In Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Fantasy fictional universes, Chaos refers to the often stereotypically malevolent entities which live in some sort of parallel universe, known as the Warp in Warhammer 40,000 and as the "Realm of Chaos" in Warhammer Fantasy. The term "Chaos" can refer to these warp entities and their influence, the servants and worshippers of these entities, or even the parallel universe in which these entities are supposed to reside. The most powerful of these warp entities are those known as the Chaos Gods, also sometimes referred to as the "Dark Gods" or the "Ruinous Powers". Image File history File links Information. ... Games Workshop Group PLC (often abbreviated to GW) is a British game production and retailing company. ... This article is about the tabletop miniature wargame and the fictional universe in which it is set. ... Warhammer or Warhammer Fantasy is a fantasy setting created by Games Workshop, in which many games of that company are set, the best known ones being the Warhammer Fantasy Battles wargame, and the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay role-playing game. ... A fictional universe is an imaginary world that serves as the setting or backdrop for one or (more commonly) multiple works of fiction or translatable non-fiction. ... Parallel universe or alternate reality in science fiction and fantasy is a self-contained separate reality coexisting with our own. ... The Immaterium (also referred to as the Empyrean or Warp) is an alternate dimension in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. ... Taken during a Hindu prayer ceremony on the eve of Diwali. ...

Both game worlds depict fictional fantasy and science fiction settings out of spiritual balance, where aspects (supposedly fed by emotions) of human nature in the real world are able to coagulate and gain consciousness in a mystical (or psychic) context in this parallel universe, the Warp. In the two game settings, Chaos represents the classic theme of Man vs. Himself, with the fantasy twist of giving these psychological struggles a physical form and influence. In both settings, Chaos is seen as a seductive force, capable of corrupting any who follow it; even the most strong-willed and goodly-inclined follower will gradually be corrupted and become another follower of Chaos. This corruption is not just spiritual, but also physical- followers of these Chaos Gods frequently find themselves being mutated by their masters. Psychic is a term relating to or denoting paranormal extra-sensory abilities or phenomena that are apparently inexplicable by known natural laws, since they transcend the confines of our current understanding of what a human being is capable of. ... Man versus Himself is the theme in literature that places a character against his own will, his own confusion, or his own fears, man versus himself can also be where a character tries to find out who they are or comes to a realization or a change in character. ...

The Chaos Gods

The concept of Chaos Gods has been a more or less integral part of both Warhammer universes ever since they were first conceived. In this idea there is evidently a strong influence from the British fantasy writer Michael Moorcock. Many different Chaos Gods were named in the various early miniature catalogues released by Citadel in the early eighties. But it was never clearly explained how the fictional pantheon looked like. The idea of "Four Great Powers of Chaos" i.e. Chaos Gods, were first introduced in the two Realm of Chaos sourcebooks released 1988 and 1990 respectively. To date these are the most detailed and defining pieces of work published by Games Workshop regarding Chaos. These Chaos Gods were described as being enormously powerful, and were constantly seeking to extend their power into the real world, the realm of mortals. They would do this by attracting followers amongst mortals by promising power, wealth, immortality or whatever else the potential servant desires. The gods are portrayed as capricious, selfish and vain, demanding absolute loyalty from their servants and rewarding deeds when they wish, in whatever ways they deem appropriate. Michael John Moorcock (born December 18, 1939, in London, England) is a prolific English writer primarily of science fiction and fantasy who has also published a number of literary novels. ... Cover of Slaves to Darkness Cover of The Lost and the Damned Realm of Chaos is a two-volume publication by Games Workshop concerning the forces of Chaos. ... Wealth from the old English word weal, which means well-being or welfare. The term was originally an adjective to describe the possession of such qualities. ... This article is about living for infinite period of time. ... Selfishness is, at base, the concept and/or practice of concern with ones own interests in some sort of priority to the interests of others; it is often used to refer to a self-interest that comes in a particular form, or above a certain level. ... For other meanings of vanity, see vanity (disambiguation). ...

Current background material for both settings still state that there are many Chaos Gods, but the idea that there are four which are significantly more powerful than the rest is still there. The four great gods are often used as antagonists in their respective settings, frequently sparking great wars against other factions with the aim of gaining total domination over the entire setting. The names and aspects of these four great gods are: An ...

• Khorne - god of hate, blood, rage, war and killing
• Nurgle - god of decay, despair, destruction, and disease
• Slaanesh - god of decadence, excess, sex, pleasure and self-indulgence
• Tzeentch - god of change, manipulation, scheming and sorcery

While these selfish gods distrust each other and in-fighting is common, each is also diametrically opposed by one of the other gods. Khorne is an outward acting deity, seeking the death of others; he is opposed by Slaanesh, who acts inwardly, seeking the pleasure of all experiences (including that of killing). Nurgle represents forces of decay, destruction, stagnation and random disease while Tzeentch represents constant building, evolving and planned change. These inimical relationships can have an effect upon the game mechanics regarding the armies that Chaos generals can field in both game settings, since warriors who follow one god will not serve a general who worships another god categorized as one of the first god's enemies; likewise, the general's god would punish him for trying to enlist the aid of his god's enemy. In the fictional universes of Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Fantasy, Khorne is one of the four major Chaos gods. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... “Hatred” redirects here. ... Human blood smear: a - erythrocytes; b - neutrophil; c - eosinophil; d - lymphocyte. ... Anger may be a (physiological and psychological) response to a perceived threat to self or important others, present, past, or future. ... Look up war in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up killing in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Nurgle overlooking his army, as depicted on the cover of Realm of Chaos:The Lost and the Damned In the fictional universes of Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Fantasy, Nurgle is one of the four major Chaos gods. ... “Spoilage” redirects here. ... A German Thrash metal band formed in Lörrach, Germany in 1983. ... The term disease refers to an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs function. ... In the fictional universes of Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Fantasy, Slaanesh is one of the four major Chaos gods. ... See also Decadent movement Decadence refers to a personal trait and, much more commonly, to a state of society. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In the fictional universes of Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Fantasy, Tzeentch is one of the four major Chaos gods. ... The word manipulation can refer to: Joint manipulation Social influence Sleight of hand tricks in magic or XCM. Abuse Advertising Brainwashing Charisma Fraud Indoctrination Love bombing Machiavellianism Media manipulation Mind control Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) Propaganda Social psychology Puppeteer Photo manipulation Categories: | | ... The Sorceress by John William Waterhouse Magic and sorcery are the influencing of events, objects, people and physical phenomena by mystical, paranormal or supernatural means. ...

Especially dedicated worshipers of the gods can be gifted with traits associated with their god; warriors blessed in such a manner are said to bear the "mark" of their god. The effect of this mark varies by game system, army and god, but is generally beneficial to the warrior in question. For example, in Warhammer 40,000, Chaos Marine worshipers of Nurgle become infected with a multitude of terrible diseases, which causes their bodies to rot and become resistant to pain and injury; their counterparts in Warhammer Fantasy are similar, but the rotting effect instead makes them appear frightening to their foes. Another example would be Khorne, whose followers in both settings are nearly uncontrollable, insane warriors who crave nothing more than to tear apart their foes in hand to hand combat. These marks can then lead to further boons from the patron god, known as "gifts"- these gifts can eventually turn the warrior bearing them into a powerful daemon, such as a Daemon Prince. A chaos space marine is one who has turned from the emperor to the whorship of other chaos dietys - they originated in the Horus Heresy in which fully half of the emperors finest warriors turned against him - after their crushing defeat the chaos space marines was forced into the... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Close Quarters Combat. ... In the Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 fictional universes, the Daemons are malevolent spirits born out of the destructive power called Chaos. ... In the Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 fictional universes, the Daemons are malevolent spirits born out of the destructive power called Chaos. ...

Other Chaos Gods

Besides the currently four major gods, there exist and have existed other gods, both major and lesser. The other Chaos gods who have been mentioned in the Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 settings include:

• Malal - A renegade Chaos God, representing the paradox of Chaos fighting against itself. He is no longer mentioned in current background material.
• Be'lakor - also known as The Dark Master, Be'lakor was once a mighty champion of the Dark Gods and the first mortal to gain immortality in Warhammer Fantasy^{[citation needed]}, but he fell from grace and was stripped of his power. He is now considered a Daemon Prince, but has attempted to attain godhood. His power is such that he can grant his followers (called "Dark Emissaries") magic spells similar to other gods.
• Hashut - in the Warhammer Fantasy setting, Hashut is the god of the Chaos Dwarfs. He represents aspects of industry, fire, volcanoes, darkness, hammers and lightning, and shares some aspects of ancient Babylonian gods.
• Kweethul - in the Realms of Chaos: Lost and the Damned book (an early sourcebook), a Skaven who was a minor chaos god in his own right.
• Horned Rat - in the Warhammer Fantasy setting, the Horned Rat is the god of the Skaven. He represents aspects of disease, magic, the power of Chaos itself, rats, and other characteristics of the Skaven race.
• Necoho - in Warhammer Fantasy, a renegade minor god known as the "Doubter", representing aspects of agnosticism and atheism.
• Shingai - in Warhammer 40,000, newly created chaos god, he was a Daemon Prince that sacrificed millions of innocents. He ascended to god-hood by razing a planet and siphoning the fear, terror and panic that the inhabitants gave off. Unlike the other chaos gods he walks among his followers, so whether he is a true god or just a tremendously powerful Daemon Prince could be called into account.
• Zuvassin - in Warhammer Fantasy, a renegade minor god known as the "Great Undoer", representing a desire to foil the efforts of others.
• An'sl, Mo'rcck,and Phraz-Etar - minor gods mentioned in older background material for Warhammer 40,000 (Johnson, 1999). Other than their names being puns for (Bryan) Ansell, (Michael) Moorcock, and (Frank) Frazetta and the fact that they are minor gods, nothing is known of them.
• Screaming God Child - A god in Warhammer Fantasy which looks like an eyeless child. Not much is known about him except that he has been sealed in another dimension known as Othernesse since the beginning of time. If reached he will answer any question but will never allow anyone to leave his nursery/cage. Malus Darkblade tricked the Screaming God Child and left Othernesse but the Screaming God Child captured him and imprisoned a chaos daemon known as Tz'arkan within him.
• Others - there are a multitude of other unnamed gods and cults. In the Warhammer 40,000 setting, for example, the Chaos Space Marines called Raptors and Obliterators each have their own cults, the natures of which are virtually unknown. Also in the Warhammer 40,000 setting, the fallen Dark Angel known as Cypher is protected by an unknown entity of great power, although it is unclear if this entity is a Chaos God. Background material for Warhammer Fantasy mentions many other minor gods with very little background beyond their names and aspects, such as Khakkekk (goblin god of blood), Atagro (god of beasts), Meneloth (elven god of pleasure), Obscuras (god of shadows and hidden things) and Mermedus (god of the sea). It has been hinted that these lesser deities are deceptive alias' of the four major Chaos Gods. For example, Khakkekk draws parallels with Khorne, both in name and aspect.

Malal is the renegade 5th Chaos God in the fictional universes of Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 In the storyline, both for Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000, Malal was exiled from the rest of the Chaos Gods, but whether this was a self-imposed exile is not clear. ... Belakor is a daemon in the Warhammer Fantasy tabletop game. ... In the Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 fictional universes, the Daemons are malevolent spirits born out of the destructive power called Chaos. ... Chaos Dwarfs are an off-shoot of the Dwarfs of the Warhammer Fantasy setting who have been corrupted by Chaos. ... A forest fire Fire is a rapid oxidation process that creates light, heat, smoke, frost, and releases energy in varying intensities. ... For other uses, see Volcano (disambiguation). ... Darkness is the absence of light. ... A claw hammer For other uses, see Hammer (disambiguation). ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... The Horned Rat is a Chaos God in the fictional Warhammer Fantasy universe. ... The Sixth Edition Skaven army book The Skaven are a race of man-sized rat-like creatures in Games Workshops Warhammer Fantasy setting. ... Species 50 species; see text *Several subfamilies of Muroids include animals called rats. ... Necoho is a renegade Chaos God in the fictional universe of Warhammer Fantasy Necoho the Doubter appeared in the fourth volume of The Enemy Within campaign for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Something Rotten in Kislev (1988) along with the renegade Chaos God Zuvassin. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... “Atheist” redirects here. ... Zuvassin a renegade Chaos God in the fictional universe of Warhammer Fantasy. ... Bryan Ansell is a British roleplaying and wargame designer. ... Michael John Moorcock (born December 18, 1939, in London, England) is a prolific English writer primarily of science fiction and fantasy who has also published a number of literary novels. ... Frank Frazetta (born February 9, 1928) is one of the worlds most influential fantasy and science fiction artists. ... Miniature of a Chaos Chosen in Terminator Armour In the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000, the Chaos Space Marines are Space Marines who serve the Chaos Gods. ... The Dark Angels are a fictional military unit in the Science Fantasy game Warhammer 40,000. ... Cypher Cypher is a fictional character in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. ...

Chaos Undivided

In addition to the individual gods, some followers of the Dark Gods worship Chaos in other ways. Some followers worship the gods as a pantheon rather than following one particular god. Other followers worship Chaos as a single great entity, with the various Chaos Gods simply manifestations of that entity's aspects. Still others may simply follow one god briefly and then switch allegiance to another, owing more to convenience than actual faith. Regardless of the nature of their worship, all of these are grouped together as Chaos Undivided; followers of Chaos Undivided may bear a mark, similar to the followers of the four great gods. A pantheon (from Greek Πάνθειον, temple of all gods, from πᾶν, all + θεός, god) is a set of all the gods of a particular religion or mythology, such as the gods of Hinduism, Norse, Egyptian, Shintoism, Greek, vodun, Yoruba Mythology and Roman mythology. ... Faith has two general implications which can be implied either exclusively or mutually; To Trust: Believing a certain variable will act a specific way despite the potential influence of known or unknown change. ...

Generals who bear the mark of Chaos Undivided, in both settings, have more freedom from the effects of the difficult relations between the Chaos Gods. As an example, while warriors who worship Slaanesh would not serve a general who worships Khorne, an Undivided general can convince these gods' warriors to fight for him, without fear of reprisal from either.

Also, other more specialized forms of the mark of Chaos Undivided exist which are usually carried by extraordinary leaders. For example, Abaddon the Despoiler of the Warhammer 40,000 setting bears the mark of "Chaos Ascendant", which was specially gifted to him by the four greater gods due to his status as the major leader of the forces of Chaos. It is essentially the Mark of all four Chaos Gods, amalgamated into one incredibly powerful blessing. Archaon from the Warhammer Fantasy setting is similarly marked as the "Everchosen" or the "Lord of the End Times". He has collected magical artifacts, each having been once wielded by a favoured champion of one of the Chaos Gods. He has also earned the 'Crown of Damnation', a badge of office showing his full favour with all four Chaos Gods. Abaddon the Despoiler In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000 and Battlefleet Gothic, Abaddon the Despoiler is Warmaster of Chaos, captain of the Black Legion and is rumoured to be the clone-progeny of Warmaster Horus and at one time, his most favoured son. ... Archaon is a fictional character in Games Workshops Warhammer Fantasy wargame. ...

The Star Child

In the Warhammer 40,000 universe, this is the name given to the fledgling power of the Emperor's spirit in the Warp as it is ebbed away from his dying body. The Star Child has its own champions (the Sensei), and could bestow powers on these individuals, and was said to battle the Chaos Gods within the warp. This article is about the tabletop miniature wargame and the fictional universe in which it is set. ... The Emperor of Mankind The Immortal God-Emperor of Mankind is the leader of the Imperium in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, the largest human organization within that universe. ... The Immaterium (also referred to as the Empyrean or Warp) is an alternate dimension in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. ...

It is currently unclear what part, if any, the Star Child holds in the current Warhammer 40,000 canon.

The Forces of Chaos

The following are the typical servants of the Chaos Gods and the setting from which they come.

• Beasts of Chaos - in Warhammer Fantasy covers the bestial servants of chaos including minotaurs, the goat-like "Beastmen", and other intelligent animal-like creatures
• Chaos Dwarfs - in Warhammer Fantasy, corrupted Dwarfs who serve the god Hashut
• Chaos Space Marines - in Warhammer 40,000, Space Marines who have been corrupted by Chaos
• Daemons - in both settings, these are minor entities related to the Chaos Gods, frequently serving the gods
• Hordes of Chaos - in Warhammer Fantasy, the mortal worshippers of Chaos
• Skaven - in Warhammer Fantasy, a race of large intelligent rat-creatures serving their own Chaos God, the Horned Rat.
• The Lost and the Damned - in Warhammer 40,000, various loose groupings of corrupted Imperial Guard, wildly mutated, beast-like humans, and various other traitors, sometimes led by Chaos Space Marines

Beasts of Chaos is one of the two Chaos army list books released for Warhammer Fantasy battles. ... In Greek mythology, the Minotaur (Greek: Μινόταυρος, Minótauros) was a creature that was said to be part man and part bull. ... Beastmen in the fictional Warhammer Fantasy setting from Games Workshop are humanoid creatures with a variety of animal features, usually including cloven feet, horns, excessive body hair, and beastial faces. ... Chaos Dwarfs are an off-shoot of the Dwarfs of the Warhammer Fantasy setting who have been corrupted by Chaos. ... This article is about dwarfs in Warhammer Fantasy. ... Miniature of a Chaos Chosen in Terminator Armour In the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000, the Chaos Space Marines are Space Marines who serve the Chaos Gods. ... The current Space Marine sourcebook (codex) cover The Space Marines are one of the major forces available in the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000. ... In the Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 fictional universes, the Daemons are malevolent spirits born out of the destructive power called Chaos. ... The Hordes of Chaos is the first of two rulebooks detailing the armies of Chaos in the world of Warhammer. ... The Sixth Edition Skaven army book The Skaven are a race of man-sized rat-like creatures in Games Workshops Warhammer Fantasy setting. ... Species 50 species; see text *Several subfamilies of Muroids include animals called rats. ... This article is about the playable army in the game, Warhammer 40,000. ... The current Imperial Guard sourcebook. ...

See also

• Realms of Chaos
• Law and Chaos

Cover of Slaves to Darkness Cover of The Lost and the Damned Realm of Chaos is a two-volume publication by Games Workshop concerning the forces of Chaos. ... Law and Chaos are the dominant metaphysical forces in the fantasy stories of Michael Moorcock. ...

References

• Brunton, Mike; and Ansell, Bryan (1988). Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-869893-51-4. 
• Ansell, Bryan; and Priestly, Rick (1990). Realm of Chaos: The Lost and the Damned. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-869893-52-2. 
• Cavatore, Alessio; and Reynolds, Anthony (2002). Warhammer Armies: Skaven, 1st Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-185-0. 
• Chambers, Andy; Priestley, Rick, and Haines, Pete (2004). Warhammer 40,000, 4th edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-468-X. 
• Chambers, Andy; Haines, Pete; Hoare, Andy; Kelly, Phil, and McNeill, Graham (2002). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Chaos Space Marines, 2nd Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-322-5. 
• Johnson, Jervis (1999). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Chaos Space Marines, 1st Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-869893-49-2. 
• Thorpe, Gav (2003). Warhammer Armies: Beasts of Chaos, 1st Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-387-X. 
• Thorpe, Gav; Priestley, Rick; Reynolds, Anthony and Cavatore, Alessio (2002). Warhammer Armies: Hordes of Chaos, 1st Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-222-9. 
• Chambers, Andy; Haines, Pete; Hoare, Andy; Kelly, Phil and McNeill, Graham (2003). Warhammer 40,000: Codex Eye of Terror, 1st Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-398-5.