SwagVault MMO Blog

Know Your Gods – Khaine

Part Four of Ten – Know Your Gods is an original Warhammer Online lore series by Cicadymn (Sam).

So, after looking in to the forces of Chaos, the deity of the Empire, those elvish folk might feel a bit left out. Here at TheGreenskin, we want everybody to feel welcome, even though we might be a little less hostile to those who’s skin color is of a more foresty shade. We still want you to come over none-the-less. That’s why today we’re going to talk about Khaine.

When people first caught wind of the Disciple of Khaine, players flocked to it. They couldn’t get enough! And as we’ve seen in the community, healer classes are really getting a lot of attention by future players in WAR than they have in any other MMO to date. So, I’m going to do my best to sum up the patron god for all you Khaine worshipers out there. If I don’t nail it, you can always turn me into a sacrifice, right? That would be very fitting, as to the Dark Elves, Khaine is the Lord of Murder. His full name is Khaela Mensha Khaine, which roughly translates to “Bloody-Handed Khaine.” While Khaine is the exalted god of the Dark Elves, I do have a bit of bad news for them. Khaine is also worshiped by the High Elves. Ironic, right? Khaine isn’t constantly worshiped by the High Elves, but rather, he is their god of war. When High Elves stride into battle, Khaine is the one they want on their side. That being said, it is considered inappropriate for him to be worshiped in times of peace. As the story goes, the first Phoenix King of the High Elves actually used Khaine’s blessed weapon, known as the Sword of Khaine or the Widowmaker, to fight back the overwhelming swarm of Chaos from invading their homeland. Khaine’s sword is said to be so strong that it can kill god or man indiscriminately.

So, what kind of holidays can you expect for this Lord of Murder? Well he’s got a few dedicated to him, firstly the Harvest of Souls and then the Death Night. As you may have guessed, they involve killing. Lots of killing. While these are not High Elf holidays, you can bet your bottom dollar that the Dark Elves are ready to jump on them. During these times Dark Elves kill anyone, friend or foe, that shows any sign of weakness. Such prolonged exposure to the brutal nature of Khaine has of course skewed their views of killing. Rather than just a brutal solution to a problem, they see it as an art form and strive to become perfect at it. As we talked about in Khorne’s article, the temple of Khaine, rather then a battlefield is a great temple held in the fortress city of Ghrond in Naggaroth. The seat in the temple is heralded as one of great power. As such, Morathi the Queen Mother and Crone Hellebron the High Priestess of the temple both claim that they are in absolute charge of the temple, and it often leads to conflict. These conflicts are kept in check by Malekith the Witch King of the Dark Elves. Some people say that Khaine is simply Khorne by another name, though that claim is adamantly denied by the followers of Khaine, stating that Khorne isn’t refined and subtle, while Khaine is.

Whats in it for you, a loyal followers of Khaine? Well, if you were unlucky enough to grow up in a Dark Elf city chances are you would be well aware of Death Night. If you happened to have been captured during that night by any of the Witch Elves who were prowling the streets you would have different things happen to you. One, if you were a female you would be taken to the temple and trained to become a Witch Elf. However, for the opposite sex something a little less pleasant was about to happen. You would be taken back to the temple and thrown into a massive cauldron of boiling blood. If you somehow, by the grace of Khaine, managed to survive you would be trained to become one of the most feared assassins in the Elven world. If you manage to survive the night, you thank your lucky stars by making a household sacrifice, usually a favorite slave or a really old relative that you have just lying around. If you’re into strange gifts from far off gods, this might not be your deity of choice. However, if you enjoy refining your skills in murder, love the thrill of battle, yet don’t want it to be mindless. If you’ve got a fetish for blood and enjoy sacrificing slaves then Khaine might just be the god for you.

Now I know what you must be thinking, “You’re only on part four! I can’t decide yet!” Don’t worry, there are plenty more gods to choose from. While you wait, you can mull over those we’ve seen so far and dream about what’s to come. Tune in next time for more information on the next Warhammer god. If I haven’t gotten to the one you’re thinking of, don’t worry, I will! it’s just a matter of time.

From: http://thegreenskin.com/2008/07/16/know-your-gods-khaine/