VentThe shuttle disappears in the wild vegetation of the island. Several hours pass before the Rogue Trader finally admits that he/she has been aimlessly wandering around in circles. Any attempts to get back on track by retracing his/her steps have failed. Vox-communication cannot reach the ship. Now it becomes clear how Calligos Winterscale could get lost on his own world.
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Entry point 2 of 18
VentAfter a day's journey, the smoke of the smouldering fires has been left far behind. The wind has changed, and with it the forests of Quetza Temer, if only subtly. The path the Rogue Trader just followed has become an impassable wall of tangled vines. The rare anomaly of the local florosphere has once again played its insidious trick — the forest has changed, reference points have swapped positions, and paths have become intertwined.
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Entry point 3 of 18
VentThe now familiar rustle of the centuries-old canopy and barely perceptible movement at the edge of the Rogue Trader's vision announce that the forests are once again in motion — are they fleeing the distant raging fires or simply migrating? It is difficult to say. However, spacious meadows have now been replaced with dense forest, and the trails have changed direction once more.
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Entry point 4 of 18
VentThe forest is alive with the constant rustling of thick leaves and the creaking of wood. It is as if the trees themselves are walking around like lumbering, looming people. But surely it is just a trick of the eye — plants cannot walk, can they?
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Entry point 5 of 18
VentQuite a few hours pass before something worth noticing finally shows up amid the dense forest: a pile of charred human bones lying in a shallow pit, and in front of it, like a standing stone, a broken fire cultivator with melted nozzles is stuck in the ground. Other corpses can be seen in the grass nearby, just as old and charred, but distinctly non-human. Scattered alongside those are xenos weapons, covered in dirt. Some of the weaponry appears to be in working order, so it is still possible to get some use out of it.
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Entry point 6 of 18
VentThe irresistibly sweet aroma of fruit teases the Rogue Trader's olfactory senses, especially after so many hours spent in the stuffy humidity of the forest. But after locating the source of the aroma, he/she decides against tasting the appetising fruits: several mummified corpses lie under the fruit trees, their withered faces a testament to their agony, their bodies covered in dark wounds resembling the bites of giant leeches.
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Entry point 7 of 18
VentThe trek among the monotonous forest landscapes is becoming dull. The Rogue Trader's weary eyes are ready to close of their own accord when the usual sounds of the forest are interrupted by a blood-curdling scream. The cries are drawing closer and closer, then their source finally appears — a small creature with slick black fur and a long tail. As if mocking the Rogue Trader, it lets out another piercing cry and scurries away, its yellow hind paws winking between the tree branches.
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Entry point 8 of 18
VentThe rich flora of the forest at times staggers the imagination. Among the trees covered in ivy and moss, the Rogue Trader notices a spiralling pattern of small white lumps on one of the tree trunks. Someone has cut the bark, causing the milky sap to flow down the damaged parts of the tree, harden from the heat, and turn into uneven rubbery cocoons.
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Entry point 9 of 18
VentThe sound of rushing water comes from somewhere close by. After a few more steps, the forest parts, revealing a stepped waterfall. The clear currents flow gracefully from one step to the next, carrying peculiar colourful ribbons, which turn out to be living creatures that latch onto the porous surface of rocks with their flexible bodies, snapping at small fish with their eyeless, toothy heads.
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Entry point 10 of 18
VentThe forest hike lasts an entire day. In the golden rays of dusk, the Rogue Trader sees a small hill crowned with an Aquila — a double-headed eagle totem made from the plasteel and rockcrete components of an ancient ship. The foot of the hill provides a much less scenic view, however: the soil is stained brown from all the flesh smeared upon it, contrasted only by the white specks of bone shards mixed into the dried-up bloody mass.
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Entry point 11 of 18
VentPart of the forest is obstructed by a thin grey veil emitting barely audible clicks. The translucent curtain ripples and starts moving in the direction of the Rogue Trader. Upon closer inspection, the veil turns out to be woven from many threads carried by fast-flying bugs. The hive attacks the intruder, then retreats into the foliage, leaving behind burning, itching bites and wisps of shredded web.
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Entry point 12 of 18
VentHours of wandering bring the Rogue Trader to a tall, sprawling tree. Something shiny is stuck in the foliage. Coming closer, the Lord Captain recognises an obsolete heavy void suit model that has been subsumed among the growing branches. A heavily damaged skull bares its teeth from behind the murky glass — at least their death was quick.
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Entry point 13 of 18
VentAfter several hours of traversing the forest, a small mountain blocks the way. Something about the pattern on the stone seems wrong. A few moments later, it becomes clear that there are cogitator parts glinting at the base of the mountain. The machines appear to have grown into the stone itself along with the dirt and grass, with the only proof of their artificial origin being the occasional flashes of lumens powered by some random unknown impulses. A carcass is lying on a flat stone nearby, cut open in sacrifice to an unknown god.
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Entry point 14 of 18
VentThe Rogue Trader has never seen an anthill of such size before. But the most disturbing thing about it is a xenos skeleton tied to the anthill with bonds made from some unknown material. The Drukhari weapon stuck in the corpse is the only detail that can point to the perpetrator. Being eaten by ants is a horrific torture that makes the blade in the back seem like an act of mercy — a most uncharacteristic gesture for this race.
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Entry point 15 of 18
VentThe skies break open, the heavy rain penetrating even the dense canopy of the forest. Luckily, the elements relent before long. As the sun emerges once more, the forest comes alive with the singing of birds accompanied by the quiet sound of falling droplets.
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Entry point 16 of 18
VentThe Rogue Trader requires rest, and he/she soon finds a suitable spot for a camp — a meadow with a few fruit trees. A creature with an elongated body and large blunt claws leisurely descends from one of the trees. Its muzzle is red as if stained with blood, but it turns out to be merely the juices of the fruit from the nearby trees. The fruit has a peculiar taste reminiscent of grox meat baked in sweet and sour sauce.
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Entry point 17 of 18
VentHalfway through the day, the Rogue Trader discovers a new wonder of Quetza Temer's forests — a spacious stretch of land overgrown with reddish-brown grass covered in sickening yellow blisters. No other plant can be seen among the red blades of grass. The answer to this mystery may have something to do with pale spider-like insects crawling on the underside of the blades.
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Entry point 18 of 18
VentIn the shade of the tallest trees in this area of the forest, the Rogue Trader spots mushrooms that come up as high as his/her waist. Strands of sponge-like tissue hang from under their pale lilac caps, almost reaching the ground. As soon as the Rogue Trader approaches one of the mushrooms, the strands draw in, the cap rolls up, and the mushroom spews out a cloud of reddish spores. Perhaps it would be wiser to give this place a wide berth.