Dark Heresy Podcast - The Characters: Dirk Campbell

The final instalment in the series on the characters in our Dark Heresy campaign. Today we have the tale of Dirk Campbell, Arbite, by Simon.

Dirk Campbell
By Simon

Dirk Campbell, Senior Arbitrator from Hive Secondus Epsilon Branch. He grew up in the middle hive, the son of a munitorium worker, surrounded by the workers and labourers who built machines of war for the God-Emperor. He saw the crime that reached out of the lower hive and took a vice-like grip on those around him. He made it his life’s work to stamp down upon it, and inducted himself into the Magistratum at age 18. He was never a hero, only a man trying to keep his home and family safe from crime and corruption. His office was based in the central hive, around the manufactorums and hab blocks for the workers.

The turning point of Dirk’s life was the siege of District 422-A, when a particularly violent gang war broke out between the Tunnel Snakes and the Bad Rad Boys. Together they had taken over a section of the middle hive, before turning on each other as they disagreed on how to use the territory. The warehouses in this area held many tons of high-explosives, intended for creating bombs for the Imperial Navy. The Snakes intended to rig it all to explode, thus taking out a large portion of the hive and killing untold numbers of civilians. They hoped to extort as much money as possible from the hive authorities before making their escape and living like lords. The BRB wanted to steal as much of the explosives stockpile as possible, and sell it on the black market.

The Arbites along with a large contingent of PDF were assigned the duty of retaking the district. When a large scale assault of the area went ahead, Dirk, now aged 32, took the initiative. He managed to take advantage of the gangs' infighting and was instrumental in the capture and execution of the leader of the Tunnel Snakes. This directly lead to the recapture of District 422-A and the failure of the Snakes' plan. In a last act of retaliation, the Snakes managed to set of a bomb in Dirk’s transport killing his wife and child.

Following this tragedy Dirk turned to drink, becoming a shell of a man. He was kicked off the force and for two years became a private detective, working where he could to keep himself. One day a job he took turned out to be from one of the more prominent figures in the Hive, who was being blackmailed. Dirk’s role in recovering the incriminating evidence and maintaining the status of this figure earned him an extra reward. It was a fine, large calibre revolver, given by the gentleman he had served. It had a gold inscription down the side of the very long barrel, and he nicknamed it Nancy.

His services for the noble also rewarded him with a recommendation to rejoin the Arbitrators, on the condition that he stayed sober. Dirk accepted the terms and returned, taking over one of the senior detective positions in the Magistratum. He never returned to the underhive and mainly dealt with major cases in the middle hive. These usually involved more delicate matters which required a well trained eye and sometimes more than a little discretion.

His final role, two weeks before retirement, was to interview a series of convicts heading for the Penal Legion. The second turning point in his life was when he met a young corporal named Conrad Wensleydale. Most of the convicts were clear cut cases, requiring very little thought. But Conrad was different. His demeanour and attitude did not fit with his crimes and Dirk referred his case upward. A few weeks after this incident, an intimidating man entered his office. Inquisitor Orland Thrass informed Dirk that he had arranged for him to join his team and to pack up his things. Dirk's knowledge of the hive and investigative skills were needed.

Retirement would have to wait it seemed, but he could finally enjoy a drink again. He poured himself a glass of Amasec from the bottle he had been saving for the occasion, and mulled over the situation. He took out his old revolver and gave it a clean and an oil, making sure it was ready for some action. Reading the inscription on the barrel, he felt it now made sense to him.

“Only in death does duty end”