The Galactic Core, Squat System, Forge-Hammer.
12th Month, 850 M30.
After considerable effort, the Forge Lord had enabled the Legion's Techmarines to master the manufacturing methods for the prototype armor designed by the Primarch Vulkan by the 10th Solar Month. Subsequently, he devoted more energy to appraising the unknown items.
Rosicky arrived at Storage Deck One. The deck was empty by about one-thirtieth, the result of his previous spare-time endeavors.
The "Appraiser" strode towards a large slate of blue-grey stone leaning against a wall. It was one of the largest single items on the entire deck.
Yet, it occupied one of the smallest footprints, propped vertically and seemingly carelessly against the hard fortress wall.
The Squats seemed utterly unconcerned about whether it might topple and shatter from the ship's vibrations. Although the Forge-Hammer was a leviathan even among their massive, thick-hulled vessels, it was not impossible.
Rosicky knew the reason. His god, his ather, had told him that the Squats' survival philosophy was one of pragmatic utility.
He scanned the slate. It depicted a bizarre creature with bat-like wings larger than its body, its ears jutting backward prominently.
'The slate depicts an image of some creature.'
This blue-grey slate was clearly, by Squat standards, merely graffiti from some civilization, unworthy of their attention.
Rosicky stared at the slate, thinking to himself.
'If not a creature of fantasy, then it is one that truly exists.'
'Xenos. Previously undiscovered xenos.'
Rosicky saw, in the lower right corner of the slate, pictographic characters he didn't recognize, resembling symbols.
The "Appraiser" placed his hand on the slate, golden light flickering in his eyes. His spirituality rapidly depleted, and simultaneously, the pictographs gradually became comprehensible.
[The Khrave are dreadful daemons. They first enslave every race they encounter, slowly harvesting each life.]
Rosicky lifted his hand from the slate, staring at the bat-like xenos.
'Khrave? It seems to be a powerful xenos that truly exists, but I've never heard of it.'
As Rosicky pondered, a mechanical arm extended from his power armor, retrieving a data slate. He quickly recorded the information and wrote in the disposition column:
[Librarium.]
The "Appraiser" rested briefly, his gaze sweeping the deck.
His eyes fell upon a rod-shaped object sized for an Astartes. Compared to the slate, the space the Squats had allotted for it was generous; it lay horizontally on a weapon rack.
The "Appraiser" walked over and picked up the rod-shaped object.
Golden light once more ignited in his eyes. The "Appraiser" required no divination or prophecy; an image flashed through his mind.
Rosicky gripped the rod with one hand, his fingers swiftly tapping a sequence on the dozens of runes clustered near one end.
His first tap was on a rune facing upward, two hand-widths from the tip.
His second tap was on a rune, one hand-width from the tip, accessed by rotating the rod clockwise.
…
Rosicky tapped up and down, on different facets of the rod in his hand, as if striking at random.
After tapping fourteen runes in total, the long rod in his hand blazed with a brilliant blue light.
Simultaneously, a spear point crackling with electrical energy shot forth from the other end.
Rosicky tapped another sequence of fourteen different runes. With a sharp crack, the power field dissipated, and the spear point retracted.
A mechanical arm lowered before him. His hand quickly input information onto the attached data-slate.
[Power Spear: Originates from unknown xenos species. Size adapted for Legionary use.]
[Activation Sequence: …]
[Deactivation Sequence: …]
Rosicky marked the runes on the power spear to facilitate subsequent testing by the Techmarines who would take over.
[Disposition: Armory.]
As he input the information, he felt something dissolving within him.
'Only a sliver remains to fully master the power of the "Appraiser." I should become a true "Appraiser" today.'
With this thought, Rosicky placed the weapon back on the rack.
'The Squats likely identified this as a weapon, hence the larger space.'
'They may not have found the activation method, or they did but found it unsuitable as a weapon, so it remained here.'
Thinking this, Rosicky walked towards the central area. A pure white stone was held within a stasis field.
Relative to its size, it occupied countless times more space, and its storage within a stasis field clearly marked it as no ordinary item.
A newly retrofitted mechanical arm on Rosicky's back, made of bonded alloy, deactivated the stasis field and grasped the stone.
The "Appraiser's" left hand hovered over the stone, his spirituality extending.
His golden eyes swirled, and simultaneously, he felt as if stars were shattering within him.
'I have become a true "Appraiser."'
Rosicky placed the white stone back in position, reactivated the stasis field, and rapidly input information onto the data-slate.
[A type of energy stone, usable as a power source.]
[Disposition: Second Forge Deck.]
After using his spirituality to appraise over a dozen more items, the "Appraiser" proceeded to the lower decks for an audience with the Black Emperor.
"My Lord, on the blue-grey slate, I discovered an image and a species named the Khrave."
"Is this species real?"
Nareth nodded and said, "The Khrave indeed exist. They are a race older even than the Aeldari Empire."
"Their mind-control abilities far surpass those of the Osiris Psybrid."
"The Khrave can exist simultaneously in the Warp and real space. A single individual, if it successfully finds an initial host, can alone enslave an entire world."
Hearing that the Khrave truly existed and were even older than the Aeldari, Rosicky felt a slight shock inwardly.
"Beyond using psychic abilities to remotely manipulate, enslave, and feed upon other races, the individual combat prowess of the Khrave is also immense."
"Even an ordinary Khrave surpasses a typical Astartes in individual combat power, rivaling the Custodes."
"Among them, the elites are called Primes, capable of contending with Primarchs."
In Nareth's memory, the Khrave would clash with both Angron and Sanguinius.
'If not for a Prime attempting to span countless light-years to enslave Lion El'Jonson, and the Lion possessing exceptional talent in that very area, the Khrave would have continued to pose a grave threat to the Imperium.'
'Lion traced the connection back, discovered the Khrave's stronghold, and led his forces, employing numerous forbidden weapons, to eliminate this great menace.'
'To resolve this immense threat, the Lion even forsook participation in the "Battle of Ullanor," abandoning the chance to fight alongside the Emperor. This directly cost him any chance at the title of Warmaster.'
"The Khrave are actually that powerful?" Rosicky said in astonishment.
Nareth nodded slightly. He suspected the Khrave might very well be alchemical ingredients.
'Hmm, perhaps I should journey to the Ghoul Stars when the time comes and secure the Khrave for myself.'
As Nareth pondered, he observed Rosicky's aura.
He saw Rosicky's aura was a unified, dark yellow hue.
"You have mastered the power I bestowed upon you?"
Rosicky affirmed, "Yes, my Lord."
Nareth retrieved a data-crystal from his armor. "My latest acquisition from here is the Standard Template Construct for a spatial particle excavator. Review it first. Later, I will summon you to bestow upon you a new power."
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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