In the 30th Millenia, the Imperium has been born. Under the watch of the Emperor of Man and his Primarchs, humanity is recovering from the Age of Strife. Follow one of the unknown Primarchs during the Great Crusade and see if you can make Warhammer a kinder setting.
This is an UNOFFICIAL fanfiction. I do not own the Warhammer franchise in any way. All items owned by GW are protected by GW and being used exclusively for fanwork and not being used to generate funds.
AN: First writing project I've ever done, so there may be a fair few mistakes. That being said, I'm very excited for this.
It is the dawn of the 31st millennia. Humanity has just experienced a complete collapse of its empire. The Iron War, growing numbers of psykers, witch hunts, and the growing Ork empires were just the beginning of the problem. The final nail in the federations coffin was the warp storms that came about with the birth of a god. In humanity's darkest hour, the Emperor of Man stepped forth and created 20 sons to help serve mankind. While he worked on reuniting Terra, the creatures of the warp stole his sons from him. You are the 11th of his sons, and you have just awoken on a new planet.
Choose a Planet
[] Omea II – A barren world without an atmosphere. Omea was once a prosperous mining colony. Now with the collapse of the human empire, it was no longer able to feed its populace. The survivors are just able to support themselves, but much of the populace has fallen to more and more depraved acts.
[] Valhalla IV – After the warp storms, this large human settlement was beset by a massive daemonic incursion. After millennia of war and billions of dead, chaos forces were pushed out into entrenched locations. This, however, has come at a cost. All infrastructure is gone, chaos forces still exist, and terrorists are abundant. All the while the military desperately tries to feed the populace. So far they are succeeding, but they stand on a knife's edge and a single well time act could collapse the planet.
[] Galorious V – Originally a research planet built for self-sufficiency, Galorious weathered the Age of Strife surprisingly well. While the nature of the planet led to significant technological degradation, the planet still holds the ability to create common Imperial equipment. The only real issue is a civil theological debate among the Mechanicus, but even that is mild. In short, Galorious is a peaceful world untouched by strife, for now.
Epitaph - A two-handed blade made by Ferrus and Vulkan, it has taken the lives of countless daemons. Carved with purity runes and the names of Lost Wardens, Epitaph tells countless tales within its bladed edge. A sword of impossibly skilled make, it has been Kesar's companion for decades. *+35 to Duels*
Sagita - A gauntlet mounted on Kesar's gauntlet, with ammunition stored in his pauldron, Sagita was made by the Lord of Iron and is Kesar's oldest weapon. Firing tiny grains of iron using a combination of teleportation and electromagnetic acceleration, the projectiles it fires seem to travel faster than light. It's very design breaks much of how the warp works, yet it functions all the same. *+25 to Duels*
Memoria - An exquisite set of armor forged by Vulkan, this armor has rarely been broken if at all. It is a masterful creation, fit to be worn only by a Primarch. Carved with hundreds of thousands of names, all of whom are dead Wardens and even one human name, Memoria tells the tale of a Legion on its own. *+25 to Duels*
+55 Diplomacy (+40 Primarch, +5 In Your Best Interests, +10 A Test of Soul)
+160 to combat (+35 Epitaph, +20 Sagita - Omake Reward, +25 Memoria, +5 Gifts from Mars, +15 Battle of the Three Stars, +40 Primarch, +10 That Was Far Too Hard, +10 A Test of Soul)
+300 vs daemons (+160 to combat, +101 Anti-daemon, +30 Daemonsbane, +5 Anathema, +4 Fluent in Daemonic Tongues)
Immune to Exhaustion. True kills non Exalted. Non-Exalted immediately die against Kesar. Negate all warp penalties for Kesar and those around him. Makes teleportation far safer for those around him. Roll separately against everyone in a duel. Increase wound thresholds by a factor of 2. If base bonus is higher than a daemons, considered to have rolled a nat 100 vs nat 1 in a duel. (Anathema)
+20 to Legion rolls when Kesar leads from the front (A Parent's Love - Omake Reward)
+10 to rolls for the Wardens if Kesar is near, temporarily removed if Kesar is wounded (Anathema)
+50 to everything (+40 Primarch, +10 A Test of Soul)
If 90% of the Wardens died to another group, Kesar gains +150 to all checks against them.
Negate first two wounds Kesar suffers in a fight (Sentinel Defense System)
-10 to daemons when Kesar is near (Daemonsbane)
50% chance to true death daemons (Daemonsbane Rank 5)
+30 to detecting Alpha Legionaries (Bonds of Brotherhood)
Always can tell apart Alpharius and Omegon (Bonds of Brotherhood)
Even Gods May Die - True death named daemons when certain conditions are met. Varies between daemons
Engravings of the Fallen - Retain hero unit bonuses at reduced effectiveness after their death. Requires certain hidden conditions.
+10 to analyzing tactics (Game Theory)
+55 to leading from behind (+20 Kesar, +20 Perturabo analysis, +5 Horus Notes, +10 A Test of Soul)
+285 Corruption Resistance (+40 Kesar, +60 Till Death do us Apart, +10 A Warden's Rage - Omake Reward, +20 New Orders, New Routine - Omake Reward, +50 Scafrir's Legacy, +15 Purity Rune, +5 Chants of the Wardens - Omake Reward, +2 PURGING WITH MY KIN! - Omake Reward, +5 The Sins that were Seen - Omake Reward, +3 You're Being Watched - Omake Reward, +5 Survivors of Dralik, +10 Come on In, I have an Extra Cup of Coco now - Omake Reward, +8 Zeta Chaplains, +10 Opportunity, +2 Gene Seed Partial Mutation Prevention, +5 Anathema, +2 Primarch of the Wardens, +10 A Test of Soul, +1 Rune of Bone, +10 Rune of Daemonsbane, +4 Rune of Will, +8 Fluent in Daemonic Tongues)
Rolls above 10 against Alpharius and Omegon always count as a 95 as long as they remain friends.
Baptized in Hellfire - Only falls to Chaos if he chooses to
Rune of the Anathema - Provides the location of daemons within a planet-sized area, skilled daemons can obscure their presence. Provides the plans of daemons upon the world. Forces daemonic champions to fight Kesar before they can fight anyone else. Only Kesar can use this rune.
End of Never Born - Daemons must retreat in Kesar's presence unless led by an Honored or above
Bike Expert - +15 to speed rolls while on a bike
Closest of Bonds - Kesar adds his relationship bonus to detecting Alpharius/Omegon, currently +60*
The Starlit Sea - This psychic technique allows Kesar to see the world in a clear-sighted manner, allowing him a limited degree of precognition unique to him and him alone. A lesser mind would shatter with the sights he sees casually, even Primarchs would be tested. But not the Second Anathema, whose vision of starlight he describes as beautiful. *Can choose to fight defensively in duels after seeing the rolls*
For Those We Cherish, Endure All - Twice per compliance, Kesar can take a wound in exchange for negating 1 Degree of Failure for the army battle
The Codex Astartes Chaotica - +80 when commanding Chaos Daemons, +10 when commanding against daemons
Supply Chain Management - Reduced effect of difficult supply lines within Svarga
-25% effect for Chaos God emergency and panic buttons when Kesar is around (Daemonsbane Tier 4)
Runelord - Reduce runic DCs by 10/15/20/10 for Basic/Advanced/Master/Grandmaster Runes
Beta Psyker - +70 to army combat when Kesar is acting as a Champion.
Warp Break - Can briefly shut off the warp in a limited area around him, effectively acting as a pseudo-blank. Can be worked around or overpowered by specific individuals, traits, or locations. This nullifies psyker powers below Beta and reduces powers up to Alpha+ by a rank. It can be used to boost the psychic powers of allies but this causes allies to take CR checks.
Before the arrival of the warp storms, Valhalla was a planet with a large populace in the billions. After the warp storms hit, the resulting weakness in the barrier between the materium and immaterium led to a full-blown daemonic incursion. Billions fell to chaos and a massive war broke out on the planet's surface. Powerful dark age weapons devastated the planet and destroyed any semblance of infrastructure. If it weren't for a group of 5 psykers, the planet would have been lost to daemons. These five charged the warp rift, supported by a large contingent of mechanized forces, they managed to seal it at the cost of their lives.
This didn't end the war however, billions still belonged to chaos, but they were pushed back into isolated enclaves over the course of centuries. All the while, infrastructure and technology continued to degrade, and now Valhalla feels its effects. The military has been forced to halt their efforts in combatting cultists in order to desperately build farms, but on the glaciated planet, this is difficult, to say the least. So far, they have barely managed to succeed thanks to completely centralizing power and extremely strict rationing.
This has led to a large terrorist movement has groups demand a representative government and an end to rationing. This group frequently bombs tent cities, military targets, and forces the military to allow the cultist forces to regroup. Valhalla is a world on the brink of disaster that has only been held together because of the few psykers that exist continuously working to combat daemons and close any warp rifts that cultists open.
Kesar first awoke in the frigid wastelands of Valhalla, the frigid temperatures would have killed a normal man over the course of a few hours, but a Primarch's physiology could easily deal with -10-degree temperatures. After making his way to a nearby settlement, Kesar was found by security forces. After a brief check for chaos corruption, he was placed in one of the many orphanages. Kesar quickly grew up and using his innate charisma that all Primarch's have worked his way into a position of power. By the age of 15, Kesar had proven himself and had attained a position as:
[] Spymaster – with the large amounts of memetic hazards, a competent spymaster was necessary for the continued stability of Valhalla.
-Bonuses to large scale spy networks and intrigue actions.
[] Steward – with the food supply in a continuous crisis, Kesar worked to mitigate the problem.
-Bonuses to rebuilding and uplifting planets.
[] General – with continuous warfare, a competent marshal was needed.
-Bonuses to commanding troops from the back.
[] Researcher – so much technology was lost and Kesar worked to rediscover this lore.
-Bonuses to mundane knowledge collection and technological advancement.
[] Warp Expert – in a world at war with daemons, Kesar worked to understand the great enemy.
-Bonuses to combat with warp entities and knowledge of the warp. (OOC doesn't know about the Chaos Gods yet)
[] Champion – Kesar was an inspiring figure on the battlefield. With him on the field, troops were better than they would have been otherwise.
-Allied units get boosts to combat when Kesar is near.
The forces on the planet were not idle, however, and in the time that past, the Valhallans continued the war against the cultists whilst attempting to stomp out the terrorists simultaneously. With their large amounts of experience and the fact that the cultists were isolated in 9 locations, they expected an easy win.
They were wrong.
Chaos was busy during this time, and with the arrival of a Primarch, they invested heavily. A set of rituals devoted to each of the Chaos worked to summon a horde of daemons. With terrorist strikes that crippled the military's strategic speed, they could only watch as a ritual began. A total of 81 sorcerers split into groups of 9 at each of the 9 locations. At each location, they sacrificed 99 people every 9 minutes a total of 99 times. In the end, they summoned a creature known as a Lord of Change.
Valhalla declared a state of emergency and turned to Kesar, who was the only one they thought had a chance of success against this monstrosity. In response, he decided to:
[] Command the army from the back and proceed to bombard the greater daemon with every device they have.
-Pros: Low personal danger
-Cons: Horrendous casualties will be taken
[] Charge with the army and duel it.
-Pros: Likely low cost of life
-Cons: Risk of corruption from the daemon
[] Organize the psykers and attempt to banish it back to the warp.
-Pros: Strategy utilized on previous occasions by Valhalla
-Cons: Possible it won't work (80% chance of success), and will likely lead to horrendous psyker casualties
[] Have a special forces team smuggle in a nuclear weapon to destroy the daemon.
-Pros: Destroys cultists forces and minimal risk
-Cons: 60% chance of success, critical failure will give cultists a nuclear weapon
[] Frantically attempt to create a weapon to destroy the daemon.
-Pros: Gives a superweapon for planetary forces
-Cons: Low chance of success (30%), drains planetary resources
As Kesar grew up on Valhalla, he learned about the creatures of the warp that had plagued his planet's history. An idle comment by one of his teachers stuck with him during this time.
"Understanding is the key to success."
Following this, he threw himself into studying existing lore about daemons and cultists. He completed all non-classified materials within a month and begin to extrapolate based on the data. He came up with information on the various daemons, how to tell apart different cultists, and countermeasures for all sorts of daemonic creatures. Through his studies, he found out about greater daemons. They had a disturbing tendency to ignore damage from anything that was not a "hero," as it were. This had a lot of implications, but most importantly it meant that the best solution was to duel the creature himself. After all, of everyone on the planet, he was the one most likely to survive.
Immediately after learning of the greater daemon being summoned, Valhalla shifted into full war footing. Every active member was called into service, and thousands of tanks were refueled and rearmed. Millions walked to war, and Kesar walked alongside the command staff. While he had not specialized in military tactics, he was likely to be the most qualified general on the planet.
With a few modifications to the assault, the Valhallan military moved into position. The cultists were in entrenched positions. Like every action involving cultists, the Valhallans expected a slow but steady slog through overlapping fields of fire and all sorts of sorcerous power. The army marched forward, psyker countered psyker, snipers shot anyone that looked important, and tanks slowly moved forward firing their guns the entire time.
In response, the cultists deployed mines, used fortified positions and bunkers. Lesser daemons were summoned. Thousands died with every second. In short, it was going just as planned.
With the slog in place, Kesar stepped into the battlefield. With his enhanced strength, speed, and endurance, he tore through cultist forces and destroyed any strongpoint he could find. He flipped over tanks, bulldozed through barriers, smashed apart cultists, and in short gave the cultists a very bad time.
During this period, the Lord of Change stood in the background watching, not moving. He appeared to all to be implacable and stalwart. However, this proved to be its undoing. As it stood well within site of all other forces, a brave group of soldiers decided to attack the daemon. Multiple tanks fired in an organized salvo. The Lord of Change moved slightly to the side, and the shells missed. Then, the artillery hit, and white phosphorous flooded the area around the daemon.
For a moment the battlefield stilled, as the Valhallans hoped the creature was banished, but they knew that this attack was unlikely to do anything. From the flames, the Lord of Change stepped forward and it looked angry. Its implacable exterior was scarred and burnt, it was hurt. With this, Kesar stepped forward and bellowed a challenge.
Kesar charged forward with his sword, a titanium blade glistening in the twilight. He swung once, twice, thrice, a hundred time in a dizzying pattern that would have confounded any other enemy. Yet, the creature dodged every strike with the barest minimum of movement. Then, it responded. It lashed out with a word. "Strike."
Kesar felt as if he was just stuck with a sledgehammer wielded by himself. Winded, he moved back and lashed out with his foot. The daemon rolled with the kick, but even it was unable to fully deal with the strength behind it, and it was heavily damaged. Its wings were crippled by the blow, but it was still a dangerous creature. So, Kesar continued his assault. With its wings gone, the creature seemed less agile and able than it was previously. He grabbed the daemons throat and using his sword, wrenched off its head. With a cry to the army, they cheered at the creature's death, and the remaining cultists were routed in short order.
Not all was well however, as Kesar noticed that the wound he received was bleeding, and although it was healing, it was coated with a vile substance that almost seemed to be inviting him somewhere. Then, he felt something attempt to contact him. In response he decided to:
[] Cut out the wound. Kesar knew that he did not want anything to do with daemons.
-Pros: Completely safe
-Cons: Lose this opportunity to converse with whatever this is
[] Allow it to commune with him. Kesar knew that this was dangerous, but he was very curious as to what seemed to be trying to converse with him.
-Pros: A conversation
-Cons: A conversation
Military: 120 Imperial Army Regiments (10 million strong each)
Tech Level: High Imperial
Infrastructure Level: 17
Valhalla currently contains a number of improvements instituted over the past four decades. Like most developed worlds, Valhalla holds a highly built-up healthcare system, with hospitals and clinics available to all except the poorest. Of special note is their pediatrics facilities, which have proven to be some of the Imperium's best. This focus is in large part due to the rapid growth rate of Valhalla, along with sizable family sizes. Despite indications of the population growth slowing down, the governor's recent policies have further increased economic growth, leading to families being able to easily afford feeding more mouths.
Additionally, Valhalla has developed rapidly in terms of technology. Due to the disparity in ages, a great deal of the planet's infrastructure relies on highly advanced Mechanicum technologies, whose maintenance has resulted in Valhalla requiring substantial imports and subsidies despite its increasing educational standards. Despite more and more adults on Valhalla, the continous pace of development means that the construction of advanced machinery has outpaced its rapid population growth.
Some of the more prominent facilities on Valhalla are its train system, which faced additional challenges during construction and operation due to the slowly shifting glaciers. Rather than a typical rail, the locomotives of Valhalla instead use a heated rail with supports that extend through the glacier and into the ground below. This complicated construction significantly, and the timeline of construction was only met thanks to large imports of tech priests from the nearby world of Bara.
In the same vein of infrastructure, Valhalla's wet water navy is unique in its design. Relying primarily on ice breakers, these trading vessels are operational for only short periods of time due to the harsh conditions. Combined with dedicated atmospheric craft, however, they have nonetheless been useful in transporting resources between the various hive cities that now dot Valhalla.
Unlike most hive cities, the hives of Valhalla have developed into gorgeous centers of civilization. Designed in a manner that eases internal transit, the people of Valhalla have a fascination with the flora from other worlds. Within these hives, lie a series of gardens, dedicated to cultivating both flora and fauna found in the crusade. It is rare to find a Valhallan that hasn't spent hours within these gardens, marveling at the greenery upon such an icy world.
Housing is also a priority issue for the Valhallan government. Stemming from its past resource shortages, with such a large influx of resources from the Imperium the current planetary governor has heavily prioritized housing for all. Currently, all Valhallan families are guaranteed housing, provided they are willing to work menial tasks in exchange. Included in this are both food and basic necessities. Thought to be far too generous by other Nobles, the planetary governor has faced minor political controversy for the decision, but the general lack of a true nobility on Valhalla means that it is only external diplomacy where the issue appears.
Above the surface of the planet, lies a series of shipyards. Over the past three decades, a series of massive space factories have been built, capable of producing even Battleships. To feed the resources needed for such a massive construction, a series of ground to space transportation systems are present. These are rarely idle, with a constant stream of refined metals finding its way into the armor of new ships. In recent years, these have been expanded greatly allowing for multiple ships to be built in parallel. Recently the first battleship has been constructed as is conducting Crusade operations in Svarga.
The last notable military feature is the militia. All Valhallans are required to spend two hours a week training at designated facilities. To ensure that they have access to Imperial Army grade gear, a series of weapons depots have been constructed that hold enough lasguns to supply all citizens. Additionally, several factories have been constructed that constantly churn out new supplies that are needed for war. During training, Valhallans often spend their time practicing basic physical conditioning, marksmanship, and the ability to follow orders. It is also where they are weekly tested for signs of taint or genetic drift, both of which lead to a swift detainment by the Witch Hunters for further testing.
In recent years, the governor of Valhalla has begun importing experts from around the Svarga domain for cultural programs. These have been far more successful than originally hoped, with Valhallans on average visiting new art exhibits and museums at a rate of nearly 3 a month. This has led to a surge of jobs in humanities sector along with higher education in related fields, allowing Valhalla's economy to continue surging.
Beyond the world of Valhalla, lies a complex network of defenses designed by the Lord of Iron himself. Comprising a series of minefields, defense monitors, and orbital stations, military analysts have said that they dread the idea of ever attempting to face these. Designed to inflict massive casualties on enemy invaders, the defenses themselves are meant to be used alongside a fleet rather than independently. This theoretically would leave it open to raids, but the system fleet present is comparable to a sector fleet.
The Valhallan system contains a series of stations on its outer edge, specifically near warp point locations. Containing a skeleton crew, these stations serve as cargo stations, allowing interstellar traders to simply jump into the system and deposit their goods, rather than needing to also travel to the planet itself. This has allowed for a slight decrease in time for shipments, as well as increasing the number of vessels that trade with the system itself.
Valhalla IV is a frigid world covered in ice. Far from the star, the habited regions tend to average -10 degrees. A less dense planet has resulted in lower gravity, and consequently a thinner atmosphere. The world is coated with barren ice sheets, with the only breaks being where glaciers meet. At these locations, massive cliffs of ice emerge. These locations are considered to be some of the most beautiful parts of the planet, not a high order considering what dominates the rest of the world. The only exception to the ice are a few small seas with some stretches of flat rock forming their shore, but these are few and far between.
Resource wise, Valhalla is rich in some minerals and metals. Many of these resources can be accessed through ice crevices, which have since been widened after the planet industrialized once it met the Imperium. The lakes of promethium hidden far below the ice sheets have also been tapped. Previously thought to be inaccessible, the mining technology of the Imperium allowed for vast quantities to be pulled, a necessity considering recent cultural shifts.
However, other materials are lacking, preventing the planet from being self-sufficient. The millions of Imperial Army soldiers require vast quantities of weapons. And the rarity of Ceramite, Adamantium, and other key materials have necessitated imports of weapons. Thankfully, the higher industrial base is able to live off of these imports, but long sieges may cause issues.
Following the warp storms, a large-scale daemonic incursion occurred on Valhalla. Numerous daemonic creatures appeared wielding sorcerous powers. Combined with the billions of cultists and a large warp rift, the military of the planet desperately fought a holding action. Weapons of mass destruction were used, entire cities were razed, but the warp rift itself remained open. Desperate, the governing body authorized a large-scale assault spearheaded by 5 psykers. The assault suffered horrendous casualties, but the psykers barely managed to seal the largest warp rift. With this, cultists were slowly pushed into the ruins of cities. As centuries passed, the remaining infrastructure was completely destroyed. In the face of thousands of crises, the democratic government was simply unable to keep up. The government then gave complete power to the president and made it a lifetime position. This prevented mass starvation and societal through the use of martial law and strict rationing. As a result, the people approved of the change reasoning that quick decisions were worth the loss or representation. However, a small minority disagreed. They protested but lacked popular support. Over time, the movement became more and more extreme, until they were terrorists in all but name. They finally became terrorists when they bombed the president's governing center. This campaign of violence continued until Lord Primarch Kesar ended the cultist threat.
When the president centralized power into a dictatorship, the military became the head of the planet. Bureaucracy was overhauled and the economy retooled into a war economy. Standards of living dropped dramatically, and strict rationing was implemented in response to dwindling food supplies and infrastructure decay. As more and more people fell to Chaos, a police force was raised and sent to ruthlessly suppress cultists. Among them, a secretive group of Witch Hunters was created and were instrumental in curtailing the growth of cultists. Ever vigilant, and ever watchful, the Witch Hunters have a wide surveillance net on Valhalla, even while the public has no idea of their existence. Throughout the centuries, they have prevented thousands of chaos attempts to infiltrate the upper echelons of government.
After the original demonic incursion, a large military was a necessity. For Valhalla, nearly 60% of the populace entered military service. Largely composed of average members of society with low tech equipment, they were nevertheless trained by war. After the Imperium arrived, the military transformed. Gone was the low tech equipment, and in its place were lasguns and Baneblades. As the ever-present enemy vanished, the percentage in the military fell. Currently, it stands at 10% in large part due to a slow shift in culture that has occurred.
Known for their immense willpower and tenacity, the Valhallan regiments have been given several monikers by their companions in the Imperial Army. They have been known as the Inevitable Regiments, the Determinators, the Fearless, along with many others. Unlike many Imperial regiments, Valhallan troops lack visible commissars. A result of a controversial decision by the planetary governor, their explanation for this decision lies in Valhallan culture. Thus far, it has not proven to be a problem, as the regiments that have been sent have a lower than normal rate of desertion.
In terms of equipment, the Valhallan military wields high-quality las weapons, of superior design to the standard pattern. Additionally, their own uniforms are meant to be used in cold weather environments, but have been designed to be usable in hot climates as well. Consisting of a coat coated with flak, it has proven to be effective in combat, despite reports from regiments complaining that maintenance of the uniform is a tedious process due to parts of it dragging on the ground during firefights.
Valhallan tactics rely primarily on equipment conservation and a slow, but steady advance. A holdover from its tactics over the past centuries, guardsmen often rely on a slow advance where they allow the enemy forces to deplete their ammunition. During this period, Valhallan forces chip away at the enemy in a well-honed pattern, with multiple cross-fires set up to prevent enemy charges.
In terms of armor, Valhalla wields the normal amount of an infantry regiment. However, they often wield higher quality vehicles than other regiments in large part due to the productivity of their homeworld. Unfortunately, they often seem to utilize these vehicles poorly and are often far too conservative with their use. This has been an issue that has decreased in severity over time, mainly due to adjustments to the training facilities on Valhalla.
Within the military culture, two events have been enshrined within their history. The first was the actions of a regiment to rescue 3rd Captain Maticus, an act which led to numerous accolades awarded posthumously. The second was Captain Aurelian's personal congratulations to the soldiers of Valhalla for their actions against the Orks. Both of these events have had a large impact on the military, with many seeking to achieve similar levels of glory.
Before the Age of Strife, Valhalla had vast quantities of high-end weaponry. However, the aftermath of this age has led to technology degrading rapidly. Before the Imperium arrived, the primary weapons were stubbers and low-quality tanks. Afterward, however, rapid industrialization occurred, and many new technologies were brought to the world. While many are currently used improperly, some of the best technology the Imperium holds can be found on Valhalla. Of course, this tech technology is expensive, and so maintenance costs have forced Valhalla to rely on subsidies. However, the coming of age population has begun to allow for more traditional production methods to be reintroduced, which has begun to alleviate the planet's reliance on imports.
After the lack of infrastructure, low food supplies, and constant war with cultists, the government intervened and nationalized everything. Since then, they have retained control over all industries. People are required to work in order to eat, but this is slowly being phased out thanks to a mass improvement of infrastructure and technology thanks to the Imperium. With the number of jobs rising rapidly, military service is looking less and less important. Currently, Valhalla's economy still is focused on the military but has begun to make strides in a number of other sectors as well. The most prominent of which is in healthcare and infrastructure, with the current planetary governor promising a job for every Valhallan that desires it. Thus far, their promise has been met in spades. In fact, population growth is the only limiting factor for Valhalla's expansion, as there are now enough hives on its surface to house 100 billion individuals.
Over time, as the effects of the daemonic incursion became more and more evident, a religious shift began to take place on Valhalla. People began to see daemons as creatures from hell that have moved to invade the "real world." They have created a religion in which God in heaven wars with the creatures of the warp constantly, and these creatures are attempting to gain an advantage by attacking God's children. As a result, this has led to a fanatic hatred for daemons. An interesting thing to note is the Valhallan opinion on psykers. During the war against daemons, psykers were instrumental in closing warp rifts and countering chaos sorcerers and daemons. As a result, psykers are viewed as possessing a gift from God that daemons target zealously. Every psyker is thought of as a major resource that daemons want to turn to their side. Consequently, there is an extensive academy for psykers of all ages. In order to graduate, they have to pass a very difficult examination which has a risk of daemonic position. As a result, there tends to be a large group of psykers that spend their lives in the academy.
Following the arrival of the Emperor of Man, and the revelation of how he was the God of Mankind, the local clergy, which was largely disjointed amongst many religions, began to consolidate around the Imperial Truth. Of course, there were deviances, but this was expected when integrating planetary cultures. What was not expected, was the religious twist that the Imperial Truth took on.
This new religion was in its infancy and was, in fact, a conglomeration of various Valhallan beliefs. As such, one of the earliest beliefs related to psykers. On Valhalla, a group of psykers saved the planet so they were greatly respected. At the same time, however, the Valhallans were fully aware of how dangerous fallen psykers were. This led to one of the central beliefs of this new religion, "Fear and respect the psyker."
The next major ideal that came up was how united humanity should be. Over the course of a millennia-long conflict against corrupted cultists, a very black and white morality view came about. When the Emperor of Man asked them to join the Imperium, they did so because they saw him as being against cultists. By logical extension, those that opposed the Emperor were therefore not human. As such, the next major commandment came to be "Those who reject these beliefs reject their humanity and are the same as Xenos."
The third ideal largely stems from the second. With the black and white worldview, allowances had to be made for behavioral lapses. Of course, those who fell to daemons were not included. This belief that everyone that is not a cultist is inherently useful logically leads to the idea of redemption. However, one should never be in this position in the first place. If one damages the ability to fight cultists, then redemption is extremely difficult. However, minor issues can allow for a person to be redeemed. This leads into the next commandment, "Redemption is possible for those who reject the commandments as long as they have not fallen."
The last of the initial commandments was rather controversial as it covered knowledge that the Imperium of Man frowned upon. When one reads it, it at first seems to be standard Imperial propaganda, that mankind is superior to Xenos. However, that is not the purpose of the commandment. Instead, the commandment covers ignorance. A core idea is that mankind shall use knowledge as a tool to further its own use, even if that knowledge comes from Xenos. This ideal seems rather strange at first until one considers what Kesar did on Valhalla. He focused on learning about the warp, something that the Valhallans were scared of researching. While it is debatable if Kesar research helped as much of it is classified, what is certain is the devotion these people had for the XI Primarch. As a result, this culminated in a commandment that, "Mankind must be wise in all things, and that man shall glean knowledge from any sources."
Over the past decade, the Golden Path has spread across Valhalla. Now, about 80% of the populace follows it. In addition, the Imperial Army regiments it sends out have a higher rate of worship amongst them, likely as a result of the horrors they face. A handful of other planets have had the religion spread across them, but these are slowly being converted. However, currently, the spread is largely confined to the subsector, with just 20% of the Asgard Sector's worlds having heard of it.
Valhalla IV orbits an F-type main-sequence star, which is a star that is slightly more massive than the sun. Nearest to the star is a large asteroid belt made of nickel and iron that orbits alongside an extremely massive rocky body that has a surface gravity of about 1.7Gs. This planet has a very thick methane atmosphere.
Following this, in the inner solar system is another planet with a very tenuous atmosphere of sulfuric acid. This is a lot better than it sounds since the atmospheric pressure is less than a micro atm.
In the habitable zone, a small rocky body about the size of mars orbits the star. This planet is largely barren with nothing to note.
Next is Valhalla IV, and on the outskirts of the system sits a Gas Giant about the size of Neptune with seven small moons, each about the size of Earth's moon.
[X] Cut out the wound. Kesar knew that he did not want anything to do with daemons.
After briefly pausing to consider conversing with this entity, Kesar grabbed a clean knife from a nearby soldier and attempted to cut out the wound. The knife broke, so he was forced to tear out his flesh using his fingernails.
After waiting for it to heal, Kesar looked as the Valhallan military swiftly dealt with the cultists. With the Lord of Change dead, a large quantity of the cultists retreated in disorder. The Valhallans took full advantage of this and opened fire with their weapons. While they did massacre many cultists, eventually the cultists regrouped, and the meat grinder resumed. This time, however, the Valhallans faced a much smaller force that had much poorer positioning. While many died, it was less than was expected. Eventually, they managed to push into the enclaves that the cultists held, and with that, the greatest threat to Valhalla had been neutralized.
Of course, the Valhallans were not willing to risk the threat of corruption. To prevent this, every single soldier present was screened by the witch hunters. Under the guise of debriefing, the witch hunters covertly analyzed the soldiers and separated the ones that were possibly corrupted into isolated chambers. There, they were interrogated in depth. Thankfully, the witch hunters of Valhalla were extremely competent, and they had few false positives. This meant very few innocents died, although there were undoubtedly some.
After Kesar finally got to rest, he noticed that while the wound had closed up, there would be scar considering he literally tore it out with his nails. Obviously, he checked to make sure there were no traces of daemonic presence, and he was pleased to see that there was nothing he could see. Thanks to his experience, he was able to properly analyze his soul for foreign influence.
With the cultists banished, Valhalla moved towards rebuilding its infrastructure base. This was difficult, to say the least. While Kesar was extremely good, he struggled with the fact that Valhallans just did not have the experience necessary to transition to the stage of industry that they needed to prosper. As a result, Kesar was forced to compromise.
Since infrastructure on Valhalla was destroyed, the populace has had to rely on subsistence farming and hand manufacture to survive. This resulted in some technological loss, as well as making most of the military rather poorly supplied. Kesar was trying to fix this issue, but because of the populace's lack of experience, he was only able to fix the food issue. Thousands of greenhouses were built according to specifications that Kesar designed. These production facilities were manned by hundreds of thousands of farmers, botanists, biologists, and other personnel. To accomplish this, Kesar trained a few hundred people himself over the course of a year. The students then taught others allowing for a sufficient workforce. With this, Valhalla finally had food security.
During this period, however, an important question came up for Kesar. What should he explore in more depth regarding the warp? He had a few options that he could think of including learning more about daemons, studying a theory he had about the warp, and exploring forms of technology that utilized the warp.
Learning about daemons would definitely help against daemons, but whenever he thought of this, the scar in his leg began to throb. Needless to say, Kesar knew that this would agitate the creatures of the warp.
The second option he saw involved manipulating the warp on a large scale. The warp seems to run on a set of rules that are both contradictory and independent at the same time. For example, believing in something would make it more powerful, but believing in the strength of an enemy may make the weapon weaker. As a result, by instilling different beliefs and emotions, he may be able to give his troops a strategic edge. This could also apply to how quickly items move, or how many shots each weapon had. However, as he knew, this was extremely experimental, so he would have to work on each step individually.
The last was creating new forms of manipulating the warp through technology. He was not a psyker, but he likely knew more about the warp then anyone on the planet. This would enable him to build many versatile technologies, but they would likely be extremely difficult to make and use, resulting in them requiring his operation until he was able to simplify the designs. In the end, however, he chose
AN: This is essentially the type of combat that your legion will follow.
[] Daemonic Lore
-Pros: Bonuses to combat against daemons and cultists
-Cons: Chaos really wants you to join them. Increased risk of corruption.
[] Strategic warp manipulation
-Pros: Will be able to affect logistics, strategic movement, and provide small bonuses to a variety of battlefields.
-Cons: Extremely experimental, prone to failure at the beginning. Unlikely to be helpful for unexpected issues. Certain groups will take an interest.
[] Warptech
-Pros: Very versatile
-Cons: Extremely difficult to manufacture so will likely be limited to your legion only.
[] Write-in
One day, the planet's orbital satellites reported a massive spike in background radiation levels. When telescopes were pointed at the source, they saw hundreds of ships kilometers long with the symbol of a two-headed eagle stamped on its side. While Valhalla immediately mobilized for war again, Kesar instinctively knew what had just arrived. His creator had come to claim him for mankind's reclamation. In response, Kesar decided to
[] Greet him and agree to go with him
-Pros: Better status with the Emperor
-Cons: Slight scrutiny from the Emperor
[] Meet him but politely decline
-Pros: He might understand?
-Cons: Poor relations with the Emperor and other Primarchs. Unlikely to actually work. [] Open fire with all weapons you are smart enough to know this is a bad idea, and you lack orbital weapons of any real worth
[X] Warptech
[X] Greet him and agree to go with him
In the skies of Valhalla, a gleaming golden vessel descended through the upper atmosphere. The vessel flew through the skies and landed on one of the thicker ice sheets. As it landed, a large portion of the Valhallan military that was free stood in a ceremonial arrangement for VIPs. In the center stood Kesar. With the wind from the Vessel's engine blowing snow everywhere, a ramp descended in front of Kesar and out walked a man dressed in gleaming armor. When the Valhallan soldiers looked upon him, they fell to their knees and began sobbing. They knew that this man was their version of God.
The Emperor of Man walked down the ramp and spoke. "HELLO SON, I BELIEVE YOU UNDERSTAND WHY I HAVE COME."
In response, Kesar took a step forward and bowed, "Yes father, while I would like to ensure Valhalla's prosperity, I understand I must put the needs of humanity first."
With this, the Emperor of Man nodded, "WHILE I FEEL THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE ACHIEVED MORE HERE AND I AM UNCOMFORTABLE WITH SOME ASPECTS OF YOUR BELIEFS, YOU DID MANAGE TO DEAL WITH A POWERFUL THREAT. AS SUCH, I WILL RESERVE JUDGEMENT FOR NOW."
With that, the Emperor of Man brought Kesar with him to Terra, where he was given heaps of books encompassing a massive variety of information. No information was exempt, Kesar studied everything from acarology to zythology, nothing was exempt. He learned much from these books, but he also met with experts on combat such as the Emperor's Custodes, the Sisters of Silence, and even Imperial guardsmen.
Kesar also spent his time pursuing his own interests, specifically in the manipulation of the warp. The warp itself was a monstrous realm, filled with creatures that had corrupted billions on Valhalla and caused disasters whenever they entered the materium. While he could study the creatures, that was a line of research that typically ended with the researcher attracting daemons and falling to their whims. As such, warp tech was likely safer as well as being able to be used against more than just cultists and daemons. However, he also had some bad news from Valhalla. In the end, he decided to begin with
[] Research
-[] Void Shields Basic Design– Basic
-[] Gellar Field Basic Design – Basic
-[] Warp Engine Basic Design – Basic
-[] Teleportation fundamentals – Basic
-[] Ways objects affect the warp – Basic
-[] Daemon categorization – Basic
-[] Imprint of the warp on genetics – Basic
[] Improving Valhalla's Infrastructure
[] Searching for cultists on Valhalla
One thing that Kesar was thankful for was that he had enough free time to work on personal projects, from what he could see, he had a few options of what to use it for. Firstly, he could meet with his brothers, although only two were available. Secondly, he could meet with his legion, no doubt they were curious about what their gene-father was like. Lastly, he could help Valhalla continue its rebuilding. Even with the Imperium's help, Valhalla was unlikely to provide much for the Imperium for centuries. And this was before Kesar learned of something that irritated him greatly.
The cultists it seems were still a major issue on Valhalla. While he was gone, a group had managed to infiltrate the greenhouses. Once there, they tainted the crops. Thankfully, this was caught by the witch hunters before anyone consumed the food. Unfortunately, the greenhouses needed to be destroyed due to contamination. With that, all the infrastructure that Kesar had built was destroyed. However, the logistics that were implemented for transporting food were still in place, so food production was slightly better than when Kesar had landed. In the end, Kesar chose to:
[] Meet with a Primarch
-[] Mortarian
-[] Lorgar
[] Meet his legion
[] Uplift Valhalla
[] Build infrastructure on Valhalla
[] Hunt cultists on Valhalla
The last major event of the year was an analysis of Valhalla using sensors on one of the Emperor's escorts. To ensure that nothing major was wrong with the planet, sensors discovered a small pocket in one of the many crevices. An explorer team was sent, and they arrived at the entrance to a building. The building was heavily damaged, but the security system remained. As such, they were unable to gain access to it. However, they managed to obtain information on what the building was. It was a library that held a fair bit of psychic lore. Most importantly, they discovered its name. On a plaque near the door were the words "Nalanda Library."
AN: The last building is by request of @SouvikKundu for his upcoming Omake, so don't worry about it being bad. Will be unearthed when the GM finishes determining what is in it.
Infrastructure is a mixed group of 2 values. Infrastructure and technology. There are 10 tiers of infrastructure based on the largest object that can be made, and 6 tiers of technology. When a sector reaches a value of infrastructure level Cruiser and tech level High, it gets a capstone infrastructure project unique to it.
Tier 1: Destroyed
Tier 2: Devastated
Tier 3: None
Tier 4: Low
Tier 5: Minor
Tier 6: Factories
Tier 7: Orbital production
Tier 8: Cruiser shipyards
Tier 9: Battleship shipyards
Tier 10: Capable of Gloriana Production
Tier 1: Pre-Industrial
Tier 2: Modern
Tier 3: Pre-Warp
Tier 4: Low-Mid Imperial
Tier 5: High Imperial
Tier 6: Advanced
Now each sector is extremely different from another, and you will note that I'm not giving the values for what each sector produces. Nor am I giving you the upkeep. That's mainly because this is meant to be a narrative system rather than the previous mathematical one that I used before that wound up exploding on me. Due to each sector being unique, each one produces a different amount of resources even if they have the same infra and tech level as another.
There are 4 resources in TLP. Technology, which represents high-end production, Materials, which is low-end materials like lasguns, Population, which is self-explanatory, and Consumer Goods, which have no purpose apart from indicating the quality of life of the domain. You will find that there are very few things that actually use Consumer Goods, and even Population is seldom used outside of recruiting guardsmen. Each sector produces some amount of the 4. Also, population and consumer goods do NOT roll over. Only technology and materials do.
Technology goes up mainly with your tech level. Improve that to get more. Materials goes up with the infrastructure. Due to these two being intertwined, higher materials comes with higher tech. As for consumer goods, they're a representation of quality of life, so they go down with the number of sectors you have. But each sector also makes more which means that higher productivity sectors are good for several reasons.
As for your domain, here is yours:
Sector
Average Infra
Average TL
Upgrades
Main Production
Modifiers
Tech Production
Materials
Population
Consumer Goods
Asgard
Gloriana Capable
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1
High End Goods
Valhalla (+10%)
112
580
58
145
Hydrae
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1, Furniture Factories
Low End Goods
x2 Consumer Goods
93
202
39
189
Diyu
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Education Tier 1, Aerial Drop Carriers Capstone
Air Regiments
-0.5% IA Casualties in domain
77
98
58
53
Naraka
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistics Facilities, and Transportation, Education Tier 1, Civilian Vehicle Foundries Capstone
Low End Goods
x1.5 Mat, x1.5 CG
93
202
58
141
Yomi
Cruiser Shipyards
High
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1, Mass Vortex Rounds
Vehicular Regiments
Can mass deploy vortex weapons
19
49
50
30
Helios
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1
Merchant Vessels
Mezoa (+20% mats/consumables)
110
218
43
102
Lyonesse
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1, Sniper Academies
Infantry Regiments
Creates IA Elites
94
128
56
60
Kolob
Cruiser Shipyards
High
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Imperial Army Training Facilitiy Capstone
Infantry Regiments
+1 to IA in domain
19
49
50
30
Caelum
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1, The Deeps
Low End Goods
x2 Material Production
81
399
43
94
Midgard
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1, Elite Soldier Academies
Solar Auxilia
IA can recruite elite units
82
120
86
60
Elysian
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1
Luxury Food
Agrarian
94
27
9
340
Sector 12
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1, The Hanging Gardens
Culinary Exhibits
Makes planetary governors happy
94
37
43
170
Sector 13
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Debt Consolidation Capstone, Education Tier 1
Storage/Banking
Reduce interest to 5%/turn
94
183
43
85
Huroar
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1, Shades Training Academies
Literature/Art
Shades Training Academies
94
37
43
170
Amative
Cruiser Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1, Forge Forging Foundries Capstone
Forge Parts
+1 Sector Upgrade/turn
145
41
11
10
Sector 16
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1, Advanced Cogitator Foundries
High End Goods
x2 Tech
208
183
43
85
Sector 17
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1, Fellblade Foundry
Superheavy Vehicles
+1 Legion Combat
146
293
17
34
Remus
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1
Literature/Art
94
37
43
170
Vadon
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1, Construction Equipment
Industrial Vehicles
Passively builds
146
366
17
34
Dearn
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1, Umbrella Corporation
Bionics
Nothing from the capstone
146
366
0
170
Miach
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1, Medical Equipment Capstone
Doctors
63
64
78
430
Coire
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1, Purpose Built Mass Conveyors Capstone
Shipping Containers
63
368
10
13
Tsoukalos
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1
Historical Documentaries
120
184
20
215
Monkoalia
Battleship Shipyards
Advanced
Medical Centers, Doctor Training, Logistic Facilities and Transportation, Education Tier 1, Additional Lasgun Factories Capstone
Lasgun Components
45
1242
0
0
Sector 22
Cruiser Shipyards
High
Medical Centers, Doctor Training
Saboteurs
1
8
3
4
Maelstrom 01-A
Cruiser Shipyards
High
Medical Centers, Doctor Training
Anti-Daemon Guardsmen
Primarily Warp Worlds
2
8
4
4
Upkeep
Item
Tech Production
Materials
Population
Consumer Goods
Imperial Army
186
19
Astartes Legion
90
90
Naval Fleet
100
180
Embezzlement
465
1035
180
525
Total
550
1716
259
1050
Raw Income
2352
5481
921
2834
Due to your previous deal with the Mechanicum, two sectors are upgraded to Cruiser Shipyards and High each turn, starting from the worst sectors. Do note that this does give the Mechanicum more influence within your domain. Additionally, you can go negative in the amount you spend.
Right now, here's your per turn production of everything:
Technology: 1697 (-12000 in debt, -600 interest per turn)
Materials: 3994 (-73125 in debt, -3656 interest per turn)
Population: 724 + 914 (Migrants) = 1638
Consumer Goods: 2836
Technology Debt: x14.1 income
Materials Debt: x18.4 income
"We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves."-------- Euphrati Keeler, Celebrant of Golden Path
The Faith called the Golden Path founded due to Kesar Dorlin's spiritual wanderings. He further refined his personal philosophy after he had come in contact with Eldar and their history, namely that of the War in Heaven and their subsequent fall. There was no doubt that this faith is influenced by an extinct Pre-DAOT Religion called 'Buddhism;' but due to Primarch's further innovation and elaboration, one can see the Golden Path is vastly different from its predecessor.
According to them, the human soul holds within it the seed of divinity or Bodhicitta, and through carefully moderating one's nature in order to bring body, mind, and heart into balance, one can evolve into an "Exalted state." Ordinarily, souls simply reincarnate over and over without memories of their past lives; and only by seeking this evolution can one escape from the need to reincarnate and the sufferings of life.
Members of this philosophy are known as the Celebrants of Mankind, or simply Celebrants. Those who are particularly close to this Exalted State considered Bodhisattva. Perpetuals are greatly venerated by this Faith as they considered closest to Bodhisattva Ideal due to their age, wisdom, and ability to endure Hardship throughout the Ages. Primarch Dorlin considered by his disciples as an emanation of Shakyamuni Buddha, an Inheritor of his Legacy reincarnated in a new form to guide Humanity towards Buddhahood. That's why he is also called Miroku or Maitreya by his disciples.
Primarch Dorlin first wrote his Philosophy in a book called "The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom" or commonly as the "Heart Sutra," which is a key scripture for Celebrants. In it, he first explained the Four Noble Truths and his theological framework. Those ideas provide an introduction to the Primarch's philosophy, which has to be personally understood or "experienced." Here he elaborated his Two-World Theory, where real space is the material world where Humans live, and The Warp is a world where souls go after death. Together those worlds create the Cycle of Sāmsāra which is imposed due to cause and effect.
According to Kesar, Galactic History can be divisible into three ages:
· The age of the "true law," or Age before War in Heaven ("Shōbō")
· The age of the "copied law," or Age after War of Heaven to Fall of Eldar ("Zōbō")
· And the age of the "latter law," or the "degeneration of the law" which is the current Age ("Mappō")
Golden Path emphasis great value on self-sacrifice and perseverance. All of its scriptures speak of the great trials that will be faced by individuals who base themselves on its teachings and attempt to spread it. In letters to some of his followers, Kaser encouraged them to offer aid and relief and words of comfort to those in pain, who were oppressed, or otherwise in great need. He encouraged them to endure their pain, suffering, and abuse, for good things come to those who waited. He encouraged the laity to halt and relieve the suffering of others, and to take it on themselves if they must.
"Just as all the previous Sugatas, the Buddhas
Generated the mind of enlightenment
And accomplished all the stages
Of the Bodhisattva training,
So will I, too, for the sake of all Humanity,
Generate the mind of enlightenment
And accomplish all the stages
Of the Bodhisattva training."
--------- The Vow of Kesar Dorlin, Primarch of the Eternal Wardens Legion
Before the War of Heaven, anyone with sufficient effort able to become illuminated and able to break the cycle. But with the end of the War on Heaven, an abnormality in this Natural Cycle began to appear. Celebrants refer to this factor as "Mara," "The Four-Faced Daemon," or "The Corrupter."
Before the emergence of the Fourth face, Mara's influence was far weaker than it is now. Illumination was difficult but possible, but the Eldars' Fall quickly changed that; allowing it to become powerful enough to pervert an entire cycle of Samsara - Thus making Enlightenment difficult for Humans. Unilluminated Human souls are now constantly under risk before or after their natural or unnatural death. However, that does not mean it is impossible for a Human to become Illuminated; rather, Kesar asserts that Humans - - and only Humans - - are capable of this exalted state within their natural lifespan.
Four Noble Truths
"I teach suffering, its origin, its cessation, and its path. That's all I teach". ~ Shakyamuni Buddha
The First Noble Truth or The truth of suffering (Dukkha):
Suffering comes in many forms. Three obvious kinds of suffering correspond to the cycle of life: old age, sickness, and death. But according to Kesar, the problem of suffering goes much deeper. Life is not ideal: for it frequently fails to live up to our expectations. Human beings are subject to desires and cravings, but even when humans are able to fulfill these desires, the satisfaction is only temporary. Pleasure does not last; or if it does, it becomes monotonous. Even when humans are not suffering from outward causes like illness or bereavement, they are unfulfilled and thus unsatisfied. This is the truth of suffering.
Some people who encounter this teaching may find it pessimistic. Celebrants find it neither optimistic nor pessimistic, but realistic. Fortunately, the Primarch's teachings do not end with suffering; rather, they go on to tell us what we can do about it and how to end it.
The Second Noble Truth or Origin of suffering (Samudāya):
In the second of his Noble Truths, though, Kesar claimed to have found the cause of all suffering - and it is much more deeply rooted than our immediate worries. He taught that the root of all suffering is desire or Tanhā. This comes in Four forms, which he described as the Four Roots of Evil, or the Four Fires, or the Four Poisons.
· Rage, Hatred, and Malice, metaphorically represented by the Bull
· Fear of Death, apathy, and despair, metaphorically represented by the Pig
· Ignorance, and delusion metaphorically represented by the Serpent
· Greed, desire and excess, metaphorically represented by the Peacock
"Disciples, all is burning. And why is everything burning?
The eye is burning, the form is burning, the inner eye is burning, eye-contact is burning, and whatever is felt as pleasant or painful, neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with eye-contact for its indispensable condition, that too is burning. Burning with what?
Burning with the fire of Lust, with the fire of Hate, with the fire of Despair, with the fire of Delusion.
I say it is burning with birth, aging, and death. Burning with sorrows, with lamentations, with pains, with griefs, with despairs."
-------- The Sermon of Flames, the third discourse delivered by Kesar, several months after his enlightenment
The Third Noble Truth or Cessation of suffering (Nirodha):
Kesar taught that the way to extinguish desire, which causes suffering, is to liberate oneself from attachment. This is the third Noble Truth - the possibility of liberation. A Celebrants aims to know and sense them clearly without becoming enchanted or misled by them, thus they become illuminated or reach "Nirvana".
"Nirvana" means extinguishing. Attaining nirvana - reaching enlightenment - means extinguishing the four fires of despair, excess delusion and hatred. Someone who reaches nirvana does not immediately disappear to a heavenly realm. Nirvana is better understood as a state of mind that humans can reach. It is a state of profound spiritual joy, without negative emotions and fears. After death, an enlightened person is liberated from the cycle of rebirth but beyond the reach of Mara.
"When he finds estrangement, passion fades out. With the fading of passion, he is liberated. When liberated, there is the knowledge that he is liberated.
He understands: 'Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived out, what can be done is done, of this, there is no more beyond.'."
-------- The Fire Sermon, the third discourse delivered by the Kesar, several months after his enlightenment
The Fourth Noble Truth or Path to the cessation of suffering (Magga):
The final Noble Truth is Kesar's solution at the end of suffering. This is a set of principles called the Fivefold Path. It is also called the Middle Way: it avoids both indulgence and severe asceticism, neither of which the Primarch had found helpful in his search for enlightenment.
The five stages can be grouped into Wisdom (right understanding and intention), Ethical Conduct (right speech, action, and livelihood) and Meditation (right effort, mindfulness, and concentration). Kesar described the Fivefold Path as a means to enlightenment, like a raft for crossing a river. Once one has reached the opposite shore, one no longer needs the raft and can leave it behind.
The Five stages are not to be taken in order, but rather support and reinforce each other:
1. Right Understanding and Intention: which means Celebrants must understand his teachings and cultivate the right attitudes. Kesar never intended his followers to believe his teachings blindly, but to practice them and judge for themselves whether they were true.
2. Right Speech and Action: which means Celebrants must speak truthfully, avoiding slander, gossip, and abusive speech. Like all his teaching this only applies to Humans. There is no penalty for deceiving Xenos and rebel Humans as long it benefits Humanity.
3. Right Livelihood: which means Celebrants must avoid making a living in ways that cause harm to humans, such as exploiting Humanity or killing Innocents. But Xenos and rebel humans are not protected by this rule as Celebrants do not consider any Xenos worthy of Salvation, while Rebel humans are merely following their selfish desires - - thus they must be swiftly converted to ensure they follow the right path and play their part to elevate Humanity.
4. Right Effort: Meaning Celebrants must cultivate positive states of mind; freeing oneself of evil and unwholesome states and preventing them from arising in the future. Again this does not apply towards Xenos, as they are obstacles that humanity must overcome to unlocking their potential. So Celebrants must not feel sorrow or disgust if they are forced to harm or kill Xenos. Kesar calls this concept as "Nishkam Karma", self-less or desire-less action, which is an action performed without any expectation of fruits or results, and the central tenet of the Path to Liberation. Its advocates stepping beyond personal goals and agendas while pursuing any action over the greater good. Nishkam Karma can be explained as 'Duty for Duty's Sake' and as 'Detached Involvement', which is neither a negative attitude or indifference.
"With body, mind, and intellect, with merely the senses, Celebrants perform action toward self-purification, having abandoned attachment. He who is disciplined in The Path (Golden Path), having abandoned the fruit of action, attains steady peace..."
~ Kesar Dorlin during His debate with Lorgar Aurelian regarding Nature of Divinity and Godhood
5. Right Mindfulness and Concentration: Meaning Celebrant must develop proper awareness of the body's sensations, feelings and states of mind for this awareness. The practitioner is able to see the true nature of his/her being and become illuminated forever outside Mara's reach.
"The wheel tells time. All lives and all anguish shall return unto me. Under the great Enlightenment, humanity shall become one" ~Kesar Dorlin
This is Kesar's the last and most hidden teaching. According to him, all humans are one and the same, and they carry the same soul separated by a fog of Ignorance due to Chaos. He theorizes that in time, all of mankind will achieve Nirvana and they will ultimately transmigrate into the Buddha/One Being/Ideal archetype - - thus forever beyond the reach of Chaos.
"Knowledge is the eye of all, and on knowledge, it is founded. Knowledge is the eye of the world, and knowledge, the foundation. Nirvana is simply knowing."~ Last Line of the Heart Sutra
The lotus flower is the Symbol of Golden Path, that is why it is also called "Way of Lotus" as it is representative of creation and cosmic renewal and "primordial purity". Celebrants consider a fully blooming lotus a symbol of complete enlightenment, while a closed bud is a time before enlightenment. Sometimes a flower is partly open, with it's center hidden, indicating that enlightenment is beyond ordinary sight. The mud nourishing the roots represents turbulent human lives. It is in the midst of human experiences and suffering that Humans seek to break free and bloom. But while the flower rises above the mud, the roots and stem remain in the mud, where Humans live their lives.
"As the flower of a lotus,
Arisen in water, blossoms,
Pure-scented and pleasing the mind,
Yet is not drenched by the water,
In the same way, born in the world,
The Buddha abides in the world;
And like the lotus by water,
He does not get drenched by the world."
--------------------- Poem Quoted in Theragatha of Tipitaka
[X] Improving Valhalla's Infrastructure
[X] Meet his legion
While Kesar would love to begin research, he knew that Valhalla needed his help now. While research would yield benefits in the long run, the food situation on Valhalla was dire and another disaster could undo all the work he had done. As such, he began organizing material shipments and gave advice on how to rebuild greenhouses. However, implementing his instructions was extremely difficult for Valhalla. After the Valhallan witch hunters had discovered the greenhouses were tainted, they immediately began to investigate the entire food supply. After hundreds of investigations and audits, they elected to rebuild the food distribution system from the ground up to prevent corruption due to tainted food. Unfortunately, this meant that Kesar's advice was based on an entirely different agricultural base. As such, much of his advice was unhelpful when Valhalla finally received it. Thankfully, the schematics that were given were enough to rebuild the greenhouses and bring up the infrastructure level to where it was before the greenhouses were destroyed, but nothing else was accomplished.
As Kesar began drafting the next set of improvements for Valhalla, the first captain of his legion arrived. Previously, said legion was just referred to as the Eleventh, but Kesar decided to change that to:
[] Write-in
The first captain, Oriacarius Gielux, was an extremely cautious individual, perhaps a bit too cautious. Every plan he made had dozens of contingencies, and the legion's training system was filled with safety courses and lacked much danger. As a result, there were almost no real disasters in any mission or in training, but actions tended to take much longer due to greater care. Kesar, however, had agreed with the training regime since the first captain tended to have his plans modified by the other less cautious captains.
"Lord Dorlin, I believe it is time for you to meet the legion."
Kesar paused in his work and stepped out from his desk, "Of course Oriacarius, I am curious to see how my legion has progressed."
The two walked down the hallways in the Astartes facility, and on the way, Oriacarius explained that he had not told the rest of the Astartes to ensure that their behavior was natural so Kesar could get an accurate understanding of them. Finally, Kesar reached the training area and momentarily paused to observe.
Inside was what seemed to be a field stripping lesson as the young neophytes learned the rites of maintenance from the mechanicus. At the center stood an imposing individual who continuously admonished the neophytes for speaking, dropping parts, or undisciplined behavior. Interestingly, Kesar could tell that the real captain in charge of this training was assisting struggling neophytes, going back and forth explaining issues that they struggled with.
Eventually, Oriacarius spoke up, "Brother-Captain Scafrir, Brother-Captain Maticus, report to the Primarch."
With this, the neophytes immediately paused and looked over at Kesar in awe, and were immediately disciplined by Maticus, who was headed over as soon as he noticed Oriacarius speak. Scafrir meanwhile took his time to finish his discussion with a neophyte before jogging over.
"My apologies Lord Primarch," Scafrir spoke in a slightly embarrassed voice, "but some of the initiates were struggling and I thought that I should assist them."
"I understand completely, I assume you are the Master of Scouts?" Kesar replied slightly amused at the Captain's obvious embarrassment.
Scafrir responded with a quick "Yes Lord Primarch," as Maticus crisply saluted and spoke up, "Lord Primarch Dorlin, Maticus Ventamedes third captain reporting in."
"It's an honor to meet you," Kesar responded with a slight nod, "I am merely stopping in, feel free to continue with the training."
With this, Scafrir uttered a quick "Yes Lord Primarch," as Maticus spoke up, "Permission to speak sir?"
After obtaining permission, Maticus turned to the first captain, "Sir, I believe that the neophytes are ready to begin live-fire drills."
Oriacarius grimaced and shook his head, "Denied, while I trust your judgment captain, safety must be a priority. They must practice trigger discipline, clearing jams, and emergency scenarios before they can be trusted with a live firearm."
Kesar frowned a little at this, "That seems a little overcautious. However, I will refer to your judgment for now. Now first captain, give me a report on the state of the legion."
Oriacarius gave a swift nod and began, "Of course. So far, as you know, we have lacked a Primarch. As such, I deemed it necessary to pursue actions of relatively little impact on the Great Crusade as a whole. Therefore, much of the legion was sent to take worlds of relatively low importance and assist the Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy forces. This has allowed the legion to remain overstrength, a fact which I am grateful for. Sadly, however, we have not had much of a share in the glory. My actions have effectively deemed us as the legion primarily used for unimportant worlds and as garrisons. While I believe this has allowed the legion to gain experience, it is unfortunate that we are normally called in for unimportant planets that the other legions don't want to invade due to their lack of importance. Thankfully, they do not look down upon us, because someone must do this job and better for someone else to do it. In conclusion, we are overstrength and lacking in glory or significance. That will, however, likely change with your discovery Lord Primarch."
Kesar took in his legion and began to finalize his combat preferences and compliance practices:
Combat Style
[] Oriacarius recommends a slow advance across a large frontline assisted with Imperial Guard forces and orbital bombardment. It would be slow and devastate infrastructure but would preserve Imperium lives.
[] Maticus recommends rapid strikes using drop pods and thunderhawks. Essentially Astartes blitz important locations and draw attention while the guard moves in. This would be quick and save infrastructure but would result in larger attrition rates for Astartes.
[] Scafrir recommends generalizing the force. Every leader has their own preference, so it would be ideal if Astartes could perform any action well. It is hard to say how this would turn out however.
[] Write-in
Compliance Method
[] Diplomacy is preferred and will be the primary tool. Will leave planets grateful and with infrastructure and technology intact, but would be slower and allow some worlds to drag their feet and mobilize.
[] Planets that do not comply are immediately attacked. This is the standard policy of many legions, and this leads to large amounts of conflict which trains Astartes but results in a bit of resentment.
[] Worlds that do not comply are devastated using large scale bombardment and weapons of mass destruction. Will likely result in quick conflicts and mass compliance, but large amounts of worlds will likely produce nothing and resent the Imperium.
[] Write-in
Post Compliance
[] Leave them, once your work is done, you can leave quickly.
[] After leaving a planet, ensure the world will not starve and is stable. Will slow down progress slightly, but ensures compliant planets are stable. Basically, bring infrastructure up to Tier 3, where the populace does not starve.
[] After bringing worlds into the Imperium, begin to uplift the world immediately. Improve technology and build infrastructure if needed. Effectively add 5 to the tech level if under 41. Also, increase infrastructure to Tier 4. This would, however, take a fair bit of time.
[] Ensure worlds that are brought in are compliant and productive. Effectively add 10 to tech level if under 41 and increase infrastructure to Tier 5. This sadly would be a significant investment of time and resources but would ensure that all worlds provide something of importance to the Imperium.
[] Every world is precious, and as such should be brought up to the highest standards to ensure productivity. As such, the tech level would be increased by 20, up to a max of 55, with infrastructure being brought up to Tier 7. This, however, would slow compliance rates by a massive amount, estimates state it would cut compliance rates by a factor of 4-5.
[] Write-in
AN: Update got a bit away from me, to be honest. In short, your legion has three hero units with different abilities. Oriacarius rerolls critical fails for a unit under his direct command, Maticus causes all Astartes under his command to reroll failed will saves, and Scafrir does something helpful. For whatever plan winds up winning for the compliance policies, I'll post the bonuses each plan gives in the next update.
