40K Lore: The Exiled One – Skarbrand
Alright loremasters, it’s time to delve into some forbidden lore. Behold! The Exiled One, Skarbrand…
History
Skarbrand was one of the greatest champions of the Blood God. He has slain untold millions, left entire worlds ravaged in his wake, and even ravaged the realms of the other Chaos Gods. It is he who destroyed the First Palace of Slaanesh and killed Nurgle‘s great poxviathan. In the great battle with the most mightiest of Bloodthirsters, he received his axes – Slaughter and Carnage which imbued with the spirits of defeated enemies. However, it is also this unswayable dedication to destruction that proved to be Skarbrand’s undoing.
Tzeentch, having taken note of the prowess of Khorne’s favoured slaughterer, fuelled Skarbrand’s rage even more with his whispers. With constant taunting, Tzeentch goaded Skarbrand into ever greater acts of destruction, until his rage grew so great that Skarbrand took up his axe against Khorne himself when his attention was elsewhere. Although powerful enough to fell an army, Skarbrand had only succeeded in opening up a chink in the armour of the Blood God. Enraged, Khorne snatched up Skarbrand in his clawed grip, and choked him until all vestiges of personality and thought had left the Bloodthirster, leaving only his rage behind. Khorne dragged Skarbrand to the pinnacle of the Brass Citadel and held him aloft for all to see. Then Khorne hurled Skarbrand across the Warp, where he flew for eight days and nights, leaving a blazing trail of destruction across the realms of the Gods. Skarbrand’s landing carved out a massive canyon, and tore his wings to shreds.
Ironically, however, Skarbrand served Khorne in tortured banishment better than he ever could. He had become an incarnation of mindless wrath, unbound by any loyalty or logic, indiscriminately spilling oceans of blood in the name of Khorne.
Recent Sightings
During the Gheistos Cataclysm in M41, Skarbrand was sighted in a rampage directed against Space Marines of the Vorpal Swords who were attempting to relieve the Planetary Governor’s Fortress from a Daemonic siege. In 975.M41, Skarbrand would materialize on the Cadian-held Fortress World of Lutoris Epsilon. His berserk rage would go on to infect all he surveys, driving the Guardsmen defending the planet to turn on each other in mad frenzies.
It is rumoured that Skarbrand was cloven in two by Dante when banished back to the Warp, at the Gates of Pandemonium. But it is never safe to fully trust rumors, after all.
Until next time, Loremasters. The Emperor Protects!
