Corpse Grinder Cult
"It is better that the masses do not know the truth behind what they consume for many find their sanity overwhelmed by the necessity of our great work. That is what the Corpse Grinders are; weak-willed fools who have seen the truth and seek now comfort in the arms of heretics."
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| Corpse Grinder Cults symbol[2b] | |
| Affiliation: | Khorne |
| Found on: | Necromunda |
The Corpse Grinder Cults are outlaw cannibalistic Helot Cults found on Necromunda[2b], worshiping Khorne in his aspects of the Lord of Skin and Sinew, Meat Father, or Ravenous One.[1f]
Contents
Overview
Corpse Grinder Cults are Khornate cults that are initially formed from Corpse Guild workers who have gone mad from constantly rendering down dead bodies into Corpse-Starch. The cults quickly discovered that they prefer the taste of fresh flesh to corpse-starch and easily expanded their ranks with Necromundans who had fallen prey to insanity. Most of the Corpse Grinders only wield melee weapons and grenades in battle, save for the cults' initiates, who are allowed to use pistols until they rise in the Corpse Grinders' ranks.[2b]
Under the nose of guild overseers the cult grows, avoiding notice until the time is right. In hidden places they worship the Lord of Meat. As the cult is fed on meat so too does the head butcher feed the faithful on promises of freedom and power, echoing the whispered voice in their own head. Slowly, the cult begins to gather weapons and fresh recruits. When at last the cult is ready to rise up, they emerge from their hidden lairs in their thousands.[2b]
At the heart of every Corpse Grinder Cult stands the Harvest Lord, who sometimes becomes a vessel for daemons should they become successful enough. Under the thrall of this insane demagogue are scores of Butchers, who in turn command the rank-and-file Cultists.[2b]
History on Necromunda
The first Corpse Grinder Cult ever recorded was during the Great Road War, when many hives were still to be brought under the unified control of the Imperial House. Out among the wastes, grave robbers picked over the remains of battles, repurposing the fallen to feed their cannibal clans. Their leader was an ash-rider by the name of Waz Bonepicker, a savage blessed by the Lord of Meat. Even centuries later, Corpse Grinder Cults are raised in the name of the Bonepicker, their icon a bladed wheel mimicking the great machines of the ancient ash-rider clans.[2b]
One of the Corpse Grinder Cults overwhelmed Hive Arcos' defences in 934.M40 and then gave its surviving inhabitants a choice - feast upon the bounty of the Meat Lord or become food for the Cult. Soon afterwards, cadres of Necromunda's Palanite Enforcers were sent to crush the uprising, but failed, which led the Hive World's Imperial House to decree that Hive Arcos would be lost to Necromunda for a generation. With the order given, an artificial ash storm was created that buried Arcos for a century and it was believed that this would cause its population and the Cult to starve to death[3].
Unfortunately for Necromunda, another Corpse Grinder Cult later appeared in the Underhive of Hive Primus and is now being fought, once again, by the Palanite Enforcers.[3]
Known Corpse Grinder Cultist uprisings
- M34 - Great Road War, the appearance of the first Corpse Grinder Cult ever recorded[1u][2b]
- M40 - Fall of Hive Arcos[1b][1h]
- Rebellions during the Hive Mynerva famine.[1u]
Ranks
- Harvest Lord - The supreme demagogue of a Cult.[1u][2b]
- Butchers - The leaders of the Corpse Grinder Cult gangs. They are some of the best close combat fighters on Necromunda.[1u][2c]
- Cutters - The Cults' equivalent of Champions in other gangs.[1u][2c]
- Skinners - The Cults' equivalent of regular gangers.[1u][2c]
- Initiates - The Cults' equivalent of Juves and are the only Corpse Grinders that can wield pistols.[2c]
Known Corpse Grinder Cults
- Coven of Blood[6]
- Cult of the Primal Cut[1a]
- Cult of the Ravenous One[7]
- Lodge of the Blistering Gristle[1k]
- Lodge of Decaying Flesh[1o]
- Lodge of the Destitute Vows[1l]
- Lodge of Eight Thousand Blows[1s]
- Lodge of Forgotten Glories[1n]
- Lodge of Forgotten Vows[2a]
- Lodge of Infinite Rage[1r]
- Lodge of the Meat Lord[5]
- Lodge of the Sawing Hand[1p]
- Lodge of the Serrated Thought[1m]
- Lodge of the Severed Vessle[1j]
- Lodge of Sinew's Faith[1p]
- Lodge of Tearing Hands[1p]
- Lodge of the Twisted Horns[1e]
- Lodge of the Unravelled Hope[2e]
Notable Corpse Grinder Cultists
- Eightfold Harvest Lord – Wandering Harvest Lord and outlaw bounty hunter[2d]
- Felkormog – Harvest Lord of the Lodge of Tearing Hands[1q]
- Hand of Crimson – ‘‘Butcher’’ of the Cult of the Primal Cut[1a]
- Nightmare of a Thousand Widows – ‘‘Butcher’’ of the Lodge of Decaying Flesh[1o]
- Ravenous One – Harvest Lord of the Cult of the Ravenous One[7]
- Skrvovar – ‘‘Butcher’’ of the Lodge of the Keen Edge[2f]
- Slokorgamul – ‘‘Butcher’’ of the Lodge of the Sawing Hand[1p]
- Waz Bonepicker – Leader of the Corpse Grinder cultists during the Great Road War in M34[1u][2b]
- Xor the Keeper – Leader of the Hive Arcos uprising[1g]
Images
See also
Sources
- 1: Necromunda: Dark Uprising
- 2: Necromunda: The Book of Ruin:
- 3: Necromunda: Underhive (2017) Updated Rulebook, pg. 36 — Necromunda Timeline: Rise of the Corpse Grinders
- 4: Warhammer Community: Meat the Corpse Grinder Cultists (posted 05/11/2019) (saved archive, last accessed 26 July 2023)
- 5: White Dwarf 488, pg. 127
- 6: Apocrypha Necromunda: Feast Of Heretics
[Help] - 7: Apocrypha Necromunda: Sump City Sinking[Help]
