[Novel] The Greater Evil

[Panzer]

Huh, that one came a bit unexpected.

I guess I'm going to give it a read later today and see if it's worth the €3.49.

 

http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/the-greater-evil-eshort.html?utm_source=WarhammerCommunity&utm_medium=Post&utm_content=BLDigMonNov13

 

http://www.blacklibrary.com/Images/Product/DefaultBL/xlarge/BLPROCESSED-The-Greater-Evil-cover.jpg

 

In the far reaches of the Damocles Gulf, an expedition of the T'au Empire heads for the system known to the Imperium as Yuxa, there to bring the influence of the Greater Good to humanity – and investigate the reappearance of a Water Caste ambassador thought lost years before. Joined by a mysterious Ethereal and defended by gue'vesa auxiliaries – soldiers once of mankind's Imperium, now devoted to the Greater Good – the expedition's leader expects a trap/ But what he finds may just change his perceptions of the galaxy.

 

Written by Peter Fehervari

Edited November 13, 2017 by sfPanzer

[Commander Dawnstar]

Huh, that one came a bit unexpected.

I guess I'm going to give it a read later today and see if it's worth the €3.49.

 

It's by Fehervari, so I would certainly expect so. Definitely interested to hear what you think.

[Kierdale]

I too am very keen to hear how this is.

I only read one short story with Tau in it (in a compilation of Xeno stories, I don’t remember the name now) and am interested to hear if it’s worth downloading.

[Commander Dawnstar]

Like I said, Fehervari's works that feature the Tau are always interesting. His pieces are very different from the majority of Black Library's other stories about the Tau - he's absolutely nothing like Phil Kelly in style or substance - and he generally takes the Tau in directions you won't see anywhere else under the GW banner. I'm not sure if there's been another character like Jhi'karaa since perhaps Kais way back in Fire Warrior, and that was a very different story to say the least.

 

The one small caveat I'd put forward is that his work is usually human-centric rather than Tau-centric. Some of his short stories (Out Caste and A Sanctuary of Wyrms) have focused on the Tau themselves, but his longer pieces have been predominantly about humans coming into contact with the Tau rather than from the Tau perspective. They're definitely all worth a read though. He really goes the extra mile to flesh out his worlds and cultures.

[Panzer]

Can't really read it unfortunately. Black Library still only accepts Credit Card payment which I can't do so I'll have to wait until I can get it from "somewhere" else. 

he's absolutely nothing like Phil Kelly in style or substance 

 

This alone makes it already worth reading! :D

[Guest Triszin]

I wonder of this book will be introducing the Concept of Chaos and some of the scale along with it to the Tau.

[Commander Dawnstar]

I've decided to shoulder the terrible burden of reading this story. Feedback, new ideas and spoilers (if desired) will be available later.

[Panzer]

Someone on ATT read it and it seems good so far. With an open end unfortunately but still. He didn't go too much into detail tho and his english is not the best so I don't think there's a point for me to link it here. ^^

I've decided to shoulder the terrible burden of reading this story. Feedback, new ideas and spoilers (if desired) will be available later.

Spoilers/synopsis in spoiler tags is definitely appreciated. ;)

[Commander Dawnstar]

Immediate response to first reading: Pretty solid. Introduces a lot of new ideas and little wrinkles in Tau society and organisation and (contrary to the preview chapter) is very much a Tau-centric story despite one of the main characters being Gue'vesa. Definitely suffers a little bit for being a short story and thus having to quickly accelerate towards the third act rather than giving things time to breathe, but still pretty enjoyable. It does feel a little bit like it suffers for having something of a non-twist if you're even vaguely familiar with the relevant aspects of 40k lore.

 

Edit: Well to be more precise it's kinda split between a Tau-centric focus and another which is ... let's just say not Tau-centric for spoilers' sake.

Edited November 14, 2017 by Commander Dawnstar

[Commander Dawnstar]

"Evil grows from within, not without. It is disharmony of the self, not the shadow of some elusive, predatory other"

- The Yasu'caor.

 

Extremely spoilerific summary follows. Please bear in mind that this is a summary and not a play-by-play of the order that the events of the book occur in, nor an exhaustive documentation of all the characters and ideas introduced. Quite a bit more happens than is listed here and in far more (and better realised) detail:

 

A vessel from the Whispertide Concordance (a Water Caste-led exploratory venture into the Gulf) is contacted by a member of the Water Caste long thought dead, claiming to have succeeded in spreading the Greater Good to a sizeable faction of the Adeptus Mechanicus and to have discovered “the key to the spiritual redemption [of humanity].” The tau decide to answer the call, though they certainly recognise that something is amiss.

 

This particular branch of the Concurance is a little unusual in that it is being accompanied by Aun'el Kyuhai, a Seeker. Seekers (formerly yasu'aun – 'the-finders-of-the-truth-that-hides') are members of the Ethereal Caste who subtly travel the Empire and beyond, using their talents to observe, guide and acquire information in order to preserve and protect the spiritual harmony of Tau'va. They are trained to uncover anomalies, follow those paths to their conclusion and to either mend or excise as they may. Just a little bit like an Inquisitor but with a far more gentle hand and tau sensibilities.

 

The anomaly in this case is one Gue'vesa'ui Ulver Voyle, a former Void Breacher (think Stormtroopers specialising in ship-to-ship action) who has served the Empire for some five years … and bears the partially-suppressed touch of a Genestealer from a very Aliens-esque encounter. Running concurrent with the main narrative is Voyle's own private battle with the burgeoning psychic voice of the 'Animus-Alpha' as it seeks to convince him to throw off the shackles of slavery and join with his kindred of the Cult. Kyuhai certainly recognises that Voyle is somehow significant, and is willing to accompany him under the guise of a Fire Warrior to uncover precisely how, but seems unaware of the true nature of the threat.

 

Almost immediately it becomes apparent that something isn't quite right on the Mechanicus skyhive (essentially an orbital station that has been built upon until it has all but become a hive city in its own right.) The Water Caste envoy who greets the expedition appears physically younger and bears unfamiliar symbols about his person as a mark of respect to the dominant Mechanicus faction (or so he claims). They join him on a convoy through a cityscape in a state of disrepair under the watchful eyes of purple-robed guardians with vaguely insectoid masks. These guardians are to ensure the security of the tau “for the Greatest Good.”

 

About an hour into the journey the convoy suffers a rebel ambush that is shut down in extremely short order by the Mechanicus' forces, but not without a few casualties of their own. Voyle (at this point hearing but not truly understanding the voice in his head) finds himself drawn to the aftermath of the combat and ends up uncovering the mutations hidden beneath the robes and armour of their escort. He raises the alarm and the tau seize control of the convoy and attempt an escape.

 

Long story short: the tau ship is sent into retreat before anyone can be evacuated in order to ensure news of the betrayal makes it back to the Concordance. Almost all of the tau are killed, and Voyle briefly loses himself to the voice. He manages to free himself long enough through the use of the use of repeated mantra of self-sublimation to crash the truck he's driving, killing himself but giving the Seeker and Shas'el trapped in the back of the vehicle the chance to escape. They, along with the Seeker's two kroot companions, resolve to see out the destruction of the infestation by any means necessary.

 

In the epilogue we see the Por'el of the expedition, who was thought dead during the convoy but in fact taken captive, introduced to a Por'ui of the original embassy on the skyhive and in turn her future as a mind-slave of the Cult who will go on to bear its hybrid children. Lovely stuff.

Edited November 14, 2017 by Commander Dawnstar

[Panzer]

Nice summary. Now I know what's happening but it still makes me want to read it myself. 

[Happy-inquisitor]

Nice summary. Now I know what's happening but it still makes me want to read it myself. 

 

You should when you get a chance. Something about it made me think that Peter Fehervari has read a fair bit of Iain M Banks and knows what makes those stories tick. Which I regard as high praise in itself :)

[andes]

I read it. I was reluctant at first (I find a lot of gaming fiction to be... substandard) but found it to be a fun (but short!) story that left me wanting more. Hopefully there's a follow-up.

[Trevak Dal]

I like the concept of these Seekers, and find it fitting for B'Tshi Kosh, my Ethereal.

[Fire Golem]

I read it. I was reluctant at first (I find a lot of gaming fiction to be... substandard) but found it to be a fun (but short!) story that left me wanting more. Hopefully there's a follow-up.

Peter Fehervari has done more stuff involving Tau. There’s a short story, Fire and Ice, which I really enjoyed, the novel Fire Caste which I’m just starting but heard very good things about and I think there’s a couple more shorts.

[Brother Dougal]

Peter Fehervari’s work is perhaps the best there is in regards to the T’au, but his stories are very cryptic and prone to cliff-hanger endings. It’s a mark of his prowess that such a style actually adds to his story’s appeal when read, but I wonder if he will ever write more than just short stories. Or if he even wants to.

 

Also, I should note that his love of mysteries goes beyond even that. If you look up and real ALL his stories on the Black Library, you’ll find many Easter eggs between them. One character’s fate, left hanging in one story, might be hinted at in another. Like a mini-setting within the greater galaxy.

[Skaorn]

I like the concept of these Seekers, and find it fitting for B'Tshi Kosh, my Ethereal.

We are all Kosh :D

 

I'd be interested to see how the story progresses. I could see the Tau treating a GSC as a pandemic, which would be an interesting way to frame the story. Or at least different from most 40k stories.