Primarch Lion El'Jonson
Lion El'Jonson, often known simply as "the Lion" during his time, was revered under titles like "The First" and "Primaris Angelus Mortis." As the primarch of the Ist Legion, the Dark Angels, he stood as a figure of myth and legend among the Space Marines.
Opening
Welcome, lore-lovers, to Liandrug, where we journey through the myths and battles of the Warhammer 40k universe. Today, we're diving into the legend of Lion El'Jonson, the enigmatic primarch of the Dark Angels. From his relentless pursuit of justice to his exile and ultimate resurgence, Lion El'Jonson's story is one of tragedy, redemption, and secrets cloaked in the shadowy halls of The Rock. So gather close as we unravel the mysteries surrounding the Lion.
The Chronicle
The early life of Lion El'Jonson, primarch of the Ist Legion, the Dark Angels, is steeped in shadow and shrouded by rumor more than truth. Before the Great Crusade, the infant primarch's gestation pod was mysteriously cast through the Warp from the Emperor's gene-laboratory beneath the Himalayas, landing on the hostile Death World of Caliban within Segmentum Obscurus.
Caliban was a world dominated by vast, dark forests, crawling with monstrous beasts twisted by Chaos from the nearby Eye of Terror. Here, El'Jonson survived alone, growing up as a feral warrior in the wilderness, hidden from the world of men.
In Caliban's harsh lands, knightly orders of warrior-aristocrats defended humanity against the monstrous Great Beasts. These knights clung to remnants of ancient technology, wielding Bolt Pistols and simple power armor, passed down through generations, yet still rode into battle on horseback as their forebears had.
After over a century, a hunting party from the prominent knightly order, "The Order," discovered the young Lion in Caliban's depths, surviving among the brutal chimeric beasts of the forest. To most, he was a terrifying sight, a ghostly forest spirit stalking the shadows, more beast than man. One among them, a knight named Luther, saw potential where others saw only danger. Luther took the young Lion under his wing, naming him "Lion El'Jonson"--"the Lion, Son of the Forest" in Calibanite dialect--and taught him the ways of The Order, giving him a purpose beyond survival.
With Luther's guidance, El'Jonson rose through the ranks, quickly mastering the knightly skills of Caliban. But his ambition ran deep, and soon he called for a crusade to exterminate the Great Beasts so that Caliban's people might live in peace. His resolve inspired not only The Order but also rival knightly factions, swelling The Order's ranks with volunteers willing to lay down their lives.
A fierce and merciless leader, El'Jonson led a decade-long campaign into the forests, hunting the beasts to the last, resorting to poisoned waters and forest fires to root them out. His methods and fearsome reputation unsettled many, even among his allies. Opponents like the Knights of Lupus rose in rebellion, fearing El'Jonson's ruthless drive would overthrow Caliban's traditions. They, too, fell to his sword, their strongholds razed as warnings to others.
By the campaign's end, El'Jonson was named Grand Master of The Order, but his victories left a rift between him and Luther, the man who had once been his brother-in-arms. While El'Jonson accepted his new honors without pride, Luther, overshadowed, bore a wound of envy that began to grow.
It was in this fragile moment that the Emperor Himself arrived, descending from the heavens to reunite with His lost son. The Emperor bestowed upon El'Jonson the command of the Ist Legion, now renamed the Dark Angels, appointing him as a supreme general in the Imperium's vast military, destined to reclaim the galaxy.
With the Emperor's decree, Lion El'Jonson departed for Terra, bringing his cold, relentless style of warfare to the Imperium. Known for his ruthlessness, he became the Empire's watchman at its furthest reaches, a force of destruction shaped by the brutal, unyielding forests of Caliban. The galaxy, whether ally or foe, would soon feel the indomitable presence of the Lion.
The Emperor's Great Crusade aimed to reunite humanity's scattered worlds and restore its galactic dominance. As scouts reported Caliban's rediscovery, the Emperor journeyed there with a 500-strong honor guard of Ist Legion veterans. This small, somber force knelt before the Lion, an echo of Calibanite legend brought to life. Lion El'Jonson tested their resolve in a duel, earning them the title "Dark Angels," a name soon to resonate across the galaxy.
Upon formally reclaiming Caliban, the Emperor faced opposition from traditionalist knights who feared Imperial changes, but they were swiftly executed as traitors. The news of the Lion's discovery stirred mixed reactions within the Legion, scattered across war zones. Some units intensified their combat efforts to honor their primarch, while others sought forgiveness for past failings.
The Lion was taken to Terra, where he learned of the broader struggle awaiting him, viewing the galaxy's foes as monsters needing eradication. The Ist Legion's initial trials for Calibanite recruits were grueling, selecting only the strongest for the Dark Angels' ranks. As they established recruitment criteria, Caliban's knightly orders were disbanded under the Lion's directive, consolidating into the Ist Legion's unified command. Factories and cities soon replaced Caliban's forests as its people prepared for war.
The aspirants who endured the trials underwent genetic enhancement, joining the Legion as newly minted Dark Angels. Among them was Luther, the Lion's former comrade, who, though unfit for Astartes implantation, received augmentations and served as the Lion's second, though haunted by his limitations.
Lion El'Jonson's purpose remained singular and severe--obliterate the foes of humanity, without the chivalry of Sanguinius or the aesthetic of Fulgrim. His leadership brought cohesion to the fragmented Ist Legion. Drawing on Caliban's heritage, he restructured the Legion, gathering warriors across the galaxy, each tested in combat before joining his ranks. By the time they reached Gramarye, near 100,000 Dark Angels swore a renewed oath to fight relentlessly for humanity's future, embracing the darkness that would define them as the Emperor's avenging angels.
With his Legion's future set, Lion El'Jonson led the Dark Angels into a new age. He appointed masters to the various "wings" he formed from the Legion's old orders, mirroring the knightly traditions of Caliban. The first recruits from Caliban, hardened veterans like Luther who had undergone cybernetic enhancements, seamlessly joined this restructured hierarchy, their roles dictated by skill, not heritage. El'Jonson's loyal companions from The Order found places within his command, though some older veterans chafed at the change in authority. The ancient grand chantry on Gramarye gave way to a more modest fortress, though Caliban remained the Legion's heart. Ultimately, Lion El'Jonson's flagship, the Invincible Reason, held his true seat of power.
The Lion took his Legion to war, quelling doubts among the old guard through sheer action. Responding to a distress signal from Karkasam, where the Ultramarines were under siege, he led his Dark Angels to a decisive victory, eradicating hordes of bloodthirsty mutants. Rather than bask in glory, he left a simple banner to signify the Dark Angels' debt to the Ultramarines repaid. It was a clear declaration: the Lion's purpose lay in war alone, not in power or politics.
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In their continuing campaigns, the Dark Angels waged relentless battles, most notably the second and third Rangdan Xenocides. Fighting alongside Titans and Mechanicum forces, the Lion earned his legendary status amidst staggering losses. His warriors, forged anew in the fires of conflict, adopted the Calibanite traditions, casting off the burdens of pride and the past. They patrolled dark and remote worlds, relentless in their hunt for hidden threats. This grim resolve defined their purpose as they advanced through the Great Crusade.
On the world of Dulan, the Lion clashed with the Space Wolves' primarch, Leman Russ, igniting a rivalry that would endure through generations. Though fierce, this contest was more camaraderie than grudge, reflecting a shared dedication to loyalty and a mutual respect that transcended the battlefield.
Lion El'Jonson and the Dark Angels' 4th Expeditionary Fleet were tasked with securing the Compliance of Sarosh, a world officially coded as Sigma Five-One Seven but known to the Dark Angels as Four-Three, under prior command of the White Scars Legion. Answering a call for aid from his close ally, Jaghatai Khan, the Lion joined the effort, motivated by mutual respect despite their differences.
The Sarosi had expressed interest in joining the Imperium, aligning their secular beliefs with the Imperial Truth. Yet over a year had passed without progress, with Sarosi bureaucrats blaming the delay on their system. Unbeknownst to the Imperials, the Sarosi secretly worshipped Chaos entities called the "Melachim" and saw the Imperial Truth as oppressive.
When the Dark Angels arrived to expedite the Compliance, the Sarosi Lord High Exacter, under the guise of diplomacy, denounced El'Jonson and the Emperor. The Lion responded by killing him on the spot. Yet, the Sarosi delegation had brought a nucleonic device, planning to assassinate the fleet's leadership. However, Luther and Librarian Zahariel El'Zurias intercepted and ejected the device, sparing the flagship. Luther later confessed to Zahariel his brief temptation to allow the device to detonate, a jealousy brewing in his heart.
The Dark Angels swiftly crushed the Sarosi rebellion, yet suspicions lingered over how deeply the Sarosi had infiltrated the Legion's defenses. Luther and Zahariel, alongside five hundred others, were ordered back to Caliban. This decision was made not in disgrace but as a garrison, a command which some saw as harsh yet a testament to the Lion's unyielding sense of duty.
In the final days of the Great Crusade, the Lion became ever more isolated, forgoing parades and gatherings, preferring constant battle to further the Emperor's vision. His aloofness caused the Dark Angels to distance themselves from other Legions, especially as Horus Lupercal rose to the title of Warmaster. Horus, despite attempts, could never sway the Lion or his Legion, who regarded such approaches as unworthy. Instead, Horus considered El'Jonson a significant threat, seeing the Lion as both incorruptible and relentless.
In anticipation of rebellion, Horus aimed to sideline the Dark Angels, hoping to keep them away long enough to solidify his plans. However, El'Jonson's loyalty to the Emperor and resolve were unshakable. Should he return, it would be with an unyielding fury, one that Horus rightfully feared, for the Lion's loyalty and martial prowess were unmatched. His return would be as inevitable and unstoppable as dawn, ready to face his wayward brother, even if it meant tearing down the Imperium in the battle.
During the tumultuous Horus Heresy, the Dark Angels stood as an unyielding force, feared even by the traitorous Warmaster Horus. Recognizing their strength, Horus sought to scatter them to the outer reaches of the Imperium, ensuring they couldn't interfere with his plans. While initially distanced from critical conflicts, the Dark Angels soon proved their prowess, clashing with the Night Lords at Thramas and annihilating traitor worlds in the galactic south.
In 998.M30, during the Compliance campaign against the Gordian League, they received word of Horus's betrayal and the brutal Isstvan III massacre. Suspecting a ploy, Primarch Lion El'Jonson decided a small, elite force was needed for a vital mission to intercept Horus's supply at Diamat. There, El'Jonson thwarted the traitors' attempts to secure formidable siege engines, eventually allying--unknowingly--with Perturabo, who was secretly aligned with Horus.
In the subsequent Thramas Crusade, El'Jonson faced the Night Lords' Night Haunter, which ultimately ended in a brutal fight between the primarchs. Later, with the Imperium fractured by Warp storms, the Dark Angels joined Guilliman and Sanguinius in founding Imperium Secundus, where El'Jonson was named Lord Protector. However, traitors continued to pose a threat; even when Curze escaped and wreaked havoc on Macragge, the Dark Angels pursued him, engaging in battles across the Imperium.
Ultimately, El'Jonson's relentless hunt for Curze led him to the planet Zepath, where he commanded his Legion through numerous engagements with the Traitors, solidifying the Dark Angels' reputation as a disciplined and tenacious force, committed to the Imperium's survival amidst the Heresy's chaos.
In the burning city of Alma Mons, Lion El'Jonson confronts his twisted brother, Konrad Curze, in an intense duel. Obsessed with finding and eliminating Curze, the Lion's relentless hunt leads to clashes not only with the Night Haunter but also with his allies, Guilliman and Sanguinius, over the governance of Imperium Secundus and handling of rebels stirred by Curze on Macragge. After a rebel attack on an Astartes convoy, the Lion imposes martial law and suggests orbital bombardment of Illyrium to root out Curze. Facing opposition, he instead deploys the Dreadwing to ferret out his brother.
Finally, in Alma Mons, the Lion corners Curze. Following a brutal fight, the Lion questions Curze's betrayal, to which he cryptically replies: "Why not?" Curze claims he's haunted by an uncontrollable inner monster, and while the Lion spares his life, he ruthlessly paralyzes him, breaking his spine. Curze stands trial, arguing he acted by design, splitting the Lion and Guilliman further. Curze's manipulations provoke the Lion to rage, only stopped by Sanguinius and Guilliman breaking his weapon.
Banished from Imperium Secundus, the Lion returns to his ship, questioning his path. But when Sanguinius sentences Curze to death, the Lion intervenes, believing Curze's prophecies confirm the Emperor's survival beyond the Ruinstorm. Sanguinius, swayed by his own visions, appoints the Lion as Curze's jailer. The three primarchs ultimately abandon Imperium Secundus, focusing instead on breaking through the Ruinstorm and returning to Terra.
United, the Lion, Sanguinius, and Guilliman lead their forces to Davin, facing Warp-born horrors and entities like the "Pilgrim." Despite frustrations with Sanguinius' reliance on Curze's visions, they engage a vast daemonic horde. Sanguinius faces the daemon Madail while the Lion and Guilliman battle Soul Grinder engines, nearly losing to temptation themselves. Together, they manage to escape Davin after destroying it, opening a fragile path to Terra. To protect Sanguinius and the Blood Angels on their critical mission, the Lion and Guilliman act as a decoy, engaging Traitor fleets along the way.
When the Dark Angels lose the Astronomican's guidance, the Lion, fearing Terra's fall, turns to vengeance, launching the "Passage of the Angels," where he savagely destroys Traitor worlds like Chemos and Barbarus. Uniting with Corax and Russ at Deliverance, the Lion's thirst for revenge is tempered by his allies' counsel. Eventually, he orders the Dark Angels to Terra, only to arrive too late to prevent the Emperor's mortal wounding.
Wracked with guilt, the Lion returns to Caliban, only to be met by his estranged friend Luther's betrayal. An orbital bombardment shatters Caliban, but the Lion finds Luther in a chaotic, destructive duel that ends with Luther, now empowered by Chaos, nearly killing him. Luther's moment of remorse comes too late as Chaos tears Caliban apart, scattering the traitorous Fallen Angels across the galaxy.
Mortally wounded, the Lion is spirited into stasis by the Watchers in the Dark, slumbering deep within The Rock. Dark Angels' leaders, sworn to secrecy, await his return, with whispers of redemption for the Fallen still echoing through their ranks. The Lion's eventual awakening, as the "Unforgiving Knight" of the 41st Millennium, finds him bent on vengeance, striking from the shadows against the horrors that haunt the galaxy.
Closing Words
Thank you for venturing into the story of Lion El'Jonson with me. If you enjoyed this tale, don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more epic journeys through Warhammer and beyond. And if you want to be part of a cozy community of lore-lovers, join our Discord, where the discussions continue and new mysteries await. Until next time, lore-lovers, may the stars guide you.
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