-M29. 583. Ultramar Regnum. Valigas-
Amidst the colossal earthquake that shook Valigas, Raias pressed forward with determined strides. He grappled with the unforgiving tremors, relying on the gravitation-altering capabilities of his nano-armor just to maintain his footing. It was a cataclysmic conflict that had shattered the once-idyllic Paradise World.
Throughout his centuries-long career as a Solar Guardian, Raias had never confronted a battle of such staggering proportions. His duties had predominantly revolved around security and maintaining stability, steering clear of combat or the horrors of war. Yet here he stood, witnessing a full-blown war unfurling before his very eyes.
Raias had once delved deep into a sprawling data repository, an intricate archive that chronicled the formidable arsenal concealed within the Imperium's armory. While the data within this repository spanned across various branches of the Imperium's military, Raias, blessed with his influential noble lineage, possessed a unique privilege—an access pass to information that remained shrouded from the vast majority.
As he intertwined his Noosphere with the boundless datascape, Raias not only observed but experienced the wealth of data he had unearthed in his earlier pursuit of curiosity—an undertaking that had haunted him for years.
How could he remain unfazed? Before him lay an arsenal of unimaginable power—a weapon capable of channeling the wrath of the Empyrean Sea into the material realm, disintegrating the very fabric of reality. Cannons wielded destructive force so profound they could obliterate the very essence of cosmic data. Dark orbs held dominion over the thoughts and souls of any chosen sentient being. Colossal titans, towering giants, harnessed dominion over both parallel universes themselves.
Despite the remarkable enhancements granted by his transhuman nature, Raias found it impossible to fully grasp the overwhelming might of the Imperium. He pressed on beneath his carefully crafted camouflage, moving with a meticulous blend of caution and precision to remain undetected amidst the chaos.Surveying the tumultuous state of civil war in Ultramar Regnum, Raias understood that his identity as a core family member could either lead to unwelcome consequences or, paradoxically, unleash disaster. Along his journey, he bore witness to the harrowing aftermath of conflict—seas reduced to arid desolation, tempestuous nano-machine storms unleashing torrents of lightning, and realms where the boundary between the Warp and material world blurred, causing space and time to meld into a disorienting miasma.
Raias continued to confront one horror after another as he ventured deeper into this war-ravaged landscape. Just a few kilometers beyond the towering mountain range, he could already make out the towering silhouettes of dozens of titans, their mighty cannons reshaping the landscape like capricious deities remaking the world.
A deafening explosion shattered the last barrier between Raias and the heart of the battlefield, revealing an adamantium dragon of colossal proportions. It dwarfed any humanoid titan in existence. This dragon of adamantium exhaled plasma hotter than stars, accompanied by an array of armaments that emerged from its body, transforming the creature into a relentless harbinger of devastation. Raias recognized it as one of the titan types affiliated with the Legio Silica Anima—a division within the Imperium composed entirely of silicon intelligence and Ferrous Minds.
As the dragon's torrents and barrages pierced through the obscuring veil of ash, a massive explosion of a miniature sun and the subsequent calming of the azure sun revealed the titan's adversary—a colossal humanoid entity, a fusion of metal and flesh.
Before Raias stood a grotesque fusion of technology and forbidden arts—an entity never meant to exist. It bellowed toward the formidable titan, unleashing boundless energy from the Immaterium that pounded the void shield of the dragon titan. Yet, despite the relentless onslaught, the abomination stood unwavering. Dozens of titan-class weapons emerged from the dragon's colossal form, each dwarfing anything Raias had ever encountered.
Chrono cannons, Vortex Annihilators, Dark Matter Lances, and a plethora of other weapons concealed within the dragon's body fired beams of various hues. Every shot from these indescribably destructive weapons wrought havoc, reshaping the very fabric of the world around them.
Raias's WAR-CASTER instantly analyzed the catastrophic scene. In the blink of an eye, a torrent of data nearly overwhelming his senses, inundated his vision. It was a sight that sent tremors through his transhuman mental defenses. Reality itself crumbled before him, along with the systematic estimation algorithms that typically founded the data of the material universe. The presence of unreality's power disrupted the very bedrock of the materium, as if the universe were collapsing before his eyes.
The grievously damaged abomination could only howl in agony as the rifts in reality, spawned by the dragon's vortex weapon, forcibly dragged it inward, shattering its material form and cleaving the corrupted soul from the remaining adamantium shell.
The victorious dragon let out a resounding roar. Raias watched as the cataclysmic battle drew to a close, a profound sense of insignificance sweeping over him. Before he could fully reacquaint himself with reality and purge the inundating data from his mind, the dragon turned its gaze toward Raias, who remained concealed within his camouflage.
+I know you're there, son of House Seloce,+ thundered the titan's voice, echoing like a tempest within Raias's thoughts.
The Solar Guardian stared into the azure eyes of the dragon, temporarily rendered mute. It took a fraction of a nanosecond for Raias to regain mastery over his own body.
"Forgive me, mighty titan. I am here by a fortuitous twist of fate," he managed to articulate.
+Fortuitous yet led to the heart of a titan's clash. Intriguing+" the titan paused, if only for a nanosecond. +Your father is en route, thanks to me. You've been absent for two months.+
"Two months," Raias murmured, his senses gradually adjusting to this revelation.
+I have little time. Your father is on his way. Preserve your existence, child of Macragge,+ with those words, the titan ascended, departing as it spewed plasma from its maw in another direction, causing the earth to tremble under the force of its detonation.
Raias, now acutely aware of his surroundings, sprinted in search of a more secure hiding spot as the earth and sky trembled in the midst of the titanic clash between cosmic forces. Not far from his current position, a chaotic melee unfolded, pitting colossal adamantium automata against grotesque, flesh-woven abominations. Their combat was a cacophony of magic intertwining with steel, and torrents of blood colliding with blazing plasma. Automata, some towering like transhuman giants and others approaching titan-like proportions, grappled with adversaries of equal stature.
It was sheer madness, a living nightmare that would defy the imagination of any mortal soul. Raias ought to have succumbed to the ensuing madness, but the core attributes of a Solar Guardian steadfastly kept him on the precipice of sanity.
Raias pressed on, his footsteps echoing through the chaos, and engaged his WAR-CASTER to scan the tumultuous landscape, searching for data that might guide him to temporary refuge until his father's arrival. His quest led him to a secure haven, a bunker seemingly untouched by the destruction that raged outside. Delving deeper into the bunker's digital domain, the second son of House Seloce unearthed signs of life concealed within its innermost sanctum.
With meticulous precision, he accessed the bunker's Noosphere and deftly manipulated its mechanisms to facilitate his entry, securing it firmly behind him. As he continued to explore the bunker, a miraculous sanctuary amidst the carnage of war, he stumbled upon a group of twenty souls. Raias unsealed the chamber, startling its occupants.
"A Solar Guardian. Have you come to rescue us?" inquired a woman among the group.
Raias found himself momentarily at a loss for words, his neural augmentations racing at lightning speed to formulate a suitable response.
"Reinforcements are en route," Raias finally articulated, his words measured and deliberate. "Ultramar's main forces are on their way. Rest assured."
A collective sigh of relief washed over the room's inhabitants. Uncertain of the precise timing of their salvation, Raias chose to hold fast to the belief that their deliverance would be swift.
After a brief wait, Raias suddenly experienced a jolt in reality that attacked his psyche and soul without warning. The transhuman sensation sent his entire body into spasms of agonizing pain, driving him to his knees. Strangely, those around him looked upon Raias with a mix of confusion and fear.
"Cursed luck," Raias muttered through gritted teeth from within his helmet. Swiftly, he initiated a thorough self-examination. His Vagras organ went into overdrive, purifying and sterilizing his body. For a full minute, Raias could do nothing but endure the searing pain that threatened to blur his thoughts. After Vagras had completed its work and the source of his distress had dissipated, Raias managed to clear his mind.
"Are you alright?" inquired one of them softly, their concern palpable in the air.
Raias directed his attention to the source of the voice, finding a young child with innocent eyes approaching him fearlessly. In the background, the child's parents initially appeared concerned but soon recognized Raias's voice. With a decisive gesture, Raias removed his helmet, revealing his face. The onlookers couldn't help but gasp in response.
"Lord Raias," exclaimed a woman dressed in the distinctive attire of the Administratum.
Upon hearing his name, their recognition of the figure before them, Raias Seloce Astratum, the second son of the Seloce family, was complete. Some knelt in reverence, but Raias promptly halted them.
"Please, refrain from kneeling. We're all in this together. It's best if we focus on how to ensure our survival," Raias urged, attempting to discourage further displays of reverence.
"My lord," a noble-looking individual approached Raias. "Could you shed some light on what actually happened?"
Raias paused thoughtfully, carefully selecting his words. "I'm uncertain. The last recollection I have is accompanying my brother to a distant planet on the fringes of Ultramar to investigate a xenos artifact. Then, all I can recall is a blinding burst of light, and I woke up here. I've been informed that I was cast into that light for a duration of two months."
This revelation bore heavily on the mortals present, causing Raias considerable distress. They were his charges, and he had pledged to the Emperor of Mankind to protect them.
"When can we expect reinforcement, my lord?" inquired a child nearby.
"As swiftly as possible," Raias reassured, gently resting his hand on the child's shoulder. "Help is on its way. Trust me."
The child's face brightened, displaying a wide, hopeful smile. Raias chose not to divulge the full extent of the turmoil transpiring outside.
Raias decided to lean back, closing his eyes momentarily in an attempt to calm the storm of memories and emotions raging within his transhuman mind. However, even in the comforting darkness, the vivid recollection of the titanic battle and the catastrophic devastation it unleashed refused to fade.
Suddenly, an unsettling presence disturbed the silence—a faint, almost imperceptible whimper. A mere whisper of sound emanated from a shadowy corner of the bunker. It was so subtle that only Raias's heightened senses detected it. Startled, he swiftly opened his eyes, disrupting the solemn atmosphere.
The child accompanying him, along with the other survivors, recoiled slightly, perplexed by the sudden change in their protector's demeanor.
"Is something amiss, Lord Raias?" inquired the young one, their face etched with concern.
"Stay here," Raias murmured, advancing toward the source of the mournful sound, deeper into the bunker.
As he ventured into the shadows, Raias lowered his helmet, its ominous metallic hiss resonating ominously. The bunker's confines amplified the unease that had settled in their hearts.
With each step, his boots seemed to count down to an unknown climax. His gaze scoured the surroundings, navigating the dimness. The flickering light of his internal lumens cast eerie shadows on the walls.
In the midst of this eerie scene, Raias reached the origin—a survivor, pale and trembling. his seemed to have endured an ordeal, yet based from Raias' scan, he neither endured severe wound nor organ damage. Moreover, no outward signs of injury marred his fragile form.
However, when Raias switched his helmet's sensors to Empyrean Detector mode, he made a chilling discovery—an ominous specter of parasitic corruption had infiltrated the survivor's soul.
Raias approached the man with extreme caution, his hand subtly inching towards the upper thigh where he had concealed his volkite pistol, ready to spring it into action.
"Sir," Raias called out to the man in a hushed tone, but there was no response. He continued to advance, the tension mounting with each step. The man's agonized groans grew louder as he slowly rose to his feet. He appeared like a reanimated corpse, detached from the physical state that indicated he was still alive.
Before Raias could draw his volkite pistol, the man exploded in a gruesome burst, spraying blood and gore in all directions. Then came an inhuman, unearthly scream, one that transcended the vocal capabilities of both humans and xenos. It was a sound that could only exist in the Immaterium, a symphony of madness.
In an instant, a repulsive abomination in the form of grotesque, nightmarish flesh lunged towards him, crashing into the bunker wall alongside Raias.
A thunderous roar shook the bunker, accompanied by spine-chilling shrieks from the abomination. Raias found himself ensnared in the monstrous grip of writhing tentacles, each one constricting tighter, threatening to crush him. Refusing to succumb to helplessness, Raias summoned every ounce of his transhuman strength, amplified by his powered armor, and fought to break free from the suffocating embrace of the tentacles. Despite severing several of them, Raias remained entangled. Frustration fueled his determination as he reached for his volkite pistol.
In response, the creature unleashed an ear-piercing scream, intensifying its efforts to tear Raias apart. With a wince of pain, Raias finally secured his weapon and unleashed a searing crimson beam from the volkite. In an instant, the abomination was engulfed in searing flames, reduced to nothingness. Raias let out a deep exhale, attempting to regain his composure.
But there was no respite to be found. The universe remained unrelenting, as ominous signs flashed across his holovid display, indicating that Empyrean energies were dangerously close to daemon incursion. It was at that moment that Raias realized the impending horror about to unfold.
With heightened vigilance, he surveyed the survivors who cried out in agonized torment. Their anguished voices reverberated with fear and suffering as they bore witness to their bodies undergoing grotesque mutations at an alarming rate.
Raias found himself in a terrifying tableau, a momentary paralysis seizing him as the horde bore down upon him. Time itself seemed to hang suspended as an overwhelming fear engulfed him, rendering his senses a hazy blur. It wasn't until a voice cried out from the depths of his psyche that he snapped back to the present.
"For the forsaken, we march!"
The voice reverberated through Raias's very soul, resonating with his core. Suddenly, an influx of power, not his own, surged through his being. In a mere heartbeat, he was thrust into a vivid vision of a colossal battle, the clash between the Imperium and the never-born legions during the early days of M29, an event known as The First Hell Tide. It was a titanic struggle, pitting the Master of Mankind against the Primordial Annihilators.
Within his own consciousness, Raias bore witness to memories of valiant warriors wearing war skeletons, confronting a malevolent greater daemon. Their battle culminated in a cataclysmic explosion that vanquished the daemon but came at the cost of his life.
The creation and intricate workings of the Echarius Heart remained among the Solar Guardians' most jealously guarded secrets. However, it was widely acknowledged that those who ascended to the exalted rank underwent a profound transformation not only of their bodies but also of their very souls. Various theories abounded regarding this enigmatic phenomenon, yet one theory towered above the rest: the souls of Solar Guardians were intricately linked to the mystical Tree of Life.
Their link to the Immaterial Tree offered them a unique afterlife, a return to the Tree of Life upon death, merging with the Anathemathic power. However, this gave rise to a theory suggesting that each Solar Guardian would be touched by the essence of those who had previously merged with the Anathemathic power. This notion aligned with the process of a Solar Guardian's transformation into a Magistratus, granting them psychic abilities and the potential for Collective Trans-Cogitation.
This remarkable skill enabled Magistratus to balance the Ferrous Mind's dominion over the Immaterium and intricate calculations. It stemmed from the profound connection between Magistratus and the Lignum Vitae, granting them access to the metaphysical circuits within the Anathematic and direct wisdom from the Tree of Mankind.
In this moment, a fraction of that potent energy surged into Raias's being. The strength and combat wisdom of the man who had once confronted a greater daemon surged through him. With a newfound swiftness he'd never imagined, Raias acted decisively, manifesting energy blades from his wrist armor to slice through the abominations with lethal precision.
The abominations unleashed distorted screams that echoed with the Warp's corruption, cries that could shatter sanity. But Raias grasped the true essence behind those haunting wails. He heard the cries of anguish and pleas for the Emperor's mercy to end their torment. Those agonizing cries enveloped Raias, urging him to swiftly thrust his power knife to relieve their suffering.
With each calculated stroke of his blade and the decisive shots from his volkite weapon, the cries metamorphosed into relieved sighs, their suffering finally vanquished.
Raias successfully dispatched all the aggressive abominations within the bunker, leaving one passive figure, silently observing him. Raias approached, prepared to offer a swift end to the unfortunate soul. However, just before his blade could make contact with the abomination, Raias heard a faint, pitiful whimper.
"Help... Me." It was the voice of the child who had approached him earlier. Raias slowly and cautiously raised the abomination, delicately peeling away layers of living flesh to unveil the child's face, now grotesquely unrecognizable, covered in fleshy growths and an intricate web of blood vessels, with only a single eye left, displaced from its original location.
"Lord... Raias... Why is this happening... Why does my body hurt so much?" The child inquired, tears streaming from his eye.
Raias could do little but stare, his fists clenched in frustration. The child gradually began to grasp the horrifying reality, and his eyes welled up with tears.
"I'm one of them, aren't I? I've become an enemy of humanity," the child confessed amidst sobs.
Raias found it challenging to respond further. Every child in the Imperium received an elementary understanding of the Great Enemies as part of the Imperial Truth, sowing seeds of loathing for Chaos. Now, the child had realized they had become a pawn of the Primordial Annihilators.
"W-Will I... be able to return to His Majesty? Can I merge with the Lignum Vitae with my tainted soul?" The child implored, his eyes bloodshot, mirroring the distortion of his face.
"Emperor's mercy is aptly named—it signifies mercy," Raias spoke with gentleness. "Only the truly damned are forsaken, while those genuinely seeking redemption, like yourself, shall find their way back. Have faith."
The child appeared elated, his hope shining through their tearful eyes, a stark contrast to his grotesque appearance. Raias raised his volkite pistol, delivering a single, merciful shot to grant the child a swift release from suffering.
In that moment, Raias recognized that each of the abominations he had fought had once been innocent families and children, perverted by blasphemous sorcery that had engulfed the planet. Each horror he had witnessed had been a happy family or an innocent child.
A thunderous crash reverberated through the bunker as the entrance was violently pounded. With some Noospheric manipulation, Raias discerned that dozens of abominations were attempting to breach. The impact caused the bunker's lights to flicker before ultimately extinguishing.
In the impenetrable darkness, Raias stood resolute, his blade and pistol serving as the sole sources of illumination. He maintained a defiant stance, his gaze locked on the bunker's door.
In an instant, the bunker's door was violently thrown open, and dozens of abominations flooded in, their shrieks directed at Raias.
Raias stood his ground, his intense gaze fixed upon the abominations. His very blood simmered with a burning desire for justice on behalf of the victims. In one resolute sentence, he pressed forward.
"For the forsaken, we march."