Lucius the Eternal
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In the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, Lucius the Eternal is the champion of the Chaos god Slaanesh and a Lord Commander of the Emperor's Children Legion. Lucius is also known as The Soulthief, Fulgrim's Champion, and the Scion of Chemos.
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[edit] History
[edit] The Great Crusade
Horus Rising depicts Lucius during his time as a loyal Space Marine of the Imperium of Man. He is shown to be a captain of the Emperor's Children Legion alongside his fellow captain and friend Saul Tarvitz, where the two attempt to rescue members of the Blood Angels Legion from the hostile inhabitants of planet 140-20, also known as 'Murder'. The portrayal of Tarvitz's friendship with Lucius is used to highlight elements of the character that will lead to his eventual downfall; where Tarvitz is written as mature and grounded, Lucius appears childish and egotistical. The book also makes a point of his superior martial skills.
The character of Lucius goes through a series of changes during the course of the Horus Heresy novels, the most apparent being the appearance of ritual scars carved into his face, taking him away from the flawless featured Space Marine introduced in Horus Rising and closer to the current incarnation. The reasons supplied for this disfigurement have varied from an expression of "devotion and piety"[1], to an attempt to deter comments made by his fellow marines- that he looked more like a boy than a warrior[2].
Lucius' progression to Chaos is detailed during the Istavaan III incident in the novel, Galaxy in Flames. Originally fighting on the side of the loyalist marines for several months due to his association with Tarvitz, Lucius eventually comes to resent Tarvitz's role in their success against the enemy and the respect he commands from their men. Lucius contacts Lord Commander Eidolon of the traitorous Emperor's Children element, promising to deliver Tarvitz - and the Imperial position - to the Warmaster's forces in exchange for rejoining the Legion. Eidolon accepts and Lucius later challenges Tarvitz to one-on-one combat, with Tarvitz emerging the victor and Lucius fleeing the battle.
[edit] After the Heresy
The next chronological depiction of Lucius is as a Lord Commander, after the Emperor's Children have been cemented as a chaos Legion in thrall to Slaanesh. Lucius is killed during an Emperor's Children gladiatorial game by Lord Commander Cyrius. Lucius' death is described as an experience of such "transcendent pleasure" that it caused Slaanesh to intervene[1]and to reincarnate Lucius within the body of the previously victorious Cyrius; the latter's soul becoming a trapped, screaming face within Lucius' armour.
[edit] Characterisation
Pre Heresy, Lucius is written as a character of superlative swordsmanship, above all other members of the Emperor's Children legion, and as being proud of that fact. From the outset, Lucius' personality is shown to be immature, egotistical and impulsive, though initially these are qualities that the character seeks to overcome. The Horus Heresy novels make a strong point of Lucius' blind devotion to his Primarch Fulgrim, and he is described as exemplifying one of the aspects of his legions' pursuit of martial perfection: ambition[3].
Post Heresy, the chaos marine is primarily motivated by challenges in combat and has come to equate pain with success, delighting in the thrill of battle. Due to the aforementioned egotistical pride, Lucius is said to only fight at his best when a 'worthy' opponent is present.
[edit] Weapons and abilities
Lucius is able to constantly reincarnate within the body of any character that manages to kill him, effectively making him immortal. So long as the killer takes some measure of satisfaction from the victory, this will result in the victor's soul becoming trapped in Lucius' suit of armour. This armour is powered by the thousands of souls trapped in it, giving the Chaos Marine enhanced protection.
Lucius is armed with a daemon-infested whip, as well as an ornate sabre.
[edit] The Fall of Medusa V
Lucius was created in model form for the Fall of Medusa V worldwide campaign in the summer of 2006 for use in the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop miniature wargame. In the accompanying fiction, Lucius was mentioned as being in several locations, including Hive Edethor and Hive Hydra[citation needed].
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ a b Lucius the Eternal. Games Workshop. Retrieved on November 16, 2006.
- ^ Counter, Ben (2006). Galaxy In Flames. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84416-393-8.
- ^ Abnett, Dan (2006). Horus Rising. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84416-294-X.
- Games Workshop Design Staff (2002). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Chaos Space Marines, 1st Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-322-5.
- Abnett, Dan (2006). Horus Rising. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84416-294-X.
- Counter, Ben (2006). Galaxy in Flames. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84416-393-8.
[edit] External links
- http://uk.games-workshop.com/chaosspacemarines/lucius/ Lucius at Games Workshop
