# HH #15 'The First Heretic' (Artwork released)



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

(Thought I'd start a new thread as the Artwork for the book has recently been revealed!)

Well book number 15 (which will mean 5 HH books released in 2010 - including the Raven's Flight!) has been confirmed now as being written by Aaron Dembski-Bowden and from the Artwork (and the obvious title!) will be largely about the Word Bearers.

The Artwork confuses me in regards to when/where it is set. It shows a possessed Word Bearer and a Custodian, but where did two such beings meet apart from the Siege of Holy Terra? (Which I highly doubt this book is about - note the nearby planet and numerous moons in the background of the artwork)


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## bitsandkits (Mar 18, 2008)

nice cover, looks interesting,great post thanks for sharing. let the speculation begin!


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## tu_shan82 (Mar 7, 2008)

Dude, that looks awesome, good find.


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## dlakertor (Mar 18, 2008)

> The Artwork confuses me in regards to when/where it is set. It shows a possessed Word Bearer and a Custodian, but where did two such beings meet apart from the Siege of Holy Terra? (Which I highly doubt this book is about - note the nearby planet and numerous moons in the background of the artwork)


Sometimes the emporer sent the custodes out to do specific tasks, but apart from that I see why it's confusing, the heresy armour of word bearers were black right? so where did the red and silver come into the book?


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## Sytus (Aug 27, 2009)

WOWGODTHAT'SAWESOME
I need a poster of that.


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## Svartmetall (Jun 16, 2008)

Well judging from the 'standing on guard' posture of the Custodes, he's been ambushed rather than already knowing he was in a battle; it's going to be interesting to see how this pans out.


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## Insane Psychopath (Dec 21, 2006)

> Sometimes the emporer sent the custodes out to do specific tasks,


Yes I alway though the Emperor sent out a detachment of Custodes with the Space Marine legions while on a crusade. Space Wolves vs Thasound son's being a exsample.

But then again we'll all have to wait until the book release to find out what happen.

But until then I really like the art work & be a nice diorma to make :biggrin:


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

dlakertor said:


> Sometimes the emporer sent the custodes out to do specific tasks, but apart from that I see why it's confusing, the heresy armour of word bearers were black right? so where did the red and silver come into the book?


The Word Bearers pre-heresy armour was granite grey, they changed it to crimson during the heresy.


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## Horacus (Oct 5, 2009)

Looks pretty awsome.


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## Warlock in Training (Jun 10, 2008)

Its a Possessed, its probaly goinf to get its ass kicked :laugh:, Im guessing thats a pick of WBs just started turning.


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## dark angel (Jun 11, 2008)

Now that I think of it I _Do not_ think it will be focused on the Word Bearers. Their armour, as said before was gray Pre-Heresy (Also on the cover of Assault on the Furrious Abyss it is grey NOT red) however I believe this to be focused on the side of the Custodian's instead, and I think that the Possessed pictured is a Thousand Son Astartes (Red armour, Thousand Sons VS Custodians at Prospero) though either way it will be pretty cool I guess


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## Concrete Hero (Jun 9, 2008)

It could still be a Word Bearer. Which HH novel is it when Erebus repaints his armour? He's still with the Luna Wolves (Or Sons of Horus).


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

dark angel said:


> Now that I think of it I _Do not_ think it will be focused on the Word Bearers. Their armour, as said before was gray Pre-Heresy (Also on the cover of Assault on the Furrious Abyss it is grey NOT red) however I believe this to be focused on the side of the Custodian's instead, and I think that the Possessed pictured is a Thousand Son Astartes (Red armour, Thousand Sons VS Custodians at Prospero) though either way it will be pretty cool I guess





Concrete Hero said:


> It could still be a Word Bearer. Which HH novel is it when Erebus repaints his armour? He's still with the Luna Wolves (Or Sons of Horus).


Both the title and the picture guarantees that its about the Word Bearers I think dark angel. 

As Concrete Hero said if you recall, Erebus repaints his armour a crimson red during either _False Gods_ or _Galaxy in Flames_ - thus the Word Bearers repainted their armour prior to or immediatly after Isstvan III/V. As this novel is obviously set after the Heresy has been revealed, its obviously about the Word Bearers. The fact that Lorgar was _'The First Heretic'_ also proves this.

Also its definatley not about the Thousand Sons Vs. Custodians (on Prospero) as that conflict will be getting covered completley in 2 books as it is.

Also you said that the Word Bearers armour on the cover of _'Battle for the Abyss'_ was granite grey, but that was initially set prior to the heresy being revealed. Also the Word Bearers Legion was split into several different forces prior to/during the Heresy (Sor Talgron (I think it was) was leading a company in the Sol System prior to Isstvan V, the Word Bearers aboard the Furious Abyss - Kor Phaeron led the assault on Calth whilst Lorgar went to Terra with Horus etc.) - Thus different forces could have painted their armour crimson at different times!


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## Khorothis (May 12, 2009)

I thought the first heretic was Erebus, he told Lorgar about the Chaos Gods. Thats always been a shady part of 40K: we knew that the Word Bearers began spreading the taint of Chaos among the Legions and that Horus was essentially set up (both with the interex and on Davin), but we never knew how did Erebus turn to Chaos? He seems to know everything he needs to in order to bring about the division in the Imperium, so he was already a full-fledged follower of Chaos, not a fresh recruit. I hope this book sheds some light on his past and how did he "find" Chaos.


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

Khorothis said:


> I thought the first heretic was Erebus, he told Lorgar about the Chaos Gods. Thats always been a shady part of 40K: we knew that the Word Bearers began spreading the taint of Chaos among the Legions and that Horus was essentially set up (both with the interex and on Davin), but we never knew how did Erebus turn to Chaos? He seems to know everything he needs to in order to bring about the division in the Imperium, so he was already a full-fledged follower of Chaos, not a fresh recruit. I hope this book sheds some light on his past and how did he "find" Chaos.


Well if were being technical the First Heretic was actually Kor Phaeron, he was the one, who in previous background material 'suggested' worshipping Chaos to Lorgar. 

But I personally think that _'The First Heretic'_ will refer to Lorgar (him being the First of the Primarchs to fall to Chaos) rather than Kor Phaeron.

Indeed it seems that the upper command of the Word Bearers had been Chaos devotees for a long time before Horus was corrupted. Even with the release of the HH series the timeline is still in doubt at certain points, whether this is due to Human (Author) Error or simply under-planning is unclear. For example the Compliance campaign on Nurth was set 2 years before the Heresy, and as Lord Commander Namatjira stated - was taking place at the same time as the Ullanor Campaign. This means that Horus was only Warmaster for 2 years before the Heresy broke out which seems a bit 'iffy' to me. Anyway if that is the case then _'Scions of the Storm'_ must have taken place quite a while before _'Legion'_ and the Ullanor Campaign.

Anyways I find myself going off-topic again!

Back to Erebus! - its implied in _'Scions of the Storm'_ that the religious order on Lorgar's homeworld of Colchis was actually aligned or related in some way to Chaos. Meaning Erebus, Kor Phaeron and even Lorgar would likely have been (consciously or sub-consciously) corrupted in varying degrees by Chaos pre-discovery. This is reinforced by the fact that Kor Phaeron and Erebus were the only 2 individuals who had access to Lorgar during his 'Sulking Phase' and would have had knowledge of/been aligned to Chaos even when Lorgar and the remainder of the Word Bearers were worshipping the Emperor (Prior to _'Scions of the Storm'_).


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## forkmaster (Jan 2, 2010)

dark angel said:


> Now that I think of it I _Do not_ think it will be focused on the Word Bearers. Their armour, as said before was gray Pre-Heresy (Also on the cover of Assault on the Furrious Abyss it is grey NOT red) however I believe this to be focused on the side of the Custodian's instead, and I think that the Possessed pictured is a Thousand Son Astartes (Red armour, Thousand Sons VS Custodians at Prospero) though either way it will be pretty cool I guess


Actually, Im not sure if I read it wrong, but it was the Thousand Sons Captain who is on the cover of Battle for the Abyss ( think he got his throat cut somehow), and if you look closely you can see the Gray Word Bearers in the background behind Cestus (the Ultramarine). 

I would quote you others but I think Kor Phaeron was the first and for Erebus to quickly jump on that train to convince their Primarch as they were the only two allowed to visit him once the Emperor had "deserted" him. But I think this tale will be alittle like Fulgrim, retelling the entire beginning of the Heresy from the point of the WB. And as quite a lot of numbers of WB operated around Jupiter during the Abyss, there isnt impossible one Custodian to be sent on a small mission to find one of them, being possessed. 

Just theories from me and Im really excited about the book.


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## Voldramar (Nov 2, 2009)

when is this book slated to be released?


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