Chương 3: Honor and Desperation

(POV Slagar Olhomir)

An unknown amount of time since the planets of the Materium formed.

Year 1753 of the Old Ones calendar.

A long-limbed reptile humanoid stood tall inside the Great Pyramid of Alintor in the great homeworld of the Old Ones. Their race had advanced quickly in the study of science, welcoming new advancements without the criticism and skepticism most societies might have. It is considered the greatest honor for an Old One to succeed in their research, bestowing upon them the title of Honored One. Many young Old Ones dream of the praise and honor from their peers.

Slagar Olhomir was no different in his race's pursuit of honor and he was the main architect of the Great Pyramid of Alintor which he now stood in. The Great Pyramid was a technology he created based on the functions of traditional Warp contact their society had discovered. This building could be said to be a primitive portal anchor for the Immaterium in the Material world. Through utilizing the worship and soul energy of thousands of psyker Old Ones, they would open a door to the Immaterium for the first time.

This would be a great achievement for their race, perhaps even one of the greatest steps forward that would ever occur. A total of 1,234 psykers were gathered for this single event. They sat in meditative positions equidistant from each other and around the pyramid. The Great Council spared no expense in pushing Slagar's project proposal forward, due to his previous achievements. If today's experiment succeeded, there is no doubt Slagar would be granted the title of Honored One and invited to join the Great Council permanently.

"Ignite the Spirit Fires, Begin the Ritual," Slagar commanded to the nearest psyker.

Four of the five total members of the Great Council sat in anti-gravity thrones, watching the portal gate from directly inside the pyramid. Powerful psychic force drifted off of each of them, the general worship of the Honored One title causing them such enhancements.

Slagar hissed habitually as he walked over to the portal gate at the center of the pyramid. He ran his scaly hands over it with affection, occasionally glancing at the Great Council to the side. One of the members, his eyes lingered on much longer than the rest. Gorvor Rlevim was one of the greatest legends of their race and he had come to watch Slagar's gate project. Gorvor was the first to discover the importance of the Immaterium for souls and some of its effects. He was the one who implemented a psyker training plan, discovered varieties of ways to manipulate the Materium using the Immaterium, and finally, his greatest achievement that granted him the Honored One title; he created the intricate title system the Honored One titles are based on and reformed the culture of the Old Ones to support it.

The title technology was truly an advancement of their race's culture and power that none had discovered before. The titles were no mere titles in name only, they were condensed psychic power from the Immaterium linked to an individual through a set of ceremonies, powered by the worship of Old One society towards the great heroes that lead them forward. It could be said that if one were to be granted a title through the system created by Gorvor they would transform into Psyker's of unimaginable power. This was why each of those on the Great Council gave off waves of power and why the Great Council was the dream of every newborn.

The surroundings in the Great Pyramid dimmed and bronze fires lit the base of a purple metal portal frame. Symbols and drawings were carved around the room in perfect and complex placement, while machines were etched into the very walls giving off low hums.

"Honored Ones, please," Slagar said, motioning to two pylons next to the portal frames.

To Slagar's disappointment, Gorvor was not one of the two Honored Ones to step forward, but he didn't let that show on his face. The two Honored Ones floated their anti-gravity thrones over to the pylons and focused their overwhelming psychic influence on supplying strength through them.

*Humm* *Crackle* *Crackle*

The room hummed as the connection stabilized, while crackles of warp lightning sounded from around the portal. A swirling liquid-like portal-colored bronze appeared, and then the color began to blend with silver. This caused Slagar to worriedly check the data to see if something went wrong, they had never seen this silver color on Immaterium energies before. But the data assured him nothing was wrong.

Slagar watched with excitement as Gorvor moved his anti-gravity throne forward, eyeing the created portal with approval. The power drain was too much to support for the moment as it required two Honored Ones to power it, but if this is further developed. Travel to the Immaterium doesn't seem impossible for them.

"Well done, young one. We can come back to this experiment when you have reduced the energy required. Then I believe you will be worthy of the title, Honored One." Gorvor congratulated in a voice that sounded like a croaking frog.

But this was not what Slagar wanted to hear. His heart fell in his chest at hearing the subtle dismissal of his work and the denial of his well-deserved title. He felt a sense of betrayal. Didn't the Great Council promise him the title if his project worked? Hasn't it worked already?

Slagar stared at his reptilian claws in disappointment. He knew his project the best. He knew how long it might take for their society to advance to a point where the energy they had could supply his portal, but it would be centuries in the future. He couldn't wait that long, he was already halfway through his lifespan.

Gorvor waved to the two Honored Ones who were supporting the portal power supply to stop and return with him. Yet at this moment, Slagar felt a spark of madness or maybe desperation urge him to jump through the still-active portal. He rushed forward, dropping his tools behind him, and leaped into the portal, just as it closed. Gorvor and the other Honored Ones didn't stop him.

Gorvor seemed to watch him go, with pity in his eyes. Gorvor knew enough to know, that the Immaterium was not a place regular mortals could survive. The highly active energies would slowly erode the physical body until nothing remained. He shook his head and left with the other three Great Council members. Today, they had lost a good seedling.

...

The Immaterium.

A small tunnel of bronze and silver appeared in front of Arlow's vision in a loud and jerky fashion. Energies seemed to want to rush out through the tunnel and into the Materium but were blocked by the powerful bronze tunnel's border. Arlow approached the portal with interest and waited to see if anything would come through it. And he was not disappointed, the portal closed just after it spit out a long-limbed reptilian humanoid, the very same race he had been watching advance for so many years.