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Revision as of 14:24, 6 December 2006

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The Thousand Sons are the fifteenth of the First-founding Legions, and descend from Magnus, a red-haired, red-skinned, cyclopean giant with an enormous psychic power. When, like other primarchs, he was mysteriously scattered around the galaxy, he fell, to his own fortune, upon Prospero, a world inhabited by psychic outcasts who did their best to seclude themselves from the Imperium. However, Magnus landing on such a convenient land was far from mere luck.

History

Prospero was, as records go, pure desolation. However, the first settlers of the planet built a city of rarely seen beauty. Inside this citadel, the outcasts devoted themselves completely to the study of their psychic mutation in order to master their powers. Thus, Magnus could freely develop his full potential far from the sight of man. Time passed and Magnus went from student to adept and from adept to master. When he reached adulthood, someone whose coming he had long foresaw arrived on Prospero: the Emperor.

As legend tells, the two recognized each other immediately. The Emperor of course acknowledged the giant to be one of his long-lost sons and thus, granted Magnus primacy of the Thousand Sons. Bearing Magnus’s gene-seed, the legion had a predisposal towards mutation and a considerable number of their ranks inherited their primarch’s psychic capabilities.

Initially, the Thousand Sons’ display of psychic powers was reluctantly tolerated, as it proved to be a powerful weapon during the Great Crusade. Serious suspicion began surrounding Magnus as the hate towards mutants and psykers spread through the Imperium. Eventually, a meeting was held to settle the matter, the result: Magnus vowed never to use sorcery again.

Nevertheless, Magnus never stopped. In secrecy, he still pursued dark knowledge and practiced sorcery, as he firmly believed it would be for the best of mankind. And certainly, had mankind’s leader not closed his mind, it would have been for the best…

When the Horus Heresy occurred, Magnus at first used his powers to warn the Emperor about the treachery. The primarch knew that by doing so, he would break his promise to his father, but he was willing to suffer the consequences. Angered by his son’s disobedience, the Emperor ignored the warning and ordered Leman Russ of the Space Wolves to destroy the Thousand Sons.

The Thousand Sons, though great psykers, did not expect the devastating arrival of the Space Wolves. A long battle was fought between the two legions, but the Thousand Sons were defeated in the end. After fleeing Prospero, Magnus joined Horus, hoping either to survive or to taste vengeance.

When the bitter war ended, Magnus and his sons had no option but to flee. As their lair, they chose the Planet of the Sorcerers in the Eye of Terror, and as their new god, they chose Tzeentch, who more than welcomed such gifted pawns.

The Rubric of Ahriman

With the embracement of chaos, comes mutation. Members of the legion began suffering horrendous changes and having their bodies and minds twisted in ways only Chaos can achieve. Although some saw these changes as a sign of their god’s favor, those of higher understanding knew better, and decided that their search for enlightenment and knowledge could not end in the dreaded transformations they would inevitably suffer. (Magnus, however, was already a very powerful daemon prince) Ahriman, Chief Librarian of the Legion, and second only to Magnus in power, united a conclave of his most trusted sorcerers, and together they cast a spell, currently known as the Rubric of Ahriman, of tremendous magnitude that would save the legion from the fate of mutation. The results were not what Ahriman wanted, much less expected. The Thousand Sons were now safe from the taint of chaos, but at a terrible price. Those who had psychic powers were greatly strengthened. But those who hadn’t had their physical bodies reduced to dust and their souls were damned to live inside their armors forever, changing most of the legion into little more than mindless ghosts. When Magnus heard about the terrible failure, he banished Ahriman and his group from the Planet of the Sorcerers, and now they wander errantly through the Eye of Terror, still pursuing magical knowledge and seeking arcane artifacts. Ahriman’s current goal is to enter the Black Library of the Eldar, and rumor has it that if he succeeded in his quest, his power would grow beyond imagination.

Combat Doctrine

Thousand Sons were known to dislike close combat, instead relying on strategy and their psychic abilities. Deceit and guile were their hallmarks, and the legion was commonly criticized for its ways, particularly by Leman Russ, who thought that any battle won by means other than strength and courage was dishonorable. Magnus was confident that he had taught his officers well enough for them to act independently and indeed the legion could function very efficiently without the presence of their primarch.

Miniatures and Images