"The Core"

[Wolfbiter]

Just wanted to say that I finished reading "The Core" in the "Fear the Alien" anthology today during my lunch break.

 

I enjoyed it tremendously. A taut little story with mayhem galore and some throwaway lines that really made me chuckle. Terrific all-around job, Mr. Dembski-Bowden. Thanks very much! <_<

 

Plus, for those on the board that have been complaining about a lack of Raptors in recent Night Lords fiction...I think you'll be pretty pleased.

 

(I thought Lucoryphus was my favorite new character. I don't know why, but I found him and his fellow Raptors really amusing. While being psychotic and intimidating at the same time.)

 

I shall now return to work, brain sated for the moment with excellent Night Lords fiction.

 

Though if "Blood Reaver" doesn't come out until May, I may need to break down and buy "Throne of Lies" just to tide me over until then.

[Candleshoes]

I can only imagine what is stewing around in ADB's skulljunk in regards to the "new duds" acquired from the Salamander elite. I can't wait to read Blood Reaver to hopefully find out.

[Khestra the Unbeheld]

I can only imagine what is stewing around in ADB's skulljunk in regards to the "new duds" acquired from the Salamander elite. I can't wait to read Blood Reaver to hopefully find out.

 

You'll have to wait for the third book, then. The Core happens after Blood Reaver.

[minigun762]

Overall was the book a decent read?

I was toying with picking it up.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

There's one story that starts off really, really confusing (my first thought being, "Who the F^#* let this crap slide through?) but then things clear up towards the end. The rest of them are all pretty decent, though I thought there would be more of the stories written from the perspective of the aliens we're supposed to be fearing. . .

[Khestra the Unbeheld]

Overall was the book a decent read?

I was toying with picking it up.

 

There's one story in it that's absolutely wretched tripe and reads like it was jacked from fanfiction.net. The rest range from pretty decent to jaw-droppingly good.

[Clewz]

Overall was the book a decent read?

I was toying with picking it up.

 

There's one story in it that's absolutely wretched tripe and reads like it was jacked from fanfiction.net.

 

How does it compare to the big pile of rhubarb crumble that was the Hunt for Voldorius?

[Dan The Deamon]

Overall was the book a decent read?

I was toying with picking it up.

 

There's one story in it that's absolutely wretched tripe and reads like it was jacked from fanfiction.net.

 

How does it compare to the big pile of rhubarb crumble that was the Hunt for Voldorius?

 

Oh god, I've read both in the past week. And by read i mean finished The Core and loved it, and grew tired of forcing myself to stomach Hunt for Voldorius. The books were written for two totally different groups, and i don't mean white scar or night lords. I mean adults who like depth, plot, and good characters, or prepubescent teens looking for a lame story about fighting.

 

Ugh, I even got sick of looking for Alpha Legion references after i gave up on the story.

[Khestra the Unbeheld]

Overall was the book a decent read?

I was toying with picking it up.

 

There's one story in it that's absolutely wretched tripe and reads like it was jacked from fanfiction.net.

 

How does it compare to the big pile of rhubarb crumble that was the Hunt for Voldorius?

 

Truth be told, Hunt for Voldorius makes me feel betrayed. Rynn's World was Mary Sue-ish but at least fun; Helsreach was beautiful in all the ways 40K fiction should be; Hunt for Voldorius feels like someone looked at the fluff piece in the Codex: Space Marines and just tried to fill in the gaps between the sentences with nonsense. I raised the bar for the Black Library after Helsreach and now I feel as if I've wasted my time.

 

Fear the Alien is by far the better read, if by virtue of the awful piece being reasonably short, whereas Hunt for Voldorius just savages the mind with its dreck thoughout, to the point where not only did I not care about anything or anyone in the book, but actively wished every single individual depicted would all die and never haunt the pages of the fluff again.

[Brother Nihm]

Hehe,

Looks like I'm in a for a treat then as I have yet to begin on Hunt for Voldonius. ;)

 

And I didn't like The Core or the Salamanders story.

The Core had an interesting view on Raptors (except for the Gollum speech). Sadly the story didn't really go anywhere and I feel it is the weakest one yet.

Shadow Knight being the strongest, in my opinion, but I digress.

 

I am still waiting for the Night Lords to actually be Night Lords.

There's very little of the fear and terror aspect being explored, as well as them using overwhelming force (this last, on purpose, to support the arc I'm guessing) because the 10th is almost broken.

 

Right now,

If you go by Soul Hunter, Throne of Lies & The Core alone and disregard the quotes and references to the Night Haunter and the one scene in Throne of Lies (Chapter 5), then they could be any random Chaos warband.

 

 

More Night Lords would do us good!

I'm hoping that Blood Reaver will do this.

 

 

My 2 Kraks

[Wolfbiter]

Hehe,

Looks like I'm in a for a treat then as I have yet to begin on Hunt for Voldonius. ;)

 

And I didn't like The Core or the Salamanders story.

The Core had an interesting view on Raptors (except for the Gollum speech). Sadly the story didn't really go anywhere and I feel it is the weakest one yet.

Shadow Knight being the strongest, in my opinion, but I digress.

 

I am still waiting for the Night Lords to actually be Night Lords.

There's very little of the fear and terror aspect being explored, as well as them using overwhelming force (this last, on purpose, to support the arc I'm guessing) because the 10th is almost broken.

 

Right now,

If you go by Soul Hunter, Throne of Lies & The Core alone and disregard the quotes and references to the Night Haunter and the one scene in Throne of Lies (Chapter 5), then they could be any random Chaos warband.

 

 

More Night Lords would do us good!

I'm hoping that Blood Reaver will do this.

 

 

My 2 Kraks

 

Well, "The Core" is a short story after all. It's pretty brief, too, but I really enjoyed the dialogue and action. There's not really any heavy character development at all, but in cinematic terms, I'd consider "Soul Hunter" comparable to a full length film, and "The Core" more like a teaser trailer for "Blood Reaver."

 

I am a bit surprised Nihm, my impression from your review of "Soul Hunter" was that you liked it...has this changed?

 

I think I've read all the stories in "Fear The Alien" except "Prometheus Requiem." I enjoyed all so far except "Faces" which I found extremely difficult to get through the first half because of the bizarre, surreal tone of the narration. The second half was good; I thought the first half really decreased the overall quality of the story.

 

I'm not expecting to like "Prometheus Requiem"; I really disliked Nick Kyme's other Salamanders short story because his characters come across to me as petty, selfish and frankly not very appealing compared to other Space Marine fictional characters (Talos, Loken, heck even Uriel Ventris!)

 

Nihm, which story are you referring to when you mention "Shadow Knight?" I didn't see that title in the collection.

[Noctus Cornix]

Well, "The Core" is a short story after all. It's pretty brief, too, but I really enjoyed the dialogue and action. There's not really any heavy character development at all, but in cinematic terms, I'd consider "Soul Hunter" comparable to a full length film, and "The Core" more like a teaser trailer for "Blood Reaver."

 

I am a bit surprised Nihm, my impression from your review of "Soul Hunter" was that you liked it...has this changed?

 

I think I've read all the stories in "Fear The Alien" except "Prometheus Requiem." I enjoyed all so far except "Faces" which I found extremely difficult to get through the first half because of the bizarre, surreal tone of the narration. The second half was good; I thought the first half really decreased the overall quality of the story.

 

I'm not expecting to like "Prometheus Requiem"; I really disliked Nick Kyme's other Salamanders short story because his characters come across to me as petty, selfish and frankly not very appealing compared to other Space Marine fictional characters (Talos, Loken, heck even Uriel Ventris!)

 

Nihm, which story are you referring to when you mention "Shadow Knight?" I didn't see that title in the collection.

 

Hiding behind the fact that this is a short story is no excuse for a poor literary structure and virtually NO plot whatsoever.

 

 

I fail to find 'dialogue and action' (which were both of rather poor quality as well to my suprise) to make up a good story as both of these are virtually worthless if there's no plot or meaning to them. This is something that plagues the film industry today and I lament to think that it will overflow into the literary industry.

 

Am I supposed to believe that a Night Lord would heed the word of a lowly tech priest? I care very little if it were even the genetic plans to recreate the primarches themselves, I would never waste my resources and astartes on the fools errand of a lowly adept tech who can only give me his word (but no other proof) that this will be of any value to me. What the hell do Night Lords even need with Titan information?! Best you can do is sell it like common pirates or cheap reclamators.

 

Following this I am to believe that the 10,000 year old veterans, the very masters of the hunt, the supreme lords of the night sky. The raptors. Are to be lowly dogs that crawl on the ground and speak in the same manner of an uneducated slave? Chaos has corrupted these veterans, yes. I understand this, but in no way should these hunters WITHOUT PEER and highly sought out killers of other warbands are like little mischievous creatures who act in the manner of patient-less berserkers of the blood god and die in the hand fulls? I don't think so. Chaos may be corruption but it doesn't mean your a blasted idiot. (Apologies. I don't condemn AD-B's view of the Raptors but I must voice my own opinion on this matter)

 

So continuing on, these said 'Night Lords' venture off into the space hulk in pursuit of their quest and come across a brood of feral genestealers (which is reasonable enough) but suddenly, from out of nowhere. Salamander Terminators JUST HAPPEN TO BE PASSING BY YAL. Sounds like a cheap five minute thought out excuse to make a random space hulk battle between chaos, space marines, and tyranids 'fluffy'. (Seriously dude, this just isn't you. You can do so much better then this)

 

Oh and did we forget to mention that We get 6 suits of terminator armour guys! ;) yeah.... no....

 

 

Look... I have yet to read a single piece of official black library fiction that really relates NIGHT LORD to me. Not Lord of the Night and not Soul Hunter. There is NO terror tactics. NO callous nature filled with venom and hatred. NO need and thrill of quenching ones thirst with the fear of their victims. My Legion of terror has become bland and 'tragic', two qualities that I see being the exact opposite of what they are.

 

 

Don't get me wrong. I loved both of those books. But neither of them are Night Lord books to me.

 

AD-B informed us that this would be an experiment. Lets hope that he learned from this mistake and makes Blood Reaver all the more amazing.

I want him to go back to what he does best, make an actual damn story.Hell I would have probably actually loved the core if it were all plot and NO action. That's what Aaron excels at and that's what makes his stories so gripping. Plot. Character development. Dialogue. This is what makes his books so damn good. He shouldn't have to resort to lowering his literary standards to please the simpler minded readers who just want action. To hell with the action. I want plot.

 

I may disagree strongly with the standpoint AD-B takes on the night lords but I value his standpoint as it is one that entirely opposes my own. Its not wrong for people to have two completely different ideas on a situation, and to be honest I like it. I will admit I am disappointed that it may not be a view of my liking, but by no means should it be shunned. I like to re look over the Night Lord stories that have come to us so far, soak in the details and ideas unique to each of the them and see them in the shoes of my own Night Lords. It makes for a wonderful way to truly see the similarities and differences between each night lord and helps to create your own unique character. The Night Lords are not one mass of psychopathic killers nor is it a great brotherhood of dark heroes. There is not black, or white, simply a myriad shades of grey.

 

 

P.S. Shadow Knight was the first preview to the Soul Hunter trilogy.

[A D-B]

AD-B informed us that this would be an experiment. Lets hope that he learned from this mistake and makes Blood Reaver all the more amazing.

 

I don't consider it a mistake. As far as I've seen, pretty much across the range of forums and official reviews, it's had the best reviews of any story in that anthology. I do consider it something different from normal, which is what I almost always use short stories for. And considering its success, I'm dead happy with how it worked out. But you're right, it's really not my kind of thing. I sort of like how it shows - as weird as it is to say that.

 

 

Am I supposed to believe that a Night Lord would heed the word of a lowly tech priest?

 

In most circumstances, sure. But this Night Lords warband is a little beleaguered, and they don't get to choose their allies very often. When it's one of the only guys you have left who watches over your dreadnoughts; manufactures your ammunition; maintains the most difficult and stubborn technology...

 

And bear in mind who agreed to do it for him. Talos. Not the Exalted. The Exalted would have refused. Talos didn't. He's trying to cement bonds between a new crew, and respects Deltrian (and the old oath to the Dark Mechanicum) more than the Exalted. That's good leadership, and unlike the Exalted, it's also just "not being a tool".

 

Besides, that Titan archive is insanely useful. It's got a squillion uses, easily.

[A D-B]

Right now,

If you go by Soul Hunter, Throne of Lies & The Core alone and disregard the quotes and references to the Night Haunter and the one scene in Throne of Lies (Chapter 5), then they could be any random Chaos warband.

 

Here's where I disagree with you, dude. I think it actually does a pretty significant disservice: Much of the core character's conflict is founded purely on his strained relationship with what the Night Lords were, are, and could/should have been. There's also detailed references to life on Nostramo, which was unlike many other Imperial worlds, and highlights why these characters are the way they are. They're callous murderers because they grew up that way, and their world was a mess of crime and corruption. They were already distant from normal humans before they became weapons, and as shown in the return to Nostramo, they became even less able to interact with humanity. Disregarding the primarch quotes is also a little disingenuous to suggest, because the Night Lords' difficult relationship with their primarch is a central tenet to the entire Legion.

 

Now, I agree with your broad point - that these characters haven't had the chance to act like stereotypical Night Lords yet - and like you said, that was because of the story arc. It was all about them struggling in Soul Hunter, then getting the chance to be truer to their ways of warfare in Blood Reaver (and obviously I didn't want to blow that early in a short story, either). But to say it's really got very little to do with the Night Lords' themes and background is cutting it on the edge of missing the point.

[Noctus Cornix]

I don't consider it a mistake. As far as I've seen, pretty much across the range of forums and official reviews, it's had the best reviews of any story in that anthology. I do consider it something different from normal, which is what I almost always use short stories for. And considering its success, I'm dead happy with how it worked out. But you're right, it's really not my kind of thing. I sort of like how it shows - as weird as it is to say that.

 

I must admit, using the word word mistake was harshly unnecessary and Im rather ashamed I did. I'm not against people trying new things and in fact I try to encourage it. Its not my place to say whether a personal experiment is a mistake or a failure. That's up to the writer himself.

 

In most circumstances, sure. But this Night Lords warband is a little beleaguered, and they don't get to choose their allies very often. When it's one of the only guys you have left who watches over your dreadnoughts; manufactures your ammunition; maintains the most difficult and stubborn technology...

 

And bear in mind who agreed to do it for him. Talos. Not the Exalted. The Exalted would have refused. Talos didn't. He's trying to cement bonds between a new crew, and respects Deltrian (and the old oath to the Dark Mechanicum) more than the Exalted. That's good leadership, and unlike the Exalted, it's also just "not being a tool".

 

Besides, that Titan archive is insanely useful. It's got a squillion uses, easily.

 

Given the 10 companies present situation, and Talos' nature I do suppose it makes sense. Still to be a good leader (even in the Soul Hunter's shoes) he shouldn't have committed resources so readily without further proof. It may just be my little gripe but I'm not going to press it further.

I cannot see this great plethora of options the titan archive can bring besides making titans (oh lord ;) ) but I guess that's what waiting is for and we'll see in the final book of the trilogy.

[A D-B]

I must admit, using the word word mistake was harshly unnecessary and Im rather ashamed I did.

 

Pffff. No harm, no foul. I still completely dig your viewpoint (and, in most places, agree with it).

[Noctus Cornix]

Here's where I disagree with you, dude. I think it actually does a pretty significant disservice: Much of the core character's conflict is founded purely on his strained relationship with what the Night Lords were, are, and could/should have been. There's also detailed references to life on Nostramo, which was unlike many other Imperial worlds, and highlights why these characters are the way they are. They're callous murderers because they grew up that way, and their world was a mess of crime and corruption. They were already distant from normal humans before they became weapons, and as shown in the return to Nostramo, they became even less able to interact with humanity. Disregarding the primarch quotes is also a little disingenuous to suggest, because the Night Lords' difficult relationship with their primarch is a central tenet to the entire Legion.

 

Now, I agree with your broad point - that these characters haven't had the chance to act like stereotypical Night Lords yet - and like you said, that was because of the story arc. It was all about them struggling in Soul Hunter, then getting the chance to be truer to their ways of warfare in Blood Reaver (and obviously I didn't want to blow that early in a short story, either). But to say it's really got very little to do with the Night Lords' themes and background is cutting it on the edge of missing the point.

 

But the problem is that this is normally the case for many astartes not just Night Lords. Be it the world they live on, they're warrior or gang war culture, or simply the teachings of their chapter/legion, many astartes(with some exceptions) are distant from the human race both before and after their induction. I do not deny that the nostamon exerpts are across the board excellent and in fact the last march on nostramo was one of my favorite parts of the entire series that actually showed how some people view night lords as actually being themselves, they just don't push over the edge. Astartes are distant from the whole of humanity. Night Lords should be one step farther from that.

 

As all previous fluff of the codex that has come before us, we have seen that Night Lords are one of the most brutal, merciless killing machines in the galaxy and that's how they should be. Talos just doesn't cross the mindset of an astartes and into the Night Lords He's far more like that of a normal astartes at some situations, most profoundly being that of the part with the coin where he apologizes to his slave Septimus for making a joke. Granted, there are some characters in your books whom portray this ideal perfectly (the exalted being this shining example) however he's simply a supporting character. There are perfect examples of how Night Lords are in your stories, hell the very tension and atmosphere of the Covenant of blood portrayed it perfectly, the only thing is that generally its happening around the main character, not actually the main character himself doing it.

 

Going to the point of 'stereotypical' night lords we aren't asking for a stereotype change in the 10 company to turn into a band of fear addicted axe-murders, but for at least a hint of the Night Lord combat doctrine, the very tactics and way of life that makes Night Lords... well, Night Lords. I can see the value in the story arc's progression in for the time being to see them combat those enemies who 'know no fear' but to ignore this fighting style is to ignore the Night Lord way of life. Terror and Fear are their tools, their weapons, their kin. Its just feels wrong to see not even a scrap of this key part of the legion being unused. As you've said though, there will be a return to their true ways in blood reaver and I wait anxiously for it.

[Dan The Deamon]

If these books depicted what true night lords are supposed to do, think, and feel, my eyes would glaze over and I would fall asleep.

 

The fact that we have two Astartes in First claw with loose ties to warp gods, one from an aristocracy, one young ambitious leader, and Xarl, Mr. practical, speaks volumes to me. There is substance there in between senseless killing and fighting. The dynamic between First claw themselves, not to mention the humans aboard their vessel, and the other elements of the tenth are what keep me reading.

 

I love the way A D-B approaches fighting in the books, he doesn't spell out every single swing, jab, or shot, he just gives the chaos that is enormous combat a sense of flow and lets us fill in the spaces with our imagination. If he portrayed his characters as being pivotal in the plot to kill entire sectors or sacrifice 300,000,000,000,000+e12 humans without any depth then it just gets stupid. reach for Hunt for Valdorius if you want to read about some sinister boring chaos astartes. I will send you guys mine, i won't be reading it again.

 

I couldn't be happier with the way he's approaching Night Lords. He is defining elements of 40k in ways i never would have thought of, incorporating just plain good writing.

 

He's on the ceiling!

Keep shooting

 

I can't get enough.

 

< Fanboy > off

[Wolfbiter]

There is substance there in between senseless killing and fighting. The dynamic between First claw themselves, not to mention the humans aboard their vessel, and the other elements of the tenth are what keep me reading.

 

I think Dan hits on what I like best about "Soul Hunter" and "The Core." Before I started "Soul Hunter" I was expecting the classic stereotype I imagine of Chaos Marines at their worst--randomly killing human crewmembers, torturing random victims for fun, creepy daemonic rituals, etc., etc., etc.

 

While the brutality is still there in ADB's characters (Uzas, cough, cough, cough), what really got me interested in "Soul Hunter" was that a lot of my expectations are turned upside-down. Are they brutal, vicious traitors? Sure. (The Exalted and Uzas, cough, cough, cough). But Talos actually treats Septimus and Octavia well--not because he's a nice guy, but because it's shown that the Night Lords desperately need the skills these slaves provide to survive, and well, they'd be shooting themselves in the foot by crippling or killing their serfs. I didn't expect that at all...but I think it's a neat touch. And some of the best other scenes for me in "Soul Hunter" are when you see that the Night Lords have pretty much forgotten what it's like to relate to normal humans...like in the parade on Nostramo or when Octavia says "Thank you" to Talos and he genuinely doesn't know how to react. And I actually felt sorry for them. Getting someone to feel bad for Night Lords is no mean feat!

 

I like that curious flavor of "courteous pragmatism" in ADB's tenth company. When Mercutian asks Septimus in "The Core" if the ammo packs are too heavy for him, it's not like I think he particularly cares if Septimus suffers (or gets eaten), but he knows Sep is a valuable resource that has to be taken care of. I think it's a refreshing departure from the "If the slaves blink I kill them at random cause I'm EEEVIL!" attitude of Traitor Astartes in stories like "Execution Hour" and "Dead Sky, Black Sun." But I find throwaway scenes and dialogue like that one very entertaining. (My favorite line in "The Core": "I will not slay you for delivering irritating information.")

 

So while there isn't as much sticking-heads-on-spikes-terror-warfare in the Tenth Company stories, I don't really read them for that. I read them for the bits that challenge my assumptions and stereotypes about how the Chaos Marines act and eke out their brutal, short lives. And those are the bits I like best.

[Lexington]

Talos actually treats Septimus and Octavia well--not because he's a nice guy, but because it's shown that the Night Lords desperately need the skills these slaves provide to survive, and well, they'd be shooting themselves in the foot by crippling or killing their serfs.

Reading this topic has made me think about this very issue, and I'm not really sure if that's the whole story. I mean, clearly, there's an element of raw pragmatism in Talos' (relatively) humane treatment of Septimus, but it also strikes me that Septimus is exactly what a human being is supposed to be within the Night Haunter's ethos. His existence is that of a vassal, completely subservient to a sovereign who holds him upon threat of death. Septimus doesn't simply accept this construct and behave accordingly, but loves it, and in accordance with the same ethical framework, Talos takes responsibility for Septimus' well-being. Talos is no Zso Sahaal, but the novel is, in many ways, about his attempt to salvage what he can of his Legion and their code, even as everything around him disintegrates.

 

Similarly, when Octavia is kidnapped by inmates on the prison planet, Talos goes after her with a fiery dedication, and its only here that we see the classic Night Lords "terror tactics" at work, as if this awakens something in him that's lain dormant. The whole sequence is drenched in a weird sort of irony, as Talos becomes a noble hero saving the damsel in distress, but for his own twisted reasons. It's through this lens that the Night Lords can see themselves as just and noble - they're protecting those who follow their laws from those who do not.

 

I've always joked that the Night Lords should, logically, litter copies of Hobbes' Leviathan on the planets they invade and hope the survivors "get it," but Soul Hunter makes me think it's not that much of a joke. :P

[Khestra the Unbeheld]

As all previous fluff of the codex that has come before us, we have seen that Night Lords are one of the most brutal, merciless killing machines in the galaxy and that's how they should be. Talos just doesn't cross the mindset of an astartes and into the Night Lords He's far more like that of a normal astartes at some situations, most profoundly being that of the part with the coin where he apologizes to his slave Septimus for making a joke. Granted, there are some characters in your books whom portray this ideal perfectly (the exalted being this shining example) however he's simply a supporting character. There are perfect examples of how Night Lords are in your stories, hell the very tension and atmosphere of the Covenant of blood portrayed it perfectly, the only thing is that generally its happening around the main character, not actually the main character himself doing it.

 

So your beef essentially boils down to: these are not cookie-cutter stereotypical Chaos Marines and thus they can't be Night Lords because they aren't all the same? Such a broad range of color your paintbrush of expectations has. :tu:

[Iron Father Ferrum]

As all previous fluff of the codex that has come before us, we have seen that Night Lords are one of the most brutal, merciless killing machines in the galaxy and that's how they should be. Talos just doesn't cross the mindset of an astartes and into the Night Lords He's far more like that of a normal astartes at some situations, most profoundly being that of the part with the coin where he apologizes to his slave Septimus for making a joke. Granted, there are some characters in your books whom portray this ideal perfectly (the exalted being this shining example) however he's simply a supporting character. There are perfect examples of how Night Lords are in your stories, hell the very tension and atmosphere of the Covenant of blood portrayed it perfectly, the only thing is that generally its happening around the main character, not actually the main character himself doing it.

 

So your beef essentially boils down to: these are not cookie-cutter stereotypical Chaos Marines and thus they can't be Night Lords because they aren't all the same? Such a broad range of color your paintbrush of expectations has. :tu:

 

Au contraire, I don't think that is at all what he's trying to say.

 

The problem is that the Night Lords are known for brutalizing and terrorizing civilian populations -- but so far, none of ADB's story lines have given them that chance. I fully expect that the first time Talos and his boys get to fight against Imperial Guardsmen, we'll see the sneaky-git-side of the Night Lords come out to play.

[Candleshoes]

Talos just doesn't cross the mindset of an astartes and into the Night Lords He's far more like that of a normal astartes at some situations

 

I disagree with this assessment, as it mixes up the current reality of the 10th Company, with the glories of pre-heresy vigor. The Night Lords of 40/41k are not the Night Lords of 30k, especially when our characters have really only fought against fearless enemies or used as front line troops by an uncaring Warmaster.

 

ADB paints a very interesting perspective in his novels/short stories, which often make me think of the Castle from Beauty and the Beast. It once had grandeur, life and light, but currently sits as a mouldy, archaic shadow of it's former self, that has constant reminders of its better days walk its halls.

 

Talos is realistic. He works with what he has. He also genuinely cares, where to a large extent, the Exalted has not for thousands of years. Having the weight and responsibility of others on your shoulders is much like swimming against a current, especially when he takes the burden upon himself. He knows the gravity of his Company's situation, and realizes that things cannot continue the way they once did, and if they did, he and everything his father stood for will be ground into nothing. He is literally tormented by the future, a future where currently the Night Lords Legion is weak, leaderless and a squabbling mess. He was a murderer as a youth, he watched his own mother be murdered infront of him as one of the Emperor's astartes (*edit for clarity), and broke all honor by disobeying his Primarch's direct orders.

 

Above all else, he holds to tradition. I think this is where you confuse his true nature for kindness or "normal astartes" - ness. The memory and lessons of their father are all the Night Lords have left, apart from the Vengeance they seek. 10th Company and Soul Hunter in general show us the variety of personality that exists within the Legion, some already beginning to, or losing themselves to ruinous powers. Tradition means property and property has value, especially in regards to skilled servants. The fact that Septimus or Octavia even are included as voices and opinions on the pages only adds to just how distant the Demigods are from them. Even the Exalted had the sense to mention the importance of Astropaths and Navigators - if you don't have one, you don't travel anywhere and you cannot fight. With this line of thinking, if you have no ammunition or functioning equipment, you do not fight.

 

Reading The Core and Soul Hunter was a lot like Horus Rising, in the sense that it felt unshakably like a beginning. It sets the tone, and Talos has been written very far from a stereo-typical Night Lord. What is so exciting is just what path he is going to embark on.

[Marshal Traben]

Here's one thing regarding Talo's mother:

she was killed by a enforcer on Nostramo, when the Night Lords had a parade on it before it's destruction.

[Gree]

I can only imagine what is stewing around in ADB's skulljunk in regards to the "new duds" acquired from the Salamander elite. I can't wait to read Blood Reaver to hopefully find out.

 

Imagine this, Talos and the rest of First Claw suit up in their rank-spanking new suits of Terminator armor. Cue much excitement on how badass they will be. Uzas is already painting the helmet of his suit with the bloody handprint, Cyrion is doing his tears thing on the helmet, etc, etc.

 

And then with anticipation Talos activates the suit, for a moment he stretches, getting used to the feel of Tactical Dreadnought Armor, feelign the immense power at his hands and then.........................

 

The gauntlet malfunctions. Cue much anguish from Talos. The curse of the faulty gauntlet haunts him still.

 

Soul Hunter 3: One Night Lord's quest to get a functioning gauntlet, again.