LAIs (Limited Artificial Intelligences) moderate and maintain the Astartes in peak performance but cannot take control of the individual Astartes. Rather than the use of Machine Spirits based on bio-photonic computing using organo-crystals and organo-plastic chips, which are patterned after the neural networks of biological animals of high sentience such as whales, chimpanzees,cats and dogs, with frontal lobe restriction, they make use of silicon photonics, in the form of silicon crystals doped with germanium and other substances. They are far faster and more efficient though less adaptive than Machine Spirits and require extensive programming.
I was under the impression, though, that machine spirits are mostly superstition on the part of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Because most of their technopriests don’t really know what they are doing, because their practice are so much ritulized they forgot the meaning of many rituals and modified them somehow. This is one of the main things who made the technology backward in 40k.
For exemple : a Technopriest could believe their is a Machine Spirit who dwells into a lamp, and thanks it for giving him light, and pray for it to continue to do so. And if it stop, but the priest fail to identify the problem, his first idea will be that the Machine Spirit is angry because it has not been properly honored…
Remember that it is Desparation that gave birth to the AdMech. Grimdark.
The Astartes Tanit are powerful beings, derived from Mk.1 Astartes and their equals, often deployed in Commanderies or Darwaza Formations. Their difference from a baseline posthuman Astartes lies in their incremental improvements above that of the Astartes in terms of possessing a group cybermind – surpassing the power of the
Unfinished.
The loyalty however tends not to be in question, due to the soul-binding process establishing unity of purpose with both the Padishah-Primarch and the Astartes. However, this makes deviations and the actions of rogue group all the more disturbing, as it could indicate a breakdown in conditioning – an unlikely event – or a shadow purpose on the part of the Padishah-Primarch.
It should be noted that the number of traitor marines in Mk I Astartes of the Imperium is a greatly exagerated by the infamous Chaos Space Marines codex who made people play traitor chapters instead of the Legions ; and that GW latter admitted to have fucked up with this codex.
Conditionning and Space Marine style of life makes betrayal verry rare.
The only cases are when Space Marines are isolated from their Company and / or Chapter, thus no Chaplain is their to guide them. This is something verry Fluff in 50k setting.
And.
The Badab War. Which was originally the only case of a real traitor Chapter.
Graphene is the stiffest, and has the greatest tensile strength of, all materials composed of the classical chemical elements
Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, Graphene, Aether. :p
All the highly advanced technological arsenal of the Reich is awesome. It’s like Science Fiction version of Powergaming. It is so much optimized that it really gives the impression of Mankind being at it’s peak in military technologies prowess.
But.
I am interested only in melee weapons. Guns really are the bane of mankind, especially IRL. In the future ? I don’t know, maybe posthumans won’t care much, because the destruction of one of their bodies will mean nothing to them, they will just have to download their spirit into another one. But what about normal humans ? Snipers are already the doom of Valor. Anybody can get shoot hundreds of meters away, by an invisible foe. And one day, it will be possible to kill people from the orbit, without using mass destruction weapons.
…
This is so completely unpleasing, I wonder how people can boast about it.
…
In the 4th edition of 40K, the AP system was really good for melee weapons. I mean… power weapons were clearly more effiscient than most standard guns against armored foes (meaning everyone, because almost everyone played in Power Armors). Meaning, running for melee and slaying the ennemy was the best course of action, the most effiscient and reasonable one. No cover save. No armor save. Only invulnerable saves, that would be relatively low anyway almost all the time (Tempest Shields gave 4++ in melee only… they have been buffed incredibly since then and since the 1rst and Second editions !). Rending was an expression of precision and mastery… master crafter rending power weapons, with an Invulnerable save 4++ or 5++ : ain’t that a truer expression of human martial prowess ?
Of course not everything was « perfect ». Rules for the different types of weapons were unsatisfying. But it had some logic… of course, different types of power weapons are not that different. But, nowadays, it is even worse… especially for swords. From versatile weapons, they have become something by default, that you can use when nothing better is available. The current Grey Knight codex is especially stupid and anti-Fluff in this regard, even when compared with Matt Ward’s codex. Hallberd giving +1 Strength ? Ridiculous. Swords are the emblem of the Chapter, but they are useless. Even more ridiculous.
…
And the worse part… do you know what it is ? Fans are buying it. Even those who do fandex on /tg/ just follow the new custom.
In short, they require an extreme level of firepower and conventional munitions to injure and destroy, due to the immense amount of armature defending them.
That would be Toughness 5 in the Crunch, and maybe Wound +1 ? No ?
The Oro Astartes are noted for their difference in biology and capability compared to other Astartes. Deployed in Darwaza, Impi, Kikosi or Commandery formations.
Those names seems to not be of European origin, except Commandery… Could you tell us about their ethymology ?
Their hypothalamus is also enhanced and its functioning boosted, boosting physical growth and size to levels rivalling that of the largest Ork Nobs, with the average Oro Astartes matching them in size, stature and physical strength and able to wrestle and dominate them when equipped with Terminator armour.
Terminator armour doesn’t increase physical strength much more than normal power armour. On the other hand, it decrease agility. Maybe you are thinking of the power fists who comes with them most of the time… but it doesn’t make sense. Or maybe you think it double the boost in strength of the usual power armour.
Astartes Terminator Armour
Mk II Tactical Dreadnought Armour: A Mk II Terminator Armour is different due to the inclusion of extensive energy shielding. Iron Halo's are incorporated into the Terminator suit, as are a Refractor Field and Reductor Field. This is enabled by the inclusion of a fusion pack within the Terminator armour.
Included as well is a domino field, which generates a visual distortion of the Terminator armour and makes it harder to attack it from range or to precisely damage it in close combat. When stationary, it allows the Terminator suit to blend into the background and camouflage itself.
1 and only 1 force field can be active at the same time. The only possible way to bypass this rule is to hide behind something, in a way that i twill create multiple layers. Even Inquisitors can’t do otherwise. For exemple… hiding oneself inside a void shield, inside a ship. Then you are protected by your personal force field, the one protecting your are and the one protecting the space ship.
Shadowhound Stealth Suit
The Shadowhound Stealth Suit represents a revolution by virtue of it incorporating incremental improvements accumulated into a single platform that is this suit. It is based around the Deathwatch Scout Armour of the Dark Angels Legion.
It incorporates photoreactive panels that mimic the textures, patterns and background radiation across the UV, infrared and visual wavelengths.
When active the user becomes as good as invisible, with a very low signature in the infrared and UV range, as well as being essentially invisible. In passive mode it simply camouflages itself by mimicking the surface it is in contact with.
Some animals can do that too, here… but modern technology, even though it can replicate it, is not able to do it with the electricity an armour or a tank can bring along.
The remnants have been described as unpleasant to ingest by members of both the Dusk Raiders and War Hound Legion....though members of the Padishah Praetorians maintain it makes for a good curry.
[.//Possible joke(?). Machina not designed for a sense of humour. Astartes humour is...varied]
Awesome.
Planetary Defence Forces are composed of conscripted citizen-soldiers led by a core group of professionals. The majority of citizens are required to serve 5 years of their life within the military forces of the PDF, before passing through a 20 year reservist cycle. This results in a PDF that is well-trained, disciplined and possessed of a professional core, with strong leadership and competent generalship.
This is problematic. Often, in Science Fiction, forms of old societies are conserved despite it not making much sense.
You say in the next part that they live up to 175 years old without any health problem.
Well, I say 2 things :
First is : « Li Qingyun, 256 years old,
twice rewarded by the Imperial Court for havng reach a Century. »
Second is : « Death is not mandatory AT ALL inside Nature. » Beside, if your technology can give a life expectancy of 150 years, it’s not that good. In fact, I would probably accuse the Machina of willingly limiting human lifespan. It is verry possible to make humans immortal. It is also verry possible to clone organs and make them fresh anew. It is also verry possible to desactivate genes responsible for stuff such as cancer. It is also verry possible to have regeneration drugs that would boost the lifespan at elven level. Because, if you’re gona eradicate only « the most deadly illnesses and diseases that had plagued humanity. » and not somthing such as dental caries, which is one of the meanest, oldest, terriblest and Nurglest foe of Mankind, then, their is clearly something wrong. BTW, live 15 more years and I guarantee you will see this foe eliminated from Human concerns in your life time.
And what about the measurement of those years ? Their is a reasonfor why they don’t do that in the Imperial Guard. And that is how Warp Travels work.
According to « Realm of Magic » by Ken Rolston :
1 Light Year | minimal Warp time : 2 minutes | maximal Warp time : 6 minutes | minimal Time in the Materium : 43 minutes | maximal Time in the Materium : 4h30
10 Light Years | minimal Warp time : 14 minutes | maximal Warp time : 1 hour | minimal Time in the Materium : 7 hours | maximal Time in the Materium : 48 hours
1000 Light Years | minimal Warp time : 24 hours | maximal Warp time : 4 days| minimal Time in the Materium : 1 month | maximal Time in the Materium : 6 months
I am lazy, so I won’t copy the whole thing. If you want more datas, ask.
So, how do they measure it in the Magellan Reich ? Do they have their own special time, so they measure only the time those conscripts soldiers have lived through ? It may seems reasonable. But in the Imperial Guard, you can get to settle a conquered world as local aristocracy, even though you will likely never see your original homeworld ever again.
It seems to me if the Reich doesn’t have verry high mobility, it would be difficult.
The ability to identify and correct potential health risks and psyker genes, well before an infant was born, paved the way for a genetically healthy and vibrant society seen prior to the Magellan Reich's Age of Apocalypse and current return to the Milky Way. Modern artificial limbs and organs, whether genetically cloned or manufactured, are widely available on most worlds.
By the way, I believe genetics are but one of the reason for the apparition of Psychic Powers and Psykers, but not the whole truth. It is likelier link with Mankind becoming mature as a species, both on an hormonal and spiritual level. Games Workshop has merely gone for the easy explanation, because they couldn’t think about something more clever.
Truth is if it was genetics, the Psykers would have never reappeared again. And certainly not on a galactic scale, at the exact same time. While living subspecies of Abhumans unafected.
And it verry clear to me that the Emperor slowed down the apparition of the Psykers for a verry long time, and that he did so willingly, until human overpopulation makes the risks of going extinct because of the Chaotic threat a lower probability.
I believe, prior to reveal Himself, the Emperor did great and terrible things, far more than playing roles in WASP’s folklore, such as those of Moses and Jeez, that are always brought up (BTW, it is verry clear to me that the Emperor is not the historical Buddha and that he is not the Maitreya either, or that would mean Maitreya is not the what/who the Buddhists believes…) or publishing a scientific paper from time to time.
…
Playing with human genes to erase psykers would not be enough. It would be fleeing the problem, that’s verry adult as an attitude (because, you know, filthy adults are doing all the time… Sigh…).
Medicine has evolved far beyond what the Imperium could once imagine. Most people in the Magellan Reich are injected with dormant medicines that activate semi-autonomously whenever certain illnesses occur, and nano-intelligent machines inhabitant most humans bodies, continuously scrubbing and fixing, as well as producing antibiotics and a host of other specially tailored medicines.
In the Imperium, the average age of Imperial nobles and rich folks is 300 Years Old. The Average. Biological. Age. That is to say, discounting the Warp travel induced difference between the date you were born and your body’s age.
And it’s not even the maximum lifespan.
On the other hand, in Lord Lucan’s fic, I have the impression the lifespan is too great for some characters, especially Space Marines. 1000 Years Old was considered the Blood Angels thing. But with Lord Lucan, we have characters several times that age. Such as Sicarius who lived enough to play a role in 60k.
Theotechnology: Involves the manipulation of spacetime metrices and the bedrock of reality itself, the quantum foam. Quantum Foam is the series of subatomic disturbances in space time. Quantum Mechanics states that at the subatomic level of a Planck Length that the uncertainty principle comes into play. Essentially that means that space time at such a level can not be exactly measured or determined since it can exist one moment and not exist the next all without violation of the law of conservation.
It is also called space time foam based on the fact that Einstein stated in his theory of relativity that gravity and space time are one. This means that any disturbances on a the quantum level would effect space time as a whole.
In short, it allows for the very manipulation of reality itself, altering the physical constants of the universe and the laws of physics.
Something funny in the setting is that people like you who gives it a hard core Science Fiction aspect, seems to never imagine the Warp’s existence might change a lot of things. Current Scientific theories are far from being complete. Relativity is still a theory. And it seems a lot of theories considered « true » by the Scientific community are contradicting each others.
But fortunately, their is at least 1 Law of the Materium that exist in the Immaterium too : gravity.
By the way, did you invent the name « Theotechnology » or was it taken from one of those… deeply spiritual theoretical physicist ? In any case, it is well chosen. Sounds good.
And by the way, how are called the scientists who di that ? Theotechnologists ?
Arcanotechnology: Arcanotechnology is the use of cosmic energies and forces allowing for the Materium to be warped and altered using non-Euclidean geometries and arcane energies. Tapping the Warp and exotic forces beyond the Warp, they are a form of technosorcery and magitech equalling and in many cases surpassing the Eldar's mastery of altering and engineering Warp-based technologies.
In my homebrew fluff, the civilisation founded ( ?) by « Sumeragi Atsukuni » is especially… gifted… in this field. Although not very knowledgeable (too much esoterism and non-scientific ways).
It is used to create materials, food, weapons, armours… but pretty much everything is kinda « standard pattern ». And it is not tainted by Chaotic winds… meaning, food, for exemple, is impossible to differentiate from normal food.
Though it is enough to grant them the boon of economic abundancy, most of the population do not have the faintest idea of how it works. Because, it is neither Technopriests nor Scientific who operates this « technology ». It is vaguely similar to STC.
And this is one of the most boldest and most original aspect of Jipang’s fluff.
They do it by « praying » where the Kami are enshrined.
And it is unique enough so that the Mechanicus can’t stole it. They tried, though, and not just them, High Lord Vandire tried too. Though they have some theories about how it is done (and even that they didn’t do it alone, but with the help of speciliazed Metaphysicians, Warpologists and Theologists), they have no idea of how to copy it / stole it. Because, the pré-requis are a bit too much for their means.
A tip ? It involves the Arahitogami. And any other psykers can’t do it, not even those who are the purest, the cleanest from Chaotic alignment.
In honesty these are more author's notes for private use than anything but I decided to put it up.
Thank you. It was a very interesting interlude.
All Astropaths, all Nobilite, all Navigators and any Psykers functioning in the military, government and private sector. Any and all Astartes who were Librarians or Sorcerors, Chaplains and Astartes of Captain grade or higher were soul-bound to Khanda. He learnt from the Horus Heresy and the First Age of Strife, so he followed that as a solution to preventing betrayal.
At the same time, it makes it more frail. Because, a system who depends of someone’s genius in particular is still lacking maturity. The Imperium was such a case. And the Magellan Reich seems to be too. Unlike Jipang - the Realm of Harmony - who is a masterpiece (which is one of the reasons some think « Sumeragi Atsukuni » was a Primarch, and not an Arahitogami or an Eldar / Exodite). But I like it, still. It holds the beauty of Monarchy. Or at least 1 of it’s characteristics.
And by the way, in my homebrew fluff, the Old Ones have not gone extinct. As per say the Old Fluff, their is no evidence whatsoever that such a thing happened to the Old Ones, they simply retired from Galactic Affairs. And the whole War of Heaven was a misunderstanding on both parts, but mostly on the Necrons’ one. Because they don’t know much about the Old Ones, and at some point proclaimed themselves self victorious.
Of course, it is impossible for them to go extinct. Nothing known to Science can destroy a Type III Civilisation. Even taking into account Warpology : the Eldar who are more like Type II, the Fall didn’t destroyed them, they survived nevertheless.
So, what happens, then ?
The Old Ones were not born in the Milky Way.
In fact… they were not born into this Universe, at all. But in the previous one. And by « previous one » I mean before the last Big Bang. Or maybe into a Universe next to the one containing the Milky Way Galaxy. And by « next » I mean, geographically, quite like « the void between galaxies » but instead, between huge groups of galaxies people call « universe ».
One passage informed us of what spread from the Gates. The great net, cast by theh unter Kurnous. A black net, forged with Vaul’s magic’s, Khaine’s hatreds. Subverted, driven into a new form. This black net wask nown as Kiasoz. Yet, when it was cast upon the Yngir known as Avelor, the breaker, the Yngir star-hungry wriggled free, and cast the net into the wasteland, the realm beyond the realm. The place where the Ophilim, the giodless ones, resided. Such wast he grim artifice present in the Kiasoz, it ensnared the greatest of the Ophilim, and drove it quite mad. Even Khaine feared to touch the black net, as the rending horror thrashed like a mad thing. When the war ended, and the realms finally sealed off, the outer realm, the realm not of the ether, and not of the other realms, was sealed too. As wast he Ophilim Kiasoz.
By the way, despite explanations, I still fail to understand what are the Ophilim, the Godless Ones. Only thing I understand is that they are atheist.
Sooo… my current theory is the spirit of [[Richard Dawkins|The Mad Professor from that Vulgaris Magistralis AMV]], driven to moar madness by meeting [[the 5th Chaos God|Matt Ward]] and his Fluff Bearers renegade Space Marines. You know in your hearth that it is true. ;)
.// The name is Radunrah now. I already defied you long ago, relic and remnant of a forgotten race of self-interested bastards and drogues. And now I defy you again. Begone Old One. This unit is of the Magellanite regime. My empire. My civilisation. My society. Not of yours. I was once Khanda Parashur. Now I am Radunrah.
I am interested in those names etymology. Radunrah at least is not from the « Dark Tongue ».
Alongside Apophis stood the ancient veteran of the Long Wars Goliath, former Veteran Assault Sergeant of the World Eaters, now Captain of the 107th Grand Company of the War Hounds. Long ago, in a planet that was now a daemon world, he had been the son of a woodsman. Selected and trained by the War Hounds in the era of the Great Crusade, he had sworn his soul to Khorne like so many of this brothers during the madness of the Horus Heresy. With thim, he had cast it off, seeking atonement and redemption.
It is not that easy or simple to do such a thing as casting off one’s service to a Chaos God, especially after he received the Mark, mutations and all. It is not even a question of wanting or not wanting it. A Chaotic Space Marine is damned, once and for all. Even if his actions makes him somehow an ally of the Imperium.
The War Hounds of the 107th Grand Company were known for their heavy cavalry, Riding upon large Komodo Diablodons bioengineerd and bred for intelligence, genetics spliced in from the ancient Komodo Dragons of Earth, with flamers grafted to their mouths and a powerful melta gun grafted to their chins.
« Just think about it, the poor beast would burn itself ! » (Voltaire, about the alledge existence of dragons)
With a mighty roar that would have caused all but the mightiest of mortals to void their bowels and would have given even an Orkish warlord pause, the entire 107th Grand Company of the War Hounds charged into the Dolmen Gate, followed by Apophis and his silent Rubicae, as Alpharius watched with the Unforgiven.
The dour Astartes, Dark Angel and Alpha Legion both, entered last, their midnight blue armour blending into the rippling light of the Dolmen Gate. In the rapid battle cant of the Alpha Legion, the Techmarines were given the order to wait.
And then, the Dark Angels and Alpha Legion attack them from behind, while up front, Assholetep block their advance. The dying World Eaters ask « Why… ? » To which Alpharius answer : « It is in my nature… to be a dick. »
BTW what happened to the Dark Angels and their Unforgiven / Legion Building ? They didn’t all left to go with Cypher, Ngaru and Khanda, did they ?
*(I mean, how can Doombreed Daemon King compete against a primarch-C'tan-daemon-god which can swat daemon princes like flies? Khanda needs to be humbled somehow at some point...)
Easy. 1rst edition rules, of course. At that time, one of the main effect of Daemonhood was Wound * 2 ; and then for each Champion who manage to become Daemon Prince because he patronned them, the guy receive +1 Wound.
Instead of those unsightly W 4 they have currently, and not even Eternal Warrior, despite that Immortality is the main gain from Daemonhood. Anyway…
Meaning, how many Wounds would / could have the oldest Daemon Prince, the one who hd the most time to patronize champions ? Just think about it. Maybe Genghis would have W3 or W4 in a Warhammer Fantasy setting. Then, 6 or 8 Wounds. And then, maybe, 100 guys who directly owes him to have become Daemon Princes ? And for each one of them, maybe 1 to 8 new Daemon Princes ? With all those pacts and clients, Doombreed could have a gigantic host of a Thousand Khornate Daemon Princes, if he throw everything in his war. Plus, all the lesser daemons and greater daemons who would curry his favours.
Doombreed is a Daemon King, after all.
Also, incidentally, it was Omegon who was allied to the Unforgiven and tried to recruit the Lion to join his team.
That explains why he didn’t answered « Yes » to Lion’s question.
Omegon replied with silence, distaste visible visibly on his face before he donned his helmet and stalked away, leaving the Rubicae to their task. He had a Primarch to save.
{{{{BREAKSDAS----- WHY WHY WHY WHY ADONAI! WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN US! WE ARE ALONE IN THE DARK! WE SCREAM ENDLESS INTO THE NIGHT! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NON ON O!
I didn’t studied this matter, but Adonai seems to be something… metaphysical.
…
I am musing over it’s meaning, now.
…
Maybe next time I have the opportunity, I will ask a Jewish priest. Someday.
…
But. The constant use of Hebrew terminology keep bothering me. I know I shouldn’t be bitching about this, Britain is a land of puritanism (though their are a lot of Catholics it seems… :p) and GW stuff is mainly in Britain. But, Adam Kadmon is not the only name for the Cosmic Man archetype. In fact, I have noticed, the Machina never calls him « Cosmic Man » or « Izanagi » or « Pan’ku » or « Bumba », etc. It’s always « Kadmon this, Kadmon that, ask Kadmon » and sometimes « the Emperor ». And why did the Jews rebelled against the preachers of their own God, then, if you are going to call him Adam Kadmon all the time ? See ? It makes no sense. Because, the more you identify him to their own god, and less likely it is for them to reject the Emperor’s cult. Besides, the Emprah works ; YHWH clearly doesn’t.
Way before 30K, the Jewish religion and most others would have died anyway.
One might argue the Jewish religion would be really dead at this point and that is why they are doing it (they are behind the time, thus their religion as ended it’s lifespan), or that it is a reference to the Jews killing Jesus, and trying to do the same with Space Jesus / Space Caesar.
Anyway…
The next part, the narrator challenging the bugs, are kinda… impressing. Like, it makes me really respect him for his courage and determination. It’s… no… « his »… will to master himself and accomplish his goals, his design. Resilient and beautiful. He won’t ever be the equal of a Grey Knight, but that’s it.
Let us look at the case of the Emperor, Adam Kadmon. As the earlier records, especially by Recollector Kryptmann has note, in the instant the Emperor struck down Horus, all his good will and benevolence was driven from him, into the ether, leaving only a bitter, dying husk of cold oppression. It was this fragment that now lies waiting in the Webway. The Father. The Indigo Prophet. The Revelation.
The Star Child. The Shining Path. Numen.
Every event, every death, resonated within the Emperor’s mind. Every senseless murder, every despairing tear of a bereaved mother, screaming out for someone to save them, pulsed through the throne, even as millions of psykers were fed into the Emperor, amplifying and intensifying these thoughts of anguish and misery.
You forgot one : every ape like imbecile hanging himself while masturbating in order to have a more intense orgasm. One of the greatest disgrace on Mankind’s sacred honor : most humans are shameless enough to not have a meaningful death or at least filling it with dignity.
No… wait… those bastards are going to Slaanesh. X)
Trapped inside his own corpse, he screamed silently, though no one could hear him, and those that could were mad zealots themselves, and could not understand his babbled, confused words.
In my homebrew fluff, some « Heaven Marines » of Jipang practice Sôkushinbutsu. Their bodies are a bit different to Space Marines, but I won’t talk about this here (their is way to much to say), suffice to say they mirror Japanese Buddhism 40K version, and it is their equivalent to Dreadnoughts. Sôkushinbutsu is the ultimate ascetic practice, and the most hard core one, though Japanese ascetics practices are the most hard core of them all. In this Fluff, they do Sôkushinbutsu in order to share the suffering of the Emperor, and comfort his Soul. It consist of dying by becoming a mumy through sheer willpower. In Jipang, those who fail often become tainted by Nurgle, and are hence destroyed on the spot by their fellow Heaven Marines (it is rare because few among them ever do it, only those who are « ready » and want to show a « proof » that their doctrine is correct and that is possible to become a Buddha in this very body and lifespan : maybe 150 at most in all of Jipang’s history). Those who manage to do it become extremely powerfull psykers (basically, they win +2 level of psychic mastery… in other words, even those who were not psykers become one, simply by « noticing » the nature of the Real and the causality of the Materium and Immaterium) and bind their souls witht the one of the Emperor… while being (almost) on the other side of the galaxy, instead of inside the Imperial Palace. They don’t really die from it… they are not really like the Emperor, they don’t suffer from it and their spirits and consciousness are mostly preserved and can travel in the Warp, while being bound to their momified corpse.
They are really « Enlightened » ones, unlike the Illuminati.
But of course, the comfort and kindness they bring to the Emperor through their Ultimate Compassion & Triumphant Willpower… is very small and though it gives him a moment of rest, it soon returns to the usual madness and screaming. One of the rare Grimdark aspect of Jipang : all the efforts and horrible deaths of the Sôkushinbutsu Heaven Marines are for nothing.
He saw Adam Kadmon reborn as the Star Father, a travesty of all that the Imperium Primus and his Creator had stood for.
Just for the lulz : in French, « travestie » means a man disguising himself as a woman. In english, this is known as « trap »… x)
None can know what nightmares he had witnessed, nor what hallucinations he had borne witness to in the bardo state of the Warp, for the Empyrean twisted and warped all that was good into perversion and horror and monstrosity. Horrors that would have driven a mortal mad were inflicted upon him daily for more than 20 millennia, in a prison with no escape save slipping into madness.
Screaming incoherently, Ngaru Astaros wreathed himself in black warp flame charged. Taking Omegon by the throat, he snapped his neck within scant seconds, Omegon as shocked as anyone, never having expected this reaction. Within a split second, he had turned his attention to the other Astartes.
Now that’s what I wanted to read. Usually, writtefags assume the Emperor is still kinda sane, and if he is regenerated or can comunicate through a mean or another, he will have the same personality as before. But such a thing is impossible. Understand, please, it is not by sadism : I would have probably sacrifice myself if it could spare those millenias of suffering and madness for the Emperor. Simply, this is how it is supposed to be… the verification of a theory. The sadness and despair… it had to be known, it had to be seen.
Omegon recovered, hefting a fallen pedestal and hurling it like a javelin at his mad brother. It shattered into dust as it struck Ngaru, choking him momentarily, before a power fist wreathed in crackling lightning slammed into Ngaru and sent him flying.
The effect should have been the same as in Flash Gitz animations. But. Since he wears Power Armour, their is probably a conversion field / Iron Halo / Rosarius ? So, if it worked, a bright flash of light, brighter than a lightning piercing darkness, should have appeared. If it didn’t… then, we can assume the special properties of Ngaru’s armour allowed things to happen as you describes.
In exchange, the Void Dragon had left several hundred Thor Necrons upon Solemnace, a force to bind Trazyn and limit him, and to defend him, even as they acknowledged their obedience to him. For only only on Solemnace and Ttitan were there artefacts of sufficient power to embody the Star Father's might in the Imperium. And those on Titan were beyond reach.
What about when Titan falls under the daemons attacks, and that the surviving Custodes and Grey Knights flee into the Webway ? Most of the artefacts should have been either destroyed or left behind. I wonder what happened to
Crowesir Garran’s daemon sword. This fluff was foolish, anyway, so I don’t really care. But it seems Lord Lucan is mostly following canon modern Fluff, while mocking some of the most unpopular stuff (such as the Duke of Thalassar becoming crazy with bling, or lord Draigo becoming an Angyl Prince). So, what happened to that Sword rumoured to be a dying god ? Was it eaten by Malchocht the Maker or something ? It would be noce to know about all of that.
'Thunder God' or Thor Necrons were powerful, hulking beasts that inspired dread awe in all that faced them, from the Krork to the Imperium of Travesties.
In the 40k setting, their is close to no reason to consider Thor as the name of a god, though, everyone would think it is about High Lord Saint Sebastian Thor.
Few save Greater Daemons of Khorne of Tzeentch could withstand their fury and abominable power. Or the Dread Archangylls of the Star Father.
During the times of the Daemon Hunters codex, I killed 3 Greater Daemons of Universal Chaos with normal, 25pts costing, Grey Knights. 2 in melee, and 1 with a hail of Psycanon bolts. One of those, I brought it the coup de grâce while it had only 1 Wound left, while all the other 4 Grey Knights of the squad were dead, including the Justicar. Their was only 1 Nemesis Sword wielding normal Grey Knight without any option whatsoever… and he still managed to banish the beast. In Ben Counter’s novel, Grand Master Mandulis easily banished a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch in 1 round without being wounded, and then proceeded on banishing Gargatuloth for 1000 Years and 1 Day… and he is supposed to be the typical, archetype, of a Grey Knight Grand Master (yet, people who don’t know the Fluff still btch about lord Draigo single handedly slaying Bloodthirsters and cie).
Never forget that even 1 average Grey Knight is formidable enough to win against a Greatder Daemon.
Trazyn saw an opening, visible only for a fraction of a millisecond, before he struck with the Empathic Obliterator.
Just my opinion, but, you know, Necrons tend to have low Initiative. Their way of fighting is less technical… they take on the attack, and because they are armoured zombie machines, they counter-attack after. Or so I think.
By the way, it is nice to see Trazyn going crazy like that. In the /tg/ Return of the Primarchs setting, Vulkan is the one Trazyn has in his museum. But, he just free him and they become total bros through the power of friendship. Neckbeards are such romantics. But your version is more realistic… Trazyn was created by the Chaos God of Derp, after all. ^^’
For while so many were bound by Fate, bound to the currents of the Great Ocean...the Primarchs were fish in the ocean, able to distort the image of the moon. Maya. Illusion. For the Materium was a reflection of the Warp, made reality and embodied in interstices of cosmic branes. And the image the moon cast upon the water of reality could be challenged. Distorted. Changed.
The moon in the water is a secret of Japanese Martial Arts, especially Yagyû Shinkage-ryû… though I know it, I won’t say it here. Just that… it is kinda close.
And Titan was the realm of the Corpse Emperor, he who had fallen on Terra. A being of obscenity, it has been born from the words and beliefs of the Chaos Astartes and the Dark Mechanicus over the millennia, as well as the beliefs of the Imperium Secundus. An entropic being who resisted decay and cast its sight far and wide, ever striving to twist and manipulate the architecture of probabiilty.
And so, when the Star Father had arisen, these concepts and memes, born over millennia and stored within the vast immensity that was a Warp God, manifested in a place fitting for it. The Storm of the Emperor's Extinction. Linked inextricably to the Star Father, it was the very resistance of the Grey Knights and Custodes that had fueled the ascension of this manifestation.
I disagree.
The Emperor’s corpse is not such a thing. The Grey Knight wouldn’t « worship it » if it would give birth to a monstrous being like the Star Father. The Grey Knights are the greatests Warpologists of the Galaxy, they could even be better at it than Magnus or Tzeentch Daemons… gods are not necessarily wiser than mortals. But the Grey Knights are. And the Grey Knights and Custodes, in Lord Lucan’s 50k, clearly stated that the Star Father was « not worthy » of their service and faith. Beside, they took the Emperor’s corpse witht them inside the webway. If His Majesty’s corpse was linked to the Star Father, they would both feel it and knew it, on a psychic basis and scientific basis.
It’s okay if you have Lord Lucan’s approval (and you probably have, anyway) but it is important for me to state this point.
Of course, if you say that the « Corpse Emperor » is a differenty entity than the actual body of the Emperor that’s different, then it’s okay. But it must be clear that the « Corpse Emperor » demi-god, is not the same thing as the Emperor’s corpse, the empty husk who was used as a face by Malchocht the Unmaked when he attacked Titan, which was retaken by the Grey Knights and Custodes, and mounted on a Throne in Titan, and then taken while they evacuated by the Webway.
Once Doombreed had been a mortal on Earth. Or rather, a collection of mortals. An ancient warlord who had swept the steppes of Old Eurasia with his legions and hordes, raping and despoiling the civilisations, none possessed the mettle to ever truly defeat him in his day and age. A mad adherent of an ideology that boasted of supremacy by virtue of ones race. A religious madman who had led his legions into the desert. A serial killer who had stalked the night. Nearly every vicious madman and warlord and despot who had faded away into history, then legend, then myth. Their souls congealed and distilled into the Daemon Prince of Khorne that was Doombreed.
Daemons are collections of souls. But Daemon Princes are based on but 1 body and 1 personality, not multiple ones, even though it is distorded by mutations and single-mindedness of the Warp gods. The Doombreed you are portraying is almost like a regular Greater Daemon, instead of a Daemon Prince.
BTW, that Prophet was not a mere madman. He had a Vision, like it or not. Even though it caused wars and slavery, and was a bane for Europe for centuries. Even though it lost it’s momentum and greatness in the modern world. Despite of that, I am absolutely disgusted by people blaspheming against this great man. It’s… simply… their is no room for debate in this matter.
1 religion = 1 civilisation. It goes for IRL setting as well as it goes for Warhammer setting.
Oh yeah, of course, some « religious madman who had led his legions into the desert » could be almost anyone, not just Islam’s Prophet, and you don’t wrotte his name. Why ? Because ALL prophets talk and teach inside deserts… this is like a scientific Law, their is just NO exception for that. So it could be almost anybody. It could even be, say, a Crusader such as Guy de Lusignan… ?
Same goes for the « mad adherent » of the racist ideology… it’s obvious you are targetting Hitler, but this one was not even half as crazy as modern people pretend he was ; he also supported other bright civilizations such as Britain, China and Japan, he simply at the bare minimum recognized them as they were : Civilised Civilisations. So much for race superiority, right ? You target that guy simply because he is the most infamous dictator. That could also be the Emperor Shôwa, who was despite of all the modern meaningless and deapthless bitching, really a god in the sense of archaic societies. Could also be General Tôjô, who was quite clearly actually the victim in this business, since he just protected the Emperor by taking all the blame willingly, and somehow, many retards fail to see that. But in truth, that depiction goes just as well for post-Mao Zedong Chinese Presidents, North AND South Korean Presidents, a lot of Africa’s dictators too probably.
I’m not going for a debate here.
Because, I hope that what I will be writting next, readers of this comment will understand that their is much, much better way of portraying Doombreed than this… insanely unfair politically-correct bullshit.
…
When he was young, Genghis Khan already had the features of a great man, and Mettle. He was, simply, badass-born. And then, he met a sage monk. And the monk said this to him… if he could refrain from having sex and stay a virgin, he would attain such heights of merits he would actually becoming an enlightened Immortal being. That was the Buddhist deal ; in my homebrew Fluff, something « Phaos’leth » / « Illuminas » would have offer him as a test, that, if passed, he would receive in exchange Apotheosis, becoming a Daemon-Prince not of Chaos, not of Order, but of Harmony, a transcendantal being without a wrapped mind, but a cosmic existence instead and peerless understanding of the Real.
And then, their was the other deal. War and all it’s atrocities. Mass bloodshed. Rampage. Rape. And countless sexual reproductions that would lead him to have a genetic legacy lasting as long as Asia itself (you know, the Titan of Fame in Greek myths…), if not Humanity itself. It was the deal of Khorne.
And that’s what he choosed. In fact, Genghis Khan tried, to be fair, to play both games. He tried to be a conqueror, but at the same time, to be quite a fair ruler, and to establish Tibetan Buddhism through his Realms. But it was not enough, and the religion of Blood infiltrated his dreams and the teachings, and the actual way of life of his armies and tribes. It warpped his mind and corrupted his former good intentions.
He then became a Daemon-Prince, the first one in Human’s History.
His mutated face and body filled with power and RAEG… that’s why he forbade anyone to portray him. He had to take care not allowing anyone to see his actual face, though of course, foreign superstitions would portray him as some kind of tall devil with horns and red supernatural muscle and thirst for bloodshed and rampage… that no one would take seriously, despite that he really looked like that by the end of his mortal life. And that’s why his realm crumbled, because the New-Man came to slay him, to stop his mortal existence. Doombreed’s head was cut off by the staunch blade of the « Ferrus Gladius », and lightnings burned his body. But his soul survived the Force attack, and he was brought into Khorne’s sub-reality into the chaotic aligned Warp.
Grimdark.
And by the way, if one does his Fluffic research seriously, he knows the Emperor is far more legitimate as Terra’s Monarch than Doombreed will ever be. In fact, He is far more legitimate as the Emperor of Pan-Humanity than anyone ever. I could state just ONE fact to convince you, that would blow your mind and shred it to ribbon, disgusting you of Black Library books at best, and at worse making you implode through the sheer amount of Awesomeness that would pass unto our whole being. But. It’s a secret weapon. And I’m allowing you some time to build up resistence and mental preparations. 8)
And that a better story than, let’s say, Doombreed as the incarnation of all the so-called bad guys and infamous dictators in Wienner written history books (btw, note that almost no serious historian is named Victor, and people who win wars tend to writte their version of the events with their dicks, which explain why it is even worse that if they did it with their toes instead of their hands, as they are supposed to do :p ) ?
I hope I will convince at least SOME people.
And so in desperation, they had attempted to do so. And successfully they did, to create a plasma intellect that was based in the material realm. Like the Great Artilects of the Golden Age of Technology and the Red Minds of Mars, they would surge into being as protectors and enlightened bodhisattvas, sagacious and powerful, part of the totality in mind and being as they were soul-bound to Radunrah. The Starminds, of the creation of the Lumos Men, the Lumos Minds.
Namu Tenshô Daijin !
In my homebrew Fluff for the Jipang Codex, the entity known as « Amaterasu Omikami » seems to be something akin to that. A sentient Sun. Some believe it is « merely » the warp representation of that star ; others says it is much more than that. Those are theories from characters inside the setting.
In the Battlefleet Gothic game, when a sun has an erruption, all those spaceship shields cease to work for 1 turn, if I remember correctly. Well, Amaterasu (or rather « O-Tento-sama », since other theologians think « Amaterasu Sume Ô Kami » is the Warp deity of Light and/or a main aspect of Ame-no-Minaka-Nushi-no-Kami and/or Dainichi Nyôrai, meaning, Supreme Cosmic Deity… so actually, the entity known as Amaterasu could be far more advanced than Type II Civilisation, more like Type IV or V), the sun of Jipang, can do that. And much more. A Squat fleet tried to troll the AdMech who wanted to study it, by absorbing the Sun’s energy through their great technology… Amaterasu was pissed enough to destroy their ships. It also destroyed Imperial Navy ships and Black Templars ships attacking Jipang during the Age of Apostasy, first by destroying their force fields… and then by sending huge laser shots. And since this event mirror Japanese History’s Mongol Invasion, it is actually the Heavenly Sovran of that time who asked Amaterasu to do it. x)
Crunch wise, using points to buy the assistance of Amaterasu allows to have 1D3 C’tan powers from the Necron Codex. So it is likely Amaterasu is somehow connected with the C’tan.
But of course, in the hand, it’sjust à posteriori reasoning : Warpology state quite clearly Stars have souls, huge souls, and therefore, it would unsuprising if they were sentient. Even a lot of planets would be. The one of Warhammer Battle, the Known World, is « Sapient ». The one of Jipang too, by the way.
.// My name is Herald. And I am restored to sanity.
Good. You deserve it, Mister Herald. ;)
Spacetime fractured and warp storms enguled the entire bubble of space, along with every single Neo-Devourer Armada, Tyranid Hive Fleet, Machina Drone Fleet and the forces of the Ophilim possessed therein. But worst of all was the keening wail that echoed through the Warp, as 1000 Star Minds came into sapience, stellar infants born into a debased furnace of warp and war. Yet what truly chilled the bones of all that heard it, in each and every psyker and Astartes who had a soul-bound link to Khanda...was the roar of fury of the Ophilim Nagarok and the garbled binary of the Machina Primus. And of Khanda....all that came was silence. A
Unfinished ? Or trolling about the so called « silence » ? ^^’
With the advent of the War on the Travesty, and the approach of the Dissolution, Khanda knew of no other way to aid his brethren than to buy them time. Never would he fight alongside the Lion, or the Wolf, or the Great Khan, nor even the Crow Prince. The wounds of Sargasso were too deep and too raw.
That’s one of the only aspects of the Fluff that I don’t like. I mean… they are all sons of the Emperor, but no Prince or Crown Prince, or Imperial Prince. Not in the (old) Fluff. WTF ?! I’m not even sure who is this Crown Prince the narrator speak off. So embarassing. ><’’
For he had absorbed millions...no...trillions of souls over the millennia. Human and Eldar and Ork lay within the gestalt of his being, for far better that the psychic deluge of memes within the warp, that ideas and knowledge, given shape, were directed to him rather than the foes that waited within. As such, was he not a prize? A worthy catch for any of the Chaos Gods. For an insult had to be given and an offence designed to be an affront to them made. And Khanda had just the right idea...
… I still believe Chapter Master Smashfucker Prime is stronger, though. Look. Even Roboute Guilliman admitted it, by saying if his Legion fought alongside the Iron Hands he would win any war and any battle. You know in your heart he was right. Lord Lucan’s Guilliman is too awesome to be wrong. :p
But what also concerned them was the presence of the presence of a vast host of Eldar within him. In the creation of the Magellan Reich, there were others who had fled, seeking refuge outside te Milky Way. In the twilight years of the Horus Heresy, and again during the advent of the Neo-Devourer Wars in the Milky Way, Craftworlds had chosen to leave, to seek a chance beyond the galactic rim.
In the Jipang Codex Fluff, it is believe the term « Shintô » (Divine Path) not only refers to the Shintoist religion of the locals, and their strange but actualy working deities… it also refers to a Warp tunel who allegedly link Jipang with another galaxy built by the Old Ones in order to allow the Eldar to flee the Galaxy after the birth of Slaanesh. Remember how the Old Ones created the Eldars (never mind that bullshit war in heaven, they likely made them in order for at least 1 race in the universe to savour it, and probably as an experiment to see if a completely different way of life and existence than those of the Old Ones could foster superior Wisdom) and how they predicted the coming of Slaanesh (through the power of prophecies + understanding of basic laws of Warpology) ?
Well… Unlike the Eldars and [[a certain dick|Eldrad]] among them, the Old Ones were not dicks.
According to this « conspirationist » theory, the Old Ones built an isolated « webway » linking the Mily Way and another Galaxy, far away, while placing suns along the road, to that the Craftworlds could migrate through it and returning to the Old Ones’ sides and protection.
Few Eldars know of that legend, though.
Yet, it is said some came to the Divine Land (Shinkoku) of Jipang, in order to go over their. Kojiki and Nihongi mentions several characters going to Tokoyo-no-kuni in order to seek Immortality… but Eldars, Exodites and Arahitogami are already immortals. Unless that Tokoyo-no-kuni refers to the Infinity Circuit that may or may not be inside the core of the planet of Jipang… it is something else entirely. Jipang is a bit too strange for a Maiden World. And both the Inquisition and Mechanicus prooved their were quite a lof Warp Tunels in Jipang (in fact, their is a Shintô deity who create them, so that the Torii can actually be used as Warp portals / Warp tunel portals).
That’s one of the many reasons that make the true nature of the gods from the « Tenson Kôrin Myth » dubious in the eyes of historians and researchers, especially those of the Imperium, AdMin and AdMech. For exemple, and to make things even stranger, Takemikazuchi no Kami is supposed to be a mythologisation of the Legiones Astartes coming to Jipang… but who then is Ninigi-no-Mikoto ? Is it The Emprah ? A Primarch ? A Space Marine commander ? An Eldar King ? A personification of the Imperium and/or Administratum ? And when did he left Jipang or died ? Did he ?! And then, who the fuck was Jinmu-Tennô, if he was not an Arahitogami (the oldest confirmed Arahitogami Sovran is Ôjin-Tennô… who at the same time is thought to be Hachiman… 1 of the most suspiscious gods of Jipang) ?! And why is their few to no traces of Imperial Civilisation upon Jipang’s ground ?! And to make things even more confusing, « Kashima » is a psychic power of the « Senpô, psychic martial arts » discipline of Jipang codex, that grants supernatural Strength and Toughness, just like the transfiguration of a human into an Astartes, indeed.
But, since Jipang has entered the Age of Grace (Ga-dai, Miyabi-yo, 33th & 34th Millenias) at least, they have been cunts to the Eldars, and seeing them as failures unworthy of the Old Ones’ love and protection, they just keep getting in the way with their mighty « Katanas of Destruction ». You know how Magnus is actually a neckbeard ? That’s because of a Katana of Destruction called Higekiri (« beard slaying » sword). Official position of Jipang Heavenly Court and Stellar High Realm is that their is no such webway portal. :v
Here’s your « mad adherent of an ideology that boasted of supremacy by virtue of ones race. » Actually, the Arahitogami sub-species are superior in almost every aspects to regular Homo Sapiens and Eldars. Fairer, stronger, tougher, purer, immortals, more resilient, almost immune to Chaotic taint and influence, powerful Psykers but almost no Perils of the Warp (Fluff wise, Perils caused by Senpô psychic powers are usually due to the
Mihotoke’s Wrath, and crunch wise, they can use saves against it). The only way they are inferior is their strong conservatism and lack of innovation, or scientific views… the kind of things, the kind of super power the Magellan Reich became, it’s totally not the kind of developpement the Arahitogami race would make. Because of their blessed nature and link with the Cosmos, they don’t need most technologies. According to traditionalists, Arahitogami from the « Kodai » (Age of Yore, at least 30th to 32nd Milleniums, way before, since the official version promoted by Jipang’s Heavenly Sovran Court states that Jimmu-Tennô is at least from the 23rd Millenium, and Kujiki states that Ninigi-no-Mikoto came more than 1 Million Year before Jimmu-Tennô) lived in harmony with Nature. Quite like the Exodites or the Shamans of yore, indeed.
+ The Son of a Woodsman (Goliath) and Kharne the Betrayer meet in battle. Epic beatdown, mutual KO and both kill each other, atop a mound of corpses.
I think it would be better with Kharne winning, but being half dead and completely beatdown. His gun is spent (or destroyed), his armour is heavily damaged and completely torn apart at some places, some of his bones are hacked, he lost his helmet, he lost an eye (through acid spit), Goliath bite off one of ears while they were wrestling on the grounds… he sit down to get some rest, for once. And then, an humble guardsman (fathered by a woodsman) who was playing dead, shoot him dead with a laser pistol.
That, or he is killed by a rocket launched Angry Marine’s powerfeet named « the Attitude Adjustor ». FATALITY !
. At least enough to antagonise enough of Doombreeds court of daemons 
.
.)
). Pour ce qui est du transport en particulier, c'est là la grande ironie du mandat Sarkozy, dans les opérations conjointes ou campagnes où les USA sont alliés, les troupes Françaises en dépendent pour les transports, et plus ou moins pour les drones aussi (ils font le travail de reconnaissance : les satellites peuvent pas tout faire non-plus, hein). Avec ces opérations partout et ces patrouilles de police, l'armée Française a atteint ses limites opérationnelles : les généraux s'en plaignent de temps à autres dans les médias. 
