The indomitable human spirit vs a galaxy of angst! A warhammer 40k human god quest.

Warhammer Fantasy, Pt. 1
Content warning just in case, Chaos and Nurgle shit in particular can get really gross so if your squeamish be careful of such.




All of Europe was ablaze, as the eyes of the Hound and the Crow opened slightly from their sleep. Half awake, seeing only flickers and remembering practically nothing, for any other beings it would be a foolish endeavor.

Unfortunately, these were gods...and rarely do their actions affect little.

it started off with those first touched, the disgusting slothful wretches, the raging madmen. Yet before where few would ever listen to either, now all were forced by the new power they wielded. No injuries could keep them down, no foe could slay them. Swiftly hamlets and villages were lured or forced into sickly corruption, before armies of peasants suddenly stronger then they ever should have been overwhelmed kingdoms.

Plague and war cut through all, as the people fell faster then holes could be dug. They would call this terrible event, that which had seemed to so quickly destroy all semblance of order-

-The Black Death



In the Middle East and Asia, the whispers of a different god were put into the ears of those in power. Population centers were quarantined, infected bodies and all of their old possessions were burnt, all while armies were called to arms.

The refugees were many, the first waves moved to isolated tent cities. Those after however, were already changed. Massive boils of puss that would burst before rapidly regrowing, maggots clinging onto and into skin, while the flesh grew rancid with sores or hideous rashes.

These people were to far gone, put to the sword and given the caretakers mercy. Yet still the horrors did not end, as after this those even more cursed came about. Those who had their minds fully claimed by the plague, shambling undead that moved in massive herds which only cared to feast on the flesh of the untainted. Leading these hordes were those that had given into chaos, warriors of rot and plague.

Their bellies had burst from the build up of noxious gasses, leaving their organs to spill out for all to see. Some grew brittle looking horns, while others seemed to have swarms of vile insects about their bodies. What matterd most however, was that they wouldn't stop unless the most lethal of wounds were given to them.

The undead could be dealt with via jars of oil lit aflame upon their shambling forms, yet the warriors of Nurgle needed what felt like four men to bring down one of their number.

The first lines were slowly grinded down by endless numbers, the insects that reaped flesh, or by succumbing to illness. Yet, soon enough a line was formed, as the naval forces of the uncorrupted outnumbered the fallen which meant the fell armies could launch no invasions across the waters. Instead, they were forced to go by land, which led to them being stuck sieging the great city of Constantinople.




For now, you watch as both sides are at an eery equilibrium. The chaos armies are poorly equipped compared to yours due to the fact your worship has spurred much in the way of advancements, yet the foul powers of the Arch-enemy mean their armies have vast numbers and have forces of cultists with inhuman strength.

Your brother is still somewhere unknown to you, while you find yourself stuck gazing at the south and east. Your sight has been crippled by the oozing energies of the enemy, to look upon the lands held by chaos is to wish to vomit immediately.

What worries you most however, is your children. Isis and Apollo have taken to holding back the plagues made by the Unclean one, a very helpful endeavor that fills you with pride. Odin however, was off in the far north of Scandinavia, the only place in Europe where your worship managed to take root. He has been cut off from you, leaving you immensely fearful for what has occurred to him.

All you know is that while you are dealing with the forces of Nurgle in the south, the north was made the playground of Khorne. Fatherly instinct guides you to act immediately to reach him, but practicality forces you to be rational.

Currently you were outnumbered, however you had forces in the east still gathering that would turn that around once they arrived. Until then, you needed to think quickly on a proper course of action. Nurgle and his followers were marred with slothful tendencies regarding anything that wasn't spreading disease, but that did not mean you could afford to be careless.

Eventually, you moved to-

[ ] Hold the line - You needed to ensure you had reinforcements before making any moves, while the forces of chaos may perhaps grow weak without new pillage.

[ ] Naval push - You have been as successful as you have so far through your ships, use them further to launch an invasion point where chaos won't expect.

[ ] Break the siege - Will will have to ensure the safety of Constantinople, by cutting down the forces outside its walls you will have the perfect point to supply and launch further pushes north.



AN: Sorry Europeans, some disasters play out no matter what you do. Whether through fleas on rats, or through the machinations of terrible beings beyond comprehension.

Anyway! This is a basic introduction to the Big Bad Battle that will take up the next bit of the quest. For this fight, I'll actually be doing some rolls in the background for things that will come up later.

Time to see if I can actually write decent combat, until then, cheers!
 
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Warhammer Fantasy Pt. 2
[X] Plan: the other things to look out for

...

...

In some random losers bedroom, a question echoes out.

"How the fuck am I gonna write this one?"



Ships sailed from the city of Alexandria, long a center of culture and innovation. Yet these were not the typical vessels of trade, instead, they were crafted by countless determined hands to carry out true war. For days they sailed, journeying north and carrying numerous soldiers who'd spent much time mentally preparing themselves for what was to come.

Their journey would see them landing upon the coasts of Greece and Italy, where they could use the islands to dock safely after making their attacks. The trip was long, tiring, filled with dread. Yet the faith they held kept them moving forwards, until the destination was reached.

They would be met typically by eery silence, sickly fog, and the smell of decay. No birds flew in the sky except those that feasted on carrion, while the natural greenery was replaced by that which was generated only by rot. Corpses would randomly litter the roads, while the few normal survivors found were near skeletal from starvation and filled with deep seated terror.

The undead and the insect swarms ruled the countryside, while the cities were made the bastions of cultists. Nowhere was this more apparent then what remained of Rome, a city of bricks made into marble, a city of marble made into ruin. Ancient statues were defiled, now sharing space with crude effigies and insignia drawn upon walls with puss or diseased blood.

The soldiers had to cover their mouths and noses just to be able to breath, while their eyes watered from the strain of simply standing within the miasma. Combat was laborious and eternally exhausting, as the flow of the enemy seemed never to end. Finally however, after thousands of casualties, they would reach the eye of the fetid storm. The Colosseum at the center of the city was made into a fortress, where it was believed the cults leadership lay.

After countless hours the wall was breached, only to be met with the ultimate horror. The stands were stuffed with sacrificed citizens of the city, the blood flowing down into the center where it formed vast pools of crimson. The purpose of this was made clear, twas the fuel for a ritual that was just being finished. For in the center lay a series of symbols, within those symbols was a small group of cultists, within them?

What perhaps was once a man, for the soldiers looked on in terror as the beast cackled through sharp yellow fangs. He had the height of three men, the width of six, and the heart of none.

"I am made immortal through death! The blessings of the Grandfather FUEL ME!"

Only the leader of the Caretakers men stood resolute in the face of such evils, the only movements he made the simple acts of clutching his swords hilt and softly murmuring a prayer to himself.

"Through charity I am made rich...through humility I gain dignity, through the innocent do I draw strength..."

A cultist drew a bow as his master continued to monolog, using the distraction to surprise his foe. Looking upon the leader of his enemy, he drew the arrow back and fired.

"I will grow more powerful even after slaying you, for your decaying corpses will make a grand offering to my god! I will relish in the-!"

Both sides froze upon hearing the sounds of a fired arrow and a drawn sword, until all eyes reached the same target. There stood the leader of His warriors, blade in hand and arrow sliced clean in half at his feet. It was as though spectral forces had guided his sword hand to give him inhumane reflexes, yet it was the weapon itself that drew more attention. For it glowed, bringing forth a holy light that made the twisting tendrils of plague shriek back.

Silence signed, confidence shifting in both sides until the creature spoke again.

"You're gallantry does not amuse me fool, do you expect to slay me with but a single weapon?" He laughed, the sickening sound of sludge sloshing in his mouth joining in along with the buzzing of flies to create a symphony of disgust.

The leader allowed himself a small smirk as he pointed his sword forwards, his voice as firm as his stance. "Nay daemon, or whatever other creature you might be. I intend to slay you with my sword and with the wrath of my god, which we have plenty in stock."

With that, the leader nodded and some of his men drew forth balls of clay wrapped in cloth. The beast, immediately suspicious, shouted in command for his forces to strike. Arrows were notched and men charged forwards, while the cloth was lit via torch. Then one was tossed just as the lines were about to meet, hitting a cultist in the face through good aim.

They immediately burst into flames, as a substance leaked onto them. Screaming in pain, they desperately flopped onto the ground and rolled about. Yet no matter what they did, the flames simply wouldn't stop. Battle raged on, as the fire was spread via more hand-flames. Suddenly the advantage of the cult was made null as they were torched, the odds evening and allowing for the fighters of Hagal to push forwards.

The beast, however, remained. Half of his body was actively on fire, charring and producing a somehow even worse smell. Yet despite this he still moved ahead, lurching slowly until he managed to grab an unfortunate screaming soldier and forcefully push him into his torso where a mouth had formed spontaneously. This continued as the beast tore through the men, until finally the leader reached them. Dodging the beasts grasping hands, he nimbly managed to cut one of their hands off.

The beast shrieked, as what seemed to be mucus instead of blood poured out of the stump. The leader meanwhile was so focused on avoiding the toxic spew, that he was unable to risk being grabbed by the remaining hand.

"I will take GREAT pleasure in the sight of your melting bones!"

Being touched by the beast was one of the worst sensations possible, like every illness scouring through your body all at once. Blood leaked from the leaders eyes as his throat wretched, yet with shaking hands he refused to submit. Just as he was tossed into the gaping maw, he grasped an orb before shattering it upon his blade. The sword caused a spark, meaning that right as the mouth closed an inferno exploded into existence.

The beast shrieked in pain, smoke spewing from his upper mouth while his form started to shudder, before he burst into endless pieces. Soldiers moved back as cultists were blasted away, silence once again ruling the battlefield.

All looked in the same direction, a crater in the center of it all. There within layed no trace of the beast, along with that of a glowing sword. The sight caused a rallying cry to burst from the army, as they pushed ahead again and cut the cult down to the last man.

The casualties had been horrendous, the land gained was near worthless from the taint, and their leader was dead with no body to bury. Yet, as the sword lay perfectly preserved upon the ground, the grim determination to march to total victory took root within all of them.

-Greece and Italy in the process of liberation.

-Creation of spirit guides to boost reflexes and holy silver weapons able to harm the immaterial. (Both rare, reserved for 'champions')

-Through noble actions and pure intent, a weapon of legend hath been forged. The Sword of Sacrifice is a blade that gives great skill and power to those that wield it, at the cost of certain death. Special canon allies can be given the blade to boost them considerably, however they WILL perish in the battle. Alternatively, if one of you submits an original character through an Omake, they may take up the blade if they are written well enough. With each sacrifice, the blade grows in strength, at the cost of needing stronger warriors to wield it.



AN: I had a heart attack thinking I actually lost all of this to a mis-click, a solid minute of despair before realizing we were SO back.

Due to the length of the plan made, which I ask is not done again for the sake of my dwindling brain cells, I'm separating things into chunks to make managing it more easy on me.

Oh yeah, I gave you guys Greek fire, mostly cause it seemed cool in my head. No voting, seeing as I'm still writing results and all.
 
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Warhammer fantasy pt. 3
(Authors note: fucked up chaos shit ahead again, just be aware.)



As the south began to be slowly taken back from the clutches of rot, it was made so that some men would sail north to meet up with the followers of Odin.

The journey took weeks, as safe ports were few to none. The crew would watch as the toxic decay they had become so used to slowly transitioned as they went further north, replaced with spikes of brass and iron upon which layed impaled corpses or skulls. The carnage grew worse with time, until even the men hardened specifically for war could not help but turn their heads away. All they could do was pray, in the hopes that something would remain of their destination.



The snows of Norway were beautiful, the purest of whites that reflected the Aurora Borealis as well as the ocean's waters. Gunnar remembered the times of his youth, when he would gaze out a window at the falling snow. Every snowflake danced in fascinating ways, beautiful in their existence.

Yet, for all that, said existence was painfully short. They fell to the ground, then ceased to exist as they were consumed by the snow already on the floor. Losing all individuality, all movement, as they became part of a uniform mass. It used to sadden him, but his young brain couldn't tell why. He was never the smartest man anyway, preferring to train and fight his way through his problems.

So why was it that he remained? So many had been lost, or cut down for nothing...

When the All-father had returned to them, all had seemed great. They were given blessings, shown that their efforts were not in vain. Yet some were simply never satisfied, the signs not becoming clear until it was too late. The white snows of Norway were stained with blood, as warriors clashed just to kill for the sake of killing.

When one swore themselves to the blood god, they throw away their higher function. Gone is reason, gone is logic, gone is family...

He watched as men and women turned into frothing beasts, screaming as they tore people apart with their bare hands. It became a struggle just to hold on, as those loyal to the Allfather battled against the Khornite warriors. Entire villages of men, women, and children were put to the sword just so their corpses could be used as sacrifice. There was no value to life, only bones to be harvested.

Those who couldn't fight were killed immediately, the elders and the ill being the first to pass. Their culture had always been martial, but the extent of this killing was beyond comprehension. Blood flowed like rivers from piles of still-warm corpses, as the sacred groves were made ruinous with human bones. The smell of acrid smoke and death pervaded the air, as the north shuddered from the ceaseless carnage.

He remembered with shaking hands, how he one day had to face a boy who could not have even been the age of 12. He had done all he could to reason with him, yet he was given no choice. Would the gods ever forgive him for what he'd done in this war? Was anybody worthy of that forgiveness now?

Such questions were better left to the hands of philosopher's, of which now there were none who remained. Instead, he sharpened his axe in preparation. He heard the door open followed by footsteps approaching him from behind, but did not turn to face who made them. He knew that for all their rage, the blood gods ilk would never stab a man in the back. Instead he finished preparing his weapon, let out a sigh, and spoke.

"Brother...it has been some time."

"You lost the right to call me that, when you clung onto your stubborn beliefs."

Gunnar felt his brow crease, before he collected himself and finally turned to face his enemy. "Fine then...Agnarr. Though I find it hard to believe that I am the stubborn one, for what reason could you have possibly lost yourself this much?" There was a deep feeling of grief within him as he spoke, as he knew his brother had died long ago.

"I am NOT lost! I am FOUND! I have strength your weak self could barely imagine, power beyond which you could ever claim!" Agnarr grinned, a feral smile that showed sharp teeth.

Gunnar could feel his fist clenching as more memories came to him without needing any prompting, the words being spat from his mouth. "Did your children gain that power? Did MINE?"

With this, finally did Agnarr flinch. His mouth shifted from discomfort, before he snarled and let the anger do his thinking for him. "My children, fell because they knew that life was for battle above all else. Yours fell, because they were WEAK!" Yet even still as he said this, his eyes told a story of internal loathing that the rage could never conceal.

Gunnar drew his axe, tears streaming from his eyes as he stared at the man he once faced the world with. "Our wives should be sharing stories by the fire, instead they are DEAD! Our children should be playing together in the fields, instead they are DEAD! I should be comforting my brother now, instead he is DEAD!"

He shuddered, the grip on his axe increasing as his crying finally ceased. "Is this really what you wanted? Is this the future you desired?"

Agnarr could not speak for the longest time, the anger having left him in exchange for a profound emptiness. He finally opened his mouth, a grim sense of finality in his eyes. "You know I have gone too far to stop now, this can only end one way." Slowly his hand fell to the hilt of his sword, the leather made red from the amount of blood stains it had experienced. "You get your Valhalla, or I get to fight under the skull throne."

Gunnar sighed as he lifted his axe, the two moving outside. "Does it matter? The winner will always go back to an empty house..."



The ships finally reached the coast of England, where they were able to dock safely at a coastal village. Their arrival had given hope to the people, who gave them shelter and supplies. From them they learned that London had fallen to the madness of the blood god, which had allowed the forces of chaos to run rampant across the country except in Wales were a resistance had gathered. Scotland and Ireland were in the process of falling, as many cultists in Scandinavia simply chose to raid the coasts once they were pushed away from their homes.

The situation was dire, as food ran increasingly low and the people continued to be sacrificed in droves. Many towns and even some cities had been emptied of all life, the people within killed or enslaved to the last before their homes were left abandoned.

All was either the clashing of blades, or an eery pervasive silence. In the face of such uncertainty, the men stayed resolute. They had heard of the earlier victories in Italy, if mortal men could face such horror and win then they would simply do so again! As such they marched east to London, to strike at the heart of the local incursion. Once they secured the city, they would be able to use it as a firm holding ground from which to liberate the rest of the isles and then their allies in the north.

It was a lengthy treck, upon which they faced small bands of skirmishers. Peasants driven mad with rage, fighting to the death with rusty farming tools. Like dogs with rabies, they had lost all ability to think beyond their next kill. Putting them down was unsettling, but it was the only possible mercy at that point.

Finally after a couple days, they reached the great city of London. It was a husk of its former self, smoke drifting into the air from the sections that had been burnt, while bodies litterd the ground everywhere one looked. The most unsettling part would be that every single corpse had been decapitated, with no heads in sight anywhere. They were hung from the rafters, the bridge, the walls, yet they all remained headless.

It brought a fury to them all, not the blind rage they were facing, but cold fury that gave them all the determination to see this through. After resting out of sight, the men gathered for one final prayer before battle.

"We are His children, of whom He gives the utmost love. In His name we fight as one, for as He is our shield we are His sword. We shall know no doubt, for our belief in Him is as strong as His in us."

"Our faith made manifest, we march to death and beyond, for the Caretaker of Man."

With this they made peace with themselves, knowing every one of them may die today. They decided to hold on top of a nearby hill, digging primitive earthworks as quickly as they could to hold the advantage of surprise. To charge into the city would be suicide, luckily, they had no need for such a tactic.

Instead, one of them gathered himself before marching towards the cities walls. Those upon the fortifications looked down at him with madness and glee at a fresh kill, before he cupped his hands and yelled.

"Cowards of the lord of skulls! Why do you hide behind your walls? Face us! Now!" The man then immediately booked it, running back to the hill as the gates slammed open behind him. From it poured countless berserkers, who threw out any idea of tactics in exchange for slaughter.

As the horde approached the hill, archers knocked their arrows before firing onto the encroaching fighters. The troops watched with satisfaction as many fell, before watching in fear as some warriors took arrows to the chest before simply continuing. The fighters of the blood god had unnatural strength, their rage allowing them to battle onwards even when suffering from heavy blows.

Eventually the two lines crashed together, shields splintering under the feral melee. Arms were chopped clean off of the body, swords sent clear through chests, and many heads fell from their perches. The battle was going poorly, as even with better armor and weaponry, the foe was so numerous as well as so fierce that ground was being lost at an alarming rate.

Yet just as some began to think things lost, the sound of many horns being blown at once came from the distance. So loud was the noise, that even the khornates paused to look. The fog that had grown during the battle parted, as longships came sailing up the River Thames. The Khornates rejoiced and cheered as they believed more followers of the blood god had arrived to revel in the slaughter, before one of them was promptly hit in the head by a throwing axe.


View: https://youtu.be/8-l_kbZbXRQ?si=Y9NNO-Qlf5z_xvTI

The vikings clamored out of their ships in droves, entering the fray in what seemed like a repeat of the Khornates leaving the city.

"For the All-father!"

"To Valhalla!"

"Put down the hounds!"

The battle had reignited, except now the cultists were surrounded. The knights of the caretaker were rejuvenated by the sight of allies, roaring as one and cutting down the followers of the skull-lord. Eventually the final cultists were brought low, the cries of rage being ended at last. Instead, there was now the gasping of men regaining their breath and the sounds of swords being plunged into corpses to be certain of their death.

The leaders of the knights and the vikings met, both grinning before clutching their hands together in greeting.

"Haha! A most welcome sight indeed! Though I feel embarrassed, we were to be relieving you, not the other way around!"

"It is of no slight to me, I saw you fighting after all, your warriors honor is still intact."

"Very good! I do believe we have a city to clear through now. Tell me as we walk, how fares the north...?"

-The forces of Hagal and Odin have connected

-The city of London is battered, burnt, and heavily depopulated, but rests liberated.

-England, Ireland, and Scotland are being taken back due to a united effort, aided by the Welsh peasants army.

-Scandinavia stands! Odin has held strong for the most part, having purged the cults within after heavy fighting



AN: Hey! I'm back! Again! Man, remember the good old days when we actually voted in this *quest* where *votes* happen? Rest assured, next post you'll finally get to make some choices again, sorry for the wait.

Odins got his whole little thing going on, they grow up so fast...*sniff*
 
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O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Things had been getting quite dire so far, the armies of the faithful falling in droves for every scrap of land gained. Ground was being won, but would there be any left to live on it by the time the war was over?

Every resource had been utilized, every scrap put to use, except for one...

"Where the FUCK is he!?"

You kneaded your non-existent face to relieve the somehow existent tension, scouring the land for any trace of your brother. For the one that always seemed to go fist first, he was suspiciously absent from the greatest war in all human history!

Finally after months of using what little spare time you had to look, you felt a burst of his presence and immediately tugged on it. A connection was luckily made, as you began to be able to hear and speak to him.

"Hey, golden-boy, what's the big dea-" You paused, as you immediately began to hear the clashing of blades and inhumane screeches.* "Are you STILL beating up an alien on Mars?"

The reply was immediate and frustrated, yet also clearly distant due to a split focus.* "NOT- RIGHT- NOW!"

"Yes right now! I've got people dying in the tens of thousands daily over here and your nowhere in sight, what the hell are you-"

"I'M A LITTLE BUSY AT THE MOMENT!"

You froze, finally getting the connection stable enough to properly see him. Then you froze again, because your brother was standing on a large pile of daemon corpses in the middle of a frozen wasteland. "Oh. Shit."

"I HAVE BEEN KILLING WARP SPAWN AT THE NORTH POLE, FOR SEVERAL MONTHS!"

"Yeah uh...I can see that."

"So until I close this portal, CLOSE YOUR MOUTH!"

"Rude, but noted. I'll just uh...get back to the war, have fun. Love you!"

You watched him grumble as he sliced a bloodletter clean in half, then right before you cut the connection-

"Hmmph...love you too. Moron."
 
Dawn or Dusk?
Your talk with Odin was something you'd desperately needed, something that for just a moment allowed you to forget about the threats scratching at the walls. You gave him a big hug (as per usual) before eventually relenting as his neutral expression shifted to one of slight annoyance.

"Father. You need not do that *every* time."

"Of course I do, it's mandatory! Cause I mandated it!"

"That's not how th-... nevermind. It is indeed good to see you, without your constant distractions I was getting too productive."

You rolled your eyes, before pausing and actually looking at something that had been nagging at your senses. "Kiddo did you...you made a DIVINE REALM!?"

"Yes, upon noticing the increasing amount of 'Khorne' followers, along with their inherent attachment to bloodshed, I decided to be productive and make a countermeasure."

He gestured towards a seemingly endless series of feasting halls and battle-pits, the smallest hint of pride in his eyes as he did so. "Those who worship us and thirst for battle have their souls go here, a recreation of the mortal concept of 'Valhalla'. This robe the Hound of souls and power, as no longer will he gain strength from *all* who do war."

You were flabbergasted, taking a moment to process it before patting Odin on the shoulder. "This is...it's amazing, I'm proud of you son...more then you can possibly imagine."

Odins blank expression shifted, as his mouth twitched upwards into a grin until he swiftly brought himself back into neutrality. "Thank you father, it is all in service to you."

You chuckled. "How about you do me some service by shaving that beard then? You'll never meet a nice girl by looking like you crawled out of a bush!"

"Father please."

"Apollo at least keeps his styled, you meanwhile have a badger nesting on your chin!"

"I hate you so much right now."

Odin has constructed his own small afterlife of sorts, where warriors souls go in waiting in order to weaken the Hound. Yet he has another suggestion in mind, to merge Valhalla with your realm in order to make an 'Army of souls'.

You are uncertain how such a thing would work, while being certain it would definitely attract all kinds of attention. It would also put a strain on future developments of the afterlife, seeing as this army would be most likely high in maintenance. Still, the idea seems tempting...

Eventually you elected to-

[ ] Merge the realms- the army of Souls will be made, for when the time comes.

[ ] Leave well enough alone- The forming of such a thing would be laborious, while also poking some bears...



The following years were harrowing, as Europe burned and the world at large found itself in an upheaval. It would take years to be rid of all the cultists, years in which thousands upon thousands of men from Africa, Asia, and the middle east would perish in order to reclaim each inch of ground.

Innovations were made, ways to fight and purge the taint, along with more mundane advancements in war. Eventually peace would come, yet the reward was the greatest amount of deaths in all recorded history by far. An entire continent nearly emptied out of life, it's remaining people's permanently scarred and traumatized by what needed to be done in order to survive.

The lands loyal to the Caretaker found themselves in a period of mourning, while in the America's knowledge of the 'Old world' and a war that nearly consumed all brings about terror along with numerous societal changes.

It will take *hundreds* of years to rebuild, but...that they have that chance at all is enough to be thankful for. You weep at the state of your children, but these tears are felt by them as a comforting rain that washes away their suffering at last.

Your *true* children meanwhile, whisper and plot among themselves as they think on ways to safeguard humanity, thinking on how to prevent this from ever happening again. Such thoughts do not have much time to develop however, as you feel a *lurch* in your very being.

Dread creeps in, as you know this feeling.

Another great sleep is soon to come.

They, understandably, did *not* take the news well. Odin stewed behind the others as he descended into analytics, Apollo was angry at the universe, while Isis...

"How bad will it be?"

"I will essentially fall into a coma, for how long I'm uncertain...could be thousands of years."

She let out a deep breath, her expression falling with every word that came from your mouth. "I don't know if we can keep any of this going without you..."

"You already have kiddo, if it weren't for you three humanity as we know it would be gone. It doesn't matter how well we lead our armies, if the people we fight for die of sickness and taint. You made a difference, remember that."

She chuckled as tears gathered in her eyes. "I'm...I'm going to miss you."

"I won't be dead princess, just...asleep. I'll even have some moments of awareness once in a blue moon, and I WILL be back eventually."

She merely nodded, hugging you before continuing to talk through her tears. "I know we're not a normal family, but I love you dad, even when your not here. I love your empathy, I love your stupid jokes, and I love your trust."

"Two out of three there kiddo, the jokes are awesome and you know it."

"I know you'll never stop until I agree, so sure."

"I'll take it."

With that, you let out a sigh of relief. Gesturing for the others to come over, you began to talk not as a war council, but as a family. The kids were growing up fast, already so different and showing interests beyond your own. You found yourself at a crossroads on that part, eventually deciding to-

[ ] Encourage them- Push them to work on their own goals and desires, results will...vary, but they all have good intentions.

[ ] Reign them in- Have them focus only on maintaining the course, something that will be especially necessary in the times to come.



You finally had some alone time, until of course, reality burst your bubble again. This time it was that presence from earlier, the Aeldari divinity knocking upon your mind like one would a door. You took time to note that also much like a door, this presence could have just broken down your mind and rooted through it with some effort.

The fact it didn't gave whatever it was *some* points, that along with you not having much time meant you decided to go ahead and speak with them. Immediately your presence shifted, moved into a new space of the immaterium far beyond what you'd explored. It was a garden of such beauty you struggled to describe it even when looking right at it's graceful form, alien flora and fauna in such a verdant state you could hardly take your eyes off of it.

You did eventually, as you were roused from your admiration by another.

"I'm glad to see you can recognize the beauty of nature, it shows a certain kind of mentality I find many lack."

You turned, your gaze falling onto the lady that had apparently summoned you. She was tall and lithe, to a degree that seemed unnatural to you. Her skin was light as a blooming lily, while her long curling hair was a shade of red that brought to mind a field of roses. Eventually it clicked, and you understood that before you was Isha, the mother goddess of the Aeldari.

"I see that you recognize me as well, at the very least you have the mind needed to be curious." Her voice was graceful above all else, carrying along to one's ears like a spring breeze through a grove.

You looked down at yourself for a bit, looking at your own form and admittedly feeling a tad self conscious. Hers was like a great work of art, while you seemed like the work of a hobbyist. Still, you found yourself enjoying the 'plain' image, it meant you could appeal to many more then you could otherwise. The color of your skin, hair, or eyes was irrelevant, especially in comparison to what you sought to represent.

Such thinking was brought to a halt as you remembered that you were meeting with an incredibly powerful alien goddess, with you finally speaking up in a neutral tone. "Curiosity is one of the defining traits of my children, one of my favorites."

Upon hearing your words Isha smiled, a flash of...understanding...passing across her eyes. "My children were in many ways just as curious during their beginning, so eager to learn and discover." She seemed wistful and nostalgic, for an era that preceded your birth by thousands of years.

It reminded you of the events leading up to this. "I must ask, why have you brought me here? I have nothing to offer you." Some would consider it foolish to say such a thing in a conversation, but he would rather be honest then struck down for false promises.

Isha merely smiled again, this one much more faint and laced with some form of bitterness.* "Oh but I'm afraid you do, you are a survivor. No other race besides ours in all my years of knowledge has ever overcome a true chaotic incursion, especially by multiple of the 3."

She moved to sit on nothing, but before you could even open your mouth in alarm a tree spontaneously grew in the perfect form of a natural chair beneath her. "It's a special kind of thing, the will to push on. It lays inherently in all life, yet in some it is much more apparent." Her gaze fell upon you know, heavy with emotions you could not fully decipher. "There is a storm approaching, far in the distance for now."

You had no idea what she spoke off, until you could remember the odd draining of faith you'd sensed earlier in your investigations of the Aeldari. "You believe chaos will grow in strength?"

"It is *always* growing in strength."

"Why tell me this then? Why not plan with your pantheon instead of a stranger?"

She pursed her lips, staring at a nearby field of flowers in a bid to seemingly ease her mind. "I have...strained my relationship with the others, my desire to stay connected with my children goes against many of their view's. Much frustration and anger brews among them, they cannot agree on hardly anything now let alone strategize."

You could tell there was more there, but made the choice to refrain from pushing. "What about me then? What makes *me* any different?"

She paused, stewing in thought before speaking firmly. "You have the empathy and respect for life necessary for me to believe pitching this bargain is possible in the first place, along with the record showing you can do what I'd ask of you."

"...That being?"

She sighed, sadness entering her expression for the first time. "My children grow distant, their worship focused on *other* things. They throw themselves into debauchery, then renounce me when I do not abide by it." The ultimate frustration, something you could empathize with. "I believe in time there will come a reckoning that will bring great ruin to the galaxy, and even in this state I REFUSE to abandon my children. Some of them, a small minority, hold fast to their true selves."

Her hand trembled for but a second, as she quickly centered herself in a desire to show no weakness. "Of this minority only a fraction will likely make it, beyond unacceptable for obvious reasons. I...need you to shield them, to be there when I no longer can."

You were taken aback, unable to reply for what felt like the longest time. "How...why...what do you think I could possibly do that you couldn't?"

"The 3 would never expect it, you can use that surprise to blindside them. You are also, unfortunately...the only one I believe who would even ponder this bargain."

She was right with that one at least, your brother would certainly have some words about this... "Say I did accept, what would I gain from this?"

Isha became calm again, the act of negotiation being something she could use to mask her emotions. "By protecting this small enclave, you would naturally learn from them over time our peoples secrets." She shuddered at this but kept going. "It would be an obvious boon to your people, in exchange you would have to devote attention into keeping them alive."

No easy task, especially as you were now. Could you really afford to pull something like this? Not to mention the reaction your brother would have when he found out...well, *if* he found out.

"I'm assuming this would have to be a secret for the both of us?"

"The others would hand me back over to Khaine for certain if they found out, but if my worries prove true...you will not have to worry about them."

A chill went up your spine, and ominous sensation that left you filled with dread. "I'll...I'll think on it."

With that, you quickly moved back to your own domain, sinking into a deep pit of worry. What the fuck was going to happen that got one of the *AELDARI* scared to this extent? If the scale was as big as they said, it would most likely affect mankind as well...

You just wished you had more time, but as exhaustion set in you knew there was none remaining. A choice had to be made, before the Sleep took you once more.

[ ] Attempt to save some Aeldari from 'the end'- A large investment, an even larger gamble, but to think of the rewards...

[ ] leave them to their fate- You couldn't afford to expand what would likely be a large chunk of energy on a different species, especially now of all times...

Either way, you found your eyes drooping as your awareness dimmed. All that could be done now, was to hope the choices made would be ones you wouldn't have to mourn when you woke.



AN: Wrote this all up at 2 in the morning, cause my muse is a real ass sometimes. In brighter news, you can finally vote again in this quest, a format that's centered around the concept of voting!

We're finally reaching the big shit lads, strap in your seatbelts and be wary.
 
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