The Lash of Torment
The Lash of Torment is a Gift of Chaos and a Daemon Weapon, granted by Slaanesh to his favoured servants. This weapon takes the form of either a whip, or multiple lengthy tendrils, that twists and coils with a mind of its own. Cruelly barbed hooks run along its length and its sinuous coils are warm yet unsettling to the touch. Within this physical vessel is bound the essence of a Daemonette, and the whip is in turn bound to its bearer, either fusing to and ultimately absorbing his or her hand, or by fusing directly to his or her spine like a Mechadendrite.
The Lash of Torment is, like all Daemon Weapons, sentient and has a will of its own. In battle it will move independently from its bearer, attempting to coil around any living being foolish enough to get close. Once it has trapped a victim, the Lash will writhe and constrict around the hapless being, slowly suffocating it and cutting it to pieces with its multiple barbs. The most disturbing power of the Lash is that it does not only thrive on the pain and fear of its victims, it also psychically projects these feelings to all those in the vicinity of its actions. Servants of Slaanesh find this highly entertaining and wonderfully pleasurable, but other beings have been seen running away in terror when forced to experience the terrible agony of one of their fellows caught in the Lash of Torment. Even outside of combat, the Lash's ability to project emotions is a valued tool during the debased and perverse rituals of praise that the servants of Slaanesh engage in.
Notable Wielders
- Lucius the Eternal - Lucius the Eternal is known as the most skilled user of this Daemon Weapon. However, Lucius' version of the weapon is not unique, and any servant who earns the praise of Slaanesh through his fell deeds might find himself rewarded by being bound to one of these grotesque Daemon Weapons.
Sources
- Codex: Chaos Space Marines (3rd Edition), pp. 55-56
- Dark Imperium (Anthology) edited by Marc Gascoigne and Andy Jones, "The Wrath of Khârn" by William King