Nurgle's Garden

Lore & Background

In the game's plot, the Garden of Nurgle is revealed as the source of the Bloom, a sector-wide plague spread by five Champions of Nurgle known as the Reapers. Inquisitor Kartha Vakir discovers that defeating the Reapers is not enough, as the Bloom's roots are connected to the Garden within the Realm of Chaos. Kadex Ilkarion, a Daemon-Prince of Nurgle, gloats that the bloom cannot be stopped, but mentions Kaldor Draigo, whose sword was forged by the Emperor himself. Vakir believes Draigo can destroy the roots. The Baleful Edict travels to a planet with high warp energies, and Vakir summons Draigo to inform him of their plans. However, Kadex had tricked them into luring Draigo into a trap set by Mortarion, the Daemon-Primarch of the Death Guard, who intends to ambush Draigo for carving the name of his slain master on Mortarion's heart on Kornovin. It is revealed Mortarion is the Morbus, the being the Bloom was meant to summon.

In Their Own Story

The Grey Knights follow Kadex's soul to the Garden of Nurgle after Vakir sacrifices her soul to act as a psychic beacon. They manage to reinforce Draigo, who is already there. As the Grey Knights battle Mortarion and his minions, Draigo cuts all five of the Bloom's roots. Once the final root is severed, Mortarion flees. The Baleful Edict returns to real-space, while the Grey Knights who fought Mortarion remain in the warp to accompany their Supreme Grandmaster. After the end-credits, a skull containing Kadex's soul is shown, and Kadex declares he will use Vakir's captured soul for his future plans.

Reader's Guide

The Garden of Nurgle is a key location in the game's narrative, serving as the final battleground. To reach it, players must first hunt down three of the five Reapers, then deal with Kadex Ilkarion's attack on the Baleful Edict. After Kadex destroys the Codex Toxicus, Vakir scries his mind and learns the Bloom's roots are in the Garden. The plan involves summoning Kaldor Draigo, who is cursed to wander the Realm of Chaos and can only return to real-space briefly. Players must then travel to a planet with high warp energies to summon Draigo. After discovering Mortarion's trap, the Grey Knights follow Kadex's soul to the Garden, where they fight alongside Draigo against Mortarion. The goal is to cut all five roots of the Bloom, which Draigo accomplishes, forcing Mortarion to flee.

Did You Know?

• The Garden of Nurgle is located within the Realm of Chaos itself.
• The Bloom's roots are connected to the Garden, making it the source of the plague.
• Kaldor Draigo has been cursed to wander the Realm of Chaos for centuries.
• Mortarion, the Daemon-Primarch of the Death Guard, is revealed to be the Morbus.
• Draigo carved the name of his slain master on Mortarion's heart on the planet Kornovin.