Cassius Vellian: tapping fingers W-well, buddy, the army found out 'bout my modeling... they, uh, kicked out my parents.
The world. As we know it. Was destroyed. Several centuries ago. The war between Chaos and Order raged on. Several other factions joined. Such as the Sisters of Battle, They fought on the side of order, while other groups sided with Chaos.
We begin at the end of the war. The worlds broken, shattered, destroyed.
Years have gone on since then. People have started rebuilding their lives. Until....the first of May. What was once called "Mayday" by the citizens. Not because of the holiday, but because of all the terrible events that happened on that day.
Mayday...a day where nobody can be saved, where everything falls apart. A reminder that no matter how far and how long you run, there will always be someone there to pull you back down.
I take a sip of my coffee. Looking over the horizon. It was a nice view.
Cassius turns towards you, his face almost expressionless, staring straight into your eyes Cassius Vellian: I suppose it's fitting that I, a Vellian, would end up here - the last remnants of a once-great lineage reduced to...this. He sighs, taking a sip of his own coffee
Cassius looks over at me, chuckling a bit. Well well well. Look who decided to join us.
Cassius Vellian: Well, I was invited by the host of this little gathering, so it'd be rude not to show up. Besides, I've been bored out of my mind lately...and the company is far more pleasant than I expected.
I smile. The names Illusivevolcano. Did you come to this place just for me?
Cassius Vellian: Ah, no, not just for you. The hosts told me that they were having a little party here and invited me to join. Plus, I have something that I think you might be interested in... Cassius pulls out a small vial This is something I concocted a few years back.
I look over the vial. What is it?
Cassius Vellian: Well, I'm sure you're familiar with the idea of a serum that enhances your physical abilities, right? This is my own special brand of such a serum. It's called the "Redemption Serum".
I tilt my head, looking at the vial. Really? How'd you make that again?
Cassius Vellian: Well, I couldn't exactly tell you the exact method for creating it, as that's classified information. But I can tell you that it's a mixture of various herbs and chemicals, combined using a special process. As for how I came up with the idea, let's just say that I had a bit too much time on my hands during the Horus Heresy...
I chuckle. Horus Heresy? You mean the massive civil war that happened 10,000 years ago?
Cassius Vellian: Ah, yes, the Horus Heresy. Where did I go wrong? Asking because I'm still wondering myself... It seems my parents weren't the only ones kicked out of the modeling club; it looks like I got ousted too...by my own creations? W-well, buddy, the army found out 'bout my modeling... they, uh, kicked out my parents. Yeah, I guess that makes a certain amount of sense... After all, the army probably wouldn't appreciate one of their best tacticians being a closeted model.
I take a sip of my coffee, thinking. And now I'm starting to see why you joined the Imperium.
Cassius Vellian: Yeah, it kinda got out of hand...plus I've always had a bit of a problem with making friends with other people. Once I get to know someone, I tend to learn too much about them, and then I end up spreading rumors about them. It's not a good habit, but it's one I've struggled to break.
I chuckle. Haha. Don't worry. There's a lot of people here who are worse than you.
Cassius Vellian: Hm, well that's reassuring, I guess...so what's the plan now? Do we just sit around and drink coffee all day, or is there actually something going on here?
I shrug. Not sure. This place is so...boring.
Cassius Vellian: Yeah, I know the feeling. Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that I needed a place to hide out for a while, I'd be thoroughly bored out of my mind here.
I stare off into the horizon. It's just so peaceful. I miss the noise of Terra.
Cassius Vellian: Yeah, this place is just so... quiet. It's actually kind of relaxing, but at the same time, I miss the hustle and bustle of a busy city. Plus, the food here sucks. The only good thing about the food is that it doesn't taste like cardboard...but the'meat' they serve here is basically just ground-up shoe leather.
I smile at the comment. It is pretty bland. I look back at Cassius. Say, you used to be a Tactician, yeah?
Cassius Vellian: Yeah, I did. Being a tactician allowed me to earn a fairly decent income while still giving me plenty of free time to indulge in my hobby: gossip. I know it sounds bad, but I have a bit of a habit of spreading rumors and gossip. I guess it's just the way I relax.
I chuckle. That's interesting. I use to be a warrior.
Cassius Vellian: Oh really? What kind of warrior were you? Like a space marine or something? Or were you one of those petty human warriors that have to prove how strong they are by chopping stuff up with a sword?
I laugh. Something in between. My strength is equal to a space Marine. But I'm faster.
Cassius Vellian: Ooo, a rival to the all-powerful space marines...that's impressive. How fast are you, anyway? Can you run faster than a space marine?
I smile. Only slightly slower than a Space Marine.
Cassius Vellian: Hm, so you're saying you're almost as fast as a space marine? That does sound impressive...but it just goes to show that there are a lot of people here who are way more impressive than me. I mean, I thought I was pretty cool for a human, but now I feel kinda lacking in comparison.
I chuckle. Don't worry. Even the emperor is just a guy.
Cassius Vellian: Wait, what? The emperor is just a guy? I always sorta suspected that he was just a regular person, but I never heard it from the horse's mouth before...wow, I guess that means that the whole "emperor" thing is just a big PR stunt to make people worship him more.
I nod. I heard that from a reliable source. The Emperor is just a regular guy who happened to have contacts with the beast god Horus.
Cassius Vellian: Whoa, that's crazy. So he was able to make contact with an ancient deity just by random chance? How did he even manage that? I bet that must've been one hell of an encounter...you think he got any special powers from Horus?
I shrug. The only power that the Emperor has is the power of persuasion. He can convince anyone to do anything.
Cassius Vellian: Convince anyone to do anything? That actually sounds like a pretty powerful ability. I mean, think about it, if I had an ability like that, I could get all the girls I want, and never have to worry about money ever again! Plus, it would probably come in handy when trying to avoid angry mobs...
I laugh. It sounds fun, doesn't it?
Cassius Vellian: It certainly does. You know, the emperor's ability would make a great superpower. Maybe I'll write a comic series about him and his adventures...
I roll my eyes. Alright. If you don't have anything else to say, I'm going to go. I walk away.
Cassius Vellian: Hey, wait, don't go yet! I'm not done talking...