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

The pilgrim stopped, having found a spot for the body. A hand once more reached for the knife.

With surety, the hand closed around the hilt as the kid leaned its head left and right, staring with bright eyes. "HAVE YOU SEEN THE SKULL?!" A shrill voice suddenly screamed into the pilgrims' ears, something crashing through the vegetation to their left as it stumbled onto the path.

The only reason the knife hadn't already embedded itself into the dark-robed thing that stood up, looking around with non-human eyes and glinting fangs within a panting maw, was that none of the pilgrims' visions had even hinted at the interloper appearing, its utter existence something unforseen. Thus, it was something dangerous.

"Why?" the child asked in its damnable, infuriating voice as a trio of servo-skulls floated behind the Xenos. Their shape was distinctly non-human, and they were of a make that the pilgrim couldn't immediately place despite their ubiquitousness within human societies.

Frantically looking around, the xenos, a...Yeeni, if the pilgrim remembered rightly, quickly brushed dirt and leaves from their robes, quickly speaking something in a tongue the pilgrim didn't know before speaking within Low Gothic once again. "The spirit dwelling within that servo-skull is astonishingly awake and aware, the mind within acting with far greater clarity than should be possible. As a Dark Occultist, it is my duty to investigate!"

"Why?" the child asked, looking up at the trio of servo-skulls no surrounding them, their gazes switching between scanning the surroundings and the two of them, yet the pilgrim's gaze was fixed upon the Yeeni, the mention of them being a 'Dark Scholar' eliciting more than a passing interest. As far as they knew, the enlightenment of the Glimmering Federation was slow-going and a cumbersome affair, its faith and society far too resistant to the typical tactics and strategies. So what was a cultist doing here? And to openly proclaim themselves as such?

"The matters of the High Arts are not to be divulged to the laypeople," the Yeeni Occultist replied, looking slightly smug at that reply as one of the servo-skulls emitted a series of sad beeps. "Damnit. It got away," they said, sighing as their body sagged. Despite knowing they needed to move, the pilgrim found themselves far too curious to continue with their mission. A few minutes wouldn't harm them.

"You are a cultist?" They asked, raising an eyebrow at one of the floating skulls flying closer with red lenses within its eyes, whirring as it stared curiously...though wholly within the machine and not from any pang within the Warp. This machine was as dead as only matter could be.

"That is right!" The Yeeni Occultist said, puffing up to their impressive height of...half a head taller than the girl. "Bramble Darkclaw, Dark Occultist, first of the Order of the All-Seeing Eye, currently on a mission to catch and comprehend an awakened machine spirit or a soul that clung to their bones to serve from the beyond."

"Why?"

"Because of the implications, young girl! Imagine the ability to find and know when a soul remains in a servo-skull instead of moving on, enabling the whole of the Federation to understand how souls can be bound by their will to objects of bone and power!" They spoke passionately, and the pilgrim was drawn to the goal and the words. They were a fool to talk so openly, yet the pilgrim couldn't fault them for how they coated their words and goal to understand sacrificing and binding souls within the lies of the Droman faith.

"Isn't that sorcery?" The girl asked, smiling as one of the skulls lowered itself to her height.

"On the contrary!" The Occultist said as the skull buzzed momentarily before a small slip of paper appeared from its mouth. Taking the slip, the young girl looked at the tightly spaced words with slowly unfocused eyes.

"Wait, who is Petal Shimmerdew?" The girl suddenly asked, squinting at the slip.

"Mebutyouneednotdwellonthat," the cultist said quickly, ripping the slip out of the girls hands and eating it, before speaking once more. Okay then. "The Order of the All-Seeing Eye is a sanctioned operation as permitted by the Order of Cerberus to investigate, seek, and understand unconfirmed psychic phenomena, spread awareness of the same, and seek ways to improve the Federation's means to counter Chaotic Influences," they babbled on in an excited fashion and the pilgrims estimation of the cultist rose by a small bit. It was one thing to merely hide, another to worm oneself into a society so thoroughly that they took steps to shield one from the very measures placed to eradicate them. However, they were not in the mood to be 'converted' or 'shown the truth' by a no-name nobody cultist who would not survive the decade.

"That is all well and good, but if you'd excuse me, there is a tomb I'd like to visit." And with those words, the pilgrim walked on, swift steps moving them away from the girl, asking another question as the servo-skulls moved out of the way.

...

...

...they were following them. Why?

"-so you see, the material costs may not be part of the equation on the lower end or for a society that does not possess the factors of self-sacrifice, martyrdom, and duty as we do," the cultist spoke with a lecturing tone as the girl walked swiftly alongside them. "To continue one's duty, or keep performing services for the Federation and the Star Child, beyond death is a most holy and pious dedication. Offering the skull of oneself after death is the most direct way to ensure such happens, as there are no sectors of life that are not enhanced by the addition of a drone to record, write, oversee, investigate, guard, or attack something or someone."

"Still seems weird not to make them out of metal. Wouldn't that be far better, space-wise?" The girl asked as the pilgrim once more tried to raise their speed to escape the duo.

"Interestingly enough, no," the Yeenis said, their steps subtly matching the speed of the pilgrim to their annoyance. This was the fastest they could go before someone would notice they were in a hurry. "The human, and Yeeni or Kil'drabi skulls too, for that matter, are perfectly shaped to be filled with the anti-gravity propulsion and cogitation units required for the functions of a servo-skull."

'Lord Tzeentch, aid me,' the pilgrim thought as he abruptly turned to the left onto another path to lose the duo.



Choose One [1] of each Category:
(6-Hour Moratorium)
[] (Hero)
(The Nervous Mutant / The Kil'drabi Pilgrim)
[] (Occurrence)
(Mislead / Disclose)

AN: Whatever combination isn't chosen will resolve the event with another vote.