Enjoy the story everyone; it was a challenge and a joy to write (note: *there will be no part 3,* I had to cut the story in half due to narration constraints). I will be missing the premier because of work, so I hope you all have fun in my absence :) Ave Imperator ~ T.T
You absolutely nailed it- the horror of the Unification Era, the incredible barbarity of what is essentially still Age of Strife Terra, and the nature of not only the Thunder Warriors (with an especially excellent job individuating them as characters while showing them still as what they are, ultra-violence incarnate, quickly crafted but greatly elevated barbarians for an unfathomably barbaric time) but also the things/people they were created to fight, such as the antagonist and his honor guards, the reason they were made as they were- in most ways, unlike the latter, more "refined" Astartes- roughshod, quickly-fashioned, big and pointy sticks that burn at both ends and break themselves as much as their enemies but don't care in the doing (because in this metaphor sticks can care about things, apparently). So. Very. Good. AND DAMN THAT LAST SENTENCE!!! __________ *tl;dr* - Story real good. Super metal. All the 30k things. Emperor is pleased [I assume].
The ending absolutely had me choked up! I could see him using his bone talisman as a last ditch effort improvised weapon and that it would break for ironic effect (not in a bad way but in a poetic sense) I truly did not know what to expect but to see the Emperor give Haldrad a lone Sergeant a quiet send off just between the two of them that nearly brought tears to my eyes while I was still at work. To see him truly believe in the Emperor’s desire to take back the stars and not give into belief of some kind of deity but firmly hold to the Imperial Truth. Getting to see a vision of the ocean and a whale before being mercy killed was truly TRULY beautiful. But all the same he never once got it in his head he would live to see the stars, but he and his brothers were to burn out in a blaze of glory and be the pyre that ignites the Imperium of Man. Just like an Edgerunner in the Cyberpunk universe, it’s not about living forever but leaving your legacy that last forever. This was the last of the old humanity before the Emperor ushered in his own era, one final curtain call for the mankind of old so to speak. The entire Blood Bastion and twin headed psyker were absolutely astounding. I truly have no words. I am thoroughly impressed at how well written everything was. Once again, the Thunder Warriors continue to be my favorite group outside the Astartes. They are among the most tragic in the lore. Even if there isn’t much actual lore about them and are considered just a footnote, still like them all the same. Thank you for this two part story, I know I’m still new and learning but it’s by far my favorite fan story
Gah that ending is beautiful. Proof that Big E, despite all the machinations and terrifying things he has done and had done in his name, is capable of being kind and caring. He On Terra almost never gets humanized like this and I love it. Amazing as always Mr. Townsend, and thanks Vox for all the effort you put into these!
The tears were already pooling up in my eyes by the time I heard that, then they started flowing.. damn man, I really feel bad for the Thunder Warriors now... they did it all for humanity and the Emperor's vision.. wow. So tragic.
Listened to Part One again before giving this a listen, and one of my favorite parts is the relationship the squad has with eachother. It's so different to Astartes in that it's much more human, less dogmatic and formal and more raunchy and crude. It fits their nature perfectly while still displaying that they care for each other in their own way. Ave Imperator, glory be to Vox, glory be to Tod
Also, incase no one has looked this up yet. Kataegis short definition means “hyper mutated cancer”. The Thunder Warriors are dying because of what? A hyper mutating cancer. Brilliant. The Legion of Hyper mutated cancer monsters was probably too long…props for using a litteral medical term. “Cancer Mutant Legion”. Warhammer is so freaking metal. Avi Emperator Legiones Caetgis
That moment when the Emperor shows himself without all the golden light is nice. It really nails the 'not a god, just an example' message of the Imperial Truth the Thunder Warriors fought and died for. Well done.
The ending is perfect and melancholic, the more I think about thunder warriors the more I feel bad for them because they believe in the dream of emperor of unifying terra and views him as a god. Sadly they are just another price to pay for humanity.
@f...yafeelins bro I love the thunder warriors and I worship khorne... they were betrayed by the corpse god... they would off turned too. Hail Khorne!
@SorrytobeGood Blood and Skulls!!! 😈🫡 You are absolutely correct they would have and (hopefully) be absorbed into the 12th where we would have given the imperium a damn fine run for its money by now!! The corpse worshipers have their "red angel " And We Have Ours!!! 💯😈
Great writing when in the mix of all that power and carnage with the emperor himself portrayed in duel that the most powerful point above all else is the vision of the whale and the sea
This was BEAUTIFULLY written. The raw anger, the emotion. This is why I love 40k. Thank you, Vox. For giving us easily one of the best stories of the decade.
UNITY UNITY UNITY, AVE IMPERATOR. Man you really just have to appreciate the sheer INSANITY that the thunder warriors had to face during the unification wars. A (in my opinion) underrepresented period of time from Warhammer. Wonderfully done Tod & Vox as always.
An absolute instant classic. What story writing, telling, and deliverance. A true masterpiece. Thunder and Lightning is a two punch combo that is topping the charts on the channel and in 40k lore in general. I shall be listening on repeat on my work cycles.
What a wonderfully balanced story. You really get an impression about the instability of the thunder warriors yet still the empathy to the dieing was a great touch.
Thank you Mister Townsend for creating such a beautiful tale for us to absorb. Thank you Vox, for bringing this tale to life in such a high-quality fashion. One of few 40k and 40k-adjacent tales that ends almost happily. Haldrad got to witness what seems like Mocha Dick, potentially the very source of the bone talisman. He did not need to experience the final battle of the Cataegis, that of Ararat. From the bottom of my heart I must say...well done, chaps!
Magnificent work in every regard. Finale really makes you sit in what the Emperor was. War made manifest, A true August, and a Man. To empathise with the dying is the most human thing of all.
Well that ending was bittersweet. I like to imagine the bone and feelings attached to it acted as a psychic resonance beacon. The empire was saying thank you.
I am truly stunned, I have never seen a single creation as beautiful and magnificent as this singular piece, it brought tears of joy and sorrow my eyes and captivated me beyond believe. But my god that ending is truly unmatched by all measures; So my applause to both you and Mr. Townsend for this.
Thank you for this. Such an incredible story, I was there bleeding and screaming for the emperor, and that ending was just perfect. My freaking chills got chills that was so good. Please continue to write and narrate these, you truly are talented Vox!
What a fantastic conclusion to the tale, well worth the wait. The scenes near the end were filled with such profound emotions that genuinely touched me. Excellent work as always Vox, and of course my tremendous compliments to Mr. Townsend. You really made something that resonated with me strongly here.
Packing to evacuate from my place in LA, I am looking forward to listening to this when I head out. Thanks for the escapism my guy, this couldn't have come at a better time.
@@AVoxintheVoid It was fantastic! In general your voice work fits perfectly to the tone of 40K, but work between you and Tod usually are on another level.
I’ve never seen the Emperor in such a light.. the part where he’s seen the toll humans pay for their ascension. Thanks for this Vox. Nothing gets me quite as enraptured as your tales as of late. Just lay here close my eyes and truly drift away.
I may or nay not be planning to ruin my friend's week by dropping the twins into our DnD campaign 😅 That's a terrifying guy (pair of guys, wtv) that goes to show the monsters that lurked on Terra before the Emperor conquered the planet.
Grim Dark absolute, made me feel a bit sad, and I got a heart of Iron. Thanks again for all you do, hope 2025 is chalk full of such amazing works, as I'm already sure it will be. Yer the man my man.
Awesome video. People asks why did it take too much time for the emperor to unify terra? Well this video is a great example. Some people don't realise how brutal and brilliant humans can be!
The first videos i watched of yours were All The Gods Are Dead and I was so mesmerized. The people you collaborate with, and the work you all produce, brings to life the universe of WH40K in such a unique way. I'm always so gripped by these videos. I enjoy reading WH books, and watching lore videos, but the content you put is some of the best. Thank you 🙏
Excellence nothing but excellence thank you for the video and thank you for the story Brother keep doing what you do we appreciate you 🔥🔥🔥🤘🤘🤘💪💪💪😎😎😎 6:30
Vox can we please get my depictions of the emperor when he walked with his warriors! My gawd like the emperor denied being a god but did some of the most god like things. This was an amazing story can’t wait for the next one.
Enjoy the story everyone; it was a challenge and a joy to write (note: *there will be no part 3,* I had to cut the story in half due to narration constraints). I will be missing the premier because of work, so I hope you all have fun in my absence :) Ave Imperator ~ T.T
What an amazing finale! You’ve outdone yourself. That ending…spectacular!
Wow its a legend in the chat!
You absolutely nailed it- the horror of the Unification Era, the incredible barbarity of what is essentially still Age of Strife Terra, and the nature of not only the Thunder Warriors (with an especially excellent job individuating them as characters while showing them still as what they are, ultra-violence incarnate, quickly crafted but greatly elevated barbarians for an unfathomably barbaric time) but also the things/people they were created to fight, such as the antagonist and his honor guards, the reason they were made as they were- in most ways, unlike the latter, more "refined" Astartes- roughshod, quickly-fashioned, big and pointy sticks that burn at both ends and break themselves as much as their enemies but don't care in the doing (because in this metaphor sticks can care about things, apparently). So. Very. Good. AND DAMN THAT LAST SENTENCE!!!
__________
*tl;dr* - Story real good. Super metal. All the 30k things. Emperor is pleased [I assume].
Thank you for your amazing work, and to.Vox for that voice
Ave Imperator!
Once, there had been Thunder Warriors on Terra...
That cuts deep 😢
The ending absolutely had me choked up! I could see him using his bone talisman as a last ditch effort improvised weapon and that it would break for ironic effect (not in a bad way but in a poetic sense)
I truly did not know what to expect but to see the Emperor give Haldrad a lone Sergeant a quiet send off just between the two of them that nearly brought tears to my eyes while I was still at work.
To see him truly believe in the Emperor’s desire to take back the stars and not give into belief of some kind of deity but firmly hold to the Imperial Truth. Getting to see a vision of the ocean and a whale before being mercy killed was truly TRULY beautiful.
But all the same he never once got it in his head he would live to see the stars, but he and his brothers were to burn out in a blaze of glory and be the pyre that ignites the Imperium of Man. Just like an Edgerunner in the Cyberpunk universe, it’s not about living forever but leaving your legacy that last forever. This was the last of the old humanity before the Emperor ushered in his own era, one final curtain call for the mankind of old so to speak.
The entire Blood Bastion and twin headed psyker were absolutely astounding. I truly have no words. I am thoroughly impressed at how well written everything was.
Once again, the Thunder Warriors continue to be my favorite group outside the Astartes. They are among the most tragic in the lore. Even if there isn’t much actual lore about them and are considered just a footnote, still like them all the same. Thank you for this two part story, I know I’m still new and learning but it’s by far my favorite fan story
You've single handedly made me want a thunder warriors army. Thank you.
Get on it! There are some truly amazing thunder warrior miniatures on Etsy...
Vox and Todd - thank you for such an awesome tale and a perfect, unexpected, beautiful ending. Ave imperator.
Gah that ending is beautiful. Proof that Big E, despite all the machinations and terrifying things he has done and had done in his name, is capable of being kind and caring. He On Terra almost never gets humanized like this and I love it. Amazing as always Mr. Townsend, and thanks Vox for all the effort you put into these!
"There were once Thunder Warriors on Terra" ❤❤😢
They still live...
The tears were already pooling up in my eyes by the time I heard that, then they started flowing.. damn man, I really feel bad for the Thunder Warriors now... they did it all for humanity and the Emperor's vision.. wow. So tragic.
Listened to Part One again before giving this a listen, and one of my favorite parts is the relationship the squad has with eachother. It's so different to Astartes in that it's much more human, less dogmatic and formal and more raunchy and crude. It fits their nature perfectly while still displaying that they care for each other in their own way.
Ave Imperator, glory be to Vox, glory be to Tod
I second that! Well done good sirs. Well done.
Also, incase no one has looked this up yet. Kataegis short definition means “hyper mutated cancer”. The Thunder Warriors are dying because of what? A hyper mutating cancer. Brilliant.
The Legion of Hyper mutated cancer monsters was probably too long…props for using a litteral medical term. “Cancer Mutant Legion”. Warhammer is so freaking metal.
Avi Emperator
Legiones Caetgis
That moment when the Emperor shows himself without all the golden light is nice. It really nails the 'not a god, just an example' message of the Imperial Truth the Thunder Warriors fought and died for. Well done.
The ending is perfect and melancholic, the more I think about thunder warriors the more I feel bad for them because they believe in the dream of emperor of unifying terra and views him as a god. Sadly they are just another price to pay for humanity.
All those little pieces add up. Ave imperator
Glorious.
He got to see the Emps once more and received a gift in his last moments
Been waiting for part two. FOR THE EMPEROR
Corpse worshipers 🙄
Same here, I complained so much they addressed me and said chill 😂I was like, sorry brother, I'm excited.
@f...yafeelins bro I love the thunder warriors and I worship khorne... they were betrayed by the corpse god... they would off turned too. Hail Khorne!
@SorrytobeGood Blood and Skulls!!! 😈🫡
You are absolutely correct they would have and (hopefully) be absorbed into the 12th where we would have given the imperium a damn fine run for its money by now!!
The corpse worshipers have their "red angel "
And We Have Ours!!! 💯😈
For unity!
Great writing when in the mix of all that power and carnage with the emperor himself portrayed in duel that the most powerful point above all else is the vision of the whale and the sea
This was BEAUTIFULLY written. The raw anger, the emotion. This is why I love 40k. Thank you, Vox. For giving us easily one of the best stories of the decade.
Tod did a masterful job with the writing. It was a pleasure bringing it to the channel 🤘
The Writing with your Narration has made this the most peak story on your channel to date. Cheers to everyone involved in this.
That was totally worth the wait this channel never disappoints.
Some much needed escapism today. Simply incredible, the ending made me tear up.
UNITY UNITY UNITY, AVE IMPERATOR. Man you really just have to appreciate the sheer INSANITY that the thunder warriors had to face during the unification wars. A (in my opinion) underrepresented period of time from Warhammer. Wonderfully done Tod & Vox as always.
FOR UNITY UNITY UNITY
@@brooklynkeith2877 UNITY! UNITY! UNITY!
Hasnt even started and I already know its going to be good.
No. This is somewhere to be. This is all you have, but it’s still something. Streets and sodium lights. The sky, the world. You’re still alive.
@O-OO1-O my brother in the cut...
@@O-OO1-O Weave this into the story of You. Walk out of it's ruins. Save those who can still be saved -- I'm on your side.
An absolute instant classic. What story writing, telling, and deliverance. A true masterpiece. Thunder and Lightning is a two punch combo that is topping the charts on the channel and in 40k lore in general. I shall be listening on repeat on my work cycles.
This has become my favorite scene with the Emperor.
What a wonderfully balanced story. You really get an impression about the instability of the thunder warriors yet still the empathy to the dieing was a great touch.
Sweet goddamn emperor, that ending was peak
Thank you Mister Townsend for creating such a beautiful tale for us to absorb. Thank you Vox, for bringing this tale to life in such a high-quality fashion. One of few 40k and 40k-adjacent tales that ends almost happily. Haldrad got to witness what seems like Mocha Dick, potentially the very source of the bone talisman. He did not need to experience the final battle of the Cataegis, that of Ararat. From the bottom of my heart I must say...well done, chaps!
Thank you Tod and Vox, for this incredible piece.
For The Emperor. For Terra. For Unity.
What a terrible yet achingly beautiful story. I don't think I breathed for the last five minutes of it. ⚔🔥🙌
This is a great act of justice to the lore of the Thunder Warriors. Thanks for your art
Magnificent work in every regard. Finale really makes you sit in what the Emperor was. War made manifest, A true August, and a Man. To empathise with the dying is the most human thing of all.
I wish I could listen to this for the first time again! Absolutely Brilliant!
Well that ending was bittersweet. I like to imagine the bone and feelings attached to it acted as a psychic resonance beacon. The empire was saying thank you.
I CANT STOP THINKING OF THE WHALES
I am truly stunned, I have never seen a single creation as beautiful and magnificent as this singular piece, it brought tears of joy and sorrow my eyes and captivated me beyond believe. But my god that ending is truly unmatched by all measures; So my applause to both you and Mr. Townsend for this.
This was fantastic! Thank you
Thank you for this. Such an incredible story, I was there bleeding and screaming for the emperor, and that ending was just perfect. My freaking chills got chills that was so good. Please continue to write and narrate these, you truly are talented Vox!
What a fantastic conclusion to the tale, well worth the wait. The scenes near the end were filled with such profound emotions that genuinely touched me. Excellent work as always Vox, and of course my tremendous compliments to Mr. Townsend. You really made something that resonated with me strongly here.
Packing to evacuate from my place in LA, I am looking forward to listening to this when I head out. Thanks for the escapism my guy, this couldn't have come at a better time.
@@carlniemi8883 take care of yourself my friend. My thoughts are with you
I’ve been waiting for more on the Legiones Cataegis since before I finished listening through the first part.
Hope you enjoyed it!
@@AVoxintheVoid It was fantastic! In general your voice work fits perfectly to the tone of 40K, but work between you and Tod usually are on another level.
I was just thinking about when part 2 would come out yesterday lol. This was fantastic!
Heart moving. Bravo turned this on in traffic and kept on through the car wash all the way home and had to hear the end.
With thunder and lightning for unity
Amazing, we need more thunder warrior stories
He flips off the abomination with it being his final act of defiance and gets a peaceful sendoff by the emperor. Sigismund before sigismund lmao
I’ve never seen the Emperor in such a light.. the part where he’s seen the toll humans pay for their ascension. Thanks for this Vox. Nothing gets me quite as enraptured as your tales as of late. Just lay here close my eyes and truly drift away.
This is a treat i savor. So epic and a epic conclusion to the tale. Thank you Vox for the wonderful stories.
Glad you enjoyed it my friend!
Thank you Vox! Another fantastic story from the Meastro!
@@tHEHEAd1138 thankyou for the support my man!
This was beautiful. You are so incredibly talented and I hope to keep enjoying your content and stories for very long time.
That art is really cool
I love the writing and the narration. Really incredible
@@garryame4008 dima is an amazing artist. One of the only artists I know of that likes to specialise in thunder warriors
Wow.
Marvelous work, both with the story, the narration and voice-acting.
I hope you get to tell more stories like this. :)
The story is amazing, and whoever does the music and sound NAILED it
I put it all together my dude, so I appreciate this comment a lot!
Love to see the Emperor walking and fighting.
A beautiful and brutal look into the past of Terra! Keep up the good work!
Absolutely COOKED with this one.
Damn...
This one was great dude!
Good choice of bgm too 😉
My word my eyes welled up at the end, the story had me so engrossed and the superb way it was tied up was beautiful.😌🤧
Dam. I’ll listen to this for years. Well done sir. That was brilliant.
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING PART 2 ! FOR THE EMPEROOOOR
Thank the Emperor for this gift! 🙏
Another amazing story! Thank you Vox and Tod! This made my day! :)
Thank you for introducing me to the Thunder Warriors! I actually hadn’t heard of them until now! Bravo ❤
I've been waiting for this, and is fucking incredible!
Bravo, the end of that was tragically beautiful. And perfect narration as usual.
Excellent writing!! I Love the metaphor at the end!! So goooooooood!!
I may or nay not be planning to ruin my friend's week by dropping the twins into our DnD campaign 😅
That's a terrifying guy (pair of guys, wtv) that goes to show the monsters that lurked on Terra before the Emperor conquered the planet.
Thank you for all the hard work you put into this its excellent!
Truly worth all the work if people like yourself enjoy the tales! Vox
Well written and well narrated. Excellent sound design as well.
Grim Dark absolute, made me feel a bit sad, and I got a heart of Iron. Thanks again for all you do, hope 2025 is chalk full of such amazing works, as I'm already sure it will be. Yer the man my man.
Happy new year! Thankyou for the support. Here's to 2025!
Those last words are so haunting.
Bravo, loved the story.
There should definitely be more thunder warrior stories out there.
Man i love these stories
Christ! That was good. Need more stories of the emperor, it’s what we want!
Great story! Love the Emperor remembering whales.
I was looking forward to this ever since I listened to the first part! I was not disappointed! Excellent writing Tod and excellent narration Vox!
A warrior's death
Always love tuning in to this channel! Great work again!
Hell yeah!! Just finished the first story at work when i saw this one was on the way ❤ always a pleasure vox 😊
Awesome video. People asks why did it take too much time for the emperor to unify terra? Well this video is a great example. Some people don't realise how brutal and brilliant humans can be!
Another badass piece! Keep it up!😎👍
I'm not crying, you're crying!
Absolutely terrific story through and through thank both you and Todd for your hard work talent and dedication
This is my favourite thing you have achieved
Thank you
The first videos i watched of yours were All The Gods Are Dead and I was so mesmerized. The people you collaborate with, and the work you all produce, brings to life the universe of WH40K in such a unique way. I'm always so gripped by these videos. I enjoy reading WH books, and watching lore videos, but the content you put is some of the best. Thank you 🙏
Excellent story brilliantly told as per usual. ❤
Thankyou my friend!
Outstanding work Vox!
Perfect way to spend time when snowed in!
Touching as usual. Hail to the warriors of mankind ✊
Made my day better thank you. This is the first video I get to show my new born❤❤
Amazing. Love the thunder warriors
Your videos are easily better than anything Warhammer+ makes
Amazing story and even better narration. For Terra!
Damn good. Captivating and majestic, as well as hard, gritty and human.
Wow, that was fabulous. What an ending.
I loved recording that. tod is a master when it comes to the FEELS!
Beautiful ending and awesome work .🎉🎉
Amazing as always!
That was truly beautiful
Excellence nothing but excellence thank you for the video and thank you for the story Brother keep doing what you do we appreciate you 🔥🔥🔥🤘🤘🤘💪💪💪😎😎😎 6:30
Unbelievably good.
Yes! Thanks boys!
Edit: Back for a double dip. Holy shit this was amazing. What a story. Damn...
This is a masterpiece 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
What an ending ! As always a very awesome narration ! Thank you
Vox can we please get my depictions of the emperor when he walked with his warriors! My gawd like the emperor denied being a god but did some of the most god like things. This was an amazing story can’t wait for the next one.
In the name of the emperor keep up the great work! Truely a treat every time u u post