>>5577442

"Unfortunately, but I know you and Guozhi shall train them well" You say, placing a friendly hand on the former farseers shoulder "Only you can guide them back to Shangrala, I cannot leave, my fiery soul shall not allow me to while there are still villains to hang and tyrants to hunt"

"This I know well, it is better that we make moves to guard against chaos' influence before they can establish a foothold on this planet" She says "But, again, part of me wishes I could be present to see how the Nucerian form of the Journey evolves and diverges from the original, Shangralan texts. The culture here is much different from the genial and courtesy folk of Long-Jia"

"I am curious of that as well" Kanzeon pipes in, rubbing her chin "I've noticed that the Nucerians don't quite know how to translate the poeticism inherit in the Long-Jianese tongue and tend to take the countless idioms and turn of phrases more literally than is intended"

"It is to be expected, The ease of which my people and the Aeldari understand one another is only because our languages are similarly structured and steeped with metaphor and prose" You answer with nod, before turning to cup your fist and bow as you wish Carys safe travels and tell her as much "May you and your charges emerge safely beneath the mists of Shangrala"

"And may you guide your brother to a fate better than that foretold" She answers, returning to the gesture "And may those Daemon hunters you gather learn to reject the eightfold path as you yourself have. May you both have fortune upon the battlefield"

"Don't worry too much, my scholar, I'm sending a dozen drone bodies to guard her, since most of her entourage is choosing to fight from the shadows here, in a guerilla war" Kanzeon said happily, ruffling your iron hued hair playfully "Now, no time to waste, we have lots of places to be, and little time before our presence will be demanded back on the battlefield"

"Couldn't have said it better myself" You say, returning her playfully affectionate gesture with one of your own, curling a lock of her river stone black hair around your finger as you walk together arm and arm, to begin the gathering of those men who shall be trained in the subjugation of devils and to resist of their treacherous wiles and thousand fold temptations.
_

"Brother, the old man is getting restless" Angron tells you, grabbing hold of your wrist "As are many of the men I promised would be fighting beside my equal. Your people might be used to your wanderings but mine are not and they're beginning to wonder why one of the two kingpins of our war has completely disappeared from its front after performing a single action in it"

"A single, glorious action" Feng remarks, having returned recently from an outing of his own "And shouldn't they be content his sons have been terrorizing their enemies, even if he hasn't directly entered the field himself?"
Cont

>>5577446

"I can sense his own sons confusion and distress over his absence" Angron said, crossing his arms "They're loyal, I can tell that, near to a fault like any proper son should be. But ,y men are starting to distrust you, like they did when this war began, they want an explanation why one of the two great giants hasn't helped them string up the high riders, or lead any battles of late"

"They have every reason to be suspicious" You admit, nodding as Feng's mouth twitches as he forces it to remain as a smile rather than a glowering frown "And I have my reasons, you know this and those who know me know this, I prefer to use a subtle open hand rather than a clenched fist"

"And they should appreciate the help he has already lent, he's given them a second army yet they act as if he's taken all the meat to eat for himself" Feng grumbles

"Not many of my men have complained, but that will change if the ones who have spoken out aren't silenced by action" Angron says through his teeth "And all their bitching has gotten me to wonder, what exactly it is you're doing? Last time you wandered off, you turned an entire city state over to our cause, and they still don't realize that! The people of Loc'ea have fought in some of the wars deadliest operations and not one of them realizes you were the one who taught them how to be free. And decent human beings"

"If you think he's turned more cities, you're out of luck" Feng chuckled "He'd have told me if he had planned to and further more we'd be finding traveling orators and monks speaking in crude Long-Jianese"

"It is for the good of the war effort, I assure you, dear brother. While you fight and bleed, I have been preparing behind the scenes" You reassure

"And that is why you keep abducting our best warriors and officers with Kanzeon ?" Angron asked sharply

"Did Anahita tell you?" You ask

"No, its hard not to notice, though you've been sneaky about it" Angron says "You worried people with you transferal of the psykers, I'm sure you know, so I'm guessing you've been more covert, since those men always end up back on the battlefield before they can be missed"

"Well they haven't joined the brothers of the panther" Feng says with a shrug as Angron again turns to him with intense curiosity behind his eyes "I just thought my elder brother was following his nature and hunting"

"They needed training, to better perform their duties" You say, technically not lying, knowing that Angron could detect the subtle guilt you'd feel if you had spoken a lie to him

"I'll tell the sceptics in my ranks that" He says, turning away "Even if they question your motives and actions, they know well enough by now to respect you as a fighter. Knowing you're training more men to fight like you do should keep them quiet, since they've all seen or heard what you or your students can do. Just have to hope they don't expect them to fight as well as your Astartes"
Cont

>>5577449

You relax your shoulders. It has been an exhausting season of tempering the minds and bodies of your chosen spirit hunters, you and Elazar had to spend all your time preparing them for their tests and trials to induct them into the Daemon Hunting Sect he now heads. Which he has chosen to call simply, the Nameless.

Not all of the candidates passed the trials and not all of the entrants survived the initiation. But, for every hopeful that failed, two more succeeded and claimed their spot among the Nameless by slaying a wicked spirit in single combat after enduring eight nights of rigorous meditation and exposure to small quantities of warp energy, the only way you determined to be an effective means of testing their resistance to the corruption those foul beings embody and their seductions. And afterwards, just to be certain, you had Kanzeon and Anahita run numerous tests upon them, to ensure they had emerged from their durance pure and untainted.

Currently, the last of the first generation of the Nameless Temple were undergoing their cybernetic augmentations, inspired in part by the genetic augmentations performed by your father upon his space marines and the hundred regiments that comprise the standard forces of his army, which of course include the Seowl Rangers, Shuomi Ursine guard, and the Cretie grave wardens whom accompanied your sons into battle even now

In total, the Nameless had five schools, each aligned to an element of the Wuxing and a particular method of combating the forces of the discordant powers and each school contained a total of forty four members. Including Elazar, this left their numbers at exactly two hundred and twenty one, though you intended to expand and further diversify these schools in the future. For now, Two hundred and twenty men and women would suffice as a subjugation force, seeking out and eliminating any cult or cell of spirit worshipping sects and slaying an devil they do manage to summon to the world.

Thus far, all five schools have successfully dealt with at least one of these threats. The Eight members of the fire school captured a possessed gladiator and executed the poor wretch. Seven of the Wood School prevent a mass poisoning of a alpine village, following Elazar after he sensed, seemingly supernaturally, the presence of the "rotten ones". Nine of Earth school infiltrated a secret society within Loc'ea and revealed its members actions to the public, while hiding away their truth depths of their depravity. A bare six of the Water school managed to prevent a minor empirical incursion caused by a cavern dwelling witch. And Eleven of the metal school found and burned texts that they determined contained fragments of chaotic rituals.

All in all, it had been a great success and you had already planned to make a sixth school. Perhaps a school of void? The lack of element?

Cont

>>5577451


You pushed the thought away for the moment, there was work to be done.

What do you do, Lieren?

>Contact Guozhi with Wind whispering and ask him of the progress of the students you sent his way

>Don an ogre mask and reassure the Nucerians of your activity by leading your astartes to conquer a city that has recently joined the conflict on the side of the Thal'kr

>Delay rejoining the mundane war. There is a wicked spirit that will be troublesome for all others but you to hunt...

>Check to see how the war has been progressing as you've been training the Nameless ones, you've heard Tao Dandan had turned an entire city into a crater and are not sure if that is exaggeration or not.

>write in

Really feel like I got my mojo back. Lets hope it lasts and the machine spirits don't prevent me from updating, either!

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>>5577453
>Delay rejoining the mundane war. There is a wicked spirit that will be troublesome for all others but you to hunt...


Those are some very specific numbers. Those are some very specific accomplishments. Those are some very specific elements.

>>5577453
>Delay rejoining the mundane war. There is a wicked spirit that will be troublesome for all others but you to hunt...

Man, Like we haven't done enough for the Nucerians. Fucking whiners.

>>5577453
>Don an ogre mask and reassure the Nucerians of your activity by leading your astartes to conquer a city that has recently joined the conflict on the side of the Thal'kr

>>5577453
>Delay rejoining the mundane war. There is a wicked spirit that will be troublesome for all others but you to hunt...

>>5577453
>>Don an ogre mask and reassure the Nucerians of your activity by leading your astartes to conquer a city that has recently joined the conflict on the side of the Thal'kr

Were it just the Nucerians I would say we can let them wait until we wrap up that spirit but I'm loathe to push our sons patience any further, we'll eventually get them into our mindset but it'll be a process and we have to also meet them halfway. We go to war and honestly that spirit might be a red herring to lure us away from the front, letting suspicion run through our ranks

>>5577453
>>Don an ogre mask and reassure the Nucerians of your activity by leading your astartes to conquer a city that has recently joined the conflict on the side of the Thal'kr
For the moment. Even if I am usually one that would go for immediate destruction and elimination of those worms.
Annoying evil spirits..... well we can just say we have to relocate to x place for secure this x thing once we have taken this city. A brief mission we are needed for or something.

Chaos really wants to be purged.

>>5577453
>>Don an ogre mask and reassure the Nucerians of your activity by leading your astartes to conquer a city that has recently joined the conflict on the side of the Thal'kr

>>5577453
>Don an ogre mask and reassure the Nucerians of your activity by leading your astartes to conquer a city that has recently joined the conflict on the side of the Thal'kr

>Delay rejoining the mundane war. There is a wicked spirit that will be troublesome for all others but you to hunt...

>>5577453
>Don an ogre mask and reassure the Nucerians of your activity by leading your astartes to conquer a city that has recently joined the conflict on the side of the Thal'kr
For the love of the Emperor can we please spend some actual extended time with our sons! We need to or we'll lose them! The hell we playing at. Our next few actions need to be at their side!

>>5577453
>>Check to see how the war has been progressing as you've been training the Nameless ones, you've heard Tao Dandan had turned an entire city into a crater and are not sure if that is exaggeration or not.
>Don an ogre mask and reassure the Nucerians of your activity by leading your astartes to conquer a city that has recently joined the conflict on the side of the Thal'kr

>>5577453
>>Don an ogre mask and reassure the Nucerians of your activity by leading your astartes to conquer a city that has recently joined the conflict on the side of the Thal'kr

>>5577453
>>Don an ogre mask and reassure the Nucerians of your activity by leading your astartes to conquer a city that has recently joined the conflict on the side of the Thal'kr

>Contact Guozhi with Wind whispering and ask him of the progress of the students you sent his way

>Check to see how the war has been progressing as you've been training the Nameless ones, you've heard Tao Dandan had turned an entire city into a crater and are not sure if that is exaggeration or not.

Are you guys seriously going to ignore the SUPER WEAPON?

The Nucerians arent going to be talking about us once news of this spreads.

Besides. This is Angron's planet. Not ours. Let him have his fun. We can definitely catch up off world.

We have important work to do.

>>5577453
>Don an ogre mask and reassure the Nucerians of your activity by leading your astartes to conquer a city that has recently joined the conflict on the side of the Thal'kr
Time to spread the Journey!

>>5577815
What super weapon? That just sounds like Dandan

As a side note, i'd like to propose we bring the blakc general with air support. He's been getting restless, this can be a bonding moment for us all and teach the Journey together!

>>5577815

I'm not worried about the Nucerians, that's Angron's business at the end of the day, I'm worried about our legion first and foremost, assuaging the Nucerians is a bonus

>>5577453
I want to begrudge them, but I can't really.

>Don an Ogre Mask
>Check on the war progress.

>>5577616
We need to see, our cleaning duty are very important for us, and we don't want any chaos infestations left to fester around. It would be difficult to cover afterwards for us, since for the emperor the other primarchs that don't know, must not know (not something i agree, since primarchs are stupidly important and leaving such important info out is kind of a big deal for them).
We will definetly free this city though, in a rapid manner too. I do hope our legion will begin to understand that Lieren prefers efficiency and adaptability in his military forces, something that the different forces of Shangrila, from Long Jia to the Vishnu, Bask, Shuni and Zoroast already have. Maybe not the Zoroast since they are fairly new, but they will learn like the Angra tribals that accompany them.

>>5577882
She. Nuked.A.City.

There needs to be a really good reason for that. Or it's a really bad sign for her.

>>5577453

>Check to see how the war has been progressing as you've been training the Nameless ones, you've heard Tao Dandan had turned an entire city into a crater and are not sure if that is exaggeration or not.
>Don an ogre mask and reassure the Nucerians of your activity by leading your astartes to conquer a city that has recently joined the conflict on the side of the Thal'kr

Ive been conviced changing to ^ from >>5577881

>>5577616
>Check to see how the war has been progressing as you've been training the Nameless ones, you've heard Tao Dandan had turned an entire city into a crater and are not sure if that is exaggeration or not.
Adding this to my vote as well, it is a fair point

>>5577453
>Don an ogre mask and reassure the Nucerians of your activity by leading your astartes to conquer a city that has recently joined the conflict on the side of the Thal'kr

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Calling the vote now

Delay rejoining the mundane war. There is a wicked spirit that will be troublesome for all others but you to hunt...:4

Don an ogre mask and reassure the Nucerians of your activity by leading your astartes to conquer a city that has recently joined the conflict on the side of the Thal'kr:13

Contact Guozhi with Wind whispering and ask him of the progress of the students you sent his way:1

Check to see how the war has been progressing as you've been training the Nameless ones, you've heard Tao Dandan had turned an entire city into a crater and are not sure if that is exaggeration or not.:5

Total votes:17

So Lieren will don an ogre mask, as he did during his assault on the archeotech vault and lead his astartes in conquering a city that has foolishly thrown in its lot with the Thal'kr whom had so tortured his kin.

Writing now

"An entire city?" A Xue officer asked his Huang Counterpart, one of the few sent by the young Lady Huang, who stood proudly besides the son of the Iron haired giant whom had escorted him from the main body of the combined armies of Long-Jia and the barbarians of this strange, red sanded world

"Lieren openly declared his ambition to see its walls cracked open and its rulers dragged out by the noose that shall hang him" The untested youth said, stilled bowed and cupping his hand as the Giant dressed in white jade groomed his mustache idly, as if the discussion of attacking a city of the size of the old capital of Yan and armed with magic weapons and arcane technology akin to those of the butcher's horde was beneath a task as petty as personal hygiene "The command has been given, and when the Benevolent Azure and Plum wings unfurl, there is not a force amongst men or gods that can stop their flight. You are to be granted the supreme honor of joining the Giant of Nothing in his campaign, marching alongside the warriors of terra and those sons he sired there before he emerged from the stone in the earth"

Those are just fanciful plays, he wanted to say. Popular plays, he had to admit. Lord Xue enjoyed entertaining his slow-witted with the wild tales of Lieren and his childhood friends. He had been privilege to join them in one of their private viewings before the Dragon Emperor all but grabbed him by the ear and dragged him off to this arid and bright hellscape.

"I am humbled to be granted such a privilege of being lead by The Hunter himself" He said, nervously tugging at the collar of his uniform, colored in the Aquamarine of the house he served, luckily not before the usurpation of the Yan or else he might be a skeleton hanging by a tree. He delighted to see Lieren in action, for he had heard the songs of his glory, but a little voice inside him quivered and wailed, begging not to see Hangman at his grisly work

"Prepare your men, the journey to the city sentenced to the giant's wroth is a few days travel from this outpost" The Huang man said calmly, unfurling a fan and hiding the lower half of his face with it "You will be assigned to the venerable regiment of Terra, the Creti Guard, whom themselves are under the banner of Captain Nikephoros, honored son of Lieren"

"I shall serve with distinction" He said, cupping his fist and bowing as the mustachioed giant smirked and let out a barking laugh

"I've read up on the tactics favored by you Xue-men" He said politely, taking a long sweeping bow "You prefer to splinter your forces to strike at every available angel, A risky stratagem, but brutally effective if performed masterfully"

"I am honored to hear that a son of Lieren has an interest in our culture, many look down upon us as yokel swamp men. May I ask your name?" He asked as he nervously fretted with the badge of the serpents he wore proudly upon his breast.
Cont

>>5578428

"Sergeant Hyun-Shik" He said, rising to his full, imposing height "and my venerable father encourages us, his sons, to be more than just warriors and pursue artistic and cultural distractions. I happened to find that history ignited my interest greater than poetry , and discovered the romance of it complimented the cold truth wonderfully. You can learn a lot about a people by how they wage war"
_

"Lai Song! The Lord of Cavalry! Master of the encircling charge! It has been too long, my old friend!" You shout joyously as you see the legendary King of War walk brazenly into your command tent, walking and standing beside your sons, his presence as powerful as them and masquerading the truth that he stood like a child besides them as he stood as if he were as tall and vast as they were. To any who looked upon the veteran general would believe him truly to be their equal.

"Lieren of Nothing! I've been praying piously that I'd be granted the pleasure of fighting alongside you before I got too old for this business'= of war" He bellowed just as mirthfully, grabbing hold of your offered hand and giving it a firm shake "Emperor Long-Jia has given me leave to join you in this battle"

"He has foreseen I'd have use of the great cavalry regiments ever trained and the greatest commander of them at its head" You praise "As expected of my brother in all but blood! Tao Dandan's presence would also not be unappreciated"

"She's breaking a siege with the old man of Dai" Lai song said offhandedly as he sat at the table, besides Chul-Moo and offered him a flask that you could tell from the moment he loosened its cap was filled with Dragon's spit liquor, sweetened and watered down with mare's milk "Some stubborn foes these high riders are proving! Good enemies! as the Vishnu would say. Are the Angra joining us in this festival, or is it just you, your sons and the star men?"

"The Angra of the Zoroast are being deployed as well" Rafaī́l Táphos answered respectfully, as Sergant Aadolf and he read over the intelligence gathered by Half Jaw Hu, the Seowl rangers and a few Aeldari whom had once been aspect warriors of their craftworlds

"Fantastic! Always wanted to see the Bull-Men fight" The general laughed, taking back his flask from Chul-moo and taking three hearty glugs from it. You could see the alcoholic vapors as they rose from his lips and clung to his thick and long mustache

"I only wish the little cubs were old enough to fight, they'd be killers on the field" Chul-Moo laughed "Though I would not argue if they chose to live lives of peace, instead, Father"

You flashed the often informal Chul-Moo a smile filled with a father's pride.

"Dae-Hyun will return soon, he is leading a scouting party to ensure the High Riders have not been alerted to our presence in these woods" You tell the lord of cavalry, explaining the situation briefly
Cont

>>5578430

"Your lady wife seems very much at home amongst these towering trees" Lai Song suddenly spoke, raising up his flask "Tell me, Old friend, is there any truth that you found that Jade Beauty in the Bone Devouring Forest? I always found myself wondering if she was a creature like yourself or just of fine Vishnu stock"

You showed the lord of Cavalry a coy smile and plucked his flask from his hands with two fingers and gave it a whiff before supping of it and passing it to Aadolf who studied it suspiciously

"Smells like fermented milk" He muttered under his breath "And too much like the warrens of those mutants, like toxic air"

"That campaign was Fubar from start to finish" Chul-Moo growled "How many of our brothers had to replace their lungs, if they survived that tunnel war at all"

Aadolf nodded

"Spirits have loosened your tongue, Lai Song" You smirk as he nods his head in agreement "And she and I are not yet wed, but I'd advise you to approach her with questions of her origin, if you're brave enough to"

"Yes, I don't like people gossiping behind my back, Horselord" Kanzeon drawled as she stepped in the room, hands on her hips and a glower in her eyes "And I'd advise you to cut back on your consumption of alcohol, especially when on the night prior to a heated battle. A hangover is the last thing you want distracting you. And I'd kill you if you die and upset Lieren cause you decided to pre-game your celebrations"

"First Drink I've allowed myself since I arrived on this sunbeaten world" Lai Song defended himself

"That's bullshit" Kanzeon hissed, grabbing at his ear "Come here, I have just the tonic to sober you up! Mind if I discipline your general, darling"

"Not at all" You chuckle, turning away as you see Lai Song's despairing expression "Forgive me old friend, but even if you are not overindulging, it is poor form to drink before a fight"

"Lieren you bastard!" He cried out in mock fury, laughing as he was dragged from the tent

"He drank this stuff?" Aadolf gasps and sputters, tossing away the flask and reaching for a glass of freshly brewed tea "Its vile! Even more so than Dragon Spit liquor usually is! Its curdled!"

"The Lai have strange customs" You admit with a shrug "One of them being the ceremonial imbibing of alcohol before any battle"

"Did Kanzeon know of it?" one of your sons asks

"No" You sneer mischievously as you walk back to the table "But it was more amusing not to explain it to her, was it not? Now, as I was saying before Lai Song arrived, was shall approach the cities walls by the cover of night and fog..."
_
Cont

>>5578433

How do you approach begin your assault on the High rider city of Dend'Ron, Lieren?

>Openly, riding atop your unnamed horse and demanding the surrender of the city, while covert forces sneak behind its walls to open the gate and slaughter the first line of defenders in the likely event they refuse and attack you

>Surround the city with the bulk of your forces, then lead a strike team of your space marines in air dropping from a flock of Steel Birds released from Kanzeon's belly, attacking the ruling class of the city while their army tries to prevent a siege

>Disguise yourself as an old beggar as you did in Loc'ea, wearing the face of the "Late" Kynigos as you approach the Heads of the Houses controlling the city and Measure their worth of men and the contents of their hearts.

>With terror. They'll have patrols outside of their city. Wear away at the courage of the high riders by hanging their soldiers outside of the city's walls each night. You'd like to avoid overt bloodshed, and these intimidation tactics are quite effective on superstitious peoples like the Nucerians.

>write in

>>5578435
>Disguise yourself as an old beggar as you did in Loc'ea, wearing the face of the "Late" Kynigos as you approach the Heads of the Houses controlling the city and Measure their worth of men and the contents of their hearts.
>Have the forces surround the city and a strike team ready to cut the head of serpent as well

>>5578435
>Disguise yourself as an old beggar as you did in Loc'ea, wearing the face of the "Late" Kynigos as you approach the Heads of the Houses controlling the city and Measure their worth of men and the contents of their hearts.

>>5578435
>>Disguise yourself as an old beggar as you did in Loc'ea, wearing the face of the "Late" Kynigos as you approach the Heads of the Houses controlling the city and Measure their worth of men and the contents of their hearts.

>Have the forces surround the city and a strike team ready to cut the head of the serpent as well

>With terror. They'll have patrols outside of their city. Wear away at the courage of the high riders by hanging their soldiers outside of the city's walls each night. You'd like to avoid overt bloodshed, and these intimidation tactics are quite effective on superstitious peoples like the Nucerians.

This will stop people from complaining about not contributing enough. Let Angron have his glory.

Also. Keep Kynigos dead. Or else we undermine the beggar sect's foundations.

>>5578435
>>With terror. They'll have patrols outside of their city. Wear away at the courage of the high riders by hanging their soldiers outside of the city's walls each night. You'd like to avoid overt bloodshed, and these intimidation tactics are quite effective on superstitious people like the Nucerians.

Changing vote. Makes more sense and bringing back Kynigos is kind of fucked up

>>5578435
>With terror

As others say, making the dead return is a stupid idea.

>>5578435
>>Surround the city with the bulk of your forces, then lead a strike team of your space marines in air dropping from a flock of Steel Birds released from Kanzeon's belly, attacking the ruling class of the city while their army tries to prevent a siege

JUST LIKE IN MY CODEX ASTARTES

>>5578435
>Openly, riding atop your unnamed horse and demanding the surrender of the city, while covert forces sneak behind its walls to open the gate and slaughter the first line of defenders in the likely event they refuse and attack you

>>5578435
>Surround the city with the bulk of your forces, then lead a strike team of your space marines in air dropping from a flock of Steel Birds released from Kanzeon's belly, attacking the ruling class of the city while their army tries to prevent a siege
We're doing this to bond with our sons, the hell y'all thinking by trying to ghost them with the face of a dead man!

We need to work alongside them

Lads we need to solidify an actual approach before this happens in future

Imo broadcasting the Journey and having spies/agents sneak in first, from there we cut off the head.

>>5578435
>>Surround the city with the bulk of your forces, then lead a strike team of your space marines in air dropping from a flock of Steel Birds released from Kanzeon's belly, attacking the ruling class of the city while their army tries to prevent a siege

I wonder if any of our conventional terran forces would dare or be able to follow on the air drop.

>>5578435
>Surround the city with the bulk of your forces, then lead a strike team of your space marines in air dropping from a flock of Steel Birds released from Kanzeon's belly, attacking the ruling class of the city while their army tries to prevent a siege

>>5578435
>>Surround the city with the bulk of your forces, then lead a strike team of your space marines in air dropping from a flock of Steel Birds released from Kanzeon's belly, attacking the ruling class of the city while their army tries to prevent a siege

>>5578435
>Surround the city with the bulk of your forces, then lead a strike team of your space marines in air dropping from a flock of Steel Birds released from Kanzeon's belly, attacking the ruling class of the city while their army tries to prevent a siege

Bit worried about what has to be roughly a greater daemon causing trouble in the shadows. Would have liked to call Guohzi if only to potentially get a update of what is happening on Shangrala.

>>5578435
>>Surround the city with the bulk of your forces, then lead a strike team of your space marines in air dropping from a flock of Steel Birds released from Kanzeon's belly, attacking the ruling class of the city while their army tries to prevent a siege

>>5578435
>>With terror. They'll have patrols outside of their city. Wear away at the courage of the high riders by hanging their soldiers outside of the city's walls each night. You'd like to avoid overt bloodshed, and these intimidation tactics are quite effective on superstitious peoples like the Nucerians.
We are the Hangman, let the whole world know of us!

>>5578435
>With terror. They'll have patrols outside of their city. Wear away at the courage of the high riders by hanging their soldiers outside of the city's walls each night. You'd like to avoid overt bloodshed, and these intimidation tactics are quite effective on superstitious peoples like the Nucerians.
>Surround the city with the bulk of your forces, then lead a strike team of your space marines in air dropping from a flock of Steel Birds released from Kanzeon's belly, attacking the ruling class of the city while their army tries to prevent a siege
Terror set up with verses of the Journey wrote upon them. Then we strike

>>5578435
lol song
>Surround the city with the bulk of your forces, then lead a strike team of your space marines in air dropping from a flock of Steel Birds released from Kanzeon's belly, attacking the ruling class of the city while their army tries to prevent a siege
>Write In
>Assign some Lai Skyriders to this attack for rapidly reinforce our position once our strike team is on the ground. Lastly broadcoast in Nuceria tongue for all citizens/slaves of Dend'Ron to remain in the safety of their homes and away from doors and windows.
We will cut down the enemy head and surround it before they can even say a word. It's not too efficient and there is a risk for many innocent lives, but i guess it gives the Nucerians and our space marines the action they desire.

I expect the high rider palace to have some level of archeotech protecting it, but it shouldn't be perfectly functioning. So we can exploit it and enter inside. With the high riders captured, majority of their military forces should surrender. They are paid, feed and given homes and rights by them after all. I wouldn't be surprised by an officer or two trying to resist for fight the "slaves rebellion", of course.


>>5578754
In part, we are mostly doing it for be a presence in the war front. If it was for me i would have first ensure to purge any chaos presence, but this temporary deviation will have to do since we are on Nuceria with Angron.

>>5578758
I am not fully sure about broadcasting the Journey during a battle. There is an use of this in keeping morale if we need to, in a difficult battle for example, or if we are fighting chaos forces.
I prefer having a variable approach, there is no need for having a single one.

>>5579090

Supporting this

I think it's a bit too far in the campaign to get bogged down on one city with the terror campaign, I do want to turn around and check that troublesome spirit, I don't want to just slaughter the armies if we can turn some of them still once the High Riders are dead, this is effective, efficient, and give our sons the chance to go into battle with us again which was the main point of splitting off to hit this city

Let Angron conquer his planet himself. Or else he won't be ready to commit compliance in the emperor's name.

>>5579311
what is this nonsense lol. You say this like the primarchs didn't team up during the great crusade.

>>5579353
Not for their own planets. They all conquered it themselves. Except for Angron.

He lost because he was captured,outnumbered, surrounded, and outgunned.

Now the scales have shifted heavily into his favor. He can win this now with or without Leiren's help.

The Ogre has a ton of other stuff to do.. Lets not get side tracked.

>>5579311
>>5579375
We've got to keep up our presence.

So intermittent hammer drops is important. High profile but ultimately singular objectives taken.

>>5579375
ah yes. Clearly having help on your own home world means you're incapable of galatic conquest and the emperor is going to scrap you.

Fuck off grim derp tard.

>>5579311
Lieren has put himself in secondary place here so Angron is doing the leading/conquering de-facto, but the war wouldn't have been possible without Shangrila help. Wars aren't fair most of the time, and finishing the high riders together is faster and better.
And very unfair towards the high riders which they richly deserve.

>>5579311
We are here, and we can put them down together. They aren't going to last too long against two primarchs, their armies and the inevitable incoming slave revols that will imitate Angron across their cities, more importantly we need to remain for a little while for clean up the place of chaos (if there is anything else other than that spirit it must be destroyed, after it) and co-start some reconstruction plan that we leave in Angron hands when we are done.

I think we need to come up with a long term strategy here, mechanical efficiency and straight up brutal Pragmatism are our strong points balanced by our Humanity. We can't be everywhere nor can we always get what we hope for but i'd like to suggest we put forward a base stratagem for worlds whom have the potential to turn to the Journey.

>Standardised Regional Take over

>Step 1
Starting small human assets will begin spreading the journey and our teaching ahead of the initial advance slowly building up atleast a small measure of localised support, these spies can then identify VIPs, High priority targets and so on to feed back to us.

>Step 2
Space Marines effectively move in acting as strike forces cutting the heads off the snakes in command, then securing a transfer of power to loyalist assets. They then move on to the next target

>Step 3
Wanderers in the Fog and Our other anti chaos assets settle into the new regime from the roots. Thus securing it.

---
We need this practices to get standardised so it can be done without our direct presence.

File: Flowchart.png (57 KB, 1336x1124)

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>>5579840
Building upon my earlier thought I have some up with a flow chart for our Sons and forces to follow. We need to not blow our load to early with rebellions, spread the word so things fall like dominos. Be efficient!

Calling the vote now, sorry for the wait.

Disguise yourself as an old beggar as you did in Loc'ea, wearing the face of the "Late" Kynigos as you approach the Heads of the Houses controlling the city and Measure their worth of men and the contents of their hearts.:2

surround the city with the bulk of your forces, then lead a strike team of your space marines in air dropping from a flock of Steel Birds released from Kanzeon's belly, attacking the ruling class of the city while their army tries to prevent a siege:10

Have the forces surround the city and a strike team ready to cut the head of serpent as well:2

With terror. They'll have patrols outside of their city. Wear away at the courage of the high riders by hanging their soldiers outside of the city's walls each night. You'd like to avoid overt bloodshed, and these intimidation tactics are quite effective on superstitious peoples like the Nucerians.:5

Openly, riding atop your unnamed horse and demanding the surrender of the city, while covert forces sneak behind its walls to open the gate and slaughter the first line of defenders in the likely event they refuse and attack you:1

Assign some Lai Skyriders to this attack for rapidly reinforce our position once our strike team is on the ground. Lastly broadcoast in Nuceria tongue for all citizens/slaves of Dend'Ron to remain in the safety of their homes and away from doors and windows.:2

Total votes:17

So Lieren will surround the city and then lead a strike team of astartes in an aerial drop, to attack the High riders within the city while their army tries to prevent the siege/ break it.

Writing now

Lord Dend'kr sat upon his throne, plugged and connected to it by a tangled webs of wires and tubing. He was aged, weak and tired, surviving only by a constant stream of healthy blood and bile transplanted into him by healthy and virile slave boys, he struggled to breath and lift his sagging eyelids to look upon the eunuch who approached him with a striken look of fear on his face. Lifting a plump greying finger to his lips, he scratched beneath his nose as the trembling young man knelt before his monstrous, clanking throne.

"Master, our march to connect with House Thal'kr's main force cannot be carried out presently. I advise you to contact our intermediary in their court immediately" He said quietly, and was slapped by a mechanical limb with such force as to be sent sprawling to the floor, nursing a broken arm. Dend'kr snapped the crab claw shaped mechadendrite impatiently, a look of pique and fury rising up beneath his hanging jowls and porcelain white layers of caked on powder.

"Explain" An artificial voice commanded, rumbling from within the stubborn corpse clinging onto life

"The rumored fog men! They've emerged from the trees and surrounded our fair city!" The man on the ground cried out, covering his head as the mechandendrite lifted above him "We cannot tally their exact numbers but I was told we have little choice but to break the siege ourselves or pray to the gods the Thal'kr will send a relief force to..."

His panicked explanation was silenced by the repeated hammering of a metal claw, shattering his skull and pounding the matter within to a pink grey paste on the carpeted floor of the throne room, splattering the near mummified donors with the ichor that was produced from the barbaric pummeling and maiming of his corpse.

"Unacceptable" The mechanical voice within Lord Dend'kr growled, like a stream of static and needles being drawn over coarse stone "We shall not beg a failing house for salvation. These phantom warriors are men like any other, even if the superstitious fools believe them to be devils. They have been slain and captured before. The arrogance of the commander that has brought them here, think us weak because of our isolation shall soon regret the decision. Son, gather our ogryn from their kennels and awaken the cyberghouls, we shall render these foreign invaders to bloody fodder for our slaves. Let their butchered corpses become the symbol of house Dend'kr's ascension!"
_

You stood atop the wing of a steel bird bomber, arms crossed as you looked over the carefully selected strike force of astartes gathered before you, all kneeling on one leg with both hands locked around their swords, both chain and power. Their heads are bowed, like monks in mediation, but even behind the visors of their helmets you can see the fierceness within their eyes.
cont

>>5580332

"Former Legion Master Dae-Hyun shall buy us time to reach the ruling class of this city state" You bellow over the roar of Kanzeon's thrusters "And keep them from looking to the heavens and spotting our vessel as it enters its position in the clouds above Dend'ron! When the first wave of defenders crashes against The Great Bear's line, we shall make our move and drop from the wings of this fighter squadron, so generously donated to us by the Tao Family! Their ace pilots will strafe the second and third assaults then disengage and target any weapon or anti air emplacements upon the city walls, as Dae-Hyun's forces apply increased pressure on their defenders"

You lashed out an arm

"These craft have been reinforced to be able to able to carry a fully armored Astarte on each of their wings, I shall not require one to carry me through the sky" You continue on as they rise "A flock of twelve should be able to evade any defense the city has on standby already, allowing us to enter it without casualty! Twenty four of my sons is an excessive execution force, but a panther uses its full strength even when hunting a rabbit!"

And with that, you give the hand sign commanding the leader of the tao fighter squadron to begin their first pass over the city, as your sons grab hold of bars welded onto the undersides of the steel bird's wings. and then, you lean back and allow yourself to fall backwards out of the carrier bay Kanzeon prepared within her true body's belly and descend through the sky like a falling star.

Closing your eyes, you take in a deep breath and clear your mind, contemplating the wind and clouds around you as you pierce through them like a bullet, spreading your arms out and flipping around. With the spirit's touch, you perform a variation of Cloudwalking, and glide through the air like a crane, using air currents and telekinetic forces to buoy your body and control your decent as your sons hang with one hand by the wings of soaring aircraft, fearless and bold

The winds around you roar as you near the earth, and narrowing your eyes, you pinpoint a suitable landing area for you and your men, and lean to fall into it. It is the garden within the walls of the manor of one of the High rider lords of the city. You return to the ground gracefully, skipping as your heels touch the soil and you reduce your moment by hopping forward, digging great ditches and furrows into the carefully trimmed and elegantly presented fields of flowers

Dramatically throwing your arms downward, you throw away the dirt and dust clingy to you as your silver and gold robes transform in armor, and an ogre styled mask falls over your face. With a snap of your finger, you call the sword of love to your hands from its sheath on your back and with your spare hand, take hold of a customized bolter presented to you by Dae-Hyun, manufactured by Liberty. It is styled, so its body is wrapped in the golden wings of an eagle and the muzzle extends from its open beak.

>>5580334

You admired the craftsmanship of it, acclimating to its weight and heft as your sons land beside you, cratering the ground as they drop some fifty feet from the air as the steel birds that carried them buzz the towers of the manor. Already, corpses piloted by grotesque cybernetics, the guards of this family, move to expel you from their demesne. They are unable to activate their targeting systems or even raising the firearms integrated into the greying flesh of their bulging arms, as your sons, moving seamlessly together, form a circle around you and kneeling down, unleash a hail of bolter rounds on the decaying horde of dead men piloted by crude machinery.

"Area clear!" Your second in command for this mission, Nikephoros barks "Bravo zulu, boys! Hangfire! Awaitin further orders, Genesire!"

You looked up to the towers of the manor house you landed in front of and frowned as you considered your next move.

What are the orders you give, Lieren?

>Clear the manor in front of you, and take hostage its patriarch, and use them to bypass the security measures surrounding the more important houses of the High rider clans of Dend'ron

>Move through the city streets, tapping into the enemies communication to avoid their patrols and avoid being spotted by the civilian populace of the city as you move block by block, cautiously approaching the Dend'kr's personal palace and dealing with the obstacles in your way.

>Send Nikephoros to "Activate" The cell of the beggar sect that is within the city and have them aid you by staging a revolt from the slums, further drawing away the attention away from your strike force.

>Decide these corpse puppets are too repugnant to allow to operate, and delay your assassination of the heads of the city to end the misery of those poor souls employed in such a manner across it.

>write in

>>5580335
>Clear the manor in front of you, and take hostage its patriarch, and use them to bypass the security measures surrounding the more important houses of the High rider clans of Dend'ron
>Move through the city streets, tapping into the enemies communication to avoid their patrols and avoid being spotted by the civilian populace of the city as you move block by block, cautiously approaching the Dend'kr's personal palace and dealing with the obstacles in your way.

>>5580335
>Clear the manor in front of you, and take hostage its patriarch, and use them to bypass the security measures surrounding the more important houses of the High rider clans of Dend'ron


>>Move through the city streets, tapping into the enemies communication to avoid their patrols and avoid being spotted by the civilian populace of the city as you move block by block, cautiously approaching the Dend'kr's personal palace and dealing with the obstacles in your way.

>>5580335
>>Clear the manor in front of you, and take hostage its patriarch, and use them to bypass the security measures surrounding the more important houses of the High rider clans of Dend'ron

>>5580335
>Move through the city streets, tapping into the enemies communication to avoid their patrols and avoid being spotted by the civilian populace of the city as you move block by block, cautiously approaching the Dend'kr's personal palace and dealing with the obstacles in your way.

>>5580335
>Clear the manor in front of you, and take hostage its patriarch, and use them to bypass the security measures surrounding the more important houses of the High rider clans of Dend'ron

>>5580335
>>Clear the manor in front of you, and take hostage its patriarch, and use them to bypass the security measures surrounding the more important houses of the High rider clans of Dend'ron
>>Move through the city streets, tapping into the enemies communication to avoid their patrols and avoid being spotted by the civilian populace of the city as you move block by block, cautiously approaching the Dend'kr's personal palace and dealing with the obstacles in your way.
Good

>Decide these corpse puppets are too repugnant to allow to operate, and delay your assassination of the heads of the city to end the misery of those poor souls employed in such a manner across it.

This might cause them to surrender if they feel like their trump card suddenly dies without warning.

Keep attacking their minds and their bodies will give up without a fight.

>>5580336
>supporting

Act swiftly and effeciently.

The delay of assassination to end suffering will simply cause more lives, ammo and time to be wasted.

>>5580335
>>Clear the manor in front of you, and take hostage its patriarch, and use them to bypass the security measures surrounding the more important houses of the High rider clans of Dend'ron

>Send Nikephoros to "Activate" The cell of the beggar sect that is within the city and have them aid you by staging a revolt from the slums, further drawing away the attention away from your strike force.

>>5580335
>>Clear the manor in front of you, and take hostage its patriarch, and use them to bypass the security measures surrounding the more important houses of the High rider clans of Dend'ron
>Send Nikephoros to "Activate" The cell of the beggar sect that is within the city and have them aid you by staging a revolt from the slums, further drawing away the attention away from your strike force.
fighting a war on 3 fronts is the classic strategy

It is the 41st Millennium. For more than a hundred centuries humanity has survived in a war torn galaxy by taking sanctuary in extra dimensional pockets known as the Golden Realms, guided by the dreams of the Slumbering Emperor, the Resplendent One. These interstellar kingdoms of man are ruled over by the Nine Primarch; his son. Though the Emperor sleeps eternal it is through his will and dreams that humanity is guided to liberate, rescue and preserve humanity. His armies are legion, his followers steadfast but despite their lofty ambitions, despite their directives they can not leave the Master of Mankind's side for long as beyond the Golden Realms is a hellish Galaxy.

For the Galaxy itself is a soulless place, governed by logic and pure mathematics for ten thousand years ago the Schism divided the domains of body and spirit but for a few pockets that remain connected. In this place life is beset upon by Hollowed Husks of they whom had their souls torn from their bodies leaving only a hole in their hearts and an unending hunger. Where the veil remains and souls may pass hungering gods battle one another for their poultry devotion piling on ever more bountiful boons to gain servitude so gorged were they in the past that they can no longer sustain themselves.

To be born into the race of man in such a time is to know the frailty of existence, to know the vulnerability of the soul, to fear both the fires of creation and the bitter cold of Entropy. Nothing is curtain, nothing is forever but maybe in your brief time in this galaxy of dedication and damnation you will find a morsel of peace? Maybe you won't? There is no peace in the stars, tomorrow is a dream that could so swiftly become a nightmare at the whims of not simply hungering gods but of your fellow mortal kin.

Hey anons, does anyone has that comission that someone asked of Lieren?

>>5581979
I think there's like three lieren commission pieces.

>>5582101
I'm talking about the one where he's standing on some grass, with the fog panther skin, holding a Chendao with a hand and in the other The Journey

File: Lieren.jpg (2 KB, 88x125)

2 KB JPG

>>5582107
Here

File: 1632231542346 (1).jpg (4.53 MB, 3508x4961)

4.53 MB JPG

>>5582107
Dammit

>>5582188
>>5582195
Thanks anon

>>5582188
The fabled Mini-Lieren

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

4.82 MB PNG

Calling the vote now, sorry for the wait. Got introduced to Wo Long. It is very fun.

Clear the manor in front of you, and take hostage its patriarch, and use them to bypass the security measures surrounding the more important houses of the High rider clans of Dend'ron:8

Move through the city streets, tapping into the enemies communication to avoid their patrols and avoid being spotted by the civilian populace of the city as you move block by block, cautiously approaching the Dend'kr's personal palace and dealing with the obstacles in your way.:5

Decide these corpse puppets are too repugnant to allow to operate, and delay your assassination of the heads of the city to end the misery of those poor souls employed in such a manner across it.:1

Send Nikephoros to "Activate" The cell of the beggar sect that is within the city and have them aid you by staging a revolt from the slums, further drawing away the attention away from your strike force.:2

Total votes:10

So Lieren will clear the manor, taking its owner hostage to bypass the various security measures and checkpoints that would other wise delay his advance and then move through the city streets to reach the Dend'kr's palace, avoiding both military patrols and the terrified civilian populace

Writing now.

>>5582101
there's more than just three, but here's another.

"It is likely the gentry of this city have more advance security measures than their counterparts in poorer regions, considering their abhorrent choice of guardians" You speak softly and measuredly, voice never rising above the sound of the breeze kicked up by the passing flight of the steel birds "They are of a more cunning stock than the Loc'ria I dealt with prior to the arrival of our forces, hence it stands to reason they would have measures to prevent any but one of their trusted own from even approaching within sight of the ruling clan of this city. And, thus, one can presume their servants would have had the key required to unlock the gates protecting them from the squalid masses would be implanted directly into their flesh and bone, and one could venture a further guess that such a key would only be entrusted to the head of the lower families"

"Understood, capture the enemy leader alive and take him into custody" Nikephoros barks, standing and beckoning his brothers to join him "I believe this shall be, as your people say father, as easy as turning over one's hand?"

"Of course, they may possess archeotech, but they are not blessed with the wisdom to properly wield it" You state as with a single stride you pass your son and stand at the head of their wedge formation "Follow my lead, check your fire and do not waste ammunition, it is unlikely we shall meet much resistance within the manor itself"

Nikephoros nods, and like phantoms he and his brother astartes become your shadow, matching your every step with near mechanical rhythm and certainty as you walk up to the manor's doors and with a single flat heeled kick, send them flying from their hinges. A defensive line of living guards stand in clumsily dressed uniforms and hastily fastened armor. Their rifles, of a curious make, are trained on the door. But they prove cowardly, the moment they see your mask and the balls of golden fire set in its eye sockets, but they do not flee until they see the armor of your sons and the monstrous carvings and etches they have knifed into their once blank and featureless masks.

"Hold fire, no reason to shoot a running man in the back" Nikephoros commands, lowering his hand as you confidently stride into the foyer and with a single skip, grab hold the scruff of the apparent leader of the poor trained guardsmen's collar and lift him from the ground

"Take me to your employer, or join him on the gallows" You whisper threateningly, words so cold they could freeze a man in place. He nods, rifle hanging by his side by a leather belt strung over his shoulder.

In a matter of moments, you are dragging the patriarch of this lesser high rider family out of his bedroom, his mistresses still atop his bed, covering themselves with silken sheets as Nikephoros leads his men in checking the rest of the manner and defanging any threat they come across, killing soldiers, confiscating weaponry and destroying communications equipment.
Cont

>>5582781

"Unhand me! Savage! Barbarian! Devil!" The lord squeals as you carry him by his head, applying pressure on both sides of his skull to shut him up

"Tap into their communications, and keep me alerted of any nearby military patrols or civilian population centers" You say calmly as you walk through the garden "We shall pass through this city like vengeful ghost, unnoticed until we strike and topple its leadership"

This is an easy task for you and your space marines, you move through alleys and over rooftops, remaining out of sight from any patrols or forces being sent to battle against Dae-hyun's army. The high riders have done half the work for you, evacuating whole sectors and prefectures of their city to allow their soldiers to move through their streets without obstruction. And the first two of three gates are easily by passed and the occupants of the noble quarter behind them are similarly easily avoided. The first requiring a retinal scan, and the second was more demanding, requiring a blood and pulse test, a finger print analyzation and a weight check to confirm the identity of your living key.

The third is were your plan met its first obstacle, as it required the repeating of a code, typed and spoken in his own voice to begin with. You could use wind whispering to pull the code out from his unwilling and protesting mind, but you were not a skilled vocal mimic. And judging from the various, dirtied surgical devices attached to the arcane lock on the gate, this would be followed by a sample of saliva, cerebral fluid, bone marrow. And as this one had a microphone attached to it, it was likely the men holding this gate would then question the reason for seeking an audience with Lord Dend'kr or the purpose for trying to enter his family's estate uninvited.

So, the key you held squirming in your hand was now useless, as he had proven unusually willful and possessed a rare conviction for a tyrant of his kind. He'd sooner choose to spite you than he would betray his master, you could tell that by the gleam of cold determination in his eyes. If you trusted him to perform the rigorous ceremony to contact the guard's controlling the gate, he'd reveal your presence to the whole city.

But, this gate wasn't indestructible, though it was made of sturdy alloys than its surrounding walls which seemed to be an admixture of concrete strengthened with the addition of various chemicals, rubbers and mineral dust. And it was not completely smooth either, and would be easily scaled. But you didn't need to climb it. Nor did you need to break it down or blast a whole through its walls.

With a flick of your thumb and clenching of your fingers, you snap the high rider you had taken to unlock the previous two gates neck, and drop his corpse on the ground.
Cont

>>5582784

Then stepping back out from under the gate, you leap high up in the air, propelling yourself with spirit's touch to jump high enough to bound over the gate itself. The men stationed at its controls do not have time to arm themselves before you enter their bunker and cut them down, firing a single bolter shell into the controls of the gate and opening it without hassle. Nikephoros leads your son through the gate.

You had to act quickly now, while the firing of your bolter could be mistaken for the sounds of the siege outside of the wall, a man who'd be so paranoid as to create locks and protocols as complicated these would surely have countermeasures in place that would soon alert him something was amiss, even if he wouldn't know exactly what had happened. And like any tyrant, it was certain he had surrounded himself in the best armed and trained soldier in his army.

What do you do now, Lieren?

>Rush to the palace and shoot your way into the throne room, there's no time to waste.

>Methodically execute the guard patrols around the palace, than infiltrate through a window and ambush Lord Dend'kr before an alarm can be raised

>Radio the Steel bird aces, and have them bomb a portion of the palace to serve as a distraction, flushing out your prey as he flees to a more fortified location

>Give command of half of your force to Nikephoros, have him attack on side of the palace as you lead an assault on the other half, forcing the Dend'kr to split their forces and attention

>Write in

>>5582785
>Methodically execute the guard patrols around the palace, than infiltrate through a window and ambush Lord Dend'kr before an alarm can be raised

>>5582785
>Methodically execute the guard patrols around the palace, than infiltrate through a window and ambush Lord Dend'kr before an alarm can be raised

>>5582785
>Methodically execute the guard patrols

Slow is steady, steady is swift.

>>5582814
The phrase you're looking for is
>"Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast
IIRC it was popularized by SEAL teams.
Needs more mentions of flowers and animals before Lieren puts it in The Journey though.

>>5582785
>>Rush to the palace and shoot your way into the throne room, there's no time to waste.

>>5582785
>Methodically execute the guard patrols around the palace, than infiltrate through a window and ambush Lord Dend'kr before an alarm can be raised

>>5582785
>Rush to the palace and shoot your way into the throne room, there's no time to waste.

>Methodically execute the guard patrols around the palace, than infiltrate through a window and ambush Lord Dend'kr before an alarm can be raised

Silent takeover.

>>5582785
>>Methodically execute the guard patrols around the palace, than infiltrate through a window and ambush Lord Dend'kr before an alarm can be raised

>>5582841
I like my varient, but lets long-jia it

"The rivers flow is constant and steady, burbling when gently and sedately winding the rocks, reaching the end well before the harsh tred of a careless jackle."

>>5582785
>Methodically execute the guard patrols around the palace, than infiltrate through a window and ambush Lord Dend'kr before an alarm can be raised

>>5582785
>>Methodically execute the guard patrols around the palace, than infiltrate through a window and ambush Lord Dend'kr before an alarm can be raised

>>5583416
The tranquil river is slow yet it reaches the sea blue before the rapids

Lads I have an idea, rather than waiting for Dad to find us...lets go to terra ourselves! Be the only Primarch to not get picked up but returning by our own will!

>>5584413
We already did. We even got sent part of our chapter early because of it.

He's not coming to pick us up. We're coming to him/Meeting up with the crusade in our own fleet.
Magnus might also come early with
Perturabo because of the golden gate technique.

>>5585075
We need to call Pert and actually set him an objective, unite and make your world ready for the imperium and come up with a power supply for the Gold Gates.

Lest he do what he does in canon and just wait for dad. We need him to handle those people issues early

>>5584413
Like the other anon, said a small expeditionary force was sent through the golden dragon path we made, after we tested and decided to use the warp anchors we had develop. Currently this small expeditionary force of our legion is with us and our shangrila army sent on Nuceria.

A plan is to have the imperium and shangrila future domain meet in space by expanding and connecting eachother. This will take multiple years, since we have things left to do at home before starting our own expansion in the stars (and because it will likely take that long due to distance, a decade or more).

>>5585097
It would be up to him and what he wants to do. And how he wants it to do, he doesn't need to wage war for unite his world there is more than one method honestly.
Bringing his people with their own forces in space could be an idea, a point of pride too. We can talk to him once we travel back home.

The golden dragon path is not something that can be done easily, Lieren needed :
- powerful new experimental machinery (warp anchors)
- his psykerist golden mien (him being founder and firm believer of the journey was probably important)
- multiple wanderers, including Guozhi and even journeymen eldars like Carys.

just for make a temporary connection from Terra to Shangrila (the Emperor and Malcador probably helped on their own end since is still a very far away connection). It's also something he planned and took extreme caution before doing it.
While making a temporary connection between us and Magnus would be not impossible, it s unlikely with anyone else beside Terra (unless they find archeotech laying around to repurpose).
I advise more research/study on technology and psykerism, before moving on trying building a permanent portal.

At the moment there is little gain to use the temporary golden dragon path beside experimentation/study, and sending other small expeditionary forces from Terra to our current position.
Right in this moment it would be :
- Terra > Nuceria (We are here, and we have probably with Kanzeon the warp anchors. Best when the war ends, since we also need to purge evil spirits present on Nuceria. There are some wanderers and journeymen eldars here too)
- Terra > Shangrila and then Shangrila > Prospero. (Magnus and his people together in a great prepared coordinated effort, should be capable of maintaining it for enough time for the expeditionary force to drive at full speed on Prospero. On our side we have the wanderers and the eldar journeymen in numbers aiding us)
This would be two other legions sending their own expeditionary forces on their primarchs worlds, something that will probably make them happy.

>>5585162
Making the anchors ain't the issue and you don't need to be a believer or anything for it to work; it's technology. The only reason we don't mass them it's it is a bucket load of power and they do require high quality materials but that's why I suggested Pert. Show him the schematics and he's mind photo'd it. He can work on it from there. I said about pert to start with because he needs something to keep him busy while feeling direction not killing time

>>5585436
Both Perturabo and Magnus have already worked on it with Lieren, alongside Kanzeon and others. It was a group effort.

>>5585499
I think you are missing my point, i know all these groups helped but of all of us Pert is the tech wiz, between him and magnus they could likely come up with a power supply.

>>5585509
What i mean is that we should work on it together further

>>5585436
>>5585499
>>5585526
>>5585509
Why not try to find the last remaining old one and get its help?

>>5585499
Pert given the responsibility of building infrastructure for the Imperium would have I'm happy as a clam. Maybe he'd be best friends with Robute

>>5586202
>Pert, Dorn, and Guilliman sit down for a short luncheon during The Great Crusade
>Pert keeps his bad side to a minimum, Dorn actually speaks more than a few words, and Guilliman is Guilliman
>eventually the topic of the most ideal rockcrete formula is brought up
>the ensuing debate lasts several Terran weeks, skirmishes between their respective legions ensue

Magnus watched a collection of screens alongside Russ the two having arrived to assist the Second Legion in pacifying a world which had resisted Imperial Compliance. However it seemed their aid was not needed and while this hackled Russ a small measure it brought Magnus a measure of peace as now he'd be able to discuss things in a more relaxed manner with his brother Scholar...once he'd finished cleaning up that is. What they were watching on the screen was without a doubt a one sided slaughter for the Second Legion had sown discord and uprising among the planets population causing the national leaders to gather in a single location to discuss a unified response, unfortunatly for them it was as Lieren had planned and the Hangman himself had teleported into the room to cut off the heads of many a snake at once. Russ was watching the screen transfixed, his jaw clenched as his eyes roamed over the screens in study.

“Watching Lieren in action is always-” the Red Giant searched for the word “-an education.”

“He wields his witchcraft in a vastly different manner than you do Witchking.” grunted Russ not turning away from the video feed.

Lieren was simply walking about the bunker in which the meeting had taken place orbited by eight vastly broad blades which would easily take any Primarch two hands to wield with the exception of Vulkan. One moment they would be like a buzz saw around him turning all about them into a red mist then when weapons fire would focus upon the Second Primarch they would pull close and turn sideways forming a closed formation only to push outwards once more to defect fire then turning their edge upon the attacker. Magnus was quite enjoying the show despite it's macabre, it seemed his brother was mimicking the cycles of a flower with it's petals shifting, the turning of the leaves and such; delightful.

Russ however simply studied the Hangman, the Primarch Malcador had ordered him to study closely, a brother so near and dear to him but one whom walked a dangerous line.

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315 KB PNG

Fucking rebellious machine spirits. Calling the vote now, sorry for the very long wait.

Methodically execute the guard patrols around the palace, than infiltrate through a window and ambush Lord Dend'kr before an alarm can be raised:8

Rush to the palace and shoot your way into the throne room, there's no time to waste.:2

Total votes: 10

So Lieren will order the methodical murder of the guards patrolling the palace grounds, then infiltrate the palace itself and ambush Lord Dend'kr before any suspicion can be aroused.

Writing now

>>5586384
Good stuff, really liked this part
>“He wields his witchcraft in a vastly different manner than you do Witchking.” grunted Russ not turning away from the video feed.

And this part > Magnus was quite enjoying the show despite it's macabre, it seemed his brother was mimicking the cycles of a flower with it's petals shifting, the turning of the leaves and such; delightful.

So the path forward was clear, if the high patriarch of the Dend'kr line surrounded himself with the finest soldiers this city beneath the forest's trees could muster then all that must be done to render him entirely exposed and helpless is the methodical and complete destruction of the elite guard force he had so selfishly devoted to himself and himself alone when he could have instead lent their talents to the protection and betterment of his people. It is a folly often committed by tyrants, both weary with age and young faced.

"Pursue the palace's patrols and exterminate them, leave not a man of their number still breathing. We shall pluck out the eyes and the ears of our target before even our shadows near him" You command, with a flick of your sleeve as you holster your bolter and instead form the gauntlets on your hands into razor edged talons "Split up, four astartes alone should be more than enough to crush the packs of guards walking this den of wickedness. Move as silent and unseen as a prowling panther, my sons"

And so, silently, your twenty four sons separate themselves into six groups, leaving you to hunt on your lonesome as you stalk the Dend'kr's well maintained gardens and galleries of mechanisms and unmoving automatons. The killing of the guards is a quick thing, taking a matter of moments. A beautiful display of your son's mastery of the killing arts, an elegant assassination, a graceful hunt of multiple quarries done in a silence so utter and complete, one would think these men remade into weapons of war were mourners gathered for a funeral's wake or temple's prayer. You watch them from atop trees and pillars, as you yourself pursue the head of the palace guards, who leads a larger host than his underlings. None of their victims have time to scream or raise the alarm, for your sons strike like mist jackals, moving with such unity of purpose and intent a lesser mind might believe them to be a singular being.

The exact expression of this teamwork differs between the six groups. One leads by lunging out of the shadow, taking the head of the guard holding the sole light source for his patrol, before the remaining three fall upon his panicked comrades as they instinctively fall into a defensive formation. While another, using the adapted Aeldari agonizers, simply use rope tricks they learned from the New Varonese to disable their quarry and then similarly execute them with well place stomps to the back of their heads and necks.

As a father and commander, you're proud of them all, they've accomplished their duties without fault. Now it is time for you to perform your task and kill your target. Kicking off the marble pillar you crouched atop, you grab a hold of the next in line and slide down it, using your heels and wrists as brakes as the patrol lead by the head of the Dend'kr's household guard nears and pass beneath your shadow.
Cont

>>5586781

Leaping, pouncing, you extend your taloned fist into a spear, adopting the fog panther style's stance mid air as you propel yourself towards the final obstacle in your way. And with a single thrust of your arm, only as forceful as a quick jab, you bury the honed fingers of your gauntlet through the reinforced, greying skin of the head guard's neck and grab a hold of his armored artery and spine, applying pressure and psionically generated heat to melt and break through them both. Having lifted the corpse up to serve as a shield, you extend your claw hand, as his men, stunned by how quickly their master had died steady their rifles and fall back to a more defendable position. One of them reaches up to a device beneath his ear, implanted in the bone of his jaw, to contact the inner palace guards and sound the alarm.

He never has the chance to cry out, and his compatriots never have a chance to let loose a single shot as they surround him in a line, bravely betting their own lives so their comrade can alert the rest of the palace. For, with a flick of your wrist, a claw motion through the air, you collapse a marble pillar atop of them all. But, with your empty spear hand, you keep it from crashing to the ground, stopping it a hair's breadth above the polished tiles and preventing it from making any noise besides the muffled crushing of bone and pulping of flesh. Setting the pillar down gently, you regroup with your astartes and lead them through a window, scaling up a decorative brick work in a line like ants crawling to reach a ripe plum.

Once inside of the castle, you take control of a nearby bedroom, holding its terrified still and covering their mouth as your sons steal a digital map of the palace grounds. You leave two of them behind to guard the Dend'kr whose slumber you interrupted before leading the remaining twenty two onwards and into the throne room, bypassing the dense defenses of the palace by intruding into the duct and vent works of the palace.

And what an unpleasant sight awaits you there, a creature drawn from a realm of nightmares, a gross parody of bloated nobility, more repugnant than his kith or peers here or in the long fallen courts of Yan. At first sight, you think him a mutant, like the ruling sorcerous class of the fallen Shuni kingdom or what remained of the final Yan emperor after the messenger in flames dug her corruptive claws into his fatty hide and filled him with the poison of the Empyrean. Massively obese, draped in sagging grey flesh like that of half mummified corpse, Lord Dend'kr sits or rather is fused to his throne, which is in truth a sprawling archeotech device that extends above and below into his palace like a mocking parody of a tree. It is clear he is ancient, the machinery he has bound himself to abhorrently extending his life far beyond its natural end.
Cont

>>5586783

He is a corpse thing, kept alive only by the machinery surrounding him like a dark mirror to the beautiful mingling of technology and humanity that is Kanzeon and her sisters. Just looking upon this twisted fusion of metal and flesh fills you with outrage, feeling as though the unpleasant sight of hanging grey flesh snaked and pierced through with needles, wires and rubber hoses is a direct insult towards your beloved, who would surely pull apart the uneven combination of machine and man with her bare hands should her eyes agleam with boundless intelligence were ever soiled to look upon his inhuman visage.

And the horrific means he employed to remain amongst the living, clinging by the edge of his nails to the mortal coil. Young men, handsome and once healthy, stand interwoven amongst skeletons and mummified corpses in the mass of root like wires behind the throne. Bile, blood and other vital fluids are drained from them to be poured and pumped into the bloated, over saturated corpse of Lord Dend'kr

"Kill order?" Nikephoros snarls, his hand gripping the grate above the Dend'kr throne. You can sense the disgusted contempt radiating from your sons like the aroma of burning ozone heralding an oncoming storm.

"It would not be so easy. The throne is equipped with an array of weaponry" Kanzeon whispers hatefully in your mind "Fat bastard has sat himself atop a fully equipped main battle tank and that is without accounting for the connections it has to the rest of the palace's hidden armaments. It would not be an exaggeration to call this bloated tick the will of the palace itself. So please, if you would be so kind as to calm our children before they get themselves killed?

You tap a finger on the grate

'How dangerous are the ticks weapons, my songbird in the sky?' You think towards her

"Well my ever curious scholar, for what its worth, they'd allow him to put up enough of a fight to not be immediately splattered beneath your heel" She whispers back "So, I'd suggest you disable and cripple the subsystems and monolithic weaponry he commands before moving in for the kill"

What do you do, Lieren?

>Explain the situation to Nikephoros, and split your forces in half to more efficently travel through the palace, breaking the Dend'kr's toys.

>Send your sons to cripple Lord Dend'kr's thousand arms, while you face the monstrosity alone, thus protecting your children as Kanzeon and you both desire, while also not suffering the abomination to live a second longer

>Ask Kanzeon if she couldn't simply overwhelm the lesser intelligences within the archeotech with her own will and cripple the bastard. And if not with will alone, then perhaps with overwhelming aerial bombardment?

>Gamble everything on one strike, kick open the vent and fall directly atop Lord Dend'kr, emptying your bolter's magazine directly into his head as you fall.

>Write in

>>5586784
>>Send your sons to cripple Lord Dend'kr's thousand arms, while you face the monstrosity alone, thus protecting your children as Kanzeon and you both desire, while also not suffering the abomination to live a second longer

This shouldn't take too long

>>5586784
>Write in
First use wind whispering to explain the situation then sync up timers.

Our Sons shall strike as many key systems as possible at once while two squads drop down with us so we can strike down this for swiftly by cleaving him from the device.

Use the technique filling a thousand vessels, give our sons a chance to fight with us. That's the whole point of this

>>5586784
>Send your sons to cripple Lord Dend'kr's thousand arms, while you face the monstrosity alone, thus protecting your children as Kanzeon and you both desire, while also not suffering the abomination to live a second longer

>>5586784
>Ask Kanzeon if she couldn't simply overwhelm the lesser intelligences within the archeotech with her own will and cripple the bastard. And if not with will alone, then perhaps with overwhelming aerial bombardment?
>Send your sons to cripple Lord Dend'kr's thousand arms, while you face the monstrosity alone, thus protecting your children as Kanzeon and you both desire, while also not suffering the abomination to live a second longer

>>5586784
>Send our sons to cripple the lords thousand arms.

>>5586784
>Send your sons to cripple Lord Dend'kr's thousand arms, while you face the monstrosity alone, thus protecting your children as Kanzeon and you both desire, while also not suffering the abomination to live a second longer
>Ask Kanzeon if she couldn't simply overwhelm the lesser intelligences within the archeotech with her own will and cripple the bastard. And if not with will alone, then perhaps with overwhelming aerial bombardment?

>>5586784
>>Explain the situation to Nikephoros, and split your forces in half to more efficently travel through the palace, breaking the Dend'kr's toys.

>Gamble everything on one strike, kick open the vent and fall directly atop Lord Dend'kr, emptying your bolter's magazine directly into his head as you fall.

Wan paawwunch!

>>5586784
>>Send your sons to cripple Lord Dend'kr's thousand arms, while you face the monstrosity alone, thus protecting your children as Kanzeon and you both desire, while also not suffering the abomination to live a second longer
Let's not let anger and pride stain an otherwise flawless operation. Kanzeon gave us good intel, we should go about our task accordingly.

>>5586784
>Send your sons to cripple Lord Dend'kr's thousand arms, while you face the monstrosity alone, thus protecting your children as Kanzeon and you both desire, while also not suffering the abomination to live a second longer
Interesting. Once this bloated sphere is dead, the room should be secured. Stick the Lotus Sceptre in his brain when this tyrant is done for.

With such arsenal only someone truly skilled could fight without getting wounded or finding death in the most unfortunate cases. Furthermore enemy reinforcements might arrive, their lord is paranoid.
Best ensure he dies quickly and that no help arrives for him.

Should we not just drop enough explosives to level the room. The explosion of the throne room will be so visible around the city that most of the defenders should lose hope.

>>5586784
>>Send your sons to cripple Lord Dend'kr's thousand arms, while you face the monstrosity alone, thus protecting your children as Kanzeon and you both desire, while also not suffering the abomination to live a second longer
>>5587145
if possible i also want to hit this guy with the lotus scepter, who knows what information is within him. a guy this old has to know some secrets

>>5586784
>>Explain the situation to Nikephoros, and split your forces in half to more efficently travel through the palace, breaking the Dend'kr's toys

Also throwing my support behind the Lotus Scepter, many ancient memories have to be held within him and might just prove useful

>>5586784
>Explain the situation to Nikephoros, and split your forces in half to more efficently travel through the palace, breaking the Dend'kr's toys.

>>5586784
If Lieren hates the patriarch this much based on appearance, how will he fare with the Mechanicus?

>>5586826
This is a fine suggestion.

Brother Lai-han knelt in the Panther's Chamber his final trial after so many other; rumination and patience. He had served among the Second Legion for two hundred and fifty three hundred years having served among several the other brotherhoods before the companies Dragon Commander had put his name forward to their Primarch himself for consideration to join his personal hunting party. He'd seen Father Lieren many times in his life from their reunion when he was among the tactical company to when the genesire himself entered the barracks and offered his hand to take him to begin his trials.

His first challenge began on the outskirts of Nothing where naked he had to hunt a Fog panther and bring back it's hide unspoiled, he achieved his objective and sported a new scar across his chest from his worthy quarry.

Next he had to build a wall and home within the forests of Shangrala and remain undetected by the wider world for a year. After that time had passed he had to make that home vanish as if it had never been.

Third now returned to civilisation he would have to best the Commander whom had put his name forward. Again he had triumphed over his ordeal and shaken hands with Commander Shao-sun.

He then had to endure the physic probing and physical beatings of the other Panthers while reciting the Journey passages asked of him when asked otherwise he had to remain utterly silent even as Arco Flails and Mind flayers tore at him. He'd lasted however long they'd held him, he did not know for it was in the dark.

Finally three tasks remained next he had to take a token worn by other Panthers in effect 'catching their tail' and proving themselves a match for their seniors.

Then came the most difficult, a spar with Lieren himself where he'd have to give everything he had to endure the withering golden gaze. The spar could be anything for each Panther aspirant was tested differently here by the primarch; something suitable for each to test their mettle a final time. His had been a simple game of Weiqi and while he'd not won he'd endured long enough to please their sire and void his mind enough that the radiant sight passed through him like clear glass.

So now he was kneeling in the dark beneath Nothing,

He was alone a man surrounded by panthers and never flinched as they roamed about him and he meditated. Until finally he felt a hand upon his shoulder and opened his eyes now adapted to the pitch black.

His Primarch stood him up and hung a pelt around his shoulders, the Panther he'd claimed. Next in his hands was placed a weapon created by Mother Kanzeon herself specifically for him.

“Arise a Panther and join our hunt eternal” Spoke the Master of the Second,

“Brothers all through life unto death” he responded and then felt the warmth of his new comrades each touching him... he was one of them now.

>>5586784
>Explain the situation to Nikephoros, and split your forces in half to more efficently travel through the palace, breaking the Dend'kr's toys.
>Write in: use all our might straight away like a Fog panther would and like we already stated to our sons, show them!
>Also yeah mind probing time

>>5588495
>“Arise a Panther and join our hunt eternal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtkaUZvMaG8

Going to try and get the update out sometime later today/ tomorrow. Sorry for the long wait, in advance. The weakness of the flesh was the cause. Hopefully the machine spirits will be merciful and not impede me.

Krakzog stomped about the war camp as the lads brawled among themselves smiling proudly as he watched a Mek smashing the eads of two gits together whom musta been trying ta get ah discount for s'more dakka on their new looted shootas. It was good the lads were keeping themselves occupied while they regrouped after the last good scrap against the big lads whom protected the other weaker humies; the Chi-morka leg-on on something like that? He kicked a grot carrying something flashy out of his way as he lumbered up the roughly welded spiral staircase to reach his podium so he could address the boyz good and propa.

He looked tot he Mek whom threw the now two toofless gits away and pulled a big lever showering him himself in sparks but paying little heed, the collection of stolen Vox crackling to life and blurting static as Krakzog flicked it a few times.

“AIGHT, ELLO THIS TING ON? GOOD!”

The whole Warcamp stopped their brawls, drinks or tinkering to focus upon their warboss awaiting the order to get back out there once more.

“RITE LISTEN UP YA GITS WE'RE GONNA GO BACK IN DER AND WE'RE GONNA SHOW THEM CHI-MORKA THAT GORK IS BEST! WE'RE GONNA GET IN DER AND SHOW THEIR WARBOSS DA PANTHA A RITE GOOD THRASHIN! WE'RE GONNA SHOW'EM WHO DA MEANEST AND DA GREENEST AROUND ERE!”

Roars of approval met his deceleration and gunshots filled the night signalling their approval.

“NOW DEN WE GOTTA BE SNEAKY BOUT DIS! WE ALL KNOW THEY GOT DEM RITE SNEAKY LADS! DA BLACK'AN PURPLE UNS! DED ARD AND HAVE PROPA CLAWS! SO WE GOTTA HITT'EM FAST BEFORE DEY WREAK DA TRUKKS AN GUBBINZ.”

More waaaghs and more gun shots

“AN STOP WASTIN AMMO YA GITZ! WE EAD OFF AT DAWN!”

-----

Shan-cao remained as still as the foundations of the earth as he stood among the ork horde their own memetic and pyskerism granting him a measure of stealth here to unheard of....something he'd be sure to report alongside sending the advanced warning about the incoming 'Speed Freak' assault.

Once the xenos were busying themselves he moved off pausing for but a moment as he saw a small group of the Ork were prancing about arms in positions similar to the Carp school of martial arts, some were mimicking other styles favoured by the Second Legion? How...odd?

---

>>5589801
https://youtu.be/9gIMZ0WyY88

Calling the vote now sorry for the long wait. Had to tangle with the machine spirits for awhile, but I have appeased them. Hopefully for good.

Send your sons to cripple Lord Dend'kr's thousand arms, while you face the monstrosity alone, thus protecting your children as Kanzeon and you both desire, while also not suffering the abomination to live a second longer:8

Ask Kanzeon if she couldn't simply overwhelm the lesser intelligences within the archeotech with her own will and cripple the bastard. And if not with will alone, then perhaps with overwhelming aerial bombardment?:2

First use wind whispering to explain the situation then sync up timers...etc:2

Explain the situation to Nikephoros, and split your forces in half to more efficently travel through the palace, breaking the Dend'kr's toys.:4
-use all our might straight away like a Fog panther would and like we already stated to our sons, show them!:1

Gamble everything on one strike, kick open the vent and fall directly atop Lord Dend'kr, emptying your bolter's magazine directly into his head as you fall.:1

Total votes:14

So Lieren will Send his sons to break Dend'kr's thousand arms while he faces the monstrosity himself alone, to both distract him from his genesons' sabotage and to try and murder the bastard

Writing now

>>5589839
KUNG FU ORKS, KUNG FU ORKS, WAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHH FUUUUUUU

"Nikephoros, take command of your brothers and lead them on a mission of destruction. Move swiftly" You mutter under your breath as quiet as a breeze whispering through dead tree branches "I'll provide a distraction, I am relaying the targets of your sabotage on the digitized map we download and stole away when we first entered the palace. I trust you to carry out this order with great haste and efficiency and leave it up to your discernment how to best see to the task, do not take undo risk but also do not allow caution to blind you"

"Lierrrren, what are you planning on doing?" Kanzeon whispers sweetly into your ear as you fiddle with the grate you stand crouched upon, loosening the bolts and locking mechanisms keeping it inplace despite the weight of your mighty body bearing down on it

"As you command, my primarch" Nikephoros says, raising a hand and swiping it down as his twenty three brothers stand and follow his lead, not once looking back as they follow your orders without hesitation or questioning.

"What must be done to quell the rage within me, without needlessly risking the lives of my warriors" You answer outload, still whispering like a branch caressing breeze "A most elegant solution if I may be so proud as to praise myself"

"Elegant?" Kanzeon growls "I would not leaping down in front of the massive patchwork of archeotech weaponry piloted by a bloated vampire thing to be elegant"

"Har! There can be elegance in simplicity, just as there can be grace in brutality" You say with a low chuckle, making sure to keep your voice quiet and unheard. Not that it matters as surely, even if Lord Dend'kr had been struck mute by his advance age, the sound of your heel bend the metal grating with a single forceful kick would be enough to alert him to his presence

"This is a stupid idea!" She shouts in your skull as you fall like a stone in water, and land crouched in front of the expansive, treelike system of needle tipped hoses, orifice invading wiring and mummified corpses drained of their every vital fluid. And in the middle of it all, sat the obese grey skinned slug that war Lord Dend'kr.

Who seemed rather unpleased to see you, rather than frightened or shocked. Indeed, you sensed no such emotions within him and upon a closer look realized most of his humanity had been muted or completely sealed away by the abhorrent form of life he so stubbornly clung to. He lifted up his head, his many chins drooping as he rested his cheek against his ring encrusted hand as he took you in and regarded you carefully.

"Hmm, I recognize that face, you're the "Demon" that wiped out the vault, as I expected, you are either a complex machine or an evolved strain of mankind, masquerading as a devil to frighten those whom have forgotten their roots" He chuckled "Why, if it was not obvious you were here to kill me, I'd offer you an accord"

Cont

>>5589978

"How unexpected, a high rider with a deep mind and sharp intellect, a rarity I almost hesitate to deprive from the world" You answer back coldly, mirthlessly, no humor or tenderness in your words, your tone one of virulent venom and sizzling acid, the bile of contempt coating every syllable that passes by your lips "Thus far all of your kind I've encountered have been woefully ignorant of the true value and purpose of the technology they use to oppress and murder"

"Hrrrn, knowledge is lost generation by generation, thus is one of the many expressions of the unending death march that is time" Dend'kr growls in his synthetic voice, produced by a suite of vox casters and vox hailers implanted in place of his lungs, judging from the flickers of electricity you see take flight beneath the blubbery mass of his torso "Eroding our wisdom and stealing away our progress, tick by tick of the clock more is lost, and our infighting has done little to halt the spread. I do not pretend to be a scholar assassin, but the whelps who call themselves my peers and betters are drooling simpletons compared to their forebears, and so it has been, generation after generation. Even if their technical knowledge of our ancient machinery is far beyond the grasps of even the wisest of the lower castes, they still mistake what was once known to be technology for magic and devilry"

"Such cruel fate for a philosophical heart to be chained and bridled to a tyrannical and cruel mind" You say, sizing him up as the two of you play a mental game of measuring the other's defensive guard, testing and probing with each breath you both take, now in synch. He has a warrior's mind, and possess that rare talent of fighting precognition to gauge how many moves a battle will take before it begins, and indeed, despite his decrepit state and reliance on technology, you find it difficult to find any gaps in his own defense. But you doubt he was born with or earned either, they are stolen gifts no doubt ripped from the young minds of his victims connected to him like a gross parody of childbirth. A smirk plays on his lips, beneath the mass of breathing apparatuses.

"And such a shame for so potent a force to be restrained by the chains of morality" He says, speaking in a mockery of your own voice "If only we had been of the same generation, perhaps I could've guided you to a more fitting mindset"

You narrow your gilded eyes, visions of Cui Fu's magnificent last stand playing in your mind's eye as fresh as the day you cut him down and his specter that appeared to unexpectedly aid you against the Butcher king himself.

"I believe I've only met one villain who could've been a hero in another life, and I've known one hero who in differing circumstances could've been the most vile of blackguards" You reminisce as the two of you stand, the duel of strategizing and anticipation coming to a stand still
Cont

>>5589979

"Sensors indicate he's charging a compartmentalized plasma furnace in one of those lashing mechandendrites surrounding his throne" Kanzeon warns a moment before you spy the tell tale signs yourself. Without shifting in his throne, he brings his weapon to bear and fires.

You pull your head back, taking in a deep breath before you perform the most dramatic of the carp's dances movements, a flipping kick into the air. You savor the look of surprise that washes across Dend'kr's toad like visage as you catch the bolt of plasma on your armored thighs, sacrificing the armor there and using your great speed to redirect it down your leg, exposing it to the air before with a flick of your foot you send it flying back towards its sender.

He blocks with a wall of crab clawed limbs, snarling like a rabid rat.

"SHaaaaah!" You roar, throwing your head back and pushing a palm forward as you pull the other behind your head, taking on the stance of a dramatic stage dance, as the living metal of your armor flows back up your leg, repairing itself as best as it can after being seared and boiled down by roaring plasma fire!

"Now that was unexpected!" Dend'kr exclaims "I've never seen anything stand up to plasma without being reduced to a squeaking pile of greasy ash. Thank you for the entertainment, now, DIE!"

The ground erupts as a thousand baleful red eyes burst from the tiled flooring and surround you. They seem to be miniaturized las cannons, judging from the color of light produced by their brief firing sequence.

What is your first move, Lieren?

>Parry the las fire by catching them in your palm, after adjusting the material covering them to attain a mirror like finish, and redirect the lasers back into the tendrils firing them.

>Don the Mien of Akanksha using the "Mien of the companion loyal and true" to bolster your speed, and sprint towards Dend'kr's throne and aim to tear out his neck

>Respond by creating a psionic barrier and firing your bolter, trying to strategically disable to miniature las cannons surrounding your

>Continue to "entertain your host" and use the carp dance to attempt to dodge light and heat.

>Write in

>>5588495
>>5589839
Really enjoyed both of these, beautiful work anon.

>>5589973
Everyone was Kung Ork fighting...

>>5589983
>>Respond by creating a psionic barrier and firing your bolter, trying to strategically disable to miniature last cannons surrounding you

>>5589983
>Respond by creating a psionic barrier and firing your bolter, trying to strategically disable to miniature las cannons surrounding you

>>5589983
>Parry the las fire by catching them in your palm, after adjusting the material covering them to attain a mirror like finish, and redirect the lasers back into the tendrils firing them.

>Continue to "entertain your host" and use the carp dance to attempt to dodge light and heat.

>>5589983
I support >>5590065

Lets get him comfy before we unleash our psychic powers.

>Parry the las fire by catching them in your palm, after adjusting the material covering them to attain a mirror like finish, and redirect the lasers back into the tendrils firing them.

>Continue to "entertain your host" and use the carp dance to attempt to dodge light and heat.

Once he's shut down, we can peel him at our lesiure. To upgrade the terminator dreadnought armor variants

>>5589983
>>5590065
+1
we shall entertain him until his death.

>>5590065

Supporting a delaying action until our sons have completed some of their mission and we can close in more effectively

>>5590065
>Support

>>5590144
Support however I'd like to suggest a write in
1) go at this fully seriously we told our sons at the start of this how Fog Panthers hunt even small prey with full power.
2) make sure to mix things up so he can't learn to much from us, for even if he dies he might broadcast information on us to others as a last act of defiance

>>5589983
>Respond by creating a psionic barrier and firing your bolter, trying to strategically disable to miniature las cannons surrounding your

>>5589983
>>Parry the las fire by catching them in your palm, after adjusting the material covering them to attain a mirror like finish, and redirect the lasers back into the tendrils firing them.

>>5589983
>Parry the las fire by catching them in your palm, after adjusting the material covering them to attain a mirror like finish, and redirect the lasers back into the tendrils firing them.
>Continue to "entertain your host" and use the carp dance to attempt to dodge light and heat
Causing confusion and doubt in his mind could be a great way for slow him down

>>5590065
Dance, boy, dance!

Calling the vote now

Respond by creating a psionic barrier and firing your bolter, trying to strategically disable to miniature last cannons surrounding you: 3

Parry the las fire by catching them in your palm, after adjusting the material covering them to attain a mirror like finish, and redirect the lasers back into the tendrils firing them.: 10

Continue to "entertain your host" and use the carp dance to attempt to dodge light and heat.: 9

Serious/mixup write in: 1

Total votes: 13

So Lieren will perform the Carp's dance, attempting to dodge light and heat, and parry the lasers he is unable to dodge by reflecting them with mirrors on his palms.

Writing now

Cracking your knuckles and shifting your stance, you draw one foot back, standing on its toes as you trace a crecent with its opposite's heel, loosening up and relaxing in the moment before the barrage of killing light and burning heat begins. As you pull your fingers apart, unlocking your hands, the palms of your taloned gauntlets are polished to a mirror finish by a single mental twitch commanding the Star metal composing your arm to reorganize it molecular bonds to become a material reflective enough to deflect and bounce away light like the las shots that will soon be unleashed upon you. At least when struck at the proper angle.

Rolling your neck, you closer your eyes and expand your other senses, sensing all the minuscule electrical pulses beneath your foot, crawling up into the air through wires and more arcane pathways through the tendrils whipping and writhing all around you. It begins with the characteristic, tell tale snap of las fire. You sway and shift, using your hips as a pivot point and anchor to swing your body around like a drunkard or a fish forcing its way against the burden of a stream. The smell of burning oxygen fills your mouth and drips down your throat as, with your perceptions forcibly slowed with a steady flow of adrenaline and intense focus, you can feel the bursts of flesh searing heat that herald each roaring cannon shot erupting forth from the hair sized electrical follicles producing the beams of deadly light. Raising your hands, arms held apart, you deflect a shot with each, as continue your swaying dance, turning and twisting to dodge those that come too quickly or too closely for you to be able to react and catch them in your palm. Drawing your heels and toes, you pivot around as a new line of tendrils bursts forth from behind you and vomits forth a stream of rapid fire las beams, weaker than their more potently charged and energized counter parts. Even your inhuman reaction time would be unable to keep the pace they set, so instead you bend backwards, flipping over the initial volley and "Grab" hold of another cannon sized emittance of light and heat, twisting it and redirecting it towards the ceiling.

Whipping around, you push another away from your chest, changing its path to collide with a nearby pillar of marble. Cartwheeling, you avoid another volley of rapid fired laser beams, and throw yourself to the ground to duck under a barrage of explosive shots that burn straight through marble and steal. Slithering on your belly, crawling with your legs, you push yourself across the floor and rise up on your knees, throwing up your open hands to force away to twin las shots aimed for your neck, diverting them to the left and right where they impact on the ground with a snap and a sizzling hiss.
Cont

>>5590911

You rise to your feet, standing in the time it takes for the multitude of tendrils to retarget you and gather, firing in an offset pace to try and get past your superhuman perception and confuse your senses, natural and unnatural alike.

But to your ears, they sound like a drum beat, the sort that would be played at a raucous and merry village festival, like those that were held in your and the brothers of the panthers honor back in nothing, when all things in your life were so much simpler and your end goals much more clearly and sight in reach. Clapping your hands, you allow yourself to indulge in the memory of those times of brief innocence and mingle the carp dance with traditional dances you were taught by the old women of Nothing. There grinning, wrinkled faces surround you, welcoming ghosts of a past forever out of reach. Smiling softly, embracing the fondness of this recollection, you dance and dance, following the beat of the deadly drums and moving your hands up and down, brushing away the beams of lethal energy that you were unable to dodge or avoid completely. But you do not fall into a trance. Every since you began the dance your sworn brother Jinhai taught to you by the carp pond one day years before, you had been carefully keeping track of every inch you moved, back, forward and sideways.

And you were but two shuffling steps from being directly in front of Dend'kr's throne. And you could sense his rising concern and amazement in the static of his labored breathing. The off rhythm snapping of his las fire wasn't just to try and confuse your senses and weaken your defenses. It was also to distract you.

A great weight swung through the air, aiming for a particular vertebrae in the neck that if shattered would render a man completely paralyzed. Head bowed, you unsheathed the sword of love and spun around on your heel, and caught the mechanical crab claw between its pincers and pushing forward with all your might, drove its Empyrean wind imbued steel through the crudely fused metal and sliced cleanly down the servos of the mechanical arm controlling it. Sparks spat out, oil leaked, and putrid flames ignited. Black smoke shroud you and you knew your eyes burned with a balefully cold silver light as you stepped through it.

"Oh" Dend'kr's spoke calmly as you drew your blade from the twitching mechadendrite, oil glistening on its gold and silver hued blade "Oh shit! The Calculating subroutines of my cerebral implants did not account for the low possibility of you actually managing to near my throne, let alone the sheer improbability that that funny dance of yours would actually be an effective means of avoiding enough las fire to reduce a small army to glittering ash. You are full of surprises, Giant. I wonder if your twitching corpse will prove as intriguing. Die. Die. Die"
Cont

>>5590913

Buzz saws, snapping claws and piston powered needles shot from beneath the tangled "roots" of the throne, as heavy machine guns emerged from the ceiling, with bullets the size of a man's arm hanging by their sides waiting to be fired.

Fire crackled on the edge of your sword.

What is your second move, Lieren?

>Lunge forward, cutting through any mechadendrite that tries to impede your path towards Dend'kr's heart.

>Disable the ceiling guns with a burst of bolter fire, while continuing to dance around the lunging and swinging mechanical arms of dend'kr

>Give the boys attached to the Lord of the iron forest a merciful death. They fuel his loathsome life, and do not deserve to suffer such indignity.

>Demonstrate you ability as a psykerist and unleash a gout of warpfire directly onto Dend'kr's bloated body, spitting fire like a dragon.

>write in.

Some music for the fight, that is really fitting for our boy.

https://youtu.be/GoC8OBjs7Iw

>>5590922
>Give the boys a merciful death

And while godhunters good, I think you'll want "The longest road" or "way of the strong" for Lieren. Goodhunter is more fit for a woman while the tempo is better set with the Nameless.

>>5590922
>Give the boys attached to the Lord of the iron forest a merciful death. They fuel his loathsome life, and do not deserve to suffer such indignity.

>>5590922
>Give the boys attached to the Lord of the iron forest a merciful death. They fuel his loathsome life, and do not deserve to suffer such indignity.

>>5590922

>Give the boys attached to the Lord of the iron forest a merciful death. They fuel his loathsome life, and do not deserve to suffer such indignity.

>>5590922
>>Give the boys attached to the Lord of the iron forest a merciful death. They fuel his loathsome life, and do not deserve to suffer such indignity.

>>5590922
>Disable the ceiling guns with a burst of bolter fire, while continuing to dance around the lunging and swinging mechanical arms of dend'kr
Should we really kill the boys without trying to save them?

>>5590922
Dend'kr lives only thanks to the boys and the machines, and he uses the machines has a bridge for receive everything. Perhaps then a taste of his own medicine...
>Disable the ceiling guns with a burst of bolter fire, while continuing to dance around the lunging and swinging mechanical arms of dend'kr
>Write In
While fighting observe the machinery connected to the boys and the tyrant, there might be a system for redirect the vital fluids from the tyrant to the boys. It will prove quite the challenge, since no doubt Dend'kr has the primary means for control his own feeding inside his brain and might calculate a possibility for us to give a quick mercy kill to the boys. But a few secondary means for safety (in case the primary fails) could exist.

>>5590922
>Give the boys attached to the Lord of the iron forest a merciful death. They fuel his loathsome life, and do not deserve to suffer such indignity.

>Demonstrate you ability as a psykerist and unleash a gout of warpfire directly onto Dend'kr's bloated body, spitting fire like a dragon

GOJIRRAAAAA! ITS GOJIRAA!

>>5590922
>>Give the boys attached to the Lord of the iron forest a merciful death. They fuel his loathsome life, and do not deserve to suffer such indignity.

>>5591126
The way Malal has described them so far as dessicated and mummified doesn't leave me a lot of hope for them but if a couple of them are healthy then we should save them

>>5590922
>Disable the ceiling guns with a burst of bolter fire, while continuing to dance around the lunging and swinging mechanical arms of dend'kr

>>5590922
>>Give the boys attached to the Lord of the iron forest a merciful death. They fuel his loathsome life, and do not deserve to suffer such indignity.

One thing I find kind of interesting about Dend'kr, at least from what we have seen of him so far, is that I can sort of immediatly understand his thought process and how he came to be who he is now.

I imagine this young powerful Noble Highrider, born of a respected family that possesses wonders. Born from a time when they understood so much of what They used, coupled with an intelligence that could fathom the implications behind it all.

Perhaps he studied all he could, learned what he could, or maybe in youthful arrogance simply took all the technology for granted thinking it would always be there. Either way, something made him realize the decay of humanity, maybe a teacher dying before he could impart all his knowledge, or discovery of a machine that no one knew how to work anymore to gain its power.

He’s faced with the very face of entropy, the grind of time that has made humanity simpletons compared to what they once were. Maybe he even begins to feel time begin to grind away against his own person.

When I first read him he makes mention of this grinding away of knowledge each generation, and I filed it under just Nurgal talk. But instead of accepting it, he’s fought against it. He viewed human life as lesser to what knowledge would go away should he die, or should no one stand against it, so he survives.

Idk, I’m ranting at this point and maybe I’m super over thinking this but I just like this look at a character that seemingly is opposing Entropy and death so much that he has become a different kind of monster than just someone who gave into Nihilism or accepts that nothing matters. What he cares about matters so much that he fights death even now.

Course I could be wrong and it could just be more simple than that, but this is what was going through my mind.
>>5590986
Support. No matter what his reasons, he’s an abomination that needs to be put down, and these young men need mercy.

Calling the vote now. Sorry for the wait.

Give the boys attached to the Lord of the iron forest a merciful death. They fuel his loathsome life, and do not deserve to suffer such indignity.:9

Disable the ceiling guns with a burst of bolter fire, while continuing to dance around the lunging and swinging mechanical arms of dend'kr:3

While fighting observe the machinery connected to the boys and the tyrant, there might be a system for redirect the vital fluids from the tyrant to the boys. :1

Demonstrate you ability as a psykerist and unleash a gout of warpfire directly onto Dend'kr's bloated body, spitting fire like a dragon:1

Total votes: 13

So Lieren will mercifully dispatch the victims of Lord Dend'kr, allowing them to pass with some measure of dignity whilst also weakening the tyrant whom relies on their vital fluids to remain living.

Writing now.

>>5593366
Been enjoying your quest, btw. Love me some ATLA

>>5593679
Oh cool, honestly happy to hear you enjoy it! Thank you

>>5593697
I've likewise been loving your quest, been here since the beginning actually even.

Your style kind of influence dhow i wanted to do quests

But in your ears rang a mournful, pitiful song. The cries of the abused and tortured, the brand upon your brow lessened the veil between the realms of sanity and that of dreams. And through your truth seeking eyes, you could see the specters, the still living souls of the corpses drained of all vitality and life, sucked dry to feed the flickering flame that was lord Dend'kr's abhorrent mockery of true life. How they had once been, before they were plucked like unripened peaches and plums to be pressed and squeezed to give their vital, life sustaining fluids to ancient, undecaying revenant whom has sufficed on such a foul elixir for generations, centuries perhaps, maybe even eons.

Kept alive by the life force of others, stolen from their breasts, drained from their veins, torn from their lungs. He used them as auxiliary organs, and burdened their ailing, half waking minds with the thankless task of computing engines. An twisted mirror of the beautiful admixture and mingling of souls that birthed Kanzeon and her kind. More akin to the cannibalistic spiritual parasitism practiced by the lord of the endless night, that cur Kamal Kanan. They were pleading to you, beseeching you, begging you to end their suffering, to cut short their torment. To grant them reprieve. To give unto them a merciful death. Their souls and the ghosts of those who suffered this nightmarish fate before them, join into an angelic choir singing the most sorrowful song you have ever heard. It reminds you of the last known Qilin, once captured and tormented by Aeldari slavers, caged and pen where it wept. Desperation, despair and utter hopelessness. It enrages you. It brings you to the deepest, stygian fathoms of your rage. But the conflagration of righteous fury quiets and becomes cool and motionless. Like a lake in winter. Black and fathomless, but serene and contained.

Without a moment of hesitation or thought, your arm lifts, your finger curls and a hail of bolter fire explodes in the tangle morass of machinery surrounding Dend'kr like tangling roots and choking vines. Eyes narrowed sharply, a tremble travels through you, as the frozen rage within you demands to be released, to roar out and scream to swallow the skies and paint the world in blood and ash. But you will not kill these young men, these innocent children who cannot be saved by even Kanzeon's arcane medical technologies and knowledge, as a raging beast or a roaring ogre. They shall be ended rightly and respectfully by the hand of a man oft called a hero. If you allowed anger to cloud your mind, you might miss and cause them an even more excruciating death than the prolonged, endless suffering they have been subjected. How long have they languished here, you dare not contemplate or consider, lest you add fuel the inferno smoldering inside your soul, shrieking to be unleashed to wreck bloody handed vengence upon all who allowed this atrocity to be born into the world.

Cont

>>5593701

A cascade of explosions and a storm of shrapnel is the only funerary song these unfortunates shall be given. At least, until you can squeeze out the last choking, pitiful gasps of breath of their abuser. The monster before you, smiling smugly, even as you can sense the spark in his chest, the spirit clinging to the fetid vessel of greying flesh and sagging obesity. Blood, pink and frothing, dribbles from his lips, his eyes have already become sunken and paradoxically he seems shrunken, half mummified himself as the source of his rejuvenation has been stemmed, skin wrinkled and no longer taught. It has torn and sloughed away near the ports where once the stolen fluid of youth flowed, now only burning air is pumped. That should've been enough alone to kill a man of his age and ill health. Yet he still clung to life, such was the force of his will. And even though it had taken but a moment to silence the cries of his unwilling donors, the purely mechanical intellects implanted withing his skull and connected to his psyche beyond it had reacted with similar haste to yourself.

He did not waste time gloating, or mocking you for his mistake. He struck the moment you turned you bolter from him to grant the poor souls he fed upon a kindness.

"You did the right thing" Kanzeon whispers in that same moment, her fair voice trembling with a rage perhaps even greater than your own as you were cast in the shadow of the thousand arms of Dend'kr, as he sought to pummel you to dust with overwhelming aggression. There was no retreating, for at your back, the laser firing tendrils stood as a wall. He was going to try to beat you to death or blast you to pieces.

Unfortunately. While his mind is aided by engines of raw logic undiluted by emotion, your own IS. And already, it has calculated the response and counter with the highest percentage of success.

And what is that counter, Lieren?

>Unleashing your rage and surprised emotions, performing "Reality flickers before the approaching storm" and drawing the throne room into a world born of the ogre's fury

>Standing completely still, pacing your breath and telekinetically tossing yourself at Dend'kr as a living spear.

>Transforming your armor into a protective shield, bolstered by psionic energy and simply attempting to outlast Dend'kr

>Tossing a water generating stone at the bastard, already primed and readied and calibrated to only affect Dend'kr and his throne.

>write in

>>5593698
Well that just tickles me pink! Thank you. That's incredible to hear! Reading that really brightened my day, amigo!

>>5593703
>Standing completely still, pacing your breath and telekinetically tossing yourself at Dend'kr as a living spear.
He can't catch us with his claws if we're going fast enough, nor can he maintain all of his lasguns aim on us without shooting himself. Simple, but very effective.

>>5593703
Reality flickers is a fucking amazing thing buuuuuuut.

>Stand completely still, become a living spear.
You don't deserve the satisfaction.

>>5593703
>Transforming your armor into a protective shield, bolstered by psionic energy and simply attempting to outlast Dend'kr
>Standing completely still, pacing your breath and telekinetically tossing yourself at Dend'kr as a living spear.

>>5593703
>Standing completely still, pacing your breath and telekinetically tossing yourself at Dend'kr as a living spear.

LOAD ME INTO A SPEAR AND FIRE ME AT THE CHAOS WORSHIPERS. GLORY TO THE EMPEROR.

>>5593718
>support

>>5593703
>>Standing completely still, pacing your breath and telekinetically tossing yourself at Dend'kr as a living spear.

>>5593703
>>Standing completely still, pacing your breath and telekinetically tossing yourself at Dend'kr as a living spear.
We will plank him to death

>>5593703
>Standing completely still, pacing your breath and telekinetically tossing yourself at Dend'kr as a living spear.

Horus stood beside his father brow furrowed while they watched Lieren and Magnus spar from a raised balcony. The son of Cthonia had come to meet his newest brother and already he was getting a more full measure of him, he'd already learned of Lieren's innovations, off world adventures, his history from his discussions with the Emperor and had even read the philosophy of his wayward kin; the Journey. So Horus knew the man to be a cunning strategist, a charismatic leader, a builder and... Hunter.

Watching the Wolf and Panther circle one another both in but loin clothes despite the snow and howling wind, a wind that masked his current conversation with the Emperor of Man.

“How would you beat them Father?” a asked not looking away from the brawl below, Russ having laughed at something said by Lieren and launched himself forward and swung his fist in a wide arc faster than any mere human could follow, Lieren countered by deflecting the blow with a palm then slamming it into the face of the Wolf King whom despite the blow handing true didn't even flinch instead smiling a fanged grin behind the palm grabbing the Panther's arm and delivering a counter blow to Lieren's exposed rib. The two quickly distanced themselves again clearly sizing up one another's reaction speeds and power.

“beat them Horus? They are your brothers to work beside?”

“Russ said brothers fight when I first met him, I offered a spar and he said 'Fight' but when I look upon them a feudal and barbarian I grow concerned.”

The Emperor turned from the fight to him with an eyebrow raised “oh?”

“Lieren is a trickster, Russ a warmonger...they will serve well so long as it suits them...what if they turn on you”

Horus felt cold a moment and a fury glinted in his father's eyes a moment before fading into something else...pity?

“I tell you this now Horus of all my sons those two will never turn against humanity.”

“You are sure?”

“As sure as I am you will grow closer tot hem in time and will come to understand them.”

Horus who had remained watching the fight largely had only seen two warlords growing ever bolder, striking ever harder, blows that once probed now slip the ground, throws and grapples that could buckle tanks, speeds growing faster and faster...his brothers...his competition.

Finally though the clash below ended, Russ spat out a few teeth and struggled to move one side of his body? Lieren staggered one side of his body a mass of bruises and a ring of black around one of his golden eyes. Yet the two walked together supporting one another laughing.

The Emperor turned to leave but Horus stood looking at the bloody ring below and his fists tightened...such faith in Sons only just found? What about him?

----

>>5593703
>Standing completely still, pacing your breath and telekinetically tossing yourself at Dend'kr as a living spear.
*ahem* "Yeet"

>>5594531
>“Russ said brothers fight when I first met him, I offered a spar and he said 'Fight' but when I look upon them a feudal and barbarian I grow concerned.”

This line is hilarious considering that Horus was a fucking ganger when Big E found him.

>>5594531
And so the Emperor in his golden glory; with his psyonic might, which kade reading the surface thoughts of an audacious bitch such as Horus is, backhanded his judgemental manchild of a son. His voice rumbled like thunder, hie gaze could melt adamantium, his dissapointment could unbirth she who thirsts; all of this contempt directed at Horus and he declared.
"Just found? Just found?!"- the Emperor's voice boomed across the arena, interrupting the joyful mirth of the brothers. Russ looked puzzled, trying to piece together the puzzle laid before him, was this a jest by their father or had his newly met brother truly enraged him so; Lieren looked at the scene before him with his frigid golden gaze, the play laid before him like the backstage of a performer, even the warplings sent to watch because they can withstand his father's sheer presence trembled, something was wrong.
"You let jealousy grow in you already Horus?! You who has been the longest under my tutelage?! You who has gotten the most love from me?!" The arena shook, plascrete cracked under the sheer boom of the master's voice, Horus stood petrified before the indignation of one he admired so much.
"Look at Russ, can you not see the sheer strenght of character he radiates? It borders hypocrisy! Now look at Lieren, a mirror of his brother; underhanded, mischievous, mannered; why do you think they get along? Could you suspect your own brother so wicked to mask his nature from his brother's instincts?"
The Emperor turned his stride once again, letting his dissapointment show for all to see.
"Reevaluate your ego Horus, it doesn't let you see the virtue in two of the most humane of your brothers. And for what it is worth, Lieren was not found, he sought me"
>Tldr: bitch

>>5593703
>>Transforming your armor into a protective shield, bolstered by psionic energy and simply attempting to outlast Dend'kr

Calling the vote now. Sorry for the wait.

Standing completely still, pacing your breath and telekinetically tossing yourself at Dend'kr as a living spear.:9

Transforming your armor into a protective shield, bolstered by psionic energy and simply attempting to outlast Dend'kr:3

total votes: 10

So Lieren will wield his own body as a spear and fling himself towards his enemy, writing now.

>>5594531
Ooooh, this was really nice. Excellent writing for our boy Lupercal

>>5594701
>>5594655
Lmao

There is a saying, that has lessened in recent years and is beginning to fade from common usage and when it is spoken its meaning is oft different from its original, traditional meaning. As bold as a panther in the hunt. The Fog Panthers of southern Long-Jia are respected, venerated even but the grip of fear they once held over the people has waned. The roads you built and lights you lit have provided a security that warns away what once were the dominant predator of mankind from settlements, as they expand, grow loud and pierce the veil of fog and mist with there street lights. It is this idiom that comes to your mind, that is the seed of the strategy you have determined will be most effective in this specific scenario, beneath a writing mass of stone and bone breaking metal tentacles already rending through steel as they whip and snap with such vicious speed as to heat the air from force of friction alone.

As bold as a panther in the hunt, how many times its original meaning has been applied to you and your brothers from Nothing. Bold enough to Hunt a panther, once meaning so foolishly overconfident as to court death without thought, to challenge a peerless master in their chosen field, now has taken the place of the older saying as well as its meaning. And, though it might be arrogant to assume you alone are the force beyond this evolution of vernacular, you certainly embody both phrases. For, even if your chosen path is fraught with dangers that would seem to spell certain doom with cursory consideration, you shall take the first step without hesitation.

And that is why you stand as still as a statue of carved stone, hands pressed together as if in prayer, head bowed slightly and every muscle compressed and tightened to harden a body already tempered and refined beyond its initial inhuman boundaries. Slowing your breathing, pacing it a repetitive beep Kanzeon sounds through your continuous mental connection you lift up your head, roll your shoulders and part your hands, lifting one up and the other down. Drawing them, clockwise and counter clockwise, you change their position, tracing two halves of a circle that shall remain forever incomplete. And as you breath out, you draw in a second breath but not with your lungs. But rather the central connective point of your bodies meridians, your dantian.

This throne room is filled with Qi. Most of it of a degraded and lesser quality, A malevolent daemonic energy. But your eyes can pick out a grain of sand in a bushel of rice and your keenly uncanny perceptions of the unseen realms of the empyrean have alerted to you of a suitable energy to draw upon beneath the mire of agony and torment. Metal Qi. Drawing it up from the soles of your feet and from the mysterious alloys of your star metal armor, you infuse it into your hands which begin to glow with a grey white light, pulsing from a core centered in the palm of your lifted, left hand.
Cont

>>5596023

Then in your lowered, Right hand you pull from the essence of the moisture in the air and conjure a sphere of wispy water Qi, supplementing and bolstering it with the Silvered Moonlight of your heart. Metal and Water, both Yin elements. Clapping your hands together in front of your body's lower most dantian, you feed the sphere of metal energy to its counterpart made of water.

There's no way for you escape injury, which is why you have chosen to reduce the damage you sustained by creating around yourself an aura of far below freezing temperatures, which will hopefully delay some of the incoming strikes long enough for you to course out a path of trajectory for a primarch sized projectile, namely yourself. In the midst clattering steel and snapping las fire, you can feel the weight of Kanzeon's disbelief and judgement for your chosen course of action.

Enduring several strikes powerful enough to reduce a normal man to a splatter across the ground, you await the opening of the pathway to Lord Dend'kr as the man laughs at your "Pitiful display of psychic might" not realizing that it was merely a defensive measure rather than a trump card technique meant to steal away his life. Laser fire flies around you, over and around you, like so many stars shooting through the sky, increasing in power and heat as Dend'kr struggles to crack the shield granted to you by your ever watching lover in the skies.

The gate cracks open, and you throw it fully open. Expending the remaining water Qi gathered around you, you swallow it all into your lungs, removing the chill of your air and tossing it to expand the pool of moonlight in your heart and that is the energy you use to fuel and strengthen the simple but lethally effective psykerist technique. A novice's practice, a master's art, Guozhi once called it.

Spirit's touch.

So the hunter becomes his own spear and Dend'kr's glassy, lifeless eyes alight with the first flickering light of terror as he sees you rise and take flight to land atop the steps of his throne, arm raised and hand pressed into a spear. Judging from the wailing of the machines surrounding and within his repugnant body, you just broke a sensor tracking your speed. With dents and holes bored and melted in your arm and carrying a great deal of momentum still, you plunge your spear arm into Dend'kr's chest and through his heart, grabbing hold of the cybernetics implanted into it and crushing them in your hand as with a wet sound, you rip them from every device and organ within Dend'kr's already dying body. Deprived of what little healthy blood yet remained in his body, he would die in the span of half a second, the time it'd take you to pull your arm from the gaping hole you made with in his chest and.
Cont

"Right where I want you" His voice synthesizer wheezed as it died "This frail body of bio-matter was a worthy lure. Did you believe me so vain to cling to it entirely? When it was so near its natural demise? Countermeasures were in place long before you stepped from your hermit's cave, mist-demon"

His neck cracks, and before you can grab hold of it, it is drawn deeper into the throne, laughing as it vanished.

"An explosive trap?" You asked, tapping your foot on the ground.

Nothing happened. And you could feel confusion rippling from the wires Dend'kr hides within.

"I think you'll find it, along with the weapons within this palace that could wound me severely, has been disabled" You cheekily mock as several explosions rock other wings of the palace "Your fortress is now more fitting to be a tomb, no?"

"A DISTRACTION!?" The head screams, as you hear the sound of tiny scuttling feet on the ceiling "All of it, a distraction!"

"So that is what you truly sound like, Lord Dend'kr" You sigh through your teeth "Did you think me a solitary predator"

"Parley! Parley!" His voice shrieks from the dark.

"You're a lucky bastard, Lieren" Kanzeon laughs in your head, breathless with worry "I'm impressed by your composure, even after reading your blueprint as often as I have. It is delightful watching that fucker scramble away, even through your helmet's feed. How cowardly he is when his toys have been taken from him"

"Just another expression of his wisdom, fouled by wickedness as it is. His is a mind unclouded by pride or shame!" You laugh, throwing back your head as you step away from the throne, still tracking Dend'kr's escape route "He used his own corpse to keep me from reacting immediately to his hurriedly planned escape, much reduced yes, but still alive and capable of leading. That's all that matters to the wretch"

"I'd praise the computers he plugged into himself for that particular feat, darling. There is no wisdom in turning yourself into a glorified puddle of quivering fat atop spindly spider legs" Kanzeon dryly and hatefully remarked "Only cowardice and fear. He took so much to keep his body alive, only to forsake it the moment he had no means to preserve it further. Such an utter waste of human life and ingenuity. How many bodies did he drain into that rotting skeptical, just to toss it aside like garbage when it could be no longer maintained by way of a sudden onset case of pissing you off. A terminal condition"

"I've never known anyone to survive it" You chuckle warmly as you walk calmly beneath the vent Dend'kr is scurrying through like a rat "I must believe he has a secondary body stowed away somewhere?"

"Of course" She hissed "If your sons haven't rendered it inoperable, in which case the bastard will expire within hours, as he should've done a long time ago. Couldn't fit many life supporting devices within his own cranium, sans its lower jaw"

"A ghastly form" You remark shaking your head "Just an ambulatory skull at this point"

>>5596027

What do you do now that Dend'kr has fled, Lieren?

>Continue your pursuit and end him rightly. A lingering death is something no man should be made to endure

>"Nikephoros, our target has adopted a new form, sending coordinates of his possible destination and routes to intercept"

>Take control of Dend'ron's defenses and turn them against its defenders, ending the siege from within as you signal Dae-Hyun to charge

>Investigate and take apart the throne itself, knowing it to be comprised of numerous dangerous technologies and knowing Dend'kr was not the only intelligence seated within it.

>Write in

>>5596029
>"Nikephoros, our target has adopted a new form, sending coordinates of his possible destination and routes to intercept"
>Investigate and take apart the throne itself, knowing it to be comprised of numerous dangerous technologies and knowing Dend'kr was not the only intelligence seated within it.

>>5596029
>>Take control of Dend'ron's defenses and turn them against its defenders, ending the siege from within as you signal Dae-Hyun to charge

>>5596029
>Continue your pursuit and end him rightly. A lingering death is something no man should be made to endure
>"Nikephoros, our target has adopted a new form, sending coordinates of his possible destination and routes to intercept"
End this Hunt together with our sons as it began, team building! We'll handle the rest later.

>>5596029
>>"Nikephoros, our target has adopted a new form, sending coordinates of his possible destination and routes to intercept"
>>Take control of Dend'ron's defenses and turn them against its defenders, ending the siege from within as you signal Dae-Hyun to charge
It's always nice to work with professionals.

>>5596029
Support >>5596033

Lets take a look at the throne, leave our sons to catch the rat.

>>5596027
>>>"Nikephoros, our target has adopted a new form, sending coordinates of his possible destination and routes to intercept"
>>>Take control of Dend'ron's defenses and turn them against its defenders, ending the siege from within as you signal Dae-Hyun to charge

>>5596029
>"Nikephoros, our target has adopted a new form, sending coordinates of his possible destination and routes to intercept"
>Take control of Dend'ron's defenses and turn them against its defenders, ending the siege from within as you signal Dae-Hyun to charge

First things first, lessen the casualties that the charge would take on the way into the city then

>Investigate and take apart the throne itself, knowing it to be comprised of numerous dangerous technologies and knowing Dend'kr was not the only intelligence seated

>>5596029

>Continue your pursuit and end him rightly. A lingering death is something no man should be made to endure

>"Nikephoros, our target has adopted a new form, sending coordinates of his possible destination and routes to intercept"

>>5596029
>"Nikephoros, our target has adopted a new form, sending coordinates of his possible destination and routes to intercept"
>Take control of Dend'ron's defenses and turn them against its defenders, ending the siege from within as you signal Dae-Hyun to charge

>>5596029
>"Nikephoros, our target has adopted a new form, sending coordinates of his possible destination and routes to intercept"

>Take control of Dend'ron's defenses and turn them against its defenders, ending the siege from within as you signal Dae-Hyun to charge

>>5596029
>"Nikephoros, our target has adopted a new form, sending coordinates of his possible destination and routes to intercept"
>Investigate and take apart the throne itself, knowing it to be comprised of numerous dangerous technologies and knowing Dend'kr was not the only intelligence seated within it.

Hmmm, either it is a man of iron or that greater daemon was meddling here.

>>5596391
Support, I think this is a perfect opportunity to teach our sons on how to properly end a tyrant.

Show them that we capture him, charge him with his crimes, and grant him his last pleasure or boon before a quick execution.

I feel that is an important thing to make clear with them.

>>5596029 #

>Continue your pursuit and end him rightly. A lingering death is something no man should be made to endure

>"Nikephoros, our target has adopted a new form, sending coordinates of his possible destination and routes to intercept"

>>5596029
>>"Nikephoros, our target has adopted a new form, sending coordinates of his possible destination and routes to intercept"
>Investigate and take apart the throne itself, knowing it to be comprised of numerous dangerous technologies and knowing Dend'kr was not the only intelligence seated within it.

Bring the rat bastard to justice if possible, a proper public execution is in order.
Hanging.
Lets see who is inside, evil spirit or not we will end it. In addition best if we deny it the use of the throne for any additional moment (I doubt he would be able to use it for a sneak attack, but for other functions perhaps like sending info in case its a machine to other tyrants)

>"Nikephoros, our target has adopted a new form, sending coordinates of his possible destination and routes to intercept"
>Investigate and take apart the throne itself, knowing it to be comprised of numerous dangerous technologies and knowing Dend'kr was not the only intelligence seated within it.

The rest of our troops can handle the rest.
We however need to ensure the throne doesn't have a second surprise waiting for other less durable allies.

Calling the vote now, sorry for the long wait.

"Nikephoros, our target has adopted a new form, sending coordinates of his possible destination and routes to intercept":14

Continue your pursuit and end him rightly. A lingering death is something no man should be made to endure: 4

Investigate and take apart the throne itself, knowing it to be comprised of numerous dangerous technologies and knowing Dend'kr was not the only intelligence seated within it.:6

Take control of Dend'ron's defenses and turn them against its defenders, ending the siege from within as you signal Dae-Hyun to charge:6

total votes: 15

So Lieren shall contact Nikephoros and set him on the trail of what remains of Lord Dend'kr

writing now

"Nikephoros" You say commandingly, transmitting your voice through the vox with but a fragment of a thought, walking without pausing down the emptied halls of the Dend'kr palace, searching for survivors or pockets of resistance in need of rescue or extermination "our target has adopted a new form. Your sabotage has proven most effective in pulling from his jaws his numerous fangs. The dangers of this city and this palace in particular have been greatly lessened by the work of you and your brothers. Many lives have been saved by your hidden deeds this night"

There was a silence, and you heard your geneson inhale sharply, composing himself to speak after being awarded with such high praise spoken by his own primarch"

"I was simply following orders, Genesire" He humbly replies "But you've contacted me through the encrypted frequency, that means there's a secondary objective to pursue now that we've made some fireworks and done our demolition work, right?"

"Of course. Lord Dend'kr stills lives, even in his new, wretched and reduced form. But he has escaped my net and fled through passages much too narrow for my frame. I've already anticipated the most likely pathways he shall take to reach his destination" You explain as Kanzeon goes oddly silent and you can feel her focus shift from you to elsewhere, as she sulks away to investigate something that has caught both her attention and suspicion. Something she does not alert you to, or warn you of. And if she believed it to pose a threat to anyone she would've spoken of it so you do not worry for her safety as you wander the silent, darkened halls of the high rider palace.

"Stubborn bastard isn't he. Can't just roll over and die with some dignity. Shall I take the honor of putting the bullet in his skull, Father?' He asks bluntly as you hear bolter fire through his vox and in the distance

"Sending coordinates of his possible destination and routes to intercept, Good Hunting, Son" You say with a low chuckle, amused by his curtness and you swear you can see the smile on his face as he signs off to follow his new orders. The smirk of a hunter sighting their prey and heading out in pursuit of it.

But now that Dend'kr's fate had been sealed and his death was certain and Kanzeon was busying herself without whatever required her immediate attention yet which was simultaneously not of enough importance or at least presented no immediate danger, There was nothing that required you immediate attention. You had completed the mission you had given yourself and crippled Dend'ron's leadership and soon its defensives would fall or be willingly lowered. There was no reason to skulk around in search of battle, the men in the palace and the remaining Dend'kr would surely surrender the moment they found that their patriarch had been cut down and their defenses would not hold the night against the forces that rallied against their walls again and again.
Cont

>>5599510

But that was no reason to be idle. There was still work to be done.

And what was that work, Lieren?

>Gathering the remaining nobility and keeping them from being lynched. They would be judged by the proper authority. Angron. It would be a good test to see for your brother, after all

>With the aid of Kanzeon's drones and the local beggar sect cell, secure the city behind the Dend'ron army as they meet Dae-Hyun's forces again and save any whom have been injured by falling rubble or misplaced bombs/ artillery

>Contacting Angron, knowing he is having a meeting with his generals at this moment, and tell him the good news, to silence those muttering about your lack of a presence on the field of war

>Lay a trap for the Dend'kr's allies. You can easily mimic Lord Dend'kr's synthetic voice with a vox and with it, you can lead more high riders to their well deserved fates.

>Write in

Sorry for the short update, couldn't think of much to write this time and I didn't think a cutaway to Nikephoros dealing with a head on spiderlegs would've been terribly interesting to write or read.

>>5599511
Sure, Nikephoros killing a head with spider legs wouldn't be very interesting but it would provide an opportunity to show the banter and discussions between the foremost sons of Lieren afterwards would it not? Or are they not together and I am misremembering?

>>5599511
>>Lay a trap for the Dend'kr's allies. You can easily mimic Lord Dend'kr's synthetic voice with a vox and with it, you can lead more high riders to their well deserved fates.
>>Gathering the remaining nobility and keeping them from being lynched. They would be judged by the proper authority. Angron. It would be a good test to see for your brother, after all
>>Write in
Force a rapid collapse of the defensive side of the siege by giving poor orders that allow the sieging army to storm the city.

These complement each other. Give orders, gather the nobles and their household troops together and get them into a compromising position. If we then gather the lords for a personal audience, we can them capture the lot at one foul swoop and leave no able commander. At the same time we can order them to bring all their dependants to the palace or some other place 'for their protection' while conspiring to let the attackers in with conflicting orders.

>>5599511
>supporting >>5599516

>>5599516
Support plus a small write in

>What have you found my dearly betrothed?

>>5599511
I support >>5599516


Lieren: "Ayo my brother! I just got this entire city to hand over to you with 30 men.
Oh hey there guys, didn't know you'd be here talkin' shit about me."

>>5599511
>Contacting Angron, knowing he is having a meeting with his generals at this moment, and tell him the good news, to silence those muttering about your lack of a presence on the field of war
>Gathering the remaining nobility and keeping them from being lynched. They would be judged by the proper authority. Angron. It would be a good test to see for your brother, after all

Well here is hoping Kanzeon is dealing with the ai/daemon/etc in the throne though I am starting to wonder if some of the more concerning choices only exist if we pick them.
I suppose if that greater daemon is absolutely a thing Lieren will at least get a option to deal with it soon since it is a fucking greater daemon.

>>5599511
>Gathering the remaining nobility and keeping them from being lynched. They would be judged by the proper authority. Angron. It would be a good test to see for your brother, after all
>Ask Kanzeon to look at the throne, there was another entity in it.
I'm not risking an AI uprising

>>5599511
>>Lay a trap for the Dend'kr's allies. You can easily mimic Lord Dend'kr's synthetic voice with a vox and with it, you can lead more high riders to their well deserved fates.
>Gathering the remaining nobility and keeping them from being lynched. They would be judged by the proper authority. Angron. It would be a good test to see for your brother, after all
>Ask Kanzeon to look at the throne, there was another entity in it.

>>5599516
i also support this plan, and yeah give a check to that throne
>>5599511

>>5599511
I'll add to my vote here >>5599536
>Ask Kanzeon to look at the throne, there was another entity in it.

>>5599511
>Gathering the remaining nobility and keeping them from being lynched. They would be judged by the proper authority. Angron. It would be a good test to see for your brother, after all


>Contacting Angron, knowing he is having a meeting with his generals at this moment, and tell him the good news, to silence those muttering about your lack of a presence on the field of war

>>5599511
>>Contacting Angron, knowing he is having a meeting with his generals at this moment, and tell him the good news, to silence those muttering about your lack of a presence on the field of war
>>Gathering the remaining nobility and keeping them from being lynched. They would be judged by the proper authority. Angron. It would be a good test to see for your brother, after all

>>5599511
>Ask Kanzeon to look at the throne, there was another entity in it.

>>5599752
+1

>>5599912

Supporting this plan while checking in with Kanzeon about that throne

>>5599511
>Contacting Angron, knowing he is having a meeting with his generals at this moment, and tell him the good news, to silence those muttering about your lack of a presence on the field of war

>>5599516
Supporting this

Calling the vote now. Sorry for the wait.

Lay a trap for the Dend'kr's allies. You can easily mimic Lord Dend'kr's synthetic voice with a vox and with it, you can lead more high riders to their well deserved fates.:8

Gathering the remaining nobility and keeping them from being lynched. They would be judged by the proper authority. Angron. It would be a good test to see for your brother, after all:13

Force a rapid collapse of the defensive side of the siege by giving poor orders that allow the sieging army to storm the city.:6

What have you found my dearly betrothed/Ask Kanzeon to look at the throne, there was another entity in it.:7

Contacting Angron, knowing he is having a meeting with his generals at this moment, and tell him the good news, to silence those muttering about your lack of a presence on the field of war:5

Total votes:15

So Lieren will lay a trap for the Dend'kr's allies, then after that, ask Kanzeon what it is she's investigating/ to check on the throne itself (which is what she is investigating), before gathering the remaining nobility and protecting them from any lynch mobs that may form so they may be judged justly by the proper authority. Angron

Writing now

>>5599686
Oh that troublesome wicked spirit is still out there, doing wicked things.

>>5599514
Shit. that's a good idea. ah well, hindsight is 20/20 as they say,

>>5599595
Kek

But before that work can be done, a wave of curiosity and dread rose up like floodwaters within you as, unconsciously you pieced together a piece of information you had filed away to be pondered and meditated upon later during your brief confrontation with the decayed form of Lord Dend'kr. That there were secondary intelligences lurking within its machinery and yawning depths besides the twisted intellect of Dend'kr himself or the numerous auxiliary minds connected to his own by the invasive cybernetics that drained their original bodies of any semblance of life. You could tell that the presences you sensed, at the edge of your perception, were not human by any definition, even your own accepting one. You knew the form and make of a human soul, but the sparks of wisdom you beheld at the edge of your vision were other. Not in the same manner as the souls of Aeldari, but rather that now that you mull over the momentary glimpse you caught of the other presences, that they were not souls at all yet you sensed intelligence and self within them. Realizing this, and realizing that this had to be what had gotten Kanzeon to act so queerly and swiftly, not even pausing to explain the reasons for her sudden shift of attentions or the purpose of her hurried investigations, you reached out to her mind desperately and only found a wall of boiling rage bubbling forth, frustration and contempt deeper than you had ever seen to grip her kindly, always welcoming heart.

You do not need to speak to relay the question smoldering in your mind to her, though she takes her time in answering it, ruminating and festering in the fires of her frustration and cursing in languages long dead as you stand still, somehow feeling more dread than before.

"It got away" She hissed, her voice reverberating through the machinery within the palace itself "just like its toady it ran away, fleeing from my sight"

"What?" You ask quietly as you realize that you could take advantage of the technology now broadcasting your beloved voice to your ears through the walls of you enemies' fallen palace

"I don't know" She admitted angrily "It was able to notice my snooping and counter my attempts to cage it within its own code. It didn't try to fight me, but proved that it could if it desired to. Instead, it just vanished. That doesn't happen with mundane code or transplanted psyches or digitized souls or copies of minds. The make up doesn't allow a transference than smooth and quick"

"An Abominable intelligence?" You asked, voice hollow and ringing even to your own ears. You understand the threat such entities pose to mankind, Kanzeon herself told you and her sisters only hammered the point deeper
Cont

>>5601389

"I fear as such. Couldn't restrain its pattern long enough to get an accurate read and I'm not so proud to directly transmit the data I was able to prune from it to myself for deeper anaylzes" She grumbled "I..go be a hero, darling, I need to scour the rest of this palace's network and mainframes. This fucker was clever, I didn't even notice it was here until after you...released the poor souls turned to glorified wetware. It was using them and Dend'kr as a cover for any prying eyes that could pierce the digital veil"

"I shall leave you to your work then, but do take care to be safe. If it could resist your will, my love, it would have surely trapped its lair to deny it to any whom could chase it from it" You say gravely, tapping a hand on the wall "I would tear this palace down brick by brick if you were harmed in your pursuit of it"

"That'd be grossly inefficient, how unlike you. You should just have Dandan blow it to kingdom come instead" She jokes, trying to set you at ease and not wanting you to be distracted by the dangers she willingly risks. Dangers she takes head on to protect not only you but everyone within the palace and beyond its walls.

Feeling the weight of her ancient mind once more pull away from your own, you set your own plan into motion. With a thought, you send an electronic signal to deliver a message to Nikephoros and your twenty three other sons, updating the objectives of their mission to take hostage all of the Dend'kr family and servants within the palace, only killing those who put up a resistance fierce enough to threaten their lives, before securing the captured nobles and working alongside you to shepard the lesser high riders to a safe zone. A prison made of the Dend'kr's own heavily fortified and stocked palace. Where they should be protected from any lynch mobs or over zealous elements of your own forces, while they await trial from the proper justice of Nuceria. That delivered by the hand of the lord of the red sands, your own brother, Angron.

A trial that shall also serve as a test for him, to see his measure as a ruler and leader of men. But, while they carry out your latest command, you will be digging your hands into a corpse to retrieve a vocal synthesizer and with your innated technological expertise, connecting it to the vox arrays of the palace and creating an irresistible bait for Dend'ron's allies, laying a trap for them to fall into, so they may be similarly crushed and dealt with as the Dend'kr themselves shall soon be.

It is dirty, unpleasant work. You do not take pleasure in mauling the corpses of your enemies, but, in present circumstances, it is no different than butchering a beast for meat. Though rather than sustenance, you seek to merely recycle the cybernetic augmentations that would otherwise be left to rust and breakdown in the festering flesh of Lord Dend'kr. An utter waste of resources.
Cont

>>5601392

And, despite your disdain for the work of butchering a man, you cannot help but to salvage more devices from his body than just the one that produced his false voice. Simply because it'd be wasteful to leave them behind when they could be repurposed or reproduced. Just because a tyrant used a tool does not mean it should be cast aside in disgust!

Once the bloody dissection has been completed, you set leading more high riders to their well deserved graves here in Dend'ron. It is an easy trap to set, you've already studied the machines they use to send secret messages to one another, abusing a world wide network of communications arrays for courtly intrigues and treacherous alliances. You even see that several high rider families have used the array to trade barbs, insults and brazen threats with one another like rowdy children, at least judging from the collection incoming messages sent to the Dend'kr palace's array, all of which have been ignored and allowed to jumble break into worthless scrap code.

However, amongst the junk mail and gossip, you do find a number of repeat communications between not only the Dend'kr and the Thal'kr and their allies, but also other lesser cities, that seem to have been conspiring with Lord Dend'kr to replace the apparent, previously uncontested rulers of the region with the bloated wretched himself seated upon his hateful throne atop legions of dead. Cleverly, he only began his conspiracy after your burning of Desh'ea and the mass escape of its slaves and gladiators. Like a jackal, these highriders will turn on their own at the first sign of weakness or opportunity for profit. Despicable.

However, that did not mean they were without loyalty. They might be self serving, but they remember their oaths and alliances. And with a few panicked words spoken in Lord Dend'krs voice pleading for reinforcement in locations open to open air assault and bombardment and confident promises of wealth and glory given to others to lead them into unwinnable battles and costly sieges away from the warfront and vital logistics and supply trains of the two virtuous armies, and others demanding their presence immediately in his own court will surely reap quite the tally of high rider lives in the days to come. And it gives you something to occupy your mind with and entertain yourself as you wait for Dae-Hyun to meet you at the palace gates and Nikephoros to finished corralling the nobles of this fair city like oh so many oxen and cliffjumpers.
_

Therapon knew Dend'ron had been lost, before its walls fell, broken apart by the strange, flying war machines of the giants warriors outside of it. Shattered by their tanks that floated above the ground with boundless grace. He even believed he saw a titan of steel rise up in the night sky to rip the walls open to allow the barbarian hordes to pour into the city, his city.
Cont

>>5601396

He saw how the wind was turning, the game of the fates were playing and chose to decide his own role rather than being trampled by a destiny forced upon him. He was a cunning man, more cunning than the mostly iron minded generals he served alongside. Like the servitor drones they were, without will of their own or self determination of any sort. They followed orders and obeyed, even if it'd bring them to an ignoble demise. And those that had something resembling wits rattling in their skulls, had already fled and began looting their own villas and stealing from those not smart enough to see they had no chance of matching let alone defeating the overwhelming force rallied beyond Dend'rons fair walls.

Some wailed and spread panic in the streets, rambling about mist demons and man devouring ogres as the positions they abandoned were shelled again and again, bombarded with a darkness that tore at ones eyes and invisible spheres of crushing force and light that burned men's flesh to ash in a flash.

Therapon, however, realized that their foes were no beast from hell or monster from myth. They were men, with high technology than they themselves had been equipped with. The Dend'kr's private guards could potentially give them a fight, and last a few days longer than the rest of the city would, but he saw no purpose in angering these foreign conquerors and inciting them to enact greater vengeance upon Dend'ron. Which would of course include himself.

So he threw up a flag of surrender, and his was the first wall to fall. He walked beside the apparent leader of the barbarians, a great man equipped with elegant and ceremonial augmentations, more than any lord of the high houses could afford if they sold all their kin to slavery. The metal was an unfamiliar alloy and the man himself...wasn't human, or at least not a natural one. At first Therapon had thought him an ogryn, before noticing the proportions were off and this man dressed in the furs of some great beast spoke his unfamiliar tongue with the cadence of a learned man and acted with a dexterity and grace unlike the lumbering brutes Therapon employed for labor in his vineyards.

He had to have been of nobility himself, though his features were...alien. The tone of skin, shape of his skull and eyes weren't native to the regions surrounding the Desh'elika Mountains. And perhaps not even Nuceria as a whole. For in his company, marched giants and men who looked nothing like him and nothing like any Nucerian Therapon had seen. Some even had silver and gold skin and flit about glowing wings, and all resembled one another uncannily, while others were eerily white, like corpses and dressed in dyes more vibrant than anything Therapon had seen in any market. Others were ruddy and nearly as tall as Ogryns and dressed like the savages he had expected to meet. Others were gangly, long limbed and moved like phantoms amongst the rest.
Cont

>>5601398

In fact, if Therapon had to venture a guess, all of these soldiers came from different worlds! The make of their armor and the words they all spoke sounded as different from one another as they did to his countrymen.

And to his great surprise, this rag tag band of techno barbarians moved through Dend'ron with great dignity and mercy, only pausing the eradicate those foolish enough to still resist before them and who had turned against the populace itself in a blind desperation to deny the enemy any resource they could.

And...and Therapon thought he was mad when he found more giants already in the city, who greeted the fur wearing lord with reverence and great respect. Ah, he must be a king then. Walking through the noble quarter, He was shocked to see that besides a few corpses swaying half dressed in the trees or lined up against walls, the high rider population were...spared? They were being marched forward, alongside their servitor staff and mundane servants by the giants whom had somehow entered the city unopposed before Therapon had even surrendered himself to the invaders

Invaders who he now saw weren't entirely human, as a pack of bull headed brutes pushed and bullied a band of brave Dend'ron soldiers to join the marchers. Therapon's hands become wet with sweat as he realized he was being moved alongside the line, rather than escorted as a valued servant or prized slave. Rubbing his wrists, his throat became dry as he was walked through the Palace of the Dend'kr and brought to the ruins of the old lord's throne.

His legs gave out, as he saw a giant greater than the others, with hair woven of ire and eyes plucked from the fires of the sun itself, lounging in the throne, legs kicked up over one arm and back resting against the other.

Before him, surrounded by all manner of soldiers, were all the nobility of Dend'ron. Therapon wondered if he had only delayed the inevitable, as the great warrior bowed before the golden eyed titan and knelt before him, removing his snarling, bestial helmet to reveal his face, solemn and revenant as if he knelt before an idol of worship
_

"Father" Dae-hyun said with a smug smirk on his lips "I've brought you an oddity I think shall delight you greatly! A high rider with half a brain. This shrimp opened up the gates for us and hastened the fall of the city defenders. I can't say if he did so to save own ass from the fire or if he actually possess something resembling a conscience, Har!"

You grin ear to ear and stand up

"That is a novel rarity, Dae-Hyun" You laugh, as your son rises to his full height, as the young man he lead glances between you, terrified for his life "I shall keep him in the same lodging as the rest of our prisoners, to await trial"

"Of course. No reason to gun down civvies" He says loudly, so all his battle brothers may hear your conversation "Even if they're tyrants, we need to be certain of it first"
Cont

>>5601401

"Of course. It shall not take me long to reach a verdict, but we have no place in acting as their judges. Angron's forces shall arrive here soon, Dend'ron will become our forward most fort in this war" You explain "And as Angron leads the revolution, it is his right to met out justice"

"A test?" Dae-Hyun guesses, smiling as he saw Nikephoros standing at attention before the spare mechanized weapons platform Dend'kr had tried to flee to before he was cut down by a "Accidental hail of bolter fire" When a surprised Chul-Moo ran into his reduced form and in his own words "Dealt with him" And in the words of the other astartes who were by his side at the moment "Screamed like a bitch and sprayed fire down the hallway"

It would a few days for Angron and his entourage to arrive to reinforce the city, and there was much you could accomplish in that time.

What do you do while you wait for Angron to judge the high riders of Dend'ron, Lieren?

>Assist Kanzeon in her search for where the potential Abominable intelligence could've fled to

>Since Loc'ea is already fighting on the side of the virtuous, recruit the survivors of Dend'ron's military onto Angron's side in the war

>Trust Nikephoros and Dae-hyun to hold down the fort, Meet with Elazar and hunt down the wicked spirit they have been tracking who has...unnervingly avoided human habitations and direct confrontations thus far

>Dedicate your time to fortifying Dend'ron and studying the new tech you've pilfered with Kanzeon's assistance. You would ask Anahita to help with it, but she's currently gathering materials to bolster the munitions supply of both armies

>write in

Hope this makes up for the short update that came before it.

>>5601403
>Assist Kanzeon in her search for where the potential Abominable intelligence could've fled to
The AI is top priority

>>5601403
>>Assist Kanzeon in her search for where the potential Abominable intelligence could've fled to

>>5601403
>Trust Nikephoros and Dae-hyun to hold down the fort, Meet with Elazar and hunt down the wicked spirit they have been tracking who has...unnervingly avoided human habitations and direct confrontations thus far

That daemon is going to do something really bad if we kep ignoring him, we should stop him

>>5601403
>Daemon hunting

I don't like it. And I hope that our sons don't get irritated with a few days hunting.

>>5601403
>Assist Kanzeon in her search for where the potential Abominable intelligence could've fled to

>Since Loc'ea is already fighting on the side of the virtuous, recruit the survivors of Dend'ron's military onto Angron's side in the war

>>5601403
>Assist Kanzeon in her search for where the potential Abominable intelligence could've fled to
I'd like to help Elazar, but this AI business is demands our attention and he can handle himself just fine. Besides, Big E would probably be irate if he found out we didn't pursue this lead immediately.

>>5601403
>>Assist Kanzeon in her search for where the potential Abominable intelligence could've fled to

I really wish we could do this and the demon but they both sound like they need our full attention and we at least have Eleazar on the heels of the chaos spawn

>>5601403
>>Assist Kanzeon in her search for where the potential Abominable intelligence could've fled to

>>5601403
>Assist Kanzeon in her search for where the potential Abominable intelligence could've fled to

>Trust Nikephoros and Dae-hyun to hold down the fort, Meet with Elazar and hunt down the wicked spirit they have been tracking who has...unnervingly avoided human habitations and direct confrontations thus far

>>5601403
>Assist Kanzeon in her search for where the potential Abominable intelligence could've fled to
>Trust Nikephoros and Dae-hyun to hold down the fort, Meet with Elazar and hunt down the wicked spirit they have been tracking who has...unnervingly avoided human habitations and direct confrontations thus far

The daemon in question is high tier since Lieren trusts no one but himself a primarch to deal with it when it was first mentioned, so I wouldn't be surprised if it murdered a bunch of our daemon hunters if we leave it to them and it still would have good odds of some sort of success, it is definitely doing something important.

AI barely get any attention in 40k so it could be just a digital cockroach or a iron man remnant, if the latter one that must be locked in the digital systems of the planet because if it could go full replicator it would have a long time ago.

>>5601403
>Assist Kanzeon in her search for where the potential Abominable intelligence could've fled to
>Trust Nikephoros and Dae-hyun to hold down the fort, Meet with Elazar and hunt down the wicked spirit they have been tracking who has...unnervingly avoided human habitations and direct confrontations thus far
Help the missus then leave her and our sons to go hunting.

>>5601403
>>Assist Kanzeon in her search for where the potential Abominable intelligence could've fled to
>>Trust Nikephoros and Dae-hyun to hold down the fort, Meet with Elazar and hunt down the wicked spirit they have been tracking who has...unnervingly avoided human habitations and direct confrontations thus far

>>5601403
>>Assist Kanzeon in her search for where the potential Abominable intelligence could've fled to
>Trust Nikephoros and Dae-hyun to hold down the fort, Meet with Elazar and hunt down the wicked spirit they have been tracking who has...unnervingly avoided human habitations and direct confrontations thus far

Calling the vote now.

Assist Kanzeon in her search for where the potential Abominable intelligence could've fled to:11

Trust Nikephoros and Dae-hyun to hold down the fort, Meet with Elazar and hunt down the wicked spirit they have been tracking who has...unnervingly avoided human habitations and direct confrontations thus far:7

Since Loc'ea is already fighting on the side of the virtuous, recruit the survivors of Dend'ron's military onto Angron's side in the war:1

Total votes: 13

So Lieren will hunt for the AI and the daemon while waiting for the rest of the Nuceria/ Long Jian forces to arrive at Dend'ron

Writing now

You begin by doing all you can to assist Kanzeon in her search for the whereabouts of the potential Abominable intelligence. It is an arduous process, as the digital entity, whatever it may be, left behind a trail of pitfalls and traps to impede any attempt at tracking its location or even the path it took through various networks and forgotten, unused sub systems buried beneath the earth of Nuceria. However, just because a quarry is cautious and cleverly hides its footprints and scent, does not mean it cannot be found. Especially when the hunters are as tireless as you and your radiant morning dove. With the advance, nigh arcane capabilities of Kanzeon's decoding and code breaking technologies and her expertise in commanding the machines that make up her ancient body supplement and aided by your own naturally perceptive nature and hunters instincts, the smokescreen the digitized being left behind is cleared, Data-block by script by technorganic virus by literal firewalls. The path is still treacherous to maneuver through, and you pour into Kanzeon great amounts of your spiritual fire and the soothing moonlight that coexists with it, allowing her to reroute power to the systems that become damaged or otherwise assailed by the poisonous codes left behind by your prey, healing her with your own essence as you scrutinize and study every piece of information she is able to tear screaming from the sea of scrap code the two of you traverse.

Until, the trail becomes clear as your quarry ceases to pollute its passage with falsehoods and decoys, and Kanzeon triumphantly locates its final destination. Another vault of Archeotech, beneath the sands of a desert far from the accepted boundaries of any of the High rider city states, avoided by traveling merchants and walled off at its edges. Which is foreboding if you are putting it lightly, Clearly the digital being feared for its existence and forsook its anchors in the various other ancient code networks hidden within the seats of tyrannical power, though it made an effort to appear to be retreating to several of them, and even stopped by other ruins that contained malfunctioning and corruptive archeotech.

Archeotech that caused your beloved white jade lotus no end of agony to search through. Agony you intended to pay back tenfold when you got your hands upon the being, whatever it may be. Though cruelty was something you abhorred, the desire for fierce and sudden vengence was burning mightily within you as you tended to Kanzeon as she recovered from the ordeal of the hunt, her vessel covered in sweat as the air ducts throughout her bodied rattled as she panted. She wasn't grievously wounded, merely strained to her utmost limits from the sheer mental task of locating that which may be a remnant of the repugnant men of iron.

"We'll erase this abomination" She muttered, half awake, as you let her run her hands through the iron hued locks of your hair as it seemed to set her mind at ease.
Cont

>>5602734

"Won't we?" She asked tiredly, pouting as she clung to you, slipping in and out of sleep as the lights above your head flickered, as Kanzeon exhausted her remaining energy reserves to finish the repairs and retuning of her true body's internal structure.

You nod your head, grabbing her hand and holding her to yourself as she drifted off to sleep, a great sigh traveling throughout her body as at last allowed herself to rest. Both of you had not stopped in your pursuit since it began, for if that entity was allowed to roam freely that damages it could caused would be inconceivable. Both she and you well knew how dangerous archeotech could be if it was misused, and there could be no greater threat than stores of it falling into the hands of one of mankind's most ancient enemies.

Setting Kanzeon down to the sofa you had been lounging together on, you brushed back her river stone black hair and planted a chaste kiss upon her brow, pulling a panther fur over her to allow her to slumber unbothered and in silence. You'd like nothing more than to remain by herside, but alas, there was further prey to pursue. Prey just as dangerous as the Abominable intelligence. If not more so.

"Good evening" Elazar whispered, waiting outside of the corridor, careful not to rouse Kanzeon "I take it there is nothing more delaying our pursuit of the dragon then, oh most beneficent sage? Shall the panther and the phoenix fly together once more, scorching all beneath their wings"

"Careful, this hunt might just become the subject of song, like so many others" You said as the repentant knight tried to hide his smirk behind his hand as he rose from his deep bow "I will once again remind you, Sir Elazar, you do not need to assist me in this battle"

"I must seek my redemption, if it is by death or by battle" He said simply and you gave a curt nod of approval as he strode to match your pace "Penance shall be paid, by my blood or the ichor of the beast. Such is the oath I have sworn before the order"

"Take care not to condemn yourself too gravely, lord of the Rime" You warn, wagging a finger as the two of you walk together in the darkness "Tell me again, what you know of our quarry"

"Tis a dragon" He said simply "I caught sight of it once. It is a queer beast, it does not devour or tempt men, but rather hunts its fellow devils solely. It has interrupted several operations of Our Nameless Guardians, and slain a fair number already. I know you have an...unfortunate understanding of the lords of the discordant wind, so I had hoped you would know more of this monstrosity"

"Describe it to me" You command, adjusting a glove on your hand "Most servants of the great powers share similar features among their kind, though their forms may be as varied as the colors of carp and songbirds"
cont