Beta Scansion Wrapup

After clearing the Ork Rok base, Lazo set it to self-destruct. Reboarding the Rogue Trader's
ship, the party prepared to return to the Moon Base. However, the Necrons had other ideas.
They somehow remotely destroyed their buried base, and in doing so, destroyed the moon and
the Adeptus Mechanicus mining base. The party withness as a lambent green glow engulfed
first the base, then the moon, leaving behind what became a planetary ring. Lan felt that they
likely had a cloaked ship somewhere in the system, and did not wish to pursue further
confrontation.

Lan set course for Karlack, and after an uneventful 2 week journey through the Warp, the party
returned to their base. After consulting with Inquisitor Quist, the Necron Orb was taken by a
joint group of Ordo Xenos and Adeptus Mechanicus personnel.

Brother Lazo returned to Lan's ship, the Horizon's Pride, while the Inquisitors and their
warbands settled into a more comfortable life in the quarters allocated by the Prince-Prefect.

The months passed. Inquisitor Pontius was asked to help set up the new Necron Research
Station on Karlack, with a mix of Adeptus Mechanicus and Inquisition personnel. Inquisitor
Gaius meanwhile helped put down a small cell of Nurgle cultists that had been discovered on
the planet Calisi, a quiet Fortress World in a system close to Karlack. Brother Lazo assisted
Gaius, using his Weapon Servitors to great effect. They returned to Karlack once the cult had
been destroyed.

 Return to Carmyn

It's been two years since you fought the Dark Eldar on the Space Hulk named "Twilight".

There you fought the Dark Eldar to a standstill and stopped them from getting the prize they
sought - The Liber Daemonica.

The Hulk was blasted to bits by an Imperial Navy squadron, preventing it from impacting onto
the world of Carmyn.

You vaguely recall Carmyn

itself. You had spent a month
there ferreting out a
Slaaneshi cult that had
infiltrated the planet. There
was really only one main
'town' on the planet where
the Planetary Governor had
his residence. Most of the
planet was lush gardens and
forests with a number of
scattered resorts around the
planet. The planet itself was
used as a Resort world by
Imperial Guard and Navy
brass, recovering from the
trauma of War. In fact, its
existence is only known to
the higher echelons. As such,
there was no standing
garrison with mostly
automated defenses.

Now you are being asked to return. Canis Salient HQ on the planet Spite has lost contact with
the planet's sole Astropath, by itself a not unusual occurrence. The secrecy around the planet,
together with recent 'issues' in the Salient has made Lord Ebongrave (Lord Commander of the
Canis Salient) nervous about diverting any resources. He has specifically asked the Inquisition
to investigate this.

The likely scenario Lord Ebongrave feels is that some elements of the Slaaneshi Cult survived,
and may need to be destroyed. The best case is that the vagaries of the Warp are disrupting
Astropathic communication or the Astropath succumbed, as they sadly all too frequently do.

Lord Commander Ebongrave's worst case scenario is that Tau sympathizers have taken over
the planet. If the Tau have infiltrated the planet, he wishes the Inquisition to consider
Exterminatus. For your reference, the Inquisition would decline that request.

While the Inquisition ordinarily would decline this request to investigate (as it seems more like a
job for the Imperial Guard), for its own reasons it agreed and elected to send yourselves given
your past experiences both on Carmyn and with Inquisitor Soldevan (more below).

An Imperial Astropath named Emily Byrne is being tasked to come with you in case the original
Astropath is ill or has died. The Inquisition, in private, relays their own concerns regarding the
Lord Commander of the Canis Salient, his paranoia regarding the Tau, as well as their actual
concerns regarding Carmyn.

Lord Commander Ebongrave and the Tau

The Commander of the Canis Salient was once considered a rising superstar and the likely heir
to the Lord Militant's position. He has always been paranoid when it came to the Tau and their
sympathizers on Imperial planets, which was considered an asset initially. However, when a
group of Tau sympathizers calling itself "The Vengeance Sept" took over the promethium cargo
Ship Silent Pilgrim things changed. The Zealots crashed the ship into the planet, causing
untold destruction.

Ebongrave halted the Imperial advance, and dug in, while hunting for sympathizers. He
quarantined 3 entire systems, fearing the Tau influence too strong; these systems have begun
to suffer famine and disease as the Imperium enforces its quarantine using a large portion of
the Imperial Navy in the Salient. The Inquisition has steadfastly refused his requests for
Exterminatus.

Many officers saw Ebongrave's decisions as cowardice in the extreme. Amongst the detractors
was the redoubtable Colonel Septimus Straine. Straine recently led a regiment-wide
disarmament and defiance. Now his nearly one hundred thousand men are contained in a
massive camp on Spite, awaiting judgement, and likely execution.

The Tau have reportedly been very active on Spite and the other worlds of the Canis Salient.
Aside from funding and equipping various sympathizer groups, they have managed to
occasionally infiltrate Tau or vassal troops and ships into the Imperium. Inquisition
investigations show that the Tau possess advanced Stealth technology, which so far the
Imperium has been unable to deal with. Several Inquisitors from the Ordo Hereticus are actively
hunting Sympathizers in the Canis Salient, however, as is typical for Inquisitors, their actual
whereabouts and investigations are unknown.

If Tau sympathizers are at fault on Carmyn, you are to assess the situation and act accordingly.
Exterminatus is generally not an option, but if the Tau are there in force you are to extricate
yourself, and let the Imperial Guard deal with them.

However, the Inquisition does not believe the Tau are involved and have their own concerns,
based on Intelligence that the Lord Commander is not privy to (below).

Ordo Malleus Concerns

The Ordo Malleus has other information concerning Carmyn, which they are passing on to
Inquisitor Gaius, and have authorized him to share this information with Inquisitor Pontius and
Brother Lazo.

House Grigoris is a Navigator House, whose service in the Imperial Navy stretches back to the
Age of Apostasy. Their household was renowned for producing Navigators of distinction. When
the Achilus Crusade was formed, a majority of its household members traveled with the
Crusade to the Jericho Reach, to serve as Navigators aboard the Imperium's vessels.

The House's fortune changed when Kokabiel Grigoris, a scion of the House, turned against the
Achilus Crusade and the Imperium. The ship he served on, the Burden of Vigilance was lost in
the Hadex Anomaly. Years later the ship reemerged, re-christened the Burden of Revelation
and commanded by the now-mad and traitorous Kokabiel, and began preying on the
Crusade's vessels. Kokabiel's heresy brought shame and scrutiny upon House Grigoris and
cause the Lord Militant to order all of the House's members recalled from active duty. They
were confined to Grigoris' temporary estate on Carmyn, pending a full investigation by the
Ordos Malleus and Hereticus. As of 6 months ago, all but three members of House Grigoris are
accounted for and on planet. A regiment of Tempestus Scions (Imperial Stormtroopers), led by
the esteemed Commissar-Colonel Baku was assigned to 'guard' the family estate and the
Grigori Navigators, until such time as the investigation could take place.

The Inquisition has a concern there is a connection between this loss of communications and
House Grigoris. As such, they quickly agreed to send you to Carmyn to investigate. Inquisitor
Gaius has been given authorization to use Commissar Baku and his troops if needed. 

Inquisition Files on the Three Missing Members of House Grigoris

Penemue Grigoris: Vanished in the Charon Stars shortly after Lord Militant Tetrarchus’s recall order.
Intercepted Astropathic communiques suggest she planned to seek out Kokabiel and return him to the
Emperor’s light.

Azazel Grigoris: Still serving aboard the Might of Terra, an Apocalypse class battleship long trapped
behind enemy lines in the wake of Hive Fleet Dagon.

Araqiel Grigoris: The status of this Grigoris Navigator is currently unknown. Taken into protective
custody—some say abducted—by agents of the Inquisition, Araqiel’s disappearance weakened the
already faltering position of his house. Puritans within the Ordo Malleus loudly accuse Radical elements
of the Ordo Hereticus of intentionally sabotaging an ongoing investigation as it is believed the agents
acted on behalf of the Radical Inquisitor - Soldevan.

Inquisitor Soldevan

This Inquisitor has been off the radar since your encounter with him on the Twilight. It is believed Araqiel
Grigoris was abducted by agents of this Inquisitor. What Soldevan's interests are is unknown. It is
believed he has recruited new Acolytes after losing several on the Twilight. He is a known Primaris
Psyker, a Telekine, and is quite powerful. The Ordo Hereticus continues to deny any knowledge of his
activities, but your colleagues in the Ordo Malleus note they are distancing themselves from Soldevan,
possibly anticipating he has gone rogue.

If you find evidence he has gone rogue, you should attempt to bring him in for the Inquisition to question
and judge, or at the least bring in as much evidence to corroborate your claims so a judgement can be
passed. However, as always, ultimate discretion is yours.
Inquisition File on Kokabiel Grigoris:

“My right eye offended me, so I plucked it out. My left eye deceived me, so I cast it into the void. My Third
Eye remains. With it I see an immaculate light greater than the faltering Astronomican!”
–Kokabiel Grigoris, rogue Navigator and Ipsissimus of the Cyclopean Congregation

Though his household is renowned for producing Navigators of distinction, Kokabiel’s brief commission
is shamefully unremarkable. Once considered handsome by Navigator standards, Kokabiel’s few pleasing
features are lost to pallid skin, elongated bones, and a perpetual grin both sardonic and beatific. However,
Kokabiel’s most striking features are his eyes, or lack thereof.

At the moment of his first revelation Kokabiel plucked out his eyes, sacrificing mundane sight for the
visions imparted in the Hadex Anomaly. Now only his Third Eye remains. Kokabiel’s Warp Eye is forever
open, shedding a purulent red glow that casts no shadow. This eye is a thing of cosmic terror. Some claim
it is a window into the Anomaly. Others claim it contains a fragment of the Anomaly itself. Still others
speculate that Kokabiel’s blighted eye is a microcosm, a fleshy orb containing the Hadex Anomaly in
miniature. The truth is known only to Kokabiel and his most trusted followers.

The Cyclopean Congregation

A self proclaimed prophet, Kokabiel Grigoris presides over a mystery cult of degenerate Navigators and
decadent voidsmen known as the Cyclopean Congregation. Named for Kokabiel and his inner circle of
renegade Navigators, all of whom are blind save for their Third Eye, the Congregation cult promises
illumination through communion with the Hadex Anomaly.

Practicing complex rites of initiation, the cult’s upper echelons are open only to full blooded Navigators.
Only those with the Warp Eye, preaches Kokabiel, can appreciate the Anomaly for what it truly is. They
are suspected to follow that Chaos Entity known as Tzeentch.

Promise of Illumination

Kokabiel foretells a coming age of chaos and despair, a time when the Astronomican will fail, leaving the
Navis Nobilite scrabbling in the abyssal dark. The Nobilite’s only salvation, Kokabiel preaches, comes in
the form of the Hadex Anomaly, a new and vital light in the Warp. Those who comprehend the mysteries
of the Anomaly and use its light to guide their passage through the Warp will be the masters of the coming
age. Kokabiel envisions a time when the influence of the Anomaly encompasses the galaxy entire, every
Segmentum awash in its bloody glow.