# The First Heretic- Extract



## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

Mr Dembski-Bowden has only gone and put an extract of The First Heretic up on his blog Aaron Dembski-Bowden. 

Tense exchange between a passionate Lorgar and commanding Guilliman= awesome.


p.s I'm disgusted Commissar Ploss hasn't put this up first


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## World Eater XII (Dec 12, 2008)

Pretty goddam awesome!

I sure CP was having a power nap lol


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## Dagmire (Oct 9, 2008)

CP is such a let down. I am not so much hurt as i am dissipointed.
really though, good find.
D


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Damm that arrogant sod Guilliman and his Ultramarines. Nice to see that Lorgar didn't take this injustice lying down :grin:.

Can't wait to read both _The First Heretic_ and _The Core_.


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## World Eater XII (Dec 12, 2008)

Were you nder any illusion that lorgar took it lying down? lol


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

I assumed that the meetings between the Emperor, Lorgar and Guilliman were done over a hologram, or a comm-system. So I assumed that Lorgar would have to take it without retaliation, glad to see I was wrong :grin:.


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

hahahahahahahaha, you people, i swear! :laugh:

none of you read the comments to his post on his blog then did you. My name is all over that. lol actually, the moment it came up, i submitted it for a post on the Heresy News Network, but Jez didn't feel it necessary to post yet. so there 

CP

and besides, i can't take all the news! i'd be a news hog!


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

bitches please!

http://www.heresy-online.net/news/the-first-heretic-extract-by-aaron-dembski-bowden/



CP


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## Boc (Mar 19, 2010)

That, gentlemen, is called a futile cover-up


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

Boc said:


> That, gentlemen, is called a futile cover-up


sure looks like one doesn't it.  Jez spread the posts out so mine got bumped from yesterday's list.

CP


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## World Eater XII (Dec 12, 2008)

So do you actually sleep or are you some machine? If your a summer glau looking killing/news machine thats cool.


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

i have an IV hook up right next to my desk, so i can stay on top of things.  lol of course i sleep!

*...1110100011101010101011011011010001011011011...*

CP


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## Cyrion (Apr 17, 2010)

Wow, great considering how short the extract was!


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## Akatsuki13 (May 9, 2010)

I must say, I have become very impressed by Aaron Dembski-Bowden. He hasn't written much for the Black Library but what he has written is just excellent. As a Word Bearer fan, a fan of the Horus Heresy series and a fan of Soul Hunter, I eagerly await The First Heretic.


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## Unknown Primarch (Feb 25, 2008)

so i take it lorgar bitch slaps malcador and regards him as a worm. i thought that all the primarchs regarded him as a grandfather figure. the more fluff that comes out about the HH the more we see how disfunctional the royal family of 40k is and thats even before the HH. it actually really amazes me how the emperor seems to never really do anything about the negative rivalrys and bad personal traits of the primarchs and how the primarchs are supposed to be so superior yet cant get over petty jealousies and follow simple orders from their fathers.
i know its a story but they are supposed to be grown men and greater men at that with stock from the greatest being in the galaxy. with all their faults could it show us a insight into the inner workings of Him and put a question to us that the heretics were actually right to go against all He ever said and wanted to do. maybe abit of psychology and insight into the thinking of the great beings would be a good addition to the novels and answer a few questions along the way.


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## World Eater XII (Dec 12, 2008)

He doesnt slap malcador, i think itd kill him outright!

From all the fluff of the HH books, the primarchs look down on at least one o their *brothers*.

So for lorgar to look down on malcador is very believable in my eyes.


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## ckcrawford (Feb 4, 2009)

I'm glad Logar isn't going to be taking any shit from papa smurff.

By the way...



> ‘My devotion is my strength.’ Lorgar clenched his perfect teeth. ‘You have no heart, and no soul.’ A snort blackened his angelic features with a disgusted twist. ‘I pray that one day, you feel as I feel. Would you smile if one of Ultramar’s worlds died in fire? Tarentus? Espandor? Calth?’


SPOILER 


Tarentus down, two more to go. If you read Chapter's Due you'll understand what I mean.


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

Though it's not like it's the first of Ultramar's worlds to be destroyed- Prandium was consumed by Hive Fleet Behemoth.


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## World Eater XII (Dec 12, 2008)

Why does calth pop up alot, when Word bearers and smurfs start honking?


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## Dead.Blue.Clown (Nov 27, 2009)

Any questions, mortals?

Yes, you at the back, with the chainaxe.



World Eater XII said:


> Why does calth pop up alot, when Word bearers and smurfs start honking?


Good question. Here's why.

Calth is the major deciding battle between the Word Bearers and the Ultramarines in the Horus Heresy. 

Horus knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that if Guilliman and his Legion reaches Terra, then the Traitors have lost. The Ultramarines have the numbers and the strength to reinforce Terra beyond Horus's capacity to break the siege, and the Emperor will win.

So to prevent this happening, he orders Lorgar (who, in turn, orders Kor Phaeron) to hurl the second-largest Legion in the Imperium at the absolute largest. The Ultramarines are mustering at Calth, and it's there that the Word Bearers jump out from the warp and ambush Guilliman's fleet, kicking the unholy fuck out of them and laying waste to the planet Calth itself with armies of cultists.

Ultimately, the Ultramarines are led by their primarch, and they manage to send the Word Bearers into retreat. But Calth stands as a monument to the bloodshed between the two Legions, which is why they use it in arguments all the time.

"How's your paradise planet Calth? Still a nuclear wasteland?"
"I don't remember. I'm still hungover from the party after we kicked your asses there."


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## ckcrawford (Feb 4, 2009)

I have a question, will Maloq Kartho get any mentioning in the Heresy, or is he just some random word bearer?
Also, if the Word Bearers kicked the Ultrasmurffs ass so badly as I initially also thought how were they able to get to full strength so quickly? Do they have that many scouts ready?


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## Child-of-the-Emperor (Feb 22, 2009)

Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> Any questions, mortals?
> 
> Yes, you at the back, with the chainaxe.


Seeing as though were talking about Calth. The War for Calth isn't featured in _The First Heretic_ is it? If not, I imagine it will be taken from an Ultramarines P.O.V in a future novel?

Im already drooling at the mouth at the thought of this book. Finally, a Heresy Novel which does the Word Bearers justice - (*stares at _Battle for the Abyss_ and then the skip outside...*)


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## Dead.Blue.Clown (Nov 27, 2009)

Child-of-the-Emperor said:


> Seeing as though were talking about Calth. The War for Calth isn't featured in _The First Heretic_ is it? If not, I imagine it will be taken from an Ultramarines P.O.V in a future novel?


_The First Heretic_ leads up to the Word Bearers heading to Calth. 

For the record, I imagine it'll be taken from both Legions' perspectives, a la _A Thousand Sons_ and _Prospero Burns_.


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## Child-of-the-Emperor (Feb 22, 2009)

Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> _The First Heretic_ leads up to the Word Bearers heading to Calth.
> 
> For the record, I imagine it'll be taken from both Legions' perspectives, a la _A Thousand Sons_ and _Prospero Burns_.


Sounds great. Something which i'll be looking forward to even moreso than I was the _A Thousand Sons_/_Prospero Burns_ duology! Hope you end up writing one side of it, maybe you could pull the Ultramarines out of the vicious stereotype of being 'vanilla' and 'boring'?!


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> _The First Heretic_ leads up to the Word Bearers heading to Calth.
> 
> For the record, I imagine it'll be taken from both Legions' perspectives, a la _A Thousand Sons_ and _Prospero Burns_.


Awesome! As long as Counter stays away from doing the Ultramarines I'll be happy-ish- if Abnett, McNeill, you Mr ADB or maybe even James Swallow takes on the reins of the Ultramarines so we don't have to rely on Uriel Ventris for people to like one of Guilliman's Sons.


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## deathbringer (Feb 19, 2009)

An excellent extract of a novel I'm very eagerly anticipating, and my first taste of Aaron Dembski-Brown's writing.

In story excellent, really has increased my anticipation of the novel however I can only say I'm glad it's still a draft. In, my opinion, some small creases within the writing to iron out till it becomes a truly epic work, though perhaps me being a disciple of McNeil's descriptive style means I do not do his work justice.


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## World Eater XII (Dec 12, 2008)

Ah fair enough!

were was lorgar? at the seige of terra or having danger wank in his tower?


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## dark angel (Jun 11, 2008)

In my honest opinion it was ok at best. While the writting is good, I am starting to feel as though the plot will not rival those of several previous Horus Heresy novels. Don't get me wrong, this is probably far too early for me to begin saying such things but I disliked it. Lorgar can hit down Guilliman and he just gets up and lets them leave? Seriously I don't like that. 

I always thought that when those kind of things happen the Primarch would retaliate (Russ and Lion El'Jonson for an example) but he simply shrugs it off....I will see how this turns out, maybe it will become one of my favourites or maybe it will be another _Legion _ for me. I do look forward to seeing a Calth duo though, I would love for Kyme to be involved with these. And seeing as he has stated that a Salamander and Ultramarine will feature in his short, it is not that hard to believe that he will get something on them imo.


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## deathbringer (Feb 19, 2009)

There i totally disagree with you DA, the inside semantic of lorgar's fall to the dark gods and the politics of there feud with the ultramarines are of great interest and most definitely deserve a story in there own right.

While I dont see as much scope for bloodshed, I'm sure ADB will find some, it will be the subtle machinations of Kor Phaeron and the festering hatred of Lorgar's rejection by the father he worshipped that will make this novel epic and hold my interest.


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## Child-of-the-Emperor (Feb 22, 2009)

dark angel said:


> Lorgar can hit down Guilliman and he just gets up and lets them leave? Seriously I don't like that.


I loved it. From that we really get a grasp of the differing personalities and characteristics of Lorgar and Roboute. It says a lot in favour of Guilliman, that he was calm and collected enough to just walk away - but with a last barb thrown into Lorgar's shame:



> Guilliman was on his feet now. He turned an expressionless face back to his brother.
> 
> ‘Is your tantrum concluded, Lorgar? I must return to the Crusade.’





dark angel said:


> I always thought that when those kind of things happen the Primarch would retaliate (Russ and Lion El'Jonson for an example) but he simply shrugs it off


It says a lot for how far Lorgar was effected by his reprimand. In _A Thousand Sons_ for example, Lorgar was the peacemaker. He was the one who broke up Russ and Magnus, reminding them of their duty. Yet here we see Lorgar doing exactly what he prevented Russ/Magnus from doing. 

And we see Guilliman's cool response in the face of that. It says a lot about the character of Roboute Guilliman, he isn't quick to anger or rash - he is calm and calculated - he knew that retaliating against Lorgar would have been the wrong move, especially with so many Astartes around. By merely walking away, it shows that Lorgar was the one in the wrong.


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Russ and Lion El'Jonson would retaliate but its pretty obvious why. They are both aggressive and will strike without question. Guilliman is more tempered, he understood why Lorgar hit him and though he didn't like it he wouldn't retaliate because it would only escalate things, eventually where nobody wants to go.

A Battle of Calth duology would be epic. I read about Calth in Collected Visions and it sounded awesome. The Ultramarines cut off from each other, communications down and the Word Bearers rule the skies. And they still turn it around. As for writers i'd want ADB writing the Word Bearer side and either McNeill or James Swallow writing the Ultramarines, probably McNeill, after all he has the experience with the Ultramarines.



Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> _The First Heretic_ leads up to the Word Bearers heading to Calth.


Awesome. We know that _The First Heretic_ includes the Emperor and Guilliman putting sanctions on Lorgar for his religious fervour. Im looking forward to seeing how the Word Bearers fall, they had just been rebuked by their god so it wouldn't be hard but still wouldn't be easy. Seeing how Chaos achieved that will be awesome.

Plus Erebus as a loyalist is going to be very very interesting. Every Chaos worshipper was once loyal, just some are a hell of a lot harder to picture loyal then others. I honestly cannot picture an Erebus loyal to the Golden Throne.


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## Dead.Blue.Clown (Nov 27, 2009)

Baron Spikey said:


> Awesome! As long as Counter stays away from doing the Ultramarines I'll be happy-ish- if Abnett, McNeill, you Mr ADB or maybe even James Swallow takes on the reins of the Ultramarines so we don't have to rely on Uriel Ventris for people to like one of Guilliman's Sons.


Ben Counter doesn't write for the Horus Heresy anymore, so in that regard, your desires are met, good sir.



dark angel said:


> In my honest opinion it was ok at best. While the writting is good, I am starting to feel as though the plot will not rival those of several previous Horus Heresy novels. Don't get me wrong, this is probably far too early for me to begin saying such things but I disliked it. Lorgar can hit down Guilliman and he just gets up and lets them leave? Seriously I don't like that.


We'll never agree, trust me. I've seen you discussing the things you like and the things you don't in various BL books. Our opinions are close to being polar opposites, and we see practically nothing the same way.

So while I can respect your view that it was "ok at best", I sincerely doubt anything I write will align with your tastes, just as a lot of the stuff I've seen you say you enjoy, I consider to be either tedious bolter porn or simply poorly-written and desperately unsubtle.

If you read that and just see "Oh, he gets up and lets them leave" without your mind wondering why, or seeing any nuance in the moment, then I can safely say I'm not a writer you'll enjoy.

Take that however you will.


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## deathbringer (Feb 19, 2009)

Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> Ben Counter doesn't write for the Horus Heresy anymore, so in that regard, your desires are met, good sir.
> 
> .


You have just made me as happy as a pig amongst guinea pigs. I really dislike his childish writing style so thank god I will no longer be forced to read his shit just to continue a series.


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## Child-of-the-Emperor (Feb 22, 2009)

Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> Ben Counter doesn't write for the Horus Heresy anymore, so in that regard, your desires are met, good sir.


Now.... all we have to do is just remove any record or information that _Battle for the Abyss_ ever existed! :spiteful: - It'll be the Black Library's largest ever conspiracy/cover-up, but we can do it! Heck, we can just leave it as: _'Horus Heresy - Book 8: Expunged from Imperial records - authorisation unknown..'_ :alcoholic:

But more seriously, are you able to tell us why he doesn't write for the Heresy series anymore? Because of the poor reception _Battle for the Abyss_ got? Or something all together more sinister?


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## World Eater XII (Dec 12, 2008)

Booo battle for the abyss was a book even i could understand and enjoy! lol


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## dark angel (Jun 11, 2008)

Oh no ADB, I actually very much enjoyed Cadian Blood, I thought the way you wrote for Typhus and the Raven Guard was very entertaining; in fact I remember not wanting it to end. I will agree that we will never agree however. I dislike new things, and lets be honest, while I do not dislike you as such, you are new. Over time I am sure that will become different but at the moment we are always going to end up headbutting. Simple as. I am not going to argue on it because I gave my honest opinion on the matter. If there is a problem with that, it would be best if we kept it at that in my opinion.


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

I'm glad that Counter isn't writing any more Heresy books but on the flip side I don't consider him one of the worst BL authors by any means, in fact I've rather enjoyed some of his novels.

@darkangel- if _The_ _First Heretic_ is the same quality as _Legion_ I'll be delighted because Legion is one of my favourite HH books.


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Child-of-the-Emperor said:


> Now.... all we have to do is just remove any record or information that _Battle for the Abyss_ ever existed! :spiteful: - It'll be the Black Library's largest ever conspiracy/cover-up, but we can do it! Heck, we can just leave it as: _'Horus Heresy - Book 8: Expunged from Imperial records - authorisation unknown..'_ :alcoholic:
> 
> But more seriously, are you able to tell us why he doesn't write for the Heresy series anymore? Because of the poor reception _Battle for the Abyss_ got? Or something all together more sinister?


I haven't read _Battle for the Abyss_ but expunging it would be a mistake. It would mean that future writers cannot see what NOT to do. While I haven't formed an opinion its clear that the 8th novel was not well received, which as a Horus Heresy series novel makes it a black mark.



dark angel said:


> Oh no ADB, I actually very much enjoyed Cadian Blood, I thought the way you wrote for Typhus and the Raven Guard was very entertaining; in fact I remember not wanting it to end. I will agree that we will never agree however. I dislike new things, and lets be honest, while I do not dislike you as such, you are new. Over time I am sure that will become different but at the moment we are always going to end up headbutting. Simple as. I am not going to argue on it because I gave my honest opinion on the matter. If there is a problem with that, it would be best if we kept it at that in my opinion.


Typhus the Traveller is in _Cadian Blood_?!, damn if I had known that then it would have been a higher priority for me.


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## Child-of-the-Emperor (Feb 22, 2009)

Baron Spikey said:


> if _The_ _First Heretic_ is the same quality as _Legion_ I'll be delighted because Legion is one of my favourite HH books.


Ditto. _Legion_ still remains my favourite Heresy novel by far. If _The First Heretic_ is made of similar quality I will be delighted. And I have every expectation that it will be, given Aaron's few but fantastic contributions to the Black Library so far.


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## the.alleycat.uk (Jun 11, 2009)

dark angel said:


> I will see how this turns out, maybe it will become one of my favourites or maybe it will be another _Legion _ for me.


See, whereas for me if it's another 'Legion' then ADB gets to be made of pure win [he's made of some win for Soul Hunter already].

In a weird sense I guess this highlights the difficulty for a BL author... we're both 40k fans and therefore the audience for these works but, perhaps, like different things in our books.

My take on the point you mention is that it illustrates the stoicism of Guilleman [sp] and his taciturn refusal to be provoked by his brother's tantrum.


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## ckcrawford (Feb 4, 2009)

I wasn't sure if you ignored my question because you didn't want to give anything away. If so let me know but I'm really interested in this Word Bearer "Maloq Kartho." Is he just a random Word Bearer that Graham McNeill created or will he play a roll in your story?


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## ckcrawford (Feb 4, 2009)

World Eater XII said:


> Booo battle for the abyss was a book even i could understand and enjoy! lol


Uhh... I don't like being to hard on Ben Counter because I am fond of a couple of his books including _Galaxy in Flames_. I thought it was just a stupid story to make in to a whole book. The whole story is about the destruction of the generator on the Word Bearers ship! They could have easily made that a short story in _Tales of Heresy_. If anything I think he is probably looking for a redemption book to bring him back. But of course thats just my opinion, I just don't think Ben Counter has made as many big hits to make him create such a mistake. I mean... damn, that book _The Chapter's Due_... ugh... mega crap, and I don't think I'm hard on Author's and their work. I mean, MEGA CRAP, but Graham McNeill is still my favorite author as the many other works he has published defend him.


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