Sterbelicht - One Sacrifice At A Time Against The Galaxy (40K)

Change. Excess. Blood. Death. One other.

The bones had clattered their future across the floor, the runes staring back unchanged, unwanted, unneeded.

A hand scooped the five up again, adding fifteen once more, and threw the runes with dedication, the scratches upon the Veil growing louder with every cast. No matter. The Veil would hold for yet more, and yet more were demanded by the fates.

One by one, the bones clattered across the floor, spilling the guts of the universe to come for a mind to behold them.

Change. One Rune proclaimed. Three more combusted, vanishing from sight and sight.

Excess. Foretold by another, as three bones twisted in on themselves until they were nothing evermore. Moans and screams of frustration hammered at the Veil.

Blood. It seeped from three, the bones bleeding until they were nothing except the aetherical hymns of war and the beat of drums rapidly vanishing.

Death. Three bones grew mold and spores, rapidly decaying as they grew, their seedbeds shrinking with each cycle until nothing remained.

One other. Three other. A Rune uncarved. A Rune unmade. A Rune that was not. A Rune that will be. A Rune unknown. A Rune that stared back.

Angry eyes beheld the work of yet another casting, Farruin searching for meaning where none more could be found, the casting already decided in etched stories unchanged and unwritten. There was nothing to account for anymore, for all had been accounted for. There was nothing to be glimpsed at, for all that was to be revealed had been.

Angry fingers grasped the bones again, four runes of baleful history burning bleeding skin as one of not-born potency calmed wounds. Fifteen more were added and cast once again.

Change. Excess. Blood. Death. One other.

The casting remained unchanged.

The future told.

A path set.

And the stare of an unborn Divine, now once more awake, ignored as it calmly waited in the future that may yet not come and may yet spill different fates.

Another hand was cast, and Runes burned across the floor.

Then another.

One more.

Another.

Cast.

They remained the same until the claws of She-Who-Thirsts nearly pierced the Veil, their grasping hand denied once again.

You Have 3 [Three] Actions.
(1 [One] Action must be spent to attack Ubraka.)
[] [General] Construct Something
-[] Food Production V
-[] Civilian Infrastructure
-[] Heavy Industry
-[] Void Industry VI
-[] Medical Services II
-[] Military Industry III
(Gain: A boost in production focusing on the chosen option.)

[] [General] Assimilate Droma III - (3/4)
Let not our siblings in faith wallow in the depths they have been kept within. Let us raise them to the stars, where we fly and craft a future for the galaxy and humanity!
(Gain: Droma III becomes a functional part of the Candle Keepers. +2 Heavy Industry.)

[] [General] A Ship Worth The Name (0/4)
The Kil'drabi Battlecolony is a marvel of ingenious and studious engineering, something that all who worked on it can be proud of and remember for their lives, handing down the pride and accomplishment for generations to be drawn upon for strength and hope in bleak days and bleaker moments. Yet, for the Candle Keepers, it is a waste of effort, a massive ship barely scratching upon what it could be, scarcely able to give what it was designed to do, and better off rebuilt at once. The Kil'drabi are heralds of what those who bend to the will of the Star Child could gain, and to let them fly in such a ship is an insult to Their Majesty. Rip out the sub-par and replace it all.
(Gain: The Kil'drabi Pact of Our New Path Battlecolony is retrofitted to adhere to the technological standards of the Candle Keepers.)

[] [Military] Raise A Specialised [Light/Medium/Heavy] [Infantry/Mechanized] Unit - [Choose: Sabotage/Assault/Engineering/Demolition/Ogryn]/ Construct A Warp Ship - [Choose a Design]
With a chosen direction, your Military can now focus on giving the Units you will raise the proper training for the right job. Sabotage Units will focus on raiding and disrupting the enemy with lighting raids and plundering logistics; Assault Units will punch through the enemy in weak points and sow confusion with overwhelming firepower; Engineering Units will focus on creating fortifications and using turrets, mines, and barricades; Demolition Units will be comprised out of heavy weaponry squads with plenty of explosives, from mines to rockets; and Ogryn Units will be Ogryns armored in heavy metals and armed with shields and Beatin' Sticks led by men and women with spiffy hats that will not be disobeyed. Infantry Units consist mainly of boots on the ground, while Mechanized Units are equipped with vehicles that increase mobility and durability at the cost of logistics and all-terrain capability. Light Units are better for Low-Logistic scenarios, while Medium Units rely more on regular shipments yet strike a good balance between supply consumption and effectiveness. Ships are produced at these rates: Two Destroyers or One Frigate per decade.
(Gain: A chosen Military Unit/Ship.)

[][Military] Design A New Voidship Class - [Available: Destroyer, Frigate]
From what we can tell, thanks to our history, what information we have available, and what the Kil'drabi and the Governor of Droma III tell us, the difference between a prosperous interstellar polity and one naught but ash is the strength of their navy. At the moment, we have the beginning of a nascent Void Fleet, yet purely defending against our enemies is a great way to get ground down into dust over time; we need to be able to bring the fight to them.
(Gain: A newly designed and built Ship Class.)

[] [Military] A Task For Specialists (Assign Unit/s) (Choose Location/s) (Designate Objective/s)
-[] (1/1) Medium Engineering Unit
-[] (1/1) Medium Assault Unit
-[] (3/3) Droman Coral Assault Regiments
-[] (1/1) Droman Tideswarm Heavy Demolition Regiment
-[] (1/1) Lamenters Space Marine Squad
-[] (1/1) Lamenters Space Marine Scout Platoon
-[] (1/2) Celestial Choirs
-[] Task Fleet Alpha
(7x Aries-Class Corvettes, 1x Taurus-Class Troopship (0/4 Capacity), 1x Void-Stalker Class Battleship)
-[] Kil'drabi Auxiliary Fleet
(1x Pact of Our New Path Battlecolony)
There is war to be had and battle to be made. Send troops to resolve issues and squash opposition to the Star Child and Humanity and all Their Protectorates. Or send ships to scout neighboring systems to understand what is happening there.
(Gain: Military dispatched to put down opposition violently. Scouts are dispatched to look at other systems.
Scouting Range: 1 System from Droma.
Note: For use outside your territory or in support of forces specified within another Action.)

[] [Psykana] Conduct a Melody (Choose one below.)
The Celestial Choir has been given the means; with time, they shall conduct their songs. They will listen to the Warp and filter out the false whispers from the slumbering guidance of the Star Child. In halting prayer and stumbling humming, the truth will be stripped until nothing but it remains in the hands of those who shall make it anew into power to be wielded by the Choirs to come.
(Secret: Slumber, Silence, and Perception.
Star Child: Hope, Compassion, Humanity, Song, Mercy, Creativity, Health, Unity, Innovation, Machinery, Logic, Progress, Protection II, Justice, Wisdom, The Sun, The Home, Death, Ruthlessness, Brutality, and Fire II.
Kil'drabi: Paths, The Void, Struggle, Community, and Family.
Gain: A Melody newly Conducted.)

[] [Psykana] Sing a Song (Choose at least Three below.)
Mere Melodies are not the end of the journey, nor should they be the start. They are the middle, from which all things shall grow and wither.
(Available: Protection I, Fire I.
Gain: A Song.)

[] [Faith] Nursery-Temples Beyond The Cradles
Droma has been liberated from the tyranny of an Imperium that cares not to defend those loyal for eons nor even to send a hand to help them flee the devastation to come. And with liberation comes the need to have faith in a new system, one brought by the heralds of a better age, an Age of Understanding and Progress! Let us create those temples where the young shall learn of better days and where the old will dream of the galaxy to come. Let us march hand in hand, share the power that gives strength and pride to every woman and man under our protection, let those new faithful lend a hand, and build that very Age we shall all create for future generations!
(Gain: Nursery-Temples are constructed within Droma, aiding the population in staving off Chaos Influence and strengthening their belief in the Droman Creed.)

[] [Faith] Souls Artificial and Minds Constructed
With five of the Psykana Experiments revealed to be not ravening monsters that wish to kill all soul-bearing life to devour, but wounded, terrified, and faithful beings seeking aid from the only source of comfort they had ever gained (the Star Child), questions have come up from various corners. Did they have souls? They should; the Celestial Choir said they felt a Song of Mercy sung by the Five-One for their wounds and minds. And yet, what nature does a soul constructed by malevolent monsters into crafted flesh-psykana automata take?
(Gain: Nail down the soul-doctrine aspects of the Cult of the Star Child.)

[] [Faith] Technology Given Or Earned
Technology is the most fundamental aspect of creation in the name of the Omnissiah, a motion of worship and change that defies the base existence of nature by pulling everything back until only the cosmic machine remains. Technology is holy; it is worship and an act of pure faith. Yet, what of technology made by the Xenos? We know they will bend to the Star Child and become more than they thought they'd be in Their service, but what of their, and our, technology? Will we make use of what machines they use, and will we allow them to make use of ours? Or will lines be drawn never to be crossed upon pain of punishment? Maybe we will dictate tests and demand proof to give what we have gained in freedom and worship.
(Gain: Nail down the Xeno Uplift-doctrine aspects of the Cult of the Star Child.)

[] [Chapter] A Fleet Worthy Of The Name - (0.5/3)
Space Marines are the ultimate answer of humanity against the myriad dangers and monsters lurking within the dark of the galaxy, yet what worth are they if they are stuck on a single planet or in a single system, without any way to travel to where they are needed? With our aid, or simply by letting the Lamenters and their Chapter Serfs work independently, a nascent fleet of three Frigates will be created to suit the specific needs of a Space Marine Chapter.
(Gain: The Lamenters gain 3 Frigates.)

[] [Other] Take Care Of [Future Or Current Problems]
(Write-In the problem being addressed.)

AN: Updated Places of Importance.

Governmental Structure:
-Fractal Councils

--Multiple tiers of Councils, currently planetary and polity-wide, exist.
---A Council is made up of Benches with a number of Seats and Voices. (The Seats of a Bench vote on how said Bench uses its Voices in the Councils. (Council decisions are made by counting the voices supporting/opposing the decision))

--Planetary Councils must have a Seat and Voice for the military, a greater number of seats for the Civilian Administration, and a number of seats between the two for Faith representatives. Local Choirs have an advisory Seat without a Voice but a Veto over relevant topics.
---Only the polity-wide Choir-Voice can override a Veto on matters relating to the Psykana.

--Planetary Councils may have additional Seats for special interest groups, like the Lamenters, a Sisters of Battle chapter if they have them, and so on, but these must be a single Voice each, subject to adjustment.

--For Planetary Councils, the Civilian Admin Voices may be selected in any number of ways in part, but at least 50% of all such seats and Voices must be democratically elected using proportionality systems and universal adult suffrage; restrictions may apply, but not many. (IE, if there are 8 seats in the Droma III Civilian Administration, at least 4 must be elected) In the case of a tie with all Councils, whichever side has more Civilian Administration Voices wins, breaking the deadlock.

--At a Polity-Wide Council, the following will be the division, subject to change in the future.
---Military: Seats for the different Branches, has 1 Voice, representing the majority opinion among their seats.
---Faith: Seats for different denominations and bodies with 3 Voices; Voices are determined after discussion among them.
----Allow fractional/minority views within the orthodoxy of the Faith Voices via the Faith Orders.
---Choir: Seats are decided by the local choirs if the planet has any; otherwise, they are empty. No Voice, only Veto, and advisory.
---Civilian Administration: 18 Seats democratically elected using a proportionality system, 6 Voices; Seats each have "1/2" Voice, used directly. As with the rest, which side has more Civilian Administration Voices is used as a tie-breaker in case of a tie.
----Kin are part of the Civilian Administration, and thus given a Seat per Kin.
---Lamenters: 1 Seat representing the Chapter. No Voice, only Veto, and Advisory.
---Protectorates: 1 Special Observer Seat (per Protectorate), May be excluded from attending certain top secret/classified votes. No Voice, No Veto.
--Unless noted otherwise: the Bench Seats vote with a simple majority, and all Voices of the Bench are used in the Councils according to that vote. Analog for a Benches Veto right.

--Varying methods will elect benches for Higher Councils. Separate free and fair universal-suffrage elections will select Civilian Administration seats. In contrast, local religious bodies are to aid in selecting the seats for the Faith Voice(s).
---The most local (=lowest) Council possible deals with issues. Higher Councils set tasks like minimum standards and react to emergencies (e.g., demanding the production of a Space/Planetary Defense Force against Incursions.)
---Remember, ye, the Droman Creed! "This light is produced by knowledge and understanding." Therefore, all lower councils are to provide summaries, access to data, and notifications on growing issues from lower to higher so that understanding might grow.
---As per the Droman Creed, all, regardless of "species, appearance, prior faith or creed," who have embraced the Droman Creed are coequal members, with the right to learn and grow, to be nurtured and fed by the Community of Faith, to speak their mind with their Voices, to gather and organize in any fashion they desire so long as it does not embrace the heresies of Chaos or Hatred.
---Those aristocrats embracing the Droman Creed are required not only to make the usual public profession of faith but to swear on their sacred honor to respect the equality before the Five in building an "Empire... of opened hands" and "bright signal-fires." Any interference in the elective processes, or any attempt to monopolize access to seats or to buy ecclesiastical seats for relatives, or any such actions, are therefore to be regarded as heresy and to be punished with a firm hand for sacred honor once breached is inviolable.

--An aristocrat cannot hold Military Seats. In any world where the aristocratic military tradition is most vital, they must share Seats and thus Voices with non-aristocrats.

--Those aristocrats who refuse the Droman Creed (or break their sacred oaths) and cannot make a wholehearted, convincing, and earnest declaration of Faith are, henceforth, stripped of all Title, Rank, and Power. Their property and authority are to be reverted to that of the Federation.

--Chocolate and its production are shared, but efforts should be made to encourage local production of this wonder plant.

--Different currencies may be used, with taxation and other things paid not in currency but in goods, deemed and judged in worth by a unique body, the TARDIS. (Taxation Analysis and Registration Department of Intergalactic Services.)

--A Decent, Holy Minimum Standard of Living is to be implemented and reached for all citizens within one century of the accession of a planet to this system. This is a promise and a duty from the Polity Council to the Planetary Council, a shared burden of holy service.

--Joining the polity may be ratified by any legitimate means necessary.
---One-Century Timeframe for becoming a Voting/Observing Member of the Federation (and not before, barring extraordinary circumstances).

--Taxation is to be five percent of all production by a planet in the first fifty years, two regiments for galactic service, and 7.5% (and three regiments) after those years. However, in emergencies, the Polity Council reserves the right to increase its Tithe to 15% and an equivalent number of military units for no less than five years and no more than fifty years, as any crisis lasting beyond that length necessitates policy changes.
---Taxes may be paid in kind, and military service is also required.

--All planets must respect the value of learning, and the worship of none of the Five is to be restricted in any way, even as the worship of Chaos remains banned.

--A Constitutional Convention/Conference to consider revisions/etc is mandated every 200 years. It may be called earlier by the agreement of 3/4ths of the fully reconstructed Planetary Councils paying taxes, etc.

There are two categories: those living/mortal who are deemed Venerable or Blessed after an examination of their deeds to clarify that they and their beliefs are in the highest and most holy regard, aimed always for the Faith, and if they claim to have powers from one of the Five, the source of their capabilities. The second consists of Saints, who have the former evaluation done during their life or after it and are granted these titles by the occurrence of Miracles, which are to be investigated. They must also be subject to what is known as General Acclaim, not in some particular the project of a tiny group or another, but of the Holy Commonwealth itself realizing their virtue.

Excellence in a field may or may not be a sign of the favor of the Five, but by the Star Child, those who aid in recovering STCs or advancing understanding and knowledge in ways that help people and enrich the world, rather than merely the powerful or in creating new weapons [...] are to be given consideration, and if they have lived a blameless life, they might be called by the title of "Learned" to go along with Venerable (for those who have done good work over a long lifetime) and Blessed (for those who have done great deeds that exemplify a Faithful, Pious, and Compassionate person) in the set of titles given to the living, and may then be considered for Sainthood.

As for whether an Abhuman or Xenos can be a Saint, Venerable, or Blessed?
-See the following passage of the Droman Creed: "I believe in the Community and Body of the Faith, Holy, and Universal--its reach total as all unite in its sacred purpose regardless of species, appearance, or prior faith and creed--such that all the voices of the galaxy might one day be lifted in Song."
-In other words, to deny the possibility of a Blessed, Venerable Martyr or Saint who is not Pure Human is a heresy, and indeed, even a Xenos may be a Saint in theory, and to think otherwise is to, among other things, commit the heresy of underestimating the Star Child and the Five.
-It is the case that in the fullness of time, there shall be Five titles for the living and mortal who yet show the inspiration of the Star Child, as there are Five. While there are three now: Learned, Blessed, and Venerable, as the Star Child's will is revealed, so too will two other sorts of great and holy be unveiled.