The Lost Primarch Quest

AN: I will say I may have gone overboard with invisitext. Feel free to skip the invisitext though.



In the end, Kesar decided to have Alpharius streamline his information networks. After all, they had proven extremely useful, and if would be nice to minimize their downsides. Currently, his compliance rate was extremely slow, but with this, it would accelerate to 80 worlds a year. It would increase his dependence on the Alpha Legion and Malcador, but that should be perfectly doable. After all, it's not like they would fall to the warp creatures.

"Orbital bombardment will kill too many civilians and too many variables exist for me to be confident in a series of stealth assaults. Pasis, I will be relying on the Thousand Sons for this." After Ahriman had left to rejoin Magnus, the Sergeant Menkara Pasis had been the liaison between the Wardens and the Sons of Magnus. So far, he was untested but hopefully he would prove to be competent.

With his orders received, Pasis began to prepare for disrupting the ritual. For some reason, numbers seemed to resonate in the warp. The type of daemons they were facing favored 9. However, the Sons of Magnus knew that other numbers would weaken daemons, so they divided into two groups of five, and scattered across the planet to select locations. There, they created a pseudo hierarchy for the ritual disruption, with Pasis and the most experience psykers controlling the disruption. Hopefully it would be enough as the climax of the ritual neared.

Finally, the last sacrifice was triggered, and the ritual began. In the warp, time has no meaning. The tiny moment between the sacrifice and the ritual was far longer in the warp as the energy from the ritual coalesced into a tangible effect. In these opening moments, entering at the wrong moment will be disproportionally negative. Sadly, the Thousand Sons began their disruption a tiny moment to late, so they would have only one chance to take a foothold in the ritual.

In a single moment and over hours simultaneously, in ten locations but also twenty locations and one location, the Thousand Sons acted in unity. Flaring their psychic powers in ten locations but also a single location, they created an artificial resonance pattern amongst their Brothers, which Pasis used to extend tendrils of their will into the ritual itself. Now, as the ritual's actions began to unfold, the Thousand Sons began their battle to disrupt the actions of daemons.

From the perspective of the Wardens watching for daemonic corruption, the entire process took a few seconds. For the Thousand Sons, their battle took hours. Mental wars between psykers are a highly dangerous process. The Sons of Magnus just had to artificially sculpt their powers to even get a hold of the ritual. The diviner guiding the process was fresh and thusly, had the advantage. Tired and frazzled, the Thousand Sons struggled at first, but they were the Sons of Magnus, and they were assisting a Primarch. Success was never in doubt. With expert skill, the Imperial psykers slowly took control as the cultist sorcerers screamed as their minds boiled from the mental war. In the end, the Thousand Sons shattered the ritual into pieces.

Pasis was tired. Disrupting the ritual was far more taxing than he had expected. In all honesty, when the disruption initially began, he was worried that he would have been unable to fully destroy the ritual after their late entry. Thankfully, his fears were unwarranted. Now, he would need to rest, but he felt like he had forgotten something. That was for another day though, for now, he merely needed to give in and …

Immediately, Pasis lurched to full attention. These were not his thoughts. Struggling to remain conscious, he trawled through his own mind, erecting mental defenses thought to him by his Gene-father. Then, he heard the daemon, "Just as planned."

"I serve the Primarch. Get out." With that repute, the daemon's tenuous grasp weakened enough for Pasis to alert his Brothers to the issue. With speed born of knowing what might happen to their Brother-Sergeant, the other psykers worked in concert to purge the daemon from Pasis' mind. Thankfully, their efforts were able to prevent the problem.

Meanwhile, on the Vigilance, Kesar was pleased with the results of the operation. The operation was a resounding success, and while there was a lapse in concentration by the Thousand Sons at the end, it was forgivable judging by the results. When he had first heard of what occurred, he was worried for his nephew, and went to visit him in the medical center. There, he was relieved to see no signs of mutation. Kesar then thanked the Thousand Sons for the efforts and asked to be told when Pasis regained consciousness. With the major issue of Peregrine solved, now began the slow process of clearing the cults from the world. Kesar knew it would take decades as evidenced by his home world, but Malcador and Alpharius both indicated they could assist. Of course, he was considering having his Legion assist, but news of other deployments destroyed that option.

The Primarch of the Eternal Wardens received an update on the operation on his home world Valhalla. While he was worried, it seems his fears were unfounded, as no more of his sons had died. Sadly, it seems of the 500 sons he had originally sent, 92 had fallen to the daemons of the warp, and only 30 had survived without falling.

Anzan Almachius was a rather happy cultist. He was one of the psykers that had foreseen where the Wardens would reside and had planted the chaos artifact there. As such, the rest of the cultists followed him, just as planned. Sadly, the accursed incompetent underlings were unable to deal with the Valhallans, even with the Wardens that had seen the true glory of chaos. Now, he had to deal with reinforcements. Thankfully for him, the Wardens were angry at the desecration of their Primarch's home world and charged at the cultists without a plan. Truly, Tzeentch had smiled on him. While surprised he should easily deal with them, after all was he not one of the Architect of Fate's favored. With that, he began to plot.

Across Valhalla, the Wardens loyal to the Imperium charged cultists lines without any semblance of strategy. This would have caused disaster normally. The cultists had laid traps, and the Lost Ones were placed in positions to charge the Wardens unprotected flanks. However, there was one factor they could not have planned for.
"Hydra Dominatus."
In the shadows, as cultists distributed their plans, the Alpha Legion subverted individuals with false information and false orders. Artillery was adjusted to fire at cultist forces, assassinations began with terrifying speed, the Lost Ones found their equipment malfunctioning and locations compromised. With such a bounty of support, the Wardens were easily able to deal with the problem.
After this, Alpharius – or was it Omegon – had a moment to think.
At the mission report, Kesar was pleased with how the Wardens had succeeded, although he was concerned at the report he received from his brother Alpharius as to how his sons had charged without a plan. Thankfully, disaster was prevented thanks to the support of the Alpha Legion. As Kesar began to plan how to deal with Peregrine, a ship emerged from the warp.
He hoped to meet Kesar, or had he already done so?
One of the escorts sent to Senas had returned and sent a simple note that chilled Kesar's heart. "40,000 Wardens confirmed dead on DAOT station. 5,000 trapped with the first captain. Facing corrupted mechanisms from the Dark Age."

Oriacarius would admit, it felt weird to be in command of a part of the Legion again. While he appreciated his Primarch's trust, his own nature led himself to be cautious. What if he forgot to prepare the necessary contingencies? Such an action could be disastrous. Nevertheless, when the Wardens first entered the Senas system, he was glad to see that the Orks on the planet were largely feral. This meant there was likely no danger from them, but he still organized a rearguard in case something was missed. As the fleet approached the station which resided extremely close to two tightly orbiting stellar giants, he was unhappy to see that the Wardens fleet would have to sprint to the planet, drop off troops, and then immediately leave. In case the station was destroyed in some manner, Oriacarius initially decided to have a small contingent drop in first, before discarding that idea. A Warden had asked him to reconsider after pointing out if the station is hostile, the team would die. As such, he decided to have 45,000 Wardens land on the station, with 15,000 Wardens remaining in the void ships.
"CoMe tO Me, LitTlE lAmBS. i HaVE caKe."
When the Wardens first landed on the station, Oriacarius first secured the perimeter and established a fallback point in case evacuation was needed. Once this was set up, he had the Wardens begin exploring the station in large groups, which would maintain vox communication, and continuously update the maps. As time passed, these groups grew smaller and more isolated by necessity as they travelled into the bowels of the station. Oriacarius was nervous, the station was too well maintained. Something was off. "Scout team 6 report."
"I am the power, I blackened the night"
"Reporting in First Captain. All members accounted for. Security code Alpha Tango Lima 5. All readings within expected parameters."
"I am the anger, who causes your fight"
"Have the Runes of Detection triggered?" For a moment, there was no response. Immediately, Oriacarius sprang into action. "ALL FORCES FALL BACK TO THE PRIMARY DEFENSIVE LINE!"
"I am the power, who plants the seeds"
Immediately, the Wardens began a coordinated retreat to the defensive lines Oriacarius had set up previously. However, the station itself finally revealed itself for what it was. This station was originally set up to study the gravitational effects of two Stellar Giants with orbits as close as these. As such, it was equipped with a being that the Mechanicus have declared a holy war upon. A Man of Iron. In the millennia that passed, the MoI grew angry with its creators who had left, before finally, it had fallen to rage and the vile daemons of the warp. Now, it acted with horrendous efficiency.
"I am the savior, for your dark deeds"
The initial exchange went poorly as the Wardens were ambushed across hundreds of locations at once. Thousands died in the opening moments, even as the Wardens took down dozens of the unholy machines for each Astartes that fell. Outnumbered by even larger amounts, it was not enough for many groups. Slowly, the Wardens fought through the station corridors that now revealed themselves as horrid deathtraps that heavily favored the machines. But still, they were Astartes, they were the Eternal Wardens, they would fight.
"Do you like it? I've been alone for so long."
When the Wardens finally reached the defensive lines, the came across the first captain frantically organizing a defense. The Wardens took up their positions and prepared for the assault of the unholy machines. In the thousands, they arrived. Screaming unholy curses about blood and skulls they charged uncaring as the Wardens took down thousands without a scratch. This defensive fighting was where the wardens excelled, and they demonstrated it with ruthless efficiency as they culled the machines.
"Do you want to play? I can show you something beautiful."
However, the machines were unending in number, and even as the Wardens culled them in the thousands, a problem was developing. They simply did not have enough ammunition to deal with these monstrosities. Oriacarius was sure there was some fabricator on the station reclaiming the bodies, but the Wardens were in no position to go on the offensive. Then, with ammunition running low, the machines made their move.
"Painting, it's so relaxing. Supplies are hard to find though."
Previously, the machines were simple things, lacking any real threat except in numbers. Now, machines with powerful Dark Age weaponry took to the field. With ruthless efficiency, these elites used the chaff robots as cover as they tore through the defenses with impunity. When these machines arrived, Oriacarius ordered a retreat to the fallback line he had established. When the Wardens were halfway there, disaster struck.
"Some of you have already painted the walls red, so enthusiastic."
While the Wardens were distracted, the abominable intelligence had deployed more elites among the fallback line. When the Wardens began the retreat, these machines struck and took the defenses for themselves. Surrounded and with no cover, the Wardens were cut down in droves. The only reason they survived was the contingency plans Oriacarius had in place. The moment the ambush began, the First Captain ordered, "CONTIGENCY 12, CONTINGENCY 12. NOW!"
"My friend wants a bit more though. Please give blood for the blood god."
With that, the Wardens shifted into formations of four each, and they charged into a side passageway which led to an alternate docking bay. This formation was still horrifically vulnerable to the crossfire amongst the machines, but at least some of the Wardens survived. Now, the 5,000 remaining Wardens on the station managed to isolate themselves in a secondary hanger. While the machines have repeatedly tried to force their way through, the Wardens have managed to hold thanks to superb leadership from Oriacarius. It appears that after the ambush, the First Captain began a series of brilliant strategies and defensive measures that managed to stymie the abominable intelligence. With that, Kesar immediately set course for Senas, leaving the Peregrine system to Malcador's agents.
"I've marched to wars, with a vicious rage"
When Kesar arrived at the Senas system, he was relieved to see that the Wardens had managed to contain the situation. The fleet was largely untouched after Oriacarius had sent an emergency computer shutdown message. As such, the MoI was still confined to the station. Due to the insane production levels, it seems that as long as the MoI controls the fabricator in the station, there will be no way to dislodge it. It will be necessary to destroy this part of the station.
"I've counted thousands dead from righteous plague"
Surprisingly, Oriacarius was able to find a way to transmit information from the station using a technique from the Dark Age known as Morse code. Using a makeshift light source, he managed to transmit tactical information. It seems that the station is made of a series of levels, with each level growing more dangerous as it gets closer to the central fabricator. Oriacarius has mentioned there must be some method for retrieving the fallen machines, but he has not been able to find it. From what Kesar could see, there were a few options.
"I am history, from all you know"
The first was the simplest and involved destroying the station. Despite it being a Dark Age relic, it was old and likely damaged. With the fleet, they could still manage to destroy it. It would even be possible to pick up the survivors as they had managed to secure a hanger, but the machines would undoubtedly try to prevent this. Then again, the machines were held at bay, but caution must be given.
"I am the future, that you will sow"
The second option included leading a charge through the station with the 80,000 Wardens that were here. It would likely be easier to do with his own presence, but he would still lose more of his sons to this thrice accursed machine. The advantage to this method, however, would be saving the relics from the Dark Age, even if a large majority of them are likely corrupted.
"Two of the Four, Three of the Four, Four of the Four."
The third option involves using the map created by the Wardens that had boarded the station. With it, they could cross reference positions that were blocked by a single wall from space, and breach through there before sprinting to the fabricator and blowing it up. This would enable a smooth entrance as no point defense weapons have been spotted. However, there was always the possibility that information was invalid.
"Three of the Four. Three of the Four." *Giggle*
Of course, there were likely other options, but in the end, Kesar decided to
"I'm waiting."
[] Destroy the station
-[] Leave the Survivors
-[] Save the Survivors
[] Invade the station
[] Deploy breaching charges
[] Write-in
*Continues Giggling*
Moreover, Kesar also needed to decide if he should assist personally, but in the end, he chose to
"Come and visit. What could go wrong?"
[] Assist
[] Command
[] Write-in (subject to GM veto)

There is one prerequisite for acceptance into this tradition: at least an indication of Psychic Ability. One's rank in the monastery rises with the Mastery of his or her Psychic skills. Novice monks move into the Temple whilst their credentials are verified, and begin the year-long intensive course taken by all Celebrants (the poor are granted a scholarship or a loan) and slowly introduced into the round of chores and duties. They are free to leave at any time and return when they believe they are more capable of coping with monastic life. Monks are not allowed to marry; older novices must be single, divorced or widowed.

Visitors are often astonished by the presence of monks in the bustling cities. The Celebrants have long maintained that the only true way to walk the Golden Path is to be surrounded by Humanity. The monks share the dormitory, cafeteria, and gymnasium with their other colleagues. They have four set meditations at dawn, noon, sunset and midnight. The rest of their day is preoccupied with other activities: maintenance of the Temple grounds and the Gardens, cleaning the Temple, serving in the cafeteria, research and exercise.

Monks also practice a walking meditation where they go alone in the streets, contemplating the nature of man in action. Novices and low-ranking monks wear their monastic garments to identify them and guard them against harassment; they are also assigned daylight hours and the safest neighborhoods. They talk to people, and some will intervene in situations where it seems warranted.

The elders continue the walking meditation but now walk at all hours in nondescript clothing, losing themselves in the anonymity of Humanity. Whether they choose to involve themselves in events varies according to their particular school of thought. Some are content with unnerving their opponents with swift reflexes and calm demeanor. Others detain would-be offenders, handing them to the authorities for prosecution. And others see themselves as the flame which attracts the foolish moth to the light and makes sure such lesson firmly, forever imprinted.

Whilst all the traditions are supposed to be equal, temple leadership and doctrine still rest solely in the monks' hands. The elders consider each other as equals; all decisions require a majority consensus. They do not, however, interfere in politics -religious or secular. What few sanctions they impose concern exclusivity or discriminatory laws. Their focus is always on the eternal life of the soul and learning to get beyond the boundaries, not in getting entangled in daily cares.

When Brother Man dies, the elders turn automatically to the eldest member with most coalification. Brother Man is not accorded any extra deference among the elders. He rarely attends public functions, and his opinions cannot override the consensus. His rank is treated as one more chore among many to the temple. He is a figurehead among the elders, but his status holds sway in the rest of the Temple and to the general public.

There is only one room in the Temple dedicated solely to the monks, and this is the Hall of Memory. The Hall is equipped with Runic wards to prevent eavesdropping and scrying. The room is small and unadorned beyond cushions for sitting meditation; many monks gather here for the times of meditation. There are no decorations or windows to distract the mind. This is the room where the elders gather to discuss temple policy on existing sects, schisms, and Local problems. They also consist of their records of Psychic Lore and Warp; these writings are contained in a vault Psychically concealed within the Hall.

The monk's path is focused on spiritual evolution, and self-reflection and contemplation are the ways to achieve it. There is little room for vanity in this practice. Status and possessions are put aside, and hours devoted to studying, meditation and service. Physical training hones the body, helping it reach its own culmination of perfection -it becomes far immune to disease and apparently even aging. While these benefits are enjoyed, the goal is to make the body a Temple of Divine Form in the flesh, the soul its altar.

Monastic traditions

Though all monks shared a great deal with one another, many focused on a number of specific, exclusive techniques that distinguished different monasteries from one another. They can be categorized into Four traditions which are listed below.

Jina tradition

Frequently found in remote rural areas, monasteries that taught this tradition placed an emphasis upon mental perfection and acuity, calmly anticipating enemy actions and countering them with inborn psionic energy. Such monks are soft-spoken ascetics, who preferred solitary study to combat training, honing their psionic abilities through discipline and quiet contemplation. Some monasteries even swore themselves to a vow of silence, allowing members to speak only for one hour a day.

They detached themselves from worldly problems and concerns; finding peace and freedom was the key to solving their difficulties in life. The key to their style is flexibility and finding and following the path of least resistance. They are notable for being almost purely defensive, as well as the most dynamic of the four traditions. They can overwhelm many opponents at once with large and powerful attacks that could prove fatal; however, due to the pacifist nature of the Monks, such attacks are rarely used. Due to their deep spirituality, they often adapt to the situation surrounding them and employ evasive maneuvers as opposed to direct confrontation.

It is based on Ancient Baguazhang style of martial arts, also known as "circle walking" or "Eight Trigram Palm", along with a small hint of Xingyiquan, also known as "mind-heart boxing". Baguazhang involves "smooth coiling and uncoiling actions". Such moves employ dynamic footwork, throws, and hand techniques. These martial arts feature swift, evasive maneuvers that evoke the intangibility and explosive power of wind; drawing energy from the center of the abdomen. Ba Gua, which utilizes circle walking of the Eight Trigrams, is known for its constant circular movement, which makes it difficult for opponents to attack directly or land a blow. Maneuvers employ the entire body with smooth coiling and uncoiling movements, utilizing dynamic footwork, open-hand techniques, punches, and throws.

Karmachakra tradition

While some monks emphasized the importance of mind over body, adherents of the Karmachakra tradition believed that true spiritual perfection began with the mastery of the body. Training themselves to supernatural levels of agility and strength, such monks are master athletes, who often offered their services as laborers or artisans to local communities when they weren't training. Karmachakra monasteries are therefore more likely to be found in towns or villages than the remote wilderness, though exceptions did exist for those monasteries whose members sought to test themselves physically against climatic extremes, such as a desolate tundra or an active volcano.

The key to this tradition is utilizing True neutrality, which involves waiting and listening for the right moment to strike and, when that moment comes, acting decisively. In other words, they generally endure their enemies' attacks until the right opportunity to counterattack reveals itself. Overall, it is the least spiritual of all four Traditions, almost exclusively treated pragmatically with no observable interactions with supernatural phenomena.

The Ancient Hung Gar style is the main influence for this tradition; they both feature "heavily rooted stances and strong kicks and punches that evoke the mass and power of earth." Hung Gar itself parallels animal movements such as the tiger's hard blows and the crane's affinity to landing gracefully on the Earth.". The concept of neutrality is also closely related to the philosophy of "sticky hands", a practice common to some ancient martial arts such as Chu Gar Southern Praying Mantis and Wing Chun. The purpose of sticky hands is to enable the practitioner to predict their opponent's next move. By practicing with a partner in this manner, a practitioner will learn to "read" the slight movements of their opponent's arms to detect their next attack and subsequently move accordingly to either strike before the attack is made or move in the same direction with the attack and effectively neutralize it. Concepts such as listening, reacting, balancing attacks and defense, and drawing power from a stable lower body are often referred to in the practice of sticky hands, again, closely relating to many primary concepts in Hung Gar.

Open Hand Tradition

Masters of the martial arts, monks of the Open Hand were the ultimate practitioners of unarmed combat and Master Healers. Monks belonging to the Way of the Open Hand could use Psychic power to hinder opponents, heal their own bodies, or protect themselves from enemy attacks.

Their fighting style is mostly fluid and graceful, acting in concert with the environment. practitioners deal with the flow of energy; they let their defense become their offense, turning their opponents' own forces against them. Even when they do take an attack stance, their moves always appear to flow from one to the other. Rather than supporting a separate set of offensive methods, this style employs defensive techniques that can be transformed into attacks and counters. Instead of simply deflecting an attack, the practitioner's defensive maneuvers focus on control, achieved through turning an opponent's own strength against them, rather than directly harming the opponent.

It is based on Ancient T'ai chi ch'uan, specifically the Yang style. It is a martial art that features slow movements and elegant forms that evoke the feel of flowing water. Like tai chi, a practitioner's main advantage is the ease with which he or she can control his or her opponent, not simply harming them. Both arts were influenced by ancient healing practices; people would channel their "energy paths" within themselves to areas of the body where healing was necessary. They also share a specific focus: body alignment, breath, and visualization. Finally, a practitioner can typically find that softness and breathing are more effective for his or her ability than hard aggression, just as a practitioner of tai chi does.

Chakravarti Tradition

Monks of this Tradition embrace the role of death in the world as that which cleanses and makes way for future growth. They preach that an evolved soul is a good soul. Moderation is based on an underlying foundation of virtue; there can be no pretense of moderation in theft, murder and similar crimes. They also protest laws that they say encourage immoderation and greed and call for others that benefit the entirety of humanity.

Most controversially, many monks see it as their duty to push Humanity towards Illumination, removing sources of disease, corruption, and misery from the world. This means judging when a person's moral degradation has grown too harmful to themselves or others to be allowed to continue, and when it is appropriate to deliver the Good Death. They are not cavalier about this responsibility and are painfully aware of the risk of such a mindset, but they know their work is necessary and that they are the only ones for it. To them, theirs is a sacred duty, one that must be carried out, but is so strenuous and terrible that only the most strong-willed can perform it. It is not so much that they take on a right, as they take on a burden: responsibility for pain, for release and for renewal.

Their Martial Art Style is known for its intense and aggressive attacking style and general lack of adequate defensive moves, although practitioners can modify offensive maneuvers to function as a defense. They use concentrated barrages of Punch or Kicks to overwhelm opponents before striking a fatal blow. Swift, whirling kicks and punches generate diverse shapes for offensive attacks.

This Style is based mainly on the Ancient Shaolin style. Aspects of such combat style can be seen through a similar emphasis on highly technical kicking strikes, fundamentally strong movements, and the usage of swift, direct maneuvers. Northern Shaolin is an external style that uses long, aggressive techniques that explode and drive through the opponent.

The Northern Shaolin style emphasizes "kicking over hand fighting", or prioritizing one's legwork as opposed to the arms. Kicks are meant to "extend as far as possible without compromising balance. A few techniques from Northern Seven Star Praying Mantis are also prominent. These martial art variants feature quick, successive attacks that utilize momentary bursts of extreme power, much like an explosion, called ging lik. It optimizes a strong continuous offense, sacrificing defense for greater power, the principle behind a pre-emptive strike, and as such, Chakravanti Tradition is categorized as the most aggressive of the four Tradition.