A brief layover in Port Wander then off to Footfall in a new (old) ship (sessions #17 & 18)

Whilst en route to Port Wander Darien takes a break from his reading of the Red Book of the Haxtus to discuss the captaincy of the Penance of Iocanthos with Scythia.  They agree to keep the death of Cobolt under wraps for now and promote Killroy, the first officer, to the role.

Upon their arrival in port Mord slips off to deliver his package.  The gentleman he meets scans the item and is aware that he investigated it but doesn't seem to concerned.  He asks Mord why a Tech priest would not report or act on something so apparently heretical?   Mord replies that he is only concerned with technology not the strictures or rules of the priesthood.  The man shows him out but anticipates that they will meet again...

Ramirez meets Darien and Theata while Lomar goes off to check how his "work crews" got on.
The "work crews" as we cme to refer to them were an idea suggested by Lomar's player after they had left Port Wander but it was too cool to ignore so we retroactively added it in as a Background Endeavour (see Rogue Trader: into the Storm for rules on how to run background endeavours).

In the player's own words: Lomar is specifically qualified to help hunt down dangerous creatures. As he lacks some of the relevant skills, and because the creatures in question are well above the ability of one man alone, he must do this sort of work with teams. Lomar is planning on taking one of these teams to scout out the Emperors Bounty. Workers have been on there for months and Lomar is going to search out for any remainng mutants onboard. I expect many may have been taken out as part of the refurb, but just in case Lomar will take a team of professionals to assess the scale of the mutant presence. Once he has an understanding of their number and strength he will make a decision in each case whether to leave the mutant alone or to capture them. Captured mutants of a worthwhile value will be given options to either serve the family, or to be dropped off at one of the planets the Baccharus family now own which included mutant numbers. Bacchus has superb storage facilities on baord but that vessel is away. Highly valuable psykers are the prime target, and Lomar is very qualified to deal with them. If any can be found then then will be given employment opportunities to serve in the house and to have a better life than the one they currently have laid out before them. The Emperors Bounty will be purged as much as is possible and the mutant hordes within either captured, shipped off, permanently removed or offered a way out in employment.

Back at the mansion Ramirez Connery, the bondsman who runs things for them at Port Wander, updates them on events:

• Lomar's teams were a success and a number of twists and dregs were routed out.  Some were known felons who were turned in for bounties, some paid passage to be smuggled out of the system and others have entered service with the House, including a small cadre of unsanctioned psykers and Wyrds
• Schofield, Darrien's sister has passed through on her way to the Majestic Labour
• Ramirez has recieved word that Darien is to take command of the Emperor's Bounty, appoint a command crew and set sail to meet up with Baccharus and the Majestc Labour at Footfall

Theata finds new orders from his House; they have have arranged a new commission for him - he is to be the primary Warp Guide on a newly commissioned vessel: the Emperor's Bounty....Theata spins it to Darien that he will insist to his House that he acts as Warp guide, if he wants him and will demand the station if need be.

Over the next few days Darien makes various arrangements to form his officer cadre:

• He asks Scythia to be his High Factorum - she is shocked and honoured and accepts.  The ex-Administratum adept she had suggested for the role will become the Ship's Purser instead.
• Deatrix accosts Darrien and demands to be the Choir Master he agrees at once and she stomps off, content.
• Darien offers Lomar the role of Master-at-arms, he is unsure but says he will always do what the House requires of him, but it is for Baccharus to say as he is sworn in service to him.
• The Death Cultist Que'toh is appointed as "Master of Whispers"
• When Mord returns from surgery to replace his flesh arms with two new good quality bionics, Darien asks him to take on the role of Enginseer Prime, which he accepts
• Darien officially appoints Killroy as the master of the Penance of Iocanthos and it begins it's new "milk run" from Port Wander to Fervious.

The Emporer's Bounty gets underway.  As they leave Darien is approached by Father Aubray, the Ship's Confessor (as an ex-mechanicus monitor cruiser the shrine to the Emperor is comparatively small and is staffed by a small group of minor clergy, Frater Militia and Mendicant monks).  Aubray is a practical and pragmatic man who still wears his old Guard fatigues (after having "found his faith in the field" and serving as a Confessor to his fellow infantrymen).  He asks if he can say a benediction over the vessel as they set forth and Darien agrees. Later they share a drink and the Father fills Darien in a little about his past and the Eccelsiarchy contingent aboard.

Theata discovers that one of the subordinate Navigators aboard is his "betrothed" a corpulant female navigator by the name of Lucretia Xan'tai.  She seems to be perpetually bored and has a harem of young human males.

Theata takes the ship to Footfall in a quarter of the time expected but on route the crew is shaken by the appearance of "ghost ships" around them.  Darien shows his command mettle by calming the situation and the rest of the voyage is uneventful.

When they arrive at Footfall they are hailed by the Majestic Labour and Darien takes a shuttlecraft across to the "flagship". There is no official welcome and the ship seems to just be "business as usual".  Darien and his entourage head to the bridge where they find Klyto.  Surprisingly he shows what passes for respect towards Darien and indicates that his father & sister are ensconced in Baccharus' dining hall.  The Explorers head there.  A debauched "regency" style banquet is in full swing and it appears that Schofield has brought a coterie of sycophantic hangers on with her (or picked some up en route).

Schofield is giggly, girly and very much a daddy's girl. It appears that she is pandering to his worst excesses and  Baccahrus constantly interrupts Darien to tell him some other trivial anecdote about something his daughter has done. His plan, possibly suggested by Schofield, is that Darien will remain in command of the Emperor's Bounty while she, as heir, stays near "daddy-kins" on the Majestic Labour. They will travel together as a flotilla - Darien refers to his father as the "Lord-Admiral" which he appears to approve of highly.

Baccahrus gives his tacit approval for Lomar to be instated as Darien's Master-at-arms, if for no other reason than it gives the Lord-Admiral someone he trusts aboard his son's vessel.

The Lord-Admiral has a new scheme - they will soon leave Footfall to rendeavous with some aquaintances of his who may have details of an opportunity that they will trade with the House. But before they leave port Baccahrus wants thenm to negotiate some contacts that will help sell on/exploit/fence whatever the opportunity is...

The Explorers assess their options for who to approach.  They figure they could seek a deal with one or more of:

• House Krin (see Dark Heresy Main rule book and Rogue Trader: Edge of the Abyss) - a mercantile noble house
• The Beast House (see Dark Heresy: Disciples of the dark gods) - illicit traders of Xenos creatures with previous connections to House Baccahrus
• The Kasaballica (see Dark Heresy: Book of Judgement and Rogue Trader Edge of the Abyss and Hostile Aquisitions) - Calixian crime syndicate and significant player in the Cold Trade
• The Logicians (see Dark Heresy: Disciples of the dark gods) - Tech heretics with connections to Mord

They decide to approach House Krin and negotiations eventually bear fruit.  However the representative they speak with, Quaestor Papyrus, insists on accompanying them on their endeavour (along with entourage) to "protect his investment".

Meanwhile Lomar has been called away to an emergeancy on the Majestic Labour; one of the beasts has escaped.  He drags Mord along (although he offers frequent protests) and they organise a search of the ship.  Due to his role as Twist catcher, Dungoof makes a reappearance and joins the serach teams. The creature is the Lord-Admiral's favourite Ambull (see Dark Heresy: Creatures Anathema), a female named Jordan. Dungoof and Lomar eventually corner it but are interrupted by a dark, armoured and winged humanoid shape. The new assailant attacks them and the Ambull and they retaliate but the armoured figure escapes.  The Ambull is however, safely recaptured. And when told the news the captain did exclaim (to graons and laughter "Jordan's Alive!" ;) (gotta love Brian Blessed....)

The flotilla translates to into the Warp and emerges, some ten days (ship time) later to meet the Lord-Admiral's contacts; a Stryxis caravan...

A visit to Archaos (sessions #14-16)

The Penance of Iocanthos arrived on Archaos (see "The Brutal Lament" for details) and the Explorers, with an entourage of exotic Death Cultist body guards, met Darien's old friends & family in a state reception, organised to welcome home the "adventurous noble scion".

Darien's mother's ladies-in-waiting hastily whisked off Captain Cobalt to "make her more suitable" as Darien's intended bride.  Lynara was somewhat concerned but Darien encouraged her to put up with them and try to enjoy the pampering.

At the lavish function Darien met Duke Thomias Jerom Newton, Magnus Machenko's alleged co-conspirator and source of the astropathic messages they had intercepted. They traded barbed comments but didn't "make a scene".

It appears that Darien's younger sister, Schofield, has left the planet, en route for Port Wander, leaving at about the time Darien was kidnapped by the Fervian cultists. They also learn that Darien's mother is also due to wed (Lord Gold, head of House Vansire and speaker of the Planetary Senate, essentially the de facto Imperial Govenor).

Cobalt was eventually re-introduced to the welcoming party (which was now well into it's 2nd day) but Mord soon realised she has been partially lobotomised by the implantation of Cortex bionics.  She is now compliant, giggly and (currently) phobic of starships.

Lomar received an astropathic message from Master Baccharus informing him that as Darien was believed lost at the hands of the cultists he has been disinherited. Lomar is to return to the Majestic Labour as soon as he is able. 

The Explorers discuss what the "disinheritance" may mean - as far as Darien is concerned he may not be the "heir" (a level of responsibility he wasn't hugely keen on anyway) but he is still a member of the House and has responsibilities and duties to execute. It also casts a shadow on the necessity of the wedding; the Penance is legally and officially leased to them now and Darien has no inheritance to speak of.  Darien is determined though; he gave his word and is prepared to honour it, but he wants Cobolt returned to her former state.

Mord then recieves a cryptic invitation to meet with a "Dr Smythe" he goes downhive to meet with the mysterious man and discovers a well dressed gentlemen who seems to know a lot about technology but isn't one of the Adeptus Mechanicus.  He also seems connected to the underworld connections who smuggled Mord out of the Calixis Sector originally.  Mord suspects that he is a member of the Logicians (see Dark Heresy: Disciples of the dark gods). Smythe asks Mord to do him a small favour - if he delivers a package to an acquaintance of his on Port Wander he will supply Mord with data and technical specs for a number of obscure and "lost" devices.  Mord agrees.

Our Explorator isn't the only one who recieves an invitation.  Theata is summoned by representatives of his House and Darien gets a request to meet with an individual claiming to be connected to the Holy Inquisition.  After the missive he received on Port Wander Darien feels he cannot refuse.  Lomar won't let him go alone though (especially after his previous abduction) and accompanies him, along with a cadre of Death Cultists.

They head downhive and meet up with an apparently learned sage & adept, Verunde Macabre, who alleges that he used to work in the employ of the Inquisition, in particular he worked for an Interrogator named Jareth who was in the service of Inquisitor-Exorcist Mordant Crimson (see Dark Heresy: Disciples of the dark gods pg 180).

Jareth has heard of Dariens studies and wishes to entrust him with something to assist him.  They are led into Macabre's study where they discover a collection of artifacts, texts, objects and curios, some alien, some archeotech, some of cultist origin, many forbidden or heretical.  Macabre says that this is his role now, to act as curator and archivist of this collection. He takes them to a plinth and with reverence hands over a small book bound in red leather.  He tells them that this is "The Red Book of the Haxtus".  The Haxtus are a noble family of Archaos, generally known for their debauchery and allegations of heresy.  One of their number, some few hundred years ago, had rebelled against his clan and entered into service with an Inquisitor. This book was a journal he wrote about his time in service and the things he learnt, encountered and discovered.  Verunde now entrusts it to Darien.

Theata meets with the local office of his House and is queried as to why he is still with Darien - their house contract is not for the Penance, nor with the Fervian Dairy Syndicate.  He is therefore told he must return to the Majestic Labour with all haste.  They will arrange travel for him.  He decides he has no choice but to accept - his House is more important than his ties to individuals.

Darien and Lomar leave Verund's home but on their way back up hive they are accosted by Hive dregs.  The fight never really goes against the explorers and the hive scum's leader sues for peace.  He tells them that they were only there to try to take them to a meeting with one of his contacts.  Darien and Lomar are intrigued and go with them.

They are eventually taken to an underhive bar and introduced to a gunslinger and desperado named Quint. He explains that he too is in the service of Mordant Crimson and that he knows Jareth well.  He also believes Jareth to be corrupt and possibly a heretic, in fact some two centuries ago he accused him of such but the allegations were successfully defended, he (Quint) was demoted and he swore to one day prove that he was right. He also tells Darien that Baccahrus was involved and that the investigation is the reason he left the Imperium. To this day Quint believes the granting of the Baccahrus Rogue Trader Warrant was part of an elaborate cover up. He also believes that "Newton" may be one of Jareth's cover aliases.

By the end of the day everyone had returned to the Erronius estate.  Darien discovered he had a visitor and also that Scythia had been trying to get hold of him from the Penance.  The visitor turns out to be his "Thronemother" - a sister of an Order Famulous who works to guide and assist the House.  This is the new sister, his previous Thronemother having passed away since he left the sector.  She discusses his forthcoming wedding and gets out of him the detail of what has happened to Captain Cobolt.  She agrees that the marriage is "unsuitable" with the captain in her current state and offers to have her spirited away so that Darien can attempt to have the implants removed  and her restored to her former self.

Mord examines the device that Dr Smythe gave him - it appears to be human tech (it appears to be a rod that interfaces with a standard Servitor data port) but it is not from a current Adeptus Mechanicus Standard Template Construct - Mord believes that it is a lost & ancient design from the Dark Age of Technology but it has been manufactured recently....

The Explorers reconvene and swap tales (leaving out plenty of detail and generally skewing things certain ways).  Theata proposes that he returns to the Majestic labour on Darien's behalf to explain things to his father (not mentioning that his house is sending him) and that he'll be leaving in the morning. Darien protests but eventually concedes.

They then speak with Scythia who advises that the Fervians are demanding that they get underway to take delivery of a new milk shipment. Darien explains that the captain is incapable of command and they agree that the First Officer, an ex-naval man by the name of Killroy, take command for the time being.  Mord and Darien then hit upon the idea that Mord joins the ship uses the medicae facilities (and the time away on the journey) on board the Penance to try to remove the Captain's implants.  Scythia sends a shuttle to collect them and Darien contacts his Thronemother to arrange the abduction/collection of the Captain.

Mord packs and he and Darien meet the sister and return to the Penance. Darien speaks with Scythia and returns to Archaos in the early morning (Archaos time) and decides to wait up to see Theata off.  He does so and is then attacked by Que'Toh, one of his Death Cultist guards.  The guard explains that he is committed to regularly testing Darien's defences to ensure he is ready for combat but until now Darien had been seeing enough danger without additional "surprise attacks".

Theata takes a shuttle to the transport waiting for him, is shown to the sparse passenger berth and settles down with a book. He very soon discovers that his House has booked transport for him on the Penance (as it was the first vessel leaving Archaos with Port Wander on it's itinerary)....but he decides to remain as a passenger and enjoy the opportunity for a bit of peace and quiet with no work.

Over the next few weeks Darien works the social circuit working to charm away the rumour mill and spread his own derogatory rumours about Newton.  His mother, Lady Tsatsa Erronius, questions him about where his fiance has gone and the conversation breaks down - his mother summons him to her office that night.

Meeting his mother that evening Darien discovers another side to her.  She is well read, studious and intelligent - explaining that the noble life tends to lead people to dabble in various activities for enjoyment and to ward off the boredom of such a lengthy, rejuvenat extended, existence.  For her it wasn't drugs or pleasures it was study - including texts that some may have been considered heretical (she alludes that it was to better understand or relate to his father and to share his interests). They discuss his father and why he left - she's not aware of the details other than he felt it was his only choice, and he's not returned since. That was over 100 years ago. Darien (and his sister) were concieved using "some of himself that he left behind".

Mord realises that he doesn't have the surgical skill necessary to remove the captain's implants so employs the help of the ship's new chief Chiurgeon.  While Mord passes his rolls to assist the surgeon fails and the captain dies on the operating table.  Mord tells Scythia who instructs him to keep it to themselves (she will deal with the Chiurgeon).  Mord sends Astropathic messages to Darien and Theata to advise them that the captain's dead and it wasn't his fault!  The Penance's Astropathic choir send Theata's message then later receive it again and it is delivered to him aboard the same ship...
Darien is shaken by the news - he never loved or felt attracted to the captain (being used to the idea of an arranged marriage for political or diplomatic reasons) but in his words she was "significant" to him. He continues his charm offensive over the next few weeks, but somewhat more subdued than before. Eventually Newton encounters him at a party and they trade words.  Newton says that working together they could gain more than alone.  Darien asks why he started the rumours and Newton's response was "It brought you here." The Thin White Duke eventually walks off with the parting words of "Enjoy your reading material."

The Penance returns to Archaos with a full cargo bay and collects Darien.  Theata makes himself known and recommends that they charge more for passage in future if his House, with their limited budget, selected their ship. Lady Tsatsa wishes her son farewell and gives him a letter to pass on to his father.  Darien responds that it was finally good to meet "her".

Darien and the Death Cult (sessions #12-13)

After the events of the previous session Darien Erronius, our player chracater Rogue Trader had been captured by persons unknown.

We bagan the session with Darien being interrogated, he is almost naked, has had his bionic arm brtually removed and is subjected to debilitating heat and frequent beatings, often without word or question. When he is questioned (by a female spokes person who is dressed in masculine armour and atire similar to that of an old Terran Samurai) she accuses him of taking something of theirs, but is not specific as to what.

Meanwhile Scythia (standing in as High Factorum of the Penance of Iocanthos) needs someone in authority in the House to authorise repairs, resupply and recruitment for the Penance.  She ends up with Theata who does his best to resolve the issues,  She is not at all happy to hear of Darien's fate.

Lomar and Theata both blame Mord and give him quite a hard time over his "cowardice".  He responds that he issued a warning; how was he to know Darien would stay and fight?  The logical thing would be to avoid conflict and run. Any fault should be laid at the feet of the Rogue Trader...
Darien's questioning continues and he learns that this group are in the employ of Fervian Milk & Dairy Farmer's Syndicate and they want the return of the Penance. They also give him regular doses of Styger milk (see Dark Heresy: The Inquisitor's Handbook for more details) to help keep him alive.
Back at the Baccahrus mansion the Explorers receive a ransom note; The Penance and her captain within seven days or Darien faces the consequences.

Mord, Lomar and the Bondsman, Connery, make enquiries and determine that a Fevian ship is due to arrive at Port Wander in seven days and that they believe they may know the industrial unit aboard the station where Darien is being held.

Darien uses the time of his captivity to continue his manic scrawling and note taking, scratching into the walls of the rooms where his is chained if need be.  When this is dicovered he finds that he is supplied with paper and calligraphy sets instead...

At his next meeting with the cult spokesperson temperes begin to fray and he challenges her to a duel - which she accepts. From then on he was treated better - given a bed to sleep on, improved food etc. He began to feel like a condemned man.

Theata went to the Imperial navy to ask for the legal precedents about who owned the Penance.  The adjutant he (eventually) spoke with decided that it wasn't a clear cut case and impounded the ship pending a full investigation (which was estimated to take 100-300 yrs..).

Meanwhile Rahip was sent to make enquiries with mercenary brokers for prices/availability and Mord went back to the High Magos to seek her help - she said it was outside her sphere but that she'd entreat the Machine god on their behalf.

Deatrix was sent to send an update to the Lord Captain via the choir on the Penance but found that it was already locked down by the Imperial Navy. Theata then had an idea to broker a deal with the syndicate - what if House Baccahrus could tranport their products for them deep into the Koronus Expanse, leasing the Penance from them for the purpose? He arranges a meet for the following day.
The Syndicate representatives listen to the deal and agree - their issue is the percieved loss of face of Captain Cobolt "giving away" their ship. They can see the benefits of the business deal but cannot ignore the "insult".  They therefore demand that the Captain be brought to them when they seal the deal so that one of their order may execute her. Theata agrees.

Mord is sent to the Penance to bring the Captain to the mansion only to discover that she has already left the ship to find Theata and demand answers.  Mord hurries back to the mansion to find she has just arrived and Theata has risen from his bed to meet her. The Navigator explains what he has negotiated (side steping the whole execution issue with some clever word play) and the Captain is placated.  She stays at the mansion that night.

Darien is told that the Hum-Phree (the syndicate spokesperson) will permit him to hold his challege until after his release but Darien says he is ready there and then.  A ritual dueling circle is drawn, Darien's sword is returned to him and they engage.  The battle goes to & fro, her Lathe forged blade (see Dark Heresy: The Inquisitor's Handbook for details) is able to resist the power field of his sword. Eventually though his skill exceeds hers, striking her first in the torso then in the leg, which renders her unconscious.  Darien then delivers the killing blow; severing her head.  The remaining syndics treat him with respect, clothing him, presenting him with her sword and quartering him in the "tea room" where he was previously brought to meet her.

The meeting goes ahead the following day.  When it becomes clear what the syndicate wants the Captain is enraged but Rahip restrains her.  The Dairy Spokesman who brokered the deal insists (against Darien's protests) that the captain is handed over to them and that he (Darien) kills her (as by ritually defeating the Hum-Phree he is now part of their cult). Darien argues that no "face" has been lost as no one outside of the house and Syndicate know what happened.  The spokesman challenges Darien, who accepts and they duel then and there.  This fellow goes down much easier but not before cracking Darien across the face with his chain sticks (taking him to one wound - but mercifully all the Styger milk he'd been drinking left him essentially immune to it's poisons) after losing his sword to Darien's blade.  Darien then strikes him twice; the second blow causing him to immolate (as now seems to be the norm....). Having defeated the spokesman Darien insists that honour/face is satisfied and the deal concluded.

Finally upon return to the mansion they find the brown robed scribe who had delieved a message for Darien to Theata waiting for them. Theata passes over the message and the scribe says his master has heard of Darien's studies and wishes to offer materials which may assist him.  Darien opens the message, sees a single stylised capital I and says he cannot refuse....

I deemed that the deal that was brokered earnt a gain of +1 Profit Factor and also that Darien is now a member of a Fervian Death Cult....

The journey of the Penance (sessions #8-11)

We'd cut our teeth on seven sessions based upon printed adventures, now it was time for 100% original content. This is where, as a GM I feel much more comfortable; I can write *for* the characters rather than taking something existing and modifying to fit.

And so the Explorers set off aboard the Penance of Iocanthos....or at least they set out in real space to find a suitable Warp jump location.

Now Theata (our PC navigator) had worked out a suitable Warp route from this lost and obscure system back to Port Wander (and had really done extremely well on his roll) so was keyed up to guide the Penance back home. Unfortunately the Penance's Navigators were froma rival family and wouldn't concede control.  Added to this was the fact that they wouldn't/couldn't use Theata's naviational instructions (as shared with the Emperor's Bounty and Majestic Labour)as they were written in his family's language and ciphers. A political game ensued while Darien was finding similar issues with the crew accepting him, in particular the High Factorum showed him thinly veiled loathing. Only Mord appeared to be accepted "off the bat", having worked with the crew on the Penance's emergeancy repairs and gaining respect from his knowledge and success in assisting them. The charm and negotiation skills of the players eventually won the day in respect of the Navigators and they were eventually underway with Theata as temporary Warp Guide.

After their translation into the Warp the Captain organised a grand formal dinner to officially welcome Darien's party. It was a good opportunity to showcase the key NPCs aboard the ship and it culminated with the sharing of a "Cup of friendship" - apparently a standing tradition aboard. Everything went fine until Darien took the cup and drank.  Immediately he began to hallucinate or (as he thought at the time) see clearly for once, and fled screaming from the scene, followed by Lomar and Mord.

Darien was eventually cornered and subdued by Lomar who was able to identify the symptoms of Black Janix Venom (see Dark Heresy Games Master's kit for details). Mord was then able to analyse the poison in Darien's system and fabricate an antidote.

While Darien was resting in the infirmary the missionary Sister they had brought from the Majestic Labour found the data slate Darien had been working on and saw his "heretical writings" and reported it to the Penance's confessor.  He (Father Nimmo) and the High Factorum raised a squad of armsmen to arrest the "heretic". However Darien was warned of their arrival and he and Mord (who was attending him at the time) fled to the lower decks meanwhile Theata tried to placate the situation by saying that the slate contained encrypted navigational data. Unfortunately he then had to back track as Darien, bless his simple and honest mind, had admitted to writing the symbols.

Darien and Mord were ambushed by the armsmen and officers but Master Erronius was able to reason with the confessor to at least allow him to hear his case. Exceptional sweet talking and an arguement based upon the cryptic nature of the information on the slate won over the Father (to the High Facotorum's chagrin) and the data slate, now sealed in a box warded with purity seals and hexagrams, was returned to Erronius.

After all this Deatrix, the astropath from the Majestic Labour, came to the explorers with details of an astropathic message she had helped to send (as part of the Choir).  The messge wasn't sent by her so she doesn't understand the symbolism used but she *knows* it relates to them. Mord spends the next 40-50 hours trying to crack the code. Mord also conducts some investigations of his own, questioning the servants from the night of the meal and discovering that the cup bearer is missing.  Upon gaining entrance to the crewman's quarters he discovers he has been murdered. An investigation of his room reveals no further details.

Once decoded the Astropathic message seems to implicate Magnus (the ship's High Factorum) and Darien (eventually) has a vague recollection that they met at university and dueled,  Darien easily beating him. The message implies that Magnus has an associate back in the Calixis Sector and that Darien is a mutual enemy...

A further Astropathic message is received, this time intended for Darien himself.  The news is brief but not good, things are not going well back at the Dark Frontier and the suggestion is that someone back in the Imperium is spreading malicious rumours to discredit the house and their business dealings.

Lomar and Mord get to work on further investigations, indentifying the crewman who arranged the sending of the Astropathic message as a Midshipman Oswald.  They interrogate him and he eventually further implicates the High Factorum.

Meanwhile Darien is working to improve morale aboard ship, with some success. But things take a slight shift when He, Mord and Theata seperately recieve visitations from the "ghost" of Vyn. She tells Mord that she remembers him now and that is sorry. She discusses the secrets of the Warp with Darien and tells him she may know someone who can help him in his studies.  Finally she accuses Theata of being the reason she died, she believes he could have saved her.

With the evidence pointing to the High Factorum the Explorers challenge him.  He professes his innocence and demands a duel with Darien in defence of his honour.  It is arranged for the following day.

Most of the ship's officer Cadre assemble to watch the event.  The two unarmoured deulists facing each other in the ritual duelling circle.  Darien with his Powersword, Marcus with his ancestral chainsword.  Marcus lunges, unprofessional and brazen.  Darien feints, strikes and immolates him in a single blow.  A sudden hush decends on the assembled throng.

The Captain was upset about Magnus' death, although she accepts the evidence against him she still blames Darien for his "execution" and avoids him where possible. Scythia (Klyto's apprentice) then took over the role of High Factorum, supported by Darien, further frustrating and annoying the Captain (she basically implied that it could be interpretted as a Baccahrus plot to subvert her ship from her).

An astropathic response to the cryptic message Deatrix intercepted was then recieved.  Mord spent a few days translating it and discoved that it implies that the other party involved is a "Duke T J Newton" who lives on the planet Archaos.

While on board ship Darien also resolved some disputes between the folk they had rescued from the Dark Frontier and are transporting, as passengers, back to Imperial space.  It won him a lot of kudos in both their eyes and those of the Penance's crew.

The ship eventually translated from the Warp - quite far out from the system - so it takes another week or so of real space travel before they arrive in Port Wander. Darien recieves word from his father that he needs to investigate the rumours that are damaging their endeavours - their bondsman on Port Wander, a man by the name of Connery, has been leading the investigation so far.  Coupled with this various minor edicts and bylaws of the Adeptus Mechanicus (essentially red tape) has prevented an Explorator mission from being launched to examine and exploit the Dark Sun.
The crew arrives at the station and the Baccahrus delegation (with the exception of Scythia who begs permission to remain on board the Penance to oversee the repairs and resupply) goes  to the mansion house the dynasty maintains onboard the station.

Theata goes to the "Gilt Processional", the huge market place where anything and everything is sold, and negotiates the purchase of a repository of knowledge about Xeno lore (essentially a
Xenos Librarium ship component (from Rogue Trader: Hostile Aquisitions)) in order to better research details of the Dark Sun.

Mord and Darien go to see the chief Adeptus Mechanicus on the station.  She's very "alien" having heavily modified her form with mechanicus implants and is rumoursed to seek out and horde heretical artefacts, but is popular as she holds open "audiences" with any who wish to recieve her blessings or advice (see Rogue Trader: Into the Storm for details).  Mord explains the situation with progress on the Explorator mission being blocked.  He makes quite and impression and she promises to personally resolve the matter.

On the way back to the mansion Theata is approched by an ink-stained scribe carrying a message for Darien.  He takes the message and heads "home". Likewise en route back to the mansion house Darien and Mord are ambushed by two assailants clad in Samurai-like armour.  Mord spots them and calls out a warning allowing them to react in time but then he runs, heading for home and leaving Darien to his fate. The two attackers ignore the tech-priest and turn on Darien.  The battle drags out - they dodge Darien's blows and he parrying theirs (destroying two of their swords in the process).  The "samurai" then resort to chocking gas bombs (which don't appear to affect them) stunning Darien long enough to grapple him to the ground, eventually rendering him unconcious....

In the meantime Lomar has been making enquiries and has discovered that Magnus was a member of The Machenko Dynasty (see Dark Heresy Main Rule book) a mysterious Great House of the Calixian Nobility. Secondly he discovers that, as suspected, Captain Cobolt is Master of the Penance of Iocanthos but not the owner.  It's unlikely that she had legal title over the ship and couldn't "trade" it to House Baccahrus. He also discovers that the "syndicate" that owns the Penance is "The Fervious Milk and Dairy Farmers Syndicate". Fervious itself is a Feudal World in the Calixis Sector but some still refer to it using it's old name of Vasenrule. The entire population of Fervious inhabits one sprawling shanty city and this has spawned a very violent and callous culture where murder is an accepted form of despatching rivals and as a way gaining wealth and influence (see Dark Heresy: The Inquisitor's Handbook for more details).

So we enter session #12 with the group's Rogue Trader and de facto leader unconscious and possibly a captive of persons unknown, but the main suspects being a Calixian Death Cult in the employ of aggressive dairy farmers...

The Dark Frontier (sessions #4-7)

So, having finished our first sojourn into Rogue Trader, with no small success the question was "What next?".

The players had focused quite alot on the Halo device and especially keeping it away from the Lord-Captain so it seemed natural to follow that up. Therefore I took advantage of the downloadable scenarios on the Fantasy Flight Games site and decided to run the follow up adventure Dark Frontier.

The Emperor's Bounty was made fit for travel and sent back to Port Wander for refit with a skeleton crew consisting of 50/50 Majestic labour clan-kin crew/Emperor's Bounty survivors.  The remaining survivors of the Bounty were assimilated into the Majestic Labour's crew.

When visiting his father Darien is surprised to find the Halo device there, even after he'd organised to have it sent into a star.  At first he thinks it could be a second one but there's no doubt, somehow it has found it's way back on board, and the captain is jealously guarding it.

After the Bounty leaves the Labour attempts to translate to the Warp but something goes horribly wrong. The ship is ripped through the Warp, the hull rends and buckles and the vessel careers way off course.  When they eventually come to rest in real space again Theata places them somewhere in the Ragged Worlds.

They soon learn that their drives are locked and that they are trapped in the system.  However investigations soon identify the only stellar body is an artificial "dark star" orbitted by a single moon and a debris field of previous victims.

Darien & Co are sent to the moon to make contact with the apparently human inhabitants and are able to negotiate with their leader, while the Captain sends the ship's Confessor, Brother Namahs, to open a dialogue with the religious sect that is resident in the debris field.

The Explorers' negotiations reveal that in exchange for passage off the moon for those who want it the settlement are willing to offer up the weapon they have prepared to break the dark sun's hold on the Labour.  They have the warhead of a Vortex Torpeado, but no reliable way to get it to the Xeno world's surface.  Darien agrees to help but upon return to the Majestic labour he discovers that things haven't progressed so well with the religious zealots of the other community. Brother Namahs believes that a potential opportunity resides with the captain of a merchant vessel which is also locked here, and is currently allied with the religious "Brotherhood". Darien is dispatched again to try to negotiate with her.

The captain's name is Lynara Cobolt and she comes across as a pious servant of the Emperor. She offers to help with the plans to escape and to act as a liason with the Brotherhood but what she asks in return is membership in the Rogue Trader Dynasty, Darien immediately assumes this means marriage...

The next session of play began with our "heroes" in a conference room aboard the Majestic Labour updating the Lord-Captain with details of recent events.  A new player character, Enginseer Mord, was introduced as the ship's chief Tech Priest, Magos Ectris, had delegated him to attend in his place (something the captain considered a major snub). The Captain seemed inclined to make Captain Cobolt his "next" wife and requested that she be brought onboard. The meeting was then interrupted by a delegation from House X'an Tai (the Navigator house that Theata belongs to) summoning the Carto-Artificer to his presence of his uncle, the ship's Warp Guide.

The Chief Navigator seems exceedingly frustrated, to the point of appearing somewhat manic, at the prospect of being Warp locked for much longer. He charges Theata with getting them out of there with all due haste.

Cobolt arrived with a small (armed) delegation, a discussion ensued in the hold where she'd landed which revealed the presence of Xenos on board - which in turn lead to to Captain Baccahrus telling her what he thought of her prudish, ignorant ways, and her leaving in haste.

The players then tried to alleviate matters but attempts at negotiation seemed to be stonewalled.

It is about then that Chief Bosun Tanda comes up with a plan - they will stage a fake coup on board the Majestic Labour - using doctored audio files and a staged battle against twists, mutants and bilge scum "recruited" by the Twist Catcher, Dungoof. Erronius will contact Capt. Cobolt and explain that he, and some loyal followers, are over throwing the Xenos-loving Captain but that they need her assistance. The staged battle will take place once she arrives on board with reinforcements, a bunch of badly armed muties etc will be killed for effect, meanwhile Theata will "gain command" of the bridge.

The players decide to take the plan to the Captain (and Klyto) and manage to sell it to them. All goes as planned, Tanda and Erronius fighting alongside Capt. Cobolt in one of the cargo holds as a swarm of twists are essentially executed (having been trapped in the hold by Enginseer Mord). The message soon comes through that the bridge is theirs and the Lord-Captain is dead - Erronius drops to one knee and asks for Lynara Cobolt's hand in marriage - she accepts.

The following session was the execution of the plan.  Darien piloted the Labour's Guncutter to the surface of the dark sun, accompanied by Theata, Vyn, Mord, Lomar (another new player character) and some ratings and servitors to manage the Vortex warhead. Meanwhile the Majestioc Labour and Cobolt's ship; The Penance of Iocanthos, will engage the alien "Void Wasps" that attack any ships that approach the xenos world.

Thanks largely to Darien's piloting skills they get down to the alien world's surface and disembark, heading to a very visable "node tower" - the theory being that if they cn knockl one of the nodes out the field holding the ships will be broken).

On the way they had to pass through a maze decorated with xeno pictograms and warp infused hieroglyphs.  The starnge sigils and symbols overwhelemed Darien, basically leaving him a  gibbering wreck for the remains of the game (poor guy failed every WP roll he had to make.  The Trauma meant that he could have acted but teh player was absent that day so for expediency I just had him panic & fret and act as a distraction and further complication to the others)

The tower was guarded by a series of formidable xeno constructs - the last of which resulted in an epic battle that almost killed both Mord & Theata. Bo'sun Tanda had a plan to distract it by placing herself in harm's way - which worked - too well. Vyn dies trying to save her friends.

It appears that the Halo device found it's way to the planet's surface and was the cause of the problems, finding it's way to the "altar" in teh central chamber of the tower. Mord sets the Vortex Warhead to detonate and they get out of there as quickly as they can.

We then jump to a few days after the misson to the "Alien world". Mord & Theata are out of the infirmary and Darien has spent most of the time under heavy sedation.

The Lord-Captain summons Darien, Theta and Mord for "brunch" as he wants to brief them before the arrival of Captain Cobolt from the Penance of Iocanthos.

He explains the events that transpired while they were on their expidition:

The battle lasted for just over four hours

The Void Wasps were persistant and quite deadly, they hit the Penance of Iocanthos a LOT but weren't so successful against the Majestic Labour.  The captain decided to raise the alien "ghost field" rather than it's void shields - making it much harder to hit but leaving it exposed to damage if shots connected. Essentially the Xenos craft were skilled but didn't hit very hard. Some were damaged but none of the alien ships were lost until the Vortex warhead blew up the tower. The Majestic Labour ended up firing four salvos of torpeados leaving it's magazine depleted by half. The Penance did not fare as well. While it's armour resisted the majority of damage the sheer number of hits it suffered meant that critical hits kept penetrating. First it's crew compartments were holed then it lost sensors (having to fire blind for the rest of the conflict as the tech-priests tried and consistantly failed to get them back on line.). Essentially unable to move or see the Wasps hit it again and again...thrusters were damaged, then it's Munitorium caught fire. The fire teams summoned by the Captain soon lost control of the blaze, causing a chain reaction which blew the stores (and a large section of ship), the fire spreading on to the ship's impressive Temple Shrine. Still the fire teams couldn't subdue the flames and they wrencked the shrine, then went on to damage one of the Cargo holds before spreading to the second (and final) hold. Mercifully it was at this point that the Void Wasps were destroyed so no further damage was sustained. Captain Cobolt had to take the emergency measure of venting the 2nd Hold to the Void to save it - at the cost of those souls still working within. Once the battle was concluded and the dead counted the losses suffered on board caused a mutiny to break out against the Captain.....which she eventually subdued....leaving the Penance in a precarious position....

During the mutiny Lynara contacted the Majesic Labour to beseech Darien for aid (as she had helped him previously) but got the Captain instead - destroying the ruse about his death. She has since cut communications until requesting a meeting later that day.

Through it all Darien seems dazed, befuddled, amnesiac and somewhat obsessed with a data slate, upon which he is attempting to draw and replicate the xeno pictograms that decorated the alien world.  

Mord discovers that Tanda's body is currently being kept "on ice" and he and Darien go to pay their respects. Theata returns to the cartography chambers to continue work to determine a safe warp route to and from this system.

Lynara arrives to be met by the command crew, Theata & Mord. Darien is late and has to be escorted to the meeting by the ascerbic Ms Scythia, Klyto's apprentice/assistant.. Lynara has arrived without entourage and seems somewhat humbled since their last dealings with her. The Lord-Captain takes everyone off to a reception room to discuss matters. Captain Cobolt still wants to join the dynasty (the suggestion being that she's quite prepared to lay aside her piety for profit) and Darien's father considers the Penance, albeit damaged, to still be a worthwhile prize. So they agree that Darien and Lynara will still be wed. A message arrives that a ship has translated from the Warp into near space and so Darien, Theata and Mord head to the bridge to investigate while the two Captains continue their discussions.

The Majestic Labour's augur array is a standard transport system so it can't get detail on the new ship that now rests near the other side of the Xeno world but they are able to identify that it is an Astartes Gladius class Frigate - a Space Marine multi-role ship.... It doesn't hail them, launches no shuttle craft, in fact it just appears to sit there... A tense waiting game ensues. Darien, Theata and the Lord-Captain are all keen to not "wake the carnosaur" - especially considering the xeno crew and technology on the ship. Lynara returns to the Penance to do the same. Darien splits his time either on watch on the bridge or in the ship's observation dome, still making his notes and drawings. After about 14 hours the Astartes ship jumps into the Warp again, disappearing as quickly as it arrived....

Mord is summoned by Magos Ectris, the senior tech-priest on the vessel, who asks for copies of all recording and research he has made relating to the Xeno constructs. Mord hands them over and asks the tech priest for advice - he wants to find a way that he can remove the "weakness" of his human emotions as the death of Vyn is distressing him greatly. The Magos is encouraged to hear this and says that he will give Mord some papres containing methods he can study involving procedures and tech-rituals he might use to exorcise such weaknesses.

Darien and the Captain discuss what to do next and agree that this system could hold potential profit - a tech-priest explorator mission to the xeno world, potential "cold trade" in alien artefacts, salvaging the vessel debris and setting up a small but longer term colony on the moon.  However the Penance needs repair, and the Lord-Captain wants to solidify the alliance so that they hold proper title on the ship. Therefore they agree that while the Majestic Labour remains in system to oversee the opening of "trade channels", Darien and a had picked staff will board the Penance and acompany her back to dock for repairs.  In this way they hope to:

• Restore morale on the ship - or at least prevent another mutiny
• Protect their new "investment"
• Take back the colonists and brotherhood members who want to return to Imperial space
• Arrange and conduct the wedding of Darien & Lynara

Baccahrus snr. dispatches Mord to oversee the emergency repairs to the Penance - a task that he conducts to such success that all the damaged systems are brought back online - leaving only the hull damage to be remedied.

Further preparations are made (these & repairs taking about two weeks in all) and a "delegation" selected:

• Darien
• Theata
• Mord 
• Lomar (sent by the Lord-Captain as his eyes & ears)
• Ms Scythia (sent by Klyto)
• Sister Litilia (a novice sister, selcted by Brother Namahs at the behest of Darien, considering the "pious" nature of the crew and Brotherhood)
• An Astropath (so Darien has a "reliable" means to contact the Majestic if needs be)
• A staff of sundry servants, maids, pages, clerks and assistants.

...all ready for session #7....