Slaanesh

Slaanesh, also known as the Dark Prince, the Prince of Pleasure and even the Prince of Chaos in the Imperium of Man, is the Chaos God of Pleasure, Passion, and Decadence. Lust, pride and self-indulgence are the hallmarks of all who follow him. He is the youngest of the Chaos Gods, having come to full sentience within the Immaterium only during the 30th Millennium. While generally referred to as a "he" by humans and as a female by the Eldar, Slaanesh is actually neither gender, combining characteristics of both and perfecting them. Slaanesh typically appears in an androgynous form in which it is a woman on the right side and a man on the left with two sets of devilish horns growing from its head. Slaanesh can assume any form; male, female, hermaphrodite or asexual, but it prefers male bodies. Its sacred number is six and the colours associated with Slaanesh are purple, pink and black. The name Slaanesh is a corruption of the Eldar term Slaaneth (Slaa meaning "ecstasy" or "pleasure" and Neth meaning "lord" or "prince" in the Eldar Lexicon; hence, the Prince of Pleasure), though ironically, the Eldar refer to this foul entity only as "She Who Thirsts."

Slaanesh is the God of hedonism and excess. But this is true in all things, not just carnal pleasures. Those who desire to indulge in the finest culinary delights, the most beautiful artworks, even the most sensual clothing, could all be amongst Slaanesh’s disciples. Just as importantly, Slaanesh is also the God of perfection. The singer striving for the most beautiful song or the warrior who seeks the perfect fighting techniques, both could be devotees of Slaanesh.

Slaanesh came into existence during the time in the 30th Millennium the Eldar call the Fall. He was born from the Warp-reflection of the decadence and hedonism of the Eldar race at the height of their own interstellar empire. The birth cry of Slaanesh created the immense Warp rift called the Eye of Terror and slew most of the Eldar and their Gods in the Immaterium, except for the Eldar God of War Kaela Mensha Khaine, whose energy was dispersed into many separate pieces scattered across the various Infinity Circuits of the Eldar Craftworlds, and the Laughing God Cegorach. Other Eldar survivors included the Harlequin, and those Craftworld Eldar who were very far away from the Eldar homeworlds when the Warp rift formed.

The Cult of Slaanesh
Slaanesh is the youngest of the Chaos Gods and alone of all the Ruinous Powers, the Prince of Chaos is divinely beautiful. He is as seductive as only an immortal can be, disarming in his innocence, utterly beguiling in his manner and irresistably tempting with his words. Slaanesh can assume male, female or hermaphroditic form at will and it is impossible for a mortal to look upon him without losing his soul and becoming a slave to the Prince of Pleasure's slightest whim. Mortals that seek charisma and fellowship turn to Slaanesh, for his gifts can make one popular and inspiring. Poets and artists are drawn into his gaze by the promise of inspiration and fame, while even the hardiest warriors might seek the adulation of the masses and the ironclad loyalty of their followers. Yet as one continues in the service of Slaanesh, such pleasures soon grow stale and his servants are driven on to search for ever greater sensations and ever more self-fulfillment until only the most decadent and debased of acts can stir their emotions or provide the pleasure they have come to crave.

Seductive in the way that only an immortal being can be, Slaanesh is the Chaos God of pleasure, passion, luxury, art and indulgence. He is the manifestation of all hidden vices, cruel passions, and secret temptations that men hide fearfully in their hearts. This abject lack of restraint, and pursuit of pleasures, lures many mortals to his side, often gathering in places of carnal pleasure to pay homage and praise to their depraved lord. A notable Slaaneshi cult is the Eldar Cult of Pleasure which partly caused the Fall and also created the Eldar's evil cousins, the Dark Eldar, though those foul beings fear the Prince of Pleasure will devour their souls as much as their more noble counterparts. Slaanesh's followers seek pleasure in every experience, and quickly become inured to more mundane things, including sounds and colours; thus they frequently wear garish, brightly coloured armour or clothing which is extravagantly decorated. Worshippers of Slaanesh are known for their complete lack of fear, as they see even losing a battle or their own lives as a new experience to be enjoyed. While not interested in the dirty warfare of Khorne's narrow-minded berserkers, Slaanesh does enjoy combat of the artistic sort, taking pleasure in watching extremely talented gladiator battles, where the act of fighting is transformed from a means to an end into an art form all its own. Slaanesh bestows his favour upon any who act on an interest for an art, whether the art is that of combat, of painting, of poetry or of passion. The favour of Slaanesh will aid the artist in creating, amplifying everything created to immeasurable levels, while at the same time corrupting them indescribably, such that any mortals who look on them are at once both entranced and terrified. The Mark of Slaanesh combines the conventional human symbology for male and female, although it is seldom worn openly by his followers. In its place they often wear items of jewellery bearing erotic motifs. Followers dress in robes which are often opened to leave the right side of the chest uncovered, a requirement of many of the rituals involved in his worship. Pastel and electric shades are the chief colours, although white is often used as well. These colours are also sometimes carried over into everyday wear, although they may be modified to fit in with current fashions. Regardless of any other considerations, all Slaaneshi followers wear garb of sensuously high quality. Slaanesh is served uniquely by the Chaos Space Marines of the Emperor's Children Traitor Legion, hedonistic psychopaths who wield unique sonic weaponry in battle.

Manifestation
While Khorne is a frightful and terrible warrior, Tzeentch's sorcery forces his form to defy mortal logic, and Nurgle is the ultimate embodiment of his own decaying creations, Slaanesh alone is divinely beautiful. In physical form, Slaanesh is perfection. A long-limbed, elegant, androgynous figure with a haunting, almost frightening beauty. Slaanesh's appearance depends more on the observer than the observed, changing eagerly to please and seduce the eye of the beholder. Rumor amongst his cultists says that to look upon Slaanesh is to forfeit your very soul to his every whim.

Rivalry
Slaanesh has a neutral attitude to many of the other Gods of Chaos, and is generally too caught up in his own pleasures to be interested in alliances and co-operation. However, Slaanesh is opposed by the Chaos God Khorne. Slaanesh seeks to act inwardly by enjoying every experience and every act, even killing others, whereas Khorne only seeks to act outwardly by killing others and reveling in bloodshed. Khorne is also said to detest Slaanesh's decadence, while Slaanesh sees Khorne as crude and unsophisticated. This relationship has an effect upon the nature of the armies dedicated to either God. While he is the youngest of the major Chaos Gods, Slaanesh is still a crucial player in the incomprehensible game that they play for dominance. Although he cannot yet hold his own against any one other Chaos God, his support in an alliance is often enough to swing the balance, allowing Slaanesh considerably more influence than his absolute level of power would otherwise allow.

Slaaneshi Daemons
Being the youngest of the Chaos Lords, the daemon host of Slaanesh still pales in comparison to those of the other Ruinous Powers. But the numbers of Slaaneshi daemons grow with every passing moment and they are not to be taken lightly.
 * Daemonettes are feminine-looking creatures whose seductive bodies are a contrast with their grotesque claws. They are lightning quick, and fearful foes in hand-to-hand combat.
 * Steeds of Slaanesh are bipedal, smooth-skinned creatures with prehensile tongues, vaguely resembling seahorses. Their heads have long tubular snouts that contain their prehensile, poisonous tongue. These are the favored means of transportation for Slaanesh's mortal chosen.
 * A Fiend of Slaanesh is a bizarre daemon, a hybrid creature that combines reptilian, insectoid and anthropomorphic characteristics. It has a segmented body, a tail covered in fine scales and two pairs of humanoid legs that end in cloven hooves. Each Fiend also has a pair of claw-tipped and gangly arms that it commonly uses as front legs. A Fiend does not have the necessary intelligence to apply these arms as grasping appendages, although it can employ them as weapons to deadly effect.
 * Keepers of Secrets, the mighty Greater Daemons of Slaanesh, are huge and indescribable creatures whose very presence is capable of bringing the bravest warrior to his knees in anguish and ecstasy. They typically have four arms -- two which end with human-like hands, and two which end with large crab-like claws. A Keeper of Secrets is a very powerful foe in close combat.
 * The Masque of Slaanesh, once the most favoured of the Daemonettes, had an unfortunate case of misunderstanding with Slaanesh. It was in this very moment that her life was to change. She was cursed to forever dance, unable to rest her weary limbs.

Slaanesh and the Eldar
The birth of Slaanesh at the end of the period the Imperial historians call the Age of Strife marked the downfall of the Eldar, who refer to Slaanesh in the feminine form as She Who Thirsts, an epitaph that refers to Slannesh's constant hunger for their souls. Their homeworlds were destroyed by the shock wave, along with many of the Craftworlds created by the most forward-seeing among them to escape the disaster. But the destruction of their homes and the death of their brethren was not the only disaster for the Eldar. Slaanesh proceeded to combat the very gods of the Eldar in the Warp, slaying all but three: Khaine, Cegorach, and Isha, who is held captive in the garden of Nurgle.

Born from the dark side of the very essence of Eldar being, Slaanesh has fed on that race ever since. When most Eldar die, if no Soulstone is present to receive their soul, it is consumed by Slaanesh in the Warp. The Eldar have taken many steps to defend themselves against the attacks of Slaanesh, including a strict code of "paths" or ways of studying a particular aspect of life or occupation to avoid unbridled seeking of pleasure or knowledge, and Spirit Stones that shield the souls of the fallen against the predations of Slaanesh.

The enigmatic group of Eldar called the Harlequins go through what is known only as "The Ritual" to free themselves from this fate, and it is believed they are then under the protection of Cegorach or "The Laughing God" or "The Great Harlequin" (also a title used for a high ranking leader of the Harlequins). The even rarer beings known as the Solitaire, who are alone in their ability to play Slaanesh in the Harlequins' most rare of dances, are said to already belong to Slaanesh. For this they are considered cursed, although it is also said that when a Solitaire dies, Cegorach will emerge from the Webway to fight Slaanesh for his soul.

The sadistic Dark Eldar do not protect themselves against Slaanesh, and their souls are devoured by Chaos even while they live. Unlike the Craftworld Eldar, they continued the hedonistic and sadistic acts on the Eldar homeworlds that brought about the creation of Slaanesh, and so the Dark Prince can draw upon their life forces in the Warp even while they are alive. To slow the drain of their souls by the Prince of Chaos, the Dark Eldar drink the souls of others, thus prolonging their lives and requiring their constant slave raids across the galaxy.

Slaaneshi Corruption
Those corrupted by Slaanesh at first experience every sensation and new situation with an unbridled sense of wonder and flush of pleasure, feeling every aspect of life as if through new eyes tinted with wonder. But as time goes on, it requires ever more extremes of sensation to feel the same bursts of pleasure, soon leading to a need to be constantly surrounded by extremes of sound or garish color, particularly bright pinks and purples. In time, moral degeneration sets in as an individual corrupted by the Prince of Chaos engages in only the most extreme behaviours, such as sadistic murder or extreme, highly degrading sexual practices in order to feel the enhanced pleasure offered by Slaanesh. By this point, an individual is usually so beholden to the Chaos God that he or she will begin to be granted mutational "gifts" by the Dark Prince intended to enhance their pleasure or physical "perfection." Groups that have been knowingly or unwittingly corrupted by Slaanesh often engage in radical body modifications using makeup or clothing or even begin to surgically modify themselves if the technology is available, intending to increase their "perfection" or ability to experience pleasure with every sensation. Ultimately, even death itself becomes an experience of immense pleasure, both dealing it out to others and in the end, undergoing it oneself, a final moment of orgasmic pleasure before the soul is absorbed by Slaanesh in the Immaterium. The enhanced pleasures and sensations experienced by every soul corrupted by Slaanesh, and all the corrupt things they do in service to this need for pleasure strengthen the Dark Prince in the Warp, where the psychic emanations of such deeds feed the young Chaos God's power.