The two crusades, the Human and the Eldari crusade, had become one, marching through the glittering orb of the fractal Webway gate. Their procession was illuminated by the Warp storms that ravaged the skies above, and which seemed to increase in number as time went on.
The Eldar had passed through first, reuniting with their craftworlder kin on the other side and telling them that everything was fine, with solemn nods. The Imperials had gone through last, each of them astonished by the size of the Eldari warhost beyond. The Webway was akin to a world of marvels and unlike anything they had ever seen.
As incredible as the Webway's ancient architecture was, it was merely a precursor to the glory that awaited them, the vector through which the allies would advance toward their true destination: the realm of Ultramar and its capital world, Macragge.
Gerhard studied everything around him using the [Observe] skill. He wanted to know all he could from the Eldar, while they were still present, and he was even more interested in the Webway itself.
A very interesting thing he found out was the material from which most of the Eldar's possessions were made: Wraithbone.
---
[Wraithbone - Rank: Legendary]
| Wraithbone is a psycho-plastic substance used by the Eldar for a variety of purposes, including the construction of buildings, ships, and weapons. Essentially, Wraithbone is solidified Warp energy shaped by an Eldari called a Bonesinger. While all Eldar possess the innate ability to manipulate Wraithbone, Bonesingers dedicate several human lifetimes to mastering the art of using their psychomorphic talents to accelerate the formation of psychotropic crystals found within Wraithbone.
| Fragments of Wraithbone can be employed to initiate new structures. Typically, the Eldar holds the fragment in place using telekinesis and guides it to take root and grow in the desired pattern before releasing it from their telekinetic grip. Older pieces of wraithbone require more time and guidance to change shape, growing at a slower pace.
| Wraithbone cannot be shattered by metal. It is stronger than any known plasteel and harder to damage than adamantium, with 8–10 mm of Wraithbone being equivalent to 30–45 mm of Imperial armour material. In fact, Wraithbone is a thousand times stronger than steel.
| However, wraithbone that is conjured rapidly by a Bonesinger is weaker, being roughly as strong as rockcrete.
| A simple shape, such as a crude spear, can be formed in seconds, but the Wraithbone it quickly conjures is comparatively brittle and weak compared to the potential super-material it can become.
| With teams of Bonesingers and enough time, objects stronger than the hull of a voidship can be created.
| Wraithbone can self-repair, retaining its form to a limited extent. A Bonesinger can expedite this process by repairing damage and restoring its shape. Conversely, a Bonesinger can also disrupt the structure, breaking or severely damaging it, or weakening it enough to do so.
| Being created from Warp energy, wraithbone possesses innate psychic abilities that allow it to function as a communication pathway in addition to providing structural support. It carries psychic energy similar to how a cable conducts current, while also containing psychic shields that protect occupants from the Warp.
| To the Aeldari, there is no distinction between technology and nature. Psychoplastics like Wraithbone are engineering materials that lie between the two, forming the core of every Craftworld.
| Wraithbone effectively performs all the functions a machine would. The organic crew members utilise their psychic powers to perform various tasks, but it is the Wraithbone itself that executes them.
| In the case of Eldar ships, the basic framework is constructed from Wraithbone, followed by the creation of the interior spaces, culminating with the installation of the actual internal components. Even the grand Craftworlds are made of Wraithbone, which was crucial for the survival of their inhabitants during the emergence of Slaanesh, as the psychic shield of the Wraithbone protected them from his overwhelming psychic scream.
| Wraithbone is also used to create Eldar runes, complex, interwoven shapes arranged in distinct patterns. Because they are composed of Wraithbone, the runes maintain a connection to the Warp and can both contain and direct psychic energy. Wraithbone runes have a protective function; they are impervious to external psychic energies and can act as fuses that destroy themselves, severing the connection between the Seer and the Warp.
---
Gerhard had one thought after he read all that: I want some.
And getting some he did. He walked up to Eldrad Ulthran as they were making their way through the massive Webway. Before he could reach the Farseer, though, he was stopped by dozens of others who protected one of their most valuable leaders.
"Forgive me, but I was wondering if I could talk to your leader. I guarantee you, it will be a fruitful discussion," Gerhard said.
The Eldar didn't answer, seeing it as beneath them to speak High Gothic. Getting no answer, Gerhard tilted his head slightly.
[Observe]
"Mr Argvel, is it? I would really like to talk to Farseer Eldrad Ulthran. If you would at least tell him that I'm here?"
Hearing his own name, the Eldar was shocked and then wary. He didn't like that a Mon'keigh, as the Eldar condescendingly called Humans, knew him. Before a commotion could erupt from this, though, Eldrad intervened.
"What is it that you wish?" he asked.
"I was wondering, now that we are working towards the same goal, whether you could spare me a small piece of your armour. Not yours in particular, just the most basic one."
Eldrad observed Gerhard with scrutiny. Gerhard was a blank piece of paper for the ancient Eldar, quite literally in fact. He couldn't even read his microexpressions, as Gerhard had full control over his body, and [Gamer's Mind] was a nightmare for him.
"I am even willing to exchange it for a piece of equipment from my side if that--"
!!!
[Mental Mirror]
"AAAARRRHHHHH!!!!" Eldrad suddenly screamed in pain and held his head.
He fell to the ground, unable to withstand the sheer pressure he felt. dozens, hundreds of Eldari were suddenly alerted to the shouting and rushed forward. Seeing Eldrad screaming in pain and Gerhard standing in there, they believed they understood what had happened and attacked.
The [Mental Mirror] had activated automatically, not only reflecting his psychic probe but also amplifying the rejection through [Gamer's Mind] and the skill's high level. This presented the Farseer's mind probing with an infinite, impregnable mind that refused to be perceived.
"Mon'keigh treachery!" Argvel hissed, his Diresword shimmering to life with a deadly hum. Dozens of shuriken catapults were levelled at Gerhard's chest, the psycho-reactive triggers itching for the slightest movement. The Imperial soldiers behind Gerhard reacted in kind, the heavy thrum of bolters and hellguns being aimed and the hiss of power weapons activating, filling the Webway tunnel.
"ENOUGH!"
The command didn't come from the humans. It came from Eldrad himself. Still on one knee, trembling and bleeding from his nose, the Farseer raised a shaking hand. The psychic pressure in the air dissipated as if it had never been there.
"My lord, the human attacked your mind!" Argvel protested, his blade still pointed at Gerhard's throat.
"No," Eldrad rasped, slowly rising without his usual Eldari grace.
He turned his piercing eyes toward Gerhard, a flicker of genuine wary respect and a hint of fear crossing his features. He had only ever met one Human with a mind as powerful as that. And even then, it wasn't the same feeling.
"The fault... is mine. I sought to intrude and read what is not mine to know. I walked into a mirror and was struck by my own reflection."
He motioned for his kin to lower their weapons. The Eldar obeyed, though their gazes remained murderous. Eldrad straightened his robes and armour, calming his nerves and mind.
"You are a strange creature, Gerhard Valkyrie. Your mind is a fortress unlike any I have seen. But your request is as blunt as your race. You ask for Wraithbone? You ask for the sacred material of our race as if it were common iron?"
"I offer fair trade, Farseer," Gerhard replied, his voice calm despite the dozens of murderous eyes still looking at him.
He was calm and collected, not even the sight of hundreds of weapons had unnerved him. Or so it seemed to the observers. Gerhard was tense, unlike ever before. He didn't like someone trying to read his mind, and Eldrad deserved what he got. But still, he almost got into a massive fight just now.
But he couldn't allow himself to think about that. He needed to remain calm and continue this 'transaction."
"There is no trade for this," Eldrad said coldly. "To give you Wraithbone is to give you a piece of our soul. You may be an ally against the Great Enemy, but you are still a short-lived scavenger. The answer is no."
Gerhard didn't flinch. Naturally, Eldrad declined, and his reasoning was exaggerated. Piece of their soul, my ass. That was a lame excuse. They could grow Wraithbone. It wasn't a limited resource as long as they had a Bonesinger.
He reached into a pocket and furtively reached into his inventory. He withdrew a small, glowing pink object.
The reaction was more profound than the previous psychic scream from Eldrad. The Eldar nearby gasped, some even falling back a step in shock. And some grew angry beyond belief. In Gerhard's palm sat a warm, glassy crystal that pulsed with a soft light.
It was a medium-grade Spirit Stone.
Eldrad froze. His staff tapped slightly against the Webway floor. To an Eldar, seeing a Spirit Stone in the hands of a human was like seeing a holy relic in the paws of a beast, or a kidnapped child in the hands of a captor.
Now, he understood that this didn't look like one of their Spirit Stones, but he also understood that whatever it was that gave Gerhard this, or wherever he got this from, it would be invaluable to them. It felt like one of their Spirit Stones, if a bit different.
"Where did you get that?" Eldrad's voice was a low, dangerous whisper. "That is the soul of one of my kin. If you have desecrated a waystone, not even our alliance will save you from a slow death."
"It is unassigned," Gerhard said, noting the intense spike in Eldrad's heart rate. "Pure. It is not one of your Spirit Stones and houses no Eldar soul inside it. But I suppose it could be purified further and become a vessel waiting for a soul to save it from She Who Thirsts."
He looked Eldrad in the eye.
"And I can ensure more of these find their way into your hands. I have... methods of acquisition that do not involve whatever method you use to create or acquire them."
Eldar Spirit Stones, also known as Waystones or Soul Stones, and mythically referred to as the Tears of Isha, are gem-like stones worn on an Eldar's chest. They serve as conduits for Eldar psychic powers and the creation of Wraithbone.
These stones capture the psychic energy of an Eldar's soul at the moment of their death, preventing their still-conscious spirit from entering the Warp and being preyed upon by the thirsting Chaos God Slaanesh.
Spirit Stones containing the spirits of the deceased are interred within a Craftworld's Infinity Circuit.
The Craftworld Eldar go to great lengths to preserve and recover Spirit Stones. Within a warhost, the primary duty of a Spiritseer is to recover these stones.
However, Rangers on the Path of the Outcast also undertake the extremely dangerous task of searching ancient battlefields and venturing into the Eye of Terror to find new Spirit Stones.
The Spirit Stones were their most precious resource, the only thing standing between them and eternal damnation in case they die. Therefore, the discovery of a source of "new" stones was a miracle beyond reckoning for them.
Eldrad looked at the stone, then at Gerhard. The Farseer knew he was being manipulated, but the prize was too great to ignore. He reached into the folds of his robes and withdrew a small, jagged splinter of rainbowy material. It hummed with psychic energy.
"A Bonesinger's Shard," Eldrad murmured. "A concentrated seed of raw, unshaped Wraithbone. It can be sung into form by those with the skill to do it."
"One shard for the stone," Eldrad declared.
Gerhard extended his hand and handed over the medium-grade Spirit Stone to the Farseer. He had indeed manipulated Eldrad, as his Spirit Stone, though it was almost the same, didn't rely on psychic powers or psionics. It worked off of Mana and was therefore useless to him.
Because without Gerhard, who had Mana, the captured Mana would eventually dissipate and turn to the energy Eldrad used: psychic energy. Therefore, Gerhard didn't fear handing out one such stone.
"A fruitful transaction," Gerhard said, a small, knowing smile tugging at his lips.
He knew just what he could create with Wraithbone. Now, all he needed were the Necron Mindshackles, which Inquisitor Greyfax still had within her system.
Then... oh boy... then he could really start creating.
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For those interested in my type of writing. I just started two Warhammer 40k fic. This one will continue as it did, so don't worry.
There will be no Gamer system in those, so no long chapters with info dumps. If you like Warhammer and want more of a Space Marine but a more independent-type story, then have a look.
I will go for the one that gets more interest like reviews, comments and the like.