Because of the potential for utter catastrophe from even a single outbreak, much work has been done by some of the Empire’s finest minds, in an effort to prepare for the worst. [4d], A huge chunk of this warpstone was hurled into orbit to join the world’s original moon. However, he's perhaps the kindest of these 'Chaos Gods' but he's still an incredibly cruel and even sadistic sociopath, [1f][2a][2c], On one side of his nature, Nurgle is unexpectedly also the personification of Rebirth. It is in this arena that Nurgle truly excels. [4i], Nurgle is viewed as a “loving” God by his worshippers, and he takes great interest in their activities and plots. However, he reserves most of his ire towards Tzeentch, who represents constant, fluid motion and instant change, whereas Nurgle delights in gradual maturity and the musty scent of stagnation. Why is Nurgle the only Chaos God worshiped like a god? [2e], Nurgle’s primary symbol is three spheres stacked in a triangle shape, which scholars ascribe as being akin to pustules, buboes, or other symptoms of disease. Of all the Chaos Gods, Nurgle is a complete failure. [4e], Of all the human nations, one of the most fascinating to Nurgle is the Empire. [4e], Those who embrace Nurgle embrace their own doom but lose the fear of their inevitable demise even though, disfigured by disease and mutation, their own features cause dread among others. In the Warhammer lore, the Chaos powers are powerful entities who inhabit a psychic dimension that underlies all of physical reality. He sits on the pantheon of the Ruinous Powers of this universe. [1f][2a][2c], The one thing that binds all mortals, from the crude tribesmen of the Northern Wastes to the refined aristocrats of Altdorf Imperial court, is that every one of them is subject to illness, gradual atrophy, and eventual death. Nurgle is the God of Pestilence and Disease, and so is it not surprising that all the sickness which inflicts the world is generally from him. Followers of Nurgle often band together, and there are many Chaos cults of Nurgle within the Empire, meeting secretly in filthy places to praise their god and plot how to spread his pestilences. He could very well become the most powerful god, but if he were to declare this, he would admit that things are not stagnant and thus, can change, proving Tzeentch correct in his logic that change is greater than permanency. The popular miasmatic theory proposes that many ailments are spread by bad smells. Of course, his nature tends to rot and decay those objects he fancies, but such effects are acceptable since Nurgle sees glistening decay as an enhancement to its natural beauty. The magic of the slann could not save them from the Plague Lord’s diseases, and they too withered, croaking feebly as their flesh erupted with foul, cankerous lesions. For this reason, they bear their afflictions with stoicism, in the belief that eventually, Grandfather Nurgle will deliver them from suffering. The chosen of Nurgle often find this symbol growing on their festering skin. Those who dabble in the sorcery of the Lord of Decay can inflict disease and pestilence by magical means, and do so to blight and cripple their enemies, as well as to reward their followers with fresh ailments. Only the most powerful weapons or the most lethal of wounds can ever have a chance to bring a Follower of Nurgle down for good, and even to get close to such followers would often bring death to the aggressor himself. Single-minded monom… He was irresistibly drawn to the rhythmic beat of life, but could not resist manipulating and twisting nature for his own amusement. He is not averse to warfare and sees it as an excellent vehicle for allowing new plagues to fester in the wake of terrible wounds, ruined crops, and tainted water. [4a], Within the crumbling walls of his workshop, beneath a mildewed ceiling sagging with damp, Nurgle toils before a steaming cauldron. A tribe of Nurglite warriors ready to further his cause. However, there are some who fully embrace their mortal condition and offer their souls to the Chaos god who embodies this mouldering state: Nurgle, Lord of Decay. The greatest coup a cult of Nurgle can achieve is to corrupt a doctor of medicine, folk-healer, or priest of Shallya, for through them the Plague Lord would be able to wreak great havoc. These races frustrate Nurgle’s efforts to contaminate them, and he deems them fit only for eradication. They could be refused entry into towns, or perhaps beaten up or chased off. The skeletons of some ruined villages long claimed by the forests surely still remain undiscovered, where entire populations were stricken by the plague. As pestilence grips the world, Nurgle’s power eclipses that of his brother gods. Nurgle is the Great Lord of Decay and the Master of Plague and Pestilence. The one thing that binds all mortals, from the crude tribesmen of the Northern Wastes to the refined aristocrats of Altdorf Imperial court, is that every one of them is subject to illness, gradual atrophy, and eventual death. [4d], Bowelsteep, the Red Ague, and a thousand other poxes and pestilences infected the lizardmen defenders. The Crumbling Ague swept through the city, causing great loss of life, but the cult discovered that the priests of Shallya were close to finding a cure. So many people died that they were left unburied, or heaped in mass graves of plague victims. In particular, the emotion of despair in mortals empowers the Plague God. The Cult of Shallya tends to personify the source of all disease, naming the Dark God Nurgle as the force behind all contagion. The filth and the crowds mysteriously seem to help diseases spread. The Greater-Scope Villain of Warhammer 40,000 is Chaos, and the four greatest Chaos Gods (there are more, but they aren't nearly as powerful or well known) — Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle and Slaanesh — are the faces of that evil, the incarnations of humanity's vices and perversions of its virtues that would see the material universe torn down and replaced with seething madness. An unwary cult leader who allies with these creatures is likely to meet a grisly death when he is no longer of any use to them. The Chaos Gods do represent a multitude of emotions, including positive ones, it's just that them acting on their bad sides causes a positive feedback loop where them making the world a worse and worse place also causes them to become worse and worse themselves because the negative emotions that fuel them flow all the stronger. Some cults of Nurgle mirror society’s social stratification, with the leadership reserved for those of noble birth. Likewise, the cultists of the Plague Lord worm their way into Imperial society, spreading disease and thwarting those who try to stem infection and sickness. [4b], The myths of the northern tribes tell of an eternal game played by the four Ruinous Powers – Tzeentch, Khorne, Slaanesh, and Nurgle – each brother trying to dominate his siblings. He is most generous in bequeathing his diseases to mortals, all of whom he regards with great affection, and he ensures that rich and poor alike share the rotten fruits of his labour. Some cults’ hierarchies are based instead on the extent of affliction, with the plagued poor lording it over less diseased high-born followers. The Horned Rat, as the god of decay, is completely superior to Nurgle and has many more advantages. Unfortunately, most people are blinkered by the lies of their priests, but a few enlightened souls call out his name, and he is quick to answer. Beliefs or emotions that grow strong enough in the physical universe, result in the creation of their sentient embodiments in the Immaterium. Nuffle is a Chaos God of the alternate Warhammer Fantasy universe, Blood Bowl.His name is inspired as a pronunciation of "NFL", as in "National Football League" of American Gridiron Football. It is said he whispers in the ears of the wounded on the battlefield, offering them an eternal, if rotted, life if they give in to his call. They often carry soiled banners before them as they wander the Old World, looking to spread his blessings. More than two hundred years ago, they buried their differences and almost succeeded in overrunning the Old World with their armies. Xahutec was first to fall, swamped by the combined might of all four Ruinous Powers. Though the walls of Nurgle’s mansion look fit to collapse, they have never been breached; a vast garden, always vibrant in autumnal splendour, surrounds his fortress. Of all the Chaos Gods, he is the one that involves himself most directly in the affairs of mortals, especiall humans, due to their fear of death. However, while the Ruinous Powers compete against each other, they can never defeat the steadfast Empire individually. Chant sung by Plaguebearer Daemons during battle Nurgle, also known as the Plague Lord or the Plague God, is the Chaos God of … Animals that are on their last legs due to plague are often sacrificed to Nurgle and left to rot in the wells or food stores of the healthy.[2e]. Nurgle is the only Chaos God whose Daemons look just about like him. Nurgle is known also as "Grandfather Nurgle," the "Lord of Pestilence" and the "Lord of Decay." His teachings are as follows: It is not the incessant warring between daemonic armies in the Realm of Chaos or even the epic clash of champions among the tribes of the Chaos Wastes that truly enthuses Nurgle, but the conflict against the unconquered nations of the mortal world. The Daemons of Nurgle are truly putrid in their appearance and sickening to look upon. Nurgle sits alongside Tzeentch, Khorne, and Slaanesh and helps partake in the influence of the living universe. One of the Living Rulebooks experimented with the concept of chaos teams based upon each of the four Chaos Gods. Nurgle is the Chaos God of plague, despair and decay, whose power waxes strong when disease and the resulting anguish ravage the Mortal Realms. Plaguebearers don't, but that's because they're the possessed souls of fallen enemies. Nurgle. He leads thousands of rotting warriors into battle; most of which feel no pain. After all, decay is simply one part of the cycle of life, without which no new life could grow. Some physicians fear it can only be a matter of time before something similar strikes an Imperial city. He is the eldest of the four Chaos Gods and is the most directly involved with the plight of mortals, particularly Humans who suffer so acutely from a fear of death. [4d], Without this Chaotic power to sustain them, the daemonic legions weakened and were hurled back to their insane realm. The most famous and most severe outbreak was known as the Black Plague. For almost every disease Nurgle concocts, somehow these mere mortals discover a cure. Indeed, Nurgle is undoubtedly the oldest of the Chaos Gods, for the process of death and decay is as old as Life itself. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. In the legends of the Chaos tribes, Nurgle affects a garrulous air of overfriendliness towards his brother gods, but his benign nature masks his real opinions. A major obstacle to the efforts of a cultist of Nurgle is the repulsiveness of his ailments, which are difficult to hide, and many of the god’s most favoured servants develop mutations as a further reward for their loyalty. Those that embrace these "gifts" are given unbelievable constitution against all disease and against even mortal weapons. Yet in contrast to their hideous appearance, Nurgle's Daemons are cheerful, energetic beings that show a disturbingly friendly demeanour. Nurgle is one of the Chaos Gods in the Warhammer: 40,000 universe. Others disagree and say whatever Nurgle is, he only manipulates diseases that are already in existence. The Chaos Gods are the supernatural rulers of the Immaterium (the Warp) and have a great impact upon the events occurring in the physical universe. All things, no matter how solid and permanent they seem, are liable to eventual corruption and death. Nurgle is the lord of entropy and decay whereas Tzeentch is the lord of destiny and progression. His sacred colours are sickly greens, yellows, and browns. Nurgle is known also as "Grandfather Nurgle," the "Lord of Pestilence" and the "Lord of Decay." Essentially while Nurgle is foremost thought of as decay, pestilence, etc those cannot be his true domain, for the domains of the gods are emotions. The fall of Chaqua was Nurgle’s greatest victory in the first Chaos wars and a taste of the power he would hold over mortals for millennia to come. He is easily the most disgusting of all the Chaos Gods, though his followers unconditionally love him and Nurgle himself hold genuine happiness to embrace his companions.