By the Will of the Machine God
- Thread starter Khororhoth
- Start date
- What if? Sci-Fi
068.30M | The First Skirmish – The Bloodbath of Ephemeralis Astra Castellum
- Pronouns
- Kho
The scream of klaxons shattered the quiet hum of the research halls. Magos Majoris Iomene-35's internal data feeds flickered with streams of conflicting information—alarms cascading across every subnet, warning of warp incursion. A corrosive scent of burnt metal drifted into the air, carried through ventilation systems. Something was fundamentally wrong.
"Security breach. Empyric anomaly detected. Confirmed presence of hostile immaterial entities."
The calm, monotone voice of the Castellum's central machine spirit echoed through the halls, but Iomene-35 heard no calm in it—only the threat of unraveling order. Bloodletters, she realized grimly. Her mind raced. They were almost within reach of the breakthrough—their own artificial Warm-Matter, a technological echo of the Eldar's Wraithbone. Now, at the very precipice of success, The minions of the Blood-Thirsting minions had come to deny them the triumph.
Iomene-35's augmented eyes pulsed with cold logic beneath her hood of red synth-fiber. Flesh was secondary now—her body was a tangle of mechanized limbs and crystalline processors—but the pulse of frustration, the nagging embers of emotion, whispered at the edges of her mind. It was an affront to the Machine God that these warped creatures thought to profane her sacred research.
Her servo-claw clicked open and closed, and with a mental command, she summoned the Ephemeralis ward protocols. She strode down the hall, a cloak of burning logic cascading through her cortex. The scent of blood grew sharper, and a notification buzzed on the corner of her visual cortex: Security Cohort VI: Losses at 75%.
The Bloodletters were moving fast.
Iomene=35 reached the outer perimeter just in time to witness three Cybernetica automata, each inscribed with hexagramic wards, face off against a pack of the eight daemons. The air shimmered with rage and hunger—the essence of the warp clinging to the very walls, as if reality itself had become brittle and cracked.
The Bloodletters were scarlet beasts, their sinewy bodies rippling with raw hatred, each carrying swords that dripped with corrosive ichor. The automata fired in disciplined bursts: photon discharges, plasma bolts, and even warded siege hammers slammed into the daemons, but for every one blasted apart, another simply reformed through the breach. These creatures didn't obey the rules of matter.
One of the automata—a towering Siege-Automata—swung a hammer down, shattering a Bloodletter into fragments. But before Iomene-35 could signal an order to fall back and reform their position, the creature's essence began to recoil, twisting itself back into reality. It surged from the splinters of its broken form, claws first, and eviscerated the automata's cortex housing in a spray of sparks and machine fluids.
The automaton collapsed, lifeless, its ward matrices glowing faintly as the daemon moved on.
"Recalibrate all defenses—funnel them into the containment passages!" Iomene transmitted the order across the Castellum's network. She diverted units from non-essential areas—automata, servo-skulls, and what few warded security drones remained—and prepared to lure the daemons into an ambush corridor.
In these halls, hexagramic wards had been carved directly into the walls, creating containment zones that even the warp's influence struggled to penetrate. If the daemons could be forced inside one, the wards would disrupt their coherence, banishing them back to the empyrean. But they had to be baited.
The air crackled as two more Bloodletters rounded the corner ahead, their eyes glowing with insatiable rage. One automaton—a Praetorian-class unit, its carapace smeared with daemon ichor—moved to intercept. It smashed a Bloodletter with its power claws, tearing the daemon in half with ruthless efficiency. But the second daemon leapt past the automaton, ignoring the blow to its flank, and charged toward Iomene-35.
Rage met logic.
Iomene-35's mechadendrites lashed out—one tipped with a plasma cutter, the other with a hypersonic injector. With a calm, clinical precision, she dissected the daemon mid-lunge, burning through its sinew and bone. But even as the creature's physical form fell apart, its essence flickered, threatening to reform.
"Containment protocol activated."
A soft hum echoed through the hall as the ward matrices glowed brighter. The daemon's form froze mid-regeneration, its limbs twisting and warping, unable to maintain cohesion. With an otherworldly screech, it was dragged back into the void, banished to whatever dark realm had birthed it.
The remaining Bloodletters were forced into the ambush corridor by the combined efforts of the battle automata and the Castellum's surviving defense units. As they entered the hexagramically-warded passages, their movements grew sluggish, their snarls more frantic and desperate. They howled against the wards as their forms were systematically unraveled.
Within moments, the corridor fell silent. The wards pulsed one final time, confirming the banishment of the daemons.
Iomene-35's optics scanned the area, verifying the absence of warp anomalies. The cost had been steep—half of the Castellum's security forces were lost, and several automata would need extensive repairs. But the daemonic threat had been neutralized.
She allowed herself a rare flicker of satisfaction. The project had survived.
Iomene-35 stood amidst the aftermath, surrounded by the shattered remnants of machines and banished creatures. Blood and oil stained the floors, and the air still reeked of burnt metal and immaterial essence. Yet despite the carnage, the Castellum had endured.
Her gaze fell upon the Warp-Matter prototype, still humming gently within its containment field. It was not yet perfect, but it was intact.
The battle had proven the necessity of the Ætheric Engineers' doctrine. Without the wards, without the Automata's reinforcement, this station would have fallen. They had faced the horrors of the warp and prevailed, but not without learning hard lessons. They would need to adapt, reinforce, and evolve. This was just the beginning.
Iomene-35 sent a command through the data net, initiating repairs and combat data analysis. New security protocols would be required—more wards, faster automata, and an updated battle doctrine that accounted for the irregular nature of daemonic incursions.
As she turned back toward the research hall, Iomene allowed herself a brief, silent thought—a prayer, in her own mechanical way.
"The Machine God endures."
"And so shall we."
"Security breach. Empyric anomaly detected. Confirmed presence of hostile immaterial entities."
The calm, monotone voice of the Castellum's central machine spirit echoed through the halls, but Iomene-35 heard no calm in it—only the threat of unraveling order. Bloodletters, she realized grimly. Her mind raced. They were almost within reach of the breakthrough—their own artificial Warm-Matter, a technological echo of the Eldar's Wraithbone. Now, at the very precipice of success, The minions of the Blood-Thirsting minions had come to deny them the triumph.
Iomene-35's augmented eyes pulsed with cold logic beneath her hood of red synth-fiber. Flesh was secondary now—her body was a tangle of mechanized limbs and crystalline processors—but the pulse of frustration, the nagging embers of emotion, whispered at the edges of her mind. It was an affront to the Machine God that these warped creatures thought to profane her sacred research.
Her servo-claw clicked open and closed, and with a mental command, she summoned the Ephemeralis ward protocols. She strode down the hall, a cloak of burning logic cascading through her cortex. The scent of blood grew sharper, and a notification buzzed on the corner of her visual cortex: Security Cohort VI: Losses at 75%.
The Bloodletters were moving fast.
⚙️ ⚙️ The Skirmish Begins🩸🩸
Iomene=35 reached the outer perimeter just in time to witness three Cybernetica automata, each inscribed with hexagramic wards, face off against a pack of the eight daemons. The air shimmered with rage and hunger—the essence of the warp clinging to the very walls, as if reality itself had become brittle and cracked.
The Bloodletters were scarlet beasts, their sinewy bodies rippling with raw hatred, each carrying swords that dripped with corrosive ichor. The automata fired in disciplined bursts: photon discharges, plasma bolts, and even warded siege hammers slammed into the daemons, but for every one blasted apart, another simply reformed through the breach. These creatures didn't obey the rules of matter.
One of the automata—a towering Siege-Automata—swung a hammer down, shattering a Bloodletter into fragments. But before Iomene-35 could signal an order to fall back and reform their position, the creature's essence began to recoil, twisting itself back into reality. It surged from the splinters of its broken form, claws first, and eviscerated the automata's cortex housing in a spray of sparks and machine fluids.
The automaton collapsed, lifeless, its ward matrices glowing faintly as the daemon moved on.
"Recalibrate all defenses—funnel them into the containment passages!" Iomene transmitted the order across the Castellum's network. She diverted units from non-essential areas—automata, servo-skulls, and what few warded security drones remained—and prepared to lure the daemons into an ambush corridor.
In these halls, hexagramic wards had been carved directly into the walls, creating containment zones that even the warp's influence struggled to penetrate. If the daemons could be forced inside one, the wards would disrupt their coherence, banishing them back to the empyrean. But they had to be baited.
The air crackled as two more Bloodletters rounded the corner ahead, their eyes glowing with insatiable rage. One automaton—a Praetorian-class unit, its carapace smeared with daemon ichor—moved to intercept. It smashed a Bloodletter with its power claws, tearing the daemon in half with ruthless efficiency. But the second daemon leapt past the automaton, ignoring the blow to its flank, and charged toward Iomene-35.
Rage met logic.
Iomene-35's mechadendrites lashed out—one tipped with a plasma cutter, the other with a hypersonic injector. With a calm, clinical precision, she dissected the daemon mid-lunge, burning through its sinew and bone. But even as the creature's physical form fell apart, its essence flickered, threatening to reform.
"Containment protocol activated."
A soft hum echoed through the hall as the ward matrices glowed brighter. The daemon's form froze mid-regeneration, its limbs twisting and warping, unable to maintain cohesion. With an otherworldly screech, it was dragged back into the void, banished to whatever dark realm had birthed it.
The remaining Bloodletters were forced into the ambush corridor by the combined efforts of the battle automata and the Castellum's surviving defense units. As they entered the hexagramically-warded passages, their movements grew sluggish, their snarls more frantic and desperate. They howled against the wards as their forms were systematically unraveled.
Within moments, the corridor fell silent. The wards pulsed one final time, confirming the banishment of the daemons.
Iomene-35's optics scanned the area, verifying the absence of warp anomalies. The cost had been steep—half of the Castellum's security forces were lost, and several automata would need extensive repairs. But the daemonic threat had been neutralized.
She allowed herself a rare flicker of satisfaction. The project had survived.
⚙️⚙️Aftermath⚙️⚙️
Iomene-35 stood amidst the aftermath, surrounded by the shattered remnants of machines and banished creatures. Blood and oil stained the floors, and the air still reeked of burnt metal and immaterial essence. Yet despite the carnage, the Castellum had endured.
Her gaze fell upon the Warp-Matter prototype, still humming gently within its containment field. It was not yet perfect, but it was intact.
The battle had proven the necessity of the Ætheric Engineers' doctrine. Without the wards, without the Automata's reinforcement, this station would have fallen. They had faced the horrors of the warp and prevailed, but not without learning hard lessons. They would need to adapt, reinforce, and evolve. This was just the beginning.
Iomene-35 sent a command through the data net, initiating repairs and combat data analysis. New security protocols would be required—more wards, faster automata, and an updated battle doctrine that accounted for the irregular nature of daemonic incursions.
As she turned back toward the research hall, Iomene allowed herself a brief, silent thought—a prayer, in her own mechanical way.
"The Machine God endures."
"And so shall we."
Last edited:
- Location
- Warsaw
Well that went better than I thought it would. At least we still have the project results.
- Location
- yorkshire
Next 2e should upgrade the wards to be much stronger
Corn is probably one of the better options since it results in a straight up fight that is devoid of deeper plots or traps. Sure corruption will always be an issue when the 4 get involved but the bird or plague gods would have probably been even worse.
- Pronouns
- Kho
I will post the turn tomorrow, I was encharged, again, with making dinner.
- Location
- yorkshire
Indeed they are foundational I wish people would put 4 turns aside to pump them instead of shineys
Good thing is that we have detectors for that.
Makes sense it's a big deal.
Good the project survived, the security losses sucks though.
The Warp and Chaos is the enemy and there's a reason why the Aetherics are doing what they do.
- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I think now would be a good time to rush the two actions we need to get "Denial of Warp Denizens" before we have another breach like that.
chaotic-logic
possible impossibility
- Location
- unknown
i think that we should also get macro scale warding as that is likely warding on large scales like ships and buildings.
we should also work toward getting the research domes on the castellum built
we should also work toward getting the research domes on the castellum built
The RNG giveth and taketh. Still, it was 4/100 aka 1/25 chance of attracting trouble.
EDIT:
I think we ought to take Scope as that'll make everything in the Ward Tech Tree Crude which may allow some instant research or reduction to the rest of the Tech Tree. Then 1 AP to start doing Military stuff again.
My issue is will we have enough AP for our other commitments? Aka did we take any alliance options that requires us to use AP on said new options?
EDIT:
I think we ought to take Scope as that'll make everything in the Ward Tech Tree Crude which may allow some instant research or reduction to the rest of the Tech Tree. Then 1 AP to start doing Military stuff again.
My issue is will we have enough AP for our other commitments? Aka did we take any alliance options that requires us to use AP on said new options?
Last edited:
That would be too logical to these wise people of the warp. Who cares that our wards are primitive. Who cares that other things will open up more options. All that matters is the w...
...Error
...Data Crash
- Location
- yorkshire
I still do not want primitive wards
But our wards are crude that is a step up from primitive.
To finally See
While development of Warp Geigers opened countless new possibilities in military doctrines of Mars with how simple it was in form and function, such would be ignoring the sheer effort needed during its creation.
For while most either dont want to think or know of it, since Age of Strife began materium realm within entire galaxy was a washed in constant low tides of Empyreal power.
It was those tides being themself but a pale shadow of storms ravaging Warp that by leaking into reality caused the bloom of out of control psykers that in turn ravaged worlds of Humanity.
Which also meant that any detector of those energies would be buried under a constant barrage of positive results that are of no difference to everyday life.
To make it into a device useful for any operations out of laboratory setting required titanic effort.
Effort to gather data on its readings in all manner of situations so to assemble enough to construct statistical models.
Entire years of gathering data not just from Warp Geigers used in different situations but also accompanying data from all possible sensors and reports attached to those sorted by every second that then needed sorting.
All to correlate in what way both sets of data affected each other or not.
To know that masses of menials moving to their work stations wasnt instead a single weak Warp manifestation near.
To difference a God-Machine waking up for test of its shell from tide of energy from Warp being higher that day.
To know if Demon is right behind the door instead of an entire mountain away.
To distinguish Demon infested wargear pulled from Vaults from a piece of archeotech.
But when all of that data was being assembled into an algorithm on how Warp changing affected Geigers reading, lead Tech Acolyte had an epiphany.
For as Saint Nitoon 3rd Excerpt declared that if Warp Geiger was affected by Warp in consistent manner, then couldnt in return Warp Geiger affect Warp in consistent manner?
That realization led to entirely different project, Geigers warp reactive/ressonant mechanism were tested.
Deep within Ephemeralis Astra Castellum heavily warded bulk special room was prepared.
Where not just were walls of it were warded with utmost care but so did all rooms around it.
Favors were exchanged to acquire a limited amount of priceless phase iron that none knew how to produce anymore.
All to create environment as warp null and cut out from outside effects of it as possible.
So that when test begin, there would be no doubt from where a result came from.
And so work began.
First at most simple level where they tried to simply inverse Geigers function so that its parts would affect Warp.
Yet, such didnt made any effect on banks of detectors in room walls.
So they started months long work of trying different ways to cause a detectable reaction.
It took effort until priesthood in a way stumbled upon situation their beastly ancestors stumbled in ages past.
They got a reaction.
And so as those ancestors of theirs no different from other monkeys when they found/made their sticks.
They started pocking with it to see what happens as it is in humanities nature to do when faced with something new/unknown.
Enlarging devices.
Using more power.
Using it in patterns/sequences based on Holy Numbers or Payers rhythms.
Making entire banks/arrays of them in parallels.
All of those just to see what kind of different reaction they got.
Yet, all came upon fundamental issue.
They were like blind person trying to reason out shape of world from feeling they got from single of their body hairs.
A swarm of pixel points within the entire night sky.
Until an opportunity came upon them.
One of great danger but also of greater reward if successful.
For one of routine patrols had detected a psyker newly awakened to their power among menial population.
Their power feeble and psyker itself unskilled leading to being easily subdued instead of needing to killed by warded automata.
Heavily sedated and covered in wards psyker was of no danger and normal procedure would be to kill them.
And yet if used they could provide a window into Warp.
Akin to letting previous blind person to finally see.
There were arguments and discussions yet in end it was decided it was worth of risks.
So began process of preparing of psyker for its purpose.
Its skin and muscles would be unneeded and so went away.
Even as limbs themself where cut away nerves in them were preserved and reeled in for none knew what truly made one a psyker but their Soul/brain.
Remaining exposed bones and skull in particular were inscribed with wards to shield them.
Organs were replaced with systems to keep them living yet their hormones controlled.
Their eyes, ears, tongue similarly replaced so to cut of their senses or edit them as needed.
Top of skull carefully opened up to expose brain to record its patterns.
For while none knew what truly made a psyker one all were interested in changing state of such knowledge.
So having chance everything about psyker was measured.
From their blood, bones and organs being disassembled to their atoms for patterns to seeing how their neurons wound up in their brain even as their knots were slowly straightened up.
For so long their were unsure what made them a psyker Acolytes were unwilling to remove more then needed from psyker least they stop being one.
And so their brain was unfolded out of their skull and as it hung like a spiders web above psyker delicate strands were woven into it.
Finest mind machine interface possible warded with care connected to each part of psykers brain to know their inner thoughts/sensations better then psyker itself ever would.
Filigrenine veins letting them administer hormones/drugs/enzymes to singular neural clusters if desired to affect psykers thoughts.
All so that when slowly woken up they would have total access and control over psykers mind.
And what it perceived with its power.
Next came pure progress as their never had.
For now they finally could SEE into Warp.
They had to filter it through psyker and metaphors it perceived it as but it was magnitudes better they had previously.
Warp Detectors were reaching new heights of precision when they could easly see what they reacted to instead of guessing by interference with materium.
New designs for them and tools to affect Warp were made as warp resonant/reactive materials were created in much bigger amounts by directing psykers power into their easier creation.
That then were shaped into new patterns calculated by observations or grown into organic shapes mimicking psykers own neuron clusters for different effects.
Until disaster struck.
After Bloodletters struck, first reactions were to blame outbreak on bound psyker.
Yet months long investigation have shown that protections have held.
None liked conclusion its was random chance that caused disaster.
For that there were nothing that they did wrong and yet simple fickle chance could cause them to be struck down by Warp.
Especially when they were reminded that Demon were not of this world.
That they were not bound by its rules even as they were struck by their weapons.
And yet something had to be done to be better next time.
Wards were seen as answer as always and yet while inscribed automata could contests Demons in melee one would prefer to strike them down from afar to at least keep automata undamaged.
And yet wards could not be yet inscribed on many energy weapons of priesthood.
While trying such on stubber bullets would mean enormous effort for little effect when their enemies lacked weakness of flesh.
An alternative were looked for in archives until one possible was found.
An older, simpler design that could work.
To strike Demons and rip them apart as physical weapons would do from a range while also not being a waste of effort.
A bolter.
There sat a servo skull in the workshop.
Wired it was into an engraving device.
Day after day it directed it to work on bolter shells brought before it.
It inscribed upon them words.
Words of full of HATE!/ANGER!/DEATH! for Demon.
For that skull knew those things.
They were a parent in live.
Whose saw their child and mate be stuck by Demon.
Hate and Anger filled their mind even as they grabbed a lose tool and struck Demon.
They died.
But by chance so did Demon that struck them down in turn.
They were found.
Their body dead yet that was not an obstacle to still serve Faith.
For others saw their act and their knew power in its story.
And so now their tool recast into new shape for their usage they write their Hate/Anger.
Stronger then before.
Stronger then any human could ever feel as by arcane means they are brought to ever higher peaks of HATE!/ANGER!/DEATH! for Demon as they constantly relive that moment.
So that bolter shells they work on carry a shadow of their feelings/action and Hate all Demons.
Wooh.
This took a while to write out and look over for obvious mistakes but it just couldnt leave my mind until I finished.
For possible reward for it maybe an upgrade to Trait "The Procession of 12" from my previous omake?
For while most either dont want to think or know of it, since Age of Strife began materium realm within entire galaxy was a washed in constant low tides of Empyreal power.
It was those tides being themself but a pale shadow of storms ravaging Warp that by leaking into reality caused the bloom of out of control psykers that in turn ravaged worlds of Humanity.
Which also meant that any detector of those energies would be buried under a constant barrage of positive results that are of no difference to everyday life.
To make it into a device useful for any operations out of laboratory setting required titanic effort.
Effort to gather data on its readings in all manner of situations so to assemble enough to construct statistical models.
Entire years of gathering data not just from Warp Geigers used in different situations but also accompanying data from all possible sensors and reports attached to those sorted by every second that then needed sorting.
All to correlate in what way both sets of data affected each other or not.
To know that masses of menials moving to their work stations wasnt instead a single weak Warp manifestation near.
To difference a God-Machine waking up for test of its shell from tide of energy from Warp being higher that day.
To know if Demon is right behind the door instead of an entire mountain away.
To distinguish Demon infested wargear pulled from Vaults from a piece of archeotech.
But when all of that data was being assembled into an algorithm on how Warp changing affected Geigers reading, lead Tech Acolyte had an epiphany.
For as Saint Nitoon 3rd Excerpt declared that if Warp Geiger was affected by Warp in consistent manner, then couldnt in return Warp Geiger affect Warp in consistent manner?
That realization led to entirely different project, Geigers warp reactive/ressonant mechanism were tested.
Deep within Ephemeralis Astra Castellum heavily warded bulk special room was prepared.
Where not just were walls of it were warded with utmost care but so did all rooms around it.
Favors were exchanged to acquire a limited amount of priceless phase iron that none knew how to produce anymore.
All to create environment as warp null and cut out from outside effects of it as possible.
So that when test begin, there would be no doubt from where a result came from.
And so work began.
First at most simple level where they tried to simply inverse Geigers function so that its parts would affect Warp.
Yet, such didnt made any effect on banks of detectors in room walls.
So they started months long work of trying different ways to cause a detectable reaction.
It took effort until priesthood in a way stumbled upon situation their beastly ancestors stumbled in ages past.
They got a reaction.
And so as those ancestors of theirs no different from other monkeys when they found/made their sticks.
They started pocking with it to see what happens as it is in humanities nature to do when faced with something new/unknown.
Enlarging devices.
Using more power.
Using it in patterns/sequences based on Holy Numbers or Payers rhythms.
Making entire banks/arrays of them in parallels.
All of those just to see what kind of different reaction they got.
Yet, all came upon fundamental issue.
They were like blind person trying to reason out shape of world from feeling they got from single of their body hairs.
A swarm of pixel points within the entire night sky.
Until an opportunity came upon them.
One of great danger but also of greater reward if successful.
For one of routine patrols had detected a psyker newly awakened to their power among menial population.
Their power feeble and psyker itself unskilled leading to being easily subdued instead of needing to killed by warded automata.
Heavily sedated and covered in wards psyker was of no danger and normal procedure would be to kill them.
And yet if used they could provide a window into Warp.
Akin to letting previous blind person to finally see.
There were arguments and discussions yet in end it was decided it was worth of risks.
So began process of preparing of psyker for its purpose.
Its skin and muscles would be unneeded and so went away.
Even as limbs themself where cut away nerves in them were preserved and reeled in for none knew what truly made one a psyker but their Soul/brain.
Remaining exposed bones and skull in particular were inscribed with wards to shield them.
Organs were replaced with systems to keep them living yet their hormones controlled.
Their eyes, ears, tongue similarly replaced so to cut of their senses or edit them as needed.
Top of skull carefully opened up to expose brain to record its patterns.
For while none knew what truly made a psyker one all were interested in changing state of such knowledge.
So having chance everything about psyker was measured.
From their blood, bones and organs being disassembled to their atoms for patterns to seeing how their neurons wound up in their brain even as their knots were slowly straightened up.
For so long their were unsure what made them a psyker Acolytes were unwilling to remove more then needed from psyker least they stop being one.
And so their brain was unfolded out of their skull and as it hung like a spiders web above psyker delicate strands were woven into it.
Finest mind machine interface possible warded with care connected to each part of psykers brain to know their inner thoughts/sensations better then psyker itself ever would.
Filigrenine veins letting them administer hormones/drugs/enzymes to singular neural clusters if desired to affect psykers thoughts.
All so that when slowly woken up they would have total access and control over psykers mind.
And what it perceived with its power.
Next came pure progress as their never had.
For now they finally could SEE into Warp.
They had to filter it through psyker and metaphors it perceived it as but it was magnitudes better they had previously.
Warp Detectors were reaching new heights of precision when they could easly see what they reacted to instead of guessing by interference with materium.
New designs for them and tools to affect Warp were made as warp resonant/reactive materials were created in much bigger amounts by directing psykers power into their easier creation.
That then were shaped into new patterns calculated by observations or grown into organic shapes mimicking psykers own neuron clusters for different effects.
Until disaster struck.
After Bloodletters struck, first reactions were to blame outbreak on bound psyker.
Yet months long investigation have shown that protections have held.
None liked conclusion its was random chance that caused disaster.
For that there were nothing that they did wrong and yet simple fickle chance could cause them to be struck down by Warp.
Especially when they were reminded that Demon were not of this world.
That they were not bound by its rules even as they were struck by their weapons.
And yet something had to be done to be better next time.
Wards were seen as answer as always and yet while inscribed automata could contests Demons in melee one would prefer to strike them down from afar to at least keep automata undamaged.
And yet wards could not be yet inscribed on many energy weapons of priesthood.
While trying such on stubber bullets would mean enormous effort for little effect when their enemies lacked weakness of flesh.
An alternative were looked for in archives until one possible was found.
An older, simpler design that could work.
To strike Demons and rip them apart as physical weapons would do from a range while also not being a waste of effort.
A bolter.
There sat a servo skull in the workshop.
Wired it was into an engraving device.
Day after day it directed it to work on bolter shells brought before it.
It inscribed upon them words.
Words of full of HATE!/ANGER!/DEATH! for Demon.
For that skull knew those things.
They were a parent in live.
Whose saw their child and mate be stuck by Demon.
Hate and Anger filled their mind even as they grabbed a lose tool and struck Demon.
They died.
But by chance so did Demon that struck them down in turn.
They were found.
Their body dead yet that was not an obstacle to still serve Faith.
For others saw their act and their knew power in its story.
And so now their tool recast into new shape for their usage they write their Hate/Anger.
Stronger then before.
Stronger then any human could ever feel as by arcane means they are brought to ever higher peaks of HATE!/ANGER!/DEATH! for Demon as they constantly relive that moment.
So that bolter shells they work on carry a shadow of their feelings/action and Hate all Demons.
Wooh.
This took a while to write out and look over for obvious mistakes but it just couldnt leave my mind until I finished.
For possible reward for it maybe an upgrade to Trait "The Procession of 12" from my previous omake?
- Pronouns
- Kho
Dealing with something else, I will come back later to read it.
Edit: I'm back and damn, if that's a perfect illustration of the Mechanicum on their best days then I really don't want to mess with them as the Mechanicus.
@012345 Choose:
- Gain 0.05 Research AP per action taken.
- Automatically complete "Denial of the Warp Denizens" without being affected by Chaos Numbers.
- Gain 3 AP in "Psy-Artifacts and Warp-Artifacts Studies"
Last edited:
This one. Upgrade that trait as Tech Priests gain a 'Stick' to poke Warp and see what happens.
Also being in main threadmark list.
Like I want all of our Tech Trees to be at least at Intermediate level by time of GC.
And this option gives most RnD AP over long term.
Like at minimum about 70 turns to GC with at least 3 AP per turn gives us 210 AP.
Doubling that Trait from previous omake to having it at 0.1 RnD AP per AP mean getting 21 of such as opposed to 10.5.
Or 7 AP per Tech tree.
So wont level us up there on its own but it is a boost.
I want for Mars to get good enought Warp travel that they wont be sending Eplorator Fleets on only one way trips into galaxy.
I want Mars to start sending fleets to closests stars to Sol and back to get loot.
To have some primitive Warp Beacons/Comms by GC time. To have better Void Shields and teleport tech then ones in STCs.
When XVth Legion (Thousands Sons) manifest their powers I want them to come to us for psytech in exchange for them bringing back Warp lore back to get extra RnD. When Flesh Change hits them for us to work on suppresion so that Magnus will owe us. So that when they discover Zhao-Arkhad their warp tech will go to us.
When Pertubaro comes he will see his full knowledge of tech dont include ours and that Wards stops him from feeling gaze of Eye of Terror.
Mortarion will want our stuff to help him kill psychic stuff while also hating it because its basicaly Sorcery/Warp Tech.
And to spread our stuff so much that when Horus will try brining Mechanicum help for Heresy Tech Priests will see World Bearers/Iron Warriors Demons Engines and call them shit tier and that he insults them by implying they are such hacks as to lower themselfs to work on such level.
just a random thought, how well would the OTL 30K Magi Ætheric be at in tech level compared to us when comparing at the same Date point
also where would 40K Magi Ætheric on the ranking scale due to the degrading understanding of the Imperium
actually where would the DAoT be on the ranking scale?
i want to know who we trying to surpass here since the first post implies our goal is to do better then OTL
- Location
- yorkshire
still not good enough
070.30M | Restoration
- Pronouns
- Kho
Two Terran years had passed since the halls of Ephemeralis Astra Castellum ran red with blood and oil. The first daemonic skirmish in the Castellum's history was a turning point—one that had redefined both the doctrine and the future of the Empyric Engineers. Time had eroded the sharp edge of fear, replacing it with hardened resolve. The Castellum had not fallen. But it had left scars.
Magos Majoris Iomene-35 stood at the heart of the research station's Command Nexus, her mechanical mind processing a near-constant influx of reports, calculations, and updates. The scent of machine oil, ionized air, and faint traces of sanctified incense filled the space. Her new battle cortex subroutines churned quietly beneath layers of conscious thought, always prepared—always hunting for signs of warp incursions. They had learned hard lessons, and those lessons had been etched into every system, ward, and policy.
"Analysis of patrol zones complete," chirped a servo-skull hovering nearby, its hollow eyes glowing faintly with data-stream projections. "No anomalies detected within the past 300 standard hours."
Iomene's mechadendrites twitched in response. Peace, but never safety. No one would ever be caught unprepared again. The Blood-Shedders had tested them—and the Castellum's steel had not shattered. But two years had brought more than simple vigilance. They had brought progress. And with it, new challenges.
Still they had two good news.
One, the Starlit Observationis has been completed. The Explorators are quite eager to start the research of the E.M.A. in full, not that she blames them.
Two, after 2 years of doing every revision and safety check under the Machine God's gaze, the Warp-Matter Prototype has been cleared and the project was swiftly finalized.
The new Matter has been blessed by the Metallurgicus as Ghoststone. So the Machine God wills.
You Have 3 [Three] Actions.
[ ] [General] Expand the Castellum
The Ephemeralis Astra Castellum, already a beacon of knowledge and defense, can evolve into an even greater citadel of power and discovery.
[ ] [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] Restoring the Ranks
The aftermath of the Conquest of the Terrors beneath Mars left the Empyric Engineers depleted, with many lost to battle. But we rebuild, for the machine must march ever forward, stronger and more prepared than before.
[ ] [Military] Redesigning the Doctrines
This updated doctrine ensures their forces are adaptive, vigilant, and spiritually fortified, merging human ingenuity with warded automation to confront and conquer even the darkest horrors of the Empyrean.
[ ] [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.
[ ] [Research] Develop New Warp-Related Technologies
The Warp Drive and Gellar Field are merely the first steps in the exploitation of Warp energies. With the Ephemeralis Astra Castellum built, the Magi Ætheric can now seek to develop new machines, perhaps even ships, that interact directly with the Warp in novel ways within a... safe-ish environment.
Magos Majoris Iomene-35 stood at the heart of the research station's Command Nexus, her mechanical mind processing a near-constant influx of reports, calculations, and updates. The scent of machine oil, ionized air, and faint traces of sanctified incense filled the space. Her new battle cortex subroutines churned quietly beneath layers of conscious thought, always prepared—always hunting for signs of warp incursions. They had learned hard lessons, and those lessons had been etched into every system, ward, and policy.
"Analysis of patrol zones complete," chirped a servo-skull hovering nearby, its hollow eyes glowing faintly with data-stream projections. "No anomalies detected within the past 300 standard hours."
Iomene's mechadendrites twitched in response. Peace, but never safety. No one would ever be caught unprepared again. The Blood-Shedders had tested them—and the Castellum's steel had not shattered. But two years had brought more than simple vigilance. They had brought progress. And with it, new challenges.
Still they had two good news.
One, the Starlit Observationis has been completed. The Explorators are quite eager to start the research of the E.M.A. in full, not that she blames them.
Two, after 2 years of doing every revision and safety check under the Machine God's gaze, the Warp-Matter Prototype has been cleared and the project was swiftly finalized.
The new Matter has been blessed by the Metallurgicus as Ghoststone. So the Machine God wills.
You Have 3 [Three] Actions.
The Procession of 12 / To finally See = 0.1 Research AP per Action
Research Banked= 0.15 AP
Research Banked= 0.15 AP
The Ephemeralis Astra Castellum, already a beacon of knowledge and defense, can evolve into an even greater citadel of power and discovery.
- [ ] Infrastructure (0/3)
- [ ] Military Stations (0/3)
- [ ] Research Domes (1/3)
- [ ] Voidship Dockyards (0/3)
- [ ] Military Stations (0/3)
- [ ] Research Domes (1/3)
- [ ] Voidship Dockyards (0/3)
[ ] [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.
- [ ] Hespherstari
- [ ] Provender
- [ ] Genetor
- [ ] Logis
- [ ] Vulpaxis
- [ ] Lictanex
- [ ] Dominus
- [ ] Cordantor
- [ ] Mhalagra
- [ ] Alchemys
- [ ] Myrmidex
- [ ] Lachrimallus
- [ ] Provender
- [ ] Genetor
- [ ] Logis
- [ ] Vulpaxis
- [ ] Lictanex
- [ ] Dominus
- [ ] Cordantor
- [ ] Mhalagra
- [ ] Alchemys
- [ ] Myrmidex
- [ ] Lachrimallus
- [ ] Munitoria Logis
- [ ] Macrotechnia
- [ ] Lacyraemara
- [ ] Bonded Cybernetica
- [ ] Autokrator
- [ ] Basilikon Astra
- [ ] Legio Titanicus
- [ ] Ordo Reductor
- [ ] The Skitarius
- [ ] Macrotechnia
- [ ] Lacyraemara
- [ ] Bonded Cybernetica
- [ ] Autokrator
- [ ] Basilikon Astra
- [ ] Legio Titanicus
- [ ] Ordo Reductor
- [ ] The Skitarius
[ ] [Military] Restoring the Ranks
The aftermath of the Conquest of the Terrors beneath Mars left the Empyric Engineers depleted, with many lost to battle. But we rebuild, for the machine must march ever forward, stronger and more prepared than before.
[ ] [Military] Redesigning the Doctrines
This updated doctrine ensures their forces are adaptive, vigilant, and spiritually fortified, merging human ingenuity with warded automation to confront and conquer even the darkest horrors of the Empyrean.
- [ ] Initiation Protocols in Hexagramic Wards:
Every initiate, from the lowest menial to the aspiring Magos, would now be drilled in the understanding and application of warding symbols. Wards would not merely be a passive tool inscribed upon armor and circuits—those who wore them would know their meanings, strengthening their spiritual and technical discipline against the Empyrian's denizens.
- [ ] Integrated Combat and PsyTech Readiness:
In previous battles, inexperienced tech-priests had failed to recognize the subtle influence of Empyric incursions until it was too late. The new doctrine demanded that all combatants, including maintenance crews and servitor handlers, be trained to use the Warp Geiger to detect and respond to esoteric threats, with combat drills integrating PsyTech into every battle simulation.
- [ ] Legio Cybernetica Coordination Protocols:
The bond between the Magi Ætheric and the Legio Cybernetica had proven invaluable, but the chaotic nature of battle often saw independent automata break formation. A new series of network protocols was devised, ensuring smoother coordination between Battle-Automata cohorts and their Ætheric handlers. Teams would be drilled to anticipate both physical attacks and Empyric disruptions, trusting not only their machines but their wards.
- [ ] Restorative Rituals and Psychological Durability:
Among the grim reports of casualties were troubling cases of mental breakdown—even for those who had survived physically. New training now included rituals to cleanse the mind as well as the body, a system of meditation that blended tech-priest ritual with stabilizing cognitive mantras, preventing taint or emotional collapse after extended exposure to warp energies. "A broken mind is a liability," the protocol read. "The Machine God's will must flow uncorrupted."
Every initiate, from the lowest menial to the aspiring Magos, would now be drilled in the understanding and application of warding symbols. Wards would not merely be a passive tool inscribed upon armor and circuits—those who wore them would know their meanings, strengthening their spiritual and technical discipline against the Empyrian's denizens.
- [ ] Integrated Combat and PsyTech Readiness:
In previous battles, inexperienced tech-priests had failed to recognize the subtle influence of Empyric incursions until it was too late. The new doctrine demanded that all combatants, including maintenance crews and servitor handlers, be trained to use the Warp Geiger to detect and respond to esoteric threats, with combat drills integrating PsyTech into every battle simulation.
- [ ] Legio Cybernetica Coordination Protocols:
The bond between the Magi Ætheric and the Legio Cybernetica had proven invaluable, but the chaotic nature of battle often saw independent automata break formation. A new series of network protocols was devised, ensuring smoother coordination between Battle-Automata cohorts and their Ætheric handlers. Teams would be drilled to anticipate both physical attacks and Empyric disruptions, trusting not only their machines but their wards.
- [ ] Restorative Rituals and Psychological Durability:
Among the grim reports of casualties were troubling cases of mental breakdown—even for those who had survived physically. New training now included rituals to cleanse the mind as well as the body, a system of meditation that blended tech-priest ritual with stabilizing cognitive mantras, preventing taint or emotional collapse after extended exposure to warp energies. "A broken mind is a liability," the protocol read. "The Machine God's will must flow uncorrupted."
[ ] [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.
- [ ] Efficient Durability (0/2)
- [ ] Scope Refinement (0/2)
- [ ] Efficient Strength (0/2)
- [ ] Denial of the Warp denizens
- [ ] Micro-Scale Warding
- [ ] Macro-Scale Warding
- [ ] Scope Refinement (0/2)
- [ ] Efficient Strength (0/2)
- [ ] Denial of the Warp denizens
- [ ] Micro-Scale Warding
- [ ] Macro-Scale Warding
[ ] [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.
- [ ] The Truth of the Soul (0/2)
- [ ] TheNarrative of the Soul (0/2)
- [ ] Rite Overhauling (0/2)
- [ ] Rite of Manifestation (0/2)
- [ ] The
- [ ] Rite Overhauling (0/2)
- [ ] Rite of Manifestation (0/2)
[ ] [Research] Develop New Warp-Related Technologies
The Warp Drive and Gellar Field are merely the first steps in the exploitation of Warp energies. With the Ephemeralis Astra Castellum built, the Magi Ætheric can now seek to develop new machines, perhaps even ships, that interact directly with the Warp in novel ways within a... safe-ish environment.
- [ ] Gellar-Field/Ward Studies (0/3)
- [ ] Metamaterials (0/4)
- [ ] Psy-Artifacts and Warp-Artifacts Studies (0/5)
- [ ] Ghoststone Stress-testing
- [ ] Metamaterials (0/4)
- [ ] Psy-Artifacts and Warp-Artifacts Studies (0/5)
- [ ] Ghoststone Stress-testing
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chaotic-logic
possible impossibility
- Location
- unknown
we should get denial of warp denizens at a minimum