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Hey Dakkadakka!

Im running a Dark Heresy game based around a group of Ecclesiarchy members of a Firebrand cell. I was recently inspired to make a mission/story arch based on the song "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite." First, for those without proper reference, here is the song, lyrics and background:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCiG7xoEb2Y

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/being-for-the-benefit-of-mr-kite-lyrics-the-beatles/8086a7a313db3caa48256bc20013f213

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Being_for_the_Benefit_of_Mr._Kite!

The setting would be a primary spaceport, called Bishop's Gate, over a Pleasure world within the Malfi sub-sector. The proprietors of the spaceport would be members of House Henderson, decadent nobles that lavish in the finer things. The overall theme would be that of a Slaaneshi-based influence over the populace, conducted by the talented Mr. Kite. I want to focus on the perfection and excess elements of Slaanesh without resorting to orgies, tentacles and any other over-used themes of this dark god. To what end Mr. Kite would be knowingly corrupted, I have not figured. Maybe his own quest for perfection in his performances has led him to darker paths, or maybe his corruption of House Henderson is completely intentional. A talented performer turned pawn, or a willing and vile cultist of She Who Is Not Named?

Some elements I want to draw from the song would be his performance "without a sound," at which point the players might feel an unnatural influence within the lack of sound, like an unnerving silence, but I can't settle on the effects. Also I have considered, if the nobles were an active evil factor, that I could include a particular drug or vice enjoyed by the populace that is distributed by the Hendersons to corrupt the population (of the spaceport and/or planet). I also want to used "Henry the Horse" as an actual dancing horse who's performance mesmerizes crowds. If called upon to destroy the horse, the players may find that the creature is truly daemonically blessed, intentionally or otherwise. I also want the original contact, maybe a clergyman, to have fallen sway to the performances at Bishop's Gate; innocently considering the show to be an honest display of circus talent. I also cannot decide whether to involve daemons at all in this concept.

I am having trouble though, collating these ideas into a solid mission for the players to properly immerse in. I feel like the performance is appropriate as the climax of the story, but I cannot think of how to get there subtly (without dropping clues heavy-handedly). Maybe the whole thing starts on the Pleasure world and Bishop's Gate is the origin? Obviously if the players are involved it is because no one noticed the witchery previously. This may all seem like rambling, but as players and/or GMs I beseech you to aid me in delivering a fantastic story to my players.

tl;dr Make a Slaanesh-themed DH mission based on "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" by the Beatles

Interesting idea using a Beatles song as inspiration. Yellow Submarine could give some trippy ideas. How 'bout sending the players on a magical mystery tour?

The without a sound thing could be interesting. You could layer it slowly over time, little things here and there not having any sound when they should have it - a gate swinging open, someone dropping something, and so on - all leading to a place where they see a crowd clapping maniacally at a daemonic performance... yet there's no sound from them clapping. That would unnerve them.

Take a more Lovecraftian horror theme than, as you said, tentacles and orgies. Make the terror more creeping, something below the surface that takes a while to present itself. Involve smells a bit (perfumes could deliver hallucinogenic propeties).

I once read a great report of someone doing up a daemonic 'theme park', that had some creepy things in it, like the players witnessing a child throwing balls at watermelons, causing some of them to burst. The child was awarded one of the melons, and walked away chewing on it. Only then did the players get a flash of what was really happening - the watermelons were human heads, and the child was chewing on one. I wish I'd saved the thread.

Lovecraft is definitely another inspiration for the silence. I love the concept of evil lurking within the silence, like a white noise for the mind. If only one of my players was a Psyker I could try some traumatizing elements. I really love the idea of alluring perfume and the crowd's applause definitely, thank you for that! The perfume is a perfect 'narcotic' that demonstrates allure without being excessively sexual. The influence of House Henderson within Bishop's Gate could have grown out of Mrs. Henderson's business practices, charming those around her to gain political/social/financial control of the space station. The players themselves would have to deal with it eventually as well.

That 'theme park' story sounds crazy. I've considered some daemonic illusion elements, but the main concept I had involved the party fleeing from something (anything at any time really) on a completely different mission. When they'd run through a non-particular door, they're stumble into a completely different setting, in a Silent Hill sort of way. Finding the way out would tumble them right back into the mission/chase they were in, sessions ago, showing the whole thing didn't occur except within their minds.

Ooh. That's even better. Have them go through all sorts of crazy junk, only to find out none of it actually happened. Not in the "it was all a dream" style cop-out, but in a 'you did it, but it wasn't real... now take 5d10 Insanity Points each! HA!'.