Samuel Young continued his narration, recounting the tumultuous history of humanity in the Warhammer 40k universe. He began with the eras of human advancement: the Golden Age of Technology, the Age of Strife, and the grim, fragmented Dark Age.
He spoke of the various xenos species—once allies of humanity through treaties and cooperation—who opportunistically turned against mankind during their most vulnerable moments. These betrayals pushed humanity to the brink of extinction.
When humanity's cradle, Earth—referred to as "Holy Terra" in that universe—alongside Mars, Luna, and other far-flung colonies, was isolated and fragmented, he emerged.
The immortal being who had witnessed tens of thousands of years of humanity's history—the Emperor of Mankind in that parallel universe—began his campaign to restore order. He methodically purged the warlords of Holy Terra, uniting the planet and, soon after, the Moon.
With his unparalleled intellect and ambition, he quickly stabilized both regions.
The first soldiers who aided the Emperor in his efforts were the genetically enhanced Thunder Warriors. These warriors boasted immense physical power and served as the Emperor's shock troops during his campaign to unify Terra.
But once the Emperor initiated his Primarch Project and developed the Astartes (Space Marines) and the Custodian Guard, the Thunder Warriors were systematically "cleansed."
A Shocking Revelation
"What?!"
"That's… that's too much!"
Hearing Samuel explain how the Emperor of Mankind from the Warhammer 40k universe purged the Thunder Warriors after they had served their purpose, several of the Primarchs reacted with visible anger. Horus and Angron, in particular, displayed outrage on their faces.
On the other hand, more pragmatic Primarchs like Lion El'Jonson, Leman Russ, and Roboute Guilliman remained calm. Their expressions betrayed little emotion as they silently processed the reasoning behind such actions.
Without requiring further explanation from their father, the Primarchs quickly deduced the likely cause of the Emperor's actions: the Thunder Warriors must have had severe flaws.
The Thunder Warriors, who gained incredible physical prowess through genetic enhancement, likely suffered from significant mental instability. Their uncontrollable rage or deteriorating sanity may have made them prone to corruption by the Warp.
Thus, the Emperor's drastic action of eradicating them, while cruel, was deemed a necessary measure.
Even so, Horus and Angron were deeply disturbed. To them, it was difficult to justify such cold pragmatism, even in the face of potential danger. Couldn't the Emperor have handled the Thunder Warriors more humanely, perhaps through exile or another less ruthless method? The sheer brutality of eradicating all of them was a chilling display of the Emperor's detachment.
Samuel observed his sons' reactions and raised his hand to calm them. Descending from the golden steps of his throne, he stood at the base of the platform, his voice steady as he continued:
"The Emperor of that parallel universe saw the Thunder Warriors as an inherently unstable force.
Their enhancements made them physically superior but also mentally volatile. More importantly, their emotional instability gave the Warp greater opportunities to corrupt them.
The Emperor had neither the time nor the resources to devise a more 'compassionate' solution. As such, he opted for the simplest and most ruthless path of resolution."
Samuel then transitioned to explaining the Primarch Project and the creation of the gene-seed. He described how the Emperor had entered into a clandestine pact with the Chaos Gods, drawing upon the power of the Warp and the cutting-edge bioengineering techniques of the Dark Age of Technology to create twenty-one "perfect" sons—the Primarchs.
However, during their infancy, while still confined to their gestation pods, the Chaos Gods had intervened. The pods were scattered across the galaxy, sending the Primarchs to disparate and often hostile environments.
Samuel went on to elaborate on the fates of each of the Primarchs in this alternate universe.
Lion El'Jonson landed in the deep, corrupted forests of Caliban, where he spent a decade surviving amidst monsters, chaos-tainted creatures, and other horrors.
Roboute Guilliman was fortunate to arrive on the civilized world of Macragge, where he was adopted by the planetary governor, Konor Guilliman, and his wife, Lashia Yuton. Guilliman's relatively stable upbringing made him the most unique among the Primarchs.
Angron was far less fortunate. His pod crashed on Nuceria, inflicting severe injuries on his head. The moment he emerged, he was forced to fight Eldar warriors and Farseers in a desperate struggle. Eventually, he was captured by the humans of Nuceria and enslaved. To ensure his compliance, a horrific device known as the Butcher's Nails—a brutal relic of the Dark Age—was implanted in his brain. The device constantly tortured him, compelling him to kill to relieve the pain.
Samuel described how Angron, after years of slavery, had finally led his fellow gladiator slaves in a rebellion. But just as victory seemed within reach, the Emperor intervened. He forcibly teleported Angron from the battlefield, abandoning Angron's friends and allies to die.
The more Samuel revealed about the harsh fates of their counterparts in the Warhammer 40k universe, the more complex the Primarchs' expressions became. Their faces were a mix of shock, sympathy, and even bitter amusement.
Many couldn't help but glance enviously at Guilliman, whose alternate self had at least enjoyed a loving foster family.
Of course, the jealousy was mostly lighthearted teasing. It was a way to vent their disbelief and sorrow over the fact that their alternate selves had endured such brutal lives.
Fortunately, these Primarchs—Samuel's sons—had grown up in far better circumstances. They were raised directly under the guidance of their father and were nurtured by their adoptive mother, Alexia, or the Elven Queen, Tinas Loslian.
Their childhoods were filled with love, education, and a strong moral foundation—worlds apart from the suffering endured by their counterparts.
Despite this, the Primarchs began piecing together the narrative. When Samuel first described the Emperor's creation of the Primarchs, many had already speculated that the Emperor of the Warhammer 40k universe was their father's counterpart. Now, they patiently listened as Samuel continued his explanation.
"When that Emperor completed his preparations, he launched a grand campaign known as the Great Crusade. His goal was to restore humanity as the dominant force in the galaxy.
During the Crusade, the Emperor sought to propagate the ideology of the Imperial Truth, which sought to sever humanity's ties to religion and belief, cutting off its dependence on the Warp."
Pausing briefly, Samuel cast his gaze toward Horus, Alpharius, and Omegon.
"It's said that the first Primarch he rediscovered was Horus Lupercal. But in truth, it may have been Alpharius…"
Samuel elaborated on the Emperor's efforts to reunite his scattered sons across the galaxy. He described the Great Crusade in detail, recounting the triumphs and struggles of the Warhammer 40k Imperium and its legions.
The story continued to unfold:
The Emperor became increasingly discontent with Lorgar Aurelian and his Word Bearers Legion for their overtly religious zeal. Their proclamations of the Emperor as a god and the Astartes as angels ran counter to the principles of the Imperial Truth.
As punishment, the Emperor ordered the Ultramarines, led by Roboute Guilliman, to raze Lorgar's city of Monarchia, the Perfect City.
Although Guilliman and the Ultramarines provided ample time for the civilians to evacuate, the people of Monarchia—who viewed the Astartes as divine protectors—were blindsided by the betrayal.
As the fleet's bombardment began, the citizens realized too late that the angels they revered had come not to bless but to destroy.
When Lorgar and his Word Bearers returned, they found only ruins. Worse still, the Emperor himself appeared, forcing Lorgar to kneel in the ashes of his city. The Emperor's psychic power compelled Lorgar to repent.
This public humiliation planted the seeds of rebellion.
From that point, Samuel recounted the spiral into treachery: Lorgar, already shaken, was further manipulated by Erebus and Kor Phaeron. The two Chaos-aligned Word Bearers convinced Lorgar to seek the true gods within the Eye of Terror.
Meanwhile, through subtle machinations, they also ensnared Horus Lupercal, the newly appointed Warmaster, drawing him into Chaos.
Magnus the Red, sensing the corruption growing within Horus, attempted to warn the Emperor through psychic means.
This action inadvertently disrupted the Emperor's Webway Project, unleashing hordes of daemons beneath the Imperial Palace. The Emperor was forced to remain confined to the Golden Throne to hold the breach at bay.
Leman Russ and the Space Wolves were subsequently sent to Prospero, the Thousand Sons' homeworld, to retrieve Magnus alive.
However, under Horus's influence, Russ was fed lies about Magnus—stories of daemon summoning and human sacrifices. Already harboring doubts about Horus's rebellion, Russ misinterpreted these accusations as proof of Magnus's treachery.
In a fit of rage, Russ disobeyed the Emperor's orders, choosing to attack Prospero with full force. This escalated into an all-out war between the Space Wolves and the Thousand Sons, driving Magnus and his legion into the arms of Chaos.
Thus, the seeds of the Horus Heresy were sown.
Hearing this, Magnus, Leman Russ, and Horus each wore grim expressions.
Russ, in particular, cast an apologetic glance toward Magnus. But Magnus merely shrugged, his demeanor calm, as if he held no grudge over another universe's past.
Thanks to the guidance of Samuel and Alexia, Magnus had long since abandoned the reckless pursuit of knowledge that once led him astray. He no longer acted impulsively or out of unchecked curiosity.
Samuel ignored his sons' reactions, continuing to recount the grim history of their alternate selves.
With the Thousand Sons and Magnus as examples, more legions and Primarchs began to waver in their loyalty. In secret, Horus and Lorgar rallied their allies, sowing discord among their brothers.
Samuel described the events that followed:
The mass betrayal at Istvaan III, where the traitors purged loyalists within their ranks. Loyalist Astartes were lured to the planet's surface under false pretenses and subjected to orbital bombardment.
The ambush at Istvaan V, where loyalist Primarchs and their legions were surrounded and nearly annihilated.
"Those bastards!!"
Horus, upon hearing how his counterpart had been manipulated and corrupted, exploded in rare fury:
"If you could open a gateway to that universe, Father, I would tear Erebus and Kor Phaeron apart with my own hands!"
"Using virus bombs to massacre loyal Astartes… I cannot fathom such heartless actions."
Angron, too, clenched his fists, his brow furrowed in frustration. Even the usually brutal Angron found it hard to comprehend how his alternate self and brothers could stoop to such cruelty.
"You'll have your chance, in time," Samuel replied, his tone steady as he raised a hand to calm his sons.
He then detailed the tragic events that followed: Fulgrim slaying Ferrus Manus, Angron's full ascension to daemonhood, and more.
The story culminated in the Siege of Terra, where the traitor legions assaulted the Imperial Palace.
Rogal Dorn, hearing of his counterpart's steadfast defense, couldn't help but straighten his posture, pride swelling within him. His stance seemed to declare: "In any universe, I am the Imperium's rock!"
Meanwhile, Fulgrim, Angron, Perturabo, and others wore expressions of bitterness and regret. None of them could fathom betraying their father.
They realized that the divergence between them and their counterparts was rooted in their upbringing. While Guilliman's alternate self had a relatively stable foster family, most of the others endured harrowing and traumatizing childhoods.
Perturabo, in particular, felt a chill run down his spine. Without the patience and care of his father and Queen Tinas, he might have easily become the cold and ruthless warlord of his alternate self.
It was a sobering reminder of how much their father's love had shaped them into who they were.
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