Maraeus Orasus
"I am ash. From the flame was I born… To the flames I shall return…"
- Death chant spoken by Maraeus Orasus[2c]
Maraeus Orasus was a Salamanders Legionary, who served in a tactical squad during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy.[1]
History
He was a Legionary for half a decade,[2b] when the Horus Heresy began and it caused Orasus to wonder what events had led to the Warmaster's betrayal. When the Salamanders' forces took part in the first attack wave on Isstvan V, Orasus' squadron was going to be deployed via a gunship. However, the aircraft was shot down before it could land and Orasus was the only survivor of the crash. Afterwards, the Legionary continued to follow his general orders and advanced upon Horus' Urgall Plateau Fortress.[2a] Like all of his Legion's forces, Orasus was charged with attacking the portion of the Fortress that was defended by the Death Guard. As he made his way to it, Orasus fought with rage and regret,[2b] at the Traitor Legions' betrayal, which created a future he never thought was possible.[2a] Though he was fighting by himself, the Legionary was able to kill several of the Death Guard, before he collapsed after being shot. But before Orasus could be killed by the Traitor Legion, he was saved by the Salamanders Saturnine Terminators Tiamastus and Vort.[2b]
After learning that Orasus was the only survivor of his squadron, Tiamastus ordered the Legionary to join them and the three continued to fight their way to the Fortress.[2b] They were able to meet up with other Salamanders near their objective, but the Death Guard soon launched a counter attack. However, the Traitor Legion used Phosphex canisters to disperse a mist to cover their advance. Shortly after the three Salamanders were engulfed by the mist, though, Tiamastus and Vort were suddenly killed by the Death Guard's Primarch, Mortarion. Orasus was then about to be the next to die, when the Salamanders' Primarch, Vulkan, appeared and blocked his traitorous brother's blow.[2c]
With his life spared, Orasus continued to fight besides his fellow Salamanders against the Death Guard. As he did so, the Legionary constantly spoke a death chant, until the Salamanders received the order to disengage. This was so the Imperium's second attack wave could take their place and Orasus joined the Salamanders marching towards their designated landing zone.[2d] When they neared it though, the Warmaster Horus ordered the Dropsite Massacre to begin and the Salamanders were attacked by the traitorous Iron Warriors. When Orasus came under fire he thought it was a case of mistaken identity, as the phosphex the Salamanders had fought through, had left his power armour grey. Orasus tried to warn the Iron Warriors of this, but before he could do so, the Traitor Legion fired once again.[2e] While Orasus survived the attack, the Legionary was later killed on Isstvan V by the Alpha Legion.[1]
