Imperium Ascendant

Chapter Nine: The Last Temple.

Stunned silence filled the Church as Uriah processed the claim. Speaking softly the priest asked in a tone that was both incredulous and horrified "Do you mean to say you founded my faith? That you founded humanities great religions and you see it as your duty to destroy them?" A part of Uriah, a very large part wanted to dismiss the stranger's claims. To say he was a madman, a tyrant not an immortal who had walked the ages.

Yet something stopped Uriah, some instinctive feeling, some deep set ancestral memory locked within the human species. The mark on the human psyche left by the Emperor. Thousands of cultures throughout all of human history had tales of Mysterious Immortals, Wandering Gods, and Superhuman Monarchs. Every legend starts with a kernel of truth and something within Uriah told him the source of a million myths sat before him.

The Emperor let out a bitter laugh at Uriah's question. "Yes, countless religions have sprung up in my footsteps. Sometimes intentionally sometimes not, but my sin is greater than inspiring a stray cult whenever I needed to take action. Humanities desire, no, need for a higher power to worship and follow is my fault."

Moving faster than the Priest could process The Emperor stood next to him and placed his palm on Uriah's forehead. Before anything could leave his lips golden light crashed into Uriah's mind and everything went white.

A Voice filled with power and wisdom echoed in Uriah's mind as he drifted through a psychically created void "What is a god?" Trying to get his bearings the stunned Uriah tried to speak: "G-G-God is the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme being." A deep chuckle answered that and the voice continued "That is the textbook description of the deity of your faith. I ask you not what your god is but what is a god?"

After thinking for a second Uriah responded "Something powerful, something beyond humanity. A supernatural being that is worshipped." To that the voice seemed to consider the answer given before speaking "Understandable, Many beings fit your description and have indeed been worshipped as gods throughout human history. Even so Uriah, would you consider these beings fit to worship?"

Reality shifted again and Uriah found himself transported between countless realities. Each more horrifying than the last.

* A Titanic silver monster, with wings that blotted out the Sun and eyes burning with horrid green energy sat in an ancient temple desert temple where thousands of ancient humans kneeled before it awaiting their turn to be consumed by the Dragon from between the Stars. *

* Millions of Soldiers wearing incredibly advanced armor battling Billions of lobotomized corpses puppeteered by a world-sized Abominable Intelligence*

*A Godly Hive Mind that tainted and twisted all it touched. Manipulating and creating entire worlds of mutated dredges that prayed for their inevitable consumption and assimilation.*

*Shimmering bioluminescent Xenos indoctrinating world after world into becoming enthralled slaves who served their masters every whim till they were drained into desiccated husks.*

*Things made of nightmares and madness slithering out of cracks in reality to corrupt and control those desperate enough to seek it*

These and countless more nightmarish visages appeared before Uriah. Each traumatizing and sickening the priest more than the last. For a moment the kaleidoscope of monsters stopped. The Emperor's Voice spoke again "Each of those abominations has claimed godhood. Each used humanities addiction to the divine to feed itself and enslave us. I have battled many of them and intend to cut the yoke of faith away so it may never divide us nor be used by our enemies."

Fighting off panic attacks and the urge to vomit Uriah managed to speak: "So that's your rationale? Humanity has been manipulated and controlled by countless things, why pick out Religion as your scapegoat and target of your ire?" The White Space rumbled with the sound of distant thunder as the Emperor responded: "The god-things I showed you use faith as a means to an end. That is not the case with the Greatest Foes, the only Foe that matters. They do not use faith to control or manipulate but to grow in power and tear down the barriers between the real and the insane"

Four new visions appeared before Uriah at once. Four Storm of insanity and horror that swirled around him. Projections of a remembered vision muted for a mortals mind and still, they seethed with such corruption and cruelty that the Priest could feel it seeping into his very soul. Each of the monsters touched at his soul. Leaving imprints of nightmares and all that is wrong with mortal kind upon his memory

The Hound Headed Bloody-Warrior showed visions of insanity and violence, where entire worlds were butchered in psychotic fury. A column of whispering smoke spoke of a trillion plots of betrayal and mutation. The unmistakable stench of rot filled Uriah's nostrils as a bloated corpse dribbled diseased poison disguised as love and acceptance. Last of the four was a vision of a great winged serpent that gorged itself upon its creators and sang a song of beauty and horror.

The quadra-fold monsters were each unique and horrible in their own way but Uriah recognized a similarity between all four. There Hunger, an unending painful hunger for more and more. Never content they each sought to corrupt and control everything they could. Uriah shuddered as he regained his surroundings and realized he had fallen to his knees within the Church. Looking up he saw the Emperor standing over him and he softly asked: "What were those...things?"

The Emperor looked off into the distant, ancient memories shrouding his mind as he spoke: "The Great Enemy, the Four great beings of the Immaterium. Each claims godhood and mastery over the universe but like all things with them, That is a lie. The Immaterium is a realm where thought is given form and reality is subject to force of will. Those four are the sins and failings of all life made sentient and malicious."

Uriah slowly got to his feet and spoke "So those things… they feed upon worship and you seek to eliminate religion in order to cripple them?" "Not quite, they do feed upon faith but not it alone. Every and all act that falls under their purview feeds them, but worship is more effective. For example, the so-called "Architect of Fate" is empowered by every plan ever made, but cults of sorcerers worshipping and serving it are a far greater source of energy to glut itself"

Trying to rid his mind of the abominable sights and thoughts born of seeing the Four Uriah asked "So why then? If they are going to keep feeding why eliminate all religions?" To that, the Emperor quietly said: "Religion offers them an opening. If people pray to the gods they hope for an answer. What do you think happens when the Four listen and answer their prayers?" New visions then entered Uriah's mind to answer the Emperor's rhetorical questions.

*Entire Cities ripping themselves apart in sickening blood orgies.*

*Diseased Corpses rising from their graves to consume there friends and family.*

*Blasphemous rituals tearing open wounds upon reality allowing the substance of insanity to spill over the world in a tidal wave of damnation. *

Shuddering at the visions Uriah tried to stay standing, but his knees buckled finally under the psychological weight. The Emperor quickly caught the Priest and Uriah felt warm familiar energy enter his body and his legs could again support him. Still entranced by the saga being regaled to him Uriah asked the question that had been on his mind since before the visions the emperor had shown him. "You said humanities need for faith is your fault. What do you mean?"

A sadness darkened the Emperor's features as he summoned another vision to show Uriah. "You are the Last Priest of the Last Church of Terra. I have deemed it fitting for you to hear my confession. None know this tale, not even my closest advisors and friends. You being the Last Priest it seemed only right for you to hear the story of the First Temple.

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