Sometimes not all vanquished Daemons return to the Realm of Chaos. If the circumstances are right, their noncorporeal form can take up residence in the fragile mind of an unsuspecting mortal host.[1a]
Someone can become a Host of Fiends under the following conditions: he must be in the same immediate area has a Daemon who has just been slain, and he must be significantly insane but not yet possess a disorder. The Daemon, sensing the person’s mind is weak, attempts to break inside, requiring willpower to keep the fiend at bay.[1a]
If the victim fails, the Daemon forces its way into his mind and he becomes outwardly more sane. However, it’s important to note that whether the Daemon is successful or not, the possessed remains ignorant of what has occurred. Furthermore, if the person does become a Host of Fiends, he’s initially unable to find a rational explanation for his sudden shifts in personality.[1a]
Once inside, the Daemon begins its daily battle to wrest control of the person’s mind and body away from him. Everyday the victim must use his willpower, which, should he fail, leads to the Daemon exerting its powerful influence over the person’s thoughts and actions, causing dramatic personality changes.[1a]
Because the Daemon is a creature of Chaos, it possesses aspects of the four dark Gods of Chaos: Khorne, Slaanesh, Nurgle and Tzeentch.[1a]
Fiend Aspects
- Aspect of Khorne. The victim turns irritable, violent, argumentative, contemptuous, bloodthirsty, sadistic, and cruel. He has difficulty working with others.[1a]
- Aspect of Slaanesh. The victim becomes narcissistic, self-indulgent, and hedonistic; he’ll also drink, lie, gamble, steal, and pursue sensual pleasures. He loses a portion of his willpower.[1a]
- Aspect of Nurgle. The victim refuses to wash, eats only rotten food, pokes at scabs and wounds, plays with insects, vomits, seeks out the diseased, and wallows in filth. He has difficulty working with others.[1a]
- Aspect of Tzeentch. The victim cuts his hair, adopts a new style of clothing, speaks with a different voice, callously abandons those who care about him, seeks out a new career, and refuses to acknowledge his former life. Furthermore, he feels a single-minded and powerful urge to violently change the status quo through infernal words and deeds. This aspect will remember its plans, even while dormant, and will patiently carry out its sinister schemes each time it’s able to manifest itself. The victim may completely lose control of himself during these moments of possession, leading a mysterious double life.[1a]
Each particular aspect of the Daemon exerts its control for one to ten days. At the start of each new day, the person can attempt to use willpower to regain control of his mind and body. At the end of the aspect’s influence, the victim returns to normal. However, the next morning he must once again use willpower to keep the Daemon away.[1a]
When a person who is a Host of Fiends becomes insane enough again without enough willpower, instead of gaining another disorder the Daemon takes over their mind and body completely, and the afflicted’s soul is banished to the Realm of Chaos.[1a]