Editing Warhammer High (section)

==A Karskins Journey==
(Note: This does not take place in the main timeline of WHH and as such, I have taken liberties with the details and characters, currently done with act 1)

(NOT AUTHOR-This needed some serious un-fucking and revision work and general improvement, something that I come back around and add when it strikes my fancy. But it would be interesting to see a canon servant of the Imperium find their way into WHH's story, especially seeing a Kriegsman do it. Maybe have a Chaos invasion come over from canon.)

''Entry 1:''

'''DAMN IT ALL, DAMN IT ALL TO THE FRAKING WARP!'''

No, I can't swear now or feel anything, I lost the right to that the moment I failed to protect the Pylons and Cadia.   
I think I should start from the beginning, my name is Hark Lavigne, I am a slightly experienced Kasrkin at the age of 19, I have fought in three separate wars since starting my service on my 17th birthday. I am currently serving under Lord Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed and this is what I believe to be my final testament to the Imperium I left behind.

I am keeping this diary to attempt to retain some of my sanity and to make sure I have something to document this for when I get back to my home, if I can.
I think this deserves some explaining, I was on the fortress world of Cadia, we were under attack by the 13th Black Crusade and the last thing I remember before ending up here is that I was fighting off the Hordes of Chaos, and one of those damned Greater Daemons of Tzeentch came, I was out of ammo for my Hellgun and my Plasma pistol, all I had was a Vortex grenade I had grabbed off a dead Space Marine, waste not want not, he would have wanted me to use it…. I hope.

Anyway, I pulled it out and charge the daemon, he tried to hit me with psychic witchcrafts, but I was able to dodge it, with it barely grazing my armor, and I continued to run at it, everything else seemed to fade out, my dying comrades, the fact my home and the second greatest fortress in the imperium was about to fall, all it was me and the Daemon.

In the end, I got there, shoved the grenade into its stupid fracking beak, it went off, and I was pulled in with the bastard.  After that, I remember being in the warp, daemons howling all around me, images which I try to recall but every time I have a headache, but I remember some of it, worlds being destroyed something the size of my hand eating a planet-sized thing while not changing its size, entities so vile I do not want to remember, it was terrifying. But the worst of it was seeing what happened to my home of Cadia. A Blackstone Fortress crashing into the crust, breaking the world apart, with las-bolts streaking the air. Then a voice proclaiming "THE PLANET BROKE BEFORE THE GUARD! CADIA STANDS!" I then watched in horror as the galaxy as rent in two. I was praying to the God-Emperor every moment of it, then when the daemons were just about to take me and soul, I felt the ground hit my back, and reality reasserting its dominance.

I found myself on a rockcrete ground. Around me were kids, a bunch of girls to be specific, barely 17 at most, and they seemed to be dressed for some kind of schola. I could feel the blood loss starting to make my vision hazy, and as I looked up to the building behind me I could read a few words in high gothic.

'''IMPERATOR HIGH'''

I could only speak the few words that came to mind. "Oh, by the God-Emperor."


''Entry 2:''

After that, I was knocked out, due to blood loss and multiple other injuries, barely anything compared to what I had gone through before, but the warp must've taken more out of than I thought. Anyway, I was brought by a few of the school's students to the Medicae's Office and was to be supposedly healed back to health there, when I awoke I immediately made a reach for my knife I kept in on me, found it was not there, along with most of my combat wargear, and leap out of bed in a panic. I refused to listen to my body's cries of pain as I went into a combat stance, understand I still thought I was in the warp and was still convinced I was captured by chaos and they were trying to lower my guard. After all, Chaos is nothing but devious in its plans to turn the faithful. But instead of a room filled with the machinations of chaos and living walls, I found a relatively clean and seemingly new medicare room, though this was only a guess as I had only seen medicare facilities made up of tents and whatever the medics could scrape together. 

I looked around, and found a surgery knife, 'still, this is better than nothing', I thought as I picked it up and moved forward, keeping my senses sharp as I tried to hear any noises until I heard the sharp clicking of heels coming towards the room, I snuck towards the door, placed myself in position to ambush whoever was coming in.  The door opened and I sprung into action, putting my hand over the person's mouth, I kicked its legs down and closed the door, making sure to keep the person kept quiet I moved the knife to their throat, I looked up and down the person, wearing a slightly comfy white lab coat, a sweater and a weird type of dress I had seen some of the second in commands for other regiments wear(I now know it is called a “pencil skirt”).

“Now Daemon, you will tell me exactly where the Warp I am, and where the nearest cache of weapons is, you better tell me quickly, or else I might get very impatient.” the 'woman's' face seemed shocked, as if she was not expecting a newly introduced patient to awaken and start to threaten her, I released her mouth slightly with the unsaid threat of me killing her if she tried to call for help. 

“W-w-what are you talking about?" she said, obvious warp trickery, any guardsmen with half a brain could see it. I applied a little force to her neck with the knife

“Now Daemon, I do not like to play games, tell me where my Wargear is."  The woman seemed to try to think as fast as “she” could, 

"D-down the hall, to the left." she said in a shaky voice.

“Thank you traitor scum, I will allow you to live for now due to this service”, I then proceeded to knock her out and leave her unconscious body on the floor. I went down the hall and found an office, it had some words on it in high gothic, I barged in, with my makeshift weapon in hand.  In front of me was an old man, a weary but stern face that reminded me of a Commissar or Kasrkin sergeant, he looked up from the papers he had in his hands to look at me. 

Those eyes, if I was any other person my age or even a guardsman would make me shit my pants in fear and terror, but I was a Kasrkin, I had seen worse. The man looked at me and spoke. 

"What the hell are you doing in my office." the man said, his voice cold and stern. 

"What in the God-Emperor's name am I doing here Daemon?” I asked back, my eyes never leaving his.

"I am no Daemon”, the man seemed to turn even colder, the air around him turning to ice. “Where the hell did you get the idea I am a Daemon?” 

“All I know is that I was taken by Daemons and I wake up in a nice warm bed, you tell me, Warp Spawn?”


''Entry 3:''

That was by far the most awkward few minutes of my life, if I knew who that man was I would have saluted him immediately, especially since we both served during the [[Armageddon#Third_War_for_Armageddon|Second Orkoid War for Armageddon]] but to be fair he didn't have a missing an eye or using an Ork Power Klaw for an arm. After about 5 minutes of me and him trading insults and daring the other to attack first, was all it took for what seemed to be a patrol of guards to come by me and him(though I'm sure he just called them to his office via a button or some other method). 

I want to say I lasted a few minutes against them, but with me only wearing my underclothes, injured, and wielding what amounted to a butter knife, I was no match.  I was sedated and taken to a prison to be interrogated.  But at this point, I had my suspicions as to where I was, with the Warp becoming less and less likely as time passed. Why did they not just throw me to the daemons, or the various other terrors in there? 

But I still kept my suspicions high, with prayers and sacred words I attempted to protect myself from the horrors of the Warp hell I thought I was in until I was brought to the(what I assumed at the time) interrogation room and tied to a chair. It was a black room, with a single door in and out, and a table, very standard, but it lacked all the toys and other devices I would expect a Chaos torture room to have. I heard the door open and looked forward, the chair was positioned in such a way to allow me to see anyone walking in.   Two people walked in, a woman of standard stature and with jet black hair and another man, it reminded me of the psykers we allowed in our regiment sometimes, but lacking in purity seals. 

“My name is Akina Llyinchova Skuratova, you may refer to me as Ma’am, and this is authorized psyker Ineyu, we would like to ask you some questions." the woman said, referring her hand to the psyker-like individual in front of me, I attempted to spit on her but she was a bit too far away for me to be able to do so.  

“Playing the hard game then, well at least this will be interesting. At least for a little while.” For the next hour the woman attempted to ask me questions, name, place of birth, and other such details, every time I gave her one of two responses, complete silence and 'frak off'. Not the most dignified response but I couldn't do anything else to give away who I was, Daemons could do terrible things to you if you gave them the ability to do so. 

“Warp Dammit.” The woman was clearly at the end of her patience. “Ineyu please read his mind, take whatever you want but don't damage him too much.” the man gave a nod to her and approached me, putting his hand out. Mine were locked down and so I could not move, I struggled as the psyker attempted to break through my mind, but I was a Kasrkin, and held out. 

But no matter how strong-willed that a man could be, a psyker will be able to break through a human's mind, but the minute he did and saw the fields of Cadia. He screamed, then I realized something.  This psyker had never seen the horrors of what I have seen, I proceeded to fill my mind with horrors of what I had seen, Warp Daemons, Xenos, and heretics, he continued to scream attempting to get away from my mind, but I kept him there until he stopped screaming, he laid there limp and I let his mind get away. 

The woman looked shocked, as if what I had done was simply not possible, then her face hardened, she turned to me and spoke in an even tone. 

"What in the warps name are you?”

“The Emperor's Justice.” Her eyes hardened and she walked out, sending two men in to pull the psyker out. I smiled, I had beaten the psyker this time, but I was sure they would bring more, but all I could think about now was that I had avenged a single life lost on Cadia, but I still had many more to go.

The next time they brought me to the room they brought a man, as large as an Astartes would be without their armor. A bald man with an odd tattoo on his eye, he seemed to be wearing the outfit of a Librarian or Remembrancer. I looked directly at him, and he returned the gaze, he had a smile on his face after a few moments. He then pulled up a chair and sat down in front of me.

“Now young man, I heard what you did to that poor psyker boy”, I smiled wickedly at him, showing how much I had enjoyed that. “But I believe in trying to make amends, so if you answer all my questions I will ask I promise nothing will happen to you.” I looked at him, not believing his words. 

“Do your worst traitor.” The man seemed surprised as if he had never thought he would be called a traitor but then his eyes hardened again.  his smile fled from him and he started to reach out to my mind, it felt as if an entire ocean crashed against it, the psyker before was but a drop of water compared to what this thing was doing.

He went in, and I tried to push images of Daemons and the wars like I did the previous psyker, but while it slowed him down, it did not stop him. He broke through every layer of defense I could muster. Until he reached my final wall, my faith in the God-Emperor, in all the images of him I had seen.  That seems to stop him, he recalled at the images of the almighty Emperor upon the Golden Throne of Terra, he then left my mind, stood up and left without a word. I could hear orders shouted through the walls to the guards. All I had left was my tired mind, but victory. Yet again, I smiled, for I had come out victorious once more. Turning back the force of Chaos approaching my mind. But the voice in the back of my mind told me what I did not want to admit, that they would come back, again and again until I broke. But I faced that fear with zeal and happiness, I would face whatever if I could find atonement for not being able to save Cadia and failing in my duty to the Emperor.

I was taken out of the cell and told to dress in my uniform, only to then see a rifle butt flying at my face and knocked out. When I awoke I was sitting in a chair in a room of gold, it was indescribable, with effigies of great battles and moments from the Great Crusade. I was awestruck until I noticed a man, the easiest way to describe him would be the standard all humans are based on, nothing really stood out, but nothing faded away either, it was the perfect human, no flaws or advantages, just a normal human. I looked with awe still on my face. I had to ask.

"Are we on Holy Terra, on the Thorne World itself?"

Confusion made its way across the man's face before he then nodded to me. I went back to looking around the room. Realization made me snap my head to him. Suspicion etched on my face. There was no way this was not a trap, most likely made by some Daemon or other warp predators. The man motioned for me to sit down next to him, seeing no other options I walked forward, keeping my hearing high and eyes on a swivel to make sure I would not be ambushed here, I sat down on the chair and looked at the man in front of me, he seems to have a bit of a smile on his face, but also a frown, or something in between?  

He then talked with a voice I would describe as music. 

“May I ask who you are?” At the minute of the questions answer, I felt my previous awe fade away replaced by my determination to not fall to Chaos, I looked at the man in the eyes and stared, automatically repeating prayer after prayer in my head. The man sighed. 

“I would like to ask why Ahriman found images of me in your mind?” I was confused by this, I had never met this man before, I had never even put this man in front of the defenses to try to slow down the psyker(now known as Ahriman), my eyes narrowed. 

“Ah, I see now, you do not recognize me do you.” the man seemed to smile in a fatherly way as he stood up, and suddenly a golden light engulfed him. What remained was what every guardsman wishes to see.


The God-Emperor of Mankind Himself.


''Entry 4:''

This would leave me in much of a loop as one would think, half of me said it was obviously a daemon trap, meant to lure me in to take me away from his light, but the light that was coming out of him, the feeling of bravery and power I only felt when I was around the priests, The Legion of the Damned, or the Living Saint Celestine….
I did the only thing I could do at the time.


And faint, falling face forward on to the table.


I woke up with to Emperor but in his former disguise, shaking my shoulder to wake me up. I didn't even respond verbally. I snapped to attention, knocking over the chair, and saluted, the straightest salute I could make, it would make the commander proud. But the God-Emperor looked down upon me and sent his mind into mine, looking into me, I wouldn't have been able to stop it if I wanted. I could feel him going through my memories, finding, and looking upon the utter failure that was the Battle of Cadia. I realize that He could find my deepest secrets, the things I had buried under 10 years of constant training and force, but he was so entranced by The Elysion Fields. He could have uncovered everything, looking around my mind like an Administratum clerk would go through a file cabinet but no he did not do such things to me. When He removed himself from my unworthy mind, He looked confused, angry, and even afraid?  

I did not think it was possible to see such emotions on a face like his, He looked down upon me, with a look of pity one gives to a dog with no legs, as if I had gone through more than I needed to. But I knew better, I stood at attention and awaited orders, that was all I could think of doing. He turned around waving a hand, and I lost consciousness. After I awoke I found myself in a bed, still locked up, but more comfortable, than ever before.

I can only guess why he did so, perhaps he wanted to think in silence, perhaps he was horrified as to what I was, or any number of other things, I may never know.  But that night I had the best sleep I ever had, the threat of daemons and corruption, far away from my mind, with only my faith and the light of the God-Emperor in my head.


''Entry 5:''

When I awoke I wanted to stay in the confines of the sheets, they were warm and comforting, but I pulled myself out and stood up, at attention like all mornings, then I remembered what had happened, the past few days, the Fall of Cadia and my meeting...The Emperor.
It was certainly busy, and so we bring me to today, I don't know why I am writing this out, a way to record my thoughts, a way for me to prove my loyalty only the Emperor knew, this time literally. 

Anyway, after I awoke and made ready for the day, what looked like an Arbite came and escorted me to a shuttle, it took me through what seemed like a hive city, if a strange-looking one, no spires anywhere, it was then I realized I truly was on Holy Terra, at this I could not keep the religious fever from coming out of me, I was as giddy as a 3-year-old trying to strip his first las-gun. Soon, we landed and I was handed over to the legendary Custodians of the Emperor, they were twice as tall as a normal man and just as glorious as an Astartes if not more so. They then escorted me to an enclosed ship and took me on a ride, I felt many twists and turns from which I lost all sense of direction, then after a good while longer we docked within the Imperial Palace, walls of gold, taller than a dozen Baneblades stacked on top of another stood around me. I looked in awe but was pushed forward by the custodians. We walked for miles, through huge corridors seemingly made for Imperial Knights or the Titans of the Adeptus Titanicus, and after a lot longer we reached two huge doors, they opened slightly, enough for me to go past but the custodians did not come, but motioned me to go through. 

When I went through I saw a room, with 21 chairs, 2 of which were crumbled and destroyed, while 19 figures of legend seem to sit on the chairs. One of them who was off to the side was a wizened old man who I soon recognized was [[Malcador the Sigillite|Malcador the Hero]]. I recognized 9 of them and vaguely recognized the other 9, the realization hit me, they were the Primarchs, and then I saw him.   

The greatest heretic of all, Horus Lupercal. The Arch-traitor, Chaos’s favored, and a million other names, but I stayed still, I was stupid but not stupid enough to think I could take Horus one on one, perhaps Saint [[Ollanius Pius]] could but not me. So I stood in the middle of the room, at attention, I kept my eye on Horus and the other traitors, then the Emperor walked in, and I stood a little straighter, He was just as magnificent as I thought he would be, clad in His golden armor.  He sat down in the middle, next to Horus and the great angel Sanguinius, he looked at me then opens his mouth, and his voice boomed with the authority of a thousand worlds.

“I believe I owe you an explanation, as to why I called you all here, I am fully aware you are busy but this boy requires our full attention, I will give you the details now." all the Primarchs eyes seemed to move at lightning speed, as if they were reading some invisible book, and within a few moments they were done, their reactions varied, but one thing stayed consistent, horror, complete and utter horror.  The type of horror a man has when he sees all he has built torn down around them, some looked to the floor in horror, others growled in anger and others still just stared blankly forward.

“What do we do?” said Horus. I had a thousand and one scathing remarks for a traitor like him but held my tongue. He seemed the most affected, as if he were truly loyal to the Emperor, I still had my suspicions but I gave him the benefit of the doubt, for now. The other Primarchs looked at each other and back to me. I did all I could to not fall to my knees in religious fervor.   

“Who are you really, boy?” questioned Rogal dorn. 

“KASRKIN HARK LAVINGE OF THE CADIAN 8TH AKA "THE LORD CASTELLAN'S OWN SIR!” I shouted with all the religious passion I felt. The Primarchs looked considerably surprised, another then talked. 

“Why are you here?” asked the traitor Magnus the Red. 

“I USED A VORTEX GRENADE TO KILL A GREATER DAEMON OF TZEENTCH LORD PRIMARCH AND FOUND MYSELF IN THE WARP. ALL I KNOW AFTER THAT IS CADIA FELL, CRACKED TO PIECES AND I FOUND MYSELF IN THE MEDICAE OF A SCHOLA." I shouted once more, the traitor seemed confused and interested as if what I had said made no sense but lots of sense at the same time.  

Many of the other Primarchs seemed to become even more worried, glancing between me, each other and the Emperor. 

“What do you mean Cadia fell boy?”, said Robute Gulliman said. 

“THE 13TH BLACK CRUSADE LEAD BY [[Abaddon|ABADDON THE DISPOLIER]] WAS A SUCCESS, SIR! I AM SORRY, WE FAILED THE IMPERIUM. I AM READY FOR SUMMARY EXECUTION FOR FAILURE AND INCOMPETENCE, SHOULD YOU JUGDE IT NECESSARY, MY GOD-EMPEROR!” I said once more, feeling the pure amount of shame I felt fall onto me as if it were a physical thing.  Many of the Primarchs looked to each other, as if in conversation.

“Kasrkin Lavinge, you have given me and my sons much to discuss. And I believe that is only scratching the surface of you and your past. I ask you please remove yourself from this room and wait outside for a bit, we will call you back in." said the Emperor, I nodded, saluted and marched out, the door opened for me and closed as soon as I was out.


''Entry 6:''

I was soon brought back in, only about 30-40 minutes of standing at attention while the Custodian Guard watched me with cold eyes, I attempted to ignore them and breathed a sigh of relief when I was called back in.  Marching in I stood back at attention when I got to the middle once more, all of the Primarchs kept their eyes on me. 

“We have decided what we will do with you Karskin, due to your age and potential as an agent of the Imperium you will be attending an academy for those we believe could help improve the Imperium, as part of the staff as a security guard and as a regular student.” The Emperor said. “You will also be put on duty to guard some very special people in the school” I was immediately intrigued, as I was given a chance to serve the Imperium and perhaps cleanse my soul of the stain I left on it from Cadia, and help the Imperium prosper, never mind that it was an order straight from the Master of Mankind Himself 

"Who are these individuals, my Emperor?” I was cursed and damned, I knew I was. But if the Emperor had a task for me, I would complete it without haste.

“My son and the rest of our daughters." said Horus Lupercal.

Now as you can guess my mind broke for a moment or two and if I was drinking something I would have done a spit take, as many thoughts went through my head. I was very much confused, as everything came at me at once. I went dead for a moment before I pushed that aside to work on later and focused back onto what the Primarchs were saying.

"You will not need to protect them from physical harm but from themselves and those who we cannot detect." said the Emperor. “We may be the most powerful beings in the universe, but these are children who will inherit the galaxy, and we need someone to make sure they become the best people they can be and can protect them from the Daemons of Chaos.”

I was incredibly confused at this, as I would have thought daemons would not be able to touch much less harm anybody near the Emperor, but I took it as I went filing it under the other pile of stuff I needed to sort through. “I WILL GLADLY TAKE THIS BURDEN TO WIPE AWAY MY SIN OF FAILING YOU!” I knelt in front of them, making the sign of the Aquilla on my chest before standing back up.

“We thank you for this service young pup”, said Leman Russ, “The Custodes will give you files on each of our children, you will read them and figure out the best way to protect and nurture each one." 

“THANK YOU FOR THIS SIR’S, I WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN.” I turned to march back to the Custodes the Emperor's voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Before you go, Kasrkin. I believe it only fair that I tell you may be visited by Me, my sons or even the Sigillite. Your very presence here on Terra is a mystery all and of itself but I believe that is not the only mystery you hold." He must have seen the confusion and horror at unseen implications on my face. "Do not worry yourself, it is only that my sons have brought to my attention the possibility of this Vortex business goes further than just what we see. You are dismissed, soldier."

With one more nod and salute, I finally make my way out of the conference room.

It was only on the ride back did I realize just what happened, and only when I got back to my newly assigned room did I fully break down at what just happened, the Emperor's words ringing in my head. Needless to say, it was hard on me when I found out I was not allowed amasec. 

Imagine what happened when I learned that I was not only thrown into the past but a different dimension altogether. I was a comatose wreak for a week.

End of Part 1 (NOT AUTHOR- More to come, I think. I don't know what the fuck is happening. I'm just a guy who did revision work.)