Who was the first traitor Primarch?

Hey there! As a fellow tech geek and gaming enthusiast, I know you‘ll appreciate some hardcore lore analysis. Let‘s dive deep into the history of Warhammer 40k and uncover the truth about which Primarch was the first to turn traitor against the Emperor. Grab some snacks and get ready for a wild ride down the rabbit hole!

Getting to Know the Primarchs

Before we figure out who betrayed the Emperor first, let‘s start with some background on the Primarchs. Essentially, they were the Emperor‘s demigod sons, engineered to be perfect military leaders. Each Primarch had his own personality and talents, but all possessed superhuman intellect, charisma, and combat ability. The Emperor created 20 Primarchs total, one for each of his Space Marine Legions.

But not long after their creation, disaster struck – the infant Primarchs were scattered across the galaxy by unknown forces. The Emperor eventually recovered them all, but those early years separated from their father clearly shaped each Primarch individually.

Let me break down some key stats on each of these demigod brothers:

There‘s not room to list all 20 here, but you get the idea – each Primarch was unique and shaped their Legion in their image. But the thing that concerns us is how fully half these demigod brothers turned against their father during that dark time known as the Horus Heresy.

So Who Fell First?

The road to hell is paved with good intentions, or so the old saying goes. Such is the story of Lorgar Aurelian, the pious and spiritual Primarch of the Word Bearers. Of all the nine traitor Primarchs, it was Lorgar whose betrayal came first, setting in motion the terrible events we now call the Horus Heresy.

But why did the so-called Urizen, the most devoted of the Emperor‘s sons, turn against his father? The reasons are complex, but boil down to two critical factors:

1) Ideological Differences: Lorgar worshipped the Emperor as a God, but when the Emperor rejected and humiliated him for spreading this Imperial Cult, it planted the seeds of doubt in Lorgar.

2) Thirst for Truth: When Lorgar could no longer look to his father for divinity, he went seeking after other gods worthy of his worship. This search led Lorgar and his Legion to the Chaos Gods.

Once Lorgar stumbled upon these dark gods, it spelled doom for any notion of loyalty to his father. As Lorgar wrote in his infamous book, the Book of Lorgar, "Gods of Chaos, I name you, for gods you are. Let the galaxy burn in the flames of vengeance! Let the Emperor weep upon His throne of gold and skulls!"

Lorgar‘s devotion to the Ruinous Powers would soon overtake his entire Legion. But worst of all, he would betray the Emperor a second time – by turning so many of his brothers to the service of Chaos as well.

Corrupting the Word Bearers

The path to damnation for Lorgar‘s sons matches their Primarch‘s own fall:

1. Pilgrimage to Cadia – After his rebuke by the Emperor, Lorgar leads his Legion in a "Shadow Crusade" into the Eye of Terror, losing thousands of warriors but learning much about Chaos.

2. Conquering Sicarus – At Lorgar‘s direction, the Word Bearers dominate this world and ritually slaughter millions to consecrate the planet to the Chaos Gods.

3. Secret Corruption – Though now sworn to Chaos, the Word Bearers hide their new allegiance and continue fighting for the Imperium.

4. Legion Converted – After decades secretly worshipping Chaos, the bulk of the Word Bearers embrace the Primordial Truth, rejecting the Emperor they once revered as a god.

Make no mistake, while it was Lorgar‘s choices that led his Legion to Chaos, the Word Bearers followed willingly. Tens of thousands embraced the Dark Gods, at terrible cost to their souls.

Corrupting His Brothers

With his own Legion sworn to Chaos, Lorgar worked tirelessly to corrupt his brothers. He manipulated some, like Horus, while preying upon others‘ weaknesses and bitterness against the Emperor:

• Horus – After being wounded on Davin, Lorgar used sorcery to manipulate Horus towards rebellion.

• Fulgrim – Lorgar gifted Fulgrim the daemon sword that would eventually possess him.

• Angron – Lorgar supported Angron against the Emperor, exacerbating their rivalry to push Angron into rebellion.

• Mortarion – Lorgar forged an alliance with the bitter Mortarion, whom he resembled in temperament and outlook.

• Perturabo – Lorgar encouraged Perturabo‘s resentment of Rogal Dorn and the Emperor.

Through a mix of corruption and exploiting bitterness, Lorgar brought fully half the Legions to the brink of rebellion. While Horus led the charge, Lorgar was the puppet master pulling the strings.

Consequences of Lorgar‘s Betrayal

When a Primarch of Lorgar‘s power and influence turns against humanity, the effects are catastrophic:

• Horus Heresy – Lorgar‘s machinations directly led to this cataclysmic civil war that engulfed humanity.

• Legions Rebel – Around 9 entire Space Marine Legions broke their oaths to the Emperor thanks largely to Lorgar‘s scheming.

• Warmaster Rebels – As the first Primarch to fall to Chaos, Lorgar enabled Horus‘s own corruption and decision to rebel.

• Chaos Empowered – Chaos gained a permanent foothold in the mortal universe due to the Heresy Lorgar engineered.

• Emperor Falls – The rebellion critically wounded the Emperor and confined him to the Golden Throne before his great work could be accomplished.

• Imperium Weakened – With the Emperor out of action and Chaos now present, humanity became severely weakened and vulnerable.

The Horus Heresy left scars that will never heal. And Lorgar, once the most pious of priests, is now the hated Dark Apostle who betrayed everything he once served.

The Traitor‘s Fate

Unlike many traitor Primarchs who died or disappeared after the Heresy, Lorgar has lived for 10,000 years as a Daemon Prince, hidden away but still working to undermine humanity‘s relationship with the Emperor. He believes that in weakening the Emperor‘s hold over mankind, humanity will have no choice but to turn to faith in Chaos.

Some whisper that Lorgar will one day return to lead another Black Crusade. But whatever his plans, the first traitor remains a dangerous foe. The monstrous being he has become bears little resemblance to the zealous and spiritual demigod who first bowed before the Chaos Gods, dooming himself and half of humanity‘s defenders.

Lorgar‘s story is one of arrogance, jealousy, and twisted faith poisoning a once-noble soul. His betrayal plunged humanity into a darkness from which we have never fully emerged. So while Horus led the rebels during the Heresy, and figures like Abaddon carry on the fight today, never forget that it was Lorgar Aurelian, First Primarch of Chaos, whose treachery made it all possible.

Let me know if you want to dig more into any other bits of 40k lore! Analyzing the grim darkness of the far future is what I live for. Hit me up anytime!