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>You’re aboard the imperator-class titan ‘Sundial’ as it strides through the rolling hills of Infinity
>You’re praying at an altar of the Kroniissiah inside the massive cathedral that doubles as a clock tower, all atop the god engine’s left shoulder
>You have fully given yourself to the Adeptus Kroniicus, becoming a dedicated techpriest charged with the maintenance of the mighty walker you now kneel in
>A techmarine approaches the altar and kneels beside you, lighting some incense before clasping his hands in prayer
>The marine’s voice is low and hushed
>”When were you first enlightened to the Kroniissiah?”
>A faint whirring kicks in as your thought processor sorts through centuries of memories and experiences
>You sigh. “I will never forget it.” You begin
>”My world was like most in the imperium, a not yet fully tamed planet dotted with hive cities and clusters. I was young and carefree, back when I still clung dearly to my flesh...I like to think my creators properly raised and socialized me. Although we were not the poorest among our hive city, we certainly did not live atop the spires. Life was...”
>Your cogitator struggles to come up with a word to accurate relay your thoughts
>”Good. Yes. Good. Though I admit I was a troublemaker. My compatriots and I found great joy in stealing fruit and other merchandise from local traders. We would eat them as we ran from them, laughing as we went. We were always able to outrun them, and once we knew they had given up we would feed any leftovers to the stray dogs we found in the street. The arbites felt we were not worth the effort to arrest or prosecute.”
>The techmarine nods his head in contemplation
>”You feel nostalgic for that time?”
>You shake your head.
>“Nostalgia is a weakness of the flesh. A fuzzy and euphoric filter for memory. It bends the truth and appeals to emotion, a most illogical concept.”
>The techmarine bows his head slightly. “That may be true, but if it gives humanity hope and the motivation to continue to live, then is it not at least slightly helpful and worth keeping? Surely you can find the logic in that.”
>You mull the question over before you are interrupted by the techmarine
>”My apologies, do continue with your story.”
>You begin again. “It all changed when the warp storms came. Nurgle had seen fit to isolate our world from the warp. We had prepared for a grueling siege from demons of Nurgle or the Death Guard. But they never came. What once was prosperous was now slowly dying. Food became more and more expensive and less and less abundant. Soon we had riots in the streets. Neighbor turned against neighbor. It was anarchy. The water grew polluted and our food grew poisoned. The rats and bugs multiplied. An environmental filtration mask became a necessity.”
>You take an moment to organize your thoughts before you continue
>”I had always relied on my parents for support in times of crisis. It only made it hurt more when they were killed. They had taken an extra loaf of bread—for me—but they could not convince the rest of those waiting in line. They slaughtered them like animals.”
>Your voice modulator peaks slightly. It takes a moment to readjust it