Welcome to another installment of our deep dive into the dark and enthralling lore of Warhammer 40,000. Today, we journey away from the celestial towers and cool shores of the galaxy’s most coveted realms. Instead, we find ourselves in the most desolate and impoverished corner imaginable, amidst the ruins of an ancient world in a desert of scorched sands.
In this forsaken land, a dark essence was woven from The Ether by the gusts of Four Winds. Zinch provided the deceit of the serpent, Korn the courage in war, Nurgle brought the fidelity to ideas, and Slaanesh the perseverance in mastery. Their malevolent might entwined, and on a cursed day, the child of chaos was born. His soul was darker than the blackest night, and he rose as he wished, but lied in oath to others, serving only the true fathers.
This is the story of Erebus, the most powerful commander of the Word Bearers. His tale is as compelling as it is horrifying. Born amidst the dust and poverty of one of the provincial cities of Colus, his future was as bleak as the world he was born into. A boy from such a family had no chance to rise to become someone of affluence. He was seen as a disappointment in his parents’ eyes, wasting away his childhood in idleness, fantasizing about wealth falling from the sky and other such useless things.
But Erebus was not an ordinary child. He found joy in torment, catching scorpions and tearing off their limbs, reveling in their suffering. He pushed the boundaries of danger, risking poisonous stings and fever, all for the thrill of it. This thrill would stay with him, morphing into something far more sinister as he grew.
As a teenager, Erebus dreamed of incredible luxury, power, and control over others, much like how he controlled the fate of his scorpion victims. But he had no desire to work for it. Instead, he set his sights on the church. Despite their outwardly pious facades, the priests indulged in excess, spending the donations of believers on debauchery and gambling. To Erebus, serving the church seemed like the easiest route to the wealth and power he craved.
However, the path to priesthood was not easy. The church was corrupt, allowing only those born into rich families with good connections to study. But Erebus was not dissuaded. He spent his time at temples, eavesdropping on hymns, stealing books with catechisms and litanies, and learning the ways of the church. Even though he didn’t understand the meaning of what he read, he persevered, and fate, it seemed, had a plan for him.
This is where we leave Erebus for now. Stay tuned for more in our next installment, as we continue to unravel the life of this infamous figure from the lore of Warhammer 40,000.
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