Edge of Darkness

The Inquisition’s attention has been stirred by the discovery of a body on the Sibellus transit rail. This is not in itself an uncommon occurrence; however, the body, under forensic examination, showed extensive signs of surgical tampering and illegal organ-grafting indicative of heretical science. The Inquisition has kept the body and the incident under wraps and has determined it to be that of a missing hab-worker called Saul Arbest. Arbest was reported missing over a month ago by his sister, from his home in the dilapidated Coscarla Division area of Hive Sibellus. The Inquisition is interested in just how this heretical biocraft wound up in the body of this otherwise unremarkable citizen and dispatched a team of acolytes to covertly investigate matters.

The mission is in progress. Timestamp: Day 1, 2100 Hours, Hab-Night

Background

Coscarla Division: Geohistorical and Demographic Overview

Map: Area of Interest

The Coscarla Division is a sub-district of Hive Sibellus on the Sector Capital world of Scintilla. Built on the remains of what was once the splendor of the House Coscarla Estates, the district is a seventy-kilometer square conglomeration of warren-like tenement-habs and their attendant infrastructure that has grown up between the vast ruined arches and fallen statuary of its noble past. The Coscarla was until recent years a relatively reliable low-hive district, predominantly populated by indentured labor classes, but has since suffered deprivation, disaster, and a loss in status thanks to a series of misfortunes and incidents. Primary among these have been the damage caused by unrestrained wildfires during the recent Reinholt Blackouts (the Coscarla being one of seventeen affected hive zones), although the long term withering of the fortunes of the Tantalus Combine, (see Addendum) had begun to have significant adverse effects long before that calamity. The Coscarla Division currently awaits Administratum revaluation of its status (projected due process time until preliminary ruling: 3-7 years standard), but unsubstantiated data indicates over 60% of the Coscarla is now effectively a waste/scavenger zone and the viable population is now confined to smaller sub-zones clustered around transit and utility access points. The division’s population is also in catastrophic decline, its infrastructure remains effectively crippled and lawlessness, poor social cohesion, and poverty all exponentially increasing.

Addendum: The State of the Tantalus Combine

The Combine, a long-standing cartel of several Houses Minoris of the Sibellan nobility has seen a drastic decline in its fortunes over the last decade. Its fall from power has been brought on by hostile competition from the Skaelen-Har Hegemony and severe damage to its assets and prestige endured during the period of intrigues and vendettas known popularly as the “Vthorran Promenades” [cert.ref: Activities of the Lucid Court]. The resulting effects on several districts of the Sibellus and Tarsus Hives, formerly under the Combine’s sway, have been profound. In the Coscarla Division where Tantalus was the majority power, the Combine has sold on the indenture contracts of thousands of skilled workers and the labor force that remains now works only to meet their master’s debts. As a result, whole swathes of families have been up-rooted or have deserted from the district, thus the effective economic and monetary input to the region is now negligible. The Tantalus Combine is suffering a long, drawn-out death and is kept going only by its own fading inertia and the legal wrangling over the disposition of its carcass. It has ceased to exist effectively as a cohesive organization or political entity.

Dramatis Personae

Acolytes

Dr. Hoyal

A former Sister Hospitaller who left do to an unhealthy interest in discovery via autopsy and poor bedside manner. (Erik)

• Attrabutes: Brawn: 2; Agility 2; Intellect: 3; Cunning: 2; Willpower 3; Presence: 2; Wounds: 10; Strain: 14
• Skills: Cool 2; Discipline 1; Scholastic Lore 2; Medicine 2; Melee 1; Resilience 1; Vigilance 1
  • Brilliant: 1/session, spend a story point to make a check with skill ranks equal to Intellect.
  • Surgeon (2): Heal 2 additional wound with Medicine checks
  • Knack For It (Medicine): Remove two setback from Medicine Checks
• Gear: Light Laspistol (D5, C4, Short, Reliable), Callapsible Baton (D+2, C3, Melee), Vest (+1 Soak), Medical Kit

Decon Leversee

A talented preacher from a large upper-midhive cathedral. (Tim)

• Attrabutes: Brawn: 1; Agility 2; Intellect: 3; Cunning: 2; Willpower 3; Presence: 3; Wounds: 11; Strain: 12
• Skills: Charm 2; Cool 2; Coercion 2; Deception 1; Common Lore 1; Negotiation 1; Streetwise 1
  • Forceful Personality: 1/session spend a story point double strain inflicted or healed.
  • Bought Info: Pay 50 times difficulty of check to succeed a Common or Scholastic lore check
  • Clever Retort: 1/encounter, Automatically add 2 threat to another Character’s social check
  • Scathing Tirade: Make an Average Coercion Check, for each success one enemy suffers 1 strain, for each advantage, 1 effected enemy suffers 1 additional strain.
• Gear: Ornamental Pistol (D4, C3, Short, Accurate), Ornamental Sword (D+1, Crit 3, Melee, Defensive), Underarmor (+1 Soak)

Hiver Jergor

A lower-hive survivor and scapegrace who turned from freelance work to the inquisition.

• Attrabutes: Brawn: 2; Agility 3; Intellect: 2; Cunning: 3; Willpower 1; Presence: 2; Wounds: 12; Strain: 12
• Skills: Charm 1; Cool 1; Coordination 1; Deception 2; Ranged 1; Skulduggery 2; Stealth 1; Streetwise 2
  • To Clever by Half: 1/session before making a check with Boost Dice, may double boost dice. Suffer 6 strain if this check fails.
  • Forager: Remove up to 2 setback from skill checks to find food, water or shelter
  • Rapid Reaction (2): Suffer 2 strain to gain +2 Success on Initiative Rolls
  • Unremarkable: Others suffer +1 failure to find or identify the character.
• Gear: Stub Revolver (D6, C3, Short); 2 Hidden Knives (D+1, C4, Melee, +2 Black to Find); Underarmor (+1 Soak)

LT. Persyn

A youngish ex-PDF Lieutenant. (Karen)

• Attrabutes: Brawn: 2; Agility 3; Intellect: 2; Cunning: 2; Willpower 2; Presence: 3; Wounds: 12; Strain: 12
• Skills: Coercion 1; Cool 1; Discipline 1; Leadership 2; Melee 1; Perception 1; Ranged 2; Common Lore 1
  • Ready for Anything: 1/session flip a Story Point
  • Parry: Suffer 3 strain to reduce Melee Damage by 3
  • Knack For it (Cool): Remove 2 setbacks from Cool checks
  • Coordinated Assault: 2 allies within engaged gain +1 Advantage on all combat checks for 1 turn.
• Gear: Lasgun (D8, C3, Long); Bayonet (D+1/+2, C4, Melee); Flak Vest (+2 Soak)

Bone'ead Norg

A well-meaning and loyal Ogryn. Shown an aptitude to applied feats of strength. (Lisa)

• Attrabutes: Brawn 4; Agility 1; Intellect 1; Cunning 2; Willpower 2; Presence 1; Wounds 16; Strain 11
• Skills: Athletics 2; Brawl 2; Melee 2; Perception 1; Ranged 1; Resilience 2; Vigilance 1
  • Unnatural Toughness: +1 Soak
  • Just a Scratch: May roll Resilience after combat instead of Cool or Discipline. Gain 1 strain per success and 1 wound per 2 advantage.
  • Durable: Reduce Critical Hits by 10
  • Toughened: +2 wounds (Included)
• Defensive Stance: Suffer 1 strain to upgrade melee checks against you. (1 round)
• Gear: Handcannon (D8, C3, Short, Blast 4, Knockdown, Vicious 2, Cumbersome 4); Slab Shield (D+2, C6, Melee, Defensive 2, Cumbersome 4)

Tech-Adept Theta-7

An inducted adept of Mars who's been disterbed by the poor maintenance of the lower hive. (Mark)

• Attrabutes: Brawn 3; Agility 1; Intellect 3; Cunning 2; Willpower 2; Presence 2; Wound 10; Strain 14
• Skills: Computers 2; Discipline 1; Forbidden Lore 2; Scholastic Lore 1; Mechanics 2; Perception 2; Vigilance 1
  • Brilliant: 1/session, spend a story point to make a check with skill ranks equal to intellect.
  • Durable: Reduce Critical Hits by 10
  • Knack for It (Mechanics): Remove 2 Setback dice from Mechanics Checks
  • Knack for It (Computer): Remove 2 Setback dice from Mechanics Checks
  • Lucky Strike (Intellect): On successful Combat check, spend a story point to deal +3 damage
• Gear: Arc Pistol (D4, C4, Short, Disorient 3); Arc Gauntlet (D+1, C4, Melee, Disorient 3); Energy Fields (+1 Defense), Omnitool

NPCs

• Interrogator Sand: A senior agent of the Inquisition, scholar, and medicae. He comes across as a superior and somewhat jaded man. Sand was the one who briefed the Acolytes on the investigation into Saul Arbest, as well as the man who performed the original inquisitorial autopsy.

• Saul Arbest (Deceased): Saul’s fate is the root of this investigation; this missing worker’s corpse and, in particular, its hidden modifications are the reason for the Acolyte’s involvement. In life Arbest was a man on the slide, laid-off from his indenture, without work, and without a future. He drank too much, used his mouth too freely, and paid a very heavy price.

• Lili Arbest (Fled): Saul’s sister, Lili is a young woman grown old with worry before her time. She is a skilled worker who feared to leave Coscarla before the mystery of her missing brother was forgotten. The ransacking of her apartment was the last straw to her already shaken mind, and at the acolytes' urging, she fled to another district.

• Preacher Fayban Zed: Wine-soaked, disheveled, and thoroughly useless religious minister of the Imperial Creed. He rarely leaves his small temple and conducts faltering services for the faithful. He was with Saul on the night that he vanished and held some of the secrets of Saul’s disappearance.

• “Chord” Luntz: A minor boss for one of the greater narco-gang syndicates, Luntz is here to take the syndicate’s due from the low-hive's drug traffic. He is currently based out of the upper floor of the old "Worker's Union" public house, the lower of which is filled with a mix of his gangers and obscura-addicted clients. (Has not been encountered to yet.)

• Director Sybas Moran (Deceased): The director of the Tantalus Alms House, Moran presents himself as a cold but efficient adept, administering a dwindling supply of alms and assistance for the good of the workers. In truth, he was a desperate man who knew he made a deal with the devil. He was killed by a violator implant when he was on the verge of talking.

• Dr. Angelika Dumag: Hospitaller trained chirurgeon who works swing-shift in the hospice wing of the Alms House. Seemed to know something strange was going on, but was being willfully ignorant to keep helping the people of Coscarla.

• RN Marleen Aipopo: The swing shift nurse who works the intake room at the Alms House. She became suspicious of the party after hearing a loud thump from the director's office. Was convinced to stay quiet after being shown the inquisitorial symbol.

Material Assets

• Coscarla Pass Tokens: (One per Acolyte) These coded devices, each about the size of a small thick coin, will allow them legal clearance for the Coscarla Division and free passage on the transit rail around the mid-hive area.
• Coblast Assay Cognomen: (One per Acolyte) These encrypted metal punch cards are identity markers, there is one tailored for each of the Acolytes and they include an enforcer code tag allowing them to carry arms for self-defense. They signify that the Acolytes are “bonded agents for the Coblast Assay”, a Sibellan mercantile operation of somewhat dubious repute but not inconsiderable power, specializing in tech salvage and “manpower services”. Such men and women are known in hive “cant” as regulators—hired guns, couriers, tracers, manhunters, mercenaries, and other specialists. Coblast’s less than savory reputation makes their appearance in Coscarla an “easy sell” to the casual observer, and their cognomen of course will stand up to any official scrutiny. Note that these are not “false” identity cards, the Inquisition has had a material hand in the Coblast operation for some time.
• Hand Vox: (One per Acolyte) These are cheap and battered-looking personal communication devices that use a private encrypted channel and are good for a range of a few hundred meters in the hive. Sand will happily explain that thanks to signal interference in the areas of the hive where they are going, vox traffic is almost impossible over any real distance or between levels, except by wire station, but these hand vox will let them keep in touch with each other at least.
• Low Hiver’s Overcoats: (One per Acolyte) These voluminous and somewhat tattered patchwork leather and canvas high-collared overcoats are common low-hiver garb in Sibellus and will easily fit over anything the Acolytes are wearing.
• Coded Data-Slate: This worn-looking brass-cased data-slate carries basic copies of the information found in their briefing, a series of maps and data about the Coscarla and (largely empty) files on the Arbasts, including pictures of them and addresses taken from the Administratum register. The slate also has basic short-range audio and visual recording and playback functions. The slate features a five key input code, if it is accessed without this, its core memory will be wiped and replaced with mundane Coblast Assay documents.
• Bioscanner: A small pre-tuned auspex device that can identify the type of anomalies biological material used in the organs found in Saul Arbast, as well as provide some information as to the nature of the anomaly. Unfortunately, the scanner only works out to about 30cm and takes about thirty seconds to get gather even preliminary results.
• Bio-Sample Kit: Added as something of a hopeful afterthought, this satchel carries three small bio-storage tubes and a small field surgery kit with gloves, knives, scalpels, and forceps.

Money Pouch: This pouch contains 120 Thrones in loose coin and used notes. (20 used so far.)

Case Notes

Locations

Tantalus Alms House

Provided in Coscarla’s better days has as a display of the Tantalus Combine’s power, benevolence, and largesse, this is large building is fronted with green marble, decorated and over-sculpted, prominently displaying the Combine’s crest of a gilded scarab before a crossed pair of burning torches. The building is essentially split into two wings, with the Medicae taking over the ground floor of one and the soup kitchen taking over the other. Like the rest of Coscarla, the building has become dilapidated and run down, most of its services have been closed down and its staff reduced to a single director and a handful of subordinates to run the services him. Twice a day, at the midpoint of the day cycle and the dinner hour, the refectory serves a bowl of protein gruel and a hunk of starch-bread from its soup kitchen (until its vats run dry) to all that can provide a valid citizen pass or pay the demi-Throne for the meal.

The Acolytes have visited the Alms House twice. Once when they just visited the medicae wing and talked with Angelika, and again later to visit the soup kitchen and Director Moran.

• Numerous individuals were being accepted as "Post-Surgery" without surgeries having been listed.
• It is both more full and better supplied then it's it should be.
• About sixty days ago, the Tantalus Combine sent a letter saying they're stopping shipments.
• About sixty days ago, shipments improved in quality.

Hab-Stack 7-17

Hab-Stack 7-17 is a boxy, grey ten-story block decorated with arched window surrounds and stacked tiers of carved scarab blazons. The stack sits about twenty minutes' walk along with one of the main roadways from the square. It can be identified by what’s left of the roadway signs that haven’t been vandalized or burned out. Despite a generally disheveled appearance, it seems outward to be in as good an order as any in the area. Inside, the main entrance doors have been broken open and much of the foyer has been vandalized and thoroughly scavenged. The elevator doors are stuck open, displaying a black void, the only way up is by a stairwell decorated with damaged murals depicting active and happy workers, stylized representations of hive nobles dispensing bounty from on high and icons of the city’s powerful. Aside from some muted noises from behind a few shuttered doors, the whole building seems empty, silent, and devoid of activity. A definite and abiding sense of dread hangs over the place, far worse than anything you have otherwise encountered. Saul’s 7th-floor chamber, a simple three-meter by eight-meter slot chamber with a water closet and a single arched window, was found ransacked. Lili's chamber, identical in its original construction, was found virtually demolished.

• Lili was found in Saul's apartment. The apartment was thoroughly looted, but otherwise unremarkable.
• Lili's apartment was opened and damaged by something of peak-human or inhuman strength.
• Asking around with the neighbors confirmed a loud noise around 0300 hours the night it was destroyed.

2rd Tantalus Workers Union

The Workers’ Union hall is a bar and venue that was provided by the Tantalus Combine for the use of its workers, a common practice that attempts to empty their indentures’ pockets of what little coin the masters have paid them. The establishment has suffered greatly under its current sponsor, the Sibellan narco-gang syndicates. Vandalized, brutalized, and bullet-ridden, the bar was not a welcoming place for the Acolytes, filled with nervous gang blades, morose drinkers, and smashed-up addicts. The only regular clientele is the gang boss “Chord” Luntz and his crew who use the upstairs rooms in the hall as a base of operations. Various drifting scum, gangers, and recidivists regularly come to arrange deals. The Workers’ Union is not a place to gather rumors or ask direct questions, as the clientele and staff are well aware of what Luntz would do to them for talking to strangers.

• "Chord" Luntz has been identified as the gang boss with his office upstairs.
• The Acolytes have so far avoided starting a brawl in the bar, but only barely.
• Saul is known to have drunk here regularly before he disappeared.

Southern Templum

This is a small chapel to the Imperial Creed and the sole remaining house of worship in Southern Coscarla. Inside the icons and statuary are alight with hundreds of tallow candles, all lit by the lost and the desperate, each one for a vanished friend, family member, or a scream heard in the night. This is perhaps the truest and most visual indicator of just how bad things have become in Coscarla.

• The preacher was the last to see Saul in normal state. Confirmed the timeline.
• Confirms the large and consistent number of disappearances in the district.

Discoveries

Saul Arbest

• Saul was last seen headed to the Alms House to have a knife wound looked at. (32 days ago)
• Saul's name appeared on the Alms House entry, but no attending physician is listed.
• Lili reported Saul missing 25 days ago.
• Lili asked around about Saul "one last time" 1 day ago.
• Saul's most recent surgery showed signs of being between 10 and 12 days old.
• Saul's time of death was four hours before the body was discovered, which was 3 days before the Acolytes were summoned.
• Saul's modifications included some kind of neural override, a hidden compartment, and organs of unknown or indeterminate purpose.

Missing Persons

• Individuals are disappearing from the district consistently of the last ~30 days.
• There has been an increase over the last ten days.
• There are rumors of boogie men or terrifying assailants in the dark.

Narco-Ring

• The drugs hitting the streets here seems generally better than usual, but with occasional bad trips.
• Controlled by a tight-knit group of gangers out of the Worker's Union pub.
• Associated Gangers seems a little more on edge than would be expected.

Open Leads and Questions

• What, if anything, does gang-leader “Chord” Luntz know about these activities?
• How are additional supplies coming in?
• Who (or what) attacked Lili's Apartment?
• How did Saul's body get onto the train?