Luthor Huss

"To me, sons and daughters! Forget your pain! Forget your despair! A new power is among you! To me! This is what you have become! You are the filth. You are the rubbish. You are the slime and disease that this town wishes to forget. You are where the sins of humanity have come to squat. This is what they have made you into! You have let them. You have let them drive you into this stinking pit, never lifting your hands against them, letting them tell you that you deserve it, that your station can never be any better than this. You are wrong. They are wrong. You can be so much more than this. You can be angels of destruction. You can be the deliverers of Sigmar’s holy justice. You can rise above this! You can fight with the fervour of the Lord Sigmar himself. You can be His chosen, the instruments of His will. It was for you that He bled, and for you that He fought. You are those for whom He forged this Empire. You are the inheritors of His mantle.’"

- Luthor Huss, rallying the people of Eisenach

Luthor Huss, known by others as the Prophet of Sigmar is a legendary and zealously pious Warrior Priest of the Cult of Sigmar that has traveled the length and breath of the Empire, preaching against corruption and rousing the faithful to seek the will of Sigmar. Thus he consigns himself to the battlefield, where he believes he can best pay tribute to his mighty god. Luthor became the nightmare of every corrupt priest, the scourge of the unfaithful and the bane of those who consorted with the Dark Powers.

Luthor Huss is a grim and determined figure of zeal, whose unwavering faith in Sigmar and his stern and almost emotionless expressions has given him a driving motive to combat the Forces of Darkness wherever he goes. Many suspected corrupt Priest have been found slain by Luthor's feet, and the tales of such grisly acts of self-imposed righteous justice meted out by his hands has drove an Arch Lector of the Church to demand for his excommunication.

However, Grand Theogonist Volkmar refused to take such drastic measures. The enigmatic smile that appears on the Theogonist's face whenever Luthor's name is mentioned has led many to think that the old man knows something important about Luthor's ultimate destiny. None are known to be sure of the Grand Theogonist's motives, but whatever the case, this lone Warrior Priest of Sigmar continues his long holy crusade against the Darkness, fighting with nothing but his faith and the powerful swing of his mighty Warhammer.

History
It is unclear where the Man that would become Luthor Huss came from, nor did anyone know his original name. All that was known was that a young boy came upon the doors of a Sigmarite Temple located within the northern shores of the Empire, upon a cliff overlooking the Sea of Claws. Adso Theiss, the elderly Sigmarite Priest that maintains the Temple found the young twelve year old in the cold and rain, and when asked his business, the boy simply replied that he wished to learn. What caught the Priests attentions the most was the boys piercing brown eyes, which was filled with a grim determination unlike anything he'd seen from a child.

Although Father Theiss reluctantly allowed the child to live there, the boy soon proved his worth to the old preist. The boy worked from dawn to dusk, aiding the Priest in many errands as well as his impressive devotion to the Sigmarite faith. After a month at the temple, he was reading primers designed for acolytes older than him. After two months he had progressed to the catechisms. After a year he had read the entirety of the "Life of Sigmar" and had begun to wrestle with Uwe Mordecai’s dense and difficult "Thoughts on the Nature of Faith". He surpassed his fellow acolytes in everything, and they hated him for it. Though they may trash and beat the boy, the boy held his ground and didn't fight back. In time, the old Priest gave the boy a name, which Luthor picked out of a book containing the lives of all important saints and heroes of Sigmar's faith. Out of the many names, he chose two; Aldrecht Luthor and Bohrs Huss. Thus the priest finally gave the boy a proper name; Luthor Huss.

The Lessons of Faith
"The Ruinous Powers care nothing for why a mortal might fall into their worship – they will trick, coerce and snare whoever they can, for each fallen soul makes them a little stronger. The faith of mankind is different. We’re not tricked into the love of Sigmar. Our faith is no snare, nor can a man be coerced into a life of holiness. We must fight through our doubt to see the truth, just as a man must fight to crest the summit of a mountain. Take away that doubt, take away that struggle, and we’d be no better than the raving fallen who gibber at the sight of visions and cheap magick."

- Adso Theiss, tutoring Luthor Huss of the true meaning of Faith

After nearly four years, Luthor Huss grew ever more powerful and strong, soon towering over every occupant within the very Temple itself. The young man spent every moment learning, training and conditioning himself to become an exceptional priest of the church. Not wanting to raise a mindless zealot, the elderly Father soon began to tutor the young child about the true meaning of faith, and the uniqueness of the Human spirit. Ever eager to learn more, Luthor was finally allowed to follow Father Thiess on his journey to bring comfort to the lands around his Temple. As they traveled, Father Theiss taught the young lad how to field his Warhammer like a true Priest of Sigmar.

After four days, the two eventually reached the village of Hnel, where the old priest began the rites that would bless the inhabitants for some time. It was upon this backwater village that Luthor finally saw the world for what it is, not the imagined one that is written within the holy tomes of the Temple. Poverty and squalor was everywhere, and the people he was meant to minister, protect and lead only seemed to make him sick of their weakness. Yet the greatest revelation upon that day was that Luthor finally learned the extent and limits of his own abilities.

A young yet beautiful girl no more then sixteen years of age was afflicted with Blackfever, and Luthor Huss, in his determination fought hard to bring the girl's soul back from the abyss of death. Through his soul, the young Warrior Priest tried to bring the girl back from the brink, but as the last moment the soul faded away into darkness. She was an angel, and Luthor could not save her. As the young Priest lay wear he knelt, he held his hands to his face and finally understood the meaning of the old Priest's words. The old Priest told the young lad that he was no Priest of Morr, nor a healer. He was a Warrior Priest of Sigmar, and his duty is to the living, to give them hope, to remain strong, and to comfort them when no others will. The world are full of deamons and angels, and so the elderly priest comfort Luthor that should he live long enough, he will soon find another.

The Test of Faith
"You'll be alone, Luthor. You understand nothing of us. You know nothing of our temptations, for you are never tempted. A priest, oh yes. But a Man? A true Man? Never..."

- Adso Theiss, giving Luthor Huss his final lesson

As Luthor grew stronger, his mentor Thiess grew weaker. In time, the old priest could no longer do the proper rites, and made Luthor do such things in his stead. Needing a successor to the Temple, the old priest gave the young Warrior Priest one last test before mantle of Priest upon his shoulders. Outfitted with armor and his mentor's warhammer, Luthor Huss came upon the town of Wiesmund and confronted the foul creature that has taken residence within the town's chapel. Though the beast was old and Luthor in the prime of youth, the creature was quick and still powerful. After much struggle, Luthor gathered what is left of his strength and strangled the creature until it lay limp. Yet the poison that had infected Luthor during the battle sapped him of his strength, making him fall unconscious. As he finally awoke, he made his way back to the Temple, keen to keep the promise that he shall return for the old priest's last moments of life.

Yet upon entering the Temple's chapel, Luthor had bore witness an event that would change him forever. Within the chapel, Father Thiess stood upon an dark altar littered with the bones of animals. His robes were black and striped with silk, and his face bore the years of youth. When Thiess set his eyes upon Luthor, he became distraught. Luthor, however became enraged, all thoughts of pain from his body momentarily gone and willingly flung himself at his former mentor. After much effort, the young Luthor held his mentor and glared at him, and Theiss glared back. From there, the former Priest of Sigmar gave Luthor is final lesson. Only his eyes told the full story – that his anger was with himself, with his weakness and with his cowardice.

Staring down into the warped face, Huss saw Theiss’s life spread out from end to end. He saw the hopes of youth, marred by the crushing labor and disappointment of adulthood, followed by the horror, the all-consuming horror, of his soul’s extinction. Fighting back his emotions, Luthor Huss let loose the killing blow. As fire raged across the Temple, Luthor came after the other acolytes that had also indulge themselves upon this act. Yet, as he lay upon the bloodied face of one of them, the rage within him cooled and for the first time he saw the bloody work he has wrought.

A wave of nausea, as profound as that conjured up by the creature in Weismund, shuddered through him. He staggered to his feet, holding his bloody hands in front of him. It was then that he realized the revelation, that the acolytes knew about the old priest's damnation, and that only Huss, pious, gloomy Huss, had been too wrapped up to notice, lost in an austere world of doubt, angst and scripture. For the first time, he felt the gnawing of a terrible, enervating doubt. He heard the boom and crash of a tower falling in on itself in the temple, and the noise of it struck at his heart. As the fires spread and the remaining inhabitants fled to the forest, Luthor Huss stood like a statue as the last word's of his master ring again and again in his mind. From then on, he knew he could never understand the weakness of others, and have instead chosen that none shall ever be close to him so that they won't suffer the folly of his own blindness. As Luthor looked to the East, the young Warrior Priest stood up and walked down the hill. Once he started walking, he knew he would never stop. That would be his penance, to remain alone, insulating humanity from his dreadful blindness.

The Founding of Faith
In the years following his departure unto the world, Luthor Huss has sought out evil wherever he went. Yet Luthor Huss could never run away from his past forever, and upon the lands of Drakwald the Priest will finally come face to face with his own destiny. During his time there, the lone warrior priest followed a trail of destruction wrought by a horde of zombies that had recently arisen from the dead. Once such location, upon the ruins of Helgag, the lone warrior priest stumbled upon a lone survivor, a bruised yet beautiful girl known simply as Mila. When the hordes had dispersed, the lone warrior priest pressed onward, but was unexpectedly followed by the young girl. The girl reminded Luthor too much of the sick girl many years ago, and could not bear to relive the experience again. And so Luthor tried to leave her behind, having traveled several miles ahead of her before he stopped, noticing that still she continues to follow.

In a rare act of kindness, the Warrior Priest went back for her and brought her along on his journey towards the town of Eisenbach. From there, he rallied the townsfolk to the town's defence, rousing the downtrodden into religious fanatics capable of beating back the dark tide. When the Undead Hordes came, the Warrior Priest and his fanatics fought them down to the last. But the foolish girl still followed him unto battle, and Luthor fought all the harder to keep her safe. She soon became precious to him, as if her presence alone gave him hope and happiness that he never felt before. He could not risk losing her, not again and so after battles end he left alone at dawn once more.

He traveled alone through the dark forest of the Drakwald. Deeper and deeper did Luthor Huss delve into the heart of darkness, even as more horrors began to chase him through the woods. Finally, the Priest came upon an abandoned stone temple, where he fought a bitter last stand against a host of Beastmen. But out of the thickets, a small Imperial Army led by Witch Hunter Eichmann crested over a hilltop and fell upon the Beastmen hordes with a fury. Luthor was wounded badly, but as the battle raged the Witch Hunter came and aided the Priest out of the Temple. But as he came outside, he saw her. She rode amid a small group of cavalry, flanked by swordsmen, her blonde hair looking silver in the starlight. She was shouting something, waving her sword around in that clumsy way of hers, just as she had done that night in Helgag. He smiled at that, unconsciously, just as he’d always smiled when she came close to him. Amid all the filth and fear and violence, she was a rare jewel of purity. She came back.

He was still smiling when the beast shot out from the shadows, hidden by the curving line of boulders near the water’s edge. She saw it coming, but it was far too strong and far too quick. She managed to get her sword up to block the first of the axes, but the second buried deep in her chest, nearly severing her head from her body. Huss started forward, shaking the hands of the witch hunter from his arms, suddenly choked with horror. Luthor roared for her name, and as he tried to run towards her, his legs failed him and he crashed upon the dirt. As tears ran unchecked down the priests cheeks, Mila gave one last glance and an outstretched hand towards Luthor before finally she left this world. Huss tried to crawl towards her, but fell onto his face. He dragged himself a yard or two further before he felt hands gripping his armour, hauling him up again. Huss looked up one last time, catching a glimpse of the bloodied tangle of blonde hair in the distance, discarded amid the gore and mud. Then darkness took him.

When he woke up once more, he wasn't the same again. He barely spoke, even when the Witch Hunter interrogated him. He never looked up as he trodden alongside the army as they made their wear to the very heart of this dark wilderness; the Gallowsberg. From there, Luthor Huss came upon

Characteristics
"You prevailed, children. Remember this day. Remember that you always had the power to defeat the unholy. It was within you, waiting to be unlocked. You always had the power. All you needed was the freedom to believe. All you needed was to be shown the path to unlocking that freedom. In Sigmar, all things are possible. All you needed, all any of us has ever needed, was faith."

- Luthor Huss, after the Victory at Eisenbach

Luthor Huss embodies the very epitome of a Warrior Priest in both faith and strength of arms. He is unwavering in his devotion, unceasing in his persuit against corruption, and shows almost no weakness to those around him. Ever since he came upon the Temple many years ago, Huss was determined beyond those of any child. He would spend every waking moment trying to improve himself in both mind, body and soul. The boy was not afflicted with vice of any kind, and was resolute and pious to the extreme.

Yet herein lies Luthor's one and only weakness. Luthor Huss believes himself protected from all forms of doubts and temptations, yet his inability to associate oneself to doubts ensures that Luthor can never truly understand the complexity of the human mind and soul. He has read the lives of saints and want to be one himself, but he cannot fathom that he simply a Human being, in both flesh and blood like anyone else. As his former mentor once told him, the ability to acknowledge and conquer one's doubt is one of Humanities greatest strength.

Luthor Huss has nevertheless shown to have the ability to instill great fervor to many people of the Empire. His mighty stature and booming voice gives those around them the same zeal that burns within himself, lending them the strength they need to rise from the dirt and fight the darkness that continues to assail them.

Lore Conflicts

 * The novel "Luthor Huss" written by Chris Wright contrast with the lore written within the Empire 8th Edition about Luthor Huss. In the novel, Luthor Huss's tutelage began within the north, along the coast of Nordland while in the Armybook it is stated it began within Wissenland.
 * Another contrasting conflict is during the events of Wiesmund, where in the novel there was no battle between a horde of beastmen, but rather a duel fought between Luthor Huss and a Beastmen Bray-Shaman within the ruins of Wiesmund.

Source

 * Warhammer Armies: Empire (8th Edition)
 * pg. 60
 * Luthor Huss (Novel) by Chris Wright
 * Chapter 4
 * Chapter 5
 * Chapter 7 (prologue)
 * Chapter 10
 * Chapter 12
 * Chapter 13
 * Chapter 14 (the lessons of faith)
 * Chapter 15
 * Chapter 16
 * Chapter 17
 * Chapter 18 (the test of faith)
 * Warhammer Armies: Empire (7th Edition)
 * pg. 62
 * pg. 63
 * Warhammer Armies: Empire (6th Edition)
 * pg. 50
 * pg. 51
 * The End Times V - Archaon
 * Chapter Two
 * pg. 51
 * pg. 52
 * pg. 53
 * pg. 56
 * pg. 60
 * pg. 66
 * pg. 69
 * pg. 70
 * The End Times II - Glottkin
 * Preface
 * pg. 5
 * The End Times I - Nagash
 * Chapter Four
 * pg. 272
 * pg. 275
 * pg. 278
 * pg. 290
 * pg. 305
 * pg. 309
 * pg. 310
 * pg. 311
 * pg. 313

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