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The '''Eisenstein''' is an [[Imperial]] warship that plays a crucial role at the outbreak of the [[Horus Heresy]], though this role changes depending on the source.
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The '''''Eisenstein''''' is an [[Imperial]] warship that plays a crucial role at the outbreak of the [[Horus Heresy]], though this role changes depending on the source.
  
 
==Current Canon==
 
==Current Canon==
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During its voyage, the power of [[Nurgle]] re-animates the corpses of the dead Marines, who are unstoppable until Garro orders the ship to make an emergency reversion to the Materium.  The tainted Marines disappear, but the stress of the reversion is too much for the ship's [[Navigator]].  The ''Eisenstein'' is stranded, until Garro orders the ship to jettison its warp engines and detonate them, in the hope of signalling a passing ship.  They are rescued by the [[Imperial Fists]]' [[fortress monastery]], the ''[[Phalanx]]'', and the ''Eisenstein'' is scuttled.<sup>2</sup>
 
During its voyage, the power of [[Nurgle]] re-animates the corpses of the dead Marines, who are unstoppable until Garro orders the ship to make an emergency reversion to the Materium.  The tainted Marines disappear, but the stress of the reversion is too much for the ship's [[Navigator]].  The ''Eisenstein'' is stranded, until Garro orders the ship to jettison its warp engines and detonate them, in the hope of signalling a passing ship.  They are rescued by the [[Imperial Fists]]' [[fortress monastery]], the ''[[Phalanx]]'', and the ''Eisenstein'' is scuttled.<sup>2</sup>
  
According to the ''Eisenstein''s captain, in an ancient Earth language, "Eisenstein" means "iron-stone", and was the name of two noted men from the Age of Terra - one [[wikipedia:Sergei Eisenstein|a remembrancer]], the other [[wikipedia:Ferdinand Eisenstein|a scientist]].<sup>2a</sup>
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According to the ''Eisenstein''s captain, in an ancient Earth language, "Eisenstein" means "iron-stone", and was the name of two noted men from the Age of Terra - one [[wikipedia:Sergei Eisenstein|a remembrancer]], the other [[wikipedia:Gotthold Eisenstein|a scientist]].<sup>2a</sup>
  
 
==Canonicity/Previous Editions==
 
==Canonicity/Previous Editions==

Revision as of 13:23, 11 May 2012

The Eisenstein is an Imperial warship that plays a crucial role at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, though this role changes depending on the source.

Current Canon

Spoiler!
This page contains spoilers for: The Flight of the Eisenstein (Novel)

In The Flight of the Eisenstein, by James Swallow, Nathaniel Garro and his Company were assigned to the Eisenstein before the Isstvan III massacre. Because of an injury suffered in a recent skirmish, Garro was prevented from joining the surface attack with the other Death Guards. First Captain Typhon stationed Ignatius Grulgor's company aboard the Eisenstein to deal with Garro and his men when the time came.

Before the bombardment started, Saul Tarvitz transmitted a warning to the Eisenstein, before flying down to the planet's surface to attempt to warn the other loyalists. Acting on this warning, Garro and his men discover the treason and overpower Grulgor and his men, who are killed by a ruptured virus bomb.

Shortly before taking the Eisenstein to warp, to travel to Terra and warn the Emperor, Garro are joined by Iacton Qruze and a group of civilians escaping from Horus's flagship, at the direction of Garviel Loken. The Eisenstein narrowly evades fire from Typhon's ship, the Terminus Est, before escaping the system.

According to the novel, the only non-Death Guard Astartes aboard the Eisenstein during its voyage is Qruze; Varren does not appear, and Tarvitz attempts to reach the planet's surface.

During its voyage, the power of Nurgle re-animates the corpses of the dead Marines, who are unstoppable until Garro orders the ship to make an emergency reversion to the Materium. The tainted Marines disappear, but the stress of the reversion is too much for the ship's Navigator. The Eisenstein is stranded, until Garro orders the ship to jettison its warp engines and detonate them, in the hope of signalling a passing ship. They are rescued by the Imperial Fists' fortress monastery, the Phalanx, and the Eisenstein is scuttled.2

According to the Eisensteins captain, in an ancient Earth language, "Eisenstein" means "iron-stone", and was the name of two noted men from the Age of Terra - one a remembrancer, the other a scientist.2a

Canonicity/Previous Editions

First Edition

The Eisenstein was originally created for the Realm of Chaos books, published for the First Edition of Warhammer 40,000 in order to introduce the Horus Heresy.

In Realm of Chaos, the Eisenstein was an Imperial Frigate tainted by Chaos that was intercepted by Loyal Adeptus Astartes immediately following the destruction of Isstvan III. During the bombardment, a group of loyal Astartes from several Legions escaped with the ship, bringing warning of Horus's treachery to the Emperor, who resolved to quickly end the rebellion by destroying Horus, and sent several Legions to attack Horus's newly established base on another of the Isstvan system worlds.

Space Marine (Game)

Space Marine (Game), the 1989 precursor to the Epic game system, which takes place during the Heresy, details the Eisenstein incident.

After navigating their fleet to the Isstvan system, the Sons of Horus were joined by some of the other Traitor Legions, including the World Eaters, the Emperor's Children, the Death Guard and the Thousand Sons.

Aware that some of their Astartes remained loyal to the Emperor, the Primarchs sent these loyalist elements down to Isstvan, supposedly to combat the enemies of the Emperor, and then Horus's fleet bombarded the planet. Millions of civilians perished along with the loyalist Marines.

Battle-Captain Garro of the Death Guard remained aboard the traitor fleet during the bombardment, and as soon as he realized the true nature of their actions, he gathered 70 like-minded Marines. With this force he took control of the Imperial cruiser Eisenstein and managed to escape the system and warn the Imperium. Seven Imperial Legions were mustered to fight the five Traitor Legions in what would be later known as the Drop Site Massacre.

Canon Conflicts

In one source, the exact number of Marines from each Legion that escaped to warn the Imperium were[Needs Citation]:

Other sources[Needs Citation] state that the 70 marines were lead by Captain Varren of the World Eaters, and escaped in Thunderhawk transports.

Still another source[Needs Citation] suggests that Captain Saul Tarvitz of the Emperor's Children led the group. According to this account, Varren's World Eaters were supposed to seize control of the Eisenstein at the same time that the other Marines would take control of four separate ships (presumably their own transports/frigates) and use these vessels to defend the Eisenstein so it could jump to warp space. This does not mesh with later sources, which seem to imply that all 70 Marines were aboard the Eisenstein on its voyage to Terra

This account also presents a slightly different number or Marines per Legion[Needs Citation]:

  • 16 World Eaters (Including Varren)
  • 13 Death Guard (Including Garro)1
  • 10 Luna Wolves1
  • 20 Thousand Sons
  • 10 Emperor's Children (Including Tarvitz)

Unfortunately this adds up to only 69 men. It is possible that one of the unnamed officers of either the Luna Wolves/Sons of Horus or Thousand Sons included themselves in the count and the other didn't, since the numbers appear as direct quotes from the officers in question. Of course, there is no way Varren, who remarks in the source that the total of seventy Marines is equal to the sum of the five Legions' Numbers, could know this. It is thus probably a simple mistake in the text.

Each of these accounts cause problems. The original account introduces the Inquisition at the time of the Emperor. Gav Thorpe has since changed the creation of the Inquisition to after the Emperor's Ascension for the Inquisitor game.

Sources