Black Legion and the Gods

[Biaz]

Hey, this is my first ever topic thingo i started (how exciting! <_< ) and i don't know if this topic has been discussed 1000 times before, so forgive me if it has, but generally, where do the BL stand with the gods? Do they worship them zealously like the Word Bearers, or do they see them more as a tool to bring down the Imperium?

[Vissah]

For as far as I know they use Chaos as a tool to bring down the Imperium.

[caboosebe]

They worship them, but not as zaelous as the Word Bearers. The Word Bearers encourage the worship of Chaos as a whole and not the specific Gods, although there are small cults in their legion, just because of their great value.

The Black Legion encourages cults on a surtant level, aswell as having cults of Chaos undiveded. They will try to use Chaos as a tool, but do not see it as a tool like the Iron Warriors or Alpha Legion.

So, something of a go-between Iron Warriors and Word Bearers.

 

Something like:

Iron Warriors: if you help me, I'll kill 100 people in your name

Black Legion: I killed a 100 people in your name, now you have to help me

Word Bearers: I killed a 100 people, just because I love you

[Midwest]

Not to threadjack, but I've always questioned the perceived understanding of how the Word Bearers worship, a perception that goes back to the 2nd ed. Codex and I think maybe some poor wording.

 

It's important, IMO, to realize that Chaos worship is different than anything in real life, as in 40k the gods are very real, with relatively little room to debate their existence. As such, I think it's more accurate to say that the Word Bearers worship the entire pantheon undivided, rather than that they worship an undivided pantheon.

 

This is unlike the Alpha Legion, who also worship all the gods, but do so by individually dividing up, with some Legionaires following Khorne, others Nurgle, etc etc. Unlike the AL, an individual Word Bearer worships all the gods, just as the WBs as a whole worship all the gods.

 

Worship of an "undivided pantheon", IMO, is more suited to the "ignorant" cults scattered across the Imperium who have stumbled upon Chaos but know/understand very little and have not yet been contacted by more knowledgeable Chaos forces. Personally, I don't think many, if any, of the original Traitor Legions would fall under this kind of worship, as their knowledge of Chaos would be advanced enough to know about the individual gods within the pantheon (at least the big four, if not more), and any Traitor Legionnaire who is not ignorant (a renegade Chapter that's fallen for non-Chaos reason), indifferent (Night Lords or individual Traitors driven more by bitter hatred of the Emperor than the personal desires preyed upon by the gods), or simply mercenary, likely turns to individual gods for patronage. AFAIK generic worship of Chaos rather than the Chaos gods does not grant the boons that the latter give.

 

My point here is that I think the BL are more a mix of the Alpha Legion and Word Bearers - some BL go into the cults and others choose to worship undividedly (and of course some are probably Night Lords-esque in being relatively indifferent to the Chaos religions and are focused solely on revenge). I think the "gods are a tool" mentality probably only resides at the top - certainly in Abaddon, maybe amongst his top lieutenants too, as it's only Abaddon (and not the entire Legion) that has been "blessed" by all four gods in his infamous pact.

 

Also, to reiterate something you probably already know, but GW has traditionally used the Black Legion as the Ultramarines of Chaos - a little bit of everything, but not as committed to any one thing as the other chapters/legions. As such, given their size, I think an individual BL warband can easily reflect whatever aspect of Chaos you'd like - from the relatively "atheistic" Marines focused on bitter revenge against the Imperium to the devoutly crazed Khornate Lord who seeks to do his god's bidding.

 

Having said that, a "classic" Black Legion force would reflect a mixture of this, probably with a core of undivided troops supplemented with a couple cult choices and led by characters who may or may not have marks too.

 

Just my opinion, of course!

[Biaz]

Haha, awesome, thanks for the replies! Thats perfect, now i have an idea of where I stand. Also, while we're here, whats your impression on the Black Legion's view of Horus? I know Abaddon hates him, with the whole "Horus was weak. Horus was a fool.." speil, but i do remember reading somewhere that the Black Legion still venerate Horus, which is why the Eye of Horus is still their emblem. What are your opinions on this?

[Mortanix]

Word Bearers: I killed a 100 people, just because I love you

 

I think I may have to sig that :)

[Khestra the Unbeheld]

Haha, awesome, thanks for the replies! Thats perfect, now i have an idea of where I stand. Also, while we're here, whats your impression on the Black Legion's view of Horus? I know Abaddon hates him, with the whole "Horus was weak. Horus was a fool.." speil, but i do remember reading somewhere that the Black Legion still venerate Horus, which is why the Eye of Horus is still their emblem. What are your opinions on this?

 

They venerate Horus as their father and for his war against Terra, but all feel betrayed by him for failing to kill the Emperor and for dying. They feel that because he died, the burden of shame of losing at Terra unfairly falls on their shoulders and that Abaddon and his Black Crusades represent their best chance at redemption in the eyes of Chaos and of the other Legions.