INTRODUCTION

While the vast majority of Chaos Space Marines are known for their unyielding bittereness towards the Imperium of Man, there are few who could match the depths of hatred of the Word Bearers. Armed with zealous faith in Chaos in all it’s myriad forms, the Word Bearers waged an unholy war against Man even before the Horus Heresy erupted.

Before the Eye of Terror campaign of a few years ago I decided that I wanted to build and paint a new army to use in the campaign, but one that I hadn’t collected before. Most of my previous armies are from the loyal forces of the Imperium, armies like the Dark Angels, Black Templars and Swamp Rats (Catachan Deathworld) and I had a brief foray with the Necrons. I felt the need to collect something different, but it needed to contain something like the fanatical/hardline stance that my Imperial armies have. I also wanted to paint a colour scheme I hadn’t painted before either. It was a conversation I had with Frank Taylor about his Word Bearers that convinced me to collect a Word Bearers army. They fit the bill perfectly as I had not painted a red army before, and they are fanatical in their worship of the Powers of Chaos… the subtle seeds of heresy had been planted and I had my new army!

THE TALE OF THE RED PILGRIM

Angra Mainyu, Daemon Prince

Angra Mainyu was a favoured Lieutenant of Kor Phaeron during the Horus Heresy. He was given the honour of leading one of the strike forces against the hated Ultramarines who were regrouping and re-arming on Calth in the Ultramar system whilst Lorgar led the rest of the Legion against Terra.

During the battle of Calth, Angra favoured a rapid assault force. In combat Angra Mainyu would often lead from the front supported by a large contingent of Assault Marines whom were commanded by one of Angra’s three Lieutenants named Mettare. While the assault element of the army advanced rapidly the Tactical Marines, led by Draas, and the Devastators, led by Anglachel, would lay down suppressing fire. From the rear of the battle other members of their unholy brethren would sacrifice slaves and summon unholy daemons from the warp. Though Angra was gravely wounded several times leading these assaults, he was miraculously healed. Angra Mainyu had been chosen by the Powers of Chaos as a favoured one for his dutiful worship of their ways. They, in turn protected him from harm, and he was started on the path to daemonhood.

Draas, The Red Pilgrim

With the death of Horus and Ultramarine reenforcements enroute from Ultramar the Word Bearers Legion escaped to the planets Sicarus and Ghalmek within the Eye of Terror. Not all of the Traitors went willingly. Angra Mainyu wanted to continue his dark war and exact bloody vengeance on the hapless citizens of the Imperium. Draas however cautioned his commander against this. With the death of Horus it was time to rally and gather one’s strength before lashing out. Angra by this stage had been maddened by the unholy power of his faith and his own perceived failings during the attacks against the Ultramarines on Calth he lashed out at Draas, calling him a coward and a weakling and banished him from his sight.

After being banished Draas assembled his own Host and went about preaching the dark faith to those Imperial planets near the Eye of Terror. The choice he gave was a simple one, renounce the Emperor as a false god and embrace your new dark masters or be destroyed. Many loyal citizens perished with their faith intact, but just as many were swayed and brought to eternal damnation by Draas. To his followers he became known as Draas the Red Pilgrim. Draas slowly and methodically assembled a large Host that was made not just from his Traitorous brethren but now Traitorous Imperial Guard Regiments and Imperial citizens.

Spawn formally known as Angra Mainyu

Meanwhile Angra had fallen more and more into insanity as his road to Daemonic ascension came closer to completion. Angra Mainyu’s transfomation came to fruition just before Abbaddon's 13th Black Crusade into the Imperium

It was during the 13th Black Crusade that Angra Mainyu lost favour with his patron deities. Angra had lost all of his sanity and was attacking foolhardily believing that the Chaos Gods favoured him still. The Ruinous Powers are fickle and he soon fell from grace.