Warhammer 40K Character Idea: Messiah of Tzeentch, and Everyone Else

[Leliel]

Anyway, I once posted a essay on these boards entitled "Why I Would Worship Tzeentch If He Were Real", in which I entitled all the generally good and heroic things I could do with powers granted by the Raven God. Of course, this left out the question if he would allow me to do good things with them, but I justified it by thinking that inevitably, he would find some use for me in one of his ridiculously convoluted schemes.

Of course, this can't exactly be left OOC now can it? So, using my scheming imagination, decided to create a character based on this opinion.

Basically, he was originally a stout young Imperial officer with ideals a bit too much on the "idealistic" side for the universe he lives in, and as a result, started to doubt the more morally gray-ie, all-orders of his superiors. After the ship he was on got caught in a Warp Storm, he had the "fortune" of the first daemon he encountered being a relatively benign one made from the emotion of doubt, who seeking a new recruit of Tzeentch, decided to tell him about the true history of the Imperium and Chaos. As you might have already guessed, his emotions toward his superiors turned to rage, and he gleefully accepted the chance to spread a bit of Tzeentch's hope, in the (accurate) thought that using daemons to do was certainly as good or better than the Imperium's slow, ungainly, theocratic, and generally dystopic way of doing things. Today, he's become a fairly successful strategist and sorcerer for the Thousand Sons, and is looking to become a daemon prince. Classic "Fallen Hero" story, right?

Wrong. Although he's certainly fallen, he is far from forsaking his heroic side. He concocts plans that try to save as many civilians as possible, no matter their allegiance or creed. His sorcerer powers are often used to create beneficial mutations to crops to help them grow and become more nutricious and filling to it's consumers (and if they cause mutations themselves, all the better). The Grey Knights themselves note that the uncorrupted citizens in his domains are geniunely happier than when the Imperium rules them, although they of course chalk this up to eloborate slight of hand. He even tries to convert his comrades to his humanitarian way of thinking, though this almost never works.

Of course, he isn't delusional about his relationship to his master. Altough he geniunely belives the Chaos Gods are good as well as evil, he knows that ultimately, he is just a powerful pawn in Tzeentch's game. That won't stop him from using Chaos to help as many people as he can.

So, is this a good idea of somone to RP in a game
?

[Tengu]

If this is for a RP game (the new WH40K RPG whose name escapes my mind at the moment, perhaps?), then you've got the wrong forum. You can use Gaming (d20 and General RPG) for non-DND games too.

Great concept, by the way. Very Faustian. Hard to play in a party of Imperium loyals, though.

[Talkkno]

If this is for a RP game (the new WH40K RPG whose name escapes my mind at the moment, perhaps?),

Dark Hersey.

[Belteshazzar]

"Weirdboy Thundaboot Eeerrh--- Da problemudik ting bout goin wiff Tzeena.. Tzzuza ...Txzu ... Da Boid-Head Fella Iz wat e izz alluz keepen fum youz Boiz...

I meen shur e be tellz you tingz and changez bad tingz up fer gud unz...But wen e startz doin Iz ting e dont liek stoppen da changz... Iuz once eard dat iz planz iz only bout changen... Peaze den Waaarrgg den Peaze Den Warrrrg, und not alluz afta oun anudar like yud be expekten.

Mean, sur Iz wan it be Warrgz when itz peaze but he alzo wan it be peaze when it WWWAAAAAARRRRGGGZ. And uz boiz don liek eit roitly. I meen why allua changen? Allua Toim. Den ow you knowen woitz up en down, gud er ... noit gud? Loik e saiz izelf "Itz All Acurden ta plann.." But iz hiz plan noit youz, not mien, not da Warbozz, err da Empura or even dat sneky Ellerad fella, see?

[graymachine]

I think it's great and you could make an amazing character if you put the right shine of crazy on him too. Are you planning on actually playing him in an Emperor-fearing party? The IC/OCC friction would probably have the cleverness of the character overshadowed by frequent in-fighting, at least in the minds of your companions. I don't think it would go over well either with an all Chaos party, Khorne worshipers being what they are and all.

[graymachine]

Dark Hersey.

Dark Heresy is actually being discontinued, I think. There is a new system being published for WH40K that should launch in the next few months.

[Solo]

Foul heretic!

You foolishly bargain with the Ruinous Powers to achieve ends that you deem beneficial, yet you know as well as I that in the end, the harm of your actions will far outweigh any good you may have done, for such is the nature of Chaos!

Your thrice dammed carcase will weep in pain and torment inflicted on you by your capricious Warp God, making the thousands upon thousands of agonizing tortures the foul Dark Eldar have ever devised seem like naught but the effort of children feebly imitating the true masters of the art.

Yet beyond any kind of pain that shall ever be inflicted on your body will be the mental anguish inflicted upon your spirit, the torment of knowing that, though you tried to use your doubly cursed warp spawned power for good, all your efforts were in vain, for you are just an insignificant pawn in a game to ensure the demise of the Imperium and the fall of Mankind, and the only moves your puppetmaster will allow you to make are the ones that ultimately benefit it, not you.

Such is the fate of all who stray from the ways of the Emperor! I pray that you have enough sense to renounce your heretical ways and end your miserable life in a suitably expedient manner, for neither your masters nor I will grant you a pleasurable demise.


Have faith, comrads, and remain steady in your devotion to the Emperor! Only the solidarity of our faith in Him and the Imperium will bind us together and see us through the Night!

For without the Emperor, we would be nothing but a wandering blind herd grasping in the darkness, exposed to the evils of the universe.

Though the fight for humanity shall be long and difficult, we shall see it through to the end!

For just as the Emperor has adored everyone of us and sacrificed himself for mankind, so shall we plunge ourselves into the darkness and defend the Imperium of Man against the mutant, the heretic and the alien.

Shall I remind you of the tenet of Faith?

It is to venerate the Immortal Emperor, for without Him we are nothing!

Shall I remind you of the duty of all humans?

It is to to defend the Empire of Man, to purge the Unclean and the Heretic, the Mutant and the Alien!

Shall I remind you of the failure to do so?

It is everlasting torment and damnation, for such is the price of the traitor!

All praise be to the Emperor, master of Mankind by the will of the gods, master of a million worlds by the might of his inexhaustible armies!

All glory be to the Imperium of Man! Beset on all sides by enemies, besieged from without by demons and xenos, attacked from within by heretics and rebels, for ten thousand years it has endured!

All exaltations be to the bravery of the Imperial Guard, the might of the Adeptus Astartes, the ever vigilant Inquisition, and the countless Planetary Defense Forces, without which the Imperium would have long ago fallen to the heretic, mutant, and alien.

Praise the Emperor!

[Tola]

Well, that about says it.

Orks disapprove, the Imperium is all over you....what next?

The Eldar?

[hanzo66]

The Tau: Who the hell is Tzeench? Oh, one of those Chaos gods? We're out. You go and get yourselves killed with that warp-thing you other races seem so fond of. Let's go enlighten some other guys by shooting the crap out of them.

[Leliel]

Foul heretic!

Wha...? Oh. A Gray Knight. How charming.

You foolishly bargain with the Ruinous Powers to achieve ends that you deem beneficial, yet you know as well as I that in the end, the harm of your actions will far outweigh any good you may have done, for such is the nature of Chaos!

Probably. But most of that harm will be done to the Ecclesiarchy and their ilk, which is fine by me.

Your thrice dammed carcase will weep in pain and torment inflicted on you by your capricious Warp God, making the thousands upon thousands of agonizing tortures the foul Dark Eldar have ever devised seem like naught but the effort of children feebly imitating the true masters of the art.

Certainly. Given that many of such tortures will be in the process of giving me superpowers, I'm fine with that also.

Yet beyond any kind of pain that shall ever be inflicted on your body will be the mental anguish inflicted upon your spirit, the torment of knowing that, though you tried to use your doubly cursed warp spawned power for good, all your efforts were in vain, for you are just an insignificant pawn in a game to ensure the demise of the Imperium and the fall of Mankind, and the only moves your puppetmaster will allow you to make are the ones that ultimately benefit it, not you.

I already am. But before you go on, ask yourself this: Why should my god wish the fall of Mankind, or even the Imperium? The former provides all their needs and food, and the Imperium even more so. It is corrupt, it is in a constant state of war, it is proud, it is in a constant state of flux...Perhaps my gods wish not for the death of Man and it's so-called Protectors, but it's continuation?

Such is the fate of all who stray from the ways of the Emperor! I pray that you have enough sense to renounce your heretical ways and end your miserable life in a suitably expedient manner, for neither your masters nor I will grant you a pleasurable demise.

Is there such a thing?

Have faith, comrades, and remain steady in your devotion to the Emperor! Only the solidarity of our faith in Him and the Imperium will bind us together and see us through the Night!

Oh, grand, now he's ranting. Have faith my friends, this will be over relatively soon...

For without the Emperor, we would be nothing but a wandering blind herd grasping in the darkness, exposed to the evils of the universe.

Not counting everything proceeding up and during the Dark Age of Technology, the Imperium today, Gue'versa...

Though the fight for humanity shall be long and difficult, we shall see it through to the end!

Gods, I hope not. I don't think I can stand another minute with you.

For just as the Emperor has adored everyone of us and sacrificed himself for mankind, so shall we plunge ourselves into the darkness and defend the Imperium of Man against the mutant, the heretic and the alien.

Please ignore the mutants with no connection to Chaos, the heretics who are just rebelling against a corrupt society, and the aliens that would leave us alone if we did the same to them...

Shall I remind you of the tenet of Faith?

Yes, why don't you? I forget everything drilled into us at the Imperial Navy every two minutes.

It is to venerate the Immortal Emperor, for without Him we are nothing!

Despite the fact that said Emperor was shortsighted, overly sentimental, and did not wish to be worshiped at all...

Shall I remind you of the duty of all humans?

Oh yes, I forgot how to read the writing drawn in every conceivable area too...

It is to to defend the Empire of Man, to purge the Unclean and the Heretic, the Mutant and the Alien!

See above comment on mutants, heretics, and aliens, adding that "skeptics who helped us get to this level of technology" count as "Unclean" in many belief systems too...

Shall I remind you of the failure to do so?

Why not, I also failed "Law for 2-year-olds"...

It is everlasting torment and damnation, for such is the price of the traitor!

And so is working for the Imperium.

All praise be to the Emperor, master of Mankind by the will of the gods, master of a million worlds by the might of his inexhaustible armies!

Who are overstretched by about that many worlds worlds as well!

All glory be to the Imperium of Man! Beset on all sides by enemies, besieged from without by demons and xenos, attacked from within by heretics and rebels, for ten thousand years it has endured!

Due to it's enormous size, and nothing else!

All exaltations be to the bravery of the Imperial Guard, the might of the Adeptus Astartes, the ever vigilant Inquisition, and the countless Planetary Defense Forces, without which the Imperium would have long ago fallen to the heretic, mutant, and alien.

I...grant you that.

Praise the Emperor!

Who may be personally responsible for why the Thousand Sons are on my side, and not yours!

Hypocritical drivel, as usual. Get him boys.

To the Orks: Next time you criticize me, try to do it i a format I can read?

To the Tau: Tzeentch, for your information, is the personification of all hope and ambition in the universe, and as such, feeds on it.

He finds your dreams of an empire most tasty.

PS: And could you stop shooting people indiscriminately? It makes my job of protecting civillians that much harder.

[Illiterate Scribe]

Insufficient levels of Grimdark detected. Make it so that his dealings are inadvertently slaughtering billions of people on the other side of the galaxy ('just as planned', say Tzeentch).

Alternatively, make him a corrupt, self-deluded demon prince who's convinced himself that he is doing good, humanitarian work, saving lives, forging a bright, happy future for his people, and spreading a new age of peace and prosperity, but Tzeentch is actually blinding him to the fact that he is massacring hundreds of thousands, brutally crushing humans underfoot, and bringing about the end times for those under his purview - after all, his zealotry is useful, even if he thinks he's using it against you.

Sorta like Oedipus, but having made a Faustian pact to root out the evil in Thebes - unaware of the fact that it's him.

I'm shelving this idea for a later Inquisitor Campaign, actually.

[SurlySeraph]

Yes, this is a very good idea. This character would certainly be good-aligned, and very admirable. I have full respect for his actions and his intentions, though I personally disagree with the way he has gone about them.

Also, Inquisitor Solo and I are intimately versed in the Good Cop-Bad Cop technique.

[Myshlaevsky]

Solo, you don't post on the Inquisitor forum 'the conclave' do you?

[Illiterate Scribe]

Solo, you don't post on the Inquisitor forum 'the conclave' do you?

Is the Conclave still alive even?

Arkhan - good times. Also, ridiculously complex rules ftw.

[Rutee]

Insufficient levels of Grimdark detected.

DArk Heresy has very little grimdark. Mostly just dark humor

[Illiterate Scribe]

DArk Heresy has very little grimdark. Mostly just dark humor

Dark Heresy is but a pale pretender to the awesome that was Inquisitor.

The awesome stabbed in the back by GW, though.

[Myshlaevsky]

It is. The GW sponsored site got shut down, but they've moved to a fan-run forum.

Even though the boards are pretty dead, and the Inquisitor system is massively flawed (complex, wierdly broken and completely unrealistic rules ftw indeed), I still think it's one of the best places to go for WH40K information.

Edit: As a side note, if you can still stomach playing Inquisitor, Dark Heresy does tons to enhance it.

[Hectonkhyres]

And from the peanut gallery: 'OM NOM NOM NOM NOM.'

[Rutee]

Dark Heresy is but a pale pretender to the awesome that was Inquisitor.

If Inquisitor was as Grimdark as normal 40k material, I'll have to say DH was better. Nothing worse then taking yourself seriously when you produce material that's absurd :P

[Bryn]

...Seems like I got mega-simued by at least four people, and somebody already got in the Tyranid joke. Well, damn. Don't mind me!


Fool! Through your foolish ingorance in accepting the ruinous powers, you have damned us all! These ridiculous notions of saving people are the rantings of a madman! Through your heresy, you have opened the door for the denizens of the warp. Cities, planets, star systems... all will fall as a result your folly.

In the name of the Emperor, I hereby declare thee Extremis Diabolus, and consign you to the Warp.

/exterminatus.


Anyway, while a reasonable character idea in general, it doesn't really fit in the 40k universe... at least, as I would see it; it is, of course, subjective.

After trying forever to explain exactly why in a reasonably humorous manner, though, I have been beaten to the punch by Illiterate Scribe, who explains more eloquently and gives better ideas than I could have.

Final edit: extra stuff has been removed.

[Illiterate Scribe]

If Inquisitor was as Grimdark as normal 40k material, I'll have to say DH was better. Nothing worse then taking yourself seriously when you produce material that's absurd :P

Not at all. I'd say that, in the world where the story-designers actively seek out sympathetic characters and make them really, really, evil, it's self-parody.

[Rutee]

I guess it really just depends on execution, that. You could pull it off either way, certainly

[Illiterate Scribe]

I guess it really just depends on execution, that. You could pull it off either way, certainly

/tg/'s 'Bleakdim' campaign setting has it covered the right way, methinks.

NentirelySFW.

And I quote:

Banners should be held up by spikes erupting from skulls, skulls which are attached to spikes on the armour. And those banners should have pictures of spiky skulls on them, possibly also holding up banners.

...

Addendum, the perpetual cloud cover is the result of several massive volcanoes. They also have the side effect of poisoning the air so that everyone who lives there is dying slowly and painfully. If the violence doesn't get you, you'll cough your lungs out before you turn 35.

[Eita]

Foolish traitor! You have left the the Emperor's Light and have damned yourself and your flock to the mercies of a Dark God! When the Architect of Fate is done with you your very soul shall be scattered to the winds! Death will be but a fleeting dream in that dark place as Tzeentch tortures every fiber of your being. Your only solace will be the memories of the Almighty God-Emperor and how you abandoned him!

Then as the Thousand Sons reveal themselves to be the wolves they are they shall descend upon your worlds and destroy the sheep that live there in false security.

Know this Fallen One, the Gods of Chaos know no reason. They seek to destroy all Mankind, even if it means the very end of their existence. It is heretics like you who flirted with notions of allying or conquering with Daemons who brought the very fall of the Emperor Himself! Magnus the One-Eyed used sorcery most foul to cloud the visions of Guider of Man and hide the Treachery of Horus.

The wails of millions shall fill the streets of every world loyal to the Emperor as you go forth on your plans for "good". Unbeknown to you the Changer of Ways shall change all under your sway and brand unto them his Mark. A fate worse then death awaits, but such is the Emperor that He will seek to save them from the Dark One's grasp.

A thousand bells will toll with day of your fall as on angel's wings a heavenly sword of divine might pierces your black heart. The wings and weapons of the Adeptus Astartes shall be your downfall and the Holy Bolter shall be their sword! With fire and flame they shall cleanse the dark places that languished so under your shadow.

Maidens shall weep as the last of the true horrors you have brought come to life and the few lucky enough to survive them put to death. Such is the fate for all who near such evil, and fortunate are they. For if they are still pure of heart they shall enter the Emperor's Embrace. Then as your shadow lifts a heavenly choir shall sing as those worlds reenter the Fold of the Imperium.

Death to the Heretics! Purge the Unclean! Execute the Traitors! Annihilate the Xenos!

Long live the Emperor and His Mighty Imperium of Man!

[Illiterate Scribe]

Foolish traitor! You have left the the Emperor's Light and have damned yourself and your flock to the mercies of a Dark God! When the Architect of Fate is done with you your very soul shall be scattered to the winds! Death will be but a fleeting dream in that dark place as Tzeentch tortures every fiber of your being. Your only solace will be the memories of the Almighty God-Emperor and how you abandoned him!

Then as the Thousand Sons reveal themselves to be the wolves they are they shall descend upon your worlds and destroy the sheep that live there in false security.

Know this Fallen One, the Gods of Chaos know no reason. They seek to destroy all Mankind, even if it means the very end of their existence. It is heretics like you who flirted with notions of allying or conquering with Daemons who brought the very fall of the Emperor Himself! Magnus the One-Eyed used sorcery most foul to cloud the visions of Guider of Man and hide the Treachery of Horus.

The wails of millions shall fill the streets of every world loyal to the Emperor as you go forth on your plans for "good". Unbeknown to you the Changer of Ways shall change all under your sway and brand unto them his Mark. A fate worse then death awaits, but such is the Emperor that He will seek to save them from the Dark One's grasp.

A thousand bells will toll with day of your fall as on angel's wings a heavenly sword of divine might pierces your black heart. The wings and weapons of the Adeptus Astartes shall be your downfall and the Holy Bolter shall be their sword! With fire and flame they shall cleanse the dark places that languished so under your shadow.

Maidens shall weep as the last of the true horrors you have brought come to life and the few lucky enough to survive them put to death. Such is the fate for all who near such evil, and fortunate are they. For if they are still pure of heart they shall the Emperor's Embrace. Then as your shadow lifts a heavenly shall sing as those worlds reenter the Fold of the Imperium.

Death to the Heretics! Purge the Unclean! Execute the Traitors! Annihilate the Xenos!

Long live the Emperor and His Mighty Imperium of Man!

No, Eita, you are the Daemons. Illiterate Scribe crackered.

[Myshlaevsky]

And the daemons are also your father.

[Inhuman Bot]

I'am a god of chaos and I still don't get it.

[Belteshazzar]

Wots dis den Slannesh, owd e get in earh? See wot I meen wen you Chaos Boiz start wid day Chaosing it drawz aw dem udder chaos tings to yah? Loik wotchu'callum uhhh moths to da loit.

Und Papa Nugal gunna be pissed und roit ungrateful when e foinds out boit dis. Den da big rotted boiz gunna come en und den Da Hornned Angry Fellas gunna come fur some crumpen den da pink fella girly fella gunna show up und all hell und warppen tings gunna happen at once.

Den Da Marines gunna show up und ... eah know wot keep doing your ting dis sound loik a roit gud Warrrrgg so I be marken dis hear callunda paper here und we see you boiz in uhh two months.
-Calls offscreen "Ehh Boss we got a gud fight for ya so put down deem blue shooty fellas und lets get sum Roks und Boiz for a gud WAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGG!!!!!" Message fades into static and confused Tau fleet chatter-

[Xuincherguixe]

I've said it before, I'll say it again. Even if they're forces of pure malevolance, whom are dedicated to the suffering and annihilation of humanity, the Chaos Gods still seems like the lesser evil compared to the Imperium.

Remember, change is good! If you aren't doing something new right now, you're doing it wrong!

[Hoggmaster]

Dark Heresy is actually being discontinued, I think. There is a new system being published for WH40K that should launch in the next few months.

Its not going to be a new system, Fantasy Flight picked up the license and will produce it instead of GW.