Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So I'm looking for some inspiration for an Alpha Legion-style Cultist group, though I'm unsure as to where I could find inspiration. Are there any good BL books involving cultists? I'd like to see political betrayal, conspiracies and other similar traits!

there might be some good stuff from FFG for dark heresy

That and FFG Black Crusade, in Dark Heresy you hunt the cults, while in Black Crusade you are the cult.

 Bobthehero wrote:
That and FFG Black Crusade, in Dark Heresy you hunt the cults, while in Black Crusade you are the cult.

true but Black crusade doesn't touch on the PATH to heresy much, it just starts out with "well.. you're a heretic"

By cult, perhaps you need to clarify what you mean, because there is a difference between Alpha Legion type cults which might more properly resemble guerrilla insurgencies versus literal religious cults like say the Word Bearers.

For the former, it is easy enough to think about what might start off such secret society style insurgencies. The Imperium is brutal and harsh with its laws and tithe demands, yet also distant at the same time. People see the fruits of their labor and their sons and daughters being given over to distant overlords from the stars, that the average person has no contact with and feels little attachment to. Sure, there is the Imperial Cult as preached by the Ecclesiarchy, but it is possible to be disillusioned by that too, if one sees venal priests and corruption within the Ecclesiarchy. It is possible they could turn against the Imperium while still believing in the God-Emperor, and justify this as just turning against the fallible humans that have corrupted his will.

Nativist feelings and resentment at this imperialist oppression can take root and lead to "cults" but which are more secret societies dedicated to overthrowing Imperial rule. Supporters might be found in all social classes. The rich and powerful might want to become richer through native rule or to take power as rulers themselves. The downtrodden working class might be swayed by promises of better working conditions, lower taxation, or other material comforts. PDF or Imperial Guard recruits might find their own local patriotism stronger than any feelings they have for a distant abstract Imperium.

The Eisenhorn and Ravenor trilogies do quite a good job, because you get a fair bit of background exposition from some of the heretics.

Ultimately, any secretive group can become a chaos cult. If they're a group, they want something. If they're being secretive, they know the Imperium at large would disapprove.

It doesn't matter whether it's a proto-trade union dissatisfied with the lot of the workers, or a brothel, there are emotions that the chaos gods can use.

What's key to becoming a 'proper' chaos cult is that the ruinous powers somehow get access to and influence over the members. It could be a spokesperson who's a nascent psyker, or influence from an outside 'friend' who's already a servant of Chaos, or a book with forbidden lore in it, or an artefact or piece of artwork dipped in warp energy, that's the key that makes it a real cult.

"Stabby Jeff" the mass-murderer is really irritable and has killed eight people (and a llama) but has never heard of khorne, has no chaos runes inscribed in his skin, has a shiv not a daemon weapon and is ultimately no different to the kind of people you can find on death row today. Yes, he's insane but it's just garden-variety pants-on-head lunacy.

Khorne would love to influence him but unless he has a conduit for doing so, he can't (downside of being a god not a mortal), and he's not worthy of ripping open a warpstorm to get this one guy. What he needs to do is to maneuver a piece he can control into a position where they can meet and "Stabby Jeff" learns Chaos 101 - the various names of Khorne, how to kill someone in such a way as to make it a ritual that he can receive khorne's guidance and gifts, etc, etc.



For Alpha Legion, start with the fact that the group is politically dissatisfied. There's always someone; if there are too many poor, the peasants are revolting. If there's a more equitable distribution of wealth, the nobility want to return to the 'good old days' and put the plebs back in their place. If there's a planetary governor with enough sense and influence to keep a lid on this, someone's going to want his throne.


The alpha legion drops in a few outside agitators to cause one or two incidents - not to start a revolution (yet) but to ensure that there's suitably bloody oppression of the party they want to 'assist'. It's so much easier to convince people that armed insurrection is the only path when they've just seen their nearest and dearest gunned down in a peaceful protest march.

Also, note that the Alpha Legion aren't big on charity. If they're involved, they have a goal in mind which may not marry up with what the cult thinks they're after. For that matter, given half a chance they'll control both sides of the conflict to play both parties off and then take over with a third, or whatever. After all, if they're trying to bring down a planet, the last thing they want is a stable, orderly transition of power.

There's some stuff in Deliverance Lost and We Are One. Deliverance Lost deals with and We Are One shows how to use Cultists - several planetary uprisings at once - and what their actual goal was.

As for religious cult, you have the stereotypical hiding in the shadows occult cult. However, another take on things would be a cult that comes out and poses as a charitable organization, or that cloaks itself in the Imperial religion. It may do charitable acts and thus gain a following among the general population, while only the inner circles engage in less socially acceptable acts. It would make things more difficult for Imperial authorities to act against a seemingly upright religious society that obeys the rules and supports the Imperium. Any overt act of cracking down against it might result in a general uprising, especially if this is a long established organization with a positive local reputation.

Just like any other cult on planet Earth today. They take people in distress, who feel like failures, who are resenting their society (sometimes for very good reason). Then, they give those people, hope, self-estime, a place in their fold. Then they can basically ask anything they want and those poor little cultists will do it. I don't know for books in Black Library but you can certainly find good inspiration on biographie of various terrorists or gangsters.

 ChazSexington wrote:
There's some stuff in Deliverance Lost and We Are One. Deliverance Lost deals with

Spoiler:

how the Alpha Legion set up a planetary uprising to get ahold of the the Raptor labs

and We Are One shows how to use Cultists - several planetary uprisings at once - and what their actual goal was.

That's just mean, trying to trick somebody into reading Deliverance Lost.

 Veteran Sergeant wrote:

 ChazSexington wrote:
There's some stuff in Deliverance Lost and We Are One. Deliverance Lost deals with

Spoiler:

how the Alpha Legion set up a planetary uprising to get ahold of the the Raptor labs

and We Are One shows how to use Cultists - several planetary uprisings at once - and what their actual goal was.

That's just mean, trying to trick somebody into reading Deliverance Lost.

Yeah, shame on you Chaz!

 Veteran Sergeant wrote:

 ChazSexington wrote:
There's some stuff in Deliverance Lost and We Are One. Deliverance Lost deals with

Spoiler:

how the Alpha Legion set up a planetary uprising to get ahold of the the Raptor labs

and We Are One shows how to use Cultists - several planetary uprisings at once - and what their actual goal was.

That's just mean, trying to trick somebody into reading Deliverance Lost.

 Pilau Rice wrote:

 Veteran Sergeant wrote:

 ChazSexington wrote:
There's some stuff in Deliverance Lost and We Are One. Deliverance Lost deals with

Spoiler:

how the Alpha Legion set up a planetary uprising to get ahold of the the Raptor labs

and We Are One shows how to use Cultists - several planetary uprisings at once - and what their actual goal was.

That's just mean, trying to trick somebody into reading Deliverance Lost.

Yeah, shame on you Chaz!

Hey, I actually thought it was one of their better ones! Wasn't much Raven Guard in it though ;p