#Imperium 4: Chapter 7

[kentuckywrites]

Imperium 4: Chapter 7

Hoc non est finis. (This is not the end.)

BLADE arrives on the scene twenty minutes after Nessa’s comm to Elma. By that time, Syriahnydra has split Cocytios in half, the wild Miran oceans engulfing what little land remains. All but three members of the Desserta Caravan perish in the flood. Elma sees the three surviving Nopon - Froyoyo, Vanala, and Sprinkle Sprinkle - on the highest Cocytios mountain, hugging each other as they cry for what they’ve lost. Elma finds no sign of Nessa or Pongo, and with a heavy heart, she is forced to acknowledge that they won’t be coming to their aid. 

The Skell fleet holds its own for a time. They’ve also prepared ground combatants, who take aim at the great yggralith’s body from Primordia and Noctilum using hastily crafted harpoons and railguns. A third troop is sent to Sylvalum, but it doesn’t arrive at the target destination. Every BLADE on that mission is slaughtered by an army of the dead - the reanimated corpses of F’lenla A’slegn and Ganglion alike. Sylvalum becomes a graveyard, much like it had during the ancient war. And as Syriahnydra feasts on what pitiful ether the bodies can provide, it howls with laughter. It may not be a lot, but it’s enough to close its wounds, for now, and give it strength to keep up the fight. 

Sylvalum is the second continent to collapse after Syriahnydra lifts its tail from the sea, bringing it down on the sandy white plains. The continent cracks apart, bodies disappearing beneath the ruthless waves. Elma is not witness to it, but L’s dead body is the last to vanish, his once golden eyes bleeding black tar. He’d been dead the moment Syriahnydra possessed him. He floats among his people, the final F’lenla A’slegn, a race exterminated. 

When the battle becomes desperate, Elma orders Lin to retreat. She doesn’t. Lin’s rage is palpable, and it drives her to the edge, charging towards Syriahnydra’s neck in a futile attempt to slice its head off its body. Her Skell’s blades don’t cut deep enough. Syriahnydra clamps down on her Skell, and the frame crunches under its fangs like a chip. 

It’s in that moment that Elma knows they’ve lost. Humanity has faced catastrophe before, and it has overcome it. She’s faced with the knowledge that this is it, humanity has no way forward. Still, she fights until her dying breath, her Skell combusting under the pressure of Syriahnydra’s ether attack. Her charred body falls from the skies and splashes into the ocean, joining the thousands of other bodies below. 

Everything on Mira dies. It becomes Syriahnydra’s feast, its reward for a fight well fought. And when the only ether left is inside the planet’s core, Syriahnydra descends, splitting the planet in half to reach it. The debris scatters across space as Syriahnydra, sated, departs for the far reaches of the cosmos, ready to begin its torment on the rest of the universe. There is no one left to remember Mira and the people that once called it home.

No one, except Death itself.

It descends, time freezing as its hand extends towards the kneeling Pongo, and takes him away. The story does not end for him here, nor does it end for Nessa, or for Aidoneus. He will not let it be so, even if it means cutting the strings of Fate, destroying the hands of Space and Time. 

He brings their souls to the divide. He cradles Aidoneus, telling it secrets only godlings can know. And together, they wait for a choice to be made.

~

Pongo blinks, and the world snaps away.

He kneels in white clouds, a great blue sky above him. There’s no sun in sight, nor any of Mira’s moons, but sunlight kisses his skin all the same. His chest heaves as he drinks deep of this new, clean air. This doesn’t erase all he’s seen. 

And it doesn’t erase the probability that he’s dead.

Syriahnydra’s jaw closing on him - that’s the last thing Pongo saw. He glances down at his arms, discovering that there’s no wounds, no pain from the impact. Whatever world he now finds himself in is completely removed from his reality. 

He brings himself to his feet, his knees wobbling. The tension overwhelms, even now. Pongo tries to find the end of the horizon, some kind of landmark he can move towards. But the clouds are endless. They consume the ground beneath his feet, gentle wisps that fail to bring him any solace.

“Ngh…”

Pongo spins as he hears someone groan. He tracks the voice to his right, on the ground. A body peeks out between the clouds, struggling to right themselves. Pongo rushes over to help, eyes widening as he realizes who it is.

“Fuck.” Nessa groans again, squinting as she straightens her spine. “That fucking hurt. Where -”

Pongo hugs her before she can finish her sentence. He embraces her so quickly that she yelps, surprised. But he doesn’t care. Gods, he didn’t think he’d get the chance to do this again. He savors every second of their embrace, shedding a single tear when Nessa realizes it’s him, returning the hug by wrapping her arms under his, clinging to the back of his fur cloak. 

They sit in silence, sinking in each other’s warmth. Nessa is the first to break away, her tears dried and wiped away. “So,” she musters. “We’re dead.”

Pongo nearly agrees with her. But as he folds his hands on his lap, he takes stock of their new surroundings again. His memories of death aren’t clear enough to use as reference, especially since he’d died as an empty husk. Mira had repaired him when he’d fallen into the Grave the first time around, and he’d only gathered some details near the end of his time under the planet’s soil, only aware of how he was adrift, locked in stasis. This place isn’t enforcing stasis. He can move freely, speak freely. He isn’t waiting for Mira’s instructions or a release back into reality.

“I do not know,” Pongo says after he thinks it over. “Do you remember being here when you…when you died?”

“No,” Nessa confesses. “It was weird. I knew I was part of the planet, just floating around, waiting for something to happen.” A pause. “I followed you around, when I could.”

“I know. I tried to follow you, too. But…” Pongo swallows hard. “I know you are dead. Syriahnydra -”

“Swallowed me whole,” she finishes in a weak whisper. “Gods. Fuck, I failed. I saw Solstice get bitten, and I just -”

“You did not fail, Nessa. The ritual worked, you were making a difference by fighting Syriahnydra. I just hope we bought Elma and BLADE enough time to finish the job.”

“They do not succeed.”

Pongo and Nessa’s heads swivel at the same time, alerted by the newcomer. The figure, standing a few yards away, isn’t facing directly towards them. His coattails float in the nonexistent wind, and even though Pongo can see his feet, it doesn’t look like he’s touching the ground, hovering slightly above the clouds. A blue hood obscures his head, and really, that’s all Pongo needs in order to confirm the stranger’s identity.

“Death,” Pongo says.

The figure turns slightly upon being addressed, his hands raised, cupping something close to his chest. But still, it’s not enough to see what it is. “The planet Mira is destined to be consumed,” he continues, “by Syriahnydra, one of the great wyrms of this plane. It feasts upon billions of other cosmic entities during its lifetime before expiring, one million years after your present day.”

“So we never would’ve won,” Nessa breathes. “I was always going to fail.”

Pongo grits his teeth. Nessa doesn’t deserve to think like that. He stands up, hands balled at his sides, and begins to approach Death. “We saw your image in Noctilum. You were standing with us next to Mira. I thought that meant you would help us.”

“In a way.” Death affirms.

“How? Can you send us back to Mira? Can we go back and destroy Syriahnydra before that comes to pass?”

“Not in this timeline.”

“Then what the fuck can we do?! I refuse to just sit here and let Mira die, not after all it has done for me!!” Pongo’s voice raises, on the verge of screaming. 

“It will not die.” Death remains unfazed, his calm tone fueling Pongo’s rage. Before he can ask how, why, please - Death turns, revealing what he holds between his hands. A ball of white ether, sparkling as particles float upwards past his fingertips. The source of the light: a curled draconic tail, swirled around itself before tapering down. 

“Mira!!” Pongo rushes forward, and Mira’s true form flickers in response. In the presence of its physical form, and still connected to its subconscious, Mira speaks both out loud and within his mind.

Pongo, Nessa. I am so sorry.

Nessa runs up, stopping next to Pongo. “Don’t you dare apologize. What happened? We tried to talk to you, to find you before -”

I know. Mira hums, its etheric language translated in soft segmented melodies. He found me before Syriahnydra could feast upon my ether. He offered to bring me here, at least until it was time to summon you here. I knew I would have no way of reaching you, for a while, but agreeing meant we could all live.

Death’s hands part, allowing Mira to float closer to Pongo and Nessa. It trails weaves of light ether behind it, cascading like a gentle flame. As it creates distance between itself and Death, Pongo takes a moment to try and glance beneath his hood. But he can’t make anything out; his hood is too low to place any facial details. He’s only able to register that he has loose linen wraps around his exposed chest, a round pink gemstone placed atop it, and that his skin is as white as the clouds that surround them.

Pongo has never seen Death before. Not in a physical form, not like this. But why does something in his chest stir at the sight of him? This can’t be his heart. It’s in the center of his chest, below his clavicle, and it’s digging below his skin, yearning to be free, begging him to close the distance between them.

Death’s head tilts. “Your souls. I hear them.”

Pongo blinks, and Nessa stiffens beside him. Does she feel it, too? He steps forward, subduing his anger in favor of curiosity. He needs answers, more than he needs the rage to fill him. “You need to start from the beginning. Where are we? Why did you save us? What did you mean by ‘this timeline’?”

“We are between the planes,” Death explains slowly. “I am the guardian of this realm, this defined collection of lost spirits. Many souls wander from their corporeal forms, lost on stalwart journeys or seeking out what they cannot define. My primary objective is to guide such souls back to planes deemed as ‘reality’, whether it is their own or another’s. 

“Within the sheets of existence, there are infinite souls, infinite lifetimes. Impossibility has no meaning. Not here. In the acceptance of impossibility, I connect with souls of identical formation. Reincarnations, duplicates, twins of separate planar realities. I alone can differentiate between them. This is why I brought you here.”

In the silence that follows, Nessa and Pongo’s confusion becomes palpable. “Okay, so you’re definitely Death, carting souls along to wherever they need to go,” Nessa verbalizes in an attempt to grasp what he’s saying. “But I don’t get why you chose us specifically. Are our souls the same or something? Is that what you mean?”

“Not yours. But another you. Another time.”

Death’s hand rises, and with a curl of his fingers, the clouds at his feet rise to greet him, obeying his every command. As he speaks, they form loose shapes, images of people and places he has yet to understand. Pongo does his best to listen, to absorb, to understand.

“Before I became this realm’s keeper,” Death continues, “I was a man, living on borrowed time. Mortality is a fickle thing; most fear its eventuality. I was once prey to its whims, doomed to a short and insubstantial life. I knew the end was nigh, but still, I subsisted on the precipice, with the knowledge that a bridge between realms existed, that an escape could be created. I never found a way to cross it. I never wished to cross it. My time began to dwindle, teetering, alone. I could not sate it, and so, with fear all-consuming, I awaited the end.”

The clouds by his hand form a familiar shape: a woman slightly shorter than Pongo, with short hair and form-fitting armor, a flower perched above her right ear. Nessa’s cloud-form bends down as another smaller cloud takes shape, creating a small human. A child, Pongo realizes as they bury their head in their knees. Nessa’s cloud-form takes the child’s hand, holding it tight.

“You, of unwavering heart, took pity on my fear.” Death ignores the clouds, staring straight at Nessa. “You breathed into my weary soul and gave me the strength to rise again, at the cost of your own life. I didn’t understand the gravity of your sacrifice, then, but in my now immortal clarity, I recognize this as one of humanity’s greatest strengths: compassion. It is a memory I cherish, even when mortality abandoned me, even as I wandered through time and space bereft of companionship.”

“I don’t…I didn’t do that,” Nessa whispers. “It wasn’t me.”

“Another you. Another time.” Death tells her. “Identical souls. You existed, for a time, alongside me. I know the color of your soul, even now.”

As if to demonstrate, a ball of light emerges from the center of Nessa’s chest, engulfed in careful blue flame. Pongo has to squint to realize that this ball of light is in the shape of a heart. Her soul, he realizes. It hovers between them all, cobalt and navy and dark sapphire mixing between each other like a dance in the night. Nessa’s eyes flicker in its presence, entranced, enraptured. Mira backs up; though it has no facial features in this form, Pongo can feel its fear, despite Death’s peaceful demeanor. 

“And you.” Death addresses Pongo. “You, who saw beyond the veil. You, who gave me a greater gift than life.”

The clouds change, shifting to create new people, new memories. Where Nessa once stood, someone taller emerges, someone broader, well-built. A strand of heart-shaped hair pokes out of the hair, solidifying that this is Pongo - at least, a Pongo. 

Pongo’s cloud-form reaches inside himself, drawing out a pale version of Nessa’s soul - is this him, removing his own soul from his body? Puzzled, Pongo’s lips part, questions in his mind racing to be asked. But Death has been thorough so far. He will answer this, surely.

“Even gods cannot always bend the will of life and death,” Death explains, “and I, unfortunate crossfire, was killed when I was most needed. You appeared before me, inquiring about every method, every possibility to revive my broken soul. I gave you a solution, one that most would deny in accordance with mortality. But you…you accepted. You offered your soul unto mine, knowing the consequences.”

That means he died, Mira clarifies. He…Pongo saved you too, in a different life. 

“They both did, in their own way.” Death confirms. 

Just as Nessa’s soul emerged from her body, Pongo feels a soft but building pressure in the chasm of his chest. From beneath his skin, beneath the loose armor Vanala had crafted for him, a heart breaks free. Its flames are silent, mirroring Pongo’s eyes: indigo, violet, swirls of occasional pinks and reds and blues like galaxies in the far night sky. He tries to cup the heart in his hands, seeking its warmth. The flames lick his hands, leaving no trace, no burning sensation. Only the warmth he’s come to recognize as part of himself, part of all he wishes to emulate to the world. 

Death moves forward without a sound. He lifts his palms to Nessa and Pongo’s souls, and they flock to him, magnetized. Nessa startles, about to pursue, but rethinks when she finds Pongo motionless at her side. How can he still feel his soul’s warmth when it’s no longer in his body? He watches, waits.

Death says, “Because of you, I was given the chance to live. I wish to repay the debt owed to your souls.”

“But it wasn’t us,” Nessa responds. “It was whatever Nessa and Pongo you met in your own timeline, right? Why repay the debt to us specifically?”

“You are not specific,” he says. “This debt, I repay to all of your souls. Even if you, before me, are not the originators, I hold this promise true to you as a collective.”

Before, Pongo had been filled with wonder, a curiosity deemed near-insatiable. He wants to smile, to dance, to be grateful for the fact that they’re alive, that this entity wished to save them. But he’s weighed down by the fact that they are the only ones being spared. If Death’s speaking the truth, all of Mira is destined to die. Vanala, Froyoyo, Solstice, Elma, Lin, L…Pongo had failed them all, and here he stands, the lucky one. Unworthy, in his own eyes, to even stand at all. 

“What if I do not want to be saved?” He breathes, unable to stop himself once the question tumbles off his tongue. “Could I trade this chance so that the rest of Mira can live? If I choose to die here, would you spare the others trapped on the planet, or use my life as a sacrifice so Syriahnydra could die?”

“For fuck’s sake,” Nessa suddenly spins towards him. “Why the fuck are you offering that?! Did your promise to be kinder mean nothing to you, you piece of sh -”

Both of you, stop. Mira pushes itself between them. No sacrifices, and no yelling. We are in no position to bargain with Death right now.

“You ask for something I cannot give,” Death bows his head, lowering his hands. Nessa and Pongo’s souls still float next to him, unwavering, unyielding. “It is not my place to trade souls. I merely escort them. I already test the balance of Fate by creating this condition.”

“Then tell me something,” Pongo presses. “Was that why you were on that parchment in Noctilum? Were you trying to warn us that this was inevitable?”

Death hums, formulating an answer before he speaks again. “I grew curious of your world. I planted myself within its history as a warning, yes, but also as an offer of companionship. It was not my intention to imply assistance in Syriahnydra’s defeat.”

“So you met the F’lenla A’slegn?” Nessa pries. “And you told them all about how this would happen? Why didn’t they leave better clues? Could’ve spared us the heartbreak.”

“They knew the importance of revealing a story’s ending before it came to pass.” A pause. “That was when I was a prince. I was not as…eloquent…in my endeavors to touch the strings of Fate.”

“The Hall of the Prince,” Pongo offers weakly. “That explains the name.”

“Prince Death doesn’t have a nice ring to it,” Nessa grumbles, still upset. 

“I am a prince no longer,” Death says, “and I am not Death. Not when I offer you life.”

We got off topic, Mira redirects. You want to revive Pongo and Nessa as a token of appreciation. If they cannot stop Syriahnydra and the planet is destined to die, then what is the point of reviving them? 

“To begin again.” Death turns his back to Pongo and Nessa, and the clouds around his feet warp, revealing new scenes. Familiarity strikes Pongo, witnessing recreations of people and places he’s lived through. To his left, the moment when Elma discovered his body in an abandoned lifepod. Further beyond, the Vita, towering before Elma’s team. To Nessa’s right, her gun pointed at Pongo’s kneeling form, preparing to send his body into the Grave to be reborn. And beyond that, Starr, transforming into Aidoneus. Pongo’s soul, still by Death’s side, wallows a pitiful song, aching for what he once had. Why does it yearn for the pain? Does it see beyond, to how it became stronger for every moment it persisted?

“There is always another timeline, another path to the future,” Death explains. “There exists a parallel, one bereft of your presence. To the best of my knowledge, transporting you to this universe will result in a similar progression to the one you underwent in your original timeline.”

“Including Corvhesperikon and Syriahnydra attempting to kill Mira?” Pongo asks somberly.

Death raises a finger to his mouth, barely prominent beneath the shadow of his hood. “I am not at liberty to say.”

“You said ‘similar’, not ‘identical’,” Nessa clarifies. “That means, if both yggraliths appear, maybe things will be different enough that we can kill them both without breaking a sweat. Wouldn’t that be a dream come true.”

How would that affect me? Mira inquires. I created them both. If they are being inserted into this universe they are going to, does that mean my connection to them will no longer exist?

For the first time, Death suppresses a chuckle. It’s a singular, solitary thing, and it’s almost lost in the swish and sway of the clouds beneath them. “My abilities may be limited, but you believe me incapable of such possibilities. Should you wish for the same origin, I can will it so.”

“Yes,” Pongo says, at the same time that Nessa pleads, “I do.” 

Mira twirls, clearly pleased by their quick acceptance. Thank you, both of you. Here I was, thinking you would want nothing to do with me in this new timeline we are about to become a part of. 

“It’d be weird as hell without you,” Nessa explains. “I’ve gotten so used to hearing your voice that it wouldn’t feel right not having you around.”

“Same here,” Pongo smiles, bending easily to the truth. “We have been through too much together. You have seen us both grow into who we are today, and we could not have done that without you.”

Mira whistles, the song echoing the one Pongo’s soul had uttered before. Death looks between them, the clouds of their past memories returning to the white sea. “You have made your choice, then.”

“Yes,” Pongo speaks on behalf of them all. “We accept your offer to begin again.”

“You understand that, in placing you in this new timeline, you will not retain the memories you possessed in your original timeline. You will begin again, and one day, you will end again.”

Is this true for me, too? Mira asks.

“Not you, godling. You will remember.”

Pongo exchanges a quick glance with Nessa. He’s not entirely surprised that they’ll lose their memories in this new world; he’s not even sure he’d want to keep all of the memories from this world, the pain and guilt and grief that wormed their way inside of him. But beyond all of the terrible things, there are sparks of joy, moments of comfort. He doesn’t want to let these go. He’s not sure he’s got the strength for that.

Nessa steps forward, her hand slipping into his. She squeezes, and he reciprocates. It’s all the reassurance he needs. If they all enter this new world together, they’ll find each other again. Mira’s not the only glue holding them together, but it’s written in their very souls, the lives they once lived. 

So Pongo faces Death again, and says, “We choose to begin again. To find each other again, and make the best of our new lives.”

Death nods, cupping their souls in his palms once more. Mira comes forward, weaving between their souls before returning to their physical bodies. I know the color of your souls now, too, Mira says. This is not goodbye. I will find you again, even if the circumstances are different. 

“Not too different, please,” Nessa chuckles. “At least remember to give me good tits if you’re the one creating us in the new universe. I rather like being the prettiest avatar.”

Gods above, Mira’s tone is the vocal definition of an eye roll. If you get a request, Pongo gets one too.

Pongo doesn’t have to think about it long. “Create us both at the same time. I do not want Nessa to suffer the cycle of rebirth again.”

Nessa’s eyes widen, taken aback by his request. But eventually, she softens. “Well, now you’ve gone and made me look self-absorbed. You couldn’t wish for a fat ass again?”

“Gods,” Pongo turns red, sinking into himself with a nervous laugh. “I can go without that if it meant you do not have to endure the events of Cocytios again.”

As Mira floats back towards Death, Nessa takes Pongo’s other hand in her own. Staring down at them, she mumbles, “We’ll find a way to keep that promise, right? To be kinder. We might not remember it, but it’ll be a part of us somehow.”

Kinder. Pongo wants to believe that no matter where their souls may venture, they will be kind. They’ll find each other, keep each other in check. If he falls, she’ll pick him back up again. He doesn’t need to do it alone. 

He moves too quickly for Nessa to retaliate. Pongo wraps his arms around her again, hugging her tight, trying to remember the warmth. He won’t let that memory go, after their souls drift towards their new horizon. 

And, judging by how she hugs him back, breathing deep of his armor, she will hold herself to the selfsame promise. To be kind. To never let go. To remember the warmth, and to live within it.

When they break apart, Mira bridges the gap they create, caressing them both with its heavenly light ether. The sparks land on Pongo’s nose, and he laughs, erasing the tension he carries. Nessa tries to catch one of the sparks like a firefly, holding it in her open palm and watching it fade from sight.

I will see you both soon, Mira says. I love you. I love you both more than words could ever describe. Know that I am so, so proud of you both, and I cannot wait to meet you again.

“We love you, too,” Nessa replies, wiping a tear from her eye. “You said it yourself. This isn’t goodbye.”

“We will see you soon. Thank you for everything, Aidoneus,” Pongo says. 

Mira showers them both with one last cascade of light before returning to Death’s side. With Nessa and Pongo’s souls in hand, Death lifts them to the great blue expanse, the skies splitting open to reveal the stars beyond. Death had described this realm as a place between the planes, and it’s only when Mira’s true form ascends into the universe above their heads when he realizes just how small he is. One soul, within a sea of endless possibilities. What if he becomes something different, in this new timeline Death is sending them to? What if he doesn’t find Nessa? What if he loses his connection to Mira, what if he turns against everything he stands for, what if he hurts and destroys and desecrates the very ideals he’s protected for so long?

Nessa’s soul flutters, following Mira’s true form. Her physical body fades away, leaving behind one last smile, one last tear. Then, there is only Pongo, Death, and the questions that Pongo can’t answer.

Maybe it’s okay that he can’t answer everything. Maybe he has to let go, and believe in the power of his love. That’s what tied them all together: their love, their desire to protect one another. Mira was their cradle, their home, their hope. Pongo has to believe it’ll tie them all together again, and that he’ll emerge a hero, a protector, a lover. 

Before his soul drifts beyond the rift, Pongo says, “I do not believe you are Death. I know we are going to forget this place, but you…who are you, really?

Death stares at him, contemplating. Slowly, he raises his hands to the hood obscuring his face and pushes it back, revealing his face. His skin is stark white, but across his cheeks, there’s a splattering of loose freckles, a birthmark under his left eye. His cyan hair floats carefully over his face, curling at the back of his neck. His eyes are nearly the same shade of blue as his hair, but deep inside, there are circles of pink encasing his pure white pupils, made brighter by the radiant skies. Though they’ve never met, familiarity gnaws at Pongo’s mind, the echoes of a name buried on the back of his tongue. 

The man they called Death grins.

“My name is Caspian,” he says, “King of Souls.”

With one final flick of the wrist, he unbinds Pongo’s soul from his body, the heart of indigo flames pushing beyond the realm’s borders. He feels weightless, floating without abandon. Flashes of memory scatter across his mind, abandoning him for a better future. His eyes close, though not for the final time, and everything goes white. 

[candyswirls]

Fanfic Masterpost

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Fic List

An Eye for an Eye, A Pup for a Pup - Leman Russ grants a wolf priest the right to take a thousand son neophyte to be part of their legion.

Chapters: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

Bat Fledgling: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9

Corvus Corax finds and adopts a Night Lord child. He finds he has to come to terms with his relationship with his sons, brothers, and father.

Return of the Phoenician: 1 - 2 - 3

Determined to right the original’s wrongs and prove himself, the Clone of Fulgrim sets out to get back to the imperium and reunite with his brother Roboute.

Garm: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9

The warp gave Leman Russ a child. A rambunctious child.

(Garm Drawing) (Garm’s Stand) (Garm's Origins) (Garm & Leman)

The Unbound Flame - 1 - 2 - 3

The Salamanders have uncovered the next artifact of their primarch, but discover it is far more precious than anticipated. They have found his infant son.

They Still Know Fear - 1 - 2 - 3

He was an adeptus astartes. A primaris. Built to perfection and one of his angels. His presence brought forth Fear and respect. Nothing scared him. But now, he's prey. A delicacy. He's powerless.

Is It Heresy to Fall in Love With a Warp Entity? - 1 - 2

To protect his innocent brothers from their ruthless chaplain, an apothecary hides the knowledge of a warp entity possessing his brothers. She means no harm and has done good thus far. He also... enjoys her company and finds himself waiting for whenever she comes around.

Companion of Blood - 1

The tale and lore of a very cute yet deadly Khorne Daemon and its accompaniment of a World Eater

Blood Loss - 1

A blood angel with limited memories finds himself waking up in the 42nd milennium. How did he get there? Who was he? What happened? The last thing he remembered was the psykic backlash of his Primarch dying. What does this new age hold? How can he navigate an imperium that is so drastically different even if he can barely remember the previous one?

Resurrectio Sanguinis - 1

Sanguinius is brought back to life by the inquisition, then is imprisoned by them. His is weak, angry, and mournful. Especially as his sons fight to get to him.

One Shots:

Lion in the Dark - Lion comes across strange yet familiar creatures in the forest. They seem to know him.

Crow and Fledgling - a day with Corvus and his adopted child

Child of Dorn - introducing Lanky Dorn, daughter of Dorn

Beautiful Once - An Emperor's Children loathing his silent brother

Works with other’s characters:

Garm and Varska Meet - Garm and Varska Sick Fic - A Day in the Life of Garm - Garm's Fit - Garm Protecting Varska - Garm and Cousins - Stowaway

Other Writings:

Space Marine Cuddle Pile: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

Requests: #requests

Primarchs as toddlers/kids is under #little primarchs

Space Marine Husbandry: Post

[damndirtyheathen]

Introducing...

hey hi hello just throwing my Rook out there for everyone to meet. This is Roran de Riva. She's the MC of my Rookanis fic over on AO3 (linked below) which is my canon playthrough. The fic loosely follows the DAtV plot but with some extra depth added to the romance aspect because Lucanis got cheated on that front. I wanna start sharing the chapters on here as well as AO3 so I thought I'd give a bit of an introduction!

1. Where in Thedas is your Rook from?

Minrathous, Tevinter Imperium

2. What is your character’s alignment?

Chaotic Good. She believes it's better to ask forgiveness than permission and sticks more closely to her own set of morals than societies.

3. Race and subclass?

Human Rogue - Veil Ranger to be specific

4. If your Rook was a companion, where would they be found?

Anywhere with animals. She much prefers the company of animals to humans.

5. What emotion did they usually pick?

Sarcasm. She's fluent in it.

6. What companions are they platonically close with?

Initially, she hit it off with Neve, but after picking Treviso that relationship fell a little flat. Learning that Roran was originally from Tevinter and only spent ten years in Treviso didn't help. She bonded with Taash rather quickly, taking them under her wing as a sort of little sibling. After turning down Davrin's romantic advances, they grew to be good friends.

7. Romantically close with?

Lucanis.

8. Who are they suspicious of?

Everyone upon first meeting, but she warms up pretty quickly.

9. Does your Rook get along with their chosen Faction?

Now she does. It was rocky after she went on her sabbatical and mostly just with Viago. She's since forgiven him for sending her away. She's polite to Caterina and the feeling is mutual. The older woman respects her grandson's affections though she still holds a grudge over Roran for botching her first job.

10. Are they proficient in playing any instruments?

Absolutely not. She can fumble her way around a piano but that's about it.

11. Weapon of choice?

Short bow, though she does favor stilettos for close combat

12. What is their orientation?

Pansexual.

13. What are their thoughts on killing? Is it a necessary evil or do they enjoy it?

She started her life as a Siccari, so killing has been a part of her for as long as she can remember. She sees it as necessary but not always evil, and also not always good. She only enjoys it when the target deserves it.

14. What hobbies does your Rook have?

Reading, archery, and horseback riding though she doesn't get to do the latter nearly as much as she used to when she was younger.

15. What NPCs do they like? Which one’s do they dislike?

She has an sibling relationship with Viago, where he is very much the annoying, protective older brother. Teia is like the sister she never had. Outside her faction, she adores Isabela and has often mused at how she should have tried to escape in Kont-aar and become a Lord instead of a Crow. Strife can be frustrating at times because he comes across too seriously for her.

16. Do they have a favorite creature in the Thedas?

Dragons have always fascinated her, along with griffons. Her best birthday ever was her 26th birthday when she got to meet a griffon for the first time (bb Assan). Even if it was ruined by Treviso and Minrathous being attacked only hours later. Her more practical, and more common, favorite creature is a horse.

17. Do they enjoy life as an adventure?

She does more than she thought she would. She grew up a slave and then was in Treviso until she was sent on a sabbatical with Varric. That was the first time she'd really been able to travel and she fell in love with the world.

18. What would your Rook be doing if they weren’t recruited by Varric?

She would have left Treviso and gone wherever the wind took her, likely finding work as a mercenary. After meeting Isabela and the Lords, she likes to think she might have linked up with them, though at the time she had no idea they even existed.

19. How do you think they would meet their end?

Fighting. She'd never go down without a fight.

20. Would they side with Solas or fight him?

Fight him. She only didn't do that or trick him into sealing the veil because of the Inquisitor's request.

21. What is your Rook’s favorite ability?

Rain of Decay

22. What languages is your character fluent in?

Common tongue and Antivan. She knows some old Tevene but has forgotten a lot of it.

23. What do they do after an absolute crisis?

After Minrathous was attacked and destroyed she locked herself in her room for a day and a half. After Weisshaupt fell she shut down and poured herself into her work. She found the latter to be more productive so she's continued that pattern moving forward.

24. Does your character believe in the afterlife?

Before meeting Emmrich, no. Now she entertains the idea.

25. What specialization best represents your Rook?

Veil Ranger. She loves her bows and arrows.

26. What animal best represents your Rook?

She likes to think of herself as a cat - agile, care free, listens when she wants to - but Viago would call her a bull - stubborn, clumsy, brutish.

27. What was their life like before the events of Veilguard?

Born in Minrathous, she was the bastard daughter of a slave and an unknown magister (she never met her father and her mother never spoke of him). She was selected to be trained as part of the Siccari order from a young age and quickly took to her training. At the age of 13, her mother died of illness. No longer feeling obligated to serve the Imperium, she managed to escape the order and stow away on a merchant ship bound for Kont-aar. Her plan was to escape to Rivain and make a life for herself, but she was discovered not even four days into the journey and was added to the ship's inventory of slaves (she hadn't realized what type of merchants they were, she was just focused on getting out of Minrathos). From there she was shoved into a caravan bound for a destination she wasn't important enough to know. The next time she saw daylight, Viago was pulling her and several of the other slaves from the caravan to safety. They hadn't had anything to eat or drink in days and were weak and fatigued because of it. Viago took a special interest in Roran and all but adopted her from that point forward. She knew who the Crows were from her training in Minrathous, but never told Viago about her life in Tevinter other than she was born a slave. He promised to help her start her life anew and invited her to join the Crows and start their training at 14. She accepted the offer and flew through her training, having already had most of it completed in Minrathous by the time she was 12. It only took so long for Viago to offer her her first contract because of sentimentality. He knew she'd had a hard life, though he didn't know the extent of it, and wanted to protect her. So while she had lived a hard life before forming the Veilguard, it had been sheltered for the last ten or so years.

28. Is your character the de facto leader of the party? Or do they consider someone else to be the leader?

She always considered Varric the leader, even though "he" insisted she take the mantle. She may have been calling the shots, but her talks with him were not only to get ideas on how to move forward but to get his approval. After discovering that Solas had tricked her into thinking Varric was still alive, she finally accepted she was a leader and stepped into the role everyone had always seen her in.

29. If you could choose a different faction for your Rook , which one would they have joined and why?

Had she not fled Minrathous, she likely would have joined the Shadow Dragons or whatever similar faction there was at the time for her. Had she escaped in Rivain, she likely would have found her way to the Lords of Fortune when Isabela formed them.

30. What’s your favorite thing about your Rook?

Her ability to let things roll off her shoulders and move on to the next. It's something she didn't have when she joined Varric's team and only developed with the help of the Veilguard. Veilcard credit to @biowarescreenshotsdump

Questions thanks to @pinkhallaclub https://archiveofourown.org/series/4546513

[drgairyuki]

My 1st Randomly Generated Marine Chapter

This was my first attempt at creating a Space Marine Chapter randomly.

So I decide to randomly create and generate a Space Marine chapter by using and messing around with 1d6chan(rip 1d4chan)'s Space Marine Chapter Creation Table and Roll A Die to get the results. Why? Because I thought it would be fun. Note; I did for fun, and there is going to be a lot of interpretation and speculation on my part, but I guess that's the part of the fun.

So here are the results of this me messing around;

______________________________________________________________

Chapter Origins: Why Was The Chapter Founded? (d10) 10: Crusade - "We need people running around and hitting the Imperium's enemies. Found a Chapter!"

When Was The Chapter Founded? (d100) 97: M41/M42; Ultima Founding consisting of Primaris Marines. Actually in two waves (+ intermittents in-between), first in 999.M41 and 000.M42, intermittent foundings during the intervening years to replace destroyed chapters or garrison key areas, and the second in 012.M42 after the first phase of the Indomitus Crusade ended with victory at the Battle of Raukos from the last core of Unnumbered Sons veterans, capping off the largest founding in history.

Who was the Chapter's Progenitor? (d100) 71: Dark Angels

Chapter Properties and Flaws: Gene-seed purity (d10) 10: Flawed - Chapter's gene-seed is flawed and sets them apart from their progenitor - roll on Chapter Flaws table

Chapter Demeanour (d10) 10*: Uphold the Honour of the Emperor - Performing unheroic acts? *BLAM* NO or alternatively, since I'd already rolled 10 once for above, I decide to roll again and I got... 1: Swift As The Wind - Going slowly and thinking things out? BLAM NO

Based on the Chapter's Progenitor, how likely are they to suffer gene-seed mutation? (d100/d20) Dark Angels - 10% (1-2) d100; 44/d20; 12

If they have a new mutation, what is it? (d10) 7: Lost zygote - Something's gone. One of the silly EMPRAH-BLESSED things like the Betcher's Gland or Melanchromic Organ, not something critical like the Black Carapace

Progenitor-specific mutation Dark Angels Lost zygote

Lost Zygotes (d100) 60: Oolitic Kidney Since I got really confused and didn't know really about interpreted them above as I didn't know if it there only need to be one lost zygotes or two, I decide to roll again 100: Roll twice on this Chart 68: Neuroglottis 59: Oolitic Kidney* I'd already rolled for Oolitic Kidney, so either the above is good enough or I reroll again 27: Occulobe

If one exists, what is the Chapter's Flaw? (d10) 4: Pride in the Colours - The Chapter hates doing anything that covers their livery, including wearing Deathwatch black.

Chapter Legends: Figure of Legend (d100) 96: Battle-Brother (roll d10 twice to determine company and squad). I decided to roll both 2d10 once and roll 1d10 twice 6 & 7: 7th squad of 6th Company or alternatively, 5: 5th Company 4: 4th squad

Deeds of Legend (d100) 69: The figure led an action against an Eldar craftworld, boarding it and inflicting grievous casualties before withdrawing. He and his Chapter are especially hated by the pernicious Eldar, for whom the event is still fresh and raw.

Chapter Homeworld and its Properties Chapter homeworld (d100) 35: Feral World

Fleets 10+d10 vessels: 8

Homeworld terrain (d100) 29: Desert

Rule of homeworld (d10) 3: Stewardship - "Hi, Planetary Governor? It's me, the Chapter Master. Just calling you to remind you that I outrank you, even if I don't do anything."

Not Fleet-Based, so I can ignored that

Tactical and Strategic Organization d10 Result - Chapter organisation and Variant Base Chapter 10: Unique organisation/Unique(Codex)

Combat doctrine (d10) 6: Drop Pod

Characteristic Chapter Training (d100 Result) 44: Endure Anything: Training in this chapter emphasizes the need for any squad to be ready to endure any trials they find themselves in. They produce tough, durable brothers with diverse specialties.

Chapter Specialities Specialty restrictions (units the chapter cannot field) - Only roll if Unique Organisation was selected (d100) 15: Apothecary (someone still needs to collect the progenoids)

Special equipment- Roll once if Divergent was selected, twice if Unique Organisation was selected (d100) Rolling 2d100 81: Preferred Fighting Style: The Chapter has a specific way in which it prefers to go about killing the enemy in the name of the God-Emperor of Mankind. Examples: Bolt Pistol and Chainsword, dual Power Swords, special Bolter pattern or ammunition 99: Modified Weaponry: When the Chapter’s forges produce a weapon, they produce them in a style that is specific to their Chapter. Examples: Power Sabre, Bolt Pistol with weighted butt for clubbing. or alternatively, Rolling 1d100 twice 58: Blessed Wargear: It is common for members of this Chapter to have their Wargear blessed by a Chaplain before battle. Doing so puts the Battle-Brother’s mind at ease and more focused on the task at hand. 81: Preferred Fighting Style: The Chapter has a specific way in which it prefers to go about killing the enemy in the name of the God-Emperor of Mankind. Examples: Bolt Pistol and Chainsword, dual Power Swords, special Bolter pattern or ammunition

Chapter Beliefs What form do the Chapters' beliefs take? (d100) 84: Totem Creature - "You know how we've got an animal as our Chapter symbol? Yeah, we're going to stick that everywhere."

Chapter Strength At what strength is the Chapter? (d10) 2: Under Strength: The Chapter is recovering from a defeat or accident that occurred several decades ago, or has recently suffered heavy, but not irrecoverable losses. It is probably at a minimum of half strength, and should return to nominal strength within a decade.

Chapter Relations Who are your Chapter friendly with? (d100) 24: Another Chapter (choose one) Hhhmmmm… Maybe either the White Scars or the Space Wolves, depending on how your interpreted it.

Who are the Chapter's enemies?(d100) 27: The Tau Empire (alternatively, you may select a particular Sept, Commander, or Ethereal)

Ooooooo, the Tau Empire, my favorite faction in 40k (mostly due to the battle suit, so sue me :P), but I think I'll go with selecting a particular Sept, Commander, or Ethereal option. But i'll most probably do that in one of the reblog of this post.

[thegodemperorsmycopilot]

The Geese Stars.

Located along the southeastern periphery of the Imperium, it is home to the human diaspora that travel this collection of systems aboard a myriad of migratory fleets, farming cosmic resources for survival and trade from the asteroid belts, gas giants, and even surfaces of great stars.

Occasionally, they will attempt to mine or reclaim resources from planetary bodies, but the wide range of dangers and xenos threats often make these resource expeditions prone to failure.

Planets of note:

1) Kanossian-VII is an active Forge World that has suffered a Tyranid invasion and is struggling to rebuild. It is the only other currently inhabited planet in the Geese Stars.

2) Eucliktus-Omega is an abandoned Forge World due to an unknown disaster, and has descended into a feral state. It is a prime destination for expeditions to recover tech and supplies.

3) Anser Prime and its artificial moon, Cygnoides, was the Geese Stars' unofficial capital and were the victims of a catastrophe that laid waste to the planet and its orbiting moons. The rings that surrounded Anser are the remains of several moons reduced to rubble and asteroids kept in orbit around the planet. Cygnoides is a torn and seemingly hollowed out wreck, originally constructed as a naval base and network of shipyards.

Both these celestial bodies are covetted by salvage and reclamation expeditions.

4) The Astartes moon of Skein, in orbit around the gas giant Cinju Gigant, is presently under a quarantine order of unknown provenance. The Astartes Chapter whose fortress and base of operations rests upon this harsh moon, the Mist Hawks, are not very inviting.

Very little is known about the Mist Hawks and their Founding, but they have been observed to have black & yellow striping upon vambraces and greaves, winged blade heraldry and avian skulls decorating their power armour.

(Inspired by @woahspacewizards)

NOTE: May be used as a setting for Crucible 7's Wrath & Glory or Imperium Maledictum, any FFG Warhammer 40000 RPG, and your own tales of the Grim Dark.

[fourraccoonsinacoat]

Mongrel Heart(Beats): Playlist & Story Index

Been kicking around the idea of making a playlist for Mongrel Hearts, since each chapter name is linked to a song. Then, started thinking about making a story index that lists which fic chapters cover which in-game missions/story beats.

Decided to combine those ideas, and thus here we are. There is a relatively decent chance I am the only person who will find this interesting. That's cool, we ball.

Playlist & Story Index Below Cut | Additions Ongoing

Fic Summary: Heinrix van Calox is a watchdog of the Inquisition. Bound by duty and fueled by a deep-seeded shame, he continues to serve the Imperium the only way he’s ever been allowed, on the tight line of a leash. Obedient and steadfast, Heinrix has always been eager to prove himself. And yet, no amount of accolades or praise will ever assuage him from feeling like a vile cur, simply grateful to not have been put down. Visenya von Valancius is a void wolf. Forced by circumstance into an existence where she has had to fight for every breath, she dreams of freedom from the tireless hunters who stalk her footsteps and seek her ruin. Thrust once more into a life she did not ask for, Visenya must now lead those who once saw her as nothing more than a mongrel. Both are strays in a war-torn galaxy, simply seeking a place to belong.

Chapter List, Playlist & Story Index

Rykad Minoris & Fallout

Chapter 1: Kill the Sun | Kill the Sun - Motherfolk

Chapter 2: Push it Down | Fine With It - Motherfolk

Incognito on Footfall

Chapter 3: Like I Never Left | Straight Through You - Bilmuri & ARIZONA

Chapter 4: Supersede All the Noise in Me | Willows - FLOYA

Chapter 5: Angling for the Throat | Jae Introduced | Mongrel - Kites & Powerlines

Chapter 6: Kill the Ghost | Kill the Ghost - Motherfolk

Drifting Voidship

Chapter 7: Cut the Lights | Lights Out - FLOYA

Kiava Gamma

Chapter 8: Thicker Skin | Thicker Skin - Sunsleep

Chapter 9: This Trauma Echoes | The Void Approacheth - Bilmuri & Summer Hoop

Chapter 10: Illusion | Illusion - Feelers

Chapter 11: The Hymn | The Hymn - FLOYA

A Long-Promised Conversation

Chapter 12: All That Could Happen | All That Could Happen - Moxy The Band

Chapter 13: World Stops Spinning | Neither Do I - Motherfolk

Flagship Freight Line

Chapter 14: Walk a Little on the Wrong Side | Forgiveness - Emarosa

[daitranscripts]

Under Her Skin Pt. 7

The Pencil Sketch

Under Her Skin Masterpost First: Vicinius Previous: Shrine of Dumat

The party enters the final chamber, where a figure sits in the center of a large prison of light.

Erasthenes: The light. Light the… the burner. Add a teaspoon of cinnabar… “He came down in fire and splendor”—chapter nine, verse one.

Party comments:

Vivienne: That’s a spell of containment. A powerful one.

Dorian: Look at that containment spell–it would hold a dozen pride demons.

Solas: The barrier holding him is impressive. He is no threat to us, if he ever was.

The PC approaches.

PC: What is this? Who are you?

Erasthenes: Magister Erasthenes am I. A scholar of Tevinter. To Corypheus I am bound, to answer every question—gaah! (Sobs.) For Calpernia’s sake, I am lost.

The prison appears to hurt him as he speaks.

Dialogue options:

General: We could help each other. [1]

General: For Calpernia’s sake? [2]

General: Start talking about Corypheus. [3]

1 - General: We could help each other. PC: I need information. You’d like to be free. We could negotiate. Erasthenes: Oh. To be freed—you see what he has made of me? [4]

2 - General: For Calpernia’s sake? PC: Corypheus did this to you—on Calpernia’s behalf? Erasthenes: She knows not. Unnh! I am a ruin, the jeweled husk when the butterfly leaves. [4]

3 - General: Start talking about Corypheus. PC: In that case, tell me everything you know about Corypheus. [4]

4 - Scene continues.

Erasthenes: I was the greatest scholar of the Old Gods in Minrathous–no, in the Imperium. One night, he came to my door. For my relics, I thought. My writings and runes… But instead, my slave went to his side. Calpernia. To become the Vessel, and save Tevinter.

5 - Dialogue options:

Investigate: A vessel for what? [6] Investigate: She wants to save Tevinter? [7] General: Help me stop them. [8] General: Why did he bind you like this? [9] General: I need specifics. [10]

6 - Investigate: A vessel for what? PC: If Calpernia’s this Vessel, what are the contents going to be? Erasthenes: I do not know–unhh! Power, it must be some sort of power. Power like Urthemiel’s, arisen in flame… [back to 5]

7 - Investigate: She wants to save Tevinter? PC: Is that why Calpernia joined Corypheus? To save your empire? Erasthenes: Yes. She seeks a leader—Corypheus—to shape Tevinter’s rebirth… Unnh! She would raise up the slaves, as she was raised. Bring a new order, with a heart of steel. She could do it. If she were not the Vessel. [back to 5]

8 - General: Help me stop them. PC: Now Corypheus and Calpernia threaten us all. Stand against them, with me. Erasthenes: No, no. It is Calpernia who will be destroyed. [11]

9 - General: Why did he bind you like this? PC: If Calpernia’s the one who Corypheus wanted, why do this to you? Erasthenes: For practice. I… [11]

10 - General: I need specifics. PC: When is Calpernia becoming the Vessel? How? Where? Erasthenes: I do not know those answers. Unnh! But after… [11]

11 - Scene continues.

Erasthenes: Corypheus crafts a Vessel, for whatever power he seeks. Yes. But he does not need his Vessel to have free will. About her these same chains will fall. Iron, to cage lightning. My binding is the poor pencil sketch. Calpernia will be the masterpiece.

Dialogue options:

General: She’ll be a mindless weapon. [12] General: That’s why Corypheus hid you. [13] General: She’d turn on him if she knew. [14]

12 - General: She’ll be a mindless weapon. PC: Power without free will. That’s her role as the Vessel. Erasthenes: Yoked like a Qunari mage, a saarebas, a circumscribed sycophant. [15]

13 - General: That’s why Corypheus hid you. PC: Corypheus couldn’t risk Calpernia’s spies bringing her the truth. Erasthenes: No fool, he. Nor she. [15]

14 - General: She’d turn on him if she knew. PC: She’d reconsider being Corypheus’s pet magister, if she found out. Erasthenes: Hers is a cold rage, to rival the wrath of Corypheus. [15]

15 - Scene continues.

Erasthenes: Unnh! This chain has broken me, friend. No wings can raise my mind. Please. Breach the circle—its wards will trigger. I will be dust and light. Free.

Party comments:

Cassandra: Or it will kill us. Corypheus is not above placing such a trap. Erasthenes: Corypheus’s circle will hold its destruction within, tight, tight. No fear. Only freedom.

Vivienne: And we lose a source of intelligence on our greatest enemy. Erasthenes: I am bound, chained, nailed to the truth. I told it!

Dorian: In his place, I’d be begging for it to end. Erasthenes: Corypheus’s circle will hold its destruction within, tight, tight. No fear. Only freedom.

Dialogue options.

I’ll free you from your pain. (Kill Erasthenes.) [16] +Sera slightly approves +Dorian slightly approves +Cole approves -Cassandra slightly disapproves

Your death will be a message. (Kill Erasthenes.) [17] +Vivienne slightly approves +Iron Bull slightly approves +Solas approves -Sera slightly disapproves -Cole disapproves -Dorian greatly disapproves

You’re too useful to kill. (Let Erasthenes live) [18] +Cassandra slightly approves +Iron Bull approves -Cole disapproves -Sera disapproves -Blackwall disapproves

Mage: I can make you Tranquil. [19] +Cassandra slightly approves +Cole approves +Iron Bull approves -Sera slightly disapproves -Dorian disapproves -Blackwall disapproves -Vivienne greatly disapproves -Solas greatly disapproves

16 - I’ll free you from your pain. PC: All right. You seem honest, and you’ve suffered enough. Erasthenes: Light a lamp, would you, Calpernia? Everything’s so dark. [20]

17 - Your death will be a message. PC: With you dead, Corypheus will know that not even his innermost sanctum is safe. Erasthenes: Light a lamp, would you, Calpernia? Everything’s so dark. [20]

18 - You’re too useful to kill. PC: I can’t waste your knowledge. Leliana should question you. My agents will secure this place. Maybe they can undo that circle somehow. Erasthenes: You would make of me what he makes of Calpernia. What shall I make of that? [20]

19 - I can make you Tranquil. PC: We need the information you have, but you don’t have to suffer. If I make you Tranquil, you can still help us. There will be no more pain. Erasthenes: To mind my mind… what is left. Yes. Fetch your mages. I will take silence at last. [20]

20 - Scene continues.

The PC leaves.

Next: Results

[mr-laveau]

20 Questions for Fic Writers Game

Tagged by a darling, @autisticempathydaemon! Thanks for the tag!

Tagging @agentplutonium because I wanna pull some SH style interrogative shenanigans/lh

1 - How many works do you have on AO3?

Seventeen, not a lot but it's to be expected somewhat I suppose since I'm busy writing NeXus.

2 - What's your total AO3 word count?

64,509-Oh look I beat Lexi/j/pos

3 - What fandoms do you write for?

Redacted mostly, I have some unreleased Castle Audios fics, an unfinished JJBA SDC fic to finish and a Scott Pilgrim fic to start.

4 - What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

#1 is an Ironpanther Marvel Fic of Avenger's Academy I have not touched in forever called "How Tony Stark landed a king and how T'Challa landed a genius". It was fun tho cuz my hc of T'Challa being demisexual was really well received to my knowledge. #2 is "Spitfire", which admittedly is a good FL/Damien fic and people should read it. #3 is "Ghost of the Past", my Sam/SH fic where they both used to be roommates in DUMP. #4 is "Friends...Am I right?" which was a really fun Darlin/Sam & BE+Fred fic. Finally, #5 is "Moments That Flash By" which is a really good Darlin/David fic for my soul.

5 - Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do respond when I remember...ADHD makes me do silly silly things like forget that stuff exists. I like comments and they let me know I'm doing s good job.

6 - What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Easy! "Shattered Glass Makes a Good Weapon" Gods, I love that fic so much. It was really fun for me to reach deep down and write Darlin and Quinn like that.

7 -What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

uhhhhhhh I dunno, probably a Marvel fic called "Crossing Buckies and Dotting Hawkeyes", I am a winterhawk girlie and I had fun writing that, others might think it's "Spitfire" or "Break time, Gorgeous" but subjectively, it's that fic.

8 - Do you get hate on fics?

If I have then I haven't seen it. I don't really engage much with fandom to care about hate comments because "haha, look at you getting mad over words about fictional characters kissing", like shut your goofy ass and move on.

9 - Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I have but I'm not releasing it. I don't feel compelled to do it-mostly cuz it's for me and I like toying with the idea in my head and the people of my current fandom are not ready for the depravity I could unleash.

10 - Do you write crossovers?

No? I have ideated one but I'm still not sure if I want to do it.

11 - Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope.

12 - Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nuh uh.

13 - Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Uhhhh no but I have ideated with Lexi about one and I have been too busy to finish the first chapter.

14 - What's your all time favorite ship?

My redactedsona/redacted men What? who said that? It's Darlin/Sam/David/Angel/Damien/Asher/Baaabe/SH/Milo. It's my ship and yes, they're all poly, yes, they're a network and yes, I am happy with myself.

15 - What's a WIP that you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

"Platinum Portrait", It was an old JJBA fic with my OC/Jotaro and I really liked how it was going. Dunno, we'll see how it goes.

16 - What are your writing strengths?

I'm good at dialogue and characterization as well as pacing(?).

17 - What are your writing weaknesses?

Gore, writing long fics, Dead Dove Do Not Eats (I wanna do those at some point with Quinn or Hush OR Porter OR OR OR Imperium Vincent) I like dark shit, idk what to tell y'all and I wanna get better at exploring darker topics properly in my writing.

18 - Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Gods, I love doing it. If you've read "Break Time, Gorgeous" then I want you to know, I love you and it was fun as hell to write.

19 - First fandom you wrote for?

Marvel. Specifically it was my Ironpanther fic.

20 - Favorite fic you've written?

An unreleased Sam/Darlin smut fic where they fuck in an alleyway. I think it's fun.

[hammerhead-jpg]

Ok so guys, I have a fic idea and I'm curious if any of you would be interested in reading it

It's basically springback but for the imperium AU so each chapter is based on one of the episodes in the first imperium AU playlist but a flashback to an earlier event

To illustrate it:

Chapter 1: Kody pitching the slicer plan to Blake

Chapter 2: Kody and Vin meeting for the first time

Chapter 3: Huxley's first day at the job as a security guard at damn (ft. His family)

Chapter 4: Lasko's first day at the office as the academy president (or something I don't have a good idea yet)

Chapter 5: Avior's first day at the academy after being given the director title

Chapter 6: Damien proposing to Angel and asking them to be his consort

Chapter 7: Sam's first day working for the imperium right after being turned

Chapter 8: David and Asher confession (or I could do David's death but confession seems more fun)

Chapter 9: Vincent coming to Adam for help

The idea is still very much a work in progress but I'm willing to do it if any of you care enough to see it

[late-to-the-fandom]

7 Lines, 7 People

Thank you @vcaudley for the tag. I'm in a severe creative and motivational rut at present, so I did seven lines from the remaining chapters of Wend in the Shadows, trying to inspire myself to keep going 😅

1. From Chapter 8, the chapter that should not have been, still stuck between two titles 😭

It was in the gleam of his Master’s red eyes, the quirk of his lips, the tap of his fingernails against the wine glass like a jarring staccato laugh.

2. From Chapter 10: Mix, Mingle, and Meddle

She was obsessed with open air and unobstructed views and Renathal was obsessed with making her happy, so long nights spent in his rooms ended in mornings adjourning to hers for anima-infused tea and coffee and the food she required for survival on the terrace.

3. From Chapter 11: An Invitation to Treachery

She watched him, unblinking, for several fraught seconds before saying, without cruelty, “Renathal, you are remarkable at many things, but you are not an accomplished liar.”

4. From Chapter 12: A Reflection of Truth

For an idea he only had yesterday, his existence had become quite dependent on it.

5. From Chapter 13: The Master of Lies

Renathal recognised the smooth, inviting iron in his Master's voice: the inextricable pull of Dominion.

6. From Chapter 14: The Authority of Revendreth

The end of Elisewin Maw Walker, twice defeater of Denathrius, Champion of the Shadowlands, and Lady of Darkwall Tower’s time in Revendreth ended with even less fanfare than it began.

7. From Yet More Interruptions, the smut piece for Wend in the Shadows

Knowing the places she needed him most, he avoided them simply to tease her; he was in that sort of mood.

Tagging: @imbrisvastatio @frozen-fountain @ceph-the-ghost-writer @isabellebissonrouthier @cljordan-imperium @malicious-compliance-esq @owlsandwich

[thanathicca]

ISMIE (imperare sibi maximum imperium est) Masterpost

a.k.a. Thanathicca's 22nd Century Thanatica AU

Posted: 2025-03-23

Last Edited: 2025-03-23

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ISMIE Tumblr Tags

All posts related to this Alternate Universe

Transfem Haruspex

NB Clara the Changeling (no posts on this tag yet)

Transmasc Bachelor

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Series

"ISMIE" series link on AO3

imperare sibi maximum imperium est - to rule oneself is the ultimate form of power. A 22nd century Thanatica AU. Contains aro trans man Dankovsky, trans woman Burakh, nonbinary + older teen Clara and Changeling, transhumanism, and metaphysical shenanigans. Tumblr posts about this AU: https://thanathicca.tumblr.com/tagged/ismie

imperare sibi maximum imperium est

ISMIE's main story on AO3

1 September 2165 will be remembered as a momentous day that rattled the scientific world and upended what humanity thought was possible. On this day, Thanatica Laboratories completed its greatest project yet: the AVA, a robot that carries within it the sum of a human being. It is a rebirth most marvelous. A breakthrough like never before. And most sacrilegiously, a Focus for none other than the soul of Daniil Dankovsky, the man who dreamed of defeating Death. Ad Vitam Aeternam.

From the Other Side

AO3 | Tumblr

(Pathologic Fest 2024, Day 1)

In which the Haruspex finds [questions][answers][obfuscation][expectation] from the other side.

Before and After

AO3 | Tumblr

(Pathologic Fest 2024, Day 21-22)

Daniil Dankovsky never has the luxury of a private transition. Not before, not now, and not after.

Notoriety

AO3 | Tumblr

(Pathologic Fest 2024, Day 17)

illogical-conclusion replied: Do you forget that CrystalClaraity is literally scamming people by selling them rocks that “”””heal the plague””””??? She forfeited the right to not be insulted by making people disregard safety protocols just to watch her “”””perform miracles”””” holy shit!!!

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Chapter Links

(AO3 only)

Act 1: Ad Vitam Aeternam

Chapter 1: To Cross the Abyss

Chapter 2: Between the Lines

Chapter 3: The Triumph of Thanatica

Chapter 4: In Transition (Part 1)

Chapter 5: In Transition (Part 2)

Chapter 6: There is Only One AVA Unit

Chapter 7: Spoilers and Spoils

Chapter 8: What is Lying on the Table?

Chapter 9: Confessions in the Interest of Transparency

Chapter 10: Your Gentle Blindness Affinity: ?

Chapter 11: Exclusive Twinterview

Chapter 12: Train of Thought

Chapter 13: Do-mess-ticity

Chapter 14: New Dawn, New Day, New Life

Chapter 15: (Un?)Faithful of a Warden Kin

Chapter 16: Walking on Eggshells (Or Dancing Around Them?)

Chapter 17: A Snake, Ensnared

Chapter 18: Kindness is the Sharpest Blade

Chapter 19: TBA

Act 2: TBA

:)

Act 3: TBA

;]

[lya-dustin]

Cupid kills with arrows

Gif by @alienas

Summary:

To prevent a war that ends the already dwindling population of Targaryens and Dragons, Viserys betroths Aemma, Rhaenyra’s only legitimate child and heir to Aemond, the boy who just lost an eye but gained a dragon. An au losely based on Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton AU

Tag:@darylandbethfanforever9 @cljordan-imperium @mercedesdecorazon

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

[djemsostylist]

The End and the Death: Part 3

The story begins 6 years ago when I was bothering my little brother one night. I had spent the night at my parents’ house over the summer (he was home from college) and he was just trying to get some play time in Warframe. In an effort to get rid of me, and he told me to read Horus Rising, and to only come back if I got bored.

I did not. In fact, that night I read the entirety of the first book and spent the next morning begging for the next. I’ve written extensively over the years about my experience with Warhammer (if you click the tag “Djem reads Warhammer” you can track my rollercoaster over the years) but the thing that I have been waiting for since I first started was the end. The End - and the Death.

You see, I am a unicorn. I have, despite my years both on the internet and in nerd fandom, not actually ever encountered details of 40k. Part of this is because Games Workshop, and Black Library by extension, are both utterly terrible at marketing. They seem to approach Warhammer with a “if you know, you know, if you don’t, may God be with you” approach that means that unless you actively go hunting for information (and if you are careful to avoid fandom circles and not read the afterwords of novels) it’s actually remarkably easy to spend the last 6 or so years having absolutely no clue what the hell happened at the Siege of Terra—or after it. (For context, I have both played the Space Marine game and owned the Roboute Returned model for basically the past 6 years and I neither knew Roboute was dead or that he had come back, because neither mentions either. Yeah, I know.)

Before 3 days ago, I knew the following information only:

1.       The Imperium survived

2.       The Emperor, if not alive, was at least known and venerated as a god

3.       Space Marines were still a thing, albeit organized differently

4.       The Primarchs, at least the loyal ones, were known in the future (if not still physically present)

5.       Xenos and man still fought

6.       Chaos still had a grip on the galaxy

7.       Horus lost

And that was about it. I didn’t know what happened to the primarchs after Horus was defeated (who survived, who died etc). I didn’t know what happened to the Emperor. I didn’t know how the Imperium came to be reorganized (although I did possess enough ability to discern, via context clues, that Roboute was at least responsible for the Codex and probably the reorganization of Legions into Chapters). I didn’t know what happened to many of the characters I had come to love and hate after the war was over. I knew virtually nothing. I didn’t even know if certain dead characters were actually dead.

As of 3:00 pm on Saturday, following the completion of EaTD3, I knew the following:

1.       The Imperium survived

2.       The Emperor “lived” to be venerated as a god

3.       Space Marines were still a thing, albeit organized differently

4.       The Primarchs, at least the loyal ones, were known in the future (if not still physically present)

5.       Xenos and man still fought

6.       Chaos still had a grip on the galaxy

7.       Horus lost

If you are noticing a particular sameness to the lists, it’s because End and the Death volume 3 told us nothing. In fact, it told us less than nothing, because at least nothing would be something. But EaTD3 was 400 pages of walking and a fight, and it ended so abruptly I didn’t even have time to realize it was over.

I realize, to many, that because, other than lore implications, EaTD3 had to only serve to answer canon questions which have been evolving for the past 30 years, the novel simply ending when Horus died is hardly an issue. Most people know what happens next, they’ve been immersed in the lore, they may have even already read what happens to most of the characters. I realize that I am a unicorn. But regardless of knowing or not knowing, this book was a book. It wasn’t a lore guide or a codex. It was a novel, and it was a novel that was the capstone of, if not the entire Heresy, then at the very least the Siege. The fact that it was written by the man who started the series, the man who made me fall in love with Warhammer, meant that, perhaps, I expected something more. I expected a novel, an ending to the characters and stories that I had loved for the past 6 years, not an abrupt closing to a story that remains unfinished. This is the end of the Heresy, and while for most characters the story doesn’t end here, we needed closure. Catharsis. We needed a denouement.

The fundamental approach I think was flawed. The story should have been written as though no one knew what was happening, as the ending of a story, not a list of lore points that wrap up one era to introduce a new one. We needed to look at characters that mattered, if not in the Heresy as a whole, at least in the Siege, and we needed to end their stories. We needed to look at characters who have been important since the beginning, and make sure that their stories continued to matter until the end.

EaTD3 gave us none of that. Oh, it was beautifully written of course. Dan Abnett is nothing if not a wordsmith, and as usual his books are a pleasure to read. His grasp of language and his ability to turn a phrase or coin a term are second to none, but this book, for perhaps the first time, left me wanting more.

EaTD2 was an emotional rollercoaster. I think I cried at least every two chapters—even recounting certain moments later had me tearing up with the grief and loss and sacrifice and heroism. But it ended as abruptly as this one dead—Sanguinius dead on the floor.

I think that is what got me most about this book—the lack of feeling. For a man who can make me tear up over the emergence of a tank from the mists on Calth, I was expecting a deep wellspring of emotion regarding, well, almost everything, but instead, I was left feeling hollow. Dorn retrieves the skull of Ferrus Manus, and we don’t even see it. He just pops it into a grocery bag and hands it off to a random Blood Angel and that’s it. The Emperor’s near death is mostly ignored, with the focus less on the man himself and more on figuring out how to rig up a makeshift pallet. Sanguinius’ body is an afterthought left to his sons, and Garviel Loken is killed in a GOT style death that makes you wonder if Abnett had simply run out of steam. This novel was, in short, a couple of fun easter eggs on a series of lore points long known and oft debated, and was, in the end, nothing more.

What follows is a list of my particular issues, not in any particular order: (hyperlinked bc tumblr gets mad at me when I write too much)

Sanguinius

Right Scene, Wrong Person

Waste of Time or Too New?

Needed More (+ weird things)

Garviel Loken

[iamthecomet]

4, 7, 13!

💙

4. Which Papa Emeritus is your favorite and why?

Copia. I adore Terzo too. But Copia was front man when I got really into Ghost, and is the only Papa I've seen live so he has a very special place in my heart.

7. What do you think the next chapter will be like? Do you have any headcanons or theories for it? I think the next chapter is going to be the movie annoucement (or a tease of it). I have no idea what will happen in it--no theories. Except that it will probably be both ominous and rediculous.

13. Which song always makes you cry? Imperium chokes me up from time to time. It's an instant flash back to the moment it plays live. The curtain. The held breath of the crowd. And just all of it about to happen again. But also If You Have Ghosts can sometimes make me a little teary.

[dontjudgemeimawriter]

Hi Nevertwice

I challenge you to list chapters/scenes/the timeline of events of your wip using the "in which this thing happens" format

I think I'm interpreting this right XD

Chapter 1, in which Terran edits the newspaper

Chapter 2, in which Terran works on a puzzle that may or may not end in death

Chapter 3, in which Terran gets more paranoid than normal about people who are not the enemy

Chapter 4, in which Terran loses his target on purpose

Chapter 5, in which Mika learns that the abuse here isn't just emotional

Chapter 6, in which a college visit gets interrupted

Chapter 7, in which Terran experiences happiness

Chapter 8, in which Terran doesn't like strawberries

Chapter 9, in which there is an imaginary corkboard

Chapter 10, in which Terran does some wall-climbing

Chapter 11, in which we meet an even worse villian

Chapter 12, in which Raymond puts someone to sleep

Chapter 13, in which Mika is still mad for some reason

Chapter 14, in which Terran can't sleep

Chapter 15, in which Terran learns he has parents

Chapter 16, in which Terran and Raymond have a date (don't tell Terran)

Chapter 17, in which Terran has 2 anxiety attacks

That was really fun! Thanks so much for asking. For funsies I'm gunna add my syndicate taglist because I feel like it's most fun if you know a little bit of what's happened (no pressure to interact or anything)

@puzzleddragon02 @sleepy-night-child @drippingmoon @thegreatobsesso @athenswrites @charlesjosephwrites @wildswrites @cljordan-imperium @andromeda-grace @iris-words @unclevladscorner

[autumnalwalker]

Heads Up 7 Up!

Thank you for the tag, @mysticstarlightduck.

I actually received several such tags this past week, so I've decided that rather than leave them totally unrelated or combining them all into one long post I'll split up one moderate-length passage I wrote recently and post it over the course of the day in chunks. I'll go back and edit these posts to link them together as they go up.

Part 2/4 (1) (2) (3) (4)

Passing the (optional) tag to @cljordan-imperium, @365runesoftheamalgamations, @chayscribbles, @worldsfromhoney, @wordwizards, @worldstogetlostin, @sarahlizziewrites, and an open tag for anyone else who wants it.

From the next Empty Names chapter (20):

A static tingle runs over Ashan as he steps through and beyond the outermost ward and onto the unprotected sidewalk.  He continues forward, past the car Tam hastily and crookedly parked on the curb.  The claw marks on the vehicle are long and deep, and numerous enough to indicate multiple attempts at retrieval. He comes to a stop with one foot on either side of the painted divider line bisecting the empty street. 

“I am ready now,” Ashan says to no one.  “Guide me to your master and I shall follow of my own free will.”

A sudden breeze carries the scent of dry leaves and kicks up a swirl of sparkling green dust.  The same synesthetic mapping that allows Ashan to “see” the wards around the office shows him a rapidly growing ring within the verdant haze.  A low growl rumbles out of the hole within the formless ring and a pantherine shape slinks out from behind the breeze. 

The great cat sharing the street with Ashan would be longer than he is tall even without the tail that coils and unfurls as it slowly sweeps back and forth.  The beast’s baldness only accentuates its bulging muscles and the isolated shock of dark hair atop its head. The brown eyes that stare up into Ashan’s look just like Tam’s.  It snarls, barring too-human teeth for the shape of its head, and then turns away. 

Ashan follows the hunting beast across the street to a fairy ring of white mushrooms near the bridge tree that most certainly had not been there when he arrived earlier this morning.  It pads around to the far side of the fairy ring, looks back to Ashan, gestures downward with its head, and flexes its claws.  Its front paws have thumbs. 

The message is clear enough: Step into the ring.  Run again and claws will catch.