Ilroraniel's Story

The webway opened, and through the gate passed the craft world Authrindor. Forty eight thousand Eldar souls, living and contained in spiritstones, all seeking a new system to inhabit, an escape from the endless war.

Aboard the vessel, in a large section with it's own library and living spaces, Ilroraniel stood looking out over the aurora through an echo glass, a unique contraption invented by a artificer friend who's interest in creating new perplexing and confusing devices made him seem outright childish at times. The Echo Glass allowed one to psychically transmit themselves to a location, allowing one to feel as though they were literally walking through space.

An soothing experience, if distracting.

Ilroraniel released the device and returned to the vessel, turning and setting about to meet with the council that led it. Now that they were in a never before explored section of space, her people expected her to lead them through whatever mysteries and dangers would no doubt come, both out of the future, and from their past.

A disturbance in the Way acquired Myrkul's attention. A healthy creature rambling through some disused Way created by another. Some old haggard creation by its errant disturbances of toughtform. One not noticed by Myrkul as its own network spread out through the stars. Though the passage must be more rigid, robust, it interested Myrkul in the wakes of mind it felt were pushed through the creaking obscured passage. Those minds were contained somehow, surely? It moved mass directly.

Ji, creatures of the Jinhai psi-seed but with attendant powers shaping the Way rather than matter set to follow the fading signal. They poked at reality trying to find atmosphere rather than opening an entrance into a wall, people, or equipment. It might seem to the Eldar a hand-sized door into the Webway attempting to manifest by itself in their proximity. The entrance moved erratically as Ji drilled test potentials through reality to track a moving target, haphazardly so at best, from the other side of reality.

Others constructed a bridge through the walls of reality into the curious hidden structure near to the Way. They chased the noise opening generated. Glowing little mouse-holes through hard walls hooded men poured themselves across.

Ilroraniel would really have to thank the artificer after today, for another of his contraptions, one that more practical by far than the most of them, was a inhibitor marker, which served a simple yet paramount function. No creature could warp aboard the vessel without the proper tonal key. This made way gate usage slightly more of a hassle, but all agreed that preventing demons of the warp and various other unwanted guests far outweighed the hindrance the markers caused.

Simply put, the Jinhai would not be able to gain access to the ship, they would hardly even be able to see it, in the way that they did. They would know it was there, but it's presence would be like an echoe to them, as though it was there, or had been there, and was no longer there. This echoe would reciprocate off any other signal in reality within a distance of the craft world. At once it would be as though there were dozens of these echoes from all over, and the jinhai would find it impossible to determine which, if any, was the real ship.

For those actually residing in the physical plane, the markers were a far simpler problem. The any attempt to open a portal or teleport to the ship, would result in a failure, as the portal or teleported individuals would instead open in a random part of space nearby. Needless to say, this would result in a rather embarassing need to call for pick up.

Ji quickly realized their quest for the echo was fruitless after some false positives left them in the void of space. Not that they breathed but there was little mass out here in the dark. Another alerted by the noise pulled them backward through the small aperture as both retreated to try again. There were a few more attempts before the Ji looking for the ship returned to others seeking the gate. That at least was a curiosity which would stay in one place. They merely recorded their observation of the passing hidden thing for Jinhai elsewhere to contemplate.

Back at where t hey thought the gate to be Jinhai that emerged from a hole Ji maintained in the Way flailed some at first. They were forced to hold onto each other long enough to make a spatial anchor out of threads of psimass. Lacking in structural materials this position would be difficult to construct but a worthwhile study. As the spatial anchor was moved back into place near the Way gate Jinhai clambered onto the small sphere weaved a shining thread to protect the anchor housing. Spars of Ferroplasm arrived later as Ji widened their Way gate. It wasn't a particularly stealthy maneuver and none had any interest in keeping their effort clandestine from the ship that had just left. As a fibrous platform wove larger and larger around the populated spatial anchor more Jinhai arrived with space to work. They'd need a good physical access with which to study the gate and a stable place from which to do so.

The jinhai's sudden appearance at the location where they had just appeared sent alarms running all throughout the craft world, and Ilroraniel was among the rest of the council asking questions.

A ranger spoke up then "We are still not sure what it is. There was something trying to track us, and from the source of the signal we assumed it was from the warp."

"Demons then? No doubt some imperial fool created some brash piece of technology and then fell to corruption. Prepare the nightwings to engage, but let it be known their only task is to buy time for the Craft world to escape." Ilroraniel stated in a matter of fact tone. She herself then set off to the launch bays to take part of the fight. Others of her station may think it too risky to engage in battle, wasting a life of experience and purpose, but she could not sit idle. She had led her people here, they had followed her into the unknown, and trusted her to guide them safely. She would do everything it took to ensure they're faith was rewarded.

The signal gone away Jinhai had nothing to occupy them but the building of a Way station to store materials. Also for certain functions of astrometrics they'd been informed of by imperial guards this far from a reference point like the way gates on planets of Mankind. Inside the hexagonal container woven arches to the void of space were on each side as the Jinhai had no need to breathe. They set to creating a beacon with which to properly anchor a Way gate. Seven Jinhai now on the task as fighters were distantly prepared Jinhai write into being a platform is constructed the whriling nest of scintillating threads of psimass that lit colorfully into the psychic field. Others wove intricately moving parts to place in bonded orbit of the anchored center column to stabilize its rotation and provide awareness for psychometric stability. Another Jinhai carefully decorated a relief of the sigil of the Emperor of Man on the small open platform.

Black motes poured from a Jinhai's hand into the carefully woven psitech machine. A Jinhai donated to the machine that it could live though it would not be sapient. The beacon lit strongly a peal of singing light hidden within a carefully crafted position signal. It would be difficult to use the signal for astrometrics without a donation of motes from that continuum which danced throughout the Pharos. The psionic machine was meant to be paired to ones of like mind to hear the churning tongue describing the intersecting topology of both spaces. Just being near the station the sensitive could hear the heavy thrumming heart of motes singing in unison inside the Pharos.

As the way gate ceased to be the energetic wave of unbound motes poured into the Pharos tearing it apart with a discordant sad note. With nowhere to go the Jinhai disincorporated themselves energetically rather than let the motes taint the platform. The explosions of white flashes ignited the psimass weave and grey smoky ether evaporated in all directions.

Master stepped down from the console, looking just a bit more pale than usual. He glanced over to Ilroraniel and Cryoface and squinted for a moment before speaking.

How did you two get in here?

he inquired haphazardly, knowing full well what was going on.

Cryoface took the question rather literally.

Well, first I ducked down a little, being as big as I am, and then I just kind of let myself melt a little bit so I could shimmy through the doorway.

Master didn't spare a second to respond.

Reasonable. Well then, I suppose we're off. Exit is that way if you don't want to be here.

Master gestured towards the wall.

Cryoface brushed off the suggestion.

Why would I, after all the work I put in just to be here? Plus you're one of the few flesh-forms I've met that I can look in the eye. Surely you are a mighty warrior among your kind, as am I. If this is indeed a possession of yours, I'm eager to see what it can do as a reflection of your own capability.

Its voice sounded like ice cubes cracking and clinking in a water glass...reasonable for an elemental, perhaps.

Stepping in the strange nothingness a woman who stood confidently while dressed in green garish clothes seemingly flamboyant and yet stylish. On her head was a tri-corner hat while her short blonde hair could be seen peeking out. Gazing around at everything, she exhaled and approached the figures, "Well isn't this quaint, enough here for a Tea Party. Being, I have no idea how I got here, nor do I feel necessary to ask, I shall instead simply introduce myself."

The strange woman paused and took a long deep breath, she then spoke in a cordial tone, "I am the Hatter, you may know me by the deeds I perform or the reputation that precedes myself. It neither important, but when one does know their company it be far more adventurous to approach with a certain caution. Being none of you appear in charge, I can only assume that you like me are confused by this strange almost unfathomable place we seem to be in, correct?" already her mind was working, trying to concoct whatever way to level or raise the plain field in her favour. Never one, to fight fair, she instead was working out how this situation could benefit her.

Illroraniel blinked elven eyes in a rare display of shock and surprise. At one moment she had been directed the warhost aboard her peoples craftworld, preparing to lead a sortie in search of supplies, and the next she found herself aboard this vessel, surrounded by a host of oddities and lesser beings.

"What by Isha's grace is this?!!" She asked, her tone threatening indignation and anger, even as her grip on the singing spear she held pointed at those around her tightened. "What have you foolish humans done this time?"

Issachar Remaeus stared blankly at the passenger, wondering if they were completely oblivious to warp travel. After an awkward pause, he spoke up.

The exit is that way.

he said, pointing out.

The Fem Scout exits the bus and tosses the driver...a shining yellow key. With a quick reload of her prized Scattergun, she set foot into the new area and looks around rather nonchalantly.