# Chaos Mutations



## Androxine Vortex (Jan 20, 2010)

Chaos Space Marines are cool, just look at them! They are covered in horns and spikes and everything that will make you soil yourself just by looking at them. But how long does it take for the Marines to actually mutate. My friend showed me his own Chaos Chapter's story and he said that the marines went through the warp and long story short, they swore themselves to Chaos. He then said when they emerged they had horns and spikes and horribly mutated flesh. 
I said that may not be plausible because I dont think they would mutate that fast and he said, "Well they went in the warp so they were there for a long time." Ignoring the fact that this is just plain uncreative and lazy, how fast would it take before the Marines began to mutate with Chaos? I know there is no definite answer but what are your thoughts?

And since we are on the topic of mutations, I have always been fascinated by the Oblit Virus. Has it ever been suggested how it is contracted. In the old Chaos codex it just says "Marines that have dwelt too long in the Eye have contracted this virus" so is that the only known way to get it?


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## normtheunsavoury (Mar 20, 2008)

Chaos is Chaos, if they have decided to gift their loyal worshipers with wild and abundant mutations than that's down to them. Sarpedon's mutations hit pretty fast (mid battle actually) and so did the mutations that plagued the Thousand Sons. So while some mutations may take time to become visible others seem to happen at a whim.


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## MEQinc (Dec 12, 2010)

I'd say that the speed at which you mutate would be directly related to your 'faith'. Aethistic marines like the Night Lords and Iron Warriors can last centuries in the warp without developing mutations yet others can be completely gone in a matter of years. Also, there's the fact that time in the warp works differently so a Chapter might disappear into the warp and re-emerge next week but to them they spent thousands of years journeying to the heart of the Eye to pledge their eternal souls.

As far as the Oblit Virus goes I would suspect that it's a mentality thing. It only appears to strike individuals who are already obsessed with technology and weapons and so I think the 'virus' is simply a common form of mutation that is passed ideologically from one host to the next (hence the term virus).


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## GreatUncleanOne (Apr 25, 2011)

The (Mighty) Deathguard are a good example. on the voyage to terra they were becalmed in the warp and subccumed to nurgles will and on arrival on terra they were as you see them now (figuratively speaking of course)


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## Androxine Vortex (Jan 20, 2010)

MEQinc,
That's an interresting thought that the virus is idealogical. And yes it is possible to say that they went into the warp and emerged seconds later yet to them it was years, but as to how long do you think they would need to me exposed? Of course this is a very, very broad answer but roughly how long do you think one would have to be expossed?
Just something I have always wondered.


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## MEQinc (Dec 12, 2010)

Androxine Vortex said:


> And yes it is possible to say that they went into the warp and emerged seconds later yet to them it was years, but as to how long do you think they would need to me exposed?


Well like I said I think it depends on your faith. To expand though, Chaos is at least somewhat sentient, it responds to both the will of the user and the will of the Gods. So if the Gods really want to convert/mutate an individual, or if the individual really wants to be mutated than I think fairly substantial mutations could take place over a very short period of time. _A Thousand Sons, _amongst other sources, shows that it is possible for Chaos to completely rewrite your genetic code in moments. On the other hand characters with no desire to be mutated and little affiliation with the Gods (thus likely limited attention in return) can last for millions of years without suffering mutations.

Chaos is a fickle beast and anything to do with it is extremely variable by its very nature so making broad statements is pretty much doomed to failure from the start.


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## Androxine Vortex (Jan 20, 2010)

MEQinc said:


> Well like I said I think it depends on your faith. To expand though, Chaos is at least somewhat sentient, it responds to both the will of the user and the will of the Gods. So if the Gods really want to convert/mutate an individual, or if the individual really wants to be mutated than I think fairly substantial mutations could take place over a very short period of time. _A Thousand Sons, _amongst other sources, shows that it is possible for Chaos to completely rewrite your genetic code in moments. On the other hand characters with no desire to be mutated and little affiliation with the Gods (thus likely limited attention in return) can last for millions of years without suffering mutations.
> 
> Chaos is a fickle beast and anything to do with it is extremely variable by its very nature so making broad statements is pretty much doomed to failure from the start.


Excellent post. That pretty much answers my question, thanks.


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## Karak The Unfaithful (Feb 13, 2011)

There is no set time for a mutation to emerge, a chaos space marines doesn't look at his calender and say: "ah ha! I'm getting my horrid spikes next week!" 

NO, you get mutations through warp exposure or as gifts from the gods.


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## Braakbal (Aug 18, 2011)

MEQinc said:


> I'd say that the speed at which you mutate would be directly related to your 'faith'. Aethistic marines like the Night Lords and Iron Warriors can last centuries in the warp without developing mutations yet others can be completely gone in a matter of years.


The Iron Warriors may indeed be resistant, to a degree, to corruption by virtue of not being actual worshippers, they encourage infection with the Obliterator virus among their ranks and have a large number of Obliterators at their disposal. They even managed to infect a Tyranid Hiveship with it and use it as a transport.


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## Androxine Vortex (Jan 20, 2010)

Braakbal said:


> The Iron Warriors may indeed be resistant, to a degree, to corruption by virtue of not being actual worshippers, they encourage infection with the Obliterator virus among their ranks and have a large number of Obliterators at their disposal. They even managed to infect a Tyranid Hiveship with it and use it as a transport.


Woah thats pretty epic. Any source to back that up? I'd like to look into it.


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## the_man_with_plan (May 3, 2011)

remember that in the most recent csm codex there is a psychic power called gift of chaos that turns the target into a chaos spawn pretty much instantaneously. if we take this as one end and the "atheist" legions like the night lords as the other end, we have a range of the mutation happening over anywhere from a second to tens of thousands of years. i'm gonna have to agree with MEQinc and say that it depends on "faith". in soul hunter, talos is asked by each of the chaos gods if he wants their gifts, but he turns them down and nothing happens to him, so it's at least partially up to the individual marines. and of course, if the gods don't want to gift powers to you, they wont, so it's up to them too.


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## yanlou (Aug 17, 2008)

Androxine Vortex said:


> Woah thats pretty epic. Any source to back that up? I'd like to look into it.


Look at the novel Storm of Iron for the Tyranid Hiveship.


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## LukeValantine (Dec 2, 2008)

To me chaos mutations always seemed to be effected by two things primarily.
-Psychological properties of those exposed to warp energy
-The length and severity of exposure.

From what I have seen the main factor in whether something mutates though is if a will is acting on the victem during exposure, whether it be their own or anothers.


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## Fallen (Oct 7, 2008)

Androxine Vortex said:


> Of course this is a very, very broad answer but roughly how long do you think one would have to be expossed?


how long does it take for the bug to reach a bug zapper?

"dont go to the light Larry!" "but its soooooo pretty!"

that is the MINIMUM amount of time.

it depends on how long the whispers, and cries of chaos effect each person individually.


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## forkmaster (Jan 2, 2010)

Storm of Iron also introduces (read if you want to be spoiled)



a tech-priest who is infected by the obliterator virus, so I would say the contanimation if physical, but to what degree and if it contagious is another thing.


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