Nurgle (WAR Lore)
Nurgle, the Lord of Pestilence, is the god of disease and decay. Within the Realm of Chaos his domain covers the forces of destruction, despair, and all things putrid and unclean. He is known also as Grandfather Nurgle and the Lord of Decay.
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Manifestation
The Lord of Flies manifests himself as a huge, bloated humanoid, covered with boils and sores, his body completely rotten from disease. His sickening, pus-covered form is accompanied by an enveloping cloud of buzzing flies.
Cult of Nurgle
Mortal followers of Nurgle
As opposed to the other Lords of Chaos, many of Nurgle's followers do so by no choice of their own. The taint of Nurgle spreads readily among beast and humanoid alike, and the awful ailment known as Nurgle's Rot may strike even the strongest and cause him to be outcast as a leper.
Despite the nature of his influence, Nurgle takes an interest in victims of the diseases he unleashes (which he considers to be gifts), jovially caring for them in a manner similar to a loving grandfather; for this reason he is frequently referred to as Grandfather Nurgle or Papa Nurgle. This also causes some that would have otherwise never been infected to seek out disease and even poison themselves to earn his favor.
As the god of disease and decay, Nurgle's followers are often equally interested in the spread of disease. His followers become infected with horrific diseases which cause them to appear bloated and rotting. His champions become so mutated and putrid that they are impervious to pain and almost impossible to injure.
While equally powerful as Khorne or Tzeentch when his plagues are at their peak, Nurgle's strength tends to wax and wane much more than that of the other Chaos Lords, leaving him with little or no army one day and unstoppable hordes of rotting followers the next.
Daemons of Nurgle
The diseases of Nurgle lend themselves well to the creation of chaos daemons, and his host is by no means insignificant.
- Nurglings are tiny, mischievous daemons, resembling a miniaturized version of Nurgle himself. They normally appear in large numbers, forming swarms which accompany armies dedicated to Nurgle. Occasionally very dedicated champions of Nurgle will become infested with Nurglings, which will live in gaping wounds and orifices on the champion's body; when the champion comes under attack, these will help defend their "home".
- Plaguebearers are rotting, wasted creatures of vaguely humanoid size and appearance, with a single burning eye. Flies continually buzz around them, therefore making them more difficult to fight. The many diseases carried by these daemons can be used to terrible effect during battle.
- Great Unclean Ones are massive, bloated disease carriers, whose decaying flesh bulges with corpulent cancers. They usually carry a massive, rusted blade known as a "Plague Sword" into battle, said to be dipped in the foul pus and contagion at the base of Nurgle's throne. They generally act as the leaders and father figures for the other daemons, epitomizing Nurgle's joyful, paternal nature.
Miscellaneous
In the eternal struggle for power amongst the Chaos Lords, Nurgle's primary adversary is Tzeentch. Nurgle represents forces of destruction, his worshipers following him out of despair at being infected with his plagues; Tzeentch is a god representing evolution and building grand schemes, whose worshipers following him out of hope of gaining power and other rewards. This antagonistic relationship has an effect upon the nature of the armies that are dedicated to either god.
Nurgle's sacred number is seven. He is represented by the colors of green and brown, generally the putrid variations of each.
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