Stone"Lord Captain, the Crucible's great sculpting is underway — Foulstone is being transformed right before our eyes into a fertile world with lush groves and clean water. However, there is evidence that the Crucible has also created... humans."
Stone"From the mouth of the relic came several thousand people who, speaking an archaic form of Low Gothic, demanded to be given orders. They cultivate land, build houses and production facilities with obedience and, in general, have a remarkable range of skills and knowledge. However, it seems that these people completely lack their own free will, and for this, the monks have named them Touched."
Stone"The Tech-Priests who serve the Crucible came upon birthing vats built into the relic. The machine is constantly growing new Touched within them."
Stone"There is a split among the faithful — though many call it a miracle sent by the Emperor Himself and want to quickly put the Touched to work, a part of the population is frightened by these soulless creatures born from the ancient machine. They demand that the planet's learned men intervene in the great sculpting and find a way to stop the production of the Touched."
YOU"How dangerous are these Touched?"
Stone"They do not appear to pose a threat — the autopsy of several specimens has shown that they are physiologically identical to ordinary humans. No traces of corruption or xeno-influence were found either. However, their obedience is a double-edged sword. They obey any orders without knowing or caring who gives them. And thus, nothing prevents a cunning intruder from bending them to their will, creating an army of obedient slaves or spies at their disposal."
YOU"How dangerous are these Touched?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What think my officers and advisors?"
Stone(sequence)
Stone"They were begotten by the relic of Saint Cognatius, which means their existence pleases the Emperor. Your people must be reminded that it is so! Arrange a public ceremony of tonsure to initiate the Touched into the Order of the Hammer and a service dedicated to reading parables about the acts of Saint Cognatius and his followers."
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Stone"Why don't you make the first move and assemble a mighty force from these Touched ones? If they are so obedient and diligent, then they will make fine troops. Assign a loyal commander to each squad to keep an eye on them, and these strange people will turn from a threat into defenders of the Imperium."
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Stone"Lack of will? Registering a high probability of manufacturing failure within the Crucible's sacred processes. It is recommended to dispose of the finished batch of units and halt production of new ones. The algorithm of the great sculpting requires further examination."
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YOU"Have the Touched act as spiritual guides as per Prelate Inocrant's proposal."
Stone"As you will, Your Lordship/Ladyship."
StoneThe spiritual tutelage of the people of Foulstone was entrusted to the quiet, compliant, and withdrawn creatures known as the Touched. They did not preach or root out impurity, and they even seemed to be unaware of their high status. They simply worked without saying a word, and thousands of believers took vows of silence and obedience to follow their example.
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YOU"We will go with the Tech-Priests' solution. Servitorise the lot of them."
Stone"As you will, Your Lordship/Ladyship."
StoneUnder the guidance of the brothers and sisters of the Order of the Hammer, the Touched carried on with their toils, cultivating the land and building new settlements.
StoneThe heads of the Touched were opened, and inhibiting engrams were implanted within to ensure that these obedient creature would follow no malicious commands.
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YOU"Hold a public tonsure ceremony for the order with a service dedicated to Saint Cognatius."
Stone"I will draft a detailed plan of the ceremony and hand it over to the prelate."
StoneUnder the guidance of the brothers and sisters of the Order of the Hammer, the Touched carried on with their toils, cultivating the land and building new settlements.
StoneThe public induction of the Touched along with their diligent service eventually solidified their image in the minds of the people as the executors of Saint Cognatius's will sent to the faithful to ease their burdens during the great sculpting. Any concerns about the Touched possibly posing a danger were completely dispelled.
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YOU"I shall listen to Ulfar's advice. Brigades of the Touched should be formed to serve on the other planets."
Stone"But do pick loyal commanders who would be ready to die for your cause, Aett-Vater."
StoneThe Touched did not resist their newfound fate — nor any other order, for that matter. They were not particularly skilled at warfare, but they were obedient, dutiful, and most importantly, indifferent to their own deaths. Soon, the first regiments were taken to orbit on voidships and dispatched to other areas of the protectorate, as well as to the Rogue Trader's own flagship.
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YOU"Pronounce the Touched the property of the Order of the Hammer. Let them continue to serve the faithful."
Stone"As you will, Your Lordship/Ladyship."
StoneUnder the guidance of the brothers and sisters of the Order of the Hammer, the Touched carried on with their toils, cultivating the land and building new settlements.
StoneThe people's wariness of the Touched never went away. A number of reports have described cases of persecution and even violence toward the Crucible's creations — such was the rabble's fear of them.
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YOU"Pasqal, you have my permission to study the Crucible's algorithms. Dispose of the Touched."
Stone"The knowledge will be extracted by any means necessary."
StoneThe Touched did not try to defend themselves or to resist in any way. They accepted death in much the same way they lived life — quietly and obediently. The unrest among the citizens has simmered down, and the great sculpting continues as before, but the development of fertile land has noticeably slowed without the Touched.
StoneThe Tech-Priests' investigation uncovered a number of defects in the operation of the birthing vats within the Crucible. It was these defects that caused such strange obedience within the Touched. The proposition of making improvements to a sacred relic filled the Tech-Priests with the most profound dread, and thus Foulstone was left without its taciturn workers. However, the priceless knowledge extracted by the servants of the Omnissiah was a great reward in and of itself.
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YOU"Exterminate the Touched and make changes to the great sculpting to prevent them from being created again."
Stone"As you will, Your Lordship/Ladyship."
StoneThe Touched did not try to defend themselves or to resist in any way. They accepted death in much the same way they lived life — quietly and obediently. The unrest among the citizens has simmered down, and the great sculpting continues as before, but the development of fertile land has noticeably slowed without the Touched.
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Stone(sequence)
Stone"The servants of the Omnissiah have proposed a pre-emptive measure against this threat: subject the Touched to Servitude Imperpituis and inhibit them with binharic vows of obedience."
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Stone"The disciples of the Malpian teaching believe that the souls of the Touched are too pure to cause harm to anyone. Those adherents of simplicity and purity have taken a liking to these meek and open-hearted creatures."
Stone"Prelate Inocrant even suggested to elevate these... dimmer subjects of your dynasty to spiritual guides. Inocrant finds that an immaculate heart is a better shepherd than a sharp mind."
end of branch
YOU"What think my officers and advisors?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Have the Touched act as spiritual guides as per Prelate Inocrant's proposal."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"We will go with the Tech-Priests' solution. Servitorise the lot of them."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Hold a public tonsure ceremony for the order with a service dedicated to Saint Cognatius."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I shall listen to Ulfar's advice. Brigades of the Touched should be formed to serve on the other planets."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Pronounce the Touched the property of the Order of the Hammer. Let them continue to serve the faithful."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Pasqal, you have my permission to study the Crucible's algorithms. Dispose of the Touched."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Exterminate the Touched and make changes to the great sculpting to prevent them from being created again."continues where this line first appears above
Stone"There is a split among the faithful — though many call it a miracle sent by the Emperor Himself and want to quickly put the Touched to work, a part of the population is frightened by these soulless creatures born from the ancient machine. They demand that the planet's learned men intervene in the great sculpting and find a way to stop the production of the Touched."continues where this line first appears above