Kinor Argonis
Kinor Argonis[4], known as the Unscarred[2], was a member of the Sons of Horus during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.
Biography
A ruthless Space Marine born into the tunnel-slums of Cthonia, as a youth Argonis lived a brutal existence defined by murder and treachery. He was eventually inducted into the Sons of Horus and became a renowned fighter pilot. During the Keltius Conquest of the Great Crusade, Argonis grew close to the Iron Warriors pilot Volk.[2]
Becoming an emissary of Maloghurst, Argonis was dispatched on behalf of the Warmaster himself. He was accompanied by Prophesius the astropath and Sota-Nul of the Dark Mechanicum, and he sought audience with Perturabo on the Iron Blood to demand why he invaded Tallarn. Perturabo, after revealing his irritation, stated that Tallarn was a valuable route to Terra. Argonis was dismissed, but he did not trust the primarch's word and contacted the Alpha Legion to investigate. After 12 days, the Alpha Legion agent and psyker, Jalen, posed as a serf and met with Argonis. Jalen stated that he did not know why the Iron Warriors were present at Tallarn, but he admitted that the Alpha Legion was on the planet before they arrived. Argonis left for the Sightless Warren, not trusting the Alpha Legion forces. During this time, Imperial Vanus Temple agent Iaeo, followed Argonis and the Alpha Legion agents, interfering when she could to set Horus's forces against each other.[1a]
Still investigating, he called upon Volk, Iron Warrior Commander of Core Reach One, the Sightless Warren, who he served with before at Carmeline and Reddus Cluster. The interview was cut short without any new information being retrieved when the surface above the shelter began to be bombarded in preparation for an attack. Argonis broke from the Iron Warrior's guards and made his way to the data stacks of the shelter where Sota-Nul discovered the name Black Oculus. The group made their way to a new location Sota-Nul found, and Argonis was forced to kill an Iron Warrior. At their destination, they found many bound and sedated navigators. Reviving one, she explained their transformation within the Eye of Terror and the gateway of the Black Oculus. Upon leaving the chamber, alarms went off and the group was soon captured and imprisoned.[1b]
Ultimately the Alpha Legion freed Argonis in order to force Perturabo to stop his pursuit of power. Argonis killed the Alpha Legion operatives because they were keeping secrets then demanded audience with Perturabo aboard the Iron Blood. Once Argonis was admitted to the primarch's presence, Argonis fruitlessly demanded that the Iron Warriors abandon their campaign before being forced to released the bindings upon the altered astropath Prophesius, a metatron. Once unbound, warp smoke filtered out of the astropath's body and manifested as Horus, who threatened and chastised the wayward Iron Warriors. Horus ordered Perturabo to kneel before him then withdraw from the Tallarn campaign.[1c]
Argonis was later dispatched to Perturabo once again at the order of Horus, this time to order the Lord of Iron to muster at Ullanor in preparation for the drive on Terra. This time however he was also told to tell Perturabo to find Angron, who in his berserker Daemonic state was refusing the summons. On Krade Argonis was greeted by his longtime friend Volk, and the two journeyed with Perturabo to Sarum for information on where to find Angron. On Sarum, Volk was possessed by the Daemon Sa'ra'am and became the first Obliterator much to the horror of Argonis. They next traveled to Deluge, where the Iron Warriors were assailed by hordes of World Eaters, Khornate Daemons, and then Angron himself. Thanks to the discipline of the Iron Warriors and Perturabo's strategic formations, the Iron Warriors were able to endure the assault and subdue Angron, who eventually agreed to come to Ullanor. At Ullanor, Argonis learned of the death of Maloghurst and became Horus' new equerry. He had to prove his loyalty by killing his own friend Kalus Ekaddon.[3]
As Horus' new equerry by the Siege of Terra, Argonis became the face of the Warmaster. Soon he had become shocked at the deteriorating mental state of Horus, most of all when his gene-father began referring to him as Maloghurst. Argonis sought to keep Horus isolated during this time in order to prevent word of his condition from spreading. He only trusted Abaddon enough to confide in him the truth.[4] Argonis later appeared to inform Perturabo of Horus' decision to diesperse the Iron Warriors amongst the various warfronts and that the Lord of Iron's own position would be taken over by Mortarion and the Death Guard. The news along with the general state of corruption amongst the Traitors caused Perturabo to decide to abandon Terra, an act which Argonis warned would damn them to destruction at the hands of Horus once the battle was won.[5]
By the time of the siege of the Eternity Gate, Argonis was now the sole face of commands coming from the Vengeful Spirit, though the not entirely lucid Horus (still referring to Argonis as Maloghurst) would issue the command to move on the Sanctum Imperialis.[6] During the final hours of the Siege Horus finally roused himself, and, still addressing Argonis as Maloghurst, announced that he had lowered the Void Shields of the Vengeful Spirit and was luring the Emperor into a trap. A panicked Argonis later contacted Abaddon on the surface, pleading for aid.[7]
When Abbadon finally succeeded in returning to the warp-stricken flagship, he discovered a broken and disheveled Argonis, who had been driven mad by the very sight of what Horus had become.[8a] eventually ordering the equerry to be sedated in order to calm him.[8b] Argonis reawakens sometime after Horus' defeat, having regained his composure. He works as Abaddon's lieutenant as the First Captain order the Sons of Horus retreat from the Sol System.[9]
Sources
- 1: Tallarn: Ironclad (Novel):
- 2: Ruinstorm (Novel), Chapter 2
- 3: Slaves to Darkness (Novel), Chapters 15-19
- 4: Saturnine (Novel), Part 1 Chapter 6
- 5: Mortis (Novel), Chapter 8
- 6: Echoes of Eternity (Novel), Chapter 11
- 7: The End and the Death: Volume I (Novel), 2:xxvi
- 8: The End and the Death: Volume II (Novel):
- 9: The End and the Death: Volume III (Novel) - Fragments (Agonal) - iv
