The Dornian Heresy - The Bolter and Chainsword

Though savage and unconventional by
the standards of many other legions,
the Space Wolves‟ innate skills as
seafarers and raiders translated well to
the role of bringing the lost human
worlds into compliance with the
Imperium. Russ‟ legendary charm,
amply backed by the threat of his
ferocious warriors, persuaded all but
the most truculent planetary leaders as
to the benefits of the burgeoning
Imperium. On occasion the Space
Wolves found themselves fighting
alongside marines from other legions,
and while Russ counted most of his
brother-primarchs as firm friends, in
the case of the Dark Angels the rivalry
was far from cordial. The gregarious
and headstrong Russ found Lion
El‟Jonson to be cold, arrogant and
superior, a fact made worse by them
having brought a greater tally of
worlds into compliance than the young
Space Wolf Legion. This antipathy
spilled over to such a degree that after
their shared enemies had been defeated
it was common for unseemly fistfights
or even blood-duels to erupt.
Despite their complete trust in the
Emperor, the culture of Fenris left the
Space Wolves eternally vigilant for any
taint of sorcery in the worlds they
conquered. Where less „superstitious‟
legions blinded themselves to the truth,
the Space Wolves took the same direct
and bloody approach to the uncanny
that they had on Fenris. It seemed that
on every planet they brought into
compliance, no matter how tranquil, a
coven of wyrds lay hidden like the
maggot within the apple. Though the
very concept of the daemonic was
treated by others at the time as
laughable, the Space Wolves saw them
for what they were. In the face of mass
possession and daemonic
manifestation, even the oblivion of
global extinction was a kindness.
While Russ himself calmed the
misgivings of his men over working
with aberrations like Astropaths and
Navigators, he forcefully forbade
battlefield psykers in his legion, and
was outspoken about their use by other
Astartes. The worst offenders in Russ‟
eyes were the Thousand Sons. Their
primarch, Magnus the Red, believed
“Books? We keep our knowledge up here! [taps head] Any tribe that used
its wood to make paper rather than spear shafts or axe handles wouldn‟t
last long on Fenris, I can tell you! We were given some books once to try
to „civilise‟ us, so they said. They came in very useful to get the fire going,
and the pages were certainly smoother and more comfortable on the
cheeks than using ghora leaves after a big meal, [grins toothily] though I
don‟t think that was quite the „civilising‟ effect they had in mind!”
wholeheartedly that psychic talent was
the key to Mankind‟s future, and used
it as an integral part of his war strategy.
The first and last time the two legions
fought alongside one another, they
came within moments of all-out
warfare. The experience convinced
Russ that Magnus‟ explorations into
the nature of the Immaterium were
nothing more than thinly veiled
sorceries of the blackest kind.
Russ was not alone in his concerns,
and on the planet of Nikaea the Master
of Mankind called a council to stand in
judgement on the subject. The Wolf-
King was characteristically forthright
in his views, and supported with
damning testimony from like-minded
primarchs such as Mortarion, Corax
and even Dorn, Magnus‟ fate appeared
sealed. When judgement came, the
Thousand Sons were not only allowed
to continue their practices, but also
given leave to soul-bind themselves to
the Emperor. Fearing that Magnus had
used his corrupt powers to influence
their father‟s decision, Russ stormed
from the council and laid plans to save
the Emperor from Himself.
The Burning of Prospero
Believing that the soul-binding ritual
would allow Magnus to poison the
Emperor‟s essence with sorcery, Russ
gathered his entire legion together to
attack the Thousand Sons‟ homeworld
of Prospero. To their credit, not a
single brother shied away from the
terrible thing the Wolf-King had asked
of them.
With all of their cunning and skill, the
Space Wolves were able to catch the
legion of sorcerers unawares, chasing
58
- Chief Bran Irontooth on the benefits of the Imperium
off their fleet and blasting their orbital
defences into wreckage before
descending onto the planet below.
What they found beneath the shining
white cities‟ veneer of purity sickened
the Space Wolves to the core. They
uncovered entire libraries of
sacrilegious texts, buildings
constructed for the sole purpose of
conducting black rites, and a populace
who openly bore the mark of the
mutant and the witch. While the Space
Wolves drew the noose around the
heavily protected capital city of Tizca,
Russ had no qualms about ordering
sustained orbital bombardments to
scour the lesser cities from the face of
the planet.
The Space Wolves advanced
cautiously beneath the protective
shield-curtain, and at first met only
scattered resistance. Emboldened, they
pressed on, only to find the city itself
becoming a labyrinth, as though the
buildings themselves were moving and
re-arranging to divide their forces. It
was then that the Thousand Sons
finally showed themselves. Isolated
and unsupported, the Space Wolves
were attacked from all sides by balefire
and mind-numbing enchantments.
Their iron torcs were of little use
against such potent magicks, and with
his legion dying around him Russ
called out to his father, to anyone, for
aid in destroying the sorcerers.
The answer came from deep within
him. It was the personification of the
bestial fury that had boiled inside his
soul since he had first run with the
wolf-pack on Fenris. It was the part of
him that yearned to slaughter whole
worlds, to feast upon warm flesh and to
swim in oceans of blood. The howl