The world of Warhammer 40,000 is dark and cruel, but even here one group stands out: the Night Lords. Founded as one of the original legions of the Space Marines, they have now betrayed the Emperor and follow a grotesque credo of murder and terror.
Most of you may know Lord Dracula, especially his historical counterpart: Vlad Țepeș. Țepeș ruled over the land that is mostly today known as Romania, and was known by the nicknames “the Impaler” and “the Butcher of Men,” as he was said to prefer executions by impalement and general cruelty as instruments of rule.
Now imagine a whole army, thousands of these men, genetically enhanced to be equivalent to demigods and capable of traveling between worlds to reach distant planets. These are the Night Lords – on a good day.
While there are also some brutal, loyal Space Marines, the treacherous Night Lords are unmatched in cruelty. Their entire modus operandi revolves around spreading terror, and they have been doing so since they were created by the Emperor himself.
Legion VIII: The Emperor’s Execution Force
Originally, the Night Lords are one of the first 20 legions of Space Marines ever created. Their primarch, Konrad Curze, was already experienced in spreading terror from his childhood, as he used this means to secure his rule over his home planet, Nostramo.
The Night Lords primarily found their use during the unification of the Imperium, where they brought rulers on Terra, as well as throughout the galaxy, “in line.” Through fear, terror, and brutal massacres, rebellious realms were subdued.
The mere presence and existence of the Night Lords ensured that rulers paid their tithes and fulfilled their duties, solely out of fear of becoming the next target of the legion.
Curze himself ordered the power armor of his Space Marines to be adorned with terrifying depictions of death. The Emperor himself may not have directly commanded this approach, but he certainly tolerated it.
Terror Born from a Sense of Justice
Behind the cruelty of the Night Lords lies a nearly benevolent philosophy, albeit with a very twisted logic. Nostramo was a planet shrouded in eternal night, whose moon and smog clouds permanently blocked out sunlight.
The society adapted accordingly, with pale skin, almost black eyes, and a… “rough” manner of speaking. Robbery, murder, and other brutalities were the order of the day, and the ruling caste merely ensured their own interests were protected through paid thug squads.
Curze, who did not want to stand for such a world, became the “Night Haunter,” loosely: the Night Terror or Hunter of the Night. Through gruesome executions and mutilations of criminals, he ensured that crime nearly stopped within a year – a bit like a very evil version of Batman.
His idea was that if he became the only thing on his world that the people hated and feared, there would be widespread peace, and the plan worked. He became the first monarch of Nostramo and was said to have ruled very justly.
Night Lords Today: Mutated Criminals with Superpowers
However, peace did not last long. After Curze’s departure, or rather: when he was taken by the Emperor, Nostramo quickly fell back into its old state of permanent brutality and corruption.
The Night Lords, now under Curze’s leadership, obtained their recruits primarily from the prisons of the world, where the new rulers had already claimed the best fighters for themselves.
Curze, having learned of the corruption of his world, decided to destroy his own home planet – not directly with an Exterminatus, but with enough orbital bombardment that it amounted to destruction. The primarch himself foresaw his death and ultimately allowed it – as a form of punishment for his own crimes and true to his principles.
As a consequence of all this, the legion is now made up mostly of cruel rapists, murderers, and other ruthless criminals, who have also undergone the “transformation” into superhuman Space Marines.
From the idea of wearing terrifying depictions on their armor, the “tradition” developed of skinning victims and stretching their skin as decoration over their armor. Since the Horus Heresy, the Night Lords have become mere scattered troops and thus the weakest of the traitor legions, but they still murder in parts of the galaxy.
Traitors, but not Chaos Followers
What is interesting about the Night Lords is that while they are undoubtedly brutal and have betrayed the Emperor, they do not technically follow the four Chaos Gods or the unfettered Chaos itself, at least not for the most part.
Night Lords abhor corruption by the dark gods; they only respect power and strength. While some members of the legion have succumbed to Chaos, most avoid contact with the dark powers.
By the way, when we tested which legion I belong to here at MeinMMO, I got Night Lords and… I don’t want to comment further on that. What do you think of this murder legion?
This desire for power is actually what drives some of the Night Lords into the arms of Chaos. At least one of them has even fully surrendered and became a vessel for a demon, which he… rather regrets. Unlike some of the most powerful champions of Chaos: The Emperor is cool and all, but do you know these 6 crazy Chaos champions from Warhammer?
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