Dragon Kings in the 41st Millennia (Exalted/40K Empire)

Tech idea; addition to emplaced defenses based on the 'easily overlooked presence'/'someone else's problem' charms. Basically, hides [essence users] at defensive fortifications (ie, in a foxhole, on a parapet, manning an artillery emplacement etc) so a) scouts can't tell if there are defenders there or in what number, b) can't really make precision attacks, instead being forced to rely on 'spray and pray' and c) can't really tell where a shot came from and so return fire is complicated. I'm not aiming for anything absolute, just "one more complication to attacking an entrenched DK force". As I'm imagining it the research might be unlocked after we complete research on that cloak of invisibility we have sitting in storage.

On a different note, I've been thinking about Ophelis Geomancy, specifically the two Solar Majors that'll be available after Ondar 2 Shambol Boogaloo. My thoughts are one designed to tap into the astroformed sun for Wrath Bombs, which will presumably be easier and cheaper than using actual arks because it's a dedicated manse rather than a manse empowered artifact and because there's a daystar nearby they can tap into, and one that's either consecrating the whole planet, autospawning/buffing Aurachim or producing orichalcum gear and/or warstriders. Thoughts?

I suggest we use one of the Solar Major Manses as a Grand Orrery. Gives us free divination AP, helps with scouting the local area and lets us put 3 AP of effort into divination effects if we need to.

That said, if StarJaunter lets us have a 'free' AP to Solar-divinity related stuff for 'make a pact with an Aurichim' or 'recharge a Solar ark/relic' that'd be swell, though I don't want to put words in their mouth.

Sacred Busilica of Industry of just Busilica of Industry, perhaps?

Maybe for an Autocthonian manse. Basilica of Perfected Labors or Manifold Manufacturing Monastery perhaps?

[X] Plan Keep Going
-[X] Luminous Herald
--[X] Task - Support Empire of Mankind's defense against raiding.
-[X] Abundant Feast
--[X] Task - Set up/secure shipyard/harbor at gas giant system
-[X] Stalking Mantis
--[X] Task - Search for Eldar Corsairs
-[X] Serenity Valley
--[X] Task - Set up/secure shipyard/harbor at gas giant system
-[X] Thread of Fate
--[X] Task - Set up/secure shipyard/harbor at gas giant system

Seems straightforward. I could send the Feast to battle instead, I'm not sure how much of an escort the transports need while building the base.

I'd prefer to set the Stalking Mantis towards anti-cult work sooner rather than later. If we can use the transport ships to set up, how do we feel about sending the Feast out to parlay with the corsairs? Or, failing that, set the Herald to that task (supported by Nysela) and keep the Feast on set-up duty?

They are not really factoring it in at all. They are operating under the assumption that any help we provide (if any) will be too inconsistent/unknown for them to plan around. It is also my hope to use holy sunfire to seriously damage/cripple Planet Killer or at the very least drive it away, but I expect it may take more than one use of Wrath beyond measure to cripple it.

I fully anticipate that it will take multiple uses of holy sunfire to kill that damned ship, but I'll remind you that it probably won't be alone, that Wrath Beyond Measure is basically our take on a Nova Cannon (so we can also do a lot of damage to any escorts in the blast radius - welcome to the wonders of a void weapon with an 'area of effect') and that we also brought a city-smiting cannon with an attached ship.

I could sorta see the aurachim 'breeding ground'. But I think I would demand it pairing with the argentim one to keep my math simple

Should we expect to see something like a "Lunar manse" or more like an "Abraxian manse"? Or a bit of both?

Also, a reminder to the thread that we have two non-minor gods we still need to forge. I'm willing to put things off for the Gothic War but it still needs to happen.
 
I certainly hope it is. Would using a divination to ensure we (and the Imperium) know when to expect the Planet Killer be a useful bit of divination, or would we be better served focusing on other matters?
 
They are pretty sure you won't shoot them while they fight Chaos, but not 100 percent
Yeah, there's not really a lot we can do to help with their planning if they don't even trust us to be neutral. Hopefully our assistance will help with our rep gains though.
So what like a low end version of starkiller base? Reusable by not draining a star too much? Maybe probably only useful for in system attacks but that may save the day when the prophecy comes due
I was thinking system defenses for when the prophesy happens, any other CoD attack with maybe one long range activation on a cooldown, yeah. Plus whatever other benefits having holy sunfire on tap might have, baptizing templeships or some such.
Solar manse is one of the best ones for making next tier factory cathedrals… whatever we end up calling those.
Synthesis Chapels. And yeah, I figured. Supposing we dedicated all seven Earth Manses were dedicated to Endless Mines and had the third Solar Manse as a Synthesis Chapel, how much cheaper would Orichalcum become?
I suggest we use one of the Solar Major Manses as a Grand Orrery. Gives us free divination AP, helps with scouting the local area and lets us put 3 AP of effort into divination effects if we need to.

That said, if StarJaunter lets us have a 'free' AP to Solar-divinity related stuff for 'make a pact with an Aurichim' or 'recharge a Solar ark/relic' that'd be swell, though I don't want to put words in their mouth.
I figured we'd use one of the two non-maiden Sidereal Manses for that, and that the Maiden Manses would already apply significant benefits in that vien.
I'd prefer to set the Stalking Mantis towards anti-cult work sooner rather than later. If we can use the transport ships to set up, how do we feel about sending the Feast out to parlay with the corsairs? Or, failing that, set the Herald to that task (supported by Nysela) and keep the Feast on set-up duty?
I'd honestly rather just skip the Corsairs this round. The Feast will be invaluable setting up the shipyard and the Herald should let us bleed Planet Killer and rake in some serious rep from the imperial factions.
I fully anticipate that it will take multiple uses of holy sunfire to kill that damned ship, but I'll remind you that it probably won't be alone, that Wrath Beyond Measure is basically our take on a Nova Cannon (so we can also do a lot of damage to any escorts in the blast radius - welcome to the wonders of a void weapon with an 'area of effect') and that we also brought a city-smiting cannon with an attached ship.
We never got the Relics that we'd need to properly blow up the PK. By my calculations, two Arks would be enough to cripple a decently armored and shielded Light Battleship of Darkness, but the PK is fuckhuge so even if we hit it with all three, we probably won't be able to take it totally down with just that. On the other hand, they'd need four stacks of battleship grade shields to keep from being stripped in one hit, at which point a dragon king outfitted with relics of Sunburst Portal Invocation, As the Morning Reveals and Aegis of Unconquered Might could deliver the ark payload and proper cripple it.
I certainly hope it is. Would using a divination to ensure we (and the Imperium) know when to expect the Planet Killer be a useful bit of divination, or would we be better served focusing on other matters?
Well, it would force him to expend resources counter divining us. A problem with this war is that he can't lose. We can set up situations where he would lose, but he won't show up in that case. This can be useful for forcing him to waste resources on both counter divination and by crushing every sub-PK force that shows up to deal with whatever we're guarding, but we don't have the infrastructure for the proper scry vs scry confrontation that defeating him would entail.
 
We never got the Relics that we'd need to properly blow up the PK. By my calculations, two Arks would be enough to cripple a decently armored and shielded Light Battleship of Darkness, but the PK is fuckhuge so even if we hit it with all three, we probably won't be able to take it totally down with just that. On the other hand, they'd need four stacks of battleship grade shields to keep from being stripped in one hit, at which point a dragon king outfitted with relics of Sunburst Portal Invocation, As the Morning Reveals and Aegis of Unconquered Might could deliver the ark payload and proper cripple it.
Our allies could help us get on the PK with an Ark (with a teleportarium if we can strip the PK of its void shields and if they have one available), although getting them to trust us enough to do so will be quite the task. We can build more Arks and infuse them back at Tokat then send them to the Gothic FOB with our other supplies, but the soonest they would arrive would be in two years.
 
Our allies could help us get on the PK with an Ark (with a teleportarium if we can strip the PK of its void shields and if they have one available), although getting them to trust us enough to do so will be quite the task. We can build more Arks and infuse them back at Tokat then send them to the Gothic FOB with our other supplies, but the soonest they would arrive would be in two years.
Relics are luckily cheaper, but yeah. Might not be worth it given that we'd be gearing up for a battle that would never happen.
 
Relics are luckily cheaper, but yeah. Might not be worth it given that we'd be gearing up for a battle that would never happen.
It might be worth it, just not for the immediate battle to come, but the battles that are coming later in the Gothic war. Yeah Arks are fairly cheap 4 AP minimum (3 AP to build the Ark, and 1 AP to infuse). We can't exactly do standardization for our troops (at least for the Gothic war) because it would take too long and consume too many resources to make a decent go at it in a timely manner. Of the things we need to do we need to finish the training of the legions (so as to free up our army), maybe build an actual Void Shipyard above Tokat for building our pocket battleship which we can send to battle alongside the Eldar on turn [50].
 
So just so we are clear... we are building a full base (shipyard, torpedo rack, cargobay, and space to walk around (and probably an arena) which means using all 4 AP you have plus stripping two from the next turn coming up?

This is a very quick and dirty set up. No statues, no mosaics, mortals do not fall to their knees and weep at the magnificent glory the are beholding, and only a tiny clawful of elaborate death traps... its a base carved into an asteroid that you can vaguely securely leave your stuff or bring damaged ships to.
 
So just so we are clear... we are building a full base (shipyard, torpedo rack, cargobay, and space to walk around (and probably an arena) which means using all 4 AP you have plus stripping two from the next turn coming up?

This is a very quick and dirty set up. No statues, no mosaics, mortals do not fall to their knees and weep at the magnificent glory the are beholding, and only a tiny clawful of elaborate death traps... its a base carved into an asteroid that you can vaguely securely leave your stuff or bring damaged ships to.
Yeah the statues, mosaics, more extensive elaborate death traps, and the mortals falling to their knees weeping at the magnificent glory of it all, those come later if we decide to come back and turn this into a more permanent base.

After all we've got to be frugal here and give petty infiltrators a fighting chance to get in the front door before getting jumped and crushed. [JK]
 
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So just so we are clear... we are building a full base (shipyard, torpedo rack, cargobay, and space to walk around (and probably an arena) which means using all 4 AP you have plus stripping two from the next turn coming up?

This is a very quick and dirty set up. No statues, no mosaics, mortals do not fall to their knees and weep at the magnificent glory the are beholding, and only a tiny clawful of elaborate death traps... its a base carved into an asteroid that you can vaguely securely leave your stuff or bring damaged ships to.

Sounds good, we can blow it up when we no longer need it. I would not want it to get found and used by pirates or worse.
 
I'd prefer to set the Stalking Mantis towards anti-cult work sooner rather than later. If we can use the transport ships to set up, how do we feel about sending the Feast out to parlay with the corsairs? Or, failing that, set the Herald to that task (supported by Nysela
Don't really feel comfortable with leaving undefended transports though, and we do want the corsairs on board sooner before they start fucking over everyone
So just so we are clear... we are building a full base (shipyard, torpedo rack, cargobay, and space to walk around (and probably an arena) which means using all 4 AP you have plus stripping two from the next turn coming up?

This is a very quick and dirty set up. No statues, no mosaics, mortals do not fall to their knees and weep at the magnificent glory the are beholding, and only a tiny clawful of elaborate death traps... its a base carved into an asteroid that you can vaguely securely leave your stuff or bring damaged ships to.
Yup. Somewhat secure supply dump and a field repair station more or less.
 
I just have to lock in the numbers for either side so I don't fall into the trap of just giving whatever forces I want when you guys cannot auto-generate ships.

A small complication has arisen... You threw out an offer to host a liason officer that you expected to get ignored or fobbed off on some long suffering guy who was unimportant. The Order of the Quicksilver Rose has shown up with their third in command and a couple hundred sisters and their gear.

Your motivation check shows that they are sending enough to restart the order if Savaven is lost as a back up plan.

You have the room and can host them, and thanks to your abundant guards on board you can even watch them carefully.
Having a high ranking human may smooth future reactions... if all else fails she can claim the ship is under human control. But it means you will have a very difficult time using the Herald to pull maneuvers that you want to hide from the Empire and she might try to make you take a mission you might not want to.

So that is something you have to decide for next season. I will force it to not effect this season so we do not have to wait for another vote but felt like sharing it for discussion.
 
Hmm...not like we're bringing anything particularly subtle with the Herald...
Then you may want to update your plan veekie, as currently it does not address how to handle the Order of the Quicksilver Rose. I think we should keep them but we will need to give them a lot of additional protections against the warp because we do not have geller fields to protect them during way travel.
 
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I just have to lock in the numbers for either side so I don't fall into the trap of just giving whatever forces I want when you guys cannot auto-generate ships.

A small complication has arisen... You threw out an offer to host a liason officer that you expected to get ignored or fobbed off on some long suffering guy who was unimportant. The Order of the Quicksilver Rose has shown up with their third in command and a couple hundred sisters and their gear.

Your motivation check shows that they are sending enough to restart the order if Savaven is lost as a back up plan.

You have the room and can host them, and thanks to your abundant guards on board you can even watch them carefully.
Having a high ranking human may smooth future reactions... if all else fails she can claim the ship is under human control. But it means you will have a very difficult time using the Herald to pull maneuvers that you want to hide from the Empire and she might try to make you take a mission you might not want to.

So that is something you have to decide for next season. I will force it to not effect this season so we do not have to wait for another vote but felt like sharing it for discussion.
Based on our understanding of the imperial cult and specifically how there are so many branches (like the one that thinks the Emperor is a thousand eyed star god who reads your mind for heresy so make sure to shave your head because hair blocks it), how do we think the imperials would view our glorious golden god of humanity and virtue? Like, do we think they'll go, "well, the God Emperor touching these guys explains a lot", "this is some minor heresy, they think saints are also gods, but, since they're still below Big E, that's nothing a little preaching can't fix", or "100% heresy, no god emperor detected!"?
 
Like, do we think they'll go, "well, the God Emperor touching these guys explains a lot", "this is some minor heresy, they think saints are also gods, but, since they're still below Big E, that's nothing a little preaching can't fix", or "100% heresy, no god emperor detected!"?
We could probably expect to see all or most of that largely depending on who we are talking to. Remember there are some sects of the Imperial Cult that hate the guts of another nearby sect and vise versa; fighting, calling each other heretical, and worse. So I think we maybe mostly good on this with having someone that most of the people/sects recognize as pure and sanctified.
 
It helps that most of the heretical prayers are in old realm and those translating them can generally play with the verbage a bit; gothic is a much simpler language then old realm. Also most dragon kings have no problem acknowledging that a potent god is a potent god and giving them their dues.
 
Gothic Expedition 141.M41 - Water
Gothic Expedition 141.M41 - Water

[X] Plan Keep Going
-[X] Luminous Herald
--[X] Task - Support Empire of Mankind's defense against raiding.

Scrying turning up nothing but static left Khalash to stare at a pillar of stone focused on the Gothic Sector for hours before choosing the Bligh system to aide. Due to the Vagaries of the Wyld as a transportation system the Luminous Herald returned to the Material world during the battle which the ships of the Bligh defense patrol had positioned to intercept immediately in the void, far from the world. As well as far from any void based defenses the planet might have. The four frigates of the system defense were facing 6 raiders and it was not going well for the defenders when the Luminous Herald arrived.

The raiders tried to finish off the defense fleet but the forces of Chaos ignoring a Solar Templeship was never going to go well for them. With most having damage to their shields or armor from the ongoing fight the ships targeted by the initial salvoes of the Luminous Herald's Sutra Batteries crippled or killed their targets. Three raiders were down before the remaining ships even successfully prioritized the Luminous Herald. When the next fell the remaining two tried to run, but the remaining frigates were not about to let the Wyld Addicts escape their retribution. They maneuvered to pin the raiders down and soon enough they were crippled as well. Desperate boarding actions performed by the human void sailors cleared the ships although 4 beings the humans identified as chaos space marines were identified across various ships. We sent in boarding teams to keep the losses of human life down. Naval Phalanx teams were sent in with full support from elite troops and advice from Sisters of Battle... and we still lost 7 of them to take out 4 Chaos Space Marines who each fought alone against a team of 25 trained void warriors.

No wonder the mortals fear them so.

Across the rest of the worlds raided total losses to the Empire of Mankind come to 9 destroyed escorts, 16 down for repairs and only 1 world where the Raiders were able to damage infrastructure.

Estimated that Chaos forces lost approximately 24 raider vessels and 8 others withdrew with noteworthy damage. Across all raids Chaos forces committed roughly 60 raider class vessels.

Results: Gothic Sector, Stability +1% Supply -2%, Military -5% (3 of which is recoverable over time with repairs)


-[X] Abundant Feast
--[X] Task - Set up/secure shipyard/harbor at gas giant system

A quick survey with Warbirds through the Gas Giants moons finds an appropriate piece of planetary debris and the Abundant Feast tows it into a relatively clear orbit before work starts. Passage ways are dug, vast air gates or created, Tunnels for torpedo launchers and a crude and bulky stonework magazine is easy enough. Arenas for settling arguments for the entertainment of the masses, a small handful of hot mud baths and other luxuries not available on board most void vessels act as rewards (which can be fought for in the arenas). The moon chosen bears a massive crater over which an earthen shell is raised and inside Templeships may dock and easily egress and ingress crew and equipment. Inside this dock the most valuable of the equipment brought on the expedition is installed easing the maintenance cost and allowing repairs if our ships are damaged.

The morale of our ships is raised and we can leave supplies and even soldiers on the base while ships transit to Tokat.

Ships logistic cost can be lowered if they spend time in this system. How much depends on percentage of total time spent in this system with the moon dock. So if you spend five seasons in this system your logistics cost at the end of the five year turn is discounted 20% Spacedock also can repair as well as any shipyard any ship up to Templeship size. Assuming you have materials.

-[X] Stalking Mantis
--[X] Task - Search for Eldar Corsairs

25 27 32
Hidden 98

Continued searches without finding anything is starting to frustrate the crew. They remain sure they are hidden and unknown but also believe it is hindering their search.

DC Revealed! 70 while remaining hidden. 60 if they stop hiding. 50 if you come in with the Abundant Feast and assume at least one squadron of FTL rocs is searching with them. However if you stop hiding the Eldar will probably find you regardless of whether you found them. DC will go down if the Eldar become active. Of course if they go active it will be harder to make them go inactive again than just keeping them inactive would be. Continuing high rolls on stealth mean the bonuses on the contested Stealth/Perception checks now favor the Stalking Mantis

-[X] Serenity Valley
--[X] Task - Set up/secure shipyard/harbor at gas giant system
-[X] Thread of Fate
--[X] Task - Set up/secure shipyard/harbor at gas giant system

Issues
When we issued the polite offer of hosting a Liaison officer we assumed it would be ignored or we would receive someone the humans considered expendable. Instead the Order of the Quicksilver Rose has shown up with their third in command, one Palatine Liara and a suitable host to act as her entourage, ie several hundred battlesisters, their gear, as well as several sacred relics. Our reading on the situation is that this group is large enough and has enough resources and experience to rebuild the order if all else is lost, while having little enough that if they are lost the rest of the order can probably recover.

We can deal with their presence by either installing the Wondrous Globe of Precious Stability on the Luminous Herald of Dawn to protect them from the madness within the Wyld.

Alternatively given access to a templeship and sufficient resources we can extend our anti shaping blessing to this handful easily enough. They will in this case learn we normally travel through the wyld always risking battle with the Raksha within... which apparently is not how they do things. Seems hard to believe they have managed to install Wondrous Globes of Precious Stability on every single one of their vessels but they certainly seem to act like it. [Costs one standard stockpile]

Otherwise the issue is that if they are on board we cannot do anything the Imperium of Man would not approve of with the Luminous Herald of Dawn. That will probably be ok But may limit our options. Palatine Liara may also try to force our choices in behavior. On the plus side having respected humans on board should pave the way in related with other human forces.

[ ] Kick off the Sororitas: -1 relationship with Order of the Quicksilver Rose
[ ] Allow them on the Luminous Herald of Dawn
-[ ] Use the Wondrous Globe of Precious Stability on the Luminous Herald of Dawn to allow the safe travels of the Order of the Quicksilver Rose
-[ ] Extend the Blessings of the Unconquered Sun unto the Order of the Quicksilver Rose to allow their safish travel aboard the Luminous Herald of Dawn. [ -1 standard stockpile]

Gothic Sector

Population: 100
Stability: 83
Supply: 98
Military: 95 (3 restored in 3 seasons)

Next Season: 141.M41 - Earth

Things to consider:

-Still have not found the Eldar Corsairs… but you are pretty sure they have not noticed you yet either.

-At some point you might want to use spies from the Stalking Mantis to recover intel from human worlds

-Are we sending a ship back to Tokat soon? It takes roughly a year to do a round trip with the Wondrous Globe... vs the normal non globe method which takes over two years ONE WAY.

-Savaven expected to be attacked in start of next year, after that piracy expected to rise across the sector.

[ ] Write-In
[ ] Skip to Savaven/Blackstone Fortress attack preperation (ie three seasons of skipping)
 
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Keeping the Globe secret I think, since we need those to do supply runs.

[X] Plan How About With Some Trumpets D'eldar?
-[X] Allow them on the Luminous Herald of Dawn
--[X] Extend the Blessings of the Unconquered Sun unto the Order of the Quicksilver Rose to allow their safish travel aboard the Luminous Herald of Dawn. [ -1 standard stockpile]
-[X] Luminous Herald
--[X] Task - Assist Imperial defense against raiding.
-[X] Abundant Feast
--[X] Task - Seek out the Eldar Corsairs
-[X] Stalking Mantis
--[X] Task - Infiltrate human world for intel.
-[X] Serenity Valley
--[X] Task - Remain parked at shipyard.
-[X] Thread of Fate
--[X] Task - Take the Globe and go for a supply run.

If I'm reading it right the Savavan defense will be next turn right?
 
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