Black Library Advent Calendar 2018

[Sandlemad]

Today's story, quite the thing. The Last Council by Laurie Golding. Largely about the final sitting of the Council of Terra before the siege. It features a scene from the great crusade where

Horus, the Khan and Alpharius storm into the council of Terra to call Malcador to account for removing the statue of either the 2nd or 11th primarch, presumably just lost. They're furious and in classic style Malcador essentially force-chokes Horus before he can angrily say the name of his lost brother.

 

There's also confirmation that Malcador

is a perpetual, someone called 'Brahm al-Khadour', last of the Sigilites. Apparently he's got a lot of blood on his hands from the age of strife and Horus is going to deliberately try and make this known to the Imperium befoe the siege is out.

 

There's also one "Precint Marshal Rohr" briefly mentioned as an aide to Grand Provost Marshal Rantal of the Arbites. Huh.

[TheRealMcCagh]

Malcador is a bad mamma jamma

 

"Enough. You will be silent or I will unmake you, here and now." Not a lot of people in the galaxy can say that to Horus' face and get away with it. It's also interesting that Alpharius is there. Being the last one discovered, that puts the removal of the statue pretty late in the timeline. On the other hand, it is just removing the statue, not necessarily when the Primarch actually died/disappeared

[Kelborn]

Ha, Marshal Rohr cameo. Nice one. ^^

 

Somehow I cannot help the fact that the mentioned spoilers remind me of that audio he wrote back then about Malcador and his most trusted assistant, telling her the "truth" about the Heresy, etc. etc. etc. before saying that it was a lie.

 

I remember some serious rage in the fanbase about this.

 

Also the composition of Primarchs is interesting. And of course, it plays with the Lost Primarchs. I thought that the authors were forbidden to write anything about them or their Legions?

[Marshal Rohr]

Does Precinct Marshal Rohr die horribly?

[Sandlemad]

Does Precinct Marshal Rohr die horribly?

 

No, it's maybe a little more self-referential about the nature of commemoration than that... The extract below is in the context of what to do with fifty thousand auxilia stuck in the cargo holds of orbiting chartist ships waiting for clearance.

 

From his seat behind Marshal Rantal, another uniformed Arbitrator leaned forward to whisper a suggestion in his master’s ear. Rantal nodded.

 

‘Precinct Marshal Rohr suggests that we need not transfer the auxilia all the way to the ground – only off the ships themselves. Would that satisfy the Captain-General’s requirements, and also allow the honourable speaker to retask her shipmasters in a more timely fashion?’

 

The idea gained traction quickly. Raised eyebrows and nods of approval spread around the table. Faceless scribes recorded the precinct marshal’s name, and his place in the roll of accountability.

 

That's the whole appearance. "Faceless scribes", well.

[Roomsky]

Could we keep Goulding away from Malcador? Twice now he's opted for the "HEY GUYS, LOOK AT ALL THESE MYSTERIES" approach instead of dropping a few hints here and there. It felt cheap in First Lord of the Imperium and it feels cheap here, compounded by everyone in the scene described is acting terribly out of character, for the sake of Mal looking badass I guess? Ah yes, the soft-spoken left hand who let Lorgar slap him around because he's content in his role. Nah, lets have him force choke Horus and straight up threaten to kill him. More weirdly immature Horus too, always a treat.

 

Prince of Blood was good though, more of that, please.

[Robbienw]

It’s been mentioned before that the sigilittes were once not on the emperors side. Astelan said in one of the previous dark angels stories that the original ‘angels of death’ prototype batch of dark angels space marines were given special psychic protection by the emperor because they would face such threats as the sigilittes. Can’t remember if it was in one of the shorts in between stories or angels of Caliban.

 

Granted Astelan is known to be dishonest, but he definitely has the psychic protection so it is likely true to some degree.

 

Probably the imperial forces defeated the sigilittes but Malcador was kept around and brought into the emperors confidence, or maybe they had known each other for along time and malcador left the sigilittes and joined the emperors side before any conflict. Something like that.

[Fedor]

At least we got confirmation one of the lost primarchs was Malal.

[Knockagh]

At the very end they start looking at the council of terra and the politics of the heresy. I’m not signed up for the calendar but looking at the title and synopsis this is exactly the sort of thing that should have been included right throughout the Heresy. I hope we get much much more as we move into the final 8.

[Kelborn]

At least we got confirmation one of the lost primarchs was Malal.

Wait what???? How was that confirmed?

[Robbienw]

It wasn’t at all. He was was probably trying to say malcador at that point, that’s the way I saw it anyway

[Roomsky]

Horus said  "Mal... al" while being force choked. Presumably he was trying to say "Malcador", but the choking was in response to Horus announcing he would say his lost brothers' name. Thus: Malal, the lost primarch.

 

In other news, the banner currently lists this story as written by Graham Mcneill. The website ineptitude continues.

[Kelborn]

Horus said  "Mal... al" while being force choked. Presumably he was trying to say "Malcador", but the choking was in response to Horus announcing he would say his lost brothers' name. Thus: Malal, the lost primarch.

 

Well...

 

Thanks for clarifying.

[Volt]

This is also what I mean by Black Library authors screwing up characters and not writing convincing superhumans. This isn't even immaturity on the level of Greek heroes sometimes being petty arseholes about things, this is Malcador just acting like a complete and utter child for no good reason in a series that is supposed to be about mature demigods prosecuting a campaign to re-conqueror the galaxy. Why is Malcador trying to bloody choke Horus (threatening the life of both a friend and an important figure) for simply uttering a banned/blasphemous name? Does Goulding interact with humans frequently at all, or does he think it's normal and acceptable behavior for somebody to lose their mind and start throttling a peer figure over a rather silly thing?

 

But of course the real purpose of the the throttling was just for more silly, worthless filler content and memes by dropping garbled names to hype up fans to buy more books.

[Scribe]

So, I gather it is not getting a good reception here...

[DarkChaplain]

Good ol' Laurie, opening the holiday salt mine early.

[b1soul]

I found Malcador's use of brute force against Horus to be very out of character...

 

Also, I would have assumed Primarchs are capable of holding their breaths for a long time.

[Volt]

I found Malcador's use of brute force against Horus to be very out of character...

 

Also, I would have assumed Primarchs are capable of holding their breaths for a long time.

More-over I would assume that after watching somebody lose their mind and start choking your brother, that you would immediately set upon them and come to blows. Malcador's actions should only realistically result in Khan and Alpharius ganging up to beat him up (not to mention Khan acts as a psychic nullifier/mirror) instead of just watching Horus getting choked out for simply trying to speak a name. 

 

In a sane world the short story would be a philosophical debate between Horus and Malcador on the merits of honoring the dishonored dead - possibly even providing commentary on present-day events circling the same subject. Unfortunately what we get instead is characters behaving like children and acting in a manner that even Homeric heroes would find inappropriate. 

[nagashnee]

As others have said, poorly thought out and implemented story that seems to have no real purpose other to tease us with things it can never (and should never) deliver. Goulding swings and misses once more. I really wish he would just totally disappear at this point.

[b1soul]

Didn't he announce his departure from BL back in 2016 or 2017?

 

https://www.trackofwords.com/2017/02/11/black-library-there-and-back-again-with-laurie-goulding/

 

https://www.trackofwords.com/2017/03/12/there-and-back-again-with-laurie-goulding-part-two/

 

How come he's still around?

 

Not asking this in a spiteful way, mind you. Just genuinely curious.

[Kelborn]

Wasn't he the lead editor or such?

 

Yes, he left BL but I assume that one can still write for them as a "free author" (don't know the exact term in English).

[Volt]

Wasn't he the lead editor or such?

 

Yes, he left BL but I assume that one can still write for them as a "free author" (don't know the exact term in English).

The term you're looking for is Freelancer.

[Marshal Rohr]

I bought the story last night. I can see the point that the interaction between Malcador and Horus would be unusual but it didn't break my personal suspension of disbelief. To me, Malcador doesn't care for the Primarchs (the way I wish the Emperor did) and views them the same way he'd view millennia of genetically engineered superweapons he's had to deal with. I really enjoyed the bits about the necessity of civilian rule of the Imperium, the politicking, and the acknowledgement that even in the apocalypse and end of everything things cost money. Like, to me that was the best representation of Imperial government we've seen on the pages. It wasn't the space fantasy of demi-god warrior kings, it was some lady like you and me complaining the contractors are trying to stiff them.

[b1soul]

So Goulding left his editing position but now works as a BL authour...I see. What would distinguish someone like ADB from a freelance BL authour?

 

 

I agree that Malcador views the Primarchs as genetically engineered superweapons. I just don't think Malcador would treat said superweapon that way. And I don't think Khan and Alpharius would react that way. I don't think it's a terrible story...the writing is tolerable. The characterisation just made me raise my eyebrow.

[Grand Master Laertes]

So Goulding left his editing position but now works as a BL authour...I see. What would distinguish someone like ADB from a freelance BL authour?

Nothing. All the authors are freelance by definition. Even Phil Kelly, which is an employee in GW, works as a freelance when writing stories for BL (which, not being his main job, cannot be done during office hours).