Black Book - Insurrection (PUBLISHED)

[Raktra]

Feeling a bit funny on the memories fading away, Primarchs and Marines have perectly eidetic memories :/

[simison]

It's not so much as memory as emotional weight. The details are still there, they just mean less as time goes on.

[Big Bad Squig]

One day, Koschei took it upon himself to leave the palace, simply for exercise.  As he walked, he saw signs of poverty and hunger.  Memories flooded back to him, and he found that he did not want to turn back.  He wandered, becoming disgusted by the world he saw and more disgusted still by the thought of the bloated royals sitting in their palaces and feeding from suffering.  The rebellious thoughts that the High Lord had so feared began to form in Koschei’s mind.

                He returned to the company of the Lord, who enquired as to where he had been.  Koschei gave a vague answer about following the trail of a thieving servant.  The Lord attempted to read the information from Koschei’s mind, but as had always been the case, his psychic power seemed to have no effect on his adopted son.  The Lord turned.  Koschei saw the glint of a blade on his belt, and reached for it silently.  Hate enveloped him, and he drove the sword through the tyrant’s back.  As he fell, he cast his mind out to Koschei’s, trying desperately to retaliate.  What neither of the pair had known was that, somewhere deep within the Primarch’s altered DNA, there lurked a gene with the ability to suffocate the psychic presence of any individual in Koschei’s vicinity, a gene that had also manifested itself in many of the new initiates to the legion.

                In the days that followed the High Lord’s murder, order began to be restored to Zbruch.  The aristocracy were driven out into exile, and Koschei himself travelled through the wilderness, uniting the isolated villages and sharing with them the riches of the palaces he and his newly formed army had plundered.  He preached his newfound message of equality to all he met, and within months Zbruch had transformed to a place of unity and bounty.

 

In other words, I found the section. 

 

 

I will intersperse it with some of simison's paragraph, where needed.

[simison]

Thank you, I'll get to work on that. One question, does the High Lord have a name?

[Raktra]

Please be Francois.

[Big Bad Squig]

Samofrakiya (keeping with my own art related injoke)

 

EDIT:  Fine... Francois Samofrakiya 

[MikhalLeNoir]

You mean SIR Francois Samofrakyia the 3rd;)

[Grifftofer]

I think you'll find he's actually the IVth. His great grandsire adopted the name on his deathbed.

 

I have no idea what's going on. It just looked like fun to get involved in

[MikhalLeNoir]

I think you'll find he's actually the IVth. His great grandsire adopted the name on his deathbed.

 

I have no idea what's going on. It just looked like fun to get involved in :P

Damn...i forgot about that fact. Mea maxima culpa

[simison]

One day, Koschei wished for a momentary reprieve from his opulent life and walked outside the palace walls for simple exercise. What was to be a brief journey grew in weight as Koschei saw the poverty and hunger High Lord Samofrakiya inflicted upon his people. Worse still were the reactions of the common folk to him. They cowered before the High Lord's pawn, pleading for their lives whenever Koschei attempted to merely talk with them. Memories of his past life flooded back to him, and he found that he did not want to turn back.  He wandered, becoming disgusted by the world he saw and more disgusted still by the thought of the bloated royals sitting in their palaces and feeding from suffering.  The rebellious thoughts that the High Lord had so feared began to form in Koschei’s mind.

 

His mind filled with raw, unvarnished truth, he returned to the company of the High Lord, who enquired as to where he had been. Koschei gave a vague answer about following the trail of a thieving servant.  The Lord attempted to read the information from Koschei’s mind, but as had always been the case, his psychic power seemed to have no effect on his adopted son.  Samofrakiya turned. Koschei saw the glint of a blade on his belt, and reached for it silently.  Hate enveloped him, and he drove the sword through the tyrant’s back.  As the High Lord fell, he gathered his power and attempted to strike a crippling blow directly against  Koschei’s mind, desperate to retaliate.  What neither of the pair had known was that, somewhere deep within the Primarch’s altered DNA, there lurked a gene with the ability to suffocate the psychic presence of any individual in Koschei’s vicinity, a gene that would manifest itself in many of the new initiates to the legion. Samofrakiya's last blow was rendered null, and he died filled with impotent fury.

 

In the days that followed the High Lord’s murder, a brief yet violent revolt broke out across Zbruch. Yet, the rebellion was not filled with the long-suspected peasantry. No, it was the aristocracy that sought to end Koschei's rule when he announced popular reforms would happen during his reign. Refusing to surrender their lives of comfortable luxury, they marshaled their forces to remove Koschei from power and to secure their leechlike lives. The first few battles were short affairs. Lords and ladies took to the field with tens of thousands of warrior-servants, confident in their ability to overwhelm Koschei's smaller forces. Their arrogance was reduced to panic when Koschei inspired whole divisions of common soldiers to desert to his cause. Latter battles marked a shift where the aristocracy deployed in smaller but fanatically loyal armies, but now Koschei's command had swelled into the hundreds of thousands and made quick work of the last few rebel leaders. The aristocracy were driven out into exile, and Koschei himself travelled through the wilderness, uniting the isolated villages and sharing with them the riches of the palaces he and his newly formed army had plundered. He preached his newfound message of equality to all he met, and within months Zbruch had transformed to a place of unity and bounty.

 

[Finished my run-through of the Zbruch rebellion.]

[simison]

[For this part, all you had was 'insert fluff here'. So, I decided to take a crack at it, if you don't mind, Squig.]

 

{Zburch's golden age under Koschei's guidance would last only a few decades before visitors from the heavens above would irrevocably change Zbruch's fate forever. For the Master of Mankind would not be denied his son. Appearing in great drop-ships that Zbruch had never before seen, the Imperium would land on the outskirts of Zbruch's capital. Wary and apprehensive, Koschei advanced toward the landing zone, trailed by his elite guard. When they neared the strange crafts, doors opened and the Eighth Legion paraded out with the Emperor at their head. Accompanied by the primarch Daer'dd, the Emperor offered the hand of friendship to his lost son. To his dismay, Koschei reacted with hostility, who felt oppressed by the Emperor's overwhelming psychic aura. Wishing no harm done to Koschei, the Emperor restrained himself, allowing himself to be cut rather than be forced to execute Koschei. After a brief skirmish, Daer'dd stepped forth and restrained his ill-tempered brother.} 

 

The blood split that day would prove to be thin. Over a period of weeks, the Emperor revealed Koschei's purpose and his benevolent mission to save humanity from its foes. Koschei gradually forsook his earlier anger and would become the Emperor's faithful legion master alongside his brothers. Daer'dd was the first of his brothers he befriended, and this friendship grew deeper as they often campaigned side-by-side. When Koschei joined the ranks of the Great Crusade, he did so within the explicit role of liberator. As Koschei had freed Zbruch from a tyrant, so he would free all of humanity from their vicious xeno overlords.His tool would be the Godslayers legion, a legion not of pariahs but of a strange half-breed, which he referred to as Warp suppressants. Unlike other primarchs, such as Raktra Akarro, Koschei refrained from molding his legion, instead choosing to adopt his legion's ways. With one exception. Koschei's predecessor, Legion Master Prometear Thyris, earned his immediate disdain. In him, Koschei saw arrogance and a brutal style of leadership that hung over his sons. However, simply stripping Thryis of his rank and power would open a new wound that would stand between him and his legion. For Thyris had long commanded the Eighth and his influence ran deep within.

 

[How's that, Squig?]

[simison]

The Death of Prometear Thyris

 

It was only in hindsight was the true nature of Koschei's first battle as legion master revealed. Now commanding the 66^th Expeditionary Fleet, Koschei and the Godslayers passed through an unknown system, barely ten parsecs into their journey. Initial scans revealed a typical solar system: a single star at the center with six planets on circular orbits accompanied by a few satellites. On the second planet, the fleet's scanner detected signs of occupation, human occupation. Ordering the fleet to enter orbit, Koschei would pore over new readings aboard his flagship, the Krylataya Pobeda. Under the sweeping gaze of the Imperial sensors existed large-scale settlements and numerous human bio-signs, along with anomalous readings. Although the anomalous readings were a cause of concern, the Primarch took the advice from his adopted nephew and elected to make his presence known. Ordering for transmissions to be broadcasted announcing his arrival to what he hoped to be a friendly human population, Koschei took with him the legion’s elite First Company, as well as Prometear Thyris and his nephew Alexander Kharkovic, who had recently been inducted into the Godslayers per Koschei’s special request.  These select warriors were deployed by Thunderhawk into the largest planetary settlement as informed by ship scanners. However, no sign of the supposed human occupation could be seen. Accurate readings were prevented due to the unusual planetary atmosphere, while physical searches were able to confirm that the abodes had been lived in as recently as an hour ago, not one human soul was to be found. 

 

Around two hours into the legion’s search, word arrived via vox that heat signatures had been detected half a mile south of their position.  The detatchment of space marines began to move in that direction, but almost immediately were warned to hold their ground.  The heat signatures had increased drastically in number, and probes had spotted what appeared to be greenskin technology in the outer reaches of the city.  Within minutes, the xenos had made themselves visible, and began to surround the Primarch’s position.

 

The first wave of greenskin foot soldiers were cut down with ease by the combi-bolters of the Goliath Terminators.  Koschei himself made an effort to engage as many of the Ork chieftains as possible in a show of strength directed toward the Terran members of his legion.  His nephew, meanwhile, focused on supporting those units which found themselves struggling, but however many Orks were killed, more always surged forwards to fill the gaps the fallen had left. Soon after the initial ambush, a trio of squiggoths lumbered towards them, their great size and strength bolstering the Ork horde. Against a larger or better-prepared force, these creatures would've posed no significant threat. Alas, Koschei had deployed only with an elite reconnaissance force that couldn't absorb many casualties and was bereft of armoured or artillery units. The primarch voxed his flagship and requested immediate reinforcements, while masses of brave Goliaths hacked away at the beasts with their power glaives.

 

Despite losing many Terminators to their deadly charge, the squiggoths were eventually overwhelmed by a hundred cuts. Their deaths proved to be a shock to the Ork's morale, and many greenskins fled the battlefield.  This, combined with occasional, cautious bombing runs executed by passing flyers allowed the Godslayers detatchment to force their attackers to break formation and establish a defensive line. Freed from the siege, reinforcing Godslayer companies joined Koschei's diminished detachment using a network of primitive roads. Massed columns of vindicator tanks, rapier weapon batteries and a lone Fellblade crawled forwards, supporting their brothers with vicious suppressive fire. Koschei’s fighters charged forward, turning the tide on the greenskins as they carved through the line, slaughtering the Orks as they took shelter from the bombardment. Thyris fought his way to the tip of the attacking spear, seeking glory for himself.

 

The xenos were quick to respond, staging a counterattack led by a warboss who had recently arrived on the battlefield.  The legionnaires were ordered to fall back, leading the Orks into the jaws of an ambush led by the vindicator siege tanks. Yet, Thyris continued his charge, his motivation unknown for the odds he faced were grave indeed. A few squads of Terran Godslayers attempted a rescue mission, clearing a path for Thryis to return to Koschei's lines. As this happened, the lion's share of the Godslayers had successfully connected with the reinforcements. Before the firing lanes could be completely cleared of friendly units, Alexander Kharkovic gave the order for the tanks under his command to open fire.

 

Thyris’ command was still engaged in close combat with the greenskins when the vindicator shells hit home. Explosions ripped through the Ork horde, spilling much of their hated blood. The price for Alexander's impatience was steep as many Terran Godslayers too felt death embrace them within those powerful rounds of ordnance. Thyris himself had been critically wounded during the bombardment, spared only because of the strength of his armour's shield generators. Abruptly aware of how close to death he danced, he attempted to retreat while furiously activating his vox to stop the shelling. He made a chilling discovery when he realized his suit's vox wasn't operating. None of his efforts to reboot the system succeeded, and another barrage crashed onto his position. In between the flashes of light and the hammers of concussion, Thyris saw the warboss approaching. Despite all his wounds, Thyris stood and fought, eventually being overwhelmed as more and more Orks piled into the fight.  With the legion master dead, the Orks charged forward.  Into the trap.

 

Within minutes, the attack had been blunted by the sheer firepower of the Godslayers line.  Heavy bolters and graviton cannons slowed the charge, with sporadic counterattacks halting any groups that drew too close.  In an hour, the entire Ork horde had routed, fleeing the city to take shelter elsewhere.  In the coming weeks, the Ork threat would be almost entirely purged from the planet, and the human population – who were being used as slave-labour by the xenos – were liberated.

 

Only later would it emerge that Thyris’ communication systems had been sabotaged on the order of Alexander Kharkovic, and that, in fact, the entire battle was engineered as an attempt to stop him from posing what Alexander viewed as a threat to his uncle’s command.

 

[That's the last of the Godslayer sections currently on the board. If it meets Squig's approval, I'll wrap up what's here on the Lightning Bearers.]

[simison]

My mistake. I'd already finished the current sections on the Bearers. In that case, I'll update the progress on the first page and go back to working on the Prosecution until more legion stuff comes in.

[simison]

The actors assembled and the stage set, the Prosecution began with Daer'dd's opening statements. Claiming he felt no ill will to his errant brother, Daer'dd declared that rampant genetic manipulation would inevitably ruin humanity. The end result would be uncontrolled mutation destroying Mankind from within. It was this apocalyptic future that Daer'dd sought to prevent with his passionate plea. As was his right, Kozja was given a chance to speak. He argued that Daer'dd's views were needlessly alarmist. Instead of unleashing a potential disaster, Kozja foresaw a humanity freed from its shackles of biological limitations. Disease, infirmity, and even age would bow before genetic mastery. The primarchs finished, the first of the witnesses was called. Magos CH4-RL3-S Dah'arwin would be the first to testify, warning that unless humanity was willing to evolve in this hostile galaxy, they were doomed to eventual extinction. 

[simison]

The next testimony presented would come from the primarch Pionus Santor. Taking the stand among jeers from his opponents, Pionus argued for a more nuanced position. Gene modification to a point was an extremely helpful tool, one used by him and his Scions Hospitaller in their aquatic environments, however, there were necessary boundaries. Beyond a warning against the obvious heretical use of xeno biological materials, Pionus declared the original human frame was in a way sacred. To attempt to 'enhance' it would ruin the innate perfection which it possessed. 

 

On and on, it went as witness after witness claimed a chance to voice their opinion. For four days, the trial endured until the last voice was heard.

 

[i'm struggling not to go from here to the Emperor's ruling. Any suggestions?]

[Slips]

You could have small conflicts break out as tensions rise; honor duels for slights perceived or otherwise. Nothing too big. The place is pretty much the safest location outside of Terra due to the parties Present.

 

Hell, maybe even assassination attempts from some parties; Imperial or Otherwise.

[simison]

On and on, it went as witness after witness claimed a chance to voice their opinion. It was the Emperor's intention the affair be conducted coolly on a foundation of respect and logic. Yet, the longer the trial continued, the more inflamed passions became. Representatives from Knight Houses Ohrlaac and Atreis nearly came to blows when an Ohrlaac Baron took the opportunity to insult House Atreis for 'being blinded by their own ignorance'. {An honor duel was demanded when a Berserker of Uran declared a testifying Dune Serpent was guilty of sedition for past acts.}

 

 

[Raktra, Squig, time to add some history between Serpents and Berserkers. Can you give me names and a possible battle these two were involved in? Kelborn, does my scenario between the Knight Houses sound plausible?]

[Raktra]

Cool, I'll do some scribblings. Are you wanting a Loyalist 'serker, or a Raktra supporter?

[simison]

Both have their advantages. A loyalist would help give them some screen time before the Insurrection and potentially end up allying with this particular Serpent for some incredible irony. Or a traitor Berserker would help give a warning sign that the legion is becoming more radical than it already is. Personally, I lean toward the loyalist, but it's your call.

[Raktra]

On it, Warmaster.

[Kelborn]

Yep, it is plausible.

Ohrlacc was forced to work on their DNA in order to survive their toxic homeworld.

 

Atreis was at the brink of annihilation but were able to defeat their nemesis, the nagashi empire. Because of that, they believe that man can achieve everything he wants. Genetical enhancement is a clear sign of weakness and those practicing it are not better then transhumans and xenos.

 

If you need something written, just tell me. :)

[simison]

Kelborn, can you give me some names and ranks?

[Kelborn]

Sure!

 

Let me see... we got Orhlacc vs Atreis.

 

So it does make sense to use at least an canon character of Orhlacc:

 

Sir Alsahr Orhlacc - Pilot of the ancient Knight-Lancer Pilgrim of Dread; the proud and egoistic member of House Orhlacc, Sir Alsahr is the nephew of High Seneschal Valdemar Orhlacc. He bears the symptoms of the genetic intervention with pride and as a proof of what mankind's potential. He strongly emphasizes with the indicted Vizenko. "Why should mankind not make use of it's potential? The whole galaxy could be settled with adapted humans. We could be harder, better, faster, stronger! There is the possibility that we will have no need of the armor and weapons anymore as we can become weapons ourselves!"

 

And as for Atreis, I will recommend this guy:

 

Sir Auctellar Ballador Servantes - Pilot of the mighty Cerastus-Knight-Acheron Ashmourne; Kinsman of Duke Uther Valcorian and a senior member of the lord's elite Lifewatch phalanx. Ballador may be old, but he earned his right to keep fighting against the horrors of the void. Conservative in his way of thinking, he sticks with a pure image for mankind." If genetic intervention will become trivial, who guarantees that we will keep their sanity and humanity? We would become mutants, animals or abominations! Nothing more then degenerated beasts like the greenskins, I fought countless times! This cannot be our destiny! We are unique in this galaxy! Let's stick with that!"

 

Hope that helps. :)

[simison]

On and on, it went as witness after witness claimed a chance to voice their opinion. It was the Emperor's intention the affair be conducted coolly on a foundation of respect and logic. Yet, the longer the trial continued, the more inflamed passions became. Representatives from Knight Houses Ohrlaac and Atreis nearly came to blows when Sir Alsahr Orhlacc took the opportunity to insult House Atreis for 'being blinded by their own ignorance'. Sir Auctellar Ballador Servantes took the lead in House Atreis' defense and the two sides were on the verge of charging each other before the Custodians forcefully put an end to it. 

 

{An honor duel was demanded when a Berserker of Uran declared a testifying Dune Serpent was guilty of sedition for past acts.}

 

[While I wait on Raktra and Squig, I'm going to continue writing onward. I'll do one more event that occurs during the Prosecution before moving onto the Emperor's judgement. Any suggestions are welcomed.]

[Hesh Kadesh]

If actions of the Primarchs are relevant, mention of Morro being incapacited with a campaign against an ork action on Moloch [can change? How far are Qarith?], so authorised 'Corvo' (WIP name) and Hennasohn to speak on his behalf might be pertinent?