The Culture Explores 40K III: Just As Planned

[jseah]

LOL, after that many days, I thought you would have three, much larger posts ready!

I can't write without referring to my past posts. When I come to write a post, the number of tabs in my browser multiplies.

And I don't want to write risking huge inconsistencies that would result if I just did it off memory.

[jseah]

part 16

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Week 1
A minor breakthrough with femto-materials further increases the production rate of such components by 5%. Also, structural improvements has reduced the weight of femto-material armour by 10%.

Femto-tech weapons and ships are being provided to the Tau for self-defence with the agreement that the ships are on indefinite loan from us and are not to be used offensively.
The Tau have requested to study the technology, to which we have agreed. There is little chance that they will achieve major breakthroughs in the foreseeable future, which is an annoyingly short period of time.

Week 2
Further warp interface improvements have been made, with a protocol for the making of a Rho-ranked sensor of the warp-active crystal. From Revay's lessons and what we know of the Eldar's world spirits, some form of local reality alteration may be possible. Quite apart from warp devices, local reality alteration promises to enhance many of our support components many fold.

It appears that we have been seriously underestimating the usefulness of the warp. Much more research will be conducted into its uses and safety.

Week 3
Dark Eldar evacuation of Commorragh is 60% complete. Ackaris is already prepared and all the defensive measures have been put in place.

The Necron war has resulted in a full IoM rout. For now, the Necrons have opted to not stage a counter-invasion, instead focusing on hunting down key targets and rebuilding their destroyed worlds. It is interesting that the Necrons view the shattered planets as better for construction, the cyclonic torpedoes used to destroy Necron tombs also shatter the planetary core and the resulting heavy seismic activity creates 'lava' flows of molten core material, which is highly concentrated with useful metals.

We have offered some logistical support in the form of designs for zero-gavity industry. Hot, volcanically active planets are not liveable even by Necrons and a space-based industry around them can take advantage of their readily accessible materials.
Of course, this is aimed at making the Necrons less planet dependent. Being completely inorganic, the Necrons are the most adapted race to space-based and therefore environmentally conscious living.

A calm and cool three weeks, before it gets very very hot at a certain star. All the groundwork for Ackaris is done with the IoM rout.

Had to steal some material from the Necrons to get enough to write about.

[Gavinfoxx]

HAHAHA Environmentally Conscious Necrons...

Oh gawd... *wipes tears from eye* Wow... snnrrrkkktt... they hate ALL LIVING THINGS...

[The Glyphstone]

HAHAHA Environmentally Conscious Necrons...

Oh gawd... *wipes tears from eye* Wow... snnrrrkkktt... they hate ALL LIVING THINGS...

Not all of them, just the ones who have gone full Destroyer Cult. Regular Necrons just consider living things to be inferior.

[Gavinfoxx]

Well, okay, they all consider living things disgusting and inferior, but not all of them want to, ya know, destroy all living things...

[jseah]

HAHAHA Environmentally Conscious Necrons...

Oh gawd... *wipes tears from eye* Wow... snnrrrkkktt... they hate ALL LIVING THINGS...

But it is true! The Necrons would survive on airless moons far better than oxidising atmospheres. Or in fact, space stations.

Seriously, they're inorganic computer intelligences, that's most of the hard problems of living in space solved (being pressurized atmospheres, temperature and radiation).

The Culture's plan with this one is to slowly introduce space-based industry and designs to the Necrons. And since those are going to be more efficient than the ones on the ground (lots of material with comparatively easy access, lots of space to discard waste products, zero launch costs), they hope that the Necrons will invest more and more into space-industry over land-based ones.
With the eventual hope that the Necrons will wake up one day and go "wait a minute, do we even need this planet?".

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

That said, something just occurred to me. The Necrons are basically humanoid shaped computers. A number of things don't really make sense:
1. Why do they talk? As in, they have physical speakers, which seems pointless given that they are more advanced than the Ad Mech and the Ad Mech don't use them

2. Their ships ought to not be pressurized or even have entire sections open to space. No need to breathe after all.
-> Corollary: any boarders of Necron ships had better bring a spacesuit along

3. There isn't a need for CnC to be physical human-shaped crew. They could just plug into the ship's internal network and control it from a pod.
-> The concept of a bridge is obsolete. Damage control less so.

[jseah]

part 16.5 Tau

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Week 1
The Tau colony has received its first colonists and operations on the planet to make it more appealing has begun.

The Tau have requested that we build a set of waystations on the path to the colony that will serve as beacons and stopping points for shorter-ranged Tau ships to traverse the distance without relying on our transports.

Femto-tech defensive ships (no FTL) were provided as part of our defense agreement to the outlying colony and the Tau main sector.

A colony on the path from the Eye to Sol is being prepared for the Tau while the first colonists are enroute. Our transports will leave in waves to both outlying colonies, to arrive when the system infrastructure is scheduled to be complete.

Week 2
Vespids were analyzed and their wing harmonics presents some interesting interpretations of aerodynamics principles. Furthermore, the special crystals they use to power their technology have some useful self-assembling properties and applications of such are being looked into (although this is not compatible with current femto-tech materials).

Following the scans, we have given the Tau a two way translation device for the Vespid language. Furthermore, we have included principles for manufacture and use of Vespid crystals, as well as our current starting point of their applications. In particular, the reworked Vespid neutron blaster will now work as an independent weapon of the Vespid and can be easily scaled to vehicle and battlesuit class weapons.
The neutron blaster presents better armour penetration and higher offensive power than the standard Tau ion cannon but much lower range. It is being tested as a close-ranged substitute for the current fusion blaster that is more suited for medium range engagements.
Additionally, with the sudden abundance of fast neutron emitting crystals, the possibility of using them as weapons outright is also under consideration. A neutron-based airburst bomb is being researched by the Tau.

The Tau have expressed astonishment at our rapid understanding of a problem that has been undecipherable to the Tau and Vespids for a long time. Some of them are beginning to consider further research into inorganic intelligences as a potential top priority, aiming to reach Singularity themselves.
For the most part, the Ethereal caste who have reviewed our materials on Singularity civilizations are guiding the process in order to ensure a smooth transition. An ethical debate is being held among the Tau discussing the rights of inorganic or even hybrid intelligences and the appropriate sentiency cutoff lines.

The Tau have begun research into a starship class neutron blaster.

Week 3
Despite our warning, the Tau have taken offensive action against the IoM. Their fleet has seized the lightly held Praetonis V and is preparing it as a fleet base for further operations. They explained their actions as "not rash", citing their clear military and technological superiority.
They have promised us that they will not bombard civilian populations or coerce them into joining the Greater Good. We did not request such but it appears that the Tau have a good understanding of our principles and also wish to maintain good relations.

It appears that our efforts at stabilizing the local region has failed. A full scale war is virtually unavoidable barring major intervention and reassessment of priorities is taking place.

[Selrahc]

1. Why do they talk? As in, they have physical speakers, which seems pointless given that they are more advanced than the Ad Mech and the Ad Mech don't use them

The Necrons used to be utterly silent. The idea that they talk first started cropping in for Dawn of War, where a Pariah was the mouthpiece of the Necrons. In their current incarnation, with fully individualistic Lords, they speak to lesser races. I think privately though, the Necrons are still non-verbal communicators.

2. Their ships ought to not be pressurized or even have entire sections open to space. No need to breathe after all.
-> Corollary: any boarders of Necron ships had better bring a spacesuit along

I'm not sure about it, but that might already be true. Certainly, the only account of a boarding action I can recall was conducted by Space Marines, who already wear pressurized space suits.

Necrons do take human servitors and chattel at times, so there are reasons to keep pressurized areas in places.

3. There isn't a need for CnC to be physical human-shaped crew. They could just plug into the ship's internal network and control it from a pod.
-> The concept of a bridge is obsolete. Damage control less so.

Well, we don't really know if Necron ships actually do have crew. We know that boarding actions encounter humanoid Necrons, but I don't think there is ever actually a bridge or control mechanism described for their ships.

The Necrons don't really seem to have body transfer technology though. They might be non-organic intelligences, but a lot of the usual tricks like transferring bodies and controlling things seem to be off limits to them. A Necron lord wouldn't be able to transfer his mind into his ship and personally control it. But he might be able to wirelessly send commands from any portion of the ship, and spend his days chilling out in his bejewelled throne room.

[Gavinfoxx]

So did the info culled from the latest Tau codex help? I didn't notice any statements regarding that stuff, though improvement of safety issues of their gear (like with ion rifles, certain types of fusion reactors, that fancy reactor in that new Knight scale battlesuit, etc.), or other things like that, might not be a priority. Also, the Culture should likely be making contact with the Farsight enclave... and Commander Farsight has seen (and had his technicians take readings of) the Eye. There's also the fact that the Tau's field/shield technology generally lags behind Eldar, Imperium, and Ork.

Also, a bit I forgot, they did manage to upload / copy one of their best Generals to a computer / AI, but it is implied there are issues. You should read the relevant section of the Codex to see if they'll ask The Culture for help, and what I mean.

[Gavinfoxx]

Also, it's implied that the 'low lifespan for all Tau except Ethereals' might be designed in, to give the species their vigor/drive/push to do things quickly, in groups, and for the Greater Good. Of course, if there was another way other than every non-Ethereal tau having 50 year lifespans to do this, that might be interesting to note...

[jseah]

Sorry, I haven't read the new codex yet. Sigh, I have too many things to do, part of which is writing for this thread. An hour or two a day here is a large enough chunk of my entertainment "budget" already.

Necrons:
Well, body transferance and other inorganic intelligence shenanigans will rapidly become possible now. =D

[Gavinfoxx]

Well, I won't be TOO upset if you skip a day or two to read the new Tau codex...

[Selrahc]

Sorry, I haven't read the new codex yet.

New Chaos Daemons Codex too... that one could be considerably more interesting than anything involving the Tau.

Necrons:
Well, body transferance and other inorganic intelligence shenanigans will rapidly become possible now. =D

Possibly... or alternately it could be a huge brick wall. Remember, the Necrons were not transferred into their current bodies naturally, but by the direct intervention of reality altering deities. The Culture could start experiments into intelligence redirection, and find that technically there is absolutely nothing within the Necron shell that would create an intelligent being....

[Gavinfoxx]

Second that reading at least the first few pages of that Chaos Daemons codex, it tells a bit more about what is going on with the Warp and Chaos and such...

[jseah]

Remember, the Necrons were not transferred into their current bodies naturally, but by the direct intervention of reality altering deities.

The C'Tan aren't around anymore so you would think the Necrons default back to being normal physics apart from some warp suppression stuff.

Still, it would break too much of the current fluff in this story to change that now. The Necrons already got Culture intelligence engineering, new citizens are already being created, some of them are ships and not humanoid, and the Culture have already created a "restore functions but not memory" procedure for the Necrons. (this is all in the previous updates)

[Gavinfoxx]

Yea, and I don't think the idea that they don't have actual memory or data cores fits any of the previous necron fluff, wherever you find it...

[Gavinfoxx]

It looks like the current canon is back to 'all violence, everywhere, powers khorne' and similar sorts of things...

[The Glyphstone]

The C'Tan aren't around anymore so you would think the Necrons default back to being normal physics apart from some warp suppression stuff.

Still, it would break too much of the current fluff in this story to change that now. The Necrons already got Culture intelligence engineering, new citizens are already being created, some of them are ships and not humanoid, and the Culture have already created a "restore functions but not memory" procedure for the Necrons. (this is all in the previous updates)

Though that'd only be true if you assume the C'tan have to be around to actively maintain what they did, rather than it just being a one-off effect. They were easily powerful enough at their prime to alter reality in such a way that it'd stay altered even after they stopped paying attention to it, and fusing Necron minds/souls into otherwise uninhabitable bodies seems along their purview.

Though yeah, you've so far gone with the technological intelligence angle rather than another flavor of SPACE MAGIC, so it wouldn't be practical at this point to about-face.

[jseah]

part 16.5 Necrons

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Week 1
The IoM counterattack has managed to push two systems forward. Despite the new Necron tactics and capabilities, the regional commander is not willing to risk another femto-tech ship being seized and refuses to commit them to pitched battles, preferring to use them in a more conservative hit-and-run role.

The Necron worlds that were being restored were then re-bombed. What is interesting is the clear observation that the IoM is avoiding the systems in which the power pylons were completed and survived the bombing. This set of seemingly accurate foresight was eventually traced down to the Grey Knight's company commander, who is a powerful psyker and is apparently able to predict the future to some accuracy.

Week 2
Despite the avoidance of the Necron trap, the IoM advance has rapidly run out of steam. The loss ratio of the IoM is too high to be sustained and the predicted collapse in offensive power has happened. The Necrons continue to push them back.

The Necrons have asked for advice regarding the restoration template they are attempting to complete. They know that we can complete it faster than they can and are requesting us to scan a previously captured Necron Lord from a different Necron dynasty in order to do so.
I have taken the liberty of accepting their invitation. The data on their inter-dynasty relationships and further insight into Necrontyr psychology will be extremely useful in modeling the Necron reaction post-restoration.

Week 3
The IoM fleet is scattering, details in the main report. The Planet Independence Proposal is being put into effect.

A thought strikes me. The Culture might attempt to bribe or help all the factions under the pretext of making their military stronger. Military technology is likely to be accepted and put into use fastest, and any spinoffs are most likely to happen.

Therefore, by giving all of them the technology to make their fleets more logistically independent, the Culture can slowly wean them off the need to have colonies and planets. After all, the military logistics technologies is exactly the same as space habitation or at least is very close to it.

Plus, this isn't likely to lead to a Singularity in any of them, so leakage to Chaos isn't catastrophic.

part 16.5 Eldar - Extra

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Week 1
Eldar - Alaitoc
3: Major change in future paths. I sense a disturbance in the skein.
2: I never like it when this happens. Did the Culture do something again?
1: Show us the runes...
*runecasting for an hour*
1: Unbelievable. They're... actually back. Does the Culture even know what they're doing?
2: No? No. Definitely not. They think it's a good thing too!
3: It might be. Our ancient enemy was certainly less... implacable, before their rejection of life.
2: But this is crazy! Necrons doing art?!
3: I've heard that line before.
*pause*
1: Do you notice a little pattern here? We don't do anything unless there's some kind of emergency on the table?
3: Yeah, no, we don't do anything at all.
1: When exactly are we going to figure out how to handle the kind of changes we are seeing the galaxy?
2: ...
3: I hate to be the one saying this, but I think our Eldar ways are... in need of more... energy. We are old and we look in the long term. Unfortunately, it appears that the pace of change happening now around the Culture is so fast that there may never BE a long term.
1: *mutters* as a famous Autarch said, 'in the long run, we're all dead'.
2: Pah, these short-lived races will be over in the blink of an eye. The Necrons and Eldar will be here long after they are gone.
3: You should hear yourself, you don't even sound like you believe it.
2: *sigh, pointedly puts down his runes* Ok, hypothetically speaking, what do you propose we do?
3: The council cannot act quickly. It's full of Eldar just like us. Frankly, no Farseer can resist the temptation to look ahead and debate and consider. And by the time we are done, it's been months.
2: Go on.
3: Create a new organization. Their job will be to consider and explore new ideas, as well as test them. They will not be part of Alaitoc so they will be free to make their own decisions, knowing that Alaitoc is watching to see what works.
1: The Outcasts will love that.
2: I think the Council will see through it and it will be denied.
3: Not if we tell them it is foreseen. And if we do so, it will be foreseen. You know the branch exists.
2: *still not touching his runes* Yes, I do know. But you also know that using future sight to manipulate Eldar matters carries the harshest penalty.
3: Us against the Eldar race. It's not that hard a decision.
2: It is not mine to make. *picks up his runes*

Eldar - ZharTann
Xiazera: I have a matter to report.
Autarch1: Go on.
Xiazera: I have noted an interesting idea from Alaitoc in my future visions. At present, it is unclear if they will implement it, but the idea can be made useful for our purposes.
Autarch2: Explain. Perhaps we may indeed find it useful.

3 references in 1 short Eldar section! =D

[jseah]

Also, posting disruption tomorrow and most likely the entire weekend. Malaysian General Elections and my uncle is running for MP!

[Gavinfoxx]

Jseah, you DO know what an Exterminatus entails, right?

It includes a few steps, including:
1.) Virus bombs / Chemical warheads designed to destroy ALL LIFE on the planet
2.) Bombs which cause the entire atmosphere to ignite
2.) Several torpedo types, which do things like irradiate and EMP the entire planet, glass the entire surface, burning the whole thing in atomic fire, burn away the atmosphere, and crack the crust, shattering it

In other words, it is never just one thing, but generally a variety of things, a variety of methods... done one right after the other.

[jseah]

Jseah, you DO know what an Exterminatus entails, right?

It includes a few steps, including:
1.) Virus bombs / Chemical warheads designed to destroy ALL LIFE on the planet
2.) Bombs which cause the entire atmosphere to ignite
2.) Several torpedo types, which do things like irradiate and EMP the entire planet, glass the entire surface, burning the whole thing in atomic fire, burn away the atmosphere, and crack the crust, shattering it

In other words, it is never just one thing, but generally a variety of things, a variety of methods... done one right after the other.

All of which do absolutely nothing to the deep underground Necron Tombs except the crust cracking. Which, in this case, the Necrons are engineering their power pylons with femto-materials to survive, sometimes.

The logic being that while the pylon won't survive a direct hit, it will survive most other things, including sinking into the mantle itself. If the pylon itself is only a couple of skyscrapers in size, that's very little pylon to hit in alot of planet.

EDIT: and I do know what an Exterminatus does. I just assumed the IoM would be smart enough to not waste virus bombs on Necron worlds due to well... them being dead anyway.

[Gavinfoxx]

Yea, they would focus on crust cracking and maybe EMPing/bombing any surface areas of tomb worlds, I would think.

[The Glyphstone]

Jseah, you DO know what an Exterminatus entails, right?

It includes a few steps, including:
1.) Virus bombs / Chemical warheads designed to destroy ALL LIFE on the planet
2.) Bombs which cause the entire atmosphere to ignite
2.) Several torpedo types, which do things like irradiate and EMP the entire planet, glass the entire surface, burning the whole thing in atomic fire, burn away the atmosphere, and crack the crust, shattering it

In other words, it is never just one thing, but generally a variety of things, a variety of methods... done one right after the other.

I don't think it's common to use multiple Exterminatus weapons together the way you're implying, though. Generally, one such weapon - either virus bombing orcyclonic torpedos or melta torpedos or atomic bombardment is sufficient to kill every living thing left on the planet and/or crack it open, I can't think of any canon bombing described where they used more than one or two such weapons.

[Gavinfoxx]

Weren't some mentioned in the some of the books, at the weird place with all the crazy angles and spatial distortion and extra dimensions, as multiple being used in the normal course of things? Its in one of the books I've read, I dont remember which...

I think in Eisenhorn or one of the Gaunt's Ghosts books...

Like the Exterminatus there was a list of a few variety of weapons, used sequentially...

[The_Final_Stand]

I was under the impression that those were all just examples of forms that an Exterminatus could take, rather than the process of it.

Indeed, the video in DoW2 of an Exterminatus doesn't appear to involve virus bombing at all, for instance. And since that's the only actual performance of Exterminatus I'm aware of (I don't read many 40K books other than Horus Heresy), it's the one I'm going to talk about.

It starts with orbital bombardment with every ship in the performing fleet, using lances, macrocannons, and other lovely weaponry, then finishes with a very large bomb which is clearly visible from a substantial (size of a significant fraction of the planet) distance, and spreads the explosion across the planet. Maybe an atmosphere incineration torpedo.

That said, the bombing of Isstvan 3, though not actually called Exterminatus, used virus bombing to start, then set it all on fire to make sure. Even that didn't quite work, but then, these were Astartes that Horus was bombing.

[jseah]

part 16.5 Dark Eldar

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Week 1
Evacuation of Comorragh is speeding up as the last remaining sections are complying more readily and resistance is down to the last few pockets.

The reticent Harlequins have opened contact briefly again, issuing a warning about Ackaris. While another request for open contact was ignored, we will be heeding their warning and increasing the fleet presence at Ackaris.

Week 3
The Dark Eldar evacuation is complete. Comorragh is uninhabited and final preparations for leaving are underway. Approximately 98% of the Dark Eldar should arrive at Ackaris within three weeks.

Just a short bonus one, no post tonight.

[Gavinfoxx]

What are you doing with the huuuuge masssiivvee amount of slaves and non dark eldar underclass, many traumatized, several of which never knew anything other than Commoragh?

[Spamotron]

The Culture used nanotech to make it so they couldn't "feel suffering," anymore so the Dark Eldar could no longer feed on them. Given that the Dark Eldar can feed off psychological pain and in fact consider it even better than physical pain I guess they were all effectively lobotomized for that to work.

So they're all drooling vegetables.

[Gavinfoxx]

I think that was an alternate what if, canon... and I think your understanding of that canon is severely flawed.