The Apocrypha Of Jaq Draco - 40K Theories

Quite possibly the most infamous and notorious Inquisitor to ever exist, the stories of Jaq Draco’s various (and often times unbelievable) exploits are quite literally the stuff of legend. But the biggest mystery surrounding this Radical Inquisitor is in regards to his very existence.
Additional narration by Stephanie Swan Quills
/ @stephanieswanquills
Intro theme and additional audio editing by Officio Audiorum
/ officioaudiorum
Featuring Naerina as ‘R’
/ @baldermort
Additional artwork by Eliphusz, Zhang Bozi and Zhang Qipeng
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#warhammer
#40K
#warhammer40k
#warhammercommunity
#inquisitormartyr
#inquisition
#ianwatson
#draco
#spacemarine2
#spacemarine

[@40KTheories]

If you enjoyed this video and would like to check out some exclusive videos in where Naerina and I dissect, react and do deep dives into Ian Watson's 40K novels, consider supporting us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/40ktheories Also, as a pre-emptive answer to any newcomers wondering, the reason I pronounce Tyranids the way I do is simply due to personal preference :P

[@26th_Primarch]

I would like to point out an important tidbit you seemingly didn't notice, Draco was a member of the Ordo Hydra and had a Hydra tattooed to his face in art depictions... Do you know who else used the Hydra as a symbol and had it tattooed on their face in art depictions? Alpharius/Omegon. Which means that either the Hydra Conspiracy or the novel trilogy itself is the work of the Alpha Legion.

[@40KTheories]

The funny thing is that, despite being called the Ordo Hydra, their symbol was more like an Octopus (it could have even been a reference to Hydra in Marvel Comics, or simply referring to the tentacled micro-organism also called a Hydra, though I'm not certain). Also, an unrelated fun fact, the Alpha Legion's penchant for secrecy and manipulation and the like didn't actually come about until 3rd edition. In 2nd edition they simply wanted to prove that, despite being the youngest legion, they were just as worthy as the others.

[@V.B.Squire]

@@40KTheories That makes Ian Watson the God Father to the Modern Alpha Legion as well as the Modern 40K! Edit do you think they can retcon Draco back in as a tzeentch level conspiracy by the Alpha Legion?

[@26th_Primarch]

@40KTheories honestly considering how 40k originally came to be, it probably was originally a reference to Marvel's Hydra. But considering in-canon lore as it stands now... The whole Draco trilogy, being some form of Alpha Legion operation, is a very interesting way to look at it.

[@Big_E_Soul_Fragment]

"Who knows Ian, maybe this could be my next movie"

[@arturohernandez5857]

Nice 😊 reference my friend ❤

[@KingLich451]

myy neeext moooovieeeeee

[@VallornDeathblade]

IAN WATSON SEWER GOBLIN EXTRAORDINAIRE

[@iangreenwood3870]

No. *Super buzzkill initiated* I don't know the reference, but it really grinds my gears when people are having a good time

[@ordo_draigo_assault_ham]

@@iangreenwood3870 Shut up, Dorn.

[@akumaking1]

“This book was a mistake.” ~Rogal Dorn

[@darthslain]

it even creeped out the pillarstodes

[@Subject_Keter]

I am pretty sure you can show it to Khrone evertracking dog and it would ultra die.

[@Illier1]

gussy...

[@timothymonge7798]

@@Illier1 NOOOOOO.

[@Arcanyum]

​@@timothymonge7798MOVE ON, SWIFTLY

[@ADPRadio]

Order of the Hydra? Oh Alpharius was just having a laff when he came up with Jaq Draco.

[@Usernamesdontmatter1]

Honestly if I was a writer for 40k and forced to write an answer to the Draco being a real person or a fictitious character, I would honestly cop out and say both. He would be a real inquisitor who had some of his adventures but the story has been convoluted and distorted to the point that it bears little if any resemblance to the Draco we see in the draco novels. Much like how the historical inspirations for King Arthur bare so little remembrance to said historical people. To the point where only a name and a basic physical description being the only connecting factors between the man and the stories. That's the only way my brain can make sense of him being real in universe and just retconning his whole existence seems lazier writing than the books he stars in.

[@joeleriksson89]

Seems very much in line with the much relied upon, unreliable narrator needed to explain the many inconsistencies of having so many authors shaping the setting over so many years.

[@Usernamesdontmatter1]

​@@joeleriksson89sadly its the only way someone can make sense of this universe sometimes. There are a few glaring logical flaws in how characters act between writers and contradictory events that a lot of people either handwave or just don't think about. It admittedly irks me personally sometimes and I often end up thinking about how to fix these things without damaging other stories.

[@joeleriksson89]

@@Usernamesdontmatter1 I sympathize with the need of consistency, but personally I've come around to enjoying the freedom of interpretation and plethora of perspectives the unreliable narrator grants us. It feels fitting for the sheer vastness of the galaxy.

[@BlasphemousDreadnought]

Glad to hear Nurgle has finally left you alone Rem!! And if this pre-recorded, I certainly hope you are doing better!!

[@ternel]

The tech priest should have left the document wedged between the sewer pipes...

[@40KTheories]

I don't think the irony is lost on Black Library.

[@RecoveringLoLAddict]

Radical Inquisitors check their beds for Jaq Draco.

[@cobracommander6606]

Ian Watson, Sewer Goblin!

[@MrGhjkl63]

GENESTEALUSSY

[@Azorees-oj5zr]

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!

[@mateusz73]

Gussy

[@damonharrison2614]

They can't steal your genes if you give it to them

[@KingLich451]

​@@mateusz73*NOOOOOOOO*

[@ngominh259]

Move on, swiftly!

[@StephanieSwanQuills]

Thanks for asking me to be part of this! It always a pleasure!

[@40KTheories]

Always welcome ^^

[@AntiKira20]

I purchased....the forbidden book a year ago. I'm still trying to cleanse my mind by reading Fulgrim, Dead Men Walking and hopefully by purchasing a Blood Angels novel.

[@daniellandon6811]

I reread it a few years back..... I am now an Iron Warrior

[@AntiKira20]

@@daniellandon6811 Iron Within, Iron Without! Even an Imperial citizen and a Chaos Warrior can find comraderie when they have read a book that would make others feel disgust.

[@AntiKira20]

​@@daniellandon6811 Iron Within, Iron Without. Even an Imperial citizen and a Chaos Warrior can find comraderie when they have read the forbidden book.

[@highinquisitorvanwiller8904]

Hmm...Tiddy Daemon.

[@KingLich451]

Well, I've read the original Space Marine book, too late to realize it was written by none other than the man himself... eugh.

[@highlandoutsider]

This is a fantastic example of what I believe to one of the best aspects of 40k lore, its acknowledged in universe unreliably, unlike so many other IPs that get reconned over the years where things are and then are not cannon, everything in 40k, regardless of contradictions, remains cannon due to the bureaucracy that records it being so bloated and unable to cope with the amount of information the universe generates, I love it 🔥🔥🔥 Cavill Protects =C=

[@Liethen]

Good news! Netflix has given the go ahead for the adaptation. they've already cast Adam Driver as Jaq Draco. I can hardly wait!

[@wetzel4806]

*looks at genestealer* "I know what I have to do, but don't know if I have the strength to do it."

[@ordo_draigo_assault_ham]

_WHO IS THE DIRECTOR?!_

[@Liethen]

@@ordo_draigo_assault_ham Uwe Boll

[@RSBurgener]

No one realized this was a spec-script, written by a intergalactic freight hauler, "based on his travels" for a preposed holo-vid series. One day he was editing his work on the commode, when two ogryns burst into the room, engaged in a violent fisticuffs, so he stuffed the document between two sewer pipes before he was crushed flat. He was never able to return for it.

[@djsharky3822]

You poor fool! Random Machanicus guy why would you do this to yourself again?

[@darthslain]

ah yes ian watson..the one being in all of creation capable of out-kinking slannesh

[@j.mangum7652]

He's just THAT damned good!

[@40KTheories]

He's Triple H?! :O

[@j.mangum7652]

​@@40KTheories Magnus troll from the TTD series of that infernal book.

[@bluesoystercultist7164]

​@@40KTheories Only draco can wield the ancient weapon as the Golden Shovel

[@hmshood9212]

Ah yes the Sewer Goblin

[@warhawk4494]

I miss TTS. Boy ears. -Lord Adorable

[@Sebastian-wn9rs]

Never changr your intros man, i love it ❤️

[@Matt-md5yt]

Glad you covered this crazy guy

[@yellowdancer7055]

Ian Watson.... Sewer goblin

[@dwreanchinotan]

when a lonely inquisitor's fanfiction is found out by accident

[@User08145]

Now I have to listen to the Voxcast again.

[@snakething87]

“Should we judge him for what he likes?”

[@hewdelfewijfe]

... YES

[@theemissary1313]

I picture the story to be an imperial parable of virtue and warning against weakness. For instance, the imperial fist is the one who dutifully obeys the inquisitor's orders, nobly fights off demonic possession, but by constant vigilance ultimately executes the inquisitor for his crime of emotional weakness sending the band on a fool's errand. Also look at how all the mutants show character flaws - the squat is portrayed as somewhat cowardly at times and basically a stand in for the mechanicus, their omission possibly being to maintain political neutrality for the author, and the navigator who succumbs to the warp unlike the noble space marine, and then the astropath who defies Draco and sends an exterminatus order anyway. The moral of the story to an imperial citizen is be dutiful, obedient and vigilant even to your superiors. I guess.

[@ChristopherWeuve]

Another excellent video!

[@zachm9202]

The Omnissiah does not approve the reading of this lewd parchment, Tech Priest.

[@daniellandon6811]

Oh noes... We're gonna need some strong liqour for these zany hijinks😅

[@ZeroGs2232]

HE IS FROM THE FUTURE sorry the moment you meation it being found in a sewer pip and it being 13 hundred years old i couldnt get the DBZ abridged line out of my head

[@Jmcd1986]

The Inquisition War was one of my first forays in the Black Library. This and Space Wolf. I still have the 2002 editions. I was too young to get the origonals. I'd like to see more Ian Watson novels. I really want a reprint of Space Marine by Ian Watson.

[@40KTheories]

Space Marine actually did get reprinted at the tale-end of 7th edition, funnily enough. Part of a (very) short-lived series known as the "heretical tomes", though they have since dropped that branding for the current ebook version.

[@zedakh]

By the man emperor what heresy is this

[@GreaterLiarbird]

"This Inquisitor never existed..."

[@alanmerino9440]

Still not as goofy as the inquisitor with a horse face.

[@40KTheories]

We don't tolerate Heldane slander round these parts :P

[@unknownhuman2579]

loved the books XD one of my first books from warhammer

[@AkosKovacs.Author.Musician]

Take a bow, nerds, this is where it all begun. Ian Watson deserves his due credit.

[@jeffreypatterson8759]

Thank you for finally doing a video on him. Love the channel but just wanted to point out one detail. He existed in the late 38th early 39th millennium.

[@40KTheories]

Thank you and you're welcome. However, outside of an uncited claim made by the wiki, I can find nothing stating that he was from around M38 or M39. Given that the original versions of the Inquisition War Trilogy were outright stated to take place between 273.M41 - 373.M41, and the reprints were heavily implied, if not outright confirmed (as per Aurelis Fo's report) to take place 700 years prior to 091.M41 (putting them at around 291.M40 - 391.M40). I think whoever made the M39 claim misunderstood the dating system, since the original books state the exact year as forty-thousand two hundred and seventy-three, so instead of calculating the year forty-thousand as the forty-first millennium, they may have accidentally put it was the thirty-ninth millennium.

[@visitingforgefather5997]

1:46- 1:48 Aka the only member in that retinue The Man -Emperor could stomach.

[@ampeater777]

I love it when people pronounce it "mail-ee-us" despite malleus being a real word with several variations, of which none are pronounced that way. It's so silly and I always love a good laugh. Do you call a mallet a maillet?

[@highlandoutsider]

And then there's "mall" 😋

[@theshlauf]

To quote a mid-2000's vampire hunter: "Your people's rejection of your own language is inspiring!"

[@KingLich451]

whooooo caaaaaaaaarees

[@40KTheories]

@zarryarran5088 I refer you to the pinned comment, since I explain the reason there :P

[@legionaireb]

Cuss-toads.

[@brycecramer9964]

This dude makes Eisenhorn look like a star decision-maker.

[@Symos]

I am convinced Ian Watson is a Slaanesh worshiper

[@WaltzActual]

I am surprised that this inquisitor has some canonicity, unbelievable

[@rodneykelly8768]

Much like "Schrodinger's Cat," the fictionality of Jaq Draco will not be established, until one needs it to be. Even then, such determination will not be set in stone.

[@tigeriussvarne177]

Inquisitor was my first 40K book, loved the story, but man, the german translation was BAD! xD

[@40KTheories]

Oh? How bad was it? I'm curious.

[@tigeriussvarne177]

@@40KTheories Space Marines were called Kaisergrenadiere* (imperial grenadiers) and bolters were translated to Bolzengewehr (bolt rifle), just to name a few. The translator had no clue what he was reading/writing about. But it got better with the third book. *I think that's what the Imperial Fists were called, it's been some time.

[@40KTheories]

They were 25 years ahead of the curve when it came to bolt rifles lol

[@tigeriussvarne177]

@@40KTheories Omg, you're right, lol! Also: the Emperor was the "Kaiser" (literaly the german word for Emperor), Horus was the "Heermeister" (army master), oh, and Space Marines were just called: "das Marinecorps", so I thought of them as regular humans first.

[@benedeknagy8497]

The hungarian translation was not better. :) Space Marine was translated as "Űrgárdista", meaning "space guardsman". Took me a while to figure out that the "space guard" and the imperial guard were two separate organisations.

[@kevinoliver3083]

Wait, Meh'Lindi could still be alive in the Webway? And her second body won't morph into a genestealer!

[@40KTheories]

She could still be in the Webway, yes (assuming she ever existed in the first place). Even if she didn't have a new body she wouldn't have been able to morph into a Genestealer, as she had those implants surgically removed during the events of Harlequin.

[@kaylinhendrich4673]

Somewhere, Alpharius is laughing his many heads off

[@forickgrimaldus8301]

Wait Hydra, Cover ups, Damn you Alpharious

[@saberwaspgg]

Hydra Dominatus! I am Alpharius! Read my fanfiction!

[@memesofwarhemmer7076]

Hydra sounds like an alpha legion demon prince or maybe alpharius god to ascend 😂

[@weasel003gaming7]

I feel stupid asking this, but what's the OST that 40k Theories uses as the intro music?

[@maxy1172]

Oh god not again NOT AGAIN SOMEONE STOP THIS IAN WATSON MAN

[@V.B.Squire]

MAGNUS I mean IAN WATSON did nothing wrong! He is the God Father of modern 40k

[@Del_S]

Unfortunately, the Godfather in question is Part III....

[@OmegaLittleBob]

Jeeeeeze! I feel like I just dropped some acid listening to all that.

[@VallornDeathblade]

The book is like that the entire time.

[@Overonator]

Plausible deniability.

[@Neoentrophy]

Mate, you should add #spacemarine2 now while the algorithm is still reeling from the traffic spike

[@xzenitramx666]

Draco was a psyker he peeked into the futurr to know the name of the xenos.

[@GarGhuul]

I feel a bit sad you needed the disclaimer. But such are the times, I suppose.

[@bighump9091]

Draco Lives! 😊

[@Prich319]

I think this book corrupted poor boy.

[@xzenitramx666]

Secret inquisitor.

[@kbennett2587]

Easy the Custodies kinked shamed him into the Eye of Terror.

[@amosb1452]

Comment for the comment god!

[@FollowerofWotan999]

oh god

[@Paradoxe44]

To me it’s some ordo chronos shennigans

[@GotrekGurnisson]

Pardon me wtf was that mechanicus adepts name?!

[@40KTheories]

Aurelis Fo (I accidentally wrote it in my script as Aurelius Fo)

[@GotrekGurnisson]

@@40KTheories I thought you said the guy from the heresy that Horus had arrested

[@40KTheories]

@@GotrekGurnisson No no, that would be Basilio Fo hehe

[@arturohernandez5857]

I long for gene 🧬 stealer ass

[@Overanalyse_This]

Is this the same Inquisitor dude from Necromunda Hired Gun?

[@40KTheories]

If he is then it's the first I've heard of it. He _was_ mentioned in one of the Kal Jerico novels though (as shown in the video).

[@Overanalyse_This]

@@40KTheories ah you're right. It's Kal!!

[@Damnedlegion40k]

Add a comment...

[@Subject_Keter]

It 40k but you got it off Temu or some shady grifter. 😂

[@cowboy0776]

Out of all the 40k books I’ve read, this is my least liked one. The story is nonsensical and boring. The book itself seems to have been written more like a script, and a disjointed one at that.

[@Xenomrph]

Is no one going to comment on the THICC assassin at 2:20

[@jakub_paints6775]

Still mispronouncing "tyranids" I see...

[@40KTheories]

Damn right :D