State of the Union (Heresy)

[Stitch5000]

  On 7/14/2022 at 12:31 PM, Hfran Morkai said:

Infiltrate and Area Denial Drop are different deployment types aren't they?

 

Anything that doesn't come in a Drop Pod, Dreadnought Drop Pod, Dreadclaw or Kharbydis comes on as reserves and may not partake in any alternative deployments (such as Deep Strike Assaults or Flanking Assaults).

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Infiltrate in itself isn't really an "alternative deployment", but you wouldn't be able to use the benefits infered by Outflank (Flanking Assault)

With the Deathstorm thing, I see your point... It doesn't seem to be allowed. Doesnlt seem like an FAQ point, more something that isn't possible. 

[SkimaskMohawk]

A lot of people think FAQ means wishlist for looser restrictions because they don't like being limited. The infiltrators during drop pod assault and template during chain fire are pretty clear examples of that.

[Hfran Morkai]

  On 7/14/2022 at 4:09 PM, SkimaskMohawk said:

A lot of people think FAQ means wishlist for looser restrictions because they don't like being limited. The infiltrators during drop pod assault and template during chain fire are pretty clear examples of that.

 

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I don't mind being limited too much (it is what it is and I'm sure some of it is balance) but it is the fluff that Recon Squads operate ahead of the main force and guide in Orbital Drops.

 

I can literally do it by having an Allied Detachment of Sworn Brothers but that means they're different Legions, something I'm not overly keen on for the sake of this as it's not as fluffy.

 

And regarding the template, oh dear silly me for wanting a single S3 template weapon in Chain Fire, which I've already mentioned I'm going to build him with one anyway, even if he can only use that separately (handy for reactions maybe).

[Noserenda]

Sometimes its consistency too, like the Tank army losing line but the dreadnought one keeping it? 

Though there is a significant chance that if im in an event or something ill be writing the pack for it and can just fix it then. Muahahahaha :P 

[JeffJedi]

The Passage of the Angel of Death has to be the best WD article I've read in forever. It's got great tidbits about what's going on away from Terra and honestly some of the bits made me laugh out loud. If you like carnage and destruction  and vengeance this part of the timeline has it in spades.

 

Like, there would be so many more worlds if the HH hadn't happened.

[Gorgoff]

  On 7/16/2022 at 6:02 AM, JeffJedi said:

The Passage of the Angel of Death has to be the best WD article I've read in forever. It's got great tidbits about what's going on away from Terra and honestly some of the bits made me laugh out loud. If you like carnage and destruction  and vengeance this part of the timeline has it in spades.

 

Like, there would be so many more worlds if the HH hadn't happened.

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Which WD is it? This month?

[No Foes Remain]

  On 7/16/2022 at 8:23 AM, Gorgoff said:

Which WD is it? This month?

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Yes it is, and now that I have a day off I'll get some notes done for the tidbits I didn't post photos of.

[No Foes Remain]

Spoilered it again, also copied over the photos from my previous post for the more interesting bits. Tried to keep it brief but cover the points without just copying over what is in the White Dwarf and added a few interesting quotes from each Tidbit.

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010.M31 - Solar War Begins:

Mentions of it starting, and of the inital Alpha Legion strike at Pluto.

010.M31 - The Dispute of Iron:

Civil War among a number of "lesser Forge Worlds" across the border of the Tempestus and Pacificus Segmentums, known as the Belt of Iron. Forge world of Jerulas Sation gets off one distress call before going silent. Mentions rebellion and "ancient technological horrors unleashed "scouring entire forge-cities of life." Even the local Titan Legion (Legio Venator, Iron Spiders) are plunged into civil war.

011.M31 - The Subjugation of Tyrinth:

Death Guard sally out from Bararus to capture nearby regions which are rich in resources and being to carve out a pocket empire in the region. Tyrinthan Commonwealth is subjucated and it's capital is reduced to a wasteland by phospex and rad storms. Death Guard establish relations with an Iron Warrior stronghold at Luth Tyre.

011.M31 - The Malagant Conflict:

Death Guard raid the industrial hive world of Malagant but enounter elements of the Raven Guard, who ambush and counter-attack the traitor forces. The Raven Guard lack numbers so fall back on their best used tactics and the Death Guard are stuck on the planet for 3 years, due to it being a vital location, and don't make it to the Siege of Barbarus.

011.M31 - The Lion's Wrath Unleashed:

Davin is destroyed and the Dark Angels begin a crusade to eliminate any and all traitor worlds across the South Segmentums. Lion unleashes "Long-forbidden weapons from the earliest days of the Great Crusade".

012.M31 - The Death of Chemos:

012.M31 - The Wolf Cull of Yarant:

Abaddon leads elements of the Sons of Horus, World Eaters and Thousand Sons against the Space Wolves. Corax arrives and pulls them out of it and fall back to Deliverance, so the Wolves can "rebuild their strength and await Russ's recovery from his wounds."

012.M31 - Echos of Tallarn:

Iron Warrior battle crusier arrives above their Legion Stronghold at Luth Tyre, the survivors are mainly made up of infantry and Mechanicum Automata. They join forces with their own Legion's garrison but aren't pleased about the garrison prioritising the Death Guard's needs above the Legion's.

012.M31 - The Liberation of Saronican:

Elements of Ultramarines and Calth High Guard Solar Auxilia are sent, by the Lion, to secure hive worlds at Saronican Gulf. Protracted campaign begins where they engade the rebel worlds, traitor Army forces and small fleets of World Eaters. Ultramarines win, but take heavy losses and are then left behind to garrison the worlds while the Dark Angels advance onwards "free from the scrutiny and increasing unease of the Ultramarines."

012.M31 - The Scouring of the Pale Stars:

Emperor's Children remnents from Chemos battle across the Pale Stars against the Salamanders from Nocturne's Garrison. In the campaign, the Salamander's purge the traitor's influence from the worlds and try to prevent the Emperor's Children from creating a new realm near Nocturne.

012.M31 - The Reign of Blood:

After the Shadow Crusade, elements of the World Eaters abandon their main Legion forces and rove across star systems in the East. The new 'Bucher Fleets' target "populous locations where only senseless carnage can be wrought."

012.M31 - The Argolian Massacres:

Word Bearer's follow the World Eater's Bucher Fleets, scouring the region for refugees in both hive worlds and void-docks. They are corralled and sacrificed in dark rituals, which the death toll "begins to harken the death-screams of billions echoing through the empyrean."

012.M31 - The Carrion Realms:

Warbands of the World Eaters and Night Lords take advantage of the Dark Angels crusade, preying upon ravaged worlds and establishing their own domains. They enslave the population of colony worlds, conscript the remains of armies and strike out against nearby star systems.

012.M31 - The Fall of Luth Tyre:

Dark Angels arrive at Luth Tyre, which dwells within a system with "one of the most stable warp routes in the Southern Imperium." Dark Angels make planetfall on the heels of a orbital bombardment "so intense that it fuses the planet's rolling white desert to plains of jagged glass and sets the upper layers of that atmosphere albaze." Death Guard and Iron Warriors mount a resistance against overwhelming numbers but the Iron Warrior strongholds are taken one-by-one, forces cut off mount last stands against the Dark Angels whose losses keep rising. A force of Death Guard, Iron Warriors and Mechanicum forces fight to reach the space port at the south pole, managing to escape the world but leaving it in Imperial control.

013.M31 - The Siege of Inwit:

013.M31 - The Thassos Incident:

Dark Angels flotilla are looking for a unknown fleet in the Thassos system but are ambushed by Night Lords who inflict heavy losses on the Dark Angels. But the Night Lords are forced to withdraw as elements from the Isstvan Shattered Legions (Iron Hands, Salamanders and Raven Guard) arrive and almost trap the Night Lords. The Shattered Legions are "offered fresh supplies of arms and munitions and is subsequently tasked by the Lion with scouring the nearby systems of traitor forces.

013.M31 - The Burning of Vrexor:

Mineral rich subsector of Vrexor is attacked by forces of the traitor Forge World of Valia-Maximal with elements of the Legio Laniaskara (Impalers). Forces from Graia (Legio Astraman, Morning Stars, Skitarii and Taghmata) stand in defence of the sub-sector. "Scores of inhabitedworlds in the region suffering as they become battlegrounds". As losses rise and the conflict becomes a stalemate, more loyalists and traitors are drawn into the conflict. However when calls reach the Dark Angels "the Lion sends elements of the Legio Atarus (Firebrands) and Knights fom the House Orhlacc" but doesn't send any Dark Angels.

013.M31 - Twilight of the Reaper:

Main Death Guard Legion fleet leave Barabus and head towards Sol, the World's garrison is told to defend their world from threats at all costs with no further communication being able to be established and just "met with ominous silence." The Commander, Castellan-Praetor Vrokhorn, starts forced-recruitment and accelerated implantation "depleting the populations of the XIVth Legion's fief-worlds around Barbarus in forder to reinforce the numbers of his Legionaries, thus consigning the once-mighty realm of the Death Guard to wither away and fall into ruin."

013.M31 - The Deliverance Conjunction:

013.M31 - The Wolf King's Fury:

Leman Russ leads his Legion across the stars and vent their fury on any traitor alinged planet. They meet elements of the Alpha Legion on the armoury world of Sezdell Secundus who are "eradicated", along with their supporting Imperial Army elements, by a force lead by Russ himself. Afterwards the Woves "seize huge amounts of war material and armoured vehicles from the armouries of the Alpha Legion" before they leave for other traitor worlds.

013.M31 - The Ydursk Incident:

Elements of the Raven Guard start a operation on the world of Ydursk, under the control of Tyrant-General Maylon Idar III. Idar's forces are taken apart piece by piece, despite their numbers, by the Raven Guard. They assassinate his command chain and kill members of his inner circle, in response he pulls his forces back to the capital and "broadcasts a call for diplomacy." Agents of the Raven Guard answer "but he is not met by an emissary in the centre of the grand courtyard of his palatial residence, as per his requests. Instead, a single mass-reactive round fired at hypersonic velocity ends his reign." The world is brough under Imperial Control and spared the wrath of the Lion.

013.M31 - The Warmaster's Shadow:

With the main Death Guard fleet missing, a emissary is sent from the Sons of Horus to investigate their absence. Justaerin Captain Arbras Haax arrives with a elite contingent of Sons of Horus, finding the Death Guard mass-conscripting at their homeworld. Unable to determin the fate of Mortarion and the Death Guard Legion, Haax remains on Barbarus "as a conduit for the Warmaster's will, under the instruction to bring harsh censure upon the Death Guard should they be foolish enough to defy the will of the Warmaster as he stands on the threshold of victory."

013.M31 - Iron and Stone:

The remnents of the forces at Luth Tyre arrive at Barbarus, mainly bringing Mechanicum automata. They swiftly begin fortifying, "knowing that the grim home world of the Death Guard is one of the few strongholds left for the Warmaster's Legions in the Southern reaches of the Imperium."

013.M31 - The Dawn of Desolation:

Forces from the Space Wolves clash with a fleet of the Death Guard returning to Barbarus. Both sides initiate boarding actions, seeking to cripple or capture the other's ships. The Wolves force the Death Guard to withdraw, who have taken heavy losses (including a Grand Cruiser Dawn of Desolation). The Surviving Death Guard warn the garrison at Barbarus that the loyalist are near. "In response, the siege-masters of the XIVth order the plains of Barbarus to be flooded, creating thousands of square kilometres of chem-marshes in the areas surrounding their strongholds." Void shields are activated and all defensive guns aim upwards, waiting fro the coming attack.

013.M31 - The Ghosts of Zhao-Arkhad:

013.M31 - The Siege of Barbarus Begins:

 

After that the players talk about their armies (3 loyalist, 3 traitors [RG, DA, SW vs DG, IW and SoH]) and how they will keep them thematic. RG player going to be mainly using elite units, DA player going to have a good mix while the SW player is going to have a number of infantry with newer gear to represent their looting. DG are mainly going to be fresh infantry with nothing too exotic, IW going to be infantry with Automata while the SoH are going to be a small elite force without the actual Legion units.

Next month they'll be showcasing their armies and the following month will be the battle.

[JeffJedi]

Amazing detail to find out, both Liber books have different artwork of the units in black and white on the pages. I figured the color parts and Legions would be unique, but they went the extra mile here with pictures.

[bushman101]

  On 7/17/2022 at 1:33 AM, JeffJedi said:

Amazing detail to find out, both Liber books have different artwork of the units in black and white on the pages. I figured the color parts and Legions would be unique, but they went the extra mile here with pictures.

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Interesting.

I haven't seen the traitor book, I've only kept my nose in the loyalist book

[Loquille]

Plastic Leviathan going up for Pre-order next week. With the close combat sprue available separately

Firepower-focused Praetors planning to pick up a Leviathan packing powerful ranged weapons when it arrives need not fear a lack of options, as the Close Combat Weapons Frame will also be available to order direct from the Games Workshop webstore. This frame includes the two melee fists from the full Dreadnought kit, which can each be built as siege drills or siege claws for all of your Loyalist/Traitor grinding/crushing needs, and is a great way to add weapon options to any future Leviathan Siege Dreadnoughts you might add to your army.

 

 https://www.warhammer-community.com/2022/07/17/sunday-preview-mortal-minions-bask-in-the-power-of-the-dark-gods/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sunday-preview&utm_content=sundaypreview

[Morovir]

As much as I enjoyed David Guymer's version of the Passage of the Angel of Death in Dreadwing, I must admit that I prefer the White Dwarf version, as it makes it seem to be much more of a climactic event that Guymer's relatively small affair, and also serves to link the Lion back to Russ as it was in the original stories.

[WrathOfTheLion]

Nice to see the upgrade frame separate. I'll need to see how it fits on the shoulder of the resin ones.

Looking forward to the plastic one for my Word Bearers.

[jaxom]

Huh, I have to say I'm a little disappointed by how how much the Dark Angel lore circa the Siege continues to drift from what was previously said.

[Marshal Mittens]

That's a lot of interesting tidbits, I hope we see more of this sort of thing for other theaters of war. 

 

Interesting they gave reason to field uncorrupted Deathguard after the time when the main body was corrupt in the warp. 

[Cactus]

  On 7/18/2022 at 12:13 AM, jaxom said:

Huh, I have to say I'm a little disappointed by how how much the Dark Angel lore circa the Siege continues to drift from what was previously said.

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In what way has it drifted? Discounting Astelan's lies from Angels of Darkness all we knew was the Lion and Russ were heading to Terra but arrived too late. Currently we have the Lion and Russ travelling together and no indication they will reach Terra in time for the big showdown.

[jaxom]

  On 7/18/2022 at 10:17 AM, Cactus said:

In what way has it drifted? Discounting Astelan's lies from Angels of Darkness all we knew was the Lion and Russ were heading to Terra but arrived too late. Currently we have the Lion and Russ travelling together and no indication they will reach Terra in time for the big showdown.

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Originally, it was Russ that pushed for relieving Imperial forces and destroying traitor holdfasts while on the way to Terra. The Lion wanted to push directly to relieve the siege. The Lion then blamed Russ for them arriving too late and it results in their less famous second "duel" that fixes their relationship.

I understand why they've made the change. It fits with the way they've developed the Dark Angels since Angels of Caliban and it sets up the Dark Angels to have a lot less legionaries left than one would expect just based on Thramas (the only major engagement we've previously known about). It seems like this will put them on par with most of the other legions once the Siege is done, leaving the Ultramarines uncontested as the largest legion.

If there is a change, though, that the Ultramarines relieve the Siege... then I may flip a table.

Edited July 18, 2022 by jaxom
Spelling and grammar

[Xenith]

  On 7/18/2022 at 2:11 PM, jaxom said:

If there is a change, though, that the Ultramarines relieve the Siege... then I may flip a table.

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Well, I mean that's already written in stone - the siege books have the traitors acting hastily as they know guilliman is on the way, and the loyalists raging that the Lion has gone after easy [tactically irrelevant] targets keeping away from the main fight. Arguably, in my opinion, preserving the I Legion strength so they can take over once the dust settles. 

[jaxom]

  On 7/18/2022 at 3:57 PM, Xenith said:

Well, I mean that's already written in stone - the siege books have the traitors acting hastily as they know guilliman is on the way, and the loyalists raging that the Lion has gone after easy [tactically irrelevant] targets keeping away from the main fight. Arguably, in my opinion, preserving the I Legion strength so they can take over once the dust settles. 

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Oh yeah, that's a large part of my trepidation. However, there's what the besieged think is going to happen and what may actually happen. As for the preservation of strength, the new lore surrounding the siege of Barbarus has the Dark Angels taking pretty big hits as they make their way through the traitor homeworlds and fortresses.

[Chaeron]

  On 7/17/2022 at 1:59 AM, bushman101 said:

Interesting.

I haven't seen the traitor book, I've only kept my nose in the loyalist book

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I've been the opposite 

I really appreciate the weight and style of them: I'm excited to explore more things like that in them.

Edited July 18, 2022 by Chaeron
Adjusting the smiley!

[MegaVolt87]

  On 7/18/2022 at 6:09 PM, jaxom said:

Oh yeah, that's a large part of my trepidation. However, there's what the besieged think is going to happen and what may actually happen. As for the preservation of strength, the new lore surrounding the siege of Barbarus has the Dark Angels taking pretty big hits as they make their way through the traitor homeworlds and fortresses.

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Disagree. In Russ's primarch book, Lion stumbles across Russ in the ruined palace post siege looking at a mural, and is angry Russ didn't do more to stop the Emperor from falling. He stabs Russ in a mixture of anger, sadness and guilt for not being at the siege himself. I think at that point Lion knows he made the wrong choice for not continuing on to Terra like his brothers and is most angry at Russ because he believes he is the strongest one there that could have made a difference but didn't. Unlike Russ being mad about the sucker punch that knocked him out, Russ isn't mad at all for being run through by the Lion because he also feels guilty and feels like he needed to be punished for his own perceived failure. Also consider, Malcador was dead at this point also and was quite close to Russ, so Russ would have been at a very low point at this time. What strength the DA retained was bled out at the Battle of Caliban. 

[jaxom]

The Russ novella was based on "The Lion and The Wolf" blurb that has popped up in most Dark Angel codexes. However, that was another, longer version of it in White Dwarf 233. It lives rent-free in my brain because that's the issue that made me a Dark Angel fan boy for so long. It expanded a lot on the classic siege lore that the Lion and Russ where the relief force that Horus detected. It's (as far as I know) the original source for the Lion stabbing Russ after the siege. 

EDIT: hidden tags didn't work so I put the story in a spoiler

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Across the galaxy, war raged. The followers of Horus waxed strong and balefire of rebellion burned on a thousand worlds. After the initial treachery of the Space Marines, millions of warriors followed their example and fought under the sign of the Eye, the symbol of the Warmaster. Imperial Guard armies and entire Titan Legions had fallen into error. Everywhere that Russ’s ships made landfall there were signs of battle and rumours of conflict. Many times during the journey to Terra, Russ was forced to intervene in battles between loyalist troops and heretics.

On Tallarn huge armies of men and Titans were locked in battle. The entire factory city of Rogsburg, a hundred miles across, was the scene of a vast slaughter. Russ paused to relieve the defenders of Rogsburg. As the city crumbled he stood in the centre of the Imperial lines and toppled an oncoming Death Skull Warlord Titan into the dust, leaping from the window of a skyscrapping tower onto the machine’s huge armoured shoulder and from there striking its death blow… Even a mighty Titan was no match for Russ in his rage. Having relieved Tallarn, Russ raced onward, back to the heart of the Imperium.

On the ice world of Thor V, he rescued ten brothers of the Adeptus Mechanicus from Snow Daemons besieging their base. The brothers, the only survivors of their unit, agreed to join Russ in his quest. Knowing they would not survive the journey unless they learned to fight as well as his men. Russ gifted them with the gene-seed and assigned his warriors to teach them. The leader of the Mechanicus, Brother Hrothgar, swore fealty to Russ and so became the first Iron Priest.

On Kalidus Jonson and Russ once more came to blows over who should lead the expedition. Jonson wanted to continue directly onto Terra while Russ believed it necessary to destroy the orbital fortress on Kalisa Secundus, an armoured moon that bombarded the loyalist forces on the planet below. Tarus, a survivor who had fled the fortress, claimed the crew were possessed by Daemons For a day the Primarchs argued and finally came to blows. This time they drew blades and went for each other. Russ gashed Jonson’s cheek with his chainsword. Jonson tore Russ’s arm. Their fight was stopped when Brother Hrothgar uncovered Tarus, showing him to be a mind controlling Daemon in the shape of a man. Once the Daemon had been exposed, the inexplicable rage fell away from the Primarchs and they decided the duel was a draw. But both now harboured bitter resentments against the other. A joint attack was launched against the Secundus fortress. In the airless corridors the Space Marines fought against the mutated horde. Russ himself placed explosive charges in the reactor and the Space Marines retreated, departing in their ships, leaving the citadel of Daemons to explode behind them. The inhabitants of the planet at first thought a second sun had been born above them and cringed in terror, then, realising that the bombardment had stopped, they gave thanks to the Emperor.

In Lemora, the Chapters were assaulted by a fleet of pirates, reavers who had used the outbreak of the Heresy to pillage and loot, just as had happened before the Emperor established his peace. In the battle that followed, many ships were lost before the pirates were overcome. After defeating the corsair leader, Ghoran the Navigator, in single combat, Russ spared the man’s life, the forced him to swear loyalty to the Emperor. Ghoran did so and afterwards he and his men fought bravely against the heretics. Ghoran’s grandson was later to repay his forbear’s debt most honourably. On the Shield Worlds Russ and Jonson defeated the Tyrant Mashashi and his army of ten million blood drinking men. From him they learned of the great assault that was planned on Earth. Mashashi was a sorcerer and a seer and even as he died, blood bubbling from his lips, his ribcage ruined by a sweep of Russ’s axe, he sneered at his victorious foes and told them that all their efforts would be in vain. The Emperor would die, slain by Warmaster Horus.

Looking into Mashashi’s great viewing cyrstal, the two Primarchs saw a terrible scene. In a place of utter Chaos, the Emperor stood alone against the hideously changed Warmaster. Their brother Sanguinius already lay dead at the great evil one’s feet. Russ and Jonson were deeply disturbed by Mashashi’s prophecy. Both realised that it might be a trap set by the Dark powers but both feared the worst, for the crystal of seeing was an ancient artifact of great power and was said to infallibly reveal the hidden secrets of the universe. The two Primarchs debated the course they should take. Within the crystal they saw the great fleets of the heretics voyaging towards Earth. They saw five entire Chapters of corrupted Space Marines, depraved spawn of chaos and even Daemons descend towards the Imperiums heart. They decided to use the crystal to guide them on the last, long warp voyage.

Gathering their men and ships the Primarchs led them into the warp. It was to be the longest single journey ever attempted at that time and it appeared doomed from the very start. Within the vast seas of warp space they were assaulted by Daemons who tried to prevent them reaching Terra. Many brave Space Marines and proud ships were lost. Great storms, sent by the Chaos powers themselves, swept them off course and drove them to the many shadowy corners of the universe unseen by men before or since. Brave men went mad, or starved or died of hideous plagues, but still the ships drove on, ploughing through that terrible secret sea. In the end, with Russ himself at the helm of the Winter Wolf, his navigator driven insane from the horrors he had witnessed on the long journey, the fleet arrived too late.

Time flows strangely in warp space, and though it seemed to the ships crew that they had travelled only for weeks, long and hard weeks though they may have been, in the true universe of matter many months had passed. The Space Wolves and the Dark Angels had arrived on Earth to find the ultimate tragedy come to pass. The Ruins of Earth.

The Space Wolves and the Dark Angels dropped into the fighting around the ruins of the Emperor’s Palace. Joining forces with the remnants of the White Scars and the Blood Angels they swiftly drove the forces of Chaos from the rubble. Howling his warcry, Russ battled his way into his father’s throne-room, slaying every enemy that came within range of his bolter or within reach of his axe. By his side were his wolves, guarding his back, howling warnings of hidden enemies and lamentations for fallen brothers. Through the shadowy halls Russ battled and one by one his bodyguards fell away, slain by their fearsome foes. Russ feared not. There were monsters in the most sacred hall in the Universe and Russ vowed he would slay every one of them if need be.

Two-headed mutants fell to his blade. Great formless spawn erupted and these he flamed. Daemons stalked the halls, howling in terror, for the Emperor had slain Horus and in turn had taken a mortal wound. Russ showed no foe mercy. Hatred was in his heart and death was in his hand.

Russ came at last to the audience chamber. Fallen stone angels lay on the marble floor. The bodies of dead men and monsters were strewn everywhere. Over everything lay an eerie quiet and even the great wolves fell silent. Russ called aloud for the Emperor and his cry echoed, answerless, round the great chamber. He stood alone, at the centre of the world, and wept. He knelt before the Emperor’s empty throne and prayed for guidance. In the distance, brazen horns sounded their victorious note. Word of the death of Horus and the arrival of Russ and Jonson had spread and the forces of Chaos fled in full retreat. The dark will that had bound them was gone. For the first time Russ felt no joy in victory and saw no glory in his deeds. In the empty hall, all seemed meaningless and dark, and despair threatened to overtake him.

The air shimmered and Rogal Dorn , stern Primarch of the Imperial Fists appeared. In his arms he carried the broken body of the Emperor. Behind him his men reverently carried the corpse of eagle-winged Sanguinius. He would fly no more. Russ looked wearily at Dorn. Silently Dorn shook his head. Both men knew that it was over. Horus’s treachery had,left the Imperium in ruins. The band of brothers was sundered forever. The dream that they had fought for was dead. This was no victory. Russ let out a great howl of grief and rage, and turned and stalked from the Hall.

Jonson found him under the Monument to the Victory at Durath. He too had taken the Emperor’s loss most grievously. He too was maddened with pain and heartbreak and despair. In that darkest hour, bitter words were spoken. Jonson accused Russ of losing Earth. If they had not paused at Kalida Secundus they might have arrived in time, Jonson raged. Russ stared back mutely, then told the Dark Angels Primarch to go away. He had no thirst for battle. He lay down to sleep under the fallen statue to meaningless victory.

As he slept, he dreamed. As he dreamed of the Emperor came to him. Russ was filled with wonder. The Emperor spoke, telling him that now was the time of testing. Now it was up to him and his true brothers to hold the Imperium together lest all that they had accomplished vanish. He told him that the matter between himself and Jonson must be settled finally and forever. When Russ woke Jonson stood over him, armoured and armed for a duel. Russ rose to his feet. He saw the folly of what was about to happen. The realm of Mankind was going to fall into anarchy, chaos and darkness, and those who could prevent it were fighting among themselves. He looked at Jonson and shook his head. Filled with rage Jonson insisted he fight. Russ simply exposed his chest, offering his heart to Jonson’s blade. Jonson struck, but at the last second he perceived his madness. As they blade pierced Russ’s primary heart, Jonson turned his stroke aside, deflecting the blade from bone, and missing the second heart. The duel was settled. Honour was satisfied at last.

When Russ awoke he found Dorn and Jonson standing over his bed. Jonson bowed his head and begged forgiveness. Russ gave it. Dorn told the Lord of Fenris of the construction of the Golden Throne by the Adeptus Mechanicus, that would preserve some spark of the Emperor’s life until perhaps a cure could be found. The three of them swore a great oath never to do battle against the other again. For the universe had grown dark and Daemons were still at large and the true Space Marines were the last bulwark of mankind against ultimate destruction. They strode forth to reunite the shattered Imperium under the Emperor’s banner. They drove the forces of Chaos back to the Eye of Terror. They fought many battles, for there was a galaxy to conquer. They banded together with the remaining loyal Primarch’s and re-established order. Thus was the Imperium preserved and the Law maintained in the Universe. But the Emperor was lost and the Golden Age was over forever.

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There were some small changes (like that Russ wasn't there to see Dorn with the Emperor) in the novella. Yet, he still dreams of the Emperor and wakes up to the Lion ready to duel. The wording in the novella is ambigous. I understand how it could be read as the Lion guilty for staying away from the Siege too long, but it can also be read, in the context of the original lore, as the Lion blaming Russ for staying away and himself for not pushing Russ harder to return to Terra.

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"You never learned!" he cried. "You should have been faster! It was your pride that kept you in the void!"

Still Russ made no move, though the Lion's eyes were wild and dangerous.

"And I am guilty, just as you are," the Lion urged again, his grip on the sword tight. "So fight me, and we will pass sentence on each other, the guilty slaying the guilty. I will not ask you again."

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The only reference to making it to Terra was,

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[Russ] was exhausted, burned out by Yarant and then the furious, desperate race to reach the hearthworld in time, then the horror of his discovery [of the Emperor on the Golden Throne].

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All of this still fits, relatively speaking with the original lore. However, it could also be used to support the newer viewpoint that the Dark Angels are terrible and just had really good PR. It's the same novella where Russ talks about the Lion's knightly virtues while every modern direct writing on the Lion describes him as a brutal machine of war with no thought to anything else.

Edited July 19, 2022 by jaxom
Fixed tags

[Hfran Morkai]

I also like to think Russ feels guilty for Magnus and the Thousand Sons.

 

Yes, he did what he felt he had to at the time and he despised what Magnus was doing but he was ultimately played by Chaos and led into laying waste to Prospero.

 

Especially as the Sons would have been an awesome Loyalist asset, which is why they conspired to ensure the conflict.

 

What a tragedy.

 

 

[bushman101]

  On 7/18/2022 at 7:46 PM, Chaeron said:

I've been the opposite 

I really appreciate the weight and style of them: I'm excited to explore more things like that in them.

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The joys of multiple legions?  Playing BA has been enough for me. So far, I'm not a big fan of their legion specific Rows, so I'm still finding a 'home' to play in.

  On 7/19/2022 at 5:15 AM, Hfran Morkai said:

What a tragedy.

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I feel like that is the biggest draw for 1k sons. The mind can reel at what could have been.

[Fallen11]

Ah yeah, Russ, managed to :cuss: everything up...:cuss: up his legion, :cuss: up TS and turn them to the dark side, then managed to :cuss: what was left of his legion by going at horus alone, then managed to :cuss: even that up when he could have ended him...so yeah kids, don't be like a Russ, think just a bit.