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FREE DEMO ADVENTURE


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A Black Industries publication

An imprint of BL Publishing

Games Workshop LtdWillow Road

Nottingham

NG7 2WS, UK

www.blackindustries.com

ISBN 978-1-84416-963-4

ISBN 1-84416-963-4

Product code 60440183002

Printed in the EU

Writing Rob Schwalb

Front Cover Adrian Smith

Internal Illustration John Blanche, David Gallagher, Mark Gibbons,

Karl Kopinskii, Stefan Kopinski and Adrian Smith

Design & Layout Mark Raynor

Thanks to

Dave Allen, Owen Barnes, Kate Flack, Marc Gascoigne, Mal Green,

Mike Mason, Nick Kyme, Karen Miksza, Lindsey Priestley & Zoe Wedderburn

Copyright Games Workshop Ltd 2007. All rights reserved.

Permission is granted to reproduce this publication for personal use only.

Games Workshop, Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, Dark Heresy, the Dark Heresy logo, Black Industries, the Black Industries logo, BL Publishing,

the BL Publishing logo and all associated races and race insignia, marks, names, characters, illustrations and images from the Warhammer 40,000

universe are either , and/or Games Workshop Ltd 2000-2007, variably registered in the UK and other countries around the world.

Shattered Hope

Fear not death; the God-Emperor watches you.

In February 2008, the Dark Heresy roleplaying game will be bornin a hail o bolter re and the cleansing pyres o the unclean. Forthe rst time, the worlds o the tumultuous 41st Millennium will

be made available or pen and paper roleplaying, where you cantake up your orce sword, strap on your bolter, and root out heretics,

burn mutants with the liquid death o your famer, and battle xenosas they seek to contaminate the worlds o mankind with their oulviews and ouler natures. With so much in need o killing in thisdark and grim uture, theres no reason to wait, and with this specialpreview, you have a taste o the darkness arrayed against you and achance to do your part to keep the sprawling Imperium sae againstits many and varied enemies. So take up your laspistol, make readyyour chainsword, and say a quick prayer to the God-Emperor, or inthe 41st Millennium, there is only war.


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For more than a hundred centuriesthe Emperor has sat immobileon the Golden Throne of Earth. Heis the master of mankind by thewill of the gods, and master of amillion worlds by the might of hisinexhaustible armies. He is a rottingcarcass writhing invisibly with powerfrom the Dark Age of Technology.He is the Carrion Lord of theImperium for whom a thousand soulsare sacriced every day, so that he

may never truly die.

Yeteven in his deathless state, theEmperor continues his eternal vigilance.Mighty battleeets cross the daemon-infested miasma of the warp, the onlyroute between distant stars, their waylit by the Astronomican, the psychicmanifestation of the Emperor's will.Vast armies give battle in his name onuncounted worlds. Greatest amongst

his soldiers are the Adeptus Astartes,the Space Marines, bio-engineeredsuper-warriors. Their comrades in armsare legion: the Imperial Guard andcountless planetary defence forces, theever-vigilant Inquisition and the tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus toname only a few. But for all theirmultitudes, they are barely enough tohold off the ever-present threat fromaliens, heretics, mutants - and worse.

tobea man in such times is to beone amongst untold billions. It is tolive in the cruellest and most bloodyregime imaginable. These are the talesof those times. Forget the power oftechnology and science, for so muchhas been forgotten, never to be re-learned. Forget the promise of progressand understanding, for in the grimdark future there is only war. Thereis no peace amongst the stars, only aneternity of carnage and slaughter, andthe laughter of thirsting gods.

it iS tHe 41ST MILLENNIUM


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GettingStarted

Dark Heresy

is a roleplaying game, wherethe action and adventure takes place in theimaginations o those who participate. To playthis game, one person should take the role o theGame Master (GM), while the rest o the group,preerably our people, are the players. I youreselected to be the GM, read on, or you havethe best job. I youre a Player Character (PC),you should stop reading when you get to theAdventure Background lest you ruin your un asyou play through the scenario. To use Shattered

Hope, youll need to make copies o the Charactersheets and the Skills and Talents reerence sheet(permission is given to photocopy these sheetsor the players) ound at the end o this booklet;at least two ten-sided dice, each o a dierentcolour; pens; and scrap paper.

THE BASICS

Beore we get started with the adventureproper, its worth going over the core gameconcepts so you have an idea how certain thingsare handled in the game. Do note that the rulesprovided in this preview are simplifed versionso those that appear in the ull game, streamlinedto whet your appetite or adventuring in themany worlds oDarkHeresy.

THE DICELike most other games, Dark Heresy uses dice.You roll dice whenever you would determine isomething you want your character to accomplishsucceeds or ails. I your character climbs a sheerwall, leaps across a chasm, fres a bolter at an Ork,you roll dice to see i he or she is successul ornot. Most times, you dont need to roll the dice,especially when time is not a actor and whenailure doesnt have disastrous consequences, but

or those dramatic moments, when success countsthe most, are when you pull out the dice and kissyour corpse hair charm or luck.

This game exclusively uses 10-sided dice.Each player should have at least two dice, but

three are better. The individual dice need tobe o dierent colours i possible since manytimes youll need to know which is which.I you dont have enough dice or dont havedierent coloured dice, when its important,just roll the ten-sider one at a time.

The most common dice roll is called a test. Atest is a special roll that produces a result rom1 to 100. To get this result, pick one ten-siderto serve as the tens place and another to serveas the ones place. Then, roll them together.The tens die gives you 00, 10, 20, 30, and soon, while the ones die gives you 0, 1, 2, 3, etc.Put the two dice together and you have yourresult. I you rolled 00 then you rolled a 100,which is not good at all. When rolling or atest, you want to roll low.

Dark Heresy uses another dice conventionor such things like weapon damage or insome speciic situations where a successultest has a variable result. When called to doso, you roll one ten-sided die and add any

modiiers to the roll to arrive at the total.Unlike tests, here, you want to roll high.This sort o die roll is oten abbreviatedas 1d10, where the irst number (1 in thiscase) signiies how many dice you roll, dstands or die or dice, and the last number(10) the type o die rolled. Variations onthis can include 1d5, where you roll a ten-sider, halve the result (round up), or 1d100,which operates just like a test. Finally, i

the abbreviation includes a number ater it,such as 1d10+2, it means roll a ten-sideddie and add two to the die roll. So in thiscase, i the die came up as a 4, youd add 2or a total o 6. Easy!


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CHARACTERITICSAll characters have nine Characteristics. Theyare: Weapon Skill (WS), Ballistic Skill (BS),Strength (S), Toughness (T), Agility (Ag),Intelligence (Int), Perception (Per), Will Power(WP), and Fellowship (Fel). Characteristics

tell you something about the character, givingyou an idea about his or her capabilities,personality, smarts, and even what they mightlook likein a broad and general sense ocourse. Now weve mentioned that when itcomes to tests, you want to roll low, right?The reason is pretty simple. Whenever youneed to take a test in the game, you comparethe dice roll to the Characteristic most likelyto be involved in the test. Say youre tryingto shoot a Mutant, youd roll against Ballistic

Skill. Likewise, i youre trying to avoid aalling column, youd roll against Agility.Make sense? Since you want to roll under thenumber associated with the Characteristics,the higher the Characteristic the better.

Characteristic Bonuses

Except or Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill, allCharacteristics have an associated bonus. Thisbonus is represented by the tens digit o theCharacteristic. When looking at a CharacteristicStat Block, the tens are denoted by a shadedarea or easier reerence.

SKILLSSkills are a lot like Characteristics, butoer special things you can do during

play. Every skill is associated with aCharacteristic so when you want to use askill, just test the Characteristic that s tiedto the skill. For example, take Awareness.This skill is keyed to Perception, so

whenever you would use Awareness, youmake a Perception Test.

Opposed Skill Tests

Sometimes you have to test your skill againstthat o an opponent which is known as an

Opposed Skill Test. This works by both partiesmaking Skill Tests as normal, whoever succeedswins. I both participants succeed, then the onewith the higher Characteristic bonus wins out.I both parties ail, then new Tests are againattempted to nd a clear winner.

TALENTSTalents oer slight advantages, refectingspecial training and expanding on youroptions in the game or using skills and so on.Talents can also grant access to dierent partso the game, such as psychic powers, Tech-Priest augmentations, and so on. Most talentseatured in this scenario include descriptions

about how they can be used.


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AdventureBackground

I youre planning on playing through thisscenario, stop reading and skip over to thecharacters ound on page 28. Reading therest of this booklet may ruin the fun ofthe adventure!

Years ago, the Inquisition uncoveredand eradicated a sinister Chaos cult onSepheris Secundusa rozen mining worldin the Calixis Sector. Largely consistingo disenranchised sersthose wretched

workers who toil in the poisonous atmosphereo this worlds extensive minesthe cultoered escape rom the oppressive labourand promised to ree those nearly enslavedto the impossible demands o the God-Emperors Tithe. Escape they ound, orwhen word o this insidious group reachedthe ears o the Inquisition, the response wasswit, brutal, and nal. To a man, the cultistswere exposed, shot or burned, and their

blasphemous text consigned to puriyingres. In the eyes o the Inquisition, it wasa job done, subversives stamped out, and asa result, these protectors o the Imperiumshited their ponderous attention towardsother whispers o ell deeds.

Unsurprisingly, not all o the tomes andwritings were destroyed. In the atermath othe cleansing, a ew curious sers exploredthe fame-ravaged tunnels ndingas they

searched or anything o valueone massivetome that described many o the rites andrituals associated with the extinct cult. Thewords that crawled and writhed on thepages disturbed them, and they nearly ridthemselves o the blasphemous catalogue.However, they were a desperate people,having long endured the brutal environmentand hopeless existence that entails being aminer on this world. A ew deluded souls

seized upon the idea that the best way toescape their ate was to bring down thewrath o the Imperium, to purge the world oall lie, and to put an end to their miserableates. As expected, their opponents thought

them mad, or i they were so unhappy, theycould end their own lives, but the core othis misled group thought not o themselves,but o their brothers and sisters, o theirchildren, and their childrens children. Soit was that they embarked on their insane

mission, ounded the Brotherhood o Malice,and set out to cause enough trouble that thepowers in the Imperium would come andpurge this planet.


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What the saboteurs and rabble-rousers didntexpect was Sepheris Secunduss importance tothe Calixis Sector. It was ar too important aworld to destroy, with the Imperium more likelyto eliminate the cult than it would the entireplanet. So, when the Brotherhood o Malice

destroyed a processing plant near the Shattersa particularly dangerous stretch o tunnelstheImperium responded as it sometimes does whenconronted with an unruly population: it sent adetachment o the Imperial Guard to clean outwhat the planet governors deemed as rebels. Asexpected, the Guard made short work o theminers and sers, and once the surace area wascleansed, a ew companies descended into thetunnels. Ater two days o pitched ghting, theuprising was erased.

The Guardsmen made great strides against thecultists, but they were unprepared or what theyound in the depths o the mines. Lurking in thesecyclopean tunnels were all manner o twisted andhorric creatures, queer sigils painted on thewalls, and signs o Chaos everywhere. Not eventhe Brotherhood o Malice knew, and as theyfed the hail o lasre, they ran into the waitingtentacles o unspeakable horrors. The Mutants

and Chaos Horrors stirred rom their depths andmade their way up through the tunnels to destroythe humans in the upper corridors. Sensingapproaching doom, the Commissar withdrewhis troops and sealed o access to the Shatters,locking behind the metal vault his own men,the surviving cultists, and all sorts o terriyingcreatures. It was decided that the Inquisition hadnot quite nished its task with this world. Untilthe Inquisition could come to the world, it wasdecided that the Gorgonid Minethose tunnels

that connect to the Shatterswould be sealed,closed o, and all operations halted.

This is a terrible development indeed, ornot only does this revelation reveal that Chaoshas gained a oothold on this vital world, butalso that the economy o the Calixis sector hasbecome imperilledSepheris Secundus is theprinciple exporter o vital ores, uel, and otherkey chemicals. As a result, pressure to attend

this matter builds and the Inquisition scramblesto assemble an experienced team o veteransto wipe out the inestation, but until theirprincipal agents can be gathered, they must dosomething. Enter the PCs.

Adventure

Synopsis

Shattered Hope is a straightorwardscenario divided into three parts, each

showcasing one o the key elements oundin Dark Heresy.

Part One:The Acolytes arrive at theImperial Guard encampment, where they

have buckled down ater ghting theBrotherhood o Malice. The characters haveseveral opportunities to learn a bit about theBrotherhood, recent events, and what theycan expect to nd. This section culminatesin a meeting with the Commissar, whoseauthority they need to enter into theGorgonid Mines and rom whom theyacquire the map to the Shatters.

PartTwo: Armed with the inormation theywere able to erret out o the Guardsmen, thePCs are ready to enter the mines. They will haveto overcome a number o dierent obstacles,including climbing, leaping, avoiding hazards,and a quick reght.

Part Three: The nal stage o theadventure sees the Acolytes entering the

Shatters. Here, they will have to ght theirway through a tide o corruption to nd outthe true source o the danger and perhapsprove their worth to their Inquisitor bydestroying the source o corruption.


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Part One:Gorgonid Mine

The adventure begins with the PCsdropping through the atmosphere to

land on the surface of Sepheris Secundus,a thriving world that exports raw ores andminerals from its rich mines. The lightertakes the PCs to the site of a battlefieldnear the entrance to the Gorgonid Mine,where they are to learn what they can ofthe rumours swirling about this place andsearch out any evidence of corruption in thearea. This section is rather straightforward

and serves to introduce the characters to themission, the locals, and reveal a bit of thehistory of the place. This scene focuses oninteraction with the non-player charactersand lets the PCs use their skills and abilitiesto ferret out the areas dark secrets.

ARRIVALEnter the PCs. Read aloud or paraphrase the

following text:

At this time, let the characters introducethemselves. Its assumed that the PCs havespent a few weeks together already, so theyshould know each others quirks, names,and any other pertinent details the players

wish to share. Once they are done, readaloud or paraphrase this text:


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Once you have read the introductorytext, ask the players what theyd like to do.They have several options as outlined in theollowing sections. This part o the adventureis designed to let the players eel out theircharacters and roleplay their personalities

and outlooks. They should have the chanceto talk to the Guardsmen, discover the prisoncompound where a ew cultists are heldawaiting execution, and eventually make theirway to the Commissar.

EXPLORING THE ENCAMPMENT

Ater the characters have had a chance totake in their surroundings, they should

notice that most o the Guardsmen arelooking at them. This would be a goodtime to have all the players make ScrutinyTests to get a sense o the mood. Eachplayer should roll the dice comparing theresult to their Perception Characteristic.Since only Cimbria has the Scrutiny skill,all other characters compare their result tohal their Perception scores. However, thisshould be a airly simple test, so go ahead

and give everyone a +20 bonus to theirCharacteristics or this test.

From here, the players can gather a bit o

inormation. They can go about this in oneo two ways. One, they can make InquiryTests to pick up general rumours or theycan talk to a speciic Guardsman. Detailsor either approach ollows.

The Guardsmen

The frst character the Acolytes meet is theyoung Guardsman Edwin Jurtz. When he sawthe lighter land, he just knew that it broughtpeople to help, so he rushed rom his post atthe seal and headed or the encampment to

meet what he sees as saviours. The PCs see himrunning toward them and when he arrives, hecomes to an abrupt stop, stoops over, handson his knees, struggling to catch his breath.Ater a moment, he looks up and smiles. Hes ayoung man, just turned eighteen. He has brightred hair that pokes out rom under his helmet,pale reckled skin, and youthul eatures. Hesays, Sirs Ladies huh welcome to theGorgonid Mines! Yer here to help I just knewit. He pauses to take another breath. I toled

em all yed be comingSo, which one o you isthe Inquisitor? Want to see the Commissar?

At this point, and beore the PCs have achance to respond, a gru voice sounds out:Jurtz! You leave your post again? The ownero the voice is a compact, square-jawedugly man, his head shaved and with a darkblue tattoo right on his scalp. Hes wearingthe grey atigues o all the Guards, but the

stripes on his sleeve indicate hes a person orank. Where his right arm used to be is nowa stump on which a large metal rod with adisturbing array o attachments at the endemerges. Jurtz stammers, turns red all the wayup to his ears and looks at his eet, mumbling,No, Sergeant Raynard. Im just headingback now, sir.

Sergeant Raynard fxes the junior Guardsmanwith a stare and then turns toward the Acolytes.

One o his eyes is ice blue, cold and staring.The other is a crude alse eye, made o woodand wandering o to the let. See that you do.Double time. Now, you. Youre a sorry bunch,arent you? Whore you supposed to be? Notthe Inquisitor Ill warrant. Well? Speak up? Iwont have a commotion in my camp.

At this point let the players answer inwhatever way this wish. Raynard has a good

idea who they are, and is secretly worriedthat they are all the help hes going to get.He listens, stony, and waits or them to fnish.Let the players talk as long as they wish. Oncethey stop, trail o, or look conused, stare at


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them a bit longer, a ew seconds, and then say,Right. So, the Inquisitor isnt coming. Thisisnt a question. I suppose Id better let theCommissar know youre here sirs. Withthat, he makes ready to leave, but as he turns,his crude cybernetic arm starts to shake and

the attachments start spinning, swooshing,snapping, and make a terrible racket. Raynardcurses, runs his hand down the length o themetal rod, whispers a prayer and pushes abutton. Immediately, the device settles down.He starts heading o toward the hab-block. Ashe marches, the Acolytes hear tittering laughtercoming rom out o a nearby tent.

The Acolytes have a couple o options. AnAwareness Test (the players roll under their

Perception or hal their Perception i they donthave the skill) reveals Recruit Jurtz watchesthem, his eyes wide, a ew metres away. So thePCs might ollow the sergeant, talk to Jurtz, orfnd out whos laughing and why.

Recruit JurtzRecruit Jurtz is a bit sullen ater learningthat none o the PCs are the Inquisitorand his hopes that they will destroy theinestation have been dashed a bit. Hes just decided to go back to his post so i

the characters want to talk with him,they will have to move quickly. Hes notso much interested in chatting either, soto get him talking, the characters need tosucceed on a Charm Test (or at one-haltheir Fellowship i they lack this skill).A success makes him riendly again andhell answer any o the likely ollowingquestions with the answers provided.

What happened here?

Well, there was this uprising in the mines. So wewas called in to crush the rebels. The Commissarordered us to flush out the mines to see if therewere any more rebels. Thats when those thingsnabbed my mate Hastus. The things grabbed himand dragged him off screaming. Thats when thesergeant ordered our withdrawal, and weve beenstuck here ever since. Hey, if youre going downthere, see if you can find Hastus, would ya? Hehas a girl on Scintilla and I know shed like im

back, yeah?

What things?I dont know what they were f sure. All I saw wasshapes, strange shapes, weird things, tentacles, eyes,and worse. Probably just xeno. Some of the menthink theres something else down there. I dunno.

Whats the problem with Sergeant Raynard?Hes a tough man, but he means well. He just wants to

get his boys off this rock.

What can you tell us about the Commissar? Not much, I spose. Hes a distant man. Not veryfriendly. Cool as ice.

Ater these or similar questions, he looks athis chrono and says I gotta go. Look, i yerheading down there, good luck.


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Sergeant RaynardSergeant Raynard has seen a lot of action. Helost his left arm and left eye from an engagementwith some genestealers at the edge of the systema dozen years ago. The prosthetic limb bothershim a great deal, largely because the medic was

slain and a tech-priest was sloppy. He refuses tohave it replaced because it reminds him of hishatred for the followers of the Omnimessiahand the Tyranids alike.

After meeting the PCs, hes marchingoff to let the Commissar know. Hes nothappy about the situation for he thought theInquisition would send more than a couple ofgreen recruits to attend this matter. Raynardwants another shot at the Mutants, but the

Commissar wont let him, so hes not happyabout being here and it shows.

Characters that want to talk with Raynardare in for a tough go. To get the sergeantto talk, a PC needs to succeed on anIntimidate Test to prove theyre tougherthan him. No pushover himself, any attemptsto pull this off are at a 10 penalty to theCharacteristic. Since none of the characters

have Intimidate, they need to roll one-halftheir Strength Characteristic minus 10. Ifthey succeed, however, Raynard stops andagrees to talk:

With that, Raynard stomps off toward theheadquarters. If the acolytes follow after him,proceed with The Commissar.

The Man Whos Seen Too MuchThe sounds of laughter the PCs heard emanatesfrom Corporal Schmendt, a shell-shockedGuardsman who saw more than he should.After the encounter in the mines, he went crazyand screamed the whole way out. Once on the

surface, the medics treated him with sedativepoultices and stuck him in his tent. Any characterthat pokes his head inside sees a wild-eyedyoung man with greasy brown hair, wild eyes,and wearing a straightjacket thats tethered toa post hammered into the ground. A characterthat succeeds on a Perception Test (with a +20bonus to the Characteristic) sees the mans nameon a crumpled jacket lying on the ground.

Talking to Corporal Schmendt is a chore.

He giggles constantly, pausing only to mutterthings like tentacles, the eyes!, my mindseye opens and all I see is blood, and so on.Hes raving mad. Play this up as much as youcan until the players just give up and go abouttheir business.

Further InquiriesAfter the characters have had a chance

to talk with a few of the locals, they maywant to push on to dig up additionalinformation. To make general inquiries, oneor more characters need to take an InquiryTest. Only Cimbria has this skill, so to useInquiry successfully, she has to roll under herFellowship, which in her case is a 33 or less.The other characters need to roll equal toor under one-half of their Fellowship. Thosewho succeed get a bit of information aboutwhats going on. In addition, for every 10

points they get below their Characteristic,they acquire a bit more information. SeeTable 11: Inquiries at the Encampmentfor the sorts of information the charactersare likely to pick up.


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PRISONERS

At some point while the characters are inthe encampment, they pass by a large areahemmed in by a chain-linked ence. Theence stands some 3 metres tall and hasbarbed wires running around the top. Bits

o cloth lutter in the breeze hanging romthe barbs, while blood covers the ground.Inside the ence are a dozen orlorn lookingmen and women. All wear light grey garbstained black rom dust and ilth. Dirtyaces stare at the Acolytes as they pass by.A ew guards dressed in black lak armourand wearing helmets with photo-visorspatrol the perimeter. They carry heavyautomatic riles.

I any o the PCs approach the ence,one o the prisoners comes orward. Hiseyes widen as he speaks in a whisper, hisace jerking toward the guards. Pleasehelp me I I did nothing! Just thenone o the guards barks out a warning orthe prisoner to back away rom the ence,and the wretch does so, eyes imploring thecharacter or mercy.

The guards are not chatty at all and i askedabout the prisoners, they say, Rebels. Theyare awaiting processing beore execution.Arguing with the guards achieves nothing.Theyre just ollowing orders.

THE COMMISSAR

Soon ater the characters arrive, they meet theCommissar. I they ollowed the sergeant tothe headquarters, the Acolytes meet the manthere. Otherwise, the Commissars secretarynds them. Should the secretary meet them,

the Acolytes are conronted with a short,stubby man, with a thick moustache, shavedhead, aquila tattoo on his neck and dressedin a fak vest and armed with a laspistol in aholster at his side. He pulls a chewed cigarrom his mouth and invites the charactersto attend the Commissar at once.

Regardless o how they get there, the sceneplays out in the same way. The headquarters isa hab-block, a preabricated structure deposited

on the planets surace. Constructed o metalalloys and painted with a utilitarian red colour,it eatures the Battalions number, as well as theeagle o the Imperium. A single access hatchin the ace o the structure allows access tothe interior. Once inside, the place is sparselydecorated, with a desk or the secretary and asecond desk or the Commissar.

Nihilius, the Commissar, is in his late

thirties, with coal black hair, matching eyes,and a craggy ace. He wears a black uniormdecorated with his rank and a ew badges ohonour. His Commissar hat rests on a hookbehind his desk as does his long black leather


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coat. He invites the characters to take a seatand then sits himsel, steepling his fngers ashe assesses them. Finally, he speaks. Read orparaphrase the ollowing text:

The Commissar entertains any questionsthe characters might have, though hes giventhem a thorough assessment o the situation.I one o the characters asks why he doesnt just send his own orces into the pit, theCommissar fxes the character with a stern

look and says, Cults are your trouble, not ours.We do our job, now you go do yours. Answersto any other questions will be terse, quick andrestricted to the inormation in the AdventureBackground. The Commissar does reveal, ione o the Acolytes succeeds on a Charm Test,that he believes the rebels were part o a largerorganisation called the Brotherhood o Malice.He doesnt volunteer this inormation sincehes rather angry about his situation and hasno love or the Inquisition, but i pressed, he

reveals that he believes the Brotherhood maybe afliated with other, older cult activities asdescribed in the Adventure Background.

QUARTERMASTER

Finding the Quartermaster takes 2d10minutes unless the characters succeed on anInquiry Test with a +10 bonus to their

Characteristic, in which case the time iscut in hal . The Quartermaster oversees thedispensation o supplies to the Guardsmen.In addition to clothing, oodstus, andother general gear, he is also responsible


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or arms, armour, and ammunition.Unortunately, the Quartermaster is low onmartial supplies and hes not authorised todispense these goods without the approvalo the Commissarwho is making hisway to the seal. Still, the Quartermaster, a

middle-aged veteran whos missing most ohis nose, gives the characters 15 metres otough rope, our electric torches, three dayso CS Rations and canteens o water oreach character. He also slips Xanthia ourrag grenades (see sidebar).

Once the characters are properly outftted,they are ree to head on to the Seal or may do abit more snooping about. I the characters wantto do a bit more investigation, just go back andfll in with details they missed. Remember,they are to meet the Commissar an hour atertheir meeting, so they need to move quickly.

THE SEAL

The trip across the encampment to the oot othe mountains where the great seal cuts o theGorgonid Mines rom the surace takes exactly30 minutes. As the Acolytes travel, they see moresigns o the fghting, more torn earth, shatteredbuildings, and the wreckage o unrecognisableequipment. The planet is quite cold, and thewind is razor sharp as it cuts across their path.When they near the end o their walk, thecharacters spot pockets o miners sitting around

small fres made rom dung, salvaged wood, andeven plastic, causing poisonous umes to fllthe air. The miners are all orlorn, sporting anappalling number o deects and deormities, aswell as plenty o injuries.

Unlike the prisoners within the Guardencampment, these olks are bystanders,unortunates who have gotten in the way.They are utterly terriied o the PCs andattempts to approach these poor souls resultsin them leeing, ainting, or deecating

in terror. Even i the character gets themto talk, they ramble on, agreeing withwhatever the Acolyte says, even i they areasked a direct question, Aye, thats a goodquestion sirrah!

The seal itsel measures 30 metres indiameter and is held in place with thickclamps that grasp the stone on all sides.Embossed on the centre is the great double-headed eagle o the Imperium that seems

to stare down at the Acolytes as i judgingthem. Scaolding to the right o the sealleads up to a small post where an attendantcan lock or unlock the clamps with a throwo a switch. This, however, is not enough toopen the seal; it merely unlocks it. Openingthis vault requires the eorts o twenty greathairy monsters indigenous to this world.Their handlers aix the tethers to the sealand goad them orward, and through the

combined strength o these beasts, theseal slowly, ever so slowly, pulls away. Theprocess o opening and closing the sealtakes about an hour, less i the beasts oburden are already in their harnesses.


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Once the PCs arrive, read or paraphrase thefollowing text: Part Two:

Into the

Darkness

In this section, the Acolytes enter theGorgonid Mines and follow the mapprovided to them by the Commissar so

they can travel down into the bowels of theearth to reach the dangerous zone known asthe Shatters. The Gorgonid Mines are quiteextensive and without a map or extensivefamiliarity with the layout, a person could

become forever lost in the depths. Ratherthan providing a physical map, this scenarioassumes the Acolytes employ the map properly.However, their journey is not without peril andthe characters will have to use their wits andtheir physical talents to overcome a number ofpotentially deadly obstacles.

OBSTACLES

Although the PCs merely need to followthe map to reach the Shatters, the map failsto reveal a few recent problems that havedeveloped as a result of geothermal activity.In the days since the tunnels were sealed up,tremors caused by the growing power of theAntithesis Stone (see P25) have led to extensivedamage in the mines closest to the Shatters. Toreach their destination, the Acolytes will needto overcome several physical challenges.


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A Steep ClimbAt some point in their travels, the passagewaycomes to an abrupt end as the oor drops awayinto the yawning darkness. A character usingan electric torch can shine the light down intothe darkness and see that 3 metres down, the

passage continues. A tremor caused a sectiono the tunnels to all into an air pocket severalkilometres down. Reaching the passagewaywill require a character to climb down thewall. The walls have plenty o handholdsithey didnt the characters would have to makeClimb Tests, skills they dont haveso theywill each need to roll under or equal to theirStrength Characteristic to get to the connectingpassage. To give them a fghting chance, give thecharacters a +20 bonus to their Characteristics.

A successul test is enough or the characters toreach the other passage. I any characters ailthe test, they make no progress or the round.I they ail by 30 or more, they slip and all,dropping away into the darkness, orever lost

(see Avoiding Death on page 16). O course, ithe players remembered their ropes, they cantie o to each other so that i someone slips andalls, the rest can catch the character. However, ithis happens, all characters attached to the allingcharacter must test Strength to maintain their

grip. I they ail this test, they slip ree too.

Helping HandsStronger characters can help weaker charactersmake the descent. The stronger charactercan make a separate Strength Test and i hesucceeds, he grants an extra +10 bonus to hisally. He may then make another Strength Testto continue on down.

A Dreadful GapShortly ater the harrowing descent, the characterscome across a large gap in the passageway. A severetremor caused a wide crack to appear in the oor,


17/3416

tearing open the ground and creating a gap toowide to simply step across. To get on the other sideo the gap, the characters will have to leap across.

The best way to achieve this is to get a runningstart. The characters should back up about 4

metres and start running. Once they come to thegap, they must make a Strength Test. I theysucceed, they get across the gap. I the charactersail, they all into the gap. The bottom is 6 metresdown, but the walls are sheer, making climbingout very dicultrequiring characters to makeStrength Tests at hal their characteristic toclimb 3 metres with every success. A charactercan climb a dropped rope though as describedunder A Steep Climb. A character that alls takes1d10+5 damage. The player that ell should

record this damage on his sheet or on a piece oscrap paper. I the damage exceeds the charactersWounds by 4 or less, he alls unconscious andcannot be revived or 1 day. I the damageexceeds the characters Wounds by 5 or more, thecharacter broke his neck and is dead.

Part Three:The

Shatters

Finally, the characters reach the Shatters.Reer to the Shatters Map or details. Thecharacters can go anywhere they wish,

exploring the various rooms and corridorsin whichever order they like. Each numberon the map corresponds to a description inthe ollowing pages. Since these tunnels areinested with horrible Mutants, this is the

chance the players have been waiting or toshoot up some heretics. Since the charactersmay ace these encounters in an orderdepending on which way they decide togo, basic combat rules are summarised here.I the characters nd themselves embroiledin a ght, simply reer back to the CombatSummary that ollows.

COMBAT SUMMARY

The thrill o ghting, the screaming torrento bolter re, the pyrotechnic displays olasgun shots, and the bloody business ohand-to-hand combat are all central toDark Heresy. While much o the game isoten spent investigating conspiracies andexploring terriying environments, mostgame sessions eature one or more brutalconficts that can test the mettle o any Player

Character. To make sure that this is one othe most exciting parts o the game, combatis un, ast paced, and almost always bloody.Since there is not room enough to cover allthe combat rulesautomatic re, pinning,bracing, critical damage, and so onthissection just covers the most basic rules togive you a taste o how combat works.

Combat breaks down into rounds. During

a round, each combatant gets a turn to act,which could be anything rom running away,blasting a Mutant, or hacking apart a hateulxeno with a sword. Once everyone has acted,a new round begins.


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Who Goes FirstAt the beginning o the combat, all participantsroll 1d10 and add their Agility Bonus to thedie roll. The combatant with the highestresult goes frst and play proceeds to the nexthighest character and so on until everyone has

acted. This is called rolling or initiative.

The TurnAs mentioned, each character gets a turn toact in the round. During a turn a charactercan do two things: attack and move. Otheractions are very much possible, but they eithercount as an attack, a move, or both!

A New RoundOnce everyone has acted, the character who

started the previous round gets to take anotherturn. This continues until all the combat endsusually when one side is slain by the other.

ReactionsIn addition to the attacks and moves a charactercan take during their turn, all characters can reactto threats even when its not their turn. Eachcharacter gets one reaction per round. For thepurposes o this scenario, a reaction should be

spent to get out o the way o an attack, such asby making a Dodge Test (i the character hasthe skill; otherwise its an Agility Test at hal theCharacteristic). Well talk more about this later.

AttacksWhenever a character wants to attack hisopponent, he can use a melee attack (suchas with a sword, knie, or axe) or a rangedattack (laspistol, crossbow, bolter, etc.). Tomake a melee attack, the character has to be

adjacent to his opponent and i so, he makesa Weapon Skill Test. To make a rangedattack, the character needs to be in range ohis target (listed under the weapons entry) andhave a clear shotthe targets not blockedby another character or not standing behinda door or example. The character then testsBallistic Skill. As with any other test, a rollthat results in a number equal to or lower thanthe Characteristic hits. A roll that results in a

number greater than the Characteristic misses.

MovementMovement is broken down into our types;hal , ull, charge and run. Hal equals a short

move, allowing you to also fght in the round.Full is a characters normal movement distance.Charge is when somebody rushes an opponent,gaining +10% bonus to your Weapon SkillTest made at the end o the charge. Run isrunning at ull speed, which makes you harder

to hit with missile weapons (-20% BallisticsSkill Tests made against you), but easier tohit in melee (opponents gain +20% bonus toWeapon Skill Tests).

The values o each movement type can beound on most character or creature profles andeach value is separated by a slash. The numbersgiven or each o these types is equivalent tothe distance in metres or squares i you areusing miniatures on a combat grid.

Movement in CombatA character can move a number o metresequal to his Agility Bonus. He can give up hisattack to move twice this amount.

Avoiding Attacks

Once per round, whenever a target is successullyhit, he may make a Dodge Test (or an AgilityTest at one-hal his Characteristic) to negate theattack. I he succeeds, he ducks out o the way. Ihe ails, the attack hits squarely.

Other ActionsI a player wants to do something not coveredby the actions described here, make a judgmentabout how long something might take and

what type o action it would be. Generally, mostactions should be resolved with some sort otest. Keep in mind that a round is only a ewseconds long, which is a very limited amount otime to accomplish a task.


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Inflicting Damage

Whenever you hit an opponent with a weapon,and your opponent ails to get out o the way, youinict damage. Each weapon includes a Damagevalue, usually 1d10 plus a number. Roll the dieand add the modifer. This is the damage total.

Then, you subtract the targets Toughness Bonus(again, this is the tens number thats shaded nextto the Toughness score) rom the damage total. Iyoure wearing armour, also subtract the armourpoints. Whatever is let is damage thats applied tothe target. Record this number somewhere, sincedamage is cumulative. So long as the accumulateddamage is less than the characters Wounds, thecharacter is fne. But i the damage exceeds thetargets Wounds by 4 or less, the target allsunconscious and doesnt awaken until the end

o the combat. I the damage exceeds the targetsWounds by 5 or more, the character dies.

Righteous Fury

Normally, when a character hits with an attack,the resulting Damage Total equals 1d10 plusthe weapons damage. However, when you rolla 10 on the die, it may indicate the eye o theEmperor is upon the character. This calls or asecond testWeapon Skill or Ballistic Skill

as i the character were making another attack.I this second test is successul, the spirit othe Emperor is with him, aiding his attack andguiding his aim. The player can roll or damageagain and add the result to the Damage Total.

Should the result o this die also be a 10, the Emperorhas indeed smiled upon the character. The playermay immediately roll a third 1d10 and add that tothe Damage Total as well. This process continuesuntil the player rolls a number other than 10.

EXPLORING THE SHATTERS

The map describing the Shatters is just onetiny corner o this sprawling maze o spentveins, poisonous atmosphere, and corruptedminers. The player characters could spenddecades exploring the endless tunnels andperhaps might not ever see everything.For the purposes o this scenario, this verysmall section o this deadly territory is the

extent o the characters explorations, sincethe Mutants have successully excavated asection o tunnel to fnd the Antithesis Stone(see Area 11 on page 25).

General Features

Through much o these tunnels, the wallswere excavated using sonic drills to break upthe stone, but the work is sloppy and thewalls are anything but smooth. Filthy grease

oozes out rom the cracks, and bright orangecentipedes scuttle in and out o the gaps. Thecorridors and rooms are all approximately 2metres tall and drip the same slippery slimeonto the oor where it gathers in gruesome,awul-smelling puddles. Thick steel beamssupport the ceiling in places and all o thesebear permi-lamps, though only a ew areworking, shedding a peculiar green light allaround them.

All doors, those ew that stand in this place,are metal hatches with wheels that lock oropen them. Unlocking a door is hard workand requires a character to succeed on aStrength Test.

The air here is noxious and every 10 minutesthe characters explore this section o tunnels,they must all succeed on Toughness Tests.Those who ail take a 5 penalty to all

tests or as long as they remain down here.Multiple ailed tests are cumulative. Acharacter who retreats to Area 1 and closesthe door removes all penalties ater 10minutes o clean air.


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1

2

3

45

67

8

10

9

11


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Key LocationsThe ollowing entries describe the most importantlocations in this portion o the Shatters. I a locationlacks a number, theres nothing o interest thatrelates to the player characters, though you shouldeel ree to inject colourul and strange descriptions

to enhance the otherworldliness o this place. Forexample, entering an empty area might cause thecharacters to hear a distant hissing laughter, or theymay spot a human ear let on the ground. Ribbonso strange colours growing in the walls, clots o hair,a pile o yellow sludge that smells o rotten cabbageand more can all enhance the players experience asthey brave the depths o the Shatters.

1. The Front DoorWhen youre ready to start this section, read

aloud or paraphrase the ollowing text:

Allow the characters to consider their optionsbeore proceeding. I any o the playerswants to examine this entrance, have themall make Awareness Tests. Those characters

that succeed notice scratches on the oor andbright rust spots on the hinges suggestingthe door was recently opened. A characterwho succeeds by 10 or more notices reshblood dripping through the portal.

When the players are ready to proceed andpull the door open, they fnd the source othe blood. Go to Area 2.

2. SlaughterhouseRead aloud or paraphrase the ollowing text:

At this point, you should probably sketchwhat the Acolytes can see rom the door. Let

the characters go where they like, theyll fndtrouble soon enough.

3. Horror in the ShadowsAs the characters draw near this area, have themall make Awareness Tests. Those that succeedhear a wet slobbering noise as i somethingis eating and is being quite savage about it.Regardless o the success or ailure, when theplayers come to the edge o this area, read aloudor paraphrase the ollowing text:

Upon seeing the Mutant, all o the charactersmust attempt Will Power Tests. Those that


22/3421

succeed may act normally, but those that ailare overwhelmed with horror and cant takeany actions until the start o the next round.

This is a horric Mutant, a ormer Guardsmanthat was brought beore the Antithesis Stoneby its changed servants. The aura o the stone

changed it, wreaking havoc in its fesh and minduntil nothing o its humanity remained and nowit hungers and seeks to ll that hunger with thefesh o these Acolytes!

This reak is a straightorward combatant,lashing out with its slab-like arms to turn thecharacters to pulp. It has no ranged weapons,so has to engage the Acolytes in melee combat.The Guardsman ghts to the death.

Development

The Mutant wears dog tags and i the PCs thinkto snatch them, they nd they belong to Hastus.I the Acolytes used their laspistols or other

rearms, the rest o the complex is alert andready or the characters.

4. Charnel Pit

The Mutant is a choosy eater and whilst he enjoysdining on human fesh, he cant abide looking athis victims in the eyes. Beore setting in or a juicymeal, he tears o his victims heads and tossesthem here in this blood pit. A quick survey o the

pit reveals there are six severed heads inside.

Main Profle

WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel

27 22 51 46 22 22 30 25 15

MutantGuardsMan

Movement: 2/4/6/12; Wounds: 17

Skills: Awareness (Per), Ciphers(Occult) (Int), Climb (S), Common Lore

(Underworld) (Int), Concealment (Ag),Silent Move (Ag), Speak Language (LowGothic) (Int), Survival (Int).

Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Primitive),Heightened Senses (Sight), Natural Weapons(Fists), Pistol Training (SP).

Traits: Fear (characters must take a WillPower Test or stand still in ear or 1 round),Mutations: Brutal Charge (+3 damage on a

charge), Natural Weapons (unarmed attacksdeal 1d10+SB).

Weapons: Fists (1d10+5; Primitive weapon).

Gear: Tattered uniorm, Bits o Skin inhis teeth.


23/3422

5. Lost MinerThis metal door is shut tight. It requiresa Strength Test (at a 10 penalty to theCharacteristic) to open it. I the Acolytessucceed, read aloud or paraphrase the ollowingtext:

Hiding behind the table is Rat, a poor minerwho ound himsel in the wrong place at thewrong time. The Guardsmen were not toochoosy about their targets and even thoughRat had nothing to do with the Brotherhoodo Malice, the Guardsmen red at him anyway.He fed with the rest o the miners, hidingin the Shatters or he knew no one wouldollow him. What he didnt anticipate wasthe Antithesis Stone and its servants. Araid to

leave, but knowing he could last longer here,hes hidden in this room waiting until he ndsthe courage to make his way out.

Rat is a non-combatant, so his statistics arentnecessary. One shot to poor Rat is enough toend his career. However, i the PCs nd himand think to talk to him rst, they can learn aew valuable things about this wretched manand whats going on. Its clear by looking athis stained brown clothing that hes a miner.

Possible questions and their answers ollow.

Who are you?I did nothin wrong. Doan hurme please!

Again, who are you?I good man, loyal man, miner man! I Rat.

What are you doing down here?

I get lost! I end up here! Get away from guns!

Do you know where here is?Ya, this be the Shatters. I didn wan to go too far, but I

jes hide.

Do you know whats going on?Horrible things out there. I no go. They eat me!

To any other questions, Rat just gibbers in ear.

I the characters choose to take Rat along, hes

more o a liability than a help. He passes out atthe sight o anything gruesome, soiling himselin ear. He screams and jumps at shadows andin a ght, he runs around in circles, screamingor help. The best bet, i they dont just shoothim, is to leave him here and escort him to thesurace when the PCs are done.

6. More BodiesThis area is a large intersection. The light

shining in this area clearly reveals the carnage,and pools o semi-congealed blood cover thefoor. Any character that looks down the hallshould make an Awareness Test. On a success,the character sees a aint fickering glow in apinkish hue shining at the end.


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7. Mutants!This room holds 4 Mutants, ormer minerswho lost their way in the Shatters and werecorrupted by the light o the Antithesis Stone.They are hungry, savage, and well-armed. Ithey were alerted to the presence o the PCs,

such as by gunre in Area 3, they hide behindthe column o stone, emerging to surprise(see sidebar) the characters when they enterthis chamber. Otherwise, the Mutants aregathering centipedes or ood and are thussurprised when the characters enter. In eithercase, the Mutants ght to the bloody end.

DevelopmentAn examination o the corpses turns up little ointerest, except that one o the Mutants has oneletter rom the word Malice tattooed on eacho the six ngers o his let hand.

8. Into the DepthsWhile theres nothing o interest in thisroom, the corridor that leads out descendsdeeper into the Shatters. I youd like toexpand this scenario, you can by simplyadding more tunnels and more chambersand populating them with creatures similarto the ones presented in this scenario.

9. Blood BathOnce the PCs open the door to this room, readaloud or paraphrase the ollowing text:

So horric is this scene that all o thecharacters have to make Will Power Testsat a 10 penalty to the Characteristic. Thosewho ail are overcome with shock! Roll 1d100and or every 10 points by which the characterailed the test, add 10 to this roll. I the resultis 50 or less, the character gibbers or a ewseconds and then composes himsel. I the resultis 51 to 75, the character vomits in disgust. Ona result o 76 or higher, the character fees as

ast as he can run or 1d5 rounds.

Main Profle


22 22 36 36 22 22 30 25 20

Mutants

Movement: 2/4/6/12 Wounds: 10

Skills: Climb (S), Common Lore (Local)(Int), Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int),Survival (Int).

Talents: Melee Weapon Training(Primitive), Pistol Training (SP).

Traits: Mutation (Cosmetic - extra eyes,ngers, brightly patterned skin, and so on).

Weapons: Crowbars (Primitive Weapon;1d10+3), Stub Revolver (Pistol [SP];Range-30m; Rate o Fire-Single shot per

round; Damage-1d10+3; Penalty-0; Shotsper Clip-6 shots; Reload-2 Full actions).

Gear: Tattered clothing, combi-tool.


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10. Prometheum Tanks

This chamber holds nine tanks o extremelyammable (and explosive) prometheum. Haveall the characters make Intelligence Tests asthey draw close to identiy the smell. Thosethat succeed know that a stray shot could cause

the entire room and hundreds o metres in alldirections to be incinerated in a blast o fre.Read aloud or paraphrase the ollowing text:

This creature is a Mutant Abomination, aonce-human that has been so changed that itunrecognisable as being a mortal.

The trick with this encounter is, theprometheum tanks. Should the characters misswith one o their ranged attacks, they have a50% chance o setting o an uncontrollableexplosion that will spell the end o them,but also everyone and everything else in this

corrupted place. I the characters want to livehowever, theyre going to have to fght thisthing with melee weapons.

Main Profle


27 22 41 36 42 22 30 25 15

MutantaboMination

Corruption Points: 8 Insanity Points: 12


Skills: Awareness (Per), Ciphers(Occult) (Int), Climb (S), Common Lore(Underworld) (Int), Concealment (Ag),Silent Move (Ag), Speak Language (LowGothic) (Int), Survival (Int).

Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Primitive),Pistol Training (SP).

Traits: Mutation (Claws and Fangs).

Weapons: Natural weapons (Primitive;Claws and Fangs; Damage-1d10+4).


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11. The Antithesis StoneWhen the characters enter this chamber, readaloud or paraphrase the ollowing text:

At this point, have the players all makeToughnessTests with a +20 bonus to the Characteristic.The Antithesis hopes to change the PCs, alterthem and transorm them into Mutants. Anycharacter that passes the test is ne and is immuneto the stones malevolent glow. A character that

ails the test is sickened as his body rebels andtakes a 10 penalty to all tests or 1 hour. Acharacter that ails by 30 or more undergoes aterriying transormation, roll 1d5 and consultthe ollowing table to see what happens:

Ater the PCs succeed or ail on the test, theAntithesis Stone shudders and belches orth aterriying creature o the Warp: A plaguebearer!This daemon hasnt ully been released sincethe Stone lacks the power to ully maniestsuch a creature, so it is much weaker than a

plaguebearer normally would be (its Toughnessis lower than normal, it has hal its Wounds, andits Fearul presence is weaker).

DevelopmentThe daemon is conused or a round andcant take action, giving the PCs a reeround o attacks or to do something else.Cowardly characters might fee, but cleverones might think to use a rag grenade todeal with this horrid rock. I the PCs toss thegrenade, it instantly destroys the Stone andcasts the daemon back into the Immaterium.Otherwise, the characters are in or a brutal

ght. Otherwise, the PCs can shoot at thestone. Three successul hits are enough tocause it to shatter and break, dismissing thedaemon and ending its oul presence in thispart o the Shatters.


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Conclusion & Final Notes

Once the Acolytes destroy the stone, they haveremoved the most immediate threat to theGorgonid Mines and proved themselves morethan capable or the task their Inquisitor setbeore them. The PCs have little trouble makingtheir way out o the mines and eventually, by

ollowing the map, make their way to the suraceonce more. The Guardsmen are impressed,particularly the Commissar, who interrogatesthem about what they saw and encountered.While shaken that his men were all lost, he is

grateul the threat has passed and promises tospeak well o them to his superiors.

I any characters gained a mutation as a resulto the encounter with the stone, its probablythe end or them. While Mutants are sometimes

tolerated, they are generally not accepted withinthe Inquisition. The player who deals with thisunortunate PC receives a special recognitionrom their Inquisitor or their vigilance andcommitment to the Imperium.

Main Profle


35 25 35 30 30 30 45 40 10

Plaguebearer

Bloated and malormed, clutching rusted butcher blades and glaring out with a single milky-white eye, these oulest o daemons are walking incubators o the most terrible diseases andexcrescence, serving as they do Nurgle, Chaos power o decay and contagion.


Skills: Awareness (Per), Psyniscience (WP), Speak Language (any one) (Int).

Traits: Daemonic (TB 6), Dark-Sight, Daemonic Presence, Fear, From Beyond, Inected Wounds,Natural Weapons (Teeth or Claws), Warp Instability.

Daemonic Presence: All creatures within 20 metres see phantasmal fies with human aces swarm aboutthem, landing on and biting their fesh. As a result, they take a 10 penalty to Will Power Tests.

Infected Wounds: Any injuries inficted by a plaguebearer automatically become inected.

Weapons: Claws and Teeth (1d10+3; Primitive).

Plaguebearer Traits

The plaguebearer has the ollowing traits.

Daemonic: The plaguebearers Toughness Bonus is double against all attacks except or holy,psychic, and orce weapons.

Dark-Sight: The plaguebearer can see perectly in darkness.

Fear: All creatures that behold this daemon must take a Will Power test or fee in ear.

From Beyond: Daemons are immune to ear, pinning, insanity points, and psychic powers usedto cloud, control, or delude their minds.

Warp Instability: I the plaguebearer takes damage and does not deal damage to another creaturesby the end o its next turn, it must make a Will Power Test. The creature takes 1 damage orailure, plus 1 damage or every 10 points by which it ailed. I this would deal damage equal toor in excess o its Wounds, it is cast back into the Warp.


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Notes


29/3428

Appendix:The

Acolytes

Included here are our sample characters,enough or each player in this scenario. Youhave permission to photocopy each sheet,

so do so and distribute them to your players.Finally, at the end o this section is a handyreerence sheet (copy this too) that explains

what everything means.

Mir

Male Feral World Conscript

Men must die so that Man endures.

You hail rom thedeadly world oFedrid, whose or-ests are so denseand so ull odangerous preda-tors, the Imperiumstrictly orbidsoworlders romdescending on theplanet without a licence. Indeed, its awonder that your people have survived, so

hostile is Fedrid to human lie. Somehow,your tribes managed and established smallcolonies ormed out o a need or mutualdeence. Unortunately, your eorts areoten or naught, or the Imperium cullsthe best and brightest warriors rom yourtribes to ill the ranks o the ImperialGuard, which was how you ound yourselremoved rom everything you knew andbattling or your lie against horrid xenosand the shrieking tide o Chaos.

You ound the work o a Guardsmanespecially suited to you; your ghtingskills honed by ghting sabre cats, bloodwolves and worse on Fedrid, and it wasntlong beore you attracted the attention oLord Inquisitor Anton Zerbe o the OrdoHereticus. Impressed by your zeal, naturaltoughness, and ability to take orders,he lited you rom the aceless throng oGuardsmen and gave you a place in his

retinue. Having only served your master ora ew weeks, you are not yet comortablewith your duties and wonder where atewill take you.

You are a rangy young man with air skin,long brown hair and finty grey eyes. Whorlsand geometric symbols cover your fesh,tribal tattoos you gained as a right o passageto adulthood. You still wear the uniormo your battalion, a camoufaged suite oatigues and thick jungle boots, but youveworked in a number o disturbing trophies

taken rom your enemiesngers, locks ohair, and scraps o clothing. You believe thatby taking a trophy rom a vanquished oe,you gain ownership over his soul.

Main Profle


40 36 47 50 31 30 28 23 24

Movement: 3/6/9/18

Wounds: 14 Fate Points: 1

Skills: Awareness (Per), Speak Language(Low Gothic, Tribal Dialect) (Int), Swim (S).

Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Las), MeleeWeapon Training (Primitive), Pistol Training(Las), Sound Constitution.

Armour (Flak): Guard Flak Armour(Armour Points 4).

Weapons:Axe (Melee [Primitive]; Damage: 1d10+5;

Primitive, Unbalanced [10 parry]).Laspistol with 2 Charge Packs (Pistol [Las];

30m; RoF S//; Damage: 1d10+2;Clip 30; Reload: Full Action).

Long Las with 2 Charge Packs (Basic [Las];150m; RoF S//; Damage: 1d10+3;Clip 40; Reload: Full Action).

Gear: Uniorm, 1 Week o CS Rations,Imperial Inantrymans Upliting Primer.


30/3429

ISHMAELMale Hive World Dreg

Even a man who has nothing can still offer

his life.

For nearly fty years,you spent your liein the manuacto-rum o Malf, oneo the pre-eminenthive worlds in theCalixis Sector. Likeyour parents beoreyou, you toiled longhours, giving yourblood, sweat, and nearly all your time or thegood o the hive. It was a thankless existenceand one you were happy to perorm since youknew that your eorts added, even in a smallway, to the prosperity o your world.

Popular with connections throughout yourblock, many o the other dregs looked to youor leadership, to represent their interests to theAdministratum authorities that oversaw your

collective labours. You proudly championedyour people, instilling them with pride or themind-numbing tasks and encouraged them topush harder. Many believed that you wouldgo ar, rising above the rest to perhaps becomea oreman. You might have, but somethinginexplicable happened. One day, you enjoyedthe riendship and respect o your peers, theavours o your masters, and the next, everythingchanged. The only explanation was a mistake, amishap in the higher ofces that conused youor someone else. You were accused o murder,thet, acts so oul that to recall them causes youto shudder. Everywhere you turned, there werearbitrators and bounty hunters looking or you.You knew it was your duty to turn yourselin, to present your case, but deep down youunderstood that such a move would be hopelessand atal. So you hid, losing yoursel amidst themachinery that dominates the bowels o yourworld until you could fnd some way to escape.

The only way you could live was to get o theplanet and doing so was all but impossible in thedepths. So you drited upwards, creeping about,stealing ood to survive, until you came to one

o Malfs many spaceports. There you stowedaway on a ship, the frst ship you came upon, andhid in the cargo hold. The lighter escaped theatmosphere and it seemed as i you had slippedree. At least until you learned you were on thepersonal crat o Lord Inquisitor Anton Zerbe. You

were ound, clapped in irons, and dragged beorethe rightening Inquisitor. Being tossed out o theairlock was your ate, but somehow, the man sawsomething in you, perhaps your natural talentsat leadership or maybe your amiliarity with thedregs. He had you released in exchange or yourloyal service. You agreed. Your slate was cleaned,and youve been a loyal servant ever since.

You are pushing fty years old and a lie spentin the manuactorum has let its mark. You have

thinning brown hair and haunted brown eyes.Your dark skin is bleached white in places romexposure to chemicals and reagents and yourbear the scars o toiling in the oten dangerousenvironment. You have next to no possessionsexcept or the stained and torn coveralls youwore on Malf.

Main Profle


29 40 33 24 43 32 29 30 42

Movement: 4/8/12/24


Skills: Awareness (Per), Charm (Fel),Common Lore (Imperium) (Int), Deceive (Fel),Dodge (Ag), Navigation (Surace) (Int), SpeakLanguage (Hive Dialect, Low Gothic) (Int)

Talents: Basic Weapon Training (SP), MeleeWeapon Training (Primitive), Pistol Training(SP), Unremarkable

Armour (Primitive): Quilted Vest (BodyArmour Points 2)

Weapons:Hand Cannon with 2 Clips (Pistol [SP]; 35m;

RoF S//; Damage: 1d10+4; Clip 5;Reload: 2 Full Actions),

Brass Knuckles (Melee [Primitive]; Damage:1d5+2)

Knie (Melee or Thrown [Primitive]; Damage:1d5+3)

Gear: Stained Coveralls


31/3430

XANTHIA

Female Imperial World

Killer

Violence solves everything.

Zillmans Domainis a brutal world,trapped in a eudalmonarchy, wheremight makes right.I youre not oneo the kings sup-porters, you are apeasant and liveand die at thepleasure o yourbetters. For much o your lie, you lived inignorance o the larger world, content toserve and be used by the nobles o yourworld. Your lie took a sudden and drasticchange though when your pretty sister wasabducted by a flthy and lascivious lord orwho knows what purpose. You had heardstories o the lords appetites, but it was his

right. However, with the loss o your sis-ter, you elt, or the frst time, enraged, ap-palled at the unairness o your lie, and soyou decided to take matters into your ownhands. Against all reason and good sense,you crept into the lords castle, ound hisbedchambers and brutally murdered him.

That should have been the end o yourstory, since ater you were caught, youwere rog-marched to the gallows to hang.But it wasnt the end. Just as they slippedthe noose over your neck, a dark man osinister mien interceded on your behal. Heappraised you with his sparkling black eyesand you elt his presence in your mind.He demanded that you serve him and iyou did, you would be rewarded. Deathby hanging was not the ate you had inmind or yoursel, and so aced with noother option, you agreed. You were cutdown, given proper clothing and was then

spirited away rom Zillmans Domain orthe rest o your days.

Having only been in the Inquisitorsretinue or a ew short weeks, you have

ound the arrangement to your liking. Youresent his command, but the promise ohoning your talents is attractive. Yourecontent, or now, to see where your servicewill take you, but are ready to make a runor it at any time.

Although you spent many years ona Medieval World, you have embracedthe wonders o civilisation, even goingso ar as to get an electoo on your armand purple lenses to give your eyes anexotic look. You have long blonde hair,but youve dyed the ends black. You weartight-itting leathers that both enhanceyour physical assets and warn people tokeep their distance.

Main Profle


38 37 26 36 42 28 35 31 34

Movement: 4/8/12/24


Skills: Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag), SilentMove (Ag), Speak Language (Low Gothic)

(Int).

Talents: Ambidextrous, Heightened Senses(Sight), Melee Weapon Training (Primitive),Pistol Training (Las).

Weapons:Laspistol with 2 Charge Packs (Pistol [Las];

30m; RoF: S//; Damage: 1d10+2;Clip 30; Reload: Full Action).

Compact Laspistol with 1 Charge Pack

(Pistol [Las]; 15m; RoF: S//;Damage: 1d10+1; Clip 15; Reload: FullAction).

Sword (Melee [Primitive]; Damage:1d10+2;Balanced [+10 to parry]).

Knie (Melee or Thrown [Primitive];Damage: 1d5+2).

Gear: Corpse Hair Charm, Stealth Gear(Common Clothing).


32/3431

CIMBRIAFemale Void Born Trooper

There are no civilians in the battle for survival.

Driting throughthe gul o space,you were bornand spent much oyour lie on a rag-ged mass o otsamand jetsamthebarely spaceworthyremains o a spacehulk. Isolated andadrit, your peoplewere largely insane and many held hereticalviews, a act that concerned you being well-versed in the Imperium and the responsibili-ties o its citizens. You took it upon yoursel toroot out heresy and corruption and to retainthe right-thinking o good Imperium citizens.You were a bit too aggressive, which made youunpopular, but those who ollowed your ex-ample saw in you a pious commitment to the

God-Emperor.Having escaped nearly a dozen

assassination attempts and personally killedalmost as many mutants and suspectedmutants, you came to see your home as beingstiing, and that you could do greater deedsby serving the Imperium more directly. Thechance you had waited or came when theLord Inquisitor paid a visit to your hulk. Hewalked the corridors, inspecting the people,searching or any sign o heretical behaviour.You, o course, made yoursel available to him,sticking close to his side to cater to his everywhim. He ound little evidence o anythingamiss until he interviewed your parents.From his scrutiny, he deemed them cultists oChaos and ordered their deaths. Your parentsdenied the claims, but the Inquisitor coulddo no wrong. You oered to execute theheretics yoursel and the Inquisitor allowedit. When the deed was done, he plucked you

rom the space hulk and invited you to joinhis retinue.

Though the deaths o your parents, as wellas your hand in the act, has been hard to

endure, you have ew regrets. Through yournew master, you have the chance to do greatthings and purge the heretics rom the greatImperium. Each day, you strive to prove yourworth in the hopes that you will one daybecome an inquisitor yoursel.

People fnd you disturbing. You are analbino, with wispy thin blonde hair thatsnearly white and blood-red eyes. Your milkyskin, nearly translucent, clings to your skeletalrame. You wear long black robes trimmed insilver beneath a heavy black ak vest thatsseen its share o action.

Main Profle


28 39 23 38 32 33 30 38 33

Movement: 3/6/9/18


Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Lore(Adeptes Arbites, Imperium) (Int), Inquiry(Fel), Literacy (Int), Scrutiny (Per), SpeakLanguage (Low Gothic, Ship Dialect) (Int).

Talents: Basic Weapon Training (SP), Melee

Weapon Training (Primitive), Pistol Training(Las), Rapid Reload.

Armour (Flak): Flak Vest (Armour Points 3).

Weapons:Laspistol with 2 Charge Packs (Pistol [Las];

30m; RoF S//; Damage: 1d10+2;Clip 30; Reload: Full Action).

Hunting Rie with 3 Clips (Basic [SP]; 150m;RoF S//; Damage: 1d10+3; Clip 5;

Reload: Full Action).Club (Melee [Primitive]; Damage: 1d10+2).Brass Knuckles (Melee [Primitive]; Damage:

1d5+1),Knie (Melee [Primitive]; Damage: 1d5+2).

Gear: Good Uniorm, Arbitrator ID, Chrono,Pack o Lho Sticks.


33/34

Skills & TalentsReference Sheet

Skill Name Characteristic DescriptionBasic

Awareness Perception Use to detect items, small details and hidden dangers.

Climb Strength Use to ascend or descend sheer surfaces.

Concealment Agility Use to hide in your surroundings, requires an opposed

check against an viewers Awareness to hide successfully.

Silent Move Agility Use to move around silently, requires an opposed check

against a listeners Awareness.

Advanced

Ciphers Intelligence Use to decipher complicated communications or obscure

marks and signs.

Common Lore Intelligence Use to recall the habits, institutions, traditions and

superstitions of a particular world, culture or race.

Psyniscience Perception Use to detect disturbances from the Warp from psychic

phenomena or the presence of daemons.

Speak Language Intelligence Use to communicate with others with a common language.

Survival Intelligence Use to subsist in foreign environments by hunting,

foraging, nding a refuge and constructing shelter..

Talent Name Prerequisite Beneft

Ambidextrous Ag 30 Use either hand equally well.

Basic Weapon Training Use weapon group without penalty.

Heightened Senses Gain +10 bonus to particular sense.

Melee Weapon Training Gain prociency with a group of melee weapons.

Pistol Training Gain prociency with a group of pistol weapons.

Rapid Reload Reduce reload time.

Sound Constitution Gain an additional Wound.

Unremarkable You are easily forgettable.

32


34/34

Make ready your chainsword,

strap on your bolter, and saya prayer to the God-Emperor,or Warhammer 40,ooo:

Dark Heresy is here. Stepinto the role o an agent o

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ISBN 1-84416-963-4

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shattered hope lo

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