Flagship Name

  • Spirit of Fire

    Votes: 21 47.7%
  • Vigilance

    Votes: 23 52.3%

  • Total voters
    44
  • Poll closed .
Brotherly Bonding with Dorn plan
[X] With the many differences among the Primarchs, it might be worth discussing how human the Primarchs can be at times
[X] A discussion on what aspects of warfare the two Legions could learn from each other would be helpful. The Imperial Fists could make use of runes, and defensive tactics are always useful.
[X] Perhaps some form of shared artwork would be nice to make. Kesar is rather skilled at carving runes. Making a sculpture would be fascinating
 
[X] Write-in: Perhaps some form of shared artwork would be nice to make. Kesar is rather skilled at carving runes. Making a sculpture would be fascinating, and with the right subject, it could provide a vehicle to discuss the humanity of the Primarchs. Each has their own passions and interests...each has something that makes them *humans*. (combining 2 options for one action for the win :p )

[X] Write in: A deep discussion on the warp would be useful and allow Kesar to begin delving into the knowledge the Emperor shared with him. And perhaps Dorn has some insights that could help the Eternal wardens with their methods, as the Eternal Wardens can aid the Imperial fists in their Warp battles.. Use this information to try to make tentative plans for what each legion will do going forward, including what plans there are for the Archdaemons, as even if Orks will be the focus, the Archdaemons are ever the opportunists. A

[X] Discuss how Dorn has changed the Phalanx and if some ideas can be taken for Gehenna Station
 
[X] With the many differences among the Primarchs, it might be worth discussing how human the Primarchs can be at times
[X] A discussion on what aspects of warfare the two Legions could learn from each other would be helpful. The Imperial Fists could make use of runes, and defensive tactics are always useful.
[X] Perhaps some form of shared artwork would be nice to make. Kesar is rather skilled at carving runes. Making a sculpture would be fascinating
 
[X]Plan: Helpful disscussion
-[X] A deep discussion on the warp would be useful and allow Kesar to begin delving into the knowledge the Emperor shared with him. And perhaps Dorn has some insights.
-[X] Discuss future plans for the Imperial Fists and the Eternal Wardens, including what plans there are for the Archdaemons
-[X]Perhaps some form of shared artwork would be nice to make. Kesar is rather skilled at carving runes. Making a sculpture would be fascinating

As Lion'le said, Dorn builds his own opinion as if he builds a fortress. Our Ori gave him good impression and help. We can see it as the well-prepared building ground, not cornerstones. We need to become that of good one since it's our first contact with Dorn. Considering his rivalry with Pert and Pert's personality Pre-Kesar, Ori's good impression will not do a jack shit if we start the discussion with political jargon because Dorn is familiar to a-better-son-than-his-father situation.

Since this discussion would be cornerstone and Dorn was a damn good fortress builder, he would see what kind of fortress(impression about Kesar) it would be from get-go. We'd better give him {wanting-to-help},{wanting-to-learn}{sincerity} and {brotherhood}.
 
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[] With the many differences among the Primarchs, it might be worth discussing how human the Primarchs can be at times
[] A discussion on what aspects of warfare the two Legions could learn from each other would be helpful. The Imperial Fists could make use of runes, and defensive tactics are always useful.
[] Perhaps some form of shared artwork would be nice to make. Kesar is rather skilled at carving runes. Making a sculpture would be fascinating

Edit Nicholas Brooks killed the write in sections, I approve

[X] Write-in: Perhaps some form of shared artwork would be nice to make. Kesar is rather skilled at carving runes. Making a sculpture would be fascinating, and with the right subject, it could provide a vehicle to discuss the humanity of the Primarchs. Each has their own passions and interests...each has something that makes them *humans*. (combining 2 options for one action for the win :p )

[X] Write in: A deep discussion on the warp would be useful and allow Kesar to begin delving into the knowledge the Emperor shared with him. And perhaps Dorn has some insights that could help the Eternal wardens with their methods, as the Eternal Wardens can aid the Imperial fists in their Warp battles.. Use this information to try to make tentative plans for what each legion will do going forward, including what plans there are for the Archdaemons, as even if Orks will be the focus, the Archdaemons are ever the opportunists. A

[X] Discuss how Dorn has changed the Phalanx and if some ideas can be taken for Gehenna Station
 
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[X] Write-in: Perhaps some form of shared artwork would be nice to make. Kesar is rather skilled at carving runes. Making a sculpture would be fascinating, and with the right subject, it could provide a vehicle to discuss the humanity of the Primarchs. Each has their own passions and interests...each has something that makes them *humans*. (combining 2 options for one action for the win :p )

[X] Write in: A deep discussion on the warp would be useful and allow Kesar to begin delving into the knowledge the Emperor shared with him. And perhaps Dorn has some insights that could help the Eternal wardens with their methods, as the Eternal Wardens can aid the Imperial fists in their Warp battles.. Use this information to try to make tentative plans for what each legion will do going forward, including what plans there are for the Archdaemons, as even if Orks will be the focus, the Archdaemons are ever the opportunists. A

[X] Discuss how Dorn has changed the Phalanx and if some ideas can be taken for Gehenna Station
 
May 14, 2022 Omake Rewards
Split these two up because they had totally different reading experiences. And also while the first is probably acceptable, and well-written the second is rather full of jokes, 2 AM writing, and more than a few references I didn't think would ever be considered Canon. Like Rene's paradoxical state of existence where nothing, and everything, is true.

Well, I figured I'd start trying to get over the omake horde, and a good start is to likely just do an omake now and then. Here we have a great omake on Rene, and a neat insight into some of the background actions that characters tend to take. I will say that the interactions with his family were rather neat, especially how wholesome they felt despite Rene's own tortured thoughts. It's a neat juxtaposition that serves it well. For your reward:

[] +10 to a roll of the GM's choice
[] +5 to Rene's rolls on this project for the turn
[] Rene's current project gets a minor boost

Next up we have a pretty interesting omake on Rene's discussion of augmenting troops. I do enjoy the analysis of the various upgrade packages and how you clearly described the pros and cons of them. The commentary on the spine replacement and the added weight was very well written and really served to show that it's a very well-thought-out task Rene is taking. The main issue at the end of the day however is the cost of the upgrades, as well as the fact that haywire weaponry is a significant threat. That being said, I do like the omake, and for your reward:


[] +10 to a roll of the GM's choice
[] +5 to Rene's rolls on this project for the turn
[] Rene's current project gets a minor boost

The Riptide Riders: Dealing with Iron.

Up next we have the Riptide Riders, and I'd forgotten just how fun they were. This is a pretty well written piece on them, especially with the recruitment. I will say that I do love how Rasolic was thrown off guard by the Astartes agreeing to everything. That was just a fun little detail. I will also say that Perturabo does have some fun little plans for the future for the Riptide Riders, and I am most certainly looking forward to them. As for your reward:

[] +10 to a roll of the GM's choice
[] +5 to the Riptide Rider's rolls to adjust for the turn
[] Training by the Riptide Riders gets a minor boost


Up next we have Orion dealing with Honey Badger Humility. Man do I just love this machine spirit, the drawing Dauan made also really emphasises just how fun it is. I do like the setup it has for Orion's time with the White Scars. As well as Eternium mining on RP28, which is something that will slowly expand in the future. Warp infused materials are a rarity after all. And rather valuable. As for your reward:

[] +10 to a roll of the GM's choice
[] +5 to Orion's rolls related to Humility for the turn
[] Minor boost to Eternium mining settlement
 
[] +5 to Orion's rolls related to Humility for the turn

As discussed in Discord, there will be several rolls involving Humility coming up at some point. Considering people want to see Orion be a better hero for when he returns, it's best to focus on that first. Besides, I can always write up a mining omake related to Eternium.
 
Up next we have the Riptide Riders, and I'd forgotten just how fun they were. This is a pretty well written piece on them, especially with the recruitment. I will say that I do love how Rasolic was thrown off guard by the Astartes agreeing to everything. That was just a fun little detail. I will also say that Perturabo does have some fun little plans for the future for the Riptide Riders, and I am most certainly looking forward to them. As for your reward:

[] +10 to a roll of the GM's choice
[] +5 to the Riptide Rider's rolls to adjust for the turn
[] Training by the Riptide Riders gets a minor boost
I'm glad you liked the omake! The Riptide Riders are an excellent bunch, glad that they're gonna work well with Perturabo. Let's see how well they truly do.

With that in mind, I pick the third option, Training by the Riptide Riders gets a minor boost, as that seems most fitting and useful overall.
 
[X] Write-in: Perhaps some form of shared artwork would be nice to make. Kesar is rather skilled at carving runes. Making a sculpture would be fascinating, and with the right subject, it could provide a vehicle to discuss the humanity of the Primarchs. Each has their own passions and interests...each has something that makes them *humans*. (combining 2 options for one action for the win :p )
[X] Write in: A deep discussion on the warp would be useful and allow Kesar to begin delving into the knowledge the Emperor shared with him. And perhaps Dorn has some insights that could help the Eternal wardens with their methods, as the Eternal Wardens can aid the Imperial fists in their Warp battles.. Use this information to try to make tentative plans for what each legion will do going forward, including what plans there are for the Archdaemons, as even if Orks will be the focus, the Archdaemons are ever the opportunists. A
[X] Discuss how Dorn has changed the Phalanx and if some ideas can be taken for Gehenna Station
 
Well, I figured I'd start trying to get over the omake horde, and a good start is to likely just do an omake now and then. Here we have a great omake on Rene, and a neat insight into some of the background actions that characters tend to take. I will say that the interactions with his family were rather neat, especially how wholesome they felt despite Rene's own tortured thoughts. It's a neat juxtaposition that serves it well. For your reward:

[] +10 to a roll of the GM's choice
[] +5 to Rene's rolls on this project for the turn
[] Rene's current project gets a minor boost

I'm glad you liked it! I really wanted to show the absolute contrast between Rene and his family there, as well as show just how much the Ritual Crusade effected our Legion, despite how 'good' Rene did during it.

Plus, it'll help contrast for when I eventually get to Abdul's mortal family.

As for the reward, in the spirit Rene in this Omake, I'll pick:

[X] Rene's current project gets a minor boost

Because a bonus to the project will probably save more people than the +5 will, even if it would cut a little bit of time off his current project.

Next up we have a pretty interesting omake on Rene's discussion of augmenting troops. I do enjoy the analysis of the various upgrade packages and how you clearly described the pros and cons of them. The commentary on the spine replacement and the added weight was very well written and really served to show that it's a very well-thought-out task Rene is taking. The main issue at the end of the day however is the cost of the upgrades, as well as the fact that haywire weaponry is a significant threat. That being said, I do like the omake, and for your reward:


[] +10 to a roll of the GM's choice
[] +5 to Rene's rolls on this project for the turn
[] Rene's current project gets a minor boost

Cost would be rather significant, though so would be a lot cheaper than others. Upgrading BONEheads, for instance, could pay for itself depending on what direction his research took. Say, if he could make a few higher-end pieces that did the job of the normal implant, it'd save the Imperium a lot in transportation and resources since they already use a lot of BONEheads.

The Haywire one is very true though. BONEheads are already pretty vulnerable to it, and the Psyker's familiars....may be resistant? Hard to say, Psyker powers are weird.

As for the reward...

[X] Rene's current project gets a minor boost

Seems about right.
 
[X] Write-in: Perhaps some form of shared artwork would be nice to make. Kesar is rather skilled at carving runes. Making a sculpture would be fascinating, and with the right subject, it could provide a vehicle to discuss the humanity of the Primarchs. Each has their own passions and interests...each has something that makes them *humans*. (combining 2 options for one action for the win :p )

[X] Write in: A deep discussion on the warp would be useful and allow Kesar to begin delving into the knowledge the Emperor shared with him. And perhaps Dorn has some insights that could help the Eternal wardens with their methods, as the Eternal Wardens can aid the Imperial fists in their Warp battles.. Use this information to try to make tentative plans for what each legion will do going forward, including what plans there are for the Archdaemons, as even if Orks will be the focus, the Archdaemons are ever the opportunists. A

[X] Discuss how Dorn has changed the Phalanx and if some ideas can be taken for Gehenna Station

Just to clarify, these are valid write-ins. The only thing I'd mention is that the first write-in is going to lead to a discussion about Primarchs related more to art and how they tend to appreciate it in a way similar to humans rather than something deeper.

The second write-in is going to focus a fair bit on essentially plans to deal with chaos and such.
 
[x] A deep discussion on the warp would be useful and allow Kesar to begin delving into the knowledge the Emperor shared with him. And perhaps Dorn has some insights.
[x] A discussion on what aspects of warfare the two Legions could learn from each other would be helpful. The Imperial Fists could make use of runes, and defensive tactics are always useful.
[x] Perhaps some form of shared artwork would be nice to make. Kesar is rather skilled at carving runes. Making a sculpture would be fascinating
 
[X] Write-in: Perhaps some form of shared artwork would be nice to make. Kesar is rather skilled at carving runes. Making a sculpture would be fascinating, and with the right subject, it could provide a vehicle to discuss the humanity of the Primarchs. Each has their own passions and interests...each has something that makes them *humans*. (combining 2 options for one action for the win :p )
[X] Write in: A deep discussion on the warp would be useful and allow Kesar to begin delving into the knowledge the Emperor shared with him. And perhaps Dorn has some insights that could help the Eternal wardens with their methods, as the Eternal Wardens can aid the Imperial fists in their Warp battles.. Use this information to try to make tentative plans for what each legion will do going forward, including what plans there are for the Archdaemons, as even if Orks will be the focus, the Archdaemons are ever the opportunists. A
[X] Discuss how Dorn has changed the Phalanx and if some ideas can be taken for Gehenna Station
 
The Siege of Acarid Part 1
He had done everything right.

First contact had been made some fifteen years ago by a Rogue Trader-hoping to pawn off Xenos artifacts as human, no doubt.-But, after being chased off the planet, the entire race had been earmarked for Xenocide.

Home to a verdant world fit for human life, and weak, primitive natives, however, a simple glassing of the planet would not suffice and as such an invasion was mounted seven years, and eight months ago today. It was expected to be a slow, grinding siege, without any Solar Auxilia, Skitarri, or Astartes attachments to help speed things along, it was estimated to take twenty years, even under the best commander.

He had been sent, to cut it down to fifteen.

And he had done everything right.

The invasion had been slow, but it was meant to be slow. The Xenos weren't strong, or smart, but they were numerous, and bred like rabbits. It just came down to pushing them to their breaking point, taking a fertile sector of land and infrastructure to deprive them of resources as quickly as possible, and expanding quickly to take as much land as possible before they mobilized a proper defense.

If things had gone well, in just ten years the Imperial Army would own half the planet, and the Xenos would start killing themselves off in an effort to both supply their population on half the resources and fight a war at the same time. From there, starvation and murder would run rampant, and their little civilization would decay from the inside out as he pushed at their front lines.

The initial landing went smoothly enough, minimal casualties, and a vast assortment of food, and basic supplies as they took land, gunning down the locals as they did so. There was a notable lack of evacuation protocols as the Imperials spread across the planet, but with lasguns and fossil fuels, they were able to prevent ammunition shortages.

Months later, the Xenos' Army crashed against them like a tidal wave, of course, slow to respond but endless in number. It slowed the initial advancement, but routine burnings of crop fields, raids against supply lines, and standard infrastructure destruction via non-orbital outlets bled their supplies massively, and the Imperial Army was still making progress.

That is, of course, until the Primarchs ruined everything!

First, the massive overdraft for the so-called Ritual Crusade caused supply shortages Imperium-wide, slowing reinforcements, and limiting supplies. Suddenly, he couldn't get simple gas masks to mix basic chemicals like General Peach or Phosphorus! All of the sudden, he had to order warmachine production to be stopped so the Tech Priests could repair basic Carapace!

And then, Lord Primarch Angron's domain went and rebelled, and he couldn't even afford that!

Suddenly, every resource he had been promised was cut, and his clear victory became a desperate struggle as he assigned and reassigned already overstretched troops. Suddenly, overseeing the smooth operations of the day to day became spending days drawing up plans only to abandon them at a moment's notice. No longer could he simply rely on the sound advice of the Tactica Imperium, outdated and assuming at least basic resources. So bad was it, that he found himself turning more to Lord Primarch Rogal Dorn's "The Principles Of Sound Defense" than any true offensive advisor, just to stimm loses long enough to come up with a plan!

And yet, still he continued.

He had conquered a fifth of the world by the time the enemy had mounted any true defense, and held about thirty percent by the time the budget cuts hit in full. Combined with mass corruption, stealth, terrorist, and bombardment missions planet-wide he knew he could still win this. He could still do this.

So he redoubled his efforts, threw himself into his work, consulting every advisor and tactical guide he could, fighting tooth and nail for every advantage he could. He bribed their government officials, cracked their communication encryption, sent spies and asassins into every corner of their world, and pushed every crack in their defenses.

But he also saw the reports.

He saw as their pitiful proto-autoguns fell into the hands of every factory worker and citizen, he saw as higher and higher percentages of their population joined their pitiful military, and they managed to restructure despite his efforts, producing more guns than he had thought imaginable, even has their people starved to death in the streets.

And he saw as their population rose despite it all.

It all came to a head one day when, in an alcohol and exhaustion fueled tantrum he spoke the words which now made his blood run cold.

"You need to either double my men, or send Astartes suppart!" He had shouted, assuming this request for support, like the hundreds before it, would be lost to the void, "Unlesh you want this war to continue for the next thurty years," he slightly slurred, "bleedin' Imperial men an' resources the whole time."

But as those seven foot demigods stormed through his halls, reading out his pleas with enough raw malice to keep him frozen in place, he regretted calling upon them so hastily.

---

This is our punishment. A slow, grinding slog of a Compliance, and not enough Astartes to truly fight it. The punishment for our misconduct: A hair-brained scheme from our century-old elders, that half of us might die, but the others would return the Astartes to Wardens wanted in the first place.

Not a bad trade, in their eyes.

And normally you'd even agree, if it wasn't you caught in the middle of it.

Instead, you couldn't help but curse the coldness of your elders; the hypocrisy of it all.

And all because you pissed off a few of your elders in the Forge.

You didn't know what everyone else did, truth be told you didn't really want to. If it was anything like what you'd done-Or if it was worse you didn't know if you could stomach them.

You didn't know what everyone else did, but for the most part you could guess.

Which is why it was so confusing to see an ex-Kill Team Leader in the group.

Indeed, Brother Abdul would be recognizable enough by his short stature. Or how he somehow managed to ionize the air around him, even in your vacuum-sealed power armor, but just in case, the pretentious lexiconium felt the need to remove his helmet, revealing the distinctive replica of our glorious Primarch. Even had his hair done up the same odd way.

"Needless to say, your other requests for four million lasgun batteries, nine million suits of Carapace Armor, two Regiments of reinforcement, a Cyclonic torpedo, twenty six million lasguns, an Inperial battleship, forty six million lasgun batteries, twenty six million barrels of promethium, doubling the troops under your command, and more time respectively, have all been denied." Your Brother read, his noble visage lifted so he could look down upon the taller man.

You never did understand why you had to intimidate the local generals. Was it so they would stay out of your way? But in a test like this, would it not be more wise to connect with them? To work together, that both sides might maximize the efforts, and minimize the casualties of the other?

Something to note for later, you suppose, because you were half sure that was the lesson your elders wanted you to learn anyway, and you'd have a lot of time to learn it.

The runt of a general nodded, slowly working his way through his transhuman dread. So, while he did that, you took the moment to view the lines on which you would be fighting.

They weren't pretty, but they did tell a pretty clear story.

The core of the initial invasion seemed to be around the planet's fertile crop fields on the equator, likely in an effort to deprive the Xenos of food. There, the Imperial Guard had set up several bases of operation that, combined with the Xenos' own road systems, allowed for rapid deployment planet-wide.

It was also incredibly orderly for the Imperial Guard, with neat blocks and defined subsections and substations, which told you that the general had both great foresight, and had expected to be on the planet for some time.

From there, however, things grew increasingly messy. For all around this organized core were clear and jagged lines where enemy forces had mounted notable resistance for the first time. There, countless trenches still remained, some left intentionally as tertiary lines, but most because the general couldn't spare the manpower to clean them up. And there, notably, the invasion still buckled in some parts around particularly stiff battles

And around even that was a rough, lopsided sphere of desperate pushes and frantic defenses, battles likely entered just as The Decimation hit some years ago, and stalled to a standstill when reinforcements, supplies, or weapons never came in. Where those battles had been won, large, ugly splotches of Imperial control belayed the hundreds of hurried defenses laid from soldiers trapped when they chased their fleeing foes too far, and a hundred over-extensions where soldiers lay, surrounded where they had first stretched too far past Imperial lines.

There were a few oddities you took note of as well.

For one, those cities around the inner core had been bombarded, invaded, and sieged since Imperial forces first learned of them, but every single one still held significant civilian populations. Strange, not because they were trapped there, but because they seemed to make no effort to leave. Indeed, reports indicated the city's operations continued almost as normal, despite the war that bit into their city's residential districts.

You were also surprised to see that thus far the general had withheld from orbital bombardment, likely due to needing to co-opt the world's local infanstructure early on in the campaign, and to prevent the enemy from adapting to orbital bombardment later on. It was, you suppose, a considerate though ultimately inadvisable strategy. For though you and your Brothers could undoubtedly use them to much greater effect than the mortal could ever hope to, he had no way of knowing the Wardens would actually answer his call for aid, and though The Decimation had limited his supplies, there were countless cities, battlefields, and situations where they could be used to great effect.

Instead, it would have been better to turn The Decimation to his advantage. To be more liberal with his resources, and bombard several key industrial, or civil complexes planet-wide. Perhaps reducing their capitol to ruins to leave them leaderless and scrambling, or destroying the industrial districts of every city to cripple their industry, production, and response time. Follow that with rare, but calculated bombardments to every battlefield that stalled his armies for too long, keeping them out of sight, but everpresent in his enemy's mind.

Then the mortal could have turned his supply shortages to his advantage, turning their paranoia against them, and forcing them to waste both precious time and resources stopping an attack he couldn't even do again, thus both weakening his opponents and buying himself time.

Then again, you were but a novice strategist for an Astartes, and perhaps a more skilled Astartes like First Captain Oricarious, or Brother Abdul would disagree.

Regardless, what mattered now was that the general had chosen not to use any orbital bombardments yet, and that gave both you and your Brothers countless opportunities.

Finally, the general seemed to rise out of his stupor.

"I…see." He looked down, feigning disappointment in a somewhat calculated move. To invoke empathy from us? Or, to warn of our newest foe? You didn't know. "I thank you for coming, then." The general bowed, "though…might I know what forces we shall be working with?"

It was a careful overstep. One made to judge our characters without invoking any true measure of our wrath. To see where our boundaries were, and where he would need to walk on eggshells. Where he could expect your help, and where he might be able to push for it.

For, surely, if Brother Abdul was to answer without rebuke it would mean he intends to work alongside the general, as equals. As you think would be wise.

Or, perhaps, if Brother Abdul was to rebuke him harshly, it would tell the general we had no intentions of working alongside the mortal army, not truly, but that we would work around it.

You look to your Brother-your commander-for his answer.

Yet he surprises you, turning the question instead to you, and gesturing you to introduce yourself.

You were confused. Confused by your Brother's ploy. By what he risked turning the question over to you. By the uncertainty, by what would happen if you did not understand his plan. But nonetheless, you obliged.

You took a half-step forward, to draw attention to yourself, and slammed your gauntlet to your breastplate for much the same. Carefully, so as to not speak over the general's understanding, you announced yourself as leader of the Techmarines on this mission, and of how you brought five of the Forge to answer his call.

The general smiled, realizing the amiability of the Legion which stood before him, before his mind processed just how few Astartes you had mentioned.

Yet Brother Abdul nodded, gesturing forward Brother Duncain, who introduced himself as well, and told of the ten Apothecaries under his command.

And, as the general's grimace deepened, Brother Abdul gestured forth Brother Aodah, Captain and technical commander of the five Warden assault squads, then Brother Quiwn, local head of the Chaplain program, all two members of it, before inviting Brother Roian, head of the Terminator squad, to introduce himself that the mortal general before us might not grow too disheartened when he realized there were only fifty of us in total.

Yet, still, you were confused by your Brother's response, allowing each of his officers to introduce themselves in turn rather than push for control of the planet. What was he playing at?

But then Brother Abdul surprised you all yet again by gesturing forth not a Captain, or Apothecary, not a lieutenant or Battle Brother, not an Astartes at all-But the lowly mortal he had brought beside him!

The mortal Psyker seemed confused too, freezing for a second as his tired mind slowly processed what was happening, before he all but jumped off the Force Staff he was using for support in his hurry.

"Oh!" The mortal Psyker squeaked, "I-I'm Adim Aquis-uh-second in command of the Antigians. And I bring four hundred Biomancers to your service." He bowed, not respectfully, but subservantly to the general.

Yet the general seems furious regardless, nearly overwhelmed by his hatred of the Psyker put under his command. Interesting, and important considering the nature of your current commander.

You spare a glance over at said commander as the Psykic mortal scurried behind you, and wonder what strange wisdom hides behind his eyes.

Brother Abdul nodded, affixing a gentle smile on his face to calm the mortals before him as he at last stepped forward, "And you will refer to me as Lord Abdul."

Will you note. Not an option, but a command, and suddenly, Brother Abdul's ploy made sense.

He was rebuking the general, claiming control of the planet as he introduced each of usto each other. Like a board meeting, or squad introductions he let us-mortals and Astartes alike- introduce ourselves as equals, that he might introduce himself our boss.

It was a mind game, creating a council over this planet where all had equal say, only to reveal he held every position. And thus politely he had pushed the mortal back into his place, locking him there with diplomatic chains. Chains of losing what little say he currently had. Chains of seeming unreasonable, of invoking the wrath of not only us, but the millions of men under him who idolized Astartes.

But again, you can't help but question the wisdom of such actions.

For you did not have the Astartes to lose strength fighting with the Imperial Army. You couldn't survive should he pull his forces out from under you mid-battle, and you didn't have the men to take the planet alone. So wouldn't it be better to just befriend the general entirely? Play weak for a few weeks as you built rapport, that your two groups could fight as one?

Or was there something you still weren't seeing?

"In total, the Eternal Wardens spared fifty Astartes for this Compliance." Brother Abdul huffs, his kind demeanor quickly shifting to a subtle air of annoyance, "So twice what I'd had requested."

You….you didn't know if he was being sarcastic or serious with that.

The general nodded slowly, as you see the cogs turn in his head, as he slowly processes that this is his life now.

Slowly, the mortal swallowed his pride, "Still, I thank you all for coming." He said diplomatically, "And if there is anything I can do to help you do your job, please…Let me know."

He was trying to save face, you realized. Not necessarily overstepping his boundaries, even of those previously defined in this conversation, but implying he was still in control. In a way which could easily backfire, however.

"There are a few." Brother Abdul noted.

Like if we actually took up his offer, which was all but a certainty when we still needed information about our foes.

Or was that his intention? To reinforce his position as useful by baiting us to respond and proving that he was? Or was he simply trying to save face in front of his crew by showing off his competence after his folly?

"For one," Brother Aodah blurted out, "the Astropaths failed to describe our foes. Do you have any vid-picts, or recordings of them?"

The general blinked, but recovered fast, "Yes. Yes, of course!" The general turned away from you, walking forward a few steps before shouting at his crew, "Bring up these Xenos' dossier!" The mortal ordered, "Get the Astartes up to speed!"

His crew jumped to carry out his request with the fervor only gained through years of inspiring leadership, quickly replacing the planetary view with a half-dozen pages on the Xenos' biology, language, and culture, along with several recordings of them in combat and some rough, though likely misunderstood, recordings of their combat doctrines.

Stealthily, you slinked off, making sure none of the mortals saw you as you pulled a hidden plug from your helmet and linked yourself to the ship. Its machine spirit roared in defiance, but you quickly overpowered it and downloaded the ship's info directly, storing it on your Artificer Armor ao you could go through it later.

That done, you slink back to your Brothers, ignoring how the ship's lights dulled for a moment as the backups came online.

The Xenos were large, spider-like creatures, about the same size as an Astartes, though it availed them little, giving them only similar strength to the average Imperial citizen. They made up for this, however, by having three separate sets of arms with which to defend themselves, carry weaponry, or shoot, and a thick natural carapace which made them difficult to injure. Their size also gave them a notable speed, and the ability to run down any feeling human forces.

However, their size and durability were far from what was giving the Imperial Army problems. No, that would be their brains. Brains so incredibly underdeveloped that they had never adapted the concept of fear, likely due to being so large and strong compared to the other animals around them.

Indeed, though their brains were nearly twice as large as the average human's, they were notably less intelligent. Which might explain why the Xenos failed to develop any Las-based weaponry despite facing and capturing them over the years.

Still, it seemed only a matter of time.

More importantly, their ability to create tech that could challenge the Imperial Army, and their total lack of fear let them levey their overwhelming numbers to great effect.

Indeed, though technically the Imperial Guard averaged around twelve kills per soldier lost, in practicality this meant nothing. It meant nothing, because we faced a species which knew no fear, which had no hesitance. Because we faced a species where every Xenos, no matter age, rank, gender, or occupation would charge to their deaths if it meant achieving a big enough victory.

And they had the birth rates to keep doing it.

Indeed, even after being resigned to a mere half the planet and its resources, the Xenos had a recorded birth rate of roughly five billion per year, or twenty times the total Imperial Army forces present.

A fact made all the more poignant when the planetary government had somehow created and issued every citizen the most powerful gun their pitiful technologies could create.

A terrifying prospect for now, but almost assured to backfire later as you starve their cities, ensuring chaos as the citizens fight each other for the resources to survive.

Still, there was yet more you knew the Imperial Army could help you with.

"Have you captured any?" You ask the general, "Or hold any of their cadavers?"

The general turned pale for a second, having likely heard some grisly tale of the Omophagea, but complied regardless. "Yes, Lord Astartes." He says, having already forgotten your name, "When we heard you would be arriving we made sure to capture several…cadavers should you need them."

You nodded, turning to your Brothers in silent request, only to see that they had the same idea.

"Then that will be our next stop." Brother Abdul said, his voice turning harsh now that he was freed from the careful dance of politics.

You nodded, marching towards the door even as you plotted your course using the map you had downloaded before. Your Brothers waited a moment, as distantly the general assigned some unnecessary private to show you the way, before falling into line behind you.

Luckily, it wasn't a long walk.

"The nerve of that mortal!" Brother Aodah scoffed from the safety of his helmet.

Brother Duncain nodded, "I know, right?" He groaned, "Why, we should just rip him apart to find out what makes him so tempestuous!" he growled, clenching his fingers as if he was squeezing the life from an enemy's neck.

Obviously, your Brothers didn't share your sentiment about working closely with the mortals.

"We are not killing the help." Brother Abdul chastised firmly, even though he lacked the helmet of the rest of us.

The private sent alongside us seemed terrified by his words.

"Oohh come ooon." Brother Duncain complained, his shoulders sagging in a very un-Astartes like manner, "I could just clone a replacement, no one would notice!"

"We are not killing the help." Brother Abdul repeated.

"To…change the subject:" You interrupted before anything else could happen, "What would you have me make for this Compliance?"

You heard Brother Quiwn hummed as he looked over the data, "It looks like there's an Adamantium vein in quadrant 172." He offered.

"Could make a tank then." Brother Roian suggested, "Something to help us these Xenos can't put down."

Not a bad idea. The Xenos had proto-autoguns, good enough to get through Carapace, maybe damage power armor, but you doubt they could put a dent in a Land Raider, and a few Land Speeders would offer much faster deployment for all Astartes present. Not to mention how many Xenos their guns would kill.

"I don't know." Brother Aodah grimaced, "I'm worried about our supplies. We're expecting a long siege, but we only have about ten million Bolts on-hand."

You do grimace at that.

"So eighty Xenos per Bolt?" Brother Duncain laughed, "What's the problem? That's just the way I like it!"

Brother Roain glared at him, "Nevertheless, I would prefer not to have to make all of my kills in melee. Especially when we expect to be here for several years."

"We could probably requisition
some Lascannons from the Imperial Guard." Brother Quiwn suggested.

A collective groan told you nobody wanted to do that, though.

"Don't bother." Brother Abdul spoke with a frustrated sigh, "I see no future where I remain on this planet a year." He scoffed, "So I'd just establish a few mines or factories, myself."

You stop, staring oddly at your Brother, despite how close you were to the impromptu morgue.

But Brother Duncain speaks before you can, "A year?" The Apothecary chuckled, "Brother what do you expect us to do to win this war in a year?"

You continue walking, passing a hallway through the officer's barracks entrance, since you would be too large to fit through it, even though it was faster. The soldier assigned to you did not seem to realize this, stopping by the entrance, and scrambling to catch up when you walked past.

Brother Abdul stuck out his chest, and raised his nose to the heavens, "For the battle to last a year?" He asked, "Why, I'd expect you to sit on the sidelines and take notes for the Xenos to hold that long!"

Your Brothers laugh or scoff at that, unsure if it was a boast or a joke. You weren't sure yourself, honestly.

"We're here." You say instead.

At once, the host of mortals and Astartes alike turn to the door you had stopped outside. It was a large thing, with a sign written in Low Gothic denoting it a mere 'storage' room, but the relieved look on the mortal soldier's face alleviated any concern you had of getting the wrong one.

Despite how said mortal was still gasping for air from the effort of keeping up with Astartes'.

"Urgh." Brother Quiwn groaned, "I always hate this part."

"Yeah, who has to eat the brain?" Brother Roain asked as you opened the large plasteel doors, and revealed the small morgue on the other side. "Because I bet it's gonna be nasty."

Brother Duncain looked about ready to volunteer, but Brother Abdul interrupted before he could begin, "I will." The Black Knight spoke, "I will need to understand them in order to plan our next moves."

Several of your Brothers share a sigh of relief at that, though you note Brother Duncain looks almost saddened, and don't miss the strange look Brother Quiwn shoots the two.

The room itself was actually quite nice. Cold, and sterile, but neat, and clean. It was macabre, yes, but at least the light blue light was rather soothing. It was like a large, blue box. A box with a rickety light fixture still hanging from the ceiling, and a large table with the Xenos' corpse splayed out atop it which you and your Brothers now crowded around.

You stalled there for a moment, looking down at the cadaver with some amount of awkward hesitation.

"Brothers." Brother Abdul spoke, Remember. We do not do this because we want to." You stare, pointedly, at Brother Duncain, "But because we have to. Because every moment we wait another Imperial soldier dies." You nod, though several of your Brothers seem indifferent to that horror, "Because every moment, our enemies grow stronger, and our task more difficult." That seemed to get them all. "So let us eat, Brothers, and learn, and learn of our foes."

Thus saying, Brother Abdul took hold of the Xenos' disgusting head, and popped it off in one quick motion. Reluctantly, you followed, and each of your Brothers picked a different leg and claimed it for their own.

And, for th le good of the Compliance, you began your feast.

I present to you: The Siege Of Acarid. Or: Abdul solves one millionth Of The Imperium's Problems.

Bonus points to anyone who can figure out what's wrong with the Astartes here.
 
[X] Write-in: Perhaps some form of shared artwork would be nice to make. Kesar is rather skilled at carving runes. Making a sculpture would be fascinating, and with the right subject, it could provide a vehicle to discuss the humanity of the Primarchs. Each has their own passions and interests...each has something that makes them *humans*. (combining 2 options for one action for the win :p )

[X] Write in: A deep discussion on the warp would be useful and allow Kesar to begin delving into the knowledge the Emperor shared with him. And perhaps Dorn has some insights that could help the Eternal wardens with their methods, as the Eternal Wardens can aid the Imperial fists in their Warp battles.. Use this information to try to make tentative plans for what each legion will do going forward, including what plans there are for the Archdaemons, as even if Orks will be the focus, the Archdaemons are ever the opportunists. A

[X] Discuss how Dorn has changed the Phalanx and if some ideas can be taken for Gehenna Station
 
[X] Write-in: Perhaps some form of shared artwork would be nice to make. Kesar is rather skilled at carving runes. Making a sculpture would be fascinating, and with the right subject, it could provide a vehicle to discuss the humanity of the Primarchs. Each has their own passions and interests...each has something that makes them *humans*. (combining 2 options for one action for the win :p )
[X] Write in: A deep discussion on the warp would be useful and allow Kesar to begin delving into the knowledge the Emperor shared with him. And perhaps Dorn has some insights that could help the Eternal wardens with their methods, as the Eternal Wardens can aid the Imperial fists in their Warp battles.. Use this information to try to make tentative plans for what each legion will do going forward, including what plans there are for the Archdaemons, as even if Orks will be the focus, the Archdaemons are ever the opportunists. A
[X] Discuss how Dorn has changed the Phalanx and if some ideas can be taken for Gehenna Station
 
[x] With the many differences among the Primarchs, it might be worth discussing how human the Primarchs can be at times
[x] A discussion on what aspects of warfare the two Legions could learn from each other would be helpful. The Imperial Fists could make use of runes, and defensive tactics are always useful.
[x] Perhaps some form of shared artwork would be nice to make. Kesar is rather skilled at carving runes. Making a sculpture would be fascinating
 
[X] Write-in: Perhaps some form of shared artwork would be nice to make. Kesar is rather skilled at carving runes. Making a sculpture would be fascinating, and with the right subject, it could provide a vehicle to discuss the humanity of the Primarchs. Each has their own passions and interests...each has something that makes them *humans*.
[X] Write in: A deep discussion on the warp would be useful and allow Kesar to begin delving into the knowledge the Emperor shared with him. And perhaps Dorn has some insights that could help the Eternal wardens with their methods, as the Eternal Wardens can aid the Imperial fists in their Warp battles.. Use this information to try to make tentative plans for what each legion will do going forward, including what plans there are for the Archdaemons, as even if Orks will be the focus, the Archdaemons are ever the opportunists.
[X] Discuss how Dorn has changed the Phalanx and if some ideas can be taken for Gehenna Station
 
[X] Write-in: Perhaps some form of shared artwork would be nice to make. Kesar is rather skilled at carving runes. Making a sculpture would be fascinating, and with the right subject, it could provide a vehicle to discuss the humanity of the Primarchs. Each has their own passions and interests...each has something that makes them *humans*.

[X] Write in: A deep discussion on the warp would be useful and allow Kesar to begin delving into the knowledge the Emperor shared with him. And perhaps Dorn has some insights that could help the Eternal wardens with their methods, as the Eternal Wardens can aid the Imperial fists in their Warp battles.. Use this information to try to make tentative plans for what each legion will do going forward, including what plans there are for the Archdaemons, as even if Orks will be the focus, the Archdaemons are ever the opportunists.

[X] Discuss how Dorn has changed the Phalanx and if some ideas can be taken for Gehenna Station


Sorry if it's late - I saw the voting is still open.

On the last item, I think this could be a way for Dorn to regain his pride/footing. Maybe make a name fornit? Dorn's giant space fortress restoration and renovations would make a killing in such setting. Ferrus is the obvious next customer.
 
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