Chapter VIII: Religion & Belief
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T here are numerous dark cults within the Empire. Often, these are rooted out by the Religious Orders, as these heretical groups are a threat to proper worship. Official forces, such as the Witch Hunters, are also employed to destroy these sects, as they threaten the law and order of the Empire. However hard they work, more cults spring up to take the place of the purged. The hearts of mankind seem fertile ground for the seeds of corruption. Though they come in a variety of forms, all these cults worship the Ruinous Powers, the unnameable Gods of Chaos. Worship of these Gods is outlawed throughout the Old World, but their influence, and that of their followers, is felt everywhere. The cultists of these Gods have rejected all that is decent and holy. There are those foolish enough to imagine they can be, say, Priests of Sigmar and secretly appeal to Chaos for forbidden pleasures. Before long, it becomes clear that they cannot be servants of two masters. Sometimes folk won’t realise they have joined a cult until it is too late. Many of these sects lure people in with false promises and then force or arrange some form of incrimination to keep their victims loyal. Some deny that there is any hint of heresy in their teachings and rites. Others may claim that they are truly following an official God, and that it is the Religious Orders that are mistaken. There are infinite variations, but broadly speaking, the following descriptions serve to cover most cults that the Witch Hunters bring to light. a esTheTIC C ulTs These cults are gatherings of artists, scholars, musicians and poets. Through worship of the Ruinous Powers they gain heretical inspiration, unnatural skill and undeserved popularity. Sometimes gathered around a central charismatic leader, these cults may thrive in These cults are gatherings of warriors, psychotics, thugs and murderers. Celebrating the ending of life, and the spilling of blood, the members of these cults gain unnatural strength, blood lust, and dark longings for death. Sometimes members of these cults will practice self- mutilation. C orrupTIon C ulTs These cults are formed from those that have found themselves twisted by Chaos. Grouping together for safety, these mutants often hold their secret corruptions as blessings in disguise. Sometimes these cults will seek to spread their mutations to others. d eaTh C ulTs cities and prosperous towns. b lood C ulTs
quest for youth, beauty, and new experiences. Many of these groups are not obviously cults, but normal seeming clubs and cliques. p olITICal C ulTs These cults are formed of guild members, merchants, politicians and all manner of public servants. Devoted to political ends, these cults use dark powers granted by their worship to uncover secret knowledge, destroy their opponents and seize power. Many of these secret societies are not obviously cults, hiding their dark foundations under many levels of initiation. T he g ods of C haos There are innumerable tales about the Ruinous Powers, as well as numerous epithets and titles for each of them. Folk fear to even mention these Gods, for to invoke their name is to call their attentions. Even the blasphemous cultists shrink away from uttering the names of their masters k horne The Blood God, the Skull Lord, the Master of Battle This Power is the angry and murderous God of Chaos. His great brass throne sits atop a mountainous pile of bones—the remains of his followers who have died in battle. He is the Hunter of Souls, who drives the great armies of Chaos before him. His thirst for blood and souls knows no end. Upon many a frozen night, his gore-flecked warriors have risen from the dark, to claim Skulls and Lives for his glory and dark delight. T zeenTCh The Changer of the Ways, the Master of Fortune, the Great Conspirator, the Architect of Fate This Power is the Lord of Change. He waits in a place where time runs soft and wax-like, magic wreathing his horned head like liquid smoke. Father of paradoxes and master of intrigue, he twists the strands of fate to his unknowable ends, blessing his followers with arcane power, and horrific mutations. n urgle The Lord of Pestilence, the Great Corruptor, the Master of Plague, the Fly Lord This Power is dedicated to the inevitable decay of all things. Spreader of disease and Father of Pox, Uncle Nurgle gathers all in his rotting embrace. His leperous kisses swell in the fullness of time, to glorious pus- flowers, the marks of his favoured children. His raddled laughter echoes about the crow-wracked battlefield, and whispers in the ear of the dying. s laanesh The Pleasure Lord, the Master, the Despoiler This Power is the hermaphroditic lord of hedonism. No pleasurable pursuit is too perverse for its followers. The Golden Haired God watches over the writhing flesh pits and ecstatic rites of its slaves, urging them on to greater depravity and debauch in its name. Under the gleaming gaze of this Prince of Lust, his servitors weave their wicked works, luring pure souls into heinous debasement. Lewd abandonment and unceasing delight are the bright snares of this God. Mutation and corruption are its lashes.
These cults are formed of those who are doomed. Either festering with disease, or fearing death, the members of these cults seek to please their masters by sowing death and sickness in others. Many of these cults hope that by doing this they will be last to die. p leasure C ulTs These sybaritic cults are often formed of the rich, the noble, and the aspiring middle class. Devoted to pleasures of the flesh and mind, these indulgent groups taste freely of all the forbidden fruits, in the
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