The mood as we made shift from Null was dark as the void itself, for though the machinations of Eynoch had been denied in the final accounting of it, the undertaking had cost the Argyntum Stellae and our allies so dearly as to render any notions of victory more bitter than unmatured sacra. Under such a pall it was inevitable that talk of retreat circulated in some quarters, though as I understand it, such baseless rumours were quashed by Canticle and his agents before they could become too widespread.

The passage of time while embarked upon voidcraft can become distorted, for whatever diurnal cycles one might be possessed of at embarkation are quickly rendered moot, but it had been many months since our departure from Null when I received a wholly unexpected invitation to attend the Vox Volnoscere upon the Tithonus. We had been meeting somewhat regularly by this time, though only as often as his duties allowed.

Naturally, one does not want to keep as august a figure as the Equerry waiting, and while the invitation included all the necessary warrants for a priority transfer from the Hikialani there were of course excursionary protocols to be followed which meant that close to another two days had passed before I found myself waiting amid a group of perhaps thirty other men and women before the doors of one of the consilio locus that adjoined the strategium of the Tithonus.

Casting my eyes about the assemblage I saw no one I recognised, though I noted that most among the crowd wore the uniform of the Sector Morqub fleet though a handful wore the shades of midnight I had come to associate with the houses of the Navis Nobilite or were clad in kind of ceremonial brocade and finery that could only mean they hailed from regiments of the Exercitus Imperialis.

At length, a pair of finely wrought servitors materialised from somewhere, bearing ewers of water and wine as well as platters of gaanjel re’l upon salvers of stannum and I made towards one with haste lest the opportunity for refreshment be lost. Welcome as the food was, the wine was unfortunately rather uninspiring in comparison to the kyndhiwæsi I had grown to favour, but as the auld saying goes: beggers should be not choosers. 

Almost as suddenly as they had appeared, the servitors began to withdraw and as a soft chime drew my attention back towards the doors that I now noted were inlaid with delicate bas reliefs of lacquered chelon shell and kohl I saw why, for moments later they were drawn open and from the starkly lit room strode the Vox Volnoscere. Halting a few paces into the room and glancing around at us all, he half raised his hands in supplication. “My friends” he began “I am sorry to have kept you waiting, but if you will indulge me I would begin briefing you upon the undertaking that lies before us in Heliopolis…

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris. To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus.

I have made much of the capabilities of the Astartes in their prosecution of war but although it is fearsome, it can at least be understood. The same cannot be said of what we came to know as the Machinedeath where such cataclysmic destruction were unleashed upon the world of Null as to almost defy mortal comprehension, for it was here that Volnoscere would unleash the full might of the Argyntum Stellae against the engines of the Legios Punica and Validus which had been arrayed by the tyrant Eynoch in a misguided bid to deliver a coup de grâce against the Legion. 

Engines. Such a term seems so woefully inadequate to accurately convey the might  and scale of such machines. Machines that wield weapons of such potency as to be able to slay entire companies of infantry and render armoured columns to burning wreckage in but a heartbeat. I have heard that the graduates of the Collegia Titanicus and their kin in the Adeptus Mechanicus call them God-Engines and though I have rejected the deification taught by the Symbolum Imperiale in all its forms, in the light of the destruction wrought amid the dust and ashes of Null I can see where such reverence springs from.

That the Machinedeath was a costly mistake for Eynoch and his masters was but small consolation when weighed against the losses of men and materiel to the Legion and their allies, for in this undertaking had the Argyntum Stellae been joined by pledged contingents of the Pracones Argenti, Hæredes, Scillisus Domini, Inanis Barones, Piscis Rubrum, Unguibus Vyridis and Lacunignis all of whom committed armoured fighting vehicles up to and including those of superheavy classification to battle, for little else could have stood against the foe that awaited them upon the wastes of Null and emerged victorious... 

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris. To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus.
  

...although I found a great many of the Astartes in whose company I spent time to be quite cordial (with the notable exception of the Kapihe Riverhead, though I shall refrain from belabouring that point further) there were very few whom I could say might genuinely be called friend.

Astartes are capable of many things, but it is my belief that their very physiology precludes the formation of the mutual bonds of affection which are a prerequisite for friendship to develop, for what good is affection when the primary purpose of one's existence is to deal death? 

This is not to say that Astartes cannot forge relationships, for the bonds of brotherhood and loyalty which bind them in their service are plain writ so plainly that even a blind man might see them and I would even go so far as to say that I have seen some particularly charismatic Astartes commanders inspire such levels of reverence in their brethren that one could consider it broadly analogous to adoration, but friendship, particularly with non-Astartes is a different thing entirely.

In all of the years I would come to spend among their kind, there is perhaps only one Astartes then,  whom I might truly describe as a friend and that was Dordji Baskoro of the Inanis Barones IV compagnie. Born of Siklon, a world of storm-lashed oceans located in the Kr’nhsk system of Morqub that has sired generations of hardy and belligerent folk for whom might makes right and tribal feuds can run long beyond the lives of those who began them; Dordji was what in ages passed might have been regarded an advocatus diaboli. Quite whether this was a role appointed him by his Chapter Master or just his natural demeanour I could never quite tell, but in his desire to draw out the truth, I felt an immediate kinship. 

Upon our first meeting, he was unusually talkative - at least compared to the Argyntum Stellae I had come to know, being happy to tell me much of himself though he would almost always follow answers to my questions of him by drawing forth answers from me in return. There was I suppose a somewhat transactional nature to our relationship to begin with then, he enquiring more as to civilian matters and I more so to martial ones but before too long, we would, when his duties permitted of course, simply talk as men, occasionally over kyndhiwæsi though more frequently kī for not long after our acquaintance Dordji intimated that Astartes metabolise alcohol at such a rate as to render it virtually impossible for them to become intoxicated, rendering its consumption rather pointless for them (though on occasion I was able to persuade him to sample a little and somewhat to my amusement he noted it was not entirely unpalatable).

As an aside, since learning of this, I have heard rumours that some Chapters of Astartes, including the Lupi Siderum have gone to great pains to craft libations which can overcome their transhuman biology for a time, though on the matter of whether I am prepared to give such suggestions much credence I currently remain undecided.

On balance, I suppose one must acknowledge the possibility that I may have been little more than a novelty or curiosity to him, but there was a sincerity to our conversance which ultimately has me believe otherwise and it is one of the reasons I felt his loss so keenly when word reached the Hikialani in the waning months of the Sorrowful Years. I had by then a great many reasons to dislike the Imperium into which I had been born but as the prelude to Operation Gauntlet played out, robbing me of my friend was perhaps foremost among them... 

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris. To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus.

...there were many places within the fuāvaa to which my warrant permitted access, some of which could even be visited unbidden by those of the Legion. It was rare however that I would venture to the pons armatura unless invited. In truth, this was not something I had much quarrel with, for to witness Astartes training is scarcely different to witnessing them in battle and I have already expended much ink in articulating my feelings as to such experiences. 

Nevertheless, shortly after the shipwide vox of the Hikialani chimed to mark the meridiem shift change, I found myself surrounded by the clash of arms from a dozen or so training cages. Holguine one of the Legions' Armigers with whom I was, quite thankfully familiar, had bade me wait a moment while he directed two of his subordinates to attend Eteroa who had approached desiring to exchange the dulled gladius he had been practising with for a pair of falchyon. Holguine had intimated to me as I had met him that while the training decks were rarely completely unused, he had noticed a significant increase in the frequency and intensity of combat drills being run.

I'd like to imagine I was sufficiently inured to the sights and sounds that assaulted my senses as a result of my previous visits to the armatura as to not flinch noticeably as impacts rang out and warriors, some of whom I recognised, narrowly evaded the slashing limbs of the combat-harnessed servitors at the heart of each cage, though I cannot say for sure that I was entirely successful. 

Whether my discomfiture had been discernible to Holguine or not, as I stood alone awaiting his return I was quite distracted, such that I did not hear the footfalls that heralded the approach of a warrior clad in unfamiliar pale green and white warplate and I was quite unaware of his presence until his hand fell none to gently upon my shoulder.

Apropos of nothing he turned me to face him, an expression of what I took to be amusement upon his face it is true then! he exclaimed, I had heard tell of the pet the Stars keep, but until I beheld you there, I did not quite believe it. Evidently he was amused, for he began to laugh. It was not a pleasant sound and I glanced about hoping to catch the eye of one of the Argyntum Stellae whom I knew, or to see Holguine returning, but the bulk of his armour, which despite my shock I noticed was emblazoned with a star clenched in a blackened fist obscured any I might call friend from view. 

His laughter ceased as suddenly as it had begun. You are the one that remembers. It was not a question, but I made to voice an affirmation nonetheless. He cut me off before I had the chance. Mark this well then he said, gesturing to the simulated combats about us as he did so War approaches and not a moment too soon. For too long our blades been sheathed, but now the One Who Has Returned calls us to his side and we will show him our worth. Now is our time and we will outshine even the brightest Stars in our glory... He paused and as he did so I noticed that for all that his approach had been unasked for and despite the harshness of his tone he was not looking upon me unkindly. Perhaps he was simply unused to interaction with non-Astartes? 

My curiosity began to outweigh my apprehension but before I could enquire as to whether this was the case he continued: We are a patient by our very nature, for e'er have the Seven Pillars cautioned against rash action - but know that I relish the chance to show your masters how we make war. He paused again. As I think about it now, I suppose he was giving me a moment to commit his words to memory. Do you need more from me to have heard this? he asked. To know me perhaps... he shrugged, his armour growling as it amplified the gesture or is that not important?

As he shifted, I could see Holguine was hurrying back across the deck towards us, a look of concern writ across his face. I spoke then, lest the opportunity be lost. I have heard your words Sir, and marked them well, but their rememberance would be more thorough if I could know you.

And thus it was that upon the pons armatura of the Hikialani that for a time at least, I knew Tiguaak of The First. Born of Hyperborea and invested by Vox Volnoscere. He was not wrong in his boast that war was coming for the initiation of Operation Gauntlet would be announced within days of our meeting and I have wondered more than once if he had somehow been privy to some advanced knowledge of that fact...

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris. To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus.

 ...as one might expect, none emerged from the Sorrowful Years unchanged for much would be transmuted within the crucible of their passing. Alliances alloyed and reforged. Others sundered or called into question. 

Recuperation, much needed in some quarters would come to give way to malaise for the Astartes are bred to make war and a lack of it does not become them. Sparring and combat drills were of course run regularly upon all vessels throughout the fleet but as Raskail explained to us as we undertook an early cycle perambulation about the starboard outer skin corridors of the Hikialani, such efforts are ultimately akin to trying to keep a blade sharpened with a crumbling waterstone.

It was fortunate then that as Candlemas passed, preparations were already underway to raise the Argyntum Stellæ and their allies to a full war footing again. With the benefit of hindsight, such preparations seem much more obvious, as long absent Kill Teams and Oki-hāmau cells were recalled, materiel was withdrawn from stockpiles for distribution and attaches bearing summons were dispatched to call forth those who would stand true with Volnoscere. At the time though much was shrouded in secrecy and masked by obfuscation so as to keep our enemies blinded to our intent...

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris. To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus.

 

When we were children and up to no good, my mother would tell my brothers and I that if we didn't cease our misbehaviour, the Inquisitiores would come for us in the night and spirit us away. Though we knew next to nothing of their true purpose, our imaginations conjured such terrible thoughts at this fate that more often than not, we would be quieted at least for a time.

She would not have been the first parent to use the threat of a bogeyman to try and inspire better behaviour in a child I suppose, and I imagine was far from the last. The threat served well enough when we were younger, but as we grew older and into the sense of invulnerability that comes with with adolescence, it faded in effectiveness for we felt there was nothing in this universe we could not face down.

Quite when my siblings would come to be disabused of this misapprehension I do not know, and to be honest I don't remember exactly when I realised just how tenuous a grip we mortals hold upon our existence in this galaxy fraught with threats to our survival. But I do remember the moment I came to appreciate that however fearful I had been of the Inquisition in my childhood innocence, it was not nearly enough with startling clarity.

It was early in my time with the Argyntum Stellae and we had come upon a world in ruin. I had not seen such devastation before and fortunately nor have I since. No stone had been left standing upon another and of the millions who had dwell'd there naught but ash and bone remained and a beacon had been set that declared it Regio Perdita. This in itself was disquieting enough, but as we made shift away from [REDACTED] and Maka'ala told me what this all meant, I remembered my mother's threats. 

The entire population had been declared Excommunicate Tratoris at the word of Inquisitor Hasdrel Dieldra. Without trial nor appeal, the world was condemned to burn. Ordinarly, Maka'ala explained, such an action might have been undertaken with cyclonic torpedoes, weapons of such potency as to be capable of erasing the very existence of a world but he suspected that [REDACTED] had been left a graveyard to serve as a warning to the Segmentum, a promise of the fate reserved for those who stood against the orthodoxy of High Lords of Terra and the Inquisition.

Whether the death of [REDACTED] was effective in dissuading the secession of others or not I cannot say, but for me it was a stark illustration of just how poorly I had understood the Imperium into which I had been born and raised...

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris. To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus.

 

At the sight of the serried ranks of the Legion deploying one cannot help but to be filled with pride. Pride to have such champions to make war for us. Pride to be able to stand in the company of such giants. Pride to be here, at the returning of the Last True Son. 

But I found that beneath my pride lay a fear to which I would not give voice in the company of my hosts for to do so would have been quite unbecoming. For on each occasion I found myself upon the observation gallery regarding Maka'ala, Ikaika or any of the other Argyntum Stellæ in who's company I had spent time as they swore oaths of moment upon the dispersal deck, I could not help but fear that perhaps this might be the last time I would see them among the living. 

For every rule, an exception as the Scrivencers might say and in this case they were not far wrong. To this day, I remain unsure as to what I might have done that invited such displeasure from the Kapihe known as Riverhead and though I wish I had not offended him so, I confess that I would not have shed tears were he to return from an undertaking upon his shield. 

But I digress. I like to imagine that my fondness for them was not frailty. That as I came to know them as more than warriors it was inevitable to worry for their safety, that that despite their augmentations and fearsome reputation it was only human. But as I dwelled upon this each time, I found myself posed a question I that daresay we might not wish be answered - would they mourn us as do them?

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris. To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus.

Not only are the Astartes possesed of fearsome strength and resilience as a result of their genhanced physiology they are not exhausted by physical exertion in the same manner as we are either. While there are ultimately limits to what even the most well trained and conditioned transhuman can endure, they are to all intents and purposes almost completely indefatigable. 

Indeed, if the calculations based upon my observations of the Argyntum Stellæ training regimen are accurate, then at a conservative estimate the average Astartes can sustain a pace militari at a consistent speed of 13 miles per hour for around 20 hours before requiring rest. As such said Astartes could cover a distance of approximately 261 miles and still be fit for combat with little to no recovery time.

Given such a level of physical endurance, the inclusion of personnel carriers in the order of battle of an Astartes force might seem a little superfluous and indeed I asked [REDACTED] about this not long after I had been granted permission to interview those of my hosts who were amenable to it.

A rather naïve enquiry in retrospect, though of course I did not appreciate this at the time. The answer though was simply that a battlefield is a dangerous place and few are the warriors who do not value the additional level of protection that an armoured transport affords them beyond that of their own warplate. 

Like most Astartes forces, the Argyntum Stellæ were possessed of a number of patterns of armoured personnel carriers but the most numerous and easily recognisable was the Rhino. While perhaps not as fast as a Hesperus Grav-Tank or as heavily armed and armoured as a Land's Raider, the Rhino was favoured by many within the Legion for being mechanically reliable and of robust enough design that it could safely deliver an entire unit into battle within its armoured hull and even being capable of functioning as a mobile base of operations on extended deployments.

As it would turn out, this last factor would prove of vital importance in many of the undertakings that the Argyntum Stellæ would come to embark upon.

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris. To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus.

...I once enquired of Maka'ala as to what had prompted the Legion's return from the outer darkness. As was so often the case, his answer was frustratingly ambiguous: we are come for that which we seek.

This was, as I discovered, a trait that was by no means unique to the Quæsitor and it remains my belief that the reticence of my hosts stemmed from two sources. The first was that I was not of the Legion and as such there were operational details about their undertakings that I did not need to know. The second was simply that they were not accustomed to being asked questions for the sake of curiosity, and certainly not by a mortal such as I. 

As we became more conversant however, there were some who became particularly amenable to discussion including Ikaika, Tuel'laewe, Maka'ala, and old Iolani, Throne rest him. But they were always more willing to draw back the veils that occluded their past than reveal what lay in the future and after a fashion I learned not to try to draw forth their views upon events that were yet to pass.

As you might imagine, this made understanding the ongoing situation in Heliopolis and Morqub somewhat difficult and I will remain eternally grateful to the ratings and officers I was fortunate to become acquainted with shortly after my arrival among the Argyntum Stellae who were willing to elucidate on such matters of state with which they were aware and permitted over an amasec or cerevisya in the commisary. 

Naturally, I regarded more than a little of the information I gleaned in this fashion as apocryphal at best and of who or what the Argyntum Stellae sought to locate, I was to remain, for a time at least, in ignorance...   

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris. To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus.

 

Unbelievable as it may seem, there are times when even Astartes battleplate simply does not offer sufficient protection. Most frequently, this will be in circumstances where they are required to prosecute undertakings in theatres regarded by the Codex Tactica Imperialis as Zones Mortalis. Such environs include storming breaches in fortifications, void-craft boarding actions, the clearing of bunker and tunnel complexes and the pacification of space hulks. 

In some cases, these actions may be undertaken by Breacher Squads augmented with boarding or breacher shields, but in circumstances where the probability of survival is rated particularly low and protection is therefore of utmost concern, Tactical Dreadnaught Armour is likely to prove the best option.

A product of the Terminator programme which sought to create the ultimate protective armour for the Legiones Astartes, Tactical Dreadnaught Armour harnesses the capabilities of civilian exo-environment suits that are able to withstand such lethal environs as those found within the containment fields of macro-plasma reactors by combining ceramite and plasteel plating with adamantium bracing. 

According to Kordhial's Liber Armorum Imperialium, several patterns of Tactical Dreadnaught plate were developed by competing armourers, including Kataphraktii, Tartarus, Indominus and Saturnyne with each variant possessing uniquely defining characteristics and appearance but ultimately offering roughly analogous levels of protection to the wearer. 

Such protection came at a price though and an Astartes must undergo extensive training before being certified to fight wearing a Tactical Dreadnaught Armour as the bulk and reduced agility of the suit can wrong foot the inexperienced and render even the most decorated of veterans vulnerable to more numerous or more lightly armoured foes.

But to master Tactical Dreadnaught Armour is to be able to walk unscathed through storms of shot and shell that would prove the death of a lesser armoured warrior.   

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris. To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus. 

I will be the first to admit that I have little by way of a frame of reference since I have spent precious little time around anyone with psychic abilities before, but being in the presence of a Quæsitor is an unsettling experience to say the least. Indeed, one could write much upon the subject of mankind's abject fear of and utter reliance upon the psychic members of our species, but I shall refrain from such digression here.

I am given to understand that the majority of orthodox Astartes chapters maintain a Librarius. There are of course exceptions to this, perhaps the most notable being the Templarum Ater, who I am assured reserve nothing but hatred towards those with even the barest hint of psychic talents. Within those chapters possessed of them though, in addition to such mundane tasks as record keeping and counselling their war leaders, the Librarius maintains oversight of the wellbeing and training of the battle-witches of the Adeptus Astartes. 

While the intricacies of the rituals and teachings that are their stock in trade are far beyond my comprehension, I believe that the origins of the Librarius lie within the Magna Crucis, though it was censured and disbanded by the Master of Mankind before it took root in all of the Legiones and was ultimately only resurrected in desperation as conventional warriors found they were all but powerless to combat the warpcraft wielded by those gathered to the banner of The Serpent. 

I believe that much of the garb of the Librarius emerged in this tumultuous time as well.  Indeed, Æplogestes's Admonitio Historiæ Imperialis suggests that the distinctive Psionic Hoods worn by members of the Librarius were derived in part from technoarcana recovered from the ruins of pre-Imperial cultures by the Mundi Comedentii and Manus Ferreae which took the form of collars of blackened silicate that, at great cost would allow the wearer to quiet the Immaterium, though I have been unable to fully corroborate this assertion.

If [REDACTED] is to believed, and I find I have no reason to doubt the veracity of his statements, then while they may appear similar in function and form to their Imperial counterparts, the origins of the abilities and armaments of the Quæsitors lie far earlier in the history of mankind, being instead derived from lessons hard won by a handful of Astartes with latent psionic abilities out among the Halo Stars. I believe that the Astartes do not feel fear, but what horrors must they have endured alone the darkness while attempting to gain understanding and mastery of their abilities? 

As comfortable as I was to eventually become among the majority the subjects of my rememberance, I remained unable to be entirely at ease with [REDACTED]. Merely being in his presence was unnerving enough as I have said, but when he revealed to me the power that Quæsitors possess in the disciplines such as divination, telepathy, fulmination and geomancy, a fear I could never entirely quiet remained ever present in my thoughts. To earn the ire of an Astartes would be terrible enough, but to anger one possessed of the ability to conjure fire from thin air, shatter the very earth itself or still hearts with but a thought would be so very much worse...

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris. To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus. 

Spear of Volnoscere. Bastards of Siklon. Reavers of the Void. It could be said that the Inanis Barones accumulated titles like they appropriated vessels but while names are easily afforded, not all are as deserved as they may seem.

That the Barones were masters of boarding actions and shock assaults is without question. Similarly beyond doubt is that they, like many before them, ascribed to the the belief that ‘might makes right’ which was to bring them to blows with those with whom they had common cause on more than one occasion.

But a more than momentary glance into the light cast by the names they were given though would reveal a more complex picture of misunderstanding and misrepresentation. Ever has truth been among the first casualties in the conflicts of man. 

Despite my misgivings, for the reputation of the Barones preceded their arrival, I found that [REDACTED] was unusually amiable for an Astartes, though at times I found his humours leaned more towards the melancholic and he was given to a sentimentality that in my, admittedly limited experience was rarely found in trans-humans.

The Sorrowful Years would come to visit much sadness upon Sectors Heliopolis and Morqub, but I felt an unusually personally loss when I learned of [REDACTED]’s death at the hands of Ordo Astartes agents and I shall always regret that I was unable to spend more time in his company as we would often discuss matters beyond those warcraft and battle tactics...

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris. To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus. 

 

I have little doubt that to an Astartes, internment in a Dreadnaught is a singular honour. One that allows him to continue to fight despite injuries so grievous they would overwhelm even transhuman physiology. An honour that ensures his hard won skill and knowledge are not lost to history.

But does such an honour transmute more than just the body? What must such isolation from the senses and the physical world we so take for granted do to a mind?

I wrestled with these questions often but could not bring myself to ask them of [REDACTED]. Instead, during the times we conversed I focused upon subjects I felt would be more palatable.

His elevation from neophyte to Astartes, his first combat deployment. His promotion in the field when he slew four of the monstrous Euyclalid. The battles he fought and foes he killed. Even the manner of his death and implantation into the sarcophagus of a Furibundus Dreadnaught, the design of which I am given to understand was old almost to the point of obscurity when the Astartes were young and the wars of Unity were yet to be concluded.

Old though the design might have been, it was no less fearsome or effective than a Contemptus Dreadnaught and on more than one occasion I found myself almost pitying those who did not call him an ally...

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris. To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus.

 

...I recall reading about the Void Hoplites of the Saturnyne Ordos in an account of the early years of the Great Crusade and how they kept the predations of Old Night at bay for centuries before the armies of Unification reached the Polities of Saturn.

With the formation of the Legiones Astartes, one might well question the purpose of continuing to train and equip men and women for the Solar pattern Auxilia but as I have seen, there are roles to which shock troops like the Astartes are ill-suited such as pathfinders and peacekeepers and it was in these arenas and more that former Void Hoplites excelled to such a degree that the Solar Auxilia became a template utilised throughout the galaxy.

I am uncertain whether the Argyntum Stellæ set forth from Sol in the company of cohorts of the newly minted Solar Auxilia or whether they became allied with them later, though of course even allowing for the time dilatory effects of travel through the Immaterium or repeated juvenat treatments, any who might have traveled with them into the darkness beyond the stars would be long dead.

Regardless of how long they had been in his service, it was clear that Volnoscere recognised and appreciated the capabilities of the Void Hoplites, even going so far as to afford them the honour of wearing the heraldry of the Legion including the Stellæ Argentae...

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris. To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus.

 

Starfall. The name seems innocuous enough, yet with hindsight the symbolism within it is as evident as it was no doubt deliberate. Ever has it been that man has sought to hide truths in plain sight though, the better to preserve the lie I suppose.

The events at Ul-Hiyar would would come to have a profound effect upon the Argyntum Stellæ and would play a significant role in the formation of what would become known as the Marines Mendicant but the consequences of the strike against Volnoscere would bear more unexpected fruit in the revival of the Oki-hāmau by the Legion.

Deployed throughout multiple theatres during the Sorrowful Years the Oki-hāmau was less of a formal assembly of dedicated units and more a loose band of ad-hoc formations assembled for specific "hunt/kill" undertakings, with each being led by an Astartes of the Legion. On occasion, this might be a member of the Kapihe though it seems that more frequently, command would fall to less senior officers or line Astartes.

As the parameters of such operations were so varied, it became common for mission leaders to be given significant discretion in their selection of materiel and personnel and as the Sorrowful Years ground on many such individuals came to recognise the benefits of a combined arms approach when assembling their team.

[REDACTED] can be considered broadly representative of an Oki-hāmau formation, and I believe them to have been present at [REDACTED] and [REDACTED], though I have been unable to confirm their presence in this theatre with any veracity and thus the latter of these undertakings should perhaps be attributed to Marines Mendicant operatives instead...

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris. To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus.

 

 

There were times when I wondered if following my curiosity had been folly.

Admittedly these were mostly when I found my person endangered but there were others too. In fact, many was the night cycle I found myself doubting the decisions I made along the path that led to The Primarch.

Now it seems clear that doubt was one of the prices of Enlightenment, for what are any of us if not the sum of our choices? But at the time, I felt as though everything I understood must be a lie which is a difficult place to be for one indoctrinated in the Imperial Creed.

As fate would have it, I was only to meet with Volnoscere once, but once was enough to convince me of what my purpose in this must be. The Argyntum Stellæ had departed Terra before the foundation of the Rememberancier order and thus the counting of their past was lost, but as they forged the future I would do what I could to ensure their deeds were witnessed. I am not naive enough to believe he counted me a friend after our meeting, but I'd like to think that my choices from then on pleased him.

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris. To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus.

 

"Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful."

Shellei, M., Francynstein. fl. M2

+++

I'm sure you will recall my previous discussion of Transhuman Dread and the deleterious effects it has upon unaugmented humans. It may surprise you to learn that in time, one may become, if not immune to it, then sufficiently inured as to not flinch in fear at the slightest movement an Astartes makes.

Even Transhuman Dread pales to insignificance in comparison to being regarded by the targeting augers of a 'Dreadnaught' though, and the first time that I found myself in the presence of [REDACTED] it was all I could do not to flee in terror.

My hosts appeared amused at my discomfiture and assured me that should my nerves get the better of me, the threat responses hardwired into the mnemocoils of [REDACTED]'s warsuit would ensure I would not live to make such a poor choice again. Though I never did find out if they spoke in jest, I can assure you that I was instantly resolved to never put their words to the test...

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris. To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus.

To many, the warriors of the Astartes must seem as though cast from exactly the same mould, particularly when fully clad in warplate. Indeed I have occasionally heard it said that so similar do they look that some think them to be no more than automata like the fearsome constructs of the Cult Mechanicus.

But to the more patient observer, the distinctions in markings, personal heraldry and unit identifiers even if esoteric and untranslatable begin to emerge from the canvas of each suit of armour.

I cannot pretend that I discerned the true meaning of much in my time with the Argyntum Stellæ, such was their penchant for veils of secrecy that was perhaps greater even than that of the Holy Ordos of His Inquisition. I was able though to glean some tantalising morsels that I believe are truths regarding the Kapihe though.

Counted among Volnoscere's most trusted and capable warriors, where others of lesser rank within the Legion displayed the characters 'CV' upon their left pauldron, I observed at least two officers that bore the designation 'CII' instead. This variant of such a common marking along with the peculiarities of their personal heraldry led me to conclude that these men were chosen and I resolved to try to discover what had made them so.

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris. To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus.

 

I believe it was The Weeping Philosopher who said: "War is father and king of all. It proves some to be gods and others merely human". As a non-combatant in what was clearly an Astartes war, my humanity was as painfully obvious to me as the inhumanity of the Astartes. I don't mean that they lacked mercy or compassion, though naturally those are not traits they are renowned for possessing. No, I mean that they are to us as we are to the Neyanderthel or Kro-Magon.

From the outset it was clear that Volnoscere had gathered to him those of aptitude and capability in the disciplines of war and arts of diplomacy or more often than not facets of both. Like a king naming warrior princes he formed what I came to know was ‘The Kapihe’, and to them he entrusted portions of the Legion, safe in the knowledge that with his forces in their capable hands, he could then focus his energies upon the reason for his return to the Imperium.

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris., To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus.

When at last I saw them, I recalled a passage that I had read, though even now I cannot recall the source:

“An Astartes is designed to fight and kill anything that doesn't annihilate it first. If you saw an Astartes, you knew you were in trouble. Their appearance alone would cow you with fear.  

But to see one move. Apparently that was the real thing. Nothing human-shaped should be so fast, so lithe, so powerful, especially nothing in excess of two meters tall and carrying more armour than four normal men could lift. The sight of an Astartes was one thing, but the moving fact of one was quite another. Psykologians called it ‘transhuman dread’. It froze a man, stuck him to the ground, caused his mind to lock up, made him lose control of bladder and bowel. Something huge and warlike gave pause; something huge and warlike and moving with the speed of a striking snake, that was when you knew that gods walked amongst men, and that there existed a scale of strength and speed beyond anything mortal, and that you were about to die and, if you were really lucky, there might just be time to piss yourself first."

I was no foolish Chelon, and had done my research of course, but reading about a thing and experiencing it are not the same. I had wanted to know though, I mean really wanted to know. Gods but how I wish now had been able to temper my curiosity.”

Illiatariu. C., Rememberancier Documantist Minoris. To Walk Among Demigods. A Treatise Upon The Nature of The Argyntum Stellae., Published 863.M33, Sector Heliopolis, Segmentum Pacificus.