Fulgrim

Infobox Book |
name = Fulgrim


author = Graham McNeill
country = United Kingdom
language = English
series = The Horus Heresy
genre = Science fiction novel
publisher = Black Library
release_date = 2 July 2007
media_type = Print (Paperback)
pages = 512
isbn = 1-84416-476-4
preceded_by = Flight of the Eisenstein
followed_by = Descent of Angels "Fulgrim" is the fifth book of the Horus Heresy series, written by Graham McNeill (author of the second book, "False Gods"), released on July 2, 2007. It centers around the title character, Fulgrim, Primarch of the Emperor's Children Legion, as he and his Legion became the Chosen of Slaanesh, the Dark Prince of Chaos. Ferrus Manus and his Iron Hands also play a prominent role in the novel, and the pivotal Battle of Istvaan V is described in detail.

Plot Summary

The Perfect Warrior

The novel opens shortly after the Emperor's Children have taken their leave from the Luna Wolves after Horus is raised to the rank of Warmaster at Ullanor. Though a genetic accident almost destroyed the III Legion at its birth, it slowly recovered over the two centuries of the Great Crusade, with Fulgrim earning the sobriquets of 'Phoenix' or 'The Phoenician'.

The 28th Expedition has discovered an advanced alien species, the Laeran, whose considerable martial prowess and genetic engineering skills present a real challenge to Humanity. Dismissing the naysayers who favour a less violent solution, Fulgrim announces that the Emperor's Children will render Laeran compliant within a month. He makes good on his boast, though the Legion's horrific casualties turn out to be the least of the campaign's consequences.

When the main Laeran temple, a stronghold of Slaaneshi corruption, is stormed at the conclusion of the campaign, Fulgrim takes possession of a magnificent sword that seems to harbour an intelligence of its own. Meanwhile, Apothecary Fabius receives permission to conduct experiments aimed at 'enhancing' the Astartes, such as the use of combat drugs or giving Lord Commander Eidolon the ability to replicate the sonic shriek of the Laer. This is the beginnings of Fabius's descent into the role of twisted genius, testing the genetic limits of Space Marine genomes. The remembrancers on Fulgrim's flagship are hard at work to honor the victories and honors won at Laeran, which has now been renamed Twenty-Eight Three i.e. the third planet rendered compliant by the 28th Expedition.

Solomon Demeter, captain of the Second Company, and Lord Commander Vespasian are not present at the Laeran Temple and thus they alone are untainted by the corruption that begins to slowly gnaw away at their fellow officers.

The Phoenix and the Gorgon

With the Laeran now rendered extinct at his Legion's hands, Fulgrim takes the bulk of his Astartes to the Lesser Bifold Cluster, where the Iron Hands have been struggling to bring the Diasporex into open battle. The Diasporex is a nomadic fleet in which humans and xenos live in harmony, and the two Primarchs are determined to destroy this brazen violation of the Emperor's mandate. Among the Primarchs, Fulgrim and Ferrus Manus are said to be the closest of brothers, with the Phoenix's artistry and flair matching the Gorgon's sheer might and determination. However, the final space battle with the Diasporex sees the first seeds of a terrible feud sown, when Ferrus's flagship "Fist of Iron" saves Fulgrim's gunship "Firebird" from certain destruction at the hands of two Diasporex cruisers, sustaining heavy damage in the process. Fulgrim, perceiving Ferrus Manus's act as self-aggrandizement, grows furious during a subsequent boarding action as Captain Demeter seizes the target vessel's bridge ahead of him. Despite his efforts to resist, the whispers of the entity contained within the sword push Fulgrim deeper into arrogance and madness.

Visions of Treachery

During their exploration of the Perdus Anomaly, the Emperor's Children discover a number of pristine worlds ripe for colonisation. Fulgrim disobeys Imperial law, however, instead commanding that these planets remain inviolate. This uncharacteristic restraint from Humans prompts the worlds' owners, the Eldar, to send to Fulgrim a delegation, led by Farseer Eldrad Ulthran of Ulthwe Craftworld. Despite the misgivings of purist-minded officers, Fulgrim agrees and the two leaders convene on Tarsus. There Eldrad reveals the purpose of his mission: he has seen Horus wounded on Davin and now the Warmaster, who has turned to Chaos, is preparing to lead his armies against the Emperor. Despite Eldrad's pleas that he is only trying to save Humanity, an already-outraged Fulgrim is spurred into violence at the behest of the daemon-within, and the meeting on Tarsus ends with most of the Eldar slain. Fulgrim bests a daemonic Avatar of Khaine with the Laeran Blade, discovering its powers. Before departing the Perdus Anomaly, Fulgrim has the Eldar worlds virus-bombed. Even more significantly for Human-Eldar relations, Ulthwe's greatest seer vows to never consort with Humans again, seeing them as irredeemably treacherous by nature.

Against this backdrop, the Emperor's Children and the civilian remembrancers attached to the 28th Expedition are sliding into greater depths of decadence and vice. Exposure to the Laeran temple has ensured the corruption of the greater part of the Legion's officers, and their soldiers are following in droves. Between the riotous excesses of art and music, the drugs and the 'rewiring' of the brain's pleasure centres by Fabius, not to mention the growing arrogance of the Emperor's Children, their journey to damnation is well under way even before the Horus Heresy erupts.

Threshold

Fulgrim receives a painting of himself that repulses all but him, and the Daemon uses this to communicate, shifting its form. He begins to dress garishly, almost revoltingly, and most of the remembrancer contingent are slowly turning to ever-more excessive pleasures and vices.

Ordered by the Council of Terra to investigate rumours of atrocities committed by Horus and his Legion, Fulgrim pays an unexpected visit upon his brother. Though Fulgrim is initially reluctant to side with Horus against the Emperor, the Phoenix is swayed by the Warmaster and Erebus of the Word Bearers Legion, the latter aided by the ever-more powerful daemon within Fulgrim's mind.

During the preparations for the Istvaan campaign, Fulgrim kills Vespasian when he fails to turn the purist officer to his cause, then regretfully concludes that those Astartes who had served under Vespasian must die as their loyalties are suspect. Eidolon leads the bulk of the Emperor's Children (including those marked for death) to Istvaan III, whilst Fulgrim takes a small force to rendezvous with Ferrus Manus. As promised to the Warmaster, Fulgrim informs Ferrus Manus of the coming rebellion and tries to persuade him to side with Horus. Unexpectedly, the furious Primarch of the Iron Hands denounces Fulgrim and Horus as traitors. In the ensuing duel Ferrus breaks Fireblade, Fulgrim's sword, and Fulgrim steals Forgebreaker - Ferrus' - and with it strikes Ferrus unconscious. Before the Iron Hands can react, Fulgrim and his warriors cripple many of the 52nd Expedition's ships and escape. Isolated by ferocious warp storms, the Iron Hands are unable to send warning of the brewing treachery.

Meanwhile, the Loyalist elements of the Emperor's Children are lured into Horus's trap on Istvaan III and eventually perish along with their comrades from the Sons of Horus, the Death Guard and the World Eaters. Lucius, who had been deployed with the Loyalists, now secretly plots to betray them. He tricks Solomon Demeter into helping him slaughter Demeter's own soldiers, then slays Demeter himself after boasting of his treachery. Having aided the Traitors, Lucius is grudgingly readmitted into their ranks by Eidolon.

In the interim the Iron Hands, their ships still crippled, have been ordered to travel to the Isstvan System. Under the overall command of Ferrus Manus seven legions of Astartes are to crush Horus's nascent rebellion. Despite orders to muster the full might of the Iron Hands, the impatient Ferrus instead crams ten companies of veterans aboard his least damaged ship and sets off, with the rest of his legion to follow. Unknown to Ferrus Manus, four of the legions under his command have secretly turned to the Warmaster's cause.

The Last Phoenician

The Emperor's Children attend a concert honoring the Victory at Laer, devised by corrupted remembrancers, but before it is finished Slaanesh's daemon servants are unwittingly summoned, and either possess or kill the performers. Distraught by the sudden ending of the wondrous music, some Marines take up the bizarre instruments and instead discover the joys of their new 'sonic weapons'. Others of the Legion sew their eyes open permanently and have their jaws wrenched open with wires, so they can 'feel the pleasure of the battlefield more clearly'.

The Loyalist Astartes arrive at Isstvan V, with Ferrus Manus presenting Corax and Vulkan weapons he has forged for them. Ferrus himself carries a reforged Fireblade, intending to kill Fulgrim. Ferrus has also been appointed supreme commander of the Loyalist force. When the battle begins, the four Traitor Legions (Sons of Horus, Emperor's Children, Death Guard and World Eaters) feign a retreat, tempting Ferrus to pursue and overstretch his forces. When the remaining four 'Loyalist' legions begin arriving and fortifying the drop zone, Vulkan and Corax argue in favour of a respite for their weakened units. Ever headstrong, Ferrus disagrees and leads his veterans alone in the pursuit of Fulgrim.

Ferrus catches up to Fulgrim and the two begin their final duel. Fulgrim taunts Ferrus with the knowledge that over half of his force is in fact dedicated to the rebels; Ferrus watches in horror as the Raven Guard and Salamanders are abruptly fired upon by the reinforcements. The bulk of the two legions are slaughtered; no trace of Vulkan is found afterwards, while a handful of Raven Guard are able to evacuate with their wounded Primarch. Horus suddenly commits his reserves, swamping Ferrus's increasingly few veterans.

Fulgrim is disarmed by Ferrus and in his panic draws the Blade of Laeran, which provides him with the strength to strike his brother down. Just when he is poised to land the killing blow, Fulgrim is suddenly plagued by doubts, until he is driven by the daemon into beheading Ferrus Manus. The daemon allows clarity to return to Fulgrim's mind, driving the grief-stricken Primarch into suicidal depression and accepting the Daemon's honeyed offer of peace through final oblivion. Given unfettered control over Fulgrim's mind, the exultant daemon possesses Fulgrim entirely, crushing his consciousness into the corners of his mind - henceforth a mute witness to the daemon's excesses.

After the battle, the Daemon-Fulgrim announces his true identity to Horus in secret, and presents him with Ferrus's severed and mutilated head. On his return to his Legion, Fulgrim presents Lucius with the Laeran Blade and retrieves the Anathaeme, pondering the new pleasures he might achieve with this legion of mortals under his command.

The Daemon-Fulgrim regards the painting in the concert hall. What had once been repulsive has become perfect - a flawless depiction of Fulgrim before his fall, its painted eyes mirroring the true Fulgrim's horror and helplessness. The daemon shuts off the lights, leaving the Phoenician trapped forever in the darkness.