“My, I haven’t had this much fun since me and my good friend Orikan went on that excellent adventure in Shaa-Dom! You’ve been quite the excellent host, but sadly all good things must come to an end. Yes, I do think this Rose-Ta Stone will make quite the fine addition to my collection… Don’t look so angry! I’ll put it in one of the most prominent spots in my Prismatic Galleries as it deserves...”
-Trazyn the Infinite, during the Battle of Seria. The Human Archaeology Institute has posted one of the largest bounties in Federation record for his capture.
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M24, 198
Kanshabai System, Varchii
As the avatar of the Hrud god stood before him, the power of its presence was revealed to Adam. Formerly hidden from the Anathema, the entire planet was saturated in its might, represented as countless intertwining lines of shadow in the Warp that protected the Hrud souls within.
A cold feeling settled in the Perpetual’s stomach. Only now did he realize the enormity of his mistake- he had walked right into the heart of the alien god’s domain, the seat of its power. The terrible authority of Qah was revealed now, appearing in the Immaterium as a gargantuan sphere of darkness that drowned out all light. For the first time since Ullanor, Adam feared for his life.
Qah raised a single hand. "Lower your weapons, Lightbearer. We need not fight. Though you have come uninvited into my domain, I shall let this offense pass- we have much more pressing matters to attend to."
Slowly, Adam sheathed his sword, though the Graviton Claw remained activated. “You knew I was coming.”
"I am the Lord of Time." The god replied serenely. "Your arrival was expected, Lightbearer. You would have come here eventually- it was inevitable."
“Nothing is inevitable.” Adam retorted. “You should know, most of all.” He resisted the impulse to add an insult at the end- the stuation was too delicate for him to do so.
Qah’s mouth moved in a way that suggested the Hrud equivalent of a frown. "I misspoke, it seems. The human language is sometimes… insufficient. The spheres behind him spun slightly faster. "Not so long ago, your coming was impossible. Something has disrupted the flow of time- in six thousand of your solar cycles I would have died at the hands of the Youngest God, my people scattered to the winds living as scavengers, but the possibilities have changed. A new path has opened, one that may yet grant us salvation."
“And why should I trust you?”
"You know that I am not of the same breed as the Three, Lightbearer, and we are both bound to our duty, to protect our people from the things in our dreams. You see it in your visions, don’t you? The galaxy aflame, the laughter of the thirsting gods, and the screams of the people that you failed to save. We both have the same goal- the Long Night must never come to pass, else all is lost."
The Perpetual gave no sign of denial, and the Graviton Claw powered down. “If you know all that, then you should know what I came here for.”
Qah smiled. "Your assumption is correct. I know that you came here in search of ancient lore, to understand the resurgence of your mortal enemy." The black orbs behind him expanded, coating the library in darkness speckled with dots of white light. "Gaze upon what the Aeldari, and what caused their fall from grace."
To the left of them, a patch of space rippled, shifting into the vision of an idyllic paradise. Spires of wraithbone reached into clouds, the sky a purplish blue. In the background a waterfall crashed down to the earth from the moon set in the sky. Birds with multicoloured plumages flew slowly in the sky, the air filled with the words and laughter of robed Eldar that glided above the clouds, or discussing academic matters with their peers atop pillars of silver.
"This was their saemonas, Lightbearer, or as you would call it their Golden Age. Nine million of your solar cycles before your race came to power, they had defeated what you call the Cythors, and ushered in an era of peace and prosperity." The images shifted to show an ensemble of strange and majestic figures, among them a King clad in a mantle of phoenix feathers, a bloody-handed butcher, and a beatific woman wearing a crown of vines. "My kin the Aevarin were at the apex of their power, and for a time, it was good. But it was not meant to last."
The psychic image shifted again, this time showing a young Aeldari maiden clad in pure white cloth kneeling before the Phoenix King in a court filled with the same figures. "Foolish, foolish youngling. I warned her, you know, that some prophecies were not meant to be revealed." Qah shook his head ruefully. "Lileath, youngest of the Aevarin and Goddess of Prophecy, had a vision where the Aeldari would bring about the downfall of their gods, and she told it to Asuryan, the Phoenix King. Terrible was his wrath, and he proclaimed that the Aevarin were to forevermore retreat from the mortal realms, leaving their people to their own devices. Him too, I warned, but like Lileath my advice went unheeded."
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Once more the images changed. The idyllic paradise was now transformed into a scene of mourning; black flags flew from the spires, the laughter replaced by howls of sorrow. "The Slah-haii made us to guide our people in that great crucible which shattered the galaxy, Lightbearer, just like how you were created to serve humanity. The connection between the Aevarin and the Aeldari runs deep, and with that bond severed, it devastated their psyche, left a gaping hole in their hearts, allowing the tendrils of the Outer Dark to seep in." The black flags were replaced by vibrant banners, the waterfall turned into a column of fragrant wine, sounds of pleasure echoing. "They lost themselves in pleasure in an attempt to dull the pain, and over time it fermented to become something impure and rotten." The spires were now decorated with limp bodies; the wine turned into gore, and the sounds of pleasure were laced with screams."
"The nascent godling we face is born out of their depravity, Lightbearer. It is the sum of the Aeldari’s sins, given life by their innate psychic potential. To destroy it, one must pull out the roots that give it sustenance, denying it the right to exist." The Lord of Time turned to face Adam fully. "Otherwise it will be truly born, and you will face the full might of your eternal foe as its birth scream awakens its foul siblings."
Adam clenched his fist, and the illusion evaporated like smoke, the room returned to normal. “And what of you? Where do you stand in all this?”
The Hrud god clicked its mandibles together. "The Tweci-akeh fear me as much as they do you, Protector of Humanity. I am the last of the true gods- the Two in One have been broken a long time ago, and the Aevarin languish in their self-imposed exile, faded shadows of their former selves. When Slaanesh is born, after devouring the Aevarin it will come for me, and I know that if I and it were to clash, victory will not be mine. The Hrud will stand with humanity, when the time comes."
A swirling whirlpool opened under Qah’s feet, the avatar slowly sinking into its depths. "A word of advice, Lightbearer. I know of the old monster that you have caged. Know that as of now it only has a silver of its original power- I have fought it in the old war before, and you cannot even begin to imagine the devastation it can wreak. If it escapes its bindings and returns to its full strength, then the battle will be lost before it has begun." With that said, the old god vanished in the shadows, the portal sealing itself shut.
Adam stood there for a moment. Then, he pocketed the data-wafer he was previously reading, before drawing his sword, slashing the air to create a doorway of pure fire. As he stepped through to make his exit, his mind was already whirling with thoughts. Favours had to be called in, and it was time for the old guard to come back together.
He had work to do.
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M24, 200
Ghoul Stars, Werdai System
The planet Vendus had been newly colonized by the Federation a couple of years ago. The jungle world had already been successfully terraformed, its climate now much more temperate, with much of the jungles replaced with far more visually appealing variants. With every month that passed, more colonists arrived on Vendus, searching for excitement on the new world and helping to design the cities that would soon arrive.
Far away from the main settlements, nestled in a valley, was a small patch of land, on which was a modest cottage. Made of plasteel and armaglass, its interior was lit with soft light. Curiously, next to it was a moderately-sized farm, but even curiouser was the human that was tilling the fields. Such a thing was unheard of in the Federation, where food fabricators existed and farming by human hands was something taught in schools as ancient history.
His job done, the human trudged back to the cottage. Placing his tools in the shed, he walked into the living room, a panel in the wall opening and lobbing a can in his direction. Catching and twisting the tab open in one smooth motion, he chugged down a mouthful of ice-cold beer, before slumping down into the hoverchair that had silently glided over to him.
The room was decorated with strange curios; on the wall hung a sword of corrugated iron, laughably primitive by Federation standards. Others included a painting of jumbled colors, a chipped glass bottle, even a simple rock. Stranger still was that there were no AI in the residence, only automated systems.
Settling down, the human grabbed the datapad resting on the arm of his chair, scrolling through the latest messages. A new holosim arena in the northern city, the local Lodestar nearing completion… nothing out of the ordinary, until he saw a single new transmission, bearing a symbol both familiar and dreaded. Bracing himself, he opened it, reading the contents within.
It’s time.
-A.
The human read the message again, before proceeding to swear loudly and violently in several languages, some which didn’t even exist anymore.
“God Almighty.” Ollanius Pearsson, known in certain circles as the First, grumbled. “Can’t even get a few years’ peace…”