Prodigal Sons

"Knowledge is power, and with the key to the Black Library I shall claim it all."

- Ahriman, Chaos Sorcerer

The Prodigal Sons are a warband of Chaos Space Marines dedicated to the service of Tzeentch, the Changer of Ways. The members of this warband are composed of a cabal of powerful Chaos Sorcerers who have chosen to follow Ahriman in exile out of their desire to seek out knowledge from their preeminent master and to potentially gain some of his power for themselves. Unlike Magnus, Ahriman would never allow one of his own Prodigal Sons to cast him aside, for there is no Book of Ahriman to be stolen from him, as he had once acquired the Book of Magnus. Ahriman and his Prodigal Sons have turned their relentless predations upon the Eldar, determined in the belief that the lost knowledge Ahriman seeks can only be found in the darkest of halls of enlightenment, the vast repository of sorcerous arcana referred to in whispers as the Black Library of Chaos.

Notable Campaigns

 * Athenaeum of Kallimakus (Unknown.M32) - After Ahriman cast the Rubric of Ahriman and was exiled from the Thousand Sons, he recalled the writings of the Remembrancer Mahavastu Kallimakus, the Scrivener Extraordinary and personal scribe of Primarch Magnus the Red. When the Horus Heresy began, Kallimakus realised his records were a collection of mystic rites. He feared for his safety and fled Prospero with his works. After the Space Wolves destroyed the Thousand Sons' homeworld, non spared a thought for the missing Remembrancer. For 1,600 years Ahriman sought the book of the Remembrancer. He eventually found them on the world of Appollonia. A priesthood had grown up around the books, guarded by a fanatical sect of warriors. A citadel housed the library of works, called the Athenaeum of Kallimakus. Beneath the citadel, in a vault line with protective runes, the books sat amidst smouldering sorcerous flames. When Ahriman led the Prodigal Sons to claim the books the wardens of the Athenaeum fought with zealous determination, if little skill. Aided by his fearless and deadly warriors, Ahriman eventually triumphed after a bitter month-long siege. The sorcerer plundered the writings of Kallimakus, before burning the library to ashes so that only he would hold the secrets it had contained.
 * Raid on Arcadia (Unknown.M41) - The Prodigal Sons most notable actions occurred on the Harlequins' library world of Arcadia. Using their sorcerous powers to aid their master, the Prodigal Sons battled both the Harlequins and the Space Marines of the Blood Ravens Chapter. Ahriman had come to plunder the Arcadium Libarium in order to gain access to the fabled Webway so that he could achieve his ultimate goal of finding the Black Library. Though Ahriman was able to steal several texts from the library and successfully gained access to the Webway, ultimately he failed to achieve his objective, as the Harlequins deceived the sorcerer on where the Webway Gate would lead him.

Notable Warband of Sektoth Members

 * Ahriman - The Prodigal Sons follow the infamous and powerful Chaos Sorcerer Ahriman, the former Chief Librarian of the Thousand Sons Legion, Captain of its 1st Fellowship and the Magister Templi of its Corvidae Cult. In the distant past, Ahriman had sought the knowledge of the galaxy for himself and for his brothers; he had stood proudly at the side of Magnus himself, bathing in the swirling pools of information and knowledge unearthed by the misguided Primarch and his Thousand Sons. But there came a day when Ahriman's knowledge challenged even that of Magnus, just as the power of Magnus had once rivalled even that of the False Emperor of Man: as prodigal sons are fated to overcome their fathers. The key was knowledge itself, and Ahriman had learned quickly that he should be more cautious than his old master about with whom he shared his knowledge. Using the knowledge of the Book of Magnus, he was banished from the Legion after casting the powerful Rubric of Ahriman which halted his Legion's corrupting mutations which plagued it after their fall, but resulted in the creation of the Rubric Marines. During his banishment Ahriman has continuously sought out knowledge across the galaxy to bring him closer to an understanding of Tzeentch and Chaos itself. His actions have recently healed the breach between him and Magnus the Red.
 * Obysis - Sorcerer and Sergeant of the Prodigal Sons.

Warband Colours
The Prodigal Sons wear similarly coloured Power Armour as the Thousand Sons, favouring royal blue with gold trim as well as wearing ornate crests on their helmets similar to the striped cloth crowns of ancient Gyptian pharaohs.

Warband Badge
The Prodigal Sons, like the Thousand Sons incorporate the Ouroboros, an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail, as their badge.