Every family has its problem children, black sheep who just don’t quite fit in. While the Emperor had 20 18 sons, each with their own weird quirks and curious predilections, none were quite as troublesome as Konrad Curze and his Night Lords – but from a certain point of view, being very bad is actually really good indeed. After all, it’s what they were made for.
Our guide to the Legiones Astartes offers an uncompromisingly neutral look at each of the Emperor’s Space Marine Legions, and today is the turn of the sons of Nostramo, the Night Lords. With an approach to combat that would make the fiercest Space Wolf flinch, these lads are a law unto themselves – and the verdict is death.
Even before their Primarch was discovered, the VIII Legion preferred to mix war and crimes. The Emperor drafted their initial complement from children raised in Terra’s vast subterranean prisons – a whole generation of feral kids born in absolute darkness. What could go wrong with making supersoldiers out of life-without-parolers?
Luckily, the Emperor had a plan in mind. Terra was full of dastardly sorts defying his newly-established laws – how could he make it clear that such atrocities wouldn’t be tolerated in his new regime? Obviously, by inflicting worse atrocities on the offenders!* With the VIII Legion policing the galaxy, the Imperium was ready to impose control through fear – and it never really stopped.
The Night Lords don’t mess around when it comes to war. Their sadistic streak, honed to a scalpel’s edge by the lessons of their Primarch, makes them exceptional at pressing the advantage against an opponent who’s on the back foot, and capitalising on the fear they instil in their foes. A fair fight is for idiots with more honour than sense – why bother with the art of war when you’ve got A Talent for Murder?
As befits gene-crafted warriors clad in advanced technological armour, the Night Lords favour big nasty chain weapons covered in jagged teeth. How chainblades became the weapon of choice on Nostramo is a mystery, but you can’t argue with their effectiveness – nothing screams terror like a gang of bat-faced murderers brandishing five-foot chainsaws.
Those Night Lords commanders who have spent a little bit too long in the torture chambers develop a certain artistic flair, worthy of the title of Flaymaster. These artisans of the abhorrent turn fallen foes into bloody arts-and-crafts projects that even frighten other Space Marines. Everyone needs a hobby!**
Konrad Curze had a more miserable start in life than most of his brothers. Flung across the galaxy, he crawled from the depths of an impact crater on the wretched, sunless world of Nostramo. Choked with pollution, this mineral-rich hellhole was ruled by tyrannical syndicates and murderous courts who preyed on its despairing populace – until Curze resolved to bring justice to his home.
The young Primarch had many weapons in his arsenal – surprise, fear, and mass vigilante murder – and as the bodies piled high, he became known as the Night Haunter. The nickname spread across the planet like a grim fairy tale, infecting its rulers and people. By the time the Emperor arrived, Konrad ruled a world at peace. Terrified, whimpering peace.
Much like the free-spirited White Scars, the Night Lords gained a reputation for being erratic, waging war where and when they saw fit. Their cruelty became more and more indulgent, going from tasteful jump scares to gross-out splatterpunk. When he could be persuaded, the Dark King was often sent to quell rebellions – many of whom waved the white flag as soon as he arrived in orbit. Wouldn’t you?
Curze was plagued by visions of his terrible future that slowly drove him mad. He saw the Horus Heresy coming before anyone – unfortunately, his stuffiest brother caught wind of Konrad’s babbling and took umbrage. Primarchs fighting amongst themselves? What a ridiculous idea! The Night Haunter offered a rebuttal, leaving poor Rogal bleeding out over the carpets.
Fleeing to Nostramo, Curze found his home world had returned to its old habits – it turns out that peace imposed by a terrifying superhuman serial killer falls apart pretty quickly if he wanders off. Nostramo was destroyed by the Primarch’s own hand – an act which cemented Konrad’s decision to join Horus.
In a move that should have surprised absolutely no-one, the group running around with human faces stapled to their pauldrons sided with the Warmaster. The Loyalist Legions honestly didn’t expect them to show up at Isstvan at all, but probably figured the Night Lords couldn’t stand to miss out on a chance to torment their fellow Space Marines – which was, as it turned out, true.
The Night Haunter turned out to be just as reliable a Traitor as he was a Loyalist, and swung at any Legion within reach – he clashed with Corvus Corax, and spent a long time trying to murder the unkillable Vulkan, eventually resorting to long sessions of heartfelt conversation over tea and biscuits. Just kidding, it was more torture.
In the Thramas Crusade, the Night Haunter and his sons tangled with Lion El’Jonson and his I Legion – a bloody conflict between lords of night and angels of darkness that ended when the Lion captured his brother and submitted him to an impromptu trial aboard his flagship, the Invincible Reason.
The Lion, Guilliman, and Sanguinius all tried to agree on how to deal with Curze, who was losing his grip on reality and spitting out prophecies left and right. In the end, they decided not to give him the satisfaction of escaping the doom he foresaw – death at the hands of the Emperor’s assassin. The Night Haunter was frozen in a stasis coffin and jettisoned into space.
Most Legions would be pretty upset by the loss of their Primarch, but the Night Lords seemed more relieved than anything, and continued their rampage across the galaxy. They even became the first Legion to set foot on Terra during the Siege – suck on that, Perturabo – and though they achieved very little of note, they did get their hands absolutely filthy in the process.
If you’re hungry for more information on these despicable sons, and their unhygienic ornaments haven’t put you off your dinner, Black Library has you covered. Konrad Curze: The Night Haunter is an obvious place to start – it delves into the Dark King’s shadowed past on the corrupt midnight streets of Nostramo, illustrating how the Primarch became the monster he was.
Prince of Crows explores the relationship between the Night Haunter and his Legion, and spends a whole heap of time with Sevatar, Curze’s confidant and equerry, as he runs the Night Lords in the wake of their war with the Dark Angels.***
Or perhaps you’d prefer to see the Night Lords battling tooth-and-nail as they take on their by-the-book cousins in the Ultramarines Legion? Pharos contains plenty of brother-against-brother action, as the scattered sons of Curze attack in force.
Convinced you’re going to commit yourself to the nastiest Legion? Our painting team has tips on how to tackle their stormy blue armour in the video below:
If you’re not 100% sure you’re a bad enough dude for the Night Lords, confirm your hopes – or fears – with the Legion Picker Quiz over on the Horus Heresy website, which is a treasure trove of information about the upcoming Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness release.
* This Emperor guy is overflowing with brilliant ideas.
** Just don’t ask about their blue period…
*** His full name is Jago Sevatarion, but you need to get a bit of edge in your title when your boss is called Night Haunter.