>>5311436

"Once more, my dear brother, I invite you to both observe and join me in the audience with that aged and sagacious race named the Aeldari" You say cordially and kindly, as you and Magnus sit a table across from each other, in an illusionary tea house you had created to make this astral meeting between you two brothers all the more comfortable "I know you would never forgive me if I denied you a chance to illuminate yourself with the knowledge and wisdom they possess, even if they, like men, can be blinded by arrogance and lead by foolish leaders"

Magnus lifted an eyebrow, his facial features shifting as the colors of his eyes cascade with colors that could only be seen in the depths of the great sea, as his people the Prosperans named the spiritual realm of the Empyrean

"Oh I wouldn't hold a grudge over such a petty thing, I was satisfied with my first encounter with that Xenos breed, when you requested my aid to speak on behalf of those who had, through means that still elude even my research, come to follow The Journey" Magnus said almost idly, as he admired and studied every detail you had made and placed within the dream tea house the two of you sat within, searching to reveal subtleties of Shangralan and specifically Long-Jianese culture so he may come to understand you even more intimately than he already did

"However, I shall still send an Astral presence, if only to see the differences between the cultures of the craftworld and to support you in your meeting with this Eldrad. Such a mysterious figure must be approached with caution, even if he presents himself as a friend" Magnus continued on stoically "And, while it may seem rather hypocritical of me to warn for caution considering the manner of which I once approached the denizens of the Warp, if my observations of the Aeldari psyche and soul and the theories that I hold considering both are accurate, their psionic potential only expands with age and if Carys, who herself is old, considers this Eldrad to be not only her elder, but all but a figure of legend made manifest in the modern Era, approaching him unguarded is just asking to invite disaster upon yourself"

"I do not believe you to be a hypocrite at all, my dearest of brother. I only knew the dangers of the great sea because of my unusual eyes and gift of truth revealing sight" You humbly reply, going through the motions of sipping from your tea cup and putting it down, though it is nothing more than a projected image "and I thank you for your support, and deeply appreciate your promise to guard me from any treachery or ill will that may be directed towards me by my hosts. I shall contact you when I arrive at Great Ulthwe"
Cont

>>5311438

"Your humility is admirable as always, brother. I am sure I am overreacting and acting more like Amon than myself, but experience has taught me you attract danger like a flame draws in moths" Magnus said jovially, but the sharpness of his words told you of how deeply concerned he was for your well being and that he feared if he was not present, he'd find you bloodied and beaten as he had when you were drawn into the trap set by the once nonexistent Chun Qiang "And Carys, we simply must debate and discuss the finer points of your people's psionic traditions and abilities at a later date, perhaps with old Guozhi to join us, if he is still healthy enough to undertake the strain of joining our spiritual conference"

"I would be honored to, wise brother of the great philosopher" Carys said quietly, bowing her head as, after cupping your first and Magnus politely bowing his head, you two brothers depart from one another, and you find yourself upon the lifeless moon, the closest access point to the webway to Shangrala.

Kanzeon stands, her arms crossed as she sees you and Carys party down the ramp leading away from her true body, the great space faring vessel that had carried you all to this lonely rock drifting through cosmic chaos.

"I might be prejudiced against the Eldar for their ancestors folly and fuckups" She sighs, throwing a contemplative yet bored seeming glance towards your handiwork upon the moon, tapping her foot as she pursed her lips and pouted, before delivery the insult directed to the corpses hanging from the various crags and spires that arose from the surface of the grey space rock "But, I cannot in any honesty claim that I expected any specimen of their race to be so stupid as to wait around anywhere near the home of the Giant who butchered their former employer and all his family and more trusted servants, let alone start planning to enrich themselves by RAIDING the same giant's planet"

"Hmm, greed can blind even the most astute and perceptive of men" You muse, as you watch the bodies of the Aeldari raiders say on the weak wind of the bare atmosphere of this lonely, drifting moon "And the prospect of extending one's life is a temptation that can root itself in even the most stalwart and brave of hearts"

"If only they had turned away from their dark path and forsook their evil ways" Folant the veteran rangermourns hanging his head "I mean, you would've still hung them for the atrocities they had committed, but, at least then they may have found some measure of redemption"

"Or dignity" Kellas drawled, shaking his head dismissively "Did you hear how they begged, and pleaded? Accusing everyone but themselves of being the ringleader of this ramshackle operation, and boldly claiming they were coerced and unwilling followers? Utterly repugnant and shameful"

"I wonder how Yin Lei would judge these poor sinners" Carys airily remarked
Cont

"He would've approved of their hanging with all his heart. That old man...I didn't think it'd be possible to be so much of a zealot without a god to follow" Kanzeon chuckled "If he wasn't convinced of threats beyond Shangrala's borders and saw it as his duty to aid humanities return to the stars, I'd think he'd have retired as a general and become a monk somewhere"

"The Black General? No, he is like the Old fox" You say quietly and reverently "He is the kind of soldier, the kind of officer, who will not leave the battlefield until his last battle is won or he suffers his first defeat and is slain. And speaking of Yan Zihao, I still regret I was unable to witness his last charge myself"

"I'm surprise that old bastard could even die" Kanzeon whispered quietly, a twinge of sorrow to her otherwise assertive tone "And you wish to be beside everyone you know, in their last moments"

"As I hope they are by my side when I breath my last, as I wish you and I are never so cruely parted by "fate" and death" You say solemnly and sorrowfully as you bow your head

"Tch, you're just trying to make our parting here sad so our reunion will be all the more uplifting and emotional" Kanzeon says, hiding her face behind a fan to hide her tears and single sniffle "Oh don't start! I'm not complaining at all! I'll fully indulge in that innocent pleasure of embracing you once again, in basking in your presence, as I know you shall marvel and be struck by awe when you look upon me again"

You smile, and wipe tears from your own eyes

"I do so enjoy the natural sense of dramatics the Shangralans exhibit" Folant laughs "You two are only going to be apart for a few days at most, must you be so theatrical in how you say your goodbyes"

"Of course, such elaborate and poetic gestures are instinctive to long-jian men such as I. We are raised to be of eloquent tongue and elegant speech, to weave poetry with every meeting and uphold proper etiquette and keep a dignified bearing in whatever circumstances we may find ourself, no matter how unusual or unexpected" You casually explain

"And its infectious! Trust me, I've found myself writing new code in purple prose cause of him" Kanzeon chuckled "Now go on, and travel into that gate you've hung a few corpses from, lingering will just make my brief solitude all the more painful!"

"Make sure to tell Mari not fret and believe I've died in some desolate waste, give Al-Uzza the list of duties, work and projects I'll be unable to see to while I am gone, keep Anahita from meeting Tao Dandan or Shan until I can act as chaperone for their meeting, and" You say, repeating the list you had prepared to make sure nothing went too terribly wrong in your absence from Shangrala

"And teach Liberty her manners and give her etiquette lessons, and as I promised, I'll keep a detailed log of everything you've missed" Kanzeon answered warmly "Don't worry so much Lieren, the world you envisioned and built won't fall apart, it has strong foundations"

>>5311442

"I know, but it is natural for me to worry for my friends and family. Take care, my dearest and most brilliant star, whose radiance cannot be matched by any set in the heavens. I swear I shall return to you soon, and repay every tear you shed in my absence with a kiss" You sigh lovingly, winking as you step into the webway, and leave Kanzeon. The sight of her blushing face and maiden smile and adorable, flustered embarrassment, will keep you strong in the face of the unknown and strengthen your resolve to meet this Eldrad fellow

Who the more you hear of him, the more cautious you become. A living legend, as Magnus said not so poetically, is something one should approach carefully.

So, taking the helm of the levitating barge Kanzeon had made just for this occasion, you begin your travels through the labrinth of the webway, guided by Carys, Folant and Kellas' experience and familiarity with the paths that lead towards the home they abandoned to pursue the Journey.

And what a scenic journey it is, to traverse the webway, your eyes are met with countless sights of tragic and quiet beauty, and you can barely comprehend the knowledge that comes to you, revealed by your piercing stare and scholarly study of the strange realm split between the living world and the land of spirits. You ask countless questions to Carys, to Folant, to Kellas, and to all the rest of her cadre of thirty nine, even those warriors whose bodies had been lost to them during the war of ruthless butchery and senseless death!

So you can be forgiven, for deciding to wander and take a detour and more ponderous path through the webway as you near the gate that will allow you to step aboard Great Ulthwe, as perhaps the first human to set foot on a craftworld in untold millennium if not simply the first man to ever be allowed to do so! It is simply to exciting, and all of your study, all of the lessons given to you by the all to happy to teach Carys and all the strange, mystifying sights and vistas left behind within these ruins of the Aeldari stellar empire, ignite your passion as a scholar and sage as well as your hunter's heart and both demand you explore this unchartable wilderness!

Of course, you ask for permission from all of your traveling companions, before taking this slight detour with them at your sides
cont

>>5311444

And what do you find, as you meander close by the gate to Ulthwe, Lieren?

>A familiar face. But that cannot be! For that face belonged to a slaver's who neck you broke beneath your heel. Chase the apparently reincarnated Stollaire through the black market you found him in, and ask the son of Cearnarch how he is alive again.

>A prophet of the journey! A Wraith guard wearing the colors of Kher-Ys, imparting other travelers with the lessons of the Journey! It is Amaethon himself! The Hunter meets the Farmer once more!

>What appears to be an abandoned battle field, besides the ruins of a long abandoned city. You can sense the stench of the progeny of she who thirsts within. Go hunting hedonists.

>A lost gateway! You must investigate what lays beyond it! What world waits unseen behind it!

>Write in

>>5311446
>A prophet of the journey! A Wraith guard wearing the colors of Kher-Ys, imparting other travelers with the lessons of the Journey! It is Amaethon himself! The Hunter meets the Farmer once more
It's our boy!
We must take this to lock in his fate as active and well

>Other
The shadow of a stag horned figure drifts for now beyond our grasp.

I just wanna see how it's wrote up

>>5311446
>A prophet of the journey! A Wraith guard wearing the colors of Kher-Ys, imparting other travelers with the lessons of the Journey! It is Amaethon himself! The Hunter meets the Farmer once more!
It's our friend!
>The shadow of a stag horned figure drifts for now beyond our grasp.
I like this

>>5311446
>A prophet of the journey! A Wraith guard wearing the colors of Kher-Ys, imparting other travelers with the lessons of the Journey! It is Amaethon himself! The Hunter meets the Farmer once more!
Old friend! How was the tea?

>Kurnous

Because Hunter god.

>>5311446
>>A prophet of the journey! A Wraith guard wearing the colors of Kher-Ys, imparting other travelers with the lessons of the Journey! It is Amaethon himself! The Hunter meets the Farmer once more!

>>5311446
>A prophet of the journey! A Wraith guard wearing the colors of Kher-Ys, imparting other travelers with the lessons of the Journey! It is Amaethon himself! The Hunter meets the Farmer once more!

>>5311446
>A prophet of the journey! A Wraith guard wearing the colors of Kher-Ys, imparting other travelers with the lessons of the Journey! It is Amaethon himself! The Hunter meets the Farmer once more!

>>5311446
>>A prophet of the journey! A Wraith guard wearing the colors of Kher-Ys, imparting other travelers with the lessons of the Journey! It is Amaethon himself! The Hunter meets the Farmer once more!
Gotta ask how the homefront is. The merest chance of snatching an entire craftworld's worth of eldar souls from Slaanesh is too good an opportunity to pass up.

>>5311446
>A prophet of the journey! A Wraith guard wearing the colors of Kher-Ys, imparting other travelers with the lessons of the Journey! It is Amaethon himself! The Hunter meets the Farmer once more!

>>5311446
>>A prophet of the journey! A Wraith guard wearing the colors of Kher-Ys, imparting other travelers with the lessons of the Journey! It is Amaethon himself! The Hunter meets the Farmer once more!

We should offer to reembody those who have fallen just like we we did Amaethon way back.

>>5311446
>A prophet of the journey.

It amuses me that Lieren is a menace to the eldar because his deft tongue. It's like the birth of rock and roll with all the old eldar banging their kids on the head.

>>5311446
Those kalabites doomed themselves by deciding to set up camp and wait on the surface of the moon of shangrila, their equipment and vehicles shall make a fine addition of materials and resources. And informations too. Perhaps they will reconsider their approach the third time, or send more forces for "hunting".

>A prophet of the journey! A Wraith guard wearing the colors of Kher-Ys, imparting other travelers with the lessons of the Journey! It is Amaethon himself! The Hunter meets the Farmer once more!
i want to talk with Amaethon again, he is a great guy desu

>Write in
In the distance a tall ruined temple of a deity, is the site of a duel to the last. The two figures that fight are blurred from this far away, we must come near for see who are they....

>>5311446
>>Write in
>A door of a strange metal, shifting ever so subtly as if it was a living creature. The symbols that cover it glow with an eerie green light.

I like to live dangerously

>>5311446
>Write in
The shade of a most potent eldari, with horns adorning his helm. Why does he feel so familiar, yet you've never met him? (Gimme that dead Eldari hunter god encounter you)

>>5311646
I'm curious as to what you're fishing for with that write-in, anon. Alluminas and Solkan maybe?

>>5311446
>A prophet of the journey! A Wraith guard wearing the colors of Kher-Ys, imparting other travelers with the lessons of the Journey! It is Amaethon himself! The Hunter meets the Farmer once more!

I don't remember this lad, But I like the idea of a wrath Guard shouting about shit at random passing eldar

>>5311917
pretty sure he was the guy in the deldar's tongue

>>5311670
+1

>>5311917
he's the guy we debated when they came to pick up the soul stone.

>>5311446
>A prophet of the journey! A Wraith guard wearing the colors of Kher-Ys, imparting other travelers with the lessons of the Journey! It is Amaethon himself! The Hunter meets the Farmer once more!

Really surprised anons didn't vote for Kanzeon to come, hoping just going off Lierens memories will let us improve the golden dragon river.
Also since it is unlikely the Eldar would ever be fine with Lieren attempting to fully revive them we can instead focus on better wraith bodies, any Eldar in one of those is basically sleep walking and if Lieren can greatly improve it using just methods the Eldar have that would make even them feel indebted.

I'll be real I want to vote for Stag boy I really do,but he wouldn't be in the webway. The god damned Clown however would be and we'd meet for the first time a fellow trickster.

The Stag is fragmented drifting within she whom thirsts

>>5311446
Ah fuck it because it has momentum

>We find the Wraithguard spreading the good word
Yet as we talk the two of us behold a vision most strange? A Staghelmed man holding a spear beckoning meanwhile a clown leans over the pair of us arms around our shoulders having a laugh

>>5312226
Sounds like we could use his shards to hurt her from the inside.

>>5312226
We did have the chance to encounter him, so it's not entirely out of the question we can encounter him again.

>>5311717
it felt like something cool, that's all

What's the names of Isha's dead husband?

>>5312581
>Kurnous
The vote is basically between him and our Far-flung farseer friend

>>5312128
i believe his armor and the barge we are using, are collecting informations of what Lieren is seeing passively (they aren't efficient has kanzeon, but it would be still something). And Lieren can use the Lotus Sceptre for take his memories if he needs to.

If we get Avatars of Isha/Kuronous, will they basically be Orion/Ariel?

Those could be game changers. A wild Hunt chasing Drukhari and chaos warbsnds down would be especially fun

Imperium might have to change some policies though.

>>5311446
>A familiar face. But that cannot be! For that face belonged to a slaver's who neck you broke beneath your heel. Chase the apparently reincarnated Stollaire through the black market you found him in, and ask the son of Cearnarch how he is alive again.
Oh yeah this too

>>5312600
+1?

>>5312226
I wonder what it'd take to get him to send out the Harlequins early? In canon they first reappeared some time in M33 and it's currently ~700.M30. Cegorach is probably already keeping tabs on Lieren, he's probably a great source of material.

>>5312850
It's a poetic mon'keigh accidently reenacting Kurnous and Isha, is giving the eldar a new weapon against Slanesh while simutaniously shaking up their society, continously annoys chaos and is a trickster, the clown probably has a wing on the black library dedicated to Lieren and how funny he is.

>>5312864
>What is that grey mon'kiegh doing?
>.....
>WHAT THE FUCK DID HE JUST MANTLE KHAINE?!
>QUICK WRITE THAT DOWN WRITE THAT DOWN

>>5312925
>This man just dragged one of Granddaddy Shitbreath's favorite underlings to his doorstep for a curbstomping, provided the aforementioned curbstomping, and once he was done, vowed to cuck the fat sack of moldy lard in front of him and his wife. AND SHE LIKED IT. I swear, this guy is like something out of my wildest dreams.

>>5311446
So which choice do I gotta make to find the shard of the eldari hunter god? We gotta get his shard if we want to make Isha moist.

>>5312864
>Lieren, in one of his many ventures in the Black Library, finds their Cultivation lit based on him.
>He proceds read most of them for a couple of years before calling the Big Clown himself and giving him a lecture on all the mistakes within the wing like he did to that one playwriter.

>>5311446
>A prophet of the journey! A Wraith guard wearing the colors of Kher-Ys, imparting other travelers with the lessons of the Journey! It is Amaethon himself! The Hunter meets the Farmer once more!

>>5313163
If we keep talking about cucking Nurgle, Slaanesh is going to use this against us.

I know he nasty, but she worse and she has dibs on Eldar Deities and souls

>>5313563
>I know he nasty, but she worse and she has dibs on Eldar Deities and souls
She has dibs on being starved to death like the rest of the parasite gods.
I do wanna help the Eldar that are capable of being saved honestly.
I wonder if The Journey or the Imperial Truth can provide a way for them to escape Slaanesh's clutches.

>>5313575
It seems the journey does help somewhat, by what our eldar friends have said before.
The imperial truth is completly useless on the other hand.

>>5313563
>she has dibs on Eldar Deities and souls
If Isha ever escapes Nurgle, she's in a real grey area for who has dibs on her. Nurgle has a claim since he's her (unconsensual) husband, Slaanesh has dibs since she claimed the rest of the pantheon (minus Khaine, Cegorach, and Ynnead), and Tzeentch probably has some plan he needs her for. Khorne probably just wants to kill her. There'll be a fight over it.
>>5313575
>I do wanna help the Eldar that are capable of being saved honestly.
Biggest issue is the instahell Slaanesh makes them go to. Pre-Fall eldar iirc reincarnated without limit, like Guozhi's technique perfected. But the warp was a lot nicer back then, so even if the connection between the eldar soul and Slaanesh was severed, it still wouldn't fix things completely. But HOW to do that is a much larger, nastier can of worms.

>>5313680
If we ever free Isha, we need a follow up plan for WHEN the other chaos gods make their move to try and eat her.

>>5313692
I think any plan to play keep-away with Isha as the ball has a lot of factors that we don't know yet, even OoC. The nature of the Eldar pantheon, for example. It's unlikely that they themselves are Old Ones, since Isha didn't look like a frog when we met her. So they could be psychic weapons created by the Old Ones, ancient eldar empowered to godhood by their species' collective belief, maybe they're warp creatures who dodged the inherent asshole-ness the Big Four (now Big Six and counting) by being created when the warp was calm. Maybe they're something else entirely that I haven't thought of in this post, but each possibility makes the game of keep-away harder.

>>5313708
We could send her in the webway to hide out with the clown god.

>>5313715
That works if there isn't an inherently psychic aspect of their being. If they're entirely warp-based beings, we won't be able to remove them from the warp. If they're sort of half-and-half like some theories state, there's still the warp half that has to stay behind. But I suppose half a god safe is better than none of a god...

>>5313731
I don't know what you're talking about, but the clown god is sorta in the warp and is also an eldari god. Where ever he's able to travel, the same should be said for Isha.

>>5313755
>>5313731
The webway is still kinda still in the warp. it's between real and warp space. think of it like a glass underwater tunnel and the water is the warp and the fishes and sharks are demons.

>>5313211
Hope it isn't next to an emperor or primarch vote because those will always win.

>>5313680
Guo zi's reincarnation technique works on Shangrala alone right? What are the chances Eldar could use this phenomenon after parking a craft world in our vicinity?

>>5313755
>Where ever he's able to travel, the same should be said for Isha.
The Eldar Gods are not monolithic, each one has unique characteristics, sometimes even basic natures that others don't. They aren't the same just because they're all part of the same pantheon. For example, Khaine was shattered where the majority of others were killed and has a connection to Khorne that isn't reflected in any of his counterparts or other Chaos Gods. Ynnead seems to be a gestalt entity of eldar souls, which is unique to him, regardless of the nature of the other possible explanations for the gods. Cegorach appears to be by nature immune (or resistant) to Slaanesh, and imparts that resistance to his followers. So in short no, just because one god can do something does not mean they all can.
>>5313768
Then warp entities, being sealife, would not be able to exist for long in the webway without the warp also pouring in. It's why the sections where demons have broken in through tears (or cracks in this metaphor) in the structure are sealed off from the rest of the webway. Because the warp and accompanying daemons will flood the tunnel.
>>5313816
Does it? I'm not sure, if it ever came up I glossed over it.

>>5313755
Apparently the clow could get away with it because of his role as a jester who mocks eldar's society shortcomings meant he was more distant to their collective psyche and thus harder for Slanesh to track down and claim.
Also he is trickster and fled as soon as he saw what was going on. But he probably would help Isha run and hide if she escaped, if only to fuck with chaos.

>>5313985
I don't understand how a race that had the foresight to create a God specifically to belittle themselves ever managed to birth Slaanesh.
I'm a bit of a Lorelet, but how badly did they actually fuck up?

>>5314173
they got bored

>>5314175
Yeah, now I get it...
Elaborate.

>>5314173
>I don't understand how a race that had the foresight to create a God specifically to belittle themselves ever managed to birth Slaanesh.
The Eldar Patheon's creation is very much up for debate, Slaanesh might be the only god they created.
>how badly did they actually fuck up?
Hard to understate it, it created the Eye of Terror among other, similarly bad things.

>>5314173
Lore wise its split between the Eldar making their gods, and the fact that their a War In Heaven Race made by the Old Ones who might have designed their gods for them.

As for the Eldar fucking up, after the War in Heaven they ruled the galaxy completely uncontested for 60 million years, and around the 59th million year or something they started to fuck up.

Litterally.

With their tech and massively wacky emotional spectrum, they started to do more and more crazy shit. They would litterally sail on the surfaces of star, go jumping through gas giants, constantly seek out new forms of food/drinks/various entertainment, and murder each other in the street for various minor to major bullshit reasons.

But its fine, nobody actually died since their soul was retained and a new body was grown for them to inhabit.

They just kept it up long enough that Slannesh was born from their collective degeneracy, and while the craftworld and exodite eldar managed to see the writting on the wall and get out in time, the Dark Eldar are basically the best living example of what the Eldar Dominion was like right before Slannesh was born.

Minus loosing a tooooon of their tech and access to psychic powers and psy tech.

>>5314173
Eldars are natural psykers and feel emotions on higher scale, and are prone to perfectionism and boredom, because of their extreme lifespan and ability to reincarnate. Also, Cegorach was more or less an outcast, more respected for the art than his role as critic.
After the War in Heaven where the Krorks became the Ork, the Necrons shattered the C'tan and went to sleep and the Old Ones died, the eldar were left as the only ones with signifcant power in the galaxy, which meant they had milleniuns to fuck about and slowly bcome more extreme and corrupt.
Slanesh is not the god of torture and fetishes, it's the god of excess. While it does include that, it also includes a pursuit in perfectionism, aesthetics and psyker powers. Instead of representing aspects of eldar society, it is the incarnation of the eldar as species.
Take for examplea the survivors. The deldar are basically just a continuation of how the late eldar empire, just that now the suffering has an excuse. The craftworld eldar, are protected by the infinity circuit and soulstones, but their path forces them to adopt a rigid mask while they perfect their craft, and some get so deep into it that they can't change paths, the harlequins escape Slanesh by being so fanatic to Cenogirach that their soul fuses to him when they die, and even the exodites go to an extreme in the primitivism and isolationalism, depending on the worls spirit to not be snatched.
The reason why the Journey is being so effective to them is probably because it takes the best parts of those methods while maintaining moderation.
Baiscally, all eldar are obssessive compulsives, Slanesh is the incarnation of that, and they all try to get all by focusing that OCD somewhere else.

File: 1632231542346.jpg (4.53 MB, 3508x4961)

4.53 MB JPG

Sorry for going silent for two days, been a bit sick. I'll try to have the update out tomorrow. Depends on when I feel better.

>>5314815
Please take care boss. Real life comes first.

>>5314815
Shit, this pic reminds me, did Hashut fill out his portion of the brand when Lieren did him dirty in front of all the other gods?

>>5314833
He marked Lieren when he first appeared in the daemon-engine factory.

>>5314897
so we have 6/8 marks
1 from each of the main 4.
1 from Malal/Malice
1 from Hashut
who do you guys think are the 2 that are missing. My bet for one of them of them is the Horned Rat. I'm going to be disappointed if we don't come across Skaven either as a Abhuman or Xeno Species.

My crackpot theory for the last one is the screaming god child (my head canon is that they are either the god of insanity or Chaos undivided). If he doesn't put a circle or an eye that all the arrows are pointing two.

>>5314815
thats ok

While we wait what do you think of us working towards the title of lord of cycles. We create a path of enlightment (which is basically a philosophy that can be adopted by those who lack humanity to pursue humanity). Further, we create a reincarnation technique to allow those not born humans to follow this road so that when they die they can reincarnate as a human in their next life.

>>5314815
Wishing you good health!

yes!

learning is fun.

>>5315015
I think the GHR/Kweethul is all but confirmed, we were gonna get a skaven reference in the fight with the Keeper of Rust before the Nurgle's Garden write-in. But after him, the only Chaos Gods left are Necoho and Zuvassin, both of whom were Malal replacements and who I think might show up as two of his Greater Demons, and a few entities either mentioned as once-offs or fan made gods who've been confused as official. Maybe Zhedun/the Devourer of Existence? AFAIK he's heavily hinted at being the Great Maw, which would tie in to Malal's love of crossing the 40k and WHFB streams.

>>5315388
Great Beast.

>>5315388
I think Malal said that the world where Lieren's mutantion would be a horned titan also would be infested with skaven, and warpstone has appeared a few times.
Maybe Malal would use that old hurd art for a new xenos, they could be another form of beastmen/mutant, or demons of GHR.

>>5315399
Just another name for/personification of Undivided, not a separate god. All the gods are aspects of him, he can't an aspect of himself.
>>5315403
Yeah, Voormis would've made Lieren xbawks hueg and given him horns. And it was infested with Skaven. I think we'd have gotten Green Man or Cernunnos parallels rather than the Monkey King ones we've gotten here. After the visions we received of how Lieren would turn out after landing in all the other places he could've in Yan and the different planet-dependent mutations, I've been wondering what Malal would've done with each different starting world.

Calling the vote now.

A prophet of the journey! A Wraith guard wearing the colors of Kher-Ys, imparting other travelers with the lessons of the Journey! It is Amaethon himself! The Hunter meets the Farmer once more:15

The shadow of a stag horned figure drifts for now beyond your grasp.:2

Kurnous:1

A door of a strange metal, shifting ever so subtly as if it was a living creature. The symbols that cover it glow with an eerie green light.:1

In the distance a tall ruined temple of a deity, is the site of a duel to the last. The two figures that fight are blurred from this far away, we must come near for see who are they:1

the shade of a most potent eldari, with horns adorning his helm. Why does he feel so familiar, yet you've never met him?:2

A familiar face. But that cannot be! For that face belonged to a slaver's who neck you broke beneath your heel. Chase the apparently reincarnated Stollaire through the black market you found him in, and ask the son of Cearnarch how he is alive again.:1

total votes:20

So Lieren, as he explores the strange realm of the webway, comes across an unexpected sight, that of the departed soul of a farmer he had saved and befriended, bodied once more and teaching drifters and wanderers from the lessons taken from the Book of the Journey

Writing now

>>5312850
>>5312864
>>5312925
>>5313163
>>5313347
major kek

Also don't worry, I have plans for the prime clown. BIG plans

There is a certain, wordless pleasure that comes when someone like you, a child of the wilderness and hunter by name and nature, finds a yet uncharted and unexplored landscape to wander. When a man who has seen all of one world, steps into an entirely unknown terrain, and looks upon scenery and sights strange with weather eyes that had witnessed and admired all the mysteries and wonders of the world upon which they first opened. It is a different sensation, than looking upon the dreamlike realms of the warp, for the innate distrust and hatred you feel for most of what you see within the realm of the spirits does not arise within your heart as you travel through the untamed and uncontrolled portions of the webway. Where the reach of the civilized portions of Aeldari society does not reach, and only travelers, outcasts, criminals and hermits stay. To walk these pathways, to journey through lands fully wild once more as you did in your youth, before you were burdened by wisdom and insights to the truths universe you never asked to receive, before the weight of leadership and commanding your friends, companions and students to die in the name of your selfless ambition for a better, tyrantless and degenerateless tomorrow settled upon your back and heart, before you were even aware of a world beyond that which you can feel and see, before you knew you were no natural giant but a product of science and sorcery bred for war and conquest. It brings about a feeling of pleasant, yet quite nostalgia. A warmth of memory of days of naivety, of stainless ignorance. Of simpler days, when all the great hunter of the wilds, when all the Giant of Nothing had to contend with were the intrigues of petty tyrants and the damages that had been wrought upon land and people through generations of misrule.

Before you declared war upon the Yan, before you stepped boldly into the bone devouring forest. Before you came face to face with true, primordial evil. Before you learned, from one who now is your lover and closest confident and most treasured companion, the true history of mankind and your origins upon a far distant world across a great expanse of stars and airless void. The recollection of simpler, more innocent days wraps around you like the comforting fogs and mists of Shangrala. It feels as though, once more, you have been granted the privilege to walk untrodden paths through a wilderness dangerous and untamed, that you are walking the Shangrala before your coming, before the White Dragon's path was set and before you brought the comfort of safety and ease of mind and demystified the white fog and the fear the people held for it. When you connected the realm of Yan, and began the first steps of a Journey that had lead you further and to far stranger places than the youth who crawled from the earth and learned to be human could have ever imagined.
Cont

>>5315564

It is with Childlike gayety you lead your escort of friends on a excursion into the trails and faults of the webway surrounding the gate leading to great Ulthwe, away from the patrols of the kinsmen who saw them off and all but exiled them from their homes for choosing a path different from their own. Away from the safety and protection in the shadows cast by the craftworld that embodied itself as one of the few pillars remaining of their races former glory and majesty, before corruption and idle excess took root and blackened their collective soul. Before the fall. Before the long night. It is less of a hunt, and more like the playful adventures of brave children, testing the limits of their parents watchful gazes and wandering further from home and nearer to the forest.

So, it is with no small surprise and with great and curious excitement, that you come across a dock moored in a forgotten corner of the webway. A port hidden away from prying, judging eyes, a society reborn day by day as ships land and fly away, and their passengers mingle a do trade. A place were travelers, thieves and oddities mingle and share their bowels of rice and converse as friends even if they would be natural enemies away from this extradimensional inn, tucked away between crossroads of fate and fortune. Without saying a word, you dock your own barge, drawing quite a few curious glances from those resting or languishing at the docks constructed from pieces of asteroids and crashed ships. You have used your shapeshifting robes to disguise yourself as an Aeldari, to more easily blend in the crowds of this city of ill repute and exotic inhabitance. Oh it reminds you of when you first stepped foot into the city of Tyrant's end, when Lord Gao had demanded your presence in his court, and again when you returned with your father to see the world beyond Nothing and delighted and enjoyed with him the festivities offered by a people liberated in both mind and soul. Of the two festivals thrown in honor of your deeds that you joined and attended.

Carys giggles, and you realize you had began, almost instinctively, humming the tune of "Benevolence in azure and plum". A minstrel of some kind, dressed similar to Folant, smirked, having sampled and enjoyed the tune you hummed and began to strum his queer instrument, formed of crystal and wraith bone, to play an eerie yet relaxing tune that carried like the wails of ghost across the hidden port and deeper into the mystical expanse of the ancient webways.

"A fine song, friend" He said with a familiarity that can only be found between musicians "Its cadence and rhythm echo like the cries of Isha, as she was stolen away. A distant hope, drifting on the words of gods long gone. A travelers song"

"A hero's song" Cary corrects, knowing the origin and true form of the folksong penned in your honor "You played it too mournfully, it is not a song to accompany funerals"
Cont

>>5315565

"Every song can be played before a grave" You remark sagely, as the minstrel looks you over with curious, judging eyes, as he tries to place you in the confining roles most Aeldari bind themselves to, even those who have refused to turn away from the self destructive path of all consuming excess and boundless cruelties "Why must grieving being connected with sorrow? One may mourn with all the merriment they shared with the deceased when they walked together, one may look back on the past with pride rather than shame or pain. But I agree with my friend, that particular song is out of place in a tomb, it is meant for warm fires and vibrant streets"

"So it is a mourning song, or else a song for a hopeless idealist who believes the glories of what has been lost can be returned, after it has all fallen away" The minstrel sighs through his nose, his long ears twitching as he adjusts his instrument "But, that shows me how that tune should continue, I think. It is not a dirge for the past as I first heard, it is a call for hope where there is none to be found. A wayward dream translated into song. A sadder song than any other"

You suppose the hopelessness of Aeldari is far deeper than that which had afflicted the peasants of Yan. You have nothing more to say, and so step past the sorrowfully minded musician and step deeper into the port city, entering the markets and hastily set up stalls to facilitate and encourage trading. Haggling surrounds you, and you marvel as a pack of Aeldari drunker than carps in a wine cask stumble past you. Carys peels away from your side, to look over some mysterious, age worn trinkets as Folant strides further ahead as he spots a weapon's exchange. Kellas vanishes, no doubt finding something that caught his eye, and slowly your party disperses into the crowd, seeking their own curiosities or admiring wares that entrance them.

So, you wander, studying and investigating the day to day life of these webway travelers, and meandering deeper into the heart of the ramshackle city of ships and markets. Before words more familiar to your ear than even the low growl of a panther or morning cry of a cliffjumper or shrieking chorus of night cranes and hook ravens, whisper from an alleyway. So you follow them, tracking the lessons of the Journey like the prints of a great beast, curiosity enflamed and risen higher than before.

You soon find yourself in a park of sorts, a clearing between buildings, a junction to seperate markets from one another. Perhaps left unfilled to allow for more illicit deals, or criminal activates. Whatever the cause for it to be here, it is not being used for anything so delinquent.

Instead, you spot a wraith guard, standing atop a stone bench, dressed in the colors of Kher-ys, and bearing their sigil of a shield wrapped in chains arranged like folded wings.
Cont

>>5315566

The caged soul, has raised its mechanical hands towards the heavens in a manner akin to a Shuni firebrand giving a sermon to their flock of disciples. Around him, forming a disinterested guard, were a number of Aeldari warriors dressed in the same colors, but much less enthused than their charge was as he preached and raised his voice.

A crowd surrounded them, of cutthroats and brigands. But, it was clear from a wary glance that they had gathered, not out of curiosity to see a construct of war give a speech in death more impassioned than spoken by any living Aeldari voice, but rather out of genuine interest and attraction to the words they spoke.

Your words. Your philosophy. Your eyes flicked back to the wraith guard and immediately, beneath the veneer or wraithbone and arcane circuitry, you recognized the soul inhabiting the golem. It is Amaethon himself! Imparting the lessons of the journey to the travelers surrounding him, spreading it further yet from Shangrala. The Hunter yet again meets the Farmer most unexpectedly.

"A farmer can teach a fisherman much, a blacksmith can tutor a soldier, a noble has much to learn from his servants" The Wraithgod proclaimed, as you found yourself repeating his words silent, recalling the exact moment you put those words to ink "Do not lock yourself away from the world, but wander freely and learnfrom your fellow sapient, instead of hating or fearing him. The paths we hold ourselves to, go beyond mere moderation. Are we so weak we cannot temper ourselves, without swearing blindly to devotion to a focused, empty way of life. To risk trapping and lessening ourselves, due to rigid adherence of a singular skill, one facet of the complex enigma that is life? I SAY TO YOU! Such rigidness is as foul a poison as the excesses of our ancestors! Balance can be found between complete, smothering order and lawless hedonism, for they are but two extremes. White and black. THE WORLD IS FILLED WITH COLORS! Yet we blind ourselves to all but the most basic two. I have met, with a great thinker, a mind possessed by benevolence and wisdom beyond that held by our leaders, who has realized the truth of this multicolored and varied world, who has realized to live is to experience a great many joys and sorrows!"

And not only is he speaking your words, he has made his own. It is a rare talent to be able to understand the real meaning of text, but it requires a truly scarce sort of wisdom to not only comprehend a work fully, but be able to seamlessly and skillfully expand its teachings and lessons as if they were already written and presented to you.
Cont

>>5315567

What do you do, Lieren?

>Cast off your disguise, and praise Amaethon for his understanding, and ask why he has left his home after being away from it for so long

>Enter the crowd, and challenge Amaethon to a debate while you're still disguised as a wandering Aeldari. Openly question your own words and world view, and see how he replies

>Just sit silent, listen, and depart with a smile when he has finished, content that your friend is doing well with himself. Before meeting Eldrad

>Boisterously great Amaethon, lifting the wraithguard into a great hug, and discuss what has happened since you last met. And then bring him and his guards to your meeting with Eldrad.

>Write in

>>5315568
>>Enter the crowd, and challenge Amaethon to a debate while you're still disguised as a wandering Aeldari. Openly question your own words and world view, and see how he replies
>Boisterously great Amaethon, lifting the wraithguard into a great hug, and discuss what has happened since you last met. And then bring him and his guards to your meeting with Eldrad.
>Cast off your disguise, and praise Amaethon for his understanding, and ask why he has left his home after being away from it for so long

>>5315568
>Enter the crowd, and challenge Amaethon to a debate while you're still disguised as a wandering Aeldari. Openly question your own words and world view, and see how he replies
>Boisterously great Amaethon, lifting the wraithguard into a great hug, and discuss what has happened since you last met. And then bring him and his guards to your meeting with Eldrad.
Both or either one of these fits Lieren the best.

>>5315568
>>Enter the crowd, and challenge Amaethon to a debate while you're still disguised as a wandering Aeldari. Openly question your own words and world view, and see how he replies
Then
>>Cast off your disguise, and praise Amaethon for his understanding, and ask why he has left his home after being away from it for so long
Way back when, I thought this would be how the Emperor would first meet us, disguised as a skeptic of the Journey and challenging us to a debate. Guess it could still happen, but it's funny how that sort of thing changes.

>>5315568
>Enter the crowd, and challenge Amaethon to a debate while you're still disguised as a wandering Aeldari. Openly question your own words and world view, and see how he replies
Then
>Boisterously great Amaethon, lifting the wraithguard into a great hug, and discuss what has happened since you last met. And then bring him and his guards to your meeting with Eldrad.

>>5315570
+1

>>5315568
>Enter the crowd and listen intently then as you feel the Wraithguard look upon you give him a wink.

He can I vote us up if he so chooses or can resume as normal, we can mentally let him know how happy we are to see him again but not cause a scene.

>>5315571
>Support

>>5315568
>>Enter the crowd, and challenge Amaethon to a debate while you're still disguised as a wandering Aeldari. Openly question your own words and world view, and see how he replies

File: 2525.jpg (90 KB, 700x420)

90 KB JPG

>>5315568
>Enter the crowd, and challenge Amaethon to a debate while you're still disguised as a wandering Aeldari. Openly question your own words and world view, and see how he replies
I fucking love civil discussion and orderly debates.

>>5315568

>Enter the crowd, and challenge Amaethon to a debate while you're still disguised as a wandering Aeldari. Openly question your own words and world view, and see how he replies

Then once done


>Cast off your disguise, and praise Amaethon for his understanding, and ask why he has left his home after being away from it for so long

>>5315568
>>Enter the crowd, and challenge Amaethon to a debate while you're still disguised as a wandering Aeldari. Openly question your own words and world view, and see how he replies

Then, when finished

>Boisterously great Amaethon, lifting the wraithguard into a great hug, and discuss what has happened since you last met. And then bring him and his guards to your meeting with Eldrad.

>>5315579
Kek. We'd probably meet him as a adherent to the journey if our warp brand weren't so obvious.

>>5315568
>>Cast off your disguise, and praise Amaethon for his understanding, and ask why he has left his home after being away from it for so long
>>Enter the crowd, and challenge Amaethon to a debate while you're still disguised as a wandering Aeldari. Openly question your own words and world view, and see how he replies
in the opposite order

>>5315568
>Enter the crowd, and challenge Amaethon to a debate while you're still disguised as a wandering Aeldari. Openly question your own words and world view, and see how he replies
>Write in
Share some dragons-spit and teas with the crowd as we turn this forum into a philosophical debate?

I'll remind Yall Elrad ain't a man to keep waiting not bring many uninvited guests. We're already pushing our luck with Magnus....oh fuck where is Magnus

>>5315568
>Enter the crowd, and challenge Amaethon to a debate while you're still disguised as a wandering Aeldari. Openly question your own words and world view, and see how he replies
>Cast off your disguise, and praise Amaethon for his understanding, and ask why he has left his home after being away from it for so long

>>5315568

>Cast off your disguise, and praise Amaethon for his understanding, and ask why he has left his home after being away from it for so long
I wanna know what’s happening on Kher-Ys

>>5315568
>Enter the crowd, and challenge Amaethon to a debate while you're still disguised as a wandering Aeldari. Openly question your own words and world view, and see how he replies
>Cast off your disguise, and praise Amaethon for his understanding, and ask why he has left his home after being away from it for so long

>>5315567
I support >>5315570

Because the philosopher testing his student in disguise is classic.

>>5315568
>>Enter the crowd, and challenge Amaethon to a debate while you're still disguised as a wandering Aeldari. Openly question your own words and world view, and see how he replies
>>Cast off your disguise, and praise Amaethon for his understanding, and ask why he has left his home after being away from it for so long

Had some machine spirits issues. Will call the vote in a few hours

>>5317814
Have you tried smacking the machine spirit?

>Enter the crowd, and challenge Amaethon to a debate while you're still disguised as a wandering Aeldari. Openly question your own words and world view, and see how he replies


If he manages to argue back, then he's going to get more fans.

File: 1622080877184.jpg (4.59 MB, 2480x3508)

4.59 MB JPG

Calling the vote now. Sorry for the wait, fell asleep.

Enter the crowd, and challenge Amaethon to a debate while you're still disguised as a wandering Aeldari. Openly question your own words and world view, and see how he replies:18

Boisterously greet Amaethon, lifting the wraithguard into a great hug, and discuss what has happened since you last met. And then bring him and his guards to your meeting with Eldrad: 7

Cast off your disguise, and praise Amaethon for his understanding, and ask why he has left his home after being away from it for so long:10

Share some dragons-spit and teas with the crowd as we turn this forum into a philosophical debate: 1

Total votes:19

So Lieren will enter the crowd anomalysly and challenge Amaethon to a debate, while still disguised as a wandering Aeldari, openly questioning his own words and world view to see how he replies

And then cast of his disguise and praise Amaethon for his understanding and ask why he has left his home so soon after being returned

Writing now

Like a leaf swept by the wind or carried by the gentle flow of the stream, you find yourself approaching closer to Amaethon and his captive audience. The armor worn by them is customized, more personal than the armor usually worn by Aeldari. They are free spirits, unchained to the traditions and order demanded by the society of the craftworlds yet not mired in the thoughtless cruelty and soul destroying excesses and hedonistic delights of those wild descendants who have refused to step from the path of moral decay and sinful lifestyles lead by their ancestors who did birth the Maiden of wanton pleasure with their earthly pursuits and abhorrent carnal delights. You are careful to not leave your gaze focused on any one member of the crowd for too long, less they begin to feel the unpleasant sensations of being studied and seen through by your gilded eyes. Certainly there are criminals amongst them, you can tell by their body language, mostly through their posture and how they hold themselves and the narrowing of their eyes to create a fierce mien to warn away competition or would be rivals not yet bold enough to challenge their elders. But, outright villains, remorseless killers and thieves ? You cannot say. But for them to listen so intently and with such quiet respect and regard for the speaker, makes it unlikely you would find any of Cearnarch's kind by your side in this open forum of the mind. A forum that shall soon became the stage for a proper philosophical debate. It is practically tradition for philosophers to challenge their students to debate, while disguising their true identity. You've done it with Yin Lei before, and with Luli, over radio and through letters sent down the giant's road to their abodes.

Its always such fun to test those who have chosen to follow the road you have chosen for yourself, and to measure exactly how well they have come to understand your worldview, to see just how much of your wisdom they have inherited through your writing. It is easy enough for you to make your way through the crowd, even if it is composed of the rougher, more forceful kind of traveler than your average philosophical gathering at the tea gardens and winehouses of Shangrala. Except those built anywhere near the Lai province, those debates often devolve into outright brawls of fists rather than duels of words. Though only recently, after the Vishnu and New Varro men integrated into the populace those lands. Though, according to historical records, most court philosophers and scholars of the Yan chose to avoid holding debates near the homes of the horse lords. Even disguised as an Aeldari, you stand out, if only due to your height and broadness of shoulders, but that has been written off by those who have noticed you making your way closer to Amaethon as a peculiarity of breeding or ethnicity.
Cont

>>5318533

You are seen not as an alien intruder but more as a countryside local visiting a city for the first time in his life, or a foreigner of a distant though familiar land appearing unexpectedly.

The success of your disguise is achieved through your understanding of Aeldari Body language and common mannerisms, and so you hold yourself like any other member of the crowd. You stand like them, walk like them, and even breath like them. Amaethon begins to, from memory, another passage of the journey. Meanwhile, you begin to carefully construct a passable accent, by comparing those of Carys and her followers, the Aeldari of Kher-ys including Amaethon himself, and Cearnarch's brood and hirelings. It must sound convincingly common and lowborn, rural rather than urban, with a rustic roughness.

"All men are free to make their own destiny, to follow their own paths" He says, his ethereal voice reverberating with stoic dignity and unshakeable belief in the words he speaks, as if they could stop as storm if he stood before it or carve a path through a mountain if spoken loud enough. The tone is familiar, for you have spoken with it countless times before. A clever play and seamless transition from one tenet to another, creating a connection between the two in his lesson and thus in the minds of his listeners. You cross your arms, subconsciously trying to place them in sleeves that aren't there, surely this will make you appear more brutish than you intended.

"The Journey I speak of, the road I suggest, and way I guide you down, is not one to be forced upon another" He continues, a certain harshness in the timber of his words as the wraithguard he inhabits raises a clenched fist before its chest, above where his heart would be when he still possessed a heart of flesh and blood, It is an impressive show of will and force of personality, that he can act so cognizantly and speak with such refinement while interred in a waking dream in the chassis of that war machine. It could be argued awareness comes not from within, but through his faith in the teachings he preaches, however you would argue in turn that following those teachings is what has given him the mental fortitude to speak so skillfully when all others would be reduced to near silent weapons of war.

"Nor is any other way of life!" He shouts, a fire in his voice, a liveliness rare amongst even living Aeldari, pure and untouched by the dark revelry of their debased kinsmen "One is free to make their own choices, for better or for ill. No matter how benevolent
a rule is, to force a single individual under it, is a sin most grave and foul"

Silently, you begin to devise and put together a rebuttal to issue a brazen, outspoken challenge towards your own words and work, a challenge for Amaethon to defend the Journey unknowingly from its creator.
Cont

>>5318536

A wry, playful smirk crosses your face, as you tap your foot and begin to covertly show outward signs of annoyance and irritation with what he says, to lure him into a verbal confrontation

"Any who would force another down the path they walk, or stop them from following the road they choose, should be opposed should be fought and battled if it comes to it" He bellows, ensuring his voice carries far beyond the space between the markets "Oppressors, no matter the cause they follow, are a blight. Every man should stop oppression if he see it, slay the
tyrant if they meet them!"

A resounding round of applause falls, hushed and mutter approvals and agreement, as Amaethon pauses in his repetition of the lesson to allow the parts of it he has already spoken to soak and take root in the minds of his appreciative audience. They are practically in the open palm of his hand, with how much of their attention they have devoted to his lecture and how closely they are listening to it, how much they anticipate its continuation. This brief period of pause provides the perfect opening to begin the debate between teacher and student.

"Must I alone raise my voice in dissent against the foolishness you preach? Against the words that herald destruction not only for yourself but for all who here them? Am I the only one not so taken by this speaker's charisma as to be wholly held in sway by the Mon-Keigh drivel he repeats as if it was spoken by Lord Asuryan reborn? Has hope truly made all present blind to the threat and danger posed by the philosophy held by this seer already dead?" You ask loudly, loutishly calling out Amaethon and causing the whispering crowd to fall completely silent. Judging from how one of Amaethon's guard shift's her shoulders, if they had been men they would have been driven to a laughing fit at your outburst, at the price of their charges dignity and honor.

You nearly whip you arm out to your side out of habit, so instead lift your chin and huff impudently, throwing a scornful, disdainful look across the whole of the crowd as you stride to the front of it imperiously, held held high and chest lifted proudly. Amaethon remains silent, as he considers you and studies you. He knows you still insist on speaking more vitriol and warnings against his beliefs and respect for a man who saved him from imprisonment on the end of a psychotic's tongue.

"To keep the ignorant for encouraging their own destruction, to prevent tragedy from befalling those around them, is in now way oppression. You speak against education and teaching as if they were the same as slavery, claiming that discipline is indoctrination!" You shout, stomping a foot and dismissively waving your hand before throwing it and your arm forward to thrust an a accusing finger towards Amaethon's chest
Cont

>>5318538

"How easily it is forgotten, that disaster that befell our great race when we became wayward and lived without restraint or control, what came about such boundless free will and self determination? Oh our empire of old was possessed by a myriad of beliefs and sects, countless schools of thoughts and philosophies, numberless cults and churches ran without oversight or true law. The Paths we now follow, are not so smothering, and they certainly do not oppress us as they prevent us from returning to the form of repugnance our predecessors degenerated to follow and hold. And what's more, you call for us to slay these teachers, these elders who guide us further away from damnation"

The silence remains. Amaethon steps down from his podium and walks to meet you, face to face.

"Allow me to elucidate the meaning of the passage, and illuminate your mind clouded by enforced tradition and stagnancy" He says calmly, arms held behind his back "A wise teacher does not bind his students and force them to remain beneath him, nor does he cast them out when they prove less than able. You misunderstand, what a teacher is. They can only offer guidance, not forcefully lead their charges to become their own legacy. Oppression, great or small, stifles one's own personal growth and prevents great minds from revealing themselves and achieving their full potential. You mistake the merest freedom for lawlessness, cousin, and thus have rendered yourself blind to the fact I do not speak of nor advise complete anarchy to take hold of our species but rather challenge the necessity for paths to be so constrictive and suggest a healthier alternative to the rigidity they impose. We are a species driven by compulsion, that yearns for perfection that cannot be achieved. You warn of the path that lead to She who thirsts, but I have seen that a child caged is more like to seek out thrills than one who has been taught moderation. Self mastery can be found beyond the walls of the paths, freedom is not so dangerous as you have been taught to believe. You see black and white. I see only shades of grey, let us debate, cousin, and see which view is more...clear to our gathered audience"

And so the debate begins in earnest
-
<Xenos artifact, catalogued as specimen Sigma Epsilon No: <Data corrupted>. Species of origin: Aeldari. Date of Creation: CA <Data lost>.M30. Theorized Purpose of Artifact: Religious/ Aesthetic. Unusual properties of note: <Data Redacted for Clearance levels Omega to Beta>. Noteworthy events: <Data redacted, see prior message>.

Artifact description: A mural carved of multicolored psionically reactive crystal, a subvariety of the warp touched mineral <Data corrupted" Colloquially referred to as "<Data corrupted> Stone", this particularly variety has its more detrimental effects upon living biomatter and the structure localized reality having been externally removed and refined away. It is often considered a masterpiece by Scholars of Xenos art.
Cont

The mural depicts a gathering of Aeldari lifeforms, all but two indistinct from one another and featureless except for the base physiology of their species. One of the two unique figures in the scene depicted is a soul bound construct translated as "Wraithguard" in gothic, branded with the sigil of the Craftworld Kher-ys (Current Status: <Data updating>), who is standing as if in defense against the other unique individual though not in opposition against it. The other figure is <Date redacted> <Data redacted> <Data erased> <Data undergoing analyses> <Data undergoing Analyses and review> <Date deleted> <Data Pending deletion><Data redacted><Data undergoing debate and intimate study><Data to be brought before council to decide if it will be deleted or given protected status> as hinted by a Golden Aura surrounding <Data deleted for hearsay> <Data redacted for societal unity> <Data locked after the uprising of <Data lost>> appear to be in friendly debate <data pending approval> The scene appears to be depicting the fabled meeting between an Aeldari adherent of the Journey and <Data...recovered, repairing document, Process beginning> Primarch Lieren of the second legion, who met with Ulthwe shortly before his recovery and admission to the imperium and great crusade. Of particular note, the two figures are standing directly beside one another, of equal height and position, showing that, to the creator of the artifact, they either hold similar importance and merit or share a station in society, that they are equals. An oddity of Aeldari art of the era, as it depicts a human as an equal and venerated figure, akin to a figure of their myths rather than a beast to be scorned. Lieren and Farseer Amaethon hands are interlocked, even as they debate wordlessly before their audience of faceless Aeldari.

The Artifact is a mural depicting the supposed and fabled meeting by the writer of Journey, and one of its earliest non human adherents meeting in debate, with Lieren disguised as a member of the xenos species: Aeldari, upholding a time honored Shangralan tradition of visiting one's successful students in disguise to test their mettle and intelligence.

The piece is titled "The Hunter and The Farmer meet in debate, upon the crossroads of the Journey without end". The artists behind the piece is the 15th primarch, Magnus of Prospero.

The Previous warden of this document, and many others, are undergoing trial by the Emperor's Ordo <Date redacted> for the crime of damaging historical documents to adhere to personal standards of morality. Further editing pending approval by the <Data redacted>
-

The debate had lasted hours, and Carys had coyly chosen to take Amaethon's side alongside Folant as you, with the whole of the audience and your entourage standing against you and defending Amaethon, as they all speak their own insights and personal understanding of the lessons he has given, throw themselves into the field to challenge you in verbal combat.
Cont

>>5318541

Many have given up, and lay defeated at your feet, but Amaethon, supported by Carys, continues to stoically and calmly defend the Journey, meeting your every rebuttal with a carefully constructed and unaggressive response, treating your more as a student than a threat.
It continues and continues, with each of you backing the other in the corner before fighting their way out, pointing out previous fallacies in the other's argument and forcing a response and defense of statements made just prior. It could've gone on forever, but you have been invited to meet with Eldrad, and you cannot waste time debating for days, when you must request assistance in aiding your brothers and rush to their aid, so you may return to Shangrala and return to your work and treasured ones who remain there.

So you declare the debate a draw, by reaching up to your mask and tossing it to Amaethon without a word.

The crowd, which has grown substantially since your debate had began, falls as silent as a field of corpses. Amaethon recoils as you laugh boisterously, and slap your hands together, clapping in admiration for his obstinate debating skills and stoic loyalty to the Journey

"Well spoken, well spoken my friend! I haven't had such a challenging debate since I met with Guozhi beneath a plum tree to debate the value of lies!" You shout as several Aeldari faint from surprise, and one nearly chokes on his own tongue trying to call you Mon-keigh in shock "I must praise your depth of understanding as well, few students of philosophy, few career sages even can declare they have reached such a level of comprehension concerning the true message of the journey and the real meaning of its lessons, yet here you stand, a farmer who has more wisdom than the lot of them"

"Lieren" Amaethon at last manages to gasp as you stride to his side and place a hand on his shoulder "You could've overcome me at any moment in that debate, yet you remain humble"

"What purpose would there be in that? I was playing a role to challenge your wisdom, and I am doubtful I could, if I was arguing beliefs I actually held, you were a fierce opponent, Amaethon of Kher-ys" You say gregariously , loud enough for the crowd to hear, before lowering your voice, so none can hear what you say next "Speaking of your home, why have you left it so soon after you returned"

"I was cast out, for "Corrupting" The eternity circuit" He says plainly "I cannot fault my superiors for their decision, they are leaders, and I was weakening our defenses by sharing what I had learned from you. As punishment, I was taken from the safety of Kher-ys, and thrown out to the wild until I repent on my actions publicly. Which lead a number of my students, both bodied and not to accompany in self exile. These warriors at my side, are to be my witnesses"
Cont

>>5318543

"Hmm, fools" You mutter under your breath "They court death in their stubborn refusal to adapt and realize the risks their stifling rule brings about. Just as Young hearts yearn for romance, every sapient being needs room to express themselves and release their emotions. Allowing it to build up, and under great pressure can be"

"Disastrous, yes, but, the younger generations of kher-ys have been taken by your words at the trial of Carys, and her efforts to spread the Journey before you interfered on her behalf" Amaethon says calmly, bowing his head "but what of you, why have you left Shangrala to venture into the webway, Wise hunter?"

"For the salvation of my blood" You answer, as you sit down beside Amaethon's wraithguard, to start a friendlier conversation with him.

What do you do once you have finished speaking with Amaethon, Lieren?

>Enter Ulthwe and meet with Eldrad, you've wasted enough time already.

>Give Amaethon a gift in the former of a jade mask to wear on his wraithguard, one of the kind worn by the Wanderers in the fog.

>Ask him and Carys about Eldrad. And Cearnarch.

>Browse the markets yourself, before leaving to attend your audience with Eldrad

>Write in

>>5318546
>>Enter Ulthwe and meet with Eldrad, you've wasted enough time already.
>>Give Amaethon a gift in the former of a jade mask to wear on his wraithguard, one of the kind worn by the Wanderers in the fog.
>>Ask him and Carys about Eldrad. And Cearnarch.

>>5318546

>Enter Ulthwe and meet with Eldrad, you've wasted enough time already.

>Give Amaethon a gift in the former of a jade mask to wear on his wraithguard, one of the kind worn by the Wanderers in the fog.

>>5318546
>Enter Ulthwe and meet with Eldrad, you've wasted enough time already.
>Give Amaethon a gift in the former of a jade mask to wear on his wraithguard, one of the kind worn by the Wanderers in the fog.
Also
>The Previous warden of this document, and many others, are undergoing trial by the Emperor's Ordo <Date redacted> for the crime of damaging historical documents to adhere to personal standards of morality.
Seems like our Inquisitor of Ordo Redactus has finaly crossed the line.

>>5318541
>The other figure is <Date redacted> <Data redacted> <Data erased> <Data undergoing analyses> <Data undergoing Analyses and review> <Date deleted> <Data Pending deletion><Data redacted><Data undergoing debate and intimate study><Data to be brought before council to decide if it will be deleted or given protected status>
Big kek

>>5318546
>>Enter Ulthwe and meet with Eldrad, you've wasted enough time already.
>>Give Amaethon a gift in the former of a jade mask to wear on his wraithguard, one of the kind worn by the Wanderers in the fog.

>>5318546

>Enter Ulthwe and meet with Eldrad, you've wasted enough time already.

>Give Amaethon a gift in the former of a jade mask to wear on his wraithguard, one of the kind worn by the Wanderers in the fog

>>5318546
>Enter Ulthwe and meet with Eldrad, you've wasted enough time already.
>Give Amaethon a gift in the former of a jade mask to wear on his wraithguard, one of the kind worn by the Wanderers in the fog.

>Xenos artifact
>Species of origin: Aeldari
>The artists behind the piece is the 15th primarch, Magnus of Prospero.
I... what?
Does Magnus also disguise himself as an Aeldari for the kicks or something?

>>5318540
>>5318541
Wait, but how is it a Xeno artifact if it was made by Magnus?

>>5318572
>>5318580
Notice how it was mentioned the previous keeper of the document is being charged for fucking with it? and Lieren and Magnus are only mentioned when the document's is being repaired?

One does not fuck with anything a primarch touched. Entire planets have burned for merely a picture of one or a discard scrap of paper once touched by their hands. I dont doubt for a second that entire ordo is at risk of burning.>>5318572

Also, the fact that Magnus was not censored/cursed gives hope he stayed loyal during the heresy seeing as how the inquisition was not formed until after the heresy ended. Hell the heresy in this story may end up just being Lorgar putting on a one man show. Wouldn't that be funny.

>>5318546
>Enter Ulthwe and meet with Eldrad, you've wasted enough time already.
>Give Amaethon a gift in the former of a jade mask to wear on his wraithguard, one of the kind worn by the Wanderers in the fog.
>Ask him and Carys about Eldrad. And Cearnarch.

I think one of the best ways to get Eldrad to help us is channeling Isha and maybe crafting an item with her essence.

>>5318546
>Ask about eldrad.
>Head to our meeting immediately.

>>5318546
>Ask him and Carys about Eldrad. And Cearnarch.
>Give Amaethon a gift in the former of a jade mask to wear on his wraithguard, one of the kind worn by the Wanderers in the fog.
>Enter Ulthwe and meet with Eldrad, you've wasted enough time already.
In this order.

>>5318546
>>Ask him and Carys about Eldrad. And Cearnarch.
>Enter Ulthwe and meet with Eldrad.

>>5318546
>Give Amaethon a gift in the former of a jade mask to wear on his wraithguard, one of the kind worn by the Wanderers in the fog.

>Enter Ulthwe and meet with Eldrad, you've wasted enough time already.

>>5318546
>Enter Ulthwe and meet with Eldrad, you've wasted enough time already.
>Give Amaethon a gift in the former of a jade mask to wear on his wraithguard, one of the kind worn by the Wanderers in the fog.
>Ask him and Carys about Eldrad. And Cearnarch.

Wondering if we are starting to significantly effect the timeline for the better, just looking at that report from a warp fuckery perspective.

Interesting that the journey seems capable of making wraith bodies fully aware and awake, I imagine that could be used as a wedge to make craftworlds more accepting of the journey since they would have much less need of spirit seers and could bulk out their armies with wraithguard.

>>5318970
>Wondering if we are starting to significantly effect the timeline for the better, just looking at that report from a warp fuckery perspective.
>Interesting that the journey seems capable of making wraith bodies fully aware and awake, I imagine that could be used as a wedge to make craftworlds more accepting of the journey since they would have much less need of spirit seers and could bulk out their armies with wraithguard.

It also seems to be capable of guiding those who were lost on the paths out of being lost. IE they're no longer insane and locked permanently into a a specific mind set.

Farseers are literally incapable of seeing things not as some form of manipulation/future sight outside of like Eldrad.

>>5318557
>>Enter Ulthwe and meet with Eldrad, you've wasted enough time already.
>>Give Amaethon a gift in the former of a jade mask to wear on his wraithguard, one of the kind worn by the Wanderers in the fog.
>>Ask him and Carys about Eldrad. And Cearnarch.

>>5318546

>Enter Ulthwe and meet with Eldrad, you've wasted enough time already.
>Give Amaethon a gift in the former of a jade mask to wear on his wraithguard, one of the kind worn by the Wanderers in the fog.

>>5318546
>>Enter Ulthwe and meet with Eldrad, you've wasted enough time already.

https://youtu.be/s6zvPVkCrmI
Angron Lore while we wait

File: Filename Pending (279).jpg (23 KB, 432x403)

23 KB JPG

>>5319147
>40K lore video
Naw man.

>>5319184
Bored fish man for the file name

>>5318546

>Enter Ulthwe and meet with Eldrad, you've wasted enough time already.
>Give Amaethon a gift in the former of a jade mask to wear on his wraithguard, one of the kind worn by the Wanderers in the fog.
>Ask him and Carys about Eldrad. And Cearnarch

You think the shrine of khaine will react to Lieren considering he mantled khaine once?

>>5319504
They will if we do it again.

>>5319504
If the Ynnari were a thing yet they probably would notice we manthling Ynnead too, since Amaethon did.
At this rate we are going to go through the enture pantheon.

>>5319529
Watch them still deny us as an ally for a bunch of bullshit reasons.

Man we should meet Kuronous. More Gods to mantle.

So, I really like the Confucius angle we are going for. Seeing as he was worshiped not as a god but rather as the greatest of all scholars and a spiritual teacher this could be a great way for us to infect and shape the nescient Faith of the Savior Emperor. Can you imagine the power this will provide us? Plus the way I see it the reason why Slanesh wants eldar souls is because of the amount of faith they provide. I believe that due to how the warp operates the reason why all eldar souls go to her is because the eldar believe thats what happens when they die. If enough eldar simply believe hard enough that when they die they will reincarnate then it may be possible. But it does not happen because they view reincarnation as a myth that Slanesh cut them off from. If we can get enough people xeno or otherwise to believe in reincarnation we can starve the chaos god's hells of new souls. Thoughts?

>>5319753
The bit about Slaanesh and Eldar souls is pretty firmly contradicted by fluff, I'm sorry to say. Eldar souls go to Slaanesh for two reasons. Firstly, because they have a wholly unique relationship with her, as the race that brought her into fully realized existence. And secondly, because Eldar naturally tend towards Slaaneshi behavior. Their nature is of passion and obsession, which gives Slaanesh such an indisputable claim to their souls post-Fall.

To quote oldlore, "Slaanesh is nothing more than a manifestation of the Eldar mind in its most wild and unconstrained form... To an unfettered Eldar mind there is neither sanity nor madness, but merely a wave of perfect existance fulfilled by its own savage momentum."

>>5319776
Nice critique. I counter with Harlequins. The laughing god gets their souls because they have faith in him and the main reason Slanesh gets Eldar souls is because 1. shes the entire eldar pantheon and therefore has the strongest claim 2. because the eldar burn brighter in the warp and warp predators can interact with them more easily because of this.

Also, Slanesh is weaker now since this is 30k not 40k. If the eldar can create Ynari then all I'm saying is they can create an Eldar version of the Journeyman who may be a facet of the human Journeyman. Imagine a non god spirit receiving the collective worship of multiple races. Wouldn't that be a potent force.

>>5319796
>The laughing god gets their souls because they have faith in him
Close, Cegorach TAKES their souls because of their faith, as a reward. He doesn't receive them passively. He's even more involved when it comes to Solitaire, who's souls he wins in gambles with Slaanesh.
>shes the entire eldar pantheon and therefore has the strongest claim
Slaanesh eating the Eldar gods didn't make her the pantheon. It just took the gods out of the equation one way or another. The Eldar Patheon didn't claim souls after death anyway, eldar just continuously reincarnated, as you've stated.
>the eldar burn brighter in the warp and warp predators can interact with them more easily because of this.
If the psychic presence of the Eldar was just sort of an open call to warpforms, they wouldn't solely go to Slaanesh. It's certainly WHY Slaanesh likes eldar souls so much, they're the most psychically powerful race in the setting. More "meat," so to speak. But that isn't HOW she claims them.
>>5319799
>If the eldar can create Ynari then all I'm saying is they can create an Eldar version of the Journeyman who may be a facet of the human Journeyman
I'm not so sure. One of Ynnead's unique traits is that he already sort of exists. Since he's more purely a warp entity than the other Eldar gods, his existence isn't linear. It's how he's a known entity before his "birth," how he's Morai Heg's husband and father of her children, and how Lieren was able to mantle him. It's not like the Eldar sat down and decided to create a god, he was always there, even pre-Fall. A personification of the Journey, if it exists somewhere in the warp, would take so long to come into being, even with the Eldar and other races of the galaxy, that it isn't worth considering as an option. The Chaos gods took billions of years to come into existence. Slaanesh needed the same plus 60 million years of the most powerful psychic race ever being degenerates. Despite what poorly-written nulore about how a small conglomeration of species can create a distinct warp entity in ~6,000 years may lead one to believe, it takes a REALLY long time to make them.

>>5319843

You have good points. All Im saying is that having faith and acting on that faith is how you get a reaction from the warp. The emperor in the warp did not take that long to manifest he was already making moves before the heresy. Did I base my reasoning off new lore more than old lore? Yes. As for the pantheon I'm saying that the gods have staked claims on certain types of souls including the emperor in the warp. Not all souls from this staked preference go to their respective claimant, but the other warp entities know that hey will get a fight on their hands if they contest the claim.

Last as for reincarnation. We already know how to do it. We did it to the butcher king and his wife.

>>5318546
>>Enter Ulthwe and meet with Eldrad, you've wasted enough time already.
>>Give Amaethon a gift in the former of a jade mask to wear on his wraithguard, one of the kind worn by the Wanderers in the fog.
>>Ask him and Carys about Eldrad. And Cearnarch.

>40k timeline omake and silly write up idea if we get "Forgotten"

Beneath the golden radiance of the Imperial Palace the Dark Cells fester full of horrors and mysteries beyond understanding, forbidden to be seen by all Mankind but their Wardens of the Adaptus Custodes Shield Host; The Shadowkeepers. Shield Brother Athomon stood watching the Cell before him, beside him of the hundred Custodes who watched the dark there were four.

The cell was carved in black stone, an almost featureless thing but for a single viewing port and below it a carved sigil, eight petals and a numeral 'II'. The Cell had been silent for millennium, but the golden light that danced like embers against the window may crackle as energy fields protect it.

Athomon could feel something watching him even beyond the wards set by their Creator and the Sigillite himself, like someone stroking his skin with a fine blade soaked in icy water. For a moment he swore he saw something, a figure? Something reaching out to the cell towards him not threateningly but beckoning him to the window.

He closed his eyes and gestured to his brothers, he knelt. Two placed hands upon his shoulders and a third placed a sceptre with a bloom upon his brow, a strange feeling and now....

Athomon stood awaiting stationing once again, he was posted to the Black Cell of Golden Embers today, his first posting there...what would it hold?

>>Enter Ulthwe and meet with Eldrad, you've wasted enough time already.
>>Give Amaethon a gift in the former of a jade mask to wear on his wraithguard, one of the kind worn by the Wanderers in the fog.
>>Ask him and Carys about Eldrad. And Cearnarch.

Yeah.I'm curious about this wraithguard.I also wanna take him with us so we could maybe learn from the method and shove Guo Zi into a psyker-dreadnaught. ^_^

To prevent his soul from being eaten of course .

Whose to say we are not in that cell by choice. closed door cultivation is a common practice in wuxia and xiaxia. Just lock yourselves away to contemplate the secrets of the universe. Hell Lorgar does it in cannon. >>5320379

>>5320400
We should lock ourselves next to Lorgar's room so he can perceive the gods better. And watch as they rage and spit and curse at us while we taunt them in flowery talk.

He'll be unable to function with all the psychic noise.

>>5320416
That's thinking to small. I say we drive Lorgar more insane than Konrad by proceeding to do everything he wants to do but better. Can you imagine the mental strain of having your every idea and accomplishment compared to your older and more successful brother? Hell at the right we are going we may end up replacing Sanguineous or Dorn on the Vengeful Spirit.

I honestly cant wait to see how the imperium, our brothers, and their legions react to us throughout the timeline. I like to imagine our legion being the legion of teachers and martial scholars just going planet to planet spreading our teachings, educating the populace in martial, psychic, scientific, and artistic pursuits, and codifying laws. That and developing our homebrew cultivation technique to the divinity severing stage.

>>5320428
In direct 1 vs 1, we would lose to suped up Horus I think.

No amount of monkey king can compete with the physical champion of the dark gods in the materium. Especially when we got our ass kicked by Be'lakor. We will grow and improve yes, but he is still the benchmark.

>>5320451
dont worry anon we still have more daemons and eldritch gods (Born to prosper, Rangdan xenocide is a fuck, 410,984,367,503 dead guardsmen) to bench press onto our knees

Am I the only one excited and amused by the idea that while the Imperium falls to shit and Roboute laments his role as regent wishes his brothers were here some random custodian informs him there's one in the basement?

Also, Big E definitely has primarch prisons somewhere in his palace. He was that kind of guy.

>>5320428
Man that's alot of work. The room idea is funny because it's just Lieren being "helpful."

>>5320451
I must disagree. Monkey King has like 7 types of immortality. Horus will have like 4-5(primarch + 4 for everchosen)

Lieren already has 3 available(Primarch(Base)+ Eldar god mantling+ Journeyman) to him.He just needs to find more and develop it into a cohesive whole.

He's not there yet... but he's got a good head start.

I recommend mantling our other brothers and perhaps the Emperor if we can swing it.

>>5320430
Are you suggesting we bring worlds into "compliance" by staging a popular revolution via media and self help?

And that we do it to contrast with Lorgar's own methods, to the point that he shall be forced to adopt ours because it has no gods involved?

>>5320794
Wait. Are you saying you want to have us imprisoned? Why can't we just use the golden mean teleportation method or break into the Emperor's Webway project with a shit load of reinforcements?

That seems like such a waste of time from a practical point of view.
Good for an exciting dramatic reveal though.

>>5320859
I'm just commenting on the what-if. What I really like is a combination of Lorgar (War of words), Horus (Spear Tip throat stab-withdraw-repeat) , and Alpharius (subversion, invisible bullshittery, and contingency plans in the form of leaving some Astartes behind to manage our not cults, recruit, and uplift the populace.) Basically how we conquered the Angra.

My end goal is for us to codify a path of humanity to allow mortal men, astartes, or even muant to cultivate their soul to the point of transcending the flesh and soul to become a non-chaos demon prince of humanity. That and we don't die just transcend our flesh to a higher plane of existence.

As for how we affect compliance I love the idea of going full wuxia and Xianxia on the fuckers. Imagine being some farmer or hiver and you just see glowing giants in flowing robes and ornate armor descending on ships shaped like birds and heading straight for the poorest shittiest parts of the civilization not caring for dirt or smells and delivering them food, clean water, medicine, augments, and books. That is of course after we infiltrate, judge, hang, and prepare for our later reveal.

Calling the vote now. Sorry for the wait

Enter Ulthwe and meet with Eldrad, you've wasted enough time already.:18

Give Amaethon a gift in the former of a jade mask to wear on his wraithguard, one of the kind worn by the Wanderers in the fog:15

Ask him and Carys about Eldrad. And Cearnarch.:10
- Only ask about Eldrad: 1

total votes:18

So, Lieren will ask Carys and Amaethon about Eldrad, and the dead Cearnarch, before departing to Ulthwe to meet Eldrad, though not before giving Amaethon a gift in the form of a jade mask.

Writing now

>>5320379
Nicely written. Enjoyable little drabble that was. Great work

>>5320400
Imagine Lieren ending his closed door meditation just to fight the BEAST

The crowd soon departs, leaving you to wile away hours conversing with your friend in the park between the rest of the markets, joined only by the dour and clearly irritated bodyguards sent by Kher-ys to watch Amaethon in his travels and hope vainly for an issue of repentance and plea for forgiveness that they knew as well as you did, may never come. It was a peaceful reprieve from the hustle of the alleyways of stalls and corridors of fencers and bustling docks, in the lull and quiet in this space, you and Amaethon were able to speak openly and at great length, discussing all manners of things, from the occurrences of your life since he was taken from Shangrala, to the spiritual sensation of being locked within the infinity circuit of a craftworld. Why, you and the wraithguard even exchanged koans and parables, to see what wisdom was universal between the Men of Shangrala and the Aeldari of the craftworlds. The two of you switched seamlessly from discussing in the Aeldari tongue, to the Language of Long-Jia to speaking wholly telepathically as you ponderously moved from one subject to the next. It felt, triumphant, to speak to him of all you have accomplished, and cathartic to speak of your failures and those friends you have lost along the way to achieve your dream and ambitions for a truly prosperous Shangrala, ruled by benevolent and virtuous men. And it was also a great relief for Amaethon to have a willing listen with which to vent his frustration and anger towards the blindness and stubbornness that had afflicted the leaders of the craft he had once called home and sanctuary. His entourage did not dare raise their voices to contest or rebuke the scathing vitriol he spoke concerning the elders of Kher-ys, nor did they argue that their policy of enforcing their people to undergo excessive levels emotional suppression and the harsh punishments they carried out against those who did not seek to silence their hearts and quiet them of all sensation and feeling was necessary for survival as a mental protection against the whispers of the brood of Se Nie and the temptations offered by the evil spirits clawing at their walls.

They simply starred ahead, though you could see the anger within them from the posture of their shoulders and subtle movements of their neck and head, as you listened to your bodiless friend release his own anger and speak complaints that had long been kept hushed and silent by those he trusted as his peers and superiors. He speaks against the unfairness of which he and those Carys had taught had faced and the injustice carried out against them by those staunch traditionalists who refused to allow their people to take a single step from the path their forebearers had laid for them to strictly follow eons before.
cont

>>5321026

The rant exhausts him, and by its end, the two of you sit in silence, as Amaethon, through sheer force of will, keeps his lucidity that had threatened to slip away from him from the sheer effort it took him to speak against the crimes committed against him and the resulting emotional drain that settled upon him when he had spoken his last grievance against the injustices of Kher-ys.

"All I can hope, is that they will one day choose to listen to your teachings and realize they can coexist with the Paths, that their is danger in suppressing one self so utterly and completely. We Aeldari, naturally possess powerful passions and strong emotions. And you have taught...You and Carys have shown me what is risked by bottling up such potent forces. That one does not need to focus themselves fully to a single aspect of life, to a single skill or profession to achieve self control and that mastery overone's self and emotions can be reached without devoting their whole existence to a singular obsession. It is...I never thought I would understand vexation as a I now do, but it is infuriating to be told simply practicing moderation and trying another way of life is unacceptable and dangerous. The Journey is not threat but"

"It is a boon that allows one to find inner peace and unlock what potential may have otherwise been forever sealed away. It is a guide, that teaches its readers how to live virtuously and morally, how to come together as one whole no matter how vast of a distance separates them" Carys muses, as she joins you in the quiet garden of the webway market place "It is a message of hope and optimism, in a cruel world. And that is why many of our kind fear it. They dare not even dream for a better tomorrow, dare not hope that we may one day find prosperity, especially if it would be achieved by following a "Mon-Keigh's" personal philosophy and wisdom. To accept Lieren as a teacher, would be to admit they were his lesser, in their eyes"

"And surely, as many did upon Shangrala, fear they shall be named tyrants and cast down by those who have opened their eyes and seen the horizon" You state calmly, sitting up from the bench you had laid yourself out upon "or, fear that there lurks a poison beneath the words I have spoken and written, that the compassionate and benevolent intent of my journey hides a lurking corruption. That I offer a bejeweled, gilded chest in which lurks a poisonous toad. That I do not seek to bring to them a gift of wisdom and understanding, but rather slide the dagger of deception and trickery into their back. That the virtues I uphold and commend are little more than hollow lies, meant to entrap and mislead"

"Many have eyes, yet do not see, Lieren" Carys says bitterly, shaking her head as she leans against her staff "Or refuse to"

"Yet, even though you are blind, you can perceive the honesty of the journey and its worthiness" Amaethon muses, as he moves his prosthetic body to stand beside her
Cont

>>5320879
That sounds like what the emperor purported wanted mankind to evolve into.

I'm not sure if I wanna find out that he disagrees with our vision.We might not simply get a rebuke/reprimand like Lorgar.

>>5320893
On one hand that's going to be authoritarian as fuck regardless of the Social Uplift. Killing authority figures that are simply corrupt instead of being absolutely irredeemable sounds like just asking for a rebellion.

Perhaps a heavy handed show of "WE ARE THE NEW MANAGEMENT.DO NOT FUCK WITH US" needs to be thought of.

On the other hand. This is 40k and that's pretty mild to the point of slowing down our compliance rates.(Like Lorgar)

>>5321029
"What of Eldrad? Will he be able to see the Journey for what it is? A message rather than a commandment? A guide rather than gospel?" You ask, suddenly curious of the great seer you are soon to meet, wrapping your arms around your legs as you look up to your two Aeldari companions "Can he understand its meaning, its purpose? See the wisdom in its lessons enough to, if not approve then at least tolerate its teachings? Amaethon, you said he was a contemporary of Cearnarch did you not, when we first spoke? And you, Carys, until recently, you were the high seer of Ulthwe's direct disciple, were you not? If I am to soon meet and have an audience with this man, I would like to know as much as there is too know about him even before I lay my golden gaze upon him"

"Only by age, not by temperament or deed" Amaethon says "I know you do not imply as such, but Eldrad is well and widely respect amongst what remains of our noble race. He was ancient when the old were young, and he is perhaps the most powerful amongst our number psionically. It would be no understatement to name him the best of the Aeldari, a great hero of the past survived to the modern day, though I am not of Ulthwe, I and all others admire and trust him greatly. The only similarity he shared with that wretched huntmaster is that he ancient. In all other ways, they are opposite. Eldrad is wise , Cearnarch was foolish. Eldrad concerned himself with the fate of his fellow Aeldari, Cearnarch cared only for his own satisfaction and pleasure. Eldrad protects and guides our kind into the future, Cearnarch languished in the folly of the past, willingly I might add"

Carys nodded in agreement

"Yes, though he and I have parted ways and not on the best of terms, I still admire Eldrad. Though I walk a different road and see the world a different way, believe different things, I am still proud to name him my teacher" Carys said happily, rocking from her heels to her toes "He is...in some ways like you, a beacon of hope, a figure around which his people and civilization thrive. And he is burdened by the choices he has had to make, for the greater good of Aeldari kind. I'd say that Lieren and Eldrad are the same, in that you and he both work to better to future and ensure prosperity it is just"

Carys groaned and hung her head

"It is just that he concerns himself with Aeldari lives above all others, and while you disdain fate, he clings to it and uses it so well that there is no greater weapon in his hand than it, as all farseers do. He has, by necessity, closed his heart so he may guide and lead us to as much safety as can be found in this uncaring universe" She continued on, rolling her wrist as she ignored the glares shot towards her by Amaethon's guards
cont

>>5321037
"He is, as you would say, of virtuous heart. And was understanding of my reasons for aligning myself to the Journey and choosing to uphold its teachings and forsake the path that had defined me since my youth even if he considered it a folly. So you have nothing to fear, he is no zealot blinded by faith, and he is most certainly not willfully ignorant"

"Of course one who possess such vast intellect as Eldrad would be so understanding, where the council of Kher-ys was not" Amaethon said sullenly "Perhaps, if Eldrad could debate with Lieren, they could reach an understanding and prove to the rest that the Journey is not harmful, that its teachings are valuable and the philosophy itself is purely beneficial and greatly practical. I take it, you shall depart to meet with Eldrad of Ulthwe soon, Lieren"

"Yes, I have kept him waiting long enough, most impolitely. I must plead forgiveness for my lateness, less I sour his view of me. Though I have never had much care for Face or social standing" You say, nodding once as you pluck at the few whiskers of hair sprouting from your chin

"Than this is good bye, till we cross paths again" Amaethon said solemnly, cupping his fist as you do you return the gesture

"Until we find ourselves upon the same road, my friend" You say, reaching into the satchel secured to your belt "But before we part ways, I have a gift to give. A sign of our friendship, one that my teacher has already given to Carys and her followers"

"A jade mask" Amaethon gasps, as you pull it out and show it to him. It is carved of rare and valuable mutton fat jade, cloudy with few variations of color, with an oily sheen upon its surface. Though, unlike the masks worn by the Wanderers in the fog, this one is not featureless. Instead, it has been made into the image of Amaethon's mortal visage, in an expression of peace and contentment

"There was no need" He said softly, as he took the mask in his hands and traced his unfeeling fingers across its faced "You are too generous, I thought I knew the limits of your virtue and kindness, yet you have surprised me just as greatly as when you told me you killed Cearnarch and were of all things...human"

"To give when one has plenty, is virtuous, to share when one has little, is virtuous" You state, smiling widely and cheerfully "You gave me your trust and friendship when you had nothing else to give, so I give you this token, to symbolize the faith we share between one another. Besides, to have no face to wear, I imagine it to be...saddening, I suppose"

"You have my thanks, and I wish you well on all your travels to your last, Until we next meet, I shall treasure this gift" He replied joyfully, he would be crying if could shed tears "and Promise I shall repay it in kind"

"When we next meet" You chuckle mirthfully, as you pat the wraithguard on his shoulder "I wish you well my friend"

And with that, he walked away, circled by his guards.
Cont

>>5321039

"Shall I alert our companions we are to depart this port immediately?" Carys asked plainly

"Of course, we have kept your teacher waiting for far too long. I only hope I have not earned his ire by indulging in my curiosity to explore this strange realm" You say, the warmth of camaraderie still radiating deep within your heart.

How do you greet Eldrad after you're granted entrance to Ulthwe, Lieren?

>Respectfully, upholding proper etiquette and kneeling as you ask forgiveness for your tardiness. Greet him cordially and with all the respect someone of his standing deserves

>By Introducing him to Magnus, as you alert your brother that the meeting is beginning, as you act as an anchor for his projection to foist itself to. Better to be upfront that you have invited a guest

>Immediately challenge him to a philosophical debate, and ask to be shown around the craftworld! You have never stepped aboard one before, and you would very much like to see what life aboard them is like

>Get right to your business and ask if is able and willing to lead you to your suffering brothers. That is your reason for seeking an audience with him, cordiality and politeness can be forgotten considering the present urgency

>write in

>By Introducing him to Magnus, as you alert your brother that the meeting is beginning, as you act as an anchor for his projection to foist itself to. Better to be upfront that you have invited a guest

Magnus! We found you a friend!!!!!

Perhaps the only one aside from the Emperor who might have something to teach him.

That's sounding a little too Greater Good for my tastes.>>5321029

>By Introducing him to Magnus, as you alert your brother that the meeting is beginning, as you act as an anchor for his projection to foist itself to. Better to be upfront that you have invited a guest

>>5320895
>AH OLE GOLDIE EYES WE MEET AGAIN

>>5321044
>By Introducing him to Magnus, as you alert your brother that the meeting is beginning, as you act as an anchor for his projection to foist itself to. Better to be upfront that you have invited a guest
Somehow I feel like prostrating ourselves and asking for forgiveness is just gonna piss him off.

>>5321044
>By Introducing him to Magnus, as you alert your brother that the meeting is beginning, as you act as an anchor for his projection to foist itself to. Better to be upfront that you have invited a guest

>>5321036

So the word bearers only conquered about 50 systems by the time Monarchia happened. They were a legion who did not wage war and were found later in the crusade. While our sons are veterans of the unification war which makes most of the crusade look like a tutorial. Our goal is not to enslave or bomb worlds into compliance. Our goal is that when the heresy comes none of our planets declare for the Warmaster and that their ruling body and systems of government last throughout the centuries to come. As for heavy-handed, that is reserved for hostile worlds where there is little to no chance of agreement. That's why we have air superiority and golden age weapons for.

>>5321044
>Introducing him to magnus

We should be polite, but I think demonstrating trickster lieren is the way forwards here.

>>5321044
>Respectfully, upholding proper etiquette and kneeling as you ask forgiveness for your tardiness. Greet him cordially and with all the respect someone of his standing deserves
>By Introducing him to Magnus, as you alert your brother that the meeting is beginning, as you act as an anchor for his projection to foist itself to. Better to be upfront that you have invited a guest

>>5321044
>>By Introducing him to Magnus, as you alert your brother that the meeting is beginning, as you act as an anchor for his projection to foist itself to. Better to be upfront that you have invited a guest

>>5321044
>Respectfully, upholding proper etiquette and kneeling as you ask forgiveness for your tardiness. Greet him cordially and with all the respect someone of his standing deserves
>By Introducing him to Magnus, as you alert your brother that the meeting is beginning, as you act as an anchor for his projection to foist itself to. Better to be upfront that you have invited a guest
Be polite, be efficient

>>5321044
>>Respectfully, upholding proper etiquette and kneeling as you ask forgiveness for your tardiness. Greet him cordially and with all the respect someone of his standing deserves

>>5321044
>Respectfully, upholding proper etiquette and kneeling as you ask forgiveness for your tardiness. Greet him cordially and with all the respect someone of his standing deserves
>By Introducing him to Magnus, as you alert your brother that the meeting is beginning, as you act as an anchor for his projection to foist itself to. Better to be upfront that you have invited a guest

>>5321044

>Respectfully, upholding proper etiquette and kneeling as you ask forgiveness for your tardiness. Greet him cordially and with all the respect someone of his standing deserves

>By Introducing him to Magnus, as you alert your brother that the meeting is beginning, as you act as an anchor for his projection to foist itself to. Better to be upfront that you have invited a guest

>>5321044
>>Respectfully, upholding proper etiquette and kneeling as you ask forgiveness for your tardiness. Greet him cordially and with all the respect someone of his standing deserves

Two primarchs at once might send a bad message

>>5321044
>By Introducing him to Magnus, as you alert your brother that the meeting is beginning, as you act as an anchor for his projection to foist itself to. Better to be upfront that you have invited a guest

>still apologize for being late.

>>5321044
>Respectfully, upholding proper etiquette and kneeling as you ask forgiveness for your tardiness. Greet him cordially and with all the respect someone of his standing deserves
>By Introducing him to Magnus, as you alert your brother that the meeting is beginning, as you act as an anchor for his projection to foist itself to. Better to be upfront that you have invited a guest

>>5321044
>Respectfully, upholding proper etiquette and kneeling as you ask forgiveness for your tardiness. Greet him cordially and with all the respect someone of his standing deserves

>Other
Ask if we may have another witness referring to Magnus, if he says no then don't bring Magnus along. It'd be rude to insist since we are infact late

Lads as much as I hate to say it this is meant to be a one on one chat, ask him if he minds a witness in the form of Magnus don't just call him in because that's rude as hell. He can deny such a thing, also be ready to present a gift for our tardiness, maybe...as harsh as it is, the blade of love? Show him such a thing is infact possible!

>>5321450
>>5321044
support

>>5321457
I take offense to everything in this post. Mostly because regardless of what we do we only need to do one simple action to secure his favor no matter how much we piss him off.
You just need to remember who he worships.

>>5321044
>Respectfully, upholding proper etiquette and asking forgiveness for your tardiness. Greet him cordially and with all the respect someone of his standing deserves
>Ask if you may bring your brother Magnus to join the discussion via his psychic projection.

No idea how formal Eldrad is and how much sway he has over Ulthwe to facilitate this meeting. He may be a excellent fellow to Lieren but if the rest of the seers on Ulthwe really don't like the idea of the meeting or want to squeeze as much as possible in the negotiations some things could cost Eldrad too much to allow.

>>5321044
>Respectfully, upholding proper etiquette and asking forgiveness for your tardiness. Greet him cordially and with all the respect someone of his standing deserves
>By Introducing him to Magnus, as you alert your brother that the meeting is beginning, as you act as an anchor for his projection to foist itself to. Better to be upfront that you have invited a guest

>>5321450
>>5321457
Inviting Magnus won a previous vote, he already will be here. So not telling Eldrad about the extra guest would be the rude option.

>>5321457
>>5321620
We already brought Magnus, Go read shit next time. The quest is worth the read.

>>5321760
>>5321828
I feel it is best to treat voters as if they were attention deficit.

>>5321044
>>Respectfully, upholding proper etiquette and kneeling as you ask forgiveness for your tardiness. Greet him cordially and with all the respect someone of his standing deserves
>>By Introducing him to Magnus, as you alert your brother that the meeting is beginning, as you act as an anchor for his projection to foist itself to. Better to be upfront that you have invited a guest

>>5321044
>Respectfully, upholding proper etiquette and kneeling as you ask forgiveness for your tardiness. Greet him cordially and with all the respect someone of his standing deserves
>By Introducing him to Magnus, as you alert your brother that the meeting is beginning, as you act as an anchor for his projection to foist itself to. Better to be upfront that you have invited a guest

I don't know how many of you have listened to this but this to me is what Malice sounds like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaeHBvh5auU

>>5323208
He sounds like he needs to quit smoking.

>>5323208
He sounds like an ork without the silly cockney

>>5323698
OS of GorkMork Kork?

Malals machine spirits seem to be angry again

>>5326899
Given the length of this bout of radio silence, it's surely a battle of absolutely titanic proportions.

>>5326915
I hope he's doing okay

>>5327149
If we get to a full week without an update, then we can panic.

Is it possible to donate s laptop to Malal? I would like to do so.

File: 1624678102331.png (271 KB, 700x694)

271 KB PNG

So this is embarrassing. So, I thought my keyboard had broken, despite being pretty new, and that belief was the reason for my radio silence and the wait. Found out it wasn't broken, and that it was just unplugged. Thankfully I found this out before buying a replacement, and just when moving some wires around

So I feel like a massive idiot.

I'll call the vote and write that update you've all been waiting on in a bit. I am truly excited to write Lieren and Eldrad's meeting, which makes the fact I only haven't already cause I didn't think to check my PC's ports for four days all the more painful

>>5327149
thanks for your concern

>>5327414
And you for your generosity, though it isn't needed

>>5327456
Malal needs to setup a kofi or something.

>>5327456
that mean we will be waiting 2-3 days before the next update.

>>5327456
Malal please, Its okay to just admit your being held hostage. Just tell us and we will send aid.

>>5327456
>I thought my keyboard had broken. Found out it wasn't broken, and that it was just unplugged.
kek
>Thankfully I found this out before buying a replacement, and just when moving some wires around
At least it was something we can laugh about without there being any kind of harm

>>5327456
Don't be ashamed Malal, even the greatest tech-priests sometimes forget to perform the sacred rite of jiggling the plug in the case the ritual of turning it on and of again fails.

File: 1608335693997.jpg (311 KB, 510x546)

311 KB JPG

Calling the vote now, after far, far too long

By Introducing him to Magnus, as you alert your brother that the meeting is beginning, as you act as an anchor for his projection to foist itself to. Better to be upfront that you have invited a guest:15

Respectfully, upholding proper etiquette and kneeling as you ask forgiveness for your tardiness. Greet him cordially and with all the respect someone of his standing deserves:13

Ask if we may have another witness referring to Magnus, if he says no then don't bring Magnus along. It'd be rude to insist since we are infact late: 3

total votes:20

So Lieren will greet Eldrad respectfully and cordially, and ask forgiveness for his lateness before introducing him to his Brother Magnus, being upfront that he has chosen to invite a guest


>>5327513
The water rations are generous and the beatings light.

>>5327494
Hopefully not.

>>5327581
Lmao

Eldrad knew he stood upon the crossroads of fate, upon a fractural point that split into thousands of possibilities. The second progeny of the Gestalt of ancient shamans and soothsayers, a figure he regarded with both hope and dread. He had directly witnessed the primarch's psionic awakening and the radiant light that constantly surrounded his every burning soul like the halo of a new born star, and so he was privileged to witness the great destiny surrounding the humble warrior, and the promise that whispered in his mind whenever he turned his mind's eye and psychic perceptions towards that mist shrouded world once consumed by the machinations of the six great gods of chaos. The eightfold path denounced and turned inward, a direct challenge to the nihilistic and ultimately selfish lure of chaotic power, spoken by a man torn from the destiny written for him by the very same gods he cursed and fought wherever he encountered them. However, eons of life had taught Eldrad to be ever cautious, even if he could envision fate and direct destiny with far greater ease than any other who walked the path of the seer, even his fellow members of the council of seers of Ulthwé. And simple experience in divination and scrying had taught the ancient Farseer that anything which possessed a destiny tat was so malleable and transient that even he could not track or foresee it was something to be approached carefully and with great preparation and trepidation. Lieren of Shangrala, was a dangerous entity, merely witnessing his psionic assent through forcefully manipulating and all but throwing his own essence into the a crucible of spiritual fire, had robbed her of her eyes and somehow broken her from the path she had walked for centuries, influenced her to take risks and trust a being who could easily become the doom of the Aeldari, as he could its salvation.

It was true, he seemed immune to the corruption of the dark powers, almost as if he wore his hatred and contempt for those parasitic gods as a kind of shield, or, as Carys had suggested not long after she risked her own life to aid the anomaly that was the golden panther of the mists, all of the daemons of chaos simply had nothing to offer to interest the golden eyed son of humanities pinnacle and so he simply could not be tempted by them. But, while Eldrad could not divine the primarch's own future, he caught glimpses of the smirking titan through other futures, like a ghost made of fog. He had once, forseen, Lieren hanging the remnants of the old empire by their needlessly sharpened spires, standing amongst the flames as serene and kindly seeming as he was when Eldrad looked upon him as he met his apprentice forlorn. Surrounded by corpses and treating the conflagration as if the tongues of flames were little more than petals blossoming forth from a garden.
Cont

>>5327673

While most of the brief sightings he had made of the primarch in his cultivating of fate, were at worst benign to the further survival of his people, Eldrad had not been blind to simply how dangerous he was. Men could be raised or trained to kill without remorse, regret or hesitation. What made Lieren dangerous, was how calmly he calculated when to kill and if something deserved to die. While his future remained shrouded to the farseer, he could still look upon his past, and witnessed firsthand how the second son would go about measuring sin and misdeeds, before carrying out executions as calmly as if he were plucking thorns from a rose.

Lieren, of all of his gene modified brothers, had thus far killed more of his own kind than any other currently active. But, while this terrified a few other members of Ulthwe's seer council, it relieved Eldrad. For all the danger Lieren theoretically and hypothetically represented, he was at his core a logical being, with a strong code of ethics and morals. A philosopher of peace and prosperity who paved the road to the paradise he envisioned for all to share with the bones of those who stood in his way, or offended him with their wicked ways, and the mortar of that road was blood and flesh. Eldrad was cautious and at times dreaded Lieren, but he did not fear him, for, despite the ghosts that followed behind him like the veil of his home planet, he was no zealot. He truly believed every life he had taken was necessary to achieve his ambition of a truly prosperous, virtuous society free from the corruption of their ancestors.

And that is why Lieren was dangerous. If he came to the conclusion something was a threat or deserved to die, he'd simply wipe it away, with as much thought as pruning a diseased branch. And, though Eldrad had advise caution and distance from the ever burning fire that Carys had become enamored, and night obsessed with, he was not so unsettled by him and what he represented to vouch for killing him simply because they could not possess foreknowledge of him or feared that he would judge the Aeldari as a threat to the world he journeyed forever towards. That did not mean he trusted him or expected to find an ally and guardian of what remained of the Aeldari race in Lieren, he simply realized that.

In a fashion, the work of the Farseers and the work of the hangman were not so different. After all, for all the corpses Lieren had left in his wake, a Farseer a tenth of Eldrad's age had left ten times that of the Giant's tally to protect the craftworlds and their inhabitants.

So, Eldrad chose to accept Carys plea for him meet with Lieren, who had been forced to witness the fates of two of his brothers dammed to serve the same powers he opposed by principle and instinct, yet could not understand they were fated to become the same devils he fought.
Cont

>>5327674

It took much debate to convince his peers to agree to allow the Monkiegh monk aboard their craftworld, but though they all in part dreaded that golden blaze, Eldrad reminded them of the hope he had spread for their race.

The death of that brat Cearnarch who debased the good name of slain Kurnous with his galaxy wide hunting expeditions and tournaments, his valiant protection of the pathless Aeldari who aligned themselves to him, and the oath he swore to Isha herself upon being subjected to the odorous sight of the grandfather of plague's manse, and the caged cold light who now sent out legions across Sha'eil against the relentless scourge that had consumed that once peaceable realm. For all the danger Lieren posed, Eldrad knew that he also embodied a great hope. A hope he intended to make a reality.

Hopefully, Lieren would see reason and decide to turn his back to his kinsmen dammed by fate, and work to prevent their ascension into immortal atrocities.

Eldrad took in a sharp breath, having chosen to take off his helmet and armor in a show of good faith to the primarch, hoping to endear himself to him early so he could guide him to do what must be done, and realize the destiny Carys saw in him as a cleansing flame of hope. The other Aeldari present, however, were armed and armored as if they were expecting the siege.

They certainly did not expect the figure they looked upon with worry and unease to appear before them, dressed in humble robes like a farmer recently pulled from his fields, thread bare and smelling of loamy earth and fresh growth. And they certainly did not anticipate the "Monkeigh that will kill or damn us all, like that fool Carys" To immediately kneel and throw himself to the ground, performing a particular form of prostration known as Kowtowing, practiced by the primitives of a particular long dead Monkeigh empire.

"Forgive me, Eldrad of Ulthwe, Shepard of fate and guide of the future, he who has lead the Aeldari from their darkest hour and defends them from the cruelest and most tragic of fates!" He shouted tearfully as Eldrad immediately forgot the speech he had prepared as he realized exactly how Carys must've felt when she stared into his awakening soul and had her eyes melted from the sight alone. It took great effort to keep himself cautious as Lieren smacked his head to the ground as tears fell from his eyes

"I have no excuse for my tardiness, there was no reason for me to delay the audience I had requested. I have slighted you and your noble peers of the seer council, who aid in the monumental task of preserving the Aeldari species" He continue, as he lifted himself from the ground and Eldrad looked upon the cursed mark he bore, left by all six of the Chaos gods that even now weakened the arcane defenses of the gate of Ulthwe's webway portal
Cont

>>5327675

"And there is no justification for my lateness, of noble seers, for you waited because, like a spoilt child, I indulged in my curiosity of the magnificent astral road your ancestors had constructed, and gave into my desire to explore it freely, forgive me for this afront and breach of the trust of the pact penned by Carys and her former, honored teacher, Eldrad of Ulthwe" The primarch guiltily admitted, as if he had himself committed some great crime

Eldrad had to stop himself from asking why he was apologizing, they knew he'd be late. But, like a Grynix pouncing upon a songbird, Lieren took advantage of his momentary hesitation and broke his composure. Eldrad sensed the arrival of second, heavier psionic presence, and realized at once that Lieren, had through some cruel twist of fate, met a third of his brothers condemned to service the dark gods and all their whims. A second primarch, with skin vividly red, appeared, an astral projection tied to Lieren's own soul. Yet despite the shock and anger Eldrad felt, a certain, whimsical mirth rise within him

A low chuckle lifted from his lips, as he threw his head back, amazed by the audacity of their guest and the misfortune he had in the brothers he had found. Yet, strangely, the presence of Magnus the Red, the sorcerer king, was...different than he had witnessed before. Immediately, Eldrad stopped laughing as the implications of this alteration of the Crimson King, however he silenced them just as quickly, knowing what incredible ability Lieren possessed

"And once more I have performed an unforgiveable breech of etiquette! Oh my excitement has reached such a high, I've completely forgotten my manners!" Lieren proclaimed, showboating as he lashed his arm to his brother "Allow me to first introduce my brother, who has chosen to join in our conversation, which though is rude of me to force upon you fine folk of Ulthwe, you must understand, this is a family matter for both of us, and myself, Lieren of Nothing, Second Son of Wenyan, Second Son of a Nameless father, and hopefully a friend to you all, despite our...obvious differences"

"I must say, I was expecting a far more dignified and solemn entrance, but you did not disappoint me in how dramatically you approached me" Eldrad said warmly, matching the tone set by Lieren, and wincing as his eyes glanced against him. That was a gift that would make the exalted princes of Sha'eil would be envious of, yet, Lieren was clearly uncorrupted by its presence and indeed seemed to have made the power in his eyes his own. Lieren was a paradox, and impossibility, Yet here he stood before Eldrad and the Seer council of Ulthwe, they could not deny that he or his seemingly impossible feats were real. Eldrad knew he was walking a dangerous path now.
Cont

>>5327676

He had to guard his thoughts and empty his mind nearly completely or else that piercing gaze may turn this peaceful audience into a disaster, or worse yet a bloodbath. He had to hold no attentions, make no plots nor think beyond the moment. Eldrad had to forsake his eons of experience and training, lest he bungle this meeting.
_

How do you initially approach your audience with Eldrad, Lieren?

>By beginning a debate of the nature of fate and destiny, knowing he and his underlings are hesitant and doubtful of your aim to reach your brothers from a quick study of the younger members of the seer council, and try to use this to earn this aid in aiding you brothers

>Mention that only one other person had the quick thinking to realize the single weakness of your eyes, and ask why he is guarding himself so, after all you have come here as a friend.

>Knowing they must be withholding support out of caution or belief your brothers are fated to suffer, present several accounts of individuals who were seemingly condemned to suffer one fate, yet found another by their own choice or the intervention of others.

>Attempt to endear yourself to Eldrad and his peers, as the farseer is so clearly attempting to do with you. You both are aiming to use the other for your own goals, so why not play along?

>write in

>>5327678
So the alpha legion can totally counter Lierens eyes then

>By beginning a debate of the nature of fate and destiny, knowing he and his underlings are hesitant and doubtful of your aim to reach your brothers from a quick study of the younger members of the seer council and try to use this to earn this aid in aiding you brothers

>>5327678
>>By beginning a debate of the nature of fate and destiny, knowing he and his underlings are hesitant and doubtful of your aim to reach your brothers from a quick study of the younger members of the seer council, and try to use this to earn this aid in aiding you brothers

>>Knowing they must be withholding support out of caution or belief your brothers are fated to suffer, present several accounts of individuals who were seemingly condemned to suffer one fate, yet found another by their own choice or the intervention of others.

The accounts should be incorporated into our arguements that fate is changeable. Else it would invalidate all the work that Farseers do to guide their race.

>>5327685
Cearnarch used the same method Eldrad is using, if you recall.

It only really works to keep him from noticing your intentions, briefly, by emptying your heart/ Mind, basically leaving a blank page for him to see when he turns his gaze to you. Kind of like, your enemy can't anticipate your next strike if you just swing wildly.

But, remember, even without his bullshit truth vision, Lieren is just naturally talented at reading people like books.

>>5327692
>>5327678
Support

>Write in flavour
"I hold in my hand a dice, a simple thing but we're I to roll it what does its fate say? Will it still do so if rolled from my hand?"
Testing time~

>>5327678
>Hopefully, Lieren would see reason and decide to turn his back to his kinsmen dammed by fate, and work to prevent their ascension into immortal atrocities.
Yeah dude you gotta talk to em to fix em.

>write in
>Kindly provide teas and treats from your home world as if you were the host of this discussion. Typically it is the head of the household that provides for its guest, but to give when you have little is virtuous. To give when you have much is virtuous. Plus you are especially proud of this particular blend of leaves and roots.

>>5327715
+1 flavor.

>>5327678
>>By beginning a debate of the nature of fate and destiny, knowing he and his underlings are hesitant and doubtful of your aim to reach your brothers from a quick study of the younger members of the seer council, and try to use this to earn this aid in aiding you brothers

>>Knowing they must be withholding support out of caution or belief your brothers are fated to suffer, present several accounts of individuals who were seemingly condemned to suffer one fate, yet found another by their own choice or the intervention of others.

>write in
>Kindly provide teas and treats from your home world as if you were the host of this discussion. Typically it is the head of the household that provides for its guest, but to give when you have little is virtuous. To give when you have much is virtuous. Plus you are especially proud of this particular blend of leaves and roots.

>>5327692
>>5327715
>supporting both

>>5327693
I imagine if someone did that in a crowd it would just make them stick out.

>>5327678
>By beginning a debate of the nature of fate and destiny, knowing he and his underlings are hesitant and doubtful of your aim to reach your brothers from a quick study of the younger members of the seer council, and try to use this to earn this aid in aiding you brothers
>Knowing they must be withholding support out of caution or belief your brothers are fated to suffer, present several accounts of individuals who were seemingly condemned to suffer one fate, yet found another by their own choice or the intervention of others.
>write in
>And of course gift them a book of the journey traduced in aeldari, bringing a gift is a universal good gesture

if magnus wants to say anything, allow him

>>5327678
>Begin a debate on fate and causality
>Use the accounts of people who's fates we have changed.

I want to mention cregornach, but that would be rude.

>>5327678
>Knowing they must be withholding support out of caution or belief your brothers are fated to suffer, present several accounts of individuals who were seemingly condemned to suffer one fate, yet found another by their own choice or the intervention of others.
>Attempt to endear yourself to Eldrad and his peers, as the farseer is so clearly attempting to do with you. You both are aiming to use the other for your own goals, so why not play along?

>Lieren, of all of his gene modified brothers, had thus far killed more of his own kind than any other currently active.
More than Russ or Curze? Huh.

>>5327678
>By beginning a debate of the nature of fate and destiny, knowing he and his underlings are hesitant and doubtful of your aim to reach your brothers from a quick study of the younger members of the seer council, and try to use this to earn this aid in aiding you brothers
>Knowing they must be withholding support out of caution or belief your brothers are fated to suffer, present several accounts of individuals who were seemingly condemned to suffer one fate, yet found another by their own choice or the intervention of others.
Just look at the giant red mango with us.

>>5327678
>>By beginning a debate of the nature of fate and destiny, knowing he and his underlings are hesitant and doubtful of your aim to reach your brothers from a quick study of the younger members of the seer council, and try to use this to earn this aid in aiding you brothers
>>5327805
>More than Russ or Curze? Huh.
No elves on Fenris and Nostramo. I'm sure they beat Lieren out for total killed though.

>>5327846
I think when he say "of his own kind" he means Lieren's own kind, not Eldrad's own.
That was what I though he meant at least.
But on second reading both would make sense, so whatever I guess.

>>5327678
>By beginning a debate of the nature of fate and destiny, knowing he and his underlings are hesitant and doubtful of your aim to reach your brothers from a quick study of the younger members of the seer council, and try to use this to earn this aid in aiding you brothers
>Knowing they must be withholding support out of caution or belief your brothers are fated to suffer, present several accounts of individuals who were seemingly condemned to suffer one fate, yet found another by their own choice or the intervention of others.

>>5327846
I doubt it. >>5327846

We are space Cathay. Fenris only had scattered tribes that mostly died before they were 30. Nostromo was a few hives were the number one cause of death was suicide. We have lead hundred thousand strong armies and conquered entire kingdoms. Also, lets not forget the 888,887 dead from a single battle.

>>5327678

>By beginning a debate of the nature of fate and destiny, knowing he and his underlings are hesitant and doubtful of your aim to reach your brothers from a quick study of the younger members of the seer council, and try to use this to earn this aid in aiding you brothers

>Knowing they must be withholding support out of caution or belief your brothers are fated to suffer, present several accounts of individuals who were seemingly condemned to suffer one fate, yet found another by their own choice or the intervention of others.

And all the write ins so far, they all make sense for lieren to do

>>5327678
>By beginning a debate of the nature of fate and destiny, knowing he and his underlings are hesitant and doubtful of your aim to reach your brothers from a quick study of the younger members of the seer council, and try to use this to earn this aid in aiding you brothers
>Knowing they must be withholding support out of caution or belief your brothers are fated to suffer, present several accounts of individuals who were seemingly condemned to suffer one fate, yet found another by their own choice or the intervention of others.
These two options seem to fit together quite nicely.

>>5327678
>By beginning a debate of the nature of fate and destiny, knowing he and his underlings are hesitant and doubtful of your aim to reach your brothers from a quick study of the younger members of the seer council, and try to use this to earn this aid in aiding you brothers

>Mention that only one other person had the quick thinking to realize the single weakness of your eyes, and ask why he is guarding himself so, after all you have come here as a friend.
>Knowing they must be withholding support out of caution or belief your brothers are fated to suffer, present several accounts of individuals who were seemingly condemned to suffer one fate, yet found another by their own choice or the intervention of others.

LOCAL ELDAR, GET BTFO'ED BY MNAN WHO SPEAKS BETTER POEMS.

his whole speech about "YoU DoN't UndErStAnD dEsTiNy" argument just got its face blown off because of good boi magnus lmao

>>5328160
Fate is the salve of fools, you just need to look at the one that calls himself it's architect to know it to be true.

>>5327678
>>Mention that only one other person had the quick thinking to realize the single weakness of your eyes, and ask why he is guarding himself so, after all you have come here as a friend.

>>5327678
>>By beginning a debate of the nature of fate and destiny, knowing he and his underlings are hesitant and doubtful of your aim to reach your brothers from a quick study of the younger members of the seer council, and try to use this to earn this aid in aiding you brothers

>>Knowing they must be withholding support out of caution or belief your brothers are fated to suffer, present several accounts of individuals who were seemingly condemned to suffer one fate, yet found another by their own choice or the intervention of others.

A two-pronged attack against Eldrad's belief that Fate declares Angron and Lorgar doomed!

>>5327678
>By beginning a debate of the nature of fate and destiny, knowing he and his underlings are hesitant and doubtful of your aim to reach your brothers from a quick study of the younger members of the seer council, and try to use this to earn this aid in aiding you brothers
>Knowing they must be withholding support out of caution or belief your brothers are fated to suffer, present several accounts of individuals who were seemingly condemned to suffer one fate, yet found another by their own choice or the intervention of others.

Hopefully this goes well enough to get Eldrad to mention the other primarchs in deep trouble.
There is Curze already going double nuts from his visions, Mortarion is having a bad time and I think gets crippled from the toxic gas on his planet, are there any others in need of help now? Fulgrim gets gotcha'd by a daemon blade late in the crusade, Pert is still a landmine but Lieren has partially defused him.

>>5328395
I think curze will like us well enough, we have similar ideas about justice, ok maybe not as extreme but we can convince him I'd bet

>>5328415
Curze legion, in canon, would have been fucking hung from their own bolter feeds if they entered the same airspace as Lieren.
The legions would never fight together after the first bloody slaughter.

>>5328418
no not at first, remember anon the terrans weren't the problem, they became shit up once he stopped caring and let the retards do what they wanted. If we came convince him to keep caring it'll all be gucci

>>5328395
>>5328415
If I remember right, last time we saw a PoV from Curze he was getting even madder because Lieren's shenanigans were fucking up his visions.

>>5328438
I wonder if it'll make him stay his hand even more or make him slay even harder.

Because if he can see their future changing, he'd either hesitate or kill harder and faster before their futures are different.

>>5328558
it depends on what visions he's seeing. it wouldn't be the first time he's seen multiple visions of the future.

> Simple and to the point. Due to Malal Reborn shenanigans, and Hashut, Old Prophesy is fucked. Get with the Journey and risk success or stick with outdated visions and ensure failure.

I cant get over how Lieren kicked te door in, fell flat on his face then sprang back up like a chihuahua on coke to keep talking.

It makes me giggle every time I think of it

>>5328821
Getting to see Lieren through other people's eyes is always a treat, since he usually rationalizes his eccentricities in his head. Without that, his trickster-ness really shines through.

We should start using our psyker ability to float more so we can cackle, lounge and float through the air to lean over shoulders. Just straight up treat gravity like the theory it is.

>>5327676

>>By beginning a debate of the nature of fate and destiny, knowing he and his underlings are hesitant and doubtful of your aim to reach your brothers from a quick study of the younger members of the seer council, and try to use this to earn this aid in aiding you brothers

>>Knowing they must be withholding support out of caution or belief your brothers are fated to suffer, present several accounts of individuals who were seemingly condemned to suffer one fate, yet found another by their own choice or the intervention of others.

Calling the vote now. Sorry for the wait, 4th of july wiped me out. Had a great time though, and I hope you guys all did as well.

By beginning a debate of the nature of fate and destiny, knowing he and his underlings are hesitant and doubtful of your aim to reach your brothers from a quick study of the younger members of the seer council and try to use this to earn this aid in aiding you brothers:16

Knowing they must be withholding support out of caution or belief your brothers are fated to suffer, present several accounts of individuals who were seemingly condemned to suffer one fate, yet found another by their own choice or the intervention of others.:14

Attempt to endear yourself to Eldrad and his peers, as the farseer is so clearly attempting to do with you. You both are aiming to use the other for your own goals, so why not play along?:1

"I hold in my hand a dice, a simple thing but we're I to roll it what does its fate say? Will it still do so if rolled from my hand?":3

Kindly provide teas and treats from your home world as if you were the host of this discussion. Typically it is the head of the household that provides for its guest, but to give when you have little is virtuous. To give when you have much is virtuous. Plus you are especially proud of this particular blend of leaves and roots.: 1

And of course gift them a book of the journey traduced in aeldari, bringing a gift is a universal good gesture: 1

Mention that only one other person had the quick thinking to realize the single weakness of your eyes, and ask why he is guarding himself so, after all you have come here as a friend.: 2

Simple and to the point. Due to Malal Reborn shenanigans, and Hashut, Old Prophesy is fucked. Get with the Journey and risk success or stick with outdated visions and ensure failure.: 1

Total votes:21

So Lieren will begin to debate the nature of fate and destiny with Eldrad and the rest of Ulthwe's seer Council, and knowing that they are withholding support out of caution or belief his brothers are fated to suffer, present several accounts of those who altered their "Destinies" through their own actions or the intervention of others to strengthen his argument over the transience/ changeability of faith

Writing now

>>5329897
Didn't realize you were from the greatest country on God's green Earth. Glad you had a good time.

"I believe it is not necessary for either of us to state our cause for seeking this audience, Seer" Magnus Began, his projected image sitting cross legged in the air, arms crossed over his chest in a manner most befitting a scholar of his achievements, befitting more the image of a thug or street tough guarding a winehouse or silver shop from the wandering hands of thieves than the philosopher king of a society of psykers such as your brother, who has no equal concerning the feats he is capable of performing with his immense, innate power and the talent required to expertly wield it and use it as naturally as any other man does draw and release their breath. You remained silent, sucking on a particular candy you had been offered while you waited for the seer council to gather and convene, to democratically decide if the request of two outsiders, one who had by completely accident began to corrupt their youth with philosophy and fine poetry. The hard ball of sugar, shaped very much like a traditional medicine pill, was flavored with a slightly sour flower and didn't taste like anything else your tongue had ever sampled, it wasn't offensively sour and resembled more a muddling of citrus oils across a finely ground sugar mixed with freshly picked petals. A pleasantly subdued taste, not too sweet or sour, every note of its flavors were quite and relaxed rather than loud and demanding. You quite liked it, and would have to thank the child who shared it with you when this meeting had come to a close. For, not only did you enjoy the lightly favored sweet greatly, but it also served well to disguise your attentiveness towards the council's subtle movements beneath their robes and the nearly unnoticeable shifts of their expressions and the well hidden emotion lurking in those coldly crystalline orbs they observed you and your brother with as nothing more than the idle ponderings of a man deep in thought. Though admittedly, the appearance of being wholly consumed with your own internal monologue and thought processes was held up more by your mental shielding and barriers you put in place to keep any curious mind among those presence from peeking into the well illuminated halls of your psyche.

"While, normally, I would be content merely to have the privilege of holding an audience with the rulers of a race so gifted with wisdom on psionic talent, more pressing matters have lead us here besides the exchanging of notes or requests for mutual instruction between our two races. Though much could be learned through the cooperation we seek" Magnus continued on as you rolled the hard candy around your mouth, twirling your bone hair pin through your hair as you redid the bun you wore, lazily shifting your eyes from one Farseer to the next.
Cont

>>5329927

Though you had little reason to look at them, even if you had plucked your eyes out or addressed the council with your back turned towards them, you would have still noticed how hesitant and doubtful they all were before you would have seen your own nose. Eldrad, was purposefully keep his heart empty of emotion or feeling and his mind wiped of thoughts, a precaution you took no offense upon noticing. To be looked upon by the golden light within your eyes, was to be known and understood beyond even what you yourself realized about yourself. Sages and Prophets, who often delighted in cultivating an air of mystique around themselves, and charlatans who claimed to be either, did so abhor meeting your gaze. Though the path to wisdom is a journey to meet one's self, the wise oft dread what is hidden beneath the knowledge they've spent a lifetime acquiring and hoarding. Eldrad is clearly of a selfless character, to so devote himself to the safety of his people, and is more open minded than his peers even though he clouds his mind to avoid being scrutinized as deep as your gaze can pierce, for he was the one to plan this audience. It is clear he is trying to endear himself to you, so you cannot call him genuinely kind as for the short of a span you've known him he has worn a smiling, gregarious mask to try to set you at ease and earn your trust, while avoiding judgement. But being secretive is no sin, nor mark of villainy. And admittedly, you are a stranger, who speaks and teachers strangely and acts just as oddly in the pursuit of efficiently achieving whatever goal you have set out to accomplish. To a leader of a society as rigid as the craftworlds, it is expected for Eldrad to take every precaution while meeting one such as yourself, who if one only knew the stories told of you, seemingly makes a hobby of hunting down tyrants and flits gayly from one village to the next, passing koans and proverbs that to the untrained and unappreciative eye seem to possess the ability to turn a simpleton farmer into a brilliant mind, a once in a generation genius, while battling great devils, spirits, beasts and wicked men with dance like movements and grace.

But, before he veiled his mind by emptying it and acting without the usual conscious decision making and indepth planning most Aeldari practice, you noticed he was shocked by your brother. Not at his arrival, but by something else unexpected about him, some aspect or detail changed as if he were an old friend rather than a stranger. Or an old enemy, young and hale once more. Your eyes narrowed, as you subjugated a particular young and brash farseer to your attention after she chuckled at the idea of Cooperating with Mon'keigh. You did not mind if you yourself were laughed at, but mocking your friends and kin did have a way of drawing your ire.
Cont

>>5329928

"The native psykers of Prospero and Shangrala could learn much from the traditions of the craftworlds" Magnus continued, as you lifted your gaze from the egotistical girl and turned back to Eldrad, pursing your lips as you sucked on the flower flavored candy you were enjoying

"Indeed, many of my students from the sect I manage, the wanderers in the fog, have been shown to be quite adept at the arts mastered by your seers, shapers, dreamers and warlocks. I have seen the bounty an exchange of traditions and teachings can bring, unity is an asset and strength not easily ignored' You say, speaking up at last "I have heard that learning the techniques of your psykerist paths is rather difficult, though not as difficult as mastering the intricacies and finer details of the Aeldari language to be fully fluent is quite the challenge, and rare is the man who can speak with equal elegance as a native speaker, who can truly capture the poetry and beauty of your ancient tongue, they lose the metaphor and symbolism, are ignorant of particular and peculiar phrasing"

"But that is not why we are here" Magnus states, in perfect Aeldari, as you had of course taught him the language not long after you had learned it

"Unfortunately, my students would enjoy to meet new teachers and peers" You reply with a sly smile, speaking purposefully in the old dialect used by Cearnarch and his brood. A collective shiver went down the spines of the council, expect for Eldrad, who only slightly turned his head

"I'd ask you give my regards to your students" He says, replying with the same dialect and a amused timber to this tone "Too often are minds closed to what is different, what is alien. To accept that others hold wisdom of a different kind but equal worth to that held by your own kind, is a rare quality, that must be praised. But, yes, we should get to the business of which you have contacted us to seek our council and advise, concerning the location of your brothers who you have seen to suffer greatly yet cannot reach out to as you have with your incredible brother Magnus, if only we had been born as childhood companions...what two minds as great as ours could have accomplished together"

The mask is talking, but beneath its gentle and airy voice, you can still notice the concern Eldrad holds for Magnus, for what is different than he has expected. You catch the candy between your teeth. Magnus smirked, clearly enjoying the farseers compliments.

"Lieren, yours is a rare human mind that can comprehend as easily as it does the falling of leaves or shifting of winds, that all actions, great and small, effect the wider galaxy, like a rock dropped into a puddle as I believe the recording of your personal philosophy describes it as, ripples that continue forever, reaching all other things" Eldrad spoke in a measured by amicable manner, carefully choosing his words as he looked from you to Magnus
Cont

>>5329929

"Magnus, you are an psyker who, despite his youth has accomplished great things, not through brute force but care application of his gift. Freeing your people from the predations of the psychneuein and creating a civilization from naught but ruins. As your brother notices the consequences every action has upon the living, you are witness how the currents of the great sea shift by the merest application of emotion or belief. Thus, both of you should well understand why we are hesitant to offer our assistance, devoting energy, resources and time that could be spent on bringing about outcomes already predicted and forewarned to us. Often, our prophecies are ignored by the younger races, but surely, you two wise brothers will heed our council. What you ask of us is akin to dropping a boulder into a shallow pond, there are consequences that will be brought about, both dire and catastrophic, if we were to accept this pact and aid you in reaching your brothers. Perhaps we could, together, come to an alternative agreement. Terms beneficial to both parties, that do not risk bringing about cataclysm. Overt action would be..."

"No" You say calmly, crunching the candy between your teeth "I must reject this generous proposal, Sagely one, for I do not believe it to be necessary. Fate is not set in stone, destiny not writ upon stars hung in the heavens. As I have often said, Fate is the salve of fools. It is no raging river that one can only hope to be lightly battered as they sail down it without every having a chance to leave it for calmer waters. Nor is Destiny penned directly to a soul upon its creation. Fate is a gentle stream, Destiny a blank page. Easily changed"

There is a long, tense silence. Which is to be expected as you just told life long seers who have spent more hours looking into the future than they have the presence that their understanding of the nature of fate and destiny is incorrect, that it is far more malleable than they hold it to believe. Like telling a stonemason to shape Granite or Marble as if it were wetted clay. Or telling an architect to build a tower atop a marsh, or a doctor to trust a new medicine made from combining several powders known to be poisonous, or that one could turn pounded rocks and charcoal into fire. Advice you had given before, that met success when you were listened to. The silence is long, and unbroken and you take the time to clear your teeth of the crystals of sugar stuck to them.

"We farseers would be worthless if we were unaware we could change fate" Eldrad says stoically "Our species survival depends on changing the winds of destiny. But we are not so vainglorious to believe that we can change all aspects of the future, if it were, the Aeldari would not be in a state of perpetual decline, fighting every day for survival. Fate is mutable, yes, but it cannot be controlled so completely"
Cont

>>5329930

"Nor should it, if it could be. To do so would be placing a iron collar upon the necks of all things, hammering their hands in place with burning iron nails" You reply as quick as a whip "I am not of the belief that you and your fellow seers march to a relentless beat of an imagined, preordained path, I have merely stated that some paths are overlooked in favor of other, more obvious trails forward through the future. I may hold the practice in contempt, but I have practiced divination before, I know the future can be forewitnessed and with suitable skill, selected to be brought about by all other potentialities, but those forays I have taken as a hobbyist seer have shown me"

"Nothing compared to what Farseers have been witness to, I do not mean to demean or insult you, but your divination and our precognition are two very different things, Mon-keigh" Another farseer, with a harsh voice snaps

"Oh of course they are!" You laugh, nearly causing the angered seer to choke on his own breath as you grin and throw your arms up in a shrug "For you look far ahead, while I look close to where I stand. If one anticipates events that shall not arrive for sometime, they become obsessed by them and even terrified. Prophecies are oft self fulfilling, and trying to prevent them often fulfills them, but they are also, by nature deceiving. If one is looking for portents, they shall find them. Of course, your farseeing is serves its purpose as a survival mechanism, if one follows one path without lifting their eyes from their next step, they shall never notice when it splits and breaks into other perfectly serviceable roads"

"You should know as a road builder" The farseer muttered under his breath, and you resisted the urge to point out how that was no argument at all

"Nor, would they notice when the land is suitable to begin constructing an entirely new road" You say, still smiling gregariously as Magnus observes quietly, having nothing to add to debate you have now started "If one only follows a single road all their life, they will only reach one destination"

"That which they have already sought to bring about" Magnus ads with a sagely nod as you shifting your seat, which is entirely too stiff to be comfortable "That is why you seek to prevent us from finding our brothers, offering other forms of appeasement, because you have divined far into the future, and believe stepping from the path you have set to follow to be a dangerous risk as it would alter the careful calculations you have performed to reach the future you have seen"

"Precisely, it is more generosity than we are given to offer other species" Eldrad says with a simple nod to Magnus, before turning towards you "However, if one does not look at the bigger picture, they will never know its theme. If one listens to a single verse of a song, they will never know the tone of the entire composition."
Cont

"You see fate as constantly shifting, because you have not studied it at length. To use your road analogy, one should only walk the road that will take them to their destination. If they step from that road, to explore another, they shall never arrive where they intend to be"

"Hah, one can end up anywhere if they walk long enough" You reply, grin turning pantherish as you narrow your eyes "The path may be harder, leading over mountains and across seas, but it can still be taken. With labor a road can be redirected. It may not be applicable to your honorable, and noble work of preserving the Aeldari race, which necessitates the careful measuring of fate and future and construction of plans to prevent looming disasters or encourage great windfalls and times of plenty and prosperity, But dedicating ones self to one vision of the future is simply...Inefficient, it is like trying to pave a road across a lake without first draining it. For, the future changes with every breath we take, and shall continue to shift long after we've taken our last. I have seen sudden swerves of personal fortune and changes of destiny with these eyes of mine that reveal the truth of all things"

Hostility rises in the air, but Eldrad raises a hand before any member of the council could air their grievances.

"By all means, give us an account of these sudden shifts of fate" He states calmly, rationally "Give us proof of destiny being suddenly upheaved and redirected, of those condemned to great suffering, tragedy, monstrosity, or colorless lives. Otherwise, I fear we shall be arguing semantics over our personal interpretations of fate until the last star in the universe sputters and burns out. So, provide proof of your conception of transient fate"

"Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to, Eldrad Ulthran of Ulthwe" You say reverently as you quickly flip through the pages of your memory in search of examples that will prove your point to this council of set in stone seers, accounts of those individuals you have seen throw off the reigns of their supposed destinies. You need to be careful choosing whose story you first relate, if you do not convince the seer council with the first account, they simply will not listen to the others you give. Bai, who died a heroic death saving countless others despite being born with a murderous urge? Your revered father, Wenyan, who went from a poor farmer to raising you into a man who changed not only a world but its people? The Wild Vishnu Tribes, who escaped the fate of servitude and damnation that had befallen their "Civilized" Counter parts. Or Yan Zihao, a child of the abhorrently corrupted and monsterous Yan Dynasty, who went on to give his life to preserve the freedom and prosperity that had arose from his kingdom's ashes. Or perhaps someone else? Kanzeon maybe? Yourself?

You grinded your teeth in thought

Whose story do you lead with, to prove your point, Lieren?

>Bai.

>Wenyan

>The Wild Vishnu

>Yan Zihao

>Write in

>>5329935
>Young Meixu who was prophized to never be raised with love and most often over throw Kanan her self after growing up in the wild even after Kanan had already been slain by lieren.

>nd, you suspect, at least one of their number was nudged closer towards you opinion of fate after reading young Meixiu's fate. After all, the man confided that by all futures he could see, she was never supposed to have been found by Guozhi, let alone raised upon love and care. Which was, in a grim way, comforting. And proved your fears that if she had not been found, she would have grown to menace the countryside. Indeed, after comparing visions with his fellows, it was found that one of her prior "Destinies" was to usurp an ascendant Kamal Kanan at the moment of his triumph over the Yan. Her Sheer brute psionic force aided by hedge sorcery managing to surmount his "divine" patronage and centuries of experience, and perhaps the late tyrants own gluttonous hunger for the souls of young women.

>>5329940
>support.

>>5329940
Nice write in, support

>>5329940
I support Meixu, she is the prototypical example. She shall not overthrow Kamal kan anymore nor shall she become a vile and evil witch, thanks to our interference.

Bai makes for a good second case, since his nature is utterly opposed to the man he was. But he didnt change his nature, he simply harnessed it.

>>5329935
>>5329940
Oh fuck I got a good one!
Add in Isha! We have tilted divine scales, we gave her hope!

>>5329935
>>5329940
+1
Meixu is the obvious choice, and by far the best example.