Ahriman
From Lexicanum
Ahriman is a Chaos Space Marine special character of the Thousand Sons. He is also called the sorcerer of the Red Cyclops.
Before the events of the Horus Heresy, Ahriman had shared his Primarch's obsession with arcane mysteries and had come to be keeper of the now mythical Book of Magnus, a tome of incalculable sorcerous power.
It may have been knowledge gleaned from that very tome with which Ahriman conjured his now infamous master spell. The result of the so called 'Rubric of Ahriman', while imperfect, is said to have satisfied Ahriman in its consequence. In essence, it turned all the warriors without psychic abilities into mindless automata, and greatly amplified the abilities of all who had more then a spark. Ahriman was a veteran Thousand Son from before the coming of Magnus the Red, and Ahriman's revulsion at the corruption of the Legion was so great that even the terrible price of reversing it was not too high. Ahriman attempted the spell at first, alone. He was unsuccessful, and later it required a large Cabal of Sorcerers to assist him, who were only motivated to do so upon Magnus' elevation to Daemon Prince. The last vestiges of humanity were purged from the Thousand Sons, and few desired the resulting spawndom.
Magnus was not of like mind, however. So great was his wrath when the cabal was discovered that the Primarch threatened to obliterate them utterly, but the very patron who had worked the mutations upon them in the first place was said to have intervened. Who can say what the most enigmatic and capricious of entities intended? In any event, the Daemon Prince stayed his hand, instead banishing Ahriman from the Planet of Sorcerers and condemning him to wander the Eye of Terror and beyond in a hopeless quest to understand the Chaos god Tzeentch.
For his part, Ahriman refuses to acknowledge Chaos as his master. Across the ensuing millennia he has become a scourge, raiding ancient museums, librarium, scholaria and reclusia, places of learning, religion and contemplative thought. He seeks to acquire artifacts, data, or even persons he believes can lead him to mastery over the way of the sorcerer. He fosters cults on dozens of worlds at a time, providing cult magi with sorcerous power until such time as they have acquired some antiquarian trinket or satisfied another of Ahriman demands before turning the wrath of his warband upon them. It is rumoured that Ahriman has of late turned his relentless predation upon the Eldar, determined in his belief that the lost knowledge he seeks can be found in that darkest of halls of enlightenment, the vast repository of arcana referred to in whispers as the Black Library of Chaos.
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Current Whereabouts and Dealings
During Abaddon's 13th Black Crusade Ahriman was able to gain access to the Webway using the captured Inquisitor Czevak and a long forgotten webway portal on Etiamnum III. It is rumoured that if he obtains entry into the Black Library, he could use the information inside to become a new and powerful Chaos God.
Despite summoning 'Leviathan', a giant flying warp beast more massive than any battleship and wreathed in flame, and Ahriman bringing horrendous casualties on both sides of the conflict; Ahriman was ejected from the Webway his goal unattained, Inquisitor Czevak captured by harlequins and believed held in the webway, the webway Gate he used was sealed, never to be opened again. The final results of the Campaign state that his 'star is on the rise' with Magnus once again, mostly due to the great chaos caused by his battles in the Webway, prowness in capturing Inquistor Czevak, and ability to come close to entering the Black Library.
Weapons and Abilities
Ahriman is a true master of sorcery and one of the most powerful psykers in the galaxy, his knowledge of the dark arts is rivalled only by the greater daemons of his patron. In addition to the multitude of Chaos Psychic Powers he can call upon, he is armed with The Black Staff of Ahriman; an ornate Force weapon which provides a potent focus for his psychic energy. He also carries an enchanted bolt pistol which fires powerful Inferno bolts similar to the weapons of his Rubric Marines.1
Quote
"And what are the achievements of your fragile Imperium? It is a 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."
-Ahriman of the Thousand Sons.
Sources
- GamesWorkshop - Chaos Space Marines: Ahriman
- Ahrimain Entry: Page 106, Chaos Codex 2nd Ed., pg 106-108
- Index Astartes: Thousand Sons White Dwarf 266: March 2002: page 62 - 69
- 1Codex: Chaos Space Marines (4th Edition) page 50 - 51
