"As I ride to war, the scent of death washes over me like the wind itself. All my senses come to life, and each kill becomes more exhilarating than the last!"
- — Doomrider
The Daemon Prince Doomrider
Doomrider is a Daemon Prince and one of the strangest servants of the Chaos God Slaanesh. His true identity has been lost to time and all that is known of his past is that he may once have been a Space Marine Biker of the Emperor's Children Legion, though others claimed he was a Renegade of a different Legion. Having been granted Daemonhood by Slaanesh, Doomrider rode through both the Materium and Immaterium, always in search of new sensations.
His love of speed would put an Ork Speed Freek to shame, and it is only equalled by his love of bringing agonising death to the denizens of the Materium. Servants of Slaanesh often attempt to summon him forth from the Warp to assist them in battle, but even when they succeed in attracting the Daemon Prince's attention, the vain and fickle Doomrider usually disappears back into the Warp soon after his arrival regardless of the outcome of the combat in search of the next happenstance that has caught his attention.
Doomrider was recently defeated in battle by the White Scars Chapter's Master of the Hunt Kor'sarro Khan.The Khan defeated Doomrider and claimed his head for return to his Chapter homeworld of Chogoris, but was surprised to see that the head remained alive! Doomrider's final fate is currently unknown.
History[]
"Oh great Lord Slaanesh, send forth your servant, the Daemon Prince Doomrider!"
"Let our enemies tremble in raptured awe before his fearsome visage!"
"Grant them an exquisite death, crushed beneath the flaming wheels of his chromium steed!"
"Permit them the ecstasy of being slaughtered by Doomrider's throbbing Daemonsword and his pulsating gun of gushing plasma!"
"Bestow on them one fleeting moment of pleasure as they stare in wonder and orgasmic delight at one of your most divine creations before dying at his hand!"
"Oh great Lord Slaanesh, for these reasons and many others that tease and titillate our imaginations, we beseech you, send forth your servant, the Daemon Prince Doomrider!""
- — A blasphemous refrain identified by the Ordo Malleus and translated from Low Gothic, the core chant of any sorcerous ritual attempting to summon Doomrider
Doomrider's origins are largely a mystery. It is known that he was once a Chaos Space Marine, but anything beyond that is uncertain. According to some, he was once a member of the Emperor's Children Legion, and led their debauches during the Battle of Terra. According to other sources, he was a Traitor from a different Loyalist Legion, who went Renegade after the Great Scouring.
Mounted on a daemonically-possessed Assault Bike adorned with deadly blades and spikes and wielding his cruel Daemon sword, he carves a bloody swathe across the battlefield as he mercilessly hunts his prey. He can be summoned by Chaos Cultists in foul rituals to aid the Forces of Chaos in battle, however he is highly unpredictable in nature and seldom stays in the material universe for very long, often returning to the Warp as suddenly as he appeared.
He has become a target of the White Scars Chapter, who have sent numerous Master of the Hunts after him. All failed, however, to bring his head back to Chogoris, instead returning empty-handed or having their own heads taken and mounted on his daemonic bike.
The latest White Scars Huntsman, Kor'sarro Khan, vowed to finally take the Daemon Prince's head. After evading Kor'sarro four previous times, Doomrider was tracked to the Imperium world of Shaka VI, which had been nearly overwhelmed by a Chaos Cult empowered by Doomrider. This did not matter to Kor'sarro, who led his brethren against the cult to reach the Daemon Prince. Though Doomrider would defeat Kor'sarro in battle, the hunt finally ended when Doomrider attempted to drag Kor'sarro through a portal back into the Warp with him. In a rage, Kor'sarro wrapped his hands around Doomrider's neck and ripped the Daemon Prince's head off, closing the portal before they reached it. To Kor'sarro's surprise, Doomrider still lived and his head began to squirm and wriggle in his hands. Doomrider tried to speak, but the Master of the Hunt quickly crushed the abomination's jaw and then returned to his fellow White Scars on the battlefield. With the hunt at an end, they returned to Chogoris, taking the still-living head of Doomrider with them.
Appearance[]
The Daemon Prince Doomrider atop his fiery Assault Bike
Unlike most other Daemon Princes who adopt an appearance pleasing to their patron Chaos God, Doomrider still resembles the Space Marine he once was. He appears like a corrupted Astartes with deathly pale skin and a crown of living flames for hair, wielding a gigantic flaming daemonic sword, mounted on a corrupted Assault Bike adorned and festooned with various blasphemous symbols and spikes. The truth is that rider, weapon and bike are one and the same entity, and indistinguishable. Speeding forward on a trail of flames, Doomrider can use the power of the Immaterium to challenge gravity, leaping above obstacles or remaining aloft like a Jetbike. The ancient Bolters of the bike now spew bolts of pure Warp energy, which have the destructive power of a Meltagun, and his Warp-empowered blade can cleave through the most resilient armour with contemptuous ease.
Sources[]
- Codex: Chaos Space Marines (3rd Edition, 1st Codex), pg. 24
- White Dwarf 235 (US), "Wheels of Fire," pg. 52
- Master of the Hunt (Audio Drama) by Josh Reynolds