Julianus Zhen

Julianus Zhen in Mark II "Crusade" Pattern Power Armour during the Horus Heresy.

## Character

### **Language(s)**

Gothic (High & Low)
Khorchin (Chogorian)

### **Allegiance**

Independent
Chaos (nominally)

### **Legion**

White Scars (formerly)
Sons of Horus (formerly)

## Biographical Data

### **Died**

Wrath of the Chaos Sun
(010.M37)

## Physical Description

### **Skin colour**

Pale

"*The truth will come out. You won't be able to hold the blindfold in place, and once it slips, the fury of those you deceived will be limitless.*"
— Jaghatai Khan to Malcador the Sigillite regarding the Imperial Truth
Julianus Zhen served as a Sergeant of the White Scars Legion during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. Recruited at the end of the Unification Wars, Zhen joined the Vth Legion before the rediscovery of Jaghatai Khan on Chogoris and participated in the First Blooding. Zhen and his squad later sided with the Warmaster after spending years in a warrior lodge, though they ultimately turned to the path of the Renegade.

## History

### Star Hunters

Born & raised on Terra, Julianus grew in a small cave hidden beneath the barren tundra of the northern hemisphere. The stars above captivated him from a young age, & the boy spent countless hours gazing up at the infinite cosmos, dreaming of adventure & glory across the stars. From beneath the boot of his homeland’s techno-barbarian warlord, Julianus yearned for freedom & the uncharted mysteries that awaited in the heavens beyond. It wasn't long before the Star Hunters came for him, & Julianus eagerly joined their ranks, drawn to the Legion's nomadic nature & endless conquest.

From the moment he donned his armor, Julianus felt an immediate connection to the brotherhood of warriors around him. The bonds forged in battle, the thrill of the hunt, & the glory of victory filled him with purpose he had never felt before. Serving in the 3rd Pioneer Company of Kornelius Dure during the Great Crusade, Julianus learned to navigate the intricate terrain of countless worlds with expert precision, earning him the respect of his superiors and peers alike. Julianus’ performance throughout this time gradually built his reputation as a direct & honest warrior.

### White Scars

However, only after the discovery of the Khagan did Julianus truly distinguish himself. The traditions & customs of the White Scars spoke to him deeply, as did the fraternity later found in his Legion’s warrior lodges; the Talskars’ independence & Noble Pursuits especially appealed to Julianus, their philosophy a stark contrast to the crushing conforming of his childhood & survival under Terra’s tyrants. Under Jaghatai, life meant more than mere survival: it meant exploration– of the stars, of the arts, & of the self. The Legionnaire Julianus fully embraced the culture of Chogoris, adopting its ways as his own; he learned the language of the Khan & the nomadic tribes of the steppes in accordance with his Primarch’s will, & when the time of the Blooding ritual of Ascension had come, Julianus cast aside his Terran name: Julianus became Shaazan, proudly assuming the title his Chogorian brothers used to mock his pale skin & polished armor. Shaazan Zhen’s understanding of his Primarch’s warrior philosophy grew ever deeper, & soon none doubted him a true son of Chogoris.

But it was not merely his cultural assimilation that set him apart; Shaazan Zhen proved himself a skilled fighter, earning distinction during the Emancipation of Drune alongside the Lunar Wolves. His tactical prowess & fearless leadership in the face of the Warp-spawned xenos saw him ascend to a line-officer shortly thereafter. Encouraged by his commander Nayaga Khan, Shaazan christened his unit the Zhenuur Annir, or Echoes of Zhen’s Fury. At the campaign’s conclusion, First Captain Ezekyle Abaddon praised the performance of those amongst the Vth Legion who had proven themselves alongside his Lunar Wolves twice— first as Pioneer Companies seconded to his Legion & again as allies on Drune.

### Sons of Horus

Once the Horus Heresy erupted, Zhen & many of his fellow Legionaries sympathized with the Warmaster, convinced the Emperor had lost sight of his duties to the people of the Imperium & retired into stagnant tyranny like the Palatine aristocrats of Chogoris. Zhen followed Hasik Noyan-Khan, one of the Great Khan’s personal guards, who led all White Scars that shared their beliefs.

When Jaghatai Khan finally sided with the Emperor & slew Hasik, Zhen became completely disillusioned with the Imperium & his own Primarch; he remained fiercely loyal to those who had followed Hasik & now faced his Primarch’s ultimatum of death or service in the Sagyar Mazan. Zhen faced an impossible decision: he could either fight for a lie he did not believe, propagated by a distant Emperor & his uncaring bureaucracy, or submit to execution of himself & the truth. Unable to reconcile these choices & unwilling to hide the truth, Zhen was forced to flee his Legion, escaping with only his closest brothers.

Occasionally serving alongside the Sons of Horus, it was during these early years of the Horus Heresy that Zhen shed the name Shaazan out of shame at how his Emperor, Imperium, & Khagan had changed: he returned instead to his Terran roots & once more bore the name cast aside for decades– Julianus. To accompany this metamorphosis, Julianus Zhen received a hybrid pauldron from his allies within the Sons of Horus that incorporated iconography of both the XVIth & Vth Legions.

### Renegade

Despite his fervent belief in Horus’ cause, Zhen found himself increasingly seduced by the exhilaration of battle & the glory of conquest. The influence of the Ruinous Powers on his allies became more apparent during the latter years of the Horus Heresy, & Zhen began to have doubts; the more he saw of the atrocities committed in the name of the Warmaster & his otherworldly allies, the more he began to question his choices. In particular, the raving madness of the World Eaters’ Red Butchers as well as the daemonic possession of the Word Bearers’ Gal Vorbak disgusted him. As the heresy raged on however, Zhen's bloodlust grew ever more insatiable as the canker of hatred festered within him. He hated how things had changed: first the Emperor, then Jaghatai, & now Horus; one by one, they had all turned to tyrants. He hated the Imperial Truth, hated its lie, & hated how it had robbed him of his brothers. In truth, seeing the dream of mankind crumble around him, Zhen began to hate himself, no longer certain of his decisions.

Zhen’s time in battle and his travels through the Warp had begun to bleed his sanity during the Siege of Terra. He could not support the Emperor, but neither could he continue to fight beside those who had become so consumed by Chaos. In the end, Julianus abandoned the Siege of Terra as the Emperor boarded the *Vengeful Spirit*, leading his men– his Zhenuur Annir– into the abyss of space in search of answers & conquest.

## Notable Campaigns

### Great Crusade

* Invasion of the Kolarne Circle

* Emancipation of Drune (881.M30)

### Horus Heresy

* Second Battle of Prospero (~007.M31)

* Siege of Terra (014.M31)

### Age of the Imperium

* War of Recovery (104.M36)

* Wrath of the Chaos Sun (010.M37)

## Allies

### White Scars

* Hasik Noyan-Khan (KIA)
* Nayaga Khan (KIA)

## Gallery

Standard-issue Zhenuur Annur pauldron (Horus Heresy Era)Iconography of Zhenuur Annir serving alongside the Sons of Horus Legion