And now, for our annual reading of "The Night Before Emperor's Day".
T'was the night before Emperor's Day,
and he fought all alone,
in a four foot deep trench
lined with plasteel and stone.
I was traveling the warp
with gifts for the land,
when I saw this lone guardsman
making his brave stand.
I looked all about,
I looked near and far,
no Chimera, no Basilisk,
nor Techpriest or Commissar.
No Sergeant yelled orders
to this guardsman - no backing
to fight this ridge full of xeno
formed from pure evil, attacking.
His armor in tatters,
his eyes nearly blind,
A sobering truth
raced through my mind.
His position was doomed,
was my only thought
and this soldier's brave stand
would all be for naught.
The guardsman stared unblinking,
silent and alone,
his lasrifle at the ready
against his shoulder bone.
His gaze was so calm
in the face of calamity,
the perfect picture of
a guardsman of humanity.
Who was this brave hero
whose position I'd spied,
warring against
this unstoppable tide?
I now knew that all humans
I would see this night,
owed their lives to these guardsmen
who were willing to fight.
Soon all round the galaxy
the children would play,
and grownups would praise
the bright Emperor's Day.
They all lived their lives
every month of the year,
Because of brave guardsmen
like the one standing here.
A tear came to my eye
for those who stood alone,
on a cold Emperor's Day Eve
on a planet far from home.
Their great sacrifices
I could never betray
So I drew my burning sword
to join in the fray
The soldier did turn
and I heard a rough voice.
"My Emperor, rest easy,
this death is my choice;
I fight for a freedom
that may never be found,
but not ever shall I waver
on Your sacred ground."
Then the Guardsman turned
to face the incursions
of the foul xenos and
their unholy perversions
I kept watch for hours,
until the night was still
and the guardsman lay broken
on the bloody red hill.
I could not just leave
on that cold grim dark night,
this guardian of honor
so willing to fight.
And as the guardsman lay dying,
his soul strong and pure,
he cried, "Ave Imperator!
It's Emperor's Day! This world is secure!"
I kneeled before the fallen,
A great victory he'd won.
"Happy Emperor's Day my guardsman,
rest in peace, my son."
The Emperor protects!
Beautiful
10/10
Merry christmas OP
Is..is it raining auddenly?
>>Emperor bless you OP
Posting in holy thread.
Merry Christmas everyone!
I cried.
Merry christmas, /tg/, I love you all.
This is the greatest thread I, personally, have ever seen
>>44359998
Merry Christmas /tg/, you beautiful bastards.
Merry Christmas.
That was moving, OP
If Emperors Day is Christmas what is Sanguinala?
>>44363741
Mutant acceptance day
Merry Feast of the Emperors day, you magnificent bastards.
>>44363846
Think you're funny, he died for our sins and soon he will return to cure his children and bring the Imperium to glory.
By the blood of Sanguinius!
OP, that was...
beautiful. Thank you.
Merry Christmas, /tg/.
Merry emperor day to you all!
>>44359998
>>44360011
My eyes are committing salt-heresy. I will report to the commissar for re-education.
>>44359998
>>44360011
Beautiful.
>>44363846
>>44363846
>>44363962
It's Easter.
>>44363741
I'll say Sanguinala would be more like El Día de Todos los Santos on the first day of November. Pretty much is day to celebrate those who are now at the side of God as Saints or those who simply passed away. Pretty much a day to mourn and to visit our family.
Or in case of doubt like >>44364134 said, Easter.
Do Tau Get Presents Too?
On a hive world in Obscurus
Emperor's Day was nearly there
For a little hive world girl
With aquilas in her hair.
Decorations hung on every wall
And carols filled the air
But in the happy reverie
The young girl did not share.
She was trouble by a question
With no answer that she knew
And to her loving father
She ran and quickly flew.
The little girl beseeched him
Saying, "Daddy, tell me true,
I've a question of the holiday
Do Tau get presents too?"
He once had been a soldier
Who had traveled long and far
Having seen such sights and wonders
That most would call bizarre.
Yet his knowledge of the subject
To say, was not to par
But he reassured his daughter
"We shall ask a Commissar."
Down at the local depot
Was a man in dashing red
Who wore his large hat proudly
Upon his balding head.
He had been a hero of the front
Or, at least the rumors said,
And they asked of him the question
Before the men he led.
"Indeed I know these xenos
And I have slain this kind of beast.
But if they receive presents
I know not in the least."
He thought deeply for a moment
And then pointed to the east,
"For matters of the faith," he said
"We'd best seek out a Priest."
>>44364915
So down the way they marched
In column single file
The Commisar kept the time you see
As they caroled all the while.
When at last they reached the chapel
They had passed a cheery mile
And entered the small sanctum
Bearing each a happy smile.
They found the busy minister
In robes of faded grey
Blessing all who knelt around him
And those who passed his way.
They posed to him the question
That had vexed them all the day
And he bowed his head in silence
As if he were to pray.
When the kindly man looked up,
His face was solemn set,
"I cannot say for certain,"
He said with great regret.
But then his smile flashed,
And he bid them to hope yet
For he knew a friendly fellow
Who could simply not forget.
Off again they ventured,
To a factorum large and proud,
Filled with pistons, gears, and tools
That toiled and labored loud.
There they found a Techpriest who,
Just as the minister vowed,
Held within him tomes of knowledge
Beneath his crimson shroud.
When they offered him their query,
They heard a whine and whirl,
As the Ommnisiah's servant,
Searched out a knowledge pearl.
But instead a sad chime sounded
And he told the little girl,
"Your search yields no matches
But in fact, I've found a PURL."
So together they all followed,
The man of steel and bone,
As mechanical holiday music
From his vox did loudly drone.
And together they ascended
The great spire that stood alone.
They were going to see the Governor
Upon his royal throne.
The Governor was a jolly man,
If just a little strange.
Some said his time in charge had left
His mind a bit derange.
But still they sought his word
And a meeting to arrange
For he was the Emperor's charge
And that would not soon change.
Much to their great surprise and shock,
Indeed it seemed absurd,
The Governor was free that day,
And would directly hear their word.
Sitting upon his massive dais,
Their question he had heard
But he did not answer directly
And instead a shadow stirred.
>>44364933
The little girl stepped forward
Standing before the petitioners
And added to their question
"Won't you please tell us, Sir?
From out the shadow came,
On their planet a visitor,
The armor and rosarias proclaimed
An Imperial Inquisitor.
The assembled let out a gasp
Then quickly held their breath
And all of them wondered
If such a question meant their death.
The Insquitor’s eye fell on the girl
Who looked back innocently
The fists of everyone tightened
Fearing calls of heresy.
But the Inquisitor did not threaten
And instead lowered to their knee
Leaning close up to the little girl
For everyone to see.
"Young lady I am troubled
How such thoughts came to mind
But I admire your commitment
So your answer, you now find.
The Emperor does, indeed,
Give gifts to the Tau kind.
They're given through the people
Who behind you are now lined.
The Soldiers and the Commissars
Give gifts of shot and steel
Aimed squarely at their xeno hearts
To share the holy feel.
For tanks and ships and holy titans
Give gifts in a great deal
But not without the men inside
Who make the xeno squeal.
The Priests of the Ecclisiarchy
And of the Mechanicus too
Give the blessings that are needed
To see the enemy slew.
With every work and prayer,
And this is the Emperor's view,
They help the valiant soldiers
So that their enemies are slew.
For the Emperor's Day is not
Just for you and me
But for all those who inhabit
Mankind’s galaxy."
With her question answered,
The little girl smiled with glee,
And then they spent their Emperor's Day
Together, happily.
Merry Emperor's day fa/tg/uys!
>>44364942
The Soldiers and the Commissars
Give gifts of shot and steel
Aimed squarely at their xeno hearts
To share the holy feel.
For tanks and ships and holy titans
Give gifts in a great deal
But not without the men inside
Who make the xeno squeal.
>>44364915
>>44364933
>>44364942
Nice fucking job
/bestthread
does anyone have those screencaps where the primarchs send xmas cards to the Emperor? I really miss seeing those. some of them were outright heartbreaking.
I'm alone on Xmas and could use some feels.
YES, MERRY CHRISTMAS, YOU STUPID, STUPID PEOPLE.
NOW SOMEONE GIVE ME ANOTHER FUCKING CENTURION. IF I'M NOT GETTING A BODY ANYTIME SOON, I DESERVE TO BE AS COMFORTABLE AS I FUCKING WANT.
>>44369762
Here, my Emperor.
Merry Christmas /tg/
>>44369864
Hey wait a second, that blood raven centurion looks a awful lot like one the imperial fists lost a not long ago.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say the blood ravens stole it.
Seasons slowly change,
The year comes to pass,
And then comes the question,
That every child asks.
Emperor’s Day comes,
For little girls and boys,
But, from where, do they wonder,
Does He get all of their toys?
I’ll tell you now the story,
As it was told to me,
So no more it will remain,
A forgotten history.
Once there was a forge world,
Its surface cold and dark,
The machines sleeping silent,
Save for one sad spark.
This place was called Noell,
Though of it, no one knew,
It had simply been forgotten,
As planets sometimes do.
Here there was a Techpriest,
Who had long there worked alone,
Oiling holy junctions,
And changing fuses blown.
His body was of metal,
Its flesh had long been part,
Save for that remaining,
Within his beating heart.
How he did wish,
And hope for the day,
When at last he’d be free,
From his mortal way.
For though he had become,
More machine than man,
To at last be complete,
Was his objective, his plan.
When from the æther,
A vision did appear,
That answered his desire,
With an offer to hear.
The vision spoke loudly,
In the language machine,
“Attention, my true servant,
Your devotion I have seen!
The Omnissiah has sought,
And searched far and wide,
For an adept to raise,
And bring to his side!”
The Techpriest was jolted,
And was shocked to find,
The vision had connected,
And entered his mind.
The vision shown bright,
And responded verbose,
The adept should offer,
And accept to host.
>>44369947
The Techpriest returned,
The address protocol,
And offered his being,
His one, and his all.
His cogitator whined,
His senses overloaded,
But his diagnostics concluded,
The package was downloaded.
He opened his access
The conditions satisfied,
And he felt the emotion,
That you would call pride.
But his mode became unstable,
And his actions disrupt,
As his diagnostics gave warning,
The file was corrupt.
He went in a flash,
His firewall to adjust,
But his access had been blocked,
By defenses, robust.
It was then he discovered
For truly it seemed,
His mind had been captured,
And then quarantined.
All he could process,
For it read infinitum
Was the truth of the vision,
Unto its new victim.
For the vision was not,
Of the Spirit Machine,
But a daemon of the Warp,
So spiteful and mean.
The heart he had wished,
To once have been freed,
Had twisted and darkened,
With malice and greed.
The Daemon took the body,
And so it was tasked,
Of doing its bidding,
In all that it asked.
Engines woke,
Machinery roared,
Reactors protested,
As energy soared.
For the body was quick,
And directed production,
To create a large army,
Of unholy destruction.
The sky turned red,
And billowing smoke rose,
As the Techpriest made,
All the Daemon chose.
>>44369966
Then from the line,
The weapons appeared,
Mighty and savage,
Forged to be feared.
Deadly war machines,
Of maddening proportions,
Holy technology,
Cursed with distortions.
The daemon cackled loud,
And from the Warp bade,
All manner of monsters,
To use the tools made.
The Techpriest was sickened,
He raged and he cried,
But could not control it,
As much as he tried.
The army was invincible,
For this the Techpriest knew,
And the destruction of man,
Would all be, but true.
In his greatest desperation,
He tried still one last course,
To warn of the daemon army,
And the terror at its source.
He found a small breach,
That he quickly utilized,
To warn of the foul Daemon,
And all the plans it had devised.
He strained at the effort,
And from the world then went,
A chance of their salvation,
Had successfully been sent.
The Daemon gave note,
That is was all to his design,
And tortured the poor Techpriest,
Within his prison mind.
The warning crossed systems,
But at long last was received,
By a commander of men,
Who scarcely believed.
But such a great threat,
Could not just be ignored,
And then to his men,
He quickly implored.
“Gather now your weapons,
Bid your families farewell,
For perhaps we won’t survive,
This forge world called Noell.”
And so the response,
To guess was not hard,
For soon came a force,
Of the Imperial Guard.
>>44369981
Millions of men,
From planets far and wide,
Arrived to the world,
In one massive tide.
The daemon laughed loudly,
As the ships came,
For his army was ready,
To war in his name.
Next came a slaughter,
So massive and great,
That even the bloody Guard,
Was surprised by the rate.
With every battle,
And with every charge,
The guardsmen died cruelly,
In masses so large.
Still from the factorums,
New weapons arrived,
And the armies fought on,
As ever more died.
The Techpriest saw all,
For all he could see,
And he knew he was guilty,
Of great heresy.
He begged for forgiveness,
He hoped and he prayed,
That all could be over,
For whom he betrayed.
And from across the galaxy,
I tell you, it is true,
The Emperor arrived,
To see what He could do.
The Guard was near defeated,
But would hold ‘till the end,
The Emperor knew their lives,
On Him, would depend.
So He walked the warzone,
Through laser, shell, and shot,
And the enemy was dismayed,
That hurt Him, they could not.
With but a gesture,
And a swing of His great sword,
The daemonspawn gave way,
And trembled at His word.
He beckoned the war engines,
To turn upon His foes,
The machines at once obeyed,
And against the daemons rose.
Finally He arrived,
At the Daemon to confront,
And He commanded His revenge,
For the great affront.
The Daemon writhed in anger,
And from Him tried to flee,
But found it was unable,
For some strange mystery.
>>44369996
The Techpriest had at last,
Bound it to his core,
And held it from escaping,
The Holy Emperor.
The Emperor raised his hand,
And spoke the Machine Truth,
“Restore to past condition,
Defragum et reboot.”
The Daemon only screamed,
As its existence promptly ceased,
And at last from his own prison,
The Techpriest was released.
The daemons all retreated,
Back to their dark dimension,
And the machines all powered down,
As if by their intention.
The Techpriest tried to stand
His full senses returning,
And then he saw the carnage,
And the dark horizon burning.
The Emperor was silent,
But then He took his hand,
And in a moment traveled,
Far across the land.
The Emperor spoke,
“Now see what you have sown.”
And the Techpriest became certain,
The blame was all his own.
For before them, quiet standing,
Were those who still remained,
Of the Guard contingent,
All injured, scarred, and maimed.
Together they were working,
In tattered armor, once so fine,
Burying their comrades,
Who had died upon the line.
The Techpriest saw their suffering,
And thought to offer remedy,
For having brought about,
The entire tragedy.
But still the journey continued,
Across the galaxy they went,
To the systems and planets,
From where the men were sent.
Each had been a father,
Or a brother, son, or friend,
Before they had departed,
To fight unto their end.
At every home they stopped,
For there they were to find,
All the orphaned children,
And families left behind.
>>44370007
With every broken home,
The guilt inside him grew,
And then he came to see,
That there was nothing he could do.
He beseeched the Emperor,
“Rend machine from my bone!
For causing this great sin,
I can never now atone!”
The Emperor gazed upon him,
As if into his soul,
“To kill you would be useless,
And only add unto the toll.”
I have thought upon this matter,
And have concluded so,
A duty you shall have,
For your repentance show.”
The Techpriest heard the words,
But could not understand,
How he could be redeemed,
By one simple demand.
“The death that I have caused,
Can never be forgot,
My hands are soaked in blood,
And my heart is filled with rot!”
A quiet moment passed,
And he fell down to his knees,
He waited for the end,
Of all his miseries.
The Emperor reached forward,
And laid a hand upon his chest,
And then the Techpriest felt,
A great warmth within his breast.
The Emperor spoke softly,
“All I shall explain,
For this work shall be unending,
And you shall not escape your pain.
You shall labor here on Noell,
For those that all now grieve,
Your burden will be large,
And you shall never know reprieve.
For you will make them toys,
Though they will not know your name,
And this penance that I grant,
Will be your honor and your shame.
As long as there are children,
Who are good and rightly live,
I shall travel every distance,
And to them, presents give.”
The Techpriest was in shock,
But felt the warmth within him grow,
The Emperor’s hand was healing,
And gave a gentle glow.
>>44370014
The heart once forsaken,
Neglected, and pollute,
Now became so pure,
And started beating resolute.
The Techpriest felt empowered,
Unlike he’d ever been,
And set upon the task,
Given unto him.
For in his flurried movements,
Were calculation made so quick,
The Techpriest faced many problems,
But, for each he knew the trick.
For he struck then holy runes,
And pulled levers in sequence,
But he followed no instruction,
For he had no precedence.
He simply understood,
The task before him then,
And if a thousand, thousand years should pass,
No one else would know again.
At last the morning came,
And his trial was complete,
He placed his first creation,
Before the Emperor, at his feet.
The Emperor reached down,
And held the item in His palm
He studied it intensely,
Like a Sister reads a psalm.
Then roaring into laughter,
The Emperor broke out,
And shook the ground around Him,
With an impressive shout:
“Now take your blessed skills,
And bring life unto these fires!
For there’s many more of these to make,
Before the day expires!”
No one alive can tell,
Or has ever truly guessed,
Just what the present was,
That made the Emperor so impressed.
But I’ll tell you what I think,
For I’ve thought about long,
It is the will to fight and sacrifice,
In our hearts, so pure and strong.
>>44359998
Beautiful op. Merry xmas to you and all the guardsmen and women throughout the Imperium and beyond.
Ave imperator!
>>44359998
Ave Imperator
>>44369884
You shut your filthy whore mouth, heretic.
>>44359998
oh god its so moving
>>44364915
>>44364933
>>44364942
i was excited to see where that was going and i was not disappointed.
>>44370024
praise the omnissiah
Bless you, OP
This thread is beautiful. OP is beautiful. Everyone is beautiful. Merry Christmas.
I have the sudden, extreme urge to play Only War.
I. The Vision
Twas Emperor's Day, long past,
Or so the story goes,
And the Emperor took the journey
That every child knows.
When suddenly He was struck
By a vision dark and grim
Of subjects in grave danger
In prayer, beseeching Him.
But clearest seen by far
To fall upon His gaze
A girl, so pure and bright
She shined through all the haze.
She kneeled before a giant,
Its manner cold and dread,
And held it a great axe,
It brought down upon her head.
The Emperor broke the trance
And declared "It shan't be so."
Then through the warp He traveled,
To stop the killing blow.
II. The Children of the Emperor
He quickly found the world
From where the vision came
And went to join his subjects
Who fought on in his name.
Where upon He found
A schola under siege,
Full of faithful fighting
And praying to their liege.
Though he searched the schola,
The girl could not be sought.
"Perhaps, I'm merely early,"
The noble Emperor thought.
When through the din of battle
He heard the mournful cry
Of children sadly weeping,
In fear that they may die.
The Emperor went to join them
And with a joyful call
He proclaimed his many presents
To give to one and all.
>>44373658
III. The Gifts
When the children truly saw him
Their faces all turned bright
And quickly was forgotten,
The terrors of the night.
A trusty wooden lasgun,
To a young Storm Trooper boy
Who thought of all the Xenos
He would slay with his new toy.
And to a future Commissar
He gave a golden sash,
For he would grow to lead his men
With cunning, dare, and dash.
And to a little sister,
He gave a stuffed silk skull.
For to His honor would be pledged
All the traitors she would cull.
Then there among their number
Was one unlike the rest.
She minded all the children,
like a hen within a nest.
IV: The Daughter
Her soul was fine and wholesome,
Her faith was strong and pure,
Her whole life she had given
Unto the Emperor.
She was the oldest of them,
Though, truly, not be much
She simply was their sister
And was treated just as such.
Her training was just finished
Her time there was now spent
She only awaited orders
To join her new Convent.
She was every bit a blossom
That still had yet to bloom,
When then He did remember
That He had seen her doom.
For the vision He recalled
And knew it to be true
This young girl would soon die
And there was nothing He could do.
>>44373666
V: The Greatest Gift
The Emperor held her tight,
For His sorrow was so great,
And He showed her the near future,
That was to be her fate.
Then softly he did speak,
So gently to her ears,
To grant her one last present
To lessen all her fears.
"What gift may I offer
Or what thanks can I give,
To one about to die,
So that others still may live?"
The girl began to weep,
But her face, it was not grim.
She smiled just like an angel
As she explained to him:
"To die for the defenseless,
To succeed at my last task,
To stand here with my Emperor,
For what more could I ask?"
Then it was as He had saw,
For His vision came to be.
The chamber door burst open
To reveal the enemy.
VI: The Battle
For in, then, came the monster,
That would strike the angel down,
And carve from her an offering
To place upon his crown.
The children began to wail,
Some sought to run or hide,
While others could not move
And only stared and cried.
But between them and the monster,
The blessed sister stood
And fought there to protect them
As any mother would.
Yet, the monster was too much
And she fell down to her knees,
The monster raised his axe
Deaf to all the children’s pleas.
Then the Emperor spoke
And sparked fire in her heart
She thrust forward with her chainsword
And rent its chest apart.
>>44373671
VII: The Martyr
Even as she struck,
And ended the great strife,
The daemon axe came down
And stole away her life.
The Emperor knelt beside
And cradled the martyred daughter,
Knowing she had stopped
What would have of been a slaughter.
Then rushed in the instructors,
And defenders to the scene,
Of the Emperor and His daughter,
So silent and serene.
The Emperor told the story,
Of what there had transpired,
And not one could stand to hide,
The emotion she inspired.
Away the two disappeared,
And not a word was uttered,
Until loud cries from the courtyard said,
"A miracle's occurred!"
VIII: The Miracle
For there amidst the carnage
A statue of marble stood,
From where or when it had come
No one there understood.
For the statue was the Emperor,
So grand and finely crafted,
His hands upon the shoulders of
The sister He had raptured.
Her face was poise and beautiful
Free of flaw or blemish,
So perfect that they all agreed,
She had never suffered anguish.
For every Emperor's Day after
The schola would gather for prayer,
Around the perfect statue,
That the Emperor placed there.
And there beneath their feet,
Forever carved in stone,
"Always I am at your side,
You'll never stand alone."
Merry christmas, /tg/ love you fags
11/10 thread
Merry Christmas fa/tg/uys
>>44359998
Merry Emprah day /tg/, this entire thread is beautiful.
I know Emprah's Day is canon at least in Cain novels but what does it signify?
>>44373917
Ascension of Emperor to throne.
>>44370892
>not sayong that it was simply a gift
You done fucked up
Pls spoonfeed and screencap this
>>44375091
>shock troops
>take retarded amounts of casualties
for what purpose?
>>44369884
I have no idea what you're talking about, Battle Brother.
>>44375185
To Hold the Line. At any cost.
Ave Imperator, /tg/. A peaceful and Relaxing Emperor's Day to you all.
