Leman Russ (Primarch)

Leman Russ was the Primarch of the Space Wolves Chapter of Space Marines.

When the Primarchs were spread throughout the galaxy by the forces of Chaos, one came to land in the far north west of the galaxy on a remote ice world named Fenris. If it had been any normal person, then they would have certainly died in the ice wastes almost immediately. He was supposedly picked up by a Fenrisian she-wolf and raised among the wolves, with his two wolf brothers Freki and Geri.

One extreme winter, the wolves attacked a village and stormed into the food storage facilities. The villagers fought off the wolves, but Leman Russ fought them off so visciously that all of his brothers escaped alive. The villagers sent for a raiding party to remove this menace for good with poisoned arrows and knives sharp enough to slice through oak.

This raiding party killed many of the pack, including the she-wolf. Leman Russ was shot many times, and then captured, bound and gagged and thrown in front of the king, Thengir. Leman Russ proved himself to be better than just another wolf, and was eventually taken in by the king himself. He was taught to use a battle axe, to fish and soon to speak. He matured quickly and showed a natural aptitude for weaponry. He was quick to roar with laughter or sing tunelessly and he slowly realised that he was more human than wolf, but superior to both. Eventually, Leman Russ became sufficiently civilised to warrent a true name.

This is where he gained his name, Leman Russ. Later in his life, he is said to have been able to turn back whole armies of the kings enemies by himself without a scratch, to lift whole oak trees and snap them over his back, and to wrestle Fenrisian Mammoths to the ground. When King Thengir died, there was no question as to who should succeed him. Therefore, King Leman Russ took to the throne.

He was said to have been the best leader, no one could stand against him and it was not long before his fame spread to Terra. The Emperor came, but knew he could not have Russ without beating him in a contest. He entered Leman Russ's court, cloaked in runes of disguise and confusion. The natives shrunk from this new presence.

The first meeting was tense, but they agreed to a set of challenges, the Emperor not having revealed himself yet. The first challenge was an eating one. This the Emperor eventually lost as Russ managed to out eat him slightly.

The second challenge was a drinking one. This the Emperor also failed, as Russ drank the entire feast out.

The third challenge was more to the Emperor's liking, a combat trial. Russ fought bravely, but he could not beat the Emperor, and was struck down by the Emperor's power fist.

Russ then, after a period of recovery, swore fealty to the Imperium. Just weeks later, Russ joined his armies in the Great Crusade. He was armed with a thrice blessed suit of armour and a new sword forged from the maw of the Great Kraken Gormenjarl and, apparently, the blade could cleave the ice mountains of Fenris in half.

Many years passed, and many more battles. Thousands of worlds were reconquered into the Imperium, but eventually the golden age came to an end. The Horus Heresy and Leman Russ were intertwined to begin with, but they were absent from the final battles. The Emperor sent Leman Russ and his Space Wolves to deal with Magnus the Red and the Thousand Sons legion, that the Emperor believed to be the true heretic. Prospero was assaulted and bombarded, thousands died within days. In the final battle between Russ and Magnus, it is said that Russ blinded Magnus and then broke the Cyclops' back, and just as Russ was about to deliver the final blow, Magnus said a word of power and sunk into the ground.

Eventually, after quite some more time, Russ disappeared. The tale of his disappearing is retold every thousand years by the ancient Dreadnought Bjorn the Fell-Handed, the most ancient dreadnought in service, said to have served with Russ ten thousand years before. It was a simple matter, Russ left the banqueting table on Fenris and disappeared. Several great hunts set out to find him years later, but nothing was heard of him again.