Vulkan Lives

[Jmaximum]

Expect massive amounts of spoilers in this.
So don't read any further if you haven't touched the book yet.






*************************************************S POILERS SPOILERS****************************

Vulkan is a perpetual. Hmmm.. I figure they could not make ALL the primarchs perpetuals, as there is some ancient background fluff that has some of them already dead. But still.

I did really like the insight into the psyche of a primarch, and how they were influenced from the world they grew up on. We know Nocturne has a highly integrated mundane society with the Legiones Astartes, so Vulkan holds a much higher regard for humanity, whereas Curze came from a perpetual night-time world riddled with gang violence and corruption. I like the irony of Vulkan's home world being called Nocturne, even though it is filled with fire and light, and Curze's homeworld, a world of constant darkness, is called something else. I have a strong suspicion that Nostromo may have some roots in ancient Greek, but I could not find any references.

The book does explain why the Salamanders think Vulkan 'disappeared', as we learn he was captured by Curze and tortured for unknown lengthy amount of time.

I really don't get John Grammaitcus's part in the story: he eventually admits that he wants to use the fulgurite spear to kill Vulkan, and he has a showdown with Erebus of all people, and Erebus lets John walk away. But Vulkan and John never cross paths...

Also, what the hell is up with the ending? Vulkan teleports off of Curze's ship, to fall in to atmospheric reentry onto a planet, but he's reciting a poem in his head in which he dies, and thus he really does die? How did he have the time and opportunity to leave relics all over the galaxy that the Salamanders of M39+ are hunting for? Kind of a lame ending, if indeed he did die permanently.

[BlackKnight15624]

Read on- his story continues in The Unremembered Empire :-)

[Blood Shadow]

Read on- his story continues in The Unremembered Empire :-)

Yep got to read the next book....

The whole perpetual debate got me wondering if Dorn stuck the Emperor in the throne by mistake......or as punishment......surely if the Emperor dies he'll come back, as far as we're aware Horus didn't use the fulgrite.....

[Katharon]

Nostromo is suppose to be a play on the word "Nosferatu," and the entire design and combat style of the Night Lords is also an allusion to the vampire mythos -- and the Night Haunter is suppose to be the 40K personification of all that as well. The guys that originally created the fluff weren't doing it from a blank slate, but they certainly knew how to divvy it all up to make interesting characters and their various archetypes.


And yeah, you really need to read Unremembered Empire. One of the best so far that includes Guilliman.

[whargoul666]

Nostromo is suppose to be a play on the word "Nosferatu,".

I don't think so Katharon. Nostromo is the name of a book (which is named after the anti-hero character in it).

It was also the name of the ship in Alien.

[This Dave]

I don't think so Katharon. Nostromo is the name of a book (which is named after the anti-hero character in it).

It was also the name of the ship in Alien.

A lot of the Night Lords stuff is a play on the "Heart of Darkness". Conrad Kurze is a combination of Josef Conrad, who wrote Heart of Darkness and Nostromo, and Colonel Kurtz from Apocalypse Now, which is based from Heart of Darkness. And also from Apocalypse Now comes M'shen, the assassin that killed him. That's a play on Martin Sheen who played the man sent to kill the Colonel.

[nathaneal246]

A lot of the Night Lords stuff is a play on the "Heart of Darkness". Conrad Kurze is a combination of Josef Conrad, who wrote Heart of Darkness and Nostromo, and Colonel Kurtz from Apocalypse Now, which is based from Heart of Darkness. And also from Apocalypse Now comes M'shen, the assassin that killed him. That's a play on Martin Sheen who played the man sent to kill the Colonel.

That's quality!

[Jmaximum]

A lot of the Night Lords stuff is a play on the "Heart of Darkness". Conrad Kurze is a combination of Josef Conrad, who wrote Heart of Darkness and Nostromo, and Colonel Kurtz from Apocalypse Now, which is based from Heart of Darkness. And also from Apocalypse Now comes M'shen, the assassin that killed him. That's a play on Martin Sheen who played the man sent to kill the Colonel.

Holy crap-ina-hat, you just blew my mind man. I never read Nostromo, but I thought it had something to do with Greek mythology.
But the relation to Heart of Darkness is too much of a coincidence.

I have ordered Unremembered Empire, really looking forward to the read, and really wondering why Guilliman is holding up Sanguinius's arm on the cover like a prize fighter, and why Sanguinius looks like someone kicked his puppy. Good to know Vulcan will be back in that, too.

[This Dave]

Holy crap-ina-hat, you just blew my mind man. I never read Nostromo, but I thought it had something to do with Greek mythology.
But the relation to Heart of Darkness is too much of a coincidence.

It's not coincidence, that actually came from one of the writers (I think Phil Kelly) at a Q&A session at a tournament long long ago.

[Blood Shadow]

Good to know Vulcan will be back in that, too.

....hmmm kinda