Herald of Nurgle
Heralds of Nurgle are mortals who resisted Nurgle's Rot for a lengthy period, through some can be born from other diseases. Though the disease inevitably claims them, their resistance to the ravages of the disease created a longer incubation period, spawning a more powerful Daemon. These larger, more powerful Plaguebearers often lead armies of their kind and sometimes mount Rot Flies to form squadrons of Plague Drones.[1]
Poxbringers
Poxbringers are the most common lieutenants of the Great Unclean Ones, in the Chaos God's Daemonic armies. They stand taller and broader than the Plaguebearers that surround them and project an air of malign authority, which help ensure the Great Unclean Ones' orders are carried out to the letter. In battle the Poxbringers wield their Baleswords with prodigious strength, to hack down the enemy's champions and sorcerers, while also unleashing their own unclean spells to corrupt and despoil.[4]
Sloppity Bilepipers
Sloppity Bilepipers perfectly sum up the repugnant jollity of the Plague God. Armed with a set of Jolly Gutpipes and a marotter (crafted from the remains of a previous Sloppity Bilepiper), these Heralds are the victims and carriers of the Chortling Murrain, a disease that causes its victims to laugh themselves to death. Sloppity Bilepipers cavort and joke with Nurglings, Great Unclean Ones and Beasts of Nurgle (but not Plaguebearers, who lack a sense of humour) and their appearance on the battlefield strikes horror into the hearts of their mortal foes.[2]
Spoilpox Scriveners
Spoilpox Scriveners are downright dour creatures when compared to the Plague God's other Daemons. It is their job to ensure that Plaguebearers meet their tallies, a job they accomplish by relentlessly browbeating and bullying their counterparts with a barrage of insults and commands. This causes the Plaguebearers to fight even harder and makes them a strategic linchpin in Nurgle's armies.[2]
Notable Heralds
- Poxbringers
- Mag-grub Larvalmaster — Leader of The Worm-Ridden. Contains of Four Plaguebearer packs, three Plague Drone packs and three Beasts of Nurgle. The Worm-Ridden carry within their bodies the latest of Nurgle’s creations, the worm-borne blistereye disease, and it is their task to ensure it spreads.[5a]
- Bhadrub Bubeopox — Leader of Plagueswords of Bhadrub. Contains of Five Plaguebearer packs, two Plague Drone packs and two Nurgling packs. The Plagueswords of Bhadrub held back the Ultramarines that came to halt the legion’s defilement of Iax’s wellsprings until reinforcements arrived.[5a]
- Ghlub'tar — Fell out of favour due to his unceasing stream of glum retorts, and was put in charge of the Nurgling masses that followed the Plague Legions into battle, during the final stages of the Plague Wars. While originally envisioned as a punishment for his sour attitude, the results of his Nurgling assault waves were so impressive that the position has since become a permanent one, much to his annoyance.[5b]
- Wretch Gab'larr — Given the honourable task of studying the effects of Nurgle's plagues upon specimens never before encountered, then describing them to his master upon the porch of the Chaos God's manse, in the Garden of Nurgle.[5b]
- Sloppity Bilepipers
- Growlx[8]
- Gurglax — Leader of Dirge Tollers. Contains of Seven Plaguebearer packs and four Nurgling packs. The Dirge Tollers devastated the Ultramar Defence Forces, Gurglax’s mirth attracting a horde of capering Nurglings to his aid.[5a]
- Spoilpox Scriveners
- Drog'lar Slimeksin — Leader of Investus Tallyband which consist of seven Plaguebearer packs, three Beasts of Nurgle and was a part of the Septicus Legion. It was the Investus Tallyband that served Septicus as a vanguard on Iax. Its ranks of Plaguebearers formed around Drog'lar as he counted the initial symptoms of disease exhibited by the planet's defenders.[5a]
- Grizguttage — Leader of Shambling Horde Tallyband that consist of seven Plaguebearer packs, a Beast of Nurgle, a Soul Grinder and was a part of the Septicus Legion. With Dribwretch, a hulking Soul Grinder, supplying firepower, the infantry of the Shambling Horde advances into the thick of enemy fire.[5a]
- Other
- Botchulax[9]
- Festerguts - Part of The Adulant Host of Hazriah the Believer.[7]
- Ghulroth the Slaverer - Relatively minor Herald that attacked the Ultima Ratio near the Charon Stars[6]
- Horticulous Slimux - Gardener of Nurgle
- Maggot Tongue
- Mollucos
- Phungor
- Phugulus - Grotesquely flatulent Herald that fought alongside the Infernal Tetrad army.[3b]
- Verdig'rus - Fought during the Siege of the Fenris System alongside the Bloodthirster Vor'hakk[3a]
Sources
- 1: Codex: Chaos Daemons (4th Edition), pgs. 32-35
- 2: The Third Day of Nurgle: Heralds (last accessed 26 March 2018)
- 3: War Zone Fenris: Curse of the Wulfen
- 4: Games Workshop: Poxbringer
- 5: Codex: Chaos Daemons (8th Edition)
- 6: Deathwatch: Rising Tempest, pgs. 82-85
- 7: White Dwarf February 2013, pg. 61
- 8: Warhammer Combat Cards, card description
- 9: Games Workshop - Citadel Combat Cards 2017 - Card Description
- 10: Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Sloppity Bilepiper
