Father is to many an indecipherable man. My father Lucius Herschel is even to me a source of many mysteries. I am told that he appeared more than 500 years ago in a small village that would one day become Carthage. I can not imagine the city… No "city" does not do it justice, the metropolis I grew up in as a little village still blindly following the Order's rule.

The archives describe him when he first came down from the heavens in a flash of light and the screams of Neverborn abominations. He had nothing on him but his Spear and a Cloak of Black fabric. He explained to the villagers that he was a Lore Master of a sort to a master who had decided that he had gone beyond his prime. His creator and Master was extremely fond of my father and his duties. Father functioned as a living archive for all of humanities Knowledge, from the distant history of the Homeworld of humanity to the workings of a steam engine, Father knew it all. As such his Emperor gave him his last mission. Live life with all that you have learned, do all that you wish with the rest of your life upon this planet of the ignorant.

I was born to this man ,who had all the knowledge in the world, who thought he would never be able to ever father a child. Many tell me that before Father met my mother he was like a machine, his emotions a secret from the world. His face unchanging in the most dire of situations. But mother gifted him what his eternal vigil over his Master's immobile body had cost him, Humanity. And I had to take it all away. My mother died during my birth. The blood of The Ten Thousand is powerful, even watered down by mortal blood. It was too much to bear for my mother. The pregnancy should not have even been possible. My Fathers passion had reignited after the end of his duties, but he should not have been fertile. Many say it was the work of Eros, who upon seeing their love wanted to give them a gift not foreseeing the consequences.

Despite this Father has never once told me he was regretful. He loves me, that much I know for sure. Whenever he found time from his duties he would teach me about anything and everything. From sword and spear fighting to precision marksmanship and complex Algebra. Those lessons were the happiest moment of my life. When my father wasn't personally teaching me he would administer the scholar guilds, diffuse arguments within the senate, teach the aspiring engineers and scholars of our brilliant city. He had no shortage of work but he slept even less than I did.

After my 9th birthday's party I asked him "Father, is there a reason you established the senate instead of simply ruling yourself?"

Upon hearing my question he smiled the proud smile only a father makes seeing their child grow up.

"Humanity must never be ruled by those who have strayed from its normality. We can only guide them, light the paths forward. We must not make the choices for them, for down that path lies only hubris. We must never be so invested that our focus becomes obsession, for down that path lies only madness."

From that day on Father taught me about his Emperor's and his own philosophy. The "Imperial Truth". I can only say that it awoke a feeling inside of me, a feeling of wonder of hope. I felt an emotion I never felt before. Pride, I thought 'humanity could truly be like this?'. I knew my Father came from a civilization that was so far advanced I could hardly imagine it. Then I learned humanity was diminished. From the greatest of its peaks the age of Technology humanity had fallen low because of the machinations of Xenos and foul powers of Chaos. But I also learned of how Humanity had endured and in some cases even prospered in this cruel galaxy. I learned how the Emperor only intervened when chaos surged. These lessons in the history of the galaxy shaped my aspirations.

However I always wondered why humanity had to always fight every single thing that did not fit us. I understood the Eldar and the Orks, we had to have our due. But the many smaller races who while different were still agreeable. I did not understand why they had to be wiped clean. And so I came upon the topic I was most curious about. The Mamono or Monsters as they are more commonly called.

I brought this topic up on a train ride to one of the many cities of the Republic of Carthage. I gathered my courage by looking at the familiar gigantic 2.86m form of my Father, and I spoke.

"Father."

"Hmm?"

"Why have you in all your time here never once tried to wipe out the Order or the Monsters?"

"Ahh, of course you would be curious about that. To be frank, It's not that I haven't thought about it. But I am curious."

"Curious, curious of what?"

"How the Demon Lord will continue from here. She and her Husband remind me quite a lot of the Emperor. Enlightened members of misguided and failed cultures. Although certainly less …focused. They seek peace but also seek to alter the Soul of Humanity. The Order however is a set piece. A prop to make the play complete. However they weren't enough, the Order is a misguided bunch of fanatic fools, who are still under the thumb of Warpspawn. That is the very reason I paved the way for the Republic to form. A nation that ,in my quiet 'humble' opinion, represents the Soul of Humanity."

"How so?"

"Elementary, my dear Nao. Innovation, progress, community, dominion, imperialism, greed, xenophobia, desire for freedom, art, that wonder of discovery. These are the values I tried to create in the Republic. Of course I would have preferred to include Atheism in there too, but that would change the variables of this massive experiment I set up. I could not let my own subjectivity ruin such a wondrous experiment. As such I merely instilled Empiricism, a bit of Pragmatism, Rationalism and Utilitarianism. Other thought processes and philosophical movements appeared on their own. And developed in ways I genuinely did not think possible.

'Gunpowder Blessed' indeed."

"So all of this is an experiment. To quench your curiosity?"

"Not all of it but a vast majority of it. You for example are a product of my first ever genuine desire for another Human. You are more important to me than anything in the world. Never forget that you are Curator Proconsul Lucius Herschel's daughter. A granddaughter of the Emperor if you look at it from a certain way."

After Father's explanation I decided to bring some order to my thoughts. I remember even now watching the great fields tended by humans and machines alike. The breadbasket of the Republic Honeygrove was the city we were visiting at that time. A community something I was always isolated from.

My existence as the daughter of the Founder isolated me from everyone. The only person who wouldn't look at me with awe, fear and in some cases even worship was my own Father. I was always taller than all others, more intelligent, stronger, faster. By my 10th birthday my own bodyguards were unable to spar with me. I felt cheated of the life of a Human by my very nature. I only felt myself getting farther away from Humanity with each passing year. My emotions dimmed, my frustration grew. I wanted to understand. Those baser instincts that made Humanity what it was.

On a day just like any other I came to a conclusion. I had to go out. Out from our residence, out of the upper classes of the republic who lived in luxury. I had to get away from the trainers and even my own Father. I started making preparations. Gathered travel supplies, set out a route for my Pilgrimage and procured camping supplies. And today I will ask my Father for permission.

Nearing Father's study was stressful. Normally a place of comfort became a den of doubt. I walked up to the door and knocked two times. The deep baritone of Father's voice answered me

"Enter."

I opened the thick wooden door and walked into the room. Father gave me a knowing grin. He already knew what I was here for. On his desk were a stack of papers. Unusual, Father normally doesn't do paperwork at this hour. He is a man of strict schedule, so what changed?

"Naotaro, sit. We have much to talk about."

Realizing my moment of hesitation. I sat down on the padded leather chair lined with Father's second favorite metal. Gold right after Auramite.

After a second of mental preparation I finally told my Father.

"Dad, I want to explore, and learn about humanity. Not from your lessons or my observations of the Capital. I want to go out and learn of humanity. From the Republic's shining cities and hardworking villages to the worshipful ecclesiastical cathedrals of the Order. I want to see it all. So that someday I can bridge this gap between me and the people I am supposed to guide."

Father's smile was brighter than the sun. A proud thing it was. Full of joy and pride Father gave me his answer.

"I knew it was always a matter of time. I tried to raise you with normal humans but you would always distance yourself from any playmate, any Philosophist I found for you to hear you say, that you want to learn more about humanity brings me the greatest of joys. But I can not let you go out with naught but a cloak and camping supplies. Come, we go to the forge. It is about time you forged your first weapon. You are already 19 for Emperor's sake."

"A weapon? Dad, I learned how to forge and gunsmithing but is it alright for me to make a weapon for myself"

"'Is it alright?' she says, it's practically tradition. I know most adventurers don't craft their own weapons, but you aren't a simpleton. I have already filled out most of the forms for my work this evening so I'll be with you helping you make everything."

"What will I even make?"

"That is up to you to decide, though I would recommend a firearm and a bladed weapon."

"Like your Guardian Spear?"

"No, that would be a bit complicated for your first. Maybe in the future. You should make a rifle or pistol and a melee weapon. Make sure they are something you are comfortable with. And remember you won't be able to get materials for bullets outside of Republic territory."

To make a weapon that would fit me the most. I am already quite fond of polearms. Something used by the vast majority of soldiers. I don't want something special. I looked at the weapons hung up on racks. From the solid board and sword combination to the reliable and cheap spear however among the most used melee weapons of the republic one shone through to me just as versatile and crushing as humanity itself, the Halberd.

I knew I had already made my choice but one question remained. What should I pick as a gun? Perhaps the breech loading single-shot lever action Nordstjerne Anker. The iconic and trusty rifle of the Republic's military or the great authority symbol of the officers, the Alessandro top-break revolver. But… Why limit myself? Father has always said that invention is the second greatest thing man can bring into this world. I had already seen how father's spear could fire multiple times by containing the cartridges inside of the gun.

Father noticing my single minded devotion brought me paper and drawing supplies.

I got to work pouring my imagination onto the paper.