One of my favorite parts of the Warhammer 40k novel "The Fall of Cadia" was when Jarran Kell sacrificed himself to get Castellan Creed on a ship. He faced Abaddon by himself and he knew he was about to die so Abaddon was like "You're going to die in front of your friend without honor" to which Kell says "You're going to kill me with the same blade that Horus touched the blood of an angel, what greater honor is that?" Abaddon then goes "Horus was weak and a fool, I am better than he ever will be." Then Kell, with just absolutely Titanic balls, responds "You keep saying how much you hate Horus, then tell me why do you dress like him?"

Bitch just called Abaddon a cosplaying fanboy to his face before dying.

kind of heartwarming to know that Trazyn envisions their relationship as a School of Athens deal, intellectually and philosophically fulfilling

fascinating omission of personal agency re: How That Happened

Shout out to Robert Rath and Fall of Cadia for making all the space marine characters a) vainglorious idiots b) vainglorious MEGA SUPER idiots or c) so wrapped up in their own personal drama and/or codes of honor that they were functionally useless until it was too late. I think Rath should be the only author allowed to write space marines until GW remembers they are supposed to be deconstructions of fascist military ideals and not superheroes.

So, I just tried to listen to The Fall of Cadia audio book, right? It's written by Richard Reed, so it's bound to be good, it's got my two favorite characters in all of Warhammer, so it's bound to be good, right?

But that narrator.

I tried, honest to God I tried, but he makes every Necron sound like Skeletor's gimp cousin, and every guardsman sounds like a damn leprechaun. Not to mention the whiny, nasally cawl.

Like, I get that I'm just spoiled by John Banks' Cawl and Richard Reed's... everything, but come on, man.

The worst part is I still really want to read it, cause the actual prose sounds like it would be fantastic if it were anyone else reading it. At this point, all I can hope is a redone audio book, like they did for one of the Dark Imperium books. (I think it was Avenging Son, but I could well be wrong.)

new lore from the new Fall of Cadia novel

Lord Unifier is a cool and sensible addition to the leadership

I’m 6 chapters into the Fall of Cadia novel by Robert Rath, and I dig it. Kinda reads like a Siege of Terra novel, what with the wide cast and constantly shifting perspectives. I’d like to see BL give this treatment to the entirety of that big, big event that started modern 40K. I think we’ve always deserved to see it, and Rath is doing some great work giving it to me.

Hate when people say “the planet broke before the Guard did”, you’re all so wrong

If the Guard hadn’t broken, we’d still have a Cadia, you dipshits

When someone asks me why in Warhammer 40k the planet Cadia was so important

The reason in a nutshell:

Belisarius Cawl: You don't want me for your collection. I mean why take me, who has so much more history ahead of him, when you can take the legendary hero of Cadia right there. It would be a waste to let him die right now.

Trayzn the Infinite: You know the funny thing is I know you're playing me, but you're right.

Appreciation post for Sannet the Light-Sculptor, Arch-Cryptek of Solemnace... the hard-light architect of the Prismatic Galleries, and the one responsible for its maintenance, with or without Trazyn's presence. An old man at once sososososososo tired of his overlord's shit, yet fully dedicated to Trazyn's work, and the first to greet him back to his silent planet. Not always the most dignified, yet diligent, even where loose hive tyrants and drukhari torture implements are concerned. One of the only crypteks mentioned to have changed his profession entirely, and is just as lauded in this life as he was in his old one, despite having to work at a physical disadvantage. A cryptek serving under one of only 2-3 necrons known to understand the concept of disability accommodation... a scribe, in his own way, like his master used to be before biotransference. Loyal and respectful, but unafraid to bicker with Trazyn or call him out on his assumptions, and respected by Trazyn in return. The only necron so far canonically deemed the 'companion of Trazyn'. In this house we love Sannet, eight-fingered hands and all 🐙💖

Fall of Cadia is a banger for a lot of reasons (Rath is a great action writer and Trazyn is a shot of pure delight) but I think my favorite part of this book is just how twisted Cadian society was, long before Abaddon showed up. They turned their planet into a death cult then told half the people they weren't good enough to die. Of course there were chaos worshippers, and revolutionaries, and just as much rot inside as out. Of course their people were traumatized practically from birth. The planet broke before the guard did because Cadia was already broken.

This is the 40k grimdark that really works for me. The mundane, the chillingly real. The society that only feeds its people half of the rations they need to live if they aren't deemed good enough killers. Or aren't rich enough to game the system. This place was doomed...but that doesn't make the stories that happened there any less significant. The mistakes and the triumphs and the tragedies all mattered to the people that lived them. Which is so beautifully shown when the people that can make the choice, choose to live. Screw the Inquisition or the forces of literal space hell trying to stop them. Cadia was doomed, but it's people weren't. That's kinda nice to think about.

Timeshift | Weeknotes

As I write this, it’s super early on Monday morning. I’m using the ‘Timeshifter App‘ for the first time as I’m leaving for the Autonomous Worlds Assembly in Istanbul tomorrow. This app is supposed to help you avoid jetleg and feel fresh where, and whenever, you travel. All my friends who travel a lot swear by it – not only for sorting out ones body clock but it drastically reduces the chances of…

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I'm gonna share some excerpts between Abaddon and his adopted daughter.

Warning: SPOILERS for "The fall of Cadia" by Robert Rath, don't read if you hate spoilers. Emotional ending (I cried).

Their meeting:

Chatting:

(Context: she can read minds)