She Who Thirsts

HH 3.0 EC Lore

FULGRIM TRANSFIGURED
The Phoenician Deified, Avatar of Perfection

Fulgrim’s desire for perfection in all things left his mind open to doubt, the seeds of which were nurtured by the malevolent spirit that inhabited the Blade of the Laer and his own hubris. Since his apotheosis to daemonhood in the ancient xenos citadel deep bencath the crone world of Lydris, Fulgrim has been able to shift his appearance between a more humanoid guise and a monstrous form gifted by his new patron. With a serpentine lower half, vast wings and a pair of additional arms, Fulgrim’s new body elevated an already deadly warrior to even greater heights, closer to the perfection he so craved.


Blades of the Phoenician
No recorded sightings of Fulgrim in the later years of the Horus Heresy appear to agree on how many blades the fallen Primarch carried or the exact form they took. What all agreed on, however, was that they parted armour with shocking ease.

Scion of Corruption
By the time of Fulgrim’s apotheosis, the full debased nature of many within his Legion was well known to both friend and foe alike.

Avatar of Perfection
As Fulgrim grew ever greater in his patron’s regard, his focus became ever less on his Legion, and more towards the attainment of personal glory, seeking out any whose martial prowess approached his own and humbling them.

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LORD COMMANDER EIDOLON
The Auric Hammer, the Exemplar, Lord Commander Primus of the Emperor’s Children

At one time, Lord Commander Eidolon was hailed as the exemplar of all that the Emperor’s Children aspired to. If Eidolon had any imperfection, it was overconfidence, a characteristic that bore rotten fruit as it was twisted into overweening arrogance. In striving towards the perfection embodied by his Primarch, Eidolon submitted himself to the attentions of Chief Apothecary Fabius, receiving augmentations that allowed him to project a psycho-sonic dirge as formidable as any weapon. The Lord Commander’s skill and his augmented powers were given full rein upon Isstvan V, where he unleashed a cacophonous storm upon the Loyalists,

Glory Aeterna
Lord Commander Eidolon’s preferred weapon was the masterwork hammer known as Glory Aeterna, a trophy presented to the Lord Commander upon his rise to that rank by Fulgrim himself. The weapon is as much a work of art and badge of office as it is a brutally efficient weapon of war, and in Eidolon’s skilled hands it is fearsome indeed.

Death Scream
Eidolon has been the recipient of xenos-technological implants and experimentation by his Legion’s Techmarines and the ministrations of Chief Apothecary Fabius. His implanted sonic shrieker is capable of discharging a destructive howl able to break bones and rupture flesh.

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CAPTAIN LUCIUS
The Faultless Blade, Captain of the 13" Company

In the latter years of the Great Crusade, Lucius' renown grew among the Leglons as that of an exemplary, but arrogant, swordsman, hailed as the best blade of the IIIrd Legion, The seeds of vainglory sown In those times would later bear the bitter fruit of jealousy that would ultimately lead to treachery on the surface of Isstvan IIIrd, For Lucius, the cataclysmic tragedy of the war that engulfed humanity was simply the stage of a cosmic theatre, a grand opportunity for him to carve his legend in blood, and he joyfully joined the slaughter, ever seeking a perfect state of exhilaration as sharp as the edge of his murderous blades.

Blades of Lucius
Lucius, famed for his overweening egotism, had little interest in the tools he used and wanted no simple blade to gain a fame that approached his own, instead seeking the perfect combination of wargear to solidify his legend. Despite the casual disinterest of their wielder, the blades carried by Lucius were generally masterworks of the smith’s art and were reputed to even include the original Laeran blade,

The Faultless Blade
A superlative swordsman, even among a Legion renowned for their skill with a blade, Lucius was known to end many duels in a matter of seconds.

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SAUL TARVITZ
Captain of the 10" Company

Saul Tarvitz was a company captain within the Emperor’s Children, respected by those who followed him and with a number of victories to his name. Tarvitz, however, was content to be a line officer and serve his Legion and Emperor in the field, and lacked the relentless ambition required to elevate him to the higher echelons of his Legion that was present in many of his contemporaries, Upon discovering the scale and scope of the treachery that was about to unfold on Isstvan iii, Tarvitz took it upon himself to act, flying down to the surface to warn the Loyalists trapped there of the impending slaughter and aid them in the battle.

Charnabal Broadsword
A much heavier version of a traditional Terran duelling blade, Tarvitz has mastered this weapon and made it his own.

A Brother Betrayed
In the opening salvos of the battle that would immortalise Saul Tarvitz, he suffered his most grievous wound. This was not the cut of a blade or the bite of a bolt, but the betrayal of those he had long counted as his brothers in arms.

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PHOENIX TERMINATOR SQUAD
The bird of Ancient Terran myth known as the phoenix is a potent symbol amongst the Emperor’s Children. Taking inspiration and title from the legendary bird, the Phoenix Guard formed an elite cadre, serving primarily as Primarch Fulgrim’s personal retinue. They served as ceremonial honour guards and sacred aquilifers, replete in polished, tyrian-chased armour and bearing gold-chased arms of intricate manufacture. On the field of battle, the Phoenix Guard were no less impressive and were storied as providing an impenetrable ring of courage and steel, barring the approach of any enemy who dared challenge their Primarch.

Skill Unmatched
The personal guards of the Primarch himself and commanders of the Phoenix Guard, these warriors were charged with both the highest standards of martial excellence and the most exacting code of appearance - for they represented Fulgrim and his Legion in the eyes of the other Legions.
 
PALATINE BLADE SQuUAD
A warrior fraternity drawn from among the finest swordsmen of the Legion, the Palatine Blades existed outside of the rigid formations of the Emperor’s Children’s military order. They were an elite duelling society to whose ranks many aspired and on whom Fulgrim looked with particular favour and interest. At the discretion of the lords of the Legion, members of the Palatine Blades without their own command fought together in units, serving as a shining example to their battle brothers of excellence and perfection in the arts of war, seeking out the finest enemy warriors in the field against which to prove their superiority.

Palatine Blade
Forged according to the same principles as the Charnabal duelling blades, each of these blades is created by a master swordsmith to the specifications of its wielder. In the hands of the master swordsmen of the Emperor’s Children, these perfectly weighted blades cut effortlessly and with deadly precision.

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KAKOPHONI SQUAD
After the treachery at Isstvan 111, a terrible force took hold of the Emperor’s Children and for many the fall was swift and terrible to behold. One of the first malignant tools made manifest were the strange and experimental psycho-sonic weapons that would come to be known as the ‘Kakophoni’; savagely powerful but also dangerously unpredictable. On Isstvan V, the first of these weapons were unleashed by Emperor’s Children who had already begun to degenerate in response to the canker of warp-taint to which they had been exposed, a corruption that would accelerate at a frightening rate over the course of the Horus Heresy.

The Cacophony
The Cacophony manifest a variety of experimental and unique psycho-sonic weapons, made from an irrational fusion of Imperial and alien technology wedded with the whispered secrets of nightmare intelligences from beyond. These unstable devices are able to unleash blasts of screaming, discordant energy that can rupture flesh and incinerate metal. Their most terrifying ability, however, is to open up the minds of those they touch to the manifold and fatal horrors of the Warp.

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THE DROPSITE MASSACRE: THE TRAITOR’S BLADE 1S DRAWN

Although far from the heart of the Imperium and Terra, what had transpired on the desolate worlds of the Isstvan system would forever blight the history of Mankind. At Isstvan iii, Horus had employed the life-eater virus to purge the Loyalists from the ranks of the Emperor’s Children, the World Eaters, the Death Guard and even his own, the Sons of Horus, in his first betrayal. At Isstvan V, the Warmaster raised a mighty fortress upon the black ~ sands of the Urgall Depression and had awaited the coming of the Retribution Fleet, a strike force sent by Rogal Dorn to crush his rebellion.

Unbeknownst to the Emperor, the roots of corruption had already spread deeper and wider than he had imagined, with fully half of the Legiones Astartes secretly re- pledging their allegiance to Horus. This is the story of the events that followed. It is an account of death and slaughter, of war to overshadow all wars and of the dawn of a new age.

It is called the Massacre.


THE ISSTVAN SYSTEM - HONOUR'S TOMB
Isstvan was a system of nine celestial bodies orbiting a yellow-orange star, only a few of which were home to human settlement after the Compliance campaign of the Raven Guard and the 27" Expeditionary Fleet in 994.M30. The planets of the Isstvan system were replete with features that were found in a thousand or more places throughout the known galaxy, wholly lsstvan was a system of nine celestial bodies orbiting a yellow-orange star, only a few of which were home to human settlement after the Compliance campaign of the Raven Guard and the 27th Expeditionary Fleet in 994.M30. The planets of the lsstvan system were replete with features that were found in a thousand or more places throughout the known galaxy, wholly unremarkable by these metrics, yet, through the fell deeds of the Arch-Traitor, lsstvan would become a name that unremarkable by these metrics, yet, through the fell deeds of the Arch-Traitor, Isstvan would become a name that echoed through the ages in infamy. A echoed through the ages in infamy. It was not through chance that Isstvan gained its terrible notoriety. The acts that were committed here were made ever more shocking with the knowledge that it had been carefully selected as the optimal location to enact a treachery so terrible, it would not be forgotten while Mankind still clung to existence. Based on factors including its seclusion from aid or reinforcement for the beleaguered, the entire Isstvan system was marked out as lt was not through chance that lsstvan gained its terrible notoriety. The acts that were committed here were made ever more shocking with the knowledge that it had been carefully selected as the optimal location to enact a treachery so terrible, it would not be forgotten while Mankind still clung to existence. Based on factors including its seclusion from aid or reinforcement for the beleaguered, the entire lsstvan system was marked out as a killing field of unprecedented proportions.

ln the first of a sequence of terrible acts, Horus selected lsstvan Ill for the eradication of the Loyalist contingents within the Sons of Horus, the Death Guard, the World Eaters and the Emperor's Children. The pacification of lsstvan Ill's people, who had been roused to rebellion by the Planetary Governor, Vardus Praal, had served as the justification to gather the first Legions the Warmaster wished to unify under his banner. In the first of a sequence of terrible acts, Horus selected Isstvan 111 for the eradication of the Loyalist contingents within the Sons of Horus, the Death Guard, the World Eaters and the Emperor’s Children. The pacification of Isstvan 11I's people, who had been roused to rebellion by the Planetary Governor, Vardus Praal, had served as the justification to gather the first Legions the Warmaster wished to unify under his banner. Those loyal Space Marines that died at the Choral City and other battlefields across the planet had also been selected, divided from their Legions, their names identified on the order of battle and marked for death. Those chosen had been no malingerers, deserters or Those loyal Space Marines that died at the Choral City and other battlefields across the planet had also been selected, divided from their Legions, their names identified on the order of battle and marked for death. Those chosen had been no malingerers, deserters or disobedients; their only crime was loyalty to the Emperor. For that, they had been sentenced to extermination. disobedients; their only crime was loyalty to the Emperor. For that, they had been sentenced to extermination. The purge undertaken on lsstvan Ill was only the first step of Horus' carefully laid plans. In the aftermath of that battle he had used the horrors endured by his warriors to solidify their new allegiance and destroy what doubt remained. Any that had still demonstrated fealty to the Emperor had been culled and the survivors, now baptised in fire and blood, had been brought to lsstvan V to set the stage for Horus' declaration of war on the lmperium.

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LEGIONS OF THE DEAD
The Emperor’s Legions had been no strangers to the cost of victory, for each had paid that price in the blood of their own for the cause of The Emperor's Legions had been no strangers to the cost of victory, for each had paid that price in the blood of their own for the cause of the Great Crusade. the Great Crusade. At Isstvan the Warmaster had demonstrated that he cared not for the tally oflives ended in the war he had made with the Imperium. In that war, so many had fallen that their individual names had not been recorded At Isstvan the Warmaster had demonstrated that he cared not for the tally of lives ended in the war he had made with the Imperium. In that war, so many had fallen that their individual names had not been recorded and instead great swathes of the Legions had been entered into the and instead great swathes of the Legions had been entered into the list of the dead. list of the dead. Not only had the Iron Hands, Salamanders and Raven Guard Legions been brought to the cusp of their destruction by the Warmaster’s army, but the names of others had been struck through ~ Not only had the Iron Hands, Salamanders and Raven Guard Legions been brought to the cusp of their destruction by the Warmaster's army, but the names of others had been struck through in Imperial records. No longer were they Legions in service of the Imperium, but they had become minions of the Arch-Traitor, Horus Lupercal, and were as good as dead in the eyes of the Emperor.

in Imperial records. No longer were they Legions in service of the Imperium, but they had become minions of the Arch-Traitor, Horus Lupercal, and were as good as dead in the eyes of the Emperor. Those already damned by their actions - the Sons of Horus, the World Eaters, the Death Guard, and the Emperor’s Children - had been joined by the Iron Warriors, Night Lords, Word Bearers and Alpha Legion who too had played out their parts during the slaughter and through their acts, they also had forever tainted their ~names with duplicity. Those already damned by their actions - the Sons of Horus, the World Eaters, the Death Guard, and the Emperor's Children - had been joined by the Iron Warriors, Night Lords, Word Bearers and Alpha Legion who too had played out their parts during the slaughter and through their acts, they also had forever tainted their names with duplicity. - In support of Horus, Legio ~ Mortis had once again walked upon the field of battle against the Imperium. This time, they had been joined by numerous divisions of the Imperial Army ~ ~ _ In support of Horus, Legio Mortis had once again walked upon the field of battle against the Imperium. This time, they had been joined by numerous divisions of the Imperial Army and cohorts of the Solar Auxilia, both independent formations and those indentured to their patron Legions, deployed to Isstvan V under the banner of the traitor for and cohorts of the Solar Auxilia, both independent formations and those indentured to their patron Legions, deployed to Isstvan V under the banner of the traitor for the first time. the first time.

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TRAITOR COMMANDERS TrAITOR COMMANDERS
In addition to Horus himself, the following Primarchs had already acted against the lmperium, either by their own hand or by that of their Legion in their stead and, as such, were branded 'Traitoris Perdita'. In addition to Horus himself, the following Primarchs had already acted against the Imperium, either by their own hand or by that of their Legion in their stead and, as such, were branded ‘Traitoris Perdita’.


FULGRIM - PRIMARCH OF THE IIIrd LEGION, EMPEROR’S CHILDREN
Prior to Fulgrim’s rediscovery by the Emperor in 830.M30, he had risen to rule the planet Chemos, upon which he had been found. He had lifted its population out of an existence of perpetual toil and suffering, had reinstated order and, in turn, granted them prosperity. As the lord of the 111" Legion, Fulgrim and his champions had won great renown during the Great Crusade, bringing many worlds into Compliance at the head of the 28" I'xpeditionary Fleet. This had earned them the right to FuLGRIM - PRIMARCH OF THE IIIR0 LEGION, EMPEROR'S CHILDREN Prior to Fulgrim's rediscovery by the Emperor in 830.M30, he had risen to rule the planet Chemos, upon which he had been found. He had lifted its population out of an existence of perpetual toil and suffering, had r •instated order and, in turn, granted them prosperity. As the lord of the lllrd Legion, Fulgrim and his champions had won great renown during the Great Crusade, bringing many worlds into Compliance at the head of the 28th Expeditionary Fleet. This had earned them the right to bear the Palatine Aquila, the Emperor's personal standard, Into battle and to add his sigil to their own heraldry - an honour never given to another Legion.

Fulgrim and Ferrus Manus had shared a bond of friendship like few others, despite their differences. Many had posited that these differences complemented each other in perfect balance, their strengths offsetting the other’s weaknesses, a balance shared by their respective Legions at war. On the eve of the Isstvan III Campaign however, these bonds had been shattered and the blood of the Iron Hands was spilled by the Emperor’s Children. From that point on, the two were irreconcilable enemies
 
THE EMPEROR'S CHILDREN
Fulgrim, the Primarch of the lll'd Legion, had fallen victim to a different strain of corruption, his loyalty to the Emperor already undermined by the time Horus came to persuade him to his cause. Fulgrim and his Emperor's Children became key components in the Warmaster's grand plan. As with the Sons of Horus, not all of the warriors of the lllrd Legion had renounced their oaths of allegiance, and individuals such as Captain Saul Tarvitz and Rylanor had remained true to the lmperium and defied their Primarch's will.

THE IRON HANDS
'Through his impetuous zeal to exact his own vengeance upon Fulgrim for daring to suppose that he might be turn d against the Emperor, Ferrus Manus became the d ' facto field commander of the lsstvan V assault. His Legion had already been wounded by the duplicity of the Emperor's Children, and swift and bloody vengeance would be the only salve they would accept. Although outwardly Dorn remained confident of the integrity and loyalty of the Legions he had tasked with subjugating the errant Warmaster, it is perhaps most likely that, in his pragmatic wisdom, he had quietly chosen lo accept the possibility that others amongst his kin w re destined and indeed intended to turn against the lmperium. Dorn had no choice but to test their loyalties in combat, to grant them a place in his host and order them into combat with the Arch-Traitor Horus -only
 
THE GATHERING OF MIGHT
The forces of no fewer than eight Legions had been despatched by Rogal Dorn as acting Magister Militum of the lmperium to crush Horus' rebellion. This included the balance of the Night Lords, Iron Warriors, Salamanders, Raven Guard, Word Bearers and the Alpha Legion, alongside a large fleet contingent of Dom's own Imperial Fists dispatched to investigate Garro's earlier alarm, and importantly the Iron Hands Legion, whose fleet had been badly crippled by the Emperor's Children's treachery, but whose Primarch, Ferrus Manus, was also proceeding to the lsstvan system at best speed with the warriors of his chosen Avernii Clan.

Owing to turbulence within the Warp, the Imperial Fists were becalmed and prevented from reaching their goal, but the others made great haste, and through a masterful application of astropathic coordination and favourable transit, the avenging forces of the Emperor made swift speed to their target, with the forerunners being the Salamanders and Raven Guard fleets and their attendant forces, with the others following close behind. In the cold light of retrospective vision, this list of seemingly coincidental facts: the thwarting of the Imperial Fists fleet, the ease of passage for the others, and the decision as to which Legions should approach the Isstvan system first, all take on a malign and sinister predestination. ln this ordering of events can now be seen the hand of dark forces from beyond, forces which once Mankind slept in blissful ignorance of, but of whose truth we have since learned at such great cost


A VISION OF HERESY A VISION OF HERESY
Ferrus Manus entrusted the reconnaissance of the Isstvan system to Corvus Corax and his sons. Acting as the Field- Commander of the Retribution Fleet, Ferrus ordered the XIX™ Legion to venture into the unknown and confirm the heinous acts of heresy that Garro had reported. Of all the Legions to be tasked with such a mission, the Raven Guard were the most suited, as amongst their number existed clades of warriors who were already genetically Ferrus Manus entrusted the reconnaissance of the lsstvan system to Corvus Corax and his sons. Acting as the FieldCommander of the Retribution Fleet, Ferrus ordered the XlXth Legion to venture into the unknown and confirm the heinous acts of heresy that Garro had reported. Of all the Legions to be tasked with such a mission, the Raven Guard were the most suited, as amongst their number existed clades of warriors who were already genetically predisposed to stealth and subtlety, but also dedicated to the arts of infiltration and evasion. predisposed to stealth and subtlety, but also dedicated to the arts of infiltration and evasion. To carry out this vital mission and provide the Retribution Fleet with a picture of the target system around which the Gorgon could plan his attack, the XlXth Legion exercised their particular talents by launching a specialised strike force of warriors aboard a carefully selected flotilla of specialist vessels. The Ad Temperesta was selected to lead the advance of the strike force and moved to survey lsstvan V, using its advanced ranged augur system to pierce the veil of encryption and signature masking employed by the Traitor Legions. To carry out this vital mission and provide the Retribution Fleet with a picture of the target system around which the Gorgon could plan his attack, the XIX" Legion exercised their particular talents by launching a specialised strike force of warriors aboard a carefully selected flotilla of specialist vessels. The Ad Temperesta was selected to lead the advance of the strike force and moved to survey Isstvan V, using its advanced ranged augur system to pierce the veil of encryption and signature masking employed by the Traitor Legions. What the Raven Guard reported back was of a formation of sprawling disposition, constituted of elements from four Legions along with auxiliary attachments from other factions. They had seen before them the colours of the Sons of Horus, Death Guard, World Eaters and Emperor's Children Legions supplemented at their core by a huge number of indentured Excertus troops, their loyalty largely insignificant, their actions forced by the might of the powers that ruled over them.

The foe stood in numbers far exceeding the initial calculations made by the strategists of the Retribution Fleet and were a confirmation of the worst fears of many within the lmperium. The heart of this army was stationed around the Urgall region of lsstvan V, an area of such concentrated activity that it was detectable through even the most concerted signal shrouding. lt would be the first time that warriors loyal to the lmperium would lay eyes upon such a force of former allies, now turned enemies.

The walls of an imposing fortification line had been constructed atop the remnants of lsstvan V's bygone ages and were shielded by both the planet's topography and advanced void-aegis protection, limiting the effectiveness of orbital strikes, even if Ferrus Manus had ever thought such a ploy suitable to deliver his vengeful strike unto Horus. Extending from this, a network of linked outposts acted as watchtowers and command/control waystations, all manned and armed in a state of vigilant alert. The walls of an imposing fortification line had been constructed atop the remnants of Isstvan V’s bygone ages and were shielded by both the planet’s topography and advanced void-aegis protection, limiting the effectiveness of orbital strikes, even if Ferrus Manus had ever thought such a ploy suitable to deliver his vengeful strike unto Horus. Extending from this, a network of linked outposts acted as watchtowers and command/control waystations, all manned and armed in a state of vigilant alert. lt was through a series of scalpel-precise raids and daring sabotage missions that the Raven Guard forerunners were able to prepare the ground for the landing of the main body of troops, flying low-altitude sorties through the perilous canyons of the Urgall Depression to knock out missile defences and sentry positions, and to deposit XlXth Legion Vigilator cadres and Moritat clades within reach of enemy targets. 1t was through a series of scalpel-precise raids and daring sabotage missions that the Raven Guard forerunners were able to prepare the ground for the landing of the main body of troops, flying low-altitude sorties through the perilous canyons of the Urgall Depression to knock out missile defences and sentry positions, and to deposit XIXth Legion Vigilator cadres and Moritat clades within reach of enemy targets. | An unknown number of missions were launched in the window of time prior to the initiation of the primary assault drop. Corax seemingly gave his authority for his sons to pave the way for the Loyalists or instead, it is speculated, to ensure they could have their pound of the Traitors’ flesh before they were forced to join the battle line where they would face the guns of the enemy head-on, in their least favoured method of warfare.
 
PLANETFALL ZERO HOURS TERRAN SIDEREAL

Spanning the horizon, the low-hanging blanket of cloud cover over the Urgall Depression is turned to a roiling inferno. The Retribution Fleet arrives at Isstvan V and Ferrus Manus makes no attempt to broker civility or negotiate terms with the traitorous Warmaster. With the Fist of Iron cruelly damaged by the Emperor’s Children, the Gorgon watches intently from the bridge of the Ferrum as Spanning the horizon, the low-hanging blanket of cloud cover over the Urgall Depression is turned to a roiling inferno. The Retribution Fleet arrives at lsstvan V and Ferrus Manus makes no attempt to broker civility or negotiate terms with the traitorous Warmaster. With the Fist of Iron cruelly damaged by the Emperor's Children, the Gorgon watches intently from the bridge of the Ferrum as a dozen Loyalist flagships open fire from orbit, tearing the atmosphere itself asunder with their energy lances and macro-batteries. As iflightning from the heavens, these strikes spear at the heart of the Traitors' lair, testing the integrity of the shielding projected over the positions but not yet strong enough to break it. a dozen Loyalist flagships open fire from orbit, tearing the atmosphere itself asunder with their energy lances and macro-batteries. As if lightning from the heavens, these strikes spear at the heart of the Traitors’ lair, testing the integrity of the shielding projected over the positions but not yet strong enough to break it. Elsewhere, targeted orbital bombardments, guided by the Ad Temperesta's keen reconnaissance, erase outpost clusters from existence, leaving craters lined with smouldering ruins. The earth is split and in places the black sands are fused to glass - the fury of the Loyalist guns reverberates through the canyon walls as if they were drum skins, setting rockfalls in motion as the stone is shattered by relentless concussive waves.

Despite the carnage wrought amongst the outer defence lines by the Loyalist attack, the Warmaster's stronghold stands. The energy domes that shield the fortification smoulder and <£theric lightning crackles across their surface, but they hold, curtailing the effect of the Loyalists' guns. Elsewhere, targeted orbital bombardments, guided by the Ad Temperesta’s keen reconnaissance, erase outpost clusters from existence, leaving craters lined with smouldering ruins. The earth is split and in places the black sands are fused to glass - the fury of the Loyalist guns reverberates through the canyon walls as if they were drum skins, setting rockfalls in motion as the stone is shattered by relentless concussive waves. Despite the carnage wrought amongst the outer defence lines by the Loyalist attack, the Warmaster’s stronghold stands. The energy domes that shield the fortification smoulder and @theric lightning crackles across their surface, but they hold, curtailing the effect of the Loyalists’ guns. This is just the beginning, the opening salvo of the attack on lsstvan V - now the sky is darkened by the descent of the first wave, a drop assault of the likes not seen since the height of the Great Crusade. This is just the beginning, the opening salvo of the attack on Isstvan V - now the sky is darkened by the descent of the first wave, a drop assault of the likes not seen since the height of the Great Crusade.


+0.7 HOURS TERRAN SIDEREAL MALLEUS SECTOR MALLEUS SECTOR

Through the intrepid efforts of the Loyalist vanguard and despite the scenes of terrible chaos unfolding, the assault is progressing as the Gorgon has planned. There is no error in judgement nor mistake in planning. Ferrus Manus knew that this is what must be done and the price that must be paid, for Horus had left no quarter for any Through the intrepid efforts of the Loyalist vanguard and despite the scenes of terrible chaos unfolding, the assault is progressing as the Gorgon has planned. There is no error in judgement nor mistake in planning. Ferrus Manus knew that this is what must be done and the price that must be paid, for Horus had left no quarter for any alternative approach. alternative approach. Into the teeth of the enemy the Iron Hands drive and towards the fortification walls they press on, fighting through the hordes of Auxilia and Militia troops that bar their path. Undergunned and inferior war machines Into the teeth of the enemy the Iron Hands drive and towards the fortification walls they press on, fighting through the hordes of Auxilia and Militia troops that bar their path. Undergunned and inferior war machines ranging from ramshackle tanks to sentinels, far more suited to light scouting roles than heavy assault, are pressed into the path of the Xth Legion, goaded by their ruthless masters simply to choke the approaches with their bulk. ranging from ramshackle tanks to sentinels, far more suited to light scouting roles than heavy assault, are pressed into the path of the X" Legion, goaded by their ruthless masters simply to choke the approaches with their bulk. In any other war zone,

Solar companies such as these would have stood as the prize of the muster but in this war of Legions, their worth was as little more than living shields. They were merely ablative casualties upon which the Loyalists must grimly expend their ammunition. All are forced out before the In any other war zone, Solar companies such as these would have stood as the prize of the muster but in this war of Legions, their worth was as little more than living shields. They were merely ablative casualties upon which the Loyalists must grimly expend their ammunition. All are forced out before the defensive line by the Warmaster's generals to defensive line by the Warmaster’s generals to slow the Loyalist advance. slow the Loyalist advance. Piercing through the mass of sacrificial troops and weathering the fixed guns and super-heavy tank emplacements that stud the defensive line, the warriors of the Iron Hands Avernii Clan are as a speartip thrust brutally into the midst of the enemy. Ferrus Manus leads them towards the Legionaries of the Emperor's Children, the tyrian purple of their panoply appearing as a lurid shade in stark contrast to the black sands around them. Piercing through the mass of sacrificial troops and weathering the fixed guns and super-heavy tank emplacements that stud the defensive line, the warriors of the Iron Hands Avernii Clan are as a speartip thrust brutally into the midst of the enemy. Ferrus Manus leads them towards the Legionaries of the Emperor’s Children, the tyrian purple of their panoply appearing as a lurid shade in stark contrast to the black sands around them.

Fulgrim’s Legion is no longer the faultless pride of the Imperium but already taking on a macabre and debased aspect, some wear flesh trophies draped from their backs and bear hideous, self-inflicted mutilations. In Fulgrim's Legion is no longer the faultless pride of the Imperium but already taking on a macabre and debased asp_ ect, some wear flesh trophies draped from their backs and bear hideous, self-inflicted mutilations. In a state of sensory overload, they bay and howl amidst the carnage, warriors of the Kakophoni blocking the advance of the Xth Legion, shattering earth and bone alike with howling, discordant blasts from their fell weaponry.
 
+3.9 HOURS TERRAN SIDEREAL MALLEUS SECTOR

Ferrus Manus orders no abatement of the assault and instead seeks to use the wave of momentum provided by the timely arrival of reinforcements to seize a definitive victory. Fulgrim, the sire of the Emperor's Children, has ventured out upon the black sands of lsstvan V to meet his rival and challenges Ferrus to have his revenge. From atop a rocky promontory surrounded by the dead and dying of Loyalist and Traitor alike, the Phoenician beckons the Gorgon with his deranged laughter, the sound carrying to every corner of the Urgall Depression with an unnatural reverberation. To this, the Gorgon makes no reply with his voice and instead makes his actions as words, surging forth to claim victory and vengeance.

As Ferrus closes on Fulgrim's position, a single flare is launched from the battlements of the Warmaster's stronghold, rising like a comet sent from the earth to the heavens and illuminating the sky in blood red.


THE FATE OF THE GORGON

So few Loyalists survived the Dropsite Massacre to recount the tales of what transpired on the black sands and those that did were left with shattered psyches, rendering them insensate husks of their former selves. What can be pieced together from the fragmentary recollections of the scarce few survivors that escaped the roiling cauldron of death that the Urgall Depression became, tell tales of tragedy. Amidst the mire of hatred and betrayal, though, are glimpses of the valour and heroism the likes of which the lmperium was built upon. So few Loyalists survived the Dropsite Massacre to recount the tales of what transpired on the black sands and those that did were left with shattered psyches, rendering them insensate husks of their former selves. What can be pieced together from the fragmentary recollections of the scarce few survivors that escaped the roiling cauldron of death that the Urgall Depression became, tell tales of tragedy. Amidst the mire of hatred and betrayal, though, are glimpses of the valour and heroism the likes of which the Imperium was built upon. One such legendary account is of the Gorgon’s answer to Fulgrim’s challenge. It tells of the Great Iron Father breaking from the ranks of his sons like a bolt of lightning from a brooding stormfront, accompanied by the voice of thunder itself and sending a shockwave before him to fell a score of the elite Phoenix terminators that barred his path. One such legendary account is of the Gorgon's answer to Fulgrim's challenge. lt tells of the Great lron Father breaking from the ranks of his sons like a bolt of lightning from a brooding stormfront, accompanied by the voice of thunder itself and sending a shockwave before him to fell a score of the elite Phoenix terminators that barred his path. lt is said that Ferrus Manus duelled with Fulgrim as more than his equal, striking him with many measured blows, his full killing strength stayed in the hope that his once closest friend would see the error in their ways. lt is told by some that the Gorgon held his fatal strike as Fulgrim was prostrate before him, to offer the chance of redemption, and it was only then that the Phoenician unmasked himself for who he truly was, eschewing honour and landing a coward's blow to cleave the Gorgon's head from his shoulders. It is said that Ferrus Manus duelled with Fulgrim as more than his equal, striking him with many measured blows, his full killing strength stayed in the hope that his once closest friend would see the error in their ways. It is told by some that the Gorgon held his fatal strike as Fulgrim was prostrate before him, to offer the chance of redemption, and it was only then that the Phoenician unmasked himself for who he truly was, eschewing honour and landing a coward’s blow to cleave the Gorgon's head from his shoulders. Of the great losses of the Age of Darkness, the loss of the truth of lsstvan V is one that darkens the future of the lmperium. These, though, are merely the garbled tellings of madmen, driven to insanity by the horrors of war. Of the great losses of the Age of Darkness, the loss of the truth of Isstvan V is one that darkens the future of the lmperium. These, though, are merely the garbled tellings of madmen, driven to insanity by the horrors of war.
 
FERRUS MANUS -PRIMARCH OF THE X'"" LEGION, IRON HANDS
Rediscovered by the Emperor upon the world of Medusa in the year 824.M30, Ferrus Manus, called 'the Gorgon' by his kin, commanded the Iron Hands, known to some as 'The Iron Tenth'. He maintained that from hardship came strength and demanded much the same from his sons, who had earned a fearsome reputation as unyielding tools of war. Throughout the Great Crusade, Ferrus had earned the trust of many of his brother Primarchs and was known to have much in common with the forge master, Vulkan, but it was with Fulgrim that he had shared an unlikely but special bond. The two Primarchs had been known to be of opposing demeanours, but nevertheless appeared to complement each other in times of peace as much as in the heat of battle. This brotherhood had been sundered by events aboard Ferrus Manus' flagship, the Fist of Iron, which left many of his Morlock Honour Guard dead by the hands of Fulgrim's Phoenix Terminators and the Iron Hands' fleet itself stranded, unable to penetrate the warp storms that raged around them. It had been with vengeance in his heart that Ferrus Manus went to the Isstvan system, intending to bring his wrath upon Fulgrim and crush the Warmaster's rebellion.

THE EXTENT OF LOYALTY
Captain Nathaniel Garro of the Death Guard had fled from the horrors of the atrocity at Isstvan Ill. He had been forced to leave his stricken brothers to die and had taken flight, not in cowardice but in an attempt to save the Imperium itself. Aboard the frigate Eisenstein, he and a skeleton crew of no more than seventy Space Marines had barely evaded the Death Guard fleet and had driven the vessel to the point of ruin in order to navigate the wrathful tides of the Warp, carrying their dire news to Terra and to Rogal Dorn in person. Although Garro's report told Dorn of those that had instigated the rebellion, there was still much that was unknown and even shadows of doubt were cast over the veracity of the Captain of the Death Guard's report. In his outrage, Rogal Dorn had struck Garro for daring to besmirch the character of Horus with his condemnation and it was ultimately the haunting imagings collected by Remembrancer Mersadie Oliton that had tempered the Primarch's fury against the Captain. The holo-pict recordings captured on Isstvan Ill showed the moment that the Warmaster had given the order to fire upon friendly troops, the Emperor's Space Marines no less, making it plain to see that the Warmaster had turned against the Imperium

Having witnessed the callous slaughter ofloyal warriors of the Imperium already committed by Horus, even the Primarch of the Imperial Fists had been shaken to the core. As reticent as he was to believe the deeds that not only Horus but also Mortarion, Angron and Fulgrim had committed, the fact remained that they were deeds that would see the Imperium torn asunder, plunging humanity into a time of darkness deeper than any it had ever known. Rogal Dorn had been forced to coordinate his response without delay. In the stark light of treachery, none could be considered beyond scrutiny and suspicion. Dom's own sons, the stalwart Vllth Legion, were amongst those most trusted and already appointed the role of guardians of the Throneworld. They had furthered the fortification of Terra and enacted their Primarch's contingency to encapsulate the Imperial domain of the Sol System in a series of vast defensive spheres stretching to the extent of Pluto's orbit. Immediately, Terra had been placed on a war footing and its forces stood to battle readiness. The Traitors had wet their blades with their brothers' blood, and for such an act of duplicity there could be no acceptable rationale nor justification
 
+3.91 HOURS TERRAN SIDEREAL
Chaos is unleashed across the Urgall Depression as the crimson flare's light fades and the cacophony of war thickens the atmosphere with its intensity. Four Legions, hoped by the Loyalists to be their salvation, open fire, unleashing the full force of their arsenals, but their might is turned in betrayal. They have arrived not to aid the Loyalists, but to destroy them. The lron Warriors, the Night Lords, the Word Bearers and the Alpha Legion all cast off the bonds of brotherhood and solidify a new pact of bitter enmity. The roar of a hundred thousand bolters is their declaration as shots reap through the unsuspecting Loyalist lines, pinning them in an inescapable crossfire between the Warmaster's stronghold d the newly established drop zone. The Traitors need and the newly established drop zone. The Traitors need not choose specific targets as they advance, simply firing into the massed lines of Loyalist troops who scramble to find cover within the ashen dunes and burning wreckage.

Warriors and war machines which have already endured so much are cruelly erased from existence by the heavy beam fire of lascannon arrays and the neutron blasts of super-heavy tanks, unwittingly allowed unhindered vantage over the Loyalist armies. Barely aimed artillery shells burst within the ranks, yielding casualties as if placed by a master of ordnance, owing simply to the density of targets. There is no mercy and no relent in the storm of fire. Across all sectors of the line, there is no refuge from the bombardment, such is the proximity and number of the shells burst within the ranks, yielding casualties as if placed by a master of ordnance, owing simply to the density of targets. There is no mercy and no relent in the storm of fire. Across all sectors of the line, there is no refuge from the bombardment, such is the proximity and number of the enemy guns. enemy guns. Once more Angron and Mortarion rampage across their Once more Angron and Mortarion rampage across their sectors of the Warmaster's stronghold, no longer in defence but now on the attack. A terrible roar emanates from Malleus sector, at once a celebration of victory and a cry of anguish and despair as Ferrus Manus falls, murdered by the blade of Fulgrim. Horus himself finally emerges from the shadow of the Dies lrae to claim his prize - he seeks sectors of the Warmaster's stronghold, no longer in defence but now on the attack. A terrible roar emanates from Malleus sector, at once a celebration of victory and a cry of anguish and despair as Ferrus Manus falls, murdered by the blade of Fulgrim. Horus himself finally emerges from the shadow of the Dies Irae to claim his prize - he seeks the head of the Gorgon and the lives of the Clan Avernii warriors who yet survive him. the head of the Gorgon and the lives of the Clan Avernii warriors who yet survive him. The carnage is total. Horus is triumphant. The carnage is total. Horus is triumphant.
 
Dark Angels
The Dark Angels returned from the outer edges of the galactic darkness to learn too late of the massacres at Isstvan. Too faraway from any hope of intervening, they were a Legion incensed, willing to roar their defiance and seek retribution. Foreseeing this eventuality, Horus dispatched the Night Lords Legion to wreak havoc in the sectors around Thramas, hoping to draw in the First Legion and contain their fury away from his own advance. The vengeful Dark Angels were drawn to Thramas by word of the atrocities being perpetrated, and led a counter-invasion to retake the region for the Imperium. The two Legions engaged in a bitterly contested conflict that dragged on for more than three years and saw the ruin of dozens of worlds across four inhabited sectors. The stalemate ended when the Dark Angels unleashed their arsenal of forbidden weaponry upon the Night Lords, reducing them to a crippled and scattered Legion.

By this time, the Ruinstorm occluded most of the eastern Imperium, and the Dark Angels were unable to strike at the heart of Horus’ Dark Empire. Instead, they fought alongside the Ultramarines and Blood Angels in the galactic east, beating back the Shadow Crusade and dozens of isolated Traitor elements. Elsewhere, isolated Dark Angels fleets and bastions across the galaxy joined with other Loyalist forces to resist the Traitors’ advance. As the great warp storms began to dissipate, the pragmatic Lion embarked on a punitive campaign against the Traitors that came to be known as the Passage of the Angel of Death. His Legion was a bolt of hatred cast across the southern Imperium, bringing ruin to the home worlds of the Death Guard and the Emperor’s Children Legions, and any other Traitor stronghold they came upon. The Dark Angels also became embroiled in the great Cataclysm of Iron, unleashing the Lion’s sanction with impunity on all who turned their face from the Emperor. Only at the last, when news of Horus’siege on Terra reached the Dark Angels, did they end their vicious campaign and turn back towards the Imperial core.

ULTRAMARINES VEHICLE HERALDRY
While perhaps not as lavish in decoration as the vehicles of the Blood Angels Legion are, or those of the Emperor’s Children once were, many war machines of the Ultramarines are maintained in something approaching a standard as appropriate to the parade grounds of Macragge as they are to the battlefields of the galactic civil war.

Raven Guard
At the outset of the Horus Heresy, the Raven Guard were among the least numerous of the Emperor’s Legions. Corax and much of his Legion were amongst the first to muster as part of the grand Retribution fleet dispatched to Isstvan V, with the Primarch determining that a portion must return to Deliverance in order to guard it against counter-attack. While the Legion lost the greater portion of its strength on the black sands, and much of the fleet in orbit, as well as tens of thousands more Legionaries during the ninety-eight days of guerilla warfare and evading pursuit that followed, it would be the contingent from Deliverance that moved to extract Corax in the wake of the Dropsite Massacre. In the aftermath of Isstvan V, many of the surviving splintered elements of the Raven Guard would go on to join the Shattered Legions, striking at the heels of the Warmaster’s advance, but the bulk fought as a coherent, if much reduced, force directly under their sire.

The Raven Lord had no intention of retiring from the fight against the Arch-Traitor, and so re-organised the tattered remnants of his Legion in an attempt to keep it combat- capable at a strategic level. Corax himself would lead a contingent of the survivors of Isstvan V, harrying the Traitors behind their own lines with indefatigable fury. In the Age of Darkness the Raven Guard were to strike numerous telling blows against the Traitors, from the capture of the Perfect Fortress from the Emperor’s Children to their ongoing frustration of the Death Guard during the Malagant Conflict. In the very last days of the Horus Heresy, the Raven Guard under Corax would sacrifice much of what remained to them at the Battle of Yarant, throwing themselves upon the Traitors' fury to save the ever-loyal Space Wolves, proving that always, even in the darkest of hours, they fought against the oppressor in order to liberate the sufferer, for justice and for what was right for humanity.
 
Iron Hands
The role of the Iron Hands in the Horus Heresy is forever defined by the tragic events that unfolded upon the black sands of Isstvan V. There, Ferrus Manus and his Legion were drawn into the trap set by Horus and, as his veterans fought valiantly to the end around him, the Gorgon’s loyalty remained unwavering, even unto the moment Fulgrim cleaved his head from his shoulders. The loss of their Primarch was a bitter blow, however, the Dropsite Massacre was not the final role the Iron Hands would play in the Horus Heresy. Much of the Legion had not yet deployed to the surface of Isstvan V, and a measure of its fleet was able to rescue survivors from the Iron Hands, Salamanders and Raven Guard Legions and then scatter into the surrounding sectors. These remnants would become known as the Shattered Legions and would carry out harassment operations and deliver surgical blows against the Traitor hordes throughout the great civil war, The Iron Tenth proved resourceful and tenacious and were reforged anew under leaders such as Shadrak Meduson and Autek Mor. Fuelled by bitter vengeance, they would continue to hound the Traitors across the galaxy, disrupting supply fleets and striking at the heart of the Traitor Legions; at worlds such as Bodt, where they greatly hindered the World Eaters’ recruitment; Dwell, where they grievously wounded the Primarch Mortarion; and on Colchis, where their repeated incursions, mounted from Medusa itself, stymied the Word Bearers’ war efforts. In response, the Warmaster would dispatch his finest hunters to scour the sons of Ferrus Manus and their allies from the stars, and dozens of guerilla conflicts and fleet engagements would ensue. The efforts of the Iron Hands were unceasing, and though they were few; their impact on the Horus Heresy was immeasurable.

Forgebreaker
Fashioned by his close comrade, and later hated enemy, the Primarch Fulgrim, this exquisitely fashioned thunder hammer would prove to have a dark infamy of its own and serve the hands of many masters before the Horus Heresy ended.
 
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