Ahriman: The Dead Oracle (Short Story)
Cover art | |
Author | John French |
Publisher | Black Library |
Series | Ahriman |
Followed by | Fortune's Fool |
Released | July 2014 |
Collected in | Ahriman: Exile Ahriman: The Omnibus |
Editions | 2014 ebook ISBN 9781782515173 |
Ahriman: The Dead Oracle is a short story by John French, in his series featuring Ahzek Ahriman of the Thousand Sons. It was released online in July 2014.
Cover Description
Ctesias, an ancient Space Marine and former prisoner of Amon of the Thousand Sons, tells the tale of one of the events that led him to his destiny. After Amon's demise, Ctesias comes into the service of Ahriman, the exiled First Captain of the broken Legion, and is given power undreamed of – and drawn into a plot involving the otherworldly daemons of the warp, the machinations of Ahriman and the mysterious dead oracle.
Plot Summary
Ctesias, imprisoned aboard Amon's ship, is freed by Ahriman in the aftermath of his takeover of the Brotherhood of Dust. Ahriman then takes his forces to Menkaura's moon, ostensibly to consult the Dead Oracle on the future. Ahriman takes Astraeos, Ctesias and Sanakht into the Oracle's temple, where he commands Ctesias to bind the Oracle to his will. However, Menkaura's temple has been taken over by daemons of Nurgle as a trap for Ahriman, and they reveal their presence moments before attacking. Menkaura himself has lost most of his soul to a Great Unclean One, too powerful for Ctesias to willingly attempt to bind, but when Ahriman commands him to do so Ctesias realises that Ahriman has manipulated him. He succeeds in binding the daemon and passes out.
While unconscious, Ctesias receives a vision of Menkaura and the two of them discuss Ahriman. Menkaura explains that Ahriman is afraid of his own destiny and is gathering assets to himself as a safeguard against whatever comes. Ctesias awakens on the Titan Child.