The people of Mut called themselves the Sternbund. It was not a nation in the sense of an empire, nor a kingdom crowned by bloodlines, at least not anymore. It was the only thing that survived all that Mut had been through. All the destruction, wars and millennia of uncertainty and fear, through all that, only the name of their proud civilisation had remained.
The Sternbund was a covenant, steel-bound to soul, faith-bound to survival. They were made up of hundreds, thousands of fortified countries and states scattered across the entire planet. The planet itself had slowly regenerated into a somewhat healthy ecosystem, at least as healthy as a planet truly was in the grim darkness that permeated everything. There were increasing lush forests, hot, dry deserts, and ice-cold tundras on Mut. Each country and state was governed by a set of royals or nobles who had stood against the darkness and chaos, emerging on the other side.
But the people of Mut were united by a single, unyielding doctrine: The corruption of the Warp must never be allowed to take root. Through the time that had passed, though, they weren't quite certain what that truly meant. Psykers had been purged, and so far, there hadn't been any incidents they could name. In that regard, Mut was truly unique and singular throughout the galaxy.
However, they were wrong. The Sternbund had indeed purged all the psykers and destroyed any form of advanced technology, but as humans, they were alive and had emotions. Emotions and souls were the Immaterium's bread and butter. But something had happened through the Sternbund's will and collective understanding. Every living soul had a presence in the Warp. Stronger souls had a stronger presence and shone brighter, while weaker souls shone less bright. These lights acted like beacons in a sense and would, at some point, invite denizens of the Warp. And yet, ever since their great eradication, that hadn't happened.
How could that be?
The truth was marvellous and inexplicable.
In their desire and unanimous understanding that any contact with the Warp was dangerous and must be avoided, the ancestors of the current Mut changed how they interacted with the Warp. Their souls, which used to be anchored and mirrored in the Warp, now seemed to be no longer mirrored at all. It was as if the excess energy that connected souls to the Immaterium had been severed and flowed back into their souls. The closest comparison was what Nen users experienced after unlocking their aura nodes and learning how to keep their aura from leaking.
The soulpower, or Reishi, of all humans on Mut was no longer leaking and stopped sending a signal in the Warp. They were, for lack of a better term, semi-transparent in the Warp. And that was their luck.
As a result, great changes had taken hold for the humans on Mut. They became, in a way, spiritual humans. Their souls grew more powerful, if only slightly, thanks to them no longer leaking any Reishi into the Warp. Their bodies were slowly adapting to this and growing accustomed to it. Stronger souls meant fewer health problems, and while that wasn't very visible at first, it grew more apparent after Juha Bach arrived.
The soul-distribution ability of Juha Bach was what pushed those who were granted a soul fragment beyond the threshold of normal humans. Their bodies finally fully adapted to this change in soulpower, and they became something more. But they didn't quite realise it yet. And it would take centuries for them to realise it.
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The infant Juha Bach grew much more slowly than other infants. This was strange, both for normal humans and for a Primarch. But as the 'failed' Primarch, it was not that surprising. His body didn't age like a human's or a Primarch's. As a Primarch, Juha Bach had the benefit of not ageing after reaching his physical prime, but because he was special, he didn't reach it quickly. It took him decades to grow into a young man.
During this time, those around him continued to see him as a source of healing and growth. Those who touched him were healed of their old or new wounds, and the others grew stronger. This process continued for generations until the earlier human form had disappeared entirely, giving rise to a new spiritual species. It was Juha Bach himself who named the small group of humans who had found him and took him in, the Quincy. A new race of something superior to humans. Capable of weaponising their spirit energy and fighting with it.
Naturally, nothing was free, and in the reality as grim and dark as this one, things were even worse.
The growing spiritual power had both benefits and disadvantages for the Quincy. The most obvious disadvantage was that, while they were still seemingly unthethered from the Warp, they could now be perceived again. But unlike normal humans, on other planets, the Quincy couldn't be directly corrupted or possessed by the Warp, and thus couldn't give the denizens access to realspace. Quincy's soul acted like an anchor or a lighthouse, which gave the daemons direction. And Mut had to realise this change very harshly.
The appearance of a Warp denizen in realspace came as a shock. Realspace seemed to be ripped open, and from the darkness a monstrous being emerged, roaring and hungry for the delicious souls that were the Quincy. That's how the constant fight against chaos returned to Mut, like the rest of the galaxy, but still nowhere near as bad and chaotic as it could be.
.
As the decades gave way to centuries, the Quincy gave the dangerous, hungry monsters a name: Hollows. They named them that for their irrational hunger and behaviour, hollow and devoid of logic and purpose. They believed the universe itself was wounded, and that from those wounds came the Hollows that bled through reality like an infection. Monsters of hunger and madness, which, as it turned out, were terribly poisonous to Quincy, and a single wound hurt them terribly. The Quincy came to hate Hollows, seeing them as beings that needed to be eradicated entirely—a very Mut-like response.
So, they hunted them whenever they appeared.
By the time Juha reached manhood, he stood apart even among the Sternbund's Quincy champions. He was tall, unnaturally so for the people of Mut, his frame lean rather than broad, but still very muscular. What made him stand out most, though, was the way he carried himself with quiet, oppressive authority and power. His hair was pitch black and had grown to fall past his shoulders. It was often loose, stirred by the wind even when there was no wind.
Juha's eyes were reddish-brown, the colour of the morning sun rising and promising warmth. When he looked at someone, it felt less like being seen and more like being measured and stared at by a giant looking down at an ant. Not condescendingly, just the difference between them. On the contrary, Juha was very soft-spoken and polite.
He wore the Sternbund's standard official attire: a white, double-breasted trench coat with the Sternbund's symbol on the chest, large buttoned cuffs and lapels, white trousers, and trench boots. Over this, he wore a tattered, ankle-length, maroon-black cloak with a red ribbon near the neck, fastened on the left with a single large button. There was no insignia of rank on him. He did not need one.
Around him rode the hunting party: thirty mounted warriors astride kriegrossen, massive gene-bred warhorses clad in layered armour. Their hooves struck the frozen ground like war drums. Bows were slung across some of the men's and women's backs. Those were long, angular things of composite wood and alloy. Crossbows rested in saddles, masterfully crafted and fit for master crossbowmen and women. Swords hung at the hips, shields bore their sigils.
At Juha's side rode those closest to him.
Liselotte Weiss carried the same fierce, volatile beauty of a sharp and dangerous blade. She was of average height, with a lean, athletic build that moved like a coiled spring. Her hair was wild and dark, cut unevenly and tied back loosely, some strands always escaping no matter how tightly she bound them.
Her eyes burned with intensity, bright, expressive, and just a little unhinged when battle began. However, Liselotte's instability was controlled, channelled into purpose by Juha and aided by her boundless loyalty to him. Her Sternbund armour was lighter than most: black plates over a fitted white gambeson, allowing speed and flexibility, which she specialised in. She favoured a sword and a crossbow, which she could form from her spiritual energy.
She was one of four Quincys who were capable of doing that.
In battle, she usually smiled, out of joy and anticipation. She was Juha's forward scout, his eyes beyond the ridge, and the one most likely to volunteer to draw a monster's attention if it meant buying him time and getting her hands dirty.
.
Next was Gerhardt Falk. He looked like a living fortress. Broad-shouldered, tall, and thickly built, his body was layered with dense muscle hardened by years of training and mortal combat. His skin might have borne old scars, cuts, burns, and warp-corruption brands that never fully faded, if it hadn't been for Juha's powers.
His face was thick-browed, perpetually stern, and framed by short, dark hair, which he kept practically short. There was a brutal simplicity to Gerhardt, something that Juha could appreciate.
He wore the heaviest armour in Juha's retinue: overlapping black plates, reinforced and forged in Reishi-enhanced flames. He fought using a heavy waraxe, which, like Liselote, he created using his Reishi.
Gerhardt spoke little, but when he did, it was usually to state facts, not opinions. He positioned himself instinctively between Juha and anything Gerhardt perceived as danger, not because he doubted Juha's strength, but because he considered it his purpose. If the world wished to reach his King, Juha Bach, it must first kill him. And so far, no one had succeeded.
.
Matthias Dorn had the bearing of an old soldier, even when he fought. His hair was light, almost silver-blond, which he kept neatly trimmed, and his face was lined with age and experience far beyond most of the Sternbund. His eyes were sharp but weary, always calculating strategies, dangers, and outcomes. He looked like a man who had survived a lot of battles.
His armour was immaculate, maintained with almost ritual precision. He favoured two short, handheld crossbows, which he also created using his Reishi, allowing him to be very flexible and fast when shooting targets.
Matthias is Juha's information gatherer. Where Liselotte burned hot with passion and bloodlust, and Gerhardt endured the weight of the world, capable of wading through oceans of blood for his Majesty, Matthias carefully planned and aided his master throughout everything. He was the one who came up with tactics, anticipated consequences, and ensured that Juha's will became reality by any means necessary.
He was the first to understand that Juha's power was not merely supportive, but a double-edged blade that took in equal measure as it gave. However, knowing what would otherwise happen to humans when they died, Matthias saw joining his Majesty and becoming part of his growing strength as an honour and a privilege.
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Finally, there was Quilge Opie. Quilge Opie stood apart from the others. He was Tall and slender, with immaculate black hair slicked back and piercing, analytical eyes behind thin glasses. He dressed in ceremonial Sternbund regalia. His armour was lighter, more refined and etched with sigils of his rank and authority. Opie was the teacher and officer of the young Quincy.
Where others fought the Warp or studied it, Quilge endured and followed his Majesty's will to the letter. He saw his position as Martial Educator as a privilege and took it very seriously. Juha had chosen him for his tactical mind, his incredible talent for teaching, and his use of Quincy techniques.
Quilge carried an ornate military sabre, fitting for him as a master swordsman. His voice was calm, precise, and faintly condescending towards the weak and his enemies. He saw himself as incapable of failure, because failing meant disappointing Juha, and that was an impossibility.
Quilge served with absolute conviction that Juha was not merely a leader but a glorious constant in an otherwise broken world. To enemies, he was insufferable and a curse. To allies, he was invaluable and a powerful soldier.
Together, these four were the first members of a special unit among Juha's soldiers, called the Sternritter. The Sternritter served as the leading combatants in Juha's army and were more powerful than any other of the basic soldiers, the Soldats.
.
They were riding through the Pale Vale when the air trembled. It was a pressure, like reality itself being pulled apart. It was the telltale sign that a Hollow or Hollows were about to enter realspace.
Juha raised one hand, and the column halted instantly.
Frost crept across the ground, the sky dimmed, and clouds gathered as if summoned. A smell filled the air, coming from the Warp: ozone, rot, and something that couldn't quite be described. It was like giving madness and corruption a smell and taste.
Liselotte swallowed.
"Warp breach," she said. "Up front."
The Quincy had relearned the proper term for the Immaterium. There were old texts and what was considered myths, but Juha understood that this wasn't the case. So he had brought the term back and made sure to inform his soldiers about the dangers and what these Hollows, as they were now named, truly were.
Juha dismounted. The kriegrossen stamped anxiously. Anxious about the fight and filled with energy and rage at the Hollows. Gerhardt materialised his shield and planted it in the ground. Matthias created his crossbows and notched two arrows.
Juha did neither. He observed the air up front. The breach tore open like a wound in realspace. As it opened, light was sucked inward like a black hole, and something forced itself through. The strange tentacles, feathers, bones and other weird hand-like appendages appeared at the edge of the rift, pulling it open. Then they appeared. They came in all shapes and sizes. Some tall, others too tall, its form vaguely humanoid but wrong in every proportion. Its limbs bent where they shouldn't. Its head split vertically, revealing a hollow void filled with drifting eyes, jagged teeth, and corrupted power.
A Warp Denizen. A Hollow.
They shrieked and lunged. Only then did Juha act. Faster than his soldiers could do it for him, he extended his hand. Reishi condensed above him, brilliant, blinding blue, forming into a large bow. One arrow followed, then two, three and then four. Four large arrows were notched back. The pressure of them made the Sternbund soldiers stagger back.
The world seemed to hold its breath as Juha Bach waited for the right moment. When he released the arrow, it did not appear to fly through the air as an arrow normally would. One moment, the arrows were there, and in the next, they were gone, ripping through the disgusting forms of the Hollows and punching holes in the sides of small houses.
The daemons were erased mid-charge; the largest ones had large holes in their bodies, causing them to collapse inward and disappear into dust, while the smaller ones were fully erased. The arrows didn't stop with only the Hollows that had breached the warp hole and travelled further, reaching into the Warp and destroying those who held the tear open.
Accompanied by terrible screeches and screams, the Warp breach sealed shut with a loud clap.
Silence followed.
Juha lowered his hand slowly, and the light faded. Around him, the warriors stared, not in fear, but in reverence because they had noticed something revolutionary.
Matthias exhaled slowly.
"You erased them," he observed. "The shot… it happened here. In realspace. But you destroyed them entirely, even those who were still in the Warp."
Juha nodded once. It was true. He had this suspicion when he realised the irony of it all. He still remembered his previous life. Shinigami governed the souls between the Human World and Soul Society, maintaining a balance that, if not kept, would result in the mutual destruction of both worlds.
All souls, including Hollows, were subject to the Shinigami governance of maintaining the balance. Quincy completely extinguished Hollows; thus, the souls that came to the Human World would not return to Soul Society, and therefore, the souls would increase only on the side of the Human World. As a result, the Human World would become heavy with souls, causing Soul Society to spill over into it, mixing life and death.
But only now had Juha confirmed it for himself. Using his Reishi, he and the Quincy could completely extinguish the daemons and all those creatures and beings from the Warp. And unlike the Human World, Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo, this was the preferred outcome in this new reality. Because what was extinguished wouldn't ever return. It was a permanent solution to an otherwise endless problem.
But that alone would garner attention, where they might have preferred none.
"That is how they must be killed," Juha said calmly. "The Warp feeds on emotions, struggle, on the prolongation of war, suffering and chaos. Ending Hollows this way prevents them from ever returning and denies them nourishment. You all must learn to weaponise your Reishi better. Quilge, you will handle the training."
"Most definitely, Your Majesty," Quilge said and bowed deeply.
Gerhardt rose, thumping his fist against his chest in salute.
"We will not hesitate."
Juha's gaze lingered on the scorched ground where the creature had stood.
"The Sternenbund has lived fractured for too long now. The name suggests union, but we aren't. It is time to change that."
"Does that mean..." Liselotte asked.
Juha nodded. It was time to unify the planet fully and prepare for any eventuality. Because Juha knew that there were others out there, from where he came from, and they wouldn't leave him on his own devices. Not when he was created the way he did and saw others just like him.
The Quincy mounted up once more, renewed purpose and a great goal in their eyes. On Mut, a young king walked among them. And he would return to that in this life as well; all he needed was time. To grow more powerful, all Juha Bach needed was, as ironic as that sounded, conflict. But since he was a Primarch, he would never again degrade and return to the weak, senseless, little thing he was initially. He was going to be a true danger to his enemies.