The Metarune II

"Do the Farseers detect any temporal nexus points?", Joriana asked, one of the young women in Tashir's own squad asked. She had once walked the Path of the Seer but chose not to use her abilities in a martial capacity. Even at a time of conflict there was no bitterness about her choice; each of the People must walk the Path in their own way, listening to their own Song.

"They stated that there was some difficulty casting the runes for this mission, but that there were no detectable nexus points."

"Is there any understanding why the runes were difficult to cast?"

"Not entirely, although it has been suggested that the awakening of the Bloody Handed and the disruption it causes to the fabric of the local manifold spaces was cited as a reason."

Joriana nodded once, her curiosity obviously sated and settled back into her chair, as Carielen continued the briefing. "Atmospheric insertion will occur on the opposite hemisphere. Previous experience suggests that the breeders will not maintain significant sensor arrays in this area, such is their arrogance. Regardless, the ship will remain close to the forest canopy and terrain until it reaches the patterning area. The force will disembark. Scouts will push to the north and the breeder facility. Scorpions and Banshee will move to secure the surrounding forest to a distance of one thousand units. The patterning area itself will be secured by a combination of the ship and the Bonesinger's honour guard units. Once the patterning is ready to begin the ship will withdraw so as not to produce any potential interference. Holding patterns will be maintained unless contact is made with the breeders. Then delying tactics will be used over the personal honour of the inividual Shrines. Force leader is Calan, one that is Sworn to the Avenger Shrine."


"Tashir and Aliana. Your squads will act as the roving patrols, while mine will act as the bodyguard to the Seer. All that running around is for you hotbloods. Maintain communication with the scouts, since they shall contintue to keep at least half-an-eye on the breeders. Make periodic reports to er tel'vesta Calan every coisira kirma."

Carielen pauses glancing around the assembled warriors. "There is little more to add. All the information has been entrusted to your tea-shih, and they will be able to guide you through associated information. We shall depart in ten cycles following the Ritual of Disassociation."

The assembled women moved to depart, but were forestalled by Tashir's last question. "How long will it take for the Bonesinger to pattern this artefact?"

"Two re," Carielen replied, nodding to Tashir before moving out of the room with the other women. Tashir remained, continung to stare at the virtual display at the centre of the room. His eyes flitered across the various runes, briefly wondering at the complexity of the Eldar written system. Each rune a four-dimensional entity with numerous meanings depending on context and how and when it was viewed in the individuals Men Tel'eath, their own Way. A smile crossed his face as he recaled a story once told to him by one of his clan elders, of how some humans claimed to master the nuance of the Eldar script. Yet all but a very few failed to recognise that the trancripts he was so familiar with were but flimsy representations of the true essence. Frozen in time without context.

"Two re," Tashir repeated to himself, echoing Carielen's departing comment.

* * * * * * * * *

The central hall of the Shrine was preternaturally quiet as Tashir and fourteen women knelt around the pool and the flame. Though separate, their minds joined at the flame which burned to represent that part of themselves that burned with the Bloody Handed. They sat there surrounded by each other and the water that was the calm out of which the darker emotion arose. The flame fluttered to itself, the roar that would accompany the awakening of the Bloody Handed thankfully absent.

Standing in four of the six corners were the er tel'vesta, the exarchs. They were both the paramount practitioners of the Shrine forms on he Craftworld and also it's priests and priestessess. Figures of awe and pity, for they had chosen to abandon the Men Tel'eath. Each held one of the few ancient weapons of the Shrine, devices of the archaic past which only the exarchs were permitted to wield. The weapons were held out in benediction to the children of their Shrine, symbolising both the protection that they offered and the battle that those performing the ritual would soon go to.

Tashir centred himself on the flame, feeling its heat burn away the calm that was a usual part of the Way. He rose to the apex, burning hotter, sealing underneath the heat that part of him which quailed at the thought of so much time in the fire. Soon, even that thought was buried until only the flame existed. Only the passion that was both light and darkness to the Eldar remained. Raising his head as he raised the ngwawaien collanta, his outer and inner vision on the apex. His heightened perception quickly took in the almost luminescent quality to the eyes of the women that faced him. Then he pulled the helmet over his head, his vision gradually blacking out until, with a hiss of air, the seals locked in place and the suits systems powered up with a whine.

Opening his eyes once more, his vision was altered and enhanced by the suits systems. Virtual displays were projected so as to overlap his vision and provide him with information about his environment, his physiological status, the suit and the status of the weapons that were linked to it.

As individuals they sat but as squads joined through the Bloody Handed they arose. Tashirs squad was amongst the last to stand, but there was no dishonour meant in this, only a respect for the experience of the eldest amongst them. Then with a simple motion of her hand, the Banshee that had been Carielen moved out of the Hall followed by her squad and the others.

As the fifteen warriors - women no longer - moved out of the hall with singular purpose the exarchs lowered their weapons and moved forward to stand in front of the flame. What they saw is known only to those that are Shrine-Sworn...

* * * * * * * * *

It was only a short walk through the vast corridors of Ailech before the Banshee arrived in the staging area for the force. Standing at the rear of the small docking area was the ship that they would use to travel through the Web and the world beyond. Her lines were smooth, mirroring the organic as all Eldar craft tended to, somewhat akin to an insect with a broad bow that flared towards the centre and tapered into a fine 'tail' at the stern. The long mast that was present on many Eldar craft was absent, a feature that was not unusual with Ailech craft. Their engineers had long since integrated the shield and sensor systems into the main hull, the mast being too vulnerable to attack even though it did give a dynamic elegance to the design.

Arrayed around the ship were the small force that was to be used on this mission, consisting of ten scounts in their chameleonic clothing, the single Avenger squad, three Scorpion Squads and a single Hawk squad. Carielen had not mentioned the presence of the Hawks, and the forest canopy meant that their effectiveness would be limited. Tashir considered that the methods of the Warp Spiders might have been useful, but quickly discarded the idea as their teleportation devices would most likely have interfered with the patterning of the object.

Off to one side, next to an antigrav platform upon which sat what as presumably raw materials for the object to be patterned, stood three figures. The first was the tall exarch of the Avengers, or at least presumably so. While he wore the armour of that Shrine it was bone white, more akin to the armour that Tashir wore. Beside him was the lithe form of the Bonesinger, her feminine characteristics obvious despite the runic armour - similar to that worn by Tashir and the other Shrine Warriors, though with substantial psychc augmentation. Her robes were a dark blue, projecting bold script in a bright yellow that served as a warning to those that would attack them. As Joriana had once informed him, they were also employed to differentiate between the various abilities and power of the Seer as well as their status within the Men Tel'Istar. While not one who sat on the Council it was quite apparent that she was of not inconsiderable rank and ability.

Finally there was the smallest of the group, the Seer that would offer a psychic shield to render their approach invisible to any psykers that the breeders maintained. He was dressed in a similar fashion to the Bonesinger, though wore robes of back decorated with white symbols. Most surprising, however, was the fact that while apparently incredibly gifted he was but an apprentice. Tashir was sure that it was most unusual that an apprentice would be sent on a mission of such apparent importance.

As Tashir continued to study the group, the small Seer turned towards him. Though he could not see the Seers eyes, covered as they were with the helm of the runic armour, he felt the slight disorientation typically associated with telepathic contact. For a brief second Tashir felt as if his disassociated n'at amin was buckling under a feeling of empathy.

Then, suddenly, it was gone, leaving Tashir to all but stumble. Confused, he looked around seeing that almost all of the preparations for the journey had been made, and that the ship was in the final stages of warming up. Checking his suits chronometer he realised that he had somehow missed the past five li. Before he could fully question what had happened, the force began to board the ship and Tashir was left with thoughts of the flame...

Thanks, though the same applies to this one as the first one... As to the reference about the Metarune? There isn't one here.


True, true. You'll have to forgive the Psion-typing in the sun over coffee once more.


It is hokey, admittedly, but it is about the only way of introducing this type of information. You sould see similar examples in Shadow Point and Dawn of War!


References a specific type of "mon'keigh"...?

Kage