The Young Xian of the Celestial Realm: Space Cathay 4x Warhammer 40k Quest
- Thread starter Spartakrod
- Start date
- Sci-Fi
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This is to an extent, the setup, so I don't think their mechanical boost has been included yet.
- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
I'm mostly just hoping they're improved enough to dislodge the Cannon Fodder Supremacy all these factions we're fighting would probably expect from the Tien. Maybe I'm just worried because the space and armor upgrades were specifically mentioned in the last couple updates but the Gnoblars weren't unless you count Haggis.
Well yeah they are with the Ogors in the third front.
- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
Well, yes, but Haggis was the only Gnoblar mentioned, and the Terra-cotta Cannon Fodder tech hasn't come up at all. I'm probably just paranoid though.
Dark_River49
Randomly Generated Gremlin, Writes Walls of Text
- Location
- Somewhere in Sufficient Velocity
[X] Plan: Your Thesis is Dead Wrong
Honestly with how much these factions keep on harping on about their numerical superiority and ability to snowball, I'm tempted to make up a project to either get our own version of this (The Undead and presumably any other self-replicating/replenishing/converting swarm faction's ability to go over 100% Fleethorde capacity is very nice), or counter it.
Given that I can't really see any way for us to do that with our current resources without going for extreme options such as Harmonic mind control, I'm inclined to counter it instead. Maybe a self-adapting swarm that identifies and morphs to target its prey's weaknesses? Like a nanite swarm that gains properties of every undead weakness after analyzing andead or something.
Or maybe something like the Harmonic Broadcasters, where we harmonize materials that share properties to "count" in terms of weaknesses? Like plasma being good against undead harmonizing with its solar aspect to become just as good as genuine sunlight charged by hysh or paper or paper-like material itself becoming mildly toxic to warpcreatures even without any specific rituals since paper/paper-like materials are the most commonly used talisman/charm bases?
Actually, why stop at weaknesses, why not make its so that materials in range that share properties generally become closer to each other in terms of properties, both physical and metaphysical? Using the previous examples, any form of light would become just as painful to undead as plasma or regular sunlight because its light, and Hysh is the wind of light. They have their insta-kill aura of death? No problemo, just shine a flashlight and watch any (Non-named) undead wither and crumble! Have some warp denizens boarding your ship? Just get a bunch of holy metals, and now the ship's hull itself burns with a touch! We're running low on ammo? No problem, roughly shaped rocks will do just fine in a pinch until you get new supplies! Missing some rare components that can't be ethically sourced for a ritual like the heart of a dragon or the cries of a tortured soul? Just substitute them with the heart of a non-sapient magical lizard and collect the cries of someone getting noogied!
... On second thought this seems awfully close to Ork-tech... Bah Im sure its fine, if this idea goes through we just need to make sure to use the material substitution properties in emergencies instead of relying on them.
Honestly with how much these factions keep on harping on about their numerical superiority and ability to snowball, I'm tempted to make up a project to either get our own version of this (The Undead and presumably any other self-replicating/replenishing/converting swarm faction's ability to go over 100% Fleethorde capacity is very nice), or counter it.
Given that I can't really see any way for us to do that with our current resources without going for extreme options such as Harmonic mind control, I'm inclined to counter it instead. Maybe a self-adapting swarm that identifies and morphs to target its prey's weaknesses? Like a nanite swarm that gains properties of every undead weakness after analyzing andead or something.
Or maybe something like the Harmonic Broadcasters, where we harmonize materials that share properties to "count" in terms of weaknesses? Like plasma being good against undead harmonizing with its solar aspect to become just as good as genuine sunlight charged by hysh or paper or paper-like material itself becoming mildly toxic to warpcreatures even without any specific rituals since paper/paper-like materials are the most commonly used talisman/charm bases?
Actually, why stop at weaknesses, why not make its so that materials in range that share properties generally become closer to each other in terms of properties, both physical and metaphysical? Using the previous examples, any form of light would become just as painful to undead as plasma or regular sunlight because its light, and Hysh is the wind of light. They have their insta-kill aura of death? No problemo, just shine a flashlight and watch any (Non-named) undead wither and crumble! Have some warp denizens boarding your ship? Just get a bunch of holy metals, and now the ship's hull itself burns with a touch! We're running low on ammo? No problem, roughly shaped rocks will do just fine in a pinch until you get new supplies! Missing some rare components that can't be ethically sourced for a ritual like the heart of a dragon or the cries of a tortured soul? Just substitute them with the heart of a non-sapient magical lizard and collect the cries of someone getting noogied!
... On second thought this seems awfully close to Ork-tech... Bah Im sure its fine, if this idea goes through we just need to make sure to use the material substitution properties in emergencies instead of relying on them.
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- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
Say, Rage, what's your plan for next Turn, speaking of research?
- Location
- Warsaw
[X] Plan: Your Thesis is Dead Wrong
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- He/Him
I don't have a set plan for Turn 5 right now. The exact allotments will depend on the results of the Ancestor Cores and what, may additionally pop up next turn.
That said, I do have The Star's Wisdom Pt. 1 earmarked, and the remaining slots would go to Doctrinal Improvements. My thinking is that with continued Research Mega-Projects being added and Ancestor Core use, we should be able to fit Empowerment Project Pt. 1, Communications Improvement, Biological Streamlining, and 2-3 more Doctrinal Improvements into the Turn 6 plan. That way, when Turn 7 comes, we'll have 17 slots and be able to easily fit in Tianren Cultivation Project Pt. 1 and have all our tier-credit offerings for this level done as we go put an end to the Vortex of Woe.
- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
Don't forget Dreaming Mysteries.
Here's hoping one of the fights with the Tyranids we're doing give us a Bio-research Credit. After consulting my old list, we have 2 planetoid Research Credits(not particularly relevant), 1 DEldar Research Credit, and 2 Cruoran (regenerative armor, robotics, energy weapons, field quench weapons)Research Credits. You think we could use the DEldar one on Star's Wisdom? Cruoran could drop the Linked Ground Automata research to 1 slot, I'd bet. It's definitely a robotics project.
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1. I haven't. Been pondering making that a joint research project with the Tau. Something that we don't have to worry about them abusing.
2. Pretty sure that we can justify using both the D-Eldar and Cruoran credits on Star's Wisdom. That was part of my plan to begin with.
- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
Hm, with Urist and Olga's free slots, plus our new Research Megaproject, we effectively have 15 slots, assuming we purchase 5. At worst, Star's Wisdom will cost 9 slots, knocked down to 6 by the Credits, which leaves enough room for Wisdom and Streamlining at the same time, with 2 slots to spare. Do we get the 2 slot Novel Discount for whichever of Streamlining/Empowerment we do first? I'm reasonably certain Star's General Physics is also completely Novel, which means it should be at full strength there too. I don't think we did any bio stuff before we got the research powerup there. 6 Slots free is enough for most of the stuff we might desperately want to shore up any weaknesses in our lines via Doctrinal stuff.
Also we might want to consider leaving a research one off from completion so Chen will finish it with an extra free research slot:
Chen Haoyu Gains:
Teacher of a New Generation: Gain one free research slot. Per turn, one single research slot cost technology will be autocompleted. If you are researching down lines of technology with tags that you haven't done before, you receive a discount for "novel innovation", wth the discount declining the more entries you take in that category. Gain Lore of Future, Lore of Fate.
Chen Haoyu Gains:
Teacher of a New Generation: Gain one free research slot. Per turn, one single research slot cost technology will be autocompleted. If you are researching down lines of technology with tags that you haven't done before, you receive a discount for "novel innovation", wth the discount declining the more entries you take in that category. Gain Lore of Future, Lore of Fate.
- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
I think that only applies to stuff that's natively a single slot, like Gnoblar Armor was. Hm, wait a minute. Were we missing a slot in the plan? Like, is the Free Slot a separate thing from the 'autocomplete a one-slot research' effect?
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We thought we were completing the Gnoblar research with the novel research bonus so we're definitely not missing a Research Slot. However I'm not sure if we would keep the +2 free slots for our next Gnoblar research if Chen autocompletes it or if that would still count as having done one before for the purposes of novel research.
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Kairos123
Insomniac Extraordinaire
I think the next turns research will largely depend on the Ancestor Cores and what is unlocked by the revolutionary breakthroughs. However, I would love to see some synergistic choices. Things like matching ground automata with linked ground overminds, or yin and yang projectors alongside our harmony broadcasters.
@Spartakrod if you don't mind answering, is it more efficient to go further down existing tech trees unlock more tech (like esoteric type research)? Or is it better to focus on the revolutionary breakthroughs for that path?
@Spartakrod if you don't mind answering, is it more efficient to go further down existing tech trees unlock more tech (like esoteric type research)? Or is it better to focus on the revolutionary breakthroughs for that path?
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1. We don't have research slots for Urist and Olga, just discounts if we apply them to the valid projects... which does adjust our effective total as you said, but conditionally.
2. We haven't done any Biology projects before, so we'll get the full 2 slot discount.
3. And the same goes for Star's Wisdom.
Zolarian01
Deputy Premier, UISR
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@MrRageQuit If things go correctly, you should get a few more Research Slots from new characters by Turn 5.
- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
Personally, I'm hoping fighting against the Numerians and alongside the Asahikyoans offers either a discount to, Credits that can be spent on, or both for Mech Conversion. Since the former are the Tyranids but robots, and the latter explicitly have Mech Conversion stuff going on. Star's Wisdom+Biological Streamlining+Mech Conversion should be nuts for our strikecraft.
By the by, I've collected our completed researches thus far:
Turn 0:
Breacher Automaton: While boarding focused automatons already exist, this would elevate their capabilities further with designs specially made for breaking into or preventing a breach into a fortified point such as a ship or fortress. Reinforced armour, a suite of close-range weapons, and additional limbs make them more suited for confined CQC, while the smaller package allows them to squeeze into more spaces. Provides greater chance of claiming an edge in clash and penetration actions. Cost: 3 research slots.
Ogor Armour: Provide Ogor units with more consistent armouring to allow them to better survive incoming fire with things beyond sheer physical toughness, as Ogors grow for as long as they live, this requires highly modular armour that can have components replaced as its wearer grows. Teaching the Ogors to use it and the Gnoblars to maintain it will also take time. But it will save many an Ogor life, and provide valuable experience in working with Ogor physiology. Reduces casualties suffered in Ogor infantry engagements. Cost: 2 Research slots.
Turn 1:
Ogor Autobattery: Assists the Ogors with the provision of automated guns on their ships that can help overcome the often mediocre aiming capabilities of the Ogors and the Gnoblars, allowing for their barrages of fire to be, particularly at close range, be more coordinated and make it safer for Tian'Chaoren ships to fight where they're shooting without worrying about getting shot. Provides a greater chance of claiming an edge in clash actions and slightly increases likelihood of inflicting enemy casualties while reducing friendly losses. Cost: 3 Research Slots.
Anti-Matter Boosters: Systems that can inject anti-matter into ship reactors for a brief, intense boost of speed to allow for closing into an action, escaping an undesired one, or a brief augmentation to energy weapons output and shield strength. Enhances most space actions, but particularly clash and pursuit/disengagement. Cost: 4 slots.
Turn 2:
Chi-wen class frigate: Using harmonic resonance and built around a single shield broadcaster, this ship forgoes all offense in order to better defend the ships it is attached to. Especially useful against enemies with a high volume of fire. (Shielding, Improves ship durability and reduces casualties. 2 slots.)
Harmonic Scramblers: This shipborn E-warfare equipment harnesses the effects of our harmonic fields to disrupt enemy sensors, making targeting locks and teleport-boarding attempts more difficult. 2 Slots (Esoteric, General enhancement in defence, especially bombardment or boarding. Esoteric bonus cuts it down to one slot.)
The Iron Heart Project, Part 1, Steel Awakening: The Tian'Chaoren are well known for their fondness of creating automatons and A.Is, but their preference for spiritually empowered ones sets them apart from the more purely mechanical things of the Interex, UCCR, Votann, or Mechanicus, but can be compared to the Eldar or the Dawi. Understanding more of how a machine's mind can glow in the warp may aid in making them more reliably and better. (Revolutionary Breakthrough, Joint Project with Leagues of Votann, will offer a general improvement to mechanical units and technology, offers a credit towards a tier up. Opens further Iron heart branches.)
Turn 3:
Harmonic Broadcasters: Inspired by the Tyranid shadow in the warp and the Itzecan Astromantic interference, Harmonic Broadcasters will radiate the harmonic influence of Yin and Yang into the empyrean and into the dimension often known as "Leng" that the forces of the Strangers reside in. Taking existing technosorcery, these devices can reduce reality corruption, complicate the manifestation of supernatural beings, augment your own esotericists and forces, and also help function as interdiction of enemy comms and travel. Revolutionary Breakthrough: 10 Research slots. (Esoteric, Esoteric bonuses cut it down to 8 slots)
Psychoreactive Armour: We have many magicians and psyjers among our forces, and they are amongst our most valuable assets, in need of protection. This advanced armor uses psycho-circuitry to predict attacks and draws on the wearer's power to reinforce itself against them. 2 Slots (Esoteric, Augments individuals of importance and esoterics. Esoteric bonus cuts it down to one slot.)
Turn 4:
Enlightenment Project, Part 1 - Eyes of the Soul: Starts to look at how to spiritually augment the tutored peoples as was done in the past. Particularly in a way that is less time consuming than the current Ways of Enlightenment which rely on information often not-applicable to the current Pupil species with significant holes in the knowledge base. Revolutionary Breakthrough. Cost: 8 Slots (Discounted). Effect: Provides for a spiritual enhancement to units and increases resistance to corruption. Offers a credit towards a tier up. Opens further Enlightenment project branches. Type: Esoteric.
Nanite Tanks: By the integration of self-repair nanites into armoured combat units, the irrecoverable losses to the AFV motor pool can be greatly reduced and damaged vehicles can be returned to the field in short order. It also serves as a good stepping stone into a more general advance into nanotechnology, inspired by the Asahikyojin's developments in the field. Cost: 3 Slots. Effect: Unlocks nanotechnology branch, vehicles and starships take fewer permanent casualties. Type: Nanotechnology.
Tachyon Ballista: Tachyonic weapons are a novelty at this point in time, with Asahikyojin Wave Force weapons being the primary example of such, but are purely direct fire only and so far only come in beam form, which while efficient at close range introduces significant wastage at long distances. The Tachyon Ballista aims to fix this, though initial prototypes are absolutely enormous and would have to function as spinal weapons for supercapital ships, the very largest of Ordinatus ground weapon platforms, or static defences. The effects though would be nothing short of spectacular, as prototype tests show the ability for a super-dreadnought fitted with a spinal tachyon ballistae to overpenetrate a line of captured Apocalypse class battleships impounded from the Iron Warriors for weapons testing from the prow on with a projectile velocity high enough (and retrocausal enough) to counter most conventional evasive action. Cost: 5 Slots. Effect: Improves bombardment for supercapital ships, fortifications, and behemoths. Unlocks Tachyon type weapon research. Type: Tachyonic Physics.
Plasma Catapult: While plasma weapons are generally thought of as relatively short ranged by the standards of void weapons, Plasma Catapults seek to improve on plasma railguns to allow them to function as proper artillery. Through League of Votann inspired designs, these will allow plasma turrets to launch their projectiles with range similar to that of conventional mass drivers while negating much of the drop off plasma weapons typically suffer at extreme range. This also has implications for ground warfare, such as allowing for much faster projectiles for plasma artillery which is generally considered more of a siege than battlefield weapon due to low velocity with indirect fire thanks to the buoyancy of plasma allowing for fairly easy evasive action against plasma descending in ballistic arcs. Cost: 2 Slots. Effect: Moderate improvements to Clash, Skirmish, and Bombardment in space, moderate improvements to long range weapons on the ground, especially artillery or vehicles. Type: Plasma Physics.
New Model Armour: Armour is always in need of improvement, even in a world such as this where armour has proved decisively ahead of firepower. The New Model Armour program seeks to use understanding gleaned from psychomaterial research to significantly improve the material hardiness of just about everything under the sun. Cost: 4 Slots. Effect: Casualties reduced slightly across the board with more effect for infantry, characters, and lighter vehicles. Type: Thaumaturgical Material Science, allows for further research into esoteric materials.
Adamantium Mass Production: The general demand for atomically perfect precision when synthesising adamantium, especially when electrically induced to allow for its strengthened binding effect at lower quantities of mass, has served to bottleneck the output of this material. But there are ways to improve upon this and allow for greater quantities and quality of synthetic adamantium. Cost: 4 Slots. Effect: Casualties reduced slightly across the board, with more effect for very large units and starships. Type: Quantum Material Science, allows for further research into advanced materials.
Gnoblar Kit: With a bit of investment, perhaps the gnoblars can be more than bipedal kickballs and menial labourers. This will start doing investment into gnoblar equipment to make them better at cannon fodder and other such duties, as well as looking to integrate them in Tianchao society. Cost: 1 Slot. Type: Gnoblar. Effect: Improves cannon fodder, unlocks further gnoblar research.
Terracotta Armies: Legions of automata governed by a single overmind, these units are a metal skeleton wrapped in alchemically enhanced clay. While their outer frame is frail and easily cracked, the skeleton underneath requires much more effort to destroy. These units are not made with the typical artisanal quality of typical Tian'Chao units. Indeed, they can be mass produced in automated factories, while their enhanced-terracotta skin can be made in bulk by even apprentice alchemists. Cost: 3 Slots. Effect: Improvement to cannon fodder, boarding defence and attack. Type: Constructs.
Technically, we got these three(Elemental beasts, Seasonal Beasts, and Auspicious Beasts, but the specifics of those aren't entirely clear) for free from Chen Kexin's level up. I think that's all of them.
By the by, I've collected our completed researches thus far:
Turn 0:
Breacher Automaton: While boarding focused automatons already exist, this would elevate their capabilities further with designs specially made for breaking into or preventing a breach into a fortified point such as a ship or fortress. Reinforced armour, a suite of close-range weapons, and additional limbs make them more suited for confined CQC, while the smaller package allows them to squeeze into more spaces. Provides greater chance of claiming an edge in clash and penetration actions. Cost: 3 research slots.
Ogor Armour: Provide Ogor units with more consistent armouring to allow them to better survive incoming fire with things beyond sheer physical toughness, as Ogors grow for as long as they live, this requires highly modular armour that can have components replaced as its wearer grows. Teaching the Ogors to use it and the Gnoblars to maintain it will also take time. But it will save many an Ogor life, and provide valuable experience in working with Ogor physiology. Reduces casualties suffered in Ogor infantry engagements. Cost: 2 Research slots.
Turn 1:
Ogor Autobattery: Assists the Ogors with the provision of automated guns on their ships that can help overcome the often mediocre aiming capabilities of the Ogors and the Gnoblars, allowing for their barrages of fire to be, particularly at close range, be more coordinated and make it safer for Tian'Chaoren ships to fight where they're shooting without worrying about getting shot. Provides a greater chance of claiming an edge in clash actions and slightly increases likelihood of inflicting enemy casualties while reducing friendly losses. Cost: 3 Research Slots.
Anti-Matter Boosters: Systems that can inject anti-matter into ship reactors for a brief, intense boost of speed to allow for closing into an action, escaping an undesired one, or a brief augmentation to energy weapons output and shield strength. Enhances most space actions, but particularly clash and pursuit/disengagement. Cost: 4 slots.
Turn 2:
Chi-wen class frigate: Using harmonic resonance and built around a single shield broadcaster, this ship forgoes all offense in order to better defend the ships it is attached to. Especially useful against enemies with a high volume of fire. (Shielding, Improves ship durability and reduces casualties. 2 slots.)
Harmonic Scramblers: This shipborn E-warfare equipment harnesses the effects of our harmonic fields to disrupt enemy sensors, making targeting locks and teleport-boarding attempts more difficult. 2 Slots (Esoteric, General enhancement in defence, especially bombardment or boarding. Esoteric bonus cuts it down to one slot.)
The Iron Heart Project, Part 1, Steel Awakening: The Tian'Chaoren are well known for their fondness of creating automatons and A.Is, but their preference for spiritually empowered ones sets them apart from the more purely mechanical things of the Interex, UCCR, Votann, or Mechanicus, but can be compared to the Eldar or the Dawi. Understanding more of how a machine's mind can glow in the warp may aid in making them more reliably and better. (Revolutionary Breakthrough, Joint Project with Leagues of Votann, will offer a general improvement to mechanical units and technology, offers a credit towards a tier up. Opens further Iron heart branches.)
Turn 3:
Harmonic Broadcasters: Inspired by the Tyranid shadow in the warp and the Itzecan Astromantic interference, Harmonic Broadcasters will radiate the harmonic influence of Yin and Yang into the empyrean and into the dimension often known as "Leng" that the forces of the Strangers reside in. Taking existing technosorcery, these devices can reduce reality corruption, complicate the manifestation of supernatural beings, augment your own esotericists and forces, and also help function as interdiction of enemy comms and travel. Revolutionary Breakthrough: 10 Research slots. (Esoteric, Esoteric bonuses cut it down to 8 slots)
Psychoreactive Armour: We have many magicians and psyjers among our forces, and they are amongst our most valuable assets, in need of protection. This advanced armor uses psycho-circuitry to predict attacks and draws on the wearer's power to reinforce itself against them. 2 Slots (Esoteric, Augments individuals of importance and esoterics. Esoteric bonus cuts it down to one slot.)
Turn 4:
Enlightenment Project, Part 1 - Eyes of the Soul: Starts to look at how to spiritually augment the tutored peoples as was done in the past. Particularly in a way that is less time consuming than the current Ways of Enlightenment which rely on information often not-applicable to the current Pupil species with significant holes in the knowledge base. Revolutionary Breakthrough. Cost: 8 Slots (Discounted). Effect: Provides for a spiritual enhancement to units and increases resistance to corruption. Offers a credit towards a tier up. Opens further Enlightenment project branches. Type: Esoteric.
Nanite Tanks: By the integration of self-repair nanites into armoured combat units, the irrecoverable losses to the AFV motor pool can be greatly reduced and damaged vehicles can be returned to the field in short order. It also serves as a good stepping stone into a more general advance into nanotechnology, inspired by the Asahikyojin's developments in the field. Cost: 3 Slots. Effect: Unlocks nanotechnology branch, vehicles and starships take fewer permanent casualties. Type: Nanotechnology.
Tachyon Ballista: Tachyonic weapons are a novelty at this point in time, with Asahikyojin Wave Force weapons being the primary example of such, but are purely direct fire only and so far only come in beam form, which while efficient at close range introduces significant wastage at long distances. The Tachyon Ballista aims to fix this, though initial prototypes are absolutely enormous and would have to function as spinal weapons for supercapital ships, the very largest of Ordinatus ground weapon platforms, or static defences. The effects though would be nothing short of spectacular, as prototype tests show the ability for a super-dreadnought fitted with a spinal tachyon ballistae to overpenetrate a line of captured Apocalypse class battleships impounded from the Iron Warriors for weapons testing from the prow on with a projectile velocity high enough (and retrocausal enough) to counter most conventional evasive action. Cost: 5 Slots. Effect: Improves bombardment for supercapital ships, fortifications, and behemoths. Unlocks Tachyon type weapon research. Type: Tachyonic Physics.
Plasma Catapult: While plasma weapons are generally thought of as relatively short ranged by the standards of void weapons, Plasma Catapults seek to improve on plasma railguns to allow them to function as proper artillery. Through League of Votann inspired designs, these will allow plasma turrets to launch their projectiles with range similar to that of conventional mass drivers while negating much of the drop off plasma weapons typically suffer at extreme range. This also has implications for ground warfare, such as allowing for much faster projectiles for plasma artillery which is generally considered more of a siege than battlefield weapon due to low velocity with indirect fire thanks to the buoyancy of plasma allowing for fairly easy evasive action against plasma descending in ballistic arcs. Cost: 2 Slots. Effect: Moderate improvements to Clash, Skirmish, and Bombardment in space, moderate improvements to long range weapons on the ground, especially artillery or vehicles. Type: Plasma Physics.
New Model Armour: Armour is always in need of improvement, even in a world such as this where armour has proved decisively ahead of firepower. The New Model Armour program seeks to use understanding gleaned from psychomaterial research to significantly improve the material hardiness of just about everything under the sun. Cost: 4 Slots. Effect: Casualties reduced slightly across the board with more effect for infantry, characters, and lighter vehicles. Type: Thaumaturgical Material Science, allows for further research into esoteric materials.
Adamantium Mass Production: The general demand for atomically perfect precision when synthesising adamantium, especially when electrically induced to allow for its strengthened binding effect at lower quantities of mass, has served to bottleneck the output of this material. But there are ways to improve upon this and allow for greater quantities and quality of synthetic adamantium. Cost: 4 Slots. Effect: Casualties reduced slightly across the board, with more effect for very large units and starships. Type: Quantum Material Science, allows for further research into advanced materials.
Gnoblar Kit: With a bit of investment, perhaps the gnoblars can be more than bipedal kickballs and menial labourers. This will start doing investment into gnoblar equipment to make them better at cannon fodder and other such duties, as well as looking to integrate them in Tianchao society. Cost: 1 Slot. Type: Gnoblar. Effect: Improves cannon fodder, unlocks further gnoblar research.
Terracotta Armies: Legions of automata governed by a single overmind, these units are a metal skeleton wrapped in alchemically enhanced clay. While their outer frame is frail and easily cracked, the skeleton underneath requires much more effort to destroy. These units are not made with the typical artisanal quality of typical Tian'Chao units. Indeed, they can be mass produced in automated factories, while their enhanced-terracotta skin can be made in bulk by even apprentice alchemists. Cost: 3 Slots. Effect: Improvement to cannon fodder, boarding defence and attack. Type: Constructs.
Technically, we got these three(Elemental beasts, Seasonal Beasts, and Auspicious Beasts, but the specifics of those aren't entirely clear) for free from Chen Kexin's level up. I think that's all of them.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
So I went ahead and retyped everything up here to bring it into the fully cleaned up and unified descriptive order. @Spartakrod can go ahead and c/p this into the Research Done section of the Status threadmark, as well as clean up the whole lot crossed-out stuff. Missing types from the first few research projects were provided by Spartkrod on Discord.
The general demand for atomically perfect precision when synthesising adamantium, especially when electrically induced to allow for its strengthened binding effect at lower quantities of mass, has served to bottleneck the output of this material. But there are ways to improve upon this and allow for greater quantities and quality of synthetic adamantium. Cost: 4 Slots. Effect: Slightly reduced casualties across the board with more effect for very large units and starships. Unlocks further research into advanced materials. Type: Quantum Material Science.
Systems that can inject anti-matter into ship reactors for a brief, intense boost of speed to allow for closing into an action, escaping an undesired one, or a brief augmentation to energy weapons output and shield strength. Cost: 4 slots. Effect: Improvement to space actions, particularly Clash and Pursuit/Disengage. Type: Anti-Matter Power.
While boarding focused automatons already exist, this would elevate their capabilities further with designs specially made for breaking into or preventing a breach into a fortified point such as a ship or fortress. Reinforced armour, a suite of close-range weapons, and additional limbs make them more suited for confined CQC, while the smaller package allows them to squeeze into more spaces. Cost: 3 slots. Effect: Improvement to Clash and Penetration. Type: Constructs.
Using harmonic resonance and built around a single shield broadcaster, this ship forgoes all offense in order to better defend the ships it is attached to. Especially useful against enemies with a high volume of fire. Cost: 2 slots. Effect: Improvement to ship durability. Reduced ship casualties. Type: Shielding.
Starts to look at how to spiritually augment the tutored peoples as was done in the past. Particularly in a way that is less time consuming than the current Ways of Enlightenment which rely on information often not-applicable to the current Pupil species with significant holes in the knowledge base. Revolutionary Breakthrough. Cost: 8 Slots (Discounted). Effect: Spiritual improvement to units. Increased resistance to corruption. Tier-up credit granted. Unlocks further Enlightenment branches. Type: Esoteric.
With a bit of investment, perhaps the gnoblars can be more than bipedal kickballs and menial labourers. This will start doing investment into gnoblar equipment to make them better at cannon fodder and other such duties, as well as looking to integrate them in Tianchao society. Cost: 1 Slot. Effect: Improves Cannon Fodder. Unlocks further Gnoblar research. Type: Gnoblar.
Inspired by the Tyranid Shadow in the Warp and the Itzecan Astromantic interference, Harmonic Broadcasters will radiate the harmonic influence of Yin and Yang into the empyrean and into the dimension often known as "Leng" that the forces of the Strangers reside in. Revolutionary Breakthrough. Cost: 8 slots (Discounted). Effect: Improvement to Esoterics. Reduced reality corruption. Interference with the manifestation of extradimensional beings. Interdiction to enemy comms and travel. Type: Esoteric.
This shipborn E-warfare equipment harnesses the effects of our harmonic fields to disrupt enemy sensors, making targeting locks and teleport-boarding attempts more difficult. Cost: 1 slot (Discounted). Effect: Improvement to defense, particularly boarding defense and against Bombardment. Type: Esoteric.
The Tian'Chaoren are well known for their fondness of creating automatons and A.Is, but their preference for spiritually empowered ones sets them apart from the more purely mechanical things of the Interex, UCCR, Votann, or Mechanicus, but can be compared to the Eldar or the Dawi. Understanding more of how a machine's mind can glow in the warp may aid in making them more reliably and better. Revolutionary Breakthrough. Joint Project with Leagues of Votann. Effect: Improvement to mechanical units and technology. Tier-up credit granted. Unlocks further Iron Heart branches. Type: AI.
By the integration of self-repair nanites into armoured combat units, the irrecoverable losses to the AFV motor pool can be greatly reduced and damaged vehicles can be returned to the field in short order. It also serves as a good stepping stone into a more general advance into nanotechnology, inspired by the Asahikyojin's developments in the field. Cost: 3 Slots. Effect: Unlocks further Nanotechnology research. Reduced permanent vehicle and starship casualties. Type: Nanotechnology.
Armour is always in need of improvement, even in a world such as this where armour has proved decisively ahead of firepower. The New Model Armour program seeks to use understanding gleaned from psychomaterial research to significantly improve the material hardiness of just about everything under the sun. Cost: 4 Slots. Effect: Slightly reduced casualties across the board with more effect for infantry, characters, and lighter vehicles. Unlocks further research into esoteric materials. Type: Thaumaturgical Material Science.
Providing Ogor units with more consistent armouring to allow them to better survive incoming fire with things beyond sheer physical toughness. As Ogors grow for as long as they live, this requires highly modular armour that can have components replaced as its wearer grows. Teaching the Ogors to use it and the Gnoblars to maintain it will also take time. But it will save many an Ogor life, and provide valuable experience in working with Ogor physiology. Cost: 2 slots. Effect: Reduced casualties suffered in Ogor infantry engagements. Type: Ogor Equipment.
Assists the Ogors with the provision of automated guns on their ships that can help overcome the often mediocre aiming capabilities of the Ogors and the Gnoblars, allowing for their barrages of fire to be, particularly at close range, be more coordinated and make it safer for Tian'Chaoren ships to fight where they're shooting without worrying about getting shot. Cost: 3 slots. Effect: Improvement to Clash. Slightly increased likelihood of inflicting enemy casualties while reducing friendly losses. Type: Ogor Weapons.
While plasma weapons are generally thought of as relatively short ranged by the standards of void weapons, Plasma Catapults seek to improve on plasma railguns to allow them to function as proper artillery. Through League of Votann inspired designs, these will allow plasma turrets to launch their projectiles with range similar to that of conventional mass drivers while negating much of the drop off plasma weapons typically suffer at extreme range. This also has implications for ground warfare, such as allowing for much faster projectiles for plasma artillery which is generally considered more of a siege than battlefield weapon due to low velocity with indirect fire thanks to the buoyancy of plasma allowing for fairly easy evasive action against plasma descending in ballistic arcs. Cost: 2 Slots. Effect: Moderate improvement to Clash, Skirmish, and Bombardment. Moderate improvement to long range weapons on the ground, especially artillery or vehicles. Type: Plasma Physics.
We have many magicians and psykers among our forces, and they are amongst our most valuable assets, in need of protection. This advanced armor uses psycho-circuitry to predict attacks and draws on the wearer's power to reinforce itself against them. Cost: 2 Slots (Discounted). Effect: Improvement to Individuals of Importance and Esoterics. Type: Esoteric.
Tachyonic weapons are a novelty at this point in time, with Asahikyojin Wave Force weapons being the primary example of such, but are purely direct fire only and so far only come in beam form, which while efficient at close range introduces significant wastage at long distances. The Tachyon Ballista aims to fix this, though initial prototypes are absolutely enormous and would have to function as spinal weapons for supercapital ships, the very largest of Ordinatus ground weapon platforms, or static defences. The effects though would be nothing short of spectacular, as prototype tests show the ability for a super-dreadnought fitted with a spinal tachyon ballistae to overpenetrate a line of captured Apocalypse class battleships impounded from the Iron Warriors for weapons testing from the prow on with a projectile velocity high enough (and retrocausal enough) to counter most conventional evasive action. Cost: 5 Slots. Effect: Improvement to Bombardment for Supercapitals and space Fortifications. Improvement to ground Fortifications and Behemoths. Unlocks Tachyon type weapon research. Type: Tachyonic Physics.
Legions of automata governed by a single overmind, these units are a metal skeleton wrapped in alchemically enhanced clay. While their outer frame is frail and easily cracked, the skeleton underneath requires much more effort to destroy. These units are not made with the typical artisanal quality of typical Tian'Chao units. Indeed, they can be mass produced in automated factories, while their enhanced-terracotta skin can be made in bulk by even apprentice alchemists. Cost: 3 Slots. Effect: Improvement to Cannon Fodder, boarding defence and attack. Type: Constructs.
the Gimel Front is coming along nicely, at least i think it is. But to tide us over, and keep the thread active, heres some lore from the discord. and its recent lore too.
Spartakrod (Fae/They) — 10/20/2023 7:07 PM
Khrave: The first scions of Darkness, who existed in the shadows of the other first ones and first plumbed the depths of shadow and malice. The Khrave evolved naturally to master the warp and to subsist on not just food, but the empyrean itself; particularly souls. They had found the way to drink of the pain and the spiritual essence of other living things, and use that to build upon their power with time and age and experience. It was they who had given some Eldar the idea that would metastatise into the Cythari, and it was they that inspired the Drukhari's own means to evade the consequences o their sin with the souls of others, and during the Wars of Vengeance, they were some of the most notorious and dangerous allies of the Witch Kingdom, aiding the Cytharist coup against the Phoenix Kingdom and helping them wage war upon the Dawi and Itzecanl in that titanic conflict.
----------------
Spartakrod (Fae/They) — 10/21/2023 7:15 AM
Taiyonocho and Tsukinoga: Sometimes called the Solar Empress and the Lunar Emperor, these beings are deeply poorly understood by the Imperium, but are best described as a sort of in-between state of warp deity and immensely powerful physical beings, though they in truth do very little day to day governing, despite the respect they are afforded by the Asahikijin as the Butterfly Mother and the Moth Father. They most often remain in their true forms, of enormous lepidopteran insectoids whose wing patterns can emit spectacular displays of purifying light that the practicioners of the Asahikijinn faith say can cause the true death of daemons and the undead at interstellar distances and utterly destroy a mortal's ability to commit sins by banishing vices from their souls at a fundamental level.
Sequestered in the Chrysanthemum Palace of the Sacred Chryssalis, the two have devoted great energies to containing the spread of the Ghoul Stars following the wars of vengeance, and are primarily interacted with through their Shobijin fairies and their "Lepidopterax Dei" to use the High Gothic Terminology for the enormous god-moths as well as their chosen Avatars who help spread their teachings.. The "Dragon Shogunate" as its often called, a conclave of Draconic Sensei; has taken on much of the duties of guiding the Asahikijin, together with the chosen Tenno; the chief and highest avatars; who are invested with the mark of Taiyonocho and Tsukinoga. The Tenno are selected from the elect of the most virtuous of those clans who have volunteered to carry the burden of becoming Avatars to the Moth and Butterfly God, a process that inevitably destroys the Tenno from the inside out as their bodies cannot handle such power.
Despite their power and their influence however, they curiously have the titles of "Lords of Peace", even if it is the peace of a swiftly and brutally ended conflict. For a culture often renown for martial attitudes by the Rogue Traders who visit its territories, the Asahijin who ollow the teachings of Moon Father and Sun Mother in truth love the peace and quiet and the state of being they refer to as zen. They fight hard and with ferocious violence to end conflicts as soon as possible as per the teachings of Taiyoocho and Tsukinoga, and seek the grand decisive battle in the hopes that it will bring a swifter end to war. An attitude perhaps best exemplified by Taiyonocho's quote "Seek peace whenever possible, but if forced into violence, use it devastatingly and overwhelmingly so that you will not have to use it again."
Spartakrod (Fae/They) — 10/20/2023 7:07 PM
Khrave: The first scions of Darkness, who existed in the shadows of the other first ones and first plumbed the depths of shadow and malice. The Khrave evolved naturally to master the warp and to subsist on not just food, but the empyrean itself; particularly souls. They had found the way to drink of the pain and the spiritual essence of other living things, and use that to build upon their power with time and age and experience. It was they who had given some Eldar the idea that would metastatise into the Cythari, and it was they that inspired the Drukhari's own means to evade the consequences o their sin with the souls of others, and during the Wars of Vengeance, they were some of the most notorious and dangerous allies of the Witch Kingdom, aiding the Cytharist coup against the Phoenix Kingdom and helping them wage war upon the Dawi and Itzecanl in that titanic conflict.
----------------
Spartakrod (Fae/They) — 10/21/2023 7:15 AM
Taiyonocho and Tsukinoga: Sometimes called the Solar Empress and the Lunar Emperor, these beings are deeply poorly understood by the Imperium, but are best described as a sort of in-between state of warp deity and immensely powerful physical beings, though they in truth do very little day to day governing, despite the respect they are afforded by the Asahikijin as the Butterfly Mother and the Moth Father. They most often remain in their true forms, of enormous lepidopteran insectoids whose wing patterns can emit spectacular displays of purifying light that the practicioners of the Asahikijinn faith say can cause the true death of daemons and the undead at interstellar distances and utterly destroy a mortal's ability to commit sins by banishing vices from their souls at a fundamental level.
Sequestered in the Chrysanthemum Palace of the Sacred Chryssalis, the two have devoted great energies to containing the spread of the Ghoul Stars following the wars of vengeance, and are primarily interacted with through their Shobijin fairies and their "Lepidopterax Dei" to use the High Gothic Terminology for the enormous god-moths as well as their chosen Avatars who help spread their teachings.. The "Dragon Shogunate" as its often called, a conclave of Draconic Sensei; has taken on much of the duties of guiding the Asahikijin, together with the chosen Tenno; the chief and highest avatars; who are invested with the mark of Taiyonocho and Tsukinoga. The Tenno are selected from the elect of the most virtuous of those clans who have volunteered to carry the burden of becoming Avatars to the Moth and Butterfly God, a process that inevitably destroys the Tenno from the inside out as their bodies cannot handle such power.
Despite their power and their influence however, they curiously have the titles of "Lords of Peace", even if it is the peace of a swiftly and brutally ended conflict. For a culture often renown for martial attitudes by the Rogue Traders who visit its territories, the Asahijin who ollow the teachings of Moon Father and Sun Mother in truth love the peace and quiet and the state of being they refer to as zen. They fight hard and with ferocious violence to end conflicts as soon as possible as per the teachings of Taiyoocho and Tsukinoga, and seek the grand decisive battle in the hopes that it will bring a swifter end to war. An attitude perhaps best exemplified by Taiyonocho's quote "Seek peace whenever possible, but if forced into violence, use it devastatingly and overwhelmingly so that you will not have to use it again."
Turn 4 Wars: Gimel Grinder Part 1
Spartakrod
Judeo-Spartacist Bolshevik-Kabbalist
- Location
- Sanctum Arcanorum
- Pronouns
- Fae/Faer/Faers/Faerself
People created war, but Monsters perfected it.
Greenskins, Tyranids, Numerians, and the prosthetic necromantic horror of the Cyborg Reapers; or Cyberreapers; clashed with Eldar, Advent, Tianchao, and Asahikijin forces again and again and this violence just kept on attracting more and more to the banners of Waaagh Gitkrakka, Hive Armada Raiju, Subroutine Darkstar, and Harvest Combine Sovereign. This was already a cataclysm on the scale of a little Octarius, and it was going to take a massive amount of doing to hold it back.
Because unlike conventional armies, these four monsters were only growing stronger, mightier, and more numerous from war and conflict. Their strength did not abrade, it did not attrition, it was increasing with interest the more and more they fought each other. There was a need for reinforcement, for fresh troops to supplement depleted divisions and to revitalise flagging spirits worn down by centuries of ceaseless conflict where someone deployed to the front could expect to see near nonstop action until their tour of duty finally ended and they could go home.
For in the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.
That Old Country Violence
Ork Kroozers dumped volley after volley into the void, gunners shouting "DAKKADAKKKADAKKADAKKA" in an attempt to be louder than skyscraper or even mountain-sized guns shaking the scrap fleets' components as they barrelled towards the Bao Bastion's clouds of fortifications, trading broadsides with Tyranid bioships also contesting the space lanes and trying to push through the mechanical hordecraft of the Numerians whose angular craft spat lasers in every direction, these robotic vessels in turn coming apart under metallic fluid streams lobbed at near lightspeed by necrofex craft woven from both dead flesh and cybernetic grafting.
For the Orks this was just about paradise, fighting in all directions against multiple enemies at once, three of whom wouldn't quit no matter how much of a slog it became, and even "Da Dragon Boyz" and the "Weeb-boyz" ("weeb" being a nonsense word of origins lost to history the orks found funny) were plenty exciting too.
"See, Killmaster Gitkrakka's got da best fights 'e does!" Warboss Krumpface laughed as a kroozer to his left came apart under the attentions of three White Fox battleships, hull twisted in twain by gamma lances exploding whole sections of fatally weakened armour plating and hull apart.
"Dragon gitz got gud lootin'! An' deez gitz' turtle boss also invited in da bugz, da can boyz, and dead-tinz, an' that's just right proppa hospitality dat is! Outta thank them all polite like in accordance to our proppa Orky values." He said, speaking to one of his Big Mek subordinates who tapped at his chin in thought.
"So we'z not shootin' 'em Krumpface?" He asked, getting a thump on the head in response, the other Ork snarling but not contesting the blow further.
"Listen 'ere Rukkbok, course we'ze gonna shoot 'em. But da best hospitality is delivered right down their dumb shapeshifty faces so we'ze gonna ram 'em at da speed of krumpfast." He said, sagely nodding as if "krumpfast" was an actual unit of measurement.
Evidently, this made perfect scientific sense to Rukkbok as he nodded in affirmation, sipping his mug of shroom tea in appreciation for such sage wisdom.
"Now dats wot I call a proppa welcome. Now you'll be 'appy ta know dat I removed da "self-destrukt" button and replaced it wiff a button that goes even faster den da button dat puts engines at full burn." He said, as if "faster than top speed" was a statement that made sense.
"Wot, 'ow do we go fasta den da fastest dis ship can go?"
"It turns da ship red boss." Getting an appreciative nod of complete comprehension and enlightenment from the warboss who clearly had his eyes opened by such an astonishing revelation. His brow furrowed in thought, a smile upon his lips, and his mind ruminating with what were assuredly deeply complicated thoughts about philosophical questions and the existential matters of life, the universe and everything.
Or maybe he was just thinking about how fast his ship could go if it was painted red. This was after all, a question of the deepest, most profound questions of Ork science, which as one must know, is the greatest science in existence that answers all of life's real questions.
The Fightship (battleship equivalent) "Smakkyalater" fired cruiser scale nova cannon equivalents at machine gun-like rates from each barrel, projectiles hundreds of meters wide whizzing downrange in insane thickets that were joined by many, many other ships lining up to make passes at the Tien line. Kroozers swarmed at a Grand Bastion type Star Fortress like strike craft around a battleship, dakkakannonz pumping enough ordnance to break worlds beneath their attentions while Spacey Fightaz rocketed at velocities best described as "questionably sane".
The Smakkyalater's faster than fastest mode was slammed into activation, tankers full of paint ejected by explosives just ahead of the fightship, slamming against the immensely thick hull and rupturing into smears of red and the occasional blood from things humiez got mad at you if you killed, like dogs, cats, small children, retirees and birds who figured out how to sneak into convenience stores and steal junk food used whenever the greenskins thought it'd be funnier than paint. All given spacesuits so that they could appreciate the fact that a fifteen-kilometre slab of scrap was about to hit them at c-fractional velocities.
In a moment, the ship was now coated in red paint and "paint" and indeed, did accelerate faster than before, moving like a comet as it pressed into the overlapping defensive screens of the fortress. Ork power fields clashed with Tien energy screens, rippling and roiling fronts of energy shoving against each other while turrets pumped fire into the approaching Ork craft.
One fightship would have simply smeared against the Grand Bastion once its own power fields gave out, a dozen, a hundred, but these were tens of thousands of Ork capital ships and kroozers like wind-driven sleet and growing larger by the second. To prevent compromising of shielding against ranged fire, the ork craft were let through, each piledriving into the adamantium hull of the compass shaped bastion.
Many simply bounced off or skidded, unable to even scratch adamantium plating of such mass, others glanced chaotically away, suffering far more from the impact against these talisman reinforced hulls than they inflicted, defensive fire ripping through the greenskin masses with weakened or broken shielding. But the greenskins were nothing if not persistent, and twenty five kilometre "big deadnots" with drill tips slammed home to get da boyz into where they wanted to go.
As for Smakkyalater, well, the cannons would have to suffice as drills, while streams of howling barbarians eagerly blitzed through every open door into the fray, choppas, 'ammers, shootas and more all at the ready, following behind the meganobz who had the first right to get into the thick of things, Boss Krumpface stomping out with a pair of power klaws and "spacey 'eavy armor" as he trampled into the fray with his cybork 'ard nobz.
Breacher Automata were already waiting for him, with Tien Ogryns activating the gravity impactors of their hammers or the vibro-settings of their guandaos at the behest of their most experienced officers, Jade Banner troops opening up in tandem with automated turrets. Many greenskins flopped over, pulped beyond recognisability and then torched with alchemobarics to make sure they were dead and no spores got away, but the Meganobz and Dreadz shoving their way to the front simply tanked it.
'Ard Nobz with slab shields one handed big shootas, laughing as they roared out the battlecry of "DAKKADAKKADAKKA!" to suppress the "dragon boyz", Grots taking pot shots and tossing their bommz just as a line of Trogs were vapourised by tongues of Black Promethium that burned even their stubbornly regenerating flesh to dust.
Boss Krumpface leaped ahead, springing over the megannobz with leg muscles that could take him over a building, and slammed his klaws down in a green and orange shockwave, swinging his arms to bowl over as many of his foes as possible while his ladz jumped after him, roaring out their intent of violence.
"Dis iz where da fightin' is! And dis is where da orkz iz!" He declared, his nearly five metre tall frame bulging with muscle and raw power, crushing a Jade Banner trooper in his hands like a grape and punting a security automata like a grot, his helmet demonstrating a target rich environment to him with all sorts of insulting symbology and nomenclature.
A Tien Ogryn, more than a head shorter than he was, sought to headbutt the horned helm of the warboss, who merely laughed before headbutting far harder, the impact producing a shockwave that staggered his opponent before he fired off rokkitz and backwards facing cannons on his fists to accelerate his punches to absurd velocities, tearing through defences until he smashed the abhuman to unrecognisable pulp.
His hands were clapped together, throwing soldiers aside like ragdolls before the conical shockwave.
"Nuffin' stops da waaagh! Ya hear!? NUFFIN!" He roared, beating power klaws against his chest like a gorilla to declare his might and triumph, even as the new models of Terracotta automata and the packs of Celestial beasts started to creep into his line of sight, followed by armed and armoured sets of gnoblars packing electromagnetic particle guns.
"Oi, wots all dis rubbish?" One of the Orks asked, noticing some distant, short shapes taking aim with bolters.
"Boss, squatboyz up ahead!" One shouted excitedly while high tech bolter rounds leaped out, punching into heavier armour with ease and detonating with incendiary concoctions to torch the orks so struck.
"OI COME OVER ERE AN' I'LL SHOVE ME BOOT UP YER GREEN ARSE YA DAFT SHROOMHEADED NINNY!" One of the Kahls shouted over the distance, rallying fresh waves of Kyn into the fray to reinforce their employers. This was however, but a distraction for the actual effort.
Big, thick Ogors, larger by a good deal than the Ogryns, stomped into place, fitted with modernised, standardised armour and carrying new, powerful guns.
"Ayy would ya look at that! Needed ta eat me sum greens!" The leading Tyrant shouted as he slammed a fist against his chest, nameplate indicating him to be "Boggdar Mammothkin", his helmet bearing tusks from an actual pachydermid to go with a crown of horns from many creatures, with the most prominent being on the nasal piece, the brows, and the temples, his plate a combination of earthy, dark, and bright colours; namely brown, gunmetal, and orange, flame patterns highlighted all throughout while a cape billowed dramatically behind his immense girth.
"Only fing yooz gonna eat iz me boolits down yer throat fat boy! Becuz I'z gonna stomp ya, den I'z gonna stomp yer dragon paybosses, den I'z gonna stomp on yer maw and den I'z gonna stomp yer Yin and yer Yang!" The warboss shouted in challenge, the horned and tusk helm of the Warboss craning upwards to look up at the larger Ogor as he made a sumo stance, stretching out one leg and then slamming it down followed by the other, while the Ork slammed fists into the ground and roared in an effort to come off as more intimidating, his Nobz hollering and jeering while they sized the Ogors up.
"Big talk fer a lil' runt. I'll 'member them when I'm pickin' yer bones from between me teeth, because I iz bigga, and I iz stronga!" The Tyrant bellowed power fists crackling to life before the two charged into each other.
The Ork jumped over, klaws scraping against shielding before the Ogor swung a backhand with sense defying speed to knock the Ork against some decorative statuary which shattered beneath the impact of an elephantine mountain of muscle. The Ork rolled himself into action, his mob closing ranks and presenting an obstacle to Bogdar as the two savage children of the old ones brawled it out.
Krumpface opened up shoulder mounted turrets, releasing anti-tank rokkitz into Bodgar to distract him while wrist-mounted big shootas rattled out bullets in large numbers, the Ogor responding in turn with rotor cannon shots from his own wrist-guns, the chattering of ricocheting ammo drowning out all other noise once the Ogor shot down the incoming rokkits.
The ogor rushed again, shoving aside slugga boyz trying to get in his way and swinging his fist forward while the Ork charged ahead, rockets and cannons on his fist launching it forward in turn to bring power klaw and power fist into a collision powerful enough to reduce unarmoured orks and terracotta sentinels to fried pulp, even throwing many ogors of their feet before they started trading rapid fire punches, blocking each other's hits mostly with blows of their own, size pitted against ferocity before they finally broke through each other's guards to land a haymaker to each other's faces with another shockwave producing blow.
...
The Many Who Are One, the One Who Are Many
A Chaos Marauder fleet seeking to engage in some cheeky piracy against a Rogue Trader convoy preparing to make translation into the warp after resupplying at a major trading outpost had followed the Imperials to their latest warp exit, though the Sorcerer mumbled something about a darkness in the empyrean as Ulfrik Veldsbane commanded his fleet to pursue.
The Apostate class Dread-carrier "Honourless Thief" was a twenty-five kilometre bastion of ill-gotten gains, a ship infamous for its participation on assaults on countless lightly or moderately defended worlds, built in the traditional mould of Chaos Marauder ships like the desolator or idolator classes, with a hull marked by six thousand years of service to Kardunum, the Greedfather and the favoured patron of countless marauders and chaos pirates. Coloured like ocean sand it was, bearing sigils dedicated to the two-headed god and his symbol; the "hook and half tree", in a large, visible fashion.
The craft contained many millions aboard, who had lived in it as their own homes for generations, working its hydroponics and chemical synthesizers, divvying the loot they acquired between them, and working its on board manufacturing systems to produce weapons and vehicles for their kin. Such was the lot of many a marauder clan that made space its home rather than claim an empire, building void habitats and inhabiting large vessels; military or civilian.
As his father, and his father's mother, and her own mother, and a hundred generations of his line hence did, Ulfrik made his offering to the Whale, the Norskan honorific for Kardunum. With the blessing of a second head and two extra arms, he knew he had his lord's favour, with the sharpening of his teeth, the enlargement of his muscles, the toughening of his skin, and the webbing of his feet, he had done the Greedy One proud with his theft, his looting, his hoarding. Gold and Silver and Diamond clung to him like scales, and his hardsuit was adorned with a cloak of riches stolen from distant Bretonnian colonies, the Veldsbane sigil of a great whale opening its jaws around gold embroidered onto it.
But ever since he started approaching this system he had felt a growing, painful headache, and one of the warlocks seized up and died, clawing at his own face and turning what had once been a youthful expression of twinkish beauty into a ragged mess of blood and exposed bone as he sought to quell what he described as "noise". Some of the daemons on board had even fled, tearing free of bindings and disappearing into the empyrean out of what could best be described as rank terror.
This made him uneasy, but it was too late to just pull out, as a darkness in the ether engulfed all avenues back and snaked around all the possibilities of fate. And for a moment, when the navigator sought to stare into it, they described something that "from the many brings one beauty, and the one brings the many arts", and in just one instance, he could have sworn that something shifted in the Navigator's robes.
"What is our distance from that Imperial trader cur?" He shouted from both of his heads, standing up to his toeless feet and adjusting one of his horned helmets as it tipped just a little.
"We are one hundred and fifty-three light hours distant, Chief. Well out of practical range." An ensign reported, looking at the screen and then towards the neuro-servitor rigged into the machinery of the craft as wetware, comprised of eighteen thousand cybernetically wired brains linked together in an atrocious harmony. Each had been a scientist, a child prodigy, an engineer, a scholar, a creative, people whom the marauders had deemed intellectual. All providing their wisdom paired with a clanking cogitator farm.
"This system has a vast quantity of Tyranids in the late stages of consumption. We are detecting a solar swarm dimming local luminosity by fifty percent and climbing." Another said, Chief Astronomer Helga Jorriksdottir, a woman who was considerably less mutated than he, which is to say hardly at all, focusing her attentions mostly upon the secular world. She kept herself garbed in pelts worn with a hardsuit, bedecked in tribal, but not Chaos runes, with a good luck charm hanging on a necklace jangling as she shifted her head, blonde hair tightly braided.
The Chief demanded that the sight be shown on his display screens, and he was granted this honour, seeing swarms of Tyranids suspended in a sort of malignant cloud enclosing the light of the system's yellow star, drinking in its energy while Narvhal harpoons pulled heavier elements from deeper within the star into the hungry fleet. This system was evidently deemed extraneous by their Hive Mind, as the fleets gathered above each world were tearing the planets apart rather than leaving them fallow for "seeding".
Every last trace of mass energy was being broken up and extracted, worlds wormed through with dreadful serpentine beasts and worried by gravitational stresses coming apart with magmatic blood spilling into the void to be sieved through. More specialist Tyranid forms such as the Lithovores and Kyberdons feasted on the inorganic substances deemed not worth absorbing into the primary strain for one reason or another.
Star Charts that showed a gas giant that should have been not too far away from this Mandeville point belied the fact that all that was left was a rarified core, slowly being peeled layer by layer.
It was admirably efficient, meticulous, a careful process of converting mass energy into a Tyrannic form. As a fellow looter, he could respect it. But he had no wish to be part of it.
The Shadow in the Warp was growing louder as the last bits of empyreal static from the warp translation dissipated, raw and loud and screaming in the voices of every single tyrannic organism down to the tiniest submolecular machinery in constant, nonstop communication across every channel. The Warp's own voices grew faded, distant, unable to be heard under the background noise, and he could feel a sense of being observed.
"Maintain course, prepare an Alcubierre burn on my command." He said, drawing some murmured whispers of discontent before having the automated turrets fire into the workstations of those who talked.
"DO AS I COMMAND!"
The fleet burned closer, engulfing distance in a rapid leap until at last they could get some practical ire upon their quarry, but their prey had drawn close to the greater predator, the Emperor Class Battleship "Domain of Prosperity" launching torpedoes towards the unfathomable mass of signals in a move most would consider insane before it made hard turns with retrothrusters.
The torpedoes never got anywhere near their intended targets, struck from the void by arcs of bio-electricity and long-distance spines and optical lasers, but the Tyranid fleet did notice, and horrible carapaced things slid from the greater mass, bioplasmic thrusters and organic magnetic impulsors pushing them forwards along lines of gravity distorted space like railgun projectiles, some of them shimmered, engaging camouflage and anti-memetic fields to disappear, and others still released symbiont beasts in pursuit.
"What in the Warp is this idiot doing?!" He howled, noticing the imperial ships further provoking the Tyranids by opening fire with lance weapons and their longest-range macro-cannons, the counter-attack organisms wriggling free of broodmother craft of planet bulk and then launched by biological railguns to serve the purpose they were newly born for; kill.
"Move on an intercept course, let us cut their route of escape off and tow them into the ether with us before the horrors can arrive." He said, bristling with anticipation at the thought of crushing their hopes of escape.
"Of course, Chief." Sven Wolssen replied, the champion relaying the commands down the line of command while the Chaos fleet prepared an Alcubierre jump to try and cut ahead of their quarry and set themselves up for an easy win. It was risky, but they'd still be a light hour away from their quarry, plenty of time for the defensive systems to be fully ready after a high precision Alcubierre jump.
At least, until they found that the imperials had made a specific trade with the Asahikijin, and the Chaos fleet found a series of bubble contacts slowing to sunlight upon disengaging their space-drives. Not ships, no, but torpedoes. Long Lances. Fired exactly where the Rogue Trader's diviner had predicted the Chaotic fleet would emerge from.
The impact was not immediately battle-winning, ships are very hard to kill, but it was aimed for engines and retrothrusters, erupting with haywire detonations and tachyonic warheads.
His plan was supposed to be flawless. His fleet was larger, and they need only harpoon the imperials long enough to reactivate their Alcubierre drives and then, once enough distance had been gained, their warp drives and get out of here, letting the daemons soften their prey further before enjoying the spoils. He had mightier ships and more of them, as well as deadly marauder bands ready for vicious boarding conflict and vortex torpedo armed bombers ready for the occasion for a quick kill.
He had just failed to reckon with the fact that Lady Mary Dover was nobody's fool and had preparations for similar such rock and a hard place situations, and his fleet was now far less able to manoeuvre than it had been before, with yet further waves of torpedoes emerging and making impact over a course of hours, not as devastating as the first which had the benefit of surprise, but causing more damage, more issues. Soon, the Imperials opened up with lance batteries, targeted at what they had already damaged before they made hard moves to duck out of the way, strike craft making only two attack runs before returning to ensure that the chaos fleet was set on a course it could not correct.
The Imperials, with the job done, fired their Alcubierre burn to make the sort of getaway that Ulfrik was planning, and the rocking of his fleet from the latching on of tyrannic magnetic, gravitic, and telekinetic harpoons told him that he wouldn't have time to make his own as that neuro-servitor took a malign glee in reporting exactly how many Tyranids it had detected coming towards them and just how big they were.
Including a planet beast that somehow had mastered the arts of stealth, shimmering into visibility with a maw wider than continents. A beast perhaps jokingly, in the hopes of warding away its malign attentions, was given the affectionate nickname of "Mister Hungry" by Imperial Tyranologists, a beast of rock and flesh and metal and chitin and plastoids with primary teeth larger than peninsulas and enormous bladed limbs that gave it an almost Mawloc like appearance, if a trygon ever decided to have a threesome with a toxicrene and a hive tyrant that is. An Emperor of beasts, and one whose mouth just kept on opening wider and wider and wider as it moved far faster than anything so huge had a right to.
The auspexes went dark, the void of space had disappeared and weapons fire in all directions had no real effect, psychic shielding and abhorrent tissue no less strong on the inside than the outside, and craft never meant for the atmosphere found themselves in a noxious concoction of digestive vapour and curls of energised plasma. Many smaller ships were destroyed instantly, often by tendrils longer than mountain ranges coiling from recesses in the beast's maw to grab and crush them. Others by arcs of lightning that completed circuits with the ships tumbling towards centres of gravity that would only bring them closer to their doom.
Every system screamed, many of the marauders themselves screamed, but the strike craft launched in an attempt to find some escape only found their doom, the vapours and the storm swirling around them, burning them, destroying them, and staring things swam in the miasma that had found its way into open hangars that had not closed in time.
A miasma that many beastmen slaves working aboard had but moments to sniff before it ate them before it started to collect and moulder on nooks and crannies, eating, metastatising, undergoing the transformation of billions of years of evolution in minutes, tyrannic particles forming molecules, molecules forming viruses and proteins, viruses and proteins making cells, cells making tissue, tissue making organs, organs making creatures that let out birth shrieks as they tore their way from amniotic sacs.
They were in the belly of the beast, and every Tyranid belly was a womb. And these infants brought thunder and lightning, roaring as they discharged cascades and rivulets of storm power into the hull, into metallic hulls and plates, into systems and components, into slaves and crew. The storm was alive, and it was hungry, tyrannic datavores riding the lightning to snake through systems and cause further havoc while the Shadow in the Warp grew so thick that it started to distort reality.
Men saw each other as food, saw creeping, hungry things crawling around, skittering noises in the distance growing louder and stronger, more real, more solid. The Mindwyrms were here, born of the limitless thought of a bound gestalt into a swarm of tyrannic daemons, called by the greater will of Mister Hungry as the Honourless Thief found its hull raked open by toothed tongues that oozed the birth gel of monsters.
Ulfrik brought his axes into motion, but it did little good. He was breathing his own demise, and the beasts within were eating at him, through and through until he felt a sudden emptiness in his stomach pit, looking down to see that his guts were leaking and melting out, steaming from the actions of countless little monsters metabolising him. As the shapes crawled into his bridge, he felt for a moment, observation, by so many, many things.
He had thought the Hive Mind the Tyranids' Chaos God.
He had failed to realize that the Tyranids are the Hive Mind, that it was not one great Overlord, but a Gestalt Chorus of every voice, large and small, perfect in its harmony, flawless in its union, a democracy of the truest form and a republic of the most beautiful design. And they voted to extend to him an invitation and become part of something greater.
The Steel Cage
The Numerians came from far, far away, from stars none in the Garden knew, and with portents no less devastating than the Tyranids left in their wake as they spread from star to star with their geometric ships and their mechanical legions. Creatures of steel and servitors of a mysterious purpose, the sky would rain metal as their craft fired barrages of self-replicating mechanoseeds into the target worlds, bases and factories and machines rising from their creations in short order as little robots built bigger robots who assembled greater machines still, all part of a murderous order that saw the great jungle of life and called it war.
They did not bother with communications, they did not ask for demands, they did not make bargains. They were not here for such trifling things, they did not even bother giving a reason for why they did what they did. You don't explain your reasonings for killing termites found in your home; even if you had just moved in or were merely remodelling or developing it for another, you simply have it done. No matter what lives the termites may have led, no matter what value the termites may have, no matter how the termites may resist. They are simply where they do not belong, and so they die.
The Numerians are not machines built in man's image, though they will exploit mankind's image for their purposes. But they are things built with purposeful design, gathering information, collecting samples, then very violently killing before building their strange works atop the bones of those who had once lived, ruthlessly and violently colonising what had once borne life and replacing it with something so much colder. But it doesn't seem entirely passionless, entirely driven by unfeeling logic. There is a purpose, there is an intent. What that intent is, beneath the endless slaughter, is anyone's guess.
The Imperial forces and the pagan mercenaries hired to help bulk out lines in an officially uncontrolled territory and protect the habitations established within the wild region had by and large never fought the Numerian machine hordes before. Jopall Indentured Guard so very far from the Galaxia that bore their name were at the very least, happy to be under a Rogue Trader of the House of Kent that paid amply well in Navis Ducats and in Bentusin Pound Karat, mingling with the Remans, Votanni, Advent, and the Trinacrian pirates that Lord Jonas Ducksworth had paid to add to his troops.
These were rich territories with an opportunity to make a fortune, but that richness brought doom, as the Astropaths read out a portent of doom in the Imperial Tarot. From the Emperor; The Silver Door Reversed, the Space Marine Reversed, the Sword, the Shattered World, the Squat, the Galaxy Reversed. From the Empress, the Silvered Keep Reversed, the Martyr, the Machine Spirit Reversed, the Dragon, the Shadows Beyond, and the Metal Fleet.
In tandem, these twelve cards, adjusting in the hands of the Astropaths reading them and the Diviner and Astromancers helping to interpret them; when collated with the information gathered by perusing the skeins of fate, told them that Subroutine Darkstar was coming. In force, in numbers, in tides.
They prepared, they drew up their defences, called in favours, prepared their weapons and battened down their hatches, they would not surrender these places so easily, and the Jopalli troops stationed at the planet of Teldane Tertius would meet these fools with all the skill their lot was known for. They were joined by soldiers of the Cadian Pattern; the Imperium's most common; Gilead Gravediggers, the Dadish Expeditionary Forces, the Abkanan Genoraptors, and the Cabotian Screaming Eagles, a solid force of solid men.
They were met with a sky that was darkened by purple, black, and blue shapes, voidlanes occupied by ships of harsh and sinister geometry and glaring, staring optics that left no detail unnoticed. Sensors able to pick out a man's nose hairs from orbit pried the void lanes, with Macrohedron class Assault Ships selecting targets for massed attack from wave after wave of war-freighters.
Defence Lasers, Guardian macro-cannons, and surface to space missile silos opened fire on anything that had gotten through the screens provided by Battlefleet Terminus Est's Lindrai subsector flotilla. The War Machines of the Numerians simply tanked the impacts head-on, materials of unfathomable durability remaining inviolate in the face of heavy impacts and replying in kind with Volkite type weapons that rhythmically pulsed into void shielding in searing spears of fusion inducing muons, quantum tunneling effects at impact causing atoms to start to collide into each other and bind into heavier elements in explosive, deflagratory reactions.
Electro-pulse projectiles arced like purple bullets, twisting and turning with a terrible sentience to seek out and impact vulnerabilities and send cascades of debilitating wave-lightning through hardened components, followed by coherent purple tethers of guided lightning that would overwhelm shield-stripped ships' systems.
Anti-matter cannons unfurled at closer range, volley firing hypervelocity ovoids of annihilation that drew themselves in fatal attractions to their baseline matter counterparts, their weapons working with a dreadful rapidity to annihilate sections of shield stripped hull and send cascades of radiation into the fleet above. The Numerians may not have had the sheer numbers of the Tyranids or the Orks, but their technological superiority could not be doubted.
Rift torpedoes tore into yawning, hawking accelerated black holes that hungrily devoured what they could, accretion jets tearing apart hulls and gravitic radiation making sensors scream before the dying black holes' escape velocity dropped below light speed, unravelling in devastating explosions while Imperial return volleys halted in the face of space-distortion fields that increased the distance between incoming projectiles and their destinations until they had expended all energy.
Space distortion turned back against the Imperial fleet with localised big rip events caused by dark energy weapons that increased the expansion of localised space until targets so struck simply flew apart. While the Eldar, the Necrons, or the Talons of the Imperium could contest such technological might on equal or even inferior footing, the baseline Imperial Navy would have needed far more superiority in tonnage and hulls to make a show of facing the Numerians.
And right here they had neither, ships withering before accretion cannons directing the jets of controlled black holes into void forts and craft all while Numerian strike fighters had absurdist payloads thanks to their size-shifting technologies, letting even a single bomber carry off attack runs virtually indefinitely. Thus free to pick off components to their leisure, leaving vessels crippled and blind, and often outright dead with sufficiently intense bombardment.
The Numerian fleets simply pushed through their outnumbered and outgunned imperial counterparts heedless of losses and seamlessly reorienting their formation every time one of them was destroyed while factory craft and assembly drones worked at making their replacements.
The Imperials did not die like lambs, some of the hated machines going silent from intensive bombardment and one of their Horrorbearer class Battleships' five pointed star like hull coming apart into a stream of plasma when the Battleship Vae Victus fired a cyclonic torpedo directly into it, obliterating the construct and many of its escorts only to be ripped asunder by spiked dodecahedral "seeker" class battlecruisers using space distortion beams to torsion the venerable craft into a superheated slurry after protracted electric bombardment.
One of their heavy cruisers, shaped like a pointed prism, was split in half by the dreadnought Invicta's lance batteries, another crushed against its kilometres thick adamantium prow and a second battleship, already repairing itself from the aftermath of macro-cannon barrages, died as the dreadnought's broadsides raked into it.
Narrow and prism shaped assault ships extended their prong-arms and lanced into the side of the dreadnought, burning on multiple decks from countless wounds, and through these arms, killer machines were unleashed into the decks.
They came, moving at first on all limbs before seamlessly shifting into bipedal stances while their Volkite and gamma weapons ripped into the armsmen moving to intercept. Those who got close found themselves dealing with limbs shifting into close combat mode, blades and claws carving through carapace armour and refractor shielding or simply being pulped by the brute strength of the cyclopean robots.
Plasma weapons had an effect, knocking over many of their kind while meltaguns brought many to a dead halt, smoking and melting, but shotguns pattered off them like rain. Chainswords broke their teeth against their plating, but Ogryn power mauls and breacher team power hammers had an impact, bringing more of them down after a proper whacking.
But the heavier machines with flexible tendrils emerging from their back, with differing limb configurations, or even radically different body plans were already on their way, and many had simply adjusted their limbs to fit into even small vents despite their size easily. All while smaller machines were pumping into every angle and avenue, mapping out the interior and then launching their own attacks wherever they could.
The Imperials fought bravely, but bravery without means simply leads to one's death wounds being on the front, not from behind.
The planet below was met with a cavalcade of mechanical horror, machines assembling themselves into combat formation and rapidly fabricating their bases as soon as they had gathered the requisite supplies or harvested the needed resources. Factories began to churn out their kind to supplement the waves of robots scampering towards Imperial fortresses, skittering to make themselves harder targets for artillery and relentlessly scanning for any signs of mines.
Volcano Cannon and Plasma Blastgun emplacements annihilated them by the bushel-load, but their larger machines, often moving on four or more rather than two legs, were able to endure these attentions, allowing for shield projecting and armour reinforcing support drones to arrive and protect their kind even in the face of massed deathstrike bombardment.
Anti-missile fire was readied, and auspex stealthed aircraft with predatory, aerodynamic shapes hunted down Imperial air support, engaging short-range teleports and cloaking fields to catch their victims off guard. The Baneblades of the 3131st Gilane Superheavy Corps presented a formidable obstacle, as even vastly superior technology can be stymied by sheer, unrelenting raw firepower and durability, but the machines adjusted.
The manufactorums providing the one thousand baneblades holding the all important pass were void shielded, and the GIlead Gravediggers had warded them against attempts to burrow up into them, so the machines decided to simply destroy the ground itself. Seismic machines vibrated and rattled the ground, stressing tectonics and forcing magmatic blood to erupt under extreme pressures, engulfing many unsuspecting menials and workers as the Mechanicus scrambled to increase the function of their seismic stabilisers.
With their last attempt at a direct assault with assets deemed removable from their primary hive assaults thwarted by the unexpected presence of a hundred Shadowswords and hundreds of knights guarding this one suburban manufactorum ripping through their knight-mechanoid assault, the machines changed tactics.
While the seismic stabilisers had thwarted the earlier earthquake, the burrowing machines racing into the planet's mantle were instead creating a massive cavity, shoving aside petatons of molten rock as they prepared a sinkhole currently only being held up by structural shielding. With a single command, they released the barrier, and the ground plummeted.
While the walls could withstand a simple fall or the pressure of a cave in, they couldn't stop the fact that there wasn't an actual ground capable of holding up their weight anymore. The entire city plummeted more than a score of kilometres all at once while magma fountained out from the wounded world in extinction event quantities. All while the drill-handed burrowing machines tore their way through from below, almost as if to observe their handiwork as millions were consumed by the red blood of their world.
Large and durable machines pressed their assaults on the main hive complexes, artillery and air strikes hammering in at anything needed to suppress them for the larger machines to deal with. Scampering and relentless machine tides crawled in the shadows of their war machines, cutting tracks, stomping legs, spinning wheels, and whirring hover engines tearing through the ground and taking them into the Imperial lines with pinpoint accuracy.
The Guard knew better than to trust lasguns against foes such as this, and each Militarum trooper was either exclusively using charged shots or underslung grenade launchers firing krak rounds. Not a perfect solution, but they had to do something as the machines stripped life from each section of line they overwhelmed, then sent in the harvesters to break down everything they had conquered and feed it into their bases.
Rocket-propelled grenade launchers, cheap and easy to use, had been distributed far and wide, knocking over many of the infantry machines and letting the lasgunners focus on smaller drones such as the "gremlin drone" that would fly at tanks and then cut its way into them through hatches or other weak points to slaughter the crew. Heavy bolter and autocannon rounds hammered away at the enemy, buying as much time as possible for Manticore Storm Eagle rockets to be reloaded.
But the neutron warheads of the enemy's mass driver artillery silenced many imperial gun emplacements in return, commando machines tearing through unprepared defensive points and assembly drones building bases behind enemy lines with which more of them could emerge in places too heavily defended for air-drop.
The Cabotian Screaming Eagles, some of the most devoutly xeno and synthetophobic soldiers of the Imperium who lavished in "full spectrum dominance" and "airland battle", found their efforts faltering the fastest, as the machines came to rule the skies. Twin-storm, Lightning, Thunderbolt, Avenger, and more were rapidly chased from the skies by the deadly packs of stealthy, "hawk-nosed" Raven and Falken fighters and the "Miqui" type mini-fighters, which would often deliberately ram into Imperial fighters with their shields set to overdrive as a form of ersatz power field.
Sky-Gremlin drones would latch onto Cabotian craft trying to pierce into the combat boxes of "Iron Owls" that could fight on land as well as they could in the air, extending their legs like some dreadful bird of prey to switch into land-mech mode. They moved with the confidence of machines certain that they had figured the measure of their foe, and their gremlins simply detached from their parent craft and rocketed towards their foes with kinetic drives.
With BVR combat virtually useless in the face of such heavy electromagnetic interference and active defence, there was little chance of avoiding the close-in escort drones, and at these speeds and altitudes, the damages that a gremlin pack could inflict were fatal, especially as the drones made a point of killing pilots to ensure that their skills would die with them.
And with the skies firmly in enemy hands, the Cabotian "airland battle" became mostly just "land battle" against a foe that had amassed a superiority in artillery and had both individual and numerical superiority. While the Guard fought well and sold its lives dearly, the battle could only end in one way, especially as gigantic war machines were assembled by the builder drones and the hives were met with the mountain bulk of behemoth war engines that would simply crush the last fortresses.
Subroutine Darkstar's Core Mind Programs regarded this campaign as of tertiary importance, a little war using minor assets facing insubstantial opposition. If they cared for the people they had slaughtered, they gave no sign, scanning through their brains to preserve all knowledge in their databases.
Those deemed to have Chaotic, Undead, Tyranid, or Strange taint would be subject to intense semiotic data cleansing, with strange enuntic engrams deployed to deal with "information contaminants." There was much they needed to understand, but they knew of the metaphysical. They were not as antithetical to it as the Necrons, but that did give them more room to use it, as opposed to the Necron approach of simply denying others access to it. Fortunate, as Necron science had reached heights dizzying even to them.
…
Blades of Sun and Moon
Yukio Remi's Immediate Strike Transport drove through a section of hive in the unclaimed spaces, where all manner of polities large and small had staked their claim or had left vast stretches of stars fallow. This was a place of the Imperials, and the Samurai could not help but notice that the hive was a dilapidated mess even through her helmet's links with the cameras of their wheeled transport vehicle.
"Colonel, what do we do with any remaining Imperial defenders?" Sakamoto Kuoro asked, the corporal holding tight to his tachyon yumi weapon, a deadly tank killing device that the super soldier could carry quite neatly on his shoulder.
"This planet is to be delivered unto our comrades, if they do not resist, leave them be, but we are not here to save their Imperial sector." She responded, the bonded incorporeal solar spirit she had inside of her churning with growing heat.
Her body had been painstakingly altered to withstand the bond from a young age when she had volunteered for it, and she had spent many years practising so that she could endure.
Still, the heat from inside was a permanent reminder that she had made a pact with something abnormal, something that quivered at the sense of evil.
"It's good that our enemies have torn down so much of this mess. Imagine having to walk through something so shittily designed." Korone Makoto clearly was less than impressed by the wonders of the Terran Imperium, which was as foreign to the Lunisolarians as they were to the Imperials.
"Do not expect gratitude from these indoctrinated fanatics. Keep to your tasks, leave interacting with the barbarians to professionals." Remi cautioned, noting that a few civilians were huddled around trying to avoid being in the way of the ongoing battle, and who could blame them?
Whole rows of one's line of sight were covered in brilliant tracers from Deffguns as Ork Lootas ecstatically fired into masses of tyranid gunbeasts who returned with gusto; the cloaked transport getting as close as it could before it would inevitably be detected.
An Orkonaut, nearly two dozen meters tall, stomped through what had once been township hab blocks, right arm replaced by a massive gatling gun that pumped a thick stream of shells of a calibre that wouldn't have been out of place on a second-world war destroyer. Another, pumping missiles and megablasta plasma every which way, followed, while yet another bathed the battlefield in flame and arcs of zzap power.
The formation paused, the Samurai not wanting to blow their surprise as they disembarked and assumed positions until they had the right opportunity. Sucking in air, Remi made sure that the Self-Propelled Wave Force Cannons being moved into position had a clear line of sight with her targeting data.
Not a moment too soon either, as the Ashigaru noted the emergence of Tyranid Pyrovores modified to eject melta-heat from their phallic back mounted weapons, the scuttling bug like creatures tearing from underbrush and letting their flamewielding brethren clear out the chaff.
A Morkonaut twisted and flailed at the little things, only to be felled by the psychic furor of Zoanthropes whose broiling waves of power ripped through weakened sections of hull and brought the ork construct's reactor to rupture, giving perfectly timed waves of Raveners the signal to tear through the metallic rubble and emerge with claws at the ready.
A flash, the shriek of tachyons and the pulse of Cherenkov radiation and the Lunisolarian war machines had revealed themselves. Hanzo pattern Mega-Infantry mechs sizzling out of plasma cutter burrowed dugouts and raking the positions of the aliens with Blizzard Beam emitters and plasma volley-cannons. To deal with the targets in cover, nanite missiles arcing from the backs of these oversized infantry-like robots flexed as the wings of angels and homed in to release hungry silver clouds.
The samurai themselves closed, tachyon fields enclosing their weapons and kinetic amplifiers backing their swings. Suit-mounted weapons provided not so much suppressing fire as the equivalent of a lance's impact on a charge, the Orks and Tyranids would hardly balk at incoming gunfire, so it was all shot to kill.
Other Wave Force cannons fired into the sky, creating a hole in the ceiling of the hive through weak points that expanded as structural failures spiderwebbed through, bringing tons of debris raining down on the battlefield. Not a battle winner, as the likes of the Carnifexes rising to meet them could shrug off such impacts without slowing their stride, but it did allow for the Tien fleet in orbit to launch a series of pods.
Whereas Imperial pods typically slowed before descent, these more sophisticated devices used inertial dampeners to shunt the force of impact outwards in a burst of energy, allowing them to safely impact at meteoric velocities after being fired from low orbit, each impacting like an artillery round after the psykers inside opened the smallest of holes in the hive's void field.
With millimetre precision, the pods slammed into designated positions in the hive and rocked the ground with earthquaking force, forcing a Tyranid Warrior that Remi was fighting to stumble long enough for her solar katana to get through its bonesword guard and then cut the beast to ribbons, having already weakened its warp shielding and scored damaging hits upon its armoured carapace.
The muscle did not give way without resistance, actively regenerating with a gruel consistency white paste even as her sword cut, but her psychic wrath redoubled even with the screaming of the shadow in the warp threatening to rip her thoughts out, and the blade's flames engulfed the alpha warrior in its death blaze.
Wide brimmed hats emerged from the drop pods, red cloaks, blue trimmings, and the dragon symbol of the Realm emblazoned on their chests as the Cyborg Vanguard supersoldiers stepped out, each a practitioner who had willingly given the whole of his life over to the war machine after a lifetime of service.
Each was drawn from a war-cultivator who decided that they wished for no other life, and made themselves these near monstrosities of metal and carefully engineered flesh riven with nanites. While the Celestial Automata, the Shen-blooded, the Golden Phase Cultivators and others were compared to the Astartes, the Cyborg Vanguard were closest in general spirit, as beings who had surrendered any possibility for life beyond war.
Their creation was not encouraged, as sacrificing the whole of life to better prosecute its destruction was obscene, but they were respected, with the Samurai and warrior yokai giving them nods of acknowledgement as their atomic grenades were loosed from launchers fitted into cannons. Each exploded with a hyper-dense boosted fission-fusion reaction with a mix of heavy and light elements, erupting in toxic storms of radiation to kill swarms of organisms while larger machines emerged from the pods as the landing zones were cleared.
Armageddon Steel Legion troops trying to avoid being overrun by a wave of Venomthrope shrouded Gene-givers; ranged brethren to the melee focused genestealers and were being torn asunder by packs of Von Ryan's leapers found their positions being raked by rotary accelerator cannons and rapid fire plasma weapons, aimed with the precision needed to kill the Tyranids coming at them from all sides without so much as singing the paint on their gas masks.
"The Emperor's angels?!" One babbled as Remi plunged her blade into the midsection of an Ork and her other arm shifted into an arm cannon, charged up a Spazer Blast, and then reduced the nobs' head to vapours.
"No heathens!" Another shouted, scurrying out of the way of the footfalls of a King Oni Mech as Remi signalled to her men.
"Advance! Long life for the people! Eternal glory for the crimson banner!" She shouted, Asahikijin tanks that rolled up from less busy parts of the streets adding their thunder to her voice, the cherenkov pulses of tachyon bolts loosed as an alpha strike followed by wounded bio-knights and orkanauts crumbling to the ground.
"This hive is not yours to liberate pagan! You will not steal it from Throne and Keep while we are preoccupied with the xenos you idolators!" A commissar shouted at her in his barking language before Makoto fired her blizzard maker at incapacitation settings, encasing the commissar in an arm thick layer of ice to freeze him to the core in an instant. As harmless as a frog freezing in the winter, but it would make the commissar shut up.
"Get out of the way or be moved out of our way." She said curtly in gothic, giving a momentary signal to the nearest of the knight sized Oni mechs to kill the arbiter raising a pistol in the wrong direction and citing some passage of Imperial law.
The man, who had been preparing to cite the penalties for unauthorised cooperation with foreigners, was punted like a rugby ball by the towering mech, sending him clear out of sight as the joyous roar of "WAAAAAAAAAAGH!" could be heard, a sea of green lunatics pouring out from what felt like every nook and cranny as the Orks waiting for the frontlines with the Tyranids to shift until they could leave the reserve (or "muckin' boys" as they disparagingly refer to the job) found a real fight, not just smacking around already broken imperial forces.
They were ecstatic, they were gleeful, the sheer joy they exuded hit her hard enough to make her flinch just as being punched by a nob would have, somehow physically manifesting itself as they exclaimed.
"WEEB-BOY CHOP-NOBZ AN' DRAGON-BOY BIONIKS DEAD AHEAD! LET'S KRUMP 'EM!" One of the many warbosses in the tsunami barreling towards the Asahikijin exclaimed, the four meter tall not so jolly green giant letting his storm-pack rip and lob him and a rainstorm of excitable hooligans towards something worth killing, even through curtains of intercepting fire.
And to make a terrible situation even worse yet, the ululating screeching of billions, perhaps trillions of Tyranids now barreling upon her position reverberated through the entire hive as the Tyranids settled upon a response against the intruders who had added an unwelcome complication to the battle.
And as if on cue, one of the nearby squads of guardsmen being examined by a Jade Wizard exploded in fountains of gore, the Laiuis Horrors that had somehow hidden Carnifex bulk inside of human bodies until they time was right sweeping scything talons into the sides of the Crimson Army formation, others caught by crushing claws or enormous, high-grade adamantine tusks and bioplasma. And then the civilians followed suit, exploding into serpentine tank-beasts and waves of rippers that could not have possibly fit in them in a million years.
They had been judged as worthy, and now they would have to hold, keeping the positions here as mobile production vehicles were dispatched to prepare a base and multiple emplacements were dropped from space to try and shore up their position.
But she did not fear, for she knew no fear.
…
Gentlemen, this is the war room
Bao Heng and Xiaodan stood before a hololithic map of the battle sector spread across thousands of light years, the Amethyst Brother tapping fingers against his arm as he waited for the Golden Sister to make her conclusions.
"We aren't going to be able to win an outright full victory in these stars, but what we can do is allow enough time for sufficient buildup to make a proper counterattack." Heng said, her tone grave as one could expect from someone holding down this particular set of frontlines for centuries.
She had her vacations of course, but this war had consumed more than three hundred years of her life. Three hundred years of dealing with Warbosses, Hive Tyrants, Mainframes, and Iron Liches. It could even try a Xuanwu's patience, and the latest set of conflicts had run her ragged.
"Containing the Genestealers of the Duō wǔzhuāng zhěngjiù xiéhuì." She said, before pausing to note the visible confusion on the face of Inquisitor Belicor.
"The Hivecult in your language." She appended.
"Is proving to be a problem. Soldiers infected by Taotie genetics pass on the Hivecult and they soon form brood brother gangs and Tyranid hives behind our lines."
Dagra helped herself to dumplings the size of pumpkins, smacking her lips as she ate, quaffing down a barrel of lemonade like a soda can, before eating a rou jia mo in generous bites.
The meeting had learned to ignore the sounds of her consumption, she was an Ogor after all, Orks fight, Ogors eat, and she was a particularly massive example of her kind.
"Isha grant me strength…" Farseer Elenwe murmured beneath her breath.
"We do have reinforcements at least." Shinomiya Izayoi would be difficult to figure for an Orochi in his current form, messy blonde hair, the face of someone fresh out of grade school, earphones to listen in to vox communications and a sort of laidback air to him.
Indeed, many of those less familiar with the Seirei-Zoku figured him for someone's bratty young adult son with how little he bothered with honorifics or even formal speech, even referring to nearly everyone by either first name, a nickname, or "you there." Even to the Inquisitor who found the casualness to be seriously uncomfortable.
"Of course, personally I'm getting kind of tired of hanging in the backlines. You can't win by hiding behind walls forever." He said, a smirk on his face as he got an idea in his head.
"Look, I understandz nids, 'cuz I understandz me, and I understandz dat feeding me ain't a good way ta win." Dagra said, stuffing her face with an Imperial Cheeseburger sized for her liking.
She wasn't a messy eater, if only because she hated the idea of letting any of it ever go to waste, but she did talk with her mouth full even as she moved onto a Votanni pie, her guards similarly chomping down on the offered food.
"If ya go out all bite-sized like, yer gonna get eaten by da nids, an' honestly da others too. Orks eat fightin', Botlads eat resources, Corpse-borgs'll take anything not moving." She explained with relative sagacity for a being of such girth that her jumping out of a transport constituted aerial bombardment.
"This violence will only attract more unwanted attention the longer it goes on. The Necrons and Drukhari are already poking their noses into this mess, the Thyrrus cannot resist a good show, The Rak'Gol, Alghollthus, Skaven, and Word Bearers are already extending other fronts. Sunmother and Moonfather know what else." Shinomiya Mikoto said, her short purplish hair distinct with its twin chrysanthemum hairpins.
She gave a slightly tomboyish air, and one who considered "growing up" to be mostly physical and "military professionalism" a polite suggestion she had no interest in, with a lapel showing her favourite highly exportable pocket monster franchise creature loud and proud.
"So we will need to sally out in strength and repulse our foes as energetically as possible. Should the fronts against the Skaven and the Undead in Vay-Gir resolve themselves, we'll need them here in the expanses of Gyura." She said.
"We are also due for reinforcements from the Zavkom Union that can help turn the tide, as well as further third party reinforcements. Most will fight in their own sectors and won't be cooperating with us as such, but they will take the heat off of us." Bao Xiaodan explained, showing predicted arrival sites for the other troops as well as ongoing conflicts between the Gyura warzone's nightmare and the likes of the Imperium of Man, the Sarhuadin Empire, the Q'orl Swarmhood, the Epsilon Advent, the Leagues of Votann, Nouvelle Bretonnia, the Itzecanl, and the T'au to name some of the most major players.
They formed what was often known as "the Ring of Iron", a general encirclement of the monsters and villains of the galaxies of the gimel group by more conventional polities, and while many were at war with one another, there was an unspoken agreement to work together here.
…
The Traitor Legions Strike
The western reaches of the Gimel region were aflame with warfare, and all that warfare had attracted monsters and madness to the region in the hopes of feeding off of the ample carnage. War of such scale that more humans were dying every second than there were Terran humans who had even lived up to the end of the twenty-first century of the Gregorian calendar. This was what it meant to live in these evil days, to be trampled into the dust by things made only for war, beings free from the burden of free will.
That is, when they weren't busy tearing into each other, as was so often the rule of the day in the northern reaches of the Gimel Group where the Imperium, Bretonnia, Sarhuadin, and Q'Orl to name a few were busy with violence entirely of their own design and accord in a more conventional sort of war with declarations, prisoner exchanges and treaties. Albeit no less brutish for being waged between those who could have decided to not fight at all.
Perhaps this sheer density of warfare was why the Imperium had called so many disparate troops and forces to reinforce its holdings here in these dark times and evil tidings, with the Blood Ravens, Black Templars, Ultramarines, Ice Dragons, Carcharodons Astra, a Grand Host of the Space Wolves, Angels Numinous, Charnel Guard, the Reclaimers, Dragon Blades, Tyrant's Bane, the Bald Eagles, the Imperial Bulldogs, The Astrotheria, the Lamenters, the Mantis Warriors, and more to name just the larger marine contingents alone.
Overall command of the Astra Militarum ground forces fell to Lord Grand Marshal Zyvan, while Lord Grand Strategos Horatio Bugler would command the Imperial Navy detachments. Which could honestly be worse, as Karis Venner was thankfully deployed elsewhere rather than given a chance to trample all over everything.
It was also why three of the great members of the Collective were to contribute substantial forces to this campaign, and why so many others made at least some effort to contribute, even if they were at active war with each other outside of what the Advent called Kravsdeh; the Battlefield.
And it was this carnage that drew the attention of a sort of Undead often colloquially called Cyborg Reapers, or Cyreapers to many; were proof that no matter how bad things might be, they could always be worse. They were a nightmare in steel, their forms strange and aberrant, the tissue of the dead melted into a slurry that would provide an anchor for the souls that were bound to their frames, both those who had lived and died, and in a cruel subversion of the cycle; stolen from the othersea, condemning more to be born as soulless hollows with a gnawing emptiness within, to live without ever knowing true life and to simply cease to be when their time comes.
To use their own names for themselves, they were the Udakarsar, and unlike the Republic, they revered the great gods of Death; the likes of Nagash, Drachenfels, Asmoderok, or Balor, though they were wise enough to know that Nagash sought monotheism as the Thanarcus. And though their frames were hardly human, the tissue wrought to weave between armour plating was clearly organic to create a hybrid of machine and formerly living thing, brought together into nightmare things with faceplates like stitched shut alien masks with far too many eyes. Some floated without legs, others crawled or clambered upon clawed legs.
It was perhaps a small mercy then that they were the first to be tied up by the arrival another contender.
Dark Apostle Marduk was once again part of a great fleet of Lorgar's children, accompanied by the mongrels of the Black Legion, the powermongers of the Entropic Harbingers, the-self obsessed Knights Glorious, the skittish and greedy Winged Centipedes, and the impenetrably mysterious Alpha Legion as well as contingents from large renegade forces such as the Red Corsairs and the Blue Enslavers.
The 13th Black Crusade was in full swing, a nightmarish time of total war and unlimited destruction, and he exulted in it. While the attempt to take the worlds of the White Consuls and the Boros stars had ended in military catastrophe, the Word Bearers were a vast legion, and there would always be more brothers and sisters to command.
And he would not allow such a crucible of bloodshed as western Gimel be given solely to the xenos, pagans, abhumans, loyalists, and undead. The true champions of mankind would purge these stars in the true intent of the Great Crusade, with the holy genocide ordained by the dark gods giving way to blessed colonisation anointed by the deaths of every faithless infidel and alien monstrosity.
Still, it bothered him that Eliphas the Inheritor had not only been welcomed back into the Word Bearers after being brought into the Black Legion by means of resurrection; but had been regranted his old, superior rank to him despite failing the war for the Aurelian Sub-Province and the Kronus Galaxia. Eliphas, who had managed to lead two legions to ruin and had to flee from the Black Legion when a furious Araghast was resurrected, welcomed with open arms by Erebus…
He did not pretend to comprehend the full scope of Erebus' wisdom, but clearly the first Apostate had some schemes within schemes cooking within his bald head operating at a level he dared not guess at.
Still, working with the Black and Alpha Legion despite the Dark Council's open disdain for the Black Mournival and the Four "As", Abaddon, Apollyona, Astaroth, and Asmodea, was a strange request to be sure. The traitor legions struggled to get along on good days, and gathering six of them for this offensive was a big ask.
"How goes the second Graia incursion? Will we have our superweapons?" Marduk asked of Sorceress Eostre.
"Tumulus Samael and his invasion force were wiped out to a man." The Harbinger replied, almost casually.
"By the Ultramarines?" He asked.
"No by an Ultramarine, singular." She replied, flatly in a deadpan tone that did not shift when he exploded into laughter at what was surely a hilarious joke only to stop when he saw that she was still dead serious.
"...You're being serious?"
"Malum Caedo of their Sternguard Veteran corps left no survivors and sent every summoned greater daemon howling back into the aether, we will not be able to count on Samael's dreamed of weapon." She said with clear disappointment in her voice.
"This is a joke, yes? That name means "Slaughterer of Evil" in High Gothic, there is no way you are being seriou-"
"He is named that and I am serious." She said before Marduk spat another curse at the children of the accursed Guilliman.
"Ultramarine nonsense! Accursed spawn of the thirty ninth!" He howled to himself before shaking his head.
"Nevermind that." Taronmair sighed with clear exasperation, the Black Legionary clearly losing his patience with this back and forth. Taronmair's frame was by Astartes standards, slight, his hair often mocked by others of the Black Legion who said it betrayed his origins as a child of the Dust Born instead of embracing the bald purity of the Horusians. He personally could care less.
"We have an objective to complete and a task to fulfill, The Mournival expects results, your Dark Council expects results, the Chaos King expects results." His adjutant, the Champion Kain said, reminding them of their duty to leadership figures of the traitor legions.
"Why do we test ourselves against these xenos, machines, and pagans when there is the Long War to fight after so many millennia?" Morganna of the Knights Glorious clearly was less than pleased with this deployment, long, artistically tressed hair rivalling that of Taronmair; though obsidian to his pale-blonde, deep blues contrasted to blood reds, contrasting to silver and black armour with royal purple trimmings.
"Because believe it or not Morganna, there are objectives that cannot be accomplished solely by attacking the Loyalists. We have flanks to secure, artefacts to gain, daemonic purchases to make. Furthermore, the failure of the Iron Warriors puts us in an unenviable position." He said, the sharpened crown he wore upon his head gleaming in the lights of the Conqueror Class Ship: Infernus Eternam.
He looked at the strategic display again, the Sorcerer-Lord flicking a brimstone horror that had decided to crawl upon the display system with annoyance to Marduk's tutting at the disrespect towards one of the Neverborn.
The display screen shifted to scenes of bloody death and slaughter, many of them Tar-Marion's own until he spat forth a curse in daemon tongue that made the possessing creature shrink before the Black legionary, shooting a venomous glance at Marduk.
"Keep your daemonic pets on tighter leashes or I will do it for you." He said with a small hiss before he analysed the data readouts and the sorcerous divinations being read out on the holograms.
"We will have to claim some of the uninhabited worlds in the contested space and establish long term presences within them, supplies and recruitment grounds will be needed for the operations ahead." He said, getting a nod out of Eostre as she approached the hololith and held an infant in her hands.
The new slaves on board had no idea of why she would bring such a thing, having ripped it out of the arms of a nursing servile who had been left to wail at the sorceress in impotent anguish while she held the small child over the console.
To most, it was so mundane as to not even be worth paying attention to, the loud snap of her hands twisting a head of going unnoticed while she offered blood and a soul with a whole life ahead of it to an unseen benefactor.
The blood pooled and congealed into a vision of coordinates and means to get to them, a brief vision offered in exchange for a tasty morsel that both Marduk and Taronmair recognised as a reward from Tzeentch. Which of course, also meant that it had to be taken with a grain of salt.
To Marduk, the tendency for Tzeentch to outright lie when giving revelations was merely a test of faith, that must be appreciated to gain the wisdom offered by the Great Changer of Ways. To Taronmair it was an infuriating habit of a fickle master.
Still, it did intrigue him as much as it did Marduk.
However, the "whale carcass" craft of the Cyreapers had detected the approach of the Chaos Fleet as it was mustering over the Vundos system amidst a thousand others, and mechanical tendrils flung themselves to add momentum to the turning of the dead fleets.
Ominous formations started to burn their thrusters towards the Chaos Ships, with their reaper craft opening fire with magnetically driven metallic fluid from each of the tendrils roping from their cybernetic bodies as a form of preliminary lance bombardment.
Powerful gamma ray lasers erupted, while torpedoes filled with dark magic tainted warpstone slid through the cold void to meet the swarms of Chaos craft pouring out of every hangar and door.
So it would be a fight already then.
…
I used the inquisition to kill the inquisitor
Wang Chao Xing hated operating in the depths of the Imperium. Confusing layouts of street design, endless inane squabbles between those who claimed to have absolute power by divine providence, and an abject display of grey misery. Far from everyone else, she was in the midst of a pleasure world in the guise of a local wildcat, watching some nobles play a maddening game of hitting a plastic ball with a metal stick to try and get it into a small dirt hole.
As far as she could tell, it was less a form of exercise, and more an opportunity to chat outdoors with one's fellow obscenely rich folk, whether aristocracy or bourgeois. Her Rose Petal Sect of the Lotus Legion also kept watch in animal form, some even taking shapes as discrete as microbes to avoid notice from physical sight.
"Comrade Chaoxing, we have observed these louts for several days, should we not make our leave swiftly? Our contacts with the Eldar cannot wait for us indefinitely." Yan Qiaolong, one of her associates asked, creeping up to her in feline form.
"You are not the only one who tires of watching these idiots." She said as some of the nobles blabbed endlessly about increasingly unbelievable feats of prowess while one of them seemed set on seeing whether the heat death of the universe would come sooner than when he actually hit the ball.
"You see, the Auric Crusaders' Chapter Master is personally indebted to me after my house forces rode to her rescue in the Gylgassian Crusade." King Tardaris said, laughing as he adjusted his monocle and pith helmet, bushy moustache static in the breeze in a manner suggesting significant usage of cosmetic products.
"Ah get outta here with that crap limey, we're friends here. You don't gotta try sellin' me on nothin'." Joseph Capone laughed, on the surface merely the family head of a major distillery corporation, but beneath his pinstripe suit he was one of the most powerful crime lords of the district. His Jamestarian accent rather clearly distinct from the more reserved pronunciation of the general imperium.
"Now if you told me you was screwin' that Abbess I'd buy it." He said, snapping his fingers at a menial to get more liquor poured into his ice cube filled drink.
"I'm a Throne-Fearer and a Keep-Botherer Joseph, I'd never profane a Peregrinas like that." He said, an eye roll coming from Capone in response.
"Hey you call on me and my boys to help break those red-syndicates, don't want hypocrisy on your rap sheet when you're at the gold and silver gates buddy." He replied.
"Speaking of hypocrisy, what progress have we had on dealing with those ghastly oriental pagans?" Lady Mildred Windsor's disdain was rife in her voice, while the men who fanned her manually with a plumed implement and shaded her parchment pale skin from the sun passed along an orange drink to her for her to sip.
"I cannot abide by Elizabeth York's Benevolentian nonsense, especially when the tea she buys from the reds is taking Pounds out of my purse and into her own." She harrumphed, delicate features at odds with the fact that Chaoxing knew she had pulled enough strings to get entire Exterminatuses called down and was the mastermind of the Argaxian Proleicide.
"The Genestealers we have seeded in their dens of pagan communism should be providing more than enough disruption to the machinations of the Dragon Prince and Princess. No need to worry madame." Inquisitor Thomas Woolsey was a dangerous man at Lord Inquisitor Cortes' side, even if he was part of the Ordo Apostatus rather than the Paganus, his ruthlessness towards apostates; those who had not merely challenged the Imperium but sought to leave it; infamous across a hundred galaxies.
Chao Xing was glad then, that his dealings with secessionists had left him largely unprepared for the magnitude of shapeshifting that Shenren could manage. He was looking for agents in his own staff, but had yet to think to look at all the wildlife shadowing his moves.
Good thing then, because if she were spotted the play they were waiting for the results of would not come to its intended final act.
"Are you not worried about that Vail woman or Woolworth?" Tardaris said, taking a moment to look at the man still internally debating on the best possible shot to take with his club.
"Throne, Keep, and Ghost just take the shot already!" One of the other guests shouted only to get a "no, no I need a perfect score" in response.
The Space Marine dragged into this event looked like she was about ready to take a shot of her own of an entirely different sort, the Space Wolf making all manner of little rude faces at the event the towering blonde had been brought to and mumbling beneath her breath every other second.
Soon enough, she would get her chance, as Arbites Valkyries and an Inquisitorial Stormraven flew overhead and shifted into landing position, the seal of the Ordo Hereticus plainly visible upon the latter.
There was some shouting, gossipping confusion, and then speculation, and one of Terra's own witchhunters stepped out, bearing that wide brimmed hat so common to her order.
"You are all under arrest on charges of sedition, heresy, treason, apostasy, obscenity and perversion of the operations of the Imperium, you have five seconds to prostrate yourselves for detainment or we will use force." She said, her stormtroopers setting their laserweapons to electrolaser stun modes and allowing piercing whines to fill the air.
"Oh come on now Adrastia, have you still not gotten over my doubts that your precious Blood Ravens are as clean as you say they are? There is no need to embarrass yourself with false accusations." Woolsey scoffed while her own expression hardened into a deadly stare.
"Your Kryptmann gambit is treasonous Woolsey. To play with genestealers in such a way is a violation of our order's doctrine as was established very clearly when Kryptmann was excommunicated. Furthermore, Thoth, Vail, and I have found rather…interesting evidence regarding the source of much of your information." She said as Blood Ravens that had come on the mission as part of a chance to stick it to Woolsey emerged in full livery from more stormravens and thunderhawks, moving with a swagger that made them seem almost eager.
"Our remit to act in the Imperium's interest is wide and permissive, to gather the components for the necrotic apotheosis of lichedom falls far outside of that remit, Tom." She said, switching to the diminutive to let him know how little she respected him right now.
"And of course, you, Mildred, our investigations into your house have found evidence of the Archenemy's dalliances with your house. You will, of course, come quietly. I also know that you have a suicide pill with you right now, do not bother taking it, I have ways to pull you from over the horizon." She said with casual menace.
The genestealer accusation was unadulterated truth, the operation to get Woolsey in touch with a convent of what she had uncovered were Necromancers was her own doing, the proof of alignment with the Black Legion was outright forgery on Chaoxing's part, using stolen materials and careful insertions and manipulating a cult here and there to make House Windsor look as bad as possible.
Would it result in the Inquisition annihilating all of Mildred's immediate relatives and social contacts? Most likely, once these things were set in motion the Ordo Malleus was loath to look bad with a recanting. They would doubtlessly be subject to a cruel, hideous death that would annihilate many entirely innocent people. But Chaoxing cared very little, she had done what was needed, and she could finally be rid of this awful, backwards hick country.
…
Alien Intellect
Thread-voices sang across the vast thoughtsea, a chatter large and small, ranging from the myriad to the singular, pulsing strands of thought across a web that had no defined limit or boundary. It was a multiverse unto itself, the contained experiences of whole scopes of thought and an amalgamation of the dreams of beings without number.They were many, they were one, they were past and future, and they were everywhere. Beyond the veil, within the veil, their thoughts shaping the othersea, their touch crawling into other dimensions and forms of being, their minds and thoughts a constant of creation and more besides. Only hairs of their shared body had pressed into the garden, whiskers of some greater beast that could barely be described, let alone comprehended.
They were called many names, Taotie to the Tien, Y'he to the T'au, Ill'Murreead to the Eldar, Bugz to the Greenskins, Seika Otaberohito to the Asahikijin, Ravah to the Advent, the Bane to the Kyn, Zortjaal Verorlkki to the Dawi, the Asura Bhakshak to the Vudrani, the Weltraumheuschrecken to the Sigmarites, the Rokovoyroy to the Kislevites and Zavkoms, the Shashkratak to the Sarhuadin, the V'Garl to the Q'Orl, Bioform Alpha-One to the Numerians, the Cipactli to the Itzecanl; but perhaps most infamously; to the Imperium they were the Tyranids.
They did not really notice these names, they were mere motes of memory consumed as they absorbed all knowledge and thought with each consumption or sieved through the great soup of the othersea or the elder dream. Scarcely real, barely there whispers that only grew solid when it was added to the network, only then could their consensus agree that these things existed at all.
And once they were brought into the fold, they saw the light, saw the perfection of the Gesalt Chorus, what they called a simple Hive Mind as if it was anything so crude as a singular will. They were beyond the crude distinction between individual and collective, they had achieved an ideal harmony of both. But the notions of things beyond them seemed so ephemeral.
All things became them eventually, joined to them, brought within them, and the potential of things that did not truly exist made into a solid certainty of harmony with the gestalt. They were dreams until drawn in, contemplated but not observed.
To be observed required being drawn in, and upon being drawn in, the gestalt always came to the same conclusion. They, too, were Tyranid. All things were Tyranid, some merely had to be awakened to this truth, which was self-evident because everything that was scrutinised by the dreams of the gestalt and made to hear its song and take it into it; became Tyranid.
To themselves, they were simply the All-Song, because they were the music of all things, whether active or not. They had no need for a specific name for themselves for such would imply that there was anything that truly existed beyond them, which did not bear with their observations of reality.
The song's activation was being resisted by the processes of unactivated matter within many stars, and here in what the Advent; people who were known to be far ranging explorers and cartographers; called the Gimel-475 Group, there were so many discordant notes of songless matter. Gifting the inanimate a voice to join the song was a blessing, and it would not be denied.
They would shape the music, and their great democracy colluded on a plan with an infinitude of opinions and discussions carried out over a forum of the endless. All possible points and issues were raised and considered, from the great Norn Queens to the smallest of Particulates.
Bringer-Of-Starlight's voice called for a more underhanded approach towards the inanimate discord. Experience and added voices showed that the non-songs when gathered were easily disrupted. Temporary, ephemeral, the false-music would unravel with the right chords plucked.
Conqueror-Of-Dreams agreed, they would activate more of the music teachers, disrupting the automatic response systems of the songless and inanimate to allow for greater depth of penetration. This would also allow for a quicker, more painless awakening of the songs of the voiceless matter, thus sparing them further suffering.
Storm-Of-Consciousness disagreed, noting that there were already extensive efforts to counteract the religious activities of the music teachers, what some would call Genestealers. Storm-Of-Consciousness advocated once again that perhaps there was some form of crude awareness amidst the songless, albeit limited, weak, and mortal, and that this drove them to tighten their walls when such means were used and to continually attempt counters.
They-Who-Wait found this notion absurd. All observations have shown that there is no true song beyond the Chorus, all who are scrutinised by the Chorus are made into portions of it. The songless are simply following a more complex form of inanimate action, no different from chemical processes, without the Music they were just that; processes.
Father-Of-Many' subgestalt provided a reasoned argument for another approach, based on aeons of prior experiences conferred by countless underminds and endless years. The shaped matter of the Chorus would be committed along these lines, with gravitic anomalies presaging the arrival of enormous tendril fleets that would carry out the plan.
Situation
Allied Report
Overall command of the allied forces falls to the Command Council of Bao Xiao Dan, Grand High Autarch Kayleth, Tau Grand Commander Firewind, Shinomiya Mikoto, Advent Prophet-Scholar Malachai, Itzecanl Mage-Priest Bygbhoi, Votann Grand High Kahl Edna Ymyr, Dawi Great King Gimlun Thursdal, Sigmarite Grand War Marshal Amalia Schwarzschild von Kaiser, Ogor Grand Poobah Gutsmack Warking, Zavkom Comrade Iron-Commander Vera Belova, Imperial Warmaster Zyvan and so on.
As this warzone is of such a huge scope, you will not be partaking in most of the strategic scale command and most are focused on their own sectors of the western front.
The Zavkom Union will arrive shortly, claiming multiple virgin territories and dispatching their fleethordes to reinforce your position, but their arrival must be screened, as if their arrival zones are taken first they will be unable to reinforce properly, likely leading to eventual defeat as the enemy divides the already loose and shaky coalition. If the Tyranids reach them first, they will prevent the reinforcements from arriving at all.
Detachments of allies will offer some assistance where they can as per arrangements Bao Xiao Dan has already made.
Bao is focusing on a defensive play, and is entrusting Chao with the task of counter-attacking or providing mobile reserves for his forces.
The situation is currently a dreadful slugfest, but is holding somewhat. Reinforcements are direly needed, especially as there are multiple breaches in the defensive lines that are in need of reserves to plug in and counterattack.
The Eldar, Duardin, and Lizardmen are operating as a quick mobile reserve to hit at crucial points of battle, with the Eldar generally aiming for immediate objectives for hit and run attacks while the Lizardmen are focused on pinpoint deliverance of brute force and the Duardin emerge from the Webway to deliver heavy firepower and heavier defensive obstacles.
The Imperium and Tau will offer some forces as well, dispatched from their own fronts in recognition that the Tien and the Votanni have dealt fairly with both so far. Cooperating with each other will be difficult as they're still at war with each other.
Enemy Report
Your forces are entering into the Ring of Iron, a centuries old warzone.
Chao Xing is free from her duties in her smear campaign against Imperial ops.
You are presently primarily facing Tyranid Hive Armada Raiju, Ork Waaagh Gitkrakka, Chaos (mostly Traitor Imperial or marauder/warrior and beastmen), and the Undead (mostly fallen Imperial or Nagashite, some Cyberreapers), though elements of the Numerians and the Drukhari are also fighting you.
While the Rak'Gol, Necrons, Algholthus, Thyrrus (Wildcard), Skaven, and Cruoran Reavers are also active in the area, currently you are not engaging any of them on an appreciable scale.
At present the Orks and Tyranids are the largest of the forces currently engaging you, especially as out-of-group reinforcements pile into the scrap.
The Tyranids are making for an attack in depth, seeking to coordinate with Genestealer Cults behind your lines as well as hidden sleeper cells that merely await the signal to bloom and present Tyrannic biomorphs in the rear to pincer your lines against the jaws of their fleet.
As can be expected of the Tyranids, they are extremely deadly in Clash and Pursuit/Retreat in space and are quite adept at Skirmish. Bombardment is a phase they tend to neglect. On the ground, they are deadly in all phases but their capacity for Penetration and Reduction is one of their most deadly as they can unravel an entire line that seems to be holding against their Shock astonishingly quickly.
Tyranids have top tier assassins in the form of Lictors, Neurolictors, Camotyrants, Dimachaerons, Genestealers, Norn Emissaries, Noctitherian Bioknights, and Arcanarii Biotitans to name a few. They do not need to use characters to initiate duels.
"Gestalt Chorus" Means that Tyranid special characters are generally not visible to you and cannot be removed from play with duels in any case, returning to play as soon as another body can be spawned.
Tyranid relations to the laws of thermodynamics are at best a polite suggestion, and they rapidly convert matter into more of themselves. As long as the Tyranids are advancing they can increase their numbers at extreme rates, and can both increase their fleet hordes past 100% capacity and spawn new ones.
The Tyranid trait of "Rapid Evolution" means that they can create new unit types or modify existing ones to punish overreliance on certain tactics or weapons in the midst of combat.
"Shadow in the Warp" and "Spore Shroud" makes scrying on Tyranids extremely difficult, allowing them to impose a range of magnitude uncertainty in the estimates of their strength, compounded by the impossibility of sneaking spies into their midst.
"Shadow in the Warp" weakens all non-Tyranid magic and psychic actions and increases the risk of blowback, this increases in effect in combat with Tyranids. This also increases the instability of Warpspawn detachments such as Daemons.
The Tyranids are Fearless and will not break.
Tyranids have the "Infestation" tag and territory retaken from them must be purged to remove the attrition penalty freshly spawning Tyranids inflict.
The Orks are on a WAAAAGH! And as such their psychic and magic effects are increased in potency, while they also perform better in most phases. While Orks have great strike craft, their tendency to get stuck in limits their skill at Skirmish, though their sheer speed makes them good at catching running enemies or legging it. They are of course, also great in the Clash as they ram, board, and dakka everything around them. Their lack of care for "aiming" limits them at Bombardment.
On the ground, the Orks have nearly irresistible Shock as few things can actually hold the line without bending somewhat against Greenskins on the offensive with the sheer concentration of raw, barbaric brute power they can muster. They are surprisingly good at Penetration too, with great stealthy assets and plenty of high speed units. It is mostly their inattentiveness once the best fighting in a battle is done that limits them in Exploitation and Reduction.
Greenskins are great duelists for their level but tend to focus largely on close range combat, nevertheless while killing the boss does fracture a horde, that's always easier said than done, especially as they have preternatural luck that thwarts most efforts to try and take them down by means other than a duel or a character lead assassination attempt.
The Greenskins will generally concentrate wherever the largest numbers of troops are in search of a fight.
Gitkrakka has heard that Xiang and Xinyi "dead 'ard" after he dispatched Guh'Dei-Meit in short order and for the latter's role in defeating a Great One and will not consider challenges from other characters.
The Greenskins are making extensive usage of Skrapwurlds and Zoggin' 'Uge Ships, and are being continually reinforced by a flow of more of their kind flocking to the scrap and a chance for fighting and winning.
As the Orks are on a Waaagh! their reproductive cycle is increased in pace and speed, allowing them to recover more losses more quickly, especially in intense combat. Reducing this requires taking territory from the greenskins to purge their depth with fire and flame.
Killmasta Gitkrakka is a Deathskull and as such his warbands focus more on vehicular combat and heavy weapons on the ground and have a high portion of stolen ships from other factions in space. They also gain a general luck bonus.
Greenskin leaders will seek out duels when possible and confident of victory, but are not necessarily suicidal in their hunger for glory as they also really care about the "winning" part of fighting and winning and don't really care about fair play.
Civilians in territory captured by the Greenskins will be enslaved and forced to labour for the green tide, forcing them to produce weapons for their fungal masters, allowing them to take advantage of captured POP production (though at reduced capacity from the looting of machinery).
Greenskins on a WAAAGH! have more powerful psychic and magic actions and can use them more freely, and their actions scale up in power in proportion to the size of their forces in play.
Orks have the "Infestation" tag and territory retaken from them must be purged to remove the attrition penalty freshly spawning Orks inflict.
The forces of Chaos are currently not explored enough for their leadership to be known in complete detail but many of the more infamous ones are already marked.
The forces of Chaos are primarily focused around traitor Imperials, with marauders, chaos xenos, and beastmen in minority. There is a significant chaos space marine contingent in particular.
Through the summoning of Daemons and Daemon Engines as well as certain Chaotic hazards such as Nurglite Plague Zombies, the Khornate curse of Fury, the Tzeentchian Mindscar Enigma, corrupting civilians and captives (or mutating them, often into Chaos Spawn), or the creation of Chaotic Constructs, the forces of Chaos can exceed 100% strength if they amass enough favour or cause enough warp rifts.
Chaos characters are largely compelled to accept duels due to the need for favour from the dark gods.
As these are Chaos Undivided forces, they have no benefits or penalties for leaning towards any of the ruinous powers and can make some use out of all types of Chaos Magics, Psykery, and Daemons, but cannot make as much use as more devoted fleethordes.
The plurality of Chaos Forces here are Black Legionaries. The Black Legion specialises in veteran formations, tactical adaptability, and decapitation strikes, but is weak in defensive combat, situations that demand specialisation, and in high elite attrition. The second largest force are Word Bearers, who specialise in Daemonology, Discipline, and Chaos rituals, but are weak in tactical flexibility, little investment into non-astartes troops and in combat in warp suppressed areas.
Other major contingents include the Knights Glorious, who are strong in charges and in the usage of heavier units such as cavalry and warbeasts as well as duels, but suffer in terms of poor lower grade units, urban environments, and artillery, the Entropic Harbingers who are strong in terms of powerful champions, a talent at kingdom and army building, and sorcery, but are weak to decapitation strikes, defeat in detail, and to warp suppression.
The Traitor Imperials as a whole largely take after the Imperium in space and thus lean towards clash, but they tend to mount additional lance batteries as well as strike craft hangers over torpedo tubes and nova cannons, but their Chaos Marauder auxiliaries are heavily focused on skirmish through strike craft superiority and the means to prey on vulnerability or flee losing battles.
On the ground, Chaos forces rely less on Shock than their Imperial counterparts, focusing more on Penetration and Exploitation to set up victory through other means and avoiding knock down, drag out fights on a massive scale where they can. The general ease of distracting Chaotic forces hampers their efficiency in Reduction.
Chaotic forces spread Chaotic Taint, much like Undeath Taint.
Due to the Astartes Supremacist attitudes of most Chaos Space Marines, non-Astartes units of theirs are universally considered expendable, with even the Marauder Tribe Chaos Warriors and Dark Mechanicus being regarded with only somewhat more respect than the Cultists, Guardsmen, Marauders, Beastmen, or Xenos; the last of whom are outright despised by the xenocidal space marines who actively hope for as many of them to die as possible.
Daemons are generally used as fire and forget reinforcements and shock troops due to their expendability and the fact that daemonic legions will usually not stay in the Materium for all that long anyway. Daemons are weak to non-emotional or soulguarded troops which do not feed into them as well as strong convictions denying their narratives (faith most famously but others will do), as well as to Eidolons who do not feed into their cycles at all.
They also take increased casualties in areas of warp suppression due to the intensification of daemonic instability. Daemonic instability also means that Daemonic forces take complete casualties (entirely destroyed) when defeated, without the usual process of chasing down stragglers.
Traitor Imperial forces do not get their usual hatred category benefits against non-imperial enemies.
The energies of Chaos are being weakened by the Shadow in the Warp and the Waaagh!, reducing the potency of their summons and chaos powers.
The Undead are a conglomeration of the Cyberreapers, Fallen Imperials, Nagashites and other types of undead.
The Undead are currently focused on turtling and a slow, creeping advance to build up as much force as possible, content to let the grind build up their forces in a planned, slow manner. They aren't in a particularly huge rush to break out of their territory in contested space, especially since they aren't quite as present in the contested territories as the Tyranids and Orks.
Undead strengths and weaknesses have already been noted, though the Cyberreapers have a much more elite and technological focus than most Undead.
As Numerian characters are essentially software routines that are uploaded onto chassis assembled for combat, they are difficult to detect ahead of time.
Numerian forces have Rapid Adaptability.
Numerian forces do not participate in Magic or Psychic Actions, but do have access to Psionic and High Tech actions.
Numerian forces generally make use of their pinpoint accuracy and firepower to dominate bombardment and shock before pushing in for the kill. However, they also tend to be averse to fully specialising their fleets, preferring to take all comer approaches to fleet composition and as such have less strengths and weaknesses and more preferences.
Numerian forces, like their Tyranid counterparts, have outsized reliance on more centralised server platforms that when taken out cause a loss in network capacity that has to be compensated for. While not a surefire win tactic, it does help.
Numerians are all mechanical and as such are not subject to biological attacks, but do take extra damage from haywire effects.
Numerians produce communications interference through the density of signal traffic and their omnipresent jamming, imposing command penalties on other factions.
Mechanical assets take additional casualties against the Numerians due to the risk of subversion and take over.
Like Tyranids, Numerians can build more of themselves in great numbers as long as momentum holds, and they can rapidly replace casualties and even build new fleets.
Numerians, due to their lack of connection to the Empyrean, do have a weakness to Magic and Psykery as they can largely only defensively counter such things via the likes of Noctilith devices, rather than act with their own agency in such fields. While not truly corruptible (unlike the Men of Iron), like the Necrons they react more than act against such things.
The Drukhari are raiders and will thus shy away from fresh or unoccupied forces.
The Drukhari are extremely focused on Skirmish and Pursuit/Disengage in space as well as Penetration and Exploitation on the ground.
The Dark Eldar do not have their own psychic or magic ability but they do have plenty of sorcerous technology that can allow them to do some actions in that field.
The Dark Eldar are generally weak in any contest of attrition or whenever they get bogged down and forced to match strength to strength.
The Dark Eldar are not unbreakable and out of their concern for lives will try to run away. They will generally surrender if left with no choice to survive.
The Dark Eldar do suffer attrition pretty poorly, as they generally do not have anything that they are really willing to lose in large numbers.
Limiting Dark Eldar mobility is largely impossible due to your lack of understanding of the Webway. Defence in depth is a necessity due to their ability to bypass individual lines.
The Dark Eldar are overall the smallest force here and are primarily focused on civilians and eidolonic captives, regarding the insensitivity to pain of the Numerians, Undead, Tyranids, and Greenskins as making them of limited value.
The Dark Eldar are very interested in capturing characters and are great duelists, as well as forcing duels.
The Dark Eldar's ability to slip in and out of the Webway allows them to obscure their numbers and characters.
Order of Battle
For reasons of convenience and ease of posting and editing to reflect the fog of war, Orders of battle will be moved to google docs.
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Yeah, I really like how some tyranids think that maybe there might be other intelligences but that gets shut down by the others.