Malifixer

“Silence yourself and count your heartbeats lest I end them. I’ll need a vat of bio-waste, some corpse starch, and at lot of rocrete. Oh, and I’ll need you to stop bleeding everywhere, it’s breaking my concentration.”
–Artonias Scopralo, Agent of the Kasballica
The criminal underworld in the Calixis Sector is by
no means forgiving. It is a harsh, cruel existence
punctuated by violence and the fleeting hope of a quick
payoff. Organizations such as the Kasballica and the Beast House make their way on the backs of the poor, unfortunate
individuals that they have collected into their ranks as much
by desperation as by ambition or even simple greed. This is
not to say that those lowly scum who make up the bulk of
such criminal enterprises are not, themselves, enterprising and
opportunistic. Indeed, while many lackeys of the Calixian
underworld are broke-souled underdogs, they are matched by
those who would seek only to better their lot, either through
criminal advancement or by escaping the harsh life to which
they were born. While the most cruel and brutal often rise
through the ranks of their organization through sheer self-serving
strength, others must play a more dangerous game,
relying on their cunning and quick wits. An organization like
the Kasballica or the Beast House is no simple matter. Indeed,
most such organizations treat their membership as life-long,
with no exceptions. A former comrade, once deep in the
secrets and schemes of their enterprise now left out to the
mercy of the wider world is a dangerous loose-end. For this
reason, most who live deep within the criminal underground
must work tirelessly to avoid the watchful eyes of the
Enforcers or Adeptus Arbites. Instead of some protective
agent or organization to shelter them, these lowly scum must
take drastic measures when they falter, if they wish to save
their lives and that of their organization. It is to this end that
many criminal organizations employ a skilled Malifixer.
Malifixers are men and women whose skills are broad, and
their understanding of Imperial Law vast. They watch the
Arbitrators and the Enforcers as closely as their organizations
are watched; often living for years near the Calixian
Precinct Fortresses, just observing. Some of the most talented
Malifixers will even engineer attacks or plant information,
leading investigators to rival criminal groups. The most
skilled Malifixers are never caught, and may live their entire
lives narrowly escaping execution.
The Kasballica makes extensive use of Malifixers, using
them to spy on their own organisation as well as their
enemies. It is not unheard of for a Malifixer to live for years
within a rival group only to turn on them at a vital moment,
or deliver key evidence into the hands of the authorities. Once
positioned securely within an organization, the Malifixer
must simply watch and learn, reporting and interpreting what
he sees to his superiors. Given the consequences should a
Malifixer's true loyalty ever be discovered by his comrades in
crime, only the most dedicated and skilful agents ever survive
for long enough to be of any true use. Those who do survive
become masters at the art of deception and observation, able
to willingly perform any deed their criminal masters demand,
all the while keeping watch on those around them for a key
piece of information.
As they are criminals themselves, Malifixers already
possess abundant resources and connections within the
Calixian underworld. Cultivating these contacts is one of the
key tools in their arsenal, as they serve as an extension of the
Malifixer's ability to make problems go away. These contacts
can prove useful in other ways as well. Mainly, should the
Arbites' eyes and ears be trained on an organisation, these
underworld contacts can prove invaluable.
When a Malifixer is captured, he often spends years
being interrogated, his vast knowledge of the underworld
making him a resource worth a dozen lives. On more than
one occasion, a Malifixer has not been executed, but instead
given a chance to earn "penance" in service of the Inquisition,
turning his skills against those he previously aided and
uncovering secrets so terrible that they threaten his sanity.
=="Taking Care" of Their Own==
While rare in the Calixis Sector, those criminal
syndicates that do exist are extremely professional.
They know that operating beneath the notice of the
Adeptus Arbites' is imperative to their success. The
Kasballica in particular conduct themselves as honest
businessmen and nobility at all times. They operate
their less reputable ventures through middle men,
keeping their hands as clean as possible. It is a common
saying that the Kasballica "Takes Care of Their Own."
While this is certainly a promise to protect and
support each other, it is also a threat. If an operative
draws too much attention to himself, it is far easier
to execute him and let the Enforcers deal with the
body. More than one Kasballica operative has let his
guard down when a Malifixer comes to "take care
of it." Assuming the Malifixer is there to help, this
unacceptable risk finds the barrel of a stub pistol
in the back of his head instead of advice on how to
elude capture.
This is not uncommon for many of the organizations
that make use of Malifixers, they are known for their
ruthless professionalism, and an in-house hit isn't
much of a stretch of their skills.
==Alternate Career Rank==
While many criminals would consider the idea of courting
capture by the Adeptus Arbites insane, those who have a quick
mind and little to lose face a slightly better prospect. No two
Malifixers come to the task from the same path. Some begin
their lives as low level functionaries who discover additional
income or pleasures by taking bribes or offering services.
Others are simply intelligent criminals able to think on their
feet and escape capture. Still others are trained by Malifixers
to follow in their footsteps, providing their valuable service
to a criminal enterprise. Most rarely, are those trained by the
Inquisition to serve the role as a part of an Acolyte cell, their
knowledge of the underworld and fast thinking an asset to
those who must survive for months in the underhive.
Required Careers: Scum
Alternate Rank: Rank 3 or higher (1,000 XP)
Requirements: Peer (Underworld)