Plaguecaster Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Hey everyone I was just wondering what are some reasons that a space marine chapter would betray the Imperium and worship Nurgle. I am currently trying to perfect my DIY chapter the Ghost Knights (here is a link http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.p...owtopic=244958) but am stuck on thinking on a good reason on how they became traitor, I am looking for something that slowly corrupts the chapter but that does not blatantly cry out "look at us we are traitors" I would really appreciate some help or advice. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Ravensong Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 One of the Imperial Armours talks about an infection that was taking hold of a group of marines, and while their lead apothecary was working diligently to fight off the plague, dear papa nurgle began to whisper into his ear. So, perhaps they choose worshiping nurgle over a slow, excruciating, rotting death? Maybe they catch a plague that effects them mentally. Maybe they've been unwittingly been furthering the goals of nurgle for so long they didn't see their own corruption until it was too late to turn away. My own army is formed with the Death Guard as my Plague marines and terminators forming the core of the army, but everything else being turned to nurgle by the infectious disease my apothecaries administer to anyone they capture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ah-a-nothepsis Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 perhaps they choose worshiping nurgle over a slow, excruciating, rotting death? Self-preservation to avoid extinction is a good reason to turn to Nurgle for help, and would likely not lead to instant corruption but rather the realization over many years that there is no going back. and in the 41st, it's a good reason to be called a traitor even though you never once declared war on the Imperium. The backstory is all up to you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord_Caerolion Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Easy. Cynicism. They see the galaxy, and the myriad foes facing the Imperium, and the come to the conclusion that they cannot win. There will be no victory for Man, no safety from danger. For every Waaagh! or Hive Fleet or insurrection they destroy, two more pop up elsewhere. They grow disillusioned with the Emperor, their prayers for salvation falling on deaf ears. After all, where was he to protect the countless innocent civilians that are destroyed by their foes? The Emperor cares nothing for his subjects, only that they toil for him. In their mercy, they grow to despise this distant, callous and merciless being that they once called their god. Their treachery is gradual. It starts off simply as contempt for the other Adepta, seeing them as no better than the "God" on Terra. They still fight for the Imperium, but they do so only to protect the civilians, not because anyone else asks them to. They develop a reputation for being insular and almost hostile towards other branches of the Imperium. Soon enough, it devolves into outright warfare when an Inquisitor declares Exterminatus against a world, falling to Chaos, that the Ghost Knights had fought and died to protect. Unable to bear the uncaring nature of the Imperium any longer, they open fire upon their allies, wiping out the Inquisitor and his forces. However, the planet is lost to Chaos in the process. This shatters their faith in the Emperor completely, and they become outright traitors to the Golden Throne, destroying Adeptus forces whereever they encounter them, yet still fighting to protect the citizens they see as under their protection. A deep depression settles over the Chapter, as they're forced to watch as the Imperium loses ground against its foes, the Adepta doing little to protect the Imperium, and the Ghost Knights lacking the resources and numbers to save everyone. For every world they manage to protect, they hear reports of five, ten, a dozen more lost elsewhere. After years of surviving as outcasts, the Chapter begins to hear a voice in their heads while they sleep. It offers them the strength to survive in this hostile galaxy, to be protected and to protect others as the Emperor has so often failed to do. All it asks is that they submit to it. It just wants to see others survive against the odds, just as they do. One by one, the Chapter submits. The Emperor is dead to them, an uncaring husk upon a distant world. The voice comforts them though, it gives them the strength to face the galaxy. It loves them, as the Emperor never did. It cares for them, it protects them. Grandfather loves his little pretties, Grandfather loves his pets... Sworn to Nurgle, known to the Ghost Knights simply as The Grandfather, they roam the galaxy, hunting both the Adepta and the enemies of the Imperium so as to protect Mankind. Everywhere they go, they bring the blessings of the Grandfather, so that others may know the Love and Care that they do. As they travel, they leave a morass of plague-infested worlds behind them, the populations dying in happiness, ignorant of the squalor they live in, swearing that everything is perfect in the embrace of the Grandfather. Grandfather loves his little pretties, Nurgle loves his little pets... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plaguecaster Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 Easy. Cynicism. They see the galaxy, and the myriad foes facing the Imperium, and the come to the conclusion that they cannot win. There will be no victory for Man, no safety from danger. For every Waaagh! or Hive Fleet or insurrection they destroy, two more pop up elsewhere. They grow disillusioned with the Emperor, their prayers for salvation falling on deaf ears. After all, where was he to protect the countless innocent civilians that are destroyed by their foes? The Emperor cares nothing for his subjects, only that they toil for him. In their mercy, they grow to despise this distant, callous and merciless being that they once called their god. Their treachery is gradual. It starts off simply as contempt for the other Adepta, seeing them as no better than the "God" on Terra. They still fight for the Imperium, but they do so only to protect the civilians, not because anyone else asks them to. They develop a reputation for being insular and almost hostile towards other branches of the Imperium. Soon enough, it devolves into outright warfare when an Inquisitor declares Exterminatus against a world, falling to Chaos, that the Ghost Knights had fought and died to protect. Unable to bear the uncaring nature of the Imperium any longer, they open fire upon their allies, wiping out the Inquisitor and his forces. However, the planet is lost to Chaos in the process. This shatters their faith in the Emperor completely, and they become outright traitors to the Golden Throne, destroying Adeptus forces whereever they encounter them, yet still fighting to protect the citizens they see as under their protection. A deep depression settles over the Chapter, as they're forced to watch as the Imperium loses ground against its foes, the Adepta doing little to protect the Imperium, and the Ghost Knights lacking the resources and numbers to save everyone. For every world they manage to protect, they hear reports of five, ten, a dozen more lost elsewhere. After years of surviving as outcasts, the Chapter begins to hear a voice in their heads while they sleep. It offers them the strength to survive in this hostile galaxy, to be protected and to protect others as the Emperor has so often failed to do. All it asks is that they submit to it. It just wants to see others survive against the odds, just as they do. One by one, the Chapter submits. The Emperor is dead to them, an uncaring husk upon a distant world. The voice comforts them though, it gives them the strength to face the galaxy. It loves them, as the Emperor never did. It cares for them, it protects them. Grandfather loves his little pretties, Grandfather loves his pets... Sworn to Nurgle, known to the Ghost Knights simply as The Grandfather, they roam the galaxy, hunting both the Adepta and the enemies of the Imperium so as to protect Mankind. Everywhere they go, they bring the blessings of the Grandfather, so that others may know the Love and Care that they do. As they travel, they leave a morass of plague-infested worlds behind them, the populations dying in happiness, ignorant of the squalor they live in, swearing that everything is perfect in the embrace of the Grandfather. Grandfather loves his little pretties, Nurgle loves his little pets... That is awesome it is exactly what I was looking for hope you don't mind if I use this as an outline for my chapter turning traitor though will have to rewrite it a bit to fit in with the Ghost Knights obsession with death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blckbuster Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 there is also arrogance in the astartes body, they could contract something virulent, believing they can "take it" and unwittingly spread it, once enough innocent blood is on your hands you can just snap, and if the leadership is corrupted the rest can follow into damnation without realizing until it is too late, hell, they could even be dead and not realize it because of a wish made in a weak moment by a captain to "do anything to survive long enough to beat this enemy" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord_Caerolion Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 That is awesome it is exactly what I was looking for hope you don't mind if I use this as an outline for my chapter turning traitor though will have to rewrite it a bit to fit in with the Ghost Knights obsession with death. Hehe. Feel free to use it. I wrote it for you to take if you wish, so go ahead. I have to admit though, I kinda like coming up with reasons for forces to fall to Chaos other than the "They got sick/love magic/love boobs/love killing" stereotypes. If I've helped one person create a Nurgle army that isn't "Death-Guard-in-everything-but-name", then I call it a victory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blckbuster Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 "They got sick/love magic/love boobs/love killing" death guard/thousand sons/space wolves/space wolves? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kol Saresk Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Easy. Cynicism. They see the galaxy, and the myriad foes facing the Imperium, and the come to the conclusion that they cannot win. There will be no victory for Man, no safety from danger. For every Waaagh! or Hive Fleet or insurrection they destroy, two more pop up elsewhere. They grow disillusioned with the Emperor, their prayers for salvation falling on deaf ears. After all, where was he to protect the countless innocent civilians that are destroyed by their foes? The Emperor cares nothing for his subjects, only that they toil for him. In their mercy, they grow to despise this distant, callous and merciless being that they once called their god. Their treachery is gradual. It starts off simply as contempt for the other Adepta, seeing them as no better than the "God" on Terra. They still fight for the Imperium, but they do so only to protect the civilians, not because anyone else asks them to. They develop a reputation for being insular and almost hostile towards other branches of the Imperium. Soon enough, it devolves into outright warfare when an Inquisitor declares Exterminatus against a world, falling to Chaos, that the Ghost Knights had fought and died to protect. Unable to bear the uncaring nature of the Imperium any longer, they open fire upon their allies, wiping out the Inquisitor and his forces. However, the planet is lost to Chaos in the process. This shatters their faith in the Emperor completely, and they become outright traitors to the Golden Throne, destroying Adeptus forces whereever they encounter them, yet still fighting to protect the citizens they see as under their protection. A deep depression settles over the Chapter, as they're forced to watch as the Imperium loses ground against its foes, the Adepta doing little to protect the Imperium, and the Ghost Knights lacking the resources and numbers to save everyone. For every world they manage to protect, they hear reports of five, ten, a dozen more lost elsewhere. After years of surviving as outcasts, the Chapter begins to hear a voice in their heads while they sleep. It offers them the strength to survive in this hostile galaxy, to be protected and to protect others as the Emperor has so often failed to do. All it asks is that they submit to it. It just wants to see others survive against the odds, just as they do. One by one, the Chapter submits. The Emperor is dead to them, an uncaring husk upon a distant world. The voice comforts them though, it gives them the strength to face the galaxy. It loves them, as the Emperor never did. It cares for them, it protects them. Grandfather loves his little pretties, Grandfather loves his pets... Sworn to Nurgle, known to the Ghost Knights simply as The Grandfather, they roam the galaxy, hunting both the Adepta and the enemies of the Imperium so as to protect Mankind. Everywhere they go, they bring the blessings of the Grandfather, so that others may know the Love and Care that they do. As they travel, they leave a morass of plague-infested worlds behind them, the populations dying in happiness, ignorant of the squalor they live in, swearing that everything is perfect in the embrace of the Grandfather. Grandfather loves his little pretties, Nurgle loves his little pets... Dude, this is really awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord_Caerolion Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Hehe, I do my best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kodanshi Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Perhaps they get a lot of zits! Oozing pus = spreading the word of Nurgle, surely… :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schultzhoffen Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 The answer is fear. The fear of dying. The fear of pain. Worshippers of Nurgle have at their core cowardice. I find this to be a much more interesting motivation that "Blood for the Blood God". It is also quite a human fear and, in the end, a tragedy. The Death Guard were betrayed by Typhus and fell to Nurgle because the pain was unbearable/neverending. I'd suggest anyone woud have caved. As for someone else turning to Nurgle, well, the answer is obvious: the fear of Death and Cowardice in the face of death/pain. It's not because someone's looking for love that they turn to Nurgle, it's because they're a coward (human?). If it were purely for power you could argue someone would go Undivided (hedging one's bets, as it were) but to decide to be a walking pussbag...man, that's cowardice of the highest order! i.e. someone would rather be anything but dead - the fear of dying is greater than the alternative. Then again, if you find spreading disease a good thing you may just be completely nuts. Papa Nurgle welcomes the fruitloops the same as he does the chickens: with open arms and a halitosis chuckle. In my opinion, this is why Nurgle/worshippers of Nurgle are so interesting, they have some depth to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plaguecaster Posted January 23, 2012 Author Share Posted January 23, 2012 How does this sound I came up with it and was wondering what you thought Nearly six hundred years after their founding the Ghost Knights received a distress call from one of their primary recruiting worlds; a space hulk was slowly drifting towards the planet with all those who entered it disappeared. Librarian Michael Alexander led a small strike force to cleanse the Space Hulk inside they found it teeming with disease infected mutants, fighting their way through the mutants Michael led the strike force into the centre of the space hulk where they find a Chaos temple with a rusted plague infested altar saturated with dark sorcery. As the Ghost Knights prepared to destroy the temple, the mutants summoned a plague ridden greater Daemon which slaughtered over half the strike force. Grievously wounded by the Daemon, Michael summoned all his magical power unwittingly tapping into the power of the chaos altar in an attempt to banish the Daemon. Though it nearly killed him Michael unleashed a powerful magical blast that destroyed the chaos temple as well as banishing the greater Daemon, with the destruction of the Daemon the surviving members of the strike force destroyed the hulk before returning to their chapter where Michael was harshly screened for any taint of chaos whilst there wasno evidence of any taint unknown to the rest of the chapter he began to hear voices of comfort and reason in his head from who he believes is from Death who the Ghost Knights worship. In the next two hundred years with the guidance of the voice in his head, Michael rapidly rose through the ranks of the chapter gaining great honour and glory for the chapter eventually becoming Chief Librarian with many of the chapter believing that Michael was favoured by Death. When he became Chief Librarian he also became the spiritual leader of the chapter's death cult with the entire chapter seeking guidance from him including the Chaplains, through Michael's spiritual guidance other members of the Ghost Knights began to hear the voices until it spread to the entire chapter. Through the voices the chapter slowly realized the truth of the galaxy that the Imperium of man is a lie and the Emperor has abandoned them. Michael eventually became chapter master after the previous one under guidance from the voices stepped down for the favoured one (as Michael was known), under his leadership the Ghost Knights began spreading their cult to all their recruiting worlds preaching that death is inevitable, it is only through the worship of death that you will be saved from a hostile galaxy of lies and deceit with those who fall in his name are reborn as holy deathless warriors. With their recruiting worlds converted to the glorious worship of death they began to amass an army of faithful who were utterly dedicated to the Ghost Knights, launching a crusade to spread the worship of death they began to convert Imperial worlds to their cult attacking those who resisted. Eventually Inquisitors of the Ordo Hereticus shocked at the heresy of the Ghost Knights declared them traitors amassing a massive imperial army with elements of the Black Templars to purge the tainted Ghost Knights eventually bringing them to battle on the Hive world Skanda. Even with their zealous followers the Ghost Knights were nearly utterly defeated by the superior might of the Imperial army with only four hundred battle brothers remaining lead by Michael who was wounded by an Emperors Champion. In desperation the Ghost Knights called out to their God for salvation it was then they discovered the true identity of their God Death who is Nurgle the God of death and decay, knowing there was no turning back they resolved to die fighting to the death than to be executed without honour. Whispering to Michael the voice which was Nurgle showed him that if he gave himself body and soul to Grandfather Nurgle then the Ghost Knights would be saved, knowing he would be damned for eternity but desperate for his chapter to survive Michael agreed. Nurgle increased Michael's sorcerous powers tenfold who immediately channelled all his powers into a psychic shockwave which not only opened a warp rift from which a horde of Nurgle Daemons emerged but it also dragged the souls all the dead back into their bodies in an unholy parody of life (or unlife) bound to the will of Michael. Facing the combined might of the Ghost Knights and their unholy allies the Imperial army was utterly destroyed with the dead being added to the horde of undead. After the battle the remaining Ghost Knights swore themselves body and soul to Nurgle with Michael renaming himself Michael Vilepox before fleeing to the Halo Zone taking with them their army of the undead establishing a stronghold in the Halo Zone from which they launch raids against the Imperium spreading the cult of Nurgle becoming dark necromancers using the undead as a weapon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ah-a-nothepsis Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Captain Kezef Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Easy. Cynicism. They see the galaxy, and the myriad foes facing the Imperium, and the come to the conclusion that they cannot win. There will be no victory for Man, no safety from danger. For every Waaagh! or Hive Fleet or insurrection they destroy, two more pop up elsewhere. They grow disillusioned with the Emperor, their prayers for salvation falling on deaf ears. After all, where was he to protect the countless innocent civilians that are destroyed by their foes? The Emperor cares nothing for his subjects, only that they toil for him. In their mercy, they grow to despise this distant, callous and merciless being that they once called their god. Their treachery is gradual. It starts off simply as contempt for the other Adepta, seeing them as no better than the "God" on Terra. They still fight for the Imperium, but they do so only to protect the civilians, not because anyone else asks them to. They develop a reputation for being insular and almost hostile towards other branches of the Imperium. Soon enough, it devolves into outright warfare when an Inquisitor declares Exterminatus against a world, falling to Chaos, that the Ghost Knights had fought and died to protect. Unable to bear the uncaring nature of the Imperium any longer, they open fire upon their allies, wiping out the Inquisitor and his forces. However, the planet is lost to Chaos in the process. This shatters their faith in the Emperor completely, and they become outright traitors to the Golden Throne, destroying Adeptus forces whereever they encounter them, yet still fighting to protect the citizens they see as under their protection. A deep depression settles over the Chapter, as they're forced to watch as the Imperium loses ground against its foes, the Adepta doing little to protect the Imperium, and the Ghost Knights lacking the resources and numbers to save everyone. For every world they manage to protect, they hear reports of five, ten, a dozen more lost elsewhere. After years of surviving as outcasts, the Chapter begins to hear a voice in their heads while they sleep. It offers them the strength to survive in this hostile galaxy, to be protected and to protect others as the Emperor has so often failed to do. All it asks is that they submit to it. It just wants to see others survive against the odds, just as they do. One by one, the Chapter submits. The Emperor is dead to them, an uncaring husk upon a distant world. The voice comforts them though, it gives them the strength to face the galaxy. It loves them, as the Emperor never did. It cares for them, it protects them. Grandfather loves his little pretties, Grandfather loves his pets... Sworn to Nurgle, known to the Ghost Knights simply as The Grandfather, they roam the galaxy, hunting both the Adepta and the enemies of the Imperium so as to protect Mankind. Everywhere they go, they bring the blessings of the Grandfather, so that others may know the Love and Care that they do. As they travel, they leave a morass of plague-infested worlds behind them, the populations dying in happiness, ignorant of the squalor they live in, swearing that everything is perfect in the embrace of the Grandfather. Grandfather loves his little pretties, Nurgle loves his little pets... Too many people go the whole "catch plague, worship nurgle to avoid death" route. Nurgle is about despair, plagues are a method of creating despair but not the only one. It's nice to see someone go for an angle other than the usual plague excuse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaakl Daakli Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 The stories on this thread are enlightening and inspirational. Kudos to you both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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