Perturabo

Perturabo was the Primarch of the Iron Warriors first founding Legion. He sided with Chaos during the Horus Heresy and has since been promoted to Daemon Prince status. He, like his Iron Warriors, had a natural affinity towards technology and a cold logic, but lacked the strength of faith.

Pre Heresy

When the primarchs were scattered to the ends of the galaxy, Perturabo landed on a planet named Olympia. He was discovered climbing the moutains below the city state of Lochos. The guards, having realised this was no normal child, brought him before the Tyrant of Lochos, Dammekos. Dammekos was intrigued by the child and brought him into his house and treated him as family. Supposedly, Perturabo never trusted the Olympians and refused to return any affection given by Dammekos. Dammekos spent plenty of time with his new son, but never got anything in return. Many saw Perturabo as a cold, brooding child but when you consider that he had been thrown onto a world with no idea of his origins or purpose, this is perhaps a little harsh.

When the Emperor arrived he immediatly submitted himself to the Emperor's mercy and ousted the Tyrant of Lochus. Dammekos is said to have spent his remaining few years gathering forces to attempt to retake his power. He failed but created a current of unrest which would be used later.

Perturabo led his Iron Warriors on a lightning crusade against the nearby planet of Justice Rock and its heretical Black Judges. The Iron Warriors went on to create citadels throughout the regions they fought in. Small numbers of Iron Warriors were left behind at these outposts, but Perturabo resented his being forced to split his army. As time went on they were steriotyped as being the best army for sieges and garrisons, but eventually the Iron Warriors were so worn out that they simply began to enjoy the killing they had to do after the trenches were dug. It might well have been Horus who kept the legion fighting, allowing him to more easily sway the mind of Perturabo towards Chaos.

It is widly acclaimed that Perturabo was envious of Rogal Dorn. He was annoyed by his constant reminders of the perfection of the defences on Terra. The other primarchs also kept Perturabo at a distance. This might have been because of his supreme command of technology, far in advance of anything the other primarchs could do. He is refurred to as the 'comrade' who devised the best plan to avoid the defences of Overdogg Mashogg, an Ork Warboss under attack by Leman Russ (primarch) and Jaghatai Khan.

The Heresy

Perturabo was leading his Iron Warriors on a campaign to cleanse the Hrud Warrens on Gugann when he received news that his home world, Olympia, was in rebellion. Dammekos was long dead but demagogues had brought the people together and risen in arms. The thought of being the only primarch who could not control his own home world appalled him. Horus made the most of the opportunity by presenting Perturabo with a hammer named Forgebreaker. It is possible that this weapon was one by which the powers of Chaos could influence Perturabo and manipulate his thoughts. Alternatively it could have been seen to be a signing of a pact, a gift from Horus to Perturabo. Perturabo purged Olympia city by city, overrunning the fortresses he had built and sparing no one. By the time the massacre was over, five million Olympians had been killed and the rest put into slavery. Perturabo looked on in cold silence. After the pyres were burning, the Iron Warriors realized what they had done. They had changed from the saviors of the Imperium, destroying the Hrud one moment and the next they were committing genocide. Perturabo realized the Emperor could never forgive him for what he had done.

It was in that time that news came through, Leman Russ and the Space Wolves had attacked Magnus and his Thousand Sons on Prospero and Horus had turned renegade with his Sons of Horus Legion. Their orders were to meet with six other legions to face Horus on Istvaan V. The result of the conflict was that the Iron Warriors, Night Lords, Word Bearers and Alpha Legion all joined with Horus and destroyed the three remaining loyal legions.

After Istvaan V the Iron Warriors were let loose and Perturabo relished the opportunity to fight in a way that did not rely on massive sieges and trench warfare. Because of their massive deployment throughout the galaxy, dozens of Warsmiths took over planets and demanded tithes to support the heresy. A large contingent of the Iron Warriors accompanied Perturabo to Terra where he supervised the bombardment and siege of the Emperors Palace. Perturabo took a perverse pleasure in tearing down the defences created by the vain (and often annoying) Rogal Dorn. After the invasion failed and Horus died, the Iron Warriors fled to the Eye of Terror, like many of the other traitor legions. Here Perturabo secured a new planet named Medrengard and plotted the downfall of the Imperium.

The remaining Iron Warriors defended their small empire around Olympia but were eventually defeated and Olympia became a blasted wasteland and they detonated the missile stocks when defeat was certain. It was then declared Perdita. Even today Perturabo is busy plotting the downfall of the Imperium and it will be a terrible day when the Iron Warriors are let loose, digging in on planets that it may be impossible to remove them from.