Re-Listen February 2024 as part of a Heresy Omnibus+ complete readthrough of the Horus Heresy series, as additional to the Shadow Crusade II The Underworld War (https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus/vi-shadow-crusade-ii-underworld-war):

Just like Hubris of Monarchia, I listened to this randomly as part of the Horus Heresy Audio Collection, Treachery and Betrayal, which made me want to re-listen and finally complete the whole Horus Heresy, but unlike Hubris, I absolutely remembered every moment of this because it is an incredibly short and practically perfect audio drama with tight writing, powerful performances, and the kind of reveal that answers some and raises so many more questions, in the best of ways, for both the listener and Lorgar himself.

I really can't add much to what I previously said, beyond reaffirming just how much I love this little audio drama that seems to hit every serious, brutal, silly, and comical note of Warhammer at once, while reckoning with some of the biggest themes at the Horus Heresy and all Dark Millennia's core.

It's impressive dense, nutritious, and thoroughly entertaining.

I did have one question occur to me on this listening, which I will put way down at the bottom, below the previous review that I very much stand by, as it kinda spoilery.

***

I don't know if it's impacted by the fact I found Illyrium repulsive and galling in its apologia, but I absolutely loved this extremely short, but incredibly important snapshot of Lorgar's life.

Aurelian does some pontificating into a servo skull, before being brought to the surface of the latest planet of Ultramar the Word Bearers have conquered in his name and in service of Chaos to see something extremely surprising - an underground fane dedicated to the Emperor and what will become the Imperial Creed. The bulk of the audio drama sees Lorgar in dialogue with the bearer of his own words, the Lectitio Divinitas, the holy nook of the Emperor that saw Monarchia burn.

Just getting to the see the absolute WTF moment of Lorgar realising that people are using his book in defiance of the Emperor's edicits and the horror in the devout that their book was written by a traitor is wonderful. The exchanges are written and performed wonderfully.

There's very little I can say without spoiling things, but also it's a very short, sweet, simple, and incredibly effective tale that highlights the many odd mirrors in the lives and wishes of father and son, as well as the contradictions, paradoxes, and complications around divinity and worship in the galaxy. Lorgar's reflections are fascinating.

Most importantly, especially after Illyrium, the only thing shown on any kind of positive light was the faith of the congregation. That faith being their own feelings, not the religion itself. Lorgar is so obviously an evil, religious extremist, and yet we still see the hurt he still feels over his rejection and punishment at Monarchia.

Great stuff!

***

***Potential Spoilery Lore Question Below***

So, it occurred to me on re-listening that the congregation have no weapons and make no attempt to defend or even run away or hide, in fact, they simply raised their arms to the sky as the Word Bearers descended on them. Why?

A simple answer could be that they didn't know about the Traitors or specifically the Word Bearers, so they thought they were heralding the Emperor's Angels. But with this being set at after the scouring of Calth, they may already be aware through communications, if not their faith. This might also not be possible because of the difficulty communicating with Calth, as shown in the garbled message from the Ultramarines off fighting Orks shown in Hubris of Monarchia being one of the Interstitials in Mark of Calth.

What if the Emperor allows this congregation, planet, and who knows what else to be destroyed with his name in their hearts, possibly making their deaths a sacrifice to him as either a deity, aspiring deity, or simply conveying a Warp Charge to him for his work, boosting his power, etc. in a way that is analogous to the way a thousand or more psykers are sacrificed to keep the Astronomicon lighthouse shining (and/nor the Golden Throne) in the 41st Millennium. I realise that this isn't a one for one, as I may be wrong, but believe the light of the Astronomicon without the Emperor is literally the Warp Presence/ souls of the psykers burning as fuel for the Astronomicon beacon.

Anyways, just a thought. Religion in the Dark Millennia, the actual pinning down of what a deity actually is, and whether power of faith is enough to be the means to an ends, i.e does the Emperor, either alive in 30K or dead/ semi-alive in the Golden Throne in 40K, actually have anything to do with the power wielded by saints and clerics (is he a god or Patron in the Divine or Warlock sense in D&D) or is the Imperial Creed and the veneration of the Emperor simply a convenient focus for bajillions of people affecting the Warp and a way for those with the capacity for it to wield power through the intensity of their faith, regardless of whether he's involved at all or if it would still work if you had the same structure and focused on anyone else, saying Ciaphas Cain? Lmfao.

Finally, I know he's long gone in lore and copyright, the most powerful of Warp Entities, but the Emperor either being the manifestation of or at least somewhat related to Malal, like a chosen one or Avatar is something I think is a fun idea and seems to fit with the Anathema title. (I have only ever gotten as far as Vulkan Lives, so if any of this is answered, or more likely, speculated on in the later books, please do not post spoilers, please and thank you!) ( )