NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: I'm just going to continue on from the other thread.

IC:

Tsavong Lah slowed and positioned himself beside Lucian as they walked the corridors of the worldship. A faint scent of blood and raw meat hung in the corridor as they made their way into the heart of the ship.

"I can see already that our people's share much in common. I also have noted that you did indeed come in peace to us. Fear not, the prattlings of infidel emissaries will not sway my mind one way or another. Neither will they reach the ear of the Supreme Overlord.

"I suspect that you are curious to learn of our own way of life. During this tour of this worldship I will endeavour to teach you of the Talaaxian way of life. I will begin with the Gods."

He turned to a sphincter-like door in the corridor and pressed his hand into a hole beside it. After registering his identity, the door irised open. The room on the other side was a chamber of veneration. Statues of the Gods stood on pedestals at different points around the chamber. In a large alcove to one side sat several Embraces of Pain, waiting for a master.

"These are the Gods of our culture. Yun-Yuuzhan, the Creator" - he pointed to the largest one, standing proudly atop his pedestal on his one leg. Several parts of his body were missing. - "Yun-Yuuzhan, at the beginning of time sacrificed parts of himself to create the universe and the other Gods. In veneration of him, we sacrifice parts of ourselves to honour his own sacrifice. A simple glance at any of us will show this to be true." Tsavong Lah stood back a moment to allow the Chronosians to see for themselves. His ears, nose, lips, hair, right arm up to the elbow, left foot and several fingers had all been removed over the years. In place of limbs new organic parts had been grown. In place of others there was nothing.

He pointed to the next statue, this one of a warrior God standing knee deep in corpses and wielding an amphistaff ready to strike down hundreds more. "This is Yun-Yammka, the Slayer and God of the Warriors. In veneration of him, we slay and make war. His only joy is in the death of infidels and worthy warriors."

He moved on to the next statue. "This is Yun-Ne'shel, namesake of this ship and Goddess of Life. Yun-Ne'shel gives life to and cares for all Talaaxians and our living servants. We create life to please Yun-Ne'shel."

The next pedestal held no statue at all. "This is, or at least represents, Yun-Harla the Trickster. Yun-Harla is the Goddess of Deceit and Treachery. She sows confusion and chaos in the world of mortals, deceiving our enemies so that we may conquer them. He true form is not known and so there is no statue of her and never will be. No one can ever know the true form of Yun-Harla."

The next pedestal in line held two statues locked in a passionate embrace. "This is Yun-Txiin and Yun-Qaah the lover gods. They are lesser deities and seldom worshiped. They are only venerated at the joining of male and female."

On the last pedestal stood a hideous, thousand eyed being. "This is Yun-Shuno, the Pardoner and patron of the Shamed Ones. All those who have fallen into the disfavour of the other Gods must pray to her for forgiveness. This is rarely granted. Her thousand eyes watch us all and judge all Talaaxians. These are our deities, the Gods of our culture."

Lucian nods, examining these gods with a fetid interest; amused at how these gods seem to cater so well to the Talaaxians will; while they know nothing of the Chronosian Gods. A wry smirk crosses his face behind the death-like mask of his armor.

"Indeed; fascinating. A truly marvellous pantheon" He smiled softly. "We have Four Gods; Khorne, the God of War and Blood; the great tyrant upon his throne of skulls. Nurgle; lord of decay and Disease; my master. A bloated and corpulent god; who spews forth ailments into the mortal world. There is Slaanesh, who embodies perfection; sought through visceral sensation; pain and pleasure; drugs and indulgence. All these are pursuits of his followers. And there is Tzeentch, the Changer of the Ways; the Master of Fate, he who controls progress and mutability. All malleable before the cleansing hand of Tzeentch"

Tsavong Lah listened carefully, although matters of religion were of no interest to him. His interest was in battle and glory. "Your Gods are intriguing, but religion is not my concern. Perhaps one of our priests will one day wish to study your Gods, but I live for battle."

Leaving no window for further conversation, Tsavong Lah led the way across the room to the closest Embrace of Pain. "This is The Embrace of Pain. It is of the utmost importance to our people. It allows us to truly experience the True Way. To, as the name suggests, embrace pain and conquer it so that it is no longer an impediment. The device is also used as a torture device, although only on infidel species. It administers a constant excrutiating level of pain on it's user. The beauty of the embrace is that it administers so much pain as to be unbearable, but when the user begins to lose consciousness the embrace slackens it's hold long enough for the user to regain a shred of his or her fortitude and then begins again and again and again."

Bump

Lucian looked at the device, smirking softly. How Remiel would savor such torments and teasings; this thing, such a sharpened tool of indulgence and insight; an implement of torture and torrid moments of self-mutilation.

"An interesting assortment" He breathed "Interesting indeed; a fine and interesting device. Again, my brother would have much interest in it; and your culture. There is much we could learn from each other; much indeed..."

"We could donate several of these devices to you, if you so wish. If anything, they would make more than adequate torture devices. But we can discuss that later, there is still much more I'm sure you would like to see and learn." Tsavong Lah gestured to the door and led the way back into the corridor, leading the Chronosians deeper into the massive worldship.

"Each of our ships is grown from yorik coral. The exterior is hard and stony, at least as dense and strong as your own "steel". The interior is more fleshy, being the actual insides of a living creature. Each ship is a living, semi-sentient creature. It thinks, it feels pain and can experience emotion. They require food, of course, and feed on rocks and planetoids. This particular vessel is called a worldship. It is it's own self-sustaining world with a population of just under 10 million. Eons ago our ancestors travelled to the edges of this galaxy aboard these ships from a galaxy far, far away." Tsavong Lah continued to explain the basic functions of the ship as they made their way past several large heart-looking objects. "These are some of the worldship's dovin basals. They create the artificial gravity aboard the ship, as well as propel it and shield it. They are, as all of our servants, alive. They work by manipulating and bending gravity. They bend gravity in order to move our ships or to create singularities that absorb enemy fire. They can also be used to move whole planets, if large enough, or to tear the shields from a vessel. They are as versatile as they are powerful, nothing in the abominable arsenals of this galaxy can match them."