# Black Ship



## Pandora (Jun 19, 2012)

Black Ship

Witch Hunt

Praedium VII is a small agri-world of Segmentum Pacificus. It is barely able to supply enough food for its system and holds little strategic value. The meager human populcae knows no suffering of war and is content in the tasks assigned to them. They grow and harvest various edible plants and raise Grox with little personal time but this is all they have ever known.

But once every hundred years, this backwater world is stirred into a frenzy. The citizens are issued a notice from the governor's estate of grave importance. The Black Ship has returned to find all those "tainted by the Warp." As is custom, the Black Ship will collect these individuals for an unknown, yet dreaded fate. Dreaded for none have ever returned and the fear that these tainted are being gathered together. From the time the notice is issued, Praedium VII is consumed by fear of the Witch. For surely those tainted would try to avoid their fate and the rumored powers they have could destroy everyone.

The Message of the Black Ship's arrival in system is recieved approximately 9 rotations before its arrival. It travels to the system's other worlds first. This is because while Praedium VII is small, it's population is far spread and its peace keeping force small. Furthermore, allowing Praedium IV, the system's hive world the same length of time would soon see it devolve into a bloody frenzy as the Imperial Guard regiments and citizens fought in the streets. As such, the larger, more populace worlds are harvested first, with the hope that the cramped living conditions would allow no tainted to hide.

But even on a world as sparcely populated as Praedium VII, terror can quickly set in. Any unexplained or unusual actions that would normally go unnoticed quickly bring accusations. Those who try to flee are hunted down and dragged to the landing zone. Unlike a larger world, there are no Sanctioned Psykers to pre-screen any accussed and many will spend the time in cramped, soiled cells, though false accusation carries no penalty. Better for the innocent to suffer than a tainted go free.

So it is not until the drop ships arrive that the accussed are screened. Those found to be tainted are dragged aboard, never to return. Most go quietly, leaving quitely sobbing loved ones behind, though others are dragged kicking and screaming or knocked unconscious. As is custom, the family of an individual accussed are screened as well and Praedium VII is soon left with a few less hands to do the work. But the governor's breeding programs nsure a fresh supply of workers is never waited on for long.

The Grox Herder

Coming soon ...​


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

interesting start


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## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

I join gothik in awaiting the next instalment.


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## Pandora (Jun 19, 2012)

Thank you both. It should be up Sunday night.

Or not. Had to stay and work late. Heading back to work now too. Sorry.


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## Keen4e (Apr 19, 2010)

It seem interesting so far. I have always been fascinated by everything that concerns the work of the ordo hereticus: witch hunting, purges of heretics and mutants, so I will certainly keep an eye on this.


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## Pride365 (Apr 17, 2012)

This is really very interesting so far I can't wait for the next part!


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