The Culture explores 40K II: Now With 100% more Fanfiction

[Water_Bear]

But the Imperium and Chaos would reverse engineer the fundamental technology and just build a drive that isn't limited. At least, it wouldn't be beyond Chaos to do that.

You overestimate them by an enormous margin. Aside from Tzeench, maybe, neither side has the mindset to even think of reverse engineering it; these are not rational or scientific peoples, and they are used to not understanding their own technology and just living with the hassles. And even if some radical AdMech dude or Sorcerer/Dark Mechanus had the idea, they don't have anywhere near the expertise to do understand it on more than the most basic level.

[Selrahc]

But the Imperium and Chaos would reverse engineer the fundamental technology and just build a drive that isn't limited. At least, it wouldn't be beyond Chaos to do that.

Not reverse engineer. I don't imagine the Culture would be giving hypertech with an arbitrary lock on functionality. I imagine they'd be passing on a hyperdrive with fundamental problems with tactical functionality, that it would take a real technological advancement to get past, even once they've worked out how it works.

I think that would take time.

EDIT: And yeah, even just reverse engineering will be a pretty hard proposition for the forces. I could see the Dark Mechanicum doing it though.

[Fan]

Chaos, as much as it pains me to say it (I REALLY don't like Chaos. I REALLY, REALLY don't.), is the most innovative of the factions, they constantly push horizons in the Dark Mechanicum, as sickening as they may be.

[Gavinfoxx]

RE: Covert Operations can only go so far:

I think you underestimate both the possibilities of people in The Inquisition to be factionalized, and the capability of one faction to become the dominant and ascendant faction in the Inquisition... *and* I think you misunderstand the ability of a Mind to do a Xanatos Gambit -- especially if a very competent Inquisitor is helping! Seriously, with a Radical / Recongregator / Xenos Hybris (or Equiv.) Inquisitor with Culture's aid, one of the FIRST things he will want to do is figure out ways to discredit other factions in the Inquisition / blackmail them / encourage the schemes of all allied and similar-thinking factions and conspiracies to gain a firm dominance within the Inquisition itself. And only THEN would they start to get help doing their actual plans to change the Imperium, and only THEN would they start seeking The Culture's help in locating other possible locations for institutional reform and change.

RE: Dark Mechanicum and Reverse Engineering:

Here's the thing you are forgetting. Even though the people in the Dark Mechanicum were probably once able and quite interested in reverse-engineering Xenotech... these people have been profoundly corrupted by the forces of Chaos. They are no longer interested in reverse engineering things or improving the base technological level or anything rational like that. They are interested in doing things like figuring out how best to fuse daemonic, metal, and mortal flesh, as well as things like binding a Daemon into a machine. This sort of thing does not generally produce *better* stuff than the Imperium, in general. These people don't really reverse engineer anything, or otherwise they would (for example) have more and better Titans. Which they DON'T! Even though they don't have restrictions on attempts to reverse engineer... their minds are corrupted to the point where it would never occur to them to do so on any scale; they merely seek to corrupt and use. Rather than looking to see what is SAID about Chaos and innovation, look at what they actually DO. Remember, there are canonically chaos-corrupted full AI's (self improving and all) in the Imperium. Why don't you see those being used by the Dark Mechanicum? Because those are just another faction of Chaos, and a threat to THEIR dominion.

[Fan]

RE: Covert Operations can only go so far:

I think you underestimate both the possibilities of people in The Inquisition to be factionalized, and the capability of one faction to become the dominant and ascendant faction in the Inquisition... *and* I think you misunderstand the ability of a Mind to do a Xanatos Gambit -- especially if a very competent Inquisitor is helping! Seriously, with a Radical / Recongregator / Xenos Hybris (or Equiv.) Inquisitor with Culture's aid, one of the FIRST things he will want to do is figure out ways to discredit other factions in the Inquisition / blackmail them / encourage the schemes of all allied and similar-thinking factions and conspiracies to gain a firm dominance within the Inquisition itself. And only THEN would they start to get help doing their actual plans to change the Imperium, and only THEN would they start seeking The Culture's help in locating other possible locations for institutional reform and change.

RE: Dark Mechanicum and Reverse Engineering:

Here's the thing you are forgetting. Even though the people in the Dark Mechanicum were probably once able and quite interested in reverse-engineering Xenotech... these people have been profoundly corrupted by the forces of Chaos. They are no longer interested in reverse engineering things or improving the base technological level or anything rational like that. They are interested in doing things like figuring out how best to fuse daemonic, metal, and mortal flesh, as well as things like binding a Daemon into a machine. This sort of thing does not generally produce *better* stuff than the Imperium, in general. These people don't really reverse engineer anything, or otherwise they would (for example) have more and better Titans. Which they DON'T! Even though they don't have restrictions on attempts to reverse engineer... their minds are corrupted to the point where it would never occur to them to do so on any scale; they merely seek to corrupt and use. Rather than looking to see what is SAID about Chaos and innovation, look at what they actually DO. Remember, there are canonically chaos-corrupted full AI's (self improving and all) in the Imperium. Why don't you see those being used by the Dark Mechanicum? Because those are just another faction of Chaos, and a threat to THEIR dominion.

Actually, they corrupted a Titan Production STC in Dark Mechanicum, and were using it to mass produce Titans by the millions, and were only stopped by the Father STC turning on the produced units thanks to a Grey Knight manifesting and using it as the Princep inside, being the STC Titan it was delerious biznasty.

They do, in fact, try to do these things. It's just they get stopped, a lot.

[Gavinfoxx]

Note that's a CORRUPTION and USE of something that has innate production capabilities...

Not reverse engineering or understanding it... because if it was understanding it, than simply blowing up the one thing wouldn't have been enough to stop them, would it?

[Murska]

I don't think it'd be impossible for the Culture to design a FTL engine such that it doesn't use the Warp but is not tactically capable and is such a dead-end developmental path that it's nigh' impossible to develop into a better FTL - they have the databases of thousands of species who've developed FTL on their own using differing principles, after all. Then add some stuff that makes tampering with the engines dangerous, such as making them blow up if someone attempts to reverse-engineer them. That should slow Chaos down enough for Imperium to catch up.

[Gavinfoxx]

Also they should soon have Necron FTL, which is of limited tactical utility, and uses methods similar to their own.

[Gavinfoxx]

See, what I think would work best is a simultaneous, ruthless power grab and discrediting and blackmailing of their opposition by the factions and conspiracies within the Inquisition which are most aligned with The Culture's cause of reforming the Imperium. If it is done absolutely correctly, at all the main Conclaves in Imperial space at the same time, in such a way as to both empower and give the best-projected changes to these people in power for immediate implementation, The Culture could have a huuuge proxy/ally in the inevitable bloody reform of the Imperium.

[jseah]

part 8.5 Necrons

Spoiler

Show

Week 3
White Devil is now exiting the area currently in reach of the Culture in its tailing of the Necron fleet. It seems likely that the Necrons have been on a long journey towards this planet. Long before their communications loop ought to have been re-established, even if it was galactic range and fast.

Perhaps the Necrons also have some method of divining the future like the Eldar?

The Necrons' relations with each other are at least cordial since the Necron Lord on the fleet indicated he has a copy of the intelligence engineering database. He thanks us for providing the technology and White Devil is hopeful that this has made further diplomatic relations possible. White Devil will proceed to attempt further negotiations regarding maps of Necron territory he knows of in exchange for all our maps (except the Eldar).

part 8.5 Eldar

Spoiler

Show

Week 1
Our ambassador has registered a protest from the Eldar about our improving diplomatic relations with the Necrons. While expected, we cannot be seen to be taking sides in this war of impossibly long length even if the Culture as a whole does favour the side of the Eldar. (individualist cultures have always been more popular among the 1:1 intelligences and indeed most of the Minds) Additionally, we cannot believe the Eldar's accounts of treacherous Necrons since the Necrons have so far negotiated in good faith and what problems were excusable by mental degradation.

-------------------

The two Wanderers on the GSV have managed to get acquire a significant following among the organic and even drone citizens. While we do understand that the Wanderers are Eldar who have grown tired of life on their Craftworlds, the Wanderers have given multiple talks, speeches and impromptu demonstrations of Eldar attitudes, mindset and general modes of thought.

This is attracted a large amount of interest as the Eldar appear to be just exotic enough that many view them as walking and talking priceless cultural icons. And familiarly humanoid enough to to not evoke revulsion for those who still retain those instincts (which is more than would admit it).

As for the Wanderers, it appears that the one in Virtual Reality will not be coming back. The other two gave permission on his behalf for us to probe the VR and from psychological analysis of our results, we are of the opinion that that this transition is permanent. The Virtual Reality software and hardware used was for unlimited access and the interface is too strong to break; the Eldar can be said to be part machine as we have noted the VR environment extending his mind's capabilities and doing external processing.

The other two Wanderers were the only persons to have viewed the constructed reality (noted reactions include condescension, superiority, revulsion and some guilt) apart from Mind-class entities and Special Circumstances (only on Need-To-Know basis). They have agreed with our assessment and in fact were instrumental in convincing this Mind that recovery of the Wanderer from VR would not be possible without mental damage and almost certain death.

They have requested that he be kept alive for as long as his natural lifespan lasts and when he dies, that we return his soulstone to the Eldar. To this, we have agreed.

The topic of soulstones allowed us to broach the subject of the strange devices they carry. The material is clearly not normal and mostly is partially Warp based. Their explanation of how their artistic creations work (and soulstones are partially art, like almost everything the Eldar do), if representative of how the Eldar do things in general, explain alot about the Eldar's problems as a race and particularly the difficulty in explaining construction techniques but not basic science.

This was immediately deemed an important cultural quality central to the Eldar's identity as a race by most of the citizens on this GSV and we Minds also agree with that assessment.

--------------------------

This SC agent is reporting that there is little to report. Lessons in spatial awareness continues apace, where I am unable to keep up with the Eldar unless glanding. The SC drone of course outdoes everyone but the Eldar do not consider it sentient.

I wonder if the Eldar would be willing to engage in philosphical discourse of the definition of sentience and its inclusion of inorganic intelligences?

The Culture love the Eldar's culture! The kind of art and lifestyle that was described in the two Path of the X books is basically a slightly more disciplined Culture, something the citizens are not used to and so feels like great Drama!
Not too disciplined like the IoM, since the many of the Culture do not like actual hardship, which kinda misses the point of the Eldar Paths but hey, that kind of thing didn't stop us in RL so why should it here?
And that its Warp and semi-religion powered (the Eldar do alot of things that look like ancestor worship), while the Eldar have maintained a non-theocratic state of government and a high standard of living, means that the Culture interprets it as a way of life and Fascinating Cultural Quirk.

There's the matter of Eldar sense of superiority but that only adds to the mystique.

Like westerners learning asian culture (and the reverse!), the Eldar no doubt feel that the Culture citizens have completely missed the point and are doing everything all wrong. Although the widespread acceptance and growing fad in everything Eldar has got to stroke their egos quite a bit! =D

Gavin:
I'll think about using Inquisitorial proxies, but it strikes me as replacing one dictator with another.

All:
Perhaps that faction of the Inqusition the Culture backs might be linked to some friendly Forge Worlds (whose leaders might be bribed with hyperspace drive technology? Preferably of the tactically limited sort)

We might have a workable plan that lowers the eventual mass death. Mega deaths are probably still gonna happen, but if the hyperspace drive is widespread by then, at least it won't ALL crumble since any true revolution would render the Astronomican inoperable or at least unreliable.

[Gavinfoxx]

Remember: there are radicals in the Mechanicum. Radicals that believe things like (depending on the particular group): that the Mechanicum should do more new research in general, should reverse engineer xenostech, that the Mechanicum should explain to more of the Imperium how many aspects of technology and rituals associated with it work so they can work it, that the mechanicum does more ritual than is precisely necessary, that the absolute simplest machines don't have spirits and it is only the ones capable of certain levels of cogitation that do, that xenos machines also have machine spirits, etc.

The Culture could perhaps simultaneously back the appropriate flavor of each conspiracy of radicals in the Inquisition, Mechanicum, Administratum, even planetary or system Academia or Nobility. There are a lot of compatible conspiracies that don't know about each other, and could just take a little herding and empowerment!

Do remember though that the groups in the Mechanicum are probably just a few influential Magos who get together and decide that they believe the same way and to act in accordance with their beliefs privately.

Further, the idea of using inquisitorial and other proxies is to get the Imperium in a shape that is closer to what The Culture wants, by use of increasing the amount of power in the groups that are (relatively) aligned with Culture ideals and such. And yes, it might be a change in dictators, but the main point is a change in the structure of The Imperium, which is the stated goal of a number of these groups.

[hamishspence]

And the radicals in the Mechanicum have enough influence that there's a group- the Crucible Resolviate- who are permitted to reverse-engineer alien tech, which the Deathwatch (the army of the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition) then use, despite the Deathwatch usually being rather conservative on the subject of alliances with the alien.

[Parra]

but it strikes me as replacing one dictator with another.

I don't see the Culture having any issue propping up a dictator so long as it was working towards their long term reform goals

[Gavinfoxx]

I don't see the Culture having any issue propping up a dictator so long as it was working towards their long term reform goals

This! So much agreeing with this!

[Gavinfoxx]

And the radicals in the Mechanicum have enough influence that there's a group- the Crucible Resolviate- who are permitted to reverse-engineer alien tech, which the Deathwatch (the army of the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition) then use, despite the Deathwatch usually being rather conservative on the subject of alliances with the alien.

And some of those Magos in that have probably gravitated to work either on that research base on Konor, or Talasa Prime itself, or even on Macragge itself. The point is -- a lot of those guys will be in the overall Ultramar region of space.

[Maugan Ra]

It should be noted that there is no Dark Mechanicus. Or rather, it doesn't exist as a united, monolithic entity. The Dark Mechanicus is, essentially, an idea, which is why it is so very hard to kill.

Basically, the Mechanicus have rules, as does any longstanding organisation of serious size. And among those rules are Things that you Do Not Do. Among these are:
- Unnecessary genetic tampering. Altering some colonists so that better generations will properly thrive on their individual worlds is generally OK, but radical alteration for no required benefit is not.
- Building or employing technologies that make direct use of Warp energies.
- Using technology to revive the dead or communicate with their departed spirits.
- Building or having anything to do with Artificial Intelligences. Note that Machine Spirits occupy a sort of grey area - a sufficiently complex operating program might very well start to develop it's own character and foibles, or at least seem to, and that's acceptable and even desired. Independent AI are most definitely not.

It should be noted that most of these are actually entirely sensible laws, given the history of the 41st millennium. On a purely logical cost/benefit scale, the Mechanicus finds that experimenting with any of the above leads to massive, immensely destructive disasters much more often than it produces anything useful or positive. AI once almost wiped out all of humanity, and warp-engines in particular have a nasty habit of taking out entire star systems when they go wrong.

The 'Dark Mechanicus' is essentially the mindset that says 'just because it's gone wrong 99 times out of a hundred in the past, doesn't mean I shouldn't try it, because I am clearly better than those guys'. Or to sound slightly more sensible, they're the ones that refuse to let themselves be constrained by laws of knowledge, regardless of how sensible those laws might actually be.

[jseah]

part 9 - First half

Spoiler

Show

Week 25
We are making progress on understanding the Necron engineering principles, a major advance in the fabrication of subatomic filaments has allowed us to manufacture threads of incredible density and strength. To a certain extent, we have had to build up a completely new production base in order to have a device capable of such fabrication. Field technology is able to mimic it to some extent, but only very inefficiently; for efficient production, a device with subatomic materials had to be used.

For now, every ship with available effector time is to begin the bootstrapping process. A subatomic filament manufacturing device is, we suspect, key to eventual large scale production of subatomic materials and this is not possible through conventional methods. If the ships do not have this device, if and when these materials are needed, they will not be able to produce them quickly; this directive is to forestall that eventuality.

Preliminary experiments involving a woven fabric of the filaments 1 centimeter square indicate the some expected properties, and some unexpected. The fabric has unparalleled density (approximately 10^14 times more than standard materials), impossibly high strength (stiffness and tensile strengths impossible to measure without destructive weapon tests) and were perfectly reflective to x-rays (only far gamma had any appreciable transmission).

Unusually, despite our reverse engineering, this material does not appear to be anything at all like the Necrons' metal. The main difference being that this material is Displacer-compatible with only minor modifications. We suspect that we have stumbled upon subatomic engineering as a field when analyzing the Necrons, a field that the Necrons were not able to exploit fully due to their lack of field technology and ability to truly manipulate at the subatomic scales.
We are still missing something about the Necrons' metal. Further analysis will be conducted.

We are beginning to design a field projector using subatomic materials. The miniaturization afforded by subatomic technology is roughly 10^4 times, and a corresponding increase in range and power can be expected once the device can be perfected.

We will refer to the atomic scale engineering we are used to as classical materials. Subatomic materials will be called picomaterials.

[Gavinfoxx]

Friendly Reminder: the main difference between 'true' AI and machine spirits (as far as the Mechanicum is concerned) is that AI's are self-improving and learning and can go beyond their basic programming; machine spirits can't...


Anyway, I'm not sure about your idea that necron living metal is subatomic.

I always thought it was nanobot-impregnated normal material, and the nanobots repair it. *shrugs* But this is fine, I suppose!


Anyway, if they are talking with the Ultramarines, some Ordo Xenos might shoehorn their way in. Whether it is the sort of OX that the culture might wanna talk to... entirely depends on the needs of the plot, I suppose. You are going for maximum hilarity, right? ;)

And whatever happened to your hilarity senses tingling with the sororitas thing?

[jseah]

Anyway, I'm not sure about your idea that necron living metal is subatomic.

The individual atoms have teleportation capability. if that's not subatomic engineering, I don't know what is. >.>

And whatever happened to your hilarity senses tingling with the sororitas thing?

The Sororitas religion is exactly like most religions the Culture has ever seen... except that it works. And the Culture hasn't seen it work, just seen it trusted (like every religion ever).

I'll have them see it working this part. =D There's a particular convergent plot line regarding the RT and the inquisition and Chaos.

[Gavinfoxx]

The individual atoms have teleportation capability. if that's not subatomic engineering, I don't know what is. >.>

I suppose that makes sense, yea, haha!

[jseah]

part 9 - Half-year report

Spoiler

Show

Total number of active Culture vessels GCU and larger: 1, 274
Total number of active Culture vessels independent drone and larger: 103, 450
Total number of inactive Culture vessels: 21
Total number of Culture vessels deemed lost: 1

Tyranid infestations sighted: 11
Tyranid fleets destroyed: 10
Ork infestations sights: 1, 309
Ork infestations cleaned: 808
Chaos sightings: 2 raiding fleets; 1 artifact; 2, 530, 116 Chaos cells
Chaos contained: 2 raiding fleets; 1 artifact; 2, 529, 374 Chaos cells

Our diplomatic stances:
IoM - Considering reform plans, limited cooperation on Chaos
Eldar - Friendly, Cultural exchange partners, potential ally
Necrons - Neutral, limited contact, potential ally
Tau - Friendly, likely ally, target race for reform and technology aid
Orks - Undecided, target race for reform or extermination
Other Eldar - Unfriendly, target race for containment and possible technology exchange
Chaos - Hostile, open war
Durfan Empire - Friendly but cautious, diplomatic contact lost

Assessment of foreign diplomatic stances:
IoM - Hostile, suspicious, notably less in Ultramar
Eldar - Friendly but cautious, unwilling to exchange technology
Necrons - Neutral but cautious, unwilling to exchange almost anything
Tau - Friendly, willing to engage in technology trade
Orks - Hostile
Other Eldar - Hostile
Chaos - Unknown
Durfan Empire - Unknown

Technology report:
Necron subatomic engineering - Basic materials engineering complete, analogs of classical devices in subatomic scales under research, production highly limited
Necron Warp field technology - Limited theoretical understanding
Necron Energy shield technology - Limited theoretical understanding
Eldar Warp based materials - not understood, restricted access
IoM classical technology - Stasis field reverse engineered, undergoing final phase testing
IoM Warp devices ---
Reverse engineered, manufacturable:
Gellar Field (ubiquitiously implemented), Warp drive (under very strict control trials), Warp activity detector
Restricted exposure:
Warp navigation scanner, psyker formation process, Void shields
Chaos Warp devices - Restricted exposure: Scrapcode, Warp-based galactic communications array

part 9 - OOC half year report

Spoiler

Show

Named Characters:
Seb Snakewick - Rogue Trader
Aisha Meiro - SC agent on Golden Goose
Memis Trayer - SC agent involved in the Necron Dig
Skreever - SC agent involved in the Necron Dig

Named Culture Ships - related arc:
GCU Large Sticks Speak Softly - Orks
GCU Golden Goose - Rogue Trader
GCU Starry Banner - IoM inquisition
GCU Peacemaker - Tau
ROU Gunboat Diplomacy - Tau
GSV Crossing the Bridge - Tau
GCU Everlasting Pain, Torture and all Things Bad (aka. Happy Fun Times) - Dark Eldar
GCU Curiousity Saved the Cat - Necrons
ROU White Devil - Necrons
GSV So Much For Subtlety - Necrons
GSV Reporting for Duty - Eldar
GCU Right Hand of God - Warp Sorceror
GCU Neverending Story - Misc.
GCU A Blue Telephone Booth - Misc.
GCU Clap Your Hands - Misc.
GCU Constrained Behaviour, Unconstrained Morality - Lost

[Gavinfoxx]

What about IoM, Eldar, and Ork non void shield based Energy Shield technology? How about the various warp weapons of a myriad species? Warp teleportation devices of various sorts of human, Eldar, and ork design? They should have encountered several by now. What about the exotic energy weapons-- necron gauss weapons, graviton guns, xenarch death-arcs, IoM conversion beamers, ion cannons and neutron guns (mechanicum attempts to reverse engineer Tau and Demiurg tech), fusion cannons, etc.

Also, one thing I have noticed is that Tau/Eldar/IoM plasma cannons actually contain stores of plasma, and then toss that plasma at things in one way or another... whereas Culture Plasma weapons don't contain Plasma... they make the Plasma on the spot with antimatter! That could probably be why Culture ones are better? Though even the plasma containing ones could use quite a bit of refinement and improvement in efficiency, safety, range, and features, if one considers the variations between Tau, Eldar, IoM & IoM Archeotech or Master-Crafted designs...

[jseah]

What about IoM, Eldar, and Ork non void shield based Energy Shield technology? How about the various warp weapons of a myriad species? Warp teleportation devices of various sorts of human, Eldar, and ork design?

The Warp weapons and warp teleportation devices are clearly going to be under restricted access. The Culture don't go about fiddling with devices they don't understand and have, through IoM records, been able to destroy entire planets when self-destructing.

The others, the Culture already understands. I've no idea what a Xenarch death-arc is, but everything from Necron graviton guns (that's basically a mini-Pancaker) to neutron beams (basically a particle beam weapon), the Culture already has and has better.

[jseah]

part 9.5 Tau

Spoiler

Show

Week 1
Further negotiations with the Tau have yielded a useful compromise. We will provide refinements to their plasma, ion and railgun weaponry, especially including a method to scale up safely to starship armament sizes. Additionally, we will also provide refinements to their sub-light drives for better accelerations as well as aid them militarily against the Tyranids.

In exchange, the Tau will give us technical and theoretical information on their special form of warp drive as well as provide genetic information on the Tau and Kroot. They also provide an assurance that they will not recklessly provoke the Imperium.

We also quickly reached an agreement on the rules covering a limited cultural exchange program.

Week 2
A disturbing fact about the Ethereal caste has been revealed through analysis of the Tau genetic information. The Ethereals exert a 'mystical' control over the other Tau through a pheromone-like system that borders on mind-control.
This fact has not been revealed to the Tau for fear of destabilizing their society. We are looking into potential methods for reform.

The Tau warp drive is considerably safer than the Imperium and in fact, the Tau have so far not suffered the same kinds of accidents the Imperium has in the warp and do not possess even Gellar fields. We suspect that this warp drive is actually compatible with our hyperspace drives as a test vessel worked even in hyperspace.
There is the promise of far higher speeds than would normally be acheived. Tau Warp drives can acheive FTL within a single dimensional plane, FTL in hyperspace would result in speeds far in excess of what we can do now.

Further research into the Tau warp drive is recommended as a top priority. Understanding it is made much easier than reverse engineering IoM technology as the Tau fully understand the basic principles behind their drives and are still continuing its development.

Week 3
The Tau cultural exchange is going ahead as planned. More details to follow.

[jseah]

part 9.5 'The Durfan Empire'

Spoiler

Show

The sorceror sniffed distastefully at the Khornate fleet captain across the table. The captain sported spikes... in fact, he was nearly all spike and very little anything else. At least the Slaaneshi was mildly attractive, if vapid. No one from Nurgle had been invited to this meeting.

How did a Tzeenchian sorceror run something like this? His specialty was in subterfuge and sorcery. Not diplomacy, especially not with what was appearing more and more like a berserker. Spiky (as he was starting to think of the captain, the sorceror hadn't bothered knowing his name) seemed to be hotheaded to a fault, refusing to listen to even the most basic of plans.

He needed them for this mission, that was why.

"I shall explain only once more," he rolled back the diagrams on the table with a wave of his hand, sending a wave of sparks dramatically. He explained the multiple factors and angles of approach again.
The little Slaaneshi girl (anyone with less than forty years experience was hopelessly out of her depth) nodded at the plan, but the Khorne captain just tore at his hair. The sorceror wished that the spikes that seemed to make up all of his hair would actually be proper spikes for once and shred the captain's claws.

"It's too complicated," the captain said flatly, "it won't work. "

The sorceror sighed at the complaint. All right, fine, ignore all his planning and groundwork. Let him go ahead and get himself killed, said the voice in his head. But the sorceror put it out, he needed Spiky to do what he wanted. Think of it as a puzzle, something to manipulate, said the voice again.

Now that was an idea. The sorceror looked down at the plan again and erased it with another wave. "How about this, you just attack this planet and I'll tell you what to do after that?" he pointed at the system on the ancient IoM map.

That got a better response. "Now you're talking," Spiky leaned over the table to see the information laid out on the system, and snorted, "you want to attack an Eldar Maiden world? Out of the blue without even a warp storm?"

"Too afraid to try?" the sorceror taunted him.

"Recall what happened the last time one of your ships went up against one of mine," Spiky folded his arms (the sorceror frowned at that, he was absolutely sure one of the spikes on the arms had gone through Spiky's other arm), "and it doesn't help us. "

"Trust me, it does," he glanced at the runes in the corner, "you don't even have to bombard the planet. Just don't lose too many ships. "

"Hmph, don't trust sorcery like that," Spiky snorted, "but orders are orders and I was told to do what you said. Wonder how you did that one..." he trailed off menacingly. Clearly Spiky was unhappy with his position but not murderous was probably the best the sorceror could do.

"What happened to my role?" the Slaaneshi asked.

The sorceror shook his head, "talk to that guy, just do it. Use your charms on him. "

---------------------

The sorceror rubbed his eyes in tiredness. He could just wish it away of course, but there was no need to now that they had left.

Now... if the runes spoke true...

--------------------------------------------------
Eldar
The Farseer frowned slowly. He paid no mind to his slowly crystallizing legs, the future was far too important to worry about little things like physical bodies. In any case, his own crystallization was proceeding unusually slowly, he was still partially mobile even after three times longer than the average crystallization process although he had already lost most physical processes half a century ago.

He shifted a little in the seat, moving for the first time in nearly a century. That brought quite alot of attention for such a small move. Farseerers in the hall were murmuring to each other as the one nearest to him pointed out his movement.

One of the elder Farseers, just a youngling by the standards of his age, approached him reverently and asked him if they were disturbing his presence. The crystallizing Farseer gave him a reproachful look somehow without moving even a bit.

He sent the young elder a complex web of runes and future paths straight into his mind. And waited. He couldn't share the future he just saw without being able to talk but it was all too obvious. The contamination of Khorne and Khaine was spreading through the timelines, war more than ever before.
A few days passed with much increased activity in the hall and the crystal didn't move again, but it was watching them, they could feel it.

The future it had highlighted was disturbing. There was another hand on the web of future paths around their craftworld. One with the touch of Chaos. The farseers discussed what to do, avoiding the attack on the Maiden World was out of the question since all the factors for it lay in the immaterium beyond reach. Defending against it would be absurdly easy if the future paths was to be believed.

But why ever would Chaos just mount an attack so useless as to do absolutely nothing? So suicidal even?

It was another three days before they had their answer. Chaos was about to conduct a general offensive against the Eldar and this was a warning. The hand that lay on the threads of fate was sending them a warning. Down all paths where they ceased contact with the Culture and repudiated it, the attacks stopped immediately.

There was clearly only one action to do since this craftworld was not involved in that contact. But firstly, there would be time to talk to Ulthwe about this. No chances would be taken on something so huge without further consultations with the best of the farseers.

[Gavinfoxx]

Ooooh, intrigue! Sociopolitical machinations! This story is starting to get somewhere...

On the Tau, I would expect more than just pheromones; also instinctive responses to particular aspects of Ethereal voices and faces and peculiarities of movement and things like that. A multi-faceted series of instinctive responses to the things that differentiates Ethereals from other Tau. However, this is just my interpretation, there isn't really support for much beyond pheromones in canon, but there would likely have to be.more than scent based processes for events to happen in Tau history the way they did. I would also expect that there is at least one or two Earth caste biologists that know what is going on, and know to keep quiet, but aren't personally upset at the revelation. Why would they be?

What did you think of my RL citation that humans have social submission instincts that are comparable? With depression and similar? Those mostly work on smaller scales that humans evolved in, though.

And an improvement in tau weaponry scaling should see big long range plasma weapons on their ships (currently they don't use plasma guns ship to ship like Eldar or IoM do), and the railguns (gravitic/magnetic) able to be much bigger, and the ion cannons able to get much bigger. Currently, they keep up with the IoM in ship weaponry via superior aiming and consolidation of fire and fire control rather than just being shootier, like they can manage on land...

They will still use their guns differently, due to the fact that they don't approach the warp in the same way that IoM ships do, and thereby favor gull wing designs rather than cylinder designs (the cylinder being to dive through a hole into the warp), which means their ships are less broadside-focused in their ability to direct firepower. Based on this: http://advancedtautactica.com/viewto...p?f=23&t=12420 fan compilation and interpretation of the Tau fleet, I expect that updating the guns of the Lar'shi'vre to have the highest priority.

[jseah]

part 9.5 Tau - Finale

Spoiler

Show

The Tau are the first race to so quickly adapt to our introduced technologies. Their scientific flexibility is on par with what we would have normally expected but did not find in this galaxy. Their Earth caste engineers and scientists have quickly understood our refinements on their weapons and STL drives, and in fact were working on some of those refinements by themselves.

We expect to see, over the coming months, the Tau retooling their production lines and shipyards. The double range, nearly triple penetration and damage power, as well as six times higher ship accelerations, will ensure the Tau will be militarily superior to all local powers. Not crushingly superior, but definitely a major edge.

[Gavinfoxx]

I think we should try and help Jseah do some more point of view stuff for / with the Tau. Anyone have any suggestions of novels that show Tau culture?


Also, when is The Culture going to stumble on a troop of Jokaero (space technological savant bright orange cyborg orangutans)? I mean, hell, the fact that they travel in family groups, in driveless, tiny ships that power themselves through changing their very shape, and are able to travel through both normal space and warp space (apparently safely, in an inertialess manner!) ... and the fact that they are creations of the Old Ones, and have technological savant and probably specifications for specific devices and methods of understanding tech in their genetic code... These things could probably be the impetus for a major improvement in the Culture's understanding of the effects of transdimensional geometry on realspace, and in the genetic encoding of specific skills and designs and such.

Of course, there is probably a size limitation to this thing... it probably can't be built up to particular sizes, but the fact that their tech is possibly some of the best in the galaxy, is kinda profound!

And they're easy to write too: they are peaceful, nonsentient orangutan tinkerers.

http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Jokaero
http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Jokaero

WARNING: 1D4Chan!
http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Jokaero

[Doran]

Hehe just came across this passage in The Hydrogen Sonata.

Five Bios and one Mind, in one tiny wee ship? Their basic insanity is going to manifest. And it's reality-distorting; infectious, practically. Always going to end badly.

Metaphorical, but funny.

Also the reply:

Not as bad as (a Mind) becoming a "hybrid" with alien operating system **** incorporated. That's just ...perverted.

[Selrahc]

I think we should try and help Jseah do some more point of view stuff for / with the Tau. Anyone have any suggestions of novels that show Tau culture?

The only one is Fire Warrior. And Fire Warrior is widely regarded as garbage.

There was a rather fun little story in the first Tau codex about an Earth caste overseer writing letters home to his sister from Pech. It all had a rather British Empire feel to it. Lots of "White Mans Burden" stuff about bringing enlightenment to the poor savage Kroot.

I'll see if I can dig it up and write it up.