The Plague of Unbelief Campaign was a massive rebellion and civil war within the Imperium of Man, sparked by the apostate Cardinal Bucharis during the chaotic Age of Apostasy. It saw an entire region of space cut off by warp storms, brainwashed into heresy, and plunged into a brutal war of faith that nearly destroyed the Imperium from within.
What was the Plague of Unbelief?
The Plague of Unbelief was a heresy and rebellion that erupted in the wake of Goge Vandire’s death and Sebastian Thor’s rise to Ecclesiarch. It’s named after the apostate Cardinal Bucharis of Gathalamor, whose lies and conquests spread like a disease.
Bucharis wasn’t just a rogue priest. He built a mini-empire, cut off from the rest of the Imperium by warp storms, where he declared himself the voice of the Emperor and turned billions away from the true faith.
The rise of Cardinal Bucharis
From his poor homeworld of Gathalamor, Bucharis was consumed by jealousy of his peers. He vowed to build the greatest temple ever seen, and to fund it he enslaved his own people and invaded the nearby mining world of Rhanda.
With the help of Admiral Sehalla and Colonel Gasto, Bucharis carved out a small empire in the galactic west, conquering fifty planets in just seven years. He used their resources to fuel his armies and his grand construction projects.
- Bucharis enslaved Gathalamor to build a massive temple.
- He conquered Rhanda for its rich mines.
- Admiral Sehalla and Colonel Gasto joined his cause.
- He took fifty planets in seven years.
A empire hidden by warp storms
Vast warp storms isolated Bucharis’s realm from the Imperium, so news of Thor’s reforms never reached the people. Bucharis exploited this, claiming the Ecclesiarchy had fallen to traitors and that he alone spoke for the Emperor.
He suppressed all contrary information and presented himself as the head of the Ministorum in his domain. The people, already suffering under his brutal rule, believed his elegant speeches.
The rebellion and the Confessor Dolan
Bucharis’s downfall began when he tried to invade Fenris, a disastrous move that enraged the Space Wolves. Meanwhile, rebellions started on conquered worlds, inspired by a mysterious preacher named Dolan Chirosius.
Dolan was a powerful orator whose words sparked uprisings across Bucharis’s empire. When Bucharis captured and tortured him to death, the people of Gathalamor rose up in fury. They stormed the gates, and Bucharis fled, his empire collapsing.
Key facts
- The Plague of Unbelief was a heresy and rebellion in the Age of Apostasy.
- It was led by Cardinal Bucharis of Gathalamor.
- Bucharis conquered fifty planets in seven years.
- Warp storms hid his empire from the Imperium.
- Confessor Dolan Chirosius inspired rebellions against Bucharis.
- A second Plague of Unbelief occurred before the Thirteenth Black Crusade.
FAQ
When did the Plague of Unbelief happen?
It occurred during the Age of Apostasy, several decades after Goge Vandire’s death and Sebastian Thor’s ascension to Ecclesiarch.
Who was Cardinal Bucharis?
He was the apostate Cardinal of Gathalamor whose heresies and conquests became known as the Plague of Unbelief.
Was there more than one Plague of Unbelief?
Yes, a second event with the same name occurred in Segmentum Obscurus before the Thirteenth Black Crusade, likely a outbreak of the Zombie Plague.