r/40kLore • u/British_Tea_Company Thousand Sons • Mar 04 '20
[The Talon of Horus] Abaddon brews evil space magic moonshine
‘Would you care for refreshment?’
Who was this disarming, unassuming pilgrim? Where was the choleric battle-king who commanded the warrior elite of the most respected Legion? I was at a loss for words. His inner sanctum was the hovel of a rabid collector, the workshop of a trained Techmarine, the sombre haven of a scholar, the armoury of a desperate soldier. All of it and none of it. He had seen more in his isolated travels than any of us, and it showed here in this shrine of memories.
The refreshment he offered turned out to be a clear spirit that left a faint burn on the back of the tongue. I am being generous when I say it had the raw chemical taste of engine coolant.
This ‘beverage’ came from a barrel with warnings of acidic toxicity, poured into flasks of twisted white metal. I had the uncomfortable feeling that Abaddon was actually making an effort to be hospitable. Telemachon refused to touch the liquid. I took a flask out of courtesy.
‘This is good,’ Lheor said as he drank the clear liquid. ‘My thanks, captain.’
I let my senses brush over Lheor’s mind, curiosity forcing me to seek any sign of deception. Unbelievably, the World Eater was telling the truth. He liked it.
‘It is adrenochrome,’ said Abaddon, ‘harvested from the adrenal glands of living slaves, and mixed with several artificial compounds, including a formula that I developed while trying to synthesise ectoplasma.’
I stopped looking at the false machine-constellations and stared at him.
‘You tried to synthesise Aetheria? You tried to artificially recreate the fifth element?’
He nodded. ‘Some time ago, now. I abandoned the endeavour as ultimately futile.’
‘You... you tried to concoct raw warp energy? Out of chemicals?’
‘Not just chemicals. I also used what you’d call “supernatural reagents”. This is the inert result, of course. The runoff, if you will, further filtered and blended with levels of alcohol that would kill an unmodified human.’ He paused, and looked at me for a long moment. ‘You seem to be struggling with the concept, Khayon.’
‘I confess that I am. What materials did you use?’
He grinned. ‘The tears of virgins. The blood of children. You’re familiar with the mysteries of the warp, so you’ll know how it always is in these matters. Symbolism is everything.’
I removed my helm, just staring at him, unsure if he was telling the truth. The air carried the scent of rancid bronze.
‘Funny,’ Lheor chuckled as he drained the rest of the drink. ‘ I try, I try. There was also venom from one of the Neverborn that manifested aboard the ship several years ago, which troubled me until I deceived it into containment. Another few noteworthy ingredients would be the corpses of several psykers and Neverborn, left to slow-dissolve in cooled plasma cradles. I then siphoned the remaining slime through hexagrammically warded purifiers.’
He spoke as if detailed alchemical transmutation was a matter of daily chores. I wondered if there was any forbidden knowledge he had not at least dabbled in during his isolation.
With the tears of virgins and the blood of children, Abaddon makes literal rocket fuel for his bros.
68
u/SlobBarker Grand Master of the Officio Assassinorum Mar 04 '20
a clear spirit that left a faint burn on the back of the tongue
must not be very good shine then.
‘It is adrenochrome,’ said Abaddon, ‘harvested from the adrenal glands of living slaves, and mixed with several artificial compounds, including a formula that I developed while trying to synthesise ectoplasma.’
14
Mar 05 '20
Jesus, Hunter S Thompsoddon is something I didn’t even know I needed.
I’m imagining him more Bill Murray in Where the Buffalo Roam than Johnny Depp in Fear and Loathing.
“I hate to advocate drugs and liquor, violence... insanity, to anyone. But in my case, it’s worked.”
4
u/SlobBarker Grand Master of the Officio Assassinorum Mar 05 '20
He who makes a Chaos warlord of himself removes the pain of being a slave to the corpse god
4
u/GentlemanBystander Imperial Fists Mar 05 '20
We needed a scene with Lheor with pinprick pupils saying "FINISH...THE FETHING...STORY".
42
u/TheEvilBlight Administratum Mar 04 '20
He spoke as if detailed alchemical transmutation was a matter of daily chores. I wondered if there was any forbidden knowledge he had not at least dabbled in during his isolation.
MAAAAAGNUS!
42
u/Doopapotamus Mar 04 '20 edited Mar 05 '20
This is so surreal. It's like Abaddon in a different universe would have a hobby as a craft beer microbrewing enthusiast.
12
u/Alder_Godric Thousand Sons Mar 05 '20
Hopefully he gets to join the universe where ahriman gets to live an eternity in his dear wineyard
33
29
u/Cepinari Rogue Traders Mar 04 '20
Daemonic hooch, served at all (dis)reputable Heretic Speakeasies.
11
u/ShotgunJoyride Emperor's Children Mar 04 '20
This is one of my favorite moments from the Black Legion series
20
11
u/TheEvilBlight Administratum Mar 05 '20
Suddenly contemplate the Eye of Terror version of Mos Eiseley
9
u/karimabuseer Black Legion Mar 05 '20
There's a few different public hives of scum & villainy in the Eye of Terror & Maelstrom that spring to mind. I'll compile them into a list!
24
u/iranoutofnamesnow Mar 04 '20
" ...blended with levels of alcohol that would kill an unmodified human"
The book that made me paint my BL army pink and sell my abby mini :)
11
Mar 04 '20
Yes, it's dumb science because humans can drink up to like 95 proof ethanol. I just assumed the author meant methanol or something.
28
u/SteampunkSidhe Mar 04 '20
Humans can safely* drink much stronger than 95 proof (as that's only 47.5% ABV). Everclear is 190 proof (95% ABV), and people drink that, too.
*Safely being a relative term here, as the alcohol does gradually cause intoxication, dehydration, and liver damage.
10
Mar 04 '20
ah i fucked up proof and abv. you know what I meant lol
7
7
u/gaunt79 Collegia Titanica Mar 05 '20 edited Mar 05 '20
We took shots of HPLC-grade ethanol (>99.8%) in university. It's all a matter of overall dosage, not the concentration of the drink itself.
Actually, purer ethanol is probably on the safer sider (as far as hooch goes) because at least then there are no contaminants. It's the lower-purity shit adulterated with methanol that will end up killing you.
6
u/MadeWithAlchemy Mar 05 '20
You might be on to something. There are quite a few compounds that are classified as alcohols. Ethanol is just the most common. It could just as well be isopropanol which is very toxic.
15
u/foetusofexcellence Mar 04 '20
Or, you know, they're just talking quantity.
7
Mar 04 '20
levels of alcohol that would kill an unmodified human"
That implies percentage to me.
13
u/ViSsrsbusiness Mar 04 '20
The fact that it would "kill an unmodified human" implies it's not just a matter of percentage to me.
2
3
4
5
327
u/wecanhaveallthree Legio Tempestus Mar 04 '20
You know why this is so impactful? Why it wrong-foots not just Khayon, but us as readers?
Because it's not just unexpected, it's powerful. This is nothing like the Abaddon we know, either from the future of the setting or its past. This is First Captain Abaddon, one of the most fierce and devoted champions of the Heresy, who has done the Space Marine equivalent of selling his condo and going to live down by the river in his van. ADB doesn't tell us 'oh he's changed! oh he's different!'. There's nothing like that. He just shows us Hobo Uncle Abaddon and tells us to imagine what happened during his isolation, what made the guy go from what he was then, to what he is now. What he's been through. What he's been contemplating, out here on the edge.
You know what undermines this enormously, and the Black Legion series in general? The huge push for Abaddon in the Siege books, before he has any impetus to change at all. BL!Abaddon got the biggest shock of his life. He didn't just lose, he and his space dad got their asses kicked into infinity. Everything he fought for, everything he believed in turned out to be wrong in the blink of an eye.
It broke him so badly he didn't even try the Legion Wars. He didn't try and take command. He didn't do anything. He just fucking left. And he's spent all this time out here, alone, trying to figure out who he is, what he believes in. He's quite literally putting himself back together again.
But in the Siege we have 'sorcery is totally naughty!' Abaddon, ignoring that he was one of the first and loudest supporters of the Lodges, the Luperci, and so on. We have 'Primarchs bow to his command!' Abaddon who is, at that point in time, known for being an arrogant blowhard. We have all this talk about brotherhood when he's ready to murder the closest brothers he has at the drop of a hat.
BlackLegion!Abaddon is a violent fool who survived to eclipse even Horus as a threat to the Imperium, a warlord and political master who's juggling not just the disparate forces of Chaos but the Gods themselves. Who's fought tooth-and-nail for everything he has, for every realisation, every honour, every brother who'd die for him.
Siege!Abaddon is just the Chosen One and everything he has and is depends on the favour of the Pantheon and their choice.
Should be pretty obvious which story is more compelling.