40K Grimdark Theories: The Emperor Scattered The Primarchs

Let’s dig into another crazy 40K theory, this time about the early days of the Primarchs. Were they ever really lost?

The Primarchs are major players in both the past and present of Warhammer 40,000. The seminal event that kicks off the “main” 40K story, the Horus Heresy, is focused on the conflict between the Primarchs and their godly father. Those that survived that turbulent time continue to influence the fate of the galaxy. As figures of great importance much of their history, from their creation at the Emperor’s hands, to their current fates, has been well documented. Still, there remain many mysteries around them, and even things we take as fact may not be true. Such is the topic of today’s theory, the truth behind the scattering of the Primarchs.

The Primarch Tale We’ve Been Told

You likely know the story. The Emperor in His power and wisdom created twenty Primarchs. There were His sons, using his genetic material and strange and arcane arts. These beings were meant to be raised by the Emperor and lead His armies. However, while they were still “unborn” (seemingly in test tubes or something of the sort) the Emperor’s plans were undone by the Chaos Gods. They somehow breached the Imperial laboratory and caused the Primarchs to be scattered across the void, each one landing alone on a different, often brutal world.

Even the Twins Alpharius Omegon were separated, though they seemed to have come from the same “tube”.  The Primarchs were shaped by their worlds and the struggles they faced there. Eventually, over the course of the Great Crusade the Emperor found and recovered his lost sons, though it is possible that the powers of Chaos managed to tamper with them when they were scattered and lost.

The Primarch Tale We’ve Seen

We’ve actually seen part of a version of this story. In The First Heretic Argel Tal of the Word Bearers and some of his men are sent back through time to the days of the Primarch Project. There they help destroy the Geller fields of the Emperor’s Laboratory. This directly leads to Chaos being able to scatter the Primarchs.  Such first person views of the events really should be conclusive, and yet they are not.

Another Story of the Primarchs

In recent years there has been another story about the scattering of the Primarchs. Erda, the female genetic donor to the Primarchs, and the second most powerful perpetual after the Emperor, gives a different version of events. As she tells it, after millennia of working with the Emperor she became horrified by His plans for the Primarchs. Unwilling to let her “sons” be used in His master plan, Erda took action. Erda, as she says, undid the Emperor’s works and scattered the Primarchs. This was done to keep them out of His hands, or at least allow them to develop on their own a bit.

This story is vastly at odds with the other versions of events we’ve been told and seen. It raises a number of questions. Is Erda lying about what happened? Did she work with Chaos to scatter the Primarchs? Are the claims that Chaos scattered the Primarchs lies? Or maybe, it was neither Erda nor Chaos.

The Theory – What Really Happened to the Primarchs

These then are the histories we have been told, that either Forces of Chaos or Erda scattered the Primarchs against the Emperor’s will.  However a rather persistent theory has gone around that the Primarchs were never, in fact, lost, and that the Emperor caused, or wanted them to be scattered. There is a fair amount of evidence that supports this.

For one, each Primarch landed on a world (one with human civilization no less). None were lost in the void or simply vanished. In addition, despite them seemingly being “lost” the Emperor doesn’t actually have much trouble finding them. Alpharius at least, who landed on Terra was seeming found at once. Certainly it took time for the others, but it’s not clear He made finding them a huge priority.

If you look at a map of the worlds the Primarchs landed on you can see they are scattered across the Galaxy, yet within a span of time well under 200 years the Emperor traveled to each world and found them, though in no logical order. Baal for instance, where Sanguinius was the 10th Primarch to be found is much further from Terra than Nuceria, yet Angron was the 17th Primarch to be found.

On top of this, the Emperor normally seemed to arrive at some pivotal moment in the Primarchs life. For Angron it was right as he was preparing to die with his rebel followers. For the Khan it was shortly after the Khan unified his world. Mortarion was preparing for the final battle with his adopted father. This represents either incredible luck or active planning on the Emperor’s part. 

What The Primarchs Think Happened

Then, of course, there is the fact the worlds the Primarchs are sent to seem to fit them and their nature well. Even the humans from each corresponding world are a good genetic match. This is brought home to the Primarch Leman Russ in the novel Wolfsbane. As part of a Wyrd journey, almost certainly to the Warp, he is confronted with a being, almost certainly a daemon of some sort, though not necessarily hostile. The daemon takes the form of a Leman Russ never born. A Russ raised on Terra, rather than Fenris, the following conversation ensues:

“‘you are as I should have been,’ said Russ.

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The false Russ displayed his human teeth in a perfect smile, as if lecturing a student who had, in their naivety, said something foolish but amusing.

‘I did not say that. I appear to you as you supposed you should have been, not necessarily as wyrd demanded. Has it never occurred to you that you are as you were intended to be?’

‘I was stolen away,’ said Leman Russ. ‘I was taken from my father’s laboratories along with my brothers.’

‘Were you?’ The false Russ smiled. ‘The primarch-executioner arriving here on this harsh world of wolves? A being whose genetic gift meshes perfectly with the strain of mankind found here? This playground world of sagas and ancient stories made real, welcoming a hero to rule it?’ He laughed softly, a guttural purr that remembered sharp teeth and claws and diets of hot, raw meat. ‘Do you not think any of that is odd, or, dare I say it, convenient?'”

Created Primarch Homeworlds?

So there we have, if not confirmation, another very strong hint that the Primarchs were never lost. Indeed, several Primarchs, including Guilliman and Sanguinius, also believed their scattering had been part of the Emperor’s plan. Of course, this would imply that the Emperor knew of the worlds his Primarchs went to beforehand, so he could pick good matches. Wolfsbane implies just this as well, with the Emperor telling Horus that Fenris is in fact a manufactured world from the Dark Age of Technology- designed to emulate Norse myths. Could it be that the Emperor Himself actually designed and built Fenris and the other Primarch homeworlds for his sons?

The Biggest Primarch Question – Why?

I think it’s pretty clear that the Primarchs were not scattered at random. The locations they landed were chosen. Whether by the Chaos Gods, as we were lead to think, Erda or by the Emperor is a matter of debate.  This does leave the question of why the Emperor would want his Sons scattered, rather than raised with him.  There are three main possibilities here:

1. A Grand Bargain With Chaos: The scattering was part of the deal the Emperor made with Chaos to gain the knowledge to make the Primarchs. He didn’t want it to happen, but allowed it and maybe twisted odds in his favor.
2. Stealth: The Emperor did it to throw off Chaos. Hiding the Primarchs to make the Chaos gods think he wasn’t a big threat.
3. Perpetuals Manipulation: He manipulated Erda into doing it, possibly blaming it on Chaos in order to rally support.
4. Emperor’s Master Plan: The Master of Mankind did it as part of his plan to raise the Primarchs. Each Primarch was sent to a world that fit their nature and would shape them how the Emperor wanted. It allowed Him a subtle level of control while giving the Primrachs experience and confidence. It shaped them to His vision without their knowing. By doing this he was able to control the manner of their meeting, and create a narrative of the “father” finding his “sons”. This would endear most Primarchs to him (as opposed to the cold creator placing them in danger to suit his own ends).

An Answer to the Primarch Riddle?

Now personally I think #4 is true. I find this theory overall pretty likely, at least in some form, as it fits with a lot of factors. This kind of subtle control is how the Emperor likes to operate. We’ll have to wait to see if the truth ever really comes out, but this is my bet for now.

Let us know what you think of this theory, down in the comments. 

Author: Abe Apfel

Abe is that rare thing, an Austin local born and raised here. Though he keeps on moving around, DC, Japan, ETC., he always seems to find his way back eventually. Abe has decades of experience with a wide range of tabletop and RPG games, from historicals, to Star Wars to D&D and 40K. He has been contributing to BOLS since almost the start, back when he worked at and then owned a local gaming store. He used to be big into the competitive Warhammer tournament scene but age has mellowed him and he now appreciates a good casual match. He currently covers 40K tactics and lore, as well as all things Star Wars, with occasional dabbling in other topics. Abe remains in mourning over the loss of WFB to this day.