Nareth gazed at the newly advanced "Shepherd," Ramsey, and gave his orders.
"After leaving the Purgatory, you will proceed to Sodhein VIII to select wraiths and malevolent spirits for 'herding'."
Ramsey immediately recalled the information that had flooded his mind at the moment of his soul's tearing.
The core ability he gained as a "Shepherd" was "herding", herding lambs for the divine.
The range of souls that could be "herded" included wraiths and malevolent spirits.
"By Your will." Ramsey bowed in acknowledgment.
"This is merely a short-term transition." Nareth thought for a moment, then continued.
"You will communicate with the members of the Court within your Chapter, select those who, even in death, wish to continue fighting by your side, and induct them into your Honour Guard."
"After they fall in battle, 'herd' their souls."
"Every century, you will replace the 'herded' souls."
A "Shepherd" can 'herd' at most seven souls. The number of wraiths and malevolent spirits they can command is far fewer than a "Gatekeeper" of the Death Pathway at the same Sequence 5. The true combat power comes from the souls of beyonders.
A "Shepherd," when 'herding' each soul, can select and solidify three of its beyonder abilities, which cannot be changed afterward.
Through the effective combination of up to twenty-one beyonder abilities, the "Shepherd" is arguably the most versatile Sequence 5, and with a perfect combination, the most powerful at that level.
"Scribes" like Santiago Borgkamp can't match the original potency of the abilities they "record."
"Polymaths" like Arsena, even with continuous observation and study, struggle to fully comprehend beyonder abilities and can almost never perfectly replicate them.
"Prometheus" like Tierney are expressly forbidden by Nareth from "stealing" beyonder abilities.
Only a "Shepherd" can truly master and wield the beyonder abilities of other Pathways with perfect proficiency.
Even the un-evolved "Mentor of Disorder" of the Black Emperor Pathway at Sequence 5 would find it difficult to match the combat power of a "Shepherd" with a well-chosen combination of abilities, especially since a "Shepherd," while able to only drive one soul at a time to use its abilities, can sDemoness between them instantly.
However, even the powerful "Shepherd" within their Sequence still faces two problems.
The first is acquiring souls. No one willingly has their soul devoured; they resist with all their might.
As Lord of the Tenth Chapter, Ramsey can acquire souls with relative ease.
Among the original Shadows of Order, numbering approximately twenty-three thousand.
There are over five thousand Court members. Among these, over a thousand are not of the Hanged Man Pathway and possess no inherent beyonder abilities themselves.
The former Faceless now number about thirty-eight thousand, and among them, over five hundred Court members are not of the Hanged Man Pathway.
Convincing seven, or even seventy, out of these fifteen hundred should not be difficult for Ramsey.
The second problem is the agony of the soul after being 'herded.'
Living inside another's body is never a pleasant experience. But being inside the body of a Chapter Lord who once led them and fought beside them in life is different.
However, Nareth would not allow them to be 'herded' indefinitely. He would decree that "Shepherds" replace their 'herded' souls every century, releasing the original souls.
The voice of "Majesty" echoed in Ramsey's mind like thunder. He shuddered, bowing his head in acknowledgment.
"By Your will."
"You have just suffered mental torment. Go and rest through meditation." Nareth's tone was concerned.
Beyond Ramsey's suffering during his advancement to "Shepherd," Nareth also considered that the Hand of Darkness might have influenced Ramsey during the ritual. If Ramsey accompanied him, there could be adverse reactions.
The chill receded from Ramsey's body. He looked up at the Black Emperor's perfect, marble-sculpted face.
It was an unearthly quality, an aloof, transcendent bearing, that no biomancer or full-fledged "Rose Bishop," regardless of their adjustments, could truly possess.
The awe-inspiring dignity and majesty of the Black Emperor faded, replaced by the concern of a gene-father that penetrated his body and soul.
A memory flashed through Ramsey's mind, his father saving him from the tragic fate of becoming an experimental subject at the hands of the Andraians.
"My Lord, Your voice is the solid soul-armor in the freezing darkness."
"Your voice echoes in the depths of my soul, helping me overcome pain."
"I shall etch Your voice and concern into my heart through meditation."
After Ramsey withdrew, Nareth strode out of the operations base.
Combining reports from the Augury Matrix team with briefings from the 1st and Tenth Chapters, he had already confirmed the location of the Hand of Darkness.
A stark, black peak jutting from the blood-red earth.
Nareth spread his golden wings and soared into the air.
The howling wind battered against his black armor, carrying a stench of blood and decay perceptible only to a Primarch.
On the ground, the "Judges" of the First Chapter were "imprisoning" the blood-red scarecrows in amber-like substances. The "Shadow Ascetic" of the Tenth Chapter silently approached the herdsmen, capturing the monkey-shaped creatures with tranquilizer darts.
Suddenly, the black peak came into Nareth's view.
His obsidian eyes focused on a colossal statue at the summit.
The statue, about ten point three eight meters tall, was constructed of stone blocks resembling black basalt.
Nareth, looking down at the statue, compared it with the memories of the Autarch, Slau Dha, and immediately identified the effigy as that of the Crone Goddess, Morai-Heg.
After entering the shrine of the Howling Banshee sect, Slau Dha had seen statues of the Daughters of Morai-Heg on either side, and the statue of the Crone Goddess herself in the center.
Nareth's gaze then fell upon a peculiar hand on the statue. It should have been severed, symbolizing how She sent Her two daughters to whisper in the ears of Her husband, Kaela Mensha Khaine, forcing the Bloody-Handed God to cut off Her five fingers.
Where there should have been an empty space, a black claw now rested. The moment his gaze fell upon it, thoughts materialized in his mind:
Destroy each and every world he encountered, turning them into Purgatorys.
Slay the Emperor, destroy the Imperium.
...
'Trying to corrupt me?'
Nareth smirked and instantly ascended to the Third Level of the Thelema mindstate.
The cluttered thoughts in his mind shattered with a bang.
A sweep of his wings cleared the chaos. He swooped down.
Nareth raised his right hand, reaching for the claw.
Whoosh!
His hand grasped at empty air.
A Primarch had missed.
Nareth flipped, twisting his descending body. He raised his hand again, black mist coalescing in his palm, and grasped for the claw.
This time, he caught the black claw.
The moment it entered his hand, he felt a sticky, nauseating sensation, as if he had grabbed hold of a piece of living flesh.
Nareth moved his mind.
Whoosh!
The black claw vanished.
Nareth spread his wings, hovering in mid-air.
'Guilliman, I've swindled you plenty of times. This time, I've actually helped you.
Without the Hand of Darkness, Mortarion's Plague War... your five hundred... well, your Ultramar will suffer less hardship.'
He remembered that to counter this threat, Guilliman had provided information to the Aeldari Farseer Eldrad Ulthran and Yvraine, leader of the Ynnari, leading to Yvraine stealing the Hand of Darkness to recover the Aeldari artifact.
'Abaddon, you gained it only to lose it. You might as well not have it at all.'
Beyond the veil, a pair of eyes watched the Purgatory.
....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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