Whats going on with Mephiston and Dante? Here is the very latest from the Black Library Weekender.
Huge thanks to aa.logan for putting this down for the community.
Darkness in the Blood
Opens with readings from both books.
GH- the book is the next in his series, continuing the story of Dante brining us further into nihilus. Two hander between mephiston (who he sees as HD’s character) and Dante. Extract from chapter 9. Gathering resources to launch his own crusade into Imperium nihilus. Dante talking to a haunted fleet commander. Use of the phrase ‘warp Xenos’ for daemons. Dante looks old AF.
Dh- mephiston has gone to the prospero system as part of the Psychic Awakening. Things have gone wrong- split himself into three- spiritual, physical and bestial. The extract is from the bestial, towards the end of the book. The bestial aspect is showing the dark nature of the BA. He’s fighting a dragon/Daemon. Mephiston in his bestial form struggles to relate to his past.
Cutting edge of BA fiction after deva of Baal. How do they deal?
Gh- book is concerned w Dante’s next move, rebuilding with Primaris and what’s happening to Baal.the Dante bits are him trying to prepare; Baal has become the de facto nihilus capital. Folk are coming from all over, not really knowing his role, but looking for safety. It’s the new 40k universe.
Dh- the narrative moving forwards is new. It’s great working with gh as the books were written side by side, first time doing that. It’s cool to be at the core of the 40k narrative.
How collaborative?
Dh- it’s good seeing same events through different perspectives. ESP crossing the rubicon.
Gh- nice to continue the siege ethos in a shared universe, pinging ideas. BL authors aren’t precious, want things linking up. Co-wrote a story for fun non BL in the past, and this was like that.
Dh- it’s more enjoyable in this way.
Q for dh, third in series. How did you make it stand alone?
Dh- always write as self contained as possible, but it does conclude lots of threads. More rubicon confirmation. The psychic awakening segues nicely with existing plans.
How is Dante finding things?
Gh- ideal ruler because he doesn’t want it. Young Dante physical imposing, but now he’s old af. Marines are functionally immortals, but the geneseed has the degraded, to my mind lifespan is shorter now. Dante is really old, even for a crusade era Marine. Dealing with the flaw is degrading, so is fighting the swarmlord. He’s exchauseted, but keeps holding on through his devotion. Giving a Marine frailties is interesting, his legend has outgrown him, which is why he keeps the mask on. Has power, but is frail. Is interesting leads to character.
Dh- chink in armour is interesting,
Gh- marines are post human, the way to write them effectively is to look for the humanity within.
Dh the internal battles are most interesting
Gh ultimately they all die in battle, it’s their fate
Dh afraid of failure.
How write powerful mephiston?
Dh- internal battle again, he’s a self made pariah. He’s not trusted by many, his great deed isn’t respected. How can he achieve what he needs without trust
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Gh he frighten other marines. He’s so powerful. Got to be careful not to go overboard. Dh writes them ritualistically and that’s a good way of defining them.
Dh- he knows he’s a danger if he goes bad.
Gh- we see the consequences of mephiston losing it.
How do you write challenges for him?
Dh- his mind functions on Sao many levels. The threat can be escalated- Magnus!
Gh- faces down serious baddies. Internal problems contrast his external strength. He needs to be removed from stories at time to help the story, that’s why he was under a mountain in Devastation of Baal.
Dh- existential crisis, reborn twice.
Gh- new title added
Audience
Frailties are interesting. Dante crossing the rubicon, how would he be different?
Gh- if it did happen, you’d need to find another challenge for him.
Dh- it’s a big surgery. Mephiston does it because he has to. Dante is too important to risk, perhaps.
Rubicon confirmed.
Gh- mephiston crossing is complex. He has to after going off the rails. It has a big consequence, but it’s secret now. Ba are a spiritual chapter, warp touched not just because of saguinius death. Dh has done good stuff with the librarians. The physical change is really incidental.
Dh- it’s a change for the whole chapter, not just mephiston
Gh- both make spiritual journies in gh s books. Want to explore them and the warp in future books.
Dante is commander of Imperium nihilus- parallels with imp segundus?
Gh- kind of. It’s a mythic setting, they spiral and echo. A bit Hindu, faded mythology. Guillman is unnatural attached to Ultramar, he’s too focused on it and easily distracted. Sanguuinius was meant to lead mankind, the heir apparent. Dante in the same way is a lesser reflection of sangunius.
Psychic awakening. How closely working with the studio for consistency?
Gh- now we work very closely. To make sure it works, influence goes both ways. Had to fit the events of the book around studio plans,make some of the timing tricky. The psychic awakening is only just beginning, I’ve got other stories connected. All parts of the companies need to work together for extra realism. BL fiction is the universe.
Dh- everyone wants a unified ip. Studio writers check with BL.
Gh- notes go each way. When I took them on, the ba books weren’t as tied in, but long enough ago. The fortress monestary had no name. Loads of detail didn’t exist. It’s cool seeing my names in a codex.
Dh- there are loads of threads between our books. It’s really exciting working for BL now. It’s learnt from the HH.
Gh- I’ve tried to reach out. I know the right people to talk to. It’s working really well.
Dante is getting older. Will we see him younger again?
Gh- yes. The books juxtapose current and old 40k, when I write Dante, it hadn’t happened yet. Devastation of Baal was too complex to reinclude flashbacks. In this, there are flashbacks.
Seth?
Gh- no. He’s been set up for someone else.
Ba relationship with Primaris?
Gh- can’t answer. Spoilers from this and another book I’ve been working on.
How have you dealt with the temporal shift?
Gh- timey wimey. The arrival of guilliman is a good way of showing how wonky it is, this book stays pretty close to Baal.
Dh- it happens with the warp anyway.
Dante getting old and slow and in an office. Stepping down as chapter master?
Gh- realistically, he should. The studio would have to lead that. Miniatures team esp. who knows.
Progression of timeline leads to new stories. Any problems?
Gh- always in 40k. Why not nuke the site from orbit? New models provide story hooks. Mundane logistics transform stories. Upcoming stuff touches on the roll out of Primaris. Great work came through lore hiccup, wolfsbane written using draft of am codex. Final draft had His oldness when working with the Emperor led to new stories being needed.
The Fleshtearsrs?
Gh- they’re are there. The Devastation of Baal devastated the chapters of the blood, but they’ve all been reconstituted even those destroyed.
What’s happening with the angels vermillion?
Gh- it’s in a collectors edition, redeemed in Devastation of Baal.
Closing statements
Dante feels wary of mephiston though they’re distant wired friends. They’re colleagues. Dante has a better understanding of why he’s how he is.
Dante is a valued and rare ally as he understands his burden. One of the few mephiston trusts. The ba higher echelon are oddly independent
