Pre-Heresy Emperor's Children and the coming of the covens

[The Nephilim]

Okay, so we know that according to the lore that Fulgrim and the Legion disdained psykers^1,2. We also know that there were many repressed psykers scattered throughout the legions. At what point of the Heresy are the chaplains sacked and the sorcerers gained? I've scoured as much of the lore as I can/pesonally have, but can't find anything. I even chased down a lead in the Collected Visions, but that turned out to be nothing. I'm working on a HUGE re-write and need some help.

 

I tried getting help with this in the Chaos sub-forum and the only reference I was given was something about fighting possession in Path of Heaven, which I've not got to read yet. I'm needing help with this for my IT: Nephilim 2.0. Thanks, ye mighty lorebeards.

¹ Angel Exterminatus by Graham McNeill
² Reflection Crack'd by Graham McNeill

[Marshal Loss]

Path of Heaven is the most pivotal source here, read it ASAP - it's easily the best depiction of the EC in 30k (imo), and really presents them as a viable and powerful threat. Chris Wraight is a master of fixing loose ends and poorly thought through short stories and spinning them into a coherent front. He did it with the DG, fixing Mortarion's Daemon-Bi-polar flip-flopping, and he did it with Eidolon and the EC under his command.

 

In PoH, there aren't any Sorcerers as such, but the entire Legion (well, Eidolon's chunk) is messing with warpcraft. Eidolon uses something called a dream font, a machine where astropaths and daemon-bound psykers are drowned that enables him to hunt down individual souls and see glimpses into the future. There is an Apothecary named Von Kalda who has summoned and bound a large number of Slaaneshi Daemons in a secret chamber under the Proudheart's Apothecarion, though as the story progresses it's evident he isn't as skilled a Daemonancer as he might think - I can spoil it, but it would ruin part of the book.

 

There are no mentions of Chaplains or Librarians/Sorcerers specifically, although the increased importance of the Apothecaries in the III Legion is mentioned. I doubt the Chaplains are actually sacked - they probably fell into 'sickness' with the rest of the Legion, and begin preaching a very different creed - and given their rapidly deteriorating organisation, Sorcerers probably pop up in all different walks of life, rather than being something that is actually organised and regulated. Von Kalda the Apothecary for example was doing all this behind everybody's back, but whether that is because of stigma (when he is discovered, Konenos mentions that 'There are those, they tell me, who do not accept enlightenment',) or simply because he wants to hoard the power for himself is unclear. There are some EC who still resist the taint at the point of PoH, but their will is eroding.

[The Nephilim]

That's awesome. Thanks, Loss. Went ahead and snagged it. If it's as good of a source as you say, it should prove invaluable of my needs, plus, it sounds like a good read.

[Lord_Ikka]

It is an interesting read. Gives some background for EC that aren't corrupted yet (though only by sheer force of will), shows off an Apothecary that isn't Fabius, and makes Eidolon the focus rather than Lucius or Tarvis like previous books.

 

Other than that, we don't have much info on either EC Librarians/Sorcerors or their Chaplains.

[Lord Commander Eidolon]

As has been stated Path of Heaven is vital point of reference for EC post Istvaan! I've never actually come across the bit in the fluff when it said their were no Librarians, but it does seem widely accepted.

 

The Apothecarium was of vital import to the III legion following the gene seed issues Pre Fulgrim, indeed a short story about Fabius mentions the terrible wasting disease and the culling of infected members... It seems as the legion descends into Chaos the Apothecaries seem to 'devolve' it to Flesh Weavers (think Haemonculi), it isn't hard to see them as akin to Dark Apostles in that regard. We know they altered the pleasure centres of the marines brains, make up stims and combat drugs, and of course Fabius's Tetrata are testament to how much the legion likes to mess with nature. It's not much of a step to incorporate a little demonology into the mix with that regard; as indeed Von Kalda does in the PoH.

 

You are quite right, there will probably be latent psyker's that pop amongst the rank and file, indeed who know's who was suppressing what 'gifts', so sorcerer's needn't be Apothecaries...

 

Chaplain's that were uber loyal to the Emperor would most likely have been purged on Istvaan, I appreciate Charmosian went bad and I think it's pertinent to note that 30K Chaplain's aren't 40k Chaplains. The Emperor is not venerated like a God, especially when you look at Monarchia... Currently it seems Chaplain's main role in current fluff is enforce the Edict of Nicea, which if given the EC had no Librarius make very little point of them....... So given this they might have another role as a 'model of perfection and guidance' like the Word Bearer's model --- however, arguable the next layer of command would achieve this within the EC, the Sgt being the example to a marine, then the Lt so on and so forth....

 

More important you should consider the very linear chain of command of the EC, once Fulgrim went bad the rot would filter down; I personally think the EC Chaplain's would hold up Fulgrim as a the pinnacle of perfection and follow his lead, the turning of the legion would have been subtle and Fulgrim's directive would have been followed without much question. Essentially you can easily kill off Chaplains or have them as Fulgrim's lackeys. I'd anticipate after Fulgrim's ascension Chaplain's would venerate him as the model of perfection and go full Slaaneshi. However, it is worth noting that the Legion's structure would be falling apart and I would suggest a Cult of Personality would develop. Technically this would suggest the Officer's would still be the Champions as they would be the best and brightest in the old order, but that isn't to say Marine Bloggs is more of a latent deviant so he'd be more favoured of Slaanesh.

 

Essentially, the Canvas is relatively blank, so you can do what you want!

[The Nephilim]

I personally think the EC Chaplain's would hold up Fulgrim as a the pinnacle of perfection and follow his lead, the turning of the legion would have been subtle and Fulgrim's directive would have been followed without much question. Essentially you can easily kill off Chaplains or have them as Fulgrim's lackeys. I'd anticipate after Fulgrim's ascension Chaplain's would venerate him as the model of perfection and go full Slaaneshi. However, it is worth noting that the Legion's structure would be falling apart and I would suggest a Cult of Personality would develop.

 

You and I think along the same lines. I've always imagined pre-Heresy chaplains to be morale officers, and with as such in mind, this only reinforces the remaining chaplains like survived Istvaan to be like Charmosian. Combined with the flesh-artisans/flesh-weavers (reading Path of Heaven now) these two roles complete similar yet different tasks. The chaplains preaching ascension through perfection and the fleshsmiths making words reality.