[Horus Heresy] The Primarchs

Over the years, there have been several famous headless characters immortalised in fiction: the Headless Horseman, that decapitated villain from Scooby Doo... erm, yeah.

Okay, not so much.

It was with a bit of trepidation then that I accepted the task of writing about the primarch whose head is rotting in a jar somewhere in Fulgrim's throne room in the style of a certain animated TV show.

Whilst I didn't think for a second that having a novella length story in which the head of Ferrus Manus laments his demise inside a goldfish bowl wouldn't work, I opted for something a little safer... and saner.

What would have happened if Ferrus Manus survived Isstvan V and went on to take part in the Heresy? In 'Feat of Iron', the primarch is offered a glimpse of that possible future. Set during the Great Crusade, in the thick of battle against the alien eldar, Ferrus Manus is separated from his Legion and forced to confront daemons he did not even know he had. And like a butterfly causing a tornado halfway across the world, the ramifications of his choices and eventual fate will echo across the galaxy.

It's not easy to write about a guy that's already dead (with the exception of Dracula or someone like that, I guess), so I wanted to do something that asked 'what if?'. Though it's a galactic conflict with masses of troops, factions and battles fought, the Horus Heresy hinges on a few critical events. The death of Ferrus Manus is one of those and 'Feat of Iron' explores just how important this event was.

The story dovetails with 'Promethean Sun', too, so fans who've read that novella will see some crossover (don't worry if you haven't read it - 'Feat of Iron' is self-contained). Huge thanks must go to Graham McNeill who not only gave great feedback on my first draft but also provided magnificent inspiration in the form of the Ferrus Manus scenes in Fulgrim.

Always tricky wearing iron boots that someone has already walked in, but I think I've managed to pen a tale that adds a little more depth to this redoubtable character and Legion.

Trailer Time!
Starting to get used to this now. Trailers for my novels and novellas. Cool. This trailer is for the Horus Heresy anthology The Primarchs. My novella 'The Serpent Beneath' is contained within its hallowed covers. It deals with the Alpha Legion Primarchs Alpharius and Omegon. Appropriately, they don't feature on the front cover - a masterstroke by Horus Heresy artist Neil Roberts. The only time you should see an Alpha Legion Primarch is when you're on the
floor, in a pool of your own blood,watching the back of their pack as they walk away. Enjoy the trailer, the art and the stirring music - then damn it why don't you enjoy yourself some more and preorder the anthology by clicking the cover on the side bar. As well as 'The Serpent Beneath' the anthology also contains novellas from my esteemed Black Library colleagues
Graham McNeill, Nick Kyme and Gav Thorpe.

A voice came from the shadows. ‘He’s going to be a problem.’

Sheed Ranko emerged from the rear of the chamber, and strode around the breadth of the table. He was a hulking warrior – almost as big as Omegon himself – and captain of the Lernaean Terminator squad, and master of the strike cruiser Upsilon. An honoured veteran and gifted tactician, he had been at the twin primarchs’ collective side since the Legion’s first irregular conquests of the Great Crusade. ‘I mean it,’ he said again. ‘Echion’s going to be a problem.’

‘Or the solution to one,’ Omegon mused. Ranko joined him by the viewing port.

‘As much as I enjoy sitting in on your status reports,’ the captain said, ‘I presume you grace the Upsilon with your presence because you need something.’

Omegon gave him a thin smile. ‘A favour. The advice of an old friend. Nothing you haven’t done for me a thousand times before.’

‘I serve your interests,’ Ranko told him, taking a throne at the obsidian table and indicating for the primarch to do the same.

‘And I the Legion’s, captain.’

‘Where’s Alpharius?’

‘Returning from council with the Warmaster,’ Omegon told him honestly. ‘He’s assembling the fleet. I expect the Upsilon will receive her orders soon.’

‘You are here on his behalf?’ Ranko asked.

‘In his interests, yes.’

‘Then what can I do for you both, and the Legion?’

‘Before I tell you, I need you to understand something, Sheed,’ Omegon said, fixing the veteran’s gaze. ‘Legion operations always require a certain degree of secrecy and discretion.’

‘Yes.’

‘This goes far beyond that,’ Omegon said simply.

‘Fair enough,’ Ranko replied, intrigued. ‘Want to tell an old friend why?’

‘I’m mounting a sensitive operation.’

‘All Alpha Legion operations are sensitive.’

‘And none more so,’ Omegon spoke in hushed tones, ‘than when you are infiltrating your own Legion.’

Magnus a écrit:Ca devrait aller , tu n'as pas du Abnett à lire en anglais....

Full colour A2 poster featuring the cover art from The Primarchs anthology.

Roboutte Guilliman a écrit:Y a que du Traitre là dessus... pas question...

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Roboutte Guilliman a écrit:Il est quand même moins drôle qu'avant le Horus avec ses yeux de Sauron partout... Je préférais l'ancien Oeil d'Horus.