>>5689526

"And the days that followed, when I marched ahead, often alone, often with my fellow hunters, to strike the tusks from the boar and pull the tails from the fox" You sneer, flashing a predatory grin of your own, one that even few of the generals present have seen but that General Yin is all too familiar with

"While the egg of the emperor, the firestorm and myself cut off two of the three heads of the serpent, While the stallion and the turtle broke the lion's back" he says, his smile shrinking as he relates the treachery of the turtle in far kinder words than many would dare speak "Are you saying you shall vanish into the blazing sun of this world, and hunt once again?"

"The high riders fear the mist that follows my step, that I summon from my lungs" You explain with a wave of your hand as you sit down to place your representative piece of the war map and maneuver others around it "But they shall soon learn to cower as the sun sets and hide from the gentlest of breezes. I shall take with me the beggars spread beneath their notice with knives already aimed for their throats, the legendary brothers of the panther and together wage a silent war alongside my honorable brother's loud march to claim the head of his abusers"

"And so the Thal'kr shall hang" A younger officer ventures, mustering the courage to interrupt the conversation between two of the heroes of shangrala

"If Angron deems it just. If he deems them to be fed to lions, it is his choice. I am not the hangman of Nuceria. They're his enemies, and while they are ours as well, he has more right to their lives and their deaths than we could ever claim, young sir" You explain gingerly, bowing your head "He has seen brothers and sisters slain, and been forced to carry out their execution by their own hand"

"They attempted to make him a kin slayer, an existence accursed. His father spoke to me of the plans of the" Yin Lei explains with the fervor and wroth even Elazar himself would struggle to match "I do not know their word for it, but the owners of the enslaved fighters"

"Lanista, I know one Lanista who was kind to his charges, and he died soon after seeing them freed" You say, speaking of course of your own false identity of Kynigos, who you have seen the forces of freed Loc'ea quote to the astonished journeymen who make up a substantial portion of the Shangralan volunteers "But besides wishing to assist my kin in avenging those who only remain in this world in his dreams and memories, I also understand he has a number of my sons under his command"

"A faction of the near two hundred and fifty under your command, not including their hanger on forces. I believe they number eight, and I could not tell you there names" Yin Lei explains "Shall I send the summons to the scattered panther eaters and the scrappers and kowtowers?"
Cont

>>5689527

"Yes" You say "and I do not take offense or insult, I simply desire to command all of my children" You say with a genial smile and cupped fist "But Angron's baying and shouting shall provide a suitable distraction for us to thrust our spears through the backs of the high riders, while their best are distracted by the mist rolling from distant stars"

"I have plans for our steel giants, and the emperor has given me leave to take command of them" Yin Lei said as idle as an old gossip at a tea house "I wish you luck in your hunt, though there is no need, considering you are unrivaled beneath the heavens even on this strange unshrouded world"

"And deliver my well wishes to Lord Long Jia, Dai, and Lady Tao and The lord of cavalry" You laugh as you stand "I shall collect my companions and shall race to meet with my brother"

"May we both live to see the new dawn yet to come to Nuceria" Yin Lei spoke in half prayer as he did the same. And together, you departed the tent to allow the lesser generals to their busy work
_

"So Brother" Half jaw Hu asked, crouched and picking his teeth with a piece of sharpened wood, as he watched two of the beggars practice the Century tortoise style in an exhibition of the style to teach your gene altered sons, as while they are all practiced at least in the basic forms and stances of your three other styles, they have not yet been taught your latest innovation in the world of martial arts

"So?" You ask, as Shaved head wei shaves his head and Feng adjusts the sighting on his rifle

"I hear your little brother is going to clash with the first line of defenders left behind by his former masters" Hu drawled, as a Shuni brother carefully anointed his weapons with ceremonial oils "Are we to kill the leader of the force, or slip by them"

"Or wreck generalized hell" A new varro man drawled "I know I have a few bullets to give in ol Michah's place"

"We vishnu, as you know, are best at that kind of fighting" One of Kamakashi's former follower says proudly

You run your finger along the length of a spear's head in quiet contemplation

"They're easy targets" Feng states as if it needs to be said when every man present has taken at least one high rider head by now "Arrogant and confident they're untouchable. Angron has taught them, time and time again, they are not. Lieren has shown them, they are safe nowhere, yet still they strut about like foxes and peacocks"
Cont

>>5689529

How does the shadow war start, Lieren?

>with a psychological attack, Deploy the Lungs of the mountain after Angron has met the High rider force in close quarters fighting, but from the hillsides to their east, and emerge wearing a demonic mask as you lead your sons in a second charge, using the seeds of terror you have already planted

>Assign your best killers to take out officers and leaders of the force, and allow the rest discretion of their targets

>Activate the beggar sect cell in the minor city behind the high riders, and use the chaos to sow conflicting orders through the channels of the tyrant's communication

>Dress your forces in the enemies color, disguising them as allied reinforcements and use that to enter into the camps of the high riders and cripple them the night before the battle

>Write in

There's gonna be a cutaway or [data redacted] next update, maybe several. So please, place any requests, I know you guys wanna see more primachs

>>5689531
>Assign your best killers to take out officers and leaders of the force, and allow the rest discretion of their targets

>>5689531
>Activate the beggar sect cell in the minor city behind the high riders, and use the chaos to sow conflicting orders through the channels of the tyrant's communication

I would like to see an update on Konrad, or maybe Rogal. and all the others we havent seen yet. And also the recently born sister of Kanzeon. I forgot her name

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311 KB JPG

>>5689531
>Assign your best killers to take out officers and leaders of the force, and allow the rest discretion of their targets
It's what they do best

>>5689531
Would love more malcador emperor interaction

>Assign your best killers to take out officers and leaders of the force, and allow the rest discretion of their targets

>>5689531
>Activate the beggar sect cell in the minor city behind the high riders, and use the chaos to sow conflicting orders through the channels of the tyrant's communication
and to further throw confusion into the ranks.
>Assign your best killers to take out officers and leaders of the force, and allow the rest discretion of their targets

any chance the [data redacted] will be a shadow war between the panther and the hydra.

>>5689531
>Assign your best killers to take out officers and leaders of the force, and allow the rest discretion of their targets
Operate in pairs atleast to teach one another but also cover for one another so you might effectively claim more targets, our Brothers of the Panther can pass their lessons to our sons.

>Write in
Comm. Angorn and ask him if there are any specifically he wants alive or dead. We'll handle the rest. This is his moment and we shall linger in shadow happily.

>>5689531
>Assign the best killers to officers.
>Activate the beggars.

Did you know, it only takes one easy phrase to turn a loyal slave into a rabid journeyman?


I'd quite like emps and malc to talk, maybe a magnus interlude.

>>5689531
>Assign your best killers to take out officers and leaders of the force, and allow the rest discretion of their targets
How about Sanguinius for a cutaway? I'm wondering how chicken wings is doing.

>>5689531
really craving some cut always of our sons and their development or the Emperor. Maybe a cut away of some warp entities or Xeno picking up on Lieren's activities?

>>5689531
>Assign the best killers to officers.
>Activate the beggars.

>>5689531
>>Assign your best killers to take out officers and leaders of the force, and allow the rest discretion of their targets
>>Activate the beggar sect cell in the minor city behind the high riders, and use the chaos to sow conflicting orders through the channels of the tyrant's communication

>>5689531
>Assign your best killers to take out officers and leaders of the force, and allow the rest discretion of their targets

>Activate the beggar sect cell in the minor city behind the high riders, and use the chaos to sow conflicting orders through the channels of the tyrant's communication

I want to see Lieren's sons on terra, to find out how much of a mess they've made of the journey.

>>5689542
>I forgot her name
She's Liberty.
I'm expecting to come back and see her becoming the patron of the New Varrans. Can't have a more fitting name for the cowboys.

How old is Lieren at this point? Is he even 10 yet?

>>5689794
The last time we talked about his age he was like for eight years old, so he must be like nine or ten.

>>5690046
One thing we really need to do is prep Shangrala for the coming of the Emperor so things go smoothly and we can maintain our way of things. The last thing we want is first contact when we're not there or even the Long-jai Emperor being off with us.

>>5689531
>Assign your best killers to take out officers and leaders of the force, and allow the rest discretion of their targets

Ah love that new thread smell, glad to see this.

>>5690061
Emperor already made it to shangrala. Our joining the imperium will just be formality at this point.

>>5689531
>Assign your best killers to take out officers and leaders of the force, and allow the rest discretion of their targets
>Activate the beggar sect cell in the minor city behind the high riders, and use the chaos to sow conflicting orders through the channels of the tyrant's communication
Let s free the city with our brother


>>5689794
8-10 more or less. He has seen a lot of war

>>5689531
>Assign your best killers to take out officers and leaders of the force, and allow the rest discretion of their targets

Given warp weird time fuckery the Emperor could be arriving at any time frankly, we chatted with Magnus about how our communication may well be time scattered. Not gonna lie really looking forward to the crusade, been a long time coming, our meeting of the Custodes, Horus, Sober contact with Russ, actually physically touching dad, going to meet our legion proper and making whatever entrance style we pick, hell contact alone will give us a whole thread of content!

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Calling the vote now, sorry for the long wait. also found this neat video https://youtu.be/ExaZc5oNdWQ

Assign your best killers to take out officers and leaders of the force, and allow the rest discretion of their targets:12

Activate the beggar sect cell in the minor city behind the high riders, and use the chaos to sow conflicting orders through the channels of the tyrant's communication:6

comm. Angorn and ask him if there are any specifically he wants alive or dead. We'll handle the rest. This is his moment and we shall linger in shadow happily.:1

Total votes: 14

So Lieren will assign his best killers to take out the officers and leader of the HR army, and allow the rest discretion of their targets, while also activating the sleeping beggar sect cell within the minor city behind the HRs, sowing chaos and conflict and preventing them from safely retreating to its walls

Writing now

>>5691772
I've been dying to write Lieren running into a custodes since the first thread

>>5691871
Is Lieren going to be one of the few / only primarchs that respect the custodes?

I think it would be incredibly funny if he takes "they speak with the emperors voice" at face value and just ask the question after question that he would normally ask the emperor.

>>5691871
Would Kreia be corrupted by Malal in a shared 40k/Star Wars universe?

>>5691911
More importantly would Palpatine start taking notes from the Imperium on how to maximize suffering in the Empire? Being cartoonishly evil was his passion and I love him for that.

"Feng, Hu, Wei" You speak, breaking the chattering and friendly conversation carried out between the three forces under your direct command "Dae-Hyun, Nikephoros, Rafaī́l Táphos You are my most talented killers, from Shangrala and from Terra. To you Six, I shall entrust the duty of excuting the officers and leaders of the force that obstructs my brother's march to those "Generous souls" Who took him into their home and raised him on slaughter and pain. To all others, you shall be allowed to choose your targets at your discretion and fight as warriors and soldiers both should if you desire. But the six most skilled must use their lethal skill to weaken the enemies we shall march against"

"And what of you father, shall you be the seventh great hunter on the field?" Nikephoros asked, having just finished beating one of the gladiator's of "Dead" Kynigos to the ground with a single well placed punch that snuck beneath the cybernetically altered fighter's guard, impressive considering the man was using the Century Tortoise style and had strength beyond that possessed by unaltered man.

"I shall, but first I must set a fire in the fox's den" You explain, Nikephoros nodding along while the few beggars present in your entourage who know Long-Jianese lifted their chins with mischief in their eyes made wise by the passing of ages "The smoke shall keep them from returning to the safety of their walls, while our hidden allies cut the throats of those who had not even the courage to leave their burrow to begin with. As well as take control of official channels to spread disinformation and conflicting orders amongst the soon to be leaderless rank"

"We can track the officers down by their gaudy dress and their pompous aura" Feng remark, testing once again the sharpness of his rifle's bayonet, before giving a pulse with its power field "But do you have any leaders in particular ear marked for us to pursue above all others, one who would prove weak to our unique abilities?"

"And if they have any brains left after generations of inbreeding, they'll have body doubles and mimics among their force, disposable doppelgangers to divide enemy attention" Dae-hyun drawled as he washed his hands with a canteen of pristine water, before resuming the care of his chainsword "But considering techno barbarians usually can't tell a toilet from a mortar, they'll be unlikely to be using any disguise more complex than a change of clothes"

"And the types of surgery they could in theory perform would not be seamless like the treatment this old bear was gifted" Hector laughed, looking up from the game of dice he was playing with Chul-moo "We'd see the scars as easily as stank in a sewer system"

"Unfortunately we do not have a description of the officers our intelligence division believes to be fielded, nor any pictures" You explain
Cont

>>5691947

"But, if there are doubles, simply shoot them as well, we have enough ammunition to spare but make sure to keep Vox chatter to the absolutely minimum required to confirm officer kills"

"Understood, loud and clear pater" Hector hummed while the rest of his brothers performed maintenance on their armaments and armor

"As you command, highest hunter" Feng said with chuckle and a smirk "Shame we needed to find new cloaks, the hide of panthers stand out terribly in the landscapes of nuceria"

"A lion's hide is just as handsome a regalia" Hu said with a shrug "Even if the Lions here look utterly bizarre and would be midgets standing shoulder to shoulder with a proper cat. Are you sure that's what they call them, brother?"

"You should see the cats of terra if you think the ones bred on Nuceria look odd" Dae-Hyun laughed, giving your childhood friend a clap on the shoulder. You smiled as you overlooked your camp of brothers, sons and disciples readying themselves to march to war and taking what little time they had left before the battle began in earnest to mingle. A time that was also spent dividing up sectors of the battlefield to groups that combined Astarte and baseline man together, a form of a warfare your sons naturally excelled at.

And while they prepared and organized themselves, you contacted the local leader of the beggar cell slumber behind the walls of the city the high riders were already marching out of, by calling out to one of the elders of Loc'ea to sneak into the city to deliver the activation phrase and the story that would detail what task was expected of the local beggars
_
To any who saw her at work, Erato seemed to be a simple street musician, dressed in old rags patched together in the vague form of an alluring dress, perfumed with flower blossoms and cheap tinctures. Young, but aged by the stress of life and the beating sun, she was easily overlooked by all who walked past her, be they city guard, high nobility or her fellow slum dwellers. But those who had become wise and saw that life was a Journey rather than a struggle knew to bow their heads in respect to the milky eyed musician and listen closely to the songs she played.

She had just finished a performance and began to pick up the coins flicked at her feet by sneering nobles who had enough wealth to avoid walking into the meat grinder she had heard was taking shape outside of this humble city's walls, when the sound of a queerly shaped wooden cane drew her attention from the ground. That was a dog beating stick, rapped against the stone steps she had dragged herself to this morning.

She, struggling to her feet, turned her blind eyes towards the source of the sound, cupping her fist with her hand, the fingers of both having been broken countless times by abusive guards and cruel children. They hadn't been broken since she had been trained in the odd dance of the old wanderers.

"Elder" She whispered quietly
Cont

>>5691951

"It is time for the egg to crack and the sky to alight with thunder and lightning" He answered in an enigmatic manner, speaking like a man who had lost his wits beneath the son

"How about a song, grandfather" Erato asked, her cheery, honey sweet voice hardened like steel

"Ah yes, I would enjoy hearing a song. Do you know the tale of the Peacock and Panther?" he answered as Erato run through the list of foreign songs she had been taught. She knew it, it was a parable about a peacock raised and treated by an arrogant hunter, forced to join them in a cage on their excursions into the woods and how one night the peacock met a proud panther wild and free, whatever kind of creature a panther was, and realized that his privilege life was empty compared to the luxuries of having no master but one's self and that the hunter killed for pleasure instead of need, and so the peacock remained silent as the panther crept into camp and freed the forest from the hunter's arrogance, freeing not only the peacock but the beasts that did not know they were oppressed .

It was one of the songs that when played through the streets, would awaken the other beggars, alerting them that the order had been given at last to bring down their oppressors and free their city. Specifically this song meant that the success of the order was of utmost importance. This command had been spoken by one of the mysterious sages that lead the sect whose names and faces were obscured even by the sect's own standards of highest secrecy.

"I understand" She spoke, containing her fears and exhilaration, as she pulled her humble lyre to her legs and began to play the song, leading into the first refrain of vocals.

"Little Peacock, with feathers so brilliant, won't you grace my days with your sweet song?" She began, turning her voice into an instrument, like a blown horn, the words resounding in her throat before they left her lips to carry far upon the wind "With your enchanting melody, the beasts of the woods will offer their throats to be cut and be too contented to flee..."

the second refrain began several blocks then

"Hunter oh proud hunter" The rattling howl of the other musician joined her "Who rules these lands, I would be delighted to serve you but is it truly my place? I am but a humble bird"

Already the agents were in motion, Erato could hear them as she strummed the strings of her lyre. The gang of thugs sat down by her stairs, her escorts, stopped their betting game and dragged a guard that had been eyeing her, pulling him to the ground to steal the magic device he could use to alert the rest of the city to their movements. She sang wordlessly, covering up the sound of gushing blood and dying gurgles as more voice rose in the air, singing different parts of the same song and drifting to others as they saw fit to deliver orders to their own underlings.
Cont

>>5691955

It was a hostile take over disguised as dozens of street musicians competing for attention and coin. Erato didn't know what part the song had reached, but certain lyrics filled her mind

"And then the Panther stalked closer, gold eyes agleam with contempt and wroth"
_

"Something is troubling you, old friend" Malcador spoke, as the emperor of mankind overlooked the tactical gains on his current campaign

"My life is filled with troubles" He answered coyly, for there was little to actually be troubled with, considering the success of the reunification of terra and the securing of the solar system beyond it. A process that was aided in part due to the advance archeotech his second son had transported. Water was once more upon Terra, and with careful cultivation, perhaps the war torn world would once again be filled with life and plenty without an over reliance on colonies rooted on other worlds. That boon, which had cost him a fraction of one legion's fighting force and equipment, along with portions of three regiments of unaltered stock, had done away with much of the strain and headache the initial steps of reconquest had presented. The earth was already nearly completely under his control when the gateway had been constructed, but the remaining wars to be waged to bring it fully under the nascent imperiums control had been made much easier with the gifts Lieren had gifted.

And it wasn't the weapons or vehicles that were the greatest aid, or even the "schematics to repair and manufacture the weaponry and warmachines that had made the trip through the tunnel briefly opened through the warp. It was the raw resources and Water generating stones" that had expedited the process. The stubborn tribes and clans that had long resisted both his warriors and diplomacy had bent the knee when, before their very eyes, the long arid lands were filled with crystal clear waters, pure of pollutants and radiation. And those that resisted even then...

"I think I can pinpoint the precise trouble that clouds your mind, your crusade is starting, yet you are still distracted by the pier you now set off from" His advisors spoke, drawing him from his reflection of the final wars of unification, a reflection that had found him rubbing the surface of one of the strange "Stones" his second son's chosen bride could produce. A technology of mercy, in concern of both environmental conversation efforts and warfare

"The 2nd legion" He answered, before his companion could speak it himself, as he, with great care, set the jewel that was already returning life to Terra's long empty oceans on his desk, atop a strip of feline hide, one of many sent alongside the more practical gifts that had been transported to terra

"The chimeras" Malcador sighed "The book that Lieren gifted to them, has proved as troublesome as it is useful"
Cont

>>5691957

"Several minor nations owe the continued existence of their identity and culture to that book" The emperor said in defense of the philosophy

"And some leaders who could've lead our armies into the stars were drawn and quartered when amnesty and pardon could've been given" He added "Not to mention that the Legion, despite following the same philosophy, has splintered itself into numerous sects that each uphold a different tenant of the Journey, the number of which seems to only grow as more veterans are given positions of command and sent to further locales"

"You fear a schism beyond the legions own, effecting the wider forces of the imperium" The emperor guessed "I do not. The sons of Lieren simply desire to emulate him, and without knowing their father see his favor in different paths"

"Did he not tell them to focus on the complete work?" Malcador chuckled "Is that not why he sent crates full of copies of the book to Terra?"

"I think that worsened the issue, before they only had the core teachings, but now with every parable and lesson to be consumed at their leisure, they had more options of how to separate themselves from their brothers" The emperor said, almost amused by the going ons of the second legion, which had currently spread itself out to assist the actions of their brother legions and other forces of the imperium. There hadn't yet been hostility between the sects, only a drifting apart, and they still followed the command of their superiors, even if those of similar groups of thoughts banded together once an officer of high enough rank of their philosophy was granted command.

"You don't take it seriously but it still troubles you, even though you, for whatever reason don't think a chimera could poison a luna wolf or thousand son" Malcador answered rather drolly "Even though their teachings have spread and some already look at them with suspicion as kin of the old religions of mankind even as portions of our baseline forces devout themselves to it just as fervently as the Chimera have"

"They do not proselytize and I believe that, even if the Journey, in whatever form or variation, spreads to the other legions, they will forsake it the moment they are reunited with their own genetic template" The emperor explained calmly "It has only spread so quickly and completely through the second because it is a gift from their primarch, and they have only fractured on ideological lines because they seek to emulate a version of their primarch that exists in text alone. Besides, this splintering is presently more beneficial than it is harmful. More irksome than harmful in truth"

"For the time being" Malcador answered, looking out the nearby window "I will admit it is most amusing to see your perfect, genetically crafted warriors busy themselves with gardening and tending to the first orchards of a revitalized terra"
cont

>>5691959

"My custodes do as well, but they are allowed this distraction as they have, in the process of reseeding the world, have uprooted more than one terrorist cell" The emperor chuckled, before his expression darkened "Though the actions of the more extremist sects of chimerai are far less so, though they are to not without their own particular uses"
_

The sounds of battle surrounded you as you, with a twitch of your hand, snapped the neck of a gene altered ogryn and then tossing the body towards its master, sprung upon them before they could free themselves from the belts and reigns of the vehicle they had thought so great to make them unassailable.

With a flick of your wrist, curled into the shape of a claw, you tear through armor and flesh, rending the high rider's neck and leaving him to bleed out in the moments that follow as you hop from the now out of control war machine to the ground, landing atop a war servitor, whose inplanted machine gun you grab hold of, while taking advantage of its targeting sensor remaining locked on your bio signature.

Mowing down a wave of soldiers, you end the miserable wretch's existence with a stomp to its neck, seeing its relief and gratitude upon its withered grey face the moment the flesh powering the machine expires.

But the battle is still underway.

"Got one" Feng chuckles in your ear "Caught them sprinting for the firing line that Angron just tore through, guess he didn't see they nothing but corpses"

"Duck" Dae-Hyun barked, but you had already sensed the danger, and leaned back so far as to arc your back, avoiding a whirring chain axe with a cartwheel. The follow up swings, drunken and uncoordinated are easily danced around as you face the cybernetic behemoth of an ogryn with expert timing, and end the poor creature's life with kick. One of the Night Crane style's techniques, a horizontal axe kick that when performed with your speed and strength, can sever even an armored and augmented neck from the shoulders beneath it

Wisely, the mundane soldiers run away after seeing you single handedly take down a commanding officer astride massive machine of war and a deadly cyber ogryn in the time it'd take most men to yawn.

What is your next action, Lieren?

>Continue taking heads and killing officers and high value targets, with extreme prejudice

>Contact the beggar sect in the city with one of Kanzeon's drones and order them to charge the backlines of the already faltering high rider force, timing the order the moment the bulk of the high riders make to retreat to the city walls

>Join with Angron as he cuts a swathe through men and steel like a scythe through wheat

>Try to capture one of the leaders of the force to gather intelligence while there are still leaders alive to capture

>Write in

Terra is turning blue again

>>5691961
>Try and capture leaders of the force, while there are leaders still alive to capture

>>5691961
>Try to capture one of the leaders of the force to gather intelligence while there are still leaders alive to capture

Lmao. Our sons giving big E and Uncle M a minor headache.

>>5691961
>Try to capture one of the leaders of the force to gather intelligence while there are still leaders alive to capture
Did someone say mindspike? I heard Mind spike

>write in
If this is indeed such a deciding battle be mindful of the foul denizens of the warp whom may try to stake a claim here like that lone soldier from our own world so long ago...

____
We're really going to have to handle the sects when it comes to reunion. We have our veterans here to be our Adjudicators which will help but id propose we form some sort of institution to bring them together and not feel insulted when we encorage more than simply their own view, maybe have something like you have to earn a commendation from each sect to join the first company or ao.ething similar. Showing they have a firm understanding of all our lessons?

>>5691961
>>Try to capture one of the leaders of the force to gather intelligence while there are still leaders alive to capture
>write in
Prepare for a daemon incursion.

>>5691961
>Try to capture one of the leaders of the force to gather intelligence while there are still leaders alive to capture
Intel.

As about what big E and Uncle M talked about. A civil war of our own legion could be possible or a pruning of the more extreme sects may happen in the future.

>>5691961
>Try to capture one of the leaders of the force to gather intelligence while there are still leaders alive to capture
Very good.
Keep an eye but do not act for now, a reserve rapid response force of nameless, eldar journeymen, wanderers can be prepared in case of possible problems in the city.
Evil spirits should be by now crying over their failed millenia old plans and left purged or fleeing, but the more idiotic and stubborn stock could still plan something. We can mantle ancient eldars or call some of Arianka spirits if we need additional help but i don't believe it should be a big issue.

>>5692005
Not a bad idea anon
Personally i think them seeing and walking on Shangrila will already be a changing point. Not even considering them coming in to contact with the journeymen schools, the giant road, the many pivotal sites of victories of the Rebellion and then Long Jia, the beautiful Nothing, the Wanderers and Guozhi, and so much more.
Lieren, Kazeon and the imperial court going around their ranks will be quite funny

>>5691961
>Join with Angron as he cuts a swathe through men and steel like a scythe through wheat
I want to see more brotherly bonding

>>5691961
>Contact the beggar sect in the city with one of Kanzeon's drones and order them to command the city defense guns and target the backlines of the already faltering high rider force, timing the order the moment the bulk of the high riders make to retreat to the city walls

I feel like having artillery fall on you from your own base would be more terrifying than a horde of beggars.
And limit casualties.

>Terra is turning blue again
This brings a tear to my eyes

>>5691961
>Try to capture one of the leaders of the force to gather intelligence while there are still leaders alive to capture

>>5691961
>Try to capture one of the leaders of the force to gather intelligence while there are still leaders alive to capture

>>5692174
Its only called the beggar sect for his origin not for how they operate in battle. They act in the shadows, use martial arts for fight in close quarters and athleticism for move around (not to mention they know far better than the high riders to how to move in the cities, and being low class they have the sympathy of their fellow and are overlooked by majority of guards), we founded and trained them.

>>5691961
>Try to capture one of the leaders of the force to gather intelligence while there are still leaders alive to capture

>>5691961
>>Try to capture one of the leaders of the force to gather intelligence while there are still leaders alive to capture
writing this to know what my ID is

>>5691961
>>Try to capture one of the leaders of the force to gather intelligence while there are still leaders alive to capture

Malcador watched his prey from a hidden vantage point atop a toppled tower his carrion staff tilted low as he himself also was crouched casting two unseen avian shadows in the dim light of sun rise. After his talk to his oldest friend he went to check on one of those more 'extreme' sects of the Chimera; the Hangmen. A simple name for a sect whom viewed themselves as a simple necessity also, their wrists were bound in thin tight rope to signify their dedication to the sect, each knot tied in the rope representing another 'Tyrant' hung. It had taken some time to track them down to the subterranean stack of a desolated Hive where they'd been working suitably alongside the ghouls of the Thirteenth.

He watched as they were gathered in commune around a fading pyre of burning sacred texts casting long shadows into the dark, the thirteenth were already moving on avoiding the gaze of the sun but this sect remained seeing the scouring was done. As the sun finally began to peek over the distant new born shores of a restored lake the rays illuminated further shadows; not of other Astarte but rather swinging corpses among the ruins beyond the fire, what passed for a null denouncement charm carved upon their foreheads. This sect was among the more useful extremists the Emperor had spoken of in battle never speaking aloud only hunting their pray to bring back to their leader, their 'Marshal of the Gallows' for judgement before the Journey, they were exceptionally effective at the elimination of psyker and dogmatic foes given their methods as well as interrogation and information denial. They revered the image of Lieren the Hunter and hangman, the man whom stalked the shadows and brought terror so that other may walk in the blissful light of the sun.

Of which the pyre now finally fading was left the Sons of the Chimera all draped in Midnight black with golden lenses moved to catch up with the Thirteenth to further learn, develop and in thanks educate in the ways of the journey.

Malcador watched on as they vanished into the dark taking a step down to look over the ashes of ancient faiths, he narrowed his eyes and looked upon one charred page which only had a small corner remaining his eyes narrowing and an exhale of frustration following for he recognised a piece of the text...that book was no religious dogma...it was an early edition of the Imperial Truth.

>>5692885
If something like this was actually happening the second legion would be so dead.

>>5692885
They better hope that is just a mistake..

>>5692191
Yes i'm not saying they're literal beggars, but to send a force trained as infiltrators sallying forth out of the gates like they were cavalry seems a good way to waste their talents.
Also you can be as good as you want with martial arts but unless you're as good as an eldar doing flips in front of a firing squad won't help.

>>5693596
fair enough

>>5691961

>Try to capture one of the leaders of the force to gather intelligence while there are still leaders alive to capture

>>5691961
>Try to capture one of the leaders of the force to gather intelligence while there are still leaders alive to capture

Do you think Curze spared that kid in this timeline? The one where he saw a good fate and bad one?

>>5694128
no, in fact i think that malal wrote about that moment and how Curze didn't hesitated to kill the kid in this timeline do to our actions

What do y'all think perturabo is up to?

>>5694211
Probably building tanks and minies for fun. His Table Top army must be amazing and highly detailed.

>>5694211
>>5694246
We should give him a ring once Nuceria is reclaimed. Lieren and Pepto could nerd for a while about how to properly connect the supply lines of an arid world for MAXIMUM PROSPERITY

>>5694211
Conquering his planet and being slightly less of an asshole to his siblings hopefully.

>The Tribulations of the Chimera

>Recruitment
The majority of recruits comes from Shangrala itself and with the Emperor's own blessing most Reverent Terra itself however the legion does in fact often gather a patch of applicants from the worlds they encounter in the Crusade itself so as to ensure a diverse gene stock, induction of localised knowledge and maintain a steady stream of recruits on longer campaigns.

>Induction
Though the standard steps are taken to turn an individual from but man to one of the Emperor's own instruments remains largely unchanged the Second legion take a slightly longer time with the implantation process but have a higher acceptance rate due to this. The reason is largly due tot he highly advanced medical facilities often accompanying their fleets or upon Shangrala itself, each son is also marked via mirco laser with a microscopic Lotus somewhere upon their form as is tradition. During this more spread out time they are properly inducted and taught the fundamental aspects of the Journey; Lieren's philosophy.

>Entering the Legion
Upon entering the Legion as a fully fledged battle brother they would be organised in the Grand Companies as is standard but these are referred to as the Disciple Companies. These companies are largely tactically based and used to grant a wide range of experiences and battlefields for Battle Brothers to hone themselves ready to face 'The Trials' of the Journeymen Companies. Their armour being are pale cream but for the legions heraldry.

>Journeymen Companies
Smaller companies based upon a sect of the Fragmented Time, each led by an Exemplar of one specific aspect of the Journey, a battle brother may join one such company voluntarily and after completing a tour of duty and showing their understanding for the lesson taught within they earn a commendation from said Journeyman Company. As with the Disciple Companies their armour is plain and clean with the Legions iconography visible, but each bears a different gauntlet colour and accessory to define themselves.

>Brotherhood of Panthers
The most elite of the Legion and containing only those whom have earned a commendation from each of the Journeymen Companies showing their well rounded understanding of not just war but of the Journey itself. At that point they are deemed worthy to join this most inner of circles; Lieren's Hunting party. Upon entering the inner circle ones armour becomes obsidian and will be granted the right to wear a Fog Panther's hide.

>The Preservers
An old space marine is a rare thing, a retired one rarer still. But the Second Legion permit such things for those most ancient and venerable, they return to Shangrala to be advisers and keepers of history and tradition. Their armour now like green jade and robes humble for their task is one of humility

---
What y'all think?

>>5694342
I like it!

>>5694342
I like it. We should definitely keep recruiting from Terra, I like the korean-finnish-greek mix we've got going.

>>5694342
>Induction
Is already long as the body adapts to he changes prior to adding new modifications. You need to specify how much longer it is because it takes a period of years to turn kids into space marines.


>The Preservers
They are literally changed mind body and soul, programed to fight forever to till death and beyond.

They aren't regular soldiers that have a life waiting for them at home. It's like giving a dog vegan food. Suboptimal at best. Problematic mostly.

You'd have to change them from Astartes into something more suited for retirement.

You know. All these modifications are kinda weird.

What If they simply VAT grow a space marine whole cloth from the original and freeze the original body? Then subject the brains to a VR world for training and mental conditioning.

Speeds up the process significantly. Then it's a process of updating the memories of the original.

>>5694342
Interesting

>Wolfking
https://youtu.be/5_ASwrItDkc

Russ stood at the bow of his vessel the longship cutting through the stormy waves even as the ocean sought to drag he and his men into the World Sea. Sleet and rain pounded down upon him but the Wolf King didn't so much as flinch as the cold bit at him instead he simply gripped the ship in one hand and in the other an Axe of silver ice with an edge of golden fire. The Runepriests had spoken of a great evil lingering in the ancient barrows he now sailed for, they spoke of a pale Valkyrie in battle with a writhing feathered serpent and that without the Wolf King's aid alongside thirteen others then she would perish and the Serpent would make Fenris it's nest.

He had been gifted this very axe by one such Valkyrie, he gripped the weapon tight and remembered the promise he made when he took it from her snow white hands; “To slay the defilers of the Outworld wherever they may be found.”

It was an oath carrying great weight but also one easily made for he knew evil, he could smell it! Feel it in his bones more sure than any chilled wind or burning of iron. He'd taken the weapon, his right arm becoming etched with silvery runes to show his pact. Since that day the Jötunn had emerged from their dens to try and bring him low, to tempt him with promises and pleasures, with conquest or comfort.

He struck each down, as he would this one.

File: 1612728264212.png (363 KB, 1024x1024)

363 KB PNG

Calling the vote now, sorry for the really long wait, had a really bad week.

Try and capture leaders of the force, while there are leaders still alive to capture:13

If this is indeed such a deciding battle be mindful of the foul denizens of the warp whom may try to stake a claim here like that lone soldier from our own world so long ago.: 2

Join with Angron as he cuts a swathe through men and steel like a scythe through wheat: 1

Contact the beggar sect in the city with one of Kanzeon's drones and order them to command the city defense guns and target the backlines of the already faltering high rider force, timing the order the moment the bulk of the high riders make to retreat to the city walls:1

Total votes: 15

So Lieren will try to capture one of the High rider officers, while there are still leaders left alive to capture.

Writing now

>>5692885
Marshal of the gallows is an awesome title, and the whole bit was foreboding and suspenseful but "it was an early edition of the Imperial Truth" made my eyes pop. Good work.

>>5694342
Good stuff, really, really good stuff. SSS Tier work amigo, its just beautiful.

>>5695912
Excellent music choice for this, made the scene you painted all the more vivid. Somehow russ is turning even more badass lol

Whatever cohesion remained in the disciplined elites of the high riders was breaking, a panic no amount of chemical intoxicants or cybernetic augmentations or outright lobotomies could contain. Like rats from a sinking ship, the soldiers, professional or enslaved, were fleeing for their lives or else making stands to allow their masters to do the same as they fled for the promise of safety represented by city walls. But they'd find no sanctuary there, only graves already dug and nooses measured and tightened for their throats. You had seen this all before. Everyman has a breaking point, where the resilience of his will will be tested and found sorely wanting. From hastily risen levies to veterans of a thousand battles, all men have a limit. Morale will eventually break and crumble if a battle does not end. It may take years, it may take days, it may take seconds or merely the sight of their commanding officer reduced to a fine red mist by, say, the fist of snarling giant who has been stampeding through the field in search of his oppressors and one by one taking their heads.

Yes, the sight of a rout does not concern you, but the soon to be utter lack of surviving leading high riders does. Angron wants revenge. It was denied to him once before, torn from his hands as he relished in the pulse beneath his fingers. But unlike the ancient shadow, those who met the fangs of his axe or the tongue of his blade were his direct abusers, not simply one who had the blood of brothers and sisters upon their hands. These men he pursued with ruthless efficiency and murderous skill had, with their own hands, extinguished or ruined countless more brothers and sisters and had once had it in their power to do the same to him. You stand, Dae-Hyun at your side relaying your to your hunters to stand down and retreat from the battle, having served their purpose in cutting the many heads of the serpent before you and if they continued in their killings, your chosen task would only be made all the more difficult.

A trapper contesting with one hunter for the same quarry will have more success than the trapper challenging a whole party. Angron will make short work of the officers, and if there was any one else attempting to capture one of his targets for interrogation, they would surely fail. But a primarch can match and with cunning, outpace or outwit his brothers. But, your friends, disciples and sons are trained to take their shots when they can. It'll be simply troublesome to leave them following their old orders. Which is why you are now directing them to assist you in the endeavor to hastily take into custody any surviving officer within the high rider rout or who has foolishly chosen to face the might and fury of Angron where they stand.

Perhaps in another life, such martyrs would be remembered in song, but in this time their names shall swiftly turn to red dust on the four winds of Nuceria and like all things must one day do, fade to nothing
cont

>>5696104
_
Damon's lungs burned. He had expected the invaders to wield weapons equivilent to those that had allowed his family and many others to stand tall and proud above the masses of the slavering mobs they ruled over, but he had not expected them to be their superior. Even in times of such desperation, the main branch of the Thal'kr hesitated to unearth the most ancient and powerful of their arsenal, fearing the weapons of their ancestor as much as they trembled before the king who had risen from the slaves. Or that was what he had thought, but his elder brothers and uncles had told him that they no longer possessed those weapons for some supernatural force of giant phantoms and sickle fanged demons had broke into the site where those artifacts of holocaust and destruction had been held and reduced them and all who guarded them to ash and dust.

Damon had long suspected the terrors of the ancients were but a myth, and to learn they had existed only to be destroyed only made the young man suspect that the "Mist demons" all of his relatives and their lackies were babbling about whenever they thought they were unheard by their juniors, lesser or servants were men. Clever and conniving men, who made themselves seem the equal of Angron Thal'kyr, the dog who bit the hand of his masters, with trickery and illusion. And he had been proven half right. Here on the field, beside the so called great liberator himself, were those giants and their mist. They were giants, the lesser of the undefeated lord of the red sands, but giant's none the less, dressed in queer armor they had decorated with cuts and carvings to resemble demons. And all alongside them, the queer mercenaries that had been humiliating his people at every turn marched.

There was a dull throb in his arm, a hole burned in the meat of the limb from when he was barely able to dodge an assassins las bolt. Damon had been ordered to stand and die, but that didn't mean he'd do so without thinking, without first piecing together the mystery that had so terrified his supposed betters. Their dog had gotten crafty, however he had won the loyalty or service of these foreigners and these giants, he had done so while all the cities still thought him a slave squatting in a cave. Men disappeared often in the mountains, vanished or perhaps taken.

Angron was found in the mountains, as a child. Far beyond any settlement, at an altitude that even trained and augmented climbers struggled to reach. The cache the giants had assaulted was in the northern most Desh'elika mountains. The force of mercenaries to emerged from the hinterlands of that same range. There was an answer to be found here, but all Damon's panicked, adrenaline drunk mind could come up with was that perhaps, Angron was no mere freak of nature, but a scion of a race lost to cataclysm, war and the simple passage of time.
Cont

>>5696105

But while that accounted for the lesser giants and the vast reserves of technology they fielded with as much concern as they did slaves with sharpened sticks, it did not explain the presence of the men who spoke in alien languages.

Not dialects as his more scholarly minded kin tried to claim. They spoke no form of Nucerian, at least amongst themselves. But the whore son who shot him did, just to mock him.

"Didn't miss, need you alive" The brute with the missing teeth, wearing the strangest fur he had ever seen mocked as his bodyguards were shot down before he had even hit the ground. His dominant arm was crippled now, and another one of the sharpshooters had destroyed any hope he had of fighting back or calling out for help. Perhaps he should be thankful that they had gotten to him first, these fur wearers and the lesser giants. He saw what his family's former servant was doing to the others who had been given orders to stand and die valiantly as heroes. He preferred capture and humiliation over death.

At least he might have a chance to have at least one of his burning questions answered before these savages had him hanged, burn or cut up and served raw. He wasn't certain what they did with prisoners, in terms of execution. Perhaps it be less painful than what the revolting slaves had in mind for any noble they got their dirty hands on?

Damon felt a presence, or rather, an attention, a burning, scouring attention like a heated drill being slowly ground against his skull. He had called these oddly garbed giants lesser, but here now strode one that stood taller than even Angron, wearing a featureless mask over his face that dripped slowly like it was mercury to reveal his face.

The resemblance was uncanny, save the hue of his eyes and hair. He looked down upon him, with a look of bemusement and contempt, his eyes flickering between golden fire and pools of cold silver as he studied him. And his attention burned, Damon felt hands inside of him, pulling him apart and plucking at his seams as the giant, with the grace of a ribbon dancer, walked closer and knelt down before him. The giant beside the golden eyed one spoke, asking him, who must be the leader of this army of mountain dwelling ogres, some question. Damon felt his courage flee with his consciousness as the burning thrum of adrenaline was replaced with a chilling dread
_

"Shall I fetch a lotus scepter?" Chul Moo asked, spitting a mouthful of smoking leaf onto the still form of the high rider Hu had expertly caroled with the assistance of his juniors

"No, this man has an open mind, I can take from him the secrets I seek without harming him" You calmly explain "While I am certain my brother will demand his death, he may be of more use to us while he lives, if he remains whole and unconfused. The lotus scepter tends to leave those it is turned against in a state of bewilderment while their mind struggles around what has been rent from it"
cont

>>5696108

"No man can lie to you, father" He answered with a sneer "Shall I transport him back to our camp to be taken into our...tender care"

"Certainly" You answer with a smile as you watch the walls of the city break open to allow the few high riders with sense or fleetness of feet to reach the walls before Angron reached them to walk directly into the waiting arms of your agents. Depending on how merciful the local cell of beggars were, you may soon have a whole suite of prisoners and thus whatever intel or secrets they were entrusted before the battle's dawn.

What do you do, Lieren?

>Personally interrogate the High riders you have captured while Angron deals with the remaining elements in the city

>Observe how your brother treats his captured enemies, since their shall be no battle to take the city, considering your preparations

>Trust the prisoners to Kanzeon, and stalk your army forward to initiate combat against the next line of high rider defense, softening them up for Angron to cleave through

>Congratulate your men for the capture of the high riders and the beggars for their operation in the city, and send orders for other cells to "activate" behind enemy lines

>write in

>>5696110
>Trust the prisoners to Kanzeon, and stalk your army forward to initiate combat against the next line of high rider defense, softening them up for Angron to cleave through

>Congratulate your men for the capture of the high riders and the beggars for their operation in the city, and send orders for other cells to "activate" behind enemy lines

I voted for it too, but what was the point of capturing high riders?

>>5696110
>Observe how your brother treats his captured enemies, since there shall be no battle to take the city, considering your preparations
I'm curious, as I'd imagine both Lieren and The Emperor to be as well.

>>5696110
>Personally interrogate the High riders you have captured while Angron deals with the remaining elements in the city
>Observe how your brother treats his captured enemies, since their shall be no battle to take the city, considering your preparations
>>5696113
Can't interrogate a dead man

>>5696110
>Personally interrogate the High riders you have captured while Angron deals with the remaining elements in the city

>Observe how your brother treats his captured enemies, since their shall be no battle to take the city, considering your preparations

>>5696110
>Observe how your brother treats his captured enemies, since their shall be no battle to take the city, considering your preparations
Move beside him as his shadow and Spymaster this is his War and his world. Only temper his anger if it is overly cruel and do so by whispering into his mind. This will shape how the people see him as a ruler for the future but also effect those still fighting~

>Personally interrogate the High riders you have captured while Angron deals with the remaining elements in the city
So we can properly provide what information he requires when he needs it as he marches forward, be it codes, secret entrances or simply names to speak when addressing the foe. We can also use this moment to see how aware the enemy are of our own presence and subversive activity to know if it is safe to activate the other spreading cells.

>>5696110

>Personally interrogate the High riders you have captured while Angron deals with the remaining elements in the city

>Observe how your brother treats his captured enemies, since their shall be no battle to take the city, considering your preparations

>>5696110
Personally interrogate the High riders you have captured while Angron deals with the remaining elements in the city

>Observe how your brother treats his captured enemies, since their shall be no battle to take the>>5696110
city, considering your preparations

>>5696110
>Personally interrogate the High riders you have captured while Angron deals with the remaining elements in the city
>Observe how your brother treats his captured enemies, since their shall be no battle to take the city, considering your preparations

>>5696161
>Support

>>5696110
>Personally interrogate the High riders you have captured while Angron deals with the remaining elements in the city
>Observe how your brother treats his captured enemies, since their shall be no battle to take the city, considering your preparations

>>5696110
>Personally interrogate the High riders you have captured while Angron deals with the remaining elements in the city
>Observe how your brother treats his captured enemies, since their shall be no battle to take the city, considering your preparations
let s see ......

>>5691957
>>5691959
>>5691961

Anyone up for naming or totally not warrior lodges Sects and going full not Word Bearers and go full wuxia/xianxia with flying swords, talismans, formations, alchemy, martial arts competitions/ outer/inner/core disciples without baseline allies, constructing shangralla architecture pagodas and temples wherever we go that also serve as libraries, schools, and sources of cultivator manuals? While we are at it why not codify the stages of qi gathering, foundation establishment, core formation, nascent soul, spirit severing, and immortal ascension?

Also, maybe go full Grand Cathay and show Guiliman how his 500 worlds don't amount to much.

>>5696586
Segmentum Jia does have a nice ring to it.

>>5696586
i am of the idea of negotiating a treaty with the imperium when shangrila future space borders comes in contact to it, for not just maintain some laws of it but also strengthen the imperium. Ultramar worlds empire made the imperium stronger, and made the ultramarines even stronger has a legion.

>>5696110
>>Personally interrogate the High riders you have captured while Angron deals with the remaining elements in the city
>>Observe how your brother treats his captured enemies, since their shall be no battle to take the city, considering your preparations

>>5696586
No, because that's lacking in any subtlty, not really suitable to the setting.

It's barely applicable to our librarius

You do realize that Grand Cathay literally has an emperor posing as a human who is actually an eon old dragon in a palace big enough and ornate enough to accommodate said dragon and whose title is Celestial Dragon Emperor right? What part of that is subtle? Did I mention that said dragon emperor rules the largest empire in the entire warhammer fantasy setting?

>>5696586
We could conquer a world a year until emps is meant to find us and we'd still not have 20% of what Gil has. Their system still had space flight and interstellar contact but we are starting from scratch

>>5696937
We don't know where we are. We don't know when we are. We don't even know if Guilaman has even crawled out of his pod yet. Let's not forget that the Great Crusade conquered half the galaxy in two centuries. you can conquer a world with less than a hundred space marines and we sure as shit have more at our disposal than that.

>>5696782
>Not 40k.

Anyway, we've got some small bits towards the end that the other anon wanted, what with out calling psykers cultivators and warp energy as Qi. But lets go down the list.

Our "lodges" are already split among the fractions of the journey that each son likes best. Not sure if they are called sect's yet, but it seems like Lieren names organisations of secret individuals sects while overt organisations are departments.

Flying swords are currently out of technological reach and impractical for most of our students of psykerism. Good telekinetics could enjoy them I guess.
Alchemy is just Biology. Anything more is verging into sorcery, which is a risky subject to let people run rampent in so lets not.

Formations. . dude. They are astartes, they already know formations like the backs of their eyelids. And if again you are meaning sorcery through geometry, lets not. This is something for the primarch to research.

Constructing our home's style on alien worlds is a bit antithetical to our belief of not forcing our worldviews on others, given we'd be choking out natural style's of the naitvies, as well as the enviromental challenges of doing so. Fine with null denouncment charms on everything though.

temples? No. Because imperial truth and the journey being philosophy not religion.

Making books of warp knowledge for just anyone to have by entering a library card. No. keep that stuff locked in with the trusted organisations we set up to keep watch and train people in their gifts.

And lastly codifying stages. No. Because they don't exist. our "cultivators" don't improve their spiritual energy wells or bodies innately, they are just drawing more deeply and skillfully on the warp without causing tears. They are not cultivators, it's an asthetic over 40k, not actually a god damn Xianxia novel. Please do not confuse the two.

>>5696937
Not quite, we have Kanzeon and we can absolutely get started on relay methods with the golden dragon path. That'll give us a decent starting base

>>5696110
>>Personally interrogate the High riders you have captured while Angron deals with the remaining elements in the city
>>Observe how your brother treats his captured enemies, since their shall be no battle to take the city, considering your preparations

>>5696782
I doubt Shangrila domain will be larger than Ultramar anytime soon, beside being a space empire before Guilliman, it expanded further with his arrival and even more with their legion. This anon is correct about Ultramar, i don't think is a problem though. Shangrila solar systems can be more curated and prosperous instead, it will still end up to be a sizable amount no doubt.

>>5696937
Of course we had started from scratch being a feudal world originally, but industrialization and modernization efforts across Long Jia and his allies of Bask, Shuni, the much depleted Vishnu and the new Zoroast are fully underway and being realized. Even the Angra tribes start to enjoy it.
Indeed while the wars against the tyrants have taken a great death toll, many survived and thanks to the constant work of Lieren and his companions a future among the stars awaits for this new alliance.

>>5696952
Sort of, Shangrila was chosen by the escaping fleet because it was a remote system away from the machine war. Its not honestly a big deal distance is likely still very far away, and calculations have probably been made.
The wars on Terra have ended now, the emperor is working on restoring the homeworld while building up his forces. He should have already made moves for conquer the rest of the solar system. It will still take him some decades for complete that and silence any rebellion.

Alarms flared through the 'Herald of Eternity' and the Deathguard scrambled to muster stations and made ready for the attackers to come but to the confusion of many the frigate remained alone in the void no enemy vessels sighted. Captain Alarun in his cataphractii Terminator armour held the bridge beside his Grave Wardens, their chem weapons already filling the room with toxic fumes. The alarms blared on and on but still no enemies revealed themselves even as bulkheads sealed in the face of continued distress?

“A technical glitch?” one of his men asked quietly?

Alarun didn't answer instead patching himself into the Pict-feeds all across the vessel, his men were all stood at attention ready to deploy wherever needed at a moments notice. He flicked through and through as slowly the vessel continued to fill with their infamous poison...

“What set off the alarm?” he asked quietly still scanning the feeds,

“An unidentified warp breach?” one of his brothers answered.

What? He thought quietly to himself so the vessel should be visible to them by now, a camera flickered for a moment...a brief flutter of gold....impossible....

He looked closer at the men stationed by the bulkheads at attention, his hearts sank. As he zoomed in he saw the truth, his men were already dead, their bodies were simply still standing in powered down armour.... blood seeping from their power armours joints, then there was another pulse of gold...his fears were realised.

1/2

>>5698014
“PANTHERS!” He roared,

The Hunter's which had infiltrated his vessel made themselves known since they knew themselves discovered in a rapid series of golden flashes.

He'd never seen one, few if any outside the Second legion had but they'd all heard stories of the Lieren's prize Hunters. The stories seemed fanciful or mere dread stories told by weary soldier but looking at what was before him he knew it to be true.

There were three of them all dressed in highly modified power armour which caused them to stand taller than Alarun himself but almost stretched? Leaner? Beneath one set of arms hand a second giving them six limbs, on their backs strange generators containing a golden light which seemed strange against the rest of their Obsidian armour. He knew what those generators had to be; miniaturised Golden Path Anchors... teleporters.

He'd only had enough time to take in their forms before the Panther's were upon the Death Guard flickering from one place to another in flashes of gold hurling spears with tips seemingly make from molten metal?

His men were falling quickly the silent foes not fighting with honour but as predators not taking chances nor giving the option of reprieve. When fired upon they simply vanished only to appear later or somewhere new? They flickered around causing crosses of firing lines, attacked from angles impossible such as when one sunk mechanical claws intot he roof and hurled spears from there only to vanish when fire was returned.

Alarun didn't see his death coming, but he knew he was the last..he simply felt three spears pierce him, then darkness.

----
The Panther's could really seem like Astarte Warp Spiders what with our Golden path teleporters, the traditional six limbs and such.
2/2

>>5698015
We had the option in previous threads to make warp spider tech for our mortal troops.

We can absolutely do this. And it'd be absolutely hillarious to watch in action.

Didn't the emperor execute one of his allied warlords for destroying Terras last patch of ocean? Perhaps that won't happen again.

She did it out of ignorance and now Emperor has both water gem and Kanzeon to fix biodiversity.

Im sure one of Lieren's sons have mentioned it to him already but given how each legion was given/gathered recruits and formed I wonder what specific region or sub gene stock our own first sons were taken.

For example the Deathguard and Iron warriors recruited from Old Albia

“So what do you make of them?” Horus asked his brother coyly as he turned to face the wolf king,

“Of who?” Russ answered gruffly as he sharpened a fine steel age upon a traditional wetstone.

“The Chimerai” the Lunar Wolf responded calmly having grown accustomed to Leman's lack of decorum.

The Barbarian King paused his task a moment giving time for thought, “Fragmented, competitive... not afraid fo getting their hands dirty... I like them.”

“You don't think less of them for having strayed from their The Emperor's or Lieren's intent?”

“Children act out, Son's compete for a Fathers approval this has always been the way”

Horus felt the playful taunt in his brothers voice but maintained composure and instead continued; “I mean having drifted from purpose; my Wolves are the Spear of the Emperor, yours are his-” the Luprical's eyes drifted tot he blade Russ was sharpening again “-wrath.”

Russ didn't look back to respond “So you think the Chimerai have lost sight of their role in the crusade? No I think not.”

“You think you know their purpose?”

“They are how you say-” Russ chewed his lip searching for a Gothic term “-Wardens”

“Wardens...” Horus responded drily.

“Yes, they find secrets and targets then take them,” he makes a snatching motion “then they seal them away behind an unyielding line! Hunter's whom horde their trophies high but show few.”

Horus pondered quietly for a time and in a way he could see it, the first legion were rumoured to be the Emperor's cleaners so to speak, it could be reasonable the second would serve a similar purpose though for some reason it irked him?

“Do not dwell on it Brother” Russ pulled him from his thoughts “The unbroken spear serves a far grander purpose than they, Lieren will come and discipline his sons, we will find the rest of our kin and take the Galaxy together!”

Horus felt genuine warmth in his chest, Russ was a loyal brother indeed.

>>5699478
Should be the same regions of the Crete Wardens, Seowl Rangers and Suomit Ursine Guard their allies.

File: 1627191036214.png (192 KB, 450x665)

192 KB PNG

Calling the vote now, sorry for the really long wait again, the summer heat is killing me and I wish death upon the sun.

Trust the prisoners to Kanzeon, and stalk your army forward to initiate combat against the next line of high rider defense, softening them up for Angron to cleave through:1

Congratulate your men for the capture of the high riders and the beggars for their operation in the city, and send orders for other cells to "activate" behind enemy lines:1

Observe how your brother treats his captured enemies, since there shall be no battle to take the city, considering your preparations:12

Personally interrogate the High riders you have captured while Angron deals with the remaining elements in the city: 11

So Lieren will personally interrogate the captured high riders, while Angron finishes mopping up the remaining elements of their army in the city, and then will observe how his brother treats his captured enemies as their shall in truth be no battle to take the city due to his preperations

Writing now

total votes: 13


>>5698014
>>5698015
This was fucking incredible, legit got chills reading it, which is very much appreciate since I've spent the last five days freaking melting. Really liked how you described the action and Warp Panthers

>>5699505
Ooh this was also a real treat, Love, just love how your wrote Leman and Horus. "Hunter's whom horde their trophies high but show few" is one hell of a line and I may just steal it

And the ending made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside

>>5699753
Yep they're a mix of Korean, Greek and Finnish, lead by a funny chinese man who can snap you in half like a twig

>>5700043
>Yep they're a mix of Korean, Greek and Finnish
The food in Chimera Legion camps must be fucking godlike.

>>5700043
Damn, Chimera is accurate.

Damon Thal'kr was terrified. Though that word seemed to the man, insufficent to describe the sheer animal dread that now consumed him as he was sat, to his surprise, quite comfortably in one of the tents of the army of the rebellious slaves and their mercenary allies. He had not thought to wake to luxury, he had not expected to wake at all when the giant with fire in his eyes approached him and lifted up his hand. Strangely the lesser Thal'kr officer had difficulty what happened from his crippling to now, he know the great behemoth with iron wrought hair approached him but what then? He recalled pain. Incredible pain, the kind of agony that settled as an ever present burn, like acid smeared over skin already rubbed raw by sand. Did the giant reach towards him and cast some torturous spell on him, or did his attention alone drive him to the edge of madness with fear and made his body imagine a scorching sense of violation?

He sat alone, upon a well carved wooden chair that would make the main branch of his clan seethe with envy, the craftsman ship was unlike anything he had ever seen and would make the work of master artisans seem like the crude woodwork of paupers. It was even cushioned with a curious material that had a pleasant coolness to its nearly water smooth surface. He barely cared that he was chained to the chair and a prisoner of barbarians who had, at least according the nightmarish tales he had heard from the worst fronts of the "policing action" as his elders were trying to call this bloody war, taken to executing their prisoners in unusual and cruel methods. Hanging them from ropes, lining them up to be shot like beasts or even burned alive, none of which allowed them to die with dignity and honor. While many would declare their desire to die with their sword in their hands and a foeman's blood on their lips, Damon was content to remain seated in this chair, especially considering that he had the rare pleasure of directly observing the more inventive means of slaughter employed by the strangers and the mountain giants. He was fairly certain he had seen one of the brutes rip of the arm of an ogryn as if he were plucking an orange from a branch and then used it to beat the Nail afflicted simpleton to death with.

And that was somehow less terrifying than seeing an armored bull ogryn get taken down by an apparently unaugmented woman wearing a green cloak, wielding just a somewhat oversized knife. or those terrible golden eyes. Damon reflected on what he had seen and what he could learn from it, when he heard the tongue of the mercenaries, like a fragment of poetry with an ethereal lilt and though he could tell the speakers were angry there was an elegance and refinement behind the words he did not know, song like and alluring. Exotic and mysterious as a summer night.
cont

>>5700138
Damon expected a well bred young man to walk through the door, dressed in the queer armor of the strangers, but instead, the giant who had captured him after the assassin had their fill of toying with him and watching him struggle like a cat watches a rat shriek and squirm for its pitiful life. And he wasn't dressed in armor. A clear show of superiority of position and personal force. The giant did not consider Damon as even the merest threat. He approached him dressed like a seer or perhaps a philosopher, in blindingly white and pristine roads. There was not a hint of the battlefield on this man. No dust or blood. But his scent betrayed him. While the tent was perfumed, the intruder into it smelt of...

Damon couldn't place it. It was so familiar yet so distant. It resembled scents he spent all his life around, but in as many ways it was similar it was different. A foreign spice and freshly cut wood perhaps

"Damon Thal'kr" The titan's tongue rolled melodiously, reverberating in his throat like strummed harp as he took a step closer, and sat down on a giant sized chair that Damon had not noticed "As I understand you are a member of a cadet family of the repugnant Thal'kr, and share their loathsome blood and abhorred name"

"How?" Damon asked, surprised that the man could both speak his language and in the exact dialect of his home city and with more ease than even some native speakers. The question was of course, how he knew his tongue and how he knew his identity

"I am quite gifted at learning languages" The golden eyed terror said amusedly, like they were chatting over a plate of fruit and roasted nuts "And have been speaking yours for quite some time. It helps that I have a menagerie of native speakers to converse with and keep the company of. As for your second unspoken question, Men of the moral quality that so pervades your nation are quick to sell out both their superiors and their inferiors if they believe it will keep them a half step away from the gallows if only for a breath of time longer. It is a pathetic showing of self preservation, the kind of struggling cowardice that curdles the bowels to witness, Inspiring more contempt than it does pity"

"And you think I shall be the same?" Damon asked pointedly, already sweating and trembling beneath the giant's piercing eyes

"No. You aren't a mewling villain who will at first sign of the winds changing against their favor, through themselves on their hands and knees to plead for their lives" He explained as if he knew Damon personally "For all of your faults of character, you are no coward"

"Then why have you come here? My family will accept any ransom, unless you mean to sacrifice me to some unpleasant mountain god" Damon dared to jest and immediately shriveled beneath the glare of the giant "Have you come here to applaud my courage before killing me? To mock me?"
Cont

>>5700140

"To give me the answers I secret. You know you'll die, you were ready to die before you were even captured. But there is a burning regret that you will not find answers enough to satiate your curiosity before the time of your death" The giant taller than Angron Thal'kyr explained "I offer to supply those answers in exchange for those I seek"

"And why would I do that?" Damon asked, dreading the answer

"It is a final indulgence, a last kindness and mercy I offer. Either you die satisfied or you die confused. Make no mistake, either way, I shall get what I seek" The giant explain cordially

"You will torture me?" He gasped

"The methods I would employ are torturous, I do not delight in them. They weigh heavily upon my heart. I'd prefer you and I partake in pleasant conversation, rather than my hand being forced to tear from you the last of your living memories" The giant explained softly, almost guiltily "So, shall we talk"

"What are you exactly?" Damon asked without thinking any further, knowing he was doomed, but terrified of what a giant would consider torture.
_

It did not take long for you to finish interrogate the prisoners. And a few of them, like Damon Thal'kr, provided valuable intelligence. The location of rallying points for the thal'kr army, the personality of their generals as men and leaders of men, their school of tactical philosophy, the make of their armies, their relationships with their peers and the officers under their command. Intel that would surely save lives and expedite the process of ending this war of liberation quickly and with only as much death was necessary to see Nuceria and your brother's people freed from the oppression of the High rider tyrants.

But now that all of your prisoners had been processed and you had learned all that was worthwhile to learn from them, whether through panicked babbling, calm discussion, or more forceful methods of interrogation and information gathering. Some were so loyal and stalwart they resisted the lotus scepter and required use of wind whispering to peel back their layers of mental defense to find what secrets you were seeking that you knew they held and were hiding from you. And now with all of the prisoners gathered, some standing more proud than others and many wheeling and crying at that you broke a deal they concocted in your head.

After all you had never told the ones who had willingly betrayed their kinsman and spilled their guts of all the secrets and intel, from army movements to the codes of personal bunkers.

You lead this varied group into the city, to where your brother had carrolled the few high riders who had managed to survive being caught between him and their rebelling citizens. You pause, at the edge of the crowd. You can feel their bloodthirst in the air, roiling from them like a collective force of murderous intent.
Cont

>>5700141

They are braying, half feral, demanding the gruesome deaths of the cowering tyrants who had once stood so high and tall. Slaves, forcefully augmented, bruised and beaten maids, solemn faced soldiers, people of all walks of life are all joined in the horrid communal madness of mob mentality. You'd seen it in Shangrala, serving the Yan nobility and turned against them. You're curious to see how Angron, who along with a number of your sons, are the only ones preventing the high riders from being torn limb from limb will react to this pressure. And more importantly how he will treat his prisoner, particularly his captured enemies. So you stand aside, and watch.

Angron, sensing and feeling the murderous rage of the crowd and no doubt experiencing some that was born from within his own, speaks of punishment and justice, revenge and retribution, let he keeps the crowd controlled rather than being influenced by it. He makes them think he wants to rip apart the prisoners as much as they want to, while also calming them and unifying their purpose in seeing the tyrants receive the reward their wickedness has earned them. A cunning ploy, even though he is restraining his own urge to violently end them. And then he bids the crowd to name the crimes of the high riders, so their execution may match the severity and cruelty of their crimes and abuses. While you don't agree with the means he suggests, seeing no real point besides calming the mobs tastes for blood and pain. A noose deals with a rapist as well as it does with a murderer. But it keeps the mob from brutalizing the prisoners.

And a few of the high riders do walk free, by the mercy of the mob and the accounts of their servants or even some of your beggars.

Damon is not amongst them, but you intercede on your prisoners behalf to keep them from being execute from some of the more barbaric means the nucerians employ, such as death through exposure and thirst.

What do you do now that the battle is won, Lieren?

>Praise Angron for his treatment of the high riders and the restraint he showed in their treatment, as well as his use of his empathy to control the murderous rabble

>Deliver the intel you gathered to Angron and the allied forces, and continue on with the war and the road to the Thal'kr's destruction

>Take the time to debate with your brother over how he dealt with his captured enemies, namely the means of their execution

>Advice angron on the best way to attack the next line of Thal'kr between your armies and their seat of power

>write in

>>5700143
>>Deliver the intel you gathered to Angron and the allied forces, and continue on with the war and the road to the Thal'kr's destruction.

wow, Angron sparing some of the riders is surprising.

>>5700143
>Praise Angron for his treatment of the high riders and the restraint he showed in their treatment, as well as his use of his empathy to control the murderous rabble
>Take the time to debate with your brother over how he dealt with his captured enemies, namely the means of their execution

>>5700143
>Deliver the intel you gathered to Angron and the allied forces, and continue on with the war and the road to the Thal'kr's destruction

>Praise Angron for his treatment of the high riders and the restraint he showed in their treatment, as well as his use of his empathy to control the murderous rabble

>>5700143
>Praise Angron for his treatment of the high riders and the restraint he showed in their treatment, as well as his use of his empathy to control the murderous rabble

>Deliver the intel you gathered to Angron and the allied forces, and continue on with the war and the road to the Thal'kr's destruction

>>5700143
>Praise Angron for his treatment of the high riders and the restraint he showed in their treatment, as well as his use of his empathy to control the murderous rabble
While the means of execution may have been cruel to Lieren, I can't imagine he'd care too much about anything less than Yan tier torture. Especially when it comes to executing tyrants.
>Deliver the intel you gathered to Angron and the allied forces, and continue on with the war and the road to the Thal'kr's destruction
His home, his show. I want to set him up for success, not guide him there by the hand.

>>5700143
>Praise Angron for his treatment of the high riders and the restraint he showed in their treatment, as well as his use of his empathy to control the murderous rabble

>Deliver the intel you gathered to Angron and the allied forces, and continue on with the war and the road to the Thal'kr's destruction

>>5700143
>Praise Angron for his treatment of the high riders and the restraint he showed in their treatment, as well as his use of his empathy to control the murderous rabble

>Deliver the intel you gathered to Angron and the allied forces, and continue on with the war and the road to the Thal'kr's destruction

>>5700143
>>Praise Angron for his treatment of the high riders and the restraint he showed in their treatment, as well as his use of his empathy to control the murderous rabble
>Deliver the intel you gathered to Angron and the allied forces, and continue on with the war and the road to the Thal'kr's destruction

>Take the time to debate with your brother over how he dealt with his captured enemies, namely the means of their execution

>>5700143
>Praise Angron for his treatment of the high riders and the restraint he showed in their treatment, as well as his use of his empathy to control the murderous rabble
>Deliver the intel you gathered to Angron and the allied forces, and continue on with the war and the road to the Thal'kr's destruction
Well done

>>5700143
>>Praise Angron for his treatment of the high riders and the restraint he showed in their treatment, as well as his use of his empathy to control the murderous rabble
>>Deliver the intel you gathered to Angron and the allied forces, and continue on with the war and the road to the Thal'kr's destruction
>>Take the time to debate with your brother over how he dealt with his captured enemies, namely the means of their execution

>>5700143
>>Praise Angron for his treatment of the high riders and the restraint he showed in their treatment, as well as his use of his empathy to control the murderous rabble
>>Deliver the intel you gathered to Angron and the allied forces, and continue on with the war and the road to the Thal'kr's destruction

>>5700143
>Deliver the intel
>Praise him for the restraint he used.

>>5700143
>Deliver the intel you gathered to Angron and the allied forces, and continue on with the war and the road to the Thal'kr's destruction

Mortarion is going to utterly hate us; Psyker, favoured by the Emperor....technically a kind of necromancer? We're going to come to blows and given how both of us are some hyper enduring primarch it's going to be brutal. That is assuming lieren don't let the ogre out and go logic driven killbot on the Deathlord. Also the funny mirror of his toxic smog vs our cleansing fog.

Kill him with the Sword of Love and the irony will be perfect.

>>5701270
Well Morty's a retard, so who cares?

>>5701270
This assumes Lieren doesn't prod Eldrad for information on any of his brothers currently in great danger or dangerously exposed to chaos and considered Mort got dropped on a pseudo daemon world of nurgle Lieren would absolutely rush to save him in the time period where he was fighting his rebellion. Assuming Lieren doesn't pull a Big E and screws Mort out of his revenge and redemption he could flip Mort into being a alright dude like Angron.

>>5701740
honestly i would rather the quest doesn't become Lieren goes on adventures to save his brothers from fate. after this I want to head back to home and get it ready for big E's arrival.

Same, weve caused a ripple or two bow its time to head home and make ready for the Emperor's arrival and maybe some minor Aeldari mischief be it the Stag plotline or the dark eldar daring for a round 2 because when we get home either the Kang have conspired against us or the edgelords are back

Mortarion was in a rage Silence swinging arcs of promised death only to strike swirling mist where Lieren had stood but a moment before, the duel had been going only a few moments the Death Lord taking the offensive his thunderous strides shattering the stone ground of the arena with each mighty step. Above then seven brothers watched all their faces stern and jaws tight, this moment had been a long time coming the Master of the Fourteenth's disdain for the Psyker Master of the Second bursting its dam at the sight of Lieren's Golden Menagerie, accusations flew and finally the gauntlet was thrown. Lorgar had pleaded, Russ attempted to laugh it off for the sake of brotherhood but when the Emperor himself decreed it would be so there was no going back.

This Nikaean Duel would serve as the closing argument, the final words in the great debate.

The scythe was a blur spinning in deft arc and striking from all the angles one could fathom the weapon whistling with sheer momentum and invisible to mortal eyes, yet the Panther was cunning and patient never moving to attack only slinking away from the blows even as an ethereal mist wafted from his body hanging in the air the Giant of Shangrala's eyes piercing, watching everything the Death Lord offered.

“ENOUGH NECROMANCER! FACE ME! FIGHT!” He roared spittle flying from his mouth as he foamed with fury.

Lieren kept dodging his eyes narrowed and stance while fluid clearly measured until finally a few second later the tempo of the duel changed pace, the Second son stepped into the blow of the Fourteenth into the Death lords defences the shaft of Silence being caught under his arm and with a twirling motion he twisted pulling Mortarion's weapon free and sending it spinning into the air. Carrying through the momentum Lieren cartwheeled and with his hand placed firmly on the floor twisted and struck Mortarion had with his leg sending the him staggering back.

With a flourish the panther span to his feet and caught Silence, now considering the weapon. If there were any reason within Mortarion it was gone now, bloodshot eyes shook with anger and barehanded he charged. A mirror of Mortarion's own style struck back, an arm severed at the elbow between the plates. But he didn't stop now jumping to avoid a sweeping blow which would have taken his knee's the agile gesture at odds with his more firm footed method of combat.

>>5701944
Lieren span the weapon with contemptible ease for as soon as the Death Lord landed the scythe sailed through the side of his armour at the hip and burst from his lower rib on the opposite side. He hacked up blood his good arm reaching forward to now try and choke Lieren whose own face was vacant of emotion, pride, passion...all those human traits he was so fabled for...a machine was looking at him.

With a force of will few could imagine Mortarion pulled himself free blood spilling from the twin holes in his torso and coating the floor,

“Monster....hypocrite....witch...” his breathing heavy and slowing.

None of it drew emotion from the ogre,

A cruel smile formed on pale lips “...Tyrant”.

The ogre's mask cracked, reality with it.

Fire spread from where Lieren stood, mist once gently pooling began to whirl a vortex of silver filling with wafting runes of burning gold. In the mist Golden beasts began to emerge pulling themselves from the Golden Sea to deny the Deathlord's insult and accusation.

The Fourteenth had a hand on his side but stood tall in the face of the maelstrom still.

“I NAME YOU LIEREN! A WITCH, A HYPOCRITE-”

Hateful eyes turned to the Emperor,

“-THE SON OF A TYRANT AND NOW AND ALWAYS A TYRANT YOURSELF!”

The whirling storm closed around the Deathlord forcing golden runes and silver mist into his body which began to blister and char from within, Celestial beasts tore him apart and blood became but red steam, soon nothing remained of Morarion but Silence.

None made a sound until Lieren himself released a roar of anguish and fell to his own knees.

>>5701944
>>5701945
Chimera>deathscrub

>>5701944
>>5701945
Cope and seethe

>>5701945
.... Leiren would probably have 4-5 ways minimum to explain why Morty is wrong.

His people are very talkative, and he's friends with eldar.

Blowing up like this is something he chooses to do.

I wonder what this quest's version of XI will be like. They are the other side of the coin of the unspeakable disaster worse than the Heresy, after all.

Looking back the blood angels were on the chopping block before they found sanguinius for expunging, the Word Bearers were also on that chopping block, so to were the night lords towards the end.

Honestly it doesnt take a vast amount to be expunged and they likly would have after the heresy if the traitors were not still around to talk and it being to big an event to hide.

>>5701945
I like how all of these Lieren vs primarchs omake are all either with Morty or Fulgrim. Guess people really don't like them.

>>5703587
This and probably that they are just too opposed to Lieren's character; besides corn and seethe have beef with Lieren but we have set the 2nd on big opposition against the sister snake and grandfather crow.

Leiren's nemesis is Malal though.
Brought him back from oblivion. Etc...

>>5703788
Eh, I disagree with that assessment.

Lieren hates Chaos. all Chaos is Chaos, no matter if it is red, blue, green, pink or black and white, all of them are utterly opposed to him and he to them.
Given the choice between picking a fight with any of them, he probably wouldn't have any preference. All filth is dirty, as the comparison goes.

File: 1625102045517.png (4.82 MB, 3307x4677)

4.82 MB PNG

Calling the vote now, sorry for the super long wait, The weakness of the flesh and freedom day kept me away from my keyboard. Hope you had an enjoyable 4th of july if you celebrate it. Mine sounded like a normal day on Cadia, good god.

Deliver the intel you gathered to Angron and the allied forces, and continue on with the war and the road to the Thal'kr's destruction.:12

Praise Angron for his treatment of the high riders and the restraint he showed in their treatment, as well as his use of his empathy to control the murderous rabble:10

Take the time to debate with your brother over how he dealt with his captured enemies, namely the means of their execution:3

total votes: 13

So Lieren will deliver the intel and praise his brother

Writing now

>>5701944
>>5701945
excellent written choreography. Also Morty's insult probably struck Lieren deeper than Silence struck him

It took sometime for you to be able to catch your brother alone for a private conversation, as the residents of the newly freed city state surround him and shower him praises and thanks, giving you silent leave and allowance to take the responsibility of ensuring those few high riders spared the fate of their peers and kin to sanctuary deeper within the city, fortifying their palaces and stationing your sons and disciples to guard them. From your brief analyses and the reports whispered in your ears by the beggars who pleaded for them to be spared, these lucky individuals were spared because they had, like the Loc'ria clan and their subordinate families, had been converted to your world view and a few of their number had even petitioned for membership with the beggar sect as a means of atoning for the sins committed by their lineages and carried out sabotages during the beggar's rise to assist in bringing down the city's defenses and pockets of resistance from within. Though a handful had not, and were spared instead from accounts that prove they were virtuous men and women amongst tyrants, like the lotus blossoming forth from mud.

Once you have ensured the safety of the spared, with the assistance of Kanzeon and Anahita, who take control of the city's technological arrays and defenses, you seek out your brother, who is being lead through his newly conquered city by one of the elders of the beggar sect, who is painstakingly detailing to him the equipment captured from both within the city and from the battlefield without it, which includes a fair number of war machines, both aerial and terestrial from the brief snippet of their conversation. His adoptive father, Oenomaus, and the young dragon he has named Eruthrós notice your silent approach first, the hatchling recalling your scent and lifting its whiskered snout as you stalk closer from the alleyways, accompanied by a honor guard that Dae-Hyun insisted shadow you. Nikephoros is among their number.

Oenomaus taps angron on his back, clicking his tongue. Angron turns and gives you a look of consideration, his brow furrowed as he ponders the reason for your approach.

"Speak with my father of these matters" He growls under his breath, smirking in bemusement as the beggar clumsily copies the traditional cupped fist greeting of Long Jia as he strides up to the alleyway you've been lurking in like a comman cutpurse "And why can you not speak to me publicly? What is your obsession with secrecy and speaking in perplexing riddles? Is it tradition for men of Long Jia to be so confounding?"

Your only reply is a smirk as you beckon him to follow you to a particular garden that was scarred by the lick of flame during the beggar's taking of the city. Angron snorts through his nose, clearly irritated, but follows you as you ask of him. He glances around, his fighter's instincts keeping him alert of any potential hidden dangers.
Cont

"It takes a particular strength of character to spare those one counts amongst their enemies, even if they are indeed revealed to be little more than ones foes or meager opposition" You state solemnly and reverently, as you watch smoke peel away from the charred petals of a flowering bush that to your eyes resembles a rose "And while I cannot condone the manner of death you delivered to the tyrants who dwelt here, I can in good conscious approve of the manner of which you judged them. Men less scarred and tormented by the wickedness of the bloody handed lords of Nuceria would've found it difficult to not name the simple act of sharing blood with a high rider as just cause to sentence an otherwise innocent man to death"

"So you investigated the ones I named innocent, to be certain I had not been fooled?" Angron asked curiously

"I knew you had not been upon a quick study of their expressions and mannerisms, searching deeper into their hearts was unnecessary" You explain, shaking your head "And I do not believe you to be so easily fooled, brother"

"Is that so?" He asks, sounding somewhat surprised by your words, even though you can also tell from his tone that he expected you to speak them

"You may not have eyes like mine, but you can feel the emotions of others as clear as I do the wind passing beneath my ears" You chuckle in amusement, but quiet when you see the stern expression on your brother's battleworn face

"Its sickening" He said after a moment of silence, looking over the charred remains of the once beautifully kept and carefully maintained garden "None of them felt any guilt. Ever since I began to awaken my...gift, the world has become a smear of emotions and sensation"

"A kaleidoscope of colors and belief" You venture poetically "The contents of other's minds and hearts gushing forth like the rays of midday"

"Filling my skull and shrieking in my ears" Angron growls, sitting down on a bench as you beginning pruning away the burnt material of the roasted bush, seeing now that you could preserve it and allow it to replace what has been damaged with new, living material.

"I feel the terror of every man that dies at my side, feel their rage, their bloodlust, their elation to survive a scuffle only to then sense a hole where they once stood as a stray shot turns their skull to shrapnel" He continues on "I can hear their thoughts as whispers. And none of the masters have felt even a momentary flash of guilt or regret. Only disbelief, outrage and contempt"

"That is how you knew who to spare and who to condemn" You hum as you go to work plucking stems and pulling away ashen leaves

"Innately, but having members of the crowd speak on their behalf gave me an easy excuse to spare their lives" Angron continues, his eyes closed peacefully, an expression that is oddly fitting for his face, despite how alien the sensation of calm and relaxation must be "I thought you intended to scold me before I had time to get a feel for your emotions brother"

>>5704679

"I would've preferred the condemned to be granted a painless death" You admitted as you plucked a half burnt flower and spun it around between your fingers "No man deserves to suffer, no matter how great their crimes in life"

"We'll just have to disagree on that, you might've been able to see what they felt, but I experienced it" Angron snorted with a disdainful shake of his head "These High riders, they're not humans, no man could be so arrogant and callous towards his fellow man and still consider themselves justified. They're deluded, twisted by their own grandeur"

"A dangerous stance, the moment you dehumanize an enemy, is the moment you risk becoming their reflection. It is easy to slice the throat of a beast, a hand that would otherwise tremble becomes terrifyingly firm against what one believes to be a monster" You muse outload "Especially consider your blessings allow you to wade throw the waters of other men's heart"

"I will never become like them, it was just a figure of speech" Angron spat back harshly, rasping his voice "And that blessing is almost a curse"

"And yet, if a hunter could fear the panic of the cornered fox, would he have the heart to notch his arrow?" You continue your contemplations outload "Today you have proven that your heart is not so easily dyed. It takes a stalwart will and strong heart to resist the urge to strike ones tormentors when they're at their mercy, and a stronger sense of self to resist the influence of so many"

"We both wanted the same thing, but we'd be no better than the high riders if we tore them apart like animals" Angron says, calming as he watches you prune the bush "Though I have to ask, if you were handed a man who fed a child to a dog..."

"Hanging" You say before the words can finish leaving his lips "I'd abhor the man, but I'd still stand firm in my beliefs no man deserves to suffer"

"Why is that where you draw the line? I've seen you fight? You break limbs, snap necks, gouge out throats and eyes" He says with a darkly amused grin

"And then I end them swiftly, I do what I need to to end a battle and the life of my enemies in as few a steps as possible" You explain "And if you must know, it is because of the first man I truly hated"

"Oh?" Angron asked, curiosity awoken


"A tax collector by the name of Ling. He extorted my village and cared nothing of their plight and suffering. I arranged for his downfall instead of personally carrying out his execution" You explain as visions of the long dead man's tortured corpse appear in your mind's eye as vivid as they day Gao Liwei parade it around like a cat dropping a crippled sparrow at its owner's feet
Cont

>>5704681

"His death lasted for days. His nails, tongue and genitalia had been ripped out, he had been flayed of all skin except that on his hands and face and was then branded, with heated needles his eyes were put out, slowly. Boiled in his skull. He was still alive then. A skilled torture can keep their victims alive for weeks when they would otherwise expire from bloodloss or shock alone. And then, he was cut into six parts, only truly dying when his head severed and then he was displayed across the city"

Angron nods his head, a look of disgust clearly written on his habitual scowl.

"And they wrote a play about his end, leaving out the grisly details, though I know his killer delighted in every agony that poor man suffered in his last days" You say heavily, sighing as you hang your head "The fall of the snake Ling, his lies exposed by wise Lieren to benevolent lord gao" Was the name of that play, it was only preformed a handful of times, before it fell out of fashion. I never saw it, the idea of celebrating Ling's demise disgusted and shamed me. Though I have enjoyed the other works of the playwright, he is not my favorited. That illustrious accolade falls to Pan An, perhaps the most talented of writers of his generation and I am not saying that only because he has made many plays about myself and my friends"

"I see" Angron says somberly "Even though its long in the past, you still feel guilty for the part you played in all that"

"I had not yet opened my eyes fully, and did not comprehend that men could be so cruel. I was naïve, foolish. And I've made certain to personally kill all other men whom I abhor, so I may now they will not die in agony" you explain softly, clenching your hand into a fist tight enough to shape iron "I do not need to warn you how alluring an intoxicant cruelty can be, considering your abilities"

"The people collectively demanded it, who am I to deny their satisfaction. That I shared their hatred means nothing" Angron says sternly "But I can see why you feel differently, having something like that on your hands"

"He deserved to die, but not like that. A hanging is enough for an condemned criminal, no matter the extent of their villainy or evil" You sigh "But you did well, allocating and delivering sentences that fit the severity of the accused's wickedness and crimes. I just think any amount of extended suffering is excessively cruel"

"Better than what the mob would've done if i hadn't stepped in" Your brother answers "Better than what they would've done to us, if our positions were reversed"

"I have no doubt, but I would've hung them all" You say warmly, giving him an approving bow of your head for his restraint and relative mercy "But I did not come here to only deliver unto you praise and warnings"

"Did you also want to impart onto me the wisdom of gardening?" He asked jokingly as you walked up to him and retrieving from you sleeve, placed a small slip of star metal into his hands
Cont

>>5704683

"Intel I gathered from those high riders I was able to capture in the chaos of battle, it will prevent many deaths in the day to come. This slip of metal contains in its digital archives all that I was able to pry from them" You answer with a smirk "Though I think having a hobby would be good for you"

"A warrior needs to be skilled in fields beyond the battle" Nikephoros agreed with a nod

"I am not gardening" Angron growled as he took the slip and turned it around in his fingers "And thank you, we might not agree on everything, but I truly appreciate your help, Lieren. I'm proud to call you brother"

"And I you Angron" You answer with a smile, which he returns "Unfortunately we cannot talk longer"

"Yes. We have a war to win" He says, rubbing his chin in thought "Though why hanging, seems cruel in of itself"

"Not if you memorize the mechanics behind it. With the right length of rope, it can be instantaneous. Too short or long, it can last days or rip their head from their shoulders" You explain "I prefer it because it is both merciful and efficient the way I do it. They don't feel a thing. Though it would be just as easy for me to...say"

"Pick up a stone" You say as you kneel down to pick up a suitably sized pebble and place it between your fingers "And flick it through their skull"

And with a gesture, it is embedded in a nearby stone wall

"Wouldn't leave much of a body to bury" Angron remarks as one of your sons applauds you

"I also find mutilation of the dead contemptible, and unnecessary mutilation upon the living just as low" You say, tossing angron a stone "Want to try? It'd be a useful skill to have when your blade is dull and broken"

Angron frowns and then laughs and says "What the hell", and places the stone in his hand to try and replicate your feet

What do you do once your spur of the moment stone flicking competition is finished, Lieren?

>Follow Angron and his forces and stay at his side as he battles to reach the city of Desh'ea, as you once did the capital of the Yan

>Linger in the city while he marches, knowing he still has a battle or two to carry out. Since some of the equipment the beggar Angron was talking to sounded dangerous and needs to be properly contained

>Uncertain if there are chaos cultists in the capital city or within the Thal'kr, summon the nameless and infiltrate the city ahead of Angron's forces

>As you travel with your brother, ask him his plans for Nuceria when the world is liberated

>Write in

>>5704685
>Write in
Get a situation report of how things are going at home, we don't want any surprises and we can see if his Psykers are 'ready'. But more importantly i propose with the aid of our beloved we forge Angron a crown, one forged with charms and resources we've gathered here. The crowns purpose? Give him a way to tune out all he experiences; give him the option. I say this because we don't want him going mad from sheer overwhelming everything and hell he don't need to use it if he so chooses.

>Uncertain if there are chaos cultists in the capital city or within the Thal'kr, summon the nameless and infiltrate the city ahead of Angron's forces
Tell Angron we're scouting ahead of the city as is our way

>>5704685
>Linger in the city while he marches, knowing he still has a battle or two to carry out. Since some of the equipment the beggar Angron was talking to sounded dangerous and needs to be properly contained
>Uncertain if there are chaos cultists in the capital city or within the Thal'kr, summon the nameless and infiltrate the city ahead of Angron's forces

>>5704693
Supporting because write ins are fun

>>5704685
>>5704693
I support this post

>>5704693
>>5704685
Supporting.

>>5704685
>>5704693
The forging of the crown sounds like a great idea. We'll likely need to consult with our brothers and father and possibly uncle Malcador on its construction.

>>5704685
>>5704693
Supporting this.

>>5704693
>Support.

>>5704733
>"Hey Pert, got any ideas for these psionic ear muffs I'm making?
>"Hmmmm...have you tried applying the golden ratio to everything in it?"

>>5704693
+1 to this.
Also give our brother a hug. The Nails is nearly upon us

>>5704693
Acceptable support

Of course have the crown being capable to be connected in his helm if needed. Should be easy enough. Anahita forged his war gear so she might have an idea on how to do that

>>5704985
What could have just as easily been the Butcher's Nails may yet become a Crown of Thorns.

>>5704685
>A tax collector by the name of Ling.
that was my write-in so long ago, to have it come back like this is, chef's kiss. amazing work Malal.

>Follow Angron and his forces and stay at his side as he battles to reach the city of Desh'ea, as you once did the capital of the Yan

>>5705347
>>5704693
also the write-in

Honestly I think we should make a training montage on Lieren helping Angron how to masterfully filter the emotions of people instead of constantly feeling everything around him.

>>5704693
>Support
Beautiful write-in, anon

I mean Angron was lower class and has empathy powers, he’s leading an uprising against a corrupt government and he would have been “crucified” and returned to life by the Emperor in the OTL we could totally do a crown of thorns thing and make our brother the second coming of Christ. It would be funny to see Emps reaction to Jesus*2 especially when the Emp probably met the real Jesus

+1 to the crown of thorns option

>>5704685
>Uncertain if there are chaos cultists in the capital city or within the Thal'kr, summon the nameless and infiltrate the city ahead of Angron's forces
>As you travel with your brother, ask him his plans for Nuceria when the world is liberated
>Get a report on the current ongoing events of Shangrala to be sure all is well, inquire into the state of the psyker trainees.

Looking into how Shangrala is doing is wise, still pretty sure those escaped bio experiments were proto skaven but that might just be paranoia.

Forging that crown strikes me as unnecessary, Angron needs to be able to learn how to control and deal with his empathy and likely has a innate ability to toggle it off since that seems like a huge oversight Big E wouldn't make and the empathy is intentionally baked in rather then a mutation from getting hurled through the warp.
Do we really want to tempt Angron with using a crutch that could be torn from him at the worst possible moment? Ignoring the paranoid possibilities of a primarch being reliant on a powerful and arcane object such as that crown and how it could possibly be used against them in more insidious ways I don't think it is worth it. Besides there is plenty of time to naturally come to a conclusion that Angron needs such a aid.

>>5704685
>>Uncertain if there are chaos cultists in the capital city or within the Thal'kr, summon the nameless and infiltrate the city ahead of Angron's forces.
It seems unnecessary to give angron some warp artifact when he just needs to finish his training with Lieren and Magnus.

>>5705644
>Uncertain if there are chaos cultists in the capital city or within the Thal'kr, summon the nameless and infiltrate the city ahead of Angron's forces

>As you travel with your brother, ask him his plans for Nuceria when the world is liberated

>Get a report on the current ongoing events of Shangrala to be sure all is well, inquire into the state of the psyker trainees.

>>5705644
Curze had no toggle, nor did sanguinius. If we leave as as is he's on the slannesh path as should he grow to be ok with the bright vividity he'll need to amp stuff up again. The crown aint so much a crutch as it is a "sleeping headphones"

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

4.59 MB JPG

Calling the vote now. Sorry for the really long wait. Summer's doing a fine job keeping me down.

Check on reports from Shangrala:13
- and forge the crown of chains/ thorns:11

Uncertain if there are chaos cultists in the capital city or within the Thal'kr, summon the nameless and infiltrate the city ahead of Angron's forces:14


Linger in the city while he marches, knowing he still has a battle or two to carry out. Since some of the equipment the beggar Angron was talking to sounded dangerous and needs to be properly contained:1

Follow Angron and his forces and stay at his side as he battles to reach the city of Desh'ea, as you once did the capital of the Yan:1

As you travel with your brother, ask him his plans for Nuceria when the world is liberated:2

total votes: 16

So Lieren will check on the reports from Shanagrala, including the progress of the Nucerian psykers' training, and with the aid of Kanzeon forge angron a crown out of charms and resources gathered from his own world, designed to tune out sensations, psykerist or otherwise, to prevent them from becoming overwhelming if they threaten to do so.

And then, uncertain if their are chaos cultists amongst the high rider ranks, Lieren will summon the nameless and infiltrate the city ahead of angron's forces

writing now

>>5705382
https://youtu.be/bmfudW7rbG0

The game of tossing stones was a welcome reprieve. A childish sport between men, who never had a chance to be boys. It brings you true joy to see your often stern and troubled browed brother allow himself to smile and pause to enjoy the simple and pure pleasures that life offers, like playing simple games for no prize beyond the glee of the contest, to laugh freely and without fear or concern of who may hear him. Though you are certain the architects and builders of the city will rue the day two sons of an emperor decided to pause to test the durability of their walls with pebbles and stones, it is a good memory to make, chipping away at buildings and even blasting holes through them from strength of arm alone, each of you putting more of your prodigious strength behind each throw than the last as neither of you want to be shown up.

Some of your sons decide to join in the game, to measure their own might against their genesire and their uncle. And for awhile, there is peace, blissful serenity. All earthly concerns are dulled beneath the sound of ricocheting rocks and shattering stones. But peace cannot last for ever, and this brief reprieve from the war and the responsibilities shouldered onto both of your backs as leaders and saviors of men eventually overcomes and completely overwhelms the urge to relax and make merry. Angron leaves you, with the lingering remnants of the fun of the game sparkling in his eyes and alighting upon his yet laughter filled voice, leaving you alone with your honorguard, tossing up a small rock you smoothed and polished with your thumb and catching it again.

Within the hour, you receive a dozen messages from the leaders of the various elements of the Shangralan army that Angron and Jinhai have, after a brief discussion over radio, decided to mass the two armies to march upon the flame touched city of Desh'ea in a bid to cow the other city states into surrendering or else retreating to their own demesnes. An assault that could end the war in a night or at least weaken the unified enemy you face together, scattering them and allowing more time for other revolts to be staged. If nothing else, removing the Thal'kr, the rulers of nuceria in all but name, from the playing board would certainly give Angron more legitimacy in the eyes of his foes and serve to rally the oppressed and hopeless. A text book decapitating strike. It reminds you of your own march on the capital of Yan, though unlike then, Angron is not marching alone to face the devils lurking in the shadows.

The moment that thought passes through your mind you pause, mid toss, leg lifted and arm pulled back. Devils lurking in shadows? There is chaos influence upon Nuceria, but you are uncertain how deep it runs. Caution is required. The Nameless shall be summoned, and into the shadows you and they shall stalk in search of those who'd sell their world for a few moments more of power and life.

Cont

>>5708521

Flicking the stone into the air, you catch it and crush it into powder

"Let us take our leave" You command of your sons, as you smoothly retreat to the estate you had taken control of and hidden the high riders untainted by the gospels and lifestyle of their kin from the yet bloodthirsty mob of the city.

"You look troubled" Kanzeon states, as she intrudes upon the study you have taken to collect the number of messages and missives sent from Shangrala, delivered by an Aeldari crosshair who owed a favor to one of Cary's flock. Folant you think

"When am I not, the world is comprised as much of troubles as it is of joys" You chuckle as her green eyes bear down onto you as you smile fondly at the letter sent by Avinash and Ananya in the stead of all of your adopted tiger children, setting it beside a letter you intercepted from Daiyu, who is displeased that her husband and emperor left to a foreign shore to fight a foreign war and had come up with very colorful language to get across her feelings to him, though it is clear as day from those same choice of words and particular phrasing that she is afraid that Nuceria will prove to be the end of Jinhai when the butcher's fields were unable to slay him.

"And I can tell this trouble is greater than all others" Kanzeon said seriously, pulling the letter away from your hands, and wearing a smile very similar to your own as she looks it over "And is born from your own mind, rather than anything tangible"

"My mind can make a surprising amount of things tangible" You counter, before admitting "But you are correct. I am worried for my brother and his world"

"You should be, your newest lodge of hunters keep finding servants of the great parasites" Kanzeon mutters, her disdain for the chaotic entities evident in both her expression and delightfully threatening tone "That always is a sign that an already bad situation can turn worse, much worse"

"Exactly, yet none of the high riders we've captured or slain have shown even so much as an inkling of an allegiance to the discordant powers" You state solemnly as you fold your hands together and grit your teeth "The slaves, peasants, workers, they have shown allegiance to those that dare name themselves gods. Secret societies, mountain witches, possessed gladiators, hidden fragments of rites abhorrent and vile, mass poisonings. But none within the houses of the high riders themselves"

"The desperate seek reprieve before the powerful" Kanzeon says before her expression darkens and twists "Yet often the strongest find the allure of those vermin all the stronger"

"As we've seen upon fair shangrala" You sigh, shaking your head "The Yan reveled in their depravity, barely caring to disguises it. The lord of the ever night basked in the dark power bequeathed to him, and the butcher king reveled in the blood god's song. Yet the high riders, despite sharing so much in kind with those tyrants"
Cont

>>5708523

"Show nothing like their corruption, and you fear they are simply hiding it better" Kanzeon says what you are thinking "As for Angron"

"Precisely and as for my brother, I fear the gifts I helped him awaken my overwhelm him without training, training he cannot undertake while the fate of his planet and its people are at stake" You sigh, rubbing your temple as you beloved places a soothing hand upon your shoulder "Especially while there are still devils lurking in the shadow"

"You can have too much empathy. Even Mari knows that there's a time even the meek must take up arms or when someone can't be forgiven and needs to fucking die" Kanzeon says, referencing how the gentlest natured of her sisters is often the one to make the hardest decisions, whether it be freezing herself and her surviving crew to prevent the outbreak of a Na Gou incursion or chose to slay Avalokiteśvara, her own sister, with Kanzeon, rather than allow her to bear the burden alone "And Angron's supernatural empathy is especially dangerous when the risk of being exposed to the corruptive energies of those warp assholes is at an unusually high percentage of occurring. Though, you could always plaster him in the null denouncement script, as is a growing habit of yours"

"If it works, it works" You snicker

"I didn't say it didn't" Kanzeon titters, covering her mouth "So, what's your plan"

"The high riders have technology that while abhorrent could be given new purpose if it was recalibrated and remade, the basic functions are not entirely diabolic and if the sadistic intent were to be removed, if it were combined with certain Aeldar tech and mystical scripture, I believe a crown could be forged" You explain simply "That could wholly shut off or merely dampen to various levels of awareness not only psionic ability and senses, but the non preternatural senses all men possess. To shield Angron from corruptive influences, before he attains a level of psionic and spiritual prowess and cultivates a will great enough to denounce and cast it aside as I so often have done"

"And you need your wife to forge it" Kanzeon says with a smug smile and pride rattling in her voice

"We've not yet been wed" You remind her teasingly, wagging a finger "And yes, I require your expertise in artifice to create the treasure I envision"

"I'm sure Anahita would be happy to help, but its a wise choice choosing me for this commission, darling" Kanzeon says, continuing to boast "If she asks, I'll allow her to help of course, but I'm the one marrying into your family"

"So it is only just that it is you who is given to duty" You say with a nod "I understand, and I know you shall make from the barbs and knives of the High riders something of beauty and mercy"
Cont

>>5708526

"I'll need your intellect and vision to make it so" She says wistfully with a gleam in her eye. A blind man could tell she just wanted your company. Smiling, you turn back to your reports as she leaves with a twirl and flick of her wrist and a longing look left to linger in your mind.

Many are of mundane or personal matters, such as the various projects of the ministry of development or relations of yours telling you of their day to day lives and asking of what is transpiring upon the distant sphere of Nuceria. Your father has written, complaining of jackals eating one of his infant cliff jumpers and demanding to know a date for your and Kanzeon's wedding. Luli has written, speaking of Jinhai and Daiyu's infant imperial heirs, the Serene, often silent and surprisingly observant Wenling, the fiery and rambunctious Liling, and the gentle and cautious natured crybaby and sole son Bojing. And apparently, Liberty, Mari and Al Uzza have been trying to plan to send more than well wishes across the webway, the crosshair informed you, though he did not know the details of what they were planning

But the one that demands the greatest amount of your attention is that penned by the elders of the wanderers in the fog. Guozhi and Kuan im have written concerning the running of the sect and the training and care of the Nucerian psykers. To your great relief, the displaced psykers have mostly adapted to their current residence, though they had been fretful and cautious when they first arrived, little understanding how or where they'd been taken or the purpose for their relocation. But thankfully, though none of them spoke even fragmentary Long-Jianese, Vishnu or Shuni, the wind whisperers of the wanderers were well capable of speaking directly to their hearts and soothing their fears and dissuading them from taking root and growing into misunderstanding or towering conspiracies in their panicked and confused minds.

Though some were still weary of their caretakers and their lessons, most had delighted in being allowed to release the pent up energy and potential they had long contained within themselves and feared to unleash or confront. OH! if only Angron could have the freedom to benefit from such mentorship and if only you two had an allowance of time to take on the role of tutor totally for him. The crown will serve as a walking stick, until he can devout himself to practicing and refining his gift.

And thinking on the crown, the reason for its creation beckons to your attention once more. The five schools of the nameless have been gathered and readied to infiltrate Desh'ea, in search of the shadows you fear hide behind its walls. Two hundred and twenty hunters of the maligned and wicked. Not including yourself, as you intend to join them on their hunt for chaos and its slaves. It will be an easy task, sneaky into Desh'ea.
Cont

>>5708528

You've done it once before. And the five elemental schools of the nameless shall know no fear if they are to meet the great enemy, for each of their forty four members have face down that darkness incarnate before and had their natural resistance to the warp since their induction to the force. They'd have to, in memory of those who were unable to survive the trials to even enter into the organization

They were spirit killers. And they awaited their founder's command to begin their hunt.

How and where do you personally search for Chaos in Desh'ea, Lieren?

>Suspicious of the high rider's purity, steal the face of one of the high riders you captured and sneak into their very home, using the same technique you used to appear as Kynigos.

>Recognizing the pattern and with heavy heart, have your beggars assist the nameless by scrutinizing their fellows and kin.

>Trust your eyes, and take the strongest of each school + Elezar and score the streets for any sign of corruption, before deciding your action.

>Spread out your agents and wait for any sign of chaos. Your brand will make any activity explode, so you will need to be cautious and choose which battle you fight

>Write in

>>5708529
>Trust your eyes, and take the strongest of each school + Elezar and score the streets for any sign of corruption, before deciding your action.

>>5708529
>Trust your eyes, and take the strongest of each school + Elezar and score the streets for any sign of corruption, before deciding your action.

>Spread out your agents and wait for any sign of chaos. Your brand will make any activity explode, so you will need to be cautious and choose which battle you fight

>>5708529
>Trust your eyes, and take the strongest of each school + Elezar and score the streets for any sign of corruption, before deciding your action.

>Trust your eyes, and take the strongest of each school + Elezar and score the streets for any sign of corruption, before deciding your action.

>>5708529
>Trust your eyes
>Spread out the rest to wait for signs.

>>5708529
>Trust
>Spread out

>>5708529
>>Trust your eyes, and take the strongest of each school + Elezar and score the streets for any sign of corruption, before deciding your action.

>Spread out your agents and wait for any sign of chaos. Your brand will make any activity explode, so you will need to be cautious and choose which battle you fight

>>5708529
>>Trust your eyes, and take the strongest of each school + Elezar and score the streets for any sign of corruption, before deciding your action.
>>Spread out your agents and wait for any sign of chaos. Your brand will make any activity explode, so you will need to be cautious and choose which battle you fight

>>5708529
>Trust your eyes, and take the strongest of each school + Elezar and score the streets for any sign of corruption, before deciding your action.
>Spread out your agents and wait for any sign of chaos. Your brand will make any activity explode, so you will need to be cautious and choose which battle you fight

Can someone remind me all all the known Sects of our Chimera Legion? I only remember the Bookwyrms

>>5708529
>Trust your eyes, and take the strongest of each school + Elezar and score the streets for any sign of corruption, before deciding your action.

>>5708529
I feel the reason for the high riders lack of corruption may have been the subtle influence of the alien A.I.
That is now destroyed right at the time the high riders grow from worried to desperate..

>>5711909
i'd believe that.

File: 1626216604880.png (686 KB, 1078x1078)

686 KB PNG

Calling the vote now. Sorry for the fucking five day wait. Summer hasn't been kind to my machine or me, and the dry heat has started giving me nasty nosebleeds. Anyways

Trust your eyes, and take the strongest of each school + Elezar and score the streets for any sign of corruption, before deciding your action.:10

Spread out your agents and wait for any sign of chaos. Your brand will make any activity explode, so you will need to be cautious and choose which battle you fight:6

total votes: 11

So Lieren will trust his eyes, spread out his agents, and wait for any sign of chaos to prevent his brand for worsening the situation, so he may choose the quarry he and the strongest of the nameless face in personal combat

Writing now

>>5709173
gladly

The ones that have been encountered by Lieren and are present under his command

Scholars of the subjugated (Bookwyrms), who paint their wrists and hands of their armor azure and focus on the journey's lesson on learning from others and seeking to achieve understanding

Disciples of the formless self, who use black and grey and follow the lessons of self mastery and emotional control

Grave Heralds/realists, Bone white is their color and their tenant is acceptance of death, primarily creti stock

King Hunters, Orange and red, enamored with the the teachings of free will and the lessons to kill any tyrant they meet to end their oppression and maintain "true order"

World wardens, Emerald, remorsefully preach the lessons of tending to and caring for the natural order and sanctity of the wilderness (Also the ones tending to Big E's personal gardens back on terra)

Smiling sons, Tao Yellow, believe foremost in the teachings of kindness, love and generosity,

Legion of all, molted storm grey and light pink, who even amongst Lieren's sons seek out more companionship, give more respect and strive to create and defend equality amongst the masses

Honor bound, rust and plain steel, who study the difference between Opponent, foe and enemy and reflect primarily on the teachings of universal worth and importance between all life

Brotherhood of the endless path, Indigo blue,who seek to hone themselves and strive for perfection tirelessly but had, after meeting Feng, added the teaching of knowing one's limits to their beliefs

Ascetic Storm , gold, who practice supreme efficiency and a lifestyle so spartan it makes Lieren's warrior bred son's way of life seem nearly as extravagant as the Yan nobility's in comparison

Repentant vigil, dull plum, ho have, somehow, combined the teachings of harnessing negative emotions and suffering to constructive ends and the lesson to be ever watchful that one's virtue does not ferment into self righteousness and ignorance and have taken it upon themselves to Police and reprimand the other factions of your sons and even those who have kept their hands clean of the schism

for a total of eleven known sects, as back in the terran sphere, they continue to bicker and debate

>>5712746
Bonus points if you can guess who among the named space marines belongs to which sect.

Dae-Hyun of course keeps the hands and wrists of his armor uncolored, as he thinks its all a bunch of moronic bullshit

With a wave of your hand, they disperse through the twisting streets, alleyways, high rises and come to lurk in shadows cast by great statues and palace walls, disguising themselves to walk amongst both the common beggar and slave, and stand beside the highest of nobility, some even smear themselves with reddened clay and dress in the garb of gladiators or the poor unfortunates who have been deprived of higher function and thought by the abhorrent Iron nails. But you, and the heads of each of the Five Schools, along with Elazar remain away from the heart of the city, hiding within a guard tower along its edge that was generously provided to you by a member of your beggar sect who had an appointment within the recently purged and reorganized city guard. There, you listened carefully to the dozens of reports being sent at any given moment from the various patrols and lone panther's of the nameless, who saw to their grim and nigh suicidal task of seeking at evil spirits with gusto and a courage uncommon even amongst your sons and their little siblings, who knew only war.

It is a tense moment, like watching from a mountain peak the rolling black clouds of an oncoming storm that shall shake the earth down to its roots. Perhaps it is the anticipation that has set you and the six greatest living slayers of spirits so near to the edge, none of you give into panic or the dread haunting your thoughts, but all of you sit in a close circle around the vox unit constantly buzzing with updates and request for guidance and sagely advise as the five schools move through the city like an unseen wind or thin fog. Some voice their disgust of the squalor and deplorable conditions the common Nucerian is forced to subsist in, which brings a dark flame to Elazar's eyes. The same fiery conviction that must've burned him to his core when he found Na Gou worshipers amongst those he had set out to save, whose ashes yet dirtied and darkened his chivalrous heart like black soot. His hand trembles upon the scabbard of his rapier, laid across his lap as his five closest underlings, the five masters of the elemental schools listen in austere and respectful silence, only breaking the tense atmosphere to advise their own followers or speak koans and riddles whose meaning took even your astute mind a moment to divine the meaning of.

But for each report given, another hunting party returns only silence, or worse, crackling static. It is enough to turn one's imagination wild and feral, rackling at the chains of all logical thought to envision nightmarish scenarios and cases more disastrous than the last. What you would give to be rid of the accursed mark on your brow, so you may walk beside these valiant men and women and assist in their search with your all seeing eyes. But alas, were you to join them, any sorcerous ritual or diabolic rite of summoning they may have the misfortune to happen across would worsen by several degrees of magnitude.

Cont

>>5712843

the Discordant powers knew well what they were doing when they marked your soul and made your presence alone enough to buckle and crack the walls between reality and the mystical realms. You must be cautious, even if your heart yearns to take part in the preliminary search so the duty of destruction and scoring can be undertaken immediately afterwards and with utmost efficiency and haste. So in the dark you wait, like a sleeping dragon, listening to the hunts of others and considering their hushed reports, guiding those who require assistance or your extensive knowledge gained from your numerous experiences with the darker forces of the Empyrean and the wicked denizens of the spiritual world woven from the baleful winds sighed out of the crooked smiles of the six grand demonic lords of that hellish realm of souls.

Thus far, they have only encountered minor cults, who you have warned may be cells of a larger being, but thus far have proven only to be misguided families, clubs of bored nobles or singular mad men. Who with a heavy heart, you condemn to execution, knowing that the evidence present at the time of their finding is enough to be certain of their guilt and corruption, even if you'd prefer to look upon them with your own eyes. And to your shock, mutants are found in the rudimentary sewer system running beneath Desh'ea, none of whom have the trappings of civility or even common humanity unlike the Tiger Folk or simple Angra. You recall the tales of your sons who were veterans of the wars fought in the polluted warrens and tunnel networks carved throughout the cradle of humanity and of the vicious foes they met there, armies of twisting flesh and broken minds. Though humanity takes many shapes, their is a difference between natural adaptation or exposure to the mutative but benign energies of the empyrean and the influences of the loathsome potentates of the chaotic legions.

And considering you did not encounter this society of misbegotten wretches on your prior visit, they must have recently moved into their lairs or else only come into existence sense then. Either possibility forebodes the influence of the great enemy, as they had either directed them via visions to travel and make their nests, or else been created beneath their shadow. That is the first of the hidden threats you take notice of perhaps requiring your direct intervention to cleanly deal with without collateral damage and risk of spreading the filth in the efforts to cleanse it from this world.

But it is not the last.

It turns out, the lesser cults are connected to a far reaching one, budding off from it or being lead by its members from the shadows. It reeks of Jian Qi, and your fears are confirmed when one of the parties sent to investigate this lead is assaulted by a sorcerer, who wounds several of the agents before being brought low with the assistance of the null denouncement charms.
Cont

>>5712846

But before they can drag the wretch back to be interrogated by you, she explodes into a writhing mass of skinless flesh, writhing tentacles, and laughing maws and empty eyes.

"A chaos spawn" The head of the fire school, Luo Zedong, the same man who was once a Shuni prophet and under the baleful influence of Kamal Kanan, who had branded and scoured his own flesh to remove himself from the priesthood headed by that eater of souls, and who fought against the butcher king himself at Jinhai's side, and was recommended to the Nameless by emperor Long-Jia himself, said sagely

"Chaos spawn?" You question

"You've encountered them before" Zedong states as the horrific sounds of the Chaos spawn and the panic of your brave nameless as their leader shouts for his compatriots to retreat, before he is silenced in a sickening squelch and squeak of flesh "oh great golden dragon, Kamal Kanan turned many of our people into that most wretched of form, though I believe earlier, in the bone devouring forest and at Dragon's end..."

"A Magical beast. So Jian Qi has silenced his disciple" You state furiously as you stand to rise to seek out the predator who, judging by what can be heard over the transmission, is absorbing any available bio mass it can wrap within its tendrils

But just then, the vox explodes with activity, contacts being met by dozens of the hunting parties across the city. A gladiatorial arena suddenly possessed by a progeny of Kong Nue, from the spectators and gladiators to the starved beasts sent to fight against them. The Nameless who were present, spoke of a bloodbath and asked you tearfully to tell their families they died bravely before turning off their transponders to keep the infectious note of bloodthirst from traveling across the city.

A progeny of Sie Nie, disguising herself like the whorish fox Kuan Im, not the respectful blind seeress Kuan Im, in the body of a beautiful woman, who hid itself from their earlier slaughter of her kin by hiding as a simple plaything within a club of those high riders who had returned...broken from their flight from their battles against your army. And who had watched them as they cut down the "Leaders" of the pleasure cult, and took advantage of one agents moment of hesitation, and their act of mercy in offering a gentle hand to the woman, men and children that had been chained in that den of most foul delights. And that was all it took, a single gap in his iron wrought will, a single flicker of remorse in his heart, a blind spot in the suspicion and heightened awareness you had honed within him Enough of an opening for a snake to slip a dagger into his heart and vanish before his brothers in arms noticed the devil's presence themself.
cont

>>5712847

You sigh through your nose, as anger bubbles up within, hatred darker than the veil of night, thicker than any fog, colder than any ice. You stare at the vox caster in front of you, as more and more reports feed in by the second, as more and more of your nameless spirit slayers encounter their quarry in some form or another. And a few are as terrible as the Mutant hive, the Chaos spawn, the murderous plague which you are certain is a result of Kong Nue and Na Gou joining forces, and the shape changing temptress.

You are certain, for one thing, that of the six factions of daemons you are aware of, five are present in Desh'ea. Kong Nu, Na Gou, Jian Qi, Sie nie, and that coward Hei'an Fu, whom had a cult of his own within the Cabal that was entrusted with the maintainces of the Thal'kr Archeotech.

And while the five heads of the school calmly discuss the breeds of spirit running rampant in the city, you seethe in silent fury, all to aware of how close your brother and his army is to the city, how right you were to suspect chaotic influence at the heart of the high rider's power, and enraged by it all, by the deaths of your valiant agents and the innocents caught in the crossfire. This would not stand, all of this corruption would be ended tonight.

And in the murmuring winds from the east, you could hear the dark laughter of self named gods.

https://youtu.be/l76unGjRtBs

Which threat do you meet directly, Lieren, and who accompanies you?

>The mutant hive and the head of the water school of the nameless, a woman of Zoroast decent, who lived as a witch amongst the Angra

>The Chaos spawn currently devouring its way through the slums, and Luo Zedong, the fire head and fierce enemy of Jian Qi

>The murderous mob of the possessed and the head of the metal school, A Vishnu smith and one of the few survivors of the butcher's reign

>The demon harlot, and one of the few members of the nameless not from Shangrala, but rather terra, A Shuomi sniper and fierce woman, head of the wood school of the nameless

>Another threat (Write in)

And to be clear, None of the nameless have been corrupted by chaos thus far and this hasn't changed this night, the only losses suffered have been through grisly and painful death, like the heroes they are

>>5712850
>The Chaos spawn currently devouring its way through the slums, and Luo Zedong, the fire head and fierce enemy of Jian Qi
Tempted to go after the mob, but I have a feeling our presence would strengthen the possession.

>>5712850
>>The Chaos spawn currently devouring its way through the slums, and Luo Zedong, the fire head and fierce enemy of Jian Qi

>>5712850
>The Chaos spawn currently devouring its way through the slums, and Luo Zedong, the fire head and fierce enemy of Jian Qi

>>5712850
>>The mutant hive and the head of the water school of the nameless, a woman of Zoroast decent, who lived as a witch amongst the Angra

>>5712850
>The murderous mob of the possessed and the head of the metal school, A Vishnu smith and one of the few survivors of the butcher's reign
I have a balls to the wall idea, we use vessel filling technique on the possessed mob! BURN THEM OUT! Have Elazar move where he feels is most suitable giving him the advice "The enemy have yet to commit their reserve, wherever it appears head them off or act where you judge needed". He's earned that much trust.

>>5712850
>The Chaos spawn currently devouring its way through the slums, and Luo Zedong, the fire head and fierce enemy of Jian Qi

>>5712850
>Chaos spawn

It's an expanding threat, keep it contained.

Level of threat from highest to lowest.
Chaos spawn.
Murder mob
Mutant hive
Demon harlot.

the rest are wide reaching and the big threat here is clearing them out before angron appears. The harlot couldn't do anything by itself and will flee when we come for it.

>>5712850
>The murderous mob of the possessed and the head of the metal school, A Vishnu smith and one of the few survivors of the butcher's reign

Chaos spawn generally don't go all flesh cathedral at the end of akira so while it will stack up a body count the chaotic mind plague that could escape the city is so much worse.

>>5712850
>>The Chaos spawn currently devouring its way through the slums, and Luo Zedong, the fire head and fierce enemy of Jian Qi

>>5712746
Very nice

>>5712750
Kek

>>5712850
>The Chaos spawn currently devouring its way through the slums, and Luo Zedong, the fire head and fierce enemy of Jian Qi
Perhaps.... perhaps we could put the chaos spawn in direct route to the mutants and kill both of them. See if we can use the rivalry and hate they keep under the skin for eachother against them, while delivering a powerful decapitating blow.
Mutants and a chaos spawn are a great danger if they start trying to corrupt the sewers system, or anything else important under the city.

The mob will be difficult, mostly because the High riders will no doubt prepare a counter attack against it with both police and troops. If they want to redirect them there. Which can result in a lot of death for create more chaotic warp energy, but also their total defeat. Buying some time and ensuring the quarters near this one are evac'd can be a good tactic.

The harlot can cause some damage if she can play in the hearts and minds of some generals, administrators and high nobility, but Nuceria own tech and social stigma of commoners (despite enchanted looks, evil spirits aid, drugs and spells), might still help us in gain time.
The idiots playing with archeotech might just kill themselves if they aren't masters or experts in the craft, and should be blasted by our nameless before they manage to turn a old vehicle in a demon machine of sort.

Farix III was a desolate place, a jagged waste of flint spires and other ruddy stones all under a great clouded sky which swirled and riled while rumbling with thunder. Existing on the new frontier of the Great Crusades furthest South Eastern it would make for a poor colony but even now landing Mechanicus and Astarte vessels were piecing the veiled sky as it would indeed serve as an ideal Fortress World. Yet even as the ships ignited their landing burners two vessels had long before touched ground; two Thunderhawks which appeared almost opposites in nature. One was Jet black with etchings of Silver and bore the heraldry of the Second Company of the Dark Angels, its fabled Raven Wing. The other was a gentle tan with trims of bronze and purple etched with the sigils of the Second legion Astartes; The Legio Chimerai.

Each vessel powered down and for a time none moved as if the pair were in some manner of stand off waiting for one group to step out into the open exposing themselves before the other yet only after a few wind swept minutes both ramps opened as one and the men within deployed in regal uniformity.

Lion El'jonson stepped down into the newest of the imperium's worlds alongside ten of his Deathwing Terminators in exquisite artifice of cream and sage green, the Lion's hair blowing in the wind behind him just as a majestic mane should. Oppersite him from the other Thunderhawk came Lieren and beside him Ten members of the whispered Panther Brotherhood in their strange combat frames of pitch obsidian lit only by the shimmering golden generators upon their backs. The two parties advanced even if the colours of the parties seemed inverted from the landers they came from.

Each bodyguard party stopped twenty paces apart and the two Primarch marched forward until they were but five, the first meeting of the Emperor's eldest sons, it was murmured in hushed tones the two Legions were one another s mirror; one legion kept secrets, one legion hunted them. Yet no one ever defined which was which for who could?

Both the Demigods looked one another up and down without so much as moving, but it was the Panther whom broke the silence and closed the gap between them, throwing his arms wide Lieren's booming laughter roared over even the storm above.

1/2

>>5714576
“BROTHER!”

The Lion was taken aback in a flurry of emotions for even as friendly and open his brother was being he could feel the spiritual flaying of his soul by the burning orbs of gold that looked into him despite their joy and mirth. As he was embraced he was tense his own Deathwing beginning to raise their weapons before even as he was embraced he had them stand down with the flick of his wrist.

“Lieren, you are indeed as.... personable. As they say” he replied stiffly now being released from the embrace.

“Oh do not make me blush brother, my heart swells to meet my Esteemed Elder brother!”

The Lion felt a puff of pride within himself at the acknowledgement of his position and despite himself he felt a little more at ease. From there they spoke of the world upon which they stood and their coming campaign, both men probing the other politely while each aware the other knew of their efforts, a playful spar between two kin.

The twenty whom watched however never truly relaxed for each knew their lords and so saw certain signs in the other. Both were men that was no doubt but within both despite their smiling faces and cordial exteriors, both were beasts wearing those masks...feral, brutal and cold. Yet somehow they were also brothers enjoying their first moments in one another s company; two cats playing within one another the claws just beneath the surface.

2/2

Since we've all but chosen the name The Chimera legion for our sons what do you guys think of naming the chapters of our legion X (animal) sect. Like panther sect
Goat sect
Snake sect
Dragon sect
Qilin sect
So on so furth.
Maybe we'll also have an exchange program of sorts. Every 12 years all of the chapters randomly chose a company who'll randomly choose a Marine from every squad who'll be distributed amoung chapters/sect. The Marine will stay there for 6 years before being transferred back to their original chapter. Bringing with them every thing they learned.

>>5714698
A lot of Lieren's names since to reference elements more than it does animals.
wouldn't it make more sense to reference the wu xing

>>5714698
Why change them? The Terran names sound better than generic (insert animal) Sect and most of them even tell you a bit about the sect and which teachings they prefer.

I think it would be suitable to keep things numbered as is standardised in legions to keep up with peak efficiency, however like the Dark Angels have internal Sects which can be studied at will earning the Astarte further chances to move up or into other companies these sects can take names from the ones that exist or develop after our reunion. They are unofficial titles which open the way for further advancement. Keep the animal motifs but keep the sect names as they seem better

>>5714763
because the elements are limited to 5 and if we name them by chapter their could be anywhere from 10 to 250 (fucking ultramarines). also i choose animal for four reasons
1.) the chimera is made of multiple animals (in this case a panther, goat, snake) so it would fit.

2.) we named all of our martial arts after animals.

3.) in the case our legion gets splintered the naming theme would be passed down to our chapters. i'd make them easily identifiable.

4.) when we command our legion we want to reunite them so their not so divided by ideologies, a part of that is tearing down the names they gave themselves.

5.) secret option 5... it's a lot easier to say and remember than the long names they have now.

File: 1624102049381.gif (1.92 MB, 700x589)

1.92 MB GIF

calling the vote now, sorry for the wait

The Chaos spawn currently devouring its way through the slums, and Luo Zedong, the fire head and fierce enemy of Jian Qi: 7

The mutant hive and the head of the water school of the nameless, a woman of Zoroast decent, who lived as a witch amongst the Angra:1

The murderous mob of the possessed and the head of the metal school, A Vishnu smith and one of the few survivors of the butcher's reign:2


Total votes: 10

So Lieren and Luo Zedong (Tahir Azzi), accompanied by a smattering of his acolytes of the fire school of spirit subjugation, will face down the flesh absorbing beast that was once a sorceress beholden to Jian Qi

Writing now

>>5714576
>>5714577
Lovely description work, nice and vivid. Really, really enjoyed this bit of writing, excellent job.

Quickly tempering and taming the black rage roaring within your mind and replacing it with pure white serenity, meditating just to keep your fury against your most hated of enemies contained as you could hear their booming laughs reverberating through the boundary of their dark realms into real space, murmuring on the winds that befouled to carry them to your ears. Quickly, through a series of equations and considerations concerning the level of physical and spiritual threat each slave of wickedness, each villain chained to the hip of one of the discordant powers posed to the city and its inhabitants, of good character or bad, and just as importantly the lives and souls of your brother and his armies, it was an easy task with a calm and focused mind to decide which of the threats met by the agents of nameless needed to be ended swiftly and by your expert hand.

The chaos spawn that had been a cackling sorceress of course, was of the greatest concern and presented the gravest danger to not just human life but all life. A roiling mass of flesh and malice that took into itself any bio matter it made contact with and fused it to itself much like the villainous caliph of the shuni had done with souls? That could easily become apocalyptic if it were allowed to fester and grow, and remain a threat if it was not properly and immediately destroyed. While you trusted your spirit slayers to eventually be able to contain and eradicate that abomination, leaving its subjugation to their hands would only cause unnecessary suffering and loss of life. While each has slain an evil spirit themselves, none came close to your expertise of battling the servants of the discordant powers and lacked the superhuman and parenteral abilities you possessed that would remove much of the dangers of fighting the beast.

Already you had realized that you had over a hundred ways to avoid the fate of those already devoured by the abomination, and by the second, dozens more were falling into the palm of your hand as your mind worked diligently to plan the demise and disposal of the abhorrent mass of malevolent muscle and magic. Even the greatest of the nameless would still be at risk of being subsumed into its bulk. Except.

Except those were also possess the power of psykerism and a strong connection with flame or spirits touch or had another means of resisting its bio-chemical assault, like the exorcist arts Guozhi teaches. And there is not a shortage of Nameless who meet those demanding parameters. In fact, one of them is sitting beside you and is perhaps besides Elazar, the most experienced in dealing with wicked spirits and conniving devils. After all, he was once a worshiper of such powers himself.

"Luo Zedong, alert your firebrands and command them to convene ahead of the chaos spawn's predicted path" You whisper quietly as you rise to your feet, standing at your full height, shadow stretching behind you and dancing in the fire light
Cont

>>5715916

"You and I shall lead the assault on the malefic consumer of flesh and marrow. Elazar, accompany the head of the metal school in quelling the riot of the possessed. Water head, enter the sewer systems and lead the nameless in the investigation and subjugation of the fetid masses of the mutant hive. Wood Hood, I trust you to track the daemonic harlot who has alluded capture. Those who discovered the cult aligned to the father of darkness, shall be trusted to deal with them in any manner they see fit, this meeting of the nameless watchers is dismissed, return to shadow and fog, my friends"

"I am delighted to be working with you, great hunter of hell's progeny" Luo Zedong exclaims as he cups his fist and bows deeply, a tuft of hair from the young heir of the Luo family he saved that saw him officially adopted by the grateful Lord Luo and given a manor by the tearful Lady Huang "I have been a great admirer of you, and your heroic deeds. Like a light in the dark, you and I shall join our righteous spirits and with all our willpower, shout our denouncements against the false angel of rainbow light"

"We shall deprive the trickster of another of his favorite toys" You mirthfully, but darkly chuckle "But now is no time to exchange pleasantries or give one another face, we have a monster to strike down so it may never blight the light of the morning son with its awfulness. Let the river of flesh become little more than a nightmare by our hands, and let us take our leave to lead the charge against its all consuming hunger"

"let us leave, there is nothing more to be said. As the lord of endless night and butcher king were brought low, so to shall this dabbler turned devourer be wiped from this world and scoured from memory" He states solemnly, gentle voice vibrating with a contempt and fury nearly as potent and powerful as your own, his fire licked scars flushing with color as he follows you, scimitar already unsheathed as he works to sharpening and sanctifying its edge as the other heads and Elazar vanish from the tower, some through pyskerist techniques and others through more mundane fashions. You can spy the wood head rappelling down the side of the city wall, long las slung across her back by a harness.

It does not take you long to hear the cries of both the flesh devouring beast and its victims, as well as the blood thirsty howls of the mob possessed by a singular, murderous will. Luckily, the mob and chaos spawn are on opposite sides of the city, so there is little worry of either meeting the other, though the possibility of the latter consuming the former is terrible enough even if it is unlikley to transpire that it encourages you and Luo to pick up your pace and all but sprint into the slums. The night air is warm and wet, the moon of nuceria full and bright in the sky, glowing like a silver platter as it casts its pale radiance on the city streets.
Cont

>>5715917

But it is not through its moonlight that you are able to maneuver your way through the warren of abandoned buildings and narrow alleyways.

The fire lit in the slums provides a source of brighter light, and while you are uncertain if one of your agents or a particularly free minded city guard or simply a fallen oil lamp careless knocked over by a panicked resident of the slums or tossed as a final act of defiance towards the abomination before it subsumed them into itself, you are grateful for the act. Anything behind the chaos spawn has already been consumed, so no innocents would've been spared if the fire hadn't been lit. But the wall of flames and the towering inferno prevent the loathsome thing from retreating or spreading its tendrils further into city. While it may spread further into the slums beyond the hungering reach of the beast, you can trust your beggars to evacuate any threatened by its heat and smoke.

And while the chaos spawn itself has not yet emerged from the smoke, Luo Zedong's disciples have created and fortified a defensive line in the street it is lumbering up, putting themselves between it and the few fortunate slum dwellers who had managed to outpace and escape its gullet.

You stand now atop the ramshackle wall of furniture, stones and the odd merchants stall pressed together and see there are a handful of city guard and even professional soldiers, judging from the quality of their augments amongst the spirit slayers who both built and hold it. And while you can see all of them are terrified, none of them hold any ill intentions or scheme to betray the strangers they now stand beside and are to a man ready to die next to. Noble souls, who in the dark of night and in the face of a ravening monstrosity, have chosen to fight beside those same strangers. The sight of it raises your spirits and warms your heart greatly, to see these men put their trust in the unknown to face a shared enemy, not caring who they serve or why they are here, only that they are their best hope to stop the gluttonous rampage of the monster they had been sent to fight and die against by their witless masters.

They still as they see you approach, knowing who and what you are as you march up, and see you take command of the men who they had chosen to fight beside. While their is still an air of suspicion, the guards and Thal'kr soldiers follow your command and do not balk at your presence or make to run away to alert their masters of the presence of one of their greatest enemies. You quickly come to learn, from the explanations given by Zedong's direct subordinates, that these guards and soldiers are the remnants of a riot quelling force who had been sent into the slums when the fire first started, and they had managed to escape and regroup despite half of their number being crushed beneath the crawling mass of chaos spawn and then incorporated into its body.

Cont

>>5715918

And, having seen the contents of their heats and nobility of their nature, you chose to trust them and to not deny them the chance to avenge their brothers in arms and allow them to play a part, however small, in ending the chaos spawn's rampage.

How do you plan to attack the chaos spawn, Lieren?

>With a storm of soul fire, working with the psykers of the fire school and Luo Zedong to create a great wave of psionic flame, and channeling the spirit of the dead Xueqin. The beast will be burned, either by the conflagration you create or the mundane fires at its back

>Deciding the time for subtly has passed, rig the street with every explosive you carry and create a wall of las, dark light, and melta guns in front of it, while you and Luo Zedong wield flamers. The beast will not get past this wall!

>By meeting it with Luo and the most martially gifted of the fire school and wearing the cloak of the ever burning will, cut through it with the spirit subjugating blade and keep slicing until you kill it or reach the other side of it

>Realize that the with your brand and beasts former identity, you could probably briefly tear a whole open into the Empyrean, and drop the spawn directly into the maw of hell! And much like when you fought the warden of life, create a barrier of charms strengthen by every psyker present, to keep the warp or its spawn from escaping

>Write in

>>5715920
>With a storm of soul fire, working with the psykers of the fire school and Luo Zedong to create a great wave of psionic flame, and channeling the spirit of the dead Xueqin. The beast will be burned, either by the conflagration you create or the mundane fires at its back

>>5715920
>Realize that the with your brand and beasts former identity, you could probably briefly tear a whole open into the Empyrean, and drop the spawn directly into the maw of hell! And much like when you fought the warden of life, create a barrier of charms strengthen by every psyker present, to keep the warp or its spawn from escaping

>>5715920
>>Realize that the with your brand and beasts former identity, you could probably briefly tear a whole open into the Empyrean, and drop the spawn directly into the maw of hell! And much like when you fought the warden of life, create a barrier of charms strengthen by every psyker present, to keep the warp or its spawn from escaping

Banish it

>>5715920
>>With a storm of soul fire, working with the psykers of the fire school and Luo Zedong to create a great wave of psionic flame, and channeling the spirit of the dead Xueqin. The beast will be burned, either by the conflagration you create or the mundane fires at its back

>>5715920
>With a storm of soul fire, working with the psykers of the fire school and Luo Zedong to create a great wave of psionic flame, and channeling the spirit of the dead Xueqin. The beast will be burned, either by the conflagration you create or the mundane fires at its back

>>5715920
>With a storm of soul fire, working with the psykers of the fire school and Luo Zedong to create a great wave of psionic flame, and channeling the spirit of the dead Xueqin. The beast will be burned, either by the conflagration you create or the mundane fires at its back

>>5715918
>With a storm of soulfire

>>5715920
>Write in
We have our brand and we have their true name so why don't we invert them? Turn them into a weapon to use against our foes! Use our vessel filling vapacity to burn out all the warp in there~

>>5715920
>Deciding the time for subtly has passed, rig the street with every explosive you carry and create a wall of las, dark light, and melta guns in front of it, while you and Luo Zedong wield flamers. The beast will not get past this wall!

>>5715920
>With a storm of soul fire, working with the psykers of the fire school and Luo Zedong to create a great wave of psionic flame, and channeling the spirit of the dead Xueqin. The beast will be burned, either by the conflagration you create or the mundane fires at its back

burn

>>5715920
>>Realize that the with your brand and beasts former identity, you could probably briefly tear a whole open into the Empyrean, and drop the spawn directly into the maw of hell! And much like when you fought the warden of life, create a barrier of charms strengthen by every psyker present, to keep the warp or its spawn from escaping

Prosperity in Unexpected Places - excerpt by Remembrancer Mallory

Commonly people would leap at the offer of being attached to a Legion. Joining their triumphs and marking their glories. The Second Legion was quite the prize. A legendary order, a storied past, and not least of all a discovered Primarch. It was needless to say quite a bit of an upset to us when we were informed that we weren't joining the Smiling Sons, Legion of All, or even the Scholars of the Subjugated. Instead we were to follow alongside a smaller group of the Ascetic Storms.

Some of us started scheming to trade positions to a spot on the Sixth Legion or some other more possibly comfortable spots. Rumors of sleeping on hard rockcrete floors and searching for lunch from brushes were abound. It was to our honest surprise that when we arrived that there were pleasant if rather spartan lodgings for us. It was even more surprising to me that rather than a serf it was an Astartes that took it upon himself to attend to us.

I would like to say that Ji-Hun and I exchanged sage passages from the Journey and got along from the start. Truth be told though there was an adjustment period and for most of our time with these Ascetic Storms it was like Ji-Hun was our minder there to wag his finger and lecture when someone drank too much or got up to too much mischief. In time it seemed less like following a noble warrior and more like having a annoyed older brother that told you why you should have expected things to have gone ploin shaped.

Whenever Ji-Hun wasn't busy taking care of our group or dealing with his many responsibilities he would always come around to carefully clean up a single unoccupied room next to ours. No serf dwelled there, and even though was expected of the Ascetic Storms to rough it out in the wilds, no space marine slept there.

In a pique of interest I asked Ji-Hun about that habit of his. Following his typical grunt he spoke in about not a serf but in his own words a brother, Sung-Hyun. Sung-Hyun was a fellow initiate that had complications during the process of becoming an Astartes and became a serf. Despite the great disappointment he followed and stayed on. We all know how the Unification Wars went but what made things interesting for Sung-Hyun and Ji-Hun was when Lieren gifted the Journey to his father the Emperor and in turn Terra.

Sung-Hyun read the Journey and according to many people lost a lot of bitterness. Took a large turn in his life. By now the Second Legion were called the Chimeras and there was a lot of self-discovery going on. Needless to say the Ascetic Storms were not the easiest to follow as a serf but both Sung-Hyun and Ji-Hun were part of it.

The Ascetic Storms generally tend to live a frugal life absent of extravagance and luxury, but Sung-Hyun had a rather different point of view. He stayed on for the rest of his days even as the number of serfs wildly fluctuated during the birth of the Ascetic Storms. A room was provided to the serfs out of sheer practicality but all he would do was clean it and move on. He was said to never complain even as space marines strained themselves to the brink to absence. Themselves astounded and humbled by a mere serf.

I won't say too much of the misadventures and stories Ji-Hun told me under threat of being dunked into a cold river every morning but there was one saying that stays in my mind. One final point of wisdom that Sung-Hyun gave to a questioning younger brother.

'I think you have the wrong idea. I am not absent of greed. Every action we take shapes the future and brings humanity a step forward. We are the Ascetic Storms not because we must be weary of indulgence, but because there is nothing left to tempt us. I have thousands of brothers. I have two fathers. Every single one is a hero. Who else can claim the same? I am wealthy beyond measure.'

>>5715920
>With a storm of soul fire, working with the psykers of the fire school and Luo Zedong to create a great wave of psionic flame, and channeling the spirit of the dead Xueqin. The beast will be burned, either by the conflagration you create or the mundane fires at its back

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Calling the vote now, sorry for the long wait. Machine spirits were acting up again.

With a storm of soul fire, working with the psykers of the fire school and Luo Zedong to create a great wave of psionic flame, and channeling the spirit of the dead Xueqin. The beast will be burned, either by the conflagration you create or the mundane fires at its back:7

Realize that the with your brand and beasts former identity, you could probably briefly tear a whole open into the Empyrean, and drop the spawn directly into the maw of hell! And much like when you fought the warden of life, create a barrier of charms strengthen by every psyker present, to keep the warp or its spawn from escaping:3

Try toTurn them into a weapon to use against our foes! Use our vessel filling vapacity to burn out all the warp in there: 1

Deciding the time for subtly has passed, rig the street with every explosive you carry and create a wall of las, dark light, and melta guns in front of it, while you and Luo Zedong wield flamers. The beast will not get past this wall!: 1

Total votes: 12

So Lieren will lead the psykers of the fire school and Luo Zedong in creating a wave of soul fire, while channeling the spirit of the dead pyrokinetic martyr Xueqin to conjure a storm of psionic flames!

Writing now

>>5716658
>>5716659
Of all the sects, I wasn't expecting ascetic storm to get attention so quickly. Really like the story of sung hyun and Ji-hun and the parting wisdom was truly inspiring.

Fantastic. Amazing work anon.

<Preserved fragmentary recording, archival copy, of an interrogation log of unknown origin, carried about by unknown parties amidst the latter days of the war remembered amongst Shangralans as "The glorious red sand revolution", Nucerians as "The high rider's folly" and the wider imperium colloquially as "Angron's revolution", found during the routine inspection of the residence of planetary governor <Data locked, pending review of subjects connection to the artifact and knowledge of the entities recorded upon it>. In-depth study and research pending approval. Clearance level Zeta Omega Rho Omega, and fluency of Long Jianese and its dialects and common Nucerian required to proceed with playback of the artifact recording...[pending]...[pending]...approved, welcome Magos <Data corrupted?>>

"Answer the question *Static obscures dialogue*, what is it you saw that night, describe it in detail if possible. No harm shall come to you that has not already happened as consequence of your proximity to anomalous activity you encountered. Though our appearance is frightening and our duty grim, we are all of gentle hearts and caring nature " alpha subject, aged man speaking in a southern dialect of Long-Jianese,[observances, dialect considered humble and rural amongst speakers, yet subject alpha speaks with the confidence and bearing of a professionally trained orator.

"Allow me to translate" Subject Beta, woman, speaks in dialect of gothic spoken by the often overlooked Shuomi people of the north of the homeworld [Observances, what is a Shuomi ursine guard doing upon Nuceria in the theorized chronological date "*Static obscures dialogue*, please repeat to us the events that transpired the night of *Static obscures dialogue*. Your compliance, while not mandatory, is recommended. This interviews purpose is to determine if you survived the excitement of that night...unchanged"

"I don't understand, I told you I don't understand! I thought at worst I'd be executed but all of this questioning is driving me to the brink of insanity!" Subject Gamma, speaking in recognizable Nucerian, though of an archaic variation of the language "Why am I singled out, when dozens of my fellow soldiers turned our coats and fought beside the giant and his witches? What is it you want from me, I've told both of you *Dialogue censored* everything I saw that day, from the hour I woke to the moment I collapsed in fear in a puddle of my own *Dialogue censored*"

"There's no need for foul language, either answer our questions or be returned to your cell for continued observances. The others weren't right beside Lieren and his disciples when they did battle with that loathsome creature" Subject beta, vocal ranges showing signs of annoyance and apathy, replies.
Cont

>>5718965

"You mean the mass of crawling flesh, with the faces of some of my best friends screaming to escape from its skin, the ocean of hands and teeth, the laughing monstrosity that came out of the slums?" Subject gamma asks, vocal ranges showing signs of anger and disbelief "I've told you what I saw, I'm sure the others have as well. If you think I have any idea of what it was I saw that night, what devoured who knows how many people, I cannot answer"

"Your first account of the neutralized threat has been noted, not that it differs any from any of the others we've been given" Subject beta responds "However, you bore witness to something that only you and a handful of our fellows saw that night"

Subject Ganma falls uncharacteristically silent, mannerism show signs of nervousness and panic.

"*Static obscures dialogue*, when Lieren and his disciples were meditating, what is it you saw in the space between them, what is it you witnessed within the golden sea" Subject beta presses, leaning over the table to look Subject Gamma in their eyes

"I don't know what you're talking about" Subject gamma pleads, shifts in expression and posture denote a 88% chance of this claim being a falsehood

"Answer. We are doing this for your benefit. To determine if you remain pure and untainted. Please, for your sake, answer" Subject Alpha, speaking in halting Nuceria approaches from the side, setting a comforting hand on the shoulder of subject Gamna, tremors are observed in the latter subject [Observances. Subject Alpha's hands shows sign of maiming and augmentation to restore functionality, scars made by human teeth line the bottom of his augments and the middle of his palm, surrounding the artificial layer of skin placed there. The work of Entity <Data removed by request of higher authority>, clearly]

"You aren't going to kill me?" Subject gamma asks, having been asked to repeat themselves several times by both interrogators

"Not unless our hands are forced. You've more than shown you're worth of rare forgiveness and mercy, and to bask in the light of the new eras dawn" Subject alpha repeats [Observances. Must study Long-Jianese dialect more intimately, this single statement required far too many resources to divine the proper meaning of and the assistance of Remembrancer <Data excised>]

"A slave, I think. I didn't know them. I never owned slaves, I know you foreigners hate slavery that so just reminding you both of that fact. I think they were a ghost, I know that sounds crazy, but *Dialogue censored*, after seeing what I saw and hearing what the other men on duty that night witnessed in other parts of Desh'ea, anything is possible right" Subject Gamma answers "They were wrapped in chains, and sat just like the giant and his witches did, hovering int he air, wrapped in chains. I couldn't see anything else besides that one of its hands was on fire, burning, like a heated poker"

Cont

>>5718966

"And?" Subject beta presses, leaning closer and shining a chem light braiser in the face of Subject gamma, who winces and turns away. Next half minute of dialogue censored

"And that wasn't all I saw!" Subject gamma declares, showing signs of heightened aggression "The longer they chanted, the weirder things got, and there was a mass of fused corpses braying just a few steps from me, and strangers wielding weapons only fit for high rider hands. So"

"It was really strange" Subject beta interupts

"Yeah, like a field of funerary pyres, surrounding the giant and their witches. They weren't real, they were...like the fiery handed slave ghost, but I could feel their heat and I could see a light, a golden light that is still burning my eyes" Subject gamma continues "And when they stood up and cast their spell, that light turned into a river. a river of fire that washed away everything in front of the barricade and when it met that monster I saw..."

Subject Gamma shudders involuntarily

"I don't know what I saw. It looked like half a woman and half a bird, in the center of that thing, like the stone in a cherry" Subject gamma answers "And I..I hated it, I saw it and something in me trembled in revulsion, even as I watched it scream and burn and die. Is that what you want to hear *Dialogue censored*

"Yes. Your training begins tomorrow *Static distorts dialogue*, welcome to the *Dialogue purposefully distorted after recording*" Subject alpha states as the video quality degrades rapidly and <data redacted> appear like lines of binary code [Observance. The script of the null denouncement charm?]

<Recording ends>
<Delete data archives>
<Deleting....record expunged from archives>
[observance. 01010111 01101000 01100001 01110100 00100000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110101 01101110 01101110 01100001 01101101 01100101 01100100 00100000 01101101 01100001 01111001 00100000 01101110 01101111 01110100 00100000 01100010 01100101 00100000 01100110 01101111 01110101 01101110 01100100 ]
_

In front of you, lies a river of bubbling flesh and incandescent feathers. All around you lay scattered the exhausted cultivators of the fire school. Luo Zedong is kneeling beside you, face fallow and eyes steely as he glares down the street that has been burned to glittering glass, one hand upon his knee. One of the Nucerian soldiers is staring in the space where the chaos spawn was a moment before, where the soul of its original identity had stood before it had been met by the wave of psionic energy and set aflame with the light of a dozen righteous and noble souls. You were uncertain of the sorceress final fate after the eradication of her mutated mortal vessel, but the spirit of Xueqin had charged her and ripped her from the core of the ever expanding chaos spawn before blinking back into the astral realm and vanishing as the river diverted from the golden sea flowed into the Empyrean.
Cont

>>5718967

Clapping your hands together thrice in a rough triangle in front of yourself, you bow your head and pray for the souls of those who had been consumed.

And just then, a missive reached you from two of the nameless

"The harlot of hell has breathed her last. Took awhile to track it down. Bitch was slippery, I'll give her that" The head of the wood school pants as you realize one of her underlings is connecting your minds as she has no innate psionic potential herself "She kept changing and stealing faces. Had to put down a few of her victims. It was a mercy. Men can't live like that. Wasn't sure how they were still breathing when their faces were...blank. But I put a laz shot directly between her eyes when she thought she lostme, and dragged her body to a furnace. The process of removing her mortal remains is under way, currently"

"The hive of the those transfigured by black winds has been eradicated" The water school head serenely states "I determined we did not have the numbers to face them ourselves, without further reinforcements. Without your sons or the trained warriors of Shangrala, and as it is our duty to die in the dark so others may not know it, I chose to drown them instead. I hope I have not displeased you, my master"

And judging from the buzzing of your radio, the riot of the possessed is still going on. And the brand on your brow still thrummed most unpleasantly. And you could see dark clouds of Empyrean winds gathering deeper in the city.

What do you do, Lieren

>Take command of the guards and soldiers, and with the Luo Zedong and his fire school, assist the metal school in quelling the possessed mob

>Investigate the submerged mutant hive for signs of what caused their transformation.

>Seek out the source of the gathering daemonic energy and exterminate it without remorse.

>Activate any beggars in the city to begin evacuating the districts within the path of the tide of possessed rioters.

>Write in

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>>5718969
>Write in
Order our Wood School Leader to move to swing by us so we can look at her...after all she fought a face stealing creature but we can also give her some encouragement before sending her off to work with the water school in securing the sewers so none may escape and the cause contained [Water aids wood and we don't want her next to the Metal school for that destroys wood.]

Meanwhile we send the fire to assist the metal school so they can combo and handle the mob together.

WE HOWEVER
>Seek out the source of the gathering daemonic energy and exterminate it without remorse.

>>5718982
>>5718969
Support and hell yes more cut aways!

>>5718982
>Support.

It is a fine division of labour

>>5718982
>Support

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>>5718982
HOLD THE FUCKING PHONE I MISS READ HOLY EMPEROR FORGIVE ME. ADJUST COURSE I BUGGERED IT CAPTAIN!

Slight adjustment, Send The Water school to assist metal boys because metal holds water.

Have the Fire and Wood school work together to handle the mutant den containment and such. As my diagram now shows correctly.

Malacador moved silently and swiftly through the data stacks of the Imperial Palace his breath heavy from the swiftness of his efforts and the psionic might required to vanish from the senses of all within the security detail posted within, from the cameras and all scanners. He entered an old archive which despite being stored in a dark room chamber full of cobwebs and gathered dust held a very recent recording; a mere five minutes ago.

Finding the data stack he desired he booted up the viewing screen and placed the still warm melta pistol upon the desk. Quickly and with expert ease he began to flick through recorded camera feeds and audio logs until he found his quarry; a conversation between himself and a trusted member of the Assassinorum.

His old eyes looked over the data tag and watched it again from the camera's third perspective.

Faint light filled the chamber as the ghostly apparition of a palace corridor filled his sight the Sigillite and Callidus Assassin stood aside but the Audio recover picking up enough of their talk to be of concern though his mind filled in the gaps as he watched.

1/2

>>5719064
---

>IMP.PALA/V.CAM-0211

“My Lord I have collected the data requested alongside all the Postings of the Legio Chimerai for the past hundred years...” the assassin spoke in a flat tone.

The ghostly projection of the Sigillite stroked the data slates provided and showed his assimilation of the data within in but a moment. He gestured for the Assassin to go but they held firm inside speaking again.

“My lord...I believe I have found something, while recovering the data I have alongside a numbe rof my comrades pieced together something concerning which without your briefing regarding the Second Son's powers would have gone amiss.”

Malcador mouthed the words to speak as he watched his projection speak them and the shapre shifter continued.

“Over the past few decades the Golden Path has expanded it's anchor points to a grand total of 211 destinations-”

Malcador paused the recording and looked at the camera feed tag and swallowed before hitting play once more.

“-these destinations appear to be largely at general stronghold locations but for a few in more covert locale...however a few seem off seemingly random? I cross referenced with Imperial navy charts and have determined this web of transportation is something more? The planets and systems are not immune to natural drift nor celestial mechanics. This would effect their operational capacity but Lieren would know this so why has he done this so? Then it came to me, my Lord observe.”

The assassin projected a map of the galaxy, hundreds of data points flashed showing the Golden Path Anchors, slowly they moved with the cosmic dance of the universe drifting further and further the neat web undoing? The shape shifting until finally...the data point froze once more. Now a new shape was clear, carved onto the galaxy itself, an eight pointed star perfect in it's geometry, the date on this predicted future? 002.M42.

Malcador watched his holographic self process the information, he watched himself kill a valuable asset and then his vanishing from all senses.

Swiftly he began to delete the archives removing all traces of the event instead leaving a still corridor the footage taken from a century before. Finally his work done he turned off the screen and froze in place for in the screens reflection he felt something.

He saw a reflection, something blacker than the lightless room he was now within, something wrong. He focused and looked close at the reflection of this thing over his shoulder; it had a familiar gate and size...but there were no golden eyes looking back only a void in the shape of a favoured son.

He heard no sounds nor words but he felt it's will, it's intent...it's anger.

It said to him wordlessly; I will not be Forgotten.

2/2

>>5718969
>>Seek out the source of the gathering daemonic energy and exterminate it without remorse.
>>Activate any beggars in the city to begin evacuating the districts within the path of the tide of possessed rioters.

>>5718969
>Seek out the source of the gathering daemonic energy and exterminate it without remorse.
We personally do this
>Activate any beggars in the city to begin evacuating the districts within the path of the tide of possessed rioters.
While we delegate this

>>5718969
>>Seek out the source of the gathering daemonic energy and exterminate it without remorse.
>>Activate any beggars in the city to begin evacuating the districts within the path of the tide of possessed rioters.
>make sure the leader of the wood school isn't the face stealer. Have the wood school accompany you.

>>5718969
>>Seek out the source of the gathering daemonic energy and exterminate it without remorse.
>Activate any beggars in the city to begin evacuating the districts within the path of the tide of possessed rioters.
>>5718982
>>5719025
Support

>>5718969
>Activate any beggars in the city to begin evacuating the districts within the path of the tide of possessed rioters.

>>5718982
>>5719025
Changing my vote to include the new adjustment

Lieren will forgive you if you study and do not repeat your mistake however Emps might just delete you.

>>5718982
>>5718969
>>5719025
supporting the great combo chain