Difference between revisions of "Night Lords"
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===Pre-Heresy=== | ===Pre-Heresy=== | ||
[[Image:NightLordPreHer.jpg|thumb|A marine of the Night Lords before the Horus Heresy]] | [[Image:NightLordPreHer.jpg|thumb|A marine of the Night Lords before the Horus Heresy]] | ||
| − | The Night Lords originated on the planet [[Nostramo]], a world which was trapped in a perpetual night and ruled by the [[Primarch]] [[Konrad Curze]], who used '''Night Haunter''' as an alias while ruling the world as a merciless vigilante. He later re-adopted the title during the [[Horus Heresy]]. The Night Lords were utilized as a force that reinstated the [[Imperium]]'s rule after the planets had been pacified by the other [[Space Marine Legion]]s, but had ceased sending tithes or outright | + | The Night Lords originated on the planet [[Nostramo]], a world which was trapped in a perpetual night and ruled by the [[Primarch]] [[Konrad Curze]], who used '''Night Haunter''' as an alias while ruling the world as a merciless vigilante. He later re-adopted the title during the [[Horus Heresy]]. The Night Lords were utilized as a force that reinstated the [[Imperium]]'s rule after the planets had been pacified by the other [[Space Marine Legion]]s, but had ceased sending tithes or outright rebelled. As this sort of endeavor mirrored what Curze did as the Night Haunter on Nostramo, the Night Lords excelled at reinforcing the [[Emperor]]'s will through fear. The Night Lords decorated their power armor with symbols of death, very similar to the post-Heresy behavior of many fallen [[Space Marines]].<sup>1</sup> |
As the Night Lords began to slowly receive replacement Marines from Nostramo, which had fallen back to it's pre-Curze ways, thugs, murderers, and rapists began to fill the ranks<sup>1</sup>. This, in addition to Curze's probable insanity,<sup>3</sup> began a downward spiral for the Legion. The Legion began to make more excessive examples of planets and populations starting from merely purging the small group of rebellious or heathen occupants to virus-bombing an entire planet due to the existence of a single cult. This gave them a tremendously terror inspiring reputation causing many planetary governors to immediately make good any outstanding tithes and sometimes entirely stop a rebellion at the mere rumor of Night Lord retaliation<sup>1</sup>. | As the Night Lords began to slowly receive replacement Marines from Nostramo, which had fallen back to it's pre-Curze ways, thugs, murderers, and rapists began to fill the ranks<sup>1</sup>. This, in addition to Curze's probable insanity,<sup>3</sup> began a downward spiral for the Legion. The Legion began to make more excessive examples of planets and populations starting from merely purging the small group of rebellious or heathen occupants to virus-bombing an entire planet due to the existence of a single cult. This gave them a tremendously terror inspiring reputation causing many planetary governors to immediately make good any outstanding tithes and sometimes entirely stop a rebellion at the mere rumor of Night Lord retaliation<sup>1</sup>. | ||
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The Night Lords armor is not only commonly adorned in images of their Legion, and symbols of death such as trophy racks/pikes, spiked armor, and numerous skulls of all sizes but the Nightlords alone have a peculiar form of imagery that occurs on each and every legionnaire's armor. The Night Lords' night blue armor is alive with a mysterious network of lightning bolts that constantly play across their armor when in combat. Whether artificial, a curse, or something else, this lightning is a signature of the imagery of the lords of night and terrorises their foes in the ink blackness of the night. | The Night Lords armor is not only commonly adorned in images of their Legion, and symbols of death such as trophy racks/pikes, spiked armor, and numerous skulls of all sizes but the Nightlords alone have a peculiar form of imagery that occurs on each and every legionnaire's armor. The Night Lords' night blue armor is alive with a mysterious network of lightning bolts that constantly play across their armor when in combat. Whether artificial, a curse, or something else, this lightning is a signature of the imagery of the lords of night and terrorises their foes in the ink blackness of the night. | ||
| − | The gene-seed of the Night Lords seems to be surprisingly pure. Of all the Chaos Space Marine Legions, the Night Lords seem to be the least mutated. Night Lords marines have jet black eyes and pale skin. The | + | The gene-seed of the Night Lords seems to be surprisingly pure. Of all the Chaos Space Marine Legions, the Night Lords seem to be the least mutated. Night Lords marines have jet black eyes and pale skin. The original legionnaires do not have irises, with the visible part of their eyes consisting entirely of pupils. Their skin, eyes, and even their senses of smell and hearing are all adapted for living in complete darkness. |
The one less frightening fact of the Night Lords is that the legionnaires' armor is still relatively unaffected by the warp and thus is as easy to destroy as standard imperial Astartes armor, though barely surmountably tough at best. | The one less frightening fact of the Night Lords is that the legionnaires' armor is still relatively unaffected by the warp and thus is as easy to destroy as standard imperial Astartes armor, though barely surmountably tough at best. | ||
Revision as of 10:56, 6 November 2008
The Night Lords are one of the nine Space Marine Legions which betrayed the Emperor during the Horus Heresy, becoming Chaos Space Marines. They do not worship any of the Chaos gods, but acknowledge them equally as they ruthlessly spread terror amongst the galaxy's inhabitants.
Contents
Basic Information
History
Pre-Heresy
The Night Lords originated on the planet Nostramo, a world which was trapped in a perpetual night and ruled by the Primarch Konrad Curze, who used Night Haunter as an alias while ruling the world as a merciless vigilante. He later re-adopted the title during the Horus Heresy. The Night Lords were utilized as a force that reinstated the Imperium's rule after the planets had been pacified by the other Space Marine Legions, but had ceased sending tithes or outright rebelled. As this sort of endeavor mirrored what Curze did as the Night Haunter on Nostramo, the Night Lords excelled at reinforcing the Emperor's will through fear. The Night Lords decorated their power armor with symbols of death, very similar to the post-Heresy behavior of many fallen Space Marines.1
As the Night Lords began to slowly receive replacement Marines from Nostramo, which had fallen back to it's pre-Curze ways, thugs, murderers, and rapists began to fill the ranks1. This, in addition to Curze's probable insanity,3 began a downward spiral for the Legion. The Legion began to make more excessive examples of planets and populations starting from merely purging the small group of rebellious or heathen occupants to virus-bombing an entire planet due to the existence of a single cult. This gave them a tremendously terror inspiring reputation causing many planetary governors to immediately make good any outstanding tithes and sometimes entirely stop a rebellion at the mere rumor of Night Lord retaliation1.
While it may be possible that the Emperor secretly authorized these excessive examples to be made,2 the Night Lords were eventually brought to task for their predations upon Imperial citizenry. During a meeting of the Primarchs, Konrad Curze confided in Fulgrim, Primarch of the Emperor's Children, of the visions he had of the Emperor killing him and that the Legions would endlessly battle each other. Fulgrim, in turn, informed his brother Rogal Dorn of these visions. Dorn then confronted Curze, where Curze mercilessly beat him when the conversation inevitably turned to blows. Upon this event, the other Primarchs met amongst themselves to determine Curze's fate, as well as that of his Legion.1
The decision reached was never found out, as Konrad Curze had killed his honor guard and returned to his fleet.1 Though it is possible that an assassin sent by the Emperor to kill him quietly for the crimes his Legion had committed had killed the honor guard and forced Curze to retreat to his fleet.2 Regardless, Curze aimed his fleet to Nostramo, where all the ships in his fleet fired upon the single weakness in the planet's adamantium crust, eventually causing the planet to be destroyed.1
Although the Night Lords had gone rogue, the Horus Heresy erupted before anything could be done about it.
Horus Heresy
Despite having gone rogue, the Night Lords were one of the seven Legions dispatched to destroy the gathered Sons of Horus, World Eaters, Death Guard, and Emperor's Children at the Istvaan system.1 This is most likely due to Imperial leaders, and possibly even the Emperor himself, being unaware of the events that transpired shortly before the Heresy. Upon this world, the Night Lords, alongside the Word Bearers, Iron Warriors, and the Alpha Legion, turned on the loyalist Legions who had arrived earlier in the "Dropsite Massacres" on Istvaan V.1 Upon decimating the Raven Guard, Iron Hands, and the Salamanders, the Night Lords returned to the Galactic East and began a genocidal campaign most likely to stop any support from this area from reaching Terra.
Post-Heresy
Upon Horus's defeat, the Night Lords continued their bloody pogrom upon the Galactic East. While nearly every Legion had been decimated in the fighting and all the other traitor Legions had begun retreated to the Eye of Terror, the Night Lords remained whole and retained their Pre-Heresy numbers. This heavily concerned the High Lords of Terra, whom debated what could be done to cease their predations.1
This lead to Konrad Curze being assassinated by a Callidus Assassin. Curze had visions of this event all his life and allowed the assassin to kill him on the world of Tsagualsa, where the Night Lords had built a fortress of living flesh. Curze felt that this assassination vindicated everything as his most terrible visions had all come to pass.1 Curze passed leadership to Talonmaster Zso Sahaal who was trapped in the warp when he chased down the assassin that murdered his Primarch.2
The Night Lords eventually relocated to the Eye of Terror, where they currently reside.
Organization
Pre-Heresy
Little is known of the Pre-Heresy Night Lords organization outside of extensive use of Drop Pods, Rhino troop carriers, and Assault Marines, known as "Raptors." Assault Marines apparently got their start as Night Lords under Captain Zso Sahaal, and due to their successes, other Legions began forming jump infantry squads.2
Post-Heresy
The Night Lords tend not to use Daemons in their armies, although they have been known to work alongside Furies, Daemons of Chaos Undivided who share the Night Lords' fondness for brutal murder and psychological warfare. Night Lords do not worship a specific power of Chaos, instead following the concept of Chaos Undivided. Indeed, the Night Lords have a contempt for all of the Ruinous Powers, as well as weakness of any sort.
Appearance
The Night Lords armor is not only commonly adorned in images of their Legion, and symbols of death such as trophy racks/pikes, spiked armor, and numerous skulls of all sizes but the Nightlords alone have a peculiar form of imagery that occurs on each and every legionnaire's armor. The Night Lords' night blue armor is alive with a mysterious network of lightning bolts that constantly play across their armor when in combat. Whether artificial, a curse, or something else, this lightning is a signature of the imagery of the lords of night and terrorises their foes in the ink blackness of the night.
The gene-seed of the Night Lords seems to be surprisingly pure. Of all the Chaos Space Marine Legions, the Night Lords seem to be the least mutated. Night Lords marines have jet black eyes and pale skin. The original legionnaires do not have irises, with the visible part of their eyes consisting entirely of pupils. Their skin, eyes, and even their senses of smell and hearing are all adapted for living in complete darkness.
The one less frightening fact of the Night Lords is that the legionnaires' armor is still relatively unaffected by the warp and thus is as easy to destroy as standard imperial Astartes armor, though barely surmountably tough at best.
Notable Members
- Konrad Curze aka Night Haunter - Primarch
- Zso Sahaal - Captain, "Talonmaster"
- Krieg Acerbus - Captain, "Axemaster"
Fleet
The Night Lords are known to have possessed the following vessels:2
- Umbrea Insidior - Zso Sahaal's battle barge
Sources
- 1Index Astartes II : The Bringers of Darkness.
- 2Lord of the Night (Novel) - Simon Spurrier
- 3The Dark King - Graham McNeill
