A depiction of Kurnous, god of the hunt
Kurnous, also called Karnos,[3b] is the god of the hunt and wild places in the Elven Pantheon. All Elves venerate him, for he is the husband of Isha, goddess of nature and fertility, and the father of their race, but none do so more than the Wood Elves, who believe that it is only they that live the existence of which Kurnous would approve.[1a]
Kurnous requires that a hunter never kills animals for sport, but slays only ravening beasts or those whose bounty of meat and hide are necessary for survival. Violating this creed is dangerous the world over, for Kurnous is a vengeful deity, but it is never more foolish than when in the great forest of Athel Loren.[1a]
Kurnous the Hunter is the lord of both forest and beasts; the spirit of the untouched forests, wild animals and trackless wilderness. He is the husband of Isha, and all Elves are his children. Wherever Kurnous travels, he is followed by a pack of baying hounds, and when he sounds his horn the Wild Hunt follows him, their hearts filled with unrestrained joy.[2a]
All Elven hunters venerate Kurnous, for he watches over them in the wilds. He requires that a hunter never kill animals for sport, but slay only dangerous beasts, and hunts only enough game to eat. To offend Kurnous is to invite disaster, for his vengeance is swift and brutal. Those that transgress his laws are well served not to enter those places where the natural world is at its wildest; few that do so emerge from the untamed lands, and those that do escape are invariably ashen-faced, scarred and silent for the remainder of their lives.[2a]
Cult of Kurnous[]
Said by some Human theologians to be an aspect of Taal, the Old Worlder god of nature and wild places, Kurnous is one of the major deities of the Wood Elf pantheon, being the master of the forest animals among which Wood Elves live. lie is the patron of the Caraidh, known by Humans as Beastfriend, and is worshipped by some Elven scouts and hunters. Kurnous is normally portayed as a composite being, over ten feet tall, with an Elven body but the head and nul of a stag. It is said that he can also take the form of any forest creature at will.[3a]
The Tileans worship Taal with the name of "Karnos", like the Elven god,[3b] probably due to their translations of the ancient scrolls left by the High Elves in their lost colonies in the modern lands of Tilea.[4a]
Cult Requirements=[]
Any Wood Elf may follow Kurnous; most worship the whole Wood Elven pantheon in some degree.[3b]
Strictures[]
All followers of Kurnous must keep the following strictures:[3b]
- Never harm an animal except in self-defence or for food (since Elven hunts are always followed by great feasts, hunting is acceptable).[3b]
- Never allow an animal to be harmed, except in the similar circumstances: do everything in your power to force Greenskins, Beastmen and Chaos mutants out of the forests.[3b]
Trials[]
Trials set by Kurnous always involve the defence of the forest and its animals. This can involve driving away those who threaten animals ranging from a lone Human trapper to a Greenskin or Chaos warband. In rare cases, a trial might be to relieve the suffering of animals by freeing animals captured for pit-fights, for instance. The latter kind of trial has led to a certain amount of conflict with Humans in the past, but entertainments such as bear-baiting are less common than they ence were, and Humans in-creasingly regard them as barbaric and unnecessary.[3b]
Punishments[]
As usual, will generally be the reverse effects of blessings, but Kurnous may also inflict a sinner with magical disability.[3b]
Symbol[]
High Elven rune representing Kurnous
Like Taal, Kurnous is represented by a stag's head with branching antlers. Elven clerics of Kurnous dress in the same way as other Elves.[3a]
Area of Worship[]
Ulthuan and in the Wood Elf settlements throughout the Old World.[2a][3b]
Ellyrion is considered by many to be Kurnous' chosen kingdom in Ulthuan, for its wide plains and dense forests are home to many wild beasts against which a hunter can test their skill. Many a hollow conceals an altar of horn, bone, and briar where Kurnous' adherents make their observances away from the prying eyes of more civilised Elves. Sometimes, the wind on the plains carries the echo of the Hunter God's horn. If heard at dawn, it is considered to be a good omen for that day's hunt. If heard at dusk, it is Kurnous' warning that evil stalks the land, and that all hunters must ready their bows for two-legged prey.[2a]
Temples[]
While many High Elves do see Ellyrion as Kurnous' chosen kingdom, the Shrine of Kurnous is actually located squarely inside the outer kingdom of Chrace, as seen on the 8th Edition map of the island-continent.[2a]
Despite this, the whole of the forest is Kurnous' temple: wherever his beasts wander, he is present. However, there are places which are more special to his worship than others: certain natural clearings, rocks, trees and so on. A Wood EIf automatically recognizes these places: members of other races cannot. Elves will almost always try to keep other races away from this holy ground.[3b]
Relationships[]
Followers of Kurnous are generally well-disposed to other Wood Elves, and to those of other races who follow Taal, Rhya and the Old Faith. They do, however, maintain that Taal is a combination of a number of Wood Elven deities including Kurnous, rather than Kurnous being an aspect of Taal. By and large, followers of Kurnous are indifferent to followers of other Old World deities, and they regard the cults of Chaos and the deities of the Greenskins with unremitting hatred.[3b]
Holy Days[]
Kurnous has two main holy days: the middle of spring, when food becomes plentiful and young are born, and the middle of autumn, when all species must prepare themselves for the coming of winter. The dates of these festivals are not fixed in the Imperial Calendar, but are calculated from various natural signs by a method set down in Elven tradition, so they vary from year to year.[3b]
Magic[]
Clerics of Kurnous can use all Lesser Spells, Elemental Magic and Druidic Priest spells, except for Tap Earthpower and Create Sacred Grove.[3b]
Moral Alignment[]
Neutral. Nature favours neither good nor evil, and so neither does Kurnous.[3a]
Trivia[]
Kurnous, like many other Elven gods of the Warhammer universe, is also worshipped by the Aeldari in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.