So the good news is, if nothing else changes, we should have had five major impacts on the setting. Three of them positive, though the other two are likely negative.
Those impacts? The survival of a lot more Lore for the AdMech thanks to the blunting of Scrapcode's rampage at the dawn of the Martian Civil War along with the wider Loyalist versus Traitor AdMech Civil War. The reduction in how much of a shitshow Magnus causes by breaching the Imperial Webway. The hardening of the ships of the Legions to the influence of the Warp, making it so Chaos has to invest more into crippling, boarding or overrunning the vessels of the Loyalists and Traitors at certain points in the build up to, during and after the Horus Heresy.
Note that I'm not assuming we stop any of those issues. But if we can make it so the effects are 10% less damaging, problematic or delaying them that is a massive thing in the long run.
Then the negatives of making it so the Traitors can push things harder with their ships before the cost of Chaos becomes too great. Along with allowing them to do the same with their sorceries, warp workings and daemon bindings. Though the latter might end up backfiring on Chaos a bit depending on just how that works out regarding Magnus' and the Thousand Sons Legion's investigations and use of the Warp.
In short, everyone is going to be more hardened to the perils of the Warp for good and Ill. It will be interesting how that turns out, though there are definitely certain things I want to try and grab to bolster that if at all possible. If we can get the ability to produce Void Abacus (or better, versions which the Great Crusade might have encountered which were superior and destroyed due the Crusade, Heresy, the aftermath and actions of the Navigator Houses) then that will be a godsend. Even in the likely case it comes with restrictions from the Navigator Houses if we don't want to trigger that unholy mess.
The Magi Ætheric have revealed their first great miracle to the Mechanicum of Mars: the creation of Wards, a barrier that shields the machine spirits from the predations of the Warp. Unlike the standard Gellar Fields used for starships, this Wards operates on a far deeper, more intrinsic level. It can be deployed in various environments, offering protection from the dangers that lurk in places long forgotten beneath the surface of Mars.
When news of the Wards's potential spread across the red planet, many factions within the Mechanicum initially viewed it with skepticism. Others who cooperated with us, with chants in holy binary. Some who recognized their potential, in their pride, even considered claiming this knowledge for themselves—until we made the dangers clear to them. Wards are not merely a technological device; they are a complex symbiosis of machine and esoteric knowledge, a delicate balancing act that, if disrupted, could unleash forces far worse than those it seeks to contain.
Our warnings struck a chord with the Mechanicum's most revered sects. The Tech-Priests, ever fearful of the Empyrean and its corrupting influence, understood the risks. A failed or improperly constructed Ward could create breaches in reality, inviting the denizens of the Warp onto Mars itself.
And so, the other factions, from the Fabricator-General's High Command to the subterranean forges of the Myrmidon Secutors, reluctantly decided not to contest our faction's dominion over the Ward. They conceded that only the Magi Ætheric had the proper knowledge to wield and maintain this dangerous gift.
In exchange, they turned to us with a task to prove your mettle:
Aid in the sealing of the horrors in the depths of Mars. AN: Taking a page from Sterbelicht, you will turn over to regular Quest Turns, which will last 10 in-game years, and they can be disrupted by events such as an invasion, institutional collapse, wondrous finds (STCs), and miracles.
You have Three types of actions:
[General] - The usual government stuff. Infrastructure, Diplomacy, etc.
[Military] - All military stuff. Do you want guns? Here are guns.
[Research] - For when you mess around with the Warp. I will roll a 1d100 each time is picked, and if you get a 66, 77, 88, or 99. Chaos Time.
You Have 3 [Three] Actions.
[ ] [General] Establish an Empyric Research Station (0/3)
The faction could request the construction of a facility properly dedicated to Warp research, isolated from the rest of Mars to prevent potential catastrophic consequences. Within, experiments could be conducted on Warp entities, Warp phenomena, and even heretical technologies, testing the limits of the Wards' protective abilities.
[ ] [General] Forge Alliances (Who?)
Now that our faction has the respect of Mars' other Tech-Priests, the opportunity to forge alliances with influential Mechanicum factions presents itself.
[ ] [Military] Conquering the Terrors Beneath Mars
By the Will of the Machine God. Into the Depths of Mars.
[ ] [Military] Ward Combat Applications
Integrate some of the members of our faction into the Magos Militant and use their expertise to pan out the details of how the Wards will be used in the battle to come.
[ ] [Military] Construct the Vaults
We will need to put somewhere the threats you can't eliminate, be it because the technology is too valuable, or because they can't be put down.
[ ] [Research] Enhance the Wards' Capabilities
Currently, the Wards are powerful, but they are also fragile and limited in scope. Further research could yield advancements in durability, range, and flexibility.
[ ] [Research] The Question of the Machine Soul
The Wards, as they stand, protect the spiritual aspect of the sacred Machine that reside within the vast array of Mechanicum technology. With the Magi Ætheric possessing this groundbreaking ability, the potential for greater communion with the Machine Spirit becomes tantalizingly within reach.
- [ ] Rites of Communion
- [ ] Rites of Empathy - [ ] Rite Overhauling (0/3)
- [ ] Rite of Manifestation (0/2)
[X] Plan: The Foundation
-[X] [General] Establish an Empyric Research Station (3/3)
Best to get a proper workshop running before we start experimenting in depth. The potential chaos triggers concern me enough to wait until we have more contained lab spaces.
[X] Plan: Research is holy yes, but fuck chaos is holier
-[x] [General] Establish an Empyric Research Station (1/3)
The faction could request the construction of a facility properly dedicated to Warp research, isolated from the rest of Mars to prevent potential catastrophic consequences. Within, experiments could be conducted on Warp entities, Warp phenomena, and even heretical technologies, testing the limits of the Wards' protective abilities.
-[X] [Research] Enhance the Wards' Capabilities
Currently, the Wards are powerful, but they are also fragile and limited in scope. Further research could yield advancements in durability, range, and flexibility.
--[X] Streamlined Crafting
-[X] [Military] Ward Combat Applications
Integrate some of the members of our faction into the Magos Militant and use their expertise to pan out the details of how the Wards will be used in the battle to come.
Okay so my reasoning is thus:
We have attention of all of Mars on us, 10 years is a lot of time so spending it on visible progress known as streamlining the wards and making war preperations we look good. Next turn we finish the ERS and maybe make vaults
[X] Plan: Research is holy yes, but fuck chaos is holier
Concured, Results grants us resources alongside ability within the Congress. If we keep up these results, we may be able to have ability to shift things before the Warlord of Terra arrives