TRUTH OF THE ECCLESIARCHY REVEALED!

[@johndane9754]

"The last true loyal bearer of the word." Just hearing that is heartbreaking.

[@craynak]

John Dane My that had me almost roaring in triumph, I really liked the pre-heresy Word Bearers.

[@judauashta8101]

It really is, I’ve always been a Loyalist, and to hear that there is a single Word Bearer who is absolutely loyal and banished daemons who tried to sway him is so powerful to me. Imagine knowing that your the last of your Legion who stayed loyal, while your brothers and gene father are traitors.

[@TheMauviet]

@@judauashta8101 it is a beautifull exemple of how faith can effect somebody, the anchorite has nothing, everything and everyone have a reason to hate him and see him dead, even himself, but he has his god and that keep him going. Man I would REALLY love to see a loyalist word bearer chapter return in 40k, the kind of story that would make would really be interesting

[@juliankirby9880]

Monster Mash and that’s what 40k is all about! All ideals are terrible when taken to the extreme. Well, that and the struggles and strife of people who are dealing with all these extremist factions and persons in the fiction.

[@specter86fl]

@Monster Mash Organized religion is terrible personal faith and spirituality on the other hand, that can be beautiful.

[@TheGravespawn]

I like that the Anchorite is an unpainted model.

[@Flamethrower1942]

I have a whole army of Anchorites 😉

[@timsmith5335]

Black Templar same here brother

[@ahmadillo4959]

“Do you know what an Anchorite is, boy? Yeah I have a whole backlog of them.

[@SinOfAugust]

Hm. Judging by the description, he's painted in the old school Necron colour scheme though. Wait a minute... *ominous music starts playing*

[@dontuseyourcellulardata7599]

Imaginary Star Studios so he’s basically just gunmetal coloured

[@Shadowhunterbg]

I absolutely LOVE loyalists from the traitor legions. A lot of bravery and loyalty is needed to turn their backs on their Father and Brothers only to take the risk and go to the Imperium. They can be gunned down in seconds but it is better to die under the aquila than turn traitor and live. Every time it is mentioned of such marines being mistrusted and gunned down breaks my heart. For example where Barabas Dantioch from the Iron Warriors basically said to the traitors to fuck off, he ain't siding with Horus and he will defend his fortress to the end. Iron Within, Iron Without!

[@treasurecave431]

Yesss so awesome reading about dantioch barabas and other traitor legion loyalists.

[@Jamhael1]

Ah, the Defense of Schadenhold... "You said that the fortress would fall. Well, it will fall..." *activate the explosove charges loosening the massive stalagmite that was the Fortress Schadenhold on the traitors*

[@madginger3634]

Guilliman is setting a trap. The other Wordbearers will come for the Anchorite, to stop or destroy him. Guilliman's forces will be waiting.

[@atsukunisumeragi1967]

Yeah. Or else he would have been used for a successor Chapter of the Word Bearers.

[@myr0017]

@@atsukunisumeragi1967 That would be a great plot line. I remember there's a passage in one of the unremembered empire books where the Lion (or Sanguinious) see that Guilliman carved a stone table with 20 seats in it, and asked him if he still had hope that they would sit on that table, with Guilliman saying that he still did, even after everything that happened.

[@LetholdusKaspyr]

That was the first thing I thought of. To predict your enemy, control your enemy. Offer them an objective they can't resist.

[@AdeptKing]

@@myr0017 I think it was the Lion that Guilliman brought to that place. He actually liked it too.

[@SymbioteMullet]

It's a bigger objective than that. Perhaps this is a terribly long game of redemption. 10,000 years and the anchorite still refuses chaos. There's quite something to that.

[@markmyers8472]

Wolf Lord Rho: The Truth of the Ecclesiarchy finally revealed! The Adeptus Ministorum wants to know your location!

[@commissarf1196]

Hmmmmm no 😜🤐

[@informationyes]

He batter makes sure that vpn doing the work

[@totallyalpharius507]

Everywhere.

[@germanmandalorian3514]

Well... I would say on Fenris on the Fang. For Russ and the Allfather. He protects.

[@michaeledmunds7266]

"Thank you for your timely confession. A representative of the Officio Assassinorum has been dispatched to your location."

[@randomcenturion7264]

It's nice to know, in a Legion of demented A-Holes, there was at least one Word Bearer who stood fast and remembered that faith is to be used for the good of Mankind, not an excuse to consort with Nope-Monsters living in Space Hell.

[@anarchocommunist3888]

nope-monsters 😂

[@peterwight3918]

This is a great summary of the cannon

[@cgavin1]

To be fair there were probably tens of thousands of them. They were purged.

[@Shadowhunterbg]

@Generous Principle "The Grey Legion" i think it was called.

[@librarybear3419]

Even Sons of Horus had some loyalists, who chose the Emperor over Warmaster. Many of them were Captains. I believe only Traitor Legions without any named loyalists were the Night Lords (psychos, pretty much all of them) and Alpha Legion (try to figure them out).

[@JerkerMontelius]

Guilliman showed mercy. More than even the emperor.

[@nosignal7156]

The Ecclessiarchy is quite lucky it was Guilliman who returned, and not one of the others. He's the one who burned down Monarchia, so he feels really bad for what happened to Lorgar. The other Primarchs would probably have a much more hostile reaction.

[@Av4ta7]

@@nosignal7156 If Sangiunius where somehow alive an' kickin' and would be the one in RG's Shoes. Goodbye, Eccleasiarchy. :)

[@AdamMichalMarkowski]

@@Av4ta7 Dunno, I think Sangiunius, Lion, Corax, Vulkan would probably act similliar to Guilliman in order to not destabilise Imperium. That being said Russ would probably start swinging his sword, and wouldn't stop until anything resembling worship of the Emperor still standed.

[@Av4ta7]

@@AdamMichalMarkowski Never sad that they wouldn't murder that thing for what it was. And yes, Russ would do that, but he would use the Spear his Father gave him and used tryin' to assassined Horus with to show that Thing the truth and the error of his ways. Similar to Sangiunius i think; i mean he's suppose to hold the Emporers Soul as a trade after all, doesn't he?

[@TKUltra971]

I like how everyone forgets that Angel Bro just work that 'kindness' was a mask and apart of the role he played. If Sang came back to the 40k current setting he'd go on a purging crusade and korn would fuck with him especially for the black rage.

[@l4zrh4wk]

This is a *huge* deal. In fact probably the most significant development in the 40K storyline to date, outweighing even the fall of Cadia.

[@gubbikiller]

and almost not mentioned anywhere. i was a bit shocked i might admit

[@christiandauz3742]

Loyalist Word Bearers are nothing new. Narek is a Loyal WB, crazy though

[@chrisbennett6236]

This secret could explain why Guilliman doesn't trust the Ecclesiarchy and why they unnerve him so.

[@jintarokensei3308]

He doesn't like them because they are basically Lorgars creation. Not only that, but the Anchorite, a Word Bearer is running the whole show.

[@AdeptKing]

I mean they stand for the exact thing he and his brothers (most of them) fought against in the first place. Doesn't help that they worship the Emperor like Lorgar the guy who burned a lot of his home right in front of him.

[@IamDeathIncarnate1337]

I wonder if it's because he is disturbed that the belief that's helped hold the Imperium together came from the hands of Lorgar, he who would twist their glory. to think Guilliman was helping to try and destroy it at his father's will. I suspect also it's because he always tries to deny his own faith in favour of hard data, truisms and proven stratagems, but ultimately can't.

[@dannygelbart6827]

Not at all because this story wasn't meant to be part of any others.

[@Pyro978]

The question now is how will Guilliman get the Imperium out of the path they are heading.

[@sirlogath1951]

A grey shield is no traitor, He is so loyal to the emperor that he would leave his chapter to stay true to the master of mankind. I hope anchorite rebuilds the word bearers chapter, Back to loyalty.

[@ShadowFox178]

Sounds like a fun narrative driven army.

[@ShadowFox178]

You could call them the Orators

[@omega40k]

A loyal Word bearer.............I don't know how I feel about this..........

[@____________838]

I’m sure there’s Primaris Marines out there... waiting to be given to the Anchorite Chapter Master.

[@robinderoos1166]

@@ShadowFox178 and their chaptermaster should be called mohammed snaketongue

[@calesommers3229]

Obviously, we can only speculate as to what Guilliman's intentions are. My theory, this Word Bearer reminded Guilliman of the Lorgar that once was and that stayed his hand. I also think Guilliman feels a certain amount of guilt for Lorgar's fall by being too hard on him at Molarchia. If Lorgar and his legion hadn't been so profoundly humiliated they may not have turned to chaos. Perhaps Guilliman is seeking his own redemption by allowing this Word Bearer to find his.

[@bubbasbigblast8563]

The fact that the Emperor went so far against Lorgar, despite everyone telling him what he was doing was a bad idea, must mean that *something* was there: some threat or secret so grave that the Emperor would do almost anything to hide it. The old Word Bearers may very well hold the key to that secret, but clearly aren't aware of it themselves, so Guilliman can only watch on and hope to discover it.

[@metachronicler]

@Citizen Khan This. Although the Emperor really needed to come clean (mostly) to the higher ups if he really wanted them to stop. All burning the place down did was escalate the problem.

[@DoomStarRequiem]

OR Emps engineered the whole crusade, heresy, and etc. So that humans will eventually worship him as a deity and that would have given him a HUEG boost in psychic ability /power. But he tripped up in the heresy by getting shanked hard by Horus.

[@Fourtytwo4242]

@@DoomStarRequiem Or He is just human that's it. Like a human he had a tough choice to make. Let the city stand risking your plans that you made over the 30 thousand years. Killing billions of people,destorying cultures, purging whole planets, killing your own friends, all for a chance of peace, All could be made pointless. Or have your son be really really REALLY pissed at you.

[@bubbasbigblast8563]

@Citizen Khan Here's the thing though: the Space Wolves and White Scars are both religious as well, and the Emperor did *nothing* to either of them. It's too weird: why have another Space Marine legion wipe out that planet, instead of using his own people? Why destroy *just* that one planet at all? Why did he not try to reason with Lorgar first, like he did in The Last Church? Why did he not kill or imprision Lorgar if he felt he was beyond reason? The Emperor's seen Legions go bad before; he knows it can happen. Why facilitate it, unless turning the Legion traitor is exactly what he wanted, so he could also erase them from history? What could the Legion know to make him go so far, in such an indirect way?

[@Fourtytwo4242]

@@bubbasbigblast8563 Reason Space wolve and white scares where spared, was because they never spread their beliefs. If they went out of there way and started to spread belief they to get treated the same. Has for reasoning with Lorgar he did, most likely hundreds of times. Lorgar just never listened, most likely when they met he told him, most likely when they regroup he told him, If they ever had a family dinner ever he told him. Lorgar never cared what emps said he was a god. to point he got Guiliman, the only primarch who do what needs to be done that it. HE STILL DID NOT LISTEN, to the point malcador had to call emps to have the talk. Did emperor go a bit overboard yes, but the emperor thought this was the only way to make him listen.

[@ChaosCharge]

This ties in nicely to that passage about Guilliman opening Logar's book

[@commissarf1196]

Or him regretting the burning of monarchia

[@TheReaper569]

"that passage about Guilliman opening Logar's book out" can i read this.

[@DarthBane959]

Where can I read that?

[@nathanmayers9995]

@@DarthBane959 Dark Imperium Plague Wars

[@ChaosCharge]

@@TheReaper569 So its from Dark Imperium Plague Wars , excerpt from the book was posted in reddit www.reddit.com/r/40kLore/comments/agfpku/book_excerpt_dark_imperium_plague_war_guilliman/ Ten thousand years after Lorgar Aurelian set pen to paper to create this tract, Guilliman began to read it. "Rejoice, for I bring you glorious news. God walks among us. " So ran the first two lines of the Lectitio Divinatus.

[@billl2903]

To be fair, guilleman probably didn’t expect that the ecclesiarchy would turn into such a freak show; probably in the same way he didn’t expect to be put on ice for ten thousand years. Sometimes wrenches get tossed in your plans like that

[@LoneWolf20213]

Didn't Guilliman only make it because the situation they were in was dire and needed action and for the most part, this was their best course of action all other alternatives considered

[@paul-antonywhatshisface3954]

Also I love the anchorites attitude towards daemons. Seeing them for the parasites they are, it gives a glimpse into what the WB could have been. Exorcist priests in contrast to the grey knights holy warriors

[@teamredshirt]

“The future is always born on mercy, the giving or the lack of it” damn, that’s good.

[@TherealSBlair]

I think it fits right in with what we know of Guilliman. I can easily see him actually being pleased with the Anchorite. An Astartes who stays loyal even though virtually all his brothers turned and the imprisonment he suffered and resisting the temptation of release through the Dark Powers. To go through all that and remain loyal reveals the kind of character that Guilliman would be able to appreciate, perhaps even have some admiration for. I can see the master of the thirteenth showing mercy here.

[@FrostJarl]

As much as I'm not a fan of the Ultramarines in general, Guilliman I have a great amount of respect for. He could surround himself with yes-men that will go along with everything he wants, but he actively finds those who are willing to speak their minds and disagree with him and seeks counsel from those around him who may see something in a situation that he doesn't. He shows respect and even admiration for those who are wholly devoted to their beliefs and those who are willing to challenge their own faith or challenge the people around them. He's honestly a good example of what humans should strive to be.

[@davidj3841]

@@FrostJarl Guilliman is a beast. He has to be one of the best primarchs, not because he's the strongest, or the smartest but because he doesn't give up. He always tries to learn from his mistakes, he always tries to be more than what he was created to be. He's honestly such a good character

[@maidenlord6663]

I don't know maybe

[@JamieZero7]

Nah Guilliman sounds too confused about the Ecclesiarchy after his revival. This sounds more like an emperor/inquisition type of work. For one Eclesarchy come to power as far as I know after all primarchs are away. Feel free correct me yes? Sigismund a son of Rogal Dorn. Would never allow such a thing to exist within his geneseed. They would all be killed. There is another problem how do the grey knights adopt this stuff when they have been on titan. In bubble. Using prayers, demon names, etc. All that was set up by Malcador. And the Eclesarchy gained power when they should have been killed so someone high up had their backs. I couldn't see Guilliman being it. Perhaps this person really does think it's Guilliman but for all, he knows it could have been an illusion. In Moorcocks Choas in which 40k took the idea from. Gods are created by people worshiping them. There are gods of laws. As well as the gods of Choas. There are also different planes of the universe. And this was confirmed in 40k too in a Choas book in which Choas god brags about the humans not understanding the different planes.

[@Overonator]

Guilliman is a pragmatist. I think he did it because he knew it would help the Imperium survive by establishing a humanity wide faith. Faith in the emperor is a weapon. Just like ignoring the order of Nikea because psychers are the best weapon against Chaos.

[@hugoguerreiro1078]

I think he was guilty, knowing he played a part in his brother's fall.

[@sachinaraszkiewicz785]

My guess is that you are both right. RG is a statesman. He knew the Imperium would need a shield against Chaos, even if he himself was not fond of faith. He was clearly very uncomfortable with his Legion's role in the Perfect City, and we have quotes of him blaming himself feeling guilty. Plus, he really is merciful, at least for a demigod of war. "Guilliman's Mercy" - remember the phrase from Dark Imperium?

[@Nyghtking]

I think that may be true, I think as the heresy went on he may have found out the nature of gods in 40k, how simply having strong enough faith can make them, and if he did he may have come to the conclusion that in order for the emperor to win he would have to be a god.

[@Overonator]

@@hugoguerreiro1078 Oh yeah I think feeling guilty and also finding a Word Bearer who didn't want to follow Logar, he spared him.

[@Terribads]

The new siege novels set the stage with Malky trying this during the siege, so.. the eventual founding has more to blame than just Papa Smurf. He may have learned something useful from that to use though. Then again, this may just be more story writing to justify both points of view simultaneously, further confusing things with changes to be fought over on tabletop.

[@luckylarry71]

Masterful manip by Guiliman: keep order within Imperium by allowing the Anchorite to remain with the Ecclesiarchy and force traitor legion to make their move. If he plays his cards right he kills 2 birds with 1 stone by denying the Bearers of the Word their vendetta on "unenlightened" brother and defeating them (again) while possibly revealing very inconvenient truth about the source of Ecclesiarchy's foundations. He always was the ambitious type that one

[@Evohunter7]

He seems to keep a lot of secrets. Alpharius would be impressed, if it weren’t for a certain primarch’s chainsword.

[@venge1894]

@@Evohunter7 Guilliman is the "strategist" or "smart one" of the Primarchs, this sort of smart tactical play seems like something he wound venture for

[@Evohunter7]

You are correct of course. I was merely being cheeky at his expense.

[@tompeck5495]

@@Evohunter7 Alpharius is dead. Long live Alpharius!

[@Intelwinsbigly]

​@@Evohunter7that was Omegon, no way a-man let himself get got like that.

[@xXSpaceMexicanXx]

Guilliman: "The ecclesiarchy's stock is too damn high..."

[@efir2]

It's interesting that upon realizing how his Legion has fallen the Word Bearer reverts to the original teachings of his father, but not the Imperial Truth. Monarchia was just a test to their faith. Is he right? Was worship like a God always part of the Emperor's plan? Perhaps Papa Smurf secretly realizes this and that's why he left him alive - the only remaining true Bearer of the Word.

[@スフィアマスター]

he maybe right or else the emperor wouldn't actually grant him his power to banished the daemon hoard.

[@leatherjacket9]

I dont think Guilliman has the devious forethought for such a tactic, but i do believe The Emperor does. The Emperor has millennia after millennia of knowledge and experience on how man kind works and how to control and manipulate them. I believe the Emperor planned and wanted to be worshipped as a god all along. Basic reverse psychology and manipulation... Tell people not to do what you actually want them to do and vice versa. Don't have religion, dont use psychic powers, etc... The Emperor sets up strict boundaries... Knowing that mankind and people will find it hard to resist. There is no doubt the Emperor saw Magnus's passion for knowledge and psychic power, but didnt keep close tabs on him? The Emperor saw Lorgar's desire and passion towards religion, but didn't keep close tabs on him? There is a lot the Emperor of mankind knew and didn't know.

[@TaintedPrinceps]

That makes no sense. If thats the case why did the emperor, you know, do everything he did to Lorgar? For a laugh?

[@Moadar]

@@leatherjacket9 "The imperial truth" and the great crusade were part of a chess game to put chaos into "check". It forced their hand. The selection of horus as warmaster was also part of it. The emperor knew he would fall. Thats why he didn't choose sanguinous. All the other primarchs even comment on how sanguinous should have been warmaster and question the emperors choice, even horus does. Sanguinous is perfect though and the emperor needed someone who would eventually succumb to chaos. During the final battle the emperor matches Horus strength and the chaos gods ratchet up the amount of their power they are funneling into him. Thats when the emperor unleashes the attack that erases Horus and would have destroyed the chaos gods with it had they not withdrawn at the last moment. The second part of the emperors plan was to remain in near death in the Akashic Reader(golden throne). There he has access to all knowledge that ever existed. He began the imperial cult because if you read the early books it talks about how under relgion everything stagnates, there is no change. Thats why he allowed religion of himself to flourish. It keeps the imperium in much the same place as he left it and safeguards against aliens and chaos. In the grey knights fortress on titan there is a button with a symbol that exists in only one other place, the golden throne. It most likely kills power to the throne which will signal to the emperor that the imperium is in great peril and he is needed. He will then resurrect(hes a perpetual like vulkan and grammaticus) and use everything he has learned in his 10,000+ years in the realm of all knowledge to fight chaos again.

[@vaclavsoukup7302]

@@Moadar Now thats some big brain foreplanning

[@gustaveardila6286]

Doesn't that make him one of if not THE oldest astartes?

[@omegawolfd]

between him or Bjorn

[@randomcenturion7264]

Oldest semi-dead Astartes. Oldest living probably still goes to either Dante or Torias Tellion.

[@RATFINK428]

Laughs in fabius bile

[@KainMcnab]

Probably, him and the Fel Handed.

[@WookieGroundZero]

@@RATFINK428 If you exclude that Fabolous Bill changes bodies like trollzyn. Yeah Bill is the oldest.

[@TheRampantLion]

Guilliman knew the Imperial Truth would not hold for the common man. They needed something to keep the darkness away, to give them hope, to make them believe in the Imperium. Atheism wasn't it. Religion was.

[@nikik5567]

That’s my personal opinion. He wasn’t so blinded to that as his father was. He knew people eventually want to believe in something more than themselves. Better to guide them to a line of belief that worships their emperor rather than chaos. But that the worship didn’t turn out how he had hoped it would.

[@marinputilin449]

@@pyerack Really? Oh boy you're in for a rude awakening.

[@moriyokiri3229]

@@pyerack Ah yes, literal eldritch horrors, very different from those figurative eldritch horrors. Very good job pointing that out.

[@midgetydeath]

Telling people to believe in nothing is foolish. Every single time state atheism has been tried, it utterly destroyed morals and the value of human life in that society.

[@TheReaper569]

"perhaps he (gulliman) knew the future coudn't be founded on treachery and vengeance" that is why he spared him. and to be honest without the faith of imperial creed i think all citizens of the imperium would fall to chaos. We also know that the faith of trillions of humans is what is empowering the soul of the emperor in the warp. Without that power emperor could have been annihilated by chaos

[@kelman727]

Religion was the root cause of the Horus heresy and wrecked the entire Imperium.

[@jordanbauerly8843]

@Hero-Of Courage Lets not forget that all that prayer is actually strengthening the bloody ruinious powers at the same time. Every prayer for battle, every prayer to hang on to life, all of those emotions are feeding into the warp. While big E is out of action faith is the only thing holding the imperium together. If big E was brought back into the picture, then faith would lose its meaning in the face of the overwhelming power humanity would be able to put into play. If i'm right, they are setting the stage for a battle of the gods type deal, to facilitate bringing the emperor back without letting humanity astartes-rage fuck the galaxy into submission with little effort...Again. Considering Chaos is getting an ever increasing hold over the land, the necrons are starting to make some moves, the space elve... Eldar, have always had a god card in their pocket. Orks are litteral rule-breakers. Tau should have been had the exterminatus button pressed a long ass time ago on their space weeb asses. Nids are fucking horrifying even to a psysic god as they could probably evolve to unheard of levels by getting their hands on the body or genetic material of a primarch. A civil war in the imperium would be a perfect stage for multiple returning primarchs, who have each found a piece of what is needed to bring their father back into the fray, while guilliman runs around putting out fires that keep getting lit right under his bright blue ass.

[@greenrocket23]

@@kelman727 no, the root of the Heresy was the emperor's unwillingness to speak honestly with his sons

[@christiandauz3742]

The Heresy was inevitable when the Emperor asked the Chaos Gods to create the Primarchs in exchange for serving Chaos Never break a deal with four beings more powerful than you and definitely smarter

[@PhynixDS]

you need a skilled orator to fight another skilled orator, just another chess piece in Guilliman's game fighting the fallen legion, Lorgar's son's can beat mere mortals cause of the intimate knowledge in what they have penned the millennia ago, the Anchorite is going to be the corner stone in a foundation moving forwards, something sturdy to build the bulwarks upon...

[@Historyfrek4ever]

SPOILERS DO NOT READ (Unless you've read up to chapter 27 of the book) So we are not talking about the fact that the Anchorite is either a saint or has some advance deamon banishment techniques. Note: it could also be the dark a-holes doing. You never know.

[@ferofax]

He banished whispers, nothing more (unless he actually got to banish demons before he got turned into a dreadnough). And one would think a living saint wouldn't end up a half-alive hunk of meat interred in a combat coffin.

[@nikolayvladimirov8633]

@@ferofax He is actually talking about events that happen later in the book that's why there are spoilers. It isn't about the video

[@Fourtytwo4242]

I have not read the book but a answer could be that he believes he can. Deamons are like creatures of pure thought and faith. By believing in the emperor he can banish them. NOTE this is not a simple thing to do, you must have 0% doubt and 100% have faith in your beliefs. Who has more faith then a loyalist word bearer?

[@monsouranda2822]

What is the title of the book

[@スフィアマスター]

I think he is THE saint not just a saint. when he literally growing 6 pair of wing and then not just banished the daemon legion he even cut off chaos god influence as well to the point that the chaos lord actually lost his connection to his god and even call him Anathema , something the chaos actually said when they face off directly againts the emperor or those he poses.

[@deathbytouch4252]

So...A grey shield? And Founded the Adeptus ministorum

[@ShadowFox178]

It occurs to me, that to be a dreadnought is in part to be close to the Emperor as the same technologies are linked. This last Word Bearer devoted to the worship of his liege, could he infact be closest to the Emperor on some spiritual level.

[@DocBravo]

Gullimans reason? 2 words: Damage Control. Keeping a loyalist Word Bearer with pure intentions does go against the Imperial Truth but to risk a imperium wide civil war against the Black Templars + would be the end of humanity. The Avenging Son is a true tactician and has weighed the scales...bring on the enemy and smite him short of their prize.

[@Prophetofthe8thLegion]

This feels inspired by The Ancient of Rights. A old forgotten dreadnought who is at best remembered as one of thousands who were massacred and at worst a traitor and a heretic. Yet even when all he stands for has either forgotten or turned there backs on him he still fights for them. Even as the blades of time carve at his body. And even when others may see him as an enemy he fought for them, he fought the true enemy...And just like with the Ancient of Rights story they realized the truth of his words and fought beside him to fulfill the Emperors will.

[@Dobbie373]

He is most like Barthuse Narek ( Narek of the word) from the Unremembered Empire where he was interrogated by Guilliman requested as but Guilliman couldnt understood a loyal word bearer that wants to kill his father Lorgar.

[@Lmolina90]

Since he came back Guilliman has personally seen "miracles" that even his mind can't find a scientific explanations for. He is also a student of human history and can probably appreciate some of the effects of religion. The heresy era saw early worshipers of the emperor display some potential powers related to their faith. That phenomenon has only spread since. While Gulliman is probably right to distrust and be discussed by the Ecclesiarchy I think he knows there is power (literally and figuratively) in faith. Having a guy on hand who is tied directly to the old ways of worship and who's existence should piss off Lorgar and sons to no end is a mighty boon indeed.

[@Anton-cc7yc]

Ok, I’ll be honest, when I first learn about this book I was like: “meh, another bolter-porn”... but now? Holy shit! This. Is. Glorious. So emotional and mind-blowing. Now I need an audiobook version.

[@TheAdemusPrime]

The highlight of my hectic day is always hearing the calming tone of Wolf Lord Rho doing another lore video. Please keep up the amazing work mate, you're a credit to the Black Library material!

[@exurgemars]

This is so on point! You're blessed by the Emperor.

[@nvmd8509]

I misread that as heretic day ahhahahahha

[@TheAdemusPrime]

@@nvmd8509 hahaha I'm a loyal son of Dorn, a far cry from heretic ;-)

[@JoshuaKevinPerry]

Check out Baldemort too. Love these lore guys.

[@custodianguard749]

@@JoshuaKevinPerry love baldermort but i love the longer style videos opposed to short stuff but i will say if i only have to kill a few minutes or i am on lunch or just checking up on the most recent lore developments wolf lord rho is fantastic for that longer content i will get from baldermort, arch and occulus so its nice to have an option for a shorter type video after all i can watch 1 or two of wolf lords videos in a 30 min lunch break but not sure id get through an hour long video. Call it a hunch haha

[@GlassedGlass]

Didn't the Ultramarines regret the humbling of the Word Bearers? It might be something related to that. G man might be trying to make amends of sorts? Sorry my lore isn't that great.

[@epsilondelta2967]

Yeah, Guilliman didn't want to do it. He knew the act would be a stain on his legions history. But it was The Emperors orders so he obeyed.

[@cgavin1]

I think that Monarchia was just another day at the office for the Smurfs. Interestingly, the only time I can recall that G-Dawg loses his sh*t was at Calth. He gets blown out the airlock and goes Rambo on the Word Bearers without a helmet in vacuum for a few hrs. Guilliman HATES the Word Bearers with a passion so letting one live is a momentous ocassion. I doubt it was G's idea. More likely daddy. You know He Who Has Everything As Planned (tm).

[@commissarf1196]

@@epsilondelta2967 well considering the option it is good that guilliman is the one that burned monarchia cause we know what happened if russ is the one that did the burning

[@gunmonkey1185]

@@cgavin1 Big E choice of Ultramarines was of all the Legions; it was a measured response by the Emperor.

[@GlassedGlass]

Another idea is that he is saving one of og loyalist word bearers (the anchorite) to lead a loyalist primaris word bearers chapter (of course this is kind of a stretch)

[@marshaledrek71]

Guilliman has always been one of the wisest and most prepared of the primarchs.

[@redasylum]

Big Blue always had a soft spot for the Bearers of the Word. Imagine how he would have felt seeing ones that were still Loyal despite it all.

[@Duppyman695]

If there is a loyal Book Licker...sorry Word Bearer maybe he would still worship the Emperor as a God, and thats a No No.

[@TheDukeOfDallas]

There needs to be a huge meeting of all of the Dreadnoughts from every chapter, like a huge celebration of the history of the chapters. The Dreadnoughts can tell of their experiences and the stories and histories they know while the marines of all of the chapters that decide to attend can listen and learn from them. I think it would also help those in the dreadnoughts to get out for a bit, let their minds work for something other than fighting for a while, and be around other dreadnoughts so they can feel like they aren't always the odd one out but part of a brotherhood other than their chapters.

[@pipes9878]

WoW that’s an epic introduction of the Anchorite to the Imp Fists 🤯🤯 and the fact he’s removed of all World bearers iconography just a grey hulk covered in purity seals 🤘😎👍 Why did Gilliman leave him behind? No doubt in my mind, the SM was a good man of soul and character dropping his sword and awaited his doom. He fought off the temptations and had obviously some greater knowledge/ purpose that Gilliman wanted to understand at a later more convenient time. Alas 9k years in stasis meant that thoses plans where put on hold for a while, just a little bit, then with the reawakening I doubt he believed there Anchorite would still be alive until the code was received. Being a cautious Primarch he would not inform the primarus Imperial fists and allow them to make judgement on what they’re presented with. Why would he not put this man within his own Legion? as an open devout follower of the God Emperor at a time when the Imperial truth was the status quo he could become a dangerous antagonist at least trapped within the confines of a religious group who showed no signs of malice but devotion to the Emperor he would be at least encased within their organisation, Pragmatically if he did turn to the worship of chaos he and the devout follower of the God Emperor would no doubt battle, leaving both sides and all parties utterly destroyed Cleaning up a future mess that he may have to contend with. That’s my thoughts but who knows 🤷‍♂️🤘😎👍

[@Kottery]

He's grey more likely due to the fact he pre-dates Lorgar becoming their primarch and the renaming to Word Bearers. They were known as Imperial Heralds before then and had completely grey armor. This lad is O L D.

[@stefanobi73]

@@Kottery the Word Bearers only changed their colour to red when they had already become heretics. They always had grey armour before that. The text even mentions that he is from Colchis, eliminating the possibility that he is a Terran born Imperial Herald/Iconoclast

[@trolldrool]

It's also possible that Guilliman wanted to preserve what could be the last of the Word Bearers' integrity before their fall from grace. In a manner similar to how he honoured Barabas Dantioch of the Iron Warriors after his sacrifice against the traitor Night Lords.

[@Staccet]

I really wish to see the Anchorite battle with words against his former brothers maybe even Lorgar.

[@KittyBoy96]

I see Rho, I click. Cheers from Malaysia!

[@potatopower2410]

For The Agong!!

[@RevyLeonhardt]

My Brother of the Yndonesian Bloc Cheers from Malaysia too xD

[@commissarf1196]

Cheers from Indonesia

[@rocci99]

@@commissarf1196 Fellow Indonesian!!

[@crashfan6443]

I remember reading this. My reaction was to stand still in shock and to remember the old one. The old dreadnought that defied his father, he defied his father's damnation, and he left a wound to never heal. Forever a marker to his father that he will never forget, that he was defied by one of his sons.

[@Sharnelgon]

Ecclesiarchy: May the God Emperor protect us! Pray so he shall watch you in his golden throne! Roboute Guilliman: *B R U H*

[@Kill3rballoon]

I always reckoned that Guilliman used the Anchorite as bait for a Word Bearers attack. They are the legion the Ultramarines hate the most so what better way to taunt Lorgar than by placing one of his son’s who has broken away from the legion and is now living on a world dedicated to his old region. For a Primarch as prone to both shame and evangelical zealousness as Lorgar this would be intolerable. It would also explain the dreadnought body, Word Bearers break in giant robot fist!

[@saltyshackles5227]

This is such a WH40K Telenovela season finale moment 😂 What a BOMB! 🤯💥

[@Ex0psMerc]

That book is one of my favorite 40k books. Wish more KZbinrs would talk about it Listened to it on Audible. Loved how they showed how different Chapters wage war. Loved the Chaos side of the story too. Loved seeing how they planned and operated. And it seemed like a few of the Chaos Astarte were still fairly "normal"

[@christophermcbride4230]

Just finished this book a couple days ago, I thought the very same thing as to why Guilliman has kept him around. He understands just how dangerous the Ecclesiarchy can be and has the Anchorite as a practical solution to the changes he'll bring about since he's back in the 41st millennium.

[@Litany_of_Fury]

It's obvious... Guilliman is Alpharius!

[@pierceprzybyla1275]

No...I AM ALPHARIUS

[@commissarf1196]

where's omegon

[@DoomStarRequiem]

We are Alpharius.

[@kb9oak749]

@@pierceprzybyla1275 No! I AM ALPHARIUS!

[@nono547]

Honnestly it wouldn't surprise me.

[@SkyPhoenix_3991]

I love these connections to the old legions, like this one lonely Luna Wolf, that is rescued of a space hulk But it's not completely new, that the ecclesiarchy is founded on lorgars work, their so called Bible is his work, written before he wrote the book of lorgar, if I'm not mistaken But this Dreadnought opens some interesting ideas

[@dinocha0s]

Would be nice if he and Bjorn had a little chat one ancient dready to another lmao Anchorite: ahhh you still remember how its like to follow your Primarch into battle? Bjorn: most of the kids these days wont even get to meet their Primarch.

[@outis7080]

Bobby G probably planned to use the Anchorite to bait the Word Bearers into a trap, but never got to it because Snake boi shanked him

[@christiandauz3742]

You do remember that Kor Phaeron easily defeated Grandpa Smurf right? An Alpha Legion team also beat the shit out of Guilliman? Guilliman has never won a duel on his own. Lorgar would easily kill him, Calgar, Agemann, Ventriss and Sicarius within seconds!

[@geoffgreen2105]

I think that the one thing even Roboute Guilliman couldn't plan on was being kept on the cusp of death for 10,000 years and then suddenly re-emerging into a universe that had been without guidance for so long. The Anchorite was probably a thing on his "to do" list after the myriad tasks facing him during the years after the Heresy, but he never made it back until now. Now he has to deal with the fallout, and things haven't gone as planned.

[@deckard6052]

Why is there always only one person with a virtual gift voucher

[@commissarf1196]

@Pedro Kantor or slaanesh

[@ahmataevo]

Because Slaanesh's avatar Pokimane would get his sponsors banned.

[@THExRISER]

@@ahmataevo Pokimane actually isn't near being slutty enough to be an avatar of Slaanesh,but her presence still drives sims to madness for some reason.

[@nosignal7156]

1 is the sacred number of the Emperor.

[@jordanbauerly8843]

Because you didnt send him a second.

[@Sinvare]

It could be that Guilliman let him live because he surrendered. And if he could surrender and change perhaps there could be an ending of the Heresy that didn't involve kill all of the traitors. The Anchorite shows that perhaps there could be reconciliation for the destruction of Monarchia. Perhaps there could be peace. Guilliman's Empire, the realm of Ultramar, is a decent model for the Imperium in miniature, fighting its own Heresy starting with its own drop site massacre at the betrayal on Calth.

[@stephenconnell]

One of the things I like about your videos is your love and genuine like of Warhammer 40K and all of its stories that comes through in every video you upload. Keep it coming and thank you.

[@plaugemarine]

Well, guilliman did blame himself for lorgar fall, and thought they could be friends. I think sparing the word bearer was his way of a actual apologies. Or to keep him for Intel on word bearers tactics and strategy. Most likely the last one, by the end Guilliman HATED Lorgar for the surprise attack at the Battle of Calth.

[@patrickmace5340]

A strategic maneuver. Gilliman knew chaos would eventually return for it. Knowing is half the battle lol

[@Argonaut3]

A gorgeous bit with a fantastic reveal. Extraordinary.

[@lostnumber08]

Now we need a loyal primaris Word Bearers chapter lead by the Anchorite.

[@shikatsu]

"Keepers of the Word" Just to put the incoming on the cake...Excuse me while I get my primaris out.

[@commissarf1196]

i think it will be cool considering the current space marine blood line that are confirmed all came from loyalist primarch it will be nice to have some diversity plus i know that their a bunch of daeamon worshiping traitor but ignoring and refusing to use their gene seed when we know they can still be loyal and when we still have their pure gene seed stock is a bit "racist" if you ask me

[@your-username-here2308]

@@commissarf1196 Nope its not "racist". Because there is no race involved (besides Humans). Giving Marines the seed of a Primarch that turne against the Emporer is mahh. I would rebuild lost Chapters but under another Primarch.

[@rumorcontrol7873]

Why did Guilliman do it? probably because even he isn't immune from the subtle machinations of the warp gods

[@theodoremccarthy4438]

Maybe Guilliman realized Monarchia wasn’t just a test of the faith of the Word Bearers. It was also a test of the mercy and judgment of the Ultramarines. Why slaughter a people who’s only crime was loving their Emperor too much? Where is the justice in that? Maybe, as the heresey unfolded, Guilliman came to realize he had failed at Monarchia as surely as Lorgar had. Blind obedience to a political superior is no less fanatical than blind faith in a living God. Maybe Guilliman realized that he should have told the Emperor “no” when given the order to raze a loyal world just to make an ideological point. Monarchia presents a moral paradox: either the Emperor is a god who is always right and must be obeyed in, which case the people of Monarchia were right to worship him. Or, the Emperor is the greatest of men, but still fallible, in which case Guilliman should have refused his immoral order to slaughter the innocent. Either way, Guilliman erred at Monarchia and he knows it.

[@MrEugene112]

KABOOM!!! Mind blown on this one!!! Top notch as always Wolf.

[@BigChumby]

I'm very glad my last comment has changed the way you credit artists, a lesser content creator would've just done it on the one video, if at all, so to see you continue to link to the source of these excellent pieces of art really warms me up. Thank you for being better, also TRAITOR WEEK HYPE!!!

[@celestienthepaladin488]

Great Story my Friend! Loved hearing about this, I have always been curious about the Imperial Cult since I am a fan of the Sisters of Battle, but this is Brilliant! :) Keep up the Great Work Rho!

[@reeserobbins8867]

Wait so that dreadnought is the second oldest to bjorn

[@____________838]

If not even older than Bjorn.

[@reeserobbins8867]

Yeah you right he has been in the dreadnought longer then bjorn so

[@Lord_Inquisitor_Ignis]

Mercy is truly a fascinating thing in Warhammer

[@jonharper8963]

You mean Guilliman knows that Wolf Lord Rho is the best 40k channel around? Took him long enough to realise :p

[@carltonbcf2509]

I was wondering when there was gonna be a story on the loyalists wordbearer

[@andrewkennedy9134]

Actually this is a really good example of the sheer strategical planning that Guilliman is bred for. He recognised the power of the anchorite and implanted him into a position where he remains as a counter to the ecclesiarchy and as a weapon against lorgar and the word bearers. I really liked this book, fantastic read, some great characters, and the author really made the Imperial Fist likeable....Im not anti Imperial Fists, I just always found them a bit....boring or overly stoic and intolerant....this one however really interested me...his pragmatism and charisma were much more evident than in other notable fists or successors.

[@DoomStarRequiem]

Besides controlling the vast majority of the Imperium. I feel like Roboute remembers his brother's bond with old Lorgar not traitor Lorgar(who had Calth destroyed and ravaging of 500 worlds of Ultramar). And that he acknowledged that he fucked up when the Emperor had Monarchia razed.

[@Da5hau]

Apocalypse was a great book, how they bounced off each Legion, the Primus and Originals, and the rank dynamics.

[@FerreusVir]

What I find interesting in this story is that the Anchorite was interred before the siege of Terra but some time after what happened in Ultramar with Calth. Let that sink in, Guilliman let a Word Bearer live. Now it could be that this is all a ploy by BL and GW to move that doomsday clock along and advance the plot, but I think there's more to it than that. Pity? I don't think so. After what the Word Bearers did to Ultramar I think it can be assumed that pity/mercy were not options to Guilliman, or any Ultramarine really. Justice? Again, I think if it was about justice Guilliman and co would have just killed the Anchorite and been done with it, instead they took steps to see that even after he'd taken his own life that he would be interred in a dreadnought. G-man wanted him alive for a reason and honestly, I can't figure out why.

[@levyburns4163]

100% Bro. The Mark of Calth is still running, and will until the entire Word Bearers legion is destroyed. My personal first impression is that Guilliman saw the value in letting the Ecclesiarchy do its thing. Fire with Fire against the warp.

[@coledilbeck551]

Anyone else wanna see a slate gray loyalist word bearer dreadnought model added and slaying the foes of the imperium while reciting litanies to his fellow combatants, because I sure as hell do.

[@Evohunter7]

Imagine it fighting alongside the Black Templars!

[@reilleymalcom]

Oh man, I love this! The Anchorite serves as a compelling mirror to the Warmonger.

[@TotalWarDesigner]

You mad man! Wolf_Lord_Rho! Another video as soon as I get home to start my weekend! Brilliant

[@totalhypocrite2728]

Got to say thanks again Lord Rho, your recommendations help me pick my audible selection :D

[@levyburns4163]

Nice. Wolf Lord Rho is getting into Faith and Fury. Can't wait to hear more from Talledus. My thing is Guilliman was reflecting on the edict of Nikea (Know No Fear) - how they had just been convinced to give up their only weapon against the warp, right before they needed it most. I wonder if "empowering" the cult of the Emperor was viewed by him as a necessary measure post-heresy in order to create a warp-God of their own, fighting fire with fire.

[@piggs666]

The Emperors greatest failure is not understanding humanity and its need for defining their life through a divine being "God". What if the Emperor did understand humanity and used Lorgar to spread his word? Would the heresy still happen? if so, maybe not as many or different Primarchs may have turned. Thoughts any one?

[@ElJorro]

I do love the idea of Loyalist Traitors still being out there somewhere.

[@yeastori]

When you think Magnus fuck things up bad but then Logar ended up basically destroying humanity's potential

[@erickrasniewski567]

Not really he gave humanity the faith required to fight the horrors of a galaxy trying to kill them as well as possibly made the big e a god

[@kurtkobinz]

Guilliman spared him because of what he had done on monarchia and maybe because he hoped that if a warrior of lorgar can lay down his blade and accept his judgment maybe he can be brought back to reason and logic. O my man Emperor the irony of papa smurf discovering what his mercy had cost to the imperium. The title Lord Commander of the Imperium was not a promotion but a way to tel his son to go fix his mess.

[@Fire0warrior182]

Awesome !! The first who were influenced but yet still loyal

[@malin1140]

Good Sir, trapped in the spiders web on this story excerpt. This was a wonderful quagmire of possibilities. TTFN!

[@warhound1161]

I actually finished this book recently I fell in love with the ending fight with the anchorite

[@andrefilipe9042]

I just want to point out that the Anchorite has already been mention in lore before. Remliez has made a video about it.

[@РоманСоловьёв-к9и]

Moreover, Euphratia Keeler was the first Imperial Saint, right? It's not the first time when he is a Lord-Commander,he knew that religion will appear in Imperium.

[@johnnyscifi]

Majorkill, Baldermort, Chapter Master Vralek, Tactica Imperialis, and you are my favourites!!!

[@Zepomajestic]

Don't forget Lutein

[@joshuablake4595]

Wolf lord rho, you should also do the part in this book when the Anchorite confronts his fellow word bearers too. That part was absolutely incredible I found when I read the book

[@DerajNitram]

Sounds like the anchorite is Narek the word bearer...

[@elfdrow6679]

Remember there was no church back when Guilliman was alive the first time. there were cults but nothing more. he gave the dreadnought to someone for safekeeping and then they turned into the church. now the reason of why did he do it?... your guess is as good as mine lol

[@SpanishDio]

I got shivers all over my spine when I read it, that frigging 10.000 years after the Heresy there still was one last loyal World Bearer so Wholesome.

[@Psidream1337]

Very cool video. Fun to hear you read and talk about this man. Subscribed.

[@hughgedney3393]

A very extremely awesome video as always Wolf Lord Rho.

[@jackdaalfbrainork6392]

Nice to see the anchorite is still relevant to the story I also like despite everything that happened to him (and the destruction of their city) he still believed that the emperor was testing him and stayed faithful to him. I wonder what the emperor would think of him now? (If he returned)

[@noman8412]

Big E: I'm not a god. Me: But you do godlike things, you gain power from worship, and religious faith makes people resistant to the taint of chaos. Big E: Yep. Religion leads people to violence, ignorance and mindless obedience. Me: And you sent your sons on a genocidal crusade without telling them about the nature of the warp? Big E: Yep. And Me help them if they don't do what I tell them.

[@TheMauviet]

I would love the idea that guilliman is not trying to destroy the Ecclesiarchy, but rather simply try to deradicalise them and make them a civilised force in the imperium. That's something I would see my boy Guilliman try to do.

[@РоманСоловьёв-к9и]

It makes me so sad.... This is definetely relic from the past. Pure, faithful, loyal. P. S HIS NAME IS NAREK!!!BARTHUSA NAREK!!!!!THAT'S WHY GULLIMAN KNEW ABOUT HIM BECAUSE HE DIDN'T EXECUTE NAREK!

[@mrblunttube]

Is he the one that killed the perpetuals?!

[@DoomStarRequiem]

@@mrblunttube if memory serves me right yes. He was the one Damon Pyrantis or John Grammaticus was with on Macragge while Curze was fighting a deranged Vulkan.

[@nadtz]

This immediately makes me wonder about Omegon. If Guilliman would spare a Word Bearer...

[@Ower8x]

The one thing I would like to point out, that as I read it, and I may be wrong or missing something, but I dont remember it stating that Guilliman entrusted the Anchorite to the Church, I read it as he gave him into the "care" of a specific family - the ancestors of the Cardinal, but while cults existed like Temple of the Saviour Emperor that would become the Eclasiarchy, I dont thing they were priests or cardinals at the time, they may have been members of the temple or one of the later absorbed cults in secret, or even become believer because of the Anchorites preaching .... but the dominance of the faith came in the 32nd Milenium, which was long after Guilliman was put into status ... While GW and Black Library can take any way they want If I had to take a guess: As Sulymanya remarks when Guilliman tells her about Logar and the destruction of Monarchia in DI:Plague Wars ... he blames himself ... so the most natural explanation that he could not bring himself to kill him because of that guilt (in addition at the time Robute was not fully opposed to Loyalist from the Traitor Legions like for example Dantioch). But since the Anchorite did turn traitor before Guilliman could not bring himself to trust him enough to take him into battle .... so he left him imprisoned. Once the HH was over he returned to find the Anchorite a full devotee of the God-Emperor once again, he still could not bring himself to kill him mainly because of the guilt but also because well he was now probably the only link to the Logar before the fall, a last remnant of one of his lost brothers .... But since Guilliman would not be willing to let him loose because of his devotion, he decided to keep him hidden, but not imprisoned so he leaves him with a the Cardinals Ancestors ... Who as I stated before were either already worshipers of the God-Emperor in secret, or became ones somewhere along the line because of their charges preaching .... Also its Guilliman so there is probably some additional plans involved ... but Robute does sometimes let his emotions guide his decisions instead of his logic .. so this could be one of those situation.... Or a combination of the first impulse was because of his emotions which he then rationalized by setting up a scheme or two ..

[@joshuacabral2348]

My god!! This really gave me the chills!!