Battle of the Fang Q&A

[Chris Wraight]

My thoughts: I know it's much more likely that whenever the Thousand Sons launch an assault on Fenris they would just head straight for the Fang (rather than get shot out of the sky by Fenris' Planetary Defense Guns) but if they were to consider sending forces off to go after the natives how would the SW counter this/ act on it and how would the skirmishes play out?

 

Hi Orphus. As with my previous post, not much I can say here that isn't answered in the book. The battle focusses on the Fang, just as the Sack of Prospero focussed on Tizca.

[Chris Wraight]

I've always wanted to know with all Black Library authors how much the stories main details are already decided,

 

Hi Simo. Not much to add to ADB's post further up, really. As he says, there's a lot of freedom there. BotF had a couple of restrictions which gave me a few headaches, mostly involving numbers and timing (like the siege lasting 40 days, etc.), but in terms of characters and the unfolding of the action, we get a fairly free hand.

[Chris Wraight]

i noticed areferance to greylock in the write up on the site, i am interested to see if this is the same greylock aka brother captain greylock from the wolftime campaign released back in the rt book of the astronomicon

 

Ah, no. There's been a slight typo on the BL site here - the character in the book is actually called Vaer Greyloc, and he's a Wolf Lord. He's got no relation to the Greylock you're referring to, who I think would have been fighting in the 40K 'present' (BotF is set in M32).

[Chris Wraight]

Did you do all your research via books, or who did you talk to for facts on the wolves? What places/groups/films/etc did you find yourself drawing on for their speech and behavior? How do you feel your works line up with William Kings descriptions of the Fang and Fenris?

 

Hi Grey Mage. I think the first (long!) post at the top of this series of answers mostly covers this question.

 

Just on Bill King's vision - I do think that my version of Fenris is a little different. That's not because I don't admire King's original (I do), but just because I think that the 40K universe has evolved since those books were written. I've not set out to contradict anything in the Space Wolf saga, but we do get to see a darker, grittier Fenris, which I think is in keeping with the tenor of current 40K writing. Also, remember that there are approximately 8,000 years between the action of BotF and the King Space Wolf books, so you'd expect some things to have changed.

[Growler67]

Firstly I would like to express my appreciation for Chris spending the time and effort to engage us here in this forum. Thank You Chris.

 

Questions were answered and no spoilers, as expected, were revealed. I find the answers and comments you posted VERY interesting and enlightening. As there are at least a few members of this and other forums that spin yarns and write fan fictions, I imagine if it at least somewhat gratifying to know how helpful your words have been. Insirational as well. I await the release of your book and feel that I am NOT overstating things too much by saying that I don't think I'll be disappointed.

 

Thank you again and may I extend a hearty invitation to pop in anytime for an ale or a chat. We can be a bit cantankerous from time to time, either from lack of ale or mead or perhaps the lack there of. We do growl quite a bit but no bites are terribly serious and we seem to make up with a quick head-butt and another round of drinks. Welcome to this place we call "The Fang" and may you enjoy your visits here.

[OnlyInDeath]

Thanks for all of your replies Chris! Looking forward very much to the new book.

[Chris Wraight]

This one isn't strictly fluff related but can you talk to/beg/bribe the bosses at the Black Library into creating a poster size copy of the Fang map? That would so make an awesome piece.

 

Hi Mikal Wolfheart. Agreed. ^_^ I'll mention it next time I'm talking to them.

 

Is there a strong wolf pack feel in the book? I love this imagery of each pack operating within its specialty and synergising so well (which we do on the tabletop and in other fluff well).

 

I hope so. One of the challenges of the book was the large cast of characters. We get to see everyone in action from the Great Wolf Ironhelm down to a hunting pack of Blood Claws, so there was by necessity a fairly broad view of the action. If I ever get the chance to write Space Wolves again, I'd love to focus on a single pack and really explore the inner dynamics of the warriors in detail.

 

Just how peeved are the Wolves that Fenris is being invaded? Does it bring on a righteous fury among the Wolves, making the assault on Prospero seem like puppies playing?

 

One of the aspects I wanted to play up was the difference between the TSs' defence of Prospero and the SWs' defence of Fenris. Remember that the Thousand Sons were hamstrung by confusion and contradictory impulses - in large part, because the wisest among them recognised that they were being punished for a terrible miscalculation, and that makes the conflict all the more tragic. The Space Wolves have no such uncertainty - they loathe the Traitor with a passion, and they're going to fight like daemons even when it looks like all is lost.

 

So there are key differences here, but there are also some surprising similarities. The Wolves and the Sons share millennia of mutual hatred and mistrust, and over the centuries they've become more alike than either would admit. The Thousand Sons are driven by a bitterness at their betrayal (as they see it) which makes them far more ruthless than they were in the days of the Crusade. The Wolves have also been badly hurt by the Heresy, and are mistrusted by the wider Imperium almost as much as Magnus once was. One of the great aspects of the Heresy story is the ambiguity between 'good' and 'bad' in the Galaxy - over time, as the Long War drags on, the various factions become more and more alike, and the only real victors are the ever-thirsting gods. In telling a story set in M32, I wanted to start hinting at how this process begins, and how the Galaxy of the young Imperium already exhibits the flaws that will see it degenerate so terribly by 40K.

[Chris Wraight]

Right, I think that's all the questions replied to - hope the responses have been interesting. Thanks for all the queries. I'll call time on this for now, since I have another book calling that really needs to be written, and there's still six months to go until the damn thing actually gets released! Nearer the time, I'll try to find time to blog on the background of the book again, so feel free to post any further questions there.

 

Cheers,

Chris

[Hfran Morkai]

Chris, thank you for spending your time answering our questions about your project, it really gave me a feel for what the book will be like (with none of those spoilers) and I will wait like a giddy schoolchild to read this novel. I look forward to reading your take on my favourite Chapter and seeing how this conveys.

 

It's funny that I (like many Wolf players I imagine) said to the BL stand at GD2009 that a Battle for the Fang book would be a great Battle Novel.

 

Thank you once again Chris.

[Orphus]

Want book- in Paws-now... :)

 

And thanks for the answers Chris :nuke:

[Grey Mage]

Right, I think that's all the questions replied to - hope the responses have been interesting. Thanks for all the queries. I'll call time on this for now, since I have another book calling that really needs to be written, and there's still six months to go until the damn thing actually gets released! Nearer the time, I'll try to find time to blog on the background of the book again, so feel free to post any further questions there.

 

Cheers,

Chris

Thank you for doing this chris. Im always a little hesitant to buy a new 40k book, but I think I like the sound of this one.

 

Hope alls well in your neck of the woods,

 

GM.

[MaveriK]

An for you Chris! you deserve it. Thank you for taking the time to answering all these questions. You have a place here at the Fang! and we all look forward to your book, and future works.

[Vassakov]

Firstly, thanks a lot for doing this. It's great to see authors like yourself and A-D-B on the forums talking to the fans and taking the time to talk over ideas and it can't be easy for you to subject yourself to our (often unreasonably!) high expectations!

 

Just a brief question if you're still around - you mentioned music that you list to whilst writing. For the Wolves, please say that Ensiferium, Amon Amarth and/or Turisas are not unknown to you!

[Firenze]

As all above have said, thanks for answering our little QA.

 

I have another to add (sorry ^_^).

 

What is your usual inspiration for elements of a story (mine is music usually) and to how large a degree does it affect your original idea?

[MaveriK]

I wonder if the skeleton force used Leman Russ Exterminators to help defend the Fang? LOL jkjk.... ;) BTW, good job on the map Chris, they look interesting! must have been a task and an honor to actually do a layout of Fenris and the Fang. http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.p...howtopic=217197

[Night Runner]

Hi Chris,

 

I wanted to ask you a question or two about BotF. I am a great fan of the Horus Heresy era, in fact I tend to tell fellow gamers that I play 30K and not 40K. One thing I love about this era is the Primarchs; that is the relationship between the Primarchs themselves, their views, how they react in various situations and with their respective legions.

 

I have currently found out that this aspect of the Horus Heresy is lacking in the new Prospero Burns. In fact there is also a lack of Bjorn in the book. Now Bjorn is a very special character to all Space Wolves. The only one who actually remembers Leman Russ. He also has a hidden resentment for being left behind, even though it has served its purpose as we see in this event. My question is will you address Bjorn's special relationship with Leman. Will you tap into his resentment and his determination to save the Fang - will it just be out of duty or something more personal. Will there be any flashbacks to the age during the HH or the Great Crusade, any interactions with the Primarch you wish to reveal or expand on?

 

Also the same applies with Magnus. The TS are not Orks. In the first two Battle Books the enemy were orks. They tend to be a very superficial enemy as they are pictured as beasts trying to destroy and pillage. This can be considered as an advantage because you can focus on the Human element and show how the humans ...and Space Marines deal with adversity. But Magnus and the Sorceror leaders of the TS do not have simple primal emotions of the Orks. They are far deeper and complicated as should be. Again do you intend to bring Magnus' hatred and resentment for what happen to Prospero out in the BotF. Do you have any intention of showing why Magnus and Leman hate each other so much - and I am not refering to the fact that Russ levelled Prospero. In the book TS it was revealed, ever so briefly, that there is a grip between the two. Will the book shed any light on this?

 

That's all. First off thanks for coming to the Fang and sharing your views, I truly enjoyed reading these posts, and thank you in advance if you can answer some of my questions,

 

Regards,

 

NR

[dragon950]

As far as them using leman russ battle tank to defend the fang, it would depend on what main codex he focused on when he wrote the book. I think that replacing the leman russ with thunder wolves was a poor decision. I still use them in apoc. games, it's just that I have to pay more for them and don't get alot of upgrades.

 

Also is seems that the way the Space Wolves act is different from book to book in HH. Was re-reading battle for the abyss and in that book the wolves act more like they do in the ragnar books than in thousand sons. My only guess for the different changes is that when they are not conducting war the act roudy and carefree, but during wartime they become gloomy and hungry for battle.

[Growler67]

@ NightRunner, I would WAG that (though they are good questions) they will not get a good answer as it delves into the realm of "spoiler material". Just sayin'.

[Night Runner]

@ NightRunner, I would WAG that (though they are good questions) they will not get a good answer as it delves into the realm of "spoiler material". Just sayin'.

Why don't we let the author decide, I'm sure he can tell me himself if he doesn't want to answer the questions because of "spoiler material", but that wont stop me asking them. Just sayin' as well.

 

By the way thank you for agreeing that they are good questions.

[Beef]

Also is seems that the way the Space Wolves act is different from book to book in HH. Was re-reading battle for the abyss and in that book the wolves act more like they do in the ragnar books than in thousand sons. My only guess for the different changes is that when they are not conducting war the act roudy and carefree, but during wartime they become gloomy and hungry for battle.

 

I agree and the character of Bullveye in at the wolfs door was more in keeping with the familiar less darker version we see in thousand sons. It just depends on the authors and whilst i relise that people are prefering the darker way the whole 40K universe is going.

personally I prefer the older less darker version of the SW's as portrayed in the Ragnar books.

[Starkhan Fellblade]

I have to say that if at all possible i would love to get a poster of the cover art for the book. I love the cover art!

[Growler67]

I agree and the character of Bullveye in at the wolfs door was more in keeping with the familiar less darker version we see in thousand sons. It just depends on the authors and whilst i relise that people are prefering the darker way the whole 40K universe is going.

personally I prefer the older less darker version of the SW's as portrayed in the Ragnar books.

 

I believe you misspoke. The Raganr Saga happened relatively recently in the overall timeline of the 40K Universe. T Sons/Prospero happend 10K years ago in the timeline. Though I have but haven't yet reqad T SOns and still have yet to acquire Prospero (I still have a few in the queue before I can ge into them anyway) I would WAG that, as Chris stated earlier about the overall mood and such of the era, things evolve over time. Darker or more jovial or somewhere in between, things will just NOT be the same for 10K years+ regardless of whichever way one prefers things to be.

[Lord Ragnarok]

Or perhaps its just one authors take vs established fluff/sentiments of current players.

 

I care to think of the SW's as Abnett describes them, but their purpose has changed. Even during the battle for Fang. That was still quite close to P.Burns, the Heresy and of course the Scouring. I would expect us to be no different from how we are described in P.burns during the Scouring. In fact, we may be even harder/darker given the evens of the Heresy. Perhaps we became more laid back/humanitarian as a counter to the harder edge of the Imperium after the Heresy and this change persists to this day with events like the first war of Armageddon.

[Night Runner]

Or perhaps its just one authors take vs established fluff/sentiments of current players.

 

I care to think of the SW's as Abnett describes them, but their purpose has changed. Even during the battle for Fang. That was still quite close to P.Burns, the Heresy and of course the Scouring. I would expect us to be no different from how we are described in P.burns during the Scouring. In fact, we may be even harder/darker given the evens of the Heresy. Perhaps we became more laid back/humanitarian as a counter to the harder edge of the Imperium after the Heresy and this change persists to this day with events like the first war of Armageddon.

This actually makes a lot of sense. Wars do change opinions, moods and characters. Take Germany for example - it transformed from Imperial to Nationalistic to Capitalistic over a period of just a hundred years due to two great wars that affected the national collective psyche deeply. So I think your example of the first (and greatest if I might add) Battle of Armageddon, could certainly have affected the Wolves in the manner you suggested, especially when you take into consideration the type of war it was. It definitely is a process - endless war, the Scouring, two great sieges, two battles with demonic Primarchs without Russ at the lead. I think the Wolves have undergone a great transformative process that maybe has lead them to become more aware of the needs of the times and adjusted (character-wise) accordingly. Lets not forget, as mentioned above, that things will change over 10,000 years. Take real history, 6000 years ago we began agriculture and now we have sent rovers to Mars.