Fall of Kanak
|
The following paragraphs contain spoilers for: | Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf |
The Fall of Kanak began in late M41, when the Word Bearers Host of the Dark Apostle Oriax, invaded the Imperial world Kanak.[1a]
Contents
Kanak's Fall
As the invasion began, the Word Bearers sought out to capture key installations to subdue Kanak[a]. One such target was a base for the world's Kanak Skull Takers Astra Militarum Regiments, which Oriax tasked the Khorne Champion Pollux with attacking. The Dark Apostle told Pollux to make an offering of the Guardsmen lives to Khorne, which the Champion agreed to as long as the Sorcerer Zymeltros Frell did not interfere. Frell would do so anyway and aided Pollux, though the Champion was mainly responsible for the deaths of the Guardsmen. When a hundred Kanak Skull Takers had been slain by them, however, Frell began to depart as more Guardsman advanced upon Pollux. Frell told the enraged Champion that he was no longer needed and that the souls they had claimed were not for Khorne. Instead they would be used to please the Blood God's hated rival Slaanesh, whose aid the Sorcerer would need for a ritual he was to conduct. An enraged Pollux could only vow revenge against the Sorcerer, as he was attacked by a large number of the Skull Takers[1b]. The Champion would survive the attack, however, and then continued to fight besides the Word Bearers.[1v]
After this, Kanak fell to Oriax's Host[1a] and the Dark Apostle was free to act upon the real reason he had invaded the world[1l]. As unbeknownst to the Imperium, Kanak was a slumbering Necron Tomb World of the Atun Dynasty[1t], and Oriax sought an entrance to the Xenos' underground domain. Once he found it, the Dark Apostle would use the power from the Necrons' Obelisks to free[1l] the Keeper of Secrets Zarakynel, who was imprisoned within a Tesseract Labyrinth[1n] the Dark Apostle had obtained[1l]. Once this was done, Zarakynel would join other Greater Daemons the his Host had freed, as Oriax needed their aid to begin a conquest of a number of specific Imperial worlds. Every single one, was a world that the Word Bearers had brought into Compliance for the Imperium, during the Great Crusade. The Dark Apostle sought to regain control of them all[1n] and when his quest was completed, Oriax believed he would be able to attain immortality[1l]. In order to prevent the Imperium of learning of this, the Word Bearers used the Warp[1f] to awaken a network of the slumbering Necrons' Obelisks[1g]. This caused the Obelisks to create a Warp Field around Kanak, which prevented any surviving Imperials from sending out pleas for aid.[1e]
Arrival of the Space Wolves
However a plea for aid had already been sent out and as Oriax began his search, the Space Wolves Strike Cruiser Thunderwolf[1n], emerged from the Warp near Kanak[1c]. The Great Company of the Wolf Lord Ragnar Blackmane, had come to aid the beleaguered world[1q], but Oriax's Murder Class Cruiser destroyed the Strike Cruiser in an ambush. The Thunderwolf's wreckage then plummeted towards Kanak, but despite the Strike Cruiser being in several pieces when it landed, a number of Ragnar's Great Company, survived the impact[1c]. However, the Wolf Lord landed on a continent far from Oriax's main forces and most of Ragnar's Great Company. The Wolf Lord was unable to contact the Space Wolves and Oriax's Host began hunting the leaderless and scattered Great Company down. The Space Wolves, however, soon began to rally under the leadership of Valgard Twice-Slain, who sought to save Kanak from its invaders. With the aid of the Wolf Priest Karl, the Iron Priest Corus Redsmith, the Wolf Guard Gunnar Rattletooth and a core group of Battle Brothers, consisting of Harald, Yngvar, Ray, Einar and Kai, [1d] Valgard's forces began to carve a path through Oriax's Host. However their communication devices were being jammed and they had no way to inform their Chapter, about the ambush. The Space Wolves soon found the Great Company's Rune Priest Egil Stormcaller, who lead them to a Xenos temple and explained an Obelisk within it was powering a Warp Field on Kanak. It was this field, that was preventing the Space Wolves from contacting their Fortress Monastery, The Fang, for aid[1e]. In order to stop the Obelisk and disperse the Warp Field, Stormcaller would need to reseal it with his Psychic powers, as it was the fell magic that had awoken the Obelisk[1f]. The Sorcerer Zymeltros Frell and squads of Word Bearers arrived to stop the Rune Priest, but Valgard's forces defeat them and the Obelisks was sealed. However, while sealing it, Stormcaller discovered that it was just one of a network of such devices[1g]. With their first priority being to contact The Fang[1h], the Space Wolves began searching for more Obelisks to seal.[1g]
They soon discovered another Obelisk, but they are confronted by the Sorcerer Zymeltros Frell once again. In the battle that followed, with Frell and his Word Bearers, the Wolf Guard Gunnar Rattletooth, became separated from the other Space Wolves and confronted the Sorcerer. He attempted to slay Frell on his own, but the Sorcerer easily killed Gunnar and then escaped before the victorious Space Wolves could claim revenge[1i]. Despite this and other losses Valgard's forces suffered, the Space Wolves were successful in killing any Word Bearers they confronted. This led Oriax to have more of his forces sent against the Space Wolves[1h], which included Chaos Cults, Khorne Bloodletters[1j] and Kanak Skull Takers Traitor Guard, the Dark Apostle had corrupted[1k]. The Space Wolves, however, were unrelenting in their attacks, all while sealing any Obelisks they discovered. This led them to discover the location of Oriax and a number of Word Bearers, who were searching for an Obelisk within an underground Xenos temple. Once they arrived, the Space Wolves were unaware that the Dark Apostle had finally succeeded in locating the Atun Dynasty[1t]'s domain on Kanak. When Oriax noticed the Space Wolves, he attempted to convince them to join his cause, but Valgard's forces immediately refused. They then attacked, while Oriax began to use an Obelisk's power[1l] to free the Keeper of Secrets Zarakynel[1n] from the Tesseract Labyrinth. Despite having a large number of Word Bearers defending him, however, the Space Wolves were able to defeat Oriax before the Tesseract could be fully unlocked.[1l]
The Necrons Awaken
Unfortunately, the Dark Apostle's use of the Obelisk had caused the Necrons[1l] of the Atun Dynasty[1q] to awaken on Kanak and the Xenos began attacking the Space Wolves and Word Bearers. Faced with death if they stayed and fought the growing tide of Xenos, and they fought their way clear[1l] to reach the surface. The Necron, however, began a campaign to cleanse the world of what they saw as invaders. While the Word Bearers still remained on Kanak, Valgard declared that the Necrons were the greater threat to the world and focused on attacking the Xenos[1m]. However word would later reach him, that the Sorcerer Zymeltros Frell had been seen possessing Oriax's Tesseract and was even now conducting a ritual to finish unlocking it. Valgard quickly led several members of his forces to stop the Sorcerer, but they were too late and the ritual was completed. Just as they reached Frell, the Keeper of Secrets Zarakynel, was freed and the Sorcerer taunted the Space Wolves with the campaign of conquest Oriax would now wage. In order to allow Zarakynel to remain in Realspace, Frell offered up his body for the Keeper of Secrets to possess. Once this was done, the Greater Daemon attacked the Space Wolves, but Valgard was able to lead them to victory and banished Zarakynel back to the Warp, with Frell seemingly dying as well. The Keeper of Secrets mocked, though, that by doing so, Valgard was serving the interests of the Chaos Gods and her defeat would not stop their return to Kanak. The Rune Priest Egil Stormcaller was worried, though, that all this Chaos activity on Kanak was part of a bigger coup on the Word Bearers' part. He told Valgard that they needed to contact The Fang, as soon as possible, about what had occurred there.[1n]
Afterwards, Valgard's forces fell upon the[1n] Atun Dynasty[1t] and during this time, the Wolf Priest Karl led an attack against one of its temples. However, Karl's Space Wolves began to be swarmed by the Necrons, as they attempted to later escape. This led Karl to send out a Vox message asking for aid and it was intercepted by the Iron Priest Sigurd Ironside[1t]. He soon came to Karl's aid and with the Iron Priest's help, the Space Wolves were able to escape[1u]. Later, Karl and the other Space Wolves realized they did not recognize Sigurd as being a member of Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company. The Iron Priest would confirm this and to their shock, Siguard claimed[1s] to have gone to Kanak during the Great Crusade[1t]. This was to investigate mysterious transmissions coming from the world[1s], but he could not remember what occurred after he landed. The next Siguard knew, he awoke surrounded by the bodies of the same metal Xenos[1t] that had attacked Karl's forces[1u]. While the Iron Priest was then regaining his bearings, Sigurd heard Karl's Vox message asking for help and had raced to aid his fellow Space Wolves[1t]. While Valgard's forces could not confirm any of Siguard's story, they decided to accept his aid in their battle to save Kanak.[1s]
They soon received further good news, as they discovered the veteran Death Watch member Drenn Redblade, had been sent to aid Kanak as well[1r]. However, these events were soon topped, when the Dreskor Bolts Skyclaw squad, brought word that their Wolf Lord, Ragnar Blackmane still lived. Unfortunately, though, Ragnar had landed upon a different continent, far from where Valgard's forces were now fighting. While the Space Wolves celebrated Ragnar's survival, they now knew they would have to fight on without the Wolf Lord leading them into battle[1o]. Soon afterwards, though, matters came to a head after the Space Wolves discovered the Necron Lord command the[1p] Atun Dynasty[1q]'s forces in an underground temple. Valgard would lead the Space Wolves into storming the Lord's base and despite being heavily outnumbered, they defeated the Necron's leader. Before they could kill the Lord, however, the Atun Dynasty retreated through a nearby Dolmen Gate. Not willing to let the Necron Lord escape them, Valgard began to pursue the Necron and, despite Karl's plea for Valgard to stop, he leaped into the Dolmen Gate before it closed.[1p]
The Return of Old Foes
With the Necron Lord's departure[1p], the Atun Dynasty's forces were no longer a major threat to Kanak[1q]. The Word Bearers, though, still remained and the Space Wolves would learn that Oriax still lived as well. With Valgard now gone, the surviving Space Wolves were led by the Wolf Priest Karl, and they once more battled the Word Bearers. The Space Wolves used an outpost as a base of operations to strike against Oriax's Host, but the Word Bearers soon found it. Oriax would then order an overwhelming assault upon the base, in order to finally destroy the Space Wolves. After trying to repel the assault, Karl was forced to give the order to abandon the outpost, though he needed the Space Wolves to defend it long enough for them to safely evacuate their wounded Battle Brothers. The Iron Priest Corus Redsmith and the Rune Priest Egil Stormcaller were defending one section of the outpost's walls, as the Word Bearers attacked it. As the Space Wolves defended the wall, Stormcaller lamented that he had repeatedly told Karl they had needed to abandon the outpost before an attack like this could occur. Redsmith agreed with him, and stated that the Wolf Priest had not been the same since Valgard's disappearance. As they continued to defend the wall, it became obvious that the Word Bearers' superior numbers were about to overwhelm them. However just before that could occur, three members of the Legion of the Damned suddenly appeared and began fighting besides the Space Wolves.[1v]
With the aid of the Legionaries Regulus Tenax, Ferox and Tacitus, the Space Wolves regained the upperhand. They were then able to kill any of the forces Oriax sent against them, including Cultists, Traitor Guard, Bloodletters and a member of the elite Anointed. They even killed the Khorne Champion Pollux and to their shock even the Sorcerer Zymeltros Frell. Though no one knew, if the Sorcerer was finally dead for good. After they fought off hordes of Word Bearers, however, the evacuation of the wounded was complete and Karl ordered the Space Wolves to retreat.[1v]
Kanak is Reclaimed
The Imperium would eventually defeat Oriax's Host and Kanak was saved. Afterwards, the Ordo Xenos Inquisitor Heito Rogen, would arrive and try to piece together the Atun Dynasty's awakening and their later defeat. The Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company, however, shared little about what had occurred with the Inquisitor. The Wolf Priest Karl would only say that Valgard Twice-Slain and many of his Battle Brothers lost their lives defeating the Necron Lord and ending the Xenos' threat. Rogen later presented his report about Kanak's Necrons to the Thracian Primaris Inquisitorial Conclave. He believed, though, that Karl was likely lying to him about Valgard's death, as Rogen confirmed the Space Wolf's Gene-seed was not recovered. Rogen then speculated, that Valgard must have leaped into the Dolmen Gate to continue pursing the fleeing Necron Lord. The Conclave could only guess as to why the Space Wolves had lied about Valgard's fate. However, Rogen stated that the Conclave had to presume that Valgard was still alive somewhere in the Atun Dynasty's territory. If this was true, then Rogen stated that the Ordo Xenos could not be sure that upon Valgard's return, the Space Wolves did not use any data he collected, against the Imperium. However, he implored the Conclave to not strike out at the Space Wolves because of this. Instead, Rogen recommended the Conclave merely wait and keep an eye on Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company from now on.[1q]
Valgard Twice-Slain, meanwhile, had survived his encounter with the Dolmen Gate and had begun waging a one-man war against any Necron he encountered. Sometime later, he sent out a Vox message to the Space Wolves on Kanak, in order to inform them of his survival. The message also stated, that Valgard was now fighting within a Necron base and asked his Battle Brothers to send him ammunition, as he had become tired of using melee combat against the Xenos. It is not known, however, if the Vox message was received by the Space Wolves, or what ultimately became of Valgard.[1q]
Sources
- 1: Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf
- 1a: Steam: Fall of Kanak DLC description (Last accessed on 22 March 2021)
- 1b: Fall of Kanak Mission
- 1c: Opening Cut Scene
- 1d: Space Wolf Campaign 1 - Mission 2
- 1e: Space Wolf Campaign 1 - Mission 5
- 1f: Space Wolf Campaign 1 - Mission 6
- 1g: Space Wolf Campaign 1 - Mission 7
- 1h: Space Wolf Campaign 2 - Mission 1
- 1i: Space Wolf Campaign 2 - Mission 3
- 1j: Space Wolf Campaign 3 - Mission 1
- 1k: Space Wolf Campaign 3 - Mission 2
- 1l: Space Wolf Campaign 3 - Mission 7
- 1m: Space Wolf Campaign 4 - Mission 2
- 1n: Space Wolf Campaign 4 - Mission 4
- 1o: Space Wolf Campaign 4 - Mission 7
- 1p: Space Wolf Campaign 4 - Mission 10
- 1q: Space Wolf Campaign 4 - Ending Scene
- 1r: Steam: Drenn Redblade DLC description (Last accessed on 22 March 2021)
- 1s: Steam: Sigurd Ironside DLC description (Last accessed on 22 March 2021)
- 1t: Sigurd Ironside Mission 1 - One Wolf Army
- 1u: Sigurd Ironside Mission 2 - Meeting of the Priests
- 1v: Wrath of the Damned Mission
