Word Bearers

Word Bearers
Battle Cry	Verses from the Book of Lorgar
Number	XVII
Original Name	Imperial Heralds
Original Homeworld	Colchis
Current Homeworld	Sicarus
Primarch	Lorgar
Champion	Erebus, Kor Phaeron
Strength	More or less Legion strength
Specialty	Zealotry, use of Daemons, spreading Chaos
Allegiance	Chaos Undivided
Colours	Dark crimson and steel

"By its very nature, theology tends - and under certain conditions, must always tend - to become demonology."

— Thomas Mann, "Doctor Faustus"

"All I ever wanted was the Truth."

— Opening Line of the "Book of Lorgar", First Canticle of Chaos

The Word Bearers are a legion of Chaos Space Marines. Their Primarch is Lorgar.

History

There is a phenomenon of psychology that some people are prone to zealotry. It does not matter what they believe in, they believe in it with all their heart. This type of individual who is likely to end up becoming a fanatical member to a certain ideology will if they somehow become disillusioned with it, often find it easier to adopt an opposing or opposite ideology and be just as fanatical to said new cause rather than simply moderating their commitment to their first ideology as needed and making caveats and exceptions to it's general principles. The Word Bearers are this phenomenon at its most extreme.

Early History

Why hello there unbeliever. Would you mind a small theological chat?

The Emperor used the genetic templates of the Primarchs to create the Legiones Astartes after the powers of Chaos stole the gestating Primarchs. Those who received gene-seed from template number seventeen stood apart from their brother Astartes in duty and outlook. They fought with utter devotion and a fanatical zeal. Their original recruits were drawn from the sons of defeated enemies, raised to know the crimes of their fathers and the price of the Emperor's forgiveness. Thus while the other Legions went to war with righteousness, the XVIIth fought with the cold fury that only the condemned and redeemed could know. While other Legions took some time to acquire formal names, the XVIIth was named the Imperial Heralds almost immediately after their founding. This was due to their early role: to deliver the Emperor's ultimatum of submission or destruction. Upon defeating an enemy, the Imperial Heralds would empty their libraries and records of any contents deemed heretical or sorcerous. Condemned works, individuals, and buildings would be destroyed in the name of the Imperial Truth (though they also tended to exterminate the entire population of the places they conquered; see Antarctica). The Imperial Heralds repeated this process all across Terra during the Unification Wars. This gave the Imperial Heralds a rarely-spoken nickname among the greater Imperium: the Iconoclasts.

Great Crusade

Okay, so the Imperial Cult might not exactly be hot chickenwings with thousand island sauce, but worshipping Chaos might not be the best alternative.

The planet Colchis was full of people that worshipped a watered down version of chaos. Primarch XVII was adopted by Kor Phaeron, one of the chief priests, and given the name Lorgar. Lorgar received a vision of the Emperor and formed a religion around him, leading to a six-year religious civil war that Lorgar's faction eventually won, shortly before the Emperor came to Colchis. During the Great Crusade, they bore the word of the Emperor to new worlds, wiping out any traces of dissenting faiths as they assimilated cultures into the Imperial way of life, including enforcing the worship of the God-Emperor.

Their thorough attention to this kept them far behind the pace of other expeditionary fleets and drew the ire of the Emperor. He repeatedly made it clear that he did not consider himself a god and wanted Lorgar to knock it off and catch up with the other fleets. Lorgar responded by penning the original Lectitio Divinitatus, which would much later form the core of the beliefs of the Temple of the Saviour Emperor. Finally, the Emperor had enough and ordered the Ultramarines to make an example for him. They torched the world of Khur and called the entire Word Bearers legion to kneel in its ashes before Guilliman, Malcador, and the Emperor.

To say Lorgar was devastated would be an understatement. He spent an entire month in seclusion, taking only the advice of Kor Phaeron and First Chaplain Erebus. They revealed to him that they had kept the old faith alive and that many worlds appeared to have religions that aligned with it, suggesting a more primal truth than worship of the God-Emperor. They convinced Lorgar that the primordial truth was truer than the Imperial Truth and he took his legion on a pilgrimage to the Eye of Terror to learn more about Chaos.

Organization

Yeah, we know what you're thinking: organization? Of a Traitor Legion? While it may surprise you, the Word Bearers still function as an organized Legion (though much looser than the Legiones Astartes). Ironically, their uttermost commitment to Chaos as a religion gives them a semblance of order (DOUBLE HERESY?) As such, they have a clearly designated hierarchy and command structure. While Lorgar remains the ultimate master of the Word Bearers, in reality he has allowed command to fall as such:

• Master of the Faith: The de facto head of the Word Bearers in Lorgar's absence, currently held by First Captain Kor Phaeron.

• Chief Dark Apostle: The head of the priesthood, currently held by Erebus.

• Dark Council: A collection of Dark Apostles who oversee the overall actions of the Legion, and confirm the ascension of other Dark Apostles.

• Dark Apostle: spiritual leader of a Host, the primary organization of the Word Bearers following the Horus Heresy. Dark Apostles are confirmed by the Dark Council and in turn make the decisions of the rank and advancement for the Host.

• Coryphaus: The senior military commander of a host, comparable to a Chapter Master or First Captain. The Coryphaus leads the Host's returns during religious ceremonies (and trust us, the Word Bearers have a lot of religious ceremonies) and makes all tactical decisions during actual combat, freeing up the Dark Apostle to better commune with the Chaos Gods.

• Icon Bearers: A Word Bearer charged with carrying the Icon of the XVII Legion in battle, similar to a Company Standard Bearer in a Space Marine Chapter.

• Champion: The leader of Word Bearer squads, know as coteries. Comparable to a Squad Captain from the Legiones Astartes.

• Aspiring Champion: Another Squad leader, comparable to a Sergeant.

• Anointed: The Terminators of a Host.

• Gal Vorbak: The Possessed Marines of a Host.

• Warrior-Brother: The rank and file soldiers of a host.