Slaanesh
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Slaanesh, the Dark Prince, is the god of passion and excess. Within the Realm of Chaos His domain is that of all mortal sin, especially those of the flesh. Lust, pride and self-indulgence are the hallmarks of all that follow him. He is known also as the Prince of Excess and even the Prince of Chaos. He is the youngest of the Chaos Gods. While referred to as a "he", Slaanesh is neither gender, combining characteristics of both and perfecting them.
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[edit] Manifestation
While Khorne is a frightful and terrible warrior, Tzeentch's magic forces his form to defy mortal logic, and Nurgle is the ultimate embodiment of his own creations, Slaanesh alone is divinely beautiful. In physical form, Slaanesh is perfection. A long-limbed, elegant, androgynous figure with a haunting, almost frightening beauty. Slaanesh's appearance depends more on the observer than the observed, changing eagerly to please and seduce the eye of the beholder. Rumor amongst man says that to look upon Slaanesh is to forfeit your very soul to his every whim.
[edit] Cult of Slaanesh
[edit] Mortals
Seductive in the way that only an immortal being can be, Slaanesh is the Chaos God of pleasure, passion, luxury, art and indulgence. He is the manifestation of all hidden vices, cruel passions, and secret temptations that men hide fearfully in their hearts. This abject lack of restraint, and pursuit of pleasures, lures many mortals to his side, often gathering in places of carnal pleasure to pay homage and praise to their depraved Lord. A notable Slaaneshi cult is the Elven Cult of Pleasure which partly caused the Sundering. In WAR, a prominent cultist of Slaanesh is Lady Anhilda Kreuger in Talabecland.
Slaanesh's followers seek pleasure in every experience, and quickly become inured to more mundane things, including sounds and colours; thus they frequently wear garish, brightly coloured armour, or clothing which is extravagantly decorated. Worshippers of Slaanesh are known for their complete lack of fear, as they see losing a battle is a new experience to be enjoyed.
While not interested in the dirty warfare of Khorne's narrow-minded berserkers, Slaanesh does enjoy combat of the artistic sort, taking pleasure in watching extremely talented gladiator battles, where the act of fighting is transformed from a means to an end into an art form all its own. Slaanesh bestows his favour upon any who act on an interest for an art, whether the art is that of combat, of painting, of poetry or of passion. The favour of Slaanesh will aid the artist in creating, amplifying everything created to immeasurable levels, while at the same time corrupting them indescribably, such that any mortals who look on them are at once both entranced and terrified.
[edit] Slaanesh Daemons
Being the youngest of the Chaos Lords, the host of Slaanesh still pales in comparison to those of the others. But the numbers of Slaaneshi daemons grow with every passing moment and they are not to be taken lightly.
- Daemonettes are feminine-looking creatures whose seductive bodies are at contrast with their grotesque claws. They are lightning quick, and fearful foes in hand to hand combat.
- Steeds of Slaanesh are bipedal smooth-skinned creatures with prehensile tongues, vaguely resembling seahorses. Their heads have long tubular snouts that contained their prehensile, poisonous tongue. These are the favored means of transportation for Slaanesh's chosen.
- Fiend of Slaanesh is a bizarre daemon, a hybrid creature that combines reptilian, insectoid and anthropomorphic characteristics. It has a segmented body, a tail covered in fine scales and two pairs of humanoid legs that end in cloven hooves. Each Fiend also has a pair of claw-tipped and gangly arms that it commonly uses as front legs. A Fiend has not the necessary intelligence to apply these arms as grasping appendages, although it can employ them as weapons to deadly effect.
- Keepers of Secrets, the greater daemons of Slaanesh, are huge and indescribable creatures whose very presence is capable of bringing the bravest warrior to his knees in anguish and ecstasy. They typically have four arms- two which end with human-like hands, and two which end with large crab-like claws. A Keeper of Secrets is a very powerful foe in close combat.
- Masque is champion daemonette. She is cursed by Slaanesh to dance eternally, unable rest her limbs.
[edit] Further background
Slaanesh is opposed by the Chaos God Khorne. Slaanesh seeks to act inward by enjoying every experience and every act, even killing others, whereas Khorne only seeks to act outwardly by killing others. Khorne is also said to detest Slaanesh's decadence, while Slaanesh sees Khorne as crude and unsophisticated. This relationship has an effect upon the nature of the armies dedicated to either god.
While the youngest of the Major Chaos Gods, Slaanesh is still a crucial player in the incomprehensible game that they play. Although he cannot hold his own against any one other Chaos God, his support in an alliance is often enough to swing the balance, allowing Slaanesh considerably more influence than his power would otherwise allow.
The colors of Slaanesh are purple, pink and black. The number of Slaanesh is six.
| The Gods of Chaos | |
| Khorne • Nurgle • Slaanesh • Tzeentch |
