Chaos

Overview
Chaos refers to the often malevolent entities comprised of psychic energy that live in the Warp, composed mostly of daemons, but also includes those mortals who have thrown in their lot with the daemons, ranging from simple peasants and/or laborers, to warriors, nobles, world leaders, and even the mighty Chaos Space Marines.

The Horus Heresy
The Horus Heresy took place after mankind's reconquest of the Milky Way Galaxy, during the Great Crusade following the birth of Slaanesh. The Space Marines, the Imperium's elite and the mainstay of the conquering forces, became divided as some turned to the worship of Chaos and, led by the Warmaster Horus, turned on the Emperor's Loyalist forces.

The Forces of Chaos

 * Daemons
 * The Lost and the Damned
 * Chaos Space Marines

Khorne, the Blood God
Khorne is the Blood God, the God of War, Murder and Violent Death. He draws his power from the blood and skulls collected for him by his followers. The sheer amount of bloodshed and death in the galaxy currently has made Khorne the most powerful Chaos God.

Nurgle, the Lord of Decay
Nurgle is the God of Disease and Decay. He is the embodiment of the hungry earth, the carrion crow whose poxes and plagues are inflicted upon all. Nurgle's power waxes and wanes over time as his "gifts" to the myriad worlds are spread, are cured or simply kill off everything in sight. Many of Nurgle's victims will eventually turn to his worship in the hope that it will ward off or ameliorate the torment they suffer at his hands. For entertainment, Nurgle will orchestrate plagues and new diseases, such as the Plague of Unbelief (Zombie Plague) and watch bemusedly as the mortals struggle to fight the illness and develop a cure. Many of Nurgle's wars are won indirectly simply through the plagues that sweep that land before his armies. Of note is Nurgle's rot, which gradually changes a victim into a Plaguebearer. Nurgle's followers tend to have a strong interest in the spread of disease. His worshippers become infected with horrific diseases which cause them to appear as disgusting, bloated and rotting masses of barely recognizable flesh, with many sores and open wounds in which infection and decay is rampant. Occasionally Nurgle's followers may become wizened, sickly thin and pale, while still having great power over disease. His Champions become so mutated and putrid that they are impervious to pain and almost impossible to injure. While equal in power with Khorne and Tzeentch, Nurgle's power is much less stable. At times, his forces are limitless and unbeatable, numberless rotting armies scouring the land of life. At others, his followers are scattered and weak, hiding in fetid corners of the universe. Nurgle's strength lies in stagnancy and decay, as well as the emotion of despair, which puts him in direct opposition to Tzeentch, who embodies hope, ambition and change.



Slaanesh, the Dark Prince
Slaanesh is the Dark Prince of Chaos, the God of Pleasure and Pain. The beguiling water, the Great Serpent who lives for pleasure and the experience of the sensations of life and death. All those who live in the pursuit of pleasure risk falling under this god's deceptive charms.



Tzeentch, the Changer of Ways
Tzeentch is the Changer of Ways, the God of Change and Dark Knowledge. The inconstant air, the Great Eagle who pulls the strings of fate in whichever ways he pleases. The minions and followers of Tzeentch manipulate the magic and psionic power of the Warp in their rawest form, and often know the thoughts and fates of their foes even before they do.

Not interested in raw strength, Tzeentch bestows his favor upon those who use their intelligence to fight their enemies. Mortal worshipers of Tzeentch tend to be sorcerers, psykers, scholars and other educated elites who desire greater knowledge and power. Some of these worshipers become very powerful sorcerers, but Tzeentch has a tendency to mutate his followers, and the highest levels of power are said to be difficult for his followers to reach, as they frequently find themselves mutated into mindless beasts like the Chaos Spawn. Those who do attain great power in the service of Tzeentch, however, are extremely powerful foes who are often mighty sorcerers as well as great warriors.

Tzeentch is as powerful as Khorne, but with a different style of power, controlling sorcery and psychic power instead of armies. The plots of Tzeentch are countless, and whenever there is an alliance of Chaos Undivided forged by the Gods of Chaos, Tzeentch is undoubtedly the cause, direct or indirect. Tzeentch also represents optimism, hope and the willingness to change, thus making Nurgle his nemesis.

Malal
Malal is the renegade God of Chaos, the God of Contention, enemy to the other four Chaos Gods. He represents the absolute anarchy of true Chaos. He is, however, absent from the most recent editions of Warhammer games for copyright reasons.

Imperial Conspiracy
To protect its citizens from the temptations of Chaos, the Imperium does its best to hide the existence of Daemons and Chaos Space Marines from public knowledge. Only Space Marine Chapters, Imperial Guardsmen, and Inquisitors are permitted to know the Imperium's darkest secret. All others are either put to death, or if they have been a valuable servant to the Imperium, undergo memory modification.

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