Warhammer 40K: Leaders of The Fallen Dark Angels
Today my fellow Unforgiven of the Inner Circle, look upon the most infamous of the Fallen, err Risen (maybe) Dark Angels.
We all know that the Dark Angels have their secrets. The BIG secret is that they are always hunting the Fallen. These are the Dark Angels that allegedly “fell” to the traitor side of the conflict in the Horus Heresy. The Dark Angels have been keeping this secret for years and have been attempting to hunt them all down. For reasons both obvious and self-serving.
You’d think it would have been easy to round them up. However, due to a time paradox and a Warp Storm, things got much trickier. But we’re not here to talk about that. No, today we want to highlight some of the Fallen Dark Angels we wish would make an appearance on the tabletop in some form or fashion. And no, we’re not including Cypher because he’s got rules and a model already.
Attais The Untamed
Said to have been at Luther‘s side during the confrontation between the Fallen and Lion El’Jonson, Attias has eluded Dark Angels capture over three times. However at some point he became a captive of the Crimson Slaughter. They attempted to use the Fallen as bait to lure the Dark Angels into a trap on the planet Stern’s Remembrance. In the ensuing ambush, Attias was freed and fought alongside the Dark Angels. He agreed to become their prisoner if it meant freedom from the vile Chaos Space Marines. After the battle against the Crimson Slaughter and their Cultist allies, he was taken aboard The Rock.
Solas
Solas is a Fallen Angel and now an informal member of the Alpha Legion. Allying with the Alpha Legion at an unknown point, he and his Chaos Space Marine allies attempted to destroy the Dark Angels 5th Company in the Zambeque Rebellion.
Later in 987.M37, Solas was discovered on the Agri-World of Picus. The entire Ravenwing of the Dark Angels, including all ten Darkshrouds, were deployed for the operation. However despite this massive effort, Solas evaded them yet again. The Chapter Record would state that Cypher himself may have aided Solas’s uncanny escape.
Luther
Luther was the man who discovered the Primarch Lion El’Jonson on the world of Caliban. Like Kor Phaeron, Luther was not a fully augmented Space Marine and was significantly smaller than his comrades.
When the Lion returned to Caliban after the Horus Heresy, Luther attacked his fleet. The Lion and Luther engaged in single combat. In this battle Lion El’Jonson wounded Luther but could not bring himself to kill his oldest and dearest friend. Luther, was merciless and sent a sorcerous blast straight towards Lion El’Jonson mortally wounding the Primarch. At that moment, realizing how far he had fallen, Luther began to weep for what he had done to his friend. The Dark Angels captured him and held him prisoner on the Rock. At this point, the Gods of Chaos scattered Luther’s forces, the Fallen Dark Angels, through the warp.
Luther remained chained within the most secure cell of The Rock, guarded by Watchers in the Dark. His existence known only to the Supreme Grand Master of the Dark Angels Chapter, Commander Azrael, and those who held the rank before him. He was often used as an oracle to find the other Fallen. Azrael, like his predecessors, has attempted to make Luther repent for his crimes ten millennia earlier. Like his predecessors, he has failed to do so. Luther only continued to rant and rave, claiming that Lion El’Jonson will come and absolve the Fallen, and that the day of the Lion’s return is close at hand.
Shortly after the formation of the Great Rift at the end of the 41st Millennium, the Fallen Daemon Prince Marbas launched an invasion of The Rock that succeeded in freeing Luther. It is suspected that Luther is now assembling Fallen into a Legion that could bring the Galaxy to heel.
Zahariel El’Zurias
Garrisoned on Caliban under Luther, Zahariel began to feel a tint of betrayal at the hands of his Primarch. Fifty years went by, and at the onset of the Horus Heresy rebellion broke out across Caliban against the authority of Terra. It was spurred on by Terran-born bureaucrats who were in fact Chaos Cultists. Luther became convinced that Caliban would face destruction due to its Warp taint. He declared the planet independent from the Imperium. Zahariel vehemently disagreed with this course of action initially. The more he learned of Caliban’s dark past and its connection to the Warp, the more he agreed with Luther. Finally after defeating the cabal of Chaos Sorcerers and their walking dead with his own psychic abilities, Zahariel made his choice. He knew there would be no turning back for Caliban due to the Edict of Nikea . Hedecided to join Luther in secession. Zahariel went on to become one of the first Fallen Angels. After the events involving the Ouroboros, Zahariel was elevated by Luther as the new Lord Cypher.
Marbas
Marbas is a winged Daemon Prince and the only member of the Fallen to have reached Daemonhood. His Warp-constructed body seems designed to mock the Dark Angels. It is covered in the unmistakable elements of the First Legion‘s armour and his head is shaped like one of ancient Caliban’s much-feared lions.
Marbas first came to the Dark Angels’ attention in M36, when the Chapter received reports of a Fallen bearing his name leading a Chaos Warband. How the Daemon Prince of the same name came to earn the vile favours of the Dark Gods, or even if it is the same being, is unknown. All that can be sure is that Marbas now speaks too much truth. His actions in the aftermath of the Great Rift’s creation have made him infamous to the Unforgiven.
This occurred after he led a Daemon army in invading The Rock, causing heavy Dark Angels casualties. The Grand Master Sammael was nearly among them, but the Deathwing Grand Master Belial intervened in time to prevent Marbas from crushing the Ravenwing Master to death. Before Belial could destroy Marbas, however, the Daemon Prince escaped back into the Warp, and his daemonic army quickly followed him. Though it seemed as if Marbas achieved little beyond mindless slaughter and destruction, Supreme Grand Master Azrael soon discovered that the Fallen Luther was freed during the Daemon Prince’s invasion. Though the rest of the Dark Angels and their Successor Chapters are unaware of this, the mere fact that Marbas invaded The Rock has now made him the Unforgiven’s second most pursued Fallen, after Cypher. None seek him out more than Sammael, as the Ravenwing Master seeks revenge for nearly dying at the Daemon Prince’s hand.
Vassago
Vassago was a member of the Dark Angels during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy, serving as the adjutant to Zahariel.
During the Heresy, Vassago’s was part of the force under Luther exiled to Caliban by Lion El’Jonson. During the political in-fighting between The Fallen on Caliban, Vassago aided his commander against those loyal to Lord Cypher.
Vassago was later part of the forces requisitioned by Corswain at Zaramund as he sought to reach Terra. Hiding his true allegiance, Vassago and his brothers took part in the Siege of Terra when Corswain attacked the Hollow Mountain. During the fight, he saved Corswain from the Daemon Vassukella. After securing the Hollow Mountain, Vassago was confronted by a group of other secret Fallen who expressed their interest in using the powers of the Warp for their own ends. However Vassago refused to take part in the plan, stating that the powers of Chaos would corrupt the Dark Angels as they have all others. The other Fallen turned on Vassago, killing him.
The Risen
In M42 during the Arks of Omen Campaign, Lion El’Jonson returned to defend the Imperium once more. Starting with the Fallen Angel Zabriel, he has begun recruiting willing Fallen Angels that have been deemed loyal and pure from the taint of Chaos. These new warriors are known as The Risen. We will have to wait and see how his effort proceeds.
A Full List of Known Fallen
