Chaos Space Marines

Evil Organization
Full Name	Chaos Space Marines
Alias	Traitor Marines Chaos Marines Traitor Legionnaires Heretic Astartes
Origin	Warhammer 40,000
Foundation	During the events of the Horus Heresy
Headquarters	Varies
Commanders	Warmaster Horus Abaddon the Despoiler Ahriman of the Thousand Sons Angron Eliphas the Inheritor Fabius Bile Huron Blackheart Khârn the Betrayer Konrad Curze Lucius the Eternal Lord Nemeroth Lorgar Aurellian Mortarion Typhus Many others
Agents	The Traitor Legions Chaos cults the Lost and the Damned Chaos daemons Chaos/daemon knights Traitor Titan Legions various warbands various agents
Powers / Skills	Vast savage military Superhuman physiology Combination of dark magic and advanced technologies Fanaticism and devotion Corrupting influence across the universe Vast territories and resources from conquered lands Combination of different species and including elements from other assets of the chaos millitary making up for the marines limited numbers and all species have their own unique attributes Summoning daemons and other warp creatures through the arcane art of sorcery
Goals	To bring about the downfall of the Imperium of Man. See everything in creation enveloped by Chaos. Various other goals.
Crimes	Mass destruction Mass conquest Mass murder Genocide Malefic Looting Malefic Slavery Terrorism Torture Treason War crimes Fearmongering Warmongering
Type of Villains	Military Heretics

“	Let the galaxy burn!	„
	~ Black Legion's warcry.

“	Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne!	„
	~ World Eaters' warcry.

“	Death to the false Emperor!	„
	~ Codex - Chaos Space Marines Page 3.

Chaos Space Marines (also called Traitor Marines, Chaos Marines, Traitor Legionnaires and Heretic Astartes) is the term used to describe the many heretical Space Marines that betrayed the Emperor of Mankind and became servants of the Chaos Gods. They are part of what might be considered the more villainous race in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, alongside the Dark Eldar, Orks, Necrons and Tyranids, and part of the Forces of Chaos, which also include demons and lesser humans. Chaos Space Marines come in many forms and tend to have cults of both human and xenos followers. Depending on the philosophy of the legion, they are deeply devoted to certain chaos deities, either one or all of them, but on rare occasions none of them.

Unlike many other factions within Warhammer 40,000, rather than being united under the umbrella of a higher figure or as loosely affiliated groups, they are fractious, fickle, refractory and prone to infighting amongst themselves. They are only truly unified in their will to survive, hatred of the Emperor Of Man and their desire to help Chaos become the ruling power of creation via acts of unspeakable evil. Only when the Warmaster of Chaos (The current being Abaddon) launches a new temporary Black Crusade will the vast majority of chaos warbands unify, for the sole purpose of wreaking as much havoc and destruction upon the galaxy as possible, the Imperium in particular. 

They are a playable army choice in Warhammer 40,000 and also serve in a highly antagonistic role in the related media. Chaos Space Marines are the rough equivalent of Warhammer Fantasy's Hordes of Chaos.

History

Chaos Space Marines draw their origins back to the 31st millennium. Back then, eighteen legions of genetically modified super-soldiers, the Space Marines, fought to unite the galaxy under the banner of the Imperium of Man, in a campaign that history later called the Great Crusade. The Emperor of Man Kind claimed that the intention of this campaign was to unite humanity under one banner, wipe out any xenos that threatened their dominion or survival and establish humanity as the ruling force in the galaxy. In truth, however, the Emperor knew about the existence of the Chaos Gods and the dangers they posed. His secret agenda was to their install the principal of the Imperial Truth - an atheistic doctrine, which would turn humanity away from the elements that served as the Chaos Gods power source thus eradicating them once and for all.

Perhaps fearing the eventual result, Khorne, Nurgle, Slaneesh and Tzeentch, as well as the lesser gods of chaos stopped their own conflicts to interfere with the works of the Emperor of Man. The first step was to scatter his genetically modified children, the Primarchs across the galaxy thus ensuring that the Emperor could not raise or teach them under his own philosophy from an early age. As such each of the Primarchs would face his own trial and tribulations before the Emperor rediscovered them, which in some cases sowed the first seeds of resentment against their father.  

Only once the Great Crusade was already underway, would the Chaos Gods seize their chance. Starting with the Emperor's disenfranchised son, the pious Lorgar Aurellian, who became disillusioned with his father following an incident in which the Emperor publicly humiliated both him and his legion, the Chaos Gods seduced Lorgar into Chaos-worship. When the Primarch undertook a pilgrimage, they showed him horrifying visions of the future under the Emperor and convinced him that without the aid of Chaos humanity would share the fate of the Eldar. Having won over a powerful leader and orator into their cause, the Chaos Gods' campaign to subvert the Emperor's faithful soldiers had begun.

After purging his Legion of all elements with any loyalties left to the Emperor, Lorgar sent his First Captain Erebus as an ambassador. Erebus, keeping his Legion's new faith a close secret, began organizing the Warrior Lodges, secretive fraternal orders within the Space Marine Legions that existed outside of the Legion's regimented and ordered structures. Though these were under the guise of providing brotherhood without rank, they were instrumental in fomenting sympathies and paving the way for the coming betrayal.

Erebus proved instrumental for setting the stage to the Horus Heresy after seeding the Warrior Lodges into a full half of the Legions and successfully engineering the fall of Horus into Chaos by stealing a powerful weapon known as the Anathame and giving it to a rebellious planetary governor who injured Horus with it. Desperate to save their leader Horus' troops were tricked into bringing him to the serpent's lodge, a group of supposed mystical healers who unknown to them were secretly chaos worshippers. Using this opportunity the Chaos Gods managed to convince the injured Horus to turn against the Imperium in exchange for healing him and he quickly rose to power as the leader of the Chaos forces.

The resulting conflict stretched across the known galaxy all the way to the throne world of Holy Terra consuming billions upon billions of lives, devastating countless worlds and ultimately leading to the Emperor's permanent interment upon the life support system known as the Golden Throne. In the end though Horus' rebellion cost him his life and his fellow traitor troops were forced to retreat into the realm of the Warp through the dimensional rift known as the Eye of Terror in order to avoid the wrath of the vengeful Imperial forces. Never the less a new deadly enemy had been created, from amongst humanities own ranks.

After the Horus Heresy

For the next 10,000 years, the fractured chaos legions would periodically emerge from the warp to wage war against the Imperium. Their lives unnaturally prolonged and their bodies and minds twisted thanks to otherworldly energies of the Warp and the daemons that live there. In their most recent endeavor, the 13th black Crusade, the new Warmaster of Chaos Abbadon the Despoiler managed to destroy the Imperial Fortress world of Cadia, an event which allowed the energies of the warp to spill into the material world and quite literally split the Imperium and the galaxy at large in half. Imperial forces have since retaliated by launching a counter-crusade to push back the onrushing forces and seize the two remaining space paths to the other side of the galaxy, all while the chaos forces use the opportunity to harass and harry them as well as devastate any worlds in their path.

Known Chaos Legions

BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD

In the ten millennia that followed the Horus Heresy, hundreds of Space Marine Chapters have forsaken their oaths of loyalty to the Emperor, their Primarch and the Imperium. These new generations of Chaos Space Marines will often corrupt others, in exchange for the power and glory, promised by their new masters. However, thanks to the Codex Astartes, none of these chapters possess the military might of Horus' legions.

Generally however, the term is used to reference the nine First-Founding Legions and their Primarchs who first turned against the Emperor, thus dividing humanity for all of eternity. In the aftermath of the heresy, the majority of these legions were driven from real space into the Eye of Terror. There, the former allies fought endlessly with each other. Such was the devastating impact of this war, that many of these once might legions divided into roaming warbands. Like their loyalist kinsman, who broke into newly formed chapters, some of these traitor warbands adopted new names and philosophies to differentiate from their parent legion.

The following list comprises the more infamous Chaos legions, including those from the First Founding: - 

The Black Legion

The XVIth Legion
Image to be added	Other names: - Luna Wolves (during the Great Crusade). Sons of Horus (during the Horus Heresy). Armor Pattern: - Black with gold trimming (current). Green with bronze trimming (Sons of Horus). White with black trimming (Luna Wolves).
Primarch: Horus Lupercal - Warmaster of the Imperium and later the First Warmaster of Chaos. The arch-traitor. Primarch Status: - Deceased. Horus was slain by the Emperor of Mankind during the final battle of the Horus Heresy, the Siege of Terra. Temporarily freed from the control of the Chaos Gods, the Primarch pleaded with his father to destroy him so that he would, in turn, not destroy the empire he once cherished. The Emperor reluctantly obliged. In the aftermath, Horus' body was recovered by his sons and taken to the Eye of Terror. The Sons of Horus initially entombed their gene-father within a massive tomb complex but the corpse was later stolen by Fabius Bile as part of his Primarch project. However, Horus' clones (who failed to match up to the original) were eventually found and destroyed by the vengeful Abaddon. Following the battle, the new Warmaster ordered his predecessor's body to be destroyed alongside those of the clones leaving Horus dead on both a physical and spiritual level.
Current leader(s): Abaddon the Despoiler - Horus' successor, the Second Warmaster of Chaos.
Religion: Undivided/pagan. The Black Legion are very open when it comes to their faith. Most are followers of Chaos Undivided, worshipping all of the Chaos Gods to varying degrees though some astrates, particularly those who originally hailed from monotheistic legions, continue to revere just one God. Their new brothers do not mind this as the Black Legion will strike pacts with various demons and their patron deities.
Battle Cry: "We are returned!" or "Death to the False Emperor!".
Notable Astrates
Image to be added
Additional Notes: The Black Legion are the most infamous and powerful of the Chaos Space Marine Legions. Just as the Ultramarines represent the face of the Imperium/the loyalist chapters, the Black Legion are the face of the Chaos Space Marines. The XVIth Legion has changed its name the most out of any First Founding Space Marine Legions. During the Dropsite Massacre at Istaavan III, nearly a third of the XVIth legion was labelled for extermination, as they were deemed to be more loyal to the Emperor than their Primarch and therefore unlikely to follow him during the Hersey. When the massacre began, the surviving loyalists rallied under the leadership of Garviel Loken, Captain of the 10th Company. Recognising the treachery of their Primarch and former brothers, Loken and the other loyalists reaffirmed their loyalty to the Emperor. They removed the iconography of Horus from their battle armor and readopted the title of Luna Wolves. Loken would ultimately be the only Luna Wolf to survive the events of Istavaan III. Together with fellow survivor, Nathaniel Garro of the Death Guard, he went on to join a new space marine faction founded by Malacador the Sigiliye, which eventually became the precursor to the Grey Knights. Loken turned down the offer to become a full member of this group to fight his erstwhile brethren during the Siege of Terra. He was ultimately slain by Erebus after failing to convince Abaddon to repent and rejoin the Imperium. The Black Legion were the main antagonists of the 2010 Ultramarines movie and the Dawn of War II Chaos Rising game. They returned as a playable faction in the Dawn of War II Retribution expansion.

The Word Bearers

The XVIIth Legion
Image to be added	Other names: - The Imperial Heralds. The Iconoclasts. Armor Pattern: - Red with silver trimmings (current). Grey with silver trimmings (originally).
Primarch: Lorgar Aurelian - First of the traitor Primarchs. Primarch Status: - Alive. Believed to be meditating deep within the depths of the Word Bearers new home world. Unconfirmed reports indicate possible sightings upon the ruined world of Cadia.
Current Leader(s): The Dark Council - A collection of Dark Apostles and Chaos Champions.
Religion: Undivided/pagan. An eternally pious legion, the Word Bearers are staunch pagans of Chaos Undivided. They worship all of the Chaos Gods equally and will never show favor to a particular deity.
Battle Cry: An appropriate passage from their sacred texts or dolorous roars.
Notable Astrates
Image to be added
Additional Notes: - Erebus and Kor Phaeron, having pledged their allegiance to the Chaos Gods long before Lorgar undertook the pilgrimage that condemned both him and humanity were, chronologically, the first Chaos Space Marines. Lorgar's legion was originally known as the Imperial Heralds, but the Primarch changed its name when he took control. Tragically, the XVIIth were once the Emperor's most devoted followers, but ultimately became the first legion to turn against the Imperium. They did this, following what they considered to be an unjustified humiliation and reprimand at the hands of the Emperor himself for their perceived failure during the Great Crusade. When the existence of the Chaos Gods became known to them, many astrates willingly accepted embraced these new patrons, since the Chaos Gods welcomed their devotion, where the Emperor had spurned it. Records suggest that the Emperor even threatened to purge Lorgar and the XVIIth unless they changed their ways. There is no indication that this encouraged their eventual turn to Chaos, which was motivated by their faith more than anything else. Before his fall, Lorgar penned the Lectitio Divinitatus, a book of reverence to the Emperor, which went against the Imperial Truth and argued about the Emperor's divinity. Following the Horus Heresy, this book would give rise to the Imperium's ecclesiarchy and the modern-day Imperial Cult. Thus, ironically, Lorgar and the Word Bearers achieved their ultimate ambition and turned the Emperor into a God in the eyes of the people. Some sources indicate that the Word Bearers are in fact just as strong military wise as the Black Legion. If true, this makes the XVII legion one of the largest traitor legions in existence. A single known loyalist Word Bearer, currently known as the Anchorite Dreadnought, survived both the Great Crusade and the Heresy. Although he initially sided with his Primarch and traitor brethren, at some point during the conflict in Ultramar, he repented. The soldier then allowed himself to be taken prisoner during one of the campaigns, where he was personally spared by Roboute Guilliman, the Primarch of the Ultramarines. In time the Anchorite helped to shape the modern day Imperial Cult and the ecclesiarchy into what they are.

The World Eaters

The XIIth Legion
Image to be added	Other names: - The War Hounds Armor Pattern: - Red with gold trimming (current). White with blue trimming (originally).
Primarch: Angron Primarch Status: - Alive. Angron has returned to real space, rallying his legion for an attack on the Imperium.
Current Leader(s): Various. The World Eaters broke into various warbands. Since the fall of Cadia, most have rallied under the leadership of Angron.
Religion: Monotheistic. Although not especially religious, the World Eaters follow Khorne, the God of Blood and War. They do not build churches or perform religious ceremonies, however, as the battlefield is their altar, with their victims serving as their offerings.
Battle Cry: "Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne!"
Notable Astrates
Image to be added
Additional Notes: - The XIIth Legion were originally called the War Hounds before the Emperor reunited them with Angron. Upon accepting his role, the Primarch immediately renamed his new legion after his fallen comrades from the gladiatorial arenas on his homeworld. The World Eaters, without question, had the worst relationship with their Primarch of any of the Space Marine Legions during the Great Crusade and were the first legion to engage in a civil war. Indeed, the loyalist Centurion Mago, the leader of the failed rebellion, correctly warned his victorious brethren that following Angron would lead both them and the World Eater's legion into damnation. These words were born out during the Dropsite Massacre of Istavaan III, where it was determined that, despite their initial loyalty more than half of the remaining World Eaters were more liable to side with the Emperor than their Primarch. Thus, most of the loyalists stationed on the ground belonged to the World Eaters' Legion. The World Eaters are some of the most formidable, but unstable hand-to-hand warriors in the universe. They are willing to fight anyone and everyone, including each other. Their devotion to Khorne and their battlefield ferocity has earnt them the nickname, Khorne Berzerkers. It is heavily implied that contrary to popular belief, the World Eaters did not repaint their white armour following their fall to chaos. The new, red colouration is the result of countless battles, i.e. the blood of their fallen victims.

The Death Guard

The XIVth Legion
Image to be added	Other names: - Dusk Raiders. Armor Pattern: - Green with bronze trimming (current). White with green trimming (previously),
Primarch: Mortarion Primarch Status: - Alive. Mortarion returned to real space to initiate the Plague Wars. He duelled his former brother Roboute Guilliman at the climax of the conflict to a stalemate.
Current leader(s): Various. The legion divided into various warbands following the Siege of Terra, though most follow either Tyhus or Mortarion.
Religion: Monotheistic. The Death Guard are the most adherent servants of Nurgle. Blessed by their deity to house plagues and diseases, they have mutated into what Imperial records now refer to as the Plague Marines.
Notable Astrates:
Image to be added
Additional notes: Before Mortarion was found, the Emperor referred to the XIVth Legion as the Dusk Raiders. Mortarion renamed them after his forces on his homeworld of Barabus. Due to the mutations they have suffered as a result of Nurgle's blessing, the Death Guard and Imperium forces alike, refer to them as Plague Marines. Nathanial Garro, a loyalist Death Guard was the first person to learn of Horus' treason from fellow loyalist Saul Tarvitz of the Emperor's Children. Acting fast, Nathanial helped to prevent the total annihilation of the loyalist elements from the III, XII, XIV and XVIth legions from being massacred during the atrocity on Istvaan III. When it became clear that the loyalists had lost however, Garro managed to get off the world and bring news of Horus' treachery back to the Imperium. The only known loyalist Death Guard to survive the events of Istavaan III, Garro was eventually appointed as the head of a new Space Marine faction by Malacador the Sigilite. He eventually died during the Siege of Terra, slain by the Primarch who betrayed him.

The Emperors Children

The IIIrd Legion
Image to be added	Other names: - None recorded. Armor Pattern: - Black and pink, with black trimming. Purple with gold trimming.
Primarch: Fulgrim. Primarch Status: Alive. Returned to Istvaan III, defeating the Venerable Dreadnaught Rylanor, a loyalist survivor of his legion. Left for areas unknown after being betrayed by his Thousand Son escort. Unconfirmed reports suggest a possible sighting of the Primarch upon Cadia.
Current leader(s): Various. The Emperor's Childrens unity fell apart following the Horus Heresy and they have not attempted to reunify.
Religion: Monotheistic. Slaanesh, the Dark Prince of Excess corrupted Fulgrim and through him, his legion. Where once they sought perfection in all things, the Emperor's Children now seek pleasure in all things.
Battle cry: "Children of the Emperor! Death to his foes!"
Notable Astrates
Image to be added
Additional Notes: The IIIrd legion's name was granted to them by the Emperor himself. When Fulgrim first reunited with the decimated remnants of the legion, he gave a passionate speech that moved everybody who heard it to tears. The Emperor was so impressed by his son's devotion that he is said to have given the legion its title on the spot. As a further reward for Fulgrim's loyalty, the Master of Mankind declared that the Emperor's Children had earned the right to carry his personal standard: the twin-headed Aquila. Whilst later Space Marine chapters would universally incorporate this symbol into their armor, at the time of the Great Crusade, it was an honour reserved solely for the astrates of the IIIrd legion. For these reasons, fans consider the fall of Fulgrim and the Emperor's Children to be quite tragic. Many argue that had Fulgrim not picked up the Laer Blade, he and most of his legion would have remained loyal to the Emperor. Captain Saul Tarvitz, a loyalist of the Emperors Children, was the man who prevented ithe itended annihilation of the loyalists during the massacre on Istvaan III. Learning of Fulgrim, Horus, Angron, Mortarian and the rest of the orbiting Space Marine's treachery just minutes before the travesty, Saul realized that he could not do anything to stop it. Thus, he journeyed to the surface of the planet. There Saul managed to get word out to the loyalists, just in time for the majority of them to take shelter. Tarvitz's actions therefore turned what was supposed to be a simple act of murder into a fearsome guerrilla fight, which not only cost the traitors time and manpower but ultimately their secrecy. Saul himself became one of the loyalist commanders during the ensuing conflict on Istvaan III. He even dueled and defeated his former battle brother Captain Lucius, who would later become the infamous Lucius the Eternal. Although it is generally believed that he died in the apocalypse that followed, Tarvitz's ultimate fate remains unknown. Due to their extensive use of sonic weaponry, Emperor's Children Astartes are often referred to as Noise Marines.

The Thousand Sons

The XVth Legion
Image to be added	Other names: - None. Armor Pattern: - Blue with gold trimming (current). Red with gold trimming (originally).
Primarch: Magnus the Red. Primarch Status: - Alive. Fought Guilliman on Luna, now heading an invasion force in the Stygius Sector.
Current leader(s): - Various. The Thousand Sons broke into several warbands, each led by a different sorcerer. Generally, most follow either Magnus or Ahriman.
Religion: Monotheistic. As proficient magic users, it did not take long for the Thousand Sons to find favour with Tzeentch, the Changer of Ways.
Battle cry: "All is dust ..."
Notable Astrates
Image to be added
Additional notes: - The fall of the Thousand Sons is generally considered by Warhammer fans to be a very tragic one. They were already treading on thin ice due to their obsessions with magic and knowledge, but when Magnus broke a sacred taboo to warn the Emperor about his brother Horus' betrayal, the legion's days were numbered. The Emperor sent the Space Wolves to bring Magnus in for questioning, but Horus tricked Lemun Russ (who like the rest of the Imperium was unaware of the Warmaster's treachery) into thinking that the Emperor wanted the Thousand Sons exterminated. Left with no choice, Magnus reluctantly pledged his and his warrior's souls to Tzeentch in exchange for their survival. Although initially hesitant about their turn of fortunes, over time, both the Primarch and his sons, began to embrace their newfound freedom. Following the Rubric of Ahriman, most of the legion has been transformed into bodiless automatons, whose souls are now eternally bound to their power armor. These undead warriors are now referred to as Rubric Marines.

The Iron Warriors

The IVth Legion
Image to be added	Other names: - None. Armor Pattern: - Silver with gold trimming (current). Silver with black pauldrons with silver trimming (originally).
Primarch: Perturabo. Primarch Status: - Alive. Current location is unknown.
Current leader(s): Various. A civil war divided the legion creating various warbands.
Religion: Undivided. The Imperium classifies the Iron Warriors as pagans of Chaos Undivided. In reality, however, the Iron Warriors are materialists, who favour science and technology, over the gifts of sorcery and magic. Like their Primarch, the IVth legion holds little attachment to anything, including faith. Although the Iron Warriors acknowledge the existence of the Chaos Gods, they do not truly follow or worship them. To them, Chaos is just another tool to be used at their leisure. For this reason, the Iron Warriors are better described as either agnostic or deistic.
Battle Cry: "Iron Within, Iron Without!"
Notable Astrates
Image to be added
Additional Notes: - Although they seek conquest in all its glory and show no mercy to their enemies, the Iron Warriors have been known on very rare occasions to aid the forces of the loyalists against overwhelming odds. Per their materialistic philosophy, the Iron Warriors are noted to rarely work alongside demons or other entities of the warp. Daemon Princes are likewise quite rare within this legion. Such is the Iron Warriors' hatred of chaos, that if an astrate shows signs of physical mutation he will be assessed. If the corruption is deemed too extensive, the soldier will be terminated. If on the other hand, the legionary is deemed salvageable, the affected tissue/limb will be amputated and the warrior will receive a cybernetic augmentation. The Iron Warriors made their television debut in the appropriately named Iron Within episode of the Warhammer TV series. Led by a Terminator Lord, they responded to the call of an Imperial Guard garrison, seeking aid against the forces of the Dark Eldar. Although initially grateful for the Space Marines's arrival, the guardsmen soon realised that they merely traded one villain for another. When the fighting was over, the Terminator Lord, a former resident of the planet took over the world, promising to restore it to its former glory.

The Night Lords

The VIIIth Legion
Image to be added	Other names: - None. Armor Pattern: - Dark blue with gold trimmings and lightning markings painted across it (current). Dark blue with silver trimmings and lightning markings painted across it (originally).
Primarch: Konrad Curze - The Night Haunter the most feared and mentally unstable of the Primarchs. Primarch Status: - Deceased. Curze allowed himself to be killed by an Imperial Assassin, shortly after the Heresy. Throughout his life, the Night Haunter had been tormented by frequent visions of his eventual demise. He believed that by not countering his death, he proved that everything he had done was preordained and thus justified his actions/choices.
Current leader(s): - Various. The Night Lords broke apart following Curze's death.
Religion: Undivided. Although classified as part of the Undivided Legions by the Imperium, the Night Lords represent a unique case, which makes them an enigma, even amongst the Chaos Space Marines. Unlike the rest of their traitor brethren, the VIIIth legion does not worship the Chaos Gods. Instead, they remain dedicated to Curze's original concepts of fear and terror, with their actions unwittingly benefitting the forces of Chaos. Although they are traitors and Chaos Space Marines, with evidence to the contrary existing all around them, the Night Lords appear, for the most part, to be staunch atheists.
Battle Cry: "We have come for you!" or "Ave Dominus Nox!"
Notable Astrates
Image to be added
Additional Notes: - The Night Lords are regarded as one of, if not the darkest Space Marine legion ever created. Even before Curze reunited with them, the VIIIth Legion had a reputation for brutality and savagery. Many of the worlds they encountered during the Heresy, Great Crusade and Long War freely surrendered to them rather than face their wrath, only to be exterminated anyway. Ironically, despite their later betrayal, Imperial records show that the Night Lords were used on at least one occasion to keep Terra unified following the end of the Emperor's Unification Wars. Not long after the aforementioned conflict ended, the inhabitants of Vhnori City rebelled against the Master of Mankind and began to amass an army against him. When notified, the Emperor simply said "Send the Eighth." According to the few surviving sources, in one night, the Night Lords massacred most of Vhnori's inhabitants, killing innocent and guilty alike. The following morning, they destroyed the city, putting down all the survivors and ending the rebellion. Vhonri remains in ruins to this day and the citizens of Terra have never rebelled against the Emperor since. Autopsies carried out on post-heresy Night Lords have shown that their gene-seed has changed little (if at all) compared to their pre-heresy kin. This is most likely due to the Night Lords' lack of belief in Chaos. As a further result of their lack of devotion to Chaos, Daemon Princes and demonic summoning are exceptional, rather than the rule within the Night Lord legion. The Nights Lords were the first legion to officially leave the Emperor's service and turn renegade. This happened prior to the Horus Heresy, though, when the conflict began, they did pretend to return to the Emperor's service only to switch sides and join with Horus.

The Alpha Legion

The XXth Legion
Image to be added	Other names: - The Ghost Legion. Armor Pattern: - Turquoise armour with silver trimming (current). Dark turquoise armour with silver trimming (originally).
Primarchs: Alpharius and Omegon. Primarch Status: One or both dead. Rogal Dorn, Primarch of the Imperial Fists, dueled and killed one of the brothers above Pluto, reportedly Alpharius. The surviving brother subsequently took up the name Alpharius Omegon. Roboute Guilliman is believed to have killed the second brother after the Heresy, but the validity of this claim remains uncertain.
Current Leader(s): Unknown. Various warbands exist, but given their secretive nature it is also possible that the entire legion secretly answers to a hidden overlord.
Religion: Undivided/pagan. Famed for their use of cultists, the Alpha Legion and their followers worship the various gods of Chaos.
Battle Cry: "Hydra Dominatus".
Notable Astrates
Image to be added
Additional Notes: - Nobody knows the name or location of the Alpha Legion's original home world. The Alpha Legion are one of the few chaos legions that did not move towards the Eye of Terror following Horus' defeat. Even today, they maintain an ongoing presence in real space. Despite being part of the Forces of Chaos, evidence suggests that the Alpha Legion (or some elements within it) are covert operatives, secretly loyal to the Emperor. Before his "fall" Alpharius received a vision in which he witnessed the twin fates of the galaxy. In one version, the Emperor won the Heresy, but Chaos ultimately won the war, taking advantage of the subsequent turmoil and bloodshed to gain power until they became invincible. In the other vision, Horus defeated the Emperor, but then drove humanity to extinction, resulting in the Chaos God's deaths. After receiving his visions, Alpharius said "Whatever I do now, I do for the Emperor!" which may indicate his continued loyalty. The Alpha Legion were the main antagonists of the original Dawn of War game. Leading an attack on the Imperial World of Tartarus, they were supposedly led by the Chaos Lord Bale but were followers of the Chaos Sorcerer Sindri. Although Sindri and his warband were defeated by Captain Gabriel Angelos and the Blood Raven's third company, they succeeded in their objective of releasing the Demon of the Maledictum. The Alpha Legion and the Demon of the Maledictum later returned in Dawn of War II Retribution, this time led by the Blood Raven's fallen Chapter Master and Chief Librarian Azariah Kyras. Despite Kyras' attempts to corrupt/exterminate the chapter and ascend to daemonhood, he and his followers were defeated by Apollo Diomedes of the Blood Ravens honour guard and other forces loyal to Angelos.

Gallery

Quotes

“	We fight the long war, not through vain notions of duty and honour, but through a far purer purpose: hatred. At the height of our glory we were betrayed and cast out by our kin. Guilliman, Dorn, Sanguinius - these are the names I curse. Horus, Perturabo, Angron - these are the names I ever, names I would follow to the very end. It is this hatred that has sustained me through the long millennia. I tend it with bitterness. I nurture it with the deaths of my former brothers. For I know that when the end is upon us and Horus is returned, then the false Emperor shall be cast down from his sepulchral golden throne, and we shall take our rightful place at the side of Horus, the true Emperor of Mankind.	„
	~ Ferrous Ironclaw. Warsmith of the Iron Warriors. Chaos Space Marine codex IIIrd edition.

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Both Fantasy/Age of Sigmar and 40,000 Forces of Chaos Chaos Gods Ruinous Powers Khorne | Tzeentch | Nurgle | Slaanesh Chaos Daemons Daemons of Khorne | Daemons of Tzeentch | Daemons of Nurgle | Daemons of Slaanesh | Daemons of Chaos Undivided Others Be'lakor | The Blue Scribes | Gork & Mork Fantasy/Age of Sigmar Only Hordes of Chaos Archaon | Burblespue Halescourge | Constant Drachenfels | Festus the Leechlord | Sigvald the Magnificent | Tchar'zanek | Valkia the Bloody | Wulfrik the Wanderer Beast-Men Gorthor | Morghur | Taurox Skaven Horned Rat | Deathmaster Snikch | Ikit Claw | Lord Skrolk | Queek Headtaker | Thanquol | Throt the Unclean Dark Elves Lokhir Fellheart | Malekith | Malus Darkblade | Morathi Tomb Kings Nagash | Arkhan the Black | Dieter Helsnicht | Dread King | Krell (Warhammer) | Settra the Imperishable Vampire Counts Vampire Coast | Abhorash | Konrad Von Karstein | Mannfred Von Carstein | Vlad von Carstein Greenskins Black Orcs | Night Goblins | Azhag the Slaughterer | Grom the Paunch | Skarsniik Misc. Wood Elves (Drycha) | Ogre Kingdoms (Great Maw) | Black Grail Knights | Fimir | Heinrich Kemmler | Throgg | Chaos Dwarfs (Hashut) 40,000 Only Imperium of Man Fyodor Karamazov Factions Imperial Guard Space Marines (Black Templars, Grey Knights, Flesh Tearers, Marines Malevolent, Minotaurs) Sisters of Battle Adeptus Mechanicus Imperial Knights Adeptus Custodes Officio Assassinorum Inquisition Chaos Space Marines Abaddon the Despoiler | Ahzek Ahriman | Alpha Legion | Alpharius Omegon | Angron | Black Legion | Death Guard | Eidolon | Eliphas the Inheritor | Erebus | Fabius Bile | Fulgrim | Warmaster Horus | Huron Blackheart | Ignatius Grulgor | Iron Warriors | Julius Kaesoron | Khârn the Betrayer | Khornate Berzerkers | Konrad Curze | Lorgar Aurellian | Lucius the Eternal | Magnus the Red | Marius Vairosean | Mortarion | Mutilators | Lord Nemeroth | Night Lords | Noise Marines | Perturabo | Plague Marines | Sindri Myr | Rubric Marines | Thousand Sons | Typhus | Tumulus Samael | Word Bearers | World Eaters Chaos Knights Other Chaos Factions and Followers Cult of Admonition | Dark Mechanicum | Eugan Temba | Moebian 6th (Captain Wolfer, Karnak Twins, Mara Vinci) | Plague Hulks | Red Angel | Scabeiathrax | Serpent Lodge | Solun Decius | Soul Grinders Xenos Races Eldar Craftworld Eldar Dark Eldar Asdrubael Vect Harlequins Orks Goffs | Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka | Warboss Grimskull | Gorgutz Ead Hunter | Kaptin Bluddflagg | Nazdreg Ug Urdgrub Necrons Szarekh | Trazyn the Infinite Tyranids Tyranid Hive Mind T'au Empire C'Tan Nightbringer | The Deceiver Genestealer Cults Other Xenos Races Barghesi | Enslavers | Hellgrammite | Khrave | Lacrymole | Megarachnids | Rangda | Slaugth | Thyrrus Misc. Autochthonar | Cthonian Mining Guilds | High-Riders | Kronus Hegemony | Men of Iron | Overlords of Barbarus (Necare) | Severan Dominate (Severus XIII) | Water Cartel