Primarch Leman Russ
Leman Russ, known as the "Wolf King" and the "Great Wolf," is the missing primarch of the Space Wolves Chapter of Space Marines. He led the Space Wolves during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy, and is famous for his disdain for psychic powers and sorcery, seeing them as dishonorable in battle.
Opening
In 211.M31, Russ vanished with his Varagyr bodyguard after a troubling vision, leaving Bjorn the Fell-Handed, who became the first Great Wolf in his stead. Russ was one of the top warriors among the primarchs, alongside Angron and Vulkan. He was fiercely loyal to the Emperor and saw himself as his enforcer, known to the forces of Chaos as "the Brawler."
Rumors suggest Russ might be behind the return of the Space Wolves' 13th Company after 10,000 years of battling Chaos in the Warp during the 13th Black Crusade. The Astra Militarum has named several battle tanks after him, most notably the Leman Russ tank and its variants like the Leman Russ Demolisher.
Welcome, lore-lovers, to Liandrug, your portal into the vast tapestry of fantastical lore from across the realms. Today, we delve into the storied saga of Leman Russ, the Wolf-King of Fenris, and his mighty companions. Join us as we uncover the legends and battles that define this iconic figure of the Warhammer 40,000 universe
The Chronicle
The Space Wolves are one of the most renowned Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, celebrated across the galaxy. Founded by the Emperor over ten thousand years ago, they were one of the original twenty Space Marine Legions created for the Great Crusade, the campaign to reconquer the Human-settled galaxy and establish the Imperium.
Before the Great Crusade, Terra suffered through the Age of Strife, a dark era marked by rampant Warp storms. The Emperor, trapped on Terra, could only prepare his forces for the future reconquest, while Human worlds across the galaxy fell into chaos without his guidance.
During the Age of Strife, the Emperor initiated the Primarch Project, aiming to create twenty superhuman beings to serve as his generals and administrators. These primarchs were designed with unique skills and powers, combining advanced genetic science with the arcane power of the Warp. However, they were scattered across the galaxy by Warp forces before their creation was complete.
To salvage the project, the Emperor used the primarchs' genetic material to create the Space Marine Legions. His scientists developed artificially cultured organs from this material, which could be implanted into adolescent humans to transform them into transhuman warriors. While Space Marines were less powerful than the primarchs, they became the Emperor's greatest warriors, embodying the genetic legacy of their primarch progenitors. While most implants were similar across the Legions, subtle differences arose from their unique gene-fathers. Thus, the warriors of each Legion reflected their Primarch's particular strengths. The Space Wolves' implants, known as the Canis Helix, came from Leman Russ.
Initially, the Emperor had no knowledge of the Primarchs' whereabouts or survival. It was only during the Great Crusade that he gradually recovered them, now adults shaped by the various civilizations and harsh environments where their pods had landed.
The primarch of the Space Wolves, Leman Russ, landed on the icy Death World of Fenris, his pod crashing into a mountain. Despite the harsh climate, which would have killed an ordinary infant, he survived. A mother Thunderwolf, sensing a kindred spirit in the feral child, raised him alongside her cubs.
Imperial records, largely derived from Gnauril the Elder's saga, "The Ascension of the Wolf-King," recount that during a particularly harsh Helwinter, a Fenrisian hunting party discovered the wolf-child. In the ensuing confrontation, the mother wolf and most of her cubs were killed. The young Primarch, in a rage, killed a dozen warriors with his bare hands to protect his surviving packmates, Freki and Geri.
Recognizing the youth as human, a tribesman called for peace. The Primarch, understanding the gesture, ceased his attack. The hunters took him and his wolf companions to King Thengir of the Russ tribe. Seeing the boy's potential, Thengir welcomed him into his household to be raised as a warrior, a decision that proved wise over time.
Learning to Be Human
Among his own kind for the first time, Leman quickly mastered the skills of a warrior, learning to speak and wield primitive weapons like iron axes and swords. Known for his laughter and songs, he gradually realized he was more human than wolf, yet superior to both. When he disarmed the King's Guard Champion and handed back his axes during their third sparring session, King Thengir recognized his destined greatness. Leman soon spoke Fenrisian Low Gothic eloquently, and King Thengir gave him the name Leman of the Russ. As he matured, he led the tribe to countless victories. Upon Thengir's death, Leman took the throne, becoming a living legend on Fenris. Word of his fame eventually reached someone who desperately sought news of his lost sons.
A Heroic Rise to Power
Leman Russ' early years are shrouded in legend, with tales of him turning back armies, uprooting trees, and wrestling mammoths. When King Thengir died, Leman naturally succeeded him, uniting all Fenrisian tribes with his wisdom and martial prowess. Known as the "Wolf King," his authority was undisputed, and a truce existed between man and wolf in his kingdom. His court was filled with fierce warlords and beautiful maidens, and his exploits became widely known.
The Wolf King
As tales of the Wolf King's conquests spread, they caught the attention of the Emperor. In 819.M30, during the Great Crusade, the Emperor's fleets approached Fenris and recognized the Wolf King as one of the missing primarchs. The Emperor descended to Fenris, finding Leman Russ, who had united the tribes and forged his kingdom.
Coming of the Emperor
The Emperor, disguised in a plain robe and cloaked in psychic runes, entered Russ' hall. His powerful presence made even the sharp-eyed and sober natives, as well as the great Fenrisian Wolves, shrink back. Russ refused to honor him as the Master of Mankind, knowing the Emperor had to prove his worth through a challenge.
Three Challenges
The Emperor approached Russ and offered a challenge. Russ agreed, stating that if the Emperor lost, he would serve the king for a year. The first challenge was an eating contest. While the Emperor ate impressively, Russ consumed three entire aurochs, winning the challenge. Next was a drinking bout, which Russ also won by draining the entire feast dry. The Emperor, frustrated, accused Russ of being a mere glutton and drunkard.
For the third challenge, Russ proposed combat. The Emperor revealed his true form, standing tall in golden power armor. He defeated Russ with a powerful blow from his Power Glove. When Russ regained consciousness, he acknowledged his defeat and pledged loyalty to the Emperor.
The VI Legion and the Great Crusade
After taking Russ from Fenris, the Emperor quickly taught him the ways and technology of the Imperium. Within weeks, Russ was ready to lead the VI Legion of Space Marines, the Space Wolves. He was given a suit of Power Armor and the legendary Frostblade Mjalnar, forged with teeth from the Great Kraken Gormenjarl. Russ led the Space Wolves into battle, always at the forefront, his arrival marked by the howling of his pack.
The Night of the Wolf
Following the brutal Ghenna Scouring, where an entire planet's population was slaughtered, the Emperor censured the World Eaters Legion and ordered them to stop using the Butcher's Nails implants. Two Primarchs attempted to convince Angron to cease this dangerous practice. The first arrived soon after Angron was unwillingly rescued from Nuceria, and the second, nearly a century later, found it too late to prevent the unfolding tragedy.
Shortly after the Ghenna massacre, Leman Russ was tasked by the Emperor to bring the World Eaters to heel. The two Legions met at Malkoya, near the dead city of the same name. The World Eaters, battered from their campaign, faced the assembled Space Wolves.
Leman Russ & Angron
During their parley, Angron, covered in blood and fresh wounds, and Leman Russ, in his storm-colored battle-plate, stood before their armies. Angron wielded Widowmaker, his first axe, which broke that day, while Russ carried Krakenmaw, his immense Chainblade. Angron rejected Russ' authority and warned him to leave. Russ, undeterred, stated that the Emperor demanded an end to the implantation surgeries and massacres. The World Eaters were to be escorted to Terra for the Butcher's Nails' removal.
Tensions escalated, and though it is unclear who fired the first shot, the two Legions clashed without their Primarchs' orders. This confrontation became known as the Night of the Wolf, or the Ghenna Scouring in Imperial archives. Both Legions claimed victory but felt they had lost. The battle was bloody and inconclusive, with the World Eaters refusing to return to Terra or cease their implants.
The Horus Heresy and the Scouring of Prospero
Leman Russ, accompanied by his Fenrisian Wolves, Freki and Geri, played a significant role during the turbulent times of the Horus Heresy. Russ's conquests and his Space Wolves Legion successfully brought many worlds into Imperial Compliance, which took them to the far reaches of the galaxy. Gradually, all twenty Primarchs reunited with the Emperor, leading their respective Legions.
Lore lovers, sorry for this interruption, I am here to remind you to hit that like button if you're enjoying this deep dive into the lore. And if you're new here, consider subscribing to Liandrug for more epic tales and lore discussions from your favorite universes. Break up!
The Horus Heresy
The Horus Heresy began when Horus, the Warmaster of the Great Crusade and favored son of the Emperor, turned to the Ruinous Powers, aiming to usurp the Emperor's throne. This schism tore the nascent Imperium apart, pitting Space Marine against Space Marine as Primarchs and Legions chose sides. Horus ensnared nine Space Marine Legions through coercion, deceit, and corruption. Though some Legions initially stood aside, the evil within Horus soon became evident, leading to regret among those who had sided with him. Horus pledged allegiance to the Dark Gods of Chaos in exchange for immense power.
Despite the treachery of many brothers, Leman Russ remained loyal to the Emperor. The Space Wolves took part in notable actions during the Horus Heresy, but detailed records are scarce, and much of what is known is shrouded in legend. The Space Wolves, though absent during the Battle of Terra, were crucial in the Heresy's early stages, particularly in their conflict with the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion.
The Burning of Prospero
In contrast to the barbaric Space Wolves, the Thousand Sons Legion pursued lore and knowledge, especially concerning the Warp and psychic sorcery. Their Primarch, Magnus the Red, was a powerful psyker with copper skin, fiery hair, and a single eye. Magnus' strength was said to rival Russ's, but he focused on learning rather than battle. Russ, distrusting sorcery, feared Magnus's pursuits. However, the Emperor dismissed Russ's concerns, valuing Magnus as one of his sons and recognizing his own unmatched psychic power.
As the Horus Heresy approached, Magnus sent a psychic warning to the Emperor about Horus's corruption. To reach the Emperor, Magnus disrupted the psychic wards around the Imperial Palace, risking a Chaotic assault on Terra. The Emperor, angered by Magnus's disregard for the Council of Nikaea's ban on sorcery, believed Magnus was the true traitor. The Thousand Sons' continued use of sorcery prompted the Emperor to send Russ to Prospero to bring Magnus to Terra.
The Battle of Prospero
Russ, convinced of Magnus's guilt, was easily manipulated by Horus, who incited Russ's rage and led him to believe the Emperor wanted a full-scale assault on Prospero. The Space Wolves, aided by the Sisters of Silence and the Imperial Army, attacked, devastating Prospero and Tizca, the City of Light. The Thousand Sons, despite their wisdom, could not withstand the Space Wolves' fury.
In the final battle, Magnus used sorcery to enhance his strength, enraging Russ. Russ, deeming this dishonorable, broke Magnus's back over his knee. Magnus, calling for aid from Tzeentch, the Chaos God, escaped with his surviving Legion into the Warp. The Space Wolves and Thousand Sons harbored a deep-seated grudge, though the Space Wolves played no major role in the Heresy's concluding battles. This conflict marked the beginning of their ages-long blood feud.
The Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula
Prelude and Context
After the Razing of Prospero, Leman Russ, the Primarch of the Space Wolves, ordered his legion to regroup within the Alaxxes Nebula. However, Horus, the Warmaster who had turned traitor, secretly deployed the Alpha Legion to ambush the weakened and outnumbered Space Wolves. The Alpha Legion, led by the twin Primarchs Alpharius and Omegon, held a grudge against the Space Wolves and Leman Russ for their disdain towards the Alpha Legion's methods of deception and subterfuge.
The Ambush and Initial Struggle
The Alpha Legion attacked the Space Wolves with the intent to delay them from reinforcing the Imperial defenses on Terra. Despite sending a distress call to Jaghatai Khan and the White Scars, Russ received no immediate aid. The Khan, skeptical about the loyalty of the Space Wolves due to conflicting reports, chose not to intervene.
Facing a seemingly hopeless situation, Russ became demoralized and isolated himself, leaving First Captain Gunnar Gunnhilt in command. Gunnhilt led a desperate breakout attempt, but the Space Wolves fleet was continually harried by the Alpha Legion.
The Turning Point
Counsel from Bjorn 'The One-Handed,' a young and esteemed Pack Leader, helped Russ reconcile with his past as the Emperor's "Executioner," rejuvenating his resolve. Russ rejoined the battle, leading a fierce defense as Gunnhilt and his crew valiantly sacrificed themselves to buy time. Despite their efforts, the Alpha Legion began to gain the upper hand.
The Climactic Battle
At the height of the conflict, elite Lernaean Cataphractii Terminators of the Alpha Legion teleported aboard Russ's flagship, Hrafnkel. Russ engaged in combat with Alpharius, who was disguised as one of his own Terminators. As the Alpha Legion was on the brink of victory, an unexpected intervention occurred.
The Arrival of the Dark Angels
A fleet of Dark Angels, led by the Ramilies-class Starfort Chimaera and commanded by Chapter Master Althalos, arrived in response to the Space Wolves' distress signals. They had determined that the Space Wolves remained loyal to the Emperor. With their aid, the Space Wolves managed to force the Alpha Legion into a retreat.
Aftermath and Revelations
After the battle, Russ and his trusted warriors met with Chapter Master Althalos, who explained that his fleet had been dispatched 59 years before the Horus Heresy to establish outposts and had been unaware of the galactic rebellion. During the battle, Dark Angels Captain Ormand infiltrated the Hrafnkel to verify the Space Wolves' loyalty. Convinced of their loyalty by their valor, Ormand informed Althalos, leading to the Dark Angels' intervention.
Russ provided Althalos with a comprehensive account of the Warmaster's treachery and the broader events of the Horus Heresy. Saddened by the news, Althalos decided to return his forces to Caliban, while Russ set course for Terra, preparing for the inevitable confrontation with Horus.
During the final epic battle of the Horus Heresy, the Space Wolves were still far from the Throneworld during the Siege of Terra. Knowledge of the imminent arrival of two Loyalist Legions, which included the Space Wolves and the Ultramarines, would inevitably tip the balance in favour of the Loyalists.
This pushed Horus at the climax of the Siege of Terra into allowing the Emperor to personally teleport aboard his flagship, the Vengeful Spirit, in orbit over Terra in a desperate gamble to bring the terrible civil war to a swift conclusion. The two Legions arrived just after the battle concluded, with the Warmaster and the Blood Angels' Primarch Sanguinius (killed at the hands of Horus), already dead. The Emperor Himself had been mortally wounded and was later interred within the arcane life support mechanisms of the Golden Throne by Rogal Dorn.
The Codex Astartes
Afterwards, Leman Russ was to rage against the events that had kept him from his beloved sire. With the permanent enthronement of the Emperor came a different age for Mankind. The Primarchs were warriors, generals and leaders of men, not bureaucrats and politicians, so the responsibility of ruling the Imperium in the Emperor's name passed to the High Lords of Terra.
Both the High Lords and the surviving Primarchs dreaded the resurgence of Chaos. Many worlds were purged during a time of great retribution known as the Scouring. Throughout the galaxy, the tainted were sought out and destroyed. Never again could the Imperium tolerate the possibility of Space Marine armies falling under the influence of an enemy of Mankind. In accordance with the Ultramarines' Primarch Roboute Guilliman's seminal treatise, the Codex Astartes, the original Space Marine Legions were broken up into smaller 1,000-man Chapters and a code was drawn up to redefine their role and jurisdiction within the Imperium. Before the Heresy, a Legion had numbered Space Marines in their tens of thousands; under the new order each Chapter's size was limited to ten companies of approximately one hundred battle-brothers. The Legions still loyal to the Emperor would live on as "First Founding" Chapters, keeping their original names, colours and iconography. The remaining Space Marines from each loyalist Legion were then reorganised into a number of new Chapters. In each case, these Second Founding Chapters all shared a genetic brotherhood with their First Founding Chapter and their Primarch.
The Space Wolves were officially divided only once, creating the ill-fated Wolf Brothers Chapter. Leman Russ cared little for formal military organisation and tactics, ever relying on the strength and courage of his warriors to win the day. He had no intention of breaking apart his mighty Legion further in accordance with his brother's wishes. Though Guilliman ostensibly agreed to the Space Wolves retaining their twelve remaining Great Companies, each one still comprised many hundreds of Space Wolves and led by a Captain called a Wolf Lord, for the Wolf-King would have them fight in the manner of the native tribes of Fenris -- as an army of battle-hungry warriors, not a small contingent of disciplined and well-ordered troops. In this way the Space Wolves retained their original size and power in a way matched by no other Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes. Thus did the Space Wolves largely ignore the Codex Astartes, instead holding to the teachings of Russ, which still define their fighting methods to this day.
In the year 211.M31, nearly two centuries after the Emperor's entombment on the Golden Throne, Leman Russ mysteriously vanished during a feast on Fenris known as the "Feast of the Emperor's Ascension." His departure was sudden and preceded by a vision that seemed to call him away.
Leman Russ left instructions with his closest companions and departed with his bodyguard, leaving behind only Bjorn the Fell-Handed, who later became a Dreadnought and the keeper of Russ's tale.
After Russ's disappearance, the Space Wolves conducted several Great Hunts to find their lost Primarch. These were expansive endeavors across the galaxy, spanning many years and involving battles against various threats.
Bjorn eventually led the Space Wolves into the Eye of Terror itself, where he was grievously wounded and entombed within a Dreadnought. Despite their efforts, they found no sign of Russ.
Across millennia and many Great Hunts, the Space Wolves achieved numerous victories but failed to locate Leman Russ. Each hunt began with visions received by the Rune Priests, indicating Russ's guidance from afar.
Russ promised through these visions that he would return in time for the "Wolftime," a period he foretold as the final battle against the forces of Chaos, believed by many to coincide with the end of the 41st Millennium.
Reports of the 13th Great Company's return from the Eye of Terror during the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41 sparked speculation about Leman Russ's imminent return. This event hinted at a significant development in the ongoing saga of the Space Wolves.
Many Space Wolves believe that the Wolftime is approaching, a time when Leman Russ will return to lead them in the final battle against Chaos. This belief fuels their determination and readiness for what lies ahead. Despite Russ's absence, his legacy continues to inspire the Space Wolves, shaping their traditions and defining their relentless pursuit of justice and honor in the Emperor's name.
Closing Words
And there you have it, lore-lovers! If you've enjoyed this exploration of Leman Russ and his companions, remember to like, share, and subscribe to Liandrug for more riveting lore content. Join our Discord community linked below to engage in discussions and share your own tales from the vast cosmos of lore. Until next time, may the Emperor guide your path!
Back to Home