“	My child. There is so much to tell you. I have run out of time. The sacrifice I made was not enough. The Dark Gods still feed on our trangressions. Corruption, Obsession, Deceit, Rage...you must face these Daemons.	„
	~ Warhammer III: Conquer Your Daemons.[1]

“	Daemons are the denizens of the Realm of Chaos. Created by the Dark Gods, they are sent forth to aid their mortal Champions in their campaigns to conquer the lands of civilised men. Some are mindless beings of pure animosity, whilst others are cunning and carefully plot the downfall of those they claim to serve. Daemons can be summoned, bound, compelled, and killed. They are beings of magic given form from our nightmares and fears. They exist only to bring about the end of all there is.	„
	~ Viktor Wechsler, Knight of the White Wolf.

Chaos Daemons also called Daemons of Chaos, Neverborns, Scions of the Dark Gods, Fiends of Chaos or simply Daemons or Fiends, are the immortal legions of Chaos and the fell beings that populate the Realm of Chaos. They come in endless varieties, enough to boggle the mind and defy the boundaries of the human imagination. However, the most common daemons are scions of the Ruinous Powers: Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle, and Slaanesh.

The mortal warriors of chaos are called the Hordes of Chaos or Beasts of Chaos.

Overview[]

“	The Four Powers each have their own pantheons of daemons and other servants, ranging from Greater Daemons to Mortal Servants.	„
	~ The Lost and The Damned

The most fearsome servants of the Chaos Gods are their daemons, each a sliver of divine will loosed upon the world of mortals. Too do these beings play the Great Game, acting as pieces upon an endless board as the Gods move and counter each other for eternity in an attempt to usurp one another and lay claim to all there is.^[2] The Legions of Chaos are endless. There is no limit to their numbers. They are born from the will of their masters and exist to serve them.Though there are countless varieties, each unique in their awfulness, many serve particular Dark Gods, and their names reverberate in myth and legend. They are the enemies of mortals. They are what Champions of Chaos aspire to be. They are Chaos incarnate.In the Realm of Chaos, the Dark Gods wage war against each other, pitting legions of unruly forms against one another in a game of perpetual conflict. Flitting through the queer battlefield, composed of colours only the mad can envision, are their slaves, the Daemon host carved from the raw stuff of Chaos by the immense will of the Ruinous Powers.^[3]

There is a failure of comprehension between the Daemons of Chaos and the mortals that they visit ruin upon. Each fiend is driven by the divine spark of his patron and they view the chaos they bring as gifts given to the people of the mortal realm. They are somewhat preturbed, then, when mortals raise armies to battle them, but that dies away quickly as all daemons have a love for fighting as warriors and weapons in the eternal war that is the Great Game. The Plague daemons of Nurgle so enjoy their illnesses and afflictions and so wish to spread them among to the healthy so that they may also enjoy them and Nurgle's endless love. The Slaaneshi view the sensations and torment they inflict upon mortals as philanthropic gifts, reacting with anger or disappointment when they are rejected. Tzeentchians are given to ennui and boredom, which is part of what drives their mischief, and believe that the staid and static nature of the world's denizens must feel the same. Thusly, their mutating powers are the "cure" to such boredom, as much for them as for their victims. Only Khornate Daemons do what they do in the true spirit of selfishness. The fiends of Khorne are completely aware that their murders benefit no one but themselves. However, even if the Daemons do comprehend the harm they bring to the mortal world, they do not care on whit for those they hurt.^[4]

The Powers Infighting[]

The Ruinous Powers are immeasurably powerful beings, yet perhaps the greatest threat to their ascendancy is their rivalry with one another. Many of the setbacks and pitfalls they have faced over history could potentially have been overcome if Khorne, Nurgle, Tzeentch and Slaanesh could trust one another. Each of the Gods is all too aware of the world-splitting power that they possess, and this has become part of their problem. All four of the Ruinous Powers suffer from hubris. Each has become utterly convinced that its own methodologies are superior to the others and that its sick visions of the future are the destiny of the Old World. As a result of this hubris, each deity thinks that at least one, if not all, the others are supremely jealous of the power at its disposal. Jealousy breeds suspicion, and this distrust has filtered down to the various minions at the command of each of the Gods.^[5]

As a result, the forces of Chaos lack cohesion. During battles, the forces of Khorne are just as likely to lash out in a rage at the daemons and followers of Slaanesh as anyone else. In many ways, this is unsurprising, given that followers of a single God often fight with each other for superiority, but this lack of leadership and cohesion has clearly disadvantaged the Ruinous Powers. Although this division has been clearly proven through historical accounts over the centuries, various discredited reports and theories suggest an even greater level of conflict exists between the 4 four Gods. While his writings have been discounted as exaggerated works of epic fiction, Felix Jaeger has claimed that the extremes of the Northern Wastes are a perennial battlefield. He wrote that the snow had been turned red and that forces as far as the eye could see plunged into battle with no obvious cause or objective to the fighting. It was almost as if the Gods themselves sacrificed the lives of their followers by the million simply for prestige in their twisted playground.^[6]

Other more heretical writers have also hypothesized that the Realm of Chaos follows this pattern, but on a yet grander and still more violent scale, but this is surely not possible.^[7]

Sociology of the Daemonic[]

Chaos Daemons have traditions^[8] and even jargon specific to their groups.^[9] Though violence against fellow chaos worshippers and enemies of the gods is common, there are some individuals who even the blood-crazed, magic-loathing worshippers of Khorne would not even contemplate harming and these are the divine healers of the gods.^[10] Daemons of Chaos, though undoubtedly menacing to mortal creatures, can feel fear and even trauma after encounters with vicious mortals.^[11]

Types of Daemons[]

“	Daemons are the denizens of the Realm of Chaos. Created by the Dark Gods, they are sent forth to aid their mortal Champions in their campaigns to conquer the lands of civilised men. Some are mindless beings of pure animosity, whilst others are cunning and carefully plot the downfall of those they claim to serve. Daemons can be summoned, bound, compelled, and killed. They are beings of magic given form from our nightmares and fears. They exist only to bring about the end of all there is.	„
	~ Viktor Wechsler, Knight of the White Wolf

“	Every Daemon is a splinter of its divine master, a distorted reflection of mortal yearning, a shard of emotion and dark desire given form and licence to destroy. Thus does every Daemon reflect something of its master’s presence and personality.	„
	~ DAEMONS OF CHAOS: Legacy Army List

“	Slaanesh Daemons tend towards lewd and licentious behaviour, while Nurgle’s Daemons stink of death and decay. Khorne Daemons are extremely violent and prone to strange and excessive mood swings, while Tzeentch’s Daemons are cunning plotters, working nefarious plans that may take generations to reach fruition.	„
	~ Daemons of Chaos[12]

Though they are birthed of Chaos, there seems a strange order to the Daemon spawn of the Dark Gods. Scholars have identified types of Daemon, ranked by relative levels of power, and countless in number. Each seems unique in their awfulness, but they are also alike. There are distinct forms that arise to curse the Old World time and again, each foul type fulfilling a particular role in some unknowable master plan. There is no understanding the reasons for these Daemon breeds; there is simply the inscrutable way of Chaos. There are three loose groups of Daemons: Beast, Lesser, and Greater, though even these classifications do not encompass Exalted Daemons, Daemon Princes, or the myriad of the least of all fiends that lurk in the spaces between the realms of Ruinous Powers.

Daemon-Beasts of Chaos[]

Beasts are lowly fiends that exist only to serve the wishes and needs of mortal servants. Champions sometimes use them as steeds or as grunts in their armies. Their dim intelligence doesn’t make them any less dangerous, and in some ways it makes them more so, since they have no concerns for their own health and safety. Though it is possible to summon one of these creatures, they are more often sent into the mortal world by the Dark Gods. When bound to the service of a Champion or similar owner, they seem to be able to cross the borders between the Chaos Wastes and the Realm of Chaos with impunity, entering and leaving at will.

Lesser Daemons of Chaos[]

Lesser Daemons have the capacity for thought and reason, and they plot and plan in their ongoing effort to undo mankind’s morality. Though powerful and horrifying, most mortals can deal with them for short periods without compromising their sanity or lives. The most common forms of the Lesser Daemon are the Bloodletters, Daemonettes, Horrors of Tzeentch, and Plaguebearers. Most are mere footsoldiers, but some go on to reach heroic and heraldic status among their kin.

Greater Daemons of Chaos[]

“	Despite being manifestations of the Chaos God who created them, the Greater Daemons possess a will that far transcends the lesser Daemons they command, and each has its own quirks, nuances and aspirations. Whether goaded by a rival Chaos God or through their own greed and ambition, some Greater Daemons even harbour desires that directly contradict the plans of their master.	„
	~ Greater Daemons of Chaos[13]

The mightiest powers from the Realm of Chaos are the Greater Daemons, also called Greater Servants or the Firstborns of Chaos^[14]. While Exalted Daemons and Daemon Princes are forces of great power, they are as nothing when compared to the magnificence of the true Masters of Chaos. The Greater Daemons exemplify the qualities of their dark masters, most closely resembling those traits and characteristics mortals expect to find in the Dark Gods.

Bloodthirsters are the Greater Daemons of Khorne, Keepers of Secrets are the Greater Daemons of Slaanesh, Great Unclean Ones are Nurgle's Greater Daemons, and Lords of Change serve Tzeentch as his Greater Daemons. Verminlords are the Greater Daemons of the Horned Rat.

Daemons of Khorne[]

“	Blood for the Blood God! Souls for the Hunter! Skulls for the Skull Throne! Kill Them All!	„
	~ Warhammer III

Daemons of Khorne, called Khornate Daemons, are slivers of the Blood God's rage given form and thought, however little of the latter. They are commonly red skinned creatures, furnished with claws, teeth, and of course horns. These daemons are the most martial of them all and represent chaos in it's aspect of brute force, senseless violence, and overwhelming destruction. They are obsessed with murder and gathering skulls for their deity, adding them to the Skull Throne as physical proof of Khorne's dominance over foes. Like their God, Khornate Daemons find Slaaneshi daemons to be the most odious of fiends and have a special hatred and bloodlust for those pastel colored daemons. They also despise Tzeentchians, for those daemons embody magic and magic is the cowards weapon as far as Khornate Daemons view the world.

• Bloodletters are the primary Lesser Daemons are Khorne.
• Bloodthirsters are the Greater Daemons of Khorne.
• Flesh Hounds are Warbeasts of Khorne.
• Gorebeasts are the Chariot Beasts of Khorne.
• Juggernauts are the Daemonic Construct mount of Khorne.
• Bloodthrones and Skull Canons are Bloodletter mounted, semi-sentient constructs of Khorne.

Daemons of Tzeentch[]

“	The god of change, the Great Conspirator... Manipulate fate for Tzeentch!	„
	~ Warhammer III

Daemons of Tzeentch, called Tzeentchian Daemons or The Witchbreed^[15], are pieces of that scheming deity. Like their god, they are always duplicitious, lying comes as easily to them as breathing, and they take great joy in both. Tzeentchians are the most aethyrically apt of the daemons and even the lesser daemons can manipulate raw magic into weapons. They are martially capable, but view magic as their primary offensive force; blades and axes are simple details that can be added, or excluded, as needed. Intelligent and malevolent, these daemons embody change and where they tread they bring mutation and madness with them. Tzeentchians see nothing but pawns and puppets in other beings, even in other Tzeentchians. Tzeentchians daemons have rivals in the plodding, rotting forces of Nurgle and, to a lesser extent, the bestial and unsophisticated legions of Khorne.

• Horrors of Tzeentch, the pink or blue footsoldiers of Tzeentch.
• Flamers of Tzeentch are flame throwing daemons of Tzeentch.
• Discs of Tzeentch are daemon-creatures capable of flight that are sometimes owned by Sorcerors of Tzeentch.
• Screamers of Tzeentch areflying marine-esque creatures that are drawn to carnage and high emotion.
• Heirs of Change are small, bat-winged daemons who resemble Lords of Change. They are in constant motion, sowing discord and deceit within the mortal realms and realm of chaos alike.
• Lords of Change are the most aethyrically gifted of the Greater Daemons and gifted with no small amount of martial capability.

Daemons of Nurgle[]

“	The Urfather's legions march through a garden of blight and poxes — the stench of rot is unbearable for any mortal being. Swarms of black flies plague the environment and surround this world of death and pestilence. Accept the gift of affliction and enter the world of Nurgle!	„
	~ Enter the World of Nurgle[16]

Daemons of Nurgle, called Nurglish Daemons, are the servants of the Supreme Plaguelord whom they lovingly refer to as "Father" or "Grandfather". At the bidding of this paternal deity, they spread plague and pestilence, bringing misery in the form of malady and illness to the mortal realm and doing so with great joy and humour. Unique among the daemons, much of Nurgle's Legions were once mortals, but after falling victim to the incurable daemonic disease known as Nurgle's Rot, many woke up in the Garden of Blight as slaves, soldiers, and disease-counters of Nurgle. Nurglish daemons are renowned for their durability and can shrug off grevious wounds that would kill other daemons. They are the rivals to Tzeentchians, both in creed and intelligence; for these two duelling forces to put aside their differences, the odds must be truly long, and even then the legions of Nurgle and legions of Tzeentch are sure to bicker and fight.

• Plaguebearers are the Lesser Daemons of Nurgle.
• Great Unclean Ones are the Greater Daemons of Nurgle.
• Beast of Nurgle are the War Beasts of Nurgle.
• Nurglings are the Lesser Daemons of Nurgle, imp-like, numerous, and mischevious.
• Plaguedrones of Nurgle are the War Beasts of Nurgle, evolved from Beasts of Nurgle.

Daemons of Slaanesh[]

“	Brothers and sisters, rejoice! Pleasure beyond imagining awaits you! Desire, pride, pain! Excess in all things!	„
	~ N'Kari, The Arch-Tempter[17]

Daemons of Slaanesh, called Slaaneshi Daemons or Darklings, are the newest crop of Daemons in the warp amongst the Ruinous Powers. Quick, lithe, beautiful and disturbing, these pale daemons are given sinuous shape by the Dark Prince of Chaos. All daemons prey on mortals, but none moreso than Slaaneshi daemons, who are able to inspire, reveal, exacerbate the deepest and most immoral desires of mortalkind. They seek the willing submission of supplications through pleasure and seduction, but are just as willing to use pain and coercion to get their way. Those in the service of the Dark Prince long enough do not care to distinguish between the two. Battle is only a small piece of the sensations on offer in life, and the Slaaneshi explore every nuance with zeal. After Khornate Daemons, they are the most martial, fearing neither death, pain, or even defeat.Of all the Daemons, the Slaaneshi hold the Khornate fiends in highest contempt and find them to be the lowest form of daemon.^[18]

• Daemonettes are the Lesser Daemons of Slaanesh.
• Keepers of Secrets are the Greater Daemons of Slaanesh.
• Steeds of Slaanesh are the Warbeasts of Slaanesh, often ridden by Daemonettes.
• Fiends of Slaanesh are the warbeasts of Slaanesh.

Other Daemons[]

Independent Daemons[]

“	Independent Daemons are not the servants of one chaos god, but are their own masters. They may, however, join forces with the daemons of a particular god if it suits their plans.	„
	~ Independent Daemons (Slaves To Darkness)

Not all Daemons owe their existence to the gods of Chaos. Within the Warp, there are independent clusters of sentience tethered to no god. Though smaller than the powers, and obscure in comparison to them, they are fully conscious. These entities are likely to have a mortal origin and some unaligned Chaos Champions may even rise to become Daemon Princes. It is postulated that these unaligned entities are the original inhabitants of the Warp, perhaps older than even the Chaos Gods, and regard the 'shadow-selves' derived from the Mortal Plane as invasive and unwelcome.^[19]

• Some Daemon Princes are former mortals who are awarded Daemonhood or else rise without the blessing of a god. Chaos Daemons of Undivided, while they do exist, are rare after the betrayal of the Ruinous Powers by Be'lakor, the First Damned.^[20]

Least Daemons[]

There are more Daemons in the Realm of Chaos than those that serve the Ruinous Powers. Some exist in-between the domains of each of the Chaos Gods. While dangerous to mortals, they are small and insignificant compared to the might of the aligned Daemons. In fact, they skitter about the Realm of Chaos, food for the more potent forces. Some escape the plane of Chaos to plague the world of men—indeed, they often serve as familiars because they are too weak to resist mortal magic, though many suspect a more self-serving reason may be at heart, such as escaping the Realm of Chaos.^[21]

Because they do not serve any one Ruinous Power, any of the Dark Gods can use them. The longer a Daemon serves a power, the more it takes on that God’s characteristics: those who serve Khorne become red and warlike for example. In time, they might gain enough power and patronage to become indistinguishable from other servants of the Chaos Gods.^[22]

• Chaos Furies are wretched denizens of Chaos who owe their alliegance to no god. Craven and weak, though a match for most mortals, these daemons may warp physically when in the territory of a particular god.^[23]
• Imps are least among the least of lesser daemons, though they are unclaimed and eternally changing creatures, spawned a thought or concept. The only assume a stable form when claimed by one of the Dark Powers, in which they morph into a Fearling, Muse, Malice, or Bubo.^[24]

Daemons of the Horned Rat[]

The Daemons of the Horned Rat take the form of large, rodentine creatures with undeniable traits that betray their daemonic origin such as hooves, the ability to manipulate magic, and many long, curling horns. Unlike other Gods of Chaos there is only a single variety of them: the Verminlords. Verminlords are formed from mortal skaven, but can also be formed from the thoughts and schemes of the of the Horned Rat. Though of a lesser god, these daemons can challenge the legions of the more established gods and are said to be the most numerous in the Warp.^[25]

Daemons of Hashut[]

The Daemons of Hashut are fire elementals, summoned and then bound to a frame of iron and fell machinery created by the Chaos Dwarfs to do the bidding of their mortal masters. They are unique among daemons in that their forms are crafted by mortals rather than decided by the daemon itself. This makes them half-daemonic, half-construct.^[26]

Trivia[]

• Daemons are able to experience secondary trauma.^[27]
• Daemons have their own slang, similar to a given culture of mortals.^[28]
• Despite being largely malicious and selfish, Daemons are capable of positive emotions such as respect and even love towards others individuals, even mortals.^[29]
• Despite being ageless and immortal, Daemons are older and younger relative to one another. They are manifested into their master's service at difference points.^[30] For example, Amon'Chakai is the eldest of all the Lords of Change. Meanwhile, Manushya-Rakshasi is described as being a younger greater daemon.^[31]
• Just as the Gods can raise mortals to daemonhood, they can demote Daemons to mortality. Daemonettes Blixa, Ingwer, and Beatric Mittlemas were all members of Slaanesh's court who were demoted to demi-mortality for various offenses.^[32]

Gallery[]

References[]