Agent may have multiple items being produced for him  
  at once. 
  The item commissioned must be any weapon, armour, or non-
  consumable item of gear or equipment that is Imperial in origin 
  (no xenos technology or weaponry) of Best Craftsmanship. If 
  the test is successful, the Throne Agent must still wait for the 
  item to be crafted (or restored or upgraded, if the commission 
  is to repair and improve an existing item). The time is 1d5 
  weeks for every degree of rarity above Scarce, minus one week 
  
  VI: Ascended Armoury
  137
  for every degree of success the Throne Agent scores on his 
  Influence Test (to a minimum of one). At the GM’s discretion, 
  this time period may be lengthened or shortened based on 
  circumstances within the game. 
  The GM should also determine whether an item can be 
  commissioned at all, considering in-game circumstances. 
  If a player wanted a plasma pistol, for example, it is highly 
  unlikely he could commission one from a hive world artisan. 
  The technology to construct plasma weaponry is very rare, and 
  usually only available on forge worlds (where the Mechanicus 
  guards it zealously). The character would either have to travel 
  to a forge world to make the commission, or (if he already had 
  a plasma pistol of lesser quality), he could commission a hive 
  world artisan to improve the item he already possessed. 
  neW Weapon speCial 
  Qualities
  Sanctified
  Damage inflicted by a sanctified weapon counts as Holy 
  Damage, which has certain effects on some Daemonic and 
  warp creatures. All weapons with this special quality must be 
  of either Good Craftsmanship or Best Craftsmanship.
  StoRM
  A weapon with the Storm Quality doubles the amount of hits 
  inflicted on the target. Every degree of success (for Full Auto) 
  or two degrees of success (for Semi-Auto) up to the weapon’s 
  listed rate of fire results in two hits instead of one (including 
  when firing a single shot). A weapon with the Storm quality 
  uses up ammunition twice as fast as usual (meaning that if a 
  Storm weapon fires on semi-auto with a rate of fire equal to 
  2, it uses 4 rounds of ammunition).
  tWin-linked
  A Twin-linked weapon represents two identical weapons 
  connected together and linked to fire at the same time, often 
  through one pull of the trigger or push of the button. Twin-
  linked weapons are built this way in order to increase the 
  chances of scoring a hit through the crude expedience of 
  blasting more shots at the target. A weapon with the Twin-
  linked Quality gains a +20% bonus to hit when fired and 
  uses twice as much ammunition. In addition, the weapon may 
  score one additional hit if the attack roll succeeds by two 
  or more degrees of success. Lastly, the weapon’s reload time  
  is doubled.
  Table 6–1: Ranged Weapons
  Name
  Class
  Range RoF
  Dmg
  Pen Clip Rld
  Wt
  Special
  Availability
  Las Weapons
  Hellgun
  Basic
  50m
  S/3/–
  1d10+4 E
  7
  30
  2 Full
  6 kg
  Rare
  Hellpistol
  Pistol
  20m
  S/2/–
  1d10+4 E
  7
  40
  2 Full
  4 kg
  Rare
  Exotic Weapons
  Digi-las
  Pistol
  3m
  S/–/–
  2d5+5 E
  5
  1
  Special 0.1 kg
  Extremely 
  Rare
  Digital Explosive
  Thrown
  SBx3
  S/–/–
  3d10 X
  5
  0.1 kg Blast (3)
  Extremely 
  Rare
  Purgatus Crossbow
  Basic
  50m
  S/–/–
  1d10+5 I
  2
  5
  2 Full
  6.5 kg Reliable, Sanctified
  Very Rare
  Executor Pistol (Bolt)
  Pistol
  30m
  S/2/–
  2d10+4 X
  5
  16
  Full
  5.5 kg Tearing
  Near Unique
  Executor Pistol 
  (Needle)
  Pistol
  30m
  S/2/–
  1d10+5 R
  3
  16
  Full
  —†
  Toxic
  Near Unique
  Exitus Pistol
  Pistol
  30m
  S/3/–
  2d10+2 I
  9
  5
  Full
  5 kg
  Accurate
  Near Unique
  Exitus Rifle
  Basic
  200m
  S/–/–
  2d10+2 I
  9
  10
  Full
  9 kg
  Accurate
  Near Unique
  Melta Weapons
  Hellax Infernus
  Pistol
  10m
  S/–/–
  2d10+6 E
  14
  5
  2 Full
  2 kg
  Sanctified
  Unique
  Plasma Weapons
  Ryza-pattern Plasma 
  Pistol
  Pistol
  30m
  S/2/–
  1d10+6 E
  6
  10
  3 Full
  4 kg
  Overheats
  Very Rare
  Ryza-pattern Plasma 
  Gun
  Basic
  90m
  S/2/–
  1d10+7 E
  7
  40
  Rld 5 
  Full
  9 kg
  Overheats
  Very Rare
  Bolt Weapons
  Malleus Psycannon
  Heavy
  120m
  S/–/5
  2d10+5 X
  5
  40
  3 Full
  20 kg
  Tearing, Reliable, 
  Sanctified
  Extremely 
  Rare
  Ryza-pattern Storm 
  Bolter
  Basic
  90m
  S/2/4
  1d10+5 X
  4
  60
  Full
  9 kg
  Storm, Tearing
  Extremely 
  Rare
  † The Executor Pistol combines both the bolt and needle weapons into one, therefore the weight listed in the bolt category is for the entire weapon.
  
  VI: Ascended Armoury
  138
  Ranged 
  Weaponry
  T
  he Inquisitional armouries maintain a large collection 
  of esoteric weaponry. Many of them are melee 
  weapons, but there are a wide variety of guns (and 
  gun-like weapons) as well. These range from military-issue 
  hellguns to hand-crafted Purgatus Crossbows. 
  cadian-patteRn Hellgun and 
  HellpiStol
  There 
  are 
  many 
  different 
  variants of the boosted las-
  weapons known as hellguns and 
  hellpistols, although as a general 
  rule these weapons hit harder 
  and cut through more armour 
  than the standard lasgun. Their prohibitive manufacturing 
  requirements, reliance on bulky backpack power units, and 
  less reliable nature keeps them from being issued en masse 
  to Imperial Guard regiments. However, hellweapons (or ‘hot-
  shot las-weapons’ as they are also known) are still favoured 
  by the Imperial Guard’s elite Storm Troopers—as well as any 
  number of agents for the Throne—as powerful weapons.
  The Calixian Storm Trooper Companies prefer to equip 
  their forces with the Cadian pattern hellweapons. Constant 
  warfare means these weapons have been enhanced to the 
  point that they can cut through something as tough as power 
  armour, making them extremely popular on the front lines.
  Hellguns can either be used with a Backpack Power Pack 
  (see page 145), or smaller backpack units designed to be 
  slung under standard field packs. These smaller units weigh 
  10 kg, and provide the hellgun with the listed ammunition 
  capacity and reloading times. Cadian pattern hellguns and 
  hellpistols are also equipped with built-in targeters. This does 
  not count towards the weapon’s one-sight limit. 
  digital WeaponS
  Digital weapons, or digi-weapons, appear to be rings or other 
  jewellery, but are actually powerful ranged weapons, either 
  archeotech or of xenos manufacture. The most common of 
  these (if common can be used to describe such wondrous items) 
  are crafted by the ape-like aliens known as the Jokaero. Their 
  creations are so marvellously constructed that even Throne 
  Agents of the Holy Ordos have been known to wear them.
  Two of the most popular types of digital weapons amongst 
  the agents of the Calixian Conclave are the digi-las weapons, 
  and digital explosives. Digi-las weapons are usually modelled 
  in the form of rings, and can be used in close combat as a 
  pistol. Digital explosives are made to look like a wide variety 
  of jewellery, are armed by applying precise pressure to certain 
  points, and then thrown. Of course, both have their drawbacks: 
  digi-las weapons take considerable time to replenish their tiny 
  power reserves (1d5 hours before the weapon may be fired 
  again), and digital explosives are strictly one use only, making 
  them an expensive investment. 
   executoR piStol
  This combi-pistol is rarely seen in 
  Imperial space, despite (or perhaps 
  because of ) the fact that it is used 
  by one of the Imperium’s most 
  dangerous killers. The Eversor 
  Assassins, skull-faced slaughterers 
  of the Officio Assasinorum, carry 
  these weapons in addition to 
  their lethal array of close-combat 
  gear. The Executor is an unusual example of a combi-weapon. 
  Instead of being one weapon grafted crudely onto another, it is 
  a seamless joining of two individual firearms. The Executor is a 
  bolt pistol with an under-slung needle pistol beneath the barrel, 
  allowing the wielder to choose between the destructive power 
  of the bolt weapon, or the quiet lethality of the needle weapon. 
  It is this versatility, combined with the exquisite craftsmanship 
  of every Executor pistol, that makes them such a popular choice 
  for one of the Imperium’s sanctioned assassins. 
  The weapon incorporates the heights of arcane tech-lore in 
  its construction. It incorporates a bi-stabilised targeting sight, 
  and its polymorphic grip is genetically coded to the individual 
  Assassin. Even if an opponent was able to somehow gain control 
  of an Executor, he would be unable to fire it. In addition, the 
  needle pistol uses a synthesised neuro-toxin to incapacitate  
  its target. 
  An Executor Pistol can always be fired as either a bolt 
  pistol or needle pistol, although the bearer may only fire 
  it in one mode per turn. The entire weapon counts as Best 
  craftsmanship. An Executor Pistol is programmed to be used by 
  a single individual when it is crafted. Changing the weapon’s 
  programming requires either access to secret Officio facilities 
  (something that is almost impossible even for members of the 
  Holy Ordos), or success on a Hellish (–60) Tech-Use Test. In 
  addition, the needle pistol’s toxins are so potent that whenever 
  
  VI: Ascended Armoury
  139
  a target is hit by a shot, he must succeed on a Challenging 
  (+0) Toughness Test or take 1d10 wounds ignoring armour 
  or toughness; the shot does not need to wound the target. 
  exituS Rifle
  The signature weapon of the Vindicare Temple, this rifle is 
  amongst the finest examples of Imperial weaponsmithing. 
  Hand-crafted by a Magos-Artisan of the Adeptus Mechanicus, 
  each Exitus rifle is part of a matched set—both pistol and rifle 
  customised to the specifications of the individual Assassin. 
  The Exitus weapons contain sophisticated machine-spirits 
  and utilise ammunition constructed from special heavy-gravity 
  alloys to penetrate nearly all forms of known protection. All 
  Exitus weapons incorporate a silencer and a selector switch. 
  The Exitus rifle has a built-in telescopic sight. Exitus weapons 
  are manufactured at the Best craftsmanship level. The firer may 
  load one round as a half action (normally for one of the special 
  issue ammunition loads). If the firer has the Rapid Reload 
  Talent, he may instead use a Reaction to load a single round.
  exituS piStol
  The Exitus pistol is a masterpiece of craftsmanship, a weapon 
  as elegant as it is deadly. Unlike the larger rifle, the Exitus 
  pistol is mainly considered a backup weapon for the Vindicare 
  Temple, primarily used in those rare circumstances where 
  the Assassin is discovered, cornered, or in need of rapid-
  fire capability. Under those circumstances, the Exitus pistol 
  performs admirably, and more than a few Vindicare Assassins 
  owe their lives to this weapon. The Exitus Pistol has a built-in 
  silencer and is manufactured at the Best craftsmanship level.
  Hellax infeRnuS
  In the dark history of the Conclave Calixis, one individual 
  is spoken of with equal parts dread and admiration; Cassilda 
  Cognos. Little is known about the mysterious inquisitor, save 
  that she was the founder of the Tyrantine Cabal, and is now 
  long dead. However, her legacy lives on in the deep data vaults 
  of the Bastion Serpentis, in the activities of the Tyrantine Cabal 
  itself, and in the rare artefacts associated with her that have 
  been scattered across the Calixis Sector.
  The Hellax Infernus is a weapon both elegant and extremely 
  potent. In appearance, it is an antique inferno pistol, with a 
  long thin barrel, sculpted handle, and barrel-basket with ever-
  flickering flame. However, the Infernus is constructed with 
  strange, arcane technology. Its flames sear hotter than even the 
  most potent melta-weapon; hot enough, it is said, to burn one’s 
  very soul. 
  The Hellax Infernus ignores the defences from Fields and all 
  protective benefits granted by psychic powers (including benefits 
  such as bonuses to Dodge, as well as powers that specifically 
  reduce energy damage or damage from melta-weapons). In 
  addition, if a target is hit by the Hellax Infernus and survives, 
  he must make a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test. If he fail, 
  he permanently reduces his Willpower by 1d10. 
  The Hellax Infernus uses the standard ammunition for 
  inferno pistols, and counts as a Best craftsmanship weapon.
  MalleuS pSycannon
  Psycannons are powerful weapons, often reserved for 
  the Ordo Malleus. Similar in form to the Holy Bolter, a 
  psycannon fires powerful ammunition charged with psychic 
  energy and possessing ritually inscribed silver tips backed by 
  a rare isotope explosive. Each blessed round can unerringly 
  penetrate the psychic defences and shields of a target, making 
  them a preferred weapon for Inquisitors planning to hunt 
  the daemon or the witch. In addition, a powerful psyker can 
  imbue each shot with a measure of his mental force, bringing 
  ruin to his target with each shot. However, psycannons are 
  coMbi-WeaponS
  Combi-weapons are actually two different weapons 
  that have been combined into one firearm. The idea is 
  to provide the user with the versatility of two different 
  types of guns without requiring him to switch between 
  them (not to mention carry them both) on the battlefield. 
  Each combi-weapon starts with a primary weapon, often 
  a lasgun, autogun, or boltgun. Slung under the primary 
  weapon’s barrel is a one-shot secondary weapon. This 
  is usually more powerful than the primary weapon; 
  since it only carries one shot, it had better be a powerful 
  one. Combi-meltas, combi-plasma, and combi-grenade 
  launchers are all popular variations of combi-weapons 
  (combi-weapons are usually named after their secondary 
  weapon). Combi-weapons are most common in the Guard, 
  Adepta Sororitas, and Adeptus Astartes, though many 
  more militant-minded Throne Agents prefer them to bulk 
  out their personal firepower.
  Any two basic ranged weapons or any two pistol 
  weapons can be combined into a combi-weapon. First, 
  select which weapon is the primary weapon and which 
  is the secondary weapon. The primary weapon retains its 
  statistics—rate of fire, ammo capacity, and so forth—while 
  the secondary weapon has its clip size reduced to one and 
  its rate of fire becomes S/–/–. The weight of the new, 
  combined weapon is equal to the weight of the primary 
  weapon plus half the weight of the secondary weapon. 
  The rarity is equal to the rarity of the rarer of the two 
  weapons, plus one additional step. The GM has the final 
  say on which weapons may and may not be combined. 
  
  VI: Ascended Armoury
  140
  rare weapons, each handcrafted by artisans watched and 
  sanctified by the Adeptus Ministorum and the Holy Ordos. 
  Psycannon bolts ignore all protective benefits granted by 
  psychic powers (including benefits such as bonuses to Dodge) 
  and the increased Toughness Bonus from the Daemonic Trait. 
  Malleus psycannons also have in-built Suspensor technology, 
  meaning that the wielder counts as possessing the Auto-
  Stabilised Trait. Finally, an individual with a Psy Rating may 
  imbue the psycannon with additional damage equal to the 
  user’s Psy Rating. This is considered a Minor Psychic power 
  with a Threshold of 10 that can be used as a Free Action. 
  Psycannons always count as Good craftsmanship weapons, 
  which is reflected in their rules. 
  Ammunition: A psycannon fires handcrafted bolt shells that 
  are Extremely Rare.
  puRgatuS cRoSSboW
  Throughout the millennia, Witch Hunters have seen the 
  humble crossbow as a symbol of their trade, able to drive 
  a thick bolt of thrice-blessed wood into the heart of a 
  daemonic or heretical opponent. With that in mind, some 
  Inquisitors have commissioned skilled artisans to transform 
  these primitive weapons into something far more deadly. 
  The Purgatus appears a fusion of boltgun and crossbow, 
  able to fire with more force than a shotgun blast. However, 
  it is its ammunition that is the true marvel; heavy wood and 
  silver stakes inscribed with wards and runes designed to 
  disrupt a creature’s contact with the immaterium. 
  If the Purgatus does at least one point of damage, the stake 
  becomes lodged in the target. Removing the stake without 
  proper medical care and operating facilities (such as on the 
  field of battle) takes one Full Action, and deals 1d5+1 wounds 
  to the target removing it, ignoring armour or Toughness. 
  For every round a creature with the Daemonic Trait leaves 
  a Purgatus stake in itself, it must make a Warp Instability Test 
  (described on page 333 of the Dark Heresy Rulebook) at a 
  –10 Penalty, even if it would not normally be required to test 
  for Warp Instability. As long as any creature with a Psy Rating 
  has a Purgatus stake imbedded in it, the Power Threshold for 
  any psychic powers it manifests is increased by 20. Purgatus 
  Crossbows are always manufactured at a Good craftsmanship 
  level, which is reflected in their rules. 
  Ammunition: Purgatus Crossbows fire blessed stakes that 
  must be handcrafted. A quiver of 20 has an Availability of 
  Very Rare.
  Ryza-patteRn MilitaRy plaSMa 
  WeaponS
  The plasma weapons produced for the Imperium’s militant 
  forces by the Ryza Forge World are of a much higher quality 
  than those made for noble dilettantes, chartist captains, and 
  other ‘civilians.’ The Ryza-pattern weapons are designed to 
  hold larger hydrogen flasks, and a reinforced containment 
  system allows the weapon to be fired more rapidly. Perhaps 
  more importantly, Ryza incorporates a ‘maximal’ setting into 
  its weapons. 
  The Ryza-pattern plasma pistol is prized amongst the 
  Imperium’s various militant orders. It is often carried by mid 
  and high-ranking officers of the Imperial Guard and Adeptus 
  Astartes, though Ryza plasma pistols are, on occasion, issued 
  to elite units that need heavy firepower in a portable form. 
  Ryza-pattern plasma guns are rare and valued weapons, and 
  Imperial Guard Storm Troopers are among the only forces 
  that can reliably requisition them. Amongst those units 
  they are prized as a man-portable weapon that can destroy 
  armoured opponents and light vehicles equally well. 
  Ryza-patteRn StoRM bolteR 
  Storm weapons arose from experiments in combining weapons 
  together to achieve greater rates of fire. The Ryza-pattern 
  Storm Bolter links two bolters to form a single weapon that 
  can shred most foes in a single burst. Rarely seen outside 
  of the Adeptus Astartes, these relic-weapons are typically 
  covered with scripture and purity seals that speak of their 
  ancient origin.
  fiRing MilitaRy plaSMa 
  WeaponS
  Military plasma weapons can be fired on two modes, 
  normal or maximal fire. The second fires a higher-
  temperature burst of plasma over a greater distance, 
  effectively doing far more damage at longer ranges. 
  The drawback, however, is that firing a plasma weapon 
  on maximal setting temporarily depletes the plasma 
  reserves, necessitating a short recharge time to return 
  the reserves to firing levels. 
  A military plasma weapon’s firing settings may be 
  switched between Normal and Maximal Mode once per 
  turn as a free action. On Normal, the weapon operates 
  per its given profile. On Maximal, the weapon gains 
  +10 metres to range, +1d10 to Damage, and +2 to 
  Penetration. If the weapon has the Blast Quality, it also 
  gains +2 to the Blast. However, each Maximal shot 
  takes 3 rounds of ammunition, and the weapon gains 
  the Recharge Quality whenever fired on Maximal. 
  (Note: once the weapon has been fired on Maximal, 
  it must spend the next turn recharging, even if reset 
  to Normal). 
  
  VI: Ascended Armoury
  141
  Melee Weapons
  I
  n the Inquisition’s long history of combating malefic, 
  heretical, and xenos forces, it has found that all-too often 
  the most reliable weapon proves to be the simple sword 
  or hammer, rather than an impressive-looking firearm that is 
  noisy, dependent on ammunition, and prone to failure. Of 
  course, amongst the Inquisition’s armoury, few of its melee 
  weapons can truly be called ‘simple.’ 
  ultiMa-patteRn  
  aRbiteS poWeR Maul
  The power maul of the Adeptus Arbites is as 
  much a symbol as it is a weapon, and one that 
  is seared into the minds of petty criminals and 
  serious recidivists alike. While rank-and-file 
  arbitrators make do with simple shock-mauls, 
  veteran proctors or the feared Judges prefer to 
  wield something far more impressive.
  The power maul is a versatile, one-handed 
  weapon with two power settings. At its low 
  setting, the maul’s head delivers an electrical 
  shock powerful enough to stun (and sometimes 
  kill) its targets, just like a regular shock maul. 
  At the high setting however, the energy forms 
  a crackling power field that can sunder steel, 
  armour, and flesh. 
  The user may switch settings on his power 
  maul once per turn as a free action. 
  tHe tWelve daeMonHaMMeRS  
  of tHe cRuSade
  Daemonhammers are more than 
  simply a powerful and legendary 
  weapon. 
  When 
  an 
  Inquisitor 
  wields one, he is wielding the 
  very symbol of the Ordo Malleus. 
  Daemonhammers are large, two-
  handed 
  hammers 
  made 
  from 
  rare ores and composites from 
  humanity’s ancient past. Their hafts 
  are covered in hexagramic wards 
  and seals of warding, while their 
  heads are emblazoned with the 
  burning sigil of the Inquisition, 
  from which emanates a crackling 
  power-field. 
  Daemonhammers are extremely 
  rare, and granted only to the most 
  trusted and respected Inquisitors 
  of the Ordo Malleus. Although 
  no details are known, it is rumoured that the number of 
  Daemonhammers the Calixian Conclave possesses is very 
  small. It is possible the only Daemonhammers in the Sector 
  are those known as the Twelve Daemonhammers of the 
  Crusade; legendary weapons said to be wielded by the 
  Council of Twelve. These heroic daemonhunters are said to 
  have fought at the forefront of the Angevin Crusade, and their 
  weapons are in great demand amongst the Conclave’s most  
  powerful members.
  Table 6–2: Melee Weapons
  Name
  Class Rng
  Dmg†
  Pen Wt
  Special
  Availability
  Power Weapons
  Arbites Ultima-pattern Power Maul (Low Power)
  Melee —
  1d10 I
  0
  3 kg
  Shocking
  Rare
  Arbites Ultima-pattern Power Maul (High Power)
  Melee —
  1d10+5 I
  5
  3 kg
  Power Field
  Rare
  Daemonhammer
  Melee —
  2d10+1 
  I††
  8
  5 kg
  Power Field, 
  Sanctified, 
  Unwieldy
  Extremely Rare
  Power Stake
  Melee —
  1d10+7 E
  5
  1 kg
  Power Field, 
  Unbalanced, 
  Sanctified
  Very Rare
  Primitive Weapons
  Kineblades
  Melee WPB 
  x5m
  1d5 R†††
  2
  0.5 
  kg
  —
  Very Rare
  Shock Weapons
  Suppression Shield
  Melee —
  1d10 I
  0
  5 kg
  Defensive, 
  Recharge, 
  Shocking, 
  Rare
  Exotic Weapons
  Neuro-Gauntlet
  Melee —
  1d10 R
  8
  2.5 
  kg
  Tearing, Toxic
  Extremely Rare
  †Characters using melee weapons add their Strength Bonus to the Damage they inflict.
  ††Add double the user’s Strength Bonus to Damage inflicted.
  †††The psyker adds his Willpower Bonus instead of his Strength Bonus to Damage inflicted with kineblades.
  
  VI: Ascended Armoury
  142
  It is said that there were actually 13 Daemonhammers, but 
  that one has been long lost to the forces of the arch-enemy. If 
  this is true, the person who could return such a weapon to the 
  Holy Ordos would be lauded amongst its ranks.
  When used against a creature with the Daemonic trait, 
  the Daemonhammer’s wielder scores Righteous Fury on 
  any damage die result of 8–10, instead of only natural 10s  
  as normal. 
  In addition, Daemonhammers are always Best craftsmanship 
  weapons, granting +10 to the wielder’s Weapon Skill Tests 
  and +1 to all Damage rolls. That damage is included in the 
  weapon’s profile. 
  daMaSkin kinebladeS
  A true telekine prefers not to stoop to using the mundane 
  weapons of non-psychic ‘blunts.’ Instead, they rely on a 
  weapon that is infinitely more elegant, concealable, and—
  under the control of the right mind—lethal. 
  In appearance, the kineblade can be best compared to a 
  two-edged knife that lacks a hilt. The thin, strong blades taper 
  to a needle point on either end, making them impossible for a 
  non-psyker to pick up and wield. Underneath the outer layers 
  of razor-sharp alloy, kineblades are inlayed with psycho-
  active materials, granting their user much greater control and 
  finesse. In the hands of a trained user, a cloud of kineblades 
  can fly, swoop, and slash as if they had minds of their own. 
  To use a kineblade, the wielder must manifest any psychic 
  power that allows him to lift and move objects (Spectral 
  Hands, Fling, Telekinesis, and Lift are all possibilities). The 
  power is manifested as normal. However, instead of its usual 
  effect, the user animates a number of kineblades equal to half 
  his Psy Rating (rounding up). He must sustain the power if he 
  wishes to animate the blades over multiple turns. 
  The blades hover and fly in mid-air. They must remain 
  within the psyker’s Willpower Bonus x5 metres. However, 
  the psyker may move them anywhere within that zone as a 
  free action (within reason, of course. Kineblades cannot move 
  through solid objects). During the psyker’s turn, he may 
  attack with half his kineblades as a half action, or all of them 
  as a full action (he may not make other attacks if he does 
  this). To attack, he must make a Weapon Skill Test for each 
  kineblade. He can attack multiple targets, and only suffers a 
  –10 penalty for called shots. 
  Kineblades are also desirable for their easily-concealed 
  nature. They can be woven into clothing, inlayed on 
  equipment, or disguised in any number of other cunning ways. 
  Any Search Tests made to discover a concealed kineblade are 
  three degrees more difficult than they would be normally. 
  neuRo-gauntlet
  Neuro-Gauntlets are subtle weapons, but no less vicious for 
  that. Prized by assassins and torturers, the neuro-gauntlet 
  is a glove constructed from a flexible adamantine hyper-
  alloy, with neuro-toxin injectors fitted into each finger. Each 
  injector is diamond-hard and incredibly sharp, allowing it to 
  slice through armour and into the vulnerable flesh below.
  The cuts from a neuro-gauntlet are deceptively small. 
  However, the poisons they produce are some of the most 
  potent and crippling toxins known to the Officio Assassorium. 
  Neuro-Gauntlets have the Toxic Quality; if the target fails its 
  Toughness Test, in addition to suffering damage as normal, all 
  his Characteristics are halved for 1d5 minutes. This specific 
  effect is not cumulative, and does not affect targets with the 
  Daemonic or Machine Traits.
  The toxins within the neuro-gauntlets may be replaced by 
  different toxins (including one that mimics the effect of a 
  Hallucinogen Grenade). 
  tHe poWeR StakeS of WitcH 
  HunteR RykeHuSS
  The Power Stake is another item in the Inquisitor’s arsenal that 
  is designed to be as much a symbol as a weapon. It takes the 
  form of a solid metre-long shaft of cold-forged iron, tapering 
  to a wicked point on one end. The other end is fashioned into 
  a handle, containing a power field generator. All along the 
  shaft are thousands of etched runes, each a prayer against the 
  psyker and an invocation against the warp. The power stakes 
  of Witch Hunter Rykehuss were specially commissioned by 
  that noted Inquisitor to be a bane against the witch and psy-
  user. He has actually commissioned several dozen, which 
  by now have been scattered throughout the Sector with his 
  blessing, to do the God-Emperor’s holy work.
  If this weapon strikes a target with a Psy Rating, it deals 
  an additional 1d10 damage for every point of Psy Rating the 
  target possesses (so a target with Psy Rating 3 would take an 
  additional 3d10 damage). A Power Stake of Witch Hunter 
  Rykehuss is always considered a Best craftsmanship weapon, 
  granting the user +10 to Weapon Skill Tests and +1 damage, 
  which has already been included in the profile. 
  HydRapHuR-patteRn SuppReSSion 
  SHield
  Suppression shields are common equipment for the Adeptus 
  Arbites, although upon seeing their effectiveness, many other 
  organisations and individuals have moved to obtain them. 
  The suppression shield is both a bulwark and a weapon, a 
  heavy slab of ceramite large enough for the wielder to take 
  cover behind. Each has a built-
  in arc-lumin at the top, and a 
  powerful shock-plate in the 
  shield’s centre. If the wielder 
  strikes with the shield, he can 
  discharge the shock-plate on 
  impact, delivering a powerful 
  electrical blow. 
  Suppression 
  shields 
  have 
  the Recharge quality, since the 
  shock-plate takes time to build 
  to dangerous levels. It can still be 
  used as a weapon during rounds 
  where it is recharging, however, 
  
  VI: Ascended Armoury
  143
  in those cases it loses the Shocking quality and gains the 
  Primitive quality. A suppression shield requires one hand to 
  use, and provides +4 APs to that arm and the torso of the 
  wielder. These APs do not become Primitive when the shield 
  is Recharging.
  Arbites suppression shields are also designed with lock-
  grips on the upper corners. These allow a character to fire 
  one basic class weapon with one hand without penalty. 
  Crusader suppression shields are designed for combating the 
  malefic and warp-spawned powers, and are inscribed with 
  hexagrammic wards. These grant the wielder a +20 bonus 
  on Tests made to resist any psychic power that directly affects 
  him. Additionally, a crusader shield grants double Armour 
  Points against damage-dealing psychic powers, and keeps its 
  AP value against attacks with the Warp Weapon quality. 
  Armour
  T
  he armour granted to the Inquisition’s Throne Agents 
  is a motley collection accumulated from any number 
  of the Imperium’s militant organisations, or specially 
  commissioned by powerful Inquisitors. Often, such armour is 
  designed to protect the wearer’s soul as much as his body.
  cadian-patteRn “kaSRkin” StoRM 
  tRoopeR caRapace
  The Departmento Munitorum in the Calixis Sector has 
  long adopted the Cadian pattern carapace armour for its 
  Storm Trooper units, feeling that a design used by one of 
  the Imperium’s most vital fortress worlds has an implicit 
  recommendation. Storm Troopers are elite and versatile 
  troopers, and their armour must be equally versatile.
  “Kasrkin” carapace is designed to be worn as a complete 
  suit. It has an integral auspex unit with wrist display and 
  attachments for a grav-chute. The carapace helmet is equipped 
  with a rebreather, photo-visor, encrypted micro-bead, and a 
  clip attachment on the side of the helmet for either a lamp 
  pack or a vid-recorder. These systems are powered by a small 
  charge pack (equivalent in size and cost to a lasgun charge 
  pack) that must be replaced after a week of continuous use. 
  HydRapHuR-patteRn Judge’S 
  caRapace
  The distinctive matte-black and red light carapace armour of 
  the Arbites is as distinctive as it is intimidating, and the armour 
  of an Arbites Judge is only more so. The armour of a Judge is 
  designed to reflect his authority as the Lex Imperialis made 
  manifest, and to sow terror in the criminal and malcontent. 
  It shares the same basic pattern as Arbites carapace, but 
  incorporates a storm coat and helm topped with a massive 
  golden eagle. 
  Judge’s carapace armour has a helmet equipped with an 
  integral encrypted micro-bead, good quality photo-visor 
  (granting him Dark Sight and allowing him to ignore photon-
  flash grenades), and a vox-amplifier (allowing the user to 
  amplify his voice to near-deafening levels). A small stab-light 
  can also be attached to the shoulder pads. These systems are 
  powered by a small charge pack (equivalent in size and cost 
  to a lasgun charge pack) that must be replaced after a week of 
  continuous use. 
  ignatuS-patteRn poWeR aRMouR
  Although not as durable as the suits of power armour worn 
  by the Adeptus Astartes, Ignatus Power Armour is a far step 
  above the patterns of armour sold to dilettante nobles and 
  mercantile cartels. Ignatus armour is produced by skilled 
  Mechanicus artisans for the express purpose of equipping 
  agents of the Inquisition. Many militant Inquisitors equip 
  themselves with Ignatus armour, girding their bodies with 
  ceramite just as they gird their souls with faith. 
  Table 6–3: Armour
  Name
  Location(s) 
  Covered
  AP
  Wt
  Availability
  Cadian-pattern “Kasrkin” Storm Trooper Carapace
  All
  6
  15 kg
  Very Rare
  Hyrdraphur-pattern Judge’s Carapace
  All
  5
  15.5 kg
  Very Rare
  Ignatus-pattern Power Armour
  All
  8
  65 kg
  Extremely Rare
  
  VI: Ascended Armoury
  144
  Like all suits of power armour, Ignatus armour consists of 
  an ingenious merging of thick ceramite protective plates and 
  a complex system of muscle-like, electrically motivated, fibre-
  bundles to augment the user’s movements and strength. This 
  technology is so miraculous that one wearing power armour can 
  move and fight as if he was unencumbered, his suit’s augmetic 
  systems compensating entirely for the armour’s crushing weight 
  and bulk. 
  Ignatus Power Armour provides the following benefits:
  The suit’s removable helmet contains the equivalent of 
  integral Good quality photo-visors (providing the user with the 
  Dark Sight Trait and making the wearer immune to the effects 
  of photon flash grenades), micro-bead, and an integral auspex. 
  These devices can be controlled by speaking to the armour’s 
  machine spirit, or the wearer can commune with his armour 
  directly if he has a cerebral plug, MIU, or similar device. 
  When the helmet is attached, the suit has a self-contained life 
  sustainer that allows the bearer to ignore toxic atmospheres and 
  gasses, and even survive underwater or in a vacuum. The system 
  operates as long as the armour has power.
  As long as the wearer is wearing the entire suit (besides the 
  helmet), he gains +20 Strength and +1 to his movement value. 
  As long as he is wearing at least the chest piece, backpack, and 
  leggings, his size is increased one step (see page 332 in the Dark 
  Heresy Rulebook).
  The suit has an integral backpack power supply that can 
  last for five days of continuous combat operations (if the power 
  armour is not being used in combat, its power supply can last for 
  far longer). If the suit becomes unpowered, it becomes a rigid 
  tomb for the wearer, who must make a Hellish (–60) Strength 
  Test to simply move. The helmet’s machine spirit does open 
  exterior vents automatically before powering down, so that its 
  wearer does not suffocate. 
  The first suits of power armour date back to the God-Emperor’s 
  Crusades to reclaim the galaxy, and many are maintained for 
  centuries or millennia as much religious relics as protective gear. 
  Ignatus armour is no exception, and it is not uncommon to find 
  suits encrusted with religious iconography, inscribed with holy 
  runes of warding, or inlaid with subtle defensive systems. 
  Ignatus Power Armour is commonly inlaid with Hexagrammic 
  Wards. This increases its rarity by one step. Hexagrammic Wards 
  provide the wearer with a +20 bonus on any Test made to 
  resist psychic powers or attacks, and doubles the armour’s AP 
  against psychic attacks dealing direct damage. Warp weapons 
  (and similar devices) do not ignore the APs of hexagrammically 
  warded armour. 
  ForCe Fields
  Despite the undeniable benefits of personal armour, not every 
  situation allows for a Throne Agent to be wearing full battle 
  kit. Additionally, there are a multitude of weapons designed 
  to punch through even the thickest power armour. 
  Fields, however, provide an altogether different level 
  of protection. They have the twin benefits of being small 
  and easily concealed, and have the ability to stop the most 
  powerful attacks. Each is also a relic, centuries old if not 
  older, and extremely difficult for the Tech-Priests to recreate. 
  Therefore, they are only issued to the most valued members 
  of the Imperium; Imperial Guard officers, Adeptus Astartes 
  Chapter Masters, and senior members of the Holy Ordos. 
  field RuleS
   A character may only benefit from one field at a time, regardless 
  of how many different fields he may have equipped. When a 
  character wearing an active field is attacked, roll d100. If the 
  result is less than or equal to the field’s protection rating, the 
  attack is nullified and has no effect on the protected character 
  (although the attack may have an impact on the character’s 
  surroundings or other nearby characters, such as weapons 
  with the Blast quality). 
  Fields may also overload. Compare the result of the d100 
  roll to avoid damage to the chart below. If the result is less 
  than or equal to the listed number, the field is overloaded and 
  ceases to function until it is recharged or repaired (requiring 
  the Luminen Charge Talent or a successful Very Hard (–30) 
  Tech-Use Test).
  Table 6–4: Force Fields
  Name
  Protection 
  Rating
  Wt
  Availability
  Refractor Field 
  (Lathe-pattern)
  30
  0.5 kg
  Very Rare
  Rosarius 
  (Maccabien)
  50
  0.5 kg
  Extremely Rare
  Icon of the Just 
  (Daemonsbane)
  55
  0.5 kg
  Near Unique
  Null Blocker 
  (Lathe-pattern)
  60†
  0.5 kg
  Extremely Rare
  †Protects against psychic powers only.
  
  VI: Ascended Armoury
  145
  latHe-patteRn RefRactoR field
  Refractor field devices see service with highly ranked 
  and trusted Imperial agents of all kinds. No smaller than 
  a pistol ammunition clip, they disperse the energy of an 
  attack throughout the total area of the field effect. They are 
  noticeable when activated as they surround the user with a 
  hazy glow of light, making them easily detectible in low-
  lighting or at night. 
  Maccabien RoSaRiuS 
  More than a simply a field projector, a 
  Rosarius is an icon of the Imperial Creed, 
  and is often only entrusted to the highest 
  officials in the Ecclesiarchy. A Rosarius 
  appears to be a square, stylised cross of 
  adamantium or some other dense and 
  durable metal, with a jewel or Ecclesiarchy symbol in the 
  centre. It is worn around the neck or waist on prayer beads or 
  a sash. However, within each is a powerful field mechanism. 
  A Maccabien Rosarius is named because each includes a small 
  chip of stone cut from the bedrock of that sacred world. 
  A Rosarius does not give off the same glow as a Refractor 
  Field. However, they do convert some of the energy they 
  observe into visible light, causing them to flash and spark 
  when they are hit. They are also a holy icon, meaning they 
  do not suffer the touch of the foul enemies of mankind. An 
  Ecclesiarchical Rosarius always overloads on a roll of 20 or 
  lower when wielded by a servant of the Ruinous Powers, 
  daemon, alien, or heretic. 
  daeMonSbane icon of tHe JuSt
  Like a Rosarius, Icons of the Just are at once both powerful 
  field mechanisms and symbols of the Ordo Malleus. They 
  are granted to the Ordo’s most skilled daemonhunters, to aid 
  them in the work. Often they are worked into the shape of 
  the Inquisitorial seal, though small hammers and iconographs 
  of the God-Emperor are also popular. 
  Each Icon of the Just is blessed with wards and holy shields 
  against the daemon, so much that the malefic powers cannot 
  stand to touch the field it generates. Whenever a creature with 
  the Daemonic Trait attacks someone bearing an Icon of the 
  Just, that attack suffers a –10 penalty. 
  latHe-patteRn null-blockeR
  These small, matte-black boxes do not attract attention. 
  However, they are constructed with psy-inert ceramics, and 
  filled with delicate circuitry that at least partially creates 
  the affect generated by an untouchable. They are issued to 
  members of the Inquisition to provide protection against 
  psyker and warp-spawned opponents. They can be worn 
  around the neck or affixed to armour, but can only shield 
  one person. 
  Null-blockers behave like any other field, except that their 
  field ability only applies to psychic powers. When the wearer 
  is affected directly by a psychic power, he may make his field 
  save. If he is successful, the power has no affect on him. Of 
  course, the field is useless against indirect attacks from psychic 
  powers, such as dropping a large stone on the wearer from a 
  great height using telekinetics. 
  Gear
  Throne Agents find they have access to many other strange 
  and even archaic devices that may prove useful to them. These 
  may be accumulated from the Inquisition, the Adeptus Terra, 
  or even less-known cults and organisations.
  badge of office
  Though only Inquisitors can carry the Inquisitorial Rosette, 
  the Calixian Conclave has made a habit of issuing trusted 
  Inquisitorial Agents with a badge of office to identify them as 
  working under the authority of the Holy Ordos. Depending 
  on the need for secrecy and subtlety, this may take the form 
  of an actual gene-coded badge with credentials, a concealable 
  electoo on an arm or the torso, or even a message inscribed 
  psychically in the Throne Agent’s mind. In any case, these 
  symbols of authority are difficult to forge and even more 
  difficult to refute.
  Whatever form a badge of office may take, it proves the 
  bearer is an agent of the Holy Inquisition, with all the rights 
  and responsibilities that entails. It is not, however, the Rosette 
  of a full Inquisitor. When a Throne Agent procures his Badge 
  of Office, he must choose which form it takes. 
  backpack aMMo / poWeR pack
  The backpack ammo/power pack is designed to supply the 
  user with additional ammunition for his personal weapon 
  when on extended missions (or in situations when he doesn’t 
  want to spend time reloading). The backpack power pack 
  Table 6–5: Force Field Overloading
  Force Field Craftsmanship Overload Roll
  Poor
  01–15
  Common
  01–10
  Good
  01–05
  Best
  1
  Table 6–6: Gear
  Name
  Wt
  Availability
  Badge of Office
  —
  Near Unique
  Backpack Ammo / Power Pack 15 kg
  Common
  Cerebral Plug
  —
  Common
  Grav-chute
  20 kg
  Scarce
  Sentinel Array
  12 kg
  Near Unique
  Spoor Targeter
  —
  Very Rare
  Vindicare Spy Mask
  2 kg
  Near Unique
  Vindicare Stealth Suit
  5 kg
  Near Unique
  
  VI: Ascended Armoury
  146
  is worn like a normal backpack, but has half the standard 
  carrying capacity. The other half is taken up by ammunition 
  storage. For energy weapons, this is an additional source of 
  power, flame weapons have large promethium tanks, while 
  projectile weapons simply have stacks of bolter or stubber 
  ammo. In all cases, feeder lines or power cables connect the 
  ammunition storage to the bearer’s weapon. 
  A backpack ammo/power pack replaces a ranged weapon’s 
  standard ammo capacity. Most pistols, basic weapons, and 
  man-portable heavy weapons can use backpack ammo/power 
  packs, however there are some exceptions. For example, the 
  ammo for most Launcher weapons is too large and unwieldy 
  to be supplied through feeder lines, and extremely powerful 
  heavy weapons such as man-portable lascannons would drain 
  all but the largest or most advanced backpack power pack in 
  a single shot. The ammo capacity depends on the ammunition 
  used. A backpack power pack can supply 300 shots for Las 
  weapons (except the high-powered hellguns and hellpistols, 
  which drain two charges for every shot), 80 shots for Plasma 
  and Melta weapons, 200 rounds of ammunition for Bolt and 
  SP weapons, or 60 shots for Flame weapons. 
  ceRebRal plug
  Cerebral plugs and similar devices are a common sight in the 
  Imperium, where the use of technology to augment (or repair) 
  the human form is commonplace. A cerebral plug is installed 
  in the skull, and links into the brain via several-dozen wires 
  and electrodes. The other end is the actual ‘plug,’ which can 
  be attached to any number of devices.
  The cerebral plug allows an individual to link with devices 
  that require a direct mind interface, providing no bonuses 
  beyond this. Most electronic devices can be modified to work 
  with cerebral plugs, allowing the user to use them while 
  keeping his hands free (these are usually auspexes and other 
  augury devices, cogitators, or extremely simple servitors). 
  gRav-cHute
  Grav-chutes are the Imperial Guard’s preferred method of 
  deploying elite troops during airborne assaults. Each ‘chute’ 
  is actually a device worn in the same manner as a backpack, 
  with two side-mounted counter-grav generators. Though these 
  generators are not strong enough to fly with—unlike true jump-
  packs—they slow a person’s plummeting descent to a survivable 
  speed—most of the time. Usually, a chute’s power reserves 
  are exhausted after one jump, and must be recharged before 
  being reused. 
  Grav-chutes are pre-programmed to deploy at a certain 
  distance above the ground, usually several hundred meters. 
  When the grav-chute deploys, roll 1d10. On a result of 1, the 
  chute failed to deploy. The wearer may make an Ordinary 
  (+10) Agility Test to reach the emergency deployment drogue 
  and activate the chute manually. During the time this test takes, 
  the wearer falls an additional 100 metres. 
  Once the chute is activated, the wearer falls to the ground 
  relatively slowly, although he is a helpless target drifting in mid-
  air during that time. A grav-chute requires a minimum distance of 
  50 metres to deploy and slow the wearer to a survivable speed. 
  Sentinel aRRay
  The Sentinel Array is a highly advanced sensor pack, combining 
  motion trackers, heat sensors, and target acquisition systems. 
  Through the miracles of ancient technologies, the device is only 
  the size of a standard backpack, although it has several antennae 
  and lens-viewers that extend above the bearer’s shoulders. 
  The wealth of information provided by this incredible 
  device cannot be displayed on a simple screen. Instead, it must 
  be uploaded directly into the user’s brain via a cerebral plug. 
  This has a very real danger of overloading the user’s mind with 
  data. However, those who can master the Sentinel Array obtain 
  a heightened awareness of their surroundings impossible to 
  duplicate with mundane auspex devices, and are even able to 
  track targets even through solid objects.
  The Sentinel Array must be worn on the back, and may only 
  be used by individuals with a cerebral plug, MIU interface, or 
  similar device that allows the Array to connect directly with 
  the brain. When activated, the user must immediately make 
  an Ordinary (+10) Willpower Test. Whether or not he 
  succeeds, he may still use the Array, but failure means he suffers 
  1d5 levels of fatigue as well.
  The Sentinel Array’s power supply lasts for 10 hours. While 
  connected to it, the user gains +30 to Awareness Tests, Unnatural 
  Senses with a range of 50 metres, can ‘see’ in all directions, and 
  may detect targets through walls, undergrowth, trees, or other 
  obstructions. Solid walls at least one metre thick (and without 
  openings) block the Array. The user may also use the array to 
  ‘lock on’ to a specific target as a Half Action (or he may load a 
  specific bio-metric readout into the Array beforehand, in which 
  case the Array locks on automatically). The Array may track 
  that target up to 100 metres away, and always distinguishes 
  between it and other targets. 
  SpooR taRgeteR
  Highly rare and reserved for the Imperium’s elite forces, Spoor 
  Targeters are gun-scopes that contain highly spore-sniffers 
  and miniaturised cogitators linked directly to their attached 
  weapon. These targeters inhibit their guns from firing when 
  pointed directly at someone they recognise as an ally, making 
  it literally impossible for their user to shoot his comrades in 
  the swirling confusion of combat. 
  A Spoor Targeter may be loaded with the profiles of up 
  to 10 allies (a process that takes 10 minutes and a Routine 
  (+20) Tech Use Test). Once an ally’s profile has been loaded 
  into the targeter, the attached weapon cannot shoot that ally. 
  Even if pointed directly at the ally, the weapon simply refuses 
  to fire. This means the user may fire into a melee combat 
  involving those allies and suffer no penalties to his BS Test. 
  None of the weapon’s shots hit anyone who’s profile is loaded 
  into the targeter.
  Spoor targeters are scopes, and only one scope may be 
  attached to a weapon at a time. Any pistol, basic, or heavy 
  weapon may be equipped with a Spoor Targeter, provided that 
  weapon does not have the Flame, Blast, or similar qualities. 
  Installing a Spoor Targeter requires some modifications to 
  the weapon, in the form of wires, circuitry, one hour, and a 
  Difficult (–10) Tech Use Test.
  
  VI: Ascended Armoury
  147
  vindicaRe Spy MaSk
  Issued to Imperial Assassins of the Vindicare Temple, this 
  wargear’s systems are incredibly advanced and sophisticated. 
  It is said that the design for the Spy Mask is little-understood 
  even by the Tech-Priests of Mars. The spy mask contains 
  cartridges of concentrated food and water for extended 
  operations, and a multi-channel comm sensor (both vox and 
  pict) for monitoring enemy communications. Its main feature 
  is a wide-spectrum visor which can pick out heat and energy 
  sources at tremendous distances.
  The mask includes a built-in auspex, advanced high-
  quality magnoculars, good-quality photo-visor (granting the 
  wearer the Dark Sight Trait and making him immune to the 
  effects of photon flash grenades), pict-recorder, re-breather, 
  and vox-caster. In addition, the wearer may re-roll any failed 
  Perception-based Test, and does not suffer a change to 
  the range bracket when firing a ranged weapon at a target 
  protected by Cameleoline.
  It should be noted that the equipment of a Vindicare 
  Assassin is often gene-coded to that individual and no other, 
  and that it would take a great deal of effort—and a Very 
  Hard (–30) Tech-Use and Medicae Test—to adjust the 
  gene-coding for another user.
  vindicaRe StealtH Suit
  This item of wargear appears as a matte-black bodyglove, 
  specially fitted for the individual Assassin. The Vindicare 
  Temple has a long-standing pact with the Adeptus Mechanicus 
  to craft these exquisite suits, each one combining Cameleoline-
  laced materials with a complex version of “synskin.” This 
  material bonds with the Assassin’s body, enhancing his reflexes 
  and protecting him from poisons, gases, and other hazards of 
  the battlefield. Each suit is supple and silent, allowing the 
  Assassin to move with perfect freedom whilst still retaining 
  its protective qualities.
  The Stealth Suit may not be worn under any form of 
  armour. It provides 3 points of Armour to all locations and 
  incorporates all the benefits of synskin. The Stealth Suit grants 
  a +10 bonus to Dodge Tests and to Toughness tests to resist 
  any form of toxin, and a +20 bonus to Concealment and 
  Silent Move Tests. The wearer may attempt a Concealment 
  Test as a Half Action instead of a Full Action, and may make 
  the attempt even whilst being observed. If the wearer remains 
  stationary, he counts as being one range bracket further away 
  for all ranged attacks against him. The Stealth Suit makes the 
  wearer invisible to the Dark Sight Trait, preysense, and infa-
  red sensors of all kinds. This item is manufactured at the Best 
  craftsmanship level.
  It should be noted that the equipment of a Vindicare 
  Assassin is often gene-coded to that individual and no other, 
  and that it would take a great deal of effort—and a Very 
  Hard (–30) Tech-Use and Medicae Test—to adjust the 
  gene-coding for another user.
  unusual ammo
  A selection of unusual ammunition often acquired for (and 
  used by) Throne Agents is found below.
  executioneR SHotgun SHellS
  These rare and specialised shells (whose use is often limited to 
  the upper echelons such as Judges and important members of 
  the Castigators and Mortiurges of the Adeptus Arbites) contain 
  miniaturised propulsion and stabilisation systems allowing 
  the shell to lock on and track its target. The mechanisms 
  that achieve this are little understood and extremely hard to 
  replicate, and so remain within the purview of those Magos-
  Munitorium that provide the Arbites with their sanctioned 
  and ordained arms.
  Effects: The weapon loses the Scatter Quality, but adds +4 to 
  its base Damage and +1 to its base Penetration. Ballistic Skill 
  Tests for shots that miss at short or standard range may be 
  re-rolled, and the defensive value of any cover for your target 
  is ignored. When firing Executioner rounds, the weapon may 
  not be used for Semi-Automatic or Automatic fire.
  Weapons: Shotgun, Pump Action Shotgun, Combat 
  Shotgun. 
  exituS aMMunition 
  All Exitus ammunition (including all special rounds) contain 
  miniaturised cogitator targeting-spirits that make them nearly 
  impossible to avoid. Any attempt to Dodge an attack from an 
  Exitus rifle or pistol suffers a –20 penalty.
  Exitus rounds can also be programmed to self-destruct. 
  The rounds are disintegrated, consumed as if destroyed by a 
  virus, and leave no trace behind.
  Special exituS aMMunition
  Vindicare Assassins are normally issued a set of special 
  ammunition when sent on an assignment. These unusual shells 
  are very rare, each extremely difficult and time-consuming to 
  craft. Therefore, the Assassin is usually given a single shell 
  of each type. Occasionally, other special rounds (such as the 
  hyphosphus incendiaries) are issued in their place.
  The ammunition described below may only be utilised by 
  the Exitus Rifle and the Exitus Pistol.
  Table 6–7: Unusual Ammo
  Name
  Availability
  Executioner Shotgun Shells
  Very Rare
  Exitus Rounds
  Near Unique
  Exitus Hellfire Rounds
  Near Unique
  Exitus Shield-Breaker Rounds
  Unique
  Exitus Turbo-Penetrator Rounds
  Unique
  
  VI: Ascended Armoury
  148
  shield-breaker round
  This round is a specially-treated with a psychically-charged 
  imprint, and contains a complex circuit of anti-phase 
  technology that is little understood even by the Mechanicus.
  Effects: This ammunition ignores the Daemonic Trait, any 
  protection from a Psychic Power, and the protection from any 
  Field item. When this round hits a target utilising a protective 
  Psychic Power and/or an item with the Field quality, that 
  Psychic Power and/or Field ceases to function for 1 Round.
  Hellfire round
  The Hellfire round has devastating effects on organic matter—
  its core is filled with a vial of mutagenic acid. Thousands of 
  armour-piercing micro-needles inject the target with this acid 
  upon impact, eating away flesh and metal alike with horrific 
  speed.
  Effects: The weapon inflicts +1d10 damage and may inflict 
  Righteous Fury on any damage die results of a 9 or 10. In 
  addition, the weapon gains the Tearing Quality.
  turbo-penetrator round
  The turbo-penetrator round is a hypervelocity, adamantine-
  jacketed shell surrounding a special magno-sealed flux needle. 
  These special rounds are renowned for their ability to pierce 
  nearly any armour, and the hypervelocity shell wreaks havoc 
  upon any target, often by the secondary effects of its passage 
  through the target’s molecular structure.
  Effects: The weapon inflicts +2d10 Damage and adds +5 to 
  its Penetration. In addition, the weapon ignores any increase 
  to a target’s base Toughness Bonus from the Unnatural 
  Toughness Trait (but does not ignore the Daemonic Trait, nor 
  the Toughness Bonus associated with that Trait).
  implants and 
  augmetiCs
  plaSMa-cutteR MecHadendRite 
  Plasma-cutters are heavy industrial tools designed to cut 
  through the thickest metal and ceramite plates with focused, 
  searing starfire. Tech-Priests find these devices exceedingly 
  useful in the completion of their duties, and often attach them 
  to modified mechadendrites. In desperate situations, plasma-
  cutters can also be overloaded to serve as improvised yet 
  deadly weapons. 
  A plasma-cutter is a mechadendrite fuelled by photonic 
  hydrogen stowage-flasks. It can cut through a metre of 
  adamantine plating up to 20 centimetres thick every minute 
  (thinner material can be cut through faster). In addition, a 
  Tech-Priest with a plasma-cutter mechadendrite may boost 
  the power past its safety tolerances to use it as a weapon. 
  The Tech-Priest may use this mechadendrite as his Reaction 
  for the round, or as a Half Action Attack during his turn (so 
  long as the mechadendrite only makes one attack per round). 
  When used to make an attack, the mechadendrite counts as a 
  Ryza Pattern Plasma Pistol (see page 140) with a range of 10 
  metres and no option to fire on Maximal Mode. 
  The plasma-cutter may operate for 20 minutes of 
  cutting, or may fire 40 shots before it must be refuelled. 
  The Mechadendrite Use (Gun) Talent applies to this 
  mechadendrite.
  SeRvo-aRM
  Adepts of the Mechanicus working with heavy machinery or 
  other particularly large devices—such as the Enginseers of the 
  Imperial Guard—are often required to move and manipulate 
  weights far in excess of anything their fleshy frame could 
  handle. Therefore, may of them install servo-arms onto their 
  cyber-mantles. 
  Servo-arms are vastly stronger versions of manipulator 
  mechadendrites, and although they are both shoulder mounted, 
  a properly constructed servo-arm also has stabilisation and 
  support systems running throughout a Tech-Priest’s body. 
  Though they serve roughly the same function, a Tech-Priest 
  with a servo-arm (and the proper bracing and stabilisation 
  systems) can lift one side of a Rhino APC to repair a broken 
  tread link. 
  A servo-arm is a shoulder-mounted mechadendrite that 
  can extend to a length of 1.5 metres. When using his servo-
  arm, a Tech-Priest uses the arm’s Strength value of 65 with 
  Unnatural Strength (x2) rather than his own (this value cannot 
  be increased or decreased through devices or abilities that 
  affect the Tech-Priest’s strength). The limb is equipped with 
  gripping and crushing pincers or mandibles that allow the 
  Tech-Priest to pick up and lift heavy objects or anchor himself 
  to a suitable anchor point as a Free Action. In addition, the 
  servo-arm can be used as a deadly (albeit improvised) weapon. 
  The Tech-Priest may use this mechadendrite as his Reaction for 
  the round, or as a Half Action Attack during his turn (so long 
  as the mechadendrite only makes one attack per round). This 
  attack is made using the Tech-Priest’s Weapon Skill at a –10 
  penalty, and deals 2d10+12 Impact Damage with Pen 2. 
  The Mechadendrite Use (Utility) Talent applies to this 
  mechadendrite.
  
  Serving the
  inquiSition
  The holy RemiT
  •
  SancTionS
  •
  BeaReRS of The Seal
  •
  facTionS
  •
  Becoming an 
  inquiSiToR
  •
  The inquiSiToRial 
  RoSeTTe
  •
  The oRdoS
  •
  inTeRacTion
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  150
  Chapter VII: 
  Serving the 
  Inquisition
  So great has been the calamitous nature of these times, and such is 
  the malice of the heretics, that there has been nothing ever so clear in 
  our statement of faith; nothing they, at the instigation of the enemy 
  of the human race, have not defiled by some sort of error. For this 
  cause, the holy Inquisition hath made especial care to condemn and 
  anathematise the principal errors of the heretics of our time, and 
  to deliver and teach the true and Imperial doctrine; even as It has 
  condemned, and anathematised, and decreed.
  –Declaration of the Inquisitorial Mandate, Inquisitorial 
  representative, Senatorum Imperialis.
  T
  hroughout the long, dark, bloodstained millennia that 
  the Imperium has endured, there has existed a cadre 
  of men and women empowered to undertake any 
  course of action necessary to ensure the continued survival 
  of the Domains of the God-Emperor of Mankind. Some say 
  that the bearers of this terrible burden walk in the shadow of 
  the Emperor Himself, standing removed, patient, and still, as 
  the Saviour of Mankind united the benighted and scattered 
  worlds of Man during the Great Crusade. Others believe that 
  these individuals came only later, long after the glories of the 
  Great Crusade had been laid low by the galactic cataclysm that 
  was the Horus Heresy. In all likelihood, the truth of the matter 
  is buried beneath the dust of aeons, or sealed within vaults that 
  none may enter, upon pain of death.
  The Inquisition, or to give the institution one of its many 
  archaic titles, the Holy Orders of the Emperor’s Inquisition, 
  is at once one of the most powerful and most secretive of 
  the myriad institutions of the Imperium. Unlike the militant 
  arms of the Adeptus Terra, such as the Imperial Guard and the 
  Imperial Navy, the Inquisitors do not combat their many and 
  varied foes through the application of military power. Instead, 
  the Inquisition employs individuals of unparalleled skill and 
  devotion, to hunt out the signs of the deeds of Mankind’s foes: 
  the enemy within, the enemy without, and the enemy beyond. 
  Once discovered, the enemy is eradicated according to the 
  methods and the whim of the Inquisitor and the nature of the 
  threat. Some are faced down in single combat, while others are 
  ground to dust as entire crusades are launched, millions of the 
  Imperium’s warriors giving their lives that billions might live.
  None can say how many Inquisitors there are at large in 
  the Imperium, for while some go about their business with 
  bombastic zeal, others move silently in the shadows, never 
  revealing their true identity. Plenty of worlds, indeed many 
  sectors, may never be visited by an Inquisitor, at least to the 
  knowledge of planetary governments and sector authorities. 
  Others, the Calixis Sector being a case in point, play host 
  to significant numbers, so seething are they with heresy, 
  corruption, and war. 
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  151
  The holy RemiT
  “You accuse me of being a madman. What right have you to judge 
  what is sane and what is not? I have fought with the shadows on the 
  edge of your vision. I have seen the faces that laugh at you in your 
  nightmares. I have felt the foetid breath that issues from the mouth 
  of hell itself. I have heard the silent voices that make your spine 
  tingle with dread. I have entered the realms between worlds where 
  there is no time or place. I have clashed with creatures the sight of 
  which would sear your soul to the core. I have bested horrors that 
  chill with a gaze and tempt unreasoning terror. I have faced death 
  eye-to-eye and blade to blade. I have stared into the eyes of insanity 
  and met their all-consuming stare. I have done all this for you; for 
  your protection and the guarantee of a future for Mankind. And yet 
  you accuse me of being a madman, you, who have never had your 
  sanity tested so sorely. What right have you to call me heretic and 
  blasphemer, who have not heard the whisper of dark gods in your 
  ear? You are weak. Vulnerable. Human in your frailty. I am strong, 
  yet you still judge me for my sins, you who art most sinful to the 
  heart. Only the insane have the strength enough to prosper; only those 
  that prosper truly judge what is sane.”
  –Inquisitor Felroth Gelt
  The mission undertaken by the Inquisition is far-reaching, yet 
  ill defined. There are scant limits on its powers, meaning that 
  threats can be reacted to as best befit the situation in the mind 
  of the Inquisitor on the spot. In addition, the Inquisition is, at 
  least formally, a very flat organisation, with little in the way 
  of formal ranks. All of this is necessary that the Inquisition 
  may take whatever action is needed to ensure the continued 
  existence of the Imperium of Man.
  The remit of the Inquisition knows no formal, and few 
  practical, limits. Should an Inquisitor discover the worship 
  of proscribed gods amongst the population of a hive, he has 
  the power to raze the entire structure to ashes, should he 
  deem it necessary. Were an Inquisitor to uncover a planetary 
  government in the thrall of mind-eating xenos, he would be 
  quite within the bounds of his authority to instigate a cull of 
  the world’s entire ruling class. The remit of the Inquisition 
  empowers it, indeed, requires of it, any act, no matter how 
  ruthless, to protect the future of Mankind.
  The threats to the Imperium are manifold, ranging from 
  the disastrous consequences of neglecting to control emergent 
  psykers, to consorting with aliens.
  ReBellion
  “Keep them hungry, keep them weary, keep them sore. Feed them, 
  pamper them, succour them, and treachery shall be your thanks.”
  –Duke Khalanak (deposed), on the subtle art of governance.
  The Imperium is beset by war on all fronts. Tragically, the 
  majority of the blood shed is human, as brother turns against 
  brother in the savage battle for survival. Civil unrest is 
  ruthlessly suppressed wherever it may appear; the governments 
  of many worlds are ill-equipped defend themselves should 
  an entire population take arms against an oppressive regime. 
  The reasons for such uprisings are many and varied, from 
  starvation to injustice. Such conditions are the norm on most 
  of the Imperium’s worlds, and so rebellion is common. Such 
  uprisings are often led by charismatic leaders, gifted with the 
  ability to turn the hearts of thousands, even millions of people. 
  Under the influence of such men and women, the masses rise 
  up, casting down the symbols of the oppressor’s power, and 
  slaying those who have ruled over them for so long. In short 
  order, anarchy prevails, and the world’s productivity plummets. 
  Unless the leaders of the rebellion can impose a new order, the 
  world’s tithes suffer and, whether in a year or in a century, the 
  Imperium’s retribution is forthcoming.
  The Inquisition’s response to a rebellion is normally swift 
  and brutal. The instigators are targeted by kill-teams and 
  assassins, or captured, to be publicly executed in order to put 
  down the rebellion. After the event, it is likely the Inquisitor 
  seeks answers as to how such an event was allowed to happen, 
  and a tireless investigation may follow. The Inquisitor’s 
  enquiries may highlight weakness and incompetence at levels 
  of a planetary government’s structure, resulting in show-trials 
  and public executions. The blame may even be placed at the 
  very top, the world’s Imperial Commander being executed as 
  an example to those who succeed him.
  There are times, however, when a rebellion may be allowed 
  to occur, or when the Inquisition itself is behind events. Such 
  may occur when an Inquisitor decides that a world’s government 
  must be replaced, for whatever reason, but they have not the 
  immediate resources to bring this about. Who knows how 
  many charismatic demagogues have been Inquisitors or their 
  agents, promising the downtrodden deliverance from a corrupt 
  government and leading the masses in revolution. 
  On other occasions, a rebellion has occurred before any 
  off-world institutions have become aware of the situation. The 
  Imperium is so vast, and communications so bedevilled by the 
  capricious nature of astro-telepathy, that the Adeptus Terra 
  may never hear of the event. So long as tithes are forthcoming, 
  the Imperium may have no reason to suspect anything is 
  amiss. Even should such an event come to the attention of the 
  Imperium at large, and a subsequent Inquisitorial investigation 
  be launched, it may be determined that there is no reason to 
  revert to the previous regime.
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  152
  SeceSSion
  “Truly it is said, the Imperium is far greater than the sum of its many 
  parts. Without the humble Agri-World, the Hive World starves. 
  Without the Hive World, the Forge World falls silent. Without 
  the Forge World, the Garrison Worlds fall. Without the Garrison 
  Worlds, Mankind is lost. Allow but a single world to slip through 
  your fingers, and all is lost. Who then is the traitor?”
  –Prefect Sallanus
  While rebellion describes the population of a world rising 
  against that world’s rightful government, secession describes 
  a government rebelling against the Imperium itself. The 
  Imperium exercises very little influence over the manner in 
  which a world governs itself, so long as tithes are delivered 
  and fealty is maintained, and so few Imperial Commanders 
  have any reason to dream of independence from the ultimate 
  rule of Terra. Yet, some planetary governors become so 
  obsessed with their own sense of destiny that they commit 
  the direst of crimes—secession from the Imperium and the 
  rule of the Adeptus Terra.
  Such a crime cannot go unpunished, for each year the 
  Imperium loses untold worlds to the ravages of war. Although 
  new worlds are always being colonised, many fail, and it 
  takes centuries for a subsistence-level colony to become, 
  for example, a productive hive world. Humanity can only 
  prevail if every world stands together against the horrors 
  of the galaxy. Plagues of psykers can only be contained if 
  the Black Ships of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica can enact 
  their culls. An Imperial Commander that withdraws from the 
  fraternity of worlds can expect no quarter and no mercy from 
  the Inquisition. His line is eradicated, his name stuck from 
  all records.
  The Inquisition maintains a close watch upon those Imperial 
  Commanders it suspects of harbouring such ambitions. In 
  all likelihood, agents have infiltrated the governor’s staff, 
  occupying key positions from which an attempt at secession 
  can be crushed. If the governor is a popular figure amongst 
  his subjects, the mission may be tantamount to suicide, for an 
  assassin is forced to escape from an entire world of hostile, 
  mourning secessionists. In such instances, the Inquisition 
  may attempt to discredit rather than assassinate the rogue 
  governor, slowly turning his people against him. They can 
  then establish a replacement, supporting the installation of a 
  more pliant leader loyal to the Adeptus Terra. 
  There are several bodies at large within the Imperium 
  that attempt to keep a watchful eye upon those Imperial 
  Commanders who might one day betray their oaths. The 
  Orders Famulous of the Adepta Sororitas is one such body, 
  for one of their many tasks is to monitor the bloodlines of 
  the Imperium’s noble families. Should any hint of genetic 
  deviancy or xenos taint come to the notice of the Orders 
  Famulous, then the matter is quickly referred to the Ordo 
  Hereticus and an execution cell dispatched. On many 
  occasions, such a cell has returned from a successful mission 
  with the body of its victim, which, during autopsy, has been 
  revealed to be concealing all manner of mutation. Only the 
  constant vigilance of the Orders Famulous and their close 
  cooperation with the Witch Hunters ensures such tainted 
  bloodlines do not one day inherit the entire Imperium.
  One body within the Ordos Calixis even goes so far as 
  to attempt to predict or divine which of the Imperium’s 
  servants will cast off their oaths. These are the Ocularians, 
  a faction unique to the Calixis Sector, who are entirely 
  absorbed with the need to control the future. Ocularian 
  Inquisitors, particularly those within the Ordo Hereticus, 
  have been known to execute Imperial Commanders with 
  no evidence of a crime being committed. So secretive and 
  Inquisitor Lords
  The Inquisition is an institution of individuals, each ultimately charged with the defence of the Imperium. 
  How each Inquisitor chooses to go about the prosecution of their mission is first and foremost a matter of 
  individual conscience. Hence, all Inquisitors are considered equals. Yet, some attain the title ‘Inquisitor 
  Lord’. As with so many aspects of the Inquisition, there appears to be no consistent criteria for such a title, 
  and indeed, an individual who in one sector commands great respect from their peers may not be addressed 
  as a lord elsewhere. In the Calixis Sector at least, the title Inquisitor Lord is used more as a term of 
  (sometimes begrudging) respect, an acceptance of superiority and indication that the greater number of members 
  of the Ordos Calixis hold the Inquisitor in some esteem. The words of an Inquisitor Lord are heeded, 
  even amongst the most bitter of rivals, for to speak against such an individual may prove costly for those in 
  opposition. Inquisitor Silas Marr is a case in point. This worthy of the Ordos Calixis is called Lord by 
  many, yet despite his influence, there are those who refuse to do so.
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  153
  paranoid is this faction that its members rarely explain their 
  actions—they do not have to, for they are, after all, bearers 
  of the Inquisitorial Rosette. The truth of the matter is that 
  by way of Ætheromancy, Sciomancy or any one of a dozen 
  equally esoteric practices, the Ocularians have determined 
  that the individual will one day turn traitor. Far better, so the 
  Ocularians reason, to forestall such treachery long before it 
  can blossom, regardless of the immediate consequences.
  heReSy
  “Be warned, scion of Humanity! The Universe is a large and 
  terrifying place and you are but a mote of dust. But let not your 
  seeming insignificance blind you to duty! Horrors unbounded sit 
  ‘neath the thin veneer of civilisation which Mankind has taken to 
  the stars. Secret dark terrors dance on the edge of perception, hidden 
  monsters that wait and plot for their day in the starlight. Every man, 
  woman, and child throughout the Imperium carries within them the 
  twin seeds of our defeat. The unstable gene is a mutant beast waiting 
  to erupt, the unstable thought a Heretic Apparent. The Mutant bears 
  his Heresy on the outside, the Traitor hides his in his soul. Trust 
  no one! Fear all! Any one of your fellows may carry the mark. The 
  Will of the Emperor alone cannot protect you. You must be strong! 
  You must join the crusade and take your place in the unceasing 
  struggle!”
  –Inquisitor Tannenberg, of the Ordo Hereticus
  Every world in the Imperium maintains its own traditions, 
  culture, dialects, and idiosyncrasies, and even those institutions 
  that span systems, sectors, and regions display a vast 
  divergence. What constitutes heresy on one world might be 
  the norm on another, with all manner of outlandish traditions 
  or prejudices holding sway from one world to the next. 
  Heresy, then, is in the eye of the beholder. Yet, if that 
  beholder is an Inquisitor, an individual with unlimited remit 
  and nigh-inexhaustible assets, then the consequences of being 
  declared a heretic can be terrible indeed.
  Perhaps the most common accusation of heresy relates 
  to blasphemy against the Emperor. In a galaxy where the 
  Emperor is worshipped in as many different modes as there 
  are planetary cultures, blasphemy of one type or another can 
  be found at every turn. The most zealous of Inquisitors see 
  heresy everywhere they look, but most develop a keen eye, 
  seeing past the superficial, cultural mores to the underlying 
  foundations of a population’s faith. So long as the essential 
  core of belief is consistent—the knowledge that the Emperor 
  lives and watches over Mankind from afar—then massive 
  divergence in the modes of worship is regarded as normal. 
  But when preachers start teaching that the Emperor has 
  turned his face from Mankind, alarm bells start to ring. 
  When demagogues claim that the Emperor has perished, then 
  action must be taken, lest the worship of gods other than the 
  Emperor take root.
  There exist many other types of heresy, many relating to 
  the structures and doctrines that bind the Imperium together 
  as a conglomeration of institutionally autonomous worlds. It 
  is comparatively rare for the culture of an independent world 
  to be labelled heretical, so much variance is there between 
  worlds. Those institutions that span the entire Imperium, 
  however, can become conservative in the extreme, sporting 
  to their own cultural identities, mores and doctrines. Heresy 
  within the Administratum for example might take the form 
  of an Arch-Overseer of Records attempting to introduce 
  an entirely new cataloguing system; heresy in the Officio 
  Munitorum might take the form of a Lord-Quartermaster of 
  Arms deciding to change the ammunition used by the warriors 
  of an entire sector. Such institutions are incredibly reactionary, 
  following generation upon generation of procedure and never 
  daring to question the way things are. Such changes do take 
  place, but only at a tectonic pace, and invariably as a result of 
  entropy or ignorance. It is not uncommon for Throne Agents 
  to become involved with the institutional heresies of the 
  various divisions of the Adeptus Terra, for often a seemingly 
  insignificant twisting of dogma hides something far darker, 
  and more dangerous to the Imperium.
  coRRupTion
  “Greed and avarice lies ever at the heart of Man. Both must be 
  purged, for only Faith should reside within.”
  In essence, the sin of corruption takes place when an 
  individual, whether Imperial Commander or lathe-serf, places 
  his own desires above his duty to the Emperor. Although a 
  simple concept, corruption, as with heresy, is very much in 
  the eye of the beholder. It is self-evident that the Imperium 
  is seething with corruption and selfishness, from the spire-
  noble whose house relies on slavery to maintain its position, 
  to the merchant prince who dines on fine liquor shipped in 
  from light years away while the beggars on the streets below 
  starve to death. The Inquisition has not the luxury to become 
  diverted by such notions as equality or rights. It must maintain 
  a ruthlessly strategic view, concentrating on those corrupt 
  individuals and organisations whose activities threaten the 
  wider Imperium. 
  Imperial Commanders who divert resources from their 
  tithes to swell their own coffers, militia leaders who withhold 
  the best of their warriors from the founding of a new Imperial 
  Guard regiment, mining combines that allow output to drop. 
  These are all crimes that, if not detected by any of the myriad 
  of Administratum oversight bodies, eventually draw the 
  notice of the Inquisition, for each has a consequence and an 
  effect upon the Imperium as a whole.
  Corruption is held by many within the Inquisition to 
  be a sure indicator of deeper heresies. To turn from the 
  Emperor’s light entirely takes a great effort, even courage of 
  a sort, but the process might in some cases happen in small 
  increments, without the individual even realising. What starts 
  out as petty criminal activity might eventually turn into full-
  scale recidivism. One who trades in stolen goods may one 
  day come into possession of cursed artefacts, and even come 
  under their sway. Sometimes what appears to be a relatively 
  harmless criminal enterprise is, in fact, a front for the activities 
  of cults, rebels or even xenos infiltrators. 
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  154
  The agents of the Inquisition cannot possibly hope to 
  maintain a watch upon the multitude of criminal activities and 
  organisations that flourish throughout the Imperium. Instead, 
  they must allow the Enforcers and the Adeptus Arbites to do 
  their jobs. Many Inquisitors maintain networks of agents and 
  informers within these, and other organisations, so that they 
  might receive early warning of the actions of their enemies.
  SancTionS
  “Illuminate every shadow, lift every stone. Let no doubt, no mercy, 
  stay your hand in the execution of your duty. To show forgiveness to 
  those who would blaspheme against the Emperor is to commit such 
  blasphemy yourself.”
  The Inquisition has the remit to investigate all of these matters 
  and a great many more. Many Inquisitors become adept in a 
  wide range of mission profiles, but others gravitate towards the 
  workings of particular enemy groupings. These are the Ordos, 
  and they are discussed in depth further on, for the crimes 
  of the foes of Mankind are many and varied. When heresy, 
  corruption or any other sin against the Emperor is uncovered, 
  the Inquisition has the power, indeed the obligation, to enact 
  the vengeance of the Imperium, to combat the threat and to 
  ensure it never rears its head again. The Inquisition is nigh 
  unlimited in the acts it can undertake in the punishment of 
  its foes, but a few of the more conventional sanctions are  
  listed below.
  execuTion
  “By your deeds I condemn you. By my hand I end your wickedness 
  and render your soul unto the Emperor’s judgement.”
  Many an Inquisitor’s investigation ends in an execution, but 
  whether it is a clean, merciful kill or a tortuous death at the 
  hands of an Excoriator depends very much on the views of 
  the Inquisitor and the nature of the accused’s crimes. Some 
  Inquisitors hold the view that a full confession rendered 
  without delay earns the criminal the right to a quick death, 
  while others hold that such a death is meaningless unless 
  accompanied by the cleansing effect of physical pain. The 
  Inquisition has invented many terrible and ingenious methods 
  of ending a criminal’s life, from the quick and painless device 
  that kills in the blink of an eye, to machineries that rend and 
  flense yet sustain life indefinitely. The Inquisition has been 
  in existence for ten thousand years, perhaps more, and has 
  had plenty of time to develop the most fiendish devices 
  imaginable. 
  Whatever the nature, the execution is likely to take place at 
  the conclusion of some form of trial, or at least the deliverance 
  of a verdict. There is no centralised book of law by which the 
  agents of the Inquisition must operate, instead determining 
  guilt and punishment by their own judgement. Some conduct 
  exhaustive trials, replete with pomp and circumstance, in 
  which an army of officials, scribes, clerks, and archivists attend 
  to the process. Such trials might last for years, but despite the 
  appearance, it is unlikely that the accused has any chance of 
  refuting the evidence against him, unless he occupies a very 
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  155
  high rank indeed. The aim of such a trial is not to establish 
  the fact of the accused’s guilt, but to uncover its full extent. 
  Dozens, even hundreds or thousands of witnesses are paraded 
  before the presiding Inquisitor, each denouncing the accused 
  with increasingly fervent testimony, hoping no doubt that 
  they do not become entangled in the intricate web of guilt 
  and intrigue themselves.
  Other Inquisitors prefer a far less formal process. Having 
  determined the guilt of the accused, they may simply record 
  judgement and proceed to the execution with no right of 
  appeal or representation. Again, only a very highly ranked 
  individual would have any hope of appeal, so long as his own 
  peers have not abandoned him to his fate.
  The execution itself might be carried out in a dark cell 
  with no witnesses, or it might occur very publicly, before 
  a throng of millions rounded up and forced to witness the 
  event. The manner often depends on the message or lesson 
  the Inquisition wishes to impart and whether or not they wish 
  their involvement to be noted. Often, a public execution of a 
  known rebel leader discourages their fellows, but other times 
  it may foment further rebellion should the individual come 
  to be regarded as martyr. Oftentimes, the trial or interrogation 
  of the accused results in many more rebels or heretics being 
  rounded up and executed alongside him. In such cases, many 
  thousands may burn upon the pyre, entire generations of 
  heretics being expunged once and for all so that no trace of 
  their crimes survives to pass on to the next. 
  Regime change
  “One or a thousand, I will kill them all.”
  –Vindicare Assassin cognomen-designate LIIVI
  Although each of the Imperium’s worlds is responsible for 
  its own rule, the Inquisition has it within its power to effect 
  a change of regime where deemed necessary. Following 
  the putting down of a rebellion or the execution of a rebel 
  leadership, the Adeptus Terra ensures that a new, loyal 
  government is installed. It may fall to the agents of the 
  Inquisition to impose this change.
  No two worlds are governed in exactly the same manner. 
  Some are ruled by councils of elders, others by reigning noble 
  families. Some are ruled by theocracy and others still by the 
  strongest of a world’s warlords. The Administratum takes little 
  interest in the specifics, and has no concern for the rights of 
  those being ruled. All that matters is that one individual holds 
  the position of Imperial Commander, in whom the rulership 
  of a world is vested. However their position is maintained, 
  Imperial Commanders exercise a massive amount of power, 
  but they must also bear a prodigious weight of authority, for 
  should they be judged weak or corrupt by the Adeptus Terra, 
  they may find the Administratum moving in to replace them. 
  It is not uncommon for the Administratum to call upon the 
  Inquisition in such cases, although it may not prove necessary, 
  for agents of the Inquisition might already be active upon the 
  world in question. 
  A regime change may be affected by way of covert activity, 
  overt denouncement, or by outright conquest with an Inquisitor 
  leading an entire army of Imperial Guard or company of Space 
  Marines against the denounced ruler. It may be the case that 
  only the ruler himself is deposed, to be replaced by an heir 
  fully under the control of the Inquisition. It may be that an 
  entire ruling body is removed—there are records held in the 
  archives of the Tricorn Palace that describe gene-keyed virus 
  strains being released to wipe out every member of a hereditary 
  ruler’s line. In some cases, the entire apparatus of government 
  is dismantled, and uncounted numbers of civil officials purged, 
  to be replaced by a sizeable Administratum Mission that stays 
  in place for many years to come.
  aSSaSSinaTion
  “One shot at midnight, or one million at dawn; the scalpel or the 
  sledgehammer. Both are equally effective tools. It all depends on what 
  you intend to achieve…”
  –Inquisitor Felroth Gelt
  Assassination is a tool used extensively throughout the 
  Imperium, from the lowliest, most savage hive gang to the most 
  rarefied height of government. Countless renegade Imperial 
  Commanders, rebel leaders and arch-traitors have been 
  removed from power by way of a well-placed, high velocity 
  bullet, a silent knife in the dark, or a drop of lethal poison. 
  Assassins are amongst the most valued of the Inquisition’s 
  servants, for they not only prosecute their duties with ruthless 
  efficiency, but they do so in such a manner as to inspire fear 
  and loyalty throughout every level of the Imperium’s vast 
  machine of authority.
  An entire institution exists in order to service this dire 
  necessity—the Officio Assassinorum. A secretive order divided 
  into highly specialised temples, the Officio Assassinorum 
  brings to justice those whose very existence has been judged 
  counter to the good of the Imperium. By far the most common 
  of targets are rogue officials such as Imperial Commanders, 
  generals, apostate clerics and Adepts, but the Assassinorum 
  extends its reach to any all enemies of Mankind, including the 
  alien and the fiend.
  The Inquisition maintains ancient links with the Officio 
  Assassinorum, allowing it to enact ritual protocols and call 
  upon the aid of the legendary Temple Assassins. Which Temple 
  is called upon depends on the nature of the threat and the 
  manner in which the execution must be enacted—a sniper’s 
  bullet is fired by an assassin of the Vindicare Temple, for 
  example, while the Callidus Temple produces shape-changers 
  able to deliver death while disguised as anything from a trusted 
  bodyguard to a favoured concubine. It is said that none are 
  beyond the reach of the Temple Assassin, but certainly rogue 
  Imperial Commanders and the like have invested the resources 
  of entire worlds in a vain effort to bar their doors from death. 
  None have succeeded, dying alone behind metres of rockrete, 
  their last days spent in terror, paranoia and insanity as the 
  knowledge of death’s approach consumes them.
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  156
  Aside from the nigh-mythical Temple Assassins, many 
  other types exist. Most commonly found in the employ of 
  an Inquisitor are the Death Cult Assassins. These ritual 
  killers enact a unique brand of worship of the God-Emperor, 
  making their venerations in the shedding of the blood of the 
  Emperor’s foes. Many individual Inquisitors maintain their 
  own connections with various Death Cults, ensuring they 
  can call upon the services of lethal killers sworn exclusively 
  to them.
  ouTRighT WaR
  “In war we discover the essential truth of ourselves. We know what 
  we truly are, and what we must do for the sake of all Humanity. 
  Embrace that truth, make it your creed, and no enemy can stand 
  before us.”
  The galaxy of the 41st Millennium is riven with war. Many 
  wars are fought for the survival of a regime, to enact petty 
  territorial quarrels, or to withstand the depredations of aliens. 
  Others are fought against rogue elements within the Imperium 
  itself, wars of conquest launched to reclaim worlds, systems, 
  or entire sectors from the hands of rebels and heretics. It is 
  not uncommon for the Inquisition to have a hand in such 
  events. It may be that an Inquisitor has brought about the 
  conquest, petitioning sector or segmentum commands to 
  bring down the nigh inexhaustible armies of the Imperium 
  upon those who have turned away from the light of the 
  Emperor. More often than not, the Inquisitor in question 
  remains in the shadows, while Lords-Martial of the Imperial 
  Guard or Chapter Masters of the Adeptus Astartes lead their 
  armies against the foe. Some Inquisitors, however, adopt a 
  more belligerent stance, leading in person many millions of 
  warriors. Such fiery individuals may become figures of legend 
  and adoration, their role as Inquisitors supplanted by that of 
  warrior-hero of the Imperium.
  To take to the battlefield is an essential part of an 
  Inquisitor’s vocation. Those who have only recently ascended 
  in particular tend to be firebrands who revel in leading their 
  forces against the strongholds of their foes. As an Inquisitor 
  grows in experience, so too do they become more adept in 
  the military arts, and able to command larger armies. An 
  Inquisitor who has served for several decades might no longer 
  lead his forces from the front, but instead order them from a 
  distant command bunker or the bridge of a warship in orbit 
  far above the battlefield. An Inquisitor with a century or more 
  of service behind him might be quite adept at commanding 
  entire armies and conducting full-scale planetary invasions. 
  Such is the varied nature of the duties of the Inquisitor.
  exTeRminaTuS
  “I hereby sign the death warrant of an entire world and consign a 
  billion souls to Oblivion.”
  Exterminatus is the last resort in war and punishment, used by 
  the Imperium when all other options are exhausted. To declare 
  Exterminatus upon a world is to visit total and utter destruction 
  upon it. It is to sign the death warrant of every living creature 
  upon a world, and to render the surface a blasted wasteland, 
  inimical to life for millennia. To have earned such a fate, a 
  world’s population must have been judged irredeemable in its 
  crimes, every single individual being found guilty of the very 
  worst of heresies.
  There are many forms of Exterminatus, and many ways of 
  delivering it. One method uses a biological agent that renders 
  all living matter to a decaying sludge within hours, releasing a 
  staggering amount of oxygen into the atmosphere as its does so. 
  This oxygen is then burnt off, igniting the entire atmosphere 
  and incinerating everything on the surface. Another method 
  involves the use of Cyclonic Torpedoes, a category of weapons 
  that use varying means of scouring the world’s surface with 
  nucleonic fire, raw plasma or deadly radiation. Some worlds 
  might be virus bombed—sometimes the viral agents might be 
  keyed to a specific gene code, so as to target aliens, mutated 
  humans, or simply rebels with a predominant hair colour.
  Exterminatus may only be ordered by the very highest level 
  of authority, and any who enact it are answerable to the High 
  Lords of Terra. While raw manpower remains the Imperium’s 
  greatest asset, worlds are not so easily replaced, and those who 
  squander such resources seldom remain in power long enough 
  to make the same mistake a second time. The Inquisition 
  regards it as both an absolute right and a terrible burden that 
  theirs is the nigh exclusive duty of declaring Exterminatus. 
  Though other bodies may petition for this ultimate sanction, 
  Inquisitors bear the power to destroy worlds at a word. In 
  practice, it is only the most senior, powerful and experienced 
  of Inquisitors who declare Exterminatus. This is because any 
  who do so are not only answerable to the High Lords, but to 
  their peers, whose judgement, if Exterminatus is held to have 
  been launched in error, is harsh indeed.
  limiTaTionS on The poWeR  
  of The inquiSiTion
  The Inquisition’s remit places it above all of the Imperium’s 
  institutions, with the exception of the Senatorum Imperialis—
  the High Lords of Terra themselves. In theory, a single Inquisitor 
  can denounce an entire planetary government, requisition 
  whole armies of the Imperial Guard and hold the fate of 
  populations in his hands. In practice, however, the reality is far 
  more complicated.
  For a start, the Inquisition moves in many different ways, 
  according to the judgement and character of its agents. Some 
  are brash and bombastic, others dark and threatening. Some 
  announce their coming so as to strike terror into the hearts 
  of the Emperor’s foes, while others move about stealthily, 
  watching from the shadows before striking. An Inquisitor would 
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  157
  be foolish indeed to arrive at a world suspected of imminent 
  secession and attempt to arrest the Imperial Commander, for he 
  may find the entire population rising in opposition. Therefore, 
  an Inquisitor in such a position has to ensure that there are 
  significant resources at hand to combat an uprising, and to 
  attain them he has to gain the support of other bodies.
  In practice then, Inquisitors are essentially ‘peers of the 
  Imperium.’ Although many consider themselves answerable 
  only to the High Lords of Terra and the Emperor Himself, in 
  reality there exists a class of high-echelon Imperial servants, to 
  which Inquisitors belong, all who wield more or less the same 
  levels of influence. Such worthies include Imperial Governors, 
  Imperial Guard Generals, Space Marine Chapter Masters, Rogue 
  Traders, Lord Admirals, Adeptus Arbites Judges, and the sector-
  level representatives of the Administratum. Relations between 
  these various groups are often seething with internecine 
  rivalry and bitterness, and even within one grouping, deadly 
  wars may be fought to gain influence and leverage. Imperial 
  Commanders, for example, quite frequently engage in bitter 
  and bloody territorial clashes, and the Inquisition is far from 
  immune to internal strife. 
  Against such a backdrop of bloody political manoeuvring, 
  no one institution has total power over any other, regardless 
  of the words scratched in spidery text upon ten thousand year 
  old charters. The powers of an Inquisitor are not, in practice, 
  defined by the remit of the Holy Orders of the Emperor’s 
  Inquisition. They are constantly shifting in response to their 
  position within the dark and feudal power structures within the 
  Inquisition, as well as being subject to many outside influences. 
  An Inquisitor that takes action against a powerful heretic, only 
  to find out later that the individual was being sponsored by a 
  rival may find himself the target of attack. One that declares 
  a world purgatus without the agreement of his peers may 
  find himself ostracised and unable to call upon the aid of his 
  fellows in times of need. These and a million other factors 
  serve to inhibit the powers Inquisitors can actually wield when 
  operating in the field.
  The BeaReRS of The Seal
  To be chosen to bear the Inquisitorial Rosette is at once the 
  greatest of honours and the weightiest of burdens. Of the 
  uncounted billions that constitute the multitudes of Humanity, 
  only those marked out by the grace of the Emperor Himself 
  are judged worthy. Common man rarely achieves more than he 
  is born into, yet an Inquisitor rises far above the circumstance 
  of their birth, being singled out amongst billions for a fate few 
  can ever dream of. 
  Inquisitors enjoy one of the most privileged of stations in 
  the entire galaxy, yet they are far from a master of their own 
  fate. Their life is instead bound up in duty and responsibility. 
  For many, the station is a curse, a cross to bear for the sake of 
  the Emperor and the very future of Humanity. In fact, there are 
  those within the Ordos Calixis willing to sacrifice their eternal 
  souls for the sake of all Mankind, such as the Oblationists, 
  who give themselves unto Chaos that they might become a 
  weapon against it. 
  For many Inquisitors, life is a series of terrible revelations 
  as more and more horrifying truths are uncovered. Upon 
  their ascension from an Interrogator to an Inquisitor, the 
  individual may well discover that all they thought they knew 
  was in fact a lie. Although the shock of such a revelation is 
  great, the individual would not have been chosen to bear the 
  seal had he not been judged able to withstand it. Even more 
  shockingly, this state of affairs is likely to continue throughout 
  an Inquisitor’s career, so that one after another fundamental 
  truths are proved false. Many do eventually go mad, unable to 
  sustain the relentless assault upon their very sanity. These must 
  be hunted down by their peers, lest they turn renegade and 
  seek to destroy everything for which the Inquisition stands.
  Despite the fact that all Inquisitors share the same mission 
  and bear the same burden, they are as varied in demeanour, 
  character and appearance as the worlds from which they are 
  drawn. Some are ascetic and withdrawn, disdaining comfort 
  as an example to their underlings and foes of the sacrifices 
  Evil Empires
  Those Imperial Commanders possessed (sometimes literally) of the worst excesses of arrogance and 
  hubris may take it upon themselves to bring about not only the secession of their own fiefdoms, but to foster 
  such thoughts in their neighbours. This is especially true in regions isolated from the Imperium at large, 
  perhaps by vast gulfs of interstellar space or by raging warp storms. The leaders of such worlds might band 
  together under a single, charismatic leader, and establish small, stellar empires. Such entities rarely endure 
  for long, for any agents of the Imperium’s bodies residing upon their worlds either rise up or call for aid. 
  Some do manage to maintain a semblance of legitimacy and stability, however, the population is entirely 
  ignorant of the fact that their worlds have cut all ties with Humanity. Some especially foolish leaders 
  go so far as to openly pronounce themselves apart from the Imperium. These are doomed, for the Imperium 
  launches mighty crusades to reclaim such lost territory, often accompanied, or even led, by the agents of the 
  Holy Orders of the Emperor’s Inquisition.
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  158
  made by the Emperor for the sake of Humanity. Others attire 
  themselves in regal finery, the better to cow and impress those 
  they move amongst. Some are outwardly pious, while others 
  might appear irreligious to the ignorant. Some Inquisitors 
  are militaristic while others move silently in the shadows or 
  conduct investigations from light years away. There follow 
  some examples of the many and varied types to be found 
  amongst the ranks of the Inquisition.
  The miliTanT
  There are those who bear the Inquisitorial Rosette who believe 
  above all else that the only way to combat the enemies of 
  the Imperium is to burn, blast, and scour them all wherever 
  they may be found. Such individuals frequently extend their 
  opinion to the wider populace, such that an entire city might 
  be blasted from orbit simply to eradicate a mutant enclave 
  sheltering in its sewers, or an entire orbital quay should be 
  sent plummeting to earth because a dozen voidsmen shared 
  the same portentous nightmare.
  Militant Inquisitors tend to shoot first and ask questions 
  later. Many do the shooting themselves, being as adept with 
  blade and bolter as any veteran Imperial Guardsman. These 
  tend to employ cadres of men and women with a similar 
  demeanour, commonly packing as much firepower as a Space 
  Marine Devastator Squad. They may have built up large cadres 
  of Imperial Guardsmen, retaining their services for life as a 
  permanent unit, often with its own uniform. They lead assaults 
  on enemy strongholds from the very front, glorying in the 
  act of slaughtering the Emperor’s foes. They equip themselves 
  with the very finest of artificer-crafted weapons, armour and 
  other equipment. Many acquire wargear of ancient and well-
  established pedigree, while some employ weapons of unique, 
  unknown, or even xenos manufacture. 
  Conversely, some Inquisitors of a militant mindset are 
  akin to lord generals, studying strategic maps or pouring over 
  logistical inventories. They take command of friendly forces, 
  supervising missions from afar through vox-link and gun-cam. 
  They time their assaults with lethal precision and order the 
  deployment of their weapons, whether Death Cult Assassin or 
  orbital bombardment, as an extension of their own body.
  Some of these Inquisitors attain the highest of ranks, 
  eventually leading not just small cadres of warrior-agents, but 
  entire armies, even crusades. The line between general and 
  Inquisitor may become blurred, for a time at least. Of course, 
  it may come to pass that such an individual’s erstwhile peers 
  come to resent or disapprove of his position, and an entirely 
  new conflict is initiated.
  The inveSTigaToR
  An Inquisitor must have a mind as keen as a power-stiletto, 
  and a heart as cold as the Death Cultist who wields it. For 
  many Inquisitors, it is in the tracking down of their foe, the 
  sifting of evidence, and the uncovering of long-dormant 
  secrets that their calling finds its true expression. These are 
  the arch-investigators, individuals who can smell a dirty secret 
  from half a sector away. From the scantest of clues, they have 
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  159
  the uncanny ability to hunt down the culpable, and bring the 
  criminal to justice.
  Inquisitors of an investigative nature surround themselves 
  with Sages and Adepts. They often employ a vast network 
  of specialists, and are gifted with the ability to draw upon 
  the unique skills of all those in their employ, bringing 
  together the disparate strands of an investigation and acting 
  upon the truth as it is revealed. The appearance of such an 
  Inquisitor is often a portent of a ruthlessly thorough process 
  and strikes such fear into the hearts of the guilty that they 
  often flee, revealing their guilt even before an accusation is 
  made. The investigative Inquisitor may also rely on a number 
  of guards, often Crusaders, for they may eschew the martial 
  skills displayed by others of their kind. Nonetheless, even the 
  most stooped and aged of Inquisitors has a few tricks up their 
  sleeves, saved for the moment they must deliver the harsh 
  judgement of the Inquisition in person—their foe at bay, with 
  nowhere to flee.
  The machinaToR
  The machinator is an Inquisitor who maintains the most 
  convoluted and intricate web of contacts and agents imaginable, 
  each of whom he controls with masterly skill as a puppeteer 
  controlling a thousand marionettes with but a single hand. 
  The identity of the machinator is often withheld from those 
  he controls, his missives and instructions passed to them by 
  encrypted, untraceable transmission conduits or delivered by 
  way of a dead letter drop. Indeed, the machinator’s agents 
  may have well met their master face to face without ever 
  having known of it.
  The machinator is a political animal of the highest calibre. 
  He invariably involves himself as much with the convoluted 
  power struggles within the Inquisition as he does with the 
  broiling heresies of the greater Imperium. In all likelihood, 
  he has many enemies in both camps, and even his fellow 
  Inquisitors may not have met him in person for many decades, 
  so mindful must he be of his rivals’ petty hatreds.
  Such Inquisitors plot and scheme to manoeuvre their foes 
  into positions of weakness, slowly infiltrating agents into 
  enemy organisations. Evidence of guilt is gathered, but that is 
  merely the opening phase in the machinator’s scheme. Next, 
  he works tirelessly to seed weaknesses in his enemy’s power 
  base, compromising systems, assassinating allies and servants 
  and infiltrating defences.
  Yet, even the machinator must take to the field when his 
  enemies arise. Then, he gathers about him a cadre of the 
  most trusted of his agents, those he trusts above all others 
  not to betray him. Only when his enemy’s defences are wide 
  open does he strike, with utterly merciless precision. Key 
  installations are destroyed, enemy servants slain. The target 
  sees his entire power base collapse around him, and through 
  the smoke and rubble appears the form of the machinator, 
  Inquisitorial Rosette brandished in one hand, bolt pistol 
  raised in the other.
  There are many within the Ordos Calixis who may be 
  described in these terms. The greatest is perhaps Inquisitor 
  Silas Marr, who appears to many to be seated at the vast 
  spider’s web of conspiracy and power. Those who intrude upon 
  Marr’s business are often warned off, in the first instance at 
  least, though rarely by Marr in person. Those too arrogant, or 
  ignorant, to heed such a warning make themselves a powerful 
  enemy. Many are the times an Inquisitor has followed a lead, 
  only to find it leading back to some concern of Marr’s, and 
  been forced to drop the matter lest they make a foe of this 
  powerful individual. To what ends Silas Marr intends to put 
  his vast network none can say, or would openly speculate.
  The BomBaST
  Inquisitors are men and women of unshakeable faith in the 
  Emperor Deified, yet some are so consumed by their faith that 
  they wield it as a weapon in and of itself. These firebrands 
  often blur the line between preacher and Inquisitor, many 
  attiring themselves in robes akin to those worn by the highest 
  officers of the Adeptus Ministorum. The bombast is quick to 
  anger, and even quicker to denounce. He sees heresy and sin 
  wherever he looks, and is quick to throw those he judges guilty 
  to the pyres of justice. Such Inquisitors recite a constant stream 
  of holy invective, quoting passages from the holy texts and 
  invoking the names of saints and martyrs with every breath. 
  They are exceptionally intimidating, invoking quivering fear 
  in the unfaithful and utter horror in the heretic.
  The cadres of these types of Inquisitors often include all 
  manner of Hierophants, exorcists and confessors. Their links 
  to the Ecclesiarchy may, in addition, result in them being 
  accompanied by one or more Battle Sisters of the Adepta 
  Sororitas, potent and zealous warriors indeed, with a fearsome 
  reputation amongst the enemies of the Imperial Faith.
  Bombasts are unsubtle individuals, with a tendency to 
  ignore the minutiae of an investigation. This often brings 
  them into conflict with others of the Inquisition. The arrival 
  on world of a bombastic Inquisitor might ruin years of work 
  by a subtler agent. Yet, sometimes covert Inquisitors follow in 
  the bombast’s wake, often without his knowledge, watching 
  to see whether any previously unknown enemies attempt to 
  flee, or otherwise reveal their hands.
  Despite a blunt approach to the calling of the Inquisitor, 
  the bombast is amongst the boldest of all of the servants of 
  the Holy Ordos of the Emperor’s Inquisition. They have been 
  known to face the most terrifying of enemies armed with little 
  more than the word of the Emperor, and prevail. The deeds 
  and words of such an individual can rally an entire population 
  to cast off a renegade governor, or to take up arms against 
  overwhelmingly powerful alien invasion. They often lead from 
  the very front of the armies of the faithful, imbued with a 
  burning faith in the God-Emperor of Mankind so fierce that it 
  kindles similar zealousness in the hearts of all who witness it.
  The JudicaR
  The judicar is an individual who approaches his calling in 
  almost the exact opposite manner to the investigator. He 
  assumes guilt, and demands evidence to the contrary. Being 
  the prosecutor, judge, and often executioner, such individuals 
  rarely accept any evidence placed before them that contradicts 
  their charge.
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  160
  Such Inquisitors normally travel about from world to world 
  with great ceremony, surrounding themselves with an entire 
  travelling court of clerks, attendants, and flunkies. Upon arrival, 
  they announce a ‘court of assize,’ often commandeering the 
  most awe-inspiring of locations for their purposes. Charges 
  against certain individuals are then posted, and the accused 
  brought before the court. Only those of the highest rank 
  have any hope of refuting the charges, but in all likelihood 
  these would not have been charged in the first place. Volume 
  after volume of case law is produced, and added to, during 
  the trial. The judicar often ensures that the proceedings of 
  his court are entered into the rolls of the planet’s own laws, 
  enshrining his every word into law for generations to come. 
  Some such individuals maintain entire armies of seconded 
  Arbitrators, imposing their own law upon those forced to 
  suffer their visitations. When such itinerant precincts arrive 
  upon a world, no one is immune from the smashing in of 
  doors in the middle of the night, constant searches and the 
  spontaneous imposition of totalitarian laws.
  Entire worlds have burned at the command of such 
  Inquisitors, and their names often live on for many centuries 
  as the subject of cautionary tales to strike fear into the hearts 
  of the multitudes. 
  The idealiST
  Upon being granted the Inquisitorial Rosette, many Inquisitors 
  are at a stage in their lives when they still harbour a faint hope 
  that Mankind can redeem itself of its sinful ways and turn back 
  the tide of darkness that threatens to engulf the entire galaxy. 
  Most are soon disabused of this notion, by bitter experience or 
  an untimely death.
  Idealists often gravitate towards the various Puritan schools 
  of thought, although in time, some find themselves travelling 
  a very different path. Idealists seek out that in the spirit of 
  Mankind which is worth saving, but in so doing often find 
  themselves renouncing that which falls below their exacting 
  standards. They embark upon personal crusades to exact 
  vengeance upon the criminal, and often seek to rally others to 
  their cause. Sadly, many find themselves estranged from their 
  peers, many of whom have simply seen it all before, and cut 
  off from aid when they need it most. Many of the older, more 
  embittered Inquisitors of the Ordos Calixis have been observed 
  to take great delight in watching such young firebrands come 
  to ruin. Some may even have engineered such a situation, only 
  to offer the hand of friendship which the individual has no 
  choice but to accept. And then, the young idealist might find 
  themselves in the thrall of a far more powerful master, whose 
  philosophies and factional leanings might be entirely at odds 
  with their own.
  Despite the obvious pitfalls faced by such Inquisitors, every 
  now and then one of their kind achieves truly great things. 
  Some even attain sainthood, so genuinely pure and good are 
  their intentions. In a galaxy as corrupt and barbaric as that of 
  the 41st Millennium, the lives and deeds of such individuals are 
  often little more than a brief spark of light amidst a looming, all 
  encompassing, stygian night. Yet some make their stand against 
  the forces of darkness, and make a difference, no matter how 
  slight, in the battle for the very survival of Humanity.
  facTionS
  “He who is not a Puritan in his youth has no heart; he who is still a 
  Puritan in his maturity has no brain.”
  Throughout the ten millennia since the Emperor ascended to 
  the Golden Throne, his divine will has become the subject 
  of the all too fallible interpretations of untold generations of 
  mortal servants. Over centuries, differing interpretations of the 
  Emperor’s word have grown in prominence or fallen out of 
  favour. As is common with adherents of shared philosophies, 
  factions have formed to espouse their beliefs and members of 
  the Inquisition are as prone to this as any other group. Such 
  division would, in most of the Imperium’s institutions, be 
  frowned upon. But the men and women of the Inquisition are 
  trained from the very beginning to always question, and it is 
  this essential nature that gives them the skills and strength to 
  achieve the tasks before them.
  While membership in one of the Ordos is an indication as 
  to which of Humanity’s many and varied foes an Inquisitor 
  concentrates upon defeating, their factional leanings are an 
  indication as to how they go about doing so. Take for example 
  two Inquisitors of the daemon-hunting Ordo Malleus. One 
  might hold that Mankind can be saved from the beasts of 
  the warp only by casting out every last vestige of the taint of 
  the empyrean, even to the extent of denouncing those who 
  wield psychic powers, for these too are product of the realm 
  of Chaos. Of an entirely opposing view might be an Inquisitor 
  who holds that the weapons and tools of Chaos must be turned 
  against themselves, going so far as to utilise cursed artefacts 
  such as daemon swords and tainted charms. Both belong to 
  the same Ordo and are equally dedicated to destroying the 
  denizens of the warp, yet they might be equally opposed to 
  one another, each believing the other to be deluded or weak. 
  cuRSed Space
  Inquisitors are empowered to go wherever they want 
  in the prosecution of their duties. An Inquisitor might 
  travel from one end of the Imperium to the other, and 
  indeed beyond its borders, in the course of a long 
  career. Yet, it has been noted by many, that the Calixis 
  Sector attracts the agents of the Inquisition, and 
  somehow enthralls them, almost as an insect trapped 
  in amber. In an entire galaxy seething with conspiracy 
  and torn apart by war, many have asked why the 
  Calixis Sector should attract and hold the attention of 
  so many Inquisitors, and why it has claimed the lives 
  of countless of their number. Perhaps the answer lies 
  in the Hereticus Tenabrae, the prophecy that foresees 
  the extinction of Humanity, its crucible the Calixis 
  Sector. Certainly, the Calixis Sector breeds cults and 
  heresies at an alarming rate, and many within the 
  Ordos Calixis believe that the dread Tyrant Star must 
  surely be responsible. Perhaps the truth will never be 
  known until it is too late, and the galaxy burns.
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  161
  The staggering range of beliefs the various factions espouse 
  have broadly polarised into two main, opposing schools 
  of thought. It is convenient to name the first of these the 
  Puritans, and they enforce the letter of the Lore. They hold 
  beliefs that would be familiar to the majority of Imperial 
  citizens from the fiery addresses of zealous preachers, and they 
  present themselves first and foremost as the ultimate protectors 
  of Mankind. In almost direct opposition to the Puritans 
  are Inquisitors known as Radicals, who view their exalted 
  position within the Imperium as license to employ methods 
  that most Imperial institutions would view as heretical. The 
  Radicals believe that the means they employ to achieve their 
  goals are secondary to the achievement. In some cases this can 
  even mean the use of Chaos-tainted knowledge and artefacts, 
  or reprehensible methods that skirt dangerously close to  
  outright treachery.
  Factions rarely exist as formal institutions, and, in theory 
  at least, an Inquisitor’s goals are secondary to his mission as 
  an agent of the Holy Ordos of the Emperor’s Inquisition. 
  For example, a cabal of Inquisitors espousing very different 
  factional beliefs might operate together in the course of their 
  duties, their common goal acting as a bond that transcends 
  doctrinal boundaries. At other times, however, an Inquisitor 
  prosecutes his mission entirely within the bounds of his 
  factional leanings, his beliefs informing the methods he uses 
  to bring the enemies of the Imperium to justice. In fact, the 
  labelling of friend and foe is often coloured by the factional 
  beliefs of the Inquisitor doing the labelling, a fact that leads 
  many Inquisitors into bitter disputes with their fellows. 
  It is the existence of the factions that has lead to the 
  internecine wars that have riven the Inquisition for millennia. 
  While plenty subscribe to no doctrine other than their own 
  conscience, others believe that this constant shadow war 
  benefits the Inquisition enormously, providing a continuous 
  process of internal balancing and a means by which 
  philosophies may be weighed up, to be accepted or rejected 
  by a manner of natural selection.
  Factional beliefs tend to be passed down from master to 
  pupil, although it is unlikely an Inquisitor of one of the more 
  Radical schools of thought indoctrinates his Acolytes in every 
  subtlety of his doctrine, lest the pupil be overcome by truths 
  he cannot yet bear and denounce his own master. Some hold 
  that it is the natural order of things that the young, idealistic, 
  newly-ascended Inquisitor should adhere to Puritan beliefs, 
  which are slowly proven false until he inevitably turns to those 
  modes considered Radical. This is a profoundly pessimistic 
  worldview, but one that has been proven true time and time 
  again through the bitter millennia.
  Even within the broad definitions of Radical and Puritan, 
  there are many and varied splits, differences, and tenets. The 
  following schools of thought are espoused by Inquisitors the 
  length and breadth of the Imperium, while many more exist 
  only in given regions. The Calixis Sector, for example, hosts 
  a number of factions unique to the area, including the Xenos 
  Hyrbis and Seculos Attendous.
  ThoRianS
  “The Emperor shall come again. Once more, His mortal shell shall 
  be invigorated by His Divine Will. His great spirit can be brought 
  back from heaven and He shall throw away the shackles of Golden 
  Throne and step forth once to finish the Great Crusade to make the 
  galaxy Humanity’s forever.”
  The Puritan Thorian faction of the Inquisition takes its name 
  from Saint Sebastian Thor. This hero, venerated across the entire 
  Imperium, overthrew Goge Vandire, the tyrannical High Lord 
  of Terra who plunged the Imperium into the Age of Apostasy 
  in the 36th Millennium. The Thorians believe that Thor was 
  divinely inspired and that he moved with the Emperor’s light 
  burning bright within him. To many Inquisitors of the day, 
  it was obvious that Thor was imbued with a measure of the 
  Emperor’s will and charisma. They believed that it was not the 
  first time that the Emperor had acted in such a way, citing such 
  heroes as Saints Capilene and Josmane as previous vessels of 
  the Emperor walking amongst his people.
  The Thorians believe that the Emperor’s near-death at the 
  hands of Horus allowed him to break the final bonds between 
  the crude matter of corporeality and ascend to assume his 
  true nature as a deity. His spirit wonders the void, travelling 
  as a whisper in the warp, flitting from place to place and 
  perhaps even time. Thorian dogma holds that the Emperor 
  has manifested his spirit through his chosen vessels many 
  times when his people needed him, but that these bodies 
  were able to contain only the barest fraction of his power and 
  soon withered and died. They await the day that he shall be 
  reborn and lead his people onwards in a second, and final,  
  Great Crusade.
  To this end, the Thorians closely study the interaction of 
  consciousness, energy and the warp, believing that if they 
  can manipulate these energies correctly they can channel the 
  Emperor’s spirit into a suitable vessel and effectively resurrect 
  the Master of Mankind. There have been many attempts to 
  create a body suitable for such an important ritual, but so far 
  none have succeeded. Followers of the Thorian philosophies 
  constantly scour the galaxy for beings they call Divine Avatars, 
  individuals of such power that they may able to contain 
  the Emperor’s soul once more—or be turned to evil by the 
  Ruinous Powers.
  Although all Thorians share the same ambition of seeking 
  out those they call ‘Divine Vessels’—individuals who may 
  one day bear the Emperor’s spirit and become, for a time 
  at least, Divine Avatars, there exists a distinct sub-faction of 
  Thorian thought, with an opposing view to the mainstream of 
  adherents. These believe that no human form is able, or indeed 
  worthy, of containing the Emperor’s spirit, holding that the 
  individual would become an avatar not of the Emperor, but of 
  some other power of the warp. They hunt down the Divine 
  Vessels, slaying them on sight, in what they believe to be acts 
  of mercy and necessity.
  Many Thorian Inquisitors are found within the Ordo 
  Malleus, where their greater understanding of the Immaterium 
  grants them an insight into how the rebirth of the Emperor 
  could be achieved. Others may be found amongst the Ordo 
  Hereticus. There are few within the Ordo Xenos, save those 
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  162
  who believe the manipulation of alien psychic-engineering, 
  such as that of the Eldar, may provide valuable insights. 
  Inquisitors of all orders foster the growth of resurrectionist 
  cults throughout the Imperium, as they provide useful foot-
  soldiers for an Inquisitor when he must raise an army to 
  achieve his ends.
  Thorian Inquisitors often recruit those with a keen eye for 
  investigation into their cadres. Sages able to research every 
  branch of a family tree going back millennia, and Enforcers 
  with their talent from the hunt are both useful allies. Many 
  also maintain links with the Adeptus Ministorum, in particular 
  the Orders Famulous of the Adepta Sororitas, whose task it 
  is to monitor the bloodlines of those who rule the Imperium. 
  Oftentimes, word of a potential Divine Vessel comes through 
  a contact in the Ecclesiarchy, in response to an upsurge in 
  religious activity based around the words of a previously 
  unknown figure. 
  monodominanTS
  “You ask why we must cleanse the xenos. I will tell you. The filth of 
  the alien and the witch must be exterminated to preserve the purity of 
  the Human race, lest we degenerate in abomination.”
  –Witch Hunter Tyrus at the Conclave of Vena
  The Puritan Monodominants have their roots in an age now 
  all but lost to the scholars of the 41st Millennium. In the 
  33rd Millennium, Inquisitor Goldo penned his seminal text 
  Monodomination—the Right of Man to Rule the Galaxy in the 
  Emperor’s Holy Name. This multi-volume epic drew upon the 
  venerable Inquisitor’s vast experience of dealing with aliens 
  and came to the conclusion that the only way that Mankind 
  could rule would be if every alien race was exterminated, 
  leaving humans as the sole inheritors of the galaxy. At the 
  time it did not receive a great deal of support—its overly 
  pessimistic view was seen as the last, bitter words of a devout, 
  but ageing Inquisitor. It was not until Inquisitor Jeriminus of 
  Paelutia brought the work of Goldo to light, several centuries 
  later, that the philosophy finally found a growing body of 
  supporters among the new breed of young, hot-headed 
  Inquisitors.
  The goal of the Monodominants is a simple one: the 
  complete and total destruction of every alien, heretic, witch 
  and non-believer in the galaxy. They have absolutely no 
  tolerance for any form of aberrant behaviour and resort to 
  drastic military solutions in order to enforce their will. No 
  other faction of Inquisitors resorts to the use of Exterminatus 
  so readily, destroying entire worlds in their quest for Human 
  supremacy of the galaxy. As would be expected of such a 
  militant group, the Monodominants are one of the few factions 
  who are open with their beliefs, spreading xenophobia and 
  intolerance before them, inciting whole populations to rise 
  and purge themselves of their wickedness. Inquisitors who 
  follow this path are ruthless and unforgiving and frequently 
  leave untold devastation and slaughter in their wake.
  Many within the Inquisition see the Monodominants as 
  incredibly narrow-minded and frequently doing more harm 
  than good. It is a brave Inquisitor however who openly voices 
  such an opinion.
  Monodominants tend to be bombastic, zealous individuals, 
  and they often surround themselves with equally direct 
  characters. Companions with a background amongst the 
  Adeptus Arbites are often found in their cadres, as these 
  individuals may have seen so much criminality over the course 
  of their careers that their hearts have become hardened to the 
  galaxy. Hierophants too are often found accompanying such 
  Inquisitors, their fiery sermons bolstering the cadre’s resolve 
  to do that which must be done.
  amalaThianS
  “Who are you to second-guess the will of the Emperor? His plans 
  are for him and him alone to know. It is enough for us to know that 
  his grand designs for the galaxy unfold as he has foreseen, and the 
  colossal arrogance displayed by those who claim to act in his name is 
  both dangerous and tantamount to heresy.”
  –Inquisitor Barzano
  For those who noted their coming, the first days of the 41st 
  Millennium were days of optimism and promise, a time of 
  great spiritual and physical rebuilding. It was decreed that 
  there would be a conclave held at Mount Amalath on the 
  world of Gathalamor, where military, religious, and political 
  dignitaries would gather to once again swear their oaths of 
  loyalty to the Emperor. It is said that eight hundred Chapter 
  Masters of the Adeptus Astartes journeyed from the far corners 
  of the galaxy to join in this renewal of faith. After swearing 
  his oath of loyalty, Lord Solar Macharius took it upon himself 
  to launch a crusade in the Emperor’s name, leading his forces 
  into the galactic west and beginning the campaign that saw 
  over a thousand worlds claimed for the Master of Mankind.
  Within the ranks of the Inquisition there was a growing 
  feeling that events were once again proceeding to the Emperor’s 
  plans, and that the pervading sense of doom that had spread 
  through the Imperium during the Plague of Unbelief and 
  the Reign of Blood was finally over. Many Inquisitors were 
  swayed by the numerous impassioned speakers on Gathalamor, 
  and vowed that none should threaten the strength which the 
  Imperium was slowly regaining. This body of Inquisitors 
  became known as Amalathians and decreed that they would 
  forever strive to maintain order and destroy and those who 
  would seek to destabilise the Imperium. Less concerned with 
  the traditional heresies of witchcraft and mutation, except 
  where they were being manipulated by their enemies, the 
  Puritan Amalathians sought to keep infighting and politicking 
  within Imperial organisations to a minimum, holding to the 
  Inquisition’s original mantra of strength through unity.
  Throughout the Imperium, the Amalathians seek to calm 
  volatile situations and prevent rapid change, should change 
  even be necessary at all. They claim events are unfolding as 
  the Emperor has foreseen and to force change in his name is a 
  supreme arrogance. Who can truly claim to know the will of 
  the Emperor? It is their sacred duty to protect the Imperium 
  from those who seek to plunge it into anarchy, and to allow 
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  163
  the Emperor’s sacred plan to unfold at its ordained time. To 
  achieve their goals, the Amalathians must often work closely 
  with agents from other organisations, and its members often 
  have good relations with bodies such as the Adeptus Arbites, 
  Orders Famulous, and the Space Marines.
  Many vocal proponents of change within the Imperium 
  accuse the Amalathians of burying their heads in the sand, 
  trusting events to unfold as fate dictates rather than taking a 
  proactive stance in the defence of the Imperium. However, the 
  Amalathians know that the Emperor is infallible and to second 
  guess his divine plan for Humanity is to know the will of a 
  god. And what mortal would dare claim such knowledge?
  Amalathians are men and women who pride themselves 
  on being level-headed, and they often gather cadres of like-
  minded companions. They value the learned wisdom of the 
  Sage as much as the tactical advice of a veteran of the Imperial 
  Guard, and listen to each before deciding upon a course  
  of action. 
  xanThiTeS
  “Eradicate Chaos? Hah! One might as well try to eradicate one’s 
  own shadow. Do not presume to enforce a simpleton’s philosophy 
  upon the Emperor’s Inquisition. Bury your head if you must, but my 
  eyes are open yet.”
  –Excerpt from the sixth trial of Inquisitor Lichenstein
  The principles governing the Radical Xanthite philosophy 
  could be described as heretical in themselves, for they 
  advocate the use of Chaos in furthering the goals of the 
  Imperium. To know the enemy is valuable indeed, but the 
  Xanthites believe in taking this one step further. Inquisitors 
  from this faction use the powers of the warp whenever they 
  can, fervently believing that although Chaos can never truly 
  be beaten, it can be harnessed.
  Xanthism was introduced to the Inquisitorial ranks long 
  before some of the more Puritan factions had begun to 
  coalesce, and has the support of some of the most senior and 
  powerful members of the Inquisition. For this reason, it is 
  highly unusual for the militant factions that oppose them to 
  try the Xanthites for heresy, though many would dearly like 
  to do so. The most notable exception is Master Zaranchek 
  Xanthus himself, the founder of the faction, who attested 
  his innocence to a jury of fellow Inquisitors before he was 
  eventually burnt at the stake. Interestingly, one of his most 
  talented pupils, Inquisitor Lethrai, famously withstood a six-
  week series of gruelling trials by his Monodominant accusers 
  without showing a single sign of guilt.
  Xanthites by no means advocate the furthering of Chaos 
  and its dark works, but see it as a tool that is already in use by 
  the Imperium, not yet realised to its full potential. Warp travel, 
  Astropaths, Navigators, Space Marine Librarians, abhumans 
  in the ranks of the Imperial forces; all these bear the mark 
  of Chaos, but nevertheless further the goals of the God-
  Emperor, himself one of the most powerful psykers to ever 
  have existed. The Xanthites cite these as example that there 
  is no question as to whether Chaos can serve Humanity, it is 
  just a matter of to what degree. As a result, Inquisitors of this 
  faction often use daemon-weapons, Chaos-tainted artefacts, 
  psyker-retainers, daemonhosts, and forbidden grimoires in 
  their quest to understand and exploit the boundless power 
  of the warp. Many have achieved mastery over the psychic 
  discipline they have trained in, and it is unusual to find a 
  Xanthite with no psychic ability whatsoever.
  An interesting exception exists to the Radical/Puritan 
  divide. The Horusians, a sub-sect of the Xanthites, wish to create 
  a new leader for Humanity, much like the Puritan Thorians. 
  Both factions strive for a powerful, god-like figurehead to 
  lead the Imperium into a new age. But these extreme Radicals 
  view the might of Horus as a wasted opportunity; believing 
  that should the limitless power of Chaos be harnessed and 
  bound into a great leader of man, Humanity could once more 
  become united and crush all before it. Needless to say, even 
  open-minded members of the Inquisition view the Horusians 
  as dangerous in the extreme.
  Xanthite Inquisitors make extensive use of psykers of 
  all types, as well as Sages with a particular interest in the 
  occult. They often have difficulty in recruiting those with 
  a background in the Adeptus Ministorum, but there are 
  noted instances when an exorcist has allied with a Xanthite, 
  affording the Inquisitor protection from that which he would 
  turn to his service.
  RecongRegaToRS
  “Look around you! We must tear down the rusty and ancient cage 
  that we have built for ourselves and replace it with a shining tower 
  that can once more touch the stars. Without evolution, we are shorn 
  of our greatest strength.”
  –Inquisitor Laschia at the Oulan Symposium
  To the Radical Recongregators, the Imperium is a waning, 
  decaying thing, riddled with corruption, and many of 
  its galaxy-spanning organisations are rotten to the core. 
  Inquisitors of this faction believe that for the Imperium to 
  return to its former glory, the shackles of the present must be 
  broken apart. Once they lie in pieces, the Imperium can be 
  forged anew, stronger and purer than ever before.
  Bureaucracy, politicking, and stagnation are the enemies 
  these Inquisitors aim to fight, pulling down established 
  governments and replacing them with free-thinking radicals.
  Although wary of causing too much unnecessary 
  destruction, the Recongregators’ methods have led to them 
  sponsoring uprisings, stirring up civil unrest, sowing anarchy, 
  causing riots, and advocating political upheaval wherever 
  they go. Although preferring to remain anonymous and 
  manipulate events from the shadows, the Recongregators are 
  not above extreme action and involve themselves in covert 
  operations should the necessity arise.
  Recongregators are often found in the ranks of the Ordo 
  Hereticus, though rather than seeking to unmask and destroy 
  underground leaders, these Inquisitors actively aid these 
  individuals for their own ends. They work to depose corrupt 
  or conservative figures and replace them with those dynamic 
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  164
  and open-minded leaders capable of departing from the status 
  quo. Obviously, this is in direct conflict with the Amalathian 
  faction, which considers some Recongregators no better than 
  demagogues. Unbeknownst to those incumbent upon their 
  thrones, many a dynasty has been upheld by an Amalathian 
  whilst a Recongregator works to tear it down.
  Recongregators are often dark, sinister individuals, and 
  they usually keep the company of a cadre of equally menacing 
  characters. Many have forged links with the Death Cults, and 
  so make extensive use of the services of Death Cult Assassins 
  as well as those of a less than reputable background willing 
  to do almost anything for the cause.
  iSTvaanianS
  “Would you have Mankind grow old and withered, running to fat 
  on the fruits of remembered glory whilst its enemies tear at its frail 
  extremities? I think not. With each trial, we become stronger. My 
  brethren and I provide.”
  –Attributed to Inquisitor Vechorte
  The Radical Istvaanians see Humanity’s evolution as having 
  slowed to a crawl, degenerating and growing soft. They fear 
  that it will ultimately fall to its innumerable enemies. As a 
  result, they spread strife, hatred, and confrontation wherever 
  they go. They believe the Imperium becomes stronger through 
  conflict, with only the toughest and most worthy surviving.
  The Istvaanians take their name from the massacre which 
  began the most terrible conflict to have engulfed Humanity, 
  the Horus Heresy, initiated by the traitor Warmaster’s virus 
  bombing of Istvaan III. What most Imperial historians 
  view as the worst disaster to ever befall the Imperium, the 
  Istvaanians champion as the catalyst for many of its greatest 
  accomplishments. Despite their extreme stance and drastic 
  methods, history seems to vindicate their beliefs, as from the 
  greatest periods of upheaval the most profound developments 
  within the Imperium have stemmed. With an objectivity born 
  of hindsight, they claim that the Heresy weeded out the weak-
  willed and traitorous from the ranks of the Adeptus Astartes, 
  and ultimately caused the Emperor’s ascension, allowing the 
  Master of Mankind to ascend to godhood. They point to the 
  Age of Apostasy, when the Imperium was devoured by a fever 
  of blasphemy, as the cause of the Ecclesiarchy’s reformation 
  and the coming of Sebastian Thor. Great advances and leaps 
  of faith are undeniably possible when Humanity is tested to 
  its limit, and it is for this reason that the Istvaanians actively 
  cultivate war. The modus operandi of the warmongering 
  Istvaanians is sometimes so extreme that many of its militant 
  components have surpassed even the uncompromising 
  Monodominants.
  Interestingly, several well-respected members of the 
  Inquisition have recently come out in favour of the Kiniel 
  Proposal, a motion proposed by the infamous Istvaanian 
  Inquisitor Gastus Kiniel. The proposal seeks to enforce 
  military service upon all members of Imperial society fit for 
  conscription. Given the current abundance of threats to the 
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  165
  Imperium’s future, this may well be considered by the High 
  Lords of Terra, and has already gained considerable support 
  within the ranks of the Inquisition. It is testament to the 
  manipulative skills of Kiniel that he has secured the support of 
  many Monodominant Inquisitors with the fire and passion of 
  his xenophobic sentiments. Needless to say, this militarisation 
  of untold billions of Imperial citizens would be a great victory 
  for the Istvaanians, and possibly even Humanity as a whole.
  The cadre of an Inquisitor espousing the Istvaanian mindset 
  is likely to be made up of outcasts of one type or another. 
  Mind-scrubbed assassins, veterans pushed over the edge and 
  desperadoes with a point to prove all make ideal servants for 
  an Inquisitor who seeks nothing less than to drag the entire 
  Imperium in an galaxy-wide war to end all wars.
  The Balance of PoweR
  The Imperium is a feudal society, comprising in excess of a 
  million worlds. Each is host to its own culture and society, many 
  having spawned a wide range of nations, peoples and identities. 
  If the Imperium is so complex and heterogeneous, then what 
  of the myriad institutions that provide galaxy-wide oversight? 
  None can say how many organisations exist to service every 
  possible function of galactic governance, although several 
  bureaus have been established over the millennia to investigate 
  the matter (none successfully). The relationships between 
  these myriad and arcane institutions are tainted by centuries 
  of jealously and competition, or made untenable by ignorance 
  and distrust. Some of these organisations claim, and indeed 
  exercise, jurisdiction across a wide range of responsibilities, 
  and are nigh ubiquitous across the entire Imperium. Others 
  have extremely narrow interests, or are limited to a sub-sector 
  or system and therefore unknown elsewhere. As a consequence, 
  even the simplest bureaucratic or administrative task is fraught 
  with obstruction and inefficiency.
  If this is the case between officials whose task might be no 
  more prosaic than the tallying of grox-oil import ledgers, then 
  what of the agents of the Inquisition, whose mission is the 
  protection of the Imperium itself? Perhaps one would believe 
  that such servants, burdened with their auspicious task would 
  stand as one against the traitors, beasts and fiends that would 
  destroy Mankind. In fact, the opposite is true. The Inquisition 
  is riven with conflict, from heated debate between those who 
  subscribe to the divergent schools of factional thought, to 
  others who come to blows, so opposing are their agendas. 
  It is not uncommon for entire cabals of Inquisitors to band 
  together against others of their kind, unseen, internecine wars 
  being fought in the shadows. Several times, the Inquisition has 
  been split wide apart by outright war, countless agents laying 
  down their lives or taking those of their brothers for a cause 
  none outside the Inquisition could possibly comprehend.
  To add to this situation, the Inquisition is, by and large, 
  an institution of peers. Essentially, there are but two ranks: 
  Inquisitor and Inquisitor Lord. This means that, in theory, the 
  vast majority of Inquisitors are equal, and that some are more 
  equal than the others. In practice of course, this is far from 
  the case. The reality of the matter is that the Inquisition is 
  perhaps the single most feudal, arcane, intricate and downright 
  schizophrenic organisation in the entire Imperium. Rather 
  than the simple, two-tier organisation purported to exist, the 
  Inquisition is in fact an impossibly complex web of influence 
  and intrigue. The entire organisation is compartmentalised by 
  factions, ordos and cabals, each of which might overlap with 
  one another one moment and be diametrically opposed the 
  next. An individual Inquisitor might in theory be equal to any 
  other, but in reality it is his influence and his associations that 
  determine just how much power he wields.
  This notion of a balance of power existing within the 
  Inquisition is key to understanding just how it operates. 
  As already established, the Inquisition’s mission is of such 
  importance that it has a nigh unlimited remit. Inquisitors 
  can go anywhere, and detain anyone, for the good of the 
  Imperium. Yet such power is terrible indeed, and if history has 
  taught Mankind but a single lesson, it is that power corrupts. 
  How then can an organisation with unlimited power of remit 
  be expected to remain uncorrupted? The answer is to be found 
  through constant and continuous internal conflict. By the 
  very existence of factions, Ordos and cabals, every possible 
  philosophy and doctrine is examined, and through debate or 
  conflict, exposed for what it truly is. Over the millennia, untold 
  doctrines have been posited, to be followed for a time before 
  being denounced by an opposing school of thought. This 
  process is regarded as purgative, ensuring that no one party 
  ever gains undue power over the whole of the Inquisition, and 
  that only the strongest-willed and most dedicated prosper.
  The limitations this process sets in place are very real, 
  and entirely dependent upon the power of the Inquisitor in 
  question. An Inquisitor whose factional beliefs have made 
  him a virtual pariah finds his resources limited, while one of 
  a more mainstream stance finds fewer hindrances to his plans. 
  An Inquisitor might order a purge of an entire world, but 
  unless supported by a substantial body of his peers, may find it 
  difficult to bring about. Some may even find themselves turning 
  to other sources, outside of the Inquisition for aid, potentially 
  resulting in being declared an outcast. An Inquisitor held in 
  good standing by his fellows is able to mobilise significant 
  resources and thereby achieve the ends of the greater part of 
  the Inquisition. Thus the internal balance is maintained, for 
  the good of all.
  Becoming an 
  inquiSiToR
  As each Inquisitor is an individual, so too is it the case that 
  no two ascend to the rank in exactly the same manner. What 
  all have in common, however, is that they have, one way or 
  another, come to the attention of a Throne Agent. None set out 
  in life intending to become an Inquisitor. Indeed, the agents 
  of the Inquisition are such figures of awe and fear, that most 
  ordinary people dare not think on the subject overly long, 
  lest they be found guilty of heretical thoughts. Even those 
  brought up in such institutions as the Schola Progenium—
  great houses in which the orphans of Imperial servants are 
  schooled for future service—have little or no idea what it is 
  to become an agent of the Inquisition.
  Admittance to the ranks of the Inquisition is, in essence, 
  by invitation only. One must earn the notice of an Inquisitor, 
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  166
  through bold and skilful deeds. In a galaxy torn apart by war 
  and strife, there certainly exists plenty of opportunity to test 
  oneself to the limits and to exhibit the skills an Inquisitor 
  might be seeking in a pupil. But it is also true that most 
  citizens never even see an Inquisitor, let alone gain his eye, 
  and most that do wish they had not. It is extremely rare, then, 
  for one with the potential to serve as a Throne Agent to have 
  the chance to prove it, making those who do eventually attain 
  the rank exceptional individuals indeed.
  When a potential servant does gain the notice of an 
  Inquisitor, he may find himself sucked into a web of intrigue, 
  often not even knowing the true nature of the events unfolding 
  around him. He may be drafted into a cell of Acolytes or 
  simply paid by an unknown benefactor to complete a ‘simple 
  mission’. The Inquisitor in question may remain a distant 
  patron, never making direct contact with the individual, but 
  issuing increasingly arduous tasks for him to perform.
  In time, the potential agent joins a cell of established 
  Acolytes. Even then, he may know scant details about his 
  master, but others may serve alongside an Inquisitor directly. 
  Having earned his master’s respect throughout his period 
  as an Acolyte, the agent may one day be summoned, and 
  granted the rank of Interrogator. 
  The life of an Interrogator is one of harrowing trials. As 
  a pupil of an Inquisitor, the Interrogator must learn all that 
  his teacher passes on, and serve him with unstinting loyalty. 
  Often, that loyalty is first and foremost to the master, rather 
  than the Inquisition as a whole, but some Interrogators 
  are schooled in a more formal sense in hidden Inquisition 
  installations. An Interrogator’s training might take many years, 
  as a master seeks to impart an entire canon of knowledge. 
  Other masters seek evidence that a particular state of mind 
  has been attained, others that a single, fundamental truth has 
  been learned. Thus, no two Interrogators serve under a master 
  for exactly the same amount of time, and none share exactly 
  the same amount of training, knowledge or wisdom when 
  they are finally granted the Inquisitorial Rosette.
  The inquiSiToRial 
  RoSeTTe
  “I carry with me an Inquisitorial Seal. It is a small, unassuming 
  object contained in a neat box of Pluvian obsidian. It is a modest 
  thing, relatively plain, adorned with a single motif and a simple 
  motto. Yet with this little object I can sign the death warrant of an 
  entire world and consign a billion souls to Oblivion.”
  Upon their ascension to the rank, every Inquisitor is presented 
  with an Inquisitorial Rosette. In essence, the rosette is a simple 
  mark of rank, akin to countless others worn by the servants of 
  the Imperium, but in reality, it is so much more.
  The peoples of the Imperium are, by and large, superstitious, 
  poorly educated and brutally downtrodden. They are taught 
  from an early age that the Emperor is watching their every deed 
  and knows their every thought. Whether pampered noble, 
  underhive scum or savage feral worlder, these essential truths 
  are ubiquitous. The Inquisitorial Rosette is incontrovertible 
  evidence that the bearer wields ultimate authority, and they 
  do so in the name of the Emperor.
  But such conditioning is not sufficient on its own to ensure 
  total loyalty and obedience in every individual the bearer 
  meets. The pampered noble may attend chapel each day, yet 
  believe the laws that bind the lower classes do not apply to 
  them. The underhive scum may bellow oaths to the Emperor 
  even as he lobs firebombs at an Enforcer patrol. The feral 
  worlder might mount the severed head of an Administratum 
  Tithe-Prefect in a fane dedicated to the mighty God-Emperor 
  who rules from beyond the stars. 
  In addition to the symbolic authority of the rosette, the 
  Inquisitor must be possessed of a palpable ability to invoke 
  obedience. They must be stern and ruthless, radiating an air of 
  confidence that demands absolute deference. Inquisitors are of 
  a rare breed indeed, able to face arrogant Imperial Governors 
  and hardened recidivists with equal resolve, the word of the 
  Emperor upon their lips and the Inquisitorial Rosette upon 
  their breast.
  In the shadowy world of duplicity and intrigue in which 
  the Inquisitors operate, one would expect the rosette to be 
  an easily abused symbol of power. It might be expected that 
  recidivist elements might try to emulate Inquisitors in order 
  to subvert power from Imperial organisations, or that some 
  heretics might question the veracity of a rosette, and the 
  right of its bearer to speak in the Emperor’s name. Indeed, 
  there are those throughout history who have masqueraded as 
  Inquisitors, and these have earned the very worst punishment 
  the Inquisition can mete out. Yet, what is there to prove that a 
  bearer of a rosette is in fact an Inquisitor?
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  167
  The Inquisition is held in such fear and dread that very few 
  indeed would even countenance disobeying an Inquisitor’s 
  orders. The adepts of the Imperium’s many institutions 
  scarcely dare even think of the Inquisition, lest some distant 
  thought-thief discern their impure dalliances and retribution 
  follow. Few adepts dare openly speak of the agents of the 
  Holy Ordos of the Emperor’s Inquisition, knowing full well 
  that their utterances would be reported to a superior and those 
  agents would come. When an adept is actually confronted with 
  an Inquisitor, he is in all likelihood so fearful for his own life 
  that he goes to any end to ensure the Inquisitor’s demands are 
  met. Even the most senior of the Imperium’s officers, including 
  Imperial Commanders and Sector Governors, invariably make 
  every effort to facilitate an Inquisitor’s needs, lest they invoke 
  the wrath of the Emperor’s most feared agents.
  There are subtler ways of enforcing authority, however, 
  for on occasion an Inquisitor wishes to identify himself as 
  such, without antagonising the person they address. This is 
  particularly the case when dealing with those who consider 
  themselves the Inquisitor’s equal, a peer of the Imperium. 
  When dealing with Adeptus Astartes Chapter Masters, 
  Rogue Traders and Lords Militant, an Inquisitor calls upon 
  a range of methods to prove their identity. Some imprint 
  their Inquisitorial Rosette with machine-engrams able to 
  communicate the bearer’s authority to any cogitator, activating 
  dormant sentinel-routines in the host system and confirming 
  the bearer’s clearance. Others bear psycho-activated tattoos 
  upon their faces that are invisible until willed to appear, 
  symbols and runes that serve as a hieratic script known only to 
  the most highly placed within the Imperium’s upper echelons 
  of power.
  In addition to these functions of the Inquisitorial Rosette, 
  some Inquisitors have been known to apply more ingenious 
  adaptations, often utilising the services of highly skilled 
  Adeptus Mechanicus artificers. Some rosettes are gene-locked, 
  meaning they can only be handled by the owner, whose genetic 
  identity is stored within. Should another take up the rosette, 
  or no genetic sample be provided, the rosette may administer 
  a dose of contact poison or even detonate a miniscule, yet 
  devastating melta charge.
  Many rosettes contain data-probes that allow the bearer 
  access to almost any cogitation network in the Imperium. 
  The rosette’s machine-systems are capable of unlocking any 
  network, the Inquisitor’s ultra high level authority bypassing 
  any logic-gates put in place to keep intruders out. 
  Despite the advantages granted by the Inquisitorial Rosette, 
  not all Inquisitors bear it openly. When engaged upon a covert 
  mission for example, an agent is likely to secret it in the most 
  secure location possible, so that it may be produced only when 
  needed most. Others openly comport themselves as Inquisitors, 
  yet forego the wearing of the rosette, perhaps in an effort to 
  put those they deal with at a disadvantage, and ignorant of 
  their true intentions.
  In addition to the power the rosette grants to the Inquisitor 
  bearing it, a degree of authority is passed on to the Inquisitor’s 
  agents and companions, by way of association. One who claims 
  authority in the name of an Inquisitor, such as an Interrogator, 
  is said to ‘Bear the Seal’. Such individuals do not literally carry 
  their master’s rosette, but few would afford them any less 
  respect than their master, and for the very same reasons. To 
  many, there is no difference between a Inquisitor and any of 
  their agents, for merely invoking the power of the Inquisition 
  is sufficient to inspire total obedience. 
  inquiSiToRial cadReS
  Inquisitors are truly exceptional individuals, standing 
  alongside, often above, the most influential and powerful of 
  the Imperium’s servants. But few operate alone, for the galaxy 
  is too perilous a warzone for a single man or woman, even 
  one of their standing, to face without allies. While Inquisitors 
  employ cells of Acolytes to embark upon the missions they 
  deem below them, when they take to the field in person, 
  they invariably do so attended by a group, or cadre of trusted 
  individuals whose unique skills and abilities complement their 
  own.
  The number and type of allies an Inquisitor surrounds 
  himself with depends on many factors. Perhaps the greatest 
  factor is the mission the cadre must perform. A mission 
  involving infiltration and fact-finding requires a different 
  range of skills than one where combat is anticipated. Thus, 
  some cadres are made of up warriors and assassins, while 
  others feature tech-adepts and sages. 
  There are, however, some Inquisitors who, for whatever 
  reason, have less choice in their allies. Perhaps a newly ascended 
  Inquisitor has only a small pool of allies on which to draw, or 
  one of a more radical bent has, by way of his viewpoint, fewer 
  willing to aid him. Many Inquisitors favour a small, permanent 
  group of highly trusted allies, with a balanced range of skills, 
  while others maintain a large pool of retainers, selecting the 
  most appropriate on a mission-by-mission basis.
  Although the Inquisitor is the leader of the cadre, its 
  members are often every bit as important to a mission’s 
  success or failure. An effective cadre is a tight-knit group, 
  each member able to anticipate the thoughts and deeds of 
  the others. Inquisitors rarely find themselves with a surplus 
  of what they might consider friends amongst the Inquisition, 
  for Inquisitors often end up in opposition to one another. 
  However, within his cadre, he may form relationships, even 
  friendships, not possible otherwise. 
  Ultimately, the cadre ‘belongs’ to the Inquisitor rather 
  than to the Inquisition. His enemies are his cadre’s enemies, 
  meaning the fates of all involved are entwined for all time. 
  Furthermore, most Inquisitors gather individuals with a similar 
  philosophical outlook to their own. Should an Inquisitor’s 
  factional leanings cause him to be denounced by his fellows, 
  the same fate befalls all of his allies. Thus, the cadre is bound 
  together by a common cause. The tragedy is that many cadres 
  fall apart if the Inquisitor loses his life in the execution of 
  his duty, often finding themselves severed from the greater 
  institution of the Inquisition. The fortunate are able to call 
  upon other Inquisitors known to be allies of their erstwhile 
  master, perhaps becoming part of a new cadre, but for others, 
  a far darker end awaits.
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  168
  The inquiSiToRial 
  houSehold
  As an institution, the Inquisition employs relatively few 
  staff, especially compared to the vast bureaucracy that is the 
  Administratum. Instead, most of the Inquisition’s endeavours 
  are carried out by individual Inquisitors, or by groupings of 
  such. Over time, some of these groupings become more or 
  less formalised, establishing their own traditions and spheres 
  of influence, and while some members move on, others join. 
  Even where very formalised and well established bodies exists, 
  such as the Ordos Calixis, it is important to remember that 
  these are not controlled by some central body, but by the will 
  of their own members. 
  In the main, Inquisitors rely not on large groups of 
  functionaries and staff to carry out their mission, but upon 
  their own devices. Although groups like the Ordos Calixis 
  do maintain significant numbers of support staff, most 
  Inquisitors look to their own tried and trusted allies to 
  accomplish any given task. While plenty of Inquisitors work 
  alone and unencumbered, others gather their own personal 
  ‘households’.
  Throughout his career, an Inquisitor is likely to amass a great 
  wealth of personal assets. There is little they cannot requisition 
  by dint of their position, from side arms to star ships. Wealth 
  is a petty triviality to an Inquisitor, and currency irrelevant to 
  them; others handle such things on their behalf. Given the 
  nature of the factional infighting that besets the Inquisition, 
  much of an Inquisitor’s assets are kept secret, sometimes even 
  from his closest allies, lest they become a target for his rivals.
  It is common for Inquisitors operating in a defined locality 
  to establish permanent holdings, bases of operation to which 
  they can return for rest and recuperation. While most maintain 
  a residence in one of the Inquisitorial fortresses, such as the 
  Tricorn Palace on Scintilla, few would rely on the security 
  of such places should they come into conflict with a rival. 
  Instead, an Inquisitor employs a network of agents to purchase 
  for him what facilities he feels he needs, from run down hive 
  shanties to the most luxurious of spire-manses. Such holdings 
  may be attended by a permanent staff, often unaware of the 
  true nature of their duties. Many safe houses are maintained 
  for decades or even centuries at a time, attended by several 
  generations of house-serfs, only to be used once, when most 
  needed as a place of refuge. Then, the safe house may be 
  forgotten, its existence compromised, its security and secrecy 
  never to be relied upon again.
  Some Inquisitors maintain stockpiles of weaponry and 
  other equipment, some held in gene-locked stasis vaults, 
  others buried out the wilderness. Should the Inquisitor come 
  into possession of tainted artefacts such as daemon weapons 
  or xenos-tech, he may decide to secret them away, far from the 
  judgemental eyes of his peers, lest they be used as evidence for 
  some imagined heresy.
  In addition to such holdings, many Inquisitors maintain 
  an entire household of staff and retainers. Those of a more 
  martial standing may amass a small, private army of troopers 
  drawn from the ranks of the Imperial Guard and other arms of 
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  169
  the Imperium’s sprawling military machine. An Inquisitor who 
  requisitions the services of an Imperial Guard Storm Trooper 
  platoon is unlikely to feel any compulsion to return the troops 
  to their former command when his immediate need for them 
  has passed. Many hold on to such warriors, marshalled for 
  future deployment. Such forces may in time develop their own 
  traditions and histories, and wear with pride the heraldry of 
  their master. The Inquisitor’s untold powers allow the force 
  to be equipped with such weapons and wargear as would be 
  unobtainable to a conventional line unit, making them the 
  envy of their former colleagues when their paths occasionally 
  cross.
  The oRdoS
  The Imperium is beset by a multitude of foes, from the 
  rebellious general hiding in plain sight, to the unseen horror 
  lurking in the interstellar void. Rogue psykers, heretics, 
  mutants, aliens and the creatures of the warp all work towards 
  the downfall of Mankind in one way or another. The dogmatic 
  Imperium generally classifies each of these myriad enemies 
  into one of three broad categorises: the enemy within, the 
  enemy without, and the enemy beyond. Over the millennia, 
  three major groupings have emerged within the Inquisition, 
  each with a special interest in combating one of these foes. 
  These are the three major Ordos. 
  The Ordos can be thought of as specialised wings within 
  the Inquisition, made up of individuals with experience and 
  expertise in combating a specific threat to the Imperium. While 
  the Ordos differ in their implementation and organisation 
  from one region of the Imperium to the next, in the Calixis 
  Sector they are not as formalised as the great institutions of 
  the Adeptus Terra. Instead, they form an inner circle within 
  the convoluted structure of the Ordos Calixis. They maintain 
  their own dogma, work towards their own agendas, and 
  guard their hard won knowledge jealously.
  Every Inquisitor in the Calixis Sector is a member of 
  one Ordo or another. It is important to understand that 
  membership of one Ordo does not preclude an Inquisitor’s 
  involvement in matters pertaining to another Ordo. There is 
  no formal demarcation, and Inquisitors investigate and act 
  where they want. While an Inquisitor might be a member 
  of the Daemon-hunting Ordo Malleus for example, he still 
  persecutes the xenos and the mutant with equal fervour. 
  Membership of an Ordo indicates a special affinity for the 
  combating of a particular range of enemies, but it in no way 
  limits the Inquisitor’s duties. Indeed, many Inquisitors would 
  argue that to delineate and compartmentalise the foes of 
  Mankind would be a tragic error, for all too often the lines 
  between foes blur. A plague of mutation might originate from 
  an alien infestation for example, or a rise in the number of 
  psykers born within a population might prove the vanguard 
  of an imminent warp incursion.
  The degree to which an Inquisitor devotes his duties to 
  combating the foe associated with his Ordo varies, not least 
  upon the general situation in the region. Many Inquisitors at 
  large in the Calixis Sector, for example, find themselves beset 
  by so many enemies they find their attentions split evenly 
  across them all. Others, in particular the more experienced 
  Inquisitors, find themselves increasingly drawn towards the 
  combating of a specific foe, their investigations and unique 
  understanding simply leading them in that direction.
  Membership of a particular Ordo grants access to what 
  resources and assets its members are willing to share. Much 
  comes in the form of secret knowledge, hidden away by the 
  Ordos members and guarded jealously. Because a member 
  of an Ordo has unprecedented and privileged access to 
  such knowledge, it is considered an act of treachery to leave 
  one Ordo and join another. Although the members of the 
  Inquisitor’s new Ordo may welcome their new peer, members 
  of the old Ordo may never trust him again, and much of 
  the knowledge to which he had access is closed off to him 
  for all time. Having changed their allegiances several times, 
  there are some Inquisitors who find themselves apart from the 
  system of Ordos entirely, distrusted and stigmatised by their 
  erstwhile peers. 
  Some Inquisitors bear certain trappings that, to the initiated 
  at least, speak loudly of their affiliation. An Inquisitor serving 
  the Ordo Malleus might call himself ‘Daemonhunter’, and 
  adorn his golden armour with purity seals bearing holy texts 
  of abjuration against the things of the warp. Inquisitors of the 
  Ordo Hereticus might appear as much officers of the Imperial 
  Faith as members of the Inquisition. The alien hunting Ordo 
  Xenos Inquisitors might go about their mission wearing an 
  armoured enviro-suit, lest even the microscopic taint of the 
  xenos touch them. Plenty more Inquisitors, however, bear 
  no outward sign of membership in any particular Ordo, 
  preferring instead to keep their enemies ignorant as to their 
  true identity. 
  Aside from the three major Ordos, there exist still more. 
  Most are largely unknown, even to other members of the 
  Inquisition. Many are little more than cabals of Inquisitors 
  allied against a common threat, while others are in essence 
  specialised sub-Ordos. One group, sometimes called the 
  Ordo Sicarius, keeps a watchful eye upon the agents of the 
  Officio Assassinorum, lest a repeat of the devastating Wars 
  of Vindication ever come about. Some members of the Ordo 
  Hereticus view this secretive group as pretentious rivals, given 
  their own remit of combating the ‘enemy within’. Other, 
  nigh unknown Ordos might interest themselves in matters 
  so esoteric or specialised they are entirely unknown to  
  their fellows.
  The oRdo heReTicuS
  “A heretic may see the truth and seek redemption. He may be forgiven 
  his past and be absolved in death. A Traitor can never be forgiven. A 
  Traitor can never find peace in this world or the next. There is nothing 
  as wretched or as hated in all the world as a Traitor.”
  The Ordo Hereticus is the scourge of the traitor, the witch, the 
  mutant and the heretic. The interests of its members are aligned 
  towards the combating of threats broadly classified as arising 
  from within the great bulk of Humanity; the so-called ‘enemy 
  within’. Such threats might arise from rebellious planetary 
  governors or the treacherous genome of a mutant population, 
  from emerging psykers or intolerable spiritual doctrine. Some 
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  170
  Ordo Hereticus Inquisitors watch over the organs of the 
  Imperium itself, taking it upon themselves to conduct purges 
  of departments they consider wasteful, while others monitor 
  entire planetary populations for signs of genetic deviation. 
  With the Ordo’s particular interest in psykers, its members are 
  often dubbed ‘Witch Hunters’, a term that serves to strike fear 
  into the superstitious peoples of the Imperium whenever it  
  is heard.
  Many Inquisitors of the Ordo Hereticus maintain close 
  links with the Adeptus Ministorum. Despite the fact that its 
  implementation varies enormously from one world to the next, 
  the Ecclesiarchy provides a machinery of control over the masses 
  of Humanity. Preachers harangue the faithful, demanding they 
  confess their sins and those of their neighbours. They demand 
  their congregations be ever vigilant for the signs of mutation, 
  for it is taught that such outward signs of impurity are a 
  reflection of a deeper, spiritual sickness afflicting the soul. With 
  the right connections, a Witch Hunter can instigate a purge 
  amongst a suspect population, scouring it of the unclean before 
  the taint can take too great a hold. Of course, some Inquisitors 
  of the Ordo Hereticus consider themselves far above the laws 
  of the Ecclesiarchy, and decide to conduct purges within the 
  ranks of the church itself. Such events have, in the past, caused 
  bitter conflicts between the two mighty arms, in which entire 
  planetary populations have burned.
  The most Puritan of Ordo Hereticus Inquisitors are often 
  Monodominants; zealous, intolerant individuals who see 
  damnation and sin wherever they look. These Witch Hunters 
  are commonly itinerant, moving from one world to the next, 
  instigating purges and mass trials that often condemn millions. 
  Some announce their arrival in a system, striking fear into the 
  hearts of the population and flushing out multitudes of the 
  guilty. Others move silently amongst the peoples, watching 
  from the dark shadows, all the while gathering the evidence 
  that damns uncounted heretics to the pyres. Still more assume 
  a false identity, perhaps that of an official of the Adeptus Terra 
  or the Adeptus Ministorum, only to reveal themselves as an 
  Inquisitor at the last.
  As with all of the Ordos, the Ordo Hereticus has its fair 
  share of Radicals. There are plenty of Witch Hunters who 
  subscribe to the dogma of the Recongregators, sewing the 
  seeds of rebellion wherever they go in order to smash apart that 
  which must be rebuilt. To this end, they infiltrate all manner of 
  organisations, from proscribed cults to planetary militia. Illegal 
  sects are encouraged to rise up against the mainstream church, 
  and mutinous garrisons are persuaded to deny the authority 
  of their masters. Sometimes the Inquisitor and his agents 
  bring about such acts by covert means, perhaps tampering 
  with communiqués or bribing key individuals. At other times, 
  they establish themselves as figures of authority, posing as a 
  demagogue or a rogue general in order to lead the organisation 
  into damnation. Once the deed is done, the Imperium wreaks 
  its vengeance, and the destructive cause of the Recongregators 
  is furthered.
  The Ordo Hereticus is as subject to factional in fighting 
  as any other of the Inquisition’s Ordos, much of the conflict 
  revolving around the inherent contradiction in doctrine 
  regarding psykers. The preachers entreat their flocks to cast out 
  the psyker and many cultures believe them to be tainted by the 
  warp and inherently evil. Yet, Imperial Governors are required 
  to gather those who display psychic talent that they may be 
  offered up to the Black Ships of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica. 
  While the Imperial Creed preaches hate and intolerance 
  towards the psyker, the Imperium would not function without 
  Astropaths and many other types of psyker. It is convenient for 
  the Ecclesiarchy to reduce the matter to such black and white 
  terms, so that even the most ignorant of sky-clad feral worlders 
  knows to be ever watchful for the witch in their midst. In theory 
  at least, the peoples of more ‘civilised’ worlds are capable of 
  perceiving the difference between the dangerous psyker newly 
  come into their uncontrollable powers, and one who has 
  journeyed to ancient Terra to be soul-bound with the Emperor. 
  Yet, there are those within every level of the Imperium’s mighty 
  machine who stoke the fires of hatred to their own ends, 
  abhorring the psyker, resenting that Mankind must suffer their 
  continued existence. Even within the Inquisition, where many 
  agents are highly skilled practitioners of the psyker’s arts, there 
  are those who harbour such beliefs, making conflict between 
  Inquisitors of the Ordo Hereticus far from uncommon. 
  While many Inquisitors of the Ordo Hereticus move unseen 
  amongst the mass of Humanity, others make themselves very 
  visible indeed. These are the subjects of many fearful tales, 
  and their very names can strike terror into the hearts of entire 
  planetary populations. By announcing their presence, these 
  individuals often inspire a wave of devotion and piety to sweep 
  across a formally lax world, with mutation and heresy being 
  confessed in unprecedented numbers. Some Witch Hunters 
  convene months-long hearings, in which the guilty are purged 
  from the ranks of the innocent. At the end of these hearings, 
  untold thousands may be burned in the mass pyres to which 
  they are condemned for their crimes. It is not unknown for 
  a world’s population to be decimated by such hearings, and 
  for subsequent tithes to fall short. Of course, allowing such a 
  thing is a crime in itself, for which the Imperial Governor, and 
  therefore the people, are held responsible.
  The Ordo Hereticus maintains links with the Adepta 
  Sororitas, the militant arm of the Adeptus Ministorum. The 
  Sisters of Battle are often found at the very forefront of the 
  war against the traitor and the heretic, and as such often make 
  common cause with the more Puritan Witch Hunters. In 
  times of need, the Ordo Hereticus petitions the Ecclesiarchy 
  for the services of a Mission of Battle Sisters. They could, of 
  course, simply demand the use of the Sisters of Battle, but 
  few Inquisitors would risk spoiling the relationship between 
  their own order and the Ecclesiarchy. The Sisters of Battle 
  are known for their utter piety and their intolerance of the 
  foes of Humanity, making them ideal for assaults against 
  mutant strongholds and proscribed cults. They are armed and 
  equipped with the finest weapons and armour the Adeptus 
  Ministorum can provide. Their signature weapon is the flamer, 
  with which they scour the darkest of places of the taint of 
  the heretic, bringing the blinding light of the Emperor into 
  the most benighted of corners. Accompanied by a Mission of 
  Battle Sisters, a Witch Hunter can bring the judgement of the 
  Emperor to the most terrible of Humanity’s foes.
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  171
  The oRdo xenoS
  “Mankind has never been alone amongst the stars. There have ever 
  been the other races of the universe. It is neither in Man’s nature to 
  share his worlds with the aliens nor in theirs to share with Man. 
  And so there has always been conflict and war. An unending series of 
  wars. Wars of annihilation. Wars of genocide. The alien races are 
  an abomination. We must fight them to their last breath; no quarter 
  asked, none given. Even the places of the alien must be abhorred and 
  shunned. Any trace of their being must be erased from the landscape 
  lest its foul taint blight us.”
  –Inquisitor Grunwald, Ordo Xenos
  The Inquisitors of the Ordo Xenos are dedicated to the defeat 
  of the alien threat; the enemy without. The Imperium is a loose, 
  scattered realm, its million and more worlds spread across three 
  quarters of a galaxy that encompasses hundreds of billions of 
  stars. How many of those stars harbour worlds on which alien 
  life exists is beyond the ken of even of the greatest minds 
  of the Inquisition, but in short, the answer is probably ‘too 
  many’. While many such life forms are primitive or relatively 
  harmless, uncounted numbers are overtly hostile to Humanity, 
  denying Mankind’s manifest right to dominion over the entire 
  galaxy. The eradication of such threats is the sworn duty of the 
  so-called ‘Alien Hunters’ of the Ordo Xenos.
  Although the Imperial Creed teaches that the Human form, 
  being modelled after that of the Emperor is in every respect 
  perfect, and the alien form therefore to be abhorred, attitudes 
  towards aliens vary across the Imperium. On some worlds, 
  the slightest word of intelligent alien life causes mass riots 
  or panic, while on others, alien traders are tolerated. This is 
  dependent on the world in question’s relative situation. Planets 
  out on the fringes may deal with the Imperium but once a 
  generation, and must by necessity sometimes trade with non-
  human neighbours. Some cultures, particularly those with little 
  regard to the laws of the Imperium, mix freely with aliens, and 
  in some backwater regions there exist mongrel underworlds of 
  whatever flotsam and jetsam the galaxy spits out.
  The Ordo Chronos
  Even amongst the ranks of the most learned of Ordo Calixis Inquisitors, few have ever heard the 
  name of the Ordo Chronos, and still fewer have any inkling as to its mission. It is thought that the Ordo 
  came into being as a result of the study of the effects of warp travel and the passage of time. It is common 
  knowledge amongst void farers that occasionally a vessel arrives at its destination much, much later than its 
  Navigator intended, the crew experiencing the passage of mere months for example, while in the material plane 
  many centuries passed. Such events are the subject of many dreadful tales, but are accepted as one of the risks 
  of warp travel. Far less common, however, are those occasions when a vessel has become embroiled in a warp 
  phenomena that has resulted in it being expelled from warp space at a point in time before it actually set out. 
  Though extremely rare, this is the subject of nightmare for superstitious void-farers the Imperium over.
  The Ordo Chronos, so it is believed, was established in the Jericho Reach in order to combat any 
  temporal anomalies that might arise from these, and similar events. Its members became concerned that 
  travellers appearing in their past might somehow alter the proper flow of events, potentially interfering with the 
  fate of Mankind and the intentions of the Emperor. Over several centuries, the Ordo Chronus investigated 
  instances thought to be related to all manner of temporal phenomena, their work expanding beyond the original 
  warp-related events to others, perhaps of a deliberate nature.
  And then, the Ordo Chronos simply disappeared. None know how many members the Ordo had, but it 
  appears that in a single moment, every Inquisitor linked to it vanished or went into hiding. Whispered tales 
  have appeared over the centuries, some hinting at the involvement of renegade factions within the Adeptus 
  Mechanicus and pursuit of certain technologies long forbidden to that ancient brotherhood. How and why the 
  Ordo Chronos vanished, and if its members may one-day return, remain the subject of legend amongst those 
  few who know they ever existed. Some, it is said, await that day, eternally vigilant against the doom such an 
  event might presage for the future of Humanity itself.
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  172
  Aliens take many forms, from the alluring to the hideous, 
  and therefore present a range of different threats. Some appear 
  disturbingly similar to Mankind, such as the enigmatic Eldar, 
  and as such often present an insidious threat to Humanity, 
  particularly where the interests of the two races overlap. Many 
  worlds tolerate the presence of the Eldar at their borders, a 
  degree of interaction occurring. The Eldar are a capricious 
  species however, and have been known to lay claim to a world 
  long held by the Imperium, demanding a population vacates its 
  world or be exterminated. Even worlds populated by Mankind 
  since before the Age of Imperium have been targeted, and bitter 
  wars between Man and Eldar fought for their possession.
  Other aliens are crude and brutal, such as the barbarous 
  Orks. Though sentient, the Orks could hardly be called 
  intelligent, for they appear entirely enslaved to the notion of 
  war and destruction. Perhaps uniquely amongst self-aware 
  species, the Orks have no fear whatsoever of death, and embark 
  upon the most dangerous and destructive of acts with reckless 
  abandon. There can be no reasoning with an Ork invasion, 
  though many desperate planetary governments have tried to do 
  so. Some have succeeded in bribing the warlord of an Ork host, 
  for a time at least, supplying arms and equipment so that the 
  invasion might take some other path. Most simply find their 
  weapons turned against them.
  Other aliens are so different from Humanity as to be 
  considered little more than animals by the xenos biologers of 
  the Imperium. The Tyranids for example are a nigh limitless 
  mass of slavering beasts, yet it is generally accepted by those 
  Inquisitors with experience in fighting the race that they are 
  possessed of some manner of guiding, gestalt intelligence. 
  Individually, most Tyranid creatures have no more intelligence 
  or self-determination than a mono-task servitor, yet in large 
  numbers they utilise highly complex strategies. 
  Less easily classified is a wide range of species that exist 
  as parasites in one form or another. Many void-farers across 
  the Calixis Sector and beyond tell tales of a species often 
  called ‘Flukes’ or, appropriately, ‘Brain Worms’, which slowly 
  rewrite the genetic identity of infected host creatures and thus 
  reproduce in the most hideous manner imaginable. Others 
  would enslave Mankind, making of their prey a sort of worker 
  class over which they would rule.
  Still more aliens are so exotic in form as to be nigh impossible 
  to classify. Some appear based on materials other than carbon, 
  such as the silica-based ‘Stylites’ encountered across several 
  worlds beyond the Periphery sub-sector of the Calixis Sector. 
  The bestiaries of the Ordo Xenos make reference to a host 
  of even more extreme life forms, including some that exist as 
  gaseous clouds, and even one described as an energy being that 
  derives its sustenance from the essence of suns. 
  There are many types of Inquisitor serving the Ordo Xenos, 
  but they often fall into one of two broad camps: those that 
  take a defensive stand against the alien, and those that take a 
  more offensive role. The former moves amongst Mankind, ever 
  watchful for the sign of the alien, while the latter goes out into 
  the interstellar depths, seeking the lair of the xenos, there to 
  destroy it before it does the same to Humanity.
  Those Alien Hunters that move amongst Mankind are 
  adept at discerning the taint of the alien. Through years of 
  experience, they can detect outsider patterns of behaviour 
  amongst an infected populace. They can tell the difference 
  between a human-made relic of pre-Imperium times and one 
  crafted by the hand, claw or tentacle of an alien. Furthermore, 
  they know the risks Mankind faces in dealing with many 
  species, from parasitical genetic manipulation to planet-wide 
  enslavement or slaughter. As with other types of Inquisitors, 
  these individuals may conduct overt purges of populations they 
  consider compromised, or they might move amongst them 
  unseen. Ultimately, the result is the same; a tainted population is 
  doomed, whether at the hand of the Inquisition or the xenos.
  Ordo Xenos Inquisitors of a more militant mindset take 
  the fight directly to the alien. They lead expeditions to worlds 
  suspected of harbouring alien life to determine the degree of 
  threat presented by whatever life forms they discover. Should the 
  Alien Hunter discover a limited threat, they may place sentinel-
  beacons in orbit around the world, transmitting a warning to 
  any vessels that come near. Some worlds are declared ‘perditus’, 
  trespass upon their surface forbidden on pain of death lest 
  life forms be inadvertently transported back to one of the 
  Imperium’s worlds. Some alien life forms are found to be so 
  vile or dangerous that the Inquisitor bearing witness to their 
  existence may determine that they must be eradicated. In such 
  cases, the ultimate sanction of Exterminatus may be invoked, 
  or, if the world itself is thought valuable enough, the Imperial 
  Guard or Space Marines are mobilised to cleanse it of the  
  alien taint. 
  As previously stated, the Imperium is stretched across the 
  greater part of the entire galaxy, and so alien worlds, systems 
  and even empires are to be found not only at the fringes, but 
  also in the so-called ‘Wilderness Zones’ that separate one sector 
  from the next. Thus, even a world far from the Halo Zones 
  might have a planet ruled by a vile alien race for a neighbour, 
  and be forced to constantly defend itself from attack. It is often 
  the Inquisitors of the Ordo Xenos who rally the local forces 
  against such enemies, mustering punitive strikes or leading 
  crusades to purge the human space of the impure alien.
  The Puritan/Radical divide exists within the Ordo Xenos as 
  it does in the rest of the Inquisition. Puritan Alien Hunters are 
  generally those who would destroy every last vestige of alien 
  life in the galaxy, sometimes extending their hatred beyond 
  sentient life to include even life forms with no more than an 
  animal level of intelligence. These individuals believe that 
  Mankind is possessed of a manifest destiny to rule the stars, and 
  that any life form not derived of the ancient crucible of Sacred 
  Terra is anathema. Such doctrine is broadly in line with that 
  promulgated by the Adeptus Ministorum, so the Puritan Alien 
  Hunter has little difficulty in whipping a population up into 
  a rabid frenzy of anti-xenos hatred should it prove necessary. 
  The reality on the edges of Human controlled space is often 
  far more complicated however, particularly if a world has scant 
  contact with the Imperium at large. Convincing the peoples of 
  a world to turn against the aliens with whom they have been 
  trading foodstuffs or raw materials for generations might prove 
  difficult in such instances, for obvious reasons.
  Many Ordo Xenos Inquisitors are quite open in their 
  dealings with some alien races. Only the most Puritan Alien 
  Hunter would consider it a great sin to make common cause 
  with such species as the Eldar for example, and the annals of 
  the Imperium contain many records of Human and Eldar forces 
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  173
  fighting together against such foes as the Orks or Tyranids. 
  More divisive however is the use of alien mercenaries, such 
  as the barbaric and flesh-devouring Kroot. Many Imperial 
  Governors, faced with an immediate emergency, have turned 
  to alien mercenaries for aid, knowing that a response from 
  the Imperium might arrive too late. In such instances, it is not 
  uncommon for an Inquisitor of the Ordo Malleus to instigate 
  hearings and trials, and to test soldiers exposed to the aliens 
  for signs of corruption. In most instances, the matter may pass 
  with relatively few consequences, but should the Inquisitor in 
  question be of a particularly Puritan mindset, entire regiments 
  might be purged and the planetary government deposed as 
  punishment.
  Taking matters still further, there are the Radical members of 
  the Ordo Xenos. These might openly associate with all manner 
  of aliens, some even going so far as to include them amongst 
  their cadres. Depending on the nature of the alien in question, 
  the response of fellow Inquisitors might be severe indeed. In 
  late 977.M41 for instance, one Inquisitor Forstav attended a 
  conclave in the Tricorn Palace, attended by a bodyguard of 
  three-dozen Kroot Mercenaries. The response from Forstav’s 
  fellow Inquisitors when he entered the great hall flanked by 
  his savage companions was mixed, but a sizeable number of 
  Puritans denounced him on the spot. Bloodshed followed, 
  and a number of the denouncers were slain. Unfortunately 
  for Inquisitor Forstav, his Kroot bodyguards set to devouring 
  the flesh of those they had slain, as is their species’ habit, a 
  sight that proved too much for even the most liberal of 
  Inquisitors attending the Conclave. Forstav was forced to fight 
  his way out of the Tricorn Palace, a feat which, amazingly, he 
  succeeded in, making it out, severely wounded, with a dozen 
  of his bodyguard at his side. Inquisitor Forstav is thought to 
  be at large somewhere in the Malfian Sub, and a number of 
  Inquisitors present that day are said to be seeking him still.
  The Ordo Xenos maintains links with an ancient institution 
  known as the Deathwatch. This group consists of individual 
  Space Marines seconded from their chapters to serve in one 
  of the secret Watch Fortresses strategically located across the 
  Imperium. From the Watch Fortresses, small, highly skilled 
  Kill-Teams undertake vital and secret missions at the behest of 
  the Inquisition, against a myriad of threats to Humanity. The 
  Deathwatch operates under a series of pacts and oaths with the 
  chapters that provide Battle Brothers to its ranks, and the deeds 
  of these bold warriors earn their chapters much honour and 
  renown. To be selected to serve for a time in the Deathwatch is 
  one of the greatest accolades a Space Marine can receive, and 
  one of the most dangerous undertakings he can make. 
  “Aliens are scum, they must be eradicated from our worlds, purged from 
  the galaxy, destroyed wherever they appear. However, on occasion they 
  can prove a useful tool…”
  –Inquisitor Taarn
  The oRdo malleuS
  “I shall not counsel you against fear of the daemon: the Emperor 
  knows you have none. But even psycannon and daemonhammer 
  cannot carry the day against such a foe, for what use is the bolter 
  shell against disease, terror and madness?
  No, it is faith! Faith is our impenetrable shield and when faced with 
  such belief the daemon becomes weak. Faith is our fiery sword and 
  with it we burn out the diabolic cancer of Chaos wherever it  
  is found.”
  –Attributed to Lord Inquisitor Hephaestos Grudd
  The Inquisitors of the Ordo Malleus are sworn to defend 
  the very soul of Mankind, concentrating on the defeat of 
  those enemies of Humanity that dwell in the warp; the so-
  called ‘enemy beyond’. Knowledge of such beings is strictly 
  prohibited, but every strand of the Imperial Faith admonishes 
  its adherents against that which would devour the human soul, 
  whether they are known as daemons, evil spirits or any of a 
  million other manifestations. In fact, most preachers are just 
  as ignorant as their flocks. Only the Daemonhunters of the 
  Ordo Malleus know the terrible truth about the fiends that 
  lurk just beyond the thin skein that separates reality from the 
  Empyrean, and they dedicate their very souls to their utter 
  destruction.
  The Inquisitors of the Ordo Malleus delve into secrets so 
  terrible their very sanity is threatened. They learn the secret 
  names of the Daemon, thus gaining power over them, and 
  research the myriad blasphemous ways in which such vile 
  abominations might be called into, and expelled from, the 
  material plane. Such an arduous focus is of utmost importance, 
  for should one Daemon be allowed to manifest, entire legions 
  are want to follow. In no time at all, a full-scale Daemonic 
  incursion is unleashed, entire populations possessed or slain, 
  and in short order, whole planets lost. 
  The Daemonhunters of the Ordo Malleus concern 
  themselves with the prevention of such manifestations, and 
  with combating them should they somehow come about. As 
  such, a great deal of their duties revolve around the persecution 
  of those who would sell their souls to the Ruinous Powers—
  the so-called Gods of Chaos. The malign beings that lurk 
  in the warp promise those insane enough to seek them out 
  nigh unlimited power. The soul of Man is ever covetous of 
  that which it cannot have, and service to the Ruinous Powers 
  appears to offer a quick route to all the power a man can dream 
  of. Although some do attain such power, the vast majority pay 
  a terrible price for their folly as their soul becomes the eternal 
  plaything of the beasts of the warp. 
  The Calixis Sector, indeed the entire Imperium, is infested 
  by all manner of cults and sects devoted to the worship of the 
  Chaos Gods. As such, the Imperium stands upon the precipice 
  of damnation, for were these cults allowed to practice their 
  vile sorceries, then the warp would spew forth upon a million 
  worlds and the soul of Man would be drowned in the sea 
  of Chaos. The Daemonhunters of the Ordo Malleus strive to 
  uncover these cults wherever they may operate, and destroy 
  them utterly lest their activities bring about the end.
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  174
  While the vast majority of Ordo Malleus Inquisitors are 
  utterly devoted the destruction of the Daemonic in all its forms, 
  and could therefore be said to adhere to the Puritan mindset, the 
  Ordo does harbour its share of Radicals. Mostly conforming to 
  the Xanthite philosophy, these are individuals who believe that 
  Chaos can be turned against itself. They utilise artefacts created 
  by the servants of the Ruinous Powers, some even wielding 
  Daemon-weapons as likely to devour the soul of the bearer as 
  to shed the blood of his foe. Some Ordo Malleus Inquisitors 
  even go so far as to practice the sorceries of their enemies, 
  creating blasphemous Daemonhosts for example—human 
  vessels deliberately possessed by the essence of a Daemon—
  that they might bind it to their service against its kind.
  The Ordo Malleus, certainly within the Ordos Calixis, is 
  perhaps the Ordo most riven by internal strife. The bitterness 
  with which the opposing factions face one another is terrible 
  to behold. Even when a confrontation between a Puritan and 
  a Radical Daemonhunter does not end in violence, the hatred 
  between the two camps is a palpable thing. Words exchanged 
  in the relative security of a conclave are remembered, and often 
  repaid in blood many years later.
  The Ordo Malleus has at its disposal one of the most 
  powerful of military arms in the entire Imperium. The Grey 
  Knights Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes is a unique force 
  devoted entirely to the combating of the Daemonic and 
  answerable exclusively to the Ordo Malleus. The Grey Knights 
  are the mightiest of all Space Marines, each a model of such 
  purity that of all the arms of the Imperium, it can truly be said 
  that none of its brethren have ever been turned to the service 
  of Chaos. Beyond even this remarkable fact, each Grey Knight 
  is a master of the martial and the psychic arts, able to combat 
  the Daemon in the physical and the spiritual realms at once. 
  The Grey Knights Chapter is based on the moon of Titan, its 
  Chapter Fortress forbidden ground to all but the most privileged 
  and trusted of individuals. From this fortress, and perhaps 
  others hidden across the Imperium, the Grey Knights travel, 
  at the behest of the Ordo Malleus, aboard the fastest vessels 
  the Adeptus Mechanicus can provide, to combat Daemonic 
  incursions wherever they might be found. Without the noble, 
  self-sacrificing deeds of the Grey Knights, it is probable that 
  uncounted worlds would have been lost to the powers of the 
  warp, and the souls of trillions enslaved by the ravening things 
  of the Empyrean.
  inTeRacTion
  The servants of the Holy Ordos of the Emperor’s Inquisition 
  are empowered to demand of the Imperium’s myriad 
  institutions whatever they deem necessary in the persecution 
  of their duties. Furthermore, none are held to be beyond their 
  authority, save perhaps the High Lords of Terra themselves. 
  In practice however, each Inquisitor pursues his mission 
  according to a unique combination of circumstances, much of 
  which places a practical limit on the extent of his remit even 
  though none exists in theory.
  Furthermore, Inquisitors interact with one another in a 
  range of different ways across the Imperium. In some regions, 
  Inquisitors act almost entirely alone, rarely if ever associating 
  with others of their kind. In other areas, Inquisitors band 
  together into coherent, formalised institutions that over time 
  develop their own traditions and infrastructures. Over the 
  millennia, untold numbers of these institutions have come 
  into being and eventually fallen, for ultimately, the power of 
  the Inquisition resides not in monolithic power structures, but 
  in the individual Inquisitors and the powers vested in them. 
  The Calixis Sector is home to such an institution: the Ordos 
  Calixis. This alliance of Inquisitors has coalesced around the 
  sector, and a number of key individuals, over the last millennia 
  or so, and provides a visible presence in a region seething with 
  all manner of heresies and strife. Despite the looming presence 
  of the Ordos Calixis, the individual worlds and many of the 
  institutions of the sector are still sovereign entities therefore 
  part of the vastly convoluted feudal system of the Imperium. 
  There follows some details of how an Inquisitor might 
  interact with each of the major institutions to be found in the 
  Calixis Sector.
  planeTaRy goveRnoRS
  Regardless of the political system by which a world is 
  administered, there exists a single individual who holds the 
  post of Imperial Commander, or Planetary Governor. Most 
  of the worlds of the Imperium are entirely independent, at 
  least so long as tithes are forthcoming, but others are the 
  domains of such bodies as the Adeptus Mechanicus, the 
  Officio Munitorum or even the Space Marines of the Adeptus 
  Astartes. Even so, there is an official who holds such a 
  rank—a Magos Prime in the case of the Adeptus Mechanicus, 
  a Supreme Prefect in the case of the Administratum, or the 
  Chapter Master or designated regent in the case of the Space 
  Marines. The exact title varies from world to world, but the 
  principle is more or less universal.
  When acting overtly on any of the Imperium’s worlds, it 
  is common for an Inquisitor to go straight the top—to the 
  world’s Imperial Commander. Should the Inquisitor have need 
  of the world’s resources, most cut out the middle men and 
  make their requests—or demands—directly of the individual 
  who holds ultimate power on the world.
  Depending on their demeanour, an Inquisitor might 
  approach an Imperial Governor as a peer, with appropriate 
  ceremony. He might hold court, laying out requirements and 
  pacifying the governor’s ego with honeyed words and shows 
  of respect. Regardless of the words he uses in such instances, 
  no Inquisitor considers himself anything other than above the 
  Imperial Commander, and such players are amongst the most 
  dangerous and effective of the Inquisition’s operatives. Other 
  Inquisitors make no such compromises, riding roughshod 
  over local sensitivities and demanding in no uncertain terms 
  what they require.
  The vast majority of Imperial Commanders comply with 
  an Inquisitor’s demands without hesitation, for even if their 
  people are ignorant of much of the greater Imperium, they are 
  fully aware that they are just one world amongst multitudes 
  and ultimately owe their power to the Adeptus Terra. Some 
  governors might feel wounded by an Inquisitor’s methods, 
  resenting a blunt reminder of the limitations of their own 
  powers. It is still a very foolish Imperial Commander indeed 
  who presents any objection to an Inquisitor’s demands. 
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  175
  It is when the Imperial Commander has something to hide 
  that things get interesting. In such an instance, the Inquisitor 
  is most likely testing the governor, knowing full well that 
  he has something to hide and perhaps seeking to force his 
  hand. In so doing, an especially bold Inquisitor might unveil 
  a rebellion that would otherwise have taken many months 
  of investigation to bring about; the Imperial Commander 
  revealing his treachery for all to see.
  The impeRial guaRd
  The vast armies of the Imperial Guard are drawn from the 
  finest of the planetary regimental tithes, in which one tenth 
  of a world’s military forces are rendered up to the Imperium 
  whenever it is demanded of them. Some worlds go generations 
  without such a tithing being demanded, while others are 
  drained almost dry by constant demands for troops, often 
  depending on the world’s location relative to any ongoing wars. 
  Units pass out of the authority of whatever military institutions 
  produced them, and become part of the vast organisation that 
  is the Imperial Guard. Planetary militias are reformed into 
  Imperial Guard regiments, and often locally manufactured 
  arms and equipment are replaced with mass produced models 
  provided by the Officio Munitorum. New regiments are then 
  shipped out to take part in an ongoing campaign, or sometimes 
  despatched to garrison worlds, to provide a strategic reserve 
  while they await their final deployments. 
  But not all of these regiments reach the wars for which 
  they were raised to fight. Some are instead intercepted by an 
  Inquisitor, requisitioned for service against quite a different foe 
  than they were intended to fight. Depending on the mission 
  and its duration, a single squad or platoon might be detached 
  to serve the Inquisitor, or it might be an entire company, or 
  sometimes the entire regiment.
  As with their dealings with Imperial Commanders, different 
  Inquisitors deal with such matters according to their own 
  character. Some simply arrive at an army’s high command and 
  inform the Chief of Staff of their requirements, leaving it to 
  the officers to deliver the requisite units. Others take entirely 
  the opposite approach and go straight to the unit itself and 
  informing them of their new assignment.
  Again, it would be a very foolish Chief of Staff that refused 
  an Inquisitor whatever he demanded. It has been known for 
  particularly officious staff officers to insist the Inquisitor go 
  through the ‘proper’ logistical channels, demanding reams 
  of paperwork be completed. Such junior officers are usually 
  dealt with by a nearby Commissar before they cause undue 
  offence.
  Once a unit has been requisitioned, the Officio Munitorum’s 
  involvement in the matter is not necessarily at an end. If the 
  unit is to be detached for some time, a supply chain and source 
  of replacements for battle casualties may need to be put in 
  place. Few Inquisitors require the services of such units for long 
  enough for this to be a major concern however, and those that 
  survive their missions are normally returned to the Imperial 
  Guard at some point in the future, more or less intact.
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  176
  One side effect of the nature of the enemies that the 
  Inquisition must often face is the need to contain reports about 
  the specifics of their work. What this means is that many 
  Imperial Guard troops who survive contact with their foe may 
  find themselves purged as a result, lest any hint of corruption 
  remain to be passed on. This is particularly the case when units 
  serving the Ordo Malleus have faced the Daemonic servants 
  of the Ruinous Powers. At the conclusion of a mission, the 
  Inquisition is not above bombing its own troops from orbit, 
  a fate many would consider a mercy, considering what the 
  troopers might have witnessed. Other units are fortunate 
  enough to be mind-wiped, although this is an intensive 
  process normally reserved for skilled troops that the Inquisitor 
  intends to keep in their service and make use of again.
  It is not unheard of for an Inquisitor to requisition the 
  services of an entire Imperial Guard regiment, and for the unit 
  to be slowly whittled down over the course of its engagements. 
  What started out as a 5,000-strong force might, within 
  months, be reduced to a dozen or so grizzled veterans, able to 
  withstand the very worst the Imperium’s foes can throw their 
  way. Sometimes, a single, scarred Guardsman standing at the 
  side of an Inquisitor is the last survivor of an entire regiment, 
  long since become a trusted servant, or indeed, an Acolyte in 
  the service of the Inquisition.
  At times, an Inquisitor has cause to doubt the loyalty of 
  an Imperial Guard unit, or its leader. In the vastness of the 
  Imperium, it is entirely possible for entire regiments, even 
  armies, to simply disappear from the orders of battle, through 
  duplicity or error, or for them to fail to respond to orders issued 
  from many light years away. An Inquisitor who discovers a 
  mutinous or outright renegade Imperial Guard unit inevitably 
  calls upon the services of other Imperial Guard regiments to 
  deal with the outcast. Some Inquisitors make a point of using 
  troops raised from the same world as the renegades to bring 
  them to justice, taking advantage of the zealous desire to atone 
  for the sins of their erstwhile fellows.
  The impeRial navy
  Inquisitors are less likely to make demands of the Imperial 
  Navy than they are of the Imperial Guard, but nonetheless, 
  there are certain circumstances where this might come about.
  The most obvious instance is transport. The Imperium is 
  a vast realm, and travel between planets, even those in the 
  same star system, is far from common. Should an Inquisitor 
  require transport at short notice, they may find it necessary to 
  requisition the services of the Imperial Navy. In most cases, the 
  vessel in question is likely to be one of the smallest of classes, 
  such as a frigate, for the larger capital vessels are dependent 
  upon so many supporting arms that they are rarely able to 
  respond to a request in sufficient time. A small escort vessel 
  might be made ready to make way within an hour of the 
  Inquisitor demanding its services, while a battleship could 
  take many days to make ready and get underway.
  An Inquisitor may not requisition the services of an Imperial 
  Navy vessel on the basis of mere convenience. They might 
  also require the presence that even the smallest of vessels can 
  bring to bear on the worlds of the Imperium. Even a frigate 
  is equipped with substantial firepower, and is able to bring it 
  into play against any target on the surface of a world. Such 
  back-up is extremely useful for an Inquisitorial cadre on  
  the ground.
  As with the Imperial Guard, sometimes a secondment 
  becomes a permanent arrangement. This might be the case 
  with Inquisitors whose investigations take them to many 
  different planets. The Inquisitors of the Ordos Calixis rarely 
  need to requisition Imperial Navy vessels on such a basis, for 
  the region has reasonably well developed trade routes, served 
  by a multitude of shipping concerns, on which an Inquisitor 
  can rely for transport. However, there are those Inquisitors 
  who prefer to maintain a certain independence, and these, 
  much to the chagrin of Battlefleet Calixis, utilise vessels and 
  crews once of that body.
  Imperial Navy commanders are far less likely to renounce 
  their oaths than their ‘mud-wallower’ fellows of the Imperial 
  Guard. This is not a sign of greater loyalty, more one of 
  circumstance, for while Imperial Navy vessels are capable of 
  sustained independent operations, they must eventually put 
  in for refuelling and maintenance, and in doing so utilise 
  the services of not just the Imperial Navy but the Adeptus 
  Mechanicus and many other arms. Unless a renegade crew can 
  locate an illegal facility, or can maintain a façade of loyalty out 
  amongst worlds that know no better, they eventually run out 
  of options. Despite this, some vessels and their crews do turn 
  renegade, joining the fleets of corsairs and privateers. Such 
  cases are normally dealt with by the Imperial Navy, but often 
  the Inquisition becomes involved in the hunt, and then the 
  renegades are doomed indeed.
  The adepTuS miniSToRum
  The Ecclesiarchy is a relatively new institution of the Imperium, 
  having been formed out of the disastrous events of the Age of 
  Apostasy. Before that time, the Imperial Creed was entirely 
  fragmented into multitudinous denominations, each vying 
  for supremacy and often accusing the others of all manner 
  of heresies. After the reformation that followed the Age of 
  Apostasy, the Ecclesiarchy was formed, with a centralised power 
  structure intended to ensure that no repeat of the preceding 
  events was possible. While the Imperial Creed still exists in as 
  many forms as it ever did, there is at least a power structure in 
  place, to which the billions of priests are answerable.
  Relations between the Inquisition and the Adeptus 
  Ministorum can vary enormously. The Ecclesiarchy is jealous 
  of its roles as shepherd of Mankind’s soul and temporal 
  representative of the deified Emperor. The Inquisition, of 
  course, regards itself as the ultimate arbiter and judge, and also 
  answerable only to the Emperor. Needless to say, there exists 
  great potential for the two institutions to come to blows. A 
  great deal of mutual distrust often exists between Inquisitors 
  and the officials of the Ecclesiarchy, a state made worse when 
  the Inquisitor holds anything other than an overtly Puritan 
  outlook. It is perhaps unsurprising that it is the more Puritan 
  of Inquisitors who maintain links with Adeptus Ministorum, 
  particularly those of the Ordo Hereticus. 
  As previously mentioned, the Inquisition often has need of 
  the Battle Sisters of the Adepta Sororitas, but there are other 
  allies that are often of use to the Inquisitor, provided they can 
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  177
  demonstrate a suitably Puritan mindset. Arco-Flagellants are a 
  case in point. Arco-Flagellation is a punishment reserved for 
  the most vile of blasphemers. The condemned is surgically 
  altered in the manner of a servitor, and his mind and spirit 
  are subjected to a ritual cleansing that entirely destroys the 
  personality and reduces the subject to a raving maniac, desiring 
  only to atone for his sins in the uncontrolled frenzy of battle 
  against the Ecclesiarchy’s foes. An even more potent example 
  of the same process is to be found in the Penitent Engine, a 
  purity-seal adorned monstrosity as large as a Space Marine 
  Dreadnought, powered by the raving guilt of a condemned 
  sinner. The Ecclesiarchy creates such constructs by way of 
  punishment of the guilty, setting them loose against their 
  foes. The Inquisition values such machines too, for they are 
  incapable of feeling fear and are entirely expendable.
  Those Inquisitors with a particularly positive relationship 
  with the Adeptus Ministorum may be fortunate enough to 
  find an ally, in the form of a Hierophant. These pious and 
  experienced officers of the Imperial Creed often walk their 
  own path, following the call of their faith wherever it may 
  take them. Frequently, it takes them into the service of the 
  Inquisition, where they are able to combat the enemies 
  of the faith at the very front line of the war for the soul  
  of Humanity.
  The adepTuS aSTaRTeS
  The Space Marine Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes are 
  entirely autonomous bodies, answerable, in theory at least, to 
  none other than themselves in the defence of the Imperium. 
  Despite their independence, the Space Marine Chapters still 
  rely on many other bodies of the Imperium for their continued 
  existence, and over the millennia have developed pacts with 
  many more. Not least amongst these are individual agents of 
  the Inquisition.
  According to their remit, an Inquisitor has the authority 
  to requisition the services of a Space Marine Chapter in the 
  furtherance of a mission. In practice, however, no such power 
  exists, making the Space Marines one of the few bodies an 
  Inquisitor is genuinely courteous to when seeking aid. Should 
  an Inquisitor find himself up against a threat so serious 
  he requires the aid of the Space Marines, he approaches 
  the Chapter Master, or his representative and attempts to 
  negotiate for their services. Sometimes a Chapter Master 
  agrees immediately, dispatching the requested brethren with 
  all urgency. At other times, however, a Chapter Master might 
  flatly refuse to aid the Inquisitor, and feel no compulsion to 
  explain his reasons for doing so. Short of mobilising censure 
  against the recalcitrant chapter, a very rare occurrence indeed, 
  there is little an Inquisitor can do to compel a Space Marine 
  chapter to aid them should they decide not to.
  Despite this potentially fractious relationship, some 
  Inquisitors have developed close ties with particular Space 
  Marine chapters. Others have, of course, made enemies of 
  chapters. Many positive alliances have been formalised over 
  the centuries, so that a given chapter pledges to lend aid to 
  a given Inquisitor should they call. In some rare cases, such 
  undertakings have remained in place long after the Inquisitor’s 
  death, the commitment passing to an Acolyte ascended to 
  the rank of Inquisitor. Such relationships lend an Inquisitor 
  enormous influence both within and without the ranks of the 
  Inquisition, and are much coveted when they come about. 
  Quite apart from the obvious benefits in fighting the enemies 
  of Mankind, few rivals within the Inquisition would dare 
  come to blows over factional differences knowing that the 
  target of their ire is backed up by the Space Marines of the 
  Adeptus Astartes.
  Although most relationships between Inquisitors and the 
  Adeptus Astartes remain more or less neutral, there have been 
  occasions when an agent of the Inquisition has taken it upon 
  themselves to conduct an investigation into the affairs of a 
  given Space Marine chapter. The most likely reason for this to 
  come about is the perception of genetic impurity on the part of 
  a particularly Puritan Inquisitor, often of the Ordo Hereticus. 
  Other reasons an Inquisitor might look into a Space Marine 
  chapter might revolve around questions of loyalty—chapters 
  are not subject to the chain of command of the Imperium’s 
  military forces, and may withhold aid should they decide to. 
  Any Inquisitor who decides to meddle in the affairs of the 
  Adeptus Astartes is taking a great risk, for very few chapters 
  welcome visitors into their Fortress Monasteries, let alone ones 
  who question the chapter’s loyalties. Those who speak out 
  against the Space Marines may find themselves cut off from 
  aid when they most need it, and those who openly condemn 
  them are likely to bring about a war they cannot possibly 
  win, and find themselves bereft of allies within the Inquisition 
  willing to join them in their stand.
  The adepTuS aRBiTeS
  The Adeptus Arbites exist to maintain the laws and codes of 
  the Imperium. The organisation maintains facilities on every 
  world with a sizeable population, from which the Arbitrators 
  sally forth to impose order and bring justice to the guilty. 
  It is the responsibility of the local Imperial Commander to 
  maintain a body of so-called ‘Enforcers’ to impose local 
  laws—the Arbitrators are present to impose those laws that 
  apply across the entire domains of Man, and they are above 
  all local authority.
  This being the case, the Adeptus Arbites have much in 
  common with the Inquisition, and the bodies often find 
  themselves allied against a common foe. All too often, an 
  Arbitrator’s investigations into localised criminal activities 
  turns up links to far more terrible deeds. Many Inquisitors 
  maintain contacts and agents within the ranks of the Adeptus 
  Arbites, who intercept reports that might indicate matters 
  in which the Inquisitor should take an interest. On many 
  occasions an Inquisitor has turned up, seemingly out of the 
  blue, to aid an Adeptus Arbites task force against foes the 
  Arbitrators had little chance of defeating alone.
  Inquisitors quite often requisition the services of the 
  Adeptus Arbites. The Arbitrators are highly professional and 
  devoted servants of the Imperium, and so make ideal allies 
  against the foes of Mankind. Furthermore, the Arbitrators are 
  often gifted with local knowledge the Inquisitor can rarely 
  hope to match, and are able to track down key local figures, 
  from potential allies to outright enemies. 
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  178
  The Adeptus Arbites maintain substantial, grimly imposing 
  fortress-precincts on the worlds they occupy. These fortresses 
  are armed and armoured to a very high level indeed, and 
  often form a bulwark against rebellious uprisings. As each 
  fortress-precinct has its own Astropath, the Arbitrators are 
  often able to send word to the Imperium of an uprising that 
  might have engulfed the world’s government entirely. All too 
  often, an Adeptus Arbites fortress-precinct has proven the last 
  redoubt against anarchy, the few hundred Arbitrators within 
  holding out with grim determination until aid can arrive from 
  off-world. Often, a single Inquisitor and their cadre might be 
  the sole reply to the call for help, but with Inquisitors being 
  the uniquely puissant individuals they are, that might be all 
  that is required to put down the rebellion. Following such 
  incidents it is not uncommon for one or more Arbitrators to 
  become permanent members of an Inquisitor’s cadre, and the 
  precinct authorities rarely object, considering it an Arbitrator’s 
  duty to aid the Inquisition. Indeed, following the fall of 
  Precinct Omega–14 on the world of Baraspine following a 
  localised uprising against what criminal elements referred to 
  as ‘arbitrary brutality’, Inquisitor Vallax recruited every one 
  of the seventy Arbitrators who survived. This elite cadre then 
  took the Emperor’s Law to every world in the Adrantis Sub, 
  punishing ruthlessly countless thousands of criminals. 
  While the Inquisition is likely to find a ready ally in 
  the Adeptus Arbites, it is extremely rare indeed for the two 
  organisations to find themselves coming to blows. Arbitrators 
  and Judges are nigh-incorruptible, and always serve many 
  light years away from their own home world so that they 
  never become embroiled in local politics. This is not to say 
  that no Arbitrator has ever turned from the Emperor’s Light 
  of course, and those few that have fallen have inevitably fallen 
  the furthest. Such was the case when Marshall Gorr of the 
  frontier world of Kudrun one day pronounced that the entire 
  population was guilty of concealing seditious thoughts, and 
  attempted to round up 100,000 citizens. Needless to say, the 
  people revolted, and Gorr was murdered at the hands of an 
  outraged mob. After the event, an Inquisitorial investigation 
  determined that Gorr had come into psychic powers, perhaps 
  those of the telepath, late in his life, and had lost his sanity. 
  The adepTuS aSTRa TelepaThica
  The Adeptus Astra Telepathica is responsible for the operation 
  of the fearful Black Ships. These vast, ancient vessels ply 
  the space lanes on decades-long circuits of the Imperium, 
  gathering at each planet they visit all of the psykers born 
  to that world. These are interred in soul-shielded holds, and 
  eventually brought to Terra, there to be judged worthy of 
  a life in service to the Imperium, or a death in communion 
  with the Emperor. Plenty never even make it to Terra, being 
  judged by their keepers as too dangerous to live a minute 
  more, even in the bleak holds of the Black Ships.
  Due to their mission, there is a fair amount of interaction 
  between the Adeptus Astra Telepathica and the members of 
  the Ordo Hereticus. One of the few obligations of Imperial 
  Commanders is that they conduct regular psyker-purges and 
  render up those they find when the Black Ships arrive. The 
  Adeptus Astra Telepathica employs all manner of arcane 
  enumerations in order to predict the number of psykers 
  the population of any given world is likely to spawn in a 
  single generation, and the quantity grows each year. So, 
  when a world’s offering comes up short of this prediction, 
  the Adeptus Astra Telepathica has cause for concern. If the 
  Adepts’ fears are great enough, they call upon the Inquisition 
  to investigate matters.
  The consequences of a world failing to hand over its 
  psyker population are too terrible to comprehend, and so it is 
  not uncommon for the Adeptus to supply the Inquisitor with 
  specialised Imperial Psykers, should they be needed, in order 
  to combat the threat. Psy-cults are pernicious enemies indeed, 
  able to dominate entire segments of a population. Other 
  groups trade in psyker-slaves, drugging the poor unfortunates 
  and subjecting them to all manner of ritualised trauma in order 
  to ride the wave of thrilling madness they radiate. Others, 
  such as criminal figures, seek to use the psykers’ talents to 
  their own ends. Ultimately however, such misdeeds always 
  lead to disaster. An enslaved psyker escapes and wreaks 
  revenge against all within a dozen miles; the cult delves too 
  deeply into forbidden knowledge and mass possession and 
  daemonic incursion ensue; the unbound pysker looses control 
  of their powers and death and insanity are unleashed. Only 
  the greatest of Witch Hunters can hope to prevail against 
  such foes, and even they request the aid of the Adeptus Astra 
  Telepathica in combating their foes.
  In addition to such aid being provided, Inquisitors, in 
  common with every branch of the Imperium, rely upon the 
  services of Astropaths for communications across the void. 
  These adepts are provided to the many arms of the Imperium 
  by the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, and pledged to the service 
  of the organisation they serve. In the case of the Inquisition, 
  many Inquisitors prefer to maintain the permanent services 
  of a trusted Astropath, that their communications might 
  remain secure and uncorrupted by the actions of their rivals 
  and enemies. 
  Another reason for the relatively close ties between the 
  two organisations is that a large number of Inquisitors are 
  gifted of psychic powers, and therefore were trained in their 
  use by the adepts of the Telepathica. In fact, such Inquisitors 
  owe their very lives to such adepts, for they might have 
  been judged undeserving of life or too weak to control their 
  powers, or else consigned to the Adeptus Astronomican. It is 
  not uncommon for Inquisitors to serve on board the Black 
  Ships themselves, witnessing first hand the methods the 
  Adeptus uses to suppress and control its charges. Arriving at a 
  world, the Inquisitor is able to lend his aid in the gathering of 
  the cull, to ensure that no psykers are withheld, and to make 
  sure the Emperor receives his due.
  The adepTuS mechanicuS
  The servants of the Machine God exist as a nigh autonomous 
  class within the multitude of the Emperor’s servants. They 
  consider themselves outside of many of the laws that govern 
  most of Humanity, and they openly deny many of the teachings 
  of the Ecclesiarchy. Despite that this vast, ancient and highly 
  secretive organisation appears to so openly reject the mores of 
  the Imperium, it is ubiquitous. The reason for this is that the 
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  179
  Imperium simply could not function without the Priesthood of 
  Mars—all of Mankind’s accomplishments would crumble and 
  fall within a generation were the Tech-Priests to not maintain 
  them. Without them, no space ship would ply the void, no 
  army march to war, no raw material be refined and nothing 
  more than a stone hovel be constructed. 
  The Adeptus Mechanicus can at times prove a divisive 
  organisation, for its members care little for the sensitivities of 
  others. They engage in a faith entirely alien to the followers 
  of the Imperial Creed, speak in a language that bears little 
  resemblance to High Gothic or any of planetary dialect, and 
  appear outlandish, even by the diverse standards of a culture 
  as heterogeneous as the Imperium. Furthermore, the tenets of 
  the Tech-Priests’ faith revolve around communion with and 
  adoration of the machine, a concept many God-Emperor-
  fearing people find deeply unsettling, or outright abhorrent.
  The mission of the Adepts of the Omnissiah is the Quest 
  for Knowledge, the gathering of all of the wisdom lost during 
  the distant Age of Strife. The Tech-Priests know that Mankind 
  has forgotten far more of technology than remains intact, and 
  so fight a constant battle to maintain the machines on which 
  so much of Humanity relies. Yet, this is a losing battle, for 
  with each generation understanding gives way to superstition, 
  and the inexorable descent in to barbarity the servants of the 
  Machine God strive to avert continues. In their quest to avert 
  this descent, the Tech-Priests delve into long-sealed repositories 
  of lost technology, unearth god-machines long buried beneath 
  the ashes of forgotten battlefields, and decode the ciphers of 
  reality itself. There are plenty within the Inquisition, as well as 
  other institutions, that believe the Adeptus Mechanicus walks 
  a fine line between duty and damnation, and take it upon 
  themselves to combat a threat they perceive to be as terrible as 
  any posed by alien or daemon.
  There are uncounted records of confrontation between 
  Inquisitors and members of the Adeptus Mechanicus. To date, 
  such battles have largely been confined to small skirmishes 
  fought between bitter rivals, and have rarely flared up into 
  open conflict between larger numbers of either organisation. 
  Indeed, the Inquisition relies upon the services of the Adeptus 
  Mechanicus as much as any other organisation, and so great 
  pains are often taken to ensure personal conflict between 
  individual Inquisitors and Tech-Priests does not escalate into 
  something more damaging. Despite this, many within the 
  Inquisition resent the attitudes of the Adeptus Mechanicus, 
  while many Tech-Priests begrudge interference from  
  the Inquisition.
  There are times when an Inquisitor is forced to request the 
  aid of the Adeptus Mechanicus, perhaps in the investigation 
  of a matter so specialised only a Tech-Priest has the requisite 
  knowledge and skills. At other times, the Inquisitor may 
  have need of the considerable military forces of the Adeptus 
  Mechanicus, perhaps in the form of the mighty Titan Legions. 
  An individual Inquisitor approaching the Adeptus Mechanicus 
  might have little chance of gaining such aid, but with the help 
  of an individual, may find that doors are opened. For this, 
  and other reasons, many Inquisitors foster mutually beneficial 
  alliances with Tech-Priests with whom they have worked in 
  the past, often employing them on their staff. Few within 
  the Adeptus Mechanicus consider themselves oath bound to 
  such an Inquisitor, for their loyalty ultimately lies with the 
  Omnissiah. Nonetheless, such an alliance can prove highly 
  agreeable to both parties when the mission of the Inquisition 
  and of the Adeptus Mechanicus converge. 
  The adminiSTRaTum
  The Administratum is by far the single largest organ of the 
  Adeptus Terra. Untold billions of scribes, factors, bureaucrats 
  and clerks manage the business of the Imperium at every level, 
  upon every world. The Administratum has an interest in every 
  aspect of the running of the Imperium, from the collection of 
  tithes to the proper distribution resources. Therefore, it is only 
  to be expected that an Inquisitor crosses paths with any one of 
  these functionaries in the course of his duties. 
  The main resource the Administratum controls, and which 
  the Inquisition often requires access to, is information. It is said 
  that nothing occurs in the Imperium that is not at some point 
  recorded by an Administratum scribe, catalogued, filed, copied 
  in quadruplet, processed in one of the organisation’s vast data-
  mills and, perhaps many centuries later, archived. Each phase 
  in this process might take months, even years to accomplish, 
  dependent upon the perceived relevance of the information. 
  Unfortunately, the individuals that determine the relevance do 
  so entirely according to their own set of values, often more 
  concerned with the niceties of data-retrieval systems than 
  with any external consideration. Thus, an incorrectly phrased 
  request for military aid might be returned to its sender to be 
  completed again, while that sender’s entire world falls to alien 
  invasion in the meantime. 
  
  VII: Serving the Inquisition
  180
  Despite the staggering inefficiencies of the Administratum, 
  the Inquisition does have great use of its resources. The key 
  to a successful investigation involving the Administratum is 
  to bypass or cut through as much of the red tape as possible. 
  This is supposedly what the Inquisitorial Rosette is intended 
  to facilitate, although many officious scribes treat it more as 
  an annoyance than the Sword of Damocles it truly represents 
  should they stand in the way of the bearer’s duties. Once they 
  have access to the vast reservoirs of data the Administratum 
  maintains, an Inquisitor can filter through millennia of 
  information in the search for patterns indicating the actions of 
  their enemies. Few Inquisitors have the ability or indeed the 
  inclination to undertake such searches themselves however, 
  and most utilise the skills of Sages to mine the data for the 
  information they require.
  As with most other organisations, the Inquisition has had 
  cause to investigate various bodies within the Administratum. 
  At times, entire divisions have been accused of inefficiency on 
  such a vast scale that an Inquisitor has decided to execute many 
  thousands of bureaucrats for their crimes against Humanity. 
  At other times, the activities of a given bureau or department 
  have become corrupted, concealing treachery and criminality. 
  Corruption for personal gain, such as the diverting of resources 
  to a local black market is perhaps the least of concerns, for the 
  extent of the Administratum’s control can lead to entire worlds 
  being lost to the Imperium, falling instead into the hands of its 
  enemies without a single shot being fired.
  coRpoRaTe conceRnS
  Aside from the megalithic institutions of the Imperium, there 
  exist uncounted private concerns, from independent merchants 
  to sector-wide industrial combines. The methods in which 
  such concerns are administered are as varied as the ways in 
  which planets are governed, ranging from sole ownership to 
  mutual investment. The largest of these concerns might come 
  to be noticed by the Inquisition, either as a source of aid, or, 
  if most unfortunate, as the target of an investigation.
  The fact that Inquisitors have little regard for personal 
  wealth or the true value of financial transactions means that 
  rendering aid to an Inquisitor can quite literally spell the 
  end of a mercantile concern. Assets are stripped, personnel 
  requisitioned and resources drained by the simple act of the 
  Inquisitor displaying their Rosette. Yet, to deny such aid is to 
  declare oneself a traitor, and to invite immediate and painful 
  retribution.
  Only the most supremely confident or stupid merchant 
  would hinder an Inquisitor in their duties. Many have tried 
  to deny an Inquisitor the use of a freighter for example, 
  and lost far more than wealth in the process. Others have 
  shown discretion in the face of an Inquisitor’s demands, and 
  withheld complaint, yet harboured a bitter grudge for many 
  years to come. The most powerful of these merchants might 
  come to oppose the workings of specific Inquisitors, out of 
  spite or pride, and in so doing become their enemy.
  The undeRWoRld
  The Ecclesiarchy preaches that the Imperium is beset by sin 
  and criminality, the souls of Man balanced precariously over 
  a seething ocean of damnation. On many worlds this is not 
  an exaggeration. The worlds of the Imperium are ruled with 
  such crushing, totalitarian ruthlessness that many turn to a 
  shadowy underworld in an effort to numb the pain of their 
  existence. The underworld welcomes such lost souls with 
  open arms, providing succour of every possible flavour to 
  those willing to pay the price. 
  Inquisitors care very little for the activities of such 
  recidivists, except where they become something more than 
  petty lawlessness. On whole, such matters are for the Enforcers 
  to deal with, or should they transcend planetary authority, the 
  Adeptus Arbites become involved. All too often, however, a 
  criminal organisation has found itself, knowingly or through 
  ignorance, stepping over an invisible line and drawing the 
  attentions of an Inquisitor. Perhaps an enterprise that started 
  out smuggling luxury items to the idle rich turns out to be a 
  front for a trade in proscribed alien relics. A simply slave ring 
  might find itself providing not forced labour but sacrificial 
  offerings to the Ruinous Powers. As such, many Inquisitors 
  maintain extensive contacts on the fringes of society and 
  beyond, individuals of dubious character willing to pass 
  along certain snippets of information to a master they may 
  not even know, for a suitable price. Thus, the activities of the 
  underworld are monitored from afar, lest something far more 
  damaging than criminality emerge.
  There are times when an Inquisitor finds himself forced to 
  make alliances with certain individuals amongst the criminal 
  underworld. In general, very few Puritan Inquisitors would 
  allow such a situation to come about, although even they have 
  been known to make common cause against a sufficiently 
  dangerous foe, given no alternative. Inquisitors of a more 
  Radical persuasion might actively seek out allies amongst the 
  criminal fraternity, becoming increasingly enamoured of the 
  dark shadows in which such individuals exist, far from the 
  scrutiny of fellow Inquisitors. 
  inquiSiTion pRoTocol
  The Imperium spans over a million worlds across the 
  entire galaxy, encompassing untold numbers of cultures, 
  beliefs, and traditions. Even the mighty Inquisition is 
  affected by the sheer size of the Imperium it protects, 
  and the protocol for Inquisition operations varies from 
  Segmentum to Segmentum. For example, in many 
  sectors, an Interrogator is only raised to the rank of 
  Inquisitor with the consent of three other Inquisitors, 
  and Inquisitor Lords are raised only upon being 
  nominated by another of their number and confirmed 
  by two more Lord Inquisitors.
  
  Games 
  mastery
  The InquIsITor and 
  hIs Cadre
  •
  ThreaTs and 
  Challenges
  •
  runnIng a CampaIgn
  
  VIII: Games Mastery
  182
  Chapter VIII: 
  Game Mastery
  “I hear the footfalls that echo down the corridor that was never taken. 
  I see the light through the door that was never opened, and I smell the 
  scent of flowers that never bloomed. I taste each of the possibilities of 
  the boundless universe and my mouth is filled with blood. There is no 
  future, and the past is a lie.” 
  –the Burnt Seer, Iocanthos 561.M41 
  T
  his chapter is about what the Game Master can do to 
  make this game work, and how to do it. It is about 
  making the setting of Dark Heresy live in the minds 
  of the players; it is about creating adventures of thrilling 
  excitement, and above all it is about making sure that everyone 
  who sits down in a group to play Dark Heresy has fun. 
  Ascension takes Dark Heresy into a wider, more 
  dangerous setting; one that has ever greater possibilities for 
  enjoyment but also possesses a strong set of challenges to 
  Game Mastering. How are the group of players at your table 
  going to work together to make sure that the game is enjoyed 
  by all? How are you going to get the most from the new 
  types of play and threats that this book introduces into your 
  game? What kind of long term game do you want to run? 
  This chapter addresses each of these challenges in turn and 
  offers you advice on how to get the most from the time you 
  spend running ascended games of Dark Heresy. 
  The Inquisitor 
  and His Cadre
  “I am minded to raise you to the position that you have craved and 
  dreamt of for so long. I am, though, reticent. My friend, you are 
  the finest apprentice I have ever tutored and there is no one I would 
  trust more between here and the Golden Throne. Because of this I am 
  loathe to place the burden of our high office on you: Its glitter is a lie 
  and its rewards no more than the dry ash of a funeral pyre”
  –Inquisitor Whitlock to Inquisitor Cydan before 
   Cydan was raised to the rank 
  T
  his section is intended to help you in preparing a group 
  of players that are going to be playing Dark Heresy at 
  the new ascended level presented in this book. While 
  the characters created using this book are more personally 
  powerful than those at the acolyte level, they are also in a 
  different circumstance than acolytes: A group of ascended 
  characters is referred to as “the Cadre.” In the game, the Cadre 
  
  VIII: Games Mastery
  183
  consists of one or more Inquisitors and their most trusted and 
  experienced agents. Each member of the Cadre is a talented 
  individual, each with their own specialisation, and each of 
  whom has a close bond with the Inquisitor they serve. The 
  Inquisitor also serves as the Cadre’s built in leader. The Cadre 
  also has authoritative power that can have a far reaching effect 
  on events—in the form of Influence. This group structure has 
  a number of challenging aspects that can reduce the amount of 
  enjoyment people are having in your game. The best way of 
  making sure that both you and your players have fun is to be 
  aware of the potential issues involved in running an ascended 
  game of Dark Heresy, and to address them with your players 
  as a group before any play takes place.
  Talk to your players about the type of game they are going 
  to play, and get them to talk about it with each other.
  This chapter addresses some of the most common problems 
  that can hamper an ascended group, and gives some advice on 
  how they can be avoided.
  Power and the 
  InquIsItor
  In an Inquisitorial Cadre, the inquisitor (or senior inquisitor 
  if more than one is present) is the person in charge; the other 
  characters work for him, and their power and influence flows 
  from the inquisitor. In most ascended games of Dark Heresy, 
  the inquisitor is a character that is controlled by a player. This 
  means that, on the face of it, one person at the gaming table 
  has power over all the other characters, is in charge of the 
  direction of the Cadre, and by extension the choices followed 
  by the characters within adventures. In some groups this 
  situation causes no, or very few, problems. In other groups 
  this arrangement can have a negative effect on the enjoyment 
  of the players not playing the inquisitor, the player playing 
  the inquisitor, the Game Master, or in fact any combination 
  of people involved in the game. Conversely, having the power 
  of an inquisitor reside in a player-character can lead to a very 
  dynamic, player driven game in which all those involved 
  become highly involved and everyone has a lot of fun. 
  BuT I TrusT no one…
  It is easy for players with experience of Dark Heresy, and 
  knowledge of the background of the 41st Millennium, to 
  fall into an idea of how the Inquisitor relates to his Cadre 
  that is based on them treating the other player characters not 
  as trusted servants and comrades, but as disposable chattels. 
  While this is a paradigm that does exist within the Inquisition, 
  it is not one that fits with an enjoyable roleplaying experience. 
  The inquisitor is in charge, but even if a member of the Cadre 
  is the worst scum in the universe, the inquisitor has reason to 
  value them as a close companion in his holy work, and as a 
  valuable asset into which considerable effort has already been 
  invested and is not to be squandered foolishly.
  While some NPC inquisitors trust no one, have no close 
  confidants, and make bonds of friendship with no one, the 
  Inquisitor that is part of a Cadre in a game of Dark Heresy 
  is not such an inquisitor. The Inquisitor character in the group 
  has a Cadre of other characters that he works closely with. 
  Those playing the characters that make up the rest of the 
  Cadre are playing characters that have a relationship beyond 
  mere service with the Inquisitor. They are, to an extent, valued 
  by the Inquisitor and have a relationship of respect and trust 
  that goes beyond being issued commands and obeying them. 
  This is a fact worth being clear about before anyone rolls the 
  dice, and it is vital that as a GM you discuss this fact with 
  your group of players. The best way to ensure that all players 
  come to the gaming table with the correct idea is to explain 
  this to them, and explain that if one of them is going to be 
  playing the Inquisitor, it is best if he is the type of Inquisitor 
  who has close and trusted servants. This is the premise that 
  informs much of the rest of advice in this chapter. 
  If the players do not wish to play this type of Cadre, consider 
  having the players take ascended characters and keeping the 
  inquisitor as a NPC in the same way as in a normal game of 
  Dark Heresy. An NPC can be as untrusting and uncaring of 
  the player characters as you like while avoiding creating an 
  awkward dynamic between players. 
  The Burden of BeIng an InquIsITor
  One of the most difficult issues with having the Inquisitor as 
  a PC is that it is easy for the person playing the Inquisitor to 
  not enjoy themselves. This might seem implausible; after all, 
  the Inquisitor is the one with the power, the one who is in 
  the lead, the one who all the other characters work for. There 
  seems to be no way that anyone could fail to enjoy playing 
  the Inquisitor. All of the things that make an Inquisitor a 
  great character to play can make it a very difficult character 
  to enjoy playing. Other players can expect the person playing 
  the Inquisitor to make the decisions, and have insight into 
  what is going on in the game. If the Inquisitor player makes 
  a decision that has negative results for the group as a whole 
  he can get the blame for this and eventually not want to make 
  decisions in case they are ‘wrong’ for the group. The other 
  BearIng The seal
  The Inquisition may offer its servants a number of 
  means by which they may be identified. Most often 
  this is in the form of the Rosette, a stylised symbol 
  of the Inquisitional “I” accompanied by a skull. An 
  Inquisitor may entrust his Acolytes and Throne Agents 
  with a smaller rosette or similar “seal of the Inquisition” 
  with which they may prove their authority should it 
  come into question. Other than the Rosette, some rarer 
  forms of this authority may take the form of a heraldic 
  ring, an electoo, a letter of authority, or an illuminated 
  scroll. Whatever its shape, the seal of the Inquisition 
  demands respect, and only the most obstinate or 
  single-minded would dare to ignore such. When an 
  Acolyte or Throne Agent presents the rosette, it is a 
  message saying “This individual is on the business of 
  an Inquisitor. Stand in their way at your peril.” Thus do 
  the servants speak with their master’s voice to do the 
  business of the Inquisition.
  
  VIII: Games Mastery
  184
  players can also have expectations of how an Inquisitor would 
  behave, and if the way that the Inquisitor is being played does 
  not match this expectation, it can disrupt the feeling of the 
  group. An Inquisitor is also a particular type of character: he is 
  competent, driven, and committed to his role. Such a focused 
  character can be very different from more freewheeling, less 
  serious characters that a player may enjoy.
  If enough of the circumstances outlined above occur in 
  your game, you may find the Inquisitor player starts to feel 
  isolated, restricted by what other players want the Inquisitor 
  to be, and under pressure to make the right choices all the 
  time. The following sections give you some suggestions of 
  how to make sure that these problems do not occur in your 
  game. The most important thing you must do as a Game 
  Master is to make sure that the person who is going to be 
  playing the Inquisitor knows what they are getting into, and 
  is clear that they want play such a character. 
  group dIreCTIon 
  Does the fact that, in the game, the Inquisitor is in charge 
  mean that the player that is playing the Inquisitor is also in 
  charge? This is an important question for you to consider 
  before running ascended games of Dark Heresy. It is a 
  question of who sets the direction of the Cadre within 
  the game. The fact is that the character of the Inquisitor is 
  undoubtedly in charge, in the game world. It is also a fact, 
  however, that unless you are running a very unusual group, 
  the person playing the Inquisitor is not, in reality, a highly 
  experienced investigator, leader, master of politics and 
  warrior all rolled into one. They are also, in the real world, 
  one of a group of players who they are quite definitely not 
  in charge of. In other words, the in-game and out-of-game 
  situations are poles apart, but the impact of decisions made 
  by the Inquisitor’s player are not just restricted to the world 
  of the game. 
  While the most intuitive answer is to say that the person 
  who is playing the Inquisitor is in charge, there are other 
  ways of setting up the power structure within the group. The 
  ones that are touched on here include: making use of out 
  of character decisions by the group, and the Game Master 
  giving the Inquisitor player open advice on what is possible 
  and expected within the game. Ultimately the answer to the 
  original question is up to you, but it is vital that you consider 
  not only the needs of the Dark Heresy setting, but the needs 
  of you and your players for an arrangement that is enjoyable 
  and comfortable for all.
  Making decisions
  How important decisions are made is the central issue of 
  how playing an Inquisitorial Cadre either succeeds or fails. 
  Decisions in this context are not those made about whether 
  the Death Cultist should take her matched power blades 
  or power sabre, but are those concerning what the Cadre 
  is going to do. For example a Cadre may have information 
  that the servants of a renegade Inquisitor have infiltrated the 
  Arbites on Landunder with the aim of freeing a heretic held 
  in the Arbitrator oubliette on that world. Is the Cadre going 
  to charge in and conduct an aggressive purge of the Arbites, 
  or are they going to infiltrate the Arbites and see if they can 
  learn more of the renegade’s intentions? This is a decision 
  that effects the direction of the game. It must be clear for 
  everyone who has the final call on this type of decision. In 
  the game world, of course, the Inquisitor would make such a 
  decision or deliberately delegate it to a servant because of their 
  expertise. In the real would of the gaming group, however, 
  simply defaulting to having the Inquisitor player make this 
  decision has risks. First it takes away the involvement of the 
  other players in the direction of the game they are playing in. 
  Secondly it places a lot of pressure on the Inquisitor player to 
  make a good decision. 
  example of losT group dIreCTIon
  Inquisitor Augustus and his Cadre of three trusted companions were 
  trying to unravel a wide ranging conspiracy by the heretical Temple 
  Tendency. They had traced a connection between a known member of 
  the Temple Tendency and a shrine complex on Maccabeus Quintus. 
  The person playing Inquisitor Augustus decided to pursue this 
  lead to Maccabeus Quintus; a decision which was uncontroversial 
  because the group as a whole was of the same mind. When they 
  reached Maccabeus Quintus, an undertone of discontent began to 
  permeate the group. 
  The person playing Inquisitor Augustus decided to not use 
  Inquisitorial authority, but to infiltrate the shrine complex and 
  see what could be discovered. The Cadre’s previous attempts to act 
  covertly had ended badly and the other players were not happy that 
  they were going to try it again. They wanted to try the kick in the 
  door approach; going in with full authority, sealing the complex 
  and committing a full cleansing of all within. However, the person 
  playing Inquisitor Augustus felt that even though the other players 
  had different ideas, their characters would never question their 
  master, and an Inquisitor would never reverse his decision. From 
  that point on the group lost cohesion and the campaign game lost the 
  crucial buy in of all involved and petered out. 
  The cause of this real life example of broken group direction 
  was that each member of the group, especially the Inquisitor player, 
  was reaching their decisions in a way that did not allow for all to be 
  satisfied. There was also no agreed upon way for crucial decisions 
  that affected the entire group to be made.
  using out of Character Consensus
  A very satisfying alternative to having decisions rest with the 
  Inquisitor’s player is to have all players discuss decisions that 
  affect the direction of the game, then make a collective decision 
  on what course of action the Cadre should take. If there are 
  several differing views amongst the players, get them to take 
  a vote, with the Inquisitor’s player having the tie-breaking 
  vote in the case of a deadlock. This discussion, and decision, 
  should be made out of character with the players discussing 
  the situation as players rather than as characters. Once the 
  decision has been made out of character, the group consensus 
  then becomes the in game decision of the Inquisitor. The only 
  potential downside of this method is that it removes some of 
  the Inquisitor’s decisions from his player’s control.
  
  VIII: Games Mastery
  185
  example of  
  ouT of CharaCTer Consensus
  A group of three characters, consisting of Inquisitor Malifica and 
  his two companions Paulos, a hardened killer, and a clever duellist 
  noble called Harn, are on St Astrid’s Fall trying to discover the 
  source of a psy-plague unleashed amongst the dreg population of 
  the blighted planet. They have discovered that an underworld boss, 
  called Vorn, had a connection with each of the locations that the 
  psy-plague was unleashed. However, they also know there is a person 
  at large in the Wreck Expanses who may be the creator of the psy-
  plague. The direction that the Cadre takes at this moment, and how 
  they want to take their next steps is resolved by the players discussing 
  their options out of character. 
  Harn’s player says that he thinks that it is a best to go after 
  Vorn in a raid, as he his itching to get his character into some direct 
  combat. Paulos’s player would like to go for a raid as well, but more 
  importantly he thinks that Malifica’s Cadre has so far proven to have 
  a very direct and brutal approach to problems, and thinks it would 
  be more in keeping with this established style to requisition some 
  help and go in to get Vorn guns blazing. Inquisitor Malifca’s player 
  was thinking of pursuing investigations in the Wreck Expanse, and 
  trying to find the plague’s creator, but as the group agreed to make 
  collective decisions, he agrees to raid Vorn’s hideout. 
  The in character rationalisation for the decision is that the 
  unforgiving Inquisitor Malifica has decided that the fastest way to 
  resolve the investigation is to bring all those who might harbour 
  information to the question. Thus, he orders his Cadre to make 
  preparations to raid the known location of the recidivist underworld 
  boss called Vorn. 
  Character Knowledge 
  An Inquisitor with a Cadre is a leader of men and a hardened 
  warrior in the battle against the darkness. He has mastered 
  great and terrible arts and has skills beyond those of the 
  common man. The player of an Inquisitor is almost certainly 
  not, in realty, the same type of person as the character he 
  is playing. Of course the whole point of role-playing is for 
  a player to take on the mantel of a character who is very 
  different from himself. However, in the case of the Inquisitor, 
  his in character decisions effect not just himself but the group 
  as a whole, and have to be seen in that light. The player 
  of an Inquisitor, for example, might not know how to set 
  up a covert intelligence operation but the character they are 
  playing certainly does (their character sheet has Shadow Craft 
  Mastery written on it after all). 
  You, as a Game Master, have to make allowances for the 
  fact that an Inquisitor, by definition, knows what they are 
  doing. If a character has the relevant skills to understand how 
  to do something, but the player has not the first clue, give 
  him some ideas of what you would consider reasonable. Help 
  him make good informed choices that support the character 
  he is playing. In particular, give him some indications of what 
  a skilled and knowledgeable professional would do when 
  making decisions that would affect the group as a whole. In 
  doing this you are not removing player choice, but simply 
  helping the players simulate the reasonable response of their 
  characters to the challenges they face.
   For example, Inquisitor Barrabas is a master of covert 
  operations. The character is built with skills and talents 
  specifically so that he can effectively run his investigations 
  and actions without having to make it known who they 
  are. It is decided that Barrabas and his Cadre are going to 
  go undercover within the Imperial Guard forces on Tranch. 
  The Inquisitor player is currently thinking that they should 
  just grab a transport, purloin some military gear, and turn 
  up saying they are reinforcements. Given Barrabas’ mastery 
  of covert operations, the GM suggests that he might also 
  consider creating a set of false military identities using his 
  influence with the Departmento Munitorum. If members of 
  the Cadre could procure the relevant identities, equipment, 
  and authenticated orders, that would allow them to infiltrate 
  the command ranks as advisors, or the front line units as 
  replacements. Based on this information, the player controlling 
  Barrabas and the rest of the group can make their decisions 
  knowing that they are not just blundering into disaster but 
  are acting as highly trained professionals would. 
  how the Cadre 
  FunCtIons
  An Inquisitor’s Cadre is a group of experts who have all been 
  brought together by the Inquisitor for a single purpose: to 
  aide him in his efforts to protect humanity from the manifold 
  threats that it faces. The Cadre is the Inquisitor’s closest 
  comrades and servants and each has been selected because of 
  skills and abilities that are of use to the Inquisitor. This is the 
  in game rationale behind an Inquisitor’s Cadre, but without 
  careful guidance by the GM, the reality of playing a member 
  of such a group can be somewhat disappointing. This section 
  is about deciding how the Cadre functions, both in the game 
  setting and as a group of characters being played by a people 
  that want the experience to be as much fun as possible.
  Talk aBouT IT
  The best way to avoid many of the pitfalls that can beset a 
  Cadre of ascended characters is to get your players together and 
  talk about their characters, the group, and how they all work 
  together. It is best to have this discussion with all the players 
  present before play begins and preferably before ascended 
  characters are created. Whether the characters involved are 
  freshly created for ascended level play, or characters that have 
  progressed to this stage from being acolytes, it should be no 
  different: make time for everyone to talk about the Cadre. 
  This type of discussion should focus on the type of 
  Inquisitor who leads the Cadre, what his relationship is with 
  its members is and how they work together as a group. If you 
  run your game in regular sessions, put aside a full session for 
  this discussion along with character creation, or progression 
  to ascended status. If your gaming sessions take a different 
  form, try to put aside at least two hours. This might seem an 
  overly lavish amount of time, but it is worth it. Suggested areas 
  of discussion, and how you might approach them, follow. 
  
  VIII: Games Mastery
  186
  the nature of the Inquisitor
  The nature of the Inquisitor is of key importance to a Cadre 
  and the type of characters it contains. For example a secretive 
  Inquisitor who prefers to work in the shadows would be ill 
  suited to a Cadre of bombastic warriors whose first reaction to 
  any situation is to pour on the burning promethium. Ask the 
  player who is going to be taking on the role of the Inquisitor to 
  talk about how he sees the Inquisitor character. Other players 
  should be encouraged to ask questions about the Inquisitor, 
  his character, motivation and relationship with the rest of the 
  Cadre. You may also find it useful to give the Inquisitor’s player 
  the following questions in advance to help him prepare. If none 
  of the players cover these questions you should ask them.
  • How does the Inquisitor prefer to conduct operations?
  • How does the Inquisitor treat his Cadre?
  • Why does the Inquisitor trust the members of his Cadre?
  • How does the Inquisitor treat those outside his Cadre?
  If the Inquisitor’s player is open to it, a useful addition to 
  this discussion can be encouraging the other players to make 
  suggestions about the nature of the Inquisitor and for the player 
  taking on that role to take on those ideas that appeal to him. 
  what I am to You?
  Once it is clear what type of Inquisitor has formed the Cadre, 
  it is time to work out what the relationship is between the 
  other characters and the Inquisitor. This process is intended to 
  give all the players points to guide them as they start to play 
  as part of a Cadre that has been handpicked by the Inquisitor 
  PC. One of the best ways to do this is to give the players 
  some time to think and then to answer the following two 
  questions: 
  • What does character do as part of the Cadre?
  • What is the most important part of the character’s 
  relationship with the Inquisitor?
  Both of these questions should be answered in as short, and 
  evocative a phrase as possible. For example, a player might say 
  of their character that they ‘kill by the will of the Emperor 
  and my Master”, and that to the Inquisitor “I am an unpleasant 
  necessity.” Get the players to write down what is said and 
  make sure you take notes. Once everyone has had their say, 
  summarise what has been agreed to by going through the key 
  points of the nature of the Inquisitor and what each of the 
  members of the Cadre do and what they are to the Inquisitor. 
  example of Cadre CreaTIon
  Four players have decided to play an ascended game of Dark Heresy. 
  John says that he would like to play the Inquisitor, the other players 
  have no problem with John taking on this role. The GM schedules 
  an evening session for creating the ascended characters and deciding 
  how the Cadre functions. Having talked with the GM, John comes 
  to the session prepared and has thought about the kind of Inquisitor 
  his character is. His character is Inquisitor Barrabas, a newly raised 
  Inquisitor who prefers to operate covertly wherever possible. Barrabas 
  treats his Cadre with friendly respect born of long years of working 
  closely with them all as a fellow acolyte. He frequently consults with 
  his Cadre to formulate his plans, particularly in areas where they 
  have specialist knowledge. He trusts his close Cadre members because 
  most were fellow servants of his old master; he has worked with them 
  for decades. Barrabas is naturally suspicious, and though he generally 
  deals diplomatically with those outside of his immediate circle of 
  confidants, he never truly trusts anyone until he is given good reason. 
  The other players are going to be ascending their characters to an 
  Interrogator, a Desperado and a Primaris Psyker. Having considered 
  what John has said about the Inquisitor, each player in turn says 
  what their character does as part of the Cadre, and what is the most 
  important part of their relationship with Inquisitor Barrabas. Paul, 
  who is playing Interrogator Flavius Norn, says that his character 
  is the ‘infiltrator spy’ of the Cadre and that to Barrabas he is a 
  ‘temperamental apprentice.’ Ed, who is playing Gregorious the 
  Desperado, says that his character is ‘the Cadre’s access into the secrets 
  of the underworld,’ and that to Barrabas he is ‘an indulged friend.’ 
  Kate, who is playing Zamura, the Primaris Psyker, says that she is ‘the 
  Inquisitor’s bodyguard’ and ‘trusted above all.’
  a Fragment of the Past 
  It can be very useful to get the players to agree on how they 
  ideally work together before you start throwing situations at 
  them. By doing this, they get an idea of what their operational 
  role is within the Cadre; be it information gatherer, muscle, or 
  wielder of subtle influence. You may choose to simply ask the 
  players how their characters work together, but an effective 
  and fun alternative is to cooperatively create a description of 
  an operation they successfully undertook together. If you like, 
  give them a title or theme to work with such as “The Purging 
  of the House of Xaidis,” and maybe some general details such 
  as it concerned a cult of Slaanesh. Then go from player to 
  player asking them for a detail of how the operation went. If 
  the player stalls, give him a leading question that contains some 
  invented detail such as “how did you discover that the enforcers 
  were corrupt?” This gives him something to latch onto. This 
  kind of thing can enjoyably go on and on, but try and keep 
  it to no more than a quarter of an hour. If it is not reaching a 
  natural end, bring it to a close by asking the Inquisitor player 
  to say how the operation was finally concluded. 
  This is free form group story creation, and while it can be a 
  lot of fun on its own, it is used in this context to give the players 
  examples of what their characters do and provide a prompt that 
  they can use to understand how their character fits into the 
  Cadre before playt begins in earnest. This technique can be 
  useful to help experienced players and beginners alike make 
  the mental switch to the type of play required by Ascension. 
  
  VIII: Games Mastery
  187
  Threats and 
  Challenges
  “There is no better measure of a man than the quality of his enemies.”
  —attributed to Inquisitor Marr
  T
  he threats and challenges faced by ascended level 
  characters are great and terrible. Just as the characters 
  have grown, so have the power of their enemies and 
  the consequences of failure. Placing challenges of character 
  and consequence before the players is a key duty that you, as 
  a Game Master, has. This section aims to help you by looking 
  at the kinds of threats that you can use, and how to use them 
  to create the most enjoyment for the players. Remember that 
  just because the player characters have become vastly more 
  powerful, it does not mean that they are immune to mortal 
  threats, or can stride through all challenges. It simply means 
  that these mighty individuals must be faced with challenges 
  that test them to the utmost. The characters may be masters 
  of combat, but how can you kill a sector spanning conspiracy 
  of thousands of unknown people with a single sword? Those 
  enemies that the characters are likely to face and fear are 
  powerful and cunning foes who strike with as much might 
  and subtly as the characters themselves. In an ascended game 
  of Dark Heresy, the characters are no longer fighting battles, 
  they are conducting a war. 
  there Is no 
  satIsFaCtIon  
  wIthout toIl
  Much of the enjoyment to be had from Dark Heresy comes 
  from the idea that the pleasure experienced by players when 
  their characters succeed is most profound when that success is 
  hard won. This principle is the key to most of the suggestions 
  given in this section. 
  A character has to have used their skills, risked failure, and 
  suffered setbacks and losses before succeeding. The possibility 
  of failure must also be real and understood by the players. 
  If they do not think they can fail, then there is very little 
  satisfaction and pleasure to be gained from succeeding. Failure 
  should also have consequences, which should vary according 
  to the circumstance and degree of failure. For example, a 
  player whose character is facing a deadly opponent in combat 
  should know that there is a possibility of his character dying. 
  That is not to say that you should seek character deaths, or 
  make it as hard for them as possible, but you should allow 
  their success or failure, survival or demise, to rest within 
  their power. If you are always letting them avoid negative 
  consequences, players have a tendency to be unexcited by 
  their successes; after all, it was always going to go their way. 
  seTBaCks
  Consequences do not need to be as unforgiving as ‘succeed 
  or face total failure.’ Often, the best consequence of failure is 
  something that sets characters back in what they are trying to 
  achieve. Succeeding after having faced setbacks is often much 
  more enjoyable a role-playing experience for most than an easy 
  success. These kinds of setbacks are good consequences. They 
  do not remove the possibility of the characters succeeding, 
  but make that success move further away and a catastrophic 
  consequence move closer. 
  For example: A character is trying to gain access to a 
  guarded cell block by using a false identity and lying. If the 
  character fails their skill test, it does not mean that the guard 
  raises the alarm. Rather it means that the guard is going to 
  get additional confirmation on the character’s identity. The 
  character is going to have to do some fast talking to distract 
  or dissuade the guard from this course of action. If they fail 
  again, they suffer a further setback that puts them under more 
  pressure and moves closer the ultimate consequence of the 
  guard drawing his weapon and hitting the alarm. The character 
  might still gain entry to the cell block by deceiving the guard, 
  but they now have an additional obstacle to overcome.
  steps towards disaster 
  When you are considering what the consequences of a 
  character’s failure should be, it is a good idea to try and keep 
  in mind what the character is trying to achieve, and what 
  ultimate consequence is of it going as wrong as it can. This 
  
  VIII: Games Mastery
  188
  is the potential disaster that befalls the characters if they fail 
  enough and do not recover. The best role-play experiences 
  come not from jumping to the disastrous consequence from 
  a single failure, but by letting failures become steps towards 
  that disaster. This allows the characters to make their position 
  better or worse by succeeding or by further failure. It allows 
  them to come up with plans on the fly, take desperate actions, 
  and perhaps pull off an amazing comeback from the brink 
  of disaster. 
  For example, consider a character trying to get into the cell 
  block with a false identity. He is trying to get into a guarded 
  cell block. If things go as badly as possible, the character’s 
  deception is going to fall apart, and he is going to be caught 
  in a secure facility with guards carrying a lot of weaponry. 
  This is the disaster state that lurks as the character’s ultimate 
  consequence of failure. When he first fails to successfully 
  convince the guard, the guard gets suspicious and the disaster 
  state edges closer. The character tries to dissuade the guard 
  from checking his identity further by using intimidation. This 
  also fails. Now the guard is getting very suspicious, and so the 
  character decides to cut his losses and knock the guard out 
  with a toxin injector. The character fails to get close enough 
  to use the injector before the guard notices. They struggle, 
  the guard breaking free to slam his palm down on the general 
  alarm button. Bulkheads start slamming closed, and the sound 
  of running armoured feet echoes towards the character; now 
  he has to fight for his life.
  there Is alwaYs a 
  BIgger FIsh
  It is a theme of Dark Heresy, (and the universe of Warhammer 
  40,000 in general), that no matter how powerful an individual 
  or group, there is always something or someone that is more 
  powerful than they are. This theme is worth bearing in mind 
  when setting challenges for characters in an ascended game of 
  Dark Heresy. There can be a temptation to say that an enemy 
  should be only as powerful as the characters. Try to avoid this 
  temptation and be honest with the powers of the characters’ 
  rivals and enemies: if the enemy is terrifyingly powerful than 
  that is how powerful they should be. It is also worth making 
  sure that you occasionally expose the characters to something 
  much more terrible than they are. This can be as simple as 
  having their attempt to manipulate an organisation crushed 
  by an inquisitor lord, or letting a daemonhost off the leash 
  for a single round of combat. Of course you must be careful 
  in using such powerful challenges; in general the goal should 
  be to escape or minimise the impact of coming up against 
  such powerful threats. You are not aiming to annihilate or 
  belittle the power of the Cadre, just to remind them that in 
  the 41st Millennium there is always something bigger and 
  more terrible than they are.
  the IMMedIate threat 
  An immediate threat is something that is present in the same 
  place as the characters and has a direct effect on them. A 
  massive plasma charge counting down through a detonation 
  sequence in the same building as the characters, or meeting a 
  pack of cannibal hive dregs unexpectedly while investigating 
  a missing noble are examples of immediate threats. These 
  kinds of threats are the basic building blocks of action within 
  games of Dark Heresy. An immediate threat contains the 
  possibility of the characters being harmed or killed. To 
  overcome the threat, the characters usually have to fight or 
  flee, and their personal skill with weapons and ability to 
  avoid being damaged is crucial. Most games of Dark Heresy 
  include a lot of immediate threats and ascended games are no 
  different. What is different, however, is that the characters 
  themselves are much more personally powerful, and are more 
  than a match for opponents that would crush an acolyte cell. 
  Added to this is the fact that an Inquisitorial Cadre can call 
  upon formidable allies by using Influence. This means that 
  they can be expected to shrug off most immediate threats if 
  you, as the GM, do not confront them with immediate threats 
  that take the powers of ascended characters into account.
  CunnIng opponenTs
  The most obvious way to make immediate threats remain 
  challenging for an ascended group of characters is to make 
  their opponents more resilient and more capable of doing 
  damage. This is a perfectly legitimate way of maintaining 
  the level of challenge, but rather than just making opponents 
  bigger and harder hitting, make some of them intelligent, 
  competent and well trained. Make the enemy cunning. For 
  example, a Logician murder cell that is trying to kill the 
  characters might wait for them to be engaged with a much 
  weaker enemy. They might get as close as possible before 
  launching their attack on the distracted characters. An arch 
  heretic is likely to have several escape plans that, should he be 
  attacked, he uses rather than stand and fight. If they have time, 
  cunning opponents plan ahead based on their knowledge 
  and abilities rather than just charging in. Consider again a 
  Logician murder cell; it is likely to be made of no more than 
  a handful of competent killers who are superbly equipped. 
  They are unlikely to want to meet an Inquisitorial Cadre 
  head on, but instead plan to isolate the members of the Cadre 
  using weapons like blind grenades and stun grenades. Having 
  isolated the Cadre members, they gang up on them—trying 
  to take out each one quickly and move on to the next before 
  the others can react.
  goIng on The offensIve
  Enemies in an ascended game can and should be used to 
  bring the fight to the Cadre. Rival inquisitors, powerful 
  sector spanning cults, and conspiracies within the great 
  organisations of the Imperium, are all capable of going on the 
  offensive against an Inquisitorial Cadre. Rather than waiting 
  for the characters to come and get them, or simply reacting 
  to counter their actions, the Cadre’s enemies can mount their 
  own operations. These types of immediate threats have the 
  most impact if they occur in areas that the characters (and 
  players) have become attached to and feel safe in, such as 
  their base of operations, the ship they use for transport, or the 
  bastion of a trusted ally. The aim of this type of threat is not 
  
  VIII: Games Mastery
  189
  to kill the characters. In fact, it is important that they have an 
  opportunity to fight back and overcome the attack (see the 
  There is No Satisfaction Without Toil section on page 187 
  in this chapter). Rather, these offensive plays by enemies put 
  the characters into the position of being on the defensive and 
  having to react. They also make the battle between the Cadre 
  and the enemy personal; the players really want to take down 
  an enemy that has come after them.
  example of a CunnIng enemy 
  goIng on The offensIve
  The Game Master decides to begin a new adventure arc for his players 
  with a bang. He is going to bring the plot right to the characters’ 
  doorstep. The enemies are the Logicians, who have decided to take 
  Inquisitor Barrabas, who they erroneously believe has information 
  on a repository of heretical gene-tech lore called the ‘Archive of 
  Artemisia’, captive. In fact, Barrabas has never even heard of the 
  Archive of Artemisa. The twist is that the Logician information is 
  wrong and has been secretly fed to them by a radical inquisitor who 
  wishes to have Barrabas out of the way. The Logicians have sent 
  a team of three Ashen Tear Assassins and a renegade tech adept 
  to capture Barrabas alive. The Logicians know, again through the 
  treachery of Barrabas’s radical enemy, that he and his Cadre are in 
  residence in a small, archaic tower on the edge of one of Maccabeus 
  Quintus’ shrine complexes. 
  The GM decides that being trained, technologically enhanced 
  assassins led by a renegade tech adept, the Logicians are going to 
  disable the tower’s security measures (with the possibility of this 
  going wrong and the alarm going off). The Ashen Tear Assassins 
  with thermographic augmentation then infiltrate into the building, 
  locate the Inquisitor and wait hidden and silent. The renegade tech 
  adept has set up remotely detonated charges on the power supplies 
  and communications to the tower. Once the assassins are in place, 
  he detonates the charges, plunging the tower into darkness. At this 
  moment, each of the assassins detonates hallucinogen and smoke 
  grenades, filling the air within with thick smoke and mind-bending 
  toxins. They then converge on the Inquisitor and attempt to disable 
  him with web pistols and paralysing toxins from their MIU  
  needle pistols. 
  the ConsPIratorIal 
  threat
  The conspiratorial threat is one that happens at a distance 
  from the characters, out of their direct sight and ability to 
  personally affect. Someone systematically murdering the 
  Cadre’s allies across the sector or trying to damage their 
  ability to influence the Ecclesiarchy within the sector are 
  conspiratorial threats. Whereas immediate threats demand the 
  characters attention ‘right now,’ conspiratorial threats can burn 
  slowly, growing in strength and danger if not confronted. To 
  overcome a conspiratorial threat, the characters usually have 
  to spend time discovering who, or what is moving against 
  them and then move to destroy the source of the threat. This 
  process usually involves the extensive use of Influence, as 
  well as direct interaction and prevailing over a number of 
  immediate threats. Because of this, a conspiratorial threat often 
  takes much longer to overcome than an immediate threat. 
  Unsurprisingly, conspiratorial threats commonly form the 
  basis of a campaign arc (though it is fun to keep one running 
  in the background while a separate campaign arc is being 
  run: for more details see the Ascended Campaigns section on 
  pages 191–194 of this chapter). These conspiratorial threats 
  are key to what makes an ascended game of Dark Heresy 
  different; the characters are people who have the ability to 
  effect and influence at a distance, and so are their enemies.
  enemIes of ConsequenCe
  Central to creating a conspiratorial threat for your game is the 
  idea that some of the characters’ enemies have a significant 
  ability to effect things far beyond their immediate presence. 
  Such an enemy may be another Inquisitor, a corrupt planetary 
  governor, a cult which has adherents in the highest circles of 
  power, or a master criminal who is held in fear by the entire 
  underworld. The first step to creating a conspiratorial threat 
  for your players is to decide who is behind that threat. Once 
  you have decided on a suitable enemy, you should consider 
  poTenTIal enemIes
  If you are in need of suitable individuals or organisations 
  to use as the source of a conspiratorial threat, here are 
  some suggestions from other Dark Heresy sources:
  Coriolanus Vestra (Disciples of tHe Dark GoDs 
  page 194): A former missionary who operates as a form 
  of facilitator between diabolic cults across the Calixis 
  Sector. A conspiratorial threat with Vestra at its heart 
  could use many different cults as its tools and would 
  likely involve the use of sorcery and murder.
  Achimedes Noxt (creatures anatHema pages 7 
  to 8): A unique and powerful mutant who is a figure of 
  legend and fear in the underworld. Noxt could form a 
  conspiracy which aims to destroy the Cadre’s influence 
  on a particular planet where it conflicts with his  
  own plans.
  House Krin (Dark Heresy: Rulebook pages 312 
  to 313): House Krin is a noble family of immense 
  wealth who bankrolls much of the commerce within 
  the Calixis Sector. As an enemy, House Krin is capable 
  of cutting away the Cadre’s political influence within 
  the sector, bribing their allies, and hiring mercenaries 
  and specialists of the highest quality. 
  The Temple Tendency (Disciples of tHe Dark 
  GoDs pages 31 to 39): The Temple Tendency is a 
  heretical cult that wishes to sweep away the Ecclesiarchy 
  and its influence. They are highly secretive, but have 
  infiltrated the highest circles of power within the 
  sector. A conspiratorial threat initiated by the Temple 
  Tendency is likely to be subtle and work in the form 
  of whispers and disinformation that undermine the 
  Cadre’s influence, or even puts them in direct conflict 
  with other powerful organisations. 
  
  VIII: Games Mastery
  190
  how that enemy is capable of moving against the Cadre. Are 
  they likely to favour violence, espionage, political warfare or 
  some other means? Also decide why this enemy is going to 
  conspire against the Cadre, and what they hope to achieve by 
  doing so. Is it to prevent discovery? Is it revenge, or because 
  the Cadre has something the enemy wants? Finally, you must 
  decide what the enemy is going to do.
  ruIn and deaTh
  A conspiratorial threat normally aims to harm the characters’ 
  influence, their allies, and their holdings. In attacking these 
  parts of the characters’ power, a conspiratorial threat does 
  more than just kill the characters, it tries to destroy their 
  ability to operate. Two ways these aims may be accomplished 
  are by the enemy attacking allies and servants of the Cadre 
  out of their sight, and by using influence to turn their allies 
  against them and so shut off their ability to use their influence 
  in turn.
  attacking out of sight
  This is essentially killing, kidnapping, or maiming the allies, 
  associates, or vassals of the characters off-screen. For example, 
  you may decide that the enemy is going to use mercenary 
  assassins to kill the Cadre’s acolyte network, or you may 
  decide to simply have a key ally within the Arbites vanish 
  overnight. When attacking the characters’ network of power 
  and influence, it is usually best to do it progressively as it gives 
  the players the chance to react and be drawn into finding out 
  what is going on and stopping it. Gradually picking off the 
  characters’ contacts and allies also creates an atmosphere or 
  fear and paranoia amongst the players.
  turning allies to enemies
  As opposed to physically attacking the acolytes, a conspiratorial 
  threat can also attempt to turn others against the characters. 
  For example, they may be framed as being responsible for an 
  atrocity that they did not commit, thus turning friends within 
  the Inquisition into enemies. You can use the influence related 
  talents that the characters possess as a guide to potential targets. 
  If they have a Good Reputation relating to the Ecclesiarchy, 
  an enemy might attack this part of the characters’ influence 
  by bribing key figures in the Ecclesiarchy to start poisoning 
  their reputation. Of course this type of attack on influence 
  might also be combined with the murder of the characters’ 
  close allies within the Ecclesiarchy. 
  
  VIII: Games Mastery
  191
  example of a  
  ConspIraTorIal ThreaT
  A hidden enemy of Inquisitor Barrabas’ within the Ordos Calixis 
  has decided that, after the failed attempt by the Logicians to kidnap 
  him, the best way to deal with him is to discredit him and cripple his 
  influence within the Holy Ordos. The hidden enemy has considerable 
  influence and a number of agents at his direct control. Above all 
  the enemy wishes to weaken Barabbas’ political strength so that he 
  can be removed from play more easily, and so decides to use others 
  as his weapons. He knows that Barabbas has an extensive acolyte 
  network that gathers much of his intelligence and allows him to act 
  at a distance. He also knows that Barabbas is well respected as a 
  conciliator within the Holy Ordos. The enemy uses intermediaries 
  to engage the Sons of Dispater to track down any known cells of 
  Barabbas’ acolytes, torturing them for information on other acolytes 
  in Barabbas’ service, and then continuing the pattern until the 
  network is completely removed. The enemy also sends one of his 
  personal Cadre, a sorcerous assassin, to murder a respected savant in 
  the service in the Tricorn Palace on Scintilla. Barabbas is implicated 
  in the murder and his reputation within the Ordos Calixis is reduced 
  to tatters. With his acolytes dying and no where to turn, the hidden 
  enemy then waits until Barabbas is either denounced and killed by 
  other inquisitors or weak enough to make direct assassination easy.
  Running a 
  Campaign
  “We are fighting a war, the beginning of which none can remember 
  and the end of which none of us shall ever see. It is a war without 
  boundaries, without rules or principle, a war that must be fought 
  without conscience, without remorse, and without limit. There is no 
  reward for victory, only a price for failure.”
  —Address by Inquisitor Herrod to the forces of the IX 
  Expeditionary Force prior to deployment onto Colony 
  Cluster Phosphor, believed to have been overrun 
  by the Vile Savants
  A 
  campaign is a long running roleplaying game featuring 
  the same characters and plots, both of which develop 
  over time. While Dark Heresy can be played as 
  a short run of games or as a one-off, it is in a campaign 
  that it is most enjoyable. Watching characters change, fall to 
  temptation, or change in unexpected ways while pursuing 
  star-spanning conspiracies is what makes Dark Heresy come 
  alive more than anything else. While this is true for all games 
  of Dark Heresy, it is doubly so for ascended games. The 
  scope of power available to ascended characters, the use of 
  influence, and the possibilities offered by playing as a peer 
  of the Imperium can only be fully realised over a campaign. 
  Much of what goes into running an enjoyable ascended 
  campaign, in terms of establishing the Cadre and using threats 
  that take advantage of the scope offered in an ascended game, 
  is covered in the previous sections of this chapter. This section 
  focuses on the basic framework that underlies an ascended 
  campaign. 
  the CaMPaIgn FoCus
  Dark Heresy: ascension offers expanded horizons of 
  play for characters in addition to personally tracking down 
  heretics and battling daemons. The characters can now use 
  influence to affect events without being personally present, 
  can enter into the eternal game of politics within both the 
  Inquisition and the Calixis Sector as a whole, and can choose 
  the object of their attention in the never ending war against 
  the hungering darkness. These factors mean that as a Game 
  Master, you need to consider what type of play the players 
  enjoy most, and therefore what should be the primary focus 
  of your campaign. Do the players want to embrace the 
  possibilities of politics and intrigue that an ascended game of 
  Dark Heresy offers, or do they want to spend most of their 
  time in epic personal battles with the enemies of mankind? 
  Depending on what the players enjoy most, an ascended 
  campaign is likely to have one of two foci: the politics and use 
  of power involved in serving the Inquisition at a high level, 
  or the direct battle against the forces of ruin. Most players 
  have a preference one way or another, but many also want to 
  have elements of both in the game they are playing. Each of 
  these two foci requires a slightly different set of elements to 
  be included in a campaign, and these differences are covered 
  in the following sections. 
  polITICs and power
  In campaigns focusing on the political use of power within 
  the Inquisition, the characters are likely to spend time 
  interacting with other members of the Inquisition and using 
  influence to find out information, or to manipulate individuals 
  and organisations to particular ends. The key features of this 
  type of campaign are an extensive use of influence, the use 
  of reoccurring NPCs and a large amount of time spent in PC 
  to NPC interactions. The subtext of this type of campaign 
  is all about power; not martial power but the ability to 
  influence the course of events. It is, in essence, a war waged 
  with information, threats, espionage, and loyalty. While this 
  type of campaign inevitably includes combat, it is usually 
  as a consequence of the greater political manoeuvrings or 
  power struggles that are occurring. For example, an attempt 
  to assassinate the characters might be an attempt to stop them 
  from inferring in a complex play for dominance within the 
  inner circle of Sector Governor Marius Hax. The assassination 
  happens because of the political and conspiratorial wheels 
  that are turning. In this type of campaign, the establishment 
  of different factions with a common interest is vital.
  Factions
  If you are running a campaign focusing on politics and 
  power, it is important to create factions which have power 
  and influence, and which the players enjoy interacting with. 
  These factions are not necessarily the factions of Puritanism 
  
  VIII: Games Mastery
  192
  or Radicalism within the Inquisition, but are simply groups 
  with power and a common goal. 
  When you are beginning a politically focused campaign, it 
  is a good idea to keep the number of factions involved small, 
  at least initially. A simple guideline would be to have a least 
  one faction broadly in accord with the players, one in direct 
  opposition and one which has an ambiguous disposition. 
  Make sure that each faction has one thing that it is trying 
  to achieve. It might be the raising of a particular individual to 
  be the next Lord Sector, the discovery of a particular hidden 
  truth, or the waging of a particular crusade. All of the aims of 
  the different factions should also overlap in at least one way: 
  this is the point of conflict and the thing that is driving the 
  campaign. 
  Create at least one fully realised NPC that is associated with 
  each faction. These NPCs are the human face of the faction, 
  and they give you a tool for the characters to encounter the 
  faction in the flesh. Players tend to find it easier to remember 
  a character rather than the idea of a faction, and using NPCs 
  to focus their attention makes it much more likely that they 
  will remember details about that faction. 
  example of a power and polITICs 
  CampaIgn seT up
  In setting up the campaign for Inquisitor Barabbas and his Cadre, 
  three factions were created. All have Lord Sector Marius Hax as 
  their common point of interest, thus this is the primary theme of the 
  campaign.
  The Lucid Concern: A group of Recongregators (see page 
  90 in the Recongregators Section, Chapter III: The Factions, in tHe 
  raDical’s HanDbook for more details), who wish to remove 
  Sector Governor Marius Hax from power because he is stifling the 
  possibility of change. The key representative NPC for this faction is 
  the aged, but monstrously powerful psyker, Inquisitor Fabius Torn. 
  As Barabbas is a convinced Amalathian, the Lucid Concern is in 
  direct opposition to the Cadre.
  The Temple Tendency: A cult bent on the re-establishing 
  of a heretical version of the Imperial Creed. The Temple Tendency 
  has successfully infiltrated the inner circle of Marius Hax and 
  manipulated him to achieve some of their own ends (see page 37 
  of Disciples of tHe Dark GoDs for more details). The key 
  NPC for the Temple Tendency is Lord Verence, a close associate 
  of Hax who appears to be an epicurean degenerate. The cult is 
  utterly heretical but does not wish for the removal of Hax, and 
  so is ambiguous in terms of its opposition or alignment with  
  Barabbas’ Cadre.
  The Istvaanian Watchers: Followers of a radical 
  philosophy within the Inquisition who have protected Lord Hax 
  at the same time as manipulating him so that he will rise as a 
  warmonger (see The Madness of Marius Hax on page 83 in the 
  Istvaanian Section, Chapter III: The Factions, in tHe raDical’s 
  HanDbook for more details). The key NPC for the Istvaanian 
  Watchers is the beautiful and charismatic Inquisitor Cydan. The 
  Istvaanian Watchers want to keep Hax in place and so, while 
  their reasons differ, their position is broadly in accordance with  
  Barabbas’ Cadre.
  BaTTlIng The forCes of ruIn
  In campaigns focusing on the characters personally 
  confronting and destroying adversaries, the PCs are likely to 
  spend their time preparing for direct conflict, tracking down 
  enemies and then attempting to kill them. The key features of 
  this type of campaign are usually a lot of combat encounters 
  and threats that require the personal intervention of the 
  characters. This type of campaign is all about the personal 
  skill of the characters and solving problems in a direct manner. 
  While this type of campaign may include elements of political 
  manoeuvring, or wider events, this is normally as a way of 
  driving forward events that result in a good fight. In this type 
  of campaign, the use of varied adversaries and situations of 
  conflict is key to its success, and the advice on immediate 
  threats given above applies. 
  CaMPaIgn tYPes
  There are many ways of constructing and then running a 
  long-term campaign. Outlined here are three of the most 
  common ways to structure a campaign. Ultimately, most long 
  running campaigns include elements of all of these methods 
  to greater or lesser degrees, as well as a few others. All may 
  be used to structure a campaign focusing on power or politics 
  or battling the forces of ruin directly. Each of the campaign 
  types has its own strengths and traps for the unwary, and 
  which methods you chose depends both on what your players 
  
  VIII: Games Mastery
  193
  enjoy and how you prefer to do things. The intent of these 
  outlines is simply to help you decide what type of campaign 
  you wish to run and to give you some advice on how to use 
  each one successfully. 
  The sandBox CampaIgn 
  A sandbox campaign usually takes the form of a physical 
  setting that the characters can explore, taking an interest in 
  what they choose, and pursuing plot hooks built into the 
  environment by the GM. In Dark Heresy, the Calixis Sector 
  as a whole can be used as a (very large) sandbox setting for a 
  campaign, or you may wish to take a particular part of it to 
  be the basis of your campaign
  Sandbox campaigns can be amongst the most enjoyable 
  campaigns for players because they are driven by the players’ 
  choices with the setting responding to what they choose to 
  do. The players are the ones exploring and pushing events 
  forward. A potential problem for a sandbox campaign is that, 
  being dependant on the players for direction, it can lose 
  momentum if they loose interest in what is going on or get 
  tired of having to push things forward themselves. 
  Know your setting: Having a setting that you know is 
  vital to a successful sandbox campaign. You need to know what 
  is going on where and why, because the players may choose 
  to go anywhere and look into anything. NPCs in particular 
  are worth particular consideration, as nothing undermines the 
  good aspects of this type of campaign like not being able to 
  produce a good name for the scholar that the characters have 
  suddenly taken an interest in. It is well worth creating a few 
  good NPCs that can be dropped in almost anywhere so that 
  you are always ready.
  Have things that are going on: There should be 
  something interesting for the characters to become involved 
  in no matter where they go. ‘Heresy lurks in every shadow’ 
  is a sentiment that you should take to heart in a sandbox 
  campaign. While it can mean a lot of preparation, there should 
  be some horror or conspiracy no matter where the players go. 
  It is advisable to have one or two plot hooks prepared that can 
  be used in almost any location just in case the players choose 
  to push the characters somewhere you did not expect.
  Improvise: The nature of the sandbox campaign means 
  that the characters can go almost anywhere and pay an 
  interest in whatever they choose. This can mean that your 
  careful preparation can be in ruins in a second, and thus 
  requires you to improvise on the spot. If you do not enjoy 
  improvising without preparation, you can reduce its effect by 
  having material prepared that can be quickly adapted to the 
  circumstances.
  The TurnIng wheel CampaIgn 
  A turning wheel campaign is one in which you create a set 
  of events that are being propelled forwards independently of 
  the players, which they can become a part of, and attempt 
  to change the eventual outcome of. The idea is that events 
  are being driven by a plot, and that the scope of events is 
  large enough that it feels like a massive event with many 
  consequences both now and in the future. A conspiracy by 
  the Logicians to discover an ancient weapon system and test it 
  on the core worlds of Calixis might be the basis of a turning 
  wheel campaign.
  This type of campaign is similar to the sandbox campaign 
  in that it creates a set of circumstances that the characters can 
  become involved in to a greater or lesser degree depending on 
  their choices. The difference is that the wheel that is turning 
  at the heart of the campaign is doing so independent of the 
  characters; they can affect it by their choices, but if they do 
  not, it keeps on turning to its conclusion. The advantage of 
  this type of campaign is that players feel that the characters 
  are part of big and significant events and that they are making 
  a difference to what is happening. On the other hand, if the 
  players are not drawn into events, they can quickly loose 
  interest in pursuing the plot further.
  Know what is going on: The plot at the heart of the 
  campaign drives everything else, and so you must know what 
  it is; its nature, the principle actors, what stage the plot is 
  at, and how it is responding to current circumstances of the 
  campaign’s events and the PC’s actions. If you loose track 
  of what stage events are at, and what that means for the 
  characters, you are in trouble. 
  Involve players by showing them part of the picture: 
  When beginning a turning wheel campaign, the easiest 
  way to get the players involved is to have them caught up 
  in events that are not necessarily centred on them, but are a 
  consequence of the wheels that are turning. 
  Keep things happening even when the characters 
  are not there: Keep in mind what the effects of unfolding 
  events are going to be on other people and locations within 
  the campaign setting. If the drive of the central plot would 
  result in an atrocity on a world far distant from the characters, 
  decide what occurred and tell the characters about it. This 
  creates a sense of a grand scale of events and can also be 
  used to create an impetus for the characters to act. This is 
  particularly important if there is a consequence to a choice 
  that the players made. For example, if they decided not to 
  follow a lead to a particular hive city and that hive city was 
  subsequently destroyed, it shows them that their choices have 
  an impact on what is occurring.
  asCensIon and experIenCe 
  poInTs
  The threats and challenges that Throne Agents must 
  face in the course of their duties are much greater than 
  those often encountered by Acolytes. Therefore, the 
  rewards should match the risk! For a Dark Heresy 
  campaign that uses the rules and Ascended Careers 
  from this book, the Game Master should increase 
  the amount of experience points he awards at the 
  end of each session. Typically, a campaign featuring 
  the Ascension rules should award between 500-750 
  experience points per session.
  
  VIII: Games Mastery
  194
  The nemesIs CampaIgn
  A nemesis campaign is one that is based on a conflict between 
  the characters and a particular individual or group. It is, 
  in essence, a war in which the players and their Nemesis 
  are striving to destroy one another, and in which other 
  circumstances and events are either the setting for the conflict 
  or the consequence of it. For example, a renegade inquisitor 
  and his servants bent on revenge against the characters might 
  be the basis for a nemesis campaign.
  The strength of a nemesis campaign is that it has a clear 
  focus: defeating the characters’ nemesis. It can, however, 
  become boring for the players, who can become tired of the 
  campaign always being about stopping the latest plot of the 
  same arch-heretic. There is advice on creating and using a 
  nemesis for the characters in Disciples of tHe Dark GoDs, 
  pages 188 to 189 in Chapter VI: The Hunted.
  Make sure that the players care: A nemesis campaign 
  is only enjoyable to play or run if the players care about the 
  characters defeating their nemesis. It can be worth running 
  a few adventures and picking an adversary that the players 
  enjoyed and turning him into their nemesis. Alternatively, if 
  you want to create a nemesis from scratch, make it his first act 
  to hurt the characters or something they care about to make 
  them want to pursue the character.
  Bring the fight to the characters: A nemesis should 
  pursue the conflict against the characters with the same 
  ingenuity and loathing that the characters do in turn. The 
  campaign should feature times in which both the characters 
  and the nemesis have the initiative over the other. 
  Keep the final confrontation in the distance: Ultimately 
  a nemesis campaign ends with a grand confrontation in which 
  one side (hopefully the characters) triumphs over the other. 
  However, this final confrontation has to be kept at a distance 
  from current events; otherwise it can lead to a very short 
  campaign. The easiest and most effective way to extend the 
  time before the final confrontation at the end of the campaign 
  is to make use of minions and servants who fight the war 
  of enmity against the characters on their master’s behalf. 
  Then, once the moment is right, the characters can meet their 
  nemesis face to face to decide the fate of worlds. 
  
  Ascended 
  AdversAries
  New TraiTs aNd 
  TaleNTs
  •
  OrdO HereTicus 
  adversaries
  •
  OrdO Malleus 
  adversaries
  •
  OrdO XeNOs 
  adversaries
  
  IX: Ascended Antagonists
  196
  Chapter IX: 
  Ascended 
  Adversaries 
  “Now, you face a somewhat better class of heretic.”
  –Inquisitor Felroth Gelt
  O
  nce a Throne Agent has been inducted into the ranks 
  of the Inquisition as one of its trusted members, he is 
  expected to take on a broader range of responsibilities. 
  No longer is he one small part of a broader investigation. 
  Now, a Throne Agent (or cadre comprised of several Agents) 
  is expected to take the helm of those investigations and see 
  them through to their end. The power and responsibility is 
  placed in their hands, to hunt down the vilest examples of the 
  heretic, mutant, alien, and daemon. They are given the means, 
  and the authority, to bring the full extent of Imperial justice 
  to bear in their duties. 
  Of course, this works both ways. As the Throne Agents grow 
  in power and authority, so too do their adversaries become 
  more cunning, more resourceful, and far more deadly. The 
  Inquisition, after all, does not waste its best on narco-bosses, 
  twists, and the odd possession by unclean spirits. These new 
  foes cannot be beaten with brute force alone, though that will 
  undoubtedly be necessary. They are intelligent opponents, 
  and in order to succeed, a Throne Agent has to outthink as 
  well as outfight his opponent. 
  The following pages detail some of the Calixis Sector’s 
  most dangerous threats, both from within and without. 
  More than a simple stat-block, each is a named adversary 
  with a background, motivations, and goals. Also included 
  are the adversary’s minions and allies, favoured tactics, and 
  unique abilities. Each of the adversaries is designed to be 
  a campaign’s final challenge, the mastermind the Throne 
  Agents find in the centre of their investigation. If the Throne 
  Agents are victorious, they could deal a blow for the safety 
  and security of the entire Calixis Sector. However, if they fail, 
  whole worlds could burn. 
   usiNg THis cHapTer
  Though the adversaries presented here have 
  names, stories, and motivations, they can 
  just as easily be adapted to fit any number of other 
  situations created by a GM. Simply by taking the 
  rules and discarding the rest, then adding your own 
  details, these adversaries can be easily modified to fit 
  with your own personal plotline. For example, take 
  the honourable but tragically misguided Governor 
  Malaki Vess. Add Forbidden Lore: Daemonology 
  and the Warp +10, the Sorcerer and Master Sorcerer 
  Talents, and perhaps a Dark Pact (the perfect way for 
  him to have learned his dark powers), and suddenly 
  the Governor’s motives and future plans take on a very 
  different, and far more sinister, cast. 
  In short, you should not find these Adversaries 
  constraining, but instead use them as an example to 
  create your own memorable arch-villains.
   All Adversaries have had their strength bonus 
  (plus any other bonuses) included in the profiles 
  for applicable weaponry and equipment. It is also 
  important to note that NPC’s are not necessarily 
  bound to follow the same strictures for their profiles 
  as player characters.
  New TraiTs aNd TaleNTs
  As has already been stated, the adversaries contained 
  within are a cut above your average opponent. 
  To better enhance their abilities, one new Trait 
  and one new Talent that have been introduced 
  previously in other Dark Heresy products have been 
  re-introduced here.
  TOucHed by THe FaTes (TaleNT)
  Prerequisites: Non-player Characters only (they 
  must have free will) and may not applied to Daemons 
  and other non-living creatures. 
  The NPC has a number of Fate Points equal to half 
  his Willpower Bonus (rounding up). He may use 
  these Fate Points in exactly the same way as Player 
  Characters and may even ‘burn’ a Fate Point to survive 
  death and destruction at the GM’s discretion. The 
  NPC also benefits from the rules for Righteous Fury. 
  iMprOved NaTural weapONs (TraiT)
  This creature’s attacks are powerful enough to crush 
  plasteel or punch through armour. The creature gains 
  all the benefits of the Natural Weapons Trait, except 
  that its attacks do not count as Primitive.
  uNdyiNg (TraiT)
  This creature has a strange and ill-understood 
  physiology. It cannot be harmed by diseases, poisons, 
  or toxic effects. It has no need to breathe and can 
  survive unaided in a vacuum.
  
  IX: Ascended Antagonists
  197
  Ordo Hereticus 
  Adversaries
  T
  he following NPC’s are perfect for adversaries themed 
  for the Ordo Hereticus. Below you will find entries for 
  heretics, witches, and worse. 
  The Burning Princess
  Little is known about the rogue alpha-level psyker referred to 
  in Conclave records as “The Burning Princess,” except that she 
  is highly dangerous and the doom of far too many Imperial 
  citizens—and agents of the Holy Ordos. 
  The files the Tricorn keeps on her are both extensive, 
  and frustratingly vague. The Inquisition knows that she is 
  an extremely powerful pryokine, and is a dangerously strong 
  telepath as well. Although the Scholastica Psykana classifies her 
  as a ‘low level alpha’ psyker (especially in comparison to some 
  far more dangerous examples the Inquisition and Imperium 
  have had to deal with), she is still extremely dangerous.
  The Inquisition also knows full well of her crimes. She has 
  worked with the pirate vessel Storm Walker, is believed to be 
  responsible for the devastating holocaust of fire that consumed 
  the Cathedral Mount on Acreage (slaying the senior clergy 
  of the planet along with more than ten thousand pilgrims, 
  worshippers, and local citizens), and has aided in several 
  notable uprisings and heretical rebellions within the sector. 
  She is also directly responsible for the death of Witch Hunter 
  Fhendahl and his kill-team on Dusk, when they attempted to 
  apprehend her. 
  However, little else is known about her. Savants of several 
  notable Inquisitors have searched the deepest info-tombs in 
  the Tricorn to little avail. All they have discovered is charred 
  records of a young child named “Lottie,” who manifested 
  powerful abilities before her tenth birthday. The records 
  indicate a Witch Hunter team was sent to apprehend her for 
  the Black Ships, but the parchments recording the results of 
  that action are destroyed. Researchers cannot even discover 
  which planet she is from. 
  The Inquisition has declared her Hereticus Extremis, and 
  ordered her termination. However, since the fate of the last 
  team sent to kill her, the Conclave has had no success in 
  this matter. 
  Playing The Burning Princess
  There are two likely reasons a team of Throne Agents could 
  come into contact with Lottie. The first is that they are sent 
  as a kill-team to prosecute and eliminate her. In this case, the 
  team’s problem is two-fold. The first is finding her amongst 
  the vastness of the Calixis Sector. They may have to infiltrate 
  or interrogate their way through several heretical organisations 
  just to find her. Once they do, the problem becomes one of 
  killing her. If the Throne Agents are smart, they requisition (or 
  otherwise acquire) powerful anti-psyker weaponry and have 
  a brilliant plan. The only up-side is that Lottie does not seem 
  to travel with a retinue or bodyguards. She prefers a solitary 
  existence, which could prove to be her biggest weakness.
  The other possibility is that the Throne Agents encounter 
  her in the process of another investigation entirely. Lottie does 
  not appear to lead uprisings or instigate rebellions. Rather, 
  she seems to prefer to work as a mercenary, hiring out her 
  considerable skills to others. In this case, the Throne Agents 
  may not be equipped or prepared to deal with her, and she may 
  prove to be merely a distraction leading the Throne Agents 
  away from the true mastermind behind whatever diabolical 
  plot they are investigating. 
  The Burning Princess Profile
  Ws
  Bs
  s
  T
  Ag
  int Per WP Fel
  (14)
  25
  35
  28
  32
  35
  40
  37
  75
  26
  Movement: 3/6/9/18 
   
   
  Wounds: 30
  Mastered Skills: Warp Lore Mastery.
  Skills: Awareness +20, Common Lore (Imperium, 
  Underworld), Dodge +10, Forbidden Lore (Cults, Mutants, 
  Psykers, Warp) +10, Intimidate +10 Search, Scrutiny.
  Paragon Talents: Heightened Reactions, Melee Weapon 
  Expertise, Mental Aegis, Pistol Expertise.
  Talents: Corpus Conversion, Dark Soul, Disturbing Voice, 
  Favoured by the Warp, Fearless, Hatred (Ecclesiarchy, Black 
  Ships, Inquisition), Jaded, Psy Rating 14, Touched by the 
  Fates (4).
  Influence Talents: Peer (Underworld, Mutants, Heretics), 
  Good Reputation (Underworld, Heretics), Enemy (Ecclesiarchy, 
  Black Ships, Inquisition). 
  
  IX: Ascended Antagonists
  198
  Weapons: Laspistol (30m, S/–/–; 1d10+2 E; Clip 30, 
  Reload Full, Reliable)
  Armour: Armoured Greatcoat (Torso 4, Arms 2, Legs 2)
  Equipment: Refractor Field, 2 laspistol charge packs, 
  corrupted tarot deck, micro-bead, photo-visor, respirator. 
  Alpha-level psyker: Lottie knows all minor psychic powers, 
  all major Pyrokinetic powers, Compel, Dominate, Mind Scan, 
  Psychic Shriek, Telepathy, all three abilities of the Primaris 
  Power Burning Apocalypse, and the first and second level 
  abilities of the Primaris Power Psychokinesis. Lottie’ Psy Rating 
  is 14, and possesses the Unnatural Willpower (x2) Trait. 
  Unbound Rogue: Lottie may use any of her powers at a 
  Fettered, Unfettered, or Push level. When using her powers 
  at a Push level, she automatically gains a bonus to her total 
  Power Roll equal to the amount of one level of overbleed for 
  that power, and adds an additional +20 to both her Psychic 
  Phenomena roll and any resulting Perils of the Warp roll. 
  Warp-tainted Destiny: After being forced to roll on the 
  Perils of the Warp Table, Lottie may spend a Fate Point to 
  avoid suffering any ill affects from the result. If the result 
  would affect others or the environment around her, the 
  effects still apply to to everyone but her. This includes being 
  possessed or consumed by the warp. 
  eversor AssAssin
  The Officio Assassinorum maintains several Temples of 
  assassins, each specialising in a different art of dealing 
  death. The Vindicare Temple, for example, specialises in 
  more traditional assassinations, such as the sudden shock 
  of an unseen sniper’s bullet. On the other hand, the shape-
  shifting agents of the Callidus Temple train in infiltrating 
  the organisations of the enemy, disrupting their tactics and 
  guiding them to ruin, before decapitating their leadership 
  with an unexpected strike. However, even amongst them, the 
  Eversor Temple stands apart.
  There is nothing subtle or secretive about an Eversor 
  Assassin. In fact, they often represent the antithesis of how an 
  assassin normally operates. Each Eversor is a highly trained, 
  mind-wiped killing machine, trained to kill as quickly and 
  brutally as possible. The assassins themselves have been mind-
  programmed to the point where there is nothing human left in 
  them; they are simply berserker killers. They must be stowed 
  in cryo-tubes between missions, because they are just as likely 
  to slay allies as enemies. 
  Eversors are used in shock attacks, dispatched to rip the 
  heart out of cults or heretical organisations and leave nothing 
  but terror in their wake. Though they have the ability of great 
  stealth, they do not eliminate their targets with any subtlety. 
  With power-sword, neuro-gauntlet, Executor pistol, combat 
  drugs, and melta-bombs, they dispatch their targets in the 
  most horrific and destructive way possible. Even if they are 
  slain, their bodies explode in a wash of bio-toxins and acids, 
  eliminating everyone nearby. 
  Though Eversor Assassins are normally used against the 
  Imperium’s enemies, certain members of the Inquisition have 
  dispatched them against their fellows whom they suspect have 
  gone rogue. The Eversor is perfect for such dark deeds; it is as 
  unquestioning in its orders as it is frighteningly competent. 
  eversor Assassin Profile
  Ws
  Bs
  s
  T
  Ag
  int Per WP Fel
  (8)
  (8)
  70
  70
  45
  45
  58
  30
  52
  50
  01
  Movement: 5/10/15/30  
   
  Wounds: 24
  Mastered Skills: Athletics Mastery, Driving Mastery, 
  Fieldcraft Mastery, Observation Mastery, Stealth Mastery, 
  Tech Lore Mastery.
  Skills: Lip Reading, Pilot (flyers), Security.
  Paragon Talents: Basic Weapon Expertise, Berserker, Blade 
  Dancer, Death Blow, Heavy Weapon Expertise, Heightened 
  Reactions, Indomitable Fortitude, Melee Weapon Expertise, 
  Pistol Expertise, Storm of Blows, Thrown Weapon Expertise, 
  Unassailable Grace.
  Talents: Crack Shot, Gunslinger, Temple Assassin†, Two 
  Weapon Wielder (Ballistic).
  †Temple Assassin (see page 91). The Eversor possesses the 
  Temple Assassin Ascended Trait. 
  Traits: Fear 2, From Beyond, Unnatural Strength (x2), 
  Unnatural Toughness (x2). 
  Armour: Best craftsmanship synskin bodyglove (AP 3, All) 
  with integrated infa-red goggles, micro-bead, rebreather, and 
  respirator system. 
  Weapons: Neuro-Gauntlet (1d10+10 R; Pen 8, Toxic, 
  Tearing), Power Sword (1d10+15 E; Pen 6, Balanced, Power 
  Field), Executor Pistol (Pistol; either 30m S/2/–, d10+5 X, 
  Pen 4, Clip 8, Rld Full, Tearing or 30m, S/–/–, 1d10 R, Pen 
  0, Clip 6, Rld Full, Accurate, Toxic), 3x Melta-bombs (6d10 
  E, Pen 12, Blast (2), Fire††).
  
  IX: Ascended Antagonists
  199
  ††Anyone damaged by a melta-bomb must make an Agility Test or be 
  set on fire.
  Equipment: 3 reloads for Executor Pistol (includes both 
  ammo types), Cerebral Plug, Sentinel Array, Magnoculars, 
  personal medikit, Pict-Recorder, Vox-caster
  Combat Drugs: The Eversor has autorig injectors filled 
  with potent combat drugs designed to boost his performance. 
  These injectors use minute amounts of extremely potent 
  drugs (meaning he does not run out of drugs unless cut 
  off from supplies for months). At the beginning of each of 
  his Combat turns, the Eversor may benefit from one of the 
  following effects:
  • Hyper-metobolics: The Eversor may perform two full 
  Actions during his turn. Only one of these may be a 
  Combat Action. 
  • Berserker-Slaught: The Eversor must perform the 
  Charge Action. When he does this he gains 1d5 
  additional attacks during the turn he charges. All attacks 
  benefit from the Charge bonus. In addition, he gains the 
  Brutal Charge Trait, granting all attacks made during 
  that round +3 damage. 
  • Auto-coagulants: The Eversor gains Regeneration 4 
  during this turn.
  • Shock-stims: The Eversor ignores all penalties from 
  Fatigue, Critical effects, or being heavily wounded 
  during this turn. 
  In addition, if the Eversor is ever killed, his body explodes. 
  Treat this as a weapon dealing 2d10+5 E damage, with 
  Blast (5) and the Toxic quality. The Blast is centered on the 
  Eversor’s last position before he died.
  governor MAlAki vess
  Imperial Governor Malaki Vess oversees Zweihan’s World, a 
  minor hive world located in the Malfian Sub-sector. A cool 
  and temperate planet, much of Zweihan’s World’s surface is 
  covered in water, resulting in a rather damp planetary climate. 
  The planet is circled by several long, mountainous and almost 
  serpentine continents, which are straddled by four hive cities 
  near the equator. Zweihan’s World’s most notable feature is 
  not on the planet, but around it: a vast ring system made up 
  of the shattered remains of what used to be a large moon. 
  Now the rock rings are mined, bringing the planet impressive 
  mineral wealth. 
  As the Imperial ruler of the planet, Vess has overseen 
  Zweihan’s World’s development for most of the last century. 
  An intelligent, empathetic, and charismatic man and ruler, 
  he has ruled his planet well, and as a result his subjects are 
  prosperous and content. It is no wonder that Vess is respected, 
  even adored, by his subjects. 
  However, trouble looms for Vess. The Adeptus 
  Administratum has recently determined that Zweihan’s World 
  is not properly exploiting the vast mineral deposits found in 
  its planetary rings. As a result, the planet’s Tithe is set to 
  increase to exploitive levels. 
  Vess knows what this means; Zweihan’s World will become 
  a blasted, strip-mined, and polluted wasteland where the 
  unlucky inhabitants scrabble for simple survival. He cannot 
  stand to see this happen, and thus, plots rebellion.
  governor Malaki vess Profile
  Ws
  Bs
  s
  T
  Ag
  int Per WP Fel
  47
  36
  33
  36
  41
  46
  32
  53
  60
  Movement: 4/8/12/24 
   
   
  Wounds: 25
  Influence: 52
  Mastered Skills: Commerce Mastery, Decadent Mastery, 
  Charismatic Mastery.
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Lore (Imperium, Imperial 
  Guard, Imperial Navy, Administratum, Arbites, Trade, War) 
  +10 (Int), Drive (Ground, Hover Vehicle) (Ag), Inquiry +10 
  (Fel), Literacy (Int), Logic +10 (Int), Navigation (Surface) (Int), 
  Scholastic Lore (Bureaucracy, Judgement, Tactica Imperialis) 
  +10 (Int), Scrutiny (Per), Tech Use (Int).
  Paragon Talents: Conditioned Intellect, Heroic Leadership, 
  Melee Weapon Expertise, Storm of Blows.
  Talents: Decadence, Good Reputation (Enforcers, Hivers, 
  Middle Class, PDF, Planet (Zweihan’s World),Workers) Nerves 
  of Steel, Two Weapon Wielder (Ballistic), Peer (Adeptus 
  Arbites, Administratum, Enforcers, Government, Hivers, 
  Middle Class, Nobility, PDF, Planet (Zweihan’s World), 
  Workers) Pistol Training (Bolt, Las, Plasma, SP), Shadowlord, 
  Touched By the Fates (3 Fate Points), Voice of the Masses, 
  Worthy of the Calixian Elite.
  Traits: For Glory and the Governor!†, Tactical Mind.††
  Armour: Enforcer Light Carapace (Body, Arms, Legs, 5).
  Weapons: Ryza-pattern plasma pistol (Pistol; 30m, S/2/—, 
  
  IX: Ascended Antagonists
  200
  1d10+6 E, Pen 6, Clip 10, Rld 3 Full, Overheat), Power 
  Sword (Melee; 1d10+8 E, Pen 6, Balanced, Power Field).
  Gear: Dress uniform (Best quality clothing), personal micro-
  vox, best-quality bionic eye, best quality refractor field.
  †For Glory and the Governor! Governor Vess is beloved 
  by his soldiers, who gladly follow him into any situation, 
  and give their lives to protect him. At the beginning of his 
  turn, Vess may spend a Fate Point to grant all of his allies 
  participating in the Combat the ability to inflict Righteous 
  Fury until the end of his next turn. 
  ††Tactical Mind: Vess has a sound grasp of unit tactics. As 
  a half action, he may make a Challenging (+0) Command 
  Test. For every degree of success, one of his allies may 
  immediately make a Move Half Action. They still take a full 
  action on their next turn.
  running Malaki vess
  Governor Vess provides a GM with a unique adversary. Vess 
  is not a Chaos-worshipper or xenos, nor is he really a heretic. 
  In fact, many players may find his character and motives 
  sympathetic and even commendable. Thus, when they learn 
  of his plot, the choice over how to stop him (or even if they 
  should stop him) is likely that much more difficult. However, 
  if he isn’t stopped, his entire world will burn. The Imperium 
  must brutally stamp on rebellion, and this may be the only 
  way for the players to avert a sub-sector war. 
  Of course, there’s nothing simple about stopping him, 
  either. Vess’s plans are secret, but the scale of preparations for 
  any rebelling planet is impossible to hide. The first order of 
  business is to discover the plot. Arms shipments, mobilisations 
  of the Planetary Defence Forces, even the quiet elimination of 
  local Arbites, all are signs of the approaching storm. Once the 
  players have put the pieces together, they have to figure out 
  what to do about it. 
  As an individual, Vess is not incredibly dangerous. His 
  power comes from Zweihan’s World’s populace and PDF, 
  who are utterly devoted to him. Should the players attack 
  Vess directly, they find themselves up against an army. Vess 
  does not wish to confront them personally, instead allowing 
  hundreds (or thousands) of regular troops led by his elite 
  forces to deal with them. 
  Unless the players have a personal army, they have to use 
  their wits to get to Vess. Even then, he should always be 
  accompanied by a substantial bodyguard of his elite Defenders. 
  In battle, the Defenders push to get between their master and 
  danger, while he directs their actions from behind.
  ZweiHaN’s wOrld pdF
  To represent the Zweihan’s World PDF, use the Enforcer from 
  page 339 in the Dark Heresy Rulebook with the following 
  changes:
  Additional Skills: Common Lore (War) (Int) and 
  Dodge (Ag).
  Additional Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Las), Pistol 
  Training (Las), and Nerves of Steel.
  Replacement Gear: Guard Flak Armour (All 4), lasgun 
  (100m; S/3/-; 1d10+3 E, Pen 0; Clip 60; Rld Full; Reliable), 
  knife (1m; 1d5+3 R; Primitive), 3 spare clips, micro-bead, 
  lamp pack, respirator. 
  ZweiHaN’s wOrld deFeNders
  To represent the Zweihan’s World Defenders, use the Enforcer 
  from page 339 in the Dark Heresy Rulebook, using the 
  above changes as well as the following additions. 
  Characteristics: Increase WS by +10, BS by +10, Strength 
  by +5, and Willpower by +5.
  Additional Wounds: 4.
  Additional Skills: Common Lore (War) (Int), Dodge (Ag), 
  Interrogation (WP), and Scrutiny +10 (Per).
  Additional Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Las), Pistol 
  Training (Las), Jaded, Nerves of Steel, and Quick Draw. 
  Replacement Gear: Storm Trooper Carapace Armour (page 
  143), hellgun (page 138), laspistols (30m; S/-/-; 1d10+2 E; 
  Pen 0; Clip 15; Rld Full; Reliable), mono-knives (1m; 1d5+4 
  R; Pen 2), backpack ammo pack, 2 Frag Grenades (3XSB; 
  2d10 X; Pen 0; Blast 4).
  
  IX: Ascended Antagonists
  201
  MAgos vAThek
  Magos Vathek is a rogue heretek the Adeptus Mechanicus 
  would dearly love to see put down, although they have been 
  singularly unforthcoming to the agents of the Inquisition as 
  to exactly who he was before he rebelled against Mars’ (and 
  the Imperium’s) authority. It is believed he was an Explorator 
  attached to the fleets of Arch-magos Thule, and that something 
  in the depths of space drove him insane. Now he is hunted 
  equally by the Inquisition and the Machine Cult. 
  Vathek’s goals are well known to the Inquisition (though 
  no less dire for that). He is obsessed with the manipulation of 
  dark technologies to perfect a means of preserving life within 
  previously dead tissue. To this end, he has exhaustively 
  researched and uncovered countless banned and heretical 
  technologies. Some are far older than the Imperium, while 
  others are even xenos in origin. In addition, thousands of 
  Imperial citizens have died in his vile experiments, or 
  even worse, been prolonged in some horrific ‘unlife.’ To 
  the Inquisition, Vathek is a highly dangerous threat to the 
  Imperium who must be eliminated at all costs, and they are 
  willing to pursue him to the darkest corners of the Calixis 
  Sector. This zeal in hunting him is only exceeded by the 
  Mechanicus, who constantly have dozens of kill-teams 
  pursuing him. 
  running vathek
  Magos Vathek is an archetypical mad scientist, an insane 
  genius willing to sacrifice everything to learn his secrets. 
  Therefore, he is most likely to be found in locations where 
  he may work undisturbed, such as backwater planets without 
  substantial Imperial presence, or the darkest depths of a hive 
  world. Vathek is also extremely solitary, and is unlikely to 
  join forces with local recidivist or criminal elements. Simply 
  put, he has no interest in their goals or motivations, and 
  they have nothing to provide him, save further subjects for  
  his experiments. 
  This does not mean, however, that Vathek is alone or 
  vulnerable in his laboratories. As a former tech-magos, he is 
  likely to set up a wide variety of security systems ranging 
  from las-trips to proximity mines, and have a veritable 
  army of servitors (or reanimated corpses) he can throw at  
  his enemies. 
  Magos vathek Profile
  Ws
  Bs
  s
  T
  Ag
  int Per WP Fel
  (10)
  (10)
  35
  50
  40
  55
  21
  58
  32
  60
  17
  Movement: 2/4/6/12 
   
   
  Wounds: 36
  Influence: 45
  Mastered Skills: Common Lore Mastery, Cryptological 
  Mastery, Driving Mastery, Forbidden Lore Mastery, Linguistic 
  Mastery, Piloting Mastery, Scholastic Mastery, Tech Lore 
  Mastery, Warp Lore Mastery.
  Skills: Interrogation+20, Intimidate+20, Security+10.
  Paragon Talents: Basic Weapons Expertise, Call of Iron, 
  Conditioned Intellect, Exemplar of Metal, Gravitic Levitation, 
  Indomitable Fortitude, Machine Spirit Empathy, Melee 
  Weapon Expertise, Mental Aegis, Pistol Training Expertise, 
  Purity of the Machine, Voice of the Omnissiah.
  Talents: Puppet Master†, Heavy Weapon Training (Flame, 
  Las, SP), Light Sleeper, Master Chirurgeon, Spider-limbed††, 
  Swift Attack, Touched by the Fates (3), Two Weapon Wielder 
  (Ballistic), Two Weapon Wielder (Melee).
  Influence Talents: Enemy (Mechanicus, Arbites, Inquisition), 
  Peer (the Insane).
  Traits: Auto-stabilised, Armour Plating, Fear 2, From 
  Beyond, Machine (5), Mechanicus Implants, Regeneration 4, 
  Unnatural Toughness (x2).
  Armour: 7 All (includes Machine 5 and Armour Plating).
  Weapons: Scalpel-claws (counts as power blades: 1d10+7 E; 
  Pen 6, Power Field), Ripper Autopistol (Pistol; 25m, 1/-/6, 
  1d10+2, Pen 3, Clip 50, Reload 2Full, Twin-linked, Tearing, 
  Toxic).
  Equipment: Good craftsmanship auger array implants, Good 
  craftsmanship cybernetic vision and hearing (also counts as a 
  telescopic sight, Good craftsmanship photo visor, and internal 
  micro-bead), Good craftsmanship cortex implants, servo-
  arm, ballistic mechadendrite, plasma-cutter mechadendrite, 
  medicae mechadendrite, 2x utility mechadendrites, good 
  craftsmanship mind-impulse unit, sacrosan wave generator.
  †Puppet Master: Vathek is always personally accompanied 
  by 1d10+10 servitors, equally divided between Combat 
  
  IX: Ascended Antagonists
  202
  Servitors (Dark Heresy Rulebook page 338), Gun Servitors 
  (Dark Heresy Rulebook page 340), and heavy repair 
  servitors (Dark Heresy Rulebook page 341). These servitors 
  are under Vathek’s direct control and fight to the death to 
  protect him. Whenever Vathek is targeted by a ranged attack, 
  as a Reaction he may make a Challenging (+0) Intelligence 
  Test. If he succeeds, one servitor of his choosing within three 
  metres of him moves between him and the attacker (as long 
  as there are no obstructions in the way). Treat the servitor as 
  being hit instead (by all hits originating from the attack). 
  ††Spider Limbed: Each Round, Vathek may spend his 
  Reaction to make one attack with each of his mechadendrites. 
  When he does this, any mechadendrite with a shooting 
  attack may fire out of any combat Vathek is involved in at 
  no penalty.
  Sarcosan Wave Generator: Vathek has installed this strange 
  and blasphemous techno-arcana directly into his torso. It 
  emits a strange aura (and generates a strange and unnerving 
  moaning sound) that keeps his necrotic tissue in some ghastly 
  parody of unlife. The Sarcosan Wave Generator grants Vathek 
  the From Beyond, Fear 2, Regeneration 4, and Unnatural 
  Toughness (x2) Traits (all included in his profile). In addition, 
  once per Round, Vathek may spend one Fate point to reanimate 
  a number of destroyed servitors or other corpses equal to his 
  Willpower bonus within 20 metres of him. Those unlucky 
  enough to be reanimated by his necrotic power return to life 
  as shambling, twisted parodies of their former selves. Anyone 
  reanimated by Vathek comes (or remains) under his complete 
  control, regains all lost Wounds, and retains any weapons or 
  equipment he had when he died. These remain reanimated 
  for the duration of the combat. Any single individual may 
  only be reanimated in this way once. 
  ZAshlun,  
  shroud MisTress  
  oF The PAle Throng
  In the Imperium, the mutant is something to be shunned and 
  abhorred. The most militant and Puritan factions of Imperial 
  doctrine demand mutants be slain on sight. More merciful 
  Imperial agents merely push for their enslavement as a second 
  class work force, so they can excise the sin of their twisted 
  bodies by labour to the God-Emperor. Some mutants are not 
  properly grateful for this chance for absolution, however, 
  and when they rise up against their masters, the resulting 
  rebellions are some of the most brutal and violent wars in 
  the Imperium. 
  Zashlun is a product of one of those uprisings: the wars on 
  the hive world of Tranch. The vast mutant labour force on that 
  world was inspired to rebellion by a secret cabal of mutants 
  known as the Shroud Masters. These leaders organised the 
  oppressed mutants into a terrifying force of rebellion known 
  as the Pale Throng. Zashlun was little more than a child-
  labourer in Tranch’s Soot Warrens when the rebellion began, 
  but she joined the rebellion wholeheartedly. She quickly rose 
  through the ranks, and was newly inducted into the Pale 
  Throng when the war began to go against them.
  Despite ever-mounting losses, the Imperium poured more 
  men and materials into suppressing the rebellion, drowning 
  the Pale Throng in an inexhaustible tide of war. At the same 
  time, agents of the Inquisition used cats-paws and double 
  agents to divide the Shroud Masters and convince them to 
  tear themselves apart in vicious infighting. Few of the Shroud 
  Masters survived the resulting bloodbath, but Zashlun was 
  one of them, escaping off-planet in a transport commandeered 
  by her loyal followers.
  In the time since then, Zashlun’s hatred of humanity and 
  her zeal to help her oppressed brethren has only increased. 
  She has travelled the many worlds in the Calixis Sector, 
  sowing rebellion and discord amongst the mutant underclass. 
  She dreams of a time where the humans of the Calixis Sector 
  are put to the pyre that her kind has suffered for too long, and 
  mutants rule triumphant in their place.
  Playing Zashlun
  Zashlun’s primary goal is to recreate the Tranch Rebellion 
  on one of the Calixis Sector’s primary worlds, such as Malfi, 
  Solomon, or even Scintilla. The Tranch Rebellion left her 
  home world a gutted shell, and she wants to see that happen 
  to the Imperium’s seats of power beyond all else. 
  Zashlun’s tactics rely on the mutant under-classes of 
  the worlds she subverts, therefore she usually operates on 
  hive worlds (where mutants exist in great numbers). With 
  her powerful oration and stirring rhetoric, she can usually 
  convince a sizeable portion of the mutant population to follow 
  her. Once she has their support, she begins training cells of 
  activists, saboteurs, and fighters. For practice, she authorises 
  small attacks against enforcer stations, minor officials, or 
  public spaces. Once her cadres are trained, she begins her 
  rebellion with overwhelming assaults on prominent Imperial 
  targets, Arbites precinct houses, Ecclesiarchy cathedrals, PDF 
  barracks, and the hive spires of Imperial nobility. These attacks 
  are as widespread as possible, to prevent her opposition from 
  concentrating their defence. Her hope is that if she completely 
  overwhelms her enemies quickly, she can consolidate her own 
  defences before the Imperium mobilises. Thus, the first 24 
  hours of her rebellion are the most crucial, and easiest for her 
  enemies to disrupt.
  Zashlun’s love for her fellow mutants is only matched by 
  her hatred of humanity, and she does all in her power to protect 
  her brethren. This can prove to be her undoing, however, 
  as canny Throne Agents may attack the mutant population 
  directly in order to lure her into a trap. When Zashlun fights, 
  she is always accompanied by several bodyguards (2d5 Twist 
  Hulks armed with chain-axes; see page 60 in Disciples of 
  tHe Dark GoDs). She is unafraid of throwing herself into the 
  fray, but attempts to stay alive if at all possible, even retreating 
  if things look dire.
  Zashlun’s experiences on Tranch have given her a healthy 
  fear and respect of the Inquisition. If she learns Throne Agents 
  are looking for her before she begins her rebellion, she is 
  perfectly willing to cease her work and vanish, travelling to 
  another world to begin anew. 
  
  IX: Ascended Antagonists
  203
  Zashlun Profile
  Ws
  Bs
  s
  T
  Ag
  int Per WP Fel
  (8)
  41
  45
  48
  37
  49
  52
  47
  61
  55
  Movement: 4/8/12/24 
   
   
  Wounds: 35
  Influence: 31
  Mastered Skills: Athletic Mastery, Charismatic Mastery, 
  Common Lore Mastery, Investigation Mastery, Observation 
  Mastery, Shadow Craft Mastery, Stealth Mastery.
  Other Skills: Chem-Use +10, Cyphers (Pale Throng), 
  Demolition +10, Drive (Ground Vehicle), Evaluate, Forbidden 
  Lore (Cults, Mutants, Psykers) +20, Medicae, Pilot (Civilian 
  Craft), Secret Tongue (Pale Throng, Twist), Survival+20.
  Paragon Talents: Blade Dancer, Heroic Leadership, 
  Heightened Reactions, Mental Aegis, Melee Weapon 
  Expertise, Pistol Expertise, Soul of Stone, Thrown Weapon 
  Expertise, Transcendent Hate, Unarmed Ascendant Mastery
  Talents: Catfall, Hip Shooting, Sprint, Sure Strike, Swift 
  Attack, Two Weapon Wielder (Melee), Two Weapon Wielder 
  (Ballistic), Touched by the Fates (3).
  Traits: Fear 1, Improved Natural Weapons, Mistress of 
  the Pale Throng††, Unnatural Agility (x2), Mutations 
  (see below).
  Weapons: Improved Natural Weapons (Writhing tentacles: 
  1d10+4 I, Pen 0, Tearing, Toxic†), Chainsword (1d10+6 R, 
  Pen 2, Balanced, Tearing), Ripper Autopistol (Pistol; 25m, 
  S/-/6, 1d10+2, Pen 3, Clip 50, Reload 2Full, Twin-linked, 
  Tearing, Toxic) or Hand Flamer (Pistol; 10m, S/-/-; 1d10+4 
  E; Pen 2; Clip 2; Rld 2Full, Flame). 
  †See Tentacled Horror, below
  Mutations: Zashlun’s body is extensively mutated, gaining 
  the following benefits:
  Tentacled Horror: Zashlun’s left arm is a mass of writhing, 
  tentacles covered in barbed, venomous suckers. Zashlun gains 
  the Improved Natural Weapons Trait, and when she uses a Full 
  Attack Action to make two attacks with her natural weapons 
  (as per the Swift Attack Talent), she doubles that to make 
  four attacks instead. (If she uses Swift Attack with any other 
  weapons, she makes two attacks as normal.) Zashlun may give 
  any of her natural weapon attacks the Toxic quality at will. 
  Sickeningly Agile: Zashlun’s body (particularly her left arm) 
  is sickeningly malleable, and her reactions are far faster than 
  any normal person. Zashlun gains Unnatural Agility (x2), and 
  has a +20 bonus to Climb, Grapple, and Swim Tests. 
  ††Mistress of the Pale Throng: Zashlun’s role as a Shroud 
  Mistress grants her power and authority in the mutant 
  underworld, to the point where her very word is law. Her 
  inspiring rhetoric can whip her followers into a horrifying 
  frenzy, to the point where nothing can stand against them. 
  When Zashlun uses her Transcendent Hate Paragon Talent 
  to grant her Hatred to her followers, she may also spend 
  one Fate Point. If she does so, until the end of her following 
  turn, all those benefiting from her Hatred (including Zashlun 
  herself ) add +2 to melee damage rolls and ignore any 
  negative penalties to their characteristics (such as penalties 
  from fatigue or critical damage). 
  Ordo Malleus 
  Adversaries
  D
  aemons and other creatures of the warp are the main 
  foes of the Ordo Malleus. Below, you will find entries 
  for adversaries that are a challenge for the most 
  experienced Throne Agent.
  herAld oF khorne
  The Blood God counts servants beyond numbers in his 
  ranks—hordes of bloodletters, flesh-hounds, juggernauts, and 
  many more fight eternal war in his name, against whoever 
  stands in their path. All of Khorne’s servants are dangerous 
  as only daemons can be. However, infinitely more menacing 
  than the creatures that make up the faceless ranks of the Skull 
  Lord’s army, are those he chooses to lead it.
  These Heralds of Khorne are emissaries of slaughter and 
  death. They are terrible to behold in battle, and truly there are 
  few mortals that can best their martial prowess. Only Khorne’s 
  dread Bloodthirsters are more deadly. However, Heralds are 
  more than just a deadly opponent. They are icons of Khorne 
  made animate, and on the field of battle their presence spurs 
  their fellow Daemons to ever-greater acts of bloodshed. 
  Heralds of Khorne appear as larger versions of their lesser 
  bloodletter kin, clad in smoking bronze armour and wielding 
  gigantic hell-blades. The most powerful amongst them have 
  been known to tame the infamous and frenzied juggernaughts 
  and ride them into battle like psychotic steeds. 
  Unlike the lower daemons, Heralds are also allowed a 
  certain freedom of action, though none would consider it true 
  free-will. Nevertheless, they organise the Blood God’s lesser 
  minions, and are often seen leading contingents of daemons 
  into battle, even directing assaults if a Bloodthirster is not 
  present. This, of course, does not stop them from being at the 
  forefront of every charge, always eager to spill more blood in 
  their master’s name. 
  ripper auTOpisTOl
  The Ripper is a weapon outlawed by Arbities edict on 
  several worlds, in spite of (or more likely because of) its 
  popularity with the criminal underclass. Also known as 
  the ‘poor-man’s storm bolter,’ it is actually two autopistol’s 
  attached to the wearer’s wrist, belt-fed to a small ammo 
  pack worn on the hip or back. The rounds for a Ripper 
  Autopistol are specially designed to ape the shells of the 
  holy bolter. Each has an armour-piercing tip, frangiable 
  body, and core of toxic gel. They are hard to purchase, 
  but the agonizing deaths they cause make them popular 
  amongst criminal figures.
  Wrist-mounted: A person wielding a Ripper Autopistol 
  still has both hands free.
  
  IX: Ascended Antagonists
  204
  herald of khorne Profile
  Ws
  Bs
  s
  T
  Ag
  int Per WP Fel
  (10)
  (8)
  65
  11
  59
  45
  40
  37
  53
  50
  18
  Movement: 4/8/12/24 
   
   
  Wounds: 30
  Skills: Command+20 (Fel), Awareness + 10 (Per), Psyniscience 
  +10 (Per), Search, Speak Language (any) (Int).
  Paragon Talents: Berserker, Melee Weapon Expertise, Storm 
  of Blows.
  Talents: Lightning Reflexes.
  Traits: Brutal Charge, Daemonic (TB 8), Daemonic Presence 
  (Emissary for the Skull Throne)†, Dark Sight, Fear 3, From 
  Beyond, Improved Natural Weapons (Teeth and Claws), 
  Servant of Slaughter††, Unnatural Strength (x2), Warp 
  Instability.
  †Emissary for the Skull Throne: Unless the GM determines 
  otherwise, a Herald of Khorne is always accompanied by 
  2d10 lesser Khornate daemons, such as bloodletters. All 
  Khornate daemons who can see the Herald of Khorne gain 
  the Blademaster Talent and Brutal Charge Trait, if they do 
  not already have them. 
  ††Servant of Slaughter: The Herald of Khorne cannot 
  appear in any location that does not already have a substantial 
  daemonic presence and is the sight of considerable bloodshed. 
  In addition, all Critical Effects involving gore or blood (such 
  as requiring an Agility Test not to fall over) do not apply to 
  creatures of Khorne.
  Armour: Smouldering Brass Armour (Arms 7, Body 7, 
  Legs 7).
  Weapons: Great hell-axe (2d10+12 R; Pen 3, Unwieldy) or 
  two hell-swords (1d10+10 R; Pen 2; Balanced), Teeth and 
  Claws (1d10+10 R; Pen 0).
  MArABAs, lord oF 
  chAnge
  Deep within the oldest vaults of the Tricorn, ancient tomes 
  can be found that chronicle the Inquisition’s first forays into 
  what would eventually be known as the Calixis Sector. The 
  records speak of watchful eyes that kept the Crusade pure 
  of faith and purpose, and desperate battles against dire foes. 
  Amongst those records, there is one book in particular that 
  tells of the Inquisition’s battles against the dark being known 
  as Marabas, Lord of Change. 
  The book records that Marabas was a greater Daemon of 
  Tzeentch, the Chaos god of plots, schemes, and mutation. 
  For reasons unknown, Marabas schemed and fought against 
  the Crusade, inspiring heathen worlds to resistance and 
  pacified worlds to rebellion across the sector. Its cults and 
  agents caused widespread death and destruction, and the 
  Inquisition tracked and fought it on a dozen worlds. Marabas 
  was eventually slain on Malfi, when the Daemonhunter 
  Zaalin selflessly rammed the hive-spire it occupied with her 
  gun-cutter. In the wake of the devastation, those surviving 
  from Zaalin’s band invoked the rites of banishment, exiling 
  Marabas to the warp for 1,000 years and a day. 
  Over time, the Inquisition has forgotten its battles against 
  the Daemon, and its attention has drifted to other concerns. 
  The same cannot be said, however, for Marabas. During its 
  centuries of exile, the Daemon has nursed a great grudge 
  against those it sees responsible for its fate; the Calixian 
  Conclave. Now, however, the time of its banishment is ended, 
  and Marabas prepares to bathe the Calixis Sector in blood 
  and fire once more.
  schemes of revenge
  The minds and thoughts of Daemons are not to be understood 
  by mortal men, but Marabas is consumed with a goal that 
  most could comprehend; revenge. It desires vengeance, and 
  since those who banished it are long dead, it will only be 
  sated by tearing down the Calixian Conclave entirely. 
  Though this may seem an impossible goal, Marabas 
  approaches it with the care and malicious dedication of 
  one who knows it has all eternity to see its dreams become 
  reality. The children of Tzeentch are schemers and tricksters 
  by nature, and Marabas moves forward with its goals by 
  sowing the seeds of a thousand fragmented and seemingly 
  contradictory plots and schemes. Only it can see the distant 
  end result, and the collapse of its enemies. 
  Marabas, lord of change Profile
  Ws
  Bs
  s
  T
  Ag
  int Per WP Fel
  (12)
  (21)
  (27)
  (16)
  54
  72
  63
  72
  54
  99
  45
  81
  45
  Movement: 5/10/15/30  
   
  Wounds: 180
  Influence: 81
  
  IX: Ascended Antagonists
  205
  Mastered Skills: Commerce Mastery, Common Lore Mastery, 
  Cryptological Mastery, Charismatic Mastery, Forbidden Lore 
  Mastery, Linguistic Mastery, Scholastic Mastery, Warp Lore 
  Mastery.
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Deceive (Fel) +20, Dodge (Ag), 
  Scrutiny (Per) +20, Search (Per).
  Paragon Talents: Conditioned Intellect.
  Talents: Blademaster, Combat Master, Hatred (Inquisition), 
  Lightning Attack, Resistance (Psychic Powers), Swift Attack, 
  Strong Minded.
  Traits: Daemonic (TB 21)†, Daemonic Presence††, Dark Sight, 
  Fear 4, Flyer 10, From Beyond, Improved Natural Weapons 
  (Claws and Beak), Unnatural Strength (x2), Unnatural 
  Intelligence (x3), Unnatural Willpower (x2), Warp Instability. 
  †Marabas receives a x3 bonus from the Daemonic Talent. 
  ††Daemonic Presence: All those within 25 metres of Marabas 
  feel they are mere playthings at the whim of powers far beyond 
  them. All characters take a –20 to Willpower Tests in the area. 
  In addition, the first time they enter this zone, they must make 
  an Ordinary (+10) Toughness Test or suffer one permanent 
  random minor mutation (see page 334 of the Dark Heresy 
  Rulebook). 
  Weapons: Claws and beak (1d10+12 R, Tearing), Staff of the 
  Fatewalker (2d10+14 I, Tearing, Warp Weapon)
  Master of Plotters: The Daemons of Tzeentch are crafted 
  from schemes, lies, and plots, and the Changers of Ways are 
  the greatest plotters of all. No matter the circumstances it is 
  confronted in, Marabas is always ready to turn the tables on 
  its attackers. Once per combat, he may instantly summon a 
  number of lesser Daemons of Tzeentch (Horrors, Flamers, or 
  any other unnamed Daemon dedicated to Tzeentch) equal to 
  its Intelligence Bonus. 
  Supreme Sorcerer: Marabas knows all Lesser, Greater, 
  and Ascended Psychic Powers (with the exception of the 
  Witchesbane and Daemonsbane powers) and all Lesser or 
  Greater Arcana of Sorcery, and may use them as if it had a Psy 
  Rating of 9. If it rolls any results of 9, instead of rolling on the 
  Psychic Phenomena table, it immediately gains one additional 
  level of overbleed if applicable (only one additional level, no 
  matter how many 9s it rolls).
  In addition to these Powers, Marabas also may use the 
  Psychic Power Bolt of Change (see sidebar). 
  Spawn of Fate: Tzeentch is known as the Architect of Fate, 
  and is said to see the future doom of all things. Marabas does 
  not have access to Fate Points. However, whenever anyone in 
  Combat with it spends a Fate Point, during Marabas’s next Turn, 
   playiNg Marabas
  At its heart, Marabas is the quintessential 
  criminal mastermind, an evil overlord whose 
  malign influence can be seen behind any number of 
  unrelated plots. It delights in manipulating its enemies, 
  and using unwitting cats-paws and pawns to do its dirty 
  work. Therefore, GMs should not introduce Marabas 
  as the villain immediately. It works much better as 
  a hidden nemesis, and it should be some time (and 
  several adventures) before the players should suspect its 
  existence. 
  Marabas is a Daemon of Tzeentch, and thus prefers to 
  work through cults and followers dedicated to that god. 
  Organisations such as the Menagerie (see Disciples 
  of tHe Dark GoDs) are ideal. In addition, Marabas’s 
  schemes are so convoluted and complex as to be almost 
  incomprehensible, so it is perfectly reasonable for it to 
  be the hidden ‘puppet master’ behind a plot that has 
  nothing to do with its goal of destroying the Calixian 
  Inquisition. 
  As players defeat cults and other organisations, 
  the GM should have them discover evidence of an 
  unknown power that is manipulating them behind the 
  scenes. Also, given Marabas’s hatred of the Inquisition, 
  it gleefully sends its lackeys to attack the Throne Agents 
  directly, rather than running and hiding. This behaviour, 
  especially if from a cult the players might have otherwise 
  disregarded, can also hint that something bigger is 
  going on. 
  Even when the players discover the presence of 
  Marabas, they have to do a lot of digging to find out 
  what exactly it is. If they are bold enough to decide to 
  confront the Daemon directly, it is most fitting that the 
  final confrontation take place in the oldest and most 
  forgotten hive-sectors on Malfi (though it could happen 
  anywhere). There they’ll find Marabas, summoned into 
  existence by its most loyal cultists, and guarded by 
  followers both human and daemonic. 
  
  IX: Ascended Antagonists
  206
  it may gain the same benefit as that individual. (For example, 
  if an individual spent a Fate Point to regain 1d10 wounds, 
  Marabas may do the same during its next Turn.) Marabas must 
  do this during its next Turn or not at all. If multiple individuals 
  spend Fate Points during a single Round, Marabas must select 
  one benefit to duplicate. Marabas may not duplicate the benefits 
  from acts of Pure Faith or similar abilities. 
  However, when an individual is forced to permanently burn 
  a Fate Point in Marabas’s presence, Marabas immediately suffers 
  2d10 wounds ignoring Toughness. 
  Ordo Xenos 
  Adversaries
  T
  he Ordo Xenos deals with hostile alien species that 
  often see the Imperium as prey—or worse, foolish 
  pawns in some mysterious gambit.
  dire Avenger exArch
  When the ancient Eldar race walks the path to war, they are 
  led by their Aspect Warriors. These peerless combatants each 
  embody a different aspect of Khaine, the Eldar god of war. 
  The most common Aspect Warriors are the Dire Avengers: 
  consummate soldiers, noble fighters, and merciless foes. The 
  Dire Avengers are adaptable as well, equally able to serve as 
  elite special-operations units or the backbone of an entire  
  Eldar warhost. 
  The Eldar who lead the Aspect Warriors are known as 
  Exarchs. As each Aspect Warrior is an exemplar of a certain 
  style of combat, so is an Exarch the pinnacle of the Aspect 
  Warriors he leads. The Dire Avenger Exarchs are no exception. 
  They are trained to be peerless leaders as well as exemplary 
  soldiers, able to lead their troops in honed battle tactics, and 
  effortlessly decimate their foes. Dire Avengers are able to read 
  and adapt to the ebb and flow of battle, but it is their Exarch 
  who shapes it to his liking. 
  The Dire Avenger Exarch is better equipped than his fellows. 
  His armour, though no less flexible and lightweight, is able 
  to absorb more damage, and his weapons are more impressive 
  as well. Some Exarchs carry one or two Avenger Shuriken 
  catapults, others bear arcane devices able to protect their entire 
  unit, while some even carry the fabled Diresword. 
  dire Avenger exarch Profile
  Ws
  Bs
  s
  T
  Ag
  int Per WP Fel
  (10)
  60
  60
  32
  33
  52
  44
  42
  49
  41
  Movement: 5/10/15/30  
  Wounds: 20
  Mastered Skills: Athletic Mastery.
  Skills: Command (Fel) +20, Demolition (Int), Drive (Military 
  Vehicles) (Ag), Forbidden Lore (Xenos) (Int), Medicae (int), 
  Pilot (Military Craft) (Ag), Scholastic Lore (Legend) (Int), 
  Scrutiny (Per), Search (Per), Silent Move +10 (Ag).
  Paragon Talents: Gunfighter Saint, Blade Dancer, Heroic 
  Leadership, Unassailable Grace.
  Talents: Catfall, Deflect Shot, Double Team, Exotic Weapon 
  Training (Avenger Shuriken Catapult, Shuriken Pistol), 
  Foresight, Heightened Senses (Sight, Sound), Leap Up, Melee 
  Weapon Training (Primitive, Power), Rapid Reaction, Sprint.
  Traits: Unnatural Agility (x2).
  Armour: Gem-studded aspect armour (AP 7).†
  Weapons: Avenger Shuriken Catapult (80m; S/3/10, 1d10+4 
  R; Pen 4, Clip 30, Reload Full; Reliable, Tearing) and one of the 
  bOlT OF cHaNge
  The greatest Daemons of Tzeentch can strike down 
  their enemies with a bolt of pure chaos, causing their 
  flesh to writhe with mutation. 
  Threshold: 27
  Sustained: No
  Range: 45 metres
  This is a psychic shooting attack. Any target hit by a Bolt 
  of Change must make a Very Hard (–30) Willpower 
  Test or suffer one permanent, random mutation (see 
  page 334 of the Dark Heresy Rulebook). If the 
  target fails its Willpower Test by five or more degrees, 
  it dissolves into a mewling Chaos Spawn and counts 
  as slain. 
  Overbleed: For every 9 points by which Marabas 
  exceeds the threshold, he may attack one additional 
  target with a Bolt of Change. 
  
  IX: Ascended Antagonists
  207
  following: Additional Avenger Shuriken Catapult††, Powersword 
  (1d10+8 E; Pen 5, Balanced, Powerfield) and Shimmershield (See 
  above and page 210), or Diresword (see above and page 210). 
  Bladestorm and Defend: During combat, the Dire Avenger 
  Exarch may perform the following tactics as a Free Action. 
  Each tactic benefits the Dire Avenger Exarch plus a number 
  of Dire Avenger allies equal to twice his Intelligence Bonus. 
  Each tactic may only be performed once per combat. 
  • Bladestorm: Sensing weakness, the Dire Avenger Exarch 
  orders his troops to disregard their usual calm reserve, 
  and pour a hail of shuriken on their enemies. Until the 
  beginning of the Dire Avenger Exarch’s next turn, any 
  affected Dire Avengers firing their shuriken catapults or 
  shuriken pistols on semi-automatic or full automatic who 
  roll a successful Ballistic Skill Test add an additional two 
  successes onto the total.
  • Defend: The Dire Avenger Exarch orders his troops to 
  counter an enemy charge with swift, harassing strikes in 
  close combat. Until the beginning of the Dire Avenger 
  Exarch’s next turn, anyone who wants to attack an 
  affected Dire Avenger in close combat suffers a –25 
  penalty to their Weapon Skill. 
  †Dire Avenger Exarchs do not suffer penalties to Concealment and 
  Silent Move when wearing their armour.
  ††Dire Avenger Exarchs may fire a Shuriken Catapult one-
  handed and only suffer a –10 penalty to their Ballistic  
  Skill Tests. 
  slAugTh inTendAnT 
  recusAnT
  The Imperial worlds that border the edge of the Hazeroth 
  Abyss tell stories of the “worm that walks,” a nightmare that 
  comes from the depths of the Abyss to slay the living and feast 
  on the corpses of the dead. It is often dismissed as a myth by 
  those in power, but the Inquisition knows differently. They 
  know that the legends speak of a vile xenos race known as the 
  Slaugth, carrion eaters who prize the recently dead flesh of 
  intelligent beings above all other sustenance. They particularly 
  delight in consuming cranial matter, from which they derive 
  an almost narcotic—and quite addictive—pleasure. 
  With the abundance of humanity in the Calixis Sector, they 
  have rapidly become the Slaugth’s chosen prey. However, for 
  their own unfathomable reasons, the Slaugth prefer to use 
  infiltration and human cats-paws to hunt them. Theirs is an 
  inscrutable and incomprehensible plan, completely mysterious 
  to those few within the Holy Ordos who know of them. It is, 
  however, a plan that the Slaugth have adhered to without fail 
  or dissent from their ranks, until now. 
  Intendant Recusant was a leader amongst the Slaugth, 
  and for decades was in charge of certain portions of the 
  Amaranthine Syndicate. However, Recusant has developed 
  a taste for the narcotic pleasures of necrotic cranial matter. 
  Over time that taste became an addiction, then an obsession. 
  The Slaugth’s racial hubris has never considered restraint a 
  virtue, and now Recusant finds himself driven by his hungers. 
  That selfsame hubris will not allow him to admit that his 
  cold, vast, and alien intellect—a hallmark of his species—has 
  become tainted with his fixation. Now, he has broken from his 
  dark masters, taking a small cadre of warrior constructs and 
  Slaugh infiltrators with him, as well as a splinter group of the 
  Amaranthine Syndicate. These luckless humans do not know 
  THe slaugTH aNd THe 
  aMaraNTHiNe syNdicaTe
  The Slaugth are an impossibly ancient race, who have 
  likely lived in the Calixis Sector long before the arrival 
  of mankind. They have been most active around the 
  Hazeroth Abyss, a section of cursed space and dead 
  stars near the edge of the sector, and control the 
  human Amaranthine Syndicate to fulfill their bidding. 
  However, their true home world is unknown, and may 
  not be within the abyss. 
  The Slaugth are large creatures, and appear to 
  be made up of millions of writhing maggots that 
  assume the rough 3 metre tall humanoid shape. They 
  can manipulate their forms, as well as those of their 
  bio-construct vassals. They are extremely intelligent, 
  exceptionally resilient, and utterly evil. 
  A more detailed description of the Slaugth’s gradual 
  take-over of the Amaranthine Syndicate, as well as 
  some of their terrible plans for the Calixis Sector, can 
  be found in Disciples of tHe Dark GoDs. 
  direswOrd
  The diresword is both a weapon and a symbol of the rank 
  and authority of a Dire Avenger Exarch. These wraithbone 
  swords have a small spirit-stone embedded near in the 
  blade near the hilt. When the weapon strikes an enemy, 
  the stone sears their mind as the blade cuts their flesh. 
  When the diresword deals damage to an opponent, that 
  opponent must make a Challenging (+0) Willpower 
  Test or take an additional 2d10 wounds, ignoring armour 
  or Toughness. This weapon is always Best Quality, 
  granting a +10 bonus to the weilder’s Weapon Skill and 
  +1 damage (already included in the weapon’s profile). 
  This weapon is immune to the effects of Power Fields. 
  sHiMMersHield
  The eldar shimmershield is a small, innocuous wraithbone 
  device worn on the arm. Used by Exarchs of the eldar 
  Dire Avengers, this device is able to project a shimmering 
  shield around both the individual wearing it, and any 
  nearby, protecting them from both projectile weapons and  
  psychic attacks. 
  The shimmershield works in the same manner as a 
  Field (see page 144) with several exceptions. The first is 
  that due to the astonishing craftsmanship of the eldar, it 
  does not overload. The field is projected over a circular 
  area with a five metre radius, and provides its field save 
  to everyone within it. The field only provides protection 
  against shooting attacks and damage dealing psychic 
  attacks originating outside the field. The Shimmershield 
  has a protection rating of 30 and weighs 1.7 kg.
  
  IX: Ascended Antagonists
  208
  that they have broken from the Syndicate as a whole, or that 
  their master is a renegade. In their ignorance, they are loyal. 
  nightmare Tactics 
  Recusant’s plans are short-term and self-centred. He is 
  continuing the raids and terror tactics the Slaugth employ 
  against isolated human outposts and starships. However, his 
  actions are driving deeper into Imperial space, and his masters 
  are not pleased at the actions of this ‘loose cannon.’ 
  The Throne Agents may come across Recusant and his 
  minions in several ways. They may have been assigned to 
  investigate a trail of dead, drifting starships and deserted 
  outposts, and come across Recusant as the hunters (although 
  they may not realise the danger of the ‘game’ they have 
  tracked!). In this situation, an interesting twist might occur. 
  If Recusant’s masters learn of the Throne Agents’ activities, 
  they may covertly aid them through the main Amaranthine 
  Syndicate—providing them information as to Recusant’s 
  possible future targets or even some small details about his 
  true danger. The Slaugth won’t divulge their identity, of 
  course, nor will they give up any information that could hurt 
  them later. However, they would be pleased to see a problem 
  like Recusant eliminated without their direct involvement.
  Alternatively, the Throne Agents may be present on an 
  outpost or starship when it is attacked by Recusant’s forces, 
  and be forced to fight for their very survival. 
  In either case, Recusant’s forces use terror tactics in their 
  attacks, deadly hit-and-fades to lure and bait the opposition 
  while fraying their nerves and exhausting them before 
  moving into the kill. Deadly ambushes that leave none alive, 
  ‘disappearances’ in areas thought safe, and cutting astropathic 
  or vox communications with the outside are all proven tactics 
  that Recusant will employ.
  To defeat Recusant, the Throne Agents will have one 
  advantage. Recusant’s innate hubris, coupled with the 
  addiction that clouds his judgement, means he is not an 
  adversary to lead from the rear. Should the Throne Agents be 
  able to confront him, he will be more than willing to engage in 
  direct combat. Should he be slain, his small renegade faction 
  will quickly splinter and disperse, the remaining Slaugth 
  scattering and vanishing and the Warrior Vassals unable to 
  operate independently and going into uncontrolled berserk 
  frenzies. The humans under his control will either flee and 
  hide, or be easy prey for the Inquisition. 
  To represent the Slaugth’s human mercenaries, use the Kill 
  Squad Trooper and the Bounty Hunter, found on page 341 
  and 336 in the Dark Heresy Rulebook. For the Slaugth’s 
  constructs, use the Warrior Vassal on page 209. 
  slaugth intendant recusant Profile
  Ws
  Bs
  s
  T
  Ag
  int Per WP Fel
  (10)
  (12)
  (14)
  40
  50
  50
  61
  51
  70
  45
  77
  40
  Movement: 5/10/15/30  
   
  Wounds: 43
  Influence: 25
  Mastered Skills: Commerce Mastery, Investigation Mastery, 
  Stealth Mastery.
  Skills: Chem-Use (Int) +10, Climb (Ag), Common Lore 
  (Imperium) (Int) +10, Deceive (Fel), Dodge (Ag), Forbidden 
  Lore (Xenos) (Int) +10, Logic (Int) +10, Medicae (Int), Tech 
  Use (Int) +10. 
  Paragon Talents: Conditioned Intellect, Death Blow, 
  Heightened Reactions, Storm of Blows.
  Talents: Leap Up, Lightning Reflexes, Rapid Reaction, 
  Weapon Training (Exotic).
  Traits: Dark Sight, Fear Rating 3 (Horrifying), From 
  Beyond, Strange Physiology, Regeneration (recovering 2d5 
  Wounds), Unnatural Intelligence (x2), Unnatural Strength 
  (x2), Unnatural Toughness (x2), Touched by the Fates (4), 
  Undying. 
  Elasticity: The Slaugth can flatten their bodies down or 
  stretch them out to over three times their normal length, 
  increasing their reach and providing a +20 bonus on Grapple 
  and Climb Tests). 
  Necrotic: Anyone inflicting a Critical Hit on a Slaugth in 
  close combat has a 25% chance of being splashed with the 
  creature’s necrotic fluids, inflicting 1d10 R Toxic Damage. 
  This can be Dodged, but not Parried. 
  
  IX: Ascended Antagonists
  209
  Cranial Addiction: The Slaugth can absorb a victim’s 
  memories through consuming cranial matter. Recusant’s 
  severe addiction for the substance has made this process much 
  easier for him. When Recusant eats cranial matter less than 
  two weeks old (and not completely decomposed), he may 
  make a Challenging (+0) Intelligence Test. Success means 
  he can access the majority of the victim’s memories. 
  Hubristic Weakness: If Intendant Recusant is killed, all 
  Slaugth Warrior Vassals and other Slaugth constructs must 
  make an Ordinary (+10) Intelligence Test at the beginning 
  of each round. If they fail, they do nothing for that round. 
  All human allies must immediately make a Challenging (+0) 
  Willpower Test or flee. 
  Armour: Shroud Armour (All 5).
  Weapons: Necrotic grasp (1d10+11 R, Tearing, Toxic), 
  Necrotic Lance (see below and page 210).
  Gear: Strange incomprehensible xenos technology.
  slAugTh WArrior 
  vAssAl consTrucT
  One of the reasons the Slaugth have avoided engaging the 
  Imperium openly is they are far outnumbered by humanity. A 
  single human is no more a match for a Slaugth than an insect 
  is a bull grox, but the grox can still be devoured by a swarm of 
  Blood Locusts. Thus, the Slaugth are well aware that should 
  they provoke open warfare, they will be rapidly defeated.
  In order to correct this imbalance of forces, and prepare 
  for the day when they have to attack the Calixis Sector 
  openly, the Slaugth have looked to their strengths. They have 
  a keen and terrible grasp of biological sciences, and instead of 
  training an army, they have decided simply to grow one.
  The Slaugth commonly use biomechanical construct 
  creatures to serve them as labourers, guards, and spies. All 
  appear horrifyingly repulsive to humanity, but the warrior 
  vassals stand apart in that regard. Their shapes can vary, but 
  most are ovoid masses of pallid, fungal flesh shot through 
  with purple veins and metal lattices. Locomotion is provided 
  through three skeletal, spider-like legs, and their upper torso 
  stretches into a thick, stumpy tube, capped with a mass of 
  tendrils surrounding a radial, fang-filled mouth. The tendrils 
  are surprisingly strong, and can stretch into sharp bone-blades 
  at a whim, but the vassal is also quite capable of using the 
  frighteningly advanced weapons of the Slaugth. Embedded 
  within it is a device capable of generating terrible necrotising 
  beams that can disintegrate a man in seconds. 
  NecrOTic beaM
  Little is known about this brutal weapon carried by 
  Slaugth shock-constructs, except they project raking 
  beams of energy capable of turning their victims to clouds 
  of drifting dust.
  Disintegrate: Any victim suffering Critical Damage 
  from this weapon is blasted into a cloud of dust and vapour 
  and completely destroyed.
  Diffuse Fire: When fired on Full Auto, the weapon 
  does 1d10+5 damage. 
  NecrOTic laNce
  The weapon of a Slaugth Intendent, this weapon appears 
  to be a long-bladed spear made entirely of swirling strands 
  of bilious green energy. At the wielder’s command, it can 
  project its energy into a searing beam capable of blowing 
  apart battle-tanks. 
  The lance has a profile as a melee weapon and ranged 
  weapon, and may be used as either. It may only be used in 
  one manner each turn, however. 
  Disintegrate: Any victim suffering Critical Damage 
  from this weapon is blasted into a cloud of dust and vapour 
  and completely destroyed. 
  sHrOud arMOur
  Resembling nothing so much as ragged robes, this armour 
  creates a strange projection affect that clouds the eyes of 
  those watching, allowing the wearer to disappear in  
  plain sight. 
  Anyone wearing Shroud Armour gains a +20 to their 
  Concealment Tests. In addition, during any round they are 
  not in combat, the wearer can make a Challenging (+0) 
  Concealment Test to turn invisible (this does not protect 
  against being detected by motion-sensors, heat-trackers, 
  or psychic powers). The wearer will remain invisible until 
  he attacks or physically interacts with another. Shroud 
  Armour provides 5 APs to all locations and weighs 5kg.
  
  IX: Ascended Antagonists
  210
  Warrior vassals are not particularly intelligent, although 
  they do have a basic grasp of tactics coupled with a complete 
  disregard for their own well-being. They usually operate 
  in teams of three to five. When they locate a threat, their 
  favoured tactic is for one or two of their number to charge 
  headlong into the foe. While their opponents are focused on 
  taking it down, its fellows rake the melee with a fusillade 
  of necrotic blasts, uncaring of whom they hit. Should they 
  encounter a threat far greater than they can handle, the entire 
  cadre attacks, while one slips away to warn their masters. 
  slaugth Warrior vassal construct Profile
  Ws
  Bs
  s
  T
  Ag
  int Per WP Fel
  (8)
  44
  35
  48
  53
  30
  11
  46
  44
  02
  Movement: 3/6/9/18 
   
   
  Wounds: 25
  Skills: Awareness (Per) + 20, Dodge (Ag), Intimidate (S) 
  +20, Search (Per) +20.
  Talents: Heavy Weapon Training (Exotic), Frenzy, Lightning 
  Attack.
  Traits: Auto-Stabilised, Fear 1 (Disturbing), From Beyond, 
  Regeneration, Size (Hulking), Sonar Sense, Strange 
  Physiology, Improved Natural Weapons (Bone-blades), 
  Undying, Unnatural Strength (x2).
  Discorperation: If destroyed, these constructs melt away to 
  bubbling necrotic ooze and stinking gas within a few seconds, 
  leaving nothing behind. 
  Armour: Reinforced endo-plates: All 6.
  Weapons: Bone-blades (1d10+8 R; Pen 3), Necrotic Beam 
  (see page 209). 
  Gear: Strange xeno-tech devices of unknown purposes. 
  THe sTraNge aNd uNHallOwed weapONs OF THe eNeMy
  Just as a Throne Agent is expected to know his enemy, he is also expected to know his enemy’s weapons. Though the Imperial 
  Creed preaches that it is a sin to admire or use the tools of the enemy, it is a Throne Agent’s duty to understand their workings. 
  Of course, some Throne Agents take that to mean they should utilise these weapons, arguing that they are able to withstand 
  their corrupting influence. 
  These items have Availability ratings. However, a GM should never make obtaining one a simple matter. Most are vile xenos-
  tech, and the rest the providence of mutants and heretics. Many Inquisitors would consider even possessing one a crime.
  Name
  Type
  Range
  RoF
  Damage
  Pen
  Clip
  Reload
  Special
  Weight
  Availability
  Ranged Weapons
  Necrotic Beam
  Heavy
  80m
  –/2/8
  1d10+10 E
  4
  —
  —
  Diffuse Fire, 
  Disintigrate
  20kg
  Unique
  Necrotic Lance 
  (Ranged)
  Heavy
  100m
  S/–/–
  2d10+10 E
  8
  —
  —
  Disintigrate, 
  Reliable
  15kg
  Unique
  Ripper 
  Autopistol
  Pistol
  25m
  S/–/6
  1d10+2 I
  3
  50
  2Full
  Twin-Linked, 
  Tearing, 
  Toxic
  3kg
  Extremely 
  Rare
  Melee Weapons
  Diresword
  Melee (1 
  handed)
  —
  —
  1d10+3
  6
  —
  —
  Balanced
  4kg
  Near 
  Unique
  Necrotic 
  Lance (Melee)
  Melee (2 
  Handed)
  —
  —
  2d10+2
  8
  —
  —
  Disintigrate, 
  Power Field, 
  Unbalanced
  —
  —
  Armour
  Shroud 
  Armour
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  5kg
  Unique
  Fields
  Shimmershield
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  5kg
  Near 
  Unique
  
  The Red 
  Wake
  GM’s ResouRces
  •
  DRaMatis PeRsonae
  •
  a Feast aMonG ViPeRs
  •
  the Feast oF WelcoMe
  •
  Death at hiGh Mass
  •
  ceReMony oF 
  inVestituRe
  •
  cause anD 
  consequence
  •
  GoinG aFteR ensoR
  
  X: The Red Wake
  212
  Chapter X: 
  The Red Wake
  “Trust No One”
  –Inquisitorial Maxim
  R
  ed Wake is a short adventure of intrigue and mystery 
  for Ascension-level Dark Heresy characters. It is 
  set against a backdrop of bloody power-politics and 
  assassination during the investiture of a Ministorum priest to 
  the head of an important religious office on the troubled world 
  of Malfi. As plots and political manoeuvrings turn to open 
  murder, the player-characters find themselves in the midst of 
  a powder keg waiting to explode; a powder keg to which 
  somebody is very deliberately trying to touch a match. 
  The SeTTing
  The setting of Red Wake is the ‘Aleph Ha’ Harrum,’ an ancient 
  and important temple complex on the southern continental 
  mass of the teaming hive world of Malfi, capital world of the 
  Malfian sub-sector. The player-characters come to the Aleph as 
  honoured guests along with representatives of the great and the 
  powerful of the Malfian sub to bear witness to the investiture of 
  a new Archimandrite (Cleric-governor) of the Aleph. However, 
  dark forces surround the ceremony and murder and conspiracy 
  await them. The ceremony itself is a confluence of numerous 
  different intrigues and power-plays between factions of the 
  Ecclesiarchy, as well as between the Church, the treacherous 
  Malfian nobility, and the avarice of mercantile powers of the 
  Commercia. Beyond these conspiracies, a plot of a darker hue, 
  perpetrated by the servants of Chaos, is about to unfold and 
  drench the ceremony in suspicion and death. The Throne 
  Agents have many secrets and hidden agendas to discover. As 
  dark events unfold, their own actions in the matter may have 
  considerable implications for the future of the Calixis sector 
  and the fate of countless lives on Malfi. 
  gM’S Briefing
  This adventure is intended, in principle, both to showcase the 
  kind of themes and adversaries that Ascension level Dark 
  Heresy is all about, and for the players and GM to try out and 
  get a handle on much of what has been previously presented in 
  this book. It’s also intended for the GM to use as a springboard 
  for his own plots and campaigns going forward. As such, before 
  running Red Wake for the players, the GM is encouraged to 
  consider where the campaign is going and what kinds of allies, 
  enemies, plots and intrigues he wants the Throne Agents to 
  encounter down the line, and how they might be reasonably 
  foreshadowed or even introduced here alongside the events 
  already taking place. For example, if you want to introduce a rival 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  213
  Inquisitorial faction or noble family, have their agents present at 
  the Investiture for the Throne Agents to encounter. If your plan 
  is to have the Throne Agents investigate strange goings on in 
  the future on a particular world, have the rumours connected 
  with this first surface in the gossip here, and so on. The set-up of 
  Red Wake is also such that is a great place for the Throne Agents 
  to pick up contacts, add to their information network, wield 
  influence and generally meet useful NPCs in a relatively neutral 
  environment without it seeming an overly artificial experience, 
  particularly in the adventure’s opening stages. 
  One major difference about holding Inquisitorial rank over 
  being an acolyte is that the Holy Ordos is expecting the Throne 
  Agents to seek out and confront danger to the Imperium and 
  conduct investigations into suspicious and portentous matters 
  on their own initiative and under their own responsibility. Red 
  Wake, with its cast of nobles, clerics, warriors, mystics, and 
  merchants drawn from across the Calixis Sector, is a perfect 
  setting for the GM to present the Throne Agents with an array 
  of hints, rumours, hooks and leads, unrelated to the adventure, 
  for them to pursue later. 
  SynopSiS of The 
  AdvenTure
  The adventure is broken up into three parts. Each part, 
  though it may contain a number of different scenes and last 
  varied times in terms of game play, is grouped together by the 
  prevailing nature and events it contains. 
  PaRt i: a Feast aMonG ViPeRs
  The Cadre is invited to attend the investiture of the new 
  Archimandrite of the Aleph. They attend a ceremonial 
  reception and feast and observe and take part in the treacherous 
  undercurrents of political manoeuvrings, courtly intrigue, and 
  bitter hatreds present. 
  PaRt ii: Death at hiGh Mass
  The Cadre is present at the High Mass of Ordination, where the 
  Archimandrite to be is suddenly assassinated before he can take 
  up his office. They may bear witness or try to rein in the panic 
  and bitter recriminations that follow in this tragedy’s aftermath. 
  As what was a celebration becomes a wake for the dead, dark 
  rumours abound and infighting breaks out between the factions 
  present. The Cadre may swiftly attempt to get to the bottom of 
  the murder and hope to head off the threat of further strife, or try 
  to stage-manage who is blamed and why as they wish. 
  If the Cadre successfully pursues the evidence of how 
  the assassination took place, they are drawn down into 
  the catacombs of the Aleph and a confrontation with the 
  treacherous priest Deacon Ensor. They may also learn that he 
  was merely a puppet of a wider conspiracy. 
  PaRt iii: cause anD consequence
  Depending on how matters have been resolved by the Cadre 
  ( if they have been resolved at all), the affair is blown open 
  to wider public knowledge on Malfi and the blame falls 
  where it will. If thwarted in his desire to spread disorder 
  and conflict between Ecclesiarchy and Malfi’s nobility, the 
  concealed cultist Sydom seeks to turn the Vigil for the Dead 
  Archimandrite into a bloodbath through a hellish incursion 
  by the Warp, causing as much slaughter as possible to cast 
  fear into the hearts of Malfi’s faithful. 
  LordS of The iMperiuM
  One of the key themes in Red Wake is that it has been, in 
  part, designed to allow the Throne Agents to explore the 
  lines and division of power within the Imperium from the 
  inside. The player-characters, at Ascension level, have power 
  both directly and indirectly. They have the right, as agents 
  of the Holy Ordos, to conduct investigations, requisition 
  aid, and of course to be judge, jury and executioner so far 
  as the purview of the Inquisition extends. They are, in short, 
  lords of the Imperium. Their power however, does not exist 
  in a vacuum, nor is it limitless or unrivalled. Much like the 
  Inquisition itself, they are part of a wider system of authority, 
  control and influence. Other agencies not only have their own 
  agendas, but in some circumstances the power to circumvent 
  or override the Cadre’s. 
  In the political situation that lies at the heart of Red Wake, 
  the Cadre is not simply present as agents of the Inquisition. 
  They are its representatives, and must comport themselves and 
  consider their actions accordingly or face the consequences. 
  When they speak, it is with the voice of the Holy Ordos; 
  when they make judgements and pass out sentences, it is with 
  all the power and majesty of the Imperial Inquisition that 
  they do so. However, this also has the consequence that if 
  they are wrong, that authority is diminished. If they fail, they 
  do so not only in the sight of their enemies, but also the 
  powerful, and worse yet the Holy Ordos itself. Ultimately 
  the Throne Agents should remember that they are no longer 
  Acolytes. They are no longer servants of a particular Inquisitor 
  or Inquisitorial faction who can ‘take the flak’ for what goes 
  wrong, collateral damage they cause, and which enemies they 
  make during the course of a mission. It is they who must 
  answer for their actions, to both their allies, enemies, and to 
  the far less forgiving judgement of the wider Conclave of the 
  Holy Ordos itself.
  the caDRe 
  This adventure is intended for a group of Ascension-
  level Dark Heresy characters, at least one of which 
  should hold the position of Inquisitor. The others are 
  highly skilled and respected agents of the Holy Ordos, 
  operating under their own authority rather than on a 
  particular mission from another Inquisitor. In order 
  to make a distinction here between other agents of 
  the Inquisition present at the investiture, the player-
  character group is referred to as a Cadre during the 
  text of this adventure. This term is also a valid one ‘in-
  game,’ as an NPC might well ask a PC if he, “is part of 
  the Inquisitor’s cadre?” and so on. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  214
  In Red Wake, the Throne Agents find themselves in 
  contention with factions within the Ecclesiarchy, the sector 
  nobility and the Commercia, as well as others from the 
  Inquisition itself. How the Cadre chooses to handle their 
  relationships and conflicts with these factions helps or 
  hinders them in finding out what intrigues are afoot. How 
  they treat the powerful individuals they encounter, and what 
  side they take, may also make long-term allies or enemies for 
  the future, or perhaps ensure they do not live to see another 
  day.
  intRiGues, lies anD takinG siDes
  Red Wake is an adventure of mystery and intrigue. As such, is it open-ended with no set outcome. While events 
  take place in a certain order, depending on how the plans and plots of the NPCs take their course—in particular 
  the plot to murder the newly appointed Archimandrite—it is up to the players just how much they intervene and how to 
  change or foil the events they are caught up in.
  Just how the Throne Agents react to the unfolding situation is their decision to make, and Red Wake is not an adventure 
  which has been designed to have a single ‘right’ solution for them to find. Although, as with most mystery scenarios, 
  some approaches to pursuing certain leads are more effective than others. Indeed, the wrong question in the wrong ear, 
  or the overt display of force to the wrong faction, can and should have very unpleasant consequences. A ‘kick in the door’ 
  approach is likely to completely miss the presence of the Cadre’s true enemies, who then can put traps and ambushes in place 
  to exterminate such unsubtle foes at leisure. The adventure is not merely one focused around social interaction, however, 
  and bloody danger and the treat of violence lurks close at hand. A mixture of both combative, as well as more cerebral and 
  socially skilled Throne Agents, are recommended, with each having more than a fair chance to shine as events progress.
  A good intrigue based storyline is marked by the fact that there are a number of things going on under the surface all 
  at once, and that the different characters and factions involved have often conflicting goals and plans under way. The key 
  to this is in thoroughly knowing the nature, goals and motivations of the key NPCs involved. In order to help the GM out, 
  an extensive and detailed Dramatis Personae section (see page 219) has been included for Red Wake which should be read 
  and understood thoroughly by the GM before the adventure is run. The GM is also, of course, invited to add to and take 
  from the adventure’s cast of characters as he sees fit, to make it his own. 
  Adventures like this one can demand more from the GM than a simple string of combat encounters. Because they offer 
  the players a very great degree of freedom of action, this means that the players can go down no end of unexpected avenues 
  that can’t be fully anticipated. This means that, as a GM, you are required to think on your feet, add extra characters and 
  information as needed to help the adventure along. As a GM, you’ll also need to keep a clear idea of what’s going on in the 
  game in your head. This means both what the player-characters and the NPCs are up to at any given point, and how close 
  their plans are to fruition. 
  a DaRk tRuth oF GMinG
  Running and writing intrigue and mystery based adventures requires work, planning and effort, but it can also be highly 
  rewarding, and a fantastically enjoyable creative challenge. If you are the sort of person who thinks this is fun and enjoys 
  GMing in-and-of itself, then the more you put into running this kind of adventure, the more both you and your players get 
  out of it. If on the other hand, keeping the motivations of a dozen different NPCs in your head at once, and playing out 
  their different interactions one after the other with the players fills you with dread, perhaps running this kind of adventure 
  is not for you. 
  GM hints anD thinGs to ReMeMbeR
  • Be firm but fair with the players. Don’t dismiss their ideas out of hand, and don’t be afraid to be helpful when responding 
  to questions about what their characters might know or infer from their surroundings.
  • Don’t be afraid to have NPCs act or react adversely and violently if the player-character’s actions make this the 
  logical outcome. 
  • Reward quick thinking and good ideas on the players’ part. Grant them additional clues, information, and assistance 
  as warranted. 
  • Familiarise yourself with the NPCs, their roles and motivations. From this, you’ll know how they react to the unexpected, 
  so you can add to things as you go along without the risk of messing up your own plot!
  • If a particular clue or piece of information is vital to the adventure continuing, make sure the player-characters get it.† 
  Never let the adventure stonewall just because they haven’t asked a specific ‘right’ question or failed a dice roll.
  • NPCs can and do lie, but only with cause. 
  • Solving the mystery/defeating the villain/saving the world is a task for player characters. Allies and NPCs can help, but 
  ultimately the game is about the players, not the window dressing. 
  • As always, keep a handy notebook to record names and the like as you go along, or to record what the player-characters 
  have learned so far, as this can prove invaluable.
  †This is not to say you can’t make them work for it through conflict and interaction.
  
  X: The Red Wake
  215
  hiGh Politics anD  
  otheR blooDy GaMes
  Red Wake is very much about Imperial power politics and the 
  fault lines and conflicts the Imperium’s ruling classes are divided 
  by. It focuses particularly on the rivalry between the Imperial 
  church, the Ministorum and the power of the Imperial nobles 
  who rule much of day-to-day life in the Imperium. The setting of 
  this adventure on Malfi is no accident. Malfi is the capital world of 
  an entire sub-sector, and arguably after Scintilla itself, the second 
  most powerful world in terms of economic might and influence 
  in the entire Calixis Sector. What happens there matters. Malfi is 
  also an ancient world with many secrets, a history more darkly 
  tangled and bloody than most, and a notoriously powerful and 
  vengeful aristocracy whose murderous reputation and reach goes 
  far beyond the planet itself.
  This is the world into which the Cadre is thrust, and it is a 
  world in which they must either sink or swim. Depending on 
  the previous campaign that has led up to this point, and the 
  GM’s taste in adventure design, power-politics and high intrigue 
  may already be no stranger to the players. If not, however, this 
  might be the occasion for something of a gear-shift in play style, 
  something that (hopefully) Ascension has helped prepare the 
  players and GM for. The player-characters are required to interact 
  with the NPCs they meet, and should keep the consequences of 
  their dealings, and the nature and desires of those they interact 
  with, in mind. They should also be ready for a sudden switch to 
  danger and frantic violence, for around the powerful, peril always 
  lurks. In the game of empires, you win or you die. 
  GM Resources
  T
  he following contains a selection of useful information 
  for the GM about the adventure, including the main 
  elements of the adventure’s plot.
  The principAL AcTorS
  Although covered in considerably more detail in the Dramatis 
  Personae on page 219, the following are, in short form, the 
  principle NPCs and their factions present in this adventure:
  the ecclesiaRchy 
  Prelate Llorens Zan: An up-and-coming senior clergyman 
  of Malfi, and the next Archimandrite of the Aleph.
  Deacon Ensor: The cleric ‘manager’ of the day-to-day 
  operations of the Aleph, secretly a fallen priest who has 
  arranged the assassination of his new master. 
  The Venerable Cal: A powerful and ancient Cardinal of the 
  Ministorum, come to Malfi to approve the new Archimandrite 
  and pursue his own political ends.
  Legatine-Sister Vespaisia: An officer of the Adepta Sororitas, 
  here as head of the Venerable Cal’s bodyguard detachment. 
  Preacher Azed Husk: A puritan firebrand of growing 
  power from Malfi’s Scav-zones, invited to the investiture at 
  Cal’s bidding, much to the disquiet of others. 
  Arch-Confessor Eutalus: A representative of the rival and 
  locally distrusted Tarsine Church of Scintilla, and failed 
  candidate for the role of Archimandrite. 
  the noble houses
  Lord-Regent Fafnir Belasco: A hugely powerful and 
  dangerous noble. It is through his backing that Zan has been 
  made Archimandrite, much to the enmity of his house’s political 
  rivals. 
  The Honourable Hector Maken: A young foppish noble of 
  Malfi’s ruling noble faction. His very attendance is something 
  of an insult to those assembled owing to his personal lack of 
  importance within his house; a house that holds the Belasco as 
  bitter enemies. 
  Siridar-Baroness Carmilla Noventu: An impoverished, bitter 
  and scornful noblewoman whose house is dependant on the 
  clergy of the Aleph to retain what little wealth it still possesses. Her 
  House has had a blood feud with the Belasco for generations.
  the coMMeRcia
  Master Rothber Sydom: A representative of the trans-
  sector trading combine, the Skealen-Har Hegemony, here 
  to gain favour with the Belasco and the new Archimandrite. 
  He is, in fact, a warp-twisted Rogue Psyker belonging to the 
  nightmarish Chaos cult known as the Menagerie and the 
  architect of the murderous conspiracy about to unfold. 
  Lady Cheska Duquesne (Inquisitor Heleyna Nephren): 
  A representative of a sector merchant company, the Martaxus 
  Combine, Lady Cheska appears as the noble-blooded 
  delegation for her void-born masters. She is secretly an 
  Inquisitor named Heleyna Nephren, and Istvaanian with her 
  own agenda here to observe the changeover of power. 
  outsiDeRs
  Inquisitor-Castellan Thoth: Mistress of the Holy Ordos offices 
  on Malfi, who requests the Cadre take up the assignment.
  The Cadre of Player-Characters
  SydoM’S conSpirAcy
  At the heart of the sinister events unfolding at the investiture is 
  Rothber Sydom’s murder conspiracy. Sydom is a senior agent 
  of the Menagerie, a horrific Chaos cult devoted to the twisting 
  corruption of body and mind, which is secretly spreading its 
  power throughout the Malfian sub-sector. The Menageries’ 
  flesh-seers have foreseen a resurgent and strengthened Malfian 
  church as a potential thorn in their side, and so wish to stop this 
  possibility before it can be realised by killing Zan before he can 
  take up the reins of power. In carrying out the murder publically, 
  but still concealing their hand in the matter, the Menagerie hopes 
  to further sow discord within the nobility present by fanning 
  the fires of suspicion and blame, and perhaps even throw them 
  into open conflict. Even more importantly to the Chaos cult, the 
  killing weakens the faith of the church by demonstrating that 
  both they and the God-Emperor cannot even protect their own at 
  the heart of the Imperial Creed’s worship. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  216
  To this end, Sydom has further corrupted the heart and clouded 
  the mind of the bitter Deacon Ensor, who neither knows nor 
  suspects Sydom’s true nature. Ensor has arranged the events of the 
  assassination via remote control, using a pre-engineered blackout 
  and a murder-chipped cherubim servitor to kill the Archimandrite 
  at the height of the high mass. 
  If Ensor goes undiscovered and the blame falls on another, or 
  the factions present break out into bloody strife, Sydom retires 
  into the shadows, his task complete, to silently gloat at the 
  anarchy and death he has caused. However, if Ensor is discovered, 
  or strong leadership and intervention from the Cadre control and 
  calm the situation, or if he feels an investigation is getting close 
  to discovering his involvement, he may take more direct action 
  by seeking to kill the Cadre members or scapegoating further 
  killings. If he is thwarted completely, the GM also has the option 
  of having Sydom deliver a bloody and terrible retribution at Zan’s 
  requiem (see Sydom’s Last Dance on page 245).
  The noBLe houSeS  
  of MALfi 
  Politics on Malfi are a deadly game, even compared to the intrigues 
  present at the Lucid Court on Scintilla or the murderous inter-
  clan warfare of Magnagorsk on Fenksworld. None can match 
  the noble houses of Malfi for their predations, labyrinthine plots 
  and natural flare for betrayal and savage revenge. Outsiders who 
  enter this stage of lies and villainy quite often find themselves 
  swimming with sharks like bloody bait. Even those who might be 
  considered practiced dissemblers and agents of fortune on other 
  worlds are often proved rank amateurs compared to even minor 
  players of the Malfian power-politic. This tendency towards 
  deception, seeking advantage, patronage, and bitter feuding is 
  a cornerstone of the Malfian culture and psyche. It is present 
  at all levels; from the nomadic scum of the scav-zones and the 
  workers on the manufactory floors to the halls of the temples and 
  PlanetaRy DataFax: MalFi
  Population: Estimated 22 Billion
  Tithe Grade: Exactus Extremis
  Special Notation: Regional Capital, Malfian Sub-Sector, Calixis Sector, 
  (Malfi II)
  Geography/Demography: Hot/Temperate, abiding planetary climate 
  is semitropical with a high degree of precipitation and storm activity. 
  The planet’s central super-continual mass, which dominates 70% of its 
  surface, was formerly jungle/rain forest zones ranging to an arid desert 
  equatorial belt, with relatively small polar oceans. The natural landscape, 
  however, has now largely been overwhelmed with diffuse laterally spread 
  hive city urbanisation and industrial development (see subtype reference 
  ‘Solar Hive’), giving way to ‘scav zones’ in arid desert regions. This single mass-
  hive structure is accessed through extensive ‘Arteria’ road and transit networks and 
  is politically further subdivided into 1,243 administrative dominions under control of the 
  Malfian nobility. 
  Governmental Type: Indigenous Hive Oligarchy (League of Patented Nobility, registering seventeen divisions of rank 
  and title, composed of approximately three to four hundred recognised noble houses at any given time.)
  Planetary Governor: Currently the Matriarch Eminence Glydus. The Malfian Matriarch/Patriarch is, by the Articles 
  of Compliance put into effect by Warmaster Angevin, elected for a life term as Malfian Planetary Governor and Imperial 
  Commander of the Malfian system with secondary authority over the system worlds of Gallowglass (Malfi V-c) and 
  Borusa (Malfi VIII). The candidate for the role is brought forward by acclaim of the League.
  Adept Presence: Strong/Extensive; all major Adeptus Terra are represented, tasked to duties centred on Malfi itself 
  as a prominent hive world, and as the administrational nexus of the Malfian sub-sector. Notable inclusions feature full 
  Astropathic Choir (sub-sector relay), extensive Imperial Guard mustering grounds/Departmento Munitorum storage 
  depots, Battlefleet Calixis orbital station, and self-governing sub-sector Administratum citadel enclave. 
  Military: The Legion of Civil Protection (local PDF, low/poor), private armies held by the noble houses (large, elite 
  and well equipped but widely scattered and under independent command). Also Malfi holds considerable numbers 
  of mercenaries and bounty hunters which make Malfi their home (cross ref: Free Companies/Malfian Bloodsworn). 
  Additionally highly violent indigenous culture and extensive nomadic criminal population in Malfi’s ‘scav-zones’ make 
  for excellent Imperial Guard recruits when tithed. 
  Trade/Economy/Addendum: Malfi is home to the Calixis sector’s second-largest hive based economy after Scintilla, 
  (although Scintilla’s output is considerably higher.) It is also the sub-sector production capital and primary exporter 
  for finished goods, metalwork, manufactured materials and arms, as well as a major transhipping port with links across 
  the Calixis sector and beyond. Malfi is a mass-importer of raw materials (particularly metallic ores) and food, and is 
  incapable of feeding more than an estimated 20% of its population without imports from nearby agri-worlds such as 
  Gallowglass. 
  See page 325 of Dark Heresy for further information on Malfi.
  
  X: The Red Wake
  217
  dusty corridors of Administratum counting houses. It reaches its 
  zenith amid the ranks of the noble houses. There are hundreds of 
  such houses, some predating even the Angevin Crusade in their 
  antiquity, while others are fresh born, and granted title by the 
  office of the Matriarch or Patriarch of the day. That individual is 
  elected from the heads of the noble houses to hold the office of 
  planetary governor. 
  So it is that fresh blood replaces the old, and as some houses lose 
  their grip on power or die away entirely, there are always hungry 
  new claimants waiting in the wings to take advantage of any sign 
  of weakness. As such, mere title or even wealth is no guarantee of 
  power or protection on Malfi as it might be elsewhere on more 
  stable or staid worlds. Only strength, guile, and the ruthlessness 
  to use it provide such security. Perhaps because of this, the Malfian 
  aristocracy nurses its grievances endlessly and respects none not 
  of their number. They pay due obedience only to the High 
  Adeptus Terra of the Imperium and the Lords of Mars, which 
  they acknowledge as a greater power; and to the Holy Ordos in 
  particular, as superior players of the game. They see the ‘nobility’ 
  of other worlds as vane and worthless things, lumping them in 
  with other ‘peddlers and malcontents.’ In particular, they hold 
  their greatest scorn for those who originate in the sector capital of 
  Scintilla. All of Malfi hold a grudge against that world that goes 
  pack to the birth of Calixis. 
  the eneMy oF My eneMy…
  Because of the constantly shifting web of intrigue and power 
  that holds Malfi together, alliances are formed and broken 
  easily between the noble houses and other powerful groups. 
  Each great house maintains a legion of spies, analysts and paid 
  informants just to try to keep track of this treacherous sea of 
  power and patronage. It is said, and not without reason, that 
  every Malfian lies and that every Malfian would betray even 
  their own kin for the right price. The trick lies in knowing what 
  that price is, and making a better offer than your competitors. 
  the Rules oF VenDetta
  As many outsiders learn to their cost, on Malfi, the only rule 
  is that there are no rules. There are, however, certain accepted 
  ways that vendettas, contests and feuds are conducted. Certain 
  lines of action, if crossed, guarantee escalation to greater 
  heights of violence and destruction, up to and including what, 
  on other worlds, might be considered open civil war. As it 
  is, in the normal scheme of things, most houses contest each 
  other by proxy; acting through intermediaries to settle scores 
  against each others positions, territories and agents. They 
  deliver calculated insults at court or at state gatherings, and 
  even use sponsored scav-gangs in the wastes to fight bloody 
  battles against others sponsored by their rivals, or as muscle to 
  raid Arteria routes and trade shipments. 
  While tens of thousands may die yearly to such ‘diversions,’ 
  they matter little in the grand scheme of things. True blood 
  feuds only erupt over the killing of those of noble blood and 
  their closest agents. When such a spiral of murder and counter 
  murder at the highest echelon begins, there is very little that 
  can stop it until one side is laid low. All the great houses 
  maintain numerous specialised agents and deadly weapons in 
  case of such vendettas. During such, no target is off limits to 
  attack, and age, gender or rank is not a guarantee of safety. 
  It is not surprising that every Malfian noble is trained to be 
  well-versed in the arts of violence and secrecy from a young 
  age, and duelling among the nobles of Malfi is commonplace. 
  Outsiders drawn into such battles had best remember that, to 
  most Malfian nobles, the concept of the ‘fair fight’ is the most 
  appalling kind of idiocy. 
  the Position oF  
  the MinistoRuM on MalFi
  The current lamentable position of the Ecclesiarchy on Malfi 
  is central to the plot of this adventure. It is well known to 
  the Inquisition, and as such should be made known to 
  the player-characters before the adventure begins. While 
  faith in the Imperial Creed is widely regarded as strong on 
  Malfi—particularly among the common masses of the hive 
  workers who make up the bulk of the planet’s population 
  (but notably less so in other classes)—the Imperium’s church 
  is rightly perceived by many as divided and weak. Although 
  Malfi holds no fewer than three Cardinal’s seats in the Synod 
  Calixis (a number exceeded only by Scintilla’s five), no single 
  churchman holds genuine sway over the Malfian clergy, and 
  the Ministorum’s clerics are heavily factionalised. Matters are 
  worsened by the fact that the local Ecclesiarchy receives little 
  support or backing from the Malfian nobility. A great many 
  of them seek to circumvent its stranglehold by funding and 
  maintaining their own House chaplains (often drawn from 
  minor branches of their own bloodlines and illegitimate 
  children), trained and ordained off-world, sometimes as far 
  afield as Maccabeus Quintus or even the Scarus sector. These 
  chaplainries serve the spiritual needs of the noble houses while 
  chiefly remaining loyal to them before any other master save 
  the Imperial Creed, not the local Ministorum. 
  The reasons for this schism between the noble houses 
  that rule Malfi and Malfi’s own duly composed Ministorum 
  authorities dates back to the dark days of Malfi’s ‘Reign of 
  Terror.’ This began in 428.M41† with the ascendancy of House 
  Koba to undisputed rule. During this period, the Malfian 
  Ecclesiarchy succumbed to Koba’s power, becoming little 
  more than their puppet. Its clergy often became spies within 
  the noble houses to which they were assigned, and the church 
  turned a blind eye to the Koba’s tyranny and bloodletting. This 
  has never been forgiven or forgotten by the nobility, to this 
  day. What little unity or moral authority the Malfian church 
  retained was shattered during the nightmarish events of the 
  infamous ‘Bloody Solstice’ in 499.M41† when the birth of the 
  Pilgrims of Hayte cult tore Malfi apart. The high clergy’s initial 
  response to the spiralling crisis was scattered and erratic. Its 
  upper echelons were thrown into panic by such a direct and 
  terrifying assault on their lives. Others were destroyed from 
  within by the cult’s agents. Many prelates and abbots shut 
  themselves away, even from each other, and attempted vainly 
  to turn their temples into fortresses against the onslaught. They 
  were publically powerless to stop the Pilgrims from going 
  about their bloody work. These acts were seen, by both the 
  nobility and the masses, as cowardice and betrayal. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  218
  In the many years since then, the Malfian Church and the 
  sub-sector Ecclesiarchy have fought a slow uphill battle to 
  regain its rightful place on Malfi. After many holy missions 
  and the zeal of countless priests, it has largely succeeded with 
  Malfi’s people, but not those with who rule them. The Malfian 
  church remains largely disunited, and an invisible barrier 
  persists between it and Malfi’s noble houses. 
  †See Disciples of tHe Dark GoDs for more information 
  on Malfi’s Reign of Terror and the Pilgrims of Hayte.
  The TeMpLe ALeph
  The great temple complex where the adventure is set is the 
  ‘Aleph Ha-Harrum.’ Its name in the old Malfian Tongue literally 
  translates into Low Gothic as “The place of deliverance.” 
  It is known more formally as the ‘High Altar of Emperor’s 
  Deliverance,’ and most commonly simply as the Aleph. The 
  temple complex was raised up to mark the sight where the old 
  masters of Malfi formally seceded overlordship of their world 
  to the Angevin Crusade during the founding of the Calixis 
  sector. In the millennia since then, it has grown up to be one 
  of the most famous and significant religious site in the Malfian 
  sub-sector; a place of pilgrimage and a centre of the worship of 
  the Imperial Creed in this part of the Calixis sector. 
  Traditionally separate from the intrigues and vicissitudes 
  of Malfi’s fractious politics (at least as much as such a place 
  can be), the Aleph has long been a independent power of its 
  own right within the Ecclesiarchy of Malfi, and the voice of its 
  governor, the Archimandrite-Aleph, is heard and respected by 
  the faithful across this world. Unfortunately, this independence 
  proved costly during the dark days of House Koba’s Reign 
  of Terror, when a number of Archimandrites met untimely 
  ends for refusing to submit, and many of the associated rights 
  and estates the temple possessed where slowly stripped away. 
  Conversely, because of this, the Aleph has been spared a great 
  deal of the bad blood and poor reputation the Ministorum on 
  Malfi gained during those times, although its is still a shadow 
  of its former self. This fact is what has made the Temple Aleph 
  a favoured site, and the election of a new Archimandrite after 
  the last died of extreme old age is a prime opportunity for the 
  efforts of the subsector church (in the person of the cardinal, 
  the Venerable Cal) to attempt to build a growing power base 
  on Malfi again. 
  the Physical stRuctuRe oF the 
  teMPle alePh
  The temple complex is a vast, sprawling edifice that has 
  grown to entirely enshroud the rocky plateau on which it 
  was long ago founded. It is composed of tens of kilometres of 
  passageways, templeum, chapels, pilgrim refectories, hospices 
  and support facilities, many of which of which are now shut 
  up, dusty, and out of use. Now a staff of nearly a thousand 
  clergy and lay servants remain to tend to their services and 
  look after a trickle of pilgrims in the hundreds, where once 
  five times that number tended to the spiritual and corporeal 
  needs of tens of thousands of holy seekers a day. 
  The portion of the Aleph in which Red Wake is set is 
  the High Altar, the uppermost and grandest temple in the 
  complex. Here, in the high days before the Terror, the great of 
  Malfi would come on feast days to pray before gilded images 
  of the God-Emperor. This cathedral of stone and stained glass, 
  along with its attendant guest chambers and great halls, has 
  been much restored of late in preparation for its new master. 
  The Aleph itself has received fresh funding from the sub-
  sector church, and in the case of the Archimandrite to be, the 
  backing of House Belasco as well. Bored deep into the rocky 
  plateau beneath the High Altar are the Aleph’s catacombs. 
  Here, countless legends of dead clerics, great and small, are 
  interred. Additionally, the Generatora and automated control 
  systems for the complex are securely housed there. 
  the inVestituRe oF a neW 
  aRchiManDRite
  The affair of the investiture has several distinct components 
  lasting a considerable amount of time and is governed largely 
  by Malfian ecumenical tradition. 
  The first (of which the various external attendees, including 
  the Throne Agents, have not been a part), is a period of intensive 
  fasting, religious observations and symbolic cleansing by the 
  clergy of the Aleph, done in order to pave the way for the 
  new Archimandrite. This period, covering a little more than 
  a Malfian lunar month, has taken place prior to the events 
  described here. 
  The second is a grand ceremonial reception for those 
  guests, both of the clergy and the laity, who have been invited 
  to attend the investiture, called the Feast of Welcome. Subject 
  to Malfian tradition, this event takes the form of a promenade 
  court where the guests are each presented formally to the future 
  archimandrite. This leads into a banquet of celebration whose 
  courses are interspersed with choral song, blessings and silent 
  Mummer’s play-scenes of religious and historical significance. 
  In theory, the guest list of this ceremonial reception is limited 
  to those nobles and priests with some direct connection either 
  the Aleph or the Archimandrite to be. In practice however, and 
  this time is no exception, the guest list tends to be contrived 
  more of those seeking to curry favour, those to whom the 
  Archimandrite is politically indebted, and those, friend or foe, 
  who are simply too important to risk insulting by not inviting 
  them. The Holy Ordos of the Inquisition falls into this last 
  category, hence the Throne Agents’ involvement. 
  The third part is a High Mass of Ordination, the formal 
  church ceremony at which the Archimandrite is duly installed 
  before the glory of the God-Emperor of mankind with all due 
  grandeur and worship. This takes place at the High Altar of the 
  Aleph, for the assembled dignitaries to bear witness and the 
  whole clergy of the Aleph and do homage to their new master. 
  The investiture itself over, the dignitaries remain for a 
  second feast of thanksgiving while the new Archimandrite’s 
  image is presented, and his sermon recounted, in public masses 
  of rejoicing held in templum great and small across Malfi. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  219
  Dramatis 
  Personae
  “The foolish believe their friends, while the wise pay heed to their 
  enemies.”
  –Malfian Proverb
  The following section details the most important individuals 
  at the investiture of the Archimandrite. In addition, each has 
  their own followers, attendants, underlings, and in some cases 
  servitors and bodyguards who are not detailed here. These 
  entries are very detailed, as this is a situation with complex 
  social dynamics, rivalries, alliances and outright hatreds 
  between parties. Each entry is listed with a description of 
  the individual, and sub-headings for each wider faction they 
  belong to, their motivations and desires specifically as regards 
  to the investiture, and what allies and enemies they have 
  present. 
  The level of detail given to these NPCs and the factions to 
  which they belong is also designed to enable them to be used 
  again in later adventures by the GM. In addition, if the GM 
  feels there are just too many NPCs involved, he can choose 
  to have several ‘take a back seat’ or be removed altogether if 
  he wishes. However, cutting down the list of NPCs also cuts 
  down the list of suspects available to the players when events 
  at the investiture take a sinister turn.
  PRelate lloRens Zan
  Zan is the Archimandrite in waiting whose investiture the 
  player-characters have been invited to. He is a middle-aged, 
  well proportioned man of aristocratic bearing and easy 
  charm, whose native intelligence and force of personality has 
  seen him rapidly ascend the ranks of the Ministorum. Zan 
  is an up-and-coming Imperial cleric with distant blood ties 
  to the House of Belasco, and this infamous house’s political 
  clout and resources have had more than a little to do with his 
  appointment as Archimandrite over his rivals. Zan’s faith in 
  the Imperial Creed is real; in this sense he is not a false priest. 
  However, he also believes firmly that the Ministorum should 
  have greater power over the Imperium’s daily life, commerce 
  and politics, and that its high priests should be lauded and 
  ennobled as just rewards for their service and leadership. Zan’s 
  hopes for his career as Archimandrite are to see a dawning 
  renaissance of power and influence for the Malfian church, 
  with him at its head and a cardinal’s rank before long.
  Faction (Malfian Church): Zan represents the Malfian 
  Ministorum establishment outside of the private chaplains of 
  the nobility. He has a considerable number of under-priests, 
  legates and junior clerics in his service, and carries the majority 
  of the Aleph’s clergy and lay-servants with him. Zan’s church 
  is a worldly one, hungry for temporal power as well as spiritual 
  dominance, and the aggrandisement of its clergy. 
  Motivation: Zan sees the investiture as his moment of 
  triumph, and he intends to be magnanimous in victory to 
  those that have supported him, and politely gloat over those 
  he has defeated. He is not one to rest on his laurels, however, 
  and seeks to strengthen his relationship to House Belasco 
  and the Venerable Cal. If presented with agents of the Holy 
  Ordos, he is gracious but strong, fully aware of the extent of 
  his own power. 
  (Special) Fate: Zan is fated never to attain the high 
  rank he has sought so long after, and is assassinated in the 
  adventure’s second part.
  Allies: Zan is the leader of a sizable body of the Malfian 
  Ministorum. His principle ally outside the church is the 
  powerful House Belasco, who have backed his bid to become 
  the Archimandrite with both coin and the use of their 
  widespread intelligence-gathering network. Nominally at 
  least, the wider sector-establishment clergy are on his side 
  as well, as he and the clergy that follow him represent 
  the doctrinal status quo of the Ministorum and favour the 
  expansion of the church’s influence on Malfi. This being 
  said, the Venerable Cal has nothing but distaste for him as an 
  individual, thinking him too worldly by half, but a necessary 
  evil for the Malfian church. 
  Enemies: Both Husk’s puritans and Eutalus’s Tarsites 
  regard Zan and his faction as rivals for dominance of the 
  Malfian clergy, with Husk personally viewing Zan as a 
  dangerous idolater and heretic. Little does Zan know, that far 
  removed from the intrigues of the church, he has been targeted 
  for death by a dark conspiracy that will take his life. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  220
  Deacon ensoR 
  Ensor is an elderly and dusty cleric who has served several 
  masters as deacon of the Aleph. This role has him overseeing 
  the day-to-day management of the temple complex, but allows 
  him no power whatsoever beyond its walls, and little respect 
  from those clergymen not directly under his authority. His 
  manner is cold and formal, and in appearance there’s something 
  of the old vulture in Ensor; his face is narrow and pale and his 
  small and deep-set eyes miss little. Ensor’s heavy gilded staff 
  of office is rarely out of his hand, and the rapping sound as it 
  hits the flagstones and signals Ensor’s approach is the terror 
  of his underlings. He has a reputation as a grim, humourless 
  taskmaster with no interest or thought beyond his duty.
  However, Ensor has another, hidden nature: bitter at his 
  lot, vindictive and vengeful. An outside agency, in the form of 
  the Menagerie cult, has fanned the flames of Ensor’s grievance 
  and turned him into an ally in the murderous plot which is 
  now about to hatch. Ensor himself, however, believes that he 
  is serving a private vendetta to get rid of a man he himself 
  despises for an unknown political enemy of Zan’s. 
  Faction (Malfian Church): Ensor’s reputation is that 
  he serves the Aleph first and foremost and the Ministorum 
  second. Outwardly he is loyal to the Malfian church faction 
  now in control of the temple complex and its domains. His true 
  allegiance, however, is to his own bitter heart.
  Motivation: Ensor is entirely complicit in the assassination 
  of Zan, and arranged for it to happen, a fact he does his best 
  to conceal at all costs. Once directly threatened, he does not 
  hesitate to act with extreme prejudice to defend his secrets, 
  and if exposed dies on the pyre. He is, however, no fighter 
  himself, and seeks to act through intermediaries and agents if 
  at all possible. 
  Allies: Ensor is part of the conspiracy to assassinate Zan, 
  although to call Sydom an ally is overstating the case, as Sydom 
  sees Ensor as nothing more than a sacrificial pawn. Ensor 
  does, however, have several utterly loyal underlings and is in 
  possession of the master-control cantus for the Aleph’s servitor 
  systems and machine-spirit controlled defences.
  Enemies: Ensor has no overt personal enemies at the 
  gathering. Husk’s party mistrusts him as part of Zan’s faction 
  and Eutalus’s faction considers him an empty vessel operated 
  by Zan almost by remote control. The other factions and power 
  groups present consider him no more than part of the fixtures 
  and fittings of the place. Should his role in the conspiracy come 
  to light, all turn their hands against him. 
  leGatine-sisteR VesPaisia 
  Vespaisia is a senior Sister of Battle who has been assigned as 
  the commander of an honour guard detachment of ten battle 
  sisters from the Order of the Bloody Rose on the nearby world 
  of Gallowglass. Her task is both to represent her perceptory 
  at the ceremony and to protect the life of the Venerable Cal 
  during his sojourn on Malfi; a task that she or any of her 
  sisterhood would gladly die to perform. She is a tough, no-
  nonsense woman who has fought far afield in the service of 
  her order. She served on the frontlines of the Margin Crusade 
  to the dim galactic North of the Calixis sector before taking 
  up her position a little more than a year ago on Gallowglass. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  221
  She is brisk and formal in manner, has little time for political 
  niceties or the manoeuvrings of courtly or church politics, 
  and reveres Cal almost as a living saint. 
  Faction (Periphery Church): Vespaisia has great respect 
  for the Holy Ordos, but at all times defers to her personal 
  faith and Cal’s word as her highest authority. She sees the 
  other churchman present as her natural allies and will readily 
  fight to defend them. However, if any are proved false or 
  heretical in her eyes, she will not hesitate to destroy them, 
  regardless of any political or personal consequences. 
  The squad of battle sisters present in the Aleph obey 
  Vespaisia without question. 
  Motivation: Vespaisia holds herself aloof from the early 
  intrigues at the investiture, and then serves to enact her duty 
  and protects Cal at all costs. 
  Allies: Vespaisia is firmly allied to Cal’s party, and is by 
  nature well inclined to the player-characters as representatives 
  of the Holy Ordos.
  Enemies: Vespaisia has no outright enemies at the start of 
  the adventure’s events, but turns mercilessly on anyone that 
  displays overt heresy or threat. She is, however, coldly polite 
  to the members of the nobility and Commercia present as she 
  has an inherent distrust of their motives. 
  the VeneRable cal 
  The Cardinal Cal Sutai Arran, known for some decades now 
  as the Venerable Cal, is one of the most influential members 
  of the Ecclesiarchy in the Malfian Sub-sector. Quite aside 
  from his high clerical rank, Cal is a profoundly respected 
  spiritual leader, moral authority and stalwart defender of the 
  faith. His three-century vocation in the Ministorum has seen 
  him fight in the front lines of Imperial Crusade, instigate and 
  lead a purge of the church’s ranks that saw a thousand pyres 
  lit on Sepheris Secundus, and become one of the undisputed 
  leaders of the Ecclesiarchy faction known informally as the 
  ‘Periphery Church.’
  An immensely old and withered man, Cal is kept alive 
  by a combination of arcane technology, indomitable spirit 
  and as he says, “because the God-Emperor has work for me 
  yet.” Although crippled in body, his fierce intellect and zeal 
  remains, and he commands the fanatical loyalty of millions 
  of the faithful. 
  Faction (Periphery Church): Although the Imperial 
  Ecclesiarchy is, at least in theory, a single organisation 
  operating under layers of unifying tradition and faith and 
  following clearly defined lines authority, it is no less subject 
  to divisions of doctrine, politics and power-mongering than 
  any other of the Imperium’s edifices of state and civilisation. 
  The Ministorum of the Malfian sub-sector has long been 
  dominated by a faction known as the Periphery Church, a loose 
  alliance of minor synods and orders set up in part to maintain 
  their independence, within the bounds of Ministorum law, 
  from the influence of the doctrinally divergent ‘Drusians’ of 
  Maccabeus Quintus, and the brutally wielded political power 
  of the church on Tarsus at the sector’s capital. 
  Motivation: Cal sees the investiture of the new 
  Archimandrite of the Aleph both of spiritual importance to 
  the Imperial faith, and as a political opportunity to increase 
  the strength and power of the church on Malfi; something he 
  sees as his divinely ordained duty to bring about and a long 
  standing failing in the God-Emperor’s eyes. As such, he has 
  taken the unusual step of a pilgrimage from his own basilica 
  on Alactra to Malfi for the ceremony in order to bring the 
  weight of his presence to the proceedings.
  In order to achieve these goals, he sees any tool as worthy 
  of use, save any tainted by heresy or the unclean. As such, Cal 
  has supported Zan’s appointment, although he has no regard 
  for the man personally, as he sees him as a strong leader when 
  strength is needed. He is even willing to countenance bringing 
  the Emperor’s forgiveness to the House of Belasco for their 
  past misdeeds and affiliations, so long as they acknowledge 
  the Ministorum’s primacy and rights on Malfi—something 
  no other noble houses have done. One wild card element Cal 
  has brought into play is the puritan firebrand Azed Husk. 
  The puritan and his growing following has come to Cal’s 
  attention from afar. The venerable cleric wants to gauge Husk 
  for himself to see if he and his followers could prove useful 
  to the church, where force may be needed to defend the 
  Ministorum’s position on Malfi in days to come. 
  Allies: Cal commands the unquestioning allegiance and 
  instant obedience of much of the Malfian clergy and millions 
  of the faithful on Malfi and beyond. 
  Enemies: The only true enemy Cal has at the proceedings 
  is the one he is unaware of: Rothber Sydom. Although Cal 
  is not Sydom’s true target, if the Rogue Psyker and cultist 
  sees the opportunity to harm or kill so venerated a servant 
  of the hated Emperor, he takes it. Eutalus, as the cat’s-paw of 
  the Tarsine church is also against Cal politically, but Eutalus’s 
  stark terror of Cal is sufficient to prevent the mere thought of 
  acting against him from crossing the cleric’s mind. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  222
  MasteR RothbeR syDoM
  A living poison within the gathering, a monster hiding in 
  plain sight, Rothber Sydom is a nightmarishly powerful Rogue 
  Psyker and servant of the twisted and feared Chaos cult known 
  as the Menagerie. Creatures of lies and guises, the Menagerie’s 
  corrupt servants are deeply imbedded on Malfi, and the cult’s 
  baleful influence is steadily growing. Masquerading as a 
  merchant’s factor of the Skaelen-Har Hegemony (see page 214 
  of Dark Heresy for more information on this group) come to 
  make due reverence to the new Archimandrite, Sydom is here 
  to shepherd the execution of his cult’s plan to ensure the new 
  Archimandrite dies before he can take up office. This act is 
  designed to further weaken the Malfian church, sow distrust 
  and discord among the nobility, and lead to quite delightfully 
  damaging threads pulled in fate’s weave. 
  Sydom’s lies are faultless, and his persona as a slightly 
  overwhelmed, utterly earnest, and somewhat dull merchant 
  is entirely convincing. Beneath this, ravening madness crawls. 
  Most dangerous of all, Sydom is subtle and only reveals his true 
  nature when he holds the advantage or if cornered. 
  Faction (Skaelen-Har Hegemony/The Menagerie 
  Cult): Sydom and those servants with him are members of the 
  sector-wide Commercia agency, the Skaelen-Har Hegemony. 
  Despite Sydom’s declarations, they make little attempt to 
  open negotiations with anyone and largely keep themselves to 
  themselves. Just how an ‘unknown’ like Sydom has gained a 
  place at the investiture is not a matter that holds up to much 
  scrutiny. Rather, it just seems to have ‘happened.’ Sydom’s 
  true allegiance lies with the baleful Warp-cult known as the 
  Menagerie, devoted to Chaos as mutator of flesh and soul. 
  More information on the menagerie cult can be found on page 
  152 of Disciples of tHe Dark GoDs.
  Motivation: Sydom is here to ensure his pawn, the fallen 
  priest Deacon Ensor, kills the Archimandrite, and if discovered, 
  some other juicy target is blamed for the deed—the better 
  to spread discord and damage. Beyond this, Sydom is one 
  of the Menagerie first and foremost; a being of tangled lies, 
  false shapes and shifting horror, a twisted sculptor of flesh and 
  mind, devoted to the screaming dissolution of humanity into 
  the seething embrace of Chaos. 
  Allies: None, although Ensor is his puppet in the murder 
  conspiracy. Given his powers, he can consume and twist others 
  to his will. 
  Enemies: If discovered, all present are Sydom’s implacable 
  enemies. Even his pawn Ensor would rather kill himself 
  that knowingly serve Chaos. Unfortunately his master’s true 
  allegiance remains unknown to him. 
  PReacheR aZeD husk
  The proverbial ‘odd man out’ at this gathering, Husk is the 
  charismatic, and some would say unhinged, leader of a 
  rising puritanical faction based in the lower echelons of the 
  Ministorum on Malfi. Captured and enslaved as a child by 
  outlaw arteria road-gangs, Husk’s path to the God-Emperor has 
  been a hard one to say the least. He proudly carries the scars 
  of his youth and early adulthood to the troops in the frontlines 
  of the Tranch War as a volunteer preacher. Husk fears nothing 
  and cares little for the power of the Ministorum authorities 
  or the viperous intrigues of the nobility, and even less for the 
  avarice of the Commercia. Instead he serves a higher calling to 
  his god before all other concerns. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  223
  Husk’s presence at the investiture is as much a surprise to 
  him as it might be to others, attending by personal invitation of 
  the Venerable Cal—for whom Husk has the deepest respect. 
  Faction (Malfian Puritans): In the last decade, Husk 
  has risen rapidly as the head of a growing popular faction 
  with the lower ranks of the Malfian Ministorum. To be more 
  precise, those clergy on Malfi without any ties to either the 
  great temples or the patronage of the nobility left to tend to 
  the spiritual wellbeing of the Malfian Hives’ downtrodden and 
  powerless masses. Husk’s puritans, although by no means as 
  wild or destructive as the Red Redemption, are nevertheless 
  unforgiving hardliners, dedicated aesthetes, and merciless when 
  confronted with heresy and abomination. Their talk of the 
  redistribution of wealth among the faithful from the faithless 
  and the casting down of the sinful from on high has made 
  them many enemies, and Husk has already survived several 
  assassination attempts. 
   Motivation: Husk is here at the behest of Cal, at what he 
  believes is a nest of faithless idolaters, false priests, and heretics 
  in the raiment of supposedly noble men. His fervour and faith 
  do not blind him to the political realties of the situation he and 
  his few attendants find themselves in, and his actions at the 
  investiture are tempered by cold determination and iron will. If 
  confronted by weakness and vacillation in the face of danger 
  or panic he steps to the fore and seeks to take charge, to punish 
  the heretic and purge the unclean. 
  Allies: Husk has no true allies at the gathering, save for a 
  few scattered priests and functionaries of the Aleph who hold 
  him in secret awe and would rally to him with zeal if called to 
  his banner. However, thanks to Cal’s authority and intervention, 
  Husk is accorded the respect due to any senior clergymen, 
  although he possesses no formal rank to this effect. 
  Enemies: Those senior clerics of the Malfian clergy, and 
  the nobles present at the investiture who know who Husk is 
  and what he represents, view him something like a rapid dog 
  better put down than allowed to live. He is certainly not fit to 
  be present at this event as a guest, although none can naysay 
  Cal in the matter. 
  loRD-ReGent FaFniR belasco
  Fafnir Belasco is regarded, and not without cause, as one of the 
  most dangerous men in the Calixis sector. As one of the three 
  Lords Regent that control the infamous Belasco noble house, 
  he has the wealth, contacts, weapons and will to reach out and 
  destroy just about any single individual in the sector, from a 
  lord governor to the lowliest pilgrim, should he be willing to 
  expend the effort and bear the consequences of discovery. 
  In appearance, Fafnir Belasco is an imposing man of 
  indeterminate age, with a strong aquiline profile and hawkish 
  amber eyes. Frighteningly cunning and utterly ruthless by 
  nature, he can be charming when he wishes and respects 
  intelligence in others and little else. He favours severely cut 
  but immaculately made clothing in deep reds and blacks, and 
  proudly carries the serpent emblem of his house on his signet 
  ring and walking cane. 
  Fafnir’s personal presence here is at the behest of the 
  Venerable Cal, much to the Belasco’s surprise. The powerful 
  cleric is seeking a thaw in relations with the infamous house 
  to the benefit of the church’s standing on Malfi. Instead of 
  blocking the noble house’s hand in the choice of the new 
  Archimandrite of the Aleph, Cal has tacitly approved it by 
  extending a personal invitation to the investiture to meet with 
  him. This is a political development that the Belasco have 
  taken very seriously by sending such a senior member of the 
  bloodline as Fafnir.
  Faction (House Belasco): The house of Belasco is an 
  ancient, powerful and thoroughly vicious noble house, with 
  a reputation for bloody intrigues, betrayals and infamy that 
  have made them a byword on Malfi and far beyond. Thanks 
  to the current state of play in Malfian politics, their hand in 
  the direct rulership of the Malfi itself is at something of a low, 
  with an alliance of rival houses, lead by the Maken, conspiring 
  to keep them from the reins of government. The Belasco’s vast 
  wealth, off-world influence and extensive spy and assassination 
  networks still make them a force to be feared. 
  Motivation: Fafnir Belasco’s motivations for being here 
  in person are twofold. The first is to see a machination of 
  his come to fruition, namely the investiture of an ally of his 
  as Archimandrite. The second is the unexpected chance to 
  privately meet with the Venerable Cal, and sound out the old 
  cleric’s wishes to the potential benefit of his house. Also, a little 
  gloating over the House of Maken is a pleasure thrown in for 
  good measure. When Zan is murdered he takes this extremely 
  poorly, viewing it as both a personal attack and a break with 
  the accepted Malfian practices of vendetta (see page 217), and 
  stops at nothing to see those involved pay. 
  Allies: The House of Belasco has a strong stake in the 
  investiture ceremony as one of the principle backers (outside 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  224
  the church) of Zan in his successful bid to acquire the role of 
  Archimandrite. Zan and those around him are duly grateful for 
  the service (and can readily guess at the price of remembering 
  their debt). He has few other allies present, but a strong 
  contingent of bodyguards as well as covert agents and spies in 
  many camps. 
  Enemies: The House of Belasco is roundly despised by 
  numerous attending parties, and at best distrusted by the rest. 
  Of those attendees the greatest hatred for the Belasco is held by 
  the House of Maken, the House of Novantu and the preacher 
  Azed Husk’s puritans.
  the honouRable hectoR Maken
  Hector Maken is a foppish, foolish, elderly man, bedecked in 
  jewellery and ostentatiously overdressed, even for a Malfian 
  nobleman. His thin, almost wasted frame is concealed under 
  layers of samite, lace and exotic xenos-skins, while gilded 
  cherubim gather the train of his three metre long cloak as he 
  walks. Maken is a bleary-eyed, bored gossip with a penchant 
  for taking pinches of Night Dust snuff from a tiny wraithbone 
  box at odd moments. 
  The House of Maken has been blindsided and 
  outmanoeuvred here, with the new Archimandrite chosen in 
  part by the will of their great rivals, the House of Belasco. 
  As a result, Hector Maken’s presence at the investiture is a 
  calculated insult on behalf on his house. Because he is a man 
  of almost no importance to the Maken blood, this scorns the 
  importance of the investiture and those in attendance; a fact 
  that he doesn’t particularly care one way or the other about. 
  Faction (House Maken): House Maken is currently one 
  of the most powerful noble houses on Malfi. It maintains 
  a stranglehold on considerable areas of the world’s hive-
  complexes and industries, as well as ties by blood and marriage 
  to the house of the Matriarch, who is Malfi’s current planetary 
  governor, and a number of other influential groups. 
  Motivation: Hector Maken’s only personal goal at 
  the investiture is to get through what he sees as the whole 
  tedious business with the minimum of fuss and effort on his 
  part, although he follows such decorum because to behave 
  otherwise would be beneath his station. He cares nothing for 
  the political dimensions of what’s going on at the investiture, 
  has no position on the Ecclesiarchy other than finding them 
  a tiresome bore, and while he gives lip service to his House’s 
  enmity for the Belasco, he bears no personal hatred for them; 
  it’s simply too much effort. 
  Allies: House Maken has no firm allies at the investiture, 
  with Hector relying instead on his house’s power and 
  prestige, as well as the formalities to be observed, to keep 
  him safe. There are those present who would very much like 
  to ally themselves to house Maken, particularly the agents of 
  the Martaxus Combine and, on the surface at least, Sydom. 
  Fortunately for his safety, Maken is attended by numerous 
  servants, factors, and bodyguards, including two Whiteclaws, 
  the bejewelled cyber-felids for which his house is infamous. 
  Enemies: The Maken party have considerable political 
  enemies present, and their invitation to the investiture has 
  been a matter of due respect and form, rather than desire to 
  honour them. None of the church factions have any love for 
  them, blaming them in part for the ongoing schism between 
  the Malfian nobility and the church authorities. The house of 
  Belasco has long held a series of blood feuds and vendettas 
  against them.
  siRiDaR-baRoness caRMilla 
  noVentu 
  Carmilla Noventu is a shrill, strident woman, long past her 
  prime; a mistress of a fading Malfian noble house with delusions 
  of grandeur and the personal viciousness of a rabid sabre-wolf. 
  The estates and contracts that the Noventu still have to generate 
  their wealth and maintain their position are tied inextricably 
  to the Malfian clergy. Carmilla has come to the investiture to 
  show due deference to the new Archimandrite on whose good 
  favour she and her house now depend. 
  Faction (House Noventu): The Noventu are a relatively 
  minor Malfian noble house, but an old one whose name still 
  carries some respect with the aristocracy, if little real power. 
  Formerly a major player in the planet’s politics, they were 
  all but crushed during Malfi’s Reign of Terror, and have 
  never recovered anything but a dim shadow of their former 
  influence and authority. 
  Motivation: Carmilla Noventu’s prime motivation is the 
  prosperity and survival of her house, and she is nothing but 
  flattering and obsequious with any senior member of the 
  Malfian clergy she encounters. She views the presence of Fafnir 
  Belasco at the investiture with horror, and sadly has completely 
  failed to realise what it portends. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  225
  Allies: The Noventu have no true allies in the gathering, 
  but are held in good regard by the Malfian church, thanks to 
  mutually beneficial and long standing dealings between them. 
  Enemies: Carmilla Noventu is scornful of the Commercia, 
  having a noble’s distain for anyone beneath her station, 
  particularly “jumped-up peddlers.” Her real enmity however is 
  reserved for House Belasco, with whom her house has a long 
  and bitter history. She commonly refers to them as “The Child 
  Killers,” thanks to an ancient and long-nursed familial grudge. 
  Although the Belasco are far too strong for her house to directly 
  contest or even risk overt and public insult to, as soon as anything 
  should go array at the investiture (which of course it does), she 
  attempts to point the finger of blame at “that butcher house.” She 
  does this by spreading rumour, and by any other means she can 
  think of, regardless of the truth or any evidence to the contrary. 
  aRch-conFessoR eutalus
  Eutalus is an urbane, scholarly looking man of middle years 
  who carries his authority easily and speaks in the sonorous and 
  measured tones of a skilled and practiced orator. Despite the 
  underlying hostility of the other Ministorum clergy present at 
  the investiture towards him—a hostility hidden behind layers 
  of formal manners and respectfulness—the arch-confessor’s 
  smile and indulgent, fatherly manner never falter. Behind his 
  eyes, however, his ruthless mind is continuously plotting his 
  advancement and marking each insult for later vengeance. 
  Eutalus was the candidate put up by the Tarsine Synod for the 
  position of Archimandrite, but as a native born Scintillan he 
  had no chance of victory in the Malfian Ecumenical Synod that 
  awarded the position to Zan. Now, much to his secret anger, he 
  must play the part of the supplicant at the investiture. 
  Faction (Tarsine Church): Eutalus is a representative of 
  the Tarsine Synod, the most powerful Ecclesiarchical authority 
  within the Calixis sector. While it notionally has overriding 
  authority on all members of the Ministorum in the sector, it 
  does not hold much sway, either spiritually or in terms of direct 
  authority, within the Malfian-sub for historical reasons. 
  Motivation: It is the desire of the Tarsine Synod to extend 
  their control over the Malfian church, a game it has been playing 
  with varied degrees of success for centuries. At this moment, 
  that control is at a low ebb, and Eutalus has been tasked with 
  changing this fact. His personal greed and ambition lead him 
  to do this by any means necessary. Eutalus has a psychopathic 
  personality, albeit a very self-disciplined one, and secretly views 
  anyone he cannot directly control as either an obstacle to be 
  overcome and dominated, or an object of fear to be avoided.
  Allies: While treated with polite deference and formal 
  respect by the Malfian clergy, who should be his natural allies, 
  there is neither warmth nor genuine friendship between them. 
  The various nobles and Commercia interests treat him with as 
  much respect as he is due by his church rank, but no more. All 
  Eutalus can rely on are his own coterie of underclergy and a 
  few personal bodyguards. 
  Enemies: Other than the sub-surface enmity that the Malfian 
  clergy have for him, Eutalus has no enemies in the gathering, 
  save the ones his personal flaws may create. His position at the 
  gathering makes him a perfect scapegoat for the conspiracy 
  once the hunt for the murderer begins (see part III).
  
  X: The Red Wake
  226
  laDy cheska Duquesne (inquisitoR 
  heleyna nePhRen)
  Openly, the Lady Cheska Duquesne is a flighty, gorgeous, 
  sumptuously attired and somewhat indolent scion of one of 
  the controlling families of the Martaxus Combine, one of the 
  Commercia trading companies. The Combine is a notable 
  transhipping and trade outfit, based out of Vaxanide, that 
  has scattered holdings throughout the Mafian-sub and a 
  considerable mercantile fleet. Lady Cheska is here as something 
  of a pretty figurehead; a minor noblewoman to act as a public 
  face for a less well-bred Combine delegation here to do business 
  in the shadow of the investiture. The Combine is hoping to 
  curry favour with House Belasco and the newly appointed 
  Archimandrite, particularly in the matter of lucrative pilgrimage 
  contracts that bring the faithful to bask in the reverent glory of 
  the newly restored and ascendant Temple Aleph. 
  However, Lady Cheska is not what she seems. While the 
  Martaxus Combine is very real, as are the motives of its agents 
  as represented above, the real Cheska was secretly liquidated 
  several years ago for her involvement in an Erisine pleasure 
  cult on Kalf. The woman now masquerading as Cheska is 
  Inquisitor Helena Nephren of the Ordo Hereticus. Nephren 
  is operating incognito, and several of her foppish hangers on 
  are actually her trusted Acolytes. Only the higher echelons of 
  the Combine know who Nephren really is, their compliance 
  assured by threat and blackmail. 
  When Nephren snaps out of her persona as the irreverent 
  Cheska, the difference in her manner is startling. She becomes 
  iron straight, extremely still and measured in manner, while her 
  eyes burn with an almost feverish intensity. Nephren is here on 
  her own business under her own authority. While in private, 
  she happily admits who she is to others of the Holy Ordos if 
  challenged, though she will not do so publicly. Nephren has 
  come to the investiture simply to observe the others present 
  and establish her false persona for later use. She is an avowed 
  Istvaanian in outlook and is devoted to strengthening the 
  Imperium through promoting strife and conflict so that only 
  the strong remain. (See page 78 of tHe raDical’s HanDbook 
  for more detailed description of this radical philosophy.) 
  Faction (Martaxus Combine/Holy Ordos): The 
  Martaxus Combine is at the investiture to pay their respect 
  to the Malfian church and thereby gain their favour in future 
  dealings. Nephren, on the other hand, charts her own course. 
  Motivation: While Nephren is not the author of the initial 
  murder plot to kill Zan, she sees it as an opportunity to take 
  direct action to further her personal agenda to ensure that 
  the ‘strongest’ candidate to replace Zan comes to the fore. As 
  matters unfold at the Aleph, she observes the ‘players on the 
  stage’ rather than intervening to solve matters, and may choose 
  to add fuel to the fire (See part II).
  Allies: The Martaxus have no firm allies present, although 
  they are hoping to forge relationships with Zan and several of 
  the minor players present to their future advantage. Nephren 
  has no allies other than (at least theoretically) the player-
  characters as members of the Holy Ordos. 
  Enemies: Much as the Martaxus have no firm friends at the 
  investiture, they have no sworn enemies either. Husk’s party 
  is instinctively ill-disposed towards them, as they are part of 
  the Commercia in general. If Nephren’s true identity becomes 
  known, the murder conspiracy might see her as an overt threat 
  to be destroyed as quickly as possible. Other factions, though 
  grieved by her deceit, take no action against her, unless directly 
  threatened, due to her inquisitorial rank. 
  Faces in the cRoWD
  Although the Dramatis Personae contains the major NPCs 
  present at the investiture, the guest list is somewhat wider than 
  that, both in terms of attendees and their hangers on. If the 
  GM wishes, he can add in numerous additional ‘named’ NPCs 
  to the mix as events warrant, either in response to the player-
  character’s actions, to use as ciphers for particular clues and 
  information or simply because he wants a few more bodies 
  hitting the floor for added drama and tension. 
  Here is a selection of extra names and roles you may wish 
  to flesh out:
  Abbot Weil: An elderly cleric from a failing and bankrupt 
  mission in the sinks of the nearby scav wastes. World-weary 
  and desperate to please, he has come in the hopes of gaining 
  alms and support from the Aleph so his order might survive. 
  The presence of Azed Husk here fills him with dread as he has 
  heard stories of the merciless killings Husk’s followers have 
  carried out against those they brand ‘sinners.’
  Sister Celesta Karris: A sister of the Diaologus based in the 
  League Dominion, she has come on behalf of the Order of the 
  Quill to record the proceedings. She knows a great deal of the 
  genealogy of the Malfian nobility, their feuds, and the factions 
  of the church present. 
  Prior Addermar: Another failed candidate for the 
  Archimandrite’s position, Addermar is a good-natured glutton 
  from a senior local priory with no head for power politics and 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  227
  a secret joy that he didn’t succeed in the race. He knows much 
  of the goings on behind the scenes of the Synod and is too 
  loose tongued when he’s been drinking. 
  Sira Rabbas Jenet: A disowned scion of a minor house, 
  Jenet is little more than an overdressed young thug with a 
  pox-marked face and penchant for sadism and excess. Kept 
  on Hector Maken’s leash because Hector finds his ugliness 
  amusing, only Maken’s shadow has kept Jenet from meeting 
  a justly deserved bloody end, so far at least. The investiture, 
  however, is filled with people who won’t care who his friends 
  are, a fact that does not filter through to his obscura-addled 
  brain until too late.
  Lord Jaspar Craythorne: An elderly hidebound and formal 
  Noble from a middling Malfian House, his people have distant 
  blood ties to the Belasco and their holdings are local to the 
  Aleph. He makes a far easier target than Fafnir for anyone 
  wanting to make a bloody point to the Belasco. 
  Countess Lillith Rev: The young, beautiful and savagely 
  ambitious head of a newly ennobled minor Malfian house 
  lacking great alliances. She has managed an invite to the 
  investiture through intrigues of her own and happily 
  contemplates anything in return for a firm alliance with a 
  powerful faction—be they church, noble, or even a member 
  of the Holy Ordos. 
  Master Hull Morac: A Pardonner (a seller of religious relics, 
  blessings and indulgencies) from a local trade combine that 
  scratches out its living dependent on the good will of the 
  Aleph and the local nobility. Out of his league and depth amid 
  the investiture, and with a mortal fear of Chernium, he has 
  had the misfortune of seeing Deacon Ensor behaving strangely 
  prior to the ceremony, and may die for his knowledge. 
  Vice Chancellor Jaqele Sleer: A representative of the powerful 
  sector-wide mercantile organisation, the DeVayne Incorporation 
  (see page 314 of Dark Heresy), Sleer is an attractive, shrewd, 
  and imperious women and clearly an outsider by her austere 
  dress. Personally more than a little aggrieved to be relegated 
  to the status of ‘the Commercia’—as all off-world nobility are 
  on Malfi—she is bearing the insult with dignity for the most 
  part. She has had extensive dealings with the Skaelen-Har in 
  the past, and has many misgivings about Rothber Sydom and 
  his party, who just don’t ‘seem right.’
  Colonel Tokar Bale: A one-eyed, grizzled soldier, Bale is a 
  former officer in the Imperial Guard (17th Tranch Volunteers) 
  and now the mercenary commander of his own private army, 
  Bale’s Free Company. An honourable and pious man, despite 
  being a professional killer of repute, Bale has come to the 
  investiture for the benefit of the redemption of his scarred 
  soul. However, he is not averse to taking work on the side 
  while he’s here. Bale’s small group of equerries and attendants 
  are all combat veterans. 
  Daynath: An attractive showgirl and skilled dancer, part of a 
  travelling troupe engaged to entertain the guests at the Feast 
  of Welcome with a look in her eyes far older than her years. 
  Daynath is quick-witted, intelligent, and sensibly frightened 
  of her surroundings and those that inhabit them.
  Part I: A Feast 
  Among Vipers
  “A blade in the back is a wiser investment than a coin in a man’s 
  hand.”
  –Malfian Proverb
  T
  he adventure opens with the Cadre delegated to 
  attend the impending investiture of Llorens Zan as 
  the new Archimandrite of the Temple Aleph by the 
  Conclave Office of the inquisition on Malfi. This section 
  of the adventure is largely focused around setting the scene 
  and social interaction with the NPCs at the Aleph. The GM 
  should take care to familiarise himself thoroughly with the 
  Dramatis Personae section and the information resources 
  from the adventure’s introduction as this part of the adventure 
  leans heavily on them. 
  you Are cordiALLy 
  inviTed….
  As matters begin, the Cadre find themselves housed at the 
  Conclave Calixis office on Malfi, an austere granite spike, 
  known as the Watching Spire, thrusting up high into the sky 
  above the habitation ledges of Malfi’s administrative centre, 
  the League Domain. 
  How their presence here is integrated into an ongoing 
  campaign is left up to the GM’s judgement, but it is 
  recommended that they still be new to their independence 
  as operators. Perhaps the inquisitor has been completing his 
  accession in the Malfian archive, confirming his access codes 
  and setting up a set of personal chambers to use as a base of 
  operations. (Much of the Watching Spire is made up by such 
  chambers, inactive and secure while their many masters are 
  not present). 
  During their stay, the Cadre is approached by Malfi’s 
  Inquisitor-Castellan; a dark-robed, spry old woman known 
  as Matron Thoth (more properly Inquisitor Elia Thoth), to 
  deal with a political matter that has come up that demands 
  the presence of one with inquisitorial rank openly and in 
  person. The matter is the diplomatic requirement for the 
  formal attendance of a rosette-bearer of the Holy Ordos at the 
  ceremonies of the ordination of the new Archimandrite-Aleph. 
  The ordination in question is to take place at the temple complex 
  of the High Altar of the Emperor’s Deliverance elsewhere on 
  Malfi in three day’s time. As Inquisitor-Castellan of the Spire, 
  the formal invitation was handed to Thoth’s office, and it is for 
  her to request their assistance. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  228
  If queried about her authority in the matter, Thoth frostily 
  points out that the few other Inquisitors she knows of on Malfi 
  are all otherwise occupied with pressing business that cannot 
  and should not be interrupted. It is well within her role to 
  request the assistance of one newly raised to rank to aid her, 
  and they might very well ‘wish to demonstrate to the Holy 
  Ordos that they are capable of performing such duties that are 
  the burdens of that weighty rank.’ Thoth herself has not left 
  the spire in over fifty years, and has no intention of derelicting 
  her duty by doing so now. 
  Should they accept this duty, the adventure can progress. 
  Thoth informs them that transport, servants and suitable 
  formal attire will be provided if needed. Additionally, a savant 
  knowledgeable in matters of Malfian protocol is supplied if 
  needed, as well as a basic tasked servitor drone from the Spire’s 
  store for each member of the Cadre to handle their baggage. 
  WhAT The hoLy ordoS 
  KnoWS
  If questioned directly, Matron Thoth reveals that the 
  Inquisition’s presence was likely requested to show due respect 
  and deference but no more; to do otherwise would likely 
  arouse suspicion in itself. Often such requests are ignored, 
  but in this case the appointment of a new Archimandrite may 
  indicate the beginning of a political resurgence by the Malfian 
  Ministorum. The information the Inquisition has points to 
  several important and rival factions being present on Malfi, and 
  is worth observing for this if no other reason. 
  The Cadre has access to the Spire’s unsealed archives should 
  they wish to use them, and they may wish to further question 
  Thoth as well. The GM should use the information provided 
  in the introductory chapter and in particular The Investiture 
  of a New Archimandrite on page 218 and The Position of 
  the Ministorum on Malfi on page 217 to provide the Cadre 
  with further basic information about the Aleph, the role of the 
  Archimandrite and Malfi’s vicious nobility and troubled history 
  in general. The Holy Ordos, however, knows nothing of the 
  soon-to-unfold conspiracy, and has no extensive details on 
  those attending other than the high clergy involved, the unusual 
  presence of an important off-world cardinal in attendance, 
  and the fact that representatives of various houses of the high 
  nobility and other noteworthy souls are also present. 
  If the Cadre wonders or questions this relative paucity of 
  recent information, they may make inquires of their own, using 
  any relevant investigation Skills. Ultimately, this reveals that over 
  the last few years, diverse and unrelated matters on Malfi have 
  steadily needed the Inquisition’s direct attention in an increasing 
  fashion. At the moment, somewhere between five and seven 
  Inquisitors—in addition to the Spire’s usual rotating assignment 
  of four Inquisitors-Locum, their cadres and acolytes—all are 
  actively involved in investigations or purgation pogroms on Malfi, 
  and the Spire’s human spy network and other assets are currently 
  stretched thin. As a result the matter of the Aleph received a  
  low priority. 
  WhAT The hoLy ordoS 
  WAnTS To KnoW
  The Cadre may have their own ideas about what they should be 
  looking out for based on what they have learned, but through 
  Thoth the following areas of interest can be related:
  • The nature, leanings and political disposition of the new 
  Archimandrite, Llorens Zan.
  • The truth behind the presence of The Venerable Cal at the 
  proceedings and his future intentions.
  • The implications of the ordination for the Aleph and the 
  Ministorum on Malfi,
  • General intelligence that may be learned from the 
  proceedings about the various nobles house present, their 
  alliances, rivalries and plans.
  • Whether any outside agency is exercising undue leverage 
  or influence on the Ministorum or the appointment of the 
  new archimandrite.
  MatteRs oF PRotocol
  Attending as the appointed representatives of the 
  Inquisition to what is, in essence, a courtly event 
  imposes some restrictions on the Cadre in terms of how 
  they behave and how they carry themselves, at least 
  while civility is being maintained. The dictates of Holy 
  Ordos tradition and Malfian etiquette together indicate 
  the following:
  While present at formal occasions any Inquisitor is 
  expected to wear the icon of the Inquisition or a rosette 
  prominently (those of noble houses, mercantile factions 
  and even the church are doing likewise for their own 
  party). Other Cadre members are not.
  Sidearms and other single-handed personal weapons 
  that are be kept in a holster or scabbard may be worn, 
  but they should be symbolically tied with silken cord 
  to prevent quick use. No heavier weapons should be 
  carried and blood should not be shed on the sacred 
  ground of the Aleph’s chapels and templum. To do so 
  would be a gross breach of etiquette, a sin in the eyes of 
  the God-Emperor, and just cause for vendetta.
  Duelling is permissible between those of equal 
  or similar rank. Willingness to give satisfaction is 
  shown by the open wearing of a weapon at the right 
  hip, and heads of house by tradition may be served 
  by a champion if they so wish. All fights are either 
  to the death or to bloody submission, and those 
  demonstrating cowardice during a duel are traditionally 
  killed by their own seconds. In duelling, the agents of 
  the inquisition are treated by the nobility as of their 
  own rank, although other consequences may obviously 
  apply after the outcome.
  The correct mode of address for a Malfian noble 
  of title is ‘My Lord <name>’ or ‘My Lady <name>,’ 
  while important persons without title (including off-
  worlders with titles of their own that the Malfians 
  don’t recognise) are addressed as ‘master’ or ‘mistress’ 
  by those wishing to do them honour. Members of the 
  Clergy and Adeptus Terra are traditionally addressed 
  by their organisational rank. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  229
  The Burning pArAde
  On the day before the archimandrite’s ordination, the guests 
  officially gather at the Aleph. For the Cadre, this means a 
  three hour guncutter journey from the Spire by sub-orbital arc 
  approach, after which they spend a further half hour circling 
  the Aleph’s airspace under the watchful tracking guns of the 
  complex’s air defences as other craft stack and descend to be 
  received. Attempting to jump this queue results in repeated 
  hurried warnings from the complex, followed by lethal weapons 
  fire; there are too many important people in attendance with 
  deadly enemies for anything else to be the case. As it is, as 
  Inquisitorial representatives the Cadre is accorded the highest 
  status, and others have to wait for them in turn. During the wait, 
  more profitable information can be gained from observing their 
  fellow attendee’s vessels circling with them. There are dozens of 
  craft in evidence, ranging from ornate and stylised ornithopters 
  that more resemble sculptural works of art than vehicles, to 
  bulky re-entry scorched interface shuttles, to jaggedly-armed 
  guncutters (not unlike their own), to darting, swept-winged 
  atmospheric flyers built for murderous speed. 
  When the Cadre comes in to land, read aloud or paraphrase 
  the following:
  ‘The guncutter’s ramp descends and you are greeted by a 
  wall of scorching hot air, carrying with it the stench of ash and 
  burning meat. Before you is spread a great promenade of white 
  stone, flanked on either side by five-metre tall statues of saints and 
  holy men easily recognisable from a thousand recited prayers of the 
  Imperium’s past. Before each statue, a figure naked but for a ragged 
  shift, kneels; their faces covered by hoods of crimson cloth and their 
  flesh tattooed with bloody scripture. In their hands, each holds aloft 
  a great metal brazier filled with hot coals and burning parchment, 
  the hot metal crisping and blistering the skin of their hands and 
  arms. From between their ranks, a party of Ministorum clerics 
  in robes of black and deep emerald appears, swinging thurafirs 
  of smoking sickly incense and accompanied by winged Cherubim 
  singing hymns to the God-Emperor from brazen mouth-grills. The 
  lead priest calls you and bids you welcome saying: “Honoured 
  servants of Him of Terra, swift hand of His judgment, watchers 
  of the dark, measurers of sin, we bid you welcome and are most 
  glad. Accompany us now within and do homage to the Golden 
  Throne and His servant, the Archimandrite to be, on this most 
  joyous of days!”
  The priests and cherubim fall in line around the Cadre and 
  the lead priest does not speak again unless spoken to directly 
  on the ten minute walk between row after row of slowly-
  scorching penitents. Some of them put down their burdens at 
  the cleric’s indication and fall shuffling and staggering into line 
  behind them, some weeping with joy, others simply weeping. 
  Here and there on the journey, it can be seen that some 
  have failed in their task and charred corpses dot the winding 
  processional route to the High Altar. If these are pointed 
  out, the clerics respond, “Happy are those who die for their 
  repentance willingly, for they shall see the face of the Emperor 
  in the hereafter.” The penitents are all volunteers to endure 
  corporal modification as part of this auspicious festival for 
  the betterment of their souls, and the braziers contain written 
  prayers as offerings. 
  The macabre and smoky journey terminates in a wide and 
  ornate flight of marble stairs big enough for a regiment to walk 
  down, leading to a massive Aquila-topped arched doorway big 
  enough for a scout titan to walk through without stooping. 
  The clerics direct them within, where they are expected, and 
  return to escort another party to the ceremony. 
  the hiGh lecteRn
  Within the great archway, and in marked contrast to the austere 
  and savage display of faith in the outer complex, everything 
  within the entrance hall is a bustle of scurrying figures in a 
  score of different uniforms and liveries, shouting words and 
  noises. The hall is a space several hundred metres across and 
  hung with votive banners from a ceiling so high its extremity 
  is hidden in darkness. Shortly after they enter, a Cherubim with 
  glittering glass-lens eyes drops down from the darkness above 
  them and ushers them to a towering steel lectern at the centre 
  of the hall. As they pass, the crowd of figures falls silent and 
  parts, some slowly, others hurriedly seeking to conceal their 
  faces as they do so. The audible whisper “Throne Agents!” 
  passes through the crowd. 
  Seated high above them at the lectern, surrounded by 
  flitting Cherubim and attended by scurrying cowled and sickly-
  looking underpriests, is Deacon Ensor (see Dramatis Personae, 
  page 219), managing and approving the flow of attendees and 
  their servants. The GM should play out the encounter with 
  Ensor as much as they see fit, communicating his cold and 
  dusty persona and authority at the Aleph. After establishing 
  their credentials and numbers, Ensor outlines the proceedings 
  of the Ordination. He issues each with a votive medal which 
  contains a ward-accessor which allows them access to the right 
  areas of the temple and their private chambers, before tasking 
  one of the pale underpriests with guiding them there. 
  The votive Medal
  The votive medal, specially struck for the occasion, is a small 
  golden disk depicting the image of one of the ancient sword-
  kings of Malfi kneeling and laying a gun on the ground 
  before an Aquila haloed in the rays of a sun. The medal is 
  backed by black and emerald coloured ribbons and very 
  close inspection reveals a manufacturer’s stamp of the House 
  Belasco fabricators on the reverse. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  230
  the Guest chaMbeRs
  The Cadre has been assigned a suite of guest chambers in the 
  labyrinthine maze of passageways and rooms within the upper 
  temple complex. The rooms are far from palatial or luxurious 
  but are extensive, featuring a dozen different chambers and 
  living facilities accessed from a tiled central hall, fronted 
  with a re-enforced steel door to which only they and the 
  servants of the Aleph have access. As with much of the Aleph’s 
  architecture, the chambers are high-ceilinged and sheer walled, 
  fashioned with dressed granite blocks. Their only decoration 
  takes the form of gas-flame burning wall lamps and the odd 
  faded triptych depicting the penalties of sin in lurid crimson or 
  the Emperor’s liberation of mankind in muted gold. 
  The Cadre is free to do what they want for the next several 
  hours before the Feast of Welcome begins. This may include 
  taking stock, setting up equipment, sweeping for surveillance 
  devices (there are none), spying out some of the other suites of 
  chambers nearby and on other levels (which are rapidly filling 
  up with guests,) or exploring the massive complex of chapels, 
  archives, cells and the like which make up the Aleph. The place 
  is a bustle of activity between the continuous round of religious 
  services and observances marking the occasion, catering to the 
  new arrivals and preparing for the feast. The fruits and results 
  of the Cadre’s efforts in this period are left up to the GM.
  The Feast of 
  Welcome
  T
  he Feast of Welcome is signalled by the tolling of a great 
  bell which echoes throughout the High Altar complex, 
  conveyed down airshafts and along corridors, mournfully 
  ringing for a full quarter hour. The feast itself begins at dusk 
  and takes place in a great domed hall, off which numerous 
  side passages and small chambers radiate. The attendees are 
  the great and the powerful and their immediate companions, 
  as well as prominent visiting clerics—some two hundred or 
  so guests in all. All of the characters listed in this adventure’s 
  Dramatis Personae on page 219 are present, and the Cadre has 
  opportunity to meet and interact with them all to some degree, 
  depending on events and how they handle matters. Also see 
  The Investiture of a New Archimandrite on page 217 for more 
  information on the ceremony and the feast’s place in it. 
  The feSTiviTieS
  The feast itself breaks down into several distinct stages as 
  follows, although the timeline of the event itself is flexible. 
  These are as follows:
  The guests gather in the hall’s outer receiving rooms and 
  await the formal announcement to enter within. 
  A promenade is made into the great hall. Each party is 
  formally greeted at the door by the soon-to-be Archimandrite 
  Llorens Zan, attended by several clerics and Deacon Ensor 
  who introduces each guest in turn. Zan greets each party 
  with the ritual phrase, “I am but an unworthy servant.” The 
  promenade’s order is; The Venerable Cal, then Fafnir 
  Belasco, followed by other representatives of the high 
  nobility, in whose number the Cadre is included, followed 
  by the minor nobility, the clergy and finally the Commercia 
  and others. 
  The individual guest parties are seated on couches around 
  low tables (on Malfi formal dinners are taken reclining), 
  circling the open space at the centre of the hall. At its head 
  sits the vacant archimandrite’s throne, either side of which 
  austere stone bench-tables have been provided for the guest 
  clergy to sit. The closer to the throne the guest party’s table 
  is, the higher their perceived status. 
  There is a brief service of prayer lead by The Venerable Cal 
  thanking the God-Emperor for his benefice and protection 
  and calling on him to watch over and judge all present. 
  The feast then begins. Short courses of food and wine are 
  served continuously every twenty or so minutes for the next 
  five hours, the clergy ritually abstaining for the most part. 
  Once the feast in is full swing, a series of entertainments are 
  laid on in the central area of the hall, beginning with an 
  allegorical play depicting the moral lessons of the Angevin 
  Crusade. The guests are not expected to sit still, but to mingle 
  between tables making their introductions and to wander 
  through the various side chambers as the mood takes them. 
  The side chambers are taken up with a mixture of other 
  activities; historical plays, religious choral song, ritualised 
  armed combat, and silent prayer, as well as containing areas 
  for private discourse and ablutions. For an outsider, this 
  strange mix of opulent excess and austerity, informality and 
  structure, sacred and profane, should be quite jarring, but it is 
  simply how things are done on Malfi. 
  The great bell tolls again for Malfi’s midnight hour 
  some six hours after the festivities begin and the guests and 
  attendees slowly filter out. The feast is over. 
  secuRity in the alePh
  At some point during this adventure, members 
  of the Cadre are going to want to sneak around 
  places where they shouldn’t be and poke around in the 
  affairs of the other guests and the Aleph itself. The 
  temple complex’s security systems are largely passive, 
  based on ward accessors to provide entry to different 
  areas of the complex (the clergy themselves carry 
  such signal devices imbedded in signet rings, the lay-
  servants and servitors on bracelets, with Ensor’s being 
  the master control). The temple’s interior doors are steel, 
  requiring considerable force to budge or break down, 
  and the locks have base difficulty of Difficult (–10) 
  to bypass, increasing in the most sensitive areas. The 
  complex’s few Security areas are watched by pairs of 
  monotasked Combat Servitors (see page 338 of Dark 
  Heresy) programmed to use lethal force on anyone 
  trying to break their cordon. These combat servitors 
  are controlled by orders from the Aleph’s defensive 
  tabernacle (see page 243) and can be only be overridden 
  by the ward accessors of the Aleph’s most senior clerics. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  231
  the GReat hall
  The structure of the great hall itself is a smaller copy (although 
  it still easily swallows the several hundred guests and servants 
  present) of a similar hall in the great maze-like central palace of 
  government. It is domed and circular, with a high row of wide 
  windows around its circumference showing a vast panorama 
  of the twilight hive city spreading out around the plateau on 
  which the Aleph sits. On this occasion, a brooding and dark 
  storm front dominates the skies to the south-west. The inner 
  ceiling and surrounding walls are all richly adorned with gilt 
  work and elaborate frescos, much of which has been recently 
  restored. These scenes depict the wars and space battles of the 
  Angevin Crusade. Depending on their previous adventures, 
  the Throne Agents might spot a few images that provoke a 
  disturbing memory or two, such as Saint Drusus casting down 
  Tsyiak Crowfather on Iocanthos, and the golden spider of the 
  Haarlock dynasty blazoned across subjugated worlds. 
  The hall is lit by dancing gas-flames projected from iron 
  mantled lamp staves, and the air heavy with incense and perfumed 
  smoke. Waxen-skinned Cherubim watch from high sconces and 
  lamp rails. The seemingly unending courses are ferried in by a 
  mixture of servitor drones and lay-servants of the temple in dark 
  green livery, professionally blind, deaf and mute to anything but 
  the task at hand. The services of the various entertainers (other 
  than those with Ministorum connections) have been purchased 
  with house Belasco coin from the surrounding hive domains. 
  They are, for the most, part eager to please and on their very best 
  behaviour. Under their veneer of glamour, they are quite terrified 
  of the company they have found themselves performing for. 
  eVents anD encounteRs at the Feast
  This part of the adventure is intended to play out in a free-
  form manner, with the Cadre and its members interacting 
  with the events and characters surrounding them in whatever 
  manner, and to whatever depth, they desire. Do they keep to 
  themselves and merely observe? Do they break up and mingle 
  with the guests? Stay clear of the nobility and focus on the 
  clergy? Play up their authority or have some of their part hide 
  their allegiance, better to illicit some answers? Or do they 
  even have some of their number slip away from the feast and 
  conduct some breaking and entering? They have the floor, 
  and as senior agents of the Inquisition, it’s up to the Throne 
  Agents to determine their goals and how to attain them. 
  In order to aid them in running this section, the GM can 
  lean heavily on the information provided in the Dramatis 
  Personae to provide action and secrets to uncover, but aside 
  from the Cadre’s formal introduction to Llorens Zan nothing 
  is set in stone. Should the action begin to flag (its quite 
  possible that presented with no clear direction, the Throne 
  Agents might be at of a bit of a loss for what to do at first), the 
  following outlines some encounter ideas for the Feast.
  All NPCs named in the text in bold can be found in the 
  Dramatis Personae section on page 219.
  satisFaction GuaRanteeD
  Not long after the feast gets into full swing, a darkly attired man 
  of aristocratic bearing naming himself Sira Grey, approaches 
  a combative-looking Cadre member (not the actual inquisitor 
  though) and either seeks to claim satisfaction for some perceived 
  insult, or indeed to provoke him into calling for a duel. This 
  is done coldly and clinically as the man is a professional 
  killer, a sometime Malfian Bloodsworn (see tHe inquisitor’s 
  HanDbook page 66) of sufficiently noble pedigree to make 
  calling out others of such standing in a duel possible. 
  He has been engaged to fight one of the cadre members in 
  a formal duel to the blood, submission, or death, either with 
  pistols or in the true Malfian style with blades. If the cadre 
  member is disinclined to fight, he needs not, but he is publicly 
  shamed and scorned by the assembled attendees, his act of 
  perceived cowardice remembered. 
  RuMouRs abounDinG
  Given the Maflians’ innate culture of intrigue, 
  scandal-mongering, 
  deceit, 
  and 
  politicking, 
  combined with the nature of the guests at the feast, there 
  are a myriad of rumours flowing like the wine, and some 
  even may hold a grain of truth. The GM is encouraged to 
  add to and tailor such rumours to the listener, or to who is 
  asked the questions. Here is a selection to get you started:
  • “I hear the new Archimandrite’s quite the politician. 
  Had he been born further up his line he might have 
  made something of their house. Still his family’s loss 
  is the Ecclesiarchy’s gain, eh?”
  • “I’d never thought to see Fafnir Belasco in the flesh, 
  nor wanted to; they say he’s had the eyes plucked 
  from strangers he caught an ill look from. Keeps 
  ‘em in a jar in his study, ‘tis true on my regent’s 
  life! It is by the serpent house’s will this is all done, 
  mark my words.”
  • “Hector Maken’s a known wastrel and debauchee, 
  the worst of his lot and nothing more to his family 
  than a troublesome burden they have to keep 
  cleaning up after, and they send him here? Such an 
  insult, to the Aleph, Archimandrite, and the whole 
  Ministorum to boot.” 
  • “See those off-worlders and petty throne-grubbing 
  traders? It’s pathetic, begging and snuffling around like 
  curs it the hopes that they’ll be treated favourably when 
  this place gets back in full operation again. Pilgrim 
  transit contracts, votive artefacts, tithe exemptions, it’s 
  all just money to them, Emperor burn their souls.”
  • “The Tarsine church is not happy. Their candidate 
  Eutalus was soundly defeated in the Synod in favour 
  of Zan my preacher tells me. With old Cal bringing his 
  weight behind matters, there’s nothing the Scintillans 
  can do that wouldn’t cause a worse rift than there is 
  now. No good can come of the sector Ministorum so 
  divided I say. Still, Eutalus seems to be bearing his loss 
  well enough doesn’t he?”
  
  X: The Red Wake
  232
  The duel, if agreed to, is a hastily arranged formal affair and 
  judged as just another entertainment by the crowd. Carried out 
  on one of the temple complex’s roof terraces, it is frowned upon 
  by the clerics but tolerated under protest (indeed it is not likely 
  to be the only such duel this night, as duelling is to the Malfian 
  nobility as natural an act as oppressing those beneath them.) A 
  small crowd of interested parties gathers, and Fafnir Belasco, as 
  most senior noble among them in peerage, is asked to oversee 
  the duel and personally congratulates the victor.
  Duellists use their own weapons. If pistols are chosen, non-
  autofire bullet or las weapons are allowed, nothing heavier. If 
  blades are chosen, then a single-handed edged weapon of any 
  type is permitted. No other weapons are allowed on the person 
  of the fighters, no armour heavier than a body glove may be 
  worn, nor are fields or Psyker tricks allowed. No one may aid 
  either fighter by any means on pain of death.
  The fight begins with the two fighters back to back with 
  their weapons holstered. They then walk measured paces away 
  from each other (five in the case of blades, twenty in the case 
  of pistols), after which they turn and begin on a signal given 
  by the master of ceremonies. Deviation from this procedure is 
  death for the infractor. The fight continues until either one of the 
  fighters is killed or incapacitated, or they offer loud submission 
  of surrender, which may be done only after their blood has been 
  shed by their opponent (this is called Blood Submission). 
  Sira Grey uses the Bounty Hunter profile on page 336 of the 
  Dark Heresy Rulebook.
  Investigation into Grey after the fight (any success of a 
  Challenging (+0) Skill Test using any investigative, or 
  interaction, or mastered skill) leads back to him having been 
  seen in the company of Lady Cheska Duquesne, who is secretly 
  a fellow inquisitor, Heleyna Nephren. If confronted, she reveals 
  her true identity in private, and merely expresses her wish to 
  test the Cadre and add to their mystique, “So these nasty little 
  spiders will take you seriously.” She points out that if she had 
  wanted one of them killed, she would have sent one of her own 
  agents rather than an indifferently skilled hireling. She then 
  sounds out the Cadre’s position here and seeks to give away 
  as little as possible herself, although with a knowledge of the 
  Ordos (any character succeeding at a Forbidden Lore (Ordos) 
  or Forbidden Lore Mastery Test), they detect she espouses the 
  Istvaanian philosophy, and can draw their own conclusions. 
  the attention oF the caRDinal
  Either through seeking him out themselves, or by personal 
  invitation carried by no less than a fully armoured Battle 
  Sister, the Cadre comes to an audience with the Venerable Cal. 
  After the feast is formally under way, Cal and his attendants 
  withdraw to a nearby chapel to hold their own court to the 
  spoken strains of readings from the Codex Imperialis and 
  works of Imperial scripture. 
  Also present are Legatine-Sister Vespaisia on watch with 
  her Battle Sisters. At various times throughout the evening, 
  many other important NPCs arrive to pay their respects to Cal, 
  most notably Azed Husk who, while on his best behaviour, 
  is clearly far from comfortable at the feast. If challenged for 
  his opinions by either Cal or the cadre, Husk denounces the 
  whole proceedings as, “Wanton impiety, worthy of the worst 
  debauches of the Reign of Terror.” He concedes the need for it 
  only to Cal’s superior judgement under sufferance, and espouses 
  his own puritanical interpretation of the Imperial Creed as 
  Malfi’s “way out of darkness and into the Emperor’s light.” 
  Cal wishes to speak to the Cadre’s inquisitor directly (and 
  anyone in the party who perks his interest) in order to sound out 
  the Holy Ordos’ views on the new Archimandrite, the Malfian 
  church and other related matters. Cal is surprisingly sharp and 
  direct and freely admits to having contrived much of what is 
  now happening in order to rebuild the power of the Malfian 
  church, a project which he sees as his sacred duty. He has little 
  personal love for many of those present, but sees this as a fact 
  of no importance. He sees the Inquisition, an organisation with 
  whom he has shed his own blood in the past, as worthy allies 
  in this divine mission. 
  If the Cadre leaves a favourable impression on Cal and 
  Vespaisia (or Husk), they may prove of invaluable assistance in 
  the adventure’s second and third parts, whereas if they create 
  a rift between them and the Cadre, they may make for subtle 
  and potent enemies. 
  the neRVous PaRDoneR
  Note: This encounter serves to seed the clue of Ensor’s direct 
  control over the temple’s servitors.
  Seated alone at a table at the more prestigious end of the 
  Comercia’s allotment, there is a middle-aged merchant in 
  somewhat threadbare finery, heavily decorated with wax-sealed 
  parchment scrolls, religious medals and faith ribbons marking 
  him as a pardoner; a seller of religious indulgencies and artefacts 
  to the faithful. This highly nervous man, his watery eyes flickering 
  often skyward, is Master Hull Morac, whose family business has 
  been tied to the Aleph for generations. If the Cadre approach 
  this man, he is only too inclined to talk in order to take his mind 
  off his fears. Morac has a genuine phobia of servitors in general, 
  and cherubim in particular (which can be a problem in such lofty 
  company), and although his presence here at the Aleph to which 
  he owes his livelihood is vital, it is to him something of a torture 
  for just this reason. 
  If called upon to name his fear, he somewhat shamefully 
  admits to his fears, particular of the “dead-eyed fluttering things, 
  watching and thieving and who knows what?” and happily 
  recounts many apocryphal and bloody stories of rogue servitors 
  and the like to justify his fears. If the Throne Agent’s interactions 
  with him are particularly successful (three or more degrees of 
  success using an Interaction Skill Test, or simply exceptionally 
  good role-playing) he admits that his terror has recently been 
  aggravated when he took a wrong turn on his way to his rooms 
  about an hour ago and nearly walked into Deacon Ensor in the 
  dark, with two temple cherubim latched onto his shoulders, “like 
  corpse-white leeches,” which gave him a considerable fright. He 
  gives the opinion that, “Old Ensor looked about ready to do me 
  murder, but I apologised and was quickly gone the way I’d came. 
  I suppose I’d cause to give him a fright as much as he me in the 
  dark passageway. But he has not been settled in his mind since.”
  What Morec does not know was that he accidentally 
  intercepted Ensor delivering two kill-rigged cherubim to the 
  positions at the High Altar for the next day’s ceremonies, a fact 
  that may cost him his life.
  
  X: The Red Wake
  233
  the unWillinG enteRtaineR
  Somewhere towards the lower status part of the great hall, 
  the Throne Agents may witness a loud altercation between an 
  overdressed and somewhat wasted noble and an underdressed 
  young female dancer. The young woman, part of a travelling 
  company who have recently been performing a slightly 
  risqué dance based on supposedly accurate depiction of the 
  ‘feral cultures of the Malfian domains,’ is named Daynath. 
  She has had the temerity to resist the advances to the leering 
  Sira Rabbas Jenet. Jenet attempts to bodily drag her away 
  in full public view and brutally strikes her bloody when she  
  further resists. 
  At this point, one or more members of the Cadre has the 
  chance to intervene either on purely moral grounds, chivalry, 
  or the outright blasphemy of this sort of thing happening in 
  the God-Emperor’s temple. If they don’t, then another NPC—
  either Azed Husk, Lord Jaspar Craythorne or Colonel Tokar 
  Bale—does, all for very different reasons. The Cadre or one 
  of its members may also choose to back up the intervening 
  NPC, making for an excellent introduction. 
  If challenged by anyone whose authority or identity he 
  doesn’t immediately recognise, Jenet reacts violently, drawing 
  first and letting loose a string of insults more than sufficient 
  grounds on Malfi for violence. In his heart Jenet is a coward, 
  fleeing or backing down if hurt or sufficiently intimidated, 
  muttering about later revenge. Killing him or publicly 
  humiliating him has no direct repercussions given the public 
  provocation Jenet will have offered to his ‘betters’ (not to 
  mention the Cadre’s authority and status), but does make an 
  immediate enemy of Hector Maken.
  Saved from an unpleasant fate, Daynath seeks to retreat 
  back below stairs as soon as she is able (and disguise herself 
  to avoid recognition), but is grateful enough to answer any 
  questions the Cadre has if they have helped her—as long as 
  the conversation isn’t too public. 
  She knows many of the rumours that are floating about 
  the place, and a surprising amount about the power-plays 
  behind the scenes. She also know just who it was she has 
  rebuffed and why. If questioned about the entertainers like 
  herself, she freely admits to them having been paid by the 
  coin of House Belasco agents. She also speaks of how the 
  performers have been put up to lodge and prepare in the 
  lower levels of the High Altar building, an area that has filled 
  her with dread. If set at ease (a successful Routine (+10) 
  Charm or Charismatic Mastery Skill Test), she volunteers 
  other useful facts. She knows that a number of the performers 
  have suffered thefts and some have disappeared between 
  rehearsals. 
  Daynath also doesn’t like the complex’s Cherubim which 
  are, “always watching you with their dead eyes.” Nor does 
  she like the masked mummers who are housed near her own 
  troupe, who never speak and, “Give me the shivers, and I’ve 
  played a Viper’s Ball before!” She sees all these things merely 
  as aspects of the Aleph itself and the dangers of brushing 
  shoulders with the powerful. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  234
  the PReacheRs in theiR cuPs
  Tucked discreetly away at one end of the middle tiers of 
  tables is a cluster of couches with several invited clerics not of 
  the Aleph or affiliated with any great faction. The two most 
  prominent among them are Abbot Weil and Prior Addermar, 
  the former morosely staring into a half empty cup of water 
  and the latter well onto his third carafe of strong wine, more 
  than a little loud and merry, with the scattered remains of 
  several demolished meals spread around him. 
  Both are, in their own way, troves of information about 
  the Ecclesiarchical underpinnings of the election of the 
  Archimandrite and the political manoeuvrings in the wider 
  church surrounding it and what they may portend. Although 
  both respect the authority of the Holy Ordos, they open up 
  most easily to another cleric, or to one who already knows 
  something of the Ministorum and its workings in the cadre. 
  The best way to loosen Addermar’s tongue is to keep him plied 
  with drink and get him to talk about himself and his failed 
  candidacy for the role of Archimandrite. In Weil’s case, it is 
  to work on his desperation at getting anything out of these 
  proceedings and the future leadership of the Malfian church 
  for his own impoverished order and troubled flock. Hints 
  or genuine promises of financial or political aid, no matter 
  how vague, illicit an almost feverish co-operation from Abbot 
  Weil, and in particular get him to open up about his worries 
  for the future of the Malfian church with the involvement of 
  House Belasco, and his fears after seeing Azed Husk present 
  at the gathering. 
  out oF his eleMent?
  Intruding on the Cadre’s company, under a case of mistaken 
  identity, is Master Rothber Sydom. The merchant approaches 
  one of the Cadre and introduces himself believing them to be 
  another named character of the GM’s choice. Once this mistake 
  is pointed out, Sydom ventures that, “Unfortunately, I fear one 
  of the other ‘noble’ guests has played a trick on me. I crave your 
  forgiveness, I am a stranger to this world and find this feast 
  stranger yet. Is there any service of manners I could perform 
  for you to make amends for my transgression?”
  These are, of course, all lies. Sydom is a servant of dark powers, 
  and could not resist meeting with the Cadre (the servants of the 
  enemy) in the flesh and sizing them up for himself. He appears 
  entirely believable and normal, and if the Throne Agent’s 
  suspect his motive they should not suspect his true identity or 
  mission as he gives them no cause to do so. Sydom carries on a 
  natural conversation if the opportunity presents itself, spinning 
  his tale of service and pursued opportunities on behalf of the 
  Skaelen-Har Hegemony. If asked, he offers guarded, well-
  informed opinions on the proceedings, ultimately venturing 
  that he is perhaps a little out of his depths among so many 
  powerful lords and ladies, before disappearing again into the 
  crowd in search of the supposed real subject of his attentions. 
  the laDy is oVeRcoMe 
  When passing a cluster of couches amid the circle of mid-
  ranking noble women, an older lady is getting increasingly 
  shrill, when suddenly she is overcome and must be lead away at 
  the direction of a younger, ravishingly beautiful noblewomen. 
  Cadre members who pass a Challenging (+0) sight-based 
  Awareness Test may well notice the younger women having 
  slipped poison from a ring into the older woman’s goblet 
  while handing it to her, just before she is taken ill. Of this 
  pair, the senior is Siridar-Baroness Carmilla Noventu, a bitter 
  and scornful old matron. The younger is Countess Lillith Rev, 
  a bright-eyed and predatory would-be player in the game of 
  power, far more deadly than she might appear. 
  If challenged directly on her actions, Rev is delighted rather 
  than shamed, responding coyly and amusingly noting that she 
  clearly has to work on her skills at misdirection, saying “The 
  old harpy will be fine. No more than a headache in the morning 
  and no more than she deserves for being such a bore! Really, I 
  was growing very tired of her braying voice as was everybody 
  else. I merely had the wherewithal to do something about it.”
  Rev is a keen observer of the goings on, and has taken a 
  particular interest in the resurgent feud between House Belasco 
  and House Maken brewing in the air over the investiture of 
  the Archimandrite, seeming to take delight in the onrushing 
  conflict. She actually takes a frisson of delight in being ‘under 
  the gun’ of the Holy Ordos, particularly if her questioner is 
  attractive and overtly dangerous, and gleefully swaps secret 
  for secret if the opportunity arises. She ventures, “Oh there 
  will be blood. The Maken have allowed themselves to be 
  outmanoeuvred here and compounded the error in sending 
  Hector. Insult added to injury, they’ll have to assert dominance 
  soon or the ongoing loss of face will be humiliating for them 
  in the League.”
  the tRaDeRs’ laMent
  Later in the evening, somewhat perturbed and frustrated at 
  the turn of events, the vicious intriguing and casual insults, 
  and unable to get much traction on the Malfian nobles, several 
  more powerful members of the off world Commercia interests 
  gather in a open air courtyard on the terraces on the complex 
  roof near the dome of the Great Hall. Rid of the company 
  of clerics and nobles, the Commercia takes the opportunity 
  to lament their lot, try and do a little business, and indulge 
  in a few manoeuvres of their own. Present are individuals 
  such as Lady Cheska Duquesne, Master Hull Morac, and 
  Vice Chancellor Jaqele Sleer, as well as any others the GM  
  deems appropriate. 
  This encounter is an opportunity for the Cadre to get an 
  outsider’s perspective on the goings on (other than their own), 
  and of course meet Cheska, a woman who is far from whom 
  she appears, face-to-face in her public guise. Depending 
  on how this is handled, the traders either clam up (if the 
  Inquisition’s authority is pressed), or are more forthcoming if 
  given chance to vent a little. 
  The Commercia’s position is that the whole matter has 
  been sown up in advance by the House of Belasco, who is 
  bankrolling the whole investiture and have backed Zan’s 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  235
  candidacy, and it is Fafnir Belasco who has final say on any 
  contracts or finical opportunities the resurgent temple Aleph 
  presents. The more stoic of them see attending this kind of 
  event as a perilous and unavoidable price of doing business 
  on, “this venomous, hot ball of bloodstained rock,” and why 
  no outsider ever really prospers here. Sleer, if inclined to talk, 
  is the only one with the courage to offer the opinion that, “A 
  resurgent Aleph is good for the Ministorum regardless of how 
  it comes about. Cal’s presence here is simply to remind Zan 
  who his true master is and show Belasco that there are limits 
  even to his power.”
  the MuMMeR’s tale
  Cadre members wandering the dimly lit outer rooms and 
  corridors of the temple complex given over to the feast, find 
  increasing dark nooks and crannies filled with all manner of 
  furtive and sinister activity. In one old stone chamber that 
  appears in a greater state of disrepair than the others, its 
  frescos soot stained if scorched by a fire, they find a very 
  macabre play being silently performed. Before an almost 
  mesmerised crowd of revellers who have been stopped as if in 
  their tracks, an ancient and often forbidden tale from Malfi’s 
  past is being presented in graphic detail and total silence. 
  The story is of the rise and fall of House Koba, and of the 
  daughter of Hate and the Twisted Son. 
  Those with the knowledge to understand this stories 
  significance (those with Scholastic Mastery, or Scholastic 
  Lore (Legend)) realise that the performance of this play is 
  incongruous at best and might even been considered heretical 
  or blasphemous by some. The play lasts for some time, and 
  if approached afterwards, the mummers reveal themselves 
  unable to answer any questions, not one of them possessing a 
  tongue with which to speak. 
  The mummers are in fact cultists of the Menagerie, servants 
  of Sydom bought here as part of his back up plan should 
  Ensor fail to insight conflict. 
  Ensor himself, his cowl hood up and his cloak about him 
  to hide his identity, is present in the audience for a time, and 
  may be detected by a sharp-eyed cadre member (passing a 
  Challenging (+0) sight-based Awareness Test). If he is 
  questioned about this he says he was merely curious, as the 
  mummers had a reputation for being quite striking in their 
  performance. If asked about their origin, he claims that the 
  Belasco provided them, just as they did for most of the laity 
  performers for the feast. This is a lie; he has in fact smuggled 
  them in at Sydom’s order and housed them with the other 
  performers. He is here because he does not know just who 
  they really are, and was curious to see them in the flesh. 
  Part II: Death 
  at High Mass
  “You Scintillans have no idea of how to conduct vendetta, pah! A 
  man wrongs you; you take his life, what of it? A dead man cannot 
  suffer—but alive, powerless in your grasp? Ah, then he can suffer; 
  hounded, hunted, his world murdered around him piece by bloody 
  piece, shorn of hope, shorn of dignity, his family stolen away and lost 
  to unknown terrors, friendless and helpless, begging to die! That, my 
  friend, is vendetta. That is what, on Malfi, we call revenge…well it’s 
  a start anyway.”
  –Count Landoth Mol, Malfian Emissary to the Lucid Court
  The second part of the adventure represents a serious change of 
  pace from the first, as events rapidly take a tragic and unforeseen 
  turn and begin to spiral out of control. It begins with the actual 
  ceremony of investiture for the new Archimandrite, at which 
  Zan is killed before he can fully take up his new mantle of 
  office, and focuses on the discord that follows and what part 
  the player-characters choose to take in it.
  Events after the assassination of Zan have been deliberately 
  left open-ended for the Cadre to interact with as freely as they 
  wish, and much of what follows is a framework and set of 
  resources for the GM to follow to enable the players to take 
  their own path.
  the siGhts anD sounDs  
  oF the teMPle
  The High Altar of the temple of the Aleph is its spiritual 
  heart. It is a large, vaulted space roughly cruciform in 
  shape. The high altar itself is a raised hexagonal dais at 
  the very centre of the building’s space. The right, left and 
  lower bars of the ‘cross’ are given over to ornate tiers of 
  stepped wooden seating pews and stalls, each able to 
  easily seat three or four hundred, while the upper part 
  of the building is given over to reliquaries, side altars, 
  statuary and a great musical organ known in local parlance 
  as the Seraph’s Voice. The walls are dark, heavy, carved 
  stone and soar high above to a domed roof of wrought-
  ironwork and stained glass that provides the temple’s only 
  natural light. The air is heavy with incense. This conveys 
  an impression something like standing at the bottom of a 
  great misted ravine to a member of the congregation, with 
  the only clear light falling directly down onto the dais 
  below. The temple altar’s dark recesses are lit by thousands 
  of votive candles glowing dimly, and by brazier-bearing 
  servo-skulls circling overhead during services, each made 
  from the mortal remains of faithful clerics long dead. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  236
  The Ceremony 
  of Investiture
  A
  fter the Feast of Welcome the night before, the 
  GM should allow the player-characters to pursue 
  any leads or further courses of action they have 
  settled upon the following day before shifting the events 
  of the adventure toward the ceremony itself. As honoured 
  guests of the first order, the Cadre and many of the other 
  guests they encountered the previous night take up their 
  places as celebrants at the temple of the high altar. They are 
  given seating on the left side of the altar dais with the other 
  representatives of the Adeptus Terra and off-worlders (see 
  Player Handout I on page 251), while the local potentates sit 
  on the right side, and the clergy in the main lower sections. 
  As events take their course, the cadre and the rest of the 
  congregation undergo a service of mass, sung in High Gothic, 
  mixed with lengthy sermons that last a little over three hours 
  in the dimly lit and echoing temple. An experience of the kind 
  that leaves those either not rapt adherents or well used to it 
  feeling somewhat distracted and out of themselves. As dusk 
  approaches, a storm breaks in the skies beyond the temple’s 
  dome, the boiling dark clouds torn with flashes of lighting, 
  the distant rumbling of thunder a deep counterpoint to the 
  choral chanting and the echoing notes of the Seraph’s Voice. 
  The ceremonies are reaching their most crucial stage as Zan is 
  to be ordained as the Aleph’s new archimandrite. 
  Read aloud or paraphrase the following;
  ‘The ceremony has reached its height and the soaring notes 
  of the Seraph’s Voice dies awake, leaving only the hush of the 
  congregation and the deep rumble of the storm outside the great 
  walls. Zan stands at the centre of the high altar dais as, off 
  to one side, the hunched form of the Venerable Cal begins to 
  intone the Emperor’s blessing on his servants through a brass 
  vox amplifier. Deacon Ensor steps forward at the bow to hand 
  the new archimandrite the sacred Aquila gorget that signifies his 
  rank, as the congregation watches on in silence. Ensor steps away 
  and blessed cherubim sweep down to anoint Zan’s head with 
  sacred oil and affix purity seals to his rich raiment. He cannot 
  conceal the triumph on his features. 
  The thunder rolls overhead, and the lightning flashes, casting 
  harshly coloured pulses of light through the stained glass. The 
  thunder roars overhead, its booming report ending unexpectedly 
  in a louder, harsher crash. High above, the air is rent with the 
  sound of tortured glass shattering. A great wind of shocking 
  forces drives down into the temple, bringing with it a glittering 
  rain of blade-like glass shards, slicing earthward like a wrathful 
  judgement from the heavens. A second later the brazier-bearing 
  servo skulls topple from the air and the temple’s candles are 
  snuffed out as if by a great hand sweeping across them. The 
  temple is plunged into a abyssal chaos of agonised screams and 
  panicked, angry cries.’
  dArKneSS, pAnic And 
  Murder MoST fouL
  Anarchy reigns within the Aleph, the sudden storm winds have 
  seemingly put out the lights and extinguished the candles. 
  Murderous shards of razor sharp glass from the shattered dome 
  have rained down and killed and maimed more than a dozen 
  of those closest to the High Altar. Confusion and terror have 
  broken out among the congregation. Worse yet, in the midst of 
  this tragedy, Llorens Zan, the new archimandrite of the temple 
  Aleph as been cruelly and quickly murdered. 
  But that discovery yet awaits. First, the Cadre must deal with 
  the darkness and panic in the temple itself. In this situation 
  the Throne Agent’s broad choices are: to immediately act to 
  attempt to restore order, or at least discover what has happened; 
  to vacillate and do nothing; or to deliberately withdraw and 
  look to their own safety. While this happens, the winds and 
  thunder continue to roar around the temple space, the brazier 
  servo skulls struggle back into the air slowly (although a 
  few isolated draperies may now be aflame thanks to their 
  blundering, causing yet more panic), and within a minute or so, 
  the shout goes up, “He is slain! Zan is slain! The Archimandrite 
  is murdered!” sparking a renewed wave of hysteria from the 
  Aleph’s assembled clergy. 
  If the Cadre chooses to act, they can attempt to calm things 
  down by any number of means (such as the use of the Command 
  Skill, or relevant Interaction or Mastered Skill), which may, 
  depending on their success, quickly restore order. If nothing 
  else, they prevent open armed conflict from breaking out. 
  Substantial success at this point also helps stamp their authority 
  on the onlookers and if the characters gain three or more 
  degrees of success on the skill test, then any later questioning 
  done of NPCs who were bystanders at the ceremony and who 
  are not inherently hostile to them are at a reduced difficulty of 
  one level, if this authority is appropriately called on. 
  If the Cadre does nothing but stand around as panicked as 
  the rest, things rapidly run out of control. First, inherent Malfian 
  paranoia ensures that weapons are rapidly drawn among those 
  who have them, bodyguards rush to get their noble charges 
  out of harms way, trampling on everybody else and clashing 
  with each other to get things done. Just how much trouble this 
  causes, from cracked heads to spilled blood and even gunplay, 
  is up to the GM. As soon as the shout goes up that Zan is dead, 
  hysteria and rage vie for dominance among the assembled 
  clergy of the Aleph, threatening a full scale stampede, some to 
  the exits and some to Zan’s prostrate corpse. Serious trouble is 
  eventually stymied by the restoration of light and the boltgun-
  wielding presence of Cal’s Adepta Sororitas bodyguard. The 
  Battle Sisters swiftly surround the dais and mercilessly kill 
  anyone who contradicts their command for order. If the Cadre 
  do not take charge at this point, then the Venerable Cal does. 
  Should the Cadre wish to withdraw, they may do so, but 
  getting free of the panicked crowd requires force, and may 
  spark serious conflict if, for example, they collide with Maken’s 
  fleeing party. On exiting the temple they should also encounter 
  Sororitas reinforcements coming the other way, and deal with 
  this as they may. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  237
  the FoRMeR, FutuRe aRchiManDRite
  Off to the side of the Dias lies the sprawled body of Llorens 
  Zan. Beside him, a wide crimson spray has splashed across 
  the marble to mark his fate. His throat has been cut laterally 
  from ear-to-ear by a single deeply slashing incision that has 
  plunged in deep enough to sever his windpipe and cut a 
  groove into his spinal column. The look on the dead cleric’s 
  face is one of outraged surprise. Around him are several 
  fragments of broken dome glass, some drenched in blood. 
  The BreAKing STorM
  The Archimandrite-elect of the temple Aleph has been 
  assassinated in the centre of a crowded ceremonial mass. This 
  is not only a terrible crime, but an affront to the honour of the 
  Malfian elite and a direct challenge to the power and status of 
  the Imperial Ecclesiarchy itself. 
  As matters in the High Altar settle down (one way or 
  another) and the great temple is cleared of all those not in 
  authority, the wake of this event is already beginning to spread 
  beyond its walls, and the stacked dominoes of cause and effect 
  are starting to topple one after the other. How the Cadre 
  responds to this is entirely in their hands. They may seek to 
  investigate the crime or hunt down the perpetrator in any 
  manner they see fit, or they may stand back and do nothing. 
  It is up to them to decide; theirs is the rank, independence 
  and the responsibility of the Inquisitor and his close Cadre 
  and no shadowy figure is there to give them orders.
  in the aFteRMath
  In the aftermath of the attack, left in the temple are the 
  Venerable Cal and his attendants, Vespiasia and her Battle 
  Sisters, Deacon Ensor and a few of his under-priests, and 
  most likely the Cadre. 
  If the Cadre do not do so, Cal calls on his authority as 
  Cardinal and formally announces that he is taking command 
  of the Aleph for this period of emergency and orders Ensor 
  to enact a lock-down of the whole temple complex until the 
  matter has been resolved. 
  The Venerable Cal will also declare, under his full authority 
  as Cardinal, that the occurrence is to be treated, and named 
  publically, as a tragic accident, until proof can me made to him 
  otherwise. The potential for panic and the spiritual damage 
  to the faithful that might otherwise ensue far outweighs any 
  other concern in his opinion. Within the Aleph, however, it 
  is largely a pointless endeavour as the sprawling and partly 
  disused complex cannot be effectively sealed, and rumours 
  are already spreading like wild fire. 
  If the Cadre’s Inquisitor lays claim to investigating the 
  death of Zan, Cal agrees and offers the full cooperation of 
  the Ministorum, so long as the proper rites and the authority 
  of the church over matters Ecclesiastical is not interfered with 
  or challenged. 
  How the Cadre wishes to proceed now is up to them. If 
  they choose to investigate, there are several clues as to what 
  actually happened (see Conducting an Investigation on page 
  238). To start with, no one in the temple is exactly be sure 
  if a murder has taken place at all (or whose voice proclaimed 
  it so in the panic), nor indeed the exact nature of the sudden 
  events that have transpired. 
  the PeRils oF FReeDoM
  One potential, although unlikely ‘danger’ for 
  an open-ended adventure set up like Red Wake is 
  inactivity by the players; without clear direction or impetus, 
  without a clear enemy to go after, the players do nothing, 
  or simply vacillate, effectively stalling the game. There are 
  a number of methods the GM can employ to get over this. 
  One is to appeal directly to the players’ tastes; if they like 
  combat, introduce plot-linked combat encounters, or if 
  they like to empathise with an NPC to get them engaged, 
  then bring one to the fore in a sympathetic light and so on. 
  The GM may also have NPCs directly appeal to the Cadre 
  to get involved, or even mock them about their inactivity 
  (Inquisitor Nephren is a ready made foil for this.)
  Another thing to consider in particular reference to Red 
  Wake is the consequences of non-involvement. Without 
  intervention, the violence at the Aleph steadily worsens 
  and spreads beyond its walls.
  cal’s authoRity
  As a full ranking Cardinal of the Ministorum, Cal 
  has a great deal of authority, both in spiritual terms 
  over the faithful and in practical terms of political power, 
  wealth and even direct forces he can call upon. While he 
  has no authority to directly command any member of the 
  Holy Ordos or to impede their work, at least ‘on paper,’ 
  his voice is heard and heeded at the highest levels of the 
  Malfian sub-sector and countless fanatics would die at his 
  word. It is a very foolish Inquisitor that seeks to bully or 
  contradict him, and it would have to be a powerful and 
  certain one that would take him on as an adversary on 
  any stage.
  Similarly, Cal does not countenance or tolerate any call 
  to bring in any armed ‘reinforcements’ of any kind for the 
  Cadre; the Aleph is under Ecclesiastical authority and so it 
  must remain. Cadres and Inquisitors who force this issue 
  find that their actions have severe consequences as well as 
  practical difficulties. Any attempt to ride roughshod over 
  the Church is likely blocked either by Inquisitor Nephren 
  (largely for her own amusement, and because she wants 
  to see the Cadre sink or swim) or by Inquisitor-Castellan 
  Thoth, who refuses to risk the Holy Ordos’s relationship 
  with the sub-sector Ministorum on a ‘pissing contest’ as 
  she bluntly puts it, without direct evidence of the direst 
  heresy or warp taint within their ranks. In other words, it’s 
  up to the Cadre to prove they can do their jobs.
  
  X: The Red Wake
  238
  cal’s ResPonse anD MotiVation
  The Venerable Cal, into whose hands authority at the Aleph 
  now comes to rest, sees this tragedy, murder or not, as a crisis 
  for the Malfian church that he has no intention of seeing 
  spiral out of control. From the death onwards, he is interested 
  primarily in damage control in regards the Ecclesiarchy and 
  its interests, and most particularly the potential damage to the 
  faith of the Malfians in their church to guard and defend its 
  own, let alone the faithful. His priority then, is in establishing 
  order and succession for the Aleph over the precise details of 
  what befell Zan. If a case for murder is proved, he wishes to 
  see the wrath of the Ecclesiarchy suitably visited on the culprit 
  and prefers this be done in a public display. Fortunately, by 
  its nature Zan’s death creates an emergency which allows Cal 
  as senior cardinal to appoint a new Archimandrite of his own 
  choosing by dictate rather than recourse to calling a Synod. 
  This might erroneously create suspicion of Cal himself in the 
  eyes of some, perhaps even the Cadre. 
  the PRoclaMation oF MouRninG
  Within an hour of the tragedy, Cal assumes full control of the 
  clergy of the Aleph, citing his authority in extremis as cardinal 
  by Ministorum Canon Law, backed by the non-too subtle 
  force of Legatine-Sister Vespasia and her troops. As soon as 
  it seems apparent that no sudden onslaught is forthcoming, 
  he orders the cleaning up and temporary repair of the temple 
  of the high altar as soon as can be practically arranged 
  (something that Ensor is more than happy to comply with 
  in the hopes of getting rid of any lingering evidence). He 
  then issues a proclamation of mourning, which refers to Zan’s 
  ‘tragic accident’ and declares that he will lay in state in the 
  High Altar for three days of vigil by the clergy, after which a 
  requiem will be held, (a service which the investiture guests 
  are pointedly invited to attend). There he will announce and 
  ordain the next Archimandrite. 
  conDuctinG an inVestiGation
  Investigating Zan’s death opens an immediate can of worms 
  for the cadre. First, if they haven’t already worked it out, 
  further questioning of the attendees at the investiture reveals 
  that there are dozens of individuals present with a potential 
  motive to do the Cleric harm. Second, those present are 
  less interested in the truth than in blaming who they would 
  ‘prefer’ to be guilty of the crime, in some cases using the death 
  as an excuse to freshly renew old vendettas or seize fresh 
  opportunities to curry favour and advantage. Some factions 
  with a keen eye for the art of vendetta might even secretly 
  express admiration (in a very abstract way) for whoever has 
  had the sheer audacity to pull off such a killing at so public 
  an event, and express a professional interest in how the 
  assassination was managed!
  Once the Cadre determines that Ensor is their target and 
  seeks him out in the depths of the Aleph, the GM should 
  progress matters to the adventure’s final part, Cause and 
  Consequence.
  As well as a physical chain of clues they can follow (see 
  The Trail of Evidence on page 241), the following represents 
  what important NPCs know or at least think following  
  Zan’s death:
  loRD-ReGent FaFniR belasco
  Belasco is coldly and utterly enraged. He has seen his own 
  candidate for Archimandrite killed before his eyes and events 
  shift to take from him every power and advantage he hoped 
  to gain. In short, he has been thwarted, and Fafnir Belasco is 
  not the kind of man to let such an insult go unanswered. He 
  has not, however, lived so long by being easily manipulated. 
  Already nagging in his mind is that for the Maken to have 
  done such a thing is almost too easy an answer. So, before the 
  full force of his wrath is brought to bear, he would know the 
  truth and is already dispatching his own agents, both open 
  and covert to investigate the matter. This will not, of course, 
  prevent him from allowing those who would gain his favour 
  to attack the Maken and their allies, nor from sending his 
  own agents to do murder in reprisal should any of his party 
  be attacked, but he stays his full and apocalyptic wrath until 
  he is sure of his target.
  If the Cadre treat openly and as honestly with Belasco, 
  they find him a coldly civil, if sinister presence on the stage, 
  and willing, unless badly provoked, to hold his forces back if 
  sufficiently persuaded. He responds poorly to threats however. 
  How the Cadre treats him either makes him an appallingly 
  dangerous enemy or if not an ally, certainly a very powerful 
  man who might owe them a favour down the line. 
  the honouRable hectoR Maken
  Maken is outraged, and loudly is talking at volume about the 
  matter to anyone of sufficient rank. He is outraged that such 
  appalling ugliness should be visited in his presence, outraged 
  that his house should be slandered, outraged that he must 
  further remain here, and outraged at the Ministorum for 
  allowing it to happen. If questioned directly, he is outraged at 
  that too. He even ventures that Fafnir Belasco has contrived 
  it’s a test oF neRVe 
  Really…
  With Zan’s death ‘officially’ a tragic accident, the 
  guests and clergy at the Aleph have been trapped by 
  Cal’s proclamation into staying until Zan’s requiem far 
  more effectively than any direct order, even from the 
  Inquisition, could possibly have done. To leave now 
  would be tremendous loss of face, an act for which 
  the only public explanation could be guilt, complicity 
  or worse; cowardice and fear. Unfortunately, Zan’s 
  death brings a number of vendettas to the boil (as 
  was planned) and very soon, the bodies are going to 
  start piling up unless some power (i.e. the Cadre if 
  they choose to do so) intervenes. The GM can have 
  who succeeds and comes out on top and who fails and 
  breaks, affect upcoming campaigns as he wishes.
  
  X: The Red Wake
  239
  the whole thing as an excuse to, “Pursue his ghastly murderous 
  nature against the honourable and blameless Maken.” Hector 
  is, of course, a fool, and if he weren’t such a fool he would 
  be more given to fear. Those around him are, however, and 
  seek to step up his security further and meet any attack with 
  counter-attack rather than show weakness. Spearheading any 
  such attacks is the vicious Sira Rabbas Jenet, one of Hector 
  Maken’s more loutish hangers on, already hungry for blood.
  aRch-conFessoR eutalus 
  Eutalus is afraid that, as the Tarsine emissary and Zan’s rival, 
  he is a natural target for blame in regards to the death of the 
  archimandrite-elect. His natural paranoia on this matter is in 
  overdrive and he retreats to a “private vigil of prayer,” shut up 
  in his chambers behind his bodyguards until the requiem, and 
  getting to him is difficult. If confronted he seems half-mad; 
  torn between fear of blame, fear that he too is targeted for 
  death, and fear of what his attachment to this bloody fiasco 
  means in the eyes of his masters on distant Scintilla. 
  laDy cheska Duquesne (inquisitoR 
  heleyna nePhRen)
  To Nephren, events at the Ordination of the Archimandrite 
  have proved far more interesting than she anticipated. It is now 
  her position to stand back and observe the pot come to boil, 
  and if she must, turn up the heat until it does so. While no 
  part whatsoever in the murder conspiracy, she sees this as a 
  fascinating and unusually apt opportunity for both the Malfian 
  nobility and Ecclesiarchy to be strengthened through the 
  winnowing out of the weak through controlled attrition. If the 
  cadre is already aware of who she really is, they may approach 
  her for aid or council (or even to accuse her) and in private she 
  happily affirms her opinion on events and utter disinterest in 
  the investigation which she is sure “they have in hand.” Only if 
  Sydom’s true nature is revealed does she act directly. Istvaanian 
  or not, the servants of the arch-enemy are to be struck down 
  wherever they are to be found in her personal creed. 
  eVeRyone else
  In general terms, the majority of the nobility immediately 
  believes that Zan was murdered, and the most logical suspect 
  in their minds is House Maken, thanks to their long standing 
  vendetta. Depending on their own faction, they are likely 
  either loudly protesting Maken’s guilt or innocence, or if they 
  are beholden to neither party, sensibly keeping their council 
  silent on the matter, at least in public. Each long for a part of 
  Malfi’s feuding and viperous culture, they expect blood and 
  soon, and it is unlikely that they will be disappointed.
  For those of the Commercia present, the death and what 
  is to come is likely to form something of an ongoing series 
  of shocks, particularly for those not from Malfi. Their relative 
  ignorance of just how bad things can get, just how quickly, 
  might prove the undoing of several individuals. Those with 
  enough wit and knowledge understand that if they leave, the 
  loss of face involved for their organisations will prove disastrous 
  to their commercial interests on Malfi, making them ‘fair game’ 
  for any to treat dishonourably and the subject of untenable 
  scorn and derision. Like it or not, they are caught up in the 
  game for keeps. 
  The clergy, for their part, are in equal mixture of fear for the 
  future and fear for their own lives. For the clerics of the Aleph, 
  and the periphery church in particular, not experienced in 
  Malfi’s power politics, many suspect that devilry is afoot, that 
  dark forces are on the move once more on Malfi, despite no 
  evidence to back this up. Ironically enough they are correct. 
  What Really haPPeneD
  The somewhat complex plot that Ensor has enacted on 
  behalf of the deceiver Sydom is as follows: At the moment 
  of Zan’s formal receiving of the regalia of his office, Ensor 
  stepped back away from the dais into the partial shelter of a 
  looming statue and activated a signal device in time with a 
  peel of thunder. At this signal, an explosive charge placed on 
  the dome supports fired, blowing a section of it inward and 
  raining down debris. At the same time, the signal triggered a 
  specially kill-rigged Cherubim among those anointing Zan. 
  In the confusion, the Cherubim attacked him from behind 
  with a concealed mono-blade in its arm, and slit Zan’s throat 
  before scattering with its startled fellows. 
  The result was intended to look, at first glance, as if the 
  falling glass killed Zan. This explanation, however, simply 
  does not stand up to close scrutiny. Obvious flaws in this plan 
  were unfortunately clouded in Ensor’s mind by Sydom’s dark 
  arts. Ensor is, for Sydom, no more than a pawn; a catalyst for 
  the disorder he hopes to cause. Sydom fully expects the bitter 
  old cleric to be caught in the fullness of time, and intends for 
  the exposed conspiracy to lead to a scapegoat of his choice. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  240
  the unFoRtunate ensoR
  Now that Ensor’s task is complete, the sorcerous fog that Sydom 
  has placed over his mind begins to thin rapidly and both the 
  enormity of what he has done and the danger he is now in 
  dawns upon him in earnest, as does Sydom’s utter indifference 
  to his fate. Ensor does whatever he can to protect himself from 
  suspicion, up to and including attempted covert murder by 
  remote control thanks to his mastery of the Aleph’s servitors. 
  He attempts to destroy or damage records and scapegoat or 
  bribe underlings, although he is likely to make something of a 
  ham-fisted job of any of these. If he feels the noose tightening, 
  he retreats to the catacombs beneath the Aleph and attempts 
  to stand off his fate, while he can, in the hidden defence 
  Tabernacle (see The Tabernacle on page 243). 
  blooD Will haVe blooD
  There are three days between the assassination of Zan at the 
  High Altar and his requiem; three days in which the bodies 
  start to fall, one way or the other. The questions being: is the 
  Cadre ahead of this development, do they head off the worst, 
  or are they powerless bystanders?  
  • Stage 1—Insult: The first covert murder or attack (arson 
  attempts, beatings, kidnappings etc. are all possible) is 
  likely to be conducted by an ally (or would be ally) of 
  either the Maken or the Belasco against a peripheral 
  member of the other’s party; either a servant, agent, or a 
  Commercia member. 
  • Stage 2—Injury: If the cycle of attack and counter attack 
  is allowed to escalate, murders by steel, forced duels and 
  poisons break out with increasing frequency and rapidly 
  escalating targets of choice. More prominent Commercia 
  representatives and minor nobles may be targets (Sleer, 
  Craythorne and Noventu are all viable targets here) and 
  potential witnesses murdered out of hand. 
  • Stage 3—Blood Feud: If the killings are not stopped 
  by this point, and several prominent figures have been 
  slain, the laws of vendetta break down. Either Hector 
  Maken will inadvisably order an attempt on Fafnir 
  Belasco’s life by his hirelings, which is very unlikely to 
  succeed, or Belasco will have a plasma grenade, built into 
  a surgically tampered with and brainwashed concubine, 
  smuggled into Maken’s chambers—which likely will. If 
  either of these occurs, Sydom has won to some degree, 
  regardless of whatever now occurs, as Malfi is heading 
  for a new hot war of vendetta. 
  There are a number of ways the Cadre can curb the violence. 
  The three most likely are detailed here, although a mixture 
  of these (and others devised by the Throne Agents) may be 
  just as effective. 
  First and most immediately effective, is to gain the co-
  operation of Maken and Belasco directly; get them to hold 
  off their own dogs a while. This requires a subtle degree of 
  diplomacy, veiled threat, and the Cadre putting their own lives 
  on the line along with their word. At best, however, this buys 
  the Cadre some breathing room, as there are actors at work 
  beyond the two factions such as Ensor and Sydom. 
  The second is to enforce peace the hard way, by violently 
  intervening in any attempted murder or attack and making an 
  example of the perpetrators with the full weight of the Holy 
  Ordos behind the judgement. This is likely to contain the 
  violence somewhat, but not stop it entirely. Possible allies in this 
  might include Colonel Tokar Bale and his attendants. While 
  few in number, all are combat veterans worth several times 
  their number and more importantly for hire. A more covert but 
  highly useful ally can be found in Lilith Rev. Although from a 
  minor house, she has excellent intelligence assets and is eager 
  to please, and can aid the cadre in intercepting attacks and 
  pointing out likely targets.
  The third option is to provide a solution to the death of 
  Zan, preferably by delivering up proof of Ensor’s guilt and 
  knowledge of what he did to the two noble factions, which also 
  curbs the violence as long as the cycle of attack and retribution 
  have not escalated too far. If sufficient blood has been spilled 
  by this point (the end of stage two or three reached), then the 
  cause no longer matters. Unless handled carefully, this also 
  may cause the Cadre problems with the Ministorum and the 
  venerable Cal, who sees painting the matter as a schism within 
  the church more damaging than a ‘mere’ noble vendetta. 
  the MalFian Way & stoPPinG it
  At least in the beginning, as the violence starts to escalate, 
  the cadre is likely surprised that a little death and mayhem is 
  accepted as par for the course, not only by the nobles themselves 
  but also by the Malfian clergy at the Aleph. These clerics, unless 
  their members are caught in the crossfire or their scared places 
  invaded or damaged, are content to let the nobles get on with 
  scorning, slighting, assaulting, and even killing each other for 
  honour and vendetta, It is simply “The Malfian way.”
  There are two individuals, however, within the Aleph that 
  are far from satisfied with seeing this Malfian way continue 
  and have the manpower (or womanpower) to do something 
  about it if called on: Legatine-Sister Vespasia and Preacher 
  Azed Husk. Both view this mayhem within the God-
  Emperor’s house as blasphemy to be snuffed out, whatever 
  local custom and tradition has to say about it. Vespasia’s 
  battle sisters are outnumbered, and she has them guarding the 
  Venerable Cal, but if his agreement can be reached, some of 
  them might be re-assigned to peacekeeping duties patrolling 
  the corridors of the Aleph and assisting the Cadre. Husk is a 
  different and more dangerous tiger to catch by the tail. In the 
  outer complex beyond, he has nearly a hundred sworn zealots 
  among the crowds, his ‘pilgrims of grace’ as he calls them, 
  lacking only in arms and authority to intervene. Keeping 
  Husk’s fanatics from getting too ‘enthusiastic’ might prove a 
  problem in itself unless he is handled carefully, and he may 
  well make demands in return for his aid either from the Holy 
  Ordos or from the Venerable Cal. 
  istVaanian inteRFeRence
  Depending on how vicious the GM is feeling, Inquisitor 
  Nephren may choose to interfere directly. Nephren has access 
  to her own cadre, and is a competent fighter in her own right. 
  She can be used to rack up a body count until persuaded to 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  241
  back off. She may also be used to aid the Throne Agents 
  should the GM wish, intervening at a crucial moment on their 
  side in a combat, or if Sydom springs his final surprise. 
  ensoR’s GaMbit
  As soon as he can disentangle himself from the investigation 
  and make suitable obeisance to the Venerable Cal after he 
  assumed ecclesiastical authority over the Aleph, Ensor seeks to 
  duck out of sight and keeps to the catacombs of the complex 
  as much as possible, abandoning his usual chambers and 
  using the various servitors as his eyes. As the violence begins 
  to escalate, he uses the cover it provides to try and hide his 
  tracks, destroying evidence and witnesses to his crimes. 
  In particular, he uses Cherubim to kill the Pardoner, Hull 
  Morec, as a potential witness to his guilt (see The Nervous 
  Pardoner on page 232). Morec is torn to pieces in his rooms along 
  with his adept-scribe. Cadre members looking into his death 
  find it strange, as Morec belonged to neither noble faction, and if 
  they have previously encountered him, they may remember his 
  story, or learn it second hand by questioning others. In addition, 
  a Difficult (-10) Medicae Test reveals that the type of blade 
  used to kill Zan also killed the pardoner. 
  Malice in the DaRk
  Watching the whole bloody affair from the sidelines is 
  Rothber Sydom, the true architect of these events. Sydom 
  takes no further hand while the bloodshed is brewing, and 
  if approached is more than happy to lend the Cadre any 
  help he can. If Ensor is apprehended, his plan is to disappear 
  from view, taking on another identity and leaving evidence 
  to blame another—Arch-Confessor Eutalus. Sydom hopes to 
  drive a further wedge into the heart of the Ministorum. 
  If his plan does not go as he wishes, Sydom takes other 
  measures. This may be because the Cadre is successful in 
  halting or curtailing the level of discord, because the Cadre 
  suspects Ensor is being played for a dupe and the goal of the 
  plot is the creation of strife and mayhem for its own sake, or 
  because they simply don’t believe the ‘neat’ answer provided 
  for them. Although extremely patient, if robbed of his sport, 
  he attempts to unleash a final avalanche of slaughter. 
  Sydom has a number of sleeper agents in the gathering. 
  Shape-shifting daemon-get that came to the Aleph in the 
  guise of silent mummers, these cultists are soul bound with 
  powerful Sadu’sen Daemons (see page 246). He sends these 
  in secret to provoke more violence and reprisal. If thwarted 
  in his plans to spread discord, he mounts a final attack (See 
  Sydom’s Last Dance on page 245).
  the tRail oF eViDence
  Aside from opinion, blame and conjecture, the following lists the actual physical evidence the Cadre can look into 
  in brief. The GM should feel free to expand on this as needs be.
  The Body: Zan’s throat has been cut with enough force to almost severe his neck, killing him in seconds. Detailed 
  examination by anyone skilled enough (any character with the Medicae or Inquiry skill, or relevant Mastered Skill) reveals 
  that this was done with a single slashing cut most likely from behind with a mono-edged blade. Based on the angle and 
  damage inflicted, it is simply not possible for the falling glass to have done this. 
  The Shattered Dome: Should the Cadre get close enough to shattered dome frame (the Aleph’s stores can furnish a 
  grav-lifter platform if one is requested), a character with the right knowledge of demolitions or explosives (any character 
  with the Demolition skill, Tech-Use or Tech Lore Mastery) ascertains that a small series of explosive charges were affixed to 
  the frame and likely detonated by signal. The placing of the charges was also somewhat less than optimal, and had it been 
  better the whole dome would have come down, not simply the one section. These should be the questions about the signal: 
  who timed and activated it, and who placed the charges so high up and when? 
  Witnesses: Given the deliberately manufactured confusion and distraction surrounding the murder—the storm, the 
  explosion, the darkness and the falling glass—everybody in the hall, a number which runs to the hundreds and includes 
  the cadre themselves, saw everything and nothing. Many saw Zan stagger and the Cherubim around him panic, some may 
  even claim to have seen the instant the cleric’s blood arced across the temple, but no-one has the definitive answer. 
  Access: Before the ceremony, the temple was under preparation and inhabited almost continuously for weeks of religious 
  services. Literally thousands of celebrants, pilgrims and clergy have passed through its doors, not to mention various 
  servants and servitors.
  Motive & Opportunity: In most murder-scenarios a process of elimination by motive and opportunity weeds out false 
  suspects. Alas, for the Cadre, that is just not the case here and now. There are literally dozens of factions— church, noble 
  and even Commercia—who could have had Zan killed, and thanks to the employment of professional spies and assassins 
  habitually by most, they had the tools to do so had they wished. However close scrutiny of the events likely points to an 
  ‘inside job’ as the most likely and efficient way of accomplishing Zan’s death. 
  The Tell-Tale Feather: If the player-characters need an extra nudge in the right direction during the course of their 
  investigations, it can be furnished simply by the placing of physical evidence such as a Cherubim-feather, vat grown and 
  re-enforced with brass. Such a feather could be found tangled in Zan’s clothing or in the blood on the altar, or even up in 
  the rafters of the roof frame near an unexploded charge. 
  But What of the Storm? If considered, a hint that something far darker than mere political murder is going on. Storms, 
  while common at this time of year, cannot be guaranteed or timed, and yet this one seems to have been vital to the murder 
  plot. How was this managed? The answer, although far from obvious at this stage, is the sorcery of the Menagerie Cult.
  
  X: The Red Wake
  242
  Part III: 
  Cause and 
  Consequence
  “Everything you have been told is a lie.”
  —Inquistorial Maxim
  T
  his last part of the adventure focuses on resolving the 
  murder plot that killed Zan, and exposing the guilty 
  parties. The exact outcome of this hunt for the truth, 
  how much the Cadre discovers, and how they deal with those 
  discoveries is up to them. 
  going AfTer enSor
  S
  ooner or later the evidence of Zan’s murder, if looked 
  into, points to Deacon Ensor; as it is, in fact, meant to. 
  The following facts might serve to damn him, although 
  most are in truth circumstantial.
  Ensor organised and orchestrated the ceremony of 
  investiture. Only he had full knowledge of where and when 
  to trigger the signal, as well as mastery of the temple needed 
  to set up the explosive charges.
  Witnesses may have seen him move away from the dais just 
  before the explosion blew out the dome.
  Ensor has been passed over for promotion in the church 
  many times, and although he was the senior cleric at the 
  Aleph, he was not even considered by the Synod; a fact he 
  was known to have formally protested over.
  Evidence points to Zan’s murder being carried out by 
  a Cherubim. As head deacon, Ensor has full access to, and 
  control of, the temple Aleph’s servitors. Data-logs pertaining 
  to the servitors have since been tampered with. Ensor has 
  easy access to do this. 
  The pardoner, Hull Morec, saw Ensor behaving oddly with 
  two Cherubim and has now been brutally murdered. 
   It is, however, Ensor’s fear of discovery that proves his 
  final undoing, and should raise suspicions about him, As soon 
  as any investigation come close to him, he retreats into the 
  catacombs and does not surface again, marking his guilt.
  inTo The cATAcoMBS
  The catacombs beneath the temple are dark and labyrinth, 
  seemingly endless corridors and ossuaries, storehouses, 
  generatora, air ducts and disused chambers sinking deep into 
  the rocky plateau on which the temple Aleph sits. Should the 
  cadre venture there, their likely destination is the defence 
  tabernacle, an armoured chamber from where the Aleph’s 
  automated defences and servitors can be controlled remotely. 
  For the Cadre, getting to this location requires a guide and 
  likely some extra manpower to aid them. Just how difficult 
  this journey is, is left up to the GM.
  Fortunately for the Cadre though, Ensor does not have 
  complete control of the system, and if they go to the Venerable 
  Cal with their suspicions, he can use the archimandrite’s master-
  control ring to paralyse the servitor system, stripping Ensor of 
  much of his protection. Cal also sends Vespasia and the ring 
  with the Cadre should they descend after Ensor, enabling the 
  bypass of numerous security doors and defence systems. 
  the tabeRnacle
  The tabernacle is a large, bunker-like control chamber 
  accessed through an armoured security door (See Player 
  Handout 2 on Page 252). If the master-override has been 
  used, Ensor is defended by his weapon of last resort; a trio 
  of arco-flagellants woken from long, forgotten status tombs 
  deep beneath the tabernacle of the Aleph and slaved to 
  his spoken command. If the GM wishes to have the Arco-
  Flagellants enter combat, he can find their profile on page 
  39 of Disciples of tHe Dark GoDs. 
  If the override has not been used, the Cadre must first 
  bypass the security doors (this is a Hard (–20) Extended 
  Skill Test using the Security Skill or Shadow Craft Mastery 
  requiring two successful Tests). The Arco-flagellants are 
  bolstered by three Cherubim, one of which is the kill-rigged 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  243
  assassin that slew Zan. A sufficient quantity of additional 
  gun and combat servitors give the Cadre and their allies 
  a very serious challenge. In any case, Ensor seeks to hide, 
  whimpering, behind a console during the fight, while he 
  orders the servitors to attack without mercy. 
  aPPRehenDinG ensoR aliVe
  If taken alive, Ensor shows himself to be a broken man, a far 
  cry from the ramrod and stony figure he cut a few short days 
  ago. He begs for the Emperor’s mercy, and willingly tells the 
  cadre anything he can, giving up Sydom as his contact, the 
  details of the crime and even the strange mummers, although 
  characters knowledgeable in such matters (any character 
  with Forbidden Lore (Psykers or Warp) or Forbidden Lore 
  Mastery) realise that there is a lingering warp-taint effecting 
  his memories and judgement. 
  If questioned as to his motives, he reveals deep-seated 
  bitterness about being continually passed over for higher 
  office, a paranoid suspicion of the distain and scorn others 
  held him in, and his opinions of the other candidates are 
  twisted caricatures of their natures. It is unclear just how 
  much of this was Ensor’s true feelings and just how much has 
  been worked on and amplified by darker arts.
  With Ensor apprehended and the murder of Zan solved, 
  the final stages of this bloody affair play out based on what the 
  PCs have done to reach this point. It is now up the to Cadre to 
  determine Ensor’s fate and whether they administer judgement 
  themselves in public or private, or whether they deliver the 
  wayward cleric up to the Venerable Cal or even to Fafnir 
  Belasco. Each decision has its own political considerations and 
  potential consequences. 
  iF ensoR is killeD
  If Ensor is killed without being questioned, then many of 
  his secrets die with him. In particular, he will not be able to 
  tell the Cadre the full narrative of just how the assassination 
  was carried out or his own clouded motivations for doing so. 
  However, painstaking and detailed examination of witnesses 
  to Ensor’s movements over the last few days, and of data 
  concerning the logistics of the investiture ceremony and its 
  guest list, can confirm that he was ‘missing’ or out of contact 
  from his usual duties for extended periods. 
  This should be a Ordinary (+10) Extended Skill 
  Test using Tech-Use, or Tech Lore Mastery. One test may 
  be taken every ten minutes and a total of three successful 
  tests are required. It may also reveal that the Sydom party 
  was present on no legitimate business or guest list, save at 
  Ensor’s contrivance. 
  PuRsuinG syDoM
  No sooner does the Cadre descend into the catacombs 
  after Ensor, than Sydom seeks to disappear. Sydom’s own 
  agencies, principally psychic scrying, bribed spies, and the 
  mind-controlled are keeping tabs on the Cadre for just this 
  purpose. He leaves behind chambers deliberately left to 
  appear if they were vacated in a hurry, with the planted 
  evidence of one of Ensor’s minor underpriests dead and 
  stuffed into a closet (to cement his link to Ensor.) Any 
  thorough search of the room reveals what appears to be 
  an overlooked clue; a scuffed data-crystal that has been 
  apparently kicked under the bed in the haste of Sydom’s 
  departure. The crystal is heavily encrypted and requires 
  deciphering either by one of the Cadre (a Difficult (–10) 
  Extended Skill Test using Ciphers Scholastic Lore 
  (Cryptology) or Cryptological Mastery, requiring four 
  successful tests) or by despatching it by courier to Inquisitor 
  Thoth whose savants can break it with relatively little effort. 
  On it are a great number of future transport times, shipping 
  manifests and secret access codes, all concerning off-world 
  shipping and pilgrimage traffic with the info-stamp of the 
  Hive Tarsus central registry on Scintilla (and by extension 
  perhaps Arch-Confessor Eutalus). This represent scores of 
  potential escape routes off of Malfi, any of which could 
  be pursued by an escaping assassin. It is also very unlikely 
  that the Cadre can investigate all of them, although the GM 
  should certainly not stop them from trying.  
  The truth of the matter is that the Tarsine church is not 
  involved; this information is simply a plant to further cast 
  suspicion on them and the Cadre would be wise to treat this 
  ‘accidentally’ left evidence with reservations. 
  Where is he now? Although the evidence points towards 
  Sydom having fled when the hunt came too close, nothing 
  can be further from the truth. In reality, Sydom has used his 
  sorcerous powers to slay a minor player in the adventure and 
  assume his identity. The GM should select a single, minor, 
  ‘named’ NPC the Cadre has already had contact with for 
  Sydom to have murdered and assumed the identity of. (Note: 
  this should not be any of the principle named characters; 
  they are simply too closely protected, and too difficult to 
  impersonate successfully.) From this point on, Sydom tries 
  to stick close to observe the conclusion of matters and 
  intervene if he feels his plan has been thwarted.
  the Real MuRDeReR 
  Was….!
  It is quite possible for deft and insightful 
  player-characters to have worked out Sydom’s 
  involvement (or at least that there is something very 
  wrong with him) sooner rather than later, or indeed to 
  be very covert in tackling Ensor and blindsiding the 
  cultist’s plans. Rather than this ‘breaking’ the game, 
  the GM should reward this perspicacity and also allow 
  the Cadre to confront Sydom on their own terms 
  with the odds stacked in their favour. The GM should 
  remember, however, that even on his own, Sydom is a 
  very dangerous opponent as they no doubt soon learn.
  
  X: The Red Wake
  244
  cereMonieS of 
  Mourning And guiLT
  With the conspiracy laid open to some degree, the Cadre is 
  asked to present their findings to the Venerable Cal and the 
  other principle NPCs involved. Exactly how this is received 
  depends both on who has thus-far survived and their attitudes 
  depending on what has transpired before this point, as well 
  as the actions and oratory of the Cadre, and their overall 
  success in this adventure should be judged on it in part. This 
  is, after all, a key part of the Inquisition’s role; not simply 
  executing the heretic but maintaining order and the fabric of 
  the Imperium itself but being seen to do so when it matters. 
  If they succeed in convincing the principle parties of the 
  truth as they see it, then the matter is settled (as far as the 
  official records go at least). The feuding dies away almost 
  immediately, and all parties are invited, “in a sprit of mourning 
  and peaceful reconciliation,” to a requiem mass for the late 
  Zan after which, “all may depart and go their way in safety.” 
  If Sydom is exposed or destroyed, this is an end to the matter. 
  If he lives something far worse may yet come to pass (see 
  Sydom’s Last Dance on page 245). 
  too Much blooD 
  If the disturbances progressed to the third level as illustrated in 
  Blood Will Have Blood on page 240, other than the church, no 
  one cares for the truth. The factions use the gathering merely 
  as neutral ground on which to hurl abuses and threats at each 
  other—and even at the Cadre if the members contradict their 
  entrenched hatreds—or seek to twist the cadre’s findings to 
  their own ends. The trump card at this point is Sydom. If the 
  Cadre can somehow prove he was no mere agent or assassin, 
  but instead a servant of the Ruinous Powers, this gives even 
  the House of Maken and Belasco pause for thought, as neither 
  likes being played for a fool, especially by the Dark Gods.
  PinninG the blaMe
  If Sydom’s true nature has not been revealed, then who is to 
  blame? It is for the cadre to say based on their own findings 
  in the matter and their own suspicions. 
  If they do seek to pin the blame on a great house or church 
  faction, or even simply cast the shadow of suspected guilt, 
  then in the wider world of the GM’s campaign, this should 
  have its own ramifications and consequences which is left to 
  the GM to determine. It is likely that regardless of what these 
  are, the Cadre makes themselves a dire enemy by doing so.
  Potential outcoMes
  Depending on what the Cadre discovers and 
  how they act, there are several outcomes to this 
  adventure, all of which have their own consequences 
  for the GM to consider.
  Ensor is discovered as the culprit, but the violence 
  has gone too far to stop: This constitutes at best a partial 
  success for the Cadre. The guilty party is purged, but 
  the seeds of civil war have been sown on Malfi.
  Ensor is discovered as the culprit, and the violence 
  has been curtailed before it gets out of control: A 
  potentially major success for the Cadre, the guilty 
  has been punished and the Imperium’s order has been 
  maintained. 
  Sydom is exposed as an agent of the Ruinous Powers: 
  A victory in itself, which justifies all other outcomes. 
  The rooting out of such powerful dark influences in 
  the body politic is the very reason the Inquisition is 
  vital for the security of the Imperium. The Cadre has 
  proved their worth.
  Sydom is believed to be no more than a political 
  agent: Whether they know it or not, the Cadre has 
  failed at the Inquisition’s first duty, with potentially 
  bloody consequences for all of Malfi.
  
  X: The Red Wake
  245
  syDoM’s VictoRy?
  If Sydom has not been exposed for what he really is, one 
  of two outcomes is now likely. The first is that ripples of 
  anarchy and feud are already starting to spread beyond the 
  Aleph’s walls and everything that the Menagerie has plotted 
  has come to pass. Two great houses are at each other’s throats 
  and more soon follow, igniting a fire that will burn for years 
  and weaken Malfi’s stability further. Additionally, the Imperial 
  church on Malfi has been further weakened and laid open to 
  damaging rumour and disrespect, corrosive influences which 
  will aid the flourishing cult in the future. As an added bonus, 
  the Inquisition has been outwitted.
  In this case there is no more Sydom need do, he may walk 
  away in his stolen face, his task complete. The GM may, 
  however, wish him to carry out one last act of barbarity or 
  occult terror just to let the Cadre know (particularly after 
  the matter has been ‘resolved’) that they have been played 
  for fools. If not, the GM should leave this secret to slumber 
  perhaps until later adventures down the line, where the 
  consequences of their past actions may sow a bitter crop for 
  the Cadre.
  reWArdS
  The Red Wake is a challenging adventure, and for its 
  successful completion, the GM should award between 500-
  750 xp per game session (depending on the actions of the 
  Throne Agents). Particular sharp thinking, bloody heroics, 
  or cunning plans should also be rewarded with further xp 
  bonuses in the region of 100–200 xp. In addition, the same 
  amount of bonus xp should be awarded to the entire group 
  if the culprit was identified early on, and again if an all-out 
  war was prevented.
  MATTerS of church And 
  STATe
  The events at the Aleph have long-term consequences no 
  matter what their conclusion; consequences that the player-
  characters are, in a large part, responsible for. Many of the 
  noble houses and commercial interests caught in the wake 
  of the assassination of Prelate Zan may have been badly 
  weakened, or even desolated. Others emerged having proven 
  their power and willingness to defend themselves. Every one 
  of them, in some respect, has the Cadre to thank or despise 
  because of it. The Mafian Ministorum has been weakened or 
  perhaps goaded into wakening its strength, and there is still 
  the question of just who will be the next Archimandrite of the 
  Aleph in the wake of Zan’s death, a matter that, given recent 
  troubles, is deemed even more important than before for the 
  sector’s religious elite to determine. 
  If the death of Prelate Llorens Zan and the conspiracy 
  and discord at the Aleph are a stone hurled into dark waters, 
  the ripples caused by its impact are still travelling, and for 
  the Ministorum, Malfi, the Holy Ordos and the Cadre, their 
  future effects have yet to be revealed.
  oPtional: syDoM’s last Dance
  If the Cadre has been successful in halting the slide 
  into feud and disorder and thwarted Sydom’s plot, and 
  the GM wishes a more brutal conclusion, then Sydom’s 
  simmering insanity and Warp-spawned malice will not 
  let the matter be. He seeks one final act of desperate 
  bloodletting to settle the matter.
  The Cadre and a much reduced congregation are 
  invited to a requiem service for the late Llorens Zan, 
  which, unless he has been exposed or stopped, may 
  be attacked by Sydom and his dark agents. If this is 
  the case, the GM should create a sense of foreboding 
  before the ceremony at the High Altar, as well as grim 
  remembrance and sombre reflection, noting the hooded 
  mourning garb of the clergy and the threadbare 
  attendance from the nobility and the Commercia. 
  Notably, neither Inquisitor Nephren, Hector Maken 
  nor Fafnir Belasco (should they live) attend, already 
  having departed.
  Sydom wastes no time before attacking once the 
  ceremony is under way. There is no stage-managed 
  drama, gloating declarations or rants about the 
  supremacy of Chaos, only blood and death. Seeded 
  through the congregation are a half a dozen of his 
  half-human agents, the silent mummers now disguised 
  as churchmen who commit ritual suicide on cue, 
  disembowelling themselves with their bare hands 
  to unleash the evil within them. Sadu’sen Daemons 
  (see NPCs & Antagonists section) set about the 
  congregation at random, killing and bringing forth 
  more horrors from beyond. Sydom is on hand in his 
  stolen identity to use the confusion to take out his real 
  targets. First on his list is the Venerable Cal, followed 
  by Cadre themselves for thwarting him. His truth 
  revealed, Sydom is on a rampage, killing and revelling 
  in destruction and unless he is stopped, he drives out 
  or butchers everyone in the temple of the High Altar 
  before despoiling and desecrating it. Only his death 
  will stop this from happening.
  GM: RunninG the attack
  Sydom’s attack should be portrayed as an anarchic, 
  bloody mess, filled with screaming and panicked 
  bystanders, gouting sprays of gore, blasts of midnight-
  black flame and chaotic gunfire from all sides. It is not 
  necessary to represent this battle in precise detail, only 
  the Cadre’s part in it, and the crux of the matter is 
  tackling and defeating Sydom himself before he can 
  lay waste to the place, a task only the Cadre is likely to 
  be capable of achieving. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  246
  Antagonists & 
  NPCs
  T
  he following presents some useful NPCs and antagonists 
  for use with the Red Wake adventure. For the sake of 
  space, page references have been given to descriptions 
  in the text with more on their individual characters. 
  The situation at the Aleph also involves a very great 
  number of individuals, be they attendees, bystanders, servants 
  or priest, the majority of which the Cadre are unlikely to 
  encounter in a particularly personal way and can be ably 
  presented by some of the standard NPCs listed in the Dark 
  Heresy Rulebook, with some minor alterations by the GM.
  Attendees can be represented by the Dissolute Noble (page 
  339), the Merchant Magnate (page 242) and the Recidivist 
  (page 343), while if you have the adventure book tattereD 
  fates you can use the additional noble NPCs and their 
  servants shown there to add some more variety.
  The priesthood can be represented by the Ministorum 
  Preacher (page 342). 
  Servants, bodyguards, and staff can be represented by the 
  Citizen (page 338), Scribe (page 343), Entertainer (page 339), 
  and Enforcer (page 339) while particularly skilled bodyguards 
  by the Bounty Hunter (page 336).
  Again, it is important to note that NPC Profiles are not 
  necessarily bound by the same rules as for player characters.
  The cLergy And Their 
  ServAnTS
  PRelate lloRens Zan
  prelate Llorens Zan profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  int per Wp fel
  23
  30
  25
  30
  29
  40
  40
  37
  39
  Movement: 2/4/8/16  
  Wounds: 13
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Charm (Fel) +20, Common Lore 
  (Administratum, Imperium, Imperial Creed) (Int) +10, 
  Evaluate (Int), Forbidden Lore (Cults, Heresy) (Int), Literacy 
  (Int) +10, Speak Language (High Gothic, Low Gothic) (Int), 
  Scholastic Lore (Archaic, Imperial Creed, Malfian History, 
  Heraldry, Legend, Philosophy) (Int) +10, Trade (Copyist, 
  Author) (Int).
  Talents: Peer (Malfian Ministorum). 
  Armour: Concealed xeno-mesh vest (Body 4).
  Weapons: None.
  Gear: High quality Ecclesiarchy robes, antique pocket 
  chron and jeweled chain, familial signet rig, personal vox,  
  devotional relics.
  Deacon ensoR
  deacon ensor profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  int per Wp fel
  35
  20
  33
  40
  30
  32
  38
  40
  22
  Movement: 3/6/9/18  
   
  Wounds: 13
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Charm (Fel), Common Lore 
  (Imperial Creed, Tech, Imperium) (Int) +10, Deceive (Fel) 
  +10, Intimidate (S) +10, Literacy (Int) +10, Scholastic Lore 
  (Imperial Creed, Malfian History) (Int) +10, Speak Language 
  (High Gothic, Low Gothic) (Int).
  Talents: Air of Authority, Fearless, Melee Weapon Training 
  (Primitive, Chain).
  Weapons: None. If confronted in the tabernacle he will have 
  armed himself with a chainglave (2d5 +5 R; Pen 2; Tearing, 
  Unwieldy). 
  Gear: Heavy hooded robes, various keys, accessors and 
  devotional items. 
  Ensorcelled: Ensor has been ensnared in the Menageries’ 
  web, and the truth buried deep within him, any attempt to 
  probe his mind psychically will prove extremely difficult 
  (+30 bonus for him to resist). 
  aRch-conFessoR eutalus
  Arch-confessor eutalus profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  int per Wp fel
  22
  26
  30
  30
  34
  43
  38
  38
  41
  Movement: 3/6/9/18  
  Wounds: 12
  Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Barter (Fel) +10, Charm 
  (Fel) +10, Ciphers (Chancellery Court, T arsine Church, 
  Scintillan Court) (Int) +10, Command (Fel) +10, Common 
  Lore (Imperial Creed, Imperium, Administratum) (Int) +20, 
  Deceive (Fel) +10, Evaluate (Int) +10, Literacy (Int) +10, 
  Logic (Int), Scrutiny (Per) +10, Scholastic law (Imperial 
  Creed, Ecclesiarchy, Judgement) (Int) +10, Security (Ag), 
  Speak Language (High Gothic, Low Gothic) (Int), Trade 
  (Church Jurist/Confessor) (Int) +10.
  Talents: Air of Authority, Jaded, Master Orator, Paranoia, 
  Peer (Ecclesiarchy, Scintillan Nobility), Pistol Training (Las).
  Armour: Rosarius.
  Weapons: Concealed compact laspistol (15m; S/–/–; 
  1d10+1 E; Pen 0; Clip 15; Rld Full; Reliable).
  Gear: Ecclesiarchy robes, Staff of Office, prayer book, familial 
  signet ring, ward acessor (Ministorum, Tarsine church), letters 
  of patent and dispatch, encrypted long-range vox, personal 
  reliquary, auto-quill, hip flask of fine amasec. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  247
  the VeneRable cal 
  venerable cal profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  int per Wp fel
  (8)
  05
  22
  30
  12
  12
  49
  39
  40
  40
  Movement: 3/6/9/18  
  Wounds: 11
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Charm (Fel), Ciphers (Malfian 
  Church) (Int), Common Lore (, Imperium, Imperial Creed,) 
  (Int), Command (Fel) +10, Concealment (Ag), Disguise (Fel) 
  +10, Deceive (Fel) +10, Forbidden Lore (Heresy, Cults) (Int), 
  Intimidate (S) +10, Interrogation (WP), Literacy (Int) +10, 
  Scholastic Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int) +20, Secret Tongue 
  (Ecclesiarchy) (Int) +20, Speak Language (High Gothic, Low 
  Gothic) (Int).
  Traits: Unnatural Willpower (x2), additionally his support 
  chair grants him the Autosanguine Talent and full life support 
  functions.
  Talents: Heroic leadership, Concealed Cavity, Hatred 
  (Heretics), Light Sleeper, Master Orator, Melee Weapon 
  Training (Primitive), Paranoia, Peer (Ecclesiarchy), Resistance 
  (Fear), Unshakable Faith, True Faith, Purge the Unclean.
  Armour: Cal’s support chair grants him 5 AP to his legs 
  and against all attacks from the rear. In addition in contains a 
  Rosarius (see page 145). 
  Weapons: The support chair contains a concealed MIU-
  linked Malleus psycannon (120m; S/–/5; 2d10+5 X; Pen 5; 
  Clip 40; Rld 3 Full, Tearing, Reliable, Sanctified).
  Gear: Votive items, personal prayer book, psy-jammer.
  leGatine sisteR VesPasia
  Legatine Sister vespasia profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  int per Wp fel
  51
  48
  40
  45
  38
  35
  30
  48
  28
  Movement: 3/6/9/18  
  Wounds: 22
  Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Climb (S), Common Lore 
  (Imperium, Imperial Creed, War) (Int) +10, Command (Fel) 
  +20, Forbidden Lore (Heresy, Mutants), Interrogation (WP), 
  Intimidate (S), Literacy (Int), Medicae (Int), Performer (singer) 
  (Fel), Speak Language (Low Gothic, High Gothic) (Int), 
  Search (Per), Scrutiny (Per).
  Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Bolt, Las, SP), Blademaster, 
  Hatred (Heretics, Daemons), Melee Weapon Training 
  (Primitive, Chain, Shock, Power), Iron Discipline, Nerves 
  of Steel, Pistol Training (Bolt, Las, SP), Resistance (Fear), 
  Unshakeable Faith. Touched by the Fates (2 Fate Points), Pure 
  Faith†, Wrath of the Righteous.
  †See The Inquisitor’s Handbook for more information regarding this.
  Armour: Adepta Sororitas light power armour (AP 7 all 
  locations)
  Weapons: Godwyn-De’az bolter (90m; S/2/–; 1d10+5 X; 
  Pen 4; Clip 20; Rld Full, Tearing), mono-blade (1d5+5 R; 
  Pen 2), power sword (1d10+8 E; Pen 6; Balanced, Power 
  Field).
  Gear: Micro-bead vox, respirator, photo-visor, two spare bolt 
  clips, one clip of blessed bolt gun ammo.
  aDePta soRoRitas honouR GuaRD
  Adepta Sororitas honour guard profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  int per Wp fel
  38
  45
  40
  45
  36
  30
  35
  40
  18
  Movement: 3/6/9/18  
  Wounds: 15
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Common Lore (Imperium, 
  Imperial Creed, War) (Int), Interrogation (WP), Intimidate (S), 
  Literacy (Int), Medicae (Int), Performer (singer) (Fel), Speak 
  Language (Low Gothic, High Gothic) (Int), Search (Per), 
  Scrutiny (Per).
  Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Bolt, Las, SP), Melee 
  Weapon Training (Primitive, Chain, Shock), Nerves of Steel, 
  Pistol Training (Bolt, Las, SP), Resistance (Fear), Unshakeable 
  Faith.
  Armour: Adepta Sororitas light power armour (AP 7 all 
  locations)
  Weapons: Godwyn-De’az bolter (90m; S/2/–; 1d10+5 X; 
  Pen 4; Clip 20; Rld Full, Tearing), mono-blade (1d5+5 R; 
  Pen 2).
  Gear: Micro-bead vox, respirator, photo-visor, three spare 
  bolt clips.
  MuRDeRous cheRubiM
  Murderous cherubim profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  int per Wp fel
  30
  10
  16
  20
  30
  18
  27
  30
  10
  Movement: 3/6/9/18  
  Wounds: 5
  Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Concealment (Ag) +10, Silent 
  Move (Ag) +10, 
  Talents: 
  Weapon 
  Training 
  (Primitive), 
  Talented 
  (Concealment)
  Traits: Dark Sight, Flyer 5, From Beyond, Machine (1), 
  Programmed Instinct, Size (scrawny)
  Armour (machine): 1 All locations
  Weapons: Retractable mono-blade (1d5+1 R; Pen 2).
  Gear: none
  
  X: The Red Wake
  248
  The noBLe houSeS
  loRD-ReGent FaFniR belasco 
  A hugely powerful and dangerous noble, it is through his 
  backing that Zan has been made Archimandrite, much to the 
  enmity of his house’s political rivals. 
  Lord-regent fafnir Belasco profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  int per Wp fel
  37
  43
  33
  40
  38
  60
  51
  45
  37
  Movement: 3/6/9/18  
  Wounds: 17
  Mastered Skills: Commerce Mastery (Int), Common Lore 
  Mastery, Cryptographic Mastery, Scholastic Mastery
  Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Blather (Fel), Carouse (T), 
  Charm (Fel), Command (Fel) +10, Deceive (Fel) +20, Dodge 
  (Ag), Forbidden Lore (Heresy, Cults, Xenos) (Int), Gamble 
  (Int) +10, Literacy (Int) +10, Scrutiny (Per) +10, Speak 
  Language (High Gothic, Low Gothic, Archaic Malfian, Void 
  cant) (Int) +10.
  Traits: Unnatural Willpower (x2), Touched by the Fates (3 
  Fate Points).
  Talents: Autosanguine, Exotic Weapon Training (Needle 
  Pistol), Fearless, Jaded, Melee Weapon Training (Power, 
  Primitive), Pistol Training (Las, SP, Bolt).
  Armour: Xeno-mesh woven coat (Arms 4, Body 4, Legs 3)
  Weapons: Personally designed needle pistol (25m; S/–/–; 
  1d10+2 R; Pen 4; Clip 8; Rld Full, Accurate, Toxic), Khayer-
  Addin duelling laspistol (30m; S/—/—; 1d10+4 E; Pen 4; 
  Clip 1; Reload Full; Accurate, Tearing), Serpentine Power 
  Blade (1d0+4 E; Pen 6; Power Field).
  Gear: Extremely fine clothes and understated jewellery, 
  good bionic respiratory system, ward acessor (Master-House 
  Belasco, League of Nobility), personal encrypted vox, Lathe 
  Pattern null box, 3 spare charges for his dueling-las. 
  house belasco aRMsMen
  house Belasco Armsmen profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  int per Wp fel
  38
  42
  45
  40
  35
  28
  35
  35
  26
  Movement: 3/6/9/18  
  Wounds: 12
  Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, (Int), Carouse (T) +10, 
  Common Lore (Imperium, Tech,) (Int), Deceive (Fel), Dodge 
  (Ag), Gamble (Int), Interrogation (WP), Intimidation (S) +10, 
  Inquiry (Int), Literacy (Int), Speak Language (Low Gothic) 
  (Int), Tech-Use (Int), Trade (Bodyguard) (Int), Scrutiny (Per) 
  +10, Survival (Int).
  Talents: Basic Weapon Training (SP, Las, Bolt), Disarm, 
  Jaded, Melee Weapon Training (Primitive, Power, Chain), 
  Pistol Training (SP, Las, Bolt, Plasma), Nerves of Steel. 
  Armour: Carapace and mesh (Head 4, Arms 3, Body 5, 
  Legs 4).
  Weapons: Bolt pistol (30m; S/2/–; 1d10+5 X; Pen 4; Clip 
  12; Rld Full), chainsword (1d10+6† R; Pen 2;, Tearing).
  †Includes Strength Bonus.
  Gear: Respirator, photo-visor, personal encrypted vox bead, 
  three spare bolt clips. 
  the honouRable hectoR Maken 
  The honourable hector Maken profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  int per Wp fel
  14
  20
  30
  30
  30
  28
  22
  37
  31
  Movement: 3/6/9/18  
  Wounds: 10
  Skills: Blather (Fel), Carouse (T) +20, Common Lore 
  (Imperium) (Int), Deceive (Fel) +10, Speak Language (High 
  Gothic, Low Gothic) (Int), Charm (Fel), Deceive (Fel) +10, 
  Gamble (Int), Literacy (Int), Scholastic Lore (Heraldry, 
  Imperium, Malfian History) (Int), Sleight of Hand (Ag).
  Talents: Jaded.
  Weapons: None.
  Gear: Foppish clothes and ostentatious jewellery, ward acessor 
  (House Maken, League of Nobility), personal encrypted vox, 
  remote control for whiteclaws (concealed as wrist band).
  siRa Rabbas Jenet
  Sira rabbas Jenet profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  int per Wp fel
  45
  45
  35
  40
  41
  27
  22
  40
  25
  Movement: 4/8/12/24  
  Wounds: 15
  Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Common Lore (Imperium) (Int), 
  Concealment (Ag), Dodge (Ag), Drive (Ground Vehicle) (Ag), 
  Gambling (Int), Inquiry (Fel), Interrogation (WP), Intimidate 
  (S) +10, Security (Ag), Shadowing (Ag), Silent Move (Ag), 
  Scholastic Lore (Heraldry) (Int), Speak Language (High 
  Gothic, Low Gothic, Tracking (Int).
  Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Las, SP), Disarm, Hip 
  Shooting, Iron Jaw, Jaded, Melee Weapon Training (Chain, 
  Primitive, Shock), Nerves of Steel, Pistol Training (Bolt, Las, 
  SP, Plasma). 
  Armour: Decorative light carapace and mesh (Arms 3, Body 
  5, Legs 2).
  Weapons: Compact plasma pistol (15m; 1d10+5 E; S/–/–; 
  Pen 6; Clip 6; Rld 4 Full; Recharge, Overheats), power sword 
  (1d10+8 E; Pen 6; Balanced, Power Field).
  Gear: Fine quality clothing, livery sash, ward acessor (lesser, 
  House Maken), 50 Thrones, personal encrypted vox, hip flask 
  of Quaddis Sorrowful Vintage. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  249
  WhiteclaWs
  Two of these bejewelled cyber-felids guard Maken’s private 
  chambers and escort him to public occasions where possible.
  Whiteclaws profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  int per Wp fel
  40
  10
  50
  50
  38
  20
  40
  30
  10
  Movement: 3/6/9/18  
   
  Wounds: 20
  Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Concealment (Ag), Silent Move 
  (Ag) +20, Tracking (Int) +20
  Talents: Fearless, Weapon Training (Primitive), Talented 
  (Concealment).
  Traits: Dark Sight, Quadruped, Brutal Charge, Machine (4), 
  Armour Plated. 
  Armour (machine): 6 All locations.
  Weapons: Void-kraken ivory fangs (2d5+7 R; Pen 3, 
  Tearing).
  Gear: Implanted vox-signal systems, photo-visor, filter plugs 
  and drug-injector with three doses of Frenzon and two of 
  Stimm (remotely controlled).
  The coMMerciA
  laDy cheska Duquesne (inquisitoR 
  heleyna nePhRen)
  Lady cheska duquesne profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  int per Wp fel
  50
  48
  32
  37
  34
  51
  48
  57
  41
  Movement: 3/6/9/18;  
  Wounds: 17
  Influence: 42
  Mastered Skills: Forbidden Lore Mastery, Investigation 
  Mastery
  Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Common Lore (Imperium, 
  Administratum) (Int) +20, Common Lore (Ecclesiarchy, 
  Imperial Creed) (Int) +10, Ciphers (Acolyte, Inquisition, 
  Nephren, Adeptus Arbites, Pale Throng) (Int ) +10, Common 
  Lore (Adeptus Arbites, Underworld) (Int), Ciphers (Occult) 
  (Int), Literacy (Int) +20, Scholastic Lore (Bureaucracy, 
  Judgement) (Int) +10, Scholastic Lore (Archaic, Philosophy, 
  Occult) (Int), Secret Tongue (Acolyte, Nephren, Volg-Utter, 
  Horned Darkness), Speak Language (High Gothic, Low 
  Gothic) (Int) +20, Trade (Merchant) (Int) +10.
  Traits: Conviction is Strength, The Indomitable Will of the 
  Inquisition
  Talents: Armour of Contempt, Basic Weapon Training (Bolt, 
  Las, SP), Conditioned Intellect, Dark Soul, Fearless, Hatred 
  (Daemons, Psykers), Revolutionary, Touched by the Fates (2 
  Fate Points).
  Armour: Concealed bodyglove with Hexagramtic wards 
  (Body 3, Arms 1, Legs 1), Refractor Field generator concealed 
  in neckpiece (usually deactivated until needed)
  Weapons: Digital Needler (10m; S/—/—; 1d10 R; Pen 2; 
  Clip 3; Reload-special; Accurate, Toxic), Digital Flamer (5m; 
  S/—/—; 1d10+4 E; Pen 3; Clip 1; Reload special; Flame), 
  Lathe-forged stiletto (1d5+4† R, Pen 4; Balanced, +10 to 
  WS Tests). Has access to almost any weapon if needed. 
  † Includes Strength Bonus.
  Gear: Opulent garb, data-slate, Inquisitorial Rosette 
  (concealed), ward accessor ring (Commercia), 2 pinches of 
  Night Dust, implanted psy-jammer, injector with two doses 
  of De-Tox and two of Stimm. 
  coMMeRcia RePResentatiVe 
  (suitable for Vice Chancellor Jaqele Sleer and others)
  commercia representative profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  int per Wp fel
  25
  30
  35
  35
  30
  33
  40
  35
  40
  Movement: 3/6/9/18  
  Wounds: 12
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Barter (Fel) +10, Charm (Fel) +10, 
  (T), Common Lore (Imperium) (Int), Common Lore (Trade, 
  Sub-Sector, Malfi) (Int), Command (Fel), Evaluate (Int) 
  +10, Carouse (T), Deceive (Fel) +10, Intimidate (S), Speak 
  Language (Low Gothic, High Gothic, Trade Cant) (Int). 
  Literacy (Int), Security (Ag), Scrutiny (Per) +10
  Talents: Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), Pistol Training 
  (Las, SP), Basic Weapon Training (Las, SP)
  Armour: Concealed Mesh Vest (Body 4)
  Weapons: Compact laspistol (15, S/—/—; 1d10+1 E; 
  Shots 15; Reload Full; Reliable), mono sword (1d10+3 R; 
  Pen 2, Balanced)
  Gear: Fine clothes bearing livery markings, personal 
  encrypted vox, seal of merchant or noble family, data-slate, 
  3d10 thrones. 
  
  X: The Red Wake
  250
  The poWerS of ruin
  MasteR RothbeR syDoM 
  rothber Sydom profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  int per Wp fel
  (9)
  55
  38
  40
  51
  42
  38
  42
  38
  50
  Movement: 4/8/12/24  
  Wounds: 37
  Mastered Skills: Forbidden Lore Mastery, Observation 
  Mastery
  Skills: Blather (Fel), Carouse (T), Ciphers (Occult, 
  Commercia) (Int), Common Lore (Imperium, Imperial Creed, 
  Commercia) (Int), Command (fell) +10, Deceive (Fel) +20, 
  Intimidate (S) +10, Invocation (WP) +10, Performer (Fel) 
  +10, Psyniscience (Per) +20, Secret Tongue (Menagerie) (Int) 
  +10, Speak Language (Low Gothic, High Gothic, Void Cant) 
  (Int), Trade (Merchant, Slaver, Seer) (Int). 
  Talents: Favored of the Warp, Foresight, Lightning Reflexes, 
  Sorcerer, Master Sorcerer (Psy 4), Sublime Arts, Touched By 
  the Fates (3 Fate Points), Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), 
  Pistol Training (SP), Resistance (Psychic, Poisons, Disease)
  Traits: Dark Pact, From Beyond, Unnatural Toughness (x3), 
  Unnatural Willpower (x3).
  Special Traits
  Beyond Flesh: By passing a Challenging (+0) Willpower 
  Test, Sydom may use either the Mask of Flesh Arcana or 
  duplicate (at will) the effects of any single physical mutation 
  from the Minor or Major Mutations listed in Dark Heresy. 
  This ability is a Full Action to employ and entails no Power 
  Roll or risk of failure. This effect will last until he chooses to 
  dismiss it or take another form.
  Warping Touch: Sydom’s touch is imbued with the twisting 
  power of the warp. He can sculpt flesh as if it was wet clay and 
  rip through the strongest metal like brushing away a cobweb. 
  The crudest use of this power can make him a terrifyingly 
  effective combatant, his bare hands literally digging though 
  his enemies’ bodies like wet sand.
  Mastery of the Fates: Favoured by the twisting skeins of 
  destiny, Sydom perceives the tangled webs of possibilities 
  and the surface of what humans call reality for the frail and 
  mutable thing it truly is. A master of the Menagerie may re-
  roll a single failed Test or Damage dice per Round and may 
  use the equivalent of the Psychic Power Soul Sight at will as 
  an innate ability.
  Dark Rituals: Sydom knows many dark and nightmarish 
  rituals, and has the Sorcery† Talent.
  Minor Arcana: Touch of Madness (13), Whisper of the Warp 
  (13), Weaken Veil (11), White Noise (10), Revelation of Truth 
  (13), Sense Presence (7), Space Slip (13), Time fade (15).
  Major Arcana: Compel (21), Flesh Like Iron (20), Hellish 
  Blast (22), Mind Scan (25), Personal Augury (16), Time 
  Distortion (20) plus others as the GM decides.
  †See Disciples of the Dark Gods for more details
  Armour: None
  Weapons: Warping touch (2d10+4†† R; Warp Weapon),
  †† Includes Strength Bonus.
  Gear: Decent quality merchant’s clothing, assorted data-
  slates, minor seal, auto-quill. 
  saDu’sen DaeMons
  These creatures are daemonic shapeshifters whose true form is 
  that of a smoking column of rippling incandescent flesh filled 
  with baleful glowing eyes and fire-dripping fanged maws. 
  When in human guise, they appear strangely still and speak 
  only reluctantly, but otherwise appear ‘normal.’
  Sadu’sen daemon profile
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  int per Wp fel
  (6)
  40
  40
  35
  35
  30
  29
  29
  40
  20
  Movement: 3/6/9/–  
  Wounds: 15
  Skills: Awareness (Per), Psyniscience (WP) +10, Deceive (Fel) 
  +10, -plus as victim last devoured. (In the case of Sydom’s 
  Sadu’sen at the Aleph Carouse (T), Charm (Fel), Common 
  Lore (Imperium), Speak Language (low Gothic), Acrobatics 
  (Ag), Performer (Mime) (Fel) 
  Talents: None 
  Traits: Daemonic (TB 6), Fear 2‡ , Flyer 5, From Beyond, 
  Incorporeal†‡, Warp Instability‡
  ‡True form only
  Special:
  Daemonic Presence: When in its true form, all living 
  creatures take a –10 penalty to Willpower Tests.
  False Form: The Sadu’sen may assume the physical shape and 
  voice of the last human they have physically devoured and 
  will also retain their memories and basic skills (no advanced 
  skills). If physically injured they must pass a Challenging (+0) 
  Willpower test or transform into their true selves. Sadu’sen 
  may be detected for what they are in the same way that a 
  possessing sprit can be.
  Phase: Sadu’sen may become incorporeal at will (during 
  which the daemon grows pale and seems to flicker). When 
  incorporeal both consecrated barriers and energy fields 
  designed to hold back the warp (such as a starship’s Gellar 
  Field) block the passage the Sadu’sen and they are vulnerable 
  to psychically charged or Holy attacks and powers. While 
  incorporeal, these entities may still attack through the use of 
  their Ætheric fire.
  Weapons: Ætheric fire (20m; –/2/–; 1d10+1 E; Pen 
  5; Unlimited), flaming maws (1d10+3 R; Tearing, Warp 
  Weapon)
  Gear: None or as carried in human form
  
  X: The Red Wake
  251
  pLAyer hAndouT i: MAp of The TeMpLe of ALeph
  
  X: The Red Wake
  252
  pLAyer hAndouT ii: MAp of The TABernAcLe
  
  Appendix
  253
  CharaCter Name __________________________________________________ Player Name ____________________________________________
  home World ____________________________________________________ Quirk __________________________________________________
  BaCkgrouNd PaCkage ______________________________________________ traNsitioN PaCkage _______________________________________
  Career Path _________________  asCeNded Career Path ________________________________________ raNk ___________________________
  diviNatioN _______________________________________________________ordo (aNd/or FaCtioN) ____________________________________
  desCriPtioN ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  HEAD
  (1-10)
  Type:
  BODY
  (31-70)
  Type:
  LEFT ARM
  (1-10)
  Type:
  RIGHT ARM
  (1-10)
  Type:
  RIGHT LEG
  (1-10)
  Type:
  LEFT LEG
  (1-10)
  Type:
  ARMOUR
  WOUNDS
  total _________________________________
  CurreNt ______________________________
  CritiCal damage ________________________
  Fatigue _______________________________
  FATE POINTS
  total _________________________________
  CurreNt ______________________________
  INSANITY
  CurreNt PoiNts ________________________
  degree oF madNess ______________________
  disorders _____________________________
  CORRUPTION
  CurreNt PoiNts ________________________
  degree oF CorruPtioN ___________________
  maligNaNCies ___________________________
  MOVEMENT
  Half Action _________ Full Action __________
  Charge ____________ Run ________________
  SKILLS
  Acrobatics (Ag)
  o
  o
  o
  o
  Awareness (Per)
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Barter (Fel)
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Blather (Fel)
  o
  o
  o
  o
  Carouse (T)
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Charm (Fel)
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Chem-Use (Int)
  o
  o
  o
  o
  Ciphers (Int)†
  o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  Climb (S)
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Command (Fel)
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Common Lore (Int)†
  o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  Concealment (Ag)
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Contortionist (Ag)
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Deceive (Fel)
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Demolition (Int)
  o
  o
  o
  o
  Disguise (Fel)
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Dodge (Ag)
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Drive (Ag)†
  o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  Evaluate
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Forbidden Lore (Int)†
  o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  Gamble (Int)
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Inquiry (Fel)
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Interrogation (WP)
  o
  o
  o
  o
  Intimidate (S)
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Invocation (WP)
  o
  o
  o
  o
  Lip Reading (Per)
  o
  o
  o
  o
  Literacy (Int)
  o
  o
  o
  o
  Logic (Int)
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Medicae (Int)
  o
  o
  o
  o
  Navigation (Int)†
  o
  o
  o
  o
  Performer (Fel)†
  o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  Pilot (Ag)†
  o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  Psyniscience (Per)
  o
  o
  o
  o
  Scholasic Lore (Int)†
  o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  Scrutiny (Per)
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Search (Per)
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Secret Tongue (Int)†
  o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  Security (Ag)
  o
  o
  o
  o
  Shadowing (Ag)
  o
  o
  o
  o
  Silent Move (Ag)
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Sleight of Hand (Ag)
  o
  o
  o
  o
  Speak Lagnuage (Int)†
  o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  Survival (Int)
  o
  o
  o
  o
  Swim (S)
  n
  o
  o
  o
  Tech-Use (Int)
  o
  o
  o
  o
  Tracking (Int)
  o
  o
  o
  o
  Trade (Int)†
  o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  _______________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  Wrangling (Int)
  o
  o
  o
  o
  _________________________ o
  o
  o
  o
  Basic
  Trained
  +10%
  +20%
  Basic
  Trained
  +10%
  +20%
  Basic
  Trained
  +10%
  +20%
  CHARACTERISTICS
  WeaPoN skill 
  (Ws)
  BallistiC skill 
  (Bs)
  streNgth 
  (s)
  toughNess 
  (t)
  agility 
  (ag)
  iNtelligeNCe 
  (iNt)
  PerCePtioN 
  (Per)
  Will PoWer 
  (WP)
  FelloWshiP 
  (Fel)
  Characteristic Advances
  o o o o o o
  Characteristic Advances
  o o o o o o
  Characteristic Advances
  o o o o o o
  Characteristic Advances
  o o o o o o
  Characteristic Advances
  o o o o o o
  Characteristic Advances
  o o o o o o
  Characteristic Advances
  o o o o o o
  Characteristic Advances
  o o o o o o
  Characteristic Advances
  o o o o o o
  INFLUENCE
  startiNg ______________________________
  CurreNt ______________________________
  modiFiers _____________________________
  orgaNizatioNs aNd Notes _________________
  ______________________________________
  MASTERED SKILLS
  __________________   __________________
  __________________   __________________
  __________________   __________________
  __________________   __________________
  __________________   __________________
   
  †denotes Sklill Group
  Permission granted to photocopy for personal use. © Games Workshop Ltd 2010. Character sheet also available for download at www.FantasyFlightGames.com
  
  Appendix
  254
  EXPERIENCE
  XP to Spend___________________ 
  Total XP Spent________________
  GEAR
  _____________________________  ____________________________
  _____________________________  ____________________________
  _____________________________  ____________________________
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  TALENTS AND TRAITS
  _____________________________  ____________________________
  _____________________________  ____________________________
  _____________________________  ____________________________
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  PARAGON TALENTS
  _____________________________  ____________________________
  _____________________________  ____________________________
  _____________________________  ____________________________
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________ 
  _____________________________  ____________________________
  MUTATIONS
  _____________________________  ____________________________
  _____________________________  ____________________________
  _____________________________  ____________________________
  _____________________________  ____________________________
  _____________________________  ____________________________
  CHARACTERISTICS
  Weapon Skill 
  (WS)
  BalliStic Skill 
  (BS)
  Strength 
  (S)
  toughneSS 
  (t)
  agility 
  (ag)
  intelligence 
  (int)
  perception 
  (per)
  Will poWer 
  (Wp)
  FelloWShip 
  (Fel)
  Characteristic Advances
  o o o o o o
  Characteristic Advances
  o o o o o o
  Characteristic Advances
  o o o o o o
  Characteristic Advances
  o o o o o o
  Characteristic Advances
  o o o o o o
  Characteristic Advances
  o o o o o o
  Characteristic Advances
  o o o o o o
  Characteristic Advances
  o o o o o o
  Characteristic Advances
  o o o o o o
  WEALTH
  _____________________________  ____________________________
  _____________________________  ____________________________
  _____________________________  ____________________________
  Permission granted to photocopy for personal use. © Games Workshop Ltd 2010. Character sheet also available for download at www.FantasyFlightGames.com
  NAME
  CLASS 
   
  DAMAGE  
           TYPE
                           PEN
  RANGE
            ROF 
   
           CLIP 
   
  RLD
  SPECIAL RULES
  MISSILE WEAPONS
  NAME
  CLASS 
   
  DAMAGE  
           TYPE
                           PEN
  RANGE
            ROF 
   
           CLIP 
   
  RLD
  SPECIAL RULES
  MISSILE WEAPONS
  NAME
  CLASS 
   
  DAMAGE  
           TYPE
                           PEN
  RANGE
            ROF 
   
           CLIP 
   
  RLD
  SPECIAL RULES
  MISSILE WEAPONS
  NAME
  CLASS 
   
  DAMAGE  
           TYPE
                           PEN
  RANGE
            ROF 
   
           CLIP 
   
  RLD
  SPECIAL RULES
  MELEE WEAPONS
  NAME
  CLASS 
   
  DAMAGE  
           TYPE
                           PEN
  RANGE
            ROF 
   
           CLIP 
   
  RLD
  SPECIAL RULES
  MELEE WEAPONS
  NAME
  CLASS 
   
  DAMAGE  
           TYPE
                           PEN
  RANGE
            ROF 
   
           CLIP 
   
  RLD
  SPECIAL RULES
  MELEE WEAPONS
  
  Appendix
  255
  Power_____________________________________
  Threshold_______________ Focus Time_________
  Sustained_______________ Range_____________
  Description_________________________________
  __________________________________________
  __________________________________________
  Power_____________________________________
  Threshold_______________ Focus Time_________
  Sustained_______________ Range_____________
  Description_________________________________
  __________________________________________
  __________________________________________
  Power_____________________________________
  Threshold_______________ Focus Time_________
  Sustained_______________ Range_____________
  Description_________________________________
  __________________________________________
  __________________________________________
  Power_____________________________________
  Threshold_______________ Focus Time_________
  Sustained_______________ Range_____________
  Description_________________________________
  __________________________________________
  __________________________________________
  Power_____________________________________
  Threshold_______________ Focus Time_________
  Sustained_______________ Range_____________
  Description_________________________________
  __________________________________________
  __________________________________________
  Power_____________________________________
  Threshold_______________ Focus Time_________
  Sustained_______________ Range_____________
  Description_________________________________
  __________________________________________
  __________________________________________
  PSYCHIC POWERS
  Psy Rating___________________________________________ 
  Psychic Discipline______________________________________
  Permission granted to photocopy for personal use. © Games Workshop Ltd 2010. Character sheet also available for download at www.FantasyFlightGames.com
  Power_____________________________________
  Threshold_______________ Focus Time_________
  Sustained_______________ Range_____________
  Description_________________________________
  __________________________________________
  __________________________________________
  Power_____________________________________
  Threshold_______________ Focus Time_________
  Sustained_______________ Range_____________
  Description_________________________________
  __________________________________________
  __________________________________________
  Power_____________________________________
  Threshold_______________ Focus Time_________
  Sustained_______________ Range_____________
  Description_________________________________
  __________________________________________
  __________________________________________
  Power_____________________________________
  Threshold_______________ Focus Time_________
  Sustained_______________ Range_____________
  Description_________________________________
  __________________________________________
  __________________________________________
  Power_____________________________________
  Threshold_______________ Focus Time_________
  Sustained_______________ Range_____________
  Description_________________________________
  __________________________________________
  __________________________________________
  Power_____________________________________
  Threshold_______________ Focus Time_________
  Sustained_______________ Range_____________
  Description_________________________________
  __________________________________________
  __________________________________________
  
  Take your rightful place amongst the 
  ranks of the Holy Inquisition itself—no 
  longer are you a pawn, but one who can 
  change the very nature of the contest.
  Advanced character generation, including transition 
  packages to take your Dark Heresy characters from 
  Acolytes to Throne Agents—and even the position of 
  Inquisitor. Eleven other Ascended Careers include Sage, 
  Storm Trooper and Vindicare Assassin.
  New Ascended Psychic Powers, plus a section on 
  ascended adversaries, from Greater Daemons to renegade 
  Imperial Governors.
  Systems of inﬂ uence and reputation for a different scale 
  of wealth and power in the Imperium, plus Paragon 
  Talents and Mastered Skills to enhance your 
  character’s abilities.
  This book takes your Dark Heresy 
  campaign to greater heights of power, 
  responsibility, and peril in the grim 
  darkness of the far future.
  Suitable for players of all levels.
  A copy of the DARK HERESY Core Rulebook
  is needed to use this supplement.
  IT IS TIME TO ASCEND TO A HIGHER PURPOSE!
  WWW.FANTASYFLIGHTGAMES.COM
  ™
  ™
  716DEC09
  Ascension                                  DH11
  ISBN:  978-1-58994-711-5
  9 781589 947115
  54995
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Warhammer/40k/UNSORTED (help requested)/Roleplaying Games/Dark Heresy/First Edition/Rulebooks/Dark Heresy - Ascension.pdf