Mortis

[Blood-worm's Master]

What is the role of

House Vyronii scions?

[DINOthedinosauer]

Has anyone from the states gotten a dispatched email yet?

[Robbienw]

Lord Lorne Walkier and Blood-worms Master:

 

 

Unknown who the baby is, just appears to be a random infant that Cole the army officer rescued

 

The House Vyronii Knights focused on it the book start off patrolling beyond the mercury walls at the horizon watching for incoming enemy, and then are in combat in support of the Legio Solaria Warhound pack under the command of Abhani Lus Mohana.  There is a Castigator and its 3 armiger attendants.  There is some conflict between the Knight and his Armiger pilot half sister, which appears to be coming to a head at the end of the book.

 

Edited January 29, 2021 by Robbienw

[Robbienw]

45 pages left to go!

Sindermann and Maurer are breaking keeler out of the blackstone prison. The prefect convoy taking keeler out is ambushed and keeler is taken.

Oll and co confront the daemon at the centre of paradise. John uses Enuncia to kill it. Rane, one of Olls crew is killed. They fight to escape from Emperors Children, Leetu kills several. As they are escaping a woman in red and another space marine they had seen earlier appear to help. She gives her name as Actae and is psychic. Given what jon says, I think she is Cyrene Valantion, but it’s not confirmed. She appear blind like Cyrene. The marine with her is a Alpha Legionary who recognises Jon. She is against both the plans of Horus and the Emperor. She has a way to Horus. Jon wants them to kill her but Oll agrees they will go with her.

On the wall Baeron the Blood Angel dies, and passes section command to Katsuhiro. He saw Katsuhiro always fighting and not running, and orders the troopers on the wall section to follow him, then dies from his many wounds. Katsuhiro rises to the occasion, issuing orders and beginning chants dedicated to the emperor.

Edited January 29, 2021 by Robbienw

[Sons of Horus]

maybe they're planning on making Katsuhiro the "new" Ollanius Pius

[Allart01]

That's interesting! Katsuhiro might turn out to have a pretty good character arc. I wouldn't have given him two pennies at the start. Edited January 29, 2021 by The_Bloody

[Robbienw]

I’ve finished now guys, here is the last of the spoilers!

Yep Katsuhiro is great in this book. I don’t think he realises it fully, but his faith in the Emperor is keeping him going, where others have faltered.

The wall guns are now taking fire from Mortis vortex missiles. The wall commander realises they were able to pinpoint which guns to target when they re-activated them. She has them shut down.

Legio Invigilata assault Maniples are engaging the enemy, armed with melta cannon, power claws, chainfists and assault pod arms full of Imperial Fist assault marines!!! Some Fists jump pack from their pod on a Reaver onto a Mortis Warlord, set charges which blow its carapace void generators, and jump off. This leaves the Mortis warlord unshielded, the the former solaria warlord Luxor Invictoria destroys it. The Fists jump onto other Mortis titans to do the same.

The Solaria warhounds and Vyronii knights are engaging the Warmaster Titans group. The Vyronii Castogator pilot finally loses his mind and runs, destroying one of his Armiger attendants, before being destroyed by Bestia Est and the other Armiger.

Cydon calls some of the Legio Ignatum titans to him. The Ordo Sinister titans are moving into the Mortis lines. The Mortis Warmasters are moving in. Invigilata move in with Ignatum. Dies Irae and its Possessed Titan guard arrive. One of the Ordo Sinister titans, Oreintalis-Echion, is destroyed by fire from the Warmasters. Ignatum destroy a daemon Titan, but then Tetracauron’s (the main Ignatum character in the book) Warlord comes face to face with the Dies Irae and is destroyed.

Shiban has reached Marmax south where Katsuhiro is. Cole the army officer has died from his wounds, but the baby is ok. Shiban keeps walking after a pause at the wall with Katsuhiro, heading for the Ultimate Wall just behind marmax south.

The Selenar who was working with the command Prefectus sets Basilio Fo free from the blackstone prison.

Oll and co escape the paradise hive and the Emperors Children. They head for the palace in a Lighter that Actae had stashed nearby.

The Dark Angels have taken the hollow mountain. They need to find a way to reactivate the astronomican, the equipment and few remaining astronomican psykers are a mess, and the DA librarians say their are issues with the resonance of the mountain caused by chaos effects. Vassago is unsure but thinks he can do it. He alludes to having knowledge from Calibanite lore that might help the process.

The Dark Angels are now in contact with the Bhab Bastion and speak to Dorn, telling him they have retaken the hollow mountain. The command staff cheer that the Dark Angels have arrived, but brief hope is dashed when Corswain tells Dorn it is only his contingent of 10,000, and the rest of the Legion are yet to arrive. Archamus suddenly reports that Legio Mortis have breached the lines and Cydon, command Princeps of Legio Ignatum is gone.

The commander at the Mercury wall orders the gun reactors to shut down so they can’t be taken by the enemy.

Archamus reports their command and control data to the tower is failing and they are becoming data blind to the situation outside. Dorn orders Sigismund and his reserves to be brought in, and a palace wide vox link opened before they lose connection. He begins a palace wide speech to tell everyone they have reached the final phase of the battle.

In the distance the Solaria Warhounds and the remaining Vyronii Armiger see huge engine reactor detonations. They turn and run towards the wall, back into the battle.

Katsuhiro and the troops at Marmax south are waiting for more incoming enemy, Katsuhiro has faith that one day this will be over and the palace will be rebuilt, and people will walk there knowing what was happening to them now only in stories.

Vassago is in a passage in the hollow mountain and is met by two Calibanite Dark Angels. They chastise him for saving Corswains life and using Order lore to attempt to relight the beacon. He speaks against what has happened to Horuses Legions, he sees it as a threat. More calibanites move in behind him. One marine steps forward and Vassago is shocked. It’s someone who had been left on Caliban, who should not be there (I’m thinking it’s Zahariel, no confirmation though). The marine orders the others to take Vassago and they move towards him as Vassago raises his Mace to fight.

Legio Mortis have reached the Mercury Wall. The Dies Irae reaches the base of the wall and looks up at the palace, warhorns blaring.

The Emperor is weakened in the warp. Horus appears before him there, regal and powerful. Horus is able to get near to him now and touch him. The Emperor is near the end of his ability to hold back the chaos forces.

Edited January 29, 2021 by Robbienw

[Allart01]

The last three books will be the endgame, then.

As someone said earlier, they might cover a timespan of just a few days...

 

The commander for Caliban might be Gryffain of the Firewing, considering that wing focuses on infiltration and disruption... Zahariel is supposed to face Corswain on Caliban, and Astelan will be the one activating the defence batteries of Aldurukh against the Lion. That makes Gryffain the most likely candidate in my opinion.

 

Thank you for your notes, Robbie. Can't wait to read the book myself.

[JH79]

I’ve finished now guys, here is the last of the spoilers!

Any chance of a non spoiler review for those of us resisting the temptation? 

[RedFurioso]

I’ve finished now guys, here is the last of the spoilers!

Thanks!

Why Ignatum lost the battle if they had numerical superiority, 3 Emperor class Titans, wall guns and support from Ordo Sinister, Solaria and Invigilata?

Could you please recall the names of Titan Legios which initially refused to join the battle with Mortis (and became Invigilata afterwards)?

[Taliesin]

Having read all the spoilers....it does sound very interesting, obviously a lot more to be revealed if you actually read it yourself.

 

Robbie, 2 questions:

 

• is Sanguinius even in this book? Not one mention of him so....what about other Blood Angels? Is it mostly Baeron and does he have other BA with him?
• Where is Perturabo at this point and have the Iron Warriors legion really departed Terra midway or by the end of the book? Completely?

Edited January 29, 2021 by Taliesin

[Robbienw]

 

I’ve finished now guys, here is the last of the spoilers!

Any chance of a non spoiler review for those of us resisting the temptation? 

 

 

Its a long book and slow at the start, but well worth the read.  The titan stuff is ace, nicely written titan battling in there. It also expands key background details on certain characters and certain topics that most heresy fans will want to now.  Gives a good look into the effects of the war on the non-astartes.  Essential reading for Dark Angels fans.

 

Also, and will put this in tags because its could be considered mildy spoilerific:

 

 

The role of the Emperors Children in the battle. 

 

As we know they have left the walls and have gone to indulge their wims on the rest of the planet. But their presence and the warp stuff they are doing is still having a significant effect on the defence and the mortal defenders.  You can see this with their messing with the Astornomican that has caused it to go out and will have convinced some Imperial forces at least (like it did the Lion) that Terra has fallen.  And with their creation of the paradise hive combined with warp boosted despair, that persuaded some of the mortal defenders to leave their posts and go to their deaths.

 

So although they have left the battle on the walls, they are still having a significant effect on the battle.

 

[Robbienw]

 

I’ve finished now guys, here is the last of the spoilers!

Thanks!

Why Ignatum lost the battle if they had numerical superiority, 3 Emperor class Titans, wall guns and support from Ordo Sinister, Solaria and Invigilata?

Could you please recall the names of Titan Legios which initially refused to join the battle with Mortis (and became Invigilata afterwards)?

 

 

 

 

They didn't have numerical superiority.  Legio Mortis deployed well over 300 titans, and huge hosts of supporting knights and all manner of supporting mechanicum stuff.  The disruption caused by the gun crews jumping off the walls shut the guns down entirely for a time and at a key point, and then they were only able to get around 45% working again, and most werent operating at peak efficieny.  Mortis had some orbital gun fire support as well that got through the palace sheilds.

 

The battle conditions worked heavily in favour of Legio Mortis, there was scrapcode and warp disruption hugely increasing the fog of war for imperial forces.

 

The Dies Irae also made a difference because it seemed to be able to move up on the defenders suddenly and quickly at certain points and come at them at short range.  Its not possessed, but it has been changed by the warp.  The deployment of the Wamaster Titans also made a difference as well.

 

And of course, added to that, there was all the zombie titans that attacked prior to Legio Mortis.  That caused casalties and damage to the loyalists titans before the actual Mortis force engaged.

 

All this combined to help Mortis acheive their objective and reach the wall.  They didnt annhilate all of the loyalist titans though, there was still battle ongoing at the end.  I suspect like in the old heresy fluff the surving loyalist titans will resort to attacking the edges of the traitor forces coming in through the wall breache, in an attempt to thin the numbers getting in.

 

The only Legio named specifcally who first refused to walk was Legio Amaranth.

 

[Sandlemad]

How well-done is the introduction of the Warmaster titans? These things can come off like "and then in swept the new toys, £99 from GW.com, with this or that special feature to turn the tide" but it's not an approach I'd particularly expect from French. Does it have that feel or does it come off as natural and integrated into the rest of the titan warfare and the novel as a whole?

[Robbienw]

 

Having read all the spoilers....it does sound very interesting, obviously a lot more to be revealed if you actually read it yourself.

 

Robbie, 2 questions:

 

• is Sanguinius even in this book? Not one mention of him so....what about other Blood Angels? Is it mostly Baeron and does he have other BA with him?
• Where is Perturabo at this point and have the Iron Warriors legion really departed Terra midway or by the end of the book? Completely?

 

 

 

 

Sanguinius is in it briefly.  He appears in a meeting as a Holo and talks to Dorn at one point over the vox.  He is out fighting at the walls.  Baeron is the BA who features mostly.  There are a few other unamed BA dotted along the marmax wall section.  Their is also a BA Dreadnaught called Oceano who is commanding the defence of a bastion, who speaks to the Mercury wall commander over the comm, but doesnt appear in person.

 

Perturabo and the Iron warriors are gone, definitely departed Terra midway through, before the part where the Imperator Somnium and the Dark Angels have arrive.  The fleet was heading out to the translation point, don't know if they had actually jumped out of the Solar System, but they were well on the way.  They wont be returning.

 

[Robbienw]

How well-done is the introduction of the Warmaster titans? These things can come off like "and then in swept the new toys, £99 from GW.com, with this or that special feature to turn the tide" but it's not an approach I'd particularly expect from French. Does it have that feel or does it come off as natural and integrated into the rest of the titan warfare and the novel as a whole?

 

 

 

Hmmm.  I am not sure.  It does feel a bit like they were put in late in the day as a 'look at this, its the new thing we just announced', like they were popped in to highlight the new mini coming out.  They appear very late in (page 468) , perhaps John French had finished a lot of the book when he was asked to put them in?  Maybe not though as the minis are planned far ahead so he probably knew at the start.

 

in terms of how they fit into the battle though they are handled fine.  They make a difference, but they aren't ridiculously overpowered, and they definitely aren't the single thing that wins it for Legio Mortis.

 

Its said in the book they are a Titan that was never deployed in the Great Crusade, the 'secrets of their making and their might held back' and kept hoarded by the Mechanicum. This was tolerated by the Imperium.  The Ignatum pilots knew what they were, knew the titan pattern, so i assume that most major Legions have some.  Not sure why the Loyalist forces haven't deployed any on Terra though.

 

[Marshal Rohr]

Kind of interested why Gryphonicus isn’t mention when Andy has said they were at Terra.

[Robbienw]

Kind of interested why Gryphonicus isn’t mention when Andy has said they were at Terra.

 

They are mentioned Marshal Rohr, we have seen them in other books as well:

 

 

Legio Gryphonicus has been fully deployed in the fighting since the start, all along the walls and battlefields around the palace, this is specifically said in the book.  Unlike Legio ignatum, who have been held in reserve the whole time until now.

 

So they don't play a major part in this battle because of this, they are spread elsewhere in the main.

 

There are a small few Gryphonicus titans in the Titan hangers at the Mercury wall though, and at one point a Gryphonicus maniple is described making an attack, but that is it. 

 

Edited January 29, 2021 by Robbienw

[malika666]

Malika, a Nightgaunt Titan is mentioned, nothing else other than that.

 

One Titan that is getting a model soon has just put in an appearance

Has there been any description of the Nightgaunt in that book?

[Taliesin]

Thanks, Robbie, a few more questions...

 

1. Do we see the Emperor in this book, physically? How much is there in terms of scenes between him and Horus having dialogue, several ones?
2. What do we see of the Alpha Legion and what of the Thousand Sons?
3. Do we see Daemon Fulgrim more in this one? Feels like there is a significant section for the EC here right.

[Robbienw]

No, just a brief mention of a Nightguant Titan.  So still dont't know if its a unique pattern or a variant of a warlord like it used to be in the old AT fluff.

[Robbienw]

 

Thanks, Robbie, a few more questions...

 

1. Do we see the Emperor in this book, physically? How much is there in terms of scenes between him and Horus having dialogue, several ones?
2. What do we see of the Alpha Legion and what of the Thousand Sons?
3. Do we see Daemon Fulgrim more in this one? Feels like there is a significant section for the EC here right.

 

 

 

 

No we don't see him physically, just in the warp scenes with horus.  There are 3, one at the start, one in the middle (with malcador featuring bringing water to the emperor, the water representing warp power the emperor can take to sustain himself, i think) and one at the end.

 

We also see the Emperor in Oll's recollection of the attack on the Tower of Babel, as he was back then.

 

Nothing on the Thousands Sons.  The only Alpha Legion presence is the marine with Actae.

 

We don't see daemon Fulgrim.  The EC presence and actions are significant, yes.

 

[Sandlemad]

 

How well-done is the introduction of the Warmaster titans? These things can come off like "and then in swept the new toys, £99 from GW.com, with this or that special feature to turn the tide" but it's not an approach I'd particularly expect from French. Does it have that feel or does it come off as natural and integrated into the rest of the titan warfare and the novel as a whole?

 

 

 

Hmmm.  I am not sure.  It does feel a bit like they were put in late in the day as a 'look at this, its the new thing we just announced', like they were popped in to highlight the new mini coming out.  They appear very late in (page 468) , perhaps John French had finished a lot of the book when he was asked to put them in?  Maybe not though as the minis are planned far ahead so he probably knew at the start.

 

in terms of how they fit into the battle though they are handled fine.  They make a difference, but they aren't ridiculously overpowered, and they definitely aren't the single thing that wins it for Legio Mortis.

 

Its said in the book they are a Titan that was never deployed in the Great Crusade, the 'secrets of their making and their might held back' and kept hoarded by the Mechanicum. This was tolerated by the Imperium.  The Ignatum pilots knew what they were, knew the titan pattern, so i assume that most major Legions have some.  Not sure why the Loyalist forces haven't deployed any on Terra though.

 

 

Thanks, that's an interesting one. It does sound like their inclusion is fairly typical GW behaviour but glad it wasn't as bad as it might have been.

 

Seems like it ties into this background current of crusade-era Mechanicum/Imperium tensions as well, which isn't so bad. Particularly as we've hitherto been more familiar with the quiet buildup on the Imperial side.

[Blood-worm's Master]

Two more questions:

Is any Knight House allied to Ignatum mentioned by name?

Does loyalist Martian Taghmata (so things like Thallaxii, Battle Automata and/or tanks) appear?

[Robbienw]

Two more questions:

 

Is any Knight House allied to Ignatum mentioned by name?

 

Does loyalist Martian Taghmata (so things like Thallaxii, Battle Automata and/or tanks) appear?

 

No to both.

 

But it is mentioned that bonded knights in Ignatum colours are with Legio Ignatum.

 

There are many knight houses on both sides, and a few houses are mentioned or described by their colours, but the focus is mainly on the titans.

 

The only knights in focus are the Vyronii Knights who are with the solaria warhounds. House Cadmus and House Hermetika are mentioned. House Makabius are advancing in number alongside Legio Mortis.

 

Edited January 29, 2021 by Robbienw