oh holy shit I was gone for too long, now I gotta reread everything from the beginning, including the omakes. And I missed some relationship updates no doubt, I loved those.
It's up to date as of now. Technically it doesn't have the +2 to Legion Combat you got from the White Scars, but the update where you get that is currently being written.
[X] Plan: Storm, Astartes, keeping the peace, and Be'lakor
-[X] Share his Storm Seers and have them train the other Librarians where possible.
-[X] Train the Astartes in corruption resistance
-[X] Assist the White Scars and Iron Warriors while they invade a newly discovered chaos world which worships not an Archdaemon, but a servant who serves them named Be'lakor.
-[X] Ensure that Perturabo and Guilliman get along while they coordinate with each other
Logistical Merging (2/4 Progress)
+4 Superweapons
+10 CR for Iron Warriors
+3 Anti-Daemon for Iron Warriors (Now +43)
+10 CR for White Scars
+5 Anti-Daemon for White Scars (Now +25)
+5 Legion Combat For the Iron Warriors. +2 for the Eternal Wardens.
Better usage of White Scars in the Ritual Crusade.
Better usage of Eternal Wardens in Ritual Crusade.
The amount of preparation that was possible was endless. Kesar could have spent a century preparing his Legion alone and still not be satisfied that they were ready. Perturabo clearly felt the same, for, in the months that followed, the only time the two Primarchs met was when discussing ways to use the Wardens in the upcoming conflict, or on the rare occasions when Perturabo and Guilliman met.
Kesar's presence at those meetings was largely unnecessary, but the Lord of Iron appreciated it nonetheless. During the meetings with the Master of Macragge, Kesar found himself trying to follow administrative matters that went beyond even his knowledge. The two Primarchs effortlessly created and discarded logistical techniques that would have made the average man weep in envy. Despite their cooperation, Kesar felt as if there was something lurking underneath. A sense of distrust and dislike between his two brothers that the 11th Primarch knew he couldn't solve. All he could do was prevent an argument if it broke out, but as time went on, he realized that his presence was superfluous.
Despite their mutual dislike for each other, Guilliman and Perturabo understood that the other primarch was a master of their craft. When Perturabo made a suggestion, Guilliman stopped and considered it. When the Master of Macragge gave a hint of advice, the Lord of Iron would pause in his work, then after a moment of thought would give his commentary on it. Through it all, they met with dozens of officers within each legion, combining all of the different logistics systems into a cohesive whole. It was only halfway done at the end of the year, but the amount of work already done was a minor miracle.
As the year went on, Kesar focused primarily on two tasks, both of which concerned the corruption that the Archdaemons caused. He spent days with the Captains of the White Scars and Iron Warriors where he trained them to the point of exhaustion. Their minds were honed and sharpened, as they were taught hundreds of tricks to keep one's mind whole. They were taught to reject the wrongness that was inherent within daemons, and to prize their souls above the fleeting temptations of the warpspawn. As time passed, Kesar could feel their minds and souls growing more and more protected. But there was that aching suspicion in his mind that perhaps it wasn't enough.
The second of his tasks was the newly discovered world of Temnota. The Chaotic world would normally have been a job for the Wardens, but it also represented an opportunity for his brothers. Perturabo and Khan had discussed the matter and had decided to lead ten thousand of each of their sons in a compliance campaign, while Kesar supervised them with five thousand of his own sons. It felt strange to the Primarch, for he was used to being the one that dealt with daemons. But whether they fell by his hand or the hand of his brother didn't matter. All that mattered was that the daemons would be thrown screaming back into the warp.
As for the compliance itself, Kesar had decided to
[] Have his sons hold back. This was meant to be a learning experience for his nephews. While it would increase casualties, they would also learn far more.
[] Have his sons assist in key areas. A good middle ground, where the Wardens fight in the most critical of locations, the White Scars and Iron Warriors would still learn much about the Archdaemons.
[] Assist in full. The standard procedure, the Wardens will be wherever they can be. The amount of experience the other Legions gain will be the smallest, but so to will their casualties.
Discussing how to use the Wardens during the ritual crusade with Perturabo was far less involved than Kesar expected. At first he thought that he'd spend days to weeks with his brother talking about his sons and what they were best at. After the Lord of Iron and him began to discuss matters, however, Kesar began to gain a better understanding of how Perturabo viewed war. To the IVth Primarch, war was nothing more than a chaotic mess of equations, a calculus that few could properly understand. Lives were a currency to spend, and the goal was to maximize how many you ended a war with.
It was cold, it was harsh, and it was effective. It was also incredibly demoralizing to those on the frontlines. Soldiers always were expected to give their lives for the Imperium, but most commanders tended to always give their soldiers an escape route. Perturabo was different. If you weren't worth his effort to save, then you would die. If your regiment's death saved another, you would die. If your regiment's evacuation would risk too much, you would die. Perturabo often took complete control of the battlefield, placing guardsmen in situations where they would have the most impact on the battlefield.
There was a reason why the Imperial Army dreaded a position with the Iron Warriors. That loss of control, the idea that your life was entirely decided by a single man was terrifying. You could do everything perfectly and Perturabo would let you die without a moment's hesitation. His Imperial Army regiments had some of the lowest morale out of all the Primarchs for this reason, but despite this, his casualty rates were often less than that of some of his brothers.
Perturabo was not cruel, merely uncaring. Lives were a currency, but one that he still desired to keep. He was not wasteful with them, but he was not hesitant to use them if it furthered his goals. It was cruel, harsh, and unforgiving. But the Lord of Iron made it work, and he would perform his calculus within the Maelstrom itself.
It was in these meetings that the Lord of Iron would give Kesar a large book of ideas and tactics, while the Daemonsbane gave Perturabo another large book of suggestions on where to place the Wardens. The two would go through the notes, before asking hundreds of questions and clarifications.
Most of what was decided was ways to mix the Wardens into the lines of the Iron Warriors and White Scars. There were communication protocols that were written, rewritten, and revised until even Oriacarius' paranoia was sated. The order of battle was firmly codified and shared with the Astartes, and any diverging vocabulary terms were clarified and drilled into their minds.
The one major creation that came from these talks was the idea of a Warden kill team. On each of the daemonworlds, there would be a daemon of frightening power, one that would warp reality to its purpose. Among the Legions, the Wardens were the ones best suited to deal with them. It was a difficult task for the Primarch, as how did he narrow down which of his sons were worthy of the responsibility. A few names came to mind easily, Oriacarius, Maticus, Doom Slayer, for instance, but finding enough to form these kill teams was a difficult task.
It was a doable one, for he had other sons as well. Bader, Baldur, Thule came to mind, as did a number of Librarians. But no matter what he did, with the number of planets involved, some of his less seasoned sons would have to face the task. It wasn't helped by the fact that Perturabo had made the decision to expand the number of worlds initially invaded to fifty. The reasoning being that no matter what they did, they would have to have backup sites for it simply wasn't feasible to expect to hold everywhere.
Fifty teams of ten Astartes each, chosen from the best warriors among the Wardens. They were the finest of Kesar's sons. Each one a bastion of skill among Astartes. Not all would succeed at their chosen task, and even success may not leave them their lives. He was proud that not a single of his sons balked at his request, and he was proud that every one of them was willing to die trying.
After having supervised another meeting between Perturabo and Guilliman, Kesar noticed something different about the Master of Macragge. His brother normally seemed utterly sure of himself and his skills, but today, he seemed smaller. Looking back on the meeting, Guilliman seemed far more passive throughout, offering far fewer ideas than normal. Perturabo didn't notice, and even Kesar almost missed it. As Guilliman turned to leave, the Daemonsbane called out to him. "Brother, you seem different than normal. Has something happened?"
The Primarch of the Ultramarines stopped in the halls, refusing to turn around as if deep in thought. "You could say that Kesar."
As Guilliman looked over his shoulder back at the Daemonsbane, Kesar was worried that he had poked a sensitive topic. After seeing no offense on his brother's face, just a sense of sadness, the Primarch pushed further. "Could you … explain further?"
The halls echoed with the sound of two footsteps, as Guilliman fully turned to face his brother. Hesitantly, the Primarch voiced his troubles. "The world I've invaded has proven more resistant than expected, I haven't been able to make progress this year."
Visibly wincing at Guilliman's words, Kesar wondered momentarily how badly the preparations for the ritual would go if his brother was unable to properly devote his time to them. He could suggest exterminatus, but he was sure that the rule of Ultramar had already considered the option. Kesar wasn't looking forward to the request he was about to give, but it was for the good of all. "I hesitate to ask this, but could you leave it for a future time? Your expertise and assistance are needed for the Ritual Crusade."
Guilliman sighed deeply, his frustration evident. "How I wish I could. If I had a choice, there wouldn't even have been a war." Breaking off into muttering about fools and competence, Guilliman eventually resumed speaking about the issues that plagued him. "They're brilliant Kesar, and they've made far too many good points. We could have been allies, but they simply had a few different beliefs. And so the Mechanicum is baying for blood for the crime of ignorance."
"The hardest enemies to face are the ones that are justified." Leaning against a wall, Kesar remembered the Watcher Fleet and the Remus Sector. "It's never easy to question if the crusade is truly right." Letting out a bitter laugh, Kesar ruefully shook his head. "It's so much easier fighting xenos and demented madmen."
Guilliman leaned against the opposite wall so that the two brothers faced each other. "It would be so much easier to order an exterminatus, but they don't deserve it. Not in the slightest." A sense of quiet hung in the air before Guilliman broke it. "Do you think if I just leave I can pretend they were never discovered?"
"Not successfully." A sad smile appeared on both Primarchs, as Kesar continued speaking. "To leave now would be to forget the lesson they taught anyway. To forget their points, values, and how to stop such conflicts from happening in the first place. To leave now would be to forget them, and while they might enjoy that, humanity will not." Inserting a hint of levity, Kesar forced his smile to grow more genuine. "Plus? You'll have to get it past Malcador."
Guilliman reciprocated Kesar's smile with one of his own, albeit one that seemed far more plastic. "Something tells me the Sigillite wouldn't be happy with that." Leaning his head back until it hit the wall with a dull thunk, Guilliman stared at the ceiling. "And even if I left, the Mechanicum would make sure the world dies."
"Just what did they do to deserve such anger?"
"Accidentally killed a broken Imperator's machine spirit while trying to fix it. Then refusing to execute the technicians responsible."
Visibly wincing, Kesar looked away from Guilliman, down the hall at nothing in particular. "Something tells me they don't have a high opinion of the Mechanicum."
Guilliman visibly chuckled, hints of amusement peaking through his disheartened state. "They called them, and I quote, a 'cargo cult'." Laughter burst forth from both Primarchs. While Kesar respected the Mechanicum greatly, talking with Kelbor showed him the many problems with the organization. When the laughter died, Guilliman grew somber, as he finally confronted the problem that was haunting him. "There's no clean solution to this is there?"
"I don't know enough to say, but it doesn't seem like it." Kesar's words were soft and soothing, flowing through the halls like feathers in the wind. "You can't stay Guilliman, you're needed elsewhere."
"I know." Two words rang out with finality. Two words that marked the end of a foe that had faced a Primarch and held firm for two years. It was a foe with noble intentions, one with a reason for not joining that Guilliman understood and agreed with. If he had his way, the planet would have been left alone. But it was too late for that, only death could end it.
If he had more time, then he would have been able to minimize the dead. If the ritual could be delayed for just one more year, then maybe he could have prevented the needless death. Instead, he was out of time. And with an order that didn't contain even a sentence, one that contained just two words, an enemy that stopped him for two years died. One that Guilliman respected, and one he desperately tried to keep alive.
"COMMENCE EXTERMINATUS."
When the virus bombs fell upon the world, the vox channels lit up with the dying screams of a billion men. From his luxurious bridge aboard the Macragge's Honor, Guilliman witnessed yet another world die at his hand. For once, the vox channel was open, playing every message it heard.
It was a garbled mess to the Astartes, but Guilliman heard them all. There was the Warlord Titan Princep someone that had held off two of Imperium's Warlord at once and lived, desperately screaming for the other Titans to form a barrier against the encroaching death. There were the soldiers of the 132nd, men and women that had forced the Raven Guard back, hoping against hope that their position in the sewers would be safe. There was the 17th tank brigade, one that suffered ruinous losses to an Imperial Warhound but held firm. Now they crammed as many civilians into their vehicles as they could before locking the hatches with them outside. There was the twin Warhounds Intrepid and Dauntless, whose skill at arms forced Guilliman himself to withdraw. They were screaming insults at the Imperium, ones that he would have burned cities for. Now, he just felt empty.
The worst of the sounds weren't the hate-filled screams, it wasn't the desperate calls for defensive lines or screams of the dying. It wasn't even the cries for orders, the haunting melody of some semblance of normalcy that was denied as nothing was heard. It wasn't the pleading or begging from soldiers and civilians to spare them. If he had any way to stop the death, he would have. But he was already committed.
The worst sound was the one calm voice that he could hear through the madness. One that he had long discussions with, the last of which he practically pleaded for her to surrender. She was speaking to the planet, calmly outlining desperate strategies that Guilliman knew wouldn't work. Over the last two years, he had grown to respect her. The skill she had displayed could be compared to the Lion, and through it all, she hadn't wavered. Even on the edge of death, she didn't break. She simply waited for the end.
When the last cluster of survivors was overrun by the virus bombs, there wasn't any celebration from the Ultramarines. It was an ugly deed, one that they took no pride in. Any thoughts of relief that a compliance had ended were replaced with emptiness when they looked upon their father.
Guilliman just stared. He stared at nothing and everything. The cliffs he was ambushed upon, the rivers that seemed impossible to cross, the ruins of hives that he took such pride at sieging. They were nothing now, hollow shells of what they once were. None of the meaning was there, none of the context behind why they were so important. None of it would be remembered by anyone but him.
If the Remembrancers had their way, the compliance would be twisted beyond imagination. He would be the hero, facing a twisted hive of festering corruption and madmen. He didn't think he could live with such defilement of one of the few foes he respected.
Any memories of this planet would be ones he wrote, ones that told the true story the compliance. There was just one last order he had to give. "Never colonize this place. Let it be a testament to what I did here."
Victory never did feel so empty to Guilliman as it did on this day.
Votes in the update
[] Have his sons hold back. This was meant to be a learning experience for his nephews. While it would increase casualties, they would also learn far more.
[] Have his sons assist in key areas. A good middle ground, where the Wardens fight in the most critical of locations, the White Scars and Iron Warriors would still learn much about the Archdaemons.
[] Assist in full. The standard procedure, the Wardens will be wherever they can be. The amount of experience the other Legions gain will be the smallest, but so to will their casualties.
[X] Have his sons hold back. This was meant to be a learning experience for his nephews. While it would increase casualties, they would also learn far more.
The losses inflicted here will be nothing compared to the Ritual. What Astartes die here will save a dozen times their number in the Ritual.
Genocide as answer because a technical failure at fixing a machine,albeit there wasnt other option,the political cost would be too high as the mechanicus is a valuable asset
Sad that guilliman and the woman were forced in said position by the religious dogma and stupidity of the mechanicus
Too much casualty could cause the failure. We have one more year. After this, with the CR and AD the two legions gain, they would be able to exceed at second year's training.
If only Roboute won, he might be able to spare some people. I feel sorry for him.
[x] Have his sons assist in key areas. A good middle ground, where the Wardens fight in the most critical of locations, the White Scars and Iron Warriors would still learn much about the Archdaemons.
[x] Have his sons assist in key areas. A good middle ground, where the Wardens fight in the most critical of locations, the White Scars and Iron Warriors would still learn much about the Archdaemons.
[x] Have his sons assist in key areas. A good middle ground, where the Wardens fight in the most critical of locations, the White Scars and Iron Warriors would still learn much about the Archdaemons.
I would suggest a write in.
I won't put a vote unless the DM allows it.
Put the first kill teams to the test.
[ ] form a kill team of the wardens sent to the world and with them perform a surgical strike to find and kill daemons before raising the alarm.
Edited as Be'lakor isn't on the planet.
Edited vote
[x] Have his sons assist in key areas. A good middle ground, where the Wardens fight in the most critical of locations, the White Scars and Iron Warriors would still learn much about the Archdaemons.
[x] Have his sons assist in key areas. A good middle ground, where the Wardens fight in the most critical of locations, the White Scars and Iron Warriors would still learn much about the Archdaemons.
[x] Have his sons assist in key areas. A good middle ground, where the Wardens fight in the most critical of locations, the White Scars and Iron Warriors would still learn much about the Archdaemons.
[X] Have his sons hold back. This was meant to be a learning experience for his nephews. While it would increase casualties, they would also learn far more.
Eldar should hopefully destroy the evil parts of the imperium.
[X] Have his sons hold back. This was meant to be a learning experience for his nephews. While it would increase casualties, they would also learn far more.
[x] Have his sons assist in key areas. A good middle ground, where the Wardens fight in the most critical of locations, the White Scars and Iron Warriors would still learn much about the Archdaemons.
[X] Have his sons assist in key areas. A good middle ground, where the Wardens fight in the most critical of locations, the White Scars and Iron Warriors would still learn much about the Archdaemons.
[X] Have his sons hold back. This was meant to be a learning experience for his nephews. While it would increase casualties, they would also learn far more.
[X] Have his sons assist in key areas. A good middle ground, where the Wardens fight in the most critical of locations, the White Scars and Iron Warriors would still learn much about the Archdaemons.
Alright, Omakes. I'm going to take this one in chunks of around 5-10 omakes at a time so I can do them over time without getting drowned in them. First up is a lovely tale of the interaction between Pert and the other Primarchs. It was really heartwarming to read, and I'd love for this to happen. Sadly Pert isn't the type to really share this easily, and Guilliman isn't the type to lead to such a conversation. Maybe in the far future it can happen, but until then I can only dream. For your reward:
[] +5 to a roll of the GM's choice
[] Perturabo is slightly more likely to share stories about his background
[] +10 to Pert-Guilliman interaction roll in Year 30
Now this was just hilarious to read. The mental image of Leman pushing a food cart just makes my day. Bjorn's commentary on the situation just added to the whole atmosphere, and there were quite a few nice touches on Zunia and the paranoia which she had grown used to. It's nice to see a bit more growth happening. For your reward:
[] +5 to a roll of the GM's choice
[] -1 year to Zunia's current task (Going through the full Space Wolf compliance list in search for areas of improvement. Currently completes Year 34)
[] +10 to Zunia's current task
Then we have the negaverse Guilliman quest. It's interesting how the players in that quest are like, their commentary on the twins is great as is their analysis of Kesar. There's some stuff that's inaccurate, but that's because I have information that isn't shared. With the information you had, it's pretty spot on. It was a really fun read, and negaverse omakes are some of my favorites. As for your reward:
[] +5 to a roll of the GM's choice
[] -1 year to one of Guilliman's current projects
[] The GM reveals something vague about his relationship with the Twins
Next up we have Magnus and Lion having a conversation. I really liked how you fluffed out Magnus' background actions, as well as having their interaction take place. It's much easier on me from a worldbuilding perspective, and also much higher quality. I particularly liked Magnus' translations of Lion's words, those really were amusing. As for your reward:
[] +5 to a roll of the GM's choice
[] +10 to Magnus' next roll
[] +10 to Lion's next roll
Ah Guilliman and the Ultramarines, how cute your +85 CR is compared to your brothers. I do love the reactions that were present in the chat, it really fit what I expected from them, and was hilarious to read. Perhaps they'll be happy after their CR rises by leaps and bounds? For your reward:
[] +5 to a roll of the GM's choice
[] -1 year to one of Guilliman's current projects
[] CR training for the Ultramarines is 10% more effective in year 30
Now this was a fair bit more fun than I thought it would be. It was a fun read, and I really enjoyed how it tied into your past omakes. It's nice to see that interconnectivity of omakes and the logical storyline it makes. The comparison to Ullanor was quite interesting, and something I'll have to keep in mind. For your reward:
[] +5 to a roll of the GM's choice
[] +10% to the White Scar's CR training in Year 30
[] +10% to the White Scar's Anti-Daemon training in Year 30
I will say that the names you've given my alternate selves are hilarious. Although BaddreamHunter is my favorite thus far. As for the omake, the nod at Kairos' death was great and a fairly big factor on why this crusade can occur. If they were still around, Emps wouldn't even attempt this. Now for your reward:
[] +5 to a roll of the GM's choice
[] +10% to the White Scar's CR training in Year 30
[] +10% to the White Scar's Anti-Daemon training in Year 30
Then we have the Perturabo negaverse. I will say that sadly Pert has yet to own up to the decimation, and it'll be a long time before he does. Also, the concept of having that negaverse gm create cyphers that when solved give rewards is amazing. It's such a fun idea and one I hope to see in another quest at some point. And talking clearly is the best solution for all problems. As for your reward:
[] +5 to a roll of the GM's choice
[] +10% to the Iron Warriors's CR training in Year 30
[] +10% to the Iron Warriors's Anti-Daemon training in Year 30
Just noticed this. It's not a valid vote sadly mainly due to the fact that this deployment is meant to train up the White Scars and Iron Warriors. Also, I should probably make sure that people understand this, but if Be'lakor is on this planet, your only option is to retreat immediately.
The worst sound was the one calm voice that he could hear through the madness. One that he had long discussions with, the last of which he practically pleaded for her to surrender. She was speaking to the planet, calmly outlining desperate strategies that Guilliman knew wouldn't work. Over the last two years, he had grown to respect her. The skill she had displayed could be compared to the Lion, and through it all, she hadn't wavered. Even on the edge of death, she didn't break. She simply waited for the end.
What were the rolls that caused this woman to not join the imperium? She sounds like guilliman's perfect waifu.
[x] Have his sons assist in key areas. A good middle ground, where the Wardens fight in the most critical of locations, the White Scars and Iron Warriors would still learn much about the Archdaemons.
It was a maxima extremist threat which rolled a 7 (sane with reason to refuse) followed by a 58 (bureaucratic analysis showed that a galactic government isn't efficient and subsector ones are the largest that can be created). Then was a 76 which meant war was triggered by the Mechanicum. Note that these were table rolls for the situation. Here's a more detailed description of the world as well that I have:
Guilliman 3: Single human world. Titan Legion with a few Warlords and Warbringers, but mostly Warhounds and Reavers. Not that bad really. So this world is essentially a pseudo-meritocracy with authoritarian tendencies. It prizes competence in leadership and subordinates and has a set floor for your skill in governance for you to enter that position. However, they also extend this principle to other government systems, and have determined that a galactic government simply isn't possible to make work well. A subsector government is the most that they think can work, but not without a lot of preparation. So, the reason why conflict broke out was because of their own technological experiments with Titans. They had a broken Imperator that they were trying to fix up, but in the course of experimenting in a variety of ways to fix it, they made several mistakes and wound up killing the Imperator's machine spirit by mistake. The Mechanicum nearby wasn't exactly pleased, and for political reasons pressured the local IA to invade.
[X] Have his sons assist in key areas. A good middle ground, where the Wardens fight in the most critical of locations, the White Scars and Iron Warriors would still learn much about the Archdaemons
