Open main menu

Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum β

The Shards of Erebus (Short Story)

The Shards of Erebus
Author Guy Haley
Publisher Black Library
Released 2013
Collected in Mark of Calth


"The Shards of Erebus" is a short story by Guy Haley in the Horus Heresy series. It was collected in the anthology Mark of Calth.[1]

Synopsis

Spoiler!
The following paragraphs contain spoilers for: The Shards of Erebus (Short Story)

Erebus, Dark Apostle of the Word Bearers Legion, takes the anathame that mortally wounded Horus Lupercal and initiated his conversion to Chaos, and hammers it in a forge, splintering eight shards from it, which are then "grown" in a vat of blood into daggers, similar in appearance to the athames carried by the Word Bearers and their cult auxiliaries, but these are imbued with staggering power.[2a]

The narrative then alternates between an acrimonious meeting of the six Word Bearer commanders chosen by Lorgar to spearhead the attack on the Ultramarines, and an account of Erebus's training under the Davinite priestess who performed the ritual that allowed him to enter Horus's mind and encourage his fall to Chaos. Under her tutelage Erebus learns to teleport through the Warp. Once his training is complete, he murders the priestess in revenge for her attempted murder of him during the ritual, but he is vexed when the priestess shows no fear, and in fact seems to welcome her death, leaving Erebus with the nagging suspicion that her foresight has let her see something he doesn't know.[2b][2c]

At the meeting, Erebus gives each of the warlords - Kor Phaeron, Morpal Cxir, Foedrall Fell, Hol Beloth, Quor Vondar and Phael Rabor — one of the daggers, keeping one for himself and one for Kolos Undil, the sergeant in command of his bodyguard unit. Leaving the meeting, Erebus reflects that Lorgar may intend for all of them to die in the upcoming battle, but Erebus has his escape planned; whether the other commanders figure out that their athames will likewise allow them to move through the warp, he will leave to fate.[2b][2c]

See also

Sources

  • 1: Black Library - Mark of Calth (saved archived page, 03 April 2025, last accessed 08 May 2025, original link: https://www.blacklibrary.com/the-horus-heresy/novels/mark-of-calth-ebook.html)
  • 2: "The Shards of Erebus" (Short Story):
    • 2a: ~first third, "The chanting of Erebus’s lesser, human priests reached its height as he unwrapped the anathame blade from its blessed shrouding."
    • 2b: ~middle third, "Within his sanctuary, Quor Vondar, Chief Librarian-sorcerer of the Word Bearers, let his psychic senses unfurl."
    • 2c: ~last third, "The eight legionaries talked at length of the plans for the coming battle: the ambush of Guilliman’s hated Ultramarines that would open wide the way to Terra."



Horus Heresy Series
Novels I Horus Rising • II False Gods • III Galaxy in Flames • IV The Flight of the Eisenstein • V Fulgrim • VI Descent of Angels • VII Legion • VIII Battle for the Abyss • IX Mechanicum • X Tales of Heresy • XI Fallen Angels • XII A Thousand Sons • XIII Nemesis • XIV The First Heretic • XV Prospero Burns • XVI Age of Darkness • XVII The Outcast Dead • XVIII Deliverance Lost • XIX Know No Fear • XX The Primarchs • XXI Fear to Tread • XXII Shadows of Treachery • XXIII Angel Exterminatus • XXIV Betrayer • XXV Mark of Calth • XXVI Vulkan Lives • XXVII The Unremembered Empire • XXVIII Scars • XXIX Vengeful Spirit • XXX The Damnation of Pythos • XXXI Legacies of Betrayal • XXXII Deathfire • XXXIII War Without End • XXXIV Pharos • XXXV Eye of Terra • XXXVI The Path of Heaven • XXXVII The Silent War • XXXVIII Angels of Caliban • XXXIX Praetorian of Dorn • XL Corax • XLI The Master of Mankind • XLII Garro • XLIII Shattered Legions • XLIV The Crimson King • XLV Tallarn • XLVI Ruinstorm • XLVII Old Earth • XLVIII The Burden of Loyalty • XLIX Wolfsbane • L Born of Flame • LI Slaves to Darkness • LII Heralds of the Siege • LIII Titandeath • LIV The Buried Dagger • Dropsite Massacre
Siege of Terra I The Solar War • II The Lost and the Damned • III The First Wall • Sons of the Selenar • IV Saturnine • Fury of Magnus • V Mortis • VI Warhawk • VII Echoes of Eternity • Garro: Knight of Grey • VIII The End and the Death (Volume I • Volume II • Volume III) • Era of Ruin
The Scouring I Ashes of the Imperium
The Primarchs Roboute Guilliman: Lord of Ultramar • Leman Russ: The Great Wolf • Magnus the Red: Master of Prospero • Perturabo: The Hammer of Olympia • Lorgar: Bearer of the Word • Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix • Ferrus Manus: Gorgon of Medusa • Grandfather's Gift • Perturabo: Stone and Iron • Malcador: First Lord of the Imperium • Konrad Curze: A Lesson in Darkness • Jaghatai Khan: Warhawk of Chogoris • Vulkan: Lord of Drakes • Sons of the Emperor • Corax: Lord of Shadows • Angron: Slave of Nuceria • Scions of the Emperor • Konrad Curze: The Night Haunter • Ghost of Nuceria • The Passing of Angels • The Abyssal Edge • Mercy of the Dragon • Lion El'Jonson: Lord of the First • Illyrium • The Revelation of the Word • Morningstar • Will of the Legion • Embers of Extinction • Alpharius: Head of the Hydra • Blood of the Emperor • Loyal Sons • Mortarion: The Pale King • Rogal Dorn: The Emperor's Crusader • Sanguinius: The Great Angel • Heirs of The Emperor
Horus Heresy Characters Valdor: Birth of the Imperium • Luther: First of the Fallen • Sigismund: The Eternal Crusader • Eidolon: The Auric Hammer • Zardu Layak: The Crimson Apostle
Novellas Promethean Sun • Aurelian • Brotherhood of the Storm • The Reflection Crack'd • Feat of Iron • The Lion • The Serpent Beneath • Corax: Soulforge • Scorched Earth • Tallarn: Executioner • Prince of Crows • The Crimson Fist • The Purge • Ravenlord • The Seventh Serpent • Tallarn: Ironclad • Cybernetica • Wolf King • The Honoured • The Unburdened • Garro: Vow of Faith • Sons of the Forge • Dreadwing • Spear of Ultramar
Collections Angron • The Imperial Truth • Sedition's Gate • Echoes of Ruin • Death and Defiance • Blades of the Traitor • Meduson • Betrayal at Calth • Echoes of the Imperium • Virtues of the Sons/Sins of the Father • Echoes of Revelation • Lupercal's War • Cthonia's Reckoning
Short Stories The Lightning Tower • The Dark King • Army of One • Kryptos • Distant Echoes of Old Night • Lost Sons • Death of a Silversmith • The Divine Word • The Kaban Project • The Gates of Terra • Lord of the Red Sands • Serpent • Luna Mendax • Riven • Bjorn: Lone Wolf • The Wolf of Ash and Fire • Heart of the Conqueror • Child of Night • The Shadowmasters • The Devine Adoratrice • Daemonology • Sins of the Father • The Final Compliance of Sixty-Three Fourteen • Vorax • The Value of Fear • Brotherhood of the Moon • Virtues of the Sons • Imperfect • Howl of the Hearthworld • A Safe and Shadowed Place • Gunsight • Black Oculus • Wolf Mother • Twisted • Chirurgeon • Tallarn: Witness • Ironfire • Hands of the Emperor • By the Lion's Command • All That Remains • The Phoenician • Artefacts • Ghosts Speak Not • Patience • Inheritor • Tallarn: Siren • Blackshield • Myriad • Into Exile • The Grey Raven • The Painted Count • Exocytosis • The Last Son of Prospero • Ordo Sinister • The Ember Wolves • Restorer • The Laurel of Defiance • Immortal Duty • Duty Waits • Magisterium • Now Peals Midnight • Dreams of Unity • The Board is Set • The Atonement of Fire • A Lesson in Iron • Massacre • Two Metaphysical Blades • Prologue to Nikaea • Old Wounds, New Scars • Abyssal • The Last Council • A Rose Watered with Blood • Bringer of Sorrow • Lantern's Light • The Serpent's Dance • The Lightning Hall • Eater of Dreams • Bloodhowl • Amor Fati • The Fields of Abundance • The Shel'tain Affair • Primacy • The Nine • Visage • The Last Loyalist • Anathema
Audio Dramas Raven's Flight • Garro: Oath of Moment • Garro: Legion of One • Butcher's Nails • Grey Angel • Burden of Duty • Garro: Sword of Truth • Warmaster • Strike and Fade • Veritas Ferrum • The Sigillite • Honour to the Dead • Wolf Hunt • Censure • Thief of Revelations • Khârn: The Eightfold Path • Lucius: The Eternal Blademaster • Cypher: Guardian of Order • Hunter's Moon • Wolf's Claw • Templar • Garro: Shield of Lies • Master of the First • The Long Night • Stratagem • Herald of Sanguinius • The Watcher • The Eagle's Talon • Iron Corpses • Garro: Ashes of Fealty • Raptor • Grey Talon • Red-Marked • The Either • The Heart of the Pharos • The Thirteenth Wolf • Children of Sicarus • Perpetual • The Soul, Severed • Valerius • The Binary Succession • Dark Compliance • Blackshields: The False War • Blackshields: The Red Fief • Hubris of Monarchia • Nightfane • Blackshields: The Broken Chain
Artbooks Collected Visions (2007) • Visions of Heresy (2013) • Visions of Heresy (2014) • Visions of Heresy (2018) • Art of the Horus Heresy
Script Books Horus Heresy: The Scripts: Volume I • Horus Heresy: The Scripts: Volume II
Graphic Novels Macragge's Honour
Retrieved from "https://lex.124811.xyz/mediawiki/index.php?title=The_Shards_of_Erebus_(Short_Story)&oldid=617619"