Warhammer Chapter 98 (Patreon)

Honestly... I really didn't think I would mess around with the Tau, as they were a much smaller faction that relied on their superior general technology and unity in dealing with the Warhammer 40 nonsense. But as I sat in front of the Water Caste ladies I realized there may have been some merit to how well they could do diplomacy.

"Nel M'Lath, and who is your assistant?" I asked respectfully and the voluptuous blue-skinned Tau bowed her head slightly as she looked to the side and her four-fingered hand was opened at her partner's direction.

"This is Matias, she is a newly promoted Por'ui or as humans would call them, an envoy of the five ranks of Water Caste." Nel spoke softly as she took in the surroundings while looking appreciative of the architecture of the Sect I had built over the months that my disciples and others had lived upon this mountain.

I made a noise of agreement as I looked at the also very voluptuous Matias who was clearly had a more youthful and hopeful demeanor compared to Nel's more matronly visage and way of holding herself.

After a moment of thought I nodded and continued. "Well Nel, I want to make things perfectly and abundantly clear." I spoke seriously but with a clearly non-hostile tone in my voice making the Tau stiffen.

Behind the beautiful tau ladies was a large man who was clad in a small Tau Battlesuit that was only some five meters tall which easily fit through the Sects Main Hall's massive double doors. While I looked at what I thought was the optical systems for that battle suit I said what my stance of this entire meeting.

"Tau of this planet, my Sect and I are refugees of a war between humans and Eldar fighting, we do not discriminate except against Orks and Demons. But I will say here and now, we are a force that practices supernatural powers, and the mountain my Sect came in upon, is the Sect's territory." I spoke.

Nel's face became a more practiced smile and she visibly steeled herself as she spoke. "Then this sect is... Do you all follow the fourfold path or worship some entity?"

My eyes became dark and the battle suit creaked as I increased the gravity in the room making the Water Caste Tau's expression tighten in fear as I said flatly. "I just said we do not discriminate... Besides against demons and Orks, we do not follow the ruinous powers in any way shape or form."

I took a breath as Isha and Ellesmere took my hands on each side and with a more natural smile I said. "Now, as I said, we do not discriminate and if your people wish to learn our mystical arts that is fine. The people who come to will have to swear some oaths though in learning our mystical arts."

Matias the younger water caste stepped forward and her voice rang out like a birds song upon my ear as she asked with clear curiosity and not derision. "What mystical arts can you perform? Other than that solar star projection that is absorbing signal and creating odd dimensional resonation that is?"

I raised an eyebrow as I looked at the Tau and I could see the naive hope and sunny joy in her heart that wanted this meeting to go well. And that hope and desire was almost infectious with how she wore her emotions on her sleeve as a weapon to earnestly push for favorable results.

After a moment I answered evenly with a small smile. "Lifespan extension techniques are plenty, body refinement techniques that will make you stronger than any human Astartes. Spells that use the user's own physical and mental energies to cast and not some outside entity to perform elemental reactions and many... Many other things." I said with a smile as I then released the three inner suns that floated out of my back and hung in the air above me and spun with their heat and power restrained from harming or affecting anyone.

After a moment my lips twitched as I had a thought. 'If I ask for some Tau to join as students to learn... Will they dare to allow anyone to come after the harsh lesson they had in meeting the Dhrukari/Dark Elves?'

But that younger Water Caste member then asked me seriously. "What will this cost, what is the cost of learning such mystical secrets as nothing is free even if shared for the Greater Good?"

I saw the older water caste woman nod softly at the appropriate question and as I already knew this answer I began speaking and outlining the terms of joining the sect and learning our secrets. "First, the secrets of the Sect and the mystical arts are that secret. Upon being inducted into the Sect and that being the only way anyone is allowed to learn cultivation skills and techniques, they will swear a soul-binding oath to never share the techniques and skills with anyone and not bring harm to the Sect."

As the Water Caste ladies and the Fire Caste member in the back digested that explanation I explained. "The majority of my current disciples can physically overwhelm Astartes with their basic physical bodies at this point and some disciples can and have killed the likes of Carnifex's in melee combat to say nothing of when they properly stay back and cast spells to kill their foes... Having the Sect's Secrets get out into the wider Galaxy would frankly be a most terrible thing."

The Tau all shared a look and Nel the milf of a Tau bowed her head as she asked gently. "But what will it cost us to learn?"

I raised an eyebrow before my lips twitched and I said bluntly. "To be a cultivator is to give up a mortal life and become a much greater individual... Most mundane things have zero value to me besides some special materials that have gained some spirituality after being exposed to Choas or otherwise special events. I will not charge the Tau to have members join and learn our secrets. And those Tau are welcome to leave as well to rejoin the Tau as warriors or use the Sect techniques to help the Tau in the Caste they belong in."

After a moment I smiled and looked at Matias and said. "In fact... Why don't take Matias here as a disciple as a show of good faith, as other than sharing about the contents of cultivation techniques all my disciples are free to share what techniques are available?"

Normally being a cultivator was a horrible and resource-intensive hell of trying to snatch resources from everyone to fuel your body, soul, and mind to ascension... But with the Warp? There was literally damn near infinite spiritual resources up for grabs if you were strong enough to take them and there was no reason to be antagonistic with the people in Real Space.