Age of Darkness, book 16 of the Horus Heresy

[Jmaximum]

ok, first and foremost: this will be littered with potential SPOILERS, so read at your own risk.






I have just finished the first story: Rules of Engagement. At the end of the story, it turns out that the last engagement was a full scale mock battle (although it is not explained how deaths and hits with, say, field artillery were accounted for). Have a few questions:
1) in the first part of the story, Engagement 94. Cptn Remus of the Ultramarines calls himself, and his 4th Company, traitors. But they were fighting as Ultramarines against the Death Guard. So why would the Ultramarines be considered traitors?

2) in Engagement 228, the 4th fights the Salamanders. Was this a mocked up practice battle as well? And if so, when was it ever mentioned before that the Salamanders might be suspect of turning traitor?

I dunno, the only part of the story that seemed to make any sense is when the it is revealed that the last engagement was a full scale mock battle of what if Horus invaded Macragge. Other than that, I guess I just didnt really 'get it'.
Any illumination would be appreciated.

[wittdooley]

ok, first and foremost: this will be littered with potential SPOILERS, so read at your own risk.






I have just finished the first story: Rules of Engagement. At the end of the story, it turns out that the last engagement was a full scale mock battle (although it is not explained how deaths and hits with, say, field artillery were accounted for). Have a few questions:
1) in the first part of the story, Engagement 94. Cptn Remus of the Ultramarines calls himself, and his 4th Company, traitors. But they were fighting as Ultramarines against the Death Guard. So why would the Ultramarines be considered traitors?

In the event that it came to pass that Guilliman disagreed with the Emperor. Remember, Guilliman wanted to account for any possiblity, no matter how unlikely.

2) in Engagement 228, the 4th fights the Salamanders. Was this a mocked up practice battle as well? And if so, when was it ever mentioned before that the Salamanders might be suspect of turning traitor?

No, they're one of the more loyal chapters. However, the Sallies were one of the first chapters to make HEAVY use of Terminator armour. Simply a countermeasure to, again, accout for any possibility.

They're all test battles. One could presume that Guilliman probably ran simulations where they were fighting against every other chapter to train against their unique fighting styles. That story is a bit confusing, to be sure.

[Jmaximum]

In retrospect from reading the end of the story, I can see how they are test battles, but there are paragraphs where guys are getting blown up with artillery and explosives, and he shoots the Salamander Commander in the face.

[wittdooley]

Yeah, you really don't get that until the end, and even then I think it takes more than one read through. And even then I wasn't sure. It was confirmed by the author though....so I guess we should believe him.

BTW. Screw reading the stories in order. Your top 2 priorities should be The Last Remembrancer and Iron Within. UHHH-MMAAAZZZ-IIING

[MarneusCalgar]

How many issues you think the novellas will be?? 41?? Because this is the 16th and it seems never ending

[wittdooley]

I don't think we're as far from the end as we think. However, I can see 41 being a "makes sense" stopping point for GW.

Remember, as far as the timeline goes, we're about 2 thirds of the way through this whole ordeal. They've been using the Short Story collections as benchmarks, so Age of Heresy contained short stories pertaining to the "fall" of the Legions and Horus. Age of Darkness contains stories that are during the initial reaction to that fall, and the next short story collection will certainly mark the beginning of the march to Terra.

I personally hope they bookend the series with a trilogy like they opened it with, with (at this point) Abnett, McNeill, and ADB writing the three books (though I'm tempted to give Swallow the nod because he's their Blood Angels guy).

Very excited about the Battle of Calth.

[Jmaximum]

Yeah, you really don't get that until the end, and even then I think it takes more than one read through. And even then I wasn't sure. It was confirmed by the author though....so I guess we should believe him.

BTW. Screw reading the stories in order. Your top 2 priorities should be The Last Remembrancer and Iron Within. UHHH-MMAAAZZZ-IIING

Ok, will go ahead and read those. although, I am in the middle of 'Liar's Due'. Yet another confusing story. That guy Mendacs is in the beginning of the story, and then arrives for the first time in the middle of the story (the time keeping header at the top of the sub sections is kinda vague, and this does not feel like a flashback to his arrival).
But back to the fist one: I will give it another read and see if there are more clues I missed. I GUESS it could be implied that there armor was coded to shut down and play 'dead' when it registered a hit from a targeting laser or something. But, still doesnt explain how Remus is seeing las-cannon beams shoot over his head, or why he calls himself a traitor in the beginning of the story.


@Wittdooley: What's the big deal about Calth? Too many 'C' named planets to keep track of: Calth, Colchis, Caliban, Chemos, Cthonia, and even Cadia plays a part.

[wittdooley]

Ok, will go ahead and read those. although, I am in the middle of 'Liar's Due'. Yet another confusing story. That guy Mendacs is in the beginning of the story, and then arrives for the first time in the middle of the story (the time keeping header at the top of the sub sections is kinda vague, and this does not feel like a flashback to his arrival).
But back to the fist one: I will give it another read and see if there are more clues I missed. I GUESS it could be implied that there armor was coded to shut down and play 'dead' when it registered a hit from a targeting laser or something. But, still doesnt explain how Remus is seeing las-cannon beams shoot over his head, or why he calls himself a traitor in the beginning of the story.


@Wittdooley: What's the big deal about Calth? Too many 'C' named planets to keep track of: Calth, Colchis, Caliban, Chemos, Cthonia, and even Cadia plays a part.

Calth is where the big *** showdown between the Ultras and the Word Bearers goes down. Abnett is slated to be writing that book, entitled "Know No Fear." Here's a link to it: [URL="http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/know-no-fear.html"]Know No Fear[/URL]

It will probably be really sweet, as Abnett is a stud. I was a bit surprised to find that neither McNeill (Ultramarines Books) or Dembski-Bowden (First Heretic) was writing it.

[Jmaximum]

oh very cool. So the Ultras and Bearers have a showdown after the Bearers turn to Chaos? Very cool.
I also just read another short in Age of Darkness: the one about the thousand sons. Apparently, in Thousand Sons, Magnus sends the entire Sons flee to the edges of the system to escape the Wolves wrath. So, there are some untainted Sons out there..... It is implied in the story that most of them fled to the far reaches of the galaxy, but it did not say anything about them plunging into the warp with the rest of the planet-side legion. Hmmmm, I wonder whats going to happen with/to them?