Chapter 6
Hello everyone, welcome to another Episode of this series, I'm your show host and presenter, Thomas, for today's episode, we are having a special episode, Tanyaism, or more precisely, its origins and History.
The exact time and place it first started have long since been deemed an useless search, but the rough time and area have been agreed widely, it first started in the very Great War, the first war to Involve most of the Europan Great powers and even the Intervention from the Unified States, and the oldest reliable records of the first Cults of Tanyaism can be pointed to the Rhine, where the Merciless Modern war first kicked in its horrible full effect. The trench warfare, Artillery barrages at any time and the Costly price that a trench line conquered by either side proved to become enough to shake any soldier, Aerial Mages getting involved most of the times became a death sentence for those in the Ground, be by those same Mages firing Volleys of highly accurate attacks packing similar punch to that of the field guns of that time, or when both sides mages dueled, stray artillery or explosive formulas could very well hit allied forces down below. It's no surprise most soldiers took Mages as Work hazard Multipliers than welcome reinforcements.
Then, how come a cult on THE GREATEST Mage to exist could pop in such place? That dear viewers, is a quite deep mystery even nowadays has new theories come into existence in University Graduation Thesis or some Historian pushing a new version of their decades old idea no one takes seriously. But one thing they all hold in common, the very first fact to Happen is, That it was Degurechaff's Terrific Skill as a Mage that earnt her appreciation from her fellow countrymen, even those who oftenly despised Mages, Imperial or Francois. Of all recorded data of hers, not once has her own shots, Magical or not, hit allied Lines, and also, her aerial duels she held against many Francois Mages, many even Aces or Named Mages, entire Wings, Platoons and even Battalions of Francois best and most veteran Mages killed, in fights that hardly put Ground troops in danger of stray shots. The majority were due to her killing them before they could even make their move, but a fair share were dealt with at Higher Altitudes, where the distance and Formula safeties would either let the Mana dispel or the attack self-destruct. That along the fact of any area she flew to help was a safe and won Line in which the Infantry would have exceptional Mage support to Blast any hardy or fortified threat out of the way won her the exception in the Imperial Soldiers hearts.
Her Career never stopped that was certain. Rhine front, The 203rd Commando Aerial Mage wing, Dacia, The Os Fjord Assault, Second Rhine front tour…. Where she, and her Personally trained Battalion went, Victory was assured, and so did spread the faith in her as the one who brings Hope when most needed. Despite that, the Great war was a Loss for the Empire, then it was Broken down Defanged and made to bear absurd and unreasonable Reparation Payments. Maybe that would be the end of the Living Victory Goddess that the Imperial Army veterans saw Degurechaff as?
Anyone nowadays would laugh at whoever suggested such idea, but that is having the benefit of hindsight. At that time, Her Career was as THE BEST Aerial Mage, a Scary Tactician and a Strategist that could and at times DID outdo even the Best generals the Empire had then, but with the Military and Other Official Government positions denied her since the Triano Treaty prohibited them from being even part of the Military or Government, and with no visible hint of skill in anything but those things, no one would be surprised if she had to settle for some Unfufilling Job as a Lobbyist for an Arms Manufacturer or give some Seminars in Unofficial manner to those wanting to learn Military strategy. Yet again she proved to have more than just the Ability to Eliminate enemies and make damn good plans for it at any scale, she was just as good of a Politician. Argent Silver decided she would fight for her fatherland in an entire new theater, Politics.
One major trait of Former Lieutnant Colonel Tanya von Degurechaff during her Frontline Career was her tendency to Pray as she used her Infamous One of a Kind Orb. Then it was taken as her being a Religiously Pious, nowadays, it was taken as potentially a Psychological Coping mechanism. But a Prayer she was, until the war ended in defeat, and Like many who returned from those horrid Fronts where God died with a 180mm Artillery shell up his ass like any soldier would once Artillery barrages started hitting, She returned, different, not much behaviour wise, but like the Soldiers and even citizens later in the wartime, maybe Cynism about God, about Higher providence being a thing, since the great war, Tanya stopped doing that Prayer she so did a lot. Yet she didn't go the route all those who fell into Cynism did, Either Suicidal Depression or Communism. No, Her Political Path was her decision, If God is dead or is a Worthless Being, then we humans should take to Ourselves to save us from our own doom.
Her Impressive Career once she was given the Chancellor seat sparked the fires of that Cult anew, she fulfilled all her biggest Electoral Promises, Dug Germania out of the Economic disaster, got that hated Treaty of Triano ripped to pieces. Those two alone gave her Political Career a Boost that would hardly leave her until her temporary retirement from the Political scenario later, but what her success also Brough was that Tanyaism went from a cult only some Old War Vets and the Military top Brass followed in secrecy, to one where Many followed, numbers increasing at never seen speeds for something of an Informal unacknowledged religious belief. As she proved to have hindsight, a genius for business and leading Germania and Later OZEV into greatness, as well as a humbleness and never taking things too far or too conservatively, each new Milestone achieved rose more to Tanyaism.
When the unsurprising Coronation of her as Holy Kaiserin of OZEV happened, the Church of Tanyaism had already become an official Religion, those last 30 years as the Kaiserin and not Chancellor saw little change in what she did. That her death became both an OZEV wide Holyday (And maybe to a rather disrespectful degree, a day of festivities in Fracois) and the Day Tanyaism managed to break into THE most followed Religion, were taken as one last great Plan of the Holy kaiserin turned into reality.
That's all for today's episode, for the Next one, a more in depth look at what Tanyaism truly advocates for, aside sane and logically sound financial planning that is.
- Episode 23 of TVD's Review en Force series, Originally Broadcasted in 2049, year of the 50 years since Degurechaff's death.
Germania, Mage Academy Flight training field
Flying, truly one of my loves of this Life, the thrill of high-speed flight, sharp maneuvers and high altitudes, pushing things to the extremes of flying by my own. It's just THE BEST, too bad our Mages have rusted a bit in this, rather, maybe it's me that is way above the sharpness level that's humanely possible. Maybe, but for now, flying like I am is enough for me. Once I land, the Orb Researchers, Kaiserin and Mike are waiting me.
"Dr. Siebels! I am surprised, for a 70-year-old Prototype, this is pretty good even for this turn of the century age."
"I'm flattered Holy Kaiserin, still, it would help wonders for an in-depth report."
"I'll send it later."
Siebels, a bit of Schugel in his designs, but he is better than that zealot madman in that he AT LEAST tries to get something that WORKS in practice with LOTS of safety measures to boot, still, his designs demanded some iffy high standards for the Test Mage still, if just so any Perks don't get mixed with the actual quirks and flaws in the Test units. But for our planned upgrade to get our Mages a mor up to date Orb, a 70 year Oldie planned design is fine, hopefully Siebels can manage at least that in terms of Living years he has remaining, calling out a 90+ year old grandpa for this task is as desperate we can get, worse than that is ME having to teach a new Orb Engineer from scratch, not that I wouldn't be able to, enough Lifetimes in shit worse than dead situations, so much I butted my head to walls to get the capacity to manufacture an Orb no matter what world I was thrown in.
The current Inventory given to the now in Training Mages first touching the real deal is the Type 101A8 block IX, Worse than it in Age but still worth being used is the Type 95 sealed in the Vault deep under my house, but that's not even a consolation, rather it is proof how bad technology has stagnated since Magicians took too much control of so many fields. The 101 was merely a more cost effective Type 100, with Later models past the A3 having Semi-conductor Cores mixed in for enabled Stealth casting, and the A8 was the last model, but since Orb research was the first to start getting gutted, update Blocks for it were being made, Block IX is basically making the 101 teeter VERY close to being a VolksGewher of the last months of the Great war, the Empire Industrial capacity having been exhausted to near self destruction by then.
Time to amend this, ASAP. First thing once I Complete my Test report of Siebels design and send for his team, is putting things into full speed, while this venerable granny Orb is still better than what the other Nations have, our edge still needs to be kept and even widened, so once a more Modern and efficient Orb starts Mass production, the 101 will be put for Training purposes, until we have a replacement design for the MS-D05 that I just tested, then that one will fully take Over as the Mage's standard issue Orb. Likely it will be necessary for new C class Orbs for the Crack Infantry, their SM-5 ones are even worse than the 101 in terms of age, but Orbs for that aren't as hard as for true Aerial Mages.
"Alright. This was Nice and fun, is there something else mandating priority attention?"
Mike just starts reading a report he got while I was happy flying, sadly maidenless, but it made me able to multitask and see him getting the report, from his daughter, Marie if I remember right.
"Chris and her darlings have been successfully brought to OZEV soil, and only recently the B&C sponsors realized they got snookered and yet are too Busy with their own issues to be able to do anything. If things go well, the surprise Deployment of the planned Rapid Gunship Strike force in the redesigned Space port facility will make sure that Reznov class Sub being used as a pseudo space platform and its inhabitants are forced into keeping most of its forces there for protection."
"Wunderbar. I'm surprised Brazil has accepted to do the delivery of our own Space force."
Mike gives a very good old mischievous smile.
"The South Americas are happy to do Business with anyone, and they already had their own Space Units deployed WAY before anyone, it's Just they remain on solely Anti-ICBM net duty mostly, and even the most Militaristic gung-ho war maniac knows better than poke them when they made clear they won't do anything if no reason for hostile responses are given beforehand."
At least they seem to be MY kind of people, peace Loving guys who never make the first hostile move. While also being some of THE BEST War maniacs in duty when necessary….. yup, MY KIND of people…..
"Alright, if this is all, then maybe I will fly some more."
"Just remember to check what is over 100 years old, that Vault must have a LOT of things you may want to take out of storage."
With that last remark, Mike walks away, back to whatever duty he is going to do. But century old items? What-
Holy Kaiserin's Residence, Berun
The underground Vault remained sealed since my last visit, before my death in this world, by all intents and purposes, there's only two things I intend to keep sealed here for good, one is obviously that Cursed Type 95, even if the output remains unmatched even with the best Tricore Orbs, it's hardly of use, most post second great war Mana detector arrays can spot that thing from over HALF a world away if I use it, and since the issues that quadcores have were never solved no matter how much technology advanced, means the practicality of such idea was quickly forgotten even among Dedicated Orb engineers and researchers. The horrid Mana cost upfront was also a reason it would never take off, even in the years before my death, the Tricore Orbs were only issued to the best of the best graduates of the academy, that also held high A rank mana potential, the rest were issued Dual core models, the 101 was such.
No soon these Thick and Mana proofed doors start opening, a gust of power flows from inside this long shut and forgotten place.
[Ah, she's back!]
"Huh?"
I look around, in this area, only Me and Kaiserin are allowed, the entire construction of the whole Underground sector was made by taking into consideration both Ordinary and Mage enhance attempts at breaching into the safe, that includes a sturdy and finely designed Anti-Mage comms array lining these walls, floors and ceilings, so only a nearby Mage would be able to open a direct Magic comms formula at another Mage, Kaiserin is not that fazed, if anything, a bit sad.
Once the doors fully Opened, and lights finally come to Life, we both also carry Flashlights and Fluorescent Flare sticks, plus our Orbs. This area was hardly if ever filled, it was made more because my worries someone would steal the Type 95 and cause a Being X awful disaster, and to somewhat keep my most private materials hidden for good, of all that, it remained a tomb for that little cursed Orb. If it got worked out with time and care, I believe very much nothing would ever come close to it, but wartime, Being X fucking around and the shit luck that its creator happened to be that fucking weirdo Schugel made even weirder via Being X Brainwashing, it ended cursed, and to never have a sucessor. That, This vault served very well as its place of rest. Since Visha, Elya and anyone who ever spotted some of my annoyingly embarrassing ideas I wrote on paper and decided to take them to see made into reality…. Woes be me that I ALONE made Manga, Otaku culture and fucking Cosplay of all things into reality three decades earlier than normal. And Cosplay of me just oh so became a fad to this day….. and having the Tanyaism Churches have sisters that are Blonde, short, and have blue hair and make some shiver inducing smiles from time to time, mostly to educate rude kids.
The second item I wanted kept out of reach for good, the only thing to remain even more of a fictious pie in the sky dream, Octacore Orbs. Siegfried, sealed away just before my last week alive.
"Well, you two have been quite the adventurous partners, huh?"
Siegfried's Box was an armored Case, Mike promised it was proofed to resist even .50 AP ammo, the lock was a Mana ID clockwork lock, only the Mana the gem of this orb lock was tuned to will open it, and trying brute forcing it would just make it go Nuclear, even a single core going into out of control Mana meltdown would make for some rather huge explosion, so this ensured any valuables were safe and sound if you couldn't convince the mage assigned that lock to open it. There WERE some ways to get a new Mana signature to become the Opener, but Mike tells me and showed me even the process was time, resource and costly enough that even the prospects of an One of a kind Octacore wouldn't yield the return to pay off the ass work to open such locked box.
The Type 95 was in an armored box, similar to Siegfried's, but this one was a simpler lock, it was a Lockpick Magic formula lock type, and the trick puzzle model. Not the top security level of lock, there ARE ways to cheat the locking puzzle, but this one was a tight match grade fitting, exactly so the cheat is even less cost efficient than merely trying out the puzzle lock.
I open the Siegfried, its Mana was normal, just peacefully humming, the issue with Octacores was exactly that, it would have a minimal residue of its last user's Mana run through the Mana Cycle those 8 cores created, but as I see, it was stable.
"That's…. nice."
Now I opened the 95, the Lock was tricky, so long since I needed to keep the memory of how to solve this one it took me one Minute to remember how to solve and then it was a 35 second job. Looking at it…. it… felt strange.
"Long time, huh? Yet you remain this nice…. As if you don't carry that bastard's curse, not anymore, I hope."
I was about to let it rest once more, when Kaiserin stops me.
"Don't worry…. She's safe…. Just, let some Mana in."
"You serious? Why?"
A faint smile, it's all she gives. Fine, you want me to reassure myself noting remains of those assholes interference, so be it. The Mana flows naturally, after all, even if for most of the Great war and past that my Tool of trade was the Siegfried, I had to adjust myself and get used to this one a lot, if merely to avoid becoming another lethal victim of this one's instability.
[You're back! Really back!]
"Huh? Who?"
As if to answer me, a flash of light blinds me somewhat. Coming from nothing less than This Very Elenium Memento I held. Then finally, it subsides. And instead of holding an oversized pocket watch, a Girl, Blonde hair like mine, a pair of frontal hair sidebangs and her back hair style naturaly into wing shaped details, her blue eyes shine with a Purple common of Imperial mage Hardware when Mana is running in them.
"What? Type 95?"
"Un! So Happy to see you again!"
She hugs me, I look at Kaiserin with an obvious 'if Siegfried will turn also into a living object…' glare. She only chuckles.
"No worries, she's the only one."
95 looks at my look alike, and frowls.
"Your Magic feels like my Partner's, but also doesn't…. what happened to-"
Kaiserin puts her finger on her lips, shutting her.
"My situation… is complicated… hopefully one day I will be able to tell, but not now."
An exchange of nods between the two later, and I have to come back to my Living area carrying a Girl near identical to me during the Great war early years who's all too happy to act all touchy feely. If I will carry her, then no reason NOT to bring Siegfried out as well. I will be pulling some answers from the necessary parties no matter what once this Waifunized Magical Tool of Mass destruction is satisfied with contact with me.
