The Liber Cluster

[Tiberius Cato]

I can imagine the pity and sadness on the face of the Conflagrator, the loss experienced by one of his chapter's greatest allies filling his twin hearts with greif. Shortly after putting his former comrade to rest he becomes filled with rage and swears an oath of vengeance, bringing about a new age of heretic burning. Ofcourse, with the song Through the Fires and Flames by Dragonforce playing in the background.

[Ace Debonair]

And just to spice things up a little further...
 
 
 
-=-=-=-= Imperial Record LC:IL #7667G =-=-=-=-=-=-
 

From: Field Agent York

To: Lord Inquisitor Damius Salcrux

M'lord the Most Worthy Inquisitor Salcrux;
 
Under your orders we have begun to piece together the information that we have so far compiled on the insidious foes that lurk unseen within the Liber Cluster.
Your agent Barillon was able to intercept and decode several key transmissions which were crucial to our understanding of this threat.
 
As alarming as it seems, it appears that many of what we thought were isolated accidents were actually connected in ways hitherto unsuspected.
 
Incidents such as the misdirection of the Blades of the Lion's fleet - causing them to arrive at the battle of Centris two hours after the Lions of Sereiki had withdrawn victorious - and the supply 'mismanagement' carried out by Quartermaster Visel were both merely parts of a master plan assembled by a most fiendish alliance of the lawless and the heretical.

 

This unholy collective refers to themselves as "Penumbra", and they seem to be deeply rooted in the Liber system.

 

We have cause to believe that this group has been actively conspiring against the Imperium since the beginning of the Reclamation. On several occasions throughout the years rebel forces, including the Lions of Sereiki, have at times appeared alarmingly well informed of Imperial strategy and troop movements. Some fragments of the files we have recovered suggest that Penumbra have been selling this information to the traitors.

 

If true, this casts a disturbing new light on many conflicts - the first battle at Venet and dozens of other, similar conflicts make considerably more sense if the Lions were previously made aware of the Imperium's planned response.

 

We don't know yet how they acquire this information, m'lord, but Penumbra may well already be aware of your movements. I most strongly advise for the safety of the Imperium's interests in the Liber Cluster that you act fast, and share this information with nobody save the Liber Conclave.

 

Trust nobody save the Emperor, and may He watch over you always.

 

- Agent York

 

-=-=-=-=-= End Message =-=-=-=-=-

 

-This was the last report delivered by Field Agent York. He was found dead outside the bounds of the hive-city in which he operated, a crescent-moon emblem seared into the skin of his throat.-

 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

 

A new threat appears!

And this is only the beginning.

 

I'll post more information as the reports come in.

[Conn Eremon]

Whoo, Penumbra!

 

I want to say at that I have no strong feelings whatsoever on whether or not we destroy the Swords or have Sero's cause fail (or be post-999.M 41). To be honest, Ace's contribution to the Liberites wrestles with my own Lords Inviolate as my absolute favorite thing in this Cluster.

 

But I want this story to unfold where it can go any which way, and which side falls or not is totally cool with me. Hell, if I was involved myself, I would probably ask for the conclusion to be based off of something random like a coin flip or roll of the dice.

[Vesper]

Keep in mind that the Aetheric Swords thingy is only one story among many others that eventually happen during the Chaos offensive. Planets will be raided, pyres will burn, fleets will clash, wars will be waged. The annihilation of the Aetheric Swords isn't the only thing that happens. It's the reason why everything happens, but that's actually quite far from the motivations and concerns of the Lords and Chapter Masters that aren't directly involved in it. Many warbands will never see an Aetheric Sword and will go do their stuff at the other end of the cluster.

 

My basic idea was to have two phases :

- The Imperials are on the backfoot, they do their best to contain the fury of the attack, but they are mostly on the defensive, while the warbands are unpredictable and sometimes work together.

/Ktevaa Sero and the Black Legion leave the Liber Cluster after the destruction of the Aetheric Swords/

- The imperials have lost one of their own, but the Chaos forces have lost their cohesive factor. They are much more predictable and work on their own, sometimes waging war against one another.

 

So basically there are a ton of stories to tell.

Edited August 5, 2014 by Vesper

[Conn Eremon]

Indeed, it sounds like the hunt/setup is going to be where the majority of relevant stories can be told.

 

It's also notable that their target on the Aetheric Swords is known to us, but in-universe this is not information being trumpeted off the rooftops.

[Vesper]

Absolutly.

Also had the idea to flesh out the political play that takes places among Chaos' ranks after the departure of the Black Legion. With a new pseudo warmaster, that kind of things.

[Ace Debonair]

Whoo, Penumbra!

 

I want to say at that I have no strong feelings whatsoever on whether or not we destroy the Swords or have Sero's cause fail (or be post-999.M 41). To be honest, Ace's contribution to the Liberites wrestles with my own Lords Inviolate as my absolute favorite thing in this Cluster.

 

That's high praise indeed! Many thanks!

 

I couldn't pick a favourite - every time I've tried I've immediately gone "but then again..." and changed opinion.

 

The Blackjaw Kindred are just about edging ahead at the moment, though. They're crazy, but in all the best ways!

 

 

 

But I want this story to unfold where it can go any which way, and which side falls or not is totally cool with me. Hell, if I was involved myself, I would probably ask for the conclusion to be based off of something random like a coin flip or roll of the dice.

 

I'm cool with whatever ending everyone else settles on.

Pyrrhic victory, utter annihilation, barely surviving and gradually rebuilding, or a slow death through lack of supplies and viable recruits... It's all good.

 

I pretty much wrote the Chapter expecting them to die gloriously one way or another, and decided to just go wild and have some fun with them as I went.

Hence the really overt use of -ix suffixes and the existence of Captain Ocelorix.

 

Heck, I'd be fine with a dice roll deciding their fate when the time comes.

It makes me chuckle, the idea that a Chapter who has never been in a game of 40k, but is still at the mercy of the Dice Gods.

[incinerator950]

I don't expect a whole lot of The Bloody Maw. They're a prelude to my online Warband, which will be founded in M38 during the 9th Crusade. This is sort of that interrim to come up with before fluff and play with people.

 

Anyway I want to make a non Imperial introduction, can someone bring up or pm me the page numbers for the system and planet listing? Blundering into a war in ignorance will make for decent acting, but I honestly cannot navigate this on a phone.

[Tiberius Cato]

All the planets and such should be second or third post on page one.

[Conn Eremon]

Correct, but you can also create more. There are thousands of worlds in this Cluster (as we decided?), so there is plenty of room for more.

[Tiberius Cato]

I'm just gonna put this out there, the Eagles of Glory are just itching to stick it to some heretics. So feel free to attack Libertas with a force that will black out the sun.

[incinerator950]

Snuff Edited August 8, 2014 by incinerator950

[Conn Eremon]

Which is everywhere, and pretty much concentrated on worlds created specifically for that action. We don't necessarily have some place where "stuff" just generally happens. We are still early enough in the development where every new thing comes with a new world, or region or whatever. If you'd like to borrow a world, then yeah, feel free to skim the list in the second post for something of interest.

[Wade Garrett]

Mmm...

 

I was actually thinking of changing up the Kin a bit following their little contreemps with Reclusiarch Remis that sees their Fortress-Monastery, gene seed supply, sacred relics, and armory blown up.

 

I was thinking of going for either a New Orleans vodoun vampire aristocrats by way of Vlad the Impaler style (caused by more ruthless and autocratic Patriarchs rising to power in the wake of the Conflagrators betrayal), or a more feral, barbaric "every backwoods slasher movie ever" schtick caused by Apothecaries fiddling around trying to restore the gene seed supply.

 

And also a bit where the Aetheric Swords try to contact the Blackjaws for aid and get "Where were YOU in our hour of need?" followed by a dialtone.

[Conn Eremon]

I vote aristovamps.

 

I will always vote aristovamps over deliverance banjos.

[Olis]

I do plan on adding a bit more variety, though.

 

Here's some links which might prove useful:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Age_tribes_in_Britain

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Tribes_of_ancient_Ireland

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Ancient_Celtic_peoples

 

Further reading through links that interest you might be advised. :)

 

I'm totally stumped for coming up with a battle for the Blades 

 

Iirc, both of the Lion agri worlds Heroda IV and Cenicika are as of yet unattacked. Maybe you could target these worlds?

 

I can imagine the pity and sadness on the face of the Conflagrator, the loss experienced by one of his chapter's greatest allies filling his twin hearts with greif. Shortly after putting his former comrade to rest he becomes filled with rage and swears an oath of vengeance, bringing about a new age of heretic burning. Ofcourse, with the song Through the Fires and Flames by Dragonforce playing in the background.

 

Never underestimate a grief-stricken Conflagrator. Also never underestimate one zoned out on power metal. :P 

 

Pyrrhic victory, utter annihilation, barely surviving and gradually rebuilding, or a slow death through lack of supplies and viable recruits... It's all good.I'm cool with whatever ending everyone else settles on.

 

I pretty much wrote the Chapter expecting them to die gloriously one way or another, and decided to just go wild and have some fun with them as I went.

Hence the really overt use of -ix suffixes and the existence of Captain Ocelorix.

 

Here we go, this one I am going to speak up for - I want the Swords as a Chapter to live. However, I feel like the loss of their homeworld would be a good blood price for the story, that and some heavy losses. 

 

Anyway I want to make a non Imperial introduction, can someone bring up or pm me the page numbers for the system and planet listing? Blundering into a war in ignorance will make for decent acting, but I honestly cannot navigate this on a phone.

 

A lot of information can be found on the updated list on the front page, post #2, however there is some information in this post that is not in the updated front page (such as Sereiki Lion territory).  

[Conn Eremon]

Huh, I must have completely missed those worlds . . .

 

Well, my source of internet might be restricted solely to my phone for a while. Break room is getting some work done for a while, and the wifi is down because of it. I'm hoping they'll just set it up somewhere else, it doesn't actually have to be in that room.

[Olis]

Mmm...

 

I was actually thinking of changing up the Kin a bit following their little contreemps with Reclusiarch Remis that sees their Fortress-Monastery, gene seed supply, sacred relics, and armory blown up.

 

I was thinking of going for either a New Orleans vodoun vampire aristocrats by way of Vlad the Impaler style (caused by more ruthless and autocratic Patriarchs rising to power in the wake of the Conflagrators betrayal), or a more feral, barbaric "every backwoods slasher movie ever" schtick caused by Apothecaries fiddling around trying to restore the gene seed supply.

 

Hmm. Voodoo hoodoo with a touch of Interview with a Vampire? Colour me intrigued.

[Vesper]

So what to do about the Aetheric Swords' fate ? We vote or throw a dice ?

[Conn Eremon]

It doesn't necessarily have to be decided now. We can work on the lead up to what we know is going to happen, the assault on Grennarch. For the actual assault, we can leave that to you and Ace to hash out behind the scenes, decide it however you'd like, and we'll glory in its unveiling.

 

Heck, you can do the whole thing together if you'd like. You don't need me to involve the Lords Inviolate (who would definitely pull out all the stops to pull the Aetheric Swords' arse out of the fire, if they can), for instance. One thing I really want to see is not just everyone taking their own contribution and working solely with them, but to actually reach out and make further contributions using those of others.

[incinerator950]

Snuff Edited August 8, 2014 by incinerator950

[Vesper]

@Cormac : Oh I'd be super pleased to work on the matter with Ace !

Edited August 6, 2014 by Vesper

[Ace Debonair]

I still kinda like the idea of the dice roll, myself.
 
If we were to go with that, then my suggestion would be that we write up brief outlines for the six possible endings, and have someone not associated with the project (and therefore hopefully completely unbiased towards one faction or the other) roll the fateful dice.

Of course, we'd have to keep the result under our hats until the right time...
 
If nothing else though, it'd give me the chance to say: "Now that's what I call Forging the Narrative!"

 

EDIT:

I'm also all for getting this all sorted out behind the scenes.

We can build some serious suspense then, too!

Edited August 6, 2014 by Ace Debonair

[incinerator950]

Just have a mod use a dice roll generator.

[Olis]

Just have a mod use a dice roll generator.

 

In the interests of an unbiased result - if this option is used, don't ask me. ^_^