Athertran III (Feudal World)

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Athertran III is an earth-like world at the very edge of the Acheros Salient. The entire world is locked into an indefinite Medieval period, so no radio communication or other emissions were detected by the Crusade's auguries. Furthermore, no yellow life-giving star had ever been recorded in that area, let alone a fertile world, so the augur-seers weren't really looking. 

Given the primitive state of affairs, the planet almost went undetected, until the astropathic choir on Wrath started hearing voices in the void. Scouts were sent to investigate the source of the signal: they found Athertran III.

The world seemed ripe for compliance and colonization... except for one thing: in between petty warring human kingdoms could be found the feudal realms of Eldar, Orks, Tau, and other creatures. So instead of colonization, the Inquisition started an investigation, suspecting dark forces were at play.

The Journal of the All-Seeing, Back Home

Another entry from the journal:

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Day of the Bleeding Gut, Year 80.216, Q'Sal reckoning. 

I'm back in the Vortex, back in my Q'Sal palace, my possessions restored to me. My house was in great disarray when I returned, but all has now be made good. 

It is quite unbearable really. The Eldar, the Prince of the Dark Flock, and his Xenos scum struck against the Imperial compound on Dusk before the Black Ship could take me to Terra - and certain doom. They cut down the Imperial defenders with contemptuous ease, but freed only a few prisoners, me included, before returning by way of magic to their own vessels.

Truly this Prince is blessed by the Gods - both his own Toady Gods and my True Gods. I saw with my own three eyes how he killed and killed, including a squad of five Deathwatch Astartes in single combat, when they sought to bar our way. No, calling it 'killing' doesn't do it justice. He danced the dance of death, laughing as he cut them down, one after the other. They could not touch him. Even today, as I write this, my heart cries out in joy, for never before or since have I seen such a sacrament of death by the blade.

We returned to the Vortex by way of hidden Eldar paths. Though I suspect that the Old Slann made the first web-ways, and the Eldar only expanded upon them. But the Prince of the Dark Flock is the master of them all. He comes and goes when and where he wills, even to the Vortex when the way is shut for all. Curse his black, Xenos heart!

To make matters worse he gave me a blade. One of the Swords of Vaul. I am now convinced he manipulated me into all this, just to force me to take the blade. How could I not, knowing it was forged by a God? A false Toad God, but still a God. Did I mention it's quite unbearable? Me, a High Sorcerer, Warp-seer without equal, researcher supreme, chosen of Tzeentch and Slaanesh both, outplayed by a Xenos. I should kill myself this instant. But the Eldar, curse his dark soul, know I cannot do this. I know what awaits on the other side. That is why we seek immortality, right? The Eldar, of course, is unaging, and need not worry about such things. The filthy scum. Why have the Gods blessed them so? It is not right!

And now I must study the toad blade and learn its secrets. I sense the Eldar's hand at play, and I am powerless to resist. Curse him!

By my hand,

Akram the All-seeing, High Sorcerer of Q'Sal

Scrolls of Eternal Truth - The Greatest of All Eldar Lies

Another scroll of truth has been found and translated:

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Chaos is creation, the wellspring of life.

Chaos is entropy, the great destroyer.

Chaos is the eternal truth that defies explanation.

---

I have their measure now, the Toad Gods of Yore. For Toads, they were. The Old Ones, the Slann of ages long past. Unaging, Godlike in power. And riddle me this: if it looks like a God, talks like a God, and wields power onto that of a God, is it not then a God?

And it wasn't just Vaul. All the Eldar 'Gods' were toads. Well, except Khaine, of course. Or should we not call him by his true name: Khorne? That's right, Khorne the Blood God. All the tragic Eldar legends, how 'their' bloody-handed god butchered the rest of the pantheon, leaving them vulnerable to Slaanesh? Sounds unlikely in the extreme... until you recognize the nature of the Beast.

The 'Fall of the Eldar' was Khorne destroying the Old Slann. While he was busy with that, Slaanesh, his old foe, came in by the back door so to speak, killed the rest of the Old Ones, and consumed a good portion of the debauched Eldar race. Enraged, Khorne attacked Slaanesh, but the Master of Excess was so bloated with power, he/she easily defeated Khaine-Khorne, shattering the avatar of the Blood God. Khorne's shout of defiant rage was what ended the Old Night.

Nurgle claimed one Old One as his own, the Goddess Isha, keeping her in his Garden as a trophy. And I sense the hand of the Architect of Fate behind it all. Who else could have engineered such a thing?

So it is written, with the True Powers as my witnesses.

- Akram the All-seeing, High Sorcerer of Q'Sal

Scrolls of Eternal Truth - The Blades of Vaul

Another scroll found and translated:

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Chaos is creation, the wellspring of life.

Chaos is entropy, the great destroyer.

Chaos is the eternal truth that defies explanation.

---

There are many liars and deceivers, but none of them worse than the Xenos. All Xenos are, by their very nature, devious and dishonest. Not even a warp-crazed seer can spew forth such gibberish as they do with every breath of their inferior bodies!

The proof is there for all to see. You only have to take a quick look at any Xenos species, and you'll know. Take the 'Slann,' for example. They are not really Slann at all. If they are even related, it is only tenuously, for the Slann of old were mighty beings, ageless and godlike. Today's Slann are toadlike witches, yet they try to bluff the galaxy into believing they are heirs to the legacy of the old Slann. Foul Xenos lies. Do they even believe these things themselves?

By I digress. The Slann of Old created many artifacts of great power. One of the Old Ones made many mighty blades, ninety-nine in number, which he then passed on to an equal number of mighty warriors. Each was as powerful - or more powerful - than an ax of Khorne. Such was Vaul's skill at warp-craft and command of the forge.

Some of these blades eventually wound up in the hands of the degenerate Eldar. So impressed with these blades were the Eldar, that they promptly made Vaul part of their pantheon of 'gods,' naming his the Great Smith. One day a glorified lizard playing with fire and steel, next day a God. What irony.

So it is written, with the True Powers as my witnesses.

- Akram the All-seeing, High Sorcerer of Q'Sal

The Journal of the All-Seeing, Field Trip to Fetid Dusk

The Journal of the All-Seeing, a handy little tome of daemon-hide that Barotta found in a dusty corner of the library. It's written in many different languages and using various ciphers, so translating it is difficult and time-consuming.

---

Day of The Shaper, Year 80.213, Q'Sal reckoning. 

I finally have time to write another entry. It's been a busy period.

My work has paid off!

I have found the Slann. On the world of Dusk, in Calyx, right on my doorstep. Or rather, I have found their degenerate descendants. Little 

It is a foul place, Dusk, inhabited not only by lizardfolk and troglodytes, but by feral humans, some of them ogryn stock. Quite hostile and eager to feast on the flesh of humans and lizard alike - and sorcerers of Q'Sal.

Endless swamps, marshlands, and water-steeped forests dominated the parts so the world I visited. Wildlife is moderately hostile and dangerous, but the place is a stinking hell-hole, and wasting diseases are as common as the rain. The warm rains... don't get me started on those. 

I swear, sometimes I think the Gods are playing me pranks, rather than helping me with my endeavors. Surely this is not the case, but I will sacrifice a thousand slaves extra to each of the Four. Just to be sure.

The only positive thing about Dusk: The entire world sits on a warp nexus, and was practically glowing with power. It almost made leaving Q'Sal worthwhile.

The Slann were surprisingly skilled at sorcery. And so were the primitive human tribes. I suspect they had picked up a thing or two from the xenos. Nothing to compare with the might of the sorcerers of Q'Sal, of course. We are, after all, blessed by Tzeentch. But still, they caused some problems.

I was able to learn some of what I came for, but not all. The 'Slann' were too primitive for that. But I did learn some by conjecture and some by studying the ruins of the Old Slann civilization.

I could have learned more, but the planet took its toll on my companions: fevers and disease, lizards and humans, beasts, and sorcery. And then along came the accused Prince of the Dark Flock, to end my life.

Tried to take my head off with his sword. How brutish. I had to abandon the rest of my party and beat a hasty retreat. But Slaanesh provides for his/her devoted servants: The blade the Eldar wields, it is not Eldar at all, but Slann. Old Slann. Inscribed by runes of power so powerful, they are almost worthy of my sorcerous respect.

I must study this sword. Perhaps there are more such blades out there. If not, I will take this on from the Prince's dead fingers, after offering his soul to the Great Devourer.

But first, I have to get back to Q'Sal. Too bad my ship disintegrated. The shipwright didn't see fit to tell me the enchantments would come undone so quickly outside the Vortex!

By my hand,

Akram the All-seeing, High Sorcerer of Q'Sal

Scrolls of Eternal Truth - The Enormous Lie That is Khaine

Barotta found another scroll, once again having to do with the Eldar. There is an interesting note at the bottom.

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Chaos is creation, the wellspring of life.
Chaos is entropy, the great destroyer.
Chaos is the eternal truth that defies explanation.

---

One of the biggest self-deceptions told by the degenerate Eldar species, and they tell a great many such lies, are their delusional stories about 'their' God Khaine.

Khaine is, despite any Eldar claims to the contrary, none other than Bloody-handed Khorne, Lord of Skulls. Yes, they worship their own version of him, daring not look at his true face, but this is hardly unique. Many lesser races and unlearned civilizations do this. In the case of the Eldar, they couldn't even be bothered to change his name...

If the Eldar ever worshipped true Gods of their own, and I'm not saying they did, they abandoned them long before the fall, in favor of the true Powers of Chaos. 

So it is written, with the True Powers as my witnesses.

- Akram the All-seeing, High Sorcerer of Q'Sal

---

Scribbled at the bottom:

He's on to me now, the Prince of the Dark Flock. It's proof that my visions are true. They seek to silence me, but I will not be cowed!

Scrolls of Eternal Truth - The Lie About The Eldar Language

Barotta found another scroll. This time regarding the lies surrounding the Eldar language...

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Chaos is creation, the wellspring of life.

Chaos is entropy, the great destroyer.

Chaos is the eternal truth that defies explanation.

---

The filthy Eldar would have you believe they are an advanced and well-learned race, but this is about as far from the truth as you can come, another lie created by these most loathsome of aliens.

Take their language, for example. The language in use today is a simplified version of the archaic language used by ancient Eldar. In short, the Eldar forgot what their own symbols meant, and invented a fantastic mythology of lies so that they might 'remember' their common heritage. The Eldar myth cycles are nothing but lies concocted by Eldar grammar teachers.

Even before the Fall, the Eldar couldn't cope with the endless little pictograms that made up their language, so they got rid of most of them, and created a much-simplified version. Like how the pitiful human race speaks 'low Gothic,' a language only vaguely related to pure High Gothic. So now they had a language, not much more advanced than what the rest of the galaxy speaks, and a 'rich cultural heritage' they no longer fully understood

But it gets worse... Eldar language, I might add, the Eldar didn't even invent themselves! The so-called 'Eldar language' is actually the language of the Slann, a forgotten and degenerate race of lizard-folk that can still be found on backwater planets in remote regions of the galaxy.

How low the mighty have fallen. Or maybe they were not so mighty to begin with?

So it is written, with the True Powers as my witnesses.

- Akram the All-seeing, High Sorcerer of Q'Sal

Scrolls of Eternal Truth - The Great Lie About Slaanesh

Barotta found a new scroll in the library. It seems to be but one of many penned with golden ink on parchment.

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Chaos is creation, the wellspring of life.

Chaos is entropy, the great destroyer.

Chaos is the eternal truth that defies explanation.

One of the most common lies told about Chaos concerns Slaanesh and his/her connection to the Eldar, or, more specifically, the Fall of the Eldar. According to this lie, the Eldar created Slaanesh, whose birth was heralded by the destruction of their xenos Empire.

Claiming that a filthy xenos species birthed eternal and all-powerful Slaanesh is as preposterous as it is insulting. Was there no passion, no excess before the Fall of the Eldar? Of course, there was. Slaanesh has always been, always will be. Ever-changing and eternally the same.

It is true that the Eldar of old worshipped great Slaanesh with every fiber of their being. But to claim they created the Prince/Princess of Gods? Is there no end to their arrogance? No wonder Slaanesh got tired of their attention-seeking and consumed them.

The Eldar's only accomplishment of note is that their Fall announced the end of the Warp Storms that had harrowed the galaxy for five thousand years, give or take, thus bringing an end to the Age of Strife and opening the galaxy to the False Emperor's Great Crusade.

Slaanesh has never forgiven them for this transgression, which is why he/she tirelessly seeks out Eldar souls to punish. Were it not for these lowest of aliens, the galaxy would still be a place of Chaos and wonder.

Now, only the Eye of Slaanesh, the Maelstrom of the Gods, the Whispering Vortex, and a few other sites remain. Woe unto the Eldar!

So it is written, with the True Powers as my witnesses.

- Akram the All-seeing, High Sorcerer of Q'Sal

Phoenix Blades (legacy weapons)

The so-called Phoenix Blades are a collection of ancient Eldar power swords (legacy weapons) that have appeared in the hands of several champions in and around the Calyx Expanse (former Calixis Sector). 

They vary quite a bit in physical appearance. From slender longswords to heavy two-handed blades and everything in between. The blades have also been modified extensively over the millennia, obfuscating their true origins. For example, Barotta's blade appears to be an ancient Imperial power sword, not something made by filthy xenos. It's not the first time the Imperium has subverted the weapons of the enemy to their own use.

When activated, the blades appear like normal power weapons: crackling with matter-disruptive energy. But there is something hidden deep inside the dull grey metal of the swords: runes of power.

The runes are usually dormant, but can be made to appear by the wielder. All it takes is a little concentration and willpower. It's unknown what the runes do, if anything, because the blades are not psy-weapons, but power weapons.

The term "Phoenix Blades" was coined by the Inquisitor-Savants of Solace after seeing Krawl's runes light up for the first time. The first rune, the one closest to the wielder, is the "Phoneix" rune, which can symbolize a number of things, such as dawn, protection, and rebirth.

The known blades: Barotta's 'Astartes Power Sword', Krawl's 'Sword of the Imperial Champion', and the blade taken from the nameless Black Legion sorcerer on Vaxanide. Prince G'rahal also has one and Barotta suspects Chapter Master Moebius is also armed with one (but it's possible this weapon has another origin).

The savants tried their best, but the runes are very old, and they had limited time to reference their encyclopedic memories. Perhaps the Ever-changing library has more, now that you know what to look for?

Barotta's blade has seven runes of power, in order from hilt to point: Phoenix, Order (Banishment), Night (Death), Entrophy (Sundering), Hoarfrost, Thunderstorm, Mortality (the opposite rune of Divinity)

Krawl's blade has only six runes of power: he's lacking the Mortality rune, and the final two on his blade are Cleansing Fire and Dominion (Control), instead of Frost and Storm.

Prince Talazan G'rahal of the Dark Flock

G'rahal is the leader of the group of Eldar corsairs known as "the Dark Flock." There are some that claim he is Dark Eldar, exiled from Commorragh, while other sources say he was cast out from this or that Craftworld. One rumor claims he's an Eldar Harlequin (whatever that is) that got tired of laughing. Another rumor says he's got a pet dragon that he rides to war. It's probably wise not to pay these rumors too much heed.

Of late (after the Fall of Scintilla) the Dark Flock has been spotted several times in and around Calixis, including the Kornous Expanse, the Spinward Front, Ixaniad Sector, and the Screaming Vortex. They have attacked ships from every faction there is, raided settlements, and committed outright genocide. There are also reports of the Flock trading - and occasionally helping - the same peoples they have attacked. Are they pirates out looking for booty, or is there something more sinister going on?

At Vaxanide, the Flock possessed at least one cruiser-sized vessel (3rd or 3.5 rate), a handful of escorts (5th or 6th rates), and many smaller attack craft (unrated). How many ships they lost or what other assets they might have is unknown. It's worth noting that the Flock's fleet appeared to consist of ships from several xenos species.