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Fortune's Fool (Short Story)

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Fortune's Fool
Author John French
Publisher Black Library
Series Ahriman (Novel Series)
Preceded by The Dead Oracle
Followed by Hounds of Wrath
Collected in Ahriman: Exodus
Ahriman: The Omnibus

Synopsis

Ichneumon, sorcerer of the Thousand Sons, comes to Ahriman offering guidance out of the Eye of Terror in exchange for being allowed to join his brotherhood. Neither Ahriman nor his subordinate Ctesias respect Ichneumon because he has given himself over to worship of Tzeentch, but as an experienced explorer of the Eye they need the knowledge he is offering. Ahriman sends Ctesias to treat with Ichneumon and then assassinate him.

Ctesias visits Ichneumon's ship and is shown its core, a sorcerous power source called the Eye of Change. While moving through the ship, Ctesias utters strange words which pique Ichneumon's interest, but he explains them away as exclamations from a dead language. When negotiations stall Ctesias attacks, killing Ichneumon's bodyguards by summoning Horrors of Tzeentch. Ichneumon easily overpowers Ctesias and forces him to contact Ahriman, who agrees to let Ichneumon join the brotherhood. In return, Ichneumon gives up the name of the passage that can be used to escape the Eye.

Back on the Sycorax, Ctesias reflects that Ahriman will be able to escape the Eye with just the name of the passage he needs to find, and that the words he spoke on Ichneumon's ship will summon a tide of daemons to kill Ichneumon with no-one other than he or Ahriman ever knowing.

Sources

Fortune's Fool (Short Story) by John French