>>4603602

Who had been given the task of keeping a façade of remaining loyal until the trap could be sprung. At which point, the Dai army, renowned for their Great Valor and Determination in battle, would function as an Anvil upon which the Kang would be broken by the Hammer of Lai song and his Marksmen riders.

You yourself, had taken the duty to execute the remaining forces of the Mao army, crushed by their defeat at Zhang castle at the beginning of the war, and the loss of Mao Jian at Zhou castle, had sent what remained of their forces fleeing to reinforce their home, to regather a fresh army and attempt to recover from such a devastating strike against their military might.

However there was one great obstacle that kept you from your quarry. The Bone Devouring Forest, a Jungle that had become infamous for devouring men and being the home of the foulest of beasts both mundane and Magical. Bravely, you entered the maze of ancient trees and blistering heat.

Beneath its Canopy, you met two monsters who had preyed upon the hardy human inhabitants of the forest with ease, consigning their corrupted bodies to the flames, before you found the men they had long devoured for yourself. Descendants of a Vishnu army that had become lost in the depths of the hellish jungle. Already a Savage culture, they had become utterly barbaric in the conditions they were forced to live in by a "Curse", and only respected strength and battle prowess, for those who had both were the only ones who could survive in such a wild place.

Gaining their respect and admiration through stories of your adventures and deeds, and the battles you fought against the decadent, weak nobility, who they saw as never deserving the positions of power they reached. They wished for you to continue your journey, feeling great shame for keeping you for even a moment from the enemy that hid behind the tangled walls of their home, and for failing to slay the beasts you had battled before you met them themselves.

However, seeing a potential to be redeemed and saved from their brutal and cruel ways, you sought a way to teach them that unity and a community working together held far more strength than any individual.

And so, acting as an advisor and tactician, you inspired the wild Vishnu into launch a final attack against their most hated foes, The Tiger people, degenerate descendants of the leaders of the army that all descended from who had become half beast through a corruption beneath the earth.

A corruption you yourself fought, a sorcerer who was obsessed with prophecy and fate, and saw a glimpse of his unseen master who appeared in the moments before his students death by your hands and flaming oil.

The Battle against the Tiger people had been won, and a new generation of Vishnu chiefs inspired by your ways and wisdom took the seats of their battle slain predecessors.
Cont

>>4603604
And in a show of mercy, and the respect they held for you, they spared the surviving Children of the Tiger Clans, to show that they truly intended to start anew outside of their prison
-

"Yes, yes, I cannot linger a moment longer, a war is being fought on my behalf and I cannot delay in returning to my men" You said, struggling now to snarl or lower your tone in a disrespectful way, as the leader of the Third, Akanksha, refused to release the grip she held around your arm, the leader of the seventh Kamakshi was at least more dignified in showing her distaste for failing to grasp your attention and affection in the short time you had known the two of them and the other three chiefs besides Aruna.

The Fifth, a broad shouldered man you now knew to be called Rudra, watched the scene with his peer and leader, Aruna, both of whom were quite amused by your distaste and annoyance for the pining of the two warrior queens who had become enamored with your great strength and courage. The forth, Manu, a rare studious soul among the Wild Vishnu, read over the writings you had quickly scrawled, a copy of a passage from your Journey written in your admittedly rough variation of Vishnu Script.

Akanksha was the youngest of them, and the most wild, even compared to the hotblooded Aruna, she was wailing and making quite the scene, begging you to allow her to stay at your side with very obvious intentions for why she would make such a selfish request.

"Lieren, perhaps you are soft in more than just your kind and generous ways?" Aruna joked, struggling to pronounce your way correctly as he playfully insulted your masculinity

"Perhaps he is already wed, I know there'd be better wives than Akanksha, though perhaps not Kamakshi" Rudra cackled, clapping his hands together as you had to remove the clingy girl from your arm by grabbing the back of her coat as if she were a kitten. She kicks and claws like one would, as well

"I thank you for the compliment" The seventh says with a smug smirk as she looks at her self declared rival for your affections, a task neither of them stand any chance of earning in the present states.

"I'll kill you both" Aranksha cries, as you gently place her to the ground "He just a duty to preform, A quest he must seek out by himself"

It'd be rude to explain exactly why She and Kamakshi had no chance of making you there husband, and she was still quite young, it'd be quite cruel to dash the hopes of a girl like her even if she was a skilled warrior and trained killer. Hopefully both of them would find another conquest among your men and cease their slavish desires to win you as their prize.

"Whatever you must slay to keep a calm mind" Aruna jokes, clearly in higher spirits, since he had imbued quite an impressive amount of spirits to mourn the death of His father and predecessor Jayesh "Still, even if it would be a stain of dishonor upon my name, I do regret I cannot join our friend in battle"
cont

>>4603605

"As am I, I'd love to see how he truly fights" Rudra says, flashing a jacklish grin, one that the two women copy, though you can tell by the looks in their eyes and the weakness in their legs they are imagining a different kind of "Fight" than their compatriot.

"I'd rather talk with him about this Journey of his, it is fascinating, and strange. do your people all live according to this work?" Manu asks, as the leader of what remains of the second, Om, stands by his side meekly, not daring to approach the other four who must seem quite dangerous to the eyes of a man who had never truly seen battle

"I do not force them to, but I'd believe the world would be a better place if many more did" You reply, pulling your make shift pen from the last scroll you had copied the entirety of the current form of The Journey upon, as you spoke with the new chieftains and got to know the group better, and explained how they could integrate themselves into your army.

Each war a small slip of Jade, each of a different hue, to denote that they were not subservient to any of the others, but were officially a part of your forces and loyal to the cause your army fought for. The freedom and prosperity of Yan, and the deposition of Tyrants, fools and hedonists. Along with a letter written in Yan, given to each, an introduction and explanation of sorts for each of the chieftains, in case one or more of them became lost on the journey to Dai Castle.

"A final gift" You say, with a bright and genial smile, handing the collection of scrolls to Manu, knowing he'd take better care of them than Aruna, Rudra, Kamakshi and especially Aranksha "If you truly intend to change, then let me offer the path I walk myself"

"I thank you, Mighty Lieren" Manu says simply, as Om nods after a moments delay, skittishly looking around the other chiefs. Arankash holds her jade slip close to her chest like it is a treasure, Kamakshi merely fondles it in her hand. Rudra has tied it around his forehead, and Aruna around his wrist. Manu and Om are the only ones to wear theirs properly, around their necks.

"Until we meet again" You call, turning on your heel as you hear Arankash and Kamakshi begin to argue between each other about who had presented themselves "better" Rudra laughing with Aruna and Manu muttering a phrase of the Journey, of the first translated copy almost like a man possessed.

"Thank you, Lieren" Om calls out, his voice quite but confident for the first time since you met the man "For leading us away from the destructive path we had walked for so long"

That does bring a smile to your face, a genuine one

"Until we meet again my friends" You repeat happily "Upon the field, against tyrants. I await that day with baited breath. Lead your people from this place, so they may share in the bounty of the lands beyond, and prosperity I have nurtured for so long"
cont

>>4603607

Raising a hand into the air, you leave the six chiefs to their duties, and approach the large group of bestial children, that had huddled close together, afraid and lost without their parents. Happy to be out of their cages, but confused as to why they were alone, and why the stench of blood hung so thickly in the air.

They didn't look like monsters to your eyes anymore, despite their strange bodies, you struggled to see them as anything but what they were, frightened children. Their minds and souls were human, even if their bodies were twisted into such mockeries of the human form.

The largest and least malnourished of them hissed and bared your fangs as you approached, moving to protect their fellows despite only meeting them today. What bravery, what kindness. They'd throw their lives away to protect someone they didn't even know.

"Worry not, little ones" You spoke in the dialect used by the ruling class of Vishnu, speaking gently and softly to try and put them at ease and keep them from hurting themselves "I mean you no harm, I am no enemy, I am friend, call me Uncle if you wish"

You sat down before them, smiling calmly while being careful not to show your teeth and accidentally threaten this pack of children. A total of two hundred and eighty five. All that remains of the tiger people, the sole survivors of their offshoot race. The only ones untouched by the crimes and atrocities the adults committed. Cannibalism, rape, murder, torture. They were all that was left of a race that once numbered ten thousand.

One of them, a girl judging by her build and thinner head cries out for her mother, and your heart wilts knowing what has happened to her, and all the rest of their kind.

The largest of the children keeps his arms held out, with an expression that reminds you of your dear friend Bai's scowl, that he wears when he's become quite annoyed. He's clearly trying to intimidate you, but his fur has puffed up and his legs quiver and shake. The signs of a frightened cat are much more obvious than those of a man.

"I will do no harm to you, I am a kind soul, do not fear. I'm here to keep you safe, I am a friendly uncle" You say softly again, clapping your hands together, slouching your shoulders to appear smaller and thus less intimidating "Please understand your parents they"

You pauses as their eyes all focus upon you, listening intently as you're the only adult to speak to them since they were released and gathered, and the only one with "Fur" like them, in the form of your favourite panther hide vest.

"They did something terrible, very bad, as their parents did. They had to be" You say, pausing to carefully choose your words so as not to upset the poor wretches "to be punished, you understand, the crimes they committed were unforgivable"

"You mean they were killed" the brave boy asks, causing a good number of his comrades to start wailing and sobbing. You bow your head
cont

>>4603610

"Yes" you admit, closing your eyes and letting out a long sigh "yes that is what happened, what they had done demanded such a punishment, I am sorry"

"Are we going to die?" A girl asks, pressing close to another of her kind

"No, you are innocent. And Uncle will not allow the innocent to be harmed" You say softly, opening your eyes just enough to see them "but you cannot stay here, this place is also bad"

The brave one looks up at you, letting out a low growl.

You reach and put a hand on his shoulder, knowing he doesn't have the guts to actually bite or claw you.

"And I know you could all endure on your own, but the ways of the past are in the past, I am the only one who would protect you, the Cousins without fur, they would not, and many of them would chase you out into the wilds if they were allowed to" You coo, speaking in comforting and soft tones, as even the youngest of the two hundred eighty five realize you mean no harm and are kind man "I will take you some place nice, where you do not have to do the bad things your parents did to survive, and teach you how to live as the people there live"

The Brave boy whines, one of the younger girls reaches to grab at your fingers, sucking on a dried piece of antler as she does so.

"If you wish to follow me, I'd keep you fed, warm and safe, Uncle Lieren promises this to you, I swear an oath to show you the virtuous way of life, so you may be good people and others can see you how I do, not as monsters but...friends" You say happily as a chorus of blowing noses and whimpered whines fills your ear "Please, let me save you"

The eldest of them begins to openly cry and gently bites onto your arm, a form of affection among cats. You smile and ruffle his growing mane.

And moments later are swarmed by desperate, tiger headed children, who cling to you for safety and reassurance. Many of them, clearly have no concept of killing or death, being too young to truly comprehend such things. And those who do, hopefully, can move past the trauma inflicted upon them today, and reclaim their humanity as you intend to guide them to.
-
The Tiger children are remarkably obedient, Not one has strayed from your side or complained about the hours you've made them walk, they sleep when you ask them to, stop fighting when you command it, and obey every order you give to them. It is clear to you why the Vishnu had such trouble battling against them, and why their nature was transient.

This obedience is the cause. They need a guiding hand, and a leader and a king to follow. This is how the slavemaster controlled them so effectively. Without it, they are listless and afraid, but when lead by a figure they look up to and believe in, they can be forged into something else entirely. Murderous cannibals, or peaceful foragers. And the Vishnu would unknowingly cause the peaceful breed of Tiger folk to lose out to the bloodthirsty, in their search for vengeance and old grudges to repay.
cont

>>4603613

Now, these children absorb your words and ways like sponges, and try to imitate you and make you proud by following your orders and commands. If they were to raise a generation of their own, their species would change from brutes and savage monsters, into simply another breed of man.

Your loyal steed has even allowed a few onto his back, as you traveled for the edge of the bone devouring forest. The group, still numbering two hundred eighty five, gather around you as you pull your personal copy of the Journey from the pouch it is kept in on your horse's side, and begin to read it, imparting another lesson onto their malleable minds.

By tomorrow's night, you'd be in the lands of the Mao, the territory of your enemy. But you would keep your promise. Not one of these children would be harmed

How do you approach Mao's Castle, Lieren?
> Find a safe refuge for your wards, and march directly to the stronghold of the boars. The Mao end now
>Dress your students in heavy robes and spread dissent among the nearby villages, to distract what forces the Mao still command
>Take the time to give the children Yan names, giving them a stronger legitimacy as citizens besides the manners you're imparting into them
>Travel by the night, and stalk one of the generals raising fresh levies, to study your enemy and plan your attack more efficiently
>Write in?

Finally out of the forest

>>4603616
> Find a safe refuge for your wards, and march directly to the stronghold of the boars. The Mao end now
>Take the time to give the children Yan names, giving them a stronger legitimacy as citizens besides the manners you're imparting into them
>Use this upcoming battle as a chance to measure our actual ability

>>4603616
>>Travel by the night, and stalk one of the generals raising fresh levies, to study your enemy and plan your attack more efficiently
>Find safe refuge for our wards.
>Ask our new wards what their names are, bestowing ones upon them if they have none.
There's a small, slaaneshi part of me that wishes for Amazonian waifu wars. But splitting two of the leaders of our new allies down the middle doesn't make for loyal followers, no matter the intention.

Reposting this because the thread ended befor I posted

Kek, I just noticed something. The Yan emperor in chinese mythos was the emperor of fire, associated with fire, fire-based agriculture and droughts. The Huang emperor (yellow emperor or august/radiant/Heavenly emperor) was associated with bears (beasts), rain, the sky and agriculture. The are both rivals and the Yellow emperor defeats the Yan emperor but assimilates his bloodline and legacy instead of destroying it. This sounds good for the quest due to the parallelism between the actual Yan emperor (fire/sorcery, droughts/disasters/ruin, being an enemy) and Lieren as the Yellow emperor (benevolent sage, inventor and philosopher-king, inventor of agriculture or at least responsible of it's expansion through all China, etc). This also correlates with Big E as the Yellow emperor (who was in myth the product of intellectual nobles rationalizating Shengui or whateverhisnamewas, the superme god of the chinese pantheon as a semihistorical figure that started chinese culture), amd Lieren as the (New) Yan emperor (Lieren is associated with gunpowder and firearms and will rule the Yan kingdom). Emps defeats Lieren and takes control, but allows him and his legacy to exist under his command.
What do you think guys?

>>4603616
>> Find a safe refuge for your wards, and march directly to the stronghold of the boars. The Mao end now

>>4603616
Supporting >>4603641 but also adding
>Use this upcoming battle as a chance to measure our actual ability
from >>4603633

>>4603641
I mean, it's pretty much decided that we're the Primarch of the Ministorum. They could just be a new Sisters of Battle regiment

>>4603616
> Find a safe refuge for your wards, and march directly to the stronghold of the boars. The Mao end now
If we play this cool and gut the leadership, we should be able to take this fort no problem.

>>4603616
> Find a safe refuge for your wards, and march directly to the stronghold of the boars. The Mao end now
Preferably someone nice with a lot of space, and some food for the children?

>>4603647
Malal deep lore is really deep

>>4603633
This but with the >>4603641
Approach for names. Give them a second Yan name to their first Vishnu name if necessary. Many Chinese tend to call people by their last name or with titles/the whole uncle, cousin, etc as a sign of respect, so in the end it's all fine.

>>4603679
https://youtu.be/OAVnOz7i-JA
>Lieren naming his people and sons using the same names
>"Feng is in danger!"
>"The city, horse, or battle brother?"

>>4603604
Supposed to be Zhou castle both times, Zhang was a mistake I missed
figured I'd clear that up

>>4603738
>Malals naming conventions come back to bight him in the ass

>>4603616
>Find refugee for the kids
>Give them Yan names
>Enter the castle alone, check the leadership for virtue and do as we do

>>4603633
support

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>>4603831
Did the tiger people look sorta like the guy to the right but with long arms?

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>>4603876
I assume they look more like this Emperor willing they survive long enough to be guardsmen.

>>4603671
> Primarch of the Ministorum
Proto-Inquisition. Not Ministorum, if the Emperor has his way neither Inquisition nor Ministorum will exist.

>>4603616
> Find a safe refuge for your wards, and march directly to the stronghold of the boars. The Mao end now
>Take the time to give the children Yan names, giving them a stronger legitimacy as citizens besides the manners you're imparting into them

>>4603613
>This obedience is the cause. They need a guiding hand, and a leader and a king to follow. This is how the slavemaster controlled them so effectively. Without it, they are listless and afraid, but when lead by a figure they look up to and believe in, they can be forged into something else entirely. Murderous cannibals, or peaceful foragers. And the Vishnu would unknowingly cause the peaceful breed of Tiger folk to lose out to the bloodthirsty, in their search for vengeance and old grudges to repay.
>Literally violence breeds violence
Can’t believe I didn’t notice that earlier.

>>4603982
Like pottery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYAPgPH9hsI

>>4603982
Oh fuck, they are basically perfect guardsmen. They are probably stronger than the average human, more agile and have fangs and claws. Add that to being obedient and probably disciplined if properly trained and you get Top Tier troops. Also, having a big role and important acomplishments in the Imperial Guard is one of the few ways an abhuman population could thrieve and be tolerated (basically like the Ogrin and Squats).

>>4603982
They have virtue now, or shall soon.
Of these things, once they have internalised them, they shall need such a cycle no more.

Besides, 285 of the bastards is enough of a genetic group to rebuild them without inbreeding. God help emps when he tries to have them removed.

>>4603671
That statement is as dumb as a fucking ton of bleached dirt. Big E hates churches, and theres not much to support that.

>>4603972
Possibly Proto-Inquisition if Malcador has any say in this. He was the one to more or less build the foundation of the Inquisition I think.
Personally, Primarch of the Imperial Guard sounds better to me.

>>4604086
I think we'll probably be the spec ops guy that spends his time between missions uplifting worlds, specially the pdf and Imperial Guard.

>>4604086
I think it is silly to assume we will have any hand in an imperial institutions formation or reformation, given that it is not our job or ever intended to be our job while the crusade is ongoing.

The council of nikcea (primarch bellyaching) and guilliman aside, we are gonna be on the front and have no influence on civilian policy

Finally caught up with this quest.

I'm really enjoying it so far, I kind of get frustrated with the slow progression but because of the writing and well thought out lore I can just push those feelings aside and enjoy a masterpiece in the making, please don't flake on us like so many QMs before you have done so malal.

Also I'm pretty sure that that son of gao who was gloomy and depressed as fuck was meant to be a blank, we should check in on that when we have the time

Also wtf lieren, you've got Amazon waifus throwing themselves at you man!there's being a man of virtue and then theirs being a man completely up their own ass with "virtue".

Maybe this will be our flaw, we'll become so virtuous that one day we will cut out all the "unnecessary" and "wasteful" aspects of life out and turn all our followers into lifeless husks who reject everything that isn't water and unsalted unseasoned and completely flavorless foodstuffs as enjoying the things that life has to offer is "unvirtue'es"

>>4604377
Uh mate. If we tried to breed with them, we would kill them and biologically we are not comparable to do anything other than cause pain.

Lieren isnt human and he knows it, the ignorance of lusty women trying to hurt themselves isnt going to inspire desire in him, nor is it a flaw in his mindset.

>>4604377
It'd be like trying to fit an whole salami into a shotglass. Wind up pleasing both Khorne and Slaanesh if we tried.

>>4603616
Backing this >>4603641
>>4603633

>>4604377
Not everyone who's gloomy or depressed is a blank. If he were he might have been killed off already at child birth. What's more probably is that he's broken at a mental level.

>sex
>Primarchs
>ever
No primarch pre-heresey would fuck a chick, and we're not breaking that trend now.

>>4604391
This line of conversation is odd, but it's got me thinking. We get all kinds of art of what an ogryn looks like, but what about a female ogryn?

>>4604418
Like a regular ogryn but with that fat girls face from borderlands?

>>4604418
Russ fucking wants to know your location and pile drive your asshole.

Girlyman as well, Fuck even Magnus.

>>4604426
Magnus is a shape shifter, he gets a pass.

The others are just being reckless with others bodies and lives

How big would a Primarch’s cock even be? Like a normal sword’s size or something worse? What the hell was the Emperor even planing when he gave the Primarchs superdicks, is it just proportional to their height or did he just want his sons to have weapons for cocks

>>4604470
On average? Probably a meter long solid.

The only women who'd want our dick would be size queens, those amazonians must be size queens

>>4604377
Honestly that's something I could see happening after Lieren died and his legion took his teachings too far. It happened with the Iron Hands becoming technophiles and the Ultramarines when they started treating the codex astartes like gospel.

>>4604418
Leman definitely fucked and Fulgrim had multiple marriages that he likely consummated. If I'm to make a guess I'm almost certain that Primarchs fire blanks and even if they don't their offspring are just slightly stronger than average humans (think Catachan Jungle fighters) that are 100% immune to gene seed rejection if they decide to become marines.

>>4604487
Really? Now that changes everything.

>>4604504
It changes almost nothing for us. Lieren still wont partake.

So who would be up for raiding a Tomb World?

>>4604544
Nobody sane, try the mechanicum

>>4604544
I don't know. What's a tomb world?

>>4604559
It's a place where the necrons have been sleeping away the centuries.
And if it wakes up properly while we are inside, we die. Not even primarch level plot armour would save us, and if it does then this is new thickness of plot armour that mean we may as well stop bothering to dodge point blank ship shots

>>4604556
I want me some Necron Clarketech bad though.

>>4604571
What if we sent the cog boys inside first, and if they see anything we nuke the planet from orbit with a planet cracker?

>>4604584
You'll have to trade Trazyn a limited edition, Marines vs Chaos Tyranids Diorama if you want any hope of getting Necron tech at this point in the timeline.

>>4604590
Going inside starts to wake up the planet. That is what happens, the trick is how much shit can you steal and get away with before the situation gets too hot and staying will doom you.

As for your question, I dont think we could crack the planet, but the best way to deal with the situation is to leave everything to the cogboys and if they find something interesting, just demand a version from them.

>>4604559
Bruuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

>>4604600
If you can crack a tomb world in Battle Fleet Gothic ll, then there might be a chance. If they're really as bad as you make them out to be then theres honestly no point in trying to beat the Necrons. Might as well just roll over and die.

>>4604693
There is a difference between fighting necrons on a battlefield and fighting them on their home ground where they control nearly every facet that matters, plus where their recall protocols are based.

Think of it like fighting a daemon prince on some blood soaked world vs facing them on their own personal demiplanes. One is significantly more doable than another.

>>4604730
What's more doable then?

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Calling the vote now, sorry for the wait, couldn't sleep yesterday

Find a safe Refuge for your wards and march directly to Mao castle, they end now: 11
Take you time to give the children Yan names: 8
Use the upcoming battle to measure the true extent of your capabilities: 5
Travel by Night and stalk one of the generals raising levies, to study the enemy: 4
Infiltrate Mao castle and search for virtue:1

Alright, so Lieren will find a safe refuge for his wards, and before leaving for Mao castle, Ask then if they have names and give then Yan names if not

Since there were more votes for that way and its seems more like what Lieren would do, but the choice was too similar to split in my opinion.

Writing the update now

>>4604377
Thanks, glad you're enjoying it. and I don't intend to, it's fun writing Lieren's journey, cause I can play with both 40k and Wuxia/ Xianxia

Won't say anything about that son of Gao

But I will point out that while The Wild Vishnu women may be amazonian, think of it from Lieren's perspective. He comes from a society that has different standards of beauty, and you know can see into their hearts/ souls. and considering Akanksha and Kamakshi both managed to flourish in the BDF...

Lieren cares about character, as he can see it just as clearly as their faces .

Not to mention that Akanksha is close to Qian Xiaowen in age and thus pings to Lieren (Despite being older than him) as a child rather than woman.

>>4603876
>>4603897
Somewhere between these two (Not the anime boy though, that's nowhere even close to the Tiger clan) , some do have four arms, and the other oddities of Shangralan "Felines" (as seen in this mock up of the 2nd legions heraldry)


>>4603647
Clever

>>4603702
I've been struggling to put figure out who from 40k would be the one raging against Shangralan names in this scenario

>>4604809
Oh and he'd use the upcoming battle to measure the scope of his abilities. Sorry forgot to add that.

As 5 is 1 less than half of 11, which is the total votes, this it can be included, as per my rules for such things.

So the winning votes, to be clear
are
Find a refuge for the tiger kids, march to Mao directly
Ask/ give them names
and test yourself in the coming battle

>>4604391
exactly. If Lieren sought a relationship, it'd be purely emotional.

>>4604851
>exactly. If Lieren sought a relationship, it'd be purely emotional.
So what you're saying is he'd rather have a dog than a woman.

>>4604853
or a dogwoman as oppose to a catgirl

BROS BEFORE HOS.

Question everyone:
How will we measure our abilities in the upcoming battles?

Fucking furfags

>>4604979
I figure we could engineer certain engagements in the confines of the castle and measure our performance in them as sort of a baseline.
Now obviously a part of that is to not hold back and see just how much we can wring our of our body and mind.

>>4604990
Beastmen are canon in 40k. and the Vishnu are not beastmen, a portion of them became tiger people and most of those ones died, leaving a pack of children.

The amazons people were drooling over were normal woman, outside of the battle lust and savagery

>>4604990
projecting much? we all know you fuck your dog.

>>4604993
unless there is an enemy on the level of the sorcerer we're not going to challenge ourselves. we could probably take one 1000 or more normal people and the only challenging part would be moving out of the way of attacks, (most of which probably wouldn't break our skin in the first place). Other than that it would be about decapitating the most people we can in a single swipe in order to maximize efficiency.

I'm very interested as to how Malal interprets us measuring our abilities.

>>4605010
Well, we could make it challenging by trying to do it as fast as physically possible.
I imagine Lierencould clear the whole place in about 10 minutes if he really busted his ass.
I'm talking running through walls, using soldiers as weapons, bitch slapping people into clouds of blood, etc...

The Lands of the Mao have been emptied of men, the villages you pass by, are populated solely by the young and woman. Even the elderly have been raised to take arms, so terrible was the blow you struck them with at the onset of the war. It sours your tongue, and encourages you to lead you small regiment of students more hastily. There is little, if any time to waste. If the Mao can replenish their forces and train their men back to the lowest standard, they'll create a bloodbath under the guidance of untrained and untested generals vying to be the next Wild boar.

Though it is amusing when one of the younger wards asks you if the Yan people have no men, after the fifth village you pass by, avoiding the eyes of the superstitious and afraid farmers toiling its dry fields, long into the night. And the question reminds you, that you do not know the names of your charges. You've been able to recognize them well enough, by the difference in appearance and personality between the near three hundred of them, but it seems somewhat uncaring to not know their names. After all, you have taken the place of their guardians and teacher, they will not learn how to be properly virtuous men and women if you do not treat them as such.

So, that night, in the cover of darkness and beyond the hateful glares of the propaganda posters plastered and nailed to near every surface of the riverside village you rest by that day, you gather the entirety of the two hundred and eighty five of your students. After a late dinner, of foraged fruit and gathered nuts, it'd after all be wrong to steal the lifeblood of such a poor village and fish its rivers clean to feed your charges, even if it means you'll not be able to give them the exact amount of nutrients and calories their bodies need to grow to their fullest potential.

They were in the middle of playing, and mock fighting, a few even decided to reenact a story you told them of how you bested Cui Fu, though none of them seem to wish to play Lord Cui himself. Now, they sit before you, gathered around the dim glow of the embers of the fire you lit, hidden away from those who would name them as mere beasts by appearance alone.

"My beloved students" You say, speaking the words first in Vishnu, and then Yan, a method you find to be quite effective in teaching the Tiger Children your tongue, their ears perk up and they look up at you excitedly, no doubt expecting another lesson or story to keep them entertained and happy in your travels together.

They manage to remain silent and still for ten breaths, before they begin to squirm and whisper to their neighbors, thinking you cannot hear their conversations.

"It has come to my attention, that despite our travels together, and the lessons I've taught and the promise I gave, that I do not know your names, while you know mine" You say with a mirthful grin, while you voice drips with guilt and embarrassment.
cont

>>4605022
that sound needlessly cruel and reckless

>>4605026

A few of the older children laugh, the others look confused, as if they do not understand why that would be an issue. After all, their society, like the Wild Vishnu, must not have given names to children who had not yet lived for several years.

They had to earn the monikers they'd carry throughout their lives. Somewhat like how you did not name yourself until after your first winter ended, In fact, it was not unusual for children in Yan to not be named until their first year had past. Such traditions, at least in the lands that had benefited from your guidance and wisdom, had began to die out along with the dreadful truth of infant mortality.

"It'd be shameful to keep such distance between myself and all of you, so please, if you have names tell me, so I may record them to my memory and we can stand equal. I knowing you, and you knowing me" You explain sweetly, clapping your hands together and allowing just enough of your teeth to show to gauge how well their tutoring in controlling themselves and their base instincts has come along since you began. A few wince away or bow their heads, but none bare their teeth or hiss by habit.

A little boy, no older than five years, raises his hand. Which has been bandaged from a lesson he learned on his own, that one should not eat a stew by thrusting their fingers into it as it boils.

"It is always wise to ask questions when you have them" You praise, before turning fully to the young boy and bowing your head "What is yours, my student? or did you simply wish to be the first to tell me your name"

"What if" He says, slowly, pausing as his tongue struggles to speak Yan, before he starts speaking again, managing to pronounce the words well enough to be understood "We have no names"

A look of shame washes over his face, and a good portion of the rest of the group sitting before you. All you do is sigh, and keep smiling warmly and reassuringly all the while. Slowly spreading your hands apart, you motion to the entirety of the gathering with your arms.

"If you have no names, Than I, as your uncle, shall give you one to own. It shall be the one that fits and reflects your character the most" You say joyfully, the little boy's eyes lighting up with wonder like he had just been given a new toy "If you'd be so patient to allow me to ponder such things first"

The Brave boy, one of the eldest of your students, walks forward with the eldest of the girls. Both May indeed be older than yourself, but they do not know their exact age. Unlike like you, who can name it to the exact second of the duration of his existence.

"My mother called me Indestructible" The boy says, puffing his chest out with pride and inclining his chin, before mimicking your own habit of lashing your arm forward and swinging it sharply for dramatic flair "That is what I am called"
cont

>>4605029

You smirk as you run their once noble tongue against the Vishnu you know in your thoughts, and come to find his name, when left untranslated instead of how he spoke it in straight, untampered Yan, would be Avinash.

"Avinash" You say, his ears perking up and proving your correct before he shoots you a confused look.

"That is what I just said, wasn't it?" He asks, looking a little worried that he may have misspoken.

"it was, it was, but names do not need to be changed when spoken in another tongue, In Yan, my name means Hunter, but do you call me hunter? No you name me Lieren" You say, after chuckling at the confusion you had inadvertently caused "it is the same for you, my student"

"Confusing, but I understand uncle" He says, clasping his hands together and trying to bow respectfully, but the difference between the build of his legs and that of a normal man makes him struggle, as does the fact his tail has curled around one of them

You return the gesture happily, and turn to the girl who is missing one of her most prominent fangs, having apparently lost it in trying to chew out of the cage she had been shoved in by a man who had once been her cousin before the slavemaster took his body and banished the mind within.

She cusps her chin in her paw like hand and presses her claws into her cheek, closing her eyes as she tries to figure out how to say her name without making the same mistake as Avinash. You wait patiently, folding your arms over your chest and turning your gaze towards the village, watching to be certain none of them braved the night. And none of them have, outside of their village is dangerous, filled with beasts, monsters and bandits hidden beneath the fog. They do not know the world beyond their river and cottages, much like the Vishnu or Tiger clan did, or your own people before you built The Giant's road. You'd return to change their lot in life, but for now you must move forward.

Mao castle is close by, you can tell by the increasing wealth of the villages you've past by, some with walls or even a primitive road leading to their closest neighbors. Soon, you'd find your quarry. And find the answer for the question that has burned in your mind since you walked from the depths and dark of the heart of the mountain.

What are your limits, exactly? Even you must have a pinnacle. Your energy is not boundless, your strength is not infinite, your speed must have a maximum. But what are they? you cannot know without first finding them. Then you could understand when you'd become fatigued through labor or work, when it'd be impossible to dodge or outpace another, when your mighty arms would simply not be enough to crush what blocks the road forward. And similar knowledge would be gained. if Only you had the chance to test yourself and find the limits innate to your body.
cont

>>4605030

"My name is Ananya, Lieren" The girl says, speaking again after a few moments of thought. Matchless. You were beginning to see a pattern in the choice of names given to your students.

You smile and pat her shoulder.

"A fitting name, even I could not have chosen a better one" You say, as she puffs her chest out as Avinash did, her tail standing straight up as she turns and returns to her fellows.

All throughout the night and into the dawn, you listened to and later named your students, giving each equal attention and regard, so as not to leave one feeling left out or even insulted. Their bodies are hardy enough, that even without any sleep, they are able to march for sometime. It is fortunate you do not have to lead them far.

Mao castle was near, and you had been following the rivers, to a remote and plentiful patch of woodland, left uncut but much less wild and untamed than the bone devouring forest. It was safe, and harbored no predators or prying eyes nearby. A perfect refuge for your students while you marched to end the Mao quickly and of course efficiently.

Taking aside Avinash and Ananya as you led your wards into the safety provided by the old, towering trees, you told them what you had to do.

"Do not worry, my students, I am not going to abandon you here but I must leave to face my enemy alone, I cannot bring you to battle by my side" You explain, as they sit on two rocks in front of you, legs crossed and looking all the like studious youths of your people outside of their bestial features "You are too young, and I seek to save you from the horrors of war. My promise was to protect you and teach you, and this is the only way I can at the moment"

Ananya bows her as Avinash snarls and bares his fangs.

"And if you do not return, what will become of us" He hisses, fear clear in his words "Will we become what our parents had been?"

You shake your head

"I will return, and even if I find my grave in the canyon of the boars, I trust that the two of you can lead your fellows along the righteous path. For you are proof that your kind are not beasts nor monsters, but rather another breed of man" You explain, trying to reassure the youth as he bows his head as well "Along with all of my other students, you are living testaments to this truth, and will one day be a part of the legacy I leave behind"

They say nothing in return, but you can see how proud your words make them. Clapping your hands down on your knees, you rise to stand

"And you two, have proven to be my best students, which is why, while I am away and until I return victorious from this battle I march to now, you will be in charge of the others of your class" You say, as Ananya clasps her hands together and raises her head to bow it, a gesture that Avinash mimics soon after "I am certain both of you will rise to the occasion, and continue their studies and tutoring as effectively as I myself could"
cont

>>4605033

"That would be impossible, Uncle" Avinash barks in reply, trying to mask his dread and fear.

"As you command Master, not one of them shall be harmed under our guidance" Ananya replies in near perfect Yan, something that you note with pride.

"I shall not be long, but if I do not return, remember the lessons I taught you, and the truth of what you are and could become if you truly tried to achieve it" You say, clasping your hands as you turn back to the rest of your charges, who have taken to splashing around in a nearby stream, unaware that they will soon be separated from their guardian and protector. But they would be safe, and that was enough to keep you from feeling guilt in your departure.

How do you approach the Mao Army, and the challenge you now seek, Lieren?
>Simply walk into Mao Bolin's bedroom and issue him a challenge, that if any of his warriors can best you in combat, you shall be his prisoner
>March up to the gates, flying a panther fur banner and bellowing a challenge, demanding they send their army against you
>Breach the wall with the charge you prepared, and simply battle every man within and outside Mao Castle at once
>Walk up reading passages from the Journey and beating a drum, sitting down outside of their gates and daring them to try and take your head
>Write in?

https://youtu.be/MOOXRR2hiEU

Some fitting music for what is to come

>>4605036
>Walk up reading passages from the Journey and beating a drum, sitting down outside of their gates and daring them to try and take your head
>Continue your march directly to Mao Bolin's quarters, striking down any who oppose you on your patch

>>4605036
>>Simply walk into Mao Bolin's bedroom and issue him a challenge, that if any of his warriors can best you in combat, you shall be his prisoner

>>4605036
>>Walk up reading passages from the Journey and beating a drum, sitting down outside of their gates and daring them to try and take your head
Ah this is the good stuff

>>4605036
>>Simply walk into Mao Bolin's bedroom and issue him a challenge, that if any of his warriors can best you in combat, you shall be his prisoner
>>Walk up reading passages from the Journey and beating a drum, sitting down outside of their gates and daring them to try and take your head
Lets add "World's Deadliest Alarm Clock" to our growing list of titles.

>>4605036
>>Using a breach at the wall with the charge you prepared as a distraction simply sneak into Mao Bolin's bedroom and kill him
I wanna know what Lieren’s limits are but don’t know if I wanna test them on possibly a bunch of unwilling conscripts

>>4605036
>Walk up reading passages from the Journey and beating a drum, sitting down outside of their gates and daring them to try and take your head

>>4605046
support

>>4605046
I'll support.

MAO BOLIN! MAOOOOOO BOLIIIIIIN! ITS BOAR SEASON!

>>4604746
More doable, if you want tech, is to smash the fuck out of human worlds and get our hands on a few STC fragments that they hold on.

If you mean killing the necrons, drawing them out of their tombs and facing them on the grounds of other worlds/cracking the tomb worlds in two. But entering into the lions mouth is never the best first move when you can avoid it.

>>4605118
True, we should at least spare the virtuous and not use this people as an experiment.

>>4605036
>>Walk up reading passages from the Journey and beating a drum, sitting down outside of their gates and daring them to try and take your head

Starting revolt with our conviction will serve us well in the future to make enemy empires collapse. Beside if they won't fight and die for their own freedom, then it is not worth having them at all

>>4605310
There are some people that won't fight out of fear that their families will die, because this guys don't know what we are capable of and for them, we are an idiot general that just appeared alone and in relatively bad shape in front of an enemy fortress. Lieren can take this guys out by himself without any unnecesary bloodshed or destruction, but making it into a public event will definitely help with turning the people of this land into loyal followers.

>>4605317
Did we ever come a concencus on which of the four armor sets here >>460480, or do we want to stick with whatever color scheme our sons came with?

>>4605329
This I mean>>4604809

>>4605036
>Walk up reading passages from the Journey and beating a drum, sitting down outside of their gates and daring them to try and take your head
>Breach the wall with the charge you prepared, and simply battle every man within and outside Mao Castle at once

>>4605317
People will think that he is an idiot - true, so enemy general will want to gain fame by personally slaying the giant (using his men of course) and bam - he is dead. This is more likely scenario that he just swarm Leiren looking from his castle and allowing his underlings to gain fame as Giant Slayer and favour of the current ruling dynasty

>>4605329
Most people seem to have agreed with the golden-white color scheme, if the fanart we got is anything to go b.

>>4605332
Wait, we didn't collapse the chaos temple with it? Because if we didn't, we should go back whenever we can and fill the entire cave system with gunpowder to make sure that any trace of corruption is gone. Doing it personally if exposure would affect our men

>>4605503
It’s sealed.
It’s not going to be a problem for the foreseeable future

>>4605329
We mostly proposed color schemes, but we didn't pick any. In my opinion, our legion will first wear the white and gold pattern and then, if the whole Grey knight theory is true, our Astartes will adopt the silver-white or full silver.

>>4605506
Well, I'm glad. As soon as Emps arrives we should tell him about any location like that so he can solve it or send people that know how to deal with that shit

>>4605036
>Walk up reading passages from the Journey and beating a drum, sitting down outside of their gates and daring them to try and take your head

>>4605511
I don't know why the Grey Knight theory is thought to have any serious possibility of being true. It's seriously hinted, if not outright stated that their geneseed is derived from the Emperor himself. What's more, every single one of them is a psyker, which is something that I've hoped Lieren would demonstrate an inclination towards, but so far has not. If we were that psychically powerful, we'd know it by now.

>>4605885
In the original lore maybe. Acutally didn't the grey knights originate from the Geneseed of that one guy who got Magnus's soul shard? The first Grandmaster?

>>4605891
>In the original lore maybe.
Why would this be any diofferent? The Grey Knights are Grey Knights.

Honestly, i don't know where people got this 'Grey Knight' idea. The Grey Knights and the legions are on an entirely different zone. Grey Knights are made, specifically, for their job.

>>4605891
Ianus, I believe. And no, all of the grandmasters got their geneseed, in layman's terms, replaced.

>>4605046
Support

In all honesty we could create a ritual to awaken someone’s “spiritual roots” so we can have an entire chapter of psykers.

>>4605036
>>Walk up reading passages from the Journey and beating a drum, sitting down outside of their gates and daring them to try and take your head

>>4605931
That sounds like it would lead to some chaos shit. Like the bad kind. Ut would be better to talk to Emps first when he gets here, then maybe Magnus, then the Emps again.

>>4605998
> That sounds like it would lead to some chaos shit. Like the bad kind.
The funny thing most people don’t realize about Chaos is you can become immune to it, specifically by resisting possession.

>>4606070
Seriously? I have never heard about that. Do you have any link to that info?

Kek guys, go to the top of the thread, open up the quest's main image and zoom Angron and Magnus faces until you can see them both clearly. Magnus eyes convey their relationship so much...

>>4606184
*Magnus eye. I apologize for being so insensitive

>>4606070
spill the sauce

>>4606178
>>4606193
https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Exorcists

>>4606178
It’s mostly an Inquisitor thing with that one group of Inquisitors that had a plan to resurrect being the biggest that come to mind but we also have this:
https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Exorcised

>>4606200
>>4606205
Well, that's some of the most METAL things I've ever read, even for W40K. As I see it, those guys seem to build a heavy resistance to chaos via exposure of their soul to weakass daemons that can't really take over amd turn into the sensei but astartes and earned.

Btw, if the Grey Knight geneseed is extracted from Emps, whaf would happen if one of the sensei became a GK Librarian?

>>4606200
>>4606205
So pretty much harder to spot by daemons and increased aggression against them, but the down side is high mortality rates. Some can also draw remnants of the daemonic power. Now the benefits of survival are great, but the downside requires you to possessed, then have the daemon exercised by yourself or by priests. Fulgrim was able to do it to some degree with the Laer Blade, but still got possessed and corrupted due to his mostly sort of ignorance of the deeper nature of the possessed weapon. I think if something similar happened to Lieren, he'd be more liable to survive the possession attempt and even take a more proactive approach than Fulgrim to beat the ever loving shit of the warp entity, but the risk is still there.

>>4606220
Really strong Librarians?

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>>4606218
kinda like an extreme case of a flu shot, but with demons. It is indeed, very, very, very METAL.

I see one theoretical issue with trying to bolster Lieren's Demon immunity. Minor demons or weak psykers probably aren't enough to punch through him mental fortitude. He would need to fight something that was roughly on par with his own mental strength if not stronger. Strong enough that it could then possess him. He would THEN have to try and exorcise the demon from himself. A Daemon that is already in control of his body.

The good news is that is has a sort of relative but weak immunity, or a start to one due to his awareness to sorcery.

>>4606236
Astartes with better compatibility with a Primarch are more powerful. A sensei is 1/2 Emps. Add another third and being able to draw from the warp without limit or fear and you get basically a mini primarch

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>>4606236
forgot image here

>>4606250
[Kairos Fateweaver wants to know your location]

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>>4606257
I guess? I think Primarchs are technically already Sensei's in a sense as some of them could develop psyker powers, but also different. Unfortunately Sensei's are rarer than blanks with the capacity to be Culexus Assassin. The chance you could combine a Sensei with a "pure" geneseed from Emp's, while powerful in theory, would be as likely for a guardsmen to kill a Chaos Prince with an autogun.

>>4606262
Now that would be an interesting encounter. I think the master of the dead wizard was a Lord of Change, but not Kairos.

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I don't know about most of you, and against my better judgement, I kind of want to go back to that mountain and explore it some more. preferably with our trusty Guandao and a thicker set of armor. Perhaps sometime after we've overthrown Yan rulership and have enough time to dick around with our space capsule to learn all there possibly is to learn about it.

>>4606298
Oh yeah, once we get some downtime I really want to go back there and study those stones, figure out what they actually are and do.

>>4606298
Only after the lands under our control are linked by the great road.
After that, I'm sure we can find a nice balance between training, leadership duties, and study of our pod.

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>>4606301
Study, research, see if there are methods to counteract their affects and better kill any demons that come through them. Perhaps Lieren might some deep meditation to contemplate his interaction with the demon possessed guy to understand if the demon reacted in any special way during their brief conversation.

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>>4606306
Thankfully, we already have scores of competent and benevolent leaders we're collaboratively working with to take off some of the leadership duties. After that it's just like what you said: finding a balance between training, studying the pod, and maybe Deepest Dungeon research.

Calling the vote now, sorry for the wait, just woke up.

Walk to the castle, reading passages of the journey and beating a drum before sitting down in front of their gates and daring the Mao to try and take your head:11
Simply walk into Mao Bolin's room and issue him a challenge, that if any of his men can best you, you will be his prisoner: 6
Use the charge to create a distraction, allowing you to assassinate Mao Bolin:1
Breach the wall and simply battle everyman within and outside of Mao castle: 1

total votes: 13

Alright, So Lieren will boldly approach the Gates of Mao Castle, reading passages from his book and beating a drum and sit down in front of them daring the Mao army to try and take his head.
And when they do, he'll continue his march towards Mao Bolin's personal chambers, through any challengers who step in his way.

Writing now

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>>4606312
How much armor does Lieren have left? His missing most of whatever he was wearing on his torso, and no longer has a helmet as far as my memory allows.

One of these days we gotta introduce some updated clothing to our people. I think with the onset of firearms that uniforms are gonna be due for an update. WWII era should fit the bill once we've unified Yan.

>>4606307
That pick was fucking beautiful. I've never laughed so much. Just imagine that but instead of ghosts put the Chaos gods and instead of the chad put Lieren. Now the Spanish friend that knows about spiritism is Magnus and the grandma and the Priest are Enps and Lorgar. Fucking KEK

>>4606326
I assume Lieren's greaves and Cuisse survived, but likely just barely.
We're gonna be building a new suit of armor anyways, so we might as well look into creating an alloy that can stand up to abuse better than our current high quality steel.

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>>4606330
I'd rather Vietnam era type stuff simply for the sake of AESTHETICS

>>4606338
The problem isn’t the armor. Rather what we’re fighting is just too strong, steel to daemons is like paper we might as well be fighting them naked.

>>4606345
Honestly, it might fit better with the environment of Yan. Lot's of fog and woodland. Maybe have some sort of greyed out woodland pattern for some versatility.

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>>4606330
Do you mean general civilian attire, or types of military fatigues to go along with their armor?

>>4606338
Probably something pic related with the goofy sized boots and giant pauldrons. I think this was the kind of armor the Lion wore before big E arrived?

>>4606345
from which side?

>>4606345
Catachans have that locked down.

>>4606355
>from which side?
USA for the greater presence of camouflage in their uniforms. Also their small arms from that era are just incredibly iconic.

>>4606355
Military fatigues since plate armor is going to be going the way of the dinosaur once we trample the Yan dynasty and at some point afterwards unify the planet. Any fighting done after that is gonna be from bandits/rebels/ or criminals and it stands to reason that they'd be rolling with the most modern weapons they could get IE firearms. Plate armor doesn't do much against a bullet.

>>4606360
>Catachan
Not that they aren't cool and very much Vietnam inspired, but they take more after Rambo: First Blood Part II than anything as far as aesthetics go.
Need I remind you that the vast majority of troops stationed in Vietnam weren't bodybuilders with a frankly bizarre love of their combat knives.

>>4606364
Flak armor is viable.

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>>4606312
https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Lion_El%27Jonson
Note to self: don't be autistic like Johnson, and deal with the chaos threats on our home planet eventually.

>>4606372
Flak armor is to autoguns and lasguns are to power armor.

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>>4606372
I personally think we're gonna have fatigues figured out before flak armor but i'm all for it as it looks dope.

But here's the real question: Hats?

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>>4606400

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>>4606400
this ones better, gives a couple different Chinese hat styles

>>4606409
I'm sorry I just have the image of vietnam era GI walking a patrol with the hat on. I'm chuckling profusely.

>>4606400
Infantry get helmets (still need to figure out a good design for those), boonies for hot weather, and ushankas for cold weather.
Officers get 8-points in addition to all that.
Now I know that's not very creative, but they are all proven designs as far as headwear go.

>>4606383
you mean perhaps carapace.
Also, Manhunter rounds can penetrate carapace, but somehow AP ammo got to be expensive and a bit harder to find.

>>4606411
>>4606409
Maybe for the Yan Province, but not for all Shangrala.

>>4606413
>Calling the 8-point a proven design

Yeah proven to be absolutely homosexual. And that's coming from a guy forced to wear one on the regular.

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>>4606453
Slouch hat for officers then, really I just defaulted to the 8-point because it was visually distinct.

>>4606364
bandits or criminals will probably become a thing of the past before most of them even get a chance to use that kind of weapons.

>>4606522
There's always gonna be some opportunistic shit who's juuuuuuuuuuuuuuust far enough from our grasp to think they can prey on the innocent without alerting us.

>>4606531
Same, and once we're gone you bet therea gonna be some gun toting criminals trying to throw their weight around. Chaos or not, theres always gonna be an asshole or two. The most we can do is try to migitate it.

Spring winds brought a cold breeze through the canyon halls where the boar of the Mao had long made their home, nestled like a wound in the side of one of tallest mountains in all of Yan, a peer of the now stolen home of the Tao. And like the fever that came with an infected wound, a sense of dread and panic had bled deep into the Boars who inhabited the hardy hall carved from the stone of the canyon itself. The grieving wife of Mao Jian and the mourning mother of Mao Zihao, both lost in dawning days of the war against the Usurper Lieren, the rebellious giant, the traitor of Gao. Mao Bolin had himself grieved for his brother and nephew, but had worries beyond that of the heart that demanded more attention.

He was no military man, he was groomed to be a leader of men, one who gathered profit at a steady pace and ensured his family would remain among the brightest gems of the Yan. Jian, oh that fool Jian, was the hammer given to him by his mother. A general who could stand as an equal to the likes of such figures as Old man Dai, The Lord of cavalry and even the Black general himself. And he was dead, and gone with him his students and understudies. All the greatest tacticians, logicians and clerks the Mao had out their disposal, now food for the crows and jackals.

Bolin may have been ignorant of military matters and the artistry of war, but he was well aware of how truly grave their losses at Zhou castle were. The majority of their army, either slaughtered, scattered or deserted, or worse yet turned against their rightful masters by the tongue of that devil dressed in azure. It was supposed to be an easy victory, a gift to Jian and his son, but all that had been given were graves for them and all who had followed them. The few men who had remained, were utterly incompetent as generals or tacticans. They were the chaff of the Mao's forces, but they were all they had left to lead their men.

The few men that remained, untrained, undisciplined, good only for their numbers. Ill equipped and surely doomed to die. Bolin did not care how many lives it'd take to preserve his own. If it came to it, he'd throw his grieving sister in law out to the Jackals and fog if it'd keep the rebels outside of his door. The Mao had nothing left, their armories were depleted, their army lost as so much dust on the wind, and their genius warlords and leaders rotting in the ground or open air. Doom was approaching like a ever present shadow, the fall of dusk. If the Giant was not stopped at Dai, all that his ancestors had built in the past, all the wealth and affluence of the Yan would be stolen away.

And the kingdom would fall. Bolin was not a tactician, but he knew that if the Giant was able to render an army so impotent, so weak that they were left as little better than armed rabble, without suffering any losses of his own, what chance did the Mao's allies stand against him and his servants?
cont

>>4606541

It was the end of days, and All Mao Bolin could do was bar his windows and reinforce his door, to hope to weather the storm. Perhaps, the Ogre could be appeased in some manner, perhaps the Mao could pass into the new age relatively unscathed? Perhaps the time of Yan's fall and decay had come and the Mao should be wise enough to accept it, even if they emerge into the new dawn as little better than nobility by title alone. Perhaps. Perhaps. Mao Bolin could not sleep, so fraught with worry were his thoughts.

When sleep did come for him, he was assailed by images of the hellish horde just at his border, coming for his head, to split his belly open like the Boar that graced his banners. It was as if he had walked into battle unarmored and unarmed. The great army of Mao had been reduced to little more than farmers wielding the tools of their fields, led by men who had never seen war and were Generals because their fathers were. if Jian were here, or even his son Zihao, they'd have at least a leader skilled and knowledgeable enough to turn such a force into a worthwhile army.

But they didn't, both were gone now. Along with the vast majority of the rest of his family resources, both in men and wealth. Genius, brilliant warriors and tacticians alike, men once fated to be remembered as heroes, were now naught by ash and dust.

What could Mao Bolin do, with scraps, chaff and bones already picked clean, but await the end? if he remained in his castle, then perhaps the rebels would pass by his land, and forget about the part he played in war. He may be remembered as a coward, but it'd be better than charging to his death for a man who'd not give him a single reward or praise spoken, if the Yan somehow achieved victory against their foe. It'd be more likely he'd be stripped of his ancestral lands for incompetence, killed even! but the Ogre was said to hang all nobles he got his hands on, all of their servants, even the taxmen!

Mao Bolin was caught in a cage, and all he saw outside of its bars was death! Death and doom! the end of his line, his family, his dynasty! the end of the Yan, who had once flourished with the approval of the heavenly courts themselves! He could not sleep, he could not rest! His bed had become like a coffin in his mind.

Throwing off his silk sheets, Mao Bolin stood from his bed, his wife stirring from his sudden movement. Lighting a candle, he paced around his private chambers, struggling to breath as every shadow took the shape of hellish riders, brutish ogres, and beasts twisted into men. He needed fresh air, the nights cold kiss upon his hands and cheeks. He was going to be crushed if he remained in this room.

Pulling his silk nightclothes closer to his quivering body, Mao Bolin braved the darkness outside of the sanctity of his quarters.
cont

>>4606543

The door to the balcony that overlooked his palace in the canyon was unlocked, an untouched bottle of a fine vintage of plum brandy from Gao Liwei's personal cellar sat upon a table, were he and his late brother sat, discussing the future and what awaited both of them. Courts above it felt just like yesterday when Jian was by his side, his gregarious charm and boisterous laugh had been taken from him forever, from his wife.

Mao Bolin stood against the railing, carved of lacquered wood set in the stone, set with the knife marks and the wear the passing ages had set upon them.

Before him, lay the last shield of the Mao, the pitiful force he could muster from his lands, a horde of rabble and peasants, not even dressed in the colors of his house. They had been gathered and carolled to the the walls of his castle. Men and boys, workers and laborers. It was all he had left. All he had left, what a queer thought. He had mustered an army larger than the one that died with his brother, and yet he could only see it as what it was. What was left, the men unfit to join the first army. A desperate act to keep himself alive, a coward's army. If it was put against any other, it'd be a threat by sheer weight of numbers! if it had Jian leading it, it'd be a threat because of his leadership. But it didn't and the army it was raised to fight against, was led by a Giant out of stories, and commanded by greater men than Bolin himself. Men who by greed or enchantment stood against the Yan and thus the Mao.

But even then, they could be defeated, if they were but men alone. Devils, spirits, and monsters alike bolstered their ranks. They held sorcerous tools that could kill a man from well over twenty paces, Bolin had heard. All given to the command of men like Yin Lei, Lai song and that man who had taken Dai castle in but a single night. Why Bolin had heard that even the banner of the Gao had been spotted to fly among their troops.

If the Giant could gain the loyalty of even on of his victims own sons, then what chance did the Mao's second army have to beat his in the field of war? Doom, death and doom. It was all to fall apart, before his eyes. The end of days was coming, and the fools still thought they could fight and win against the giant's horde. All of Yan would be consumed by fire and gospel of a monk born from the rabble.

Mao Bolin's hand reached into a pocket of his nightdress, pulling forth a pipe forged of silver. With a shaking hand, he grabbed a powder made of black pills, crushed and mixed with sweet honey, and poured the mixture into the ornate bowl of his smoking pipe. A steel knife struck against a flint gave the spark to light the potent mixture. and suddenly, all of Bolin's worries and fears faded away, smothered by the haze of the black smoke rising from his lips and the sweet taste upon his tongue.
cont

>>4606546

He liked to think that, perhaps, in the heavens. Jian, Liwei, Tengfei and even that shrew Biya, could taste the smoke of his pipe as it drifted up into the sky, and share with him this fleeting pleasure. They were gone, his closest allies and friends. Now Bolin was alone, oh what a state, what a sorry state.

If Tengfei and Biya had not been hung alongside Liwei, then perhaps their families would have joined the war and won it with his brother, rather than turn to infighting as they had done.

Bolin sighed, pulling the pipe from his lips, feeling as if he could fly if he truly wanted to, his eyes watching the cooking fires and lanterns of his army dance in the darkness. It was like the sea of stars that surround the eight courts had come down to Shangrala just for his eyes. It was so beautiful, so beautiful it almost brought tears to the eyes. Fire, breaking the night, oh he thought he felt a poem being written in his mind.

And then he heard it. The slow, rhythmic beating of a leather bound tanggu. It made the lord stand up straighter and strain his eyes to peer into the darkness that surrounded him, outside of the light of his candle and pipe.

It continued, sounding too distant to be played within the walls of his castle, but too clear to be the product of some whimsical performance by the farmers the fortified his forces, not knowing what fate yet awaited them all. Then it became louder, came close, beat faster.

Then, on the wind, a voice as loud as thunder, as the hammer against a smith anvil, the voice of an avalanche, of a storm, of an angry god, reached his ears.

"We are born in the world" The booming voice proclaimed, its speech thick with a southern Yan accent "All men share the same cradle from birth to death. Do not abuse the world"

Bolin nearly swallowed his pipe, his euphoria banished as he recognized the words spoken. They were passages from the Journey! the Giant's journey! His heart bounded in his chest, his veins pulsed and tightened and his jaw clenched. A single drop of sweat came gliding down his brow as his teeth ground themselves against silver.

"Do not wound it in search of glittering gems!" The voice roared to the heavens, mighty enough to shake the mountains themselves, the wind seemingly picking up as it spoke "Do not poison its lakes, do not tear down its forests without reason"

The drum continued to beat, heard over the winds own wail, its pace quickening. The voice returned with as much confidence and vigor as it spoke with before.

"Every creature upon the world is a member of our family" The voice bellowed, challenging all men and nature itself to argue the words it spoke "A blade of grass holds more value than any gem of the earth"

The tanggu was beaten more ferociously before its paced slowed again.
cont

>>4606548

"Once, my eyes did see a most upsetting scene that did so befoul my gaze. A child and mother, crying over the father and husband, who beat them as if they were oxen pulling a cart. His death had come by my own hands, a punishment for the crimes he had committed upon his own kin, flesh and blood" The voice said, calmly, serenely "Drink was the poison of his mind, and the beginning of his degeneration into little more than a beast. Yet his family, who had been so cruel towards and abused so viciously that they were on the brink of death when I found them, mourned him still"

Mao bolin's mind went blank with fear and terror, before a sense of glee overcame both. There was but one man who could speak with such power to his voice, outside of the Yan king himself. And that, was Lieren the traitor. It was like a dream! somehow, he had come to his door alone, without his mighty army, a fool stepping into a snare forgotten by some long dead hunter. What fortune, what fortune indeed! The fortune of the Mao had turned around at last, a gift from the celestial courts, after so much turmoil and suffering.

"Such a sight, it made me ponder for sometime, how could one mourn such a blackhearted brute, one that had nearly taken their own lives and filled them with suffering and torment alone, how could one shed tears for such a man" The voice called out again as Mao Bolin grinned widely, truly consumed by the intoxicant he imbibed now "And then a revelation came to me! like the fresh air of mourning! They did not mourn him as he was, but rather the man he had once been, before he ruined himself. Within every villain, there was once a man who could have become virtuous and wise, mourn them, do not praise the death of the criminal, mourn the man he could have been instead, this is the wisdom I give to you now"

The drum was beaten again, and Mao Bolin called for his aide, to summon what worthy warriors remained among their ranks
-
Setting aside the Tanggu you had made, you stood outside the gate of Mao Castle, the men stationed and camped outside of it forming around you but keeping their distance. No doubt they expected you to have horns, tusks and skin as red as the dawn or as black as the night. They didn't see you as an enemy, more of a curiosity, a few listened closely, most just gawked and stared.

The castle walls were carved similarly to the stronghold of the Tao, but merged into the walls of the wound in the mountain more closely than even their mountaintop home. The gate was of wood lacquered and colored tangerine, reinforced with steel and stone. It'd be quite difficult to breech by mundane means, but you had gunpowder, if you wished to, these walls would crumble as if they were made of loose silt and sand instead. But you had a purpose beyond merely claiming Bolin's head and crushing the Mao once and for all. Beyond the walls, would lie what was left of their proper army.
cont

>>4606552

The soldiers and warriors trained to be such, rather than the farmers and laborers who now stood watching your back as if you were a Qilin descended from the heavens themselves.

They would be the perfect test to measure yourself against.

"MAO BOLIN AND HIS DOGS! LIEREN HAS COME TO YOUR WALLS! THE DEVIL YOU FEAR! THE BLADE IN THE FOG, THE ENEMY OF YAN AND THE "PEOPLE" You yell as loudly as your throat will allow you to, splitting the quite of the night as you sit down and cross your legs, laughing at the insulting titles the Yan have given you "THE OGRE HIMSELF IS AT YOUR DOOR! COME COME! TAKE HIS HEAD IF YOU CAN! BEFORE HE CLAIMS YOURS!"

That, along with the passages of your Journey, should be enough to rile to sleeping boar to action, and give you a suitable challenge to overcome to be able to reach the lord of the castle himself. It was foolish, to seek to battle half an army alone. But not knowing how far your limits lay ahead, how much further you could push your body and skills, was even more foolish still.

Sliding your palms over each other, you close your eyes as you level your hands over your stomach, and pace your breath. Your twin hearts slow to a crawl, barely beating as you ready yourself for the storm that is about to wash over you. You cannot allow yourself to be bested this night, you have given yourself the perfect chance to truly utilize all of your strength and potential. The words become a mantra in your mind.

You cannot lose. No barriers or restrictions. Use all of your strength and might, Lieren.

The gates begin to raise, followed by the thundering of well over a thousand pairs of feet. Your enemy, your challenge. Clasping your hands together, you stretch your fingers and crack your knuckles as you stand and open your eyes.

Before you lies an army, what remains of the warriors and soldiers of Mao, to your back lies their terrified and confused levies.

You breath out and clap your hands together again. Lanterns dance above the armored warriors, their spears and swords glowing by their fire.

They're all that stands in the way between you and Mao Bolin. So they must die.

How do you cut your way through the forces before you, Lieren?
> Cut them down without hesitation, making an effort to spare the virtuous and righteous as you carve a path through the bodies
>Make a point to not use any true weapon, your fists should be enough to deal with them, test your might
>Do not kill any of them, test your agility and grace by plucking the weapons from their hands and dodging their strikes
>Test your endurance and durability, march forward and allow them to strike you with their blades and spears.
>Write in?

>>4606554
>Make a point to not use any true weapon, your fists should be enough to deal with them, test your might
>Walk calmly to Mao Bolin's, only dispatching those foolish enough to try and halt your march
Let's hope they get the message here.

>>4606554
>Test your endurance and durability, march forward and allow them to strike you with their blades and spears.
>Write in?
Repeat the versus of your Journey, let their hearts be enlighted. Defeat them with the power of you gaze, potency of your voice, and the strength that is your resolve.

>>4606567
> Cut them down without hesitation, making an effort to spare the virtuous and righteous as you carve a path through the bodies
This option kinda implies that some that try to stop us might not be all that bad. What do you think?

>>4606554
>>Make a point to not use any true weapon, your fists should be enough to deal with them, test your might
time to learn some self trained kung-fu

>>4606586
I think if we go the agility route we might have a revelation in regards to the Carp style. Hell, it might even become a new style altogether if we really learn something from this.

Perhaps I'm worrying over nothing. I suppose casualties are unavoidable in war.

Anyone know any primarchs that engage exclusively or mainly with their fists? The only one that comes to mind is Guilliman that one time in space.

>>4606590
I dunno. These choices feel like we might be determining if we're gonna be mostly a STR, Unarmed, Agility, or Endurance build or at least understand our own limits in regard to those.

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>>4606597
which path do you choose?
>the sword
>the shield
>the wand

>>4606554
>>Make a point to not use any true weapon, your fists should be enough to deal with them, test your might

>>4606554
>Cut down any who try to harm you without hesitation. Try our best to spare the virtue.
>Disarm the peasantry
>Write in: Continue to preach the journey as we work, this should scare them shirtless.

>>4606616
You know what, fuck it. I replace cut down without effort for testing our might.

We are here to be tested, let us test.

>>4606620
So maximum violence against everything?

>>4606554
>>Make a point to not use any true weapon, your fists should be enough to deal with them, test your might

>>4606554
>Make a point to not use any true weapon, your fists should be enough to deal with them, test your might
Use our feet as well for our whole body is as a weapon

>>4606554
>Make a point to not use any true weapon, your fists should be enough to deal with them, test your might
I want to test all of them but this is a good start.

>>4606622
Not quite, we're not monsters.

But use our body until we must resort to our weapons to make this easier.

>>4606554
>>Make a point to not use any true weapon, your fists should be enough to deal with them, test your might
>>Do not kill any of them, test your agility and grace by plucking the weapons from their hands and dodging their strikes
Go for nerve clusters, we on some Ty Lee shit.

>>4606554
>>4606554
>>Do not kill any of them, test your agility and grace by plucking the weapons from their hands and dodging their strikes

The scared Lord depopulated the lands of menfolk after he lost his army.
Killing to many of them will be ensuring these lands get some very interesting times ahead.

>>4606554
>Make a point to not use any true weapon, your fists should be enough to deal with them, test your might
>Do not kill any of them, test your agility and grace by plucking the weapons from their hands and dodging their strikes
No need to kill conscripts and levys

>>4606554
>Do not kill any of them, test your agility and grace by plucking the weapons from their hands and dodging their strikes
This sounds like a good test, we need to be pretty fast. Plus, they're just farmers goddamnit, we NEED to reign in our BLOODLUST.

>>4606554
>Do not kill any of them, test your agility and grace by plucking the weapons from their hands and dodging their strikes

>>4606554
>Make a point to not use any true weapon, your fists should be enough to deal with them, test your might
>Do not kill any of them, test your agility and grace by plucking the weapons from their hands and dodging their strikes

>>4606554
>Make a point to not use any true weapon, your fists should be enough to deal with them, test your might
>Do not kill any of them, test your agility and grace by plucking the weapons from their hands and dodging their strikes

>>4606554
>Make a point to not use any true weapon, your fists should be enough to deal with them, test your might
>Do not kill any of them, test your agility and grace by plucking the weapons from their hands and dodging their strikes.

We are here for the MAXIMUM difficulty mode. Putting all the handicaps we can while going nonlethal is just too good, the options also have good sinergy: testing our might is both endurance, strenght and dexterity. Nonlethal and dodging is dexterity, agility and speed. We are basically doing the shonen training right there.

>>4606843
I utterly oppose letting them hit us. That's going beyond "testing" into retardation

>>4606554
>>Make a point to not use any true weapon, your fists should be enough to deal with them, test your might
>>Do not kill any of them, test your agility and grace by plucking the weapons from their hands and dodging their strikes.

>>4606860
To be fair Lieren has been hit by acid breath that can slag steel and melt people into puddles of goo and came out with only mild burns. There’s also a type of body tempering called the “iron jacket” training that requires you to get hit.

>>4606843
>We are basically doing the shonen training right there.
A 40k anime series following a space marine or inquisitor just trying to do his duty with no grander narrative in the style of Akira Kurosawa is not something that I knew I wanted.

>>4606865
While fair about our durability, it is far too reckless to employ here, not to mention the sort of image it presents for future stories/our cat protege's when we return to them.

If we get cut, we get cut. But lets not deliberately get cut to shit without trying to avoid it.

>>4606860
The point is to not get hit pal...

>>4606867
Again, I ask you to read my post more carefully:
>Nonlethal and dodging
>dodging

>>4606882
I must have mistook your statement of "ALL HANDICAPS" to include the power and drive option.
My mistake anon.

>>4606886
No problem. What I'm aiming for is MAX technical difficulty and artificial "strain" upon our body and mind. Lieren can kill all of the Mao's remaining army in a single day by himself, but it would be so trivial that we could replicate the same result by running for a day while swinging our sword at imagined foes, like a mental simulation that we engeneer to be as difficult to beat as possible, accompanied with us making the moves like it was real combat. The same goes for the endurance part, we can ask our men to attack us or just run nonstop until we collapse, lift until we collapse, etc. If we ask our men to fight us to the death, they'll either refuse or try and fail to go for the kill due to being our bros. This people are scared and think we are a demonic ogre, they will flail around unpredicticably (reinforces carp style and our reflexes and quick improvisation as a whole) and go for the kill viciously (makes our body and mind take this seriously at all levels, be it conscious or subconscious). If, on top of that we handicap ourselves by removing the many combat options that our weapons give us and further limit our options by going nonlethal against armed foes, we'll have to rely and improve upon our raw might, skill and intelligence while training practically everuthing we can train with such a fight. I aim for maximum gains while making our legend greater and making the Mao's entire army Nope the fuck out and join us without excessive violece.

>>4606893
Oh yeah, our marines will definatley be used as advanced scouts pulling the playbook of genestealers but with propaganda and inciting coups, insurrection or revolts and totally not '' our'' flets coming in as peacekeepers to garrison shit and sign the Imperial part of the world joining up.
Hell we might become the most politically connected legion and probably have some friendly rivalry with lorgars for doing this shit after conquest while with Alphas for being compelety focused on the covert part and not on the big picture.

Probably have companies of Astartes on rogue traders and dump a squad on most worlds they visit to prepare them for joining up.

>>4606860
You do realize an unarmored space marine can shrug off autogun rounds? Which, by that comparison a primarch can probably shrug off autocannon bullets?

>>4606554
>Do not kill any of them, test your agility and grace by plucking the weapons from their hands and dodging their strikes

and >>4606567's
>Walk calmly to Mao Bolin's, only dispatching those foolish enough to try and halt your march

>>4606914
>Behold, the Primarch Face team
>Lorgar, working the masses
>Leiren, swaying the papers and simple folk
>Alpharius & Omegon, working the shadows

>>4606843
Changing my vote to support whatever you got going for you.

>>4606916
While it's probably true, letting them do it just because we can is stupid. Stupid and ineffecient.

>>4606939
Not necessarily. If Mortarian can get away with it, theres no reason we cant tank most hits.

>>4606957
I'm not saying we are UNABLE to tank hits, I'm saying that purposefully injuring our body for no gain is inefficient and stupid.

Cutting ourselves through the use of our enemies serves us for nothing and just ruins any appearance we have for the stories that will be told from this event. That we emerged bloodied and with our clothes utterly wrecked.
Or do you have some reasoning that injuring ourself is beneficial?

>>4606957
Mortarion is nurgleboy and also lived in a world where the air was more dangerous than bolter rounds. As I said, we can do endurance training when we have nothing to lose. Right now we need to focua on winning while getting all the training we can.

>>4606960
>emerged blooded
More like unscathed. Again this is a primarch we're talking about. I'm not say we should start tanking hits. I'm saying that regardless if we're hit or not none of their weapons will even penetrate skin.

>>4606973
Nah, we have actually been bloodied by mortal weapons. Arrows cut our skin when we defended Dai and some vishnu mercs did cut our skin with their blades earlier.

We are not invincible, just retardedly durable

>>4606983
I don't recall that ever happening. Give quote?

>>4607108
He’s talking about an arrow that scratched Lieren while forgetting that Lieren has tanked worse than an arrow.

>>4607108
Arrows
>The arrows shatter against your puffed out chest. The tip of the iron head's dull or bounce off the steel you wear. A few fall a bit further back, and strike against your face, leaving thin and shallow cuts upon your cheeks before the arrows' haft shattered or glanced away.
And
>Your hair lifts up as it passes through and under it. Releasing your grip upon your Guandao, you raise your left hand and pluck the last arrow out of the air, catching it between two fingers.
>It had a malformed feather as its fletching, explaining its delayed arrival. You blink and look upon the archers veiled by fog. The front line of them are reacting now to the failure of their attempted murder, reaching back to notch another arrow in their bow's string. By instinct and muscle memory, their eyes are filled with pure terror as they realize that you were able to react quickly enough to foil their assassination attempt, only sustaining scrapes and scratches for their efforts.

That's from the second thread. I was wrong about the mercs, we cut them to ribbons because they refused to stop moving while there was the physical ability to do so.
But yeah, our body can be damaged and it behooves us to remember this. If our steel was still intact, then we could afford to be lax and suffer nothing.

So I think the votes are leaning toward speed and might so I think Lieren will start off with dodging all attacks towards him until the army is tired then strike down all of the wicked amongst him with his full unbridled might, maybe even tear apart Mao’s castle with his bare hands.

>>4607249
More or less? Punch, dodge, punch holes in walls for shits and giggles. I'm ok with anything so long as we're not excessively killing people, people who are virtuous, or peasants.

>>4607258
We could invent a style that would utilize swipes and the fact that we could break someone's femur between two fingers. or as some might say a.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDNTSdoMz8w&ab_channel=damirtennis

Speaking of >>4607263, if there's one thing that Malal gives us free of charge, I'd greatly appreciate it to be a group of Remembrancers who're just the Wu Tang Clan.

>>4607263
I suppose there's no reason to not know more than one type of martial arts style.

>>4607268
Remembrancers?
Wu Tang Clan? What are all these?

>>4607276
rememberancers is a late-game term for anybody of the rememberancer order. Poets, archaeologists, singers and other artists who's job it is to REMEMBER the great crusade for future peoples to look back on.
They are widely hated by the crusade fleet, because they get everywhere and make some. . . political situations a bit too clear.

Wu tang, got no clue man.

>>4607276
>not knowing what a Remembrancer is
Literally the chapter’s historians.

>>4607276
>>4607281
see >>4607263
Our crusade will be immortalized in sick verse.

>>4607287
Rap is a valid form of rememberance.

>>4607288
Rap is the fecal matter of music genres.

>>4607288
Once Upon a Time in Shangrala becomes a beloved book of hymns, I can see it.

>>4607281
>Wu tang, got no clue man.
A collection of the deadliest word-smiths dedicated to the rhythm and rhyme.
>>4607293
You can just say you know nothing about the genre.

>>4607305
>Literally shit talks Daemons so bad they commit sudoku
I'm starting to warm up to the idea.

>>4607305
>You can just say you know nothing about the genre.
I know enough, also Wu Tang isn’t rap.

>>4607313
Wu Tang is Hip-Hop. One of the 4 major elements of Hip-Hop is rapping.
They rap on every track. What the fuck are you on about?

>>4607268
>Remembrancers who're just the Wu Tang Clan.
I absolutely want that

>>4607314
When people talk about “rap” as a genre they mean the modern shit that abandoned everything good about hiphop. Rap is literally just poetry that isn’t sung, while it can be applied well for the most part is shit unless it’s attached superior music style and is pretty low effort shit in general which is my bigger problem with.
Besides Mantras are superior.
https://youtu.be/zwTGyO3MdP4

Is no one going to comment on the opening line of "Tiger Style" and the fact that we have a group of Tiger people to train and make civilized?

What i was trying to say with the song is that we can invent a martial arts style that designed for the Tiger Peoples physiology

https://blackbeltwiki.com/tiger-claw#:~:text=To%20use%20this%20technique%2C%20martial,pressure%20points%20during%20this%20strike.

>>4607340
I feel like creating an entire style around a species that's gonna be non-existent within a generation isn't the way to go.

>>4607343
why will they be non-existent in a generation?

>>4607344
I guess it depends on how things go.
Either way they're definitely not gonna be allowed to breed once the Emperor gets here.

>>4607343
>non-existent within a generation
Did I miss something? Is this based on a assumption that they’ll no longer be tiger people since they won’t live near all that warpstone anymore

>>4607345
Perhaps they'll be the first point of contention between us and dad. Wonder how it'll go.

>>4607340
Amusingly enough that would lend credence retroactively to the play where Lieren clawed a bandit to death from a distance.

>>4607345
>>4607348
This talk about our future disagreements with Big E has me wondering, how long do you guys think until he arrives to Shangrala? Lieren’s been around for around 3-5ish years if I’m not mistaken

>>4607345
But the Emperor is chill with abhumans.

>>4607345
These tiger people seem like a near perfect abhuman strain, though. Stronger than regular humans on average, not obscenely grotesque, not chaos-tainted...they're Felinids, but better.

>>4607343
We only need 50 of them to avoid inbreeding. 500 to avoid genetic drift.

Generally speaking, I doubt there are less than 50 tiger children.

>>4607365
Something like 285, I think.

>>4607365
See
>>4603610
>You sat down before them, smiling calmly while being careful not to show your teeth and accidentally threaten this pack of children. A total of two hundred and eighty five.

>>4607374
>>4607375
Then they're safe. Genetic Drift is less of an "sure" thing as much as it's a chance. With almost 300, there's a good chance the Tiger People will be able to survive.

Honestly, the Shangrala army seems to be lining up to be quite interesting. Chinese Guardsmen, Big Toddy Amazon Guardswomen, Tiger Guardsmen...

>>4607377
Big Tiddy*
Though Amazons with Toddy sounds absolutely great too

>>4605046
Support

>>4607377
>>4607378
We also aren't even remotely done conquering the planet.

>>4607377
I think we picked out homeworld well, Voormis is the only other one I found nearly as interesting. We also haven't found any of the archeotech that makes this fucking fog, that'll be something to look out for. Consider this a threadly reminder to be on the lookout for places where a write-in could uncover a secret of Shangrala.

>>4607384
Carib would have been interesting and more adventure focused.

>>4607362
Maybe shangrala is where felinids came from originally

>>4607392
Canonically speaking, felinids are from Carlos McConnell.

>>4607393
Clearlt Carlos wanted genetically modified catgirls.

>>4607387
I also think that an pirate king lieren would have been interesting. I wonder what his Nakama™ would have been loke

>>4607387
>>4607395
I hope the possibility of a pirate primarch lives on in the 11th. It's a niche that needs to be filled tactically and Malal's sacred number is infamously 11. Maybe he spirited away him too.

>>4607394
He's a mad eccentric, I wouldn't be surprised.

>>4607378
>big Toddy
>Todd Howard with tits
KILL IT KILL THIS IMAGE FROM THIN MIND!!!!

>>4607412
CLOSE YOUR EYES BROTHER, I'LL QUICKLY DEAL WITH THIS SLAANESHY INFLUENCE [Proceeds to beat the psyker with a heavy bolter and then BLAM him]

>>4607434
BROTHER MY EYE'S, MY EEEEEEEEYEEEE-
>Hello there how are you doing, Todd Howard here. Let me tell you something about Bethesda Studios.
>When we think about games, we think about worlds, and the choices you can make, the stories you create and tell yourself. We have a game, more than any game that we've ever done, where the choices are yours, where you'll decide what happens. You'll decide the heroes, and you'll decide the villains.
>And that game, is Fallout 76

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>>4607445

Alright calling the vote now

Make a point to fight unarmed, test your might: 13
Walk calmly to Mao Bolin, only dispatching those foolish enough to halt your march: 2
Test your endurance and durability by allowing yourself to be hit:1
Repeat verses of your journey and let their hearts be enlightened: 2
Do not kill any of them, test your agility and grace by disarming them:10

Total votes: 19

Alright, so Lieren shall test his might against steel, fighting unarmed. and test his agility and speed by challenging himself not to take any lives except Mao Bolin's this night.

Writing now
Also, those of you guessing a second style would join the carp.
Guess what?

>>4606866
I'd kill if it'd make that anime a reality

>>4607263
>>4607268
>>4607276
>>4607281

funnily enough, I sometimes listen to Wu tang clan while writing updates, actually. one of the many bands I have on a line up to help me write. Been partial to the Asura's wrath soundtrack for battles, and of course. Bury the light.

>>4607395
https://youtu.be/fkXnLatevJU here's a glimpse into one of the possibilities of Carib 2nd

>>4607450
reminds me of this thing that was made in the second thread, I believe

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2.73 MB PNG

>>4607462
dammit

>>4607457
>https://youtu.be/fkXnLatevJU
God, we'd be such bros with Russ if we went with pirate primarch.

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>>4607457
>Tiger Style

>>4607516
>Implying we won't develop and teach the Fog Panther Fist to all who wish to learn.
God imagine the beast men with a style like that. double the arms for double the strikes.

>>4607517
What would the Fog Panther style even be?
I guess the obvious answer would be basing it off of Fog Panther movments and Lieren's hunting methods
>efficiency in movement to conserve energy
>fast and powerful linear strikes based on spear movement
>attacks to blood vessels and tendons to cripple opponents
>attacking from superior positions and stealth if possible
>numerous blood chokes and joint locks for submission

>>4607522
I'd also imagine a focus on striking from multiple angles or adding another strike on the return. Sorta like how musashi's sword style emphasized a strike on the return stroke.

>>4607525
I'm basing my suggestions off of stuff Lieren's done in the past and how he's been shown to fight in his element, but those aren't terrible suggestions.

>>4607528
My apologies, your method seems more appropriate. I was mostly concerned for leveraging the advantages of our newfound wards. Maybe found a monastic order down the road to train some warrior monks.

>>4607529
I figure our wards would need a style all their own, not that the proposed Fog Panther style wouldn't be effective in their hands.
I do feel like whatever style they hypothetically create should definitely leverage their claws, fangs, and extra arms.

>>4607522
If we were to distill what our tactic so far is into a martial arts style we would be:
>act defensively in order to learn your opponents abilities
>look for weaknesses in the approach
>find weakness
>exploit weakness

we said we couldn't kill people, that doesn't mean we can't disable them via pressure points. and once you put claws on those hands it becomes much more deadly.

>>4607532
Perhaps we could develop a method to strengthen the fingers alongside having the option in the style to have the fingers out or folded flat to the hand. lethal and non-lethal as it were.

>>4607534
>Perhaps we could develop a method to strengthen the fingers
Another point on the Roah chart then since him and his brother have a method just for that.
2 Finger push-ups, and a fucking lot of em.

>>4607544
https://youtu.be/wn6qdsZcTTU

>>4607546
We said non-lethal GAWT DAMMIT

>>4607552
It can be nonlethal, but it could also he extremely lethal. No reason why we cant go for both.

Will we unify the planet before papa E shows up?

Also how do you think he'll show up as? and what will he do when he does?

However, killing would be easy for you. You have became well trained in the art of ending lives, to the degree that doing so can come as naturally as breath or blinking to you now. A side effect of plotting and calculating the demise of men like Ling, Fu, and Liwei for a not insubstantial period of your life upon shangrala. See the first man to the gate, charging so boldly and bravely to his almost certain demise, fills your thoughts with equations and images, detailing how you could, with a single strike preformed the base of your palm and wrist, break his spine and cut of the flow of air to his lungs. It'd be easy, as it was to crush the neck of Tao Song, or take Cui Fu's head, or the many other ways you've scourged the sinful and cleansed the cruel from rhe face of your home.

It'd be easy, and thus, not a challenge that could even remotely push your body to the limits. With a heavy enough swing you could cave the young man's head in with the Tanggu resting at your feet, or with a solid kick, shatter the entirety of his ribcage by kicking the instrument into his chest. But that'd be as challenging as it'd be to pluck a flower, or catch an insect as it dances around your head, as easy as rolling a stone into a pond, or grinding rice grains into flour.

A bloodbath would not be a challenge, all that slaughtering the men rushing towards you would accomplish was create a grisly scene. You would not learn anything, and the men couldn't learn anything. It'd be another pointless waste of life, one you now were adamant in avoiding.

Craning your neck back, you glance to the stars floating in the heaven, turning the thoughts of killing flooding your mind instead to a more nonlethal approach, where you could truly test the might of your limbs against steel and your speed and agility against a storm of iron.

And, almost humorously, you find your answer in one of your earliest preys. A method you had long set aside in favor of spears, staffs, swords and Guandaos. The lesson taught to you at your birth, by your favored prey, the devourers of men. The Fog Panther itself. There movements had long inspired your own, and the methods you employed to hunt men and beast alike.

But before now, you had not realized how you could, with your bare hands, use movements of the beasts in battle, outside of quick killing strikes. For you had no claws, and had no wish to dig your teeth into the neck of your fellow man. Much to barbaric, but inspiration has come, from your half beast wards. They have shown you what a mingling of Feline and Man looks like, how they move, how they react and strike. With the rapidity of your strikes and the force behind them, the style would still be quite deadly, as it would be in the hands of a more mundane master.
Cont

>>4607583
>Also how do you think he'll show up as? and what will he do when he does?
It goes one of two ways
>He arrives and clouds the skies of our home with warships while demanding a parley with Lieren
or
>He appears as a hermit of unknown origin and wanders into Nothing to discuss philosophy with Lieren
No inbetween.

>>4607587

These movements could then be combined with several motions and strikes that can be translated from manufactured weapons to bare hands and half balled fists, to round out the weaknesses and deficiencies of movements and attacks inherent to such a wild form of combat.

A reflection of Lieren, in someway, as the Carp's style and dance were reflections of your brother, Jinhai. The controlled fury and calculating strike, to the Carp's serene grace and fluid form. From elegance, to nimble power. As a Carp swims in the cold stream, the Panther stalks and strikes within the fog.

Raising your hands up, you clench them, half closing them to mimic claws with your fingers and the nails topping them. Letting out a breath, you turn your eyes back to the bravest of Mao's men, his eyes wide with fury and fear. The translation of Feline movements to those of a man's had been finished, finally completed by unknowing assistance of your students. With a confident smirk, you put the new crafted method of combat into action.

It was easy to do, after all, you had hunted many panthers. The way their limbs moved and their muscles twitched had become ingrained into your mind so deeply it had soaked into your very bones.

A spear head, stabbed up at a sharp angled, aimed for the throat. With but two swipes of your hand, the wooden pole is rendered to naught but dust and splinters. The man stumbles backward, reaching for a knife fastened along his belt.

There is no veil of chain or iron plate fastened to protect his neck, bending all but the first three fingers of your right hand, you reach out and grasp the carotid artery that is the shallowest in his neck. The same way you prefer to kill panthers, and the beasts themselves prefer to end their prey. However, you do not reach deeper into his neck to pinch the second artery. And the sheer terror you have inspired with your rapid movements and imposing frame, keeps his peers away from you as you hold him there.

The man's eyes bulge, but begin to cloud and become distant as the insufficient flow of blood begins to addle his body's functions, including that of his brain. With a quick jab of your left thumb, you bruise a nerve cluster in his neck, it is a suitable shock to render him unconscious considering the now weakened state of his body and consciousness. The Man's jaw goes slack and his legs crumple. You let him fall, releasing your grip around his neck.

Rolling your neck, to loosen the muscles inside and keep it from feeling stiff, you ball your hands into fists and step forward, shooting out your pointer and middle finger like the tips of a spear or claws of a cat. And stand still for a moment, before the terrified foes decide it is better to die fighting than it is too run away.

Fortunate for them, only the blood of boars will stain your hands this night. At least, so long as they did not live as bandits to return to their master's side.
cont

>>4607589

You catch one of the men's wrist between your two fingers, and then grab and bend it with the rest of them, gripping it tightly and digging your nails into the nerves along his arm.

It goes limp as its owner shrieks in agony, a deeper press and his wrist would begin bleeding terrible and become nonfunctional if the wound is deepened further. The next, you strike with a quick but powerful flick of your arm, striking with the tips of your fingers first followed shortly by the palm of your hand. The target was the tendon within the man's shoulder. It falls limp as his eyes widen, as you release the first and let him crumple to his knees in pain. The man's eyes flick to his limb, that refuses the commands his nerves send to it, the insubordinate limb hanging limply at his side.

He starts to groan, to shocked to cry out in pain. With a swift sweep of your leg, his foot is knocked out from beneath him, his ankle either bruised or twisted, it'd be completely shattered if you had unleashed the full extent of your might against it. Letting out a breath, you rotate your arms through air, drawing rough circles with both of your hands as you lower your stance, dropping your legs and shoulders to adopt a more hunched posture. Like a panther about to pounce. Your left arm you pull back further, palm exposed and fingers curled like claws. The right you keep open, fingers clenched and held together.

The first three men through the gate are now at your feet, in varying levels of consciousness and pain. Of course your reactions far outstrip the ordinary man's but what is there limit? You try to answer it, by using your left "claw" hand to attempt to gauge the time it takes between you seeing a threat and reacting to it. In this time the massed spears of ten men. Each movement is efficient, not a single calorie of energy is wasted, You strike and then pull your hand back, stopping it.

It wastes the momentum but maintains your energy and allows you spring another strike quickly after another, basing the spears heads away and gripping them loosely, allowing you to adjust your grip upon them before digging your nails into the pole and pulling them free of their wielders' hands. Utilizing the momentum of their own attacks to aid in disarming them. The now weaponless men turn to flee, but you bring them to their knees, by bruising their joints and tendons with your "Spear" hand, as well as pinching the nerve clusters and veins running beneath their arms and legs. It'd be easy to cripple them, if you so wished to, with this method.

One is so bold as to strike you as you're bringing his comrade to the knee, you simple ball your "Claw" hand into a full fist, and when he is but a step away and inches from driving the tip of his blade under your ribs, you strike him in the throat with a punch that traveled such a short distance it must look as though you had simply stolen than man's breath through some sorcerous means.
cont