Khorne, also known as the Blood God and the Lord of Skulls, is one of the four gods of Chaos Undivided in Games Workshop's Warhammer and Warhammer 40k settings. He is the god of blood, war and murder and his domain of the mind is the most basic and brutal emotions , including anger, hate, rage, war and killing. Khorne is also depicted as a god of martial pride and honor, with an intense hatred of cowardice. It is said that he sends his personal flesh hound Karanak after anyone who attempts to flee the field of battle.
The Mark of Khorne
Khorne rivals Slaanesh, the former seeing the latter as decadent and excessive, and the latter seeing the former as brutish and boring. Khorne demands bloodshed and self-sacrifice, whilst Slaanesh demands self-indulgence, with bloodshed being a means to an end. Additionally, whilst Slaanesh's followers indulge in causing pain for the sake of pain, Khorne's followers treat pain as merely a side-effect of killing in the Blood God's name. Khorne also has his own rivalries, though not as great as that with Slaanesh, with both Tzeentch and Nurgle. With Tzeentch, this rivalry is born out of Khorne's hatred of magic, but also out of the Changer of Ways habit of amusing himself at Khorne's expense, like a particularly sadistic child taunting an equally as vicious dog. Meanwhile, his rivalry with Nurgle is born out of the Plaguefather's passivity. Nurgle believes his goals can be achieved in the long term, whilst Khorne demands immediate action.
Appearance[]
As a being of the Immaterium, Khorne's true form is beyond mortal comprehension. However, he consistently takes on the appearance of a blood-drenched warrior. Whilst the depictions of this warrior are as numerous as his followers, Khorne's favoured form is that of a hundred-foot tall warrior, his head that of a snarling warhound, it's snout bloodstained and lined with teeth the size of icebergs. His baroque armour appears to be made of brass, though it's existence in the Immaterium suggests that it is not the same brass as one would find in the mortal realms, and his helm is adorned with the skulls of kings and conquerors. His hands are adorned with brass rings, and each of these bears the skull of a lesser god Khorne has personally slain. He is the only one of his brothers to be depicted with a weapon, a great two-handed sword known by many names, including Ender of Worlds, Allslaugther, Woebringer, Warmaker, and the End of All Things.
Followers of Khorne[]
Daemons of Khorne[]
Khorne's daemons are perhaps the closest to traditional demons and devils in appearance. Many of them share in the cloven hooves, red skin and horns commonly attributed to demonic entities. His footsoldiers, the Bloodletters, wade into battle with flaming hellblades and blood-drinking axes that would require two hands for the average human to wield. His beasts are limited, especially in comparison to those of the other gods - flesh hounds and juggernauts of Khorne. The flesh hounds, as their name suggests, take on the form of huge, daemonic hounds, their features a mix of wolf and reptilian, and serve as hunting dogs, their prey any who would oppose the Blood God. Juggernauts, meanwhile, are collossal creatures of demonic flesh and steel plate, their blood liquid fire. These creatures are the steeds of Khorne's cavalry, both mortal and daemonic, but such is their own temper and rage that only the greatest of champions can survive long enough to tame one.
Bloodthirsters are the greater daemons of Khorne, greatest of his daemonic servants, and bear the closest resemblence to traditional demons out of all their lord's daemons. Towering over all, these creatures bear their Lord's canine face, as well as a pair of leathery, bat-like wings. In battle, their weapons are determined by which of the Eight Hosts they belong to, of which only four are known. Those of the Eighth Host, known as Bloodthirsters of Unfettered Fury, wield a colossal axe and daemonic whip, whilst those of the Sixth Host, the Bloodthirsters of Insensate Rage, wield greataxes so large, even a daemon of their size must use both hands to fight effectively. The Third Host, known as the Wrath of Khorne, share the Eighth Host's whip, but replace the axe with a Bloodflail. Finally, the First Host, the Exalted Bloodthirsters, are Khorne's eight greatest champions, and are given the honour of choosing what weapon they shall wield in battle.
Warhammer[]
Khorne's mortal followers are different to the cults of the other gods, as they are warriors first and foremost. Whilst there are some, such as the Cult of the Crimson Skull, who attempt to infiltrate society (particularly military installations), most live on the outskirts of society, where their violent worship of the Blood God can avoid detection and proliferate unimpeded. As a god of war, Khorne is worshipped more so amongst the Norscan tribes and warbands of Chaos than any of his brothers. Amongst the beastmen tribes, those who dedicate themselves to the Blood God are known as Khorngors.
Magic is despised by the Blood God, and very few sorcerers exist amongst his followers. The majority of sorcerers amongst Khorne's followers are sacrifices, the act of slaughtering wizards being something Khorne highly approves of, with the remainder being devoted to one of the other gods (usually Tzeentch) and only using Khorne's followers for their own schemes.
Warhammer 40,000[]
Khorne's mortal followers range from assorted cults to mighty legions of Chaos Space Marines, the most notable of which being those formerly of the the World Eaters. Once known as the War Hounds, the Twelfth Legion would change their name upon being reunited with their Primarch Angron. However, after their fall to Chaos, the World Eaters would become more and more fractured, their leaders devolving into feral beasts thanks to the psycho-surgical implant known as the Butcher's Nails that many of them willingly suffered through. These problems would come to a head in the Legion Wars with the Emperor's Children, and would lead to the World Eaters being a legion in name only, broken up into countless warbands, only uniting sporadically and under Angron, the only one able to command the entirety of the legion as something approaching a cohesive force.
Like his brethren, Khorne's followers also include several traitor titan legions, knight houses and mortal armies. Notable amongst these mortals are the Blood Pact. Unlike most Chaos cults, and especially those linked to Khorne, the Blood Pact weren't an assorted rabble of warriors, but a united force, more akin to the Imperial Guard. Originating on the planet Ghourra as the personal forces of the Gaur (the tribal chief of the people of Ghourra), the Blood Pact came to notoriety during the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, as the elite forces of the archon Urlock Gaur. Though the name would be erroneously used by the Imperium to refer to all who fought for the Forces of Chaos during the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, it specifically referred to those who were "blood-pacted" to Urlock Gaur, a ritualistic act which involved gashing open a hand on the Gaur's armour, both in service to the Gaur and the Blood God. Though originally little more than bodyguards, the current Blood Pact numbers in the thousands, with estimates placing them at three quarters of a million, and all members are expected to go through with this ritual, the Gaur personally overseeing all aspirants induction.
Age of Sigmar[]
Khorne's followers are split between several loose conglomerates of warriors, officially united under one of three groupings. The Blood Legions represent Khorne's daemonic hosts, whilst his mortal followers are counted amongst the Skullfrays, representing the Khorne-aligned members of the Beastmen Greatfrays and the Blades of Khorne (formerly the Khorne Bloodbound), representing his human followers. Each of these forces serves the Blood God loyally, seeking out his enemies in the Mortal Realms. Additionally, a tribe amongst the Blades of Khorne, known as the Claws of Karanak, worships the daemonic flesh hounds, and especially the three-headed hound Karanak. This tribe of warriors forgoes their humanity, utilising animalistic grunts and growls instead of language, and eschewing armour, in an effort to honour Khorne's hunters. Additionally, the Claws of Karanak includes the beings known as the Hounds of Wrath - werewolf-like creatures who are created by first being possessed and then overpowering a flesh hound, allegedly feasting on the daemon's infernal flesh. After eight days of madness and pain, Khorne's blessing and curse warping their body and mind, the newly-formed Hound of Wrath comes loping back to the tribe, now a bestial creature resembling a hybrid of man and flesh hound.