The Tome of Banishment

[Inquisitor Rosenadel]

The Tome of Banishment

At the beginning of the Imperium, the Holy Emperor created from His own flesh twenty sons, the Primarchs. Each was gifted with a portion of His divine power, and they were demi-gods unto themselves. The Emperor loved His children, but he knew that He could not teach them all, and knew that it would be best to learn humanity from Humankind itself. So he scattered them to the distant planets on which Humankind had rooted itself. Some maintain that at that moment, when the young sons were furthest from the Emperor’s protection, the Fell Gods did seize the opportunity to exert their influence. In this moment of vulnerability, the Four of Foulness found most minds entirely closed to their whispers of power. Some listened to their whispers and considered them. A few even took their tenets to heart, whether they realized that the source of the tenets was a malign influence or not.

But the Ruinous Powers were not strong enough to fully penetrate the Emperor’s defences, and so the Primarchs were not completely destroyed, their minds not corrupted beyond hope. But the Forces of the Empyrean were able to slightly alter the paths of the twenty children, and some arrived on planets other than the one the Emperor had intended. Twelve such sons arrived on planets that, while not necessarily aligned with the Chaos Pantheon, were subtly manipulated by them. These were Alpharius the Clever, Angron the Courageous, Magnus the Keen, Mortarion the Stalwart, Beowulf the Loyal, Flugrim the Pure, Lion the Gallant, Peturabo the Imperturbable, Lorgar the True, Horus the Shrewd, Konrad the Just, and Libus the Willed. This was the ultimate test of the individual Primarchs themselves. The strongest aspects of their personalities would become their downfall, and they would be turned against their Father.

Some fared better than others. But there existed two Primarchs that stood apart from the rest. Their fates are recorded herein.


C&C welcome: let me know if this is ridiculous heresy and stupid to think about, or intriguing. Or whatever.

[hairyyahoo]

intriguing is certainly the right word since i am intrigued subscribing as we speak.

[Ides]

always wondered what the other two primarchs would be like. And I presume Libus the willed is Lion?

[Inquisitor Rosenadel]

Originally Posted by Ides

always wondered what the other two primarchs would be like. And I presume Libus the willed is Lion?

Actually no, but I did mean to put the Lion on that list... corrected. "Lion the Gallant" is now on the list.

[Ides]

Lion wasn't named by the emperor, he was named by the people who found him, as I believe most of the primarchs were, but that's a very small nit-pick.

[Inquisitor Rosenadel]

Betrayal: Beowulf the Loyal
Lexmechanic Niels Berevan, 112M.29
The planet known as Geata IV was one touched by the foul influence of the Chaos Pantheon. The land bubbled and boiled in many places, and some were as barren sandscapes. The foreboding Shiss mountains were home to many monstrous beings, snakes with broad leathery wings that could spew forth gouts of acid, tar, and flame.

It was into this hell that a child was conducted by powers beyond comprehension. He descended as a streak of smoke and fire, coming to rest near the border of a region where the Empyrean and material planes were not separated. He foraged on his own for the first age of his life, growing quickly and becoming strong. Eventually, he happened upon a great and terrible struggle. A monster of the Warp-realm named Grynndael was fighting many men near a city, in which mothers tried to run to safety with their screaming, weeping children. Beowulf gazed longingly and lovingly at the things that fought the monster, who looked much like he did. With nothing but his bare hands, he attacked the beast and slew it, tearing it limb from limb.

He thus gained the villagers’ respect and adoration. But he insisted that he merely wished to join their community, where he could be among their kind. They gladly accepted him, hailing him as the greatest warrior that lived. The towns people had cleared a spot in the centre of their small city, named Haerott, for the giant man’s dwelling. He lived in a humble hall, built with his own hands. Around its walls hung the heraldry of the greatest warriors the town had known, with the heraldry of the town itself over the massive throne the villagers gifted to Beowulf. It became a place of celebrations and massive banquets.

Beowulf defeated many of he town’s enemies. After the Grynndael, came a daemon who claimed to have spawned Grynndael, and would spawn many more. Beowulf agreed to fight the abomination deep in its own realm. Along the way, he defeated many lesser beings. Finally he battled Ormmi, the Spawner of Evil. After realizing that no material weapons could truly harm her, he found it within himself to shape, to a limited extent, the energies around them. He crafted for himself a great sword and destroyed Ormmi.

After this, his exploits were told far and wide, and he gained a great following of warriors. They began to unite under his rule, and he led them to the darkest corners of the world, defeating the creatures of darkness. Wikleif, as well as a few others among his followers, were particularly skilled, as well as courageous, earning Beowulf’s respect. The elite group would soon prove themselves as brave and loyal warriors when the greatest horror besieged Haerott. The master of all the beings of the world, the Draekøn, a massive winged wyrm whose breath carried an ethereal flame and whose horns were black-tipped and sharp as a sword-point, attacked Beowulf on-sight for destroying his Kingdom. Beowulf fought the beast, as did Wikleif and the other elite warriors, even after the other warriors were killed or fled. Eventually, Beowulf and his loyal companions killed the monster, and he named the warriors who had remained with him the Draekøngaard.

It was at this point that the Emperor descended from the Heavens to claim his son. Beowulf knew instantly that this Divine Being was his father, and he knelt in fealty, swearing eternal allegiance. With him the Emperor brought the warriors of the Second Legion, the Star Gryphons. Beowulf kept the name, but renamed the First Company after his own bodyguard, and had them inducted into the legion. The Emperor then sent them on a quest: to rid the stars of beings like the Draekøn who would harm Humanity. Beowulf and his warriors boarded the fleet and departed immediately for the Northwestern spread of stars.

But weeks later, after the raucous and long celebrations of victory and reuniting with humanity and the Emperor, Beowulf and his elite warriors discovered that defeating the Draekøn had left them with a terrible curse. Some sprouted horns, some were able to breath fire, and a few even grew wings. Beowulf received all of these mutations, in addition to sharpened teeth, scaled skin, and claws in place of nails. Beowulf found his new form uncomfortable at first, and the un-mutated Star Gryphons were sore afraid of their Progenitor. But Beowulf had preached loyalty to his warriors, and he assured them that the mutations would be of no consequence and that as they were loyal to him, so he would remain loyal to his father, the Emperor. And so Beowulf and the Star Gryphons continued on their crusade. Those inducted to the First Company were implanted with the new geneseed, which mutated them into a true member of the Draekøngaard.

As the Fates would have it, they happened upon Leman the Bold and his Legion: The Space Wolves. Leman had happened upon an unnamed system teeming with alien life, malevolent, and who appeared to be planning their own foray into the galaxy. Beowulf, the Draekøngaard, and the, Second, and Fifth Companies of the Star Gryphons dropped from the skies alongside Leman, and Beowulf was eager to greet his brother.

The image that greeted his eyes, however, was much different than he imagined. A great, howling, feral wolf-man in torn ceramite armour led a pack of similarly bestial creatures. But Beowulf had promised to his legion that his loyalty to the Emperor had not been shaken, and this meant he would trust his brother. The two legions fought alongside each other for the battle. However, once it was over, Leman the Bold ordered his legion to attack Beowulf and the Star Gryphons. Beowulf and his warriors were taken off-guard, and Beowulf pleaded with Leman to stop his attack, but Leman instead attacked Beowulf directly. Beowulf instructed his cruisers in orbit to make the Emperor aware of the situation, and the rest of his warriors to hold off the Wolves.

The fight continued, and Leman and Beowulf chased each other throughout the system. When, after a month, the Emperor arrived, Beowulf immediately requested a private audience with Him. The Emperor instead opened up a channel to both Beowulf’s flagship, the Draekøn’s Breath, and Leman’s flagship, the Wolves’ Den. Upon seeing Beowulf and members of the Draekøngaard, the Emperor demanded to know what Beowulf had done to turn himself and his legion from their quest. Beowulf replied that he had stayed true to his mission to rid the galaxy of aliens and that he had stayed true to his Father. The Emperor replied that Beowulf was a hideous aberration who had clearly made a pact with dark powers. Beowulf replied that his appearance was the result of defeating such powers.

When the Emperor was not moved, Beowulf asked the Emperor if he had seen Leman and his legion’s warriors. The Emperor opened a link from Beowulf’s ship to Leman’s, and standing there was not the hairy beast Beowulf had see earlier, but a tall, powerfully-built image of perfection. Beowulf cried out in desperation, once more claiming that he was still loyal. The Emperor’s face did not even hint of sadness as he ordered Leman to exterminate his brother and any warriors who followed him who had betrayed humankind.

Leman carried out his orders, immediately attacking the Star Gryphons. Beowulf roared in despair as he watched the Emperor’s ship jump into the Warp and leave the system. The brothers and their legions fought, but the Emperor’s decision had shocked Beowulf, and the Space Wolves caught him and his warriors by surprise. They suffered heavy losses, and eventually Beowulf decided to make a jump into the Warp to escape. They did, and Leman found himself unable to track their course, or indeed, even jump into the Warp at all. They moved to a neighbouring system where they were again able to jump to the Warp, but by then Beowulf was long-gone.

It is believed that Beowulf could still shape the Warp to a limited extent, and had blocked Leman’s pursuit. What has become of he and his legion is to this day unknown. There have been reports since the Betrayal of horned, winged, fire-breathing Astartes near the Oculus Terribus. However, any attempt to investigate by any of the other legions has been met with failure or a lack of information.

[Ides]

you're going to have to IMG that picture, its coming up blank.

[Inquisitor Rosenadel]

Pre-Betrayal Star Gryphon colour scheme

[Inquisitor Rosenadel]

Heretic: Libus the Willed
Lexmechanic Julian Bvar, 101M.29
Andrelia Prime was always known as a planet that had prided itself on being a centre for logical thought. Their rulers always governed their people soullessly and without faith, their scientists pursued technology to no end, their doctors attempted many dark and dangerous new medical procedures, and their architects devised cities that were filled with greed and hate. But they prospered, in their own, evil way. Their monstrous cities thrived in their own cruel way.

Into this setting was Libus the Willed thrust. He was a great streak in the sky that crashed into the centre of the planet’s capital city, Snepleruse. The crater destroyed the monument of their greatest scholar, Pythogorm, in the central square. The people came immediately with fire-dousing equipment as well as guns with which to kill any invader. But the being that crawled from the wreckage turned their thoughts from the notion of killing, and the people stared in wonder at this child that had come into their midst.

They did not treat him as a god, as were many other Primarchs, but instead as merely the epitome of human perfection. They studied him in his early life, and were able to further their own dark studies using the gene-seed given Libus by the Emperor. During this period , Libus did not object, and even took an interest into the people’s crafts and research. He soon proved himself to be the best mind among them, as well as the most physically fit. His arithmetical proofs were the work of a dark genius. His scientific theorems were above even the more twisted intelligence of any scientist. They produced many dangerous weapons that used Warp-energy to power them. He helped build their cities taller than any city should ever be.

From one of his experiments, he was able to replicate his gene-seed and implant it in the finest of soldiers among the people. They were transformed into corrupted parodies of Space Marines, and Libus used them to conquer the planet in a mockery of his Father. He went on to conquer the entire system with his super-human abominations.

When the Emperor and the Space Marines of the 11th Legion, the Fire Knights, finally reached the Andrelia system, His fleet was immediately hailed and asked if they had proper clearance to pass. The Emperor replied that he was the Ruler of Humankind, and He openly displayed His Divinity. The people of the Andrelia system took no heed and requested that the Emperor remain at a distance from their system until His intentions could be verified. The Emperor, Kind and Benevolent, granted their request.

The emissary that came to inspect the fleet was none other than Libus himself. Libus had an intuition that the being that greeted him with open arms was indeed his Father. However, instead of embracing his Father, he merely took his Father’s hand in formality. The Emperor was slightly put off by His Son’s cold behaviour, but went to the Andrelia Prime’s surface with Libus nonetheless.

There the Emperor saw the technologies His Son had created, the warriors His Son produced, the secular society His Son established, and the system of rule that His Son had enacted. The Emperor was appalled at His Son’s creations, but still He had hope that His Son was pure of intention and did not worship the Dark Powers.

Libus and the Emperor then went into the central Hall to discuss matters of Father and Son, Ruler and Servant, God and General, in the presence of the administrators of the system, as well as logicians and lexmechanics of the Imperium. They discussed for hours on end the Imperium and the Andrelia system. The Emperor explained Libus’ birth and subsequent test. He explained His Imperium, His grand Vision for Humankind. After listening to the Emperor’s arguments for why Libus should join Him, Libus stated his case. He called the Emperor a tyrant and an oppressor of men. He explained Andrelia’s twisted society of regulated freedom and complex trials and methods based on arithmetics and altered reasoning. The Emperor was again appalled at His Son’s behaviour and thoughts. The Emperor endeavoured to explain with reason and logic to His Son that His Rule was purely for Humankind’s benefit, and that He would lead Man across the stars, with Libus at His side. Libus stood in a grand and defiant gesture and formally renounced his Father and His Imperium, for once not bowing to logic evident in the Emperor’s Words. He demanded that the Emperor return to His Fleet and that the Imperium never return to the Andrelia system.

The Emperor left the Hall despondent and forlorn. Upon His return to the fleet, He informed the Red Knights that their Primarch had turned from the Emperor’s Light. At that very moment, the holoscreens in all the fleet’s ships began to project Libus’ image. He spouted his tainted reason to the entire fleet. The Fire Knights looked upon the face of their Primarch, and their ears opened to his arguments. After their Primarch finished exalting his Empire and degrading the Imperium, the Emperor turned to the Fire Knights. They informed Him that they saw the logic in Libus’ arguments, and that they would no longer be part of His Imperium.

The Emperor was shocked into silence. But he quickly recovered and left the fleet entirely. It was apparent to Him that Libus’ gene-seed was corrupted and that if he was strong-willed enough to deny the Emperor, then he was an enemy of Humankind. One year later, the Emperor returned with Lion the Gallant, the I Legion, and ten times ten of His Loyal Custodes. He ordered the Imperial forces to attack. Man fought man, Marine fought Marine, and Libus duelled the Lion in the Hall where Libus had first reproved the Emperor. Though Lion was equipped with honour, righteousness, his cunning, and the best armour and weapons the Imperium had to offer, he was bested. Libus did not lay the killing bow, however, and asked Lion to join him. The Lion, too weak to respond, was forced to listen to Libus voice his Heretical arguments, denouncing the Emperor and explaining his dark reason. Libus even used trickery and guile, bringing the Lion nourishment and healing potions the Libus himself had concocted. He fought off attacks by the Dark Angels for days, using the intermissions to speak with the Lion, attempting to sway him and feigning interest in his Brother’s tales in order to pierce his Borther’s heart with the poisonous barb of false comradeship.

Just when it seemed that the Lion [would crumble under Libus’ treachery], the Emperor and His Custodes burst into the Hall. The Emperor tried once more to voice His logic to Libus. Libus still refused to stand at the Emperor’s side as He conquered the galaxy in the name of Humanity. With a Heart made heavy by sorrow, the Emperor duelled His Son, and Libus was bested. But the Emperor did not kill His Son. He turned to the Lion and said that the Honour was his, as Libus had been about to kill him. The Lion took up his sword and slowly approached. He spoke a words softly to his Brother, and, with a nod from the Emperor, Lion the Gallant plunged his blade into his traitorous Brother’s chest.

The Emperor, satisfied that His Loyal Son could finish the fight, left to resume the search for His remaining Sons. The Fire Knights were sundered by their leader’s death and the Dark Angels and their faithful Primarch [destroyed them to a man. The Andrelia system was cleansed by the Dark Angels and Andrelia Prime bombarded from orbit until the very core splintered and all that was left were great hunks of rock.] -­­_________*-==+++

+++ Note: tampering evident in document. Source unconfirmed: L.I-A +++

+++ Post-Traitorus Fire Knight colour scheme attached +++

[wolfpack]

Very good bit...I enjoyed the read...and the story lined flowed well enough with existing fluff...Excellant Job