Beast of Nurgle

The Beasts of Nurgle, also called Slime Hounds, are massive lumbering fiends that are as stupid as they are ugly—and they are hideously ugly. The product of too much corruption in an area, these things combine the features or several different creatures, creating a terrifying abomination. The Beast’s body is that of a massive, black-spotted slug that glistens with dewy excretions and is topped by a massive head with a large, drooling, fang-filled mouth ringed in tentacles that drip a paralytic toxin. Growing all along the length of its moist body are razor-sharp spines that stick out in random places. About midway down the trunk, a pair of useless legs ending in clawed and webbed feet flop about uselessly. The thing’s body ends in a long tail fitted with a sharp stinger. Though somewhat uniform in appearance, the Beasts are heavily corrupted and sport many mutations and alterations, giving these creatures a wide array of unpredictable abilities and features.

Beasts of Nurgle seem to serve no purpose whatsoever. They are unreliable on the battlefield, crushing their own forces as much as their enemies with their flailing. The things move very slowly, and everything dies that touches the slime trails they leave. In fact, so great is their stink that birds fall from the sky, trees wither and die, and grass for scores of feet all around turns to ash. They are excitable creatures that behave in the most unpredictable ways.

The Beasts of Nurgle congregate in herds near the edge of the swirling darkness that marks the border between the Umbra and the Realm of Chaos, feeding on Nurglings and other Daemons that spill out from the Aethyr. Rarely, these herds slip south, into the hunting territory of the Kurgan and Hung where many of these creatures wind up as food for the cook pots. Beasts of Nurgle are only seen during Incursions, but liars and madmen have claimed to see them, spinning wild stories about how friendly these things are.

Some of the most disgusting Champions of Nurgle actually desire these creatures, hoping to ride them into battle. Agents for such a villain might hire mercenaries to track the thing down, all the while being followed by the Champion and his retinue, who hope to use them as a food offering to gain the Beast’s service.

Amongst the Kurgan and Norsemen, hunting Beasts of Nurgle is an act of extreme courage, and those warriors who survive the experience are counted among the best in the tribe.

Source

 * Warhammer Fantasy RPG 2nd ED -- Tome of Corruption (pg. 227-228).