Cult of Khorne
The Cult of Khorne is the organised worship of the Chaos God Khorne. [1a]
Khorne requires blood , destruction, skulls, violence and utter subservience to this cause. He does not bestow blessings as a sign of kindness, love, devotion, or even care but as a means to an end, designed to increase the efficiency of his loyal killing machines, driving them on to greater acts of ferocity. [1a]
Contents
Followers
The Blood God embraces those who seek glory as this often leads to anger, wrath and bloodshed, others may turn to Khorne to realise their ambitions such as to feel again the strength of youth or save their family from attackers. A few turn to him in despair and whilst he might despise such weakness, he does not turn them away knowing that on occasion such creatures can use their anger to rise high in his service. [1a]
The desire for Justice and the need for Vengeance can become blurred and lead to the Blood God. As battle rages, men and women call upon the gods for aid and sometimes it is not the deity they seek that provides the aid they need, stoking the blood lust within them. Cultists of the god do exist - seeking to bring warriors closer to their god and eventually to become worshippers. [1a]
The taint of Chaos is strong in the North due to the close proximity of the gateway into the Realm of Chaos. For this reason, the hard warriors of those regions worship the Chaos Gods and thus when raids from the North arrive they are not only seeking women, food, and gold for the sake of survival, but also blood for the Blood God. Indeed, the fur-cloaked warriors emerging from their longships often seek not to pillage, but to kill, maim and destroy in the name of Khorne. [1a]
Beastmen are a warped melding of man and beast and the Blood God finds their brutality pleasing, filled as they are with a loathing for mankind that has only increased with time, these creatures live to hunt and kill human flesh. Khorne knows that beastmen are built for war and slaughter; whether it is the lowliest Ungor, or the raging Doombull, the destruction caused by the cloven race can only further his cause. [1a]
Interactions
The need for dominance is part of Khorne, and this trait often found in his followers who even during a battle, are known to turn upon each other, duelling till the death. For aspiring champions of the Blood God, there is nothing more desirable than inflicting utter defeat upon another champion of their God, and Khorne actively encourages this attitude amongst his followers. Many cults dedicated to him quickly collapse due to cultists vying for leadership or through conflicts that decimates the membership. [1a]
Khorne is always in need of new champions as when a warrior falls, a new one is needed to step into the breach and because fresh blood is needed to test his existing champions. If they meet in a challenge, then Khorne can only benefit for if the existing champion emerges victorious, then he will have learned something from the warrior he has just defeated and if the challenger wins, then the defeated warrior was a weakling and unfit to serve. [1a]
A warrior of Khorne regards a day without slaughter as a day wasted and so a army that contains those devoted to the Blood God needs to find fresh enemies on a regular basis. Each day that passes without bloodshed will see a rise in tension within the ranks. Without a clear objective or the promise of further battles the warriors of Khorne may even turn upon their allies or each other in order to slake their thirst for violence. [1b]
Some Champions lead purely solitary lives, staking out a position in some forlorn corner of the Chaos Wastes and slaying any who approach them. [1b]
Known Cults
The Empire hosts very few established cults of Khorne, partially as he expects his followers to be sacrificing skulls and blood to him at all times, which makes it difficult to maintain the secrecy which cults of the powers rely upon. [1a]
- Cult of the Crimson Skull: They seek to infiltrate military organisations, turning the hearts and minds of the great generals, leaders, nobles and politicians to the worship of Khorne by inciting bloody acts of revenge and violence. [1a]
- Monnik's Pit Fighter School: Located on the island of Riddra in Marienburg’s Suiddock district. Here the Gladiator Thijsson grows in strength and gathers followers amongst his brethren as he fights and kills in the arena. [1b]
Mark of Khorne
Those who bear his Mark are invariably more muscled than their comrades and will have some other outward sign of the blessing they have received, such as red eyes, tears of blood, or great symbols of their god burned into their chests and arms. [1a]
Notable Champions
- Arbaal the Undefeated. [1b]
- Hogan Headhacker. [1b]
- Kurt the Wolf. [1b]
- Scyla Anfingrimm. [1b]
- Valkia the Bloody. [1a]
- Zinbar Sicklesword. [1b]
Powers
Any who face his warriors in battle know all too well of their bloodlust, their overpowering frenzy and the unnatural strength and power that often lets them carry on even after receiving what would be a mortal wound. [1a]
If a warrior pleases Khorne, he may continue to bless his chosen so he might better carry out the will of the Blood God but perhaps only one cultist in a million may eventually step upon the path to becoming a Daemon Prince. Even death may not not end their service, when Valkia the Bloody perished in battle, the blood god rebuilt her broken body, raising her from death and making her part daemon prince, so that she would never fall again. [1a]
Temples
There are no known temples to Khorne with battlefields and the sites of massacres being regarded as his holy places. His worship is accompanied by little ceremony and often the only prayer his followers utter is to bellow “Blood for the Blood God” as they charge into battle. [1b]
Weapons and Equipment
Warriors of Khorne show their devotion through their dress, preferring their lords colours of black, brass and red. Many forgo the use of shields in favour of a second hand weapon or a massive two-handed weapon whilst their banners are brass bound icons decorated with dismembered body parts and soaked in arterial blood. The skull rune of Khorne is bourne proudly on their standards and embossed on their breastplates. [1b]
Gallery
Cultist
Cultist of Khorne
Warrior of Khorne
Champion of Khorne
Sources
