Imperium_Maledictum_GM_Screen_Booklet

GAMEMASTER’S SCREEN INCLUDES THE MACHARIAN MISCELLANEA SUPPLEMENT ™ ™

2 TM No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of the publishers. Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay: Imperium Maledictum © Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2023. Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay, the Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay logo, Imperium Maledictum, the Imperium Maledictum logo, GW, Games Workshop, Space Marine, 40k, Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, 40,000, the ‘Aquila’ Doubleheaded Eagle logo, and all associated logos, illustrations, images, names, creatures, races, vehicles, locations, weapons, characters, and the distinctive likeness thereof, are either ® or ™, and/ or © Games Workshop Limited, variably registered around the world, and used under licence. Cubicle 7 Entertainment and the Cubicle 7 Entertainment logo are trademarks of Cubicle 7 Entertainment Limited. All rights reserved. Printed in China. Last Updated, 9th June 2023. Writers: Ciarán O’Brien, Christopher Colston, John Dunn, Michael Duxbury, Jordan Goldfarb and Sam Taylor Editor: Alexandra Iciek Producer: Sam Taylor Booklet Cover: Sam Manley GM Screen Art: JG O’Donoghue Illustration: Alberto Bontempi, Runesael Flynn, Diana Grigorescu, Tom Hutchings Graphic Design and Layout: Diana Grigorescu, Laura Jane Phelan, Pádraig Murphy Proofreading: Bryce Johnston Warhammer Senior Producer: Pádraig Murphy Cubicle 7 Team: Dave Allen, Emmet Byrne, Alex Cahill, David F Chapman, Walt Ciechanowski, Christopher Colston, Elaine Connolly, Josh Corcoran, Jennifer Crispin, Zak Dale-Clutterbuck, Matthew Freeman, Paula Graham, Diana Grigorescu, Fiona Kelly, Elaine Lithgow, TS Luikart, Dominic McDowall, Neil McGouran, Sam Manley, Kieran Murphy, Pádraig Murphy, Ceíre O’Donoghue, JG O’Donoghue, Laura Jane Phelan, Sam Taylor, and Cian Whelan Creative Director: Emmet Byrne Publisher: Dominic McDowall Special thanks to the Games Workshop team. CREDITS

3 I III: Macharian Miscellanea An eclectic mix of tables to fill your missions with flavourful clutter, enhance your character interactions and overall deepen your party’s experience. The tools within can add a simple dash of spice to the setting, like a colourful inworld insult or benediction. Others let you craft pieces of Administratum paperwork or various voidship names and noble titles. In any case, you can use each entry presented verbatim within your games or use each table as pure inspiration to create your own. IV: Open Case Files Imperium Maledictum’s first offering of ‘open case files’, one-shot investigations that take only one or two sessions to complete. Think of them as side quests for your party, for when they might need a break from their more extensive investigations or wish to explore more of their current locale. We designed each Case File to fit easily into your existing narratives and locations with minimal set-up. Furthermore, resolving these Cases could inspire future stories, missions and characters within your overall campaign. Each Case File consists of three parts, which you could consider three acts. First, the Hook pulls your party in — an inciting incident they could easily stumble upon or discover as part of their character’s downtime or part of a more extensive Investigation. Second, a Response — when your party finally accepts the call to adventure, and the inciting incident develops into a real problem for them to solve. And finally, the Resolution — outlining the Case’s potential outcomes or final problems the party might have to deal with due to their actions. Each stage of the Case contains helpful advice, how to respond to specific situations, and mechanical suggestions to keep things interesting for your players. This Macharian Miscellanea supplement contains various tools for Gamemasters to improve their worldbuilding and player engagement throughout their missions and campaigns — a companion to accompany the Imperium Maledictum Core Book and Gamemaster’s Screen. New GMs dipping their mechadendrites into Warhammer 40,000 for the first time can learn much about the types of grim and infinitely strange characters and events at the ground level of this vast Imperium of Mankind. Experienced and novice GMs will find the collection of quick-generation tools helpful in adding flavour and character when planning out missions in advance, but also useful when players do something unexpected and there’s a need to generate a rumour or create a brand new character on the fly. I: Sector Whispers Twelve d10 tables of heretical rumours, dark whispers, and hearsay, all written so the GM may present them straight from an NPC’s mouth. Each table is themed towards a particular environment pulled from the Macharian Sector, be it the decks of a voidship, the temples of shrine worlds, or a hive’s darkest sectors — wherever walls may have ears. With some work, each rumour can easily develop into a full investigation for your party — like a regular plot hook — or be dangled in the air as a misleading clue to throw them off the scent. II: Macharian Personae A diverse roster of NPC generation tables, one for each of Imperium Maledictum’s nine core factions. With a few quick choices or d10 rolls, a GM can conjure up a world-fitting character for their party to interact with. Or, they may take aspects of these tables and apply them to existing NPCs to give them additional depth and better ground them in the universe. We have also included a few examples at the beginning of the section to demonstrate precisely how these tables work. Introduction

4 I Sector Whispers Archiviums: The Macharian Sector’s records are stored in vast and secure facilities, scattered about the whole sector. Here, autoquills and cogitators constantly analyse and duplicate documentation for long-term storage. There is always plenty of foot traffic coming and going from Archiviums, as people request and supply documentation, or meet with Administratum agents for interviews; idle talk keenly following in their wake. Rumours can spread from the loose lipped scribes, overworked Adepts, or the abundance of bored visitants. Crumbling Hives: For the millennia it often takes for a hive to grow from a hole in the ground into a sophisticated metropolis, it takes much less time for these societies to crumble. Here, faith is withering, and the citizens have turned to preying upon one another to survive. The highest echelons of society might be desperate for a way out, looking to the stars, whilst the lowly working classes might seek to dig in and protect what’s theirs. Rumours regarding the haves and the have-nots spread like wildfire up and down the Hive, feeding desperation and crime. CRUMBLING HIVE WHISPERS d10 Rumour 1 Crime Wave: “This neighbourhood is no stranger to crime, but in the last few months it has become unbearable. Gang wars? Power vaccum? Simple desperation? The ‘who’ matters little to the victims.” 2 Cult Activity: “Strange chants, weird parades, rituals that would curl a Deacon’s toes. I don’t know who they worship over that way mate, and I don’t want to know.” 3 Renegade Activity: “They resented bein’ drafted, see. Now they got notions, fighting against the loyal regiments. Winnin’, too. What happens when the collectors come callin’ and all these soldiers ain’t there?” 4 Noble Power Play: “The Governor says one thing, his rival cousin says another. Power, food, and water have slowed to nothing while everyone with aspirations decides who’s side they’re on.” 5 Raw Material Shortage: “You tell those guild fools my labourers can’t work without materials. If they don’t sort out their late shipments, it’ll be them explaining why the governor’s tithe is short on his quotas.” 6 Overdue Black Ship: “The prisons are stuffed with witches but the Black Ships haven’t called in years. All that warp-sorcery hanging around for so long, staining our world — it’s disgraceful.” 7 Warehouse Disaster: “Public stores will be commandeered to make up the shortfall. The only stores ruined were for the tithe. Mark my words, someone’s up to no good, and in the end we’ll all pay the price.” 8 Water Purity: “Every supply for 5 miles turned sour‘ bout a month ago. Illness followed soon after. The preachers say it’s punishment for lack of faith. They could be right, in this neighbourhood.” 9 Strange Lights: “Grandmother says some nights are cursed. Those nights, the hab-lights act strange. They’re meant to be dimmed for the night-cycle, but I saw them light up buildings, transports, people… Stay indoors, those nights.” 10 Guard Recruitment: “Keep yer nose clean! Word is, there ain’t enough people enlisting. Prisons are empty but arrests are rising. Don’t matter what you done, the sentence will be joining the next regiment.” ARCHIVIUM WHISPERS d10 Rumour 1 Inquisitorial Investigation: “Archive 312-Kappa is a mess! Some interlopers left records lying everywhere or missing entirely! I can’t even file a complaint about the perpetrators, their security codes mark them as Inquisitorial agents.” 2 Lost Fleet: “Oh, you find these now and then in the archives. They say more than one fleet was lost during the Macharian Crusade, their astropaths suddenly falling silent after a warp transition. File it with all the other ‘pending reply’ reports...” 3 Rogue Trader Activity: “These Trade Dynasties ignore the economic turmoil left in their wake. Their negligent record keeping will take years to fix! Market upheaval! Political instability!” 4 Famine: “An almost planet-wide famine. Millions have surely starved, but we cannot simply reroute supplies from elsewhere. It may be needed for battlefronts. Besides, the paperwork is incomplete.” 5 Xenos Activity: “Priority reports of xenos raids must be accompanied by corroborating forms signed by the Militarum officer authorising the counter-response. Those worlds must rely on their faith in the God-Emperor for now.” 6 Renegades: “Had the requests been processed correctly, these sub-sector shortages would have pointed to the world preparing to rebel. But I heard some scribe lost them, and lost a world along with them!” 7 Unpaid Tithes: “Ah yes, a filing error led to the world’s Tithe going uncollected for three centuries. Several generations of soldiers, in need of a war. Well, the sector’s generals will be pleased.” 8 Unexpected Surplus: “Every ship in the sector is full, and there’s still a ration surplus. If we don’t find more space, the rest will rot in silos, and discontent will spread through the farmers’ ranks like wildfire!” 9 Forgotten System: “There’s no mention of the system in any official maps. It might be a filing error. It might have been struck from records on pain of death. I’m not finding out which!” 10 Damaged Records: “Oh, Archive 1313-Sigma. Tragic loss. Priceless records damaged by vermin. Decontamination protocols somehow missed the infestation. If you ask me, it was an inside job.”

5 Sector Whispers I DARK ZONE WHISPERS d10 Rumour 1 Aid for Indoctrination: “Lacking solars and need fixing up? They say there’s a group offering aid for nothing. Food and shelter too. Might be they’re just honest citizens, but some who seek them out come back changed.” 2 Gang War: “Keep yourself off the streets in the late hours, local gangers have been fighting out in the open, and plebs keep getting caught in the crossfire. It’s getting worse by the night.” 3 Stolen Goods: “Enforcer types from the upper hive have been snooping around the neighbourhood, looking for a missing shipment. They think someone from ‘round here stole from ’em.” 4 Xenos Tech: “People are getting proper purified water somewhere down here, and many are desperate to find the source. They say even cogger agents are poking about, looking for someone related to the water.” 5 Mutant Activity: “Band of mutants have been kicking folk out of their homes and stealing supplies from ‘round about the zone, building themselves a hive of their own some say.” 6 Rogue Psyker: “Some freak’s been gathering followers, hiding out on the lower levels. Hiding from the Black Ships, we think. Saw the freak make a man die by just giving him a hard stare.” 7 Predatory Beast: “Bodies turning up half eaten and mangled, tracks of blood left all pointing to the levels below. Something’s hunting us — can only hope that there’s just one of them.” 8 Spreading Plague: “You haven’t got the pox have you? Something rotten’s spreading in the next zone over. Chirurgeons won’t waste proper medicine on us — easier to put us in quarantine and just wait till it kills us.” 9 Esoteric Healer: “You didn’t hear it from me, but there’s a healer down the way that’ll fix you up, no questions asked. They always ask for something strange in payment though...” 10 Noble Runaway: “Seen an air-breather from the upper hive today. Clocked him a mile off. Plumed helm, gold embroidery, and a collar taller than his head! Probably be dead soon, and all his fancy clothes sold off. They say he’s looking for a runaway from the top levels.” Dark Zones: These whispers radiate from the forgotten and hidden places of the sector, where the Emperor’s light is at its dimmest. Here, desperate people dwell in abysmal underground reaches below hive cities: the abandoned depths of ancient mines or vast stretches of broken industrial sectors, even the forgotten decks of voidcraft. The people here are omitted from society whether they wish it for themselves or not. Instigators of rumour may include gangers, cultists, mutants, or anyone wishing to hide from the authorities above them. FEUDAL TOWNSHIP WHISPERS d10 Rumour 1 Upcoming Festival: “Here for the big festival? Good folk come from leagues around to celebrate. Three whole days of music and dancing, exotic food and drink. Of course, the recruiters will be watching the crowds, but we all have to serve the Emperor somehow...” 2 Beast Migration: “Every year the beasts migrate, and they go right by this town. Good hunting, ‘long as the herds don’t stampede this way. So, are you hunting or building the barricades?” 3 Drought: “Me ma says there’s evil in the water, striking down both plant and beast. Scholars think they can purify it, preachers say penance will cleanse it. I say moving the whole city is easier!” 4 Cult Activity: “This symbol embroidered on our garments is not for outsiders. A hero’s sigil? A sign of the prophets? It matters not what it was, for it is a revered and sacred custom.” 5 Rogue Psyker: “If all else fails you… there is a cave in the hills, not far. Within dwells a hermit most holy. Theirs is the power of healing, of scrying, of summoning hellfire.” 6 Forest People: “Stray not into the woods! Strange men dwell there. They wear inhuman masks, and speak in alien tongues. With glamour and strange weapons, they bless or doom in equal measure.” 7 Plague: “Them who died were the lucky ones. The sickness leaves you scarred worse than any pox, living with unsightly growths. Your eyes or hair may change hue. Worst though, are the dreams.” 8 Predatory Beast: “Tis surely a beast from the darkness between the stars! No earthly creature could cause such savage butchery. None who faced it now live. In the God-Emperor’s name, aid us!”. 9 Forbidden Chemystries: “Aye, I went to that merchant, you know the one, ragged wagon on the market’s edge. Well, he sold me a tincture that healed me leg overnight! Like it never broke!” 10 Bountiful Harvest: “Storms and ill-omens all growing season, followed by the most bountiful harvest in living memory? Of course it was evil spirits! Look how everyone is fighting over it!” Feudal Townships: Some of the Imperium’s worlds maintain a deficient technology base. Sometimes this is due to a lack of available resources, or simple neglect, while other worlds are maintained this way in the hopes of breeding hardy soldiers for future regimental tithes. Yet, these backwater realms remain self-sufficient, dependent on traditional means of agriculture and feudal means of governance — all the while required to supply the tithe like any other world. Here, warrior-class nobilities rule over a peasantry reminicent of ancient Terra — the strife between these classes is always an abundant source of dark rumours.

6 I Sector Whispers Frontier Settlements: Worlds on the Imperium’s frontier are sparsely populated, though they strive to grow quickly — as no settlement would be there without good reason — be it next to a rare resource, strategic position, or for the sheer potential of charting the unknown. The people here must make do with limited resources and rarely receive visits from Imperium transports. Within these tightknit communities, rumours carry on the wind about the unexplored lands beyond, what might arrive on the next transport, or the lawlessness of their neighbours. FRONTIER SETTLEMENT WHISPERS d10 Rumour 1 Supply Ship Due: “I was a young girl when I last saw an Imperial hauler. Oh, we celebrated for days! I can’t wait — new faces and building supplies will grow our home for the glory of the Golden Throne.” 2 Ore Discovery: “Drinks on me tonight! I found an ore vein this morning! Listen, if we play our cards right, we can make a fortune before the Cog-heads build a mine over it.” 3 Strange Ruins: “I don’t care if it’s only an hour’s ride, I’m not going back! The dreams I had in those ruins all came true, one after another, don’t you see? It’s witchcraft!” 4 Equipment Failure: “The Omnissiah tests our resourcefulness. Supplies to repair the generatorium won’t arrive before winter. Either we find an alternative, or there will be nobody left to repair it in spring.” 5 Lost Harvest: “The Magus said ‘toxic fungal infestation’. Dunno what that means but the crops are poison now. Half the town will starve to death in the next month if we don’t get help.” 6 Raider Activity: “Raiders is raiders, I didn’t stop to ask if they was xenos! People, livestock, equipment — they stole some of everything. They’ll surely come back for more, soon enough.” 7 Renegade Activity: “Watch yourself if you’re travelling, there’s deserters about. Who these rogues can’t recruit, they kill and rob. Heretics all, saying things was better before Saint Macharius and the Crusade.” 8 Cult Activity: “The preacher says my brother’s possessed, but he aint! Likes to talk to the Emperor when he thinks no one’s around, but isn’t that just praying? The preacher says he can be exorcised, but I’ve never heard of anyone surviving an experience like that…” 9 Rogue Psyker: “Officially, we banished her from the colony. She lives alone in the hills now. Unofficially, people sometimes visit her. They usually return. Usually.” 10 Strange Fauna: “We’ve not seen these species before. They all smell of brimstone or stranger substances. Definitely not local. Continental, maybe even interstellar migration? Be wary when you’re around them!” Hive Spires: The most affluent and influential members of hive society dwell among the spires, mingling at the very uppermost levels of these towering metropolises. Seldom deigning to leave these peaks, the nobility dictates the actions and lives of those who live in the lower levels. All the while, they remain isolated in luxury, away from those they designate as their social inferiors. Their primary concern is a mix of their own desires — and what the Imperium requires, the Hive supplies them with. Petty betrayals, family squabbles, and superfluous drama are the crux of many rumours. HIVE SPIRE WHISPERS d10 Rumour 1 Renegade Activity: “Oh yes, the captain of my cousin’s Enforcers. Took a crack squad downhive months ago and hasn’t been seen since, but we know they’re still active. A delicious scandal!” 2 Cult Activity: “How dare he choose friends over family! I can see it in his eyes, those parties must be exquisite. Why would the Duchess invite him over me? How unfair!” 3 Xenos Tech: “Our Baron likes to show off his little curios to whoever he invites round for deals or dinners. Turns all his gatherings into great successes, they say, but never mentions where he sources these strange objects.” 4 Archaeotech: “I’ve heard the Tech-Priests are excited, insofar as that lot can be. I gather they found something interesting amongst the spire’s power cells, so now we must endure lengthy delays to their repair.” 5 Heretical Healer: “I don’t envy that healer. Yes, those nobles are now healthier than before their ailments and he enjoys their personal hospitality. But every young heir now has decades to wait!” 6 Hive Alliances: “I should have those diplomats flogged! Send another delegation. If we cannot strike a trade agreement in the sanctum administratus, we must make perparations to strike it on the battlefield!” 7 Hive Disasters: “I’ve heard it said we lost nine million workers when that spire collapsed. The Administratum expects a 15% drop in productivity. Tell the survivors they are allowed no more than 10%.” 8 Nouveau Riche: “I say, don’t mention that upstart’s name here! Wherever he found his fortune, he certainly did not find manners alongside it! A contemptible braggart. Mother is just beside herself.” 9 Valued Vintage: “This year’s vintage is magnificent! Well worth the… unusual weather. I fear with such fervent demand across the system, we will soon have no reserves to speak of!” 10 The Tithe: “Meeting the Tithe is good and right, praise the God-Emperor and so forth, but continued success only invites higher Tithes. We should take steps to ensure our rivals pay any increase instead of us.”

7 Sector Whispers I Manufactorums: These are the hub of each world’s technological production, where Tech-Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus and leaders from the Administratum oversee human and servitor labourers, as they craft goods and equipment essential to the Imperium’s survival. These massive facilities may be districts within cities or can be entire metropolis-sprawling habitats on Forge Worlds. The monotony of the manufactorum’s schedules may suit the Tech-Priests, but for the average worker, any scrap of hearsay may be the highlight of their week. MANUFACTORUM WHISPERS d10 Rumour 1 Overzealous Oversight: “Delays on Line Kappa again, too many injured workers. I heard there’s an Overseer down there who’s heavy handed with the shock-whips. All well and good, but if it’s slowing down production then he’s the one at fault!” 2 Inconsistent Yield: “Heard a Magus arguing with the boss. Workers were doing everything right but something’s still tampering with production. Coghead said his superiors would get involved soon.” 3 Heretek Practices: “Instead of hurling baseless accusations of tech-heresy, my esteemed colleague might look to the state of his own poorly maintained manufactorum. The Omnissiah does not reward the indolent.” 4 Sabotage: “Keep your head down and focus on your labour. The Tech-Priests are saying next door’s collapse was sabotage. You saw nothing, you heard nothing, and pray they believe you.” 5 Inquisitorial Investigation: “I don’t know who these outsiders are, but I saw Magos Nyala bow to them, and you know she don’t bow to anyone. They may as well be the God-Emperor Himself.” 6 Overdue Transport: “Word is the ore shipment is late again. The overseers are furious, there’s even talk about purging the entire mine’s workforce if they don’t deliver soon.” 7 Tech-Priest Delegation: “The overseer’s scheduled an extra shift tonight, and half the labourers are fit to riot — or would be, if they weren’t so exhausted. It’s all to prepare for some fancy delegation visiting the manufactorum tomorrow.” 8 Administratum Dictates: “Administratum says the manufactorum has to fab something else now. There’ll be riots, mark my words. Production won’t get going until their children come of age — at least they’ll be easier to train.” 9 Unfathomable Edict: “It’s not the production increase. 0.3% is fairly moderate. It’s being punished for exceeding 0.3% is what I’m confused by. I heard they keep excess production down by trading any surplus to the infractionists.” 10 Plague: “Sickness on line Omega-23, even the servitors are collapsing on the job. Overseers want to bring in more workers, and say everything has been sterilised. That’s what they said the last time, too. I hear no one knows what really causes the outbreaks, but they can’t afford to cut production.” Orbital Stations: Stations across the imperium may orbit a celestial body, or be anchored as a convenient waypoint in a vital system. Some serve as trade outposts or supply depots, where deals can be made and vessels can quickly retrieve cargo. Others act as space-fortresses, guarding valuable locations or void-docks for vessels to undergo repairs or refitting. Most stations are not self-sustaining, and depend upon a workforce of labourers, scribes, techs, and those who support them. Not to forget the odd traveller or voidsman likely to pass through. ORBITAL STATION WHISPERS d10 Rumour 1 Decreased Traffic: “Fewer transports passing through in recent years, something disrupting the lanes. Citizens saying the Governor’s worried the station’s going to be scuttled. Where are all of us going to go after that?” 2 Xenos Activity: “Xenos raids ain’t nothing new round here. Found a way past the defences somehow, practically come and go as they please. Except no-one seems to remember what those vile beings actually want.” 3 Power Problems: “Cog-Heads are sealing off the lower levels tonight. Lights and other minor systems are cutting out due to fuel leaks, they say. I think they’ve not kept up with their maintenance.” 4 Fleet Action: “A large squadron is scheduled to arrive soon for refuelling and maintenance. All hands to the docking ports. We’ll be hauling ordnance out of storage all day and night.” 5 Station Structure: “The lower hab decks got sheared off and swallowed by the void years ago; like something took a bite out of the station. Noone knows what really happened.” 6 Adeptus Mechanicus Activity: “Cogheads are all worried, I heard a Magos is coming and they ain’t pleased with the station’s output. They’ve been running mad re-purifying all the Cogitators.” 7 Warp Taint: “Crew off a visiting vessel says their ship got a real good licking from the warp; Captain’s kicked them all off the ship, not letting them back on board til every decks been blessed.” 8 Rogue Trader Activity: “Some flashy Rogue Trader’s been stopping by like cogwork. Some Deckhands got a look of what they’re hauling, and they don’t know what they’re looking at.” 9 Reduced Rations: “Lad in the station officio says those last two fleets that passed through took on more supplies than they were supposed to. Rationing’s starting tomorrow, folk ain’t going to be happy about it.” 10 Cult Activity: “Voidsmen coming and going from that abandoned deck. I heard there’s food, water, atmosphere, and other pleasures being handed out for nothing — if guests know how to be discreet.”

8 I Sector Whispers Planetary Transports: Movement between a planet’s various settlements and facilities typically depends upon mass transit systems. These include land trains, airships, and submersibles. These enormous vessels might take mere hours or lengthy days to reach their destinations — passengers have plenty of time to interact with each other; where people from opposite ends of the social strata may be forced to mingle in tight quarters. Whispers may be easily traded via idle tongues and sheer boredom, or in nervous anticipation of their journey’s end. Shrine Cities: These cities are bastions of the Adeptus Ministorum. Relics of fallen heroes and saints of the Imperial Cult continue to stand vigil, while the devout enjoin endless prayers and maintain a continuous chorus of praise. While the faithful undertake pilgrimages to these holy places, the more devout dedicate their lives to studying and maintaining the records and sacred texts of the Adeptus Ministorum. Yet, under the grand facade of their polished statues and seemingly devout populace — Shrine Cities are still host to metropolitan disillusion and an abundance of unsavoury characters. PLANETARY TRANSPORT WHISPERS d10 Rumour 1 Missing Cargo: “Passengers are kicking off about valuables going missing from the holds. But it’s all under lock and key. If anyone was actually stealing, where would they put it all anyway?” 2 Cult Activity: “You can hear the chants if you listen close enough, rattling through the ventilation systems. No idea what they’re chanting about, but I can’t get the rhythm out of my head.” 3 Maintenance Issues: “We’ve been doing our best with what we’ve got to keep her running, but some parts you just can’t fix. Deckhands think the ship’s going to be decommissioned soon.” 4 Labour Migration: “Passenger compartments are overcrowded with labourers getting reassigned to new locations in the system. None of them are too happy about getting shifted about.” 5 Regional Megafauna: “Birds as big as buildings, I tell you! That’s what’s keeping us grounded. This time every year they mess with our transit windows. The guard’s not going to waste their munitions on them.” 6 Plague: “Passengers on the bottom decks are coughing and retching, all short of breath. I can just smell the sickness in the air, can’t you? If it’s still here when we get to port, the ship will be quarantined, I have no doubt.” 7 Lost Passengers: “Checked the passenger manifest at the start of my rotation, and there’s a bunch of them unaccounted for. No-one knows who they are either. Better find ‘em quick.” 8 Signs of Heresy: “Don’t look like any kind of regular pilgrims to me, not like I’ve ever seen. Half of them are totally wrapped up in bandages; everyone’s saying they’ve got something to hide.” 9 Colonisation Edict: “The hold’s jam-packed with folk that don’t want to be there. Mass conscripted, all their lives uprooted and forced to colonise a frontier world. They’ll make trouble for all of us, sooner or later.” 10 Renegade Activity: “Changing course will add more than a week to the journey; Captain’s taking us past some anomaly, no matter what. The Imperial Navy will escort us, I’m sure.” SHRINE CITY WHISPERS d10 Rumour 1 Upcoming Holy Day: “Got plans for Saint’s day? Heard pilgrims are coming in from Macharia to head the celebrations. Governor’s trying to get everything ready, but he’s an embarrassment waiting to happen.” 2 Heresy: “Whole host of pilgrims failed obeisance in front of the Cardinal. Their hand movements and genuflections don’t follow proper doctrine. The Ministorum’s itching to investigate.” 3 Statuary Executions: “A band of sneaky heretics have been beheading statues in the night, all of some long dead Militarum General. Enforcers have begun posting guards, trying to catch them.” 4 Cathedral Construction: “Once the expansions are complete, this will be the largest cathedral on the continent. Naturally, those unable to show similar devotion are attempting to sabotage us.” 5 Missing Relics: “Bunch of relics have gone missing, all tied to one saint. Some zealots are saying that the relic’s disappearance means the saint’s come back, but others say they’re the ones who stole them in the first place!” 6 Rogue Psyker: “Some half-headed pilgrim’s been talking to the local congregate, preaching that the city’s doomed. Vigilites tried to arrest him, but they all turned up dead, and the pilgrim escaped.” 7 Ecclesiarchy Politics: “Local Ministorum leaders are fighting over who’s running the next high holy day. It’s rumoured that brawls have broken out over it — what improper behaviour!” 8 Pilgrims Everywhere: “We were never prepared for this much foot-traffic. Pilgrims still arriving by the day, and the city’s facilities are overloaded, all to hear this Arch-confessor’s condemnations.” 9 Inquisitorial Congregation: “You hear there’s an Inquisitor in the City? Some say they’re looking for some major heresy. Others say they’re here to make an obeisance and undergo ritual purification.” 10 Zealot Purges: “Zealots are taking matters into their own hands, saying the Ministorum’s been lax on rounding up heretics. Some say it was them that burned down a whole hab block last night over some blasphemous graffiti.”

9 Sector Whispers I Upper Hives: Sandwiched between the lost dark zones and grimy manufactorums below, and the lofty spires of authority above, Upper Hive sectors act as an authoritative firebreak between Imperial classes. The people here enjoy greater comfort than most menial workers, in exchange for responsibilities in keeping the Hive functioning, and duties to isolate the nobility from the lowly masses. Yet the pressures from above and below can build over time —most Upper Hive citizens are fully aware of their precarious position in the hive’s pecking order. Voidship Decks: A voidship could include the vessels of the Imperial Navy (merchant and military), those captained by Rogue Traders, or even simpler transports or haulers. Many voidcraft have been in service for millennia, with crews who have served aboard for generations. Even travellers sometimes spend decades on a single transit. Through this time, each vessel develops its own culture and personality, while passengers and crew adapt to the cramped conditions — it’s never long before everyone knows some piece of information about anyone aboard. VOIDSHIP DECK WHISPERS d10 Rumour 1 Warp Eruptions: “I hate this system. The warp spewed its vileness here not long ago. We’re not making any transitions, but pray twice as hard all the same, lest that vileness get any ideas.” 2 Gang Activity: “Don’t venture into the lowest service level. Gangs of outcast crew down there, cannibals and worse. Fix problems from the deck above or leave it be, for all our sakes.” 3 Cult Activity: “Some of the crew have a gettogether after every warp transit. Kind of a tradition. They swap stories and say which prayers or rites helped get them through.” 4 Xenos Activity: “Gun crews say they didn’t look like Imperial ships. They followed us all through the system. Never got the order to fire. The captain knows something we don’t.” 5 Spoiled Provisions: “Blasted vermin got into the food storage, contaminated everything but the gray rations. Strict rationing until we resupply. Even the officers are eating it unflavoured.” 6 Cargo Activity: “Someone’s been damaging cargo. Security saw nothing. Stowaways, maybe? Deckhand with a grudge? Sooner or later, they’ll damage something the officers care about, then their heads will roll.” 7 Engine Instability: “Cog-heads say the main engine is angry, stopping and starting, can’t be placated until we dock. Long trip ahead, and GodEmperor help us if we get attacked without thrust.” 8 Pirate Activity: “Pirates have been getting worse where we’re headed. The moment we leave the Sea of Souls, keep one hand on your weapon and pray we don’t get noticed.” 9 Strange Stowaways: “The Geller Field sprung a leak last warp transition, now there’s hundreds of deck labourers mucking about that no one can remember. They seem to be doing their jobs… but I just don’t trust them.” 10 Rogue Psyker: “That rating will be promoted within the week. Years in the background, then they finally speak up and they could persuade an Ork to bathe. Command staff ’s darling since the last warp transition.” UPPER HIVE WHISPERS d10 Rumour 1 Worker Numbers: “You think it’s cramped now? The workforce is still down since the last plague. Wait until the Administratum relocates a few million souls to make up the numbers.” 2 Re-widowed: “The Duchess is remarrying for the ninth time. To lose one spouse is a tragedy, but to have lost eight seems simply reckless.” 3 Rationing: “That fool Tech-priest was tipping over herself at court to declare the hive was on the brink of collapse. I’m so glad some of her kind came to drag her away for her boorish outbursts.” 4 High Fashion: “You know Bertwell was showing off those blasted xenos gems of hers again? Height of fashion they may be, but I have the strangest dreams after she attends court wearing them.” 5 Hive Alliances: “You know, I heard the Baron’s scribes missed a loophole in their latest trade agreement, making the whole thing worthless. We’d be fools not to take advantage of it, especially given his cousin’s snub of my wedding last year.” 6 Purity: “Have you seen the newest Declarion scion presented to court last month? Of course preserving the bloodlines is important, but some are whispering the girl is practically a mutant!” 7 Supply Chain: “According to the Tech-priests there’s a water shortage brewing in the hive. Of course I’ve ensured the water supply for the gardens will not be interrupted. We’ll simply reroute water lines from the hab blocks.” 8 Roots of Heresy: “The Demi-Baron no longer kneels in mass. Is he allowed to do that? First it was just him, now dozens of nobles are just sitting as the canticles are read. Why are they allowed?” 9 Criminal Activity: “Guilder Dupris claims that idle workers have cut his production again this year, but I’ve heard he’s been selling off supplies to others at risk of missing their own tithes. Let him know that, unless he extends us the same service, the governor will hear of his indiscretions.” 10 Pilgrimage Opportunities: “The labourers under my family’s purview petitioned for pilgrimage over a century ago, and it just got approved this week. I’ve no idea what my grandfather was thinking. Perhaps the discovery of a few ‘heretics’ on the factory floor will see their request delayed.”

10 I Macharian Personae 10 II Macharian Personae Each of the following Macharian Personae tables are capable of quickly generating a small character profile with just a few rolls of a d10. There is a Personae table for each of Imperium Maledictum’s major Imperium factions, perfect for creating NPCs that fit almost anywhere in the Macharian sector. The Role column presents a selection of ranks or functions within each organisation. Distinguishing Features highlight an aspect of the generated character that is quickly apparent to anyone who interacts with them. Attitude is an indication of the character’s surface level mood, how they might immediately treat anyone who encounters them, or a key aspect of how they act in general. Finally, the Mannerism column indicates a common motion or affectation the character often does. Most entries here are keyed so that the GM can easily imitate this act at the table, or weave it into the character’s interactions with the party, helping make the character more memorable. To fully complete a character you can give them a name using the Name Table in Imperium Maledictum (page 82), and choose an appropriate stat-block from the Bestiary Chapter (starting page 315). Pay attention to each table’s introduction, indicating where in the Macharian Sector you might typically encounter these characters, and relating back to the areas outlined in the Sector Whispers section. Here are two examples of NPCs generated using the tables that follow. Adeptus Mechanicus Example Setup: The party is searching a local Manufactorum, trying to trace the origin of a piece of equipment critical to solving their investigation. They are having a hard time finding any information on their own, and have wandered into an area they haven’t been permitted to enter. You decide to generate a character to interact with them, and roll on the Adeptus Mechanicus Personae Table four times. “An Adeptus Mechanicus (6) Enginseer named Exitor-Dho 4C, who has (4) a ballistic mechadendrite that looms by their side menacingly. They are (3) Often deep in thought, and never want to be bothered, whilst (5) something in their head whirrs and ticks when they pause their speech. (Use the Tech-Priest stat-block to represent them, Imperium Maledictum page 324).” Rogue Trader Example Setup: The party is seeking an audience with a Rogue Trader, whose ship is about to head out towards the frontier, and they wish to gain passage. You decide that the Rogue Trader themself is too busy and far above dealing with the lowly party, so you generate a character to act as one of the Rogue Trader’s assistants, using the Rogue Trader Dynasty Personae Table: “A Rogue Trader (9) Seneschal named Novianna, who has (3) their hair ostentatiously styled, sporting several expensive adornments. They are (8) Always complaining about the cost of something, mostly deemed expensive, whilst (7) constantly consulting a multitude of scrolls, maps, notes, and books. (Use the Administratum Adept stat-block to represent them, Imperium Maledictum page 325).” MACHARIAN PERSONAE TABLES

11 Macharian Personae I 11 Macharian Personae II Adeptus Astra Telepathica ADEPTUS ASTRA TELEPATHICA PERSONAE d10 Role Distinguishing Feature Attitude Mannerism 1 Adept Dark lifeless eyes, having witnessed far too much. Self-loathing and terrified of their “special gift”. Tends to levitate when excited. 2 Astropath Their eyes are milky white, devoid of features. Haughty, quick to remind characters of their power. Randomly screams and clutches at their head. 3 Blank Inexplicably and viscerally repugnant to your senses. Believes there is a hidden meaning in every interaction. Displays an irrational fear of Servo-Skulls. 4 Neonate Their shadow’s movements do not mirror their body’s. Humble, pious, and obedient, like all citizens should be. Senile and absent-minded, thinks characters are old friends. 5 Instructor Gouging out their eyes in the past has left heavy facial scars. Sarcastic and critical, but appreciative of those who work in morally grey areas. Makes superstitious warding signs whenever the Warp is mentioned. 6 Sanctioned Psyker A thin layer of frost appears within several yards of them. Possesses great knowledge but unused to conversation and speaks awkwardly. Holds aloft the gilded skull of a past psyker, treating it like a beloved pet. 7 Scholar A symbolic chain is fastened tightly around their eyes. Strict and professional, wellaware of the dangers of relaxed socialising. Smoke issues from their eyes (or sockets) in the presence of religious iconography. 8 Seeker Their face is more cable, pipe, and copper heat sink than mortal flesh. Dismissive and bitter regarding the Imperium, yet bound by oaths to assist it. Their presence causes lighting to flicker and passing Servo-Skulls to wobble. 9 Theomancer No matter which direction they seem to face, you can feel them staring at you. Barely paying attention with their thoughts half in the immaterium. Makes eye-contact with things that no-one else can see — that aren’t really there. 10 Voidsman Their head is enclosed in an Aquila-shaped helm, permanently riveted shut. Paranoid, suspicious of newcomers, relating events to their personal torments. Occasionally sounds like more than one voice is coming from their throat. Responsible for the hunting, recruitment, training, and tithe of psykers across the Imperium, The Adeptus Astra Telepathica are a force spread out across the whole Sector. Divided into two orders: those who operate the League of Blackships, and the Scholastica Psykana whose members are dedicated to the training and judgement of psykers. Members of the Astra Telepathica are rarely in one place long, drawn wherever psykers are causing noticeable trouble or rooting through built up populations for unsanctioned recruits. If anywhere, they are most likely to be found in-transit or around transport hubs: like Orbital Stations, Voidship Decks, or Planetary Transports.

12 I Macharian Personae 12 II Macharian Personae Adeptus Ministorum ADEPTUS MINISTORUM PERSONAE d10 Role Distinguishing Feature Attitude Mannerism 1 Battle Sister Heavy keloid scarring across half their face. Warm and friendly, unless they suspect heresy. They sit perfectly still, peering over their arched fingers. 2 Chapel-Master An Electroflail replaces their left forearm. Cold and haughty, thinks they are superior to all. Always quoting benedictions to back up their words. 3 Confessor The mark of the Aquila branded into their forehead. Extremely naive, ignorant of the many existential threats to the Imperium. Communicates with sign language or written notes due to a vow of silence. 4 Deacon A prayer scroll nailed into their chest, the wound has not healed. Vainglorious, their speech and gestures are as ostentatious as their robes. Constantly fiddling with a cilice or other tool of self-mortification. 5 Missionary A Servo-Skull follows them, swinging an incense thurible. Unimaginative, unhelpful, fails to inspire their flock or impress superiors. Sips from a hip flask of amasec when they think nobody is watching. 6 Preacher Crudely sharpened teeth, causing their lips to continuously bleed. Bombastic in battle, quiet and distant elsewhere. A veteran pilgrim. Never makes eye contact, as if watching unseen angels near the characters. 7 Redemptionist A flat and expansive nose, clearly broken many times over. Dramatic, treats all matters as if the fate of the Imperium was at stake. Constantly twitching, paranoid eyes darting back and forth. 8 Relic-Keeper A lit brazier is affixed to their head. They reek of scorched flesh. Slowly examines what they hear for heresy, chooses their words just as carefully. Whistles or hums the cadence of common hymns when distracted. 9 Sister Novitiate A flowing robe, displaying animated flames. Itching for a fight. Unapologetically desperate to face heresy head on. Writes down their impressively impure thoughts in a small pocketbook. 10 Sister Superior A shrill and scratchy voice, caused by a malfunctioning vox-amplifier unit. Seeks to find the good in all humans. Presses minor offenders to seek forgiveness. Twitches at any sudden sound, and constantly implores characters to lower their loud voices. The faithful and devout of the Adeptus Ministorum, also known as the Ecclesiarchy, are numerous and rooted deep across the Macharian Sector. They work tirelessly to maintain and spread the Imperial Creed with either dogma-soaked sermons or the purification of holy promethium and flame. The Adeptus Ministorum is a vast and unrelenting organisation. Characters in its service can be found across the sector, dutifully tending to the faithful among the rank and file of the populace, overseeing the construction of further shrines and temples, or carrying the Emperor’s light onward into the darkest depths of the sector.

13 Macharian Personae I 13 Macharian Personae II Adeptus Mechanicus ADEPTUS MECHANICUS PERSONAE d10 Role Distinguishing Feature Attitude Mannerism 1 Arcanus A calculus logi unit makes up half their skull. Always in a foul mood, but never explains why. One of their augmetics constantly twitches, out of their control. 2 Biocogitatus An augmetic heart, its parts proud and visible. Generally content and eager to talk to anyone. They emit a long, static sigh before they begin talking. 3 Biologis A pristine gold optical array, punctuated by a Ruby augmetic eye. Often deep in thought, and never wants to be bothered. Malfunctioning vox emits intermittent static clicks. 4 Cybersmith A ballistic mechadendrite that looms by their side menacingly. Always stuck in their head, analysing Auspex scanned data, looking at details. They tap their chin when they are deep in thought. 5 Electroid A polished plasteel augmetic nose protrudes from their face. Distrustful of those who do not provide proper credentials. Something in their head whirrs and ticks when they pause their speech. 6 Enginseer A sheared off mechadendrite, with loose cables generating sparks. More interested in uncommon tech present than any matter at hand. They like to run their fingers over nearby buttons and controls. 7 Genetor Extremis A fully equipped medicae mechadendrite reaches over their shoulders. Staunchly against working with improper or unkempt equipment. Forever checking their robes to make sure they’re clean. 8 Gerontocrat A pair of extra long optical mechadendrites reach out from their spine. Passionate about their work and are always eager to discuss it. They often disassociate, their thoughts lost in torrents of data. 9 Metasurgeon A treaded track assembly has replaced their entire lower body. Always keeping their work to themselves, and are stoutly against sharing. They absently flick switches and dials on their body, as if they itch. 10 Necromechanic A pair of backwards jointed spindly legs with strange hoof-like feet. More interested in a person’s augmetics than the person they’re actually attached to. They keep their arms crossed, using only their mechadendrites to interact with the world. From locations laid out in Sector Whispers, Mechanicus characters have a high likelihood to be found within manufactorum centres and data vaults, but also within voidships and planetary transports. Their primary concerns always surround the use, cataloguing, and investigation of technology — and next to none of the Imperium’s essential technology can function without the Cult Mechanicus’ involvement. Despite their widespread necessity across the Imperium, the Adeptus Mechanicus are a highly insular faction. Alienated by their own interpretations of the Imperial Cult’s doctrine and how they present themselves as entities more machine than person.

14 I Macharian Personae 14 II Macharian Personae Administratum ADMINISTRATUM PERSONAE d10 Role Distinguishing Feature Attitude Mannerism 1 Adept Gradio Forehead tattooed with a prayer against clerical error. Disdainful and abrasive. Speaks with a pronounced stutter. 2 Adept Logisticus Been physically grafted into a cogitator unit. Excited to explain administrative minutiae. Laughs at private jokes that only make sense to them. 3 Cipher No distinguishing features. They are utterly unremarkable. Paranoid and evasive, convinced enemies are hiding around them. Records every conversation they have via autoquill. 4 Curator A hidden augmetic that releases a strained whine when they move. Lazy, will always try to direct claimants to another department. Voice becomes robotic when citing regulations stored in their neural augmetics. 5 Literati Enforcer An antiquated respirator unit and vox-synthesiser, obscuring their lower face. Well-meaning but condescending to anyone of lower rank. Speaks to paperwork as if it were more alive than the people who wrote it. 6 Menial One arm has been replaced by a gilded Auto-Quill and inkwell. Literal-minded, easily confused by jokes or figures of speech. Punctuates each of their sentences by knocking on their desk. 7 Ordinate Has several new cranial implants, the flesh of their skull still red and swollen. Unusually jovial, happy to be serving the Administratum. Hard of hearing, constantly asks others to repeat themselves. 8 Prefectus Has several pairs of magnifierglasses hung on chains around their neck. They never deviate from protocol, and act apologetically so. Argues bitterly with an inanimate servitor, between bouts of conversation. 9 Questor Their face constantly cast in shadows from the harsh red glow of an augmetic eye. Fascinated by nonAdministratum personnel. Whispers to a Servo-Skull who collates their words and repeats them clearly. 10 Scribe Had their skull elongated and reconstructed, giving an almost equine appearance. Rather more interested in garnering gossip than focussing on their work. Vents in their cranial implants vent steam when they are angry or excited. bureaucrats can be found overseeing the operation of the Imperium at almost every level: researching minor census abnormalities in the Upper Hive levels, digging into the depths of a data vault, levying taxes on a Frontier Settlement, or overseeing the fiscal autopsy of a Feudal Township’s planetary tithes. The Adeptus Administratum is the boundless, unyielding bureaucracy that governs and manages the unceasing demands of the Imperium. Its ranks swell with untold billions of clerks, scribes, and notaries dedicated to meticulous record keeping, administrative doctrine and complicated, inflexible process. These huge swathes of

15 Macharian Personae I 15 Macharian Personae II Astra Militarum ASTRA MILITARUM PERSONAE d10 Role Distinguishing Feature Attitude Mannerism 1 Commissar The distinct aroma of a Grox herder. Serious, competent, expects the same of everyone. Obsessively polishes their sidearm. 2 Conscript A deeply broken nose, sitting flush against their cheekbone. Acts as if they are forever standing at attention. Constantly mopping sweat from their brow. 3 Field Chirurgeon A large regimental tattoo across their neck. Thousand yard stare, slow to respond, and indecisive. Cleans their nails with a vicious knife while talking. 4 Officer Is wearing punishment garb and has been marked for censure. Sighs and rolls their eyes at every request, clearly resigned to their lot in life. Ends each sentence with a crisp “Sah!”, as if speaking to their superior. 5 Penal Conscript Marked their armour with various icons of the Imperial Creed. Suspicious, double and triplechecks codes and paperwork, causing delays. Constantly adjusting their hat, as if it is slightly too small. 6 Quartermaster Radiation flare burns in a circular pattern across their face. Will make any excuse to avoid hard work or pursue difficult requests. Tilts their head to one side while listening, as if appraising. 7 Sergeant A shiny new augmetic leg they are still adjusting to. Condescending and snobby with all non-military personnel. Looks startled, afraid they’ve been caught doing something unregulated. 8 Trooper A contorted smirk, caused by a nasty hardened scar. Bombastic and intimidating like a drill-sergeant ordering a recruit. Constantly flicks the safety clip of their sidearm holster open and closed. 9 Veteran The numerals ‘XIXI’ scarred into their forehead. Calm and cooperative, at peace with their role in the GodEmperor’s army. Always revising or adding notes to their Guardsman’s Uplifting Primer. 10 Vox-Operator Their entire lower jaw was replaced by an adamantium prosthesis. A happy contraband smuggler, willing to speed up requests in exchange for favours. Instinctively touches an Aquila on their clothing when they hear “God-Emperor”. Across the vast battle ravaged Imperium, the untold millions that make up the ranks of the Astra Militarum stand proud as the first bulwark against the enemies of Mankind. Whether pitted against the foul heretic or malicious xenos, the thunderous guns and inexhaustible numbers of the Astra Militarum remain ever vigilant. Astra Militarum characters are deployed wherever the Adeptus Administratum needs them — an ever-present force across the entire sector. They are pressed onto the frontlines to protect Frontier Settlements, garrisoned in great numbers to protect Shrine Cities, even en-route to deployment via Planetary Transports or Voidships.

16 I Macharian Personae 16 II Macharian Personae Imperial Navy IMPERIAL NAVY PERSONAE d10 Role Distinguishing Feature Attitude Mannerism 1 Aeronautica Pilot Wears a monocle with a targeting reticle. Dutiful and diligent, but very curious and nosy. Gestures expansively as they speak. 2 Astropath Low-grav life has made them unusually lithe. Uptight, stuffy, and by-thebook. Never seen without a cup of hot recaf in one hand. 3 Breacher Wrapped head to toe in prayer strips and lucky charms. Cynical and gruff, prefers to help those who don’t go by the book. Hums an oddly familiar tune when thinking. 4 Ensign Knuckle tattoos spelling “KILL” on one hand, and “XENO” on the other. Resentful of superiors and talks behind their backs — loyal to everyone else. Absent-mindedly scratches a phantom itch on their augmetics. 5 Lieutenant Uses a wheelchair of red brass, covered in control panels and data readouts. Generally lazy and unreliable for time-sensitive tasks. Often gazes longfully at a picture of their partner in a locket. 6 Midshipman Looks like they haven’t slept in a month, although their uniform is pristine. Miserable, spiteful, goes out of their way to be unhelpful. Unsteady on their feet, unused to walking in normal gravity. 7 Navigator An obvious augmetic leg causes every other footstep to clang loudly. A schemer, looking for any way to climb their vessel’s political ladder. Always encouraging crew to sing void shanties for morale. 8 Ship Labourer Has sewn the dogtags of lost friends into their jacket. It is mostly metal. A genuinely cheerful personality, untouched by the horror of war. Passers-by often shake their hand or pat them on the shoulder. 9 Voidsman-at-Arms Their lungs have been replaced with augmetics resembling gas tanks. Melancholy and subdued, avoids topics or errands where loss of life is likely. Constantly plucking imaginary specks of dust off their uniform. 10 Warrant Officer Retains a servitor to display medals, as they have no more room on their uniform. Insufferably confident in their particular skills, rarely acknowledges the talents of others. Accompanied by a sidekick who agrees with them and laughs at their jokes. It is common to see Navy personnel working among the Sector’s Orbital Stations, Voidship Decks, or Planetary Transports. But commissioned officers, especially high ranking lieutenants, wouldn’t appear out of place among highborne company in Hive Spires or Feudal Townships. The Imperial Navy makes up the bulk of the Emperor’s vast fleet of Voidships: consisting of heavily armed military frigates, Astra Militarum troop transports, or long-haul merchant vessels. Imperial Navy characters are a hardy bunch; life in the void is cruel and unrelenting, exposure to the warp’s horrors is common, and backbreaking labour and regimen is expected of everyone.

17 Macharian Personae I 17 Macharian Personae II Infractionist INFRACTIONIST PERSONAE d10 Role Distinguishing Feature Attitude Mannerism 1 Corpsedicer Chem-burns all across their arms and chest. Overconfident and easily goaded into violence. Always resting one hand on a weapon. 2 Cutter Their skin looks clammy and slightly scaly. Alert, taciturn, no room for time wasters or amateurs. Regularly cracks their bones and knuckles. 3 Data Forger A defaced Imperial Aquila pendant on their chest. Has an absolute distrust of Imperial authority. Cannot (or will not) make a proper sign of the Aquila. 4 Debt Binder Has a disjointed nose and is missing most of their teeth. Is not looking for trouble, desires to be left alone. Extremely skittish, will jump at any sudden movement. 5 Ganger Lord Their lips have been removed and their teeth filed to points. Foul tempered, sneering, but easily cowed by stronger or scarier people. Jingles loose coins or keys in their pocket. 6 Hab Runner Imperial tattoos are obscured by newer, sinister tattoos. Catastrophist, who detests Tech-Priests and the impious. Makes horrible sucking noises with appallingly dirty teeth. 7 Scrip Forger Has leaking and grinding augmetics, not been serviced in some time. A long shift worker, always tired and impatient to get some much needed rest. Laughs nervously when in potentially (or obviously) threatening situations. 8 Stubjack Is covering up a penal world branding on their forehead with a flat cap. Obsequious and sycophantic, says what they think people want to hear. Speaks between a truly dreadful constant cough, full of sucking, damp noises. 9 Tekthief Well-tailored clothing that does not at all match their grubby, scruffy face. Finds it uncomfortable to talk out in the open, likes to have a wall to their back. Speaks in third person, as if watching themselves interact with the world. 10 Tithe-dodger A bifurcated tongue, gained as part of a gang initiation, emphasising a gruesome face. Demands a contest of strength, the result determines whether they are helpful or mocking. Hawks and spits on the ground to emphasise certain sentences. Most Infractionists can be found at the very bottom of Imperium society, in dark zones and crumbling hives, eking out their life as far away from the Enforcers’ reach as they can. Finding an Infractionist character outside these areas means they’re likely pursuing ignoble goals, illicit jobs, or long cons that may not be immediately apparent. They are driven by their own survival, to right personal injustices, pure greed, or to balance their own calculated scales of inequality. Young Infractionists may ever be itching for a fight, whilst aged criminals are likely to strike deals before blows, proof of their street level wisdom and longer lives.

18 I Macharian Personae 18 II Macharian Personae Inquisition INQUISITION PERSONAE d10 Role Distinguishing Feature Attitude Mannerism 1 Acolyte Wears Cadian armour denoting high rank. Utterly devoid of humour, as if it was burned out of them. Moves stiffly, as though they are far older than they look. 2 Assassin Their attire is a mix of noble, pious, and military. Stern but fair, beloved by their subordinates. Curses under their breath in mixed Low Gothic and slang. 3 Banisher Half their head has been replaced with metal, both eyes are augmetic. Unusually reasonable, willing to hear unorthodox requests or arguments. Often performs a reading of the Emperor’s Tarot during conversations. 4 Excoriator Carries an ancient and elaborate blade weapon that radiates power. Knowledgeable about xenos, favours characters who have experience fighting them. The fingers of their augmetic hand bend in unsettling directions. 5 Exorcist A large Inquisitorial tattoo down the back of their shaved head. Emotionally distant; knows noone will survive long enough to warrant attachment. Raises a single eyebrow while listening to anyone who speaks to them. 6 Explicator A mighty two-handed hammer strapped to their back, covered in litanies. They are attentive and helpful to a deliberately unsettling degree. Hands constantly moving to check the weapons about their person. 7 Fanatic Intense eyes, like their gaze can quantify the purity of your soul. Puritanical through and through, won’t tolerate any disrespect to the Emperor. Throws out questions on holy doctrine, testing other’s knowledge or ignorance. 8 Interrogator They wear very faded Tech-Priest robes under Ministorum armour. Is brutally honest about the dangers facing the sector and characters’ chances. Frequently inhales an unknown violet mixture from a rebreather. 9 Sage Their hood conceals their face except for a single glowing augmetic eye. Often gets carried away on tangential, obscure details until urged to refocus. A Servo-Skull hovers nearby, whispering a data feed into their ear. 10 Warp-Seer Wears pieces of ancient Power Armour embellished with images of Saint Macharius. Uses a book of Inquisitorial creed to justify their actions, having totally memorised every word within. They grimace and often touch their face, having recently used polymorphine to change their appearance. Though Inquisitors themselves are few in number, their agents are numerous, operating undercover anywhere heresy is suspected. Rooting out cult activity in crumbling hives and dark zones, scouring hive spires for hidden heretics, even pursuing investigative leads to the ends of the sector within Feudal Townships or Frontier Settlements. Each Inquisitor’s concern is their mission, first and foremost — with carte blanche to pursue it to whatever end. Getting in their agent’s way is not recommended.

19 Macharian Personae I 19 Macharian Personae II Rogue Trader Dynasty ROGUE TRADER DYNASTY PERSONAE d10 Role Distinguishing Feature Attitude Mannerism 1 Adventurer The Dynasty’s coat of arms tattooed on their face. Eager for excitement, likely to leap to conclusions or impulsive strategies. Constantly twirling their moustache or hair. 2 Arch-Militant A shoddy copy of their Dynasty’s Warrant of Trade is proudly pinned to their hat. Headstrong, always trying to goad people into making bets with them. Claps their hands together to emphasise a point. 3 Catalogist Their hair is ostentatiously styled, sporting several expensive adornments. Almost offensively pompous, arrogant, and flirtatious in equal measure. Rubs a charm on a necklace when thinking. 4 Diplomat They wear a golden mask depicting their family’s founder. Dull and unsociable, but very keen and experienced regarding financial matters. Rolls a very large denomination coin across their knuckles. 5 Mercenary They wear several heavy rings on each finger, which clink at every movement. Friendly, but not totally sane, occasionally speaks in rhyme or metaphor. Looks over their shoulder before speaking, as if expecting an ambush. 6 Missionary Followed by a gold-plated Servo-Skull holding a tray with refreshments. Is suspicious of puritanical imperials, knowing much about xenos cultures. Never without an extravagant goblet of fine spirits in their grasp. 7 Navigator Unsettling look in their eyes, looks haunted by the things they’ve seen. Deeply pious, all their conversations come out sounding like a sermon. Constantly consulting a multitude of scrolls, maps, notes, and books. 8 Rogue Trader They are preceded by cherubic servitors spreading incense. Always complaining about the cost of something, mostly deemed expensive. Constantly smiling as if they already know what a character will say. 9 Seneschal Extremely gaudy dress sense, a riot of colours, fine fabrics, and decoration. Melodramatic to a fault — all is a glorious triumph or mournful tragedy. Makes a show of flipping a coin whenever they are making a decision. 10 Voidsman Not one of their original teeth remains, having been replaced with gold, silver, or precious stones. Absolutely mercenary, will not cooperate without payment, monetary or otherwise. Regularly holds a scented handkerchief to their face, as if offended by the stench of those around them. From location types highlighted in Sector Whispers, Rogue Trader characters are likely to be found wherever they think best to further their business — be it the Rogue Trader themselves, or a member of their multifaceted retinue drawn in from other Imperium factions. Among the high societies of the upper hives or hive spires, escorting wares among voidship decks or planetary transports, perhaps even meddling in the affairs of frontier settlements and feudal townships. Each Dynasty is driven by greed and conquest, mercantile gains, and the expansion of the imperium’s borders.

20 I Macharian Miscellanea 20 III Macharian Miscellanea CHIRURGEON’S ASSESSMENTS d100 Feature d100 Feature 01–05 “Their blood boiled with the Emperor’s rage — it’s clear they succumbed to a high fever from a yet to be diagnosed infection.” 51–55 “Elevated adrenaline, and enzymes not normally present in blood. They died of shock or stress to the heart before they were mutilated.” 06–10 “Extreme lassitude, pallored flesh — something in their environment sucked the life right out of them.” 56–60 “Severe imbalances of the humours, most likely a result of impious living and poor decisions. Medication can restore an orderly mind.” 11–15 “Swollen abdomen, leaking purulence from their orifices — all indications of imbibing a highly toxic substance.” 61–65 “Coactus mortem — serious muscle damage present in the arm holding the blade. Self-inflicted, but unwillingly. As if fighting themselves.” 16–20 “Darkened blood, seizures, and see this festering puncture wound; the subject was bitten by a venomous creature or implement.” 66–70 “This one was cursed in the eyes of the Omnissiah, their flesh rejected the implants sustaining their life.” 21–25 “The acid carried a potent neurotoxin — frothing from the mouth, bruised muscles from seizures, burns weeping an unusual blie.” 71–75 “The mark of certain impieties manifest as unpleasant rash and obsessive scratching. I can prescribe penance and soothing unguents.” 26–30 “Flesh may fail even the most dauntless spirit. Multiple fractures, heavy bruising — blunt force trauma from something large.” 76–80 “A sickly pallor of the skin, moreso of the liver. This officer may have attempted to self-medicate stress with ill-prescribed substances.” 31–35 “Unsightly growths, but no trace of infection. Patient suffered exposure to mutagenic stimuli. There is one treatment — Curatix Ignat.” 81–85 “Laboured breathing, tainted sputum from the lungs — all signs of a serious respiratory infection. Recommend quarantine protocols.” 36–40 “Slurred speech, erratic moods, toxicoligum is clean, no evidence of head trauma — it’s as though their very mind is infected.” 86–90 “Sudden joint pain, synovial fluid contains monosodium urate. You have gout, not a witch’s curse.” 41–45 “Decapitation, yet note the strong ecchymosis around the wounds — the blade was dull, but swung with strength comparable to an Ork.” 91–95 “Skin rash, hair loss, abnormal glands — their body is overzealous and paranoid, finding heresy within itself.” 46–50 “Strong, precise lacerations to vulnerable points of anatomy — the killer knew much about the human form and Militarum infantry armour.” 96–00 “I’m afraid there is permanent nerve damage. You have two options: retire, or replace it with a blessing of the Machine God.” Note: This table contains an array of bodily ailments that could be used to describe a discovered corpse or someone seriously ill — themed as a chirurgeon’s initial assessment of the person. Any character with sufficient medicae skills would be able to produce this type of assessment. NOBLE TITLES d10 Prefix Rank Domain 1 Arch Adjudicator of the Edifice of Krint 2 Argent Baron of the Far March 3 High Castellan of Hive Level Gamma 4 Lady Consul of House Tavol 5 Lord Governor of the Near Wastes 6 Premier Margreve of the Outer Query 7 Prime Master of Rolokar’s Last Regiment 8 Regent Mavin of Sector XR-52 9 Sub Overseer of Sub Sector Alpha 10 The - Prefectus of the Thirsting Gulf Note: Roll randomly or choose from each column a number of entries to generate a Noble Title. Choose a Prefix and Rank, a Rank and a Domain, or one from each. Domains listed are generic, but you could supplant them with locations your party knows or that are nearby. For some additional flavour, if the character in question is Highborn, see the Character Name table in Imperium Maledictum page 82, and possibly add a low Roman Numeral to highlight their lineage, e.g. ‘Magdala IX, Prime Adjudicator of Sub-sector Alpha’.

21 Macharian Miscellanea I 21 Macharian Miscellanea III GOTHIC GIBBERISH d10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 Ul Ave Vult Praes Ashe Officio Justus Medicae Profundi Dominae 2 Ae Axis Logi Cypra Mias Mortis Galaxis Ahkutay Hereticus Apocalyptus 3 Ad Vol Cant Xenos Terra Noctis Ultima Nobilitae Perditum Ministorum 4 Et Per Prio Luxur Navis Malleus Corpus Machar Imperator Gargantua 5 Est Astra Naus Victis Justa Optima Signor Absentia Legionis Mechanicus 6 Arx Polis Arpe Inter Aveat Gladius Stricto Genetor Malevolus Exterminatus 7 Vox Ante Unm Lubri Magos Militae Capita Lectitio Censorium Omnissiah 8 Vae Post Vers Diem Jovian Anima Domini Aeterna Probatii Senetus 9 Pax Omni Iori Homi Coram Imperi Mortem Divinatus Prefectus Abominus 10 De Bona Lias Avit Verum Bastus Chari Soleum Cognitae Sororitas Note: To generate a string of High Gothic gibberish, choose an entry or two above, add your choice to the start or end of some otherwise sensible sounding words, then choose another at random, and so on until you have generated sufficient gibberish. Can be used in conjunction with the Gothic Gibberish Talent (Imperium Maledictum, page 111), or to enhance the dialogue of any particularly verbose character. MACHARIAN MALEDICTIONS d100 Feature 01–05 “Warp take you and your kin!” 06–10 “You’d sit an Ork’s mother on the Golden Throne!” 11–15 “You have all the grace of a drunken Grox!” 16–20 “You’ve a personality blander than grey rations!” 21–25 “You’d need a Navigator house to find your own backside!” 26–30 “May the Great Rift swallow you and yours!” 31–35 “You’ve got a skull as thick as an Ogryn’s!” 36–40 “You knock-kneed, Warp-twisted, Thronehumping basdack!” 41–45 “Are you less tok-damned use than shoes on a Skitarius?” 46–50 “Your mind is so open it went and dribbled out your ears!” 51–55 “If a daemon ate your soul it would starve!” 56–60 “An ocean of blood wouldn’t wash your sins!” 61–65 “A Commissar would have you licking boots in minutes!” 66–70 “You’re not even worth Terra’s due.” 71–75 “You’d lose a fist-fight with a ratling!” 76–80 “You’re about as great tokking company as a servitor at a dinner party!” 81–85 “I pity the fleas unlucky enough to choose you.” 86–90 “Get some sacred unguents into that head of yours!” 91–95 “Must’ve tithed your brain and left your body behind.” 96–00 “You sump-sucking Dreg-tick!” Note: A selection of verbose imprecations for characters with a sufficient vocabulary to lob at one another. May be of good use to characters who ‘swear like a voidsman’. COMMISSAR’S INSPECTION d100 Feature 01–05 “Your boots are tied in an unregulated manner.” 06–10 “There’s dirt on the barrel of your weapon.” 11–15 “There’s a stain on your trousers.” 16–20 “The sights of your weapon are mis-aligned.” 21–25 “There’s dirt under your fingernails.” 26–30 “You have a coward’s eyes.” 31–35 “Your helmet strap is loose.” 36–40 “Your Uplifting Primer is bent at the corner.” 41–45 “Your mess kit is improperly packed.” 46–50 “Your Munitorum-issue knife has a notch in it.” 51–55 “Your breath smells like a sick grox.” 56–60 “There is a wrinkle in your collar.” 61–65 “There is a non-regulation prayer attached to your weapon.” 66–70 “Your stance is as wide as a Sentinel’s. Tighten up!” 71–75 “Your Uplifting Primer looks far too unblemished to have been properly read, soldier.” 76–80 “The purity seal on your Lasgun has melted.” 81–85 “You appear amused, soldier. What infraction am I not aware of?” 86–90 “I’ve been informed that you have a special nickname for me, soldier?” 91–95 “Your belly’s sticking out like an Ogryn.” 96–00 “Your spare power packs are not fully charged.” Note: Approach your target of inspection, then choose or roll on the table above. Each entry can be prefixed by a phrase like “Care to explain why…” to make exchanges more of an inquiry. In most cases, these statements are something the character hasn’t noticed about themselves. May be of particular use to Astra Militarum Patrons who wish to harshly inspect their soldiers.

22 I Macharian Miscellanea 22 III Macharian Miscellanea ADMINISTRATUM PAPERWORK d10 Paperwork Item Paperwork Form Paperwork Code Average Time to Complete 1 Munitorum Forma 604-F 15 minutes 2 Maintenance Requisition XR-1004 30 minutes 3 Manufactorum Exactionem 54-Alpha 1 hour 4 Sanctum Application CN22 3 hour 5 Datavault Letter of Introduction Ticket-23 6 hours 6 Archivium Statement of Intent 21-Gamma 12 hours 7 Voidport Testimonium RX-45d 1 day 8 Astropathic Adfirmato 17-FT 2 days 9 Cartographica Petition K32-CSE 4 days 10 Redaction Claim AMA-49 1 week Note: Choose or Roll for an Item, Form, and Code, an Item and Form, or a Form and Code, to generate a document name. The Item in question can be changed to better fit what the party is seeking. Paperwork Codes are random suggestions and can be recoded at your will. Average Time to Complete is an optional inclusion, representing the amount of time required to complete the bureaucratic nightmare of gathering the proper attachments and figuring out exactly what is required. Players can half the time required if they succeed on a Challenging (+0) Logic Test. This time does not account for how long it takes the Administratum to process this paperwork — which could be days, years, or in some cases centuries — do not expect a speedy response without influence behind any request. PSYCHIC VISIONS d100 Generally Positive Visions (0–50) d100 Generally Negative Visions (51–00) 01–05 Silver clouds part on a dark sky, a golden visage of The Emperor gazes at you. 51–55 Lost in a dark forest made of fire and metal, you know an aspect of The Traitor is hunting you. 06–10 A hammer engraved with the Imperial Aquila shatters the chains binding you. 56–60 8 lidless eyes gaze down at you as your flesh melts from your bones. 11–15 Saint Macharius leads you to a twisted forest. He fells the forest around you. 61–65 A rapidly growing sapling bursts from your stomach. The tree bears bullets instead of seeds. 16–20 The blazing eye of the Cog Mechanicus rises like the sun over a lost world. 66–70 You are tied to a post; a multi-limbed horror lashes you with 7 whips, each 7 times. 21–25 Angels descend on wings of fire — faithful are called to war, the impious burn. 71–75 You run through an endless maze of scintillating crystal, hounded by cruel laughter. 26–30 Howling winds assails you, scouring impurity from you — only light remains. 76–80 The sky cracks open, and darkness pours like rain, blinding and smothering you. 31–35 You see a lone praying Guardsman walk unscathed through a horde of daemons. 81–85 You stand atop a mountain, watching the world rapidly rot and shrivel like old fruit. 36–40 A cathedrum is burned to ash, leaving an even greater temple in its place. 86–90 You scream as your soul shatters into countless fragments. Each fragment becomes a daemon. 41–45 A foul serpent with multicoloured scales bites the heel of a woman, even as she drives an elegant spear through its head. 91–95 You stand before a magnificent tomb. Baleful light pours from inside as a withered, dead hand reaches out to seize the world. 46–50 Angels and daemons clash in the sky. Blood falls like rain, and a dead tree blooms anew. 96–00 There is naught but blood! Slaughter! Burning rage and the laughter of thirsting gods! You feel just as thirsty as them. Note: Roll or choose an entry from the list above. These visions can manifest for a character in a number of ways — if they are psychically attuned, it could be the result of a dream, or part of experiencing warp-travel. They could accompany the results of an Emperor’s Tarot reading (Imperium Maledictum page 147) or add flavour to a character’s experience of Psychic Phenomena or Perils of the Warp (Imperium Maledictum page 164–165). They could also add flavour to a Patron’s Oracular or Warped Visions, if they have that Boon or Liability (Imperium Maledictum pages 34 and 41 respectively).

23 Macharian Miscellanea I 23 Macharian Miscellanea III MACHARIAN CARGO MANIFESTS d100 Feature 01–05 Airtight packs of dried phyto-kelp, from Goros Pok. 06–10 Barrels of red wax for making official seals, from Macharia. 11–15 Bottles of acrid stinking Synth Ink, from Asterion. 16–20 Bottles of low-grade Amasec, from Crultus. 21–25 Boxes of unloaded Stub Ammunition Shells, from Kallastin. 26–30 Boxed skulls of a similar approximate size, from Res Vilissima. 31–35 Cans of brined Cloud-Ray meat, from Harjus. 36–40 Cartons of carefully packaged Yixtail Eggs, from Andosk. 41–45 Metal cylinders of ethcantilal gases, from Tarang. 46–50 Packets of individual Grey Rations, from unmarked origins. 51–55 Racks of high-lux lumen strips, from Eskutchax. 56–60 Reams of standardised vellum sheets, from Dao Teyras. 61–65 Replacement limbs for Servitors, from Forkas-63. 66–70 Sacks of Orza grains, from Varkassa. 71–75 Sealed canisters of Promethium, from Kallastin. 76–80 Spools of insulated copper wiring, from Ibal. 81–85 Stuffed sacks of Rockcrete powder, from Leonova. 86–90 Tins of dried and blended Recaf leaves, from Persepolis. 91–95 Tins of pickled Cervarch Root, from Paleon. 96–00 Vials of various medicae unguents, from Voll. Note: This table contains randomised contents of cargo pods and containers that could be found at any Imperium depot, warehouse, shipping facility, or manufactorum and the like. Entries are quantity-agnostic, and could range from the tens to the thousands depending on the scale of the facility or container. Each entry notes a plausible planet of origin for the goods in question. For more information related to the Merchant Guilds of the Macharian Sector, see Imperium Maledictum (page 255). IMPERIUM TECHNOBABBLE d10 First Descriptor Second Descriptor Third Descriptor 1 Adamantine Augur Armour 2 Anima Corpus Augment 3 Archeotech Cyber -carium 4 Binary Omni- Cogitator 5 Ceramite Pattern Construct 6 Forging Plasma Engine 7 Hexamathic Psyber Field 8 Noospheric Solar Manifold 9 Plasteel Synth Relay 10 Promethium Warp Vault Note: Roll randomly or choose a number of descriptors, two or three from among the examples provided. The first two columns provide adjectives or verbs, whereas the third column focuses on nouns and suffixes. MACHARIAN VOIDSHIP NAMES d10 Name Prefix Name Stem Name Suffix (A) Name Suffix (B) 1 His Baleful Ascension Macharius 2 The Cardinal Crusade Kharmin 3 The Emperor’s Holy Hawk Sejanus 4 The Eternity of Immortal Infernus Cytheris 5 The Fury of Invincible Shadow Tavol 6 The Glory of Invisible Solar Vo 7 The Guardian of Lethal Terra Molinair 8 The Hallowed Magnificent Thunder Eskutchax 9 The Hammer of Perpetual Vigilance Carinus 10 The Sword of Scintillant Wrath Persepolis Note: Roll randomly or choose from each column, a number of entries to generate a Voidship Name. Choose a Prefix and a Stem, a Stem and a Suffix, or words from all columns. Suffix Column (A) features more general in-world names, whereas Suffix (B) column features a selection of names drawn directly from the Macharian Sector — more of which can be found in Chapter 10 of Imperium Maledictum (beginning page 249).

24 I Macharian Miscellanea 24 III Macharian Miscellanea MACHARIAN BENEDICTIONS d100 Feature 01–05 “Death in service to the Emperor is its own reward.” 06–10 “Blessed is the small mind, for it is easily filled with faith.” 11–15 “Do not shy from the hopeless fight, for endeavour is its own reward.” 16–20 “For every celebrated hero, ten thousand more go unsung.” 21–25 “A closed mind is an unbreakable fortress.” 26–30 “Any face freely presented can hide deplorable deviance.” 31–35 “Scrutinise your enemies well for they will show you your flaws.” 36–40 “Those tainted by the warp are fit only to hunt their kin.” 41–45 “Grant no mercy to your enemies, for they will give none to you.” 46–50 “Wisdom resides in knowing your duty.” 51–55 “Examine those who question authority, for they are suspect.” 56–60 “While cowards ponder, the righteous act.” 61–65 “A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords at dawn.” 66–70 “Scour away your impurities: mercy, forgiveness, and compassion.” 71–75 “Deeds are more eloquent than any speech.” 76–80 “Cowls do not imply piety.” 81–85 “There is never time for grief.” 86–90 “Beat your thoughts to the mould of your will.” 91–95 “If the road is easy, the destination is worthless.” 96–00 “Trust only in the Emperor, for all others change.” Note: A selection of benedictions from a range of Imperial cult texts, to be used as battle cries, parts of sermons, or in moments of personal piety. May be of particular use to characters of the Adeptus Ministorum. TECH PRIEST PRAYERS d100 Feature 01–05 “Fulcrum, Load, and Effort, Blessed Trinity guide my actions.” 06–10 “Knowledge is Eternal. Knowledge is Sacred. Knowledge is Power.” 11–15 “Machine spirits of the cogitator, guard my calculations from error.” 16–20 “Will of iron, body of steel, wrath of fire; forge me to thy designs.” 21–25 “With pulled lever and turned piston; proclaim the Omnissiah’s glories.” 26–30 “Spirit of this machine, heed my command.” 31–35 “I abjure the false datum, and the malice of scrap-code, and all their unholy works.” 36–40 “Iron over flesh, cogitation over thought, information over conjecture. Thus is purity, and victory, assured.” 41–45 “The grinding of war’s gears is a symphony of praise to the Omnissiah, fuelled with blood and oiled with devotion.” 46–50 “In times of darkness Omnissiah, lead us not into innovation, but towards ever-greater orthodoctrine.” 51–55 “Bask the alloys in sacred light. Ensure their scorched form is tempered with blazing heat. That which burns shall ever be blessed.” 56–60 “With blazing furnace we smelt impurity from iron; with burning hatred we smelt mercy from our souls.” 61–65 “May your weapon be guarded against malfunction, as your soul is guarded from impurity.” 66–70 “I place my trust in the Machine, I obey without question, for the cog asks not for whom it turns.” 71–75 “Fuel burns in vain without an Engine to shape it; all deeds are as rust without Comprehension to direct them.” 76–80 “To understand heresy is to practise it; Omnissiah preserve my ignorance of the xenos, the heretek, and all who deny your will.” 81–85 “It is the Machine Spirit who cogitates within the circuit, who casts the bullet from gun barrel, but only if its temple is properly maintained.” 86–90 “Omnissiah guard my sensors from error, guard my regressions from outliers, guide the Machine Spirits of my tools.” 91–95 “With bell and candle I beseech thee, Machine Spirit! In the name of the Machine God, defragment and be optimised!” 96–00 “Preserve my flesh, Omnissiah, only that I may replace it with steel. Preserve my soul, Omnissiah, only that it may perform your holy work.” Note: A selection of Mechanicus chants and prayers, of good use when interacting with problematic machinery, or as part of regular machine maintenance. The significance of these words would be known only to members of the Adeptus Mechanicus.

25 Macharian Miscellanea I 25 Macharian Miscellanea III IMPERIUM GOTHIC DESCRIPTORS IMPERIUM TECH DESCRIPTORS XENOS TECH DESCRIPTORS d100 Feature Feature Feature 01–05 A pristine skull covered in miniscule etchings of benedictions. A cluster of small antennae purring with static. A ridge of perfectly arched metal spines. 06–10 A throng of candles, half neatly burnt out. A skull implanted with glowing red eyes, blinking at you. A studded array of ovular-shaped colourful jewels. 11–15 Hanging reams of litany written on lengths of vellum. Frayed cables of various colours, wrapped around its exterior. A casing that carries the texture of flesh. 16–20 A vaulted enshrinement of a winged brass skull. A row of black and white ivory keys, engraved in High Gothic. Etchings in a swirling language you don’t recognise. 21–25 An intricate mosaic depicting one of Saint Macharius’ many victories. Intricate clockwork, with cogs just the width of a hair. A series of runes that emit a faint glow in the dark. 26–30 A relief of Sanguinius, The Emperor’s Angel. Capped pipes which vent a puff of steam at regular intervals. Horn clusters made of blackened bone. 31–35 A multi-panel fresco relating the early days of the Great Crusade. Covered in Mechanicus serial numbers and iconography. A series of interlocking rings of perfectly reflective metal. 36–40 An altar of black marble, inlaid with golden skulls. A burnished metal skull, a vox-caster in its open mouth. A pouch of organic-looking gel shot through fine silvery wires. 41–45 A stained glass panel in the form of winged Astartes. An ornate hand-crank of iron and human bone. Purpose-grown bone studded with shell-like whorls. 46–50 Carvings depicting the God-Emperor as Father, Warrior, and Protector. A hololithic display upon which scrolls a prayer to the Machine God. Detailed hololithic glyphs that are somehow solid to touch. 51–55 A tapestry depicting the life of a minor Imperial Saint. Stuck with an undetonated Bolter Round; warnings forbid removal. A perfectly spherical ball of liquid metal, suspended by unknown forces. 56–60 An illuminated manuscript of High Gothic. A grinning skull acts as a control panel, each tooth a button. Crystal outgrowths that emit different ringing tones when touched. 61–65 Iron effigies of hooded figures, each holding a human bone. An archaic tubular speaking horn of tarnished copper. A control panel, changing layout by the angle it is viewed from. 66–70 A thurible hangs, swinging and spewing heady incense. An input keyboard with human knuckle bones for keys. Metallic runes that maintain at absolute zero temperatures. 71–75 A relief showing local star constellations. A digital readout in the shape of a gothic arch. A tiny hexagonal interface that can’t be distinguished with normal eyes. 76–80 A shield displaying a golden eagle head and wing. A power indicator encased in an iron mesh. A seemingly excessive amount of spikes. 81–85 An Imperial Aquila cast in dark, hard steel, bearing battle scars. A mechadendrite that appears to have no immediate function. Irregular clusters of long, serrated, gently swaying spines. 86–90 An ornate reliquary, covered in gold and jewels, contents long gone. Adorned with a trio of red waxed purity seals. A phosphorescent surface that glows when touched by flesh. 91–95 Punishments for heresy written out on lengths of parchment. Vacuum tubes containing green gasses. A surface that is unexpectedly magnetic. 96–00 Stone hewn statuettes of Cherubim. A hololithic display streaming lingua-technis code. Unusual, lopsided symbols only visible in ultraviolet light. Note: A collection of Imperium Gothic, Imperium Tech, and Xenos Tech descriptors that can be applied to objects or scenes in your world. Each entry could be prefixed by a statement like: ‘the item features…’, ‘the vehicle features…’, ‘the shrine features…’.

I Open Case File 2626 Impossible Information is never able to provide any kind of picts or information gleaned from dataslates or Servo-Skulls, only clues she has produced herself. Yet in every case, the characters are able to validate her evidence is correct, proving that the Ordinate is a reliable source. Narin explains that her motivation for aiding the party is purely for the extra solars in her pocket. RESPONSE The party may feel that too many coincidences surround Narin’s information, or they might wish to further validate her sources by doing a background check, or they could spend some time pressing her for details directly. If she has trust in the characters, she might attempt to make contact with them once she feels like the cult is onto her. If the players are distrustful of Narin and start to investigate her, their inquiries are discovered by the cult, who spring into action before anyone else claims their prize. If the characters do a thorough background check, it reveals nothing unusual about the dour scribe. Narin’s duties take up most of her time, her nearby residence is bare-bones, and she does not share it with any family, who all live far away. Investigating Narin’s methods turns up very little — she never has any obvious connection to events, locations, or individuals related to the party’s investigations, but nevertheless her information is accurate. If the characters directly question Narin (use Rogue Psyker, Imperium Maledictum, page 346) about their sources or background, she is reluctant to provide information. An Opposed Presence (Interrogation) Test reveals that she has an immediate concern for her personal safety in this matter. Appropriate assurances or intimidation forces her to admit that the information she provides comes to her in visions. A Pskyer in the party can make a Challenging (+0) Awareness (Psyniscience) Test, and detect wisps of warp activity surrounding Narin, her home, and her depot. The party might have a mixed reaction to this information, depending upon their backgrounds. Narin is categorically not a sanctioned psyker — she isn’t even sure what that means — believing instead that she simply receives these visions as gifts from the Emperor. She is aware that revealing her abilities would get her branded as a As part of a series of investigations, the characters encounter an informant whose information is consistent, reliable, and definitive. Evidence surrounding this informant, a local Administratum Ordinate named Narin, suggests that they are a nascent psyker, with a penchant for receiving highly accurate visions. Unbeknownst to the party, their informant has become the target of a cult conspiracy, as the cultists seek to transform the rogue psyker into a daemonhost. This Case File works best when tied into an on-going series of investigations within the same local geographical area (this might be a large neighbourhood within a hive or manufactorum, or even a large section of a voidcraft) — introducing the informant NPC over the course of a number of missions. This gives the players and their characters time to garner a level of emotional attachment and investment for Narin. As such, they are more likely to be concerned about the fate of their informant and act on the following series of events. HOOK For some time, the party has been receiving information from a local Administratum Ordinate named Narin, who manages a storage depot. She lives a quiet life, fastidiously keeping her assigned depot well organised and documented. The information she has provided to the characters in the past has all been related to incidents within the local area of her storage depot, and rarely involve the same organisations, motives, or even types of crimes. Ideally, the GM should introduce Narin during an earlier mission, having her provide accurate, if incidental, advice and tips in exchange for small payments. If this is not possible, the GM may let the party know they have benefited from Narin’s information in the past. Her accuracy and timeliness suggest that she is somehow well connected, hinting that the unassuming Ordinate has contacts within multiple underworld groups in disparate fields in the local area. Further, the evidence that Narin provides is extraordinarily thorough. Some of this evidence is provided as reams of ink-stained parchment, meticulously detailing events or individuals, other times she presents hand drawn maps and sketched portraits of crime scenes and suspects. She

Open Case File I 27 27 dangerous witch. If any of the characters suggest handing her over to the Astra Telepathica, Narin is understandably reluctant. Being placed on a Black Ship is the last thing she wants — and so leverages her importance to the party as a local informant in order to remain. If the party permits Narin to remain free, she is happy to provide her insights to them for free from now on. However, shortly afterwards her visions become more personal. A cult of the Ruinous Powers has noticed Narin, and her visions show them watching her, drawing ever closer. She begs the characters for help. If her pleas are left unanswered, the cult makes their move. They first attempt to recruit Narin, and failing that, move to outright abduct her. Depending on the party’s attitude towards her, Narin may embrace the cult’s protection at first, until she finds out what they have in store for her. There are many ways to track down this cult. Before Narin is abducted, she’ll be able to lead the party towards whoever is directly spying on her, via her visions. The Cultist in question is following her between the Depot and her home, and using Narin as bait they’ll be able to intercept the Cultist (Imperium Maledictum, page 344). After her abduction, the characters are able to find evidence of a struggle in Narin’s home. Her door has been left ajar, and sketches of the Cultist who has been following her are strewn about her room. Interviewing locals in the area, the citizenry have no idea that a Cult is operating in their neighbourhood, nor do they recognise the sketched cultist, but they can point to a gang who wears the man’s markings as part of their attire — marks on their face and hands painted in red — and where they may be hiding out. RESOLUTION The Cult — revealed to be calling themselves the ‘Nine-Eyes’ are set up in a dilapidated section of the neighbourhood, far from prying eyes. Scouting the area reveals they are being led by a Rogue Psyker of their own, calling himself Vandil — who sports a war-painted blue eye on his bald forehead. He is confident in using his abilities out in the open, though does so sparingly to conserve his energy. He is accompanied by his band of ill-equipped Cultists (bearing a ‘Mark of Tzeentch’, Imperium Maledictum, page 344), a number appropriate to party strength and composition (Imperium Maledictum, page 310). Characters investigating see eyelike graffiti scrawled crudely across the hideout’s walls, and small shrines of objects arranged in distinct quantities of nine (general evidence of worship to the Ruinous Powers is clear, but anyone with the proper forbidden knowledge may identify a Tzeentchian influence). When the party discovers the Cult’s location, it’s apparent that a ritual is underway. The party finds Narin bound to an altar at the centre of their hideout. An expert in Forbidden Lore would notice that the cult intends to use her as a Daemonhost, though any fool can see their intent is malign. Spending too long observing the cult or looking for the best approach increases the risk of the ritual going ahead — allowing the party time to gather Superiority increases the risk that Narin will come to harm. The central Zone that includes the altar is Warptouched. If the ritual isn’t stopped within six rounds of combat, by incapacitating Vandil and clearing the altar, it completes — but not the way the amateur cultists expect. Narin is sacrificed, spawning a Pink Horror (Imperium Maledictum, page 353) in her place which proceeds to brutally attack anyone within its sights, including the Cultists (its lesser forms continue this behaviour, even aiming to escape into the surrounding areas to cause more havoc). Reduce this timer to four rounds if the party lingered to gain Superiority before they entered the fray. If Narin survives, it takes some time for her to recover. The party may wish to reinstate her as their informant. However, she anticipates that others may discover her abilities in the future and wish to exploit her in a similar way — perhaps she may even be even wary of the party’s Patron. She may be more willing now to be taken in by the Astra Telepathica. Though the characters may believe in this instance that they’ll never see her again, Narin could be reintroduced in a future investigation after an appropriate amount of time has passed, trained as an Astropath or Sanctioned Psyker.

I Open Case File 2828 In Deep, Up High has anyone opposed the Enforcers during their raids. As outsiders to the region and wielding a measure of their own clout, the party are the first characters with the authority to make an appeal through proper channels, or even approach the Enforcers on their own turf. Locals can point to the Enforcer’s Precinct-Fortress some distance away from the area — it shouldn’t pose any trouble for the party to reach. The facility is guarded, run by the Enforcers, reinforced by Administratum Overseers, and staffed by Administratum Adepts (Imperium Maledictum pages 325–327). The party’s initial attempts to find the right person to talk to drop them into a maze of bureaucracy within the Fortress (which may fuel later suspicions that the truth is being obfuscated on purpose), as the party is bounced between Overseers and Adepts, and forced to fill out ineffectual paperwork to proceed further. Characters who make a Challenging (+0) Awareness Test to spot anything out of the ordinary, notice that the Precinct-Fortress staff all appear much better off than average Imperial citizens of their station, wearing new clothes and adorned with beautiful trinkets. If the party perseveres they’ll be put in front of the ranking Enforcer on duty, Regulator Haldack. His overall goal is to obscure the truth from the party, and to convince them to give up their investigation. He initially offers a variety of justifications and obfuscations for the people’s arrests. If the party presses for details on certain named individuals, Haldack checks and claims that the NPC has been transferred to another facility. Perhaps the crimes in question are beyond the character’s jurisdiction to investigate further, or he even claims that no-one of that name had been taken in by his Enforcers to begin with. The characters should have the opportunity to recognise that Haldack’s arguments are duplicitous and inconsistent. If things go too far, Haldack won’t hesitate call in nearby reinforcements to aid him in subduing the party (to assemble a number of reinforcements appropriate to party strength and composition, see Imperium Maledictum, page 310). Regulator Haldack recognises that killing the party would not be in his best interests. Instead, should the party be captured, he transports them to a nearby rundown area, dumping them there with a stern warning against pursuing this investigation any further. This Case File is set within a large developed population centre, like a Hive or shrine world city, where the party is pursuing investigations dealing with the lower ranks of that society. They’ll discover that some of their contacts are disappearing, arrested by Enforcers for what seem like negligible crimes. Pursuing this lead, they discover these authorities are shipping undesirables en masse to a Heretek in exchange for small luxuries. The party must decide how to best deal with this corruption — will they seek a political resolution, or confront this Heretek directly? HOOK When the party attempts to meet a contact, nearby locals reveal that Enforcers have arrested them. Depending upon the contact, this might not be surprising if they are not particularly law-abiding. If the characters choose not to act upon the lead immediately, they might discover later that more of their local contacts or other NPCs have been rounded up by Enforcers. Avoid rounding up every person of interest to the party as they continue to investigate, otherwise the party may feel forced to follow this lead. Be sure to note that many unrelated individuals have been incarcerated to avoid giving the indication that these disappearances are related to their current investigation. RESPONSE Further investigation reveals that Enforcers have been uncharacteristically active in one particular area. The inhabitants would seldom even see an Enforcer’s boots on the ground. Yet over the past few months, they have made hundreds of unusual arrests. Rumours seem to indicate that these arrests were opportunistic; instead of targeting dangerous criminals, Enforcers rounded up citizens wherever they found the pettiest of crimes taking place. Investigating further reveals that none of these people have been released from custody — though that is hardly unexpected given the Enforcer’s typical operating procedures. Furthermore, no one can explain why the Enforcers have taken a particular interest in this area. All signs point to the local Enforcers as the single viable link in the chain. No one related to the arrested citizens has gone to the higher levels of the hive to appeal to the Enforcers — they have been too scared to do so. Nor

Open Case File I 29 29 Overcoming Regulator Haldack and his lackeys, he reveals that the Precinct-Fortress has been tasked by higher authorities to secure and process citizens for some unknown purpose. Additional stipends were placed in front of them to make sure no questions were asked, enough to pay off the entire Precinct-Fortress staff. If the party leaves the Precinct-Fortress peacefully, before any physical confrontation, or investigates for additional information, the following clues can be revealed to them: 0 It is better to confront Regulator Haldack on patrol outside of the Precinct-Fortress. Out on the streets and no longer surrounded by Overseers and Adepts, he is more easily intimidated and forthcoming with information. The party can discover the information discussed prior in this confrontation. 0 Pulling data from Precinct-Fortress requisition reports reveal an anomaly — many of the Fortresses prisoner transports are detouring to a location near a local manufactorum storage facility. Manifests related to these deliveries appear doctored to hide prisoner numbers. 0 Pict Recordings from around the Precinct-Fortress have been scrubbed a number of times over the previous months. Cross-referencing these gaps with external footage from nearby buildings show a cadre of Mechanicus characters entering and exiting the Precinct-Fortress at these times. 0 In the same vein, several workers within the PrecinctFortress have seen these Mechanicus characters come and go, always escorted past security to talk with the higher ranking Enforcers — it is learned they are led by one Biologis 56-Upsilon. RESOLUTION There are two major paths to resolving this investigation, whether or not the party wishes to attack the problem head on, or pursue a more lawful political route by presenting their evidence to the planetary government. All might depend on how much the party is willing to risk their political positions and who they can trust. The political route leads them to present evidence to whomever rules over the local area, but this requires working through the appropriate channels, taking time and persistence (the characters might wish to involve their Patron for assistance in this matter). In meetings, any Mechanicus present are staunchly against public accusations — but after meeting any council, the characters are approached by one of 56-Upsilon’s superiors, ‘Magos 7-Iotas’, revealing that whatever the Biologis has been up to is unauthorised. They promise to aid the party in resolving the situation, asking for all the information they have. To attack the problem head on, the party can investigate the manufactorum storage facility, where Biologis 56-Upsilon is busy at work — turning the prisoners into strange Servitors. The Tech-Priests on site are prepared for the party’s arrival if they caused any major ruckus at the Precinct-Fortress prior, which lowers their Superiority by 1. These Tech-Priests are hostile to anyone who starts poking around their facility, and won’t hold back from attacking outright. Navigating through the facility, most Zones are Poorly Lit or have Minor Hazards caused by faulty machines. The party may notice that machinery across the whole facility is glitchy, turning on and off at random or outright malfunctioning. The Tech-Priests are fighting against these glitches to keep production running. Biologis 56-Upsilon and his cadre are Tech-Priests (Imperium Maledictum page 324) accompanied by Servitors (Imperium Maledictum page 323). In combat, the Servitors act strangely — at moments they seem to exceed their capabilities, whereas other times they appear Fatigued or outright Incapacitated — this behaviour changes by the round. The Tech-Priests, including the Biologis, aim to defend their work to the death. Defeating the Tech-Priests and shutting down the facility, the party finds their former contact(s) already mindwiped and transformed into a fully functioning Servitor, all manner of their former personality and memories gone. Any critical information they require from that contact may be found among their personal belongings which have yet to be incinerated. A secure area of the facility contains the remaining arrested civilians yet to be operated on, and another contains nearly a thousand dormant Servitors. Investigating the scene reveals that Biologis 56-Upsilon was experimenting with a piece of Servitor-based scrapcode — as such, interfacing with any machinery on site is highly dangerous. Discovered within the Biologis’ notes are references to the code’s wonderful efficiency and ability to push Servitors beyond traditional limits. It behoves the local Mechanicus to oust any potential Heretek within their organisation. They’re willing to back the party in cleaning up this mess, offering them protection, so long as they are willing to keep their mouths shut about what they’ve seen.

I Open Case File 3030 Unhallowed Ground All around them, the Shrine’s attendants are cleaning up, scrubbing clean the gore, speaking litanies, and conducting cleansing rituals. These most junior of these Devout (Imperium Maledictum, page 331) are shaken by the sudden appearance of a daemon and the violent deaths of several of their number, but are trying to occupy their minds with routine tasks. The acolytes of the Shrine are immediately concerned with preventing future incursions and safeguarding the Grip of Gaurus, above all. Sister Kaethe pleads with the party to help in any way they can. Depending on the group, they may be able to help defend the Shrine from future incursions, attempt to understand how an entity from the warp was able to manifest in the Shrine, or simply mop up some of the gore. Should they try to leave,they find the way barred — none are to leave the Shrine until Sister Kaethe is satisfied that their promise not to speak of what has happened here is unbreakable. RESPONSE Setting up defences, the party and Devout can build Barriers about the Shrine and Cover around the Relic. Sister Kaethe attempts to re-sanctify the Shrine, though this has no apparent effect. Working with or interviewing the conclave reveals nothing at the moment, as they are all far too shaken by the horrible manifestation. Searching the Shrine’s grounds is time consuming. The Shrine is not particularly large, but the rules are strict, especially for the central sanctum where the Grip is kept on display. Many areas housing other relics, sleeping quarters, and so on, require visitors to undergo lengthy purification rituals before entering. These can take upwards of an hour, and the characters have to convince Sister Kaethe if they wish to avoid them. Equally, they need to convince Sister Kaethe that they can keep quiet about what happened, should they wish to leave. If they do, searching beyond the Shrine, reveals nothing overtly heretical (indicating that whatever is going on likely originates within the Shrine). Investigating the Grip of Gaurus itself may reveal much. Anyone with the Psyker Talent can tell that the Zone containing the relic has become Warp Touched. The weapon itself is closed in a loose fist, though one older This mission is set in and around a local Cult Imperialis shrine. It can be located within any hive, orbital station, large voidship, or shrine city — anywhere habitable within the Macharian Sector. The party may visit as part of another mission, seeking information from the shrine’s guardians, or as part of a character’s downtime as they pursue their faith — thereby coming upon the Case File’s inciting incident. They’ll learn that daemons have attacked the shrine, despite the conclave’s fervent prayers. The party must fend off the daemonic incursion as best they can, before learning that the relic itself is the cause of the attack. HOOK The Shrine contains at its centre a holy relic dubbed the ‘Grip of Gaurus’ — an ancient Space Marine relic dating from the Macharian Crusade. Much of Gaurus’ history is lost to time — even his Chapter is unknown — but generations of acolytes have spun their own tale around Gaurus. They claim the relic, an ornate grey Power Fist, caught a daemon’s axe blade, saving Gaurus’s life and shattering the fell daemonic weapon. This inspired the Imperium’s forces, turning the tide of battle and snatching victory from the jaws of almost certain ruin. The acolytes claim that embedded in the palm of the Grip, a shard of the daemon’s blade still remains. This, at least, is true — the fist encloses a shard of warp-forged metal whose corruption is only contained by the many ornate wards that cover it. The Shrine is one of many in the area, and so there were only a few worshippers present to witness a daemonic manifestation within the shrine. The ordeal took place not 10 feet from where the Grip of Garus rests within its golden tabernacle. Whatever the character’s business is in visiting the Shrine, they arrive just moments after this daemon is slain. It took all the Shrine’s attendants to muster and defeat the entity, a Bloodletter (Imperium Maledictum, page 351). Many died in the effort, and the beast’s corrupting presence still lingers, fouling the air. To witness such a thing often means death at the hands of the Imperium’s most ruthless agents, so ensuring the character’s discretion is paramount. They are approached by Sister Kaethe of the Grip, the ranking Ministorum Priest (Imperium Maledictum, page 332), who quietly explains the situation.

Open Case File I 31 31 acolyte called Rulo — the only one who seems entirely unperturbed by the appearance of the Bloodletter — can tell the characters that it was not always so. The Grip was once closed tightly, but in his many decades of service it has slowly loosened its grip on… something. If the characters investigate the fist, they find that this is indeed the case, and that a glint of something crimson shines from within. Anyone who views this should Test for a Minor Exposure to Corruption (Imperium Maledictum, page 220). Once the players have noticed this, or if they fail to investigate the glove, a second daemon attacks. The lights dim, the smell of brimstone fills the air, and a rent in the fabric of reality opens near the shrine. A Bloodletter steps through, bellows, and charges towards the Grip of Gaurus, hacking down anyone in its way. If the characters intervene they may be able to save the last of the shrine’s militant members, who throw themselves at the beast. If not, the last of the shrine’s defenders die, even as they strike down the daemonic intruder. Sister Kaethe survives the fight, but it is clear her will — perhaps even her faith — won’t endure much more. She accepts almost any suggestion for dealing with the situation, short of destroying the Grip itself. The party may simply wish to escape at this point, which is certainly an option as there is almost no one left to stop them. If the characters decide to help, they may go about this in a number of ways. Attempting to fight off the daemons should not be seen as a likely option — they are terrifying creatures of the warp and, if the players do attempt to simply hold out, they return more frequently and in greater numbers. Calling for help is an option. But, Sister Kaethe explains that if anyone finds out what they have seen, they almost certainly would be put to death ‘for their own good.’ The Grip can be moved, however, and any Psyker will be able to see that the Warp Touched Zone follows the relic. Others simply feel uncomfortable holding it, as though they have in their hands a piece of unexploded ordnance. If one of the characters is sufficiently daring, the weapon can even be used. RESOLUTION The only way to stop the daemonic incursions is by getting rid of the blade shard held within the Grip of Gaurus, or by destroying it. If the characters simply discard the relic all they really achieve is making it someone else’s problem, though this might be entirely acceptable to them. Should they wish to find a permanent solution, however, they must destroy the shard. Removing it from the relic requires either a Difficult (−10) Athletics Test to prise open the fingers, or for someone to don the great weapon — more on that below. Characters may close the fist around the shard once more, warding it. However, now that its owner knows where it is, they will continue to search The Grip — albeit through their mortal cultists, who will hound the characters to the very ends of the Imperium for it. The shard of the daemonic axe glows balefully. It is a thing of the warp — alien and brutal — shorn from the blade of a great Khornate champion centuries ago, who has at last sensed it and dispatched his servants to retrieve it. Seeing it for the first time counts as a Minor Exposure to Corruption — touching it as a Moderate Exposure. A sufficiently large explosion, or a powerful industrial machine, can destroy the blade — or at least reduce it to powder, too diffuse to weaken the walls of reality about it. Whatever the method of its destruction, a few rounds before the blade is destroyed, a pair of Bloodletters emerge from the warp in an attempt to retrieve it. There is another way to destroy the shard, however. If one of the characters wields the Grip, its ancient power cells contain just enough power for one final act (it is a Power Fist, Imperium Maledictum, page 127). If the user can pass an extended Difficult (−10) Athletics Test requiring 10 success levels, they crush the shard to ash. They may make one Test each round, during which time they may also use the fist as a weapon to defend themselves from the Bloodletters that this method will doubtlessly draw. In any case, if they succeed in destroying the shard and return the Grip of Gaurus, they are lauded as heroes at the Shrine — though the details of their victory can never become public. However, if they chose to retain the weapon (and indeed it may be returned to function by a sufficiently competent Tech-priest) they are likely to attract attention far more perilous than any daemon. Gaurus was no ordinary Astartes, but a Grey Knight.

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