Codex Space Wolves (1994) Chaos Lore

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FENRIS
The planet of Fenris is a world of ice and fire, dominated by extremes of climate and an erratic orbit that makes it one of the most turbulent worlds inhabited by man. For the most part its surface is covered by water, and its tiny land masses are no more than islands scattered sparsely upon the mighty sea. The one and only sizeable continent, Asaheim, lies at the north pole. Fenris is situated far ta the galactic north of Earth at the edge of the regions known as the Eye of Terror, from which come the raiders and despoilers of the foul Chaos Gods. Fenris is thus at the forefront of the Imperium’s defence against Chaos, The Space Wolves maintain the vigil that began many thousands of years ago at the close of the apocalyptic conflict known as the Horus Heresy. The planet of Fenris follows an extreme elliptical orbit around its pale sun. The Great Year, the period it takes Fenris to complete a single orbit, is approximately two Earth years long. For much of this long year the world is remote from its sun and its surface remains bitterly cold. The icy oceans freeze over as Fenris draws away from its sun, and at its farthest point even the equatorial seas are covered with ice, Towards the end of the year, as the planet sweeps close to the sun once more, the Wolf's Eye swells in the sky and a brief spring warms the surface of Fenris. During this period the ice retreats to the poles and countless denizens of the deep waters emerge to enjoy the bounty of sun-spawned plankton and other short-lived oceanic life-forms.

As Fenris reaches its perihelion, the point at which it is closest to the sun, the massive gravitational pull begins to affect the planet. Aside from the rocky polar continent of Asaheim, the land masses of Fenris are unstable anc the crust of the planet is thin. The passage of the planet close to its sun breaks and twists the delicate sub-oceanic crust exposing the molten core to the icy waters, With explosive violence the world is torn asunder. Blazing islands rise from the sea spewing fire and pouring lava down their slopes. Below the surface the waters boil into steam which engulfs Fenris with its sulphurous furnes. Great tidal waves scour the coasts of Asaheim but the mighty rock stands fast, a single changeless land amongst a planet undergoing a savage metamorphosis. Elsewhere islands created in the upheaval of preceding years are cast into turmoil, Some survive, but many are broken apart or swallowed by the sea, engulfed in the churning oceans, casting their inhabitants into the merciless deep.


THE SPACE WOLVES
The character of every Space Marine Chapter is moulded by the world on which it is based and by the gene-seed of its founder, The Space Wolves are a product of Fenris and their Primarch Leman Russ. The cold, deadly world of Fenris schools its people in survival and constant warfare. The Space Marines are chosen from the best warriors of a warrior race and the ablest survivors of a folk for whom each day is a struggle to stay alive. They are hunters, seafarers, and fearless warriors for whom death in battle is the most fitting end to an honourable life. Whilst young they learn that loyalty to their clan and their leader is the highest virtue. They carry these qualitics all their lives, and their warrior ideals become the ideals of the Space Wolves Chapter. Born on such a hostile world, few places in the universe hold any terror for the Space Wolves.

Leman Russ was the most ferocious of the Primarchs, a giant even among the Emperor's chosen, a great brawling warrior, fiercely loyal to his friends and a terror to his enemies. He was said to be the most headstrong of the Primarchs but was undoubtedly one of the most brilliant military commanders in an age of great generals. Leman Russ vanished ten thousand years ago, no-one knows where to. [tis said that he will return in the Last Days to lead his people into the final battle when Warmaster Horus, the Great Evil One, will return from the Eye of Terror and the forces of darkness will overwhelm the universe. Russ’s people — the Space Wolves — guard the gateway to the Eye of Terror and wait for the last battle.


THE MAKING OF A SPACE WOLF
In the constant tribal warfare for possession of land, each youth competes to catch the attention of the gods of Fenris. The Fenrisians identify their gods with Leman Russ and with the Emperor himself. The Space Wolves are the warriors of the gods, the chosen companions of Russ, who will fight alongside him in the final battle at the end of the universe. Thus the Fenrisians have become accustomed to the bravest of the young warriors earning a place beside the gods, vanishing from the everyday world of Fenris and going to live in the high realm of Asaheim. Space Marines must be selected young if they are to survive the difficult transformation from a normal human to genetically enhanced superbeing. Young warriors, eager to attract the attention of the gods, fight together in a distinct band called the Wolfbrothers. The Wolfbrothers always fight at the forefront of battle, They are keen to win honour and the respect of their elders. They know that the eyes of their gods are upon them, and they may be chosen to join Russ, This knowledge drives them to acts of extreme bravery, and many Wolfbrothers die in battle before they reach manhood.

On Fenris strangers stalk the lands of men. They are a frightening sight — huge, burly warriors with buming eyes, cloaked in the pelts of the Wolves of Fenris thal live only on the island continent of Asaheim. In the long halls, tales are told of mysterious strangers who arrive in the depths of winter and challenge the strongest and most boastful of the warriors to bouts of strength and drinking. The strangers always outwrestle the strongest warriors and outdrink the staunchest. Once they have fought every challenger they pick the most worthy and take them away into the dark never to be seen again. Always they choose the young warriors, for only the young can fight beside Russ in the final battle. These same mysterious strangers can often be seen standing on the high ground above the field of battle. Sometimes, when the longships come ashore bringing bands of raiding warriors, the strangers will be watching. If the battle is hard fought the strangers may descend after the battle and choose the bravest of the Wolfbrothers, Often those chosen are on the point of death, but as long as their wounds are to the fore, the strangers do not care. They take the youths away. Some say that they vanish into the lightning, others that a great flying ship comes down to collect them. All know that the warriors have gone to join the gods.

These mysterious strangers are the Wolf Priests of the Space Wolves: the Choosers of the Valiant. The youths they pick will be tested to become Space Wolves. If they succeed, the gene-seed of Leman Russ will be implanted in their bodies and they will become Space Marines. As Space Marines they will live for hundreds of years, if they do not die in battle, and they will voyage through the stars to fight in wars on the other side of the galaxy. They will fight monstrous Orks and heinous Daemons of Chaos, They will encounter the mind-numbing horrors of the Tyranid hive fleets and they will endure the indescribable perils of warp space. To a man born and raised amidst the ice and fire of Fenris, this is indeed a life amongst the gods.

 

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HISTORY OF THE SPACE WOLVES

The Space Wolves are one of over a thousand Chapters of Space Marines that maintain the agelong vigil against the enemies of mankind, They are one of the most famous of all Chapters, and their name and honours are known throughout the galaxy. The Space Wolves were one of the original twenty Space Marine Legions, founded by the Emperor over ten thousand years ago.

The Space Marine Legions were created to take part in the Great Crusade, the Emperor's reconquest of the galaxy which established the Imperium as it is today, Before the Great Crusade Earth had endured thousands of years of isolation whilst impenetrable warp storms seethed and howled throughout the western part of the galaxy. The Emperor was trapped on Earth by these warp storms, and was therefore unable to do anything but prepare his armies and make plans for the reconquest to came.


THE PRIMARCHS
The Emperor's first efforts were directed towards the creation of a number of super-humans which he called the Primarchs. The Primarchs were genetically engineered creatures. artificial humanoids with astounding abilities. Each Primarch was created differently, with his own unique powers. Some of the Primarchs were made so as to resemble ordinary humans, bul many were of titanic proportions and strange appearance. The Primarch experiment never reached its conclusion, as the embryonic creatures were spirited away by a raiding party of Chaos Daemons which successfully pierced the raging warp storms to reach Earth. Before they were able to destroy the Primarchs, the Daemons were themselves destroyed in the turmoil of the warp storms. The Emperor was able to use his psychic powers to save the Primarch embryos, but he was unable to return them to Earth. The Primarchs were scattered to the winds of warp space and lost.

The Emperor was unable to duplicate the long and arduous work through which he had created the Primarchs. Instead, genetic material developed during the Primarch project was used to create the Space Marines, A number of artificially cultured organs were re-engineered from the gene-banks of the Primarchs. These organs were designed so that they could be implanted into the body of an ordinary adolescent human. Once implanted, the organs would take root and develop within the host's human tissues, becoming an integrated part of his body. Many of these organs were designed to interact with ordinary human body tissues as they became functional, enhancing muscle growth. stimulating mental processes, and subtly altering the recipient into a super-human warrior. Compared to the Primarchs whose genetically engineered powers they inherited the Space Marines are but pale shadows, but they are still the most mighty of men and the greatest of the Emperor's loyal warriors.


THE GREAT CRUSADE
From the residue genetic helices of the Primarchs the Emperor created twenty Space Marine Legions, each utilising the genetic material derived from one of the Primarchs. Most of the implants were common in type and function to all twenty Legions, but there were subtle variances in the genetic structure due to their different origins. Thus the warriors of the twenty Space Marine Legions echoed to some degree the particular strengths and powers of the Primarch whose genes were used to develop their own implants, The implants of the Space Wolves were developed from the genetic helix of the Primarch Leman Russ.

At this time the Emperor only knew that his embryonic Primarchs had been spirited away by Chaotic forces — he had no idea where they were or even whether they had survived at all. Only later, during the Great Crusades themselves, was the Emperor able to recover the Primarchs. By then, of course, they had grown to adulthood amongst whatever civilisations existed on the planets where they happened to be. Not all of the Primarchs found themselves on advanced civilised worlds. or even human worlds, for that matter. Leman Russ was found and raised upon the planet of Fenris.

During the Great Crusades the Emperor's all conquering Space Marine Legions liberated thousands of human worlds. Across the galaxy humanity was drawn into a single mighty Imperium. The world of Fenris was discovered early on, lying, as it does, in the north western part of the galaxy. The youthful Leman Russ was identified by the Emperor's agents and united with the Space Marine Legion that bore his genes Legend has it that it was the Emperor himself who finally confronted the barbaric Primarch and won his fealty by defeating him in single combat.

Over the following decades Leman Russ led the Space Wolves in many wars throughout the galaxy, proving to be one of the most daring and successful of the Emperor's generals. The world of Fenris was adopted as the home planet of the Space Wolves, and a mighty fortress was constructed in the mountains of the polar continent of Asaheim. This fortress was called the Fang, and it is still reckoned to be one of the greatest citadels of the galaxy.


THE HORUS HERESY
The Space Wolves were not the only Space Marine Legion to be united with their genetic forebear. Gradually, all twenty Primarchs joined the Emperor and went on to lead their own Legion of Space Marines. One of these Primarchs was the Warmaster Horus. Horus was the most powerful of all the Primarchs and also the closest to the Emperor. He became the Emperor's most trusted commander and greatest friend. Horus led not only his own Space Marine Legion, renamed the Sons of Horus in his honour, but also a sizeable chunk of the Imperium’s forces. Horus’s armies, including several other Space Marine Legions and their Primarchs, undertook the conquest of the galactic north and east, and succeeded in reclaiming many thousands of human worlds for the Emperor. It was a time of constant conquest, and the Space Wolves too were playing their part, though, fortunately as it tamed out, in a different part of the galaxy.

The rebellion of Horus tore the Imperium apart at its very birth and set Space Marine against Space Marine as Legions sided both for and against Horus. At first, few suspected the heinous evil that was to be revealed as the Horus Heresy, and some Legions stood aside from the conflict, unsure of what to do. Some of the Legions that sided with Horus did so out of a sense of comradeship with their old Warmaster. Legend has it that Horus denounced the Emperor, and convinced his followers that the leader of humanity had been stricken with a murderous insanity spawned of warp-contagion or worse still, daemonic possession. His loyal troops had no reason to doubt Horus at the time. It was only later that some had cause to regret their decision, but by then it was too late! Por it was Horus himself who had become corrupted in spirit. It was he who had pledged allegiance to the Chaos Gods in return for powers unimaginable to mortals, even such mortals as the Primarchs. The Space Wolves remained loyal to the Emperor throughout the Heresy and took part in some of its most renowned actions, From these times, ten thousand years ago, come few details of any certainty. It was a time of legends. It was an ape of war, Such records as were made have not survived, and only later chroniclers of the Administratum describe the blockly events of those days. According to their own tradition, the Space Wolves were pivotal in one of the early campaigns in the war, when the entire Legion attacked and devastated the Thousand Sons Space Marines on their homeworld of Prospero. The Primarch of the Thousand Sons, the cyclopean giant Magnus the Red, is said to have fought Leman Russ whilst all around the rival Space Marines battled for supremacy. Eventually the Thousand Sons gave way, and Magnus the Red fled with what remained of his forees. It was whilst pursuing the Thousand Sons that the Space Wolves lost the thirteenth Wulfen Company. Since then the Space Wolves have never had a thirteenth Company nor has any Wolf Lord borne the badge of the Wulfen.

 

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THE CODEX ASTARTES
The Space Wolves were not present during the final battle for Barth which ended the Heresy and doomed the Emperor to a living death in the stasis field of his Golden Throne. Afterwards Leman Russ was to rage against events that kept him from his beloved Emperor. He led the Space Wolves deep inside the Eye of Terror in pursuit of the renegade Space Marine Legions of Chaos. With the enthronement of the Emperor came a different age, and the rule of the Imperium passed into the hands of the High Lords of Terra. Both the High Lords and the Primarchs feared the resurgence of Chaos. Many worlds were purged. On planets throughout the galaxy the tainted were sought out and destroyed. Everywhere the rapidly expanding offices of the Inquisition prospered. Never again could the Imperium tolerate the possibility of Space Marine armies falling under the influence of an enemy. The original Space Marine Legions were broken up into smaller Chapters and a code was drawn up to redefine their role and jurisdiction within the Imperium. This code was called the Codex Astartes and it established the basis on which Space Marines would operate in the future, Whereas before the Heresy a Space Marine Legion might number ten thousand or more warriors, under the new order each Chapter’s size was determined at about a thousand. The original Legion survived as a smaller Chapter and continued to keep its old name, but the remaining Space Marine warriors were reorganised into new Chapters.

The new Chapters became known as the Second Founding. These Second Pounding Chapters all descend from one of the original Legions, and so claim a genetic brotherhood with the original Space Marines and the Primarchs. For example, the Ultramarine Legion gave rise to not only the Ultramarine Chapter, but also to the Eagle Warriors Chapter amongst others. The Space Wolves were never a very large Legion and so were divided only once, creating the ill-fated Wolfbrothers Chapter. Perhaps the High Lords recognised the problems of genetic instability that would plague the genetic seed of Leman Russ, giving rise in later times to the terrible curse of Wulfen, and therefore decided against dividing and further spreading the Space Wolves’ genetic base.

THE INHERITANCE OF RUSS
For ten thousand years since the end of the Horus Heresy and the rule of the High Lords of Terra, the Space Wolves have continued to serve the Emperor faithfully and with honour. The Chapter has endured ages of constant battle. [t has survived times of anarchy within the Imperium, and periods of occasional isolation from Earth. The Imperium itself has weathered crises from within and without, At times it has been deeply riven by rebellion or divided by invasion. On other occasions tumultuous warp storms have stranded parts of the galaxy for hundreds of years. Through all these years of mixed fortune the Space Wolves have held true to the vow of Leman Russ to serve the Emperor. It would be impossible to describe at any length the wars fought by the Space Wolves over their ten thousand year history. Indeed, not even their own extensive records give a full account. Legends tell of fierce battles fought against the Chaos Space Marines following the Horus Heresy. However, no formal history of those limes has survived. Some of the Chapter’s earliest history is preserved only in the form of epic sagas, tales of heroism composed by Fenrisian bards at the courts of the Wolf Lords. Such tales form an important part of the Space Wolves’ tradition, and it is in this form that Space Wolves warriors habitually recall the deeds of the past. There are many thousands of these sagas. Some seem so improbable as to be pure invention, but most contain a germ of truth, and all are accepted for what they are —a fitting testament to the heroes of the past.

 

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HATRED
During the dark days of the Horus Heresy the Space Wolves fought many long battles against the Thousand Sons Space Marines. On many occasions since the two old enemies have fought, and always their battles are grim and bloody. To represent this the Space Wolves are affected by the psychology rules for hatred when fighting the Thousand Sons Chaos Space Marines.

NOTE. Wolf Scouts are not yet fully-fledged Space Marines and do not benefit from the special Space Marine rules for Rapid Fire or Break tests, nor from the special Space Wolves rules for Acute Senses and Hatred of the Thousand Sons Chaos Space Marines of Tzeentch. However, the Sergeant is a alder, grizzled, Space Wolves warrior and fs affected by these rules, This may mean that the unit breaks, whilst the Sergeant is merely shaken — should this happen the player moves the Sergeant along with the unit as if broken, but he may continue to shoot as described for shaken Space Marines.


THE FANG
The Fang, the famed Citadel of the Space Wolves, is great tower that rises above the atmosphere of Fenris. It is one of the greatest Citadels of the Imperium, and several times during its long history it has almost fallen to enemies. The first time was during the 2nd Millennium, after the end of the Horus Heresy. Magnus the Red, Primarch of the Thousand Sons, determined to take revenge for the devastation of his home world Prospero by Leman Russ and his followers, and launched a series of devastating raids on the worlds near Fenris. Great Wolf Harek Ironhelm sought for many years to bring Magnus to battle. Several times Magnus appeared to him as a vision among the ruins of devastated cities and taunted the Great Wolf for his inability to stop him.
After many fruitless efforts to catch up with the raiders Harek became obsessed, and took to searching worlds along the edge of the Eye of Terror itself. Eventually he found what he believed to be the Thousand Sons’ secret base on Gangava and launched a full scale attack against it. In this he was deceived. Gangava was held by a strong garrison of Chaos forces allied to Magnus but these were a distraction. Even as Harek attacked Gangava, the fleet of the Thousand Sons and their Chaotic levies appeared in orbit over Fenris. The Fang was held only by a skeleton force of Space Wolves and their thralls. For forty days and forty nights the Thousand Sons assaulted the Citadel. Bjorn the Fell-Handed, most ancient of the Space Wolves’ Dreadnoughts, was awoken from his long sleep and took charge of the defence. Under Bjorn’s direction the Space Wolves fell back to the innermost chambers of the Fang, collapsing the tunnels as they went. Simultaneously, a force of Scouts, under Haakon Blackwing, managed to escape from the Citadel and take ship to Gangava, bringing word of the siege to Harek.

 

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No one knows what happened to Leman Russ. Some say he disappeared in the Eye of Terror while searching for his old friend and rival, the Primarch of the Dark Angels. Some say that he was on a secret mission from the Emperor when be was slain in battle with a Greater Daemon of Chaos, and that his spirit is lost in the warp. Others say that, to this day, he walks disguised among mankind, watching over the people of his Emperor and guarding them from the Powers of Chaos.

All that is known is that he vanished on the Feast of the Emperor's Ascension in the year 197 after the Emperor was incarcerated within bis Golden Throne. It is said that his eyes glazed over and that had the look of a man who was overcome with a vision. He rose from the great feast table, put down his drinking horn, and summoned his most favoured retainers. Of these, only Bjorn the Fell-Handed, the youngest, was left behind when he departed.

No-one knew where Russ had gone. The Space Wolves waited for his return. Every year his place was laid at the feast table, and every year his great drinking horn was filled, in case be should return. Seven years passed and still he did not come.

After seven years the surviving Wolf Lords gathered and elected Bjorn their leader, awarding him the title Great Wolf. Bjorn gathered all the warriors together in the Great Hall of the Fang, and announced the Great Hunt, Russ’s people would seek their master. The Companies took to their ships and sailed in separate directions across the Sea of Stars. They sought in many worlds and many places. They fought battles and overcame monsters and the tale of their deeds is too long to recount save on Allwinter's Eve when the Rune Priests gather to chant the sagas. They sought and they sought but of Russ they found no sign till eventually they were recalled to Fenris bearing nought hut a few dismal prophesies and the tale of their adventures. Thus the first Great Hunt ended in failure and in sadness.

Since that day there have been other Great Hunts. Sometimes Russ appears to a Great Wolf in a vision and tells him it is time. Sometimes he haunts the dreams of the Chapter's Rune Priests and their words cause the Great Wolf to declare another Great Hunt. These are times of daring deeds and high adventure when the Chapter takes to the Sea of Stars and seeks their lost leader. They have never been successful but each Great Hunt has achieved some great guy.

The second Great Hunt led to the recovery of Ross's armour from the Temple of Horus on Rudra on the edge of the Eye of Terror. The fourth Great Hunt uncovered the Corellian Conspiracy and foiled its efforts to overthrow the Administratum in a bloody coup. The ninth Great Hunt led to the destruction of the Genestealer-infested worlds of the Gehenna systems.

It would seem that whenever the ghost of Russ appears to his people he has some mighty task in mind for them - who knows what the next one will be.

 

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WOLF LORD RAGNAR BLACKMANE

Ragnar Blackmane is the youngest warrior ever to lead a Great Company into battle. Full of fire and eager for glory, he has proven his worth by fighting at the forefront of countless battles. On many occasions he has suffered grievous wounds, taking considerable risks and relying upon the ferocity of the Space Wolves to win the day, When the drop ships thunder down upon the battlefield Ragnar Blackmane will be in the first ship to land, spearheading the attack with his own blend of courage and masterly judgement.

The name of Blackmane comes from the most deadly of the Wolves of Fenris, the blackmaned wolves which are said to serve Morkai the two-headed guardian of the Gates of Death. Ragnar wears the pelt of one of these creatures, and the blackmaned wolf appears on his badge and on the banner of his Great Company. It was as a young warrior that Ragnar slew a blackmaned wolf and so earned a place amongst the Space Wolves. This deed is considered a good omen, promising future success and great honour.

Ragnar’s bravery soon earned him a place amongst the Wolf Guard, and many heroic deeds from those days are recorded in his saga. He slew an Ork Warlord and his entire bodyguard during one momentous battle, and on another occasion successfully drove away a force of attacking Chaos Space Marines. When the Wolf Lord Berek Thunderfist died in mortal combat with a Champion of Tzeentch, Ragnar led the force which tracked down and slew his master’s killers. Afterwards Ragnar found himself hailed as Berek’s successor and he became Wolf Lord in his stead.


NJAL STORMCALLER

Njal Stormealler’s long saga began many years ago upon the cold oceans of Fenris. In ships of wood and skin his tribe put to the seas after their lands sank amidst the trial of fire and water. For many months they wandered the heaving oceans of Fenris in search of new lands. After a mighty sea battle they defeated their rivals and took possession of the land born with the turning of the Great Year. In that battle the young Njal fought with such ferocity that net even a full-blooded warrior dare stand before him, Leaping from oar to oar he threw himself upon the enemy ships, clearing whole decks and casting foes into the engulfing waters.

At the battle’s end helay exhausted on the deck, a spear point embedded in his breast. The pall of death lay upon him. Njal’s valour would have ended there, doubtless passing into the legends of his tribe, but his bravery had not gone unnoticed. His dying body was plucked from the enemy ship by a Wolf Priest of the Space Wolves, and taken back to Asaheim. Njal seized his opportunity with all the vigour of his warrior race, and even won praise from the Wolf Priests, which 1s rare indeed! As a Wolf Scout he saw battle beyond the confines of Fenris. He fought on worlds as hot as the deserts of Goru and as teeming with life as the Hives of Alcatran. He witnessed many wonders, and greatest of all was the development of his own gifts, For deep within his mind there was a spark of unexpected energy. He felt the awakening of something dark and powerful within him.

Soon others began to take an interest in the young warrior whose hands crackled with electricity and whose eyes flashed with light. His psychic powers were recognised for what they were, and Njal passed into the hands of the Rune Priests. He became a Skald, and went to live with the Priests of the Space Wolves in the Halls of the Fang.

Njal learned quickly under the wise direction of the mighty Rune Lord Heimdall. Heimdall was the most ancient of the Rune Priests and the acclaimed victor of the Tokaran War, Nijal was fighting by his lord’s side when Heimdall was slain by a Bloodthirster of Khorne. Njal was not daunted by this massive abomination. Mustering all the power that his anger and grief could generate he succeeded in driving the creature back into the Realms of Chaos from whence it came. He then summoned up a psychic storm which shattered the remnants of the Chaos forces, and brought victory to the hard-pressed Space Wolves. In this way Njal earned his name of Stormealler. Njal has fought in many hard battles since that day, and has risen in honour and power until he stands a venerable Rune Lord, wise in his years and mighty in war. His runestaff of hoary Earth oak is dark with age and heavy with potent runes. He has carried his staff into battle for many years, and its scarred surface bears witness to many close encounters with death, The young Skalds say that the runestaff whispers words of power to Njal, and that in battle it leaps in his hands as if possessed of a life of its own, striking with a speed and strength beyond the capacity of any mortal.

Many years ago, during the battle of Rust World way beyond the Gates of Caspan, Njal Stormealler saved the life of one of the Chapter’s Iron Priests, a mighty warrior known as Ulf Blackbrow. In the normal course of events a brother Space Marine expects no reward for such a deed, but Ulf Blackbrow was a proud warrior and did not like to be beholden to any man, To repay his debt Ulf Blackbrow fashioned a psyber creature, a biological robot which was part flesh and part machine, UN's creation took the form of a raven, a great black feathered bird of the race that nests around the crags of the Fang. This raven is programmed to protect Njal at all times, and has repaid Ulf’s debt by saving the Rune Lord's life on more than one occasion.

 

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GREAT WOLF LOGAN GRIMNAR

Logan Grimnar is the latest in a line of Space Wolf masters that stretches back to the Great Crusade and the time of the Space Wolves’ founder Leman Russ. He is one of the Imperium’s oldest and most renowned warriors. This cunning and fierce old man has led the Space Wolves for over five hundred years. This is a long time even for a Space Marine, who often live for several centuries. Logan Grimnar is often known by his nickname of the “Old Wolf’. A large and powerfully built warrior, Logan Grimnar towers above even his own Wolf Lords. His great mane of hair is grey and course, and his beard stretches to his waist. In common with all older Space Wolves his canine teeth have grown into substantial tusks.

Logan Grimnar's exploits are known throughout the Imperium. He is one of the great heroes of mankind, one of the few whose image is universally recognised and respected and his conquests span the galaxy, Many human worlds owe their existence to his armed might, and on several planets he is hailed as a saviour and patron, Every year prayers are offered tohis name on a dozen worlds. To this day tributes continue to arrive at Fenris from grateful planetary lords, The Old Wolf, Logan Grimnar, is probably the most highly respected and best loved warrior in the entire galaxy. Only the enemies of mankind fear his name, and curse the warrior who has driven them to defeat and despair.

Logan Grimnar’s rise amongst the ranks of the Space Wolves happened many years ago, so that only one living Space Marine now remembers him as a young Blood Claw. Ulrik the Slayer, greatest of the Wolf Priests, witnessed the rise of Logan Grimnar and accompanied him during many of his greatest exploits. He has fought every imaginable kind of foe, from brutal Orks to the foul abominations of Chaos. Logan Grimnar has fought battles in space as well as upon the surface of planets, and has led expeditions into the Eye of Terror to attack the Chaos Space Marine Legions. It was upon one such expedition that he acquired the Axe Morkai. taking it as a trophy from a defeated Champion of Chaos, This weapon has been reforged by the Iron Priests but still glows darkly with the power of Khorne the bloodthirsty god of Chaos. It is engraved with the symbol of Morkai, the double-headed wolf guardian of the Gates of Death.


WEAPONS: Logan Grimnar is armed with a storm bolter and a power fist. He also carries the Axe Morkai, a fearsome weapon taken from a defeated Chaos Champion and reforged into the image of Morkai the guardian wolf of the Gates of Death. This counts as wargear and a card is is provided for this.

 

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Bjor the Fell-Handed is the oldest living creature on Fenris. He is almost old as the Primarchs of the Chaos Marine Chapters, and they are the oldest known living things in the galaxy, with the exception of the Emperor himself.

Bjorn walked at the side of Russ himself, and was the first Great Wolf of the Chapter after the Primarch disappeared. He led the Space Wolves on the first Great Hunt, the chapter's epic but fruitless quest to find Russ, and it was he who reluctantly gave the order to cease the Hunt, when it became obvious that Russ was not to be found. As the first Great Wolf he was instrumental in resisting the attempts of the newly created Administratum to force the Space Wolves to accept the dictates of the Codex Astartes, even going as far as to threaten to rebel if the Administratum persisted. Such was the fragile state of the fledgling Imperium that the Administratum withdrew its demands. Thus was the unique nature of the Space Wolves preserved.

Bjorn’s heroic career as a Great Wolf was cut tragically short during the Proxima Rebellion when he heroically led a raid to free brother Space Wolves trapped in the embattled Dreadsun Fortress. The raid was successful Bjorn suffered many wounds that he was left paralysed and crippled and not even the best efforts of the Wolf Priests could save him. Eventually, to preserve his life, what was left of his shattered body was transplanted into a Dreadnought.

For the next five hundred years or 50, Bjorn Was constantly in the forefront of battle whenever the Space Wolves fought. He distinguished himself on Algol Nine when he slew the Daemon Thrao'saba, and saved the Planctary Governor from sacrifice. On the desert world of Quaran he slew the Ork Warlord Makrima and thus broke the Waa-Makrima. On the Hiveworld of Thranx he slew the rogue psyker Vornalan and thus averted a terrible rebellion, Slowly, though, the years took their toll on this proud and ancient warrior and he took to spending longer and longer periods dormant, in stasis sleep Given his exemplary record and long history of dedication to the Chapter, his fellow Space Wolves left him undisturbed.

Since then Bjorn has been lovingly maintained by the Iron Priests of the Chapter, and is revered almost as much as Russ, as a living link with the Chapter's distant founding. Every thousand years he is awoken and tests the Chapter's Rune Priests on their knowledge of the sagas. He is only otherwise woken during periods of great crisis, when the Space Wolves have need of every warrior, or when his particular brand of wisdom and knowledge of ancient times is needed by the current Great Wolf.

 

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WOLF LORD KYRL GRIMBLOOD

The Space Wolves Hall of Heroes in the fortress of the Fang commemorates countless Wolf Lords and their deeds. Kyrl Grimblood is one of many great warriors whose names command the highest honour and whose sagas stand as a record of the Space Wolves’ most glorious deeds. Even surrounded by such noble companions, Kyrl Grimblood has a special place in the hearts of the Space Wolves, for it was he that saved Fenris in its time of ultimate peril.

It was during the long Age of Apostasy that Kyrl Grimblood came to command his Great Company, at a time when the Imperium was weak and all hope was drained from the great mass of humanity, For a time it seemed as if the Emperor had deserted mankind, for no-one could know that he was fighting his most deadly battle of all within the warp. or that the very existence of humanity hung by a thread. The Imperium was divided within itself. The Adeptus Ministorum was unable to check the countless heresies that sprang up, some commanding the loyalty of hundreds of worlds and whole Imperial armies. Corruption within the Ministorum was rife. and the Adeptus Terra fell to the dictatorship of its most heinous ruler, High Lord Vandire. Repressive purges led to hardship and fear throughout the Imperium.

During the Age of Apostasy many worlds became effectively independent, such was the extent to which the grip of anarchy had seized the Imperium. The Space Marine Chapters stood aghast while all around them worlds erupted into strife. Most Chapters refused to join the purges. much to their credit, for their loyalties had always been to the Emperor directly and their code of honour protected them from the heresies which engulfed the rest of the Imperium. Many Chapters took direct control of the worlds close to their home world, and restored order as best they could, taking control-over such parts of the Imperium as lay within their reach. For many years these autonomous empires of the various Space Marine Chapters were all that held humanity together in the face of attack from aliens and traitors.

There were many false prophets in those days, some little more than madmen leading rebel bands, others spiritual demagogues who commanded armies and worlds. The most powerful of these was the Apostate Cardinal of Gathalamor, Bucharis, whose heresies reached such proportions that they became known as the Plague of Unbelief. Armies fought for him, sick and depraved individuals gathered underneath his dark banners, aliens flocked to his court and the dark gods of Chaos doubtless worked their evil under his protection, His armies of fanatical devotees marched across the galaxy, conquering all before them, subjugating one world after another and growing stronger with every fresh conquest. In a single bold sweep the forces of Bucharis leapt from the distant galactic east to the very heart of the Imperium.

It is indeed fortunate for humanity that the path to Earth lay blocked by Fenris. For three years the fanatical armies of Bucharis pounded upon the gates of the Fang. Millions died as the native inhabitants of Fenris fought a protracted war of movement and ambush against the invaders. The Space Wolves could do nothing to break the siege, although they tried many time to penetrate the attackers’ lines. Eventually it was Kyrl Grimblood, who saved the Fang. Grimblood’s Great Company had departed from Fenris five years before, on a mission into the Eye of Terror. Now he returned just in time, as the besieging forces gathered for the final attack. Grimblood’s Space Marines smashed into the rear of the army, scattering tens of thousands into the forests of Asaheim. Driven by hunger, the Wolves of Fenris fell upon the fleeing heretics and consumed them. To finally seal their fate, the besieged Space Wolves broke out, and the battle was won, OF those that escaped the Space Marines none survived the hardships of Asaheim.

Grimblood had saved the day and possibly the Earth itself. [t was net the end of Bucharis, whose armies were as numerous as the stars in the sky. but it was a setback. Other heroes would defeat the Apostasy on other battlefields, yet the victory of Kyrl Grimblood would herald the rebirth of a unified and powerful Imperium.

 

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He gazed upon the scarred face of the Long Fang Hrothgar. The man had been old when Ragnar was chosen as an aspirant. Hrothgar had been the first to call for Ragnar’s summoning to the Wolf Guard after the young Blood Claw had killed an entire group of Ork Nobz and their Boss in close combat. He said that surely they must take someone so favoured by Russ. Lord Berek had listened to this trustworthy witness then took Ragnar on a drinking session through the taverns of Avernus that lasted three days. After that Ragnar was a Wolf Guard.

Then there was Karl, youngest of the Blood Claws. He had barely been an aspirant when Ragnar became Wolf Lord, Berek had been found dead atop a small mountain of dead Beastmen. Ragnar himself had fought his way through the Thousand Sons to try and rescue the old wolf but had arrived too late. By his action Berek held the Chaos worshippers off long enough for relief to arrive and preserve the sanctity of the Vault of Secrets. It had been a mighty death. Ragnar could remember Karl looking wide-eyed down on Berek’s corpse as it had lain in state in the deepest caverns of the Fang. The boy had been enthralled by the tale of Berek’s bravery and tried to emulate his feats since then. He would strive no longer.

 

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Bjorn stood on the topmost level of the Fang and wondered what it would be like to breathe again, to walk open-faced beneath the cold, dark sky, to hold a bolter in his fist and feel the kick when he pulled the trigger. He swivelled his head to one side, aware of the hum of hydraulics and the slow shifting of the ancient cogs and gears.

He could rotate his field of vision through three hundred and sixty degrees if he wanted to, but somehow that felt wrong. It never ceased to amaze him how the millennia-old reflexes of his body still tricked him after all these years, just as the appetites of his body still lived long after he had outlived his ability to fulfil them. There were times when he still craved the raw bloody taste of bear steak. There were times when all he wanted to do was down a huge stein of foaming ale. When he had stepped out through an airlock into the airless heights above the world he had still felt an urge to hold his breath. He laughed inwardly and admired the view. Old fool, he thought. Be grateful for what you have.

The long curve of the world’s horizon filled his vision. Below him he could see cyclones of cloud swirling across the endless ice. A blizzard was blowing in from the Sea of Storms. From up here he could see it as well as any weather satellite. He upped the magnification of his eyes and studied the pattern. Yes, no doubt about it, a big storm was coming.

He hoped that this was not an omen. He hoped that this had nothing to do with the reason why the Great Wolf had woken him from his centuries of sleep. He feared this was not the case, The young ones woke him only in times of direst necessity now, and that was something he appreciated. He liked being alone with his dreams.

There were times when he wondered if that was all they were. Had there really been a time when he had worn the flesh, when his body had lived and breathed and walked among men?

Had he really once watched Russ stand on the Ice Plain of Skagarak and command his roaring host of warriors to board those gleaming silver starships? Had he really fought his way right across the galaxy from Fenris to distant Earth, during the dark days of the Horus Heresy? There were times when some of those long gone memories seemed little more than fever dreams.

Yet there were some memories that still burned as bright in his memory banks as the day when they happened. He could remember the faces of long dead comrades, The shouts of aeons’ old warcries still echoed through his mind. He could remember the smell of blood and death on Tallarn, and the sight of Titans marching to battle across the blazing desert. He could remember the Burning of Prospero and the flight of the Thousand Sons. He could remember the ruins of Earth, and the mangled form of the Emperor being placed within his golden throne by Rogal Dorn.

He could remember things that were only legends to those who lived today. But mostly what he remembered was Russ, his Primarch: the roaring, roistering giant he had followed across a hundred worlds in those ancient days. By all that was sacred, had there ever been another such man? He doubted it. Russ had been a giant, and there were no more giants left. It seemed impossible to believe that such a one as Russ could die. He had burned with life and power and pride.

Bjorn did not believe that he was dead. The power of the Primarch transcended mere mortality. He knew that somehow Russ would defy time and come back to the Fang one day.

He felt the airlock door open behind him, and watched the escaped air cloud crystallize. Droplets of moisture condensed on his carapace and ran down his faceplate like tears. He turned and looked at the open door and saw the towering figure of the Rune Priest that waited behind the transparent inner lock. The man looked gnarled and ancient beyond words. Bjorn found it hard to believe that the priest had not yet been born when last he had woken.

With powerful mechanical strides he walked back towards the airlock, and stepped inside. The door hissed shut behind him, cloudy air filtered into the chamber. The transparent inner door slid open.

“The Great Wolf wishes to see you now, Lord,” said the Rune Priest. Bjorn studied the man. The reverential expression there would seemed more at home on the face of an Aspirant than on that gnarled and lined visage. “I shall take you to him.”

“There’s no need,” he said. “I know the way.”

Filled with ancient confidence and power he strode through the halls of the Fang, like the still-living ghost of ancient days.