By the Will of the Machine God

Khororhoth · Oct 15, 2024

Magos Majoris Iomene-35 sat perfectly still in the noospheric chamber, her mechadendrites coiled at her side in reverence. The glowing tendrils of data-currents flickered across the smooth, black walls, painting the room in hues of green and gold—the colors of connection, communication, and anticipation. With a hum of electromantic precision, her augmetic eyes scanned the incoming presence: Metallurgicus envoy Magos Ferron-Kaphtis, his signal signature radiating the dense, deliberate calm of a forgemaster, but laced with a subtle eagerness that betrayed his excitement.

With a crackle, Ferron-Kaphtis' visual feed materialized—a figure shrouded in robes the color of burnished copper, their form bulked out by layers of ceramite plating and arcane tools. His voice emerged as a deliberate rumble over the noospheric channel, edged with mechanical harmonics.

"Magos Majoris Iomene-35." His red-lit optics swirled with simulated warmth. "It is an honor. The steel of Mars has awaited your wisdom."

"And the wisdom of alloys is welcomed by those who walk the paths of Empyric knowledge," Iomene-35 replied smoothly. "May we forge more than circuits this day."

Ferron-Kaphtis emitted a small burst of static—a laugh, in the way of the Mechanicus. "We have much to discuss. Shall we begin?"

"Of course" Iomene-35 responded cheerfully.

Material Handling Agreements:
The Metallurgicus will receive full access to Ætheric research on tainted materials handling. Any contaminated material retrieved during operations will be sent to Metallurgicus refinement stations, where Ætheric personnel will assist in purging it of esoteric residue.
Data Sharing Terms:
Both factions agree to mutual data-sharing protocols, enabling both sides to synchronize research on material sciences, warding technologies, and combat applications. All breakthroughs involving PsyTech integration will be reported immediately to the Ætheric, while new alloy formulations will be shared with the Metallurgicus.

Joint Projects:
[ ] Hexachrome Armor & Esoteric Shielding for Spacecraft
Objective: Create new warded hull plating for starships, integrating Metallurgicus alloys with Ætheric inscriptions to resist both physical damage and warp incursions.
Division of Labor: Metallurgicus refines the hull materials and structural alloys. Ætheric teams inscribe protection wards and test shielding effectiveness during warp-transit simulations.
Outcome: A new warded hull standard for Mechanicus ships, allowing them to navigate warp storms while maintaining greater structural integrity.

[ ] Empyric-Resistant Ceramics & Alloys
Objective: Develop alloys and ceramic coatings that not only resist warp corruption but also amplify ward strength when engraved with hexagramic patterns.
Division of Labor: Metallurgicus provides alloy formulations. Ætheric researchers inscribe and test wards on prototypes.
Outcome: Production of automata plating and containment vault linings that are highly resistant to Empyric contamination.

[ ] Mobile Foundries for Remote Warding & Fabrication
Objective: Develop modular, self-sufficient foundries that can travel with Ætheric forces, setting up temporary workshops on hostile planets without infrastructure.
Division of Labor: Metallurgicus designs the structural frameworks and modular reactors. Ætheric Engineers integrate PsyTech sensors and warding emitters into the foundries.
Outcome: Mobile foundries capable of on-site repairs, automata upgrades, and containment infrastructure deployment in active war zones.

Khororhoth · Oct 16, 2024

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.

⚙️ ⚙️ 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."

Khororhoth · Oct 17, 2024

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.

The Procession of 12 / To finally See = 0.1 Research AP per Action
Research Banked= 0.15 AP

[ ] [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.

- [ ] Infrastructure (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

- [ ] Munitoria Logis
- [ ] 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."

[ ] [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

[ ] [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(Fact) of the Soul (0/2)
- [ ] The Narrative(Tale) of the Soul (0/2)
- [ ] 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

Khororhoth · Oct 18, 2024

The ceremony for the first restored battalion took place in the Castellum's central sanctum—a chamber where sacred data-scrolls lined the walls, and the Machine God's sigil was etched into the iron-plated floor. Rank upon rank of newly inducted warriors and rebuilt veterans stood at rigid attention, their forms cloaked in red and black—the colors of the Empyric Engineers, now woven with new hexagramic wards.

Vehlaris stepped forward to address the ranks, his mechadendrites curling around the vox-caster embedded into his chest. His voice was a harsh symphony of Low Gothic and binary.

"You are the embodiment of progress," he intoned. "You are the answer to chaos. Where others faltered, you will stand firm. You will carry the will of the Machine God into the dark places of this galaxy. You will not break. You will not fall. March forward, and let the Immaterium tremble."

The battalion responded in unison—a single, thunderous chant of devotion that reverberated through the sanctum. The sound carried a promise of unflinching loyalty and unyielding purpose.

As the battalion dispersed, Vehlaris-00302 remained behind, his optical sensors lingering on the sanctum's glowing wards. The restoration was well underway, but it was not yet complete. There would be more battles to fight, more lessons to learn, and more warriors to forge.

You Have 3 [Three] Actions.

The Procession of 12 / To finally See = 0.1 Research AP per Action
Research Banked= 0.45 AP

[ ] [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.

- [ ] Infrastructure (0/3)
- [ ] Military Stations (0/3)
- [ ] Research Domes (2/3)
- [ ] 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

- [ ] Munitoria Logis
- [ ] Macrotechnia
- [ ] Lacyraemara
- [ ] Bonded Cybernetica
- [ ] Autokrator
- [ ] Basilikon Astra
- [ ] Legio Titanicus
- [ ] Ordo Reductor
- [ ] The Skitarius

[ ] [General] Empyric Mapping Arrays (0/2)
With every map drawn and every anomaly charted, the Machine God's servants expand the boundaries of knowledge and ensure that even the Immaterium itself will bow to the will of Mars.

[ ] [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.

[ ] [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

[ ] [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(Fact) of the Soul (0/2)
- [ ] The Narrative(Tale) of the Soul (0/2)
- [ ] 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 (0/2)
- [ ] Metamaterials (0/3)
- [ ] Psy-Artifacts and Warp-Artifacts Studies (0/4)
- [ ] Ghoststone Stress-testing

Khororhoth · Oct 21, 2024

Magos Majoris Iomene-35 did not need emotion to understand the dire nature of what was unfolding. The wards on every level flickered and faltered, overwhelmed by the impossible surge of power that tore through the fabric of reality. The Warp Geiger's warning klaxons screamed across the Castellum, drowning out all other sound.

"Emergency warp breach detected. Multiples confirmed. Daemon-class signatures: 88. Type: Bloodletters."

The bloodthirsty laughter of the Immaterium echoed throughout the halls, followed by the stomping march of war.

🩸 🩸 🩸 🩸 🩸

Vehlaris-00302 stood at the head of his battle-automata cohort, issuing binary orders as the Castellum's forces scrambled to meet the incursion. Hexagrammic wards glowed along the sleek chassis of the automata, their forms designed to withstand psychic interference. But this was no petty incursion—The wrath of the Realm of War had gathered strength, and 88 Bloodletters now prowled through the sanctified halls, swinging hell-forged blades that cut through steel and ward alike.

The first wave hit Chamber Theta. The battle-automata engaged immediately, sending bursts of plasma fire and volkite beams into the red-skinned horrors. Yet for every Bloodletter destroyed, two more leapt forward, their daemonic swords howling with unholy energy, slicing through automata with ease.

"Mechanized units compromised. Forty percent of automata forces lost—redirecting reinforcements."

Vehlaris cursed in binary. The enemy was tearing through them faster than expected. These weren't ordinary warp incursions—they were shock troops of the Realm of War, and they fought not only to kill but to desecrate. No ground was won, only stolen.

🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

Iomene-35 coordinated from the primary cogitation core, her mechadendrites plugged directly into the Castellum's central command system. The Greater Machine Spirit systems were strained, processing thousands of combat feeds simultaneously, calculating probabilities of survival, and coordinating fire teams and automata units. For every data-packet fed to her, she made a decision—who lived, who died, where to fortify, and where to abandon.

The Castellum's layout, designed for exploration and containment, not war, became a disadvantage. Entire hallways had to be sealed off, locking out the advancing daemons—but also trapping personnel. Sacrifices had to be made.

"We bleed today," Iomene whispered, voice laden with synthetic coldness, "so that we do not bleed tomorrow."

But the Bloodletters were not merely physical threats. Their presence corrupted the Machine Spirits, gnawing at the heart of the Castellum's sacred infrastructure. Servo-skulls malfunctioned, security doors opened at random, and turrets targeted friendly units as the daemonic presence wormed its way into the station's machine-soul. The Castellum was bleeding from within.

🩸🩸⚙️🩸🩸

"Emergency report: Cogitation Core breach imminent. Daemonic incursion at Level 5."

The Cogitation Core housed the most sacred of data matrices, the heart of the Empyric Engineers' research. If the Bloodletters reached it, decades of progress would be obliterated in moments—and worse, the corrupted systems could become conduits for future warp incursions.

Magos Majoris Vehlaris-00302 knew what had to be done. He would not let the Machine God's work be defiled.

"Redirect automata reinforcements. Hold the core at all costs. We cannot allow them to claim it."

🩸⚙️🩸⚙️🩸

The automata reinforcements, battle-worn and damaged, took up positions along the core's access halls, their warded chassis sparking from earlier battles. Behind them, Magos Vehlaris and a group of tech-priests readied their final defenses, chanting litanies of fortification even as the psychic strain weighed upon their minds. The Warp Geiger's needle quivered dangerously close to the red zone.

The Bloodletters stormed the corridor, their blades blazing with warp-flame, each step pounding like the beat of a war drum. The automata opened fire, filling the hall with roaring plasma blasts and the hiss of volkite beams. But the minions of the Realm of War reveled in the carnage, cutting down the automata as if they were mere toys.

Vehlaris knew their doom was approaching, but retreat was not an option.

"For the Machine God," he whispered, locking his optical sensors onto the Bloodletters as they charged.

With a single gesture, he ordered the last automata unit—a heavily damaged siege-automaton—to detonate its plasma core. The resulting explosion engulfed the corridor in searing light, vaporizing both friend and foe alike.

⚙️⚙️🩸⚙️⚙️

The explosion bought enough time. Iomene-35, still embedded in the core's command systems, executed the final phase of her emergency protocol. Localized hexagrammic wards flared to life, severing the warp-breach and sending the surviving Bloodletters howling back into the Immaterium.

Silence fell over the Castellum—an unnatural silence, heavy with the stench of burned metal and daemonic ichor. The cost had been staggering. The battle-automata forces were all but annihilated, and many tech-priests lay dead or broken, their minds shattered by the psychic onslaught.

But the Cogitation Core remained intact. The knowledge was preserved. The Castellum had endured, bloodied but unbroken.

⚙️⚙️⚙️⚙️⚙️

Vehlaris-00302 staggered through the wreckage, his robes scorched and his limbs damaged from the blast. He stepped over the remains of automata, the red runes of their hexagrammic wards flickering weakly. The Machine God's work continued, but at great cost.

Magos Iomene-35's voice crackled over the vox-link, weary but resolute.

"We survive."

Vehlaris nodded, though no one could see. Survival was not enough. The incursion had shown them their vulnerabilities, and now those flaws had to be corrected. The Castellum would not fall again.

The halls would be cleansed. The defenses rebuilt. The Machine Spirits soothed. And when next the denizens of the Immaterium dared challenge the Empyric Engiseers, they would be met with cold iron, burning plasma, and unyielding faith.

Khororhoth · Oct 21, 2024

The vast halls of the Ephemeralis Astra Castellum echoed with the hum of machinery and the occasional clank of servitors at work. It was a haunting reminder of the life that once filled these corridors. Now, two years after the catastrophic invasion by the Bloodletters, the station was still far from fully operational. Cracked walls and burnt ward runes lingered, and the constant flicker of unstable lights was an ever-present sign that the Castellum had yet to recover.

Magos Majoris Vehlaris-00302 stood in front of a fractured viewport, gazing out into the void. Beyond the dull hum of the Castellum, the stars shone cold and indifferent, as they always had. But now, Vehlaris could not help but feel their distant light was mocking the once-great strength of the Empyric Engineers. The station had been their crowning achievement, a place of research and enlightenment, now reduced to a fractured shell of its former self.

"Damage reports from Deck 43 still show power fluctuations," intoned an emotionless servitor nearby. Vehlaris ignored the report for a moment, contemplating the memory of the Bloodletter incursion. The guttural howls, the smell of burning metal, and the visceral slaughter still echoed in the minds of those who had survived. Many of the junior Magi Ætheric had fallen in the chaos, their screams silenced by the relentless daemons that had torn through the halls. Even the battle-automata, inscribed with hexagrammic wards, had been overwhelmed by the sheer fury of the Immaterium.

Vehlaris finally turned, his augmented limbs whirring softly. "Send an additional team of repair servitors. Reinforce the wards. They must be perfect."

You Have 3 [Three] Actions.

The Procession of 12 / To finally See = 0.1 Research AP per Action
Research Banked= 0.75 AP

[ ] [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.

- [ ] Infrastructure (0/3)
- [ ] Military Stations (0/3)
~~- [ ] Research Domes (3/3)~~
~~- [ ] Voidship Dockyards (0/3)~~
- [ ] Restore and Heal

[ ] [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

- [ ] Munitoria Logis
- [ ] Macrotechnia
- [ ] Lacyraemara
- [ ] Bonded Cybernetica
- [ ] Autokrator
- [ ] Basilikon Astra
- [ ] Legio Titanicus
- [ ] Ordo Reductor
- [ ] The Skitarius

[ ] [General] Empyric Mapping Arrays (1/2)
With every map drawn and every anomaly charted, the Machine God's servants expand the boundaries of knowledge and ensure that even the Immaterium itself will bow to the will of Mars.

[ ] [Military] Restoring the Ranks (0/2)
The Scars of this battle must be mended. And never forgotten.

[ ] [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.

- [ ] Reinforcement of the Mind and Soul
"To falter before the warp is to fail." This program integrates ritualized meditation practices with bio-augmented brainwave fortification, enhancing focus and reducing the likelihood of corruption or mental collapse. The Castellum will also employ Machine-Assisted Therapies, where servitor-counselors help process traumatic experiences.

[ ] [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
- [ ] Scope Refinement
- [ ] Efficient Strength
- [ ] Ward Overhaul Initiative (0/2)
- [ ] 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(Fact) of the Soul (0/2)
- [ ] The Narrative(Tale) of the Soul (0/2)
- [ ] Refined 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 Advanced Studies (0/2)
- [ ] Metamaterials (0/3)
- [ ] Psy-Artifacts and Warp-Artifacts Studies (0/4)
- [ ] Ghoststone Stress-testing

Khororhoth · Oct 23, 2024

As the ranks were restored and doctrines revised, Magos Majoris Vehlaris stood before the assembled council. The room still bore faint scars from the battle two years ago—a jagged crack along the wall here, a patch of replaced metal there—but the spirit of the Castellum had been rekindled.

"We have survived," Vehlaris announced, his voice reverberating through the hall. "But survival alone is not enough. We march forward, and we do so stronger than before. Every loss we suffered is a lesson burned into our code, and every victory earned shall serve as our foundation."

The Castellum was fully repaired and ready for the future. The Magi Ætheric had learned—painfully and thoroughly—that the Immaterium would not relent. But neither would they. Their new doctrines, their reformed ranks, and their expansion were proof of that determination.

"We rebuild not only our walls but our spirits," Vehlaris continued. "The Machine God demands progress, and we shall provide it."

And so, at the turn of a Terran century, the Ephemeralis Astra Castellum rose from the ashes—a beacon in the void, fortified by its scars, prepared for whatever horrors the Immaterium would send next.

You Have 3 [Three] Actions.

The Procession of 12 + To finally See = 0.1 Research AP per Action
Research Domes = 0.1 Per AP put on Research
Research Banked= 1AP + (0.05 AP)

[ ] [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.

- [ ] Infrastructure (0/3)
- [ ] Military Stations (0/3)
- [ ] Research Domes II (0/3)
- [ ] 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

- [ ] Munitoria Logis
- [ ] Macrotechnia
- [ ] Lacyraemara
- [ ] Bonded Cybernetica
- [ ] Autokrator
- [ ] Basilikon Astra
- [ ] Legio Titanicus
- [ ] Ordo Reductor
- [ ] The Skitarius

[ ] [General] Empyric Mapping Arrays (1/2)
With every map drawn and every anomaly charted, the Machine God's servants expand the boundaries of knowledge and ensure that even the Immaterium itself will bow to the will of Mars.

[ ] [Military] Restoring the Ranks (1/2)
The Scars of this battle must be mended. And never forgotten.

[ ] [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.

[ ] [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
- [ ] Scope Refinement
- [ ] Efficient Strength
- [ ] Ward Overhaul Initiative (0/2)
- [ ] 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(Fact) of the Soul (0/2)
- [ ] The Narrative(Tale) of the Soul (0/2)
- [ ] Refined 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 Advanced Studies (0/2)
- [ ] Metamaterials (0/3)
- [ ] Psy-Artifacts and Warp-Artifacts Studies (0/4)
- [ ] Ghoststone Stress-testing

Khororhoth · Oct 26, 2024

In the vast sanctum of the Ephemeralis Astra Castellum's newly restored command chamber, Iomene-35 stood motionless, her mechanical limbs interlocked in contemplation. Before her, the latest war reports scrolled in glowing streams across her ocular lenses, layered with strings of data from the now-operational Empyric Mapping Arrays.

"Restored and fortified," she whispered, her vocal modulator crackling softly. "The Castellum breathes once more."

Her augmented hands danced across the control altar, each movement precise and calculated. With a thought, she accessed schematics of the newly-inscribed wards that fortified the Castellum, her gaze narrowing as layers upon layers of hexagrammic runes unfolded before her. The improved lattice structure hummed with suppressed power, the result of months of brutal research, countless failures, and… blood.

Iomene's mind shifted, dwelling for a moment on The Blood King-incited slaughter—the scent of burning metal, the sight of shattered automata crumpling beneath blood-soaked claws, the screams of Tech-Priests whose wards had faltered. Eighty-eight Bloodletters, each daemon claiming more than one life before the Castellum's defenders drove them back.

Her emotion buffer kicked in, dulling the rising swell of grief and regret. Loss is inevitable. Knowledge is eternal. The ranks had been restored, but not without effort—and not without scars.

From the viewport, she observed dozens of automata units patrolling the outer structure, their movements eerily precise. She had overseen the ward-inscription on every chassis, ensuring that no infernal presence could subvert them again. Side by side with her engineers, the Legio Cybernetica cohorts stood, cold and silent—watchful guardians of iron and machine soul.

The Explorators' mapping arrays were already proving invaluable, marking paths through space where the warp was weakest, charting planetary anomalies with unprecedented precision. Thanks to the Explorators' help, no battlefield or distant star was beyond their grasp.

They had grown stronger. And they would never be taken unawares again.

Her voice hummed through the noosphere, transmitting to Vehlaris-00302. "Magos Majoris Vehlaris, status report. We are ready."

⚙️ ⚙️ ⚙️ ⚙️ ⚙️

In the Castellum's lower sanctums, Vehlaris-00302 inspected the new recruits, his multi-limbed form unfolding with slow precision. The air hummed with the chanting of restorative rituals, as the latest batch of acolytes knelt before their sacred icons, their minds being reshaped and reinforced to endure the horrors yet to come.

"Your soul must never falter," Vehlaris rasped, his voice a mechanical purr amplified by vox-casters embedded in his chest. "Only a mind fortified in the Machine God's truth can withstand the poison of the warp."

He moved through the chamber, his many arms adjusting training servitors, correcting acolytes' posture, and marking notes in his internal data-logs. This new doctrine was not merely one of combat—it was about endurance. Flesh and mind had to be tempered just as surely as steel.

Too many had broken in the slaughter of these sacred halls. Too many had fallen—not to blades, but to madness.

At the far end of the hall, battle automata units awaited their final inspection. Their ward-inscribed armor gleamed under dim lumen-strips, and their engines growled quietly, waiting for commands. These automata—repaired, upgraded, and made anew—would act as shields against the tides of chaos. The first line of defense.

Vehlaris reached out with his noospheric senses, running a final diagnostic through their control networks.
No errors. No gaps. Every unit prepared to fight to the last cog.

He shifted focus to the mapping arrays, whose feeds streamed directly into his processors. His mind touched the warp-layered grids of distant worlds, sensing disruptions and rifts long before they could manifest into physical threats. Detection and prevention. That was their way now. They would not wait for the enemy to come to them.

"The Castellum may bleed," he muttered to himself, "but it will not fall."

His thoughts drifted to Iomene-35. They had disagreed in the past, clashing over strategies—Iomene preferring foresight, Vehlaris favoring swift retaliation—but both knew that the future demanded unity. They had sacrificed too much to falter now.

Vehlaris sent a brief noospheric ping to Iomene. We stand ready.

For twenty years, the Castellum had endured its wounds, and now it healed—not as it was before, but stronger, forged in battle and reinforced by knowledge. When the enemy came again—and they would—the Castellum would be prepared.

They would not be caught off-guard again.

You Have 3 [Three] Actions.

The Procession of 12 + To finally See = 0.1 Research AP per Action
Research Domes = 0.1 Per AP put on Research
Research Banked= 0.65 AP

[ ] [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.

- [ ] Infrastructure (0/3)
- [ ] Military Stations (0/3)
- [ ] Research Domes II (0/3)
- [ ] 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

- [ ] Munitoria Logis
- [ ] Macrotechnia
- [ ] Lacyraemara
- [ ] Bonded Cybernetica
- [ ] Autokrator
- [ ] Basilikon Astra
- [ ] Legio Titanicus
- [ ] Ordo Reductor
- [ ] The Skitarius

[ ] [General] Reinforce the Legio Cybernetica Archives
The Legio Cybernetica aid will never be forgotten. Time to repay part of our Debt.

[ ] [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.

[ ] [Military] Exploratory Missions Support
Onwards. For Humanity. To reclaim what was lost. To purge the Darkness of the Long Night. For the Machine God. We March.

- [ ] Sol (Easy)
- [ ] Mercury (Medium)
- [ ] Venus (High)
- [ ] Holy Earth (Maximus Extremus)
- [ ] Luna (Maximus)
- [ ] Jupiter (Maximus)
- [ ] Saturn (Extreme)
- [ ] Uranos (High)
- [ ] Neptune (High)
- [ ] Pluto (Medium)
- [ ] Oort Cloud Perifery (Easy)

[ ] [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
- [ ] Greater Scope (0/2)
- [ ] Greater Strength (0/2)
- [ ] Ward Overhaul Initiative (0/2)
- [ ] 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(Fact) of the Soul (0/2)
- [ ] The Narrative(Tale) of the Soul (0/2)
- [ ] Refined Rite Overhauling
- [ ] 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 Advanced Studies (0/2)
- [ ] Metamaterials (0/3)
- [ ] Psy-Artifacts and Warp-Artifacts Studies (0/3)
- [ ] Ghoststone Stress-testing and Sreamlining

Khororhoth · Oct 28, 2024

Document: The Reinforcement of the Legio Cybernetica Archives

With the official completion of the Legio Cybernetica Archives' Reinforcement, a crucial milestone has been reached in the collaboration between the Empyric Engiseers and the Legio Cybernetica. The archives are no longer just a repository of ancient knowledge but a fortified bastion of machine-lore—one that can now stand against the creeping tendrils of both warp incursions and data corruption.

Noospheric Entries

Iomene-35: "Knowledge is a greater fortress than any citadel. It is now more protected than ever."
Vehlaris-00302: "And soon, this knowledge will walk, think, and perhaps… dream."

Document: Legio Cybernetica Coordination Protocols

With the successful completion of the Legio Cybernetica Coordination Protocols, the Empyric Engiseers and the Legio Cybernetica have revolutionized their joint combat doctrines. These protocols are more than just command directives—they represent a fusion of minds and mechanisms, ensuring that every automaton and magos works in flawless concert on the battlefield.

This update grants them unmatched synchronization, allowing their combined forces to act with machine precision even against the chaos of war. It also cements the integration of warded automata into the Engiseers' military doctrine, ensuring their superiority over Empyric and conventional foes alike.

Noospheric Entries

Vehlaris-00302: "Coordination is no longer a matter of command; it is a matter of trust—trust in the soul of the machine."
Iomene-35: "We have forged more than protocols here. We have forged a new way of war."

You Have 3 [Three] Actions.

The Procession of 12 + To finally See = 0.1 Research AP per Action
Research Domes = 0.1 Per AP put on Research
Research Banked= 0.95 AP

[ ] [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.

- [ ] Infrastructure (0/3)
- [ ] Military Stations (1/3)
- [ ] Research Domes II (0/3)
- [ ] 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

- [ ] Munitoria Logis
- [ ] Macrotechnia
- [ ] Lacyraemara
- [ ] Bonded Cybernetica
- [ ] Autokrator
- [ ] Basilikon Astra
- [ ] Legio Titanicus
- [ ] Ordo Reductor
- [ ] The Skitarius

[ ] [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.

[ ] [Military] Exploratory Missions Support
Onwards. For Humanity. To reclaim what was lost. To purge the Darkness of the Long Night. For the Machine God. We March.

- [ ] Sol (Easy)
- [ ] Mercury (Medium)
- [ ] Venus (High)
- [ ] Holy Earth (Maximus Extremus)
- [ ] Luna (Maximus)
- [ ] Jupiter (Maximus)
- [ ] Saturn (Extreme)
- [ ] Uranos (High)
- [ ] Neptune (High)
- [ ] Pluto (Medium)
- [ ] Oort Cloud Perifery (Easy)

[ ] [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
- [ ] Greater Scope (0/2)
- [ ] Greater Strength (0/2)
- [ ] Ward Overhaul Initiative (0/2)
- [ ] 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(Fact) of the Soul (0/2)
- [ ] The Narrative(Tale) of the Soul (0/2)
- [ ] Refined Rite Overhauling
- [ ] 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 Advanced Studies (0/2)
- [ ] Metamaterials (0/3)
- [ ] Psy-Artifacts and Warp-Artifacts Studies (0/3)
- [ ] Ghoststone Stress-testing and Sreamlining

Khororhoth · Oct 30, 2024

Adam Kadmus watched from the shadows, cloaked within the guise of a lesser Magos as his mortal children—fragile, flawed, and yet burning with a drive He could not help but admire—presented their findings. The harsh lights of the forge bathed the figures of the Magi Ætheric in cold fire, casting long, intricate shadows on the walls as they moved with reverent purpose around the shimmering form of the Ghoststone prototype. The material—smooth, almost translucent yet resonant with a deep, pulsing energy—lay before them, the culmination of decades of intense research, sacrifice, and a fierce desire to pierce the veil between the physical and the Empyric.

As Adam observed, hidden within his assumed role, He marveled at the ingenuity that had brought humanity so close to shaping a substance akin to the Eldar's Wraithbone. It was an achievement He had not anticipated, a reminder that despite His efforts to steer their path, there were still heights that humanity could reach without His guiding hand.

When He had first sought to replicate the properties of Wraithbone for Humanity in the times before the Old Night, the work had always faltered, ensnared by the unique, delicate balance of Eldar psyche that His most brilliant colleges could not replicate. He had believed it impossible for humanity to touch upon such a material, for He knew their souls did not mirror the Eldar's hypersensitive bonds with the Warp. And yet, He had underestimated them. These Magi had taken an entirely different route—shaping not a mirror of Wraithbone but a new material, one suited to the psychic and spiritual resonance of the human soul. They had carved a path He hadn't foreseen, blending esoteric warding with raw psychotechnological engineering, driven not only by ambition but by an innate, almost instinctual understanding of humanity's place within the Warp.

A pang of pride stirred within Him, a rare thing, for the Emperor had long since grown used to His role as teacher and guide. He had watched humanity, prodded them toward greatness, and felt little surprise at their successes, for He had often paved the way. But this—this Ghoststone—was their own. And the fact that they had achieved it through a method He had dismissed struck a glimmer of humility through His near-impervious pride.

The Ghoststone's development was not without flaws; the material was unstable under high-stress applications, and the resonance remained imperfect. The Magi Ætheric were aware of this and, undaunted, were already discussing ways to refine the Ghoststone, to test its limits under intense psychic strain and configure its structure for more reliable use. Their minds whirred with ideas, anticipating risks, searching for ways to fuse its properties seamlessly into human-engineered constructs. There was a strange beauty to their dedication, a resilient spirit of innovation and perseverance.

The Adam listened to their discussions in silence, His hidden form standing unnoticed in the gathered ranks. This moment of reverence—for the Magi themselves, as much as for the Ghoststone—was a ritual He found comforting. It reminded Him of the purpose behind His Empire. Humanity was relentless in its pursuit of progress, bound neither by ancient myths nor by the decrees of higher powers. They were bold enough to challenge even the arcane mysteries of the galaxy.

As He lingered there, observing the completion of this Ghoststone project, He felt something unexpected. A tremor, almost of humility, woven with His pride. Humanity's ingenuity had taken a path He had not charted, a path that led them to the brink of something extraordinary. The Magi Ætheric's Ghoststone was a testament to the unyielding will of His people, a reminder of their potential.

And so, the Adam withdrew from the forge, retreating back into His hidden guise among them. But a glint of newfound respect shimmered in His gaze, for He knew now that, as much as He was humanity's guide, there were still lessons they had to teach even Him. In the silence of His retreat, He offered His own unspoken blessing upon the Ghoststone, willing it to endure as a symbol of what humanity could achieve.

"Your followers have truly gone and done something great, Agartha." He mussed to himself.

You Have 3 [Three] Actions.

The Procession of 12 + To finally See = 0.1 Research AP per Action
Research Domes = 0.1 Per AP put on Research
Research Banked= 1 AP + 0.35 AP

Legio Cybernetica Warded Automata= Crude
Military Stations= Crude
Chaos Roll Mitigation= Petty

[ ] [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.

- [ ] Infrastructure (0/3)
- [ ] Military Stations II (0/3)
- [ ] Research Domes II (0/3)
- [ ] Voidship Dockyards (0/3)