Dark Angels - Q&A with Gav Thorpe

[Atia]

http://gavthorpe.co.uk/2015/09/23/more-dark-angels-secrets-revealed/

 

A while back (July, to be more specific) I asked folks to send in their questions about the Dark Angels Space Marines, both in the 40K timeline and the Horus Heresy. I answered some of those questions before and now I have found some time to address those that arrived via my Twitter feed.

 

The following answers are purely my own – reasoning and thoughts I had while working on the novels and short stories. I have not worked in the Games Workshop Design Studio for many years and can’t comment on background directly related in the Codex or what the thought processes of the developers might have been while writing it. I can also only speculate about future plans and directions, even within the Horus Heresy, as ultimately the story is at the discretion of the developers and editors. What I would like to happen and what might actually happen may not be the same thing (though quite possibly they will be!).

 

Jamie Neil Saunders – Will we see clashes of philosophy and fighting styles within the Legion going forward? The widening of the rift that exists?

 

One of the issues I’ve been facing writing Angels of Caliban is that there have been successive authors working on the Dark Angels story and each of us has brought something different in terms of organisation, titles and so forth. The Dark Angels Legion as it stands at the outbreak of the war is a culmination of several iterations of structure (in-universe, that is) dating back to their formation as the first Space Marine army of the Emperor, through the application of the Legion ‘template’ and amalgamation with The Order on Caliban. It is, both in the realm of the Heresy and in terms of writing, an accreted hodge-podge of layers, ranks and organisation.

In Angels of Caliban I have sought to address, or at least touch upon, how the various factions within the Legion, be they Terran, Calibanite, Old Legion or New – revert to type. In some situations the more knightly structure is evident, in others the more Imperial organisation comes to the fore. For instance, the warriors left on Caliban under the direction of Luther are definitely moving back toward being The Order, something which is at the heart of the Caliban-based part of the novel and the tensions this creates. (Some of which is foreshadowed in my audio Master of the First)

 

Marcus Pitt – 1. What next for the DA in the Heresy? 2. Spoiler Question! Only click this link if you’ve read The Lion, or don’t mind spoilers.

 

1. Well, at the outset of Angels of Caliban the Dark Angels are primarily in three places. On Caliban we have the reinforcements under Luther, with Astelan and Zahariel. The Lion has around thirty thousand legionnaires on the far side of the Ruinstorm with the Ultramarines and Blood Angels. The rest of the ‘active’ Legion is under the command of Corswain, engaged in a to-and-fro battle with Typhon and his Grave Wardens, whilst also under orders from his Primarch to locate Leman Russ if possible.

Angels of Caliban deals primarily with events on Caliban and around Macragge, although there is a small hint as to the fall-out from Corswain’s activities too. We’ll see what the Lion’s place is within Imperium Secundus, and continue to watch the unfolding events of Luther’s plans.

2. Marcus’ second question was a spoiler for The Lion. If you have read The Lion, or don’t mind spoilers, click this link to see the question and answer.

 

James Blacker – Will you include Epimetheus from Pandorax in your DA Heresy story arc?

 

It is something we are looking at, not quite sure how we can juggle everything into position but we’ll try – it might just be a cameo or reference that Dark Angels fans will recognise.

There were also several people that wanted to know more about the enigmatic warrior known as (Lord) Cypher…

 

Andrew Cattanach – Who is Cypher really? And because you won’t answer that, will we get to see more of the “legion building” rumours?

Richard August – How much can you/will you reveal about the knowledge and fate of The Fallen & Cypher?

Oli Colbourne-Laight – How did Cypher gain part of the sword of the lion?

 

 

Clearly I don’t want to spoil the mystery of Cypher, and his identity and purpose is one of the great debating points among 40K fans. All I can say is that between the Legacy of Caliban tale and the ongoing arc in the Horus Heresy the tale of Cypher can be pieced together, even if there is never going to be a reveal of the whole picture.

On the subject of ‘legion-building’ all I can say is that events during The Unforgiven may hint at an answer to that question.

And quite a lot of interest in the diminutive Watchers in the Dark…

 

Brent Buckland – Is it true that the Watchers in the Dark are the disembodied spirits of the squats of 40k past? 

Max Williams – What the fudge are the little cloaked fellows who hold all their stuff and haven’t been burnt as heretics?

 

The Watchers are one of my favourite parts of the Dark Angels background, and like much of the history there have been various takes on them by successive writers. I don’t have a specific answer in my head about what they are. What I do know is that they are highly psychic, inextricably linked to Caliban (and by extension, as revealed in The Unforgiven, the entity known as Tuchulcha) and if not pro-Imperium certainly anti-Chaos.

 

Adrian Gabura – Mr. Gav Thorpe, how do you see the relationship between the Alpha Legion and the Dark Angels, and the two Primarchs thnx?

 

That’s a very interesting question, one that I’ve not really thought about. I would say that there is almost no relationship. They are, to all intents, at opposite ends of the spectrum, one being the First, the others very much the last. There would not be much opportunity for them to cross paths. The Dark Angels’ highly traditional and sectarian nature made them ‘immune’ to intrusions by the warrior lodges and I would say has acted as a similar buffer to infiltration and manipulation by the Alpha Legion.

And one question that isn’t strictly about the Dark Angels, but I’ll address here for the sake of completeness.

 

Lee Murphy – Are we any closer to getting to know exactly what happened to the 2 dead/missing Primarchs that pre-date the Horus Heresy?

 

No. As with Cypher, the Missing Legions are one of the great big mysteries of 40K that is, on pain of a long talking-to by IP Manager Alan Merrett, an area into which we dare not stray far. Their fate has never been decided and so cannot be revealed, even by accident. Any story that was created for them could never live up to the expectation of the fans, such is the gravitas attached to their absence. Why stifle all those great fan theories for no gain?

 

Thanks to all that submitted the questions, I will put a call-out for inquiries on a different topic soon. Remember that you can always get in touch with me on Facebook, Twitter or through the contacts page.

 

[Captain Semper]

Great find Atia - definitely an interesting read!

[DarkRaven89]

Thanks for posting this Atia.

[Lostrael]

Thanks Atia. I can't wait for the next novel to come out. It feels as if the Black Library releases for the Horus Heresy are going to be fewer each year. *sigh*