The Emperor’s Angel of Death

Indifference – that was Sotha Nul's summary of the common trait among all Barasornirash. They had no concept of property, simply displaying what they created. Nor did they have a concept of power; no one managed anyone else. They even addressed each other as 'Comrade,' a term Sotha Nul found both strange and ingenious. In a social structure without family, property, or power, they weren't chaotic. Instead, they were maintained by a common bond that defied conventional understanding.

Such a social structure was perplexing yet fascinating. Long ago, Sotha Nul had taken everything about the Imperium for granted. But when his perspective broadened beyond the Imperium, he realized that the whip and tyranny weren't the only options in the galaxy.

The name 'Slaan,' in Barasornirash, or rather 'Ancient Tongue,' meant 'Wise One.'

Barasornirash society, lacking specific leaders, consisted entirely of scholars who devoted all their time to restoring damaged ancient records. The Slaan were key figures in this work because they were among the very few who had 'seen' the Old Ones.

Furthermore, although all were called Slaan, differences existed between first, second, and third generations, depending on when they were born. Even the first generation Slaan were near-legendary to the Barasornirash. The 'Long Father' who had just met with Sotha Nul was a second-generation Slaan, the only one who had witnessed the glorious era of the Old Ones. Later, the third generation Slaan were born during the decline of the Old One era, possessing only slight knowledge. The vast majority of Barasornirash were born after the Old Ones had perished.

Currently, there were fewer than two hundred Barasornirash in total, making them extremely rare. Only four were third-generation Slaan, and they formed the Slaan Council that coordinated the entire race.

After walking for an unknown duration, he was led to a five-ringed plaza. On the ground, five golden rings intertwined and rotated without interfering or colliding. Sotha Nul stood in the center ring, with four third-generation Slaan wearing different crowns standing in the four cardinal directions.

Their psychic power was profound and restrained, yet immensely vast. Even an Aeldari would likely faint upon standing there.

On the outer perimeter, hundreds of Barasornirash gathered—essentially, all of them were present.

‘.Long Father has departed. We shall continue to uphold the ancient duty, watching over eternal history, until the last one of us remains.’

The Barasornirash communicated uniquely. Four Slaan, four voices, simultaneously appeared in Sotha Nul's mind, suggesting a mental link or a shared consciousness.

Sotha Nul had heard rumors of this. In very ancient times, the Aeldari seemed to have a similar psychic connection, requiring no dialogue or guesswork, fully open to accepting the thoughts of their kin.

Their meaning was direct. Sotha Nul was there only because of Long Father; they didn't want to interfere in the galaxy's chaos.

‘Four Slaan, I recently received news that the Necron Overlord known as the Silent King, the mastermind behind the War in Heaven, has returned to the galaxy and begun his evil plan. He may well be trying to transform the metallized Necrons back into flesh and continue his old dream of dominating the galaxy. As servants of the Old Ones, you must be familiar with these enemies. If he succeeds, wouldn't the blood shed by the Old Ones have been in vain?’

When Sotha Nul spoke the name of the Silent King, the surrounding air noticeably tensed. As the four Slaan had experienced the War in Heaven, they understood his existence and knew his terror.

‘Moreover, there is an old human saying: When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. Given the Necrons' hatred for the Old Ones, what do you think they will do if they know there are survivors like you? Standing aside is not a good choice. The Eternal Court will shoulder the responsibility of fighting the Necrons, and I hope you will carry on the legacy of the Old Ones, completely eliminating or driving out these pests that plague the galaxy.’

‘The Necrons no longer possess their former strength; they have no power to conquer the galaxy again.’

Clearly, the Barasornirash were not ignorant of the outside world, and Sotha Nul's words didn't immediately fool them.

‘That may be so, but you can also see what the Materium has become. Humanity is trapped in the nightmare of its own making and, under the watchful eyes of the Chaos Gods, can't spare much power to fight the Necrons. And if the Necrons have lost most of their power, then the Aeldari have lost almost all of theirs. Now, with the prying eyes of the Chaos Gods, they struggle to protect themselves, let alone fight the Necrons alone.’

After he finished speaking, the Barasornirash Slaan fell silent, perhaps communicating or contemplating.

After a long while, the four voices spoke again.

‘Could you help us collect the relics of the Old Ones and fragments of lost past?’

‘Frankly, that's not easy. The War in Heaven was very long ago. Even the Aeldari have lost history from tens of thousands of years ago. To retrieve these things, you must delve into the heart of the former Old Empire, now called the Eye of Terror, the most powerful region of Chaos's evil power in the real universe. I think you are all aware of the risks involved… However, there is another option, called the Second Cradle by the Aeldari. According to surviving historical records, it may have been a fertile region where the Old Ones created various races, later destroyed by the Necrons' war, rebuilt by the Aeldari, and completely destroyed during the Fall. It's now called the Maelstrom. Although the power of Chaos is also strong, it's not as exaggerated as the Eye of Terror, which is filled with Chaos Space Marines. The Court can assist you in searching for any traces left by the Old Ones there.’

‘We will grant the Eternal Court many lost spiritbone technologies.’

Sotha Nul grinned.

‘Strange, I haven't even said it, and you already know what I want? Can you read my mind? This is the first time I've encountered a power that can use mind-reading on me.’

‘Not so. Based on logical deduction, we are few in number and unarmed. The only thing we can give is knowledge.’

‘Indeed, knowledge, the most powerful force in the galaxy… Actually, what I really want is an answer.’

‘Please speak.’

‘Is there a way to completely kill… destroy a Chaos God?’

This time, the silence was particularly long, and only one voice finally answered him.

‘Such knowledge is beyond our reach, but if you can find the Well of Eternity, then… perhaps you can get an answer.’