All planets and civilisations belonging to the Imperium can harbour @Chaos Cults , which themselves are as diverse in practice and membership as is imaginable. From the blood-soaked sacrificial cults of feral worlds to the philosophical secret societies of more advanced worlds, the temptations of Chaos can capture all. Indeed, according to the Ordo Hereticus, Chaos Cults can arise from any class of Imperial society, be it impoverished, noble, hive-gang, abhuman, soldiers, or mutant.
The objective of the Chaos Cult is to survive and eventually dominate the society. Mere survival is particularly important on Imperial worlds, where Chaos worship is the greatest of heresies and Inquisitors are always vigilant and ready to wipe out any taint of Chaos. One technique, the Bone-brand, enables cultists to know one another with outsiders being none the wiser.[10]
Generally clandestine in nature, as discovery could bring with it attention from local @Adeptus Arbitres all the way up to the @The Holy Inquisition , cults often hide behind the front of some form of legitimate organisation in their attempt to accumulate local or planetary power, such as trade unions, charitable organisations, accepted religious groups and even local variants of the Imperial cult.
Extreme political organisations make good fronts for cults, as they naturally attract power-hungry and mentally unbalanced individuals, which make particularly good material for potential cult members. A very successful organisation can gain real political power, even gaining enough power to make it possible for the cult to become the governing body of the planet without having to resort to rebellion.[2]
After taking root, and as it expands in power and influence, eventually the cult may end up effectively ruling anything from a township to an entire planet. Eventually, an uprising breaks out, either on purpose or because the cult has grown too large and/or unruly to remain secret any longer. At this point, the cult can be expected to summon aid from their Chaotic masters, for example daemonic possession. The ultimate aim of the cult's uprising is to overthrow the Imperial government and attain direct control of the world. After the conflict, cultists are often taken back into the Eye of Terror where they either join the damned population of a daemon world or are formed up into a Chaos Warlord's armed forces