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So it seems like it is all too easy to corrupt Space Marines, but how hard would it be to get a CSM to change his ways? Is it even possible?

Probably not, no.

"A Heretic may see the truth and seek redemption. He may be forgiven his past and will be absolved in death. A Traitor can never be forgiven. A Traitor will never find peace in this world or the next. There is nothing as wretched or as hated in all the world as a Traitor."

To quote the Magic-8 ball..."Odds are low".

Well there is a thing called Black shield (or something) where space marines join the deathwatch and renounce the chapter they once served because of betrayal or failing a mission.

But it is unlikely that traitors would do this cause they are usually driven insane by the warp! Although i could see alpha legionnaires doing this kinda thing...

In other words maybe but not really...

Traitors, cursed to darkness of the eye, no once traveled no way back, only thing maybe is a mercy killing and being given emperors peace.

With a las-round through the face.

 Vaktathi wrote:
"He may be forgiven his past [...] A Traitor can never be forgiven. "

So a traitor can be forgiven, but never forgiven? Are you sure this is an accurate quote?? =P

 hemingway wrote:

 Vaktathi wrote:
"He may be forgiven his past [...] A Traitor can never be forgiven. "

So a traitor can be forgiven, but never forgiven? Are you sure this is an accurate quote?? =P

A *Heretic* may be forgiven. (this can be many things that may not necessarily see themselves as being against the Imperium)

A *Traitor* may not.

IIRC that's from the old Witch Hunters book, but I don't remember exactly where I first saw that.

Nah. Even if a Chaos Marine decided to mend his ways and rejoin the Emperor's light, the IoM would never take them back. Only long enough to put a bolt round in their head and burn the body, anyway.

Of course, traitor marines can help the Imperium. As fertilizer. Once they have been baked by some good old flamethrower .

 orksmasha wrote:
So it seems like it is all too easy to corrupt Space Marines, but how hard would it be to get a CSM to change his ways? Is it even possible?

There is nothing so hated in all the galaxy as the traitor. The heretic may be shown the error of his ways and, in death, find absolution. For the traitor, there can be no rest, in this life or the next.

The only way a CSM could get back into loyalist marines is if his chapter was extremely tolerant and nobody outside that chapter has no idea he used to be chaos.

Officially, there is no way in hell IoM could forgive you for turning to chaos.

The corruption of chaos manifests not only in the mind but also in the body. Pretty hard to get rid of.

 hemingway wrote:

 Vaktathi wrote:
"He may be forgiven his past [...] A Traitor can never be forgiven. "

So a traitor can be forgiven, but never forgiven? Are you sure this is an accurate quote?? =P

Heretics are not necessarily Traitors.

I can just imagine Kharn, Abbadon and Typhus in a waiting room at a rehab centre...

The Dark Angels will happily forgive you so long as you spill all of your secrets. Of course, you also join the Imperium via decapitation or bolt-through-the-head.

 sierra 1247 wrote:
I can just imagine Kharn, Abbadon and Typhus in a waiting room at a rehab centre...

Inquisitor: Hello, this is the Heretics Anonymous group, where we purge the taint within you, or we'll purge you while trying. Who'd like to go first?
Kharn: Hey, I'm Kharn. I betray people.
Everyone else: Hello, Kharn.
Kharn: So, it's been about 5 months since I last used Chaos, and I'm finding it hard. I almost used, until I thought of the Emperor and all of his glory.
*Abbadon snickers*
Kharn: YEAH? YOU GOT SOMETHING TO SAY, ***HOLE? *Rage mode* BLOOD FOR THE BLO- I mean, wow... I'm sorry. I just... I just got angry...
Inquisitor: Okay, Kharn, sit down. Who's next?
Matt: Hey, I'm Matt Ward, spiritual liege of the Ultramarines and 21st unknown Primarch. I'm responsible for the Necrons and the Mary-Sue Knights, as well as the slaughter of many Sisters of Battle. Also I'm a frequent Warp Dust user and dealer, alongside my main man Draigo.

I'm sure you can think of hilarious things that would happen.

(I'm not trying to start some Matt Ward hate crap. I'm just poking some fun here.)

Yeah, from his blog Matt is a rather nice fellow, but he got a reputation .

A true traitor marine, no. A renegade marine, yes. Once they are truly traitor they are too far gone against the IoM to ever want to "come back", so to speak, but marines who have gone renegade may be in a weird middle spot.

Lamenters and Mantis Warriors turned traitor against the Imperium during the Badab War after following a leader later found out to be under the influence of Chaos. They were allowed to serve penance rather than being destroyed, so I would say yes.

In terms of physical corruption, the Black Dragons use mutant geneseed to encourage bone growths and are still around, so I wouldn't say mutations lead to automatic exterminatus by the Inquisition. Space Wolves have mutants [Wulfen]. It's pretty much on a case by case basis. However if the mutations can be proven to be down to chaos worship, expect a visit from your local friendly Inquisition Lord.

Depends, if they are traitors or are tainted by chaos.

One has penance

the other is heresy and can only be purged.

blaktoof wrote:
Depends, if they are traitors or are tainted by chaos.

One has penance

the other is heresy and can only be purged.

this pretty much sums it up.

The Lamenters and Mantis warriors may have turned traitor, but in their case it wasn't chaos at work, in this case they where reacting to what they viewed as an assault on the independance of a space Marine chapter. obviously this is a bit differnt from a chapter that turns to chaos and then decides later "nah Khorne kinda sucks actually.. can we come back?"

But the Lamenters and Mantis Warriors were working for chaos as Huron was under the influence of the chaos gods. It may have been unbeknownst to them, but surely they aren't the only ones who have unwittingly worked for chaos. I don't see ignorance being much of an excuse against the Inquisition.

There is no knowledge that is not power.
Power corrupts.
Ignorance is Innocence.
Innocence is Bliss.
Bliss is a tool of Chaos.
Chaos must be purged.

Therefore: The knowledgable must be purged for their corruption through knowledge, and the ignorant must be purged for their corruption through pleasure.

The Mantis Warriors were fighting to defend their home. Their part in the Badab War was basically "Huron asked us for help because he was being attacked, we protected him, then omfgwtf why are space marines attacking us help?!"

I doubt there's a quicker ticket to spawndom. Who would even be comfortable near someone warp touched? There would be absolutely no trust. Just imagine the lengths a chaos god would go to to make sure you couldn't work for the emperor, even if you wanted to. Even if you are a slave worker, the imperium is going to kill you once your captors are slain. You just can't erase the touch of chaos. It's a metaphysical corruption.

 Bobthehero wrote:
With a las-round through the face.

I thought you wanted to kill them?

Use melta/plasma, you bad!

Actually, it is highly debatable whether Huron was working for Chaos at the time the Lamenters, Mantis Warriors and Executioners aligned themselves with him. The chances are he only turned to Chaos once his other options were exhausted. It is certain that even once the extent of his breaking of rules were known, let alone any hint of consorting with Chaos and eventually fully embracing it, the other chapters were either defeated already, or turned on him.

 Ashiraya wrote:

 Bobthehero wrote:
With a las-round through the face.

I thought you wanted to kill them?

Use melta/plasma, you bad!

Space marine's head + lascannon = headless space marine!

 orksmasha wrote:
So it seems like it is all too easy to corrupt Space Marines, but how hard would it be to get a CSM to change his ways? Is it even possible?

why would they want to?

Once they have had the truth revealed, that the emperor is a lie, that the IoM they served is corrupt and beyond saving, and that humanity is doomed; why would they go back?

With no family to fight for, no ties to bring them back I dont see any reason why they would want to.

I was thinking maybe a Radical Inquisitor might try and mind wipe/psykic purge a CSM? Not sure why he'd want to... but if he did, could it work?
Like blast the chaos out of someone, mutations you can live with for a while or hide them