Post by Darko on Apr 18, 2023 0:05:31 GMT
An open mind is like a fortress with its gates unbarred and unguarded.
- Imperial Proverb
Although it was a long time ago, Shadow War remains possibly the longest (at least post count, our newer games definitely far surpass the wordcount) RPG we've ever done and when it ended prematurely going into its final chapter, I promised somehow and someway I would finish it. And then I completely forgot about it for years. Anyway, I've been re-reading it and considering doing a sequel/semi-reboot, picking up where the last game ended with an entirely new cast of characters. This may also serve as a sequel to Black Valkyrie Down, something I was planning to do anyway.
Of the 11 Acolytes who originally served Severine in the Shadow War, only 3 survived. Some would say those who died were the lucky ones. Of the survivors; one lost his body, another lost his mind and the last one lost his soul. A small price to pay. After all, service to the Emperor is its own reward.
So, just what the hell was Shadow War about?
Chapter I
Heresy grows from idleness.
- Imperial Proverb
The year is 112.M42, 120 years after the war on Caedis V against the Ork Waaaagh! of the warboss Gorkanak Fleshtearer, possessed by a Greater Daemon determined to open a galactic warp rift. The plot was foiled, only for the Great Rift to consume vast swathes of the galaxy only 8 years later. While Caedis V endures, the sector is cut off from the rest of the Imperium and faces danger from both within and without.
A team of Acolytes (the players) working for puritanical Inquisitor Castella Severine were en route back to Dominus station, the home base of the Inquisitors working in this sector. They had just completed a mission investigating chaos cults on Incipien V, although the final assault on the traitors was led by Severine herself with 30 Space Marines. Only a handful of the Astartes and the Inquisitor returned with a huge, mysterious artifact that she refused to explain even to her most trusted Acolytes. During the journey back to Dominus aboard the Lunar class cruiser Redemptive Consul, murder and intrigue were abound in equal measure. Missing Tech Priests turning up alive and well while others disappeared, sabotage forcing the vessel out of warp only to be ambushed by another Imperial vessel refusing to answer comms and the navigator being possessed by a Daemon were just a few of the problems the Acolytes faced. When they investigated the cause of sabotage, they found one of the missing Tech Priests doing something to the sacred inner workings of the vessel. It became obvious this was some kind of imposter, as the Priest was able to easily defeat multiple highly trained Acolytes in combat and make their escape. While the vessel was under attack and under siege, the Acolytes hunted the saboteur who had managed to cut down scores of navy armsmen and breach the heavily guarded cargo bay where the artifact was stored. In the final confrontation the saboteur was revealed to be none other than a Culexus assassin that was finally defeated after numerous injuries and the use of poison. This threat was dealt with once and for all in the form of Judge Titus crushing the assassin's head with a power maul. The commander of the hostile starship, a Rogue Trader of renown called Dravos Starworth, was apprehended and arrested by Severine and her space marines during a teleport attack which destroyed the battlecruiser. The Redemptive Consul was safe for now and continued limping back to Dominus station despite heavy damage.
Chapter II
There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.
- Imperial Proverb
After several more weeks of travel through the warp, the Inquisitor and her Acolytes returned to their base of operations. After the sabotage and assassination attempt through means only an individual of extraordinary power could wield, Severine trusted no one. She ordered her acolytes to investigate anyone and everyone, especially other Inquisitors - as many were radicals with motivation and power to act against her. The question was who was behind this heresy and why? Dravos Starworth, a rogue trader, had no business being in command of an imperial navy warship and no obvious motivation to attack them. It was far too deliberate to be a coincidence that a ship was waiting for them the moment their engines were sabotaged. The two suspicious Tech Priests, Enginseer Malavik and Lexmechanic Juro, were both confirmed dead - the Culexus assassin had posed as both of them to send the acolytes in circles while they performed their sabotage. Strangely, the assassin had killed them both the very day Severine boarded her vessel with the artifact - this meant that they had infiltrated the ship in advance, as though in anticipation of Severine finding it. Finally, the imperial navy battlecruiser that attacked them was identified as the Errant Missionary. With each new piece of information only leading to more and more questions, the Acolytes began their investigation, knowing that enemies could be everywhere.
The interrogation of Dravos Starworth led to him confessing he was forced into command of the vessel with a limited letter of marque by an unknown benefactor after his trader house fell into ruin under suspicious circumstances and his old ship destroyed by xenos, his warrant of trade lost. He was ordered to take his new ship and wait for a vessel in a certain area within a set time frame. If they claimed to be Inquisition or navy, he was to ignore all communication and destroy them as heretics. Before the interrogator could find out more, through a series of calamitous events Starworth escaped and several of the Acolytes were arrested after a large bar brawl with navy officers. In the prison cell, one of them revealed he used to serve on board the Errant Missionary and that its former captain Eric Roland, an honourable and loyal man was imprisoned by the Inquisition after heretical items were found on board. The three acolytes then found their cell unlocked and weapons left for them alongside a note from a mysterious stranger, urging them to escape quickly.
The Redemptive Consul was boarded by navy armsmen under the control of Security Chief Torvus, who claimed he was escorting a psyker to inspect the vessel for heretical objects. Torvus' armsmen were killed in the confrontation and the Acolytes boarded their vessel, only to find the Psyker and his escort "discovering" a heretical tome on board. Another fight broke out, during which Severine's psyker Nicholas killed the other psyker, but kept the Daemonic book for himself as it could not be destroyed until the unholy wards protecting it were dispelled. With the help of the station's Arbites led by Judge Horacio, Severine's own Judge Titus was able to prevent Torvus from boarding the Redemptive Consul with reinforcements, however Torvus refused to explain himself or stand down, stating he had Navy authority on board this station. Captain Hera of the compromised Redemptive Consul determined the artifact should be removed from her ship and placed somewhere safer - it was taken to Severine's compound under heavy guard. Horacio was going to overrule Torvus and ensure he left in peace, but he was already returning to his office due to reports of an assassin - unwittingly lured by the Acolytes attempting to make their escape. Emphasis on attempting.
Meanwhile, Severine took several of her Acolytes to a meeting with the other Inquisitors; Marco Herron, Carson Garvus, Praetus Khan, Ysolde Merce, Hector Kalvus and Aleksandr Korvanvik. One Inquisitor, Ravion Mercutio, was absent without explanation. He was busy attempting to recruit Judge Titus to spy on Severine on his behalf, implying that it would be best to help him help her without her knowledge. Back in the meeting, the Inquisitors argued for some time about the possibility of a traitor within their ranks, with most if not all having reason to resent Severine but all denying they were involved. After the meeting, Severine and Herron were the last to leave. An explosion just outside nearly killed Severine, placing her in emergency medicae care to save her life, while Herron was unhurt due to his power armour. This left the panicked Acolytes leaderless, fearing for the life of their mistress and even more concerned their enemy was an Inquisitor - even Herron was not above suspicion, as he could have worn his armour knowingly to survive the explosion while avoiding accusations. As Severine lay mortally wounded, numerous visitors attempted to gain access to her, all claiming to offer assistance. Only one was permitted - a modified medicae servitor supposedly sent by the chief medicae. After having it examined by a Lexmechanic, it was permitted inside by the Acolytes on guard, only for it to go berserk and begin slaughtering the medicae staff treating the Inquisitor. It almost succeeded in killing its target. Outside the operating theatre, the last to visit was Inquisitor Hector Kalvus, known for his hatred of Severine. He said he wished to oversee her demise and pass judgement. Kriegsman Garis promptly executed him with a shotgun, his only regret that it was unprofessional to waste a second shell when his entrenching tool would've sufficed.
Elsewhere, Severine's Tech Priest Victora discovered with the help of High Enginseer Kaltoth that the code used to disable the Redemptive Consul originated from the infamous heretek Varnorak, former high enginseer of Dominus station centuries ago. He was deposed and nearly killed for his heresy, but disappeared without a trace. Even more troubling, another traitorous Tech Priest was discovered in Severine's personal compound and was only stopped after killing one of the Acolytes. His name was Aratos Novan and he was using the same type of heretical code that Victora previously discovered. He did not survive interrogation, but Victora learned he was responsible for the explosion, the reprogrammed medicae servitor, releasing the prisoners to implicate themselves as traitors, helping the Culexus assassin board the Consul without detection and more. It appeared that after the assassination attempts failed, the traitor had resorted to trying to discredit Severine and her operatives. Following a clue as to where Aratos Novan got his orders, she investigated the station's Astropathic Choir, finding record of communication to an area of space that star charts showed was completely empty.
One of the Acolytes met the eccentric free trader captain named Emmett of the starship Dancing Comet, who confirmed Dravos Starworth had escaped the station on board another vessel. They also gambled against cheating navy officers, winning an invitation to an upcoming officer's party to mark the end of the recent crusades. Garis faced trial by combat against Kalvus' protege Interrogator Demetrius, who he also killed. In Severine's absence, Inquisitor Herron assumed limited command of her Acolytes and even saved the three escaped prisoners from being killed by the station's Security Chief Torvus.
Chapter III
Serve the Emperor today, tomorrow you may be dead.
- Imperial Proverb
Three weeks since arriving at Dominus station, Inquisitor Severine had recovered enough to return to her duties. More than half of her body had been replaced with extensive cybernetics and she remained in her compound while her Acolytes continued their investigation, in case further assassination attempts were made. Her primary concern was ensuring the safety of the artifact, which she began to examine more closely now that it was clear their enemies would do anything to get it. Inquisitor Herron had dispatched a small fleet to the coordinates Aratos Novan received his orders from, with acolytes from both his own and Severine's retinue on board. The remaining Acolytes pursued an investigation into the Navy's leadership, determined to discover who was responsible for repurposing the noble Errant Missionary into an instrument of their heretical plan as well as framing Captain Hera. Most importantly, they needed to find the real traitor to vindicate the seemingly loyal and wrongfully imprisoned captain Roland, who was locked in the black cells of the Inquisition.
Using subterfuge and disguise, the acolytes infiltrated the celebrations of the end of the crusade to root out the traitors responsible for the deaths of so many loyal servants of the Emperor. After meeting one of their contacts for information, the acolytes were ambushed by a kill team and barely escaped with their lives. Some awoke in the medicae chamber, while one was evidently taken by Inquisitor Mercutio, who attempted to recruit him the same way he did Titus. He offered the wounded acolyte a highly advanced bionic arm and he accepted Mercutio's offer. Meanwhile Nicholas continued to study the heretical tome and began hearing a Daemon's voice in his head which tempted him to become a servant of Tzeentch with promises of power and the ability to save Severine.
After surreptitiously questioning multiple admirals, captains and commanders, the acolytes determined that Rear Admiral Felix Augustus was the heretic. Although he was subdued with drugs, their attempt to escape was foiled by other navy officers and Chief Torvus. There was a brief standoff before a shootout that almost no one survived, except the acolyte Seth Tars previously recruited by Ravion Mercutio. Seth had used this opportunity to intentionally kill one of his fellow acolytes, whom he had grown to despise. He was only saved by the intervention of Nicholas, captain Emmett and the loyal navy officer Commander Hawk, a friend of captain Eric Roland. Meanwhile, Severine continued to study the artifact, eventually taking fellow Inquisitor Korvanvik into her confidence to help her decipher the archaic scripture covering it - notably warnings to never open it. She also requested Korvanvik's help regarding arranging a trial for Eric Roland, who was surprised she knew about him. Following the capture of Admiral Augustus and the death of several of her acolytes in the process, Severine instructed Nicholas to psychically interrogate the prisoner immediately. Severine was more determined than ever to root out the arch heretics behind this conspiracy and avenge the thousands who had already died as a result. The interrogation confirmed Augustus was working for an Inquisitor, recalling the Errant Missionary from the crusade early and ensuring heretical contraband was found on board to replace its captain, as well as the same stunt on board the Redemptive Consul. While Severine prepared for the trial, hoping to get one step closer to discovering the traitorous Inquisitor, three navy officers attempted to kill Seth Tars where he lay wounded to avenge Chief Torvus. He was saved by Inquisitor Mercutio at the last minute.
Upon arriving at the coordinates, the fleet led by the battlecruiser The Chariot of Fate was immediately fired on by a nova cannon from the surface of an unexpected planet below them. Only a single escort ship survived, hiding behind the planet's moon unbeknownst to the Acolytes aboard the only shuttle to escape the destruction which crashed in the arid deserts below. Out of options, the Acolytes began the long march towards the distant facility which had destroyed the fleet. On the way they were attacked by an abomination that moved through the sand, a colossal worm covered in heretical technology. After the crusader Samael was swallowed and decapitated it from within, Victora determined the creature was likely vat-grown with the implants built into it. the team continued until finally, exhausted, they reached their destination. There were no obvious entrances until strangely, a servo-skull greeted them and opened the wall to let them in. They found a very old shuttle, its pilot's corpse and a final voice recording. The recording, made by the dead pilot Baltus Malik 85 years ago, suggested a stowaway attacked him and then commandeered the shuttle to land on this planet. Malik managed to disable the ship before he died, stranding his killer here but making no mention of the complex. Victora retrieved the shuttle's fusion core as the mysterious servo skull opened several doors.
The acolytes proceeded cautiously through the facility, but were quickly engaged in a running firefight against heretical automata built into corpses. During the fight, they found themselves in a room with stasis modules containing three more officio assassinorum operatives, the fourth was empty. After fighting on even further, Severine's acolytes found themselves in a colossal store room surrounded by an army of automata that began to awaken. Salvation appeared above in the form of Herron's two agents, who had met the being controlling the servo skull: a necron cryptek named Mezyn. Garis sacrificed himself, detonating the fusion core to destroy the army while the rest escaped. Mezyn suggested a temporary alliance to defeat the powerful master of the secret base and escape the planet, but the acolytes could not agree on the matter - three of them were killed by infighting, including Victora and Samael. Only Judge Titus, determined to report back to Severine at any cost, and the skitarii Kril carrying Victora's severed head and the precious data of all that had happened, survived. One of Herron's men, Kronan, was still alive - but was mind controlled by Mezyn using foul xenos technology. Finally, the two surviving acolytes confronted the overlord of the heretical complex alongside Mezyn. It was none other than the arch heretek, Joran Varnorak, transformed into an abomination by Mezyn's technology: a pariah. He revealed that Mezyn's story about being an outcast and a prisoner was a lie, and that left to live he would continue in his plan to awaken the dormant tomb world under the surface. In the end, only a mortally wounded Titus survived, teleported to an orbital facility by Mezyn where he would be recovered by the only surviving ship from their fleet. With the base's defences sabotaged by Mezyn, the ship was able to destroy it.
The trial of Eric Roland on Dominus station did not go as planned. Before it could truly begin, the heretics revealed themselves: Inquisitors Korvanvik, Merce and Garvus. The three of them kept Severine and her acolytes under guard while they went to steal the artifact. Although Severine and the acolytes managed to escape, the traitors managed to use psychic powers to teleport off the station with the artifact and Severine's Terminator Armour after killing the space marines guarding both. With a large portion of the Navy's fleets under the command of Admiral Saxon, the three Inquisitors disappeared. Only Korvanvik's protégé remained, pledging herself to Severine and suggesting that they would likely retreat to the Vindico system where her master had many contacts and resources.
Chapter IV
Success is measured in blood; yours or your enemy's.
- Imperial Proverb
Severine convened a war council, gathering her few remaining allies, acolytes and all military resources available on short notice. Only Inquisitors Herron, Khan and Mercutio remained with them. After activating all reserve operatives and recounting all evidence, they made plans to travel to the Vindico system and root out the traitors. Mortally wounded, Judge Titus was cybernetically resurrected using the arcane technology and knowledge of Enginseer Kaltoth, although he was a shadow of his former self: tormented by visions of the horrors he had endured and the disturbing new parody of life he experienced in his mechanical body. Along with the warrant of trade of the Starworth dynasty recovered from Varnorak's base, he passed what information he could provide to Severine, who loathed to see her favoured acolyte suffer such a fate. Meanwhile an Adepta Sororitas in her service was sent to judge if Seth Tars could be redeemed. In the end, he was deemed beyond hope and subsequently mind wiped so that he could continue to serve the Inquisition and the Emperor. Of her original inner circle of acolytes only Nicholas remained intact in body if not in spirit, as the whispers of the Daemon continued to plague his mind. Inquisitor Mercutio communicated via astropath to Inquisitor Khan in orbit of the mystery planet, now named Proditor II, as he explored for traces of heresy and the necron threat. In his response, Mercutio lamented the fate of Seth Tars as he had hoped to use him against Severine if it became necessary, revealing the bionic arm he gave him had a secret self destruct that could be triggered if he became problematic. Evidently, the two radical Inquisitors were friends and had their own closer alliance, prepared to confront Severine if their goals conflicted. Until then, they would gather greater forces to challenge the traitors.
With her new team assembled Severine boarded captain Eugene Emmett's ship, the Dancing Comet, to travel incognito to the Vindico system ahead of the invasion fleet. They did not go straight to Vindico however, instead travelling a much longer route that was less likely to be detected. On the way they stopped at the Narvus II, the Pirate Moon. During their time in the only settlement, simply called the Cove, the Acolytes became embroiled in numerous misadventures. In the midst of a Genestealer infestation, two conflicting revolutions were rising against pirate queen Katerina, a despicable eldar raised by humans. Led by Katerina's right hand man, one group wished to usurp her throne and remain independent while the other faction wished to rejoin the Imperium and cleanse the world of pirates and xenos. In the end, Interrogator Laeto managed to negotiate a fragile truce between the factions to avoid further bloodshed and perhaps secure a new fleet to attack Vindico. Inquisitor Severine, wearing only a simple robe, returned to her redemptionist core and cleansed the streets of the Cove herself with only a humble flamer.
While enjoying an evening meal, Nicholas was psychically assaulted by the psychic Inquisitor Carson Garvus - an attack that must have taken days, if not weeks to prepare. Garvus was attempting to tear their location and plan from his mind and Nicholas was tempted once again by the Daemonic voice, offering the power required to resist the attack. However, he was able to use the mind link to probe Garvus' mind in return and experienced one of his memories, seeing the traitor Inquisitors discussing how to deal with Severine as her investigation threatened their efforts to obtain the artifact from the cult on Incipien V. Garvus cursed her name, revealing crucial information leading to the discovery of the artifact's location was sent to him by his mentor, Mara, mere moments before Severine executed her. This group called themselves the Triumvirate, with Garvus taking Mara's place. If not for Severine confiscating what little of Inquisitor Mara's research hadn't been pre-emptively destroyed, they would have found the artifact themselves. Nicholas watched them begin to plan their shadow war, using Dravos Starworth, the Culexus assassin and the manipulated imperial navy as contingencies to stop their enemy and recover the artifact. Unfortunately, Garvus learned of their location and worse still - the Inquisitor had fallen completely to chaos, his psychic powers considerably heightened by an unholy Daemonic pact. The triumvirate now knew their location, their strength and the ship they were travelling on. They knew everything... or so they thought.
Chapter V
Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment.
- Imperial Proverb
This... is where you come in. Inquisitors Severine, Herron, Mercutio and Khan have dispatched their best operatives to the Vindico system to find out what they can before the invasion. The triumvirate know Severine's ship and her main team are close, but they don't know about you.
Your mission is simple:
- Discover the whereabouts of the traitors
- Sabotage their operations and defences
- Purge the unclean
- The number one priority is learning the whereabouts of the artifact
Easy, right? Just another day in the Inquisition.
As servants of one of the four Inquisitors, all mobilised regardless of specialty, your acolyte may be from the Ordos Malleus, Xenos and Hereticus. This allows for a wide variety of options, skills, equipment and abilities. Travelling in the utmost secrecy, you will have only what you take with you and you will be completely alone, without any support. Death or glory awaits.
Depending on which Inquisitor you serve, your character's disposition should reflect their master's puritan or radical beliefs to some extent. Severine of the Ordo Hereticus is puritanical, only becoming more extreme after recent events. Praetus Khan of the Ordo Xenos is a radical, employing many xenos in his retinue (if you play a xenos, this is an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS option and they must be able to pass in imperial society to some extent. Also the other characters will try to kill you sooner or later). Ravion Mercutio of the Ordo Malleus is also an extreme radical, frequently using Daemonic weaponry and other tools of The Enemy. Inquisitor Marco Herron, also of the Ordo Malleus, is a puritan.
There will not be any space marines, temple assassins or custodes permitted, for obvious reasons.
Example character types include but are not limited to:
Warriors:
- Crusader
- Battle Sister / Repentia (power armour unavailable for duration of the mission)
- Guardsman / Stormtrooper / Penal Legionnaire / PDF / Veteran
- Navy Armsman / Breacher
- Death Cultist
- Secutor / Skitarii
- Battle Preacher / Heirophant / Drill Abbot
- Gunslinger / Marksman
- Barbarian
- Ogryn
Investigators:
- Arbitrator / Proctor / Judge
- Investigator / Explicator / Interrogator (can be a psyker, discuss with GM)
- Tracker / Bounty Hunter
- Cleric / Missionary
- Commissar Operative
Specialists:
- Assassin
- Tech Priest / Enginseer / Lexmechanic / Penitent Heretek / Radical Tech Priest
- Psyker / Primaris Psyker / Astropath / Seer / Mystic (powers to be discussed with GM)
- Adept / Sage / Archivist / Savant
- Xeno-Arcanist
- Eldar / Dark Eldar / Half-Eldar/human hybrid
- Squat
- Ratling
- Medicae / Sister Hospitaller
- Torturer / Excoriator
- Exorcist / Banisher
- Noble
- Civilian Pilot / Combat Pilot
- Mind-cleansed (can be programmed with specific skills, but have a suppressed past, discuss with GM)
Player name:
Character name:
Ordo:
Inquisitor:
Disposition: (radical/puritan/inbetween)
Age:
Appearance:
Personality:
Homeworld:
Skills:
Weapons:
Armour:
Equipment:
Background:
Other:
Ordo Malleus:
Inquisitor Marco Herron - a veteran Daemonhunter who earned the right to wield a Daemonhammer when he earned great renown by personally slaying a Greater Daemon. He is widely respected and easily Severine's political equal. Although he is devout and respects Severine, he finds her interferences in the operations of other Inquisitors disagreeable.
Inquisitor Ravion Mercutio - a known radical, he nonetheless has an impressive record of success in his missions. Few argue with that, especially so far out from the Imperium proper, at least until Severine showed up and shut down a major operation he was running investigating warp artefacts.
Inquisitor Carson Garvus - Quiet, cautious and cunning, Garvus rarely speaks unless he has something of great importance to say. He is a powerful psyker, quite adept at combating the agents of the ruinous powers. Severine executed his master for heresy, condemning her obsession with dark relics.
Ordo Xenos:
Inquisitor Praetus Khan - he employed a number of xenos warriors to fight many of his battles, which Severine took a strong dislike of. She had her own stormtrooper contingent wipe them out in a hit and run campaign, solidly cementing Praetus against her as he had expended great resources gathering such myriad alien fighters. He is a reasonable and logical type, though has no love of seeing Severine.
Inquisitor Ysolde Merce - known for keeping xenos in her personal retinue. Severine put an end to distasteful experiments she was running some time ago, much to her chagrin. She is a proud and formidable woman who does not take insults - nor brazen interference - lightly.
Ordo Hereticus:
Inquisitor Hector Kalvus - a suspicious man, quite mistrusting and wary. Infamous for his tendency for mass purges. A complete fanatic, he has issued exterminatus to at least five worlds. It would have been one more, however Severine stepped in and argued the world could be redeemed. He was furious and decried her as a heretic - claims which fell on deaf ears, for her reputation is unblemished, whereas his was erratic and troublesome at the best of times.
Inquisitor Aleksandr Korvanvik - Dedicated and thorough, he is adept at personally going undercover in his investigations, rather than having his acolytes do the dirty work for him. He often disappears for months on end following the loosest of trails, which has resulted in him wasting a great deal of resources in the past. However, on occasion, he has discovered a foul plot or corrupt cult hidden so deeply that any other Inquisitor would never have found it.
Inquisitor Castella Severine - A wise, strong-willed woman, she is level-headed and determined. A devout servant of the Emperor, she favours philosophising the Imperial Creed over zealous and ridged adherence to it. Originally hailing from a remote Imperial world, her earliest years are known by precious few. That she pursued the life of a cleric and eventually spent some time as part of that world's variant of a redemption cult is known. She rose to become the cult's leader and eventually led a mass uprising to overthrow the corrupt governor. Indeed, this is how she first warrented the attention of the Inquisition, as the Ordo Hereticus dispatched an agent to quell her supposed heretical uprising. Upon arrival some time after the fact, they found her world to be prosperous and faithful to the Emperor. In fact, its contribution to the wider Imperium increased tenfold in the next three years. The Inquisitor who found her was impressed with her charisma, faith and deeds.
She was recruited into the Inquisitor's warband and assisted in the cleansing of many worlds thereafter. Under the guidance of her new master, the fiery traits which defined her youth were evened out through experience. She excelled as an Explicator, Interrogator and later a fully-fledged Inquisitor. Rejuvenat treatments maintain her youthful appearance and physical strength - a necessity for an Inquisitor who insists on taking the fight directly to the enemy.
In recent decades, she has turned her attention to the fringes of Imperial space. She can command more resources than most of her peers who operate so far from the heart of the Imperium, ensuring her task is significantly easier. She maintains watch for radical Inquisitors, operating in remote sectors so that their dubious practices go unnoticed by their puritanical brethren. While she is not an extremist, she does not hesitate to dispense justice as she sees fit on these radicals – a trait that has earned her a number of political enemies within the Inquisition.
However, none of them have the means nor unquestionable reputation required to challenge her authority, and are forced to accept her judgement. Typically, this includes stopping any unhealthy research of a heretical or xenos nature and seizing any inappropriate items associated with it in order to dispose of them properly. In this sense she is merciful, as other puritans would simply attack a radical on sight.
There was one notorious incident over forty years prior in which she was not so merciful. She uncovered a network of Inquisitors purposefully seeking to summon greater daemons in an attempt to bind them into weaponry. She hunted them down and executed them before their malevolent plot could be enacted, and she was rewarded with her ancient suit of terminator armour by that sector's Inquisitor Lord. She also executed Inquisitor Mara, mentor of Inquisitor Carson Garvus for heresy some time ago.
On her latest mission, she was severely wounded and most of her body was replaced by cybernetics. Although she feels the loss of so many trusted acolytes, her resolve and faith have never been stronger.
I will permit characters from Black Valkyrie Down to partake in this game. Yorck became an Interrogator of the Ordo Malleus while Lucinda Harper was awarded a starship and warrant of trade, becoming a Rogue Trader. As such, they would both have access to the rejuvenat treatments required for them to still be alive over a century after Black Valk. Although no other main characters survived, characters related to the main characters of that game in some way are also permitted, such as descendants or allies of those who died. However this is only an option, and I expect most if not all characters for this game would be new.
Just like in Shadow War, anyone who plays a psyker will be subject to dice rolls every time they use their powers. The warp is fickle and those who are a conduit to the realm of chaos must always be watched closely...
While this game is intended to create an ending to a very old game, it may also grow into an entirely new game in its own right, carrying forward the events and characters of this sector cut off from the rest of the Imperium into new stories.
Depending on interest, the same as the other various games I have planned while Galaxy of Peril is running, I may run this game after it has finished. I'm certainly in no rush, as I will spend a great deal of time transforming what would have simply been the final chapter of one game into an entire game in its own right. Although the mysteries of the Shadow War were mostly discovered, rest assured there will be plenty more intrigue and investigations.
Innocence Proves Nothing.
- Imperial Proverb
- Imperial Proverb
Although it was a long time ago, Shadow War remains possibly the longest (at least post count, our newer games definitely far surpass the wordcount) RPG we've ever done and when it ended prematurely going into its final chapter, I promised somehow and someway I would finish it. And then I completely forgot about it for years. Anyway, I've been re-reading it and considering doing a sequel/semi-reboot, picking up where the last game ended with an entirely new cast of characters. This may also serve as a sequel to Black Valkyrie Down, something I was planning to do anyway.
Of the 11 Acolytes who originally served Severine in the Shadow War, only 3 survived. Some would say those who died were the lucky ones. Of the survivors; one lost his body, another lost his mind and the last one lost his soul. A small price to pay. After all, service to the Emperor is its own reward.
So, just what the hell was Shadow War about?
Chapter I
Heresy grows from idleness.
- Imperial Proverb
The year is 112.M42, 120 years after the war on Caedis V against the Ork Waaaagh! of the warboss Gorkanak Fleshtearer, possessed by a Greater Daemon determined to open a galactic warp rift. The plot was foiled, only for the Great Rift to consume vast swathes of the galaxy only 8 years later. While Caedis V endures, the sector is cut off from the rest of the Imperium and faces danger from both within and without.
A team of Acolytes (the players) working for puritanical Inquisitor Castella Severine were en route back to Dominus station, the home base of the Inquisitors working in this sector. They had just completed a mission investigating chaos cults on Incipien V, although the final assault on the traitors was led by Severine herself with 30 Space Marines. Only a handful of the Astartes and the Inquisitor returned with a huge, mysterious artifact that she refused to explain even to her most trusted Acolytes. During the journey back to Dominus aboard the Lunar class cruiser Redemptive Consul, murder and intrigue were abound in equal measure. Missing Tech Priests turning up alive and well while others disappeared, sabotage forcing the vessel out of warp only to be ambushed by another Imperial vessel refusing to answer comms and the navigator being possessed by a Daemon were just a few of the problems the Acolytes faced. When they investigated the cause of sabotage, they found one of the missing Tech Priests doing something to the sacred inner workings of the vessel. It became obvious this was some kind of imposter, as the Priest was able to easily defeat multiple highly trained Acolytes in combat and make their escape. While the vessel was under attack and under siege, the Acolytes hunted the saboteur who had managed to cut down scores of navy armsmen and breach the heavily guarded cargo bay where the artifact was stored. In the final confrontation the saboteur was revealed to be none other than a Culexus assassin that was finally defeated after numerous injuries and the use of poison. This threat was dealt with once and for all in the form of Judge Titus crushing the assassin's head with a power maul. The commander of the hostile starship, a Rogue Trader of renown called Dravos Starworth, was apprehended and arrested by Severine and her space marines during a teleport attack which destroyed the battlecruiser. The Redemptive Consul was safe for now and continued limping back to Dominus station despite heavy damage.
Chapter II
There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.
- Imperial Proverb
After several more weeks of travel through the warp, the Inquisitor and her Acolytes returned to their base of operations. After the sabotage and assassination attempt through means only an individual of extraordinary power could wield, Severine trusted no one. She ordered her acolytes to investigate anyone and everyone, especially other Inquisitors - as many were radicals with motivation and power to act against her. The question was who was behind this heresy and why? Dravos Starworth, a rogue trader, had no business being in command of an imperial navy warship and no obvious motivation to attack them. It was far too deliberate to be a coincidence that a ship was waiting for them the moment their engines were sabotaged. The two suspicious Tech Priests, Enginseer Malavik and Lexmechanic Juro, were both confirmed dead - the Culexus assassin had posed as both of them to send the acolytes in circles while they performed their sabotage. Strangely, the assassin had killed them both the very day Severine boarded her vessel with the artifact - this meant that they had infiltrated the ship in advance, as though in anticipation of Severine finding it. Finally, the imperial navy battlecruiser that attacked them was identified as the Errant Missionary. With each new piece of information only leading to more and more questions, the Acolytes began their investigation, knowing that enemies could be everywhere.
The interrogation of Dravos Starworth led to him confessing he was forced into command of the vessel with a limited letter of marque by an unknown benefactor after his trader house fell into ruin under suspicious circumstances and his old ship destroyed by xenos, his warrant of trade lost. He was ordered to take his new ship and wait for a vessel in a certain area within a set time frame. If they claimed to be Inquisition or navy, he was to ignore all communication and destroy them as heretics. Before the interrogator could find out more, through a series of calamitous events Starworth escaped and several of the Acolytes were arrested after a large bar brawl with navy officers. In the prison cell, one of them revealed he used to serve on board the Errant Missionary and that its former captain Eric Roland, an honourable and loyal man was imprisoned by the Inquisition after heretical items were found on board. The three acolytes then found their cell unlocked and weapons left for them alongside a note from a mysterious stranger, urging them to escape quickly.
The Redemptive Consul was boarded by navy armsmen under the control of Security Chief Torvus, who claimed he was escorting a psyker to inspect the vessel for heretical objects. Torvus' armsmen were killed in the confrontation and the Acolytes boarded their vessel, only to find the Psyker and his escort "discovering" a heretical tome on board. Another fight broke out, during which Severine's psyker Nicholas killed the other psyker, but kept the Daemonic book for himself as it could not be destroyed until the unholy wards protecting it were dispelled. With the help of the station's Arbites led by Judge Horacio, Severine's own Judge Titus was able to prevent Torvus from boarding the Redemptive Consul with reinforcements, however Torvus refused to explain himself or stand down, stating he had Navy authority on board this station. Captain Hera of the compromised Redemptive Consul determined the artifact should be removed from her ship and placed somewhere safer - it was taken to Severine's compound under heavy guard. Horacio was going to overrule Torvus and ensure he left in peace, but he was already returning to his office due to reports of an assassin - unwittingly lured by the Acolytes attempting to make their escape. Emphasis on attempting.
Meanwhile, Severine took several of her Acolytes to a meeting with the other Inquisitors; Marco Herron, Carson Garvus, Praetus Khan, Ysolde Merce, Hector Kalvus and Aleksandr Korvanvik. One Inquisitor, Ravion Mercutio, was absent without explanation. He was busy attempting to recruit Judge Titus to spy on Severine on his behalf, implying that it would be best to help him help her without her knowledge. Back in the meeting, the Inquisitors argued for some time about the possibility of a traitor within their ranks, with most if not all having reason to resent Severine but all denying they were involved. After the meeting, Severine and Herron were the last to leave. An explosion just outside nearly killed Severine, placing her in emergency medicae care to save her life, while Herron was unhurt due to his power armour. This left the panicked Acolytes leaderless, fearing for the life of their mistress and even more concerned their enemy was an Inquisitor - even Herron was not above suspicion, as he could have worn his armour knowingly to survive the explosion while avoiding accusations. As Severine lay mortally wounded, numerous visitors attempted to gain access to her, all claiming to offer assistance. Only one was permitted - a modified medicae servitor supposedly sent by the chief medicae. After having it examined by a Lexmechanic, it was permitted inside by the Acolytes on guard, only for it to go berserk and begin slaughtering the medicae staff treating the Inquisitor. It almost succeeded in killing its target. Outside the operating theatre, the last to visit was Inquisitor Hector Kalvus, known for his hatred of Severine. He said he wished to oversee her demise and pass judgement. Kriegsman Garis promptly executed him with a shotgun, his only regret that it was unprofessional to waste a second shell when his entrenching tool would've sufficed.
Elsewhere, Severine's Tech Priest Victora discovered with the help of High Enginseer Kaltoth that the code used to disable the Redemptive Consul originated from the infamous heretek Varnorak, former high enginseer of Dominus station centuries ago. He was deposed and nearly killed for his heresy, but disappeared without a trace. Even more troubling, another traitorous Tech Priest was discovered in Severine's personal compound and was only stopped after killing one of the Acolytes. His name was Aratos Novan and he was using the same type of heretical code that Victora previously discovered. He did not survive interrogation, but Victora learned he was responsible for the explosion, the reprogrammed medicae servitor, releasing the prisoners to implicate themselves as traitors, helping the Culexus assassin board the Consul without detection and more. It appeared that after the assassination attempts failed, the traitor had resorted to trying to discredit Severine and her operatives. Following a clue as to where Aratos Novan got his orders, she investigated the station's Astropathic Choir, finding record of communication to an area of space that star charts showed was completely empty.
One of the Acolytes met the eccentric free trader captain named Emmett of the starship Dancing Comet, who confirmed Dravos Starworth had escaped the station on board another vessel. They also gambled against cheating navy officers, winning an invitation to an upcoming officer's party to mark the end of the recent crusades. Garis faced trial by combat against Kalvus' protege Interrogator Demetrius, who he also killed. In Severine's absence, Inquisitor Herron assumed limited command of her Acolytes and even saved the three escaped prisoners from being killed by the station's Security Chief Torvus.
Chapter III
Serve the Emperor today, tomorrow you may be dead.
- Imperial Proverb
Three weeks since arriving at Dominus station, Inquisitor Severine had recovered enough to return to her duties. More than half of her body had been replaced with extensive cybernetics and she remained in her compound while her Acolytes continued their investigation, in case further assassination attempts were made. Her primary concern was ensuring the safety of the artifact, which she began to examine more closely now that it was clear their enemies would do anything to get it. Inquisitor Herron had dispatched a small fleet to the coordinates Aratos Novan received his orders from, with acolytes from both his own and Severine's retinue on board. The remaining Acolytes pursued an investigation into the Navy's leadership, determined to discover who was responsible for repurposing the noble Errant Missionary into an instrument of their heretical plan as well as framing Captain Hera. Most importantly, they needed to find the real traitor to vindicate the seemingly loyal and wrongfully imprisoned captain Roland, who was locked in the black cells of the Inquisition.
Using subterfuge and disguise, the acolytes infiltrated the celebrations of the end of the crusade to root out the traitors responsible for the deaths of so many loyal servants of the Emperor. After meeting one of their contacts for information, the acolytes were ambushed by a kill team and barely escaped with their lives. Some awoke in the medicae chamber, while one was evidently taken by Inquisitor Mercutio, who attempted to recruit him the same way he did Titus. He offered the wounded acolyte a highly advanced bionic arm and he accepted Mercutio's offer. Meanwhile Nicholas continued to study the heretical tome and began hearing a Daemon's voice in his head which tempted him to become a servant of Tzeentch with promises of power and the ability to save Severine.
After surreptitiously questioning multiple admirals, captains and commanders, the acolytes determined that Rear Admiral Felix Augustus was the heretic. Although he was subdued with drugs, their attempt to escape was foiled by other navy officers and Chief Torvus. There was a brief standoff before a shootout that almost no one survived, except the acolyte Seth Tars previously recruited by Ravion Mercutio. Seth had used this opportunity to intentionally kill one of his fellow acolytes, whom he had grown to despise. He was only saved by the intervention of Nicholas, captain Emmett and the loyal navy officer Commander Hawk, a friend of captain Eric Roland. Meanwhile, Severine continued to study the artifact, eventually taking fellow Inquisitor Korvanvik into her confidence to help her decipher the archaic scripture covering it - notably warnings to never open it. She also requested Korvanvik's help regarding arranging a trial for Eric Roland, who was surprised she knew about him. Following the capture of Admiral Augustus and the death of several of her acolytes in the process, Severine instructed Nicholas to psychically interrogate the prisoner immediately. Severine was more determined than ever to root out the arch heretics behind this conspiracy and avenge the thousands who had already died as a result. The interrogation confirmed Augustus was working for an Inquisitor, recalling the Errant Missionary from the crusade early and ensuring heretical contraband was found on board to replace its captain, as well as the same stunt on board the Redemptive Consul. While Severine prepared for the trial, hoping to get one step closer to discovering the traitorous Inquisitor, three navy officers attempted to kill Seth Tars where he lay wounded to avenge Chief Torvus. He was saved by Inquisitor Mercutio at the last minute.
Upon arriving at the coordinates, the fleet led by the battlecruiser The Chariot of Fate was immediately fired on by a nova cannon from the surface of an unexpected planet below them. Only a single escort ship survived, hiding behind the planet's moon unbeknownst to the Acolytes aboard the only shuttle to escape the destruction which crashed in the arid deserts below. Out of options, the Acolytes began the long march towards the distant facility which had destroyed the fleet. On the way they were attacked by an abomination that moved through the sand, a colossal worm covered in heretical technology. After the crusader Samael was swallowed and decapitated it from within, Victora determined the creature was likely vat-grown with the implants built into it. the team continued until finally, exhausted, they reached their destination. There were no obvious entrances until strangely, a servo-skull greeted them and opened the wall to let them in. They found a very old shuttle, its pilot's corpse and a final voice recording. The recording, made by the dead pilot Baltus Malik 85 years ago, suggested a stowaway attacked him and then commandeered the shuttle to land on this planet. Malik managed to disable the ship before he died, stranding his killer here but making no mention of the complex. Victora retrieved the shuttle's fusion core as the mysterious servo skull opened several doors.
The acolytes proceeded cautiously through the facility, but were quickly engaged in a running firefight against heretical automata built into corpses. During the fight, they found themselves in a room with stasis modules containing three more officio assassinorum operatives, the fourth was empty. After fighting on even further, Severine's acolytes found themselves in a colossal store room surrounded by an army of automata that began to awaken. Salvation appeared above in the form of Herron's two agents, who had met the being controlling the servo skull: a necron cryptek named Mezyn. Garis sacrificed himself, detonating the fusion core to destroy the army while the rest escaped. Mezyn suggested a temporary alliance to defeat the powerful master of the secret base and escape the planet, but the acolytes could not agree on the matter - three of them were killed by infighting, including Victora and Samael. Only Judge Titus, determined to report back to Severine at any cost, and the skitarii Kril carrying Victora's severed head and the precious data of all that had happened, survived. One of Herron's men, Kronan, was still alive - but was mind controlled by Mezyn using foul xenos technology. Finally, the two surviving acolytes confronted the overlord of the heretical complex alongside Mezyn. It was none other than the arch heretek, Joran Varnorak, transformed into an abomination by Mezyn's technology: a pariah. He revealed that Mezyn's story about being an outcast and a prisoner was a lie, and that left to live he would continue in his plan to awaken the dormant tomb world under the surface. In the end, only a mortally wounded Titus survived, teleported to an orbital facility by Mezyn where he would be recovered by the only surviving ship from their fleet. With the base's defences sabotaged by Mezyn, the ship was able to destroy it.
The trial of Eric Roland on Dominus station did not go as planned. Before it could truly begin, the heretics revealed themselves: Inquisitors Korvanvik, Merce and Garvus. The three of them kept Severine and her acolytes under guard while they went to steal the artifact. Although Severine and the acolytes managed to escape, the traitors managed to use psychic powers to teleport off the station with the artifact and Severine's Terminator Armour after killing the space marines guarding both. With a large portion of the Navy's fleets under the command of Admiral Saxon, the three Inquisitors disappeared. Only Korvanvik's protégé remained, pledging herself to Severine and suggesting that they would likely retreat to the Vindico system where her master had many contacts and resources.
Chapter IV
Success is measured in blood; yours or your enemy's.
- Imperial Proverb
Severine convened a war council, gathering her few remaining allies, acolytes and all military resources available on short notice. Only Inquisitors Herron, Khan and Mercutio remained with them. After activating all reserve operatives and recounting all evidence, they made plans to travel to the Vindico system and root out the traitors. Mortally wounded, Judge Titus was cybernetically resurrected using the arcane technology and knowledge of Enginseer Kaltoth, although he was a shadow of his former self: tormented by visions of the horrors he had endured and the disturbing new parody of life he experienced in his mechanical body. Along with the warrant of trade of the Starworth dynasty recovered from Varnorak's base, he passed what information he could provide to Severine, who loathed to see her favoured acolyte suffer such a fate. Meanwhile an Adepta Sororitas in her service was sent to judge if Seth Tars could be redeemed. In the end, he was deemed beyond hope and subsequently mind wiped so that he could continue to serve the Inquisition and the Emperor. Of her original inner circle of acolytes only Nicholas remained intact in body if not in spirit, as the whispers of the Daemon continued to plague his mind. Inquisitor Mercutio communicated via astropath to Inquisitor Khan in orbit of the mystery planet, now named Proditor II, as he explored for traces of heresy and the necron threat. In his response, Mercutio lamented the fate of Seth Tars as he had hoped to use him against Severine if it became necessary, revealing the bionic arm he gave him had a secret self destruct that could be triggered if he became problematic. Evidently, the two radical Inquisitors were friends and had their own closer alliance, prepared to confront Severine if their goals conflicted. Until then, they would gather greater forces to challenge the traitors.
With her new team assembled Severine boarded captain Eugene Emmett's ship, the Dancing Comet, to travel incognito to the Vindico system ahead of the invasion fleet. They did not go straight to Vindico however, instead travelling a much longer route that was less likely to be detected. On the way they stopped at the Narvus II, the Pirate Moon. During their time in the only settlement, simply called the Cove, the Acolytes became embroiled in numerous misadventures. In the midst of a Genestealer infestation, two conflicting revolutions were rising against pirate queen Katerina, a despicable eldar raised by humans. Led by Katerina's right hand man, one group wished to usurp her throne and remain independent while the other faction wished to rejoin the Imperium and cleanse the world of pirates and xenos. In the end, Interrogator Laeto managed to negotiate a fragile truce between the factions to avoid further bloodshed and perhaps secure a new fleet to attack Vindico. Inquisitor Severine, wearing only a simple robe, returned to her redemptionist core and cleansed the streets of the Cove herself with only a humble flamer.
While enjoying an evening meal, Nicholas was psychically assaulted by the psychic Inquisitor Carson Garvus - an attack that must have taken days, if not weeks to prepare. Garvus was attempting to tear their location and plan from his mind and Nicholas was tempted once again by the Daemonic voice, offering the power required to resist the attack. However, he was able to use the mind link to probe Garvus' mind in return and experienced one of his memories, seeing the traitor Inquisitors discussing how to deal with Severine as her investigation threatened their efforts to obtain the artifact from the cult on Incipien V. Garvus cursed her name, revealing crucial information leading to the discovery of the artifact's location was sent to him by his mentor, Mara, mere moments before Severine executed her. This group called themselves the Triumvirate, with Garvus taking Mara's place. If not for Severine confiscating what little of Inquisitor Mara's research hadn't been pre-emptively destroyed, they would have found the artifact themselves. Nicholas watched them begin to plan their shadow war, using Dravos Starworth, the Culexus assassin and the manipulated imperial navy as contingencies to stop their enemy and recover the artifact. Unfortunately, Garvus learned of their location and worse still - the Inquisitor had fallen completely to chaos, his psychic powers considerably heightened by an unholy Daemonic pact. The triumvirate now knew their location, their strength and the ship they were travelling on. They knew everything... or so they thought.
Chapter V
Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment.
- Imperial Proverb
This... is where you come in. Inquisitors Severine, Herron, Mercutio and Khan have dispatched their best operatives to the Vindico system to find out what they can before the invasion. The triumvirate know Severine's ship and her main team are close, but they don't know about you.
Your mission is simple:
- Discover the whereabouts of the traitors
- Sabotage their operations and defences
- Purge the unclean
- The number one priority is learning the whereabouts of the artifact
Easy, right? Just another day in the Inquisition.
As servants of one of the four Inquisitors, all mobilised regardless of specialty, your acolyte may be from the Ordos Malleus, Xenos and Hereticus. This allows for a wide variety of options, skills, equipment and abilities. Travelling in the utmost secrecy, you will have only what you take with you and you will be completely alone, without any support. Death or glory awaits.
Depending on which Inquisitor you serve, your character's disposition should reflect their master's puritan or radical beliefs to some extent. Severine of the Ordo Hereticus is puritanical, only becoming more extreme after recent events. Praetus Khan of the Ordo Xenos is a radical, employing many xenos in his retinue (if you play a xenos, this is an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS option and they must be able to pass in imperial society to some extent. Also the other characters will try to kill you sooner or later). Ravion Mercutio of the Ordo Malleus is also an extreme radical, frequently using Daemonic weaponry and other tools of The Enemy. Inquisitor Marco Herron, also of the Ordo Malleus, is a puritan.
There will not be any space marines, temple assassins or custodes permitted, for obvious reasons.
Example character types include but are not limited to:
Warriors:
- Crusader
- Battle Sister / Repentia (power armour unavailable for duration of the mission)
- Guardsman / Stormtrooper / Penal Legionnaire / PDF / Veteran
- Navy Armsman / Breacher
- Death Cultist
- Secutor / Skitarii
- Battle Preacher / Heirophant / Drill Abbot
- Gunslinger / Marksman
- Barbarian
- Ogryn
Investigators:
- Arbitrator / Proctor / Judge
- Investigator / Explicator / Interrogator (can be a psyker, discuss with GM)
- Tracker / Bounty Hunter
- Cleric / Missionary
- Commissar Operative
Specialists:
- Assassin
- Tech Priest / Enginseer / Lexmechanic / Penitent Heretek / Radical Tech Priest
- Psyker / Primaris Psyker / Astropath / Seer / Mystic (powers to be discussed with GM)
- Adept / Sage / Archivist / Savant
- Xeno-Arcanist
- Eldar / Dark Eldar / Half-Eldar/human hybrid
- Squat
- Ratling
- Medicae / Sister Hospitaller
- Torturer / Excoriator
- Exorcist / Banisher
- Noble
- Civilian Pilot / Combat Pilot
- Mind-cleansed (can be programmed with specific skills, but have a suppressed past, discuss with GM)
Player name:
Character name:
Ordo:
Inquisitor:
Disposition: (radical/puritan/inbetween)
Age:
Appearance:
Personality:
Homeworld:
Skills:
Weapons:
Armour:
Equipment:
Background:
Other:
Ordo Malleus:
Inquisitor Marco Herron - a veteran Daemonhunter who earned the right to wield a Daemonhammer when he earned great renown by personally slaying a Greater Daemon. He is widely respected and easily Severine's political equal. Although he is devout and respects Severine, he finds her interferences in the operations of other Inquisitors disagreeable.
Inquisitor Ravion Mercutio - a known radical, he nonetheless has an impressive record of success in his missions. Few argue with that, especially so far out from the Imperium proper, at least until Severine showed up and shut down a major operation he was running investigating warp artefacts.
Inquisitor Carson Garvus - Quiet, cautious and cunning, Garvus rarely speaks unless he has something of great importance to say. He is a powerful psyker, quite adept at combating the agents of the ruinous powers. Severine executed his master for heresy, condemning her obsession with dark relics.
Ordo Xenos:
Inquisitor Praetus Khan - he employed a number of xenos warriors to fight many of his battles, which Severine took a strong dislike of. She had her own stormtrooper contingent wipe them out in a hit and run campaign, solidly cementing Praetus against her as he had expended great resources gathering such myriad alien fighters. He is a reasonable and logical type, though has no love of seeing Severine.
Inquisitor Ysolde Merce - known for keeping xenos in her personal retinue. Severine put an end to distasteful experiments she was running some time ago, much to her chagrin. She is a proud and formidable woman who does not take insults - nor brazen interference - lightly.
Ordo Hereticus:
Inquisitor Hector Kalvus - a suspicious man, quite mistrusting and wary. Infamous for his tendency for mass purges. A complete fanatic, he has issued exterminatus to at least five worlds. It would have been one more, however Severine stepped in and argued the world could be redeemed. He was furious and decried her as a heretic - claims which fell on deaf ears, for her reputation is unblemished, whereas his was erratic and troublesome at the best of times.
Inquisitor Aleksandr Korvanvik - Dedicated and thorough, he is adept at personally going undercover in his investigations, rather than having his acolytes do the dirty work for him. He often disappears for months on end following the loosest of trails, which has resulted in him wasting a great deal of resources in the past. However, on occasion, he has discovered a foul plot or corrupt cult hidden so deeply that any other Inquisitor would never have found it.
Inquisitor Castella Severine - A wise, strong-willed woman, she is level-headed and determined. A devout servant of the Emperor, she favours philosophising the Imperial Creed over zealous and ridged adherence to it. Originally hailing from a remote Imperial world, her earliest years are known by precious few. That she pursued the life of a cleric and eventually spent some time as part of that world's variant of a redemption cult is known. She rose to become the cult's leader and eventually led a mass uprising to overthrow the corrupt governor. Indeed, this is how she first warrented the attention of the Inquisition, as the Ordo Hereticus dispatched an agent to quell her supposed heretical uprising. Upon arrival some time after the fact, they found her world to be prosperous and faithful to the Emperor. In fact, its contribution to the wider Imperium increased tenfold in the next three years. The Inquisitor who found her was impressed with her charisma, faith and deeds.
She was recruited into the Inquisitor's warband and assisted in the cleansing of many worlds thereafter. Under the guidance of her new master, the fiery traits which defined her youth were evened out through experience. She excelled as an Explicator, Interrogator and later a fully-fledged Inquisitor. Rejuvenat treatments maintain her youthful appearance and physical strength - a necessity for an Inquisitor who insists on taking the fight directly to the enemy.
In recent decades, she has turned her attention to the fringes of Imperial space. She can command more resources than most of her peers who operate so far from the heart of the Imperium, ensuring her task is significantly easier. She maintains watch for radical Inquisitors, operating in remote sectors so that their dubious practices go unnoticed by their puritanical brethren. While she is not an extremist, she does not hesitate to dispense justice as she sees fit on these radicals – a trait that has earned her a number of political enemies within the Inquisition.
However, none of them have the means nor unquestionable reputation required to challenge her authority, and are forced to accept her judgement. Typically, this includes stopping any unhealthy research of a heretical or xenos nature and seizing any inappropriate items associated with it in order to dispose of them properly. In this sense she is merciful, as other puritans would simply attack a radical on sight.
There was one notorious incident over forty years prior in which she was not so merciful. She uncovered a network of Inquisitors purposefully seeking to summon greater daemons in an attempt to bind them into weaponry. She hunted them down and executed them before their malevolent plot could be enacted, and she was rewarded with her ancient suit of terminator armour by that sector's Inquisitor Lord. She also executed Inquisitor Mara, mentor of Inquisitor Carson Garvus for heresy some time ago.
On her latest mission, she was severely wounded and most of her body was replaced by cybernetics. Although she feels the loss of so many trusted acolytes, her resolve and faith have never been stronger.
I will permit characters from Black Valkyrie Down to partake in this game. Yorck became an Interrogator of the Ordo Malleus while Lucinda Harper was awarded a starship and warrant of trade, becoming a Rogue Trader. As such, they would both have access to the rejuvenat treatments required for them to still be alive over a century after Black Valk. Although no other main characters survived, characters related to the main characters of that game in some way are also permitted, such as descendants or allies of those who died. However this is only an option, and I expect most if not all characters for this game would be new.
Just like in Shadow War, anyone who plays a psyker will be subject to dice rolls every time they use their powers. The warp is fickle and those who are a conduit to the realm of chaos must always be watched closely...
While this game is intended to create an ending to a very old game, it may also grow into an entirely new game in its own right, carrying forward the events and characters of this sector cut off from the rest of the Imperium into new stories.
Depending on interest, the same as the other various games I have planned while Galaxy of Peril is running, I may run this game after it has finished. I'm certainly in no rush, as I will spend a great deal of time transforming what would have simply been the final chapter of one game into an entire game in its own right. Although the mysteries of the Shadow War were mostly discovered, rest assured there will be plenty more intrigue and investigations.
Innocence Proves Nothing.
- Imperial Proverb