Daemon (Warhammer)
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In the Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 fictional universes, the Daemons are malevolent spirits born out of the destructive power called Chaos. The daemons found in both universes are very similar, although the precise natures of their creation and existence vary slightly.
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[edit] Daemons in Warhammer Fantasy
Daemons in the Warhammer Fantasy world hail from the dread Hell-like region called the "Realm of Chaos", which lies at the world's north pole. This realm is tainted by pure magical energy; this energy flows into the world through a collapsed gate of the Old Ones, and powers the spells cast by wizards and sorcerers. Originating in the same dimension of the Warp (Warhammer 40,000) this magical energy is affected by the subconscious minds of men; their thoughts, fears and wishes become manifest as living creatures in the Realm of Chaos.
Some of these entities have become immensely powerful over time, becoming the Chaos Gods. Less powerful entities became daemons; these are partly tied to the will of the Chaos Gods, but also remain tied to the thoughts of mankind. As most daemons serve one of the gods, when the armies of that god go to war, those daemons tied to it will often march alongside the army.
Since Daemons are made of pure magical energy, they are difficult for weapons of the physical world to destroy. However, certain rituals (such as those performed by Empire warrior-priests), magical spells, and enchanted weapons can much more easily defeat them. Also, as the winds of magic fade, so do the daemons; this can even happen during a battle. If the daemons are overcome by their foes in combat, the magic binding them to the world begins to scatter, and the daemons can be banished back to the Realm of Chaos.
[edit] Daemons in Warhammer 40,000
In the Warhammer 40,000 universe, daemons are entities which live in the parallel universe known as the Warp. Similar to the Realm of Chaos, this parallel universe is made up of pure psychic energy, and this energy sometimes collects and forms living entities. As these entities gather more energy, they can become sentient, eventually even god-like in their powers, abilities and ambitions. Like their Fantasy counterparts, daemons are the lesser entities serving the Chaos Gods.
Warhammer 40,000 daemons are normally unable to enter into the physical world on their own; as beings of pure energy, they must be summoned to the battlefield by Chaos worshippers and cultists. Alternatively, they can enter the physical universe at overlaps of Warp and material space, such as the Eye of Terror, through certain gates between the material and Warp realms or by forcing itself into the mind of a psyker.
Once in the physical universe, daemons are often found fighting alongside Chaos worshippers- mainly the forces of the Chaos Space Marines, but also Chaos-influenced Imperial Guard and rebels known as the Lost and the Damned. Less frequently, other races such as the Orks or Eldar can be corrupted by any of the many Chaos Gods. When this happens, they too can be seen fighting alongside daemons, although not necessarily those of the four major gods. Like Fantasy daemons, they are sometimes difficult for physical weapons to destroy, but certain specially prepared weapons do exist which can more easily defeat them, banishing them back to the warp; but, like their Fantasy counterparts, if they are defeated in combat, the power holding them in the physical universe can begin to fade, banishing them back to the warp.
While in the Warp, daemons are attracted to the spirits of mortals, which they like to consume, and this can aid in the process of summoning them, as they will flock to a battlefield in order to devour the souls of the recently slain. Due to their hunger for mortal souls, they are known to make the use of psychic powers by so-called "psykers" dangerous. When a mortal psyker uses his powers, he draws upon the energy of the Warp, and daemons are strongly attracted to this usage of Warp energy. Once it finds the psyker, the daemon will then attack his mind in order to devour his soul or possess his body in order to gain access to the material world. Some races' souls are more attractive to daemons, notably the psychically powerful Eldar, and these races must make use of certain rituals or equipment to protect themselves from daemonic attack.
Lastly, some races, mainly the Imperium, are able to fly their ships into the Warp and make use of the Immaterium as a form of hyperspace in order to quickly travel across the galaxy at faster-than-light speeds. While traversing the Warp, these ships must make use of powerful protections like the Gellar Field lest they be attacked and their crews consumed by the waiting daemons.
[edit] Types of Daemons
What follows is a list of the major types of daemons, and brief description of each type. The list is not exhaustive, and where major differences exist between Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Fantasy, these will be noted. Most of the daemons shown below serve the four major Chaos Gods- Khorne, Nurgle, Slaanesh and Tzeentch, although the Warhammer 40,000 Daemonhunters army includes special rules to allow their opponent to field generic daemons not listed below, but similar to those listed.
[edit] Greater Daemon
Greater Daemons are the ultimate expression of the might of the Chaos Gods. They normally appear as massive monsters of incredible power, sometimes able to fight an entire enemy army on their own. Some Greater Daemons have shown a degree of personality and free will, notably one from Warhammer 40,000 named M'kachen, a Lord of Change of Tzeentch. The Greater Daemons of the other three major Chaos Gods are the Bloodthirster of Khorne, the Great Unclean One of Nurgle, and the Keeper of Secrets of Slaanesh. Except for the Bloodthirster, all of the Greater Daemons are also powerful sorcerers in either game setting.
In the Warhammer 40,000 universe, a Greater Daemon cannot easily maintain its great form in the physical universe, and must possess a Chaos worshipper's body, normally a Chaos Space Marine, in order to keep from returning to the warp. Once it has possessed the Chaos Marine's body (which is known as a Daemonvessel or sometimes as a Daemonhost), it takes full control of the body, and is able to reform the flesh in order to take on an appearance the daemon finds suitable. If the Daemonvessel's body is killed before the possession process is complete, the Greater Daemon will still be able to possess the body, but will have great difficulty maintaining itself in the corpse it is inhabiting.
[edit] Lesser Daemons
Lesser Daemons are the most common types of daemons that can be encountered, the rank-and-file troopers of the Chaos Gods. They are generally man-sized, but also have a monstrous appearance, which will reflect the nature of their god (for example, Khorne's frenzied daemons are normally blood red, heavily-armored, and wield powerful axes or swords). They are considerably less powerful than their Greater counterparts. Examples include the Bloodletters of Khorne, the Daemonettes of Slaanesh, the Plaguebearers of Nurgle, and the Horrors of Tzeentch.
[edit] Daemon Beasts
These include more animal-like daemons. Some are used as hunting beasts by the followers of Chaos (or even the Chaos Gods themselves), and can be brought to the battlefield, where they can move quickly across the battlefield to engage their foes. These include the Fleshhounds of Khorne and the Screamers of Tzeentch. Also of note, there exist daemons which do not belong to a particular god; these feral, gargoyle-like beasts are known as Furies.
[edit] Other Daemons
Each god can have other daemons that do not fit the above profiles. These include minor daemons like Nurglings (of Nurgle), or cavalry-like Mounted Daemonettes (daemonettes mounted on daemonic steeds). Some Chaos Gods also have their own particular type of mount that they can grant their worshippers; these include the Juggernaut of Khorne, the Disc of Tzeentch, and the Steed of Slaanesh.
[edit] Special Relationships with Mortals
Mortal worshippers of the Chaos Gods can interact with daemons in ways other than simply fighting alongside them.
[edit] Possessed Chaos Space Marines
In Warhammer 40,000, some Chaos Space Marines willingly allow daemons to inhabit their bodies. Rather than the daemon completely taking control, as in the case of a Greater Daemon, these lesser daemons form an amalgam of Marine and daemon commonly referred to as a Possessed Chaos Space Marine, or simply Possessed. Possessed are potent warriors, combining the abilities of a Chaos Marine with the mystical powers of a daemon.
Closely related to Possessed are Obliterators, which are mysterious, warped Chaos Marines. They have become an amalgam of Chaos Marine, daemon and heavy armor, and bear the ability to transform their bodies to form powerful weapons, making them walking gun platforms. The Iron Warriors Legion has a special relationship with the Obliterator Cult, and Obliterators are more commonly seen in an Iron Warriors army than in other Chaos Marine armies.
- In the Warhammer 40k game Dawn of War: Dark Crusade, the Daemonkin Obliterator, an honor guard for the chaos commander, is referenced as being favored by the daemons of Sicarus. According to the history of the Word Bearers, Sicarus is a daemon world.
[edit] Daemon Weapons
Some daemons can be forced into servitude by being imprisoned inside a weapon; these mighty weapons are thus called Daemon Weapons. Daemon Weapons are extremely rare, but also very powerful, often able to tear apart reality, shoot powerful sorcerous bolts of energy, grant the wielder extraordinary physical attributes, or perform other such unnatural feats. A Chaos warrior must exercise great caution with these weapons, however, as the imprisoned daemon will often try to rebel against his master, and attempt to devour the wielder's soul.
[edit] Chaos Spawn and Daemon Princes
As a mortal worshipper grows powerful with his many victories, his patron god will sometimes reward him with "gifts"; by the same token, with each failure the god could also curse him with the same "gifts". However, the gods of chaos are notoriously fickle and often they bestow their gifts without rhyme or reason. These gifts can include mutations (such as extra arms, tougher skin, wings or the ability to shoot fire from his hands), equipment (such as exotic weapons or powerful armor), or even daemonic followers (such as the aforementioned cavalry mounts). With each gift, the warrior becomes partly daemonic himself, being tied more and more to his god.
As the warrior continues to distinguish himself, and his god desires, the warrior will continue to receive gifts. These gifts can grant the receiver untold powers that will make him more powerful than any Greater Daemon. As the warrior attains more and more gifts, these gifts can lead him to one of two fates:
- If the warrior receives too many gifts and is unable to endure any more, he can become a Chaos Spawn (also known as a "Spawn of Chaos" in Warhammer Fantasy); alternatively, a Spawn could simply be a warrior who has spent too much time in contact with the warping power of Chaos, and has mutated without direct action by a Chaos God. Some particularly powerful Sorcerers in Warhammer 40,000 have the ability to grant this particular "gift" to a foe, instantly mutating them into a Spawn. A Spawn is a wildly mutated beast (meaning it can take many different forms), and is generally insane or non-sentient, living the remainder of its existence at the whim of its god or its fellow warriors.
- A particularly successful warrior of Chaos who is able to withstand the "gifts" of his god can eventually become an exalted Daemon Prince. A Daemon Prince is among the most powerful beings that can be found on the battlefields of Warhammer 40,000 or Warhammer Fantasy. They are frequently massive in size (much larger than a man), are very skilled warriors with the experience of hundreds of campaigns, and have many powerful daemonic abilities. However once a mortal reaches this stage he has taken on so many daemonic properties that he is now a daemon in his own right; specialized anti-daemon weapons and powers can then be used to banish the Prince back to the Warp or the Realm of Chaos.
[edit] Exalted Daemons
In Warhammer Fantasy, a powerful warrior may be given the gift of possession by a daemon. As with the Possessed Chaos Space Marines, this grants him extraordinary power; but, because the daemon must expend a great deal of energy maintaining its presence within the warrior, the Exalted Daemon is not quite as powerful as a Daemon Prince. Like a Prince, the daemonic nature of the Exalted Daemon can render it vulnerable to anti-daemon weapons and powers, despite the mortal body.
[edit] Daemonhost
In Warhammer 40,000, some especially radical Inquisitors of the Ordo Malleus, believe that one of the best ways to defeat the Chaos Gods is to turn their own followers against them. To this end, they will force a daemon into possessing a human body, and, using powerful psychic spells, rituals and charms, bind it to the Inquisitor's will. These enslaved daemons are called daemonhosts, and they are sometimes brought to the battlefield, where they use powerful daemonic abilities to destroy the Inquisitor's foes. However, such Inquisitors are seen as dangerous heretics by their more conservative brethren, and sometimes find themselves being hunted as though they were daemons themselves; by the same token, other Imperial forces will usually hesitate at the prospect of fighting alongside a daemon.
[edit] Daemon Engines and Possessed Vehicles
Daemon Engines are similar in nature to Daemon Weapons; they are special tank-like machines which are forged in the realm of the Dark Gods, and controlled by an imprisoned daemon. They frequently carry powerful cannons which make them useful in sieges. The most common type of daemon engine is the Defiler of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, a large spider-like machine mounting the battlecannon typical of Imperial Guard tanks. Another example is the Hellcannon from Warhammer Fantasy, a barely controllable, part daemon, part machine creation of the Chaos Dwarfs.
Similar to these are daemonically possessed vehicles in Warhammer 40,000, which are normal tanks and other vehicles which are sealed and a daemon is imprisoned within, allowing it to control the vehicle; this is advantageous because the daemon, unlike a normal crew, cannot be killed or stunned by enemy attacks. The difference between a possessed vehicle and a daemon engine is in the crafting- a possessed vehicle has already been built when the daemon is imprisoned; a daemon engine has the daemon imprisoned as part of the vehicle's creation.
[edit] References
- Thorpe, Gavin; 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 (2002). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Chaos Space Marines, 2nd Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-322-5.
- Chambers, Andy; Kelly, Andy, and McNeill, Graham (2003). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Daemonhunters, 1st Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-361-6.
- Archaon's Horde army list, retrieved from this site 27 August 2006
