Chapter Summaries

Bukayo tamed a Brainy Cat during the Third Legion’s voyage to Mordian, then planned an invasion designed to preserve the planet for recruitment. After the Legion destroyed Mordian’s space defenses, Samir resolved to prove himself worthy of becoming a Chapter Master.

• The Brainy Cat used Fear to trap Bukayo in a nightmare of his gene-father’s death, but Bukayo broke free and forced the cat through a series of nightmares until it was tamed and psychically linked to him.
• The Third Legion emerged from the Warp, demanded Mordian’s surrender, and destroyed its space-defense forces after the Mordians refused.
• Samir grew jealous of the captains who had Brainy Cats and determined that the invasion was his chance to earn Bukayo’s attention and prove he deserved to become a Chapter Master.
• Bukayo briefed the company commanders on a plan to draw the Four Emperors’ forces into the wasteland while the First Company landed behind them, avoiding Mordian’s fortified capital.
• Mikhailovsky argued that the Four Emperors would reinforce their pyramids, and the commanders accepted Bukayo’s plan; Samir silently searched it for a chance to distinguish himself.

The Third Legion began its invasion of Mordian, overcoming fierce resistance in the air and in fortified trenches. As Mikhailovsky’s company advanced methodically under Bukayo Arshavin’s orders, Samir chose to disobey and prepared the First Company for a swift assault on the gathering enemy forces.

• Jenkinson and Eagle Strike Squadron shot down Mordian aircraft, then Astartes gunships entered the battle and helped secure the skies.
• The Third Legion’s first assault wave landed, and the Shadows of Order attacked Mordian defenses near the Hive City north of Vanandra.
• Mikhailovsky led the Second Company through the trenches, using his Brainy Cat’s Weapon Curse to disable enemy weapons and ordering assault squads to destroy the Mordian artillery.
• The company captains recognized the Mordians’ skill and followed Bukayo Arshavin’s orders to clear the defenses methodically and draw the Four Emperors into Vanandra.
• Samir decided to defy Bukayo’s plan, and when the Scanner Array detected enemy forces gathering, he led his Honor Guard toward the Drop Pods.

Samir disobeyed Bukayo and led the First Company in a disastrous decapitation strike on Vanandra, where Mordian defenses killed him. Bukayo retook command, defeated the Four Emperors, and began reorganizing Mordian as Nimrod's fleet reached the Fenris system.

• Samir shut down the Chapter command channel and led the First Company in an unauthorized drop-pod assault on Vanandra, losing several pods to anti-aircraft fire.
• Bukayo ordered the Second Company and 4th Company to attack and draw defenders away while he devised a new strategy.
• Samir gathered Astartes and attacked a Pyramid tower, but the Sea Emperor detonated it, and a red-armored emperor killed Samir with a shot through his visor.
• Bukayo used Brainy Cat's frozen time to let Midnight Poet kill the red-clad emperor, then appointed Oleksandr as temporary First Company Captain and brought the First Company back under his command.
• Bukayo launched two decapitation strikes, ended the rule of Mordian's Four Emperors, and began restoring order as food transports arrived.
• Nimrod's fleet arrived in the Fenris system.

The Emperor and Nimrod traveled to Fenris and found Leman Russ, who rejected the Emperor’s claim of fatherhood and refused to swear fealty. Leman challenged the Emperor to prove himself in three contests, promising loyalty if the Emperor won one.

• Nimrod, the Emperor, and Alpharius flew over Fenris during its violent summer and saw the island-dwelling Bodt tribe flee an erupting island.
• The visitors reached Asaheim, where Nimrod spotted potion ingredients among the glaciers and fjords.
• The Emperor landed at a Fenrisian tribal camp, and his golden presence caused the warriors and their wolves to kneel.
• The Emperor declared that Leman Russ was his son and called on him to follow the Imperium into the Great Crusade.
• Leman Russ refused, declared himself king of Fenris, and challenged the Emperor to win one of three contests to earn his fealty.

Leman Russ and Nimrod clashed over the Fenrisians’ use of sorcery, but The Emperor redirected Russ toward their challenge before the brothers’ conflict could escalate. Russ began the contest with a feast, and Nimrod watched as The Emperor and the Wolf King started competing to eat.

• Brainy Cat frightened Freki and Geri with visions of hunters, and Leman Russ protected them before Nimrod blocked Russ’s attack on the cat.
• Nimrod called the Fenrisian Shamans Sons of the Storm and accused Russ of hypocrisy, while Russ rejected Nimrod as his brother.
• The Emperor stopped Russ from attacking Nimrod and provoked Russ into continuing their challenge.
• Russ led the group through the ivory gate to the Chieftain's Hall and announced that their first challenge would be eating.
• Nimrod sampled several steaks and then turned his attention to the eating contest between The Emperor and Leman Russ.

The Old Man in Yellow lost an eating contest and a drinking contest to Leman Russ, who then challenged him to a contest of force. The Old Man in Yellow arranged for Nimrod to fight in his place, but Nimrod changed the challenge to a hunt for the largest Kraken, leaving Leman Russ confident he would win.

• The Old Man in Yellow admitted defeat after Leman Russ outate him, and Nimrod proposed a drinking contest.
• The Old Man in Yellow lost the drinking contest as well, and Leman Russ demanded a trial of force.
• The Old Man in Yellow used Sympathetic Magic to calculate the outcome and asked Leman Russ to fight Nimrod in his place.
• Nimrod refused a straightforward fight and challenged Leman Russ to hunt the largest Kraken instead.
• Leman Russ accepted the hunting contest, confident that he would win and claim the Kraken Nimrod hunted.

Nimrod and Leman Russ raced to hunt the largest Kraken in the Sea of Storms, with Nimrod secretly using the Power Fist’s Detect Evil ability despite agreeing not to use psychic power. He located the colossal beast and headed toward it, while The Emperor watched from the gunship and believed Nimrod would win.

• The Emperor foresaw Nimrod winning the contest and told Alpharius that Nimrod would defeat Leman Russ.
• The Old Man in Yellow told Nimrod not to use psychic power and offered him a Relic-class warship, which Nimrod accepted.
• Nimrod used the Power Fist’s Sequence 1 Law Officer ability, Detect Evil, to scan the Sea of Storms and locate its largest Kraken.
• Nimrod swam toward the target at extraordinary speed, and The Emperor noticed a strange, non-psychic energy fluctuation.
• The Emperor concluded Nimrod would win and decided to reward him with more Relic-class warships.
• Nimrod’s Briber potion digested further, and he sensed a Kraken larger than the Shadow of the Throne ahead.

Nimrod hunted a nearly thirty-kilometer Iron-Scaled Kraken in the Sea of Storms, weakened it with Fenrisian Krill and heavy punches, then dragged it unconscious toward the gunboat. Alpharius and the Fenris warriors watched in astonishment as Nimrod’s catch surpassed anything Leman Russ had hunted.

• Nimrod identified the Kraken as an Iron-Scaled Kraken and attacked it with his Power Fist, but its cast-iron-like scales resisted the Disruption Field.
• Nimrod fed Fenrisian Krill infused with spirituality to the Kraken, weakening its defenses, then repeatedly punched its lower jaw to drive it toward the surface.
• The Kraken’s thrashing waves overturned a Fenrisian tribal ship, while Nimrod’s calculated assault forced the monster above the water and knocked it unconscious.
• Nimrod carried the unconscious Kraken through the sea toward the gunboat, and Fenris warriors knelt in worship as they watched him drag it past.
• Alpharius marveled at the Kraken’s size, and Nimrod’s kill was declared larger and faster than Leman Russ’s.

Leman Russ lost the kraken hunt to Nimrod, accepted defeat, and swore loyalty to the Emperor, though Nimrod rejected Russ’s offer of brotherhood. At the Fenrisian feast, Jorin challenged Sanchez to a drinking contest, and Russ redirected the rivalry into another hunt, which Nimrod accepted.

• Leman Russ dragged his battered Iron-Scaled Kraken to the Emperor, but Nimrod’s larger, intact prey proved that Nimrod had won without witchcraft.
• Leman Russ admitted defeat, promised to swear loyalty to the Emperor, and called Nimrod his brother; Nimrod avoided his embrace and claimed Russ’s prey under their agreement.
• The Remembrancers recorded that Russ swore fealty after losing the kraken-hunting challenge, and the Fenrisians welcomed the Emperor as the Allfather at a drinking feast.
• Jorin challenged Sanchez to a drinking contest, but Russ proposed a hunting contest instead to spare Jorin a likely defeat.
• Nimrod accepted Russ’s proposal, confident that Sanchez would win the hunt.

Nimrod sent his people to hunt Sea Dragons for potion ingredients, then headed to Kraken's Spire as it sank beneath the sea. There, he ordered the newly advanced Szczesny and Jorginho to kill two Krakens attacking Fenrisian hunters and claim their Dragon Boats.

• Leman Russ set the first round of the hunt: the cubs had to earn the acknowledgment of Thunderwolves, and Sanchez agreed to hunt without his power armor.
• Nimrod sent hunters into the wilderness and led Szczesny, Jorginho, and other Tyrant pathway Beyonders to the Sea of Storms to hunt Sea Dragons.
• Szczesny knocked out a Sea Dragon with a Wrathful Strike, and Nimrod took two Sea Dragons back to prepare Navigator potions.
• Nimrod advanced Szczesny and Jorginho to Navigator and flew toward Kraken's Spire as the island began sinking.
• Nimrod ordered Szczesny and Jorginho to lead the Tyrant pathway Beyonders against two Krakens attacking Fenrisians near Kraken's Spire.

Jorginho rescued Fenrisian survivors by killing a Kraken, while Szczesny’s forces defeated an Iron-Scaled Kraken and Nimrod gathered valuable remains. Nimrod then approached the Morkai Temple, sensed a dangerous force within, and chose to enter and investigate.

• Jorginho used his Navigator abilities to evade a Kraken, wound it with water spears, and kill it with his Power Sword.
• Szczesny divided the Shadow of Order into five teams, whose coordinated attacks defeated the Iron-Scaled Kraken.
• Nimrod collected Kraken remains from Kraken's Spire and arranged for the orbital fleet to process the two monsters’ remains.
• Szczesny and Jorginho rescued surviving Fenrisians, selected four Dragon Boats, and formed two fleets.
• Nimrod sensed a dangerous presence in the Morkai Temple and inferred that it drew dying Krakens to the island.
• Nimrod decided to enter the temple and explore its secrets.

Nimrod explored Morkai Temple on Kraken's Spire and overcame the Bronze Mask's deadly influence using his second layer of Thelema Mindset. After recovering the mask and the temple's valuable relics, he received a summons from The Old Man in Yellow.

• Nimrod used his True Will to resist the temple's illusions, then fought through the living vines and explored Morkai Temple.
• Nimrod found offerings, ancient iron weapons, animal hides, pearls, and Spirit Mirrors in the temple's chambers.
• Nimrod reached Morkai's statue, where the Bronze Mask unleashed a mental attack that shattered his first-layer Mindset.
• Nimrod entered the Kundalini layer and used the Hand of Order to free himself before removing the Bronze Mask and storing it in the Kingdom of Disorder.
• Nimrod sent the Spirit Mirrors and other recovered goods to the Kingdom of Disorder and the Shadow of the Throne, then received a summons from The Old Man in Yellow.

The Old Man in Yellow rewarded Nimrod for his victories and demanded that he cooperate with Leman Russ, then let him choose two artifacts from his vault. After selecting a blood-red chain and a giant’s ring, Nimrod sent Arsena to recruit Fenrisian Psyker candidates and record the runes in the Tomb of the Ancient Kings.

• The Old Man in Yellow praised Nimrod’s campaign and gave him five warships, then asked him to work with Leman Russ; Nimrod agreed to fight alongside him.
• The Old Man in Yellow took Nimrod to his vault, where Nimrod chose a blood-red chain from the Vlad and a ring forged by the Surtur.
• Nimrod tried on both artifacts and noted that the chain made his spirituality feel more lively and his body more powerful.
• Nimrod ordered Arsena to test the Vulture Clan in Firestone Valley and bring suitable boys back as Legion candidates, while assigning others as attendants.
• Nimrod ordered Arsena to record the Fenrisian Runes at the Tomb of the Ancient Kings, and Arsena departed for Asaheim with a squad of Honor Guard and his followers.

Arsena subdued the Vulture tribe and selected promising boys, while Sanchez outdid Jorin in the Thunderwolf hunt. Leman Russ encouraged Jorin after Sanchez arrived with an even larger wolf and six others, reminding him that two contests remained.

• Arsena used his psychic power to defeat the Vulture tribe's attack and ordered the attendants to test the boys for recruitment.
• The attendants took the qualified Vulture boys, including a golden-haired, blue-eyed boy, back to the Shadow of the Throne.
• Jorin tracked down and subdued a four-and-a-half-meter Thunderwolf for the Fenrisian hunting contest.
• Sanchez entered a Thunderwolf den, defeated the pack, and captured a six-meter Thunderwolf along with six others.
• Leman Russ praised Jorin's achievement, then saw Sanchez arrive with his wolves, prompting Jorin to admit defeat.
• Leman Russ encouraged Jorin and reminded him that two contests remained.

Sanchez provoked Leman Russ by arguing that Fenris was not yet fully conquered, then accepted the Wolf King's challenge to win the next two hunts. As the hunt for Witherwing began, Sanchez and the other hunters spread across Fenris while Jorginho's fleet braved a storm and found Sea Dragons to hunt.

• Sanchez told Leman Russ that Fenris's island tribes had not submitted, enraging the Fenrisians and prompting Jorin to charge him.
• Leman Russ stopped Jorin and declared that he would tolerate Sanchez's provocation if Sanchez won the next two hunts; Sanchez vowed to win.
• Sanchez dispatched the Chapter's Hunters and candidates into the Fenrisian wilds to hunt and bring prey to the Primarch.
• Jorginho guided three Dragon Boats through a violent storm, earning the Fenris people’s reverence as a Storm Priest.
• Jorginho led his men into a fjord to hunt Sea Dragons, while Sanchez reached the summit of Mount Et.

Sanchez killed the Ice Dragon Witherwing on Mount Et and prevented Jorin from claiming the kill. Meanwhile, Szczesny’s fleet captured Drax for the next Sequence potion, and Nimrod received the completed ingredients as Sanchez returned with his prey.

• Sanchez climbed Mount Et ahead of Jorin and attacked Witherwing with his Thunderwolf, while Brainy Cat accelerated their metabolism to counter the dragon’s icy mist.
• Sanchez used Brainy Cat’s psychic power to freeze Jorin and the others for an instant, then killed Witherwing and caught Jorin’s axe before it could steal the kill.
• Jorin recognized the gulf between himself and Sanchez and grew more determined to undergo genetic transformation.
• Szczesny led three Dragon Boats to the Sea of Storms and captured Drax with electric javelins and nets.
• Nimrod received enough Drax to complete the ingredients for the Pyromancer potion, then Sanchez’s Thunderwolf returned carrying Witherwing.

Sanchez won the second hunt, and Leman Russ set the third: a thirteen-person pack hunt for the Ice Troll King. As Nimrod reviewed the hunt and reports on the Eleventh Legion’s growth, the five Relic-class warships departed for their assigned Legions and the hunt began on Asaheim.

• Leman Russ rallied the Fenrisians, accepted Sanchez’s victory in the second hunt, and named the Ice Troll King as the target of a thirteen-person pack hunt.
• Nimrod examined Witherwing’s corpse, learned that its eyes and pituitary gland were useful ingredients, and sent the creature’s head to the Kingdom of Disorder.
• Nimrod praised Sanchez, explained the Ice Troll King’s strength, and ordered Witherwing’s corpse sent to the Void Hunter as Sanchez’s trophy.
• Nimrod assigned five Relic-class warships to the First, Third, Fourth, Eighth, and Ninth Legions, and reviewed reports on the Eleventh Legion’s new recruits and Triken’s development.
• Nimrod ordered Wojciech Belik to accelerate construction on Cypra Mundi, and three days later the five warships departed as the hunt for the Ice Troll King began on Asaheim.

Jorin and Sanchez competed to kill the Ice Troll King, and Sanchez won after ambushing it as it fled. Leman Russ awarded Provocateur a sword and set up future hunts between him and the Fenrisians, before Nimrod was summoned to the Bucephalus after Horus's fleet reached the Fenris System.

• Jorin led the Fenrisians in attacking the ice trolls and drove them toward retreat, but the Ice Troll King escaped after striking Jorin down.
• Sanchez positioned Hunters along the Ice Troll King's likely escape routes and killed it with a sword strike into Jorin's wound.
• Jorin admitted defeat, and Leman Russ gave Provocateur a sword forged from the beak of the King of Gorgons while promising the Fenrisians could challenge him again after their transformation.
• Jorin vowed to defeat Provocateur in a future hunt, and Provocateur declared that no one would take the sword from him.
• Five Fenrisian days later, Nimrod learned that Horus's fleet had arrived in the Fenris System and was summoned to the Bucephalus.

Nimrod volunteered the Eleventh Legion for the campaign against the Orks of the Fire Wheel and discussed the use of psychic power with the Emperor. The fleet then departed for Terra, while Nimrod advanced Sanchez to Sequence 7.

• Horus and Nimrod discussed the Fenrisians, the Shadow of Order’s conquests, and the Legion’s work bringing order to occupied worlds.
• Leman Russ met Enoch Lashiven, claimed Ranok as his son, and accepted the Sixth Legion’s loyalty; the Emperor then sent Horus to meet Russ.
• Constantin Valdor briefed the Emperor, Horus, and Nimrod on the Ork empire in the Fire Wheel system, and Nimrod volunteered to lead the Eleventh Legion against it.
• The Emperor ordered Nimrod and Russ to travel to Terra before proceeding together to the Fire Wheel, then privately asked Nimrod for his views on Psykers.
• Nimrod supported trained psychic power, ordered each Chapter to establish a Librarian department, and summoned Arsena Dunn and Sanchez back to the flagship.
• Nimrod discovered that Sanchez had digested his potion, advanced him to Sequence 7, "Pyromancer," and set the fleet on course for Terra.

Nimrod issued Legion redeployment and weapons-development orders while Adams oversaw Leandro Hemar’s rise on Necromunda and sought local ruins and Giant Spirit Spiders. After Nimrod’s fleet reached Terra, Tierney reported that he had narrowed down where the Eight-Legged Black Wolf was active.

• Nimrod ordered the Second, Fifth, and Eleventh Chapters to join him for the campaign in the Fire Wheel System and instructed the other Chapters to connect the Legion’s territories around Vostonia.
• Nimrod named the modified Aeldari rifle the Ranger-pattern, allocated fifty rifles to Auxilia snipers and fifteen to himself, and ordered further research into Aeldari spoils.
• Adams praised Leandro Hemar’s progress in establishing Hive Primus and taking control of thousands of Necromunda’s factories, then tasked him with finding Giant Spirit Spiders and burial sites.
• Hemar reported that he had sent subordinates to locate a large tomb complex associated with the Fourth Iron Lord’s family.
• After Nimrod’s fleet arrived at Terra, Tierney told him that he had narrowed down the Eight-Legged Black Wolf’s general area of activity.