Timestamp: 7.433.996.M41

Location: Icenholm/Gorgonid Mine, Sepheris Secundus, Glogenna Reach

Situation: Looking into the things that got stirred up in the Royal Palace

Body: Haxtes started his questioning. Lacking any particular skills in that direction. Or any sort of plan for that matter. Just keeping his act together and keeping what amounted to a giant bluff going  - one man pretending to have authority over thousands. A giant bluff that could well be called at any moment. But he kept it going, holding the crowd mesmerized while the Arbites loaded into their Valkyries and made ready to descend into the mine.

But did anything come of the questioning? Indeed it did. What should/could have taken a long long time resolved itself rather quickly. Almost as if the culprits wanted to get caught. A household servant stepped forth, claiming to know something. Something secret. Something he could tell only to the good Inquisitor. So he stepped forth and whispered into Haxtes ear. A name most foul. A name with power. N'rgl-ee. The young assassin felt the world sway madly, his soft psyker mind especially vulnerable to such filth. When finally he came to his senses the man was singing - to the tunes of an unknown song he repeated the words 'Maiden of Golgenna' over and over again. How could he know the name of the ship - and why would he sign its name? Haxtes shot him in the head before he could speak more of his rambling insanities.

Angered and quite unbalanced Haxtes took to sterner measures. He began walking among the men of the household, shooting at random. Screaming for confessions and repentance. There was much begging and screaming, but any information of worth was drowened by a cacophany of nonsense. Until one man stepped forth, an old miner-turned-overseer. He explained that yes, he had once belonged to the Sons of Malice, but that he had parted from them some time ago, because they had strayed from the Sons 'true path'. Which in his mind was spreading a gospel of disobedience and sabotage that would eventually lead to the Imperium 'wiping the slate clean'. Which meant killing everyone - as if that was a good thing (admittedly the serfs have little to live for, but even among them this sounded extreme). It happened several years ago. After the wyrds came. Then the Sons became sullied - turned away from the Emperor's light even, to worship something unspeakable that they found down in the dark. Now only the insane, mutants, and wyrds are part of the Sons. Like the one Haxtes just shot.

But perhaps more importantly - the man could take you past the seal without opening it. According to him all the mines - or almost all - are interconnected at some point, so you could get in if you were willing to take the long road. He knows becuase he's taken the route a few times in the past. To search the abandoned mine (it was closed down before the Inquisitor arrived, remember?) for ore fragments or abandoned gear that might be worth something. Strictly illegal of course, but profitable.

----

The Arbites descended in force and secured the place. The entire manor was seized by the Inquisition and its contents confiscated. All its inhabitants - nobles and servants alike - were taken to the Solitarium and confined there. The horde of serfs without was not taken there wholesale, but put through mobile processing stations first - with the 'promising' ones weeded out and sent up.

Xerza arrived with Maxi (still in his Divisio Immoralis guise). Talked to Haxtes, got his agitated report. Held his hand even, trying to calm him. But he only ranted and raged all the more. For a while she looked concerned, but finally the irrational outbursts subsided and he regained his composure - the rot had not taken hold, only upset his balance. Good. He would not need to be terminated - yet.

Then she returned to Icenholm to calm things down while Haxtes and Maxi look through the manor for promising clues, seizing things of particular value (to the Inquisition that is). The Arbites would process everything in detail of course, but they take their time doing it, so it always pays of to take a quick preliminary scan. There might be visible clues, or perhaps materials best taken in directly by the Holy Ordos...

----

The two survivors of the court attack were thoroughly interrogated (too bad the cable-car attack team feel to their deaths). They turned out to be in the employ of the Baron Brothos - agents not directly associated with his household, but nevertheless in his employ. They may or may not have been affiliated with the Sons of Malice - the two survivors were not proven to be, but one or more of the dead men might have been. When the Baron was taken they did not think - they merely acted. It is tempting to assume that the Sons were somehow involved and that it spurred them into action. But it was not proven...and the Sons are not the most rational group, so trying to ascribe the attack to them rather than human folly might be mistaken.

Little more of importance was uncovered; except for one thing...what about supplies? The soldiers of the 577th had been gone for 16 days now. How much food and water had they carried with them into the dark? A quick check with Division revealed that they might have had enough for 14 days IF they had started rationing early on.

Clearly something was awry. But the seal could not be opened. So Xerza bade her minions prepare and expedition. Haxtes, Maxi, Jarra and a squad of ten battle-hardened Arbitrators liaisoned from the Solitarium - Proctor Rotlan sensed blood in the water and wanted in.

And so it was that they made ready for a little spelunking. Led by a self-professed former cultist of the Sons. Landing at the Brothos estate they looked back at the darkened sky one last time before the earth closed over their heads...