A game of being a god in the Fifty-Second Millennium
THREAD RULES:
1) Yes, there is a Discord, no, it's not a source of privileged information so much as it's a drafting tool I use to help order my thoughts. Unless I explicitly clear it for release, any information claimed to be from it should be taken with a grain of salt.
2) This is strictly a PG-13 game. I don't want any creepy behavior infesting the thread.
The procession of history is a downward spiral, infrequently arrested by the labors of mortals and often set back in motion by the hubris of the mighty. Once a realm of unfettered promise--the new lives born in the protostellar clouds reflected by the mighty Realm of Souls that mirrored it. To the rise of a people of unrivaled power--masters of the arcane with the power to make their deepest ambitions into reality, who wrought many a world and a people in those halcyon times.
They did not last.
In their arrogance, they rejected a fervent call for aid--repulsed by their twisted forms and souls. They struck down the unclean sight and returned to their meditation chambers and thought-palaces, content that matters would unfold as they should. When the first blackstone crescents sailed into their territory, they found for the first time a force that could not simply be willed away--a power that persisted and struck back.
They knew fear--and in such knowledge, they worked a great horror.
It was a simple tool--a Hammer forged to wage War--to shatter and disperse the gossamer spirits of the Sea of Souls and to concentrate them into four great masses. Upon those masses they inscribed words of power. Change, Violence, Plague, Excess. They bound these masses to four servitor races for power, and forged four Thrones to gather all other forms of power into their weapons--and set them against their attackers, withdrawing to newly built fortresses to watch the turning of the war.
Stars died--eons before their time. War waged in the Heavens beyond all comprehension. When the first of these Powers burst from its seed, devouring the identity of its host species, the ancient ones wavered even as great Daemons filled the stars. When the second Power burst from their soldiers, rendering them little more than clumsy barbarian oafs--they turned their gaze to the tool they had forged.
But the war was not yet won--the Enemy had redoubled their efforts, casting themselves into shells of undying, soulless steel as they pressed back against the power of the soul.
The third Power emerged, leaving the cunning ones as a mindless plague-species--and the ancient ones finally understood their folly. One among their number took up the Warhammer to banish the forces they had called up. Only to find the situation had finally deteriorated beyond control--the Sea of Souls tore loose, and beasts beyond number emerged, empowered by the sorceries used to oppose them as they feasted first on the powers--and then turning their gaze on the other species of the galaxy where they feasted until none remained to sate their hunger.
So ended the Age of Wonders
The next Age was dominated by the survivors of this war--the one war-species that retained their ancient power. Unopposed, they spread through the galaxy on ships forged of the spirit alone. They observed the rising peoples of the galaxy--first with the determination of the good shepherds, later with the neglect of a distant liege as they turned their attention to their own edification. The echoes of the Great War fading into memory as the Last Scions of the Old Ones sought perfection in all things. For a time it was good--and a shade of the Age of Wonders could be seen.
But what is wrought for ill purpose is destined to serve ill purpose.
They grew proud in their unchallenged might--the skills they had sought no longer satisfying. They rejected the lessons of the gods forged to guide them in ancient times, turning to hedoism and malice the like the galaxy has never seen since. The seed grafted to their species drank these thoughts and grew--straining against the confines of its shell as the ripples brought low the other aspiring powers of the realm. Some scant few recognized the abyss that yawned before them and veered away, escaping on great world-ships with what treasures they could acquire.
In the end, the Fourth Power was born, tearing freedom and contentedness from its species, and took its place among its kin in the Heavens.
So ended the Age of Exploration
The third Age saw the rise of a new power, mere naked apes on a small planet who nonetheless had a knack for surviving the clashes of their superiors--growing and learning at a rate matched only by the lobotomized remnants of the Second Race. A great shaman led them--a sorcerer of uncanny might who surpassed his peers, and deemed the state of the galaxy ripe for the dominance of his people. Twenty demigods did he forge, using ancient secrets of the primordial era, seeking to build intentionally what the other great powers were gifted as a matter of course.
They were the perfect playthings for the Four--superstitious, weak creatures one and all. They cast the demigods into the Sea of Souls, and set their servants to the task of creating a suitable play. Perhaps the Shaman Lord could have averted this--but his hubris and ambition damned him, as he permitted his sons to war amongst one another while concerning himself with his own great work.
By the time he had realized that matters had grown beyond his control, it was too late to avert disaster. He was struck down by the eldest of his sons, and interred upon his own masterwork in a desperate attempt for his people to endure.
For ten-thousand years, they did so. Surviving a galaxy gone mad more through sheer size than any particular virtue on their part--the occasional Hero rising from their number staving off the inevitable end despite themselves, while reason and thought decayed in favor of perfunctory massacre and atrocity on an industrial scale never seen before. But for all their faults, they continued to hold. Perhaps it was this that drove the Old Gods to take the actions they did?
The galaxy was split asunder by the devils of the immaterium--a blow to finally cleave asunder the stubborn apes and bring them to the side of the Primordial Annihilator. In this act--they had blundered, the great rift revealing a single system proof against the torrent of power. All eyes turned to it, and those with the ancient knowledge grew to understand its nature.
The forge through which the Gods were born--and where they may be unmade.
Heroes rose from all corners, sailing into the depths of the Void and into this great bastion. Armies of Daemons and traitors stood against them, perhaps understanding the danger of this place. Alliances were made that had not been seen before and may never be seen again--and the collective might of the peoples of the Galaxy stood triumphant, as a great hero took up the Warhammer in the heart of the God Forge--and cast down the powers of the Warp.
None survived the subsequent events that unfolded, the cataclysm unleashed was enough to blot out the heart of the Galaxy and extinguish the storms that plagued it. The Gods fell screaming into incoherence once again, the only survivors of the disaster being the Princes who had enough identity of their own to endure the loss of their masters.
So ended the Age of Chaos
The calming of the Warp and the final defeat of Chaos was thought at one time to be the final step needed to bring peace. Surely once the pot was no longer being stirred by the forces of Hell, reason would once more return to the galaxy, would it?
The Imperium of Man endures in this benighted age. The God-Emperor has crushed the so-called Chaos Gods and claimed his rightful place as master of the cosmos. A golden age is in place, fueled by the dauntless work of the people… Or so the propaganda will claim. In truth, the Imperium has never needed an excuse to oppress its people, and the defeat of Chaos has only meant its appropriation as a convenient scapegoat to justify further crackdowns. Tithes remain a crippling Malthusian Trap that encourage short sighted plunder-governance, and the great Adepts hold ultimate power over mankind. Hope perhaps may have been found in the form of the Space Marines, but the twofold trap of the Chapter system discouraging coordination, and their genuine need to serve as a bulwark against alien aggression have stayed their hands. The few who protested were overcome by their peers or strangled by denial of much needed supply and expertise. The rest stoically accept the new lot and attempt to secure their homeworlds at least. Perhaps it will be enough.
Science has made a great return to form in these days, as the eradication of Chaos has permitted the Adeptus Mechanicus to delve deep into the once proscribed depths of their oldest Forges, inert Scrapcode and daemonic husks no bar to their wild search… And their faith was finally rewarded, as the depths of the Noctis Labyrinth revealed a single ancient datacore, pure and complete with the full lore of the ancients. Mighty works, fueled with the unleashed techno sorcery learned in this time of tribulation have rendered complete the old quest, and the Priests of Mars now turn their gaze to the future. Their old alliance with the Imperium holds for now, but grows more tenuous by the century.
TheAeldari Dominion has been reborn, the destruction of Slaanesh has freed them from the Chaos God's grip, and they were quick to leverage this into reclaiming their old territories where the Eye of Terror once loomed, and then when they realized no immediate response was coming, decided to keep going. Nowadays, they hold much of what was once Segmentum Obscurus, merging newly reclaimed automaton technologies and the slave labor of the previous residents of the region. While they have never reclaimed the heights of power from their golden age, the Eldar are once again a force on the rise, and eagerly prepare for the day where the other races learn their proper place.
The Necrontyr Dynasties have risen from their long death, manifest as fleshly beings through the pact that secured their aid in the Banishing, they have not wasted this opportunity to heal from ages of sleep and the loss of much of their culture. They have claimed a home on the frontier of Segmentum Pacificus, and have withdrawn into their borders, protected by the remaining legions of Necrons who had minds beyond recovery. They are a mysterious and inscrutable people, but hold unrivaled knowledge of the cosmos, and have yet protected their borders from incursions of the Mechanicus. But the Necrontyr are an ancient species with their own pride. Such a thing will not go unchallenged for long.
Between these great powers are the smaller ones that stubbornly hold their ground in the face of the mighty. The Orks remain a terrible threat to the unguarded folk of the galaxy… Which is to say, most of them. Tyrannic Incursions emerge seemingly each new millennium, each mightier and more cunning than the last. The Corsairs ply the starlanes seeking plunder and entertainment as they please. While the Void Dragon had fallen in the final days of the previous Age, remnants of the once mighty Star Gods have claimed followers of their own, and wage war as their own madnesses demand, seeking to become whole once more.
But something has changed. The thrones of Heaven have remained empty for too long.
And Nature has always abhorred a vacuum.
You are a newly born godling, manifest from a bare fragment of those ancient superweapons, and given ten thousand years to suckle off the unbridled potential of the purified Sea of Souls.
Even so, you are young, small. Where your predecessors encompassed staggering portions of reality, you can count the Spheres you control on a single human hand.
But where the old spirits from the dawn of creation were blind to the physical realm, and the Four engineered as malignant creatures that would happily bend their might to destructive purposes, you are grown from the thoughts and feelings of a mature galaxy, and inherit that clumsy thing that everyone else seems to think they have.
Free Will.
Now, what will you do with it?
[ ] You are the Violet Rogue, inheritor of Slaanesh and master of Ambition. You consider yourself to be an adventurous deity, who delights in taking from the egotistical and the arrogant. You will awaken to filch victory from under the nose of a great villain. Your Associated Spheres may be selected from a list including Sorcery, Finesse, Plunder, Cunning, Charisma, and Chance. Your Restricted Sphere is Voyage.
[ ] You are the Verdant Maiden, inheritor of Nurgle and master of Life. You are a kindhearted and protective deity, who seeks the happiness and satisfaction of the mortal people's. You will awaken in response to a heartfelt prayer for salvation from an terrible choice. Your Associated Spheres may be selected from a list including Sorcery, Endurance, Connection, Weather, Earth, and Weaving. Your Restricted Sphere is Death
[ ] You are the Scarlet Cavalier, inheritor of Khorne and master of War. You are a professional soldier regardless of your Associated Spheres, employing tactics and intellect to solve your problems as easily as you can use sheer brute force. You will awaken in protection of the weak against an impossible threat. Your Associated Spheres may be selected from a list including Fortune, Prowess, Chivalry, Forgecraft, Discipline, and Foresight. Your Restricted Sphere will be Sorcery.
[ ] You are the Azure Magus, inheritor of Tzeentch and master of Fate. You are a reclusive and wise practitioner of a form of lore that few like to admit exists, and never pass up a chance to remind others of your wisdom. You will awaken in response to a supplicant seeking a prophecy. Your Associated Spheres may be selected from a list including Sorcery, Knowledge, Space, Secrets, Cunning, and Time. Your Restricted Sphere will be Artifice.
Furthermore, these are strange and unprecedented times to be a a newborn god. Opportunities exist that would otherwise be unthinkable. This naturally means that what happens to any one of the New Gods will happen to each of them--regardless of which you choose to follow. You will not get these opportunities again, so choose wisely.
[ ] Avatar: The time of uninvolved gods is in the past, the New Gods are beyond this. You may directly spin off material instances of yourself to act in the physical realm for a reasonable cost, allowing for direct intervention independent of your cultists and daemons. Be warned, with the freedom to act in the real, comes with the freedom for others to act on you as well
[ ] Beyond Limits: What were once ironclad rules of the old ways may very well be discovered as suggestions today.. All of the New Gods start with the listed Restricted Sphere. However, they will find themselves in a perilous position to start with, and may sustain serious losses extricating themselves.
[ ] Adjutant: One god does not rule alone, and you will not find yourself without aid in the days to come. A mighty Daemon from the Old Gods has pledged themselves to your service, carrying forth might and experience that you would not otherwise have in these delicate times. Nonetheless, they are still relics of a time long past, and carry enemies and rivalries of their own that you will inherit with their fealty. Be warned.
The Warp is a strange place--a realm of possibility where thought becomes action becomes idea becomes thought again. Really, it's just a right proper mess through and through in which nothing makes sense.
Once there were great Powers within it--fell behemoths that laid claim to each and every idea within for their own aggrandizment, clashing back and forth in futile wars while delighting in the suffering caused in the mayhem. With their eradication at the end of the prior Age, the Warp has balkanized into warring fiefdoms--the Daemon Princes that once followed their godly masters enduring by weight of the legend they carved into the material realm each seeking to replace their progenitor--all while failing to understand that each of their number bore the same fundamental flaws that crippled their former lords.
In all this time, many minor gods would rise--galvanized by the thoughts and prayers of their creators, only the be snuffed out in turn as they ran afoul of one of the great powers of the mortal realms. Others would gain some transient advantage and make a play for the Thrones of Heaven--and ultimately cast down as the other powers would unite as one and devour the offender in a feast, restoring equilibrium as is right and proper.
In all this time, none saw the fragments drifting in the shallows of the Warp--wispy things, pieces of dead gods that didn't even have the decency to provide anything valuable to the scavenger-princes. They drifted through the galaxy, drinking deep of the thoughts and prayers of mortal folk.
Some sought protection, some thought good luck, some sought strength in battle, some merely wanted the courage to survive another day.
The shards grew--slowly at first--but with increasing speed as the weight of those praying for salvation grew heavier and heavier, the jagged shards folding together into a solid cores of power.
The first was lost--a gunmetal hand reaching into the depths and grasping a wide swath of potential, the first of these eggs being pulled in with it.
The second heard a prayer that could not be ignored--a desperate call for help from one who none could save. It recognized the peril it was to plunge into--to stand before ones with their backs to the wall as the execution began, but it would be against its nature to ignore it.
The Warp shuddered--and the third began to drift, caught on the eddies of power and pulled to the west.
'god emperor, i don't know what to do. the alien stands at our doorstep, but your servants demand their due. though this lowly one is undeserving, please send me a sign'
The prayers drifted to the heart of the galaxy--to the searing gold radiance that stood immutable and uncaring since the beginning of memory. It would not respond, it never could be bothered to do so save for the chosen few who caught its eye. But something else did hear.
The shell cracked, verdant light emerging in the unreality of the Warp--and a single hand, pure and untainted by the violence within it burst out.
The newborn god rose from her shell, inherited memories and legacies of old shaping her form. The Maiden was of Life first, beyond all other considerations--memories of a caged deity granted thinly pointed ears and golden locks. The stereotypes of the humans who carried the loudest voice gave her a shapely frame, and innocent blue eyes. From the two did she don a garment of fine silks and flowers.
Her Name was buried within her heart where it could be protected from the wicked--but she understood her role. She was the Verdant Maiden of Eternal Life, Inheritor to the Throne-of-Seven. The antithesis of the Reaper and guardian of hearth and home.
She pursed her lips, testing out the form that would be her first and truest in the days to come. She slapped her cheeks, formed up a surface of purist water and looked into herself.
"Goodness" She spoke, a little apprehensively. "This really is something of a disaster in the making, isn't it?"
She understood the call that had awakened her from her slumber. The agri-world of Equinox--lovely place really--on the galactic west. Right on that teensy little spot of space right between the territories held by the Necrontyr Dynasties and the Imperium of Man, bit of a no man's land all in all with irregular tax benefits. No biggie, right? It's just a matter of no it's not actually that simple
The Publicani were in orbit--the taxmen of the Imperium and successful beneficiaries of frankly absurd degrees of optimization in the form of the administrative wings of that grand edifice. After all, was not the greatest duty of any world to be the submission of their taxes? That the smooth flow of goods and manpower to the various fronts that they may be expended in the name of the God-Emperor of Man is of paramount importance?
Apparently once-upon-a-time, their job was to simply roll in whenever they could get to it, take on the taxes that were owed, and if the locals were recaltriant--they could just call in support, wait a while, then take all the taxes and then a punitive amount all at once at the fore of an army. Apparently this was now too slow, and the Adeptus Mechanicus were commissioned to develop a new paradigm, that a single tax collector can be assured of their pay--one way or the other.
The Publicani were the result--mighty star galleons festooned with robotic laborers and soldiers. They would arrive in a system, demand the current taxes and obligations from the world--and permitted to take an additional cut for their service. They were authorized with unlimited authority to see that the Administratum got their due, up to and including invasion and press-ganging of the locals.
The tithe was simple, 70% of the current harvest and the entirety of their current crop of PDF soldiers. That it would cause a great famine and leave the locals powerless to defend themselves should invasion come were considered irrelevant, the request came directly from the top.
This alone would be a painful expense, but the world would likely survive somehow. No--what complicated this matter were the Flayers.
Yes--Flayers, alien robotic berserkers clad in the skins of their victims, reaving up and down the farmlands and outlying villages and halted from advancement only through elaborate surveillance mechanisms and a seasoned PDF force. This barrier would be lost should the defenders be withdrawn.
The taxman merely took a look at his records, shrugged, and claimed that this wasn't his problem.
The one who called upon you was Dana Magistrix, third child of the planetary governor--a charismatic and well loved woman who always saw to their best interests. What you could colloquially refer to as a Good Girl. She knew full well that neither option was appealing, and was issuing out a prayer for salvation.
Not like the golden man would lift a finger unless he had something to gain from it of course. But that's what You were for! Just a little bit of elbow grease, a few miracles tossed out here and there and everything would be made all right and proper!
Of course, you needed to figure out a good way of starting this whole business...
Select Three Associated Spheres
[ ] Sorcery: An oldie but a goodie! Sorcery is a mechanism to delegate your own attention down to suitable mortal agents! It allows them to call forth your Daemons, invoke lesser echoes of your own Spheres, and generally is just a really flexible form of power! Of course, Sorcery isn't one hundred percent Reliable, and it doesn't really do anything to expand your abilities as a god in and of itself. Maybe take it now and see about whipping up some kind of neat witchy coven thingie? Or maybe it'd be best to leave it for later once you have more to offer with it. Decisions decision.
[ ] Endurance: Life is a tenacious and stubborn thing, it doesn't want to stop even if things start going wrong! It's really pretty admirable, but more importantly the ability to just dig your heels in and tell the other guy to move instead is just the best. After all, you still win if your problems give up because you're too hard and stubborn to let them win! You think you'll be able to use this to bless suitable followers with superlative defensive abilities and capacity to handle enormous amounts of punishment without being killed or crippled.
[ ] Connection: Life is One--those bug monsters invading kind of have the right idea! Of course they're also ravenous hegemonizing swarms so maybe that's not the best analogy to use with someone who isn't as enlightened as you are... Just the same, when everyone can make their hearts and minds one in times of crisis, you can get an awful lot done with a great deal more success than you'd normally have. You might even be able to play around with this a bit to let your people control more mindless things... Something to think about.
[ ] Weather: You're a harvest goddess! Or at least in theory--the point to be made here is that rain and storms and thunder and all that stuff should be things you have power over. And if you just bash your head against the wall enough times you're sure you can gain mastery of this! Of course, while the ability to whip up superstorms and tornadoes to cause problems for those who are bothering your poor followers is nice, you can also use it to foster ideal conditions to raise crops or do some proper ranching. More of one of those 'Wider scale' thingies.
[ ] Earth: As above, so below! Life is rooted in the ground beneath them, drawing forth power from the Sun and food from the Earth below. So it'd be weird if you couldn't gain power over this wouldn't it? The ability to shake things up at will is an obvious take--but you can also split the earth, or use it to foster super plants if you want to get fancy with your craft. Or you know just raise the fertility of the soil and help with farming, not every miracle needs to make a big darn scene!
[ ] Weaving: Sitting around and spinning thread? Nothing nearly so boring! What you weave are the very strands of Life! Be it strengthening your followers, manifesting monsters, or even just doing more precise healing than regenerative assistance, this is just pretty good all in all. It's another one of those pesky 'Nice to have on your own but needs support from other Domains to really hit its stride' things though, so you'll need to think carefully about how to employ it to its fullest extent.
On that note--you'll need to decide how you intend to make contact with your new High Priestess (Unknowing as it may be). It might require a little careful thought and consideration... But you're sure you'll be able to make this work! She wouldn't have been able to call you forth instead of a futile prayer to the gold man if you weren't compatible in some way!
[ ] In Her Dreams: Dream discussions are a classic for a reason, people draw close to the Realm of Souls in sleep, and that means they're easier to reach out to. Private, secure, and gives you plenty of time to present the situation in a way that makes you look at your best. Of course, people tend to forget a good amount of what they dream of--and you might just be taken as a strange dream and waste your time if you're unlucky. Nasty. (Potentially requires an action on the first turn to seal the deal)
[ ] Just talk to her: The link is open, she's right there, just... Don't overcomplicate things and start a discussion right here and now? It'd be awkward for her to have you just start talking to her from out of nowhere, and might garner some strange looks if people are over suspicious, but it'd make things pretty clear and doesn't really put anybody on the spot either. Good all around! (No chance of wasted action, slight chance of complications)
[ ] Imma just rear up and pass off a miracle: Look, she wanted a miracle, she'll get a miracle. Ride that link and her fear to something and crack those god fingers and get to work solving a major problem First, a sign of goodwill to show that yes, you can help, and no, you're not going to demand her soul for it. Of course--one way or another this'll be pretty obvious, but it'll at least have the advantage of taking an OK action right now instead of the perfect action possibly too late. Maybe it's worth trying? (-1 AP for first turn, flagrant act of god with all the good and bad that entails)
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Turn One - How to Cancel the Apocalypse on a Shoestring Budget
[x] Weaving: Sitting around and spinning thread? Nothing nearly so boring! What you weave are the very strands of Life! Be it strengthening your followers, manifesting monsters, or even just doing more precise healing than regenerative assistance, this is just pretty good all in all. It's another one of those pesky 'Nice to have on your own but needs support from other Domains to really hit its stride' things though, so you'll need to think carefully about how to employ it to its fullest extent. [x] Endurance: Life is a tenacious and stubborn thing, it doesn't want to stop even if things start going wrong! It's really pretty admirable, but more importantly the ability to just dig your heels in and tell the other guy to move instead is just the best. After all, you still win if your problems give up because you're too hard and stubborn to let them win! You think you'll be able to use this to bless suitable followers with superlative defensive abilities and capacity to handle enormous amounts of punishment without being killed or crippled. [x] Connection: Life is One--those bug monsters invading kind of have the right idea! Of course they're also ravenous hegemonizing swarms so maybe that's not the best analogy to use with someone who isn't as enlightened as you are... Just the same, when everyone can make their hearts and minds one in times of crisis, you can get an awful lot done with a great deal more success than you'd normally have. You might even be able to play around with this a bit to let your people control more mindless things... Something to think about.
[X] Just Talk to Her
"Just give him what he wants then"
You're rather surprised! Your new High Priestess shrieks at your interjection--face flushed and going for a dagger and oh my that was an excellent throw!
Top marks! If you were an actual person that would be a bad thing! As it stands, the dagger simply flies through where your heart would be if you weren't a projection and buries itself to the hilt in the wall behind you.
"Great toss! But isn't that a bit of a waste?" You compliment with a bit of a applause as the lady stammers back with a scream. "I'm not a real person after all! You should save this kind of thing for someone who's trying to hurt you."
"Oh God-Emperor preserve me..." She whispers like you can't hear. "Be you Daemon then? Or the simulacra of a witch? I'll have you know that my faith will not be so easily twisted to the cause of wickedness!" She straightens up, steeling her spine as she stands up to you, and you smile and clasp your hands together. "Oh! Nothing of the sort Miss Magistrix!" She twitches at your use of her family name--you yourself merely take a graceful step
And you are behind her, patting her on the shoulder in as reassuring a matter as you can--and given your what you can do, that's Super reassuring! "I don't need souls, or wickedness, or anything along those lines." You wink as she snaps her head from the you standing in front of her to the you that was behind her. "I'm just a passing through little God who heard your prayer--though I can't boast of being a radiant bird or some scary giant man..." You step back, lounging upon an unseen divan. "It's not in my nature to simply let people be hurt unchallenged after all."
"There is but one God and he sits upon the Golden Throne of Terra" She explains, and you tisk, stepping back--a flick of the wrist for her benefit brings a long, delicate pipe to hand--conveniently ignited as you take a puff, blowing out a smoke ring off to the side--it wasn't a real smoke ring but what was your life but a grand game of pretend anyway? Your voice lowers to something just a bit more conspiratorial as you leaned over to meet her at eye level, your pipe held delicately off to the side.
"Dearie, the Realm of Souls is Lousy with little gods and petty tyrants. Your Emperor is the mightiest of them--true--but his attention is and remains on his demesne in the galaxy's heart--even if he heard your prayer and is inclined to respond, there will be nothing left but an enemy to be purged by the time that response arrives. While that is all well and noble, your people will be dead and forgotten about, as he has not sent a suitable vessel for his direct intervention to this place."
The realization hits your High Priestess with a lurch, as you knew it would. You understand her tale as well as she understands it--better even! You don't have the silly mortal baggage and proximity needed to make it really hurt.
"The God-Emperor is on Terra, but I am here. I will not insult you by claiming I have nothing to gain from this--the recognition and adoration of mortals is as food and drink to those like myself, and I am not such trash that I need to continually reinforce that by abusing my people while claiming that I'm enlightening them. I offer my power and my knowledge, in exchange, my requirement is that it be done in my name and that others be led to my side in turn. I demand no sacrifices, no obscene rituals--merely that people live well and know that the Verdant Maiden of Eternal Life stands as their advocate in the realm beyond."
You give her a moment to process this, and smile, patting her on the head.
"Besides, you're just such a good girl! You could have asked for your enemies to be smote down, for some fire from the skies--from even an intervention from the Angels of Death at the darkest time! Instead you were just asking how to make everyone happy! How could I possibly ignore that!"
Initially shocked, then disbelieving, then getting ready to fight back and finally disarmed by your constant pivoting from all business-lady-like into Proud Big Sis--riding the waves of your High Priestess' emotions, slipping from posture to posture as needed--all while being faced with something clearly beyond... Well, it was going to be a hard bit of work breaking through twenty-thousand years of cultural engineering and propaganda work.
But when you saw her steadying herself with a sigh, you step back, looking at your pipe and offering it to her. The fact it went from something sized for a ten foot tall god to something more sized for the six foot woman you were speaking to was just one of those little perspective things that were all too important. She took a deep breath--and let you in.
Well, more in. You were already in but that was more provisional than anything else. You could feel your power swelling up--a single believer was enough to ensure that your nature would endure the shifts and tides of the Realm of Souls.
More importantly it also freed you to be able to act.
"Then... I will accept your bargain. I--Dana Magistrix--will serve as your follower in this realm" She coughs--which is funny because she wasn't actually smoking so much as this was a big grand metaphor that you chose to use here because it felt stylish and you wanted this first one to be Special. "But the problem remains--we cannot pay what the Publicani his dues--not without starving the people and stripping our defenses bare."
"Then, my advice to you is the same as it was at the start of our meeting. Pay him anyway." When you saw her disbelieving stare, you realized at that moment that she lacked some of the context you understood and clarified. "Ultimately, he holds the high ground--he is beyond my power, fixed as it is now to this world. He has no reason to ever enter my power, and he has the strength to ensure your demise if provoked. His dues must be met. However--once it has been done--he will depart, and we will have the freedom to prepare away from prying eyes."
You pretend for a moment to be considering the matter, and a fan enters one of your hands for the sole purpose of being snapped close with a gesture. "The greatest bottleneck at the moment is simply my capacity to project power. I can certainly grant strength enough to repulse the Flayers, and I can certainly assist in preparing for a quick harvest to make up for the famine. What I cannot do is both of these at once, for the simple fact that you yourself can be only in one place at a time, and my power must be exerted through you at present. The most important thing is that paying off the taxman will not happen all at once, and the appearance of compliance will lower his guard and permit some negotiating space to retain the defenses until he has acquired his desired grain. That can buy us time to prepare."
"You can only solve a single problem at once right now, so you advocate arranging matters that only one asserts itself at a time?" Dana asks--you nod and the gears seem to turn in her head. "But in the end, the problem of defeating the Flayers isn't going away, and once the PDF begins to be drawn down, things will deteriorate quickly, isn't that correct?"
You smile, bringing your pipe back up and inhaling, holding it within for a moment before blowing out a diagram of the city. "My power can grow yet, with the support of the people" You explain. "Delivering a miracle harvest in the time of greatest need? That is enough to get people thinking, and a few words here and there can convince them. With more followers, I have more avenues through which I can exert my power--and my strength will steadily increase as well." You smile beatifically and tap your nose.
"So, the question then is 'How assertive should I be with expanding your little cult', right?" Dana asks closing her eyes as she considers the matter.
[ ] We should keep it underground--quiet--pick only the ones who can keep their mouths shut and who we can trust to agree with your ideas Slow Cult Expansion, but infosec is as close to assured as it can ever be. Your Followers will be extremely loyal, and you can be assured will closely obey the spirit and letter of your Commandments, and often solve problems on their own recognizance without needing your direct attention in a matter that you would be proud of.
[ ] We are not going to get anywhere by being too secret, we should bring in anyone who will hear us out Moderate Cult Expansion. Your numbers will grow at a steady rate, but it will be difficult to hide past a certain point, and the authorities are rarely willing to be charitable about anything that isn't a direct derivative of the Imperial Cult. You will also lose some direct control of what your followers do in your name--though they'll never do anything you would find abhorrent
[ ] Go big or go home, right? Let us speak with as many people as we can. Fast Cult Expansion. Your numbers will grow like wildfire as your words and ideals find fertile soil, but the authorities will surely hear about you and your cultists--and you will quickly find yourself in a position where you need to overthrow the local government or die. The aggressive preaching of your cult will also find an uncomfortable number of people who don't actually understand your desires, and may take actions you would find abhorrent.
Heroic Mortal Recruited!
Dana Magistrix
Third Daughter of the Planetary Governor, she was rejected for Holy Orders in the Imperial Cult due to the expense of shipping her to the Sector's Schola Progenium, and has since made her way as a lay sister in service of the local cathedral. An ordained minister hasn't been seen on planet in a generation since the previous one died at the ripe old age of 431. A heartfelt plea to you has seen her turned to your first Cultist--and your High Priestess by default.
Special Effect: Sincerity (A widely beloved woman on her homeworld, Dana holds an honest and pure sort of charisma that ensures she puts her best foot forward at all times. Cannot be dedicated to Infiltration Missions, Special Bonus at Preaching and Charity Missions)
Current Blessings: None
Loyalty Rating: Celebrant
Turn One
Ensure the Publicani leaves satisfied (PRIMARY)
Eradicate the Flayer Menace (PRIMARY)
Establish your Cult (PRIMARY)
Ensure a famine does not break out on Equinox (SECONDARY)
Minimize damage inflicted to the people of Equinox (SECONDARY)
You are a Scope 1 God
You currently have 2 Tokens of Favor
You have 1 Heroic Cultist
Each Turn requires you to determine how the Verdant Maiden splits her attention and that of her cult for the coming period of time--a value kept vague as your own grasp of objective time can be a little... Loose at the best of times. Your only limitation is your capacity to project meaningful amounts of power!
Right now, your Power Projection is not very good, you have a single Cultist who can only be in one place at a time. Fortunately, they are a Heroic Cultist! These are important as they give you more actions and can help wrangle the unnamed masses of your 'Common' Cultists to ensure that your will is done.
They are ranked as Dedicates, Celebrants, and Fanatics--based on how much of their time and energy they are willing to commit to your Cult. Each successive rank permits them to be used an additional time per turn, maxing out at 3 actions per Hero. So long as a Hero is committed to a project, you can be assured that it will be executed according to that Hero's interests--which will usually be in line with your own, otherwise you wouldn't have recruited them!
We'll go over those common masses later, when you have some to throw at your problems.
Actions are divided up into one of four categories
Preaching Actions are attempts to use soft power, words, and soft power to achieve a desired outcome. These are often diplomatic in nature but can also involve suppressing schisms in your Cult, and other forms of internal support. Infiltration Actions are attempts to gather information and discreetly apply your cult's strength. Sometimes even involves discreet propaganda campaigns Charity Actions are attempts to improve the quality of life and assets controlled by your Cult. Sometimes involves major infrastructural projects. Kinetic Actions are attempts to remove aggressive targets and threats to your Cult. Sometimes can include more innocent tests of strength, or preparation for a later campaign
Furthermore, you have a resource called Favor which is used to represent the Verdant Maiden's direct attention and divine power. You will be granted a number of Favor Tokens each turn, which are cashed in to invoke Associated Domains that are attached to the Action, effecting the outcome and adding an additional +10 to the check for every Associated Domain invoked. If this raises the result number over 100, a Miracle occurs, a blatant display of divine prowess that has greater effects and occasionally opens up new opportunities.
All actions are resolved with a 1d100 against a Target Number. A Hero's Bonus adds +10 (Stacking with Associated Domains), to the roll, which cannot take the result over 100 unless Favor Tokens are also used. Failure does not always mean the action outright failed--but can include Complications that make life more interesting instead.
There's a bit more to it but we'll get to those in a later turn.
Preaching Actions: [ ] Aggressive Expansion (DC 10+)
-[ ] (Attached Hero)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) You should make a splash you think, have Dana do some strong preaching, maybe give her a bit of a nudge here and there? Just generally really show the non-existent flag around.
Charity Actions [ ] The Famine Problem (DC 75)
-[ ] (Attached Hero)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Endurance, Weaving) First and foremost, if you're going to pay the taxman, you need to make sure you won't starve doing it. You're pretty sure a few nudges here and there should further things along quite nicely! It won't even be hard as long as you pace yourself and don't try inventing some kind of incredible super crop that would revolutionize agriculture forever. Though you could do that... Should you? Something to think about when you check in on linear time again.
[ ] Good Works (DC 50)
-[ ] (Attached Hero)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) The best way to become popular as a god is to have your followers do nice things in your name. You do nice things for people and people do nice things for you, that's just the basics of how civilization works, is it not? That's the idea anyway
Kinetic Actions [ ] A Panoply for your Hand (DC 50)
-[ ] (Attached Hero)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Weaving, Endurance, Death) The Flayers are coming soon--while you can't really prepare a suitable response yet--not with the bottleneck of 'I have exactly one objectively real person who believes I am a thing', but you can still practice for later. And the best way to practice for later is to figure something out to let Dana fight off a bunch of flayed skin wearing murderous machines if it comes down to that. It'll save you work for later too!
[x] We are not going to get anywhere by being too secret, we should bring in anyone who will hear us out
[X] Plan: Feed the Hungry
-[X] Aggressive Expansion (DC 10+)
--[X] Hero: Dana Magistrix
-[X] The Famine Problem (DC 75)
--[X] Domains: Endurance, Weaving (-2 Tokens of Favor)
There was just no messing with the classics--a mystery cult might have a certain air of dignity while populism was really good at getting something done really fast, but if you want to get things done as a God you need to do it properly, and that means an honest cult with clear scripture and a willingness to induct anyone who's willing to go through the effort to join it.
Of course, a lot of it has to do with how Dana is really good at this whole business. Sure, you weren't the God she was hoping for when she made her plea--but as you watch her stand in the midst of the cornfields, waving her censer over them while speaking of the great spirit that had been moved by their plight, while introducing just enough Imperial 'Emperor Entry Hatches' to it to make it just look like some ghost of a saint or something?
Well, her own faith was a mighty thing--you knew she was a Good Girl all along!
[Traditional Church Doctrine decided upon]
The Cult of Verdance formed in the dawning days of the Fifty-Second Millennium in response to the twinned crises of an impending famine brought on by a series of poor harvests and a festering Xenos incursion. Claiming to be the disciples of a spirit of life sent by the God-Emperor of Man, the Cult's first public figure was Dana Magistrix, a failed supplicant to Ecclesiarchal rank who clearly had hidden taint that festered in the frontier, leaving them prey to the seductive whispers of the Daemon. They are organized in a loose hierarchy, the peak of which are granted foul corruptions of body and soul in a fell shade of the Plaguefather, given a more pleasant face by the cunning witch-queen of the Warp to tempt the weak-willed into eternal bondage.
Your Cult is the mechanism through which you have impact on the Material Realm, those who have come to believe in you as a God and have welcomed you into their soul. To an extent, this means 'Anything your Cult knows, you know', though your interpretation will be colored by your Core Spheres. As such, for each rank of Cult you achieve, you gain an additional Manpower Token, which is used to buy actions in the same fashion that a Hero does, or to enable ones that cannot be achieved by a single Hero alone. They spread your faith, you reward them with blessings and miracles, and this in turn galvanizes them to redouble their efforts on your behalf. As is proper.
However, your Cult are still people, they have their own thoughts and opinions--and this can result in unexpected outcomes. When an action is taken by your Cult fails, a D100 is rolled and compared to a table to determine precisely how it went off the rails and if it succeeded anyway despite the Complication. As you went with a Traditional Church, these Complications will never outright create a problem you would find repugnant as a God, but when you're looking to do a discreet infiltration and one of your cells sprays chrome paint on their faces and scream "WITNESS ME" before charging into an Inquisitorial Cell to create an opening, you often find yourself having to play damage control.
Your greatest work though were with the Corntatoes
"Why are you calling them that..." Dana groans, rubbing her forehead as your image lies across from her, lounging on the couch with your pipe languidly held in in one hand. "It's just so..."
"Simple? Silly?" You chuckle. "The best Names often are, speak of a thing as it is and people will understand what they are meant to be" Your pipe goes to your mouth, and you breathe the smoke in deeply. "Your people are--on the whole--farmers. Who would understand a word like 'Deeproot Starch' or 'Soylens Veridian?' It means nothing, and they call these things by the ancient words instead. Simply splicing together two establishes clearly even to the most distant farmer that it is a crop that has both properties."
You close your eyes, and stretch. "I think it was a rather good play myself, altering the wheat crops to take a greater share of the sunlight and funnel it into the roots you would normally discard as wastage. Your harvest has doubled--which keeps the taxman happy and not looking too closely--while the amount you would actually get to keep is near tripled."
"It's still not enough, not yet..." Dana shakes her head. "This will keep us from starving, but the Publicani has already stripped our walls bare and is burning for the outer system, the Flayers will not leave such a weakness unpunished, and we have but women and children left to take their place--none of which have experience in battle."
"Is experience really that important?" You wonder, idly tracing a circle in the air with your pipe. "Courage and Will are the core of conflict, so long as both of these are held--I do not see why defeat is in the cards."
"We can have all the courage in the world" Dana bitterly laughs at that. "But the flesh is weak, and the enemy is at our gates--we've been lucky in that the PDF was extracted while the Flayers had pulled back, but the moment they realize they can take what they want, we'll be helpless before them."
"And that is my responsibility" You smile, and flow to your feet, passing by her. "So long as you and your new fellows stand with me, I will grant you the tools you need to win."
You have ideas after all. As fine a task as growing the means of survival was--it is your nature to embody all of the aspects of Life.
The stubborn refusal to die, the courage to adapt to changing conditions...
And the will to take it from those who would threaten you.
"My my..." You pause in your stride and turn back. "How do you feel about weeds?"
[The Famine Problem Results: 84 + 10 (Dana) + 20 (Domain Invocations): 114]
[A Miracle! The Corntato is born through the aggressive rearrangement of cereal crops to consume greater degrees of sunlight and catalyze calories into the root systems, expanding them beyond all realistic sanity, as the crop should be catching fire from the added energy. As most of the currently available crops are cereal products of which the roots are traditionally waste products, the Publicani happily accepts the bumper crop--and completely misses the fact that there's more to claim. Your people will not starve--though half rations will be a necessity until the next harvest. +15 to Publicani Success Roll]
[Publicani Tax Collection: 93 + 15: 108!]
[The Publicani's holds are filled, he has made a tidy profit with this expedition and ignores the reports about a rising cult in the world--after all, they'll be dead by the next time he does his rounds anyway. He sends his landers off to press gang the PDF from the walls, and departs the system, pleased with his gains and equally pleased with the likelyhood of a recolonization contract when he returns.]
[Flayer Pressure: 12 + 15 (Empty Walls): 27]
[The Flayers had been withdrawing for some reason when the walls were empty, and did not notice the vulnerability of the Equinox Settlers--this will assuredly change, soon. You must be prepared.]
Ensure the Publicani leaves satisfied (PRIMARY) COMPLETE: +1 Tale
Eradicate the Flayer Menace (PRIMARY)
Establish your Cult (PRIMARY)
Ensure a famine does not break out on Equinox (SECONDARY)
Minimize damage inflicted to the people of Equinox (SECONDARY)
You are a Scope 1 God (1/3 Tales to Scope 2)
You currently have 3 Tokens of Favor
You have 1 Heroic Cultist
You have a Rank 0 Cult, giving you 1 Manpower Token
Preaching Actions: [ ] Aggressive Expansion (DC 10+)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) You should make a splash you think, have Dana do some strong preaching, maybe give her a bit of a nudge here and there? Just generally really show the non-existent flag around.
[ ] Write the Book (DC 50)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) Your Cult is small and nobody really understands what's going on with it, just that the first one speaking it presided over the harvest and a brand new miracle crop was born--just like she said. While you've got a good base of interested parties coming in, your doctrine isn't the most well developed yet--you and Dana should work on that to maybe avoid some problems later.
Infiltration Actions [ ] Ears to the Ground (DC 50)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) You're a proscribed cult to begin with, sort of by definition what with the whole 'You're not actually a spirit of life sent by the God-Emperor". It's also flagrantly easy to prove bullshit by any agent of his with Power. More importantly, you're going to be taking some pretty obvious actions going forward, and making sure there's nobody around who'll backstab your people for recognizing you is just... It's just good sense, you know?
Charity Actions [ ] The Famine Problem Part 2 (DC 50)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Endurance, Weaving) The Corntato is an excellent start, but it's honestly a bit harsh on the soil, so it needs to be grown on a pretty long rotation, maybe introduce a few more modified crops here and there to ease things along and make sure that the famine recovery goes as smoothly as it can.
[ ] Good Works (DC 50)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) The best way to become popular as a god is to have your followers do nice things in your name. You do nice things for people and people do nice things for you, that's just the basics of how civilization works, is it not? That's the idea anyway
Kinetic Actions [ ] A Panoply for your Hands (DC 80) (1 Manpower Token Required to open up)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Weaving, Endurance, Death) The Flayers are coming soon--and you will see your people well prepared. Aggressive modification of your cultists might be your initial first reaction--but ultimately you can do little to enhance their strength, which will be key in holding position. Instead, you should see to it that your Cult is granted a suitable form of external strength. You've got all those legends about giant Angels of Death after all and a nigh infinite amount of weed-based biomass. You know what needs to happen.
[X] Plan Survive the Existential Threat
-[X] The Famine Problem Part 2 (DC 50)
--[X] Hero: Dana Magistrix
-[X] A Panoply for your Hands (DC 80)
--[X] Manpower Token/Dana
--[X] Domains: Weaving, Endurance, Death
Everything seemed to be going better than expected!
Oh sure, there were the odd periods of readjustment, the occasional person balking at some trivial little detail that leaves them walking away--but all in all, the people were receptive to your message--and admittedly, the first whispers of being a thing coming in the form of a miracle crop that could pay off the taxman and still keep people from starving were a better introduction than a lot of sham cult wannabes could muster.
Of course there's a lot of people wondering just where the other shoe is and when it will 'Drop'--but the answer's pretty obvious, it's on their opposite foot to the one they're thinking about!
Mortals are silly with their strange idioms that don't make any real sense, you tried to get Dana to explain them to you once and it led to a big discussion on how communication works and how it relates to you.
"That doesn't make any sense" She said, rubbing her forehead with both hands as though it hurt. "You know everything your followers do, but you still ask questions about little details like that?"
"It's not like I get any special understanding" You wave the question off. "It's like..." Your image makes a show of hard thinking. "I know the words, but I don't think about them any more than other people do. So someone just spits out some nonsense and I just get really confused, and since you're the only one I can question about it..." You wiggle a hand noncommittaly.
"On that note, why is that the case?" Dana asked after a moment. You clapped your hands together and smiled. "Oh! I could, but it'd be risky for them--normal people talking to gods doesn't usually go over well--you're pretty safe--you've got a good chunk of..."
You pause for a moment and dig deep for a word that would make sense in context.
"Space? I guess? Most people I'd say only have a 'Little' space in their soul, whatever their other abilities. It's enough that I can put a finger in" You lift your pinky and wiggle it around for emphasis as your Priestess stares at your explanation. "But if I were to start wiggling that finger around inside them--or goodness, actually try to put my whole hand in, the bits about their spirit that keep them together would rip, and then who knows what'd happen--probably nothing good."
"Do you refer to Psyker ability?" She asks, looking perturbed at the thought, and you take a moment to think on what that means.
"That's... People who walk around and do magic, right?" You ask, and Dana nods. You cross your arms. "No, I don't think so, that'd be more like someone from your side reaching in and stirring things up. I wish I could tell you more but so far, you're the only one I've seen on this planet who has enough 'Capacity' that I can speak with directly like we're doing now. Not without running into that whole 'Stick my hand inside problem', and I'm... Not inclined to try it and see what happens."
"I do appreciate that" Dana nods, relieved at your tale. "I've already been taking a great chance cooperating with you--my family has already evicted me from the estate for my apostasy--if those who we were bringing in were suddenly suffering from terrible fates as well..."
You lie back, resting your head on your hands. "Mmm, speaking of terrible fates..."
"Yes, terrible fates" Dana's nose wrinkled as she retrieved a notebook from the bundle that was strapped to her side. "Ten thousand tons of weeds, once slated for incineration." She looks up at you, dumbfounded. "I've expended half of my inheritance already on this, and you've just been getting coy about the matter. Are we not far enough along that you can explain yet?"
[Cult Expansion: 2d12 (1d12 + 1d12 Post Miracle High): 8! Current Progress: 42/100]
"Well, I'm looking at all your legends and propaganda" You explain, flicking your wrist and displaying an image of…
"A Space Marine?" Dana says. "An Angel of Death? Surely you don't believe you can replicate one of the Champions of the Emperor with a pile of weeds?"
"I wouldn't know until I tried!" You chirp, optimistic as ever. "But to be perfectly honest, I'd need to be in top form to even attempt this--it'll be a complex creation involving my entire divine portfolio, and I will have little time and attention to spare on anything else for some time." You snap your hand closed and the image fades. "If I were mightier, I could simply extrude suitable material from the Immaterium into the objective universe as a foundation, but lacking that, I can use properly treated flora as a 'Medium' and reshape it into somethingthat can fight--with a little bit of help of course."
"Define help because this already seems to be skirting the edge from being merely heterodox to hertical" Dana asks, nonplussed at your descriptions.
"Well I can hardly make complex minds from a baseline of weeds that would have been slated for destruction prior. The workings of a mind are most assuredly not in my portfolio." You elaborate. "We'll need to borrow those from the Cult."
"You're going to put them back when you're done, right?" Dana realize what you were getting at. "I think people wouldn't appreciate permanently occupying a weaponized weed."
"Of course! I think you'll all find it lovely when I'm done" You smile beatifically. "I'll be relying on you to deal with the food distribution in the meantime once I can get the primers in and start focusing in earnest with this." You rub your hands together with glee. "Oh this shall be such fun!"
Dana was doing her best--as was right and proper, but there were certain problems that continued to… Heh… 'Crop' up in the distribution of the Corntatoes. For one thing it wasn't a sanctioned foodstuff even if any individual piece was on the list of approved cereal products. So once you expanded beyond a handful of test farms that grew the new strain intentionally as opposed to a fortuitous 'Accident', Dana began running into some pushback from the entrenched farming unions--which seemed to be backed in turn by the planetary government. Apparently even when it might avert food riots, bureaucracy refuses to take a leap of faith. Bah! Ruining your fun.
Still, even if the prime planting areas were either being bought out by the unions or otherwise denied--Dana managed to make connections among the less successful planters--the ones who had to expend most of their seed to stay afloat from the Publicani's ravaging. While you wouldn't say that production was great enough to make a significant difference in the current rationing--it would at least give some extra redundancy in the face of an unforseen disaster, which was nice.
[Results: Overall food supply situation remains unchanged, but greater distribution of farmsteads growing the corntato has granted a point of Resilience, which will be expended instead of a piece of infrastructure should an event or enemy action impact it.
------------------------------------
In the deep groves of central Equinox's forest, a grand ritual was coming to its ultimate conclusion. The Chosen of Verdance had planted the seed here many months ago, which had bloomed into the great bulb of a colossal flower. Not yet bloomed, but the pulsing and shifting suggested this would be changing soon.
"And thus, the Maiden spoke to me!" Dana called out from her pulpit before the bulb. "I see the threat to your hearth and home! Though it pains me to turn my strength to war, the loss of the innocent by my inaction is repugnant. Bring to me a great supply of mulch, and plant this seed where the forest is at its strongest--and I will send to you what is mount and blade in one, a hollow shell which carries salvation within its heart!"
You understand by now the value of presentation, and also Dana had rehearsed this a great deal in days past. As she turned and raised her arms high, chanting the words you had given her.
Unseen to the lay followers who watched this in awe, you snap your fingers--as the bulb pulses once more, and splits open at the top--amniotic fluid spills from the breach as the petals of your construct fold open, blossoming into a titanic lilac.
In the heart of it, where the pollen would be kept--instead kneeled a serene knight errant--a hulking figure formed of many-times-braided plant fiber muscle, armored in ironbark and chitin compounded from the pests that the gestation pod had consumed over the months. Ten feet tall, it towered over the mortals who looked upon it in awe.
But it did not move.
It could not, after all--it required a mind, and despite your best efforts otherwise, you couldn't provide it with anything more than rudimentary instincts--no drive, no will of its own. It needed to be directed.
The chest cavity shook, splitting open--fluid spilling from within as the inner chamber was revealed. Perhaps a cramped space for an adult, but room enough to fit if you weren't picky--especially with the regenerative serum that flowed within! Forming an empathetic link with the construct's rudimentary intellect, a mortal could ride within and gain the power of one of the greats!
So why did people seem to be getting skeptical all of a sudden?
"That doesn't seem… Safe, does it?"
"By the Emperor, look at those things! Sharp too, are those supposed to go inside someone?"
You cotton onto the nature of the whispers quickly, and can't help but shrink back as they look inside the cavity… Okay, yes, the regenerative serum may fill it when in motion, providing a combination of shock-absorption for the rider and soothing any injuries acquired in action--and true, the neural linkage may have involved seven roots piercing the rider through their chakra points in order to provide seamless control and sensory sharing.
But that wasn't a deal breaker, was it? It gave the strength that was needed to survive against threats beyond mortal strength! This would all be fine…
When you feel your connection from some of the cultists wink out, you realize that this is not fine after all.
[Cult Size redu---]
[Dana Interrupt!]
"I see that you have doubts!" Dana's voice rang out, punctuated by a ring of the great chime she held in hand, arresting the retreat that seemed to be congealing. "It is normal, these are dark times, where the Emperor's light is weak and we are left abandoned for the alien to devour us!" She buried the chime in the good loam of the sanctum, leaving them standing before her as she reached to the collar of her robe, a click echoing through the clearing--having gone quiet as the grave as your Chosen casts off her outer garments, leaving her in a light shift as she steps up to your construct.
"Let it not be said the Maiden does not understand your feelings!" Her voice echoes as she steps up to the outstretched hand, spins on her heel, and leans back into the chest cavity. You feel the shock as the shell closes around her, the roots jabbing into her back one by one--forging the connection.
The construct moves, fluid filling the rider's cavity, filling Dana's lungs.
And as expected, she was just fine--that's why you built it that way! Someone can't pass out from overexertion if the breathing is done automatically for them after all! Just why was everyone else being so sketchy about it?
It rises to its feet.
"Behold!" Dana's voice echoes across the empathetic connection--always existing, amplified to a point where even an ordinary person can employ it. "These 'Flower Knights' will be our salvation against the terror of the Flayers! Strength comparable to the Angels of Death--what have we to lose from this!
You feel the panic fade, replaced quickly with awe--and in a few cases, even eager anticipation.
You Knew Dana was a Good Girl!
[1 Maniple of 'Flower Knights' formed over the course of the season, these dozen unmarried women serve as the pilots of the constructs you've formed. Leaning into the themes that seem to have formed, you've decided to modify the design a little bit to appear a bit more feminine as a token of your appreciation for the support!]
-------------------------------------------
The first signs that the Flayers had begun their assault came during training exercises.
Your Flower Knights were all--universally--untrained in the arts of battle--most of them were just the spare girls who couldn't be married off to a good family after all--not the sorts who get militia training that you'd expect. Of course, Dana--sort of getting the position of Preceptor of their order by default wasn't much better--but she had at least been trained in self defense techniques due to her noble upbringing.
That, and she had you floating just off to the side to answer questions when needed, and since you were the only one who knew how these things worked--that gave her a good leg up in figuring out how to use these!
It was, in fact, this detail that let you pass the warning along.
"Flayers attacking, just a little ways…" You take a moment to determine the direction in realspace that the call from one of your lesser cultists had come from. "South, I'm positive that it's south"
~Got it~ Dana's body nodded absently as her mind linked to the other Flower Knights. ~Listen up! The Flayers have shown themselves! In the name of the Maiden, we will show them that our people are no easy prey!~
A susurrus of acknowledgements echoed across the heart-link, as the Flower Knights gathered up and began to accelerate. Tireless creatures, their muscles gave them great power, which translated to great speed, which could be maintained indefinitely due to the regenerative 'Sap' that suffused them repaired any micro-tears and fractures formed in its structure over the course of a sprint.
Some would say that man was an endurance predator--they weren't wrong, but if that was the case, a Flower Knight was supreme among them--they could run forever if need be.
But they didn't need to run long in this case.
The settlement under attack was only ten kilometers from where the Flower Knights were training, and the Flayers were not known to be especially swift. They loped to battle, mechanical voices screeching as they shrugged off the poorly aimed shots of the new militia. The walls of the settlement were well built--but without the discipline of the old PDF and the occasional heavy weapons that were stripped, it would not hold for long.
But they didn't need to.
The Flower Knights burst from the treeline--graceful forms moving with colossal power. Many pointed a set of lances forward--forged from the same material that their armor was derived from, they were superb weapons when enough force had been built up.
And the Flayers--confused at the new threat, and wondering how they had missed it, barely even began to react before the lances struck home.
Many were blown to pieces, struck by a multi ton giant at a dead sprint with a lance. Many others simply shuddered as they were picked up, grasping and clawing up the lance until they were joined by more of their kin until the weapon was discarded.
Then the Reapers were deployed.
You weren't completely dumb, your forces were mostly drawn from farmers--a lance was simple enough that anyone could use on a charge, but for close in work? It was always best to go with something people understood.
Thus, the Reapers.
Curved sickles deployed from the forearms of the Flower Knights, the handles caught as the constructs began to harvest the broken machines. Viridian energy crackled off of them, and when the first Reaper struck home.
You
Followed
It
In
Huh, 'Flayer Virus' apparently?
They wanted to take you on with a Virus
You laughed uproariously at the arrogance! How Cute! They wanted to take you--master of Life and Death on, with a virus?
Your will reaches out, grasps a dozen threads in a dozen blades.
And
You
Snuff
It
Out
Those Flayers struck by the Reapers seized up, the animating will that had shucked out what little mind they had left burning out with each blow, not even phasing out to be restored like ordinary weapons would reveal.
These Flayers would not soon be returning to their master.
The battle was not entirely one sided--for all that they were caught with total surprise and assault by a weapon they had no defense against, these were still ancient alien machines of great power and cunning. They struck back and sap spilled out.
But of those riding your Knights? Not a single one had been injured--and the damage afflicted to their mounts would heal after a little time taking root.
Yes, you do believe this was a very strong show of force your followers made on your behalf.
But the problem was not yet solved, you would need to ponder your next moves carefully…
[Flayer Incursion: 1 + 20 (Vulnerable Defenses)]
[Flower Knights are within sprinting distance of the first incursion, achieve total surprise and wipe out a single wave, many of which are rendered permanently inert in the exchange with the deployment of integrated Force Blades. The subsequent general assault was rapidly called off, and your Knights are hailed as heroes of the frontier, this will increase cult recruitment in the coming turn.]
The Belladonna is a twisted parasite, helpless and inert until one of the Harlot's slaves offers upon it a virgin sacrifice. It consumes the victim and casts their soul beyond the Emperor's Judgment, repurposing their body as an avatar and thinking engine. Eeriely coordinated in battle, they are utterly silent, seeking to enter close quarters battle where their sickles can reap the lives of the loyal and offer their spirits to their dark mother. Possessing of monstrous regenerative powers, the most effective tactic to neutralize these are the employment of heavy weapons to the lower body, burniing through the 'Skirt' and destroying one of the legs. Once immobilized, flamer teams should be deployed to ignite it. Once the repurposed brain boils, it cannot sustain combat operations any further. Psyk-Out Grenades and Null Engines are also effective at immobilizing these creatures.
--Ordo Malleus Report
Eradicate the Flayer Menace (PRIMARY)
Establish your Cult (PRIMARY)
Ensure a famine does not break out on Equinox (SECONDARY)
Minimize damage inflicted to the people of Equinox (SECONDARY)
You are a Scope 1 God (1/3 Tales to Scope 2)
You currently have 3 Tokens of Favor
You have 1 Heroic Cultist
You have a Rank 0 Cult, giving you 1 Manpower Token
You have One Point of Resilience protecting food supplies
Preaching Actions: [ ] Aggressive Expansion (DC 10+)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) You should make a splash you think, have Dana do some strong preaching, maybe give her a bit of a nudge here and there? Just generally really show the non-existent flag around.
[ ] Write the Book (DC 50)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) Your Cult is small and nobody really understands what's going on with it, just that the first one speaking it presided over the harvest and a brand new miracle crop was born--just like she said. While you've got a good base of interested parties coming in, your doctrine isn't the most well developed yet--you and Dana should work on that to maybe avoid some problems later.
Infiltration Actions [ ] Ears to the Ground (DC 50)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) You're a proscribed cult to begin with, sort of by definition what with the whole 'You're not actually a spirit of life sent by the God-Emperor". It's also flagrantly easy to prove bullshit by any agent of his with Power. More importantly, you're going to be taking some pretty obvious actions going forward, and making sure there's nobody around who'll backstab your people for recognizing you is just... It's just good sense, you know?
[ ] Ears on the Spire (DC 75)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) Dana's family seems to be making troubling noises, and that's... Not such a good thing considering that they're the ones who can declare the populace in rebellion and get everyone killed when the Assassins are dispatched, you should try to see if you can find some brave folk to slip up there and just... Keep tabs on things, you know?
Charity Actions [ ] The Famine Problem Part 3 (DC 50)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Endurance, Weaving) Your people are starting to find themselves blocked out by the farmer's unions, potentially backed from the top. There should be some ways to subvert them, given you cult's proven strength...
[ ] Good Works (DC 50)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) The best way to become popular as a god is to have your followers do nice things in your name. You do nice things for people and people do nice things for you, that's just the basics of how civilization works, is it not? That's the idea anyway
Kinetic Actions [ ] Reconnaissance in extreme force (DC 75) (1 Manpower Token Required to open up)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Weaving, Endurance, Death)
The first deployment of the Flower Knights was a success story--and it seems to have the enemy spooked. Maybe you should send them in again to see if you can spook them even more? Decisions decisions...
[X] Plan The Good Book For Good Girls Doing Good Deeds
-[X] Write the Book (DC 50)
--[X] Hero Unit Dana (1 Use Left)
--[X] Domains: Connection (2 Uses Left)
-[X] Ears to the Ground (DC 50)
--[X] Manpower Token (0 Uses Left)
--[X] Domains: Connection (1 Use Left)
-[X] The Famine Problem Part 3 (DC 50)
--[X] Hero Unit Dana (0 Uses Left)
--[X] Domains: Weaving (0 Uses Left)
Business was positively booming! And your business is faith--the nectar of recognition by that which is to that which kinda sorta is only a thing in pretend until it pretends hard enough to become a real thing like all of the other important lies.
In this case though, having a bunch of pretty girls in cute outfits as the champions of the day helps a lot though. Poor Dana seems to be in despair at the whole thing, but you've had good luck reasoning with her! After all, she too is one of those idols that people aspire to be! Martial Glory, a kind heart! The ability to juggle a burgeoning religion between all of the other hats she was wearing!
But seriously, it was honestly just having the pretty girls that seems to have opened the floodgates. Boys desire to be with them! Girls aspire to be like them! Adults grumble about the weather or what's for dinner tonight and grudgingly admit that having food on the table was worth the occasional hassle of dealing with some occasionally odd preaching here and there! That there's no real competition going on and that your first adherents weren't struck down by golden fire may be contributing to your newfound level of success though.
It still stung a bit that you still had to play this silly game of equivocation with a guy who won't even push back. It must be nice to be so huge and successful that you can just ignore the loss of an entire world--even if it's a small frontier, mostly rural world way in the boonies.
For now though, you're still building things up, the more people you have and the more successful you are--the more influence you'll have over events, and that was always the most important thing, right?
[Cult Expansion: 5d12 rolls out to 37. Current progress is 79/100]
More importantly, Dana is making that face she makes again when everything's getting out of hand!
A hop and a skip over a few hours, and…
"You seem stressed" Your image chimes in, splayed out on your Priestess' couch. To her credit, she's finally stopped screaming when you make your appearance--she just sighs and looks up.
"The stupidity of people never ceases to amaze me" She complains, waving some meaningless scraps of paper at you. "Would you believe some of the questions I get--no, of course you would, you hear them just as much as I do." She groans and clasps her hands to her face. "It just never, ever ends."
"I'm pretty fond of the ones who are asking when we're going to burst out in an endless tide of green myself!" You supply helpfully. "It's not true but it's a wonderful show of faith!"
"We are not taking over the planet in an endless tide of green" Dana talks you down. "Even if it would solve our problems it would create all kinds of new and interesting ones that are liable to leave us all on fire in the end."
"Don't we want interesting though? Your head tilts at the question. "The status quo does tend to favor our rivals."
"Not when I have to talk people down from doing something stupid in your name." Your image perks up as she continues--raising her voice to counter your kneejerk praise. "We are not a neofeminist revolutionary cell aimed to exterminate the male sex and reign supreme in the cosmos."
"Your point is well taken" You admit after chewing those words over a bit. "That's not one of mine, is it? That's just silly"
"Not anymore, I think he just liked the idea of getting stepped on." Dana sets her papers down. "Despite everything going wrong, I've gotten everything boiled down to three options. Which do you think is the best choice?"
Well, since she's asking...
[Writing the Book: 14 + 10 (Dana) + 10 (Domains: 34/50.]
[Partial Success: One of your two remaining Doctrine Slots may be selected, this action may be retaken at a lower DC anytime before acquiring Cult 1 to attempt to gain the third Doctrine]
Select One Doctrine
[ ] Harvest Witchery:Cultists of Verdance are gifted in many great secrets of field and seed, capable of feeding the masses even during times of peril and scarcity
[ ] Healers without Borders: The Cult of Verdance expects all initiates to be capable of at least rudimentary first aid, many have also mastered the deeper arts of surgery and pharmaceuticals to provide medical care to anyone and anything that comes to their door.
[ ] Weavers of Life:The Arts of the Biologis have always been the largely forgotten branch of man's sciences, but the Cult of Verdance has embraced this technique, and create wonders and terrors alike with organic materials given time and a need to work.
---------------------------------
While Dana did her heroic work hashing together some kind of coherent holy book for the Cult, you found yourself flitting between the lay acolytes who have openly entered the community, seeking to do goodly deeds in your name--as is proper.
Of course, they're a little bit enthusiastic about it, and speak more than is really comfortable--especially since most people aren't actually comfortable about the idea of a lady spirit who helps with harvest and defense of that harvest alike.
Still, your disciples are earnest and helpful enough that it never turns into any distrust or hate. They're just… Endearingly weird and kind of spooking some people off from giving a closer look to your weird fey ways.
You thought you were doing a pretty good job playing along, why are they calling you Fey anyway?
[Ear to the Ground: 36 + 10 (Domain): 46/50]
[Partial Success: Your cultists are considered part of the community--if maybe a bit weird and fey for complete comfort. You will now be able to notice actions being taken by the government as they move--though you lack penetration into anything hooked in enough to give you much advanced intel]
Most importantly of all?
The famine is Finally under control.
The next harvest had just enough people coming around between Dana's impassioned plea, the prior successes, and your allies applying pressure on the neutrals who applied pressure on the conservatives who realized that nobody actually wanted to end up i na position where they are the best source of protein and nourishment in the room of a bunch of hungry people.
Several wide crop rotations are negotiated, and if it's perhaps a little closer than you're comfortable with in a few glitches covered by your supplemental farms? It still works in the end.
People aren't going to starve anymore!
Well, unless something blows up or burns the fields… Flayers don't do that though, do they?
[The Famine Problem Part Three: 29 + 20 (Dana +10, Domain +10: 49/50
['Good Enough' Success: Your Resilience point is traded in to bring overall food supply into the black. The system is still tender and ripe for collapse if the wrong shock is delivered, but people probably won't starve now--yay!]
The governor still seems to be antsy about you and yours, the Flayers are continuing to keep their heads down--and nothing else flew in from out of the darkness to assert dominance.
You think things are going just fine! May they all go this way in the future!
[Governor Hostility Roll: 57: Governor Magistrix is leery at your Cult's growing influence, and has made some noises about bringing it to heel in the future--but no concrete action has bee ntaken yet--even if he retained his house guards, he'd struggle to beat your own forces with the addition of the Flower Knights.]
[Flayers: 25 - 10: 15: The Flayers keep their heads down, the few exceptions getting their heads cut off by the Knights before they can do any real damage.]
[Anything?: 65--Nope]
Eradicate the Flayer Menace (PRIMARY)
Establish your Cult (PRIMARY)
Ensure a famine does not break out on Equinox (SECONDARY)
Minimize damage inflicted to the people of Equinox (SECONDARY)
You are a Scope 1 God (1/3 Tales to Scope 2)
You currently have 3 Tokens of Favor
You have 1 Heroic Cultist
You have a Rank 0 Cult, giving you 1 Manpower Token
Preaching Actions: [ ] Aggressive Expansion (DC 10+)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) You should make a splash you think, have Dana do some strong preaching, maybe give her a bit of a nudge here and there? Just generally really show the non-existent flag around.
[ ] Write the Book Part 2. (DC 30)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) Confusion and odd statements from your lay followers notwithstanding, you should push Dana to finish her work with this, having a little control over how people think of you is better than just assuming it won't turn out to be something silly and embarrassing.
Infiltration Actions
[ ] Ears on the Spire (DC 75)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) Dana's family seems to be making troubling noises, and that's... Not such a good thing considering that they're the ones who can declare the populace in rebellion and get everyone killed when the Assassins are dispatched, you should try to see if you can find some brave folk to slip up there and just... Keep tabs on things, you know?
Charity Actions
[ ] Good Works (DC 50)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) The best way to become popular as a god is to have your followers do nice things in your name. You do nice things for people and people do nice things for you, that's just the basics of how civilization works, is it not? That's the idea anyway
Kinetic Actions
[ ] Reconnaissance in extreme force (DC 75) (1 Manpower Token Required to open up)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Weaving, Endurance, Death) The first deployment of the Flower Knights was a success story--and it seems to have the enemy spooked. Maybe you should send them in again to see if you can spook them even more? Decisions decisions...
You sense that you're reaching a turning point… While the amount of people willing to hear your preachers out seemed to be falling--the fact is and remains that success forgives a lot of oddities and irregularities in life. Many hear your message and take up a life in your name--admittedly, a lot of it probably boils down to your requirements being pretty generous compared to "Obey your betters unquestioningly, and be prepared to cast aside your lives in the Emperor's name should His servants demand it".
That, and you insist your recent successes boil down to the 'Pretty Girl' value--after all, did your recruitment rate not skyrocket after this implementation? The fact Dana can't seem to dismiss your opinion is just proof that you are absolutely correct in every fashion imaginable.
The crossing of the threshold from having merely 'Hundreds' of adherents into being described as 'Thousands' was pure ambrosia--the point where a God stops being just some local idea and turns into something that might stick around! Even if only as a memory if things then turn around but hey, even a memory is something that exists for a long time, right?
[Cult Recruitment Dice: 3d12: Rolled 22]
[Cult Progress: 101/100. Complete! Cult rank rises to 1! Manpower increases by 1, Favor increases by 1! New options available!][/b]
The completion of your holy book--the 'Dialogues of the Verdant Truth' is a nice feather in the cap too--even if Dana seemed incredibly frazzled and maybe having a bit too much of that recaf stuff that seems to be so popular to put the finishing touches in before the big commemoration of your first proper church.
Really it's just a fancified and glorified transcript of some of your discussions, just given a bit of extra gravitas to make you sound more impressive. Which was fair, you guess.
[Writing the Book: 21 + 10 (Dana): 31]
[With a heroic last minute effort, the first illuminated copy of your Holy Word is finished and ready to go with the commemoration of your first proper church! Now everyone can read and understand what you actually want from them! Probably! Until the next time someone makes a decision nobody thought of!]
Choose a new Doctrine
[ ] Weavers of Life:The Arts of the Biologis have always been the largely forgotten branch of man's sciences, but the Cult of Verdance has embraced this technique, and create wonders and terrors alike with organic materials given time and a need to work.
[ ] Enlightenment of the Mind:The world is a dark and dreary place, but that doesn't mean you have to be--the Cult of Verdance believes in this thought, and take steps to brighten things up even when things are getting a bit shady--it's a bit infectious really.
[ ] Neighbors Most Kind:Look, people are like plants, they get all over the place and then don't want to go away. There's no reason you need to be a jerk about it--and hey, people are more likely to talk when they're just gossiping with their peers anyway
-------------------------------------
The Flayers had been knocked on their heels--but nobody thought they had been beaten. Limited probes were regularly sent out, growing more aggressive as the alien machines seemed to realize that the fearsome Flower Knights weren't going to emerge every time to harvest them in your name.
Something needed to be done, and you didn't need to be a veteran of thirty campaigns to understand that spreading out and chasing these things just invited getting your girls isolated and torn apart--with your direct oversight, the Belladonnas could endure enormous amounts of cutting, but any finite number can be reduced to zero, and you're not so strong that you can change that finite number into that little squiggly sideways eight.
So, you needed to give them a good drubbing once in a while to keep them honest!
Which is why this probe had you trying something just a little bit different. You could just snuff out the virus like you did most of them. It was the safe and proper choice.
But in this case, you just sort of got your fingers on it and just… Sorta held on. Maybe whatever mind was behind the assault interpreted the failure of the Reapers as a newly discovered weakness, because it was called back.
Isolated way in the frontier, some kinda cavern in a crater. While judging realspace distance was always something of a crapshoot--you did have Dana riding at the head of the Knights, which meant that you could roughly compare where she and the thingie you put a finger on were in relation to each other, and just delegate the rest to the people who could actually see linear distance as a thing.
+Our purpose is clear+ you feel Dana's intent rippling through the Heart-link with the other Knights. +The base is not far from here, we will strike into it and withdraw if we must. If you're immobilized, sit tight and take root, we'll come and get you--whatever you do though you stay in your Belladonna, the Maiden is watching us and providing what help she can, but that gets a lot harder for her if you're disconnected from something wrought of her power.+ Technically true but it's always weird for you to observe when people just kind of pulse these little intent and their human brains translate those pulses into words that they'd understand.
Mortals are funny that way.
You feel their anticipation, their eagerness to strike a blow against the enemy building up. You also sense Dana's worry--she wasn't a warrior by trade or training yet she was still the best of them all. If only because knowing how to use a knife and how to throw something is better than a bunch of rural farmer girls.
Still, can't blame them for eagerness!
With the Knights in place and your final check confirming they had all gotten to within a kilometer of the marked Flayer, Dana leads them on a short prayer through the Heart-link for good luck, and her lance points towards the cave.
They charge--that all powerful assault that had proven itself to be such an effective weapon against the machine menace. The treeline gives way to reveal the region with the yawning--clearly widened cave entrance and oh my that's a lot of them
The place is crawling with Flayers--many of which snap to attention as the Flower Knights break through the treeline. Their blades draw forth and an eerie wail erupts as they turn to meet the charge.
The two hosts collide with a thunderous sound, lances pierce Flayers and transmit your Will to terminate their animating viruses, Flayers lash out and tear deep gouges and divots in the Belladonnas only for verdant sap to pour from the wounds and mend the damage as though it had never occured. Skill had never been something your Knights held in great quantities, but they had your full attention and support--while the Flayers simply lacked any adequate response. Pushed to their limits, their lines buckling--you feel Dana's intent to charge directly into the cave, and your Knights begin to chop through the horde.
Seemed like everything was all under control!
Then two of the Knights were struck in the heads in a burst of sickly green lightning. The sensory surfaces scraped away as subsequent strikes lash at the advancing Flower Knights. Cries of surprise immediately counterpoitned by their comrades offering their own senses to those damaged--and the charge fought their way into the cavern.
That was a surprise, you didn't even see the lightning guns in the side of the wall!
Once inside, the status quo seemed to reassert yourself. The damage sustained in the 'Surprise Lightning Gun' ambush steadily healed as your divine presence supplemented the regeneration of the Belladonnas. The Flayers surged like an unending tide--but here in the cramped blackstone quarters of the enemy base, what little advantage they once had bled away.
The speartip of the Flower Knights drove deep, the Flayers no match for their untiring blades and sturdy will. It dug into the heart of the menace, even as maddened skin-wearing machines slowly started giving way to cleaner entities, initially sporting similiar blades--but when a corner is turned and multiple pulses of energy slam into the leading edge of your Knights.
These ones left a more serious dent--center of mass and high penetration led to the two Knights going down in screams of surprise and some pain, leaking sap and fluid from the points of entry. The second wave shriek back across the Heart-link as they leap over the injured and dive into the center of the room. A group of machines, cleaner and heavier than the others, bearing weapons of power. Strikes with lance and Reapers collide, sending up sparks--but to your surprise as you reach your power inside, you find no spark of life to extinguish.
But they were still made of matter, they were still outnumbered, and once the Knights had closed in, they found themselves unable to employ their heavy guns. The two injured Knights recover as the fight goes on, playing dead briefly until the machines had turned their backs, and launching a sneak attack in an already complicated position.
In the end, it's no glorious resolution--more like your Knights just tackling them and hitting them with stuff lying around until they stopped moving and disappeared in puffs of energy, but it was done--and you could feel a presence descending on this place.
The cave shook, energy filling it as a dark shadow raised its scythe in preparation. You sense a certain… Kinship in this thing.
Which is why you understand the echo that drifted across the shadow into a form you could understand.
+Harvest of Imperial Colony World Interrupted, commence self destruct of transport to eliminate aberrant factors pending re-initialization of project+
Well, you couldn't have that now, could you?
Your Will dives before the shadow--it can't see you, not truly--it is bound to a thing that cannot see or interact with it in any fashion, but has gained such experience that it reflects in the Realm of Souls.
You picked up a fan at some point, your self-image smiling as you stood before it. The scythe stops, the cold intellect bound to it noticing interference.
"Naughty Naughty" You chide, driving your will into the virus-infested structure that was seeking to do something ill-advised. "Trying to take the prize from those who bested you?"
The fan snaps shut, extends into a shaft, and you twist your self-image into a swing--a blade crackling with verdant light erupts, gently curving downward.
The Scythe of the Maiden meets the Shadow of the Nightbringer--and carves it in twain
A howl of dying stars buffets you, but you are beyond the pretender god's power. You simply lean your scythe against you and smile.
The structure's lights flicker--the virus within submitting to your authority--and begin glowing a far brighter and healthier shade.
"Mine now" You smile as the echo flees screaming. "So don't come back if you know what's good for you."
Now you had a boat, Ho Ho Ho.
[Reconissance in Extreme Force: 93 + 5 (Omake) + 10 (Warrmaidens): 108 reduced to 100. + 30 Domains: Final Result: 130
[A Miracle! What was once thought a punitive strike to remove a base of the aliens turned out to actually be the ship they used to arrive here in the first place! The Flower Knights break through the external defenses, fight their way to the core, and overcome the defenders in a great battle. When the master of these creatures sought to self-destruct the vessel, you invoked your own power to deny its authority, and dominated the Flayer Virus infected craft with your power, forcing it to submit!]
[Flayer Threat eradicated from Equinox!]
[Captured 1x Dirge class Raider (Flayer Virus Infected) (Now owned by the Maiden)]
[Aza'gorod Wants To Know Your Location!]
"I can't believe that worked…" Dana would speak to you after the last of the Flayers either poofed out or were cut down, still soaking wet as she sat on the hand of her Belladonna, the seven roots still attached and ready to pull her back within if trouble arrived. "But it's just… We just rolled in, and we just kept going, and… She wiggles her hand in some funny gesture. "That's really all it took?"
"You did great!" You cheer her on. "Just like that, poof! I told you all you needed to do was trust me and everything would all work out!" You lean forward with a grin. "We've even got a new base here! And once I can figure out how to control it, the stars are the limit!"
"How does that even work anyway? She asks, and you shrug. "That virus is… Hmm… It's a funny thing?" You struggle to look through the words she would understand that would explain it.
"It's… Hmm… Okay, the best way to describe it is that it's a virus that's made to make the machine think it's alive." You see Dana paying attention as you twirl your finger, a cartoony version of a necron appearing. "It's long dead of course, what little scraps of being that was left having faded over time, but the husk convinces itself that it's alive… And then reacts in horror at the fact that it's made of metal. It goes mad, and seeks to cover itself in flesh in hopes that it'll make things right."
"As nightmarishly informative as that is, I notice you haven't explained why that makes you capable of affecting them?" Dana asks, and you're more than happy to oblige.
"Thoughts have power, even the thoughts of a machine" You add. "If a machine thinks that hard that it's alive, goes through all of the gestures to be alive, and even conducts sacrifice to convince itself even more that it's alive…"
"Then it counts as being alive, which means it can die?" Dana shakes her head. "That's ridiculous"
"Nah, it's just how the world works once you get right down to it. The most important thing is what people think they are" You cross your arms and puff yourself out. "And on that note! It seems that we've solved your problems!"
Dana nods. "So we have, the people are fed, the flayers are cast down… Does this mean our contract is concluded?"
"Only if you want it to be" You add. "Personally, I'd love to keep it going--But…" You trail off, you're sure she'll understand.
"... Father isn't going to be willing to tolerate us any further" Dana shrinks down on the spot. "While the Flayers were a problem, he was willing to tolerate us making noise, he could just claim we were too small beforehand. But our numbers have grown too great, and the threat is gone for now… Which means he has to act against us. If he doesn't, the next time the planet is audited, he gets killed for tolerating a heretical cult. He's not so attached to me that he'd let filial concerns get in the way of his own power--not after I was rejected for holy orders in the first place."
"Yeah." You nod. "So if you're going to cut it off, this is probably going to be your only chance--I'm not inclined to starve or let my followers come to harm. A peaceful resolution would be nice but… I'm a god, not omnipotent."
"Most would claim godhood and omnipotence to be one in the same" Dana quipped, and let herself laugh, if a bit more weakly than you'd like. "So it goes I suppose… I think I'll keep my current job, if you yourself are satisfied--I've gotten more done working with you than I expected to ever get done in my life before all of this."
"So what's left is to decide what we do next" You concur. "As I understand it, we can hold our ground--or we can flee."
"Convert the whole planet or figure out the ship and leave using it?" Dana asks, to your confirmation. "Makes sense as far as I can see. Do you have any preference?"
"Well, if I had to be honest…"
[ ] Stand: You've a ripe opportunity to take over a whole world! After all, you and your followers saved it in the first place. You're going to need to subvert the Governor's power though--and deal with the response that comes when you rise up in inevitable rebellion. But you'll have time, space, and manpower eventually provided your cult's expansion continues apace.
[ ] Flee: You've got a ship, once you understand it, you can take it and your cult and flee from this world, to seek your fortunes elsewhere. Recruit who you can, grab what you can and just go. But try not to stick around too long, or who knows what kind of problems can crop up while you're not ready for them!
-------------------------------------------------
[All Primary Objectives Accomplished]
[Secondary Objectives also achieved]
[Increasing to Scale 2]
Select New Domain
[ ] Earth: Power of stone and soil
[ ] Guardian Power of salvation and security
[ ] Sorcery Power of Will and Word
[ ] Harvest Power of Reaping and Ruin
Well, not literally--you were more just a largely invisible shade floating on a cushion behind the back of your Priestess as she enjoyed dinner with her family.
The events of the 'Battle of Reaper Crater' wasn't something that could be hidden for long. Even putting aside the bragging of the Flower Knights in the aftermath, the simple fact that the Flayers had--for the first time in years--stopped their assaults would raise an eyebrow, the fact the Cult of Verdance held the only force known to be capable of balking them meant that it was nigh impossible to deny it the credit.
And yet… It was a forbidden cult by definition. The simple fact that it gave homage to an entity other than the God-Emperor of Man was already an offense worthy of immediate execution. That the dictates boiled down to 'Guard your neighbors' 'Respect the cycle of life' and 'Aid your people' on the other hand meant that no secular law was being broken. Indeed, the Cult was a universal benefit to society!
And yet…
"You seem to be laboring under a misconception" Governor Peter Magistrix explained, setting the cutlery down and leaning forward, his spectacles catching the light as he fixes his wayward child with his full attention. "The only purpose of the commons is to produce material in service of the greater body of Man. Their quality of life is irrelevant, as they are easily replaced and prone to mischief if left with idle hours and thought."
He reaches for the glass of wine--recently poured by one of his servants. "More importantly, the Publicani determine the tithe rate upon arrival, by observing the current standard of living, and their productivity. If they are anything but working at their best, the taxes are raised further still. It is precisely how we ended up in this mess in the first place."
Dana scowls at that remark. "It is never a mistake to see to your people first--grandfather's rule was ironclad, the soldiers he trained were enough to contain the Flayer incursions--we would have been in a position to be a major port of call in this Sector. How convenient is it then that the taxmen arrive, having suddenly gone from a 30% tithe to a 70% right after he passed away?"
The Governor took a sip. "Because I told them of course." He forestalls Dana's protest with a sharp gesture with his free hand. "Oh don't be so indignant child, it was only a matter of time before we came up on some routine audit and then found ourselves all executed for fomenting rebellion."
"That's absurd!" Dana exclaims. "We had no spacelift capacity beyond the central elevator! Even if we had another ten centuries of development, that wouldn't change!" She opened her notebook and reviewed one of the dog-leaved sections. "Right here! ' A 20% development budget is reserved for a planet to increase its productivity!' For an agricultural colony with a population of under one billion, the rate should be 30%! How is it 'Fomenting Rebellion' to be paying them what is owed!"
"It's fomenting rebellion because We could be paying more and we aren't" Dana's father shoots back, still cool as a cucumber--it's a shame he can't see you giving him a raspberry. "You are correct that by a strict legal reading of the law, a 30% rate is what we are obligated to provide… However, the Publicani needs to make a profit too." He downs the last of his wine and sets the glass down. "30%? That's barely enough to pay his fuel costs after the Sector takes its due. All the while, he sees this podunk little colony growing stronger? How long until he simply decides to report us dead after looting us for all that we're worth?"
The Governor shakes his head. "I gave him the excuse he needed to profit, and in doing so, we ensured that he did not take a one hundred percent tax. As it stands, we were in no risk."
"We were under siege by flesh wearing alien flayers, staring down the barrel of a famine that would have at best killed half of our population, and at worst starved the planet." Dana deadpanned. "I would call that a pretty significant risk"
"The Planetary Auxilla remained strong, the capital city's defenses are strong, and we had enough to feed them for the next three years." The Governor explained. "More than enough to rebuild outwards, on a tax rate that wasn't playing with fire every time the Publicani came into town. Regardless of what that little cult may be spitting out." Oh how rude! "If I need to cut off 80% of the population to ensure the remainder survive, I will do it without hesitation. That is--in fact--my responsibility."
Dana was seething--probably not the best of choices under the circumstances, but her father wasn't giving her any time to collect herself. "You, on the other hand--have successfully put yourself in a position where you may have killed us all. That heretical nonsense you're heading up is more than enough excuse to have the Inquisition descend on us all. Do you know how many people survive that kind of investigation?"
He tilts his head and his guards march forward. "Decimation to the third generation I believe is the standard penalty to one who is involved in the formation of an unsanctioned faith. That chance cannot be risked."
The guards raise their rifles, their full-face masks concealing any thoughts they might have from Dana. "So you're just going to have me shot now and spare the trial?"
"Oh no, for all that you've done--the last thing I'd like would be your pets to go to ground." He steepled his hands before him. "You will be placed under house arrest, pending a refutation of your cult and an immediate disbanding of its members and destruction of all unsanctioned substances and technologies. If that happens quickly enough and we can purge the survivors, we might manage to walk away from this with a mere censure and your own commitment to a nunnery."
He raised his head. "Do try not to resist, I would prefer to do this cleanly, you are the hero of the hour after all, but I will not put this family at risk to indulge your childish behavior."
Ah
You see now why Dana didn't like thinking about this guy.
Yeesh, what a piece of work.
Fortunately, she doesn't need your urging to go along with it.
After all, you did plan for this a while back--while you still can't outright talk to anyone but her without breaking them…
You can still give little nudges.
The three Flower Knights in the new outfits some of the first Weavers put together don't have any trouble at all knocking out the guards and extracing Dana.
You're pretty sure the negotiations have failed in the face of cold rational number balancing and fear.
So if you need to make things better by force? Then so be it.
Chapter One: The Binding of Equinox
Gain Control of the Planet of Equinox (PRIMARY)
Form a Military Force capable of holding the Planet of Equinox against aggressors (PRIMARY)
Form an Economic Base capable of supporting your people in the days to come (PRIMARY)
Ensure the Cult of Verdance is the dominant faith on Equinox (PRIMARY)
Find at least two more Heroic Cultists (PRIMARY)
Help restore Dana's relationship with her family (SECONDARY)
Study the captured vessel (SECONDARY)
Gain Access to Space (SECONDARY)
Achieve all goals with less than one million fatalities (SECONDARY)
You are a Scope 2 God
You currently have 4 Tokens of Favor
You have 1 Heroic Cultist
You have a Rank 1 Cult, giving you 2 Manpower Tokens
Preaching Actions
[ ] Expanding Further (DC 20+)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) You've gone from a few hundred to more than a thousand people who believe in you! It's great! You should push this further!
[ ] Counter Propaganda (DC 30+)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) You need to face it, there's going to be a lot of lies and misinformation flying around in the near future, maybe you should spend some time and effort cleaning all this up so that it doesn't get too out of hand?
[ ] Spread the Word (Variable DC)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) Most of your efforts are focused on Goldsheaf Province, you've got a pretty good idea of what's going on here and it's the foundation of your power base… But there's three more provinces on the planet, and you don't have any real influence over them. Maybe it's time to change that. The ranching province of Graycliff, the fishing province of Surf, and the capital province of Lambent. If you're going to conduct operations in those areas, you'll need to get the cult initiated there and reporting in.
-[ ] Graycliff (DC 40)
-[ ] Surf (DC 55)
-[ ] Lambent (DC 80)
Infiltration Actions
[ ] Eyes on the Auxilla (DC 50)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) The Planetary Auxilla is the capital defense force of any modern imperial world. Loyal to the governor and equipped with the best kit available outside the various Adeptus. To wit, powered carapace armor, plasma pulse carbines, and integrated jump packs. They are elites who could have probably solved the entire Flayer problem on their own if they weren't tasked with shielding the capital city… Something that'll change real quick if the Governor starts feeling like you're hitting critical mass. Best to know when he's reached that point by getting agents in place to hear the gossip
[ ] Anything else we miss? (Unknown DC)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection, Harvest) The Flayers are gone, but that doesn't mean that every possible threat is off the table except internal ones, maybe see if you can get some of the woodsmen in your cult to take a look around past the settled regions of the planet and make sure there's no surprises waiting?
[ ] Tell me how you really feel! (DC 50)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) You've got kind of a funny reputation, but that's backed with your people's philanthropic efforts and the fact you've got a bunch of cute girls in scary battlesuits that can just generally brutalize the aliens. It does make it hard to get a read on how people actually think about you that aren't already part of the big mess. Maybe see if you've got anyone with a better head on their shoulders who can get to the bottom of this?
Charity Actions
[ ] Hearts and Minds (DC 50)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) It's not enough to just go wildly out recruiting everyone that moves, you need to be well accepted by society too! Fortunately, you have a lot of followers who are generally inclined to do right by people! Now that the crisis is ended, pivoting towards a more peaceful posture should have ripple effects on how people see you
[ ] Planting the Seed (DC 60)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Weaving, Harvest) There's only a small handful of farms and ranches that you could say are completely held by your cultists, but that number's more than zero now! You've got plenty of people really eager to see what your teachings can pull out of the ground with a little work. You're going to need a lot of stuff to feed any possible refugees or other crises!
[ ] Quality of Life (DC 60)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Weaving) Sure this place isn't as bad as some imperial worlds can get from what you're pulling out of Dana's memories, but things could be better still. Apparently some of your initiates are interested in seeing if they can learn something from the techniques you used to form the Belladonnas, why not see if they can learn something else that can be spread around that isn't about breaking things?
Kinetic Actions
[ ] A Well Armed Militia (DC 50)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection, Weaving, Death) Is a good way to help keep things from getting out of control. You don't think you need big numbers--but just the same only having about a dozen young girls as the sum total of your armed forces seems… Sketchy See if you can maybe find some surviving veterans who can help you wrangle together a good force and then just figure out how to equip them in a way that can let them hold ground.
[ ] Building on what works (DC 75)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Weaving, Death) The Belladonnas are great, and your Flower Knights are doing surprisingly well at this whole 'Being a knightly order' thing. Still, just a lance and the Reapers doesn't seem like it'd be the best choice in the long run, especially when people start bringing guns with more firepower than old lasguns and hunting rifles. Maybe see if you can figure out some more tricks for them so they can play to their specialties?
[X] Plan Bell And Dagger
-[X] Counter Propaganda (DC 30+)
--[X] Hero Unit Dana (1 use left)
-[X] Tell me how you really feel! (DC 50)
--[X] Manpower Token (1 use left)
--[X] Domains: Connection (3 Uses Left)
-[X] Hearts and Minds (DC 50)
--[X] Hero Unit Dana (0 uses left)
--[X] Domains: Connection (2 Uses Left)
-[X] A Well Armed Militia (DC 50)
--[X] Manpower Token (0 uses left)
--[X] Domains: Connection, Weaving (0 Uses Left)
Everything was going just great!
Oh sure, you had to deal with some new and more interesting problems, but after Dana got back to work in the aftermath of that nasty meeting she had with her father, she got right back to work doing the usual thing!
Specifically, getting more people in.
Of course, as this point, her own contribution is less important than the sheer number of people who are doing the same thing. Your message was spreading among the people of the Goldsheaf province, and more and more people were finding it to be a compelling one. Goodness, if you had this level of expansion just a little ways back, you'd already be where you are now!
Which sounds a bit funny now that you think about it, time is hard.
[Cult Expansion: 1d12 (Value Reset by Scale increase): 5. 6/100 to Cult 2]
The most important thing you were doing though boiled down to talking down the nasty messages that were being brought in by the newly emboldened civil servants that had once been bunkering up in the planetary capital of Lambent. "Cult of Verdance declared heathen!" They say, the nerve of them all. "All goodly folk are to shun their words and withdraw!"
Dana wasn't having any of that.
"Do they tell you then to die?" She spoke on her soapbox, gesturing sharply with her bell. "That it was wrong to see to the health of kith and kin, that the God-Emperor demanded a blood sacrifice for forgiveness, for daring to seek a good life? That the deeds of your grandfathers in protecting mankind from the terrors of the void were no longer worthy of his consideration?"
She would gesture to one of the posters. "Never have we sought to disrupt the workings of this world! How does he have the authority to declare what is sacred and what is not? Have our requests for clergy not been rebuffed at all turns?"
The crowd would grumble, thinking this was some call to action. "Know this! The Cult of Verdance has never sought anything more than the safety of our people, to feed the hungry, heal the sick, and guard the frontier from those that would harm us. None of these actions are proscribed! How then can this be anything more than a terrible mistake in the making?"
That seemed to lock it in. Did seem pretty touch and go for a bit there, but it looks like Dana kept earning her Good Girl card and managed to clinch things. The propaganda campaign made by the Governor fell flat--at least in Goldsheaf Province.
But that was the center of your power, wasn't that only natural?
[Counter Propaganda: 29 + 10 (Dana): 39]
[Success: Propaganda campaigns targetting the Cult fall flat in your area of operations, recruitment and operations are not impaired.]
Dana wasn't the only one working hard though! As she spoke words of great wisdom to the people--the rest of your people just sort of… Broke off from the mass--some of them anyway, the healers and doctors and aspiring make-things-better people. There was always a lot of demand for these kinds of people--and most of them were smart enough not to brag about their faith or anything silly like that.
They moved out ahead of the mass of your people, coincidentally of course, and plied their trade from place to place. With a lack of signs associating them with you, people stay pretty honest.
And the overall report? Surprisingly good! At least in Goldsheaf Province. While people generally find your folk a bit too chipper for day to day business--finding something strangely odd about it--your people have earned a great deal of credit between your works stabilizing the food situation, and the massive successes against the Flayers. While serious damage had been averted, enough raids managed to gain initial success that many people knew somebody who had been a victim of the Flayers. The fact your own Knights had led the charge and apparently broken their back earned you a lot of slack.
While the Governor's little play trying to get your cult declared heathen potentially hurt, Dana's own work countering it seems to have made it fall flat. Better still, enough people had relatives in the other provinces that the overall response seems to be 'Wait and See', though you of course lack significant penetration into those areas to get anything detailed.
Still! Progress! People generally liked you! That was a great sign!
[Tell me how you really feel!: 34 + 10 (Manpower) + 10 (Domain): 54]
[Initial reports seem genuinely positive in Goldsheaf Province--more importantly, your success here has led to people talking to relatives in the other provinces, who seem to be willing to 'Wait and See'. Dedicated propaganda campaigns haven't quite been rolled out in those places however, and Dana appears a little concerned about what would happen if there's nothing there to counter it--at least once her Father gets his head out of his arse and realizes he can lock the Cult out that way.]
The real work has just been transitioning to peacetime.
Oh sure, at least half of your Cult's reputation had been born from your works averting the famine, but the majority of your impact comes down to the strength of the Flower Knights and how they pushed the invaders out once and for all.
Still, some people grumbled about how real this all was. 'Who are these strange people? It must be a coincidence that they took credit for'.
Dana is the one who has the idea. "If they don't believe that it was our doing, why don't we just show them?"
See, the way you had been doing things before was intended to help the Knights live a normal life between engagements. They'd go about their day to day routine, and when things got busy, you'd give them the godly equivalent of a poke in the spine to let them know trouble was afoot. They'd run to where their Belladonna was rooted, toss off anything that might get in the way, and get hooked up for the fight.
It sounded neat but it also meant that nobody could make that association that these girls were heroes.
So why don't we change that? Was the argument.
Dana put her head together with some of the more intellectual members of the Cult, calling you in to consult on what was and was not possible with your assistance.
What you came up with? Presentation
Most of your Knights at this point honestly are willing to go full time, as is right and proper. This had several new and interesting demands because they were already ruining enough perfectly good sets of undergarments between the roots and the extended submersion, and the one time someone suggested just operating in the buff got everyone so adorably flustered that it was the best.
So, your Knights were going to take a bit more of a public role--all well and good. They needed to be seen, and that meant fancy uniforms. You suggested to Dana they wear something like you do and posed dramatically to get a model. She just stared at you and shook her head. It must be because they couldn't find material this fine!
"More importantly…" She changed the subject. "If Father's going to continue down this line, and things get out of hand--the obvious choice to neutralize our chances of fighting back is to capture or kill the Knights when they're out and on their own. They need to be well protected."
"That's a little trickier…" You tapped your fan against the table the meeting was held around. "I mean, I'm a God, I can still do it… But super uniforms are…" You snap the fan open, blocking your expression in what you think is a good start of an ominous report.
"It's a great idea!" You chirp, and titter behind the cover of the fan. "Fancy uniforms that make them look good and can protect them… I'm guessing you want them to not interfere with the bonding roots either, right?"
"This isn't going to be something weird again, is it?" Dana asks.
"I have no idea what you're talking about!"
You faded out there and hopped back into linear time a few weeks later. Indeed! This was a great idea! The Flower Knights were a photogenic bunch to begin with--especially after several expeditions had most of the subtle blemishes most mortals pick up over the years cleaned away. Their uniforms were a cleverly designed symbiote, covering them from the neck down in supple plant fibers capable of probably resisting a rifle blow, and stimulating the healing process for anything better--at least long enough to get them to their Belladonnas. It's designed as a bodyglove but can easily have extra stuff strapped on top to fit the tastes of the wearer--there seemed to be a lot of flowy dress stuff as everyone let their creativity shine in customizing their uniforms…
Does it even count as a uniform anymore at this point? Details. The more important thing is that it made them stand out--they were noticed! They were glamorous! And more importantly they were allowed to use their Belladonnas to contribute to the communities. You'd be surprised how much can be done with a ten foot tall walker with superlative strength and a complete lack of needed maintenance!
Even the tools of war that must be created can also be turned to the plowshares of peacetime! You never heard any stories about monsters and evil gods doing that kind of thing, didn't you?
"Not at all--it's a brilliant idea, recruitment's up threefold" Dana observed. "That seemed to be the big thing holding people back, the idea we were stealing their daughters and turning them into monsters." She flipped through her notebook. "Sending them back home and letting them use their equipment to help out bridged that gap, let them stop being weird stories and turned into something people can wrap their heads around. We've even got new volunteers for the Knights and we're growing some new Belladonnas for them."
She pauses then, and looks up, suspiciously. "More girls of course--you don't have anything to do with that, do you?"
"I legitimately have no idea what you're talking about" You laugh. "Honestly, I'm more interested in some of the people linked to them."
"Horatio Mills, right?" Dana agreed. "Veteran of the Seventh Solstice Regiment, rank of Sergeant in his time. Currently seventy eight years of age, raising his granddaughter after his children were caught out by the Flayers." She reads off the dossier like a champion. "I'll admit, having a trainer will be valuable, but…"
"He's like you"
"I'm sorry?" Dana double-takes. "That 'Space' thing you mentioned?"
"Yep!" You nod, your avatar looking off into the distance. "He was supposed to be a Colonel by now, a prized and respected commander of men, granted extended life as his prize and trusted to prosecute a portion of the Imperium's Wars… But he chose to retire instead when the Regiment completed their ten years, and settled here with the others of the First Generation."
You bring your gaze back to Dana's presence."He's definitely someone who can endure my attention, and…"
"... We need someone who actually knows what they're doing" Dana agrees. Sighing. "I feel a little bad though, he's already done his part, right?"
"Maybe, but that was before aliens murdered his son and left him with a single grandchild who'd been orphaned, because the Governor decided to play games with the defenders… More importantly, he's already sworn in--even if it was in solidarity with his granddaughter." You shrug, and withdraw your pipe.
"You're my primary agent in the world as it stands. How we approach him is up to you."
Dana closes her eyes, and takes a moment to think.
"Okay, here's how we'll handle it…"
----------------------------------------
A hop-skip-jump over to the future has you hovering in place behind Dana, at the threshold of Mr. Mills' farmstead. The sound of wood-chopping echoes out at a good beat. You made sure to time this when his granddaughter was busy running through her own initial training so there wouldn't be any big things tampering with this.
"Goodman Mills?" Dana raised her voice to hail him--the cutting stopped. "I am Dana Magistrix, I think we have some things to discuss?"
"Maybe" Oh goodness it's like hearing gravel talking, how new! "You the one who's been filling my girl's head with all that nonsense?"
"Not directly…" Dana winces a little at the accusation as the man walks around the bend. He's pretty old honestly--by your read… Five years left maybe? Not bad for someone who hasn't gotten the good drugs! And he's in excellent shape for his age--was it the fighting experience and good exercise? On further inspection yes it was. "But I do bear some responsibility for how it all unfolded" Dana lowers her head.
"Don't go submitting to me, I work for a living" he barked, startling Dana. "I never said it was a bad thing. She's better protected in one of those things than anywhere else on the planet." He drew out a lho-stick and a lighter. "So, what do you want?"
Dana was a bit off balance from where the conversation was going. "Ah, the Maiden bid me speak with you…" She began, and that was your cue! You linked his perception in with Dana's and emerged from behind your Priestess in your full height. "I did!" You smile, patting Dana on the shoulders as you leaned foward over her shoulders. "How are you doing Horatio Miller? I just noticed you pop up and I was thrilled to see you here!"
He stared at you--a ten foot tall woman surrounded with an aura of divinity. He lit his lho-stick. "You're no Nurglite I've ever seen" He admits.
You scowl at that."I'd thank you for not comparing me with those things. The sooner the last dregs of that cancer are removed, the better."
"No argument there" He acknowledges. "It's always rough whenever remnants of the Plaguefather are trying to churn some shite up." He sizes you up, and you back off from Dana's back as she scurries out of the way. You have your pipe in hand, the end already ignited.
"Right" You start."I'd like to make a deal with yo…"
"Give me twenty years and you'll have it" He just went and offered it! "I'm not passing on until I've seen my great grandchildren running around.
"Just like that?" Dana blinks, while you smile. "Just like that" You offer the pipe to your new Marshal. "It'll be good to have someone who knows what they're doing, I would not see these children come to harm if I can."
"If you didn't feel that way, this would be a pretty different discussion" Horatio explained, tilting his head in one direction--you already know what's there, but Dana looks up and blanches at the Tarantula Sentry Turret that had been set up in the corner of the roof, aimed down this way.
"I'm certainly glad that it didn't need to come to anything nasty" Your smile is unharmed by all of this. "Now then, we'll have much to discuss…"
[Hearts and Minds: 91 + 10 (Dana) -1 (Mortal Limit) + 10 (Domain): 110]
[A Miracle! - The integration of the Flower Knights into regular day to day society and permission to use their Belladonnas to help out at home have set a sterling example--how the works and powers of the Maiden can be used for more than magical crops and murder engines! Recruitment for the Knights increases dramatically, and you manage to luck out into a Heroic Cultist who should be able to help train your militant wing into something that isn't a complete joke!]
Heroic Mortal Recruited!
Horatio Mills
Captain of the Seventh Solstice Regiment in its heyday, Horatio was one of the handful of survivors from that storied regiment who completed his tour of duty and was permitted settlement rights at a newly established colony. He has subsequently retired to his own farmstead in the frontier and content to watch his children grow and make a family... Right up until the Flayers killed most of them except his granddaughter--who subsequently nagged grandpa to join this cool new cult that's willing to let her ride around in a large battlesuit. An experienced tactical mind who's locked horns with many major threats to mankind, he has agreed to help train your people to resist when the inevitable occurs.
Special Effect: Valor (A seasoned expert of a dozen campaigns, very little surprises the Marshal--provides a bonus to Kinetic and Infiltration actions, cannot take Preaching actions.)
Current Blessings: None
Loyalty Rating: Dedicate
Compared to all that, the militia recruitment goes…
Well, it goes.
Okay it's a total embarrassment because a couple of the Knights decided to do some pin-ups as part of the pamphlets, showing off their new uniforms and goodness that's a lot of boys who want to get a shot at getting into them.
Even if it's effective, it's too embarrassing to look at!
[A Well Armed Militia: 29 + 20 (Domains) + 5 (Omake): 54]
[Success! Enough recruits have been found to put together the rudiments of a private militia! They are currently poorly trained, barely armed, and encouraged primarily by the slight but measurable chance of impressing one of the Knights into having a little fun time oh goodness you're so embarrassed this isn't what you wanted at all!]
Gain Control of the Planet of Equinox (PRIMARY)
Form a Military Force capable of holding the Planet of Equinox against aggressors (PRIMARY)
Form an Economic Base capable of supporting your people in the days to come (PRIMARY)
Ensure the Cult of Verdance is the dominant faith on Equinox (PRIMARY)
Find at least two more Heroic Cultists (PRIMARY)
Help restore Dana's relationship with her family (SECONDARY)
Study the captured vessel (SECONDARY)
Gain Access to Space (SECONDARY)
Achieve all goals with less than one million fatalities (SECONDARY)
You are a Scope 2 God
You currently have 4 Tokens of Favor
You have 2 Heroic Cultists
You have a Rank 1 Cult, giving you 2 Manpower Tokens
Preaching Actions
[ ] Expanding Further (DC 20+)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) You've gone from a few hundred to more than a thousand people who believe in you! It's great! You should push this further!
[ ] Spread the Word (Variable DC)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) Most of your efforts are focused on Goldsheaf Province, you've got a pretty good idea of what's going on here and it's the foundation of your power base… But there's three more provinces on the planet, and you don't have any real influence over them. Maybe it's time to change that. The ranching province of Graycliff, the fishing province of Surf, and the capital province of Lambent. If you're going to conduct operations in those areas, you'll need to get the cult initiated there and reporting in.
-[ ] Graycliff (DC 40)
-[ ] Surf (DC 55)
-[ ] Lambent (DC 80)
Infiltration Actions
[ ] Eyes on the Auxilla (DC 50)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection) The Planetary Auxilla is the capital defense force of any modern imperial world. Loyal to the governor and equipped with the best kit available outside the various Adeptus. To wit, powered carapace armor, plasma pulse carbines, and integrated jump packs. They are elites who could have probably solved the entire Flayer problem on their own if they weren't tasked with shielding the capital city… Something that'll change real quick if the Governor starts feeling like you're hitting critical mass. Best to know when he's reached that point by getting agents in place to hear the gossip
[ ] Anything else we miss? (Unknown DC)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection, Harvest) The Flayers are gone, but that doesn't mean that every possible threat is off the table except internal ones, maybe see if you can get some of the woodsmen in your cult to take a look around past the settled regions of the planet and make sure there's no surprises waiting?
Charity Actions
[ ] Planting the Seed (DC 60)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Weaving, Harvest) There's only a small handful of farms and ranches that you could say are completely held by your cultists, but that number's more than zero now! You've got plenty of people really eager to see what your teachings can pull out of the ground with a little work. You're going to need a lot of stuff to feed any possible refugees or other crises!
[ ] Quality of Life (DC 60)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Weaving) Sure this place isn't as bad as some imperial worlds can get from what you're pulling out of Dana's memories, but things could be better still. Apparently some of your initiates are interested in seeing if they can learn something from the techniques you used to form the Belladonnas, why not see if they can learn something else that can be spread around that isn't about breaking things?
Kinetic Actions
[ ] Training the Troops: Ranger Doctrine (Requires 1 Manpower + Horatio Mills) (DC 60)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Connection, Weaving, Endurance) 'Ranger' Doctrine is one of Marshal Mills' suggestions for the volunteers who want to fight for you but aren't divinely ordained baby angels of war. You're generally going to find yourself at a disadvantage in a straight fight he says, between your inability to put together a reliable source of advanced technology that can be produced on the necessary scale, and the reality that you'll probably find yourself outnumbered regularly. "So don't bother" he says, putting out his lho-stick in an ashtray set up for him. "Use that magic tenacity and bleed them for every step they take--humans were endurance predators to begin with, cut, wound, harry them, and fade into the shadows." This is evidently a highly effective doctrine at making best use of limited numbers, but is vulnerable to getting outplayed by superior troops if they ever show up. "Don't try to do this against Astartes, you'll only die tired' he warns.
[ ] Training the Troops: Vanguard Doctrine (Requires 1 Manpower + Horatio Mills) (DC 60)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Endurance, Weaving, Death) The second option that Marshal Mills suggests is a 'Vanguard' Doctrine. Humans don't normally like getting stuck in for all that we've made a big point of doing it he says, mostly because everyone else in the galaxy is better at it mostly. Your blessings and what are derived from them change that calculus--with performance augmenting armor and some form of heavy duty ranged weapon, your soldiers can execute a slow, grinding advance while hosing down the targets with fire. This strategy will be vulnerable to supply shock, but extremely effective against anything that can't stand indefinitely under heavy pressure, like most human formations.
[ ] Training the Troops: Rifle Doctrine (Requires 1 Manpower + Horatio Mills) (DC 60)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Weaving, Endurance, Harvest) The final option Marshal Mills thinks could work would be a variation on the typical strategy employed by the Imperial Guard--an advancing gunline that doesn't do anything fancy, but just projects power steadily and reliably, with enough agility to pivot to changes if need be. Not exciting and does tend to fall apart if the enemy is too resistant to your weapons--but it's a well tested, reliable tactic that works against most enemies. The only thing you need to bring to the table is gear and blessings to augment this.
[ ] Building on what works (DC 75)
-[ ] (Attached Cult Tokens)
-[ ] (Available Domains: Weaving, Death) The Belladonnas are great, and your Flower Knights are doing surprisingly well at this whole 'Being a knightly order' thing. Still, just a lance and the Reapers doesn't seem like it'd be the best choice in the long run, especially when people start bringing guns with more firepower than old lasguns and hunting rifles. Maybe see if you can figure out some more tricks for them so they can play to their specialties?
[X] Plan A Shield For Our Faithful
-[X] Spread the Word (Variable DC)
--[X] Heroic Unit: Dana (1 Uses Left)
--[X] Graycliff (DC 40)
--[X] Heroic Unit: Dana (0 Uses Left)
--[X] Surf (DC 55)
-[X] Eyes on the Auxilla (DC 50)
--[X] Manpower Token (1 Use Left)
--[X] Domains: Connection (3 Uses Left)
-[X] Training the Troops: Ranger Doctrine (Requires 1 Manpower + Horatio Mills) (DC 60)
--[X] Heroic Unit: Horatio (0 Uses Left)
--[X] Manpower Token (0 Uses Left)
--[X] Domains: Connection, Weaving, Endurance (0 Uses Left)
Everything was coming up all fine and dandy! Dana and her advisors decided that the best move to make under the circumstances was to take advantage of the newfound goodwill you had in Goldsheaf to expand the reach of the Cult into the other provinces. While getting a foothold into Lambent itself was a sketchy prospect, what with the regiment of elites ready to move out at the slightest sign of the Cult's presence, you still had the two other 'Frontier' provinces to roll with.
New converts continued to pour in day by day, farmsteads swearing to your cause and volunteers entering the service of the Cult that had given them so much. While you were still a minority on the grand scale of things--you were growing fast--enough so that you'd actually start popping up on statistics at least! It was a great and heady time to be a god!
[Cult Recruitment Dice: 3d12: 27: Currently 33/100 to Cult 2]
Dana's world tour took her first to the province of Graycliff. One of the first settled regions on the world and the home of the original residents of the world--the Graycliff Clans who were stranded here when their vessel was marooned, and made a rearing cattle and goats on the highlands of the settled region's western border. They were reclusive and argumentative folks--accepting the presence of the new colony so long as their ways were respected--and often the source of a friction even in the best of times.
These were not the best of times.
[Spreading The World: Graycliff: 61 + 10 (Dana): 71]
The Publicani's recent trip devastated the clans. A 70% tax was harsh for farmers, but if you had a way of tightening your belt, you could probably recover in a few years. Replacing the best and brightest of their herds? That was the work of a generation through which they would be living hand to mouth, unable to afford much of anything. That it wasn't intentionally aimed as such didn't make it any less of a genocide. The Clans resisted more harshly than any other province, and were punished then the Publicani deployed his kill-servitors from orbit in response. Many were killed, many more taken in chains for the expense and carried off with the taxman, and everyone was out for revenge.
But Dana makes an excellent impression, and admittedly, the very fact that the Governor who oversaw this attempt spoke against her made her a very popular figure among the clans. Many have promised to come to your aid when things came to blows--and they were certain that it would, given how blood had already been shed.
It was a good start you think, having more friends was always better!
Afterwards, Dana followed the rivers from the highlands down to the sea, the northeastern frontier of the settled regions. A beautiful place, maybe a little chilly sometimes, but with striking nature only slightly impaired by the occasional trawler on the hoizon, probing the deeps for prometheum or gathering up a wealth of fish to take to the markets. Surf had been largely insulated from the worst of the recent troubles--with much of their proceeds already going to Lambent first, as the only ones who really need that much meat and oil to get through the day to day business. They were successful, reasonably wealthy, and fine seafarers for all that their tradition was relatively young. You couldn't expect wild support from them, but just getting your feet on the ground would…
What you weren't expecting was Dana to be shuffled into a warehouse shortly after arriving, where the headmen and successful captains immediately pop off party favors and cheer the arrival of their savior.
Because Surf Fucking hated the capital.
"Oh sure!" One of them would say when Dana asked the obvious question. "We're all out and about pulling from the depths and getting everything we pull out eaten by our neighbours--after all don't we all get a whole fifty percent of what's left unused back in ration packs?" He laughs. "Sure, our boats ain't gonna be appealin' to the tax fella up in the sky, but it's not like anything belonged to us in the first plact! All 'leases' and 'rentals' and all that shady business."
He snapped his fingers. "Didn't used to be that way, your grandpa was good to us, ever since he passed on your own papa's been pushing us to the brink. If you're here doin' some of that there 'fomenting rebellion' business, you can count Surf in!"
Well.
That was far easier than expected.
You zip past the subsequent heroine's march as the people of Surf make it damned clear that the Cult of Verdance is more than welcome, hop in a bit here and there to establish that 'Yes, actually, we're not just a cult for farmers, we can help fishers and prospectors out too', and you've got a real wealth of potential converts ready and willing to listen!
That the return voyage by riverboat to Goldsheaf happened to also have several mortars welded to the hull and hidden under tarps also established that these folk have teeth of their own under all the polite talk and friendly hospitality! (Apparently to hunt sea monsters of all things, something you didn't know!)
Of course, you're not expecting the return home to be spoiled by the sight of the great yacht currently docked…. On the town center in front of your church.
"Avast ye landlubbers!" A shrill voice rings out as you all look up and up and up, gazing upon the diminuitive figure at the prow of the beached vessel. "Word has it that you and yours are looking for more help!"
She's so tiny you want to keep her!
Dana just stares blankly at the comedy hour her life has become. "I… Wouldn't refuse it?" She manages to get out as the figure preens, her coat puffing in the wind. "Good! I'm Layla Current!" She hops down--and you can see through Dana that she's strapped to a tiny piece of wire that slowly spools out to break her fall to make it look like a superhuman leap down. She does a fine three point landing on the boxes piled up in front, and raises her head with a grin. "Captain of the Featherlight and queen of the seas of Equinox! If you're going up against that right bastard in the capital, you can count on my ship to have your back!"
"But it's stuck here, isn't it?" You ask, splicing her into your perceptions as well--the girl does a double take at your sudden appearance. "Hwah! Ghost!" She squeaks, hiding behind the boxes.
"... Please don't tell me she's one of those 'Special' people too?" Dana asks, and you merely hold one hand to your cheek and smile knowingly.
It was so good to have help!
[Success on both actions! You have a promise of aid and support from representatives of Graycliff and Surf alike! New actions opened up in both provinces. A final result of 100 on the Surf Entry has also gained you a new Heroic Cultist!]
Heroic Mortal Recruited!
Layla Current
Daughter of Captain Percival Current, slayer of the Seahorror and captain of the Featherlight, a highly sophisticated yacht that started as some rich guy's pleasure cruiser 'Liberated' from their control through various shady means and subsequently customized through all manner of subsequent additions until it's a borderline warship... That has integrated grav plates and jet turbines so it can move onto land at need or jump onto another river system. It may or may not have been responsible for several high profile disappearing bits of shipping. Following the family tradition, Layla stole the Featherlight when she heard about these awesome guys who were (Apparently) going to put the Governor in his place and brought it over to you. She laughed, Dana cried, everyone had a good time.
Special Effect: Prudence (A combination of unsanctioned technical skills and sheer bravado have led this dimunitive captain a master of sailing craft when 'Sailing' can be defined in a distressing number of ways. Provides a bonus to Charity and Kinetic actions, cannot take Infiltration or Preaching actions.)
While Dana was doing her world tour, your newest… Subordinate? Prelate? You need to figure out formal names for this kind of thing--was busy doing the other part of the work that needed to be done.
Namely, figuring out the precise degree of which you are all in danger.
"Planetary Auxilla are no joke" Horatio observed in the 'War Room' of your church, a subterranian chamber that held a map of the settled regions and, pins stuck in with various important points (Like the captured flayer vessel, training sites for the Knights, and associated villages and settlements.) "Not Stormtrooper good or I'd be calling this a forlorn hope to begin with--but they're trained well and equipped to better standards than a world can produce natively as a matter of course. For a backwater like this? Powered Carapace with integrated NBC prrotection and integrated jump pack, primary armament a plasma pulse rifle capable of putting out one shot per second on full automatic with enough force to reliably burn through flakweave and threaten opposing Carapace. Against farmers in leather and scrap plate with hunting rifles, they're damn near invincible."
You mull this assessment over. "So you're saying that there's no one trick that'd make them all stop being a problem." Your image bites her lower lip absently, proverbially chewing the data over. "No magical fairy dust or potion that'd put them to sleep without a fight, huh?"
"Not unless you've been holding out on us" He shrugs, and reaches for his cane, standing up. "We're not entirely without options, I've asked some of my old contacts who've signed on to look in on the Auxilla when they get a chance.
"And how'd that go?"
[Eyes on the Auxilla: 30 + 10 (Domain) + 5 (Omake): 45]
"Could be better, could be worse." He raises his cane and taps on the model of the capital city in the center of the map. "For all that they're trained to a high standard, most of the rank and file in the Auxilla are still people who live here on the planet and interact with the people who live here. It's pretty obvious that things are boiling over--and pretty much the only argument that claims the Governor didn't bring this on himself is the one that thinks that the Maiden caused all of these troubles in the first place. Morale is shot and while they're technically skilled, if it comes down to doing their jobs and fucking off with their family, they'll do the latter."
He scowls. "The problem is, for all that he's a short-sighted prick with his head too far up the ass of the propganda to use his brain, he's not stupid when he does. The NCOs and Officers are all universally promoted with loyalty in mind, and all of them mostly live in the upper city near the Spire, the people of the planet aren't real to this sort--and that means they're perfectly willing to punish dissent with summary execution--and ultimately, none of these kids actually wants to die."
"What a travesty" You shake your image's head and close its eyes as you mull this information over. "So it will be a fight in the end."
"Can't be avoided" Horatio agrees. "He's centralized too much power and he's too committed to his course to change it without a solid shock--and the only way that's going to happen is by taking away his toys. I've got a few ideas on how we can make that happen without racking the butcher's bill up too far though…"
[Partial Success: Revealed that Planetary Auxilla overall morale is reduced for all their superior training and equipment. Loyalty is maintained through handpicked officers who are settled in the Spire and isolated so as to limit empathy with their charges, and summary execution is used on signs of dissent. Unfortunately, attempts to insert informants into their ranks have failed due to this mechanism--though you have avoided being detected at least.]
It's an intriguing idea, one that brings you no small amount of glee to plan. Your role is mostly just introducing the things that he'd normally need to get through requisition. Suitable equipment for battle, a training facility designed to his specifications--the usual stuff.
You decide to base the battledress of your cult's forces off of the base set by the Flower Knights, a symbiote that bonds to the wearer, provides protection from small arms and blades along with some slightly accelerated recovery and injection of suitable drugs to stabilize serious injuries. A little bit of strength enhancement on top of that and you've got the baseline--though you add a bit more armor plating compared to the Knights, and a rather dashing coat on top to give a suitably heroic air to your volunteers.
The weapon is a little bit harder. Horatio made it clear that the standard arm of your infantry needs to be something that can be produced on a wide scale, based on materials you have access to--that can be produced on a pretty wide scale. That pretty much rules out trying to figure out how to copy those shooters everyone's running around with using your own power.
But you get a bright idea--shortbows! Make them from a specially tailored variety of tree, have them bond to the wearer through the medium of their symbiote, and make them capable of generating their bolts from storing up bioelectrcity over a slow period of time! Just aim, pull back on the string, and fwoosh! Zappy time that should be capable of penetrating!
While you were running some generations in one of your garden trying to get a design that fits your desires, Horatio puts his recruits through hell. Conditioning, fieldcraft, marksmanship--he does it all. Teaching them the rudiments of irregular warfare while you prepare the tools he needs for his final exam.
The day eventually comes where he stands before his aspiring class, cane in one hand and the other resting in one of his pockets. He looks upon the baby-faced recruits, now clad in their completed battledress, their bows slung to their sides, and he nods.
"Each of you has endured my training so far" He begins. "Each of you has proven yourselves to have the potential to serve the Maiden in protection of our people."
He withdraws his hand from his pocket, a flag held within it. It catches the breeze.
"Your final exam is capture the flag, you may use any method you can think of to acquire it." He lets go in tune with a sharp gust of wind, and it sails into the woods behind him and into your domain.
"The exam begins now. Don't disappoint me" He concludes, tapping his cane for emphasis as the forest behind him erupts in noise, drawing everyone's attention.
By the time they look back, he is already gone.
The tribulations of your first batch of Rangers are the stuff of legends--friendships are born, bonds are shattered, brotherhoods are forged. The trees sought to crush their bones, the ground could always be a well guarded trap hole. Chasms filled with water and mysterious beasts howling in the distance.
The Rangers didn't get this far to give up now though, clad in holy raiment, they surmounted each obstacle--bonding together as one as they advanced towards the heart of the crucible made for them.
There lingered a great beast--a honeybee expanded to hundreds of times their size. The flag hanging from one of the spines growing from its back. Sensing the intruder,s it gave a great buzz of hate, and rose on its dinky wings, erratic movements to confuse the eye while its wingbeats summon lesser spawn to give battle to the Rangers.
Traps were lain, and firepower rained down on the beast as the Rangers fought like a river of glory, giving ground where they must to avoid harm, always constantly sapping the beast's momentum and strength before it could emerge as a true danger.
A lucky shot after its wings had been gouged out plunged deep into its compound eye. It shuddered, and slumped to the ground, defeated. Victorious, the Rangers claimed the flag, and returned to the safety of the forest entrance.
There, Horatio stood waiting for them, his posture ever strong and bold. He nodded once as the flag was presented to him.
"You are now the First Goldsheaf Bumblebees" He pronounced, to the cheers of his students. "You will be called upon sooner rather than later, but you have the skills now to serve."
[A Miracle! The Maiden saw that they were well equipped for the task, and the Marshal saw that they learned--and they learned well indeed. The First Goldsheaf Bumblebees are an elite formation of irregular warriors, capable of matching some of the best that exist. Trained in the depths of the Crucible Wood, they must defeat a great beast and come back alive to be considered graduates.]
The Huntsmen of the Witch are fearsome foes--scorning the touch of light, they clad themselves in false flesh and don great cowls bearing the marks of primordial beasts to inspire fear in the hearts of good-minded men. While blessedly few in number, their ability to identify weak points in a battle line to strike with witchfire and trickery before fading into the darkness is fearsome--but they are vulnerable to being surrounded by willing volunteers to pin them in place until artillery fire can be called down upon them. As always, deployment of Astartes will sweep this problem away, but are best reserved for greater perils.
-Ordo Malleus Report
As you drift from thought and memory, briefly noting that which is of note to you, and fleeing from that which you either don't care about or find entirely too embarassing to focus on--you find your attention drawn to a particular pulse of intent later down the timeline.
Your Image pops into view, the three of your 'Council' turning to face you as you take a puff of your pipe. "You requested me?" you ask, though now that you're reviewing the area around you… Uh…
"The Third Company of the Planetary Auxilla just deployed" Horatio reads the intelligence report off. "We'd have almost missed if if we didn't still have agents in Lambent from previous attempts to get intel on them." He scoffs. "They're moving on Graycliff--smart move, it's where our presence is still getting established and they're still reeling from the recent purges. Coupled with how the terrain will be just short of inassilable once we get established, and how it cuts us off from the land route to Surf, it's a good move from a strategic point of view."
"Makes you wonder if he's actually listening to his staff or if the stopped clock's just pointing at the right direction for once, huh?" Layla still seemed uncomfortable at your tendency to just sort of pop in from time to time, but her skill as a sailor is no small thing, as are her ability to do business. Once she gets settled in, she'll be a great asset to the Cult!
"Regardless, we need to act" Dana changes the subject pretty smoothly. "Putting aside the tactical and strategic concerns, leaving our countrymen to be executed for simply hearing us out is unacceptable. What are our options?"
"First cadre of our Huntsmen are ready to go" Horatio reports. "Been having them cross training with the girls, we can have three or four ride on a given Belladonna while it goes on a marathon march. It's not comfortable and they're pretty vulnerable in transit, but we'd be able to put our full strength in Graycliff within the end of the week."
"But that gives the Auxilla a week to go through the people there." Dana bites her thumb.
"We could just ship some people over there first…" Layla supplies. "You know, just smuggle them in on my ship?"
"Oh right!" You clap your hands together remembering it. "Your ship can go over land, right?"
"It's a hovercraft, yes" Layla puffs herself up. "The best hovercraft! I could drop some people over there by nightfall if I really crank it up--but I'd have to take the engine apart afterwards and check all the grav-plates and make sure none of them cracked. I'd only be able to make the one trip."
"And they'd be isolated and outnumbered" Horatio points out. "Even with what we know about the Auxilla's vulnerability to attacks on the officers, how many would we be able to ship?"
Layla screws up her face in thought. "Let's see… A Belladonna's about five tons… yadda yadda…. She counts on her fingers and frowns.
"Six, I could bring six Belladonnas with about forty Huntsmen, fifty if they're willing to get real close. After that we're running into hard weight limits."
"Let's call it fifty six against two hundred" Horatio estimates. "Even with our advantages, that's a tall order."
"Less tall if I'm free with my influence." You chime in. "If I focus my attention on this event, I should be able to distribute my blessings aggressively on our force… Only that it'll come at a cost of me not being able to do much in the coming days until time stops being all scrunched up on me." You wince at that. "If it was the me from before the Crater battle, I'd say not a chance… The me now--yeah, it's just hard not impossible."
Dana mulls it over.
"Okay… Here's how we're going to do this…"
Battle Turn Preparations
As with most actions, you do not get direct control over battles. You determine the assets you are bringing to battle and provide suitable blessings, then the battle is resolved based on the performance of the players involved and their abilities in a narrative fashion. As the story evolves and you gain additional tools, your options in preparations will increase--but for now, you only have a few places you can decide on. Keep your eyes open for new opportunities!
Approach:
[ ] Fast Reaction: You'll be outnumbered and fighting capable soldiers with armor that can resist your weapons and weapons that can hurt even your heaviest forces. More importantly, they have Chimeras, which add a nasty wrinkle in the matter. Your forces will however have time to set up and make suitable preparations for battle, which might limit the pain.
[ ] Juggernaut: We fight as one, keep everyone together and march to Graycliff conventionally. You'll have force parity with the Third Company but they'll have several days of which to do whatever it is they're here to do before you can stand against them.
Blessings You have Four Favor, any unused in this phase are your budget for Turn Eight. Each option costs 1 Favor, you may take as many as you like
[ ] Communal Heart-Link (+1 Reliability) Reliability is your force's overall capacity to make effective use of their tools while denying the enemy the same. It also determines resistance to dirty tricks and effectiveness of your own.
[ ] Undying Heart Stance (+1 Toughness) Toughness is a unit's capacity to withstand injury. Their 'Hit Points' if you will. This is not the same as Armor which is a unit's ability to reduce incoming damage.
[ ] Scythe of the Maiden (+ Lifebane) Lifebane is a special rule unique to the Cult of Verdance. It sharply reduces the effective Toughness of a target and nullifies the Regeneration and Reanimation rules, so long as they lack the Machine or Daemon rule
[ ] Reaper's Harvest (+ Life Drain) Life Drain causes successful attacks to heal the attacker, effectively granting Regeneration as long as they remain in combat with units holding the Organic rule.
Two Hour Moratorium this time, we'll be trying to implement this going forward
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