Great Hunt
Great Hunts refer to Space Wolves campaigns to discover their missing Primarch, Leman Russ.[1]
Background
Following the disappearance of Leman Russ after the Horus Heresy, the Space Wolves waited for his return. Every year, his place was laid at the feast table, and every year his great drinking horn was filled, in case he should return. The years slunk past and still he did not come. After seven years, the surviving Wolf Lords gathered and elected Bjorn their leader, awarding him the title Great Wolf. Bjorn gathered all his warriors together in the Hall of the Fang, and announced the first Great Hunt. Russ’ people would seek out their master if it took the rest of time to do it. So did the twelve Great Companies take to their ships and sail forth in separate directions across the Sea of Stars.[1]
The tale of their deeds is too long to recount in full save on Allwinter’s Eve, when the Rune Priests gather to chant the sagas. They sought Russ on many worlds and in many places. They fought intense battles against aliens and overcame voidspawn and raging Daemon alike. The Space Wolves hunted in this dimension and the next, but of Russ they found no sign, until eventually they were recalled to Fenris bearing naught but tales of their adventures. Thus the first Great Hunt ended in failure. Since that day there have been many other Great Hunts – on occasion, Russ has appeared to a Great Wolf or Rune Priest in a vision and told him it is time. These are periods of daring deeds and high adventure, when the Chapter takes to the Sea of Stars to seek their lost leader. Though they have never been successful in their goal, each Great Hunt has struck a decisive blow against the enemies of Mankind.[1]
Known Great Hunts
- 1st Great Hunt: 218.M31[2b], the first Hunt was launched near the Eye of Terror and ends in regret.[1]
- 2nd Great Hunt: Led to the recovery of an artefact believed to be the Armour of Russ.[2a]
- 4th Great Hunt: Launched into Segmentum Tempestus. It uncovers the Corellian Conspiracy[1] and foiled its efforts to overthrow the Administratum in a bloody coup.[2a]
- 7th Great Hunt: Saw the Long Exterminatus of Thransic Beta.[1]
- 8th Great Hunt: Launched into the Ghoul Stars, Russ is said to be sighted.[1]
- 9th Great Hunt: 671.M34[2b], led to the destruction of the Genestealer infested worlds of the Gehenna System.[2a]
- 11th Great Hunt: The slaying of the voidspawn Shoals.[1]
- 13th Great Hunt: The Chaos Space Marine Warband known as The Lost are destroyed.[1]
- 30th Great Hunt: 900.M41.[2b]
- Operation Stormfrost: ???[3]
Sources
- 1: Codex: Space Wolves (7th Edition) — The Disappearance of Russ
- 2: Codex: Space Wolves - Wulfen Edition
- 3: Inferno! 1, pg. 42 — Operation Stormfrost
