The Lost (30k Primarch Quest)

I feel bad when the vote is this one-sided because it generally means I should've just gone with that one in the first place and come up with something more interesting for the question.

XXII. Of Monks and Men

Your ship pulls into the small harbor without further incident, and as you pull into the drydock and disembark, you let your men and women go on shore leave.

Virtuous Whim has been remarkably cordial and pleasant since his earlier outburst, at least on the surface. But you can see his lips tightening every time he comes near you, the slight bit of force he adds to every smile. The lay-sister and Paradise in Labor do not seem to feel as he does; the former shaking off her displeasure within the day and the latter simply moving on, uncaring.

So you have naturally kept close to him since leaving port.

Aside from Son and Fan having the occasional spat, the cultists have been quiet. Sort of. They worship at your feet and praise you whenever you walk by (the varying levels of adoration ranging from the genuinely pleasant blushing of young women with crushes, to the disturbing toe-kissing of rabid sycophants) but overall they are not causing problems. Xiulan, on the other hand, has given you a wide berth. You're pretty sure she's not going to cause problems, but she seems to avoid you anyway.

You bring Han, Ping, and Eun with you to the temple. Fan stays on your back, as always, and she's humming a sea shanty. You smile and pat her head.

The Kuji-Nan lead you out of the harbor and further inland, up an incline. At first you think the temple is at the top of a fortified hill, but as you get closer you realize that the temple is built into the hill. At the top there is a dome partway buried into the ground, and at the base of the hill you see thick steel walls with large gates at each of the cardinal directions.

"The stupa." Whim says, seeing where your eyes have gone. "Our main prayer hall."

"I take it we're not allowed up there?"

"You can go if you wish." Whim shrugs. "Just don't open the doors once they close and don't be disruptive."

"The doors are closed." Han observes.

"Ah. I imagine they won't care given the news we're alive."

There is a second wall set out from the first, setting an area around the hill aside. Within this area is a large, square building. You can see no doors from your position, yet it looks to be the most incongruous building there. Where the stupa seems elegant and poised, the square appears brutally efficient and monotone. You're unsure of its purpose, but it needs a large space and is clearly meant to stand out among the buildings here.

"The cloister of circuitry." Whim explains. "No one is allowed within."

"Why not?" Ping asks, curiously looking at the lay-sister. "What do all the girls do in there?"

Whim shoots him a dark look. "The men and women of the cloister work directly with the STC."

"Oh. Well that's less fun than I was thinking."

"It is of immense importance and a great honor."

"Not saying it isn't, just sounds kinda boring."

The lay sister doesn't look at either of them.

"STC?" The acronym stirs something in your head. It's important and you can't place why.

"When Tabgach was originally settled, the colonists came prepared with machines capable of producing near anything they required." The lay-sister explains. "Over time the machines broke down and fell into disrepair, though many of their designs have remained preserved. The Kuji-Nan do what we can to maintain what's left."

"The Knights are largely intact," Paradise butts in, "since the creators believed they would be the most useful technology on this world and thus made them the most robust and common design. But as other technologies become harder and harder to re-create, it becomes necessary to either preserve them, copy them, or move them to more secure temples."

"Seems a lot of security for some old blueprints," You say, mind already racing with other possibilities.

"A full vacuum sealed environment is required."

Your fantasies come to a screeching halt. "WHAT?! WHY?! That's just unnecessary overkill!"

The lay sister shrugs. "Circuitry is incredibly delicate."

"I mean sure, but… can't you just like etch it into a stone tablet or something?!" Ping asks.

She laughs, her tone merry. "A pleasant appearance clearly does not enhance the intellect." You're not sure if that's a compliment or an insult.

Ping grins and looks at Whim as he takes it as the former. "Told you she thinks I'm cute."

Whim doesn't dignify that with a response, which is probably a good thing. The lay sister winks at you.

Eun glances out and points to some homesteads in the distance, where you can see men tilling the soil. "Are those farms part of the temple?"

"Our monks work the fields. Nourishment is one of the most important things to maintain a healthy body." Whim explains, gesturing to the farms. "We fast regularly to maintain and strengthen the spirit, of course, but food is important. Much of it is in underground stores we can access from the stupa."

Huh… at that, something in your mind clicks into place.

You run your eyes over the entire temple again. While at first glance the place looks open and peaceful, you notice that the walls surrounding the temple are well reinforced and strong. With a hill at the center as a natural defense, you could easily see the monks holding out for as long as they have food and water. With the farm so close by and the underground storage, they will always have a ready stock in case of a siege, and the farm can be easily abandoned if need be.

"This place is very defensible…" you muse, thinking back to the drydock your ship is now in.

Whim glances at you, and though he has no eyes, you can see his surprise in the muscles around the bionics. "Well… yes. The Temple is neutral in wider political matters, as all the Kuji-Nan are, but we occasionally must deal with the odd bandit raid."

You're not sure he's being fully truthful there. This seems like a bit stronger than what would be needed for starving farmers… then again you suppose it wouldn't stand up to a proper Knight assault and what else is there in a place like this?

A slow grin spreads as you suddenly realize: if bandits regularly attack this place and it needs defending, that implies something worth taking.

Fan pats your shoulder. "Where's the cool glowy stuff?" She asks. "Ma- I've heard that tech monk stuff is cool and glowy."

Whim smiles at her. "It is far more than 'cool and glowy' stuff, child. But the deepest mysteries and most important technologies are kept in secret chambers, and-"

"TITS ON A SQUID, WHAT IS THAT?!" Ping yells, demonstrating his talent for bringing everyone's thoughts to a confused, screeching halt. You turn to tell him off, then gape at the same thing he apparently saw.

The Knight lays on its back, badly burned and injured. It is far larger than the armiger you saw previously, a whole order above it in fact. It has shoulder mounted guns, as well as smaller meltas on the front, and cannons on each arm nearly the size of its whole torso. And on its back there is a pair of missiles to go with it. It is quite a lot of firepower, frankly the kind of monstrosity you'd normally assume was overkill. But as you look the Knight over and see the scores of bullet holes and scorch marks along it, and notice that it is not only laying down but being taken apart, you realize with some trepidation that for all its firepower it was not unmatched.

Ping is looking at the machine with the kind of awe you didn't think the man capable of. "Is that a Daimyo-class?!"

"It is." Whim looks back at him, again surprised. "Your comrade seems to know much of the Knights."

You shrug. The past of your crewmates doesn't mean much to you so long as they serve. Besides, up until now Ping's sole interests seemed to be treasure, fighting, women, and fighting with treasure on the line and women watching.

"Is it dead?" Fan asks, eyes wide with shock.

Han frowns at the machine. "I don't think so… I can see someone welding down there…"

"It's under repair," Ping notes, glancing at Whim. "What happened to it?"

"I don't know." Whim shrugs. "It wasn't here when we left. But I'm sure we can ask."

Ping glances at you, and you read a lot of meaning in that glance. Not a lot in the world could injure a knight at all, least of all one of that size. He wants to know what, though you can't imagine a reason why.

"VIRTUOUS WHIM!!"

You glance up as a group of monks come running from the hill, with a speed that disturbs you. They move quickly, at speeds that men and women shouldn't be able to move. You're not in a position to talk, of course, but you make it look good.

"We thought you lost!" One of the monks – this one a woman – throwing herself into a hug with the lay-sister.

She smiles and pats the stranger's back. "I am in need of cleansing and do not recommend this embrace."

"I'll take alive and ripe over dead any day!"

"Please get these off of me." Whim says, tapping the visor. "I have already had it for too long, my flesh weakens."

"Of course, of course!" The man says, reaching up to remove the visor. You hear something turning and spinning before the visor comes off of his face, leaving a mess of wires and metal protrusions in their place. "We thought you lost, brother!"

"I was." Whim smiles, perhaps the most genuine expression you've seen on him in days. "But now I am found, thanks to this one." He gestures towards you, despite his lack of sight.

The man bows low, his electro staff humming. "Thank you for bringing our brothers and sister back to the Temple. I am Lotus Clad in Gold, and I am eternally grateful to have our people returned to us from certain death. How might our temple assist you?"

"Captain Ching Sun-Sin of the Cutting Dagger. And we've actually got a few things," you say. "Our ship needs repair, it's been through hell getting your boys and girl back."

Lotus nods. "Without charge, as well."

More than you expected. You smile. "Good to hear. The second thing is that my men and I have some weapons taken from aliens."

"Oh?" Lotus' eyes shine bright at the news. "Are they intact? They would be wonderful to study!"

"Not study." You correct. "We want you to modify them for human use."

Lotus' bright smile fades a bit. "Oh."

"… I mean you can look them over while you're doing it, but-"

"Oh we can help with your guns." Lotus says lightly. "I'd need to see them to be completely certain of the difficulty, of course, but I'm certain they can be modified for human use. I simply misunderstood what you were going for."

"Ah. Were you hoping to incorporate them into your defenses? They seem extreme for a temple in the middle of nowhere."

"I mean no offense, captain, but…" Lotus laughs. "Surely you don't expect me to outline my temple's defenses to one I have only just met?"

"Well no, that would be silly," you admit, "but this place seems a fortress, or perhaps a prison. Surely you can at least explain why?"

"Sorry, captain."

Han steps forward. "Medical. We've got someone sick and in need of treatment."

The woman that hugged the lay-sister nods to Han. "Take me to them, I'll see what I can do."

"Take her, Han-" you begin, but he's already moving.

Ping points to the Knight Daimyo. "What's that about? What can take a Daimyo down so easily?"

"Ah, that… is an issue with another of our clients." Lotus says. "We're not at liberty to say, I'm afraid."

Irritation creeps into your mind, and it must show on your face, because the monk stiffens.

"Captain, please understand, we are very grateful to you, but our neutrality-" The man begins, but you cut him off.

-

Voting!

The monks are reluctant to tell you, but any primarch can manage some form of diplomacy or another. How does Sun-Sin go about learning information the Tech Monks do not volunteer?

[] – Ask reasonably (Respect)

You've always had a bit of a silver tongue when dealing with people like this. In your dealings with the various captains of mother's fleet, you've noticed one common theme: The insane assholes never last long. Show them a reasonable amount of respect, and they will show it to you in turn. So long as everyone's clear that that's what they're doing...

[] – Guilt trip (Compassion)

No good deed goes unpunished, they say. It's not like you're asking for much from these people. You saved three of their monks, from the sounds of it some of their best and brightest. Surely, that's at least worth some explanation as to the things you're seeing?

[] – Implied force (Strength)

The storm is always rumbling in your blood, and even the proudest men can tell that sometimes it needs release. If the monks know you can't be messed with, they'll volunteer whatever they think will stop you. You won't actually do anything of course, but sometimes the carrot needs a stick…

[] – Sneak around (Stealth)

You've always had a knack for getting into places you weren't supposed to be. The monks won't tell you anything important directly? Fine. You'll relent for the moment, but let's see how they act when they don't know you're listening…

[] – Write In