"Slay without pity, for you are the legions of Khorne."
- — Rorath'rath the Skullweaver, a Herald of Khorne
A Rendmaster atop its Blood Throne of Khorne.
A Blood Throne of Khorne is a Daemon Engine in the form of a great chariot employed by the Daemons who serve the Blood God Khorne. It is usually driven by a powerful Herald of Khorne called a Rendmaster who stands high in its master's favour and is pulled by twin Bloodletters.
Its appearance can dramatically enhance the morale and killing power of a legion of Khornate Daemons or mortal servants of the Blood God. The Blood Throne is a baleful echo of the mighty dais upon which Khorne himself resides within the Realm of Chaos.
The Blood Throne is a terrifying Daemon Engine, armoured in brass and driven into battle by iron wheels that crush and mangle all who stand in its path. The blood carnage left in the engine's wake is all but obscured by the choking black cloud of acrid soul-smoke that billows from its exhausts.
The screams of its victims are almost drowned out by the sounds of industry harnessed to battle -- the grinding of gears, the clanking of pistons and the roar of the daemon furnace.
Role[]
A Throne of Khorne driven by a Herald of Khorne called a Rendmaster and pulled by two Bloodletter attendants entering battle against the foes of the Blood God
The Blood Throne is a mark of status -- a physical manifestation of Khorne's own favour. No bastion of command is this, as perhaps such a throne would be in a mortal military force -- the Herald certainly does not attempt to direct the massed regiments of Bloodletters that fight in his shadow, for even when the tang of blood is not heavy on the air, Khorne's Daemons are resolutely driven in their pursuit of skulls and slaughter.
Once the battle begins, their maniacal bloodlust reduces Bloodletters and Heralds of Khorne alike to maddened beasts, with no taste for the finer details of military tactics or strategy.
Few can comprehend the countless acts of slaughter and atrocity that a Herald of Khorne must commit to earn its place upon a Blood Throne, for such profane gifts are not given lightly. Legend tells that each of the Blood Thrones is forged from a sliver of brass taken from the Blood God's own hallowed throne, infused with a fraction of his own ever-simmering fury.
Whether or not these tales are true, it cannot be denied that the daemonic vessels bound to each engine are amongst the most prideful and vicious of all those in Khorne's service. None but the Heralds of Khorne known as Rendmasters possess the will to keep their murderous rage upon the leash.
Standing atop the throne's pinnacle, a Rendmaster does not rest or repose as would another in his position, but prowls restlessly as his chariot advances, his eyes and tongue twitching madly as he anticipates his next kill
High in Khorne's favour, a Rendmaster embodies a locus of the Blood God's power, and his blessing ripples outward from the throne.
So does a portion of Khorne's unbridled wrath become infused within the veins of nearby Daemons, lending ferocity to their blows and driving them into a maddened frenzy. Thus, a conflict fought in the Blood Throne's shadow is inevitably an example of battle at its hardest and most unforgiving.
Blood Throne of Khorne driven by a Herald of Khorne called a Rendmaster and pulled by two Bloodletter attendants
From atop his macabre perch, the Herald searches for those foes whose plundered skulls will make the most audacious offerings to the Blood God. Then the Herald spurs his Blood Throne forward, howling with unspeakable joy as he readies his Hellblade for the kill.
When the Blood Throne arrives at the enemy lines, the hurtling mass of brass and spikes ploughs through entire formations, leaving only mangled flesh behind. The two Bloodletters and the Rendmaster atop the hellish engine are well practised at hacking down those that survive the impact.
Such a sight can often cause a potential victim to turn tail and attempt to flee, but such desperate survival tactics rarely succeed, for the enemy is swiftly run to ground. Khorne cares naught from where the blood flows -- the death of a shamed warrior offers praise to the Lord of Murder just as surely as that of an honoured hero.
With that said, whilst all blood is equal in Khorne's eyes, the skulls of the slain are not. Those of cowards are fed into the Blood Throne's baleful workings, consumed in fire to bring the Daemon Engine fresh vigour.
Those taken from the truly valiant are claimed by the Herald and fused with the throne itself, eternal monuments to the futility of opposing the will of Khorne.
In this way, the oldest Blood Thrones bear the skulls of Space Marine Chapter Masters, the Drukhari Archons of Commorragh and the Warbosses of the Ork race stacked side-by-side.
Wargear[]
Rendmaster[]
- Blade of Blood
Throne Attendants[]
Ordo Malleus Departmento Analyticus Technical Specifications[]
The Ordo Malleus has not yet determined the technical specifications for this Daemon Engine, if such a thing is even possible.
See Also[]
Sources[]
- Codex: Chaos Daemons (8th Edition), pp. 42, 90
- Codex: Chaos Daemons (6th Edition), pg. 32
- White Dwarf 399 (UK), "New Releases," pp. 7, 12-14
- Games Workshop Webstore: Daemons of Khorne Bloodthrone
| Daemon Engines | |
|---|---|
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| Slaanesh | Hell-Knight • Hell-Scourge • Hell-Strider • Questor Scout Titan • Subjugator Scout Titan |