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Bjorn the Fell-Handed is said to be the oldest Space Marine still serving the Imperium, a warrior interred in a Dreadnought since the days of the Horus Heresy. He is the last of the Space Wolves who fought at Leman Russ' side, and the Chapter treats him as a living relic.
He fights with a lightning claw called Trueclaw, but also with heavy weapons such as an assault cannon and heavy plasma cannon. He is consulted in times of crisis, and he occasionally serves as an arbiter between the Space Wolves and other Imperial forces. He sleeps between battles, roused only in times of great need. Bjorn the Fell-Handed is the oldest living Space Marine and a Space Wolves Dreadnought. He fought beside Leman Russ in the Great Crusade and the Heresy, and saw the Emperor before the Golden Throne. He was once Great Wolf, and he now sleeps in his sarcophagus between battles. He is the last of the Company of Russ, and is said to be watched over by his primarch's spirit.
Origins
A young warrior of the VI Legion, he distinguished himself during the Burning of Prospero and became known as the first of the Lone Wolves. Mortally wounded in later wars, he was placed in a Dreadnought sarcophagus.
Before his entombment, Bjorn served in the Tra (3rd) Great Company under Jarl Ogvai Ogvai Helmschrot. He was the reluctant guardian of the remembrancer Kasper Hawser after shooting down Hawser's shuttle by mistake. On Prospero he fought a Warp entity that had used Hawser; its touch corrupted his hand, which was cut off and later replaced by a great Wolf Claw.
He served in the Tra, the 3rd Great Company of the Vlka Fenryka, and he earned his name twice. On the volcanic world of Gryth, his pack faced the Khornate daemon king Arvax the Arch-slaughterer, and everyone who fought it died except Bjorn. Russ's arrival won the battle, but it was Bjorn's relentless attacks that drove the daemon from the field. Five years later Arvax resurfaced. Russ wanted to kill it himself, but Bjorn reached it first. He rolled under a blow meant to cut him in half, climbed the daemon's body and tore out its throat with his Wolf Claw while Russ watched. The Primarch came to him in person afterwards, made him one of his personal Wolf Guard and named him the Fell-Handed. The skjalds say that the grief Bjorn had already learned to master is why Russ later chose to leave him behind.
Key events
- Fought alongside Leman Russ during the Burning of Prospero.
- Witnessed the Primarch's departure. Russ's fate remains a mystery that Bjorn has never fully resolved.
- Has been offered the mantle of Great Wolf and has refused it.
- Ended the conflict between the Space Wolves and the Inquisition by ordering a ceasefire and brokering a compromise at the siege of Fenris.
- Is awakened only for the gravest wars or when the Chapter needs ancient counsel.
The Chapter's sagas give the aftermath of Russ's departure. Each year after he disappeared, his place was laid at the feast and his drinking horn was filled. After seven years the Wolf Lords elected Bjorn as their leader, and he called the twelve Great Companies to the Great Hall of the Fang and announced the first Great Hunt for their lord. For around five hundred years after his entombment he still fought at the front and advised his successors as Great Wolf, before spending longer and longer periods asleep. He is woken at the dawn of each millennium to tell the story of Russ's departure at the Great Feast, and his voice is said to falter only when he describes being left behind.
Battles & campaigns
- The Burning of Prospero: He fought in the Space Wolves' attack on the Thousand Sons.
- The Heresy and the Great Scouring: He fought throughout the Heresy and became Great Wolf after Russ.
- Wrath of Magnus: He fought in the defence of Fenris.
Personality
Ancient, blunt and dry-witted. He carries Russ' memory and sometimes slips between the present and long-ago battles.
He is gruff and blunt, with a dry sense of humour. He is respected as a living link to the past, and his memories of Russ inspire his brothers. He also has a sense of humility about his age and status, and he sees himself as a warrior first and a legend second.
Weapons & Vehicles
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Explore all 48 entries in the Weapons & Vehicles armoury.
Connections
Characters (3)
Factions
- Space Wolves primary faction
Some links are thematic parallels (marked "parallel") rather than recorded meetings. See the connections web.
Legacy
Björn is the oldest Space Marine still fighting, a Dreadnought who fought alongside Leman Russ. He is a living link to the Primarch and the Heresy, and his memories make him a revered counsellor to the Great Wolf. His long slumbers and rare awakenings give his rare words the weight of prophecy among the Wolves. He is the Chapter's living memory, and his refusal of the Great Wolf's mantle has become part of his legend. Bjorn is the Space Wolves' living memory of Russ and the Heresy.
His weapons have their own stories. In life the Wolf Claw was less a weapon than a replacement for his lost hand. The Iron Priests had refused him an augmetic, so he stole the claw and used it as a hand. He also carried a bolter with a pistol grip for one-handed firing. After his entombment, the Iron Priests forged Trueclaw to match his new frame and gave it a built-in heavy flamer.
Appearances & sources
- The Horus Heresy: Prospero Burns (Dan Abnett)
- Codex: Space Wolves background
- Space Wolves novels