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| “ | From the fires of Betrayal unto the blood of revenge we bring the name of Lorgar, the Bearer of the Word, the favored Son of Chaos, all praise be given to him. | „ |
| ~ One of the many passages of the Book of Lorgar. |
The Word Bearers are major antagonists in Warhammer 40k, one of the more prominent Traitor Legions, and due to the actions of their members, are major overarching antagonists of the Horus Heresy. Originally the XVIIth Legion of the Imperium of Man, they are lead by their Primarch Lorgar and were fiercely devoted worshipers and followers of the Emperor of Mankind. Among the firsts in the galaxy to praise and worship the Emperor as a divine god, this devotion and piousness would eventually serve as the fuel for the flames of their daemonic corruption and fall from grace. With their leaders serving as the masterminds behind the corruption of Horus, the Word Bearers replaced their intense religious faith to the Emperor with unbridled dedication to the hellish forces of Chaos.
The Word Bearers, driven by their devotion to Chaos, orchestrated the corruption of Warmaster Horus, igniting the brutal Horus Heresy and plunging the galaxy into a devastating civil war. Now, they dedicate themselves to overthrowing the Emperor and disseminating the "truth" of Chaos across humanity in the unending Long War.
Prior to Lorgar's return and the Imperium's discovery of Colchis in 857.M30, the XVIIth Legion bore titles besides "Word Bearers." Initially dubbed "Imperial Heralds" by the Emperor, reflecting their intended purpose, they were also known, with a touch of grim respect, as the "Iconoclasts" by their fellow Space Marines for their zealous destruction of idolatrous temples and cultic strongholds during the Age of Old Night.
Once reunited with their Primarch, Lorgar renamed the XVIIth Legion the Word Bearers, aligning them with his conviction that the Emperor was humanity's divine savior. Today, the Word Bearers harbor a particular animosity towards the Ultramarines and their successors, a rivalry that dates back to the Great Crusade.
The Word Bearers are the progeny of Lorgar Aurelian, the Dark Apostle of Chaos, the first Primarch to succumb to the insidious influence of the Ruinous Powers. Their search for a deity to worship ultimately led them to the Warp and the entities within when the Emperor condemned such reverence during the Great Crusade.
History[]
Great Crusade[]
Originally known as the Imperial Heralds, the Word Bearers were designed by the Emperor to spread His ideology of the Imperial Truth. However, once their Primarch, Lorgar Aurelian, was found by the Emperor, their mission changed, as Lorgar was raised as a priest by his adoptive father, Kor Phaeron. Instead, once Lorgar penned the Lectio Divinitatus, the Word Bearers took to spreading the illegal faith that the Emperor of Mankind was a god. His denial of divinity only increased their faith. The Word Bearers earned the ire of many of their fellow legions as well, as they conquered worlds at a much slower rate than any other legion, instead spending their time reeducating the population or slaughtering them if they resisted. However, many of the worlds the Word Bearers conquered still remain fanatically loyal to the Imperium ten thousand years later.
Horus Heresy[]
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41st Millenium[]
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Era Indomitus[]
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