Primarch XI

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The Eleventh 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 nineteenth Primarch rediscovered late 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 Eleventh 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].

As Horus lay in coma inside the Davinite temple after being wounded by Eugen Temba, he experienced visions. In one of them, Horus found himself in the geno-vault where the Primarchs had been created. At one point he stopped before tank XI and reflected upon the "untapped glories that lay within, knowing they would never come to pass". Later on, whilst enraged, he smashed his fist upon tank XI, damaging it slightly[4]. Whether that event had any actual influence on the Eleventh Primarch or was merely a deception woven by the Chaos Gods is unknown.

When the Gal Vorbak experienced a similar vision, Xaphen approached tank XI. He remarked that the Eleventh Primarch was still innocent and pure as an infant. Argel Tal noted that killing him there and then would "unwrite a shameful future"[2a].

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 Eleventh Primarch was probably adopted by the locals, developed at an accelerated rate, and rose into a position of prominence[18].

The Great Crusade

The Eleventh Primarch was rediscovered in 927.M30[3][5], the 19th Primarch found. Subsequently, he assumed command of his Space Marine Legion, and met some of his Primarch brothers[10].

According to a copy of "The Rangdan Xenocides: A Crusade Field Guide" document seemingly issued to Solar Auxilia troops during the campaign, renowed 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 Eleventh Primarch had not been rediscovered yet, so he was unable to personally lead his Legion.

Tragic Fate

Some time before Monarchia was razed in 964.M30, mere decades after he had been rediscovered, the Eleventh 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 Eleventh 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.

Allegedly, the XI Legion's loyalty to the Emperor had been manipulated by the Eleventh Primarch toward ill ends, causing the Space Wolves to oppose him[20][19b][10]. It is highly unlikely that his 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[21]. 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, 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 XI was a steel 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 Eleventh[6]. 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].

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 Eleventh Primarch who was found penultimate in 927.M30[3][5], and that he might have somehow misled his own otherwise loyal XI Legion against the Emperor, drawing the ire of Space Wolves[10][19b][20].

Sources

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