The Menagerie
The Menagerie are a Tzeentch-affiliated Chaos Cult.[1]
Contents
History
The exact origin of the Cult is unclear, but it is believed it may have originated on the world of Malfi shortly after a wave of terror by the Pilgrims of Hayte. During the chaos of these events, a noble House, House Orsini, was forced from power. Unable to sustain such a loss of face, their powerbase crumbled and they barely survived the next few decades. The Orsini became desperate to regain their former power and glory and encountered a man known as the Revelator. This mysterious being promised them their glory restored, but in reality he poisoned their sanity and corrupted their minds. The Orsini soon became pawns of the Revelator, and they invited the great and powerful of Malfi to their palace to attend a "wondrous show of entertainments and revelations". What occured next is a closely guarded secret of the Inquisition, as all the attenders of the show died mysterious deaths over the next year while others simply disappeared from existence. Other stories tell of the great and powerful of Malfi driven to utter madness by what they witnessed at the Orsini's performance. This event was the first great show attributed to the Menagerie.[1]
Overview
Many within the Ordo Malleus are barely aware of the Cults existence, while others insist it is a phantom and paper-threat. The truth is far worse however, as the Cult is a very real and powerful entity which seeks to undermine the very nature of reality itself. Warp-dabblers and those interested in forbidden lore are those most often to eventually fall into the Menagerie's ranks. The cult itself operates through secret plots, conspiracies, and intrigues. Recruits are treated as an "audience", shown a vision of the true nature of the universe that normally drives the viewer insane and claims their soul. However those that survive are welcomed into the Cults ranks. The Cult is a collection of madmen, schemers, and Sorcerers. They led by a sect known as the Revelators, fanatical believers in their cause. Revelators seek to reveal what they have seen, the "truth of the universe", to greater humanity.[1]
The Cult's plans and workings remain obscure even to the few who are aware of its existence. Though its plots may seem random and sporadic, they are in reality part of a vast singular plan to undermine reality. The Menagerie seeks to accomplish this by alerting the sanity and perception of humanity to better encompass the "reality" of the Warp, breaking down the barriers between the Materium and Immaterium. The Cult commit seemingly random acts of violence and destruction, forcing events into a pattern and sparking waves of misery and madness from their actions. The Cult often operates fronts, such as sanatoriums and homeless shelters that cater to the dregs of humanity. Victims from these locations are eventually drawn into the Cults workings and made unwitting pawns in their plans.[1]
The Menagerie are known to wage war upon other Chaos Cults, mimicking the Gods of Chaos in their warfare upon one another. Petty and smaller cults are defeated and swallowed up, only to reappear later as servants to the Menagerie. Local criminal gangs may unwittingly become pawns of the Cult.[1]
See Also
Sources
- 1: Dark Heresy: Disciples of the Dark Gods pgs. 152-158
