Wrath and Glory: Dark Tides

After the practice session, we dug into the singular campaign-level published adventure: Dark Tides.

The party remained much the same, with only Thrakus reworked somewhat. He came back as a Salamander scout, armed with a Heavy Bolter and a Heavy Flamer. He's decked out for combat - and nothing else.

Introduction

The agents of rogue trader Varonius were just returning from the outer rim of the Gilead system (negotiating with gangers and assassinating workers on strike - that's not a typo), when they were diverted to Charybdion. The rogue trader himself sent a holo-pict message directing them to investigate the disappearance of planetary governor Ganthet Veneratio, as well as a string of murders in the ranks of the upperhive nobility.

Meeting the prefect

The party landed in the upperhive of the capital, Aidon, and was marched directly to the palace, where they met the interim governor: Prefect Orrilus. Their welcome was not quite warm[1], but they did secure cooperation in their investigation.

CSI: Aidon

It is in everybody's best interest for the nobles to be calm and elect another governor, instead of descending into open warfare, so the agents received access to the latest crime scene. They examined the body of Aksen Vollus, who was brutally murdered in his own home, and his hands were cut off. They found some clues: oily stains on the floor, green material (which they assumed  to be algae, the main production item of the planet), entrance by force (a powerful cutting tool), items missing from the apartment. They examined the security, which they found to be lax. The nobles had grown complacent in the upperhive. 

Next stop, the place of the other most recent murder (the first two were already cleaned up). No body, but some clues all the same, including the same stains and green stuff.[2]

At this point, the agents were visited by Praetor Borst - the chief enforcer and lead investigator. He assured them that the murders are nothing but retaliatory strikes between noble families, after two young ones got into a fight that had gone bad. In fact, he had already caught the first perpetrator, and so the investigation can be wrapped up. And the agents can get off planet.

As the Praetor left, the party discussed their clues and ideas, and how the explanations given up front did not quite match their findings.

To be continued...

[1] And none of them specialized in social skills, so they didn't exactly endear the Prefect.

[2] I could practically see their minds whirring with hypotheses.