Primarch II

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The Second Primarch was one of the 20 superhuman "sons" created by the Emperor. Like the others, he was spirited away in his infancy through a Warp vortex and placed on another world. He was the third Primarch rediscovered early during the Great Crusade. Eventually, he met a tragic fate that caused him to be expunged from Imperial records several decades before the onset of the Horus Heresy.

Biography

Origins

Using forbidden sciences, arcane lore, and genetic material derived from both the Emperor of Mankind and the Perpetual Erda[1], the Second Primarch was created in a secret underground laboratory on Terra to be a future general and leader.[2a] He embodied an aspect of the Emperor, with his own purpose and specialty.[10]

In 792.M30[3], all Primarchs were scattered prior to maturation through a powerful Warp vortex.[2c][4] Each Primarch eventually arrived on an inhabited world. Like the majority of others, the Second Primarch was probably adopted by the locals, developed at an accelerated rate, and rose into a position of prominence.[18] Unlike his brother Fulgrim, he did not have to save the planet as well as its people.[5b]

The Great Crusade

The Second Primarch was rediscovered in 821.M30[3][5a], the 3rd Primarch found. Subsequently, he assumed command of his Space Marine Legion, and met some of his Primarch brothers.[5a][10]

Early during the Great Crusade, he conducted an expedition to the Ymga Monolith in the Attila System of Ultima Segmentum. The reason why he had travelled so far, and what he might have discovered was never recorded.[6b]

Several decades[5a] after the rediscovery of Fulgrim in 830.M30[3], the Third Primarch decided to prove the worth of the still undersized Emperor's Children Legion by conquering the planet of Byzas whilst accompanied by just 7 of his Space Marines. Seven brothers expressed doubts regarding that highly ambitious plan, Rogal Dorn and Roboute Guilliman included, and even the Second Primarch uncharacteristically spoke out to accuse Fulgrim of hubris. The Third Primarch considered his remark to be hypocritical.[5a]

According to a copy of "The Rangdan Xenocides: A Crusade Field Guide" document seemingly issued to Solar Auxilia troops during the campaign, renowned warriors of the II and XI Legions were deployed during what was most likely the final Rangdan Xenocide in the 890s.M30.[7][8][9] The Second Primarch had been rediscovered approximately 70 years prior, so presumably he personally led his Legion.

Tragic Fate

Some time before Monarchia was razed in 964.M30, roughly a century after he had been rediscovered, the Second Primarch met his grim fate.[2b][2c][3] His loss threatened the core ideals of the Great Crusade, and might have ruined the burgeoning Imperium of Man. His legionaries were left behind, leaderless and forsaken, but they did not share the fate of their Primarch. Guilliman and Dorn argued in their favour, so that they were spared, and Malcador ensured that they were attuned to the new circumstances.[10]

The Second Primarch's homeworld was most likely visited to announce that his Legion was to be disbanded, and its assets redistributed, for when the Blood Angels were presumed lost, and Tylos Rubio came to Baal in 010.M31 to deliver such a grim message, it was noted to be the third of that kind.[13]

The memories of everyone involved with the lost Primarch were wiped, records of his deeds expunged, and an oath was sworn by those who could still vaguely recall him not to speak of him any more.[2c][10][11] Notably, the piety of Word Bearers and Lorgar Aurelian[2c], the Red Thirst of Blood Angels that Sanguinius concealed from everyone but Horus[15], as well as the atrocities of Night Lords and the darkness within the heart of Konrad Curze[14] were all factors considered at some point to threaten to, and in the case of Lorgar very nearly did, result in another empty pillar in the great Investiary, and another Primarch excised from all records.text-middle[Help]

It is highly unlikely that the Second Primarch's failure involved Chaos. Lorgar discovered the existence and nature of Chaos only after the Lost Primarchs had been expunged[2c][2d], and ignorance was a major factor that contributed to the fall of other Primarchs, such as Horus[4], Magnus[22], and Fulgrim.[20] Even with the benefit of hindsight, those aware of the Lost Primarchs continued to distinguish them from their traitor brothers, and made no mention of Chaos taint.[10][19a] Whatever his exact fate had been, Leman Russ considered the tale of the Second Primarch a tragic one[16], and Rogal Dorn stated that the tragedies of the Second and the Eleventh were separate events.[17]

Aftermath

During a session of the Council of Terra held some time between 981.M30 and 000.M31[12][3], Horus Lupercal, Jaghatai Khan, and Alpharius Omegon stormed into the room without warning. They were indignant about the decision to remove the statue of one of the lost Primarchs from the Investiary, and argued that their fallen brother had brought glory to the Imperium. Malcador firmly disagreed, and stated that the disgraced Primarch was not worthy of a monument. When Horus attempted to speak the Primarch's name in defiance, psychically choked by the enraged Sigillite, he only managed to utter "M-Mal… al…".[11]

Each of the Primarchs possessed a personal chamber in the Imperial Palace. In the midst of preparations for the upcoming Siege of Terra, chambers of the Second and Eleventh Primarch, which had apparently moved from the other side of the Palace, were accidentally uncovered. The door that bore the old-style mark of the II was a brass portico. After a heated discussion with Malcador and momentary recollection of the lost Primarch's misfortune, Rogal Dorn decided to bury the place, calling it just a tomb that should be forgotten.[10]

Centuries after the end of the Horus Heresy, Fabius Bile managed to create clones of all 20 Primarchs, including the Second.[6a] However, all clones were slain by the nascent Black Legion forces during the Battle of Harmony.[22]

During the Indomitus Crusade roughly 10,000 years later, in a conversation with Frater Mathieu, the revived Roboute Guilliman distinguished his 2 failed brothers from the 9 traitors responsible for the Horus Heresy.[19a] When discussing viable gene-seed stock from which to derive Primaris Space Marines, Guilliman refused to allow the usage of any non-loyalist material, including that of the Second and Eleventh Primarchs. According to Cawl Inferior, their Marines were not at fault however, the Primarchs were.[19b]

Personality

Fulgrim considered his brother to be a contemplative and taciturn person. When the Second broke his usual silence to accuse the Third of hubris regarding a highly ambitious plan, Fulgrim thought of that as hypocrisy. In addition, the Second had no sense of humour that the Third was aware of.[5a]

Perhaps he was interested in xenos or their technology, for he led an expedition to the remote Ymga Monolith. His reasons and potential findings remain unknown.[6b]

Notes

Some of the information presented in this article comes from cross-referencing bits and pieces provided by separate official sources. This includes the inference that it was the Second Primarch who was found third in 821.M30, and the one who conducted an expedition to the Ymga Monolith early during the Great Crusade.[3][5a][6b]

Sources

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