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Adeptus Ministorum - Adeptus Ministorum Specialty Ranks: The Adeptus Ministorum hierarchy also maintains a number of specialty ranks for its priests, which include:Arch ExorcistBanisherCrusaderMissionaryIron EvangelistSanction WardenRedemptionist |
Adeptus Ministorum - Arch-Exorcist: Within the Ministorum of the Calixis Sector, there are those priests who chafe at the political restrictions that only allows the Inquisitors of the Ordo Malleus to combat the unclean and unquiet Warp entities known as Daemons.A large proportion of those clerics who are aware of the existence and nature of Daemonkind yearn to take the fight to them, to dispel them and cast them out of the material realm and back to the myriad hells that spawned them.These zealots, known as Arch Exorcists, relish in combating the Daemonic as a holy work that follows the example of the God-Emperor Himself. |
Adeptus Ministorum - Banisher: A Banisher is a specialised holy warrior who is a member of a special religious order of the Adeptus Ministorum known as the Collegia Exterminatus that was formed by the Ordo Malleus of the Calixis Sector. A Banisher is equally skilled at both delving into the forbidden knowledge required to understand the nature of Daemons and eradicating Daemonic forces with fire and chainsword.Chosen at a young age from the most pious of children in the Calixian Schola Progenium, their training takes a great deal of time and effort as they earn the faith necessary to fortify their souls against the information they might uncover during their studies of forbidden knowledge. As a result, many Banishers are relatively advanced in age by the time they become Acolytes in service to an Inquisitor.The intensity of their training often leaves a Banisher with scars and augmetic replacements. Their bodies show the sacrifices they have made to keep themselves pure in the eyes of the God-Emperor. |
Adeptus Ministorum - Crusader: A Crusader is a holy warrior of the Adeptus Ministorum who is recruited for his or her unflagging devotion to the God-Emperor. Most are inducted into the ranks of the Ecclesiarchy from a Schola Progenium, selected for their unflagging devotion to the Emperor.To be selected is a great honour, though it leads not only to a gruelling life of asceticism and martial perfection, but also inevitably to an unmourned death in battle against the forces of heresy and apostasy. Nonetheless, such a calling guarantees the opportunity to test sword and shield against Mankind's greatest enemies.Equipped with a Power Sword and Storm Shield, the Crusader is a stalwart warrior whose place is in the heat of battle, surrounded by their foes.Some Inquisitors recruit Crusaders from the honour guard of the Cardinals Crimson -- that most mysterious of all the Ecclesiarchy's many orders. It is said that nowhere else in the Imperium of Man can more devout warriors be found -- save perhaps within the ranks of the famed Adeptus Sororitas. It is improbable that a Crusader's fate will differ greatly in an Inquisitor's service. |
Adeptus Ministorum - Missionary: The missionaries of the Missionarius Galaxia are a special breed of Imperial servant, and although they operate under the auspices of the Cardinals Palatine, they are in practice a nigh-autonomous body within the Adeptus Ministorum.Though they possess no administrative duties within a diocese or the larger Ecclesiarchal structure, missionaries are tasked with accompanying all manner of Imperial expeditions, including those of Rogue Traders, into regions of the galaxy lost or previously unknown to the Imperium.Missionaries bear the flame of the Imperial Creed wherever they go, and with it kindle the belief of those long separated from the True Faith. |
Adeptus Ministorum - Iron Evangelist: Priests willing to deliver the doctrine of the Imperial Cult are not rare within the Imperium. There are many who repair the bulwark of the faith with the cement of sermon.Inquisitors who value a strong indoctrination in the Imperial Creed as a bulwark against heresy often recruit these men and women and assemble cells led by an Iron Evangelist to root out heresy within the bowels of the vessels of the Navis Imperialis or in the twisting labyrinth of a hive city.Iron Evangelists are groups of Inquisitorial Acolytes who take the word of the Emperor to those who may go many Terran years without being given His blessings and thus are in grave danger of falling into heresy through their ignorance. |
Adeptus Ministorum - Sanction Warden: The dangers posed by the psyker are well-documented. According to the doctrine of the Imperial Creed, the witch must be hunted and purged with holy promethium at every opportunity.However, there are those psykers who are officially sanctioned by the Imperium to use the power of the Warp towards the Emperor's divine purpose, their souls tempered into weapons of the God-Emperor's will. Sanctioned Wardens are groups of Inquisitorial Acolytes chosen from amongst the priests of the Ministorum who monitor Imperial Sanctioned Psykers at all times for the first signs of corruption. |
Adeptus Ministorum - Redemptionist: A Redemptionist is a fanatical priest of the Adeptus Ministorum who follows an extreme and unforgiving doctrine of faith in which redemption in the eyes of the God-Emperor can only be found in death.Many Redemptionists seek their own redemption on the battlefield for the sins they have committed against the God-Emperor. They also desire to bring redemption to others, finding one sin particularly offensive and seeking any opportunity to bring the Emperor's final judgement to xenos, Heretics or those who traffic with Daemons.The Redemptionist movement first began on the Hive World of Necromunda, but has since spread to every corner of the galaxy. |
Adeptus Ministorum - Adeptus Ministorum Minoris Ranks: Relic-Keeper - Relic-keepers are priests of the Ministorum who have been charged with preserving and safekeeping the most holy relics of the Imperial Cult, including the relics of the myriad Imperial saints.Shrouded Cenobite - A shrouded cenobite is a member of a monastic order of the Ministorum who is dedicated to spending his or her life in contemplation and prayer concerning the mysteries of the God-Emperor. As their name implies, cenobites often dress in habits with deep cowls that shroud their faces from sight.Chapel-Master - A chapel-master is a priest of the Ministorum who has been assigned the task of overseeing the sanctity and carrying out the day-to-day administrative tasks of maintaining an Imperial chapel and other places of worship for the faithful.LogistorasQuire MastersReliquindus |
Adeptus Ministorum - Adeptus Ministorum Alternate Career Ranks: Incinerant PriestPraecentor of PenancePrelate-At-ArmsRector Erudite |
Adeptus Ministorum - Incinerant Priest: The cleansing purity of flame is closely tied to many elements of the Ecclesiarchy in the Calixis Sector, from candles and incense burners to flamers and incinerators. Missionaries heading into the nearby Koronus Expanse are sometimes known as "Torchbearers," while a special breed of experienced Imperial Guardsmen combine their faith with a fierce love of flame weapons to become warriors of the Inquisition known as "Pyroclasts."Firebrands in every sense of the word, these preachers are sometimes called "Incinerant Priests," referring to their predilection for flame-based weapons and their ability to ignite a blazing centre of hatred in the hearts of their allies. These priests are often found on the front lines of the Spinward Front's raging conflicts, wielding a flamer whilst exhorting the Imperial Guardsmen to greater efforts.When an Astra Militarum unit that survives after taking heavy casualties have shaky morale, it is the Incinerant Priest who steps forward to fill the role of spiritual leader -- who can uplift men and women's souls and efficiently focus their hatred upon the enemy. |
Adeptus Ministorum - Praecentor of Penance: Priests of the Ministorum serve many vital roles in the Spinward Front, and some might say the most important is shepherding the spiritual health of the men and women involved in that conflict. The fires of war can bring out the worst in all people, and the preacher is often the last hope for a wayward soul led astray by desperate circumstances or the depths of despair.Some priests make it their mission to rescue such imperilled individuals, to take them under their wing and guide them back into the full glory of the Emperor's light. There are many who crave spiritual leadership, who thrive only when shown the way through the example of the Imperial Creed -- and within the Spinward Front, the preachers that answer that call are sometimes named Praecentors of Penance.Praecentors are not just leaders and spiritual guides; they are agitators, able to stir the hearts and minds of Imperial citizens and guardsmen alike. |
Adeptus Ministorum - Prelate-At-Arms: Warzones like the Spinward Front can bring out the fiercest warriors from unusual places; sometimes, these warriors are found amongst the ranks of the Ministorum rather than the Imperial Guardsmen to whom they minister. The presence of a priest can be critical when the Astra Militarum must face alien terrors or the dire moral threats of treachery and heresy, chanting prayers in the midst of the most furious conflict and bolstering the faith of the troops.However, some priests go a step further to inspire fervour in the God-Emperor's name; these priests find themselves compelled to close with the enemy in savage melee, clashing with the foe in close combat as the ultimate test of their faith. Those few preachers that emerge triumphant from such assaults are emboldened, their faith strengthened.Some in the Spinward Front call priests such as these "Prelates-at-Arms," referring to their single-minded pursuit of utterly eliminating a foe in hand-to-hand combat. Faith and fervour drive these Prelates-at-Arms nearly into a berserk state, defying any fear of death with a hearty determination to spill the enemy's blood at all costs. |
Adeptus Ministorum - Rector Erudite: Priests of the Ministorum fill many roles in the Imperium; they are spiritual leaders, guiders of the citizenry, and often even warriors in the God-Emperor's name. Those that accompany the Astra Militarum into battle often fit into the latter category, but that is not to say that such preachers know only catechisms and chainswords.Instead, it is often true that such priests bring quite a bit of hard-earned wisdom and knowledge collected by the Ecclesiarchy over the millennia. Such learned priests are valued by many Imperial Guard commanders to provide additional perspective on particular battlegrounds dealing with Traitors, heresy, and other moral threats.Priests that have this kind of knowledge can lend their influence to help Imperial Guard commanders cut through the red tape and bureaucracy of the Administratum. Additionally, many priests understand additional ciphers and traditions of the Ministorum that can be of advantage to a typical Imperial Guard regiment when requisitioning gear from pious Departmento Munitorum agents or delicately translating Imperial Guard orders into a "request" for assistance from the Adepta Sororitas.In the Spinward Front, priests with these unique skills and knowledge are sometimes known as Rectors Erudite. However, it is not just knowledge that sets these priests apart -- it is also wisdom, an understanding of faith amongst the Astra Militarum, from the typical soldier serving in an infantry squad to the highly trained and elite Storm Troopers. |
Adeptus Ministorum - Adeptus Ministorum Variant Sects: The Holy Synod of the Ecclesiarchy and its subordinate Sector Synods and their governing cardinals are only a part of the Ministorum's presence within each sector. There are many other layers of leadership, synods and cults stretching all the way down to the average Imperial lay worshipper.System Synods and the variety of the worlds and cultures on which they thrive have given rise to a myriad of Imperial Cults and variances on the orthodox Imperial Creed. The following is a listing of just a fraction of the known Imperial sects:Black Priests of Maccabeus - The Black Priests of Maccabeus, known by some as the "Black Clerics" or the "Ashen Confessors" (and in secret by the more fearful nickname of "pyre-crows"), are clerics that form a loose-knit order of militant priests organised at the behest of the Ordo Malleus to aid those daemon-hunting Inquisitors in their work. The Ordo Malleus chose to base their Black Order on Maccabeus Quintus, an often overlooked Shrine World and home to a particularly mystical interpretation of the Imperial Creed. Black Priests are selected from promising candidates taken from the Ministorum's clergy and chosen for their strength of will, the power of their faith and, in many cases, by dint of their survival when confronted by malefic forces in the past. Entrusted with knowledge otherwise forbidden, even to other priests of the Ecclesiarchy, and taught how to focus their will and the purity of their faith to achieve extraordinary things, not least of all the castigation of daemons, clerics who undergo the "Maccabean rites" are forever changed by the experience, and set apart from their fellows in the Ministorum by the nature of their faith and the dark and secret truths about the nature of reality they now carry.Cult of the Emperor Revenant - The Cult of the Emperor Revenant is a sect that practices a variance of the Imperial Creed that has a strong funerary nature based upon the God-Emperor's own deathless state. Death is an ever-present reality on most Imperial worlds and how citizens deal with it is often as important as how they live. The members of this sect are found on many worlds within the Calixis Sector, administering to the dead and fostering belief in the power of the Imperium and the countless dead that its glory is built upon. Of all the Imperial Creed's sects, the Revenant Cult is perhaps the one closest to the orthodox doctrines of the Imperial Creed, so much so that many Ministorum servants do not see a difference between it and the more mainstream worship of the God-Emperor. The Cult of the Emperor Revenant is unfortunately also the progenitor of such organisations as the heretical Night Cult. According to some apocryphal sources, the Night Cult can trace their origins to the founding of the Calixis Sector, at a time when the Angevin Crusade was faltering and a man became a saint. It concerns a heretical faction of the Imperial Creed long forbidden, the darkest of proscribed technologies, an apocalyptic prophesy of the End of Days, and the power to make the dead walk.Drusians - The Drusians are perhaps the largest and most powerful of the Imperial Cult's sects within the Calixis Sector. Their members are the followers of Saint Drusus, the Lord Militant who successfully completed the Imperium's conquest of the Calyx Expanse that became the Calixis Sector during the Angevin Crusade. This cult is as old as the sector itself. So-called "Drusianism" pervades much of the Cult Imperialis in the Calixian worlds, particularly those that are distant from the sector capital world of Scintilla. Drusianism is a hard and uncompromising reading of the Imperial Creed, emphasising the purifying quality of suffering, the power of holy relics, and the endurance of hardship. An ascetic and largely mystical tradition for the main part, it is somewhat at odds with the cult authorities on Scintilla, who hold to more traditionalist modes of worship but also claim the sector's saint as their own. Many hard-line Drusians consider the sector's noble and mercantile classes to be fundamentally venial and corrupt by nature, and hold little regard for any power or supposed rights such individuals possess. Though they are publicly supported by the Calixian Ministorum and the sector's arch-cardinal, the Drusians are often seen as a rival to the orthodox Ecclesiarchy's power and its focused faith in the God-Emperor.Red Redemption - The Red Redemption is drawn to the poor underhives, wild Frontier Worlds and primitive feudal cities of the Calixis Sector, feeding on the fears of common men. An extreme variation of the Imperial Creed, the Red Redemption preaches a zealotry and intolerance beyond even that of the greater Ministorum. They teach that only through pain, cleansing fire and the complete rejection of anything that does not show total and utter devotion to the God-Emperor can a citizen hope to be saved from damnation and the touch of the Dark Gods. While at times the Ministorum and the Red Redemption are at odds, the Imperial church's hierarchy finds them more useful than not and is happy for them to do the dirty work of the faith.Redemptionists - Redemptionists are those Ministorum priests who follow an extreme and unforgiving doctrine of faith in which redemption in the eyes of the Emperor can only be found in death. Many Redemptionists seek their own redemption on the battlefield for the sins they have committed against the God-Emperor. They also seek to bring redemption to others, finding one sin particularly offensive and seeking any opportunity to bring the Emperor's final judgement to xenos, Heretics or those who traffic with daemons. The Redemptionist sect was originially founded on the Hive World of Necromunda where it remains a potent religious and political force, but the movement has since found adherents all across the galaxy.Sisters of the Void - A benevolent all-female sect of the Ecclesiarchy, the Sisters of the Void travel the pilgrim paths and Warp routes of the Calixis Sector bringing comfort and aid to crewmen and pilgrims alike. Exemplifying the kind and gentle aspect of the God-Emperor, the Sisters believe in the healing power of His light and the protection He brings through the blazing icon of the Astronomican. They are seen as little threat (either politically or to the faith) by the Sector Synod of the Calixis Sector and are accepted as a fairly benign sect. Some whisper, however, that the Sisters of the Void are in fact a front for something more sinister as the Sisters have spent years plying the void so that they might pass invisibly from one world to the next. What their true purpose could be if it actually differs from their stated role is difficult to fathom and certainly neither the Inquisition nor the church have shown an overt interest in them.Vitrian Covenant - The Vitrian Covenant is more of an unofficial Imperial Crusade in the Calixis Sector than a religious sect. They are named for the battle that saw the rise of Saint Vidicus and undertake the dual purpose of spreading the faith of the God-Emperor beyond the edges of the Imperium and combating the foul xenos known as Orks. For this reason the Covenant is mostly found on the edges of the Calixis Sector, supporting armies or helping missionaries to settle new and wild Frontier Worlds. Their fanatical hatred of the Greenskins has also seen them travel around the sector using their influence and skills to drum up support for the Margin Crusade, a venture which they view as a vital part of both bringing the Imperial Creed to the lawless void and also curtailing the spread of xenos from their worlds within the Halo Stars. Of course, the fact that the Vitrian Covenant is not wholly aware of the truth behind the fact that the Margin Crusade is a false front for the flow of troops and material through the secret Jericho-Maw Warpgate to aid the Achilus Crusade in the Jericho Reach has not stopped the Calixian Sector Synod from using them to raise troops and resources for it. |
Adeptus Ministorum - Adepta Sororitas: The military arm of the Ecclesiarchy are the Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas, who are dedicated to eradicating heresy across the Imperium. The Ecclesiarchy also often works with the Inquisition, especially the Ordo Hereticus, to achieve its goals.The priests of the Ecclesiarchy will, however, often see Radical Inquisitors as little more than Heretics themselves and actively oppose their missions.The Sisterhood, as it is generally known, is expected to maintain a close watch on all servants and departments of the Imperium for heresy, but especially the Ecclesiarchy itself. TheThe Adepta Sororitas' Militant Orders act as the military arm of the Ecclesiarchy defending shrine and Cardinal worlds from attacks by xenos like the Orks or the Forces of Chaos, but are also tasked to serve as the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Hereticus of the Imperial Inquisition when so order by an Inquisitor. |
Adeptus Ministorum - Frateris Templar: The Frateris Templar were the original, all-male army of High Lord Goge Vandire during the Age of Apostasy's Reign of Blood in the 36th Millennium. They were destroyed by a Warp Storm while en route to Dimmamar to pacify the rebellious reborn Confederation of Light raised by Sebastian Thor.The Warp Storm, which is still raging to this day, became known as the Storm of the Emperor's Wrath and many believe that it was created within the Warp by the Emperor to show His anger at Vandire's usurpation of His will.The Frateris Templar have since been disbanded, and their role has instead been assumed by the Sisters of Battle since Sebastian Thor, the Ecclesiarch who ended the Reign of Blood and Goge Vandire's tyrannical rule of the Imperium, declared that no man would ever again bear arms for the Adeptus Ministorum in the Decree Passive. |
Adeptus Ministorum - Frateris Militia: The Frateris Militia are the unofficial armies of the Ministorum made up of religious zealots who will fight for their faith.The religiously-motivated Frateris fight Wars of Faith against the enemies of the Imperium, often led by a particularly fanatical Confessor, though these forces are rarely well-trained or equipped.Members of the Frateris Militia are not professional soldiers, and receive no training in their role. However, their faith is strong, and they often go on to perform great and terrible deeds in the name of the Master of Mankind. |
Adeptus Ministorum - Missionarius Galaxia: Missionary work is an important activity of the Ecclesiarchy, and its purpose is to bring rediscovered Human-settled worlds into the full fold of the Imperial Cult and the worship of the God-Emperor of Mankind. For this purpose, the missionaries of the Ecclesiarchy's Missionaria Galaxia organisation always accompany Imperial Explorators or even Rogue Traders on their voyages into unknown space in case human worlds are rediscovered.Missionaries of the Missionaria Galaxia also run charitable Missions, which are schools or hospitals on newly discovered Feral or Feudal Worlds that lack advanced technology.When Human worlds are rediscovered, Imperial Missions are immediately established alongside any Imperial planetary government.Part of the purpose of these Missions is to further the worship of the Emperor and spread the ideals and culture of Imperial civilisation. They are also vital in evaluating newly-discovered planetary populations for signs of psychic and genetic mutation or the corruption of Chaos. |
Adeptus Ministorum - Schola Progenium: The Schola Progenium are the state-controlled orphanages run by the Ministorum specifically to raise and train the sons and daughters of Imperial servants who have given their lives in the service of the Emperor. The orphans receive a strict orthodox religious education in the Imperial Creed, and soon come to regard the Emperor as their spiritual father.Their upbringing will have made them absolutely loyal and devoted servants of the Imperial cause and will have instilled in them a selfless ambition to serve the Imperium and Humanity as a whole just as the Emperor does.These qualities make them well-suited to service in many of the governmental and military branches of the Imperium -- the schools of the Schola Progenium provide a large portion of the officers of the Astra Militarum and Imperial Navy, Officio Prefectus commissars, Assassins, the judges and arbitrators of the Adeptus Arbites and even, eventually, new members of the Inquisition.Female progena (the graduates of Scholas Progenium) often enter the Adepta Sororitas. Other progena become members of the Adeptus Ministorum's clergy, which is open to men and women alike. |
Adeptus Ministorum - Inquisition and the Adeptus Ministorum: The current form of the Ecclesiarchy is a relatively new institution of the Imperium, having been formed out of the disastrous events of the Age of Apostasy. Before that time, the Imperial Creed was entirely fragmented into multitudinous denominations, each vying for supremacy and often accusing the others of all manner of heresies.After the reformation that followed the Age of Apostasy, the Ecclesiarchy in its present administrative state was formed, with a centralised power structure intended to ensure that no repeat of the preceding events was possible. While the Imperial Creed still exists in as many forms as it ever did, there is at least a power structure in place to which the billions of priests are answerable.Relations between the Inquisition and the Adeptus Ministorum can vary enormously. The Ecclesiarchy is jealous of its roles as shepherd of Mankind's soul and temporal representative of the deified Emperor. The Inquisition, of course, regards itself as the ultimate arbiter and judge, and also answerable only to the Emperor.Needless to say, there exists great potential for the two institutions to come to blows. A great deal of mutual distrust often exists between Inquisitors and the officials of the Ecclesiarchy, a state made worse when the Inquisitor holds anything other than an overtly Puritan outlook. It is perhaps unsurprising that it is the more Puritan of Inquisitors who maintain links with Adeptus Ministorum, particularly those of the Ordo Hereticus.As previously mentioned, the Inquisition often has need of the battle-sisters of the Adepta Sororitas, but there are other allies that are often of use to the Inquisitor, provided they can demonstrate a suitably Puritan mindset.Arco-Flagellants are a case in point. Arco-Flagellation is a punishment reserved for the most vile of blasphemers. The condemned is surgically altered in the manner of a servitor, and his mind and spirit are subjected to a ritual cleansing that entirely destroys the personality and reduces the subject to a raving maniac, desiring only to atone for his sins in the uncontrolled frenzy of battle against the Ecclesiarchy's foes.An even more potent example of the same process is to be found in the Penitent Engine, a Purity Seal-adorned monstrosity as large as a Space Marine Dreadnought, powered by the raving guilt of a condemned sinner.The Ecclesiarchy creates such constructs by way of punishment of the guilty, setting them loose against their foes. The Inquisition values such machines too, for they are incapable of feeling fear and are entirely expendable.Those Inquisitors with a particularly positive relationship with the Adeptus Ministorum may be fortunate enough to find an ally, in the form of a Hierophant. These pious and experienced officers of the Imperial Creed often walk their own path, following the call of their faith wherever it may take them.Frequently, it takes them into the service of the Inquisition, where they are able to combat the enemies of the faith at the very front line of the war for the soul of Humanity.However, while Puritan Inquisitors often find common cause with the Ecclesiarchy, the more Radical of the Holy Ordos are commonly regarded as Heretics, deserving only a quick death. Even moderately Puritan Inquisitors can fall victim to this mentality, due to their use of psychic powers and operatives.A notable example of this is the conflict between Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn and Ecclesiarchy Witchfinder Tantalid, which ended with Tantalid's death by Eisenhorn's blade. |
Adeptus Terra - Adeptus Terra: The Adeptus Terra, also known as the "Priesthood of Earth," is the central bureaucratic governmental organisation of the Imperium of Man and not really an agency in and of itself.It is made up of many autonomous departments that receive the orders of the High Lords of Terra, passing them down to the different branches that will enact their commands.There are only a few organisations in the whole of the Imperium that do not fall under this central command, most notable of which are the Inquisition, the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Adeptus Ministorum, also called the Ecclesiarchy. The Adeptus Astartes -- the Space Marines -- are officially a part of the Adeptus Terra, but retain a high level of autonomy.The priesthood which serves the Master of Mankind is often referred to as "the right hand of the Emperor." It falls to the Adeptus Terra to interpret the Emperor's will and minister to the Imperium. Many millions of souls labour across the galaxy to serve this vast organisation.There are numerous ancient institutions that make up the priesthood, each with various names on various planets. These varying "adepta," as they are traditionally known, each have a specific function to carry out in the Emperor's name. Only the Ecclesiarchy and the Imperial Inquisition are not formally a part of the Adeptus Terra.The Adeptus Terra is an umbrella organisation, and not really an agency in itself, as each of its divisions functions largely autonomously and separately from the others.The most powerful individual in the Adeptus Terra (and if not in theory, then in practice, the entire Imperium) is the Master of the Administratum, who controls the central, secular bureaucracy of the Imperium. |
Adeptus Terra - Imperial Adepta: The following adepta of the Imperial government are all formally part of the Adeptus Terra. The Inquisition, the Adeptus Ministorum (including the Adepta Sororitas) and the Adeptus Mechanicus are all independent of the Adeptus Terra and maintain their own parallel but independent hierarchies.While the Adeptus Astartes is considered a formal part of the Adeptus Terra, by tradition and out of respect for the Space Marines' genetic connection to the Emperor, its Chapters are granted a wide latitude of political and military command autonomy, though disagreements between some Chapters and the Inquisition and the Adeptus Ministorum have sometimes become so heated they have erupted into armed conflict.Adeptus AdministratumDepartmento MunitorumMilitarum TempestusOfficio Prefectus (Commissariat)Estate ImperiumOfficio AssassinorumTemplars PsykologisOfficio SabatorumOfficio LogisticarumOfficio MedicaeOfficio AgricultaeLogis StrategosSector LordsPlanetary GovernorsAstra Militarum (Imperial Guard)Militarum AuxillaImperial FleetNavis Imperialis (Imperial Navy)Navy IntelligenceMerchant FleetsCivil FleetsNavis NobiliteAdeptus Astra TelepathicaSisters of SilenceAdeptus AstronomicaAdeptus ArbitesAdeptus Astartes (Space Marines)Adeptus CustodesAdeptus FidiciusSynopticonLogos Historica Verita |
Adeptus Vaelarii - Adeptus Vaelarii: The Adeptus Vaelarii, better known as the "Sentinels of the Veil," are an alliance of Imperial military forces located within and dedicated to the defence of the Elara's Veil sector of the Segmentum Ultima. Their sigil, displayed to the right, is known as the Manticora Bestia Fidelitas in High Gothic.The primary forces of the Adeptus Vaelarii was the triumvirate of Space Marine Chapters whose homeworlds were located within the region, including the Emperor's Spears of Nemeton, the Celestial Lions of Elysium IX and the Star Scorpions of Khamun-Sen. These Adeptus Astartes forces were supplemented by the Astra Militarum regiments of the Novaskyr Adamants and the Adeptus Mechanicus forces of the Forge World of Bellona, which was a moon of Nemeton.Unfortunately, the entirety of the Star Scorpions Chapter was ultimately lost in the Warp, its survivors returning to realspace after the formation of the Great Rift as the Heretic Astartes warband who later called themselves The Pure and commanded the vast army of mortal Chaos Cultists, Traitoris Militarum and mutants known as the Exilarchy. In the Era Indomitus, Elara's Veil was trapped behind the Great Rift in the Imperium Nihilus, completely cut off from travel and communication with the rest of the Imperium. Under these circumstances, after over a standard century of warfare between the Chaos and Imperial forces experienced due to the temporal instability caused by the Great Rift in the region, and primarily due to the sheer size of the Exilarchy forces, roughly half of Elara's Veil is now under The Pure's control.The Adeptus Vaelarii continue to valiantly hold the line against these servants of the Archenemy, but only time will tell if they will be able to maintain their vigil successfully, for both the Emperor's Spears and the Celestial Lions are now depleted forces trapped on the Imperium's benighted frontier. |
Adharon's Reavers - Adharon's Reavers: Adharon's Reavers are a vicious warband of Chaos Space Marines who were once largely members of the Sons of Guilliman Chapter of Space Marines. |
Adharon's Reavers - Warband History: Adharon's Reavers are a warband of Heretic Astartes who operate as a small Renegade corsair group under the former Sons of Guilliman Captain Adharon.This particular Chaos Space Marine warband was first identified by the forces of the Imperium of Man during the Siege of Vraks in 813.M41 when they participated in the defence of that world from an Imperial invasion. |
Adharon's Reavers - Notable Campaigns: Kynbaex Genocides (709.M41) - Adharon's Reavers instigates a series of bloody uprisings and mutinies across a dozen worlds of the Kynbaex Nebula in an effort to topple the already tenuous and overstretched Imperial presence in the region. Unknown to Adheron, however, the celebrated Rogue Trader Joff Zuckerman and his arch-militant Thor Malkin, later Inquisitor Malkin, are present in the region forging trade routes to outlying systems. Zuckerman responds by ordering an immediate and bloody reprisal, crushing the uprisings with his own fleet and ground forces, led by Thor Malkin, in what became known as the Kynbaex Genocides. Adharon's Reavers are believed to have fled the region rather than face such a massive reprisal and do not appear again in mandated Imperial histories until their involvement in the Siege of Vraks over a standard century later. |
Adharon's Reavers - Notable Adharon's Reavers: Chaos Lord Adharon - A former Space Marine Captain of the Sons of Guilliman Chapter, Adharon was corrupted by Chaos and gathered a warband of like-minded corrupted Astartes around himself from his former company to raid and pillage the commerce of the Imperium of Man in the name of the Dark Gods. The Siege of Vraks represented the first time that Adharon's Reavers had operated in concert with other Chaos Space Marine forces. |
Adharon's Reavers - Warband Colours: Adharon's Reavers paint their cursed power armour in a dark blue colour with silver trim on the shoulder plates. |
Adharon's Reavers - Warband Badge: Adharon's Reavers Chapter Badge is a silver skull superimposed on an eight-pointed Chaos Star on a blue background. |
Admonition - Admonition: The Admonition, also known as the Cult of Admonition, is a Chaos Cult dedicated to Nurgle, the Chaos God of disease and despair, that exists within the lower and middle reaches of Hive Tertium, the primary hive city of Atoma Prime, the capital world of the Moebian Domain of the Imperium. Imperial forces who confront these cultists have nicknamed them "Dregs."The word "admonition" means a firm, authoritative, or harsh warning, reprimand, rebuke, or counsel. The majority of the Heretics of the cult encountered by Imperial forces spout some line mentioning "truth." This "truth" is likely what the cultists admonish the population to accept -- the insane ideology of Nurgle, which basically calls upon mortals to embrace the inevitability of rot, decay, disease and death in order to be freed by the Plague Lord from the fear and despair such outcomes produce.The Dregs' primary objective seems to be summoning Nurgle's Daemons into realspace by weakening the veil between the Warp and the mortal universe through the unleashing of death on a truly massive scale across Tertium using the Plague Lord's supernatural diseases. All across Tertium the Heretics have written in the Dark Tongue portions of a Daemonic summoning ritual that claims, "Nurgle shall be called with Death."The cultists' willing embrace of Nurgle seems to have its root, like many Chaos Cults active in the Imperium, in the rage and hatred the Emperor's subjects so often feel towards the difficult circumstances of their lives. The hordes of still-living Dregs seen roaming Tertium's lower levels can be heard chanting, "rage, rage, rage" in an unending cacophony.This is the hatred the cultists feel for the corrupt ruling-class of Atoma Prime and the Moebian Domain; the endless cabal of greedy nobles squabbling in pointless struggles for power while the hive city and the greater Moebian Domain rots and crumbles around them, its people living lives oppressed by tyranny and economic deprivation.Little is done by the Imperial elite to counteract the entropic decay of this microcosm of the larger Imperium, and so the cult's "admonition" could be less of a warning than simply the attempt to make the physical reality of Hive Tertium and Atoma Prime accord with the metaphysical truth that has defined them for millennia -- that they are stagnant and rotten to the core. As such, embracing Nurgle can be seen by the cultists as obtaining a form of "freedom" from the oppression and poverty of life in the Imperium, however insane and twisted.In the Era Indomitus, the Admonition unleashed the Walking Pox upon the hive city and a swarm of undead Zombies and Poxwalkers soon began to assault the lower reaches of Hive Tertium. To deal with the undead threat, the elite Moebian 6th Regiment was redirected from frontline deployment in the Fringe War to assist in combating the Nurglish corruption.Instead, the Chaos-corrupted Astra Militarum regiment turned on the people it had sworn to protect and began to support the uprising as a Traitoris Militarum force dedicated to overthrowing Imperial rule on Atoma Prime and spreading the dark "truth" of Nurgle and Chaos to all its people.To stop this growing corruption, the Inquisition under the command of the Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor Grendyl recently deployed its forces, including large groups of Acolytes, into Hive Tertium in a race against time to save the hive city before the cult's corruption can grow into a cancer that could consume the world, or even eventually threaten the entire Moebius Domain. |
Admonition - Origins: The exact origin of the Nurglish Chaos Cult later known as the Admonition are unknown, but the organisation grew covertly among the population of the lower levels of Hive Tertium, its leaders and members always keen to remain hidden amongst the population. The cult, like most such organisations dedicated to the Ruinous Powers in the Imperium, operated using a cell structure intended to protect the larger organisation from the infiltration of its constituent parts. Multiple cult cells soon operated throughout the lower and mid-levels of the great hive city, passing messages to other cult cells through obscure, heretical Dark Tongue symbols and markings, all while practicing dark rituals and feeding their twisted faith.The cult allied itself with one faction of the hive's criminal Water Cartel, and assisted its leaders in culling their rivals among the Water Cartel's other factions. These factions had once fought, often violently, for control over the lower hive's water recycling refineries in the district known as The Torrent. But with the aid of the Admonition, their allied faction of the Water Cartel, led by a figure known as the "Ragged King," managed to secure control over the facilities and bring an end to the cartel's infighting.These changes in the lower levels went unnoticed by the hive's Enforcers, the local planetary law enforcement agency, due to the Water Cartel having gained control of all the Enforcers within their district standard centuries before through the persistent provision of large bribes. The cartel's new leadership soon became complacent with their new-found power and were betrayed by the Admonition, which launched a coup against the new Water Cartel leadership that resulted in the slaughter of their former allies in a swift and brutal massacre.The citizens of the Water Cartel's district of The Torrent initially hoped this change in the leadership of the Water Cartel would be a positive one. The Water Cartel had long been little more than an oppressive and uncaring alliance of brutal underhive gangers who had let the heavily populated hab blocks of the district decay into barely livable slums. However, the Admonition had little interest in using its newfound power to aid the people of the surrounding district, as they sought only to gain control over the hive's water supply so that they could more effectively spread the diseases and other "gifts" of Nurgle throughout the hive city.What began as an uprising among a group of minor gangs in the hive's lower levels grew into something more with the outbreak of an unnatural pestilence throughout the lower and middle levels of the hive. Several hive levels were soon locked down to prevent the further spread of the infection and the initial quarantine was maintained by the Enforcers and the troops of Atoma Prime's Planetary Defence Force.In addition, Atoman Astra Militarum troops scheduled for deployment to the frontlines of the Fringe War, the elite Moebian 6th Regiment, was rerouted back to Hive Tertium to assist the world's security forces in quelling the growing Chaos threat. Unfortunately, once the Moebian 6th had arrived planetside and were well-positioned within the hive city, they revealed themselves as Traitors who had turned to the service of Nurgle and allied themselves with the cult they had been intended to fight against. |
Admonition - Assault on Hive Tertium: The Cult of Admonition and the Traitoris Militarum Moebian 6th Regiment now work together to gain further political and economic control over the hive city and spread the pestilential "blessings" of Nurgle such that they might turn as much of Tertium's population to the service of the Plague Lord as possible. The means through which they corrupt the population to the service of Chaos and bolster their ranks includes unleashing the myriad Nurglish supernatural pathogens, outright physical subjugation, and the use of mind-altering vox-waves (radio waves) to seed Chaos propaganda among the populace.The district of the hive's lower levels known as "The Torrent" controls the main water refineries for Hive Tertium and it has been used by the Heretics to spread Nurgle's plagues across the city through the water supply. Many new pathogens are brewed by the cult's adherents atop the district known as the Hourglass' abandoned naval refueling docks in Excise Vault Spireside-13. Other new strains appear unnaturally throughout the heavily corrupted and quarantined zone within the hive, such as Hab Block Laranax in Hab Dreyko. Other forms of the blight are infused into stimms and other pharmaceuticals and disseminated through the populace using the hive's own crucial medicae system against itself.The Heretics also seek to recruit the populace to the cause of Grandfather Nurgle on an unconscious level through the use of mind-altering radio carrier waves. These are emitted from the Comms-Plex at Inter-Orbital Data Relay Station TRS-150, high atop one of the Hourglass's many abandoned naval freight depots.While the Admonition and the Moebian 6th plunged the hive city further into the early stages of a full-on corruption by the forces of Nurgle, the Ordo Hereticus of the Inquisition, commanded by a mysterious Inquisitor named Grendyl, requisitioned a Rogue Trader frigate named Mourningstar and dispatched it to Atoma Prime with a large warband of Acolytes under the command of the Interrogator Iven Rannick and other senior Acolytes to deal with the growing Chaos threat. |
Admonition - Activities: Many of the activities undertaken by the Cult of the Admonition have a metaphysical as well as a physical component, eating away at the soul of the cult's targets as well as the flesh. This effect often manifests as various psychoses that helps the victims be recruited by Chaos Cults like the Admonition. Unlike the undead Poxwalkers, these "Groaners" are still technically alive -- they bleed, and still feel hunger and pain from their injuries. However, unlike the Dregs who are higher up in the cult, they have not progressed to a point where they no longer feel pain or fear. Groaners typically carry crude melee weapons such as pipes, gear-head axes, and other improvised close-combat weapons.The Cult of Admonition is responsible for many of the blasphemies now festering within the lower and middle levels of Hive Tertium: the supernatural "Zombie Plague" and "Walking Pox," responsible for the creation of legions of Zombies and Poxwalkers, the manifestation of Daemonic slugs known as Beasts of Nurgle, fleshy abominations called Chaos Spawn and other Nurglish mutants, as well as the possession of various Daemonhosts for the Nurglish Plague Legions.The Admonition seeks to spread their "One Truth" to all, willing or otherwise. This truth is to accept the "gifts" of Nurgle which relieve fear, despair and suffering through the acceptance of the Plague Lord's corruption in mind, body and soul. More than any simple pathogen, Nurgle's supernatural diseases, such as the Walking Pox, the Zombie Plague and Nurgle's Rot, are in truth metaphysical curses upon the weakness in the Human soul that is then given physical expression.The cult has raised an unnatural growth akin to a fleshy, decaying tree deep within the bowels of the hive city as the barrier between realspace and Nurgle's Garden in the Realm of Chaos begins to thin in Hive Tertium. The Daemonic tree seems to be the heart of the Nurglish corruption taking hold within the hive city.The cultists of the Admonition, often called "Dregs" by their Imperial opponents, are known to converse in the Daemonic Dark Tongue of Chaos, and Dark Tongue runes and other blasphemous sigils are now found throughout the levels of Hive Tertium under their control as heretical graffiti. |
Adnector Concillium - Adnector Concillium: The Adnector Concillium, also called the Unifiers since their work was intended to unify humanity as never before, were a caste of the ancient Mechanicum of Mars created on the order of the Emperor of Mankind late in the Great Crusade era of the early 31st Millennium. Their sole purpose was to aid the Emperor in the creation of the Imperial Webway extension from the deep vaults of the Imperial Palace on Terra into the broader network of the Webway's labyrinth. As the Emperor sat upon the Golden Throne and used its amplification powers to maintain the psychic wards needed to protect the Adnector Concillium Tech-priests and their bonded labourers from the perils of the Warp, the Unifiers did the actual construction work of creating new tunnels and broad avenues out from Terra into the broader Labyrinth Dimension.After the Primarch Magnus the Red of the Thousand Sons Legion accidentally breached the Imperial Webway's psychic protections by using a forbidden sorcerous ritual in an attempt to warn the Emperor of Horus Lupercal's betrayal at the start of the Horus Heresy, the daemons of the Warp began to flood into the Imperial Webway. The Adnector Concilium, who had been protected during their work by Mechanicum military forces like Protectors, Battle-Automata, and Thallaxii, began to take heavy casualties. The Emperor deployed His Legio Custodes, the Sisters of Silence and several Titans to throw back the daemonic incursion in what became known as the War Within the Webway.After the daemonic incursion, the Emperor was forced to remain on the Golden Throne at all times to personally maintain the Imperial Webway's psychic defences and prevent the daemons from breaching the Webway portal into the dungeons of the Imperial Palace. Eventually, despite all their efforts, the Imperial forces proved unable to fully repair and recover the Imperial Webway extension and were forced to retreat back into the Palace. The Adnector Concillium was a part of this retreat. Following the Horus Heresy, after the Terran extension of the Webway was permanently sealed, it is likely that the Unifiers were simply disbanded and reincorporated into the standard formations of the Mechanicum. |
Adrastapol - Adrastapol: AdrastapolKnight WorldImperium of ManQuestor ImperialisLocated in the distant Majestis System, Adrastapol is home to several households of Nobles which are ruled by a monarch who bears the title of high king. Throughout its long history, the title has been passed from house to house and currently resides with House Draconis.As an ancient world settled during the Age of Technology, Adrastapol is home to its fair share of secrets. Many of these have been deliberately hidden for many generations and have recently come back to haunt the Nobles of Adrastapol.Like ancient Caliban, Adrastapol seems touched by Chaos, a taint that repeatedly spread to the Noble households themselves. Buried for many Terran centuries, this taint recently emerged during the destructive conflict of the Donatos War, and has drawn the eyes of the Emperor's Holy Inquisition upon the Knight World.Adrastapol recently successfully repelled a dreaded Ork WAAAGH!. During what is locally called the Second Ork War, Adrastapol was saved. The victorious Knight houses recently began to mobilise once more, their destination unknown. |
Adrastapol - History: Much of Adrastapol's history has sadly been lost to the ravages of time and war. As a result, the only truly accurate source of historical information on Adrastapol's past is the memories of former Knights that still reside within the Thrones Mechanicum of the most ancient armours. As with most Knight Worlds, it is generally recognised that Adrastapol was colonised in the distant past of the Dark Age of Technology when most Colony Arks were outfitted with the sacred STC-systems that would lead the settlers to build the first Knight armours to aid in the defence of their new homes.Sadly, whatever threat initially prompted the STC-system to begin the construction of Knights on Adrastapol has long since been lost to history. Over the long millennia of the Age of Strife, the Adrastapolian branch of Humanity maintained much of its technological mastery, preserving the ancient suits of Knight armour their forefathers had entrusted them with and defending their homeworld from exterior threats. During this time, each of the knightly households of Adrastapol developed extensive martial traditions, codes and customs that through accumulation have become almost impenetrable to outsiders.But the Adrastapolians also maintained high levels of skill in mechanics, energy production and metallurgy, which resulted in the development of ingenious and highly unique weapons such as the Draconsword of House Draconis or the Chimersword of House Chimaeros.For much of the world's history, the Knight households were left to govern themselves, each house operating from its own mighty fortress and watching over Adrastapol's population, which grew exponentially until it reached into the tens of millions. To ensure stability and prevent internecine conflict, the hereditary title of high king was created and awarded to the ruler of the strongest of Adrastapol's seven confirmed Knight houses. In addition to his crown, the high king was awarded an additional symbol of his rule, a coterie of seven Servo-Skulls which were covered in precious metals and fashioned to resemble each of the houses' heraldic animals: the dracon, the minos, the wyvorn, the pegas, the hydra, the chimer and the medusa.For Terran centuries if not millennia, Adrastapol prospered under the rule of the different dynasties of high kings until it was absorbed into the Imperium of Man. Yet Adrastapol did not escape the Horus Heresy unscathed, as during the rule of High King Rhoderic Tan Chimaeros, two full houses of Imperial Knights -- House Hydrax and House Medusos -- sided with the Traitor Warmaster Horus Lupercal. This would be the first, but sadly not the last time that the Knights of Adrastapol would spill each others' blood.In the wake of the Horus Heresy and the destruction of Houses Hydrax and Medusos, the remaining five houses divided the fallen Houses' territory and resources amongst themselves, consolidating their power and nursing their wounds. During this period, a pall of secrecy descended upon Adrastapol and what truly transpired on the Knight World is unknown. As was their Emperor-given duty, the high kings of House Chimaeros led the Knights of Adrastapol into battle when called upon and for millennia their homeworld prospered and remained safe. |
Adrastapol - The Ork Wars and the Fall of House Manticos: Towards the end of the 40th Millennium, in the youth of the future High King Tolwyn Tan Draconis, Adrastapol became the target of one of the violent migrations of Orks known as a WAAAGH!. Led by the fearsome Warlord Skarjaw, the Orks assaulted Adrastapol in force. The Adrastapolians called this sombre chapter in their history the "Ork Wars" or later the "First Ork War," after a second conflict with the Greenskins occurred, because the original conflict lasted for many standard years and would see millions die. Skarjaw was a savage representative of his foul xenos-breed, a creature almost feral in his savagery.Skarjaw brought many of the Orks' great warbeasts, the towering Squiggoths, to Adrastapol. The foul creatures flourished on Adrastapol and the five remaining Houses of Imperial Knights were hard-pressed to hold the line against the Orks, as High King Gerraint Tan Chimaeros proved incapable of vanquishing the foe. Many are the tales of heroism forged during this conflict, until Skarjaw was finally defeated. Having broken through the defence lines of House Pegasson, the Orks sought to assault the Draconspire, the ancestral home of House Draconis but were unexpectedly attacked by a party of Draconis Knights led by Tolwyn Tan Draconis. These Knights succeeded in disrupting the Orks assault and killed Skarjaw who perished beneath the blows of Markos Dar Draconis. The scattered survivors of WAAAGH! Skarjaw would go on to provide the Knights of Adrastapol with welcome quarries for their great hunts and the training of their squires.The Ork Wars left Adrastapol severely weakened as the conflict destroyed one of the noble Houses -- House Manticos -- whose keep had been razed by the Orks. But as he walked the scorched and blackened ruins of the former fortress, High King Gerraint Tan Chimaeros discovered a lone survivor, a beautiful girl on the brink of womanhood, whom he would save from the debris and eventually take as his consort. She was the Lady Alicia Kar Manticos, last scion of a lost House. Ultimately, for the Imperium, Adrastapol and House Chimaeros, it would have been better had the girl perished at the hands of the Greenskins.While still recuperating from the Ork Wars, the Knights of Adrastapol were called upon to reinforce the Imperial troops of the Galhorn Crusade which would see the death of many Knights, including Gerraint's only son and heir. Gerraint himself was badly injured during the Crusade and would need to rely on an augmetic brace to walk. As mandated by the traditions of Adrastapol, the crown of the High King passed on to House Draconis as one of the central tenets of Adrastapolian dogma was that the ruling high king must have a living heir, the Kingsward, in order to ensure that the line of succession was not broken. While Gerraint had fathered a second son, Luk Tan Chimaeros, he was not eligible to succeed his father since his mother -- Lady Alicia -- was merely Gerraint's consort and not his lawful wife.Feeding upon Gerraint's grief and outrage at the usurpation of his crown, Lady Alicia poisoned the mind of now-Viscount Gerraint into the service of Chaos. Through years of careful planning and the most subtle means, Alicia Kar Manticos began to corrupt the Scions of House Chimaeros and bind them into the service of the Changer of Ways, the Chaos God Tzeentch. Unknown to the other Houses, Alicia was a powerful psyker, a daemonologist and an expert manipulator, an utterly ruthless woman who would not shrink from communing with the denizens of the Warp and ally herself with other Traitors to reach her goal: the restoration of Gerraint to the throne of Adrastapol, with her at his side.Through his influence as a former high king, Viscount Gerraint Tan Chimaeros sought allies within the other Households and was able to sway Archduke Duncan Tan Wyvorn to their cause. Patiently the would-be Traitors bid their time. It was not until the Donatos Uprising that House Chimaeros and House Wyvorn would reveal their true allegiance, dealing a crippling blow to the Loyalist Knight Houses and even killing High King Tolwyn Tan Draconis. |
Adrastapol - After the Donatos Uprising: Fortunately for the Imperium, the determined efforts of Tolwyn's son, the newly-proclaimed High King Danial Tan Draconis, foiled Gerraint's and Alicia's plans at Donatos, though at tremendous cost. Although the Renegade Knights of Houses Chimaeros and Wyvorn were hunted down, their keeps razed and every mention of their deeds purged from Adrastapol's records, the treason and corruption of two Households of Imperial Knights had shaken the Imperium's trust in the Knight World. An Imperial envoy in the person of Inquisitor Massata was despatched to Adrastapol to ensure that the three remaining Knight Houses remained loyal to the Imperium and the God-Emperor.For five standard years, the Loyalist Houses eagerly awaited the Inquisitor's arrival. Expecting the envoy to have been delayed by turbulence in the Warp, High King Danial used his authority to profoundly change Adrastapol's society. Where once verdant plains had stretched as far as the eye could see, new settlements were constructed. All across Adrastapol, new keeps were erected and orbital defence silos hidden in deep valleys or high mountains.In all but name, Adrastapol gained a Planetary Defence Force in the household armies of Houses Draconis, Pegasson and Minotos. Programs of rapid industrialisation, the construction of better housing and other efforts considerably improved the living conditions of Adrastapol's peasant class, leading to a rapid increase in the Knight World's population.In the five Terran years of peace Adrastapol knew after the end of the Donatos War, the planet's face was changed and High King Danial implemented more changes in those short year than Adrastapol had known since the reign of House Chimaeros. The importance of these improvements to Adrastapol's infrastructure would soon become apparent to all. |
Adrastapol - Herald of the Storm to Come: Upon the invitation of High King Danial, all the Nobles and common folk of Adrastapol were invited to attend a great celebration, the awakening of the Machine Spirit of the Imperatus Dam. For five years, thousands of labourers had toiled according to the specifics of High Sacristan Polluxis Dar Mechanicus.What was intended as a show of unity had been marred from its very beginning by the absence of House Minotos. House Draconis and House Pegasson, by contrast, were very involved, with both their rulers and their respective courts present. To the pleasure of the high king, his sister and First Knight, Jennika Tan Draconis, had recently returned from an expedition and attended as well. Their reunion was cut short by an unexpected arrival.Just as the ceremony of awakening entered its third solar hour, an unidentified voidcraft suddenly appeared on the Augur banks of Mount Imperius entering Adrastapol's orbit. In a matter of solar minutes, it passed into the atmosphere, following a course directly towards the Imperatus Dam.As combat air patrols of Lightning Strike Fighters rushed to meet the unknown craft, the Imperial Knights of House Draconis and Pegasson guarding the perimeter readied their weapons. Evacuating the area in an orderly fashion, the high king's personal aircraft, a richly furnished Aquila Lander, set down directly on the dam, right before the great dais erected for the nobility.With seconds to spare, the aircraft departed, banking hard to the right to avoid a mid-air collision with the still unidentified voidcraft, which crashed ten Terran miles deeper into the Valatane Plains. The perimeter guard quickly closed on the downed vessel. Expecting some kind of attack, both Noble courts mounted their own respective Imperial Knights before confirmation was relayed through the Vox that the voidcraft was of Imperial design.By the time the high king reached the crash site in his own Knight, Oath of Flame, a group of survivors had exited the craft. One of them carried the vast assortment of parchment and had quills in place of hands that singled him out as a Lexmechanic, while the other two wore the form-fitting bodygloves bedecked in mortuary symbols commonly associated with the Imperium's many Death Cults.A woman in the Carapace Armour of a Cadian Kasrkin was eyeing the downed aircraft alongside the simian form of a Jokaero. But the most striking member of the strange group was its leader -- a regal-looking man in pristine white Power Armour decorated with a cape of regal crimson.As soon as the high king and his group of Knights had linked-up with the perimeter guard still pointing their weapons at the newcomers, the stranger in white armour produced an Inquisitorial Rosette and stated his name. He was Tane Massata, Inquisitor of the Ordo Malleus and envoy to Adrastapol. The Inquisitor next warned the gathered Knights that he was carrying dire news, news too terrible to be spoken aloud on a simple field. |
Adrastapol - Dire News: Intrigued by the Inquisitor's words of caution, High King Danial granted Massata's request to relocate to a more private location, in this case the king's own hab-tent that overlooked the encampment for the workers who had built the Imperatus Dam. As trusted allies, Danial insisted that Marchioness Lauret Tan Pegasson and their respective Exalted Courts be present, but dismissed every other member of his council and serving staff.The Inquisitor began with the tale of his own efforts to reach Adrastapol and the hardship he and his retinue of Acolytes had to endure to reach their destination. As the high king had correctly assumed, the Inquisitor's voidship had been trapped in Warp turbulence and while they spent several subjective solar months battling the tides of the Immaterium, Terran years had passed for Adrastapol and the wider Imperium. When the Inquisitor's ship finally escaped the tides of the Warp, it emerged in the middle of an Ork flotilla.Fortunately for the Imperial voidship, the Ork flotilla was mostly comprised of escorts such as Onslaught-class Attack Ships and Brute Ram Ships, vessels Inquisitor Massata's voidship outgunned. The Orks were fighting amongst themselves, which considerably improved the Imperial vessel's odds of survival. While the flotilla was destroyed, the smaller vessels had merely been the pathfinder for a considerably larger force now nearing the Majestis System's Mandeville Point. There could be no doubt -- the Orks intended to invade Adrastapol.Not ready to trust the Inquisitor, both the Marchioness and the high king sought confirmation of the invasion, contacting their own fortresses and the facility at Mount Imperius. All of these sources confirmed the Inquisitor's story.In fact, several astropaths had fallen into a catatonic coma after suffering terrible visions of a great beast with giant jaws closing in on Adrastapol. The Eyrie's and Mount Imperius' Augur-scans also began tracking a number of larger objects approaching the Majestis System's outer planets.High King Danial wished to see to his world's defences, yet Inquisitor Massata would not permit the gathered Knights to leave so soon. Massata argued that even during times of conflict, his sacred duty to investigate the purity and integrity of Adrastapol's Knights remained. Although the Inquisitor did not doubt the Knights or the Adeptus Ministorum's dedication when they scoured the fortresses of the Renegade Houses, he doubted that their efforts had been thorough enough to fully eradicate the taint of Chaos.Unable to prevent the Inquisitor from conducting his investigation and fully aware that trying to hinder him could be interpreted as an admittance of guilt, Danial assured Inquisitor Massata of his support and quickly offered to organise a mean of transportation for him as well as armed escorts. The high king's own sister, First Knight Jennika Tan Draconis, petitioned Danial to allow her to lead the Inquisitor's escort. Compelled by the Chivalric Code to assign a Knight of great reputation to the protection of his guest, High King Danial agreed. Massata and his retinue would travel in a Sacristan Land Crawler and Jennika would pick some of the finest Knights of House Draconis to accompany him into the wilderness.And then the high king turned his attention to readying Adrastapol for the coming tide of Greenskins. |
Adrastapol - Second Ork War: With a fury typical for their species, the Orks fell upon Adrastapol. Their ships were so numerous that the Bastion Fleet, a powerful warfleet in its own right, had no choice but to retreat, leaving Adrastapol's orbit undefended. As soon as the ramshackle vessels of the Orks reached orbit, the ground-based Lance-batteries and missile silos opened up. Conservative estimates place the initial losses of the Orks at one hundred ships, but so large was the WAAAGH! that those losses were barley noticed by the Greenskins. Nothing could prevent the Orks from landing on Adrastapol.The first craft to reach Adrastapol's atmosphere were the hulking shapes of Roks, captured asteroids turned into rudimentary vessels by outfitting them with engines, Weapon Batteries, and controls. Hundreds of these crude vessels plummeted from the skies, several burning up in Adrastapol's atmosphere, their angle of descent too steep or too shallow to survive the entry. Yet more crashed into the surface at too great a velocity, their occupants instantly killed upon impact with the Knight World's surface. Yet even these casualties were but a drop of water on a hot stone.Where the Roks landed in the wilderness, they instantly formed new fortresses from which the Orks could sally forth. Any settlement the Greenskins targeted were annihilated. The Umberan agriplex was destroyed in this fashion and even the towering Mount Imperius lost its Void Shields when one Rok collided with the mountain, the resultant shock wave killing half of the astropathic choir. Several other settlements and locations were hit in this fashion, snuffed from existence like candles in the wind.Yet Adrastapol had some natural defences of its own. Where the Orks landed in the dense jungles of Adrastapol's polar regions, they were immediately beset by the local super-fauna which welcomed them with teeth and claw. No Orks ever emerged from those jungles to threaten Adrastapol's main continent, but in truth they had little impact upon the green tide.The Orks that survived the landing wasted no time in attacking whatever location happened to lie closest to their Rok. Soon, reports began flooding the Draconspire's strategium, describing the enemy. The Orks assailing Adrastapol were from a mixture of different klans, but the overwhelming majority wore vivid, blue battle-paint and banners denoting them as the looters of the Death Skulls. Where High King Danial's father and indeed some of the Knights Danial was now commanding had once fought the savage Snakebites klan, the defenders of Adrastapol would now face a far more technologically advanced host of Greenskins.Vast hordes of infantry marched out of the Ork landing vessels, chanting their Warboss' name, Gorgrok Killfist, as Fighta-Bommerz and Dakkajetz roared in the sky above them. Here and there, great plumes of dust kicked up by mechanised companies denoted the presence of the horde's fastest elements. But most impressive were the towering superstructures of Ork Stompaz and Gargantz which dwarfed the steeds of the Adrastapolian Nobles.Thus did the conflict of the Second Ork War begin. For the second time in living memory, the Greenskins had come to Adrastapol and even the mighty battles of the ancient Ork Wars paled before the carnage that was unleashed. Thanks to the tenacity of its defenders and the fortuitous return of the Freeblade known as the Knight of Ashes, the Orks were ultimately vanquished and the destruction of Adrastapol once more averted. |
Adrastapol - Notable Campaigns: Betrayal of Houses Hydrax and Medusos (Unknown Date.M31) - Following the glorious expansion of the Imperium of Man during the Great Crusade, Adrastapol becomes one of the countless battlefields of the Horus Heresy when both House Hydrax and House Medusos declare for the Warmaster Horus Lupercal. Waging a war of conquest on their former brothers-in-arms, High King Rhoderic Tan Chimaeros leads an alliance of the remaining Loyalist Houses against the Traitors of Houses Hydrax and Medusos, annihilating them.First Ork War (Unknown Date.M41) - Initially known as "The Ork Wars", this first invasion of Adrastapol by xenos was recently renamed in the wake of the Second Ork War. Unprepared for an attack on their world, the Nobles struggled to respond adequately to the invasion of WAAAGH! Skarjaw. Belonging to one of the most savage and feral tribes of his race, an off-shot of the Snakebites klan, Skarjaw and his Greenskins rode to battle on towering warbeasts known as Squiggoths, great beasts which can easily pose a threat to Imperial Knights. The defenders of Adrastapol became painfully aware of this fact when House Manticos' ancestral home and fortress were destroyed by the invaders. Under the aegis of House Chimaeros, the remaining Knight Houses revived their ancient alliance and met the Orks on the field of battle. Much to its shame, the Knights of House Pegasson failed to stop Skarjaw's progress towards the Draconspire, the mighty fortress of House Draconis. With many House Draconis' Nobles in the field, the Draconspire was left virtually undefended. Only Squires and a handful of Knights residing there under the authority of Gatekeeper Tolwyn Tan Draconis remained. Recognising that if Skarjaw attacked, the Draconspire would fall, the young Gatekeeper decided to launch a suicidal attack on the Greenskins in the hope of slaying Skarjaw and thus fracturing the WAAAGH!. Bolstering his meager forces with several dozen Squires who were forced to take their Ritual of Becoming early, Tolwyn Tan Draconis took to the field and completely surprised the Orks. Warlord Skarjaw and his personal Squiggoth mount were slain and Skarjaw's underlings began to fight amongst themselves for leadership of the WAAAGH!. Although the remaining Orks were leaderless, it took several Terran years to track and eradicate the Greenskin survivors of the First Ork War, many of whom turned feral and scattered. The Knights of Adrastapol mercilessly hunted down the remaining Orks and Squiggoths until their homeworld was declared purged from the xenos filth which had tainted it.Donatos War (Unknown Date.M41) - The Donatos War holds a special place within the chronicles of House Draconis both for the heavy toll it took upon the Adrastapolian Knights and for the glory they gained in bringing this rebellious world back to loyalty to the Emperor. Through the laxity of its rulers, Chaos Cults had taken power on the Industrial World of Donatos Primus, overthrowing the Imperial planetary government in place and killing the local planetary governor with the help of Chaos' most dangerous warriors: a warband of Chaos Space Marines. Seeking to further his own goals, the enemy leader -- the Word Bearers Dark Apostle Varakh'Lorr -- led his Word Bearers to fight the remaining Loyalist regiments of the Donatosian Planetary Defence Forces and the incorruptible Adeptus Arbites. While vastly outnumbered, the Loyalists were able to hold some cities and to issue a general call for aid before astrotelepathic communication broke off. The Imperium acted with uncustomary swiftness, despatching a sizeable army of Astra Militarum regiments under the general command of High King Tolwyn Tan Draconis of Adrastapol. Hailing from such different worlds as Cadia, Mubraxis and Tanhollis, these regiments of the Imperial Guard would support the gathered might of no less than six houses of Imperial Knights: the high king's own household, House Draconis, and its allies from Houses Minotos, Chimaeros, Pegasson, Wyvorn and Manticos. After initial success that left the Imperial forces ready to strike at the very heart of the enemy's strength, the Imperial reconquest of Donatos Primus was put in jeopardy when fully half the contingent of Imperial Knights turned Renegade and followed Viscount Gerraint Tan Chimaeros into secession. Visibly in league with the Word Bearers, the Renegade Knights of Houses Chimaeros, Wyvorn and Manticos turned their guns upon their former allies who only escaped total destruction by the heroic sacrifice and tactical accumen of High King Tolwyn. To oppose Gerraint's claim to the throne, the Loyalist survivors chose Tolwyn's son and designated heir, Danial Tan Draconis, as their new king. Danial was a young Knight many saw as unfit for the task ahead. With barely 50 Knights remaining out of several hundred, the remaining Imperial Knights could not assault their enemies head-on but needed to tread carefully. A limited counterattack turned into another disaster as House Chimaeros succeeded through duplicity and Chaos sorcery in leading the remaining survivors into another ambush that proved equally murderous. Left with little more than two dozen Knights, High King Danial finally assumed the true mantle of the high king of Adrastapol and led his Knights in a desperate but ultimately successful second assault on the Valle Electrum which eliminated all the enemy commanders and paved the way for ultimate Imperial victory.Salvation of Dakhera II (Unknown Date.M41) - While still recovering from the losses of the Donatos War, the Knights of Adrastapol sent aid to the beleaguered world of Dakhera II. Led by First Knight Jennika Tan Draconis, five lances of Draconis Knights as well as four lances from House Pegasson and a single lance from House Minotos annihilated the pirates preying on this defenceless world. Assault on Pyrodiah (Unknown Date.M41)- The Imperial planet of Pyrodiah was revealed to be a Necron Tomb World when undying Necron Warriors emerged and laid siege to major settlements across the planet. A force of Knights from House Draconis on Adrastapol responded to eliminate the Necrons alongside Space Marines of the Deathwatch and regiments of the Mordian Iron Guard. While a Deathwatch Kill-team infiltrated the Necrons' tomb complex to plant purgatory warheads to destroy the Necron's central control systems, four lances of Knights commanded by First Knight Jennika Tan Draconis fought their way through to the fortress-cathedrum of the planetary governor, Juliandros Beatifica, to evacuate her. Kill Team Azkarael, led by the Dark Angels Deathwatch Watch Captain Azkaerel, succeeded in destroying the Necrons' main tomb complex, while the House Draconis Knights were able to fight their way through the Necron phalanxes and extract the planetary governor, bringing her before the Segmentum Command so she could answer for her incompetence in leading the defence of the world.Second Ork War (Unknown Date.M41) - Barely five standard years after the successful conclusion of the Donatos War, Adrastapol was invaded by the hordes of WAAAGH! Killfist. The Ork Warlord Gorgrok Killfist of the Deathskulls klan was a far cry from the savage Skarjaw responsible for the First Ork War. Great Ork combat walkers, from Gorkanauts and Morkanauts to Stompaz and even Gargants, marched behind hordes of Orks in blue warpaint; whole squadrons of captured Imperial tanks kicked up dust alongside the Orks' own ramshackle creations. While High King Danial Tan Draconis' attempt to modernise the planetary defences and infrastructure of Adrastapol had considerably bolstered his world's defences, the reluctance of House Minotos to comply with these initiatives left the Knight World vulnerable. Given fair warning of the Orks' arrival by the unexpected appearance of Inquisitor Tane Massata of the Ordo Malleus, the defenders mustered themselves for war and evacuated the countryside. While their actions inflicted significant casualties on the Orks, the Knight Houses soon found themselves cut off from each other and beleaguered in their primary fortresses. As the Greenskins landed in greater numbers, the Knights' secondary fortresses either had to be evacuated or were overrun. First House Minotos, then House Draconis were forced to fall back to the safety of their ancestral keeps, the Iron Maze and the Draconspire, both of which quickly come under siege. Defending the highlands and the mountainous plateaus of the Adraspotine Mountains, House Pegasson fared little better. It was then that the Knight of Ashes returned to Adrastapol. Leading a small band of Freeblade Knights, Luk Kar Chimaeros found the Draconspire already beleaguered but managed to briefly contact his friend High King Danial Tan Draconis. Tasked with lifting the siege of the Draconspire, the Knight of Ashes and his small army travelled to the seat of House Pegasson, the Eyrie, where they were received by Marchioness Lauret Tan Pegasson. Quelling the dissensions within her own Exalted Court, the Marchioness agreed to personally accompany the Knight of Ashes and pledged the support of her 50 Imperial Knights and the entire Pegasson Air Force, reputedly the finest pilots on Adrastapol. Using House Pegasson's fleet of heavy bulk-landers to transport their Knights to the lands of House Minotos, the Imperial reinforcements reached the Iron Maze, just as the Orks penetrated its outer defences. Disembarking on Heroes' Ridge, a tall hill overlooking the Ironfields, Marchioness Lauret led her Knights in a daring shock-assault, trapping the Orks between her force and the walls of the Iron Maze whilst her household air force made sure the Orks could not escape the hammer and the anvil. Despite heavy casualties, by the end of the afternoon the siege of the Iron Maze was lifted and the victorious Knights of House Minotos, humbled by the support of House Pegasson and the determination of the Knight of Ashes, joined the counterattack. Redeployed swiftly with the help of the Pegasson Air Force, both Houses attacked Killfist's great horde as it lay siege to the Draconspire where Imperial resistance was on the verge of collapse. Just as the Knight of Ashes and the Adrastapolian Knights launched their attacks, Killfist's personal retinue of Meganobz broke through the final ring of fortifications. The Ork warlord and the high king clashed in the Draconispire's throne room. While Danial Tan Draconis ultimately killed the Ork Warlord, this was only possible because the Knight of Ashes had broken through and routed the Orks in the throne room. While House Pegasson and House Minotos pinned the enemy's reserve in place, the surviving House Draconis Knights mounted up and led the final counter-charge which defeated the Orks' super-heavy reserves and routed the horde. Although follow-up operations lasted for well over a Terran year, Adrastapol was saved on that day and a new unity of purpose was forged between the three victorious Houses. |
Adrastapol - Fauna and Flora: The jungles, plains and woods of Adrastapol are the natural habitat of a spectacular variety of predators of all size. Some of the most dangerous and common species include:Gurghols - A gurghol is a large saurid creature that preferably hunts within Adrastapol's thick forests where the Imperial Knights have trouble following it. Gurghols are therefore hunted with the help of Huntsman tanks, a local variant of the Leman Russ Tank equipped with a turret-mounted Inferno Cannon. A Huntsman's crew won't hesitate to torch an entire forest to flush out the gurghols so their feudal master can hunt them properly.Wulfdenkyne - Wulfdenkyne are feral canids not unlike the fearsome Fenrisian Wolf. Adrastapol's oral history carries numerous examples of isolated settlements beleaguered or destroyed by roaming packs of Wulfdenkyne and although many predators are far larger than these carnivores, the menace of a hungry pack of Wulfdenkyne is always taken seriously. Wulfdenkyne preferably hunt in the large agri-plains south of the Adrapotine Mountains, on the ancestral lands of House Chimaeros that have now been abandoned and are quickly being reclaimed by nature. Since the destruction of the Chimaerkeep, House Chimaeros' former seat of power, entire patrols of the local PDF tasked with guarding the ruins have vanished while patrolling its former grounds. The assumption of a Wulfdenkyne attack seemed so plausible that no one chose to investigate the matter until the arrival of Inquisitor Massata, who uncovered a sizeable Chaos Cult living in the catacombs and crypts of the Chimaerkeep. |
Adrastapol - Adrastapolian Society and Noble Titles: The Adrastapolians value honour and decorum to the extent that addressing a Scion with the wrong form of address can quickly lead to an honour duel being called. To complicate matters further, the name of a Scion as well as his formal title may change over time.In its most basic form, an Adrastapolian Knight will have a prefix before the name of his house that will denote his relationship to the house's ruler. Though unusual or localised prefixes proliferate, three key terms should be quickly learned and understood by outsiders wishing to comprehend the station of Adrastapolian Knights at war.The most valued prefix is that of "Tan," which denotes direct blood relation to a Noble House's ruler without considering the Knight's position in his own house's hierarchy. In general terms, this prefix would indicate that everybody bearing the prefix of "Tan" is a member of the house's ruling family and should be treated with the greatest respect. For example, the current high king of Adrastapol and leader of House Draconis bears the name of Danial Tan Draconis, son of the former High King Tolwyn Tan Draconis and brother to Jennika Tan Draconis.The most common prefix is "Dar" -- which could loosely be translated into Low Gothic as "of House" or "belonging to House." The prefix "Dar" indicates to which House a Knight's allegiance is given. This prefix is of great symbolic value and only upon completing his Ritual of Becoming and being formally ordained as a Knight may a squire claim this prefix. For example, during his training, a squire may be referred to simply by his first name and rank, such as Squire Willem, and may be called Willem Dar Minotos only after having survived his Becoming rituals.Should a Knight choose or be forced by circumstance to become a Freeblade or have his house destroyed, he would automatically bear the prefix of "Kar" which would replace any prefix that came before it. Seldom has this been seen as anything other than a mark of shame.Each Knight house is governed by a ruling council of the house's most trusted and most notorious Knights which is usually designated as the "Exalted Court." Each member of the Exalted Court has been hand-picked by the ruler of the house and been rewarded with one of the many honorific positions that form the council. On the Exalted Court, the most coveted position is that of "First Knight," which is awarded only to battle-hardened veterans of impeccable reputation and conduct, closely followed by the positions of Herald and Gatekeeper of the house's ancestral fortress.Other titles such as "Kingsward," the heir-designate to the high king's throne, exist but carry no formal power. As a matter of tradition, the Exalted Court is completed by the High Sacristan of the house in recognition of the Sacristan's technical expertise and his or her tireless efforts to keep the Knights battleworthy.In marked contrast to other, more conservative houses, the knightly households of Adrastapol do not distinguish between men or women, with the notable exception that a woman may not be proclaimed high king. Yet female Knights are a common sight within Adrastapolian society, including in ruling positions. For instance, House Pegasson has been ruled by women with the title of marioness for many standard centuries. |
Adrastapol - Notable Locations: Adrasal and Adoropae - Because of its unorthodox rotation, the polar continents of Adrastapol are markedly warmer than the rest of the planet. Named Adrasal and Adoropae, respectively, these continents are covered in tropical jungles and are mostly left on their own. Because of their teeming wildlife, the existence of local super-predators which warranted the creation of Imperial Knights in the first place and tectonic instability, these continents have not been populated by humanity and are left as undisturbed wilderness zones.Adrapotine Mountains - The Adrapotine Mountains are the principal mountain chain of Adrastapol's primary inhabited continent and stand as a natural barrier between the territories of the different Knight Houses. It is from these mountains that the many streams combine into the mighty Valatane River which carved out the fertile heartland of House Draconis' territory. The higher peaks are the domain of House Pegasson.Chimaerkeep - As ancestral domain of its world's most noble Knight House, the Chimaerkeep was once a thing of towering beauty. At the peak of its power, the Chimaerkeep was a sprawling complex of interlinked fortresses and demi-castles that covered several Terran square miles, each bastion and battery linked through labyrinthine caponiers. Through long periods of peace, the killing fields between the fortifications had been turned into ornamental gardens and devotional shrine-coves, but all this beauty was destroyed following House Chimaeros' betrayal. Together with the Adeptus Ministorum, the loyal Knight Houses bombarded the Chimaerkeep until nothing but ruins remained, torching the remains and salting the ground to purify it. A permanent watch comprised of portions of the three House armies dubbed "the Wardens" was stationed there to ensure that evil should never return. These guardians were all slain by a large population of mutants and Beastmen which was clandestinely living in a subterranean network of caves and crypts located beneath Chimaerkeep. Unearthed by the investigations of Inquisitor Massata, the degenerate subterranean kingdom was only purged after victory over the Orks of WAAAGH! Killfist was assured.Draconspire - The Draconspire is the ancestral home of House Draconis. To describe it as a mere fortress does not capture its grandeur and scale. The Draconspire is not a fortress but a manmade mountain, constructed around and above an active volcano whose magma is used both in the weapon forges and to power the geothermic generators located at the Draconspire's base. Its towers reach so high that they graze the planet's stratosphere and so need to be enviro-sealed accordingly. Like the legendary home of the Space Wolves Chapter on distant Fenris, The Fang, the Draconspire has its own spaceport at the top of these towers. At ground-level, the Draconspire is protected by three concentric rings of fortifications. The equivalent of a small hive city is crammed between these towering edifices of adamantium and stone.Ancestral Armoury - The Ancestral Armoury was a secret weapons cache hidden deep within the crypts of the Draconspire. Who first established it is now lost to history, but its ultimate discovery helped House Draconis to hold out against the Orks once the Greenskins had overrun the outer defence wall.Chamber of Ghosts - The Chamber of Ghosts derives its name from the Thrones Mechanicum housed there and the voice of the ancestors the Knights can hear when connected with them. By extension it also designates that part of the Armorium where the Knight armours of House Draconis are located.Eastern Gates - The Draconspire counts several gates, all of them carrying their own history. On the eastern part of the towering fortresses, Firemaw, Ironclaw, Drakeswing, Blackenfang and Draconseye Gate permit the Knights of House Draconis to cross the towering exterior wall and enter directly into the Valatane plains. It was through these gates that High King Danial personally led the charge against one of Killfist's most powerful lieutenants, Warboss Drogg of the Goffs klan.Drakesclaw Mines - The Drakesclaw Mines are House Draconis' main source of ferric ore.Eyrie - The Eyrie is the name given to the ancestral home of House Pegasson, a network of fortresses established on the highest peaks of the Adrapotine Mountains, hence its name. The Eyrie is a striking example of Imperial architecture, several sub-fortresses established on neighbouring mountains surrounding its even larger central keep. The central keep and its sub-fortresses are linked together at various heights by countless sky-bridges, walkways of transparent armourglass and armoured overhangs which from orbit give the Eyrie the appearance of a gigantic, if asymmetric, snow-flake or a spider's web.Fort Charon - Fort Charon was one of the secondary fortresses erected by House Draconis to protect their land. It was the first major fortress to fall before the Orks of WAAAGH! Killfist although thanks to its air force House Draconis was able to evacuate most of the fort's garrison before it fell.Fort Redfang - Fort Redfang is one of the secondary fortresses of House Draconis.High Kelt - High Kelt was one of the larger settlements of the southern Valatane region. Like every outer settement, High Kelt was evacuated before the coming of the Orks, the xenos destroying the settlement even in absence of its inhabitants.Golden Swathe - The Golden Swathe designates a region of fertile plains and valleys to the south of the Draconspire renowned for the quality of its livestock. These fertile pastures are especially suited for the raising of Grox.Imperatus Dam - Begun and finished under the reign of High King Danial Tan Draconis, Imperatus Dam was a mighty edifice designed and constructed under the aegis of High Sacristan Polluxis Dar Mechanicus of House Draconis. Located in the foothills of the mighty Adrapotine Mountains, the dam is powered by the waters of the Valatane River. Its primary function is the generation of electricity for both civilian and military installations across the Valatane Plains. The dam sported a gigantic, carved Aquila that spread its wings across its entire length. Constructed over the course of five Terran years, the great celebration marking the awakening of the dam's Machine Spirit was notoriously interrupted by the impromptu arrival of Inquisitor Massata. The Inwuisitor's arrival heralded the beginning of the Second Ork War. In that conflict, Imperatus Dam was destroyed by the Orks of WAAAGH! Killfist, the tidal wave of water and debris annihilating both Orks and Imperials fighting in the valley below.Iron Maze - The Iron Maze, sometimes also referred to as "the Labyrinth," is the ancestral home of House Minotos. As it name might indicate, the Iron Maze is a vast fortress that shared many similarities with the now razed Chimaerkeep. Its fortifications, redoubts and firing lanes are spread out over a large area to form a defence in depth. The Iron Maze forms a labyrinthine network of sub-fortresses, armoured buttresses and protected courtyards designed to confuse, disorientate and trap assailing enemies into deadly crossfires. The Iron Maze is the largest military structure on Adrastapol as it covers more than thirty Terran square miles. Located at the foot of the Kulrikh Peaks, the back of the Iron Maze is protected by sheer cliffs which make it impossible to outflank. While the Nobles reside in the Iron Maze, the attending civilian population of serfs inhabits the nearby city of Minosaal which is separated from the fortress by a plain called the Ironfields.Minotane Throneroom - The throne room of House Minotos is an impressive display of architectural grandeur. The floor forms one giant mosaic depicting Imperial Knights marching to war. Behind the throne of the Grandmarshals stands a towering statue of the God-Emperor in His aspect as a warrior god. The statue supported the Gothic ceiling whose fresco depicted great heroes battling Heretics on a stylised star field. Huge statues of marble and iron lined the processional route to the throne, each a replica of one of the past Grandmarshals of House Minotos. In accordance with its traditions, House Minotos preferred to depict its heroes in the fire of battle, roaring their warcry, wielding their warhammers or standing victorious over a slain foe. Many of the statues incorporated industrial machinery so that flames flickered in their eyes and black exhaust fumes rose from their mouths. This smoke tended to gather beneath the high ceiling like menacing clouds.Iron Sanctum - Accessed through an ornate door located directly behind the throne of House Minotos, the Iron Sanctum is a private hall where the rulers of House Minotos and their guests retreat in order to discuss important matters of state. Far from the prying eyes of the courtesans and courtiers, the Iron Sanctum is heavily protected by great blast doors and Servitor-controlled Heavy Bolters that guard the hall's only access. The sanctum itself is a large hexagonal chamber approximately one hundred Terran feet across. It derives its name from the massive iron conference table that takes up most of its length. A complement of iron, high-backed thrones surrounds the table.Lanceway - The Lanceway is a macro-highway that links the Draconspire to the furthest reaches of House Draconis' lands.Longmarch - Longmarch is one of the larger settlements in the northern Valatane region, which belongs to House Draconis.Mount Imperius - Mount Imperius harbours the headquarters of Adrastapol's orbital surveillance and planetary defences as well as the world's astropathic choir. Like the Draconspire, Mount Imperius is no mere fortress but a hollowed-out mountain which has been built upon by countless generations of Sacristans until its defences rivaled those of the great knightly estates. Yet, despite its impressive garrison and Void Shield-generators, Mount Imperius would fall against the savagery of WAAAGH! Killfist, the Orks butchering both the garrison and the refugees who had sought shelter inside the mountain. In particular the horrible death of the astropaths, killed by a cabal of Ork Weirdboyz, caused the inhabitants of the neighbouring regions to suffer from terrible nightmares for Terran years after the end of the Second Ork War.South Valley - As the name indicates, South Valley is a settlement in the southern portion of the valleys carved by the mighty River Valatane. It is counted as one of the many possessions of House Draconis. South Valley was evacuated at the beginning of the Second Ork War and entirely destroyed by the raging tides of the Valatane River when the Orks destroyed the Imperatus Dam.Valatane Plains - The Jousting Plains of the Valatane are an ancient location where the Knights of Adrastapol meet to prove their skill at arms or settle scores during peacetime. The site has hosted many tournaments since the dark days of the Horus Heresy. |
Adrastia - Adrastia: Adrastia, also known as the "Scion of the Emperor" by the Aeldari Autarch Kayleth of the Alaitoc Craftworld, is an Inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus and one of the main characters in the PC game, Dawn of War II - Retribution, the second expansion pack to the real-time strategy computer game Dawn of War II.Clever, proud and idealistic, she is a firm, Puritan adherent of Imperial dogma. She came to the Sub-sector Aurelia to investigate whether the accusations that the Blood Ravens' Chapter Master Azariah Kyras had been corrupted by Chaos were true. The results of that investigation helped to unleash the Third Aurelian Crusade. |
Adrastia - History: Adrastia is a senior-ranking Inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus. She, alongside Lord General Castor of the Astra Militarum's Cadian Shock Troops, were ordered to the Sub-sector Aurelia to investigate charges of heresy levelled by Captain Gabriel Angelos of the Blood Ravens Chapter against his Chapter Master Azariah Kyras.She hoped to complete her investigation ahead of the arrival of an incoming Exterminatus fleet, which had been given orders to enact Exterminatus upon all of the sub-sector's worlds to remove their growing Chaos and xenos taint from the Imperium. Her mission was one of dire importance as it would determine the fate of the sector.However, as a Witch Hunter, she deemed the accusation against Kyras to be extremely serious and warranting investigation -- a heretical Space Marine Chapter Master and Chief Librarian was the epitome of what the Witch Hunters sought to root out and destroy. To this end, she was willing to employ any tool necessary to investigate him -- be they Imperial, Aeldari, or even Orks. |
Adrastia - Personality: Clever and proud, at her core Andrastia is an idealist -- she believes in Imperial dogma without any doubt and performs her duties accordingly. When Adrastia arrived in the Sub-sector Aurelia she felt that the sub-sector's inhabitants had brought their own impending doom down upon themselves through their cowardice and lack of faith in the God-Emperor.This was readily apparent by her haughty attitude and the utter contempt she openly displayed when dealing with the local populace. Her demeanor is both cavalier and bemused, and like many of her kind, she is often unconcerned about the feelings of those who are her subordinates. |
Adrastia - Trivia: One of Inquisitor Adrastia's quotes in-game is "My chief weapons are surprise and fear!" This is a reference to the Spanish Inquisition trio in a famous skit of the British Monty Python's Flying Circus comedy troupe. |
Adrastus Bolt Caliver - Adrastus Bolt Caliver: An Adrastus Bolt Caliver is a unique Combi-weapon of relic technology first developed for and utilised exclusively by, the forces of the Legio Custodes, the elite bodyguard of the Emperor of Mankind, during the Great Crusade.Developed as a hybrid of later pattern Imperial bolter weapon designs and Dark Age of Technology "Adrastite" directed-energy beam weapons prohibited from general Great Crusade issue, the Adrastus Bolt Caliver is a potent shoulder arm serving as a portable heavy weapon for the Adeptus Custodes.This combination weapon is able to unleash a fusillade of explosive rounds at long range with the potency of the Heavy Bolters carried by the Adeptus Astartes, or at shorter ranges fire a directed energy disintegration beam able to rip a target apart at a molecular level, causing its victims to cease to exist in a howling flare of energy. |
Adrathic Weapons - Adrathic Weapons: Adrathic Weapons are a type of ancient directed energy disintegration weapons that date back to the Dark Age of Technology, utilised by the Legio Custodes and the Sisters of Silence in the rarest and most dire of situations.It is unknown if these weapons are still in the arsenal of the Adeptus Custodes of the 41st Millennium. |
Adrathic Weapons - History: Relics of the Dark Age of Technology, Adrathic Weapons are believed to be all but unique to Terra. Adrathic weaponry uses a potent but dangerously unstable directed energy beam to sever the internal bonds of matter, causing objects caught in their path to unravel in a spectacularly destructive manner, leaving only a flaring after-image of what was.Such weapons were legend during the Age of Strife, and devastating wars were fought on anarchic Old Earth solely over the possession of some unearthed cache of Adrathic Weapons and the promise of the power they held.When the Emperor came to dominion and ended Old Night on Ancient Terra in the Unification Wars, all Adrathic Weapons were given over to Him on pain of death, not simply to the one who retained them but to their entire land and nation such was the importance He placed on controlling this technology.These weapons have remained in His care ever since, and only His own personal weaponsmiths gained and kept the knowledge of how to replicate them in small numbers, much to the jealousy of the Mechanicum of Mars. |
Adrathic Weapons - Adrathic Destructor: The Adrathic Destructor is a portable variant that was utilised on a Custodian's Guardian Spear, or as a twin-linked version by Aquilon Terminators. |
Adrathic Weapons - Adrathic Devastator: The Adrathic Devastator is a heavy pattern of Adrathic Weapon mounted upon Gyrfalcon Pattern Jetbikes, and also deployed as a twin-linked variant by Pallas Grav-Attack vehicles. |
Adrathic Weapons - Adrathic Exterminator: The Adrathic Exterminator is a heavy pattern of Adrathic Weapon mounted upon various vehicles utilised by the Adeptus Custodes. |
Adrathic Weapons - Sources: The Horus Heresy - Book Seven: Inferno (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 116, 245Forge World Webstore - Legio Custodes Adrasite Spears |
Adrax Agatone - Adrax Agatone: Adrax Agatone, called "Nocturne's Hammer," is the Captain of the Salamanders 3rd Company, "The Pyroclasts," and the Salamanders Chapter's Master of the Arsenal.At some point following the birth of the Great Rift, Agatone underwent the agonising surgical procedure known as the Rubicon Primaris and ascended to become a Primaris Space Marine.The process of ascension caused all of Agatone's old brand scars to fade away and be replaced by smooth new tissue, erasing all the marks of his deeds for the Chapter as a Firstborn Space Marine.Agatone found this fitting, as he felt the process had truly led him to be reborn. He felt that his skin should also reflect this new start. |
Adrax Agatone - History: At the start of Agatone's career, he was a Sergeant in the 3rd Company of the Salamanders. His was among those squads that accompanied the expedition of the 3rd Company to the world of Scoria, and bore witness to the confusing and tumultuous events of that campaign against the Orks, the Dragon Warriors, and the Iron Warriors that claimed two of his company captains.After the deaths of Captain Kotan Kadai and Captain N'keln at the hands of the Traitors, Agatone, as the third-highest ranked member of the company, rose to command it.He later took part in the campaign against the Kabals that sought to capture his company, and routed them with the aid of Vulkan He'stan. His company was also present during the Dragon War that followed, as former Salamander Librarian Nihilan led tens of thousands of aliens, mercenaries, Traitors, and a third of a company of Obliterator-infected Marines Malevolent to steal the Tome of Fire from the vault beneath Mount Deathfire on Nocturne.He survived, although his company was badly depleted in the fighting, and participated in the deadly fighting of the Third War for Armageddon against the greenskins shortly thereafter.Just as the duties of the Salamanders 3rd Company place an exceptional strain upon the noble and compassionate warriors who must discharge them, so an exceptional leader is required to ensure that this burden never becomes too great for even Vulkan's sons to bear. Adrax Agatone is that leader. |
Adrax Agatone - Personality: Adrax Agatone is a contradiction wrought in transhuman flesh and bone. In some ways, the captain of the 3rd Company is said to be the most akin to his gene-sire Vulkan of any Salamander in centuries.He is stable and considered, even when the steadiest of his comrades teeter towards wrath or alarm, yet unrelentingly ferocious in the pursuit of his foes. Agatone is also as skilled a craftsman as any of Vulkan's inheritors, working with the same quiet but abiding pride that shows in his conduct as a warrior and a Space Marine captain.In his sheer merciless pragmatism, however, the captain of the 3rd Company could not be further from the compassionate and introspective Vulkan of legend. Agatone lives by a simple creed: if something must be done for the greater good of the Imperium and its people, no matter how callous or cruel that deed might seem, he will see it done.Countless Imperial despots have claimed this justification for their brutal actions over the millennia; what separates Captain Agatone from them all is his unshakeable moral certitude. The captain knows well that a weapon is only as noble as the cause in which it is wielded. He knows too that he and his Battle-Brothers are living weapons all, and that their willingness to engage in the most merciless of the Salamanders' campaigns might be exploited by the powerful and the unprincipled.Indeed, Agatone has seen this very perversion of trust at work upon countless battlefields. In every cruelly manipulated peoples' militia, in every horde duped by demagogues or made the puppets of xenos mind-thieves, Agatone recognises honest ideals twisted to violent and heretical purpose.Thus he has sworn that no matter how dark the deeds of the 3rd Company must be, he will never suffer his warriors to become the tools of tyrants and oppressors.Since assuming his captaincy, Adrax Agatone has led the Pyroclasts into some of the most horrific bloodbaths witnessed by the Salamanders in millennia. Yet always they have remained a weapon true to the Chapter's noble purpose, never once taking an innocent life without feeling the proper weight of remorse for the deed.While he was still a sergeant, Agatone was a stoic, cold, and curt leader. After his elevation to the captaincy, however, he confided in his Chaplain that he didn't believe he would be able to fully live up to the example of his predecessors, Ko'tan Kadai and N'keln.However, he overcame these feelings, and sought to bring his own brand of pragmatism and vicious fighting style to his company.As a warrior, Captain Agatone is a tightly focused force of destruction. Every swing of Malleus Noctum, the mighty Thunder Hammer crafted by his own hands, is expertly directed and backed by ferocious strength.Every fiery blast of his Hand Flamer, Drakkis -- also born from the personal forge of the 3rd Company Captain -- is aimed to engulf the greatest number of foes, or else to blind, madden or wear down his assailants.Always Agatone keeps his mission foremost in his mind, delivering terse orders to his Battle-Brothers while driving a relentless path towards whatever quarry or strategic goal he has set his sights upon. Just as when at the anvil, Adrax Agatone strikes hard and true in battle, never tiring, never relenting in his ambitions.In this way has he burned out the cankers of countless rebellions and cults across the galaxy, his bloody victories sparing the wider Imperium from far more costly and tragic wars. |
Adrax Agatone - Wargear: Mark X Power Armour (Any variant as required)Malleus Noctum - This potent master-crafted Thunder Hammer was forged by Agatone's own hand after he asended to become a Primaris Marine.Drakkis - This master-crafted Hand Flamer was also forged by Agatone following his crossing of the Rubicon Primaris. |
Adrenal Glands - Adrenal Glands: An Adrenal Gland is a Tyranid biomorph that is commonly developed in the frontline creatures of a Tyranid swarm. Adrenal Glands massively increase the production of adrenaline within a Tyranid bio-form, and also saturate their host's bloodstream with other chemicals that boost the creature's metabolism to a hyperactive state of frenzy.This allows the organism to move more swiftly and attack with greater strength.The most common Tyranid bio-forms found with adrenal glands are Hive Tyrants, Tervigons, Tyranid Primes, Tyranid Warriors, Genestealers, Termagants, Hormagaunts, Rippers, Sky-slasher Rippers, Tyranid Shrikes, Gargoyles, Harpies, Carnifexes, Trygons, Mawlocs and Tyrannofexes. |
Adrielle Quist - Adrielle Quist: Adrielle Quist is an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor serving with the Achilus Crusade to retake the Jericho Reach for the Imperium of Man.Quist was first noted by Inquisitor Hezika Carmillus for her prodigious telepathic abilities. Her sharp, investigative mind distinguished her from her fellow acolytes, and during her time as an Interrogator she was one of a select few brought to the Tower of Brass when her mistress became Inquisitor of the Chamber at Watch Fortress Erioch.Five short Terran years ago, Quist earned her rosette and became a full Inquisitor. She remains Carmillus' primary hand in the field. Quist has a deep fascination with alien technology that she keeps tightly concealed.She is all too aware that many around her would brand her a Radical or a Traitor for her desire to see the Imperium match the technological advancement of alien species like the T'au. She is secretly one of the Crucible Resolviate's principal sources of xenos artefacts.Quist would greatly like to find Deathwatch warriors who share her open mind about the path to humanity's advancement, as it would make procuring xenos items from their missions far less laborious.In Watch Fortress Erioch, Inquisitor Quist resides in the Tower of Brass, the traditional home of the fortress' resident Inquisitor, keeping no guard outside as a show of her combat prowess.Pass the door and up two spiraling flights of stairs can be found her audience chamber: a patterned marble floor with one wall made of a transparent plate of glassteel facing into the void. During Erioch's waking cycle, it faces the dim light from the system's cold, rising star. |
Adrielle Quist - Angelus Invictus: As the chief field agent of Watch Fortress Erioch's Inquisitor of the Chamber, Inquisitor Quist spends far more time in the void than she does on Erioch. Her starship, the Angelus Invictus, is modest in size but highly customised. She provides Deathwatch battle-brothers a communal but sizable room for the journey.Retractable metal slabs are built into the walls; their size is identical to the stone plinths of Erioch's cells, leaving little doubt that this room was made for the explicit purpose of transporting Kill-teams.The ship has only a skeleton crew; whatever cadre the Inquisitor has, they are obviously out upon their own missions. Other than a few servitors and a decrepit cherub that rarely shifts from its perch in the galley, the living crew is limited to a pilot, Navigator Saminal Modar, and Nihl Zee, a Vindicare Assassin. |
Adrielle Quist - T'au Interests: Of the Inquisitors of the Ordo Xenos who frequent the halls of Watch Fortress Erioch, none are more diligent or zealous than Adrielle Quist.However, Quist is careful to hide her fascination with alien technology, particularly the intriguing developments used by the T'au Velk'Han Sept.Quist has directed a number of Deathwatch missions into and beyond the Black Reef, often including instructions to retrieve particular xenos artefacts of interest to her and certain magi of the Adeptus Mechanicus.However, the Inquisitor is also well-aware of her true duties to the Imperium, and many dire threats to the progress of the Achilus Crusade have been exposed and halted thanks to her efforts.She has been known to personally accompany a Deathwatch Kill-team from time to time, particularly if the current mission is important to her own interests or those of Inquisitor Carmillus, her nominal superior. |
Adrion - Adrion: Adrion is an Imperial Industrial World and Chem World whose atmosphere has become so poisoned by industrial pollutants from the world's manufactoria that it eventually mutates anyone who lives on its surface.Much of the population is composed of former workers in the world's manufactoria, who were cast out and replaced after they could no longer do their jobs due to the rampant mutations that gradually accumulate through exposure to the world's toxic atmosphere. These mutants are then forced to fend for themselves. While some proved able to form successful communities outside the world's cities, they did not survive for long on Adrion's surface.Due to this incredibly high rate of attrition, a large portion of Adrion's workforce are immigrants imported from off-world to keep its manufactoria always running at full capacity.Adrion has one of the highest mortality rates of any world in the Imperium, a common problem for those planets designated as Chem Worlds. |
Adulators - Adulators: The Adulators is a Codex Astartes-compliant Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of unknown Founding and genetic origin. This Chapter held a distant agreement to support the Shrine World of Ras Shakeh, in the Ras Sub-sector. However, by the 41st Millennium their ranks were so stretched in commitments across the galaxy that they declared themselves no longer able to contribute to its defence.For this reason, the Adepta Sororitas garrison sought the help of the Space Wolves Chapter, which had held a similar agreement with the Shrine World some five thousand standard years before, when the sub-sector was claimed by the Adeptus Ministorum.The Adulators were described by the Sisters of Battle of the Order of the Wounded Heart as dutiful, efficient and predictable -- even mordantly dull and unimaginative. They are considered to be steeped in the ways of the Sororitas and on surprisingly close terms with the holy orders of the Ecclesiarchy for a Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes. |
Adulators - Chapter Colours: The Adulators Chapter wears dark blue-grey power armour with white trim on the shoulder plates. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest is also white.The white squad tactical specialty symbol -- battleline, close support, fire support, Veteran or command -- is indicated on the right shoulder guard.A black High Gothic numeral centred in the middle of the squad specialty symbol indicates squad number.The colour of a battle-brother's helmet indicates company number in accordance with Codex Astartes-approved heraldry -- i.e. white (1st Company), yellow (2nd Company), red (3rd Company), etc. |
Adulators - Chapter Badge: The Adulators' Chapter badge is a large white skull centred on a field of dark blue-grey. A red Iron Halo icon is centred in the middle of the skull's forehead. |
Adummin - Adummin: Adummin is the Xenos World that serves as the homeworld of the intelligent, blob-like species called the Galgs and is now part of the T'au Empire.It is located in the Segmentum Ultima and is not far from the Eastern Fringe. |
Adummin - History: Several Terran centuries before the end of the 41st Millennium the T'au fleet made contact with the Galg's homeworld and offered to let them join the T'au Empire.The Galgs were excited by the proposal and promptly agreed to pursue the Greater Good.Since then the Galgs have served the T'au Empire, and some of them operate as auxiliary troops alongside the Fire Caste.The Galgs live in palaces that are built deep underground and illuminated by bioluminescent spores. The palaces are called soums and they are built under ceremonial mounds called vathries. |
Advanced Stabilisation System - Advanced Stabilisation System: An Advanced Stabilisation System is a T'au Battlesuit support system available exclusively to XV88 Broadside Battlesuits. With this system equipped, all of the battlesuit's heavy weapons are upgraded with stabilising gyroscopes that enable them to be brought to bear at speed, even when on the move.As a result, the Advanced Stabilisation System allows its user a high degree of mobility whilst retaining the ability to fire even the heaviest of weapons accurately. |
Advanced Targeting System - Advanced Targeting System: An Advanced Targeting System is a T'au Battlesuit support system available to most types of T'au Battlesuits, as well as a T'au vehicle support system.An Advanced Targeting System is a specialised target acquisition computer that identifies and picks out high-priority targets of value in the midst of battle before plotting efficient fire plans to counter them.With this system, tactically-important enemy figures such as squad leaders, special weapon wielders, and commanders can all be more effectively pinpointed as specific targets for elimination by a battlesuit pilot or vehicle gunner. |
Aegis Defence Line - Aegis Defence Line: An Aegis Defence Line is an Imperial barricade built from crenellated armoured sections that link together into a solid shieldwall. Their simple design means that they can be built and deployed at great speed, lending them the nickname of "instant fortresses."Aegis Defence Lines are ideally suited for commanders wishing to hold ground in enemy territory or establishdefensive perimeters until such time when larger, more permanent fortifications can be constructed.An Aegis Defence Line can be protected by heavy weapon emplacements such as a quadruple Autocannon for anti-infantry protection or, for anti-air defence, an Icarus Pattern Lascannon. |
Aegult Caidin - Aegult Caidin: Aegult Caidin is an Inquisitor Lord who is the chair of the governing High Council of Inquisitors of the Calixian Conclave of the Inquisition in the Calixis Sector. Caidin is a shadowy figure who is only ever seen in public wearing a mask that obscures the Inquisitor Lord's features and his true identity.From the Tricorn Palace in Scintilla's capital hive city of Hive Sibellus, Caidin supervises and directs the general policies and activities of the Inquisitors under his command, as well as individual specialist cabals of Inquisitors sent upon "special circumstance" missions. The Lord Inquisitor is seldom seen in public. It is said that he keeps his true likeness secret, even from close aides and allies, so as to be free to operate unmolested and unrecognised. His true age is not known.Lord Inquisitor Caidin chairs the High Council of the Calixian Conclave, a ruling body of seventy senior Inquisitors drawn from all three of the Inquisition's Ordos Majoris, which orchestrates and monitors the Inquisition's work throughout the sector's territories. Estimates suggest that over eight thousand Inquisitorial personnel toil in the officio of the Tricorn Palace, from lowly scribes to archivists, from scholars to specialist Tech-adepts.A small but potent army of Inquisitorial troops is garrisoned at the Tricorn Palace and dedicated voidships of the Inquisition are permanently stationed at high anchor above Scintilla for rapid response deployment. It is also suggested, but unconfirmed, that the Tricorn possesses its own astrotelepathic choir. In times of great crisis, the Officio of the High Council Calixis can call upon the help of any Imperial adepta it requires. |
Aeldari - Aeldari: The Aeldari, or the Eldar as they were long known to outsiders, are an ancient and highly advanced species of humanoid xenos whose vast empire once extended the width and breadth of the known galaxy.In its time, the Aeldari Empire was without equal in the galaxy, spreading across both realspace and the Webway. They counted themselves masters of the stars and every Aeldari was born a potent psyker, their abilities often used to both create and power their almost magical technology.Even death was no barrier, for when the Aeldari's spirits eventually left their mortal bodies they dissolved peacefully back into the Immaterium to be reborn again in new forms, for the Warp did not thirst for Aeldari souls then as it does today.But ten millennia ago, the Aeldari's overweening pride and their fall into amoral and hedonistic practices led to a cataclysm that all but eradicated their kind and resulted in the birth of the Chaos God Slaanesh, known as "She Who Thirsts" to the Aeldari.Despite their boundless power, the heart of their civilisation was torn out by this catastrophe of their own making, forcing many of the surviving Aeldari to pursue different strategies for survival to protect their souls from being consumed by She Who Thirsts. These strategies have shaped the nature of the surviving Aeldari cultures.In the 41st Millennium there are five major sub-cultures or kindreds of the Aeldari species: the Asuryani or Craftworld Aeldari, the Drukhari, the Harlequins, the Exodites, and the Ynnari.There are also bands of independent Aeldari who survive by raiding other species' shipping and commerce, many of whom are Asuryani who have left the often rigid and confining culture of their people behind. They are known as the Asuryani Outcasts and the Aeldari Corsairs.The Asuryani fled the original homeworlds of the Aeldari Empire in great, continent-sized starships called craftworlds. These craftworlds are now scattered across the galaxy, only connected to each other by the labyrinthine corridors of the Webway. The Asuryani seek to protect themselves from the hunger of She Who Thirsts through the use of a soul-capturing psychocrystalline technology known as Spirit Stones and a rigid code of behaviour called the Asuryani Path.The Drukhari are the descendants of those Aeldari who originally settled within the Webway, particularly the ancient city of Commorragh. The Drukhari protect themselves from the hunger of Slaanesh by following what the Asuryani call the "Path of Damnation"; these piratical people revel in the physical and emotional pain of others, for feeding upon the psychic residue of suffering is the only way they can stave off the slow consumption by She Who Thirsts of their own souls.The Harlequins are the servants of the Aeldari Laughing God Cegorach who fled into the Webway at the time of the Fall of the Aeldari and were protected from the thirst of Slaanesh by their god's power.The Harlequins are the keepers of the Aeldari repository of Chaos knowledge known as the Black Library and they are the only Aeldari who still move freely among all of the other factions. Their purpose is to maintain among their fellows the knowledge of the Aeldari mythological cycles that form the foundation of all Aeldari culture.The Exodites are those Aeldari who fled the ancient homeworlds before the Fall and chose to settle on verdant, unsettled planets known as Maiden Worlds. The Exodites are protected from the soul-thirst of Slaanesh by unifying their souls upon death with the World Spirits of their home planets and from the darker impulses of the Aeldari psyche by pursuing lifestyles marked by more hardship and less labour-saving technology than any of their brethren.The Ynnari, also called the Reborn, are a religious sect of Aeldari drawn from all of the other factions who serve the partially awakened Aeldari god of the dead Ynnead. Led by Ynnead's high priestess and chosen prophet, Yvraine, the Daughter of Shades, the Ynnari came into existence just before the birth of the Great Rift and the start of the Era Indomitus.The Reborn seek nothing less than the full awakening of Ynnead, who will then do battle with Slaanesh, destroy the Chaos God and restore the Aeldari people to their lost greatness. Ynnari no longer need fear Slaanesh's thirst, for upon death they become one with Ynnead. |
Aeldari - Nomenclature: The entire species of beings who once ruled the galaxy-spanning Aeldari Empire for millions of Terran years are called the "Aeldari." In the wake of the Fall of the Aeldari, the survivors of the great cataclysm adopted new names for their varying sub-cultures or kindreds.The Aeldari who fled their ancient empire in the craftworlds eventually called themselves the "Asuryani" since their culture was redefined by their decision to pursue the Asuryani Path that they believed had been laid out for them by the chief Aeldari god, the Phoenix King Asuryan.Linguistically reflecting their diminished status, the Asuryani made themselves known to outsiders as "Eldar," a name which came to be applied mistakenly to the entire species by Imperial scholars for many millennia.Likewise, the Drukhari were the malevolent faction of the ancient Aeldari who had chosen to remain within the Webway after the Fall and continued to pursue the decadent and hedonistic ways that nearly led to their extinction. However, they were often referred to by outsiders as "Dark Eldar," a term which they rarely used for themselves and which was first coined by Asdrubael Vect, the supreme overlord of Commorragh, from the Aeldari phrase "Eladrith Ynneas" in the 32nd Millennium.Those wilderness-loving Aeldari who settled on Maiden Worlds many solar decades before the Fall in the hope of avoiding the worsening corruption of the original Aeldari culture are known as "Exodites."The servants of the Aeldari Laughing God Cegorach, who were protected by his influence within the Webway from being slain during the Fall, are called the "Harlequins" in the most common translation of the Aeldari term for the faction into Low Gothic.In recent years, since the formation of the Ynnari faction which contains members of the Aeldari species from all of the other factions, it has become common for many of the different cultures to once more refer to themselves using the ancient term "Aeldari." This reflects the Ynnari belief that with the awakening of Ynnead, the Aeldari god of the dead, their species is once more on the path to resurrecting its lost glory.In the Era Indomitus, the term Aeldari has come to be preferred to Eldar, though the original name for the Asuryani best known by the Imperium of Man is still often used interchangeably. However, it is now more correct to refer to the Aeldari of the craftworlds as simply "Aeldari," "Craftworld Aeldari," or when comparing them to the other Aeldari kindreds, the "Asuryani."The Drukhari are still often referred to in the Imperium as "Dark Eldar." |
Aeldari - Anatomy and Physiology: The Aeldari appear very similar to Humans in their anatomy, although the comparison can only be made on a superficial basis, for in their minds and souls the Aeldari are truly alien. The Aeldari stand taller than the average Human male, with longer, cleaner limbs and handsome, striking features to Human eyes.Their skin is pale and unblemished as polished marble, yet with a surprisingly supple strength hiding beneath it. Their keen ears are pointed and their slanted eyes possess a penetrating quality more akin to that of a hunting cat than a man.The most fundamental difference can be seen when the Aeldari move, for they each radiate an inhuman elegance and poise. This is especially evident in the sinuous grace with which they fight and the dexterity with which they field their weaponry. Every gesture is laden with subtle intent, and their reflexes are dazzlingly fast. A casual, languid gesture can end in a pinpoint thrust should the necessity arise.On closer inspection, every aspect of the Aeldari physiology betrays their alien nature. Their hearts beat at twice the speed of a Human's, and their minds race through possibilities and process emotions so fast that even the so-called geniuses of Human history appear dull by comparison.Even their lives are greater in span -- the Aeldari enjoy lives of rich sensation and wonder that can stretch over a thousand Terran years, unsullied by illness, frailty or disease, unless they die by violence or accident. Most Aeldari are not even considered mature until they have lived for at least a standard century.All Aeldari can manipulate mental energies to a degree. Each is psychic to one extent or another; it is said the ancient Aeldari could read thoughts at a glance, whilst those who trained their minds for war could crush a foe's weapon with a simple narrowing of their eyes.Even the complex technology of their race is based upon psychic engineering, the manipulation of and even creation of matter using mental energies alone. But such raw power has its price.The same neurological mechanisms that grant the Aeldari mind such power also inclines it far more towards extremes than that of a Human. To an Aeldari, all of life's experiences are available on a far grander scale: the individual rewards of study, the exhilaration of battle, and every imaginable pleasure or sensation in-between.An Aeldari will at some point climb the most noble peaks of accomplishment, just as they will plunge into the darkest abyss of doubt. Their capacity to experience emotion enables them to attain transcendent bliss or, in contrast, experience soul-wracking sorrow.This spiritual intensity is writ large throughout their culture, manifesting in sublime works of art and music, but also giving rise to a darkness that threatens to engulf them all.No creature, not even an Aeldari, can taste such rich fruits in an uncontrolled way without consequence; for an Aeldari to yield absolutely to the intensity of their desires would destroy them. Such was the fate of their ancient empire, whose depravities brought about the Fall of the Aeldari race itself.The Aeldari that actively cultivate their psychic potential seem to exhibit a much-extended lifespan even by their standards as well, one proportional to their prowess as a psyker. In this way the leaders and Seers of the Asuryani may live for several thousand standard years.One matter of note is that the Aeldari have sometimes referred to Humans simply as "mammals" typically with a derogatory label in the Aeldari Lexicon like "Mon-keigh," implying that for their part, the Aeldari evolved from something else, something more advanced than the primates that are the ancestors of Mankind.However, given the Aeldari's legendary arrogance, this may also simply be a way for them to put themselves above the other intelligent races of the galaxy, particularly the Humans who are currently the most dominant intelligent species, much to the Aeldari's disdain.The Aeldari likely see themselves as completely separate from the normal classifications of animal groups. Indeed, they may not even have naturally evolved at all, as they are the genetic creations of the Old Ones, much like the Orks, created to defend the galaxy and the Old Ones' civilisation from the depredations of the Necrons and their C'tan masters during the War in Heaven.In matters of reproduction, the Aeldari kindred called the Drukhari actually produce much of their population through artificial means, raising new generations from their artificial conception in amniotic tubes. Naturally-born Drukhari as a result of sexual reproduction are rare, due to the long gestation period of the Aeldari infant. The ones that are naturally birthed from their mothers' wombs, known as "Trueborns" in the society of Commorragh, are often very privileged in Drukhari society because of the circumstances of their birth.As such, Trueborn Drukhari are arrogant and see themselves as far better than the majority of other Drukhari, those born in the amniotic gestation tubes and derisively called the "Halfborn" by the small minority of Trueborns. |
Aeldari - Children of the Stars: The ancient history of the Aeldari stretches back over the millennia to a time when they dominated the stars completely. Yet, for all their splendour and might, the Aeldari brought a terrible curse upon themselves that sundered their empire forever, leaving the ravaged fragments of their race teetering on the brink of annihilation.The starfaring history of the Aeldari is long, and encompasses glories and sorrows alike. When the Aeldari Empire was at its height, their homeworlds were paradises, their powers godlike and their armies unsurpassed. As the Terran centuries slid past, their status as lords of the galaxy bred an arrogance that led to a cataclysm.A proportion of their race survived that dark time by fleeing from disaster upon the great vessels known as craftworlds. Others settled verdant planets far from the heart of their empire, and still more hid in private realms of their own making. Yet there was no real escape from what was to come.Apparent perfection like that of the ancient Aeldari is all too often blighted by pride. Over a million Terran years ago, the Aeldari alone ruled the stars as the undisputed masters of their own destiny. Such a position was their right, they thought, and their preeminence was beyond doubt.In many ways, the Aeldari had good reason for such hubris, for no other race had posed a serious threat to their wealth and stability for time immemorial. They were convinced that they no longer had anything to fear from the galaxy at large, and they may have been right, but the true threat came from within. The doom of the Aeldari, when it came, took a form far more subtle and dangerous than that of alien invasion.At their peak, nothing was beyond the Aeldari's reach and nothing was forbidden. The ancient race continued their glorious existence unaware or unwilling to acknowledge the dark fate that awaited them. They plied the stars at will, experiencing the wonders of the galaxy and immersing themselves completely in the endless sensations that it offered them. Such was the technological mastery of the Aeldari that worlds were created specifically for their pleasure, and stars lived or died at their whim.On hundreds of idyllic planets seeded across the stars, the Aeldari pursued their inclinations as they willed, indulging every dream and investigating every curiosity. They mastered the labyrinth dimension of the Webway, expanded their realms into the furthest corners of reality and learned much about the universe that has since been forgotten.When their spirits eventually left their mortal bodies at death, they dissolved peacefully back into the Empyrean to be reborn again, for the Warp did not yet hold the danger for Aeldari souls that it has since their Fall.There were, of course, many wars. Even when the galaxy was young there were upstart species seeking to gouge out petty empires of their own, and the Aeldari waged wars against the sprawling Necron dynasties that ravaged dozens of star systems and cost trillions of lives. Most of these conflicts, though, were so short-lived that the ease of their victory left the Aeldari ever more sure of their ascendancy.Even the greatest of all their wars, the conflict over sixty million Terran years ago that first forged their species in alliance with the legendary beings called the Old Ones, dimly remembered in the mythic cycles of the craftworlds as the War in Heaven, did not humble them. In their hearts the Aeldari reigned supreme, and no other power could end their dominance. |
Aeldari - Descent into Darkness: The catalyst that brought about the Aeldari race's fall came from the very depths of their collective psyche, the innate need to fuel their passions and indulge in every extreme. Their people had long outgrown the need for physical labour or manual agriculture due to the highly advanced and automated nature of their technology.Aeldari society provided all the required necessities of life without individual effort, leaving long Terran centuries for the Aeldari to spend sating their every desire and whim.Fuelled by an inexhaustible curiosity, many gave way to their most hedonistic impulses. Exotic cults sprang up across the Aeldari domains that eclipsed the noble pursuits of old, each dedicated to esoteric knowledge or sensual excess.The core of the Aeldari race began to look inwards, inexorably seeking new ways to explore the full range of emotion and sensation. Such behaviour was perilously decadent and, in the end, corrosive to the soul of the race. The pursuit of excess gradually became a blight upon the whole society.The acts of the pleasure cults began to transcend those of idle curiosity, or even extreme addiction. Aeldari from every corner of the empire wallowed in their most unnatural impulses in the pursuit of debauchery. As the cults gained a tighter hold over their society, the Aeldari became increasingly divided.Those who saw the foulness that corrupted their people for what it was became known as Exodites, and they departed to found colony worlds on the fringes of the Aeldari Empire. As the civilisation slid further into anarchy, others repented of their ways and fled into deep space aboard world-ships called craftworlds. Most Aeldari, however, continued to glut themselves on the pursuits of the depraved.The sorrow of those left who mourned the loss of innocence eventually turned to bitterness and spite. In time, brother fought brother, and sadistic killers stalked the shadows in search of victims for their vile lusts. No life was spared in the pursuit of pleasures both murderous and perverse. A sickness of vice overtook the Aeldari race, and blood flowed through the streets amidst the bestial roar of the crowd.Their hidden realms within the Webway -- the network of tunnels that spread between realspace and the Warp – became sprawling palaces of avarice and sadism, and entire worlds were bent to the pursuit of the darkest of sensations.As the moral corruption of the Aeldari race tightened its stranglehold, echoes of ecstasy and agony began to ripple through time and space. In the parallel dimension of the Immaterium, the psychic reflections of these intense experiences began to coalesce, for the shifting tides of the Empyrean can take form around intense emotion. Slowly, silently, a nascent god of excess grew strong in the depths of the Warp. |
Aeldari - Birth of a Dark God: Within the Warp, thoughts and emotions generated in realspace flow together in the form of psychic energy, fed by fellow feelings until they achieve a consciousness of sorts. They become entities of greater or lesser potency depending on the intensity of their origin. Amidst the swirling psychic energy of the Empyrean, the corruption of the decadent Aeldari became manifest on a horrifying scale as the flood of raw emotions coalesced into a gestalt consciousness.What an unimaginably foul and sickening thing it was that the Aeldari unknowingly raised in the Warp; it was a dire shadow of themselves, of what they had become, of nobility and pride brought low by perversity and shamelessness.Worlds burned as the Aeldari slew and laughed and feasted upon the corpses of the dead. Slowly, the Great Enemy stirred towards wakefulness. Too late, the Aeldari realised that they had created a god in their own hideous image, a god grown immense and potent by suckling upon the dark fodder of the Aeldari soul.No creature was ever conceived that was as terrible or perverse as the major Chaos God Slaanesh. It is a name the Aeldari will not speak, instead whispering Sai'lanthresh, translatable into Low Gothic as "She Who Thirsts."When Slaanesh finally burst into divine consciousness, there was not one Aeldari alive who did not feel its claws in their soul. With a howl of raw power, Slaanesh roared into supernatural life. A psychic implosion tore at the universe. Countless billions of Aeldari screamed aloud and fell dead.From the moment that Slaanesh burst into being, the soul of every living Aeldari was forfeit. Upon the death of the body, an unprotected Aeldari soul would be dragged into the Warp, and thence to an eternity of hideous torment within the psychic gullet of She Who Thirsts.In a heartbeat, the shining Aeldari civilisation that had lasted for aeons had its heart ripped out, leaving a pulsing afterbirth of pure chaos in its place. The spirits of the Aeldari were drawn from within them and consumed as their blasphemous creation took its first infernal breath. Intoxicated with this potent draught of billions of souls, Slaanesh laughed and looked upon a universe ripe for the taking. |
Aeldari - The Fall: The epicentre of the psychic apocalypse lay within the gilded heart of the Aeldari Empire in the northwestern region of the galaxy from Terra. All Aeldari within thousands of light years were reduced to lifeless husks, their souls forever claimed by She Who Thirsts. Even those who had foreseen the catastrophe and fled upon the craftworlds were overwhelmed, with only those furthest from the devastation surviving.The remote Exodite Maiden Worlds remained largely untouched, but within the space of a single moment, the Aeldari had become a doomed people. Their nemesis was born and would hunt them for the rest of eternity.Though the psychic shockwave focused upon the Aeldari, billions of Humans, Orks and creatures from other intelligent species were obliterated as well. Warp space convulsed as a cosmic hurricane raged across the galaxy. The fabric of reality was torn apart and the warp spilled from the dimensional rift into the material universe, turning hope into despair and paradise into hell. Psykers of all races howled with pain as their people died in storms of blood and madness.The roiling wound in realspace spread outward until it completely encompassed the Aeldari realms of old. This gaping lesion would come to be known as the Eye of Terror, and until its size and horrors were surpassed by the Dathedian, the Great Rift, it stood as the largest area in the galaxy where the Warp and the material universe overlap as part of a Warp rift.Within its reaches Daemons bathe in the raw energy of the Empyrean, whilst Daemon Princes and the worshippers of Chaos rule over former Aeldari paradise planets turned into nightmare worlds of fire and darkness.For ten thousand long Terran years before the Fall of the Aeldari, the Warp had been riven with storm and tempest, making it almost impossible for the vessels of the lesser races to travel any great distance between the stars. With the birth of Slaanesh, the Warp was becalmed, its rage temporarily spent. A new equilibrium was reached as Slaanesh joined the ranks of the major Chaos Gods.With the Warp Storms around ancient Terra finally dispersed at the end of the period known to Humanity as the Age of Strife, the newly risen Emperor of Mankind was able to launch His Great Crusade to reunify the scattered worlds of Mankind.A new power took its place in the galaxy as isolated Human worlds from across the stars were united under the same banner. In this way, the Fall of the Aeldari heralded the rise of the nascent Imperium of Man, and so Mankind inherited the stars. |
Aeldari - Diaspora: In birthing Slaanesh from the endless tides of the Warp, the Aeldari created their own greatest enemy. After its dire awakening, the Chaos God developed a taste for the souls of the Aeldari. Where before, when one of their race died, they would pass peacefully into the Warp in order to be reborn, now they face eternal torment, for Slaanesh has a perverse and twisted appetite that can never be sated.She Who Thirsts will not rest until the Dark God has claimed every Aeldari soul. The disgraced survivors of that once-glorious race are doomed, and they know it well.In the darkness of space, those who escaped destruction upon the craftworlds cling to what remains of the culture of the fallen Aeldari Empire. They consider themselves the true children of Asuryan, the Phoenix King of the Aeldari pantheon, preserving the art and architecture of their people and passing their ancient history from generation to generation via song, dance and the recital of myths and parables. It is for this reason that they name themselves the Asuryani.Aboard their continent-sized vessels, these fragments of the Aeldari race sail the sea of stars, always seeking to stay one step ahead of She Who Thirsts. This is primarily achieved through the use of Spirit Stones; when an Asuryani dies, their soul is captured in a Waystone, a precious psychoreactive gem worn for such a purpose. The Spirit Stone is then retrieved from the fallen Aeldari and released into the Infinity Circuit -- the crystalline, psychic power grid that runs through the wraithbone core of every craftworld.In such a way the spirits live on, safe from the horrors of the Warp and in a twilight existence that allows the Asuryani dead to watch over the living.The Asuryani were not the only Aeldari to survive the Fall. On far-flung planets teeming with natural life, known as Maiden Worlds, the Exodites have carved themselves a survivalist niche. Savage, primal places where everyday life was far harder than that known by the ancient Aeldari, these realms helped the Exodites to remain focused on the ascetic lifestyle they had chosen, largely living pre-industrial lives unaided by the advanced technology and automation of their forebears.They live in harmony with their adopted worlds, the World Spirits of these planets protecting the souls of the Exodite dead in much the same way and using the same technology as the Infinity Circuits of the craftworlds. The Exodites will fight aggressively to protect their homes and maintain their isolationist ways, though many are also allied with the Asuryani of the craftworlds.Cloistered deep within the hidden city-realms of the Webway, particularly the massive Dark City of Commorragh, those Aeldari survivors protected by the psychic protections embedded ages ago by the Old Ones in the corridors of the labyrinth dimension concealed themselves in their palaces of depravity, still revelling in the debauched lifestyle that led to the Fall.Known as the Drukhari in the Aeldari Lexicon, they mock and jeer those ravaged by the downfall of their race from the dubious safety of that twilight realm between the material universe and the Warp.Even though they would never admit it, they know in their hearts that, try as they might to allay their fate by subsisting on the psychic emanations of pain and terror they seek to produce in other sentient beings, Slaanesh will always claim them in the end.Finally, a small group of Aeldari fled deeper into the byways and hidden corridors of the Webway, shielded and guided by one of the few surviving Aeldari deities, Cegorach, the Laughing God. These Harlequins are welcome in every surviving Aeldari community, where their dances, dramas and martial performances keep the legends and ancient history of the Aeldari race alive, serving the vital function of remembrance for a species that often fears it no longer has a future. |
Aeldari - Time of Ending: As if the unnatural hunger of a voracious and sinister god was not a dire enough threat, the Aeldari must also contend with a galaxy that is no longer theirs. In the bloody wake of the Fall of the Aeldari, the race of Humanity has grown to preeminence. The Imperium of Man has ascended, conquering much of the galaxy in the name of the corpse-god it calls the Emperor of Mankind.The Aeldari, whose maturation patterns span nearly a Terran century, cannot compete in numbers with a species whose generations multiply with the frantic pace of vermin.The teeming armies of Mankind have brutally swept aside many dangers whilst stamping their mark upon the stars. In the process they have awoken many more. The Aeldari see in Humanity the failings that led to their own downfall, and fear the bitter destiny that they will reap as a result of their Imperium's uncompromising hatred for other intelligent species, hunger for power and constant wars.Such a rich fodder of dark emotions from the weak-willed Humans swells the Dark Gods' power, and ripens the galaxy for conquest by the forces of Chaos.The Imperium's blind aggression has also contributed to the grave threat posed by another primitive species. Lacking the understanding and foresight of the Aeldari, Mankind fails to realise they only strengthen the Orks with every battle they engage them in.The greenskin race has become so prolific that many Asuryani Seers believe it has reached critical mass, their numbers too large for even the most protracted cull to have any real effect, and should the Ork hordes unite their efforts, all the artifice and cunning of the Aeldari would not be enough to stop them drowning the galaxy in blood.In recent millennia, new foes and old have also emerged. Foremost amongst them are the invasion fleets of the Tyranids; having crossed the interstellar void purely to feed, each craftworld and Exodite planet represents a bounty of biomass that the Hive Mind covets greatly.From the galactic east, the T'au -- one of the galaxy's youngest and, in many ways, most ignorant starfaring races -- wage an ideological campaign of assimilation and destruction, while on countless Tomb Worlds the Necrons awake from the Great Sleep; these most ancient enemies of the Aeldari, whose rivalry dates back before the Fall, are eager to renew their war against their much-diminished rivals.Eclipsing all other threats, the Aeldari's most doom-laden prophecies have been fulfilled by the opening of the Great Rift, called the Dathedian in the Aeldari Lexicon. In the wake of this lesion in reality, Warp Storms have broken across the galaxy, and the slaves of the Dark Gods spill out in unprecedented numbers.Amidst the madness and slaughter of these apocalyptic days of the period called by the Imperium the Era Indomitus, a new Aeldari deity, Ynnead, has been made manifest, and while many have pledged themselves to the god of the dead, others question the methods of the newborn Ynnari faction, the so-called "Reborn" who claim him as their patron. Not since the days of the Fall have the Aeldari been so fragmented and assailed, and for those of their race who yet survive, war remains their only hope.While their many foes lack the technology, wisdom and skill of the one-time "children of the stars," in numbers alone they seem insurmountable. Yet the Aeldari are a proud race, determined that the flame of their people will blaze brightly once more rather than flicker and die out. |
Aeldari - Kindreds: The surviving Aeldari people are now divided into several different factions or sub-cultures sometimes called kindreds, each defined by the way in which they chose to save themselves from the great curse wrought upon them after the Fall of the Aeldari.No matter where they go in the universe, every Aeldari is at risk of having their soul consumed by She Who Thirsts upon death.It is this central fact of their existence that defines how each faction has chosen to carve out new lives for themselves in the wake of the Fall. |
Aeldari - Asuryani: The Asuryani or Craftworld Aeldari are those of their race who repented of the ways of the pleasure cults only a short time before the Fall of the Aeldari and sought to leave the heart of the decadent Aeldari Empire behind before disaster could ensue.As the heart of their civilisation was torn out by this catastrophe of their own making, many of the surviving Aeldari, now calling themselves "Eldar" to outsiders and "Asuryani" among themselves, fled the core worlds of the Aeldari Empire upon gigantic, continent-size starships once used for commerce and trade that they named craftworlds.The remnants of the ancient Aeldari culture that survived the cataclysm among the Asuryani preserved much of their species' history in the form of traditional stories, songs and dance.Written records, monuments and visual records were almost completely destroyed except for a few instances where they were taken aboard voidcraft fleeing from the doomed worlds. Now the Asuryani cling to survival by a thread, fighting the horrors of the galaxy with ritualised discipline and consummate skill.The Asuryani rely on mystical technologies like psychocrystalline Spirit Stones and the psychoactive wraithbone Infinity Circuits that comprise the skeletons of their craftworlds to store their souls after death and prevent their consumption by Slaanesh.It is the use of these technologies and their pursuit of a rigid system of behavioural modification to keep their darker impulses in check that shape the Asuryani lifestyle and define their culture as distinct from that of the other Aeldari sub-cultures.For this reason, the Asuryani are defined as a culture by their pursuit of the Asuryani Path. This philosophy teaches them how to balance their potent minds and pursue constructive goals rather than falling to the amoral pursuit of pleasure and selfishness that ultimately destroyed the ancient Aeldari and still defines their dark kin, the Drukhari.The Aeldari are a naturally psychic species, and all Asuryani possess the potential to become powerful psykers if they choose to pursue the Path of the Seer.The Asuryani can use these innate abilities to shape matter, which lies at the foundation of their extraordinary command of technology.The Asuryani are further divided up into separate cultures based on their craftworld of origin. There are dozens of craftworlds scattered across the galaxy, but five of these have proven the most politically and militarily influential on their Asuryani kindred. |
Aeldari - Alaitoc: Far out on the frontiers of the galaxy, on the edge of explored space, lies the Alaitoc craftworld. The Alaitoc Asuryani are zealous in their vigilance against the touch of Slaanesh, even more so than other Asuryani.Alaitoc is an unusually strict craftworld in making sure its citizens follow the Asuryani Path and other craftworld traditions; in response, many of the more freedom-loving individuals from this craftworld choose instead the Path of the Outcast, becoming Rangers or even Aeldari Corsairs who roam the galaxy and make their living raiding primarily Imperial commerce.While all craftworlds make use of the Rangers, who are the most highly accurate snipers amongst the Aeldari, none field or produce more than Alaitoc. Though Alaitoc Rangers do not reside upon the craftworld and prefer to travel the galaxy, these Rangers retain their loyalty to Alaitoc and will return to their home craftworld on occasion to visit family and friends.Aside from deploying large numbers of standard Rangers, Alaitoc is also the only craftworld to field the highly skilled Rangers known as Pathfinders. These snipers without compare can cause havoc amongst even the most powerful and numerous of enemy forces. In times of extreme need, such as when the Imperium of Man's forces invaded Alaitoc, the craftworld sometimes recalls its Rangers to contribute to Alaitoc's defence forces.Whereas their kin have forgotten their people's duty to watch for the return of their ancient enemies the Necrons, the Asuryani of Alaitoc have not. When the Necrons first began to awaken in the late 41st Millennium Alaitoc was quick to respond, sabotaging the systems of awakening Tomb Worlds, and lending aid to Exodites threatened by their reemerging enemies.Alaitoc uses a sword rune which represents the Sword of Vaul, the final divine weapon forged in Aeldari myth for the smith god's desperate battle against the war god Khaela Mensha Khaine. It represents the defiance and determination of the craftworld's people.Alaitoc and its forces are associated with the colours blue and yellow. The craftworld is known to be located in the Ultima Segmentum that was the heart of the ancient Aeldari Empire. |
Aeldari - Biel-Tan: The most martial of the craftworlds, the people of Biel-Tan constantly strive to return the ancient Aeldari Empire to its former glory. For the Asuryani of Biel-Tan the Path of the Warrior, the life-stage that encompasses the Aspect Warriors, is always considered the first step upon the Asuryani Path.Upon reaching physical maturity a Biel-Tan Asuryani becomes an Aspect Warrior, and only once they have fulfilled this role can they continue along the Asuryani Path.The Asuryani of Biel-Tan have a strong honour code and believe that the best way to die is in battle fighting the enemies of Biel-Tan and the Aeldari. Consumed with bitterness, they wage an endless campaign of xenocide against those foolish enough to cross their path.Biel-Tan's armies contain the highest percentages of elite troops of all the craftworlds, and few of the staple citizen-militia called Guardians that most craftworlds call upon in times of war. Their highly-trained forces are known as the Swordwind, and they often come to the aid of Exodite worlds beset by Orks, Drukhari or other xenos dangers.As the Asuryani of Biel-Tan see it, when the time comes for the Aeldari to reclaim what is rightfully theirs, the paradise Maiden Worlds and the planets of the Exodites will be the first staging points for their conquest.The world-rune of Biel-Tan is also the Aeldari rune of rebirth and its name actually means the "Rebirth of Ancient Days." |
Aeldari - Iyanden: The Iyanden craftworld was once one of the largest and most prosperous of all the remaining Asuryani craftworlds. The Iyanden barely survived an attack by the Tyranid Hive Fleet Kraken, which nearly destroyed the craftworld and killed four-fifths of its population.On the verge of total annihilation, Iyanden was saved from complete destruction by the exiled Aeldari Corsair Prince Yriel, who had formerly been the high admiral of the Iyanden fleet. Yriel and his Outcast Aeldari pirate raiders, even though previously vowing never to return to Iyanden, could not bear to have their home craftworld destroyed and launched an attack on the Tyranid fleet.The subsequent battles destroyed much of the craftworld's infrastructure. Today many of its sections are still in ruins and the population is spread thinly across its ruined sections.This forces Iyanden to often call upon the spirits of its fallen in its Infinity Circuit, raising more than the typical numbers of Wraithguard and Wraithlords to aid their dwindling warriors in battle.Asuryan the Phoenix King is the oldest and greatest of the ancient Aeldari deities. He is the father and king of the gods, the ancestor of all living things.The world-rune of the Iyanden craftworld means "Light in the Darkness," a reference to the ever-burning shrine that honours Asuryan and the flame of hope for the Asuryani of Iyanden. |
Aeldari - Saim-Hann: The Asuryani craftworld of Saim-Hann was one of the first craftworlds to abandon the Crone Worlds as the Fall of the Aeldari approached, heeding their Farseers' warnings.As such they have spent far more time isolated from the rest of the Asuryani than the other major craftworlds, although the Saim-Hann do maintain contact with and have a very similar culture to the Exodite worlds. They are fierce warriors, who place upon martial honour a higher value than their sophisticated kin.This, coupled with their pride, has sadly led them into conflict with each other and different craftworlds. While this generally takes the form of an organised duel between representatives of each craftworld in which first blood is usually sufficient to end the matter, the high number of deaths from these conflicts has lent to the barbaric reputation of this craftworld among other Asuryani.In Aeldari myth, the Serpent is the only creature believed to exist in both the material and the psychic universes at the same time. Hence, the Serpent is said to know all secrets past and present.Saim-Hann means "Quest for Enlightenment," for the Aeldari word for snake and secret knowledge is identical: "Saim."The Asuryani of Saim-Hann bear the Aeldari world-rune that represents the Serpent as their heraldry, sporting it on the cowlings of their jetbikes, grav-tanks and aircraft. |
Aeldari - Ulthwé: One of the largest craftworlds, Ulthwé was caught in the pull of the Eye of Terror after it erupted into being, and now orbits it. As such it faces a constant danger of attack by Chaos marauders and Daemons and has served as a bastion against the forces of the Dark Gods for thousands of Terran years.The constant war and risk of attack has hardened the craftworld's citizens, and it maintains a standing militia force known as the Black Guardians, who are highly skilled and better-trained than the Guardians of most other craftworlds.Its proximity to the Eye has also given Ulthwé an unusually large number of potent psykers, even for the Aeldari. One of the more famous and integral aspects of the Ulthwé craftworld is that of its Seer Council. Formerly led by the now exiled Eldrad Ulthran, who was banished due to his support for the Ynnari, the council both overtly and secretly interferes with other races, particularly Humanity, in an attempt to steer fate in the Aeldari's favour.This practice has no doubt allowed the Ulthwé to survive so long in such a perilous position.This craftworld's world-rune, the "Eye of Isha," symbolises the sorrow of Isha, the goddess of the harvest and fertility from whom the Aeldari believe they descend.Isha, it is said, wept bitterly when Asuryan, the king of the gods, ordered her separation from her mortal children.Vaul forged her tears into the first glittering Spirit Stones so that her grief might not be in vain and mortals might still be able to commune in some form with the realm of the gods.Today, the warriors of Ulthwé bear this symbol as their sigil, a poignant reminder of the divinity they lost long ago. |
Aeldari - Drukhari: In the wake of the Fall, the ancient Aeldari civilisation was reduced to a broken diaspora, their empire destroyed by the aftershock of Slaanesh's inception. Yet those adherents of the pleasure cults hidden in the settlements within the Webway remained all but untouched, protected by the nature of the Webway's substance from the soul thirst of the newborn Chaos God.Great swathes of the labyrinth dimension itself were shattered into ruin, but many of those Aeldari who had built personal empires in and around Commorragh survived the birth of Slaanesh. The echoes of the new god's arrival had wrought insidious changes within them -- changes whose horrific nature would not be fully comprehended until later -- but the Commorrite Aeldari had escaped destruction.In their supreme arrogance they did not cease their quest for excess or pleasure, even for a moment. Repentance and atonement were alien concepts to a people who acknowledged no limits to their power.The Aeldari sealed within the Webway had not escaped the Fall, though this horror would only dawn on them slowly. Rather than having their essence consumed in one great draught, their souls were slowly draining away into the Warp -- consumed over time by Slaanesh rather than all at once.Where the Craftworld Aeldari learned to deny Slaanesh's hold upon them using the mystical Spirit Stones and Infinity Circuits as well as the strictures of the Asuryani Path to deny the pull of their darker impulses, the Commorrite Aeldari became expert at ensuring that lesser intelligent beings suffered in their stead.Provided they steeped themselves in the most extreme and decadent acts, the Aeldari of the Webway found that the curse of Slaanesh could be abated. The psychic agony of others nourished their withered souls and kept them vital and strong, filling their frames with unnatural energies. Assuming they could feed regularly enough, the Webway dwellers became physically immune to the passage of time, thus using this parasitic immortality to hold off their deaths indefinitely.So it was that the Drukhari were born, sadistic, psychic parasites who subsist upon the anguish of others in order to prevent the slow death of their immortal souls. Ten thousand Terran years later, in the 41st Millennium, Slaanesh's thirst pulls at them still. There truly is no escape. The Drukhari have unwittingly doomed themselves, exchanging a horrific but mercifully swift end for an eternity of ghoulish starvation.To this day the Drukhari raid the galaxy from the canker upon Creation that is Commorragh, sowing misery and destruction wherever they emerge and spiriting away countless captives to their lairs for their own horrible ends. They are masters of torture and degradation, for the longer a Drukhari can drag out the punishment and agony of a captive of any sentient race, the greater the psychic nourishment that can be derived from it.A Drukhari who has recently fed upon the torment of others shines with a cold and startling aura, their physical form restored to perfection even as the spirit within festers. One who is starved of such energies for long enough will become a shadow, desperately hunting for a taste of pain with which to stave off the gnawing pangs in the depths of their soul.The Drukhari possess no psykers among their people despite possessing the same innate psychic potential as other Aeldari; even within the protective confines of the Webway, the threat of drawing the attention of Slaanesh to the mind of a potent psyker is simply too great to risk. |
Aeldari - Harlequins: The Harlequins are the strangest and most enigmatic of all the Aeldari factions. They are warrior acrobats -- battlefield performers who make no distinction between war and art, and whose breathtaking feats of agility and violence make them the terror of all those they face.Using the hidden paths of the Webway, the masques of the Harlequins strike without warning and kill without mercy. The Harlequins are superlative battlefield artists, yet they are more than just warriors.Every Harlequin is a devoted servant of Cegorach, the Laughing God, the only Aeldari deity said to have survived the birth of Slaanesh fully intact. While depicted as an enigmatic and sinister trickster whose deeds are far from altruistic, Cegorach is also the sworn enemy of the Dark Gods of Chaos, and of Slaanesh in particular. The Harlequins have fought to exact Cegorach's vengeance upon She Who Thirsts for the destruction of the ancient Aeldari civilisation for Terran millennia.After the birth of Slaanesh, each Aeldari faction found different ways to stave off the soul thirst of the Dark Prince. The Asuryani make use of Sprit Stones and the Infinity Circuit of their craftworlds, while the Drukhari are psychic vampires, ghoulishly preserving their own immortality by basking in the psychic emanations of torture and suffering.The Harlequins by contrast require no such spiritual defences. When a Harlequin falls, Cegorach instantly snatches their souls away, thus denying Slaanesh its feast. How this can be, and what fate awaits those souls within the grasp of the Laughing God, are secrets that the Harlequins have never deigned to share with the rest of their race.The Harlequins strike without warning, wreaking devastation before vanishing as suddenly as they came. The Harlequins have slaughtered zealous cults, assassinated mighty Chaos champions, and undone countless foul plans before they could manifest.Sometimes these actions have saved the worlds of other races -- most commonly of Humanity -- but there is no kindness in the Harlequins' deeds. They are every bit as ineffable and enigmatic as the deity they worship, and if they are concerned with the survival of any species in the galaxy, ultimately it is their own.The duties of the masques of the Harlequins extend beyond warfare. Every Harlequin is a performer, versed in the mythic cycles of the Aeldari and the countless allegorical tales that stem from them. The masques travel endlessly through the interstitial dimension know as the Webway, moving between craftworlds,Exodite worlds and the Dark City of Commorragh freely.Wherever they go, the Harlequins ply their performing arts, combining music, dance, ritual combat, nuanced oration, and a breathtaking suite of illusory and psychoactive effects to captivate Aeldari audiences. The Harlequins perform for more than mere entertainment. Every show they put on is a lesson and a cautionary tale, a fragment of the culture of the ancient Aeldari presented as a reminder and a warning to their modern descendants.The most important dance that the Harlequins perform is the tale of the Fall, the monstrous spiritual apocalypse during which Slaanesh was birthed and the Aeldari all but annihilated. Their vivid performances ensure that the horrors of that time will never be forgotten, and its mistakes never repeated.The Harlequins have other duties in service to their god. They stalk the Webway, seeking to excise the taint of Chaos and alien invasion wherever it is found. They guard the vast repository of forbidden Chaos lore kept within the secret craftworld known as the Black Library, preventing its dangerous secrets from falling into the hands of those who would do great harm with them.The Harlequins also act as ambassadors, for they alone can travel freely through all the demesnes of the Aeldari factions; when needs must, the Harlequins have brokered uneasy deals between the Asuryani of the craftworlds and the Drukhari of Commorragh, bidding their kin put aside their differences in order to fight for their peoples' future.Now, though, the Harlequins face a new peril. The Webway, always a fractured and hazardous realm, has been sorely damaged by the opening of the Great Rift. Alien invaders and Chaos-worshipping interlopers spill through its sundered gates in numbers never before seen, endangering all that the Harlequins are and all they strive to achieve. As the danger grows greater, so the masques become ever more vicious and manipulative, calling in favours long owed and committing whatever atrocities they must in the name of the Laughing God.The Harlequins have a higher purpose, a Final Act they mean to see performed in full to the eternal detriment of She Who Thirsts, and they will pay whatever blood price they must in order to see their work complete. |
Aeldari - Exodites: As Aeldari from every corner of their ancient empire wallowed in their most unnatural impulses in the pursuit of debauchery and the pleasure cults gained a tighter hold over their society, the Aeldari became increasingly divided.Those who saw early on the foulness that corrupted their people for what it was became known as Exodites, and they departed to found newly terraformed colony planets called Maiden Worlds on the fringes of the Aeldari Empire.These Exodites were mocked by the majority of the Aeldari, for they eschewed much of their race's supreme technologies and returned instead to a simpler and more spiritual way of life where hard labour was needed to raise food and carry out all the other necessities of survival. Yet the Exodites alone would wholly avoid the horror that was to follow.Upon their new homes, the Exodites could isolate themselves from the Aeldari's brewing corruption and hedonism -- and survive the cataclysm that would soon consume their people.Exodites of the 41st Millennium live startlingly pre-industrial and primitive lives compared to other Aeldari factions like the Asuryani and Drukhari, having chosen to abandon the automated, labour-saving technologies that long defined Aeldari life in return for the spiritual health brought by pursuing the hard labour of survival for oneself.The Exodites learned to once more cultivate crops and harvest other natural resources by hand like their ancient ancestors and their societies adapted to a more rigorous and physical culture compared to those of the craftworlds or the Webway, who still make use of the Aeldari's advanced automated technology to maintain a labour-free existence.Where the Craftworld Aeldari cling to the past of their race and preserve all they can of their fallen civilisation, the Exodites have turned their backs away from ancient tradition in favour of a simpler, harder way of life.The worlds of the Exodites are savage and untamed, their meager settlements coexisting with wild beasts of all kinds. They are too few and far enough between, scattered and disruptive to the delicate balance of nature.Many are only occupied for a few months of the local year, because on many worlds the Exodites are nomadic, moving with the seasons and the herds.They time their migrations according to when they must collect and plant their crops, remaining only long enough to gather what they previously planted in the spring, and staying until it is time to plant the following year's crop and set off once again.Creatures that inhabit these worlds are numerous and varied. Most of the Exodite worlds are home to large herds of Megadons and other gigantic reptilian beasts the Exodites refer to as "dragons." These creatures are not native to their regions, as the early Aeldari settlers intentionally spread them throughout all their worlds so that they are now quite common.The Exodites follow these herds as they graze, carefully managing them for food. Not only partaking of their flesh but of their blood as drink, skins as clothing and leather-work, and bones and horns, which act in part as substitute for psycho-plastic substances such as the wraithbone used by the Craftworld Aeldari.Dragons are diverse and contain different kinds of species, some of which are unique to specific worlds and used in different ways according to their size and nature. The massive herbivores known as Megadons are slow-witted and easy to manage, although deadly if panicked or mistreated. These creatures provide most of the material resources used by the Exodites.Smaller Megadons are used to transport cargo and people across the great plains of their worlds. A large Megadon on the other hand is capable of carrying a massive structure on its back, bearing the most enormous weights without concern.The smaller, carnivorous dragons ridden by the Exodite warriors called "Dragon Knights" are used to herd and control the herbivorous Megadons. These warriors are so adept as to be practically born into the tall dragon saddles -- consummate riders, wielding their long lances with ease.A stab with one of their lances will turn or stop a Megadon without causing it any harm, but the same blow would knock the most hardy Aeldari to the ground, lifeless.Such warriors are an integral part of Exodite societies. They play an important role as protectors of each community as well as acting to safeguard their valuable resources from predators and the like.Like the Asuryani and their Infinity Circuits, the Exodites rely on psychoactive crystalline technology to protect their souls from consumption by the thirst of the Chaos God Slaanesh upon death.Their worlds are crisscrossed by a network of crystalline stone circles and menhirs that act as World Shrines where the Exodite fallen can have their souls merged from Soul Stones after death with what is known as the World Spirit. |
Aeldari - Ynnari: The diverse peoples of the Aeldari have each created their own measures to avoid their spirits being consumed by Slaanesh.The Asuryani wear psychocrystalline Spirit Stones that act as safe havens for their souls at the moment of their deaths; these Spirit Stones are then interred within a craftworld's Infinity Circuit, a haven where the dead are protected from the Great Enemy's clutches while still able to communicate with the living.The Harlequins pledge themselves to Cegorach, the Laughing God, who collects their souls, while the Drukhari ensure others suffer so they do not -- a devil's bargain that only postpones their fate.However, there is a new faction of Aeldari who believe they have a way of not just avoiding the predations of Slaanesh, but defeating the Chaos God entirely.The Ynnari or "Reborn," are a rising force that pay heed to an ancient Aeldari belief that as more and more of their race die, and their spirits pass into the Infinity Circuits of the craftworlds, they might form a gestalt consciousness.When every last one of them passes they will awaken and empower the birth of a new being -- Ynnead, the Whispering God, the Aeldari god of the dead. That baleful presence will be strong enough to destroy Slaanesh, so ending the dreaded curse that the Dark God has held over the Aeldari since its loathsome birth over 10,000 years ago.The High Farseer Eldrad Ulthran of Ulthwé attempted to begin this awakening process early at the Battle of Port Demesnus in 999.M41, but his plot only stirred the sentience in the Warp that would become Ynnead. Soon after, on the Night of Revelations in Commorragh, a fraction of the Whispering God's will and power was imparted into a single soul -- Yvraine, the Daughter of Shades.In that instant she became a conduit for deathly energies, a reservoir of Aeldari spirits that live on within her. This power could be attained by all who pledged themselves to the service of Ynnead; no longer would death hold any fear, as the souls of the departed Aeldari would be harnessed not by Spirit Stones or other such technological means, but by the living themselves.Acting as the chosen prophet and emissary of Ynnead, Yvraine has travelled across the galaxy, visiting craftworlds, far-flung Aeldari Corsair fleets and hidden nooks of the Webway.With every passing day the Ynnari grow in number, attracting followers from a wide variety of backgrounds who believe that the cycle of death and rebirth could be their salvation.Although a young movement, the Ynnari have already shaped the galaxy, most notably by their instrumental role in the resurrection of the Ultramarines Primarch Roboute Guilliman to lead the Imperium of Man during the events of the Ultramar Campaign of the 13th Black Crusade.Yet, many amongst the Aeldari, particularly among the always self-serving Drukhari, have rejected the Ynnari, seeing them as misguided and dangerous.Yvraine and the Reborn have pressed on regardless, seeking to reunite the time-lost Aeldari artefacts known as the Croneswords so that they may act as the focal point for Ynnead's full awakening.Only then can the surging tides of Chaos be turned, and a united Aeldari race saved and restored. |
Aeldari - Outcasts and Corsairs: Asuryani Outcasts, known as Anhrathe in the Aeldari Lexicon, are those Asuryani who have taken up the Path of the Outcast and left their home craftworld to wander the galaxy when they find the rigid Asuryani lifestyle suffocating. Some may even leave the Asuryani Path altogether.Such exile can also occur because these Aeldari have committed some unforgivable crime against their fellow Asuryani, such as walking the Path of Damnation that leads to consumption by the Aeldari's darkest impulses.There are many kinds of Outcast, each with a varying degree of dissociation from their kin. Some craftworlders simply yearn for the undiscovered vistas of open space, and take the road less travelled -- codified among the people of the craftworlds as the Path of the Outcast -- until their wanderlust is sated.The majority of these Outcasts eventually return home to take up a new Path and rejoin their people, bringing with them alien treasures and tales of new worlds, fabulous discoveries, and battles on the edges of the galaxy that help to enrich the broader Asuryani society.Many Asuryani leave the Path entirely, spending Terran years or solar decades in exile. During this time, they must bear the terrible burden of their heightened consciousness without the protection of the rigid self-discipline offered by the Asuryani Path. Their psychically potent and sensitive minds are a beacon to predatory Daemons and in particular to the Great Enemy Slaanesh, so only Aeldari of especially strong character and will can survive for long.These Outcasts leave their craftworlds to carve out lives elsewhere, often wandering the galaxy and visiting the worlds of Humanity or seeking to experience the wild and technologically primitive lives of the Exodites of the Maiden Worlds. These inscrutable nomads are welcome aboard craftworlds only briefly, for their minds are dangerously unguarded and can attract predators from the psychic realms of the Warp.Such Outcasts are also disruptive in another sense, for simply by their presence they can distract young and inexperienced Aeldari from the Asuryani Path, as romantic tales of travel and freedom follow in their wake.The wildest of all Outcasts become Aeldari Corsairs and raiders. They often continue to trade with and visit their home craftworld whilst plundering the starships of Humans, Orks and even other Aeldari. These mavericks may even sometimes hire out their services as mercenaries to alien races, while many a voyage of exploration has turned into a military venture.As home -- and the disciplines of the Asuryani Path -- become increasingly remote, the naturally wild and amoral character of the Aeldari resurfaces. Aeldari pirates are quick-tempered and unpredictable, equally inclined to magnanimity and wanton slaughter, and many of their fleets have become infamous.On occasion, Corsair fleets will join with the ships of a craftworld in response to a common threat, while at other times a craftworld may aid its Corsair -- or, in rare circumstances, even Drukhari -- cousins on a mission of war, all of which adds to the illusion of Mankind that the Aeldari as a whole are little more than a race of piratical raiders and slavers hellbent on indiscriminate slaughter.It is for this reason that so many Asuryani Outcasts are often confused with their Drukhari counterparts.Those Outcasts who walk this path for too long may ultimately be consumed by the Path of Damnation and so begin to be enslaved by the same lust for suffering and death that corrupted both their Drukhari cousins and the ancient Aeldari pleasure cults that led to the Fall of Aeldari civilisation more than 10,000 Terran years ago. More than a few Outcasts have made their way to Commorragh and found a new home among the sadistic folk of the Dark City.Not all who leave their craftworlds become wandering nomads or piratical Aeldari Corsairs. A select few Outcasts hear the laughter of the Aeldari god Cegorach in their dreams, and join the enigmatic Harlequin troupes who travel between the realms of their divided kin as performers and messengers, seeking to keep alive a common Aeldari culture.Many more Outcasts have joined the growing Ynnari movement, flocking to the banner of Yvraine, the prophet of Ynnead, the god of the dead. The elders of the craftworlds have, for the most part, condemned the new faction's radical beliefs as dangerous and misguided, branding those of the Asuryani who turn their backs on the old ways as "the Pathless." |
Aeldari - Aeldari Lexicon: The Aeldari Lexicon, also sometimes called the "Eldar Lexicon," is the name given by Imperial scholars to the spoken and written language of the Aeldari species.Unfortunately, it is almost impossible for an outsider, particularly Humans, to understand anything but the most basic formulations of the Aeldari Lexicon, as many of its references are metaphors that draw directly upon the collective Aeldari psyche, incorporating mythical peoples and places and long-lost times and events in its basic structure.The Aeldari also communicate with poses and gestures because their senses are far more finely attuned to others' emotional and mental states as a result of their intensely psychic natures than the average Human; it is possible for two Aeldari to have an entire conversation using only their body language.The Aeldari written language is equally complex. Each written symbol, whether it is a rune, script or a hierogram, is not simply the letter of an alphabet like the written High or Low Gothic language used in the Imperium of Man. Instead, each Aeldari symbol represents an entire concept.Ultimately, the language of the Aeldari is an ancient and complex dialect built upon and refined over many millions of Terran years. Compared to the crude, blunt sounds of High or Low Gothic, its words flow from one to the next, each sentence a complete idea as much as a collection of letters or numbers. Humans can imitate Aeldari speech to a certain degree, with sufficient training, but compared to a native speaker they are slow and halting at best.The Aeldari Lexicon is used by all of the different Aeldari factions, including the Asuryani, the Exodites, the Harlequins and the Drukhari, though each faction may have different dialects or particular usages that differ from the others.The Aeldari Lexicon can differ from craftworld to craftworld, and most Aeldari can tell the origin of another member of their species simply by the differences in both their speech and body language. |
Aeldari - Aeldari Religion and Mythology: The Aeldari cling tenaciously to their folklore and traditions. The characters and events of ancient legend are commonly discussed and comparisons drawn between mythic events and those of the present day.Every Aeldari is familiar with the epic songs and dances that form their mythic cycles, and references to these tales are immediately understood by others of their race.The principal characters of the Aeldari mythic cycles are the gods, their mortal descendants the Aeldari, and the monstrous adversaries they fought. The chief and oldest of all the gods is Asuryan, the Phoenix King and leader of the pantheon. His first brother is Kaela Mensha Khaine, the Bloody-Handed God. Khaine is the master of both war and murder, and he symbolises wanton destruction and martial prowess.Third of the greatest gods is Vaul, the crippled smith god who is often depicted chained to his own anvil. Isha is the goddess of the harvest, from whom the Aeldari race is descended.The youngest goddess is Lileath the Maiden, mistress of dreams and fortune, whilst the third of the trinity of Aeldari goddesses is Morai-Heg the Crone, an ancient and withered creature who holds the fates of mortals inside a rune pouch made of skin.As well as the many gods there are countless mortal heroes descended from the gods, who founded the great houses still echoed today upon the craftworlds. These include the great hero Eldanesh, who was slain by Khaine and whose blood is said to drip eternally from the war god's hands. Eldanesh had many descendants, the Eldanar, of whom Inriam the Young was the last.Rivals to Eldanesh were the descendants of his brother Ulthanash, whose bloodline exists upon craftworld Iyanden to this day.At the moment of its birth, Slaanesh decimated the Aeldari Pantheon and stole the gods' power, with only two of their number surviving the Fall of the Aeldari. The Laughing God Cegorach escaped through guile, while Kaela Mensha Khaine, the strongest and most warlike of the Aeldari deities, endured through might.Slaanesh and the Bloody-Handed God fought a titanic battle in the Warp, and despite Khaine's mastery of war, Slaanesh, glutted with stolen power from the souls of the Aeldari and the other gods, eventually proved the stronger. But exhausted from the struggle, Slaanesh could not destroy and consume the Aeldari god outright. Instead, Khaine was rent into fragments.Each shard of the war god came to rest within the wraithbone core of a craftworld, where it took root and grew into an Avatar of the Bloody-Handed God. To this day, these murderous Avatars of Khaine are still awoken by the craftworlds to lead the Asuryani to war.While the Aeldari still revere all the gods of the ancient pantheon and preserve their stories within the mythic cycles, they do not call on them for aid or hope for their intervention any longer.However, a new god, Ynnead, the Aeldari god of death, who is not a part of the old myth cycles, was long said to be forming from the souls of the Aeldari dead within the Infinity Circuits of the Asuryani craftworlds. Ynnead's awakening was dramatically accelerated during the Battle of Port Demesnus in 999.M41 by a ritual undertaken by the Farseer Eldrad Ulthran.Partially awakened within the Immaterium, Ynnead reached out across the galaxy and chose the former Aeldari corsair and Commorrite arena gladiator Yvraine, the Daughter of Shades, to serve as his prophet and high priestess.She founded a new Aeldari religious group, the Ynnari, who in the Era Indomitus seek to unite all the Aeldari factions across the galaxy to destroy Slaanesh and restore the Aeldari's lost glory. |
Aeldari - Kaela Mensha Khaine, God of War: Kaela Mensha Khaine is one of the only two surviving gods of the Aeldari before the recent awakening of Ynnead. In the old Aeldari Pantheon, he was second only to Asuryan himself in power, and was often shown as the enemy of Vaul, the smith god. He is also the most violent and reckless of the gods.Asuryan was so appalled by Khaine's murder of Eldanesh, a mortal Aeldari, that he cursed Khaine and made his hands drip eternally with the blood of Eldanesh so that all would remember what he had done. The Aeldari say that when Slaanesh awoke, it (Slaanesh can appear as either gender at will) consumed each of the other Aeldari gods in the Warp in turn.While his counterparts were all devoured, Khaine took up his great sword and did battle with Slaanesh in the Immaterium instead. Khaine was not strong enough to destroy Slaanesh, but he was too powerful to be defeated. Instead his psychic signature in the Warp was broken, and scattered into pieces.These divine fragments were driven from the Warp where they had done battle and came to rest in the heart of the Infinity Circuit of each craftworld. These pieces of the god became the Avatars of Kaela Mensha Khaine that serve as the most potent unit to provide support to the Asuryani militaries of the craftworlds.In times of war the Asuryani can awaken the Avatars to lead them into battle, though the price is the sacrifice of an Exarch's life, for the Avatar needs to possess a physical body to enter the material universe.The Avatars of Khaine are towering monsters with skin of iron and molten cores, hands permanently dripping with blood as Khaine's did in the mythic cycles. |
Aeldari - Cegorach, God of Tricksters and Artists: The only other known surviving god of the ancient Aeldari Pantheon, Cegorach, also known as the Laughing God, the Great Harlequin, the Great Fool and the First Fool, was a consummate trickster and the greatest artist among the Aeldari gods.While most of the Aeldari gods were destroyed by Slaanesh during the Fall of the Aeldari, according to legend this deity survived because his mocking and less self-interested nature distanced him from the collective psychic corruption and decadence of the ancient Aeldari Empire that birthed the Dark Prince.Other legends tell that when all the other gods were destroyed, Cegorach fled before Slaanesh until Khaine rose to do battle with She Who Thirsts. It is said that during the fight between Slaanesh and Khaine the Laughing God hid behind Khaine for protection, and in the aftermath of the struggle Cegorach fled into the Webway where Slaanesh could not find him.He still resides there, and is the only being in the universe who knows exactly where every door in the Webway leads. As the master and patron god of the mysterious Harlequins, Cegorach is the only Aeldari god that still remains in his original form and he is dedicated to finding a way for the Aeldari to defeat Slaanesh and reclaim their ancient greatness, a plan he and his followers call "the Final Act."The Harlequins are protected from the soul thirst of Slaanesh in a different way from their craftworld brethren. While the Asuryani wear Spirit Stones which absorb their souls when they die to prevent them from being devoured by Slaanesh in the Warp, the Harlequins are directly protected by their faith in their god's power, becoming one with his Warp emanation upon their death.The only exception to this are the Harlequin Solitaires whose souls must be won from Slaanesh after their deaths by the Laughing God. |
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