Wolfsbane HH49

[Slan Drakkos]

In shortened form:

 

Sanguinius arrives back at Terra, updating the other Primarchs (and Malcador) as to what is going on in Ultramar, though he leaves out Imperium Secundus itself. They discuss the dying-down of the Warp turbulence and how best to combat the traitors, with Dorn pushing for a muster at Beta-Garmon to try to hold Horus until Guilliman can return. Russ disagrees, believing this will leave their forces split and/or Terra exposed. He wants to go after Horus himself, even if he can't win.

 

Russ returns to Fenris with the rest of his legion. Through the rune priests, he enters the Underverse to try to gain knowledge of Horus' weakness. He undertakes a series of challenges from a monstrous lord, who is ultimately revealed to be another version of Russ, one shaped by Terra rather than Fenris. From him, Russ gains deeper knowledge of the Primarchs and their purpose, though this enlightenment seems to torment him. He is also told he doesn't need to kill Horus, just wound him.

 

Using the markers left on the Vengeful Spirit by the Knights-Errant, Russ tracks Horus to Trisolian, a forge world (or rather, collection of stations clustered together) where Belisarius Cawl currently operates. Cawl had found a place at the side of Domina Aspertia of the Taghmata, but when Horus arrives she surrenders to him. During the chaos that breaks out after the Wolves arrive and attack, Cawl turns on the Domina, killing her and returning the Mechanicum troops there to loyalist control.

 

Russ fights his way to Horus on the Vengeful Spirit. They fight, and Russ ultimately manages to wound Horus with the Spear the Emperor gave him. This seems to temporarily break Horus' Chaos boons and bring him to his knees. Russ has the chance to kill him, but hesitates, wanting to talk his brother round, but Horus defiantly refuses and re-affirms his path to kill the Emperor and bring Chaos to the galaxy. Horus impales Russ on his talons, wounding him badly, and Horus' full power returns. The Wolves manage to save Russ from death through great sacrifice and engage in a fighting retreat, bringing him back to their fleet. The Jarls agree to meet at Yarant. Horus sends Abaddon to pursue them, while he turns to Beta-Garmon. Cawl flees on a ship stolen from the traitor Domina.

thanks. Russ didn't lose as badly as I thought he would, but a loss is still a loss I suppose. Time to go troll my friend.

[Robbienw]

Really enjoyed this book. One thing I think worth noting about the Horus/russ fight:

 

The book makes it pretty clear that russ was only able to fight and wound Horus because of the spear. The spear had part of the emperors essence in it, and it was acting against Horus's chaos power. With his 'normal' weaponary, I don't think russ would have stood a chance of even wounding horus, let alone almost killing him

[Guest Triszin]

Really enjoyed this book. One thing I think worth noting about the Horus/russ fight:

 

The book makes it pretty clear that russ was only able to fight and wound Horus because of the spear. The spear had part of the emperors essence in it, and it was acting against Horus's chaos power. With his 'normal' weaponary, I don't think russ would have stood a chance of even wounding horus, let alone almost killing him

the scene with the spear

THe spear was turning into light/warp light to fight against the warp chaos powers. visually it was awesome.

[Heliomanes]

I went into this expecting very little because I thought the premise was, well, dumb. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the execution.

Highlights; The gaseous flying jellyfish creatures. The dreamjourney into the hall of the Earlking, and his four trials. Russ' "boisterous humility", for lack of a better expression. He seems like a mix of a reflective and believable human on one end, and a true saga-character on the other. Full of regrets, hopes, and dreams, while laughing away real danger by appealing to his fatalism - which eventually got portrayed well enough to resemble a believable faith. I've not liked him much before this. Him and his legion coming to terms with their mistakes and their apparent duplicity when it comes to the warp, to shamanism etc was pretty well done. Cawl meeting and besting what was pretty much a representative of his future self was interesting, with lots of fun tidbits tucked in for those of us who are enamored with the Mechanicum, like the droning advance of the Myrmidon cult. Shame his screaming idiot sidekick took so much screentime in the end, but still, it's an interesting arc. Meeting a version of your future self in a sense, and choosing to embrace it to transcend it, instead of simply becoming it or recoiling.

I certainly see the problems with the premise, and the execution wasn't flawless, but I enjoyed myself. Low expectations might have played a part in that, though.

[Izlude]

Also just finished the book. I avoided this thread until I was done and look forward to going over the thread, it seems one of those love-hate relationships with the book where some seem to love it and some not as much. I wanted to give my impressions as well without too much bias.

 

Overall: I went into this book more excited it was progression of the story as opposed to the actual story. I am fairly indifferent to VI legion stuff but definitely enjoy good writing about them such as Chris Wraight and Abnett's version of them. For the most part I felt the VI came across as feral with the typically viking stereotype. 

 

1. Russ: I have to say if there is one thing Guy does well is read the works of others and comes up with something that is really good. I have to say I love Russ in this book. He is more “human” fierce, loyal, etc. I love getting into his head, his doubts, concerns and his pride. In general the VI came across very well (I know some would disagree) and I enjoyed their unique culture and their pride in themselves. Also the prologue with Russ and Horus was awesome with their first meeting.
2. Cawl: I know this is a love hate character but given his role in the current 40k world it is hard not to try to “shoehorn” him in the HH timeline. His arc seemed random in the beginning but I really like how Guy merged this arc with the Russ/Horus Arc. Seeing his beginning and it becomes clear how he will turn out in the 41k universe. I enjoy Cawl’s more humane nature and his willingness to take risks.
3. Horus/Russ battle: Spoiler alert…Horus or Russ doesn’t die in this book :@ Without giving away what is probably the highlight of the book, I have to say I really enjoyed the lead into and the actually fight. Guy really highlighted both Primarchs very well and to me was very satisfying fight. I came into the book thinking (knowing of course Horus was going to win) it was going to just be a one-sided beatdown. I love the link to Beta Gamon and where Gav’s Corax books starts.

 

I really enjoyed this book and really showed the VI very well (IMO) with a great Primarch fight. As Guy’s second HH book, this was excellent. His Pharos book is one of my favorite (The Polux and Dantioch bromance is my favorite combo). His Dark Imperium was also excellent…highly recommend this one. 

 

[Laughingman]

my favorite part of the book:

 

belisarius cawl channeling his inner  macgyver reprogramming a bunch of cybernetic battle automata on the fly and talking his way out of getting turned into a servitor...

[DarkChaplain]

I finally started this one and the first chapter already filled in blanks that I needed filled. As in, where did Russ bugger off to at the end of The Path of Heaven, when he's still sitting on Terra later with even Sanguinius. Good, good.

[TheRealMcCagh]

The end of Path of Heaven had Russ patrolling around Terra and finding the Khan. He didn't meet the Khan on his way out of Sol to find Horus (if that's what you meant DC). Russ and the Khan are both at the council with Malcador so we know they both return to Terra after their initial meeting at the end of PoH. Russ was probably keeping himself busy after Alaxxes because he isn't one to sit around on Terra and wait.

[DarkChaplain]

Exactly. He was at various engagements, as told in Wolfsbane. It wasn't really adressed before just what he was doing, or why he at least wasn't around during Praetorian of Dorn. Now we know for sure that he was going on various border wars, to the point of interrupting fleet repairs.

[TheRealMcCagh]

It seems a little strange that Corax kind of comes and goes as he pleases. Maybe because he only had 4,000 marines left he had a lot more freedom than Russ, who still had 40,000. Both of them tell Dorn sitting and waiting isn't 'their thing' but Russ still sticks around a little while Corax can just fly around where ever he pleases. Were the Raven Guard even effected by the Ruinstorm?

[Lord Marshal]

It seems a little strange that Corax kind of comes and goes as he pleases. Maybe because he only had 4,000 marines left he had a lot more freedom than Russ, who still had 40,000. Both of them tell Dorn sitting and waiting isn't 'their thing' but Russ still sticks around a little while Corax can just fly around where ever he pleases. Were the Raven Guard even effected by the Ruinstorm?

 

Smaller fleet means they aren't as screwed over by it I suppose? Guerrilla warfare is also their shtick, whilst the Space Wolves are more about ramming themselves down the enemy's throat, usually on a scale that demands a larger scale mobilisation, taking more time and resources. The Raven Guard can be more effective in harassing the Traitors considering their speciality and size. Russ doing so is likely to - and does - get more people killed trying to bash their heads against a massing enemy.

[Indefragable]

I was under the impression that Corax is harassing the enemy much earlier in the campaign and much further away from Sol...strategic harassment, if you will...

 

...while Russ gets to Terra much closer to the end game and proves systems near to Terra...tactical harassment, if you will.

[Lord_Caerolion]

Corax also has had the entire Raven Guard fleet outfitted specifically for stealth capabilities. They've built their modus operandii since their Founding around guerrilla operations, acting independently and avoiding detection. The Forge World books have stated that before the Dropsite Massacre, Raven Guard ships were able to infiltrate and recon without detection, ahead of the main Salamanders fleet and the Iron Hands vanguard. If anyone's capable of running rings around Traitor fleets, avoiding detection repeatedly to be able to strike and fade, it's the Raven Guard. 

 

The Space Wolves, on the other hand, use stealth almost exclusively to set up ambushes for their ground troops, but once it's time to strike, all bets are off. I can't imagine he really outfitted his fleet with stealth in mind.

[Manchu warlord]

Finally read it.....

 

After I read "A Thousand Sons" long time ago, I greatly desired to see the Space Wolves suffer the likes of which they would never fully recover from.

Now that I've read Wolfsbane, and saw the Space Wolves receiving a not-too-far-from-being-extinct blow, I feel sad for them.

 

Wolfsbane exceeded my expectation in this regard.

 

Apart from that, it was greatly enjoyable, very well written on Valka Fenryka culture.

[bluntblade]

Does anyone else feel like people often let ATS alone inform the context of Prospero? Because when I read PB, it felt like putting two halves of a picture together, the Wolves' actions making rather more sense.

[Lord_Caerolion]

People just tend to side with the underdogs, in this case the poor, misunderstood Thousand Sons, as opposed to the manipulated Space Wolves.

[bluntblade]

Maybe, but I feel like the extent to which the Wolves were manipulated is often ignored.

[DarkChaplain]

I just reached Chapter 10, and noticed that we now know that either of the Lost Primarchs was found 3rd, after Horus and Russ, but before Ferrus and the rest. Russ describes it as a "tragic tale".

 

I think that seeing that was pretty tough on Horus and Russ, even if it isn't made obvious. It may well be that this is the crux of Russ-as-Executioner, and kind of confirmed Horus' belief that a Primarch could turn out badly, either by going against the Emperor or otherwise. His doubts about Russ as shown at the start of the book wouldn't be put to rest by having to part ways with the 3rd Primarch to be found turning into a tragedy one way or another.

That section also put in doubt whether or not we other Primarchs even knew the 3rd, as he was found that early - and disposed of one way or another. Ferrus might, but the later ones? Nope. We know for a fact that Corax was informed of being one of twenty but also being one of 18, when the Emperor found him, and questioned that (although Tymell's timeline cites that the 2nd Lost brother was found after Corax, which conflicts with Deliverance Lost, and also with Monarchia in The First Heretic)

 

Either way, even though it is peripheral information, I think it adds to the characters of both Horus and Russ, as well as Ferrus. Horus was in a way justified in doubting his brothers, and his skepticism when meeting Russ the Barbarian King. Russ quite possibly had to fight his own brother and manifest the idea of being the Executioner in him, whereas Ferrus, coming afterwards, would've joined knowing that failure would be punished and he had to aspire to more. He already had that tainted hands thing going on, too.

[b1soul]

The executioner schtick as a coping mechanism...would make sense

[Scribe]

Does anyone else feel like people often let ATS alone inform the context of Prospero? Because when I read PB, it felt like putting two halves of a picture together, the Wolves' actions making rather more sense.

PB did such a terrible job at being the other half, we kind of are forced to use ATS alone...

[Jarl Kjaran Coldheart]

 

Does anyone else feel like people often let ATS alone inform the context of Prospero? Because when I read PB, it felt like putting two halves of a picture together, the Wolves' actions making rather more sense.

PB did such a terrible job at being the other half, we kind of are forced to use ATS alone...

Somewhat agreed.

PB did an amazingly bad job of reflecting ATS, but (imo) did an amazing job of creating the Vlka Fenryka.

 

For me, and my bias against Magnus, even ATS had enough questionable scenes and instances that the "Magnus was right" crowd confuses me. (Magnus is certainly tragic)

Enough has been written about Magnus in other stories that they cement my views of him when combined with the tidbits in ATS

 

But further debate on Magnus should take place in a dedicated thread.

[Kelborn]

I just reached Chapter 10, and noticed that we now know that either of the Lost Primarchs was found 3rd, after Horus and Russ, but before Ferrus and the rest. Russ describes it as a "tragic tale".

 

I think that seeing that was pretty tough on Horus and Russ, even if it isn't made obvious. It may well be that this is the crux of Russ-as-Executioner, and kind of confirmed Horus' belief that a Primarch could turn out badly, either by going against the Emperor or otherwise. His doubts about Russ as shown at the start of the book wouldn't be put to rest by having to part ways with the 3rd Primarch to be found turning into a tragedy one way or another.

That section also put in doubt whether or not we other Primarchs even knew the 3rd, as he was found that early - and disposed of one way or another. Ferrus might, but the later ones? Nope. We know for a fact that Corax was informed of being one of twenty but also being one of 18, when the Emperor found him, and questioned that (although Tymell's timeline cites that the 2nd Lost brother was found after Corax, which conflicts with Deliverance Lost, and also with Monarchia in The First Heretic)

 

Either way, even though it is peripheral information, I think it adds to the characters of both Horus and Russ, as well as Ferrus. Horus was in a way justified in doubting his brothers, and his skepticism when meeting Russ the Barbarian King. Russ quite possibly had to fight his own brother and manifest the idea of being the Executioner in him, whereas Ferrus, coming afterwards, would've joined knowing that failure would be punished and he had to aspire to more. He already had that tainted hands thing going on, too.

 

This sound so good, promising and reasonable at the same time. :O

I'll definitely read it after finishing Watchers of the Throne and MoM.

[1ncarnadine]

I just reached Chapter 10, and noticed that we now know that either of the Lost Primarchs was found 3rd, after Horus and Russ, but before Ferrus and the rest. Russ describes it as a "tragic tale".

 

That tracks with the order Laurie has given, and reinforces that they're consistently sticking with that order.

 

The other lost Primarch is supposedly discovered second to last, between Corax and Alpharius, which is a pretty interesting placement.

[Marshal Loss]

We've known the discovery order for quite some time now, about ~4 years or so. See below for those who were unaware.

 

 

Horus
Leman Russ
[DELETED FROM IMPERIAL RECORDS]
Ferrus Manus
Fulgrim
Vulkan
Rogal Dorn
Roboute Guilliman
Magnus the Red
Sanguinius
Lion El'Jonson
Perturabo
Mortarion
Lorgar
Jaghatai Khan
Konrad Curze
Angron
Corax
[DELETED FROM IMPERIAL RECORDS]
Alpharius

 

[Orwell84]

 

We've known the discovery order for quite some time now, about ~4 years or so. See below for those who were unaware.

 

 

Horus

Leman Russ

[DELETED FROM IMPERIAL RECORDS]

Ferrus Manus

Fulgrim

Vulkan

Rogal Dorn

Roboute Guilliman

Magnus the Red

Sanguinius

Lion El'Jonson

Perturabo

Mortarion

Lorgar

Jaghatai Khan

Konrad Curze

Angron

Corax

[DELETED FROM IMPERIAL RECORDS]

Alpharius

 

 

 

The 3rd Primarch found was Number II. During the early years of the Great Crusade Fulgrim contemplates him with something less than fondness:

 

Seven voices, raised in doubt. Seven brothers, arrayed against the eighth. Even the normally contemplative master of the Second had broken his silence to accuse Fulgrim of hubris.

 

He snorted. There was an old Terran saying, about pots and kettles. He’d refrained from sharing it at the time. His quiet brother had no sense of humour that he was aware of. Perhaps that was why he spoke so little.