The Culture Explores 40K III: Just As Planned

[jseah]

part 10

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Week 28
We have additional data on macro-scale properties of femto-materials. On top of the essentially indestructible nature of the "neutronium" armour (several tests indicate that it takes multiple megaton yields concentrated onto a 1 centimeter square surface to break through a single layer thick femto-material plate), we have a prototype design for a fission-catalyst grid that will greatly simplify torch drive designs or provide an interestingly suicidal weapon also known as a fission cannon.
--- The fission cannon essentially pumps non-chain-reaction fissile material dissolved in a solvent through the femto-material catalyst, causing 100% fission rate in the dissolved material. This was described to be roughly equivalent to holding a continuous nuclear explosion. Needless to say, this idea was considered a novel, if crude, form of suicide. Only one experiment was conducted, of which the largest surviving fragment was the catalyst grid, which was undamaged.

Electronic-analogs of femto-materials is progressing, an electric supercapacitor of unparalleled power density and variable power release is designed. We should have the first functional femto-scale computers by next week.

Tau warp drives have undergone a simple testing. They appear to work as claimed, although the place they go to in the warp is still only 3 dimensional. We are working with the Tau to improve on the drive's speed as well as to further understand its physics in order to translate it to warping from one hyperspace point to another hyperspace point which we hope will afford a massive strategic speed increase.

Week 29
A group of GCUs and a GSV have decided to form a Culture-internal group aimed at replacing all parts of a Culture standard ship with femto-materials. Including the crew, which will have to be inorganic by definition.
It is expected that the ship will be vastly smaller than Culture-standards with roughly the same capabilities. We estimate that a GCU-class craft will be slightly smaller than an IoM human. This project is not likely to be completed soon however as a number of key components (specifically, the hyperspace drive and effector arrays) still have no femto-scale analog.

Basic pure realspace electronic computers that rival those of a hyperspace based computational device in terms of realspace volume are in development, although the heat generated due to inefficiencies still preclude standard usage. (the heat is not a problem for the device operation, but it has a tendency to melt normal material casing)
We expect that as teething problems are solved, these may be deployed for drone citizens to investigate the webway.

Femto-scale materials have begun to be classified by their properties as various materials have been discovered. Of note are the fission catalysts (which are the same material as the "neutronium" armour), electronic analogs (that work by propagating weak nuclear force instead of electrons) and meta-materials (which so far contains only a gamma-spectrum CREW grid)

Analysis of Eldar-indicated artifacts (of which we have retreived 20%) indicates that there are certain patterns of realspace materials that have defined warp effects. These patterns are obscure and rare, most commonly occuring in an organic sentient creature.
We have been a long process of collecting and classifying these patterns, as well as refining our recognition algorithms. Artifacts that generate warp effects from patterns of realspace material can be easily identified by careful molecular assembly; those that retain the same warp effect are the artifacts that generate warp effects by virtue of only realspace material patterns.
We are calling these "simple warp attractors".
Two other categories of items have been tentatively classified. It appears that the formation process of some artifacts can affect the final warp effect, where in a specific series of realspace material patterns must be acheived in specific order to acheive the final warp effect that is identical to the cloned artifact. These are called "complex warp attractors".
There are also warp objects that appear to have warp components that do not depend on realspace material patterns. These we call "warp objects". These artifacts cannot be cloned through molecular assembly and we presume that a warp-based assembly is required.

Another set of items are still unclassified. These have strange properties that defy molecular assembly or resist material analysis.

Week 30
Tyranid adaptability has received a major breakthrough. While we are still no closer to understanding their warp effects (presumably the Eldar understand it), we have a significant advance in determining the limits of their natural non-warp guided resistances. These do not appear to be a threat as the limits are below our weapon power scales.
Care must be taken to not allow Tyranid swarms to gather to such a concentration that warp-driven hyperevolution becomes likely. The scale and scope of Tyranid resistance under such circumstances is still unknown.

[jseah]

In case you were wondering about the Eldar artifacts thing, I am having the Eldar do that whole "here's a list of warp artifacts, come back when you understand them" thing.

[The Glyphstone]

A bit of a side question: If the Warp is closed, as in the God Emperor's master plan, does this eliminate the abilities of psykers and the technomagic of the Orks? Because if so the Culture could eliminate most of its problems by simply eliminating religion in the galaxy.

The Emperor didn't want to seal off the Warp entirely, he wanted to starve the Chaos Gods to death by spreading atheism.

[Gavinfoxx]

Here's some ideas -- why don't you do an AAR of the human who got the list from the Eldar? Have them describe what happened, so that folk only reading the reports don't get confused?

Also, are you going to have the compromised SC agent actually contact the Culture sometime, speaking in an Orky accent, of course?

[jseah]

part 10.5 Tau

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Week 1
We have received word from the Tau that the IoM have attacked the Farsight colonies towards galactic north. This is an unusual state of affairs given that the Tau, while expecting an attack from the IoM, knew that the IoM did not have sufficient forces to do so at present.

The reason for the attack is also unknown. We have dispatched GCU Peacemaker to investigate. ROU Gunboat Diplomacy at Macragge can only confirm an IoM astropathic report of conflict with the Tau at the relevant area, the Ultramarines know even less than us.

Meanwhile, a cultural exchange is commencing in the embassy, which is turning into a resort colony rapidly. A number of Culture organic citizens and drones have joined the Tau there. The Tau have indicated that they are willing to let us run a small section of the resort colony under Culture rules, whereupon the Tau will send a number of their own citizens to experience life under the Culture as Culture citizens do likewise on the rest of the world.
We have agreed to the arrangement although we stipulated that our running of a planetside colony is strictly temporary given the general directive to not create fixed population centers.

In case I didn't mention it, the Tau language has been decoded.

Here's some ideas -- why don't you do an AAR of the human who got the list from the Eldar? Have them describe what happened, so that folk only reading the reports don't get confused?

Also, are you going to have the compromised SC agent actually contact the Culture sometime, speaking in an Orky accent, of course?

That's going into the Eldar arc and the Ork arc respectively.

[DaedalusMkV]

A bit of a side question: If the Warp is closed, as in the God Emperor's master plan, does this eliminate the abilities of psykers and the technomagic of the Orks? Because if so the Culture could eliminate most of its problems by simply eliminating religion in the galaxy.

While it's been said a bit so far, the Emperor's plan was precisely the opposite of that; this endgame was an omnipotent humanity in total command of its own destiny and the Chaos Gods dead by means of nobody in the universe believing in divinity. His goal was humanity becoming an entire race of psykers who did not have to answer to Gods or Daemons. Perhaps at some point it might have involved personally going and beating the Gods to a pulp, but his base plan was "The Warp is sculpted by belief. If nobody believes in Chaos, it can't exist." The Culture could go for the same plan, and given their resources it might even work, but they have no reason to do so at this point. More importantly, it involves a specific manipulation of culture over the entire galaxy, on a level that the Culture would find absolutely abhorent. So, assuming they somehow stumble on the God Emperor's plan, which nobody in the 40k verse not on Team Chaos even knows about unless they revive Guilleman or the Emperor himself, they would probably see it as a last resort.

The Necron plan was to seal off the Warp, and it was implied to have truly disastrous consequences for organic life.

[Gavinfoxx]

But we've already established that the Necron Pylons and similar warp manipulation tech has various 'settings'...

[jseah]

Basically, the God Emperor wants to initiate Ascension for humanity? Because that sounds -exactly- like it.

[The Glyphstone]

In terms of Culture-language, that's pretty much it. Is Ascension and Sublimation the same thing?

[jseah]

part 10.5 Tau

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Week 2
GCU Peacemaker have arrived at the nominally independent Farsight colonies. Shas'O Vior'la Shovah Kais Mont'yr appears to retain some loyalty to the Tau cause although the reason for his division is still unknown. O'Shovah acknowledged our presence and admitted that he has been aware of our activities within the Tau empire proper.

While he has agreed to talk, O'Shovah has already launched a retaliation fleet after driving off the IoM attack. A number of IoM ships managed to bombard the surface of the colony they attacked and many Tau were killed. As the retaliation fleet has already been launched, he has no ability to recall it.

The identity of the fleet from examining O'Shovah's public record of the battle appears to be far too small to successfully attack the Tau. Furthermore, from their actions, a suicidal rush towards the Tau planet, mostly avoiding engagement with the Tau defense fleet, the IoM fleet appears to have been aiming to cause maximum casualties.

Given how O'Shovah has publicly presented the IoM attack, calling it an atrocity, we judge it likely that the retaliation fleet will attempt to destroy IoM fleet logistics and shipbuilding capacity in the area. Given the Tau's assessment of IoM strength in the area, this fleet is likely to be successful in its mission to attack the three nearby IoM colonies.

It is certain that the IoM will view the retaliation as the beginning phases of another Tau-IoM war. From what we know of the IoM, O'Shovah is known to be a renegade Tau but his actions are extremely likely to generate a reaction against the Tau in general.

[jseah]

Yeah, I forgot the term, I meant Sublimation.

[The Glyphstone]

I don't think he intended to go that far, primarily because I believe Sublimation involves casting off your physical bodies. It may have been the next step, though.

[Gavinfoxx]

I dont think he wanted Sublimation. I think he wanted more 'next step in human evolution'. No casting off of bodies to become Warp-entities or Warp-gestalts or anything like that.

[jseah]

part 10.5 Tau

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Week 3
A scout drone has found the Farsight retaliation fleet. The fleet was engaged in combat with majorly outclassed IoM fleet and proceeded to encircle and destroy the IoM system defence forces before destroying every single piece of orbital infrastructure as well as all major mining and industrial areas on the planet.

Unlike the IoM, the Tau fleet ignored civilian targets until the defense forces were destroyed, as well as giving long warning periods of their intention to bombard assets to facilitate civilian evacuation. Very little loss of civilian life resulted from this action. The Tau bombardment of the industrial areas also avoided the local food production centers and one spaceport landing area was left untouched to let the planet maintain external contact with the IoM trade network.

GCU Peacemaker has considered intervention in the fleet's activities but eventually ruled it out. O'Shovah has indicated that he will regard any attempt by the Culture to interfere with its mission as an act of war. While any war declaration against us would be symbolic at best, it would be extremely likely to adversely affect relations with the main Tau empire.

The lack of atrocity and general respect for civilian life is commendable restraint given that the IoM and Farsight colonies are in an undeclared state of war that has cost numerous Tau civilian lives. Neither do the Tau practice the scorched earth policies that the IoM is so quick to resort to.
This restraint on the part of O'Shovah's retaliation fleet was a significant factor in our decision to not interfere.

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The cultural exchange is growing into a minor success. The Tau have no problems working in the loose rules environment of the Culture although they do retain the majority of their caste structure with respect to themselves. Culture art, engineering and architecture receive much interest from Tau Earth and Water caste, while our loose and flexible organization of even military forces has attracted some more experimentally-minded Fire caste warriors. Conversely, some Culture citizens find the Tau caste roles and the Greater Good philosophy attractive, more are interested in their general culture.
The Tau friendly policy to other species like the Nicassar, Kroot and Vespid species, and now to us, greatly helps interaction. There is no overt xenophobia among the Tau.

GSV Crossing the Bridge has a new proposal for consideration among the wider Culture. The Tau are currently limited in their expansion efforts due to their short range and speed of their FTL drives. While we cannot convey our hyperspace drive to them without greatly destabilizing the region, we can offer transport services to the Tau.
In particular, the Tau would appear to be highly resistant to Chaos and so are ideally suited to serve as a sort of buffer against Chaos intrusions. While they do not have the military capacity to do so at present, we can aid them.

This GSV proposes to put the following offer to the Tau:
1. We will build bulk transport tugs for Tau use and will offer to ship any and all colonization or military equipment for them.
2. We will choose which areas are open to the Tau for transport and will deliberately pick uncolonized systems in strategic locations far from the present Tau empire. Once there, the Tau are free to do whatever they want.
3. We will provide transport as far as logistically feasible to Tau travelling between far flung colonies and the main Tau empire. This is a semi-permanent arrangement that we agree to provide under all reasonable circumstances.
4. The Culture agrees to protect the far flung Tau colonies until they are militarily secure. While we cannot garuantee full protection against Chaos forces, mundane threats should pose no difficulty and the Tau are resistant to Chaos in any case.
5. The Tau agree to have Culture operatives on the tugs at all times and will not attempt to seize control or reverse engineer the tugs. Other than that, the tugs are essentially under the command of the Tau apart from their restricted strategic routes.

The first of these tugs can be ready within two weeks. We propose an initial lifter design capable of transporting ten million tons of materials as a working size and in-atmosphere capability (gravity manipulation assisted).

We also propose that the first such far flung colonies be a region of currently uncolonized systems somewhere between the Eye of Terror and the border of Segmentum Solar. If another Black Crusade appears, those colonies will form a strong point that we can cooperate with the Tau to defend.

A social modelling assessment of the Tau reaction before we negotiate this arrangement is requested.

So essentially, the Culture would like to propose a sort of taxi service across the galaxy and help them colonize a few systems on the line between the Eye and Terra. The Culture will have noted that the Black Crusades all attempt to attack Sol and some kind of help against a possible new one would be nice. They will mention this to the Tau though, together with the Culture's and the IoM's assessment that a new Black Crusade is not going to happen soon.

Obviously, the Culture can also provide promises of technology sharing when it comes to warp-tech useful against Chaos if its needed to sweeten the deal. Alternatively, up to a complete scientific cooperation on investigating warp could also be acceptable although it would be pretty one-sided and the Culture would want something else in trade.

[Gavinfoxx]

The Tau did actually make a far-flung purpose expedition to the Eye of Terror...

just saying.

It was a bit of a hail mary shot, to use a basketball term, but they pushed themselves and did make the attempt!

I think they actually did get there, set up some analysis equipment, took some readings, but couldn't stay long before being pushed out and forced to go back...

Does anyone remember the canonical info on this expedition?

[jseah]

The Tau did actually make a far-flung purpose expedition to the Eye of Terror...

just saying.

It was a bit of a hail mary shot, to use a basketball term, but they pushed themselves and did make the attempt!

Would the Tau accept this arrangement though? It may seem one-sided from the Culture's POV, but the Tau do wish to expand and the promise of military defense of the drop-off colonies more or less secures them against everything but Chaos (and still most of normal Chaos stuff). The Culture would like to hand them a set of "free" expansions on a silver platter, in exchange for having those colonies in a potential threat zone.

In a way, and the Fire caste will not miss this, the Culture are asking the Tau to indirectly protect the IoM.

[Gavinfoxx]

They would probably want help in retrying that failed expedition of theirs...

But any situation that would let them expand their Empire, knowledge, technological base, and influence would be perceived favorably by the Tau, regardless of them being maneuvered to be in a position to take the blunt of a Chaos attack. Of course, negotiations would be like, 'You wish to place our people and our lives directly in the line of where several major Chaos attacks have come from? Sweeten the pot, and we'll think about it.' -- regardless of what the initial deal is considered to be; they'll want some concessions.

[DaedalusMkV]

The Tau are unlikely to accept that particular bargain unless it comes with some serious benefits for them. Being utterly reliant on someone else's tech that they aren't allowed to study is going to be extremely frustrating to the Tau, and they're not going to entirely trust the Culture to keep their bargain at this point. Plus, the Tau just don't gain much out of it. While they will always appreciate a chance to expand the Empire, they've got to know that any outposts the Tau help them set up are going to be in extremely dangerous regions with little room for further expansion, which makes them poor choices for colonies. So, the Culture are going to need to sweeten the deal. There are two ways to do this:

1. Technology in trade: Obvious. Give the Tau some juicy tech-bits in exchange for the services of their soldiers in defending the relevent areas. Kind of boring, though.

2. More colonies: Only half of the new tug-accessed outposts are in strategically-important areas. The other half are in habitable but insignificant regions around the galactic rim that are unlikely to be contested at any point in the future. This way, the Tau get to expand their Empire in a meaninful way. They'll willingly accept putting millions of their soldiers in danger defending against Chaos if it means that the Empire benefits in the long run.

[Gavinfoxx]

Hmmm... on second thought, agreed. They like having self-sufficient colonies that can expand on their own and still be part of the greater Tau Empire...

[Misery Esquire]

So essentially, the Culture would like to propose a sort of taxi service across the galaxy and help them colonize a few systems on the line between the Eye and Terra. The Culture will have noted that the Black Crusades all attempt to attack Sol and some kind of help against a possible new one would be nice. They will mention this to the Tau though, together with the Culture's and the IoM's assessment that a new Black Crusade is not going to happen soon.

You'd be in the Segmentum Solar, the most heavily populated, controlled, and Filled-With-Imperial-Segementum-Of-All. Dropping the Tau there is consigning them to immediate death*, especially between Cadia and Terra, as there really isn't all that much available distance.

And then another Crusade to kill them all.

*Unless the Culture sit there and destroy battlefleet after battlefleet of Imperial Navy. Dozens of cruisers and triple that in frigate and destroyer "escorts." More than ten million lives, per fleet. All because the Culture wanted to put their new Tau friends near Chaos.

[Selrahc]

The Culture will have noted that the Black Crusades all attempt to attack Sol

Only if they're being quite unobservant.

The Black Crusades have all sorts of objectives. Abaddon's last two Black Crusades didn't even aim to leave Segmentum Obscurus, looking to crush Cadia, and capture Blackstone Fortresses. The only Black Crusades of Abaddon to have any designs on Sol are probably the First and Second(The Second being a colossal failure that was crushed at Cadia).

Every Black Crusade since the Second has been less of a general attempt to bring down the Imperium, and more a specific objective led death fleet.

Black Crusades not led by Abaddon? Have even less desire to get tangled up in Sol. They're essentially colossal vanity projects, designed to make the Chaos Lord or Daemon Prince undertaking them exalted in the eyes of Chaos. Abaddon is ultimately trying to outdo Horus, other Chaos Lords don't have that baggage.(They have their own crippling emotional baggage. It comes standard with the subscription to Chaos Undivided).

[Forum Explorer]

Would the Tau accept this arrangement though? It may seem one-sided from the Culture's POV, but the Tau do wish to expand and the promise of military defense of the drop-off colonies more or less secures them against everything but Chaos (and still most of normal Chaos stuff). The Culture would like to hand them a set of "free" expansions on a silver platter, in exchange for having those colonies in a potential threat zone.

In a way, and the Fire caste will not miss this, the Culture are asking the Tau to indirectly protect the IoM.

By the way the Tau are not very adaptable to various climates. They are a desert people so all their planets are very arid and hot. It's another limitation they have on their empire.

[jseah]

Hmm, let's see.


The half-half deal can work. Provided the extra half of the Tau colonies are beyond the reach of the IoM in the far west edge, they may as well not exist to the IoM.


And secondly, the Culture would provide military protection to the Tau colonies where they decide to put it. They hope to pull some strings to keep the IoM from attacking beyond the first few disastrous attempts.
I admit that's a bit vague, mainly because I have still have no real concrete plan on how to do that. But it involves their inquisition contact and a larger plan with the reformists.

The battlefleets don't even have to be destroyed. It would be obvious they would be gathering to attack. They'll just never make it. Ships arrive at the gathering point understaffed, their crew vanishing into thin air (Displace to planet surface). Fuel and ordnance never seems to get there. Orders are always wrong.
And any ship that even gets into the Tau system would get its shields blasted down and every system taken over by effector and shut down, then the Tau get a few more prisoners. Which the Tau treat pretty ok anyway. (psykers may be confiscated or kept in confinement on some other nearby system, or even returned to the IoM)
The Culture has the capacity to be non-lethal if they want.

[jseah]

On Black Crusades:
I had no idea they were like that! I was sort of thinking they were suicidal mad rushes that only work because they're too big.

Still, they often have plans in the area and a bunch of Tau colonies between the Eye and the border of Obscurus/Solar would be useful as a place of further contact.


The other reason for the colonies is that it brings the Tau into the center of the galactic stage. Not only will they have contact with Chaos there (so they can learn how to deal with it), the Culture hopes to eventually set up Tau-Eldar and Tau-Necron communications.



Oh btw, how do the Tau deal with orks?

[The Glyphstone]

Nope, they're much more complicated...and much more successful, on average. It's the 'Time To Conquer Earth!" mentality people have that causes the Failbaddon meme, when if you actually look at all the known Black Crusades against their intended objective, he's got a better-than-50% success rate.

[Forum Explorer]

On Black Crusades:
I had no idea they were like that! I was sort of thinking they were suicidal mad rushes that only work because they're too big.

Still, they often have plans in the area and a bunch of Tau colonies between the Eye and the border of Obscurus/Solar would be useful as a place of further contact.


The other reason for the colonies is that it brings the Tau into the center of the galactic stage. Not only will they have contact with Chaos there (so they can learn how to deal with it), the Culture hopes to eventually set up Tau-Eldar and Tau-Necron communications.



Oh btw, how do the Tau deal with orks?

There are Tau-Eldar communications. It's one sided like pretty much all Eldar communications but they exist. Though the Dark Eldar likely messed up their relations by turning several hundred Tau troops into monsters in payment for fighting the Nids and then attacking and basically destroying an entire planet.

Tau's only experience with Necrons is dealing with some that exterminated one of their planets after saving it from the Nids. They'll likely shoot first, ask questions later.


Regular patrols and lots of fire? I don't think we get details but I imagine it's the same as the Imperium, just with better tech.

[DaedalusMkV]

Oh btw, how do the Tau deal with orks?

Hot plasma?

The Orks are, to date, the only sentient species the Tau have declared completely and totally unsavable and incompatible with the Greater Good. Current Tau policy with regards to the Orks is "Shoot on sight". Current Kroot policy with regards to the Orks is "Taste pretty good, but don't eat too many. Orks are a sometimes food". Current Demiurge policy with regards to the Orks is "All greenskins must die". I think you get the general theme...

[Gavinfoxx]

Actually, in most of the RTS games (dawn of war, etc.), the Tau give the Ork warbosses a chance to join the Greater Good, in the Ork Stronghold missions...

[DaedalusMkV]

Actually, in most of the rts games, the Tau give the ork warbosses a chance to join the Greater Good, in the Ork stronghold missions...

A fluff gaffe.

Many less advanced alien races were incorporporated within its [the Tau Empire's] borders and most of these willingly became part of the Tau Empire. The Orks were a notable exception to this and the Tau fought many battles with the Greenskins before finally abandoning their attempts to subsume them into the Empire.

That's right out of the latest codex. The Orks aren't welcome in the Tau Empire, because they refuse to play nice and run completely counter to the Tau mentality.

[Gavinfoxx]

A fluff gaffe.

I'd posit that depending on the disposition of the Tau Commander, they might ask anyway. Of course, the asking might be done ironically... no one would seriously expect the Orks to agree to it by this point, but the commander might try to get the Ork Warboss to boast and divulge strategic information.


Also, on the Tau Center Stage thing...

I suppose it depends on whether you think, 'Wow, even in Segmentum Solar, there are lots of systems that the Imperials don't go to! After all, there are 300 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, and the Imperium controls millions of planets!'

Or if you think, 'This is the center of the Imperium. There aren't any stars that the Imperium doesn't control solidly, or at least regularly patrol in this area.'

But, consider the various non-Imperium activity galactic maps...

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MAPS!