Tzeentch
From Warhammer 40k
“Do not ask which creature screams in the night. Do not question who waits for you in the shadow. It is my cry that wakes you in the night, and my body that crouches in the shadow. I am Tzeentch and you are the puppet that dances to my tune...”
Tzeentch, also known as the changer of ways, weaves the threads that connect every action, plot and subtle intrigue in a galaxy wide game of manipulation and subterfuge. At the end of each of these threads lies the ensnared soul of a human puppet; his servants & agents who believe they serve the Lord of Sorcery in mutually beneficial pacts. The truth is that Tzeentch's every action is planned with its ultimate goal as his own establishment as the pre-eminent power in the Warp. Of course, the very nature of the Lord of Entropy is such that, were he to attain this he would still strive for turmoil & change.
Tzeentch exerts his influence in the mortal realm through subtle manipulation and devious ploys. His victims are sorcerers drawn by the promise of forbidden knowledge, politicians lured by the power to outmaneuver their opponents. His power is sorcery, and as all sorcery flows from the fount of the warp, so too is Tzeentch the master of that twisted medium. Tzeentch embodies mutability and change, the drive to evolve and manipulate. This spirit is present in the essence of every living creature from the first division of cells in the womb to the ultimate craving for survival. It is in the hearts of those with the strongest desire to prevail that Tzeentch whispers his insidious promise; offering a means of life eternal to those unwilling to accept death & oblivion as inevitable.
The main rival of The Lord of Sorcery is Nurgle. Where Tzeentch seeks to build and evolve, the Lord of Decay desires only to break down and dissolve. On innumerable occasions Tzeentch's intricate plots have been foiled by Nurgle's malign influence, and the two gods' servants clash as often with each other as with their mutual enemies.
Despite Tzeentch's rivalry with Grandfather Nurgle, he is nonetheless the god with the most influence over the others. At times, the Chaos gods must unite and act in concert if their individual plans are to reach fruition, and it is always Tzeentch who brokers these alliances. However, Tzeentch never acts out of altruism, and it can be guaranteed that every time he moves to unite the powers of Chaos he does so ultimately with his own unfathomable goals in mind.
-The Book of Tzeentch- Codex: Chaos Space Marines
Tzeentch is often visualised as the serpent which writhes and twists to represent constant change.
Tzeentchian daemons tend to be bird-like in nature, or mutated to the point of unrecognizability. The most prolific Daemon is the Horror, an ever-shifting mass of flesh, limbs, and flame-spewing orifices. Flamers are slightly more powerful, with numerous gaping maws that produce the searing flames which give these daemons their unsubtle name. Screamers are Ray-like creatures that swoop down on foes and cut them apart with their sharp claws.
The most powerful Tzeentchian Daemon is the Lord of Change, typically an Avian-like, winged, humanoid Daemon of vast intelligence and massive magical and psychic power light shooting powerful blasts of lightning and chaos fire.
Discs of Tzeentch are melds of magic, metal, and daemon, and are often used as transports for mortal champions. They are known as Changebringers if they're ridden by a Flamer.
The Thousand Sons Chaos Space Marines legion serves Tzeentch exclusively. At the start of the Horus Heresy Thousand Sons leader Magnus the Red tried to warn the Emperor of Horus's treachery by using sorcery but the Emperor rejected him and sent the Space Wolves to wipe out the Thousand Sons as he believed them to be the traitors. The Thousand Sons managed to escape with the help of their new patron, Tzeentch, and sided with Horus against the Emperor. However, following the pronunciation of the Rubric of Ahriman, the battle brothers of the Thousand Sons that had little or no psychic powers were reduced to dust and trapped souls sealed within their armour. The Thousand Sons who had psychic powers, found these powers greatly enhanced and now lead their ghostly Thousand Sons into battle.
Tzeentch's sacred number is nine, His colors are typically seen as blue and gold but an ever-changing rainbow of color is appropriate as well, given He is the Lord of Change.
| The Major Powers of Chaos | |
| Khorne • Nurgle • Slaanesh • Tzeentch |
