Leman Russ's Challenge
The Fenris System is located at the edge of the Solar Segmentum, near the Segmentum Obscurus.
The Ascomanni tribe of Fenris, the tall and robust Bodt people, were forced to abandon their island and board more than twenty ships with black sails.
A year before, a diviner foretold the impending doom of the solid land where they had lived for nine Apocalypse. They prepared in advance, boarding a ship with its sails billowing just before the storm arrived.
The Bodt people wear masks on their long, narrow faces, and their beards are waxed into the shape of radiating beams.
The men stood solemnly, gripping their axes and Warhammers tightly, looking up at the sky.
The golden aircraft sped across the sky, leaving a white trail behind it.
Three extraterrestrial visitors were on board the Gunship, and they were also observing below.
Nimrod, clad in black armor, watched through the viewing window as lava from a volcanic eruption broke through the sea surface.
The lava flow turned large areas into a sea of fire and "boiled" the ocean, causing massive floods and tides that swallowed several islands, including the islands of the tribe below.
At the same time, crimson flames intertwined with indigo seawater, and violet smoke rose, while new islands were born amidst the sulfurous scent.
"It's summer in Fenris right now!"
Alpharius was about the same height as a regular Astartes, held Spear, and wore a green robe, spoke.
Nimrod knew that Fenris was a planet composed of ice and fire, and that it orbited its star every three to four Terra years.
During the brief summer months, the land of Fenris undergoes dramatic changes, with islands either rising or falling.
It was precisely this drastic environmental change that shaped the Fenrisian into a savage tribe that was primarily nomadic.
Most Fenrisians spend their lives struggling to survive on the oceans that cover most of their planet's surface, enduring constant earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and storms.
Numerous tribes constantly sought safe territory and fought for it.
"The Fenris warrior mentioned by that merchant is in Asaheim, in the far north."
"The merchants told me that he single-handedly defeated a hundred men in three minutes, uprooted an entire tree from the ground and broke it with his back, wrestled with Fenris mammoth, and ate an entire bison at a banquet..."
The Emperor, dressed in a long golden robe, spoke.
Nimrod knew that only one Arctic continental region on Fenris was permanent, and that was the continent of Asaheim, located at the top of the entire world.
The Fenrisian could only find some protection from the extreme climate near Asaheim.
When the Moon, which the Fenrisian called the Wolf Moon, rose in the sky, Nimrod saw a Freeze continent thousands of kilometers above the sea.
The towering, solitary cliffs offer almost no beaches for people to reach, separating it from the ocean.
Lava and magma flows crashed and pounded across the frozen continent, carving deep, cratered holes into the Freeze cliffs.
The Gunship sped up, cleared the cliff, and flew inland.
Even in the scorching summer heat, Asaheim remains covered by glaciers. Nimrod, with a deep gaze, observes with great interest the giant Ice Worms burrowing into the glacial fjords.
[The radiance of Spirituality is an ingredient in potions.]
As the Gunship ventured deeper inland, Ningli spotted several potion ingredients.
This trip was worthwhile; Fenris indeed has several potion ingredients.
Once the Wolf King acknowledges me as his father, I can send "hunters" to hunt for potion ingredients.
As the Wolf Moon hung high in the Fenris night sky, a large tribal camp came into Nimrod's view.
A campfire roared into the sky, and fur-lined tents were scattered throughout the campsite.
In the center of the camp stands a wooden building, which by Vostonia's standards would be a simple stone house, but in Fenris it is a magnificent palace.
The pilot found a spacious spot and maneuvered the Gunship to land.
The Fenrisians, covered in thick fur, roared like animals and surrounded the Gunship.
The deck lay on the snow, and the Emperor stepped down first.
Nimrod lagged behind, sitting to the side and slightly behind the Old Man in Yellow, while Alpharius deliberately lagged behind again, walking on the other side of the Old Man in Yellow.
Nimrod looked at the Fenrisians before him. Their manes were tangled and bushy, and they were covered in dirty furs. Their clothes were covered with leather armor and iron chainmail. The armor was smooth, but it looked primitive and crude in the torchlight.
Their muscles bulged, making their armor appear taut.
Their exposed necks and tattooed faces were filthy, and their hair was even dirtier.
Their odor is strong, and the stench they emit is comparable to that of the Hive Giant Rats.
The Primarch showed no sign of aversion; his attention was drawn to the tallest member of the Fenris tribe.
He was a giant much taller than Alpharius, almost as imposing as Horus, but shorter than Nimrod himself.
He was dressed in rough animal skins and armor like his followers, and his long golden hair was combed back in a style similar to his followers.
Two giant wolves approached from his sides, one black and the other gray, their fur so glossy it was almost silver.
Nimrod's dark eyes stared intently at the two giant wolves.
[The most famous local Fenrisian Wolf, is not an ingredient in potions.]
The moment the Emperor saw the warrior Fenris, he recognized him as another of his sons.
Nimrod, who was behind him, saw that the Old Man in Yellow was radiating an invisible golden light.
The savage Fenrisian could not see the radiant golden light, but they sensed the imposing presence of the person before them.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The unruly warriors of the Fenris tribe knelt on the ground, and even the two enormous wolves lay prone on the ice.
Among the Fenrisian, only the tallest figure did not kneel; he roared and howled.
"I am your king, rise!"
In an instant, the Emperor learned the two native Low Gothic — Vogen and Juvik— from the minds of the Fenrisian.
Vogen, commonly known as the War-speak or wolf language, is a crude and direct Fenris language used in battle, with a simple and straightforward coded communication style.
Juvik, commonly known as the Hearth-speak, is the language spoken by the native inhabitants of Fenris in their daily lives when not engaged in combat.
He was very familiar with both dialects, which were very similar to the ancient languages spoken in ancient Old Terra during the time of ancient Terra, and were brought to Fenris by the Oldest One colonists.
The Emperor withdrew his radiance, allowing the Fenrisian to rise, but the warriors still could not look directly at the imposing figure. The aura they had just sensed still lingered in their minds, making it impossible to look directly at him.
The Emperor spoke in a friendly tone in the Juvik.
"My son, I am your father."
Nimrod's consciousness spread to everyone, easily opening the icy Mind Gate of the Fenris Warriors, and mastering the Vogen and Juvik in almost the same amount of time as the Emperor.
He also knew the locations of several Fenris landmarks.
"I ended the conflicts on Terra, humanity's Homeworld, and launched the Great Crusade to bring the lost colonies back under the Imperium's rule."
"I am the Master of Mankind, and you are my lost child. You should pledge your allegiance to me, follow me to the stars, and fulfill your duty."
The towering giant glanced in astonishment at the visitor from outer space before him. He didn't know why this outsider could speak Juvik, but he wouldn't pledge allegiance to anyone based on just a few words.
He strode up to the Emperor, looked at him defiantly, and spoke arrogantly.
"I refuse!"
"I am Leman of the Russ tribe, Sons of Fenris, not your son!"
Nimrod knew that the young Primarch had been adopted by a pack of wolves and later discovered by a leader of a tribe called Thengir.
The Fenrisian Wolf, where the Primarch resided, attacked Thengir's village. The young Primarch covered the pack's retreat, prompting the King to organize a group of hunters to try and eliminate them.
Most of the Fenrisian Wolves were slaughtered, including the wolf mother who adopted the Primarch, whose two wolf brothers—the twins Freki and Geri— were captured and brought before King Thengir.
King Thengir saw the potential of the young Primarch to become a hero, so he adopted Primarch and named him Leman Russ.
"I am the Wolf King, the King of Fenris, and I will not submit to you!"
"My son, you must accept it; it's your responsibility!"
Nimrod sensed that the Old Man in Yellow was not using Psionic Energy; he was infusing his beliefs into language to influence Leman Russ.
The Wolf King frowned, and after a moment spoke.
"According to Fenris's custom, if you want me to serve you as your master, you must defeat me."
"If you win one of the three challenges, I will pledge my allegiance to you."