| “ | Once a domineering Minotaur chieftain, Taurox ravaged the land with blood and carnage in every direction, before he devoured the head from an emissary of the fell powers and the madness that took hold of him expanded the slaughter tenfold. Reborn with a shining body of brass and a heart gripped by endless rage, the Bloodbeast will never tire, and his rampage of indiscriminate butchery is bloody and unending. | „ |
| ~ Taurox, Total War: Warhammer Fantasty |
Taurox, also called The Brass Bull, the Bloodbeast, or The Brazen One, is a metallic monstrosity of a minotaur. He is a famous Chaos Champion, one of the infamous Beasts of Chaos, cloven creatures of chaos hellbent on the destruction of order, specifically that put in place by Mankind. He is one of the many antagonists for Warhammer Fantasy as well as making appearances in it's two RTS games Total War: Warhammer II and Total War: Warhammer III.
Information[]
Characteristics[]
| “ | Seized by hyperviolent visions, the Bloodbeast spasms and shakes in a violent thrashing of fiery convulsions. | „ |
| ~ Total War: Warhammer Fantasy |
Originally a thing of mortal flesh, Taurox is currently a product of godly mutation: a bovine monster with brass metal for flesh. Atop this metal-flesh is sparse crimson armor, located on his head, thighs, wrists, and shoulders. The skulls of the slain are littered about Taurox's person. He has two massive horns that jut out from either side of his head, following the line of his shoulders, and two equally massive axes that glow with the hot rage of chaos. His mutations give him an aesthetic similarity to Khorne and his follower's; this is no coincidence, as it was The Blood God who took notice of and rewarded Taurox thusly.[1]
Stronger and more durable than an ordinary doombull, Taurox defines the word 'domineering', and would kill anyone who so much as dared to meet his gaze. Such was the fate that befell one of the Dark God's demonic emmisaries, and set the Doombull on his path to ruin and rage. However, while nearly-impervious to damage, Taurux is not invincible. The Gods perceived the murder of the envoy as a slight and so put a single, sizeable point of weakness upon the Brozen One: his throat is vulnerable and if sufficiently attacked, would spell the Doombull's own doom.[2]
Biography[]
The Dark Gods come to Taurox in a vision.
Born a minotaur and achieving the status of Chieftan of the Slaughterhorn tribe, Taurox was brutal to the lesser beasts beneath his authority. Any creature that met his gaze was promptly slaughtered and devoured. Even by the standards of a Doombull, Taurox was exceedingly mercilessly and wherever he drove his tribe, violence broke out quickly and the ground became slick with blood and gore. Eventually, such wanton destruction drew the gaze of the Dark Gods themselves, who sent an emmisary, the daemon crawling from the remains of one of Taurox's devastated rivals. However, the fiend made the mistake of looking into Taurox's depthless black eyes whilst trying to converse with him, resulting in it's decapitation and the devouring of the removed head. As the daemon died, madness seized Taurox and he was drowned in visions of gore and oceans of corpses. In a fit of insane rage, the Doombulls slew his entire tribe and went on a mindless killing spree for a year and a day, killing everything from other tribes of Beastmen to two-headed giants unlucky enough to wander into his path.
Eventually, after slaughtering everyone in the vale of Leitburg, Taurox collapsed at last, his mortal body spent near unto death. But, the Dark Powers were still watching and still had use for this singular murderer. Beneath a scarlet moon, Taurox was reborn and remade. No longer a thing of flesh, he was now a mutant of Chaos, made metallic by the will of the gods and ushred on to greater heights of bloody slaughter. He had no need of rest, and would have no respite from the rage that once consumed him. Only death would finally end the Brass Bulls rampage, struck by a swordthrust both bold and true.
The Slaughterhorn tribe gathered before the Great Herdstone.
The Heart of the Dark, claimed by Taurox, is home to the Great Herdstone, a place of immense portent only revealed to the Chosen of Chaos. It is place where daemons gather to accept tribute and sacrifices in the name of the Dark Gods, but also a place rife with violence as rivals lay claim and put forth their own offerings. Morghur was one such challenger, violently put down by the Brass Bull at the Herdstone.
The End Times[]
Taurox was a part of the Chaotic Army that lay seige to Altdorf. However, he was killed by a Huntsmarshal, slain not by a sword but an arrow that found it's way to the vulnerability in his throat. He died, middway through bellowing praise to the Blood God.[3]
Rune-Tortured Axes[]
| “ | Dark Masters grant Taurox vision of great victory! This Taurox destiny, here and now. We slaughter Dark Elves, for Chaos! | „ |
| ~ Taurux |
Once a year, the Dark Elves engage in a bloody ritual of slaughter they call Death Night in order to honor their Blood Lord, Khaine. However, the celebrations have attracted a different beast of blood: Taurox approaches, eager to participate.
Trivia[]
- Though the texts suggests that daemon that came to converse with Taurox was Khornate, this is never confirmed. Total War does clarify that it was Khorne who took an interest in Taurox and that his mutations were a gift from the Blood God himself. Indeed, Taurox boasts many of Khorne's earmarks: brass, blood, relentless rage, and of course axes.
