Today we take a look at what part the mighty Primarch of the Emporer’s Children had to play in the battle of the Horus Heresy.
Fulgrim was influenced by the evil within the Daemonsword he possessed and ultimately was corrupted by the god Slaanesh. Let’s find out more.
Via: Lexicanum
It is now believed that this daemonsword began to exert a strong chaotic influence over Fulgrim and that the forces he had deployed against the Laer may have become tainted by the Chaos power Slaanesh. It is in this parlous spiritual condition that Fulgrim found himself at the center of the emerging Horus Heresy.
Fulgrim himself met with the renowned Farseer Eldrad Ulthran of Ulthwé on the Maiden World Tarsus, in which the Farseer attempted to warn Fulgrim of Horus’ grievous wounding at the hands of Eugen Temba and his Anathame, and how he was slowly beginning to turn to Chaos as he recuperated. Fulgrim reacted with outrage at the Farseer’s accusations due to his close friendship with Horus, second only to his bond with Ferrus Manus.
This was spurred on by the influence of Fulgrim’s Laeran blade, which was infused with a Slaaneshi entity. Fulgrim furiously attacked Eldrad alongside his captains and the Phoenix Guard, destroying both Khiraen Goldhelm, an ancient and revered Wraithlord as well as an Avatar of Khaine in the process, forcing Eldrad and his beleaguered forces to withdraw. This victory led to Fulgrim’s subsequent destruction of various Eldar maiden worlds using virus bombs as a means to end the supposed treachery of the Eldar.
Whilst the exact timing and placement of it varies between versions of the story, it is clear that Fulgrim soon met Horus in person, demanding a personal account of his actions. Instead, Horus was able to sway Fulgrim to his cause. Fulgrim’s respect for Horus allowed Chaos to find its way into Fulgrim’s heart, destroying Fulgrim’s loyalty to Terra, and replacing it with burning desire to destroy the man who held humanity back from the perfection Fulgrim desired. Fulgrim was immediately sent to meet with Ferrus Manus, Primarch of the Iron Hands. Great bonds of friendship and brotherhood existed between them, and Fulgrim felt that he could convince Ferrus of the righteousness of Horus’ cause. He was wrong however, and their meeting did not go well, and concluded in violence. When next the brothers met, it would be as enemies. Their path chosen, the chaotic rot spread quickly, from Fulgrim to his lieutenants, the Lord Commanders of the Legion, then to company and squad leaders, and finally all but a bare handful of Marines followed Slaanesh rather than the Emperor. Perfection became perfect hedonism. Fulgrim’s mental state quickly deteriorated, he began talking to a painting by Serena D’Angelus and killed the Sculptor Ostian Delafour after he inadvertently slighted the Primarch.
When the loyalist legions arrived in the Isstvan system, the Emperor’s Children were at the forefront of the fighting, aiding in the massacre of their former brethren. During the infamous Drop Site Massacre, Fulgim and Ferrus Manus met once again, and had their final and fateful duel. Fulgrim wielded the weapon he had made for his brother, the Thunder Hammer Forgebreaker, while Ferrus did the same with the sword Fireblade. Though both weapons were shattered Fulgrim proved the victor after taking up his Silver Blade, but discovered he could not bring himself to kill his brother. It was at this point that the daemon bound within the Laeran blade fully exerted itself, and Ferrus Manus was struck dead. Fulgrim was shocked into clear-thinking by the death of his brother, aghast at what he had done and at the horrific betrayal and carnage around him.
In a further moment of weakness he agreed to the daemon’s offer to send him to oblivion and allowed the Warp-creature to escape from the sword. It took but a moment for it to posses him body and soul, trapping his consciousness in tiny corner of his mind. From that moment on, Fulgrim became a prisoner in his own form, his existence fully controlled by the Slaaneshi daemon. Fulgrim’s soul was trapped in the twisted painting of Serena D’Angelus. The only person aware of the fate of Fulgrim was Horus, who recognized the Daemonic possession almost immediately during their next meeting but considered Fulgrim too valuable an asset to lose. Lorgar and Magnus also became aware of the true nature of Fulgrim upon encountering him.
However in the months afterwards Fulgrim was able to regain his body by unknown means, trapping its essence in the same painting he had been trapped in. This was only revealed to his Legion when a group of Captains led by Lucius realised what had happened to their Primarch and took Fulgrim captive, he allowed them to do this to prove he was no longer possessed, and tried to make the Daemon release its hold over him through extreme torture. Fulgrim revealed that he had forced the Daemon out and had been himself for some time, and had chosen to devote himself to Slaanesh fully and of his own free will.
Find Out More About Fulgrim!
About the Author: Tim Roberts
