ECHOES OF IMPERIUM

Maybe some of you have seen that I shared pictures of hand written notes and maps for a new local inquisimunda campaign, The Apostate.

Well, since I have been very vague on the topic, I thought it was about time to show more of what it is all about. Actually I will only tell you the beginning, as most of the story is still shrouded in mystery for my fellow players… (You can read the codex attached if you are interested for more indepth information).

I created the campaign as an open story. It is set on the world Gathalamor, once a shining shrine world, but now a rotten shadow of its former self. The corrupt Ecclesiarchy rules the world in their Cathedral Hive cities. Connecting these hives are pilgrym roads where vast masses of people trudge to reach the holy sites of this world. Preying on these people are different factions like the flesh tribes and trade caravans.

Most importantly though is what lies beneath. The vast Arciviumme, and its endless tunnels and temples. It is a complex full of old libraries, tomb cities and ancient machinery. Down here others rule and while there is vast wealth to be found it is also a place that let few people get out again. Nested in the tight tunnels and rotten walls are old crypts and stasis vaults belonging to powerful families. Some are well defended by hyrdmen and sevitor guards.

It is to this world the players got ordered by the Baltasar conclave to go and investigate incessant rumours of corruptness and something more insidous….

We had our first game the other day. We treated it like a testground for what we want to create together and how we will play and progress the campaign. While I am the one who is behind the storyarch, they will be part of the plot and create new angles to the setting.

It was a blast playing and it was very cinematic. The mission was to find a man, a rogue inquisitorial agent, amongst the rabble of pilgryms. It all started out calmly where they questioned the Pilgryms to find Oddkin. Needless to say it got violent after a while, where some resisted being questioned and it all got out of hand. Fun times!

Here is a quick battle report of sorts:

Amit, Lead Hyrdman of the Rust Lords personal guard slowly knelt on the dusty road. In spite of his dirty apperance he was a formidable sight, tough, armored and heavily armed as he was.

With a heavy wheezy voice like iron bars scraping on a stone he asked the prone man on the ground.

– Explain yourself and the circumstances why have found a bunch of dead Pilgryms, decapitated workcrews and a still smoldering Ogryn mine slave here? Be quick and precise or I will make you meet The Emperor now!

The prone man, an old Pilgrym in a red robe and covered with faith papers stared back at him with blurry eyes. His head was a bloody mess.

– I…I..Im not sure. But they came from both the northeast and the southwest.They were not many. Less than my fingers worth. But they were well trained, and different. The one who knocked me down was feral and brutal man covered in scars. He used a throwing club on me and others with great accuracy.

There were others… I saw a beautful but terrible creature with two swords cut off the heads cleanly on two men simultaneously. I am not sure but I think they were led by a small fat man with a tiny crone of a woman always close to his side. He was most disturbing, a voice like a cunning snake he had. I can still hear him and his little lies.

Amit broke the prone mans jibbering voice like a hot chainblade.

– What purpose did the fat man and his henchmen have here?

I …I cannot know that, the prone man answered, but they were asking everyone passing. I was afraid when they started threaten and even kill other Pilgryms! I ran!..But, alas, I didnt make it far. The scar savage hit me with his club and next thing I knew I woke up with a question directed at me. ”Who is Oddkin”?

-Continue, Amit said

Well.. they asked everyone they could find. Then chaos followed. I was still dazed but I heard an Ogryn roar as something huge exploded. One of the holy pillars fell and the fat man used a mining machine to kill one of the pilgryms. Tech scavs, cursed as they are, defended their loot spot. I, I then saw the scarred man get hit by a bright light. He screamed and cursed like an animal!

There was a woman in heavy armor, and fine clothing like a noble, who shot him. She had a doglike creature with her. Strange thing with cables instead of canines. I also think I saw a man in green with a rifle, but he was like a haze.

The fat man had somehow climbed the stairs of the rust heap nearby and overhead I saw an orange and white craft swoop in with yellow clad mercenaries onboard.

-What did they do, Amit barked

– They came for the man on the top of the other building. The one with a pale face. He climbed on the craft and they nearly got away, if it wasnt for the big crane. I think the fat man steered it from a remote panel and managed to clamp the vehicle in its massive claws. Then the yellow men started shooting both at the fat mans people and the noble woman. It is difficult to remember, it all happened at once..

–What happened to the man with the pale face, Amit said while leaning forward menencingly.

– He jumped to a dust crawler passing by. But the savage woman with two swords jumped on and took him down. Barely.I saw the noble woman run away, while the fat mans crew joined the savage woman and bundling the pale face man into the crawler.

One final question, Amit said, while unsheating a large knife behind his back.

-Where did the crawler go?

North east, towards St Veridy….

Amit stood up, his heavy grox leather gloves creaking as he cleaned the mans blood on his red robes.

He voxed his hyrdmen who were busy killing everyone onsite.

–Leave none alive! Throw the bodies in the mines, the tech scavs will deal with the rest. We have a hunt on our hands….

While walking back towards their vehicle Amit thought of what he would report to his master… Two different warbands, both seemingly competent and with exotic abilities and tech. Both looking for a man, this Oddkin, the pale face presumably.

He knew one thing though. The warriors in yellow worked for the Ecclesiarchy…

++++

Meanwhile a small creature, wings flapping weakly had observed it all. The cherubims simple cogitator unit told it to return to its master. It had information he needed…

++++

File for Oddkin:

ODDKIN

Map Gathalamor

Codex and background:

The Apostate Campaign

/Alex