The Azmandain Incident ++++Transmitted: Substation D24 ++++++Received: +++++Mission Time: 1800 08 20 997.M41 +++++++Ref. Number: 821045.447 +++++++Author: Watch Commander Timotheus By the Authority of the Immortal Emperor of Mankind, this mission briefing is classified information, for the use of Watch Captain Carlinaeus only. Priority Grade: Alpha-Gamma Mission Briefing: Azmandain IV As of 07 17 997 M41, we have lost all contact with Inquisitor Gaeus Al’Temaus, previously stationed in the Vincies sector. Attempts to reach him have been responded to with silence, indicating a willful ignorance of our transmissions. This has led us to believe that Inquisitor Al’Temaus is performing actions that are outside his jurisdiction and could possibly be considered heretical. He has been branded as a radical and his clearance level has been redacted, however he remains at large. You have been tasked to find him, capture him, and halt his actions until a further investigation may be performed. The following items have been requisitioned for your unlimited and exclusive use at this time.

+++Adeptus Astartes Drop Pod ‘Steel Death’; Enlarged cargo area for increased transport capabilities. +++Transport Shuttle Caephestus; Unmarked Arvus class lighter designed for quick extraction. +++Cadian 22nd Veterans “Red Bloods”; 10 of the regiments most hardened veterans requisitioned for inquisitional use. +++Magos Arthon; one of the renowned specialists from the Adeptus Mechanicus requisitioned for assistance in any situations involving Xenos. +++Four Combat Servitors; equipped with heavy bolters and range finders for maximum effectiveness.

I hope that you will use these resources correctly and well, as they are not lightly given to us and are nigh on irreplaceable. If anything else is required, we shall do our best to equip you with it, but that will take time, so weigh your needs equally with what is available. After planet fall, attempt to make contact with Inquisitor Al’Temaus and detain him as quickly as possible. Investigate what he has been doing, and bring a full report back to me. You have as much time as you need, but do not let that delay you. Attached are charts and data concerning what we know of Inquisitor Al’Temaus, his activities, and the planet on which he has been making his mischief. These orders are effective immediately.

+++Azmandain IV Planetary Survey+++ +++Segmentum: Obscurus +++Sector: Scarus +++Sub-sector: Angelus +++System: Anphelion +++Surveyed: First surveyed in 945.M40 by Inquisitor Rual on a return voyage from investigating a planetary uprising nearby (source 54436). +++Asteroids: A small asteroid belt separates Azmandain IV from its neighboring planet, Azmaindain V. +++Size: 2000 KM (equatorial) +++Gravity: Low (15%) +++Population: 10000 residents, research facility support a maximum of 250. +++Enviroment: Barren wasteland/Desert; temperatures vary from 35 to 50 degrees Celsius. +++Atmospheric Composition: 78% Nitrogen, 4% Oxygen, 2% Ozone, 1% Carbon Dioxide (remainder made up of gases under 1% each); Contains elements toxic if inhaled for continued periods of time. +++Food and Water: No food bearing plants are natively existent, so all food must be imported; Water only naturally occurs in frozen form at the southern pole; most water must also be imported. +++Flora and Fauna: Little native flora beyond a few species of scrub brush; Native fauna became extinct soon after the establishment of Main Forge 1A (c. 734.M41). +++Economy: Forges 1A and 1B produce weapons for use in the Imperial Guard; Forge 2A and the soon to be completed 2B produce transport vehicles for civilian use across the sector. +++Society: All citizens are employed either in the forges themselves or are parts of the government. Research facility is typically manned by one or more Magos Biologis and accompanying servitors; the research facility and the government retain a fighting force of 50 semi-professional soldiers. +++Azmandain Research Facility +++History: Built soon after the building of Forge 1A (c. 740.M41) for the use of the Adeptus Mechanicus and select members of the Inquisition. Restored in 850.M41 by Inquisitor Franklyn for his own personal research project (source 2106.45). The facility was expanded by Magos Biologis Arminius in 896.M41 to include a holding area and expanded barracks (under investigation). Inquisitor Gaeus Al’Temaus first began using the facility for Inquisitionally-sanctioned experiments concerning psychically gifted individuals in 932.M41. +++Structure: Composed of three main laboratories which connect to an overseer’s quarters and the main landing pad. The entire complex is enclosed by a chain-link fence that has been electrified and interwoven with barbed wire. Outbuildings include: large containment complex, barracks and medical unit and a large bunker overlooking the only entrance. For more detail see map included below.

+++All possible information has been made available to you. Please proceed with haste. END TRANSMISSION Mission Briefing (Inquisition): You and your retinue have been sent to investigate the actions of one Radical Inquisitor Gaeus Al’Temaus on the planet Azmandain IV. Before departure, you may stop by the armory where you should equip yourselves to complete the mission. Remember, this planet’s atmosphere and climate is hazardous. Your drop pod is waiting. END MISSION BRIEFING Mission Objectives: Primary: • Capture Inquisitor Al’Temaus Secondary: • Neutralize Inquisitor Al’Temaus • Halt any further actions at the base. Tertiary: • Minimal casualties (3 or less)

Characterization NPCs and Antagonists Inquisitor Gaeus Al’Temaus………………………………….Radical Inquisitor

Inquisitor Al’Temaus was born into a privileged family on a vast hive world, the son of a mildly successful businessman and well-connected mother. At the age of 15, Gaeus lost both his parents in an starship accident. Left alone in the vast hive world, Gaeus used his own wits (and his inheritance money) to force his way into power in the underworld. He first became known to the Inquisition after he successfully rooted out a heretic in his hive world’s government and personally burned him for his crimes. At age 27 he entered the retinue of one Inquisitor Lord Ezekius as an acolyte. He progressed very quickly, until, at the age of 45, he was ordained as a full Inquisitor of the Ordos Xenos. At this stage he began to gather to him those skilled in the splicing of genes and genetic modification. He claimed his research was merely for the benefits it could give humanity, and so he was allowed to continue. He continued to grab for more power and forced those in his way to step down. Only his reputation as a fierce swordsman and brilliant close-quarters tactician kept him from being investigated. Al’Temaus traveled to Azmandain IV for the first time in 930.M41, and he established his permanent base there in 932.M41. Under the guise of researching psychically gifted individuals and their chromosomes, Al’Temaus imported expensive containment technology and built a large enclosed ‘holding tank’. A routine inspection in 977.M41 flagged Al’Temaus’s research station for further investigation concerning ‘potential inappropriate activity’, but there was never a follow up. Al’Temaus has not been seen since 981.M41 when he met with planetary officials concerning the planetary defense force, which consequently was transferred to the military complex built inside the compound.

Magos Biologis Arminius………………………………..Aged Magos

The origins of the Aged Magos Arminius are unknown, except that he has been the expert on genetics for many years. Arminius originally modified the compound for his own personal use in 896.M41, and modified again three years later. His goal in this time was to prove that men could be combined with other races to produce a better working class to do the hard labor that humans could not stand up to. During his nearly 40 years of work on Azmandain IV, Arminius has not produced anything that his peers consider to be useful. He is rejected by them as a failure, despite his vast knowledge. Gaeus Al’Temaus befriended Arminius on his initial trip to the Anphelion system, and has closely worked with him for the past 60 years to hone the art of genetic modification. Arminius is well suited to the task, as he is nearly completely composed of bionics. The one thing that Magos Arminius wants is to prove to his peers that he is right before he finally shuts down.

Alpha Level Hybrid………………………………………first generation mutant

The ‘Alpha Level Hybrid’ was the product of the first joint experiment performed by Al’Temaus and Arminius. Made from combining a captured worker and the genes from a dead hormagaunt, the Alpha is not very different from a regular human. It has no ability to talk, though, and much of the dexterity in the fingers was lost in the transformation process. The Alpha is harmless, though, so it is allowed to roam freely through the holding tank, moaning gutturally as it ambles along on hands and feet.

Beta Level Hybrid………………………………………..second generation mutant

The product of the second experiment, the Beta improved much over the Alpha. The ability to talk was still lacking, but strength was markedly increased and there was little loss of dexterity. The outward appearance of the Beta is significantly more horrifying though, as the merging of the hormagaunt and the human was not as smooth. The Beta is also the first generation to have violent tendencies, shown when it viciously attacked and killed a PDF trooper standing guard. The Beta was placed into a stasis tank soon after that incident, where it later died from a breach in the fluid pipe.

Bio-Suit Guards………………………………………enforcers

After the incident with the Beta Hybrid, Al’Temaus was forced to come up with a better solution for keeping his guardsmen alive. He decided on bio-suits built by an off world company, as they promised protection from most threats. A special group of elite guardsmen were trained in their use, and were outfitted with weapons that were short ranged and brutal, in case of an uprising. The bio-suit guards gained a reputation of cruelty as they would not give an inch to the hybrids or even the civilians who were used for testing. If an execution was necessary, the tall grey armored suit was the last thing many of the victims ever saw.

Gamma Level Hybrid……………………………………..third generation mutant

The most successful experiment yielded the Gamma Level Hybrid. The Gamma was able to speak in rough language, and also maintained the advantages of the Beta hybrid. However, when put through situational testing, the Gamma proved unable to perform even the simplest manual labor tasks. This was blamed on the source material for the splicing, and it was this failure that lead to the importing of live tyranid creatures. The Gamma was allowed to roam freely throughout the compound until its death a few years later.

Delta Level Hybrid………………………………………..fourth generation mutant

The most recent fully completed experiment yielded the Delta Level Hybrid. Instead of splicing the genes from a human and a gaunt, the unwilling citizen was merged with genestealer genes instead. After a 45 hour ‘surgery’, the Delta was completed, and almost instantly Al’Temaus and Arminius knew something had gone wrong. The Delta was terribly misshapen and screamed constantly in a half human, half birdlike manner. The Delta was unable to move from its position on the operating table, and so it was immediately sedated and placed into stasis. It remains in a container to be studied for further experiments.

Miscellaneous Hybrids…………………………………….transitional mutants

Roaming the holding pens and held in the stasis containers are around 50 transitional or failed mutants. None are as distinct as the Alpha, Beta, Gamma or Delta, and are therefore part of this lumped together group. Some are merely humans with discolored skin, and some are four armed humans that are flawed in some terrible way. The hybrids are kept in check by their containment fields and the shock-prods of the bio-suit guards.

Monotask Servitors…………………………………………laborers

Monotask servitors are wired with only one thing in their small minds: to accomplish the bidding of their master. Lacking the ability to think independently, Monotask servitors perform laborious tasks without need for rest. The servitors of the compound mostly keep the defenses running at all times in order to keep the ‘experiments’ in line.

Azmandain 1st PDF Troops……………………………….planetary defense forces of Azmandain IV

The PDF soldiers of Azmandain IV are like any other semi-professional fighting force: some training, no combat experience. Most members of the PDF are men who did not want to work in the forges and so chose the only other option. PDF soldiers are given a lasgun, flak armor and weekly pay. The bulk of the PDF regiment is stationed inside the compound in the barracks built my Magos Arminius to house workers. The PDF has no loyalties to either Al’Temaus or Arminius, and not even to their own government, preferring to operate independently.