Assessment: Evidence of Heretical Vitality Transference

First Encounter

-During the Maekla Combine False Flag Investigation, Preacher Doran survived a church bombing due to being absent from a ceremony he'd been meant to perform. Investigating the cause of his absence, we discovered that he had stopped in an Underhive neighborhood to perform a miracle that saved the life of a dying man. Follow up with the saved individual showed he had healed from all injuries with (accurately) miraculous speed and lack of complication. 

-However, in the same time frame and same area, an unknown hiver was discovered dead in a nearby alley, disposed of in a trash bin, and given to the local clinic for examination. His body had been drained of blood, and there was evidence that a device of some kind had been attached to his torso.

-This device was later recovered from children who had taken it from the corpse, intending to sell it. Though its exact purpose has yet to be determined, it bears similarities to blood exchange units such as dialysis machines. (We have since learned more about the nature of this technology: see Vigil Device)

-Though the victim remains unidentified, his physical appearance, including naturally pallid skin and dark hair, were noted at the time.

Second Encounter

-An attack on Preacher Doran in Spire Yarrick lead to moderate injury, including lacerations and a broken arm. Upon hearing rumors that Smythe was recovering much faster than the Chirgeons had anticipated, Logis Eizen requested an opportunity to perform a physical out of curiosity. I assessed that the Preacher was in remarkably good health, with vitals similar to those of a man several years younger. In addition, his healing factor proved to be nothing short of miraculous, with his broken bone already having healed within days of the attack. Doran acknowledged that his condition, while in part due to his own dedication to health, was a gift of the Emperor, to aid him in his mission of spreading His light.

-Upon exiting the church, my auspex alerted me to irregularities it had detected in a nearby waste pile. Investigations revealed a body similar to the first; bloodless, of the same phenotypes in hair and skin pigmentation, and with the modified dialysis device still attached to his side. In addition, this body had sustained injuries identical to those reported as having been dealt to Preacher Doran in the attack.

-After recovering the body, a full autopsy I had not been afforded the opportunity to perform on the first victim revealed the presence of inert, inorganic particles in the subjects bone marrow. These particles are similar but not identical to those that remain as traces in the bloodstreams of individuals healed by the Nemesis Device.

-It should be noted that no such particles were found in the blood samples taken from Preacher Doran.

Third Encounter

-Commissioner Neve Comata reported that one of her Arbites had been assaulted by hivers bearing tattoos of the same design as those worn by agents of Lady von Tarquinius; the attack occurred with no known provocation in the underhive of Spire Thor.

-Investigating the location in which this assault occurred revealed that the observed phenotype of dark hair and pallid skin was prominent in the local populace. Following this lead to the local hospital, Logis Eizen was able to obtain samples of blood from a living hiver that contained the same inert particles as those in the bone marrow of one (and likely both) of the prior victims. The subject also believed that he recognized the one of the dead men, though not with any personal familiarity.

Initial Conclusions

-The evidence indicates that the exsanguination procedure results in a transfer of vitality between a healthy sacrifice a injured/ailing target, who is restored/healed by the process.

-Presence of witnesses to the healing of these individuals suggests that there is no perceivable indication of the procedure affecting the restored target. Alternatively, such indicators may be detectable, but arouse no suspicion, or are perceivable only through utilities not available to the general public.

-The procedure involves a modified dialysis machine, and seems at least partially predicated on the presence of inert particles linked with the healing abilities of the Nemesis Device. Whether the Spire Thor phenotype is also a prerequisite to the success of the procedure is unknown. (Update: it is likely that phenotype was coincidental to availability of subjects in localized region.)

-The complicity of Preacher Doran in these events is at this time unknown (update; uninvolvement confirmed), but casts significant suspicion on his intentions and subsequently those of the Clerics Regular. Given the current tensions surrounding the religious disputes between the Regulars and the Eternalites, the results of this investigation may prove pivotal to Asterion's public safety and ultimate salvation.

Notable Questions:

1. Why, in the cases of both victims, was minimal effort given to hiding and/or relocating the bodies of the victims? Similarly, why were the devices not removed by the perpetrator? (Update: Solomon was unable to provide answers to either question, though given circumstances it may be safe to assume a lack of time or opportunity.)
   
2. Is the presence of DeWonti agents in the same regions from where the victims were taken coincidental or connected to the matter at hand? (Update: it remains unknown whether Solomon was attacked for being a psykers; however, the two incidents may be entirely unrelated, as Clan Pelnikt was also kidnapping arbiters under command of a Procuratia.)
   
3. Why do the inert particles appear in the victims, but not in those restored by the transference? Does the presence of the particles themselves indicate the existence of another Nemesis Device? (Update; Device responsible is Communior, but the use itself appears far removed from its intended function.)