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Daemon

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Chaos.png Chaos Portal
Daemons of Chaos.[7a]

Daemons, also known as Neverborn, are entities of the Warp, and servants of the Gods of Chaos. They are created at the whim of a Chaos god from a fraction of the god's own power and act as an extension of their will. A daemon's appearance and character reflect the god's own nature. These daemons may be reabsorbed into the god at whim.

Overview

Daemons are the creation of the Gods of Chaos, formed from their own essences. Of a somewhat different nature than their masters, they are the most numerous of the Warp's inhabitants and are thought to be near-infinite in number. A Daemon is "born" when a Chaos God expends a portion of its power to create a separate being, binding a collection of senses, thoughts, and purposes together. This essentially creates a consciousness and personality that can move within the Warp. The Chaos God can reclaim this form at any time, and this ensures the loyalty of the Daemon. Not all Daemons act entirely in accord with their masters, but even the greatest of them would not dare outright defiance. Though it may appear to be made of matter in the Materium, within the Warp a Daemon is no more physical than the rest of the Realm of Chaos.[16a]

Daemons battle Space Marines[16c]

Though Daemons eternally wage the Great Game against their counterparts of the other Chaos Gods within the Warp, they are known to unite when the interests of the Chaos gods align. Faced with the prospect of claiming mortal souls and spreading Chaos within the Materium, Daemonic armies will put aside their differences for a time to fight a greater foe.[16a]

Particularly strong Daemons can be formed through an especially powerful, cruel, emotional, or destructive act in the Materium being echoed back into the Warp. The time these acts take place matter not, for time does not exist within the Warp. Thus, Daemons can be active and even killed in the material realm long before the act that spawns them occurs.[23a][23b] Examples of such births are Samus[23a] and Drach'nyen[24].

Daemons in realspace

Being an entity of the Warp (a dimension of the immaterial) a daemon cannot exist for long periods of time in realspace, any more than a mortal can survive unprotected in warp space. There are a few ways a daemon can breach the walls separating warp from real space and gain entry into the mortal universe. Daemons can be fought in a physical sense whilst in realspace but are rarely killed, more frequently they are banished back into the warp to fester and brood until their next chance into realspace presents itself. Daemons who are banished back to the Warp often have their pride wounded and face mockery by their peers. In order to regain their form, the banished Daemon must remain in some sort of purgatorial state within its master's realm for an indeterminate period of time depending on the whims of their master and the circumstances of their banishment.

Exposure to even a single daemon can in some circumstances make humans who interact with them, be it in combat or otherwise, more sensitive to the Warp. Such individuals are easier for Psykers to influence, but also for daemons to possess.[22]

Possession

Instead of being summoned into real space, a daemon may enter the mind of a mortal (the mind of a psyker is the most susceptible to this), and turn the individual to its will and, through its host, affect reality. Some heretics offer themselves as hosts through daemonic pacts such as the Possessed Chaos Space Marines.[5]

Daemonic incursions

In order to enter real space in greater numbers Daemons need to use Warp rifts. These are breaches in the fabric of reality that can vary in nature and size. At times a Daemon can possess a mortal and turn him into a portal through which whole hosts can pass. These daemonic incursions can taint real space severely, often twisting and reshaping whole planets until they are lost and turned into Daemon Worlds.[7] It is not surprising that the Imperium's Daemonhunters are granted unlimited resources to deal with such threats.[5]

Notable past Daemonic Incursions include:

A Daemon of Slaanesh by Adrian Smith.[8]
Daemon Worlds throughout the galaxy

Types of daemon

Hierarchy of Chaos Daemons

Daemon Princes

The followers of Chaos try to gain the attention of their gods in order to gain terrible power and great rewards. Those striving in the way of their god are known as Chaos Champions, whose ultimate, driving goal is to transcend mortality by becoming a Daemon Prince.[3][6] Those who become Daemon Princes are counted among the most powerful creatures of Chaos, second only to the Chaos Gods themselves. However this path can just as easily lead to another extreme. Throughout the path to power, the Champion undergoes constant change until either the god judges him worthy of Daemonic ascension or his form finally is overcome by the accumulated mutations and he descends into a mindless Chaos Spawn.[6][7]

Greater Daemons

Greater Daemons are the most powerful of the Chaos Gods' servants. They act as wardens of their patron's realm and have authority over the lesser Daemons of their respective God. It is often they who lead Daemonic Incursions.[1][6][7]

Such is their might that they cannot simply be summoned like Lesser Daemons. A greater Daemon needs to possess a living body in order to manifest itself.[2][3][4]

Lesser Daemons

They are the foot soldiers of Chaos, building the core of the Daemonic Legions. They are usually anthropomorphic in appearance and possess a calculating, malevolent intellect.[3] Among the Daemons of Chaos they are ones most likely to answer the call of mortal heretics.[5]

Favored Lesser Daemons often become Daemonic Heralds for their respective Gods.[7b]

Daemonic Creatures

These more primal entities are lowest type and least intelligent of Daemons. They are often granted to other Daemons and occasionally, one of the Gods more powerful mortal followers. Daemonic Creatures can be further divided into Daemonic Beasts and Daemonic Steeds.[1]

Daemonic Beasts

Daemonic Beasts are driven by a feral intellect and commonly used as hunting beasts by Chaos forces.[1][3]

Daemonic Steeds

Daemonic Steeds are prized mounts for more experienced Champions of Chaos. Earning one of these creatures can be as dangerous as facing them in battle.

Unaligned Daemons

Apart from the four major powers that form the Pantheon of Chaos, there are numerous minor spirits in the Warp who are chaotic in nature too. The Gods tend to have less direct control over them.[3]

Daemonic Warbands

A Daemonic Horde.[10]

Daemons occasionally form together into groups, alliances, pacts, or covens known as warbands. The constant shifting loyalties of the Chaos gods means that no two invasions into real space are ever the same, and the Imperium has no reliable way of identifying warbands as survivors of such Daemon attacks are often rendered insane or the Inquisition is forced to sanction them.[9]

Daemonic Names

One of the few things all Daemons have in common is their True Name. Many names are rolling tides of unpronounceable syllables that can test the sanity of mortals. Nonetheless these names are highly prized. To have a Daemons name is to hold ultimate power over it, and so their bearers keep them secret even from each other.[16b]

To this end, use-names and titles are often utilized instead. These follow certain patterns. Khorne Daemons use-names are guttural and violent sounding, and those of Bloodthirsters are often composed of eight syllables or letters, like Khazdrak. Khornate names are also often descriptive, such as Skulltaker. Tzeentch Daemons are the most likely to change names and titles, for it often suits their need to do so. A Single Lord of Change may go by many different names and titles at any given time. Nurgle creations favor names with seven letters and their epithets are often grandiose or descriptive such as Feculux the Master Mucanoid. Slaaneshi Daemons use-names utilize sibilant sounds, such as Sslthri or Drya, while they have a preference for long-grandioise titles such as Exquisite Matriarch of Agonizing Death.[16b]

Notable Chaos Daemons

Khorne

Tzeentch

Nurgle

Slaanesh

Chaos Undivided/Unspecified

Development History

Originally in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, Chaos as a concept was not present. They were only introduced with the Realm of Chaos books published between 1988 and 1990.[36] After this point Chaos Daemons appeared within the Warhammer 40,000 setting, though as the case with today their miniatures were largely carried over from Warhammer Fantasy.[37] Grouped in with the greater Chaos Space Marine army for many years. Chaos Daemons received their first full exclusive Codex in 2008 with Codex: Chaos Daemons (4th Edition).[38]

Related articles

Sources

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Chaos
Gods of Chaos Khorne • Tzeentch • Slaanesh • Nurgle • Malice
Chaos Space Marines Traitor Legions • Daemonkin • Armoury • Warbands
Daemons Daemon Prince • Greater Daemon • Lesser Daemon • Daemonic Beasts • Daemon Engines • Daemonic Herald • Chaos Daemon Armoury • Daemon Weapons • Daemonic Gifts
The Lost and the Damneds Chaos Cult • Traitor Guard • Mutants • Beastmen • Rogue Psyker • Gellerpox Infected • Armoury
The Traitor Primarchs Alpharius/Omegon • Angron • Fulgrim • Horus • Lorgar • Konrad Curze • Magnus the Red • Mortarion • Perturabo
Notable Characters Abaddon • Ahriman • Blue Scribes • Changeling • Epidemius • Fabius Bile • Horticulous Slimux • Kairos Fateweaver • Ku'Gath • Typhus • Khârn • Lucius • Lufgt Huron • Be'lakor • M'kar • The Masque • Rotigus • Shalaxi Helbane • Skarbrand • Skulltaker • Syll'Esske • Vashtorr
Other Traitor Titan Legions • Chaos Knights • Dark Mechanicum • Chaos Space Fleet • Chaos Vehicles • Chaos Artefacts • Great Rift • Eye of Terror • Maelstrom • Warp
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