«Knowledge is power — guard it well»



Q: Grombrindal — I have a question for you. There are four Chaos Gods in the Mortal Realms — Nurgle, Khorne, Tzeentch and Slaanesh. But wasn’t Slaanesh created by the aeldari in Warhammer 40,000? How does that work? Any words of wisdom?
— Jacob Moffatt, Chuleigh, UK
A: Eugh, a Chaos question! I really must sort out my contract so I don’t have to answer them. Anywho… the Realm of Chaos is a mystical place that spans all of existence, stretching across dimensions and time — sometimes it’s called the Realm of Chaos, sometimes the warp, Empyrean, Immaterium, Formless Wastes, Land of Lost Souls or simply the Abyss — it’s all pretty much the same thing. In the Warhammer 40,000 universe it’s said that Slaanesh was created by the aeldari. After his (or her) creation, Slaanesh was then free to journey across the Realm of Chaos, where he (or she) crafted a realm of pleasure and excess in which to dwell. From this point on, Slaanesh could send his (or her) minions — be they mortal or daemonic — across the Realm of Chaos, either into realspace, to the world-that-was or now the Mortal Realms (and countless other places). Seeing as how similar the aelves are to the aeldari, it’s no wonder that Slaanesh took such an interest in them!
— Grombrindal (White Dwarf, June 2018)

Q: Greetings, oh bearded and strong one. I was wondering how Slaaneshi daemons can be in the Mortal Realms as well as in the 41st Millennium; I'm pretty sure that Slaanesh was created by the Fall of the Aeldari.
— AlexTiffen, Chelmsford, England
A: Daemons — what an unwholesome subject to be asking about! Especially those debauched Slaaneshi creatures. Quite why you would want to know about them, I don't know! However, I am oathbound to answer your question. The Mortal Realms — and the old world, which preceded them — exist in a totally different reality to the 41st Millennium. The Realm of Chaos, where Slaanesh resides, exists outside of both these realities, although it is connected to them. It is a strange metaphysical place formed of emotions, abstract concepts and ideas, where such mortal notions as causality and linear time have no meaning. So while you're right, and Slaanesh was created during the Fall by the hedonistic lifestyle of the Aeldari, the Dark Prince exists beyond time and space, and his minions can manifest in many realities. It's enough to make an old dwarf's head hurt!
— Grombrindal (White Dwarf 487, April 2023)