"The lies, the lies, the lies..."
- — Chapter Master Gallus Herodicus
The Scourged are a warband of Chaos Space Marines dedicated to the service of the Chaos God Tzeentch, the Changer of Ways. The Scourged are believed by some Imperial scholars to be a possible splinter warband of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion, however the truth is somewhat darker. The Scourged once served the Inquisition as the formerly Loyalist Chapter of Space Marines known as the Seekers of Truth. The Chapter Master, Gallus Herodicus, was an honourable man and rankled whenever ordered to execute innocents. The perpetuation of this injustice led to a weakening of the Seekers' morale, prompting Herodicus to pray to the God-Emperor for a means to tell when a man was lying. However, his prayers were answered not by the Emperor, but by the Chaos God Tzeentch, who gave the chapter his "blessing". From that moment, Herodicus and his men could hear every lie that issued from the mouths of Mankind. Though their new-found power would have allowed them to protect the Imperium from heresy once and for all, the constant stream of falsehood from those they sought to protect drove them insane within days and turned them against the service of what they now view as the Emperor's irredeemably corrupt Imperium.
Warband History
The Scourged Warband Colour Scheme
Little is known about the origins, whereabouts, or doctrines of the Traitor warband known as the Scourged. Rumour has it that, since they dedicated themselves to Tzeentch, they have been blessed by the Father of Deceit with the ability to hear every lie spoken by man. The knowledge of humankind’s deceptions and dissembling affords the Scourged trenchant insights into human desires and ambitions. This information proves invaluable to the Scourged in their service to Tzeentch, as these are the things with which Tzeentch tempts vulnerable mortals. However, the "blessing" of the Scourged inevitably becomes a curse, as all of those recruited into the ranks of the Scourged eventually lose their minds, unable to deal with the sheer number of deceptions that Mankind perpetrates upon both itself and others.
Notable Scourged
- Gallus Herodicus - Gallus Herodicus was once the Chapter Master of the Seekers of Truth Chapter of Space Marines, who were closely allied with the Inquisition and often did the bidding of the Ordo Hereticus. Gallus Herodicus was an honourable man and rankled whenever he was ordered by Inquisitors to execute men and women who he knew to be innocents. The injustice was slowly draining the Seekers' morale, prompting Herodicus to pray to the God-Emperor for a means to tell when a man was lying. However, his prayers were answered not by the Emperor, but by the Chaos God Tzeentch, who gave the chapter his "blessing". From that moment, Herodicus and his Astartes could hear every lie that issued from the mouths of Mankind. Driven insane by the unending torrent of falsehoods issuing from those they sought to protect, the Chapter went rogue and became a warband of Chaos Space Marines dedicated to the Lord of Change. Herodicus is now the powerful Chaos Lord who leads the Scourged in their attempt to purge the galaxy of the False Emperor and his irredeemably corrupt Imperium. Unfortunately, Herodicus, like all of his warriors, is not immune to the curse of his chapter and is slowly being driven closer to insanity by his failure to quiet the incessant chatter of falsehoods which constantly plague his mind.
Warband Appearance
Warband Colours
The Scourged wear blue and dark red coloured Power Armour with gold trim, similar in style to other Chaos Space Marines who follow the word of Tzeentch, including the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion and its warbands.
Warband Badge
The Scourged warband's badge is a red coloured, "all-seeing" eye of Tzeentch with arrow symbols protruding from the eye in different directions, centered over the symbol of their patron lord on a field of dark blue.
Sources
- Black Crusade: The Tome of Fate (RPG), pg. 21
- Codex: Chaos Space Marines (6th Edition), pp. 15, 75
- Codex: Chaos Space Marines (4th Edition), pg. 70