Ku'gath Plaguefather is a Chaos Daemon, a Great Unclean One that sits high in Grandfather Nurgle's sight. He is an antagonist in Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 and one of the four prime Greater Daemons, alongside N'kari the Arch-Tempter, Skarbrand the Exile, and Kairos Fateweaver.

Characteristics[]

Ku'gath has occupied a myriad of forms throughout his long existence, but is most recognizeable as the massive, parasite and decay-ridden carcass that characterizes a typical Great Unclean One. His skin is a sickly green, rife with open wounds, boils, and a wide maw of teeth cutting across a massive and rotting gut. Ku'gath's antlers are great branching things, asymmetrical and more impressive than that of his kin. He is often sat upon a great palanquin, which is carries around by nurglings.

What sets Ku'gath apart from other Daemons is his demeanor. Most Daemons of Nurgle are jolly and jovial, but the Plaguefather is more detatched. 40,000 further characterizes him as a sorrowful and worry-prone being, quick to become irritable. He is a extremely rare depressive Nurglish Daemon, who hates music and the irrepresible giggling and jollity of his kin.

Biography[]

In Warhammer Fantasy[]

Priding himself on his scientific detachment, Ku'gath Plaguefather is the most willing of all Nurgle's daemons to enter the world of mortals and actually prefers it to the Realm of Chaos. Relatively untroubled by the raging Great Game, this Great Unclean One is more interested in breeding new and virulent strains of life in the form of plagues. This is a somewhat controversial desire, as many Nurglish Daemons believe the creation of plagues to be Nurgle's province alone. Heralds and Greater Daemons of Nurgle are only meant to spread what already exists, in their belief, and this has brought Ku'gath in conlict with many of his own kin. Three Great Unclean Ones, known as the Afflicted Shroud, took steps to prevent Ku'gath from creatinga anymore plagues. Led by Grand Paraoxus, the trio would underestimate the Plaguefather and be defeated by an endless tide of Ku'gath's own Nurglings. The Plaguefather had concocted a Plague to fell even his own Great Unclean One kin! Grand Paraoxus would survive, but would be persued by the vengeful Plaguefather.^[2]

The two would meet again at Grand Cathay, in the central provinces, but their tresspasses and the decaying affect of their presence on the crops and people of the region would anger the resident Dragon Emperors. Li Dao, Zhao Ming, and Yuan Bo would interfere in the sibling squabble, laying both greater Daemons low with dragon fire. Ku'gath was untroubled by the death as he was now free to pursue Grand Paraoxus freely within the Realm of Chaos.

His ultimate goal is a perfect disease, one that can infect the gods themselves. His nurglings carry him to and fro, from battlefield to battlefield, as these are prime testing grounds for his experiments. He is attended by other Daemons and all of them originate from the Plaguefather's own plague-cauldron. In battle, Ku'gath will hurl his own Nurglings into battle where they explode and drench the enemy in disease-ridden fluids.

Back in Nurgle's garden, the Plaguefather secretly bases his operation in Nurgle's own manse. Whenever he breaks into the mortal realm, he is sure to acquire ingredients-- skaven bladders, mortal blood, and other foul things with which to make a awful plague even worse. The only thing that provokes Ku'gath to anger is Dwarf-kind. These Dawi are quite resilient to plague and due to this they have garned the Plaguefather's ire. On top of this, Ku'gath was defeated in battle when he battled with the Dwarfs at Kazaz-a-Karak. Whenever he creates his perfect plague, it will be the Dawi who become Ku'gath's first test subjects.^[3]

Ku'gath dwells within the Gallows Tree on the Mortal Plane.^[4] He was also involved in a Wager between the gods, losing on Nurgle's behalf and being banished to the Forge of Souls for the failure.^[5][6]

The End Times[]

Ku'gath participated in the End Times. He was summoned by Festus the Leechlord, the two Worshippers of Nurgle cooperating into order to bring ruin to the mortal plane.

In Warhammer 40,000[]

Ku'gath began existence as a lowly Nurgling, a mite upon Nurgle's mountainous shoulders. As Nurgle mixed his most virulent plague ever, Ku'gath tumbled and fell within the brew. Whilst inside, the tiny Nurgling took a great draught of the fetid mixture and swelled with it's power, becoming the physical embodiment of the Perfect Plague. He grew into a mighty Great Unclean One and while Nurgle was unpreturbed by the antics of his daemon-child, Ku'gath felt he had robbed the Fly Lord of his greatest creation. Thus, he angled his existence towards creating the plague that made him the daemon he is currently.^[7] His Nurglings are occassionally mirrors of his sombre personage; Ku'gath spares them an existence of despair by eating these particular Nurglings, wishing Nurgle had done the same to him.^[8]

Studious, sombre, and observant, Ku'gath is a well-traveled Greater Daemon bent on his mission, seeking ingredients and sickness. He is in essence a mobile laboratory, attended by servants and carried to and fro by straining Nurglings. Once Nurgle's favorite Daemon, he fell from this place after the Plague Wars and was replaced by Rotigus Rainfather.

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