Nurgle
It is not always clear to many why someone would worship Nurgle as it is the god of 'despair' and that hardly sounds like the basis of a chaos champion. However this is perhaps too narrow a take on 'Father Nurgle', and when we consider all 'his' characteristics it becomes clear why someone would worship 'him'. It is almost all the same reasons people turn to current religions in our world - peace, acceptance, forgiveness, caring, love, endurance etc. While hope is more the realm of Tzeentch, Nurgle seems to be about acceptance of one's situation and working with what you have rather than wishing on 'vein hope'. Nurlge seems to be eminently practical, a god of the people, the poor, the dispossessed, all those who want to survive without big dreams and ambitions, to bring up a family, to 'fit in', to be a part of a greater the community and accept restrictions to achieve that. To endure hard times, that is Nurgle, and even a slave would pray to Nurgle for salvation. For in doing so they are asking for help not empowerment (rather than the other chaos gods which seems to all be the go-getters and party animals).
Nurlge also seems to be quite complex, not merely despair, but also covers 'rebirth' and transformation after grief and loss, of changing (very chaos). Anyone that hate their life and undergoes a transformation after suffering is exhibiting emotions that feed Nurgle. There is more - it also seems to cover 'glee' (carnival of Nurgle) and entertainers (many who suffer from depression) and a sense of humour, and self depreciating humour at that (who doesn't think a Clown is an agent of Nurgle? An alcoholic Clown reeking of booze stumbling about the place?).
And while Slaanesh maybe a total crack head, and love stimulants, Nurgle seems to get all the depressants like alcohol, and all the drugs that aid in 'forgetting' and 'enduring' like pain killers (something I imagine Slaanesh would not like, or Khorne).
Nurlge is perhaps the greatest of all the chaos gods, and looking at this broader image of Nurgle it's clear to see why - we, the common man, already worship him; and we didn't even know it (but Nurlge is caring and does not demand recognition, it sustains us in our darkest hours...). Nurgle can be found at the bottom of a pint glass, it can be heard in the laughter down the pub, in the giggles of loose women, felt in the embrace of prostitutes, seen in the eyes of staving children, and smelt in the infections and STDs that plague humanity. It could even be said to be the driving force in reproduction, in the pain and madness of love, right down to the self sacrificing love and care a parent has for their child.
Nurgle is with us. Always. It is the default chaos god....
Well it would if we were in 40K!
As a last thought, St. Nicholas used to have a green costume before coca~cola got a hold of him. A portly gentlemen, full of glee, with gifts, and bring forth a time of drinking, and over indulgence, but also strife, debt and feelings guilt - all marking the winter solstice - Father Christmas is probably an aspect of Nurgle. A Greater Daemon? Sometimes chaos is tempting 😀
Philip
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Hearing feedback is very important to me in developing my ideas. Much of my designs are inspired, and crafted, by chatting to fans on forums before snowballing into a full concept you'll find here. I would like to thank all those who have contributed critiques and participated in discussions over the years, and I would especially like to thank all those who commented on this specific topic. If you would like join in, you are most welcome!
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Reminds me of this old discussion me and CELS once had on the anargo forums. He created a character who ruled some pre Imperial empire in the Anargo Sector. This fellow was some psycher who believed himself to be the savior of humanity. I'm not sure if he was an actual Chaos worshipper, but he did use Chaos (the Warp) for his benefit. Khorne, Nurgle and Tzeentch were around (Slaanesh wasn't "born" yet, pre-Fall and all), but they weren't seen as the typical 'evil powers' as GW portrays them nowadays. Sure Khorne is the god of war and blood and battle and murder, but also of honour, brotherhood, pride and so on. Nurgle was despair and decay, but also rebirth. Tzeentch had something along those lines too, forgot what exactly.
When relating this to Sciror and the whole psionics aspect of it (come on, Sciror is becoming quite a totalitarian thing for me now, every fiction I read becomes related to it:P) it could go in a similar manner. Gods are formed by emotions, so Khorne (or a deity like him) would be formed by rage, wars and so on. But he could also have another side, being honour and pride. Or would that immediately be another deity?