Khorne

The sole aim of Khorne is to bring about violent conflict and destruction on a galactic scale, an ambition readily fulfilled among the bloodthirsty and callous Lords of Askellon. Unlike others among the Ruinous Powers, the Blood God does not kill in order to bring about a further aim, but rather for the simple, visceral act of killing. In a sector where humanity has long been at war both with itself and with nigh every alien it encounters, there is no shortage of blood, pain, and anger, all of which flow directly to the foot of Khorne’s throne of burning brass and thereby swell his power within the Realm of Chaos. Of all the four Great Gods of Chaos, Khorne is the one that exerts the greatest influence over the material universe, for war is universal and has been since the moment the first sentient being raised a hand against another.

This is no less true in the Askellon Sector, which is as steeped in conflict as any other region in the Imperium. Those dedicated to the Blood God often organise themselves into martial orders, and in the Askellon Sector the long-established and deep-rooted noble classes are riven with such groups. The bulk of the members of many such orders have no idea what the group represents. Most represent themselves as pillars of virtue dedicated to upholding the ideals of honour, courage, skill, strength at arms, and other notions. Though outwardly positive and virtuous, such things are easily perverted into excuses for violence and conflict for its own sake. Ordo Hereticus Inquisitors have uncovered many warrior cults dedicated to the act of spilling blood, groups whose activities revolve around the gruesome offerings of skulls in an effort to earn Khorne’s blessings.

Khorne does not care whence blood flows, only that it flows. Daemons of the Lord of Skulls work first and foremost by this principle. They view all of reality and the Warp alike as a great conflict, and their goal is escalation, rather than victory. This focus on violent conflict sometimes makes the Daemons of Khorne seem brutish and stupid. However, the Blood God’s servants vary greatly in their intelligence. Daemonic beasts such as
Juggernauts take a direct approach to conflict, battering away all obstacles in their path, while rank-and-file Bloodletters draw their terrible Hellblades as their response to most situations. However, the more powerful of Khorne’s Daemons, such as the Heralds and Bloodthirsters—and especially some among his Daemon Princes — are quite capable of masterful tactics and even deft subterfuges.

A powerful Daemon of Khorne might allow a handful of enemies to escape a battle in order to draw out new foes, wagering that the loss of a paltry offering of skulls now might lead to a greater harvest in future engagements. The most cunning and arguably the most dangerous Daemons of Khorne are those who are willing to forgo collecting lives directly, but act solely to provoke and perpetuate conflict. These Daemons might foster
death cults within the heart of an Imperial hive, planting a seed that could claim millions of lives in the centuries to come, rather than some paltry thousands in an immediate struggle.

This devotion to bloodshed over victory in battle is also why defeating the Daemons of Khorne comes at so high a cost—simply confronting the Daemons in battle strengthens their master. For this reason, Daemons of Khorne do not fear their own destruction, seeking only to accomplish as much as possible before they too become an offering before their master’s throne.