Nurgle

Nurgle's History

Nurgle, also known as the "Plague Lord," "Grandfather Nurgle," the "Lord of Pestilence," the "Fly Lord," the "Urfather," and as "Neiglen and "the Crow" among many other names is the major Chaos God of disease, decay, despair, destruction, death and rebirth.

Nurgle is the Chaos God most directly involved with the plight of mortals, particularly Men, who suffer so acutely from a fear of death. He is the eldest of the four Chaos Gods and indeed is undoubtedly the oldest Chaos God of all, for the process of death and decay is as ancient as life itself. Nurgle is the embodiment of the constant cycle of death and rebirth which animates all life in the universe, and was brought into being by mortals' fears of death and the despair they feel about their inevitable mortality from age and disease.

Though so much of his portfolio is concerned with death and decay, Nurgle is unexpectedly also the personification of rebirth. After all, decay is simply one part of the cycle of life, without which no new life could grow. In the same way, Nurgle also personifies perseverance and survival. While those who wish to spread death, decay and corruption are certainly amongst his followers, there are also those who wish to endure, to become resilient enough to handle the difficulties and opportunities presented by an uncaring world.

Many of those affected by Nurgle's poxes usually turn to him in order to escape the pain and despair caused by sickness and disease, and while the other three major Ruinous Powers have little care for their followers, it is Nurgle who displays an uncommon love, admiration, and faith in those that would follow in his blighted footsteps.

Of all the Dark Gods, Nurgle is perhaps the least worshipped amongst the Human tribes of the North. Nurgle's worship is only favoured when plagues and disease are prevalent amongst their people, for to do otherwise would simply bring the same diseases upon their lands. When plague inevitably comes to their frozen realm, the tribes of the Northmen often appease Nurgle by offering gifts or Human sacrifices in hopes of being spared from his beloved diseases.