40k Cult Quest

[Dragonofelder]

The Human Ascension
Cult of Chaos Undivided (Aspect of Primordial Truth)​

Stated Goal: To Claim For Humanity The Glory The Aeldari Once Possessed

Members
Cultist Numbers
Spires: 0
Upper Hive: 288
Lower Hive: 0
Underhive: 0
Total: 288

Special Members
Ogryns: 4

Positions
Tetriach - Valsen Stockhouse
Leader of the cult

Sovereign Of The Waves - Coy Hold
Manages the cults' water supply methods and stores, whatever they may be at a given time, as well as improving efficiency.

Director of Public Outreach - Dougle Vile
A somewhat ironic name, the holder of this position will direct all the cult's infiltration activities

Master of Scrawls - Simms Vellum
Manages day to day paperwork and mundane Administratum forms and requests, thereby reducing operation friction with the Adeptus Administratum

The Unseen Hand - Marc Eli
Tasked with keeping the cult concealed from its enemies; their responsibilities include inventing plausible explanations (and providing appropriate documentation) for cult activities, baiting investigators into pursuing the wrong leads, falsifying and destroying evidence, and- should the need arise- silencing those both within and without the cult who are deemed a security risk.

CEO - Boyce Holding
Runs the everyday operations of Brethren Kelt, the cult's front organisation

Head Researcher - Rosten Lowitzhs
Directs the cult's research projects

Cult Mood
8/10 - Bodily threat has caused some doubts, despite good successes

Infiltration
Administratum - Level 1 (0/10)
Clippers - Level 1 (1/10)
Ogryns - Level 1 (0/10)
House Hyarrstor - Level 1(1/5)
PDF -
Logistics Corp - Level 0 (2/5)

Devotion
Undivided: 26
Khorne: -1
Tzeentch: 8
Nurgle: 1
Slaanesh: 2
Total: 30

Assets
Resources
Income:
Cultists - 2090 (4180) (currently halved)
Water Deal - 1000
Upkeep:
Buildings - 525
Total Bank (as of Turn 4): 7256

Unique Resources
Water Supply - On a hot world like Kelt, a clean, cool cup of water can mean a lot (+5 to recruitment)
Produced 5 : Utilised 1 : Total 4
Profane Candles - Made from the rendered down bodies of sacrificed cultists (+ 5 to religious and esoteric actions)(Will only be used on highest voted relevant action)
Stored 2

Artifacts
The Aeldari Files - Data files found by Valsen. Although at first she thought they were just tales of the old Aeldari Empire, she has since discovered the pages are filled with secret meanings and hidden images. (Must be researched to reveal secrets)
The Clipper Files - Stolen from House Forstor, contains details about the Clippers

Completed Research
Xeno-Study: Alderi Enhanced Emotions
Clipper Equipment Standards
Alderi Movement
Paper Knives
Clipper Holdings - Spires

Holdings
Shadowy Abandoned Meeting Hall - out of the way and currently unused (not owned)
Church of the Undivided Fourfold Path (Church of Unification) - Once an abandoned Imperial Church, new turned to glorious purpose (200 upkeep)

• Stealth bonuses; harder to be found or overheard
• Far from transport, harder to get to
• Holy Consecration Trait
  • +5 to all piety actions performed within
  • +2d4 passive recruitment rolls
  • Church stealth improved
• Moisture Collectors - +2 Water Supply (under drought % of unavailable cultists -5%) (25 upkeep)
• Building Slots - 3/5
  • Water Stills - +2 Water Supply (50 upkeep)
  • Public Library - +5 to all research (50 upkeep)
  • Brethren Kelt Office

Pump House - (200 upkeep)

• Basic Assault Course
  • Allowing for basic cultist training (+2 to Martial Actions)
  • Allows for Training Action, producing Trained Cultists (+2 upgraded to +5)
• Building Slots - 0/3

Systems
Enforced Silence - Cultists that share secrets a bit too freely don't last long (-5 chance of discovery)
Waste Collection - Cultists collect their waste to be recycled in the Stills. (+1 Water Supply) (Lasts until drought ends)
Criminal Distancing - Cultists caught performing illegal activates stay away from the Cult of a year, lessening the chance of their crimes being traced back to the group (Cultists imprisoned for criminal activities will be unavailable for next turn)
Seek Snitching Opportunities - When your cultists discover illegal activities (that are not your own, of course), they will debate on alerting the Clippers (Monetary reward based on severity of the crime, diplomacy debuffs)

Active Deals
One Water Supply to Disciples of Nourishment for 1000 Resources

Units
N/A

Hero Units
Krok The Ogryn Prophet
???

Organizations
Brethren Kelt
Org Bank: 794
Funders:

• Minor House Senistor - 500 per turn

Type: Charity
Purpose: Alms for the poor, as well as literacy and spirituality programs.
Profit: 25% goes to the cult, the rest goes to the charity to fund various programs like public libraries, soup kitchens, etc.
Membership: Public
HQ: Church of the Undivided Fourfold Path
Those who are inducted into the cult shall have crafted for them a paper badge meant to signify their status as one who understands the deeper mysteries. Outwardly, these individuals will be positioned as clerks and managers throughout the charity.
Programms:

• Schools Without Borders (250 upkeep) - +3 to growing Influence in Lower Hive, Increased reputation within the Lower Hive workforce.

Cult Modifiers
Character Traits

Valsen Stockhouse -​

Easier to grow Administratum infiltration
+5 to Historical Research
-5 to all Piety or Esoteric actions​

Coy Hold - +50% profit on selling water
Dougle Vile - Infiltration actions failing are less likely to expose the cult
Simms Vellum - Actions less likely to draw the eye of the Divisio Vigilat
Marc Eli - Debuff for anyone attempting to infiltrate the cult
Boyce Holding - Decreased chance of money laundering being discovered
Rosten Lowitzhs -​

+2 to a Research action each time it is repeated
Aeldari Language Primer - Gives +5 to studying Aeldari Files​

Positions Modifiers

Sovereign Of The Waves - Increases effectiveness of water production/saving methods (Both Moisture Collectors & Water upgraded - Give +2 & +2 permanently, not just under drought conditions)
Director of Public Outreach - +5 to all infiltration actions
Master of Scrawls - +5 to actions involving the Adeptus Administratum
The Unseen Hand - +5 to actions taken to conceal the cult and its activities, increased chance of advanced warning of events that could reveal the cult
CEO - +5 to Diplomacy actions with other organizations
Head Researcher - +1 Research action per turn​

Abandoned Toll Gates
Can move between Hive Levels secretly

Upper Hive Menial Jobs
+1 to actions within the Upper Hive

Highly Placed Clipper Insider
+10 bonus to Clipper actions including Infiltrating

Krok The Ogryn Prophet
Easier to grow Ogryn infiltration
Easier to recruit Ogryns
1d4 Ogryn recruitment each turn

Brethren Kelt
+2d4 passive recruitment rolls
-5 to protecting against infiltration

Undivided Boons

Through Knowledge Power
Completed research actions give an amount of Undivided Devotion, equal to their difficulty level​

 

[Dragonofelder]

I'd love us all to I have a nice fun time, but I am realistic enough to know my definition of "fun" is not shared by everyone. I know 40K can attract a certain kind of discussion, particularly when you play as "the bad guys," so I want to set the record straight as soon as I can.

There are no true "good guys" in 40k. Not the Imperium, not the Tau, not any minor race or special group. Everyone does terrible things to each other, sometimes in the name of survival, sometimes for the hell of it. There is no moral high ground. There is only perspective from where you stand.

The cult is going to do a lot of terrible things. Might they be able to rationalise it as a necessary evil? Yes. Could they, alternatively, believe what they are doing is wrong on every level and still do it? Also yes. Don't think too much about, these people live in mad times. If you really have to discuss it, keep it brief, short on details, and reference the real world, in any way, as little as possible.

Also; I reserve the right to remove something, anything that I or another user finds distressing/distasteful.

I will allow amounts of grim darkness, because otherwise it's not 40K. You want the cult to do human trafficking, using the "merchandise" as prostitutes and sacrificing the resulting babies by eating them alive? If you can get enough vote support, sure, I'll allow it. You write detailed accounts of that kind of thing, or expect me to write that? No. Gone. I don't want it on my thread, it does not need to be in this quest, we can have a fun time without it.

Press the issue, and I ban you. Break the rules, I ban you. Be intentionally hurtful to users, I ban you.

Consider this a preemptive warning.

Thank you for your time, and please enjoy the quest.

Praise Chaos!

 

[Dragonofelder]

Recruitment
Each turn you gain a passive number of cultists. You get 1d6 for every ten cultists you have.
If you perform a recruitment action, you will receive an additional 2d6 per ten cultists applied to the action.
Both of these methods can be improved by research.

Voting
Every turn each person has one vote that they can apply to any action. This can be one of the options I suggest, or one of your own choosing.
Each vote commands a percentage of the general cultist population, calculated each turn. If there are 100 cultists, and 10 people vote, each vote is worth 10 cultists. Those 10 cultists will then take part in the specified action.
The action success rolls will be done CK2 quest style, rolling a d100 with scaling difficulty levels. There are modifiers that are added for specific action types, such as a +5 bonus to Stealth actions. Every 10 cultists, at the start of the quest, gives a +1 modifier. So if 38 cultists are applied to a single action, it receives a +3 bonus, as well as any applicable modifiers.
If you are unsure if voting is active, check the blue bar at the bottom of the page.

Stealth Rolls
Almost every action you take will require a stealth roll. This is the Cult trying to avoid official notice. As the Cult increases in size, or if you devote a great many cultists to a single task, the stealth debuff will be higher. There was ways to lower this debuff, such as debuffs and systems.
Simply being discovered does not end the game. You might be able to hide the truth of the cult, or the one who discovered you might want to cut a deal.

Infiltration
It is possible to gain control over other organisations. With a high enough infiltration, you receive bonuses, can perform certain actions, or even direct it towards the goals of your cult.
Like Recruitment, Infiltration can be done via action rolls, but can also grow passively, as long as you have initial infiltration.
Infiltration is done in scaling levels. Level 0, or starting to infiltrate the organisation, is five points. Level 1 is points, Level 2 is twenty, so on. Each time you increase a level your points reset. Reaching Level 10 means you control the organisation; for all intents and purposes it is part of the Cult's structure.

Devotion
Shows how strong your connection to your God(s) are, or how much attention they are paying towards you.
Using Khrone worship as an example;

• You do something Khorne likes, such as committing a series of murders, you get +1 devotion to him
• You do something he REALLY likes, such as making a pile of 88 skulls and watering them with blood, you get +2 or 5.
• You do something Khorne dislikes such as doing acts that please/in the name of another god, you lose devotion.

At certain benchmarks you get offered Boons or gifts that you can choose to accept. Accepting them will grant bonus devotion from, refusing them will lose some.
Accepting/Refusing the boon of another god will also lose/gain you devotion. For instance, if you accept Khorne's gift you lose devotion with the other three, while refusing it will give you devotion with them.
(This'll be expanded upon after the first turn)

Resources
Can be thought of as a combination of money, skilled physical labour, self-owned equipment; anything a cultist can offer the cult that is not time.
Some actions, units or systems will take up resources, either as a one time "purchase" or as upkeep.
Going into minus income causes debuffs, cultist dissatisfaction and other, worse problems. Completely running out of money will cause cultists to leave.

There are also unique resources, that can confer bonuses, as well as being sold to other groups;
Water Supply - +5 to recruitment

Cult Mood
How happy your basic cultists are. If problems arise, such as failed actions, it will slowly drop. It can be raised by actions such as ceremonies.
Low Cult Mood causes debuffs and other problems, such as leadership challenges.

---

This post will be expanded upon as new mechanics become relevant or revealed.

 

[Dragonofelder]

Potential Research
(This is not a comprehensive list, instead lines of interest you might have interest in, and what you can do with your artefacts)
(Items marked with a star* are extremely difficult, and might take many turns and resources to complete)
(Some research might have multiple levels)

• Units
  • Enforcers
  • Assassins
• Esoteric
  • Rituals
  • Daemons*
  • The Warp*
  • Annatar's Eye
  • Dreams
  • Pskers*
• Technology/Equipment
  • Personal Voxes
  • Personal Weaponry
• History
  • Kelt
  • Organisations

The Aeldari Files

• Aeldari Culture
• Aeldari Gods
• Aeldari Psychic abilities
  • Telepathy
  • Seers
  • Mental Construction
  • Bone Singing
• Aeldari Technology
  • Wraithbone
  • Shuriken Weapons
  • Webway
  • Ships
  • Grav Technology
• Soul Stones

The Clipper Files

• Vox
  • Channels
  • Codes
• Organization
  • Ranks
  • Special Orders
• Holdings
  • Upper Hive
  • Lower Hive
  • Underhive
  • Outside Keltist
• Corruption Details
  • Forstor
  • Gangers
  • General
• People of Note (specify)

Completed Research
Alderi Enhanced Emotions
Type: Xeno Study
First Began: Turn 1
Completed: Turn 1
It seems the Alderi felt more than humans. Joy was a bubbling torrent. Anger was a blistering fire. Love was an overwhelming compulsion. An Alderi could feel so strongly they could die from sorrow, or be rendered completely senseless with fear. This enhanced sensory system was physical as well; they could see, smell, feel and taste much more then an unenhanced human could. However a curious side effect to all this was that, after feeling the same experiences repeatedly, they would become lesser. An Alderi would grow used to sensations; it's possible that a thrill seeker would go to wilder and wilder extremes just to experience another rush.
Gained Research Modifier: Alderi Mind Understanding: Understanding how their emotional states helps you understand how the Alderi think. +5 to Alderi culture and society related research.

Clipper Equipment Standards
Type: Organisation Study
First Began: Turn 2
Completed: Turn 2
Although there may be some deviation, where resourceful officers have "augmented" their gear, this is what the average Clippers use. Each street officer is given a basic set of flak armour, over a synth-thread uniform and their ubiquitous peaked cap. Their weapons are a metal baton and a semi-automatic auto pistol, and they carry at least two sets of constrictor cuffs. They also carry short-range vox-links. In certain situations, such as riot control or guarding locations or people of import, other equipment is handed out. Autoweapons of numerous varieties, from rifles to heavy stubbers. Suppression Shields that lock together allowing officers to form a solid line. Specialist units have rarer gear. Raid units use Combat Shotguns, Shock Mauls and wear fully-covering sets of flak armour. High ranking officers are equipped with carapace armour, which often survives longer than its wearer. Sharpshooters are given access to long-las rifles.

The vehicle pool of the Clippers is limited. Aside from patrol bikes, they have access to Boris-pattern Repressor transports; armed with hot-water cannons and flash grenade launchers. To transport prisoners they have Pack-Wagons; little more than boxes on wheels. There are also six Repressors, equipped with heavy flamers and bolters, within a depo in the Lower Hive City. They can only be deployed by the Governor.

Most of this equipment is produced on world, apart from more specialized pieces. They are stored in Watch-Houses, as well as depos, which you currently don't have locations for. However your cultists are now looking into them.
Gain knowledge of general Clipper uniform, equipment & vehicles. Can potentially use information to disguise as Clippers, requires equipment sourcing

Alderi Movement
Type: Xeno-Study
First Began: Turn 1
Completed: Turn 3
The bodies of Alderi are human-like on the outside, but undoubtedly alien on the inside. Frankly, even in drawings, their organs are disturbing. Their bones, as said before, are hollow. While this makes them incredibly fragile, their lack of weight allows the xeno to move at speeds that humans cannot easily follow, with a grace that makes a trained dancer look like a clumsy fool. Their reflexes are highly advanced, electrical signals flowing across nerves at a shocking pace, allowing an Alderi to react with shocking swiftness, even when caught unawares. All this results in a highly specialized weapon - and your researchers can't help but wonder if the Alderi were modified intentionally.

This research, combined with your previous study of the Alderi Emotional state, has given you a baseline for the xeno's biology. Although you don't have a full understanding of their labyrinth organ systems, or the strange molecules that regulate them, you know more than most.
Gain Research Modifier: Basic Alderi Biology Understanding - +5 to actions involving Alderi biology

Paper Knives
Type: Improvised Weapons
First Began: Turn 1
Completed: Turn 3
Cultists working in the few manufactorua in the Upper Hive use industrial scale machines to press multiple sheets of paper into a single thin sheet, then cut them to the sharp shape. The resulting blade is small enough to hide in robes or pockets, but can easily cut through flesh and even bone with enough force. Able to be used multiple times, if the user needs to dispose of them they could simply throw it into a fire, or slide it into a stack of parchment.
Gain Equipment; Paper Knives - +5 to murder or assassinations, lessened chance of discovery

Clipper Holdings - Spires
Type: Organisational Study
First Began: Turn 2
Completed: Turn 4
The Clippers have a number of Watch-Houses, equipment depots and more within the Spires. Of more interest however is the Preccient Primus. Located close to the Spire of House Forstor, it includes high quality barracks for upper ranks, heavily secure holding cells, and The Nerve; the command center of all Clipper operations, from where Commissioner Raym Forstor can observe and direct his officers across the Hive. The technology involved is very interesting, and highly advanced.

Unfinished Research
Legal Loopholes
Type: Legal Study
First Began: Turn 3
Progress: (26/???)

Emotion Booster Drug
Type: Chemical - Drugs
First Began: Turn 3
Progress: (78/???)

God-Marked Origani
Type: Esoteric
First Began: Turn 4
Progress: (57/???)

Alternative Paper Weapons
Type: Weapons
First Began: Turn 4
Progress: (49/???)

Tzeentch-Blessed Paper Weapons
Type: Weapons, Esoteric
First Began: Turn 4
Progress: (49/???)

Research Modifiers
Currently you can have 3 Research Actions per turn

Valsen Stockhouse - +5 to Historical Research, +1 Research Actions
Alderi Enhanced Emotions - +5 to Alderi Cultural & Societal Research
Church of the Undivided Fourfold Path: Public Library - +5 to all research
Head Researcher - +1 Research action per turn
Rosten Lowitzhs - +2 to a Research action each time it is repeated

 

[Dragonofelder]

A volcanically active world, Kelt is a place of mountains and fire. Galactically, it is located in with Segmentum Obscurus, although it is not close enough to the Eye of Terror to see it. There are limited stable warp routes to the planet, but they are used constantly, shipping Administratum officials and data.

Kelt is only 87% the size of Holy Terra, and has no oceans; what moisture exists is in great caverns underground, within the world's upper atmosphere, or in it's small ice caps. There is no known source or cause of its constant volcanic eruptions; it's simply always been like this. The atmosphere is technically breathable, but oftentimes the heat and ash clouds can make breathing unaided painful.

Hive City Keltist is the only major population centre, built upon a stable volcano. Power is drawn from the magma chamber deep below, which is kept in check by ancient mechanisms.

Keltist
The Hive City of Keltist is home to 14,787,115,218 people. This is, at best, a rough estimate. Even though the Administratum is stringent on its surveys, they cannot account for the chaotic nature of the Underhive. The population of a Hive World is always in flux; birth booms, viruses, people "disappearing" for a few years only to turn up again, making it a nightmare to keep track of things. Thus, the official population number of the city has remained the same for many centuries.

During the colonization of Kelt, some five millennia ago, it was divined that the best place to build the primary Hive City was on and in a dormant volcano, both for power and space needs. Thus the one of the largest mountains was chosen; Amarth. Today much of it is hidden under rockcrete buildings and adamantium pillars, holding up a mighty city.

Directly around the Hive City are the Ash Plateaus, mostly flat wasteland broken up by vents and semi-constantly flowing lava rivers. The city's major starship port Belfalas is here, connected by a ten kilometre road that is constantly patrolled by Kelt PDF to ward off attacks from the local wildlife and feral beastmen.

As with all Hive Cities, Keltist is roughly split into four sections. The Spires reach high into Kelt's atmosphere, and those that live here do so in relative decadence, their every whim satisfied. Below them is the Upper Hive, which is mostly bureaucrats and administrators, as well as storage for important documentation. The Lower Hive is primarily devoted to industry, which on Kelt mainly means large-scale Scribe houses, as well as ink and parchment production. Below is the Underhive, a warren of abandoned hab-blocks and piles of refuse, split between criminal gangs, mutants and other dregs of society.

There is a certain predilection in Keltist society that sees their fervour for the God-Emperor lacking. Church attendee numbers are commonly low, and most only go because they feel it is expected of them, or in search of a place to conduct secret business. On other worlds such slackness would probably be punished by wide-spread purges, but as this trend is followed even at the highest levels, no such actions have occurred.

Bribery is also common on Kelt. Although the Administraum keeps a close watch of such things within their own halls, it is widespread outside. Clippers that uncover criminal dealings will accept a cut for their silence. Clerks with the right motivation can hand over restricted documents, or misfile them. Again, the Houses do little to prevent this, as they too profit from such affairs.

Kelt Xenos
Although there are no records of Kelt holding an intelligent species, there are a number of non-sentient xeno-forms that dominate the planet, adapted to it's volcanic environment. They are generally hostile to others, and the area around Keltist is purged regularly to prevent massed assaults. Despite this, some examples of native fauna dwell in the hive, mainly in the Underhive.

• Smokefish: Appearing similar to Terran ocean dwellers with narrow bodies and shimmering scales, Smokefish use elongated "fins" to "swim" through the air. They are normally found above active volcanoes, gathering minerals in the released smoke, but some dwell in areas of Keltist. Several varieties exist.
• Smokeshark: Larger cousins of the diminutive Smokefish. "Swimming" the air currents with their fins, they can ram into a human with enough force to tear them in two. Their scaly skins are nearly immune to lasguns. They are often drawn to the smokestacks of the Lower Hive, necessitating anti-aircraft installations alongside the more common Riot Stations. Although Smokesharks are mostly solitary hunters, they can often gather in massive swarms.
• Hell-Hogs: The size of a Leman Russ tank, and it takes roughly the same amount of firepower to take them down. Their skin is constantly glowing with searing heat, fed by their rapid and all consuming metabolisms. A Hell-Hog on a feeding frenzy will devour anything it comes across, and can only be stopped with overwhelming firepower.
• Magma-Walkers: Similar to Terran arachnids, with segmented bodies, multiple eyes and eight legs. They are larger than a standard human, but much weaker, necessitating them to act as ambush or swarm predators. They lack venom; instead injecting their own red hot blood into their victims. They are drawn to sources of heat to make their nest, and the Underhive often sees large infestations of them. Their name comes from their ability to walk over moving lava flows.
• Lava-Eels: massive organisms that live inside Kelt's magma core. The largest are said to cause earthquakes when they swim close to the surface. Lava Eel eggs are blown out of erupting volcanoes, hatching in lava lakes where the young quickly grow. They then swim back into volcanoes, or even force new openings. Although they are rarely a threat to Keltist, they are often hunted, as Lava Eel eggs are a delicacy to the Spire-Born.

Annatar's Eye
Officially known as Thu S-2, this warp rift is only nine light years from Kelt, and is often visible in the night sky, or even sometimes during the day. Unique to this rift is its shifting appearance; as the tide of the Warp waxes and wanes, the rift seems to open and close as an eye does, giving it its name. The more open the Eye appears, the more common dark dreams and mutations are.

 

[Dragonofelder]

Administratum
The Administratum is the primary power in Keltist, with most of the Hive turned over to its processes, and about half of all the Hive's citizens directly employed by them. Its current leader is Master Prefectus Goff; he's known to be a recluse, serving as the Planetary Governor's primary advisor. Sometimes it is claimed the office is merely a puppet position, with the Master Prefectus holding true power on Kelt.

The Administratum is split into a number of Divisio, each of which holds a degree of autonomy. Each is headed by a Prefectus

Divisio Copia
The largest Divisio, employing millions of scribes across all upper three levels of the Hive. Their task is to write documents; duplicating reports for distribution, copying damaged documents, and a hundred other inane paperwork tasks. Logically, such work could be done by servitors; but apparently it is cheaper to be done by hand.

Divisio Recorda
Has a slightly more interesting job; writing reports. They collect massive piles of data, from worlds all over the sector, turn it into something understandable, and send it back out again. This is the primary function of Keltist, sending out information that is read across the Imperium; sometimes even making it's way to Holy Terra itself.

Divisio Curato
Manages the archiving of documents and files, traversing the grand halls full of piles and piles of documents daily.

Divisio Exacta
Uses incoming planetary data to calculate tithes owed by worlds across the sector

Divisio Strategos
Identifies and tracks potential threats, from pirate bands to xenos races

Divisio Vigilat
The Administratum's own internal arbites. Their cloaked and masked members have access anywhere, can read any file, can detain any worker if they suspect them of wrongdoing. Office rumor says there are members of the Vigilat working in other Divisio; reporting back all they hear and see. It certainly keeps adepts in line if they think the silent watchers know everything.

Noble Houses of The Spires
There are four Major Houses dominating Kelt, although the distinction between Major and Minor houses is only the amount of influence they have. The Major Houses have long histories, control integral parts of the Hive, and decide the fate of millions each day. The Minor Houses are a diverse grouping of cadet branches and rich families. Each House has its own holdings within the Spire, and a large number of support staff, usually including a private security force.

Major House Forstor
Foremost among all the Houses, with the house crest of a mighty mountain. They have held the position of Planetary Governor for millennia, and their current leader is Ennema Forstor, who is entering into her 253th year with no sign of slowing down. The house has controlling shares of the Clippers, the PDF, numerous businesses large and small, and are closely linked with the Administratum. It is often said House Forstor were the ones to invite the Administratum to set up on Kelt.

Major House Andustor
The lowest of the Major Houses, and it is rumoured to be drifting close to becoming a Minor House. Long ago they tied their fate to that of the Ecclesiarchy, and as the faith of Keltist has lessened so has their influence. Only old bonds and canny maneuvering has kept them relevant at all. Their current head is Nikko Andustor, something of a firebrand. He apparently despairs over the state of the Hive City's collective soul, and promises great steps to fix it. Thus far, he has made no notable progress.

Major House Hyanstor
Competes with House Hyarrstor. Owns and funds the Apostles of Moisture, as well as controlling the Ogryn population. Head of House is Glenen mal Hyanstor.

Major House Hyarrstor
Competes with House Hyanstor. Owns and funds the Disciples of Nourishment. Has close links with the city's Beastmen tribes. Head of House is Terrin mal Hyarrstor.

Minor House Swain
Runs the Schola programs that educate the Hive's youths.

Minor House Davistor
Controls the Keltist Bank, more commonly known as "The Burning Bank." Cadet branch of House Forstor.

Minor House Freeman
Strong ties to the Mechanicus, and often serves as their voice in Spire matters.

Minor House Hackney
Manages and maintains the Hive's transport infrastructure.

Spire Services
A great deal of work must be done each day to insure that the Hive City continues to function. A number of groups are tasked with overseeing such matters, working from the Spires to the Underhive to make sure Keltist does not collapse, both metaphorically and literally.

Clippers
The local arbites of Keltist. They are present on all levels of the Hive, but they are most common within the Lower and Underhive, where they constantly beatdown revolts and criminal gangs. Those in the Upper Hive, by contrast, mostly deal with drunks and civil disagreements, and thus are often raring for a proper fight. In the Spires they are functionally ornamental; the Houses' private security deals with any issues.

Apostles of Moisture
Controls the flow of water in the Hive, maintaining the Moisture Vaporators and Sinks that recycle liquid, and managing the massive water reservoirs. In conflict with the Disciples of Nourishment.

Disciples of Nourishment
Control the Hydroponic Farms that produce much of Keltest's fresh food, and the Corpse Factories that grind up the dead of the Hive into corpse-starch. They also distribute the resultant food-stuffs. In conflict with the Apostles of Moisture.

Kelt PDF
Sometimes derogatorily called "The Kindling Guard". Are primarily deployed to the walls of Keltist and strategic locations within the Lower Hive. No regiment has been raised on Kelt since the Administratum claimed the world, and their primary purpose now is to purge the area around the Hive City to keep it clear of wild xenos and feral Beastmen. In times of great conflict however, they can be deployed into the Hive itself. They are better equipped than the Clippers, have access to military grade weaponry, but are still no way near comparable to the Imperial Guard.

Mechanicus Enclave
A small group of Tech-Priest that oversees the Hive city's most integral systems.

Underhive Gangs
Like all great Hive Cities, the Underhive of Keltist is a vicious melting pot of criminals, mutants, renegades and other less wholesome groups. Walking without a visible weapon makes you a target. Walking with a visible weapon makes you a threat. Despite the chaos, a number of groups have risen to the top of the scum, usually by being worse than their competitors. All business and deals in their claimed area are overseen by them, and they usually take a cut of the profits.

The Under House
Largely secretive, keeping to their own. They apparently control many small businesses, including some in the Lower and maybe even the Upper Hive. Misfortune seems to be attracted to them constantly; Clippers raid their holdings more frequently than other gangs, known members attacked by random gangers, resources "lost". Despite these setbacks, they grimly hold on, persevering no matter what.

Duggers
A collection of mining groups that have banded together, originally for protection, but are now one of the larger gangs. They are known for digging out their own bases and bolt holes, or bringing down their rival's establishments around them.

Chain-Fists
Carved out their space with their signature weapons: chain-fists. They'll fight anyone, over almost anything, and defend what's theirs with manic fury. Behind their violent exterior, Chain-Fists can be surprisingly canny, making good deals backed up with more than intimidation.

Slippers
The Slippers are a small gang, but they have many connections, and make their money smuggling for larger groups. A common tale is that a Slipper runner could go from the Underhive to the Spires, drop off their parcel, and get back before the night shift changes. This is likely an exaggeration, but the Slippers are very good, and discreet.

Beastmen Tribes
The original colony ships for Kelt carried with them a great number of the Abhuman species known as Beastmen, for use as a cheap labor force. During the construction of Keltist, many slipped loose, and became tribes of wild nomads, the only sentients on Kelt beyond the city. Those that stayed were herded into the Underhive. Their population numbers are, as best can be guessed, around 800000. The Tribes hold unsteady truces between each other, but fight constantly with the Underhive gangs.

Buck-Horns
Led by the Matriarch Velvet, they possess a martial culture. They often fight against other groups, not only for resources and space, but to blood their warriors and weed out the weak.

Low-Wings
A semi-nomadic tribal, preferring to move around the Underhive instead of staying in a single location. Naturally this causes a great deal of conflict.

Grey-Hands
Each member of the tribe covers their hands in gray dust, made from ground up rock from the bottom of the Hive. Apparently it is to show everything that the Beastmen touches is marked by their "taint", and must be cleaned. An odd tradition

The Un
This tribe's members cover themselves as much as possible, using scavenged cloth and rough leathers. They are known to be suspicious of others, even their fellow Beastmen.

Other
Ogryns
Six centuries ago House Hyanstor bought and shipped to Kelt a number of Ogryn family units, and began a breeding program to produce a strong but dumb workforce. Currently there are over 4000 Ogryns, spread across six camps in the Lower Hive. House Hyanstor uses them in their own businesses, and hires them out to those that can. Ogryns have served with the Clippers & the PDF as shock forces, while augmented bulls serve as bodyguards to House Hyanstor and their important partners.

Church of the Screaming Blade (Redemptionists)
An Imperial Cult first formed on Necromunda, with a small mission on Kelt. Aware of the Hive's general indifference to the God Emperor, and seeks to undo this trend with fire and blade. Currently only located within the Underhive, where they are in conflict with the criminal gangs and Beastmen tribes.

 

[Dragonofelder]

The Human Ascension's goal is to claim for humanity the power held by the Aeldari through their connection to Chaos. They worship the Primordial Truth of Chaos Undivided. They hold a number of beliefs, some of which may be incorrect, but they have faith in what they believe, and that might be all that is necessary.

The Chaos Gods
The four most primal drives and desires, embodied as and empowered as deities. To deny them is to deny the four greatest parts of oneself, to follow only one is to become dangerously unbalanced, but to embrace all four is to embrace enlightenment.

Aeldari
Now known as the Eldar, the Aeldari once controlled an empire that matched, if not surpassed, the Imperium. Their power and might came from their devotion to one of the Four of Chaos; The Tempter. However by ignoring the other three, they became unbalanced, and they were consumed by their hubris. What remains are only the shattered remnants of their race.

The Emperor & The Imperium
The Emperor of Mankind might have been a God. He might have been a man. What matters is that he attempted to stand against the Four united, to rule by himself, and he failed.

The Imperium is a monument to his failure. It has no worth, aside from what can be scavenged by those of the True Faith.

Non-Believers
Those that have not been shown the true faith are like children, stumbling and ignorant of the truth of the world. They should be educated on and shown the truth of the four- but slowly, carefully, for the immature often fear and misinterpret what they have not yet fully grasped.

Those that reject the truth are clearly far too deluded or deranged to be saved, for it is obvious that no right-thinking individual could reject the Fourfold Path. They must be put down, for the good of the cult, the good of the Gods, and their own good as well.

(This will be updated over time, if you think I've missed something just remind me)

 

[Dragonofelder]

Rites are actions that can be performed to get set outcomes. Although they cost resources to perform, they are more likely to give the desired outcome than not. Rituals still require rolls however.

Ritual of Awakening
Through directed prayer, power can directed towards the warp rift known as Annatar's Eye, allowing it to open wider and let Chaos's influence grow, for a time.
(Gives a bonus to next turn's Annatar's Eye roll)
Cost: 999 Resources

 

[Dragonofelder]

This is a list of groups on Kelt, showing how they feel about the organization Brethren Kelt (not the cult, as most would simply attack you if they knew about your worship).

Scale goes from -5 to 5.
-5 means they are likely actively engaged in hunting you down.
0 means they are neutral towards you, or have no knowledge of you
5 means they are close allies.

Extremes also exist. -6 means they are your eternal enemy, while 6 means they are working for you, or are part of your cult's structure.

An ? means you don't know what they think of you. To learn you'll either have to be working with them, or Infiltrate them, or perform an Action.

Administratum Divisios
Divisio Copia - 0
Divisio Recorda - 0
Divisio Curato - 0
Divisio Exacta - 0
Divisio Strategos - 0
Divisio Vigilat - ?

Houses of The Spires
Major House Forstor - ?
Major House Andustor - ?
Major House Hyanstor - ?
Major House Hyarrstor - ?
Minor House Swain - ?
Minor House Davistor - ?
Minor House Freeman - ?
Minor House Hackney - ?
Minor House Senistor - 1 - Are funding BK

Spire Services
Clippers - ?
Apostles of Moisture - ?
Disciples of Nourishment - 1 - Trading water supplies with them
Kelt PDF - ?
Mechanicus Enclave - ?

Gangers
The Under House - ?
Duggers - ?
Chain-Fists - ?
Slippers - ?

Beastmen Tribes
Buck-Horns - ?
Low-Wings - ?
Grey-Hands - ?
The Un - ?

Other Groups
Ogryns - 0
Church of the Screaming Blade (Redemptionists) - ? - Possibly some awareness, but you're not sure how much

 

[Dragonofelder]

So I've decided to end this quest. I'm sorry to say I'm no longer interested it it enough to continue, and have moved onto a new quest.

I'm sorry for those that wanted this quest to continue. I do as well, but I have to face the facts.

Making things up as I go along if fine in theory, but its caused a great deal of bloat. Turns have multiple, complex parts that take a along time to work out. This quest was originally meant to be a Riot Quest, but it rapidly became... not.

The good news is that there are some parts of this quest I liked, and think work. I'm probably going to try and redo it, but not for a while.