wh40k - rpg - combatants & creatures - chaos khorne = x

WARHAMMER 40K RPG: Combatants and Creatures – CHAOS KHORNE

CHAOS - KHORNE: the WAKE of the RED GOD: DAEMONS of BLOODThere could of course be far darker things at work than mere human evil or twisted ruptures in

the fabric of reality. There may be a daemonic intelligence, thirsting for blood, at the centre of the Murder Room. If this is the case, then stepping across the threshold to the Murder Room is crossing into hell in a literal sense—it is travelling into a sinkhole of murder immemorial and becoming the plaything of the bloody denizens that dwell in this red abyss. What returns from such a fate will no longer be human. It will either be corrupted beyond reason, fused with utter wickedness, or no less than a daemon wearing the mask of earthly flesh. The servants of the Red God will walk the world with the sole purpose to do murder, but particular piquancy will be had by the Red God from the deaths of the innocent and the betrayed, as it revels in the terror left in their wake.

What actually causes the murderous rampage of those caught in the Murder Room’s clutches could be one of many things and has been left entirely for the GM to decide. The Daemonic Blood Wraith presented here is one such option.

CHAOS - KHORNE BLOODTHIRSTER GREATER DAEMON {{{ BLACK CRUSADE: RPG - Tomb of Blood }}}

Perhaps the most powerful physical manifestations of warfare within the galaxy—and maybe beyond—each Bloodthirster represents the very essence of brutality. These Greater Daemons of Khorne are avatars of the Lord of Blood, and fully demonstrate his lust for battle, rage, and blood. Every sinew of their massive form is solely devoted to constructing a symphony of destructive force in the name of the Lord of Rage.

As each manifestation of a Bloodthirster has its own characteristics, any physical description is prone to be inaccurate in some way. Most appear massive, standing nearly twice the height of a Land Raider. While humanoid, they are characteristically hunched, so have a much longer reach than even this height might indicate. Wide bat-like wings extend from their upper back, adorned with skulls and chains; their legs end in cloven hooves, and their faces typically have a distinctly canine appearance. Their flesh is the deep red of encrusted blood and interspersed with iron-tipped barbs, and tales speak of a massive axe in one hand and a great whip in the other. Their very presence is an assault on reality; blood weeps from the ground where they stride, and each heavy, panting breath issues red-tinged smoke that burns terrible marks into the surrounding air.CHAOS - KHORNE BLOODTHIRSTER, GREATER DAEMON {{{ DEATHWATCH: RPG - Mark of the Xenos }}} and {{{ BLACK CRUSADE: RPG - Tomb of Blood }}}

Bloodthirsters are the unholy fury of the Chaos Power Khorne, Lord of Battles and Blood, incarnate. They are the Greater Daemons of the Blood God, each a manifestation of the unreasoning rage and savagery of total war. It is said that there are no more powerful masters of battle in the entire galaxy than the Greater Daemons of Khorne and that none may stand before them. They are the very essence of brutality, every blow ever struck and life ever taken distilled into a single towering form of iron and sinew.

In appearance, Bloodthirsters resemble every fear ever expressed through legends of the devils and daemons that hunger for the souls of men. While most stand around ten metres tall at their hunched shoulders, the mightiest of their kind are the size of a scout Titan. Their feet are cloven and the ground burns at their passing. Their skin is the deep red of encrusted blood. Their bodies are impossibly muscled and covered in iron-tipped barbs. From their backs grow a pair of mighty wings upon which they can soar high above the battlefield and strike their enemies at will. Most hideous of all are their faces, which are moulded in a form resembling a feral, snarling beast with fangs the size of swords.

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Bloodthirsters carry two weapons, each the very epitome of its type and responsible perhaps for millions of deaths. The first is a mighty axe, the iconic weapon of Khorne. The blade of this weapon is at least the height of a Space Marine, and its haft several times longer. With it the Bloodthirster may strike down the mightiest fortress gate or cleave in two a superheavy battle tank. No mundane armor is proof against the Bloodthirster’s axe and no opponent able to resist its touch. But the axe does not simply destroy the body, it consumes the souls of those it slays, offering them as sacrifices to the Blood God. What torments these souls must endure in Khorne’s realm for all eternity are too terrible to bear.

The second weapon carried by the Bloodthirsters of Khorne is a great whip. This coiling lash is capable of striking down those cowardly foes that seek to engage the Greater Daemon from afar, so that even the most cunning of opponents cannot escape the Bloodthirster’s wrath.

Bloodthirsters are not only able to unleash the most fearsome of attacks, they are able to endure them too. Their hide is said to be made not of living flesh but of the hardest iron, cast in hellish foundries of Khorne’s infernal bastion in the Realm of Chaos. Only the mightiest of blows has even the slightest hope of causing more than a dent upon the Bloodthirster’s iron hide, though few enemies stand any chance of landing such a blow in the first place.

In addition to their warp-cast hide, Bloodthirsters bear sections of armor adorned with the glowing skull rune of their master. These attest to the blessing of the Lord of Battles, who abhors above all else the cowardly use of sorcerous powers on the field of battle. The runes are proof against the most fearsome of psychic attacks, a fact that strikes utter horror into the hearts of the most accomplished of battle-psykers.

But the Bloodthirsters of Khorne are not simply mindless berserker engines of war. They are the generals and ultimate champions of the Daemonic Legions of the Blood God. Countless Lesser Daemons march beneath them in unstoppable assaults against the enemies of their master.

Bloodthirsters are masters of every tactic that leads to the spilling of blood. They eschew stealth and guile as the coward’s way and direct their forces towards the total defeat of their enemies with stunning brutality. Against such a combination of rage and leadership, none can stand.

The only hope that servants of the Imperium have of not dying at the hands of a Bloodthirster is not to face one. Bloodthirsters are near the very apex of Khorne’s servants and as such are incredibly rare. Their only potential weakness lies not in any deficiency of arms or armor, but in the very nature of their existence. As daemons, the Bloodthirsters are made of the raw stuff of the Warp, condensed and distilled and motivated by a will that resides entirely within the boiling depths of the Immaterium. As such, the daemon relies upon the link between the material universe and its own realm remaining strong and constant. Only upon Daemon worlds such as those thought to lie at the heart of the Hadex Anomaly are such conditions known to exist. Beyond these worlds, the Bloodthirsters’ grip on existence is tenuous, and they can be banished back to the Realm of Chaos by a foe with the will or purity to do so.

To date, no solid, verifiable accounts have been found that confirm the manifestation of a Bloodthirster upon any battlefield within the Jericho Reach. That is not to say that such manifestations have not taken place, for if they had there would be few surviving witnesses left to give such accounts. Yet, the Deathwatch know that while Chaos has such a grip upon the worlds at the heart of the Jericho Reach, while Lesser Daemons stalk its worlds and while the mortal hosts of Chaos sing the praises of the Ruinous Powers, it is just a matter of time. Surely, upon some blasted battle ground such as Khazant or Vanity, the air will fill with the stench of brimstone and spilled blood and the ground will tremble with the tread of burning, cloven hooves. Then, a Bloodthirster of Khorne shall stride forth, and the slaughter begin.

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Chaos Khorne Bloodthirster, Greater Daemon (Master) ProfileWS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel Inf99 40 75(21) 65(18) 50 48 60 75 25 50 (both same)MOVEMENT: 7|8 / 14|16 / 21|24 / 42|48WOUNDS: 192|195ARMOR: Iron Hide (All 13) | bothTOTAL TB: 12|18SKILLS: Awareness (Per), Command +20 (Fel), Dodge (Ag), Forbidden Lore (Daemons, Warp) (Int), Intimidate +20 (S) OR +20 (WP), Linguistics (All known languages) (Int) | add Parry +20 (WS).TALENTS: Ambidextrous, Berserk Charge, Combat Master, Crippling Strike, Crushing Blow, Dual Strike, Frenzy, Furious Assault, Hammer Blow, Heightened Senses (All), Preternatural Speed, Resistance (Psychic Powers), Swift Attack, Thunder Charge, Two-Weapon wielder (Melee), Inspire Wrath | add Strong MindedTRAITS: Brutal Charge, Daemonic (TB 12) OR (+6),† Daemonic Presence, Fear (4) (Terrifying), Dark Sight, Flyer (10), From Beyond, Size (Massive), Unnatural Strength (x3) OR (+14), Unnatural Toughness (x2) OR (+6), Strong Minded, The Stuff of Nightmares, Touched by the Fates (3), Warp Instability, Warp Weapon | add †† Blood for the Blood GodWEAPONS: Axe of Khorne (3d10+21 OR +25 R; Pen 10; Felling (2), Devastating (3), Razor Sharp, Unbalanced), Whip of Khorne (Range 10m; 1d10+21OR +25 R; Pen 8; Snare (3), Tearing)SPECIAL RULES:Emissary for the Skull Throne: Unless the GM determines otherwise, a Bloodthirster is always accompanied by 2d10 OR 1d10 lesser Khornate daemons, such as Bloodletters (see page 351 of the Black Crusade Core Rulebook). All Khornate daemons who can see the Bloodthirster gain the Blademaster Talent and Brutal Charge Trait, if they do not already have them.Servant of Slaughter: All Critical Effects involving gore or blood (such as requiring an Agility Test not to fall over) do not apply to creatures of Khorne.Supreme Warrior: When using the All Out Attack Action, Bloodthirsters may make a single melee attack that may not be dodged or parried. A Bloodthirster may perform this attack a number of times per combat equal to his Intelligence Bonus (normally 4).† Daemonic Presence: All enemies within 25 metres of a Bloodthirster suffer a –20 penalty to Willpower Tests in the area.†† Blood for the Blood God: Creatures of Khorne suffer no penalties from gore and blood—all Critical Effects involving gore and blood (such as requiring an Agility Test not to fall over) do not apply to creatures of Khorne.

KHORNE DAEMON PRINCE: GORECLAW the RENDER {{{ BLACK CRUSADE: RPG - Tomb of Blood }}}

Crucible represents a fertile battleground for those Daemons who seek to attain greater blessings in the eyes of the Lord of Rage. Goreclaw the Render is one who has already ascended to the immortal status of Daemon Prince within that unstable locale, a success that has only made him hunger for greater opportunities to spill blood and take skulls in the name of his patron god.

Legend has it that this Daemon Prince was once a Chaos Space Marine who tracked down and slew more than a hundred loyalist Space Marines in hand to hand combat, the latest in a long path to glory that had left thousands of headless Adeptus Astartes across the galaxy. After offering up the

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last skull to Khorne, the Blood God transformed him into a Daemon Prince, granting him a new form in recognition of his ability to hunt down his prey. Goreclaw now resembles a humanoid Flesh Hound, and leads a pack of those Daemons in an unending hunt to find and slay Space Marines—both loyalists and servants of the Ruinous Powers, for Khorne cares not where the skulls come from so long as are they were taken in violence and bloodshed.Goreclaw (Master)WS BS Str T Ag Int Per WP Fel Inf78 59 54(10) 61(14) 65 49 82 60 41 83MOVEMENT: 8/16/24/48WOUNDS: 120ARMOR: Dense scales (All 7)TOTAL TB: 14SKILLS: Athletics (S), Awareness +10 (Per), Command +10 (Fel), Dodge (Ag), Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) +10 (Int), Intimidate +20 (WP), Parry (WS), Survival (Per).TALENTS: Berserk Charge, Blood God’s Contempt, Combat Master, Combat Sense, Crippling Strike, Crushing Blow, Disturbing Voice, Frenzy, Furious Assault, Hammer Blow, Killing Strike, Lightning Reflexes, Storm of Iron, Street Fighting, Swift Attack.TRAITS: Blood for the Blood God†, Daemonic (+4), Daemonic Presence†† , Deadly Natural Weapons, Fear (3), From Beyond, Size (Enormous), Unnatural Strength (+5), Unnatural Toughness (+4), Warp Instability.WEAPONS: Claws (Melee; 1d10+13 R; Pen 0; Tearing), Axe of Khorne (Melee; 3d10+13 R; Pen 10; Balanced, Felling [2], Devastating [3], Razor Sharp).† Blood for the Blood God: Creatures of Khorne suffer no penalties from gore and blood—all Critical Effects involving gore and blood (such as requiring an Agility Test not to fall over) do not apply to creatures of Khorne.†† Daemonic Presence: All enemies within 15 metres of Goreclaw suffer –10 penalty to Willpower Tests.Nose for Geneseed: Goreclaw is always accompanied with a pack of 2d5 Flesh Hounds (see page 89). These are particularly adept at recognising the presence of Space Marines, and receive a +20 bonus to any Tests to detect or track such characters

CHAOS - KHORNE DAEMON PRINCE: SLAUGHTERWING {{{ BLACK CRUSADE: RPG - Tomb of Blood }}}

The lesser Daemons of Crucible constantly scurry from shadow to shadow, staying clear of the skies. Tales of madmen pass on the legend of a Daemon Prince that had come to master the skies. This prince—Slaughterwing—became renowned for his ability to mercilessly devastate any and all who were bound to the ground. Swooping in at tremendous speeds, he would strike his foes as he flew past, returning only to gather their skulls so that they might be offered up to the Lord of Blood.

Ancient tales suggest that Slaughterwing might have once been a mortal human who was obsessed with the notion of flight. He had idolised the predators of the sky, dwelling upon their ability to prey upon those bound to a planet’s surface. Throughout his mortal life, this maniacal warrior mastered the art of mechanised flight, always killing his opponents in Khorne’s name. Only after he had traumatised an entire civilisation so that such was their fear of his ravages that none would ever dare to venture beneath the open sky, did the Lord of Skulls grant his blessing upon the champion.

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In some circles, this creature is believed to be little more than a legend. However, when a body is found or a soul goes missing, Slaughterwing is often blamed. According to the tales, his wingspan stretches farther than a tank squadron and he wields a truly massive battle axe. Beyond that, he is seldom described as anything more than a red blur that leaves only death in his wake.Slaughterwing (Master)WS BS Str T Ag Int Per WP Fel Inf79 55 62(12) 60(11) 88(12) 54 58 60 47 93MOVEMENT: 14/28/42/84WOUNDS: 101ARMOR: Fused Armor (All 8)TOTAL TB: 11SKILLS: Athletics (S), Awareness (Per), Command (Fel), Dodge +20 (Ag), Intimidate +10 (WP), Parry (WS), Survival (Per).TALENTS: Battle Rage, Berserk Charge, Blood God’s Contempt, Combat Master, Combat Sense, Crippling Strike, Disturbing Voice, Frenzy, Furious Assault, Hard Target, Killing Strike, Lightning Reflexes, Preternatural Speed, Step Aside, Street Fighting, Swift Attack, Whirlwind of Death.TRAITS: Blood for the Blood God†, Daemonic (+3), Daemonic Presence†† , Deadly Natural Weapons, Fear (3), Flyer (15), From Beyond, Size (Enormous), Unnatural Agility (+4), Unnatural Strength (+6), Unnatural Toughness (+2), Warp Instability.WEAPONS: Claws (Melee; 1d10+12 R; Pen 0; Tearing), Axe of Khorne (Melee; 3d10+12 R; Pen 10; Felling [2], Devastating [3], Razor Sharp, Unbalanced).† Blood for the Blood God: Creatures of Khorne suffer no penalties from gore and blood—all Critical Effects involving gore and blood (such as requiring an Agility Test not to fall over) do not apply to creatures of Khorne.†† Daemonic Presence: All enemies within 15 metres of Slaughterwing suffer –10 penalty to Willpower Tests

CHAOS - KHORNE CHARNEL DAEMON {{{ DARK HERESY: RPG - Core Rulebook }}}Accounts of encounters with the entity known as the Charnel Daemon are some of the most

horrific records held by the Ordos Calixis. Powerful and singularly murderous, in order to gain a foothold in or reality, the Charnel Daemon must be summoned by extraordinarily bloody rituals performed by a powerful cult magus. Once manifested, it is in the form of an uncontrollable berserker, that will seek slaughter without end, working to remake the world in an image more pleasing to the Blood God.WS BS Str T Ag Int Per WP Fel48 20 55 53 50 50 50 50 10MOVEMENT: 5/10/15/30WOUNDS: 30SKILLS: Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag).TALENTS: Frenzy, Hard Target, Lightning Attack, Lightning Reflexes, Sprint, Swift Attack.TRAITS: Daemonic (TB 10), Daemonic Presence†, Dark Sight, Fear 4, From Beyond,Fuelled by Slaughter‡, Natural Weapon (Teeth and Claws), Unnatural Strength (×2), Warp Instability.† Daemonic Presence: The area within 25 metres of the Daemon is permeated with the radiation of the warp, manifesting as an all-pervasive smell of blood, rippling nausea, and the shrill of a continuous agonized scream on the edge of mortal hearing. All characters take a –10 penalty to Willpower Tests while in the area.

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‡ Fuelled By Slaughter: Every time the Charnel Daemon kills a living creature, it heals 1d10 points of Damage.WEAPONS: Teeth and claws (1d10+10 R; Pen 3, Tearing).Threat Rating: Malleus Majoris.

CHAOS - KHORNE BLOODLETTER HERALD, "KINSLAYER" {{{ BLACK CRUSADE: RPG - Tomb of Blood}}}

Bloodletters are the most common Daemons specifically devoted to the service of Khorne. This frequency should not be taken as a sign that their abilities are somehow lessened, as these creatures are pure manifestations of the Lord of Rage and are amongst the most brutal and devastating warriors in the galaxy. With every swing of their Hellblades, they spread bloodshed and devastation in the name of their dark master. Even among Bloodletters, some Daemons demonstrate an exceptionally profound talent for destruction, earning the recognition of the Lord of Blood and becoming Heralds of Khorne. These Daemons assume a leadership role among their kind. While usually less powerful than a Greater Daemon, they are justifiably regarded as a significant force to be reckoned with, even among their own kind.

Kinslayer has become one of the most powerful Heralds active on Crucible. When not engaged in a major conflict, Bloodletters typically release their rage upon any opponents available, regardless of their prey’s devotion. Ostensibly, this might serve as a portion of their endless preparation for war as well as a way to cull the weakest of their forces. Kinslayer disdains this practice, keeping his followers carefully disciplined. He engages in a never-ending quest to find opponents who have pledged to the other Ruinous Powers. This offers his followers an endless opportunity to utilise their rage to actively weaken the other forces on Crucible. He deliberately herds vast numbers of mortal souls into the incipient battlefields as well, where they can share in the joy of combat through their agonising wounds.

Some believe that Kinslayer receives additional blessings from the Lord of Rage for each Daemon skull he presents to his master. Others watch his ascendency with baleful senses, trusting that those who have embraced one of the other Dark Gods have surely made Kinslayer a target for destruction.Bloodletter Kinslayer (Elite)WS BS Str T Ag Int Per WP Fel Inf55 12 45(8) 45(8) 42 35 35 39 17 -MOVEMENT: 5/10/15/30WOUNDS: 25ARMOR: NoneTOTAL TB: 8SKILLS: Athletics (S), Awareness (Per), Dodge +10 (Ag), Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) +10 (Int), Intimidate +20 (WP), Parry +20 (WS), Survival (Per).TALENTS: Battle Rage, Berserk Charge, Blademaster, Combat Master, Crippling Strike, Crushing Blow, Frenzy, Furious Assault, Lightning Reflexes, Swift Attack.TRAITS: Blood for the Blood God†, Daemonic (+4), Daemonic Presence†† , Fear (2), From Beyond, Size (Hulking), Unnatural Strength (+4), Warp InstabilityWEAPONS: Hellblade (Melee; 1d10+16 R; Pen 10; Balanced, Power Field, weapon deals +2 Damage for every foe it kills in that encounter).

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† Blood for the Blood God: Creatures of Khorne suffer no penalties from gore and blood—all Critical Effects involving gore and blood (such as requiring an Agility Test not to fall over) do not apply to creatures of Khorne.†† Daemonic Presence: All enemies within 10 metres of a Bloodletter suffer –10 penalty to Willpower Tests.Daemon Slayer: When Kinslayer attacks any character aligned with a deity other than Khorne, his Hellblade gains the Tearing Quality. Should this be a Daemon, his weapon also gains the Felling (3) Quality.

CHAOS - KHORNE - HERALD of KHORNE BLOODLETTER {{{ DARK HERESY: RPG - Ascension}}}

The Blood God counts servants beyond numbers in his ranks—hordes of bloodletters, flesh-hounds, juggernauts, and many more fight eternal war in his name, against whoever stands in their path. All of Khorne’s servants are dangerous as only daemons can be. However, infinitely more menacing than the creatures that make up the faceless ranks of the Skull Lord’s army, are those he chooses to lead it.

These Heralds of Khorne are emissaries of slaughter and death. They are terrible to behold in battle, and truly there are few mortals that can best their martial prowess. Only Khorne’s dread Bloodthirsters are more deadly. However, Heralds are more than just a deadly opponent. They are icons of Khorne made animate, and on the field of battle their presence spurs their fellow Daemons to ever-greater acts of bloodshed.

Heralds of Khorne appear as larger versions of their lesser bloodletter kin, clad in smoking bronze armor and wielding gigantic hell-blades. The most powerful amongst them have been known to tame the infamous and frenzied juggernaughts and ride them into battle like psychotic steeds.

Unlike the lower daemons, Heralds are also allowed a certain freedom of action, though none would consider it true free-will. Nevertheless, they organise the Blood God’s lesser minions, and are often seen leading contingents of daemons into battle, even directing assaults if a Bloodthirster is not present. This, of corse, does not stop them from being at the forefront of every charge, always eager to spill more blood in their master’s name.Herald of Khorne ProfileWS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel65 11 59(10) 45(8) 40 37 53 50 18MOVEMENT: 4/8/12/24WOUNDS: 30SKILLS: Command+20 (Fel), Awareness + 10 (Per), Psyniscience +10 (Per), Search, Speak Language (any) (Int).Paragon Talents: Berserker, Melee Weapon Expertise, Storm of Blows.TALENTS: Lightning Reflexes.TRAITS: Brutal Charge, Daemonic (TB 8), Daemonic Presence (Emissary for the Skull Throne)†, Dark Sight, Fear 3, From Beyond, Improved Natural Weapons (Teeth and Claws), Servant of Slaughter†† , Unnatural Strength (x2), Warp Instability.† Emissary for the Skull Throne: Unless the GM determines otherwise, a Herald of Khorne is always accompanied by 2d10 lesser Khornate daemons, such as bloodletters. All Khornate daemons who can see the Herald of Khorne gain the Blademaster Talent and Brutal Charge Trait, if they do not already have them.

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†† Servant of Slaughter: The Herald of Khorne cannot appear in any location that does not already have a substantial daemonic presence and is the sight of considerable bloodshed. In addition, all Critical Effects involving gore or blood (such as requiring an Agility Test not to fall over) do not apply to creatures of Khorne.ARMOR: Smouldering Brass Armor (Arms 7, Body 7, Legs 7).WEAPONS: Great hell-axe (2d10+12 R; Pen 3, Unwieldy) or two hell-swords (1d10+10 R; Pen 2; Balanced), Teeth and Claws (1d10+10 R; Pen 0).

CHAOS - KHORNE BRASS HARBRINGER, HERALD of CHAMPIONS {{{ BLACK CRUSADE: RPG - Tomb of Blood }}}

These unnatural creatures have lived in myth across the Vortex for ages unknown. They seem to be neither man nor Daemon and exist somewhere in between, displaying powers only the Warp could spawn, yet claiming to have lived long lives amongst men, fighting and slaying in the name of Khorne. Known throughout the region under many names—Brazen Heralds, Steel Oracles— Brass Harbingers attach themselves to Khornate champions who are fated to gather many skulls in the Blood God’s name. They move ahead of their masters calling out challenges, listing the great victories the champion has gained, and slaying any who would doubt their master’s authority.A Heretic dedicated to Khorne with an Infamy of at least 50 may take a Brass Harbinger as a Minion of Chaos.HarbringerWS BS Str T Ag Int Per WP Fel Inf50 20 52 45 45 35 25 50 43 -MOVEMENT: 4/8/12/24WOUNDS: 15ARMOR: Brass Plate Armor (All 5)TOTAL TB: 4SKILLS: Athletics (S), Awareness (Per), Command (Fel) +10, Common Lore (War) (Int), Dodge (Ag) +10, Intimidate (S) +20, Parry (WS) +10, Scholastic Lore (Heraldry, Legend) (Int).TALENTS: Ambidextrous, Blade Dancer, Blademaster, Challenge†, Combat Master, Disturbing Voice, Lightning Attack, Polyglot,Resistance (Psychic Powers), Step Aside, Swift Attack, Two- Weapon Wielder (Melee), Wall of Brass†† , War Cry.TRAITS: From Beyond, Undying, Unnatural Fellowship (3), Unnatural Strength (1).WEAPONS: Hellish Blast (Basic; 15m; S/–/–; 1d10+9 E; Pen 4; Flame, Spray, Tainted††† ), pair of Rune Swords (Melee; 1d10+15 R; Pen 0; Balanced, Tainted†††, Tearing).GEAR: Vox-Unit (used to amplify the Brass Harbinger’s voice).† Challenge: Brass Harbingers are known for proclaims the dominance of their masters before entering the fight, but often challenge foes they see as unworthy of their master’s attention. Once per combat a Brass Harbinger may issue a challenge to a single enemy within line of sight. The Brass Harbinger only attacks the challenged foe, and must move towards and engage the target as quickly and directly as possible. During the challenge the Brass Harbinger gains +10 to Weapon Skill Tests against that enemy and re-rolls any failed Dodge or Parry Tests. The target suffers a –10 penalty to Weapon Skill Tests and cannot leave combat without first passing an Opposed Challenging (+0) Willpower Test.†† Wall of Brass: Brass Harbingers do more for their master than simply call out his victories and fight his battles; they act as unrelenting bodyguards always ready to sacrifice themselves for the

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glory of Khorne’s champions. During combat, and as long as the Brass Harbinger is within 4 metres of their master, they may either make a Parry Test as a Reaction to block an attack made against their master, or sacrifice their next turn to take all of the Damage from a single hit just suffered by their master.††† A Brass Harbinger is assumed to have Corruption 90 for the purposes of the Tainted Quality. The additional Damage from the Tainted Quality is included in the Damage listings above.

CHAOS - KHORNE: MALESSENCE, DARK FAMILIAR {{{ DARK HERESY: RPG - Disciples of the Dark Gods }}}

The powerful daemon familiar Malessence is a servitor creature of Balphomael, conjured from the body of a young woman who loved Cyran and who was sacrificed by him to his dark lord. The daemon is bound to Cyran’s soul and serves him as a bodyguard, spy, occasional assassin, and constant reminder of his obligations. A shape shifter, she can take several forms, but her preferred one is that of a pallid young woman. In this human guise, she masquerades publicly as Cyran’s aide. The resemblance of this last form to Cryran’s secret imaginings of a daughter he and his murdered lover might have had together is a deliberate and subtle barb on the daemon’s part.WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel37 37 40 40(8) 40 37 51 68 37MOVEMENT: 4/8/12/24WOUNDS: 25SKILLS: Awareness (Per) +10, Concealment (Ag) +10, Deceive (Fel) +20, Dodge (Ag) +10, Forbidden Lore (Daemonology, Warp) (Int) +10, Psyniscience (WP) +10, Secret Tongue (Horned Darkness) (Int) +10, Scrutiny (per) +10, Silent Move (Ag) +10, Speak Language (all) (Int), Trade (Valet, Scribe) (Int).TALENTS: Hard Target, Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), Swift Attack.TRAITS: Changeling, Daemonic (TB 8), Dark Sight, From Beyond, Innate Psyker, Soul Joined, Warp Shadow.Changeling: A shape-shifter, the daemon may take the form of a black felid, a small onyx statue of a weeping maiden, a fire blackened servo-skull, or a slight, pale young woman with darkly shadowed eyes and a subtly mocking, sardonic manner. Regardless of her shape, all of her forms smell faintly of cinders and ash. She may change shapes at will as a Full Action. In these alternate forms, she gains Talents, physical Traits, and Characteristics as appropriate, but her Wounds and her other abilities and Traits are not effected (she retains the Daemonic Trait, her Intelligence Characteristic, Psychic Powers, and so forth.)True Form: If violence threatens, she may shift to her “true” form, a charred, rune-branded, half-human carcass with smoky insubstantial wings and bloody, empty eye sockets. In this form, her Characteristics remain unchanged and she gains Fear 2 (Frightening), Daemonic Presence, Flyer 16, Regeneration, and Natural Weapons in the form of longnailed, blackened claws that inflict 1d5+5† R Damage and have the Warp Weapon Quality. In this form, she also is immune to the effects of fire and flame weapons.† Includes Strength Bonus.Innate Psyker: Malessence has an effective Psy Rating of 3 and the powers Call Flame (8), Far Sight (17), Fire Bolt (11), See Me Not (14), Sense Presence (7), Suggestion (7), Telepathy (11), Weaken Veil (9) and Whispers of the Warp (13). She is never subject to Psychic Phenomena while using these powers.

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Soul Joined: By concentrating and passing a Routine (+10) Willpower Test, Cyran mentally communicates with Malessence and may see and hear what she sees and hears with an unlimited range. Likewise, if her master is harmed in any way, Malessence will immediately know, and she may unerringly locate him at will.Warp Shadow: She is partially concealed from the prying arts of the psyker or by technological means of scanning and all attempts to locate her or discover her true nature (by Sense Presence, Psyniscience, auspex, etc.) suffer a –30 penalty.Weapons and Gear: Well-tailored scribes’ attire of fine quality, personal vox, encrypted data-slate, writing kit.Threat Rating: Malleus Majoris.

CHAOS - KHORNE BLOODLETTER {{{ DARK HERESY: RPG - Core Rulebook }}} and {{{ DEATHWATCH: RPG - Mark of the Xenos }}} and {{{ ONLY WAR: RPG - Core Rules }}}

Horned and bloody, these Lesser Daemons of Khorne are known as Bloodletters. These Daemon-warriors serve the Chaos power of murder and slaughter, the Blood God. It is they who form the core of Khorne’s vast battle forces. Bloodletters are amongst the deadliest warriors in the galaxy, they exist only to kill using their savage ferocity as they brutally charge into battle.

With skin is the color of blood, sinewy limbs possessing immense strength, and the coppery scent of gore surrounds them like a shroud, they often materialise clad in bronze armor and wielding vicious Hell-forged blades. Bloodletters are uncommonly disciplined for daemons and are able to form complex formations on the battlefield, maneuvering for the best advantage. Such formations do not last once the Bloodletters engage the foe, as they are too focused on competing for Khorne’s glory in the brutal frenzy of combat.

Bloodletters are armed with weapons known as Hellblades in the form of great two-handed Axes or Swords. Legends claim that the souls of angry daemons form the core of the Hellblades, and that each razor sharp edge is sharpened by pure hatred. No mortal-forged armor can withstand the assault of a Hellblade, and the carnage wrought by these wicked weapons has broken the wills of uncounted mortal foes over theBloodletter (Elite) ProfileWS BS Str T Ag Int Per WP Fel55|55|50 25|30|12 55(0)|45(8)|42(0) 40(0)|45(8)|42(0) 30|40|40 30|30|30 45|30|30 40|30|34 10|10|14MOVEMENT: 3|4|5 / 6|8|10 / 9|12|15 / 18|24|30WOUNDS: 15|25|22ARMOR: Bronze plate (Head 6, Arms 6, Body 6, Legs 6) | NA | None Total TB: 8 | 8 | 8SKILLS: Awareness (Per), Psyniscience (Per), Speak Language (any one) (Int) | add Climb (S) +20, Dodge (Ag), Intimidate (S) +20, Wrangling (Int) +10 | Athletics (S), Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) (Int), Intimidate (S) +10, Parry (WS) +20, Survival (Per).TALENTS: Frenzy, Swift Attack | add Battle Rage, Combat Master, Crushing Blow, Fearless, Furious Assault | Berserk Charge, Blademaster, Crippling StrikeTRAITS: Daemonic, Dark Sight, † Daemonic Presence, Fear 3|2|2, †† Blood for the Blood God, From Beyond, Natural Armor 6, Natural Weapon (Teeth or Claws), Warp Instability | add Improved Natural Weapons, Strange Physiology, Unnatural Strength (x2) | add Daemonic (4), Size (Hulking), Unnatural Strength (3)

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† Daemonic Presence: All creatures within 20m take a –10 penalty to Willpower Tests | 10m @ -10 | 10m @ -10† † Blood for the Blood God: Creatures of Khorne suffer no penalties from gore and blood—all critical hit effects involving gore and blood (such as requiring an Agility Test not to fall over) do not apply to creatures of Khorne.WEAPONS: Claws and teeth (1d10+5 R; Primitive, Tearing, Warp OR Claws (1d10+10 R; Pen 2).Great Axe (2d10+5 R; Pen 4, Unwieldy) OR Hellblade (Melee, 1d10+12 R; Balanced, Warp Weapon) OR (1d10+15 R; Pen 10; Balanced, Power Field, weapon deals +2 Damage for every foe it kills). SPECIAL RULES:Horde: When Bloodletters form a Horde, they gain the Disciplined and Blood Soaked Tide TraitsThreat Rating: Malleus Majoris.

CHAOS - KHORNE - BROTHERHOOD of the HORNED DARKNESS - MASTER ZENTOS CRYAN, SERVANT of the HORNED DARKNESS {{{ DARK HERESY: RPG - Disciples of the Dark Gods }}}

To all that know him, Zentos Cyran is a wealthy and successful guild advocate who operates on behalf of numerous independent commodity traders and gelt-speculators in the commercia markets of Scintilla. A lean and austere figure in his middle years with a shaven head and piercing grey eyes, he is well respected and considered to be highly connected and skilled at his trade. He makes his home in the most exclusive mercantile district of Ambulon, where he conducts most of his business. Unbeknownst to the wider world, however, Cyran is a Servant of the Horned Darkness, and part of a ruling cabal that seeks to rebuild the cult on Scintilla to its former glory.

With a mind as cold and vicious as a steel-sprung trap, Cyran’s particular gift is for intelligence gathering, bribery, and blackmail. Additionally, he sidelines as both a connection with Ambulon’s criminal underworld and as a trouble shooter for the cult, although he rarely dirties his own hands with murder. He is ably assisted (and watched) by a daemonic familiar he knows as Malessence, granted to him by Balphomael when he sold his soul.WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel25 30 30 30 36 46 43 52 49MOVEMENT: 3/6/9/18WOUNDS: 18SKILLS: Awareness (Per), Barter (Fel) +10, Charm (Fel) +10, Ciphers (Occult) (Int), Ciphers (Horned Darkness) (Int) +10, Command (Fel) +10, Common Lore (Administratum, Imperium, Local—Ambulon, Scintilla, and Markyan Marches, Mercantile) (Int) +10, Deceive (Fel) +10, Evaluate (Int), Forbidden Lore (Cults, Daemonology) (Int) +10, Inquiry (Fel) +20, Scholastic Lore (Bureaucracy, Imperial Law, Occult, Philosophy) (Int), Scrutiny (Per) +10, Secret Tongue (Horned Darkness) (Int) +10, Speak Language (Low Gothic, High Gothic) (Int) +10, Trade (Commercia, Gelt-Broker, Scribe) (Int) +10.TALENTS: Foresight, Jaded, Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), Peer (Academic, Administratum, Commercia, Government, Noble, Underworld), Pistol Training (Las, SP), Resistance (Psychic), Strong Minded, Total Recall, Touched by the Fates (2 Fate points).Dark Pact: Cyran has entered into a Dark Pact with the Daemon Balphomael and in return has been granted long life, a daemonic familiar to aid him, and power over others. He is subject to the following boons: he ages at a dramatically reduced rate and counts as having Unnatural Toughness (×2) versus all forms of poisons and diseases. He also has the boon of the Infernal Lure (see page

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141), is subject to the strictures and benefits of a Dark Pact as listed in Dark Heresy, and has been granted knowledge of several Chaos Rituals.ARMOR: None.WEAPONS: None or sacrificial mono blade (1d5+4† R; Pen 2).† Includes Strength Bonus.GEAR: Very high quality but austere clothing, personally encrypted vox, ocular catechiser, ledger data-slate, various pass keys and ward accessors. Or, if encountered at worship, elaborate black ritual robes and sacrificial blade. Given his wealth, contacts, and resorces, he may, of corse, arm and equip himself further as required.Threat Rating: Hereticus Majoris.

CHAOS - FROM BLOOD BORNIf reduced to zero Wounds, the Blood Wraith’s body collapses and its true form manifests,

rising from the blood and ripped meat of its host’s broken body.Blood Wraith (True Form) ProfileWS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel30 — 20 50(10) 20 44 50 58 ––MOVEMENT: 2/4/6/12WOUNDS: 16SKILLS: Awareness (Per).TALENTS: Resistance (Psychic).TRAITS: Amorphous, Daemonic (TB 10), Fear 3 (Horrifying), From Beyond, Possession, Strange Physiology, Unnatural Senses, Warp Instability.Daemonic Presence: As “human” form, described above.Possession Attack: In order to possess a victim, the Blood Wraith’s essence must first make a physical attack to attempt to engulf its victim before possession can take place, flooding in via its victim’s eyes, nose, and mouth. A victim possessed by a Blood Wraith is killed during the process, which takes 1d5 Rounds until it is fully fused with its new body. Other details are identical to those presented in Dark Heresy.Threat Rating: Malleus Majoris.

CHAOS - KHORNE JUGGERNAUGHTS {{{ DARK HERESY: RPG - Daemon Hunter }}} and {{{ DARK HERESY: RPG - Creatures Anathema }}}Massive daemonic beasts of brass and iron, Juggernauts are nigh-unstoppable brutes covered in metal plates. They crush foes beneath their brazen hooves and can shrug off direct blows from all but the strongest of foes.

Far more massive than any normal steed, a Juggernaut resembles a rhinoceros with its hide plated in thick, riveted sheets of brass. In combat, the Juggernaut charges headlong into the fray. Bulky and slow, Juggernauts use their size and strength to smash into enemy formations, lashing out with their huge iron horns sending foes flying in all directions and flattening entire ranks of mortal soldiers with ease.

Its armor is bedecked with spikes and the eye-wrenching symbols of Khorne. Stinging return fire bounces without effect from the armored flanks of a Juggernaut, such pinpricks serving only to antagonize the already-belligerent nature of these rampaging beasts. The most lethal of all the Blood God’s war-mounts, Juggernauts sometimes serve as steeds for powerful mortals favored by Khorne, or particularly bold or battle-hungry Bloodletter daemons.

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Juggernaut ProfileWS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel45 — 55(10) 55(10) 22 15 15 40 15Move: 6/12/18/36WOUNDS: 20SKILLS: Awareness (Per) +20.TALENTS: Berserk Charge, Frenzy.TRAITS: Bestial, Blood for the Blood God, Brutal Charge, Daemonic (TB 10), Dark Sight, Fear (3), From Beyond, Furious Impact, Improved Natural Weapons, Natural Armor (All 6), Natural Weapons (Hooves and Horns), Quadruped, Size (Enormous), Unnatural Strength (x2), Warp Instability.†† Blood for the Blood God: Creatures of Khorne suffer no penalties from gore and blood—all critical hit effects involving gore and blood (such as requiring an Agility test not to fall over) do not apply to creatures of Khorne.††† Furious Impact: Instead of performing a normal charge, the Juggernaut may instead use Furious Impact. When using Furious Impact, the Juggernaut moves its normal charge distance in a straight line towards a single target. If the Juggernaut engages the target, that target and any targets, friend or foe, within 1 metre of the original target suffer 1d10+10 Impact Damage. The target and any other targets hit by this attack may make a Dodge Reactions as normal to avoid the damage. The Juggernaut does not need to roll to hit in order to use Furious Impact. Furious Impact may only be used once every other Round.ARMOR: None (All 6).WEAPONS: Horn and Hooves (1d10+10† R). † Includes Strength Bonus.Threat Rating: Malleus Majoris.

CHAOS - KHORNE FLESH HOUNDS {{{ DARK HERESY: RPG - Daemon Hunter }}} and {{{ DEATHWATCH: RPG - Rising Tempest }}} and {{{ BLACK CRUSADE: RPG - Tomb of Blood }}}

Though vaguely canine in form, Flesh Hounds are more a horrific cross between dog and reptile. Covered with thick scales, Hounds mount large horns and usually feature a series of spikes down the spine. Frills grow from various locations, such as the back of the skull, on the throat, or the rear of the jaws.

Flesh Hounds are great wolf-like Daemons that hunt down and destroy the enemies of the Blood God. They are often unleashed into realspace to pursue those who have earned Khorne’s wrath; each is implacable on the hunt and can pursue its target across vast distances. Constantly closing in, their howling often drives their target to madness before the hound’s own razor sharp teeth sink into flesh.

Flesh Hounds physically overpower their targets with brutal attacks, savaging them with teeth and claws. Large or particularly well-armed foes (such as armored vehicles) are encircled instead, with individual Hounds darting in from different directions, worrying at their target until it finally falls from exhaustion or is disabled and unable to move. Once the foe is down, the Hounds rush in en masse for the final kill. Hounds normally hunt in packs, and only the most well-armed and disciplined of groups can hope to face such an assault and survive. They roam the Immaterium in packs, never resting, always hunting.

At times, Khorne summons them to the Skull Throne, as a packmaster might call his dogs. He gives his hounds the scent of the blood of some doomed soul, and unleashes them upon the world.Flesh Hounds of Khorne (Elite) Profile

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WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel45|45|49 0|0|0 45(8)|45(8)|45(8) 40(8)|40(8)|40(8) 30|40|30 15|15|15 60|60|60 40|40|40 09|10|10MOVEMENT: 7|9|8 / 14|18|16 / 28|27|24 / 56|54|48WOUNDS: 15|15|15ARMOR: Scaled Hide (all 4).TOTAL TB: 8|8|8SKILLS: Awareness (Per) +20, Tracking (Int) | same | add Dodge (Ag), Survival (Per).TALENTS: Frenzy, Resistance (Psychic Powers) | add Double Team, Swift Attack, Heightened Senses (All) | add Berserk Charge, Crushing Blow, Furious Assault, Hard Target.TRAITS: Bestial, Blood for the Blood God†, Collar Of Khorne†† , Daemonic, Daemonic Presence†††, Dark Sight, Fear (2|3|2), From Beyond, Improved Natural Weapons (Claws and Teeth), Natural Armor 4, Quadruped, Size (Hulking), Unnatural Senses (30 Metres), Unnatural Strength (x2|x2|+4), Warp Instability | same | add Deadly Natural Weapons.Blood for the Blood God: Creatures of Khorne suffer no penalties from gore and blood—all critical hit effects involving gore and blood (such as requiring an Agility Test not to fall over) do not apply to creatures of Khorne.Collar of Khorne: The Flesh Hound does not suffer extra damage from the Psy Rating of a wielder of a force weapon. In addition, any Psychic Powers used against the Flesh Hound have their Threshold increased by 10. The Flesh Hound’s Daemonic trait is not ignored by force weapons unless the wielder succeeds at a Difficult (-10) Willpower Test.ARMOR: None (All 4).WEAPONS: Teeth and Claws (1d10+8|+10|+12 R, Tearing | same | add Pen 2, Razor Sharp).Threat Rating: Malleus Minoris† Blood for the Blood God: Creatures of Khorne suffer no penalties from physical damage or loss of blood. Combat effects such as Blood Loss, falling down due to damage, or penalties to Weapon Skill Tests do not apply to creatures of Khorne.†† Collar Of Khorne: The Flesh Hound does not suffer extra damage from the Psy Rating of a wielder of a force weapon. In addition, any Psychic Powers used against the Flesh Hound have their Psy Rating reduced by 3. The Flesh Hound’s Daemonic Trait is not ignored by Force Weapons unless the welder succeeds at a Difficult (–10) Willpower Test.††† Daemonic Presence: All creatures within 20 metres take a –10 penalty to Willpower Tests.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888CHAOS – WORLD EATERS of KHORNE BERSERKER SPACE MARINES {{{ DEATHWATCH: RPG - Mark of the Xenos }}}

The blasphemies of those Space Marines that turned their back upon the Emperor reap a foul and bitter harvest among the Traitor Legions. Here the most fervid worshippers of the Ruinous Powers can be found: once proud and noble Adeptus Astartes that have fully embraced the very thing they fought against. These are the most utterly damned of the servants of Chaos, fallen Space Marines sworn body and soul to the ruination of the Imperium they once helped to build.

Khorne Berzerkers are Chaos Space Marines that have dedicated their lives to Khorne, the Blood God, skull lord of battles, patron of murder, slaughter and bloodshed in all its forms. The most infamous Khorne Berzerkers are the Chaos Space Marines of the World Eaters, the insane, undying remnants of the Legion that swore themselves to Khorne and followed Warmaster Horus to the Imperial palace itself.

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The World Eaters were renowned for their savagery even before they fell to the dark gods. Their actions over the ten thousand years since their betrayal of the Emperor beggar description. They are joined by followers of the Blood God drawn from all across the Traitor Legions and members of the Adeptus Astartes that have fallen to Khorne’s lure down the millennia.It is a small step from martial pride or righteous fervor to battle fury or unthinking bloodlust, and many peerless warriors flock to Khorne’s ranks. All of these fierce souls undergo psycho-surgery to transform themselves into ravening warriors of unchecked rage—perfect candidates to become a Khorne Berzerker.

Such warriors become part of a brotherhood so feral and bloodthirsty that they are apt to set upon their allies or even each other at the slightest provocation. Khorne Berzerkers are highly distinctive on the battlefield and wear blood-red armor decorated with brass that is usually shot scarred and hacked in many places. Skulls hang from chains around their waist and shoulders, along with tattered streamers of hide flecked with gore.

Khorne Berzerkers are savage fighters who revel in the bloodiest of hand-to-hand combats. In their eagerness to offer blood and skulls to Khorne they carry many vicious close combat weapons into battle. Often they wield deadly axes as these are the preferred weapons of Khorne, although the chainsword is almost equally favored. Khorne Berzerkers relish their role as the sacred destroyers of the Blood God with a fanatical fervor and will fight on even with the most terrible wounds. Their delight in death and pain is so strong that they have been known to fall on their own chainswords as sacrifices to the Blood God.

Khorne Berzerkers are often encountered during boarding actions with Chaos vessels. The close quarters fighting aboard ships, with no possibility of escape, is ideally suited to the frenzied fighting style of the followers of the Blood God. Khorne Berzerkers are also found as leaders of renegade bands, where they become bloody handed tyrants that rule over their miserable underlings with an iron fist. In truth the worshippers of the lord of battle have little patience with planning and leadership, preferring to simply lead by example and slaughtering any who does not keep up.

Khorne Berzerkers seem drawn to the bloodiest battlefields and appear in greatest numbers there. A decades-long siege or a titanic battle involving millions of men is meat and drink to them. In these circumstances, entire warbands of Khorne Berzerkers will appear so that they can participate in the butchery. They build towering pyramids of skulls and lavish blood sacrifices on crude battlefield shrines in praise of their god. Should their allies slacken or falter, these weaklings’ skulls will be added to the pile.Khorne berzerker (Elite) ProfileWS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel59 40 45(10) 45(8) 40 30 40 45 20Move: 5/10/15/30WOUNDS: 30SKILLS: Awareness (Per), Command (Fel) +10, Dodge (Ag) +10, Forbidden Lore (Daemons, Warp) (Int), Intimidate (S) +20, Literacy (Int), Scrutiny (Per), Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int), Survival (Int), Swim (S).TALENTS: Ambidextrous, Astartes Weapon Training, Berserk Charge, Diehard, Fearless, Frenzy, Furious Assault, Hatred (Loyalist Space Marines) Heightened Senses (Sight, Sound, Smell), Jaded, Lightning Attack, Quick Draw, Rapid Reload,Resistance (psychic powers), Swift Attack, True Grit, Twoweapon wielder (Melee), Whirlwind of Death.

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TRAITS: Dark Sight, Fear 2 (Frightening), Size (Hulking), Unnatural Strength (x2), Unnatural Toughness (x2).ARMOR: Astartes power armor (Head 8, Arms 8, Body 10, Legs 8).WEAPONS: Astartes Chainsword (1d10+14 R; Pen 4, Balanced, Tearing) or Berzerker Axe (1d10+18 R; Pen 4; Tearing), Astartes Bolt Pistol (30m; S/3/–; 2d10+5 X; Pen 5; Clip12; Reload Full; Tearing) or Astartes Plasma Pistol (30m; S/2/–; 2d10+6 E; Pen 6; Clip10; Reload 3Full; Overheat).GEAR: 2 bolt pistol magazines, frag grenades.

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The Brass FortressOn the far shore of the Lake of Slaughter, the ground islittered with skulls, so many, in fact, that whatever foundationmay lie beneath them cannot be touched. For miles theseskulls stretch away from the shore, and in the distance thererises a great black wall. This is the outer wall of Khorne’sbrass citadel. Upon the wall stand guardian Daemons, witheyes as sharp as their fangs and swords. They watch for anyintruder, ready to defend their master to the last. Withinthe walls there are thousands of Flesh Hounds patrollingthe skull-yard, sniffing out the blood scent of any whowould dare attempt incursion. In the skies, flying betweenthe outer walls and the inner keep, elite Bloodthirsterslisten for sounds of invasion on the wind. It is rare thatany force musters the strength to assault the Brass Fortress,its guardians deterring all but the most foolish or daringof Khorne’s rivals from even trying.

When the attempt is made, the might of the BloodGod’s personal host is brought to bear with a fury andrage that threatens to rip a hole between realms. WhileKhorne’s brother gods could gain much power shouldthey defeat him in his fortress, the risk of counter invasionis too great for such wars to be waged without dire cause.It is said that if Khorne himself should rouse from histhrone and personally go to war against the other gods,his favoured blade would end them all in one mightysweep, but that such an act would have calamitous resultsthat not even Tzeentch could predict. Because of this,an uneasy state of balance exists. When Khorne doesobliterate the invading armies of his brother gods, theydo not exact retribution directly. When the threat isended, neither does Khorne press the advantage, butrather turns back toward his inner sanctum and reclaimshis place atop the Throne of Skulls.

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The Throne of SkullsIn the very centre of the brass citadel, beyond theBastion Stair and the eight Iron Pillars, Khorne watchesover all his minions from his seat on the Throne ofSkulls. From there he commands his legions to bringwar to the distant corners of the galaxy. Every victoryhe witnesses leaves him thirsting for more blood. Withevery defeat, he takes the blood of a failed champion andadds it to the rivers of his realm. Blood will be his; if he mustharvest it from his own minions, so be it.

Surrounding the Throne on all sides is a mound of skullsthat holds Khorne aloft on his perch. Champions andfallen enemies alike contribute to the mass of bone. Couldthese skulls speak, some would tell tales from before thegreat war against the Corpse God, when Angron had yetto swear his oath to the Blood God. Others would speakof grave mistakes that caused their entire race to fall to theaxes of legions of Berzerkers. The skulls closest to him,those of his favoured champions who have perished inservice to their lord after hundreds of violent campaigns,would call out across eternity, once more bellowing theirwar cry: “Blood for the Blood God!”

Servants of SlaughterDaemons and mortals both wish to spill blood in theirmaster’s name, but their methods for so doing can varygreatly. As long as they never cease the harvest, though,the Blood God is pleased. Murder in the dead of night, ritualsacrifice of conquered peoples, or decapitations of rival Daemonson the field of battle are all satisfying to Khorne. All forms ofslaughter serve his hunger, and the manners in which his followersact to slake his thirst are as varied as they themselves are.

DaemonsFor there to be war, there must be warriors, and the daemonicsoldiers swelling the ranks of the Lord of War are the mostbrutal, destructive, and violent killing machines any oppositioncould ever fear to face. Mortals can spend their entire livestraining to kill. Races can pass knowledge of weapons andwarfare down through time. Civilisations canspend the resources and lives of hundredsof generations on nothing other than totaldevotion to breeding better warriors, orcreating more destructive weapons of

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destruction. Yet, what killers can anyof these produce that can compareto beings whose essentialnature, whose very existence,is formed from conflictmade manifest inDaemon flesh?

What skills of murder can be learned that will be moredeadly that those innately possessed by creatures who dineon death and slake their thirst with the blood of the slain?How can any amount of time spent training or fighting forgea soldier finer than a bloodthirsty fiend that is the physicalembodiment of the all-conquering will of the Blood God?

The daemonic legions of Khorne are a weapon in his hands,slicing through his enemies just as would his own blade,reaping a brutal harvest of death, blood, and skulls. They spendeternity honing themselves into razor-sharp tools of deadlyperfection, fighting each other and the armies of the otherRuinous Powers within the Realm of Chaos until their masterhas need of them. When called upon, they are dispatchedthrough points where the barriers between the Daemon andmortal worlds are weakest, places such as the Inner Ring ofthe Screaming Vortex and other Warp-born tears in the fabricof reality.

Let loose to wreak havoc, the daemonic legions ofKhorne shatter worlds, staining stars with the blood oftheir systems’ inhabitants. No living thing escapes themas they rip and tear their way through all they encounter,bleeding out solitary travellers and armies thousands strongalike. The blood these minions shed flows back to Khorne,and the skulls they claim elevate him ever higher upon hisThrone.

BloodthirstersKhorne’s Rage Incarnate, Lords of Skulls, Fists of Khorne

Of all the ways in which Khorne’s nature is reflected inthe forms and actions of his daemonic minions, perhapsthe truest aspect of the core essence of the Blood God isthat of the supreme warrior. There are many ways to cometo know Khorne and show him devotion. None earn hisapproval more than striding boldly onto the field of battle,bellowing a rage-filled challenge to any who would meet it,

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and cutting down the opponent with the relentless fury andall-conquering battle-skills of a true warrior.

There is but one Daemon among the Lord of Battle’sservants that perfectly exemplifies the warrior essenceof Khorne. Unleashed upon a quaking universe to bringcertain, complete, and final defeat to the enemies ofKhorne, Bloodthirsters are his ultimate emissaries. Theyspread his word with sword, axe, and whip, bringingswift and total destruction with each weapon stroke.Their blood-drenched brass armour protects red flesh thatis nearly as impervious to damage as those metal platesthat adorn it. Born aloft by enormous leathery bat-wingsand currents of air heated by the fires of their ownrage, they soar through the skies above those soonto perish. Below them, terror saps the resolveof those who are engulfed by their passingshadows. The eyes of a Bloodthirster aremalicious smouldering embers thatsee others only as either cowardsto be culled or challengers tobe defeated.

When these baleful orbs pick out an opposing warriorcapable of putting up at least a semblance of a fight, theGreater Daemon of Khorne lets loose a soul-destroyingroar and dives toward the foe. With a skull-splitting crack,the hooves of the beast impact the ground, sending chunksof debris flying in all directions. Waves of destructionradiate from the crater, tossing all nearby to the ground,stunned, deafened, and bloodied. If the intended foe of theBloodthirster survives this initial onslaught, the Slayer ofKhorne cracks its whip and points its axe toward him. Formany, this grim sight is enough to send them fleeing fortheir lives, preferring cowardice and a slim chance to escapeover certain annihilation. Those who remain steadfast in theface of terror earn the first grudging hint of respect fromthe massive Daemon. A Bloodthirster is more than capableof defeating an entire army on its own, but the momentits challenge is accepted, there is only one other figure onthe battlefield. Warriors that stand their ground against furymanifest rarely survive beyond the Bloodthirster’s first stroke,so prefect are the martial skills of Khorne’s Daemon generals.Any who do are granted the briefest moment of silentrespect before their bodies are sliced, smashed, eviscerated,lashed, or otherwise reduced to small unidentifiable chunks

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of flesh, entrails, and bone. It is preferably only the skull ofsuch a fighter that survives intact, so that it might be addedto the mound around Khorne’s Skull Throne.

Daemon PrincesFavoured of the Blood God, Blood Princes, Bone Lords

Not all of the Blood God’s Daemon servants began theirexistence as beings of everlasting Chaos. There are thosewho once strode across the material universe as livingcreatures of weak, frail, and limited flesh but who sought tobe more. These courageous souls seek to offer themselvesin service to Khorne in exchange for unparalleled strengthand limitless power. Embarking on the path of glory, sucha mortal knows full well that each footfall upon it couldbe the last he takes. Service to the capricious Blood Godis fraught with constant hazards. Twists and turns of fatecause many champions to displease their master and endtheir relatively sane days as they are suddenly transformedinto a mindless spawn of Chaos.

There are, however, rare instances where the champion,over time and through victory in thousands of battles,catches the more favourable eye of his master. For these few,the life of a mortal is gladly exchanged for elevation into theranks of Daemonhood as a powerful Daemon Prince.

Those the Chaos Gods favour in this way are alwaysrewarded because they were unwavering in their devotionand, just as importantly, unfailingly achieved all that theirlord demanded of them. Of all the Chaos Gods, discerningwhat Khorne requires of his champions is the easiest andleast complicated: kill. Ensure that the flow of blood isconstant. Make war upon all things. These straightforwardtenets speak to the basic nature of all creatures, givingtheir inner need for conflict a path for expression. Khornecares not if his champions began as hive scum or as SpaceMarines. As long as they give him an unending flow ofblood, they can earn the rewards he has to bestow, andelevation to Daemonhood is the greatest reward of all.

Heralds of KhorneExalted of Khorne, Battlelords, Skulltakers

Heralds of Khorne are amongst the most terrible of Khorne’screations, elevated and chosen to lead his daemonic rank

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and file into battle. When set loose to go about the bloodybusiness of slaughter, they are unfettered by thoughts ofrestraint, seeking the most violent ways to sever limbs,cleave heads from torsos, and fill the rivers of blood withthe drained essence of Khorne’s enemies. Their blades ceaseto swing only when nothing remains for them to destroy orthey themselves are banished back to the Warp.

Each Herald was once a Lesser Daemon, who Khornefavoured with greater power in response to especiallyhorrific killings across endless battles and countlesscenturies. Though they are, in many ways, less stable thanthe Daemons they command, the elevating touch of theirmaster’s blessing enables a Herald to direct the savagery oflesser kin toward greater purpose.

BloodlettersChosen of Khorne, Slaughter-kin, Crimson Death

The most numerous troops among the daemonic hostsof the Blood God are the scarlet-scaled blademasters,the Bloodletters of Khorne. Though they are roughlyhumanoid in shape, that is where the similarities to Men,Eldar, or Orks end. Their iron-muscled frames are the hueof their master’s favoured red. Black horns thrust out fromthe flesh of their heads, acting as cruel-edged weapons intheir own right. Their fingers end in wicked claws, sharpenough to make a mockery of armour as easily as flesh.Ebon tongues flick across teeth that have dined on thehearts of a thousand warriors from a thousand worlds, thetaste of each lingering in the memories of the fiend.

A soldier who locks eyes with a Bloodletter is oftenfrozen stiff with fear, unable to look away as the beast’ssoulless, black orbs guide the strokes of its viciousblack hellblade through the neck or guts of his victim.Wherever these Daemons exist, blood is sure to flow andheadless corpses stack upon the wet earth like trees after atremendous storm. Only the most skilled of warriors wouldhave any possibility of surviving battle with a Bloodletter,but the furious battle itself only serves to bring them onestep closer to following the Lord of Skulls.

Flesh HoundsThe Relentless Hunters, Khorne’s Endless Fury, Beasts of Blood

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The enemies of Khorne are many, and not all have thehonour and courage to stand in battle against his minions.Some flee before the daemonic onslaught, an affront tothe Blood God for it means that blood and skulls hehas claimed could be denied him. From his place on theThrone of Skulls, he tracks those enemies who dare torun. With a thunderous bellow of rage, he unshackles hisscale-covered Flesh Hounds, inescapable hunting beaststwice the size of any mortal canine.

With the heavy chains disconnected from their brasscollars, they begin the hunt. Powerful sinew drives razoredgedclaws into the ground as the Hounds cover hugedistances with every stride. Their keen blood-sense directsthem unerringly toward the kill. No distance is too great forthese beasts to traverse in search of their prey. No amountof time can pass that sees them give up the chase. As theyclose on the cowards they have been sent to rend, their bloodpumps harder, giving them renewed vigour and lust for thekill. Their mouths fill with Daemon-spittle as they tastedeath in the air. When they set upon the doomed enemiesof Khorne, the bodies of their prey explode into a shower ofbone, organs, and blood. The beasts hit with such force andferocity, biting and ripping flesh with tooth and nail, that thevictims scarcely have time to realise what has happened tothem. When the orgy of carnage ends, the Flesh Hounds lapup all the blood and swallow the skulls of the dead. They thenreturn to their master and regurgitate that which Khorne hasclaimed as his own. With the hunt completed, the Houndsare once more bound in chains and commanded to heel attheir master’s side, where they wait to be unleashed again.

Khorne also uses his Flesh Hounds in more directconflicts. They are often sent ahead of the main lines of adaemonic assault, ploughing into the enemy’s main lines ina tide of claws and fangs. The psychic abilities of their foeshave little effect, as the Collars that Khorne blesses eachbeast with burn away such cowardly attacks. The havocthey create allows the trailing forces of Bloodletters to seizeupon disorder and confusion and smash apart formationswith greater ease. The sight of this terrifying combination ofDaemon hounds and merciless horned fiends approachingan army is sometimes enough to cause entire regimentsto flee without a fight. At times such as these, the FleshHounds are sent into an uncontrollable lust for destruction,for they know they need not wait for the command of their

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master. They know what his desire will be—the blood andskulls of the fleeing cowards belong to the Master of theHunt, and the Hounds are eager to please their god.

JuggernautsBrass Behemoths, Khorne’s Unstoppable Rage, Bloodpounders

The many martial aspects of Khorne are represented inhis minions in different ways. His Bloodletters embodyhis lust for wanton killing and frenzied destruction. HisFlesh Hounds are physical extensions of his tenacity anddisdain for cowardice. When it comes to raw strength andunstoppable, crushing might, however, no Daemon in hislegions can match the Juggernaut.

Like a miniature Daemon Engine, each Juggernaut, orJugger as they are also known, is a blend of Daemon andhellforged machine, vaguely resembling a hulking, armouredbull. According to legend, each beast begins its existence in thefurnaces at the base of Khorne’s Rage. Brass-armoured plates,metal cogs, and other fabricated components are fused withDaemon flesh, sinew, and bone that has been dredged from thebottoms of blood lakes and rivers. At this point, the constructis inanimate, a form with no will or desire. It is then that thefurnace-Daemons begin the binding rites to infuse the runeencrustedassemblage with a daemonic essence and the lastplates of armour are hammered out on the screaming DaemonForges, the torment of those bound within seeping into theanimated metal. As the final pieces are bolted into place on theJugger’s head, eyes filled with endless rage light with hellishfires and the newly born Juggernaut roars with Khorne’s fury.

When a Juggernaut is set loose upon the enemies ofKhorne, it charges headlong into them, its feet rising andfalling with a force that rivals that of a Warhound Titan’slegs. It often seeks the largest, most imposing foe it can find,bringing the target down with a display of brute force thatthe beast hopes will please its master..

Bloodletters are often mounted atop Juggernauts, theresulting daemonic cavalry adding a new weapon toKhorne’s arsenal. These troops are called Bloodcrushers, aname that suits them perfectly. They rush headlong into thethickest part of a battle, scattering opposition as poundinghooves pulverise those not quick enough to avoid the charge.Stunned enemies are relieved of the burden of their heads

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as the rider’s black hellblade comes crashing down throughtheir necks. The resultant spray of arterial blood rains downinto the crushed forms that lie beneath the Jugger’s feet,creating rings of carnage that leave behind a battlefielddotted with crimson circles of suffering.

It is not just Bloodletters that find themselves riding aJuggernaut into battle. In very rare cases, a mortal championthat has proven himself to the Blood God in innumerableconflicts may receive a Juggernaut as a gift from his patrongod. Such a reward carries a heavy burden for the champion,for he knows that he must push himself to even greateracts of bloodshed as thanks to his master. Where once thechampion could have temporarily pleased Khorne with themere killing of a small regiment of Imperial Guardsmen,he must now wipe out a battalion, saturate the field ofhonour with their blood, and claim each of their skullsfor the glory of his god. From his newly elevated positionatop the brass behemoth, the champion gladly accepts hisnew burden, eager to continually prove his worthiness ofsuch a magnificent killing machine.

MortalsIt is the nature of all Daemons that they exist to servetheir creator-lord. Though they may have ambitions toprove themselves and earn a position of dominance overothers of their wicked kind, they cannot change theirnature. Mortals, however, are a different matter entirely.Life for a flesh-bound soul is the same everywhere in thegalaxy, from the lawless reaches of the Koronus Expanseto the ossified offices of the Adeptus Administratum—brutal, treacherous, and miserable. Seclusion, enlightenedthought, or long life spans do nothing to ease thesuffering. War, ambition, disease, and the quest for poweralways find ways to put races, societies, and individuals inconflict with one another. This is the nature of life, andthese conflicts give the Ruinous Powers all they need tocorrupt, control, and consume mortal souls.

These are precious commodities, these mortal souls.Where a Daemon’s existence begins and ends serving itsgod, a mortal must choose to bind himself to a Lord ofChaos. For followers of the Blood God, devotion can beborn from noble ideals. The power to defend his homelandfrom invaders, or to right wrongs that have been committedagainst his loved ones, can be granted to a worshipper of

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the Blood God. These easy paths are enticing but all toooften more dangerous than they seem at first. Power isaddictive and, once it is gained, it is not easily given up.Defeating one invader only means that others are likelyto come. Punishing those who have done things worthyof vengeance naturally leads to wanting to prevent thosethings from happening again. A servant of Khorne whogets and uses power inevitably wants more, and greaterpower requires greater acts of devotion to the Blood God.

Chaos Space MarinesEven the greatest fighting force the galaxy has seen is notimmune to the corrupting, some would say liberating,influence of Chaos. What expectation of resistance can othershave when fully half of all the Space Marine Legions, onceproudly and unswervingly loyal to the Corpse God of Man,cast aside the old bonds of servitude to their Emperor andembraced a greater existence as soldiers of the Chaos Gods?

When the Horus Heresy plunged the galaxy into thegreatest war in the history of humanity, a war that still ragestoday, untold thousands of Space Marines turned on theirbrothers and declared their new allegiances. The mightyAngron, Primarch of the World Eaters, committed his service,and that of his Legion, to Khorne. He was not alone. SpaceMarines are warriors, and when Chaos offered them thepower to avenge the perceived wrongs they had suffered atthe hands of the Emperor, many naturally chose to serve amaster who recognised and rewarded their martial skill.

The events of the Horus Heresy resulted in the singlegreatest mass defection to Chaos, but that was not thelast time it would happen. It is rare, but to this day thelure of Chaos can pull wayward Space Marines down thepath of damnation with individuals, companies, and entireChapters falling to the Blood God. When a warrior suchas a Space Marine, devoted to battle and war, gives himselfover to the powers, his violent nature often leads him tokneel to the Lord of Battle. Other Space Marines mightfall for other reasons, some beyond even their control ordespite their loyalty to the Emperor.

The 8th Company of the Emperor’s Wolves, for example,sought to end the heretical Red Prophet and the pillar ofgushing blood he preached from, only to fall to Khornethemselves after killing him and becoming tainted with

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the geysering blood. Now known as the Blood Disciples,they raid the Segmentum Obscurus in acts of depravitytheir ex-brethren cannot imagine.

Worse is what befell the Crimson Sabres, once a renownedChapter until they purged the ghastly Balethu butcher-cultsin a fury of genocide. Haunted from their deeds and the evenworse acts of the Balethu that began torturing their souls,their Chapter Master purged a neighbouring system witheven more killing to drown out the visions and cries of death.Thus began an unending series of carnage as the Chapter,renamed the Crimson Slaughter, carved a swath of bloodacross the stars in their new master’s name.

WarbandsThe field of battle is a savage, desperate place to be. One momenta soldier is surrounded by a company of men who have been hiscompanions for years. The next, a hail of enemy fire can leavehim the only one standing in a sea of spurting jugular veins,punctured lungs, and severed limbs. The sudden and violentloss can push a man over the edge. Seeking revenge, perhapsfeeling abandoned by the commanders who threw away thelives of his squadmates, he may turn to Khorne and offer hisservice for the power to exact revenge. If his plea is heard, hisfirst commandment from his new master is to kill. If he survivesthe battle, the next task that is set before him is to kill again.

If more enemies are close at hand, the bloody work cancontinue. If not, the new supplicant goes in search of new skullsto reap. The strength of one can accomplish many things, butit has its limits. The strength of many can do so much more,especially when Chaos Space Marines join them. Warbands ofKhorne’s followers travel together, gather resources together,and wage bloody war together. Worlds across the Imperium andbeyond have fallen to the blood-rites of the Encrusted Blade,the serrated axes of the Reaver-Kithe, the fury-pandemics of theRed Cadavers, and countless other warbands.

It is always an uneasy alliance, however. Should the warbandfail to find new settlements to raid and new foes to slaughter, theyoften turn on each other. Each member of the warband knowsone of the great truths of Khorne: he cares not from where theblood flows, only that it does. It is better to bring the axe downon a companion than to feel its steel opening up ones’ own gut.

Blood Cults

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While warbands practice their worship of the Lord of Skullsopenly, Cultists gather in backrooms and secret slaughtertunnels beneath crowded streets, plotting murder and bloodshedin Khorne’s name. Given the terrible nature of many Imperialworlds, however, locals often barely notice increases in violentcrimes, missing persons, and gory dismemberments, allowingBlood Cults of Khorne to flourish below the rot of society.

The members of these cults have many different reasonsfor joining together. Some have seen a friend die in a barfight. Others have lost their families in Adeptus Arbites raids.There are even those who fight for sport because they enjoythe feeling of fists shattering jawbones. All these reasons andmore can set a man on the path toward Khorne. Vengeanceand combat are intoxicating to those predisposed to revelin them. This feeling drives individuals to want more, to bestrong enough to topple greater foes, and to seek the powernecessary to do so. No matter the reason that brings themtogether, when these individuals find each other, they areunited by a common desire. They wish to kill, offering bloodand skulls in exchange for power and retribution, and Khornehas much to offer them in the bargain.

MutantsNot all who are touched by Chaos sought the attentionwillingly. The raw stuff of Chaos permeates the fabric of reality,warping and twisting it on a whim. Inquisitors and others whodeliver Imperial justice hunt down and kill mutants as part oftheir duty to keep the foul taint of Chaos from destroying allthat their God-Emperor has built. Even being a loyal citizendoes not spare these mutated people from the purging fires ofjudgment. This can easily be seen as a betrayal to the mutants.With nowhere else to turn, they will seek each other out anddevote themselves to the Dark Gods.

Khorne’s forces have perhaps more mutants than thoseof any of his brothers, for many find it an easy path tochannel their hate into battlefield fury. Many of theirtwisted mutations lend themselves to combat as well.Razor claws replace hands, muscles triple in mass, acidblood seeps from wounds, and more. All these blessedimprovements find favour with the Lord of Skulls, as allare valuable traits for the battlefield. A mutant with suchblessings and a heart full of rage is a tool Khorne can use,but even one without such useful mutations is welcome aslong as the fire within the altered form burns for blood and

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skulls. The Blood God offers mutants the power to exactvengeance on the minions of the Corpse God that turnedtheir backs on them, and this power is eagerly accepted.

Champions of the God of WarThe inevitability of Khorne’s triumph does not cool thefire that blazes within his heart. Khorne is a god of battlesand destruction, not a god of patience and reserve. Hisnature compels him to take an active role in the demise ofthe universe. The primary instruments of his devastatingpurpose are his armies. Vast are these forces, and limitlessin number are his soldiers. Daemons pour from his realm tobring death and carnage to his enemies, Daemon and mortalalike. Across the galaxy, planets are drenched with bloodby Berzerkers who do not rest until all life is torn awayfrom these worlds. Warmasters command fleets of Desolatorbattleships, Acheron heavy cruisers, and Iconoclast destroyersto set enemy fleets ablaze. From within the ranks of theseDaemon hordes, Chaos Space Marine Legions, and otherarmies of the Blood God, champions inevitably emerge.

These superior warriors demonstrate their devotionthrough the most extreme acts. A Champion of Khornemight, for example, leap into a boarding torpedo and firehimself at a Tyranid ship, assaulting the beast from withinon his own, cutting through hordes of Genestealers andeventually working his way to the living ship’s heart. Oncethere he would raise his chainaxe high above his head andbring it down again and again on the beast’s vital organ.A geyser of alien blood would thus be freed from its fleshprisonand dedicated to the Blood God.

These are the warriors that Khorne most prizes. Soulsthat not only pledge themselves to his service, but havethe strength and skill to be his merciless and unwaveringtools of war throughout the galaxy. These champions areoften given command over others, leading them into thethickest parts of a fight and emerging victorious time andagain. Should the champion prove himself in this wayoften enough, and send enough blood and skulls to hismaster, he may even be given the ultimate reward and betransformed into a Daemon Prince. The journey from mereworshipper to Daemon Prince is a long one, and the priceis the champion’s soul. It is a price he is willing to pay inexchange for power and immortality. Khorne, for his part,

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is pleased to grant the reward, for the soul he receives inthe bargain will be more precious and valuable than thesouls of thousands of lesser followers. It is truly a dealthat has no losing side.

The Blood-Soaked WarriorsViolence and conflict define the life of a devotee ofKhorne. Whether warriors of peerless martial prideand prowess or killers who willingly succumb to theirbloodlust and berserk fury, each is quick to partake in acts ofslaughter and aggression. Such warriors fuel the Blood God’spower and frequently become worthy of his attention andgifts, either through worship or by spilling blood with bladeand axe. Khorne’s most devoted followers have little patiencefor diplomacy, their desire for combat instead steering themtowards direct confrontation. Morality is of no consequence;instead, only bloodshed and the glory of combat decide theactions of the Blood God’s followers.

The path of devotion to Khorne is fraught with honourableintentions, often stemming from a desire to defend homes,livelihoods, and loved ones against those who threaten them.Regardless of the circumstances, once this path is started, eachstep becomes easier, the use of direct force an ever more enticingmethod of dealing with conflict. Increasingly, this desire evolvesinto bloodlust as the rush and fury of combat becomes allconsumingand intoxicating. Such actions and victories venerateKhorne until ultimately the warrior’s own blood is added to thethick crimson moat surrounding the god’s Brass Citadel.

This chapter of The Tome of Blood introduces players tothe histories of the World Eaters and Night Lords Chaos SpaceMarine Legions, as well as four new character Archetypes andadditional weapons and rituals to help Khorne’s followersshed blood in the Blood God’s name.• Khorne Berzerker: A ferocious and fanatical warriordedicated to close combat.• Night Lords Chaos Space Marine: A skilled ChaosSpace Marine who delights in merciless violence andterrorising his victims.• Xurunt Frost Father: A strong and daring leader of menfrom the primitive planet of Xurunt.• Chem-Hunter of Messia: A dangerous mercenary fromMessia with a predilection for drug use.• Expanded Armoury: New weapons, armour, and gear tohelp the followers of the Lord of Slaughter in their quest

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for violence and death.• Legacy Weapons: Rules for the wielding and crafting ofpowerful signature weapons.• Expanded Rites and Rituals: New methods to channel theBlood God’s power and beseech the aid of the Chaos Gods.

Slaughter and HeresyLong ago, before the Horus Heresy split the Imperiumasunder and set brother against brother, the seeds ofbetrayal had already taken root throughout the GreatCrusade. Many who claimed to be loyal secretly voiceddiscontent, while every sign of weakness by the Emperor wasviewed with quiet disdain. Slowly, some of the Legions beganto doubt their father’s perfection.

When Horus led nine Space Marine Legions in rebellion,some were quick to fight by the Warmaster’s side. The historyof two such Legions, the Night Lords and the World Eaters, isfraught with warnings about the paths they would eventuallytake, all of which were heeded too late. Since their fall, bothLegions now rank amongst the most dangerous and terrifyingenemies the Imperium now faces.

The History of the World EatersThe early life of Angron, Primarch of the World Eaters, is anincomplete and shrouded history. What is known is that, afterbeing spirited away from Terra, the Primarch came to rest on anameless planet whose location remains lost to history. Here, acaste of wealthy elite ruled over the technologically advancedplanet’s inhabitants, living in lavish comfort while the rest ofthe populace subsisted in squalor and filth. To pacify theirlowly subjects, the aristocracy frequently used cyberneticallyenhanced slaves in bloody gladiatorial contests.

By chance, a travelling slaver discovered young Angrongrievously wounded and surrounded with xenos corpses.However, the boy was still alive, and the slaver, realising that itwas the young child who had killed these attackers and sensingin him a valuable fighter, rescued him and nursed him back tohealth. During his recovery, bio-neural implants that heightenedaggression and strength were surgically grafted to the Primarch’scerebral cortex, a standard practice for all gladiators. The slaverthen took his young captive to the planet’s capital, where he wasbought by the city’s largest fighting arena.

Here, Angron developed a strong sense of martial honour,

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fighting ferociously and with great skill. He killed hundredsbut frequently spared those whom he believed fought well.The Primarch also instructed and drilled the other gladiators,earning their respect and loyalty in the process.

Angron was a rebellious and troublesome slave, alwaysattempting to escape from the arena’s dungeons. Suchattempts always came to nought, however, as they wereheavily guarded at all times. Nevertheless, with the planet’slargest matches approaching, the other gladiators agreed tohelp him in his most daring escape attempt yet.

As part of these matches, Angron staged a massive battleinvolving all of his fellow gladiators in an impressive displayof bloodshed and death. At the height of the display, Angronand his followers turned on their guards, butchering them andfighting their way to freedom. For years, the planetary rulerssent armies after Angron and his warriors to no avail. However,attrition and hunger gradually wore down Angron’s forces untilhe was finally surrounded by a vastly superior force.

Unbeknownst to anyone, the Emperor had for some timebeen secretly observing from orbit Angron’s escape from thearena and the skill with which he led his army. He descendedto the planet and offered his long lost son a place at his sideand the leadership of the Space Marine Legion which carriedhis genetic legacy. However, the Primarch refused the offer,choosing instead to die in battle with his fellow gladiators.The Emperor knew his son would not survive the comingbattle and teleported the Primarch to safety aboard his flagship.Angron could only watch helplessly in fury as his abandonedfollowers, lost and demoralised without their leader, wereslaughtered to a man. He eventually took command of hisLegion, but he never forgave the Emperor for this horriblebetrayal and unforgivable stain on his honour.

Angron quickly began reshaping his warriors in his ownimage, and the renamed World Eaters soon became knownfor favouring close combat over ranged engagements. Healso directed the Legion’s Techmarines to begin replicatingthe surgeries and procedures within his own brain andimplanting them into his progeny. These implants wererelics of the Dark Age of Technology and the art of theirconstruction had long ago been lost; many early attempts atreplicating them triggered uncontrolled psychotic episodes orworse in the recipients. However, the Techmarines eventually

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created functional implants and incorporated them into entirecompanies of World Eaters, creating the first Berzerkers.

Initially, these augmented Space Marines proved a resoundingsuccess and quickly gained a fearsome reputation as brutalshock troops. They were nearly unstoppable killers and offeredno mercy to their foes, only death at the end of a chainaxe. Itis rumoured that the mere threat of a World Eater interventionwas often enough to quell entire systems rather than face theLegion’s wrath. However, the use of such enhancements soonbecame widely known and, after the ruthless scouring ofGhenna in a single night, the Emperor forbade the continueduse of such procedures. Angron ignored his father’s command,however, and continued the practice; soon nearly every WorldEaters Space Marine had received these enhancements.

The Legion also continued its practices of brutality andslaughter, with Battle-Brothers often competing amongthemselves in barbaric blood rites and the taking of enemyskulls. As more and more Primarchs voiced their concern overthese practices, the Emperor finally dispatched Horus, hismost trusted son, to convince Angron to abandon his ways.However, the Dark Gods had already corrupted Horus, andthe Warmaster instead fed Angron’s bitterness and resentmenttowards his father. When Horus’s other followers rebelledagainst the Imperium, the World Eaters eagerly followed suit,now openly calling themselves Khorne Berzerkers.

The fallen Legion now visited their legendary rageand brutality on the forces of the Emperor, fighting at theforefront of nearly every battle during the Horus Heresy andabandoning any semblance of mercy or restraint. When theWarmaster’s forces attacked the Emperor’s Palace on Terra,Angron and the World Eaters led the assault, killing and takingskulls in the name of their new patron: Khorne. However, withHorus’s death at the Emperor’s hands, the Legions fell backin disarray into the Eye of Terror, and several began formingtheir own Khorne Berzerkers from those sufficiently devotedto the Blood God. Angron himself ascended to become aDaemon Prince, but his Legion was forever scattered.

Within the Eye of Terror, on the Daemon World ofSkalathrax, the World Eaters Legion was irreparably splintered.Here the World Eaters and the Emperor’s Children clashed inbloody combat until nightfall brought lethal ice storms and cold.Among the World Eaters sheltering from the torrent stalked the

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champion Khârn, who howled his frustration at being deniedbattle. When his comrades refused to fight, he turned on themwith flamer and chainaxe, slaughtering friend and foe alike inan unparalleled display of carnage and fury. At this, the Legion’sorganisation broke down as its members turned on each otherand the Emperor’s Children in what become known as the Nightof Madness. Through this destruction and bloodshed ragedKhârn, a living avatar of the Blood God’s might that screamedwith unbound rage at the heavens and carved a bloody paththrough everything in his wake. The legion was shattered intocountless Berzerker warbands, who now roam the galaxy insearch of blood and skulls for their master.

Motivations and Themes of the World EatersThe actions of Khârn, and the ensuing millennia of unendingslaughter across the galaxy, have completely shattered anytrace of unity the World Eaters once possessed. Now the onceproudLegion consists of scattered Berzerker warbands andindividual champions who desire only battle and death. Theseremnants still observe their past blood rites and practices,which are now essential to their worship of Khorne.

In battle, the World Eaters furiously attack their enemies, allthoughts of tactics or strategy forgotten in their desire to killand slaughter. They appear as frothing madmen as they howland roar, butchering all who stand before them. This rampagecontinues until every foe lies broken and slain, or the Berzerker’sown life is offered up to slake the Blood God’s thirst.

The History of the Night LordsKonrad Curze’s life on the planet Nostramo began with hisdecent as a fiery ball of light to the planet’s gloomy surface.Within the city of Nostramo Quintus, the infant Primarchsmashed through the hive’s infrastructure and the planet’scrust, leaving a permanent scar in the almost impenetrableadamantium strata. The child then crawled back throughthe jagged wound his arrival left and emerged into his new,permanently darkened world.

Nostramo’s atmosphere was so polluted from the ceaselessrefining of adamantium that barely any sunlight reached itsinhabitants. As a result, the people of Nostramo developedjet black eyes capable of seeing in the perpetually dim light.Only the rich could afford what passed for illumination onNostramo, and the vast majority of the planet’s inhabitantslived in abject poverty and darkness. There was no law on

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Nostramo. Crime, extortion, theft, and murder were rifewithin its cities, while the corrupt aristocracy enforcedtheir will through gangs of hired thugs.

Curze was forced to fend for himself during hischildhood in the dingy, noxious city, but his physical statureand will to live eventually carried him to the top of thehierarchy. He was also cursed with visions, premonitionsof dark possible futures that were said to cause Curze greatpain and suffering throughout his life.

He began to prey on the corrupt and criminal elementsof Nostramo Quintus, butchering his victims and displayingtheir corpses for all to see. Soon the crime rate fell tonothing and fearful residents established a self-imposedcurfew. The city’s once bustling nightlife was extinguished,and mothers warned their children not to misbehave lestthe terrible Night Haunter come for them.

Curze soon realised that his successful crusade had leftonly one source of hate and fear on the planet: himself. Heaccepted this burden in the name of his planet’s salvation,becoming Nostramo’s first monarch in a rule of wisdombacked with direct, personal vengeance against all injustice.Those who followed his path lived in conformity andobedience, but lived. Those who strayed were hunted downand mutilated in horrific killings designed to terrify any whowould dare oppose his rule. Under his reign, NostramoQuintus and the planet’s other cities became productive andprosperous, though quiet and fearful.

The first meeting of the Emperor and his long lost sonhas become an oft-repeated tale amongst the denizens ofthe Screaming Vortex. Upon meeting his father, Curzewas racked with a vision that toppled him to his knees.However, the Emperor stepped forward and, laying hishands on Curze’s head, said, “Konrad Curze, be at peace. Ihave arrived and I intend to take you home.”

“That is not my name father,” replied the Primarch. “I amNight Haunter, and I know full well what you intend for me.”

The Night Haunter left his world to command his newlynamed Night Lords Legion, and quickly learned the doctrinesof the Adeptus Astartes. He seemed to possess a highly unusualgrasp of military strategy, however; ideas of negotiation and

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parley seemed completely alien to him. It simply did not occurto him to use anything other than complete and decisive forceagainst his enemies. The Primarch believed that such tacticsnot only destroyed the transgressor, but made sure that hisconfederates would remain obedient due to fear of reprisal.The Night Lords used any means available to crush theirfoes, and killed without a second thought. They were utterlyruthless and without pity or remorse, often razing entirecontinents to defeat their opponents. The Night Hauntereven encouraged his sons to adorn their armour with portentsof death and violence, including winged skulls, death masks,and the shrunken heads of their victims.

As it became necessary to recruit additional Space Marines,new members where brought from Nostramo to fill the gapsin the Legion’s ranks. However, the planet had fallen back intoits corrupt ways soon after the Night Haunter’s departure, andonly the strongest and most ruthless criminals were now fit tojoin the Night Lords. Amoral and vicious, they served only tofurther poison the Legion and push it to increasing levels ofcruelty that made his fellow Primarchs grow uneasy.

Curze continued to be plagued with visions of his owndeath and of his Legion fighting brother Adeptus Astartes. Ashis mental anguish grew, so did his Legion’s dark reputation.

Following a violent confrontation with Rogal Dorn of theImperial Fists, who took exception to the Night Haunter’sbeliefs and practices, he fled with his Legion to Nostramo.Once in orbit, the Primarch’s fleet targeted the crater whichhis arrival had made decades before, and destroyed theshrouded world in a brilliant ball of light.

After this atrocity, he and his Legion began a trail of violenceand atrocity across the sectors they conquered. They nowkilled merely for the sake of causing pain and suffering, whilespreading fear and death in their wake. The Night Haunteralso began to change, denouncing the Emperor as a weaklingand hypocrite, and transforming into a hunched and terriblepredator. Many believe it was during this period that thePrimarch began to heed the whispered temptations of Chaos.

Curze was ready to pledge his allegiance when theWarmaster called for it, and the Night Lords embarked on acrusade of terror the likes of which have not been witnessedsince those dark days. The Legion attacked world after

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world, carving a bloody path through the Imperium, andnot even the defeat of Horus at Terra was enough to halt theNight Haunter’s campaign. Eventually, the Imperium sent acadre of elite Callidus assassins to kill the Night Haunterand disband the Legion once and for all.

Legend has it that a lone agent, named M’Shen, waspurposely allowed to infiltrate the Legion’s lair and confrontthe fallen Primarch, now a naked and hunched monster. Hetold the assassin that his death would be irrelevant and be thevindication of all that he has ever claimed. The final remembranceof Konrad Curze is of mad, black eyes and a cruel, lip-less smile,aware that his horrific visions had all come to pass.

Motivations and Themes of the Night LordsFollowing the loss of Konrad Curze, the Night Lords Legionfragmented into separate and autonomous warbands. Thesehave utterly embraced their Primarch’s teachings, and eachthrives on their ability to create fear and confusion among theirenemies before launching the final attack. Such tactics ofteninvolve stealth terror raids against protected leaders, silencingof communications networks, or worse, using them to broadcasthideous cries and mocking laughter, and even seeding a planet’satmosphere to create perpetual night. The Night Lords thenleisurely slaughter the target’s inhabitants, intentionally toyingwith their victims, stalking them, and killing seemingly atrandom. Always the end result is the same: scores of butcheredand mutilated corpses, rictuses of terror etched onto their faces.These methods allow the Night Lords to weaken their opponentsand provide them with an overwhelming tactical advantage. Infact, it is quite rare for the Legion to engage strong resistance,preferring instead to attack weak and frightened targets.

The Night Lords delight in murder and cruelty, frequentlyattacking with no clear military rationale other than only tokill. Any cries of mercy from their victims are ignored, andsurvivors are rare. Their attacks leave only grisly displaysof the Legion’s cruelty and desolation, as the maraudersdepart with whatever material gains they desire and thegruesome trophies of their atrocities.

Khorne BerzerkerThe Screaming Vortex is a realm of brutality andbloodshed, where mighty warriors dwell and clash intheir quests for power and glory, and the danger of

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violent death lurks on every world. It is no surprise then thatKhorne Berzerkers of the dreaded World Eaters and otherChaos Space Marine Legions are among the many TraitorSpace Marines that journey to the sector.

These blood-stained warriors are drawn from across the galaxyand are highly prized and dangerous members of any BlackCrusade. Some are lured by the promise of battle and carnageon the realm’s many Chaos-tainted worlds, while others seek tojoin a warband that will provide them with ample opportunitiesto collect skulls for their chosen patron. Whatever the reason, theremnants of this feared Legion are among the most vicious andbloodthirsty of Khorne’s followers in the Vortex. They desirenothing more than to rend their victims in berserk orgies ofcombat and destruction, and have earned a formidable reputationfor their relentless bloodlust and unbridled fury.

Playing a Khorne BerzerkerKhorne Berzerkers are commonly veterans of the Long War,purified through centuries of warfare to become utterlydedicated to close combat. Most are of the World Eaters, butother Chaos Space Marines have also become such devotedfollowers of the Blood God as to gain this title. They are knownfor being savage, reckless, bloodthirsty, brutal, and direct inall aspects, and are always eager to kill in the Blood God’sname. Their existence exemplifies the path of war and violencethat marks a true discipleof Khorne, and each iscompletely defined byhis devotion. TheseSpace Marines havelittle desire to avoidconflict or violence,instead seeking out andrelishing any opportunity toaccumulate skulls for Khorne’s throne.

A Khorne Berzerker is a barely contained font ofrage and fury, never backing down from a challenge andquick to resort to violence at the slightest provocation.Few can be considered sane due to the Legion’s prolificuse of psycho-surgeries and cranial implants. Theseexponentially heighten the recipient’s aggressionand combat ability, turning him into a fearless andfrenzied killer. Any remaining restraint is erodedthrough a life of perpetual conflict and brutal

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violence, until one and all are utterly ruthlesskillers and servants of the Lord of Rage.

Berzerkers view weakness and cowardice with contempt,while caution, sadistic acts, and trickery are seen as needlesswastes of time unbecoming of Khorne’s true servants. Also, inaccordance with their patron’s will, a Berzerker rarely toleratespsykers and witches, viewing them only as cowardly butparticularly favourable offerings to the Blood God.

In battle, Berzerkers work themselves into howlingfrenzies of insane fury and bloodlust, before charging straightinto the heart of their enemy’s ranks where they can quicklybring their melee weapons to bear. The danger of suchsuicidal tactics is of no consequence to these traitor SpaceMarines, and they willingly brave all manner of enemy fireand hazards to come to grips with their foes.

Most tend to favour axes as their weapon of choice; theadamantium-bladed chainaxe, in particular, is seen as thepreferred weapon of the Blood God. However, since bloodshedis the goal, swords, knives, pistol butts, rocks, and even barehands are all acceptable methods of wreaking carnage on thebattlefield. By contrast, they almost completely eschew rangedcombat save for their pistols, and even these are often only anafterthought. To a Berzerker, personal combat is the goal andthe only true way to offer a kill to the Lord of Slaughter.

Once a Berzerker reaches his enemies, he is a nighunstoppableforce, fighting with a terrible strength andboundless ferocity rarely seen in mortals. They are heedlessof pain, injury, or death, and yield only in physical collapsewhen no longer capable of holding their blood-stained blades.

When not in battle, this desire to rend flesh is only barelycontained, continuously erupting in shouts and temperamentaloutbursts at the slightest delay or irritant. The smallest excuse isall it takes to provoke their wrath, and they areknown to turn on their allies if not providedwith enough skulls to harvest.

A Berzerker does not fear death; he embraces it. Death is thetrade of the Blood God. A safe and long life is a failed life, whiledying by the hand of a worthy foe is the greatest honour onecan achieve. Ultimately, each knows that to offer up his own lifeto Khorne is as worthy a sacrifice as the life of an adversary, for

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Khorne cares little for where the offered blood comes from.

Khorne Berzerkers have no desire for power, glory, orplunder, only to slaughter in the name of the Lord of Skulls. Aseach willingly fights under anyone who can provide him withthe battle he so desperately craves. However, any allies must beperpetually on their guard around this dangerous individual,lest they themselves become an offering to the Blood God.

Khorne Berzerkers in the VortexThe countless warbands and raiders within theScreaming Vortex offer abundant opportunitiesfor a World Eater to slake his thirst for violence.Some may take up arms to raid nearby Imperialholdings, while others spread death among thedenizens of the Vortex itself. Ultimately, wherethese warriors exact their bloody toll is irrelevantto Khorne so long as the blood flows.

The following are some example motivationsthat coincide with the lifestyle of perpetual combata Khorne Berzerker could pursue.

Brass Gladiator: Many forms of gladiatorialcombat exist within the realm of the ScreamingVortex, and the Berzerker is well-suited for suchcrimson endeavours in the pits of Kurse andsimilar arenas on other worlds. This warrior findsmeaning and purpose in fighting pits and arenas,his life a perpetual cycle of bloodshed worthyof a true warrior. However, like the Primarchthat created the original Berzerkers, eventuallythey may chafe beneath servitude and becomeunsatisfied with lulls in fighting. Such warriorsrequire only the promise of greater conflict toentice them to exact their opponent’s fate on theirholders before moving on to greater things.

Herald of the Gore-Soaked Horde: AllBerzerkers worship Khorne through killing, butsome are able to also serve an even greater purpose.In offering souls to the Blood God, they hopeto summon his daemonic minions into this realmand lead them to battle. The potential rewardsfor such conflicts are great, and these individualsconstantly seek grander and more terrible ways to

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offer up victims as sacrifices to their cause.

Red Fury: Every Berzerker is always eagerto rend and murder to gain Khorne’s favour.However, there are some who lost the capacityfor such justification long ago, and who nowkill, not for their god or to assuage their anger,but merely because they can. Allies and enemiesalike are all potential victims to this depravedindividual and he will stop at nothing to slayanyone in his sight. The more fearless warlordsoften find use for these warriors, not so much asfollowers to be commanded, but as weapons tobe aimed and unleashed.

Night Lords Chaos Space Marine

There are many dread creatures that dwell in the swirlingeddies of the Screaming Vortex. Terrible Daemons andhorrific monsters vie with cruel pirates and vile xenos tospread death and destruction throughout the realm and nearbyImperial holdings. Yet few among these are as feared as the NightLords Chaos Space Marines. Since before the Horus Heresy, thisLegion has perfected the craft of sowing terror, discord, andconfusion among its victims and they have become even moresadistic and depraved as the centuries have passed.

These Chaos Space Marines are a welcome addition to themyriad warriors within the Screaming Vortex, and many usethis realm as a base of operations from which to harass Imperialforces. From here, they join with other raiders, picking andchoosing targets that most appeal to their sadistic tendencies.However, the Night Lords harbour no true allegiance to anyof the Chaos Powers nor to the mightiest Warlord. Their pathis their own, and woe to any who assume otherwise.

Playing a Night Lords Chaos Space MarineThe Night Lords are sadistic killers who delight in terrorisingtheir foes before slaughtering them without mercy or restraint.They are cruel, ruthless, and opportunistic, frequently strikingat vulnerable targets and toying with their unfortunate victims.When they kill, they kill violently and slowly, savouringthe pain and horror on their victim’s faces as the lastmoments of life leave them. Such acts are notundertaken in honour of the Chaos Gods;rather, a Night Lords Chaos Space Marine

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kills because he can. Certainly there maybe other motives behind his actions, butmore often than not that motive is only towet his gauntlets in the blood of his victims.

The Night Lords are veterans of countlesscampaigns of terror and conquest. Each is highly trained andproficient in the use of terror tactics, psychological warfare, andlightning raids and ambushes intended to leave their opponentscompletely demoralised and easy targets for the depraved Legion.They employ deception, flank attacks, night raids, and stealthoperations in order to keep the enemy’s forces off guard and attheir mercy. In particular, the Night Lords frequently favour jumppacks, which allow them to quickly and unexpectedly strike fromthe sky before disappearing back into the darkness.

When attacking, this Chaos Space Marine will doeverything he can to sow fear among his opponents. Suchtactics include perpetrating grisly displays of murder andcarnage, assassinating seemingly protected leaders, conductingrandom attacks upon civilian gatherings, adorning theirarmour with highly visible symbols of death, and broadcastingtransmissions designed to instil terror in those who hear them.However, these practices are merely a means to ensure that theNight Lords are able to satisfy a far more gruesome craving.

Above all, they desire to kill, taking great pleasure in slayingtheir victims and gunning down the defenceless and helpless.The thrill of battle does not concern them as they often bypassable foes, instead attacking prey too weak to resist and ruthlesslyhunting down all before them. Afterwards, the Night Lordsmutilate and butcher their victims, thereby providing grislyexamples of what fate awaits those who fall prey to the Legion.

A Night Lords Chaos Space Marine frequently operatesas a mercenary for warbands and pirate raiders, selling hisskills to the highest bidder in return for plunder and thechance to kill helpless defenders. A few will even undertakeraids on their own if it suits their needs, their abilities andtactics more than making up for any discrepancy in fightingstrength. Indeed, there are tales of lone members terrorisingentire hives and bringing these mighty cities to their kneesin sprees of bloodshed and fear. However, the Night Lordshave no concept of honour and may change sides during abattle, or treacherously attack their erstwhile allies in orderto suit their own needs.

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The Legion holds no allegiance to any one of the fourChaos Powers and views all religious devotion as a form ofweakness. Instead of faith, it is their love of killing, especiallyof terrified, defenceless prey, that unites the Legion. Thoughthey do not serve a single Chaos God, the Night Lordsregularly ally with other more devoted followers of Chaos.

Despite his sadistic nature, a Night Lords Chaos Space Marineis a highly valued member of any compact. His skills allow himto aid his allies in quickly dispatching opposition forces whileearning a reputation for cruelty and savagery. However, a leadermust always be on guard, for he may never know when he wouldbetter serve as an example of the Night Lords’ malice.

Night Lords in the VortexMany of the Night Lords travel to the ScreamingVortex both to reequip and rearm for additional foraysinto Imperial space, and to ally with other heretics andraiders in order to terrorise nearby worlds. Others seethe Screaming Vortex as a new hunting ground, witheach world a unique and challenging environment totest their depraved skills. Whatever the reason, a NightLord Chaos Space Marine is entirely within his elementhere, and rightly feared by those around him.

The following are some example motivations thatcoincide with the piratical and cruel existence of a NightLords Chaos Space Marine in the Screaming Vortex.

Sacgrave Stalker: The desolate ruins of Sacgrave arehome to many pirates and treasure seekers, who bothuse the ruins as a hideout and hope to discover someof the planet’s legendary wealth. Among these aremembers of the Night Lords Legion who have arrivedto take advantage of the planet’s distinct strategicqualities and scavenge the ruins for artefacts. TheseSacgrave Stalkers dwell within the planet’s dreadedlower vaults and use the tunnels to launch surprise raidsand travel without detection. Meanwhile, the NightLords Chaos Space Marines rely on their murderoustactics and the whispers of monsters in the darkness tokeep their rivals in a state of perpetual fear.

Raider of the Baleful Eye: Amongst the manymarauders within the Screaming Vortex, one group in

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particular has recently risen to prominence. Known asthe Baleful Eye, these piratical raiders are known forambushing their prey and preferring rapid and brutalboarding actions. Their ships are adorned with cruelspikes and trophies of past conquests, while the redand midnight blue hull prominently displays imagesof a great glaring yellow eye. The raiders never leaveany survivors and their victims’ corpses are said to havelooks of stark terror on their faces. What they witnessedcan only be speculated as every video log, pic-catcher,and eyeball is removed from the target vessel.

Night Terror: Throughout the Vortex there are manyterrible creatures and Daemons that stalk the darkness.These monsters are notorious for leaving their victimstorn to shreds, cruelly impaled, or disembowelled, andwith looks of horror etched permanently into theirscreaming faces. The presence of such a threat withina city can drive the populace into ever greater statesof agitation and fear as panic, looting, and desperateappeals for salvation and appeasement run rampantin the streets. The few survivors of such attacks oftenrecall unblinking, solid black eyes, and cruel laughterechoing over the screams of the dying.

Xurunt Frost Father

The nomads of Xurunt, known as the Xur, continuallymigrate across the vast prairies of the planet’s surface,seeking only to enslave and conquer any other tribes theyencounter. It is a brutal existence, beginning when each is taughtto ride a Xurunsh from the earliest possible age. This planetwidestruggle for dominance continues until winter, when theXur focus instead on surviving the harsh conditions or rituallyhonouring their bloody god Baphtar at one of his towering idols.

Sometimes, a leader of truly remarkable prowess willarise and garner support amongst the tribes for a campaignduring this normally peaceful time. These individuals areknown as “Sacanta,” or “Frost Fathers,” among the Xurand are revered and respected leaders. They are driven anddangerous opponents, and many warlords seek to recruitsuch warriors with promises of skulls and glory.

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Xurunt Frost Fathers in the VortexA Frost Father who leaves Xurunt quickly feelsat home amongst the denizens of the ScreamingVortex. Some of the weapons and devices theservants of Chaos employ may be foreign, butthe core beliefs such as that of the strong rulingthe weak is infinitely familiar. A Frost Fatheris skilled at dominating those around him, nomatter what cowardly powers might be usedagainst him, from the countless battles and yearsof rule over their tribes. Those who manageto fully adapt to the wildness of the Vortexbecome highly dangerous if eccentric warriors,relying more on their own muscle than unreliabletechnologies, and have little trouble accumulatingexotic new skulls for their collection. Baphtar inall his guises surely watches over his loyal sonsno matter what strange lands he walks upon.

The following are examples of backgroundswhich may bring a Frost Father to the attention ofBaphtar and the Dark Gods.

Chosen of Baphtar: During the winter months,the warlords of the most powerful tribes thatretain the honour of encamping around one ofBaphtar’s idols preform ritual combats, rites, andsacrifices to seek their god’s favour. By spring, thefew remaining warriors are rightly feared by theother Xur for their legendary fury and the darkgifts they frequently exhibit. However, along withother blessings, Baphtar is said to grant a specialboon to the leader of these chosen.

The Unchained: Beneath Xurunt is a maze ofcaverns and tunnels where small humanoids calledSvartlings dwell. These creatures are responsiblefor the dreaded Onir, and frequently take prisonersto work as slaves or as sacrifices to power theirarcane creations. Escaping from these creaturesand clawing back up to Xurunt’s desolate surfaceis a daunting boast for any warrior who findshimself imprisoned below.

City-Dweller: The Xur view the decayed ruins of

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ancient cities that dot the plains of their planet withsuperstitious fear. However, there are warriors whobegin their adulthood by undertaking a boast ofinhabiting these crumbling structures for no less thanone season. What actually caused the destruction ofso many cities is as much a mystery as the horrorsthat await a young warrior on this undertaking.

Chem-Hunter of MessiaThe inhabitants of Messia live in a world blighted withpollution and utterly inhospitable to human life; yethuman life persists and has taken root within the twincities at the planet’s poles. Life in these cities is hard andheavily dependent on expeditions that continuously scourMessia’s blasted wastelands to secure precious promethium.Such expeditions are made up of the hardiest of Messia’sinhabitants and it is from these that the Chem-Hunters arise.

Chem-Hunters are veterans of the unforgiving wilderness ofMessia and offer their invaluable services as raiders and escortsto the drill-barons. They are consummate riders and skirmishers,frequently seen operating attack bike escorts or clinging tothe rigs watching for roaming mutant hordes. The majorityof Messia’s population view them as daredevils at best andsuicidal at worst. However, there is no denying that they areaccomplished survivalists and valued additions to any warband.

Chem-Hunters of Messia in the VortexOnce off of Messia, a Chem-Hunter is easily ableto take his place among the many bands of raidersand pirates scattered throughout the Vortex. Mosteagerly join up to obtain some of the amenitiesrarely found on Messia, and the promise of exoticnew stimulants, weapons, and other luxury itemsis often enough to retain their loyalty. Regardlessof their motivations, all Chem-Hunters arehighly sought after for their talents and uniquechemically-enhanced abilities.

The following are some example backgroundsthat lead individuals of Messia to embrace theChem-Hunter lifestyle.

Mekonta Worthy: Slaves skilled enough to survive

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Mekonta’s arenas are granted the opportunity tojoin one of the city’s many mining expeditionsand potentially earn citizenship within the cityitself. However, many who embark on thesejourneys find the life outside Mekonta liberatingand choose to return whenever possible. Thehardiest often become Chem-Hunters after yearsof traveling the wastes, paying a steep price fortheir yearning for freedom.

Stranded: It is not uncommon for ships lost in theWarp to emerge far from their destination within theScreaming Vortex, and some are unlucky enoughto crash onto the barren planet of Messia. Thosewho survive the impact itself are quickly forcedto deal with the numerous challenges of Messia’sunforgiving wastes, often resorting to cannibalism,murder, and other extreme tactics to survive. Anythat manage to reach civilisation become highlyrespected and quickly find their skills in greatdemand, with their experience surviving thewastelands leading to Chem-Hunter livelihoods.

Wasteland Raider: The wastes of Messia are hometo many drill clans who survive either by lootingother expeditions or selling their plunder andpromethium to the highest bidder. When two drillclans meet, their rigs clashing like titanic beasts, theresulting confrontation often ends with one clanscattered and deprived of their all-important rig.These remnants often take to raiding other rigs,finding it easier to take what they want from theirerstwhile competitors than to start their expeditionsanew. These raiding parties can become infamousto the drill-barons, who fear their next expeditioncould fall to such marauders.

Table 2-1: Ranged WeaponsName Class Range RoF Dam Pen Clip Rld Special Wt. AvailabilityBoiler Cannon Heavy 20m S/–/– 3d10 E 0 10 3Full Primitive (7), Overheats, Spray, Toxic (3) 30kg† CommonCombi-Weapon†† Basic 100m S/3/– 1d10+5 X 4 24 Full Tearing 18kg Extremely Rare Combi-Flamer, Combi-Melta, Combi-PlasmaLegion Combi-Weapon†† Basic 100m S/3/– 1d10+9 X 4 24 Full Tearing 25kg Extremely Rare Mk.4 Thresher Support Gun Heavy 120m –/–/6 1d10+5 R 0 200 2Full Crippling (2), Primitive (8), Tearing 23kg† Scarce

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†Includes the weight of the backpack ammo/fuel supply.††Profile is for the primary bolter. Secondary weapon has RoF: S/–/– and Clip: 1, with all other statistics as per the combi-weapon’s secondary weapon entry(Flamer, Plasma Gun, or Melta Gun).

Table 2–2: Melee WeaponsName Range Dam Pen Special Wt. AvailabilityBonecrusher Mace 2m 1d10+12 I 4 Concussive (2), Power Field, Unwieldy 16kg Extremely RareCastir Greataxe — 2d10+5 R 3 Felling (2), Tearing, Unwieldy 18kg Very RareChain Hammer — 2d10+6 R 4 Concussive (2), Tearing, Unweildy 20kg Very RareChain Spear — 1d10+3 R 3 Tearing 7kg ScarceIronfang Chainsword – 1d10+3 R 3 Concussive (0), Tearing, Unbalanced 12kg Extremely RareBladehands — 1d10 R 0 Primitive (7), Tearing 3kg Very RareKursian Heavy Shield — 1d10 I 0 Primitive (6), Unwieldy 12kg Very RareKursian Trident 3m 1d10+1 R 1 Primitive (8), Balanced 7kg Very RareSlivernet 6m 1d5 R 0 Crippling (2), Flexible, Inaccurate, Snare (3)†, Unwieldy 4kg RareSickle Sword – 1d10 R 2 Balanced 2kg Extremely RareLance Goad 3m 1d10+2 R 1 Primitive (7), Shocking, Unbalanced 4kg CommonPit Net 3m 1d5 R 0 Flexible, Snare (2)† 3kg CommonRune shield – 1d10 I 0 Defensive, Tainted, Tearing 7kg Near UniqueRune sword – 1d10 R 2 Balanced, Tainted, Tearing 3kg Near UniqueWailing Axe – 1d10+2 R 0 Primitive (8), Unwieldy 3kg Common†Only when thrown.

able 2-3: Daemon WeaponsName Class Range RoF Dam Pen Clip Rld Special + Daemonic Attributes Wt.Berzerker Glaive Melee — — 1d10+6 R 6 — — Devastating (2), Unbalanced + Bloodlust, Impervious, Thirsting 8kgBloodfeeder Melee — — 2d10 R 4 — — Balanced, Felling (4) + Accursed, Rampage 4kgDreadaxe Melee — — 1d10+3 R — — — Unbalanced, + Howling, Impossibly Sharp 5kgFirestorm Blade (Melee) Melee — — 1d10+8 E 4 — — Balanced, Flame, Proven (3) + Howling, Piercing, Rampage 7kgFirestorm Blade (Ranged) Basic 50m S/–/– 2d10+15 E 8 — — Flame, Proven (3), Spray + Howling, Piercing, Rampage 7kgForgewhip Melee 4m — 1d10+8 R 12 — — Flame, Flexible + Bloodlust, Blood Tracker 6kgGorewhip Melee 2m — 1d10+3 R 3 — — Crippling (4), Felling (2), Flexible + Spiteful, Wounding 5kgGreat Axe of Khorne Melee — — 3d10 R — — — Devastating (2), Proven (4), Unbalanced + Fueled by Slaughter, Impossibly Sharp, Skulltaker 8kgHeart-Ripper Heavy 300m S/4/– 3d10+8 I 6 80 2 Full Reliable, Tearing, Twin-Linked + Howling, Skull Taker, Vicious 55kgSoulfire Lance (Melee) Melee — — 1d10 I 2 — — Balanced + Howling, Piercing 4kg Soulfire Lance (Ranged) Basic 30m S/–/– 2d10+6 I 0 — — Felling (2), Spray, Warp Weapon + Howling, Piercing 4kg

Table 2–4: Protective Devices

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ArmourName Locations Covered AP Wt AvailabilityHarness of Rage All 6 22kg Extremely RareKhornate Crest Head +1AP 2kg Extremely RareMantle of Hate All 8† 150kg Near UniqueSkinhidden Plate All †† 8kg Extremely RareTalax Hide Armour All 6 6kg Rare†The Mantle of Hate grants AP10 to the Body††Additional AP determined by Heretic’s Corruption BonusForce FieldName Protection Rating Wt AvailabilityInfernal Star 50 1kg Extremely RareMessian Sky-Splitter 65 20kg Extremely Rare

BloodcallerStrength, fury, honour, martial prowess—Khorne demandsthese from those that would call upon his power—but aboveall of them is the demand for blood. The followers of Khornedo not dabble in the arts of Warp-magic and psychic trickeryas the minions of the lesser Chaos Gods would. Even themost bloodthirsty champion knows though that the Warp isa psychic realm, and that his promises of skulls and endlesswar are not often enough to bring Khorne’s legions into themortal plane. Sometimes blood is needed, and within theScreaming Vortex this need for blood has created a slave casteof pathetic, mewling psykers called Bloodcallers, all of whomhave only one purpose in life—to give their lives to Khorne.

A Heretic dedicated to Khorne with Lesser Minion ofChaos may take up to 2 Bloodcallers, or up to 4 if he hasMinion of Chaos. The total amount of Bloodcallers cannotexceed the Heretic’s Fellowship Bonus.Bloodcaller (Troop)05 05 10 20 30 30 10 30 10 – –WS BS S T Ag Int Per WP Fel InfMovement: 3/6/9/18 Wounds: 4Armour: None Total TB: 2Skills: Forbidden Lore (Daemonology, Heresy, The Warp) (Int).Talents: Bloodcaller†.Traits: Psyker.Weapons: None.Gear: Brass Binding Chains††, gore-soaked robes.†Bloodcaller: The presence of a Bloodcaller allows KhornededicatedHeretics or any group that lacks a psyker to make useof any Ritual that would require a character with the PsykerTrait. The Heretic enacting the Ritual still makes all the relevant

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Skill Tests for that Ritual, but the Bloodcaller fills any Psykerrequirements. Keep in mind that Bloodcallers are always sacrificedto Khorne during these rituals, and once they have fulfilled theirpurpose they are treated as a minion that has been killed.††Brass Binding Chains: Bloodcallers are unwillingslaves to be split open at the will of their cruel masters.To bind them in place and keep them from running,each Bloodcaller is locked in a harness of brass chainsthat leeches his psychic abilities. This also makes themexcellent human shields when their masters need to avoidpsychic attack. Whenever the Heretic takes Damage from apsychic attack, half of the Damage can be bled away to theBloodcaller as long as the minion is within a number ofmetres equal to the Heretic’s Willpower Bonus. This killsthe Bloodcaller instantly no matter the Damage, and he istreated as a minion that has been killed.

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wh40k - rpg - combatants & creatures - chaos khorne = x

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