Heresy in Faces. Lucius the Eternal.

"We are the Children of the Emperor! Death to his enemies!"


Children of the Emperor. Before the Heresy.

Many millennia ago, Lucius was a Space Marine from the Legion of the Children of the Emperor, following his Primarch Fulgrim across the galaxy in the Emperor's name. So great were Lucius's skill and enthusiasm as he led his Assault Marines that Fulgrim himself bestowed upon him the title of Lord-Commander. Rejecting all but the art of battle, Lucius proudly wore many scars, and over time, he began to equate pain with success. By the time the Children of the Emperor were ordered to quash the Horus Heresy, Lucius's face and chest were covered in a multitude of scars, merging into a bizarre tapestry symbolizing centuries of combat, distorting and marring the warrior's appearance. Lucius's near-constant self-flagellation was interpreted by his brothers as a sign of fervent devotion and piety. The truth, however, was far more horrifying.


Lucius. Before the Heresy.

His quest for perfection came to fruition. When Horus gathered all loyalists from the legions available to him at that moment - Lucius found himself on Istvaan III alongside numerous Space Marines from other legions. Shortly before the viral bombardment of the planet, one of the officers of the "Children of the Emperor" - Saul Tarvitz - arrived. Saul had earned a good reputation in other legions due to the lack of arrogance so typical of his entire legion and Lucius in particular. Thanks to his timely warning, most of the Space Marines managed to take cover.

The battle on the dead planet lasted a week, during which many loyalist and traitor Space Marines perished. But Lucius could not remain on that planet; he thirsted for promotion and perfection. And so he proposed a deal - he would surrender the Space Marines in exchange for readmittance into the legion. Thus, he set himself upon the path of Chaos.


Fulgrim, Primarch of the Children of the Emperor

"Perfection or death"

Lucius also infamously distinguished himself in service to his Primarch when the Children of the Emperor turned to Chaos. With unimaginable speed and agility, he fought in the gladiatorial combats staged by Fulgrim when he was unable to unleash the warp upon unsuspecting worlds of the Emperor. He was practically immortal, and none could surpass the great warrior in the mastery of war. But that was until Lucius met the renowned Lord Commander Ciryas, when the champion of Slaanesh encountered an equal. In death, Lucius knew indescribable twisted pleasure, but Slaanesh was reluctant to lose a promising servant.


Lucius the Eternal, after the Heresy

In the weeks that followed his triumph, the masterfully crafted armor of Ciryas began to change and warp. The Lord Commander's hair fell out, and dark lines began to creep across his body, slowly carving their way through the skin and forming labyrinths of scars. After some time, Lucius was fully manifested, and all that remained of his murderer was a screaming, distorted face, forever imprinted in the armor of the Champion of Slaanesh.


Lucius the Eternal, after the Heresy

And now Lucius wanders the galaxy, haughty and immortal, a sadistic executioner. Whoever managed to defeat the Soul Reaver and experienced even a fraction of joy from conquering the beast slowly and painfully transformed into the vanquished Champion. He derives endless pleasure from the screams and wails emitted by the souls of the countless defeated, eternally trapped in demonic armor. In the art of wielding his weapon, a jeweled sword and demonic whip, Lucius has no equal, for the sword and whip have tasted the blood of heroes across the galaxy. The Soul Reaver always leads his troops into battle with unimaginable charisma and confidence in victory, meeting death with the same fervor he brings to those around him.

Words, words, words...

- Brothers! Welcome to the feast! - cried Lucius the Eternal as the silver-armored Space Marines burst through the breach. The sickle-shaped sword and barbed whip lashed around the Champion of Slaanesh, splattering the ancient armor, inlaid with agonized faces, with ruby droplets of blood. A shrieking chain sword evaded the chaos warrior's attention and dug shallowly into the calf of Lucius. With incomprehensible speed, the sword lunged down, cleaving the Space Marine, who died with a look of astonishment on his face. Shadows cast by the fortress walls writhed and flowed around Lucius as he parried and dodged the strikes of his surrounding enemies. The gaping breach in the fortifications was filled with the bodies of the fallen, blood seeping from beneath the ceramite, and skulls lay shattered. Noise Marines surged across the battlefield toward the breach.

Behind them, the acolytes finished off Space Marines who had managed to evade the champion's blade tempest. A bull-headed giant in terminator armor repeatedly brought down his pair of mighty staves, deafening those nearby with a furious roar. A thin, reed-like demon-witch, her eyes sewn shut, gifted attackers with elegant wounds that paralyzed the unfortunate victims frozen in agony around the cloaked figure.

Lucius's distorted face twisted into a grin as the Space Marines retreated and regrouped around their sacred standard. The warped warrior howled with pleasure from the pain as bolt shells ricocheted off his living armor.

- Are there none among you worthy of your glory? - laughed Lucius, bending atop a mountain of corpses. A rocket whizzed overhead. - Come now, surely one of you will prove better than the last? - mocked the dark figure, simultaneously desecrating the body of one of the fallen and licking the blood from his long fingers. With a thunderous roar, the Space Marines charged into the attack. The chosen of Slaanesh personally met the attackers, leaving his followers behind. The howl that erupted from Lucius's throat pierced reality's veil for a moment, and the enemy's assault faltered. Faster than the eye could see, the sword and whip flashed, tearing the stunned Space Marines to shreds. In less than a minute, the Chosen was already grasping the standard in his warped hand. It seemed the banner howled for an instant before being consumed in the demonic flames of Chaos. The Noise Marines barged out of the breach in the wall, colliding with the enemy's formation, and the slaughter continued once more.

Written with reference to the Fluff Bible.