Unraveling the Thousand Sons’ Dark Legacy
The Thousand Sons, one of the most enigmatic and tragic Legiones Astartes, were forever changed by the profound mutations of their Primarch, Magnus. This legacy brought with it a crippling curse: the Flesh Change, a degenerative flaw that ravaged the Legion’s geneseed. The Emperor and Malcador the Sigillite expended great effort to isolate and cure this affliction, but ultimately concluded it was beyond their power to rectify.
The Mystery of the Flesh Change
The exact cause of the Flesh Change remained a mystery, with theories ranging from errors in gene encoding to the consequences of sustained psychic power use. The latter theory gained credence during the Burning of Prospero, where the Thousand Sons’ desperate unleashing of powerful sorceries seemed to accelerate the onset of the Flesh Change. However, this correlation did not necessarily imply causation, as even Legionaries without psychic abilities fell prey to the condition.
A Desperate Search for a Cure
Before the discovery of Prospero and reunification with Magnus, the Thousand Sons attempted to stave off the Flesh Change using retro-virals, alchemy, meditative techniques, and sheer willpower. However, these methods ultimately failed, and afflicted Legionaries were placed in stasis, hoping for a future cure. When the Flesh Change took hold, the results were catastrophic: flesh and blood in complete flux, power armor shattering, and monstrous growths erupting from the former Space Marine’s body.
The Horrors of the Flesh Change
In most cases, Legionaries lost to the Flesh Change devolved into mindless monstrosities, attacking anything within reach. This fate was particularly horrific for the Thousand Sons, who took pride in their learning and culture. The condition’s onset was often marked by a pallid, waxy appearance, and when the change took over suddenly, the results were immediate and spectacular.
Ahriman’s Rubric: A Cure at a Terrible Cost
When Ahriman cast his infamous Rubric, the Thousand Sons were cured of the Flesh Change, but at a heavy price. Those with little to no psychic ability were reduced to dust and sealed within their power armor, while those with greater psychic ability had their powers greatly amplified. However, this cure did not grant immunity to mutation, and many Thousand Sons who pledged themselves to Tzeentch saw the mutations granted by their patron god as a ‘blessing’.
The Pursuit of Knowledge
For the Thousand Sons, knowledge is power, and the most knowledgeable are the most powerful. This cultural tenet, driven by the early Legion’s need to discover a cure for the Flesh Change and gain control over their psychic abilities, led to a veneration of the text and their Primarch. Ultimately, this loyalty to their Primarch and desire to preserve their acquired knowledge led the Thousand Sons down the path of damnation.
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