[X] Plan The Mechanicus Hate Them
-[X] First Line Shipyards.
-[X] Advanced Technology. x3
--[X] Artificial Intelligence.
--[X] Combat Vehicles.
--[X] Cybernetics.
--[X] Genetic Engineering.
--[X] Medical Science.
--[X] Power Armour.
--[X] Terraforming.
--[X] Warp Knowledge.
--[X] Warships.
-[X] Greenskin Neighbours.
-[X] Warp Rift.
-[X] Imperialist Neighbours.
"By all accounts, there is nothing wrong with him," says the doctor to Ulyssa and Irene Artorius as the married couple wait to hear the news about their newly adopted son, "If anything, it is the opposite. He appears to be completely healthy, more than healthy in fact."
"Is that a problem?" asks Ulyssa, "We all know where he came from."
"His arrival from the warp is concerning, but I cannot detect any signs of warp contamination," replies the doctor, "Obvious or subtle and while I know that perfect health can be a sign of the Tempter's taint, but in this case, I have reason to believe that the perfect health has another origin. Still, it is possible to call upon a biomancer to make sure there is nothing wrong."
"What is this other cause?" demands Ulyssa.
[Stay calm dear,] Irene mentally projects to her wife via telepathy as she gives Ulyssa's hand a friendly squeeze, [The man is just doing his job.]
"His body and genetic structure shows a multitude of signs of genetic engineering," answers the doctor, "Far beyond both our own knowledge of genetic modification and what is ethically allowed under the law. Put simply, someone turned this child into a budding super soldier and if they had done it here on Excalibur, they would be looking at a couple of decades in prison."
"But nothing untoward?" asks Irene as Ulyssa leans against her wife.
"Nothing harmful beyond enhancing him to the point he arguably doesn't count as being human anymore," answers the doctor, "Ah, I'm not actually sure because until now, the situation has been purely theoretical. No one has been enhanced to this degree before so any debate on how far is too far to still be considered human has guesswork and conjecture."
"I see," says Irene as the woman tries to think about how to handle this revelation.
It wouldn't be appropriate or right to give up the babe, but at the same time, this is far beyond what she was expecting. A psyker like herself or a mutant she could handle, but a genetically engineered super soldier? That is beyond her expectations.
"We also have indications that the child may be a psyker," says the doctor, "He is too young for us to test so we don't know for certain, but he has the genetics for it."
"At least that is something we can deal with," says Ulyssa as she gives Irene a grin and Irene smiles in response.
***
Drake Artorius would have an unusual childhood despite the best attempts by his parents and the Federation of Bladus to accommodate him. While they attempted to treat him fairly and like any other child, the truth of the matter is that the young Drake was not like any other child. He matured twice as fast as an ordinary child and it was judged he would reach adulthood before the age of ten.
Furthermore his genetic engineering went beyond mere physical prowess as not only did he have a body beyond human limits, but Drake Artorius had a superhuman mind to go with his superhuman body. Not only did he excel beyond his age group in physical activities, but he was a quick learner in the classroom, only needing to be taught something once or twice to grasp an understanding of it.
As Drake grew up, his talents and interests would display themselves. Drake had a natural talent for interacting with others, it was too easy for him. Whilst he was talented at charming others and swaying them to his point of view, Drake quickly grew disinterested in social affairs. Whether it was convincing them openly or tricking them, it was too easy for the superhuman lad and so he had little desire for it.
Instead the Artorius boy found other parts of his education more interesting. While a kid of his age wouldn't normally be given combat training so young, Drake was growing fast enough that with his superhuman body, the Federal authorities decided to make an exception for him. While he was still too young to dominate the training sessions, Drake was still capable of completing them and he enjoyed the challenge. He liked shooting targets with a gun, he took pleasure in the thrusts and parries of swordsmanship.
That wasn't the only martial interest of Drake Artorius as while he didn't receive any formal training in naval matters, one of his mothers was a captain in the Federal Navy and she was happy to tell her son about her work. Listening intently to his mother's tales, Drake slowly, but surely picked up how naval life worked and as he grew older, his interest in those stories expanded into self-study. On his own initiative, the young boy would look up more details on the art of void warfare and gain an ametaur education on the subject.
This interest in naval warfare would expand into a desire to learn about logistics, which in turn would result in learning about the economics that supported the logistics. The self-study in economics would in turn lead to Drake learning about the government structure of the Federation and other alternative forms of government. All before he began to be taught about such things in his classes.
Drake Artorius would also express an interest in technology. Originating as a desire to know more about the guns he fired in his combat training or the warships commanded by his mother, Drake developed a casual, but steady interest in learning about how different technologies and machines worked.
The final major interest of the young Primarch would be the one that he would enjoy most passionately. As predicted by the medical experts who periodically reviewed his health, Drake Artorius would begin to display psyker abilities as he grew older. Nothing too major at first, but it was clear that Drake had very high potential.
For his part, Drake was delighted by his psyker abilities and deeply enjoyed his initial lessons that his other mother gave him. For while it was difficult and dangerous to safely use one's psyker powers, that just made the young boy happy. He craved a challenge and his psyker training was not something he could do with casual ease. He had to learn and for the first time in his life, Drake Artorius truly struggled and in that struggle, in that challenge, he found happiness.
During his training, Drake would meet something else. Another child, but older and female. Inferior to him in every way except psyker ability. While Drake was the second most powerful psyker, rated as potential Level 9 or even a Level 10, the older Jenivere had already displayed Level 11 psyker talent, the first in over two centuries.
Drawn to the superhuman boy that she was hearing so much about, Jenivere sought out Drake Artorius, hoping to find someone who could keep up with her. And in the young Drake, she both found and didn't find that as while her psyker ability outstripped her fellow child, Jenivere found herself outdone by Drake in every other area.
For his part, Drake was delighted to finally meet another child who could beat him at something. He might surpass Jenivere at everything else, but Drake was happy to find someone who could beat him as his favourite activity, deepening the challenge and struggle that he enjoyed so much. The two psyker children would form a lasting bond, one that would stay with the Eleventh Primarch.
Use plan voting.
What does Drake Artorius focus on in his childhood? (Pick three)
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Personal Combat. Drake focuses on his firearm and melee training, learning how to shoot a gun with unerring precision and how to take apart an opponent with a blade.
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Naval Combat. Drake engages in self-study on the art of naval combat, learning how warships are commanded and how to win or lose a naval engagement.
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Telepathy. Drake focuses on his psyker training, learning how to read and manipulate minds.
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Divination. Drake focuses on his psyker training, learning how to peer into the future and uncover answers.
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Governance. Drake focuses on his classes at school, learning about how the government works and how to run a nation.
[]
Engineering. Drake focuses on his volunteer work, learning how machinery works and how to make improvements upon standard equipment.
Who does Jenivere become to Drake Artorius?
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His sister. Jenivere is Drake's adopted sister and their love is familial in nature.
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His friend. Jenivere is Drake's best friend and their love is platonic in nature.
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His girlfriend. Jenivere is Drake's girlfriend and their love is romantic in nature.
***
Third update as we cover Drake Artorius' childhood and you get to make some choices on it. We also get to meet Drake's first companion, Jenivere, who is an Alpha level psyker to use Imperial terminology.
For those wondering, I rolled on Discord for Drake's interests and disinterests along with the psyker ability of himself, his second mother and his first companion. I got the interesting result of Drake being disinterested in the things he found the easiest and being interested in the things he found the hardest. And that narrative practically wrote itself.
Anyway, plan voting for this vote and the next update will have scenes from the viewpoint of Eleventh Primarch for the first time.
Please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes that you spot. Please quote them in the thread and explain what you think is wrong so I know what you are referring to.
