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Visage
A Word Bearers Short Story
After having his face torn off by Horus, Erebus is physically and spiritually at a low ebb. To restore his faith (and his face), he embarks on a vision quest to seek out and harness the power of Chaos.
READ IT BECAUSE
It’s a chance to follow the personal quest of one of the most despicable champions of Chaos.
THE STORY
Following the Battle of Signus Prime, the indignation shown by Erebus, Dark Apostle of the Word Bearers, is met with brutal retribution from the Warmaster Horus. After having his tattooed visage flayed from his scalp, Erebus seeks the power of the avatars of Chaos to restore his faith in the Dark Gods.
Written by Rich McCormick.
After having his face torn off by Horus, Erebus is physically and spiritually at a low ebb. To restore his faith (and his face), he embarks on a vision quest to seek out and harness the power of Chaos.
READ IT BECAUSE
It’s a chance to follow the personal quest of one of the most despicable champions of Chaos.
THE STORY
Following the Battle of Signus Prime, the indignation shown by Erebus, Dark Apostle of the Word Bearers, is met with brutal retribution from the Warmaster Horus. After having his tattooed visage flayed from his scalp, Erebus seeks the power of the avatars of Chaos to restore his faith in the Dark Gods.
Written by Rich McCormick.
40 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 8, 2023
3 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 28, 2024
CW: Blood, Skinning, Surgery
May 2024 Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order (https://www.heresyomnibus.com) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus Heresy series and extras - Now in Immaterium of everything outside the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project working on the Primarchs and other stories, before the Siege of Terra.
OK. I loved this and absolutely couldn't put it down.
Following his failure with the Angel on Signus Prime in Fear to Tread and directly from his fall from grace and loss of face at the hands of Horus in Betrayer, Visage picks up moments after Erebus has been flensed with his own Athame. After more traditional surgery fails to grant him a new face, the Hand of Fate seeks answers in profane blood...
This story is like bloody Lewis Carroll, Alice in the Realm of Chaos, Erebus, Through the Bloody Reflection. The whole thing is a dream quest and Erebus getting his groove back in gloriously weird, fascinating, and fun scenes and sensations of the Darker Powers.
I'm a real sucker for the weird, esoteric, and surreal approaches to Chaos when it's done well, and this is a cracking example. I just had so much fun and kept myself up late reading it because I couldn't put it down and also didn't want it to end.
McCormick isn't quite in the exalted heights and bizarre depths of the likes of Annandale and French, but they are so very close and I truly hope we get more from them and more Erebus! I would absolutely read a Characters novel by McCormick with this tone and quality for sure!
Through the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project and my own additions, I have currently read* all 54 Horus Heresy main series novels (+1 repeat), 25 novellas (+2 repeats), Cthonia's Reckoning, as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, all 17 Primarchs novels 3 Primarchs antholologies , 3 Characters novels, and 180 short stories/ audio dramas across the Horus Heresy (inc. 11+ repeats). Plus, 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and 1 short story...this run, as well as writing 1 short story myself.
I couldn't be more appreciative of the phenomenal work of the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project, which has made this ridiculous endeavour all the better and has inspired me to create and collate a collection of Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40,000 documents and checklists (http://tiny.cc/im00yz). There are now too many items to list here, but there is a contents and explainer document here (http://tiny.cc/nj00yz).
*My tracking consistently proves shoddy, but I'm doing my best.
May 2024 Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order (https://www.heresyomnibus.com) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus Heresy series and extras - Now in Immaterium of everything outside the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project working on the Primarchs and other stories, before the Siege of Terra.
OK. I loved this and absolutely couldn't put it down.
Following his failure with the Angel on Signus Prime in Fear to Tread and directly from his fall from grace and loss of face at the hands of Horus in Betrayer, Visage picks up moments after Erebus has been flensed with his own Athame. After more traditional surgery fails to grant him a new face, the Hand of Fate seeks answers in profane blood...
This story is like bloody Lewis Carroll, Alice in the Realm of Chaos, Erebus, Through the Bloody Reflection. The whole thing is a dream quest and Erebus getting his groove back in gloriously weird, fascinating, and fun scenes and sensations of the Darker Powers.
I'm a real sucker for the weird, esoteric, and surreal approaches to Chaos when it's done well, and this is a cracking example. I just had so much fun and kept myself up late reading it because I couldn't put it down and also didn't want it to end.
McCormick isn't quite in the exalted heights and bizarre depths of the likes of Annandale and French, but they are so very close and I truly hope we get more from them and more Erebus! I would absolutely read a Characters novel by McCormick with this tone and quality for sure!
Through the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project and my own additions, I have currently read* all 54 Horus Heresy main series novels (+1 repeat), 25 novellas (+2 repeats), Cthonia's Reckoning, as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, all 17 Primarchs novels 3 Primarchs antholologies , 3 Characters novels, and 180 short stories/ audio dramas across the Horus Heresy (inc. 11+ repeats). Plus, 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and 1 short story...this run, as well as writing 1 short story myself.
I couldn't be more appreciative of the phenomenal work of the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project, which has made this ridiculous endeavour all the better and has inspired me to create and collate a collection of Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40,000 documents and checklists (http://tiny.cc/im00yz). There are now too many items to list here, but there is a contents and explainer document here (http://tiny.cc/nj00yz).
*My tracking consistently proves shoddy, but I'm doing my best.
May 23, 2025
***warning until now I have never touched a page of Warhammer books, lore nor the games***
I don't think any warning my other half could have given could have prepared me so what I've just read, but to summarise. dude'e face is ripped off, he proceeds to rip off someone else's face to wear but this doesn't go well. dude then drowns himself in a bucket of blood (as ya do) and goes on the biggest balls to the walls acid trip.
He may have had wings at one point but honestly I couldn't tell you.
He overcomes his biggest challenge of living a domestic life with a women who puts up with his fits of rage by poisoning her, which heals her. she is not a fan of this.
idk what I was expecting with the Warhammer books, this was a trip start to finish.
I don't think any warning my other half could have given could have prepared me so what I've just read, but to summarise. dude'e face is ripped off, he proceeds to rip off someone else's face to wear but this doesn't go well. dude then drowns himself in a bucket of blood (as ya do) and goes on the biggest balls to the walls acid trip.
He may have had wings at one point but honestly I couldn't tell you.
He overcomes his biggest challenge of living a domestic life with a women who puts up with his fits of rage by poisoning her, which heals her. she is not a fan of this.
idk what I was expecting with the Warhammer books, this was a trip start to finish.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2025
Of course fuck Erebus, but it's a nice story giving the character a bit of depth. It shows what's so unsettling in Erebus as a character: he's an ideal mid-level corporate worker, who gets shit done to advance organisation's goals with ruthless efficiency, with absolute disregard for other people and outside costs, while staying in line and not challenging higher leadership, even accepting the worst chastising by higher-ups. Every corporate C-level and VP dreams of such directors. Erebus is peak late capitalism. So, fuck him.
August 25, 2025
A short story that puts the "Grimm" in "grimdark". Worst Boy Erebus goes on a vision quest to get a new face, as one does.
Some parts are more inspired than others, but there's sparks of delightful prose and imagery throughout. The Nurgle section at the end is definitely my favorite and does the most to show that there's something resembling a human being underneath all of the Erebusiness. Not in a redeeming way, thank Gods, it's just nice to see that even the worst guy in the universe gets tired.
Some parts are more inspired than others, but there's sparks of delightful prose and imagery throughout. The Nurgle section at the end is definitely my favorite and does the most to show that there's something resembling a human being underneath all of the Erebusiness. Not in a redeeming way, thank Gods, it's just nice to see that even the worst guy in the universe gets tired.
January 8, 2024
Erebus being all Erebus-y. He's so annoying.
March 29, 2025
If you like your Grim Dark fiction to be very Dark and exceedingly Grim then this is one is definitely for you. Having someone flay the skin from your skull would kill most mortals, but Space Marines are made of stern stuff, and Erebus even more so.
Rich McCormick does well to show the insidious power and questions of the Dark Gods, as well as Erebus' communications and discussions with them and - ultimately - where Erebus feels he fits within the Heresy of Horus.
However this is a strange story to chose for the first in this anthology (and indeed inclusion in it at all). World Book Day tends to be aimed at younger listeners and whilst this anthology isn't directly related to that, it is released along the same time. To be fair to the chaps at the Warhammer store where I picked mine up he did say I probably shouldn't be reading it to my daughter (2) who was with me at the time... so points there; but overall a strange inclusion in a taster set that parents may be picking up for their kids to see what the setting is about.
Rich McCormick does well to show the insidious power and questions of the Dark Gods, as well as Erebus' communications and discussions with them and - ultimately - where Erebus feels he fits within the Heresy of Horus.
However this is a strange story to chose for the first in this anthology (and indeed inclusion in it at all). World Book Day tends to be aimed at younger listeners and whilst this anthology isn't directly related to that, it is released along the same time. To be fair to the chaps at the Warhammer store where I picked mine up he did say I probably shouldn't be reading it to my daughter (2) who was with me at the time... so points there; but overall a strange inclusion in a taster set that parents may be picking up for their kids to see what the setting is about.
September 9, 2025
After his failure to convert Sanguinius in “Fear to Tread” Horus used the athame to cut Erebus’ face off. Now Erebus communes with the Dark Gods, seeking the power to continue.
It’s very “Alice in Wonderland” as Erebus goes on a quest crossing paths with powerful daemons that he must subdue. Its very weird and esoteric, almost like some sort of ancient mythological tale.
It’s very “Alice in Wonderland” as Erebus goes on a quest crossing paths with powerful daemons that he must subdue. Its very weird and esoteric, almost like some sort of ancient mythological tale.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews