Warhammer 40000: The Favoured.

In the Warhammer 40,000 Universe, a Chaos Lord is one of the most powerful and feared enemies of the Imperium of Man.

From the grim narrative of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe; a corrupted Space Marine clad in ornate gilded armour steps out from the shadows. He wears Terminator pattern amour indicating that he was once one of the elite soldiers within the original Space Marine Legions before being swayed by the influence of the Chaos Gods. The eye motif seen on the belt and his left pauldron indicate that he is a member of the feared Black Legion. The cloth banner that hangs from the belt shows that he is a follower of “Chaos Undivided” meaning that he regards Chaos as a universal force rather than devoting himself to any of the four major Gods. Behind him lurks a demonic presence symbolizing the insidious forces that turned this once noble human warrior into one of the most powerful and feared enemies of humankind: A Chaos Lord.

Favoured by their patron Gods, a Chaos Lord enjoys an exalted status among the forces of Chaos, being granted supernatural abilities that often result in virtual immortality, sorcery as well as unnatural physical strength. They are the ruthless warrior-kings that lead their warbands and vast armies from their personal fiefdoms across the galaxy, destroying planets, sacrificing their resident populations to the Chaos Gods or at the very least reducing them to a brutal life of slavery. 

Chaos Space Marines are humanity’s worst instincts made manifest. Free from any moral restraints and encouraged by the persuasive arguments of the omnipotent Gods of Chaos, they are given free rein to indulge in the most cynical acts of atrocity and cruelty. They are the very essence of man’s struggles with himself. Given over to barbaric and pitiless self-interest there is barely anything recognizably human about a Chaos Space Marine anymore. What humanity they once had died the moment they betrayed their comrades-at-arms and renounced their oaths as defenders of humankind. By going renegade, Chaos Space Marines willingly chose to rid themselves of the burdens of a protector in the human race’s fight to survive within a hostile universe. Their betrayal went far beyond the forgiveness of their peers and a special loathing is reserved for them by the loyalist Space Marine chapters.

In the Warhammer 40,000 timeline, the origins of the Chaos Space Marines date back to the 30th Millenium when Horus Lupercal, the Supreme military commander of the Emperor’s Legions, succumbed to the influence of Chaos and rebelled against the Imperium. Of the 20 original Space Marine Legions that united the fragmented human worlds of Milky Way galaxy under the Emperor of Mankind’s rule, half of them sided with Horus and the resulting civil war almost destroyed the empire. The final confrontation between Horus and The Emperor took place on Holy Terra (Earth) where Horus was killed and the Emperor mortally injured. With the loss of their leader, the rebellious legions became demoralized and retreated into the realms of Chaos.  After the battle, the emperor was taken back to his palace where he was barely kept alive by archane technology.

Since those dark days known as the Horus Heresy, the Chaos Lords and their subordinate Chaos Space Marines have waged a perpetual war against the Imperium of Man for over 10,000 years, raiding vulnerable outposts or launching vast crusades across large swathes of the Milky Way Galaxy. In the 41st Millenia, the legions of Chaos are ascendant as they once again challenge the very existence of the Imperium. Yet for all their might and the fear they inspire, Chaos Lords merely play a role within the bigger agenda of the Ruinous Powers of Chaos as they seek to overrun and destroy the galaxy.

Original drawing of the Chaos Lord using standard graphite pencils. Completed in January 2015.

This picture is a colourised re-work of an original pencil drawing completed in 2015 and attempts to follow the baroque style of painting. With an off-black background, emphasis is placed on directed light and deep shadow to set the tone of the scene. Some minor alterations have also been made in this latest version with the addition of the demonic figure and minor enhancements to the Chaos Lord’s helmet.

Title:                     Warhammer 40000: The Favoured.

Completed:     15th April 2025.

Medium:            Digital painting using Sketchbook Pro on the Macbook Air.