The Long Night Part Three: Bonfire at Dawn (45k)
- Thread starter Durin
- Start date
- Location
- Alice Springs, Australia
it was a busy couple of centuries wasnt itEverchanging Times: Headlines Over The Last Thread
Void Dragon Defeats Soleriel!
In a shocking defeat, the 1st Circle Archangyl Soleriel was defeated at Sol by the Void Dragon in personal combat! Read to find out more..
Mortarion Wounded!
It would seem that in a skirmish on the world 'Avernus', Mortarion was severely injured whilst leading an attack on a minor village named 'Itza'..
Perturabo Besieges The 'Imperial Trust'
As part of the vengeance following the events leading to the tragedy of Cadia, Perturabo has begun a siege of the petty polity known as 'The Imperial Trust'..
Vect Begins Webway Reconquest
In a surprising turn of events, Vect has begun a major reconquest of the Webway! So far he has made major progress, and it is suspected that the Empire of Ashes are perhaps not as strong as they seem..
Perturabo Humiliated
With a twist of Fate, or perhaps a feint by the Eldar, Perturabo has lost the Phalanx during an attempt to storm the system known as 'Vanaheim'..
Trickery or Treachery? Inside Tuska's Attack on Vect
The events of Tuska Daemonkilla's attack on Vect's Dominion as well as his eventual defeat at the hands of the Eldar opens many questions. Read more to find out the truth..
No More Bile?
Along with the destruction of the Tyranids in the galaxy, it would seem that the Clonelord Bile is no longer to be found. How this impacts the galaxy as well as the Astartes relying on him is as yet unknown..
The C'Tan 'Destroyer', Two Khorne-Pretender Gods Dead
In a major battle involving a Blackstone Fortress, The Eldar Fragments of Khorne and several Krork Worldships, it seems that the C'Tan known as the Destroyer was slain. Fatalities included the Eldar War Gods, ergo Khorne-Pretenders, that they call 'Khaine' as well as 'The Crimson Hunter'..
Isha's Hubris at Itza
Today Tzeentch himself has spoken! The very first beings to whom Chaos had offered their Blessings, Their Grace, and where they were spurned are being resurrected in a truly hubristic act of heresy by Isha in the city of Itza! The very gods of Chaos themselves are planning to besiege and destroy Avernus for this heresy..
Abaddon Unyielding
The Black Emperor has spoken, and the Exalted Daemons deployed on the Dragon Front will not be redeployed, but a Task Force..
Lorgar AWOL: Lorgar, Why?
Today the siege of Avernus has failed: Lorgar is why. Read more to find out how Lorgar bungled a completely winnable siege and forced Belakor to cast a ritual which ensnared Avernus at the hands of the Chaos Gods - But which had an opening that allowed Avernus to escape as a resulting of Lorgar doing his OWN DAMN THING..
The War Against The Void Dragon: What You Need to Know
We have as a guest speaking on behalf of Soleriel, and here is why it is important for all beings to unite against The Void Dragon for the good of all..
Civil War in The Ultima Pact
As they say, SNAFU, but here's what we know of the chaos currently embroiling the Ultima Pact following the Destroyer's defeat..
Gork and Mork Call for Waagh Against The Krork
Everyone who actually believed the Eldar that Gork and Mork were going to just hole up in a random place in the galaxy, shame on you. Turns out they want to kill the Krork like they've been trying the last couple of centuries..
Gork and Mork Slain by Krork War World
In a matter that will surely chill daemons across the galaxy, the Krork has revealed and as yet unknown weapon capable of slaying Gods with power and strength greater than even the Exalted Daemons. Yes, there are some who say that maybe Gork and Mork had weakened themselves, but personally, I doubt that. Gods with the strength of the deceased Gork and Mork do not simply die in the way they do..
Drachynen Released in Void Dragon War
As the war against the Void Dragon deteriorates, Abaddon has seen fit to release the God Drachynen from their ancient prison. Speaking is Baragath Bloodstorm on Khorne's opinions on the whole matter as well as the course of the war..
Void Dragon Hijacks Necron Fleets!
In a shocking twist, the vanguard of the Necron forces against the Void Dragon were taken over by the Void Dragon's own version of Scrapcode! Though the Necrons appeared to deploy countermeasures against this, this resulted in a truly catastrophic shift in the war against the The Enemy Of Life..
Alpharius Attempts Assasination on Abaddon
A vile act of betrayal by an ancient being known only as Alpharius that has been foiled..
Ahriman Slain
Woe it is to all of the faithful as a great champion of Tzeentch was slain in a grand ritual, though all know that their ascension was simply a decoy for whomever is the true Tzeentch..
The Collapse of Ophelia: Who's Who
With a series of truly botched and poorly-planned attacks on Callamus and the Necrons at Solemance, the aftermath has resulted in the collapse of Ophelia as it would seem that the Forbidden Three has expended centuries of stored power to seize dozens of sectors in a movement they call 'The Unchained'..
Magnus Pledges Fealty to Abaddon
As everyone knows, the Black Emperor reigns supreme, and today the Crimson King has offered his fealty to Abaddon in an agreement which will surely shape the galaxy..
Lorgar Slain!
Today we have a guest from the Shadowlord himself. Speaking on behalf of Belakor is Zerarnex on the grim necessity of Lorgar's demise..
Reality Collateral Damage as Void Dragon War intensifies
Coming in live, it would appear that the deployment of forbidden weaponry by the both the anti-Void Dragon forces as well as the Void Dragon themselves have left nobody as the winner, as it seems that the very fabric of reality no longer holds all that much sway..
Vect Allies Abaddon, Alpharius Foiled
Despite an attempt by Alpharius to disrupt the new alliance between our Black Emperor and Vect, the alliance stands firm..
Belakor Pledges Allegience To Tjapa As The New Malcador
In a grand ritual of supplication, it seems that the first Daemon Prince of Chaos has offered their undying loyalty to Tjapa! The other Gods of Chaos did not take this insult lightly, as they immediately retaliated. In the chaos of the ritual and ensuing battle, Fulgrim and Angron were slain through the trickery of The Shadowlord, with The Lord of Decay successfully backstabbing The Dark Prince to seize the Domains of Freedom and Obsession...
The Long Night Part One: Embers in the Dusk: A Planetary Governor Quest (43k) Complete Sequel Up
Before asking any questions READ FAQ [slide] [slide] [slide] [slide] [slide] [slide]...forums.sufficientvelocity.comThe Long Night Part One: Embers in the Dusk: A Planetary Governor Quest (43k) Complete Sequel Up
Before asking any questions READ FAQ [slide] [slide] [slide] [slide] [slide] [slide]...forums.sufficientvelocity.comThe Long Night Part One: Embers in the Dusk: A Planetary Governor Quest (43k) Complete Sequel Up
Before asking any questions READ FAQ [slide] [slide] [slide] [slide] [slide] [slide]...forums.sufficientvelocity.comThe Long Night Part Two: Sparks at Midnight: A Planetary Governor Quest (43k)
The Everchanging Times: Ironfall Meanwhile, elsewhere in the galaxy.. Centuries of work, gone down the drain just like that. And it was all going so well. So many patsies she had prepared, carefully building her powerbase so as to win over Amir-Ka de facto even if not de jure. She had suborned...forums.sufficientvelocity.com
AN: Oh my gods so much shit happened in the last thread. Consider this something of a recap.
@Durin
canon
New questions and answers.
1) yes
2) Do we know the psychic frequencies of the Culture Spirits we are working on?
2) yes but not prefectly
3) By the way Tamia, why a Ritual for Culture Spirit Learning? Culture Spirits are low-Power entities, Learning things is a low-Power activity (long duration), while Rituals tend to be High Power (low duration) things? Wouldn't a different type of magic effect be better? One with long duration, low power, a passive effect.. sort of like, Psychic Architecture, actually?
3) because rituals work best for poeple
psy arch is linked to much to places which culture spirits dont really interact with
the whole thing is just to complex for a spell
and she is a ritualist not a crafter so a ritual
5) Were there ever Grey (Malal) Skies?
5) no
6) Does Trazyn already have a ninefold in his collections? If not, would he be interested in acquiring one?
6) he does
7) Can Trazyn forestall the death of a greater daemon (via its god dying) by storing it in his collection?
7) unknown
8) Was Ahriman the first ever Ninefold?
8) as far as you know yes
9) Are Ninefolds vulnerable to specifically anti-daemon effects?
9) no
1) Was Trazyn ordered to destroy all the Tyranids in his exhibits at some point, or did he get to keep them?
1) he was
2) Is the Avernus Telepathica a galactic asset of sufficient value that Vulkan creating an Artefact Unseen University, whatever that entails, would not be a waste of his time?
2) ask
3) Does Dragonheart Mint also affect Huanglong?
3) no
4) What are our odds of winning with Plan: Everything on Reaper's Rift?
4) decent
1) Since it is a Primarch and a Krork World, are there Krork Kill Teams being deployed?
1a) Any other anti-Exalted assets being spared?
1) yes
a) a few not many
2) Now that it has been a few decades, what are Nurgle and Slaneesh's new personalities like?
2) Slaneesh seems to be a lot less flighty and be better at focusing on a handful of things
Nurgle seems to have becoming a lot more stubbon
1) What's Nurma's opinion on Areatha?
1) she has barely met her but she respects her
1) What is the colour most associated with Malal? black-and-white-checkerboard pattern?
1) yep
1) Do Malal and Cegorach clash over who owns checkerboard patterns?
1) soetimnes
2) Does not attacking Mortarion here mean that Ridcully's G.Div Crit is wasted?
2) no
3) Given his last words were "I don't have time to die! I'm too busy!" Goge Vandire presumably at least tried doing his job as the head of the Administratum.
That being the case what was his Admin score like?
3) 30s
4) Were there any incursions on Avernus from entities other than the Great Gods of Chaos, such as lesser Chaos gods or other unaligned Warp gribblies strong enough to be a proper incursion rather than a solitary entity popping and being ganked? (ie IIRC Gork and Mork could've launched one)
4) Gork and Mork
also a couple from the Aeldari Pantheon
but those were basicily war games
5) what would have greater impact, winning repers rift, or winning every other flashpoint?
5) reapers rift
6) If Rotbart were to at some point prior to a Sane Victory in the Long Night become a Transcendent, would he use his agelessness to keep on living? Or would he at some point shortly after the Sane win just commit suicide due to depression?
6) as he is now? keep on living
7) How well has Rotbart been doing as defender of the Deva World Network?
a) Has his M Paragon spread through the entire Network?
7) incredible
a) yes
8) For Turn 4 Flashpoints we had 1884 Cataclysm Psykers available and lost 16. Why do we only have 1438 Cataclysm Casters available for Turn 5? Fewer Primaris deploying if Xavier isn't going?
8) various other demends
1) Does Rakes think he can afford to split off a small number of forces to cover Cicuris if the other two are completely dropped, or does it need to be literally every last man and gun if we try to win at Reaper's Rift?
1) you could afford t split toops off
but every unit diverted lowers your chance of victyory slightly
2) Did the polar rifts allow for daemonic incursions to bypass Asuryan's Edict?
2) nah the very nature of Avernus did
the Edict prevented gods messing with mortals
Avernus was counted as neither a god nor a mortal
1) What do the force minimums represent? How much is needed for even a 1% chance of success or what?
1) how much is needed for deployment to be worthwhile
any less is just throwing troops away
maximun is either how much you can deploy
or how much you can deploy before any additional troops are useless
1) Do Paragons increase your natural lifespan?
1) no but Paragons tend to live towards the end of their natueral lifespan
basicly all paragons tend to live in the top 1% of lifespans before nateral death
2) Between Quartus being more effective than the Trust and Rotbart moving over, how much has the Unchained improved defense-wise?
2) 15%ish
3) How well does Rotbart get along with the Unchained on a personal level?
3) the current him?
gets on great
while he seems a little straightlaced at first
then they start hearing him talk and the wild ideas he is constantly spitting out
and his mix of actual ideals and pragmatism fits in well with a certain segment of the Unchained
Monster from a worse time who wishes to leave the galaxy a better place but is not totally sure he deserves to live in it
is pretty much a demographic among the Unchained
7) What is it about his current life that's made him less depressed?
7) the end of last thread and the decsions he made then
1) What are the other major demographics?
1) the big 4 are ex slaves
those who turned coat
the old revolutionaries
and those born after the Uprising
4) How frustrated has Belakor become with Rotbart?
4) very
he cant even assasinat him as he has top tier Avernite grade guards
and random visits from his sister
6) if we went all in on winning reapers rift, what kind of odds do we think we'd have of true killing mortraian?
6) 0.01%
at best
1) What does the number one person on the Unchained Warcrimes Committer List have on their rap sheet?
1) Multiple succesful Xenocides
as in, they commanded the Crusade Force that wiped out multiple spacefaring civilisations
1) Is the Conclave currently winning or losing against Mortarion?
1) stalemate
1) Have the Chaos Gods found Abaddon's/The Black Imperium's lack of faith disturbing yet?
1) not yet
and its not like he is stopping worship
its just he is moving worship down to priroity 3
behind peronaly gaining power and the Black Imeprium
1) Post Black Imperium Secularization, would it be theoretically possible for Abbadon to turn the Black Imperium ''Sane'' by having the Free Will god of the Triumvirate free everybody from their chaos corruption?
1) no
1) Can we hire Perturabo to help on the Dragon Front?
1) you can try
he will demand the Phalanx as the first instalment
7) Unironically, if we determined with Divination that Perturabo would actually hold up his end of the bargain and do his best to help with the Dragon Front, would the Primarchs be inclined to take that deal?
7) no
8) How much help would Perturabo joining the Dragon Front like that actually be?
8) it would be useful
2) Any comments on this deployment plan? Force Distribution Flashpoint 5 (Shard's)
2) looks good
3) btw do the unchained have any former imperials in their ranks (aka people who used to serve the old imperium, got corrupted by tjapa and then joined the rebellion)
3) no
any Tjapans that old were too chaos to rebel
4) Can Kroot eat mindless vat-grown clones of other sapient species to retain sapience?
4) yes
5) For buffing Cataclysm Magic, which spells can be stacked? Same Wind?
5) same wind
6) To our knowledge, does Mortarion have a Transcendent Trait?
6) as far as you know no
around 30% chance youa re wrong
7) Can trained ka adepts be psychically healed if they temporarily pull their ka away from the affected area?
7) yes
8) You missed an earlier BWA update: The Long Night Part Three: Bonfire at Dawn (45k)
8) thanks
9) When does voting close?
9) 24 hours
10) What kind of force would the current Sane humanity be in the Iron Men Revolt?
10) strong enough to hold its ground, not storng enough to secure much outside of its borders
11) Should the deployment at Reaper's Rift (Slow) be understood to be a 100% casualty operation or not as bad?
11) 50-100% casulity
12) How has the Forge of Souls been doing since Belakor's Gambit?
12) very well
arms dealers do well in times of war
13) Can gods like the Child of Hate manifest on Avernus through the Time-Field?
13) yes
14) Do Primal Agressor Corps count towards the maximum deployment limit?
14) usually yes
when not its called out
1) Is what Be'lakor unleashed on the MoI just a particularly strong strain of scrapcode by modern standards, or is it the AI equivalent of the Black Death or Nurgle's Rot or something even now?
1) just strong scrapecode by modern standards
2) If we decide to win at Reaper's Rift, what are the projected troop loss rates for if we win?
a) I'm assuming that it's the same 50-100% loss rate for delaying if we lose. Is that correct?
2) high but not near total
a) yes
3) If we decide to completely neglect Reaper's Rift, is there any chance Mortarion will win fast enough to intervene at other flashpoints?
3) yes
4) Is the Child of Hate Exalted or low Major?
a) Ditto Phoenix Avatars
4) exalted
5) What are Mortarion's specialties?
5) grinding attition supported by bio and chem warfare
6) Would a GD on Mortarion's character sheet be worth it, or would the Eldar prefer a general Realm of Death support GD instead?
6) both are equaly usefuk
9) What's so unique about Reaper's Rift that it's offered as the position to hold Mortarion at?
9) its the main krork world in the area under contest
10) How much of our forces in the Jaeger/Guard/Trooper/PDF are we actually deploying as forces here?
10) 80/80/75/70
11) Idea: Hoeth/Slann making a Geomantic tap from Webway-Avernus so the Eldar in Commoragh have massive amount of power to work with?
11) possbile
12) if we go all in on winning reapers rift, will there be a chance of other allies seeing a decent change to take a shot at killing moratarian?
12) yes
1) Is Jacob at the point where the PM could run its Fencer Gauntlet on him?
1) maybe
its ahrd to say
1) What is generally considered the mark of a Knight and how well does Jacob fit them?
1) armour, mount and code of chivlery
and very badly
he is a wierd mix of spy and champion
basicly
he is goig for Jame Bond
not Sir Lancelot
1) Is the mount part less important and having a liege more important these days after the time Lion spent holding it, or did something count as his mount there?
1) mount is less improtant
2) Is Reaper's Rift slow 2500 corps max or 2000 corps max?
2) 2500
1) who is competing for the knight archetype?
1) lots of knight pilots, White Scars and Chaos Bikers
espeicaly Emperors Children
1) Does the Ghost Legion have a section of Riders In The Sky?
1) a few
2) Is the Archetype of the Action Hero a thing and does it fit Jacob?
2) yes and ebtter then most
3) How obnoxiously strong will Primal and Beastmaster units be with Ghur Cataclysm Magic buffing them?
3) very
1) What happened when Emps entered the chaos gate on Molech in Embers canon? Did it even happen?
1) it was not a Chaos gate
its the lcoation he tore his soul to make the Primarchs
1) Why did he choose to do it there and not on Terra/Luna where the labs were?
1) safe uot opf the way place
4) so molech was prior to that just a random backwater planet
4) yep
1) Is the soul tearing itself a valid cataclysm spell base, even if the making of the Primarchs isn't?
1) probebly
but why would you create a cataclysm spell that tears your soul to shreds?
there are easier and more through ways to commit sucide
2) How are the Emperor's Children doing given Fulgrim's death and Slaneshi's loss of domains? Like are they even still an organized group or have their leadership kind of fallen apart?
2) their leadership has scattered
1) Do we know what domains Angron, Fulgrim and Lorgar had?
1) no
1) Have significant portions of the Emperor's Children changed sides to Nurgle due to Obsession/Freedom focus?
1) yes
2) If not for the Warp Storm, is there a chance the Yinnari would have placed the Krork on Avernus? Or an Avernus pocket dimension?
2) no, too much attention
3) At what rate are Slann pools being built? Is it one Slann busy with the task, or are the others also taking construction actions?
3) one busy with the task
5) Why didn't Slaneesh get all the domains of the Eldar Gods when it ate them?
5) you dont get domains just from eating a god
you at most get a tie to said domain
6) Does Tzeentch's new info source seem to be focused on anything in particular, such as a specific foe or geographical region, or is it just a general bonus to all intel across the board?
6) strongest in the materium
weakest in the deep warp
you think
that is also the area where your intel is worst
so that weakness might just be a result of the fog of war
1) Can Be'lakor sense how he is railroaded into the Narrative of the Malcador to Tjapa's Emperor?
1) you are unsue how much he is
2) what is the most common and least common astartes gene line (ignoring II and XI)
2) least in 9
the curses hurt
pre deciver most was 13
now its 18
among the sane anyway
among Chaos most is 16 and least is 15
4) Are Constants just Primordials from Exalted?
4) n
5) Why is Tranth 'The Scientist' (People who figure out the fundamental laws of reality)? His main profession, inventing/improving devices and machinery, ergo exploiting the fundamental laws of reality, is the domain of Engineering.
5) good question
6) For Warproot use when it comes up in the next turn vote, could we make our plans with the full production potential being shown as opposed to it being done piecemeal? So it is much more straightforward.
6) you dont know the full production potentional yet
1) Hypothetically, how many times Warproot of our current supply would we need to have -100% Rogue Psyker multiplier?
1) several thousand
2) What would be scarier, a Ridcully!Tzeentch or a RotbartSuperfanAvernitePsyker!Tzeentch who's managed to nab and corrupt a now still mostly sane Tzeentchian Rotbart?
2) probebly the former
works better with the doamins
3) What is the limiting factor for the number of Knight Courts we have?
3) skilled knights
3) Is that just a matter of people needing time to reach the required skill thresholds, or a lack of equipment to train with?
3) poeple needing timne to reach the skill threashold where knight beats tank
4) When do you expect the next update to be?
4) today
5) With Telepathy, Daemonology and Sorcery, can you mind control a daemon?
5) yes
6) What level of Telepathy would you need to cast this? Mind Seed :: d20srd.org
6) grandmaster
but with limitations
7) Does the Galaxy have any Warpstorms left?
7) yes lots
8) What is a Warpstorm, based on our psychic understanding?
8) when the warp gets energetic enough it starts breaching the viel in an area
9)Do you have a Tzeentch candidate locked down or is it just roll dependent?
9) not saying
10) If you use Chaos Sorcery to try to summon a Triumvirate Deva or an Eldar God, what happens?
10) it fails
1) How many garrisons could be drawn down due to Rotbart applying his Paragon?
1) a few dozen
2) Which CGs are attacking the Deva World Network the most?
2) Tjapa
3) Is that just a matter of people needing time to reach the required skill thresholds, or a lack of equipment to train with?
3) poeple needing timne to reach the skill threashold where knight beats tank
(there is basicly a skill cuttoff
below which a superheavy tank is more cost effective then a Knight
so if you are not good enough to beat that skill cuttoff?
giving a Fellblade to the Helguard is a better choice then giving you a knight)
4) With regards to skill gain for our Astartes, how does the campaign against the KoC compare to the wars Quartus cut its teeth on? I.e. how tough of an enemy is the KoC?
4) its not that tough
its the Astartes deployed against the Realm of Death that are getting the EXP
5) Is there a Warp narrative drawback to giving everyone the genes for Knight piloting, compared to how it's restricted to certain bloodlines right now?
5) probebly
1) Is there a level of skill where Dragonfly Psy Stunning will flatly fail to work regardless of relative psychic power levels? If so, what's that skill level?
1) Master
if they have encountered it in the past and developed a counter
Exemplar if not
1) Why was Knight piloting gene-locked when they first made Knights in the past anyways?
1) basicly basic security
1) Why didn't they do that for Titans?
1) Titans are a far more recent design
they were invented by the Mechanicus in the Age of Strife
rather then by an unknown person early in the Dark Age
or evn before
2) How much does polymorphine actually work better on women compared to men? Is it a significant amount, or only a little bit with the Imperium blowing it out of proportion in regards to their Callidus recruitment?
a) By "women", is that biologically female (if it's a mundane compound) or is it both biologically and spiritually?
2) a little
a) more the latter then the former
1) Is that because polymorphine has a psychic component to it (if not as strong as the Helheim variation)?
1) yes
2) How good has Rotbart been rolling these last couple turns since we stopped playing him?
2) below average
3) Do you expect your earlier off-hand comment on not being able to get out the update today to actually hold true? Or was that more of a joke?
3) true
4) Besides Avernus, Trust & Ultima who else are on the Realm of Death front?
4) Blood Angels
some thousand lights that are in the area
5) can you kill/banish a demon via strangulation/drowning even though they don't need to breath air
5) yes
6) Grandmaster
7) Does having more steps make it easier or harder to change archetypes (without dying in between)?
7) harder
8) How badly wrecked is Confusion now that the King of Knights is done with it?
8) pretty damaged but not wrecked
9) Is that Khornate WiH vet Eldar Exalted Daemon Prince back to purely participating in the Great Game, or is he out and about elsewhere too?
9) back nin the Great Game
10) Besides the Eldar Exalted Daemon Prince, who is the other Exalted Daemon Prince that Khorne has?
10) Doombreed
11) how many exalted does khorne have right now?
11) 5
12) if a damon is hard banished can it comunicate with its followers?
12) yes but not easly
13) What are the levels of Banishment and what are the differences between them?
13) there are two main factors
1how hurt the daemons essance is
the more damaged the longer it will take to be able to act in the Great Game or return
2 how strong the banishment is
that only effects how long it takes to return to the materium
14) Given recent events will our allies be understanding if we either do not deploy our military or only deploy a very small portion next turn?
14) yes
15) Prior to the Isha Breakout, what was Nurgle Theology say about Isha?
15) who?
16) Just to check, but are the listed ages on the character sheet tabs for how old these people were at the start of Turn 1, or did you update them later?
16) start of turn 1
17) How is Callamus doing against the Warp beasts?
17) slowly winning
18) What were they using for Tallship construction materials before we switched to Evergrowth Trees?
18) various other primal woods
19) Jane aside, who's the second luckiest character in this quest rolls wise?
19) Ridully
20) What is the distribution of powerlevels among our Minor Psykers (from Iota to Eta) percentagewise?
a) Has it changed significantly since colonization?
20) around even split
a) no
2) Would Rakes find a Tachyon Arrow helpful, or does it not really work with his style/paragon?
2) nah its a powerful single shot weapon
he wants a rifle
1) I don't see an Explorator follow-up for Tortolion tech
1) beend elayed by Tranth being busy
2) What did Lorgar's death look like? Dissolution, erasure, implosion, going pop?
2a) Was it different in the Immaterium sight?
2) Dissolution
a) unknown
1) Which of Mortarion's hearts was eaten? The one with the carving or the other?
1a) Does it make a difference?
1) the other one
a) not a big one
2) " (+1L, +1 Ka Control, +2 Ka Power, can absorb Solar Ka, double maximum Ka)"
How big of a deal is "Double maximum Ka" exactly? Is it just doubling Aria's endurance when it comes to fighting with Ka? Or does double maximum Ka mean that it has effectively doubled the amount of power she can use?
2) double endurance
but given that endurance is one of Ka's weaknesses
3) Have any other polities suffered assassinations on their researchers?
3) yes
1) How badly is that impacting sane RnD?
1) not that much
few of the key ones have been killed
and deaths have slowed down in recent years
5) How many socialization actions do we need to take this turn to get Nurma back to normal?
5) at least one
perferable 2-3
1) Are the owner boosts equivalent to those a God gets in their domain?
1) yes
2) Do we know the psychic frequencies of the Culture Spirits we are working on?
2) yes but not prefectly
3) By the way Tamia, why a Ritual for Culture Spirit Learning? Culture Spirits are low-Power entities, Learning things is a low-Power activity (long duration), while Rituals tend to be High Power (low duration) things? Wouldn't a different type of magic effect be better? One with long duration, low power, a passive effect.. sort of like, Psychic Architecture, actually?
3) because rituals work best for poeple
psy arch is linked to much to places which culture spirits dont really interact with
the whole thing is just to complex for a spell
and she is a ritualist not a crafter so a ritual
5) Were there ever Grey (Malal) Skies?
5) no
6) Does Trazyn already have a ninefold in his collections? If not, would he be interested in acquiring one?
6) he does
7) Can Trazyn forestall the death of a greater daemon (via its god dying) by storing it in his collection?
7) unknown
8) Was Ahriman the first ever Ninefold?
8) as far as you know yes
9) Are Ninefolds vulnerable to specifically anti-daemon effects?
9) no
1) Was Trazyn ordered to destroy all the Tyranids in his exhibits at some point, or did he get to keep them?
1) he was
2) Is the Avernus Telepathica a galactic asset of sufficient value that Vulkan creating an Artefact Unseen University, whatever that entails, would not be a waste of his time?
2) ask
3) Does Dragonheart Mint also affect Huanglong?
3) no
4) What are our odds of winning with Plan: Everything on Reaper's Rift?
4) decent
1) Since it is a Primarch and a Krork World, are there Krork Kill Teams being deployed?
1a) Any other anti-Exalted assets being spared?
1) yes
a) a few not many
2) Now that it has been a few decades, what are Nurgle and Slaneesh's new personalities like?
2) Slaneesh seems to be a lot less flighty and be better at focusing on a handful of things
Nurgle seems to have becoming a lot more stubbon
1) What's Nurma's opinion on Areatha?
1) she has barely met her but she respects her
1) What is the colour most associated with Malal? black-and-white-checkerboard pattern?
1) yep
1) Do Malal and Cegorach clash over who owns checkerboard patterns?
1) soetimnes
2) Does not attacking Mortarion here mean that Ridcully's G.Div Crit is wasted?
2) no
3) Given his last words were "I don't have time to die! I'm too busy!" Goge Vandire presumably at least tried doing his job as the head of the Administratum.
That being the case what was his Admin score like?
3) 30s
4) Were there any incursions on Avernus from entities other than the Great Gods of Chaos, such as lesser Chaos gods or other unaligned Warp gribblies strong enough to be a proper incursion rather than a solitary entity popping and being ganked? (ie IIRC Gork and Mork could've launched one)
4) Gork and Mork
also a couple from the Aeldari Pantheon
but those were basicily war games
5) what would have greater impact, winning repers rift, or winning every other flashpoint?
5) reapers rift
6) If Rotbart were to at some point prior to a Sane Victory in the Long Night become a Transcendent, would he use his agelessness to keep on living? Or would he at some point shortly after the Sane win just commit suicide due to depression?
6) as he is now? keep on living
7) How well has Rotbart been doing as defender of the Deva World Network?
a) Has his M Paragon spread through the entire Network?
7) incredible
a) yes
8) For Turn 4 Flashpoints we had 1884 Cataclysm Psykers available and lost 16. Why do we only have 1438 Cataclysm Casters available for Turn 5? Fewer Primaris deploying if Xavier isn't going?
8) various other demends
1) Does Rakes think he can afford to split off a small number of forces to cover Cicuris if the other two are completely dropped, or does it need to be literally every last man and gun if we try to win at Reaper's Rift?
1) you could afford t split toops off
but every unit diverted lowers your chance of victyory slightly
2) Did the polar rifts allow for daemonic incursions to bypass Asuryan's Edict?
2) nah the very nature of Avernus did
the Edict prevented gods messing with mortals
Avernus was counted as neither a god nor a mortal
1) What do the force minimums represent? How much is needed for even a 1% chance of success or what?
1) how much is needed for deployment to be worthwhile
any less is just throwing troops away
maximun is either how much you can deploy
or how much you can deploy before any additional troops are useless
1) Do Paragons increase your natural lifespan?
1) no but Paragons tend to live towards the end of their natueral lifespan
basicly all paragons tend to live in the top 1% of lifespans before nateral death
2) Between Quartus being more effective than the Trust and Rotbart moving over, how much has the Unchained improved defense-wise?
2) 15%ish
3) How well does Rotbart get along with the Unchained on a personal level?
3) the current him?
gets on great
while he seems a little straightlaced at first
then they start hearing him talk and the wild ideas he is constantly spitting out
and his mix of actual ideals and pragmatism fits in well with a certain segment of the Unchained
Monster from a worse time who wishes to leave the galaxy a better place but is not totally sure he deserves to live in it
is pretty much a demographic among the Unchained
7) What is it about his current life that's made him less depressed?
7) the end of last thread and the decsions he made then
1) What are the other major demographics?
1) the big 4 are ex slaves
those who turned coat
the old revolutionaries
and those born after the Uprising
4) How frustrated has Belakor become with Rotbart?
4) very
he cant even assasinat him as he has top tier Avernite grade guards
and random visits from his sister
6) if we went all in on winning reapers rift, what kind of odds do we think we'd have of true killing mortraian?
6) 0.01%
at best
1) What does the number one person on the Unchained Warcrimes Committer List have on their rap sheet?
1) Multiple succesful Xenocides
as in, they commanded the Crusade Force that wiped out multiple spacefaring civilisations
1) Is the Conclave currently winning or losing against Mortarion?
1) stalemate
1) Have the Chaos Gods found Abaddon's/The Black Imperium's lack of faith disturbing yet?
1) not yet
and its not like he is stopping worship
its just he is moving worship down to priroity 3
behind peronaly gaining power and the Black Imeprium
1) Post Black Imperium Secularization, would it be theoretically possible for Abbadon to turn the Black Imperium ''Sane'' by having the Free Will god of the Triumvirate free everybody from their chaos corruption?
1) no
1) Can we hire Perturabo to help on the Dragon Front?
1) you can try
he will demand the Phalanx as the first instalment
7) Unironically, if we determined with Divination that Perturabo would actually hold up his end of the bargain and do his best to help with the Dragon Front, would the Primarchs be inclined to take that deal?
7) no
8) How much help would Perturabo joining the Dragon Front like that actually be?
8) it would be useful
2) Any comments on this deployment plan? Force Distribution Flashpoint 5 (Shard's)
2) looks good
3) btw do the unchained have any former imperials in their ranks (aka people who used to serve the old imperium, got corrupted by tjapa and then joined the rebellion)
3) no
any Tjapans that old were too chaos to rebel
4) Can Kroot eat mindless vat-grown clones of other sapient species to retain sapience?
4) yes
5) For buffing Cataclysm Magic, which spells can be stacked? Same Wind?
5) same wind
6) To our knowledge, does Mortarion have a Transcendent Trait?
6) as far as you know no
around 30% chance youa re wrong
7) Can trained ka adepts be psychically healed if they temporarily pull their ka away from the affected area?
7) yes
8) You missed an earlier BWA update: The Long Night Part Three: Bonfire at Dawn (45k)
8) thanks
9) When does voting close?
9) 24 hours
10) What kind of force would the current Sane humanity be in the Iron Men Revolt?
10) strong enough to hold its ground, not storng enough to secure much outside of its borders
11) Should the deployment at Reaper's Rift (Slow) be understood to be a 100% casualty operation or not as bad?
11) 50-100% casulity
12) How has the Forge of Souls been doing since Belakor's Gambit?
12) very well
arms dealers do well in times of war
13) Can gods like the Child of Hate manifest on Avernus through the Time-Field?
13) yes
14) Do Primal Agressor Corps count towards the maximum deployment limit?
14) usually yes
when not its called out
1) Is what Be'lakor unleashed on the MoI just a particularly strong strain of scrapcode by modern standards, or is it the AI equivalent of the Black Death or Nurgle's Rot or something even now?
1) just strong scrapecode by modern standards
2) If we decide to win at Reaper's Rift, what are the projected troop loss rates for if we win?
a) I'm assuming that it's the same 50-100% loss rate for delaying if we lose. Is that correct?
2) high but not near total
a) yes
3) If we decide to completely neglect Reaper's Rift, is there any chance Mortarion will win fast enough to intervene at other flashpoints?
3) yes
4) Is the Child of Hate Exalted or low Major?
a) Ditto Phoenix Avatars
4) exalted
5) What are Mortarion's specialties?
5) grinding attition supported by bio and chem warfare
6) Would a GD on Mortarion's character sheet be worth it, or would the Eldar prefer a general Realm of Death support GD instead?
6) both are equaly usefuk
9) What's so unique about Reaper's Rift that it's offered as the position to hold Mortarion at?
9) its the main krork world in the area under contest
10) How much of our forces in the Jaeger/Guard/Trooper/PDF are we actually deploying as forces here?
10) 80/80/75/70
11) Idea: Hoeth/Slann making a Geomantic tap from Webway-Avernus so the Eldar in Commoragh have massive amount of power to work with?
11) possbile
12) if we go all in on winning reapers rift, will there be a chance of other allies seeing a decent change to take a shot at killing moratarian?
12) yes
1) Is Jacob at the point where the PM could run its Fencer Gauntlet on him?
1) maybe
its ahrd to say
1) What is generally considered the mark of a Knight and how well does Jacob fit them?
1) armour, mount and code of chivlery
and very badly
he is a wierd mix of spy and champion
basicly
he is goig for Jame Bond
not Sir Lancelot
1) Is the mount part less important and having a liege more important these days after the time Lion spent holding it, or did something count as his mount there?
1) mount is less improtant
2) Is Reaper's Rift slow 2500 corps max or 2000 corps max?
2) 2500
1) who is competing for the knight archetype?
1) lots of knight pilots, White Scars and Chaos Bikers
espeicaly Emperors Children
1) Does the Ghost Legion have a section of Riders In The Sky?
1) a few
2) Is the Archetype of the Action Hero a thing and does it fit Jacob?
2) yes and ebtter then most
3) How obnoxiously strong will Primal and Beastmaster units be with Ghur Cataclysm Magic buffing them?
3) very
1) What happened when Emps entered the chaos gate on Molech in Embers canon? Did it even happen?
1) it was not a Chaos gate
its the lcoation he tore his soul to make the Primarchs
1) Why did he choose to do it there and not on Terra/Luna where the labs were?
1) safe uot opf the way place
4) so molech was prior to that just a random backwater planet
4) yep
1) Is the soul tearing itself a valid cataclysm spell base, even if the making of the Primarchs isn't?
1) probebly
but why would you create a cataclysm spell that tears your soul to shreds?
there are easier and more through ways to commit sucide
2) How are the Emperor's Children doing given Fulgrim's death and Slaneshi's loss of domains? Like are they even still an organized group or have their leadership kind of fallen apart?
2) their leadership has scattered
1) Do we know what domains Angron, Fulgrim and Lorgar had?
1) no
1) Have significant portions of the Emperor's Children changed sides to Nurgle due to Obsession/Freedom focus?
1) yes
2) If not for the Warp Storm, is there a chance the Yinnari would have placed the Krork on Avernus? Or an Avernus pocket dimension?
2) no, too much attention
3) At what rate are Slann pools being built? Is it one Slann busy with the task, or are the others also taking construction actions?
3) one busy with the task
5) Why didn't Slaneesh get all the domains of the Eldar Gods when it ate them?
5) you dont get domains just from eating a god
you at most get a tie to said domain
6) Does Tzeentch's new info source seem to be focused on anything in particular, such as a specific foe or geographical region, or is it just a general bonus to all intel across the board?
6) strongest in the materium
weakest in the deep warp
you think
that is also the area where your intel is worst
so that weakness might just be a result of the fog of war
1) Can Be'lakor sense how he is railroaded into the Narrative of the Malcador to Tjapa's Emperor?
1) you are unsue how much he is
2) what is the most common and least common astartes gene line (ignoring II and XI)
2) least in 9
the curses hurt
pre deciver most was 13
now its 18
among the sane anyway
among Chaos most is 16 and least is 15
4) Are Constants just Primordials from Exalted?
4) n
5) Why is Tranth 'The Scientist' (People who figure out the fundamental laws of reality)? His main profession, inventing/improving devices and machinery, ergo exploiting the fundamental laws of reality, is the domain of Engineering.
5) good question
6) For Warproot use when it comes up in the next turn vote, could we make our plans with the full production potential being shown as opposed to it being done piecemeal? So it is much more straightforward.
6) you dont know the full production potentional yet
1) Hypothetically, how many times Warproot of our current supply would we need to have -100% Rogue Psyker multiplier?
1) several thousand
2) What would be scarier, a Ridcully!Tzeentch or a RotbartSuperfanAvernitePsyker!Tzeentch who's managed to nab and corrupt a now still mostly sane Tzeentchian Rotbart?
2) probebly the former
works better with the doamins
3) What is the limiting factor for the number of Knight Courts we have?
3) skilled knights
3) Is that just a matter of people needing time to reach the required skill thresholds, or a lack of equipment to train with?
3) poeple needing timne to reach the skill threashold where knight beats tank
4) When do you expect the next update to be?
4) today
5) With Telepathy, Daemonology and Sorcery, can you mind control a daemon?
5) yes
6) What level of Telepathy would you need to cast this? Mind Seed :: d20srd.org
6) grandmaster
but with limitations
7) Does the Galaxy have any Warpstorms left?
7) yes lots
8) What is a Warpstorm, based on our psychic understanding?
8) when the warp gets energetic enough it starts breaching the viel in an area
9)Do you have a Tzeentch candidate locked down or is it just roll dependent?
9) not saying
10) If you use Chaos Sorcery to try to summon a Triumvirate Deva or an Eldar God, what happens?
10) it fails
1) How many garrisons could be drawn down due to Rotbart applying his Paragon?
1) a few dozen
2) Which CGs are attacking the Deva World Network the most?
2) Tjapa
3) Is that just a matter of people needing time to reach the required skill thresholds, or a lack of equipment to train with?
3) poeple needing timne to reach the skill threashold where knight beats tank
(there is basicly a skill cuttoff
below which a superheavy tank is more cost effective then a Knight
so if you are not good enough to beat that skill cuttoff?
giving a Fellblade to the Helguard is a better choice then giving you a knight)
4) With regards to skill gain for our Astartes, how does the campaign against the KoC compare to the wars Quartus cut its teeth on? I.e. how tough of an enemy is the KoC?
4) its not that tough
its the Astartes deployed against the Realm of Death that are getting the EXP
5) Is there a Warp narrative drawback to giving everyone the genes for Knight piloting, compared to how it's restricted to certain bloodlines right now?
5) probebly
1) Is there a level of skill where Dragonfly Psy Stunning will flatly fail to work regardless of relative psychic power levels? If so, what's that skill level?
1) Master
if they have encountered it in the past and developed a counter
Exemplar if not
1) Why was Knight piloting gene-locked when they first made Knights in the past anyways?
1) basicly basic security
1) Why didn't they do that for Titans?
1) Titans are a far more recent design
they were invented by the Mechanicus in the Age of Strife
rather then by an unknown person early in the Dark Age
or evn before
2) How much does polymorphine actually work better on women compared to men? Is it a significant amount, or only a little bit with the Imperium blowing it out of proportion in regards to their Callidus recruitment?
a) By "women", is that biologically female (if it's a mundane compound) or is it both biologically and spiritually?
2) a little
a) more the latter then the former
1) Is that because polymorphine has a psychic component to it (if not as strong as the Helheim variation)?
1) yes
2) How good has Rotbart been rolling these last couple turns since we stopped playing him?
2) below average
3) Do you expect your earlier off-hand comment on not being able to get out the update today to actually hold true? Or was that more of a joke?
3) true
4) Besides Avernus, Trust & Ultima who else are on the Realm of Death front?
4) Blood Angels
some thousand lights that are in the area
5) can you kill/banish a demon via strangulation/drowning even though they don't need to breath air
5) yes
6) Based on the fact that Morty was a Daemon Prince when he said this, what level of self-delusion is he at? Grandmaster or exemplar? Paragon?
6) Grandmaster
7) Does having more steps make it easier or harder to change archetypes (without dying in between)?
7) harder
8) How badly wrecked is Confusion now that the King of Knights is done with it?
8) pretty damaged but not wrecked
9) Is that Khornate WiH vet Eldar Exalted Daemon Prince back to purely participating in the Great Game, or is he out and about elsewhere too?
9) back nin the Great Game
10) Besides the Eldar Exalted Daemon Prince, who is the other Exalted Daemon Prince that Khorne has?
10) Doombreed
11) how many exalted does khorne have right now?
11) 5
12) if a damon is hard banished can it comunicate with its followers?
12) yes but not easly
13) What are the levels of Banishment and what are the differences between them?
13) there are two main factors
1how hurt the daemons essance is
the more damaged the longer it will take to be able to act in the Great Game or return
2 how strong the banishment is
that only effects how long it takes to return to the materium
14) Given recent events will our allies be understanding if we either do not deploy our military or only deploy a very small portion next turn?
14) yes
15) Prior to the Isha Breakout, what was Nurgle Theology say about Isha?
15) who?
16) Just to check, but are the listed ages on the character sheet tabs for how old these people were at the start of Turn 1, or did you update them later?
16) start of turn 1
17) How is Callamus doing against the Warp beasts?
17) slowly winning
18) What were they using for Tallship construction materials before we switched to Evergrowth Trees?
18) various other primal woods
19) Jane aside, who's the second luckiest character in this quest rolls wise?
19) Ridully
20) What is the distribution of powerlevels among our Minor Psykers (from Iota to Eta) percentagewise?
a) Has it changed significantly since colonization?
20) around even split
a) no
2) Would Rakes find a Tachyon Arrow helpful, or does it not really work with his style/paragon?
2) nah its a powerful single shot weapon
he wants a rifle
1) I don't see an Explorator follow-up for Tortolion tech
1) beend elayed by Tranth being busy
2) What did Lorgar's death look like? Dissolution, erasure, implosion, going pop?
2a) Was it different in the Immaterium sight?
2) Dissolution
a) unknown
1) Which of Mortarion's hearts was eaten? The one with the carving or the other?
1a) Does it make a difference?
1) the other one
a) not a big one
2) " (+1L, +1 Ka Control, +2 Ka Power, can absorb Solar Ka, double maximum Ka)"
How big of a deal is "Double maximum Ka" exactly? Is it just doubling Aria's endurance when it comes to fighting with Ka? Or does double maximum Ka mean that it has effectively doubled the amount of power she can use?
2) double endurance
but given that endurance is one of Ka's weaknesses
3) Have any other polities suffered assassinations on their researchers?
3) yes
1) How badly is that impacting sane RnD?
1) not that much
few of the key ones have been killed
and deaths have slowed down in recent years
5) How many socialization actions do we need to take this turn to get Nurma back to normal?
5) at least one
perferable 2-3
Huh, Khorne really does love Avernites
The Rise of the King
New
Dynamesmouse
Bzzzzzz
The Rise of the King
The only peace most Khornates ever know is death, either their own, or in the moment after all their nearest enemies are dead. But you are much different. Peace within, leading to war without. Your heart is the eye of the hurricane, amidst the cycle of violence. The only use a mortal has is either as a warrior, or a slave to be consumed. With the help of Jacob Oakheart, you alone are at peace in war eternal.
The only use of the Kingdom of Brass and Skulls is as a sacrifice in the crucible of war. The Silver Imperium will have their Blood Crusade, aimed at their mutual enemy of Belakor. K.O.B.A.S.'s fleets will shatter, filling the night sky with corpses. You break your pact with the Blood Mages, ordering them to become Blood Sorcerers. Summoners on the battlefield, making very crude "circles" out of the intestines of their enemies. Splash some blood on it, either their's, or an enemy, fuel it with the domain of Blood Spilt in Battle, and you have an extremely potent summoning circle that only a Khornate could use.
Binding whatever comes out is a different matter, which is usually how Blood Sorcerers die, as whatever usually pops out must decide whether the sorcerer or their enemy gets first stabbed. But, you've no need to kill these sorcerers, and so, you order the demons descending from you to not kill them.
Clans fall, and Knights are left as wreckage on the battlefield. There are only the barest of recovery teams. What you once held as a sacred tool to let a mortal walk with the gods is now a mere weapon, to be scrapped for replacement parts should they fall.
Even with the favor of Khorne, your fleets are expended, your clans are depleted, and the forces that answered your call, the new formations you ordered, it was not enough to defeat the Kingdoms of Confusion.
It is of little consequence. Be'lakor was punished for the transgressions of Leon Osiris's dirty tricks, but Khorne only saw and heard that his holdings were bleeding. It cost you everything in the materium, save for eight Blood Sorcerers…
…
…
If Jacob could do it, so can you.
~
Tjapans? Too risky. You're on Be'lakor's shitlist from this, and you doubt they have the skill to not get caught.
Slaanesh? A possibility, though you fear your spies would be corrupted, and escape your grasp.
Nurgle? They're on the lookout for Tzeentchian spies, yes, but what about Khornate ones?
Khornates? Can't infiltrate them, they hate psykers as a matter of principle, and you're not going to betray your god.
Tzeentch? Nope, not dealing with another Blood Cabal incident.
Infiltrating Nurglites it is, then.
You capture some lesser Lords of Change, and simply shake them down for stories of Tzeentchian spies in Nurgle's territories. You pay attention to their common tricks and pitfalls. Probably heard several hundred lies in the process, but you think the Nurglites won't see them coming, with the right disguise and tactics.
Nurglites all hate each other, but only in ways that lead to more suffering in their big, unhappy family. They do not stab each other in the back. Their plots are to weaken and degrade their peers, not to sabotage and then take over.
Nurglites have ways of testing for Tzeentchian spies. Leaving out traps for the ambitious to take. The disguises of your Blood Sorcerers need not be especially good. Though you will have to place a potent curse of suffering on each of them, and start spending the last reserve of faith you have simply on keeping them alive.
You are more than a warrior, you are a god, and you are a well learned god. You split your primary form into two. Your lesser half, you reshape into the image of a Nurglite Aspiring. So long as your spies keep their distance from anyone asking about their patron, you should be good. You know enough blood magic that you can probably disguise some boons or curses as Nurglite sorcery. They have fought on the front lines extensively, and using intestines as summoning circles is not unknown to Nurglites.
They will be disguised as warriors first, and sorcerers second. They will be mercenaries, and move around as world walkers, until they find something important of Mortarions, and they summon your forces, and you kill it.
~
They pass themselves off as escaped sacrifices. Psykers who were saved from the altar by Sabok the Delirious. They banded together, and became great warriors, who were hounded constantly by Khornates, which is why they're such good warriors.
You nearly killed the spy who came up with that, but that would simply invoke the pact you made with them, for resurrection, and end up wasting your time, so you bite your tongue.
With Sabok as their patron, whose infection gave him a beserker's fury, they wield strange sorceries. Yet, the Nurglites buy it. Even as they're forced into revealing secrets and casting rituals such as "Storm of Blood and Blade", and "Rain of Viscera" by the circumstances of war.
Turns out, the Nurglites consider blood a sacred infection vector. You thought you would have to pull a mission abort, but somehow they just accept these things at face value, though they make biting comments that everything they do is "surprisingly Khornate".
Still, they rise above their peers.
~
Nurlgites are strange in how they hate each other. Instead of taking their differences out in the pit, they let their grudges fester. They do not act directly against each other. Instead, they split off (but never too far), and try and wear each other down. Scathing comments and humiliations in front of their peers, denying them opportunities, setting up rivals for failure, jests and taunts that would have seen skulls collected.
They do not, perhaps cannot, fight one another. They truly consider each other "family", underneath Papa Nurgle.
Your spies, underneath you exclusively, do not have this weakness. They are disciplined, and face their peers head on. Perhaps not in battle, but they can be certain that each insult is rebuked in kind.
With your spies not needing to encourage each other's downfall, they prevail. They even collect an ally, by helping them when he was left to suffer and decay alone.
As your spies are pretending to be mercenaries, it is easier for them to piss off the local lord, and then simply vacate the area. Gaining more glory in doing so than they lose.
~
You're not well versed in spycraft, but does Malal hate spies less than he hates regular chaos? Your forces were able to take over a much larger force, as a Nurglite fell to Malal at a very convenient time for you. Your mercenary captain became a hero overnight, as he lead a charge to protect a valuable installation from the self destruction of Malal.
Your spies are being summoned by name, by a Captain of the Death Guard. They want them to fight on a world where Mortarion himself will take to the field, in the Reaper's Rift.
Everything you've lead your Summoners through has lead you to this.
~
They call upon Sabok, through every intestine they pull out. Nurlites answer the call, in their thousands.
It starts with one circle. Then dozens. Punching holes through the veil. Each time they call, something more powerful answers, and absorbs incoming fire from the Krork. They start calling for Aspirings, large enough to block tank rounds.
Bindings weren't necessary. Nurglites do not turn on each other, and certainly not while under suppressive fire.
Mortarion's delusional sorcery is building to a crescendo, but then it keeps rising, far beyond the point where it should be unleashed. His fellows beg him to release it.
You want to see where this goes. A simple ripple at the right point destabilizes a Death Watch sorcerer, and a simple tug pulls them into the pit of power Mortarion is creating.
In his utter focus, he either does not notice, or does not care. Regardless of which, you continue the process.
Eventually, he calls out for the mercenary sorcerers, needing to stabilize the ritual. You've heard rumors of his delusions, seeing the Warp as nothing but a series of mathematical equations, with you and your ilk being delusional branches of unproductive mathematics. A blindspot that gives you a small opening, with the Obsession he's calling upon forcing him to ignore it.
Death, Rebirth, Destruction (and a lot of it), Disease, Decay, Stagnation, Freedom, and lastly, Obsession. The Sacred Eight gives you a small claim here. An annoyance, to a sorcerer of Mortarion's caliber. But with Obsession and your spies? You have an opportunity.
He keeps calling on Obsession and Destruction. Far beyond what is necessary for his goal of destroying a fortress. You'd describe what he's doing as Slaaneshi, but Slaanesh has changed in their behaviors, performing much more effective offensives than they've ever been capable of before.
Is Obsession a mistake? Clearly. Mortarion is too arrogant to believe that the power he wields could influence him.
~
Mortarion is a great sorcerer, but this is too much, even for him. The blast radius, should it destabilize, will tear a continent sized hole through the veil.
You know what? That sounds more like a him problem, in all honesty.
Your plan was originally to have your spies summon you at an opportune moment. Now?
At your signal, they break off from the ritual, and betray the Death Guard. Astartes have huge guts, so the summoning circle is enough for multiple strike forces, of your demons.
Eight Blood Sorcerers can get into a lot of trouble, in eight seconds. Multiple Aspirings of your ascended Princes are summoned. Confusion reigns, as the Nurglites oh so rarely suffer betrayal from within their ranks.
Your Princes help with the unsavory work, and your Blood Sorcerers retreat.
They do not have the armor to survive.
You take a javelin, and toss it straight through the keystone of Stagnation. Obsession and Destruction spill forth, and the local Materium is bathed in the unfocused power.
The veil rips away, and you are knocked on your ass. Your honor guard has been knocked clean out, banished to the deeper parts of Khorne's domain.
You step forth into the Materium once more. Mortarion has been knocked cleanly unconscious.
This is your chance. Knife in hand, you plunge deep, and cut.
You reach into the wound, and pluck out one of his still beating hearts. You see a name, as the legends foretold. His arteries still connect to your prize like roots from a vegetable, you devour your prize.
Rancid.
Mortarion wakes up, and promptly knocks you on your ass once more.
With him not yet recovered, you call out for an old friend, "Goreripper, I'm calling in that favor!"
The most powerful pact you have, an emergency shield, "Aight, where's the bitches we killin' today?"
He pulls you to your feet. You drop the knife, its purpose served, and draw your twin axes, to parry a scythe swing that would have removed your ally's head.
Mortarion is on his feet, and he is something beyond furious. Understandable, you just interrupted his near Slaaneshi perfect ritual. "While he's not yet recovered, RIP AND TEAR!"
You are a hurricane of violence, your berserking rage not a match for his fury. Regardless, you are at peace in this storm, and it's time to unveil your new weapon.
As you scythe descends, you simply… dodge.
Every style has weaknesses and strengths. There is a weakness inherent in even the styles of Khornates. Namely, they are designed to be fun to use. Or they focus on bloodletting and leaving the skull unharmed, as opposed to strikes on vitals.
Here, the next moment could be your last. Each attack you make must be one made with the intent to kill your opponent. While you are not yet worthy of the title of "Grandmaster", you flow into the second stance of the Oakheart School, with a minor accommodation for axes as opposed to a single blade.
He is injured from the ritual backlash, he's lost a heart, while you've gained some power and you have an ally. He is vastly more powerful than you, but if you give it everything you've got, you might just pull it off.
You have the terminal recall the Blood Summoners, and have them begin their work in earnest, while you and Goreripper distract him. His honorguard has yet to rally, and you can swarm him with servants.
A blow that can cut through mountains is aimed for your midsection, and you can only partially dodge it. The plague you caught from eating his heart slowed you, despite the power you gained. Goreripper goes for an opening after the powerful blow, eager to gain his share of the glory.
You dash beside him, aiming for Mortarion's arms, the only part of him even slightly vulnerable. He calls forth a demon of his own, using droplets from the wound you gave him. It grapples Goreripper, leaving you alone.
Dodge
The next moment can be your last. It matters not. You go for the throat, opting for the first stance.
You do not let your failure distract or surprise you. The scythe severs an arm, and a kick from him sends you sprawling.
Bang Bang Bang
You know not where the shots hailed from, but they were not aimed at you, so it matters not. You have an opening, so you aim for his chest.
His body shakes, and he threatens to banish you with each swing. With you missing an arm, your ability to take advantage in small openings is limited. Still, it matters not. Each strike of yours that failed to end him does not surprise you, and you simply flow with the reprisals.
Goreripper slams into him, and you take a moment to call out to Khorne, for health. He answers, and your arm is back, but you still only have one axe, and you lost your backup weapons from grazing hits.
You're about to show Mortarion why you were called the King of Brass well before you fell to Chaos. You combine Oakheart style and every memory you've recently recalled from your nights spent in bar room brawls, drunkenly breaking skulls with your brass knuckles.
A slice to the arm and an uppercut to the chin. You're close now, and he is staggered. You break an arm to aim an axe into his skull. Goreripper takes the scythe blade deep into his neck, but his head remains attached, barely.
Oh Nick, such good times we have.
You leap upon and over him. Mortarion is open, and you bring your axe down upon his head, and keep cleaving down. His halves severed, he is banished.
Blood and Viscera descend from the heavens, and you and Khorne's laughter resonates. You help Goreripper to his feet, and together, you return to the Great Game, with your newly christened Blood Callers in tow.
The only peace most Khornates ever know is death, either their own, or in the moment after all their nearest enemies are dead. But you are much different. Peace within, leading to war without. Your heart is the eye of the hurricane, amidst the cycle of violence. The only use a mortal has is either as a warrior, or a slave to be consumed. With the help of Jacob Oakheart, you alone are at peace in war eternal.
The only use of the Kingdom of Brass and Skulls is as a sacrifice in the crucible of war. The Silver Imperium will have their Blood Crusade, aimed at their mutual enemy of Belakor. K.O.B.A.S.'s fleets will shatter, filling the night sky with corpses. You break your pact with the Blood Mages, ordering them to become Blood Sorcerers. Summoners on the battlefield, making very crude "circles" out of the intestines of their enemies. Splash some blood on it, either their's, or an enemy, fuel it with the domain of Blood Spilt in Battle, and you have an extremely potent summoning circle that only a Khornate could use.
Binding whatever comes out is a different matter, which is usually how Blood Sorcerers die, as whatever usually pops out must decide whether the sorcerer or their enemy gets first stabbed. But, you've no need to kill these sorcerers, and so, you order the demons descending from you to not kill them.
Clans fall, and Knights are left as wreckage on the battlefield. There are only the barest of recovery teams. What you once held as a sacred tool to let a mortal walk with the gods is now a mere weapon, to be scrapped for replacement parts should they fall.
Even with the favor of Khorne, your fleets are expended, your clans are depleted, and the forces that answered your call, the new formations you ordered, it was not enough to defeat the Kingdoms of Confusion.
It is of little consequence. Be'lakor was punished for the transgressions of Leon Osiris's dirty tricks, but Khorne only saw and heard that his holdings were bleeding. It cost you everything in the materium, save for eight Blood Sorcerers…
…
…
If Jacob could do it, so can you.
~
Tjapans? Too risky. You're on Be'lakor's shitlist from this, and you doubt they have the skill to not get caught.
Slaanesh? A possibility, though you fear your spies would be corrupted, and escape your grasp.
Nurgle? They're on the lookout for Tzeentchian spies, yes, but what about Khornate ones?
Khornates? Can't infiltrate them, they hate psykers as a matter of principle, and you're not going to betray your god.
Tzeentch? Nope, not dealing with another Blood Cabal incident.
Infiltrating Nurglites it is, then.
You capture some lesser Lords of Change, and simply shake them down for stories of Tzeentchian spies in Nurgle's territories. You pay attention to their common tricks and pitfalls. Probably heard several hundred lies in the process, but you think the Nurglites won't see them coming, with the right disguise and tactics.
Nurglites all hate each other, but only in ways that lead to more suffering in their big, unhappy family. They do not stab each other in the back. Their plots are to weaken and degrade their peers, not to sabotage and then take over.
Nurglites have ways of testing for Tzeentchian spies. Leaving out traps for the ambitious to take. The disguises of your Blood Sorcerers need not be especially good. Though you will have to place a potent curse of suffering on each of them, and start spending the last reserve of faith you have simply on keeping them alive.
You are more than a warrior, you are a god, and you are a well learned god. You split your primary form into two. Your lesser half, you reshape into the image of a Nurglite Aspiring. So long as your spies keep their distance from anyone asking about their patron, you should be good. You know enough blood magic that you can probably disguise some boons or curses as Nurglite sorcery. They have fought on the front lines extensively, and using intestines as summoning circles is not unknown to Nurglites.
They will be disguised as warriors first, and sorcerers second. They will be mercenaries, and move around as world walkers, until they find something important of Mortarions, and they summon your forces, and you kill it.
~
They pass themselves off as escaped sacrifices. Psykers who were saved from the altar by Sabok the Delirious. They banded together, and became great warriors, who were hounded constantly by Khornates, which is why they're such good warriors.
You nearly killed the spy who came up with that, but that would simply invoke the pact you made with them, for resurrection, and end up wasting your time, so you bite your tongue.
With Sabok as their patron, whose infection gave him a beserker's fury, they wield strange sorceries. Yet, the Nurglites buy it. Even as they're forced into revealing secrets and casting rituals such as "Storm of Blood and Blade", and "Rain of Viscera" by the circumstances of war.
Turns out, the Nurglites consider blood a sacred infection vector. You thought you would have to pull a mission abort, but somehow they just accept these things at face value, though they make biting comments that everything they do is "surprisingly Khornate".
Still, they rise above their peers.
~
Nurlgites are strange in how they hate each other. Instead of taking their differences out in the pit, they let their grudges fester. They do not act directly against each other. Instead, they split off (but never too far), and try and wear each other down. Scathing comments and humiliations in front of their peers, denying them opportunities, setting up rivals for failure, jests and taunts that would have seen skulls collected.
They do not, perhaps cannot, fight one another. They truly consider each other "family", underneath Papa Nurgle.
Your spies, underneath you exclusively, do not have this weakness. They are disciplined, and face their peers head on. Perhaps not in battle, but they can be certain that each insult is rebuked in kind.
With your spies not needing to encourage each other's downfall, they prevail. They even collect an ally, by helping them when he was left to suffer and decay alone.
As your spies are pretending to be mercenaries, it is easier for them to piss off the local lord, and then simply vacate the area. Gaining more glory in doing so than they lose.
~
You're not well versed in spycraft, but does Malal hate spies less than he hates regular chaos? Your forces were able to take over a much larger force, as a Nurglite fell to Malal at a very convenient time for you. Your mercenary captain became a hero overnight, as he lead a charge to protect a valuable installation from the self destruction of Malal.
Your spies are being summoned by name, by a Captain of the Death Guard. They want them to fight on a world where Mortarion himself will take to the field, in the Reaper's Rift.
Everything you've lead your Summoners through has lead you to this.
~
They call upon Sabok, through every intestine they pull out. Nurlites answer the call, in their thousands.
It starts with one circle. Then dozens. Punching holes through the veil. Each time they call, something more powerful answers, and absorbs incoming fire from the Krork. They start calling for Aspirings, large enough to block tank rounds.
Bindings weren't necessary. Nurglites do not turn on each other, and certainly not while under suppressive fire.
Mortarion's delusional sorcery is building to a crescendo, but then it keeps rising, far beyond the point where it should be unleashed. His fellows beg him to release it.
You want to see where this goes. A simple ripple at the right point destabilizes a Death Watch sorcerer, and a simple tug pulls them into the pit of power Mortarion is creating.
In his utter focus, he either does not notice, or does not care. Regardless of which, you continue the process.
Eventually, he calls out for the mercenary sorcerers, needing to stabilize the ritual. You've heard rumors of his delusions, seeing the Warp as nothing but a series of mathematical equations, with you and your ilk being delusional branches of unproductive mathematics. A blindspot that gives you a small opening, with the Obsession he's calling upon forcing him to ignore it.
Death, Rebirth, Destruction (and a lot of it), Disease, Decay, Stagnation, Freedom, and lastly, Obsession. The Sacred Eight gives you a small claim here. An annoyance, to a sorcerer of Mortarion's caliber. But with Obsession and your spies? You have an opportunity.
He keeps calling on Obsession and Destruction. Far beyond what is necessary for his goal of destroying a fortress. You'd describe what he's doing as Slaaneshi, but Slaanesh has changed in their behaviors, performing much more effective offensives than they've ever been capable of before.
Is Obsession a mistake? Clearly. Mortarion is too arrogant to believe that the power he wields could influence him.
~
Mortarion is a great sorcerer, but this is too much, even for him. The blast radius, should it destabilize, will tear a continent sized hole through the veil.
You know what? That sounds more like a him problem, in all honesty.
Your plan was originally to have your spies summon you at an opportune moment. Now?
At your signal, they break off from the ritual, and betray the Death Guard. Astartes have huge guts, so the summoning circle is enough for multiple strike forces, of your demons.
Eight Blood Sorcerers can get into a lot of trouble, in eight seconds. Multiple Aspirings of your ascended Princes are summoned. Confusion reigns, as the Nurglites oh so rarely suffer betrayal from within their ranks.
Your Princes help with the unsavory work, and your Blood Sorcerers retreat.
They do not have the armor to survive.
You take a javelin, and toss it straight through the keystone of Stagnation. Obsession and Destruction spill forth, and the local Materium is bathed in the unfocused power.
The veil rips away, and you are knocked on your ass. Your honor guard has been knocked clean out, banished to the deeper parts of Khorne's domain.
You step forth into the Materium once more. Mortarion has been knocked cleanly unconscious.
This is your chance. Knife in hand, you plunge deep, and cut.
You reach into the wound, and pluck out one of his still beating hearts. You see a name, as the legends foretold. His arteries still connect to your prize like roots from a vegetable, you devour your prize.
Rancid.
Mortarion wakes up, and promptly knocks you on your ass once more.
With him not yet recovered, you call out for an old friend, "Goreripper, I'm calling in that favor!"
The most powerful pact you have, an emergency shield, "Aight, where's the bitches we killin' today?"
He pulls you to your feet. You drop the knife, its purpose served, and draw your twin axes, to parry a scythe swing that would have removed your ally's head.
Mortarion is on his feet, and he is something beyond furious. Understandable, you just interrupted his near Slaaneshi perfect ritual. "While he's not yet recovered, RIP AND TEAR!"
You are a hurricane of violence, your berserking rage not a match for his fury. Regardless, you are at peace in this storm, and it's time to unveil your new weapon.
As you scythe descends, you simply… dodge.
Every style has weaknesses and strengths. There is a weakness inherent in even the styles of Khornates. Namely, they are designed to be fun to use. Or they focus on bloodletting and leaving the skull unharmed, as opposed to strikes on vitals.
Here, the next moment could be your last. Each attack you make must be one made with the intent to kill your opponent. While you are not yet worthy of the title of "Grandmaster", you flow into the second stance of the Oakheart School, with a minor accommodation for axes as opposed to a single blade.
He is injured from the ritual backlash, he's lost a heart, while you've gained some power and you have an ally. He is vastly more powerful than you, but if you give it everything you've got, you might just pull it off.
You have the terminal recall the Blood Summoners, and have them begin their work in earnest, while you and Goreripper distract him. His honorguard has yet to rally, and you can swarm him with servants.
A blow that can cut through mountains is aimed for your midsection, and you can only partially dodge it. The plague you caught from eating his heart slowed you, despite the power you gained. Goreripper goes for an opening after the powerful blow, eager to gain his share of the glory.
You dash beside him, aiming for Mortarion's arms, the only part of him even slightly vulnerable. He calls forth a demon of his own, using droplets from the wound you gave him. It grapples Goreripper, leaving you alone.
Dodge
The next moment can be your last. It matters not. You go for the throat, opting for the first stance.
You do not let your failure distract or surprise you. The scythe severs an arm, and a kick from him sends you sprawling.
Bang Bang Bang
You know not where the shots hailed from, but they were not aimed at you, so it matters not. You have an opening, so you aim for his chest.
His body shakes, and he threatens to banish you with each swing. With you missing an arm, your ability to take advantage in small openings is limited. Still, it matters not. Each strike of yours that failed to end him does not surprise you, and you simply flow with the reprisals.
Goreripper slams into him, and you take a moment to call out to Khorne, for health. He answers, and your arm is back, but you still only have one axe, and you lost your backup weapons from grazing hits.
You're about to show Mortarion why you were called the King of Brass well before you fell to Chaos. You combine Oakheart style and every memory you've recently recalled from your nights spent in bar room brawls, drunkenly breaking skulls with your brass knuckles.
A slice to the arm and an uppercut to the chin. You're close now, and he is staggered. You break an arm to aim an axe into his skull. Goreripper takes the scythe blade deep into his neck, but his head remains attached, barely.
Oh Nick, such good times we have.
You leap upon and over him. Mortarion is open, and you bring your axe down upon his head, and keep cleaving down. His halves severed, he is banished.
Blood and Viscera descend from the heavens, and you and Khorne's laughter resonates. You help Goreripper to his feet, and together, you return to the Great Game, with your newly christened Blood Callers in tow.
Avernite A:... Did you know the general could do that?
Avernite B: Hell no! What do you think I am, a dviner?
Unchained Soldier *walking in*: Is that common for your people?
Avernite A: Sure, sure, see it all the time.
- Location
- Pale Blue Dot
I really hope I'm reading things wrong here, but:
Err. Should this not be "how to turn failure into success"?
...and... is the basic idea that after Grandmaster Xavier has been somewhere, all the proof of wrongdoing burned up or something..?
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Thozmp
Gets my kicks above the waistline, Sunshine.
Something something favorite enemy something mumble.
Dynamesmouse
Bzzzzzz
Simple: When Ridcully sees someone succeed, he knows when to keep his mouth shut. No need for interference.
Tajpa is Himedere
Slaneash is Erodere
Nurgle is Yandere
Khorne is tsundere
Tzeentch is ???dere
Chroniqler
Naught but a simple wanderer
It's saying that that bonus was removed. It's similar to his loss of the massive bonus to intimidation.
It sounds like this actually went in our favor. Despite the increasing forces deployed, the fortifications got stronger rather than being ground down.
It's odd to me that the moment we leave they practically fell apart. Were we single handedly holding them up or something?
Abaddon's civil war ended about as well as we could reasonably hope for.
The conflict between Nurgle and Tzeentch ending is a bit of a surprise though.
It's pretty impressive that even on a 3 week time limit our forces were able to completely destroy everything. Wars normally take longer to play out in TLN.
This will pretty much end the Realm of Death as a threat. I'm not even sure we should keep deploying there.
This is some serious trait gain. All of our generals are gaining a crazy amount of stats. They're all collecting at Exemplar martial it seems like.
I'm still not convinced this is worthwhile, unfortunate to see it locked in. This eats up a big portion of our RM.
Saving 5 action years per turn if we keep deploying there is very nice though.
I still don't understand how this reduces build time. We could grow Evergrowth trees in the materium, cut them down and process them with heavy industry, then ship the processed components to the primal before. I don't get why growing them in the primal where heavy equipment can't be used is somehow easier.
This is an incredible bonus. The costs are pretty high, but I still think it's worth it.
This is what I'd go for, as it's the last efficient step. Heavy is triple the cost for +25% relative to this. Though Extreme is quadruple the cost of moderate for +50% (better return than Heavy).
Kind of smaller on the stat bonuses than I hoped, but the buff to Ka endurance is very significant in combat.
I want to do both of these. I expect great things.
This is more than I expected, and somehow this is just the first stage. We're going to end up with a crazy amount of Warproot.
This has to be up there with the best actions we've ever had. I expected it would be either training time reduction on this level or an increase in promotion speed on this level. To get both and increased pass rate is incredible.
These don't make sense. Zeta battle psykers somehow costs more than all Zeta.
- Location
- Earth
Evergrowth Trees grown in the materium do not resonate enough with the Primal to be useable as Tallship construction material.
I wonder if we could do Waitwoods Planting: Avernus with Primal Evergrowth for synergy?
Which really doesn't make sense because we can bring wood or other natural materials into the primal just fine.
Sir LagsAlot
Yandere Dice Magnet
- Location
- In the fridge
I can see why this research was viewed as potentially relevant to even the elder races now. Imagine this, but applied to the Krork if the Culture Spirits: Teaching Continued action manages to figure out how to simplify the proccess enough to allow it to be used en masse on a mostly non-psychic population.
- Location
- Earth
Well, that's what Durin said when I asked. Presumably there's a difference between merely being able to travel through the Primal and being suitable for use in Primal equipment. Right now we're using various other Primal woods for construction, so it can't be any old wood. Probably has something to do with making the Primal ignore the fact that ships are still a construction made by sapients. If you're really confused, you can ask for more clarification in questions-for-durin.
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- Location
- Canada
Dang, poor Mortarion. Then again, he should've known better than to use Obsession and Freedom: considering that Slaneesh without those two major Domains is somehow razing Khorne's most heavily defended citadels, it's clear those Domains were always more of a hindrance than help.
It's a pleasure to see Abaddon fight his way back on top of his trash pile for the fifth? time. Can't wait to see what collapses his empire next. I'm gonna go with Void Dragon Deep Penetration Strike for $300 (considering the VD's grudging respect for Abaddon's capability lmao).
Jane: Our security forces are finally enough to deal with multiple dozens of Alpha Plus, thousands of Alpha, and tens of thousands of Beta Rogue Psykers.
Jane: Which means Avernus is definitely gonna shit out even more BS for us to deal with.
Nurma: I understand the words you said but I was distracted by a deep, unyielding sense of horror and disbelief.
Jane: It's not like we're killing actual Honored Greater Daemons by the dozen and Favored by the thousands and so on. They have zero experience, only raw power. We're literally killing insane babies.
Nurma: OK, that didn't help. I know you tried, but that absolutely didn't help.
It's a pleasure to see Abaddon fight his way back on top of his trash pile for the fifth? time. Can't wait to see what collapses his empire next. I'm gonna go with Void Dragon Deep Penetration Strike for $300 (considering the VD's grudging respect for Abaddon's capability lmao).
Jane: Our security forces are finally enough to deal with multiple dozens of Alpha Plus, thousands of Alpha, and tens of thousands of Beta Rogue Psykers.
Jane: Which means Avernus is definitely gonna shit out even more BS for us to deal with.
Nurma: I understand the words you said but I was distracted by a deep, unyielding sense of horror and disbelief.
Jane: It's not like we're killing actual Honored Greater Daemons by the dozen and Favored by the thousands and so on. They have zero experience, only raw power. We're literally killing insane babies.
Nurma: OK, that didn't help. I know you tried, but that absolutely didn't help.
- Location
- Alice Springs, Australia
it looks like the Oakheart Style has a new hero
- Location
- Alice Springs, Australia
Pretty much this but with it more being that materium sourced wood tends to break faster then it should under the pressure of the primal weather
By Whose Authority: Escalation
New
Dynamesmouse
Bzzzzzz
Escalation
The fleet of the Drukhari was sharp and sleek, an array of implements of torture, each uniquely prepared for use upon an unexpecting night's sky. They placed themselves in a graveyard of thieves, kessler syndrome not being an issue for either them or any worthy customers. They are neutral arms dealers, and strive for such a reputation. They let it known that they only torture their slaves, and whoever foolishly decides to steal from them, or renege on their contracts.
By Munetsi's reckoning, they are mostly honest on that front.
The space around them is littered with bubbles, it looks like. Gripped by clawed hands. Upon closer visual inspection, each one contains a person. Upon even further inspection, one might realize that inspecting them is a terrible, terrible idea.
Each one has a simple broadcast, both of their screams, and of their crimes, along with how much battery the life support system has left.
The earliest date will expire in about three centuries, it seems. They must have been feeling merciful, then.
One broadcast cuts through the others, displaying itself upon the central screen of the Botzivan.
"Munetsi the Enslaver, and Captain of the Botzivan. Either avert your course immediately, or prepare to be boarded. Have your deposit ready. We'll keep it, should you purchase nothing. We'll take something of appropriate value should you not have it ready."
The Drukhari are interested in selling weapons, more than betrayal or raiding. However, even they can't resist eating a Tzeentchian who places too much trust in them.
They launch many rapid shuttles, over the course of a few minutes. Time ticks by agonizingly slowly. They launch more than they need to, in order to secure a simple depository.
But this is just their standard show of force, to a first time customer. Munetsi has not formally introduced herself to them. Keep calm.
Their shuttles enter the Botzivan's loading docks. The cult had worked feverishly to clean them, and the path they would take to the command bridge.
Every article of armor the force they deployed to board the Botzivan is elegantly melded with curvy, menacing spikes. They take darkness to be an artform. Their armor is form fitting. Their rifles emanate strange energies that cause ripples and distortions in the air. It's impossible to tell if they are meant to be used as bayonets. The design and angles are off for it, yet for some reason, it's all too clear you do not want it pointed at you, at any range.
Their pace is that of both a stalker and a marching soldier. They do not wait for servants to point the way to the command bridge, as they advance at their own pace to Munetsi.
They have hackers of their own, which Sherlock only provides token resistance against. They tap into some of your security feeds, but he will not let them into the comms system.
They make a detour, from the most direct path to the command deck. Instead, they veer off into the factory center. The Technomancer recalls many sisters to her position, and they begin to modify her workstation, to conceal the First Worldship's technology.
Walls and floors are torn up in seconds, and entire conveyor belts shuffle themselves out of the way. The countless arms move themselves out of sight.
Sherlock and Munetsi begin to rapidly reassemble the original factory, or what they can of it in several minutes. Constructor drones swarm about, heavy machinery operates itself. Munetsi delineates tasks, and together, they both complete, they show off what a hive mind of Technomancers an AI can accomplish on short notice.
In the end, it clearly looks unfinished, as there is no dust or rust where it should be. Constructor drones are banished to nooks and crannies. Various machines are not plugged in, and the floor still has marks of where the original machines were installed.
However obvious it looks like there was something else here previously, there is nothing suspicious out in the open.
The Drukhari stalk in, the armor absorbing the light of the factory. They clearly expected something else to be here, but say nothing, simply scanning.
One Munetsi strides forward, as another discreetly slips away, as a ninefold should. They likely noticed the ruse, but use their silence the same way an assassin uses blades.
She breaks the silence, "Oh great and terrible ones, welcome to the Botzivan. As much as I love my factory, it is not where I store my refreshments! Come, let us do our business with a view of the stars."
Still, the jagged silence persists. They do not move or even so much as twitch. With multiple Munetsis, she does not let their power play wear her down. "You know, for as much as I've heard people scream about Vect's business, I was expecting his representatives to be more talkative."
"I'm familiar with your catalogue, and wish to make my purchases."
"Shall I bring the deposit here, or do you wish for us to walk to the command deck?"
The silence's power is broken, as Munetsi fills the air with instead relevant conversation.
"No, Munetsi the Enslaver. Begin handing over your deposit. As a reminder, we have no need for your lesser weapons or tedious gifts, and we can escort slaves ourselves.", said the Eldar, who stalked forth, to the closest Munetsi. Four arms, much as she had, bearing tattoos and ritual scars in equal measure.
Munetsi handed over one of her Nurglite Aspirings in a jar.
"Bah! Barely more than a lesser! Do you think that this is an acceptable deposit? Choose your next words carefully, lest I start appraising you, beautiful one."
Munetsi surrendered, and proffered Terrad the Distortion, Favored of Tzeentch.
"Much better. You can now send a shuttle, along with a plus one, to loading dock 46. You depart at our signal, not before, and not after."
~
Two Munetsis fidgeted in the shuttle. No matter how comforting it would be for Jacob to be here, Jameson can absolutely not be trusted in this environment.
The Dark Eldar sent the signal and the flight path. The shuttle departs, and starts descending relative to the Botzivan.
Flights of fighter packs move in, without activating their usual stealth systems. Targeting beams lock onto the shuttle. Once more, the signals of the Drukhari cut through. "Munetsi the Enslaver, move faster. We don't have all day for the likes of you."
The shuttle accelerates, well beyond safe docking speed, and reaches a dangerous velocity. This close to a ship, a crash would splatter them.
Five, Four, Three, Two, One.
The shuttle is captured by a net of unlight, almost all momentum arrested. Still, Munetsi is rocked almost violently, and the shuttle is dragged into Dock 46.
Munetsi dusts herselves off, and step out of the shuttle, back into the sight lines of the black clad soldiers from before.
One steps forward, raising a strange implement in their hand. Munetsi does not resist, despite the ominous hum or the headache inducing frequency.
She's waved forward, to walk down an impossibly long stairway, lined with impaled and flayed slaves. They're throats and vocal cords long since given out. But even still, they admire the two moths, as they descend, and moan as they depart.
The two reach the bottom of the stairway, and walk along a flooring made of a strange material. Best not to think about it. Before them lies a simple, unadorned door. As one Munetsi goes to knock, it opens before them.
The think scent of something impossible sweet nearly overwhelms them, and from a pit before them with an odd metal pole in the middle of it, slithers up something to meet.
The lower body of a snake, with four arms. A face plate with only six holes to let in light. Six liquid injectors are impaled upon their back. Old bloodstains make his open labcoat crusty, and they wear no shirt, showing off their pectorals and a Mark of Slaanesh over the traditional heart location for an Eldar.
"As truly exquisite and exotic as my guards described! How delightful, how beautiful. Kind, gracious Munetsi. Make yourselves welcome at the home of Anasta the Acquirer, Gift Giver."
He traces circles around them, getting a look at them from every angle, at once staying out of their personal space, but only by occupying every other space around her.
"I don't suppose you have seats available?"
He stops in his tracks, and leans closer to sniff the pair. "Ah, of course, I promise you, now that we've been introduced properly, the next time we meet, it will go much faster. Here, into my trophy room."
The room he led them into was excessively furnished with leather from many unknowable sources. Baubles that thrummed with power from all of the gods of Chaos littered shelves carved from the bones of giants. Insects of every form, shape, and color were pinned to the walls by needles.
Bound in ropes of silk knelt Terrad the Distortion in a binding circle. He screamed as heard them, "YOU! Damned fools, do you have any idea what you've done!? Take a look at the room you're in, and ask yourself just how he got that title. He didn't bother to deafen my ears as he blinded my eyes. Listen, he intends to-"
He was silenced, as yet more bands of silk enwrapped his face and beaks. Anasta snapped their fingers, and the binding circle rapidly sank into the floor. In the pit arose a pair of chairs, upholstered in leather.
"Hmmm, you shouldn't pay attention to their ilk. Their mind games lead so many astray, it is best to simply forget any idea they tried to plant into your pretty little heads. Now, tell me, what can the great Anasta provide for you?"
Regal and composed, Munstsi spoke as one, " we've perused your catalogue, and we wish to purchase the mk. 6 enslaver collar, nine stealth breacher drones, and a dose of the Chainhell poison, modified for immediate miscasts over the entire network."
The homunculus coiled themselves inward, and hunched over into a Munetsi's face. "The collar and the drones are the most obvious choices, and within the budget of a favored Lord of Change. Chainhell is not a trivial poison to modify, however. But your request intrigues me."
"You go about your pilgrimage of the Principalities of Change as a kidnapper. You've clearly done your homework, asking for such a poison, but instead of a poison that can incapacitate a ninefold, you ask for something that could kill them outright?"
"It's not necessary for the kidnapping, exactly, but I have another application."
Anasta reached into his pocket, and placed a collar on the table. As he did so, multiple black lance-like constructs appeared. "The collar, as requested. Top of the line, and enslaves the nervous system, as opposed to the soul. I've already sent the manual and command codes to your noosphere, for the drones. Now, as for the poison…"
Holograms emerged, depicting human anatomy, and of biochemical molecules and strange glyphs.
"Chainhell was designed to incapacitate ninefolds, not kill them. You said that inflicting a speedy miscast over an entire network is your aim? Useless for kidnapping. Are you, by chance, trying to break away from the shadow of Keelser Soze? Don't answer that, I suspect you need your honesty intact."
The diagrams changed, and Anasta continued "I have what you need. Sagridium. Goes from entering the bloodstream to detonating the brains of all nine bodies in six seconds. It is, however, outside of your price range, as the base ingredient for this poison is the heart of a Slaaneshi favored."
Anasta leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "But don't let that discourage you for even a moment, darlings. There's this little thing called "store credit" that I'm willing to extend to. Your career is one that interests us. Kidnapping ninefolds is no small feat, and you've turned it into your day job. Truly, a marvel to behold, and a credit to any who earn the title of "Enslaver". And so, I have a proposition for you!"
They dramatically spread all their arms wide, and the entire floor descended rapidly, revealing that underneath the facade, the room was much larger than it appeared. The wall was festooned with the arsenal of the Drukhari. Many more of their drones came to life, flocking to Munetsi, seamlessly flowing into and out of visibility.
"Warded against many potent divinations, and we make it a habit of oh so rarely spooking the locals. Spread your mind out, and take as many of them as you desire. Take heed, that these are no gifts. If you want to earn both them and the Sagridium, you'll start turning in your ninefolds to me."
Without missing a beat, the two spoke as one, "I am/We are not trading one patron for another. Despite my mistakes, I am branching out, and taking more care to tender my reputation."
Anasta resumed his earlier tracing of lazy circles around the two, "Is he really paying you that much? Ah, nevermind, precious ninefold. I know your answer is going to be some variant of "it's complicated". But I know enough of Tzeentchian complications. Munetsi, you've gone on something of a rampage. I've seen shooting stars like yours before. Normally, they burn up on reentry in the atmosphere. You've gotten involved in some incredibly shady business, and I'm saying that as a Drukhari Homunculus, and an interstellar arms dealer."
"All that said, I see your potential, so here's another offer. Expand your business. Take these drones, and start tracking down the ninefolds in Charla'bola. I'll even throw in the poison, and nine sets of armor for you. It's been a while since I was involved in a proper raid. In each one, we'll be lucky to get even a moderately damaged ninefold. They fall over, with their strings cut, rather than face our hospitality."
"If a single body of theirs escapes, you've missed your opportunity to capture one. So, you strike each target simultaneously. Go out, and find every target you possibly can. We'll help you plan a proper distraction, and then, we'll launch the most glorious slave raid the Principalities has ever suffered!"
Munetsis crossed their arms, and huffed, "I've already lost favor with the nines, from my actions on Bava'ria. I can't' and won't speak of Keelser Soze, but kidnapping is not my only ambition here."
Dozens of drones carry on encircling Munetsi, but Anasta stops in their tracks. "Is Keelser Soze truly as terrifying as they say? The alias shows up in no records, and I know the story of Vect's chef being your patron is nothing but a funny little horror story for the ninefolds."
"They have something of ours, that we would be fools to ask another's help in retrieving. Regardless, I still have a pilgrimage to complete."
Their mask dropped to the floor, revealing a small frown and gentle eyes, "It's not like a Tzeentchian to turn down an opportunity like this. Surely your pilgrimage isn't that important, yes?"
The two looked at each other, yet only the one furthest from Anasta spoke, "The pilgrimage is the entire reason why I'm here. Kidnapping ninefolds is just how I pay for various expenses. But, perhaps I could expedite it? It would require information I'm not sure you would share."
Anasta spoke up, "If you've scanned the detritus outside, you'll find that all who do not entreat with us properly simply become examples to all. I'm willing to give you that information, in exchange for telling me why you're really here."
She waited before answering for a time. The two's minds blanked out, a common occurrence in ninefolds who do not wish for one of their body's minds to be read, while they think something through with other bodies. Dangerous, to employ in the presence of the Drukhari.
Anasta drew closer, and coiled around a Munetsi, eyeing them intently from within his grasp. Their wings folded up, to not get in their way. Luxuriously coated in some of the finest silks. Sturdy carapace, and the illusions and glamors upon her were not to enhance beauty, but to conceal weapons, or perform misdirections, or to enact distractions on a moment's notice.
Their consciousness returned, and neither Munetsi moved, yet spoke in unison, "We are looking for VIPs in the Principalities of Change. The nine most skilled individuals. Not in some particular skill, but in general. They could be great leaders, or the best sorcerer in the land, or perhaps-"
"You are far from the first in recent times to go looking for this information. The requests from the Tzeentchians are honestly getting a bit tedious. But, a deal's a deal, and you've gotten close to the orbits of several of them. Hobera, Starscourge, the power couple of Baza'ria, though I heard you missed the wedding, even as you were busy putting on a spectacle, here in the Charla'bola subsector, you would be looking for one Serafva Sightseer."
"Other names are further afield. Coysin the Shifting is a spymaster, and we don't know their current location. If you're looking for a rising star, Beysera of the Offering Circle, some immigrant who was some strange Khornate sorcerer, of all things. Sarakesh is a name that might surprise you, a fool that lets all peruse his libraries, but he is more talented than the public realizes. There's one name I'll speak once, and give you a warning to not repeat it. Fera the Silent. Remember, rising star, that there is no silence without death."
A slave messenger entered from a side door, his eyes downcast. They approached, and meekly offered Anasta a dataslate. He signed, and read it. As he continued reading, his face took on a curious, nearly bewildered expression.
"Might I ask you what you find curious? Let me go, and tell me, and I'll not hold your invasion of my personal space against you." The uncoiled Munetsi spoke.
Anasta complied, "Tell me, and do ask your contacts for this: Have you ever heard of sorcerer-spies?"
"I am, in fact, such a spy."
"Yes, but are you a Khornate sorcerer spy?"
"That's an interesting combination. My other selves have just received news from the stellar heralds and other info brokers of Mortarion suffering a great banishment at the hands of an Honored of Khorne. Another self is performing a public divination ritual with other ninefolds, and I am tapping Keelser Soze for information."
~
"The King of Knights is supposed to be waging war on the Kingdom of Confusion. What is he doing in the Realm of Death."
"It's the Harlequins playing a joke."
"It's all as Tzeentch has planned, guys!"
"Tzeentch's plan is Khornate Blood Summoner spies? Tell me, are you interested in hearing about my new bridge investment portfolio? For only nine slaves-"
"He split off an Aspiring, and took a disguise and eight of his Blood Mages, and got next to Mortarion."
"Do your divinations properly this time. Khornate sorcerer spies, are you kidding me?"
"Now's the best time to join the Hopebringers! This is the time for Tzeentch to claim his ultimate victory of Nurgle in the Great Game!"
"A ritual of Obsession gone on for far too long, and a Khorate god doing spycraft? This is the work of Tzeentch! This is why Tzeentch let Nurgle take those two domains! The Realm of Death is wide open!"
"Mate, I don't care how good your new crystal ball is, there's NO SUCH THING AS KHORNATE SORCERER SPIES!"
"I had a spy in the Kingdom of Brass and Skulls. An oracle that went by the name of "Four Eyes". If you'll pay me, I'll share a prophecy written by him."
"I'm not an easy mark, mate. I don't need to hear another long story about how "the son of Jane Oakheart infiltrated a Khornate nation"."
"I got this report from the desk of Vulkan himself. It says right here that some great sniper general and a bunch of Khornate Sorcerer Spies teamed up to summon the King of Knights."
"Jake Flamewheel hides among us!"
"Mortarion was banished for how long?"
~
Aboard the most secure wing of the Botzivan rested various personnel who were essential, yet could not be revealed under any circumstances. A Harlequin, a Priestess of Isha and the Child of Hate, and a Black Librarian. The Child of Hate enters the body of her priestess, and calls you away from watching over Munetsi.
"Jacob, we have a problem. We've made a breakthrough, but also hit a wall. Luluna asked me to keep this simple: We need thirty ninefolds. Have you heard about Mortarion yet?"
"I've not been able to pay attention to the news, I've been serving as a body guard, over a VIP in a risky negotiation with the Drukhari."
"I'll be brief, your friend, the "King of Knights", just banished Mortarion for over a hundred years."
"Ah. I know what you're going to ask next."
"Yep. Hopebringer Crusade. Farseers got some good omens for us if you can capture a demon world. Expect multiple Honoreds on both sides."
"This is going to be a hellish fight. I think Munetsi can gather one hell of a Crusade, but it won't be enough."
"I'll get Harlequins to pull strings, make our allies pull forces away from a target zone. I'll get you all the medicine and plagues I can spare, and see what other special assets I can shake loose."
You rush back to the two Munetsis that are still visiting the Drukhari weapons dealers. Why can't anything be simple in this nation?
~
"This is either one of Cegorach's great jokes, or, Mortarion got banished by the plots of Khornate Sorcerer spies."
Anasta was laughing at the concept, "You're lucky I like you enough to not increase prices just yet. I can already tell the Hopebringers are gearing up for a war."
"I intend to join them."
Anasta stopped.
"Again? You've already found what you were looking for, in the Hopebringers, and we both know you don't actually care about Tzeentch's favor."
"Investigations and kidnapping were only two of my nine missions. I intend to break free, and for that, I will need to kill some of Keelser Soze's men, and I need to rise even higher. I intend on getting as many of Keelser Soze's men to sign up as possible, and then escalate the conflict between the Hopebringers and the Nurglites. In this way, I will rise as he falls, and I'll be beyond his grasp for a time. Anasta, I'm asking you to lower your prices for the Hopebringers."
Anasta began to circle Munetsi once more, "Do not think for even a moment I can't feel the effects of Fate here. You're playing a far more dangerous game here than you yet realize."
Munetsi locked eyes with him, and declared "Thirty six ninefolds."
Anasta stopped, " I'll pretend I didn't hear that. As a word of advice, don't make promises you can't keep to the Drukhari."
She repeated herself, "Thirty six ninefolds."
"Munetsi, dear, do you recall what I said earlier about "shooting stars"?"
~
The objective for operation Stardust changed, with Munetsi loaded in debt to the Drukhari, with the intent of helping them with one of the most ambitious slave raids in history.
Munetsi and Anasta came to an understanding. The Drukhari will lower prices for the Hopebringers, and give Munetsi a good amount of tech. In exchange, Munetsi will betray the Nonarchies, and help capture for them thirty six ninefolds, after an expedited pilgrimage and a campaign against Nurgle.
You intend to have them capture the ninefolds for you, and then steal them.
You're sure that the Drukhari will be quite happy, in this case. They've been preparing some of their worst tortures for oath breakers, and few are willing to break their word to them.
It's happened before. Vect has set aside multiple Honored Keepers of Secrets to find such oath breakers.
Munetsi scatters about Charla'bola. She's joined up as a recruiter for the Hopebringers, and gets involved in things. Using weapons as sign up bonuses. The Child of Hate is not the only god who wants the Hopebringers to invade the Realm of Death. The Lords of Change hatch many plots to ensnare people, put them under pressure, and let them come to the Hopebringers to escape. Prisoners are conscripted, and recruitment ads float in the sky by magic.
Munetsi uses you to round up bounties, of all things. You're reaching the point where you can't keep track of all she does. It's part of a soft power approach, to get ninefolds to either donate resources, or go to war. As a Hopebringer, Munetsi is quite safe, for the moment.
This is going to be worse than the invasion of Nurgstasch. Even as Munetsi has gotten much better, and you won't have to hold back, there's going to be Honoreds on the battlefield.
The Child of Hate distributes countless vaccines, in excess of what she was giving before, and prepares many weapon plagues for you. She makes available many Plague Eaters.
The plans she comes up with are absurd. She stocks up with literally thousands of drones, and transforms the First Worldship factory into a Borderlion sled, to their bemusement and dismay.
Taking inspiration from that time Tjapans crashed a battle barge into Dis, she modifies the Botzivan.
Why did you say you'd do this again?
The fleet of the Drukhari was sharp and sleek, an array of implements of torture, each uniquely prepared for use upon an unexpecting night's sky. They placed themselves in a graveyard of thieves, kessler syndrome not being an issue for either them or any worthy customers. They are neutral arms dealers, and strive for such a reputation. They let it known that they only torture their slaves, and whoever foolishly decides to steal from them, or renege on their contracts.
By Munetsi's reckoning, they are mostly honest on that front.
The space around them is littered with bubbles, it looks like. Gripped by clawed hands. Upon closer visual inspection, each one contains a person. Upon even further inspection, one might realize that inspecting them is a terrible, terrible idea.
Each one has a simple broadcast, both of their screams, and of their crimes, along with how much battery the life support system has left.
The earliest date will expire in about three centuries, it seems. They must have been feeling merciful, then.
One broadcast cuts through the others, displaying itself upon the central screen of the Botzivan.
"Munetsi the Enslaver, and Captain of the Botzivan. Either avert your course immediately, or prepare to be boarded. Have your deposit ready. We'll keep it, should you purchase nothing. We'll take something of appropriate value should you not have it ready."
The Drukhari are interested in selling weapons, more than betrayal or raiding. However, even they can't resist eating a Tzeentchian who places too much trust in them.
They launch many rapid shuttles, over the course of a few minutes. Time ticks by agonizingly slowly. They launch more than they need to, in order to secure a simple depository.
But this is just their standard show of force, to a first time customer. Munetsi has not formally introduced herself to them. Keep calm.
Their shuttles enter the Botzivan's loading docks. The cult had worked feverishly to clean them, and the path they would take to the command bridge.
Every article of armor the force they deployed to board the Botzivan is elegantly melded with curvy, menacing spikes. They take darkness to be an artform. Their armor is form fitting. Their rifles emanate strange energies that cause ripples and distortions in the air. It's impossible to tell if they are meant to be used as bayonets. The design and angles are off for it, yet for some reason, it's all too clear you do not want it pointed at you, at any range.
Their pace is that of both a stalker and a marching soldier. They do not wait for servants to point the way to the command bridge, as they advance at their own pace to Munetsi.
They have hackers of their own, which Sherlock only provides token resistance against. They tap into some of your security feeds, but he will not let them into the comms system.
They make a detour, from the most direct path to the command deck. Instead, they veer off into the factory center. The Technomancer recalls many sisters to her position, and they begin to modify her workstation, to conceal the First Worldship's technology.
Walls and floors are torn up in seconds, and entire conveyor belts shuffle themselves out of the way. The countless arms move themselves out of sight.
Sherlock and Munetsi begin to rapidly reassemble the original factory, or what they can of it in several minutes. Constructor drones swarm about, heavy machinery operates itself. Munetsi delineates tasks, and together, they both complete, they show off what a hive mind of Technomancers an AI can accomplish on short notice.
In the end, it clearly looks unfinished, as there is no dust or rust where it should be. Constructor drones are banished to nooks and crannies. Various machines are not plugged in, and the floor still has marks of where the original machines were installed.
However obvious it looks like there was something else here previously, there is nothing suspicious out in the open.
The Drukhari stalk in, the armor absorbing the light of the factory. They clearly expected something else to be here, but say nothing, simply scanning.
One Munetsi strides forward, as another discreetly slips away, as a ninefold should. They likely noticed the ruse, but use their silence the same way an assassin uses blades.
She breaks the silence, "Oh great and terrible ones, welcome to the Botzivan. As much as I love my factory, it is not where I store my refreshments! Come, let us do our business with a view of the stars."
Still, the jagged silence persists. They do not move or even so much as twitch. With multiple Munetsis, she does not let their power play wear her down. "You know, for as much as I've heard people scream about Vect's business, I was expecting his representatives to be more talkative."
"I'm familiar with your catalogue, and wish to make my purchases."
"Shall I bring the deposit here, or do you wish for us to walk to the command deck?"
The silence's power is broken, as Munetsi fills the air with instead relevant conversation.
"No, Munetsi the Enslaver. Begin handing over your deposit. As a reminder, we have no need for your lesser weapons or tedious gifts, and we can escort slaves ourselves.", said the Eldar, who stalked forth, to the closest Munetsi. Four arms, much as she had, bearing tattoos and ritual scars in equal measure.
Munetsi handed over one of her Nurglite Aspirings in a jar.
"Bah! Barely more than a lesser! Do you think that this is an acceptable deposit? Choose your next words carefully, lest I start appraising you, beautiful one."
Munetsi surrendered, and proffered Terrad the Distortion, Favored of Tzeentch.
"Much better. You can now send a shuttle, along with a plus one, to loading dock 46. You depart at our signal, not before, and not after."
~
Two Munetsis fidgeted in the shuttle. No matter how comforting it would be for Jacob to be here, Jameson can absolutely not be trusted in this environment.
The Dark Eldar sent the signal and the flight path. The shuttle departs, and starts descending relative to the Botzivan.
Flights of fighter packs move in, without activating their usual stealth systems. Targeting beams lock onto the shuttle. Once more, the signals of the Drukhari cut through. "Munetsi the Enslaver, move faster. We don't have all day for the likes of you."
The shuttle accelerates, well beyond safe docking speed, and reaches a dangerous velocity. This close to a ship, a crash would splatter them.
Five, Four, Three, Two, One.
The shuttle is captured by a net of unlight, almost all momentum arrested. Still, Munetsi is rocked almost violently, and the shuttle is dragged into Dock 46.
Munetsi dusts herselves off, and step out of the shuttle, back into the sight lines of the black clad soldiers from before.
One steps forward, raising a strange implement in their hand. Munetsi does not resist, despite the ominous hum or the headache inducing frequency.
She's waved forward, to walk down an impossibly long stairway, lined with impaled and flayed slaves. They're throats and vocal cords long since given out. But even still, they admire the two moths, as they descend, and moan as they depart.
The two reach the bottom of the stairway, and walk along a flooring made of a strange material. Best not to think about it. Before them lies a simple, unadorned door. As one Munetsi goes to knock, it opens before them.
The think scent of something impossible sweet nearly overwhelms them, and from a pit before them with an odd metal pole in the middle of it, slithers up something to meet.
The lower body of a snake, with four arms. A face plate with only six holes to let in light. Six liquid injectors are impaled upon their back. Old bloodstains make his open labcoat crusty, and they wear no shirt, showing off their pectorals and a Mark of Slaanesh over the traditional heart location for an Eldar.
"As truly exquisite and exotic as my guards described! How delightful, how beautiful. Kind, gracious Munetsi. Make yourselves welcome at the home of Anasta the Acquirer, Gift Giver."
He traces circles around them, getting a look at them from every angle, at once staying out of their personal space, but only by occupying every other space around her.
"I don't suppose you have seats available?"
He stops in his tracks, and leans closer to sniff the pair. "Ah, of course, I promise you, now that we've been introduced properly, the next time we meet, it will go much faster. Here, into my trophy room."
The room he led them into was excessively furnished with leather from many unknowable sources. Baubles that thrummed with power from all of the gods of Chaos littered shelves carved from the bones of giants. Insects of every form, shape, and color were pinned to the walls by needles.
Bound in ropes of silk knelt Terrad the Distortion in a binding circle. He screamed as heard them, "YOU! Damned fools, do you have any idea what you've done!? Take a look at the room you're in, and ask yourself just how he got that title. He didn't bother to deafen my ears as he blinded my eyes. Listen, he intends to-"
He was silenced, as yet more bands of silk enwrapped his face and beaks. Anasta snapped their fingers, and the binding circle rapidly sank into the floor. In the pit arose a pair of chairs, upholstered in leather.
"Hmmm, you shouldn't pay attention to their ilk. Their mind games lead so many astray, it is best to simply forget any idea they tried to plant into your pretty little heads. Now, tell me, what can the great Anasta provide for you?"
Regal and composed, Munstsi spoke as one, " we've perused your catalogue, and we wish to purchase the mk. 6 enslaver collar, nine stealth breacher drones, and a dose of the Chainhell poison, modified for immediate miscasts over the entire network."
The homunculus coiled themselves inward, and hunched over into a Munetsi's face. "The collar and the drones are the most obvious choices, and within the budget of a favored Lord of Change. Chainhell is not a trivial poison to modify, however. But your request intrigues me."
"You go about your pilgrimage of the Principalities of Change as a kidnapper. You've clearly done your homework, asking for such a poison, but instead of a poison that can incapacitate a ninefold, you ask for something that could kill them outright?"
"It's not necessary for the kidnapping, exactly, but I have another application."
Anasta reached into his pocket, and placed a collar on the table. As he did so, multiple black lance-like constructs appeared. "The collar, as requested. Top of the line, and enslaves the nervous system, as opposed to the soul. I've already sent the manual and command codes to your noosphere, for the drones. Now, as for the poison…"
Holograms emerged, depicting human anatomy, and of biochemical molecules and strange glyphs.
"Chainhell was designed to incapacitate ninefolds, not kill them. You said that inflicting a speedy miscast over an entire network is your aim? Useless for kidnapping. Are you, by chance, trying to break away from the shadow of Keelser Soze? Don't answer that, I suspect you need your honesty intact."
The diagrams changed, and Anasta continued "I have what you need. Sagridium. Goes from entering the bloodstream to detonating the brains of all nine bodies in six seconds. It is, however, outside of your price range, as the base ingredient for this poison is the heart of a Slaaneshi favored."
Anasta leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "But don't let that discourage you for even a moment, darlings. There's this little thing called "store credit" that I'm willing to extend to. Your career is one that interests us. Kidnapping ninefolds is no small feat, and you've turned it into your day job. Truly, a marvel to behold, and a credit to any who earn the title of "Enslaver". And so, I have a proposition for you!"
They dramatically spread all their arms wide, and the entire floor descended rapidly, revealing that underneath the facade, the room was much larger than it appeared. The wall was festooned with the arsenal of the Drukhari. Many more of their drones came to life, flocking to Munetsi, seamlessly flowing into and out of visibility.
"Warded against many potent divinations, and we make it a habit of oh so rarely spooking the locals. Spread your mind out, and take as many of them as you desire. Take heed, that these are no gifts. If you want to earn both them and the Sagridium, you'll start turning in your ninefolds to me."
Without missing a beat, the two spoke as one, "I am/We are not trading one patron for another. Despite my mistakes, I am branching out, and taking more care to tender my reputation."
Anasta resumed his earlier tracing of lazy circles around the two, "Is he really paying you that much? Ah, nevermind, precious ninefold. I know your answer is going to be some variant of "it's complicated". But I know enough of Tzeentchian complications. Munetsi, you've gone on something of a rampage. I've seen shooting stars like yours before. Normally, they burn up on reentry in the atmosphere. You've gotten involved in some incredibly shady business, and I'm saying that as a Drukhari Homunculus, and an interstellar arms dealer."
"All that said, I see your potential, so here's another offer. Expand your business. Take these drones, and start tracking down the ninefolds in Charla'bola. I'll even throw in the poison, and nine sets of armor for you. It's been a while since I was involved in a proper raid. In each one, we'll be lucky to get even a moderately damaged ninefold. They fall over, with their strings cut, rather than face our hospitality."
"If a single body of theirs escapes, you've missed your opportunity to capture one. So, you strike each target simultaneously. Go out, and find every target you possibly can. We'll help you plan a proper distraction, and then, we'll launch the most glorious slave raid the Principalities has ever suffered!"
Munetsis crossed their arms, and huffed, "I've already lost favor with the nines, from my actions on Bava'ria. I can't' and won't speak of Keelser Soze, but kidnapping is not my only ambition here."
Dozens of drones carry on encircling Munetsi, but Anasta stops in their tracks. "Is Keelser Soze truly as terrifying as they say? The alias shows up in no records, and I know the story of Vect's chef being your patron is nothing but a funny little horror story for the ninefolds."
"They have something of ours, that we would be fools to ask another's help in retrieving. Regardless, I still have a pilgrimage to complete."
Their mask dropped to the floor, revealing a small frown and gentle eyes, "It's not like a Tzeentchian to turn down an opportunity like this. Surely your pilgrimage isn't that important, yes?"
The two looked at each other, yet only the one furthest from Anasta spoke, "The pilgrimage is the entire reason why I'm here. Kidnapping ninefolds is just how I pay for various expenses. But, perhaps I could expedite it? It would require information I'm not sure you would share."
Anasta spoke up, "If you've scanned the detritus outside, you'll find that all who do not entreat with us properly simply become examples to all. I'm willing to give you that information, in exchange for telling me why you're really here."
She waited before answering for a time. The two's minds blanked out, a common occurrence in ninefolds who do not wish for one of their body's minds to be read, while they think something through with other bodies. Dangerous, to employ in the presence of the Drukhari.
Anasta drew closer, and coiled around a Munetsi, eyeing them intently from within his grasp. Their wings folded up, to not get in their way. Luxuriously coated in some of the finest silks. Sturdy carapace, and the illusions and glamors upon her were not to enhance beauty, but to conceal weapons, or perform misdirections, or to enact distractions on a moment's notice.
Their consciousness returned, and neither Munetsi moved, yet spoke in unison, "We are looking for VIPs in the Principalities of Change. The nine most skilled individuals. Not in some particular skill, but in general. They could be great leaders, or the best sorcerer in the land, or perhaps-"
"You are far from the first in recent times to go looking for this information. The requests from the Tzeentchians are honestly getting a bit tedious. But, a deal's a deal, and you've gotten close to the orbits of several of them. Hobera, Starscourge, the power couple of Baza'ria, though I heard you missed the wedding, even as you were busy putting on a spectacle, here in the Charla'bola subsector, you would be looking for one Serafva Sightseer."
"Other names are further afield. Coysin the Shifting is a spymaster, and we don't know their current location. If you're looking for a rising star, Beysera of the Offering Circle, some immigrant who was some strange Khornate sorcerer, of all things. Sarakesh is a name that might surprise you, a fool that lets all peruse his libraries, but he is more talented than the public realizes. There's one name I'll speak once, and give you a warning to not repeat it. Fera the Silent. Remember, rising star, that there is no silence without death."
A slave messenger entered from a side door, his eyes downcast. They approached, and meekly offered Anasta a dataslate. He signed, and read it. As he continued reading, his face took on a curious, nearly bewildered expression.
"Might I ask you what you find curious? Let me go, and tell me, and I'll not hold your invasion of my personal space against you." The uncoiled Munetsi spoke.
Anasta complied, "Tell me, and do ask your contacts for this: Have you ever heard of sorcerer-spies?"
"I am, in fact, such a spy."
"Yes, but are you a Khornate sorcerer spy?"
"That's an interesting combination. My other selves have just received news from the stellar heralds and other info brokers of Mortarion suffering a great banishment at the hands of an Honored of Khorne. Another self is performing a public divination ritual with other ninefolds, and I am tapping Keelser Soze for information."
~
"The King of Knights is supposed to be waging war on the Kingdom of Confusion. What is he doing in the Realm of Death."
"It's the Harlequins playing a joke."
"It's all as Tzeentch has planned, guys!"
"Tzeentch's plan is Khornate Blood Summoner spies? Tell me, are you interested in hearing about my new bridge investment portfolio? For only nine slaves-"
"He split off an Aspiring, and took a disguise and eight of his Blood Mages, and got next to Mortarion."
"Do your divinations properly this time. Khornate sorcerer spies, are you kidding me?"
"Now's the best time to join the Hopebringers! This is the time for Tzeentch to claim his ultimate victory of Nurgle in the Great Game!"
"A ritual of Obsession gone on for far too long, and a Khorate god doing spycraft? This is the work of Tzeentch! This is why Tzeentch let Nurgle take those two domains! The Realm of Death is wide open!"
"Mate, I don't care how good your new crystal ball is, there's NO SUCH THING AS KHORNATE SORCERER SPIES!"
"I had a spy in the Kingdom of Brass and Skulls. An oracle that went by the name of "Four Eyes". If you'll pay me, I'll share a prophecy written by him."
"I'm not an easy mark, mate. I don't need to hear another long story about how "the son of Jane Oakheart infiltrated a Khornate nation"."
"I got this report from the desk of Vulkan himself. It says right here that some great sniper general and a bunch of Khornate Sorcerer Spies teamed up to summon the King of Knights."
"Jake Flamewheel hides among us!"
"Mortarion was banished for how long?"
~
Aboard the most secure wing of the Botzivan rested various personnel who were essential, yet could not be revealed under any circumstances. A Harlequin, a Priestess of Isha and the Child of Hate, and a Black Librarian. The Child of Hate enters the body of her priestess, and calls you away from watching over Munetsi.
"Jacob, we have a problem. We've made a breakthrough, but also hit a wall. Luluna asked me to keep this simple: We need thirty ninefolds. Have you heard about Mortarion yet?"
"I've not been able to pay attention to the news, I've been serving as a body guard, over a VIP in a risky negotiation with the Drukhari."
"I'll be brief, your friend, the "King of Knights", just banished Mortarion for over a hundred years."
"Ah. I know what you're going to ask next."
"Yep. Hopebringer Crusade. Farseers got some good omens for us if you can capture a demon world. Expect multiple Honoreds on both sides."
"This is going to be a hellish fight. I think Munetsi can gather one hell of a Crusade, but it won't be enough."
"I'll get Harlequins to pull strings, make our allies pull forces away from a target zone. I'll get you all the medicine and plagues I can spare, and see what other special assets I can shake loose."
You rush back to the two Munetsis that are still visiting the Drukhari weapons dealers. Why can't anything be simple in this nation?
~
"This is either one of Cegorach's great jokes, or, Mortarion got banished by the plots of Khornate Sorcerer spies."
Anasta was laughing at the concept, "You're lucky I like you enough to not increase prices just yet. I can already tell the Hopebringers are gearing up for a war."
"I intend to join them."
Anasta stopped.
"Again? You've already found what you were looking for, in the Hopebringers, and we both know you don't actually care about Tzeentch's favor."
"Investigations and kidnapping were only two of my nine missions. I intend to break free, and for that, I will need to kill some of Keelser Soze's men, and I need to rise even higher. I intend on getting as many of Keelser Soze's men to sign up as possible, and then escalate the conflict between the Hopebringers and the Nurglites. In this way, I will rise as he falls, and I'll be beyond his grasp for a time. Anasta, I'm asking you to lower your prices for the Hopebringers."
Anasta began to circle Munetsi once more, "Do not think for even a moment I can't feel the effects of Fate here. You're playing a far more dangerous game here than you yet realize."
Munetsi locked eyes with him, and declared "Thirty six ninefolds."
Anasta stopped, " I'll pretend I didn't hear that. As a word of advice, don't make promises you can't keep to the Drukhari."
She repeated herself, "Thirty six ninefolds."
"Munetsi, dear, do you recall what I said earlier about "shooting stars"?"
~
The objective for operation Stardust changed, with Munetsi loaded in debt to the Drukhari, with the intent of helping them with one of the most ambitious slave raids in history.
Munetsi and Anasta came to an understanding. The Drukhari will lower prices for the Hopebringers, and give Munetsi a good amount of tech. In exchange, Munetsi will betray the Nonarchies, and help capture for them thirty six ninefolds, after an expedited pilgrimage and a campaign against Nurgle.
You intend to have them capture the ninefolds for you, and then steal them.
You're sure that the Drukhari will be quite happy, in this case. They've been preparing some of their worst tortures for oath breakers, and few are willing to break their word to them.
It's happened before. Vect has set aside multiple Honored Keepers of Secrets to find such oath breakers.
Munetsi scatters about Charla'bola. She's joined up as a recruiter for the Hopebringers, and gets involved in things. Using weapons as sign up bonuses. The Child of Hate is not the only god who wants the Hopebringers to invade the Realm of Death. The Lords of Change hatch many plots to ensnare people, put them under pressure, and let them come to the Hopebringers to escape. Prisoners are conscripted, and recruitment ads float in the sky by magic.
Munetsi uses you to round up bounties, of all things. You're reaching the point where you can't keep track of all she does. It's part of a soft power approach, to get ninefolds to either donate resources, or go to war. As a Hopebringer, Munetsi is quite safe, for the moment.
This is going to be worse than the invasion of Nurgstasch. Even as Munetsi has gotten much better, and you won't have to hold back, there's going to be Honoreds on the battlefield.
The Child of Hate distributes countless vaccines, in excess of what she was giving before, and prepares many weapon plagues for you. She makes available many Plague Eaters.
The plans she comes up with are absurd. She stocks up with literally thousands of drones, and transforms the First Worldship factory into a Borderlion sled, to their bemusement and dismay.
Taking inspiration from that time Tjapans crashed a battle barge into Dis, she modifies the Botzivan.
Why did you say you'd do this again?
Thozmp
Gets my kicks above the waistline, Sunshine.
Just the sheer "What." on the very idea of khornate sorcerer spies is hilarious.