Investigation of Spire Thor

[Aug 21, 2024]

-Initial Follow-Up involves another interview with the patient Jaem Tesserak, the Spire Thor hiver that Eizen sampled and was discovered to have inert particles in his blood. Located in Spire Thor Level Epsilon Zeta (Levepszet). He works at a Las Gun Pack Manufactorum.

-Jaem has a brother named Fex, whom he lives with in an Underhive Habblock residence. During our discussion with Jaem, we learned that Doran is scheduled to speak a few levels down in Spire Thor later in the day. He also discloses that a childhood illness was alleviated later.

-Fex has apparently gone missing for the past several hours, and his brother is concerned. Jaem acknowledges that he may have gone to visit his friend Madeliene, and/or her boyfriend Medicae Estagon Wheetle, who works at the clinic. He also shows us a picture of his brother in a group of Spire Thor phenotype individuals, wearing athletic clothes for the game "Furnace Ball." In the picture, Fex is outfitted with a modified Dialysis machine, apparently provided by the clinic that Eizen previously visited.

-Quinten's psychic abilities are being somewhat distracted by the sense of psychic cleanliness in the general area.

-Estagon was in possession of an odd card device that had been given to him by Fex. He had no knowledge of the blood filtration machines being equipped in such a manner to any patients of the clinic, and had not seen Fex since the previous day. He indicated that Madeleine could be found at either the local slop house or with a fortune teller that she has been spending time with, Ysme. Locating this woman, who's posture is remarkably poor, we find her using cards similar to the one held by Estagon, though these are painted with the Emperor's Tarot. Quinten detects no psychic emanations from her or her customer.

-The woman she is talking to seems to be plagued by romantic struggles, perhaps looking for a change in her current partner. She clearly knows Fex and is interested in him, but feels as though they are fated to be apart. Verity approaches and enters the conversation; she learns that the woman is Madeleine, and gets the entire history of never quite getting the timing right. It would appear that she too has not seen Fex in since yesterday, and confirms Jaem's mentions that he's been behaving oddly. She also mentions that he occasionally goes to speak to Preacher Osten.

The church has the lack of coherent atmosphere that tends to accompany Mechanicus to cater to the laity in structures designed to house the Imperial Cult. Preacher Enoch leads the discussion with the commiseration about maintaining a church under the purview of Mechanicus design philosophies. The Preacher indicates that he had seen Fex earlier, putting a prayer into the machine and then heading out the back. He, like the others, repeats the knowledge about Doran speaking in the Spire later, and mentions that his flock refers to him as St. Doran the Kind with zealous reverence. There is also a local Arbites named Solomon who shows strong devotion to the Preacher.  

Eizen notes that there is a repeated symbol of the Legio Cybernetica displayed on the front and walls of the church. Checking around the back, there appear to be prayer booths that are outfitted with additional mechanical devices. Both Eizen and Quinten hypothesize that these, in combination with a keycard, may lead to a hidden facility. The psyker heads back to Ysme to get more information about the cards, and learns that she obtained them from the aforementioned Solomon, who she claims works for the church, contradicting the initial description.

We obtained the card from Estagon and returned to the prayer booths; the one with the card slot revealed through DNI an entrance into a lower area. This secret hold was entirely dedicated to a Shrine to Preacher Doran, demonstrating massive obsession with Smythe. Eizen recognizes that this is a Cybernetica Dataforge, a holy place of the Mechanicus. Quinten, noting the devices, has a sudden intrusive thought that he should be wearing one of these. He is further able to detect a psychic aura, of a psyker, but additionally involves a "smell" that he oddly recognizes as something from a time-span of several thousands of years ago. It is likely that indicates the presence of something similar to the Nemesis Device.

Kelle decides to leave a note to Solomon, conveying their aligned interests in Preacher Doran's success and a desire to meet with him. She notes some additional items; poetry of litanies to Preacher Doran, and a many times folded letter that clearly contains a code within it, signed by a Brother Gideon. It has been written over in Solomon's handwriting with the words "coward" and "betrayer." Finally, there is a calendar of events marked in correlation with the miracles that occurred. These events seem to have begun a year and a half ago, similar to the time of Preacher Doran's meteoric rise. There are 26 x marks, and roughly 60 circles. There are some circles without x marks, but none of the reverse.

They take the evidence and exit the facility, planning to head to the sermon and capture Solomon. They take the elevator to Thor Level Epsilon Theta, and head to where the event will occur. Quinten scans the area psychically, and senses what he immediately interprets as a "comrade." From a different location, he feels an unrecognizable signature. Eizen determines that this is likely Fex, equipped with the device.

Kelle and Eizen locate Fex, who is already dying of advance cancer and paralyzed, implying that the miracle is presently occurring. The Logis states it may be unlikely that he can save the man, given the vast integration of the tech device into his body. Kelle calls Quinten back to heal the hiver.

Enoch and Verity locate a beggar referring to himself as "Old Saul." They attempt to lure him out of the crowd with deception, but he makes a break for it, and they begin pursuit; the Preacher calls the crowd to assist, and they restrain him long enough for Verity to arrest him and pat him down. Under the massive scarf, a prismatic five pointed star device is embedded, a predicted variant of the Nemesis Device (hereafter referred to as the MoiraiMomus Device). Solomon uses psychic emanations to free himself, but Major Verity maintains the composure required to remove (at least temporarily) the threat of his warp abilities, and Enoch forcefully immobilizes him.

Quinten attempts to heal Fex upon his arrival; during the process, a power sword gash opens in his side, simultaneously to a wound dealt to Solomon, vastly worsening his condition. The Psyker manages to then deactivate the device through the connection of Nemesis Technology, allowing Logis Eizen to stabilize him. The prisoner and the patient are taken back to Bluehull-92, while Kelle attends to smoothing over matters with the Clerics Regular. The Ambassador manages to calm the crowd enough for Doran's sermon to continue as planned.