Gal Vorbak

Gal Vorbak (the Blessed Sons) is the name given to the first Space Marines to venture into the Eye of Terror, and bring back the Primordial Truth to Lorgar and beginning the Horus Heresy. They become an elite unit of soldiers in the Word Bearers upon their return, and become daemon during the battle of Istavan V. The Gal Vorbak are introduced in the Horus Heresy Novel "The First Heretic" and are portrayed on the cover.

The Gal Vorbak were originally Space Marines of the Serrated Sun Chapter of the Word Bearers. Their armor was painted red as opposed to the standard Word Bearer grey, differentiating them from standard troops. While they were in the Eye of Terror, the members of the Serrated Sun Chapter were all killed by a daemon, only to awake some time later alive again. All humans on their ship were dead and their ship had sustained critical damage. During the 7 month trip out of the eye of terror, many members of the Serrated Sun Chapter killed one another and survived by drinking their fallen comrades blood. When they returned to normal space and the awaiting Primarch Lorgar, they were told that they had only been gone for a few seconds. After the Serrated Sun Chapter leader told Lorgar all that had transpired in the Eye of Terror, the survivers were honored and the Serrated Sun Chapter was renamed the Gal Vorbak.

The members of the Gal Vorbak suffered from hearing voices until they began to change into daemons near the time of Istavan V. On the journey to the massive battle, their armor fused to their flesh and it became impossible for them to remove their helmets. In order to avoid letting anyone see their condition, they all locked themselves in their rooms to "meditate" until the pain and change was over. The Gal Vorbak were now faster and stronger than a normal Astartes. At the battle on Istavan V, the Gal Vorbak underwent another change. When Lorgar attacked Corax. the Primarch of the Raven Guard, all the members became daemons that looked more beast than Astartes. Their flesh and ceramite fused and warped into a new form, even more powerful than before. After the battle, the Gal Vorbak resumed the form of normal Space Marines again. At the end of the battle, there are only 6 remaining members of the Gal Vorbak, the rest had been killed by Corax or by the flamers of other Space Marines.