Thousand Sons: Homeworld: Prospero (destroyed). The Planet of The Sorcerors.
Battlecry: "All is dust."
Colours: Blue and Gold.
Primarch: Magnus the Red
The Thousand Sons were originally the 15th Legion of the First Founding, 1000 Space Marines created from the genetic material of Magnus The Red. The Legion were so-named in reference to their number.
The Thousand Sons benefitted from the genes of their Primarch; one of the most powerful psykers the Imperium had ever seen, next to the Emperor himself. The Legion had a higher than normal percentage of psykers and many died as they underwent the attendant mutations. With Magnus re-discovered by the Emperor, he was able to bring the training and knowledge of the commune on Prospero to bear in teaching his Legion how to master their psychic powers. Without this tutelage, it seems likely the Thousand Sons would have been purged - as many throughout the Imperium and the Administratum were calling for the extermination of psykers and mutants.
Nonetheless, many believe that it was during this early period of psychic training that Magnus and his Thousand first fell to Chaos. It cannot be known or guessed when this occurred - but at some point, Magnus and his Legion crossed the line into dabbling with daemonic sorcery. It seems likely that, as this point, this had little or no effect upon them, save exposing them to dangerous knowledge. Ultimately, Magnus' power and knowledge made him and his Legion instrumental in the implementation of the Librarian program. The practices of the Thousand Sons also lead to the Edicts of Nikkae - where the Emperor banned the study or use of sorcery.
The Thousand Sons did not initially join the Horus Heresy on the side of Chaos - indeed Magnus foresaw Horus' treachery and tried to warn the Emperor - but the use of sorcery in the warning caused the Emperor to send Leman Russ and the Space Wolves to destroy the Legion. The Thousand Sons reluctantly joined with the Warmaster and pledged themselves to Tzeentch, the Changer of Ways.
After the Heresy, the Legion fled into the Eye of Terror. Magnus was granted Daemon-princehood and the Legion constructed a home for themselves; known now as the Planet of the Sorcerors. Yet not all was well....
Tzeentch's touch brings change and mutation - and the Legion found their knowledge and power being lost time and time again to boundless mutation - great sorcerors and scholars reduced to babbling spawn. In an effort to prevent the loss of such knowledge, the Legions' Chief Librarian Ahriman, gathered a cabal of the most able sorcerors and set about casting a vast and intricate spell - the Rubric of Ahriman. This protected the Thousand Sons from further mutation - but at great cost. Many of the sorcerors of the Legion were killed by the spell, and the Battle Brothers of the Legion had their physical bodies destroyed utterly - leaving them as ghosts in their armour.
The Thousand Sons had always been known for their avoidance of close quarter fighting - preferring to use their psychic mastery to bring victory. Following the outcome of the Rubric, which divided the Legion into Sorcerors and virtual automaton warriors, this method has, if anything, increased. Whispering their chilling chorus of "All is dust..." the Warriors rain fire upon the enemy while the Sorcerors cast spells and weave elaborate plots.
Before the Horus Heresy, the Legions colours were red with gold trim. Their emblem was formely a red circle with eight points, and a point in the centre of the circle - representing Magnus' eye. Now, their elaborate armour is gleaming gold and blue and their symbol the ouroboros, frequently depicted as flaming and with a bird's head in place of the snake.
A contingent of Thousand Sons marines attacked the planet Sabulorb in an effort to wrest the Book of Rhana Dandra from Jaq Draco as he continued his quest for the Numen.
Source: Realm of Chaos by Marc Gascoigne and Andy Jones, Chaos Child by Ian Watson, Horus Heresy: False Gods by Dan Abnett, Codex: Angels of Death, 2nd Edition by various, Codex: Chaos, 2nd Edition by various, Codex: Chaos Space Marines, 3rd Edition by various
Submitter: Simguinus
Hive World Terra