- "Filth! Scum! Vermin! You dare to call upon me? Simply looking upon you makes me wish to tear my eyes out. Your every breath makes me ill. I hold you in the very lowest contempt mortal. Then again that is not something new. Tell me, what is it that disgusts you? Perhaps we loath something in common..."
- —Maldzimus
Maldizmus is the minor Chaos God of Disgust and repulsion. His aspects include rejection, ugliness, descrimination, exclusion, intolerance and all things that inspire disgust and disdain in mortals. Maldizmus is a Chaos god that finds other denizens of the Warp, and mortals revolting. In spite of this he seeks mortal followers for two reasons. The first being that he requires them to maintain his existence. The second being that worship of him inevitably leads his mortal followers to misery and isolation, a fact that pleases him to no end.
Maldizmus was born from the feeling of disgust. In essence Maldizmus is the very essence of mortals' tendancies to reject that which is not like them, or that they don't understand. In the 41st millenium intolerance is rampant throughout the galaxy. The Imperium in particular in their narrow mindedness has fuelled Maldizmus. In spite of the fact that the emotion that Maldizimus draws power from is abudant he remains a fairly weak force within the Immaterium. This is because his doctrine results in his mortal followers inevitably turning on one another, and slaughtering each other. Thus permanent cults and warbands devoted to the god are nigh impossible, and infighting between followers of Maldizmus is endemic.
The sacred number of Maldizmus is 4. Colors associated with Maldizmus are black, brown and grey, though any combination of colors deemed ugly can be used to venerate the god. Creatures and objects having to do with this god is are referred to as Maldizmite.
As is appropriate for a god that represents rejection and disgust Maldizmus takes umberage with all the other Chaos Gods. However given his weak status among them the major Chaos Gods pay him little mind. However he holds particular hatred for another minor Chaos God. His rival is Dejitar, the god of love and obsession. Where Maldizmus finds all things repellent Dejitar and his followers try to force their love onto others, a prospect that Maldizmus finds sickening.
Manifestation[]
The exact form by which Maldizmus manifests is not known. According to the scattered accounts and research done by the Ordo Malleus Maldizmus supposedly has an appearance so utterly revolting that the mortal mind rejects the very image of it. Anyone foolish enough to look upon Maldizmus will lose their sanity as their mind reels in disgust at the very sight of the Chaos God. It is also possible that Maldizmus does not have a set form, changing his appearance according to what the observer views as irredeemably repulsive. For the most part his followers usually portray him as a sort of crawling, lurking darkness.
Maldizmus has a voice that is universally unpleasant, supposedly hearing it is almost painful for the listener. In addition to this his voice conjures images of foul creeping things in the minds of those that hear it.
Cult of Maldizmus[]
- "Stand now infidels! You are accused of being loathsome in the eyes of this congregation, and thus thy exstence disgusts the Reviler! With his holy sanction we shalt put thee to the flame so that your loathsome self will blight our eyes no longer. Praise!"
- —A Maldizmite Priest
One would think that a patron god of things that inspire disgust would likely have followers among the mutant population of humanity. Oddly enough it is usually quite the opposite. Most of Maldizmus' cults start out among the ruling elite of humanity. Those that possess pride, and are in a position to descriminate against "lesser men" make the best followers, as they are most likely to feel disgusted by their fellow man.
However the truth is that any man can fall to Maldizmus. Maldizmus feeds upon the prejudices that mortals have against each other. Maldizmus' following is filled with bigots, racists and anyone else that is ruled by their prejudices. In the Imperium where prejudice is merely a fact of life, followers occur all too often. Furthermore while Maldizmus is not a god of vengeance himself, the feelings that avengers often have towards those that have wronged them often feeds Maldizmus. It should be noted that Imperial Space Marines have a particular vulnerability towards Maldizmus as their psycho-indoctrinated hatred toward mutants Xenos and many others can lead them to Maldizmus.
When not operating in the open Maldizmite cults and warbands usually operate under the guise of violent movements towards a particular hated group. More than once a Maldizmite cult has appeared as a zealous lynch mob targetting mutants, or heretics. These cults exist for the sole reason of purging those that they hold in disdain. Ironically while the worship of Maldizmus is heretical, his dogma preaches many of the same things as the Imperial Cult. This is especially the case when it comes to purging those that are considered deviant by the followers of the cults.
Ironically while Maldizmus draws power from an all too common emotion in this dark age, and converts many to his service, his following among mortals is not particualrly impressive. This is because his worshippers are amongst the most factionalized of all Chaos worshippers. Due to Maldizmus' doctrine his followers tend to gravitate towards, and work with those that are similar to themselves. They are usually united by hatred towards those that are different than them. Usually Cults and warbands start off small, and then grow as those who are also disgusted by the groups target join up. However over time divisions begin to appear within the group. it could be a difference in ideology, ability or even something as superficial as appearance, however the followers of Maldizmus inevitably take notice of these differences among their ranks, and grow to resent them.
This resentment builds until the group splits apart, and civil war erupts among the members. This is the pattern that nearly all Maldizmite factions follow, growing for a time and then eventaully slaughtering each other. The dogma of Malizmus makes it so that Warbands and Cults dedicated to him view each other as hated enemies, and eventually they view their comrades much the same way. As a result these Maldizmite factions almost always turn out to be temporary, and doomed to self-destruction.
It should also be noted that true Champions of Maldizmus have no reverence for their god. After a;; Maldizmus is truly the most loathsome being in all existence. The only reason these Champions pay homage to him, and perform acts in his name is because Maldizmus both encourages, and gives them the power to purge that which they resent.
Maldizmite Corruption[]
Maldizmus is not a god that people usually seek out of a sense of reverence, or due to the promise of eternal life. Indeed those that choose Maldizmus with an understanding of his nature know that more often than not the only certainty that Maldizmus promises is suffering. Maldizmite Champions do not swear their souls to the Loathsome One out of a desire for wealth and opulence, nor for the promise of immortality. after all they know that Maldizmus despises them, and thus grants very few immortal Daemonhood.
What Maldizmus does offer is the power to act upon the rancor within the hearts of mortals. Mortals seek Maldizmus favor because he not only encourages them to destroy that which they loath and would not look upon, but also empowers them to do it. With Maldizmus' favor no vendetta is unpursuable, no loathsome, disgusting existence is beyond purging. Thus it is that mortals pursue Maldizmus blessing so that they may rid the universe of the objects of their contempt.
However most who choose to walk Maldizmus path are ignorant of it when they begin. The most they know is that Maldizmus will empower them to strike at that which they have a grievance against. Upon first pledging their soul to the Reviler they are filled with a new, more powerful loathing. Any hesitance that they possessed before about acting out their spite vanishes, and indeed they begin to feel a power and vigor born from their hatred.
At this point they might seek out others with a common disdain if the target of their spite is of large scale, or difficult to do harm to by oneself. Together these cults of disgust form, and grow strong on their own rancor. However this is not something that can last. The longer, and more fervantly a Maldizmite Champion serves his god, the stronger the rotting hatred in his heart grows. As this hatred grows so too does his power. Likewise as the corruption continues a Maldizmite Champion begins to mutate like other Chaos Champions. The mutations inflicted on Maldizmus' followers are hideous even by the standards of Chaos, and as a result it is common for Champions and Arch-heretics to cover their faces with masks, helmets and many other things. However it also has an effect on the Champions mind. Slowly a Malkdizmite Champion will begin to notice the differences between himself and those around him. As the corruption progresses the Champion grows less and less tolerant of those differences. He seeks out those that are most like him, and views all others with disdain.
Eventually this progresses to the point where the Champion is disgusted by all other living things, no matter how much they may have in common with them. By this point a Cult Leader or Chaos Lord views his followers as no better than vermin. He remains with them only because they allow him to wage war against others as he pleases, but he does not care for their lives. In truth the Champion has reached the point in which every battle he hopes that his flock recieve as much damage as they do to the enemy. The Lord rules over his fellow Maldizmites with an iron fist, and a cruel heart.
If the corruption continues much further, or if the Champion simply can no longer stand being with his fellow Maldizmites they will seek solitude. By this time the Champion has become a truly grotesque creature both on the inside and out. They feel a profound disgust towards everyone, and everything. In addition to this their mutations have long since changed them into a deformed, revolting creature. Having fallen so far it is not uncommon for the Champion to fall into self-loathing. The Champion has become an ugly monster, squating in isolated ruins, deep in an Underhive, or in some den in the wilderness. Any living creature that the monster can lay its hands on will most certainly meet its end. Having walked Maldizmus path to the end the Champion has become isolated, miserable and bitter towards the whole of existence. From here Spawnhood is the next step for the vast majority of Maldizmite Champions. However on occasion a Champions misery and spite pleases Maldizmus so much that he grants the creature Daemonhood so that it can continue to torment reality. Daemon Princes of Maldizmus are rare thankfully, for they are amongst the most foul servants of Chaos, and burn with the need to punish the rest of existence.
Maldizmite Daemons[]
The Daemons of the Reviler are almost as twisted and hateful as their master. These Daemons inspire revulsion in those that lay eyes upon them, and likewise nurse a disgust for mortals and the servants of the other gods. To an extent these creatures despise one another as well.
Wretches[]
These are the basic Lesser Daemons of Maldizmus. These have squat, humanoid bodies and an ugly, bulbous, procine head. In their enormous maws lie numerous jagged, misaligned teeth and a pair of filthy tusks. They have eight beady eyes like that of a spider. These creatures live a pitiable existence. The more powerful Daemons of Maldizmus take out their ire and frustration on these miserable creatures, who in turn wish only to spread that misery to others. Mortals find these Daemons utterly repugnant, with everything from their appearance to their foul stench instictively inspiring revulsion.
In battle Wrethes are cruel and twisted. They fight using clubs made of knarled wood, and maces made with rusted steel and covered is twisted barbs. They use their repulsive nature to their advantage as most opponents will either turn their heads, or stand shocked by the ugliness of the creatures very essence. The Wretches take advantage of these opening to gore their opponents with their tusks, or smash them with their weapons.
Abominations[]
From the blackest depths of the Pit of Maldizmus come his foul Greater Daemons, the Abominations. Massive, squat bodies stand on four crab legs. Great muscled arms with filthy talons grip grotesque tridents and maces. Eight slimy octopus tentacles sprout from the blackish brown backs of these revolting creatures, and from the creatures chest leers the hideous face of an anglar fish.
The Abominations hold all things in utter contempt. This includes mortals, other Daemons and even their loathsome master. They serve in Maldizmus name only out of fear, for they know that their god views them as no better than vermin, and is more than willing to devour them if their service does not appease him. To vent their misery they torment the Lesser Daemons of Maldizmus, and drive them forward in battle with no regard to their welfare.
In battle these behemoths are horrors to their foes. It takes willpower of epic proportions for mortal champions not to avert their eyes, or stand stunned in utter revulsion at the sight of these monstrosities. The Abmonations gore, crush and tear their poor victims apart preferring to wipe them from existence rather than look at them. They wield great power in the Lore of Maldizmus, filling the enemy's mind with disgusting images, and deforming their bodies into vile shapes.
Abomination love to guide mortals down the path of Maldizmus. They delight in watching as mortals descend into misery, and slaughter each other in disdain. It is but a few of the ways in which the Abominations express their spite towards all existence.
Relationships[]
By Maldizmus' very nature practically everything is his enemy. Mortal or immortal, it does not matter for Maldizmus holds all of reality in disgust. This can especially be said of mortals. Maldizmus more than any of the other Chaos Gods would love to see the Materium collapse into the Warp, which would result in the end of reality itself. He hates the other Chaos Gods, and wars against them when he can. However by comparison to the four most powerful Chaos Gods Maldizmus is weak. He does not possess the power to confront any one of them directly. Thus the four greatest Chaos Gods pay Maldizmus little mind. naturally they would destroy the foul creature in the long run, but by comparison to each other Maldizmus is not given much priority.
Among the four primary Ruinous Powers it is known that Khorne, and Nurgle tolerate Maldizmus to a somewhat greater extent. Maldizmus doctrine of irrational hatred and discrimination breeds conflict. In this way his influence feeds Khrone if indirectly. Furthermore Nurgle is pleased by the effects Maldizmus' path has upon his followers. The fact that Champions of Maldizmus are left in suffering and misery appeals to Nurgle to a certain extent. Among the four Chaos Gods Maldizmus is disliked most by Slaanesh, as there is nothing remotely pleasurable about Maldizmus or his followers. Tzeentch is decidedly neutral about the god. Regardless of these prejudices Maldizmus is a secondary concern for all four gods when compared to each other.
Though Maldizmus despises everything in existence, his fellow Chaos Gods included, there is one entity that inspires particular rancor in the Foul One. That is the Chaos God of Love, Dejitar. Dejitar is a god of obsessions and passions that dearly wishes to claim everything in existence, and have everything acknowledge him. As a god of universal rejection and disgust Maldizmus finds Dejitar's desire to make the whole of existence embrace him to be a particularly intolerable thing. Both sides wish to erase the existence of the other, but neither has been able to for one reason or another.
Pit of Maldizmus[]
Maldizmus' domain within the Warp is the Pit of Maldizmus. As the name implies it takes the form of a massive pit within the Grey Waste. The diameter of the Pit is gargantuan, easily being able to fit a continent. From the surface the Pit goes downward seemingly forever. Whole cities and ecosystems are built into the sides of the pit.
Within one section of the wall one might find themselves within a forest in which the trees grow fruit that resembles disfigured heads and scream out cruses and obscenities. On another there might be in a garden in which the flowers give off a choking, nauxious smell that makes all who encounter it want to gag. One could find themselves in a city in which the streets are paved with excrement, and the Wretches engage in constant gang warfare. These and many more horrible possibilities lie within the Pit.
As one goes further down into the Pit the environment grows darker, and exponentially more disturbing. The Greater Daemons and Daemon Princes of Maldizmus make their homes within the walls of the Pit, carving out their own domains, cities and palaces. The deeper the Daemon's territory is within the Pit the greater that Daemon's status. Abominations, Heralds and Princes are contantly fighting amongst themselves for deeper fiefs within the Pit, while Lesser Daemons and the poor, damned souls struggle to make their way further up.
Upon going down an unconcievably long way one may finally reach the bottom of the pit. Here lies a sea of oily, black water. Within this horrifying body of water lurks some of the most sickening and terrible creatures imaginable. Deformed corpses constantly float upon the eerily still waters, gazing lifelessly outward. Upon this ocean of slime lie floating cities, where the denizens strive to appease Maldizmus, less he drag them down and devour them. At the bottom of this sea lies the Reviler himself, gazing ever upward with spite in his eyes.
Quotes[]
- "The moons shall swell pregnant with blood, the worlds cease spinning and engulfed by stars, the firmament shall shatter as glass an reveal the panoply of emptiness 'ere I surrender even a drop from the grail of loathing! Here is The Exarch of Annihilation and any Ghost Candle who trods in Our sacred domains shall rue it...but not for long."