While the High Elves were holding their war council at the Phoenix Court, a more peaceful scene was unfolding in Bretonnia. Serfs were enjoying rare prosperity, with wealth circulating rapidly due to the economic benefits of the Eight Peaks Expedition. Towns and villages were becoming more lively, and more workshops were opening.
Today marked the festival of Taal, the God of Nature, and Rhya, the Earth Mother, celebrated as the summer solstice.
Taal's history stretches back further than the Empire itself, with no one certain whether he was a mortal who ascended or a deity created by faith. Taal, the God of Nature and Wilderness, is undoubtedly one of the Old World's most influential gods. He is often depicted as a grizzled, scruffy old hunter, clad in fur, wielding a spear and bow. Rhya, on the other hand, is portrayed as a slightly plump, kind middle-aged woman, dressed in flowers and leaves.
As mentioned before, Taal is the brother of Ulric, the White Wolf God. The faith of Taal has endured for over three thousand years, likely continuing humanity's ancient worship of nature. His influence predates the Empire, with legends even stating that Emperor Charlemagne would offer part of his game to Taal during hunts in the Black Forest near the Carolingian tribe.
Taal is also referred to as the "God of Gods," implying he holds the title of God-King, leader among human deities.
However, the faith of Taal and his nature church has been waning in both the Empire and Bretonnia.
The reason is simple: worshipping Taal doesn't bring much tangible benefit.
Taal's temples are modest, preferring shrines built in the wilderness, with stones arranged in circles or crude wooden huts, where animal bones, fur, and raw meat are offered as sacrifices. Taal despises lavish ceremonies in towns and cities, and equally dislikes priests levying tithes or engaging in worldly affairs.
In simpler terms, worshippers find it hard to profit from Taal's name, and his blessings are meager. Apart from occasional gifts of enhanced resistance to chaos and disease, physical strength, and combat skills, followers gain little from their devotion.
Moreover, like Ulric, Taal is known to hold grudges. A devout follower who fails to offer a portion of a hunted boar to the god might incur his wrath.
Ulric, at least, bestows courage and strength in battle, protecting the faithful with his blessings, often allowing them to deliver devastating blows when invoking his name. But Taal is even more frugal.
Today, however, Taal's frugality met its match.
A group of devout Taal followers had gathered a large number of livestock, intending to offer them as sacrifices to please their god on this sacred day. Naturally, they had to pay a toll to use the canal to transport their animals.
But besides the canal toll, their livestock was seized by local noble knights.
The reason was simple: these noble knights were hosting a grand outdoor feast and needed fresh ingredients.
This wasn't the first time. The convenience of the canal brought trade and transportation benefits, but also opportunities for the nobles to exploit.
Unlike the Empire, Bretonnian knights are known for their bravery and martial prowess, unafraid to charge into battle. But many of them are also corrupt, incompetent at managing their estates, and obsessed with maintaining appearances. After the Eight Peaks Expedition, where many knights returned with plunder and rewards, their spending increased, leading to a surge in wealth and commerce. Those who hadn't participated in the expedition were forced to increase their own extravagance to keep up.
"I am a knight, a protector who shields you from the ravages of greenskins and chaos," they'd say. "What harm is there in taking a little from you? In the name of the Lady, without us, you'd have no peace."
Baron Goberdin of Bordeleaux was one such knight, and he made no effort to hide his attitude.
Unfortunately for the knights, times had changed. Bretonnia's society had transformed with the rise of free citizens and the spread of new ideas. The Taal followers, no longer helpless, joined forces with local townspeople and filed a complaint at the Lady of the Lake's shrine. They presented evidence showing they had paid all necessary tolls and tithes.
On this day, Morgiana, the Fay Enchantress, personally led a group of Grail Guardians to storm Baron Goberdin's estate. The once-merry feast, with nobles drinking and eating heartily, fell silent. Realizing the gravity of his mistake, the drunken Baron and a few knights hurriedly knelt, sobbing, "I only temporarily requisitioned the livestock, Lady Morgiana. It was urgent—I needed ingredients for the feast!"
"Ingredients? In the name of the Lady?" Morgiana's voice was icy, her emerald eyes ablaze with fury. "Very well, Baron Goberdin. The canal tolls—one cow, two sheep, five chickens were due to the Lady. Yet you seized eighteen cows, twenty-five sheep, and fifty chickens. It seems the canal was built not for the kingdom, but to line your pockets."
"Mm-mmm!" The baron trembled, unable to speak.
"The Lady receives her due tithe, and you dare claim her name to justify theft?" Morgiana's gaze hardened. "Take him away! His title is hereby revoked, his lands confiscated. Sir Bodrick will appoint a new baron to this estate. As for you, Goberdin, you're demoted to a mere knight. Since you enjoy hosting feasts in your manor, that shall be all that remains of your holdings."
"Henceforth, any knight found using the Lady's name to exploit or disrupt the canal's function will face the same punishment!" she declared.
"Yes, Lady Morgiana!" The Grail Guardians and Lady's Seers swarmed the baron, dragging him away.
Meanwhile, on a nearby hill, Ryan, Angron, and Fulgrim observed the scene.
Olyka and Carona stood respectfully behind Ryan and Fulgrim. Olyka, dressed in her black-and-white maid's outfit, looked curiously at Carona, the daughter of Araloth. The dark elf couldn't fathom why someone with divine blood would join the Ashen Legion.
Carona, in turn, viewed Olyka with suspicion. Though the Asrai and Druchii were kin, they were enemies. Olyka's immense power, and the godly aura surrounding her, made Carona uneasy. Clearly, this dark elf was far more than a simple saint; a deity must be backing her.
"This reminds me of the Empire," Angron grumbled, clearly displeased with the scene. "If only the Imperial Church could supervise like that."
"The Imperial Church's idea of supervision is taking an extra share," Ryan shook his head. "That's the difference between the Lady's Church and the Empire's. The canal tithes and church taxes are tightly linked. The nobles' greed directly affects the church's revenue, so it's best to have them oversee things. As they say, the sky is blue, the water is still, and everyone has their place."
"Determining who is the sky and who is the water is my job," Ryan closed his eyes.
For a moment, both Fulgrim and Angron sensed the presence of someone looming behind their brother—a figure many of the Primarchs held in disdain.
The Hand of the Emperor.
"And the church doesn't grow greedy?" Angron scowled.
"No," Ryan smiled. "Unlike the Imperial Church, our deities are real. The Lady watches over us, ensuring everything is as it should be. She keeps the church in line, unlike the situation in the Empire, where Father sits silent on the Golden Throne, all-knowing but unable to speak. His power is too overwhelming."
"That's why He needed Lorgar," Angron muttered, disliking the mental effort required for such discussions.
"The Imperial bureaucracy consists of millions of officials," Fulgrim chimed in. The handsome and charming Primarch of the Emperor's Children continued, "Millions of bureaucrats manage trillions of Imperial citizens across over a million worlds. Many of them spend their entire lives cataloging errors, worlds long lost, or outdated data."
"The further from Terra, the less power they hold, but the greater the responsibility. When policies fail, the real culprits remain untouched while the officials and citizens under immense tithe and conscription pressures suffer," Ryan added with a smile. "Except for Guilliman and his Macragge, of course."
"Exactly. So, the High Lords of Terra and the Ecclesiarchy elevated Father to godhood because he couldn't speak or act. By elevating him, they had free reign to do as they pleased," Fulgrim nodded.
"Right. That's why they say they 'saved the Emperor,'" Ryan laughed. "Using His name won't work anymore, though, now that Father and Lorgar are starting to take control of the Ecclesiarchy."
Ryan and Fulgrim laughed heartily together, while Angron, confused and frustrated, demanded, "What are you two talking about? And why are you so sure that Father and Lorgar will improve the Ecclesiarchy?"
"Because the church follows the will of its god. The deity's interests are the church's interests," Ryan explained briefly. "Before, they acted in the Emperor's name for their own gain. But now, their god has returned."
"If you're going to explain, then explain clearly! Why are you two acting like Guilliman and Johnson, speaking in riddles?" Angron grumbled.
"Haha! It's no fun if we spell it out," Fulgrim
laughed, thoroughly enjoying himself.
The three Primarchs then turned and left. Fulgrim mounted his steed, Angron rode his gryphon Nukeria, and Ryan lifted Olyka onto his horse, Impres. Carona called for a great eagle to carry her.
The dark elf maid leaned contentedly into Ryan's chest, her bosom adorned with Lilith's Amulet of the Phoenix Flame. The amulet, housing the pure soul of Saint Gilles, burned with holy fire. Its crimson wings shone brightly, symbolizing endless hope and the power of rebirth.
The three Primarchs now planned to pool their strength to try and awaken Saint Gilles' slumbering soul.
As for breaking the Chaos Gods' curse, they would still need the divine flame contained in the scroll entrusted to the Phoenix Guard Captain, Caradryan, by the Phoenix Lord Asuryan on the Isle of Flames. This was the only power in the world that could lift the curse, even beyond the Emperor's abilities.
"If I'm not mistaken, that flame should be the Phoenix Fire of Asuryan from the previous era, before the fall of the Eldar Empire," Ryan remarked to Fulgrim. "They say the Eldar Empire was even more powerful than humanity at its peak during the Great Crusade."
"Yes," Fulgrim nodded without hesitation. "From the records we uncovered during the Great Crusade and from what the ancient Slann servants of the Old Ones told us, the Eldar Empire was indeed stronger than humanity during its prime. But that was before the Fall, before Slaanesh's birth. After that, all their gods, except for the Laughing God Cegorach, were devoured by Slaanesh. Even Khaine was shattered into thousands of pieces. Now it seems they are reborn in this world."
"I wonder if Father, at his peak, could defeat Asuryan," Ryan flashed a dangerous smile. "Let's hope Lady Celestine doesn't hear me."
"According to what we've gathered, Asuryan, as the Eldar's chief god, was stronger than Father in the material world. But in the Warp, Father's power far surpassed Asuryan's," Fulgrim added, citing the ancient secrets he had learned from the Old Ones' archives and the Slann Lord Kroak.
"Let's go. The Ironclad Fleet from Karak Azgal has arrived at the Mannan Drydock. Let's see which is mightier: your Saint Sophia, or my Enterprise!"
"To the ships!"
"Break out the champagne!"
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