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Hand of Darkness

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Targetdrone.gif This article is about the Artefact; for the Audio Drama, see Hand of Darkness (Audio Drama).

The Hand of Darkness is an ancient Xenos artefact that was present on the world of Purgatory in the Gothic Sector.[1]

Overview

Its existence was known only to a select few within the Inquisition though none truly knew the nature or purpose of the artefact. The records of older species such as the Eldar, speak of the Hand of Darkness with utter revulsion. It was believed that the artefact was a weapon of immeasurable power, though the manner in which it manifested this power was a mystery. Inquisitor Thadus Valconet Horst was dispatched to locate the Hand of Darkness, deep beneath Purgatory, but the worst fears of the Inquisition came true - the artefact was gone. There were worries that the forces of Chaos had spirited the weapon away and that they would unleash its destructive potential on the galaxy.[1]

Abaddon the Despoiler later took possession of the Hand of Darkness during the Gothic War and its powers were finally revealed to the Imperium. The ancient artefact is infused with the atrophying power of the Warp and decays anything that its wielder touches. Abaddon used this decaying power to gain access to the Blackstone Fortresses, which he later took control of. However, he has since surrendered the Hand of Darkness to the Daemon Prince Mortarion, in order to secure the allegiance of the Death Guard for the 13th Black Crusade.[2]

In 999.M41, Mortarion used the Hand of Darkness to unleash a variety of plagues on Ultramar when he heard of the awakening of his brother Roboute Guilliman. Guilliman and Varro Tigurius told Eldrad Ulthran of Mortarion's use of the Hand of Darkness, prompting him to send Yvraine to retrieve it from the Whispering Tower on the Plague Planet.[3a] Passing through trials of temptation by Slaanesh in the Black Library, Yvraine recovered a rose of Isha, said to grow only where the goddess walked,[3b] which allowed her to enter the Garden of Nurgle. Passing through the Garden, Yvraine was able to secretly enter the Whispering Tower and steal the Hand of Darkness.[3c]

See Also

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