To many fans of Warhammer 40,000, one of the most appealing aspects of the game is its vast well of lore. Nearly everything in Warhammer is steeped in excess and is significantly more powerful than one may anticipate at first glance. Each faction has sizable chunks of lore for fans to digest, with no two factions being close to the same, even if they derive from the same planet or race. Of the beings in Warhammer’s lore, none are as big a threat to life within the universe as the forces of Chaos.
Chaos is made over and ruled by the four Chaos Gods: Khorne, the god of violence and war, Nurgle, the god of rot and death Slaanesh, the god of excess and pain, and Tzeentch, the god of change and the weaver of fate. As few beings in Warhammer as dangerous or influential in the lore of Chaos, we’re going to examine ten things that you probably didn’t know about these Chaos Gods!
10 Not All Bad
Though the Gods are each viewed as some of the most central antagonists in Warhammer 40,000, they are not pure evil, with each having access to a corresponding positive trait. While Khorne may be a ruthless god of war and violence, he is also a god of honor, and would never perform in act of dishonesty or deception in combat. Similarly, though Tzeentch is a scheming god of fate and change, he is also the god of hope, and while Slaanesh may be the god of pain, they also serve as the god of positive emotions such as happiness. Lastly, while Nurgle may be the god of death, this territory also allows him to let others accept the finality of death.
9 Reflections Of The People
As inter-dimensional beings that reside in a space known as the Warp, the Chaos Gods are intrinsically tied to the consciousnesses of all sentient life in the universe. This allows them to serve as the reflections of those who inhabit the universe.
However, as the future of Warhammer 40,000 is one of the most heinous universes in all of fiction, with the lives of the people overcome with corruption and violence, the Gods in turn parallel said corruption and violence. This is why the majority of the time in Warhammer, the more positive aspects of these gods are not seen.
8 The Never-Ending Plans Of Tzeentch
The most Lovecraftian of the Chaos Gods of 40,000, the scheming Tzeentch is said to be incomprehensible in nature, with plans that are so vast and deeply rooted in history that no living being can understand them fully.
First and foremost, as the god of Scheming, Tzeentch will do anything to continuously sustain and extend his schemes. This means that he is willing and driven to ensure that conflicts to last indefinitely- even at his own detriment, as long as he can continue to scheme.
7 Khorne And Conflict
As the god of war and violence, Khorne simply wants blood to flow, and he does not care where the blood comes from. As long as another faction or being exists, Khorne seeks to draw out trial by combat, ensuring a battle ensues and only the strong survive. For this reason, allying one’s self with a Khorne-based faction can be a pretty risky endeavor, as once a common threat is defeated, they will likely look to turn their weapons elsewhere.
6 Nurgle’s Surprisingly Pleasant
For being the god of death, decay, pestilence, and disease, Nurgle is a surprisingly pleasant individual. Often noted as possessing a warm personality, deriving great pride and happiness from the work of his followers. While a god like Tzeentch is quite likely to trick and curse his followers in the manner of a monkey’s paw, Nurgle seeks to reward his followers (albeit through potent diseases).
5 Origins Of Slaanesh
Despite the Chaos Gods’ status as otherworldly deities, in the grand scheme of the universe, Slaanesh isn’t particularly old.
Remember how we mentioned that the power and forms these gods take reflect those of sentient life in the universe? Well, the Eldar are an alien race that, due to their advanced technology and opulence, were once the most depraved and hedonistic beings in the universe, giving into even their darkest desires. Eventually, giving into such depravity and debauchery on a planetary scale, caused Slaanesh to be born!
4 Blame The Eldar
As mentioned, the Eldar are the faction that are directly responsible for the birth of the Chaos God Slaanesh. Prior to Slaanesh’s existence, however, the forces of Chaos primarily stayed relegated to the warp. However, following the creation of a fourth brand new god, the balance of these gods was thrown completely out of whack, causing them to become much more proactively violent across the universe. While nearly every faction in Warhammer is responsible for their fair share of inter-galactic problems, much of the daemonic threats can be traced back to the Eldar.
3 Not The Best Of Friends
While the four Chaos Gods are often allied together, their relationships with each other aren’t all sunshine and rainbows. In fact, these gods do get along particularly well and detest what the others stand for. For example, as the god of death, Nurgle seeks eternal stagnation, while as the god of fate and change, Tzeentch is pursuing the exact opposite universal outcome.
2 The Great Game Of Chaos
While these Chaos Gods can put their differences aside on occasion, they view the others as rivals and obstacles to overcome as they compete against each other in what they call “The Great Game of Chaos.” Within their home, the warp, these chaos have eternally warred against each other, attempting to prove their superiority, and prove that they are fit to control the entirety of the universe.
1 More Than Just The Four
Though Khorne, Nurgle, Slaanesh, and Tzeentch are the most prominent and most popularly Gods of Chaos in the universe of Warhammer 40,000, there are other, lesser-known Choas Gods. One of the most notable of these lesser gods in Malice, the god of anarchy and terror. While not as powerful or influential than his contemporary gods, a chapter of Chaos Space Marines known as the Sons of Malice are known to worship this god.
NEXT: 19 Best Games To Play on Steam’s Tabletop Simulator
