Triszin Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 https://www.blacklibrary.com/new-titles/featured/eshort-two-metaphysical-blades.html?utm_source=Warhammer%20Community&utm_medium=Post&utm_content=BL20082018 Summer of Reading 2018: Day One Two blades, equal and opposite, crafted by the Emperor Himself. Two warriors, gifted with the blades. Two stories entwining. Two destinies unfolding, as only the Master of Mankind could foresee. READ IT BECAUSEThis is truly a Horus Heresy story unlike any other. Chris Wraight crafts an elegiac look at two heroes of the Heresy, through the blades that bond them and forge a destiny that may well extend far beyond the stories that have yet been told… THE STORYThis is the story of two blades, spears crafted by the hand of the Emperor Himself in the days long before the birth of the Imperium. Linked, equal but opposite, these blades are destined to be wielded by two of the greatest heroes of the Age of Darkness. And as the spears themselves, Appolonian and Dionysian, are equal and opposite, so too are those to whom they were gifted. This is their story too. The warrior-scholar, a savant and a servant. The warrior-king, a savage and a soldier. Their fates entwined in ways they do not understand, they carry the blades as both gift and curse, fulfilment of destiny unseen by any save the Master of Mankind.Written by Chris Wraight Reading it now The emperor Made two spears, twinned, before he fully conquered earth, things for what was yet to come. spoilers Valdor was given one spear, the spear showed him the truth of whom he killed, who they were, what made them become as they are, and finally their death. The emperor made it to remind Valdor of what death is, what mortality is, as a check, to remind Valdor of humanity, of the frailty, mortality of it. The other, Russ's blade. excerpt "‘They were twins, our weapons,’ Valdor says, a few final words before Russ will swagger off into the firelit dark. ‘Both impart truths. I do not know what yours are. Mine are… hard to bear.’" The Apollonian SPear, is Valdor's SPear - Illuminates the imperfections of those it strikes to its wielder alone. The Gungir Spear is Russ's spear ( name is revealed in wolfsbane) - Illuminates Truths to those it strikes, not the wielder When Russ announces his departure, and states he will return for the wolftime. Valdor knows right when this occurs. (spears might be talking to each other, even though Russ's spear was on a shrineworld) Valdor leaves the same night, but does not tell anyone. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ uhh, so... does this mean? that valdor left to meet with russ, wherever they went? and the WOlftime, and the arrival of Russ in 40k, might also be the return of constantine valdor? cause holy the ramifications of this simple short story, seem rather large. this short story takes place, before the founding of the imperium, after the wheel of fire, during and after the events of the horus heresy. fun quick read, 9/10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkimaskMohawk Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 So valdor's and russ' spears? Interest aside, it sounds like a soul calibur intro lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1soul Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Spear of Telesto and Spear of Russ? Wait...Appolonian Spear is Valdor's, so you're prob right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pathstrider Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 It's valdor and Russ. It's a nice enough quick read, just skimmed through it. The title is stupid though. "Two blades" would have been better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1soul Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Two Blades does sound a lot better actually... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdT Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 “It will keep coming back. It will follow you through time, for it was made for you and no other. Some things survive. This is one of them” It’s a great short. Seems to be hinting at the return of Russ- and of Valdor, who survived the siege and clearly want a-awandering like the primarchs did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1soul Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 The Galaxy is ready for a Second Age of Primarchs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triszin Posted August 20, 2018 Author Share Posted August 20, 2018 added a summary in the spoiler, massive ramifications I think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandlemad Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Just a wonderfully evocative little story, about as far from bolter-porn as it is possible for a heresy piece to get. I think everything we can take from it re: grand plot implications (the wolftime stuff isn't new at all) is secondary to how lovely the prose is, the best I've seen from Wraight, even surpassing Brotherhood of the Storm. I loved the ambiguity that the narratorial voice used; it's not clear if Valdor is the first custodian (he doesn't know), it's not clear if Russ ever actually knew the name or purpose of his spear. It also offers a fine contrast to Wraight's own Magisterium, set during a 'tense' interaction between Russ and Valdor. Goes to show how relationships aren't static things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1soul Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Restorer, Magisterium, and now this...good stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triszin Posted August 20, 2018 Author Share Posted August 20, 2018 Just a wonderfully evocative little story, about as far from botler-porn as it is possible for a heresy piece to get. I think everything we can take from it re: grand plot implications (the wolftime stuff isn't new at all) is secondary to how lovely the prose is, the best I've seen from Wraight, even surpassing Brotherhood of the Storm. I loved the ambiguity that the narratorial voice used; it's not clear if Valdor is the first custodian (he doesn't know), it's not clear if Russ ever actually knew the name or purpose of his spear. It also offers a fine contrast to Wraight's own Magisterium, set during a 'tense' interaction between Russ and Valdor. Goes to show how relationships aren't static things. see wolfsbane false russ (the erkling) stabbed russ with Gungir. and truth was revealed to him. what the primarchs are what russ is, his purpose is what the emperors plans (maybe) what russ's intended name was (odin) - these things are revealed to russ, not to the readers that the scattering of the primachs might have been intentional ----- I like the ambiguity too. Makes you think, maybe the reason The emperor made apollonian to valdor was to keep him in check, something that a precursor didnt have and went berserk? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izlude Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Yeah looks interesting! I also am intrigues by Armour of Fate which seems weird, if I remember correctly in Dark Imperium RG definitely has his armor off. Either way, going to wait when they compile these great stories into another book :@) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1soul Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Yes, after several decades (I believe), Guilliman is ablle to live outside his armour. Fulgrim's wound still aches like a ***** though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc warhammer Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 hang on...i missed that odin bit in wolfsbane. can someone elaborate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triszin Posted August 20, 2018 Author Share Posted August 20, 2018 hang on...i missed that odin bit in wolfsbane. can someone elaborate? "odin" was never stated out right. but infered. this short + wolfsbanetogether further cements this. The spears were built, based off of old earth gods. Russ's spear is Gungir. Gungir is the spear of odin. it was implied that russ's true name is odin by the erkling. the erkling is a lord of the dead, that resides on fenris. lord of the wights. (lord of the wulfen) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc warhammer Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 ah ok, so it’s more a reader theory than anything else. i like it, but i wouldn’t put too much importance on the names gw comes up with for stuff. sometimes it’s just a bit of postmodern fun (like niceae). just because garro piloted the eisenstein doesn’t mean he was meant to go on to invent the montage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helterskelter Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 So accidentally by great extension, Ragnar losing the spear results in it making it's way back to Russ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelborn Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Oooooooh.... Custodes and Wolves by Wraight? Count me in! Instantbuy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealMcCagh Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 So accidentally by great extension, Ragnar losing the spear results in it making it's way back to Russ? That's probably how Russ loses his eye. Comes flying out of nowhere like a Russ-seeking missle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelborn Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 So accidentally by great extension, Ragnar losing the spear results in it making it's way back to Russ? Wasn't it recovered in a later Ragnar Story? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkChaplain Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 ah ok, so it’s more a reader theory than anything else. i like it, but i wouldn’t put too much importance on the names gw comes up with for stuff. sometimes it’s just a bit of postmodern fun (like niceae). just because garro piloted the eisenstein doesn’t mean he was meant to go on to invent the montage Yeah, it's just another of those pieces of wishful thinking that have been circling Russ like vultures for the past two years or so, along with him going full werewolf for a plastic GW release, or becoming tainted by Chaos enough to turn traitor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkimaskMohawk Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 I mean, the spear is actually Dionysian. There's a lot of Odin imagery with russ, but it's real name is a throw back to philosophy and Greek gods; gungnir is an admittedly borrowed name by some warp induced vision quest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splog Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 The ‘Russ should have been called Odin’ idea is interesting though. Horus is the only (?) primarch named after a god, but do we know how he got his name? Maybe they were all supposed to be named after gods, but only Horus ended up so. Perhaps because he was the first to be found by the Emperor, and hadn’t been running around for years/decades with another name already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealMcCagh Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 There is a little blurb in the beginning where Malcador is commenting on the names and says 'Old gods, for a godless world' And the Emperor replies 'It will not stay godless forever.' Kind of an interesting turn of phrase since we know the Emperor is a pretty secular guy. He might be commenting on how his Primarchs will be viewed by the normal humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarl Kjaran Coldheart Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 There is a little blurb in the beginning where Malcador is commenting on the names and says 'Old gods, for a godless world' And the Emperor replies 'It will not stay godless forever.' Kind of an interesting turn of phrase since we know the Emperor is a pretty secular guy. He might be commenting on how his Primarchs will be viewed by the normal humans. Or himself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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