Warhammer, Rogue Trader Notes

"It looks like you know about it. In fact, Priest Luke, that's why I'm here. Priest King Ansai asked me to help him expel you so that he can provide me with the goods I need." West Geer truthfully told the other party about the transaction conditions proposed by the Priest King of Ansai, "Priest Falco did not suffer any injuries, but once the conditions of the Priest King are not met, it will be hard to say."

"So the purpose of your coming is to expel us?" Missionary Luke was not in a hurry to criticize Siegel's beliefs and behavior style, but asked Siegel's purpose.

Siegel shook his head, and said to the missionary: "Trade is not my main purpose. My main purpose of coming to this planet is to find something. I was hoping to find some valuable goods to bring back to the empire for trading. , as a result, I encountered such an incident. Since this incident has already happened, I cannot sit idly by. So priest, I leave the choice to you."

"If you don't want to have a conflict with Landan City, then I will take you to another planet or another city."

"If you want to continue to preach, then I will also give you some help. Because my next actions may have some adverse effects on your missionary actions, especially if you don't seem to intend to use force to preach Down."

"..." Missionary Luke said nothing, silently considering the meaning of Siegel's words.

"Wapolius' faith issue has not yet been solved by force. We have not yet formed a sufficient population base in the local area. Blind use of force will only make people on the planet more resistant to the state religion." After about After half an hour, Missionary Luke began to express his opinion, "On Vapolius, due to the problem of water resources, people's belief in the priest king is very pious. The belief issue here cannot be solved overnight."

"So why not change to another planet? It's hard for you to shake the local original beliefs in this situation. There are many human colonies in the heretic stars. Maybe the humans on the next planet need the belief of the God Emperor to help them tide over the difficulties." .”

"Your Excellency Siegel, we are not without achievements on this planet, and the belief system of the priest king is not so unbreakable. These false beliefs cannot stop the glory of the emperor." Missionary Luke stood up and walked towards him saluted in front of him, "Welcome, Ms. Helles."

Volume III Fear Pearl: Chapter [-] Helles

Siegel turned his head and looked, and a woman in a black gorgeous gauze dress came in from the door.Hayu followed behind her respectfully.

What was even more striking was the animal ears on the opponent's head. Looking at those ears, Siegel recalled the appearance of the Priest King of Ansai, and Siegel seemed to have a bold idea about the identity of this woman.

"Don't be nervous, I'm not the priest king, I just have the blood of a priest king." Heres noticed the meaning in Siegel's eyes, and she walked to the other side of the members of the Foster dynasty, Looking at the others present with an elegant smile, "It's really a joy to see believers from the distant starry sky."

"Allow me to introduce you, this is Ms. Helles, as she

It is said that she has the blood of a priest king, and she told us a lot about the local situation of Vapolius.And this is Siegel Foster, he is a famous rogue trader under this starry sky. Priest Luke acted as an intermediary between the two parties, introducing them to each other.

Siegel suddenly remembered what Keleos had said to him: "It seems that you are the priest king that Keleos said, the one who tried to unify the entire Vapolius."

"Is that what he calls me? Merchants always do this. They simply cannot resist the temptation of rare goods to live in. The profits behind it are enough for him to act against his master's wishes."

"what do you mean?"

"What he said is probably right, but I have no idea of ​​unifying Vapolius at all. The reason why I converted to the state religion is just to get rid of the planet Vapolius." Helles sat on the simple She continued to say to Siegel, "Pastor Luke told me that as long as I converted to the state religion, I would have the opportunity to leave this planet, enter the distant starry sky, and completely escape my current identity."

"Isn't it good to be a priest king? Ansai priest king was just showing off everything he has to me."

"I think you probably don't know how the Priest King manipulates the water in the desert."

"It's really not clear."

"Since it was Haru who brought you here, obviously you came from the city of Raendan." Heres said to Siegel: "You have seen the gurgling water in the city, the hard-working people of all kinds. And those who don't fit in with the atmosphere of the city." Helles drew Siegel's thoughts, and he quickly realized what the other party was talking about.

"Son of Water."

"Yes, I saw that there are psykers among you, then you must have discovered that those sons of water are all psykers, your psykers must have discovered that the so-called holy water will interfere with psykers, Their own spiritual energy and the spiritual energy contained in the water will interfere with each other and seal his power." Liz nodded affirmatively upon hearing Helles' words.

Helles continued to tell everyone about the origin of Vapolius's water supply with a slightly nasty smile: "This feeling will bring a kind of discomfort from the soul, they will become more and more thirsty, drink Drop more and more water. Over time, their souls will be more and more polluted by psionic energy. Before everything reaches the end, these children of water will be taken to the palace of the priest king. The ceremony, the water just came out."

"After the ceremony, these people's bodies are no longer fat like edema, but have returned to their normal figure. The priest king will throw these people into the depths of the desert. Under the effect of the psychic ceremony, their Bodies twist and change, and the psychic power left in them drains them to the last drop of bodily fluid, and the thirst of the soul makes them seek any fluid, and that is where the Thirst-Unquenchers come from."

"The Unquenchable Thirst cannot be killed by means other than psionic attacks. Even if he is smashed into a ball of powder, he will recover within ten days, and any thing he touches that can absorb liquid from it , whether it is a person or anything else, will be turned into dust in the desert under the action of psionic energy. And the thirst felt by those monsters' souls will not be weakened in the slightest."

"I see, but these are not reasons for you to leave this planet." Siegel still doesn't know the reason why the other party wants to get rid of this planet. It can't be because the priest king's method of fetching water is too cruel.

"I haven't finished yet. The end of the thirsty one also belongs to the priest king. Every priest king is buried deep in the desert with his treasure."

"Vapolius is fair to everyone, the priest king will become the most powerful thirst-quencher, and the hunger deep in his soul is also the most unbearable." Helles' eyes showed Despite the irony of being teased by fate, there seemed to be a hint of sadness, and she told Siegel the secrets of this planet in a flat tone, as if everything was so insignificant.

"This is the curse that is trapped on this planet, sir, and this is what I want to escape."

After listening to Helles' narration quietly, everyone fell into a brief silence.Missionary Luke may have heard the story here many times, and he said to Helles: "It doesn't matter, Miss Helles. As long as the people on Vapolius believe in the state religion wholeheartedly, the glory of the God Emperor It must be able to dispel the curse of this planet."

[I'm Nima...] Siegel saw that Missionary Luke was saying something completely out of tune here, and he could only say that he was indeed a believer in Marquette, who induced the human beings on the planet to turn around with his empty teeth. Believe in the state religion.

[If Jorus Marquette had made a few wishes that could not be fulfilled back then, it is estimated that he would have been stabbed less when he died. 】

Except for the fanatical nun expressing agreement with her eyes, no one else, including Helles himself, had any intention of believing it.The reason for her professing the state religion is simple, because the priest promised that someone would take her away, and she herself had given up any hope about the situation of Vapolius.

The same is true for Siegel. Whether the emperor's apparition has the ability to solve the problems on this planet must be possible. The personal strength of the big guy is still worthy of trust.

The question is whether the elderly have the time and willingness to solve the problems here.This is the frontier of the Empire. Although the Empire claims the entire Milky Way, it takes some effort for the navigator to see the Astronomican here.

"With all due respect, Priest Luke, I didn't know enough about the situation of Vapolius before, but as far as the current situation is concerned, I think it may be easier to solve their pain."

"You can't treat these confused lambs so harshly, Your Excellency Siegel." Priest Luke rejected Siegel's proposal: "I believe that everything here has a turning point, including those believers in the courtyard. As long as we continue to act without the control of the local priest king, Valpoliius will definitely be able to bathe in the divine grace of the emperor."

"If you insist, I will provide you with some help." Siegel stood up from the chair leaning on the table, and he said to Priest Luke: "I will rebuild a suitable camp for you. Camp, a charge of hundreds of people is enough to destroy everything you have done."

Regardless of whether the other party's missionary outcome is successful or not, Siegel hopes to ensure the safety of these missionaries as much as possible.It's not because of how kind he is or how much he values ​​these missionaries. The main reason is that there are some things that you have to let people know after you do them.

These things are really small, not worth mentioning, but add up to prestige.

"Sage Mel, you are in charge of the construction of the camp here. As for the holy water... I think it can be put on hold for now. As for the missionary in the hands of the priest king..."

"It's good for us to solve the matter of Priest Falco by ourselves." Priest Luke said to Siegel: "I haven't asked you yet, Your Excellency Siegel, where is the area you want to explore?"

"It's on the mountain range closest to here, Ms. Helles, what can you tell us about the mountain range on Valpolius?"

"You mean the Sky Mountain Range?" Helles paused, and continued to Siegel: "There are no human settlements in the Sky Mountain Range, and there is no priest king trying to build one under the shadow of the Sky Mountain Range." Cities. According to the records of the Priest King, there is a special rock creature that roams the Sky Mountains, and it can easily kill a soldier with one blow."

Helles took the initiative and said to Siegel: "If you want to go there, I can act as your guide."

"Have you been to the mountains?"

"I have been, when I was the heir of the priest king, I used to wander under the protection of the guards. No matter where you want to go in the Sky Mountains, it is impossible to find a completely suitable guide. At least I You can still find your way in the chaotic wind and sand erosion area."

"So what's the price I have to pay?"

"A ticket to take me away from this planet." Heres directly stated his needs. Hayu seemed very sad about her request, but he didn't take any action after all.

"I can't meet your needs." Siegel refused the other party's request.

Helles was puzzled, "Why? Priest Luke promised me."

Siegel glanced at Priest Luke, who turned his head in embarrassment.

"Because of the differences between us, it may be difficult for you to survive in the empire, and you may die at any time. You cannot survive independently in the empire, and you can only be attached to a certain dignitary. Considering your spiritual talent, Strictly speaking, in any imperial world, your life is in danger at any time." Siegel told the other party the risks he would take after leaving the planet.

"Before I leave, you can change your request at any time. If you still insist on what you want, I will take you away, and when you realize the cruel reality in this universe, I can also send you back here."

Volume III Fear Pearl: Chapter [-] Camp Planning

Siegel led the team and Helles to the Sky Mountains in the early morning of the third day, while Mel and Gloria stayed behind to take charge of the construction of the new missionary camp.

The Golden Ship and the Zhongshan Celebration were moored in the low orbit of the planet, and the transport plane brought down the equipment needed for a new camp.

A machine servant stood in front of Mel holding a slightly larger Thinker module, and she drew a blueprint for a new camp with the help of her own and the Thinker's computing power.Several data servitors and contemplators modules and the ship's electronics, as well as Mel herself, formed a small data center, and the two cruisers had been scanning and recording local environmental data during this time.

The retrogression of the local technological level is inseparable from the harsh environment of the planet. After discussing with the local missionaries, Mel roughly guaranteed that the camp would last for three years.

It is not easy to build a camp in the desert, because the wind and sand in the desert will continuously erode the structures of buildings and machinery. Whether it is composite rock, ceramic steel or fine gold, regular maintenance is required to ensure the normal operation of the camp.

"Mercury-130, simulate the wind and sand erosion here for five years." According to Mel's own thinking, if the missionary actions of these state church personnel do not make any decent progress within a year, it means that their efforts here have completely failed , there is no point in continuing to stay here.

It's better to leave the population here to the God of Myriad Machines. Anyway, the more consumables on the mechanical planet, the better.

If it hadn't been for Siegel's request, she would not have used the products she designed here, and even provided water sources and self-circulation systems for the local area.

"The Golden Journey still has two days to reach the ice belt at the edge of the galaxy," Mel estimated the ship's trajectory through the projection of the Thinker module. Her ship is currently controlled by her technical priest.

Without the captain manipulating the starship from the throne of the ship, these behemoths can't do too complicated operations, but things like mining ice belts are still very easy.

After removing the isotopes, heavy water, and liquefied ozone from the ice mine, what's left is normal drinking water.

The Golden Journey previously passed the liquid survey data in the local "Dead Sea" to the Sage Mel.

Due to long-term occlusion and exposure to the sun, the liquid in these "dead seas" has become a strong acid. Just breathing the nearby air will cause damage to the human body, and a strong wind will set off acid rain that corrodes everything.

"Psychic power is amazing, don't you think so, Gloria." Mel's servo skull was chatting with Gloria, and the latter was instructing the servants and the sailors who arrived on the surface of the planet to start civil engineering.

They arranged simple fortification buildings and roadblocks around, and compared to Mel, she thought more carefully.

"If those 'Unquenchable Thirst' attack here, it will be difficult for missionaries who lack psychic means to hold this place. Do you have any props to solve this problem?"

"Haha, no." The upper and lower jaws of the floating servo skull next to Gloria opened and closed, as if laughing.Mel's voice came from it: "Only psychic power is the topic that Siegel disagrees with my research... This makes many topics need to be studied from basic disciplines. As for those local monsters, I think Siegel It's not that I didn't think about it, but I just don't think it's necessary to think about it, if everything is considered for the other party, then what do those missionaries do."

Gloria turned her attention to other places, and she said to Mel in a slightly surprised tone: "You still listen to him, his and those nuns' prosthetics look completely different from common prosthetics, yours Those studies hardly hide from us. When we return to the Empire, there won't be a disciplinary fleet of the Mechanicum waiting for us?"

Although most of the members of the dynasty could not understand what Mel was researching, looking at her mysterious appearance and the products that were different from their own cognition, the members of the dynasty still had a lot of doubts about whether the things Mel researched were in compliance. There is a steelyard.

"Gloretia, what kind of partner do you think is a good partner for a prospector of the Mechanicum?" The prosthetic eye of the servo skull issued a ray, commanding the servant to deploy the Holy Shield fortification to the proper location.

"Don't care about anything? Let you study casually?"

"Not really, maybe those absolute tech heretics would like someone like that, but I'm different, I'm the kind of person who steps on the line."

"Some of the technologies I'm applying to the dynasty are indeed out of bounds, but they are all things that can cope with the past, but these administrative tasks of inspection and review will waste a lot of my energy. Gloria, the relationship between Siegel and I The relationship between you is much more complicated than yours. As his technology supplier, he is more tolerant of technology than most human rulers I know, and can help me avoid some unnecessary scrutiny. And he also understands some Technology, so that my contribution will not be seen by the blind, is there a more suitable collaborator than this?"

"It doesn't sound like it."

"In fact, one of the questions that has always plagued tech heretics is how far you can go after you cross that line and there's no going back. Is it advanced artificial intelligence? Is it psionics? Or something more nefarious? Everyone has Unique insights, and Siegel is the same, he drew a new line for me, this line is completely different from the regulations followed by other Mechanicians, but it also allowed me to find a new world."

"What is it?"

"Secret." Gloria felt a little uncomfortable hearing Mel's voice for no reason, and the other party's tone seemed to be showing off to herself.

"It's not that I didn't tell you, you didn't understand after I told you."

Even more upset.

The long spear danced, and in a blink of an eye a shattered skull fell to the ground. Gloria continued to direct the servants to arrange the defensive facilities around the camp without changing her expression.

Mel didn't mind one servo skull being damaged by Gloria, she had plenty of those.She controlled the other skull to go deep into the camp's water well, checking the situation at the bottom of the well.After determining the soil quality at the bottom of the well, the engineering servants will be sent to the bottom of the well to expand the space at the bottom of the well and transform it into a simple water supply facility, where some of the water resources obtained from the universe will be stored.

Mel didn't plan to prepare enough water for these missionaries, and these things would be of no benefit to Siegel after they were fully prepared.

They don't know how to cherish things that come too easily, and instead complain that Siegel didn't prepare for them after an accident.

Sage Mel also has her own ideas about Wapoliius' belief issue. She thinks that Siegel should also consider this solution, which is to throw money.

For the Rogue Trader, the things that can be solved with the Throne Coin are not difficult.

If someone is willing to invest enough money, it is actually very simple to solve the problem of local religious beliefs. As long as the planet has a stable water supply for ten years, the civilians here can be absorbed under the banner of the state religion.

Those psykers rely on water and psychic power to control their population. As long as one person can provide enough water and claim to be the God-Emperor's gift power, the problem of belief here will be easily solved.

It's a pity that this planet does not seem to have resources worthy of large-scale investment, and the currency value of the population here does not seem to be high. "Psionic soda", Mel used this name to call the water resources here. It may be a good trade item, but the other party's position is inherently opposed to Siegel, and this trade item loses its value. value.

As for the minerals, those precious stones and copper mines might not be worth the freight to transport them out of the expansion area, but the armor made of glass here is very good, and this may be the only local product with some technical content.

The armor parameters of this glass material are similar to those of common light carapace, but it has a protective performance comparable to power armor in the face of energy weapons.

The guard under Helles had several pieces of such glass armor, and Mel was able to study the structure of this thing.

The molecules inside this crystalline material are arranged in a peculiar way that minimizes and weakens the damage of energy weapons.

Of course, this thing is not without its shortcomings. For example, a certain dynasty leader is suffering from this armor.

Volume III Fear Pearl: Chapter [-] Glass Armor and Alpine Creatures

Siegel sat on Mukali. He and other members of the dynasty wore a pair of sunglasses, and the temporarily equipped constant temperature force field could not alleviate the hot feeling caused by the environment.

On this kind of wind-eroded highlands, they don’t need sunglasses to resist the sun’s rays like on the dunes and plains. There is only one reason why they wear sunglasses, that is, there is a light bulb of several kilowatts constantly flashing next to it, emitting light and hot.

Helles is wearing a piece of glass armor with the best craftsmanship in the local area. The colorful light shining from her body can be seen from several kilometers away. In the desert environment, the armor reflects all the surrounding heat radiation. The temperature around her was really too high.

Siegel was indeed a little moved when he learned about the performance of this armor. The super high protection against energy weapons means that it can have considerable defense against the standard weapons of some races in this universe.

But the shortcomings are also very obvious. Siegel looks at the light that can't be suppressed through the sunglasses. Wearing this thing can probably say goodbye to stealth and hiding.

When Helles appeared in front of them wearing this armor, he really felt blinded.

Shaking blind (physics).

But then again, they are currently on their way to a peak in the Sky Mountains.The scenery here is peculiar and strange.Wind-eroded stone nests and wind-eroded mushrooms are everywhere, and the wind and sand blowing over this land brings a unique sound of wind, covering up the sound of their actions and covering up the secrets in the mountains.

They have not yet entered the core area of ​​the Sky Mountain Range, nor have they seen the legendary "alpine creature".

"Here is where we are going." Siegel spoke to the small artificial sun beside him against the high temperature, "on a certain peak in the mountains."

Helles looked at the terrain on the auspicious instrument and the map on the data panel, and pointed in a direction: "That should be our destination."

Siegel looked at the mountain peaks in the distance. The so-called Wangshan runs to death, and it is conservatively estimated that it will take a day to reach the destination.

"It looks like it's going to take a while."

"Yes, if you count the time to find the way, I'm afraid it will take longer." Helles added.

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