Serious followers of the Chaos Gods

[Hasoroth]

I was just wondering after reading Commissar Molotov's blog about his militaristic slanted Black Legion warband, about the cliches and extremes that most people take their followers of Chaos. So I was wondering about different, more serious ways of representing followers of Khorne and Nurgle, instead of the conventional view right now.

 

To start us off with, Khorne. The typical unit dedicated to him, as represented by us, the gamer, is a unit of blood thirsty maniacs, biting the rims of their shields and bat guano insane. Theres nothing wrong with this view, but I would like to see a unit of Khorne Berzerkers shown as incredibly marshal and ordered fighters, Nazis on crack to put it crudely. Khorne is the distortion of humankind's lust for conflict and a distorted view of ordered, implacable killers should be just as valid as frothing at the mouth psychos.

 

Next, Nurgle. There seems to be a single representation of Nurgle, bloated and giggling. I'd like to see the forces of Nurgle representing his aspect of death and despair. Hooded figures without obese stomachs, using scythes etc. The massive, bulging, pus spewing bags of vileness that seem to make up all of Nurgles followers are accurate and chilling representations, but I'd like to see some of Nurgle's followers who represent his other aspects and take it to the extreme. An army of grim reapers would be just as cool and walking bio hazards.

 

As for Tzeentch, I think the main problem is people just taking the Thousand Sons all the time. I'd like to see followers representing his facet of change instead of sorcery, but I have no idea how this would be represented and to be honest, I :devil: the Thousand Sons.

 

Lastly, Slaanesh, I'm also not sure about how to represent follows who embody the Dark Prince's other aspects, but a toning down of the sex, drugs, and rock and roll stereotype would be appreciated, although sex, drugs, rock and roll, and Space Marines is ace.

 

If you think of this as a complaint, please don't, I love the current cliches, but this is just a bit of a ramble / discussion. How would you represent followers of the different aspects of the Chaos gods?

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

Well... my Chapter's been beguiled by Tzeentch into following him, but they don't know it (they actually think he's the Emperor). How's that for defying stereotypical tentacly sorcererous spiky Marines in the service of the Eternal Schemer?

[Hasoroth]

Its a good example! I was going to argue that I was looking for dyed in the wool supporters of Tzeentch, but following him by mistake (or design) is just a valid a fact as tentacly sorcerous spiky Marines!

 

Moar!

[JamesI]

Its a good example! I was going to argue that I was looking for dyed in the wool supporters of Tzeentch, but following him by mistake (or design) is just a valid a fact as tentacly sorcerous spiky Marines!

 

Moar!

This is one I've been struggling with working out in fluff.

 

My Tzeentch warband are not sorcery masters (just a deamon prince and the single aspiring sorceror who has joined the band can use psychic powers), not Thousand Sons, but agents of change.

[TheDarkApostle]

Well, you could go about by using a load of Chaos Spawns, if that ain't some real and proper change then I wouldn't know what is ;)

 

But I agree with you about Khorne and Nurgle, I'd love to see armies like that myself! :P

 

TDA

[Brother Nihm]

Here's a khornate take on Imperialis_Dominatus' story.

I think it's still cliché but it's the best I could do during my lunch break. :P

 

 

A fairly new SM Chapter 'cut' from say, the gene-seed of Roboute G, with the ideals of honourable warfare, zeal, stoicism, excellence in martial prowess and the desire to protect mankind; becomes corrupted. Due to a fluke/gene-flaw in their making there's a very small amount of librarians in the chapter.

 

The chapter becomes frustrated when bureaucracy gets in the way of them liberating an Imperial planet from Xenos scum as request for materiel is denied due to logistics problems.

The Chaptermaster calls a council with the chapter's veterans and they decide to take it upon themselves to 'cut through the red tape' and rush to the rescue of the imperial citizens - unsupported by the Departmento Munitorum.

 

It turns out that the xenos force is much larger than anticipated (yay for webways) and 1/3 of the chapter's active personnel is killed in the opening battles as their fleet is ambushed in high orbit and are subsequently ambushed and harried by swift moving Xenos forces on the ground.

 

The reason why the Xenos are on the planet is to destroy an ancient artefact said to house the 'essence' of a Khornate daemon.

Unbeknownst to everyone, the scale of destruction, blood letting and frustration on part of the marines have roused the daemon essence.

 

Marines returning from the conflict report seeing visions of the Emperor clad in his golden armour and with burning wings on his back.

Apothecaries note increased aggression levels, signs of restlessness and irascible behaviour, especially among the first company (who were unknowingly closest to the artefact)

 

The departmento complains that the marines are acting irrationally by ignoring their advice and just charge into battle, the marines are complaining that they cannot receive the proper support in order to wage war and that the population of the planet are being slaughtered while they have to stand idly by.

 

Things come to a head when the ranking Departmento official accuses the chapter master of incompetence resulting in the death of the official at the hands the Chaptermaster's honour guard.

Taking what they can, the chapter serfs and marines try one last time to come to the aid of the beleaguered people on the planet.

 

At the height of the battle the chaptermaster and honourguard discover the artefact only to become ensnared by the will of the waking daemon.

It's rage suffuses them and as the last Xenos falls, the chaptermaster gives the order to kill everything on the planet. (believing that they are xenos in disguise).

 

The few remaining departmento support personnel left (the rest have fled or been killed by the chapter) report their experiences via astropaths to the imperial Navy - Sector command, who in turn relay the report to the nearest Inquisitorial stronghold.

 

And the rest as they say, is history.

[Mr.(Space)Marine]

Well I always thought that a Nurgle army that used its plagues to further their scheme of ending the reign of the False Emperor would be cooler than the Typhus-esque nurgle army that just spreads its plagues just so they can make nurgle happy.

 

And a Slaanesh army that worships slaanesh to fuel their martial pride instead of their pleasure wold be cool too (pride is an aspect of slaanesh, is it not?)

[Hasoroth]

@ JamesI, I've always thought the Alpha Legion, if they had to choose a patron god, would choose Tzeentch. The master of fates, weaver of design, and lord of subtlety seems like a fitting god for the scheming, cloak and dagger spy-Marines. It's a cliche, but a warband of Tzeentch that worships him by subverting enemies of the Imperium through subterfuge and elaborate plots would seem like a fitting representation of Tzeentch.

 

@TheDarkApostle, Cheers mate! Thats a contender for my next project, fighting with the White Scars.

 

@Bro Nihm, Thats well written mate, I'll agree its a bit cliche in that they turn into rage fuelled monstrosities, but what suddenly turns them original is that they kill not for the sake of killing, but to try and save people whom they see as being put in danger by red tape. A facet of Khorne that grotesquely resembles some of the anger modern day service personnel have with their ROEs and bureaucracy.

 

@Mr(Space)Marine, I agree completely.

[JamesI]

@ JamesI, I've always thought the Alpha Legion, if they had to choose a patron god, would choose Tzeentch. The master of fates, weaver of design, and lord of subtlety seems like a fitting god for the scheming, cloak and dagger spy-Marines. It's a cliche, but a warband of Tzeentch that worships him by subverting enemies of the Imperium through subterfuge and elaborate plots would seem like a fitting representation of Tzeentch.

Fun to represent in fluff, hard to pull off in rules with the new Chaos codex. But, reading the book Legion I've been considering making my Tzeentch band act like them.

[Hasoroth]

I typically like people to play the game as they would in the fluff, but considering the current state of the Chaos codex, I think all Chaos players could be forgiven for saying one thing with the fluff and playing something else on the table top, if they're looking to be competitive.

[Wander]

Khorne is the Chaos god of anger, violence, and hate

 

The inclusion of "anger" is kind of a spoiler, since it kind of lends itself to the irrational or at least excessive expressions of war and battle. You could attempt a "Gladiator" aesthetic, though, where Khorne-dedicated Warriors take to the field not in blood-crazed berserk hordes but in small units or even individuals, armed to the teeth, looking to prove their martial superiority by taking on all-comers; like Khârn, but rational. You could also try for a aesthetic like the "Heavy" from "Team Fortress 2" or the Marine from "Doom" - big tough guys with the biggest guns they can get their hands on, running into the thick of it and letting loose.

 

Nurgle is the Chaos god of despair, personified by stagnation, entropy and disease

 

Moving away from the "disease" aspect, go for "famine" - emaciated, mostly-skeletal, eternally hungry but undying warriors - Ghouls and Zombies, not Skeletons (that's sort of taken by the Necrons). Or, since most of Nurgle's diseases are presented as causing gaseous bloats, try a similarly striking physical manifestation of disease - say, leprosy. There's also a possibility for a "Grim Reaper" sort of aesthetic, but again, that overlaps with the Necrons a bit too much.

 

Slaanesh is the Chaos god of desire

 

Toss out the sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll, and what's left? Well, actually, pretty much nothing in terms of sensory overload. But, right now, the Slaanesh models (Greater Daemon, Daemonettes) tend to emphasize the "sex" part of desire, probably out of ease - hard to model a character experiencing the ecstasy of a Rush album while high in an interesting, dynamic way. But move away from the overt sex to perhaps a sort of narcissism - where every model is dressed to the nines, eschewing all the overtly spiky and harsh Chaos symbology - I'm thinking Loyalist Marines, with the boxy edges and bulkiness partially replaced by Eldar-like flowing curves and litheness. Or adornment, avoiding the traditional pinks and purples of Slaanesh armires and preferring metallics (gold, silver) and gemstones with flowing silk robes over the armor.

 

Tzeentch is described as the Chaos god of ambition, personified by change and magic

 

Focus on the "Change" portion rather than the "Magic" portion, obviously, but rather than the aesthetic of random, chaotic change for changes' sake, take the tack of change as evolutionary; rather than Chaos Spawns being random assortments of bits, they're instead "somehow" perfectly "evolved" killing machines for the exact situation they're in; unlike Tyranids, that have to go back to a spawning pool, if the Chaos Spawns need poison breath, they magically get it, kind of thing. The non-Daemon followers of Tzeentch wouldn't be exemplified by the Thousand Sons, but by the Alpha Legion, although how any of this would translate to a model guide is beyond me. Perhaps using Tyranid pieces for the Daemons and instead of pseudo-Egyptian/Persian Marines, an aesthetic based on a more orderly espionage organization, like MI:6, the CIA or even feudal Japan's Ninja.

[refuse]

Slaanesh

 

The issue becomes one where what motivates them. In Fulgrim, the reason or the "basis" for their change from perfect warriors to perfect hedonists is revealed (not well though).

So they don't beat, nor pillage, nor any of the mundane things. They are far beyond that. They fight for excitement, they strive for some stimulation.

 

Imagine that Slaanesh is cotton balls. And every time you hear something, a little more cotton is stuffed in your ears. Soon, it takes a monumental amount of sound to hear anything. So you go further, and strive for more to hear anything. And then when you hear something, a little more cotton.

 

So for the Emperor's Children, the thrill and rush of combat quickly fades. So they have to fight more, to find that thrill. The thick of combat, the most dangerous of foes. Soon, even fighting grows deadened. So they find new ways to fight, new ways to stimulate themselves. Perhaps they don't outright kill their enemies. They slowly cut them, savoring the fear. When that is blocked to them, they disarm the enemy and torture them. But soon that is deadened.

 

Slaanesh isn't about all the beat and pillaging. It is about the debasement. And not the victims, yours. You just don't know it. You think you are debasing the victims. You are degrading them and striving for some stimulation. But soon that is denied to you. So you move on to the next sin. Perhaps you stop torturing them and instead rend them down to drugs (like they did on Earth). Then when those are used up and deadened you try something new.

 

Slaanesh is the opposite of Khorne. Khorne kills for the killing. Wasting time is a sin to Khorne, you should be killing. Slaanesh is about debasement of the soul, corrupting the very fiber of the person's character. A main way of doing this is the above.

 

Imagine a Slaanesh Cult.

The "parties" to entice people are the door way to get people in. Free sex, drugs and music. Those that are hooked on Slaanesh (not the drugs or other things), find this pleasure fades. Soon they start to "experiment" with more. They are the "free bodies" that the initiates use. They are the ones playing music. But that fades.

 

Then there are the back rooms, where people are tortured. You get to torture people. A new thrill. Soon that gets boring, and you offer yourself up as one of the people to be tortured. And for a time that is exciting.

 

From there, you start down the darker hole of Slaanesh. Debasement of morals.

 

So for your army, they would become obsessed with perfection. Regardless of how good they get, they are never good enough. The seeking of the thrill drives them. They surgery to make themselves more perfect drives them. But ever surgery, or operation no matter how masterfully done, leaves them empty. So they seek more, and more, and more.

 

Slaanesh isn't sex. It is debasement. The erosion of your morals and ethics. Leaving you hollow and souless. Not a souless killer, but worse. Pleasure is a means to wear people down.

If you read the libera chaotica Slaanesh, you can see, sex is the "attraction" but no the addiction.

 

The chaos gods were about the hollowness of relying on others, not yourself.

 

Tzeentch, the need for someone else to change things.

Nurlge, the need to survive, live, and rely on someone to save you.

Khorne, the need to kill or destroy those that you blame for your problems.

Slaanesh, the need to hide in sensation, addiction to hide your own failings.

 

They are the polar opposites of self realization. Back then (in Slaves and Lost and the Damned), the books indicated that stronger personalities, those that had mastered themselves were reborn time and time again. The Old Ones were the original race to do this, and the Shamans were the name for humans that did this. Chaos was the force that ate the weak. And the more weak the fell to chaos, the stronger chaos became. Indifference and lack of personal responsibility were the themes. It is very much like Brave New World, 1984, Atlas Shrugged in that aspect.

 

i.e. if you can't accomplish something, pray to the gods for deliverence. Don't try to do it yourself.

So if you can't overcome an enemy, pray to Khorne for strength. Can't deal with reality, pray to Slaanesh for a moment of "forgetfulness". Don't like the world as it is, pray to Tzeentch. Don't want to die, suffering, pray to Nurgle.

 

Or you can overcome it yourself, and gain the "perfect mind". Personal responsibility.

 

For Slaanesh

Sex is a weak hook. Drug is a weak hook. Rock and roll is a weak hook. Something that is easy to understand, and points out the "moment of forgetfulness" or "absolution of personal responsibility". Can't deal with life, have some chemicals. Can't deal with reality, "hook up" to make yourself better. But when you "sober up", or "wake up" you feel just as bad as before. Slaanesh is a metaphor for your personal "daemons". That is kind of the point of my Sigs above.

 

"drugs/pain/sadism/masochism" as excuses for personal responsibility. Think of them as Slaanesh's Absolution. Does it fix anything? Nope, but for a few minutes you can ignore what ails you, then the absolution wears off, and you are where you were. Next time, it takes a little more absolution. Change absolution with experience, or music, or sex, or drugs and you get the idea.

 

Chaos is the "release" from personal responsibility. Gods that are "real" and active to absolve you of your own failings. "Slaanesh demands I torture you and send your soul to her".

The Dark Eldar stories usually show chaos better then the chaos stories. The Dark Eldar know they are just holding off the inevitable, their entire society is based around self indulgence, the bully syndrome (I kill you, or you kill me. The weak serve the strong) and the fact they are doomed from birth.

 

If you look at the Eldar, they use to serve Gods. Because they were unfocused and decadent. They then became strict, rules following, and developing their selves by walking and mastering all of the aspects of life. But they learned this lesson to late.

 

Chaos, psychers and the Imperium are the facets of all the aspects of humanity. Humans need to rise above, master themselves before they consign themselves to the same fate as the Eldar. We see the "1984" world in the Imperium, where the "better future" for humanity is to deny them being human. Remove their ability to think, thus to sin, or fail in personal responsibility. Look at the doctrines and sayings, they all imply the citizens need to be good, the Emperor is watching. We see the perfect world of the Tau in Brave New World. Everything is shiney and pretty, as long as you are inside the cities.

 

The Chaos powers are the absolution of self responsibility. They are the easy path to blaming others. The key in 40k is that if you call for help, absolving yourself of sin, someone will answer. But the cost may be higher then you think.

http://forum.emperorschildren.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/metaphor.jpg

 

 

 

imagery

Besides the obvious, blinded, deafened:

http://forum.emperorschildren.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/normal_iconbearer.jpg

 

I have some modelled up. Let's go left to right

http://i.pbase.com/u19/refuse/large/8783228.Champions.jpg

http://forum.emperorschildren.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/normal_29lord.jpg

Gluttony - large fat/obese absorbers of experience. Like psychic ticks. He captures the enemies, steals their pain (the heads), their experience. Then uses this as weapons. He is a psychic vampire, that turns his enemies into weapons. The skulls at his waste become swollen with emotion and he uses them as sensation grenades, blinding/confusing/pinning the enemy or consuming their experiences for his pleasure and then discarding them.

 

http://i.pbase.com/u14/refuse/upload/4141429.Sorcerercloseup.jpg

Dommination: trading his physical form for that of daemons (possession). He channels different daemons (right now a fiend of Slaanesh). He steals the weapons of the enemy (his grey knights halbard).

 

Sonic weaponry

 

http://thump01.pbase.com/u18/refuse/small/8315467.b_ecapothicary.jpg

Chemical weaponry. Chemical sprays. With needle like weapons to inject the drugs/such out the opponent's blood. A perverse Apothicary. Stealing organs and rending the enemy down into chemicals.

 

http://i.pbase.com/u18/refuse/small/8315525.b_putthemup.jpg

Vamparism/indifference - stealing the opponent's sensations, through again needles, vamparic looks and feels. Near naked, lack of armor, more daring the opponent to hurt them, then really armor.

http://forum.emperorschildren.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/normal_lordpowered.jpg

http://i.pbase.com/u16/refuse/small/5306210.MarineBelly1.jpg

 

Psycho-conditionng like Arco flagellation, instead of of dumbing them, heightening their senses.

 

http://i.pbase.com/u18/refuse/upload/8315478.b_ecchaplain.jpg

Perverions of the Imperial Creed

Anti-chaplains.

 

Sloth - semi-mechanical mindless monstrosities (Iron warriors), stripped of their emotion, while the Emperor's childre live and feel from a thousand thousand bodies (they control and feel the automatons).

 

 

Then there is perversion of "standard" beliefs. Bulls a fertility/War

http://forum.emperorschildren.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/normal_DPfront.jpg

 

"Seven", style horror/slasher horror

http://forum.emperorschildren.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/paintedDread.jpg

 

I tried to open up people's thinking about slaanesh years ago. So I used the idea of the 7 cardinal sins. Lust is easy, but can you do the other sins?

http://29thgreatcompany.home.comcast.net/~...deas/7_sins.htm

 

And something I was working on years ago: Slaanesh Sloth

http://29thgreatcompany.home.comcast.net/~...deas/slothy.htm

 

 

Noise Marines

It's not Marines with guitars?

The original Noise Marines

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d81/TheDarkApostle/other%20stuff/noisemarinsewithguitar.jpg

A good image of the guitar (modified model) is here:

http://www.muschamp.ca/Muskie/MBAGallery/MBAGallery-Images/phantomOfTheRockOpera.jpg

 

And the 2nd edition ones:

http://kofler.dot.at/40k/units/Chaos_Noise_Marine_with_Blastmaster.gif

[Lord Exedore]

@Refuse: Brilliant explantion!!

 

++back to topic++

 

Ever tried to "invent" a new god - more in the background perhaps? I for one dislike all the spikey stuff. It is simply too much...but hey I AM a VERY NEW Convert anyway. I guess the "souldrinker" approach is always good for a more orderly way of representing a chapter gone chaos.

 

But even the original legions need to have become what they have become by a VERY powerful fatcor that drove them "mad". I mean, ok some were a bit on the "brutal" side for a long time before the heresy, but now? I mean, you have lived for 10k millenia and you are still behind loot in the "loyal empire" (or so it is written in the dex). Come on, they ARE the elite - never died, still with all the knowledge of grandeur of the great crusade, etc. You could represent a unit "going back" to the old ways.

 

I am going to put a more orderly chaos god into the fray for my warband/army. It is a driving factor behind my warbands aproach, to cause havoc. ITs main goal will be -simply put- to cause confusion and war - with that it is going to "recruit" new people into it's army and become more powerful. Like doing temptations to the severly wounded:"You can still live to kill xyz and avenge your fallen family/comrades/etc. but you have to pledge your soul to me." It is doing games with the people to collect souls. Of cause there must be a core cadre of already "lurked" in people. Here my warband comes into play. I am currently in the process of establishing my background while painting loads of Marines. As the new dex shows superbly how to incorporate "original legion" people into another army I am going for that approach.

 

Just my thoughts, have a great day.

 

+++edit: comment+++

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

Its a good example! I was going to argue that I was looking for dyed in the wool supporters of Tzeentch, but following him by mistake (or design) is just a valid a fact as tentacly sorcerous spiky Marines!

 

Thanks!

 

This is one I've been struggling with working out in fluff.

 

My Tzeentch warband are not sorcery masters (just a deamon prince and the single aspiring sorceror who has joined the band can use psychic powers), not Thousand Sons, but agents of change.

 

What are they trying to change, and to what purpose? Or are they lost to change for change's sake?

 

@Nihm and Refuse: Sweet stuff.

[Iron Father Rik]

Khorne is the Chaos god of anger, violence, and hate

 

The inclusion of "anger" is kind of a spoiler, since it kind of lends itself to the irrational or at least excessive expressions of war and battle. You could attempt a "Gladiator" aesthetic, though, where Khorne-dedicated Warriors take to the field not in blood-crazed berserk hordes but in small units or even individuals, armed to the teeth, looking to prove their martial superiority by taking on all-comers; like Khârn, but rational. You could also try for a aesthetic like the "Heavy" from "Team Fortress 2" or the Marine from "Doom" - big tough guys with the biggest guns they can get their hands on, running into the thick of it and letting loose.

 

 

Khorne yes, is the god of violence and anger, but above that he is the good of blood and, most importantly, war, and with that comes not just the violence and killing of war, but also strategy and tactics.

 

I completely agree that Khorne's followers should not just be frothing-at-the-mouth-bloodthirsty-maniacs, but rather supreme, ruthless warriors, whilst at the same time master tacticians and leaders.

 

I know a Chaos Marine player, a veteran at GW Glasgow, who employs is Khorne Berzerkers tactically. For example one game he had them sitting in a building. Rather than charging out and mauling the enemy in a bloodthirsty rage, as is the current held stereotype of Khorne, he held them back, letting the enemy charge him. Whilst this gave him less attacks, it funnelled the enemy in this situation, and actually, due to the set up of the terrain and whatnot, reduced the effectiveness of the enemy in combat, and more or less made it easy to kill them. The metaphor of the sea crashing off rocks on the shore comes to mind.

 

 

Next, Nurgle. There seems to be a single representation of Nurgle, bloated and giggling. I'd like to see the forces of Nurgle representing his aspect of death and despair. Hooded figures without obese stomachs, using scythes etc. The massive, bulging, pus spewing bags of vileness that seem to make up all of Nurgles followers are accurate and chilling representations, but I'd like to see some of Nurgle's followers who represent his other aspects and take it to the extreme. An army of grim reapers would be just as cool and walking bio hazards.

 

As for Nurgle. He is also the god of Despair and Death yes, but also the god of rebirth. As it says in the Chaos Daemons codex, and I quote: "Though utterly foul to look upon, and creator of every infection and epidemic to have ever swept the universe, Nurgle is a vibrant god of life and laughter, not a morose purveyor of despair and gloom."

 

This perhaps gives some food for thought on the subject of Nurgle.

[Duodecimo]

Reading the Daemons codex, I'm thinking that you could also have more samurai-like Berzerkers, as Khorne seems to have an interest in honour. For example, the Flesh Hounds are mainly in the business of killing people considered to have shown cowardice/dishonour in war, for reasons ranging from sorcery to just running away.

[Magnus Thane]

Well my own force are more 'Black Knights' of the Black Legion.

I like chains and trophies on them but i avoid all mutations. Don't have Daemons and doubt i'll ever will.

Footslogging army too. And even though it is still small after all this time (and needs to be used far more - only played like 5 games so far due to lack of players nearby), i will keep going by that theme.

Warlords and warriors in space, bitter opportunistic vengeful and cynical.

I don't mind the Chaotic/warped/Mutated bit of Chaos. Or the mad insane zealotry etc. But the bit that swayed me to Chaos was:

1) The evil armor

2) The bitter past/tragic downfall

3) The Warlord/Warband edge -> Conquest and survival of the fittest.

 

So those things come first with me in my army.

[Sons of Horus]

well slaanesh' followers can be extremely fast moving accurate marines.

[Dammeron]

Followers of Khorne:

 

The Cliche: Close combat maniacs; unthinking, kamikaze murder machines who consider nothing save where the next skull is coming from.

 

Possible Alternatives: A cult of warriors dedicated to a code or notion of martial honour, a tribal force (a la corrupt Space Wolves) who regard battle as the arena in which worth is determined, a hardened cadre of martial elitists for whom war has become a culture in its every aspect rather than just close combat butchery (remember, Khorne is the Lord of War in ALL of its forms; he merely prefers close combat). You might also consider the circumstances that might lead a particular group of warriors down Khorne's path; wounded pride, aggrievance, hate, vengefulness, tribal rivalry; all of these things can be used as the basis for a possible background, and also provide some very interesting possibilities for customising a force.

 

I also like the notion of a tragic anti-hero style character fallen -or perhaps toppled- from his position of honour by circumstance or malice.

 

 

Followers of Tzeentch:

 

The Cliche: Selfish, semi-psychotic sorcerers intent on acquiring knowledge and power via whatever means.

 

Possible Alternatives: An unwitting puppet of the Great Manipulator acting out of honourable or altruistic intentions, but ultimately serving to further Tzeentch's own designs, intellectuals, academics or scholars who accidentally fall upon some scrap of forbidden knowledge or find themselves attracting Tzeentch's attention through their endeavours, political activists seeking to overturn what they regard as a corrupt and oppressive status-quo being agitated to action by a Tzeentch worshipper, a Space Marine Librarian recieving visions of some impending apocalypse that leads him and a portion of his brethren tor evolt against his Chapter/Legion/whatever in the interests of stopping the prophecy from coming to pass, a reluctant puppet of the Great Conspirator attempting to cut the threads of destiny that bind him (think Raziel and/or Kain from the Legacy of Kain series).

 

Followers of Nurgle:

 

The Cliche: Bloated disease bags spilling over the battlefield in a living tide of filth, giggling all the way. In terms of motivation, the worship of Nurgle stereotypically comes about when the adherent has no other choice, e.g. in the case of Mortarian and the Death Guard following their impromptu suspension in The Warp and contraction of the Destroyer Plague.

 

Possible Alternatives:

 

In terms of how the followers of Nurgle are typically portrayed, one might emphasise certain less typical archetypes, such as withered, shrivelled, carrion-creatures rather than the typical bloated pus-bags, or maybe Nurgle's aspect as The Lord of Flies (e.g. a force of marines infected with some kind of vile Warp-spawned parasites such as worms, maggots, flies, beetles etc). Zombie movies such as Romero's "Living Dead" saga also provide some fantastic source material for Nurgle forces, and the basis for some very interesting conversions. Motivation is a little trickier for Nurgle, because most beings obviously only turn to The Lord of Decay out of absolute despair rather than the promise of power etc. Nihilism and misanthropy are Nurgle's provinces; the utter abjection and abandonment of belief or hope. So possibilities include those whose faith has been destroyed by some awful experience or revelation, leading them to a state where they wish nothing but an end to all things. Another possibility is someone acting out of altruistic motivations; a philosophy that life and existence are nothing but suffering, therefore the only way to prevent suffering is to cleanse it of all life.

 

 

Followers of Slaanesh: Self-obsessed and sadistic hedonists dancing around the battlefield in shrieking ballets of excess; drugs, sex and rock 'n' roll.

 

Possible Alternatives:

 

REFUSE has pretty much covered this topic comprehensively, however I will make one or two possible additions: Slaanesh represents notions such as creativity and poetic inspiration; a culture isolated from Imperial Rule by Warp Storms, distance from Terra or whatever may still entertain some of the cultural freedoms that life in the Imperium denies. A recently founded Chapter of marines sent to reclaim such a world may find themselves questionning their loyalties after partaking of some of the seemingly harmless and extremely pleasurable past-times available, finding themselves eventually succumbing to Slaanesh's influence. You might also find some extremely Slaaneshi themes recurrent in art, literature and poetry. The works of William Blake, Aldous Huxley, Clive Barker, The Marquis de Sade (of course), Oscar Wilde (Salome is an archetypally "Slaanesh" work. You might also seek out Clive Barker's early film adaptation of the work).

 

In terms of how they appear on the battlefield, one aspect of Slaanesh that is sadly under-used is his theatricality. An army based around Masque ball costumes or theatre dress would be particularly apt (think the ball scene from the movie "Labyrinth"), as would marines based around classical sculptures (Michaelangelo's "David," etc) or traditional icons of human "beauty."

[sexiest_hero]

I'll do a quick sum up of my Leigons, over the years and the alternate looks on things

 

Khorne, The old war dog that has to get one, more battle in or fineds one more cause to fight for.

 

Tzeench, Political Curruption, Jokeys for poers in a chapter

 

Nurgle, Mental illness,

 

Slannesh, Gluttany, Fat slobs who just can't

stop eating while saying how much they need to lose weight.

[Zealot Of Chaos]

Ever tried to "invent" a new god - more in the background perhaps? I for one dislike all the spikey stuff. It is simply too much...but hey I AM a VERY NEW Convert anyway. I guess the "souldrinker" approach is always good for a more orderly way of representing a chapter gone chaos.

 

don't forget the original Chaos god Malal (whose name shall not be uttered by GW staff as there are lots of copyright issues

Malal was the ORIGINAL chaos god but the guy who designed him upped and left GW along with the copyright, theres snippets about him over the internet and "supposedly" not the most recent codex but the one previous, the paint scheme for the Sons Of Malice was a harkening back to Malal's colour scheme and emblem as well as the Daem Wep Dreadaxe which was supposed to have been the weapon carried by his champion.

 

Malal was not really a god of anything other than chaos in its purest form i.e. entropy (which has now apparently fallen to nurgle) and as such he was always at war with his usurpers (Khorne, Nurgle, Tzeentch and Slannesh) and was just as likely to fight them as anyone else.

 

I think its a shame that hes fallen by the sidelines I would have quite liked to see warriors who follow methodical ramdomness

[hummus]

also from that pov u have the joker as a guy who is an agent of chaos and even says as much in the dark knight

[Legatus]

I cannot help but feel that most of the "serious" or "subtle" followers of the chaos gods described here are merely "superficial" followers, and not those who really dedicated their whole existence to them and follow them for most of their life. In the end, the path will lead to a ruinous existence, and the aspect of the deity in question will be visible in its purest and most basic form. A dedication to Khorne might start as a mere interest in martial pride, but if that direction is pursued (as it inevitably will), it will end in nothing but violence for the sake of violence.

 

Great description by REFUSE, btw.

[Brother Captain Kezef]

How about the SS as Nurgle followers?

 

A force of cold, calculating marines who assault a planet and implement a 'final solution' rounding up the population and putting them into concentration camps, putting the people through 'selections' killing those who fail and those who pass are put to work till the next round of 'selection'.

 

The marines reap the suffering and despair of the populace and dedicate it to Nurgle.

 

In battle they are the essece of the Waffen-SS, cold, cruel, professional and skilled throwing any cpatured enemy into the camps. Evenualy every man, woman and child onthe planet is dead and they move to the next world.

[Legatus]

don't forget the original Chaos god Malal (whose name shall not be uttered by GW staff as there are lots of copyright issues

Malal was the ORIGINAL chaos god but the guy who designed him upped and left GW along with the copyright, theres snippets about him over the internet

Just saw that one, and could not let it uncommented. Malal was created for the Warhammer Fantasy RPG by one of the artists to be used as the patron god for one of his characters. Since it was not GW's own IP they did not include him in many other WHFRPG material. There has never been any official material on Malal for Warhammer 40K. The Sons of Malice and the Dreadaxe in the last Codex Chaos were nods in that direction, sort of a homage to old school GW lore, but there really never was a Malal in WH40K.