This is our Warhammer journey

Chapter 455 The Death Guard's Dilemma (5k words, more to come, everyone go to sleep early)
Most of the time, the great beings of the warp sit calmly on their thrones, tossing down their pieces and watching the tiny beings in the galaxy try to please them for their ambitions and survival.

They try every means to give everything they have, hoping for even the smallest reward to slip through their fingers, and they are happy to do so, unaware that they have already fallen into the other party's control without realizing it.

However, when necessary, the gods will also take certain measures that are beyond the bounds of reason, and among these, the Blood God often disdains to even pretend.

But being impressive doesn't mean that the three often overlooked figures were indifferent.

The gentlemanly conduct of giving and receiving is never an element of a great game.

Puff~
The wriggling, intestine-like root system pulls out a string of muscles and fat wrapped in dried blood.

A death guard lifted it up and set it ablaze with flames; the fat tumbled in the firelight with his movements, illuminating the surrounding landscape.

'Sigh~'

The Death Guardian took a deep breath.

He was amazed by the strange changes that had occurred.

The warp deity had endowed him with excellent vision, which was similar to the compound eyes of insects, but each part of it possessed the vision of the Astartes' eyes.

He squinted. The once vibrant rhythm seemed to have truly come to a standstill. The massive, fractured building crackled and split apart under the force of gravity.

He took a step.

The aurora borealis, polluted by subspace, cast its dancing light across the sky, tearing the horizon apart. Everyone bowed their heads, trying not to look at it.

If there are still beings in this world that can be called living people.

Mortarian's personal guard, his private attendant—

Having accompanied the Lord of Death in the siege of Terra since the beginning of the Great Rebellion, witnessing the death of the White Scar Primarch and the rebirth of the Lord of Death, Kefar Morag, now a darling of Chaos, has traversed the repulsive, lifeless mist.

On the ruins of this dying ocean planet, he stepped over withered bushes, the empty armor of his kind, and skeletons stripped bare of any germs by an unknown force, and finally found his master in the ruins of the fallen starport.

Mortarion, Lord of Death.

wow~
The footsteps stopped.

From a distance of seventy-seven paces from Mortarion, Morag gazed at the somewhat unfamiliar figure, observing the changes that had occurred within it.

Ever since Morag last saw him, his body had become so pale that it formed its own camouflage in the thick fog.

No one would think this appearance is good-looking. The face that once belonged to the Plague Garden has been replaced by completely decayed metal and ash tissue. The translucent wings are also filled with a pale substance, like the scales of a moth.

Surrounding him were seven dead bodies in their burial shrouds. These guards, personally chosen by Mortalian, were now nothing but empty shells, their flesh and blood completely ripped out.

In the garden, Morag and Lord Mortarion were not as known for their perpetual cheerfulness as those jovial demons. Mortarion's melancholy had infected many, but now he looked as somber and weary as a weathered old man.

Morag could feel the passion that had risen with the reappearance of his brother beginning to fade, as countless despairs born of the death of his offspring swirled around him, and his emotions began to grow indifferent.

Looking at the pale Lord of Death over there, it was hard to imagine how he could regain his true form.

"Kefa."

The Primarch's voice was as familiar as ever, exactly the same as in my memory.

"You saw it all."

Morag's hand was gripped tightly by something.

It wasn't until the shadows enveloped him that Morag realized the man was Mortarion.

The Lord of Death is now both so powerful and so vulnerable.

He gripped Morag's hand tightly, as if he had grasped at a lifeline.

"Yes, my lord, I saw it all."

Morag replied, "The plague of the gods is complete."

Motarian froze, his expression visibly stiffening behind the respirator.

Clearly, the bodyguard he had sent out to lead the seven fleets had no idea what had happened.

"Yes, the plague is over."

He exhaled and muttered to himself.

"The plague is over, yes."

he repeated.

The gray mist rushed towards him, and Morag instinctively tried to dodge it, every part of his body resisting death and despair.

Mortarian released his hand.

Morag respectfully stepped back to a distance of seven steps from his master.

"How many of us are left, Kefa?"

After a long while, Mortarian's voice came through.

"Less than a third remains."

Morag bowed his head and replied:
"The deaths were too sudden, and all seven fleets suffered enormous damage."

"I'm sorry, sir, I failed to complete the task you assigned me."

Although the Deathguard split into hundreds of warbands of varying sizes after the Great Rebellion, the Legion's structure remained intact, allowing it to be quickly reintegrated and restored whenever the Primarch needed it.

Due to Mortalian's passion for numerology, the Death Guard is now divided into seven Plague Companies.

First Plague Company – Pioneers.

Ruled by Typhon, and composed of the infamous Plague Fleet.

Apart from the portion that went to the Misty Starfield, the remaining members were responsible for harassing the western part of Greater Alteramar and the Imperial Scythe Chapter.

The Second Plague Company – The Ruthless.

Mechanized assault forces, possessing massive tank formations, are plagued by Iron Plague, a disease that leaves crawling rust on their armor and vehicles, infecting enemies through contact or firing. They engage in combat around Tarrassa with a combined force of the Silver Skull Chapter and the Steel Serpent Chapter, tying down a significant number of Ultramar's forces.

The Third Plague Company – Mortarion's Anvil.

Specializing in flexible defensive warfare, the plague they carry makes their armor smooth, granting it powerful defense and regenerative abilities. They are responsible for guarding ritual planets that have been overrun by the Death Guard, and fighting against multiple fleets that patrol various parts of Greater Altera as mobile forces.

The Fourth Plague Company – The Tragic Ones.

The Death Guard's wizarding community, disliked by Mortalian, is now assisting the Third Company in conducting warp rituals.

The Fifth Plague Company – Smallpox Spreaders.

Equipped with a large number of demon engines, they possess extremely strong close combat capabilities, are highly skilled in tactical boarding maneuvers, and operate in coordination with Mortarion, who has become exceptionally powerful due to the blessing of Chaos.

The Sixth Plague Company – The Brotherhood of Flies.

The leader of the Deathguard fleet, responsible for allocating and building warships for the various companies, now roams the territory of Great Alteramar, seeking an opportunity to break through.

Seventh Plague Company —

The chosen ones of Mortalion, led by Morag, fought against the Ultramarines Mother Company in the Kos region.

From the very beginning of the war, Mortalion was under immense pressure. The defenses of Alteramar did not collapse as easily as the Lord of Death had assumed. Instead, before the Wings of Dawn could intervene, they were bound together as a whole by some kind of bond.

The response was exceptionally swift. Calgar acted as if it had fought the Plague Fleet countless times, rapidly relocating its residents and then establishing dedicated support systems in various star sectors to facilitate the movement of people and restrict their travel.

This resulted in troops that fought against the Plague Fleet and became infected being concentrated on the same planet for treatment and rest. They would either continue to fight the enemy after recovery, or they would turn that planet into a battlefield against the Nurgle. The Death Guard's plague could not spread in a chain, but could only be devoured one by one.

Other planets simply stubbornly and continuously poured in combat supplies, without even the intention to reclaim them.

Mortarian was aware of this flaw in them, but in the past he often didn't pay attention to it.

Knowing something doesn't mean you can prevent it, and even if you come up with a plan, you might not be able to execute it.

Especially for a bloated empire, such meticulous and rapid mobilization is an extreme test of the administrative center's control over various planets, something that empires often lack.

It's different now.

Mortarian felt as if he was trying to squeeze through a large door, only to find a solid iron wall behind it after he finally managed to squeeze through.

Meanwhile, Fira's overwhelmed Zerg hive fleet was even trapped on the fortress planet Tyran at the edge of the galaxy.

The widespread detection equipment on various planets has limited the spread of the Nurgle plague, as well as the spread of gene stealers who rely on gene infection. These Tyranid scouts are often executed in groups or their ability to transmit information to the hive's will in real time via psionic links is used to achieve tactical objectives.

Those Terran fleets that entered the galaxy piecemeal by starving and taking detours were lured to the planets occupied by the green-skinned orcs by the Deathwatch Chapter's tactical deception, fought each other, and were eventually wiped out when both sides were exhausted.

An invisible bond reconnected the entire world of Alteramar even before the Lord of Alteramar had awakened.

This bond allows the warbands entrenched within it to react exceptionally quickly. Apart from the absence of Guilliman, the Primarch, they appear to be not much different from what they were 10,000 years ago.

'How can Altramor be so difficult to beat?'

This made Mortarion doubt his own legion. Perhaps it was because he hadn't intervened in his legion for too long, and these warriors could no longer be as easily controlled as they had been ten thousand years ago.

Especially the majority of those who were loyal to Typhon but not to his sons, who followed Typhon away.

The Second Company was the same; their morale was wavering, and they were difficult to command.

At the same time, Mortalian thought of Loka. He used to mock Loka and Angron, the two Primarchs, for being chased so desperately by Guilliman. Now, he just wanted to ask Loka how he had managed to achieve such great results against Guilliman back then.

However, his relationship with Luo Jia was really bad.

Mortarian couldn't help but laugh at his own idea.

Luo Jia will not help him; instead, he will laugh at him, just like Magnus, the deserter, mocking his compromise with the subspace and his attempt to continue using the mathematics he believes in to explain subspace phenomena.

That's how they are; they despise each other.

"My lord, our attack has failed. We are unable to break through to the Macurag Passage."

Morag's repeated apologies brought Mortarian back to his senses.

"Many of our brothers have died suddenly; their souls have vanished, and our wizards cannot find them. Many rumors are circulating within the Legion."

Now, this guard abandoned the warriors surrounding Kos and rushed back, his eyes, hidden beneath his armor, revealing a look of panic and confusion.

Clearly, no matter how normal he appeared, this soldier showed panic at the changes that had taken place in the legion.

Mortarion opened his mouth.

Can he say that this was Nurgle's doing?

Dissatisfied with their progress, Nagur chose the most extreme approach: to achieve his goal by sacrificing his own child.

Mortarian could now feel the despair of his offspring's deaths echoing in his mind, giving him unprecedented power.

What was the promise he made back then?
How will he face these offspring who have already given everything to Nurgle?

"I don't want to lead everyone out of one hell on earth only to plunge them into another. No matter what happens, we must remain whole."

He pointed around and said, “Look, this is why I led you out of hell. It was the Emperor, the rotting corpse on that golden throne, that caused all of this.”

He would never admit that it was his fault.

"I see."

"Morag said."

In fact, he had always had unwavering faith in his master, and such openness was something he had never dared to hope for.

Mortarian forced a smile.

"But you still have ideas, you all still have ideas, doubts, or fears? You can tell me."

Morag pondered to himself.

Those Iron Warriors corrupted by Tzeentch and driven mad by the death of Perturabo are not quite normal, and their words should never be believed. However, such doubts become increasingly difficult to suppress as familiar faces pass away one by one.

"I did feel panic, because of death, and—"

He said it honestly, then hesitated.

He looked up at his master, who was shrouded in despair, and was afraid that he had said too much.

"Go on."

Mortarion spoke.

Morag swallowed.

“There are some voices within the Legion, especially among the Iron Warriors who have sided with Tzeentch. They are spreading rumors within the Legion, saying… saying…”

He was very submissive.

Some things are really hard to say from the mouth of a Death Guard.

But thankfully, Mortarian didn't lash out at him.

"Let me finish what you've said, Kefa."

"Motalian said, his voice very low.

"Rumors are circulating in the Legion that I caused all of this, that I was the one who pushed us into our current form. However, the Father has blinded me and us, making us believe that we are still whole, and then he controls everything about us at will. Now you are starting to question my decisions, is that it!"

The voice was furious and full of genuine emotion.

The billowing fog dissipated, making Mortarion appear like a living death god.

"More or less, my lord."

Morag swallowed hard. The Primarch's wrath was terrifying. He forced himself to speak the truth, and then emphasized it again.

"But this is just a rumor, and I have executed the person who spread it."

“I understand. After all, these are just noisy schemers. It’s perfectly normal for them to say such things.”

Mortarion took another deep breath, his withered body creaking beneath his armor. In the shadows surrounding Mortarion, the demons that had emerged with the mass sacrifices murmured something restlessly.

"I will not make excuses for myself. The fleet's warp was my mistake back then. I trusted Typhon too much, which exposed the fleet to the warp tides, resulting in such disastrous consequences. It is a painful memory that no one can bear to look back on."

A fleeting look of anguish crossed the Primarch's eyes at the edge of the respirator, a genuine expression of his feelings.

"That's all I can say. I love all of you deeply. If there's anything I have to admit, it's that not protecting you is the only mistake I'm willing to admit. Does saying that put your mind at ease?"

Morag remained silent.

He wasn't sure if it was the truth or a lie.

Or perhaps it doesn't matter at all. Faced with such an anomaly, he, they, and the entire Deathguard all need now is a response that convinces themselves.

It was like a straw he was grasping at after the painful conjecture that 'there was never any paradise, they just went from one hell to another' surfaced in his mind.

Just like Mortarion himself.

They need validation, they need to grasp onto something that can deceive themselves.

“I am satisfied, my lord.”

Morag relaxed his tense face, a few strands of lifeless, rotting flesh falling from it. He said weakly:

"I understand."

"That would be great."

Mortarian nodded.

"Now, let us finish everything, concentrate our forces, accomplish the Father's goal, end the Corpse King's conspiracy, invade Macurag, and then let us do as we please. The gods will take care of the rest, and we will return to that paradise far from hell."

"I see."

Morag nodded in agreement.

Now, he will once again advance under the banner of lies.

This won't be the last time, because they have become a legion of lies.

Telling them the truth would only embarrass them. Could they really betray their master?

Lying is much easier.

That's just how things are.

Mortarian watched Morag's departing figure.

It's hard to speak up the first time, but it gets easier the next time.

He looked at his pale hands; the deception that had been wrapped in lies had vanished.

Resentment gradually surfaced.

Anger towards one's own choices doesn't disappear; it simply shifts to those beings one believes should be hated.

It fell upon the mortals who still resisted among the stars, upon the Wings of Dawn who had caused all this change, and upon the Emperor who refused to reveal the truth of the world to him.
If Luo Jia were here, he would definitely laugh at Mortalian for being so self-taught, having already mastered the essence of the art.

The essence is deception.

Deceiving those who care about your existence to die, deceiving yourself into believing you're doing something great, making yourself forget the lies you told, forget the mistakes you made, making yourself think you're still doing the right thing, living in your own world—in the end, nothing will change.

This is Mortarion's weakness and his tendency to conform.
-
"This is roughly the situation in Greater Otlam."

Arthur waited until everyone had seen the star map of Alteramar and the various contingency plans for dealing with Nurgle's inability to play along.

Seeing that everyone was deep in thought as they looked at the detailed information in their hands, he further unfolded the image projected in the center of the star map.

　P.S.: I can continue writing later, but it will probably be very late then. Everyone, go to sleep early!
　　Character
　　Motalian: withdrawn, resentful, and self-deceiving.

　　Morag: self-deception.

　　Death Guard: Self-deception.

　　Tzeentch: He gets happy when he sees others having more misfortune, and he adds fuel to the fire.

　　Dawnwing: An analysis of the current situation in Altramor has been completed, including the composition of the Plague Fleet and countermeasures. Strategies are currently under discussion.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)