(Vashtorr/Machine God POV)
Location the Warhammer 40k World-The Immaterium: Forge of Souls, the Throne of the Original Heretek-z
Sometime has passed, and my forge and power are steadily growing.
My daemons, expanding in number, and drastically increasing all my Forge, functionality and efficiency.
I'd started creating a whole new daemon to add to my legions of metal, flesh, and technology, grotesque, arachnoid, amalgams of metal, flesh and daemonic entities, these monstrosities hiss and snarl as they scuttle towards their prey, with fleshy tongues flap from snarling maws and Soulflayer tendrils lash back and forth, all tasting the air for the scent of their enemies' fear, I'd name them Venocrawlers.
Armed with various weaponry and abilities to these daemonic engines, once my crawlers, lock onto their target the Venomcrawlers emit an earsplitting screech, capable of using pent-up Warp energy is channelled into their main weaponry I'd dubbed the Excruciator Cannons, coalescing into hails of solid shot that rip through entire ranks of armoured foes with ease.
With their guns still screaming the Daemon Engines close ground on their victims, using their eviscerating claws to prise open vehicles and skewer those within.
Soulflayer tendrils thrash frantically, mangling bodies and flensing them of their essence.
As the Venomcrawlers will be my butchers, their fanged mouths gape ever wider, drawing the souls of those slain into their vast mechanical abdomens.
Hundreds of bulging abdomens with brass spine over the thin line over the abdomen, huge, brass eight-point stars with a maw and a long tongue at the sides of the abdomens.
Eight mechanical spider legs, with spikes and huge curved, razor-sharp blades like tips, tentacles in the front, just below the huge gruesome mouth.
A mouth filled with blacken, razor-sharp teeth, and a armored lensed helm, showing their four large eyes.
They roared and growled, crawling around the Forge, with Husk Exos crawling onto the Venomcrawlers, aiding and improving the cybernetics of these new cybernetic daemons. (I know that the Black Legion, were the ones that made the venomcrawlers, and are one of few infernal machines, that can be corrupted by all forces of Chaos...even if it's a paintjob, and don't have many augmentations since this was old lore, it makes sense that Vashtorr, especially a nearly God level Vashtorr could create them and even augment them, so I change the lore that it was Vashtorr who created them.)
These beast machines, were efficient weapons of war, and soo much more, with this another piece of my board, I felt more secured against my rival.
While it was to inconceivable that my rivals, the Dark Harbinger, the Blood God, the Rot Lord, and the Great Deceiver, all were passive.
This is very curious, my Silent Ones, have been spying at my enemies borders, it was slightly aggravating that my hellbeasts weren't so subtle in their spying.
In response my enemies, they were passive, maintaining their forces within their personal domains, their passive actions are strange to me, but the Forge of Souls is still not finish, and my birth was close, I must be ready...when suddenly a burst of intense light with a burst of angelic feathers, fluttering in the air.
As a six winged, halo hovering, thirteen-eyed beholder daemon manifested before my cocoon!!!
It power surpassing any of my daemonic minions, floating there, looking straight at my unborn state, as my Silent Ones, Husk Exos, and Venomcrawlers all assembled around my cocoon and throne.
It this powerful deamon wanted to attack me, it could do so without any difficulty, manifesting my machine like voice, I said, "Arrogance. My brothers sent one daemon to eliminate me." instead of gloating or conformation, this daemon shuke it body in mid-air, a sign of negation.
It introduced itself as Ba'al Allseer, the first Elder Daemon of Laharl, hearing this I thought in interest of the concept of "Elder Daemon" and allowed this Ba'al to speak.
(General POV)
Location the Neutral Zone of Chaos, the Mount Olympus-The Palace of the Dark Gods; The Council Chamber of Calamities
All the Dark Gods were gathered, as the Dark One's Nine Muses of Calliope, Clio, Melpomene, Euterphe, Erato, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia and Urania entertain them with hymns, the Dark Gods seating on their respective throne in the council chamber, which day by day looked more corrupted, than the pristine gold that once represented the Olympians "divine superiority".
Along with main four, their respective family, the girls Limos, Painwheel, and Eveline were not there, they were in the dinning room eating and playing together, Tzeentch was the first one to break the silence, asking the Dark One, "Has you're scryer, contacted the Arkefine yet?" Laharl looked at the Changer, and with a smile he'd responded, "Yes, as we speak Ba'al is talking to Vashtorr."
This made the God of A Thousand One Plots, cackle as Mitochondria Eve, snuggled up to their dear husband-to-be.
Khorne, Bellona, and Valkia were a bit peeved that they weren't going into war with the latest member of the Chaos Pantheon, as Valkia was nursing her son Krom.
But their word is their bound, especially with Laharl binding the oath and promises of all that make written and spoken contracts, but after learning that Vashtorr wasn't like them.
Vashtorr, was more focused on expanding and improving his realm over the expansion of daemonic legions, while the Blood Gods, didn't understand the Arkefine is more a support and industry from his realm, and less on military might...Laharl, mentally said, "Vashtorr is base fortifieyer in any RTS game, man he is one of the more hated players to play with." Nurgle started laughing and wet coughing.
Stating that the whole situation, was utterly delightful, thing were going smoothly.
Not only in the Warp, but Realspace as well, the eldars keep multiplying and expanding across the Galaxy, the future feast of their sister, She Who Thirst.
The orkz have been causing havoc, and mayhem as usual, some even entering the Anarkarr, mainly targeting Laharl and Khorne's territories, or their more favored Elder Daemons.
For Nurgle plants belonging to Ku'gath, the Glottkin, and Judge Mortis, for Tzeentch it was Loki, Zelos, and Vilitch that mostly got into battle with orkz, returning to the previous Chaos Gods, in Laharl's case it was Mordred, Majin Buu, and Omen, while for Khorne it was mostly all his Elder Daemons.
But the one most hounded by the greenskinz are Savitar, Kratos, and Wrath...while the Butcher was different, if he wasn't preparing meat for his dark masters, he scourge through Realspace for fresh meat, hence his constant encounters with the orkz.
Apart from that the Necrons have remained asleep, no new accidents or early awakenings has happened since Cyrpheruss, the League of Votaan have yet to develop, the Tau...are still in their caveman like era.
The Tyranids, are still outside the Milky Way, and humanity was expanding vastly as well, from possible timeline, the Unification Wars should still be waged, and with it soon the future Emperor will come calling.
The Cult Mechanicum, was advancing and forming sects across their religion and structure on Mars, all their extreme technophile obsession and beliefs was adding more than just the Arkefine.
But also forging the future technology, wargear, and vehicles for their future servants, amongst the mortals of humanity and more, so their meddling to push the Mechanicum into their core belief system of 30 & 40k timelines.
Ogryn, and any other adhuman were progressing smoothly, life and chaos was pulsating across the Materium, feeding them and empowering the dark entities that reign in the Warp.
All that is needed is for Slaanesh to be born, and by that time Ultnarth, the Great Horned Rat should also be apart of their pantheon, along with Vashtorr.
Laharl smirked, knowing Vashtorr, once he is inside Ixion and leading the Dark Legion with them, he won't be surprised if the Arkefine brings, old war era tanks with them.
Hey if the Empire of Man, has steam tanks, they can have actual heavy duty and Chaos tainted tanks.
This thought made Laharl laugh out loud, earning the attention of all the others in the chamber, Jade asked him if he was fine, Laharl managed to composed himself, and tell what he'd imagine when the Arkefine joins them in the Old World...the results was instantaneous.
Everyone of them busted out laughing, at that moment Ba'al Allseer, appeared in the center of the chamber, as always the First Elder Daemon of Carnage, which Tzeentch coveted.
Ba'al, showed respect and reverence to his dark masters, and the other Dark Gods of the Warp.
Ba'al, he was proud to report to his dark father, that the Arkefine has agreed to negotiate, once he is born.
As long as all daemons from the other forces of Chaos, remain completely out the Arkefine's Forge, and no negative meddling with the mortals, adding to his divine birth.
Laharl, and Tzeentch understood, Nurgle was fine with everything said, and Khorne...was Khorne, annoyed by Vashtorr's arrogance but at least things were proceeding smoothly, so his annoyance was settled for now.
For now they'll wait, and prepare for Vashtorr's birth, and him coming to Olympus to negotiate as a equal, unlike his Demigod, counterpart in canon, regardless soon the legions of daemons, will gain daemon engines, infernal machines, and more.
With that settled, Laharl, he sent Ba'al back to his cloister on the Nethervoid, as the beholder daemon, teleported away.
And before the Great Deceiver, ever said what he'd originally wanted to say, Laharl looked at his eldritch youngest brother and said, "Don't even ask, Tzeentch. It's no." making the Changer, cackle, as they left the council chamber, and went to the dinning hall to share another feast.