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n0t_u wrote:This is great

But, wouldn't the Eldar see into the future to make sure they are benefitted the best? I would have thought they would have seen the Tau attack coming from ages away with enough time to create a small fight within their empire while they moved away into one of their great webway gates that they stay near.

I had thought about that. The whole plan they had was to infiltrate the Tau Empire and essentially sacrifice it's citizens to gain back one eldar soul (the Eldar would see this as a very fair trade).

However, I've always thought of the Tau being incredibly dynamic, and plus they have almost no warp signiature and so are slightly more difficult for the Eldar to predict. I think that the Eldar always had their pre-concieved notion that it would be Chaos, the C''Tan or even the monkeigh who would lead to their demise and they essentially underestimated the Tau.

They hoped to activate the Blackstone and claim it was accidental, but the Tau were alot more inquisitive and less respectful of the older race and so forced the Eldars hand. This has led to the unfortunate outcome of earning the Tau's ire, and even though the Eldar are millenia older than the Tau, the Tau have youthful vigour, technological superiority and a belief that they are always right.

Alright, thanks for explaining it. Their obnoxiousness caused it

n0t_u wrote:Alright, thanks for explaining it. Their obnoxiousness caused it

LMAO! You said it man, not me


Automatically Appended Next Post:
A Chronicle of the First War of Wolf & Iron

• The Iron Warriors Legion was one of the lucky few Chaos Legions not to be mauled or displaced by the Chaos Gods. With most of their Legion based upon Madringard, they actually fought off a daemonic invasion with the supreme use of fortifications and the planet itself. When Abaddon was amassing his latest Black Crusade (now referred to as ‘The Cursed Crusade’ due to its ruining of several of the Legions) Perturabo declined the summons, content to wallow in his own hatred and savage joy at the death of the Emperor. He was also loathed to leave Madringard for another secret reason. In the deepest vaults of his personal fortress he held a particular prisoner: Leman Russ.


• Leman Russ had travelled to the Eye of Terror, with the desire to unite with the lost 13th Wolf Company and lead a personal war against the Chaos Forces in their own hovel, paving the way for what Russ called “The Great End Times”. Although none outside the eye know, Russ and his followers carved a vicious swathe through the Eye itself with several bold saga’s being etched into the grand tomes of the 13th company: How Russ himself hurled the infamous Kharn the Betrayer off the peak of a sentient daemonic mountain whilst his company fended off a slavering horde of Berserkers, how a single squad of Wulfen tore the throat out of a nefarious Tzeentch Cult a million strong, and how the legendary Battle Barge Igdrassil laid waste to the Daemon-Primarch Fulgrims favourite pleasure palace. However, Russ’s ambition eventually outran him when he decided to lay siege to Madringard, home of the Iron Warriors.

• The first War of Wolf & Iron was over quickly, as Russ and the entirety of his followers assaulted Perturabos personal fortress, the Cathedra dos Malice. The Wolves had the upper hand at first, the Iron Warriors totally unprepared for the assault, but they soon turned the tide as Perturabo himself joined the battle, backed by his own Grand Company and the nefarious heresy-weapons of the Dark Mechanicum. The Space Wolf numbers began to dwindle rapidly, for how could a single company (albeit one as bold and ferocious as the Space Wolves) stand against the entire Iron Warriors Legion. Russ duelled his daemonic brother on the burning carcass of the Chaos Titan Eschaton, each mighty blow rending holes in the downed God-Machine.

• Soon Russ fought alone, his warriors slain by the wrathful Iron Warriors. Despite the odds, Russ launched himself at Perturabo, knocking the Daemon-Primarch from the Chaos Titan. Russ’ howl of victory was cut short as the Eschatons sister titan, the Blood Eagle, fired a huge payload into its downed comrade, hurling Russ violently into the air. He landed with the force of a comet, and lay unconscious and bloodied at the feet of an injured but victorious Perturabo. The Battle was over, and Russ was imprisoned.

Dark Lord Seanron wrote:

Manchu wrote:Ha, I'll say!

Aw, don't be like that man, there's no point in getting riled over fictional charcters based on toy soldiers ^^ if you don't like it, just don't read it

Oh, no, I actually think it's great and am thoroughly enjoying your thoughts, especially the Eldar v. Tau side of things. (If it was trash, I'd never spent the energy disagreeing with you on a few points.) Sorry to have seemed unappreciative but, to join in the chorus of praise, please do keep up the good work.

Cool I always wondered what Russ was up to, what a beast

Take that, Russ!

I'm loving the history, but like many fluff fans, you don't have much to say about the orks. Is that from a feeling that the death of the Big E wouldn't bother them much, or that you find them a bit boring?
(no worries from either POV- orks often don't fit the overall feel)

I like the Hrud infestation.

Da Boss wrote:Take that, Russ!

I'm loving the history, but like many fluff fans, you don't have much to say about the orks. Is that from a feeling that the death of the Big E wouldn't bother them much, or that you find them a bit boring?
(no worries from either POV- orks often don't fit the overall feel)

I like the Hrud infestation.

I actually love the Orks, they're my favourite race by far (I'm quite lucky in that I like all the 40K races, I just like the greenskins more). I just feel they wouldn't be affected by the death of the Emperor like the other races. I mean come on, they survived the rise and fall and rise again of the C'tan, the enslaver plague, the horus heresy AND several Black Crusades; nothing fazes the good old Greenies

Although I thought the Angron vs Ghazkhul was pretty sweet :p

What about their latent psyker abilities? Large groups of them may be especially affected by the death of the Emp. Not to mention the weirdboyz.

But as a race they would likely continue as they always have. Messing crap up and infesting places.

SilverMK2 wrote:What about their latent psyker abilities? Large groups of them may be especially affected by the death of the Emp. Not to mention the weirdboyz.

Hmm, interesting point. I think they would certainly 'feel' it ("Oi Zaggob, I 'hink I jus' soiled meself!") but I don't think it would affect them any great deal. Ork's latent psychic powers appear to be very specialised, and wierdboys also (they don't really work like other psykers, they don't look into the future, they just blow stuff up).

Yeah, I guess. I would have just expected a few of the weirdboys to explode suddenly, perhaps with warp creatures pouring out of the resulting hole in space

But then I have not really thought on the idea, so feel free to ignore me... I was just conjecturing outside of my brian, rather than making any particular suggestions.

A Chronicle of the Second War of Wolf & Iron

• The entirety of the Space Wolves Chapter punctured the Eye of Terror, intent on reaching Madringard, the destination and prison of the Lord and Father, Leman Russ. Several ships are lost in the insanity of Warp Space; The Chromlech is torn to pieces in the frenzy of sensation, The Glory of Fenris is devoured by a vast daemonic whale while the captain of The Philosophem is possessed and causes his vessel to self destruct. While these losses are shocking, the majority of the mighty fleet reaches it’s destination in a relatively calm part of the Eye.


• Plans are immediately set in motion as several thousand drop-pods and Thunderhawk Gunships streak from the Fleet toward the bleached orb of Madringard. Plans to bombard the target from orbit are quickly swept away, the Wolves not wanting to cower at a distance.


• In the Cathedra dos Malice, Perturabo looks to the flaming tears streaking his planets skies. He smiles coldly. He has been expecting this day for a very long time.


• The war that follows is brutal and bloody: two legions set against each other in a conflict so personal that everyone involved will be changed forever. The Iron Warriors are scattered at first, unprepared for the ferocity of the Wolves assault, however much like before, Perturabo arrives to lead his forces, backed by a corrupted Titan battle-group led by the Blood Eagle.


• Instead of shirking from such odds, the Wolves counterattack with unstoppable fury. A team of Blood Claws led my Wodin himself manages to infiltrate the Blood Eagle and tear its heart out from within. Without their leader, the Chaos Titans fall into disarray and are picked off by the Wolves Leman Russ Battle Tanks. The Iron Warriors also reap a tally of their foes, with Perturabo claiming the lives of three separate Wolf Lords and their bodyguards.


• Within the dungeons of the Cathedra, Russ hears the dull thud and crack of war and realises his sons have returned to aid him. He howls viciously, the sound echoing throughout the vast structure. The Wolves hear the call, and howl in response, launching themselves into even greater feats. However, the Daemon-Primarch is still tipping the balance in the Iron Warriors favouring, slaying another Wolf Lord by hurling a Land Raider upon him.


• As the battle reaches its peak, Perturabo finds himself in the centre of a swirling melee, which quickly clears leaving him standing in peculiar calm. Into this calm steps a hooded figure, wearing the grey of the Space Wolves bearing no weapons. Perturabo raises his hammer, intent on slaying his foe but halts as Wodin raises his gaze to meet the Lord of the Iron Warriors. “No…it’s you…” whispers Perturabo fearfully, as the figure reaches out and places his hand upon the chest plate of the Primarch. A vast, blinding golden light erupts from the pair, throwing the Iron Warriors into disarray. The horns of the Chaos Titans boom mournfully as they turn in full retreat. Amidst the blinding light, Wodin turns to look upon Logan Grimnar and smiles. He whispers, and although the din of battle is all around, Grimnar hears with the utmost clarity: “Go, save my son”. The light suddenly vanishes, and a great path has been cleared between the Wolves and the Cathedra. As for Perturabo and Wodin, they are nowhere to be seen.


• The Wolves enter the Cathedra, meeting little to no resistance. Many of its inhabitants are fleeing, babbling in fear to themselves or dead. Grimnar locates the dungeons with ease, as if someone has been guiding him. Within they discover their Primarch, chained and bound. Logan hacks the bonds that hold Russ and as one the Wolves bow before their liege. Russ bids his sons “do not bow, my children, for there is still much battle to be won”. Led by Russ, the Wolves level the Cathedra, and slay the Iron Warriors foolish enough to stand against them.


• The vast fleet leaves the Eye (peculiarly with little to no event) led by Russ. A full third of their number has been slain in the process, however Russ has returned, and, according to Grimnar, so too has the All-Father…

Yipee!

Dark Lord Seanron wrote:

Da Boss wrote:Take that, Russ!

I'm loving the history, but like many fluff fans, you don't have much to say about the orks. Is that from a feeling that the death of the Big E wouldn't bother them much, or that you find them a bit boring?
(no worries from either POV- orks often don't fit the overall feel)

I like the Hrud infestation.

I actually love the Orks, they're my favourite race by far (I'm quite lucky in that I like all the 40K races, I just like the greenskins more). I just feel they wouldn't be affected by the death of the Emperor like the other races. I mean come on, they survived the rise and fall and rise again of the C'tan, the enslaver plague, the horus heresy AND several Black Crusades; nothing fazes the good old Greenies

Although I thought the Angron vs Ghazkhul was pretty sweet :p

I agree with you, definitely. I was just curious which viewpoint you took, personally.
10,000 years of living death on the Golden Throne>Hanging from a tree for a few days

MORE!!!! your fluff just keeps getting better and better, you also know how to put a good cliff-hanger in. Boy done good.

I did not see that coming.

WHOA!! I have to go pick up the pieces of my mind you just blew out the back of my head! Nice, What a tweest!

Sweet! It has begun lol. Awsome stuff as always. This should be made into true fluff

Manchu wrote:I did not see that coming.

I hope that's a good thing, and not in a "my god this is ridiculous, I did not see this getting THIS ridiculous" kinda way

This is some of the best reading I´ve encountered in a long while. Please do continue with this project

I'm very impressed
I'm upset about the iron warriors though :(
is it sad that im caring so much about all this

This is awesome..thought i can tell that things are gonna go bad for the chaos legions =S

Best thread I have read here keep up the good work. One question though

Necrons: Other than the dragon waking up and leading a war on the nids' what else are they up to?

Nids' Wouldn't they just be over running everything?

BOSS_PIMPALOTZ wrote:Ferrus Manus is dead his head was seperated from his shoulders by his own brother Fulgrim.

If the Emperor was to die then it would be like reset to year zero.As it was he that brought the disparate tribes of man together and drove the darkness away.

There are many in the Imperium who may actively welcome his death as a beginning of something new.But it will be the exact opposite.

Plus In my humble oppinion I think Cypher is slowly making his way to Earth maybe he has found a device that may extend the longevity of the throne indefinately instead of him travelling to Earth to kill the Emperor as many believe.

They replaced his hands with bionics, why not his head? lol!


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Manchu wrote:

Dark Lord Seanron wrote:

Manchu wrote:

Dark Lord Seanron wrote:As for the correct Norse response, that's a slight sweeping generalisation. The Norse were human too, and were capable of intense sadness and meloncholy (as are we all) and even Tolkien's norse-esque characters (King Theoden of Rohan) are capable of great despair and sadness BEFORE deciding to actually ride out and face battle. I see the SW as the most supremely-confident of SM chapters, but when they lose both the All-Father and Russ, I see them as becoming lost, even more-so than everyone else, before coming out better at the other end.

I would again urge you to look over Shippey's work on Tolkien. "Insane courage" is Shippey's term for the idea of persisting without thought much less hope of salvation, eternal or otherwise. It is the orientation of Tolkien's characters toward their predicament that sets up what he himself called the "eucatastrophe," the victory snatched from darkness beyond all hope. The SW, I feel, would react to such a hopeless situation with a paradoxical grim cheefulness of festal battle lust--"raise your goblets for wrath and ride for ruin, lads!"--the sort of total commitment to achieve reckless feats of martial prowess that a warrior only reaches when he has nothing left to lose, which means nothing left in which to place his hope.

Dark Lord Seanron wrote:As for Russ riding out "full-orchestra twilight of the gods explosion carrying some traitor's head out of the Eye with a load of other enraged traitors limping after him" makes him slightly two dimensional.

Not at all. That's actually pretty dynamic. I didn't say it would be the end of his story--just the beginning of this "end times" saga.

Dark Lord Seanron wrote:I mean it was out of character for him just to stand up mid-feast and essentially bugger off for a few centuries.

Again, nope. That's one of the chief moments establishing his character. It sounds like you'd do better writing for the Lion than the Wolf, to be honest.

Dark Lord Seanron wrote:I know everyone has this romantic view of the SW as if they are a Chapter full of Thor-a-likes, but Norse Mythology has so much more to it, and I'd like to think that the SW mirror all those factors!

I don't think that they do, however. The SW are a caricature of Vikings, like Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song." Honestly, you hit the nail on the head by mentioning Thor. If Thor was a benevolent, meade-guzzling werewolf, that would pretty much capture it. That doesn't mean the SW are foolish or boring, either, given how many people absolutely love them. The point is that your view of the SW seems better fitted to DA.

The main point that the SW take from Norse mythology, IMO, is the idea that not even the gods can escape death in battle. This fits 40k very well because the Primarchs, however superhuman or nearly mythological themselves, are still subject death in battle. In effect, the SW realize that they can take on anything because they know that everything, even a god, can be killed somehow. This results in a sort of atheism or at least a marked lack of concern for the hereafter. The SW honor the Emperor as the greatest and most virtuous of all warriors as well as their ultimate progenitor, for example, rather than as a god. Other chapters, meanwhile, are to a larger extent caught up in the mysterious, quasi-religious character of the 40k universe.

Guess we'll just need to agree to disagree old bean ^^

Ha, I'll say!

I think you guys are essentially saying the same thing, the only difference is that Seanron isn't going directly into the glorious raging battles. Even in Lord of the Rings, there was a period of depression and waiting before the king of Rohan ripped the forces of Mordor a new one. It just took a bit of a push (from Gandalf.... sneaky bastard.)

5 years after the Death of the Glorious Emperor of Terra

• Humanity is still separated, although far more stable than it was during Old Night. Many systems after actually flourish without the yolk of Imperial Oppression, whilst others bend all their resources in re-establishing contact with Terra. Most missions fail, however one in particular succeeds.


• After three and half years of constant real-space flight, the Imperial Battlefleet Emperor’s Victory finally reach’s the Sol system, led by Lord General Ursakar Creed. The fleet is fifteen ships strong, although forty originally set off from Cadia. Creed has come to the Sol system to secure reinforcements and re-establish contact with Terra. However, his appearance is less than celebrated by the new Terran Council.


• Having been separated from the rest of mankind for five long years, the Terran Council have become paranoid of ‘The Taint of Outsiders’ and view this fleet as a taint from the outside. The Terran Council orders the fleet to leave Sol Space, or face the consequences.


• Creed refuses and demands to make dock at Luna. He accuses the Council of forgetting the ideals of the Emperor. The Council order the Custodes and Mechanicum to remove the fleet from the System, both organisations however refuse.


• A standoff settles between Battlefleet Emperor’s Victory and the Sol Defence Fleet.

CRRREEEEEEEEED!

Bad idea, Council of Terra. Who's on this new council anyway?

Manchu wrote:CRRREEEEEEEEED!

Bad idea, Council of Terra. Who's on this new council anyway?

I actually sat and had a wee think about that as well. I imagine the new Terran Council to be a lot like the High Lords, but with a slightly more humble title (purely out of self preservation), and a slight changing of actual members as well. So The Council could be something like this.

• Lord Commander of The Segmentum Solar
• Master of The Administratum
• Grand Provost of The Adeptus Arbites
• Lord Admiral of The Sol Fleets
• The Inquisitorial Representative

Along with these there would be these positions also:

• High Representative of Luna
• High Representative of Jupiter
• High Representative of The Outer Borders
• 3x Civilian Union Representatives

You’ll notice that several of the older positions are missing, and with good reason (at least according to the Terran Council.

• The Ecclesiarch no longer holds a seat. Although the Sol System was the home of the Emperor, the Sol Council was quick to distance itself from the religious arm of the Imperium for fear of religious civil war. The Ecclesiarch had very little in the way of power at the time of the Emperor’s death so could do little to halt his expulsion from the Council.

• The Fabricator-General declined a seat on the Council, due to the horrendous losses inflicted after the Emperor’s death. Repeated invitations have been declined. The Mechanicum now feels that it no longer requires Terra, and views it as an ally to be kept at a distance.

• The Navigators, Master of the Astronomicon and Master of the Astra-Telepathica became viewed as obsolete once the Astronomicon died. Although the Navigators can still navigate the warp, it can only literally be for a few seconds and incredibly short distances. With the death of the Emperor, the Soul-Binding is no longer possible, so Psykers are treated with even greater disdain than before. The Astra-Telepathica is treated as an oddity from a bygone time.

• The Officio Assassinorum slipped back into the shadows, with many of its number suddenly severed from its central command structure. What they are up to now is a mystery to the Council.


The Sol System also has no standing PDF’s or Imperial Guard forces, and instead relies on the Arbites, Custodes and Grey Knights for protection. However, a highly dubious and paranoid decision was made to remove the Custodes Representative from the Council, and to not even offer the Grey Knights a place, for fear of a military coupe. Both forces grow ever weary of this seemingly insane council.

Spot on about the Mechanicum. They would not so easily accept the Emperor's death on its face. I like the mysterious flavor of it, too, which harkens to the mysterious nature of the machine cult and the relationship between the Emperor and the figure-concept of the Omnissiah.

Creed would likely be aghast to find the Ecclesiarchy being treated so poorly, I'd think.

He might find a natural ally with the Inquisitorial Representative, on the other hand.

The Inquisitorial representitive has to have something more going on than meets the eye I bet. No one expects the Imperial Inquisition! Maybe a Grey knight rebellion? Perhaps the emprah will show up and they will follow their true master to glory?

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Fringe:-

• The Xenos War hits its peak. The Hrud butcher the Tau wherever they find them, and the Eldar constantly lead them to Tau colonies in the hope that the Hrud will eventually drive off the Tau. However, the Eldar have underestimated the Tau once again.


• Bought with the lives of several hundred Earth Caste Engineers, the Tau have successfully removed the Entropy Gene from Hrud POW’s. Even as they worked, the Entropy Field of the Hrud eventually lead to the deaths of their captors, however the Tau met success in their efforts. They have synthesised it into a new devastating weapon known as the AS-19 Smart Bomb or more commonly known as “Abyssal Starfire”


• The Final Blow of the War comes when the Tau Battlefleet Agni Kai meets the Eldar Craftworld Iyanden. Agni Kai suffered horrendously at the hands of the ancient Craftworld, but this apparent loss was simply a ruse: at the back of the fleet came a single Nao’Sak’Otaes Cruiser. It’s payload consisting of twenty of the new AS-19’s. It unloaded all twenty at key points of the Craftworld and the effects were immediate and devastating.


• Eldar are effectively immortal. Hrud Entropy fields have little to no effect on Eldar physiology so they have little to fear from the Vermin-race. However, it was discovered by the Tau that a certain combination of Hrud Entropy fields has a huge effect on Wraithbone and the crystalline matrices that all Eldar construction is based on. The AS-19 was designed specifically to target not the Eldar themselves, but their Craftworlds.


• The AS-19 infection spreads quickly through Iyanden. The Wraithbone itself ages rapidly and crumbles into horrific decay. Soon the mighty Craftworld begins to buckle at several points, its vast solar sails crack under the weight of its injuries. The many Wraith-constructs that inhabit Iyanden die in droves, their soulstones cracking under the Entropy Infection. The Craftworlds Spirit Matrix starts to shatter and several million Eldar Souls, the combined essence of Iyanden is suddenly torn from this realm into the warp. Several thousand Eldar flee into the Webway.


• Finally, with a deep solemn moan, Iyanden breaks in half, its verdant interior revealed to the vicious nature of the void. What is left of the Craftworld is bombarded by the Tau Fleet. Iyanden has been wiped from the face of the universe.