Máthcoir
The Máthcoir or Mother Cauldron is an immense cauldron of dark iron created beneath Hagg Nar by Morathi to hold her portion of the aelf souls extracted from Slaanesh.[1a][2d] It has been a central part of the religion and rituals of the Daughters of Khaine ever since its creation.[2e]
Contents
Creation of the Scáthborn
Within the Máthcoir, Morathi combined enchantments, sacrifices, shadow magic, and a portion of her own blood to create the first Scáthborn from the collected souls. These Melusai and Khinerai became the first of Mortathi's handmaidens.[1a] To this day, the Scáthborn are all created from the souls within the Mother Cauldron - formed in their creator's image as loyal enforcers of Morathi's will.[1c][2d]
Font of Blood Magic
The blood magic of the Khainite priestesses flows through the Máthcoir, and - unbeknownst to all but Morathi and her closest associates - the excess blood from sacrifices fed into the Cauldron of Blood is siphoned into it to prevent the cauldrons from flowing over. In this way, the Mother Cauldron empowers both Morathi and her most faithful followers.[2e]
Role in Morathi's Ascension
In order to collect the Varanite needed for her ritual to become a goddess, Morathi sent numerous war covens into the Eightpoints to attack the mines of Varanthax's Maw. There, the covens' Cauldrons of Blood were used to collect the molten realmstone and transfer it to Hagg Nar.[2b] There, Morathi's Handmaidens sacrificed thousands of Chaos worshippers, draining their blood into the roiling cauldron, transforming it into a portal to Slaanesh's gullet.[2e] Morathi entered this portal as the High Oracle of Khaine and emerged from it some time later in the midst of the Battle of Hagg Nar as a goddess.[2c] The strain of the Chaos energies and raw varanite on the Máthcoir proved too much for the Mother Cauldron, however, and it cracked and spilled boiling varanite over the underhalls of Khruthú.[2e]
Current Status
The extent of damage to the Máthcoir is a closely guarded secret, but rumours of something having gone wrong deep below Hagg Nar have percolated through the holy city. Some say that there have been monstrosities birthed from the cauldron while Morathi attempts to fix it, and these are kept in the darkest parts of the underhalls and fed on leathanam thralls, kept alive for some nefarious future purpose.[2e]
Sources
