Cauldron of Blood
The Cauldrons of Blood are extremely important holy items of the cult of Khaine. Morathi claims that the cauldrons are Khaine's gift for his brides, the Witch Elves.
The cauldrons are made of brass and filled with the blood of victims, ritually sacrificed by the Witch Elves to Khaine, Lord of Murder. The cauldrons never spill over; the blood simply never rises above a certain level.
A number of Dark Elf children are offered to Khaine and ritually tested by the cauldrons. The reasons are many: some children are offered because they are born crippled. Most will die but some survive; the survivors are considered to be Khaine's chosen.
The numbers and precise origins of the cauldrons are unclear. They seem to be a handful at least and a very small number may be deployed into battle on very important raids and invasions. Each cauldron will always be guarded by two Witch Elves under the command of a Hag Queen, called the Keeper of the Cauldron.
After each battle a suitable tithe of prisoners of war will be delivered to the Witch Elves. These unfortunates will be later sacrificed to Khaine.
Once per year, on Death Night, the cauldrons are filled with the blood of sacrificed Dark Elves. The oldest Hag Queens will bathe in the blood and this ritual restores their youth and beauty, albeit only temporally.
Morathi keeps the innermost secrets of the cauldrons to herself, and owns the Cauldron of Battle [1], the first and most important one, claiming that it is a personal gift to her. This enables her to maintain her beauty throughout the whole year.
Notes & sources
- Warhammer Armies: Dark Elves (4th edition) p.16
- Warhammer Armies: Dark Elves (6th edition) p.10
- Warhammer Armies: Dark Elves (7th edition) p.51
- ↑ Warhammer Armies: Dark Elves (4th edition) p.59
