"..."
"..."
"..."
"Haha, I always wanted to say that."
The only one who understood what he was talking about was Lencillus. Custodes were immensely cultivated. To hear Gerhard mention an ancient Terran city was surprising, though.
Gerhard jumped out of the tank and landed on the ground, looking at the large number of Eldar and Imperial survivors who stared at him. Before anything could happen, though, Saint Celestine descended from the air and landed in front of him.
She smiled brightly as she saw him. Their presence was similar in a way, now that Gerhard wasn't using [Blank].
"It pleases me that you're finally here," Celestine said.
Gerhard smiled and took her hand, placing a small kiss on the back of her hand.
"The pleasure is all mine, Saint Celestine. You have come a long way. Sadly, I didn't make it in time to reach Cadia. We had an unfortunate encounter with Titsnitch in the Warp."
And for the first time, Gerhard used his skill on all those present.
[Observe]
Saint Celestine – Lv.90
|HP: 28,000/28,000
|MP: 8,000/8,000
|A Living Saint, reborn again and again through the Emperor's will. A being of divine fire and unyielding purpose, capable of defying death itself.
|Her status as a Saint makes her stats hard to quantify and compare. They can change depending on the setting and the moment.
STR: 135
VIT: 155
DEX: 135
INT: 90
WIS: 200
LUK: 70
---
Belisarius Cawl – Lv.85
|HP: 20,000/20,000
|MP: 200
|An ancient Archmagos Dominus from the Mechanicum of Mars, whose mind and parts of his body are millennia old and whose body is a vast, redundant machine-human amalgam. Cawl is less a warrior and more a being of intelligence, capable of reshaping his surroundings through preparation and technological advancement.
|He holds several dangerous technological devices.
| He's not a heretic, though, the Emperor allegedly said so.
STR: 81
VIT: 155
DEX: 40
INT: 200
WIS: 120
LUK: 55
---
Marshal Amalrich – Lv.74
|HP: 18,500/18,500
|MP: 650
|A crusade-leading Marshal of the Black Templars. A hardened battlefield commander whose zeal, discipline and experience allow him to lead relentless Black Templars assaults against the enemies of the Imperium.
STR: 117
VIT: 135
DEX: 105
---
Inquisitor Katarinya Greyfax – Lv.52
|HP: 4,800/4,800
|MP: 4,200
|A radical Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor and powerful sanctioned psyker. A relentless hunter of witches and heretics, wielding psychic might and the near limitless authority of the Inquisition.
STR: 60
VIT: 65
DEX: 77
INT: 110
WIS: 130
Weapons:
| Master-crafted Power Sword
| Master-crafted Condemnor Boltgun
| Psyocculum - Eye of the Emperor
---
Those were the most important humans currently around and the leaders of the survivors. But they weren't the most powerful ones around, not by a long shot.
It was the presence of the Eldar which interested and alerted Gerhard the most.
---
|Species: Eldar, AKA Aeldari
|Aeldari, the archaic Eldar term for their entire species, are an ancient, naturally psychic race of elf-like humanoids created as weapons by the most ancient and now mostly extinct species called the Old Ones to win the War in Heaven.
|The war was won in a sense, and in the aftermath of which their Empire dominated the galaxy through its use of the Webway.
|The Eldar Empire has since collapsed, and now they are a dying race.
Different Groups:
| Dark Eldar, AKA Drukhari
| Craftworld Eldar, Asuryani
| Exodites
| Harlequins
| Ynnari (New)
-
|Group: Ynnari
| The Ynnari, also known as the Pathless or the Reborn, are the members of the newly formed eponymous Aeldari religious group that worship the God Ynnead and believe their race can be saved from oblivion and from the Chaos God Slaanesh by the rise of the God of the Dead, and fight tirelessly to fully awaken him.
| The presence of Slaanesh is a constant threat to all Eldar souls as she/he thirsts after them. Which is why he/she is also known as 'She-who-thirsts'.
| The Ynnari draw from every element of Aeldari civilisation, united in their belief that Ynnead is the only hope for their people.
| They remain a fringe element of Aeldari society, scorned by the majority of traditionalist Asuryani and self-centred Drukhari. Despite this, they have had a disproportionately large effect on the galaxy.
---
Yvraine – Lv. 98
|HP: 24,000/24,000
|MP: 18,000
|Formerly known as Amharoc, now Yvraine. The Emissary of Ynnead, the Eldar God of the Dead. A reborn Eldari prophet-warrior wielding death, rebirth, fate and soul power as the mortal herald of the Whispering God, Ynnead.
STR: 90
VIT: 130
DEX: 190
INT: 230
WIS: 260
LUK: 70
Special abilities:
Emissary of Ynnead
| Channels the power of the God of the Dead
| +40% effectiveness to all soul, death, and life-based abilities
| Gains bonus MP from nearby deaths
Strength from Death
| When enemies die nearby:
| → Restores HP and MP
| → Grants short burst: +15% all stats (stacking, short duration)
Gaze of Ynnead
|...
---
Yvraine had a long list of special abilities, and it was quite ridiculous. She was an impressive specimen, capable of using psychic power to enhance herself and grow stronger in battle.
Being a champion of a God of their race had its benefits. But there were others still, who were in no way weaker than her.
---
Eldrad Ulthran – Lv. ??
|HP: ??
|MP: ??
|The greatest living Eldari seer. A peerless master of fate, time, mind and soul whose foresight shapes wars centuries before they begin.
|An ancient Eldar aged over 10 millennia, who knew the Emperor of Mankind personally.
|Special Abilities:
Master of the Farseer Path
| +50% effectiveness to all psychic abilities
| Can process multiple psychic actions simultaneously
Foresight of a Thousand Futures
| Constant precognition active
| → reduces incoming damage
| → predicts enemy actions
| → +60% evasion and reaction efficiency
...
---
This one was powerful, and the things he could do through the Warp were ridiculous. And he had to limit his power, since Slaanesh would otherwise gobble him up and claim his soul. What a ridiculous hack he was.
And from what Gerhard could see, Eldrad knew the Emperor personally. Eldrad's gaze was the most confused and interested one. He, who had planned for the future, who had spent endless time looking into the future and trying to save his species through the manipulation of fate, saw something he hadn't predicted.
And he wasn't sure whether that was good or bad. Since he could sense the hidden power about Gerhard, but didn't know where it came from.
Sadly, he was more than 50 levels higher than Gerhard so that he couldn't see his stats. He would have to level up more to see those.
---
Meliniel – Lv.92
|HP: 32,000/32,000
|MP: 3,500
|An Autarch of Biel-Tan transformed by the Heart of Eldanesh, capable of channelling the primal wrath of Khaine.
STR: 70
VIT: 85
DEX: 190
INT: 135
WIS: 130
---
'Oh shit. An Autarch. Quite a powerful Eldari warrior. Not as powerful as Phoenix Lords, which Jain Zar is, but he's not here, thankfully.'
The Phoenix Lords are among the most ancient and renowned heroes of the Eldar race and are the originators of the martial Warrior Aspects. If a Phoenix Lord is vanquished, their essence lies dormant within their armour until an Exarch of their Aspect Shrines wears it.
At that point, the Exarch's soul is absorbed, and together they become the next incarnation of the Phoenix Lord. Often, Phoenix Lords may vanish for centuries, only to reappear in times of great need for those who follow the Path of Khaine across the universe.
They are the pinnacle of Eldari martial prowess, right next to or slightly below Harlequin Solitairs, who are totally bonkers. These shits can fight and defeat Custodes with relative ease.
And Jain Zar, who wasn't present at this point, was the first and only Phoenix Lord of the Howling Banshees since the Phoenix Lords were created during the Fall of the Eldar. So she never died and is a ridiculously powerful character.
Needless to say, Gerhard knew that she wasn't there. He would have to use all his skills, hax and everything else, and even then, he would most likely die before he could process what happened.
No, he would 100% die before he could realise he had died.
That left one final character.
The Visarch – Lv.95
|HP: 38,000/38,000
|MP: 3,500
|The Sword of Ynnead. A master duelist and former Exarch who walks no single Path, combining supreme martial discipline with the deathly power of Ynnead.
STR: 98
VIT: 150
DEX: 210
INT: 110
WIS: 130
|Weapons:
| Asu-Var, the Cronesword
---
"My, that's quite an assembly of powerful characters," Gerhard said.
There was still a lot of information he could see that he hadn't read just yet, as that would take a lot of time. And he also knew that these stats were most likely neither final nor complete. And apart from those individuals, there were a lot of different war machines, like the Imperial Knight of House Taranis.
These massive bipedal walkers had undergone a lot, as could be seen, and next to Gustav, one could see how large they truly were.
Imperial Knight (Questoris-Class) – Lv.95
|HP: 83,022/120,000
|MP: 200
|A towering war engine of the Imperium, clad in adamantium and protected by ion shields. A walking fortress capable of destroying entire formations and engaging even demigods in battle.
|Each Knight is controlled by a single pilot, known as a Knight Scion, who sits inside a high-tech seat called the Throne Mechanicum.
| The Questoris is the most common type of Imperial Knight. These machines are walking arsenals, usually equipped with a mix of powerful weapons.
STR: 320
VIT: 340
DEX: 20
---
"Who are you? Identify yourself, citizen!" Inquisitor Greyfax said.
"Ah?"
Gerhard bowed theatrically.
"I am Gerhard Valkyrie, the Emperor's Champion, and on my way to Macragge. My pleasure, Inquisitor Greyfax, of the Ordo Hereticus."
"..."
"..."
"Kehehehehe."
Someone laughed despite themselves. Gerhard knew exactly who that was. Those pesky Harlequins... you never knew what they were thinking. Well, Gerhard did, but not all the time. They did a lot of random shit.
And there was a 'good' reason for that.
The Harlequins, also known as Rillietann, are a unique faction of the Eldar. They serve as warrior troubadours, dividing their time between skilled combat on the battlefield and theatrical performances.
Living outside the norms of Eldar society, the Harlequins do not pledge allegiance to any Craftworld, Kabal, or other authority. Instead, they follow their own beliefs centred around the Eldar deity Cegorach, the Laughing God. And that name was aptly chosen.
"You know me? How so?" Greyfax asked.
"I am resourceful, which is also why I know that you were, up till very recently, a prisoner of a certain Necron Overlord in his Tesseract Labyrinth. I am glad to see you free, but I feel inclined to tell you that there are still scarabs in your bloodstream, which we should get rid of to free you fully."
Hearing Gerhard's words, the Inquisitor was shocked, and she reached for her weapon. But Cawl stopped her.
"A fascinating amount of insight, from someone that doesn't seem enhanced in any way. Peculiar. I clearly calculate that you should possess the talent."
"Ah, Archmagus Belisarius Cawl. I am glad to see you here. I was wondering whether you wouldn't mind giving me a ride."
"A ride? Where to?" the Archmagos asked.
"Maybe we shouldn't discuss this out here?" Gerhard motioned for the newly assembling Chaos forces.
"Right. This way," the Eldari said and moved back into the Webway gate.
At that moment, Sera Vahl, Captain Erefan, Navigator Slovo and Hans had stepped out of Gustav. Hans was the most interesting to Archmagus Belisarius Cawl. He recognised that it was supposed to be a Tech Priest, but also that it was different from the others in his order.
Far more advanced and a bit too smooth in its movements, as ironic as that was. But it was the last person who lifted the Imperials' spirits.
Lencillus, in his Allarus Pattern Terminator Power Armour, stepped out and walked towards Gerhard to stand beside him.
Although he was a former Custodes, he fooled everyone with the way he was armed. Marshal Amalrich felt better immediately, as the increasing tension eased somewhat. With a Custodes at their side, their chances of survival were considerably better. Also, you could always count on a Custodes' willingness to fight for the Emperor.
So in the Black Templars' eyes, the Custodes were their most powerful ally then.
The Inquisitor, on the other hand, who had up to that point never seen a Custodes, felt the power radiating off of Lencillus and the awe she felt, which tried to be suppressed. But she didn't entirely manage that.
And then came the three Anathema Psykana. Hestia, Kaelen and Liora jumped out of Gustav and moved towards the others.
The psychically immensely sensitive Eldari immediately felt their presence. It was a horror for them, and they almost couldn't take it.
"What in Khaine's name is that?!"
"Voids!!"
"Cursed creatures!!"
All known things are affected by a Blank's presence, aside from machines and some heavily modified individuals.
If it has a soul, it feels unnerved. Psykers are much more strongly affected as they are conduits and shapers for the Warp.
Daemons and Eldar are the most heavily impacted when confronting or being around a Blank. A Blank is often the only effective way to slay an Eldar Farseer. They can't be predicted, their Warp-sense can't see them, and their aura removes their most devastating abilities and harms their weapons and armour, most of which is wraithbone.
So having not just one, but three of them approach, who all wore armour that even enhanced this trait of theirs... was worse than daemons, worse than 'She-who-thirst'... just worse.