Happy Birthday, Carl! How old are you now?

[Magos Takatus]

I'm building my Archmagos Cawl right now, and I was little bit surprised by just how...insect-like he is under the robes. Seeing what really makes up his body, I almost felt like I was putting together a Tyranid more than a cyborg. Really this is a great representation of how it is described in "Mechanicum" (I think it was in that book anyway) how some of the more robotic and inhuman Magi had appearances that were so horrifying to representatives of the Imperium, that the Mechanicum had to use an "ambassador" of sorts that had more of his human form intact. If I saw Archmagos Cawl I would be thinking it was a bad guy too if I didn't know any better.

I think this is the reason we didn't see any Tech Priests in the game "Space Marine". People unfamiliar to the setting would probably have no idea what to think if a wierd cyborg cultist built from metal tentacles and ignorance showed up without warning. How is anyone supposed to know that a Tech Priest is "friendly" and a Chaos Obliterator is hostile?

 

The bizarre appearance of senior Tech Priests mean that conversions are going to get more strange than before.

 

Also: Did Cawl get offended when you peered under his robes? :p

[Tiger9gamer]

 

I'm building my Archmagos Cawl right now, and I was little bit surprised by just how...insect-like he is under the robes. Seeing what really makes up his body, I almost felt like I was putting together a Tyranid more than a cyborg. Really this is a great representation of how it is described in "Mechanicum" (I think it was in that book anyway) how some of the more robotic and inhuman Magi had appearances that were so horrifying to representatives of the Imperium, that the Mechanicum had to use an "ambassador" of sorts that had more of his human form intact. If I saw Archmagos Cawl I would be thinking it was a bad guy too if I didn't know any better.

I think this is the reason we didn't see any Tech Priests in the game "Space Marine". People unfamiliar to the setting would probably have no idea what to think if a wierd cyborg cultist built from metal tentacles and ignorance showed up without warning. How is anyone supposed to know that a Tech Priest is "friendly" and a Chaos Obliterator is hostile?

 

The bizarre appearance of senior Tech Priests mean that conversions are going to get more strange than before.

 

Also: Did Cawl get offended when you peered under his robes?

 

Well the machine god was mentioned several times over the PA system, so maybe he shows up chanting praises to the machine god as he fixes the space marine's equipment? it would have been nice to see at any rate, providing that much more world building and flavor to what should be a forge world.

[Xisor]

So, some new stuff from Rise of the Primarch.

 

Foremost: he has indeed been working since the days before Guilliman fought Fulgrim, albeit on (at least) a suit of life-support/renewing armour.

 

Secondly: without the input of the Ynnari and the Ynnead, it is intimated that the armour would not be efficacious.

 

Thirdly: There was another senior Techpriest waiting at the door to the Golden Throne Room who was conversant with Carl.

 

Four: Guilliman seems to be tasking Carl (and his pal, Archmagos Lenny?) with finishing the development of a host of superweapons and wacky new things.

 

Five: No mention of what's going on in the Throne Room - is the Golden Throne in good order?

 

Six: A lot of techpriests invaded the site of the Lunar Webway Gate in the aftermath on the moon.

 

So. So!

 

There's quite a lot of unorthodoxness going on here. Given everything in the Ad Mech lore of late, I'm curious: how heavily can we press for Carl to be declared a heretek? What sort of schism(s) will follow?

 

Personally, my theory is something as follows. Perhaps invest in copious tinfoil cranial augmetics.

There's a lot of Thorianism on the go here. I think the Throne *has* failed, either by bwing allowed to or as an experiment. I think a lot of this was to distract the Ruinous Powers from the Throne. See Magnus on the moon. I think Carl is in on it. I think Guilliman's armour was a sort of cannibal technopsychic Frankenstein suit that is hijacking both a fragment of the Emperor's Soul (and Guilliman) and trying to reincarnate him wholesale. I think Ynnead and the Star Child/God-Emperor are sort of the same thing, or at risk of merging. I think it's a conspiracy where the Astronomican and the Golden Throne are things in the self, powered independently (by Ynnari-like means of psy-soul cannibalism) of what was the Emperor.

 

I think it would be really interesting if a lot of schisms happen.

 

I think Guilliman, in the Throne Room, saw that the Throne was ultimately empty. I think a spark of recognition would be there: he saw the truth of what he was, that he's a weird psy-imprint of the Emperor and some other factors who also happens to be the genuine legacy of Guilliman, but also something quite different too. I think Guilliman, in doing so, realises there's opportunity in that, but also danger: it's not longer in his, or His, control. The faith of the Imperium is runaway from him and from Him.

 

I think Carl and the rest of the Cult Mechanicus might not be entirely on the same page. I think the Machine Gods might even be getting beyond Mars' total dominion of control too...

 

I think it's quite interesting. Or at least I really hope it is. It's not especially different from what was before either, which I think is why I'm so content leaping immediately into hare-brained speculation.

[Battybattybats]

Regarding Cawl's inhuman shape, I like how most of the Necron are much more human looking than a lot of techpriests.

 

There's also a great artwork of an alternate version of Cawl surrounded by cadians in GS1 with a rather ghoulish skull-faced servitor that may be great inspiration fodder for peoples kitbashing and conversion.

 

As far as further info on him goes I'm reading GS2 currently and will join in more once I get through GS3, but rumours of coming releases suggests he has a huge role yet that may eclipse even Arkhan Land.

 

Previews show there's more on Cawl (at least design discussion, maybe more) in the gathering storm companion which currently I can't afford, if anyone has it it might have some info worth adding to this discussion.

Edited March 14, 2017 by Battybattybats

[Xisor]

<declaration canticle="statement of purgation" psalm="advisory">

 

<stanza tone="dutiful">

Orbital felicitations, Carl. Around 200 Terran, give or take.

</stanza>

 

<preamble tone="genial">

It occurs to me, however, that there is a glaring problem with our esteemed Archmagos Dominus.

</preamble>

 

<stanza tone="body_content">

Foremost: he's a heretic of extreme and unrepentant provenance.

Second-most: he's a threat to the independence of the Martian Priesthood by allying himself too closely with Lord Commander Guilliman, High Lord of Terra.

Third-most: He's in flagrant breach of many of the Warnings of the Cult.

 

Specifically:

<pedant tone="particular" reference="cross_subsection_angry">

1- The alien mechanism is a perversion of the True Path.

-- Carl is in cahoots with the Ynnari and Harlequins

 

3- A soul can be bestowed only by the Omnissiah.

-- Guilliman's soul was returned with input from alien perversions alloyed to Carl's machinations.

 

4- The Soulless sentience is the enemy of all.

-- Carl has imbued newer patterns of Mk X with outrageous levels of autonomy sans soul.

 

5- The knowledge of the ancients stands beyond question.

-- Carl is blaspheming the knowledge of the ancients.

 

7- Flesh is fallible, but ritual honours the Machine Spirit.

-- Carl has introduced additional flesh stages beyond the rituals required for Adeptus Astartes.

 

8- To break with ritual is to break with faith.

-- Carl has irrefutably broken with ritual.

</pedant>

</stanza>

 

----

 

<posit stance="active" conviction="certainty">

To this end I posit: Carl is a heretic and an enemy in the perception of Omnissiah. I contend: his termination should be sought prior to his next birthday. His forges should be seized, his records erased, his perfidious mechanisms rendered to dust and scattered to the oblivion of the void.

</posit>

 

<corollary denomination="AnyOtherBusiness">

Lord Commander Guilliman, High Lord of Terra, as of ~200M42, is the ongoing product of heretical deviations sustained by the efforts of Xenos and perverse technologies, and should therefore be returned to Ominissiah-ordained repose in perpetuity.

</corollary>

 

Such actions will bring us closer to the Omnissiah and should be pursued with due industriousness and diligence.

</declaration>

[Ammonius]

Looking at the parts of my Cawl model, I was struck by how much he reminded me of the caterpillar from Alice In Wonderland. I have not read the pre-Dark Imperium books about how Guilliman was awakened and went on his journey of discovery through the 41st millenium. Would anyone who has read the books care to comment on any other possible parallels?

[Shinespider]

<pedant tone="particular" reference="cross_subsection_angry">

1- The alien mechanism is a perversion of the True Path.

-- Carl is in cahoots with the Ynnari and Harlequins

 

3- A soul can be bestowed only by the Omnissiah.

-- Guilliman's soul was returned with input from alien perversions alloyed to Carl's machinations.

 

4- The Soulless sentience is the enemy of all.

-- Carl has imbued newer patterns of Mk X with outrageous levels of autonomy sans soul.

 

5- The knowledge of the ancients stands beyond question.

-- Carl is blaspheming the knowledge of the ancients.

 

7- Flesh is fallible, but ritual honours the Machine Spirit.

-- Carl has introduced additional flesh stages beyond the rituals required for Adeptus Astartes.

 

8- To break with ritual is to break with faith.

-- Carl has irrefutably broken with ritual.

</pedant>

 

[...]

[...]

[Error]

 <Carl>

[Misspelling] 

[Possibilities:]

 <Data Corruption>

 <Derogatory>

[Resolution:]

 <Correct>

 <Cawl>

[...]

 

[...]

[...]

[Rebuttal]

<1. The wisest of us can extract wisdom from dark places, and find purity amongst filth. Your limitations are not Cawl's. Your weakness is not Cawl's>

<3. Guilliman's soul never departed his form. Your data is corrupt>

<4. Mk X. Armor has no substantial capabilities in this regard beyond Mk IV Armor. Additionally, new Datafeeds bring Astartes closer to the truth. Your data is corrupt>

<5. Cawl walked amongst gods before your genes were printed. He is closer to the knowledge you claim to revere than you could ever be. Your data is incomplete>

<7. The new Flesh of the Astartes is derived from the workings of the Emperor, and the materials of the Primarchs. To question this flesh is contrary to <5>>

<7b. The introduction of the "Steel Within" brings the New Marines closer than ever to the Omnissiah's form>

<8. Every one of Cawl's creations is consecrated. Your data is corrupt>

<Your Data is corrupt>

<Your Data is corrupt>

<Your>

<Data>

<IS>

<CORRUPT>

[...]

[beware the Fabricator General. His lies will end us all.]

Edited August 8, 2017 by Shinespider