Why was Lasko Pyre declared a heretic?

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**Maximus Bitch**

From Lexicanum:

Lasko Pyre was a former captive of the Dark Eldar. He was kidnapped during one of their raids some time during the 34th Millennium, and is the only known slave to have escaped Commorragh.

During his life as a slave in Commorragh, he was tortured and mutilated by members of the Kabal who owned him. His eyes were removed and his voice box was muted, amongst other torturous procedures. He told of his ordeal in The Annals of Terror prior to taking his own life in the year 647.M34.

Because of the content of his autobiographical account of Commorragh, he was posthumously declared a heretic by the Inquisition.

This is the content of his account:

"What can one say of Commorragh, the Dark City of the Eldar? It is the embodiment of anarchy and terror. It is fear, hatred and desperation incarnate. How long I was enslaved in that timeless city, I cannot say. There is no day or night, just an eternal twilight, an ever-present ruddy glow that bathes all living things in blood light. The air is filled with screams and cruel laughter. When they put out my eyes, my ears alone still conveyed that omnipresent aura of dread and loathing."

"They took great delight in telling us what tortures and agonies they had prepared, using dread-ridden anticipation as another means to increase our suffering. When the Masters deigned to speak to us, they bought arcane machines to translate their words; they would not sully their tongues with the language of others. Most of my fellow slaves fell beneath the blades and poisons of those tortures beyond compare; the Haemonculi. Sometimes a Succubus of the Wyches would come and take the fittest to battle against brutal creatures and skilled fighters in the death of arenas. Ten men at a time, great warriors amongst humanity, would face a lone gladiator. They stood no chance against the Wyches; who delighted in toying with their foe, slashing and cutting, darting to and fro, leaving a trickle of blood with every pass. No-one dies quickly in the Dark City."

"They prey upon each other as much as their captives. The great Kabals may hold power, but in the twisting alleys and dusk-shrouding corridors, allegiance is secondary to martial skill. To stray into the wrong territory is tantamount to suicide, running battles are fought every day, blood is spilt constantly. The ghastly Mandrakes are the worst, one wizened old slave told us. They stalk the shadows at will, plucking their victims from their homes, ambushing the unwary and slicing them to death with their claws. We were never truly imprisoned in the slave quarters, but it was clear that if we left, we would be at the mercy of the Dark City -- a barrier more effective than any amount of walls, fences and razorwire."

"They made no attempt to hide their deceitful ways, actually glorifying in treachery and betrayal. Assassination, murder and double-dealing are established ways of life to these decadents. Ownership of myself changed hands so many times that I was unsure who were my masters and who were their enemies. Some times I was stolen, other times I was traded for raw souls, given as a prize in the arena, or simply taken as a right of conquest."

"Life is worthless in the Dark City, only pain, misery and death have value. Others I saw, humans amongst them, who took to this depraved life with natural empathy. They bowed down to the Eldar and treated them as lords, in return for favours. It is claimed that the most promising are taken as apprentices by the Haemonculi. Most end up as twisted creatures in permanent agony, but others survive and learn, to be let free again into the outside world to spread their corrupt ways."

"The Hellions are a constant plague to all, they race through the winding streets, blades shimmering as they randomly lop off limbs and heads with wanton glee. They gather for insane races; goaded by each other they attempt death-defying feats of aerial skill. Many die, and when one of the Masters die others quickly gather to feed upon the escaping soul. They fight each other, bite and claw if they have no weapons, to partake of that precious essence."

"My escape was miraculous; the Emperor must have rewarded my undying faith in those times. However, though I am physically free, my body bears the scars; the many, many scars. Every breath takes me to a new plane of agony, every heartbeat sets my jagged nerves with writhing pain. I cannot see. I cannot speak. Most horrid of all, I cannot forget. Nightmares and waking visions plague me, the drip of my own blood, the cries of anguish haunt me."

"No-one escapes the Dark City."

He's just talking about how screwed up the Dark Eldar are. Doesn't the Imperium encourage xenophobic hatred? Therefore, what's so heretical about his account?

On a side note, this passage is probably one of the best written firsthand accounts in the fluff.

**Wilytank**

BDSM pr0nography!

**Iron_Captain**

He has associated with xenos. Whether willingly or not, that makes him a potential risk.
The IoM is just following the example set by comrade Stalin here.

**Spetulhu**

I guess it's the mention of humans willingly serving the Dark Eldar, some even managing to gain freedom. That's not the sort of thing humans should be allowed to know.

**da001**

Imperial citizens are not allowed to deal with xenos except through righteous war.

Knowledge of the xeno is tainted knowledge. It must be purged.

**Maximus Bitch**

Spetulhu wrote:
I guess it's the mention of humans willingly serving the Dark Eldar, some even managing to gain freedom. That's not the sort of thing humans should be allowed to know.

Sounds reasonable. The Imperium wouldn't want to encourage consorting with xenos, which is traitorous and heretical.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Wilytank wrote:
BDSM pr0nography!

I wonder what the Imperium's stance on porn would be.

Iron_Captain wrote:
He has associated with xenos. Whether willingly or not, that makes him a potential risk.
The IoM is just following the example set by comrade Stalin here.

I think that's what the author had in mind. But he (Lasko) is anti-xenos, not pro-xenos.

da001 wrote:
Imperial citizens are not allowed to deal with xenos except through righteous war.

Knowledge of the xeno is tainted knowledge. It must be purged.

Still, Lasko Pyre's account would only make others hate and fear the dark Eldar. The Imperium could use it as anti-xenos propaganda.

**da001**

Maximus Bitch wrote:
Spetulhu wrote:

da001 wrote:
Imperial citizens are not allowed to deal with xenos except through righteous war.

Knowledge of the xeno is tainted knowledge. It must be purged.

Still, Lasko Pyre's account would only make others hate and fear the dark Eldar. The Imperium could use it as anti-xenos propaganda.

Too many details equals poor propaganda.
Xeno = bad. That´s all the info a loyal citizen needs. Tau, Eldar, Nicassar, Orks... all of them the same: no culture, no differences, no details. No need to distinguish between them.

Only people who specialize in killing them need more info. And they only need info about weapons and the like, not about how they live.

**MeanGreenStompa**

Spetulhu wrote:
I guess it's the mention of humans willingly serving the Dark Eldar, some even managing to gain freedom. That's not the sort of thing humans should be allowed to know.

This.

Humanity has a manifest destiny, it is willed by the God Emperor that Humankind will wipe the galaxy clear of xenos filth and rule the stars.

The idea of humans supplicating themselves before aliens and serving them is unthinkable. Anyone suggesting such a thing must be a heretic!

... also some inquisitors are jerks...

**Furyou Miko**

Some?!

**Maximus Bitch**

Inquisitors have to be jerks, its part of their job description.

**MeanGreenStompa**

Furyou Miko wrote:
Some?!

Ravenor is a very nice bloke for a floating chair of mind ripping death. Jaq Draco was a fairly cool chap, even if he was a bit overfond of his genestealer-morphing callidus assassin.

**Iron_Captain**

Maximus Bitch wrote:
Inquisitors have to be jerks, its part of their job description.

No. What they do is necessary to protect humanity.
All knowledge of xenos is strictly forbidden, lest some foolish people be tempted. All the knowledge an Imperial citizen should have of xenos is that they are extremely evil, want destroy Humanity and must therefore all be purged from the God-Emperor's sight. Details are unnecessarily dangerous and therefore heretical. The Imperium does not need 'true' accounts of the cruelties and perversion of the Eldar. The Imperium can make up its own propaganda to perfectly suit its need to keep the population hateful and ignorant. Hate and ignorance are the salvation of Humanity.
Lasko Pyre knew more than was good for him. Whether he was anti-xenos or pro-xenos, no matter what he learnt and whether he had a choice or not; Lasko Pyre associated with xenos and was a heretic. The Emperor shall judge the purity of his soul.

Whatever Lasko Pyre said or did, no matter he did not have a choice; he was a potential risk. It is similar to how Stalin treated Soviet PoWs after they were liberated from the German camps. Harsh and cruel, but effective.

**the shrouded lord**

MeanGreenStompa wrote:
Furyou Miko wrote:
Some?!

Ravenor is a very nice bloke for a floating chair of mind ripping death. Jaq Draco was a fairly cool chap, even if he was a bit overfond of his genestealer-morphing callidus assassin.

you know, your signature is really distracting...

**Wilytank**

Maximus Bitch wrote:

Wilytank wrote:
BDSM pr0nography!

I wonder what the Imperium's stance on porn would be.

Every time you beat the bishop, the Emperor dies a little inside.

**chyron**

Iron_Captain wrote:

Whatever Lasko Pyre said or did, no matter he did not have a choice; he was a potential risk. It is similar to how Stalin treated Soviet PoWs after they were liberated from the German camps. Harsh and cruel, but effective.

Except that in real world (not some western Cold War propaganda) common ex-captives were kept in filtration camps on average of less than month then reallocated to either army or industries without further penalties (sans ones judged to be real traitors/collaborators/criminals - ~4% of total, and ones whose captivity was result of dubious circumstances/cowaedice who were sent to penal battalions - another ~4% (and btw penal battalion troops were not 'lifers', it's was either 'till first 'real' wound or action meriting distinction) .

As for Lasko - 'no one leaves Dark City', if he was more than a husk of man i think he would end up in some Inq's retinue or with Ecclesiarchy.

**Iron_Captain**

chyron wrote:
Iron_Captain wrote:

Whatever Lasko Pyre said or did, no matter he did not have a choice; he was a potential risk. It is similar to how Stalin treated Soviet PoWs after they were liberated from the German camps. Harsh and cruel, but effective.

Except that in real world (not some western Cold War propaganda) common ex-captives were kept in filtration camps on average of less than month then reallocated to either army or industries without further penalties (sans ones judged to be real traitors/collaborators/criminals - ~4% of total, and ones whose captivity was result of dubious circumstances/cowaedice who were sent to penal battalions - another ~4% (and btw penal battalion troops were not 'lifers', it's was either 'till first 'real' wound or action meriting distinction) .

As for Lasko - 'no one leaves Dark City', if he was more than a husk of man i think he would end up in some Inq's retinue or with Ecclesiarchy.

Chyort voz'mi, now it happens again! In the West I always get accused of spreading Russian propaganda, and in Russia I always get accused of spreading Western propaganda. It is hard to be 50/50 Russian/Dutch

Yes, I know Stalin was not nearly as bad as in Western propaganda, and he was not nearly as bad as Inquisition in 40k. But principle in both cases is the same. In Soviet Union, returning prisoners were kept in camps to observe whether they formed a risk. In the IoM, they are just shot right away.

**chyron**

Iron_Captain wrote:

Chyort voz'mi, now it happens again! In the West I always get accused of spreading Russian propaganda, and in Russia I always get accused of spreading Western propaganda. It is hard to be 50/50 Russian/Dutch
Yes, I know Stalin was not nearly as bad as in Western propaganda, and he was not nearly as bad as Inquisition in 40k. But principle in both cases is the same. In Soviet Union, returning prisoners were kept in camps to observe whether they formed a risk. In the IoM, they are just shot right away.

In any wartime army POWs are filtered and assessed by counterintel and debriefed by intel guys.

PS Just logged off from CNN 'discussion' where number of people tell such things with conviction in voice - during political news discussions, so some misconceptions are still 'like a red rag to a bull' for me. Somehow it's always about Stalin/'commie'- people don't remember Churchill's very WH40K-y ideas of fighting native uprisings for.ex.

**Pilau Rice**

Regardless of what it contained it's knowledge that should never be known by a mere Imperial Citizen.

He also escaped from the Dark Eldar, something that doesn't happen often. Perhaps his executioners were concerned that he did so by dubious means.

**Hollismason**

I thought it was pretty obvious he was let go so that he'd spread terror specifically because the Dark Eldar get off on that and having more people even more terrified of what would happen if they were captured.

Please explain how a blind man escapes , someone who'd be in horrible pain,etc..

**mrwhoop**

Sounds a lot like the Imperium...

"Life is worthless in the Dark City [Imperium], only pain, misery and death have value [To be Fair Laws must be Cruel, No Innocence only degrees of Guilt, Only in Death does Duty end]. Others I saw, humans amongst them, who took to this depraved life with natural empathy. They bowed down to the Eldar [Planetary Gov'r] and treated them as lords, in return for favours. It is claimed that the most promising are taken as apprentices by the Haemonculi [Space Marines]."

Grim Dark or not it's pretty close right?

**chaos0xomega**

The Imperium isn't about spreading information, the average Imperial Citizen, let me rephrase that, the VAST MAJORITY of Imperial Citizenry have absolutely no knowledge of the existence of Xenos, who they are, what they do, where they come from, etc. He was likely declared heretical in order to give the perception that his account of Commoragh was full o' gak and that the information contained therein was false and not to be believed.

**Maximus Bitch**

chaos0xomega wrote:
The Imperium isn't about spreading information, the average Imperial Citizen, let me rephrase that, the VAST MAJORITY of Imperial Citizenry have absolutely no knowledge of the existence of Xenos, who they are, what they do, where they come from, etc. He was likely declared heretical in order to give the perception that his account of Commoragh was full o' gak and that the information contained therein was false and not to be believed.

I'm pretty sure most Imperials know about Orks, though they'll only encounter them in stories. Their first live encounter will most definitely be on the battlefield.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Iron_Captain wrote:
Maximus Bitch wrote:
Inquisitors have to be jerks, its part of their job description.
No. What they do is necessary to protect humanity.
All knowledge of xenos is strictly forbidden, lest some foolish people be tempted. All the knowledge an Imperial citizen should have of xenos is that they are extremely evil, want destroy Humanity and must therefore all be purged from the God-Emperor's sight. Details are unnecessarily dangerous and therefore heretical. The Imperium does not need 'true' accounts of the cruelties and perversion of the Eldar. The Imperium can make up its own propaganda to perfectly suit its need to keep the population hateful and ignorant. Hate and ignorance are the salvation of Humanity.
Lasko Pyre knew more than was good for him. Whether he was anti-xenos or pro-xenos, no matter what he learnt and whether he had a choice or not; Lasko Pyre associated with xenos and was a heretic. The Emperor shall judge the purity of his soul.

Whatever Lasko Pyre said or did, no matter he did not have a choice; he was a potential risk. It is similar to how Stalin treated Soviet PoWs after they were liberated from the German camps. Harsh and cruel, but effective.

I think it's unlikely that simply "touching and talking to xenos" would cause one to be declared a heretic. A plausible explanation would be him defying the authorities and publicizing his account, thereby causing demoralization.

**BrianDavion**

any human who spends time living among the xenos or chaos is apt to be executed for heresy. the IoM basicly has a "better safe then sorry" policy

**The Imperial Answer**

To be honest the inquisition may not "execute" everyone they claim as they might be useful at a later date. That execution may have just been on paper to satisfy other factions within the ordos. And if they did do it it was probably a mercy given where he ended up and what he may have endured. Also there's the possibility more was said than what was transcribed in the written account or he really was a heretic. (The inquisition has some good psykers, hiding anything from them is very difficult).

**Psienesis**

Unless you are one of the very few people that have the authority and permission to treat with the Xeno, to do so is death.

**Da Butcha**

I suspect that he was declared a heretic posthumously for several reasons:

Morale: It is important to present the Eldar as decadent and effete, rather than monstrous, slavering, unstoppable nightmares. Pyre presents a frightening account of the Eldar and this would impact morale.

Xenophobia: By discussing the "Dark Eldar", Pyre inherently divides Eldar into Dark and "Light" Eldar. This implies that while the Dark Eldar are vicious, treacherous, and horrible, there exist other Eldar which may be more reasonable to deal, negotiate, or trade with. This is not something that the Imperium wishes to encourage. If Eldar are consistently presented as untrustworthy and vile, then there is much less chance of humans choosing to treat with them.

Human Superiority: By discussing the existence of xenotech which humans cannot reproduce (such as translation machines), and then compounding that fact by representing the Dark Eldar as 'sullying' their tongue with human language, Pyre presents Eldar as superior to humans, which conflicts with Imperial propaganda and the Imperial 'manifest destiny'.

Encouraging Treason: Pyre makes it clear that some humans have not only bowed down to the Dark Eldar but have survived, prospered, and even been allowed to escape. This does not encourage fighting the Dark Eldar to the last breath. Such an account might encourage a PDF trooper or Guardsman to surrender during a raid, rather than resisting to the last of his abilities.

I'm not saying that it was nice to do, but it certainly seems understandable to have him declared a heretic, as it neatly prevents people from accessing his writings (other than authorized individuals) and it also discredits his claims in the eyes of people exposed to them.

**squidhills**

Lasko Pyre himself gives the reason he was declared heretic in his own words: "No-one escapes the Dark City".

No one escapes the Dark City.

Except for a crippled, mute, blind old man.

Somehow.

The Inquisition realized that the only reason he was alive was because the DE let him go. Since they literally live off of pain, misery, and death, the DE would have no reason for keeping a blind mute slave alive for any length of time, when they could just torture and kill him for food and shiggles. So if they didn't kill him, they must've had a reason. Clearly (to the Inquisition) the only explanation is that Pyre was one of the very humans who bowed down to the xenos and worshipped them as lords, which made him slightly more valuable than a typical slave. Which means that the DE must have had a reason for letting him leave the City. Maybe he was supposed to spread the "corrupt ways" he learned while in Commoragh? The only humans who leave the Dark City are the apprentices of the DE. Pyre left the Dark City, therefore Pyre was an apprentice to the DE. It's the only logical explanation for how he "escaped". Clearly, his escape was not an escape and he is a heretic!

It should be obvious to anyone in the Inquisition! Anyone looking for a more complicated or nuanced explanation for his being declared a heretic does not understand how the Inquisition thinks/operates.

**AdeptSister**

The only "master" to humans is the God Emperor of Mankind! His own words betrays him as a heretic.

**Grey Templar**

As for why, its basically because they wanted to censor the work because it might foster interest in Xenos.

Its not that he was a Heretic, its just that is a convenient way of censoring the text and making sure people obey the "DO NOT READ!" sign.