The Galaxy is Flood, Not Food
- Thread starter Jackson Fox
- Start date
- Crossover Sci-Fi Horror
Silencian
Seeker of Stories
- Location
- Where Stories Are Told
- Pronouns
- He/Him
But that's equivalent to neglect-play for them! Truly, Slaaneshi cultists are troublesome.
What is this a reference to?
Good point, I mostly just assumed. Maybe the Star Road could take it a chunk at a time?
Journeys - Part 2
Journeys – Part 2
Ahsael stared down at the object that had been placed in front of him. It was made of wood, something incongruous to most hive cities, and hollow on the inside. Filled with tiny chips of rockrete, it was intended to be shaken to create noise that was pleasing to most infants.
Selene stared down at him, waiting for him to pick it up. He was large enough that he could sit up, though staying that way was still a struggle for him, as his ridiculous body always seemed to be tilting one way or another, a far cry from the nigh-perfect balance he'd once had.
Impatient with his stubborn refusal to engage with the toy, Selene picked it up and shook it in front of him, the clatter of the stones inside the wood creating a swishing noise that Ahsael was annoyed by how pleasant it sounded to an infant's ears. This had to be some kind of mental manipulation.
He would not suffer this indignity, but there was no escape from this either, he knew. Actually, there were several, but they all involved suffering through even greater indignities.
"Look, Calba!" Selene said, shaking the toy again, waving it in front of his face. He slapped her hand away, or at least tried to. What he managed was lightly tapping her hand and the mortal girl beamed in delight as she misinterpreted the action as a desire for the toy. She pressed it into his tiny hand and he dropped it immediately, as his hands were so small and weak that he couldn't have wrapped his fingers fully around the handle even if he'd tried.
The toy dropped to the ground, striking Ahsael's tiny foot directly on the largest toe. Horror dawned in his mind as he realized what was about to happen. He tried to stop it, tried to tell himself that the pain was nothing compared to some of his wounds from the past, let alone having his soul ripped apart, but that did not matter to this body. His tiny lips parted… and he began to wail.
DARK GODS, WHY DOES IT HURT THIS BAD?!?
Tears streamed down his round face even as Selene scooped him up, cooing and bouncing him up and down in her arms as her mother had shown her to do. Her hand patted his back and Ahsael wasn't sure if he hated the fact that he was crying more than the fact that her efforts were actually helping.
"Don't worry, Calba, its not that bad," Selene said and Ahsael tried to punch her, but all he managed to do was wrap his arms around her as though hugging her.
HOW IN THE WARP WOULD YOU KNOW, YOU SANCTIMONIOUS CORPSE-WORSHIPPER?!?
Selene drew him back, giving him a look at her face again and horror dawned in his heart at the expression on her face, which was that of someone who had just come up with a brilliant idea.
"Wanna go uppies?" She asked and the horror only grew.
No, NO! DO NOT! DO NOT GO UPPIES!
"UPPIES!" Selene said and Ahsael had a horrible moment of weightlessness as she tossed him up into the air. In truth, he rose perhaps an inch out of her hands grasp before he fell back into it, as she lacked the strength of arm to actually throw him any great distance, but to his view he might as well have been tossed up to the ceiling. His cries of sadness were quickly replaced by either cries of panic or glee as he went up-and-down, over and over again.
Selene continued her attack against his pride a few more times, before eventually getting winded and holding him in her arms again as a break.
"Have fun?" She asked and giggles poured out of the infant's mouth in spite of the mind's burning rage. "Now, how about story time?"
Dark Gods, no.
Selene crossed over to one side of the hab block, setting Ahsael down in her lap and reaching over to a small pile of colorful flimsiplast books, though calling such thin things books was an insult in his view. She pushed aside several on the top of the pile, yet none of the books seemed to catch her eye.
There was the sound of some strange clacking and Ahsael turned towards the entrance of the hab block. The door swung open and he expected to see the woman who had claimed him as her adopted son, Cory, or perhaps another of the mortal family members come through.
Instead, he froze as a monster entered the hab block.
It was tall and lanky, almost skeletal. It was vaguely humanoid in shape, but it walked on all four over-sized limbs and with a hunch to its relatively tiny torso. The green skin over its body was stretched tight, like it might burst, and its head was little more than a trio of red stalks and a fifth limb, which was even thinner than the rest and ended in a grasping claw. Incongruos to the rest of its appearance was the small, narrow-brimmed hat atop what could, charitably, be called a head.
Ahsael did not move as the monster stalked closer. It was tall, far taller than a man, and had to stoop low in order to fit inside the hab block, though it took up little space. Its fifth limb reached into a pouch in the torso that he hadn't noticed before. Her heard the crumple of flimsiplast as it withdrew another of the tiny books, setting it down gently next to Seleen, who was still rummaging through the pile, seemingly unaware of the creature's presence.
Then, the monster departed, stalking slowly out the door, shutting it from outside with the soft creak of hinges. Right before it vanished out of sight, its claw had gone up and dipped the hat towards him in farewell.
What in the Dark Gods' name was that?
"Oh, hey, a new one!" Selene said, only now taking notice of the freshly deposited booklet. She picked it up, thrusting it in front of the face of a shaken Ahsael. "This looks good!"
He blinked, wondering if that had been a vision or some kind of psychic illusion or even just plain insanity. He turned his gaze to the booklet that had been brought and his eyes widened at the sight of the creatures on the cover. One was a white-furred dog with green eyes. The other was a crow with disturbingly blue eyes and feathers that curled in a way that almost made them seem like tendrils.
A very familiar crow.
Vra'kzil?
" 'The Dog and the Crow'," Selene said, reading the title before flipping open to the first page.
"A little hungry crow found a large building one day and a crack leading inside. 'Now, here's a good meal', the crow said to himself, thinking it a granary. He had to squeeze himself a good deal to get through the narrow opening. But the feed was tempting and the crow was determined."
The page depicted the crow, halfway through the crack of a large, wooden structure, the bird almost seeming serpent-like in the way it squeezed through. An ocean was depicted in the background of the picture, within which dark shapes could be seen below the surface. There was a human woman as well, resting against the structure, seemingly asleep. Selene turned the page and continued.
"Into the granary the crow went until at last it had gotten through. However, it found more than the feed it had sought to steal, but also the largest dog it had ever seen."
The picture on this page was of the crow, squawking in surprise at the sight of the white-furred dog, which was easily six times its size and standing in front of the pile of grain.
" 'Now, I see you are a good and large fellow,' the crow said. 'But surely there is plenty of feed for us both?'. The dog said nothing, but snatched up the crow and scoffed him down in an instant."
The final page of the booklet was that of a dog, resting on its haunches, a feather sticking out of its mouth. The text on this page was italicized, a message for the readers, though it was something different to Ahsael as Selene read it aloud.
"Do not bargain with that which sees you as a meal."
Ahsael stared down at the object that had been placed in front of him. It was made of wood, something incongruous to most hive cities, and hollow on the inside. Filled with tiny chips of rockrete, it was intended to be shaken to create noise that was pleasing to most infants.
Selene stared down at him, waiting for him to pick it up. He was large enough that he could sit up, though staying that way was still a struggle for him, as his ridiculous body always seemed to be tilting one way or another, a far cry from the nigh-perfect balance he'd once had.
Impatient with his stubborn refusal to engage with the toy, Selene picked it up and shook it in front of him, the clatter of the stones inside the wood creating a swishing noise that Ahsael was annoyed by how pleasant it sounded to an infant's ears. This had to be some kind of mental manipulation.
He would not suffer this indignity, but there was no escape from this either, he knew. Actually, there were several, but they all involved suffering through even greater indignities.
"Look, Calba!" Selene said, shaking the toy again, waving it in front of his face. He slapped her hand away, or at least tried to. What he managed was lightly tapping her hand and the mortal girl beamed in delight as she misinterpreted the action as a desire for the toy. She pressed it into his tiny hand and he dropped it immediately, as his hands were so small and weak that he couldn't have wrapped his fingers fully around the handle even if he'd tried.
The toy dropped to the ground, striking Ahsael's tiny foot directly on the largest toe. Horror dawned in his mind as he realized what was about to happen. He tried to stop it, tried to tell himself that the pain was nothing compared to some of his wounds from the past, let alone having his soul ripped apart, but that did not matter to this body. His tiny lips parted… and he began to wail.
DARK GODS, WHY DOES IT HURT THIS BAD?!?
Tears streamed down his round face even as Selene scooped him up, cooing and bouncing him up and down in her arms as her mother had shown her to do. Her hand patted his back and Ahsael wasn't sure if he hated the fact that he was crying more than the fact that her efforts were actually helping.
"Don't worry, Calba, its not that bad," Selene said and Ahsael tried to punch her, but all he managed to do was wrap his arms around her as though hugging her.
HOW IN THE WARP WOULD YOU KNOW, YOU SANCTIMONIOUS CORPSE-WORSHIPPER?!?
Selene drew him back, giving him a look at her face again and horror dawned in his heart at the expression on her face, which was that of someone who had just come up with a brilliant idea.
"Wanna go uppies?" She asked and the horror only grew.
No, NO! DO NOT! DO NOT GO UPPIES!
"UPPIES!" Selene said and Ahsael had a horrible moment of weightlessness as she tossed him up into the air. In truth, he rose perhaps an inch out of her hands grasp before he fell back into it, as she lacked the strength of arm to actually throw him any great distance, but to his view he might as well have been tossed up to the ceiling. His cries of sadness were quickly replaced by either cries of panic or glee as he went up-and-down, over and over again.
Selene continued her attack against his pride a few more times, before eventually getting winded and holding him in her arms again as a break.
"Have fun?" She asked and giggles poured out of the infant's mouth in spite of the mind's burning rage. "Now, how about story time?"
Dark Gods, no.
Selene crossed over to one side of the hab block, setting Ahsael down in her lap and reaching over to a small pile of colorful flimsiplast books, though calling such thin things books was an insult in his view. She pushed aside several on the top of the pile, yet none of the books seemed to catch her eye.
There was the sound of some strange clacking and Ahsael turned towards the entrance of the hab block. The door swung open and he expected to see the woman who had claimed him as her adopted son, Cory, or perhaps another of the mortal family members come through.
Instead, he froze as a monster entered the hab block.
It was tall and lanky, almost skeletal. It was vaguely humanoid in shape, but it walked on all four over-sized limbs and with a hunch to its relatively tiny torso. The green skin over its body was stretched tight, like it might burst, and its head was little more than a trio of red stalks and a fifth limb, which was even thinner than the rest and ended in a grasping claw. Incongruos to the rest of its appearance was the small, narrow-brimmed hat atop what could, charitably, be called a head.
Ahsael did not move as the monster stalked closer. It was tall, far taller than a man, and had to stoop low in order to fit inside the hab block, though it took up little space. Its fifth limb reached into a pouch in the torso that he hadn't noticed before. Her heard the crumple of flimsiplast as it withdrew another of the tiny books, setting it down gently next to Seleen, who was still rummaging through the pile, seemingly unaware of the creature's presence.
Then, the monster departed, stalking slowly out the door, shutting it from outside with the soft creak of hinges. Right before it vanished out of sight, its claw had gone up and dipped the hat towards him in farewell.
What in the Dark Gods' name was that?
"Oh, hey, a new one!" Selene said, only now taking notice of the freshly deposited booklet. She picked it up, thrusting it in front of the face of a shaken Ahsael. "This looks good!"
He blinked, wondering if that had been a vision or some kind of psychic illusion or even just plain insanity. He turned his gaze to the booklet that had been brought and his eyes widened at the sight of the creatures on the cover. One was a white-furred dog with green eyes. The other was a crow with disturbingly blue eyes and feathers that curled in a way that almost made them seem like tendrils.
A very familiar crow.
Vra'kzil?
" 'The Dog and the Crow'," Selene said, reading the title before flipping open to the first page.
"A little hungry crow found a large building one day and a crack leading inside. 'Now, here's a good meal', the crow said to himself, thinking it a granary. He had to squeeze himself a good deal to get through the narrow opening. But the feed was tempting and the crow was determined."
The page depicted the crow, halfway through the crack of a large, wooden structure, the bird almost seeming serpent-like in the way it squeezed through. An ocean was depicted in the background of the picture, within which dark shapes could be seen below the surface. There was a human woman as well, resting against the structure, seemingly asleep. Selene turned the page and continued.
"Into the granary the crow went until at last it had gotten through. However, it found more than the feed it had sought to steal, but also the largest dog it had ever seen."
The picture on this page was of the crow, squawking in surprise at the sight of the white-furred dog, which was easily six times its size and standing in front of the pile of grain.
" 'Now, I see you are a good and large fellow,' the crow said. 'But surely there is plenty of feed for us both?'. The dog said nothing, but snatched up the crow and scoffed him down in an instant."
The final page of the booklet was that of a dog, resting on its haunches, a feather sticking out of its mouth. The text on this page was italicized, a message for the readers, though it was something different to Ahsael as Selene read it aloud.
"Do not bargain with that which sees you as a meal."
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Looks like Ahsael is beginning to enjoy it and I bet Tide is recording this somewhere with glee as future blackmail material.
16 characters
Sick and tired of being Sick and Tired
- Location
- Alta California
- Pronouns
- They/Them
I've been having what could be charitably called a rough week. Thank you, that was magnificent. Asheal is blessed that tide has not invented his own version of the tellytubbies yet.
It's sort of like being tickled for him. Babies don't have great emotional control and now neither does Ahsael. He can hate being thrown up in the air, but the physical form enjoys it.
He is being betrayed by his own form. It is also possible that Tide is just making his body laugh to fuck with him. Fucking with Ahsael is something that Tide is absolutely going to be doing, as can be seen in how Ahsael is the only one who can see the 'deliverymen'
I hope your next one is better and I'm glad you liked it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go looking for Flood-infected tellytubbies art.
EDIT: I did not find any, but I am still going to have nightmares over the stuff I did find.
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- Location
- colombia
Lmao tide really pulling a mage of life on him
View: https://youtu.be/eMv21Q5IQPQ?si=Ang0CKzxnCCTGvpQ
View: https://youtu.be/eMv21Q5IQPQ?si=Ang0CKzxnCCTGvpQ
Krazyfan1
Worrying for the future.
- Location
- Australia
you mean the old Adult Teletubbies art?
ELODIEUNDERGLASS
just when you thought it was safe to go back in the woods
elodieunderglass.tumblr.com
Absolute true torture. I'm guessing that new book was Tide cheekily telling him what happened to Vra'kzil? I can only imagine what other trolling Tide will do
- Location
- England
This is the children's book moral that W40k needs. If more people read that as kids, history might have turned out a lot different.
questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
It's not applicable everywhere, but it certainly would help in a lot of fringe, normal, and some important cases.
Sometimes, bargaining with that which sees you a meal can buy time for the bolter in your pocket.
Most of the time, the crow just get eaten by an ambushing cat without realizing anything was wrong.
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Omake by Yacov
yacov
Lurking and sometimes blurting
- Location
- Clogging a drain
Omake: Red Sweet Pie
Cherium took a breath as the sweet scent began filling her family's room. The smell giving lightness in her steps as she went about her daily chores now that the day's contract labor was done and the received rations sorted.
Red Sweet Pie was amazing dish. Take some of the abundant red spheres around her Tribe's new home, mash them up, and fill a starchy crust in a bowl with them. The pie can be baked on a grill above the fireplace as the supper stew is slowly cooked throughout the day. A sweet finisher to enjoy at the end of day.
The larder was doing well this month. Anything that was lacking she could swap with her other tribemates. Not like our contract employers would give them same thing to every one of the servants. Worries about finding work in a whole new hive have proven largely unfounded. The lower hive of Malum was just as hungry for labor as the one in Janus.
Things have been looking up for Hab Tribe 6572 after the Great Exodus… after Darius. The tribe's specialty of day labor and low end servantry finding welcome buyers once it was clear we weren't gangers or madmen. There was mistrust from the locals, but we were willing to accept lower wages and even just pay in food. Even the fellow hab tribes were willing to accept us when were told them we weren't from Hive Limos.
This acceptance and availability of living space came from a religious war that seems to have started between the Hives. Apparently the local rulers in Limos fell under the sway of Ecclesiarchs preaching a new variant of the Imperial Creed and launched an assault on Monstrum for being "heretics" just a little while before our tribe's arrival. The tale drew a pang of sympathy from Cherium. Having known the pain of religious violence and condemnation can bring.
Hab Tribe 6572 was the local Bishop's favorite scapegoat back in Janus. The tribe's "impurity" caused by their weakened genes saw them driven from the midhive generations ago. Afterwards they became a lightning rod for blame from the clergy whenever dissent brewed in their previous hab block.
Those prideful Ecclesiarchs are always causing trouble with their arrogance and self righteousness. Arguing over whether the Emperor, the object of their worship, had four arms, hated the smallest impurity, or prized change above all else.
All the while the smaller folk like the tribe's former elder are burned at the stake for some priests' theological debate. Even then they are probably no closer to understanding what the Emperor actually wants than before all the bloodshed. It is no way for a person of the cloth to act.
I mean really, suddenly deciding one day that the Emperor has four arms instead of two is ridiculous. Next you'll say that those tales of green skinned giants falling from the stars are real. Load of nonsense it sounds like. Everyone knows humans are the only thinking beings on Monstrum.
If there really were hordes of giants looking to eat every man and babe, why had all talk of them dried up so quick? Probably some fool at a tavern started a rumor while down in their cups and it got out of control. The Planetary Governor over in Deimos more than likely caught wind, blew up the story, had all those soldiers sent to him, and then proclaimed "victory" over the giants to drum up support. Easy to win against something that weren't there in the first place.
Cherium's musings were interrupted by a knock coming at the door of her family's one room home. Checking the chronometer on the wall showed it was not time for the evening's events to start. So who could it be?
Opening the door brought Cherium with the masked face of a blessed Kyron. Only much, much shorter than they supposed to be.
"Greetings! It is I, the blesst Kyron! Here to teach nice tricks and dispents sweet treats!"
Cherium huffed as her daughter Melindian played around in a blessed garment she should not be able to get access to. She knew she left that cabinet locked. Which means she needs to have a word with the tribe's locksmith, or Melindian is getting a bit too enthusiastic with her Servantry lessons.
"Hail blessed Kyron. May you bless me with the presence of my daughter? The stew is done and there might not be a slice of Red Sweet Pie if she is late."
Cherium caught the holy mask before it could touch the ground as Melindian gleefully abandoned it with the temptation of supper. Perhaps her daughter could do with a bit more time with the holy teachings about the veneration of blessed items.
Yet Melindian is still too young for this evening's proceedings. Perhaps Cherium will introduce her to the tribe's deeper mysteries when she has come of age. For now a warm stew and a little treat and she will be sound asleep when Cherium leaves.
——
"Let us begin this evening's Commune to give praise to the Divine Omnipresence!"
"WE GIVE THANKS TO THE DIVINE OMNIPRESENCE! FOR ALL THEY HAVE GIVEN US!"
The chorus resounded in the abandoned maintenance center. Enthralled in reverence to Prophet Mihail's words. The adherents to the Hidden Palm joyfully sang for their object of worship.
"Let us contemplate the First Gift! That which allowed for the Great Exodus!"
Cherium turned her gaze to the husk of Scorchtrekker 89206. The behemoth whose final journey was to be an ark for her tribe.
"It as a time of despair for the tribe after the former elder's death by the hands of the Ecclesiarchs. In our lowest point, the Divine Omnipresence had seen fit to speak to me by using a smoldering and tumbling Ashbush to lead me an abandoned repair depot."
The Scorchtrekker had been turned into a makeshift shrine for the Hidden Palm. Although even without the rigors of the Great Exodus, it was clear why the Scorchtrekker was forgotten.
"PRAISE BE TO THE DIVINE OMNIPRESENCE! FOR GRANTING US THE MEANS OF OUR SALVATION!"
"Through the Scorchtrekker's Holy Guidance Program, the ark was able to divine a path through the Barren Lands to this lost storage center. Allowing us to bypass many obstacles both in the Barren Lands and in entering the hive itself.
For forty days and forty nights, we huddled in the Scorchtrekker's bosom as we made our Great Exodus between the hives. Lives were lost in the journey. Having chosen to give their all to ensure the future of the tribe and for the good of all."
This part always brings Cherium back. That blistering day when one of the trekker's suspendiums snapped. Someone needed to go out or their supplies wouldn't last the journey. A certain death sentence.
Darius. Brave, noble Darius eventually raised his hand. Despite being a father, despite being one of our most able, despite her, he still chose to go out. Maybe it was because of those things.
She still remembers how the final embrace felt. The feel of his skin, the sound of his final words, the tears and thoughts shared between them. What hurt the most was the final request, for her ears alone when the others weren't listening.
"Cherium, do not touch me when they bring me back in. Charred by red and black. Have the feel of this embrace be what you remember me by."
"Let us contemplate the Second Gift. The lifting of our curse and the bringing of true purity to our bodies. Who could refute the Divine Omnipresence's existence after such a blessing."
That was something all in the Tribe were in agreement with. Shortly after entering Hive Malum, the afflictions and diseases caused by their weak genes seem to vanish overnight. That which was the cause of so much suffering and the condemnation by the Ecclesiarchs as the source of sins, cleansed from our bodies.
This was the miracle that brought the entirety of the Tribe in fervent compliance of the Prophet's faith. Where once there was disunity and soul searching, now there was the comfort of unified faith and communal acceptance of our deity's grace. Who could even think of worshiping another after the Divine Omnipresence granted us such a boon?
"PRAISE BE THE BENEFICENCE OF THE DIVINE OMNIPRESENCE! WHO SEEKS THE ONLY OUR HEALTH AND HAPPINESS!"
"Yet the gifts of the Divine Omnipresence did not end there. Let us contemplate the Third Gift. This paradise of green and sweetness."
Their living situation was leaps and bounds better than back in Hive Janus. Before there were bland rations had to hoard and given to men and children to keep up their strength and growth. Now there are enough rations for everyone and even some sweetness to share.
"PRAISE BE THE OMNIPRESENCE'S GENEROSITY! TO ALLOW US TO BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY!"
"It is the rule of the universe that gifts cannot be given without a price. Yet what does the Omnipresence demand of us? Nothing! Not a single command or dictation has been passed down to us beyond living our lives!"
That was the strangest part of being practitioner of the Hidden Palm faith. There were no floggings, not demands for sacrifices, not even a holy place of worship was pointed out to them.
"So what do we do when the Divine Omnipresence does not demand we share our bounty with it? We share it with others!
We must go out and share the blessings of the Divine Omnipresence with those less blessed than us. To bring gifts, balms, and wisdom granted to us to bless the world around us even further!"
That was the conclusion Prophet Mahail and the disciples had reach when trying to determine what the Omnipresence wanted of their tribe. Why would such an entity give so much to their tribe if it not to have them to give in return?
"We do this not for our own benefit or aggrandizement. We mask ourselves and only go by our titles. We are like a flock of winged Kyron, dispensing seeds in time of plenty in thanks for times of bounty!"
She will be a blessing to all. For Melindian. For Darius. For the Tribe. For everyone.
"WE THE ARE THE KYRON! DISPENSING BLESSINGS FOR THE GOOD OF ALL!"
Nothing has felt as good as her doing her being able to perform the duties bestowed as part of the Blessed Flock by the Divine Omnipresence. Truly she is the most blessed person on Monstrum.
——
Happy Halloween everyone. Hoped you enjoyed the Omake.
Cherium took a breath as the sweet scent began filling her family's room. The smell giving lightness in her steps as she went about her daily chores now that the day's contract labor was done and the received rations sorted.
Red Sweet Pie was amazing dish. Take some of the abundant red spheres around her Tribe's new home, mash them up, and fill a starchy crust in a bowl with them. The pie can be baked on a grill above the fireplace as the supper stew is slowly cooked throughout the day. A sweet finisher to enjoy at the end of day.
The larder was doing well this month. Anything that was lacking she could swap with her other tribemates. Not like our contract employers would give them same thing to every one of the servants. Worries about finding work in a whole new hive have proven largely unfounded. The lower hive of Malum was just as hungry for labor as the one in Janus.
Things have been looking up for Hab Tribe 6572 after the Great Exodus… after Darius. The tribe's specialty of day labor and low end servantry finding welcome buyers once it was clear we weren't gangers or madmen. There was mistrust from the locals, but we were willing to accept lower wages and even just pay in food. Even the fellow hab tribes were willing to accept us when were told them we weren't from Hive Limos.
This acceptance and availability of living space came from a religious war that seems to have started between the Hives. Apparently the local rulers in Limos fell under the sway of Ecclesiarchs preaching a new variant of the Imperial Creed and launched an assault on Monstrum for being "heretics" just a little while before our tribe's arrival. The tale drew a pang of sympathy from Cherium. Having known the pain of religious violence and condemnation can bring.
Hab Tribe 6572 was the local Bishop's favorite scapegoat back in Janus. The tribe's "impurity" caused by their weakened genes saw them driven from the midhive generations ago. Afterwards they became a lightning rod for blame from the clergy whenever dissent brewed in their previous hab block.
Those prideful Ecclesiarchs are always causing trouble with their arrogance and self righteousness. Arguing over whether the Emperor, the object of their worship, had four arms, hated the smallest impurity, or prized change above all else.
All the while the smaller folk like the tribe's former elder are burned at the stake for some priests' theological debate. Even then they are probably no closer to understanding what the Emperor actually wants than before all the bloodshed. It is no way for a person of the cloth to act.
I mean really, suddenly deciding one day that the Emperor has four arms instead of two is ridiculous. Next you'll say that those tales of green skinned giants falling from the stars are real. Load of nonsense it sounds like. Everyone knows humans are the only thinking beings on Monstrum.
If there really were hordes of giants looking to eat every man and babe, why had all talk of them dried up so quick? Probably some fool at a tavern started a rumor while down in their cups and it got out of control. The Planetary Governor over in Deimos more than likely caught wind, blew up the story, had all those soldiers sent to him, and then proclaimed "victory" over the giants to drum up support. Easy to win against something that weren't there in the first place.
Cherium's musings were interrupted by a knock coming at the door of her family's one room home. Checking the chronometer on the wall showed it was not time for the evening's events to start. So who could it be?
Opening the door brought Cherium with the masked face of a blessed Kyron. Only much, much shorter than they supposed to be.
"Greetings! It is I, the blesst Kyron! Here to teach nice tricks and dispents sweet treats!"
Cherium huffed as her daughter Melindian played around in a blessed garment she should not be able to get access to. She knew she left that cabinet locked. Which means she needs to have a word with the tribe's locksmith, or Melindian is getting a bit too enthusiastic with her Servantry lessons.
"Hail blessed Kyron. May you bless me with the presence of my daughter? The stew is done and there might not be a slice of Red Sweet Pie if she is late."
Cherium caught the holy mask before it could touch the ground as Melindian gleefully abandoned it with the temptation of supper. Perhaps her daughter could do with a bit more time with the holy teachings about the veneration of blessed items.
Yet Melindian is still too young for this evening's proceedings. Perhaps Cherium will introduce her to the tribe's deeper mysteries when she has come of age. For now a warm stew and a little treat and she will be sound asleep when Cherium leaves.
——
"Let us begin this evening's Commune to give praise to the Divine Omnipresence!"
"WE GIVE THANKS TO THE DIVINE OMNIPRESENCE! FOR ALL THEY HAVE GIVEN US!"
The chorus resounded in the abandoned maintenance center. Enthralled in reverence to Prophet Mihail's words. The adherents to the Hidden Palm joyfully sang for their object of worship.
"Let us contemplate the First Gift! That which allowed for the Great Exodus!"
Cherium turned her gaze to the husk of Scorchtrekker 89206. The behemoth whose final journey was to be an ark for her tribe.
"It as a time of despair for the tribe after the former elder's death by the hands of the Ecclesiarchs. In our lowest point, the Divine Omnipresence had seen fit to speak to me by using a smoldering and tumbling Ashbush to lead me an abandoned repair depot."
The Scorchtrekker had been turned into a makeshift shrine for the Hidden Palm. Although even without the rigors of the Great Exodus, it was clear why the Scorchtrekker was forgotten.
"PRAISE BE TO THE DIVINE OMNIPRESENCE! FOR GRANTING US THE MEANS OF OUR SALVATION!"
"Through the Scorchtrekker's Holy Guidance Program, the ark was able to divine a path through the Barren Lands to this lost storage center. Allowing us to bypass many obstacles both in the Barren Lands and in entering the hive itself.
For forty days and forty nights, we huddled in the Scorchtrekker's bosom as we made our Great Exodus between the hives. Lives were lost in the journey. Having chosen to give their all to ensure the future of the tribe and for the good of all."
This part always brings Cherium back. That blistering day when one of the trekker's suspendiums snapped. Someone needed to go out or their supplies wouldn't last the journey. A certain death sentence.
Darius. Brave, noble Darius eventually raised his hand. Despite being a father, despite being one of our most able, despite her, he still chose to go out. Maybe it was because of those things.
She still remembers how the final embrace felt. The feel of his skin, the sound of his final words, the tears and thoughts shared between them. What hurt the most was the final request, for her ears alone when the others weren't listening.
"Cherium, do not touch me when they bring me back in. Charred by red and black. Have the feel of this embrace be what you remember me by."
"Let us contemplate the Second Gift. The lifting of our curse and the bringing of true purity to our bodies. Who could refute the Divine Omnipresence's existence after such a blessing."
That was something all in the Tribe were in agreement with. Shortly after entering Hive Malum, the afflictions and diseases caused by their weak genes seem to vanish overnight. That which was the cause of so much suffering and the condemnation by the Ecclesiarchs as the source of sins, cleansed from our bodies.
This was the miracle that brought the entirety of the Tribe in fervent compliance of the Prophet's faith. Where once there was disunity and soul searching, now there was the comfort of unified faith and communal acceptance of our deity's grace. Who could even think of worshiping another after the Divine Omnipresence granted us such a boon?
"PRAISE BE THE BENEFICENCE OF THE DIVINE OMNIPRESENCE! WHO SEEKS THE ONLY OUR HEALTH AND HAPPINESS!"
"Yet the gifts of the Divine Omnipresence did not end there. Let us contemplate the Third Gift. This paradise of green and sweetness."
Their living situation was leaps and bounds better than back in Hive Janus. Before there were bland rations had to hoard and given to men and children to keep up their strength and growth. Now there are enough rations for everyone and even some sweetness to share.
"PRAISE BE THE OMNIPRESENCE'S GENEROSITY! TO ALLOW US TO BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY!"
"It is the rule of the universe that gifts cannot be given without a price. Yet what does the Omnipresence demand of us? Nothing! Not a single command or dictation has been passed down to us beyond living our lives!"
That was the strangest part of being practitioner of the Hidden Palm faith. There were no floggings, not demands for sacrifices, not even a holy place of worship was pointed out to them.
"So what do we do when the Divine Omnipresence does not demand we share our bounty with it? We share it with others!
We must go out and share the blessings of the Divine Omnipresence with those less blessed than us. To bring gifts, balms, and wisdom granted to us to bless the world around us even further!"
That was the conclusion Prophet Mahail and the disciples had reach when trying to determine what the Omnipresence wanted of their tribe. Why would such an entity give so much to their tribe if it not to have them to give in return?
"We do this not for our own benefit or aggrandizement. We mask ourselves and only go by our titles. We are like a flock of winged Kyron, dispensing seeds in time of plenty in thanks for times of bounty!"
She will be a blessing to all. For Melindian. For Darius. For the Tribe. For everyone.
"WE THE ARE THE KYRON! DISPENSING BLESSINGS FOR THE GOOD OF ALL!"
Nothing has felt as good as her doing her being able to perform the duties bestowed as part of the Blessed Flock by the Divine Omnipresence. Truly she is the most blessed person on Monstrum.
——
Happy Halloween everyone. Hoped you enjoyed the Omake.
Journeys - Halloween Special
Journeys – Halloween Special
Cory stepped into her hab block and halted at the sight of her husband, Nanel, and his father, Orin, holding a set of pickaxes, scraping away at the last remains of the thin, rockrete wall that had separated them from another hab block. Selene and Calba were playing nearby, and all four had covered their ears with some kind of muffling device that she'd never seen before.
Nanel saw his wife, frozen as she struggled to comprehend just what was happening, and he walked over to her, a large grin spread across his face.
"The people next door moved and gave us their block!" He said, speaking louder than was necessary.
"Moved?" She asked, then realized he couldn't hear her with the ear-mufflers. She spoke again, loud enough to ensure that he could hear her. "What do you meant they moved?"
"They said they'd gotten an offer to move to a new hab block, a larger one," Orin said, approaching.
"They gave us their old one!" Nanel said, seeming almost giddy. "So, pa and me thought we'd make our place a bit bigger!"
"Won't…" Cory blinked, slowly coming to terms with the fact that there was now a wall-sized hole in her home, which had just doubled in size. "Won't the Administratum be… upset?"
"I asked miss Gamma," Nanel said. "She said it was fine."
"Miss Gamma is with the Mechanicus, not the Administratum," Cory said, a burst of anxiety twisting in her stomach. Gamma-Alpha 5-B was the newest dweller of their hab unit, apparently having been assigned to live there full-time to help maintain the local technology. She claimed she also had a few assistants around, but Cory had never seen them. Cory had had few dealings with the priesthood of Mars, but Gamma was kind and friendly.
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Orin said, with a grin that matched his son's. "And look!"
Orin suddenly sat down on the ground and laid across it, sitting parallel to the door. He waggled his toes and stretched out with his arms, but neither were able to reach the walls of the expanded hab block. The look he had on his face was one of pure delight.
"Some other people are doing it too," Nanel said, helpfully. Cory turned to him.
"What?"
"Batu knocked down the wall between his place and Salva's family," Nanel informed her.
"What about Salva?"
"He moved," Nanel said, shrugging. "I think they said the underhive's been cleared out or something, so there's more room."
" 'Cleared out'," Cory repeated, shaking her head. "No way, the underhive is full of monsters and hive gangers."
"That's what they said," Nanel said. "And they're not around anymore, so…"
Cory's gaze turned to the rubble of the wall, which had been swept to one side of the room.
The extra space was nice…
"Alright, just…" Cory was going to say 'let anyone see it' but that wasn't really an option if anyone took even a peek inside their slightly larger home. "Never mind."
A knock on the door halted the conversation from going any further. Cory felt another spike of anxiety at the sudden thought that it might be the Arbites, but she quieted that quickly. No one on this level had seen an Arbites in nearly two months. She was sure there were plenty of other things on this level that went against their precious Book of Judgement, so she doubted she'd be the first one to get a visit in all that time.
Opening the door, she stared down at the helmeted Arbites.
Except… He was rather short for an Arbites. Young too, by at least a decade or two. The Arbites armor looked like it was made from the hard-vines that covered the floor of the corridor outside, but carved, fitted, and painted to look closer to steal. A pair of holes in the helmet allowed wide, blue eyes to peer out and up at her. The child in false Arbites gear held up a small linen sack and the child's father stood to the side, smiling pleasantly.
"Taxes, please!" The child said.
"What."
"Taxes!" The child said, a big grin on his face. "The candy!"
"The what."
"Ah, here you go!" Nanel said, striding forward with a wooden bowl she hadn't noticed before in hand. Inside the bowl were several small, brightly colored flimsiplast wrapped objects, Nanel took out two and dropped them into the linen sack, which Cory now saw was partly filled with a dozen or so similar objects.
"Thank you!" The Arbites said with a giggle, before scurrying off towards the next door.
"It's been happening for the last couple hours or so," Nanel explained. "I don't know who started it, but miss Gamma's been making costumes for the kids and this candy stuff for everyone to pass out to them for tonight. Did you not see them when you came in from work?"
"I… I saw a kid in red robes," Cory said, almost in a daze. "I thought Gamma had finally gotten her augmentations or something."
Nanel laughed and Cory turned around to see Selene, still playing with Calba.
"Did you not ask for a… costume?" Cory asked, surprised.
"Gamma is still working on-," Nanel began, only for another knock to interrupt him. Cory opened the door again and saw Gamma, smiling at her, holding a brown package.
"All finished!" She said, thrusting the package into Cory's arms. "Have fun!"
Selene squealed in delight as she rushed up to her mother, holding Calba up above her head as she bounced from one foot to the other.
"Costume, costume, costume!" She chanted, almost like some arcane ritual that was disturbing to Calba.
"Alright, alright, just calm down," She said, turning to see Gamma had gone. She set the package down on the ground and opened it. She'd expected an arbites or tech-priest robe, but instead she saw something like the trees she'd been seeing in her dreams recently. It was white bark and she held up the mask, which seemed perfectly sized for Selene and had a crown of fiery-red leaves.
Selene was delighted to get dressed, and she soon looked something like the walking trees Cory had dreamed of. That probably wasn't normal, but so many other things had been changing recently, so what was normal really?
"Oh, there's something else in here," Nanel noted as he rummaged through the package. "Oh. Oh! Looks like you won't be the only one with a costume, Selene."
Calba, who had seemed to be trying to crawl in an effort to get back to the play area, on the far side of the room, almost looking like he was trying to escape or something, suddenly froze as though he'd understood the words. Cory did not notice this, as she was too busy struggling to contain her giddiness at the sight of the costume.
It was a flower, she realized, one intended to be worn by a baby roughly Calba's size. That was just too perfect and she was more than happy to help get a struggling Calba into the outfit. His head was the center of the flower, the blue-red petals reaching out around him, while his body was the green stem and his hands were the leaves.
"Oh, you both look so cute!" Cory said, clapping her hands together at the sight of her daughter and adopted son.
"CANDY!" Selene roared, holding a resigned Calba up above her head like a weapon raised during a war cry.
"Alright, alright," Cory said, tussling her daughter's hair. "I suppose we can go out for a while."
Cory stepped into her hab block and halted at the sight of her husband, Nanel, and his father, Orin, holding a set of pickaxes, scraping away at the last remains of the thin, rockrete wall that had separated them from another hab block. Selene and Calba were playing nearby, and all four had covered their ears with some kind of muffling device that she'd never seen before.
Nanel saw his wife, frozen as she struggled to comprehend just what was happening, and he walked over to her, a large grin spread across his face.
"The people next door moved and gave us their block!" He said, speaking louder than was necessary.
"Moved?" She asked, then realized he couldn't hear her with the ear-mufflers. She spoke again, loud enough to ensure that he could hear her. "What do you meant they moved?"
"They said they'd gotten an offer to move to a new hab block, a larger one," Orin said, approaching.
"They gave us their old one!" Nanel said, seeming almost giddy. "So, pa and me thought we'd make our place a bit bigger!"
"Won't…" Cory blinked, slowly coming to terms with the fact that there was now a wall-sized hole in her home, which had just doubled in size. "Won't the Administratum be… upset?"
"I asked miss Gamma," Nanel said. "She said it was fine."
"Miss Gamma is with the Mechanicus, not the Administratum," Cory said, a burst of anxiety twisting in her stomach. Gamma-Alpha 5-B was the newest dweller of their hab unit, apparently having been assigned to live there full-time to help maintain the local technology. She claimed she also had a few assistants around, but Cory had never seen them. Cory had had few dealings with the priesthood of Mars, but Gamma was kind and friendly.
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Orin said, with a grin that matched his son's. "And look!"
Orin suddenly sat down on the ground and laid across it, sitting parallel to the door. He waggled his toes and stretched out with his arms, but neither were able to reach the walls of the expanded hab block. The look he had on his face was one of pure delight.
"Some other people are doing it too," Nanel said, helpfully. Cory turned to him.
"What?"
"Batu knocked down the wall between his place and Salva's family," Nanel informed her.
"What about Salva?"
"He moved," Nanel said, shrugging. "I think they said the underhive's been cleared out or something, so there's more room."
" 'Cleared out'," Cory repeated, shaking her head. "No way, the underhive is full of monsters and hive gangers."
"That's what they said," Nanel said. "And they're not around anymore, so…"
Cory's gaze turned to the rubble of the wall, which had been swept to one side of the room.
The extra space was nice…
"Alright, just…" Cory was going to say 'let anyone see it' but that wasn't really an option if anyone took even a peek inside their slightly larger home. "Never mind."
A knock on the door halted the conversation from going any further. Cory felt another spike of anxiety at the sudden thought that it might be the Arbites, but she quieted that quickly. No one on this level had seen an Arbites in nearly two months. She was sure there were plenty of other things on this level that went against their precious Book of Judgement, so she doubted she'd be the first one to get a visit in all that time.
Opening the door, she stared down at the helmeted Arbites.
Except… He was rather short for an Arbites. Young too, by at least a decade or two. The Arbites armor looked like it was made from the hard-vines that covered the floor of the corridor outside, but carved, fitted, and painted to look closer to steal. A pair of holes in the helmet allowed wide, blue eyes to peer out and up at her. The child in false Arbites gear held up a small linen sack and the child's father stood to the side, smiling pleasantly.
"Taxes, please!" The child said.
"What."
"Taxes!" The child said, a big grin on his face. "The candy!"
"The what."
"Ah, here you go!" Nanel said, striding forward with a wooden bowl she hadn't noticed before in hand. Inside the bowl were several small, brightly colored flimsiplast wrapped objects, Nanel took out two and dropped them into the linen sack, which Cory now saw was partly filled with a dozen or so similar objects.
"Thank you!" The Arbites said with a giggle, before scurrying off towards the next door.
"It's been happening for the last couple hours or so," Nanel explained. "I don't know who started it, but miss Gamma's been making costumes for the kids and this candy stuff for everyone to pass out to them for tonight. Did you not see them when you came in from work?"
"I… I saw a kid in red robes," Cory said, almost in a daze. "I thought Gamma had finally gotten her augmentations or something."
Nanel laughed and Cory turned around to see Selene, still playing with Calba.
"Did you not ask for a… costume?" Cory asked, surprised.
"Gamma is still working on-," Nanel began, only for another knock to interrupt him. Cory opened the door again and saw Gamma, smiling at her, holding a brown package.
"All finished!" She said, thrusting the package into Cory's arms. "Have fun!"
Selene squealed in delight as she rushed up to her mother, holding Calba up above her head as she bounced from one foot to the other.
"Costume, costume, costume!" She chanted, almost like some arcane ritual that was disturbing to Calba.
"Alright, alright, just calm down," She said, turning to see Gamma had gone. She set the package down on the ground and opened it. She'd expected an arbites or tech-priest robe, but instead she saw something like the trees she'd been seeing in her dreams recently. It was white bark and she held up the mask, which seemed perfectly sized for Selene and had a crown of fiery-red leaves.
Selene was delighted to get dressed, and she soon looked something like the walking trees Cory had dreamed of. That probably wasn't normal, but so many other things had been changing recently, so what was normal really?
"Oh, there's something else in here," Nanel noted as he rummaged through the package. "Oh. Oh! Looks like you won't be the only one with a costume, Selene."
Calba, who had seemed to be trying to crawl in an effort to get back to the play area, on the far side of the room, almost looking like he was trying to escape or something, suddenly froze as though he'd understood the words. Cory did not notice this, as she was too busy struggling to contain her giddiness at the sight of the costume.
It was a flower, she realized, one intended to be worn by a baby roughly Calba's size. That was just too perfect and she was more than happy to help get a struggling Calba into the outfit. His head was the center of the flower, the blue-red petals reaching out around him, while his body was the green stem and his hands were the leaves.
"Oh, you both look so cute!" Cory said, clapping her hands together at the sight of her daughter and adopted son.
"CANDY!" Selene roared, holding a resigned Calba up above her head like a weapon raised during a war cry.
"Alright, alright," Cory said, tussling her daughter's hair. "I suppose we can go out for a while."
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HAPPY SPOOKY MONTH EVERYBODY!
May your candy be limitless and your teeth rotten.
May your candy be limitless and your teeth rotten.
We Just Write
Blatantly Plural
- Location
- New England
- Pronouns
- Plural
C: Find myself wondering where this came from, in-universe.
Kaernetron
Feuergeist
- Location
- Weit, Weit dort Oben
The Domain tries to be the backbone of the Flood hivemind, leading to knowledge-bleedthrough among those connected to it. Although the somewhat coordinated spread is new.
Other examples of this include hab kids suddenly being able to read or draw, one girl waking up with basic enginseer training and more I've forgotten.
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So the cog mechanicum infested with vines means alignment with Tide? So Gamma knows Tide?
I really wanted to see Ashael's reaction to the costume. Probably screaming
I really wanted to see Ashael's reaction to the costume. Probably screaming