Board Thread:Warhammer 40k General Discussion/@comment-2253300-20130211000751/@comment-66.120.29.153-20130410215001

I think it's a huge continuity error. Any part of the Imperium that is knowledgable of imperial society as a whole (ie not on a feral world) has to have some knowledge of the existence of Chaos. Chaos manifests itself on plenty of worlds and the only way to keep the "secret" from getting out is declaring Exterminatus on a planet, and they can't really say they nuked and lanced a place to cinders "just because". All other types of Imperial service aside, the IG has to number in the millions and over the course of the last 10 millenia, billions of guardsmen. A decent fraction of them (at least what? 10% 15%) have fought the forces of Chaos. Now how the hell do you keep something a secret when several billion people know about it. It's not like you can selectively erase the memories of several billion people. It's not like you can take away promotions or medals from IG because they fought something whose existence cannot be divulged. Unlike Astartes of members of the Mechanicum, after they've done their service, IG go back to their homes. They know Chaos exists, and there's no way a billion people can keep a secret.

At one point I think GW thought it would sound cool that the forces of Chaos was a secret kept from the common man for their own protection, but then the idea doesn't work out logically. It's not like they can deny to the people the Horus Heresy happened, otherwise entire space marine legions disappeared with no explanation. The Emperor got injured for reasons unknown (he fell down the stairs!) and was put in life support. What else can they say? That hundreds of thousands of marines and 9 primarchs and millions in the Imperial Army turned traitor just because they felt like it? Think of the mistrust that would create towards the loyal Astartes and guardsmen. That would do more damage to faith and stability in the Imperium than admitting that Chaos exists and that is the reason there were traitors and that is the reason why it is imperative to have faith in the Emperor.

People know about Chaos. They may not know all the details, but the existence of ruinous powers cannot be a secret. The Horus Herey and the victory of the Emperor and being placed on the Golden Throne are probably all part of the legends of the Imperial Cult in an edited form. The powers of Chaos are part of those stories, forewarned is forearmed.