—— In the first of a new series telling science“ HEROES & VILLAINS legendary characters, we take a lek ot Aviman «he omer. OF THE 41ST MILLENNIUM Sorks to control Chas, AHRIMAN OF THE THOUSAND SONS ‘Aad what ate the achievements of your fragile Imperium? It is » corpse rotting slowly from within while maggots writhe in its belly. It was built with the toil of heroes and giants, and now it is inhabited by frightened weaklings to whom the glories of those times are half forgotten legends, I have forgotten nothing, and my wisdom has expanded far beyond mere mortal frailties, ‘Abriman of the Thovsind Soss the Thousand Sons when they set heir feet upon the long path of leaming the secrets of magic. Like his Primarch, Ahriman had become obsessed with arcane mysteries as he fought through the galaxy on the Great Crusade. He had encountered isolated « cultures where magic had re-emerged f° as the dominant form of power after the machines had died. Magnus the Red's As ‘was among the foremost of Vy — thirst for knowledge was imprinted into. Sh all of his sons, and they pursued the quest with equal fervor. Towards the send of the Great Crusade, the Primarch i compiled a truly monumental tome of DB, sorcery called The Book of Magnus, ‘sometimes known as The Book of the Thousand Sons, illed with arcane lore from across the galaxy. As Chief Libcarian, Ahriman was keeper of this book on the Thousand Sons’ home ‘world of Prospero, and he studied its inner mysteries extensively. His power gradually grow and expanded as he grasped the subtle nuances of magic discovered by wise men across the galaxy over millennia of study. Like all of the Thousand Sons, Ahriman came to believe that the untapped power of the Warp could be hamessed for the ‘good of Markind, Only weakness of mind and spirit prevented ordinary men from controlling the Warp utterly | Over time, the most powerful and influential of the Legion's brethren began to think of themselves as sorcerers, and they devoted more time to uncovering the mystical secrets of the universe than to fighting the Emperor's wars. But the Emperor could PSO CLnot tolerate the gradual shit of the Thousand Sons towards Chaos. He knew that no man, not even a Primarch, could master Chaos. The Legion's warning that his most trusted Warmaster was ploting against him seemed to conirm the Emperor's worst foars thatthe forces of Chaos had insidiously corupted the whole Legion and now sought to fragment the newborn Imperium. The Emperor unleashed the Space Wolves Legion on the Thousand Sons! tranquil home world of Prospero. Ravening, grey-atmored assault squads of Blood Claws seized Prospero's neglected orbital lasers and missile bateries within hours of ariving Thereatter, the Thousand Sons were almost bombarded out of existence. Delicate towers of vast antiquity were ‘smashed to rubble by energy beams from above. Vast libraries of incalculably precious works bumed beneath a rain of fusion fire. Stunned by the magnitude of their betrayal, the Thousand Sons ‘saved what they could and fled, breaking through the Space Wolves’ blockade in their surviving ships to seek sanctuary with the Warmaster. ‘The Thousand Sons soon dedicated themselves to Tzeentch, the Power of, Chaos who is the gfeatest master of magic. He became their patron God, and as they fought thelr way through the Heresy, Magnus and the Thousand Sons used their dedication to Tzeentch to avoid the deeper corruption suffered by the other Traitor Legions. After Horus's defeat, the Thousand Sons ‘escaped to the Eye of Terror. Only then did the other aspects of their patron's nature begin to reveal themselves to the Thousand Sons, The first visible signs were the ‘grotesque mutations that began to manifest themselves among the battle brethren. Ahriman and the other sorcerers were even more horified when some of their own number began to warp and change. They had falled to master Chaos - instead Chaos was mastering them. ‘Anriman was determined that the long path to knowledge they had trodden ‘would not end in madness and abomination. He formed a secret ‘conclave consisting of many of the most powerful sorcerers that had resisted the insidious spread of mutation, Secretly, he began to study the Book of Magnus again, seeking some way to prevent the Legion devolving any further. In time, he prepared the Rubric of Ahriman, a spell ‘50 potent that it would unleash forces far beyond the control of the sorcerers. Wit worked, the Legion would be rendered immune to the warping effects of Chaos. The Thousand Sons propare o exact vengeance on their enemies - the Space Wolves ‘The cabal of sorcerers refused to help Abriman at first, but when Magnus was elevated to the ranks of Tzeentch's Daemon Princes, It became clear that the last vestiges of humanity were being ativen from the Thousand Sons. ‘Soon they would be nothing but mewling Chaos Spawn robbed of all their hard-won knowledge and power: the destruction of their home world and the Heresy would have all been for, Nothing. At last, the sorcerers agreed to join their power together, and a terrible calaclysm of magic was summoned ‘about the Planet of the Sorcerers Itis said that even the Daemons fled before the roaring maelstrom of magic that ‘Anviman and the others sent against their ‘world. Crackling clouds of multicolored ‘energy descended from the skies and ceniveloped the great siver towers of the Thousand Sons, Forking bolts of blue and yellow lightning struck down the corrupted ‘Space Marines one after another. No ‘sorcerous protection or physical defense ‘could keep the powers at bay. The storm ‘of magic raged for an eternal nigh, which ‘could have lasted days or centuries, unt finally Magnus himself used his unearthly powers to end it WHITE DWARF 89Kaowing he had litle time, the Sivant hhuriedly tapped his 37-digi idestifier into the anccat cogitstor. He glanced at the door to ensure that it was locked, and then turned back to the machine The green light of its brass-framed pict sate dinced across his anxious, hooded face. Accessing archives that fewer than 3 score of men in the Imperium could pence the Savant begun his search, pulling together scraps of information, reports, and logs — anything linked to the subject of his inguty: Inquisitor Crevak. He soon found tht all meaton of Czevak fad. been purged from every Inerih dbuabase but he fad vot spent over hull 3 aullenivm huntiog down lasphemers and ‘nitots without learning something of the oatue of information, The arogunt believe they can purge the actworks of the tut of 2 name, but the enlightened know thit information stives 10 be free, a » virus secks to replicate So itis that + scrap of dia will lurk in the dstkest corsets of ancient logic-sticks. Sometimes dita would Icome physically isolted from the vst logistaa of the Imperium 38 they were archived in hard form. only to be retived by a Servitor of Acolyte many years Inter sad vakaowingly released once more 10 spread throughout the setworks "The information is here,” muttered the Savsot with another nervous glance at the door. “I know i's here” Lines of text sped cross the pict slte, the Srvams implanted cyber-engrams absorbing it all at 2 sate 20 normal human could hope to match. His hands dinced actos the keys 38 be itolated cern scraps of information and requested entry to deeper and deeper levels of the archives, Soos, he could see 2 picture merging. Fist came a transcript of Tnquisitor Cazvak’s address t9 the Conclve ‘of Har in which he chimed t0 have penetrated the secrets of the legendary Blick Library. Next, ap oblique reference to The Stern Codex, 2 body of knowledge Crevak clearly fad an intrest in. So too, it seemed, did others, and soon the Saunt sensed 2 ‘aio withio the information; like 2 sheea of cil on the surface of 2 stream, there was an almost indiscerible hint that something was rot 38 it appeared Pausing briefly and cracking his Knuckles the Savant took 1 deep brenth and gliced around before comsecting 2 multstanded, purty-saled cable from the socket at his temple to the cogitator. Closing his eyes. he muttered 2 prayer to the Emperor before diving headlong into the polluted ogi The it candles in the chamber flickered, though vo breeze could penetrate its sealed eavirons. Folly immersed i the omascient logis retwork, the Savant wis almost overwhelmed by the weight of ten millenia of aw, vwoprocesed iaformstion The data he sought ‘ame fo him in 2 flood now, events and ames filling his consciousness: The Beck Library, the xenos Elda, the Te Legions. He halted the flow when be discovered mention of ap incident fon the outskirts of the Eye of Teor, described by the Astropsth who logged the report as 2 “psycho-temporal eveat of unparlleled smagaitude” The Bhck Legion, The Guardians of Ulthwe Diving deeper, he uacovered another vein that caused him to halt in shock. The Arct-Tritor, Abaddon the Despoiler. + beast who had crused the Imperium uatold ariel sine: he frst led his Blick Crusades from the Eye of Tetror ten millesnia past Movements and incidents in the vicinity of the Eye came into sharp focus: « pattera was emerging ‘The candles were extinguished, though the Srvant was too deeply immersed to pay them any heed Cuenak was 2 key: he postesed kaowledge that another caved. One searched for him, 3 schemer,» manipulito, ser of the Changer of the Ways. With 3 star, the Sint sow the Eldse Webway through which the Blick Librry may be entered, and he srw that someone wis working 10 sia eatry to it This manipulator stood a the side of Abaddon the Desoile, asising him in some grit, terrible exdewor, though he did so purely to further bis ova cads Tn. 2 moment of cliity, the Savant saw the ruin of the Imperium in sharp relief. He unplugged the cord and became suddenly aware of the cold, dark chill that bad catered the chimber “The Gate. The Despoiler. The Fields of Unbelief. The Traveler. The Hides Way. The Manipulator. Oh God Emperor, protect vs.” Behind him, multihued shimmer appeared in the air and resolved itself into massively armored, humanoid form, ‘The Savant turned, met the gize of the figure, and knew instantly that this man was the being whose michinstions he bad alimpsed hehied the tainted dita low. “Abriensn” ‘The figure rated an archaic pistol, and 2 single shot filled the chamber with its thuaderous feport. The Savant slamined back against the cogitator. the bolt round. pasing straight theough his ful body and Pidestroying the machine in a shower of sparks. Every surface of the small room ran wvith the Savant's lifeblood as his (uiling tyes took in the sight of the intreder standing over hin, Before dying, the Ssrant hestd a distant, echoing whisper as the figure dissolved and was gone. The way is indeed hidden old man, bot no Tooger from ae”