Forsaken

"The gods permit me to tread my own path. Who are you to question them?"

- Malich, founder and sole member of the Burning Eye Legion

The Forsaken of a Chaos Space Marine warbands are the outcasts, survivors and lone-warriors which explore the galaxy by the will of the Dark Gods, or for their own hidden reasons. The Forsaken often operates as mercenaries, selling their service to various Chaos faction, be they mortal of Chaos Marines.

History
After the Horus Heresy, as the leaderless armies of the now-dead Horus retreated from the Imperium into the Eye of Terror and the far corners of the galaxy, the nine Traitor Legions who sided with the Warmaster eventually and inevitably fractured and split. The once-cohesive Legions disintegrated into a myriad of warbands, pirate crews, and armies led by a host of charismatic leaders and champions of Chaos. Though some of the former Legions would periodically re-unite under the banner of a particularly powerful champion of the Dark Gods, such as Abaddon the Despoiler, the days of them fighting as a unifi ed whole were gone.

Though many Chaos Space Marines tend to remain with warbands or hosts of their fellows, there are some who break with the remnants of the Legions entirely, forging their own way independently of their erstwhile comrades. Whether they deliberately forsake their former loyalties, be expelled by their fellows for some transgression, or have some secret reason for their exile depends on the individual in question. However, whatever the reason, these Chaos Space Marines now walk alone in the midst of a hostile universe, relying on their own cunning, resourcefulness, and skill at arms to survive.

Occasionally, one of these forsaken Traitor Legionnaires breaks his solitary existence and joins a warband for a time. Often, he has his own, personal reasons for doing so, and his joining may be temporary. Likewise, his new comrades may distrust an individual whose true loyalties are unknown or non-existent. However, few can deny the benefi ts of having such a resourceful warrior at their side.

Role
The Forsaken has parted ways with other Chaos Space Marines and seeks to complete his own goals. Generally, these Heretics are loners, distrustful of others, and reliant only on themselves. They never lack the confidence necessary to complete a task, even if they lack the manpower. To compensate, a Forsaken must be clever and resourceful, able to thoroughly research a target and ensure his precise actions succeed. This isn’t to say Forsaken refuse to join with other groups -- in fact, they are often working in warbands of Heretics, and are among the Chaos Space Marines most likely to be found working within non-Chaos Space Marine warbands and organisations. Their independent attitudes often make them more willing to admit that there are certain tasks human Heretics can accomplish that the Forsaken cannot. Though he is always mindful of his own goals and continuously works towards them, these attitudes may make him more likely to be a part of human warbands.

Forsaken are sometimes drawn to a particular facet of Chaos and driven to spread its influence. While this might be one of the Chaos gods, it could also be a rogue daemon or even a conceptual issue. While they are certainly capable of unleashing their martial abilities, these abilities may well be matched by a surprising knowledge, be it philosophical, political, ancient, heretical, or even sorcerous. A Forsaken might be as concerned with the message that a battle carries to those who hear of it as he is with his success on the battlefield. This thirst for knowledge may even be connected to why the Forsaken has parted ways with other Chaos Space Marines.

Alternatively a Forsaken’s goals may be utterly self-centred. He may desire to become a powerful warlord, or simply delight in expanding his reputation as a lone and incredibly deadly warrior. He may even simply seek the thrill of new challenges and new locales to explore and pillage, or even just wish to pillage and loot his way into wealth.

Forsaken are often found within the Imperium, working to crumble the rotting edifice from within. They may inspire Cults, foment unrest, or carry out acts of sabotage and destruction. Yet, though they may form Cults or subversive organisations, these warriors are most often too individualistic to become capable leaders and are happy to let others rise to direct the Cults they’ve formed. Just as they continuously rebel against authority, they are often incapable of respecting those who obey it. The Forsaken often have no desire to rule or lead, they leave that to their Legionnaire brethren. However, they often have a desire to destroy, to unmake, or to gain revenge.

A Forsaken may have chosen to separate from his brethren, or it might be due to outside influence. In some instances, his brothers in arms may have betrayed him, or they may have been slaughtered. He might even have been a loyalist Space Marine, who turned to the ways of Chaos and fled his Chapter. Now, he operates alone or with a carefully selected cadre of like-minded individuals. These others might be humans who share similar beliefs and are willing to discuss them in such a way that the Forsaken is capable of viewing them as near peers. If the Forsaken was betrayed or a sole survivor of a warband, then he is likely to be engaged in a quest for vengeance. The target of his fury could be an Imperial organisation, but it might also be a xenos or even another Chaos-aligned warband, and his vengeance may involve their crippling, humiliation, or utter destruction.

Forsaken holding this outlook rarely plan for an existence after the success of their mission. Most readily accept their impending martyrdom as an acceptable price to pay for their revenge. At the same time, they go to great lengths to see that they live long enough to accomplish their goals. This is especially true for those instances where the Forsaken’s comrades in arms were slain. If he still holds a loyalty to his deceased brethren, the notion that he is acting in their name may be a tremendous motivation.

Forsaken are seldom preoccupied with the notion of becoming a Daemon Prince. Though not against the idea of Apotheosis, their goals are more focused upon their beliefs and their hungers. Conversely, they fear the doom of Spawndom beyond all else, particularly if their transformation were to happen prior to completing the tasks to which they have devoted their lives. The very notion of submitting to another’s will, no matter the power behind that will, is almost always anathema to the Forsaken.