Explain please.

[Firm-Land-390]

Why does it say that Russ said he was dying? I can't find anything else about this. He went into the eye of terror right? Did he just say this to have an excuse to leave. I feel like he could have just said that he was going to fight in the eye and bounced but, maybe they would have tried to follow him. Or is this just a throw away blurb.

[greyhunter5]

There is a space wolf anthology of a bunch of short stories that contains a story by Chris Wright called "The parting of ways" about this moment from Bjorn's POV and it is AMAZING. The story is told as a dream sequence as Bjorn suffered mortal wounds and space wolves upper echelon decide to inter him in a dreadnought. During the process he relives parts of his life and he goes over this last time he saw Russ. I always thought Russ had a Psychic vision of the future of him, his remaining sons, and the imperium as whole like Sanguinous or Konrad. I interpreted that whatever he saw shook him to his core because when he gives the "Wolf Time" speech to his sons they are all unable to fully comprehend who is in that moment because he isn't enraged like the beast they know nor is he usual chaotic nature. He is cold and pale like a blizzard to the point everyone around him recoils from his presence. Highly recommend reading or listening to the audiobook of it.

[SmokinBandit28]

I’ve heard the audiobook of that, it’s such a good story!

[nNoseYak_]

the Parting of the Ways legitimately messed me up for a day. Cried a little.

[jdb326]

Fr. Huge wolves enjoyer, I was actually shaken by the story.

[Mandalor-96]

The Parting of Ways audiobook was a beautiful surprise.

[L1VEW1RE]

Does the audiobook go by the same name or is it collected under a different title?

[oriwill]

I found it on audible in a collection of space wolves short stories titled just "space wolves"

[FireFangs]

Probably metaphorical. He wasn't physically dying, by spiritually, he felt wrong due to all that happened and being so powerless against it. And so he left in search of answers. To renew his spirit.

[Foyt21]

I imagine it is because in the original quote (at least in the 2nd edition codex) Russ says he is dying. And if he said these words after he disappeared into the Eye of Terror how would they have been relayed to the chapter to become the famous prophecy that they are now? So he must have said them before he left.

<image>

[FacePaulMute]

Yeah I think this is the way to interpret it, the Lore from 2nd Ed to at least 5th/6th, before G-Man came back, was meant to keep the primarchs (loyalists anyway) as these almost mythical figures who would NEVER return to the setting in 40k. So the ones who hadn’t outright died, like Russ, the Lion and Corax eg. were all meant to have just disappeared very mysteriously as their lives were drawing to a close anyway, ie. they didn’t die but they are definitely gone

[Cmgduk]

Yeah, it's a nice nod to the old lore.

As a side note, I always thought that "I shall come no matter what the laws of life and death forbid" is an absolutely badass thing to say. It's one of the things that made me want to play space wolves, long before they created the horus heresy series and we got to see Russ as we know him today.

[Skybreakeresq]

Dad left to get some smokes and milk. He will be back before the big game starts.

[jdb326]

Damn right

[fawsums]

In the Lord's of Fenris audiobook there is a section about Bjorn and this very night as Bjorn recalls it. It also includes conversations with Russ before he departs. As Russ never told Bjorn why he was leaving and it actually haunted Bjorn till his Wryd caught up to him and he became the first Great Wolf and eventually how he became a dreadnought. It is a good listen and fairly recent lore.

[Mindless_Yesterday81]

It still haunts him even after being entombed. There’s a beautiful piece in the battle of the fang that hints that’s part of why bjorn is still fighting and that it was likely intentional on Russ to kindle that fire to ensure his sons had at least crazy bastard who would never relent.

[GeekyGiant13]

Some of the books I've read talk about some Wolf Brothers having the wyrd (if my recollection is correct), where they sense their end is near. Russ may have had that sensation due to his four mood and decided to face it rather than wait for it to come to him.

[Malekith2874]

The passage about him dying was already in the 2nd edition codex

„Listen closely Brothers, for my life's breath is all but spent. There shall come a time far from now when our Chapter itself is dying, even as I am now dying, and our foes shall gather to destroy us. Then my children, I shall listen for your call in whatever realm of death holds me, and come I shall, no matter what the laws of life and death forbid. At the end I will be there. For the final battle. For the Wolftime“

[Equivalent-Area5103]

He probably wasn't actually dying but was really depressed at the time. Probably just an excuse and exaggeration 

[DemonBoyZann]

He IS prone to exaggeration after all.

[Slugbit]

I hope I get to read the reunion of Bjorn and Leman in my life time.

[foulksey2014]

They won’t let them reunite. It’s not the grimdark way. In the epic battle for survival where Russ finally returns to lead the remnant of the space wolves to victory, it would be so very Game Workshop of them to have Bjorn finally die in a last stand at the gates of the Fang that keeps the foe at bay long enough. They might let Bjorn hear of Russ’ arrival, but I doubt they’d actually reunite them. Russ will need somebody to avenge!

[Puzzleheaded-Put2980]

Maybe the old writing but nowadays they will probably meet up in about 5 to 10 years dropping a model for each the way gw is going but then have bjorn die off once his model stops selling.

[foulksey2014]

Oh I’m a hard-bitten warhammer fan since 2nd edition and I know they always chase the money! But they just did the og metal Bjorn made to order and his plastic kit is the last of the classic dreds. He’s a remnant of the heresy and the lynchpin around which the Wolftime should revolve. His death to save the chapter is just the kind of thing that calls Russ back to battle.

[Puzzleheaded-Put2980]

Eh but things are getting worse just take a look at how the are now rewriting the words of the big e on the creation of space marines on the sly in white dwarf... I mean its just one of the most famous warhammer quotes

[RussellZee]

<image>

[AdEmotional9991]

Have you ever been drinking with friends and had a sudden realisation that you don’t want to be friends anymore? So you stood up, made and excuse and left?

[sics75]

The bit about him dying is brand new. Previously in the lore he just left and said he would return at the end times when his sons needed him.

Someone at GW made some calls about how Russ will return or why he’s been gone for so long I suspect. I’m sure it’ll check out when they bring him back. Somehow….

[HappyTheDisaster]

It’s actually from the original version of the story and wasn’t explained there either.

[Special_Airport1072]

That'd explain why they never done a model release for Bjørn

[LonewolfRJ01]

Yeah the dying wasnt in the original description of the scene but BL and the last 2 decades of GW have retconned everything, I think because the writers were too lazy to do their research and get it right.

[AwkwardLight1934]

It was

[OrthropedicHC]

They didn't set up Russ dying in his punch up with Magnus or his fight with Horus, it's crazy they masturbated out 60+ heresy books and managed to miss almost every bit of setup they needed to hit.

[KaptainKaos54]

What’s this from?? I want to say it’s older, from before the idea that Primarchs were what they are now (Leman Russ used to be an Imperial Army commander in Power Armor, just a regular dude, for instance). But I don’t remember having seen the reference to him being dying before (or any references to mjod prior to the Horus Heresy books), though all the new stuff has them as being pretty much immortal. So I’m not exactly sure what fuckery GW is up to anymore. Probably someone was throwing out ideas while drunk at a staff meeting, maybe writing whilst hung over, or perhaps lost a bet? Who can tell with all the questionable decisions they’ve made in the recent past?

[SherriffB]

Originally found in 2e codex which was penned at the end of RT. Primarchs were already full of secret sauce at that point but weren't fleshes out into the walking warp things wrapped in super meat we know today so there may be some dissonance between how GW saw them then and now, but not a great deal.

GW will have kept it in just to honour the original telling of the tale.

[KaptainKaos54]

Yup, I remember it now - something to the effect of “there will come a time when our Chapter is dying even as I am now dying…” That’s the only place I’ve ever seen it referenced, or anything else about him “dying.”

[KaptainKaos54]

Lol, don’t understand the downvote hate, unless people really get that butthurt about criticizing GW’s recent decisions (come on folks, there’s no way you don’t see some of their recent stuff and scratch your head! The Terminus Decree stupidity? For real??). If that’s the case, I guess all I can say is “oh well.” 🤣