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I haven't read TEATD V3 so I can't say how good it is. But from Majorkill's video on Youtube, I really like how it goes down between Horus, the Emperor, and Ollanius Pius. Many people seem to dislike this part and while I admit the Perpetual and Cabal are the worst part of the Horus Heresy, I think Dan Abnett handled Ollanius Pius very well and incorporated a character that has been retconned constantly to something truly epic.

Now, I hear a lot of whining about how Ollanius Pius should have been just a regular Imperial Army dude (some people even call him a Guardsman which clearly indicates their lack of knowledge about the lore). This part of the lore was written back when Horus assaulted the Imperial Palace in person, in which it would make sense for a normal human to step in between the Emperor and Horus. But when the setting of the final confrontation is moved to the Vengeful Spirit, it makes no sense for an augmented human to survive. The Imperial Armyman was also stated to have been known by the Emperor for centuries, which, if you take away the Perpetuals altogether, would mean he was already a hero of the Imperium, belonging to some super badass regiment like the Lucifer Blacks, etc... The idea that a normal dude stepping between the Emperor and Horus had never been GW's idea and people just came up with their own versions. Okay, they could have had a regular human intervening to save the Emperor from daemon Cain (not Ciaphas Cain) which did assault the Imperial Palace and even wound the Emperor, but that never happened.

Ollanius Pius's sacrifice 100% lives up to the idea that a normal person saves the Emperor. It's not the reality but the idea is there. The onlookers didn't know Pius was Perpetual. After all, Horus one-shotted him and to everyone who saw it happen, it would have looked as though an average Imperial Armyman just saved the Emperor. This rumor would then merge with the legend of another dude who died fighting Angron, and here we have the myth of Ollanius Pius as it is believed in the current setting. It makes perfect sense without compromising the spirit of the original lore.

Ollanius Pius didn't just save the Emperor from being beaten down by Horus. He saved humanity from the Emperor becoming the Dark King. The Emperor needs to have some prior connection to him so that he would give away his pride and thirst for power to do what is right. Can you imagine what a normal human can do to convince the Emperor to not become the Dark King?

Finally, Ollanius Pius pumping the lasgun at Horus knowing he would certainly die in the encounter is epic regardless of who he is.

In short, I commend GW and Dan Abnett for handling Ollanius Pius, UNLIKE what happened to Garviel Loken (poor Loken).

Ollanius Pius even being an actual person was a poor narrative choice in my opinion.

He works much better as a legendary figure from the remote past who maybe existed, but who knows, and can reasonably be assumed to be a useful morale-raising story for the present day Imperial Guard.
But nah, he's a magic dude.

Interesting write-up. I can see writing value is both these, and other approaches. I will share some outside thoughts.

I'm indifferent either way here. It's not the individual characters that make the setting tick, but the overarching themes and concepts coming together to paint a greater picture. All these fleshed out characters and colourful events are nice spice, and I am well aware that they are a major popular crowd-puller compared to the larger themes I focus on. People want heroes and villains and grand tales of daring-do. Man is not only a toolmaker, but a creature of stories.


Artwork by unknown.

One thing that a lifetime of creativity has taught me, is that I am always naturally inclined to go less bonkers and dare with less exaggeration than fine stories and settings such as Warhammer 40'000 call for. As someone whose natural inclinations are to write characters and events down to earth and without daring inventions, one cardinal lesson that I have learnt over the years is to always ask "how can we make this anymore bonkers?" while grinning during writing.

As such I can well empathize with Black Library authors writing up characters with magic powers and strange abilities in an uppity-hand power fantasy display. I would either have gone with Ollanius Pius being a fictive propaganda invention, or just an ordinary mortal who happpened to be present for a memorable self-sacrifice. From my perspective, Games Workshop dared to go further and do something crazy with it, for better or worse.

I don't care much either way. Why not indulge in some crowd-pleasing power fantasy plot and attempt to build up the drama? As long as the setting above and beyond its individual characters grow in an interesting way that is true to its own spirit, I'm fine with most details like these.

In other words, it is precisely the propaganda figure of S:t Ollanius Pius I am interested in. The story told to bolster the morale of Imperial Guardsmen across a million worlds and uncountable voidholms. Whatever core of truth or false inventions that exist within this story, works fine either way for me. Yeah, why not have a real hero's death wrapped within the layers of fiction? But he could as well have been invented from whole cloth during later millennia.


Artwork by John Blanche.

I generally like Abnett's stuff for all that I think it can be OTT. I think he's written some absolute bangers.

The End and the Death is the worst thing I think he's ever written, unfortunately. Just absolutely not my cup of tea.

And the guff with the perpetuals and the dark king is exactly the stuff I don't like about it.

In my view the Horus Heresy series has some decent books, it starts fairly well, but overall, it was a mistake and a victim of it's own success, and has done irrevocable damage to the setting as a whole.

 Lord Damocles wrote:
Ollanius Pius even being an actual person was a poor narrative choice in my opinion.

He works much better as a legendary figure from the remote past who maybe existed, but who knows, and can reasonably be assumed to be a useful morale-raising story for the present day Imperial Guard.
But nah, he's a magic dude.

Agreed.

And I have the same sentiment towards Primarchs and the whole Horus Heresy.