the Events and immediate aftermath of the Helios Succession have weighed heavy on Vendrakes mind
As it happened the events of the succession came to him before he had chance to leave the Phrellian Sub for Dahltus Prime . In all planetary systems there those planets that don't do much.. Borrus is one such planet.A huge spinning ball of gas, that sits on the Horizon of Praxus along with its twin moon Chrons and looks pretty. The techpriests from the Mutaran Demesne Had tried collecting its plasma as fuel. But the Difficult navigation from Mutara had proved uneconomical . Many on Phalanx Hive had supposed on that if this Planet could be harvested the Insular system of Phalanx could become wealthy trade route stop bypassing Arzgin and Suppressio systems on route to Loidis
But until the Merchants and guilders of Cydonia and Phalanx Hive are willing to unite and fund the cost of such a grand project, Phalanx will remain a backwater system.
It was during a routine trip to the Phalanx system capital Phalanx Hive to see the Governor
Baron Dysarno regarding Imperial tithes , That Inquisitor Vendrake intersected a High level Vox communication on an Inquisitorial Frequency . A Rogue Electro priest was attempting to set up a lucrative cargo transaction , from a former plasma research station Orbiting Chrons Moon.
Vendrake sped to location to interject a counter proposal.. Now was a good time to collect resources and potential contacts ..Electing an outspoken Amalathian would be no easy task with so many radicals within Dhaltus.
Unfortunately Vendrake failed to convince the the Rogue Electro priest to deal with him. The pre standing arrangement he had with the Impressive Ordo Malleus Inquisitor Tybalt was unbreakable..
Vendrake cut his losses with the cargo , but the diversion was not a lost cause after all. During the negotiations with the electro priest . Vendrakes tormented astrotelepath Souel , managed to mind scan one of Tybalt's acolytes , revealing a pertinent piece of information , concerning the whereabouts of The Ordo Hereticus Inquisitrix Benadice .
It appeared The race to make strong and viable contacts to influence the conclave had begun.
Benadice had acquired a rotund Administatum scribe of particular import .form the suppressio Mining colony in the outer reaches of the Phrellian sub. Vendrake took the opportunity to exact some revenge on the Flame haired Inquisitrix For her interference within the Cydonian Noble politics .. a finely wrought thing that needs careful and restrained coercion to be of maximum effect.
Vendrake had no real desire to kidnap the scribe ..only to let Benadice know.. that there would be consequences for interfering within his domain.
Which is exactly what he did when he ambushed her on route to her drop ship scaring the scribe half to death .and forcing her to flee .. of course I am sure she would tell it differently...
Either way Vendrake played his role with minor success.
Phased by the recent events Vendrake..realised he would need much more direct firepower to take on the more radical elements of the conclave . His deep association with the secular Adaptus mechanicus cult on Praxus is well known to many Conclave members , in particular to Inquisitors of his own Ordo Xenos . So it came as little surprise when he himself was ambushed by a fellow Ordo xenos Inquisitor Titus bell and company whilst trying to recruit the powerful Magos Mendacles in the Praxian wilds .
Whisking away his valued prize, Vendrake made for Dhaltus Prime and the Conclave , where the real political power lay.
The campaigning began in earnest ..Vendrakes Years of influencing Noble policy paying dividends when he successfully persuaded enough voters to elect Inquisitrix Madine after a thirty two vote tie with Vendrakes former adversary from the Chrons moon facility a few months earlier ..Inquisitor Tybalt. Truly a powerful and influential figure to watch out for ..he noted.
Vendrakes Victory over the conclave was short lived however..
As Madine Stood to make her acceptance speech , a single shot rang out ...Her life taken and all Vendrakes work undone in an instance.
Even before her body was cold the blame game began.. fingers began pointing towards the more radical leaning inquisitors..The conclave in turmoil once again.. leaderless and vulnerable to attack from without and within..
Vendrake was more upset at the death of Madine than he had first realised . Not only did it undo well made plans ..and force him to keep his eyes of Praxus for even longer. But more than that ,he liked Madine personally , Yes she was naive in her appreciation of the complex issues of Dalthus ( for which she paid the ultimate price ) but she was also brave ..fearless to her opposition ..a pure heart and even head that is rarely scene within the Inquisitorial Conclave , even though she was a Herecticus she kept one eye on the big picture .. Vendrake respected that. She knew if the Conclave fell into radical hands ..Dhaltus was doomed ..The security the two of them could have brought to the system riddled with corruption filled him with hope... he the gaurdian of the enemy without she within..Now lost ...
Vendrake did not get angry , that was a young mans burden , he attempted to see a ll the angles.. but his usual clarity had left him.. just confusion and the pain of his leg..clouded his thoughts.. Chiron
made the usual cocktail of drugs to ease his masters anguish.. and Vendrake thanked his luck for finding such an accomplished apothecary amongst Stimm fuelled Slaught junkies of General Martoks Men . It was in these drug induced days that he was contacted by Darthur . Madine's faithful interrogator acolyte.. the poor man had taken his own eyes with grief and shame at failing to protect his Mistress . Vendrake took pity on the wretched soul and brought him into his own flock.( an act Socrates was keen to undermine ) To console the young man , Vnedrake applied his formidable powers of persuasion " Find the killer and your shame shall be lifted , Avenge your Former Mistress and restore your honour .. Do this for yourself and for Dhaltus and I will grant your Inquisitorial status . Vendrakes began plotting how he could use the death of Madine to his political advantage . The Finger pointing had rested upon a Lone rogue Inquisitor... Velk A memebr of the dame Herecticus Ordo as Madine , but that is where the similarity ends.. a sinister Figure shrouded in mistery and duplicity.. linked with contemptible Elder..and who's motives are unclear
Fatigued from Drug use the ageing Vendrake failed to move swiftly enough to capture Velk.. who left a trail of bloodshed in his wake ..nearly killing fellow Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor Theodore Helsmarck
The Requiem
Vendrake's close ties with Admiral Faust where put to good use , when The Venerable Inquisitor Guidonis of Brythonis arranged For Madines Requiem to be held within the hallowed halls of the Ecclissia. Faust has Personally overseen the transportation of Madine through Dalthus to sub sector Loidis space .
Ecclessia is home to several cults of the solar deity .. and this inspired the chiroscuro feel of the plantet..
Brythonis is a Orthodox ecclesiastical sector and Ecclessia Quite dour and solemn . the planet bathed in perpetual darkness, The Orbit of Ecclessia taking it on an a long elliptical journey into the cold dark of Loidis space , reaching its black winter azimuth. Many years without light gradually punctuated by the returning warmth and lighter days.. until unbearable brightness and heat scorches the equator as it reaches it solar equinox..praise the light praise the emperor ..
After the death of Inquisitrix Madine at the end of the Helios Succession, the noted Inquisitor Guidonis arranged for her body to be conveyed aboard an Imperial Navy vessel to the cathedral-world of Ecclisia, where she will be laid to rest in its vaunted chapel-halls.
Presently
a large Naval Vessel is transporting The late Inqusitrix Madines Body
to Brythonis for Internment.. Inquisitor Vendrake , along with Madines
former acolyte Interrogator Darthur have arranged to oversee the funeriumme
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