Despite the machinations of others definetly creating reasons why the individuals fell...many followed willingly. Now, of course, some were "we'll just kill you if you don't" but that's another story entirely. Substantiating circumstances or not, none stood there and said "wait, is this right?" Sure it wasn't black/white and good/evil, but it never has been. While some might have gone traitor, but not quite to chaos...they all ended up in the same place. Because as a human, if you aren't supporting the Anathema...you probably are going to support the Dark Gods. Even Lorgar really was fucked from the start. While his book, the Legio Divinitatus, may still be used to this day, its basis is in the corruption of the cults on his homeworld. Nevertheless...it's basically true in its stance of the Emperor's Godlike potential. >_>
To be godlike isn't being a god. It is true for the Emperor as for the Chaos entity. Any of us with a smart phone would look like godly in the Middle Ages.
In response to all the people who don't see why it's a bad choice for a name, besides sounding ridiculous, all other factions are named by their own character perspective. Eldar Warlocks aren't called xeno witches, Orks aren't called filthy greenskins, loyalists aren't called scum/lapdogs/thinbloods. Only Chaos is named by the perspective of their enemies. Chaos Legions, particularly the included ones, don't see it that way. They think they were justified in their rebellion, nobody who thinks they are justified calls themselves a traitor, even if they are, arguably especially if they are. It is irrelevant if you think they are justified or if the Imperium thinks they were, because we aren't playing from the IoM's pov, we're playing as Chaos Marines And does it really need to be explained why constantly reminding your allies they are traitors would be completely retarded?
No they didn't their minds were warped and twisted. They didn't believe anything, Chaos manipulated them into thinking otherwise.
You are saying word bearers didn't believe anything? They believed in the emperor, they created the cult to the emperor, the very cult he himself forbade, the very same the imperium adopted after his demise. Lorgar felt betrayed that his devotion was met with criticism and decided to devote himself to real gods who would be grateful of his devotion. I'd say he believed in something and was met with ungratefulness, thus he was the one betrayed. Sure they were manipulated. That doesn't mean they all believe/know they were. Some actually found comfort and salvation in chaos and believe what they do is the right thing. Not right in a good vs evil right, but right in the sense it is the sensible thing to do. It is only fair to join chaos when you acknowledge it is a force of nature the imperium can't stand against because it is in their very heart and the emperor itself is just a man. The emperor is just a glorified tyrant. He didn't want to be a god, yet at the same time he wanted to control everything and hide every piece of knowledge about chaos, his own secret webway, etc.
I get what you are saying but in the context of this universe Chaos is an entity and it physically manipulates people into forcefully doing, believing and acting in ways they otherwise wouldn't. So you don't really get any real betrayals or choice of leaving the Empire, it's Chaos manipulating your mind into doing so. I'm not saying in every literal situation but pretty much all. Even the greatest betray of all, Horus wasn't even his own choice but Chaos manipulating him. Yes he had thoughts and desires of his own but they manifested into nothing without the influence of Chaos to subject him.
Lorgar betrayed??? By the emperor??? Wtf !!! If your dad had told you during two fucking hundreds years that what you do is wrong you feel betrayed when punishment fall? No, that is not betrayal. It was harsh, wrongly done, there is so many mistakes on witch I can agree but not betrayal. If Lorfar had been betrayed it is by his other "father" Kor Phareon and Erebus. The first because he keep faith in things that Lorgar fought against in secret like a worm in a fruit. The second because of his sick jealousy over everything and everyone. Who was the one who give the weapon that wound Horus and damned his soul? Wasn't that betrayal? Who was the one killing Argel Tal? And there are hundreds of betrayal from Lorgar and the WB. Or Fulgrim who betrayed Perturbaro... Damn it, if betrayal had been commit and it has, the fault is not on the Emperor side... Knowing if it is right to fight for what the imperium became since the last 10000 years is an other story, but it stay far better than to follow Chaos.
Partly, but it goes beyond this. Seems a lot of people get caught up in Lorgar's disappointment in being told (via the slaughter of his citizens) that his contributions to the Crusade were considered worthless by his god and miss a far more important motivator for Lorgar. Remember, he's one of the most humanitarian Primarchs, he actually cared about the common man and prefered peaceful resolutions, but the Emperor's decreee meant they still had to break them by force if they didn't submit willingly. Religion tends to be considered sacred to the religious, and they tend to not like to renounce their faith because a space king says renounce or die. You see, Lorgar was most distraut because when his faith was invalidated that meant all those planets he conquered and cultures he murdered by the Emperor's decree was done for lies, and therefore unjust. The Crusades themselves were unjust, because they were done for lies, and the only way to redeem them was to unleash the truth. The cold, hard, and murderous truth. And above all he believed that humanity could not survive unless they embraced the truth. So yes, whatever manipulation occured at the hands of cruel gods, Lorgar and his Legion believe they were justified. Or they were just motivated by revenge at being used and in their opinion betrayed by the Emperor to perpetuate a lie.
