Fluff - Beastmasters' acceptance of chaotic mutations?

[Lesebyst]

I'm guessing a two-headed Druchii baby wouldn't have too long a life expectancy, but is there any record of how Beastmasters would react to finding chaotic mutations amongst creatures they capture? I'm asking because I have a 4th edition headless Cold One and the Bloodletter head from a Banelord Titan (epic of course ). It fits, but looks a bit freaky.

I haven't read any of the books yet, but I know the more goody-goody races wouldn't want anything to do with anything which smelled of chaos. However, would a Cold One which looks like Khaine's My Little Pony cause excitement in a Druchii? I'm in two minds as to whether it's just a silly idea, but if there happens to have been a famous Druchii general who massacred Dwarves from atop his giger-esque Cold One, I've got the bits!

[T.D.]

One of our old mounts was the "Dragon-Horse":



But since that time the fluff has moved on so that Dark Elves do not tolerate mutation (though they do hold in esteem Chaos Monsters i.e Manticores, Dark Pegasi).

These days, I think mutated creatures are better suited to a themed list such as a Slaaneshi warband.

...but fluff being our own creation, you could always create a reason why your Druchii Dreadlord likes mutated things!

[Lesebyst]

Dragon Horse! Wow I want one! Thanks loads for that info, if it would be unusual for my Bloodletter-headed Cold One to be lovingly accepted into the stable I'm happy to scrap the concept. In all honesty the hybrid kind of freaks me out a little, Giger would love it I'm sure. I'll stick with a trying to find a dragon horse or will build a conversion.

[Watchmaster]

That thing is awesomely disturbing, and disturbingly awesome! Please find a way to justify including it in your army!

It doesn't have to be a chaos mutation, necessarily; the mount could be a gift from one of the elven pantheon of gods, or a creature summoned by a sorceress to carry the rider on some vital task. Also, beastmasters are always crossbreeding new strains of stock. This could be an example of something going horribly wrong, but the beast proving strong enough to justify its own survival.

[Saintofm]

Beastmasters are always looking for new beasts to torture or make into living weapons of war, either for the arenas or actual combat.

The Black Library has a few excamples. The Malekeith book mentions Cocatrice at one point, while The Malus Dark Blade Book has Beastmasters goading chaos spawn through the temple of Khaine in Har Ganeth (the Temple likes having beastmasters and their animals around for their festivals) as they hunt down Malus and his allies.

More official fluff have Manticores are beasts of the making of Chaos, and its no secret for the last couple of books dark steeds are fed small chunks of warp stone to make them more savage (and giving them the apitite for flesh). Then there is the Dark Pegasus which is a prize to have, especialy to the spellcasters of the dark elves. Then there is Karond Kar's good luck charms, the Harpies: flying beastwomen. All of these creatures of chaos, and all of these well loved by the beastmasters.