Khorne

A Khornate Berserker

Mark of Khorne

A variant on the Mark of Khorne

Chaos Star of Khorne

The Fortress of Khorne in the Warp

"Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne!" - Khornate Warcry

Khorne, also called the Blood God and the Lord of Skulls, is the Chaos God of Blood, War and Murder. His domain covers the most basic and brutal of sentient emotions and actions, such as hate, anger, rage, war and killing. Every act of killing or murder in the material universe gives Khorne power; the more senseless and destructive, the better. However, though Khorne is the God of bloody slaughter, he is also the God of martial pride and honour, of those who set themselves against the most dangerous foes and earn victory against the odds. A devotee of Khorne is as likely to be an honourable champion in combat as a blood-crazed slaughterer. Khornates take no artful approach to killing, seeking only to slay rather than to inflict pain, because while the blood of their victims strengthens Khorne, their suffering actually empowers his nemesis Slaanesh. The name "Khorne" derives from his name in Chaos' daemonic Dark Tongue, Kharneth, meaning "Lord of Rage" or "Lord of Blood". He is the mightiest and the second oldest of the four major Chaos Gods, fully coming into existence in the Immaterium sometime during Terra's European Middle Ages in the 2nd Millennium.

Khorne is said to have inherited a martial nobility and honour, and considers the weak and helpless to be unworthy of his wrath. The battle-cry of the followers of Khorne reflects his desire for wanton violence: "Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Throne of Khorne!" Alternatively, they may cry, "Skulls for the Skull Throne!" In the throes of violence, Khorne's followers are also known to bellow, "KILL! MAIM! BURN!" repeatedly while hacking apart their enemies. Also, the Khornate Berserkers known as Khorne's Chosen often shout "Break their backs!" while in the thick of the brutal, bloody battle they so passionately seek out. Followers of the Chaos God Slaanesh, who Khornates see as degenerate scum who kill only for pleasure rather than to test one's self against mighty enemies, are favoured foes to face in battle, as are the servants of Tzeentch, who are seen as Sorcerers unwilling to engage in fair and honourable combat. Khorne's sacred number is eight, reflected in the organization of his armies, and in smaller matters such as the number of syllables in a Khornate daemon's name. Where possible, his warriors will form up into squads of this number. His primary colours are blood red, black and brass. Also note that the Mark of Khorne looks vaguely like a figure of eight or a stylized human skull.

The Cult of Khorne

Khorne is the Blood God, an angry and murderous God of Chaos whose bellows of limitless rage echo throughout the corridors of time and space. His great brass throne sits upon a mountain of skulls in the midst of a plain of splintered bone and lakes of mortal blood formed from the remains of his followers salin nattle and those who his minions have killed in his name. Khorne embodies mindless and absolute violence, destroying everyone and everything within reach, shedding the blood of friend and foe alike. The followers of Khorne are always ferocious warriors and never make use of psychic powers, for the Blood God abhors the trickery of magic and cowardly sorcerers, particularly the servants of Tzeentch. Men turn to Khorne for the power to conquer, to defeat their enemies in battle, to wreak bloody vengeance and to attain unmatched martial prowess against all comers. The most fanatical and dedicated of his followers, those whose souls are trapped fully within his bloody embrace, know that he truly desires only constant and wild slaughter for its own sake. Khorne cares not from where the blood flows, only that it flows without cease for all eternity.

Khorne has an immense following among mortals, especially humans, as his radiance of raw power and strong emotion beckons all who lust for battle and power over their fellows to his side. Worship of Khorne is especially embraced by the more primitive and primal human tribes that inhabit many of the feral and feudal worlds across the Imperium of Man. The followers of Khorne are almost all uncontrollable fighters, who excel at the art of killing. Khornite cultists share their God's straightforward philosophy on warfare and battle tactics, preferring to charge directly at their foes in order to defeat them in close, melee combat where they can make the blood really flow. As such, Khorne's followers are generally berserkers that pay little heed to tactics or defense in their frenzy for blood. Khorne frowns upon the use of sorcery and trickery, and those pursuing the magical arts look elsewhere to find a patron for their studies. Unlike the other Chaos Gods, Khorne's followers do not go to great lengths to build temples in his honour. Instead, they worship their God on the battlefield, praising him with battle cries such as "Blood for the Blood God!" or "Skulls for the Skull Throne!" His followers also offer him praise and attempt to win his favor by savagely attacking each other when there are no other battles to be fought -- and sometimes even when there are. It is said that Khorne is the easiest Chaos God to worship, because while worship of most of the other Gods requires rituals, altars, and sacrifices, Khorne's demands are simply that his followers spill fresh blood and collect skulls in his name. Those favored by Khorne often receive his Chaotic "blessings"--mutations. Sometimes these physical alterations take the form of great strength or a beast-like visage, sometimes of frightening physical alterations such as the development of horns, claws or rending talons. Regardless of the mutations that develop, they are displayed proudly by their Khornite recipients and serve both as visible reminders of the Blood God's existence and as inspiration for those who have not yet won his favor. The World Eaters Chaos Space Marines Legion is dedicated solely to Khorne and his cause: the shedding of blood and the defeat of all enemies.

A Champion of Khorne

Manifestation

Khorne is described as an entity who is extremely large and muscular, with the features of both a noble human and a fierce beast-headed monster sitting on a throne atop a mountain of skulls, in the middle of a sea of blood. The skulls and blood are described as belonging to all of the victims who are slain by his worshippers, the members of the Cult of Khorne. Alternatively, the skulls are of all those slain by Khorne's Champions, and of all his slain Champions. The mountain slowly grows ever higher. Khorne wears armour of black and brass, and wields a mighty two-handed axe made from the same material as his armour. The "Skull Throne of Khorne" is made of countless skulls, all dedicated to him by his many champions. Upon this mountain of bones sits Khorne's actual brass throne. By some accounts a great forge sits at the base of the throne, in which the weapons and armour used by Khorne's mortal and daemonic servants are forged.

Rivalry

There exists an ancient rivalry amongst the Lords of Chaos. Khorne's arch enemy is Slaanesh; Khorne is a spartan god who acts outwardly, killing others. He hates the hedonistic Slaanesh, an inwardly acting god who seeks to pleasure himself with every act and experience. As such, Khorne and Slaanesh personify two entirely opposing aspects of Chaos. Also, Khorne favors a straightforward approach to combat, and considers any form of sorcery as cowardly. Thus he is also deeply scornful of Tzeentch and the Changer of Ways' constant plotting and scheming. yet Slaanesh, considered a weakling without martial pride or honour by Khornates, incurs most of Khorne's hatred.

Khornate Daemons

A Bloodthirster of Khorne

A Bloodletter of Khorne

Of all the daemons of Chaos, the daemons of Khorne bear the greatest resemblance to the archetypal demon of human mythology and religious imagery, having a human body, cloven hooves, leathery bat-like wings and horned, bestial heads. They wield a fiery whip and a massive two-headed battleaxe simultaneously in battle. They are the strongest and most aggressive of all Daemons. The mightiest Bloodthirster of Khorne is An'ggrath the Unbound, who in the last 10,000 years has only been summoned twice from the Warp by Khornate worshippers. Both successful summonings have resulted in great losses for the Imperium as many worlds fell to his terrible wrath. All Khornate daemons are savage and brutish like their lord, from whose essence in the Warp they spring.

• Bloodletters, the primary Lesser Daemons of Khorne, are ugly, horned humanoids with cloven hooves who tote blood-drinking battleaxes or swords known as Hellblades, which are forged at the foot of the Throne of Skulls; and who wear armour of daemonic brass. They enter horrific frenzies in battle.
• Flesh Hounds are monstrous and ferocious vaguely canine creatures, notorious for their supernatural ability to track down their chosen prey. They bear enchanted collars that make them highly resitant to magic or psychic influences.
• Bloodthirsters are the Greater Daemons of Khorne. Of all the Daemons, they bear the greatest resemblance to stereotypical demons, having a human body, cloven hooves instead of feet, leathery bat-like wings and horned dog-like or humanoid heads. They wield a whip and a massive two-headed battle axe simultaneously in battle. As the greatest manifestation of the god of war, the dreaded Bloodthirster is one of the most powerful warriors that can be found on the battlefield.
• Juggernauts are massive steeds made of living metal whose blood is liquid fire, generally gifted as mounts to favored champions of Khorne.
• Skulltaker is the Blood God’s immortal champion, the strongest of all Khorne’s Bloodletters. When not campaigning, Skulltaker roams the Realm of Chaos at will, atop his mighty Juggernaut, Kuhl’tyran. He appears before fortress and stronghold, bellowing challenge after challenge at the greatest warrior within until one of their number is foolish enough to meet him in single combat.
• Karanak is the three-headed Flesh Hound that prowls Khorne’s grand throne room in the Fortress of Khorne. He never sleeps – like the Blood God’s vengeance Karanak is ever watchful. He searches every shadow for intruders and interlopers or else gnaws on bones discarded from the Skull Throne or stalks Bloodletters and Furies through the vaulted hall. As the physical manifestation of Khorne’s vengeance, Karanak is Khorne’s chosen hunter, the Daemon the Blood God unleashes to search out those who have transgressed his warrior creed, or have offered insult to his colossal pride. It is a choice well made, for Karanak is ruthless and implacable, able to follow the blood scent of a quarry across all of space and time in service to his vengeful master.

The Fortress of Khorne

The Fortress of Khorne is Khorne's realm within the Warp. It is a monument to fury and bloodshed, and is built upon foundations of murder and conflict. This blood-soaked realm echoes constantly with Khorne's bellows and the clash of weapons. At the centre of this mighty fortress lies the Brass Citadel, where Khorne's macabre Throne of Skulls resides. He sits atop a mountain of skulls, those who have been slain in his name. A great fire pit lights Khorne's gloomy chamber, the dark flames consuming the souls of cowards who have fled from battle. Around the citadel flows a moat, and it is filled not with water, but with the boiling blood of those who have lost their lives to war. Beyond this moat lies league upon league of cracked land, littered with the ravaged bones of those fallen in battle. A mighty crevasse splits the wasteland in two, a canyon many miles long and bottomless. It is said that Khorne himself was once consumed by such rage that he took up his sword and smote the ground, splitting it asunder for eternity. This fell sword is known by many names including Warmaker and The End of All Things, and is capable of laying waste to entire worlds with a single blow.

Khornate Corruption

The worship of Khorne appeals primarily to warriors, soldiers, other individuals in military occupations and anyone who feels weak and powerless and wishes they had the physical power to exert their will or take what they wanted. For these individuals, Khorne provides enhanced strength, vitality and prowess in combat, particularly physical and melee combat. However, the more an individual gives of their soul to Khorne and becomes further corrupted by his brand of Chaos, the more they are consumed by increasingly uncontrollable feelings of bloodlust, anger, wrath and bloodlust that can only be sated for a few moments by taking a life. While Khornates revel in the sense of power granted them by this bloodlust and the mutational "gifts" that Khorne may provide to enhance their combat prowess, this bloodlust is increasingly uncontrollable and requires them to engage in the most heinous forms of violence to maintain even a semblance of control. Even the momentary relief from the bloodlust that killing provides eventually fades, and long-term Khornates ultimately transform into screaming monsters of adrenaline and aggression, who will do anything to slaughter and kill other living things until their reason has long since been subverted by a mindless thirst for murder, violence and savagery. Most Khornates eventually become beserkers of one kind or another, and favour melee weapons, particularly axes, over ranged weaponry, since blades provide a far more visceral experience in combat than firearms. Khornates disdain any use of psychic powers or psychic sorcery as dishonourable and the epitome of physical weakness, preferring to do their killing up close and personal. The problem with Khornate battle tactics is that they essentially have none; they rely on their sheer ferocity and melee combat prowess to keep them alive long enough to reach their foes and tear them apart--and they usually do. Ultimately, a Khornate's only overriding concern is to spill more blood and take more lives for the Blood God. They will quite happily sacrifice their own lives to feed their savage God's eternal appetite for slaughter, as Khorne cares little whose lives he ultimately claims--so long as the blood continues to flow.

Trivia

• A joke among fans is to say "Blood for the blood god, skulls for the skull throne, milk for the Khorne flakes", noting how his name sounds identical to Corn.

Sources

• Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness
• Codex: Chaos Daemons (4th Edition)
• Liber Chaotica