Wasn't there some human nation that was pretty advanced, knew enough about Chaos to avoid it's corruption just by playing it smart and was then promptly destroyed by Horus? I'm pretty sure I remember something like that.
A huge overreaction by the Interex. Didn't even give Horus a chance to explain or nothing.Destroyed by Horus due to a Chaos corrupted Word Bearer stealing one of their most devastating weapons and making it look like the response to this was unprovoked violence.
Loken shook his head. 'Sir, no. I don't think that's what was meant. I think these people despise Chaos… the warp… as much as we do. I think they only fear it in us, and tonight, something has proved that fear right.'
'Like what?' Torgaddon snapped.
'Tull said the Hall of Devices was on fire.' Horus nodded. 'This is what they accused us of. Robbery. Deceit. Murder. Apparently someone raided the Hall of Devices tonight and slew the curator. Weapons were stolen.'
'What weapons, sir?' Loken asked. Horus shook his head. 'Naud didn't say. He was too busy accusing me over the dinner table. That's where we should go now.'
Torgaddon laughed derisively. 'Not at all. We have to get you to safety, sir. That is our priority.'
The Warmaster looked at Loken. 'Do you think this also?'
'Yes, lord.'
'Then I am troubled that I will have to countermand you both. I respect your efforts to safeguard me. Your strenuous loyalty is noted. Now take me to the Hall of Devices.'
The hall was on fire. Bursting fields exploded through the lower depths of the placer and cascaded flames up into the higher galleries.
A meturge player, blackened by smoke, limped out to greet them. 'Have you not sinned enough?' he asked, venomously.
'What is it you think we have done?' Horus asked.
'Petty murder. Asherot is dead. The hall is burning. You could have asked to know of our weapons. You had no need to kill to win them.'
Horus shook his head. 'We have done nothing.'
The meturge player laughed, then fell. 'Help him,' Horus said.
Scads of ash were falling on them, drizzling from a choking black sky. The blaze had spread to the oversweeping forest, and the street was flame lit. There was a rank smell of burning vegetation. On lower street tiers, hundreds of figures gathered, looking up at the fire. A great panic, a horror was spreading through Xenobia Principis.
'They feared us from the start,' the Warmaster said. 'Suspected us. Now this. They will believe they were right to do so.'
'Enemy warriors are gathering on the approach steps,' Kairus called out.
'Enemy?' Horus laughed. 'When did they become the enemy? They are men like us.'
He glared up at the night sky, threw back his head and screamed a curse at the stars. Then his voice fell to a whisper. Loken was close enough to hear his words. 'Why have you tasked me with this, father? Why have you forsaken me? Why? It is too hard. It is too much. Why did you leave me to do this on my own?'
Interex formations were approaching. Loken heard hooves clattering on the flagstones, and saw the shapes of mounted sagittars bobbing black against the fires. Darts, like bright tears, began to drizzle through the night. They struck the ground and the walls nearby.
'My lord, no more delays,' Torgaddon urged. Gleves were massing too, their moving spears black stalks against the orange glow. Sparks flew up like lost prayers into the sky.
'Hold!' Horus bellowed at the advancing soldiers. 'In the name of the Emperor of Mankind! I demand to speak to Naud. Fetch him now!'
The only reply was another flurry of shafts. The Luna Wolf beside Torgaddon fell dead, and another staggered back, wounded. An arrow had embedded itself in the Warmaster's left arm. Without wincing, he dragged it out, and watched his blood spatter the flagstones at his feet. He walked to the fallen Astartes, bent down, and gathered up the man's bolter and sword.
Their mistake,' he said to Loken and Torgaddon. 'Their damn mistake. Not ours. If they're going to fear us, let us give them good reason.'
He raised the sword in his fist. 'For the Emperor!' he yelled in Cthonic. 'Illuminate them!'
'Lupercal! Lupercal!' answered the handful of warriors around him
'Like what?' Torgaddon snapped.
'Tull said the Hall of Devices was on fire.' Horus nodded. 'This is what they accused us of. Robbery. Deceit. Murder. Apparently someone raided the Hall of Devices tonight and slew the curator. Weapons were stolen.'
'What weapons, sir?' Loken asked. Horus shook his head. 'Naud didn't say. He was too busy accusing me over the dinner table. That's where we should go now.'
Torgaddon laughed derisively. 'Not at all. We have to get you to safety, sir. That is our priority.'
The Warmaster looked at Loken. 'Do you think this also?'
'Yes, lord.'
'Then I am troubled that I will have to countermand you both. I respect your efforts to safeguard me. Your strenuous loyalty is noted. Now take me to the Hall of Devices.'
The hall was on fire. Bursting fields exploded through the lower depths of the placer and cascaded flames up into the higher galleries.
A meturge player, blackened by smoke, limped out to greet them. 'Have you not sinned enough?' he asked, venomously.
'What is it you think we have done?' Horus asked.
'Petty murder. Asherot is dead. The hall is burning. You could have asked to know of our weapons. You had no need to kill to win them.'
Horus shook his head. 'We have done nothing.'
The meturge player laughed, then fell. 'Help him,' Horus said.
Scads of ash were falling on them, drizzling from a choking black sky. The blaze had spread to the oversweeping forest, and the street was flame lit. There was a rank smell of burning vegetation. On lower street tiers, hundreds of figures gathered, looking up at the fire. A great panic, a horror was spreading through Xenobia Principis.
'They feared us from the start,' the Warmaster said. 'Suspected us. Now this. They will believe they were right to do so.'
'Enemy warriors are gathering on the approach steps,' Kairus called out.
'Enemy?' Horus laughed. 'When did they become the enemy? They are men like us.'
He glared up at the night sky, threw back his head and screamed a curse at the stars. Then his voice fell to a whisper. Loken was close enough to hear his words. 'Why have you tasked me with this, father? Why have you forsaken me? Why? It is too hard. It is too much. Why did you leave me to do this on my own?'
Interex formations were approaching. Loken heard hooves clattering on the flagstones, and saw the shapes of mounted sagittars bobbing black against the fires. Darts, like bright tears, began to drizzle through the night. They struck the ground and the walls nearby.
'My lord, no more delays,' Torgaddon urged. Gleves were massing too, their moving spears black stalks against the orange glow. Sparks flew up like lost prayers into the sky.
'Hold!' Horus bellowed at the advancing soldiers. 'In the name of the Emperor of Mankind! I demand to speak to Naud. Fetch him now!'
The only reply was another flurry of shafts. The Luna Wolf beside Torgaddon fell dead, and another staggered back, wounded. An arrow had embedded itself in the Warmaster's left arm. Without wincing, he dragged it out, and watched his blood spatter the flagstones at his feet. He walked to the fallen Astartes, bent down, and gathered up the man's bolter and sword.
Their mistake,' he said to Loken and Torgaddon. 'Their damn mistake. Not ours. If they're going to fear us, let us give them good reason.'
He raised the sword in his fist. 'For the Emperor!' he yelled in Cthonic. 'Illuminate them!'
'Lupercal! Lupercal!' answered the handful of warriors around him