Nurgle, Great Lord of Decay[]
Description[]
Nurgle is the Great Lord of Decay and the Master of Plague and Pestilence. His carcase is riddled with disease and infestation. Nurgle is also the Lord of All, because all things, no matter how solid and permanent they seem, are liable to physical corruption. Indeed, the very processes of construction and creation foreshadow destruction and decay. The palace of today is tomorrow's ruin, the maiden of the morning is the crone of the night, and the hope of a moment is but the foundation stone of everlasting regret.
What is the response of living men to the undeniable and inevitable futility of life? Is it to lie down and accept death and the coming to naught of their every endeavour? No, it is not! Faced with the inevitability of death, what answer can there be but to run through life at a great and unstoppable pace, cramming each day with hope, laughter, noise, and bustle. Thus, happiness and human endeavour are sired by a coming to terms with decay and futility. This realisation is the key to understanding the Great Lord of Decay and his worshippers.
Once we comprehend what it is that the Chaos Power Nurgle embodies, it becomes easier to understand what might otherwise seem a contradictory or even perverse nature. On the one hand, he is the Lord of Decay, whose body is wracked with disease; on the other, he is full of unexpected energy and a desire to organise and enlighten.
The living know that they will die and many know that they will live with disease or other torment, yet they drive this knowledge into a corner of their minds and keep it pinioned there with all manner of dreams and activity. Nurgle is the embodiment of that knowledge and of the unconscious response to it, of the hidden fear of disease and decay and of the power of life which the fear generates.
Nurlge's appearance is mirrored in his Greater Daemons, the Great Unclean Ones.
Symbol[]
The symbol of Nurgle is three circles, touching each other at a single point, like the strange compound eyes of the fly. A variation is also used of two touching circles, like a fly's round eyes, with an arrow protruding downward from between them.
Nurgle's colours are sickly greens, yellows, and browns - usually worn in simple geometric patterns. Worshippers often find it expedient to wear neither a symbol or the alternative badge of the silhouette of a fly, but most go hooded - either to disguise the deformities caused by Nurgle's Rot or to inspire dread and doubt.
Number[]
Seven is the mystic number of Nurgle, denoting the number of mutations his Daemons carry, as well as many other aspects.
Worship[]
Followers of the Plague God are also fairly rare within The Empire, but a few do exist, practising their filthy rites within the depths of the sewer systems of the major cities. Such groups rarely number more than fifty and are largely isolated from groups in other cities. From time to time, the city or provencial authorities will mount an expedition to exterminate the depraved worshippers of Nurgle, but since such efforts must stop short of burning down their cities, there are always a few who escape to replenish their numbers.
Friends And Enemies[]
Nurgle is the eternal enemy of the Chaos Power Tzeentch, the Lord of Change. Nurgle and Tzeentch draw their energy from opposing beliefs. While the energy of Tzeentch comes from hope and changing fortune, that of Nurgle comes from defiance born of despair and hopelessness. The two Great Powers never lose an opportunity to pit their forces against each other, from mighty battles on the Chaos Wastes to complex political intrigues among mortal men.
Spell Use[]
Specific spells useful to the followers of Nurgle are listed in the Spell list.