The conflict between Leman Russ and Magnus, the "Burning of Prospero," was undoubtedly one of the most symbolic internal conflicts of the Imperium.
Magnus was abducted by the Chaos God to Prospero, which had once been a refuge for Psykers but was now occupied by Psychneuein, with only Tizca City surviving. Psychneuein are large, wasp-like creatures that lay eggs in the brains of Psykers.
Magnus was cared for by scholars in Tizca and quickly displayed his Psyker talents, becoming the most powerful sorcerer on Prospero. He led the people against the Psychneuein, reclaiming almost the entire planet in just one year, rebuilding their homes, and becoming the planet's leader. Under his rule, Tizca became a jewel of human civilization, and Prospero also established advanced defense systems.
Magnus dedicated himself to studying the Warp (which the people of Prospero called the "Great Ocean"), compiling knowledge, and building a magnificent library.
Magnus's activities in the Warp attracted the Emperor's attention. The Emperor contacted him through a psychic link and recognized him as his child online, stating, "Father is coming to pick you up right away!"
Along the way, father and child conversed across the void. After the Imperial Fleet arrived at Prospero, Magnus received a warm embrace from his father, a treatment that made his other brothers incredibly jealous.
The Emperor taught him more about the Warp and sternly warned him not to delve too deeply or contact unknown entities, but Magnus, like a child told not to stay up late, completely ignored him. His former brothers now stood on completely opposite sides, each harboring complex emotions for the other and for this world.
Upon learning of Horus's impending rebellion, Magnus was eager to warn the Emperor. He chose to project his mental essence directly to Terra through a grand psychic ritual to ensure the message was quickly believed.
However, this approach was later deemed not the best choice. Ahriman even suspected that he used it to show off his skills, intending to make the Emperor acknowledge the strategic value of Psykers and revoke the Edict of Nikaea, and this ritual secretly sacrificed a large number of lives.
Magnus successfully projected his soul to Terra but crashed into the giant psychic barrier outside the Imperial Palace, unable to enter. As he grew anxious, Tzeentch from the Warp reappeared, offering to help him break through the barrier.
Magnus was immensely grateful and accepted the help, which directly shattered the Emperor's Webway project. The Webway, originally designed for human travel, instantly became a direct route for daemons to Terra.
The Emperor was furious, denouncing Magnus for violating the edict and destroying humanity's future, and banished his soul back to Prospero. In fact, the Emperor had already warned Magnus about the importance of the Webway and marked warnings on the barrier.
Horus, upon hearing this, laughed uncontrollably and was even more delighted to discover that the Emperor had not heard Magnus's warning clearly, instead ordering him to send Russ to arrest Magnus for trial.
Horus seized the opportunity to alter the orders, instructing Russ to execute Magnus, annihilate the Fifteenth Legion, and destroy Prospero. Thus, the Sixth Legion, supported by numerous reinforcements, launched a full-scale assault on Prospero.
Even with the extermination order, Russ, due to the matters of the Second and The Eleventh Brother, still tried to de-escalate the situation. During his march, he repeatedly contacted Magnus through psychic means or communications, attempting to resolve the issue through dialogue.
Upon arriving at Prospero, Russ even openly defied orders, choosing to besiege rather than attack, continuing to try and make contact. However, Magnus never responded.
Magnus's silence was perplexing and marked the beginning of a series of mistakes he made during the Battle of Prospero. One possible explanation is that he was consumed by self-reproach and became withdrawn, unable to face reality after realizing he had destroyed the Webway and indirectly ruined humanity's future.
As a naive idealist, this blow completely shattered him. Although Russ took several months to travel to Prospero, which should have been enough time for Magnus to adjust his mindset, it proved that he was more fragile than people expected.
Actually, even if Magnus couldn't stand Russ, he could have tried talking to Valdor, the Captain-General at the time, but he didn't.
In short, things became so absurd that only "plot armor" could explain it. Magnus, a character who should have possessed superhuman intelligence, behaved like an Ork from beginning to end. If he had even normal human intelligence, he should have been able to return safely to Terra in the end.
After the Burning of Prospero erupted, Magnus engaged in a series of deceptions and counter-deceptions with Tzeentch. Eventually, a desperate Magnus personally entered the fray, unleashing a barrage of psychic energy across the battlefield and heading straight for Leman Russ for a one-on-one duel.
During the battle, Magnus, with a move called "Black Tiger Steals Heart," pierced through the Frostblade Armor, knocking out one of Russ's hearts and nearly putting the Wolf King in a fatal situation. There are two accounts of what happened next: one says that Russ's Fenrisian Wolf pounced, interrupting Magnus's spellcasting and blinding his single eye; the other says that after a brief interference from the Fenrisian Wolf, Magnus, feeling overconfident, tormented Russ with magic, only for the Wolf King to instinctively surge, wildly swinging his sword and striking Magnus's single eye. In either version, Magnus indeed lost his sight.
Seizing this opportunity, Russ rushed forward, ending the battle with a lift and knee strike, breaking Magnus's spine and leaving him semi-paralyzed on the spot.
Tzeentch rejoiced at Magnus's defeat and offered a choice: pledge allegiance to Tzeentch to save his Legion, or watch the Thousand Sons and Prospero be annihilated together. A desperate Magnus chose to side with Chaos, completely betraying his promise at the Council of Nikaea.
Tzeentch kept his word, immediately teleporting the entire city of Tizca to a daemon world within the Eye of Terror. The Thousand Sons Legion retreated through a portal, and Magnus also escaped the battlefield.
However, in his battle with Russ, Magnus not only suffered physical injuries, but his soul was also shattered, with fragments scattered across time and space.
These fragments represented different aspects of his personality, some helpful, such as aiding the Salamanders Legion in resurrecting Vulkan; others degenerated into daemons.
Chief Sorcerer Ahriman and other Thousand Sons sorcerers managed to gather several powerful fragments, forming the stable entity "Crimson King," which became Magnus's current primary form.
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