This weekend is set to be one of the bloodiest on record, when the World Eaters arrive in Warhammer 40,000 as their own faction complete with a new codex, new models, and the big guy himself, Angron. The action-packed Black Library novel Angron: The Red Angel is being released at the same time – revealing what’s behind the Daemon Primarch’s return to the galaxy.
We caught up with author David Guymer to find out more about the World Eaters’ latest escapades.
Warhammer Community: What was it like getting to write about such a pivotal moment in Warhammer 40,000?
David: It was pretty exciting to be asked. Angron’s a tricky one – he’s one of those “force of nature” characters that you can’t really empathise with or get inside the head of, so there’s definitely a challenge there. But it’s always great to write about major characters like Kragnos, Gotrek, and now Angron.
WarCom: How have the World Eaters themselves changed in the past 10,000 years?
David: All of the veterans of the Long War have degraded since their time in M31, but you’d be hard-pushed to say any have fallen as far as the World Eaters. One of the things I wanted to explore in It Bleeds* was how unlikely it is that any of them – given the way they fight and live – had managed to survive that long, and The Red Angel looks at how Angron’s return might be what the World Eaters need to finally reunite.
We have characters who’ve been trying and failing to bring their Legion back together for millennia, and the book zeroes in on their perspective when this incredibly important figurehead re-enters the limelight. Though many of the World Eaters have devolved into frothing berzerkers, some still have enough presence of mind to have mixed feelings about their Primarch’s return.
WarCom: What kinds of characters and aspects of Chaos can readers expect to see through the lens of the World Eaters?
David: There are three core Chaos Space Marine characters in Angron: The Red Angel, who each represent different points along the spectrum. We have Kossolax the Foresworn, a powerful warlord and the current master of the Conqueror – Angron’s ancient flagship. He’s been mentioned a number of times in the background of Warhammer 40,000 as a leading figure in the World Eaters, and is probably the guy most invested in pulling the fragments of his Legion back together.
He’s been keeping the banner flying through Angron’s absence, even while the other lords spread out around the galaxy doing berzerk things in berzerk ways, and is a true believer in the heights the Legion could reach if it came together again.
Elsewhere we have Leidis, who isn’t technically a World Eater yet – rather, a renegade Space Marine who wants to become one. I really wanted to explore the World Eaters from that side, to see what they’re like from his perspective, and ask why someone would want to join them. That became one of my favourite parts – in another world, I could have written a novel about that story alone!
The other character, Shâhka, is totally gone. He’s plunged over the edge of berzerkerdom, he barely remembers who he is, and his fragmented personality sometimes starts a scene as one person and ends as another. In short, he’s the quintessential Khorne Berzerker – basically what Leidis aims to become, and I wanted to reconcile how awful that kind of existence would be with the reasons someone would want it for themselves.
And then into that, of course, you plonk Angron, and see how his presence changes everyone.
WarCom: What was the biggest challenge you overcame while writing about Angron?
David: With Angron, and characters like him, you don’t really look at them from the inside – from their perspective. They’re more like an overwhelming destructive force, so rather than presenting scenes from his point of view, to ruminate on his wants and ambitions, it’s more about characters experiencing him, and how his presence affects their own lives.
It was definitely challenging to find avenues to look at that in new and interesting ways, exploring how that rage transforms people differently. On the surface you have the World Eaters and their battles against the Grey Knights, but below that you also see how being reunited with their father figure changes the World Eaters – no matter how much they might hate him.
WarCom: Did writing Ferrus Manus: Gorgon of Medusa and Lion El’Jonson: Lord of the First help explore how Space Marines interact with their Primarchs on a personal level?
David: Yes, especially Gorgon of Medusa, as that was also more about the Iron Hands around Ferrus Manus than the man himself, and how he affects those he leads. But also the breadth of work across the Horus Heresy series, as lots of authors have written about the Primarchs in lots of different situations, and the reading I did for both books put me in a good place to continue Angron’s story.
Naturally, Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s Betrayer was a big part of my preparation, being the seminal Horus Heresy World Eaters novel.
WarCom: Avoiding any juicy spoilers, are there any moments that readers should look forward to?
David: I did enjoy writing about my renegade Leidis, and I think anyone interested in how a broken Legion like the World Eaters actually functions will like his scenes. Some of the pseudo-magical confrontations with the Grey Knights were also fun to write – particularly a scene where they sail into a daemonic rift around the world of Armageddon, as it really amps up the chaotic warp weirdness of Warhammer 40,000.
There are a few nods to Aaron’s The Emperor’s Gift, as some of the events that took place there – and the consequences of Angron’s last banishment – have a big part to play in The Red Angel. Our main Grey Knight character was one of the few survivors (though he wasn’t mentioned by name!), and his part in the story all stems from his experiences in that battle.
Thanks David! Angron: The Red Angel is available to pre-order this Saturday alongside Arks of Omen: Angron and a huge number of World Eaters releases, including their brand new codex. If you’re an aspiring disciple of the Daemon Primarch, it’s a day you won’t want to miss.
* This short story is also included in the limited edition of Angron: The Red Angel.