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Blanks are soulless abominations more abhorrent than even other witches. Eisenhorn was a radical and a fool for dabbling with them. They can never be trusted and never be managed. Repent now or face judgment.
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Jul 22, 2013 15:23
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VanSandman posted:The Night Lords seem to manage. Badly, but they manage. Idk, the Night Lords are (were?) a legion of rapists and murderers, not dudes who give off an aura of unease and repulsion if you're lucky. Yeah, sociopathic criminals aren't the paragons of society, but I could see a common thread of, um "brotherhood", or maybe just an honor amongst thieves sort of understanding. Blanks, depending on the author, are repulsive to everyone. I could see them not falling into that sort of thing. Though, in fairness, I could see how that MIGHT channel them into a decision to leave humanity behind and become an Astartes. I'm just not sure they'de have them. But, each chapter is different, so...
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Jul 22, 2013 15:46
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TheStampede posted:Idk, the Night Lords are (were?) a legion of rapists and murderers, not dudes who give off an aura of unease and repulsion if you're lucky. Yeah, sociopathic criminals aren't the paragons of society, but I could see a common thread of, um "brotherhood", or maybe just an honor amongst thieves sort of understanding. Blanks, depending on the author, are repulsive to everyone. I could see them not falling into that sort of thing. Though, in fairness, I could see how that MIGHT channel them into a decision to leave humanity behind and become and Started. I'm just not sure they're have them. But, each chapter is different, so... The Night Lords were almost all former gang members and come from a society where if you don't have a gang allegiance, you're vulnerable and basically dead meat because there's no conventional law and order to protect individuals without gang affiliations. So yeah they would definitely have a sense of brotherhood and probably mostly aren't true sociopaths, just completely amoral to those outside of their gang in a very tribal/feudal way.
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Jul 22, 2013 15:50
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TheStampede posted:That, and I'd think their general nature of isolation and introversion wouldn't make them the best candidates for the space-bros. Even non-psykers don't want to be around them and are affected by their blankness. Do we know whether that effect is due to non-psyker humans having some very tiny but "natural" degree of psychic activity, or if it's actually simply because the blanks are social weirdos?
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Jul 22, 2013 15:57
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TheStampede posted:Idk, the Night Lords are (were?) a legion of rapists and murderers, not dudes who give off an aura of unease and repulsion if you're lucky. Yeah, sociopathic criminals aren't the paragons of society, but I could see a common thread of, um "brotherhood", or maybe just an honor amongst thieves sort of understanding. Blanks, depending on the author, are repulsive to everyone. I could see them not falling into that sort of thing. Though, in fairness, I could see how that MIGHT channel them into a decision to leave humanity behind and become and Started. I'm just not sure they're have them. But, each chapter is different, so... I don't think their aura is that bad to a non psyker. The blanks we've seen are generally individuals who are pretty normal and disliked for other reasons but they are able to make connections and have friends. Jurgen is suppose to have poor personal hygiene, Frauka was a complete creep around women and Bequin was suppose to have been hopeless at every job prior to joining Eisenhorn (even the one where she was a prostitute) but they all had people who supported them. You could have a blank as a space marine but then your local friendly inquisitor would find out and requisition to have him placed in his retinue where he'd probably be used as a human shield.
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Jul 22, 2013 15:58
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mdemone posted:Do we know whether that effect is due to non-psyker humans having some very tiny but "natural" degree of psychic activity, or if it's actually simply because the blanks are social weirdos? Very clearly the former. The souls of all living beings leave their impression on the warp. A blank effectively has no soul and this is intrinsically repulsive to everyone. This is played down for plot reasons in a lot of books that want a 'low-magic' setting because otherwise the warp is this unstoppable insidious force that doesn't work well in genres outside of ones with a horror or a stronger "high-fantasy" influence. And also because most writers shy away from writing in a soulless monster or caged sociopath as a tool of their main character unless they want to give the impression of corruption - Abnett does this in Eisenhorn only at the very end of his character progression, and also only as a much-hated antagonist in his Gaunt's Ghosts series. He would very much rather portray them as long-suffering, persecuted outcasts irrationally hated by others, which appeals better to contemporary sensibilities. Except I think this is misguided because you already have regular psykers to characterize in this way, and this only takes away from that. And also because they're not irrationally hated by others - there's good cause for people to dislike them. That said, there's ways to retcon out this irregularity. Like saying that most blanks you see are actually just psykers that have an abnormal expression of their powers and not "true" pariahs that are literally soulless abominations. This also helps explain why in Abnetts portrayls, for instance, sufficient exposure to strong psychic power can burn out their abilities - see what happens at the end of Ravenor. But there's not a lot to support this except the varying portrayals of blanks. OXBALLS DOT COM fucked around with this message at 16:16 on Jul 22, 2013 |
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Jul 22, 2013 16:00
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mdemone posted:Do we know whether that effect is due to non-psyker humans having some very tiny but "natural" degree of psychic activity, or if it's actually simply because the blanks are social weirdos? E;FB.
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Jul 22, 2013 16:02
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Why do you suppose Abnett named the first Bequin book Pariah? She's just a blank. Also, since I don't think it's ever been confirmed that the original Bequin died I bet she's gonna show back up later, but that's probably wishful thinking on my part.
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Jul 22, 2013 16:46
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VanSandman posted:She's just a blank. Also, since I don't think it's ever been confirmed that the original Bequin died I bet she's gonna show back up later, but that's probably wishful thinking on my part. Yeah, she's never been officially dead, last we saw she was in stasis. I think it's a pretty reasonable assumption she will turn up, in some form or another. I haven't read the latest Eisenhorn/Ravenor short on the BL website, but were there any hints in that?
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Jul 22, 2013 17:48
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VanSandman posted:Do Blanks get along ok with other Blanks? The Distaff seemed organized enough. Frauka and Eleena Koi had some sort of a relationship too. Anyway, I'm almost done with Architect of Fate and it's pretty boring mediocre. Kind of wish I bought The Death of Antagonis or Legion of the Damned instead.
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Jul 22, 2013 18:02
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Schneider Heim posted:The Distaff seemed organized enough. Frauka and Eleena Koi had some sort of a relationship too. Get Legion of the Damned anyway, it rules.
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Jul 22, 2013 18:04
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Question about Black Library e-books. How does it handle the footnotes of the Ciaphas Cain series?
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Jul 22, 2013 18:11
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Cream_Filling posted:This also helps explain why in Abnetts portrayls, for instance, sufficient exposure to strong psychic power can burn out their abilities - see what happens at the end of Ravenor. But there's not a lot to support this except the varying portrayals of blanks. See, it's points like this that unfortunately remind me that we're probably putting more collective thought into the far reaching implications of some of this stuff then them. But on the other hand, that's probably my own fault and I should spend my time doing my job, and less wonder if imaginary soulless dudes can go to social functions together (or be psychologically indoctrinated and undergo grotesque physical and genetic modification).
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Jul 22, 2013 18:17
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Damnit, work blocks the edit icon image. Yet another reason to get back to it...
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Jul 22, 2013 18:18
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ed balls balls man posted:Yeah, she's never been officially dead, last we saw she was in stasis. I think it's a pretty reasonable assumption she will turn up, in some form or another. I haven't read the latest Eisenhorn/Ravenor short on the BL website, but were there any hints in that? Oh! I bet she's become a Pariah or something in the meantime since using her powers in a way that they really ought not to be used. That'd be pretty cool. But then again, I liked Outcast Dead.  Also, regarding overthinking 40k, there is something fun about it. Yes, the setting is basically a dark joke on mankind's cruel nature and inability to rise above violence, but drat if Space Nuns With Flamethrowers isn't the coolest thing. If we ever need a new thread title I suggest "We care too much about pew pew spacenuns" Edit: Fixed spoiler tags. VanSandman fucked around with this message at 18:30 on Jul 22, 2013 |
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Jul 22, 2013 18:26
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TheStampede posted:See, it's points like this that unfortunately remind me that we're probably putting more collective thought into the far reaching implications of some of this stuff then them. But on the other hand, that's probably my own fault and I should spend my time doing my job, and less wonder if imaginary soulless dudes can go to social functions together (or be psychologically indoctrinated and undergo grotesque physical and genetic modification). Let go... yesss, let the sperg flow through you. Become like me: an adult theorizing about children's toys because he's trying to avoid real work.
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Jul 22, 2013 18:29
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bunnyofdoom posted:Question about Black Library e-books. How does it handle the footnotes of the Ciaphas Cain series? Endnotes, you can click on the number to jump to the note, and then click again to jump back. Works rather well.
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Jul 22, 2013 18:33
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mdemone posted:Do we know whether that effect is due to non-psyker humans having some very tiny but "natural" degree of psychic activity, or if it's actually simply because the blanks are social weirdos? I was under the impression that those personality quirks that turn everyone off are the expression of their "blankness". Each blank annoys everyone in a different way, I guess.
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Jul 22, 2013 20:22
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Schneider Heim posted:Anyway, I'm almost done with Architect of Fate and it's pretty boring mediocre. Kind of wish I bought The Death of Antagonis or Legion of the Damned instead. Don't buy Death of Antagonis. It's just so loving clumsily written and I'm not sure the author really understood what space marines are. There's some cool ideas in it, but they're rare. It's easy to see what the author was trying to do with the book, but, again, it's just so clumsy. The Black Dragons could have been interesting, but one of the main characters is like 10 feet tall with retractable arm-blades and custom armor while another is completely normal. Guess which one is actually corrupt and bad? It's all dumb. Though I'll admit the crazy planet-grinder controlled by a demonic bone organ (the instrument) was kind of cool. Legion of the Damned on the other hand loving rules. It's  as all hell. It keeps them as a mystery though and focuses on a different chapter entirely.
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Jul 22, 2013 21:59
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As soon as I saw the title I thought it would be dumb as poo poo - death of antagonis? GW has some filing terrible puns but that one takes the piss. Don't know why I bought it, really don't know why I finished it.
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Jul 22, 2013 22:33
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Safety Factor posted:Don't buy Death of Antagonis. It's just so loving clumsily written and I'm not sure the author really understood what space marines are. There's some cool ideas in it, but they're rare. It's easy to see what the author was trying to do with the book, but, again, it's just so clumsy. The Black Dragons could have been interesting, but one of the main characters is like 10 feet tall with retractable arm-blades and custom armor while another is completely normal. Guess which one is actually corrupt and bad? It's all dumb. Though I'll admit the crazy planet-grinder controlled by a demonic bone organ (the instrument) was kind of cool. Oh, okay. Thanks for the warning. I'll just get Legion of the Damned next. Has anyone read Flesh of Cretacia? The price tag for a novella is pretty steep but the 30k setting interests me. The endnotes for Ciaphas Cain ebooks sound cool, I always get lost and spend a minute on the page looking for that small note in the text.
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Jul 23, 2013 02:39
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Finished Mark of Calth today. The first half of the stories in it were utter soul-slogging crap. Made me wonder if I had somehow lost the spark that had me into 40k. The second half was far better though. ADB and Abnett's stories were both vividly engrossing. After the first half of the book, reading their stuff gave a feeling akin to drinking water after a long run on a hot day. Rob Sanders' and Jon French's stories were pretty good too. Not on the same level as ADB and Abnett, but nothing like the first half of the book either.
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Jul 23, 2013 06:01
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The Rat posted:Finished Mark of Calth today. The first half of the stories in it were utter soul-slogging crap. Made me wonder if I had somehow lost the spark that had me into 40k. The second half was far better though. ADB and Abnett's stories were both vividly engrossing. After the first half of the book, reading their stuff gave a feeling akin to drinking water after a long run on a hot day. Rob Sanders' and Jon French's stories were pretty good too. Not on the same level as ADB and Abnett, but nothing like the first half of the book either. It's kind of sad watching bad writers try to write in the style of Know No Fear and just fail miserably at it. Like they copy little bits here adn there but that jus tmakes it sadder.
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Jul 23, 2013 06:04
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Very true. The lesser ones tried to throw in the theoretical/practical mindset and verbiage that the Ultramarines used in Know No Fear, but it came out like a child repeating daddy's swear words. Edit: especially Graham Mcneill's story in that anthology. The whole thing had the vibe of "Look, even though Dan Abnett blew me out of the water with his portrayal of the Ultramarines, I can still write them good!" But no, no you can't, sorry. Abnett's Ultramarines that far into a conflict like that would have realized far, far earlier that they were rolling into a trap. The Rat fucked around with this message at 06:16 on Jul 23, 2013 |
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Jul 23, 2013 06:09
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Ugh i never realized how bad Galaxy in Flames is, it is full of nonsensical things such as: - Iacton Qruze is now apparently from Cthonia? Even though he was was a marine before the emperor discovered Horus  ? - How does the virus get into the power armour, yet a hundred pages earlier they are walking out in an area with no atmosphere. Yet a dreadnaught with a massive face slit is totally safe? - How does Loken and Co hiding in the basement of the tomb save them? When a few pages earlier the virus is described as eating its way through glaciers and getting into every nook and cranny of the rocks. - Honestly the worse thing is that Horus has gone from greatest primarch to a moustache twirling villian in a single book. I get that he allied with Chaos, but jesus gently caress it is ridiculous. God drat it ADB, you ruined this series for me. The Rat posted:Edit: especially Graham Mcneill's story in that anthology. The whole thing had the vibe of "Look, even though Dan Abnett blew me out of the water with his portrayal of the Ultramarines, I can still write them good!" But no, no you can't, sorry. Abnett's Ultramarines that far into a conflict like that would have realized far, far earlier that they were rolling into a trap. Graham Mcneill has not written anything good since Fulgrim. He should be forbidden from writing anything non-traitor legion related. UberJumper fucked around with this message at 06:36 on Jul 23, 2013 |
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Jul 23, 2013 06:32
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In my opinion, the Life Eater Virus is really a super nanotech wmd from the dark age of technology.
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Jul 23, 2013 14:01
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UberJumper posted:Ugh i never realized how bad Galaxy in Flames is, it is full of nonsensical things such as: I honestly didn't think Galaxy in Flames was that bad...the really stupid character changing stuff happens in False Gods, and Galaxy in Flames just kind of continues where that book left off. McNeill  Though, Mechanicum isn't bad, and A Thousand Sons and Angel Exterminatus are quite good. He's capable of putting a good story together when he's on his A game. I've heard Priests of Mars isn't bad despite basically being half of a book. Has anyone read it who can comment?
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Jul 23, 2013 14:05
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I thought Priests of Mars was one of the better books that Mcneill has written. His prose in it was definitely on the ball, very fantastical and evocative, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel. It falls in line with Mcneill's trend of writing awesome descriptions when it comes to Chaos and Mechanicum stuff, while being utter poo poo when it comes to the Ultramarines and whatever else.
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Jul 23, 2013 14:41
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VanSandman posted:Battle of the Fang is so good.
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Jul 23, 2013 15:53
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VanSandman posted:Why do you suppose Abnett named the first Bequin book Pariah? She's just a blank. Also, since I don't think it's ever been confirmed that the original Bequin died I bet she's gonna show back up later, but that's probably wishful thinking on my part.
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Jul 23, 2013 15:57
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Baron Bifford posted:I remember the Eisenhorn book stated pretty explicitly that Bequin I was killed when she tried to exorcise that Chaos Titan. I'm pretty sure it just says she dies, eventually, and not necessarily because of that. It puts her in a coma, but she's still "alive" in the Ravonor books, in stasis.
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Jul 23, 2013 16:09
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TheStampede posted:I'm pretty sure it just says she dies, eventually, and not necessarily because of that. It puts her in a coma, but she's still "alive" in the Ravonor books, in stasis. Then her body in stasis gets stolen one day. Also please don't encourage him by replying.
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Jul 23, 2013 16:25
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Cream_Filling posted:Then her body in stasis gets stolen one day. Also please don't encourage him by replying. Does that happen in Ravonor? It's been a little bit. And yeah, i know, but it's hard not to type it out when I'm yelling it at my screen every time I see his posts come up. Sorry dude, read more books, lurk the thread more, and don't assume you know anything you're talking about based on skimming Lex' alone. Discussion is good, but being an expert in something you aren't gets annoying, fast.
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Jul 23, 2013 16:42
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I finished up Brotherhood of the Snake and found it to be alright if a bit bland compared to things like Eisenhorn or Ravenor. It didn't get into any of the truly weird space marine stuff since Abnett seemed to focus more on the Snake squad being a band of brothers in space. I did enjoy the Chapter Librarian and the adventurers he pulled the lead marine into. And most of the chapter being absolute dicks to anyone who wasn't a Snake fit well with how literal supermen would probably interact with mere mortals.
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Jul 23, 2013 16:59
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Trast posted:I finished up Brotherhood of the Snake and found it to be alright if a bit bland compared to things like Eisenhorn or Ravenor. It didn't get into any of the truly weird space marine stuff since Abnett seemed to focus more on the Snake squad being a band of brothers in space. I did enjoy the Chapter Librarian and the adventurers he pulled the lead marine into. And most of the chapter being absolute dicks to anyone who wasn't a Snake fit well with how literal supermen would probably interact with mere mortals. BotS is a pretty mellow book. It was the first time Abnett was writing space marines so I think he wanted to play it safe.
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Jul 23, 2013 17:07
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I BRING OFFICIAL BEHIND-THE-SCENES NEWS FROM ADB! Ok, not quite that exciting, but I do bring news from ADB. From Twitter. Shut up. 
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Jul 23, 2013 19:02
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VanSandman posted:I BRING OFFICIAL BEHIND-THE-SCENES NEWS FROM ADB! Uhnnnnnnnnnnnnnf. How many books is ADB working on drat.
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Jul 23, 2013 19:08
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Mechafunkzilla posted:BotS is a pretty mellow book. It was the first time Abnett was writing space marines so I think he wanted to play it safe. I did get that impression and I can't really blame him. The mission where the protagonist became a squad leader was pretty grim but otherwise the combat was a lot like Gaunt's Ghosts. One thing that threw me slightly was the mention of the chapter using slaves. Is that a common thing for the space marines or was it just something Abnett decided to use? I would have thought a lot of the auxiliary staff for space marines would be former Imperial Guard or specialists who were assigned or volunteered for the assignment.
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Jul 23, 2013 19:26
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Trast posted:I did get that impression and I can't really blame him. The mission where the protagonist became a squad leader was pretty grim but otherwise the combat was a lot like Gaunt's Ghosts. Everybody's got slaves in 40k. Even the smallest spacecraft have literally thousands of slaves on them. And then there are servitors...
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Jul 23, 2013 19:28
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Mechafunkzilla posted:Everybody's got slaves in 40k. Even the smallest spacecraft have literally thousands of slaves on them. And then there are servitors... Hmm, well I know they had indentured servants plus the servitors in the 40k universe but space marines having "boy slaves" threw me for a loop. If they weren't all asexual killing machines it would just open all those awkward doors. And catholic priest jokes, lots of them.
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Jul 23, 2013 19:36
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