Khorne and Nurgle, enemies, friends or neutral?

[Arcadius Solisto]

I was wondering, as long that Khorne HATES Slaneesh and despises Tzeentch, how does he look upon to Nurgle, I mean, They both have similar ways of fighting (close combat and short range firefights aren't so diferent) both, if they should unite force, no one could beat them ^^, what do ya'll say?

[dswanick]

I'm sure Khorne hates Nurgle, also. In some ways Khorne probably hates Nurgle most of all as he is the god of slow, painful, creeping, wasting death. There is no blood and glory in dying in your bed - unable to breath deeply, weighing 85lbs, limbs shaking from the exertion of reaching for that glass of water on your bedstand to slake a thirst which won't go away, coughing up a lung from the cancerous growth expanding in your chest, bedsheets soaked in the puss and bile oozing from your wasted body.

[kharn_the_betrayer]

Per Codex: Daemon:

 

The Gods of the Ether are in a constant state of war with each other, but will team up to take down another temporarily.

 

I'm basically seeing this as that they are feuding eternally and only team up with each other to take down one of the others if one gets too powerful. Then due to the infighting they basically go back to not being buddies. The story of the Crystal Staff of Tzeentch is a good example. Basically the other 3 took down the Master of Mutation as he had became too powerful and was winning the great war. They do team up but as I have read it they can't stay that way due to just fighting with each other. Given your example Khorne and Nurgle could tag team the other two and take them down if they don't have time to band together, but they would sooner or later (and most likely sooner) have a squabble over who was in charge and the standstill would ensue as before.

[Ubermensch Commander]

All the Chaos Gods hate each other but work with one another.

For example, Khorne and Tzeentch is a well known rivalry, yet in Chaos Gate we see Daemons of both gods working together and both gods bestowing their gifts onto the same Legion (Word Bearers).

[Rain]

All Chaos gods are rivals, but each has a specific enemy that they hate more than the others. For Khorne this is technically Slaanesh, though he also hates Tzeentch more than "normal" which leaves Nurgle to be the one he hates least. Khorne and Nurgle have allied on occasional and the rulebook has a story in which Nurgle asks Khorne for help in destroying an Imperial planet and Khorne agrees because there was an opportunity for killing though this kind of thing never lasts long.

 

If they did ally permanently, they could certainly "win" the Great Game as Khorne and Nurgle are both immensely powerful, even among Chaos gods, but this would never happen since it is against their nature to not be in constant turmoil and upheaval. In fact, the Great Game is kind of an end in of itself to the Chaos gods, it helps define them and is an eternal part of Chaos as even though some gods are older than others they have all always existed. Yeah, Chaos doesn't make any sense.

[Captain Malachi]

Khorne hates all three of them, he just hates Nurgle a little less. He doesn't even need a reason to hate him, the fact that he isn't Khorne is enough to want to tear him to shreds and feed him to the bloodcrushers.

[Aqatone]

They only hate eachother because it's all in Tzeentchs eternal plan.

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

Basically Khorne has a 'you funny guy. I kill you last' relationship with Nurgle.

[Arcadius Solisto]

Hmmm interesting, so an if the World Eaters and the Death Guard should ever ally, they would be unbeatable, Berserkers go on killing everything while the plague marines would flank and keep close firing support to the berserkers, plus, their focus is almost the same, kill things, only that one does it in a more subtle way then the other, but both could (and should) ally, but, as stated before, it would not last... shame, they make a good strategy...

[Captain Malachi]

No, the world eaters and the death guard would be tough, but far from unbeatable. However, Khorne and Nurgle both have vast armies of daemons at their command, and with the help of chaos worshipping mortals they could theoretically overrun a large amount of the galaxy. Depends on how well the other races defend themselves really.

 

Their biggest problem would be getting those endless armies out of the warp and in to the material universe.

[malika666]

Epic 40k (3rd edition of I'm not mistaken) mentioned two alliances between the Chaos Gods. Khorne tended to ally with Nurgle whilst Slaanesh and Tzeentch were working together more often.

[Ubermensch Commander]

Hmmm interesting, so an if the World Eaters and the Death Guard should ever ally, they would be unbeatable, Berserkers go on killing everything while the plague marines would flank and keep close firing support to the berserkers, plus, their focus is almost the same, kill things, only that one does it in a more subtle way then the other, but both could (and should) ally, but, as stated before, it would not last... shame, they make a good strategy...

 

Far from unbeatable, as we see from the Horus Heresy and several Black Crusades. Those incursions also included the other Legions working together as well. As for the Chaos Gods, meh, they will just keep doing what they always do. Unlikely they will ever "win."

[Lucifer216]

A related question is which of the Chaos Gods are most reliant on civilization for their power. While Nurgle and Khorne can and do benefit from civilization in the form of high population density and the potential for total war, I think this is largely countered by the increased potential for medical care and a move away from hand to hand combat. On the other hand, Slaaneshi excess and Tzeentchian power plays almost seem to require large cities with complex trade/political systems.

 

On a related note, I think battlefields result in more wounded than casualties, meaning that straight warfare empowers Khorne and Nurgle simulataneously. In addition, the potential for ruinious taxes, pillaging and supply chain problems, means that war dramatically increases vulnerability for disease. While I can image that you'd see a few individuals gaining a sensuous delight from war (ace fighter pilots, the impact of immenient death on the human libido, etc) and a few general's are likely to engage in attempts to win by trickery over force of arms, the emotional power of these strikes me as being completely outweighed by that accuring to Khorne and Nurgle.

 

What I guess I'm arguing, is the very nature of emotions produced by war and peace create synergies and dependencies between Khorne and Nurgle, opposed by Slaanesh and Tzeentch.

[Black Hand]

As far as I can tell, Khorne and Nurgle are generally the most likely to ally, though as mentioned above, Khorne hates everybody, so the alliances do not last long. All it would take is for a mutual enemy to disappear, and the two's worshippers would be at each other's throats.

[firestorm40k]

I see the two as having an almost symbiotic relationship, that the two aren't aware of.

 

Khorne rises the martial pride and flames the bloodlust of mortals that leads to war.

 

War destroys infrastructure, leaving mortals vulnerable to famine, disease and pestilence, which Nurgle seeks to spead.

 

In the wake of these comes more conflict, as mortals band together in smaller groups to fight for what little remains in terms of resources.

 

So basically, you have a little cycle by which the two feed each other.

 

Although I'd be very surprised if the Lord of Skulls and the Plague Father see it that way!:tu:

[Black Hand]

As far as I can tell, Khorne and Nurgle are generally the most likely to ally, though as mentioned above, Khorne hates everybody, so the alliances do not last long. All it would take is for a mutual enemy to disappear, and the two's worshippers would be at each other's throats.

 

 

Hey... good call.

 

You know, that's not a bad theory at all. I can see this working out, especially given the effects of wars in the past, such as the First and Second World Wars and the Iraq/Iran war. If these caused so much devastation and despair afterwards, it's reasonable to assume this occurs in the 41st millennium too.

[God Of War]

Each Chaos God hates the other three with a passion unrivaled by even the most fanatical of their followers.

[Dammeron]

Khorne hates everyone. He is, after all, the bellowing personification of hatred itself. Of all his brother gods, it seems he has the most clement relationship with Nurgle. Tzeentch he despises for his conniving and trickery, but Slaanesh he detests most of all, regarding his youngest brother as en effete, impotent, self indulgent fop.

[Brother Delias]

Asd said, Khorne is the metaphisical personification of hate itself... if khorne were to love living thing... it would have to be his most favoured of pets... the Bloodhounds of Khorne.

 

However, as he does very well hate Nurgle, he is at least amiable to the lord of decay, as should the balance of power ever shift to him against the two gods that are his enemies, it has already been said that Nurgle is too powerful for Khorne to take on all on his own. Khorne respects Nurgle's power, and as Khorne respects power unto itself, Khorne allies with Nurgle more often than not.

 

Nurgle, described as an almost jovial god, does not hate any of his brother gods, it is to him that they all will eventually waste away. That said,Nurgle is quite possibly the most patient of the gods, as all he need do is wait. One very simple aspect that keeps Nurgle out of the Khorne's eye of hatred is that Nurgle uses possibly the least magic of the three other gods.

 

Tzeentch is privy to a very old hatred from Khorne, their rivalry spans from the dawn of their conciousness from the immaterial, they are equal in power, Khorne is yin to Tzeentch's Yang. It is from this polar opposition that they can never be true allies.

 

Slannesh, hated above all, god created from the depravity of Eldar, the most physically weak of all races, and a sick amalgamation of trickery and pride. Khorne, the most true of all warriors, finds Slannesh's ways both cowardly and unhonorable... It is only because of Tzeentch that Khorne has not destroyed the Dark Prince yet.

[juiced]

It was in some older fluff were after slaanesh's birth he fought with The Eldar god Khaine and Shattered hie ethereal spirit and cast im in to the materium, after consuming most of the eldar race. at this point Khorne and he begin to fight and such was Slaanesh's power that Khorne is unable to beat slaanesh, He may be the youngest of the gods but the depravity of the eldar gave him power akin to Khorne himself.

 

The Chaos gods cannot every destroy each other, destroying one would mean erasing that emotion/thing from the material universe, even if they could be shattered as Khaine was, a chaos god in the material universe would cause so much destruction and grown in power so quickly that he would be right along side his brothers in just a short time.

[BrownLegionPlayer]

I'm sure Khorne hates Nurgle, also. In some ways Khorne probably hates Nurgle most of all as he is the god of slow, painful, creeping, wasting death. There is no blood and glory in dying in your bed - unable to breath deeply, weighing 85lbs, limbs shaking from the exertion of reaching for that glass of water on your bedstand to slake a thirst which won't go away, coughing up a lung from the cancerous growth expanding in your chest, bedsheets soaked in the puss and bile oozing from your wasted body.

That wasn't a very pleasing picture in my head. :)

[Brother Nihm]

Welcome to Chaos,

 

Have a cookie!

 

Also,

Necro-posting is bad, mkay. :)

[Zincite]

Nurgle has no blood, just pus. And no bones either, and thus no skull. Bit of a no-win situation.