- "In which Vulkan becomes a Chaos God."
In the midst of the Horus Heresy, the few remaining Salamanders, led by Numeon, brave the Ruinstorm to see their Primarch's body returned to Nocturne. Braving the Warp, and daemonic hosts bound to rend their souls from their bodies, they, miraculously make it through.
And yet, something unexpected occurs as they prepare his funerary rites. The Eighteenth Primarch gets up.
Vulkan lives.
Vulkan lives, but he is changed. The faith of his sons has imbued him with a power he doesn't understand or recognize, and implications he doesn't want to believe. As the galaxy burns in the fires of Horus' ambition and the machinations of Chaos, Vulkan fears he is becoming that which he swore to his father to stamp out all belief in.
A god.
Vulkan Ascendant
is a Warhammer 40,000 fanfic, set during the Horus Heresy and hosted on Spacebattles. It is finished.
Examples
- A God I Am Not: Vulkan is a firm believer in the Imperial Truth, and learning of the existence of Chaos hasn't made him any more sympathetic to religion. Thus, the fact that he seems to be becoming a god is not one he is happy with, nor a belief he wants to encourage. He ends up embracing his godhood, but not without making proper checks to prevent from being changed.
- Ambiguous Ending: Was Vulkan consumed by a god which created a warp storm like during Slaanesh's birth or did he, with possible aid of Magnus, create a warp storm to protect Nocturne and remained himself?
Word of God is that it's up to reader to decide. - Back from the Dead: Vulkan, as usual. The story kicks off with his resurrection on Nuceria. Esenzi too, after her belief in Vulkan becomes more and more prominent.
- Badass Normal: Esenzi is a mortal woman who ascended to the rank of Shipmistress of the Chalice of Fire by virtue of everyone over her being dead. She proceeds to kill a Night Lord. Three, in fact. She drops the "normal" part after her faith in Vulkan starts giving her Warp powers.
- Both Sides Have a Point: The Emperor believes that Vulkan should destroy his legion to kill the god because of the grave danger warp entiny represents, while Vulkan chooses to try shaping it and remain himself, without doing it.
- Broken Pedestal: The Emperor becomes more and more of this to Vulkan, especially after he learns about circumstances of Numeon's conscription. It shatters completely when the Emperor wants him to purge his legion, and all their mortal crew, to kill the god Vulkan is becoming, without trying for a better solution.
- Crisis of Faith: Many, especially Esenzi, go through this, as Imperial Truth gets taken apart with each encounter with Warp-related phenomena, seeking to find something to believe in after that. Vulkan has one too, of his father.
- Distant Finale: The Epilogue contains a brief discussion by an Inquisitor in what little they know about the current state of Nocturne in the 41st millennium.
- It is also implied that the Emperor was wounded by Horus as in canon, but Roboute is still the Regent, the Imperial Creed didn't become religion of the Imperium, and a modified version of Imperial Truth still remains.
- Eldritch Abomination: Chaos gods, whom Vulkan encounters after trying to fix soul of Horus. Their daemons count too.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Often from the traitors:
- Horus genuinely doesn't understand why Vulkan, having learned the truth of Chaos and the gods, would continue to reject them.
- Magnus, or a shard of him, offers Vulkan many things in return for saving his disparate shards from the Crimson King and Tzeentch. He's genuinely flabbergasted when Vulkan does so for free.Magnus: Why?
Vulkan: You're my brother.
- Faux Affably Evil:
- Horus Lupercal behaves like he's going to have a merry meeting with brothers while on a planet Occluda, but is here to corrupt or murder them.
- Night Lords attacking the Chalice act with a veneer of politeness. They also wish to savour their crew agony and fear.
- God of Evil: Subverted, it's implied by the author that Vulkan may actually not turn into this, but into a God of Good.
- Heel–Face Turn: "Magnus", the shard who gets connected to Vulkan, and which represent his character, doubt in joining Chaos and better nature, sort of. Thousand Sons contingent that separate from Tzeenchian ones count too.
- Hidden Elf Village: In the Distant Finale, it's shown that Nocturne has essentially become this, being cut off from the rest of the galaxy by flaming warp-storms that prevent anyone from getting in without being annihilated... except a few who emerge again completely unharmed. These ones go back to their home planets which, without fail, declare their independence from the Imperium.
- I Have No Son!: The Emperor confesses he never viewed the Primarchs as sons, and only tolerated them viewing him as their father. The feeling becomes mutual on the part of Vulkan and Guilliman.
- Knight Templar: While the Emperor wishes well for humanity, he tends to choose the quickest solution to a problem without attempting or even considering better alternatives, rejecting any opinions, no matter how reasonable.
- Manipulative Bastard: Magnus, again. The whole creation of god? It's part of his plan to restore himself as much as possible, and he was willing for Vulkan become consumed by Warp if need arises.
- Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: Horus presents himself as the saviour of mankind from Emperor's flawed design, but it becomes clear that his pride and vainglory are his true motivations, and he's willing to do anything not to be forgotten.
- Sour Supporter: What Numeon actually is, because of his brainwashing. The "sour" part diminishes in the ends, when Vulkan chooses to secede.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Vulkan leaves the Imperium after the Emperor orders him to kill his legion and his subordinates, but allows all who wants to stay do so (only a few leave). Magnus and his group of Thousand Sons join him too.
- Take a Third Option: Vulkan chooses to secede from the Imperium and disown the Emperor, but he also refuses to side with the traitors, essentially becoming a neutral third-party.
- Villain Has a Point: Even Vulkan is forced to admit that, for all their evil, the traitors make some good points about their father; however, he also acknowledges that this in no way justifies any of the atrocities they've committed in the Heresy, and he's intending to at least give their father a chance to explain himself before making any judgments. When meeting the Emperor he does call out him on his refusal to become a proper father while Vulkan chose to become one.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Roboute and Vulkan disliked each other before present event, however, during these events their relationship became much less antagonistic, and they parted with Vulkan's promising help to Roboute if need arises. There is an implication Vulkan and Numeon became this too.
