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Ahriman: Unchanged announced

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Angel of Solitude Battle-Brother

Angel of Solitude

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I finished this book this morning, and while I've enjoyed reading more of Ahriman - the 1k Sons are one of my favourite legions - the biggest thing I'm struggling with now is: What next for Ahriman?

 

He tried the Rubric the first time round. And failed.

He's spent centuries researching how to re-cast the Rubric again. And failed. Or rather, was massively manipulated by Tzeentch / Magnus to achieve their respective goals.

 

I know that Ahriman's meeting of the Changeling was removed from his memories, but surely he must now realise that he is Tzeentch's total plaything, and that it is a futile effort to try and achieve what he wants? If this is the case, then what now will drive Ahriman?

 

I don't know - I kind of feel that this story arc has served to bring an abrupt conclusion to Ahriman's character drive. Either he willingly accepts that he is Tzeentch's pawn (and ascend to daemon princehood perhaps?) or he decides life is no longer worth living. 

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Kol Saresk Venerable Brother

Kol Saresk

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If the novel Atlas Infernal is anything to go by, Ahriman becomes so consumed by his quest for power to fix his Legion, he just becomes obsessed with obtaining power. As a result, his ultimate goal becomes the taking of the Black Library of Chaos, which is the greatest collection of lore about Chaos in the entire galaxy. Inquisitor Czevak says that if a normal servant of Chaos were to obtain that lore, they would become poweful. In his estimation, Ahriman is so powerful already that he would become a new Chaos God.
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davisbe Battle-Brother

davisbe

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Here's my question:
Is Ahriman the greatest champion of Tzeentch, an arrogant and heartless sorcerer who would do anything to gain power, with no hesitation, no matter what?

Or, is he a loyal son of Magnus, devoted to his Legion, and constantly in emotional agony over the failure of his rubric, which he only attempted because of his grief over his biological brother, who he still mourns? Oh, and he utterly refuses to believe that he's favored by Tzeentch, or that anything he does is possibly "according to plan". 
Because, this Ahriman is nothing like the Ahriman who we've seen before. Seriously, how in the world can you account for the discrepancies? This goes entirely beyond "creative license". 

Lest I forget, Magnus, the Daemon Prince of Tzeentch, which makes him LITERALLY A PART OF TZEENTCH, is still all angst-y about his mistake, and feels guilty about what he did to the Emperor (I think it even says something about "breaking his father's heart")! So, the manifestation of Tzeentch's will feels bad about being bad? Chaos is chaos and all that, but COME ONE!

Sorry, I'm so critical, but so many BL authors anymore are straying so far from the source material, it's like a stable of Goto's. 

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Kol Saresk Venerable Brother

Kol Saresk

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Ahriman in this series is long before his 40K incarnation, which is the one we are used to. This is the "transitional" Ahriman, where changes from being the loyal son who failed his Legion to the champion of Tzeentch. It isn't inconsistent, it is merely a side we've never seen before. How he is at the end of the series, that is the state of mind that will lead to his evil Dr. Manhattan incarnation we see in Atlas Infernal.

 

They aren't contradictory; they're just separated by thousands of years of growth and evolution.

 

Also, daemon princes are still their own individual entities. That's why Belakor was able to rebel against all four gods and Skarbrand was able to rebel against Khorne. Just because they receive their strength from the gods, doesn't mean they're little puppets. Besides, that was just one fragment of Magnus. Didn't you ever watch cartoons where one character gets split up into several copies and each one is a different aspect of the main personality? That's what happened to Magnus.

 

The Father is what is left of Magnus, the part that truly cares about his Sons while also still remembering what it was to be a son.

Edited by Kol Saresk
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  • 3 months later...
goosey_j Veteran

goosey_j

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Right, I finished this the other day.

 

What. A. Book. Seriously, it's just :cussing fantastic. One of the best Black Library has ever produced. John French completely nails Tzeentch in this book. So much deception, so many falsities, and so much HOPE.

 

Lets not forget that Tzeentch is the Chaos god of hope. Ahriman is completely and utterly dominated by that one emotion throughout the series. I personally think that the new Rubric and the Changeling showing up were both tests AND rewards of Tzeentch. The Rubric was a test. We all knew the outcome was going to be failure, the whole ritual was a ploy by Tzeentch to drive Ahriman further towards his destiny as the ultimate mortal servant of Tzeentch. The Changeling was there to give the illusion of free will. Should Ahriman have rolled over at the end of the Rubric, lost to despair and ready to die, then the Changeling would've rewarded him with annihilation. It was a bogus offer from Tzeentch, death in the form of a "thank you for all your hard work" . However, Ahriman didn't accept despair, as Tzeentch knew that he wouldn't, hence the removal of the Silver, and sewing the seed of more false hope with the cured Rubric marine, and starting the whole self perpetuating cycle of failure and rebirth all over again.

 

How perfectly :censored: up is that? Tzeentch, so contradictory and manipulative, despite already knowing the outcome. It's just the best depiction of what is, in my mind, the hardest Chaos god to write. His servants have to be able to hope, without which they are no servant of his at all.

I also loved the shattering of Magnus (who was more Tzeentchian than we've ever seen him before - divisive, scheming and lying and manipulating everyone towards his own goal of coming back together as the ascended 'Crimson King'), and the war of metaphors in Ahriman's own mindscape (Orhmand killing Iobel was particularly great, representing Ahriman's guilt of failiure finally overcoming and killing his self doubt). I also loved the cameos from a certain daemon prince of Khorne (fair play to Ctesias for somehow binding that bad mofo), and a certain Black Legionnaire with Thousand Soon roots. That whole Prospero scene was great fun to read.

 

The whole series was fantastic, cleverly constructed and written and so so Tzeentchian from beginning to end. I think Unchanged was my favourite, though. 

Edited by goosey_j
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Chaeron Venerable Brother

Chaeron

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Have just finished this too - after a brief interlude for Exodus - it's brilliant. Such a great series. Would really recommend people pick this up if they haven't already.

 

Seeing the progression from the first too, which was more of a foregrounding work to this, is really pleasing as a narrative arc.

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HeritorA

HeritorA

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I think Tzeentch has overreached his own cleverness in this.

And Magnus shattering would definitely not happen in the Crimson king.

Because we had 'Battle for the Fang' - and he is whole in it. 

Ctesias is a beast - Khorne would definitely hunt his soul down :smile.:

Edited by HeritorA
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Chaeron Venerable Brother

Chaeron

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So, assume Exile/BOTF are both M32 (the latter is certainly more easily verified), and Unchanged takes place "many long years" afterwards, there's a decent in-between stage.

 

I have to say, I loved the 'mirrored' conversations between those fragments of Magnus and others - really effective. Definitely Tzeentchian.

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  • 9 months later...
  • 10 months later...
HeritorA

HeritorA

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Hail brethen!

 

Currently reading this and im trying to avoid spoilers but can anyone explain to me what causes magnus to be divided into shards in the first place?

 

Can someone also link Atlas Infernal?

 

1) Cause it was decision of the fluff team then they decided how to progress further with TS in the HH.

Partly the fault lay with Goulding and McNeil.

2) As bluntblade

mentioned.

3)Mellow

I hope your internal Emperor's Children hedonist is happy now? :yes:

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