Dark Apostle - Dark Apostle: A Dark Apostle is a Heretic Astartes Chaplain and one of the de facto leaders of the Word Bearers Traitor Legion, second in power and command only to the Legion's primarch Lorgar, though Dark Apostles have been encountered as dark missionaries in the other Traitor Legions.The Dark Apostles of the Word Bearers collectively rule the XVIIth Legion through the instrument of the Dark Council, which is comprised of the most senior of their membership.Like all of the Chaos Space Marines of the Word Bearers, the Dark Apostles worship all the Dark Gods in the form of Chaos Undivided rather than any single one of the Chaos Gods. Even before the Horus Heresy, the Dark Apostles had gleefully redirected the XVIIth Legion's fanatical zeal from the preaching of their flawed version of the Imperial Truth, which held the Emperor of Mankind to be the one, true god of Humanity, to howling the praises of the Ruinous Powers.Dark Apostles are the spiritual leaders within many of the Traitor Legions, and are utterly devoted to the Dark Gods and the preservation of the beliefs of their primarchs and other leaders. Each is thoroughly learned in occult teachings, ritual sacrifice, and the devotions contained in the Book of Lorgar and other vile Chaos tomes and epistles penned by Lorgar and other devotees of the Dark Gods, having painfully etched their forbidden characters into their minds, bodies, and souls through a ghastly array of torturous and barbaric means.This fanatical devotion to the worship of the Ruinous Powers defines a Dark Apostle, and all are entirely dedicated to spreading their message of worship and devotion to every corner of the galaxy and into every Human heart as the true faith of Mankind.Dark Apostles preach that the feeble and hollow sermons of the Imperial Ecclesiarchy proclaiming the Imperial Creed of the Emperor's divinity are but rote superstition and propaganda compared to the true divinity and terrible power of Chaos. To demonstrate these unholy claims, they frequently act as direct conduits for their Dark Gods' power in the material realm and bestow blessings of Chaos on their followers, further fuelling their fanaticism and devotion.To a Dark Apostle, Chaos is an all-powerful pantheon. Many therefore choose to venerate all the Chaos Gods equally, and rarely ally with only one of the four major Chaos paths for very long. When it comes to the particulars of their blasphemous faith, each Dark Apostle is bound by his own deranged and arrogant interpretations of the profane writings of Lorgar and other heretical works. Dark Apostles are skilled orators capable of converting entire cities, Astra Militarum regiments, or planetary populations to their unholy cause with promises of power and recognition from the denizens of the Warp and freedom from the constraints, hardships and cruelties of daily life in the Imperium.Through their honeyed words, they establish vast networks of Chaos Cultists and false churches, secretly planting the seeds of the Imperium's corruption on every planet they touch. These zealous but misled mortal followers are often incorporated into their master's diabolical designs, and frequently serve as willing slaves or sacrifices to the glory of their new gods.The Dark Apostles of the Word Bearers, in particular, construct great monuments and monolithic symbols of their blasphemous faith, and dedicate them to their chosen patrons to mark their profane victories. They take perverse delight in incorporating the religious structures of those they conquer into these foul rites, and often go out of their way to desecrate the holy icons and relics of the Ecclesiarchy. The Dark Apostle's legions of followers frequently aid in these endeavours, and just as frequently find themselves sacrificed to their gods on the very altars they helped construct.A Dark Apostle arrayed for combat is an imposing sight, with ancient Chaos Power Armour adorned with sigils of his foul allegiance and reams of parchment covered in blasphemous devotions and invocations. Many even tattoo litanies directly onto their flesh or the flayed skins of their opponents in order to enhance their potency and further prove their devotion.During conflict, they stride across the battlefield exhorting their charges onward while smiting all who stand before them with their Accursed Crozius. However, a Dark Apostle's greatest weapons are always his voice and the strength of his belief, and the hordes of devoted followers in his wake bear testament to the terrible power and influence he wields.To Dark Apostles, the glorious Ascension to the blessed state of Daemonhood represents the ultimate pinnacle of achievement, the fusion of the material with the immaterial, and they toil diligently in the hopes that their Dark Gods may one day grant them such a magnificent reward as apotheosis. Though Dark Apostles frequently ally with powerful warlords and Champions of the Warp, their true loyalty is only to Chaos, and nothing can be allowed to stand in the way of their heretical crusade.