"Vainglorious mortals granted the immortal power they crave – at the cost of everything they once were."
- —The cursed Hellstriders of Slaanesh.[2]
A Hellstrider of Slaanesh on the hunt.[1a]
Hellstriders of Slaanesh are Chaos Marauders in service to Slaanesh, the Chaos God of pleasure and pain, who hunt the foes of their patron god from the back of impossibly swift Daemonic Steeds of Slaanesh.[1a]
Role
Hellstriders fight to inflict pain and despair, landing mortal blows upon their victims where they are most likely to prolong the agonising moment of death. Some Hellstriders fight with blades that long ago mutated into their own flesh, whilst others carry a mass of writhing lashes that move with an intelligence of their own. These barbed whips strike out with incredible speed, splitting skin, ripping out throats and flensing flesh in the blink of an eye.[1a]
Slaanesh finds the desperation of mortals exhilarating, especially in those wretches who struggle in vain to achieve greatness when they possess neither the strength nor the cunning to succeed. To these weak-willed Men, Slaanesh whispers a dark bargain -- power, but at a price. The Dark Prince sends a Steed of Slaanesh to these mortals, offering the creature as a gift to carry the chosen Chaos Marauder from one glorious victory to the next.[1a]
In exchange, Slaanesh asks only that his enemies' souls are sacrificed to him. Few can resist so tempting an offer, for with such a kingly gift they would surely have the power they need to become a mighty Chaos Lord. However, once they sit astride the Daemonic steed and the pact is sealed, they will never again dismount. Though they do not yet realise it, they have just become Slaanesh's willing slaves.[1a]
As a Hellstrider fells their enemies, the rider is rewarded by the Dark Prince for each soul slain. Intoxicating energy courses through the warrior's veins, invigorating their form with a potent draught of pain and despair which leaves them shuddering in delight. However, such pleasure does not last for long, and it is addictive in the extreme.[1a]
At battle's end, all that remains are the pangs of suffering and a gnawing hunger that consumes all thoughts bar one -- to feel Slaanesh's stimulating embrace again. Not even the dream of becoming a mighty Chaos Lord survives, sacrificed as the cravings take hold. So it is that Hellstriders have cursed themselves to the eternal hunt; they must fight to feed their addiction to pain and torment, or die from the withdrawal --there are no other choices.[1a]
Miniatures
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