Fear to Tread extract.

[Guest pandion40]

 

Just thought you guys would appreciate a heads up for the Fear to Tread extract that will be available to download from the 08/06/2012.

 

From the Hammer and Bolter: Issue 21 blurb on the Black library site:-

 

•Horus Heresy: Fear to Tread - Read a lengthy extract from the opening act of James Swallow's new Horus Heresy novel, and discover the origins of the curse borne by Sanguinius and the Blood Angels since their earliest days.

 

 

 

http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/hammer-and-bolter-issue-21.html

 

If I had to make a guess what this curse is I would say the red thirst. With our latest Codex confirming that the Black Rage and Red Thirst are separate conditions that affect and interact with each other, it makes sense they would have separate origins.

 

Making the Red Thirst something the Blood Angels have always suffered from would Just be building on this. Plus it would help tie the Pre and post Hersey Blood angels together better.

 

 

 

[Sokhar]

So no worshipping him as a god or dabbling with the warp, but the Emperor had no issue with one of his legions running around as bloodthirsty (literally, with the World Eaters being more metaphorical) madmen? Really dreading this, as I'm expecting Swallow to depict Sanguinius like an angst-ridden repentant vampire. The man craps all over our fluff every time he handles it. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised though, but not holding my breath.

[Jorre]

Let's just wait and see not much point in hating until we actually read it!

[Arkangilos]

Sokhar, do you actually know any of the fluff?

 

The Red Thirst doesn't have a reported beginning like the Black Rage does. And Sanguinius has always had a red fury sort of thing. Like when he fought the mutants on Baal.

 

There is nothing wrong with giving the Blood Angels the Red Thirst during the Horus Heresy, and it explains their love of close combat anyways.

 

Just because they have the Red Thirst, does not mean that they are "crazy blood thirsty mad men."

 

JUST LOOK AT HOW THEY ARE NOW! Are you saying that is all they are now? Because... it is not. They have TWO flaws now, and they are still one of the most loved chapters, still one of the most noble chapters, and still one of the greatest chapters.

[Leksington]

Sokhar, do you actually know any of the fluff?

 

The Red Thirst doesn't have a reported beginning like the Black Rage does. And Sanguinius has always had a red fury sort of thing. Like when he fought the mutants on Baal.

 

There is nothing wrong with giving the Blood Angels the Red Thirst during the Horus Heresy, and it explains their love of close combat anyways.

 

Just because they have the Red Thirst, does not mean that they are "crazy blood thirsty mad men."

 

JUST LOOK AT HOW THEY ARE NOW! Are you saying that is all they are now? Because... it is not. They have TWO flaws now, and they are still one of the most loved chapters, still one of the most noble chapters, and still one of the greatest chapters.

Sure there is nothing wrong with giving BA Red Thirst from the beginning, but you'd be hard pressed to make a compelling argument that Swallow will handle it well based on his past BA books.

[Lord Ragnarok]

So no worshipping him as a god or dabbling with the warp, but the Emperor had no issue with one of his legions running around as bloodthirsty (literally, with the World Eaters being more metaphorical) madmen? Really dreading this, as I'm expecting Swallow to depict Sanguinius like an angst-ridden repentant vampire. The man craps all over our fluff every time he handles it. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised though, but not holding my breath.

 

The emp. has suffered other not so perfect conditions/behaviors in his legions:

Space Wolves have always suffered the "Curse of the Wulfen" and were allowed to go on.

Night Lords were pretty much always extreme and depraved and were allowed to go on until they willingly jumped off the cliff head first.

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

 

Just thought you guys would appreciate a heads up for the Fear to Tread extract that will be available to download from the 08/06/2012.

 

From the Hammer and Bolter: Issue 21 blurb on the Black library site:-

 

•Horus Heresy: Fear to Tread - Read a lengthy extract from the opening act of James Swallow's new Horus Heresy novel, and discover the origins of the curse borne by Sanguinius and the Blood Angels since their earliest days.

 

 

 

http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/hammer-and-bolter-issue-21.html

 

If I had to make a guess what this curse is I would say the red thirst. With our latest Codex confirming that the Black Rage and Red Thirst are separate conditions that affect and interact with each other, it makes sense they would have separate origins.

 

Making the Red Thirst something the Blood Angels have always suffered from would Just be building on this. Plus it would help tie the Pre and post Hersey Blood angels together better.

 

 

 

just curious, but when was it ever hinted at that the thrist and the rage were one curse? since i started in 3rd ed it always seemed pretty clear to me that each was a seperate curse.

[Guest pandion40]

That's why i said confirming instead of changing. I belive our new codex is more explicit in saying the red thist is different from the black rage than the older ones. Also it is much better at explaining how they work in other ways.

[Sokhar]

Sokhar, do you actually know any of the fluff?

 

I pretty much tuned you out right there, because you decided to come off like an ass. Yes I know the fluff, BA have been my army of choice for more than a decade. I also know that Swallow craps all over our fluff in his previous books, and is likely to do so again. I hope to be wrong, because I actually liked Swallows' previous HH books (to my immense surprise), but I read the original BA omnibus and 1-2 stories he did after that. He doesn't get the Blood Angels, the stories are crap.

 

I hope to be proven wrong, but after Swallow explicitly spelling out that in his works "Blood Angel = Space Vampire," I'm not overly optimistic. Also is that supposed to be Sanguinius on the cover of Hammer and Bolter? I'm not really sure but the guy has wings and a bolt pistol, but the cover art looks terrible (if that's who its supposed to be depicting; otherwise I'm ambivalent). That is one thing I can get behind with Fear to Tread at least--the cover artwork is pretty badass.

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

That's why i said confirming instead of changing. I belive our new codex is more explicit in saying the red thist is different from the black rage than the older ones. Also it is much better at explaining how they work in other ways.

seems to be a weird way to word it then. two rules, two titles. lol sorry.

 

maybe it's just me but it seems redundant to say something is confirmed if it has never been challenged or there has never been any information to counter it.

 

it might clarify some things for people who aren't BA players if that's what you meant?

[Arkangilos]

Sokhar, do you actually know any of the fluff?

 

I pretty much tuned you out right there, because you decided to come off like an ass. Yes I know the fluff, BA have been my army of choice for more than a decade. I also know that Swallow craps all over our fluff in his previous books, and is likely to do so again. I hope to be wrong, because I actually liked Swallows' previous HH books (to my immense surprise), but I read the original BA omnibus and 1-2 stories he did after that. He doesn't get the Blood Angels, the stories are crap.

 

I hope to be proven wrong, but after Swallow explicitly spelling out that in his works "Blood Angel = Space Vampire," I'm not overly optimistic. Also is that supposed to be Sanguinius on the cover of Hammer and Bolter? I'm not really sure but the guy has wings and a bolt pistol, but the cover art looks terrible (if that's who its supposed to be depicting; otherwise I'm ambivalent). That is one thing I can get behind with Fear to Tread at least--the cover artwork is pretty badass.

 

Sorry, I just get angry when people automatically shoot down something like you did.

 

I agree, his works in the BA novels were terrible fluff wise. But, I like how he made them artistic (maybe not so much the way he showed it, but he did show them being noble...)

 

However, I don't think he will crap on the fluff this time. One: There isn't as much established except for the battle and Sanguinius's death.

 

Also, they used to be Space Vampires, but noble Space Vampires. I mean, they drink blood, sleep in sarcophagi, live "abnormally long lives" and turn the blighted, ugly people of Baal into perfect looking Blood Angels (and do not forget, they use a process known as Sanguination, which is when they put the blood of Sanguinius (or the Priests), into their own blood, which is how vampires in certain lore create more vampires (making the victim drink their blood).

 

As far as I remember, they have always been Vampires, but they don't want to be, which is what makes it so tragic.

 

 

 

The only thing Swallow actually did wrong was destroy portions of the chapter and have that meeting forcing the other chapters to help them. I mean, the final book wasn't even that bad fluff wise, it was mainly the first two and Dante's reaction.

 

+Edit+

 

Oh, and I don't think that is Sanguinius. It looks more like an idealized image of a Saint, like Macharius or some Commissar.

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

let's make sure we don't get into a vampire/not vampire debate here...let's not have that again.

 

yes in previous versions of the codexs things came off darker a imo more vampiric, but now with this most recent codex they seem to have toned that down a bit.

[b1soul]

I really don't know what all the fuss is about. Red Thirst and Black Rage have always been two separate afflictions in the fluff.

 

Red Thirst: an overpowering desire to drink blood

Black Rage: intense rages during which the BA hallucinates that he's Sanguinius at the Siege of Terra.

They're separate because you can have one without the other, and the fluff has never conflated the two.

 

The Black Rage started with Sanguinius' legs being broken by Ka'bhanda and/or Sanguinius's being killed by Horus.

It actually makes sense that the Red Thirst has an older origin. The mutation was probably something Sanguinius had always carried.

[Guest pandion40]

it might clarify some things for people who aren't BA players if that's what you meant?

 

Kind of. I wasn't talking about the symptoms of the Black Rage and red thirst, they have always been clearly distinct and separate.

 

I have had the impression that allot of people used to think of them as different stages of the same disease. similar to HIV and Aids. They believed you started with a normal marine, little different from an Ultramarine, then he fell to the black rage and after that it developed into the red thirst.

 

Most of the people I encountered with this mindset had a hatred of our 3rd edition codex.

 

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

it might clarify some things for people who aren't BA players if that's what you meant?

 

Kind of. I wasn't talking about the symptoms of the Black Rage and red thirst, they have always been clearly distinct and separate.

 

I have had the impression that allot of people used to think of them as different stages of the same disease. similar to HIV and Aids. They believed you started with a normal marine, little different from an Ultramarine, then he fell to the black rage and after that it developed into the red thirst.

 

Most of the people I encountered with this mindset had a hatred of our 3rd edition codex.

 

i don't even know what people outside the blood angels think or know of our curses lol, but i just know there's some confusion is all.

[FIST_OF_DORN]

Sokhar, do you actually know any of the fluff?

 

Also is that supposed to be Sanguinius on the cover of Hammer and Bolter? I'm not really sure but the guy has wings and a bolt pistol, but the cover art looks terrible (if that's who its supposed to be depicting; otherwise I'm ambivalent). That is one thing I can get behind with Fear to Tread at least--the cover artwork is pretty badass.

 

I think that may be Lord Commander Solar Macharius (but don't quote me on that :woot: ) the cover is for the book Angel of Fire

[Arkangilos]

Sokhar, do you actually know any of the fluff?

 

Also is that supposed to be Sanguinius on the cover of Hammer and Bolter? I'm not really sure but the guy has wings and a bolt pistol, but the cover art looks terrible (if that's who its supposed to be depicting; otherwise I'm ambivalent). That is one thing I can get behind with Fear to Tread at least--the cover artwork is pretty badass.

 

I think that may be Lord Commander Solar Macharius (but don't quote me on that :cuss ) the cover is for the book Angel of Fire

 

That is what I am thinking.

[Brother Captain Kezef]

Sokhar, do you actually know any of the fluff?

 

I pretty much tuned you out right there, because you decided to come off like an ass. Yes I know the fluff, BA have been my army of choice for more than a decade. I also know that Swallow craps all over our fluff in his previous books, and is likely to do so again. I hope to be wrong, because I actually liked Swallows' previous HH books (to my immense surprise), but I read the original BA omnibus and 1-2 stories he did after that. He doesn't get the Blood Angels, the stories are crap.

 

I hope to be proven wrong, but after Swallow explicitly spelling out that in his works "Blood Angel = Space Vampire," I'm not overly optimistic. Also is that supposed to be Sanguinius on the cover of Hammer and Bolter? I'm not really sure but the guy has wings and a bolt pistol, but the cover art looks terrible (if that's who its supposed to be depicting; otherwise I'm ambivalent). That is one thing I can get behind with Fear to Tread at least--the cover artwork is pretty badass.

 

Arrogant much?

 

Firstly the bloke on the cover of hammer and bolter is Solar macharius

 

Secondly the "space vampire" concept has been the Blood Angel's theme since 2nd ed, I still have the codex from those halcyon days of yore. You may of missed the whole sleeping in coffins bit from that codex which predates Swallow's work, he was just going with what GW had already set up.

 

Thirdly someon is coming off as an ass but it's not Telanicus.

 

You, Sokhar, are imposing your own personal interpretations and views as fact and coming off as an arrogant bore at best.

 

You've been in the hobby for a decade and seem to think that gives you some kind of moral authority? I picked up my first model on 19th July 1990 (was a present for my 10th birthday), so settle down lad and stop making a fool out of yourself.

[Sokhar]

Thirdly someon is coming off as an ass but it's not Telanicus.

 

No, it would be the guy that came to an argument 4 days late and decided to do internet toughguy. Go play nice with the children, I've already said my bit on this topic, and I've got no desire to sit here and debate the finer points with someone that has nothing better to do than try to pick fights with anonymous people on the internet.

 

Thanks for confirming that as Solar Macharius though (its been a LONG time since I've seen that model or him in art), as that was a piece of worthwhile content in your post.

 

Beyond that I'll wait until I get a chance to either read the extract or the novel itself before I have any further comments on Swallows' work.

[Lynnean]

Thirdly someon is coming off as an ass but it's not Telanicus.

 

No, it would be the guy that came to an argument 4 days late and decided to do internet toughguy. Go play nice with the children, I've already said my bit on this topic, and I've got no desire to sit here and debate the finer points with someone that has nothing better to do than try to pick fights with anonymous people on the internet

 

calm down there, we're all even on here, and you pretty much started the flame war.

 

on topic i'm actually quite excited to see a story on Solar Lord Macharius, i still have his actual model proudly standing beside my angels.

 

and i hope swallow doesnt screw it up liek the other BA books, but more like Flight of the eisenstein. i loved that one.

[Arkangilos]

Thirdly someon is coming off as an ass but it's not Telanicus.

 

No, it would be the guy that came to an argument 4 days late and decided to do internet toughguy. Go play nice with the children, I've already said my bit on this topic, and I've got no desire to sit here and debate the finer points with someone that has nothing better to do than try to pick fights with anonymous people on the internet

 

calm down there, we're all even on here, and you pretty much started the flame war.

 

on topic i'm actually quite excited to see a story on Solar Lord Macharius, i still have his actual model proudly standing beside my angels.

 

and i hope swallow doesnt screw it up liek the other BA books, but more like Flight of the eisenstein. i loved that one.

 

I think he has learned a lot since his BA books. And his books would not have been so disliked had the codex put what happened in those books as fluff.

 

Like I said before, I don't think the books were badly written, and I think that the final book could be read without putting the rest of the books in (like you could read it and ignore the other stuff from the other books).

 

To be honest, the only thing he did wrong was have the chapter split, and Dante call for help. But even with the chapter split, they did not turn against the Emperor, but they were deceived by their own faith. But still, he shouldn't have done that.

 

Also, there is a lot less fluff for the Blood Angels in the GC and HH, so he can take a little more artistic license.

 

Also, to be honest, it was my bad when I came in. I did come off as an ass (I reread what I typed and realized I could have been far more diplomatic about it). So yeah, I apologize Sokhar.

[Gorlak]

Does anyone know when issues of Hammer and Bolter typically come out each month? I thought 08th June was ambitious to be honest, but who knows?

 

*Edit* Scratch that, I just got an email back from Black Library - "Issue 21 will be available on Friday the 15th of June." So now we know. :)

[Guest pandion40]

Well that's excellent customer service if true. I pre ordered it and my download page was still saying available on the 08/06/2012 yesterday. Today it just says "Download not available".

 

 

I understand that sometimes delays happen but I would have expected at least an E-mail to everyone who Pre-ordered. To not even bother to update their website seems extremely amateurish.

[Gorlak]

A small extract for Fear to Tread has gone up on the BL Blog today, ready for Friday's Hammer and Bolter. I'm enjoying how the blog entry title is 'Fear to Read' - true in a number of ways...! I have to say though - I enjoyed this snippet a great deal! :)

 

 

On a related, Black Library based tpic - is anyone here going to the Black Library Weekender?

 

 

Extract below for simplicities sake:

 

 

For a moment, Sejanus thought he saw something dark pass over Horus’s face; then the instant was gone. ‘We have dethroned all the gods,’ said the Luna Wolf, ‘and you are only pale shadows of those things.’

 

The grey let off a hooting cry in its own language and the legion of nephilim advanced, each of them phosphorescing an angry yellow. ‘We will destroy you,’ it said. ‘We outnumber you.’

 

Horus gave a rueful nod and drew his sword, a massive scimitar-curve of oiled steel and adamantium. ‘You will try,’ he said. ‘But today you face the Emperor’s sons, his warriors. We are the Luna Wolves, and this Legion is the anvil upon which you will be broken.’

 

From high overhead there was a low crackle and a sound like distant thunder as sonic booms from the upper atmosphere reached the desert floor. Sejanus looked up, his acute eyesight picking out lines of white contrails, hundreds in number, flaring out behind great crimson tears and scarlet-hued hawks as they fell at supersonic speeds towards the silver sands.

 

‘We are the anvil,’ Horus repeated, pointing with his sword. ‘Now behold the hammer.’

 

The heavens screamed.

 

Ejected from the launch tubes of a dozen capital ships and battle-barges in low orbit, a rain of ceramite capsules tore through the outer atmosphere of Melchior and fell like flaming meteors towards the Silver Desert. Falling with them were diving hawks; Stormbirds and assault gunships turning and wheeling through the air towards the gargantuan nephilim encampment.

 

They were red as blood, red as fury, and within they carried company upon company of the warriors of the IX Legion Astartes. The speed of their assault was the key to victory; the alien invaders and their zealots had successfully been drawn out to confront the massed forces of the Luna Wolves, leaving the defences on their flanks thinned and permeable. But the xenos giants were not slow in their thinking, and the moment they understood that they had been duped, they would attempt to regroup and fortify.

 

The Blood Angels would not allow that to happen. The nephilim would be broken and cut down, their cohesion shattered by the brutal deep strike that even now was moments from point of impact.

 

[Bloodsurfer]

I have to say that as a Blood Angel elitist, I quite enjoyed the last two books from Swallow on the Blood Angels save for Dantes reaction and the necessary flashbacks to the previous two books. I hope that with as much experience as Swallow has been able to gather in the years since he started writing for BL he will create a great story worth of our noble Chapter. I also must say that what little was shown from the extract I enjoyed as well.