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The Horus Heresy #Short Story
Exocytosis
Having long been hounded across the galaxy by the Dark Angels, First Captain Typhon of the Death Guard has limped his fleet to sanctuary in Segmentum Obscurus - as a guest of the separatist Luther of Caliban, no less. On the world of Zaramund, long a symbol of brotherhood amongst the Legions, Typhon begins to suspect that a new form of corruption has followed him out of the wider war. Will he embrace it, or escape into the darkness once more?
Read it because
It's another step towards what we all know is coming for the Death Guard and Captain Typhon. Is it time that he embraced his destiny as a pawn of the Plague Lord?
28 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 19, 2016
About the author
James Swallow
307 books1,102 followersJames Swallow is a New York Times, Sunday Times and Amazon #1 bestselling author and scriptwriter, a BAFTA nominee, a former journalist and the award-winning writer of over sixty-five books, along with scripts for video games, comics, radio and television.
DARK HORIZON, his latest stand-alone thriller, is out now from Mountain Leopard Press, and OUTLAW, the 6th action-packed Marc Dane novel, is published by Bonnier.
Along with the Marc Dane thrillers, his writing includes, the Sundowners steampunk Westerns and fiction from the worlds of Star Trek, Tom Clancy, 24, Warhammer 40000, Doctor Who, Deus Ex, Stargate, 2000AD and many more.
For information on new releases & more, sign up to the Readers’ Club here: www.bit.ly/JamesSwallow
Visit James's website at http://www.jswallow.com/ for more, including ROUGH AIR, a free eBook novella in the Marc Dane series.
You can also follow James on Bluesky at @jmswallow.bsky.social, Twitter at @jmswallow, Mastodon at @jmswallow@mstdn.social and jmswallow.tumblr.com at Tumblr.
DARK HORIZON, his latest stand-alone thriller, is out now from Mountain Leopard Press, and OUTLAW, the 6th action-packed Marc Dane novel, is published by Bonnier.
Along with the Marc Dane thrillers, his writing includes, the Sundowners steampunk Westerns and fiction from the worlds of Star Trek, Tom Clancy, 24, Warhammer 40000, Doctor Who, Deus Ex, Stargate, 2000AD and many more.
For information on new releases & more, sign up to the Readers’ Club here: www.bit.ly/JamesSwallow
Visit James's website at http://www.jswallow.com/ for more, including ROUGH AIR, a free eBook novella in the Marc Dane series.
You can also follow James on Bluesky at @jmswallow.bsky.social, Twitter at @jmswallow, Mastodon at @jmswallow@mstdn.social and jmswallow.tumblr.com at Tumblr.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 22, 2019
Read in the Heralds of the Siege anthology
Vote: ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
‘It was the Grandfather who brought me back from the canker,’ the old woman was saying. ‘He spoke to us about you, the Great Lord Typhus. Our champion.’
‘My name is Typhon,’ insisted the First Captain. ‘Calas Typhon.’
‘Oh, for the moment,’ she said, dismissing the comment. ‘Things grow and change. There is death, and rebirth.’
A well written sequel to Angels of Caliban with an awesome gathering of some of my most favourite ones Horus Heresy villains, Luther, Cypher/Zahariel and Calas Typhon, with the First Captain of XIV Legion at last starting to turn into Typhus the Traveller, Herald of Nurgle and one of the most iconic characters in the W40K setting.
James Swallow cames back writing a traitor Death Guard tale after something like ten years since The Flight of the Eisenstein and gives us one of the best space-horror genre tales ever set in the Warhammer 40000 universe.
I totally loved this short tale, a set-up for things to come that I already know since I've read about Death Guard for the first time into Realm of Chaos: The Lost and The Damned 29 (!!!) years ago, and I just can't wait to read at last James Swallow's The Buried Dagger, the full-lenght novel about the fall of Mortarion and his XIV Legion that I was waiting for since the early start of the Horus Heresy saga.
Really hope the wait is worth it.
Vote: ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
‘It was the Grandfather who brought me back from the canker,’ the old woman was saying. ‘He spoke to us about you, the Great Lord Typhus. Our champion.’
‘My name is Typhon,’ insisted the First Captain. ‘Calas Typhon.’
‘Oh, for the moment,’ she said, dismissing the comment. ‘Things grow and change. There is death, and rebirth.’
A well written sequel to Angels of Caliban with an awesome gathering of some of my most favourite ones Horus Heresy villains, Luther, Cypher/Zahariel and Calas Typhon, with the First Captain of XIV Legion at last starting to turn into Typhus the Traveller, Herald of Nurgle and one of the most iconic characters in the W40K setting.
James Swallow cames back writing a traitor Death Guard tale after something like ten years since The Flight of the Eisenstein and gives us one of the best space-horror genre tales ever set in the Warhammer 40000 universe.
I totally loved this short tale, a set-up for things to come that I already know since I've read about Death Guard for the first time into Realm of Chaos: The Lost and The Damned 29 (!!!) years ago, and I just can't wait to read at last James Swallow's The Buried Dagger, the full-lenght novel about the fall of Mortarion and his XIV Legion that I was waiting for since the early start of the Horus Heresy saga.
Really hope the wait is worth it.
April 20, 2024
April 2024 Re-Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order Omnibus XVI Imperium Secondus II Fate's Ashes (https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus...) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus Heresy series and extras.
I don't think I gave rhus story enough credit the last time. It's not mind blowing, but it is pretty great.
Luther's Calibanites lend succour to Typhon's fleet in a moment of comradery for the two splinter forces. The site is more than a simple meeting place for the two renegade Commanders, but the place Typhon will finally embrace his destiny.
Good unclean fun.
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 30 Horus Heresy novels, 16 novellas (including 2 repeats), 104 short stories/ audio dramas (including 7 repeats), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 15 Primarchs novels, 4 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and a short story...this run. I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
***
Intial Review 3/5
April 2024 Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order Omnibus XIV Shadows of the Warmaster II Lords of Death (https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus...) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus series and extras.
A rare glimpse at what Typhon has been up to as he enters the next stage of apotheosis to Herald of Nurgle.
This is a nicely and decidedly grossly written story named after the medical term for the process in which lesions form on the skin. We get to see the awkward comradery of Luther and his Knights and Typhon's splinter fleet, as well as the horror of one Dark Angel witnessing the true vision of a nurgaelic nightmare.
This is one of those non-essential, but important moment stories and is obviously written for that purpose, but it's an entertaining and interesting enough one.
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 26 Horus Heresy novels, 14 novellas (including 1 repeat), 89 short stories/ audio dramas (including 6 repeats), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 13 Primarchs novels, 4 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and a short story...this run. I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
I don't think I gave rhus story enough credit the last time. It's not mind blowing, but it is pretty great.
Luther's Calibanites lend succour to Typhon's fleet in a moment of comradery for the two splinter forces. The site is more than a simple meeting place for the two renegade Commanders, but the place Typhon will finally embrace his destiny.
Good unclean fun.
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 30 Horus Heresy novels, 16 novellas (including 2 repeats), 104 short stories/ audio dramas (including 7 repeats), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 15 Primarchs novels, 4 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and a short story...this run. I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
***
Intial Review 3/5
April 2024 Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order Omnibus XIV Shadows of the Warmaster II Lords of Death (https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus...) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus series and extras.
A rare glimpse at what Typhon has been up to as he enters the next stage of apotheosis to Herald of Nurgle.
This is a nicely and decidedly grossly written story named after the medical term for the process in which lesions form on the skin. We get to see the awkward comradery of Luther and his Knights and Typhon's splinter fleet, as well as the horror of one Dark Angel witnessing the true vision of a nurgaelic nightmare.
This is one of those non-essential, but important moment stories and is obviously written for that purpose, but it's an entertaining and interesting enough one.
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 26 Horus Heresy novels, 14 novellas (including 1 repeat), 89 short stories/ audio dramas (including 6 repeats), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 13 Primarchs novels, 4 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and a short story...this run. I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
February 9, 2017
Review also published here
Exocytosis is yet another neat, character-focused Horus Heresy short story. It is a sequel to Gav Thorpe's Angels of Caliban , continuing on from the novel's epilogue. If you haven't read it prior to this story, I'd recommend that you do. Not only was it pretty good, but the Caliban plotlines and foreshadowing lead right into the situation we've got here.
Calas Typhon, First Captain of the Death Guard, has come to Zaramund, and found Luther of the Dark Angels waiting for him. Typhon and crew have been hounded by loyalist Dark Angels for years now, so tensions with Luther are a given. Only a modicum of courtesy is extended towards the Grand Master, yet materiel and refugee are accepted nonetheless. But the Death Guard, and Typhon in particular, are keeping many secrets here, almost mirroring the Dark Angels themselves. And then Typhon gets confronted with a grim truth that sets him truly on course to become Typhus, the Herald of Nurgle we all know from the 41st Millennium.
To be frank, I was a bit worried about Swallow taking back the Death Guard after all these years. He set a certain tone for the Legion in Flight of the Eisenstein - but that was almost 10 years ago! Since then, he had very little to do with the Death Guard at large, despite his long-running Garro sub-series. In the meantime, many other authors have tackled Mortarion and the Death Guard, from Graham McNeill over Gav Thorpe to Chris Wraight, and I don't think it controversial to say that out of all of the depictions, I am particularly keen on Wraight's. Indeed, this story, along with Wraight's The Path of Heaven , will undoubtedly lead right into the upcoming fall of the Death Guard novel. Needless to say, I was hoping Chris would score the book, but after reading Exocytosis, I am more torn on the matter.
That is to say, I enjoyed this short story a good deal. Typhon takes the center of the stage, though I would have liked to see a little more of Luther, Zahariel and co. The few nuggets of info we get there are worthwhile in my opinion, and show the tensions within the Dark Angels pretty well. But it really is about Typhon, his eventual fate and the beginning of the true turn of the Death Guard from traitors to swollen, pustulent abominations in the service of the god of pestilence.
Swallow offers a few callbacks to ideas he put onto the table back in Eisenstein, which I appreciate greatly, and Typhon feels a bit more nuanced than I thought him in Thorpe's The Lion . The semi-religious themes tackled here also were a nice touch, though I was shaking my head over the one and only Dark Angel who could've had a chance of changing the inevitable.
Overall this isn't great on action or big Legion progression. A lot of it is setup for what is to come, to bring Typhon, an oft-neglected character, back into the spotlight. However, it is good setup with a good character focus that was sorely needed. It is competently written and fits neatly into the current state of the Heresy. If it heralds a return to the Death Guard for Swallow, he is welcome to go ahead with it.
Exocytosis is yet another neat, character-focused Horus Heresy short story. It is a sequel to Gav Thorpe's Angels of Caliban , continuing on from the novel's epilogue. If you haven't read it prior to this story, I'd recommend that you do. Not only was it pretty good, but the Caliban plotlines and foreshadowing lead right into the situation we've got here.
Calas Typhon, First Captain of the Death Guard, has come to Zaramund, and found Luther of the Dark Angels waiting for him. Typhon and crew have been hounded by loyalist Dark Angels for years now, so tensions with Luther are a given. Only a modicum of courtesy is extended towards the Grand Master, yet materiel and refugee are accepted nonetheless. But the Death Guard, and Typhon in particular, are keeping many secrets here, almost mirroring the Dark Angels themselves. And then Typhon gets confronted with a grim truth that sets him truly on course to become Typhus, the Herald of Nurgle we all know from the 41st Millennium.
To be frank, I was a bit worried about Swallow taking back the Death Guard after all these years. He set a certain tone for the Legion in Flight of the Eisenstein - but that was almost 10 years ago! Since then, he had very little to do with the Death Guard at large, despite his long-running Garro sub-series. In the meantime, many other authors have tackled Mortarion and the Death Guard, from Graham McNeill over Gav Thorpe to Chris Wraight, and I don't think it controversial to say that out of all of the depictions, I am particularly keen on Wraight's. Indeed, this story, along with Wraight's The Path of Heaven , will undoubtedly lead right into the upcoming fall of the Death Guard novel. Needless to say, I was hoping Chris would score the book, but after reading Exocytosis, I am more torn on the matter.
That is to say, I enjoyed this short story a good deal. Typhon takes the center of the stage, though I would have liked to see a little more of Luther, Zahariel and co. The few nuggets of info we get there are worthwhile in my opinion, and show the tensions within the Dark Angels pretty well. But it really is about Typhon, his eventual fate and the beginning of the true turn of the Death Guard from traitors to swollen, pustulent abominations in the service of the god of pestilence.
Swallow offers a few callbacks to ideas he put onto the table back in Eisenstein, which I appreciate greatly, and Typhon feels a bit more nuanced than I thought him in Thorpe's The Lion . The semi-religious themes tackled here also were a nice touch, though I was shaking my head over the one and only Dark Angel who could've had a chance of changing the inevitable.
Overall this isn't great on action or big Legion progression. A lot of it is setup for what is to come, to bring Typhon, an oft-neglected character, back into the spotlight. However, it is good setup with a good character focus that was sorely needed. It is competently written and fits neatly into the current state of the Heresy. If it heralds a return to the Death Guard for Swallow, he is welcome to go ahead with it.
December 26, 2016
Exocytosis, Day 19 in Black Library's advent calendar, brings us up to speed on what First Captain Calas Typhon has been up to since we last saw him quite some time ago. The story itself was supremely interesting and extremely well written. Mr. Swallow really nailed Luther and Typhon's characters, and did a fantastic job of showing Typhon's evolution to becoming Typhus the Traveler that we know and love in 40k. I really can't wait to see where this goes, and I really hope we get a novel detailing the Fall of the Death Guard before too long.
January 26, 2026
Magnicus totalus
Tiene gracia que odie mucho más a los caídos que a Typhon, pero lo que hacen los perros de Luther es asqueroso. La legión de Typhon es traidora y él también pero que tiene que decie Luther, viejo puto...
De todas las legiones y marines traidores, a los caídos son los que más odio. Con diferencia. Lo que hacen es incluso más asqueroso que una simple traición, es traicionar la traición o algo así, repugnante.
Tiene gracia que odie mucho más a los caídos que a Typhon, pero lo que hacen los perros de Luther es asqueroso. La legión de Typhon es traidora y él también pero que tiene que decie Luther, viejo puto...
De todas las legiones y marines traidores, a los caídos son los que más odio. Con diferencia. Lo que hacen es incluso más asqueroso que una simple traición, es traicionar la traición o algo así, repugnante.
January 16, 2024
When reading stories like this, I always try to imagine the smell. It adds to the horror, I feel.
April 6, 2026
Buen libro me gusto, sobre todo que habla un poco mas sobre Typhon de la guardia de la muerte y Luther de los caidos, es un buen relato corto me gusto
August 29, 2025
First Captain Typhon of the Death Guard is a potent psyker and a secret worshipper of Chaos, who leads a splinter fleet to harass the Dark Angels to prevent their arrival on Terra.
The first time we see Typhon's campaign against the Dark Angels is in the novella "The Lion". Fleeing from the retribution of the Dark Angel Corswain in "Angels of Darkness", Typhon found aid from an unexpected ally, Luther of the Dark Angels (more details of which can be found in "Luther: First of the Fallen"). Now as he waits for his ships to be repaired, Typhon comes to face his destiny.
Luther also plays an important role in the story. He first appeared in "Descent of Angels" and reappeared in "Fallen Angels" and the audio drama "Master of the First". Formerly the right hand of the Lion, he was banished to Caliban and left forgotten. His time alone has lead him down a path of treachery but he may not be prepared for the darkness brought by the Warmaster's forces.
Fun short story that sets up the events of "The Buried Dagger" and offers insight into Typhus, Herald of Nurgle.
Typhon appears again in The Buried Dagger, The First Wall, Saturine, Warhawk, and The End and the Death.
The first time we see Typhon's campaign against the Dark Angels is in the novella "The Lion". Fleeing from the retribution of the Dark Angel Corswain in "Angels of Darkness", Typhon found aid from an unexpected ally, Luther of the Dark Angels (more details of which can be found in "Luther: First of the Fallen"). Now as he waits for his ships to be repaired, Typhon comes to face his destiny.
Luther also plays an important role in the story. He first appeared in "Descent of Angels" and reappeared in "Fallen Angels" and the audio drama "Master of the First". Formerly the right hand of the Lion, he was banished to Caliban and left forgotten. His time alone has lead him down a path of treachery but he may not be prepared for the darkness brought by the Warmaster's forces.
Fun short story that sets up the events of "The Buried Dagger" and offers insight into Typhus, Herald of Nurgle.
Typhon appears again in The Buried Dagger, The First Wall, Saturine, Warhawk, and The End and the Death.
December 29, 2016
Amidst the forests of Zaramund, Luther and his Dark Angels offer aid to the battered forces of First Captain Calas Typhon, but there’s little trust between the Angels and the Death Guard.
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/20...
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/20...
December 26, 2016
Nice to see what Typhus has been up to however, this short story raises more questions than answers. Well written by Swallow as always.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews