Chapter Summaries

Nimrod investigated Aristotle Beta Dome’s unexplained sleep and nightmares, identified the suspected Eight-Legged Black Wolf, and led a hunt for it. After finding the creature’s influence in a noblewoman’s dream, he confronted a powerful lullaby at the Silver Tower and wielded the third layer of the Thelema Mindset.

• Tierney reported that Aristotle Beta Dome’s residents slept longer, suffered nightmares, and sometimes never woke, and Nimrod suspected the Eight-Legged Black Wolf.
• Nimrod promoted Tierney to Sequence 8, gave him equipment, and assessed thirteen members of the Treasure Hunting Squad.
• Nimrod traveled to Luna and entered Aristotle Beta Dome as darkness engulfed it and put residents to sleep.
• Nimrod searched the residents’ dreams, found a noblewoman being pursued by a black wolf, and linked minds with his forces to assign their positions.
• Nimrod raced to the Silver Tower, where a mysterious poem induced sleep, and formed a mental scythe by entering the third layer of the Thelema Mindset.

Nimrod chased down the Eight-Legged Black Wolf after it attacked the Shadows of Order and beat it into submission. When the wolf offered to become his mount and pet, Nimrod decided to keep it and knocked it unconscious.

• The Eight-Legged Black Wolf used its darkness to lull Sanchez, the Thunderwolf, and the Brainy Cat toward sleep, but Nimrod’s psychic power helped Sanchez resist.
• Sanchez spotted the hidden wolf and attacked with fire crows while his Thunderwolf leapt at it, but the wolf escaped their assault by growing extra legs.
• Nimrod struck the wolf with his golden force field, blasted it through a Silver Tower, and chased it beyond Aristotle Beta into a nearby canyon.
• Nimrod overwhelmed the wolf with repeated punches until it offered to become his mount and pet and promised to find him other creatures like itself.
• Nimrod decided the wolf could be useful, then shut off his Power Fist and knocked it unconscious with a punch to the head.

Nimrod captured Black Wolf and prepared for the coming war while arranging political and research matters at the palace. Tierney trained a Brainy Cat and plotted to swindle Terra’s nobles, as Nimrod arrived at Malcador’s banquet.

• Nimrod trapped Black Wolf in a repeating nightmare beneath the Silver Tower, then decided to wait until Abaddon’s raid on Luna to approach Tarasha 'Bu Vita-37 and the Primogenitor.
• Nimrod learned that a new Forge World near Vostonia had begun operating and accepted Malcador’s invitation to a banquet, planning to meet Patriarch Saul the following day.
• Nimrod ordered Tang’s genetic research backed up for Mikel and Malena Scala and sent the Stormbird designs to the Tech Sergeants for study.
• Tierney assigned his subordinates to compile dossiers on Terra’s nobles, then tried to recruit a Brainy Cat and repeatedly stopped it from escaping during their training.
• Tierney began planning a fraud to convince Terra’s nobles that investing with him was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, while Nimrod arrived at the palace banquet hall with Arsena, Sanchez, and the Honor Guard.

At a banquet, Malcador announced a contest between Nimrod and Leman Russ’s forces to purge the Orks in the Wheel of Fire, with a gift for the victor. Nimrod backed Sanchez in a proposed duel with Enoch Lashiven, then supported Tarawa’s expansion into the Triken system before meeting the Drake family patriarch.

• Malcador praised Fenrisian mead, promised supplies for the Wheel of Fire campaign, and offered a gift to whoever killed the Ork warlord.
• Enoch Lashiven challenged Sanchez to reclaim the Wolf King’s sword, and Nimrod insisted that Lashiven put up a stake for the duel.
• Leman Russ accepted the wager and vowed the Space Wolves would win the Wheel of Fire contest, while Nimrod declared victory would belong to the Shadow of Order.
• Saul told Nimrod that Tarawa had found rare minerals and established a base on Triken Prime, and Nimrod supported Tarawa’s plans to prosper there.
• On his third day on Terra, Nimrod met the Drake family patriarch, who was accompanied by two black-armored Warriors.

Nimrod agreed to help Theo and Laurent rebuild the Lucifer Blacks, offering recruits, equipment, and resources while arranging guards for Barton. He then ordered Barton to send Solar Auxilia elites to Necromunda to reform its armies, as Black Wolf began experiencing the cycles of Nightmare.

• Nimrod recognized Theo and Laurent as Lucifer Blacks and learned that fewer than a hundred remained.
• Theo asked Nimrod to help rebuild the Lucifer Blacks, and Barton explained their shortage of warriors and resources.
• Nimrod promised recruits, equipment, and recruitment rights, and Theo and Laurent swore loyalty to him.
• Nimrod arranged for his attendants to escort Theo and Laurent away, then asked Barton to remain.
• Nimrod ordered Barton to send elite Solar Auxilia soldiers to Necromunda to reform its armies, and Barton agreed to recruit from the Drakes and their subordinate families.
• Black Wolf began experiencing the cycles of Nightmare within the Kingdom of Disorder.

Nimrod repeatedly trapped Black Wolf in a punishing nightmare loop, then prepared Mikel to become a Beast Tamer and assigned him to the 7th Legion. Meanwhile, Per Koschelny entered the 11th Chapter’s final assessment, where he had to defend a client against a First Chapter candidate.

• Black Wolf repeatedly tried to escape Nimrod’s loop, then gave up and suffered a nightmare that shattered when it tried to devour it.
• Nimrod confirmed Mikel had digested the Apothecary potion and made him a Sequence 8 Beast Tamer using a Fenris mammoth as the main ingredient.
• Nimrod ordered Mikel to tame the 7th Legion’s Thunderwolves and breed wolf pups, and instructed Apothecary apprentices to study the Selena Gene Cult’s communications and languages.
• The three Chapters of the Eleventh Legion headed to the Sol System to assemble.
• Per Koschelny entered the arbitration hall on Vostonia for the 11th Chapter’s final assessment, where he would face a candidate from the First Chapter as a lawyer.

Per defended Greenwood in his final assessment, and the arbitrators found the factory owner not guilty, allowing Per and his opponent to qualify as Shadow of Order. The story then followed Per as he departed for the war against the Orks and Wilshire as he joined the Shadow of Order and became a member of the Honor Guard serving the Primarch.

• Golovin accused Greenwood of illegally changing a lasgun factory's production process, while Per cited Howard Fender's annotations permitting tested improvements.
• The arbitrators ruled Greenwood not guilty, and the Honor Guard member announced that Per and his opponent had passed their final assessment.
• Eleven days later, Per Koschelny left Vostonia in black Power Armor to join the war against the Orks in the Wheel of Fire System.
• Wilshire chose Bradshaw's invitation to join the Shadow of Order after learning about Nimrod and the Legion's ideals.
• Wilshire excelled in training, ranked first among 1,133 candidates, and became an Honor Guard member attending upon the Primarch.

Wilshire attended his first war council aboard the Shadow of the Throne, where Diana combined James’s and Sanchez’s strategies into a plan Nimrod approved for the Wheel of Fire campaign. Meanwhile, Slau Dha plotted to kill Nimrod on Arenis before he could obtain the Spear of Dionysus, and the fleet received a distress signal from the world.

• Wilshire joined the war council as a silent observer while Arsena Dunn presented intelligence on the vast Ork fleet in the Wheel of Fire System.
• James proposed a cautious strategy centered on the Shadow of the Throne, and Sanchez advocated swift attacks on the Orks’ capital ships.
• Diana combined the two plans, and Nimrod approved her proposal and issued orders for the fleet’s campaign.
• After the council, Wilshire spoke with a fellow Honor Guard member about Fenrisian Kraken meat and the Gene-Father’s hunting contest with the Wolf King.
• On Arenis, Slau Dha revealed his plan to kill Nimrod before he obtained the Spear of Dionysus.
• In the ninth week of the voyage, the Shadow of the Throne received a distress signal from Arenis.

Nimrod rushed to defend Arenis from Biel-Tan’s Aeldari attackers and discovered that his armor could withstand the Dire Avengers’ lethal shuriken storm. The battle continued as the furious Exarch donned the War Mask.

• Arsena Dunn reported that Governor Francesco Solair’s forces had been driven back by Aeldari on Arenis, and Nimrod went to their aid.
• As Nimrod approached the governor’s mansion, he identified the attackers as Biel-Tan and resolved to capture a Voidweaver for study.
• Nimrod’s Stormbirds destroyed Voidweavers and fired on the Aeldari, killing more than a dozen Dire Avengers.
• Nimrod charged the Dire Avengers, whose coordinated Bladestorm barrage failed to damage his black armor.
• Nimrod smashed a Dire Avenger and blocked the Exarch’s attack before the furious Exarch donned the War Mask.

Nimrod fought Biel-Tan’s Dire Avengers and uncovered Autarch Slau Dha’s role in the Cabal’s plans to make humanity and Chaos perish together. After resolving not to be manipulated into becoming a pawn, he captured the Dire Avenger Exarch and turned his attention to Slau Dha at the governor’s mansion.

• Nimrod fought the Dire Avenger Exarch, wounded him, and tried to understand the warrior’s War Mask so he could adapt its principles for humans and Astartes.
• As the Dire Avengers attacked and the Shadows of Order joined the battle, Nimrod entered the warriors’ minds and learned that Slau Dha and the Cabal were connected to the plan for humanity and Chaos to perish together.
• Nimrod foresaw that The Old Man in Yellow might try to make him wield the Spear of Dionysus against Horus, and vowed to become a player rather than a pawn by advancing toward becoming the Black Emperor and a Pillar.
• Nimrod severed the Exarch’s remaining arm and imprisoned him in a mass of transparent liquid, while Wilshire and the Shadows of Order attacked Biel-Tan’s Swordwind.
• Nimrod looked toward the governor’s mansion, where Slau Dha was waiting, and considered the serpent’s trap and the Sword of Vaul.

Nimrod entered Slau Dha’s trap to confront the Cabal’s threat and learn its secrets, but killing Governor Francesco Solair triggered a collapse that dropped the Honor Guard into an underground ambush. Nimrod and Wilshire advanced through the tunnels, where Wilshire’s weapons proved ineffective against green-armored Aeldari.

• Nimrod ordered three squads to take the captured Aeldari and spoils back to the Shadow of the Throne, then entered the governor’s palace.
• Nimrod exposed the truth of the Aeldari to Francesco Solair, who died in terror and activated a hidden psychic formation beneath the palace.
• The palace floor collapsed, and Nimrod, Wilshire, Arsena Dunn, and the Shadow of Order fell into an underground ravine as the Psykers shielded the guardsmen.
• Wilshire found his communications and detection systems disrupted, then followed Nimrod through the tunnels toward the enemy.
• Green-armored Aeldari charged from the shadows, and Wilshire fired at them, but his bolts failed to damage their armor.

Nimrod led the Honor Guard into battle against Slau Dha’s Aeldari Warhost and used his knowledge of their Aspect Warriors to coordinate a defense against their multidirectional assault. Slau Dha recognized Nimrod as a threat, ordered a death charge, and moved to confront him.

• Wilshire used his Thunder Hammer and the Eleventh Legion’s Osberch-Vaya techniques to kill Striking Scorpions as Nimrod advanced through the battlefield.
• Nimrod identified Slau Dha as an Autarch whose Warhost combined many Aspect Warriors and whose equipment included a powerful sword.
• Slau Dha formed his Guardians into ranks and sent his Warhost to attack the Honor Guard from the air, flanks, and rear.
• Nimrod linked his consciousness to the Honor Guard and issued synchronized orders, allowing them to counter the Aeldari assault despite being outnumbered.
• Slau Dha realized Nimrod understood the Aspect Warriors and feared his threat to the Aeldari, then ordered a death charge and began moving.

Nimrod defeated Slau Dha after the Autarch’s Warp Spider and Howling Banshee attacks failed, captured him, and founded the Aeldari Hunter Order from the surviving Honor Guard. The Shadow of the Throne sailed toward the Wheel of Fire, while Nimrod brought Slau Dha to the Kingdom of Disorder and found the Black Wolf motionless and defeated.

• Slau Dha attacked Nimrod with Warp Spider jumps, but Nimrod anticipated his return and wounded him.
• Slau Dha switched to the Howling Banshee path and fought Nimrod at close quarters, damaging the Primarch’s Power Sword with the Sword of Vaul.
• Nimrod used the ring on his middle finger to transform into streams of flame, severed Slau Dha’s arm, took the Sword of Vaul, and knocked him unconscious.
• Nimrod named the surviving Honor Guard the first members of the Aeldari Hunter Order and ordered the Aeldari dead recovered for dissection.
• Nimrod ordered Wilshire to restore order on Arenis as the Shadow of the Throne sailed toward the Wheel of Fire.
• Nimrod brought Slau Dha to the Third Layer Space of the Kingdom of Disorder and found the Black Wolf motionless and defeated.

Nimrod fed the Black Wolf Slau Dha’s dreams, allowing him to probe the Autarch’s mind, while Adams investigated an ancient tomb on Necromunda. Adams entered the tomb disguised as one of its living corpses and discovered a burial plaza teeming with the dead.

• Nimrod accepted the Black Wolf as his pet and let it feed on Slau Dha’s nightmare while he searched the Autarch’s mind.
• Leandro Hemar told Adams and Rosicky Czech that living corpses had killed many of his men exploring an ancient burial complex.
• Adams decided to scout the tomb alone, and Rosicky prepared a short-range teleportation device for the expedition.
• Adams entered the tomb wearing experimental teleportation armor and passed unharmed among the living corpses.
• Adams reached a circular burial plaza where corpses crawled from pits and fell into empty spaces.

Adams led the Shadows of Order into the cemetery, where he discovered Data Crystals, Dark Mechanicum weapons, and a passage beneath a spider statue. After clearing the walking corpses and hunting the Rotting Spiders, the team reached the central plaza.

• Adams explored the cemetery and found Data Crystals, intact Atomic Disintegration Weapons, and a passage beneath the central spider statue.
• Adams reported his findings, and Rosicky Czech and the Lord of the Forge planned a careful cleanup to avoid damaging the Data Crystals or attracting more walking corpses.
• Four stellar hours later, Adams led 144 Corpse Collectors into the cemetery to destroy the walking corpses while Tech Sergeants recovered Data Crystals and legion servants disposed of the bodies.
• The team recovered hundreds of Data Crystals and equipped the Shadows of Order with relic weapons and other Dark Mechanicum-era devices.
• Adams used his Eye of Death to locate and destroy the green crystals inside four enormous Rotting Spiders.
• Adams and the team reached the plaza at the center of the cemetery.

Rosicky deciphered the tomb inscription, opened the sealed burial chambers, and led the Shadow of Order through Mechanical Hounds to a Data Altar. As the Primarch’s fleet joined the other Legions, Nimrod chose to fight at full strength in hopes of receiving Malcador’s gift.

• Rosicky deciphered the inscription and learned that the Orb Weaver League buried Iron Lords and Techno-aristocrats in eight chambers under the protection of Death Spiders and Death’s Watchdogs.
• Rosicky scanned the alloy gate, warned that forcing it open could bury the tomb, and used his servo-arms to open it safely.
• The Shadow of Order fought off the oversized Mechanical Hounds, opened the tomb chambers, and found burial Data Crystals and mechanical creations.
• The Shadow of Order reached a brilliant Data Altar made of Data Crystals, while Adams and the Corpse Collectors cleared and excavated the remaining chambers.
• Nimrod recalled Joze’s warning that he must die if he obtained the Spear of Dionysus, rejected the idea of deliberately losing, and ordered the attack.

Leman Russ and Shadow of Order launched coordinated attacks against the vast Ork fleet in the Wheel of Fire System, with Diana Pauline directing the Eleventh Legion’s carefully organized battle plan. The Imperium’s assault progressed as planned until a gravitational tide erupted in the system at the start of 820.M30.

• Leman Russ recognized that the Ork fleet numbered more than a thousand ships and ordered the Space Wolves to attack without waiting for Nimrod’s forces.
• The Space Wolves spread into an assault formation and smashed through Ork ships with close, aggressive fire.
• Diana Pauline coordinated Shadow of Order’s fleet as Orks concentrated their attack on the Shadow of the Throne.
• The Shadow of the Throne and other capital ships used Aether Cannons to pierce Ork shields and destroy enemy vessels.
• The Second Legion blocked the Ork charge while the 7th Legion drove into the enemy’s exposed flank, following Nimrod’s plan.
• As shipboard time entered 820.M30, a gravitational tide erupted in the Wheel of Fire System.

Nimrod recognized that mysterious system disturbances signaled an approaching Ork Battle Moon and warned Leman Russ to avoid the planets. The moon arrived, devastated a planet and destroyed the Space Wolves ships sent to attack it, and Nimrod ordered his forces to board it.

• Nimrod noticed repeated communications failures and abnormal gravity readings, then identified a Battle Moon as the likely cause.
• Nimrod ordered his fleet to evade planets and warned Leman Russ to stay away from them.
• Leman Russ questioned Nimrod’s maneuver and received the Eleventh Legion’s warning, but the Battle Moon appeared beside the fourth planet before he could act.
• The Battle Moon’s Gravity Bubble tore apart the planet and drew in the Sixth Legion’s four capital ships and twenty-six escorts.
• The Battle Moon destroyed thirty Space Wolves warships with its Gravity Whips, and Nimrod ordered a boarding assault.

Nimrod led a boarding assault on the Attack Moon to disable its Warp Gates and preserve it for later development. After coordinating with the Space Wolves and incoming reinforcements, he landed with the Honor Guard and killed an Ork boss, leaving the assault underway.

• Nimrod chose to board the Attack Moon and cripple its Warp Gates rather than destroy the moon, while Leman Russ ordered the Space Wolves to attack the Ork fleet's flanks.
• Nimrod ordered the Auger Matrix to locate the moon's Warp Gates and assigned targets to himself, the Honor Guard, the Second Legion, and the 7th Legion.
• Nimrod directed the arriving 11th Chapter to pursue the Orks and ordered the incoming 5th Legion to prevent the Space Wolves from approaching the moon.
• Nimrod and the assault forces launched in drop pods and landed on the Attack Moon, where Orks rushed toward the impact sites to claim the falling equipment.
• Nimrod identified the strongest energy fluctuation and killed an Ork boss who charged at him.

Nimrod and the Honor Guard fought through the Burnas to reach the Warp Gate, where Nimrod destroyed a Gorkanaut and left Tech Sergeants to study the gate. The assault crippled the Orks’ Attack Moon, while the 11th Chapter took the lead against the Ork warships and Per Koschelny commanded his ship in combat for the first time.

• Nimrod led the Honor Guard against the Burnas, using the Briber’s power to sow chaos among them and open a path to the Warp Gate.
• The Honor Guard encountered a Gorkanaut, and Nimrod shattered its Klaw of Gork and killed the Ork boss with the Sword of Vaul.
• Two Tech Sergeants began studying the Warp Gate while Honor Guard members held off Orks emerging from it, and Nimrod moved on to attack the other gates.
• The Honor Guard and the 2nd and 7th Legions dealt the Orks a heavy blow, leaving the Attack Moon unable to attack.
• The 11th Chapter became the main force clearing Ork warships, and Per Koschelny commanded his ship in real combat for the first time.