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Announcement: This is my first post and this is it: the Heresy Of The Iron Hand, colloquially known as the Ferrusian Heresy. This is based on Guilliman's opinion on the Dauntless Few, the primarchs whom the Avenging Son considered the most dependable: Lion El'Jonson, Leman Russ, Sanguinius and Ferrus Manus. Since the Lion and Sanguinius have already got their own alternate heresy and since Russ doesn't seem like one for the role of Warmaster, I chose Ferrus Manus as Warmaster and Arch-Traitor as he is a great strategist and a great warrior. It is also based on Zahariel's Roboutian Heresy and Aurelius Rex's Dornian Heresy, so credits to them for their incredible work.

I will describe each of the legions and primarchs in numerical order, then I'll describe major characters and battles, and then post-Heresy events like the Second Founding.

If you enjoy this, please review it and express your opinions. Any advice and criticisms are welcome.

And so it begins...

The Heresy Of The Iron Hand

"Ferrus Manus was once the greatest primarch, the Warmaster. He inspired absolute loyalty, even the Red Angels and the proud Horus knelt before him. He was a mastercraft and had a will of sheer iron. Oh, how far he fell..."

-Janus, once known as Luther Of Caliban, the first Supreme Grandmaster of the 666th Chapter, the Grey Knights.

The Corruption Of The Iron Hand

The 31st Millenium. The days of Old Night have passed thanks to valiant crusading of the Emperor Of Mankind, his Primarchs, and the mighty Legiones Astartes. Countless races and worlds felt the Master Of Mankind's wrath, and countless more bathed in his benevolence The Ullanor Crusade under the Iron Hands, Ultramarines and White Scars resulted in a decisive Imperial victory, with Ferrus Manus slaying the Ork Overlord Urlakk Urg with his iron hands. The Triumph was held after the battle, during which the Emperor, beloved by all and in all His radiance, declared His retirement from the Great Crusade to return to Terra to work on a secret project. He bestowed upon his favoured son, Ferrus Manus, the title of Warmaster, for he would lead the Imperium's armies in the Emperor's absence. Fourteen legions and thirteen of the new Warmaster's brothers would bow before him and pledge to him their allegiance: Fulgrim, Jaghatai Khan, Leman Russ, Rogal Dorn, Sanguinius, Angron, Roboute Guilliman, Mortarion, Magnus The Red, Horus Lupercal, Lorgar Aurelian, Vulkan and Corvus Corax. However, it is well known that this moment lay the foundations of the oncoming war. Envy and other emotions would fester within the Primarchs. Roboute Guilliman, Rogal Dorn and Lion El'Jonson would covet the position of Warmaster for themselves, whilst Perturabo and the Khan became wary of their brother's new found arrogance and favour. After Ferrus' ascension, the Crusade continued under his tactical might, though other issues arose.

Since the onset of the Great Crusade, several Primarchs and influential Astartes made no attempt to hide their prejudice and hatred of those possessing the ability to manipulate the Immaterium. Of these Primarchs, Mortarion of the Death Guard, Corvus Corax of the Raven Guard, and Leman Russ of the Space Wolves were the most vocal. The victim of their bigotry: the noble sorcerers of the Thousand Sons. Magnus the Red, Primarch of the Thousand Sons, was unique amongst his kindred due to his very nature. The Crimson King was the very Aethereal Realm given form, a major point of distrust for those who opposed he and his progeny. Mortarion, Corax and Russ called for the restraint and restriction of psykers and the Librarius, whilst Sanguinius, Jaghatai Khan, and Magnus would be vocal about their support. The Emperor summoned those six Primarchs to Nikaea in an event known as the Council Of Nikaea, otherwise known as the Trial Of Magnus and the Humiliation Of Russ. The Council lasted many weeks, with Russ and Magnus being the most steadfast to their cause. On the final day of the Council, Russ' anger and Magnus' passion led to both lashing out. The Primarch of the Space Wolves stormed forth, ignoring the pleas of Mortarion and Corax to end his senseless fury. Magnus did likewise, utilising his knowledge of the Warp to twist Nikaea's very geography. Sanguinius and Jaghatai Khan attempted to restrain Magnus, to little avail. In all this commotion, the Master Of Mankind remained unmoving. As the two Primarchs were about to engage in a planet-shattering conflict, the Emperor rose. His voice could be heard across the galaxy, filled with anger. The psychic nature of His wrath offered no alternative to the Primarchs except obedience. Unable to move or even speak, the pair could only watch as the Emperor announced his Edict: the Librarius would cease to exist. For a moment, Leman Russ seemed pleased, before the Emperor ordered the restriction of the Space Wolves' Rune Priests. Russ attempted to interject, stating that the Rune Priests used no power but that drawn from Fenris. Without hesitation, the Emperor shut down Russ' argument, humiliating him before all present. The Edict was passed, despite Magnus' and Jaghatai Khan's objections. Mortarion and Corax accepted, satisfied with the outcome. Russ abandoned Nikaea in a state of unbridled ferocity and returned to the Crusade. Mortarion and Magnus were then forced to work with eachother later on during a pacification, leading to the Pale and Crimson Kings forming a close bond and Mortarion accepting and utilising his psychic potential. Magnus was infuriated by the Edict, and quickly abandoned the rules laid down by the Emperor. The Khan followed suit, and the Chogorian Stormseers remained a vital aspect of the V Legion.

Rifts would only continue to arise between the Primarchs, when the Emperor then selected the Lord Of Iron, Perturabo, for the role of Praetorian Of Terra over Dorn, whose fractured sanity led to rifts between he and his brothers and hampering his competence. Dorn was in the midst of a pacification with Curze and the Night Lords when he received the news, leading to Dorn snapping and attacking Curze. The righteous and just Night Haunter succeeding in knocking Dorn out and return him to Inwit in a vain attempt to heal Dorn.

On One-Five-Four-Six, a world named Kharaatan, the Night Lords battled side by side with the XVIII Legion, the Salamanders. Though they initially believed the Salamanders to be one of the more noble legions, the Night Lords would be disgusted at the Salamanders' collateral damage and murder of innocents. Konrad Curze, Primarch of the Night Lords, lashed out and attacked Vulkan after he saw the Dragon Lord brutally murder an Eldar child.

Despite many believing he should've inherited the mantle of Warmaster, Horus Lupercal held no bitterness, and remained humble. In his own conquests, Lupercal established diplomacy with another great human civilisation: the Interex. This confederation of xenos and human possessed technologies far more advanced than that wielded by the Imperium. Thankfully, the Interex was elated to come into contact with fellow humans. Diplomacy was almost jeopardised when the Interex discovered that a museum of powerful artefacts and weaponry had been stolen from and blown up. Due to Horus' charisma, war was averted and the Luna Wolves participated in the investigation of the explosion. The Interex were sucessfully vassalised, integrating its alien subjects despite the Crusade's staunch anti-xenos stance. This gifted the Imperium with technology not seen before, and the Interex swiftly possessed a rank similar to the Mechanicum Of Mars. During the final days of the Interex's subjugation, the XVI Legion received news that Eugan Temba, Imperial Governor of Davin and friend of Lupercal, had risen in rebellion against the Imperium. Enraged, Horus embarked to the planet Davin on a personal mission to destroy Eagan Temba and his insurrectionists. During the attack, Lupercal was wounded by the corrupted Eugan Temba, wielding a blade of the Interex known as the Anathame. The Luna Wolves would send messages to the Thousand Sons for aid, bringing Magnus the Red to Davin to heal Horus. Magnus would manage to cure Horus of the corruption, giving the Primarch of the XVI Legion a near immunity to Chaos corruption.

Ferrus and his closest brother Fulgrim had just destroyed the Diasporex when the Gorgon would receive a message that his homeworld, Medusa, was under attack. In a rage, Ferrus led the Iron Hands alone to Medusa, discovering that the planet was under assault by a Chaos Cult. Ferrus would unite with a nearby Word Bearer fleet under the leadership of Erebus, before landing on the planet. The Battle Of Medusa was led by a Greater Daemon Of Tzeentch, whom Ferrus, with Erebus' advice, chased into the Daemon's home base, a shifting, crystalline maze. The Gorgon led a charge into the maze, entering a region where the Warp and Realspace would be intertwined. One by one, the Iron Hands that followed their Primarch went insane, their mind shattering under Tzeentch's influence and turning on their brothers. After what seemed like centuries, Ferrus broke, submitting to the Ruinous Powers and becoming their champion. Magnus would project a shard of himself within the maze, though it was too late. Emerging from the maze, Ferrus would discover that the battle was still going on. Realising what he must do to depose his father, Ferrus kept up his guise of loyalty and continued the attack on the Tzeentchian Cult, winning the battle.

The Heresy Begins

Ferrus joined with Lorgar, who had fallen to the Chaos Gods after his Pilgrimage within the Warp. Together, they would exploit the weaknesses of the other Primarchs. With their combined efforts, the Lion, Vulkan, and Corvus Corax would pledge allegiance. Magnus tried to warn the Emperor of Ferrus' betrayal, but the Emperor would refuse to believe it.

The Lion, bitter at the Emperor's refusal to acknowledge his heroic acts, did not fall easily to Ferrus Manus. At first, the Lion felt doubt, before pledging his forces to the Warmaster. However, the Lion refused to grant the traitors the weapons hidden within the vaults of the Dark Angels. As such, the primarch destroyed the weapons. He was fighting to save Mankind, not destroy it.

Corvus Corax, the Ravenlord, had had a brutal life on the moon of Deliverance. Once granted atomic weapons, the Liberator unleashed nuclear fury on the Lords of Kiavahr, annihilating five of Kiavahr's greatest cities. Yet due to a secret plot of betrayal within Corvus Corax's forces, the primarch failed to escape Kiavahr, and was caught in the blast radius. The radiation from the weapons permanently scarred Corvus Corax, so much so that even he was horrified at the status of his visage. When the Master Of Mankind entrusted Corvus Corax with the true nature of the warp, Corax felt despair and hopelessness: how could Mankind face such a threat? Because of this, Corax believed that the only way Mankind could survive was to surrender to the powers of the warp.

Vulkan, the Lord Of Drakes, landed on the world of Nocturne, a world subject to Dark Eldar raids. The primarch was not exempt. Multiple times, Vulkan was captured by the Dark Eldar and tortured, only to escape again and again. Though his luck soon came to an end. Vulkan was slain in captivity by the Dark Eldar, only to discover his status as a Perpetual. The Dark Eldar, beings of cruelty, utilised this for their sadistic nature. Vulkan was forced into the gladiator pits, forced to kill. The Dark Eldar tortured him to the point of death again and again and again. The incessant torture drove Vulkan insane, filled with hatred and anger. Upon finally escaping, Vulkan returned to Nocturne, where the Emperor awaited him. Vulkan's adoptive father, a blacksmith, tried to speak out, though the Emperor prevented him, using his psychic nature to cripple Vulkan's adoptive father, earning Vulkan's ire.

Leman Russ, the Emperor's attack dog and executioner, received orders to arrest Magnus and return him to Terra for trial after Magnus had permitted his legion to engage in all manner of sorcery. But Russ' bloodlust and hatred of the XV Legion led to him disobeying his orders and purging the Thousand Sons. The Custodes assigned to the Vlka Fenryka would be slain trying to enforce the Emperor's will. Upon landing on Prospero, Russ looked around him and saw the Thousand Sons decimating the Space Wolves. In a fit of rage, the Wolf King charged, massacring any of Magnus' sons he came across, revelling in the pleasure and bloodlust and led him forth. But bloodlust is still lust. The Primarch would embrace his pleasure and lust, embracing the Prince Of Excess, Slaanesh. The newfound strength coursed through Russ as he continued his assault, coming before Magnus himself. The two brothers would duel, though Russ' ferocity overcame Magnus' psychic might. Russ grabbed Magnus and lifted him up, before breaking him over his knee and shattering him into a multitude of shards. This event would create an enormous psychic backlash, putting pressure on the Emperor's Webway Project and, with Slaanesh's aid, would tear a hole within it, restricting the Emperor to the Golden Throne trying to prevent a daemonic incursion into the Webway.

Sanguinius and his legion were instructed by the Warmaster to put down an invasion of Signus Prime, where Sanguinius would encounter the Red Angel, a daemon sworn to Khorne. In an attempt to free his legion from the curses of the Red Thirst, Sanguinius entered the casket, planning on merging with the daemon, only to discover the Red Angel had been an illusion by the Azure Angel, a daemon sworn to Tzeentch, who inhabited Sanguinius' body. But Sanguinius' true personality fought the daemon, fracturing Sanguinius' sanity and severely weakening his abilities. Because of Tzeentch's influence, the Red Thirst suddenly rises in the Blood Angels, turning them into ruthless and ambitious husks of the once noble legion. The fall of the Blood Angels led Sanguinius to despise them; they were nothing more than barbarians, antithesis to what they should've been.

On Isstvan III, the combined might of the Iron Hands, Dark Angels, Salamanders and Raven Guard would attempt to purge the loyalist elements of their legions. However, their plan would be flawed by the Dark Angel Luther, who the Lion had left on a flagship due to his attachment to him, and the Salamander T'kell, who had managed to obtain a Thunderhawk and reach the planet's surface to warn the loyalists. The traitors launched an attack on Isstvan III, where the loyalists would cause many traitor deaths. All the while, Luther would launch his ship out of the Isstvan System to warn the Emperor of Ferrus' treachery. Luther successfully reached Luna, where he met Perturabo and Malcador The Sigilite. Malcador, recognising Luther's abilities, would take Luther as his Knight Of Grey, with the objective of forming the Knights-Errant.

With Ferrus, Vulkan, Corax and the Lion's betrayal unveiled, they united on Isstvan V. With direct orders from the Emperor and the Lord Of Terra, seven legions joined up in the Isstvan System. The Emperor's Children, the World Eaters and the Death Guard landed in the first wave, with Fulgrim in all his elegance carving his way through the traitor forces. The World Eaters under Angron savagely cleared the depression, clearing the landing zones for the reinforcements whilst Mortarion's Death Guard defended key positions. With everything going to plan, the next four legions would land. Dorn, Sanguinius, Lorgar and Alpharius and their respective legions landed atop the depression. Mortarion and his legion began a steady retreat towards the top of the depression. Angron and the World Eaters continued their shock assaults, ripping their way to reach the artillery. Fulgrim, filled with anger at his friend's betrayal, continued his charge towards Ferrus' position. The reinforcements lined up on the ridge and, in a moment of hope, they cried and opened fire. But that hope turned to despair, when the bolter fire was directed at the loyalists.

A Galaxy At War

The betrayal of four powerful legions decimated the loyalists. Angron, upon realising the betrayal, raged. The Primarch of the XII Legion turned into a berserker, fury incarnate. He tore through the Dark Angels, Imperial Fists and Salamanders, before coming face to face with Rogal Dorn. The two brothers would duel, but Dorn's skill was overcome by Angron's fury, and the Lord Of The Red Sands severely wounded Dorn. The World Eaters reached the artillery, clearing the position and calling for extraction. Their position was then assaulted by the Dark Angels, whose Primarch, the Lion, duelled Angron. Both demigods scored many blows, though the Lion would manage to wound Angron enough to put him in a coma. Just as the First was about to slay Angron, the World Eaters opened fire, forcing the Lion to retreat and allowing the World Eaters to extract.

Mortarion and the Death Guard were hit the worst due to being the closest to the reinforcements. Mortarion turned and retreated, leading his men towards Angron's position. On the way, Mortarion duelled the twin primarchs Alpharius and Omegon. Mortarion struggled, though he succeeded, killing Omegon and forcing Alpharius to retreat. The Death Guard fortified the extraction site, but at great cost. Knowing what he must do, Calas Typhon told his father to retreat. Realising what his son must do, Mortarion saluted his First Captain, his friend. Ordering a retreat, Typhon embraced his psychic nature, giving him the strength to hold the extraction point long enough for his brothers to retreat. Tired from the hours of fighting, Typhon was fatally wounded by a Blood Angel swordsman. With his final breath, Typhon activated his final weapon: a bomb created from the devastating weapon known as Phosphex. The resulting explosion killed a great many traitors, including the Dragon Lord, Vulkan. Despite this, Vulkan returned to life due to his previously undiscovered status as a Perpetual.

Despite Fulgrim's anger and frustration, the Phoenician's reason would prevail, and he led the Emperor's Children to the center of the depression in an attempt to flee the planet. Promising Ferrus Manus that their duel would come one day, Fulgrim fled, slaying many Morlocks and escaping Isstvan. The Emperor's Children were scattered, with the bulk of the legion under Fulgrim heading to Chemos, whilst the Second, Tenth and Thirteenth Companies fled to Ultramar to warn Guilliman and the Ultramarines of the Heresy.

The Emperor's Children under Solomon Demeter reached Ultramar just before the Word Bearer's attack on Calth, allowing the Ultramarines to wait for the Word Bearer's attack before launching a trap. Saul Tarvitz and Lucius, two fresh Captains, would prove themselves on Calth, Lucius with his swordsmanship and Tarvitz with his leadership. The Death Guard fled to begin their voyage to Nostramo, where they contacted Konrad Curze. Khârn and the World Eaters launched guerrilla tactics whilst retreating back to Nuceria in order to find a way to awaken Angron. Fulgrim reached Chemos with the bulk of his legion, being able to contact the other three primarchs on the other side of the galaxy. Word would reach Horus and Perturabo of the Dropsite Massacre, leading to Horus forming defences between the Maelstrom and Eye Of Terror in order to prevent the traitors' advance, and Perturabo began fortifying the Solar System and nearby systems. The Khan, receiving multiple mixed messages, set out on a journey to uncover the truth of the Heresy.

Upon reaching Prospero, Jaghatai would meet one of the many shards of Magnus, who would tell him of the Space Wolves' attack and fall to Slaanesh. From the skies of Prospero, the Lion appeared, trying to convince his friend to turn on the Imperium and form a new faction, free from the Imperium and Chaos. But the Khan's sense would prevail, drawing his sword and duelling the Lion. Jaghatai and the Lion were fairly even in skill, but the Lion began to breakthrough the Khan's defence. Within the fleet of the White Scars, Qin Xa succeeded in locking a teleportation beam on his primarch, the shard of Magnus, and the few Thousand Sons remaining on Prospero. With the truth laid bare, Jaghatai sent a message to the loyalists: the White Scars would fight for the Emperor. The White Scars and Thousand Sons began another journey, in a quest to find the shards of Magnus and piece together the Primarch. The Khan travelled the galaxy, collecting shards of Magnus and his legion, eventually building up a great force, enough to pierce the Ruinstorm. The now reunited Magnus and Jaghatai broke through the Warp, only to meet an army of Salamanders and Imperial Fists commanded by Dorn on the other side, leading to the two legions being bogged down and unable to reach Terra. As the Siege Of Terra was fought, the Khan and the rebuilt, but still weak, Magnus attacked Dorn's seat of Beta-Garmon, beginning the Second Battle Of Beta-Garmon. The combined might of the Thousand Sons and White Scars clashed with the near full might of the VII Legion, battling across the entire planet in one of the largest battles of the Heresy. After many months of warfare, the Primarch of the Thousand Sons utilised his psychic strength, summoning a great bolt of warp lightning, one that finally broke through the Imperial Fists' defences, allowing the White Scars and their Khagan to assault Dorn himself. The primarch of the VII Legion stood at the foot of his palace, his vicious chainsword gripped tightly in his gold-plated hands. The Khan approached, his blade shining in the setting sun of Beta-Garmon. Dorn lunged, his savage strength nearly catching his foe off guard. The primarchs, both masters of a blade, fought across the palace, killing any and all that attempted to intervene in mere moments. Targutai Yesugei, Chief Stormseer of the White Scars, funnelled the last of his powers into his primarch, empowering Jaghatai Khan at the expense of his own life. Enraged at the death of one of his closest friends, the Khan turned into a whirlwind of steel, slicing through Rogal Dorn's armour, delivering dozens of wounds and even carving off one of Dorn's auramite encased hand. Dorn proceeded to headbutt the Khan, allowing him to escape as the last of Beta-Garmon's defenders fell. Whilst their efforts had decimated the Imperial Fist garrison, those two legions were too late to arrive at the Siege Of Terra, and it was later discovered that the garrison on Beta-Garmon had been a portion, albeit a large one, of the VII Legion, and the rest of the legion had been summoned to Dorn on Sebastus IV

With the might of two legions, Russ and Lorgar launched the Shadow Crusade, attacking much of Ultramar. Guilliman alongside Solomon Demeter mounted a great defence and managed to extract many civilians, but Calth's sun was still overloaded, turning Calth into a radioactive wasteland. Then at Armatura, the Word Bearers and Space Wolves launched another attack and beat Orfeo Cassandar, but Lucius' bravery led to the death of many traitors. Finally, the Shadow Crusade would peak at Fenris, where Lorgar and Russ would begin their ritual to create the Ruinstorm. Their plan would be thwarted upon the arrival of a united force of Night Lords, Emperor's Children and Ultramarines. Curze and his Night Lords sprung an ambush, killing multiple Word Bearers and almost killing Lorgar. Lorgar joined up with Russ to mount a final defence to finish the ritual. Russ duelled Guilliman, almost killing the Primarch of the Ultramarines if not for Solomon Demeter's intervention, who shot Russ in the leg and attacked the Wolf King, wounding him before Russ would kill Demeter. The wounds Russ sustained in his duels were fatal, but the ritual had finished. The galaxy split in half as the Ruinstorm emerged. The psychic energy flooded into Russ, ascending the Primarch to a Daemon Prince Of Slaanesh. The traitors then fled, leaving the Fenris System and entering the Warp. After the Ruinstorm was formed, the three primarchs in Imperium Nihilus (Curze, Mortarion and Guilliman) formed Imperium Secundus, with Guilliman at its helm. Mortarion and Curze fought with Corax and the Lion. They launched the Thramas Crusade, destroying many of the Dark Angels and Raven Guard. The Crusade peaked at Tsagualsa, where Corax had made his base of operations. Curze attacked the planet, leading to a duel between the two. They would be evenly matched, trading blow for blow until Corax embraced Nurgle's power, leading to Curze being forced to retreat from Tsagualsa. With time running out and the Emperor revealed to still be alive via Konrad Curze's visions, the newly awakened Angron proposed an idea: to attempt an attack on the Ruinstorm. The four primarchs collectively agreed, and the Night Lords, World Eaters, Death Guard and Ultramarines charged. Angron distracted a Slaaneshi force whilst Guilliman held the rear, allowing Curze, Mortarion and a large fraction of the Night Lords and Death Guard to arrive in Imperium Sanctus and reach Terra just before the Siege. Raging at his failures, Angron began a purging of the traitors, destroying many of their homeworlds like Colchis, Medusa and Baal.

The Primarchs within Imperium Sanctus were Fulgrim, Perturabo and Horus. Fulgrim remained on Chemos for the majority of the Heresy, rebuilding his legion before heading to Terra, being one of the three legions to defend the holy world. Perturabo remained on Terra, fortifying the world and creating many elaborate tricks and chokepoints, though a portion of his legion under Barabas Dantioch defended Phall against the daemonic Rogal Dorn, killing many Imperial Fists and successfully defending Phall. The Death Guard from the Shattered Legions employed old Dusk Raider tactics, using shock and awe tactics to butcher the Iron Hands, Blood Angels, Word Bearers and Alpha Legion. Horus and his Luna Wolves blockaded the region of space between the Eye Of Terror and Maelstrom, wearing down the main traitor force. However, Molech, the heart of the loyalists' defences, fell to Ferrus Manus. Enraged, the primarch of the Luna Wolves led a suicidal charge on the traitors. The Luna Wolves ambushed a united traitor army at Trisolian, Lupercal charging straight for Ferrus Manus. Horus' skill in battle was matched only by Sanguinius, but Ferrus Manus was empowered by the Dark Gods, giving the Warmaster the upper hand and allowing Ferrus to inflict grave wounds on Horus, forcing Lupercal into a coma. Before the Iron Hand could land the final blow, the Luna Wolves led by Tarik Torgaddon swarmed Ferrus Manus, allowing the rest of the Mournival to flee with their primarch. Torgaddon's bravery led him into a duel with Ferrus Manus himself after killing Shadrak Meduson. With a final cry of his primarch's name, Torgaddon charged, though the Luna Wolf was easily slain, Ferrus thrusting Forgebreaker with such force that the hammerhead tore a hole through Torgaddon's chest. But the injuries sustained by both Horus and Torgaddon had left Ferrus in a dire situation. Fearing for their primarch, the Iron Hands advised Ferrus Manus to enter the unnamed Gate of Molech, where the Warmaster bargained with the very Chaos Gods themselves. It is not known what occurred within that region of the warp, but Ferrus Manus emerged from the gate restored, revitalised, with a new found strength and dark power coursing through his veins. The Warmaster had returned, the Luna Wolves were out of the way, and the gates to Terra were open...

The Solar War and Terra Besieged

Each traitor legion and their respective legions reached Ullanor, where the roots of the Heresy had been sown. The degenerated and insane traitors re-enacted a cruel, warped version of the Triumph, where Ferrus had become Warmaster. This is where the Lion began to crack. The Knight Of Caliban despised his allies and their corruption, and saw them as weak and idiotic. Despite this, the Lion kept his oaths of allegiance, loyally standing by Ferrus' side.

The civil war between the Tech-Priests of Mars had only become more violent and intense since its outbreak. Both Perturabo and Vulkan lent their master craftmanship skills to assisting the loyalists and traitors respectively. Perturabo gave the Mechanicum aid in the form of Barban Falk and many thousand Iron Warriors, tipping the war in the loyalists' favour. Perturabo's proximity to Mars and his military assistance allowed the loyalist elements of Mars to overcome the traitors under Kelbor-Hal, banishing the Dark Mechanicum to join up with the other traitors at Ullanor.

Alpharius Omegon and Sanguinius were chosen as the ones to lead the attacks on the Solar System. Alpharius Omegon led an attack on Pluto, where he managed to plant the first foothold for the traitors within the Solar System via capturing the important warp gates on the planet. Uranus and the Elysian Gate was put under pressure by Sanguinius and the Blood Angels' assault. The Iron Warriors maintained a strong defence, but Sanguinius broke the Iron Warriors, successfully taking the Elysian Gate. With the major warp gates captured, the main traitor fleet arrived in the system. From his new headquarters on Pluto, Ferrus Manus sent a strike force under Kor Phaeron and Artellus Numeon to destroy the shipyards of Jupiter in order to prevent a loyalist fleet ambushing the traitors when Terra would be besieged. The Salamanders and Word Bearers engaged in a long and brutal battle with the Iron Warriors led by Harkor and Golg. This distraction allowed the majority of the traitor forces to begin the final stage of their plan: the Siege Of Terra.

Three mighty legions held the planet: the Emperor's Children of Fulgrim, the Iron Warriors of Perturabo and the Night Lords of Konrad Curze. A portion of the shattered World Eaters and Death Guard commanded by Mortarion successfully arrived on Terra mere days before the Siege began. Mortarion, aided by Eldrad Ulthran of the Eldar Craftworld Ulthwé, had travelled through the Webway to reach Terra to defend the Throneworld. Under the Lion, the bombardment of Terra would reveal a flaw in the Aegis at Bastion-16. However, a taskforce of Raven Guard and Alpha Legion managed to disable the shields, allowing the traitors' to deal significant damage to the Palace. After many months of sieging, the traitors' managed to take the strategically important point of the Lion's Gate Spaceport. A counter-attack led by Curze assaulted a force of Raven Guard led by Corax, leading to the two brothers duelling once more. This time, Curze would overcome Corax, eviscerating the Nurglite Daemon Prince and banishing him.

Now down by one Primarch, Ferrus ordered the Lion to launch another assault to secure the route to the Imperial Palace. There, the Lion would come face-to-face with his wayward son, Corswain. The Angel Of Death and the Emperor's loyal Angel would duel, crossing blades. However, the Lion's skill was too great for Corswain, and the Primarch would impale his son. Corswain pulled himself further down the blade, and bury his own sword into his father's chest. Now fatally wounded and tired of the traitors' degeneracy, the Lion withdrew his legion, though his withdrawal meant little to the traitors. His role in breaking down the Imperial defences had been completed, and the loss of the Lion affected none of the traitor primarchs.

The Primarch of the IX Legion, Sanguinius, infiltrated the Imperial Palace as his legion launched another attack on the Imperial defences. The Emperor's warp defences prevented the Azure Angel from emerging, allowing the true Sanguinius to have a coherent discussion with Malcador The Sigilite and Konrad Curze. What the three discussed has been lost to history, but its effects were profound. Sanguinius, defying Ferrus' orders, returned to his flagship, The Red Tear. Whilst on it, Sanguinius would head towards its warp drive and detonate it, sacrificing himself but causing an explosion large enough to severely damage the traitor fleet. With the death of their primarch, the Blood Angels and their leadership would be shattered. A side effect of the fall of their beloved father was the Azure Rage, a curse on the Blood Angels that imbued them with mindless fury, forced to suffer the fractured mind of Sanguinius.

Just before the traitors could break through the Palace's defences, the force of Luna Wolves arrived, ambushing the traitor fleet. Horus had been resurrected by the sacrifice of his equerry, Maloghurst, and Lupercal had amassed his legion on Cthonia, routing the Word Bearer blockade and dashing towards Terra. With Ferrus Manus launching a mad final charge against the Palace, Malcador took the burden of the Golden Throne, dying in the process but allowing the Emperor to duel Ferrus. Horus, the Luna Wolves and the Justaerin dropped onto the surface, leading a devastating charge through the traitors' weak point towards the Palace.

With time running out, Ferrus, Vulkan and Alpharius Omegon led an attack on the Palace directly. The three Primarchs assaulted the Palace in three directions, each force led by a Primarch. Vulkan's Pyre Guard and Perturabo's Iron Warriors culled eachother, allowing Perturabo and Vulkan to come face-to-face and duel. Vulkan's superior combat ability almost killed the Lord Of Iron, before Perturabo blasted a gaping hole in Vulkan's chest, banishing the Primarch of Khorne. The Alpha Legion ambushed the Death Guard and Mortarion, with Alpharius Omegon duelling Mortarion. Mortarion banished the Shadow God's Daemon Primarch, using his scythe Silence to decapitate Alpharius Omegon, sending him back to the warp.

The Warmaster, Ferrus Manus, was the only one to successfully penetrate the Palace's defences. There, in his father's home, he encountered his once friend, Fulgrim. The two Primarchs exchanged no words, before they charged. Fulgrim's finesse and Ferrus' brute strength were evenly matched, with the Gorgon restraining his chaotic powers in an attempt to not slay his best friend. Fulgrim had no such restraint, however. The Phoenician plunged Fireblade into Ferrus' ribs, wounding the Iron Hand. Now consumed with rage, Ferrus unleashed his wrath, bludgeoning Fulgrim with Forgebreaker until the once beautiful Primarch was nothing more than a broken corpse. At this moment, the Emperor appeared, sword in hand. Father and son fought, light against dark, right against wrath.

The Emperor, the Master Of Mankind, a being so powerful He could rival the Ruinous Powers themselves, was unable to match the sheer power given to Ferrus Manus. The Warmaster had conquered any doubts and uncertainty within him, giving him such power that he was capable of overpowering the Emperor. It seemed as if Ferrus Manus was to follow the path of Slaanesh, rising to ascension in humanity's ashes, as he battled his father in the physical realm and the metaphysical, their duel felt in the domains of time and space.

Realising his allies' were doomed and sentenced to failure, Russ ordered his legion to abandon the Siege, boarding their ships and disappearing from Terra. With the Space Wolves gone, Horus was able to reach the Palace. Breaking into the Palace, Horus saw the Emperor near death, with Ferrus almost dealing the killing blow. In his arrogance, Ferrus Manus had cast off his warp powers, determined to prove his might as a Primarch, not empowered by the Chaos Gods. With the speed of fury, despair and hope, Horus appeared behind Ferrus, catching the Warmaster at unawares. Horus plunged his Talons into Ferrus' chest, piercing both of his hearts. Gasping for air, the Warmaster desperately tried to reabsorb the powers gifted to him by the Dark Pantheon. Yet he despaired upon realising that the Gods had abandoned him as punishment. Without a second thought, Lupercal struck Ferrus' head clean off with Worldbreaker. In that same moment, the Emperor channeled the entirety of His might into his blade, impaling His son, utterly annihilating the Warmaster down to his very soul and finally putting an end to the Heresy. Ferrus Manus remained as little more than a skeleton in charred armour, gone from the Materium and Immaterium.

In vain of Horus' attempts, the Emperor was dying. With no choice left, the perfect son carried his father's broken body to the Golden Throne, where he and Curze connected him to the Astronomican. But not all hope was lost. The Emperor's psychic might, empowered by Magnus' influence on the Golden Throne, aided the Emperor in holding back the Ruinous Powers for many eternities.

The Great Scouring and the Long War

With the Heresy ended and the traitors scattered, the remaining loyalists forced the traitors under Lorgar off of Terra. The approaching Guilliman and Angron only made the traitors' rush to the Eye Of Terror even more tumultuous. With the Emperor almost dead and the Imperium in ruins, the primarchs formed the Imperial Council, an organisation in which each primarch would lend their hand in managing mankind. Horus was chosen as Imperator Regis, the Imperial Regent in the absence of his father. Guilliman, as the most skilled and competent strategist and logistician, rose to the mantle of Lord Commander of the Imperium's armies.

Many new fleets and loyal Astartes began a purge of the Traitor Legions, known as the Great Scouring. Even their mark on history would be gone, for Horus ordered the records of the Traitor Legions to be expunged from Imperial archives. But many worlds remained in rebellion, whether in the Arch-Traitor's name or for their own independence. Internal threats arose to threaten the Imperium, heretics and traitors infiltrated every organisation and wreaked absolute havoc within the Imperium's bureaucracy. With the Khan's and Magnus' proposal, Konrad Curze founded the Inquisition as a way to combat those internal threats. The Night Haunter additionally enacted the last orders of the Lord Of Terra, forming the Ordo Malleus, with the psychically-enhanced Luther Of Caliban at its helm as the Supreme Grandmaster Of The Grey Knights. The Ecclesiarchy was formed by Magnus The Red with the purpose of uniting the Imperium through faith.

As the Great Scouring was underway, Perturabo planned to lure the impatient Rogal Dorn to the planet of Sebastus IV, where the Lord Of Iron had prepared a trap known as the Iron Cage. Dorn was lured forward, but Perturabo's arrogance was turned against him as Dorn utilised the Cage against the Praetorian, inflicting heavy casualties on the Iron Warriors. Infuriated, Perturabo launched an overly aggressive charge on the Imperial Fists, and the remainder of his legion would have been annihilated if not for Guilliman's intervention.

Guilliman, whilst managing the Scouring alongside Horus, wrote the Codex Astartes, with the concept of breaking the legions into different chapters to ensure an event like the Heresy would never occur again on such a large scale. The Codex was supported by Perturabo, Jaghatai Khan and Konrad Curze, whilst Horus, Magnus, Mortarion and Angron opposed it. The grief-stricken Horus refused to back down, to the point where the lines were drawn and civil war was considered inevitable. Though thanks to the effort of Garviel Loken and the Khan, Horus backed down, and the Codex was implemented across the many legions.

The Lion, who has continued to repel Chaos' influence, leads his legion from the remains of Caliban, which has since been forged into a formidable ship known as the Rock. The Dark Angels continue to threaten the Imperium Of Man, but their conflict with the Forces Of Chaos, specifically the Imperial Fists, has made them unable to launch any significant attacks since their assault on Artemia Majoris. Should they manage to form an offensive, the Imperium would suffer unimaginable amounts of harm and would be forced onto the back foot.

The Wolf King, now Slaanesh's depraved champion according to the visions of many Thousand Sons, launched many attacks on the Imperium, though his legion had shattered into many warbands pursuing their own pleasure and lust. Russ' invasions always resulted in a Siege Of Prospero, powered by his bigotry and hatred of Magnus' sons. And every time, the Thousand Sons repelled Russ, with Ahriman being the one to banish Russ until his death. The Wolf King has repeated this cycle, but his debaucherous nature has since led him to the very fringes of the galaxy. Rumours circle that the Executioner is amassing a new force, one to end Prospero's streak of victories once and for all.

Rogal Dorn's organisation and tactical genius made him a grave threat for Mankind. Their allegiance to the forces of Chaos Undivided empowered them with the gifts of all the Ruinous Powers. The Prince Of Dorn has taken his seat upon the ruins of Inwit, now a cold anarchic shell of the Daemon's former homeworld that has migrated to the Maelstrom, a conduit between the Warp and Realspace. The First Captain, Sigismund, one of the greatest Astartes swordsmen, has remained loyal to his gene-father, becoming the Worldclaimer, and herald of Dorn's campaigns, whilst leading the zealous and intolerant warband known as the Black Templars. Their martial might is a primordial force, and one to be feared. Of all the traitor legions, Dorn's Sons have caused the most damage and wounding to the Imperium, rivalled only by Santar's Black Legion. But their damage has been contained due to the rivalry between Dorn and the Lion, taking form in the Paramarian Wars.

With Sanguinius dead, the Azure Angel had lost his champion. But the Lord Of Illusions was neither weak nor stupid. In his stead, Azkaellon merged with the dark fragments of his father's soul, ascending to Daemon Prince Of Tzeentch and obtaining many of Sanguinius' abilities, though the Commander Of The Sanguinary Guard would fall short of the grace and skill of Sanguinius. After the Blood Angels fled into the Eye Of Terror and partook in the Legion Wars, their fate was supposedly sealed when the Salamanders assaulted the Blood Angels' last recruitment world. But Azkaellon, leading the possessed Sanguinary Guard, arrived to the Blood Angels' aid, annihilating the Salamander warband and even causing the warriors of the XVIII to suffer mental breaks from Azkaellon's psychic might despite Khorne's influence. Now leading a united Blood Angel force sworn to Tzeentch, Azkaellon seeks vengeance on former First Captain Raldoron, who he sees as a traitor to their legion and father.

The remnants of the Iron Hands suffered the worst during the Scouring due to their gene-father's failure. They were hunted and purged by, not only the Imperium, but also their former comrades of the Heresy. Through the combined actions of Gabriel Santar and Raldoron, Santar united the remnants of the X and aspects of the IX into the Black Legion. Santar's new legion consisted of members from every traitor legion. His Santarion, his council of closest advisors and the founders of the Black Legion, matches this, consisting of notables such as Raldoron and Zardu Layak. Since its formation, the Black Legion has launched 13 Black Crusades. The first 12 achieved their goals, though did not cause much damage to the Imperium. The 13th Black Crusade, launched at the end of the 41st Millenium, dealt the most damage, destroying the world of Cadia and splitting the Galaxy in two, forming the Great Rift.

The XVII Legion, the Word Bearers, are fractured much like the other Servants Of Chaos. However, the majority of their legion remains under the leadership of their father, Lorgar, who hides within the Eye Of Terror and dispatches segments of his sons under Erebus and Kor Phaeron to aid different Chaos invasions of the Imperium. Not much is known about the Word Bearers after the Heresy, as their Primarch's psychic might prevents the Night Lords' foresight and the Thousand Sons' divination to learn much information about the legion.

The XVIII Legion, the once noble Salamanders, are Khorne's puppets, filled with anger and hate. Any aspects of kindness and humanity has been replaced by near mindless berserk rage and savagery. Their Primarch, Vulkan Of Nocturne, has ascended to a Khorne's chosen prince. He bases his legion on his homeworld of Nocturne, now a volcanic Daemon World that shows no mercy to those not blessed by Khorne. Their notorious brutality has led their many warbands to reave and maraud all across Imperial Space, even getting so close as to reach Pluto.

Reports from the Death Guard tell of the plague-ridden and fetid surface of Deliverance. They tell of the Raven Guards' status as walking abominations of rot and ruin, proof of Nurgle's influence being prevalent amongst the Sons Of The Shadow. Their bodies are decomposing, merged with their black armour, whilst their black eyes remain the same, shrouded with false kindness. The Raven Guard are the very dead walking, and their ability to disappear from the sights of Men makes them the sudden pestilence. Sightings show the fallen Ravens consuming the corpses of both friend and foe. Corvus Corax, formerly the most trusted of the primarchs, is the Fist Of Nurgle, spreading blights and diseases across the Galaxy, fuelling his master's strength, whilst his black wings are decaying, covered with poison and decomposing flesh. The Night Lords have an eternal hatred and rivalry of the rotten Raven Guard.

The Alpha Legion, the XX Legion, are shrouded in mystery, intrigue and schemes. They plot their operations from an ever shifting Daemon World ruled by the shadowy figure known as Alpharius Omegon, Daemon Primarch Of Shadows, and vassal of Be'lakor. The spectres known as Alpharius' sons are hidden amongst the Imperium, infiltrating even the highest of Mankind's organisations, revealing the most vulnerable regions of the Imperium and striking out. The Alpha Legionnaires' skill in torture and manipulation strikes fear in the heart of any Guardsmen, and even some Astartes. Commanders of the Astra Militarum attempt to avoid conflict with the Alpha Legion at every turn, delegating the task to Astartes. The Alpha Legion are so renowned that even the Dark Eldar are reluctant to fight the Daemonic Legionnaires.

The Return Of An Empire

It is the 41st Millenium, and the Imperium Of Man, now a rotting corpse of the old dream, is beset on all sides. The unexpected onslaught of the Tyranids, the return of the long dormant Necrons, and the wars launched by the forces of Chaos, have caused immense damage to the Imperium. The 13th Black Crusade, launched by Gabriel Santar's Black Legion, wreaked havoc across the Imperium and nearly brought it to its knees with the destruction of Cadia, creating the Great Rift that split the forces of mankind in half. However, the Ynnari and the Luna Wolves, with the aid of Belisarius Cawl of the Adeptus Mechanicus, have successfully healed the comatose Horus' wounds on Cthonia. Now, at the helm of a new Crusade, Lupercal aims to return his father's empire to its former glory, and grant mankind one last chance at hope…

"Father." Horus choked out in horror and awe, collapsing to his knees. The man, the thing, the abomination, seated before him on the Golden Throne, that was not the Emperor. It couldn't be. And yet, it was. It was the remains of a being unrivalled in power, the remains of one who united all of Mankind under a single banner. "Father," pleaded Horus, "father help me. I need guidance."

The corpse on the Golden Throne remained still, in a perpetual state of decay, as it had been for ten millennia. In Horus' mind, the Primarch felt a slumbering god stir. Dozens of voices flooded his mind. They drove him to insanity. All true yet all false, all benevolent yet all malicious. It was too much. Horus struggled to form any semblance of a thought. The voices were too much. He tried to remember: Abaddon, Torgaddon, Loken, Sanguinius, Fulgrim, Jaghatai, the Emperor. The Emperor. Horus tried to remember his father, his true father, clad in shining gold and wielding potent flame. Horus tried. Horus failed. Horus forgot.

And then, it spoke. The abomination on the Throne, spoke.

'My son', it said in a comforting voice.

'Sixteen', it said with spite.

'Saviour.'

'First Found.'

'Favoured.'

'Chosen.'

'Liar.'

'Traitor.'

'Murderer.'

The voices spoke all at once, in an endless tide. They were deafening, and silent. The insults, titles, honours, they never ceased. The pure, unbridled tempest of the Emperor had been unleashed, and its target was Horus. He felt the coursing of his blood with such intensity, his brain threatened to implode. Was this truly to be his end? To die at the feet of his progenitor? After all he had accomplished? Then the primordial spoke coherently.

'Horus. My son.' The voices said, eerily calm. Calm as a sunset sea. Time paused. No. Time ceased to exist. Haunting memories returned to the Primarch. He could remember. Everything came to Horus, as clear as the summer sky. Everything came back, but nothing returned. They were not memories. They were the product of a broken mind inflicting its eternal suffering on the one responsible for its state. Horus' eyes stung. Not from the strain of the Emperor's might. They were tears. Droplets rolled down his cheeks and onto the floor below. He was crying. His nightmare had become a reality. He was alone. Alone, in a galaxy of nought but foes, no one alongside him. For the first time in every annal of history, a Primarch felt fear. A comforting light blessed Horus, granting him warmth. The Primarch attempted to look up through blurry eyes, and could not see. Too much light, too bright, too powerful. Despite the Emperor's rotting state, a soft hand caressed Horus' cheek.

'My son, why do you cry?' A single voice said, gentle and sympathetic.

'Son.' Another voice echoed.

'Not a son.'

'Thing.'

'A thing.'

'A name.'

'Not a thing, not a name.'

'More. It is more.'

'He is more.'

'A tool.'

'No tool. It is more'

'He is more.'

Thoughts battered him. The number of voices rose, hundreds now spoke, threatening to shatter his sanity. A sense of doom filled Horus. Not just doom, a sense of hope. This was his father, what he was resorted to. A machine rusting, a being decaying, a strength fading.

'Nergüi. Lupercal. Horus.' The hundreds of voices repeated, overlapping until they became one.

'Horus. My son. My pride. My greatest triumph. My greatest hope.'

Horus wanted to believe those words. He wanted to put his faith in his father's words so desperately. But they were not lies. They were something worse, so much worse. Horus realised his purpose there. He was a conqueror, a statesman, a king, a god. He was all, but he was none. No, there was only one purpose he was made for, only one he knew with absolute certainty.

'My greatest tool.'

The tears were gone now, replaced not with anger, or hatred. All emotions were merely…gone. Dissipated. Evaporated. Horus rose his head, fixing his dead eyes on the pillar of blinding light, the devourer of souls, the great conqueror, the apathetic deity, the man long-dead. Horus stared at his father, and the Emperor stared back.