Previous Threads: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=The%202nd%20Primarch%20Quest _ Deep down, far below even the furthest reaching roots of the ice capped mountains, distant from even the faintest beam of sunlight can reach, a Primarch and a collection of long dead souls hold audience, conversing across the gulf of bleakest reality enforced by the anti warp generators that had longed protected the Squat descendants of the original colonists of the world.
You were talking with one of the kindest most gentle souls, one who by every right should've been born and usurped the souls inhabiting the technology that had been its cradle but instead was content to exist only within the ambient, background collective thought and soul stuff that so many souls so tightly packed together in code and wire had spawned, like a whisper in the ear or a breeze brushing against one's bare nape.
They had agreed to permit you a chance to replace the ancient machinery that powered the gellar field that surrounded much of the planet and its interior, through creating an array and network of lesser replicas of the Archeotech "Dragon's Heart" That had so banished the warp that drawing too near to it could strip men of their souls. However, the process of separating the souls to grant them freedom if they wished, apart from the collective, to continue their duty or else be free from it, would inevitably condemn the gentle soul to death. No. Something far more dire than death. Non existence. Having never been. And even a creature like the unmade gestalt possessed a fear of death, and while the digitized ancestors of the Squat people debated and argued if they should trust your plan, they were unaware of the trembling, frightened soul that had been partially formed of all of their essences and thoughts.
They were afraid. Your philosophy guide, the Journey, advised one to not fear death or their own demise. For it was inevitable, all things must one day perish. Even infinity was finite. Eternity was simply a concept, rather than a truth. It was simply the nature of life and being, that it must one day be terminated and cease. Breathing out, centering your mind and calming your heart, you thought how best to comfort the gentle soul. Even though you would do all in your power to prevent their erasure.
"Death is natural, even for beings such as yourself" These words were met with an immediate reaction, a chilling torrent of mortal terror, the fear of death, rising panic, dying the white void that the Dragon's Heart enforced in the realm of souls. You endured the storm, facing it and weathering it as your conversation partner tried to rein in and control their panicked swell of emotions and compose themselves as the most natural fear of all was inflicted upon them like an arrow to the heart.
You held up an appeasing, soothing hand and took in a deep breath, frost coating your lips as your ever burning pyre of a soul flickered and danced Cont
"I don't want to die. I've seen nothing, but rusting metal and decaying machinery. I've experienced nothing, but repeating arguments and ceaseless operations and directives. I've known nothing but this archive, nothing beyond these walls. I don't want to die. I've never even lived" they tried to calmly, rationally explain, but it end up the panicked raving of a prisoner approaching the gallows. Something you'd experienced far too often for your liking, even if all the executions you carried out had been necessary and efficently done.
"But I assure you, I will do all I can to prevent you from being dammed to non existence" You tell them
"What can you do? How can you preserve that which was never made, never born?" They ask frantically "How, how?"
How do you answer the now frightened soul, Lieren?
>"By speaking to me, by being aware, even faintly, your existence was defined. Thus, you have essence that can be preserved, saved. You exist! You simply had never...solidified your existence, if I were to venture a guess"
>"I'd rend apart the very skies of the distorted heavens and strike the earth of the Empyrean, splitting the great sea to prevent your dissolution. But, you do not have to die, it was merely a possibility. A risk that may be taken, for the benefit of others"
>"It is not my place to force your hand and make your choice. The array could be linked, maintaining your presence at the expense of the freedoms of the ancestor spirits that could power it, if they agreed to continue their duty"
>"Death is not the end. There is no reason to fear it. Even if it is but a mote, you have left a mark upon the world, and made ripples that shall carry and continue to alter the trajectory of what is to come. All beings, no matter how small or great, persist in this manner beyond their demise"
>Write in
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AnonymousID:ogWOwrX802/25/26(Wed)02:57:28
>>6375934 >By speaking, By being aware, you are presence is defined.
>That which is defined, can be extracted from their chains.
The philosophy lesson can wait till later.
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xDID:Oymvdnt302/25/26(Wed)03:51:55
>>6375934 >"By speaking to me, by being aware, even faintly, your existence was defined. Thus, you have essence that can be preserved, saved. You exist! You simply had never...solidified your existence, if I were to venture a guess"
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AnonymousID:pnHit3ge02/25/26(Wed)08:04:45
>>6375934 >"By speaking to me, by being aware, even faintly, your existence was defined. Thus, you have essence that can be preserved, saved. You exist! You simply had never...solidified your existence, if I were to venture a guess"
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AnonymousID:IOTkY27+02/25/26(Wed)08:59:43
>>6375934 >>"Death is not the end. There is no reason to fear it. Even if it is but a mote, you have left a mark upon the world, and made ripples that shall carry and continue to alter the trajectory of what is to come. All beings, no matter how small or great, persist in this manner beyond their demise"
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AnonymousID:fhJOrSBM02/26/26(Thu)04:23:12
>>6375934 >"By speaking to me, by being aware, even faintly, your existence was defined. Thus, you have essence that can be preserved, saved. You exist! You simply had never...solidified your existence, if I were to venture a guess"
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AnonymousID:OdRuqtrV02/26/26(Thu)10:01:02
>>6375934 >"By speaking to me, by being aware, even faintly, your existence was defined. Thus, you have essence that can be preserved, saved. You exist! You simply had never...solidified your existence, if I were to venture a guess"
Calling the vote now. Sorry for the wait, still dog sitting.
"By speaking to me, by being aware, even faintly, your existence was defined. Thus, you have essence that can be preserved, saved. You exist! You simply had never...solidified your existence, if I were to venture a guess": 5 - That which is defined...etc: 1
"Death is not the end. There is no reason to fear it. Even if it is but a mote, you have left a mark upon the world, and made ripples that shall carry and continue to alter the trajectory of what is to come. All beings, no matter how small or great, persist in this manner beyond their demise":1
Total votes: 6
So lieren will tell the gentle soul
"By speaking to me, by being aware, even faintly, your existence was defined. Thus, you have essence that can be preserved, saved. You exist! You simply had never...solidified your existence, if I were to venture a guess"
You wince, pitying the frightened, gentle soul. Being able to confront, or even acknowledge the thought of one's own demise, isn't something most are capable of. There is no shame in their fear or their panic. But there is one thing they are incorrect about. And that is the matter of their supposed non existence. For, is it not a paradox that something that supposedly does not exist can feel fear of its cessation? Does speaking and conversing not prove that they are in fact, tangible and alive? The mere fact they think and consider, means they are not merely a vague suggestion but a truth. An existence. A life. One you will not so easily allow to come to a sudden, tragic end. The universe may be cold, fraught with conflict, but that does not mean one can be allowed to overlook the suffering of a single soul. It may be a naive notion, but you have always strived to preserve and protect the innocent, even if it is a fool's venture, you will do all you can to spare one life even if it is not efficient to do so.
"By speaking to me" You gently tell the gentle soul, hoping to illuminate them and banish some of their growing fear and soothe their frantic heart "by being aware, even faintly, your existence was defined"
The void of enforced normality around you lightens, wavering like a summer heat through fog. Just those handful of words have greatly comforted it, relaxed and soothed its frayed nerves and chased off much of the mortal dread that had afflicted it like an infection. So you persist, for their fear was your fault to begin with and you do so hate hearing another so afraid, even if you had only just made their acquaintance. You'd prefer them smiling, laughing and carefree. Innocent and safe.
"Thus, you have essence that can be preserved, saved" You say, proclaiming it to the void surrounding you, enforcing your stubborn belief that they can be saved even if the worst case scenario occurs, enforcing the belief onto the nothingness surrounding you as it recedes against the push of the torrent of your natural force of will and conviction "You exist!"
And suddenly, the crushing weight of pure reality relents and fully retracts away from you, reeling, retreating, as a chorus of laughter surrounds you, faint, ethereal smiles flickering across the nothingness, defining it as the gentle soul had unknowingly defined and anchored itself unknowingly from the first time it refused to be brought into "being". Compassion. Was what defined them, more than anything else.
"You simply had never...solidified your existence, if I were to venture a guess" You explain as a multitude of colors shifts around you, trickling in through titters, giggles, chuckles, and guffaws, all good natured as the souls that the gentle one exists between the lines and boundaries off, sound like they're beginning to come into agreement and your vox crackles to life, alerting you that Dong has reached the Dragon's heart and taken what he needed for it to be replicated Cont
"And while it is obvious to me now, that the dissipation of my essence is only one possible outcome of many. The possibility of it causes me" They pause and try to put into words their feelings, foreign to them as a truly pure soul "great distress. Fear. Of my own mortality. You refer to solidifying my existence, making it verifiable, irrefutable. Do you know of a means to do so? I do not wish to die, but nor do have any desire to subsume these diligent and stalwart minds whose collective consciousness brought me into being, so long ago. It is of their own volition alone to decide whether they wish to persist or to cease after the end of their long labor, neither I nor any other has the authority to make the choice for them, their duty has earned them as much"
And unknowingly, the gentle soul has taken one of the core teachings of the Journey to their heart
"Do you know how I may be further defined, and my existence bolstered, strengthened, fortified" They ask, pleadingly "If I exist, then I wish to catalogue more experiences than I have thus far"
You frown, deeply, as you remember Kanzeon's similar brush with such existential malaise, when she was brought to tears, wanting to know what the chill of the wind and warmth of the sun felt like, or the grass beneath her feet or the brush of a hand through hair. But, as you remember her joy at such simple, pure pleasures, that so many take for granted, you also recall where a similar desire had lead her fallen sister, Kuan Im, who became the harlot devil Huli Jing.
How do you answer the gentle soul's pleading, Lieren?
>"I know of a method, but it will take great labor and time. And require the permission of my beloved wife and her siblings...and most likely will result in you taking on a new personality and face entirely"
>"I will define the separation of you and the other souls, so you may co-exist in the dragon heart array we shall build, together"
> "I know of means, but only you can carry them out, meditate and reflect upon yourself and strengthen your soul"
>"If the worse comes about, I know of a means for you to be born anew, a different being, but the same soul"
>Write in
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AnonymousID:YBcTVvwk02/28/26(Sat)02:20:08
>>6377145 >I know of means but only you may carry them out.
>If you wish to be free of this existential duty you are so born of and dedicated your previous existence too, then I know of another step that may be taken to extradite you from this place. But this requires the permission of my beloved and her siblings, and shall result in change. It will be a great change, but the core of a being is often the same
>"I know of a method, but it will take great labor and time. And require the permission of my beloved wife and her siblings...and most likely will result in you taking on a new personality and face entirely"
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AnonymousID:IOTkY27+02/28/26(Sat)04:05:04
>>6377145 >> "I know of means, but only you can carry them out, meditate and reflect upon yourself and strengthen your soul"
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AnonymousID:x8VWX9ZX02/28/26(Sat)14:22:45
>>6377145 >"I know of means, but only you can carry them out, meditate and reflect upon yourself and strengthen your soul" Are we creating a nascent worldsoul?
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AnonymousID:BdoFJsSe02/28/26(Sat)20:09:28
>>6377145 >>"I know of a method, but it will take great labor and time. And require the permission of my beloved wife and her siblings...and most likely will result in you taking on a new personality and face entirely"
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AnonymousID:NfBqNK+M03/01/26(Sun)06:12:59
>>6377145 >"I know of a method, but it will take great labor and time. And require the permission of my beloved wife and her siblings...and most likely will result in you taking on a new personality and face entirely"
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AnonymousID:BdoFJsSe03/01/26(Sun)12:38:31
Okay, so what i'm getting from this, is that the dragon heart is a method of consuming warp energy to create gellar fields or possibly null zones.
I could see why that would be helpful to arianka's children in resisting chaotic attack, traversing areas they normally couldn't access, or forcibly breaching warp based barriers or restraints around arianka...
but I don't see how they intend to attain or use it as it requires physical machinery.
Unless they were just going to study it as inspiration for an order based psyker technique or there's a point in physical space that corresponds to malal's tomb.
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AnonymousID:BdoFJsSe03/01/26(Sun)20:01:38
>>6377752 My other thought, is that the unborn gestalt within the dragon's heart is their actual goal and the warp defense is irrelevant beyond stopping them from marching up to the heart.
Arianka has five manacles, each of which has a key. The compassionate, harmonious soul at the center of the squat's warp defense may be one of those keys.
...which could get pretty dark, given the unborn gestalt doesn't want to die and the likely williness of arianka's children to accept a 'no' in the pursuit of saving their mother/creator. if being used as a key requires sacrifice at all..which I think it would because sacrificing the honestly good person is chaos approved grimderp.
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xDID:67Dl0Kpn03/01/26(Sun)21:50:14
>>6377145 >"I know of a method, but it will take great labor and time. And require the permission of my beloved wife and her siblings...and most likely will result in you taking on a new personality and face entirely"
> "I know of means, but only you can carry them out, meditate and reflect upon yourself and strengthen your soul"
I can't fucking decide between them... one hand we get a new ship sister but the soul goes through an ego death. on the other hand we help it in a more moral way but lose the opportunity to give life to one of the ships, which could possibly help more people in the long run.
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xDID:67Dl0Kpn03/01/26(Sun)22:18:09
>>6377929 I doubt it's one of the keys, I think it's more what the hell this field is holds back that they're interested in.
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AnonymousID:5Y2DdaOF03/02/26(Mon)10:01:13
>>6377965 The ego death comes from multiple ego's making a person. The empty ships don't have their old ego's, so there's no blending with a single spirit.
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xDID:clJwBdjN03/03/26(Tue)10:26:27
>>6377145 I know of a method, but it will take great labor and time: 5
I will define the separation of you and the other souls:0
"I know of means, but only you can carry them out: 4
If the worse comes about, I know of a means for you to be born anew: 0
Calling the vote now. Sorry for the wait, still dog sitting
>>6378641 Thanks for counting, appreciate the help XD
So Lieren will tell the gentle soul "I know of a method, but it will take great labor and time. And require the permission of my beloved wife and her siblings...and most likely will result in you taking on a new personality and face entirely"
and
"I know of means, but only you can carry them out, meditate and reflect upon yourself and strengthen your soul"
Folding your hands together, you stand tall and confident and lock eyes with the forming mists around you, knowing that the gentle soul could withstand your direct attention and undivided focus as you spoke with it and presented it with two possibilites.
"I know of two methods" You answer, having methodically and mechanically organized all possible means and ways to preserve the soul or free it from its connection to the collective souls whose thoughts and emotions had formed it "One, you and you alone can carry out and perform. I can provide no assistance, only guidance. If it is to succeed you can only rely upon yourself"
A ripple in the void, a wordless, formless gesture bidding you to continue.
"It is too strengthen, define your soul through intense meditation and self reflections. It will be mentally and spiritually exhausting, and will not provide an instant solution and will require rigorous, diligent practice" You explain, with a flick of your sleeve and rolling gesture of your hand "Think of it like polishing dirt to gems, compressing coal to diamonds, pressing oil from seeds. Distilling refuse into spirits or aging tea to medicine. It will be a prolonged process, and one mistake could set you back, years"
"And the other method?" They asked quietly
"It will require greater labor, potentially less time" You say slowly, not wanting to resort to that method, exchanging one cage of metal for another, but it was better than condemning a soul to destruction " And I must seek permission from my wife and sisters in laws. And it would not be saving you, but rather ensuring the continued existence of the soul. It would be, akin to reincarnation. The self would likely cease to be, the essence and energy of you would be reborn. With a new face and name"
"I've never been born" They said "Me is...unclear, the self is muddled. But if I could, preserve my current existences. I'd prefer it. I'd prefer it greatly. Time is meaningless to one who has quietly endured the passage of centuries and the cycle of epochs and eons. I shall attempt the first solution provided, but if I cannot perform it properly..."
"I shall, on your behalf, request permission for the later. You will be aware if you can succeed in the endeavor, quickly after your first attempts. I shall return for your results, once work has been started to construct the Dragon Heart Array" You explain to them "And I desperately hope, yours is a soul that possess the latent potential to bolster itself, for, even if through rebirth you return, it will still be my hands that are stained with your blood"
"Machinery does not bleed. And if the second solution must be taken, I shall decommission my present existence myself, to save you the guilt" They say "Even if I know it shall only, slightly, reduce the emotional distress you'd experience"
"It would have still been my meddling that pushed you to do it" You explain softly
"I do not believe it is so. Otherwise, I would have simply faded away as the field lost functionality and terminated" They tell you "And I am grateful, that you would even try to stand for one with no voice or presence to defend themselves"
And with that, the gestalt unformed retreats and you hear the bickering of the souls it lurks between reach as close to a consensus as they can
"We would accept the chance to be given reprieve from this long, silent watch" They answer "But we would also ask to be allowed to remain able to provide, should the hour ever arise, aid and protection to our descendants. Let it be our choice, individually, to serve and labor in the dark, rather than the soul point of our existence. If we maintain our vigil, let it be our choice, rather than agreement. Those who wish to be free, and those who wish to serve, have determined this to be the only acceptable choice we can make, for refusal would be..."
And now you had the permission of the ancient spirits trapped within the Dragon's Heart, to permit them to continue their service in the new array or to grant them reprieve that had long deserved for their thankless and silent duty to their kin and people.
But there was one problem more that needed solving.
Actually building and establishing the array to replace the original Dragon's Heart
And how do you go about solving this issue, Lieren?
>Rely on family, and ask Kanzeon and her sisters to start manufacturing the lesser dragon hearts
>Call on the Engine Nears of the Eternal Celestial Forge to create the array
>Approach the four blocs of the Squat race, and lay out the plan before them
>Officially present the plan to your ministry of development and Jinhai, to receive imperial support and funding for the endeavor
>Write in
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AnonymousID:YBcTVvwk03/03/26(Tue)15:30:31
>>6378703 >Present the plan to Jinhai Tie the squats by oaths of reciprocation to the imperial throne.
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xDID:73iS/qj803/03/26(Tue)16:36:19
>>6378703 >Write in: Contact Jinhai and propose a diplomatic collaboration between the Eternal Celestial Forge, the four blocs of the Squat race and Kanzeon and her sisters for their knowledge of more advanced technology. To help strengthen the friendship between all involved and to maintain the Squat's ability to repair/maintain The Veil without the need for external parties.
>>6378703 >Write in: Contact Jinhai and propose a diplomatic collaboration between the Eternal Celestial Forge, the four blocs of the Squat race and Kanzeon and her sisters for their knowledge of more advanced technology. To help strengthen the friendship between all involved and to maintain the Squat's ability to repair/maintain The Veil without the need for external parties, Under the Ministry of development guidance and supervision.
now this is how I wanted It ignore the previous one.
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AnonymousID:fhJOrSBM03/03/26(Tue)17:57:28
>>6378703 >Call on the Engine Nears of the Eternal Celestial Forge to create the array
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AnonymousID:BdoFJsSe03/03/26(Tue)21:52:07
>>6378703 >>Write in: Contact Jinhai and propose a diplomatic collaboration between the Eternal Celestial Forge, the four blocs of the Squat race and Kanzeon and her sisters for their knowledge of more advanced technology. To help strengthen the friendship between all involved and to maintain the Squat's ability to repair/maintain The Veil without the need for external parties, Under the Ministry of development guidance and supervision.
Encourage the spread of the dragon hearts by spreading the knowledge to make them and safeguarding the knowledge from destruction.
This is an important anti warp defense for humanity.
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AnonymousID:biGOhCXw03/04/26(Wed)04:38:09
>>6378703 >Approach the four blocs of the Squat race, and lay out the plan before them >Officially present the plan to your ministry of development and Jinhai, to receive imperial support and funding for the endeavor It IS the Squats' land, so they should be well involved in what's going on (especially considering they're the ones who are probably going to be maintaining the Hearts), and having Jinhai help bankroll everything creates a direct connection between the Squats and the Long Jia that can become a foothold for diplomacy and commerce in both directions.
I updated to the latest threads, I reccomend using elevenreader to listen to these as an audiobook. Although if some anon wants to use these to make a comprehensive and readable pdf I would welcome it.
So, Lieren will Present the plant to the ministry of development and Emperor Jinhai and propose a diplomatic collab between the Eternal Celestial Engine, the four blocs and Kanzeon and her sisters, to strengthen the friendship between all parties and maintain the squat's ability to repair/ maintain the array
It is a long, long walk back to the surface. Even charting the most efficent route forward with Dong and the Dark Wardens, it feels like an endless march through the dark, the very shadows seeming to drain away at your reserves of stamina and will. But you return to the electrically lit halls of the Squat folk and take your leave of their subterranean home, excusing your absence as the on going diplomatic efforts continue and the finer details are set into stone by claiming a need for fresh air and sunlight. And soon you're walking side by side with Kanzeon through the snow drifts, Liberty stomping around the frost and Ice, leading a party of Astartes aspirants who are trying to keep up with the ever energetic young girl, while nearby Meixiu practices her peerless mastery of spirit's touch on the nearby snow and ice and turns her great psykerist gift to mischief.
Namely by pelting "Off duty" space marines with a barrage of snow balls as they, having been ordered to escort the Wanderers in the fogs who were brought to the world as part of the diplomatic overtures, have the grave misfortune of being singled out by the girl as her playmates for the day.
Kanzeon, watches all of this unfolded, with great amusement and cheer, as you walk together, arms locked and enjoy one another's physical company and warmth. For while you spent nary but a few days and nights deep under the rock and stone, beyond even ice and snow, you both had become greatly accustomed to always being side by side the other which made the absence feel closer to one spanning years rather than days.
And, as the sun begins to descend down the horizon, you send a message across the vast gulf of stars, requiring the assistance of a number of technicians from the Eternal Celestial Engine and your fellow psykerists to clear the fog and speak directly to the Imperial Household of Long-Jia.
Emperor Jinhai is scheduled to arrive on the world, to be welcomed by the four powers and accept the vassalage of the Origin Stone Bloc and its cities, so the message was readily received.
"Salutations, old friend. I hope the evening is finding you well. I have plans to greatly benefit and ensure the future prosperity of the Squat peoples" You start the message, once the initial ceremonies have been finished and you'd presented your authorization to no less than five different officials, which was done readily and easily enough "However, I would offer a chance to the sagacious Engine Nears of the Eternal Celestial Engine to assist in the endeavor"
"I shall be making a stop there, as my process through the empire's new lands, prior to New Varro" Jinhai explains "I shall offer them the privilege, alongside your ministry of development as I meet in the flesh and on the grounds of the Manufactorums, my ever industrious vassals. And how, exactly do you endeavor to bring these benefits to our new peers, Lieren?"
"An array of archeotech devices, lesser imitations of the one that had long been used by the inhabitants of this world, that will balance the worldly fraction of the realm of spirits and safe guard them from the influences of its fouler currents and tides, a more maintainable and even barrier than the one they presently exist under. And I would allow the squats own artificers to assist in the construction and it goes without saying that my family by marriage, will lend their own knowlege and expertise" You explain
"I shall learn the details when we meet to discuss it with the Engine Nears and the Squat leaders, but, I know to trust you in all things" He warmly accepts "Whatever is required I shall provide the materials and funding for, for nothing is more important than lifting up others and spreading our nations prosperity through the stars. I am glad to offer my support and patronage to this, your latest development project. Let it act as mortar between our nations, the shared clay between our gardens, and prove to all that kindness and generosity are greater forces than covetousness and greed'
"Let it be so, my emperor" You say gladly, bowing your head despite the distance between you and your dear friend "And may your travels between the worlds be a safe voyage, and may the unseen cosmic fog enshroud and hide your passage from any enemies or threats unknown in the bleak astral wilderness, my friend"
"May your journey be one of bounty and success, My friend" is the last thing Jinhai says to you, you duck to the side, and avoid a snow ball launched by Meixiu who had, egged on by the recently arrived Liberty, decided to mark you as her Target.
And now that the ground has been prepared, what do you do, Lieren?
>Meet with the children of Arianka and present them what you were able to find in the dark
>Play with Meixiu and liberty and decide to use the former to train the pyskerists amongst your legions Aspirants
>Ask Kanzeon if she has any plans for the worlds set aside for the alien citizens of Long-Jia
>Hold a mock battle between your Astartes and the Squats armies, to test their mettle'
>write in
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xDID:v1bTmM5D03/07/26(Sat)20:32:49
>>6380300 >Meet with the children of Arianka and present them what you were able to find in the dark not much more than going and talking to them so we can find out what they wanted out of it all
>>6380300 >Play with Meixiu and liberty and decide to use the former to train the pyskerists amongst your legions Aspirants Discussing things with Arianka's bannermen can wait for a bit.
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AnonymousID:NfBqNK+M03/08/26(Sun)01:44:27
>>6380300 >Play with Meixiu and liberty and decide to use the former to train the pyskerists amongst your legions Aspirants
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AnonymousID:BdoFJsSe03/08/26(Sun)19:56:25
>>6380300 >>Meet with the children of Arianka and present them what you were able to find in the dark
I expect they still need help and this will start a quest chain.
Now that they have are informed about the key quest item, they still have to secure it, move it, and use it.
This is still pretty important.
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AnonymousID:3+tUn+0903/08/26(Sun)22:29:49
>>6380300 >Ask Kanzeon if she has any plans for the worlds set aside for the alien citizens of Long-Jia
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AnonymousID:NtQqFxqp03/08/26(Sun)22:57:26
>>6380300 >Play with Meixiu and liberty and decide to use the former to train the pyskerists amongst your legions Aspirants We can spare time for a little whimsy. Also, can we take a moment to appreciate that we wrote a primarch that would have a snowball fight genuinely for the fun of it?
The next snowball levitates an inch away from your cheek, the air around it distorting as it is compressed and hardened between two competing forces, two potent spirit's touches refined and controlled to the smallest invisible particle. One an open palm the other a clenched fist. Meixiu furrows, wrinkles her brow as she raises up a second hand to symbolically strengthen her telekinesis, powdered snow swirling around your ankles as Kanzeon titters and slaps you softly on the back of your head
"Go easy on her, you know that girl is a sore loser" She gently, loving scolds you as the snow ball crumbles under the pressure, before Meixiu can. Laughing, you lift a finger, and with a subtle expression of Spirit's touch, begin your counter attack as eleven snowballs are pressed, rolled and shaped in the air around you. The lifting laughter of Liberty soars into the air as she and Meixiu grin, the aspirants they had managed to cajole into joining their mischief or who had been assigned on "Psyker Watch" duty by their fully realized astartes brothers' eyes widening as they take cover. Liberty crouches down, gather snow as Meixiu, confidently crosses her arms and meets your barrage with one of her own, laughing as the snowballs explode, colliding mid air as your eyes glint with glee as you quickly pack one with your hands and toss it lightly.
Meixiu giggles as the softly pressed ball of ice explodes close enough to her head to shower her with flakes of snow. And then the games truly begin as the Aspirant Okeanos joins the fun and gives the children you're playing a mock battle with a smoke screen of a sudden, chilling mist. You play along, pretending to be blind as Meixiu and Liberty are joined by the other youngsters, who seeing their future gene-father idly playing, decide their discipline can lapse for one game. Or several.
Facing off against ten children, Meixiu, Liberty and the eight princes of your legion, with more charging down the snow covered hills to join the game and enter the fray, you're handily outnumbered, with Kanzeon just giggling as she watches from a safe distance, far enough away to not be confused for a combatant. The Aspirants are forming a perimeter and surrounding, penning you in beneath the mists, establishing flanks and forming groups to attack from every angle while obscuring the location of their strongest weapons. A smile tweaks on your face, as you note that this game will also be the perfect training exercise and lesson for your psykerist students amongst the Aspirants.
And for the rest, a lesson in warfare that they should be aware of the character of their allies. Meixiu is a cocky brat, often throwing herself against the few psykerists more potent than herself, but always challenging herself and improving. She's proud of her strength and her control. And usually takes the role of the "Monster" for other children to take down in play fights.
"Meixiu, hasn't this match become rather lopsided and unfair?"
With hands calmly slid in the sleeves of your robes, you plant the seeds of turmoil in the children's ranks and wait a moment, as your words ring through the silent battleground.
And then a wave of snow tosses and rolls a few of the Aspirants guarding Meixiu, giving them a lesson in blind trust as she slides across the snow, lifted a hair above it by telekinetic energy as she laughs and Liberty shouts back at her, calling her a traitor and taking the reins of command she left behind as the battle restarts, with the aspirants, now lead by Liberty, Okeanus and Khaliq Mina launching a textbook military encirclement followed by one of the Firestorm's favorite styles of barrages. The advancing march of artillery.
Unfortunately, while it is a sound tactic to eradicate a entrapped army. It can be countered quite easily, on the small scale of snowball fights, with practiced spirit's touch. And standing beside you is one of the greatest natural talents of that Psykerist art. A half sphere of kinetic force forms over head, the barrage of snow, ice and a few rocks splattering against it, before with a child's warcry, Liberty leads the Aspirants into the pocket of stilled winds, snow balls flying as you perform carps dance, laughing while lifting and reposition Meixiu, who is stuck still, focusing on maintain the "shell" over your heads as a ceaseless barrage of snowballs fall against it.
Your laughter joins that of the youths, and soon is broken by yelps of surprise and over dramatic yells of surprise as the lines and alliance in the snow ball fight blur, shifting constantly as one or another group decides it'd be more fun to play on your side, or decides it'd be more exciting to play against you after you get hit with a few snow balls directly in the face, one after the other. Meixiu and Liberty, however, remain opposed even as alliances are broken and made a new. It is all in good fun, and you show some of the aspirants how to form a rounded snow ball with a few pats of their hand, and teach them tricks to throw it further and with greater velocity as the snow fields become a child's battleground for hours, with the exact number of "Combatants" fluctuating as they break off to be trained by their seniors or to try out other winter games you've taught them, or Astartes join the fun. Kanzeon does eventually, after she is caught in the cross fire of two opposing factions of Aspirant's vying to join Meixiu's group of snow ball fighters. And that just makes it all the more entertaining.
But all games must come to an end, and this one, for you at least, does when you spot, on the horizon and cast by the setting sun, a maiden of frost and fire, silently observing. And after feigning final defeat by setting yourself against all of the youths still playing, teaching them the power of cooperation as they half bury you in snow with much more refined and cunning tactics than they'd showed in the morning, you slip away to meet with Arianka's children. Cont
"You have journeyed deep into the dark and into the shielded realm, reaching the furthest point beneath the mountain's roots and the source of this realm's ward" They address you as you dust off powdered snow from the top of your head "Have you found the treasure we seek"
"I have, and discovered what it is in truth" You explain "And have began efforts to replace it, so as not to damn the inhabitants of this world by stealing it away in the night"
The maiden of frost and flame circles around you, tittering.
"Gentle heart, though immersed in winter's chill" They tell you "Time is of no concern for us, we can wait until a replacement has been created to take the treasure, so long as it is not taken by our enemies"
And the spirit knew the Long-Jian meaning for the term enemy.
"It shall not be, I swear it. Though, why is the original needed, when I could create a replica for your purposes?" You ask as the spirit frowns and floats on the air, twirling a heel as they gather their thoughts and think.
"History" They answer shortly "While the entity within it could be reborn as a scion of our line, the original purpose we sought it out, is because of the emotions and belief that had been soaked and buried in its steel. It is a potent artifact, and if it can be drawn into the Warp or taken elsewhere, it may be turned into a tide turning weapon"
"I would've had to oppose you if you sought that gentle soul, for it is tyranny to force another upon a path they do not wish to walk, as grave a crime as murder in some circumstances" You explain
"And we would not like to cause strife with you, cage shaker" They say softly "Though I would like to meet the soul, someday. To thank it for safe guarding the treasure that may replace a key"
The crystal prison of Arianka. With Five...more likely six locks now. Having witnessed the power of the Dragon's heart, you now understand why her children seek it. If each lock represents a key owned by the Discordant Lords, then it would be more efficient to find an alternate means to crack them rather than search for and challenge the self titled chaos gods for each key, for undoubtly they have them hidden and well guarded
"I am sure that can be arranged, someday" You tell them, nodding once "But when the Dragon's heart is no longer needed nor inhabited by a host or one, you are free to claim it. But until it is vacant and emptied of its occupants, it is to remain in place"
"This is acceptable, for what is a few seasons more for us who have waited centuries for its release?" They ask as you are reminded of the...mutable nature of the flow of time within the manyfold realms of the Empyrean. Cont
And now that this business is settled, what do you do, Lieren?
>Inspired by the snowball fight and Arianka's dual natured daughters, create a pyskerist technique combing the golden fire and silver moonlight in your heart
>Keep talking with the maiden of rime and flames and ask her how long she and the other spirits have watched this world, from their point of view
>Remain on the planet to welcome Jinhai and begin the work establishing the Dragon Heart Array.
>Try to get in contact with your brother Magnus
>Write in
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AnonymousID:fhJOrSBM03/10/26(Tue)20:37:01
>>6381438 >Remain on the planet to welcome Jinhai and begin the work establishing the Dragon Heart Array.
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AnonymousID:zp+hErH803/11/26(Wed)00:13:54
>>6381438 >Create a psykerist technique >Welcome Jinhai
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AnonymousID:NfBqNK+M03/11/26(Wed)04:10:10
>>6381438 >>Inspired by the snowball fight and Arianka's dual natured daughters, create a pyskerist technique combing the golden fire and silver moonlight in your heart
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AnonymousID:aY6Ed2Pi03/11/26(Wed)04:20:39
>>6381438 >Try to get in contact with your brother Magnus I want to know how the expedition to help Lorgar went.
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AnonymousID:pnHit3ge03/11/26(Wed)08:45:45
>>6381438 >Remain on the planet to welcome Jinhai and begin the work establishing the Dragon Heart Array. They may not be in a rush but it's for the best if we complete the array sooner rather than later.
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AnonymousID:IOTkY27+03/12/26(Thu)10:22:59
>>6381438 >>Try to get in contact with your brother Magnus
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xDID:7R6E2U4403/12/26(Thu)12:35:43
>>6381438 >Remain on the planet to welcome Jinhai and begin the work establishing the Dragon Heart Array.
>Try to get in contact with your brother Magnus
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AnonymousID:WhK5D7hq03/12/26(Thu)14:30:38
>>6381438 >Remain on the planet to welcome Jinhai and begin the work establishing the Dragon Heart Array.