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===Part Two===
 
===Part Two===
Ahriman then tries to find other exiled members who were previously apart of his [[Cabal]] to find answers. He found that all of them either died at the hands of emissaries due to refusing or missing due to coming with the emissary. In order to find the final member he had to enter into through the [[Eye of Terror]] into the [[Warp]] itself. Ahriman then found the [[Sorcerer]] he was searching for however he had become a [[daemon]] of [[Tzeentch]]. The daemon then reviled to Ahriman that the person tracking him down was no other but [[Amon]] himself and his warband the [[Brotherhood of Dust]]. Ahriman then left to return to the ''Titan Child'' however on his return he was attacked by flying daemons who were formerly Space Marines. Ahriman then made a crash landing into the hanger bay with 2 flying beasts still attached to the ship. Astraeos, Kadin and Thidias then killed the flying warp beasts and salvaged Ahriman from the wreckage. Ahriman then goes to a destroyed [[Astropath Station]] which he confessed he helped destroy under another master's authority. All the [[astartes]] then proceed into the station. Ahriman orders for him and Astraeos to remain in a room to conduct a summoning and he also ordered Kadin and Thidias to patrol the route back to the ship. Ahriman then places 99 floating bronze bowls around the size of a storm shield around the room. He and Astraeos then commence the ritual and summons a lesser version of a [[Daemon Prince]]. The Princling was bound by Ahriman and was forced to answer him. The Princling would then reveal were Amon was but in order to do that he had to hold the daemon's hand and break the bonds he made. Ahriman then held his hand and the daemon then attempted to kill him however Astraeos killed him before he could. Masses of [[lesser daemons]] then emerged from the warp and Ahriman, Astraeos, Kadin and Thidias attempted to flee. Were Kadin was nowhere to be seen Ahriman, Astraeos and Thidias were swarmed by lesser daemons and there were too many of them to kill them all so Thidias demanded he stayed and hold them off while Ahriman and Astraeos escaped. When they reaced the ship they found Kadin their but with no arms or legs. They then left the station and attacked the lesser daemons on the ship. However Kadin then started to levitate and Ahriman reached into his mind to remove the intruding psyker from his mind until he recognised the unknown intruder, the anonymous assailant then wiped Ahriman's mind of him ever seeing him and became unconscious. When on they were back on the ''Titan Child'' Ahriman waked to realise he was unconscious for six days and that the ship's spirit was dead meaning there was no internal navigation system. Astraeos then awoke from his coma and Kadin's arms and legs were replaced by augmetics.  
+
Though he is not sure why, Ahriman tries to track down the person who wants him dead.  The ''Titan Child'' wanders the [[sector]], as Ahriman looks for the other members of his [[Cabal]], who were likewise exiled after the Rubric failed. Each of his former comrades has either disappeared or is found dead, and the pattern is the same: each was approached by an emissary, the same way Tolbek approached Ahriman, and died after refusing to go with that emissary.
 +
 
 +
His search takes the ''Titan Child'' into the [[Eye of Terror]], to find his former brother, [[Manukara]], now transformed into a [[daemonic]] oracle.  In return for answering Ahriman's question, the Oracle asks only one tribute from Ahriman in return: an honest answer to the Oracle's question.  Ahriman asks who wants him dead, and the daemon chides that, in a way, Ahriman has always known: [[Amon]], former [[Space Marine Captain|Captain]] of the 10th [[Fellowship]], and the most reluctant member of Ahriman's cabal.  Amon now leads his own warband, the [[Brotherhood of Dust]]. In return, the Oracle asks Ahriman why he is trying to find, or evade, Amon, when the weight of Ahriman's sins is such that he should welcome death.  Ahriman answers, quite honestly, that he is not sure.
 +
 
 +
As he is leaving the oracle's planet to return to the ''Titan Child'', Ahriman's shuttle is attacked by flying daemons who were formerly Space Marines. Ahriman is forced to make a crash landing into the hangar bay with two flying beasts still attached to the ship. Astraeos, Kadin and Thidias kill the flying warp beasts and salvage Ahriman from the wreckage.
 +
 
 +
Ahriman then goes to a destroyed [[Astropath Station]] which he confessed he helped destroy under another master's authority. All the [[astartes]] then proceed into the station. Ahriman orders for him and Astraeos to remain in a room to conduct a summoning and he also ordered Kadin and Thidias to patrol the route back to the ship. Ahriman then places 99 floating bronze bowls around the size of a storm shield around the room. He and Astraeos then commence the ritual and summons a lesser version of a [[Daemon Prince]]. The Princling was bound by Ahriman and was forced to answer him. The Princling would then reveal were Amon was but in order to do that he had to hold the daemon's hand and break the bonds he made. Ahriman then held his hand and the daemon then attempted to kill him however Astraeos killed him before he could. Masses of [[lesser daemons]] then emerged from the warp and Ahriman, Astraeos, Kadin and Thidias attempted to flee. Were Kadin was nowhere to be seen Ahriman, Astraeos and Thidias were swarmed by lesser daemons and there were too many of them to kill them all so Thidias demanded he stayed and hold them off while Ahriman and Astraeos escaped. When they reaced the ship they found Kadin their but with no arms or legs. They then left the station and attacked the lesser daemons on the ship. However Kadin then started to levitate and Ahriman reached into his mind to remove the intruding psyker from his mind until he recognised the unknown intruder, the anonymous assailant then wiped Ahriman's mind of him ever seeing him and became unconscious. When on they were back on the ''Titan Child'' Ahriman waked to realise he was unconscious for six days and that the ship's spirit was dead meaning there was no internal navigation system. Astraeos then awoke from his coma and Kadin's arms and legs were replaced by augmetics.  
  
 
Since they needed a [[navigator]] Ahriman offered to guide a short distance out of the warp until they could steal a navigator from another ship. Ahriman then guided them out of the the warp and through the eye of terror to stop by a nearby planet which unfortunately for them was [[Cadia]]. They only waited a few weeks until a ship passed by with valuable information. The ship the ''[[Lord of Mankind]]'' came closer to inspect the ''Titan Child'' thinking it was abandoned. Ahriman, Astraeos and Kadin then went onto the ship and attacked the occupants. Ahriman then saw a large I on the blast door and he did not recognise the symbol but Astraeos and Kadin said it was the inquisition with a angered tonne. Kadin then held off the bulk of the [[Guardsmen]] army while Ahriman and Astraeos when in search of a navigator. When finding a navigator named [[Silvanus]] they attemped to leave the ''Lord of Mankind'' with him. When they met up with Kadin Ahriman felt the presence of [[seraphs]] coming in closer and his psychic ability was weakening. Ahriman then told Astraeos to flee with Silvanus off the ship. When the three seraphs came they were led by a [[human]] [[psyker]] named [[Iobel]] who knew Ahriman. Kadin then proceeded and killed two of the three seraphs. The Third was charging towards Ahriman and Iobel aimed the boltgun at him and shot but at the same time Kadin shoved him into a [[warp tunnel]] with its destination being the ''Titan Child''. When he was on the ship he awoke to Carmenta removing bits of shrapnel out of him. Ahriman ordered her to stitch the wound up before she finished stating that she couldn't get the two pieces next to his heart. He then went to the navigator and transmitted the destination into his mind. Ahriman claimed he found the destination of Amon when he found out the valuable information on the ''Lord of Mankind''. The valuable information was that was Amon assembling a fleet in the warp and the data also showed its location.
 
Since they needed a [[navigator]] Ahriman offered to guide a short distance out of the warp until they could steal a navigator from another ship. Ahriman then guided them out of the the warp and through the eye of terror to stop by a nearby planet which unfortunately for them was [[Cadia]]. They only waited a few weeks until a ship passed by with valuable information. The ship the ''[[Lord of Mankind]]'' came closer to inspect the ''Titan Child'' thinking it was abandoned. Ahriman, Astraeos and Kadin then went onto the ship and attacked the occupants. Ahriman then saw a large I on the blast door and he did not recognise the symbol but Astraeos and Kadin said it was the inquisition with a angered tonne. Kadin then held off the bulk of the [[Guardsmen]] army while Ahriman and Astraeos when in search of a navigator. When finding a navigator named [[Silvanus]] they attemped to leave the ''Lord of Mankind'' with him. When they met up with Kadin Ahriman felt the presence of [[seraphs]] coming in closer and his psychic ability was weakening. Ahriman then told Astraeos to flee with Silvanus off the ship. When the three seraphs came they were led by a [[human]] [[psyker]] named [[Iobel]] who knew Ahriman. Kadin then proceeded and killed two of the three seraphs. The Third was charging towards Ahriman and Iobel aimed the boltgun at him and shot but at the same time Kadin shoved him into a [[warp tunnel]] with its destination being the ''Titan Child''. When he was on the ship he awoke to Carmenta removing bits of shrapnel out of him. Ahriman ordered her to stitch the wound up before she finished stating that she couldn't get the two pieces next to his heart. He then went to the navigator and transmitted the destination into his mind. Ahriman claimed he found the destination of Amon when he found out the valuable information on the ''Lord of Mankind''. The valuable information was that was Amon assembling a fleet in the warp and the data also showed its location.

Revision as of 22:38, 16 April 2014

Ahriman: Exile
Ahriman-exile.jpg
Author John French
Publisher Black Library
Followed by Ahriman: Sorcerer
Released December 2012
Pages 416
Editions 2012 ebook
ISBN 9780857878212

2013 softcover
ISBN 9781849704267

Ahriman: Exile by John French is the first in a planned trilogy of novels featuring Ahzek Ahriman, the former Chief Librarian of the Thousand Sons, as its protagonist. It was first released online in December 2012, and in softcover in June 2013.

Cover Description

All is dust... Spurned by his former brothers and his father Magnus the Red, Ahriman is a wanderer, a sorcerer of Tzeentch whose actions condemned an entire Legion to an eternity of damnation. Once a vaunted servant of the Thousand Sons, he is now an outcast, a renegade who resides in the Eye of Terror. Ever scheming, he plots his return to power and the destruction of his enemies, an architect of fate and master of the warp.

Synopsis

Spoiler!
This page contains spoilers for: Ahriman: Exile (Novel)

Prologue

A hunting pack of Space Wolves is ambushed by a band of Chaos Sorcerers. Both are hunting for the same man, but the lead sorcerer says their grievance takes precedence. When the last surviving Wolf refuses to share what he knows, the sorcerer cuts out his omophagea and eats it, extracting one name that gives the sorcerers a new lead to follow: "The Harrowing..."

Part One: Fate's Messenger

Ahzek Ahriman, former Chief Librarian of the Thousand Sons, has fallen far indeed. After the disastrous failure of the Rubric that bears his name, he and his cabal of sorcerers were exiled from their Legion. Now Ahriman, ashamed of his failure, has renounced all but the most minimal use of his prodigious psychic powers, and can only survive as a servant to lesser Chaos Lords.

Under the alias "Horkos," Ahriman now serves the vile Khornate army, The Harrowing, whose leader, Gzrel, collects sorcerers for his inner circle, of whom "Horkos" is the lowest-ranked and least regarded.

The Harrowing's ship, the Blood Crescent attacks another, the Titan Child currently controlled by a Renegade Space Marine chapter. Ahriman and a Chaos Champion named Karoz are selected as the leaders of the first wave that boards the ship. Karoz is killed by Astraeos, the renegades' librarian, but this unleashes the daemon that has been slowly taking over Karoz's body. Ahriman, reflexively tapping into his dormant psychic abilities, destroys the daemon to protect himself.

The Harrowing claim the ship for their own and proceed to convert it to their own use, though they continuously fail to awake its dormant machine spirit. Astraeos is imprisoned and tortured by Gzrel's High Magister, Maroth, who eats one of Astraeos's eyes in the mistaken belief that it will grant him power.

Carmenta, the Tech Priest in charge of the ship, is enslaved by the Harrowing, though they appear unable of her ability to awaken the ship.

The Harrowing's work is interrupted by the surprise appearance of another ship, bearing an emissary to the Titan Child: Tolbek, a former sorcerer of the Thousand Sons, accompanied by two Rubric Marines as bodyguards. For all their arrogance, Gzrel and his sorcerers are cowed by Tolbek's presence. Tolbek says he and his fellows are searching for Ahzek Ahriman; the name means nothing to Gzrel, but he offers the services of his other sorcerers. Tolbek rejects this, and is about to leave, when he realises who "Horkos" really is. Through telepathy, he asks his former brother to leave the ship with him. Ahriman refuses, saying he is no longer a sorcerer.

In anger, Tolbek attacks, prompting Gzrel and his sorcerers to attack as well. This awakens Ahriman's dormant powers - once unleashed, he quickly kills everyone in the room, except for the two Rubric Marines, and Maroth, who is left a crippled, gibbering idiot.

During his battle with Tolbek, Ahriman received visions from some mysterious being, possibly a daemon, who urges him to re-embrace his psychic powers, telling him that the Rubric can be reversed, and his former brothers saved. Ahriman puts this off as a lie, but the unseen voice refuses to leave him alone.

Ahriman then proceeds to free Carmenta and the survivors of the renegade chapter - Astraeos, Kadin and Thidias - in exchange for their allegiance. Working together, they take over the ship and flee the sector.

Part Two

Though he is not sure why, Ahriman tries to track down the person who wants him dead. The Titan Child wanders the sector, as Ahriman looks for the other members of his Cabal, who were likewise exiled after the Rubric failed. Each of his former comrades has either disappeared or is found dead, and the pattern is the same: each was approached by an emissary, the same way Tolbek approached Ahriman, and died after refusing to go with that emissary.

His search takes the Titan Child into the Eye of Terror, to find his former brother, Manukara, now transformed into a daemonic oracle. In return for answering Ahriman's question, the Oracle asks only one tribute from Ahriman in return: an honest answer to the Oracle's question. Ahriman asks who wants him dead, and the daemon chides that, in a way, Ahriman has always known: Amon, former Captain of the 10th Fellowship, and the most reluctant member of Ahriman's cabal. Amon now leads his own warband, the Brotherhood of Dust. In return, the Oracle asks Ahriman why he is trying to find, or evade, Amon, when the weight of Ahriman's sins is such that he should welcome death. Ahriman answers, quite honestly, that he is not sure.

As he is leaving the oracle's planet to return to the Titan Child, Ahriman's shuttle is attacked by flying daemons who were formerly Space Marines. Ahriman is forced to make a crash landing into the hangar bay with two flying beasts still attached to the ship. Astraeos, Kadin and Thidias kill the flying warp beasts and salvage Ahriman from the wreckage.

Ahriman then goes to a destroyed Astropath Station which he confessed he helped destroy under another master's authority. All the astartes then proceed into the station. Ahriman orders for him and Astraeos to remain in a room to conduct a summoning and he also ordered Kadin and Thidias to patrol the route back to the ship. Ahriman then places 99 floating bronze bowls around the size of a storm shield around the room. He and Astraeos then commence the ritual and summons a lesser version of a Daemon Prince. The Princling was bound by Ahriman and was forced to answer him. The Princling would then reveal were Amon was but in order to do that he had to hold the daemon's hand and break the bonds he made. Ahriman then held his hand and the daemon then attempted to kill him however Astraeos killed him before he could. Masses of lesser daemons then emerged from the warp and Ahriman, Astraeos, Kadin and Thidias attempted to flee. Were Kadin was nowhere to be seen Ahriman, Astraeos and Thidias were swarmed by lesser daemons and there were too many of them to kill them all so Thidias demanded he stayed and hold them off while Ahriman and Astraeos escaped. When they reaced the ship they found Kadin their but with no arms or legs. They then left the station and attacked the lesser daemons on the ship. However Kadin then started to levitate and Ahriman reached into his mind to remove the intruding psyker from his mind until he recognised the unknown intruder, the anonymous assailant then wiped Ahriman's mind of him ever seeing him and became unconscious. When on they were back on the Titan Child Ahriman waked to realise he was unconscious for six days and that the ship's spirit was dead meaning there was no internal navigation system. Astraeos then awoke from his coma and Kadin's arms and legs were replaced by augmetics.

Since they needed a navigator Ahriman offered to guide a short distance out of the warp until they could steal a navigator from another ship. Ahriman then guided them out of the the warp and through the eye of terror to stop by a nearby planet which unfortunately for them was Cadia. They only waited a few weeks until a ship passed by with valuable information. The ship the Lord of Mankind came closer to inspect the Titan Child thinking it was abandoned. Ahriman, Astraeos and Kadin then went onto the ship and attacked the occupants. Ahriman then saw a large I on the blast door and he did not recognise the symbol but Astraeos and Kadin said it was the inquisition with a angered tonne. Kadin then held off the bulk of the Guardsmen army while Ahriman and Astraeos when in search of a navigator. When finding a navigator named Silvanus they attemped to leave the Lord of Mankind with him. When they met up with Kadin Ahriman felt the presence of seraphs coming in closer and his psychic ability was weakening. Ahriman then told Astraeos to flee with Silvanus off the ship. When the three seraphs came they were led by a human psyker named Iobel who knew Ahriman. Kadin then proceeded and killed two of the three seraphs. The Third was charging towards Ahriman and Iobel aimed the boltgun at him and shot but at the same time Kadin shoved him into a warp tunnel with its destination being the Titan Child. When he was on the ship he awoke to Carmenta removing bits of shrapnel out of him. Ahriman ordered her to stitch the wound up before she finished stating that she couldn't get the two pieces next to his heart. He then went to the navigator and transmitted the destination into his mind. Ahriman claimed he found the destination of Amon when he found out the valuable information on the Lord of Mankind. The valuable information was that was Amon assembling a fleet in the warp and the data also showed its location.

When they reached their destination they blended into the fleet with the aid of psychic cloaking made by Ahriman so the enemy couldn't see the minds of the occupants of the Titan Child. Carmenta then thought Ahriman would be the doom of them and contacted Amon and relieved Ahriman's location. Three Storm Eagle gunships then responded to the call and landed in the docking bay of the Titan Child. 3 Sorcerers and 24 Rubric marines followed after. Ahriman then proceeded with caution on the Titan Child's deck only seeing darkness and hearing silence then light flowed into the chamber and found out he was surrounded by rubric marines and the three sorcerers in the center with him. They then fought each other in a battle where it was only a projection of their minds. Ahriman won but was severely wounded afterward. Then a ripple in the warp occurred and three figures stepped out, one being Amon himself. Amon then sent the other two sorcerers to assist Ahriman in getting on his feet. He then looked into the pict lens and cast a psychic power at Carmenta and it made her suffer but it did not kill her. He then used his powers to levitate Ahriman and then he sent the two sorcerers holding him (Zabaia and Siamak) to retrieve the two rubric marines sent with Tolbek. Amon then left the ship with Ahriman and the Rubic marines. Zabaia and Siamak then went into the room where Ahriman killed Tolbek and the Harrowing's inner circle only to find Astraeos, Kadin and Maroth waiting there and just before relising it was a trap Astraeos and Kadin killed them and said to them they would take Amon's flagship Sycorax. Before leaving Astraeos told Kadin about the fate of Cadar, one of the members of renegade chapter. He said that his body was now taken over by a daemon due to Maroth's sorceries. He then took the daemon bound in Cadar's flesh, the two Rubric marines, Maroth, Silvanus, Carmenta and Kadin saying that they needed all the help they could get. Astraeos then took the remaining Storm Eagle and when to the Sycorax. Once they were in the hanger Astraeos came out wearing one of the sorcerer's armour that he had just killed with the two rubric marines as escorts. The crew noticed that there was no twin sorcerer to be found and that it was a trap then the enemies in the hanger opened fired. Kadin and the daemon then came out of the gunship and attacked the enemies in the hanger and killed them all. Astraeos then proceeded to the prison cell where Ahriman was being held. They found him unarmoured and chained to a wall and rescued him. They then started to flee and the Ahriman commanded to stop due to his will to fight. Rubric marines then took down a wall and attempted to fire however Ahriman then overcame the minds of 36 sorcerers and took control of the Rubric marines. Amon then came and versed Ahriman in a duel to the death. Ahriman eventually won by turning his flesh into dust due to the fact the Rubric efected everybody in the Thousand Sons. However to make him not become a Rubric Marine he took the armour [1] for himself. In killing Amon he took over his fleet and army with only minor resistance which disturbed him very much. He then relived Astraeos and Kadin of their oaths and put Carmenta at the new pilot of the Sycorax despite her betrayal.

Notable Characters

Ahriman

The Titan Child members

The Brotherhood of Dust

The Harrowing

Inquisition

Related Publications