Editing Nobledark Imperium Primarchs (section)

== Ferrus Manus ==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%"> '''''The One of Ice and Iron:'''''

The unimaginatively named Ferrus Manus was born in the manner typical of the Mechanicus enclaves of Antarctica — grown in a jar from anonymous genetic samples. Deemed free of malformation and unwanted deviations in his early development, which were rare and valuable assets in an age where clumsy genetic enhancement created mutants more horrific than radiation or plague ever could, he was permitted to be born rather than recycled. Being born and raised where he was at the time he was, Ferrus had no name at birth — although the markings on his tube did superficially resemble the name Gorgon in an ancient tongue recognised by one of the oldest Magi. This was adopted as his unofficial name in his youth; doubly so after it became apparent that he would grow up to be aesthetically displeasing.

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Ferrus was given a basic and general techno-ecumenical education until the age of twelve, after which he began training for full inclusion into the Mechanicus. By fourteen he had managed to achieve the rank of Technician-acolyte — escaping the the fate of Servitorhood that awaited underachievers — but a purely priestly life was deemed an inefficient use of his talents, and he was transferred to the Skitarii for training. By his eighteenth year he was a fully and mechanically augmented soldier of the Mechanicus priesthood, and was tasked with the defence of the Nuemyana Port, one of the few places where primitive outsiders were permitted to have dealings with the Terran Mechanicus.

As he rose through the ranks of the Mechanicus military, receiving all the augmentations appropriate to his station, Ferrus began to see the world in absolute terms — the black and white notions of Weak and Strong; that it was the duty of the Weak to serve the Strong, whose duty in turn were to rule and protect. It was as if his heart was slowly being replaced with machinery as much as his body was, beginning to see all humanity not a part of the Mechanicus as Weak. Perhaps this was merely conformity, however, as many of the Elder Magi shared similar views. And... '''enforced''' them. Regardless of their attitude to more baseline humans, the Enclaves soon came under threat from Hy Braseal. Though the nation could hardly be called a superpower Hy Braseal was close enough, and proved sophisticated and organised enough to push the Mechanicus Enclaves off the tip of South America, leaving their former holdings destroyed, irradiated, or captured.





Due to their perceived incompetence in the piecemeal defence of their lands many of the Elder Magi were deposed by those below. The ambitious and the popular soon rushed in to fill the power vacuum at the top of the hierarchy, whilst the new Elders had the few remnants of the old order servitorised. At the end of the reshuffling Gorgon found himself as General-Sentinel and Protector of the Northern border, a prestigious yet demanding job that commanded the first line of defense against the Braseali peoples — and would be the first to be servitorised, were the enemy to force their way onto the Antarctic mainland.

In spite of the Mechanicum's preference for function over form, Gorgon ordered for his new cybernetic upgrade to be encased in the toughest alloy known to the Mechanicum. True, it would serve no purpose; although the material was indeed potent armour, his position as General-Sentinel precluded any situation where that would be useful. Instead, it was a surprisingly perceptive move to bolster his stature in the eyes of others; the intimidating size and power of the modifications terrorized those who sought to mutiny as much as it did Braseali spies. Thus, the Gorgon was no more — in his place there was only Ferrus Manus.

Even as he rallied his Skitarii and began to forge them into something stronger, the generals of Hy Braseal had already raised a horde of relatively well-disciplined and well-armed soldiers, and were beginning to lead them into the cold Antarctic enclaves. Salvation came in the form of the Warlord, who sought the advanced technology hoarded by the Mechanicum. The Elder Magi saw their projections of survival in a total war scenario with Braseal jump over tenfold merely by being on friendly terms with the Warlord, and all the way to an astounding 93% were they to accept his offer. Which they did without second thought. Dalmoth Kyn — the leader of most of South America — and his descendents would never forget how the Warlord had sided with the Mechanicus, forever opening a rift between their people and those of the Imperium. In time, they too would eventually join — but not before a long and bloody war consumed much of the Braseali people.

As the Mechanicus Enclaves were assimilated one by one into the Imperium, Ferrus Manus once more found himself rising up the ranks of the military. His existing rank the Mechanicus — which were a few isolated enclaves that had fought valiantly against an entire continent — was prestigious and his tactical acumen formidable. So too were his legions of cybernetic soldiers, who could comfortably overrun any techno-barbarian on the planet and even go toe-to-toe with the Warlord's own biologically augmented warriors. The one who, as the Gorgon, had looked down on all flesh as weak was now beginning to find a grudging respect for it.




Years passed and wars were moved from the surface of Terra to the stars. Ferrus' soldiers — now known as the Iron Hands — became renowned for being able to resist the harshest of environments with ease, proving as comfortable in the cold vacuum of space as they were in the sand-blasted remains of Ursh. Thus, although often (and rightly) feared by many, the Mechanicus forces were respected by all and proved to be a key factor in cementing the Terra-Mars partnership, which would be a story repeated at each world they encountered more of their cybernetic brothers on their crusade into the depths of space. Perhaps it was this — securing the mighty forges of mankind — rather than the Iron Hands' martial prowess, that earned the old Gorgon his recognition as a Primarch.

During the War of the Beast, however, the Iron Hands lost much of their prestige and reputation by primarily seeking to defend their Forge Worlds instead of the Imperium as a whole. Perhaps this was simply because their Primarch had seen how hard mankind would fall if they once again lost the machinery that held its precious Imperium together. Or perhaps (as many others claimed), their loyalties lay more with the Fabricator-General of Mars than they did the Steward or Terra. For their part, the Hands never denied the accusations levelled at them, only defending them.




Of all the Primarchs, Ferrus Manus was one of only three who lived to see the Steward become Emperor; and he was the last of them to die, meeting his end on the fields of Armageddon before the gates of Hades Hive in the year 616.M39. In truth, his health — both biological and mechanical — had been deteriorating for centuries, and although he knew that there was little operational time left for his body he did his best to ensure that neither his Legion nor his Emperor knew of the fact. He took a bloody and glorious toll with him — one worthy of respect from any and all — but his passing marked the end of an era. Although he and the Emperor had never been friends, his passing was felt by the flesh-bound of the Imperium just as much as it was by his Mechanicus brethren.

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