Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle, and Slaanesh are the entities known as the Chaos Gods. Collectively, they are also called the "Ruinous Powers" and the "Dark Gods." These four deities are the masters of the Warp and the Realm of Chaos, the manifested reflections of mortal emotions in the beyond.

The existence of the Chaos Gods transcends the laws of the material universe. They are conceptual deities, unbound by time and space. All daemons are fragments of their power. Across all Warhammer universes, the universal symbol of Chaos is the eight-pointed star, while each of the four gods possesses its own Sigil.

For most mortal races, the marks of the Blood God, the Architect of Fate, the Grandfather, and the Dark Prince are terrifying, blasphemous icons. Yet, in the eyes of the near-ubiquitous followers of Chaos, they are keys to enlightenment and ascension—a way to break free from the shackles of mundane existence, to cast off the chains of civilization, and to open one's eyes to the universe's true form.