Warhammer 40k - Various Wh40k Games - Dark Heresy - The Edge of Darkness (1E).pdf - Dark Heresy - Wandersmann

The Edge of Darkness

An Introduction to

Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay: Dark Heresy

Design and Writing: Alan Bligh

Thanks to: John French

Editing: Mike Mason

Black Industries Manager: Mike Mason

Graphic Design and Layout: Adrian Wood

Head of BL Publishing: Marc Gascoigne

Cartography: Mark Raynor

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A Black Industries Publication

First published in 2007 by Black Industries,

an imprint of BL Publishing

BL Publishing

Games Workshop. Ltd

Willow Road

Nottingham

NG7 2WS

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The Edge of

Darkness

It is the 41st Millennium. For more than a hundred centuries the Emperor has sat immobile on the

Golden Throne of Earth. He is the master of mankind by the will of the gods, and master of a

million worlds by the might of his inexhaustible armies. He is a rotting carcass writhing invisibly

with power from the Dark Age of Technology. He is the Carrion Lord of the Imperium for whom a

thousand souls are sacrificed every day, so that he may never truly die.

Yet in his deathless state, the Emperor continues his eternal vigilance. Mighty battle fleets cross the

Daemon-infested miasma of the Warp, the only route between distant stars, their way lit by the

Astronomican, the psychic manifestation of the Emperor’s will. Vast armies give battle in his name on

uncounted worlds. Greatest amongst his soldiers are the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines, bio-

engineered super-warriors. Their comrades in arms are legion: the Imperial Guard and countless

planetary defence forces, the ever-vigilant Inquisition and the Tech-Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus

to name but a few. But for all their multitudes, they are barely enough to hold off the ever-present

threat from aliens, heretics, mutants—and worse.

To be a man is such times is to be one amongst untold billons. It is to live in the cruellest and

most bloody regime imaginable. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been

forgotten, never to be re-learned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for in the grim

darkness of the far future, there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of

carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of the thirsting gods.

“The greatest resource our Holy Imperium possesses is the fathomless multitudes

of humanity itself. No power is mightier and no force more dreadful when turned

to a single purpose. By human hands alone we have remade stars in our image.

By this token the wise know that true power lies in the mastery of blood and

bone, in the very meat of mankind.”

—Quastor General, Brantus Hurst, Departmento Munitorium

Penitential Command.

Introduction

recommended, as each will have more

than a fair chance to shine as the adven-

ture progresses.

In order to help out novice GMs a far

amount of advice on running the adven-

ture and using the rules has been included

in the text.

Using the Edge of

Darkness

The Edge of Darkness is an investigation-

based introductory adventure for use with

Dark Heresy . It is intended for a group of

two to four players and will probably take

three or six evening sessions of play to com-

plete. The adventure starts with a mysterious

death connected to a forlorn district of the

vast hive city of Scintilla. The circumstances

surrounding this death have piqued the

interest of the Inquisition and the player-

Acolytes will be called upon to act covertly

to explore the matter further. If you’re plan-

ning to play an Acolyte in this investigation,

you should read no further—as you’ll spoil

the mystery! However, if you are going be

the Game Master (GM), then read on.

This adventure is intended

as a prelude to Dark

Heresy —Black Industries’

forthcoming role playing

game of intrigue, adventure

and horror in the 41 st Mil-

lennium. This adventure

focuses the Acolytes being

“undercover” agents. Edge of

Darkness is a self contained

adventure intended for

Acolytes fresh to the Inqui-

sition’s service and can be

used as a taster for some of

the themes and stories that

the game focuses on, as

well as, an immersive intro-

duction to the whole

Warhammer 40,000 universe.

The adventure also

makes an excellent prelude

to a start of an ongoing

series of adventures if you

already have the Dark

Heresy Core Rulebook

in your hands ; in which

case just ignore the Quick

Start Rules listed here.

For obvious reasons, the

full extent of Dark Heresy’s

rules and systems cannot be

repeated here, however a

sampling of basic game

mechanics can be found in

the Quick Start Rules on

page 25 (we suggest that

GMs print off these rules

pages for their players to

use as handy reference).

Additional rules and GMs

tips have been strategically

dotted around the sce-

nario—do make sure to

read through these rules

carefully. Six introductory

Acolyte Player Characters

(PCs) have also been cre-

ated for your use and these

can be downloaded from

the Black Industries web-

site. Other than this

adventure, you’ll need some

ten-sided dice (d10) ideally

two per player, and of

course some willing play-

ers!

Adventure

Background

Heresy and evil takes root most readily and

most easily in forlorn and forgotten places,

be they on distant worlds, in isolated com-

munities or, as here, in a place that has

become the victim of disaster, economic

starvation and slow neglect. In the shadows

of the mighty spires of Hive Sibellus on the

world of Scintilla, in a run down and decay-

ing district called the Coscarla Division, a

criminal and heretical conspiracy has taken

hold. Using the destitute and fearful popu-

lous as a shield and a ready supply of

“material” when needed, an individual going

by the name of “the Churgeon” and her

lackeys have set up a hidden medical facility

to conduct horrific and forbidden experi-

ments. In order to mask their activities, the

tech cult has infiltrated and secretly usurped

control of both a local Alms House and the

area’s enforcers to further their ends, and is

supplying chemical serums to criminal

narco-gangs in order to induce their com-

plicity in the cult’s dark plans.

The Churgeon is a renegade tech-adept

in the employ of the heretical cult known as

the Logicians. She is a bio-sculptor whose

particular area of interest is the creation of

(illegal) alchemical serums and artificial

organs to augment human biology. She

requires live human subjects for experimen-

tation and the downtrodden people of

Coscarla have proved a ready source of vic-

tims. She has no care for the lives of her

servants or for those her macabre experi-

ments kill or mutilate, and already her

servants have “vanished” scores of Coscarla’s

people. One such abducted experimental

subject, a man named Saul Arbest, managed

to escape before dying on the transit rail. It

is his body, once discovered, that sparks the

Inquisition’s interest in the matter and the

involvement of the Acolytes.

Once the Churgeon’s current round of

tests are concluded, she intends to cover her

tracks by releasing a biological agent to

mimic the effects of a plague outbreak,

killing perhaps tens of thousands of people

in the process. She has done it before, and if

not stopped, shall do it again.

GMs Briefing

The Edge of Darkness is a mystery

adventure and has much in common

with a detective story, with the first

“clue” being the discovery of the body

of a hab-worker named Saul Arbest.

From here the PCs are presented with a

number of different leads to follow,

which in turn will generate further clues

and information, leading them ultimately

to the uncovering of a conspiracy of

heretical science which, if not stopped

by the Acolytes, could lead to the deaths

of a great many more people.

As with many such investigation and

interaction based adventures, there is no

exact “right” or “wrong” path in Edge of

Darkness. Although some approaches

and pursuing certain leads will be more

effective than others. Indeed, the wrong

question in the wrong ear, or the overt

display of force too early in the adven-

ture will have very unpleasant

consequences as the villains of the piece

will become aware of the PCs investiga-

tion and consequently come “gunning”

for the Acolytes with possibly fatal

results. Open adventures (like this one),

reward clever, imaginative and involved

players, and unravelling secret plots,

pursuing the truth behind strange

events and uncovering dark conspira-

cies in this fashion are some of the core

themes that Dark Heresy deals with.

This is not to say that adventures such

as this lack action, or indeed horror, far

from it, as in this case the villains

behind the plot are monstrous individu-

als guilty of gruesome crimes who will

have to be stopped by force. In addi-

tion, the setting itself is a dangerous

one, where violence threatens at any

moment. As a result a mixture of com-

bative and more cerebral characters are

From Shattered

Hope to the

Edge

Synopsis of the Adventure

of the Churgeon’s alchem-lab are revealed—

one way or the other. The results of this

exposure may well force the enemy into the

open and the Acolytes will find themselves

fighting for their lives with no escape readily

available. If this comes to pass, the Acolytes

will have to be smart to survive and overcome

the Churgeon and her minions, perhaps enlist-

ing help from some unexpected sources to do

so. Triumphing over the evils of the Churgeon

will be difficult but rewarding, and ultimately

will save a great many lives, as well as proving

the Acolytes’ worth as new agents for the

Holy Ordos.

The adventure is divided in to three distinct parts,

the first is a narrated introductory section where

the Acolytes are brought together by the Inquisi-

tion and briefed on the matter at hand. In the

second part, the Acolytes are left to their own ini-

tiative to explore and investigate the dead man

and the Coscarla Division district where the

adventure’s action is set. Depending on the fruits

of their progress (or indeed as a consequence of

their blundering,) the third part of the adventure,

where the uncovered conspiracy must be fought

and defeated, can kick in at any point, proving

the adventure’s conclusion in a fast-paced kill or

be killed conflict.

Dark Heresy’s first pub-

lished demo adventure

Shattered Hope was an

action-oriented adventure

that dealt with events at the

Gorgonid Mine on the

world of Sepheris Secun-

dus. This adventure,

however, assumes no need

for that demo to have been

played first and starts with

a group of newly recruited

Acolytes for convenience of

play. You can of course

carry on one adventure

from the other (in either

order). If you wish to fol-

low on from Shattered Hope,

then it is reasonable to

assume that sufficient time

has passed for wounds to

heal, during which the

Acolytes will have been

thoroughly questioned and

tested for contamination.

Both this adventure and

Shattered Hope make for

excellent preludes to Illumi-

nations —the larger starting

adventure contained within

the Dark Heresy rule-

book.

Dramatis Personae

Part I: Among the Missing

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 occur-

rence; however the body, under forensic

examination, showed extensive signs of surgi-

cal 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 hereti-

cal biocraft wound up in the body of this

otherwise unremarkable citizen and will brief

the Acolytes as to what is known and dispatch

them to covertly investigate matters.

Here are several important Non Player Char-

acters (NPCs) involved in the adventure,

detailing their personalities and motivations.

Owing to the adventure’s set up and freeform

structure, there are quite a few characters

involved, not all of these characters may actu-

ally come into play as their roles in the

adventure are dependent upon the Acolytes

and how your players approach things.

Interrogator Sand: A senior agent of the

Inquisition, scholar and medicae. He comes

across as a superior and somewhat jaded man.

Sand is the one who charges the Acolytes to

undertake the investigation into Saul Arbest.

Saul Arbest (Deceased): Saul’s fate is the

root of this investigation; this missing worker’s

corpse and, in particular, its hidden modifica-

tions 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.

Part II: The Twilight City

Here the Acolytes travel to the Coscarla Divi-

sion to investigate the dead man and gather as

many clues as they can. They will find an area

of the city dying from slow urban decay and

held hostage to a nameless fear, and if success-

ful, they will uncover evidence that something

truly evil is coiling at the heart of things.

There are opportunities for numerous encoun-

ters here, including interaction with local

NPCs both fair and foul, and although combat

is by no means guaranteed, the Acolytes may

end up in a violent confrontation with local

criminal gangs, corrupt enforcers, murderous

dregs or even a barroom brawl. If the Acolytes

are circumspect and successful, they will be

drawn to what goes on behind the public

façade of the Tantalus Alms House for their

answers. If they have aroused the suspicions of

their unseen enemies, they might find them-

selves dragged to the Alms House as the

Churgeon’s latest victims.

Lili Arbest: Saul’s sister, Lili is a young woman

grown old with worry before her time. She is a

skilled worker who fears to leave Coscarla before

the mystery of her missing brother goes

unsolved. However, when the Acolytes first

encounter her, she will be in fear of her life and

about to flee.

Warden Locan: A simpering, middle-aged man,

Locan is the corrupt enforcer officer nominally in

charge of maintaining order in the Coscarla.

Abandoned to this “graveyard posting” by his

superiors in the Magistratum, Locan is an obscura

addict, a shadow of his former self and long since

compromised by the local narco-gangs. He is

now under the direct control of the Logicians

and his troopers replaced with their own. Torn

between his addiction and his terror, he will

make a poor show of the pretence of normality if

encountered.

Part III: The Chamber of Horrors

The true face of what lurks behind the fear

gripping Coscarla is exposed and the horrors

Advice to Novice GMs:

On Running Edge of

Darkness

of what’s going on in your head and

respond to whatever plans and ideas your

player’s might come up. The key things are

to be firm but fair; don’t be afraid to have

NPCs act or react adversely and violently if

the Acolytes’ actions make this the logical

outcome, and of course reward quick think-

ing and good ideas on the players’ part with

additional clues, information and assistance

as warranted. Also, even more than with

more linear adventures, it is important to be

familiar with the details of the adventure

itself, not simply so you know who is where

and doing what, but also how the signifi-

cant NPCs will react to the unexpected, and

so you can add to things as you go along

without risk of messing up your own plot!

Although it may sound obvious, a handy

notebook to record names and the like as

you go along, or to record what the

Acolytes have learned so far, is heartily rec-

ommended! If this all sounds like a fair

amount of work for the GM, that’s because

it is. But at the same time, if you’re some-

thing of a storyteller at heart, it can be a

very rewarding game experience indeed.

The Edge of Darkness is an adventure based

on an ongoing situation into which the

Acolytes are drawn and as such, the events

and characters involved in the conspiracy in

Coscarla have their own motivations with

which the Acolytes, as outsiders, interact.

Once inside Coscarla’s environs the

Acolytes have a free hand about how to

proceed and what leads and clues to follow,

and it is up to you, as the GM, to respond

to their actions as you feel appropriate.

When GMing a “non-linear” adventure like

this one, you should always feel free to

embellish the details, come up with new

encounters and have events and individuals

react to the Acolytes’ actions as this will

always make for a tighter story, a sense of

empowerment for your players and, accord-

ingly, a better game all round.

Adventures like this one can demand a

little more from the GM and you’ll be

required to think on your feet, keep an idea

Evard Zed: Another victim of the district’s

economic woes, Zed was one of Saul Arbest’s

drinking cronies. He was with Saul on the

night that he vanished and holds some of the

secrets of Saul’s disappearance. He is laying

low spending his time in the templum, helping

out and hoping to go unnoticed.

“Chord” Luntz: A hatchet-man for the

narco-gang syndicates, Luntz is here to take

the syndicate’s due from the Churgeon and

has a dozen stubjacks and gang blades at his

beck and call. Privately he has is own reserva-

tions and fears about the Churgeon’s other

activities (and worsening death toll), and is

taking out his anger on the patrons of the

Third Worker’s Union Hall, where he and his

gangers have taken up residence.

Preacher Fayban: Wine-soaked, dishevelled

and thoroughly useless religious minister of

the Imperial Creed. He rarely leaves his small

templum and conducts faltering services for

the faithful. Sorrowful, maudlin and broken in

spirit, he is wilfully ignorant of the extent of

the suffering and fear around him.

Director Sybas Moran: The director of the

Tantalus Alms House, Moran presents himself as

a cold but efficient adept, administering a dwin-

dling supply of alms and assistance for the good

of the workers on an ever-decreasing budget. In

truth he is a practiced deceiver and ruthless killer,

but one on who the mask of charity is wearing

thin. An senior agent of the Logicians, Moran

would rather see the Churgeon’s work done and

the Coscarla choking on its own dead, so he can

move on to greener pastures.

Sikes the Reclaimator: An itinerant scav-

enger and tech-reclaimator, Sikes has set up an

impromptu business in a burned out store sell-

ing and bartering odds and ends of scrap with

the impoverished locals. Sikes is an outsider to

the district, making his living parasitically

from its troubles, however, there is a good deal

more to him than meets the eye.

The Churgeon: The woman known as the

Churgeon is more machine than human and

quite insane. A renegade tech-adept she is hidden

behind the scenes of the Alms House where she

works her profitable alchemistry to win over the

compliance of the narco-gangs so that she may

continue her murderous experiments uncon-

tested. The spate of disappearances in the district

are largely down to her need for fresh test sub-

jects, and her appetite for new stock is beginning

to prove hard for her lackeys to hide.

Hosteller Maxus Drayelok: Proprietor of

the district’s only hostel, Drayelok is a gaunt,

tattered figure and his establishment sinister

and dilapidated. A psychotic obscura addict,

barely in control of his cold sweats and

twitches, Drayelok has the unpleasant habit of

using down-hiver dregs to murder his guests

in the night so he can rob them to fund his

vice.

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