The NIGHT LORDS Legion in the HORUS HERESY | Legion VIII: Origins & Lore

[@frenchy1138]

A line that's always stayed with me is from Curze's first meeting with the Emperor: "Be at peace, Konrad Curze. I have arrived, and I intend to take you home." "That is not my name, father. My people gave me a name, and I will bear it until my dying day. And I know full well what you intend for me."

[@21526]

One of the biggest indictments of the Imperium and the emperor is the fact the night lords didn't so much fall from grace as much as embrace what they already were.

[@peterclarke7240]

"Kurze, are we the baddies?" "I guess so..." "Ok, cool. Just checking."

[@singtothesilence]

Some legions fell, Some slid, Some were pushed, The Night Lords took a running jump and a swan-dive.

[@TheCorrodedMan]

@@singtothesilencesomersaulting gracefully all the way down.

[@Ali-c1s5i]

This could apply to a lot of traitor legions when you think about it, like the Iron Warriors.

[@samhunter1205]

​@@singtothesilencefell? That would imply they were not rock bottom to begin with. They are the only legion whose morality and behaviour didn't really get worse after siding with Horus and the forces of Chaos, because they were that bad anyway.

[@rorythomas9469]

I thought it was interesting that the Warhammer Community article on the Night Lords was fairly critical of the Emperor for designing a terror legion and the Primarchs for not helping Curze when he was obviously unwell.

[@iannordin5250]

Designs terror legion Terror legion does terror *shocked disgust*

[@peterclarke7240]

Emperor: "I know I ordered you to do all that stuff, but you weren't supposed to ENJOY it." 😂

[@SunriseParabellum_elysium]

well to be fair, big E wanted the heresy to happen and the primarchs to be divided from the get-go

[@rorythomas9469]

@@SunriseParabellum_elysium Is this actually true or is a theory

[@Crushanator1]

What do you mean, the feral superman who learned everything by eating the brains of murderous gang members and evil nobility has mental health problems? And the grimdark future that made him do murder constantly or else he would be murdered by the emperor made it worse? *surprised Pikachu face*

[@LordyT34]

Big E: "Hmmm, my son is obviously extremely unwell and shows clear signs of mental instability, perhaps I should look into helping him... Nah that sounds like work, let's give him control of 100,000 demigod super soldiers"

[@XCRunningMan95]

One thing I always thought was interesting was that the Night Lord's were a surprise to the loyalists at the Drop Site Massacre, like, did anyone think to check that the raving band of murderers was actually on their side, when they were barely held in check to begin with before Horus turned?

[@jochencavallo7793]

As they were used by the emporer as punishment for traitors probably Not. But considering fulgrim being traitor you have a point.

[@milosserbinator4369]

honestly I'm more surprised that they weren't the first to turn traitor

[@KainMcnab]

Curze and Sev ran and held the legion, if both were aligned then so was the legion. The only people crazy enough to keep them all together.

[@eater_of_garbage_]

I feel like the lore for which legions were at istvaan V was set before the lore for the night lords' culture pre-heresy was

[@Illindi]

This series is such a good lore series, just enough flair to bring out the facts in a nice cohesive way. I am sure there are omitted details but this gives me at least a good understanding of the legions.

[@livanbard]

what he is omitting is character arcs so you don't get spoiled too much

[@mrgiggles247]

I just want to shout out Ian's fantastic colour coordination/theming in this series. I first noticed it in the Imperial Fists video with the yellow shirt, but I looked back and its been on point this whole time. The shirts and the lighting in the case behind him * chef's kiss *

[@scenoptica]

Coming back here two years later to say thank you, because only now do I see it. 😮

[@Lynch2507]

The Night Lords are the example I always fall back on when I think about how dumb the Emperor is. Like, sure, he can do a big oul conquest and crusade and so on, but the fact he can't see the problem with making a terror squad and then telling off said terror squad for being too terror is... how did this man get this far lmao

[@Maevola]

Honestly Thousand Sons as well. Give them all the psychic power in the world but dont explain shit to them and then expect them not to go looking for themselves. Ya great plan that. Have you ever met a human being? xD

[@feanedhell]

The horus heresy is the story of the incompetence of the emperor

[@Flamethrower1942]

@@feanedhell Maybe all his folly was part of his great plan to defeat chaos by putting in place all that transpired during the Hersey to further his goal of becoming a very powerful God, so he wanted to destroy chaos, what better way to beat chaos than to create enough emotional trauma ( like slannesh birth ) to become a very power human god within the warp, think about it,the constant human missery and death and suffering in the decades from 31st to 41st millennium, all that prayer and energy directed at the emperor all that psychic energy making him even more powerful . He might be a corpse on a throne in the material universe but in the warp he is all powerful and growing stronger.

[@feanedhell]

@@Flamethrower1942 it absolutely is a possibility

[@Lynch2507]

@@feanedhell Men will literally rather allow their sons to wage a galaxy-spanning war that costs untold billions of lives then go to therapy

[@Crushanator1]

All other legions: "Are we the baddies?" Night Lords: "🎶 I'm the Baaad Guy 🎶"

[@versebuchanan512]

I like the thought of the Emperor thinking 'Well, I have to eliminate religion, so my servants don't fall to chaos,' then looking at the Night Lords and the World Eaters and just... '...eh, they should be fine. Horus'll keep an eye on them.'

[@Michael_Raymond]

Imperium: “You’re joining Horus???” Night Lords: “We are on nobody’s side!” Imperium: “Okay but you’re HELPING Horus” Night Lords: *”DEATH TO THE FALSE EMPEROR!!!”*

[@Overanalyse_This]

So, who is the true emperor?

[@Michael_Raymond]

@@Overanalyse_ThisNight Lords: “No such thing”

[@Arctik39]

By far the best 40K Lore series out at the minute. I literally can’t wait for your videos to come out :D

[@beatsandskiesmtg]

The best 40k lore series is a 30k lore series? Haha. You’re spot on though.

[@bucketmonkeys]

*cries in Adeptus Ridiculous*

[@RupertWalkerUK]

Terrific, just incredible storytelling Ian

[@Papa1Smurf1]

It’s odd but I’ll be so sad when this amazing lore series comes to an inevitable end. Would you consider doing 40k Guard regiments or chaos legions? I just cannot get enough of these episodes

[@johnnybigbones4955]

Nice video! The Night Lords Trilogy of books by ADB is a great read for anyone who wants to see how the 8th Legion end up in "modern" 40K. Probably one of my favourite runs of 40K novels, really nails down what being a traitor is like.

[@SirWilliamKidney]

Ooh that sounds really good! I just read my first ADB book (after watching Ian's review of Spears) and I am hooked. Excellent writing. Honestly I don't even play 40k I just enjoy the lore! I was wondering which book to read next so this is very helpful, thanks!

[@johnnybigbones4955]

@@SirWilliamKidney Great! I hope you really enjoy them!

[@z.zolids8925]

The audiobooks are really good too. Andrew Wincott has done an excellent job

[@Mugdorna]

100% amazing series by ADB. I love the way he portrayed the internal thoughts and the fractured relationship amongst the Night Lords. "mine"

[@TheMrFishnDucks]

From psychological warfare to psycho warfare. Really enjoying this series. Keep up the good work.

[@boutinpowered8373]

The self perpetual prophecy. Fitting, considering Kurze's powers and own views on the future.

[@briochepanda]

An army of superhuman crackhead batmen. What could go wrong?

[@AFnord]

Impeccable timing on this video, I just started reading the Night Lords omnibus on the way to work this morning

[@Totally_A_Bot]

AVE DOMINUS NOX! WE HAVE COME FOR YOU!

[@PocketUnv]

Damn, this is the first Chaos army that I feel compelled to build! Thank you so much for this series, your story telling is absolutely top notch.

[@pgael7196]

Amazing as always. Perfect amount of information. Not too much, everything necessary for a good introduction to the legions. Ave Dominus Nox

[@crimsonknight7011]

I think one of the main reasons Horus lost was because the defenders of Terra were United with the purpose of stopping him and helping one another with that goal. Horus’s forces were focused on attacking the palace but they didn’t help each other and had their own personal desires, like how the Emperors Children left the battle to go get slaves from the populace, or the Iron Warriors who decided to leave. If they had been a more United force they probably could have won. Reminds me of Robert Baratheon in Game of Thrones, where he states that an army with 5 kings will always lose to the same size army that has 1 king. When you have multiple men in charge there is lots of bickering and sometimes refusal to help. This is actually why Guilliman split up the Legions so that instead of 1 leader they had dozens if not 100 different leaders so that if one leader turned traitor the rest could put him down. The Imperium also did this with Imperial Guard forces where aside from some armies like Kreig, most armies have their detachments split up, for example an infantry detachment leader does not have access to artillery which is under the leadership of a different person, or air support. So if they go traitor they won’t have access to other resources which makes them a smaller threat. The only issue with this is that it also makes the Imperium FAR less efficient and weaker because instead of one commander ordering all forces on a battlefield he has to work with and rely on other commanders to give him the aid he needs. This usually works but many times there are personal grudges or the other commander thinks his units would be better used elsewhere which results in say tank units having no air support and thus suffer far more casualties. Not only that but many times the commander of a different group Wants to see the other fail so that he can potentially get a promotion or higher standard since it was the other guys direct loss and not theirs. Or you have the Inquisition that have severe grudges with each other and many seek power so they will actively hinder stuff in spite of someone else. A good example of Inquisition being horrible people who feel they are without question and hold a deadly grudge would be with the original Celestial Lions. Basically the Lions thought an Inquisitor went to far and we’re going to send a letter representative to Terra to complain about it, but the representatives ship was destroyed with all dead, then during a fight with Orks it appeared that “Ork Snipers” (hahahaha yah right) were picking off every single high ranking official with precise shots till the highest ranking officer was a sergeant. Then after the war was won the Sergeant now turned Chapter Master was found assassinated. So basically an Inquisitor had an entire space marine chapter destroyed simply for complaining of their actions. This wasn’t the first time tho as an Inquisitor tried the same thing with the Space Wolves but unlike the Lions, the Wolves didn’t just lay down and roll over.

[@vontheunknown7982]

Honestly in the new Lore the nightlords are doing better now with a new guy in charge as well:)

[@ArbitorIan]

When you say 'better' is that less or more murdery? 😬

[@vontheunknown7982]

@@ArbitorIan Yes😁🤣

[@lowbrowminis]

@@ArbitorIan the Night Lords books are interesting because they are a critique of all space marines being emotionally stunted murderers and little more. They just don't have any pretense about it.

[@jasondd_s]

@@lowbrowminis exactly that. The other legions were all just better actors.

[@Bluecho4]

@@lowbrowminis They are, in many ways, exactly what the Space Marines were envisioned as in 1st edition 40K: criminals given psycho-indoctrination, put inside power armor, and sent to murder and terrorize the populace for the benefit of the ruling classes. So, you know, _COPS._ In power armor.

[@the_9ent]

The first, it could be argued, renegade traitor marines. Favourite chaos legion by far 💀🦇

[@michaelhowell2326]

Maybe the conspiracy that scattered the infant Primarchs would be a good subject. I know I wouldn't mind.

[@ArbitorIan]

There's not THAT much info out there at the moment though. It's very much a mystery!

[@wesbrown3831]

WOW... This series is hands down one of the best instructional video series of Warhammer 40k history for noobs and those who just don't have time to read. Thank you for taking on this venture... Damn enjoyable!

[@maddogmadden23]

One of my favorite lore channels, just getting into HH from 40k and I have fallen in love with it! Night Lords are my favorite legion and the one I'm creating for 2.0. get ready for terror squads, fast attack aircrafts, and landraiders with spiky tracks and barbed wire on the front.. can't wait for the conversation possibilities!

[@ilProde]

I finally noticed the candles in the background. Happy to see them again 😊.

[@seanaustin2965]

I do love that Ian is still using his candles. Money well spent!

[@marjoe32]

I remember watching my buddies play LOL and paint 40k figures, I never had enough money to get involved. I loved watching while coming up with the music we all listened to, I've always been a lore addicted so here I am watching every video you've made. Thank you, you are a treasure to alot of us.

[@DaSkwire]

As well as being excellent primers for each Legion, I absolutely adore the artwork accompanying this series. Some great classics but frequently we have artwork not widely seen before. Superb 😎

[@jameshunter3867]

...My favorite among the Traitor Legions: effective in their intended role, & still with so much unrealized potential (especially with such memorable characters as Sevetar, Malcarion, & Decimus--to name only a few). ...An excellent review good sir!

[@CrimsonTemplar2]

Fantastic video. I love your shirt coordination as the series goes on.

[@thanatoastiii6341]

The only thing better than your title card retrowave music is your channel's incredible content👍👍👍

[@heladodevainiya344]

My favorite legion!

[@duncanself5111]

Sick! 😋

[@ryanadams0922]

I REALLY like this series hopfully you can extend to other playable factions like grey knights sisters of battle and silence and custodies and even the ruinstorm, eldar and orcs if possible.

[@eoghandalton3207]

This is such a gem of a channel. Keep it up!

[@MiniPaintAdventurer]

Your channel is a rising star of Warhammer lore! Keep it up!

[@duncanself5111]

The Night Lords are believers in equality. They'll skin men and women, young and old. Bless em!

[@themachine7534]

Fair enough id say . Why prune a rosebush when you can prune everything ...?

[@themachine7534]

They just love a good prune deep down .

[@dmeep]

Batman without "the restraint" and using managment by fear to keep people in line

[@jtrain9926]

Batman if he was also Bane

[@KabinMiniatures]

Ave Dominus Nox! This is the episode I've been waiting for!

[@JahlisMan]

when that woman who helped scatter the primarcs in Saturnine said that this way she "saved them from the Emperor" or smth like that, I wanted to point at Angron and Curze and say "yeah, for sure, I bet especially these two would be extremely grateful to you for their ending up on those hellscapes".

[@Metal_Maoist]

I mean, they'd propably have appreciated it if the Emperor had never found them

[@정수-n8c]

@@Metal_Maoist Maybe Kurze might be okay with that but remember if the emperor never found Angron he would be dead along with his gladiator buddies although the Big E could have handled Angron’s situation a lot better haha

[@gabrielmendez4161]

@@정수-n8c didn’t he let his gladiator buddies Die

[@JahlisMan]

@@Metal_Maoist well, after the fact, of course - Angron would happily die with his friends. but if they hadn't been "saved from the Emperor" this way, Angron wouldn't have to be a slave in the 1st place, just as Kurze wouldn't have to grow up in a world full of... everything Nostramo was full of. a chaos plot to screw the Big E? sure. "saving the primarchs"? naaaaaaaaaaaah

[@정수-n8c]

@@gabrielmendez4161 no angron initially refused to join the big E and instead chose to fight to the end with his gladiator buddies. However the big E couldn’t just let the primarch die so he just plucked Angron from the massacre and left all the others to die; you should read his lore it’s pretty tragic

[@bookthump]

Ian, I love this series. Your channel has been a huge inspiration for me. Thank you for what you do.

[@qwellen7521]

So they gave a slasher villain a space marine legion.

[@shaneschulthies3529]

These videos are absolutely awesome representations of the legions and their lore. Top quality stuff that is informative and thorough. Cheers Ian

[@roccoraspanti5742]

I'm saving this video for tomorrow's paint session, can't wait to hear you Ian. Proud (as proud as a Night Lord can be anyway...) son of the night here since I got into wh40k in 2000

[@Mugdorna]

I'm currently selling my old models. (haven't played/painted in 13 years) Have a half assembled Night Lord army. Listening to this makes me want to finish it.

[@Kmwildride]

Well I was wondering which legion I was going to collect in the new HH release. I guess VIII it is! Great video, reminded me how much I love the night lords, especially Sevatar

[@Nusphigore]

I have a huge problem with your series Arbitor Ian. Every lore video i see makes me want to start a force of each legion...

[@wolfshead1978]

I always try to explain Curz as "Starts off aiming to be Batman, ends up as Judge Death"

[@Yacovo]

Thanks for the video.

[@origintrackz5235]

These breakdowns are really good, thanks man!!

[@shakurasender5583]

I think a neat video acting as an aside from the mainline lore series would be a video covering the "iconic" pieces of warhammer 40k art that seem to constantly crop up in lore videos or videos about certain factions, maybe explaining exactly what they're depicting and linking it back to an original artist. Images like that one of the space marine walking past the vostroyan firstborn, that one image of a space marine being armored in a ceremony, that one image of macharius leading a massive charge, etc etc.

[@tylerelkins4376]

Yesss, loving this series!

[@Thetallestgirrafe]

You just had to do the spookiest legion now… it’s 1.15 am here in Australia, please be more sensitive when timing uploads. Like is that a dressing gown, or the primarch of the 8th legion? Now I’m even less sure.

[@peterclarke7240]

Remember... The dressing gown isn't real. It can't hurt you.

[@aaronmcgowan5769]

Save your breath. They are already dead.

[@alpharius4434]

Very good video, short and straight to the point, yet very informative. I suscribe.

[@justonsvoid]

‘Oi, check out the new hand a got for me belt!’ ‘That’s a real nice one Brother.’

[@lowbrowminis]

Ave Dominus Nox.

[@chrismorrison5585]

really loving this series amazing work ian!

[@HydraulicDesign]

Out of all the comically edgy Edge Lords in all of 40K, the Night Lords...fall somewhere in the middle.

[@mazimadu]

So.. Nostromo is basically Gotham, and Konrad Curze is basically Batman?

[@Nekorook]

Yes

[@mazimadu]

@@Nekorook 😆

[@garthantash]

Kurze is Batman that becomes Marlon Brando. His name comes from Apocalypse Now (Colonel Kurtz) and is eventually killed by the Assassin M'Shen (Martin Sheen)

[@mazimadu]

@@garthantash I always got the Heart of darkness reference, I was just over simplifying

[@rudivandermeer3686]

Kurz in Brado (Colonel Curtz) from Apocalypse now he was even killed by Michael Sheen. (M'shen)

[@phildman132]

If the Dark Eldar were a space marine legion

[@IdioticSynergy]

LETS GOO NIGHTLORDS.

[@markmoloney622]

I love these Videos!

[@Azzie420]

I love Sev’s dialogue with Ahriman, while standing off at the tower with both primarchs in orbit not budging on what they think is the right thing to do, Sev calls Ahriman “A patronising Terran shithead” and I believe that quote is his finest only seconded by “Death to the false emperor” Source from quote is The abyssal edge

[@-Thunder-Warrior-]

"Oh sure, cull US for being too unstable..!"

[@terryreese739]

I am just starting a NL army, been playing Space Wolves and Death Guard so far.

[@gran9968]

Excited for the World Eaters video! Also was wondering if you ever think you're going to cover epic warhammer (epic 40k and epic armageddon) on this channel?

[@SANTICS80]

@arbitor Ian, you remind me a lot to Gary Oldman. In your face and in your clear nice way to speak. really nice job.

[@Lemonhead209]

Great series, thank you.

[@patches5410]

always thought Nostromo would be a great alternative setting for necromunda

[@zachar40k]

love this, the only thing that got to me was calling the atra-mentar, the atrem-natar

[@jiveturky3000]

Great vid

[@kherubim1]

Ave Dominus Nox!

[@noahmehringer29]

Please tell me you'll do a Horrible Heretics episode about Jago Sevetar. He is one of the coolest traitors and despite being a horrible person, he also somehow embodied what the 8th legion was actually supposed to be about. Especially when he avenge that one girl onboard the Dark Angel's ship

[@JEANPIXBN]

Amazing video, as usual. Great to learn more about space batman and Gotham City💥💪🏻😂

[@ScooterinAB]

I cannot repel edginess of this magnitude. They are so ridiculous, and now are somehow even more ridiculous.

[@robertstrong6798]

I think it's in the new book , but Kurze even hated the new recruits because he said they took pleasure from killing and started murdering his own astartes

[@nomsi4263]

I understand why people love the night Lords. I started reading one of the books and I'm loving them. By far night Lords and iron warriors. Just brutal, real Marines. Were you actually understand why they turned.

[@TheGreystroke]

it is so sad that Kurze is fully aware of the issues and just goes well i see the future no reason to fight it go with the doomed flow , also the later night lord trilogy is possibly the best 40k book set

[@jamesbrunton9507]

Regarding the segment detailing Curze's fate ~11:49, I think this plotline went a little farther than that but I'm unsure if it's been tied up yet. Spoiler for Ruinstorm: Do we have anything detailing of how/when Curze escaped the stasis coffin Sanguinius put him into before jettisoning him into space.

[@bentilbury2002]

Yeah, it's in Curze's "The Primarchs" novel.

[@somethindarker]

2:17 Are we not gonna talk about Tony Montana's cameo!?

[@happytravelling]

I think one of the defining moments of the 8th legion was when Talos, the Prophet, seems to be offended when he is called a murderer. The killing of his brothers was only self-defense. The skinning pits were part of a military campaign. For a Night Lord, he ALMOST seemed likable.

[@michaelcaricoo]

All my homies hate Gendor Skraivok

[@collecter343]

HAIL Decimus, Prophet of the VIIIth Legion!!! AVE DOMINUS NOX

[@cacarey01]

Word Bearers next?

[@nafsiammara]

To be fair, Curze lost it and attacked Dorn cause Fulgrim ratted him out.

[@Flamethrower1942]

In the 40k setting it can be assumed that some nighlord war bands are not aligned at all with any chaos gods?!and instead just go around being sadistic pirates .... Dark eldar in power armour then cool .

[@mazimadu]

The Edge Lord... I mean Night Lords!

[@ayami123]

well almost all of Kurze Commanders have a moral high ground, Like Sevatar and such but anything after the orignal Recruit and Terran Recruit are just Insane Serial Killers. I hate how, emps took kurze just few years after his reign, before he even setup a proper government structure.

[@willumbermarchant5510]

Watched a lot of you guys and 40k lore but yours is the best channel, tiny bit too much shoulder movement tho....

[@Archivist001]

Everyone make sure to thank Gendor Skraivok

[@megapizzadragon2397]

It's like Batman and Glenn Danzig had a baby.

[@swaggboiii9528]

best traitor legion imo. They don't even worship chaos but are so messed up that they just align with it naturally. Ave Dominus Nox.

[@ozzfan123]

Ah, Evil Batman

[@judsonbates1359]

What are the books you are highlighting in these? Newbie here.

[@ArbitorIan]

The old Horus Heresy Black Books

[@OldManRogers]

AVE DOMINUS NOX!

[@WozWozEre]

A-Trem-Natar? I thought it was Atra-Mentar?

[@RobAnybody79]

Quite right. A-trA-mentar (emphasis on the second A). Presumably from Latin ater for black / atramentum for black ink and later atrament in English, meaning much the same. Ian, I love these Legion origin vids, and this one is just as great as the others, but Atremnatar? 😅

[@ArbitorIan]

I think you'll find its ay-tromm-nooter

[@collecter343]

Ah the joys of being exposed to a term in a book first.

[@RobAnybody79]

@@ArbitorIan "ay-tromm-nooter" From the Nostraman for "When you see them it's too late to soil your britches". Odd language, Nostraman.

[@WozWozEre]

@@ArbitorIan wrong again matey, it's ee-by-gum

[@Jimbovang]

AVE DOMINUS NOX!!!

[@DoubleWing1992]

Plz do a unification wars video!!!!!