Mortarion: The Death Lord’s Descent into Decay
Early Life and Origins
Mortarion, one of the Emperor’s twenty genetically engineered Primarchs, was cast across the galaxy by the Ruinous Powers of Chaos and landed on the toxic death-world of Barbarus. Enveloped in poisonous fogs, Barbarus was ruled by necromantic warlords who subjugated the planet’s human population. Mortarion was discovered and raised by one of these warlords, growing up amidst constant exposure to death and decay. Despite his adoptive father’s teachings, Mortarion harbored a deep hatred for his oppressors and yearned to free the oppressed humans of Barbarus. This ambition shaped his relentless character and fueled his rise as a warrior and leader.
Rise to Power
As Mortarion grew in strength and knowledge, he led a rebellion against Barbarus’s warlords, driving them from the human settlements and liberating the population. However, his efforts were insufficient to defeat his adoptive father, who resided in a toxic fortress high above the poisonous fog Mortarion could not breach. It was at this critical moment that the Emperor arrived, offering aid in exchange for Mortarion’s allegiance. Though initially reluctant, Mortarion accepted, and with the Emperor’s help, he defeated his former master. Mortarion then joined the Great Crusade as the leader of the Death Guard, commanding his Legion with brutal efficiency.
Fall to Chaos
Despite his loyalty to the Emperor, Mortarion grew increasingly disillusioned with the Imperium and the Imperial Truth, particularly its rejection of the supernatural forces he had witnessed on Barbarus. This growing bitterness made him susceptible to the influence of Chaos. During the Horus Heresy, Mortarion and the Death Guard became ensnared by Nurgle, the Chaos God of decay, after their fleet was trapped in the Warp and ravaged by plague. Desperate to save his warriors, Mortarion succumbed to Nurgle’s offer of salvation, and the Death Guard were transformed into plague-ridden servants of the Plague Lord. Mortarion himself ascended as a Daemon Prince, sealing his fate as a champion of Chaos.
Characteristics and Legacy
Mortarion is a towering, skeletal figure clad in the corroded Barbaran Plate, his presence marked by an aura of decay and a toxic miasma that suffocates his enemies. He wields the scythe Silence, capable of cleaving through any foe, and the Lantern, a potent ranged weapon. As a Daemon Primarch, Mortarion embodies resilience and unrelenting pestilence, spreading Nurgle’s plagues wherever he treads. In the 41st Millennium, he leads the Death Guard in their ceaseless mission to bring ruin and despair to the galaxy. Mortarion’s tragic fall from a noble liberator to a monstrous servant of Chaos serves as a grim reminder of the Warhammer 40,000 universe’s unyielding darkness, where even the greatest heroes can succumb to corruption.
