Warhammer: Beginning with Planetary Governors

Chapter 720 Roger Dorn: Come back with me, our father is crying for help...

not long ago.

Roger Dorn found the battered Corax in the vortex of the warp storm.

Two Raven Lords with identical appearances and temperaments appeared simultaneously in that chaotic realm; one was already dead, and the other was seriously injured.

Even so, he recognized his real brother at a glance, while the other was just a poor clone.

Dorne dragged the heavily wounded Corax out of the storm's vortex to prevent him from encountering further danger.

For thousands of years, he has done many similar things, saving countless lost humans and leaving behind one legend after another.

In those legends, Dorn was a mysterious warp wanderer with a distinctive missing arm.

He would rescue anyone loyal to the Emperor and then quietly depart.

Some say that the warp wanderer is like a solid city wall, able to withstand any attack and erosion.

It is so reliable.

More than a decade ago, Dorn even helped a group of Imperial troops who were lost in the warp, and had a brief conversation with a warrior named Titus.

He asked if the other empire was safe and received an affirmative answer.

That was the habit of the master of the mountain formation; he would ask that question every time he rescued someone.

"How is the empire?"

Dorn habitually asked the raven lord Corax before him, hoping to get some answers from him.

He didn't need much information; he just wanted to know if the empire his father had built was still standing and doing well.

In the past, he would ask many questions, but he always received different answers.

The empire was dark and deep, with rulers changing every so often, and the situation was complex and ever-changing.

Conflicts arising from political upheavals and religious beliefs have never ceased, as have the invasions of Chaos and aliens.

After that, he stopped asking those questions so often.

For Dorne, who had lived for countless centuries, that meant nothing; all he needed to know was that the Empire still existed.

What he truly wanted to do was find a way to heal his father's injuries, and he searched for that for ten thousand years.

"The empire is safe and sound."

After emerging from the vortex, Corax recovered from his injuries quickly.

He thought of something, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face:
"Over the past two hundred years, the empire has been recovering rapidly. That savior has managed the empire very well, and famine, corruption, and war have been greatly reduced, making it much better than it was in our time."

This liberator, the Raven Lord, cared more about the Empire than one might imagine, though he was primarily concerned with the living conditions of the Empire's people.

For thousands of years, while besieging the traitor Loga, he has been using his crimson crows to help humanity and fight against heresy and evil, saving many lives.

Dorne's rock-hard face softened: "It seems that the savior is a capable and compassionate ruler, a blessing to the Empire and humanity. I hope he lives a long life..."

He was in a good mood; it was rare good news about the empire, and somewhat unexpected, as the empire had suddenly undergone new changes.

Two hundred years is but a fleeting moment for him, who has wandered for ten thousand years.

Corax frowned slightly when he saw Dorn's empty left arm.

He asked with some concern, "Brother, how's your left hand? Perhaps I can help you heal it?"

"It's incurable."

Dorn raised his missing arm and shook his head: "I tried to heal it, but that involves the soul. I'll install a mechanical arm sometime in the future."

He was attacked by the curse of the Chaos traitor during the war ten thousand years ago, and was subsequently thrown into the warp, where he was lost for a long time.

Although they later gained the ability to return, they ultimately failed to do so.

The master of this mountain formation felt that he could find more knowledge and secrets in this spiritual space, and also use its rules to help some lost beings.

That would bring more help to the empire.

After all, the era of the Primarchs had passed since the Horus Rebellion, and he decided to follow his father's wishes and give humanity the opportunity to develop on its own, rather than interfering as a ruler.

Time in the subspace is both so long and so short; before we knew it, ten thousand years had passed, and humanity seemed to have found a way to develop.

That proves that my father's decision back then was correct.

If it weren't for the betrayal of those Primarch brothers, humanity might have already ushered in a period of prosperity and revival.

"The Savior claims to be the Primarch, but he is not the true Primarch."

Based on information captured by the crows in the warp, his true identity is human, purely human.

At least that was the case before he gained the power.

Corax slowly spoke, informing the Dorn Savior of the situation:
"At some point, the savior suddenly transformed and gained power. Perhaps it was a gift from the Lord of Humanity, or perhaps it was for some other reason."

In short, the Savior gained essential power, much like us Primarchs, and subsequently began to rule the Empire.

Of course, the Lord of Humanity also recognized him and personally exerted his influence to crown him…

The Lord of Ravens recounted what he knew about the Savior and drew his conclusions:
"The Savior is a good guy, a very kind person."

Not only the Lord of Humanity, but his other brothers also acknowledged him; perhaps no one could have done better than him.

Corax had a favorable impression of the savior because that being was good to the people of the Empire, which was something he wanted to see.

"In that case, that savior is indeed quite good."

Dorn nodded, his opinion of the savior also improving.

For him, as long as his father acknowledged its existence, it couldn't be wrong.

Throughout history, emperors have saved Dorne from fire and water on numerous occasions.

Unfortunately, he has hardly appeared in the last few thousand years, and has not uttered a single word about himself.

Dorn noticed Corax's stiff way of addressing his father and frowned slightly: "Brother, perhaps you should watch your words..."

He could not tolerate any disloyalty or disrespect towards his father, not even the slightest bit.

For this reason, he has had countless arguments with countless people, even those things that had nothing to do with him.

"Thank you for your help, brother. I still have some things to investigate. I'll contact you later."

Corax realized that this first troublemaker of Terra was about to start nagging again.

He started by interrupting, trying to leave.

However, Dorn stopped the Ravenlord, hoping that his brother would return to Terra with him. They had been wandering for too long and it was time for them to go back.

He wanted to go back to Terra and see his father.

Dorn spoke earnestly, with a hint of anxiety in his eyes: "Chaos seems to be gathering power, and the Golden Throne has also undergone many changes."

I could faintly sense my father's calls from his sleep; it was as if he was calling for help.

That's probably not a good sign. We should go back to Terra and see him at the throne.

We can join forces to build a stronger fortress for the palace, thus defending against potential risks.

The Lord of the Mountain Array has little faith that the Savior and the Imperial Commander can preserve the Golden Throne in the face of the surging warp waves of the future.

He decided to pick up his old skills and build an unbreakable defensive line for Terra.

This time... the enemy will absolutely not be able to break through!

"I will not go to see him."

Corax's response was so firm that he coldly rejected the invitation.

The Lord of Ravens had complex feelings toward the Emperor. He grew up in a slave society, experienced the pain of oppression, and led a rebellion.

After the Emperor arrived, he recognized Corax's liberation cause and helped him rebuild his homeworld, for which Corax was grateful.

Corax believed in the Emperor's vision of unifying humanity and ending the era of conflict, and was willing to pledge allegiance to it.

But gradually, he began to question the Emperor’s identity as the “Great Liberator,” as the Empire replicated the oppressive structure of his home planet in many ways.

Dictatorship, repressive policies, and terrorist tactics treated human life as worthless.

That, in a way, betrayed the original lofty ideals.

After the Horus Rebellion, although Corax understood that the Emperor had no choice but to do so, the events that occurred during that time filled him with guilt and disillusionment.

Especially given the isolation and helplessness on Istvaan and the genetic mutation of the raven raptors, the Emperor was conducting his experiments in the underground palace without protecting anyone.

The Raven Lord acknowledges the Emperor as humanity's beacon, but maintains only a "cold respect." Previously, when facing the Emperor's projection, he stated bluntly: "I will no longer fight for you; I fight for those you have abandoned."

He no longer felt any fervor for that so-called ruler of mankind, emperor, or father.

Dorn was not angry at Corax's indifference, but his resolute face became even more serious.

“I know you’re blaming your father for not saving the Raven Guards.”

His voice was deep and resonant: "You suffered a traitorous attack in Istvaan, losing half your legion, and felt abandoned by your father."

But the father couldn't read minds and didn't know his children would kill each other.

I defended Terra for fifty-five days, and my children were sacrificing themselves every day. Do I have the right to say that my father also abandoned the Fist of the Empire?

But I never said that, because those who guard the walls should be the first to sacrifice, whether it's the Imperial Fist or the Raven Guards.

We were all guarding our own lines, but in the end, we couldn't hold them.

We failed so badly that Father had to risk going out to fight the traitor.

He sacrificed himself for the empire in the most agonizing way, and even now he continues to struggle on.

Dorn spoke at length without giving the other person a chance to interrupt:
“You say Father used us Primarchs as tools, but haven’t we also failed him and ruined the Empire’s promising future?”

He stared at the Raven Lord: "You've been chasing the remnants of Horus in this chaotic land for ten thousand years. If you didn't care about him, you should have given up long ago."

Corax, you say you don't care, but your actions reveal your true feelings. You don't hate your father; you just can't let go of yourself.

You haven't forgiven yourself.

Dorn lowered his voice, a hint of sadness in it:
I know my father is not perfect.

But we are all his children, and our defects are part of his genes. We are not perfect either.

At least he didn't do things as his father expected, nor did he protect him.

Brother, we've both made some mistakes.

But we must repair it, just as we would repair a collapsed city wall…

Corax fell silent upon hearing these words.

He paused for a moment before finally speaking: "Perhaps I will go to see him, but not now."

This is where the crows can utilize their abilities to obtain more information, information that the empire needs.

The crows sensed a conspiracy; a new wave was emerging, perhaps even more terrifying than the rebellion of ten thousand years ago.

That could be a life-or-death struggle between the Empire and Chaos, an unprecedented decisive battle.

I must find the source of the conspiracy, to know if the enemy is planning an attack, and how they will attack…

After he finished speaking, he transformed into a flock of blood-red crows and left.

The Lord of Ravens remains loyal; he has his own mission and is using his own methods to help humanity.

He just didn't know how to face the Lord of Humanity, his father.

He decided to continue searching in the warp, to send as much valuable intelligence as possible to the Imperium and the Saviors.

To contribute to that final battle.

Dorn watched Corax's figure disappear without saying anything more, then turned and walked in another direction.

He will embark on his journey home alone, to Terra, to see his father who is trapped on the throne.

"Ten thousand years have passed, I wonder what Terra has become?"

Dorn wrapped his tattered robe tighter around himself, his heart filled with anticipation.

He returned to the real world through the nearest rift exit, and is now in a region of the solar system's subsidiary star system, very close to Terra.

But he did not immediately reveal his identity, nor did he disclose any information about the impending danger.

Without a better understanding of the situation, it will only cause unrest and fuel the ambitions of some rebellious individuals.

Dorne used forbidden relics to forge his identity and infiltrated the pilgrims' group, planning to board a pilgrimage ship bound for Terra.

That way we can get to Terra faster.

He planned to contact the Imperial Guard directly upon arriving near the palace, thereby gaining access to the throne room and secretly meeting with the Emperor, his father.

Having wandered for so long, Dorne had become habitually cautious and also wanted to secretly investigate the true situation of the Empire and the Savior.

However, when he arrived at the shipyard, he found that the pilgrimage ship was much larger and more advanced than he had imagined, comparable to the empire's large warships.

???

Dorn was somewhat confused. Was this a pilgrimage ship? Or was it a large warship sponsored by some traveling merchant?
During the empire’s long period of darkness, pilgrimage ships, serving as functional vessels for mortal believers, were often dilapidated, outdated, and almost entirely unarmed.

The sole objective is to send anywhere from a few thousand to a million followers of the state religion to Terra, to the foot of the palace, to fulfill the lifelong, even generational, aspirations of the pilgrims.

That was the epitome of suffering, with large numbers of people crammed into cramped cabins like cargo, barely able to move around.

They could only come out and do the dirtiest and most tiring cleaning work in exchange for food to fill their stomachs.

Dorn had heard stories about the pilgrimage ships long ago.

For example, the Eternal Pilgrim was a ship that carried twenty-three generations of people who were born and died before finally reaching the solar system.

However, they were detained and quarantined by the mechanical authorities in Mars orbit, and parts of their hull were dismantled and used as scrap metal.

But after the pilgrims knelt on the main deck and refused to leave the ship, shedding much blood, they finally received the mercy of the state religion, which sent ships to transport them to Terra in batches for pilgrimage.

It is said that after the last group of elderly pilgrims tremblingly stepped onto the palace square, they all knelt down facing the direction of the palace and burned themselves.

They had heard that this would allow their souls to return to the throne and receive the emperor's blessing.

Ultimately, the state religion also recognized this as a symbol of loyalty.

There are also many more pilgrimage ships traveling at near-light speed without warp engines, which are willing to "skim" at the edge of warp in order to make their way. The pilgrims rely on strict rations and large cryogenic chambers to pass the time.

However, those ships, lacking the protection of the Geller engines, often met a tragic fate, suffering numerous horrific casualties due to corrosion.

There have even been cases of pilgrims collectively turning into Nurgle zombies.

Some of the pilgrimage ships that were swallowed up continued to send out prayers:

"The Great Emperor will see our suffering!"

Dorne knew too much about the darkness of the Empire, which is why he was unwilling to ask about certain things in detail.

Unable to bear knowing such suffering any longer, he worked even harder to find a way to heal his father's injuries.

He believed that once his father recovered and regained control of the empire, the suffering would end.

However, ten thousand years passed, and Dorne still had not found a solution, and finally embarked on his journey home.

He was very worried about his father's condition; it seemed that the father was about to collapse.

Dorn squeezed into a group of dirty pilgrims as he walked up the long gangway.

They are about to board the Redemption 113 pilgrimage ship.

The pilgrims came from a distant star system, but their ship was unfortunately damaged. Fortunately, a pilgrimage ship was willing to accept them.

This also gave him the opportunity to sneak onto the pilgrimage ship.

Dorn hunched over as much as possible to avoid making himself too noticeable.

He was tall and imposing, so even with the forbidden relics as a cover, one still needed to be cautious.

Fortunately, the relics were well concealed.

To others, Dorne is now just a slightly taller subhuman.

Although there may be slight discrimination, it has not reached the point of being suspicious.

In fact, in the eyes of many imperial people, subhumans are weaker and less threatening than humans.

That's also a form of discrimination, but it makes it easier for him to conceal his identity.

"stop!"

However, as soon as Dorn stepped out of the gangway, he was stopped by heavily armed guards on the pilgrimage ship.

The atmosphere solidified instantly.

(End of this chapter)