Khorne

BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE! - The Chant of Khorne

Introduction

Khorne, also known as Kharnath, and Arkhar, Khorgar, Kjorn, Khar, the Bloody Handed, the Axefather, the Bloodwolf, the Wolf-Father and 8791 other names, is the Chaos God of war, rage, wrath, battle, martial honour and excellence at arms. He is commonly held to be the strongest Chaos God by default, and is associated with wolves and powerful hunting dogs, as well as lions and bulls. For another reason that is likely inspired by occultism, Khorne's sacred number is eight - and thus, his followers tend to organize themselves into groups of eights and its multiples.

Khorne, by virtue of being the most powerful Chaos God, is also the most powerful general divinity in both iterations of Warhammer. In both versions of Warhammer, his followers are characterized by an overbearing need to spill blood and engage in honest battle, as well as a violent code of martial honour and an 'only the stron survive' approach to morality. They tend to be dutiful, as well.

Khorne also has the distinction of being the only Chaos God whose word you can take at face value. Many smarmy 40K fags just getting into the hobby belive him and his followers to be dim; but they don't realize that disdain for scheming and backstabbing isn't the same as being stupid. Nor do they realize that overcomplicating things is actually the worst thing a planner do.

Appearance

Khorne is described as resembling a giant warrior clad in red armour, with a massive battle-axe and a winged helm that conceals a snarling face like that of a wolf.

Of course, most artists at GW forget that he's supposed to look a giant Chaos Warrior and instead make him look like an overgrown Bloodthirster on a chair. A chair from which he often gazes down on his followers fighting and making merry and quaffing blood-mead like a certain war-god venerated by a race of tall, powerfully built, war-loving white people who dwell in an icy land north and east of the British Isles.

Khorne and His Worship

Khorne is the easiest god ever to worship. Where other more pussified gods may demand you to memorize overly long prayers and hymns, or to build huge houses of worship and other such gay bullshit, Khorne is venerated with one thing and one thing only. The time honoured tradition of hack'n'slash.

Khorne is worshiped on the battle field. His hymns are the sound of steel on steel, his prayers are the blows of hammer and axe and the bellowing of 'Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull throne!".

In essence, you worship Khorne by being a good warrior. And as a warrior, you'll find your interests and his tend to generally align; he wants death but isn't picky on who, and you want to live to fight another day. Thus, the mere act of perserving your life will earn the pleasure of the god of death. Ironic, no?

However, Khorne is one of those honourable war-gods. So don't think that beating your enemies by sheer strength and skill and aggression will make him happy. And for the love of Sigmar/Empra, don't try to cheat by picking fights with the weak or helplesss or by giving him baby skulls. Khorne expects a form of savage, Viking-esque dignity from his followers and for them to be generally badass, this means you have to fight worthy opponents and those generally able to at least hold up a sword. After the manly enemies are out of the way; gorge yourself on the blood of women and children all you want.

Aside from that, Khorne has no commandments whatsoever. But deviating from the aformentioned in the slightest is begging for the Flesh-Hounds to tear your ass apart.

Such as it is, it would be incorrect to think Khorne doesn't have priests dedicated to him. Though, being a warrior god, these priests tend to be warriors themselves and are often marked by their god. In essence, the only difference between them and a Chaos marauder/Space Marine is several pounds of armour. In Warhammer Fantasy, these priests are called 'Bloodfathers', and in lieu of magic that is gifted to their priests by other gods, Khorne just gives HOLYSHITAWESOME fighting skills and visions of bloodshed.

Khorne is also venerated by working brass into your armour and weapons and donning fashionable high collars. Occasionally, a warrior so pleases Khorne that he gifts him with specially made ones that in addition to looking fabulous can also grant total fucking immunity to magic.

Anyway, Khorne is worshiped by warriors, generals and basically anyone who likes battle. His chosen Space Marines legion is of course the World Eaters, in Warhammer Fantasy, the Norscans tend to venerate him with the greatest piety, especially the Aesling tribe, who are Khorne's most devouted servants in Fantasy.

Khorne and other Chaos gods

As a rule, Khorne despises Slaanesh because he's an effeminate milk-sop who can't grow a beard or swing an axe like he's got a pair, and also because he personifies acting outwardly (ie: seeking the deaths of others), while Slaanesh acts inwardly (ie: pleasuring himself). Khorne also finds Slaanesh's obsession with luxury and torture wasteful and dishonourable.

Khorne hates Tzeentch also, though they are not fundamental rivals, because his reliance on magic is seen as a sign of weakness and his desire not to face his foes in person is decried by Khorne as cowardly. Khorne sees his penchent for deceit and trickery as dishonourable.

Khorne hates Nurgle also, because the fat fuck doesn't even try to get shit done. Thus, his embodiment as sloth runs contrary to the active, vital aspect of Khorne.

In short he hates everyone. And they hate him too. Except Nurgle, whose too nice to hate anyone.

His portrayal in Warhammer Fantasy

He's Odin.

No that's it. Get the fuck out; he's an axe-crazy, psychopathic, daemonic version of Odin.

Oh? Oh? You want details you balls-less cunt lapper? Is that it?

Fine. Let's get this over with.

Well, for one thing, Chaos worshipers in Warhammer Fantasy actually are Vikings. Read about them here. Secondly, Khorne is closely associated with wolves in that setting (one of Odin's names literally translates to 'Battle Wolf'), and even has a wolf-like pet in Karanak. Idiots/and/or Greeks like to think that Karanak is actually Cerberus, but these people tend to forget that Cereberus was a guardian of a place - something which Karanak is not. Karanak is simply a pet that Khorne keeps for amusement and an occasional hunting companion. Thus, fulfilling a role similar to Freki and Geri, or more closely, Garmr.

Another point of similarity is that both Odin and Khorne they are war gods explicitly connected with Berserker rage, and they are thus in exactly the same way in that they bestow it. Additionally, they have their own warrior-cults associated with them who fight with said rage that is gifted to them by their gods. Odin's Olfhednar are practically the same as Khorne's Chosen in both form and function.

Additionally, thanks to Valkia, Khorne also has his own Valkyries to further the similarity between him and Odin. This was inevitable, of course, given that the Warriors of Chaos are indeed an evil version of the Vikings as has already been stated. It should also be noted that Valkia's similarity to the Valkyries is not a superficial one. She is actually referred to as 'the Sword-Maiden of the Blood God' in the WoC codex, and is Khorne's Choser of the Slain who carries those worthy champions and warriors of his to fight on in the Blood God's halls after death.

Finally, we got a glimpse of his neck of the Realm of Chaos in the Valkia novel written by Sarah Cawkwell. It was basically Chaos Valhalla.

Fun Khorne facts

In the grim darkness of the far future, there is still time for tea....

A very fun Khorne fact would be, HE'S FUCKING SICK OF THESE SHITTY SECTIONS FESTERING ON EVERY CHAOS GOD'S PAGE.

What the fuck? Do you inbred fatherless scumbags actually think that these over-written parts of the articles are funny? Do you not instead realize that they are simply a tired succession of unfunny jokes about old memes? Who care about METAHL BAWKZEZ anymore? To think! You could have used these sections to catalogue actual information! Like a description of his mutations! His Champions! His daemons! Quotations! Events! But no.

Seriously, fuck anyone who contributed to that list.

Gallery

• HERE'S A PICTURE OF HIM in Warhammer Fantasy, I know, you probably enjoyed your own prior conception)
• AND ANOTHER ONE!
• AND A NEW ONE!

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  Khorne's followers off the battlefield.

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  Waffles for the Blood God!

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  Khorne's trainers prefer violent Pokémon.

• 

  Would have been a somewhat adequate picture, had they taken the right photographs of the actual Berzerkers. Lulz.

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  Mark of Khorne.

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  Khornette

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  Just as Planned. Always as Planned.

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  Khorne's 'rivalry' with Slaanesh is not what it seems...

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  Khorne wants to know why the drawfags never give them noses.

See also

• Brass
• Berserker - Chaos Space Marines with Axes.
• Angron - Daemon prince of Khorne, also Primarch of World eaters
• World Eaters
• Khârn the Betrayer - A pretty fun guy to be around with.
• Sorcerers of Khorne - Double heresy!
• Doombreed - One angry son of a bitch.
• This pretty much sums up his forces. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-gSJW3sHXE&feature=channel_video_title
• Khorne is underpowered in 40k

The Chaos Gods of Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Fantasy
Four Main Chaos Gods:	Khorne - Nurgle - Slaanesh - Tzeentch
Other Gods of Chaos:	Archaon - Hashut - Horned Rat - Nuffle Malal - Morghur - Necoho - Zuvassin
Chaos Gods of Law:	Alluminas - Arianka - Solkan the Avenger