Centrally located within the wastes of the Gamma-74 subsector lies the Aserion Outpost, the pulsing heart of Imperial industry in this region. It consists of several hundred habs, massive vehicle bays, landing pads, and various administrative buildings that support regional operations—all surrounded by bastion walls and watchtowers.

Cargo Haulers arrive from the wastes at all hours, navigating a network of shifting gravel and acid-soaked roads that radiate from the outpost. Upon arrival, cargo contents are cataloged and repacked, while cargo flyers from the Hives of Voll arrive to transport them to other Manufactorums. There, materials are further processed, inspected, and refined before being shipped off-world.

The acid-washed outpost is home to several thousand Imperial Citizens (Imperium Maledictum, p. 340) and Manufactorum Workers (Imperium Maledictum, p. 323), and it is rapidly becoming too cramped for further inhabitants. It is common for these workers to wear goggles, respirators, or scarves to ward off the worst effects of the wasteland atmosphere and industrial effluent. Conditions inside the habs are hardly better, but the people of the outpost are accustomed to it and barely notice anymore.

This is where the agents of Lord Captain Starklund land, guided by an Adeptus Administratum Adept to Sub-prefect Rastigan Dorin. Dorin, appearing tired and worn out, has already organized a Cargo-8 Ground Hauler for the journey through the wastes and a driver to serve as a guide for the group. During the briefing with Dorin, the agents learned the following:

• Labor Strike at Processing Plant Gamma-74c15: Overseers have already arrested several workers; others have barricaded themselves in a dangerous area of the Manufactorum, refusing to speak with anyone except official negotiators. Dorin handed the characters a sealed letter, asking them to act as his envoys and deliver it to the strikers. This should grant the workers enough concessions to return to work.
• Shrine in the Western Remediation Pools (C): Dorin reported a shrine that Sihn is said to have visited in the past. The priests of the shrine might be helpful in locating Sihn.

The agents were permitted to move freely through the outpost and were given directions to the Garage, where their Cargo-8 Hauler and its driver, Zenyi Restax, awaited them. The Garage contains several bays with other vehicles in various states of repair. After inquiring about Zenyi Restax, the agents were led to a large, dilapidated Cargo Hauler on a lift. A woman in overalls was working beneath it—Zenyi Restax. She greeted the group with grunts and nods, giving terse answers to their questions. Dorin had already informed her of their arrival; Restax stated she would finish maintenance in a few minutes and asked the characters to wait.

While waiting for Restax, a group of well-equipped soldiers entered the Garage. They displayed no clear affiliation with any Imperial military organization but moved like highly trained veterans. These were members of Echo Team, led by Captain Pollis and Lieutenant Cole, who were seeking a driver to reach the wastes of Voll.

The group and Echo Team parted on amicable terms. The objective of Echo Team is to eliminate Sihn. Lt. Cole provided vox codes and frequencies for future communication.

After purchasing three days' worth of rations at an Inn, the agents decided to drive to the site of the Crawler ambush. The journey took five hours. Upon arrival, they found the Crawler in a dire state: most of its legs were broken, and the remaining limbs were being excavated and salvaged by groups of Scavengers. The hull sat at a strange angle, sinking into the acid-drenched terrain.

Scavengers were picking through the "bones" of the Crawler. Several makeshift tents, along with a few old Haulers and Walkers, stood in the shadow of the wreck, gradually filling with the best components the Scavengers could tear from the machine.

Following a few threats, the Scavengers allowed the agents to inspect the Crawler. At that moment, another Cargo Hauler arrived. A well-equipped group joined the agents and the Scavengers. Cesare, utilizing his extraordinary knowledge, immediately identified the leader as Escar Heldrax—a "Finder of Things" serving Rogue Trader Ekaterina Praskovya Iaysu. The group was armed with high-end equipment, including Power Swords, while Heldrax himself carried an Inferno Pistol.

Heldrax's team entered the Crawler with the agents, driving away another Scavenger. While Cesare extracted information from the Cognitator, Vinz activated an emergency switch to fake a Machine Spirit failure, allowing the agents to withhold data from Heldrax's group.

The following information was recovered from the Crawler's Cognitator:

• Communication Logs: Correspondence from the Crawler Captain to Sub-prefect Dorin documenting how a massive gemstone was discovered in the wastes, found wrapped around the remains of a long-dead Acynadi.
• The Eye of Voll: Early research data on the gemstone, including size, shape, properties, and general notes by the crew's Tech-Priest (noting that a heavy hauler would be required for transport, with very few available in the area).
• Marauder Activity: Logs indicate the attackers came from the northeast, moving from the direction of Kragon’s Flask.

XP earned:
40 XP => Marc, Jochen, Peter
20 XP => Christian, Karsten (not present)