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In the depths of the warp, two princes of daemon-kind uplifted and ennobled from human stock, one of the grandfather of plague's teeming brood and the other a prized son of the lord of excess, competed against one another to claim two prizes. A spirit descended from Isha and Kurnous' stock, and the branded head of the wandering dragon, the mist lurker, the truthseeker, Lieren. They flew to confront you, from the citadel they both claimed and held, each racing to beat the other to be the first to cross their blades with you and be the first to draw blood.
But as the corpse flower knight and swan knight both left their shared keep, you knew the departed souls of your friends and companions, the brave souls of heroes of Long-Jia and mankind, slipped through the defenses and walls of their fortress of pitted, rusted iron and mirror polished silver. And as you flew at your two enemies, upon a nimbus of the white wind of the empyrean Hysh, holding within one of your hands the paradox of emotion and rationality forged into a spear and in the other a joyful tear turned to a jade mercy, contained within the protocol taught to you by the long hidden wisdom of the old ones, you considered the most efficient means to distract these anomalously brotherly wicked spirits of two of the six competing discordant courts.
The progeny of Na Gou, lurched up a stairway formed of crawling slime molds and withering rotten spines, donning a heavy armor over their body of bones entangled into creeping vines and roots. The scion of Se Nie, however, flew upon deceptively pristine and fair wings. The Swan knight would reach you first. And that was a obstacle in your plan. They both needed to be near so they both may be caught in a mist of true and honest mercy and innocent joy. Both of which were deadly poison to the black natured spirits of chaos. But that complication was easily resolved.
"Fly, oh cloud of purity" You whisper and urge to the nimbus of light you stand astride upon "Fly and bring me to the shadows who bring gloom and corruption to all they touch"
Upon your command, the white wind beneath your feet sword, shooting through the ever changing skies of the empyrean realm like a bolt of lightning. The swan knight's wing spread and they turned, adjusting their trajectory as you shot past them but out of reach
"See, oh swan of the lakes of debauchery! The panther child seeks their doom by my hand and hammer!" The corpse bloom knight chortles and warbles as you fly closer to them, then with a sudden change of the position of your feet within the nebula of pure light, curved your path over their head and out of reach of their swinging hammer and the groping molds that sprung from its cracks like weeds in a garden
Cont
>>6223003 (OP)"Hah! Oh rival! The great prize merely wishes to excite my blood and insult you, the toad's grandson!" The swan knight laughed, as they pursued you, swift and sure as thunder follows lightning
Scaling the heavens, great bodyless eyes watch your flight as the stairway of bones scales the skies as the bone puppeting flower and the shrike in guise of a swan, race to reach you, one carried by wings and the other by their slipping, decay wetted feet. The sky darkens and great serpents formed of thunder and doom coil and dance, mating and fighting and consuming eachother in a bacchanal of primal treachery as the two princes of daemonkind come within arm's reach of you. The swan knight lunges, their serrated rapier singing as it split the winds and the Corpse flower leaping and swinging their hammer that gurgled and split open to reveal a canker filled maw drooling bile and foulness.
"You've fallen into my trap, and gotten close enough to be blinded and wounded by my merciful sigh" You say softly, ending the Containment Holding the tear formed of joy, and cracking the jade sealing it and casting the positive emotion out as a spray, like practitioner of the Xue hydra style would spit a mist of poison.
The Swan Knight recoils, hissing and clutching their eyes, as their pink, scar covered flesh boils and blisters, as the flower snarls and retreats into their collection of bones, hiding within their original skeleton as their armor of decay blackens and turns to ash. Flipping away and dodging their attacks, the two now blind princes lash out and attempt to continue their pursuit, as you form a string of Qi and killing intent and imagine a bow held in your hand, string it and notching the paradox formed spear like a great arrow as you perform the motions taught to you by the scrap of dead Kurnous' will, and show the two devils exactly "How Kurnous strings his bow"
The spear splinters, as the pure lethal energy of the Aeldari god of the hunter's arrow infuses within it, its fragments glowing gold and silver.
The winds churn, as the warp itself tries to prevent the ethereal bow in your hands from firing.
The chaotic influence in the air, is unable to stop the hunter's intent.
It fires, a lance of light, piercing the swan knight through their polished chest plate and shooting through their heart. A cloud of bloodied feathers burst from their wounds as a sonorous cry of agony and ecstasy escape their lips. Like a living serpent, the broken spear turns, and bores through the armor, fused bones and bundled roots and rips out a strange fruit from the corpse flowers bulb.
The two demon prince falls, as you are haloed by the triumphant dragon in the sky, devouring and slaying all others in their vicious dance.
But, the two princes, while mortally wounded, are not yet bested. They cling to life, in defiance of devoured Kurnous' expert aim and efficient hunting style.
Cont
>>6223004 The breath of their patriarch and matriarch infuses their spiritual bodies, allowing them to cling to life even deprived of their corroded black hearts. And the both of them are quickly rallying, as they plummet from the sky, preparing attacks of their own to retaliate against the piercing of their wicked hearts. Yet, they no longer banter, threaten or tease. Seems they've recognized the risk you pose to them both, now.
How do you meet the two princes counter attack, Lieren?
>By throwing yourself to the wind of Hysh and leading them on a chase through the skies as they bleed out their essence and pride.>Falling upon them with the Night crane style, assaulting them with kicks and finger jabs to disrupt their spiritual forms and scatter them to the winds>They are beings of chaos, order is a greater poison than mercy. Express the machine like qualities of your character, and enhance them with Arianka's moonlight, and assail them with the relentless power of a world freezing blizzard>Seeing their rage and pique clear, fight them hand to hand, and dance around their strikes, aiming to lead them into beating eachother as they try and take your head>write in
>>6223006>Falling upon them with the Night crane style, assaulting them with kicks and finger jabs to disrupt their spiritual forms and scatter them to the winds>They are beings of chaos, order is a greater poison than mercy. Express the machine like qualities of your character, and enhance them with Arianka's moonlight, and assail them with the relentless power of a world freezing blizzardIs it just me or do these look like they fit together perfectly?
>>6223006>Falling upon them with the Night crane style, assaulting them with kicks and finger jabs to disrupt their spiritual forms and scatter them to the windsPunch holes in them bouncing around so we can...
>write inJust as we once inverted the keeper of rust so too shall we now twist and undo these two. By using paradox and containment we will tear out the corruptions and throw them beyond the wards, we will purify them by force by pushing them through a filter of sorts. Which allows only parts of them through
>>6223050Is there even anything left of the original? As I recall, when a chapion of one of the CGs is exalted, the CGs take the soul from the chapion and then mix it with the warp substance so that they are permanently bound to them. It should be impossible to see where one begins and the other ends.
>>6223006>Falling upon them with the Night crane style, assaulting them with kicks and finger jabs to disrupt their spiritual forms and scatter them to the winds>They are beings of chaos, order is a greater poison than mercy. Express the machine like qualities of your character, and enhance them with Arianka's moonlight, and assail them with the relentless power of a world freezing blizzardEh, these really do go together. Freeze them and their attacks and break them to poisoned pieces.
>>6223006>They are beings of chaos, order is a greater poison than mercy. Express the machine like qualities of your character, and enhance them with Arianka's moonlight, and assail them with the relentless power of a world freezing blizzard
>>6223006>write in>Call Kanzeon, our beloved, to our side turning this three way fight into a four way danse macabre. Let her gaze upon their corrupted 'hearts' and judge them as harshly as they had judged her, peeling back their hypocritical natures and mocking them for their weakness and wounds both.
>>6223050>>6223004Supporting; I wanna purify some demons!
Okay, I went and grabbed the write-in that Malal hinted would have purified the Mannoth (thread 24 if you want to check yourselves)
>Like we did with the keeper of rust's weapon we shall cleanse this creature utterly, we have already set up the ying-yang and reversed the energy and Qi flow. Now with its tongue torn out and our fist in it's guts, pour the suitable energies within that we might unmake it for now and always....and maybe get another toy outta it
So, let's set up a yin-yang (circumspectly given that there's two of them trying to kill us), reverse their qi flow, and pour our energies into them in a bid to shear away the corruption empowering them.
>>6223006I'm
>>6223050This guy
>>6223232Summed my idea up better so I'll leave it to Malals interpretation from there! Let's go
>>6223006- [ ] >V: 9
>By throwing yourself to the wind of Hysh: 0>Falling upon them with the Night crane style: 4>They are beings of chaos, order is a greater poison than mercy: 3>Seeing their rage and pique clear: 0>write in: 2>>Just as we once inverted the keeper: 1>>>Like we did with the keeper of rust's: 4>>Call Kanzeon: 1>>6223232Support
>>6223006>>Falling upon them with the Night crane style, assaulting them with kicks and finger jabs to disrupt their spiritual forms and scatter them to the winds
>>6223484>V: 10>By throwing yourself to the wind of Hysh: 0>Falling upon them with the Night crane style: 5>They are beings of chaos, order is a greater poison than mercy: 3>Seeing their rage and pique clear: 0>write in: 2>>Just as we once inverted the keeper: 1>>>Like we did with the keeper of rust's: 4>>Call Kanzeon: 1
>>6223232Support!
This one seems like a proper yin yang fusion with a theme.
We could possibly create a super daemon when the corruption outside combines with each other but we can handle that part.
Two noble knight essences doing a fusion would definitely be a good candidate when it comes to compatibility.
>>6223946If this somehow turns into a fusion then we've seriously fucked up. That said, it's easy to interpret the Swan Knight as yang and the Corpse Knight as yin. Might be that their contrast could empower our impromptu ritual.
>>6223837>V: 11>By throwing yourself to the wind of Hysh: 0>Falling upon them with the Night crane style: 5>They are beings of chaos, order is a greater poison than mercy: 3>Seeing their rage and pique clear: 0>write in: 2>>Just as we once inverted the keeper: 1>>>Like we did with the keeper of rust's: 5>>Call Kanzeon: 1
Calling the vote now. Sorry for the wait
>>6224105Thanks for collecting the vote again, XD, though the Yin yang reversal had 6 by my count
So Lieren will fall upon them with the Night crane style, disrupting their spiritual bodies and and align the energies of Yin and Yang and attempt to reverse the flow of their Qi, while pouring his own in a bid to burn away their corruption
Writing now
Razor edged feathers and a great billow of corpse flesh grey miasma surround the two knight so far fallen as you position yourself directly above an between their fall. The swan knight spreads his wings and launches upwards, kicking off of bare air as he soars while the corpse bloom knight unravels themselves and sends their vines and roots carrying the bones holding their essence clambering up between floating rocks and crystals that bob and weave through the skies above the citadel prison. The perfumed sigh of Se Nie surrounds and soaks into the pink skinned knight, a more beastial form revealing itself as they launch themselves into battle while the rot knight is corroded by the heady groan of Na Gou, as his armor tarnishes and he remakes himself, a hole in the area of his chest as they fall upon you like a landslide of bones and crushing roots.
You clap your hands together and descend, falling like a bolt of lightning as you cross fists with the Swan's saw edged rapier and the slavering maul of the rot knight. They artifacts they wield into battle are potent indeed, as the hammer buckles and rusts the armor covering your astral self while the rapier slices and bleeds your knuckles and threatens to flay the very skin from the arms of your spirit body. However, the injuries you receive are suffered by strikes, blows and thrusts you allowed to land as you stab with fingers and flick kicks into key points of the two knights spiritual forms, striking meridians and reversing the flow of the spiritual energies that compromise their beings. They start to fight more defensively, their blood lust and confidence waning as they feel their selves begin to dissipate and flow apart, as you pin point finger thrusters and heel strikes, the formative strikes and basis of the Night Crane style, begin to seal away their power and scatter their existence. Not a lethal complication in the life of a wicked spirit, but an injury that would take long for them to recover.
So the fight continues, with them bleeding out silver sparkled blood and the black ichor of decay from their chest wounds, as you bleed golden fire and shed silver moonlight as you continue to harry them with finger jabs and kicks, stubbornly persisting in gradually eroding the coherence of their beings. And the banishment of their presence is what they believe your goal to be, and in the austere silence, the two rivals join their power to prevent it.
But they do not realize you are aiming for a far more fatal blow, a final strike to undo them at their foundations. To take the red threads of fate and wash from them the filth of their corruption. And helpfully, the two embody several aspects of Yin and Yang, respectively. The fouler reflections and the results of a grave imbalance in one direction or the other. But Yin and Yang exist in everything
Cont
>>6225171And they do not realize you are gathering, purifying and refining the energies along the tips of your fingers as you draw them through their wounds and stab them through their flesh. The Rot knight's foul ichor and saps, you pull passivity and negative energy from the decayed matter, gathering the Qi that is produced from rotting corpses and purifying it into the Qi of death. From The Swan knight's perfumed oil slick blood, you pull reactive and positive energy from the overflowing life force and enjoyment of life, gathering the Qi that is churned with the hot veins of a young and virile man, and Purifying it into the Qi of Life. Then, dodging and avoid a rapier thrust aimed for your throat, and hopping back to avoid the unfurling of the stone hammer's lashing and flesh hungry tongues, you gather the spiritual energy wasn't tainted in the palm of your hands, and lunge forward, poking two fingers from both of your hands into a key meridian of the Daemon's spiritual forms.
The one positioned over their missing hearts. The swan knight cries out in pain, without the bliss of pleasure clouding their mind, while the rot knight withers and writhes, groaning weakly as they experience agony that is unmuddied by the haze of Na gao's addictive miasmic lies.
You reverse the flow of their internal energies and Qi, causing a great disruption and muddling of their corrupted souls as the feedback loop of their patrons multitude blessings reverses its cycle and widens the seams in their unwholesome existences. You draw from within your heart moonlight, and freeze the essence of death into a rapier of your own, drawing upon the cold faith of the bask knights placed upon Mari and Chivalry to form it into a freezing flame, while the essence of life you fan with the golden flames of your soul and drawing upon the righteous contempt of Yin Lei and the standards he holds himself to, form a single shot rifle formed in the shape of a roaring dragon.
Crossing your arms, you thrust the rapier under the visor of the swan knight's decorative treasure, and press the barrel of the rifle into the screaming jaw of the rot knight's true skull
And send an unceasing current of the Purified Yang of the swan knight flowing down the rot knight's corroded throat, serving as a spiritual accelerant for your golden fire, while you bury and thrust the Purified Yin Bone sprouting flower into the Swan devil's delicate songstress' throat and use its stream to release the freezing enmity of Arianka into their body.
Pouring pure, positive energies free from the corruption of chaos, you replace the Qi you'd drawn out and scattered out of their body with its opposite. Life with death, death with life, Corruption with purity.
Cont
>>6225173"May" You growl, commanding as you shove the rifle through the bramble of the rot knight's body "The rot be denied its flesh and the body denied its intoxication. May the purifying flames cleanse your bones and render them to white ash. May the cleansing moonlight freeze your drugged blood and purge it of the taint within. May the blood and essence of rivals become poison to the corruption of your being, and may flames of the golden sea and ice of the silver moon reach your spiritual cores and undo the ascension that...."
You dare to think you can renounce and steal the gifts I have given, cur?! I shall see you both undone before allowing my prince to be denied their pleasures and titles!
Oh sputtering flame. You think the winter's embrace shields you from grandfather's embrace? My son shall not be cleansed of the toxins I have breathed into him, fire and flame cannot cure, merely burn away. What you dare to attempt...I shall send a plague wind to blacken your eyes!
Grotesquely, the flesh of the two discordant princes warps and lashes out at you, as new mutations turned to weapons and spiritual toxins strike at you, guided by the will and whim of the Effluvial plague toad and the seething spite and sadisms of the princess of luxurious waste and squandered wealth, as you expel and rip out the corruption they had poured into their two knights ages before your time, filling the air with a most putrid energy of the seed of their lord's corrupting lifeblood and breath.
You snarl, shielding your spirit with a fox fur cloak of golden flame and silver armor of the moon maid's ice, linking the two together in emerald chains of love's promise, but your bulwarks and protection would only endure for a moment.
Long enough to accomplish a measure of spiritual subversion and reversal! A chime sounded, from a core of gold shaped like dancing flames frozen in time surrounding a ever rotating gear.
What do you attempt to do to the daemon princes at your mercy, Lieren?
>The discordant lords are correct, you cannot undo their corruption so easily. But, you can force the two knights to swap their allegiances! >You cannot undo all the corruption without risking your own existence or purity, as you did when you ensured Nitya Sinha and Avalokiteśvara would be reborn unshackled by their transgression and atrocity, but you can pull from them what remains of their human soul...>Content yourself to banish the two knights for a thousand years or longer by overloading and exploding their spiritual bodies with Pure Qi >Release them, infecting them with a core of protected pure energies, that may one day wash from them the corruption and evil from their thoughts and hearts.>Write in
>>6225177>You cannot undo all the corruption without risking your own existence or purity, as you did when you ensured Nitya Sinha and Avalokiteśvara would be reborn unshackled by their transgression and atrocity, but you can pull from them what remains of their human soul...
>>6225177>Release them, infecting them with a core of protected pure energies, that may one day wash from them the corruption and evil from their thoughts and hearts.AS a treat malice, you can have a new Daemon Prince.
>>6225177>Pull from them what remains of their souls.
>>6225177>Write inWith will and steel carve upon their hearts thus;
>SlanneshiOnce, a soul of steel and flame,
Now, a beast of lust and shame.
Blood and tears feed flowers’ grin,
A wish to reforge this soul anew.
>NurgleOnce I wore bright armor proud,
Now I wear this miasma shroud.
Wicked mud buries oaths once sworn
A wish to cleanse this life-wrought scorn.
---
Carving stuff on their hearts is brutally effective on demons and has a lasting effect
Then we simply
>Release them, infecting them with a core of protected pure energies, that may one day wash from them the corruption and evil from their thoughts and hearts.
>>6225177>Release them, infecting them with a core of protected pure energies, that may one day wash from them the corruption and evil from their thoughts and hearts.Maybe true purification isn't an option for them, but this sounds like an intriguing way of working around that. At the very least, whatever eventually comes of "infecting" them should be interesting.
(Incidentally, I was hyped the whole way through on this. Using each one's purified essence to complete the other, modestly drawing them both away from chaos, is kino symbolism.)
>>6225387i can not not support this so... Support
>>6225177>You cannot undo all the corruption without risking your own existence or purity, as you did when you ensured Nitya Sinha and Avalokiteśvara would be reborn unshackled by their transgression and atrocity, but you can pull from them what remains of their human soul...These guys don't have hearts to carve on anymore...
>>6225177>V: 6>The discordant lords are correct:>You cannot undo all the corruption without risking your own existence or purity: 3>Content yourself to banish the two knights: >Release them: 5>Write in: 1>> With will and steel carve upon their hearts thus: 3
>>6225177>Release them, infecting them with a core of protected pure energies, that may one day wash from them the corruption and evil from their thoughts and hearts.
Calling the vote now, sorry for the long wait, was busy with irl stuff.
>>6226375thanks for collecting the vote
>>6228225And with this last vote,
Lieren will infect the daemon princes with a core of protected pure energies carven with intent cut via will and steel
Writing now
Purifying them mind and soul, is too great a task for you to accomplish and would be a betrayal of your own ideals to force them down the path of redemption. As vile as they may be, they have reached this corrupted existence through their own choices and self determination, even if they were started on this path through the wiles of the discordant powers. You cannot, shall not ever force another to give up their free will to walk a path of your own choosing. Everyone's journeys through life are their own to make and the thought of compromising another's will so utterly is abhorrent.
But you can encourage and entice as their masters did to them so long ago, and give them a perspective and thought untouched by the pleasant haze of corruption and depravity to view themselves for what they truly are, what they could be if they dared to turn back on their chosen path and seek another. And to do so, you will simply impart a truth that chaos cannot subvert or twist and place it within a protected core of pure energies that their influence cannot touch without destroying their vessel utterly and completely. You will do nothing, but given them a chance, a choice to be better, to renounce their evil villainous ways and seek a form of redemption.
The purity buried in them, may one day cleanse the corruption of their minds and spirits, and wash the evil from their thoughts and wring the sin from their hearts. But only if they choose to embrace better practices and renounce their cruel mindset and replace it with noble and virtuous ideals once more. It will be left up to them, if the seed of potential redemption sprouts in the corroded and bleak soil of their hearts. And if it sprouts, if they blossom and become their better selves, the who they could have been if they had never taken the dark path the walked and been embraced by chaotic winds and became consumed by the doctrines and beliefs of the capering imps of discord.
Using a expression of [Containment] and [Paradox Creation] You implant the truth and the pure Qi into their cores, etching with steel will the reality of their degenerated existence and the tragedy of what they believed to be a triumphant ascension to the realm of deities and divine powers.
The sorrowful tale of the Swan who dirtied their wings and wallowed in mud they imagined to be a pool of pearls and gems, yet whom may yet rise anew pure and truly graceful like a lotus flower from the mire of excess and decadent pursuits, you write a poem describing what your eyes have seen reflected in the celebrants fever glittering in their eyes, what little remains of the knight they had once been, upon a terran kingdom so long forgotten.
Once, a soul of steel and flame
Now, a Beast of Lust and Shame.
Blood and tears feed flowers’ grin,
A wish to reforge this soul anew.
And for the pitiful tragedy of the warrior who hid themselves in the roots of a flower that fed upon the decaying carcasses of great men
Cont
>>6228299Whose nobility and honor had been corroded and perverted by the Toad king's gospel of hopelessness and quiet acceptance of all pains and griefs, who yet may drag themselves from their long state of repose and bitter embrace of the toils and agonies that so ruined them, shrugging off the mildew of stagnant thought and behavior to rise again like a tortoise waking from a long hibernation, you leave a plea to reach out to the one voice crying in whimper, all the was left of the man, the soldier they had been, who numbed themselves to the terror of a war without end, waged upon trench carved fields between borders long erased
Once I wore bright armor proud,
Now I wear this miasma shroud.
Wicked mud buries oaths once sworn
A wish to cleanse this life-wrought scorn.
And that is all you do. You give them out. A path not taken, reopened. And nothing more, but the means to wash themselves of their masters' odorous yokes to pursue something different. A harsh, bitter truth that, if they confront it, and take the insight and wisdom to heart, they may use as a means to regain their freewill and long ago lost humanity
But all you can do is offer them a rope to pull themselves from the mire, and nothing more. To do anything more forceful, would be a step upon a journey to become a tyrant of thought. Something you cannot tolerate yourself to allow.
You release them, before the gifts of their slave masters overwhelm you, allowing the battered and wounded princes to fall and recover from their folly to battle one who carries the knowledge of how to string a bow to fire an arrow that can surely pierce even the hearts of mighty princes of the deranged spirits such as themselves, and take flight away from the spells and sorceries cast by their hands in a last ditch effort to drag you down with them and kill you as they choke on their rival's fetid corruption and the flames and cold that threatened to burn away their "Physical" forms even in the Empyrean.
You fly far from the citadel, to a spire of chimes and waving prayer flags, upon a snow swept peak formed from the bones of a great dragon. And as you meditate and stoke the cleansing gilded flames to burn away the spiritual corruptions of the evil spirits' touch and the brief attentions of two of the six discordant lords, soothing the wounds and degradations you endured with soothing moonlight, you meditate and clean the wraithbone constructs surrounding your mortal vessel, centering yourself and hoping that the knights debauched would one day accept the chance at redemption you offered to them, no matter how distance that day may be in truth.
You companions return, in sorrowful countenance and airs, carrying no wounded or bedraggled spirit, but a pair twisted cherry wood antler scaled with iridescent pink and silver scales and bearing misbegotten, withered fruit.
You bow your head, in bitter acceptance and grief for the noble spirit that had once been, before Michah speaks of their fall.
Cont
>>6228301"Had to put them down chief, they were crazier than a tumble weed" He bleakly recounts "A real shame they turned in their white hat for...well that, they were howling and raving like a loon, calling out to the she serpent themselves. But, they weren't all the way there, they were a step or two away from dancing a jig straight into damnation and....well. We did what had to be done"
"I understand, my friends" You sadly admit, as the spirits of your companions who heeded your call all bow their heads "We were too late. They had already chosen a new master and, as spirit born rather than uplifted, had no humanity or morality left once they had professed their allegiance to their torturer. It is a true shame, to lose something so unique and rare to the wiles of chaos, but they had given into the temptations of the viper that swallowed their father, and thus had become as lost as the spawn that had rent their way from her own withered womb. I am sure the spirit they had been, is grateful you granted them release before their ruined self could be released the do mischief and harm to their mortal cousins"
And one by one, the heroes who had to put down the soul they had sought to rescue, departed one by one to aid their brothers in preserving a scion of a different noble house of spirits, leaving you alone to contemplate the singular piece of the spirit left uncorrupted by Se Nie's sorcerous seductions.
"Will the wardens who ensured your damnation meet a similar fate, I wonder, fallen Hart? or shall they recognize their fallings and seek enlightenment and absolution for their vile deeds and profane triumphs?" You ponder outload "Or have they so embraced the same darkness that consumed you as utterly as it did your late forebearer, that the only end left for them is an utter extinguishing of their existence so befouled? I wonder, if such slaves to darkness can, even when forced to confront their true selves and the real stations they hold in this warring reality, can break their yokes and cast off their shackles"
The antlers untouched by Se Nie's slime do not provide any answers to your musings, as you shake off the withered fruit and stare remorsefully down at the horns, clearly broken off from a skull filled to bursting with sinful and beastly thoughts, before the taint could seep into their roots.
Cont
>>6228303And what do you once you've finished your introspections and have cleansed the wraithbone of the spacehulk, Lieren?
>Craft the antlers into something new, a bow as remembrance to the noble spirit lost to darkness and cut down rightfully>Entrust the antlers to the Aeldari, to do with as they will. They are all that remains of a relative of theirs, that has otherwise been utterly lost to corruption>Plant the antlers somewhere safe, somewhere pure and untouched by the curdling winds of chaos. A garden lit by the white light of Hysh.>Finish clearing the space hulk and entrust the antlers to Carys to do with as is she determines is best as the leader of the Aeldari journeymen.>write in
>>6228304>Entrust the antlers to the Aeldari, to do with as they will. They are all that remains of a relative of theirs, that has otherwise been utterly lost to corruption>Finish clearing the space hulk and entrust the antlers to Carys to do with as is she determines is best as the leader of the Aeldari journeymen.
>>6228304>Entrust the antlers to the Aeldari, to do with as they will. They are all that remains of a relative of theirs, that has otherwise been utterly lost to corruptionCarys isn't a wrong choice, it just seems more appropriate to send it to the eldar as a whole rather than a faction thereof.
>>6228304>Entrust the antlers to the Aeldari, to do with as they will. They are all that remains of a relative of theirs, that has otherwise been utterly lost to corruption
>>6228304>Finish clearing the space hulk and entrust the antlers to Carys to do with as is she determines is best as the leader of the Aeldari journeymenAlso give her the spirit stones to take back to the craftworld, they would have witnessed our fight as well as our ploy to try and save the spirit. We have to further assist our sons.
>>6228304>>Entrust the antlers to the Aeldari, to do with as they will. They are all that remains of a relative of theirs, that has otherwise been utterly lost to corruption
>>6228304>Finish clearing the space hulk and entrust the antlers to Carys to do with as is she determines is best as the leader of the Aeldari journeymen.
>>6228304>Entrust the antlers to the Aeldari, to do with as they will. They are all that remains of a relative of theirs, that has otherwise been utterly lost to corruption
>>6228304>Entrust the antlers to the Aeldari, to do with as they will. They are all that remains of a relative of theirs, that has otherwise been utterly lost to corruption
>>6228304>V: 8>Craft the antlers into something new: 0>Entrust the antlers to the Aeldari: 6>Plant the antlers somewhere safe: 0>Finish clearing the space hulk and entrust the antlers to Carys: 3>write in: 0
Well that sucked. Anyways, Calling the vote now. Sorry for the extremely long wait even though it (probably) wasn't my fault this time or caused by my machines being unreliable.
>>6228924Thank your for collecting the vote, XD. pretty obvious winner here to have Lieren entrust the antlers to the aeldari once he and his boys have finished clearing the space hulk
writing now
>>6229633Glad we're still in business! Might be a warning sign though and maybe we should have a twitter just in case things drop? Just so in future IF we have to migrate we can?
Oooh maybe an Eldrad cut away?
They would be returned to the possession of their mortal relatives, you decided after long ruminationst upon all that remained of the original spirit untainted by the stench of chaos. You'd turn over the horns to the noble and sagacious Eldrad Ulthran of the proud craftworld of Ulthwe. Carys and her flocks would be trusted with guarding the reliquary the remains would be intered within during the transportation of the antlers to the craftworld, and would be allowed to mourn in their own way or meditate upon the horns for their own spiritual satisfaction and well being. You gripped the slightly scaled antlers tightly in your hands, and as the spirits of your lost friends marched to aid their fellows in defending Arianka's daughter from the unwanted advances and courting of the daemon spawn groom seeking her hand without her consent or willingness. You were sure they would succeed in their endeavor
"Father" Rafail Taphos greets you as you reunite spirit with flesh and end your meditations and the astral journey. He is kneeling before you, a hand upon your shoulder and a look of concern in his posture and tilt of his head. You sense immediately the source of his worry, as the stench of copper washes down your throat, chased by burning bile "Are you well?"
The other two honor guard are on guard, bolters raised as the disgusting decorations of Se Nie's children are smoothed and sanded away, the weeping of the wraith stone stopping as the song you can hear turns into a dirge, the few spirit stones you could save from the vessel glowing and sparkling in resonance with the lingering emotional energy whispering through the aeldari craft and the spiritual aura and energies of the antlers
"The process was trying" You answer, truthfully "I reached a snag in purifying the wraithbone. The turmoil and fear felt by the crew here, was deeply soaked into the psionically active material. But, with my expertise and power, I was able to scrub away the lingering attachments and mortal detritus that produced the thoughtform dopplegangers and emotional predators that haunted this area of the hulk, along with the amblitory remains of the bodies of the crew"
"I could have assisted you" Rafail says, bitterly, as a son would when seeing his father injured in gathering firewood or returning from war scarred and wounded "With two the cleansing of these xeno-bone material and artifacts could have..."
"You are one my best psykers, a student who has absorbed and cultivated the wisdom of his teachers and surpassed all except the dead" You answer, referencing guozhi as you hold out a hand, and allow your son who regrets not being able to lend his own psionic might to aid in the endeavor "But, while your filial piety is praise worthy, you would've endangered far greater risk than I ever would have on this endeavor. It was trying and difficult for ME, who is only surpassed in psykerist ability by perhaps three other men..."
He understood immediately and bowed his head
Cont
>>6229657Cont
"I understand, but it...I felt helpless seeing you spasm and tremor. I would've given my life to take even a fraction of the burden. It is...my desire is not borne of pride" He answers and you understand it as a question
"It was not, you knew the risks, and obeyed my command. I am proud of the self control and discipline you've displayed, my son, to watch me be agonized and not to ignore the orders given to do something as reckless as dabble with what you do not yet understand" You answer "You guarded me, and succeeded, that is enough. A worthy action of my honor guard"
"Can you stand, Pater?" One of the other two guard asks solemnly
"I've experienced worse psionic and emotional backlash than this" You answer with a hearty laugh, as the three notice the antlers in your hand, saying nothing though their surprise is clear
"It is a manifested artifact, hidden inside the collective psyche of the remains of the Aeldari crew, whose consciousness I had to settle" You lie "It is to be returned to the factions of that species that are friendly and open to conversation with us. It is nothing to cause concern"
A sting of guilt wires itself through your heart, like a hornet's barb, as you see your three loyal and trusting sons accept the deceit as they would any truth spoken to them. But, revealing the reality of the warp and chaos was not necessary, even though they had cut down several wicked spirits personally. You'd gotten away with breaking the oath to your father, only in times of utmost necessity. When you had time, you'd discuss with the intermediary Malcador left to oversee the Void School upon Shangrala for the time before he could take control of the overseers of the Nameless directly.
The rest of the space hulk was remarkably, and thankfully clear of daemonic presence, activity and corruption. Nikephoros lead your sons expertly, though there was no resistance or hostile threats as heavy as the Daemonettes and chimeric fleshwarps upon your landing sites. They had encountered a tribe of orks, but had lead them to a unstable portion of the hulk and detonated it, sending the whole force of the fungoids into the vacuum before you could confront them directly, and there were a number of other xenos beasts and a few robotic hulks that you brought down that could've easily wounded or slain one of your astartes.
Most mysteriously, the unidentified alien craft rippling blue...entirely vanished from the hulk of melded star ships at somepoint as you lead your landing party in scouring the ship for artifact and delicate technologies that would be damaged in the demolitions prior to the recycling of the ship. And none of your sons or even Kanzeon's sensors can explain how it simply vanished from the local space and reality as a whole, seemingly.
Cont
>>6229658The patchwork of alien craft is most easily taken apart, but the human craft forming the "bridge" of the hulk, requires more expertly placed explosive charges to seperate. And before you break it apart, you collect the bodies of the dead. Human and near human skeletons, abhumans or perhaps aliens like the Aeldari, who served upon the ancient human crafts together. You hoped to find a specimen of the Mathoth, but were unable to find any remains of them upon the oldest of the human craft, regrettably. And the wraith bone is easily disassembled with the tricks you'd been taught by the former bonesingers amongst Carys' followers
And once the work of days of breaking apart and seperating the spacehulk has been completed, it takes no time at all for Kanzeon to "Consume" the remains of the other, lesser vessels and Recycle them completely into base materials she'll refine and share with her sisters or else use to construct and replicate the technologies she deemed suitable to introduce to Shangrala and humanity at large.
Most interestingly, she has apparently consumed enough wraithbone to be able to produce it alongside the curious gold and silver star metal that makes up the bulk of her hull and internal structures. And has been able to make her avatars display and make use of overt Psykerist abilities, which she is almost girlishly excited about, despite her oft and outspoken disdain of the wider Aeldari people. Though so far, she's primarily made use of these abilities to playfully pull on your hair or brush your cheeks with a spirit hand as she amuses herself experimenting with alloying starmetal and wraithbone together.
Now that the spacehulk has been removed as a threat and recycled, what is your next immediate course of action, Lieren?
>Deliver the antlers of the spirit to Ulthwe personally, alongside Carys.>Make haste and join in the on going fight to safe the exploration vessel and Alf'harim merchant vessel, that are being sheltered by several ships fending off what turned out to be a small fleet of agressors.>Assist Jinhai's efforts to act as a conciliator and wrangle the primitive human tribes upon a nearby would into an era of peace. apparently one offical has already been burned alive by one of the more...confrontational tribes >...Rafail Taphos is one of the most brilliant psykers of your genetic lineage. Surely, if you could show he was resistant to chaos, your father would reconsider keeping at least the psykers of his spacemarines in the dark...surely>Write in >>6229656I have a few cutaways planned actually
>>6229659>Deliver the antlers of the spirit to Ulthwe personally, alongside Carys.and something to do on the way
>...Rafail Taphos is one of the most brilliant psykers of your genetic lineage. Surely, if you could show he was resistant to chaos, your father would reconsider keeping at least the psykers of his spacemarines in the dark...surely
>>6229659>Make haste and join in the on going fight to safe the exploration vessel and Alf'harim merchant vessel, that are being sheltered by several ships fending off what turned out to be a small fleet of aggressors.Time to fight beside our sons right and true
>Write inGive the Antlers too Carys to deliver to Ulthwe alongside the Spirit Stones we did rescue to back up the story of what happened.
While we are in transit too the Battlesite we must commune and deliver an idea to Malcador or our Father an idea for the Space marines.
While we travel however we will begin to instruct our sons on the Concept of memetic hazards! We cannot tell them about daemons but we can tell them of things that fuck with physics and normal understanding especially our Psyker Sons.
My idea is something like the following:
"My Sons you are all aware from the existence of the shields which protect vessels in the warp and the navigators that that realm is a strange and twisting place, a shall reveal too you now something very few put time to understanding or simply offer you a sealed black box. Memetic hazards, just as the Pysker can bend reality, do things that the laws of the universe do not allow through channelling the warp that corrupting influence can wear away at you or reality. yet their threat comes from an unfamiliar vector for instead the danger comes in the form of an idea or a contaminated thought, as you twist the world with your gifts the warp will try to twist you... the force that does this twisting are ideas, concepts and emotions all roiling from that ill understood place.
Some are so dangerous even knowledge of them is a hazard, a contagion. You will encounter things you do not understand for the Galaxy is a wide and varied garden, should such things come from the warp you need simply steel yourselves and combat an 'idea'. Sometimes not letting anyone know of it...is how it dies strangled of life. SO yes my sons i know some things but i carry them like a plague, i will not reveal them lest the affliction they bring also harm you. For that is the Duty of a Father to his Sons!"
>>6229659>Deliver the antlers of the spirit to Ulthwe personally, alongside Carys.
>>6229658>a few robotic hulks that you brought down that could've easily wounded or slain one of your astartesSo it was a pre-Revolt ship. No mention of a ship AI though, hopefully it didn't somehow escape.
>>6229659>Make haste and join in the on going fight to safe the exploration vessel and Alf'harim merchant vessel, that are being sheltered by several ships fending off what turned out to be a small fleet of agressors.Wonder if it's corsairs.
>>6229659>Deliver the antlers of the spirit to Ulthwe personally, alongside Carys.>Make haste and join in the on going fight to safe the exploration vessel and Alf'harim merchant vessel, that are being sheltered by several ships fending off what turned out to be a small fleet of agressors.
>>6229659>make haste to the fight>Maybe if we show Rafaul is resistant>I also support teaching the wider legion about cognitive hazards as a form of priming. >>6229678
>Deliver the antlers of the spirit to Ulthwe personally, alongside Carys.
>Make haste and join in the on going fight to safe the exploration vessel and Alf'harim merchant vessel, that are being sheltered by several ships fending off what turned out to be a small fleet of agressors.
>>6229678Supporting the write in. Memetics are not forbidden to be taught right?
>>6229678>SupportIt's a good idea to run it by Big E and Uncle Mal first, get their help in fine-tuning the idea
>>6229659>>Make haste and join in the on going fight to safe the exploration vessel and Alf'harim merchant vessel, that are being sheltered by several ships fending off what turned out to be a small fleet of agressors.
>>6229678We could maybe develop some manner of gland that when exposed to warp shittery releases a pre-recorded message that info dumps an Astartes as to the issues; Supporting!
>>6229659>Make haste and join in the on going fight to safe the exploration vessel and Alf'harim merchant vessel, that are being sheltered by several ships fending off what turned out to be a small fleet of agressors.I feel like the major incidents are going to degrade the more we ignore them. The antlers and Rafail presumably aren't going anywhere, the choice is really between saving the ships and reconciling the tribal world.
also lmao, there were literally articles speculating that 4chan was permanently dead.
>>6229659>V: 12>Deliver the antlers of the spirit to Ulthwe personally: 4>Make haste and join in the on going fight to safe the exploration vessel and Alf'harim merchant vessel: 10>Assist Jinhai's efforts to act as a conciliator and wrangle the primitive human tribes upon a nearby would into an era of peace:>...Rafail Taphos is one of the most brilliant psykers of your genetic lineage: 2>Write in: 1>>Good Write in: 5
Given our wife is growing wraith bone and Carys is going on mission she'll likely bring a bodyguard group! We might see our first Aeldari Journeymen aspect warriors!
>>6229678Support for the write in btw. We shall be the Emperors Witchhunters or Exorcists! Anti warp legion!
>>6231285>V: 13>Deliver the antlers of the spirit to Ulthwe personally: 4>Make haste and join in the on going fight to safe the exploration vessel and Alf'harim merchant vessel: 11>Assist Jinhai's efforts to act as a conciliator and wrangle the primitive human tribes upon a nearby would into an era of peace:>...Rafail Taphos is one of the most brilliant psykers of your genetic lineage: 2>Write in: 1>>Good Write in: 6
Calling the vote now. Sorry for the long wait, but I haven't been feeling well. there's no AC in my house at the moment and I can't stand the heat of the day.
>>6231854Very much appreciate the assist this time around XD
So Lieren will make haste to the on going space battle, but on the way warn his sons of the dangers of memetic hazards, without revealing the truth of chaos, in case they encounter the foul denizens of the emperyean without him present to ward/ shield their eyes, and approach Malcador or Big E with a suggestion to make such warnings standard
writing now
Carys is summoned, along with her most loyal and adept followers, to meet with Kanzeon mid-flight as she travels back towards the heart of Shangralan controlled space, to take possession and responsibility of the antlers of the lost child of isha and kurnous, to travel to Ulthwe to entrust them to the sagacious possession of Eldrad Ulthran. Alongside of course the scarce few spirit stones that were able to be saved and prevented from being consumed by the degenerate spirit or the natural born revelers of Se Nie. However, as you depart from the site of the space hulk, before you've even left the range of the observation post, a revelation strikes you.
Your sons, noble, true, indomitable, were able to resist the illusions and wiles of the beasts called daemonettes, partially because you had put a spiritual veil over their proud eyes prior to entering the accursed grotto of wheeping wraithbone they'd taken as their den. You will not always be around to offer such protections and wars from the depredations of the warp, and even if you train the psykerists of your sons to perform lesser imitations of the protective rites and protection spells, they would be less effective than the veil you cast, due in part of course by their lesser reserves of psionic and spiritual power, but also more so due to the enforced ignorance of the true nature of the warp and the "thoughtforms" they did battle with. And you would not so easily break your father's trust in your word again, however there is a way to make certain your astartes, even if they encounter wicked spirits on a battlefield far from where yourself fight or a separated across the crusade to come's many fronts, that could lend them at least some measure of protection, some resistance born of suspicion greater than what little is born from true disbelief as your sire believes will be an effective form of dampening the great powers of discords influence upon the material realm.
So you gather all of your sons and all of their terran attached forces and the others expected to fight alongside them in the most dangerous of battlefields of the emperor of mankind's descendent crusade. It had take long discussion with both Kanzeon, her sisters, and Farseer Carys to figure out the exact wording of the warning and the shape of the threat you would hammer into your gene-sons minds to give them a shield to wield, however fragile and thin, against the one true enemy of all of mankind. Of all of existence truly
"My Sons you are all aware from the existence of the shields which protect vessels in the warp and the navigators that that realm is a strange and twisting place," You begin your lecture, swirling a cup of dragon spit liquor turned pearlescent with citrus oils and a few cubes of ice, using it more as a demonstrative assistant than a beverage
Cont
>>6232271they, your space marines and all who fight alongside them listen with rapt, verging on zealous, attention, their eyes a blaze with both curiosity and fervor as they hang on your everyword as you walk amongst them, pausing the offer the drink in your hand to the more highly ranked or decorated amongst them
"I shall reveal too you now something very few put time to understanding or simply offer you a sealed black box" You continue, and though you command the attention of all your Astartes and the trainees and novices they are teaching to become their next generation of battle brothers, those woulds demand their utter compliance and complete focus on hearing your words, such as not to misconstrue or mistake their meaning for anything but what you intend to teach them. They had learned their lesson from their bickering over the lessons and wisdoms of the Journey, it was clear to see
"Memetic hazards" You used the term Kanzeon and her sisters had suggested "just as the Pysker can bend reality, do things that the laws of the universe do not allow through channeling the warp, that corrupting influence can wear away at you or reality"
Your son's gazes were stony, all of them asking, through expression, posture or the revealed contents of their hearts' furthermost reaches, to be told the danger of this influence and its source, and it pained you to be unable to reveal the whole truth to them, but you had sworn a promise and knew why telling them the reality of Chaos would do more than just endanger their very souls...
Your twirl the glass, gazing upon your reflection in the whorls and waves of spirits, oils and water, shining incandescently in the bright emerald light bathing, telling you of Kanzeon's utter trust and calm in this very moment.
"Yet their threat comes from an unfamiliar vector for instead the danger comes in the form of an idea or a contaminated thought" You explain, not lying but not telling the truth of the matter, but giving a warning that would allow them to resist or notice the lure and wiles of an invisible enemy, all of them stood still as stone sentinel and listened with every fiber of their beings and complete and total focus " as you twist the world with your gifts the warp will try to twist you... the force that does this twisting are ideas, concepts and emotions all roiling from that ill understood place."
The psykerist amongst your sons bow their head, understanding that they are at greater risk due to the power of their thoughts, even if the truth of why their gift endangers them so is not revealed to them. It is simply logical, that one with such great mental powers and the ability to channel their spirit and the winds of the warp, would be at greater risk to the infectious ideas of a memetic hazard. A lie that is not entirely a lie.
Cont
>>6232272"Some are so dangerous even knowledge of them is a hazard, a contagion." And this to, is true, there exist tombs of eldritch knowledge so dark it could turn a righteous minded hero into the worst blackguard to haunt the night, from a mere glimpse, a stanza of poetry that could turn a pacifist into a slavering war monger, or a painting that could drive chaste monks to act as the inhuman princes of the yan dynasty!
"you will encounter things you do not understand for the Galaxy is a wide and varied garden, should such things come from the warp you need simply steel yourselves and combat an 'idea'" You instruct, focusing your gaze upon Rafail in particular, being the most adept of your psykerist sons, and the greatest prize for any spirit seeking to taunt and humiliate you by subverting one of your own valorous sons to the disjointed path of chaos
"Sometimes not letting anyone know of it...is how it dies strangled of life" You whisper, brushing a hand across his rugged, sun tanned cheek, tracing your knuckles over the web of scars and chemical burns disfiguring his handsome face before turning away, and handing your glass to Kanzeon, who recoils as the fumes rising from the alcohol assault her "avatar's senses
"SO yes my sons i know some things but i carry them like a plague" Your voice rises like a storm's surge, like a bask preacher's gospel as you stand before them, and pound your chest with a grimace of a flaggant as you emphasize the dark mysteries, black wisdoms and unthinkable insights you've come to contain, which is an utter truth, as a few words of what discordant realties you've seen could allow, with assistance of the thrice dammed brand upon your brow, release the winds of chaos upon a world stilled from their touch, I will not reveal them lest the affliction they bring also harm you. For that is the Duty of a Father to his Sons!"
And with that, a cheer rises through the crowd as the overwhelming trust and adoration your sons feel for you rises up and nearly crashes you over as Kanzeon watches and the non astartes present look most perturbed by what little they understood of your lecture and the warning it contained. Of course, they will have many questions and you will present the strongest willed amongst them with actual examples of memetic hazards they can survive, not chaotic in nature of course, but a dangerous thing none the less to teach them what signs and sensations to be on the guard for within themselves and their own battlebrothers...
but after peddling more lies and half truths and forcing your sons to face down such dangers that could ruin lesser men, comes truest challenge of this path.
Convincing your father and Malcador to let this lecture become common place. Which will not be easy, knowing their well placed hesitation and caution to reveal any more about chaos than is ultimately necessary...
Cont
>>6232274And how do you approach your father and his companion with the suggestion, Lieren?
>By remarking about your brand and its thinning effect on the boundary between the materium and the warp, that your sons, at least will need to be given some training to resist the warp>By pointing out that there exist non chaos aligned memetic hazards and mental threats, and that the teaching to be wary, on guard for them, wouldn't raise the risk of an astartes falling to chaos.>Suggest the memetic hazard explanation could be given to those marines who risk encountering chaos, to blind them of the possibility of it being an intelligent malevolent force>Beg them to give you a chance to prove, like the nameless, your space marines can similarly be trained to resist chaos' pull>Write in
>>6232276>By pointing out that there exist non chaos aligned memetic hazards and mental threats, and that the teaching to be wary, on guard for them, wouldn't raise the risk of an astartes falling to chaos.>Suggest the memetic hazard explanation could be given to those marines who risk encountering chaos, to blind them of the possibility of it being an intelligent malevolent forceA combination of these 2, I reckon
>>6232276>>By remarking about your brand and its thinning effect on the boundary between the materium and the warp, that your sons, at least will need to be given some training to resist the warp
>>6232276Present to him to following points...
1) our own brand means a thinning of the view and that we are a target for the Great Enemy, but by extension those same enemies will specifically target their efforts
2) Due to the Our Wife and extended family plus or legions soon to be formed expertise of Holding and rapid armoured assaults we will be likely also fall into space combat actions and thus far more warp jumps
3) Observations from how the nameless resist chaos this memetic lecture could also plug some holes in the Imperial Truth acumen and provide a balance within it to the Journeys own teachings.
4) As the Crusade goes on he will have less of an eye on the spreading fleets. Questions will arise and your sons will need a unified line to feed those whom witness things, we cant keep killing everyone whom knows
Address him and Malcador as such; "We know these threats will be on the rise, we know the enemy will make moves. While the Imperial Truth answers what may appear with denial of ones own senses and the Journey offers mental clarity. This Memetic answer will provide an answer to those whom will always dig for more. Not only that it provides a...reason for if some souls are exposed to specific things an understanding will be present for when those "infected by memetics" are remove from duty.
--
Best of all we're not lying, we've just not revealed the hand behind the memetic forces, we can reveal if needs be far down the line
>>6232276>By pointing out that there exist non chaos aligned memetic hazards and mental threats, and that the teaching to be wary, on guard for them, wouldn't raise the risk of an astartes falling to chaos.
>>6232276>By remarking about your brand and its thinning effect on the boundary between the materium and the warp, that your sons, at least will need to be given some training to resist the warp
>>6232276>>By remarking about your brand and its thinning effect on the boundary between the materium and the warp, that your sons, at least will need to be given some training to resist the warp>By pointing out that there exist non chaos aligned memetic hazards and mental threats, and that the teaching to be wary, on guard for them, wouldn't raise the risk of an astartes falling to chaos.
>>6232364good point
>>6232276>By remarking about your brand and its thinning effect on the boundary between the materium and the warp, that your sons, at least will need to be given some training to resist the warp>By pointing out that there exist non chaos aligned memetic hazards and mental threats, and that the teaching to be wary, on guard for them, wouldn't raise the risk of an astartes falling to chaos.>Suggest the memetic hazard explanation could be given to those marines who risk encountering chaos, to blind them of the possibility of it being an intelligent malevolent force
>>6232276>V: 6>By remarking about your brand and its thinning effect on the boundary between the materium and the warp: 6>By pointing out that there exist non chaos aligned memetic hazards and mental threats: 2>Suggest the memetic hazard explanation: 2>Beg them to give you a chance to prove:>Write in: 0
So i have a proposal for the legions colour scheme; Golden Eyes (naturally), then Very dull earthy humble tones with bronze Highlighting. I think it all contrasts well! Then i just added the sect arms because hey why not?
>>6233684I like the white and gold that our sons are using now but your suggestion gives us a more striking resemblance. It both gives us a more down to earth look and doesn't look as dirty after a fight compared to the white one.
>>6233684Nice. Also more practical on the battlefield, less likely to be shot with that kinda colors.
Also, what's your lore for those different chapters? If those are different chapters of course.
>>6233715Those are the factions that formed within the second legion, dude. All of them obsess over a specific aspect of the Journey because it's easier than following the Journey properly.
Calling the vote now, sorry for the wait just having trouble with the heat and so are my machines.
>>6233231Thanks for counting again, XD, So Lieren will use the brand and its curse, the existence of non chaotic mental influences/ memetic hazards and suggest to use their existence to explain away chaos to prevent the dangerous recognition of it from spreading through any of his marines that may encounter it.
Writing now
>>6233684Excellent. I like the color scheme, different from the usual white jade + gold scheme anons go for but I really like them both as they do both feel fitting for the legion/ Lieren. And for the sect signifiers, I think I like your concept of the Legion of All the most, though king hunters take a close second. I think the camo and stripes just draw my eyes more.
"You seek an audience with your father" Malcador greets you as you walk the golden path, having found the safest route to the master of Terra's spiritual sanctuary by following the calmest of the warp eddies in the boundless sea of souls, and wading through them towards the mental fortress your father had built around his heart
"Am I so obvious, dear Malcador?" You ask, bowing with cupped fist, smiling as you tipped the straw hat you wore and lifted it, holding it by your side, white and black jade beads clinking together as the robed spirit of your father's closest and dearest friend and advisor moved floated from the golden citadel, appearing half a wraith
"Why else would you approach so urgently, you aren't one to appear for petty causes or to come knocking to share gossip. Unless, you've somehow sired off spring" Malcador says with a light lilt to his voice, good humor swirling around him in sparkling lights and glowing petals "I imagine, it has to do with our shared enemy"
"The enemy of all mankind, yes. Specifically the threat they pose to my astartes, and their cousins" You answer, setting your straw hat adrift on the winds of hysh, the white light swirling around you like a protective hound, refusing to allow Malcador to close the distance between you and him so completely
"An oath as important as the one you swore, cannot be breeched except in times of true necessity" He answers
"I am aware, however We know these threats will be on the rise. We know the enemy will make moves" You continue and Malcador shuts his eyes
"The nameless can be trusted to safeguard humanity as it reunites" He answers "I've judged them worthy, but there is no reason to risk allowing astartes to join the organization. As you know, I've written procedures for purging cells of the chaos hunters, should they fall or be exposed overtly to the energies of the warp parasites"
"Yes, but that is not what I've come to suggest, uncle' You say, the word uncle catching Malcador like a slap to the cheek, as he recoils as if struck and lowers his mental defenses for a moment from shock "This accursed brand of mine, the bounty mark of our primordial enemy, will weaken the veil between the world of men and that of spirits. I am ever the quarry of chaos and thus so are my armies, so are my sons"
"We..I, trust you to teach your sons to shield themselves from the warp" He answer with a sagely nod
"And I've already put in place safe guards, but they will not be the only ones who will need to be trained to resist the warp and its energies" You explain
"What have you done?" The sigillate answers, measuredly
"Simply warned them of dangers of the mind, memetic hazards, corrupting thoughts and parasitic ideas. Nothing that goes against your and father's imperial truth" You answer "I will teach them how to combat ideas, and to further steel and shield their minds"
Cont
>>6234312"Memetic Hazards...a term I haven't heard in ages. This approach could be a double sided sword, however" He muses as the two of you sit by a river bed, the foaming stream filled with the faces of long dead musicians and poets, their art burbling through the water of history, as Malcador skipped a golden coin, a grinning skull appearing on both of its sides "They might leave themselves open to corruption, underestimating the powers of the great enemy that they do not and cannot know"
"But they will have a better chance to resist, if they practice with those hazards, mental threats and thoughtforms not born from chaotic influence" You argue, and Malcador nods along
"You've gathered examples of such hazardous psionic materials?" He asks
"Of course, already the astartes under my direct command are undergoing exposure training with the the least of the mental toxins I've deemed suitable for their training" You answer "I shall teach them to be wary, and on guard for such dangers, and this practice doesn't not risk my sons falling to the discordant symphonies of the beings that call themselves gods"
"Such methods have proven effective before, the void school may employ them in the lower levels of the nameless, to increase the likely hood of initiates remaining viable and raise the overall percentage of successful applicants to the cause" Malcador says, pride showing clearly on his back as he lifts up another coin and turns it "Though, I wonder, if they stumble upon true chaos..."
"I shall tell them it is simply an unusually virulent form of memetic hazard" You answer immediately "And willingly blind them of the true shape of the nightmare they encountered, should they ever chance upon..."
"Some of them have already slain daemons" Malcador says
"I checked every astarte who encounter Se Nie's brood, and found no sign of corruption. I shielded their eyes, and safe guarded their minds" You explain
"And they will surely encounter more, considering you cannot help but stick your nose where it doesn't belong, second" He harsly reprimands "What you were doing in the crystal labyrinth..."
"Was necessary" You defend yourself
"Was unnecessarily reckless!" Malcador reprimands, smacking your across the cheek "you ran into the dark and emerged with a wild wind of sorcery roaring behind you. You must stop seeking chaos, your contempt for it and all its works are commendable, but you"
"Court death?" You offer
"Provoke responses and endanger others by challenging the powers so directly and openly" He says, wincing as your words remind him of a distant memory "Your mark might attract chaos to you, but they often do not need to search, Lieren"
"It is my nature to strike my enemies with all my wroth and enmity" You answer "But, can I trust you to support my training of my space marines"
Cont
>>6234313"I cannot fault you for your zeal. You at least, will never fall to become a puppet of chaos. We will test if your method is effective" He answers "Before introducing it to the indoctrination of the other legions, and you understand what will be asked of you...demanded of you if your sons do fall under the sway of chaos, whether through this practice or sheer misfortune"
"The explanation of memetic hazards, will also provide solace and a reasonable explanation for those who must be removed from duty or tragically cannot be cured after becoming infected with the worse strains of mental contagion" You answer solemnly "Just as it will fall to my hand to execute any xenos race I offer friendship that turns upon humanity and threatens mankind. Just as it will be my responsibility to purge the Nameless spirit hunters, from root to stem, should they be overcome by the corruption of their quarries. I know my purpose, uncle. Before anything else, we primarchs were designed as weapons, even if we've become so much more. Even if we've become men"
"Hopefully such drastic measures will not be required. Astares are foremost designed and trained for loyalty" Malcador says grimly "But I suppose, the journey will be tested, as will the imperial truth"
"Yes. Though, I've not witnessed the rational disbelief you and father instruct work as some of the most zealous adherents of the journey's self mastery has allowed them to resist the lure of chaos" You hum
"There have been cases, few and far between, but your planet had the extreme misfortunes of being a play ground for the wretches" Malcador sighs "Luckily, the activities of the thralls and cultists drove many of your subordinants to adopt similar antipathy towards the great enemy as you yourself possess... I will provide some memetic hazards and living ideas for you to use as teaching material, second, to show that I support your efforts more than just agreeing to explain your reasons to your father, though I doubt he will find any fault with your or my reasonings"
"Armor of contempt may not be by passed by a ginger touch any more than it could be pierced by a coiling blade. A shield hammered from disgust may not be cloven by brute force nor pulled away by tender hands. A sword of hatred is not easily broken, nor is it a simple task to bring it to sheathe" You answer with a nod "Elazar has proven that aversion is an effective tonic, even if an overabundance of abhorrence could turn that medicine to a toxin as virulent as the one it is intended to treat"
"Thus is one concern I have for the five schools the sixth I command oversee. Malal flourish upon such hate, as you are no doubt aware, and there is that trouble of the mysterious "Witch hunter's patron" the Knight Elazar was briefly influenced by" He says, staring off into the distance
Cont
>>6234314"And, this is my own curiosity, Lieren. I mentioned your latest adventure, something that your father looks upon with both pride and concern. But what exactly were you doing in the realm of the changer of ways? You never do anything without a reason, no do anything in anyway but what you deem the most efficient and effective means. And there is still the matter of Arianka and her ilk, that needs to be discussed, when your father is not occupied by other matters. Though presently, they have not presented an overt threat to our aims"
"That is good news" You say jovially "But, concerning my travels into the labyrinth..."
What do you tell Malcador, Lieren?
>"I was escorting a lost soul, it was just an act of benevolence that got out of hand. More or less">"My teacher's next life was at risk, so I escorted him through the realm of Jian Qi">"Hysh is a fire that can heal. I sought to learn how to create with the blaze of my soul, and succeeded by find the cleansing flame"> "You are aware Magnus was never fooled by your lies, yes? He was there as well...">Write in
>>6234315>You know Magnus was never fooled by your liesAVOIDING PERHAPS WHY THAT IS
>My teachers next life was in danger>Thus I bid him.be reborn on another world, to spread prosperity in the preparation for our coming. Perhaps uncle you could trace his psychic imprint, a guiding light to another world of the growing imperium
>>6234315>"My teacher's next life was at risk, so I escorted him through the realm of Jian Qi">"You are aware Magnus was never fooled by your lies, yes? He was there as well...""A distraction became necessary, so I created one. A measure of restraint might not have been exercised in the process."
>>6234315>Write inTake a few quiet moments before responding...
"That....was an unexpected venture and one full of more twists than expected...one that had more company than planned. So I shall tell you all the tale though I ask you to wait till the end before reprimanding me where appropriate.
My teacher; Guozhi. His time was over and in his last moments he spoke to Magnus and I, he wished to reveal the secret of the method of Reincarnation his sect used. naturally we his students listened and journeyed with him carefully in the warp myself staying away like a lure-"
Tap our brand
"-he showed us the domain Jian Qi...if i didn't know better I would say magnus knew the truth of it already but given how we'd waded through concept and memory already I do not know...but I know the look of disgust when i see it. Slowly he guided us through the hidden paths and twisting ways towards the secret, already I was on guard for how could one not be in such a place thus I became a distraction once more freeing the White Wind and raising hell within hell. magnus for his part plundered secrets too but i think you'd be proud of his choice; Alchemy. he seeks to not delve deeply into the warp so wistfully any longer and this adventure solidified his will further still, instead eh seeks more stable methods... He didn't believe the story you told him when i first met my Imperial Father. He knows the truth without me and wouldn't be swayed..such is the curse of scholars.
I can feel that staff looming Malcador but do not fear I kept the eyes of the enemy upon myself until i turned his household upside-down having escaped his palm....litrally.
Thus now free of obstacles had to shield my sight for we were before the 'Well of Eternity' and upon letting his soul drift into it, my teacher finally passed from this life....and into a new one on a world far, far away."
Take a few moments silence before speaking these final words.
"-Weylan, my father too has passed but I didn't take him to this place, it was not his will nor could it be risked so readily... i know not to return there except under unspeakably dire situation....my Father....my beloved father how i'd wanted to guarantee his next life to be free, to guide it through the Well at the heart of the warp but no... I am ready to receive my scolding now Uncle."
>>6234315>>"My teacher's next life was at risk, so I escorted him through the realm of Jian Qi">>"Hysh is a fire that can heal. I sought to learn how to create with the blaze of my soul, and succeeded by find the cleansing flame"These are both true. We sensed teachers impending death and he offered one last lesson.
I wonder what the emperor thinks of hysh. I want to spread that far and wide, like our own personal gang tag(or whatever that anti chaos symbol we put on everything is called).
>>6234315>>"My teacher's next life was at risk, so I escorted him through the realm of Jian Qi">>"Hysh is a fire that can heal. I sought to learn how to create with the blaze of my soul, and succeeded by find the cleansing flame"
>>6234315>"My teacher's next life was at risk, so I escorted him through the realm of Jian Qi">"Hysh is a fire that can heal. I sought to learn how to create with the blaze of my soul, and succeeded by find the cleansing flame"
>"My teacher's next life was at risk, so I escorted him through the realm of Jian Qi"
>"Hysh is a fire that can heal. I sought to learn how to create with the blaze of my soul, and succeeded by find the cleansing flame"
>>6234315>>"My teacher's next life was at risk, so I escorted him through the realm of Jian Qi"> "You are aware Magnus was never fooled by your lies, yes? He was there as well..."
>>6234315>V: 9>"I was escorting a lost soul:>"My teacher's next life was at risk: 7>"Hysh is a fire that can heal: 5> "You are aware Magnus was never fooled by your lies, yes: 2>Write in: 2>>Thus I bid him: 1>>The story of the journey: 2
+++M31Y[UNKNOWN]+++
+++TERRA/IMPERIALPALACE/VAULTS++++
https://youtu.be/w7_7pz5-Jk0
The storm outside the Vaults was manufactured a faux rainfall battering the windows while the sky above Terra greyed by design washing away the last of the rad clogged dust. Leman Russ stood inside, still dripping, arms crossed as a servitor dried his cloak with a warming hum.
He hated these vaults, the smelt rotten, dreary... like a tomb of some unhonoured dead.
Across from him sat the Sigillite with parchment unrolled across a stone table. The room was spartan, no guards, no ceremony. Just the Emperor’s left hand, and the newest found Son.
“Why am I here?” Russ asked, growling not from anger, but boredom.
Malcador’s smile was thin but he didn't raise his head from his notes the quill scratching being the only real sonud.
“Because I’m asking the Question of the Second.”
Russ raised an eyebrow.
“The what now?”
“First Question,” Malcador said, tapping the table, “Will you obey your fathers will? no matter the order.
Russ snorted, “This I swore, so yes.”
“The Second is harder.” Malcador looked up now and tented his fingers,
A pause.
“If it came to it...if he strayed, if he defied the Throne for some reason you can't place or even if you could-”
The air hung a moment
“-Could you kill Lieren?”
Russ didn’t laugh and that alone meant something. He looked down at his hands slowly and flexed them slowly. The storm echoed off the glass like distant war drums.
“maybe....it would not clean.” he said, at last.
Malcador’s pen hovered midair. “Explain such uncertainty is unlike you my friend”
Russ sighed loudly. Like dragging a wolf’s fang out of bone.
“Lieren doesn’t fight like us,” he said. “He learns when he fights. Every strike you throw teaches him how to beat you next time. He doesn't brute through a wall. He becomes the way through it.”
He looked up.
“And worse, Malcador? He doesn’t want to kill you. He wants you to stop. And if you start listening… you might.”
The Sigillite scratched a note.; “If it were you and Horus?”
Russ exhaled through his nose the idea of needing 'help' got under his skin.
“I’ve fought Horus,” he said in a measured tone. “I’ve bled with him. He’s fast. He’s strong. He’s got the crowd and knows war.”
Russ sat on a great chair slowly and seeing the King of the Russ act so civilised was quite a queer sight.
“But the Skard?.. he’s got meaning. He’ll let Horus draw first blood. Let him land the first ten strikes. All while walking him into a trap.”
The Wolf King leaned forward in thought
1/2
>>6235801“He’d use Horus’s pride, let him think he’s winning. If I were there two we'd be played against one another whiel he dances in the air...we'd be in one anothers way and he’ll take every hit we land, because pain doesn’t break him. It refines him. He’s not made of iron despite what those flowing locks might lead you to belive. He’s an idea! And one you can’t kill that easy.”
Malcador stared at the page. “So you’re saying...”
“I’m saying we’d win,” Russ interrupted sharply. “But not both of us. One of us would have to pin him in place for the other. You must end Lieren quick or he will have adapted and all chance ofvictory will be lost”
He leaned closer.
“I could kill Angron in a dozen moves. Fulgrim in six. Dorn Eight I think. But Lieren?”
“He makes you fight yourself in a way...”
Silence.
“And I don’t know if I’d win that.”
Malcador finally set his pen down.; “So if it came to it, you wouldn’t try?”
Russ bared his teeth. “try? I'd do it if asked.'”
He stood hammering his chest a moment “I am The Great Wolf” he turned to leave growing tired of the dark vault and scheming but turned to speak once more.
“But if I do, you better pray he never decides to show us what happens when he stops forgiving.”
He left Malcador to his notes and the rain whom remained still in thought. Russ is correct Lieren is not unkillable. But Killing him would be no easy task yet along the storm that would follow in the wake of his death... Should Lieren die the wrath of those whom loved him so would follow...and no one could defeat that.
Worse still....
He felt cold eyes looming from beyond the veil and while none could see...a pale owl with eyes of frost glared at him through a window... a predator waiting for the rat to leave it's hole
Calling the vote now, sorry about the wait. Still too damn hot outside, but this morning is cool enough to write
>>6235146Thank you for the count, XD, though by my count has Magnus knows at 3 votes, rather than two.
Anyways, Lieren will explain that "My teacher's next life was at risk, so I escorted him through the realm of Jian Qi" and "Hysh is a fire that can heal. I sought to learn how to create with the blaze of my soul, and succeeded by find the cleansing flame"
writing now
>>6235801>>6235802> “If it came to it...if he strayed, if he defied the Throne for some reason you can't place or even if you could-”>The air hung a moment>“-Could you kill Lieren?”This had a lot of impact, but the whole short story is fantastic, feel you captured Malcador and Leman's character/ personality really well and I really felt drawn in as Leman explained what it is to fight and actually try to kill Lieren
Excellent writing!
"It is simple. My teacher's next life was at risk" You answer with utmost sincerity and humbleness, dipping your chin and shutting your eyes to wear a soft, demure expression and even though your eyes were closed, you could see Malcador's almost offended expression.
"Explain. Immediately" He said, voice harsh like a hammer striking an anvil and the resonant frequency that shortly followed
"Guozhi lived a thousand lives. He was the last intact member of a fellowship, a sect that learned a way to be reborn and to preserve their souls memories" You answer, opening your eyes to allow enough of a sliver of a sight through to see how Malcador's astral projection react
"Your unfortunate condition means you are uniquely immune to falsehood and misunderstanding, so, for now, I will presume that you actually found some variation of shaman or perpetual" He answers after a moment two way scrutiny between the two of you "And why did this quest to ensure your age bent mentor would be reborn take you into that realm of that miserable pile of secrets"
"The center of reality, the well of eternity he called it. I do not understand the process, he forewarned me that to gaze up the swirling futures and pasts would've been...dangerous, with these eyes of mine" You answer and Malcador freezes "And before you accuse him of treachery or thralldom to the minstrel of falsehoods, recall, loyal uncle, the unique property of my sight"
"From my scarce few encounters with the man, he seemed like he was hunted, haunted even. I presume the method of rebirth drew the ire of the...minstrel and their troupe" Malcador asks, a wry and amused smile tugging at the corner of his lips
"Precisely, Jian Qi's servants tore asunder his comrades of his past lives so completely, all that remains of their souls were the shadows they had once cast" You sigh sadly "So as his foremost disciple and to repay all he taught me of the world and myself, I risked the maze and brought him to his next station in his next life, threw his soul to a world that needed his guidance the most"
"If only it were so common place" Malcador mused gloomily "A high risk endeavor, to preserve who knows how many centuries and lifetimes of life experience, philosophy and cultivated pskyer potency"
"Well worth the risk" You concur, nodding "But, it was not the only reason"
"I suspected as much" He answers dourly
"Guozhi is a teacher, at the inner most core of his character, no matter the face and name he wears the soul that has lived a thousand life spans, wishes to spread wisdom and teach, which is why his order drew the attention of the mystery most obscured" You answer "And why, their numbers had dwindled from his temptations and depredations prior to that final death blow delivered at the hands of the wretched puppets of Se Nie"
"He brought you on his journey to reincarnation to teach you something. What was it?" Malcador instructs stoically with a winter's chill to his tone and surrounding his noble spirit
>>6237086"I sough a fire that could heal, to mend rather than reduce. To learn the method to create with this conflagration that surrounds my soul. And succeeded, by finding a flame so pure even Jian Qi could not corrupt it, could not grasp it. A unchained gale of the warp, the white light of cleansing. It is Hysh" You answer and Malcador nods
"A wind of magic. A source of sorcery" He says, clearly recognizing the name and concept "And you tore it from the bird's talons"
"Yes, with great effort" You answer "The other flames were too well guarded, too caged or too deeply and intricately entwined with the mystical formations that comprise Jian Qi's truest self that runs throughout the land, too closely held in their grip and thus too fused with the primordial corruption that composes their existence of lies and treachery"
"You wield it?" He asks
"Yes, it is quite useful in healing injuries and discerning the path forward, but it is free to shed its light upon anything, whether that is to reveal and subjugate evil or guides those slaves of darkness to its gentle light" You answer and Malcador's spirit rubs their temple
"I will...discuss this with your father" He says tersely, forcing the words through his teeth "If he deems Hysh a useful tool, you may use it to safeguard your sons and prove that it is not at risk of corrupting or subverting the minds of those who wield it. But we cannot discuss it further, I am bid back to His side and must obey. He has need of my expertise in the materium. You understand"
You nod and rise. And with a thought return to your mortal vessel as it approaches the site of the battle between the unknown pirates and the Shangralan fleet, the near crippled Celestial explorer vessel and the few battered Alf' Harim ships that have survived until this point.
Kanzeon presents you a question that cannot be puts into words, a message of thought and pure intent that you immediately understood
Authorization and plan of engagement.
And how do you enter the battle and Direct Kanzeon to fight, Lieren?
>Providing a defensive screen of drones and escorting the civilian craft out of danger.>By striking the attacks from underneath with a cloud of missiles and plasma shot.>Release a fighter swarm and take charge of the Shangralan fleet and contact its former commander>By allowing her to decide, and then leaping out into the void and propelling yourself onto the bloodthristy stranger's capital ship>Write in>Captcha: PWNTD
>>6237087>Escort the civilian craft out of danger>Fire yourself at their capitolAs if you expect us to do ANY different.
Part of our epitaph really should be "projectile of prosperity"
>>6237087>Providing a defensive screen of drones and escorting the civilian craft out of danger.>By allowing her to decide, and then leaping out into the void and propelling yourself onto the bloodthristy stranger's capital shipThe living ship is almost certainly a better admiral. Especially since her competition is about to die on lieren's blade.
>>6237087>Providing a defensive screen of drones and escorting the civilian craft out of danger>Write inWhile we have the element of surprise have our beloved Rod of God the enemy ship if we can
>>6237087>Release a fighter swarm and take charge of the Shangralan fleet and contact its former commander
>>6237087>>Providing a defensive screen of drones and escorting the civilian craft out of danger.>>By allowing her to decide, and then leaping out into the void and propelling yourself onto the bloodthristy stranger's capital ship
>>6237087>Providing a defensive screen of drones and escorting the civilian craft out of danger.>Release a fighter swarm and take charge of the Shangralan fleet and contact its former commanderGetting a report on what's going on before committing would probably be wise. Would be embarrassing if we fire ourselves at their flagship only to learn that it can turn intangible or somesuch nonsense.
>>6237087>Providing a defensive screen of drones and escorting the civilian craft out of danger.>Release a fighter swarm and take charge of the Shangralan fleet and contact its former commander
>>6237087>>By allowing her to decide, and then leaping out into the void and propelling yourself onto the bloodthristy stranger's capital ship
>>6237087>V: 9>Providing a defensive screen of drones and escorting the civilian craft out of danger: 7>By striking the attacks from underneath with a cloud of missiles and plasma shot:>Release a fighter swarm and take charge of the Shangralan fleet and contact its former commander: 3>By allowing her to decide: 4>Write in: 1>> Rod of God:
It is something of a blessing that nothing has united the Twenty in anger, no single foe so mighty or foul as to require the combined efforts of every Brother. To this end, He of Terra could only whisper his thanks into the seas of the Empyrean…
And mutter curses in the same breath, baffled by the sheer complexity of his current game's rules. The Ultimate Wargame, yet unnamed, was something of a project of passion that all Twenty worked on in their own ways. From the artwork of the pieces to the masterful microscaping of the tiles, to the fictional stories of monuments and people to the exacting yet flexible rules. No iota was spared anything less than the full attention of his sons. Logistics, morale, transportation, chemical weapons, guerilla and terror tactics, subterfuge and espionage, xenos relations, and even (as multiple sons ever-so-politely named) “Warp Bullshit”; every aspect that they could imagine was worked upon. When a new idea was brought forth, they consulted and created new rules for it, and modified old.
Ever-changing. Ever-adapting.
To his begrudging pride, delegation itself had become a core rule. When the game’s rules had reached a complexity that no mortal could fully comprehend, they delighted in realizing that this meant that teams and underlings would be required; their own sons, mortal soldiers, serfs, Mechanicus representatives, and even mere menials were dragged in to perform as if they were managing real men and not just token and proxies. Even the occasional Eldar partook, whether it be friendly Craftworlder, privateering Corsair, or a Harlequin in a fit of whimsy.
Typically they were envoys visiting alongside the Second, but it shocked Him nonetheless.
Still, for as frustrating as it was to read through the latest agreed-upon revision (no less than four Brothers, two and either Him or Malcador, or the mortals of no fewer than eight different worlds and four different walks of life had to agree that updates need be made to begin with before the first draft could be scribed), He could not resist a smile. His Generals, His Primarchs, His Sons, were as disparate and prone to argument as any brothers could be, and yet even they proved to be as human as any other.
They united towards a common goal. Galactic conquest was a nebulous thing, but a game? Everybody enjoys a game.
Calling the vote now, sorry for the wait. The heat of approaching summer is still kicking my ass
>>6238495And thank you for counting up the vote, as always, XD.
So Lieren will tell Kanzeon to provide a defensive screen and escort the Civilian craft away from immediate danger
Writing now
>>6238766The moment I read warp bullshit I chuckled, and I laughed when I realized this was the primarchs playing a game of 40k themselves. Really clever and you wrote it in a way that makes it fit in the setting.
Well played, anon, well played
There was no delay nor pause before you gave your answer, it was a thing of pure emotion and intent. A surge of a mutual protective instinct shared between you and her. Innocent lives were on the line, those who had done no ill nor courted death carelessly were staring down the jaws of demise as the valiant fighters of Shangrala filled the debris filled sector of space, battling with grotesquely ramshackle craft that seemed barely welded together as they fought a brutal war in the astral void. Firing lines, zones of engagements, ramming maneuvers, pincer attacks, the dance of cosmic war performed across all dimensions. The ferocity of the unknown assailants was unmatched and the stellar warriors of Shangrala fought them in pitched battles amongst the remains of both sides of the skirmish in newly charted yet unclaimed space.
No words were exchanged and no transmission or radioed war cries sent to the fleet desperately holding the line for the injured star charting ships and the wounded alien merchant vessels. Kanzeon simply moved her enormous mass, accelerating beyond the capabilities of even the swiftest of Long-Jia's space sailing craft. If there had been wind and substance in space, the rapidity of her approach would've scattered both friend and foe in great, void churning currents. A few daring enemy fighters were crushed against her hull, unable to escape her path or match her velocity, or simply not being able to detect the bulk of a ship larger than any fielded by either side of the astral scuffle. She can block out the sun when she is above a world, but in the vast bleakness of the void, her body is a world in of itself, a great behemoth mountain that crushes all that cannot get out of here way.
Her appearance is immediately recognized by the brave pilots of the space corps, who form around her mass like riflemen atop a wall, becoming spears to dissuade the pirates from continuing their pursuit as the wounded Alf'Harim merchant vessels and the battle scarred Celestial Explorers league craft limp away from the hard fought battle ground, only by her standing as an insurmountable bulwark allowing them to flee from the conflict that had raged for weeks in the silence of the void.
The stranger fleet gather, in a loose formation. And as you stare at them through a patch of wall rendered translucent by Kanzeons will, you almost can sense a predatory excitement rising collevtively across the fleet. Through the depths of her concentration and between the dozens of messages she relays between the fleet she now commands, and the missives and commands she forwards to the captain of every ship, Kanzeon hisses a warning that crazes along your skull. A potent, psionic warning as the lights illuminating her innards flare orange.
A single word, growled like static into your brain. As close to a threat as it is a description.
"Orks"
Cont
>>6239710And, as you sharply suck in breath between your teeth, you sense their presence through your spiritual senses as the fungoid menace crewing the ships unite in singular purpose. To make war.
For a fractional moment, you swear as if the canvas of stars and stellar gasses is painted the most vivid shade of green, second only in its beauty to Kanzeon's emerald orbs as the space between Kanzeon and the orkish vanguard fleet reverberates with raw emotional energy, as the synchronized purpose of the thugs crewing the ships congeals and forms into a psionic war cry that tears through the expanse of pure nothingness
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!"
And then, without concern for themselves, amidst a cloud of their own primitively propelled rockets, the ork fleet charges across the briefly formed no man's land between the two fleets, towards Kanzeon who in every way outmatches their confusingly patchwork ships.
You wince, and turn away, as their psionic bellow dissipates slowly as the orks fleets rush to engage Kanzeon and the Shangrala stellar defense fleet
"The civilians have escaped, love" Kanzeon reports "All that's left is to commit Xenocide"
"Wouldn't father be proud" You muse, tapping your fingers rhythmically on her walls "They have boarding pods, bombs, fighters. I'd classify the bulk of their fleet as carriers and frigates, with scattered destoyers"
"Don't....don't try to apply reason and logic to their battle plans or logistics, Lieren" Kanzeon weakly advises as you stare out at her projection of the battlefields drawn across many, perhaps hundreds or thousands of leagues "They just want to fight and kill...former fleet commander, Hailing"
You hum and shut your eyes in thoughts. Already, you had one, and allowed the innocents of both Shangralan and the Alf'Harim Merchant fleet to escape, bloodied, but whole and without sustaining any further casualties.
"The battle has continued as long as it has, because our defense of the civilians attracted these bloodthirsty brigands with the promise and prospect of a martial challenge" You realize suddenly.
"Ah, you've discovered the most annoying aspect of ork Psychology, my sweet Scholar!" Kanzeon praises, half in jest
What is the next step in your plan, Lieren?
>Draw the orks fleets attention and order the remaining shangralan ships to retreat as Kanzeon draws their fire>ask Kanzeon to contact the one Eldrad informed you would be called "Da big boss" and seek conversation with the ork>Lure the Orks into an inescapable cage, and attempt to destroy their fleet with a kill zone of the strongest ship borne weaponry Kanzeon and the ships of Long-Jia carry.>Rally the fighter squads and lead your sons in the counter charge, taking flight upon A steelbird of your own>write in
>>6239712>write inRod of God the biggest ships they have in this sweeping fleet that their shattered bulk might become grenades among their own ranks, I somehow doubt these ork hide the generators of their ships.
The key is to ensure none escape to spread the word of this.
>Lure the Orks into an inescapable cage, and attempt to destroy their fleet with a kill zone of the strongest ship borne weaponry Kanzeon and the ships of Long-Jia carryMake this not fun for them, just death in the void.
>>6239712>Rally the fighter squads and lead your sons in the counter charge, taking flight upon A steelbird of your own
>>6239712>Lure the Orks into an inescapable cage, and attempt to destroy their fleet with a kill zone of the strongest ship borne weaponry Kanzeon and the ships of Long-Jia carry.best to clean them up fast or they spiral
>Write in:
>Eldrad warned you of the Orks and their ways; your dearest beloved even telling of their basic psychology. They desire battle, not for any higher purpose or deeper philosophy, but because instinct drives them to it. It is their way of life, but your Eyes see the truth. They were made to be this way, coded, as are the two hands that guide them; one of apathetic predator instinct and the other of directed and applied savagery. Use their own ways against them to thin their numbers.
>"I will only fight the Strongest among you. Prove you're stronger than the rest, and I will give you a battle you will never forget!"
>>6239943+1 No Boss would ever renege a challenge, remember to call him a grot
Can't believe they finally removed the 15 min timer to postb
>>6239726Supporting.
Someone always gets away, and being known as a boring cheater who cheats is actually a good thing when it comes to orks.
>>6239712>V: 8>Draw the orks fleets attention and order the remaining shangralan ships to retreat as Kanzeon draws their fire: 0>ask Kanzeon to contact the one Eldrad informed you would be called "Da big boss" and seek conversation with the ork: 0>Lure the Orks into an inescapable cage: 5>Rally the fighter squads and lead your sons in the counter charge: 1>write in: 1>>Rod of God: 4>>Eldrad warned you: 2
>>6239712>ask Kanzeon to contact the one Eldrad informed you would be called "Da big boss" and seek conversation with the ork>Issue a challenge>Even if he declines, pinpoint his location and board them back with your sons, attempt a decapitation strikeThe visuals of Malal's updates are always so cool. I'd illustarte everything if I somehow had time. Still gonna draw the two demons from the last thread, they were cool.
Did we ever got conformation of how Kanzeon's main body looks? We probably did, I just forgot. I currently imagine her as a very clean chrome-looking ship, kind of like the one from Episode 1 of star wars
>>6239712>>ask Kanzeon to contact the one Eldrad informed you would be called "Da big boss" and seek conversation with the ork
>>6240504>V: 10>Draw the orks fleets attention and order the remaining shangralan ships to retreat as Kanzeon draws their fire: 0>ask Kanzeon to contact the one Eldrad informed you would be called "Da big boss" and seek conversation with the ork: 2>Lure the Orks into an inescapable cage: 5>Rally the fighter squads and lead your sons in the counter charge: 1>write in: 3>>Rod of God: 4>>Eldrad warned you: 2>>Issue a challenge: 1>>>Even if he declines: 1
>>6239712>>Lure the Orks into an inescapable cage, and attempt to destroy their fleet with a kill zone of the strongest ship borne weaponry Kanzeon and the ships of Long-Jia carry.
>>6239726Support
Why are people voting to try to have a mental duel with an Ork amid a sea of waaagh power? It'll be brutal for us to try to survive
>>6241133>V: 12>Draw the orks fleets attention and order the remaining shangralan ships to retreat as Kanzeon draws their fire: 0>ask Kanzeon to contact the one Eldrad informed you would be called "Da big boss" and seek conversation with the ork: 2>Lure the Orks into an inescapable cage: 7>Rally the fighter squads and lead your sons in the counter charge: 1>write in: 3>>Rod of God: 5>>Eldrad warned you: 2>>Issue a challenge: 1>>>Even if he declines: 1
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Ten thousand hours in photoshop
Calling the vote now. Sorry for the wait.
>>6241200Thanks for getting the vote all together, XD
So Lieren will lure the Ork fleet into an inescapable cage and attempt to end the fleet in one move, starting with their largest ships in the hopes to cause a cascade explosion in their ranks
writing now
>>6240574>The visuals of Malal's updates are always so coolThanks man! And I believe this is the only interpretation someone has drawn of Kanzeon or any of her sisters' ship bodies. I think I usually use Lotus as a descriptor when I describe them, though
>>6241241Funny and accurate
"And so primitively minded, these brutes are easily lured into a pit of spikes, drawn to mountains of blades and seas of fire as they are" You muse, thinking partially out loud as the path to victory reveals itself to you like the mists and the fog thinning as one walks a mountain trail "If you would be so kind as to respond to the fleet command, and deliver to them the plan I have just devised. I swear upon my honor as a man, not a single ork shall bring their bloodied hands anywhere near your nearly without flaw self, Kanzeon. Their attempt boarding action shall become a grave among stars"
"Establishing a direct communication" Kanzeon answers, barely disguising the joy in her voice as a bedraggled and battle worn man appears upon the translucent surface allowing you to view the battlefield
"Lieren of Nothing! It would appear our journeys through life have crossed in a most fortuitous moment. Your lady wife, the pilot of that fine vessel, informs me that you have a plan to deal with these star sailing rapscallions? We do not have long before the first rounds of their next barrage and the swarm of their boarding pods strikes into our cruisers, please, do not tarry in telling me the stratagem to gut us out of this whirlwind of chaos and violence!" They greet you, hastily speaking, eyes weary and fluttering with exhaustion
"We shall form a cage of rifles and spears, these aliens delight in battle and rush towards the next brawl without a care for their well being, move your most intact and war ready ships to the forward, forming two walls, send the damaged and more sluggish ships, with less ammunition under and over the fleet and form the ceiling and floor" You explain, resting one hand over the other and holding them flat in front of yourself, eyes calculating and cold as winter rains "When our foe fully commits, draw closed the four lines and trap them between our numbers"
"And the last of the walls, sire?" they ask, and you glance to the avatar Kanzeon has kept near you for her comfort and yours and smile fondly
"We shall provide it, as well as act as bait. The moment they expose themselves and get within our firing ranges, unleash the strongest armaments carried by your fleet, targeting the largest of the ships, who will surely be the first into the fray. Create a sea of debris for their followers to flounder in" You answer
"Ah, like Yin Lei and the Field of blossoming blood, a strategy that only a genius would translate to void warfare! I shall carry forth your command at once, Hero of Liberation!' They answer, with a renewed energy and wakefullness, and with all rapidity, the ships fall into formation as the ork ships continue their charge through the void, in what could be generously called an attempt a formation
That soon falls apart and becomes a shapeless blob of ships as the captains of each vessel, in the pursuit of glory or bloodshed without purpose, break away from the fleet to pursue targets of their own choosing.
Cont
>>6241800"Upon our honor as men of Dai and Lai, not a single barbarian shall set foot upon the jewel of Shangrala! Rally men, not a single foe shall threaten even a single lock of Lady Kanzeons hair! We shall spare these witless brutes of her husband's black wroth!' You hear transmitted from the head of the fighter squadrons
"Xue entering the fray, we'll befuddle these savages and throw some sticky mud into their eyes!"
"Bask Lancer Company, targeting the boarding drills! For the honor of the rime maiden and her kin, we die in glory!"
"I shall play one of Lady Dandan's orchestras for our most ill mannered guests, keep away from quadrants seven through eleven"
"The Centipede of Luo will encircle the fighter squadron, we'll hold them as long as we can. Fall into position!"
"Kang ships! Form a bulwark for the Qians Phantoms! Make use of that heavier plate"
You smiled, supremely pleased by the show of unity and cohesion within the fleet and the readiness to which they fly to defend their brothers in arms and fellow ships, but also Kanzeon and yourself. You stand, completely at ease, eyes focused on the distant lights and flashes of destroyed ships as Kanzeon, like reading down a shopping list, speaks outloud each weapon she fires and the payload she sends the way of the ork fleet.
Their are losses, but the orks do not fight with a plan and thrust into the cage with an almost lustful vigor or need of a starving beast. Their guttural tongue reaches their ears, as kanzeon catches the transmissions some of their ships send out as they begin to catch on that something isn't right, but before they can recognize the trick for what it is, the cage door slams shut, and every ship in the patrol fleet along with Kanzeon herself opens fire with the full weight of their arsenal, as the fighters move no longer like packs of jackals but as flights of dragons.
The black canvas of stars becomes a vivid rainbow of debris and explosions, venting atmopshere igniting brilliantly in the perpetual night sky, rocket exhausts and plasma trails smearing across the empty void like bold brush strokes, snaps of light from laser cannons and the all consuming dark of dark lances leaving furrows in the cosmic field that last for but a moment, as swirls and whirlpools of distorted gravity and compressed space, miniature stars , crashing waves of dragon fly and humanoid attack drones, massive rods of super dense materials and disintegrating lights all shoot through the sky above a world untouched by the battle raging so far above it.
The once might, insurmountable through numbers alone ork fleet, is in the span it takes for a stick of incense to burn, are reduced to a wolf pack of perhaps two dozen ships, closely clumped together and using the wrecked hulls of their former comrades as cover as they release tide after tide of ballistic weaponry and rocket pods and missiles at anything that passes in front of them.
Cont
>>6241802"I am happy to report that you have not lost your honor as my beloved husband, Lieren" Kanzeon chuckles "Not even a scratch on my hull, don't think the mushrooms realized just how much bite we had to back up our bark, they're finished. Just a little more sustained fire and the last of them will be nothing but star dust and space debris, and we'll have improved this stretch of the galaxy by at least a few percentages"
What do you do, now that the orks have marched to their doom, Lieren?
>Proceed with the complete eradication of their force, and have a list of the vessels lost in the fighting, along with their crew rosters and send a request to the imperial household for them to be honored with a memorial>Order the ships to suppress the ships, and attempt to capture an ork or at least train your sons in the art of battling them hand to hand>Contact the leaders of the fleet, and before signing their execution order, ask them why they went to the trouble to terrorize non combatants, out of philosophical curiosity and to learn a bit of the orkish tongue >Offer them surrender, knowing they will refuse but wishing the set a standard for Long-Jia's space corps and fleets to follow in the future>Write in
>>6241803>Offer them surrender, knowing they will refuse but wishing the set a standard for Long-Jia's space corps and fleets to follow in the future
>>6241803>Proceed with the complete eradication of their force, and have a list of the vessels lost in the fighting, along with their crew rosters and send a request to the imperial household for them to be honored with a memorialNice plan
>>6241803>Proceed with the complete eradication of their force, and have a list of the vessels lost in the fighting, along with their crew rosters and send a request to the imperial household for them to be honored with a memorial>Order the ships to suppress the ships, and attempt to capture an ork or at least train your sons in the art of battling them hand to hand
>>6241803>>Proceed with the complete eradication of their force, and have a list of the vessels lost in the fighting, along with their crew rosters and send a request to the imperial household for them to be honored with a memorial
>>6241803>Order the ship to suppress themWe should prepare for the future.
>Complete eradication.
>>6241803>Proceed with the complete eradication of their force, and have a list of the vessels lost in the fighting, along with their crew rosters and send a request to the imperial household for them to be honored with a memorial
>>6241803>Proceed with the complete eradication of their force, and have a list of the vessels lost in the fighting, along with their crew rosters and send a request to the imperial household for them to be honored with a memorial
>>6241803>Offer them surrender, knowing they will refuse but wishing the set a standard for Long-Jia's space corps and fleets to follow in the futureNot everyone is an ork and violence shouldn't be the presumed outcome of meetings or you're going to end up killing alot of innocent people.
>>6242522Worded a bit poorly, but yeah. We shouldn't have violence as the only outcome because some people might surrender instead of fighting to the end. And, as a cultural thing, your current enemy might not be your enemy forever.
>>6241803>Offer them surrender, knowing they will refuse but wishing the set a standard for Long-Jia's space corps and fleets to follow in the futureIt's more important that they understand that offering quarter is a good and expected thing. We can get to the part where orks are an exception later.
>>6241803>>Proceed with the complete eradication of their force, and have a list of the vessels lost in the fighting, along with their crew rosters and send a request to the imperial household for them to be honored with a memorial
>>6241802>Kanzeon, like reading down a shopping list, speaks outloud each weapon she fires and the payload she sends the way of the ork fleet.She's just saying the names of her attacks outloud, very based thing to do.
All the noble houses transfering to space warfare is cute. From the horseback to the skies.
Shangrala made the entire 19th and 20th century tech jump is what, one generation? ~20-30 years? Kids born after the butcher war are coming into a completely different world.
>>6241803>>Proceed with the complete eradication of their force, and have a list of the vessels lost in the fighting, along with their crew rosters and send a request to the imperial household for them to be honored with a memorialThey probably terrorised non-combatants because it's fun. Orks are no strangers to pointless cruelty, or pseudo-slavery for that matter. Nothing organised obviosly. I assume they don't really care to tell random civvie and gretchins apart, it's "hit 'em untill 'ey bring you some'ing to chew on an' a beer" either way.
Or maybe they were going for some 200(orkish) IQ play of "if we kill many civvies, they'll send stronger soldiers"
>>6241803>>Offer them surrender, knowing they will refuse but wishing the set a standard for Long-Jia's space corps and fleets to follow in the future
>>6242776>Kids born after the butcher war are coming into a completely different world.Kids these days are going to have wild rebellious phases. They're going to be punks speeding around in air bikes harassing old ladies, buzzing noble compounds, getting YGO-tier hairstyles, putting up sky graffiti about how the Journey is lame, stabbing each other with laser switchblades, the works I tell you.
>>6241803>V: 11>Proceed with the complete eradication of their force: 7>Order the ships to suppress the ships: 2>Contact the leaders of the fleet: 0>Offer them surrender: 4>Write in: 0Male plz do a pov from Magnus and what he is doing and how the culture has changed after he introduced alchemy.
Calling the vote now. Sorry for the long wait. My PC's machine spirit is not appreciating the summer heat, neither am I for that matter, but its cool enough at the moment that it works and I do not feel like I am melting.
>>6242984Thank you for collecting the vote. Though by my count there were 12 total votes
So Lieren will simply proceed with the annihilation of what remains of the ork fleet.
Writing now
>>6242883I mean, the Jokaero black market, and Lieren's extermination of the actual dangerous smuggling gangs caused the formation of a benign counter culture of tinkerers and scavengers that basically roleplay being thugs while customizing their skipping clouds to go hella fast and forming clubs to appreciate them and stranger technologies, who are at worse minor public nuisances
Like Kanzeon pointed out, Lieren accidentally reinvented the delinquent biker gang
You watch the storm of kinetic rounds, electrical arcs and waves of explosive rockets and missiles released into the void as the cornered orks fire every armament clumsily bolted to their ships, in show of defiance. Like a cornered panther, they do not intend to enter their graves on their lonesome nor without blood wetting their fangs. You shut your eyes, and repress a twinge of guilt. You wish to offer them a chance to surrender, despite knowing they will not accept it, to set a precedent for the fighting men of the Long-Jianese space program to follow, to show them that quarter must be given in space battles and that not every fleet combat must end in the utter annihilation of the opposing side. However, despite the transient moment of doubt, concern that the people of Shangrala, New Varro and beyond would walk down a distorted path, you realize that they have taken your lessons of kindness and mercy to heart
They may not all follow your exact journey through their lives, and come from many different cuts of cloth and varied backgrounds and worlds, but they are generally of peaceable minds and forgiving natures. Towards all except those they deem as tyrants. And they will know the difference between enemies and foes like the orks or a opponent that could be reasoned with and spared from utter destruction. And using these dangerous savages as an example of a peaceful path and the terms one must seek when seeking the surrender of an opposing force, would endanger the lives of selfless men and women who have already had their blood spilt. It'd be an insult to those who died, to teach a lesson that they already grasp while endangering their lives. And it'd be disrespectful to the orks, as barbaric as they are, to treat them like a teaching aid. They may be savage, but they are living, thinking beings.
And all lives are of equal value and worth.
"Deliver the felling blow, keep your distance and wait out their storm of shells and missiles" You command, lashing your arm through the air as you deliver the death sentence of who knows how many beings, but feel not guilt. They had committed a grave crime, assaulting the defenseless and launching an attack without cause. They would be dealt with as any pirate would be. The guilt you felt earlier, was simply a fleeting doubt that perhaps the coldness of the void would cool the hearts of men. But, upon reflection, you trust the people of the Long-Jian Star Empire to understand when to be merciful and when to entreat their foes at the tips of their swords.
The orks fight to the last, scream defiance until their final ship breaks apart into a fiery conflagration that plumes through the blackness of space like a phoenix spreading its wings.
You stare into the field of wreckage in silence, before meeting with the captains of the disparate defense patrols to congratulate them for their victory, applaud their service and grieve for those who gave their lives in the defense of others.
Cont
>>6244315And it is while you're hosting the captains aboard Kanzeon, as she generously repairs their wounded ships with her drones and manufacturing capabilities that two pieces of news reaches you from across the growing boundaries of Long-Jian space.
Peace had come to the world upon which primitive tribes once waged ceaseless war. A few good officials and statesmen were lost during Jinhai's conciliary efforts, and the brotherhood of panthers, including Feng himself, arrived to act as bodyguards for the emperor. Jinhai had declared that the world would be gradually brought up to Long-Jian living standards, wishing to avoid a culture shock that Al-Uzza warned him about. And how peace was found reeks of the Scarlet spider's doing. You understand, immediately upon hearing about the tragedies that befell the most openly hostile leaders of the people there, that web of Qian Xia spread to the wild world now known as "Massacre". And that Jinhai had no foreknowledge of her meddling. You cannot fault Qian Xia for seeking to aid her emperor and protect them from hostile forces, but you do not approve of the heavy handed solution she brought about. Fortunately, the cultures and way of life of the tribals has been mostly untouched, though a few have requested permission to interbreed with the Tigerfolk and Vishnu, after Aruna was brought on to win a martial contest to convince one tribe to not try and burn the White Lotus Medics who were treating their sick and ailing.
And the Alf'harim living by the Journey's tenants, had found a number of worlds suitable to their tastes and preferences within the eastern bloc of Long-Jian space. Arid, sandy but not inhospitable, similar to their homeworld and without any previous tenants or overtly threatening wildlife. They had named their colonies after the virtues professed by your philosophy and were seeking funding and permissions to actually begin establishing these colonies with the Ministry of development and Celestial explorers league, who were already eyeing several previously charted worlds for colonization, after the success of the colonization of Black Abyss and Yushan, and the peaceful integration of Eternal Celestial Engine and New Varro, with Massacre soon to join once the tribal councils were taught enough to understand what they had asked when they approached Jinhai and crowned him high chief. No doubt due to Qian Xia's manipulations...
Already, the worlds not suitable for continuous habitation by human or any of the number of other alien species considered citizens within Long-Jia, were being carefully safeguarded while having what useful elements and materials could be found upon them extracted in carefully restricted numbers to prevent the damaging of their native, if hostile, biospheres.
Cont
>>6244316 And soon, colonies following those on Yushan and Black abyss would appear, the first colonies established beyond Shangrala's star system, rather than the handful of worlds integrated into it that were already inhabited by lost families of mankind. Though there were plans in motion to establish presences upon or in orbit of all of Shangrala sibling planets, in due time.
What task do you next busy yourself with, Lieren, as the number of worlds controlled and inhabited by Long-Jia starts to expand?
>Continuing the Training the first generation of hopefuls from Shangrala who dream of being made into Astartes, and ensuring the tigerfolk and vishnu prosper and recover their numbers>Direct the celestial explorers to find worlds suitable for all of Shangralan's alien citizens first, before starting colonies that are only suitable/ designed for human comfort.>Advise Jinhai to prepare his armies and space force to train to battle Aeldari raiders and Ork war parties, knowing that the growing influence of Shangrala would attract both. >Explore the soon to be colonized worlds, and with Kanzeon and her sisters, help to rapidly colonize them>Write in
>>6244319>Advise Jinhai to prepare his armies and space force to train to battle Aeldari raiders and Ork war parties, knowing that the growing influence of Shangrala would attract both. And maybe
>>Continuing the Training the first generation of hopefuls from Shangrala who dream of being made into Astartes, and ensuring the tigerfolk and vishnu prosper and recover their numbersIf possible
>>6244319>Direct the celestial explorers to find worlds suitable for all of Shangralan's alien citizens first, before starting colonies that are only suitable/ designed for human comfort.>Advise Jinhai to prepare his armies and space force to train to battle Aeldari raiders and Ork war parties, knowing that the growing influence of Shangrala would attract both.
>Continuing the Training the first generation of hopefuls from Shangrala who dream of being made into Astartes, and ensuring the tigerfolk and vishnu prosper and recover their numbers
>>6244319>Continuing the Training the first generation of hopefuls from Shangrala who dream of being made into Astartes, and ensuring the tigerfolk and vishnu prosper and recover their numbersThey really named the planet "Massacre"? I bet it's swarming with Nameless, the people there sound a little like how the vishnu tribes were before Lieren lead them out of the bone devouring forest.
>>6244319>Advise Jinhai to prepare his armies and space force to train to battle Aeldari raiders and Ork war parties, knowing that the growing influence of Shangrala would attract both. >Continuing the Training the first generation of hopefuls from Shangrala who dream of being made into Astartes, and ensuring the tigerfolk and vishnu prosper and recover their numbersBoth of these. The first because it's important to the defence of Shangralan space, the latter for the Great Crusade we will take part in
>>6244319>>Direct the celestial explorers to find worlds suitable for all of Shangralan's alien citizens first, before starting colonies that are only suitable/ designed for human comfort.
>>6244319>Advise Jinhai to prepare his armies and space force to train to battle Aeldari raiders and Ork war parties, knowing that the growing influence of Shangrala would attract both.We need to subtly shift the slowly developing empire to be ready to have a war footing. The Great Crusade draws ever nearer and we don't want that Culture shock.
Ok now bare with me
>write inMeditate upon another Aspect of the Old Ones Plan and one part Specifically whichever part we believe may well tie to the Linking of Webway Gate. Kanzeon can now make wraithbone thus we can make the gateways, now we need the other side of it. I get the idea Containment is part of it, maybe starforging is next for power supplies? Forge a star in the network and sue that as the power supply?
We could create a demi plane of sorts, given how much we've physically observed the webway we might be able to connect the dots we are known as the Roadbuilder after all!
>>6244319>Advise Jinhai to prepare his armies and space force to train to battle Aeldari raiders and Ork war parties, knowing that the growing influence of Shangrala would attract both.>Continuing the Training the first generation of hopefuls from Shangrala who dream of being made into Astartes, and ensuring the tigerfolk and vishnu prosper and recover their numbers
>>6244319>Advise Jinhai to prepare his armies and space force to train to battle Aeldari raiders and Ork war parties, knowing that the growing influence of Shangrala would attract both.>Continuing the Training the first generation of hopefuls from Shangrala who dream of being made into Astartes, and ensuring the tigerfolk and vishnu prosper and recover their numbers
>>6244319>Advise Jinhai to prepare his armies and space force to train to battle Aeldari raiders and Ork war parties, knowing that the growing influence of Shangrala would attract both.>Continuing the Training the first generation of hopefuls from Shangrala who dream of being made into Astartes, and ensuring the tigerfolk and vishnu prosper and recover their numbers
>>6244319>Advise Jinhai to prepare his armies and space force to train to battle Aeldari raiders and Ork war parties, knowing that the growing influence of Shangrala would attract both.>Continuing the Training the first generation of hopefuls from Shangrala who dream of being made into Astartes, and ensuring the tigerfolk and vishnu prosper and recover their numbersAlso going to add in
>Introduce the Alf'Harim Journeymen to the Yushani
>>6244319>>Advise Jinhai to prepare his armies and space force to train to battle Aeldari raiders and Ork war parties, knowing that the growing influence of Shangrala would attract both.>>Continuing the Training the first generation of hopefuls from Shangrala who dream of being made into Astartes, and ensuring the tigerfolk and vishnu prosper and recover their numbersthe empire grows, the empire prospers.
>>6244319>>Advise Jinhai to prepare his armies and space force to train to battle Aeldari raiders and Ork war parties, knowing that the growing influence of Shangrala would attract both.>>Continuing the Training the first generation of hopefuls from Shangrala who dream of being made into Astartes, and ensuring the tigerfolk and vishnu prosper and recover their numbers
>>6244319>V: 13>Continuing the Training the first generation: 10>Direct the celestial explorers to find worlds suitable for all of Shangralan's alien citizens first: 2>Advise Jinhai to prepare his armies and space force: 10>Explore the soon to be colonized worlds, and with Kanzeon and her sisters: >Write in: 2>>Meditate upon another Aspect of the Old Ones Plan: 1>> Introduce the Alf'Harim Journeymen to the Yushani: 1
Things we need to chip away at and loose ends we got
-Establish and refine our remaining Astartes into the Journey Version of a chaplain; the Arbiters.
-Ask Dad how Lorgar is going then ask Eldrad "hey since all went well where is my other brother by the way" cos they said they'd give it too us
-Develop weapons and defences production sites so our worlds dont need a mothership in orbit to get the gear
-Begin Construction of Legion Anchor Forts on differing worlds, we're going to need our version of the Fang.
-Maybe We actually handle the legion issue by Astral projecting to our Legion and actually having a Sit down kids I want a word and settle things down atleast somewhat; give them a goal to aim for before they meet us maybe? Get them all on the same page.
-Begin researching methords to increase the survivability of our Space Marine Aspirants
-Get the nameless scouting all these new worlds joining up
-Meditate on the Old Ones Work piece by piece, we'll likely only be able to do one a year lest we spiritually burn out
-Aeldari Aspect Warriors?
-Look into the Keys to free the ice maiden
-Figure out how to jail break isha
-Secret lmao option: Find a Blackstone fortress to make our mobile base
-Do more meditating to chip a way to enlightenment
--
Don't forget taking our boys to a local festival or something like that. Being a son of Lieren has been rather depressing as of late what with the merciless,grueling training montage followed by lectures on Dai Niu woes. We need to make sure we impart upon our children that just because they are giant murder machines destined to die for the prosperity of others doesn't mean they can't have some fun along the way every now and then.
>>6245715>the Arbiters.not sure honestly, if its something more for pacify the different sects of the Legion thats fine. But it didn't come to anything violent so far. I would want them to have period of time passed in the Journeymen schools that formed themselves in Long-Jia, and also travel with Journeymen groups. Maybe visiting the enclaves of Journeymen in the Webway too and not just the ones in Shangrila.
>Lorgar we are occupied with Shangrila expansion and colonization right now. Going to find Lorgar would mean slowing our encounter with our father in real space.
>production sitesShangrila itself doesn't have this problem, in regard to the colonies most of them are all in early development right after foundation. If we want we could move from each colony already found and build these buildings and structures. It would mean not being on the front of exploration and colonization for a while.
>Legion Anchor FortsIs this for future recruiting ? Coordinated defense ? These colony worlds will build themselves with time, including defenses and forts of their own.
>legion issueI don't think it will be so easy, this will require us looking and directly talking with probably all the sects of the Legion face to face. With our current duties is a bit of an hassle to resolve this anytime soon. This might need months on Shangrila to see it done.
>survivabilityThis was already something Lieren, Kazzy and her sisters started on their own. Its in the works, but its dedicated research. The Youth Program that Lieren made is a product of such research and efforts.
>nameless scoutingstandard doctrine
>Old Ones Work piece by piecelikely time consuming, we are probably going to have to cut time for it. Much like teaching how to use Hysh to anyone.
>Aspect Warriorswhat of them ? Do you want to make a mien* based on one of them ? Their tech ?
>Keys to free the ice maidenhelping more Arianka will be a monumental task, probably an effort done through the entire quest. Her armies and warriors are in the warp now so thats a good thing on his own.
>ishalike above
>bsa bit hard to find around
>enlightenmenta question of time, though it depends on what you mean by it. For me, the Journey is already Lieren. Its just a matter of walking.
>>6246147There is not a ban on fun, just because they had to learn Dai Niu teachings. They had to learn them with the seriousness it required. Doesn't mean they aren't doing hobbies or having their lives, Lieren incentivized his marines from the start to be more than soldiers. The same will be for the aspirants, he is just making sure they are ready. Something like that could be done if we want. We can stay on a colony for a few months for some reason, and do it.
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>>6244315>And all lives are of equal value and worth.Yeah, Lieren, maybe not the Ork's ones.
>>6244319>>Continuing the Training the first generation of hopefuls from Shangrala who dream of being made into Astartes, and ensuring the tigerfolk and vishnu prosper and recover their numbersWe're gonna have the best spehs muhreens ever.
>Write in>Tell Qian Xi that she's doing a good job, but for the love of the journey keep the actual emperor in the loop. We really don't need a shadow government split down the line. Didn't we had this conversation already? Where she was conviced Lieren is coming to kill her for her bullshit? Come on, woman, just tell the actual emperor what you're doing, it's not that hard. He's not a pussy, he'll sign off on a couple dosen leader assasinations. Lieren's favorite tactic during the Yan war after all.
Also have the art of rival demons from the elf ship. I hope if Lieren meets them again somehow, they don't actually reform. "Yeah, we thought about the thoughts you implanted into us and WE REGRET NOTHING, NOW DIE BITCH". Free will and all that.
rival2
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>>6246792>>6246794excellent work, i am glad the quest still attracts so many that make nice art.
funnily enough i had also the same two in mind, though nurgle corpse flower isnt done fully.
Calling the vote now. Sorry for the really long wait, still having issues with my PC due to the summer heat. Might need to open it up and dust it out
>>6245604And with the fourteenth vote, Continuing the training of the astarte hopefuls is at 11 and there is an additional vote to congratulate Qian Xia
So Lieren will Advise Jinhai to prepare his armies/ fleets and then resume training the first generation of Shangrala space marine aspirants
Writing now
>>6246792>>6246794The boys! They both look amazing, you really captured what I was trying to describe in the text. Love the little details, the small feathers, armor detail and silver thin scars on the swan knight and how garish his horn is contrasted to his pink flesh, also love the cocky expression they have, very flashy
And for the rot knight, yeah he's perfect, love how grotesque and mismatched they are, chaotic in the best possible way while clearly the corpse is a stitched together puppet being piloted by the flower sprouting from the DP's original skull with the roots shooting down and through the hole mass, with lots of nice and gribbly texture on the mismatched body parts and the slime oozing out of the stitches, flower bloom, and the hammer. I really adore your depiction of these two!
>>6246856Oh what a treat. I can't wait to see your imagining of the two chaos knights as well.
[Records of the golden dawn era, Reign of the Carp-Dragon Emperor, founder of the dynasty, Long-Jia Jinhai. Second autumnal audience hence since the cosmic sailors breached the fog and sailed from the mists of our home, Fourth month, first day of the sixth week. Amongst the petitioners, supplicants and advisors, the Emperor met privately with his close advisor, dear friend and trusted head of his beneficences ministry of development, the grand architect of Long-Jia, the scion of terra, Lieren of Nothing. What was discussed by the streams bridged by multicolored glass, was kept private between emperor and servant...After wards, Yin Lei along with several of his most talented students of strategy, proposed sweeping reforms to the branch of the imperial army trusted to take part in campaigns far forlorn from our most cherished, prosperous world of Shangrala....]
"Orks" Jinhai says, swirling the world around, testing it as he supped at his tea, eyes tracking the maids escorting his young heirs and cherished wife through the imperial gardens, from a position Perturabo had designated as the "Final fall back point" that included a very handsome water feature of a defiant warrior standing, hammer upraised as if in challenge to the heavens themselves "And ill natured and tempered Aeldari. These are the threats you perceive, lurking like panthers just beyond lantern's edge, my friend?"
"Shangralan society spreads forth like water in a parched field. Already, beneath your imperial throne, three worlds have knelt and sworn fealty and brought their stars under Long-Jian authority and protection. New Varro was the first, Followed by Eternal Celestial engine, and recently the savage world of Massacre. And they are joined by the recently established colonies upon Yushan and Black Abyss. In a generation, our population of citizens will explode and multiply dramatically" You explain as you twirl a lily flower between your fingers, twisting its stem "Before the butcher's war, censuses showed the swell of the numbers of our people, as in conquering famine and banishing disease and improving our medical techniques had allowed many to survive beyond their years and many babes to survive afflictions and conditions that would have otherwise felled them"
"And in the mourning period after the war, the surviving soldiers found their homes amuck with bouncing bundles of joy" Jinhai chuckled, but there was a sadness in his eyes "Yes, and with our friends from the stars, the human sub species and kindly alien breeds, I believe I've been told that we'll be seeing several population booms, especially with your personal interest in the preservation of the endangered tiger folk and fading Vishnu culture"
Cont
>>6247158"Correct, and we build these colonies to allow the people born in these coming years to be comfortable, to keep them trapped on Shangrala would cause overcrowding, pressures to both society and the natural world. As you know, in prior dynasties, when times were not lean and peace reigned, the land and people both suffered from the weight of bearing more people than their primitive means could sustain" You continued on, unfurling a fan of cliff jumper and night crane feathers and began to fan yourself with it "Their solution was allowing famine, or disease to spread, or to encourage war between petty lords. Our solution is more merciful, we find new lands for our people to live in and prosper"
"And this, you believe, will attract the barbarous orks and sadistic slavers of the black history of the noble Aeldari?" Jinhai asks "When these colonies would be, compared to our heartlands, lowly populated and possessing little worth plundering as...I believe one of my advisors from Kang so elegantly put it"
"Kang is incorrect. They imagine them as bandits, but bandits with human hearts, human thoughts. We know alien minds are different than ours in as many ways as they are similar. Nowhere is this more true than the psychology of the orks and the way of life lived by the villainous Aeldair" You explain, snapping your fan shut and jabbing it towards the skies "Orks, while they care for plunder, they see any metal or weapon worthy of it, and seek ceaseless battle as their greatest prize. We are responsible for the wellbeing of our colonies. They would strike them, not only to rob the country side or steal our weapons, but to entice us to wage war upon them, upon seeing their cruel treatment of our country men. And as for the Aeldari, cruelty is the point, they seek no treasures, simply suffering and victims for torture. We first met them when they stole into our farmlands and robbed them of their people and brutalized the innocent wildlife. They'd attack, not only to depopulate the colonies and turn their residences into slaves, but to salve their pride wounded by"
"Your wholesale slaughter of their hunting parties, brutalist bazaar and sinking their outpost into the acidic mire where Yin Delun made his name and reputation" Jinhai says with a raised eyebrow, smirking over his tea cup "They know we Shangralans have besmirched what they believe to be their honor, and recognize that in our eyes, they exist only as our enemies"
"How sagaciously you explain the matter" You compliment, smacking your fan into your palm "But, they are but the most prevalent and obvious of threats we may meet"
"Other human societies, scarred and turned violent from years of suffering and loneliness, militaristic alien species with more avarice than the orks, strange stellar phenomena, unknown beasts of the void....the ever present threat of discord" Jinhai lists off, subtly referring to chaos
Cont
>>6247159 "We have thrown ourselves into a churning sea of dark mysteries and unknown waters, but we shall hold course and survive this tribulation, together. All of us shall"
"So, as the first emperor Long-Jia, I can trust you will make prepartions to meet these threats to your realm and her people?" You ask, already knowing the answer as you refill your own tea cup to the brim
"Yin Delun is popular and young, Yin Lei's age is catching up with him, zealous though he is and well adapted he has become to our modern way of waging war" Jinhai mused "I shall entrust the task to his nephew with the task, the nobility will be pleased to follow the commands of a fellow lord and he has one the hearts of the soldiers from all walks of life and origins from great to the most humble. In this era of colonization, The Relentless Lightning's Roar shall eclipse the Unbroken Thunder's Howl, and will lead these new imperial forces and be trained along with the first of a generation of fleet masters and generals"
"A wise decision. I know Delun is worthy of the duty and service" You answer "At Hell's cauldron, he proved himself as not only a warrior of mettle, a general of cunning, but a man of purpose and good virtues. I will provide, from my ministry and personal funds, whatever is required to prepare the imperial army for their new battlegrounds"
Jinhai raised a hand and stamped the other hard on the porcelain table, making it ring melodiously
"Such generosity is appreciated, but the arming and feeding of the army can be easily handled through conventional means, our industry booms by your sisters in laws guidance, and every years crop yield is greater than the last due to the methods you introduced back when these lands were still called Yan! Focus elsewhere, Lieren my Friend. If I require a miracle, I shall seek an audience with Anahita, the most diligent and laboriously minded of your fair sister in laws, or perhaps Al-uzza, the most studious and detail minded. I know not to approach meek Mari or the lively Liberty for such assistance. But more likely it will be the...other ships that'd be tasked with creating a surplus of arms. What remains of Kuan Im, is the main manufacture of our mightiest weapons and machines of war, as you know"
"And Kanzeon?" you question over a cup of tea. Jinhai just chuckles and shakes his head
"She and you seem to be having quite the blissful married life, traveling the stars. I am not so great a fool to risk her ire by demanding her presence and time, knowing how greatly she enjoys the adventures and journeys you have shared" He explains, and you can't help but to giggle. You spend the rest of your audience with Jinhai reflecting and reminiscing about the travels the two of you shared and telling the other the most wonderous and jade like qualities of both of your wives.
Cont
>>6247160"These are fine young men you are turning into weapons" Dai Niu greets you, coughing into the sleeve of his robes and you watch on sorrowfully to see how reduced he has become in late, thinned by age, weary by life. His hand shakes as he stands "And will be a fine spear for the great armies you are intended to lead out from Terra's gate. Though they train to be worth of being reforged into your scions. I cannot help but remember the sons I have lost, as I watch them spar and train with those lesser giants"
"I have heard you have scarcely left Chendao academy since i requested your service as a teacher and lecturer" you say as the tw of you watch the boys who will one day be astartes as they drill, competing against each other in a mock of trench warfare, lead in the effort not only by Astartes but also Dai Stalwarts and officers from their branch families and vassals
"Gang is lord Dai in all but title now. I am just returning the favors I owe to you, with what little time I have left", Niu answers, eyes watching one of the stalwarts, a man with a face marred by chemical warfare or the melting heat of laser or plasma weaponry "See, how these boys fight? They do not risk over extending, but they are not cowardly. They strike with caution but without hesitation. They are martial pragmatists, one and all. Tell me, oh man who preaches efficiency in all things, are they not up to your standards? No wasted movement, nor any opening left un-exploited!"
Dai Niu's often sad eyes sparkle with a grandfather's joy at seeing his sons' sons grow into fine young men.
"I've noticed their styles and techniques have no superfluous and unnecessary movements, Even when they walk they do not expend anymore energy than is necessary. They are magnificent, perhaps they shall surpass their predecessors when they are fully matured" You answer, applauding his efforts "and the tutors I have teaching the psykerist in their number, have reached me to compliment their progress and to inform me your lessons in pragmatism and the realists worldview you've sought to impart on them through your lectures, has translated to their method of wielding their internal power"
"I shall not pretend to know your sorcerous ways, oh man from nothing" Dai Niu chuckles "But I have noticed the difference in how the chivalrous witches in your company wield their magical might differs from the subtle and some may say, underhand tricks these boys with the blessing of Psykerism, make use of their gifts. That frightening young girl , Meixiu, has shown them they are not gods in mortal flesh, and won herself admirers in all of your gifted, yet to be sons. She, more than that old seeress Kuan im, or those twin ghost hunters, has shown them the discipline and proper path the fog wanderers must follow. All is going well in their training, as you can see and have heard"
Cont
>>6247160"I have" You say solemnly, glancing down and old Dai Niu
"And you know I am dying?" He asks
"At a glance" You answer
"A few years at most, even with the best doctors and medicine, even with the treatments offered by Lady Kanzeon and her kin" He says, stroking his beard "A cancer of the lungs, I am told"
"I'd hold no grudge or enmity towards you if you"... You began but Niu silenced you with a snap of his teeth
"This is repayment for your heroism boy. A man of the Dai clan does not buckle in the face of their mortality. Like that crazed Alchemist Shan, who showed us to the path to the stars, I shall die at my station. As a final example of what true duty looks like to these whelps!" He roared, slamming a fist into the stone railing the two of you stood over "Allow me this last dignity, this last stone toss, to ripple towards the future and scream that "I SERVED AS BEST AS I WAS ABLE! I STROVE TO BETTER THE WORLD IN EVERYWAY I COULD! I, DAI NIU, ONCE LIVED" rather than die a world weary old man haunted by the ghosts of the family accursed and bitter duty had taken from him"
You swallow back your grief and nod, awed by the man's fortitude and sense of duty.
"Then we will need to arrange for a replacement, and pick your successor, to take your place as their tutor when it is your time to pass on" You answer, and he nodded
"I have many names already picked out, of the veterans of the butcher war, who I am certain share my three views on the nature of battle, warfare and the ideals one must strive towards to master both" He answers, looking wistfully out at two boys fighting with poles in a recreation of one of the trench battles on terra, one holding the other back from a line drawn in the sand, eyes aflame and fierce as if he were defending his own home when it was but a few inches of dirt "And I have heard, you intend to take these aspirants to the wilds of Yushan, for a training exercise
"Yes, I have a scheduled check in on the progress of the Second blooming of the Vishnu lotus and the tigers of Yushan plan, and I wished to introduce these boys to my adopted children and the first of my grandchildren. if you are able..." You begin
"I will accompany them" He answers "Even if it is the death of me, to see their teacher falter and avoid responsibility for fear of his health, would soil my teachings and lessons in their impressionable minds! And I assume Meixiu will be coming as well"
"According to your accounts, the young psykerists would be disappointed if she wasn't" You answer with a smile "but, in your last letter, you mentioned several things that needed to be brought to my attention"
"Yes, but let us not stand out here in the heat of the day, and speak instead in that wonderful invention of the bask and Shuomi people from terra" He huffs and limps away
"Is a sauna not hotter than a summer day with thin fog and little mist?" You answer and Dai Niu scoffs
Cont
>>6247164"Do not question your elders, simply because you are wiser than all sages, Lieren" He scolds you
Which of these matters do you focus on, concerning the training of the Aspirants as you begin to focus most of your time on their teaching, Lieren?
>Cultivating the skills and talents of the most adept of them and raising them to take the role of officers, from both noble and common stock>The request by Dae-Hyun, Nikephoros and other astartes to allow some of the aspirants to compete in martial tournaments, where grown men are meant to fight>Dai Niu believes that the Aspirants are ready to repel a "Mock siege" launched by imperial forces and wishes your permission to arrange it.>The crushes several of the boys have for their senior Meixiu as well as the rivalries and competition that naturally occur in any group of young boys>Write in
>>6247165>Cultivating the skills and talents of the most adept of them and raising them to take the role of officers, from both noble and common stock>Dai Niu believes that the Aspirants are ready to repel a "Mock siege" launched by imperial forces and wishes your permission to arrange it.
>>6247165>Cultivating the skills and talents of the most adept of them and raising them to take the role of officers, from both noble and common stock>The crushes several of the boys have for their senior Meixiu as well as the rivalries and competition that naturally occur in any group of young boysWe should probably intervene in the psyker rivalry, given that hormonal teenagers with something to prove don't mix well with access to demonic powers from beyond the veil.
>>6247165>Cultivating the skills and talents of the most adept of them and raising them to take the role of officers, from both noble and common stock>The request by Dae-Hyun, Nikephoros and other astartes to allow some of the aspirants to compete in martial tournaments, where grown men are meant to fight
>>6247165>>Cultivating the skills and talents of the most adept of them and raising them to take the role of officers, from both noble and common stock>Dai Niu believes that the Aspirants are ready to repel a "Mock siege" launched by imperial forces and wishes your permission to arrange it.
>>6247165>>Cultivating the skills and talents of the most adept of them and raising them to take the role of officers, from both noble and common stock>>The request by Dae-Hyun, Nikephoros and other astartes to allow some of the aspirants to compete in martial tournaments, where grown men are meant to fight
>>6247165>>Cultivating the skills and talents of the most adept of them and raising them to take the role of officers, from both noble and common stock>The crushes several of the boys have for their senior Meixiu as well as the rivalries and competition that naturally occur in any group of young boys
>>6247165>>Cultivating the skills and talents of the most adept of them and raising them to take the role of officers, from both noble and common stock>The crushes several of the boys have for their senior Meixiu as well as the rivalries and competition that naturally occur in any group of young boys
>>6247165>Cultivating the skills and talents of the most adept of them and raising them to take the role of officers, from both noble and common stock
>>6247165>V: 8>Cultivating the skills and talents: 8>The request by Dae-Hyun: 2>Dai Niu believes that the Aspirants are ready to repel a "Mock siege": 2>The crushes several of the boys have for their senior Meixiu: 3>Write in: 0
>>6247164>>Cultivating the skills and talents of the most adept of them and raising them to take the role of officers, from both noble and common stock>>The request by Dae-Hyun, Nikephoros and other astartes to allow some of the aspirants to compete in martial tournaments, where grown men are meant to fight
>Cultivating the skills and talents of the most adept of them and raising them to take the role of officers, from both noble and common stock
>The request by Dae-Hyun, Nikephoros and other astartes to allow some of the aspirants to compete in martial tournaments, where grown men are meant to fight
>The crushes several of the boys have for their senior Meixiu as well as the rivalries and competition that naturally occur in any group of young boys
Sorry Dai Niu we promise our boys will have enough sieges for a thousand lifetimes. Later.
Calling the vote now, sorry for the really long wait. Summer heat is just killing me
>>6247943And with
>>6247984>>6249390these two votes taken into account, raising the final total to 10
And the final count of
Cultivating the skills/ talents of the best of the first crop of recruits to make them officers: 10
Dae-Hyun and co's request for martial tournaments: 4
Dai Niu's mock siege plan: 2
The crushes some of the boys have on Meixiu: 4
And by rule of one less than half
Lieren will primarily focus on honing and personally cultivating those boys he sees as having the highest potential of the aspirants, while also preparing/allowing a few of them to compete in martial tourneys and keeping an eye on the lovelorn youngsters
Writing now
The boys who will one day rise as astartes and march to commit a galactic war in defiance of all the silence and chaos between the austere and serene stars, adapt well to the climate of Yushan and quickly prove that the familial bonds between the tiger folk and their elder brothers from terra was no mere joyous fluke, as your first sons and daughters quickly embrace the boys from across the many valleys of Shangrala as their kin and friends as well. And while the aspirants become accustomed to their new quarters and habitat, you check on the first of your grandchildren, taking full advantage of the rare leisurely time to know the names of the first of a new generation of Tiger Folk. Some are pure blooded, born of between the union of adoptive brother and sister, others are the result of the genetic manipulation and alteration performed by Kanzeon and her sisters to allow their abhuman strain to interbreed with common humanity and other forks of the lineage of mankind. But all of them are healthy, all of them are strong, and all of them are blissfully unaware of the degeneration, monstrosity and ultimate tragedy of their forebearers
Surprisingly, the visnhu who have taken Yushan as their new home alongside the tiger folk, get along remarkably well with the native Yushanians, who seem to appreciate their more pastoral and wild ways of living compared to the colonists who despite being frontiersmen still ultimately enjoy the comforts and safety of civilization to the wild though tempered wilderness than fungal intelligences cultivate and care for. And you here there is a pact in place, between the colonists and vishnu with the Yushanians, to act as additional protectors and balancers of the delicate equilibrium of their gardens by way of assisting in the seasonal culling of certain fauna and flora that even the masters of biochemical manipulation find a struggle to keep well in check.
The Yushanians take great care not to offend you, recalling the terror of their first encounter with you, when you were set against eachother as opponents, but you take equally great care to show them that you do not hold the crimes of the radical and reactionary of their species against the whole of their kind. Though, Kanzeon does use their eagerness to appease their new neighbors to create a strange form of household feline that little resembles the common house cat from a few dna sequences the fungus lend to her. The Yushan cat, quickly proves a rather popular pet amongst all denizens of the jade jungle.
You, the senior most of your Astartes, and ailing Dai Niu all observe the first training exercises of the aspirants upon Yushan, that are mercifully lenient and not at all difficult to allow their bodies and psyches to adjust to their new environments.
Cont
>>6249449A handful of them will, after sometime spent training within the plains and jungles of Yushan, will be allowed to participate in martial tourneys back upon Shangrala, as a test to prove that they have mastered the lessons given by trainers and are on the path of becoming worthy astartes. A trial that was born of a flight of whimsy that spread like contagion from Dae-Hyun to Nikephoros and hence to the other most elite, favored and loyal of your sons. And while the contests they are eyeing to send the aspirants to are meant for grown men, you are confident they will if not win then at least progress far in the brackets of the tournament and give several of Shangralas most haughty warriors a well needed humbling.
And due to the insistence of both your wife and old man Dai, you keep a close eye on the boys who have found themselves enamored with the boisterous and fierce spirited Meixiu. It isn't rare or at all surprising for young boys to feel a one sided yearning towards older girls. Crushes like these are natural, as are the rivalries and competitions for her affection and attention that arise due to them. You are certain those boys will not spend long fawning over her, and their childish love and dreams will pass as quick as they came like a summer shower. But, you are also aware rivalries started by such childish reasons can grow and ferment into true grudges, and have promised to intercede to prevent such an occurrence from happening or if any of the boys look to falling victim to their own jealously. All of the boys who are fond of Meixiu are psykerists, which means emotional turmoil is not only a poison to them but a risk to those around them, but a life lived without passions, fleeting or lasting is barely a life at all. And, you trust Meixiu to set any who stray close to disaster straight before you must take action.
She has after all, despite her youth, taken on the mantle as the guardian of the souls of her fellow wanderers in the fog and you suspect, she has slain an evil spirit or two hence Guozhi's passing into his next life. Though even your golden eyes cannot find proof of such delinquency.
But tournaments and childhood crushes are simply minor distractions, that you only pay as much attention and energy towards as needed, as you note that amongst the school of aspirants there are a select few who possess innate talents and natural skill far more remarkable and noteworthy than their fellows, who account for some of the most naturally brilliant and able-bodied of their generation across several of the states of Shangrala and provinces of Long-Jia themselves.
And it is these eight young boys who you, and the seniormost of your astartes, recognize to have the potential to be groomed and cultivated to fill the role of officer in the legion your father on terra even now prepares for you.
Cont
>>6249450The first is a peasant boy from Bask, called Adur, who had been squiring for one of the lesser known and less renown orders of chivalry there when he had been found to be a good candidate for geneseed implantation from the numerous and continued medical screenings. He calls himself Plain Adur and is of a most humble and earnest nature, quiet voiced and of a peaceable and agreeable temperament. Yet, when he is given a sword, he becomes very much like you in battle and with mechanical efficiency and little to no remorse overcomes all who test their blades against him.
Second is Tao Zian, a nephew of Tao Dandan. He is a sullen, dour boy who little resembles his aunt, with sharp tongue and cynical attitude. But put a rifle in his hands and he is second only to Sharpshooters like Feng and the other brothers of the panther and has what Nikephoros describes as, the perfect personality for a sniper, as despite his rough personality he does not easily ire or grow annoyed.
Third is a the son of Shuni Journeymen who had renounced their faith and joined in the rebellion against Kamal Kanan under the command of Tahir Azzi/ Luo Zedong. His name is Khaliq Mina and his a dreamer, an artistic soul, prone to poeticisms and flights of fancy, more carefree than most and one of the strongest psykers of the first wave of aspiriants, with a natural talent for the school of pyskerism Magnus refers to as Biomancy but that you and the wanderers of Fog refer to as the "Breath Within", and is naturally charming and easily makes friends
Fourth is from A Kang branch family. Kang Fan. And he is a serious youth, preoccupied with honor and as unbending as iron when it comes to his three views of the world and personal virtues. But he, amongst the aspirants, cannot be beaten in terms of defense, fighting with a style that is a hybrid of Dai Stalwart and Kang Charger techniques that renders him a crashing landslide with shield and hammer in hand. He is one of the boldest aspirants and has even snapped at you for employing a "Dishonorable" and "Dirty" tactic to beat him in a game of Go.
Fifth is a peasant from the Hellias city states, an orphan who was found by the white lotus and oracle breed doctors, wandering the waterways, and who was dubbed Okeanos . He is mute, but of a boisterous and spirited personality, being close friends with several of the younger Se'ah'in and Oracle breed, and is another psyker who has a deep connection with water and can hold his breath without assistance for near an hour. He spends most of his time swimming or practicing the carp dance; and may one day surpass you in both arts.
Cont
>>6249451The sixth is the sixth son of a Zorastrian merchant house, Ardvan Sina, and is of contemplative nature and somber personality, contented and avoiding unnecessary comforts or distractions when he can. And he is a skilled boxer with a knack for the century tortoise style you invented upon Nuceria and with a mind for urban warfare and logistics. He also happens to have a passion for cooking and has earned Kanzeon's fondness through his expertise in the kitchen
Seventh is a boy you suspect has descent from the extinct Cui clan, as he came from that region and much resembles their last lord, Cui Fu. Yet he little resembles that spartan and bloodthirsty lineage, and was born blessed with a peace seeking heart and serene mind with a great love for life, his fellow man and wild places. He is also considered by Dai Niu to be a remarkable tank commander even though he is but a boy, and has nearly as much knowledge of warmachines as their manufacturers.
And the eighth is, New Varroican, Lee Fox, dubbed and nicknamed "Painkiller" by Chul-Moo, is a smartmouthed, comedic minded and flippant youth who has excellent dexterity and a quickdraw that'd have earn him fame on his homeworld, but who despite his carefree nature is drawn and excels at the medical arts, both traditional, folk, modern and advance and is apprenticed by a white lotus doctor and Al-Uzza.
These eight are the most talented and skilled of the aspirants, and you, both subtly and not, given them chance to improve their natural excellence and prove their worth as the leaders of their brothers and classmates, with hidden tests and private lessons, lectures and tutoring. And they do not disappoint and quickly become known as "The eight young princes", a shared epithet granted to them by Dai Niu in an attempt to rouse the other trainees to strive to surpass them. And Meixiu gives Minas and Okeanos the mocking title of "Those Two Monkeys", after besting them twelve times in a sequence as they try and prove themselves her equal. And you have to explain that some gaps cannot be overcome, like the innate limits of a psykers power, and that Meixiu surpasses them by several magnitudes. They take the beating, lesson learned and insulting epithet all in stride, and the two become thick as thieves and close as brothers both of blood and oath, afterwards. Their smiling faces remind you painfully of the likes of Liang and Jiang, Rong and Zian, Bai and Xin
The eight princes and the other aspirants, surmount every challenge and obstacle and adapt quickly to the increasingly harsh and demanding exercise regimes and rigorous tests of both scholarly and physical natures. And pleased with their improvements as a class and individuals, you decide to give all the aspirants a challenge, a tribulation that shall reforge and refine them as soldiers and warriors.
Cont
>>6249452A tribulation that will be designed to test the eight princes and their leadership capabilities you have sought to cultivate personally in particular....
And what is the trial you have the aspirants face, Lieren?
>To "Survive" a mock battle with fully realized astartes, with you taking charge of their opponents. And then, afterwards, to battle amongst themselves.>A test of wilderness survivial and ingenuity, to be dropped in the most inhospitable climates of the worlds of Long-Jia, and escape by their own cunning.>Put them in a simulated battle ground against several renowned regiments of the imperial army, and the Terran regiments, all lead by some of the renowned generals of Long-Jia>Tell them they must capture Carys or one of her followers, without any support or assistance by their astarte elders. Then challenge them to do the same with volunteers of the various xenos and abhumans irregulars of the imperial army>Write in
>>6249452Just noticed I deleted No:7's name during some quick edits and forgot to put it back
Seventh of the eight princes, the one with Cui blood, is called Shun
>>6249453Ok major Legion Recruitment moment, the first proper trial except for general conditioning.
>Write in>Catch the Foxes TailThis is a test of Endurance, sacrifice, cunning and teamwork but also encourages individual action.
Across the numerous worlds vast cornered off preserves will be marked, these areas will remain untamed and dangerous. At each side (decided by the directions of each locales sun rise and sun set) there shall be a Temple. Aspirants will be dropped in these areas via chute at random and have to find a way to survive, but that is half the test. The second is to leave the Bounds of these "Crucibles" on must present "A Fox Tail".
A Fox Tail is a simple thing carried by Elite Baselines whom will Patrol the Crucibles taking paths between the two boundary Temples for both general security but also to keep an eye on whats going on. The Aspirants need only take a Tail and bring it to either Temple to 'escape'.
As an added bonus there will be one squad of Astartes whom patrol on their own with a "Golden Tail" which while granting no direct benefit will mark one as a greater aspiring soul.
(This means not only will the locations change but also the patrolling Elites so there can be no prelearned way through, instead focus on the objective, adapt and overcome!)
>>6249453>Write inThese boys are to be Brothers one day, to stand side by side just as you will with yours. As your future officers, the heavy burden of command will fall to them, the cruelties of leadership will follow the respect demanded by their skill. Therefore, their test should be a brutal one, one that you will expect them to fail. Grant them the ranks of Cadet Officers, and have them not just lead a series of mock campaigns against your full-grown Sons, but a several-month multi-front war that includes Carys trickier followers, cantankerous fauna of Yushan guided carefully the fungal natives, the mortal elite of the Imperial Army, and perhaps even the xeno Auxiliaries willing to test their mettle. Their weapons? Paintball guns, paint brushes, and catapults of paint balloons, to prevent any potential true injuries. "Medical" supplies will be mock-ups to allow recovery of injured, and "Losses" can redeploy as fresh transfers after a week to reflect on their virtues and failings. With the most observant and critical of your sons, Carys's followers, and your Jade Betrothed, you will observe their every victory and loss, who they choose as their aides and command staff, how they bsnd together in valiant stands and how they grind with the friction of defeat. It will also give you insights onto potential future squads and formations. As their future general, it will be your responsibility to know all of the capabilities and weaknesses they have, to utilize them best and to hammer out their flaws. Perhaps, if they show promise, you may even grant them the boon battling alongside (or against) their future gene-sire.
>>6249453>Write inWe could do a mix of brotherhood of the panther training and custodes blood games training to test these candidates survival, ingenuity, and cunning.
We can drop them into the wilderness with high profile target marks from volunteers, such as current legion officers / Jin hai / ourselves / our current panther brotherhood.
They would have to either as a group or an individual hunt and "eliminate" there target to the best of their ability. They could have special training weapons to keep things non lethal so there's no friendly fire, or they could be set up to steal items.
Similar to
>>6249470
>>6249451>has even snapped at you for employing a "Dishonorable" and "Dirty" tactic to beat him in a game of Go.lmao what
>>6249490I think this one could be good. Because we're training them to be officers, we should assign each of them a small squad to assume command of in their hunt while scaling up the resistance accordingly. I also like
>>6249470 's idea of an exceptionally dangerous "Golden Tail" that they might attempt to seek instead to challenge and distinguish themselves.
>To "Survive" a mock battle with fully realized astartes, with you taking charge of their opponents. And then, afterwards, to battle amongst themselves.
>A test of wilderness survivial and ingenuity, to be dropped in the most inhospitable climates of the worlds of Long-Jia, and escape by their own cunning.
Combining those two somehow would be good. Survival against overwhelming odds+high environmental adaptation is how i would envision our boys.Not entirely in love with the write-ins. Keep in mind that whatever we pick would likely be repeated for a thousand generations after we are gone are you sure you want to potentially empower fox demon with warp resonance over generations? Wouldn't it be for the best to follow the emperor's way and let the fox be forgotten? Also don't feel like reading about our boys waging a massive military campaign nothing against it just not feeling it. I like >>No.6249490 # idea i think it's close enough to what i would like to see.
>>6249528>are you sure you want to potentially empower fox demon with warp resonance over generations?I was thinking more along the lines of Yan Zihao the Old Fox, the virtuous Yan general whose signature technique was something along the lines of "chasing the fox's tail", charging boldly yet deceptively and baiting enemies into pursuing.
Even then, it's not like it literally has to be named that.
>>6249697Yan Zihao didn't have signature techniques. He avoided that trap.
But you are right, he was able to use the tactic because of his great fame.
>>6249453>support >>6249489I want them to need to suffer the difficulties of command.
>>6249453>To "Survive" a mock battle with fully realized astartes, with you taking charge of their opponents. And then, afterwards, to battle amongst themselves.>Put them in a simulated battle ground against several renowned regiments of the imperial army, and the Terran regiments, all lead by some of the renowned generals of Long-Jia
>>6249470>SupportingThis is perhaps the perfect start for our legion, seeking the best values we seek in Astartes. An achievable goal, a risky treasure, and all the tests they need to pass using the lessons instilled into them.
I would also add that this trial be kept secret until the moment they are dropped into it, to addtionally test their adaptability with new challenges.
>>6249453>>A test of wilderness survivial and ingenuity, to be dropped in the most inhospitable climates of the worlds of Long-Jia, and escape by their own cunning.the eight princes huh. Not bad not bad. These kids are more worthy of this title than those Yan princes we executed in the past.
>>6249470>SupportingNot bad
>>6249470I'll switch to supporting this I suppose, but I am going to request that you name them anything but Fox Tails because on reflection
>>6249528 isn't wrong that inadvertently empowering chaos is a thing in-universe.
>>6249470Ok fair change it to Panthers tail and we're golden
If we have to choose between fox tail and panthers tail i rather choose a fox tail. >>No.6249750# does have a point that old bastard Yan Zihao deserved for his name to echo in eternity, shame Lieren never got to face him personally.
Also i would rather avoid turning our legion into space wolves, if you must reference our third prey in some manner, invest one of the sects from our ever-fracturing legion with responsibility to carry the legacy of panther brotherhood across the stars then volunteer Feng's son as the Head of the sect i am sure he would be delighted to take up his father mantle and spend more time with him. Little Chen would do well too but he and sand dip have a greater destiny elsewhere.
Hmm...Golden tail... Steal a golden tail... Where have i seen that before? Gentlemen. Do you understand that we are making our aspirants play "Fall guys" against fully realised astartes for this tribulation? Because I am greatly amused if so.
The Tail shall be sewn from the primarch soul and treasured as a trophy until stars expire.*Giggle*
>>6250032Compromise: The regular objects are just generic tokens, but the special one is Zihao's Golden Tail where the training forces won't hold back. Those versed in Shangrala's history will recognize the warning that seeking it is very ill-advised, while those who choose to do so anyway will have to match themselves against the full prowess of the commander in charge of protecting it.
>>6250157Learning the history of the tail is gonna be a trip for the 40k guys.
>So this general is on par with the unbroken generals howlYup
>And in the battle where he lost and prosperity triumphed he was; Knocked off a speeding horse by Dongs spear, run down by calvery of Song, Tangled with a Vishnu screamer chieftain, shot in the chest, pressed into a melee, survived the direct attentions of Dandan's orchestra, and through it all got up and marched on the victorious army with confidence, a sword and nothing else.Yep.
>And he was in his 60sDon't make em like they used to.
How about this:"My children do you know who can be called a dynasty hero?A dynasty hero is the one who holds lofty ambitions in his bossom and grand strategems in his mind. A dynasty hero is the one who can read designs of the universe and encompass them in the palm of his hand. Capture the Golden Tail and prove your ability to become a hero of the dynasty in the vein of Yan Zihao."
>>6249453>V: 12>To "Survive" a mock battle with fully realized astartes: 2>A test of wilderness survivial and ingenuity: 2>Put them in a simulated battle ground: 1>Tell them they must capture Carys: 0>Write in: 3>>Catch the Foxes Tail: 6>>>Minor change, unsure if the writer of the write in approved it, but changing minor tokens from the regular version to "Panthers tail" and the special ones to "Golden fox tail" if I understand correctly.>>The Boys: 2>>Do a mix: 1Me: xD
>Support: Catch the Foxes Tail
Calling the vote now. Sorry for the wait, but 100+ degree weather does not vibe with me nor my machines.
>>6251312Thank you for counting the vote, though I counted
>>6250473as a 13th vote. Doesn't change the outcome at all, but bears pointing out.
So the catch the fox tail plan is what Lieren will go forward with. A test of endurance, sacrifice, cunning and teamwork...
writing now
Across numerous worlds, both those claimed by cosmic settlers and those yet untouched by the advance of Long-Jian civilization, preserves are cornered off and marked, prepared for the coming trials and enshrined for as long as your legion requires them as places of truly untamed wilderness at its most dangerous and unpredictable. Two temples are built upon opposite sides of the training preserves, chosen dependent on the point the local sun is observed to rise towards the horizon at dawn and where it vanishes below it at dusk.
The initial challenge presented in this new exercise is for aspirants undergoing the test to be transported across the training ground at random locations and bid to survive on nothing but their wits and instinct, being given only the utmost necessity of equipment and survival gear to assist them on the venture, having to forage or craft all else during their extended stay. This is just the initial trial, and any who falter and fail will be taken, as such a pointless and cruel waste of life is offensive to you to even imagine. The second point, is the key to allow them to end the trial victorious and by their own terms escape the crucibles with their heads held high and proudly
And that is to capture tokens in the form of fur tails, of fox, of jackals, of panthers, and of other more exotic and alien predators. These tokens are held by the wardens of the preserves, who are also those who will watch for any aspirants at risk of succumbing to the elements or other dangers within, who will be tasked to patrol the bounds of the trial grounds as well as perform custodial maintenance and care for facility and its natural inhabitants and features and prevent interlopers or curious wanderers from stumbling into a crucible intended only for those capable of being re-made into space marines.
And, during each trial, they shall be joined by a squad of veteran astartes, who carry a golden tail, which provides no other benefit but marking those who successfully take one as possessing particular talent and skill beyond that of his fellow aspirants, who are all held to an immense and strict standard.
And you call these trials, The pursuit of the old fox's tail, in honor of one of if not the greatest general ever born upon Shangrala, the man who redeemed the name and lineage of Yan in some small measure, the late Yan Zihao. Dai Niu approves most whole heartedly, and while you prepare the aspirants for the first of these games by having them attend lectures about the life and brilliance of the old fox, without telling them or warning them of the challenges they shall soon face; Dai Niu commissions the first "Golden tail"
A century Tortoise shell covered in an golden lacquer and marked with Dai Niu's personal war banner.
"It may be my last gift to these brilliant young men" He explains, as he entrusts the relic to Dae-Hyun, who requested most humbly to be the leader of the bearers of the first golden tail.
Cont
>>6251677<Preserved Artifact #108, listed in the inventory of the reliquary of the <Data undergoing repair and re-analysis> of space marines. The artifact is a remarkably well preserved shell of a biological lifeform that is native to the Dai region of the traditional Long-Jian provinces of the world Shangrala. A century tortoise that lived to a remarkable age even by the standards of its species. It is encased within an lacquer colored with pigment derived from gold ore powder. Drawn on its surface with red ink, is the banner of Dai Niu, a figure fondly remembered by the scions of the genetic lineage of Lieren of Nothing, whom some of the <Data under going scheduled pruning and fact checking> consider to be something of a spiritual ideal and strive to this day to live and wage war according to the tenants passed down still in his clan, most notably in the renowned 101st Armored division the "Second sons of Dai"
Also inscribed, hidden within the inner shell, is a message delivered by way of a poem, written by the general's own aged hands, that reads thus
"Sought a tail of fox
Found instead a gilded shell
Bright as your future"
New addition, note penned by the current warden of these records : This poem proved to be somewhat prophetic, according to the verified historical accounts of the first Astarte to claim the shell during one of their more rigorous war games, it surprises me to discover the true face and character of the man still treated as a villain on the side of righteousness by many Shangralan sourced theaters and plays. I must admit, reading with my own eyes the truth of a contemporary of the "Last hero of Yan" and one of the generals who fought beside primarch Lieren in his youth, Dai Niu, brought a feeling of sorrow and outrage rare for those in my line of work. But reading the short, grandfatherly bond Lord Niu had with the oft praised and widely remembered..."
_
"Shun" You say proudly, looking at the face that reminds you so much of Cui Fu, even starved and grimy from months spent in the fiercest wilderness you could find "I shall be proud to count you amongst my sons, when the time comes and you are ready. You may be the eighth of the princes to leave this crucible, having lead the aspirants under your command through the fallow and harsh seasons while the others had broken from this cage of vines and thorns during the prosperous and plentiful seasons, you did so with a far greater prize than they had found"
Shun blinked wearily, warily, having grown a health sense of caution in the long trial he had endured when all other tails had been taken by his fellows.
"I don't understand, Lord of the giant's road" He says quietly, voice barely audible over the cheering and crying of his subordinates, who are grateful to have finished their grueling durance alive and to be allowed to leave the sweltering heat of the deep Yushanian jungle
Cont
>>6251678"You are the first thief of a golden tail, or in this case shell. The seven others, your rivals and peers, took far duller tokens to bargain for their release. They overcame and outwitted veteran soldiers, elite troops from Shangrala, Terra or even New Varro. But you, Shun of Cui, managed to out-fox Dae-hyun!" You boom, kneeling down at his level and ruffling his hair "The great Terran bear! The Bulwark of the imperium! The Valorous. The indomitable. The fortunate son The first Legion master of my sons and the only to proceed myself"
Dae-Hyun grins, despite Shun keeping his own bolter trained to the back of his head. Shun blinks again, staring at the patch of woodland you had emerged from with Kanzeon and the other princes, who stare in awe at the golden shell Shun is leaning upon for support
"I don't get it still, forgive me, I was never too sharp, Lord Nothing" Shun says awkwardly
"He means, Son, that you've earned yourself a whole hell lot of face and my respect! You're just a kid, and you captured an old war dog like myself, whose survived the worst the unification wars, the butcher's wars and the unsaddeling of the High riders could throw at me. You're gonna do great things, Kid. Shun...Little Brother Shun" Dae-Hyun laughs as Shun finally realizes the magnitude of his achievement and begins to tear up and blubber, overcome with emotion and relief.
"Master Dai is going to be so happy to hear this!" He cheers
Your smile wilts and you bow your head.
"Dai Niu was not able to join us today, he is bedridden , the tragic general is racing to join his sons in death and headed to whatever awaits him beyond this life" You gently explain to the already crying boy. And Shun makes you proud, he fights back his tears, restrains his sorrow and looks you directly in your eyes for a full twelve seconds to make a single request
"Allow me a reprieve from my training, so I may be by his death bed and hear all the wisdom he may yet share with me" He asks of you
and you allow it. And the moment Dai Gang hears of this request, he, going over the heads of the rest of his clan and all protocol, immediately adopts Shun into the Dai Family. A move the ailing Dai Niu quietly permits. And upon the family register, Dai Shun's name appears as a grandson of Niu, who had no father recorded.
And, in Dai Niu's last night, he gives the Seventh of the Eight princes his first personal epithet
Shun of the Golden Shell.
Cont
>>6251679With the ending of the first pursuit of the old fox's tail and the passing of Dai Niu, what is your next foremost priority
>Selecting Niu's replacements from the list of candidates he provided and attending the tournaments the aspirants are competing in with Kanzeon>Covertly assisting the Scarlet Spider's web of assassins and spies and the Nameless in weeding out less obvious threats to Long-Jia as its borders and number of worlds expands rapidly>Meeting with the ruling caste of the Eternal Celestial Engine, who have been annoying your with requests to meet Kanzeon and her sisters>Speak with your brothers, and ask about their own personal projects before meeting with Eldrad to discuss the other imperiled brother you were given a vision of>Write in
>>6251681>Speak with our brothers.Hang on Lorgar
>>6251690He’s already become a narcissist by this point.
>>6251681>Meeting with the ruling caste of the Eternal Celestial Engine, who have been annoying your with requests to meet Kanzeon and her sistersWe have not seen this world nor people yet so let's get too it. We need to lock down close to home before we deal with Lorgar...we're too late on that front. Let things take their course till the Emperor takes him
>write inAsk Carys how things went and check on our Aeldari
>>6251681>Speak with your brothers, and ask about their own personal projects before meeting with Eldrad to discuss the other imperiled brother you were given a vision ofTime to talk with the lads, and see where things are standing right now also how the Eldar are handling us not being shits.
>>6251681Speak with your brothers, and ask about their own personal projects before meeting with Eldrad to discuss the other imperiled brother you were given a vision of
>>6251681>>Speak with your brothers, and ask about their own personal projects before meeting with Eldrad to discuss the other imperiled brother you were given a vision of
>Selecting Niu's replacements from the list of candidates he provided and attending the tournaments the aspirants are competing in with Kanzeon
>Meeting with the ruling caste of the Eternal Celestial Engine, who have been annoying your with requests to meet Kanzeon and her sisters.
I would like to check out celestial engine and massacre to make sure they are integrating properly and secure Jinhai's conquests. I don't necessarily mind guiding Lorgar out of the cycles of hatred and guilt for the next 5 threads however it would be for the best if we did that after the first generation of aspirants is implanted and not before, wouldn't want kanzeon to do a rush job on them just because Jinhai decided to drop the ball on everything and aid us again aren't no way the youths allow themselves to be left behind when that happens.
>>6251681>Meeting with the ruling caste of the Eternal Celestial Engine, who have been annoying your with requests to meet Kanzeon and her sistersI'm guessing the "Eternal Celestial Engine" is a massive DAoT ship like the Phalanx or maybe a Blackstone Fortress.
>>6251681>Meeting with the ruling caste of the Eternal Celestial Engine, who have been annoying your with requests to meet Kanzeon and her sisters>Speak with your brothers, and ask about their own personal projects before meeting with Eldrad to discuss the other imperiled brother you were given a vision of
>>6251681>Meeting with the ruling caste of the Eternal Celestial Engine, who have been annoying your with requests to meet Kanzeon and her sisters>Covertly assisting the Scarlet Spider's web of assassins and spies and the Nameless in weeding out less obvious threats to Long-Jia as its borders and number of worlds expands rapidlyTravelling the new worlds both goes a long with and covers looking for chaos dum dums before they get established.
>>6251681>Covertly assisting the Scarlet Spider's web of assassins and spies and the Nameless in weeding out less obvious threats to Long-Jia as its borders and number of worlds expands rapidly>Meeting with the ruling caste of the Eternal Celestial Engine, who have been annoying your with requests to meet Kanzeon and her sisters>Speak with your brothers, and ask about their own personal projects before meeting with Eldrad to discuss the other imperiled brother you were given a vision of
>>6251681>>Selecting Niu's replacements from the list of candidates he provided and attending the tournaments the aspirants are competing in with Kanzeon>Meeting with the ruling caste of the Eternal Celestial Engine, who have been annoying your with requests to meet Kanzeon and her sisters
>>6251681>V: 11>Selecting Niu's replacement: 2>Covertly assisting the Scarlet Spider's web of assassins and spies and the Nameless: 2>Meeting with the ruling caste of the Eternal Celestial Engine: 7>Speak with your brothers: 6>Write in: 1>>Ask Carys: 1
>>6251681>>Covertly assisting the Scarlet Spider's web of assassins and spies and the Nameless in weeding out less obvious threats to Long-Jia as its borders and number of worlds expands rapidlyHelping the Qian House is always important, the Scarlet Spider service is a necessity and fundamental for the empire. Tyrants are not needed, and our friend Elazar would also agree on killing those not just evil spirits.
>>Meeting with the ruling caste of the Eternal Celestial Engine, who have been annoying your with requests to meet Kanzeon and her sistersThey joined Shangrila prosperity on their own initiative, and accepted the mandate of the dynasty of the Dragon Carp of Long-Jia. We should encounter them and see their world, even if their reaction .... well remember the reaction of that techpriest that was brought at our weeding lol. The Long-Jia style poetic naming hints to a likely Mechanicus Forge World, artificial to a certain extent if not fully. It could be also moving around its solar system. I wonder if there is a connection with the past of the sisters here.
Like another anon pointed out there is also the tribal world of Massacre to visit. They also joined willingly Shangrila. And they are slowing being civilized out of their barbarian condition.
I concur we need to do regular check ups on Xia and the nameless if not now than in the nearby future. The imperial family in particular must not be allowed to catch chaos infection.
There's a common narrative thread running through the entirety of chinese history that good, loyal retainers get ignored or fucked over, which after enough time leads to all filial, competent people committing suicide alongside their whole families leaving the imperial court a helpless prey for rebels and barbarians. (This is how Zhou dynasty considered foundational for chinese culture was founded).
The best example of this would probably be the fall of the Yuan Dynasty.
Toqto'a the good chancellor of the Yuan spent his entire life upholding the Yuan.He fought off many warlords, rebels(including a bunch of insane cultists attempting to refine peasants into immortality potions) and had to deal with every, single natural disaster you can think of.His policies of:1) Siding with confucians on every single religious issue and telling everyone else to go fuck themselves for talking gibberish. 2) Recruiting and training up local volunteers for the political positions rather than giving them away as bribes to placate rebellious nobles as tradition demands. 3) Building massive infrastructure projects and funding charity works. Had prolonged the agony of the Yuan for as long as he was alive.
Sure he had to kill and torture an enormous number of nobles but it paid off since the retainers he had uplifted showed a surprising tendency of "not switching sides or running away at the first sign of personal danger".
However when he was about to embark on pacification campaign in the region of Shandong and eliminate the last stronghold of the red turban revolt Toqto'a had received an imperial decree sending him into an early retirement, Toqto'a complied and accepted his exile to Yunnan where he was eventually assassinated.
What followed was a bizarre sequence of events that ends up with wealthy, influential confucians ,closely associated with Toqto'a, each of which was capable of pacifying an entire province by himself, committing ritual suicide alongside their entire clans. This caused the remaining confucians to lose their marbles, join the rebels and scream at the city streets that "mandate of heaven has fallen" while demanding vengeance for their teachers and colleagues making the fall of the Yuan the matter of days.
We should learn from this.
>>6252313>V: 12>Selecting Niu's replacement: 2>Covertly assisting the Scarlet Spider's web of assassins and spies and the Nameless: 3>Meeting with the ruling caste of the Eternal Celestial Engine: 8>Speak with your brothers: 6>Write in: 1>>Ask Carys: 1
>>6251681>Meeting with the ruling caste of the Eternal Celestial Engine, who have been annoying your with requests to meet Kanzeon and her sisters>Speak with your brothers, and ask about their own personal projects before meeting with Eldrad to discuss the other imperiled brother you were given a vision of
>>6253320>V: 13>Selecting Niu's replacement: 2>Covertly assisting the Scarlet Spider's web of assassins and spies and the Nameless: 3>Meeting with the ruling caste of the Eternal Celestial Engine: 9>Speak with your brothers: 7>Write in: 1>>Ask Carys: 1
Calling the vote now. Sorry for the long wait.
>>6253457Alright, thanks for counting XD
So Lieren will first meet with the ruling caste of Eternal Celestial Engine, before speaking with his brothers and their goings-on, before meeting with Eldrad to discuss a brother yet nameless in his eyes
Writing now
>>6251778>>6252877Eternal Celestial Engine was called Epsilon Orion V8 prior to petitioning Jinhai for vassalage
>>6253054Lieren did cover the imperial palace in null denouncement charms and warn Jinhai about the threat. But Chaos did subvert the previous dynasties who had overthrown their predecessors. But then again, those guys didn't have a Primarch with an EXTREME level of contempt for Chaos shittery
The training of the Aspirants continues after their conquering of the greatest test they have yet faced. However you must depart for a moment for personal matters ; and in the interim of selecting their next teacher from amongst the pool of candidates hand picked by the late Lord Dai Niu, you leave the most veteran and senior most of your gene-sons to resume their teaching after allowing the young boys an acceptable and dignified mourning period.
While you had intended to speak with your brothers and inform them of your recent business while asking of their own personal projects and ambitions and the goings-on of their respective adoptive homeworlds as you traveled to meet with your gracious host of Ulthwe, Eldrad, who you now considered a dear friend for the trust and faith he kept in you, the lessons he has taught you and the assistance he has given you and your family. However, another, equally pressing matter came to your attention or rather reared its head again.
The ruling technocratic Council of Eternal Celestial Engine, Formerly Epsilon Orion 8, has been ceaseless in seeking an audience with you. Or rather with your wife. Your wife and her sisters. They are not, to your knowledge, yet aware of the true nature of their existence or birth. However, one of the reasons they had submitted themselves to Long Jia as vassals rather than allies or trade partners, is that upon meeting with Jinhai and his advisors they were mesmerized and greatly impressed by the quality and sophistication of the technology of Shangrala. In particular the seamless and natural appearing augmentations and cybernetic prosthetics and upon learning that most of the advancements and high technological innovations originated from your household, they have been all but demanding a meeting with you.
And being of an industrious and bureaucratic nature, they have been sending repeating requests to both the ministry of development, your residence in nothing and through encrypted channels to various close acquaintances and friends of yours. It is more annoying than it is troubling, but considering you are planning on passing through the space near their residence, you can no longer put off and make excuses for why you've ignored their insistent requests to host you upon their world.
"Eternal Celestial Engine" You speak to the void dispassionately as you see the world they had transformed or perhaps the vessel they had expanded to resemble a world. A constantly glowing, churning mass of industry straight from your nightmares, were pursuit of progress and industrial manufacturing surpasses good sense and the factories consume all that surrounds them, spreading like iron weeds to cover an entire biosphere.
Cont
>>6253862"I'd agree that it is directly out of my nightmares as well" Kanzeon muses, fanning herself as the two of you gaze down at the world constantly aglow yet dimmed by the vapors expelled by their vast factories "However there are worlds far more polluted and worse off than the engine, and they are in the process of scrubbing their air and what remains of their soil to get into Jinhai's good favor"
"I've heard that the envoys and administrators sent to it have all complained greatly about the conditions of the world, beyond mere environmental concerns" You continue as Kanzeon snaps her fan shut
"By the standards of the martian brotherhood, it was already remarkably environmentally conscious for a forge world. Though, according to the reports, they sustain themselves more by the nearby "Garden" worlds they share the system were, or else subsist on Algae and fungus farms during lean times" She serenely explains "Alongside certain...recycled proteins and minerals"
"A cleaner form of cannibalism" You remark, shaking your head "Theirs is a nomadic world, I understand"
"They can control the orbit of the world to adjust the climates of certain sectors of their industry, they, if they had enough raw materials, could burn their engines enough to send their world hurtling in the void and enter a period of subterranean hibernation" Kanzeon explains "However, fortunately, their ruling caste is not so witless as to joyride their world into the unknown. And I suspect that is because they may be descended from the survivors of our escort detail, or perhaps scavenged from the furthest scattered of the debris"
"I feel that they and I shall make poor first impressions of eachother" You confess, and Kanzeon snakes her fingers through your hair
"They are trying to better themselves, love" Kanzeon says "And you got along with your father's pet machine cultists, they're of a similar, if not identical creed. And you are charming beyond description, there is nothing for us to worry. My sisters will arrive soon...But urgh, we shouldn't keep the technophiles waiting, they're giving me a migraine with all their transmissions and radio interference"
Hah, one mark against them in your books. Troubling and irritating your wife with their pestering manner!\
_
Work Group Custodian Piston-108 experienced a queer sense of trepidation as she waited upon the landing pad, gazing through the remarkably thin cloud of exhaust fumes and polluted air as she waited with cohort and the lesser supervisors the ruling Engine Nears had assigned under her command to meet with the mysterious and unstudied individuals by the designations Lieren, Kanzeon, Mari, Al-Uzza, Anahita, and Liberty.
Cont
>>6253863She knew little, except that they were greater servants and workers of the ever running engine than she could ever dream of being and had heard sermons and lectures both from the Engine Nears concerning their great accomplishments and nearness to the state of well oiled operations. Her organic eye water, as the approaching craft kicked up rust particles and discomforted her tactical senses by disturbing the hair tied tightly beneath her red hood. The sound of the oddly organic and flower like craft, judging from the old art that honored the personal garages and hot rods of the noble lineage forks, was remarkably quite. Almost enough to be unsettling.
Piston-108 liked her personal transportation to roar and scream and bellow and boom. It might have been why she was assigned to...trade with certain fungoid xenos when the Engine needed additional muscle to scare away other scavengers.
The craft split opened like a blossom or a peel apart wreck being recycled, and out strode too magnificent and striking figures. And Piston fell immediately enraptured and felt an unusual pang of longing as she beheld the beautiful iron colored hair of the figure that had to be Lieren and the subtly glowing, somber golden eyes that radiated like an active and burning radiator. The female, who had eyes of a strange color Piston never had seen before and hair like soot or unrefined oil unexposed to light glared in her direction.
Well Oiled Sage Lieren's eyes scanned the surroundings, a deep emotion Piston had difficulty placing immediately, but that she eventually categorized as sorrow, etched on his scarred face.
_
The world was wrapped in clouds of exhaust fumes and scalding steam. Like a dark mirror of Shangrala. The envoy sent to greet you, was a young woman who had replaced her legs with wheeled prosthetics that bent and swiveled dexterously as she bowed and you noticed immediately the reason for why Kanzeon had suddenly gone deathly quiet and tense, with a look of jealous contempt on her fair features. This cyborg, whose face was half covered with metal plates and had covered her mouth with a grill, found you attractive. Incredibly so, due to your hair and eyes, and was now stumbling over herself
"And I was the one worried of making poor impressions" You tease Kanzeon who tightly grips your arm and scowls at the fumbling young lady, who lifts up her robes to reveal a thin torso, her ribs visible as she raised a hand that was half metal claw and half mechanics tool box
"I am Work group Custodian Piston-108" She greeted with a voice that was mostly static and a hoarse whisper "I was instructed to escort you to the designated chamber, to await the arrival of the Engine Nears. Of course, they have offered a guided tour and certain relaxing distractions while they prepare themselves to meet you, Sage of Oil and Forges and Grand fabricator"
Cont
>>6253864She says, turning first to you and then Kanzeon, whose towering height and glare makes the wheel legged girl bow and roll back a few paces. She was wondering what she had done wrong, unaware that Kanzeon read her surface level thoughts and immediately found within them a reason to dislike the poor child
"I can personally recommend the most revered of our race track, by newly instated protocol, the lethality of the sport has been severely reduced though many of the most renown drivers are still busy refitting their chariots to fit the new guidelines" She explains nervously, voice buzzing with static and cutting off as she tugs her rust colored hood back over her head with her organic arm "Though, I was informed that the Grand Architect might approve better of the ongoing renovations to reduce the "Environmental strain" of our holy manufacturing and our efforts to revitalize the soil and air"
What do you decide to do to start your visit to the Eternal Celestial Engine, before the audience starts and you hear what the ruling council was so impatient to ask of you, Lieren?
>Inspect the tech priests attempts to reduce the environmental burden to their world, and ask Piston about their Garden worlds and the purpose for their industry.>Take the offer to watch the races and participate with one of your skipping clouds just for the thrill and to get a feel for the common people of the world>Explain to Piston that Kanzeon has an icy demeanor because she noticed her crush, and then ask for a tour of the factories and interview the workers to make sure they are not an oppressed class>Ambush one of these "Engine Nears" and draw them into your tour to see the relationship between the rulers and the ruled of the world>Write in
>>6253865>Inspect the tech priests attempts to reduce the environmental burden to their world, and ask Piston about their Garden worlds and the purpose for their industry.I'd suggest we also get a read on the tech priests, and see if there's different sects within their ranks, study them, and find ones we like, before we
>Ambush one of these "Engine Nears" and draw them into your tour to see the relationship between the rulers and the ruled of the world
>>6253865While the race would be a thrill, I don't see a need to wow the locals...
>>6253896I think this is a sensible combination so it has my support.
>>6253865Fuck it, I want to do all of them, so let's do all of them.
First,
>Inspect the tech priests attempts to reduce the environmental burden to their world, and ask Piston about their Garden worlds and the purpose for their industry.On the way there,
>Ambush one of these "Engine Nears" and draw them into your tour to see the relationship between the rulers and the ruled of the worldThen,
>Explain to Piston that Kanzeon has an icy demeanor because she noticed her crush, and then ask for a tour of the factories and interview the workers to make sure they are not an oppressed classLastly, if there's time:
>Take the offer to watch the races and participate with one of your skipping clouds just for the thrill and to get a feel for the common people of the world
>>6253865>Ambush one of these "Engine Nears" and draw them into your tour to see the relationship between the rulers and the ruled of the worldDon't be greedy remember in earlier thread taking all action only lead to complications
>>6253865>Inspect the tech priests attempts to reduce the environmental burden to their world, and ask Piston about their Garden worlds and the purpose for their industry.
>>6253865>Inspect the tech priests attempts to reduce the environmental burden to their world, and ask Piston about their Garden worlds and the purpose for their industry.>Explain to Piston that Kanzeon has an icy demeanor because she noticed her crush, and then ask for a tour of the factories and interview the workers to make sure they are not an oppressed class>Ambush one of these "Engine Nears" and draw them into your tour to see the relationship between the rulers and the ruled of the world
>>6253865>Inspect the tech priests attempts to reduce the environmental burden to their world, and ask Piston about their Garden worlds and the purpose for their industry.>Ambush one of these "Engine Nears" and draw them into your tour to see the relationship between the rulers and the ruled of the world
>>6247165>>6247164>>6247162>>6247160>>6247159Luckily it seems they do not have the massive capacity of production that Phateon did. Almost reaching the same magnitude class of output of Mars, that thing got ugly fast and was fucked with to consolidate AdMech organisation centers on Mars. Phateon eventually opted to give up 1/3 of all their assets aside from their world, but instead of the unspecified expectation that they would fall under martian authority they launched them into space to found a new forge world. Very messy politics. Kind of necessary, but messy.
On the other hand, them wanting to be our vassal instead of Mars might be some headache. But on the other hand being a quasi mobile mini forge, it could work as our households direct interface for AdMech tech uplift.
>>6255044>>6253865Wrong linkings for some reason. I blame phonefaggotry.
>>6247115after some time here they are (didn't have much time)
>>6255105and here is the corpse flower knight. I had something to write about to going with them, but i can't remember it well so just placing them.
>>6253865>Inspect the tech priests attempts to reduce the environmental burden to their world, and ask Piston about their Garden worlds and the purpose for their industry.forgot the vote
>>6255105uh forgot i was using an older version
>>6255111>>6255108Love it
>>6253865>V: 9>Inspect the tech priests attempts to reduce the environmental burden to their world: 8>Take the offer to watch the races: 1>Explain to Piston that Kanzeon has an icy demeanor because she noticed her crush: 2>Ambush one of these "Engine Nears": 7>Write in: 0
Malal here, sorry for the really long wait. It's probably going to be a bit longer. I'll try to call the vote and write later today or tommorrow (probably tommorrow), since I'm feeling really nauseous and pukey at the moment.
Had a scare that my PC bricked, since it hard crashed out of nowhere and then my monitor glitches out and then fixed itself. Which is why the wait for the update has been so long, cause those two mechanical issues hit me back to back and then I woke up today feeling like Nurgle tea bagged me and have thrown up anything Ive tried to eat today.
The heat is probably to blame, I've never been good with hot summer. But I'll try my best to update later tonight or tommorrow morning.
>>6255105>>6255108>>6255111I adore these interpretations. They really have that old warhammer chaos feel, very grungy and chaotic while still being cohesive as characters/ appearance wise.
The mixture of putridity and verdant growth on the rot knight is excellent (also digging the gutplate)
And all the ornamentation, colorful accessories and marks of slaanesh variants, as well as the angry swan hat, are really fun details
Excellent work as always, was wondering where you'd been recently.
>>6256688at least try to drink water to stay hydrated and take it easy no rush for us, good things come with time
Calling the vote now. Sorry again for the really long wait
>>6255915And thank you for counting up the vote.
So Lieren will inspect the enviromentally friendly changes and upgrades the tech priests of Eternal Celestial Engine have performed before "Ambushing one of the so called "Engine Nears" to draw them into the guided tour to see the relationship between the rulers of the world and those they rule over
writing now
>>6256724I eat ice and drink lemon water when I'm sick enough to not even keep crackers down
"You are well informed then, Custodian" You complimentarily reply dipping your head in a quick bow, as you hide your arms in the sleeve of the robes you've chosen to wear, foregoing your usual dress of psionically malleable star metal, as you sensed no hostility or scheming thoughts from the envoys who had been sent to inform you of the schedule for your meeting "Please, show me and my wife the merciful steps your people have taking to breathing life fresh and anew into your world so soaked by the impurities of industry and artifice"
Piston-108 beamed, preening herself up like a song bird, a very light flush of color crossing her cheeks not covered by plastic or plates of metal as she nods
"Very well, as requested, the initial tour and inspection of our manufacturing plants shall be focused on these environmental efforts. Shall we start with the gifts we have already received from your...." She paused, trying to think of the term for the sisters of one's wife in Long-Jianese "Sister in laws, the remarkable air purifiers that have allowed us to capture the invisible polluting agents in our atmosphere"
"Mari gave you some of her terraforming equipment?" Kanzeon asked, raising one eye brow as she follows behind you, hands clasped behind her back "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, and a biosphere cleansing kit shouldn't cause too much trouble in the hands of tech worshippers"
"Donated on her behalf by a knightly order of the nation of Bask" 108 explains with a nod "Along with schematics to replicate and down or upsize the technology. The level of pollution in the air, is the foremost of our concern. I've been told that if it is cleared, the mandatory replacement respiratory systems may be phased out in favor of cloned organs or more advance cybernetic replacements"
"Al-Uzza" You heard through the air as Kanzeon smiled and added "So the results have already been seen, considering the air here is...mostly breathable"
"Yes. We have been extracting the volatile and toxic elements and reusing them in our manufacturing" Piston explained as she lead you to a lift that lifted you up passed a stack of turbine like machines that you recognized as cousins of the lungs of the mountains that are presently sucking in great belches of soot black clouds and hanging grey haze, overseen by augmented workers
"No servitors" You hum and Piston-108 starts, surprised that you know the term
"Our workers are all of active and full mindfulness" She explains "Prior to our ancestors claiming the nearby worlds as gardens for food production and bio matter, protein and other necessary minerals and vitamins were difficult to come by"
"So your people industrialized cannibalism, in prior generations?" You ask sharply eyes narrowed as you watch the workers at their tasks carefully
Cont
>>6257073"Human waste matter, corpses and the byproducts of these biological processes we are all shackled with, were refined, seperated and used to produce a nutrient dense solution" She answers, confirming what you already know
"Desperate measures for desperate times" You console, as you notice the rising panic and concern in the Custodian's heart and mannerisms
"No worse than the actions taken in my time" Kanzeon muttered darkly as Piston-108 lead the two of you along a walk way
"See, oh architect, how the toxic elements are squeezed from the honeycomb mesh within the collector reservoirs" She explained leaning over the railing and jabbing her clawed hand of tool bits at the technology she was indicating to you "And placed within environmentally sealed containers to be transported for recycling"
"I see, I see" you confirm, nodding along as you turn your gaze towards a larger example of the same machines, made of shiny and unworn metal and plastics, standing proudly above the sea of manufacturing plants
"Ah, I see you've taken an interest in the primary atmosphere recycler unit" 108 chimes in "It stands above the current larget quarry where we are using the chemical alchemy dubbed "Fertilizing agents" to repopulate and reinvigorate the long abused layer of top soil, shall we proceed there next"
You turn to Kanzeon and she nods
"Lead the way, I am curious to see the environmentally conscious farming techniques I spread be used at such a scale" You tell her, and are shortly lead, along with the rest Piston-108's entourage to a tracked trolly system similar to the trainline that spans across New Varro's desert landscape, an underside carriage launched from facility to facility through magnetic force.
"Usually" A wheezing voiced record keeper explains "We use these transport lines to send raw materials and completed components between various sites, to improve the production line"
You nod along, and are shortly given a grand welcome, when you spot what is undeniably one of the ruling caste, a so called Engine Near, half religious leader and half overseer, and before the head of the efforts to renew the soil can begin their practiced greeting and with Kanzeon keeping Piston-108 occupied by asking her things she's already well aware of, you bound over to rotund figure.
The Engine Near halts mid instruction, a large, shovel head topped staff clenched in two of their cybernetic claws, their three augmented eyes scanning you up and down as their remaining organic body, their torso from the midsection up, sits upon a swiveling connection point to a bulbous, spider like body sitting atop two tracks and with exhaust pipes expelling a cool air.
"Forgive my impudence, but you must be the Engine Near in charge of this sector of the Eternal Celestial Engine" You greet, as you circle around them, their aids falling to their knees is astonishment or a sense of religious awe as you interact with one of the examples of their ruling class
Cont
>>6257074"Youngest" He answers with a wispy and tired voice "Newly appointed Engine Near of Environmental Rejuvenation. The first to hold the position and title. Prior, Junior Manufacturing Overseer, Exhaust-72. Oft mocked for my disdain from the Combustion Orthodoxy. Now, given new authority as we progress past such simplistic motive forces. You must be Chosen Groom of one of the avatars of the ever running engine, Lieren"
"Correct" You answer cheerfully, as you take a performative bow in front of the surprisingly well mannered and open hearted man "Forgive me for interrupting your work in my excitement"
"No harm has been done. I was merely setting orders for the second chain in the command to follow" He says, swinging his spade staff to the side languidly "And reminding his subordinates that our newly manufactured tilling tools are not to be used as inspiration for modifications done to their vehicles, being holy icons as they are...I assume you have visited my domain, to behold the grand renewal of our engine's organic soils?"
"Correct, Custodian Piston-108 offered to show me around as part of my tour, but I'd be very much honored to have the master mind behind the effort to guide me through the inner workings of this plant" You explain and he nods slowly
"I will not be needed until the other great servants of the ever running engines arrive, I'd be honored and privilege to show you the results of our labor here" he answers, lifting his head "Ah, one of the great workers of the engine's will, the nut to your bolt, Kanzeon, I presume"
"Correct" You say, sensing the sincere and purity of the choice of words he used to describe your relationship
"She appears to be terrorizing Piston no 108" He hummed
"Oh is that what you see with those clockwork eyes of yours?" You chuckle with a wry smile "She is just testing her knowledge, I assure you. Hers is a kind, nurturing nature"
Exhaust 72 hummed again
"We are currently underway desalinating the soil and groundwater beneath it, which must also be transported to one of the many newly renovated water treatment plants" He explains as he motions for you to follow him down the crevice of the quarry "We are replacing the whole topsoil layer prior to super saturating the soil with the chemical fertilizers we have been taught to reproduce according to the workorders sent to us from the Emperor of the Long-Jian states. If you would look, you can see the electrically powered engines servicing the vehicles transporting the tilled earth and clay from the ground and up to the renewal plants. The chemical treatments cannot be kept here, for they risk oversaturating the soil and undoing our efforts, not to mention the risk of airborne pollutants would sky rocket if they are mixed in the open air, thus they are kept in a air locked plant where the air is purified and recycled on a by hour basis. By my design"
Cont
>>6257075"You are quite enamored with your line of work, passionate with renewing and preserving a world that was already raped and drained of its luster and beauty well before your time" You admire and the Engine Near lifted their head
"I spent most of my service ensuring the continued efficiency and supply of our gardens. I am more aware than the bolt heads born and raised on the engine's heart, who have never known the beauty of the natural machine that is nature and are ignorant to the ever running engines organic designs and processes, and the sheer efficiency and beauty of them. How they can run and repeat and cycle, unimpeded and without assistance. How they upgraded and improve upon themselves across lifetimes and years" He answers, smiling beneath the grill respirator that covers his hollow cheeks "And, while all within the Engine knows their role and function, I'd like for the smaller components of our greater whole to witness that indescribable awe of witnessing the work flow of the natural world, unburdened by the heat and fumes of our brute attempts to ape the original designs of the Engine itself"
"I am nearly brought to tears by the earnestness and conviction of your words, to give such a gift...to work and toils so diligently to deliver it. You are deserving of your authority, Engine Near" You honestly praise the man who bows his head
"It is our duty to interpret and carry out the will of the Engine immaculate. Each of us is a part of the greater machine, to allow any part of it to fall in disrepair is to be a poor custodian" He explains somberly "Hence, why we seek to allow our working and labor class what happiness and contentment they can attain, why we bid them to worship, not only in their work, but through their own innovation and hobby craft in designing their mechanical steeds and testing their creations mettle in any way they can design. All we who approach the original Engine, began our lives as a mere component of a component. Not one of us was born in our position, we've earned it. All of us. It what has kept our planet functioning, since we were forced to abandon our original stellar coordinates"
"Is that so?" You ask, seeing that the Engine Near completely believes and trusts in every word he speaks "This system works by a meritocracy? I admit I was unaware, none of my contacts or close relations told me that is how your society functions and the order by which it is ruled. Astonishing"
Cont
"It is so. The emperor knew but others did not ask. If it were not so,we would have perished in the cold emptiness of space. Some of what prior Engine Nears have ordered, would be grounds for exile or execution. But, we were shown we could improve the state of our subordinates life, and such improve our society as a whole. And we took the chance, and are switching from aimless creation and recreation, to rebirth" He answers, and laughed "And, thus, the manual of human behavior you have written, The Journey, is to thank for my current position and my ability to bring some natural order back to this world and share with my underlings the beauty I have seen beyond. The Ever Running Engine, always planned it to be so, to gently guide us back from our folly of environmental exploitation and over industrialization, so the pureness of their designs may be witnessed and enjoyed by all from the lowest sanitation serf to my fellow Engine Nears"
"Your world view is charming, Exhaust 72, I see you and I share a respect and understanding of the sanctity of nature, in our own ways" You say softly and amicably as you walk beside him along oiled slick and salt saturated soil
"I will not attempt to spread falsehood and say I am joined by my fellows in this belief, but they either have seen the evidence of improved functionality or else realize fresh air will make our workers happier than brutish vehicular competitions" He chortled and then alighted excitedly "Ah, Kanzeon! To be in the presence of two of the greatest operations of the Ever Running Engine's designs, is a great honor"
"Forgive me, Engine Near, for my Tardiness" Piston 108 wheezes "She was curious of the function of the numerous machines brought to carry out your interpretation of the Engine's designs"
"What are you doing with the extracted salt?" Kanzeon asked
"Using it to prevent freezing of vital components in the colder regions of the Eternal Celestial Engine" Exhaust answered respectfully, lowering themselves as much as their peculiar body's arrangement allowed "And using the extract deemed fit for human consumption to improve the diets of all workers afield in our factories. Sodium supplements are are vital necessity to their health and well being'
"Common sense amongst tech fanatic and machine worshippers? No wonder Jinhai wanted to get you guys on his team so badly" She remarked
"We've encountered sects who lack in such common knowledge as empathy. A pittance of resources spent, improves greatly the efficiency of workers and their lots in life" Exhaust 72 hummed "Better they be happy workers than suffering serfs. Even if The Noble Lineage forks have often question our council's wisdom concerning their treatment"
"Why?" You ask sharply
"They are idiots born into comfort? And thus do not understand the hardships one undergoes without it?" Exhaust 72 replied and Kanzeon grinned
"I like this one, can we keep him" She tittered as Exhaust 72 and Piston 108 looked baffled "It was a joke"
>>6257077"Ah, A joke, I thought you had interest in buying my services or autonomy" 72 admits "As was done...four generational cycles ago, during the inter-service conflicts, caused by a drought of raw materials that afflicted most levels of our society"
"It means she has taken a liking to you" You explain
"I am thus, honored" He answers, bowing as elegantly as his cumbersome augments would allow as Kanzeon pinches your ear gently
What do you discuss with Exhaust 72, before meeting with the other Engine Nears and hear why they wanted to meet you, Lieren?
>Philosophy and the natural world, seeing as he clearly read the journey but follows his own unique beliefs and offer to introduce him to New Varro's Cletus Steel-Monger.>The other Engine Nears and what they are doing to help uplift the world and repair the damages done to it.>Ask about the Ever Running Engine and the structure of their belief in it, as it seems somewhat different from the faith of mars >Talk about the populace of The Eternal Celestial Engine's fixation with modify their vehicles and racing them>Write in
>>6257078>Philosophy and the natural world, seeing as he clearly read the journey but follows his own unique beliefs and offer to introduce him to New Varro's Cletus Steel-Monger.Secure his future and favour. We shall ensure his way prospers and spreads. This is a short part of the action but spend most of our effort upon...
>The other Engine Nears and what they are doing to help uplift the world and repair the damages done to it.know whom we shall be a bout to face
>>6257078>Philosophy and the natural world, seeing as he clearly read the journey but follows his own unique beliefs and offer to introduce him to New Varro's Cletus Steel-Monger.
>>6255111And here I thought having 2 swan images on armor and a bunch of feathers is already overkill. God bless your unrestrained power, overdesign-anon.
>>6255915thanks appreciated
>>6256688thanks, the idea was following as usual your descriptions but i kinda deviated around them a bit and looked at old warhammer stuff, then some medieval armors, plants, swans etc... it became his own thing.
i wanted to make sure it felt like a moving mass wrecking it self, and yeah lot of dead and live things inside there. Maybe i could have add some corrupted alive animals, but i felt the corrupted plant theme was to be kept.
For him i went all drip instead, thats the whole point with slaanesh. For me the funniest thing is the worm-demon tongue i added. I was thinking about making different variations of symbols even for the demon prince of nurgle, but i felt like he wouldn't care that much, his corpse flower, thorns and so on are all that defines him.
somewhat occupied with life, i wanted to make more images for the quest but didn't have time. I did still read and voted ! And you are doing great ! But yeah, thats about it. I will see what i can make, i have notes around of some stuff (like Nitya...Nitya not sure i will ever do him. very complex descriptions. Even some stuff that wasn't finished because i didn't like it, a view of the dragon road and the wall sorcerer that was a problem for kazzy). I doubt i will ever produce the same amount of images like in the past though lol
Also made a quick dumb meme, stay safe with that heat bud.
>>6257200lol
thank you thank you, my swan knight demanded maximum excess !
>>6257078>Ask about the Ever Running Engine and the structure of their belief in it, as it seems somewhat different from the faith of marsThis was the shit that killed the Imperium, right here: the Cult's dogged insistence that innovation is evil and discoveries were to be hoarded instead of shared. Inspiring and entrenching an offshoot that doesn't believe that is a Big Deal.
>>6257078>>Ask about the Ever Running Engine and the structure of their belief in it, as it seems somewhat different from the faith of mars>Philosophy and the natural world, seeing as he clearly read the journey but follows his own unique beliefs and offer to introduce him to New Varro's Cletus Steel-Monger.
>>6257078>Philosophy and the natural world, seeing as he clearly read the journey but follows his own unique beliefs and offer to introduce him to New Varro's Cletus Steel-Monger.>The other Engine Nears and what they are doing to help uplift the world and repair the damages done to it.>Ask about the Ever Running Engine and the structure of their belief in it, as it seems somewhat different from the faith of mars
>>6257078>>Ask about the Ever Running Engine and the structure of their belief in it, as it seems somewhat different from the faith of mars
>>6257078>Philosophy and the natural world, seeing as he clearly read the journey but follows his own unique beliefs and offer to introduce him to New Varro's Cletus Steel-Monger.>Ask about the Ever Running Engine and the structure of their belief in it, as it seems somewhat different from the faith of mars
>>6257078>Philosophy and the natural world, seeing as he clearly read the journey but follows his own unique beliefs and offer to introduce him to New Varro's Cletus Steel-Monger.>The other Engine Nears and what they are doing to help uplift the world and repair the damages done to it.
Calling the vote now. Sorry for the wait
Philosophy and the natural world, seeing as he clearly read the journey but follows his own unique beliefs and offer to introduce him to New Varro's Cletus Steel-Monger.:6
The other Engine Nears and what they are doing to help uplift the world and repair the damages done to it.: 3
Ask about the Ever Running Engine and the structure of their belief in it, as it seems somewhat different from the faith of mars: 4
Total votes: 8
So Lieren will primarily discuss Philosophy and the natural world, and offer to introduce Exhaust 72 to Cletus Steel-Monger, but also touch on the worship of the ever running engine and the other engine nears
Writing now
new thread time!
