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Astral Knights - Chapter Beliefs: The Astral Knights were known to be dour by temperament, even for heirs of Rogal Dorn, and guarded their honour jealously. Even the most trivial of disagreements could easily escalate to the point where the symbolic shedding of blood seemed the simplest way to determine who was in the right.Duels of honour were usually held in an arena located in the Chapter's fortress-monastery on Obsidia. The two combatants would enter the arena, stepping forward onto the carpet of tiny crystals, each smaller than a grain of sand, glittering crimson in the dull ember glow of their homeworld's sun.The only garments they wore were the duelling tunics tradition demanded, their plain white fabric dyed the colour of blood by the glowering Eye of Obsidia. The traditional weapon was a soul shard blade. Every Astral Knight carried one of the glittering blades, each as unique as its owner, and would as soon be parted from it as from his Progenoid Glands.The first time every initiate wore power armour was the day he went out alone, to scour the endless plains around the Obsidian Vaults until one of the millions of crystals littering the landscape called out to him; honed carefully into a razor-sharp blade, mounted in a hand-crafted hilt, the soul shard became permeated with the essence of the man who created and carried it, thus its poetic name.The duel would begin once the terms of victory had been agreed upon by both combatants. One of the combatants would begin the duel by announcing the terms of victory. This usually meant "to the drawing of first blood." His opponent would traditionally agree to the terms and the duel would begin in earnest. But if their opponent felt aggrieved enough by the situation, they could choose to fight "to the death."Once the challenge had been thrown down, the first combatant had no choice but to accept. In truth, there was no other answer they could give. To refuse would have smacked of cowardice, or a trace of doubt in the rightness of their cause.To take the life of a battle-brother was almost unimaginable, a duel to the death by mutual agreement the only way in which it could be done without incurring Terran centuries of penitential exile. Even then, the survivor would bear an ineradicable stain on his honour for the rest of his life.These duels of honour would be overseen by the Chapter Master, who observed from a lofty position on his crystal throne, opposite the amphitheatre's entrance.When the Astral Knights' entire progenitor Chapter, the Imperial Fists, had been lost millennia before, when the original VIIth Legion was broken down into separate Chapters during the Second Founding, they were still mourned by those who carried their genetic legacy in their Progenoid Glands.The only thing about death that mattered to an Astral Knight was that he make his final moments a testament to his faith in the Emperor, and the means to a victory in His name. Whoever met the conditions of the duel, be it first blood, or to the death, the duel would then cease -- honour having been satisfied. |
Astral Knights - Order of Battle: The following represents the order of battle of the Astral Knights Chapter as it stood at the Battle of Safehold against the World Engine in 926.M41:Chapter Command: Lord Artor Amhrad, Chapter Master of the Astral KnightsReclusiam: Masayak, Reclusiarch of the Astral KnightsLibrarius: Chief Librarian Hyalhi3 Veteran SquadsDreadnought Ancient KeldohranDreadnought Ancient VhortaasLand Raider Squadron PenanceStormraven Gunship MexentiusStormraven Gunship DamocleanTechmarine SarakosTechmarine Methelian2nd (Battle) Company: Captain PelisaarChaplain Khurz8 Tactical Squads1 Assault Squad1 Devastator Squad3rd (Battle) Company: Captain Sufutar6 Tactical Squads2 Assault Squads2 Devastator Squads4th (Battle) Company: Captain Mohari6 Tactical Squads2 Assault Squads1 Devastator Squad6th (Battle) Company: Captain Sheherz, Master of the FleetFirst Sergeant Kypsalah8 Tactical Squads2 Assault Squads7th Reserve (Tactical) Company: Captain IfriqiLexicanium Dehaarz9 Tactical Squads8th Reserve (Assault) Company: Assault-Captain Zahiros9 Assault Squads9th Reserve (Devastator) Company: Devastator-Captain KhabyarCodicier Valqash8 Devastator Squads10th Scout Company: Scout-Sergeant Faraji7 Scout Squads |
Astral Knights - Notable Astral Knights: Chapter Master Artor Amhrad - The final Chapter Master of the Astral Knights Chapter, Artor Amhrad detonated Melta-charges that destroyed a vast Necron tomb complex that housed many of the World Engine's command arrays, which brought down the vessel's impenetrable Void Shields. This allowed the Imperial Navy's starships to destroy the World Engine with Cyclonic Torpedoes. Amhrad willingly sacrificed what remained of his Chapter for the sake of saving millions, perhaps billions of Human lives. He is considered one of the greatest heroes of the Imperium for his tremendous sacrifice.Thade (Dreadnought) - Brother Thade was a Dreadnought and the last Chapter Master of the all-but decimated Astral Knights Chapter. Following the death of the majority of his Chapter, who died heroically in the destruction of the Necron World Engine, Thade had been left behind at the Chapter's fortress-monastery as acting commander of the Chapter's thirty remaining battle-brothers and neophytes. To the honoured Ancient fell the onerous duty of surrendering his Chapter's fortress-monastery to the newly-founded Sable Swords Chapter, who had sent representatives to claim all of the Chapter's possessions on Obsidia. The ultimate fate of Brother Thade and his fellow Astartes is unknown, but Sable Swords Captain Daegan advised his fellow Astartes to embark upon an Imperial Crusade in order to spend the remainder of their lives fighting the enemies of the Imperium. |
Astral Knights - Chapter Fleet: Tempestus (Ryza-class Battle Barge) - The flagship of the Astral Knights Chapter, this most ancient ship of the Chapter fleet was one of the finest starships any Chapter could muster. Her Machine Spirit was as old as the Forge World of Ryza where her keel was laid four thousand Terran years ago. Only six such Battle Barges were ever constructed, and only three still sailed at the time of the Tempestus ' death. The secrets of its and its fellows' construction had long been lost. But each of the Ryza-class Battle Barges were renowned for the steadfastness of their construction. They were built to run minefields and asteroid blockades. Impacts that would break another voidship apart could be suffered by a Ryza without destruction. This made the Tempestus ideally suited for her suicide run against the Necron World Engine. Though the ancient vessel penetrated the powerful Void Shields of the massive Necron vessel, the damage it sustained made it unable to ever be void-worthy again. The mortally wounded vessel was moved to the Imperial world of Safehold and a permanent Imperial shrine erected upon it to stand in eternal memory of the Astral Knights Chapter's valiant sacrifice. |
Astral Knights - Chapter Colours: The Astral Knights' Chapter colour scheme is known to have been primarily silver-white. The shoulder plate trim and knee guards were blue.The blue squad specialty symbol -- battleline, close support, fire support, Veteran or command -- was indicated on the right shoulder guard.Officers within the Chapter were easily identifiable through their use of demi-cloaks with tabards. |
Astral Knights - Chapter Badge: The Astral Knights' Chapter badge was two crossed white double-edged swords, pointing upwards. |
Astral Knights - Canon Conflict: The novel The World Engine by Ben Counter shows the Astral Knights' colour scheme as primarily a light silver with blue trim.But the sourcebook Adeptus Astartes: Successor Chapters for 7th Edition shows a Space Marine with dark blue armour with a silver Aquila and black shoulder plates and helm that follows the common Codex Astartes scheme for designating company number by the colour of the shoulder plate trim and squad number through a red High Gothic numeral placed on the right shoulder plate.Additionally, the Astral Knights' badge in this publication is depicted not as crossed swords but as a white Gothic cross with a red starburst at its centre. No explanation is given for this discrepancy, but as The World Engine is the more recent source representing the Chapter, its depiction is accepted as canon here. |
Astral Spears - Astral Spears: The Astral Spears is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of unknown Founding and origin. During the Indomitus Crusade, the Torchbearer Fleet Conqueror's Forge delivered the technology to create Primaris Space Marines to the Chapter. |
Astral Spears - Chapter Colours: The Astral Spears' Chapter colours are not listed in current Imperial records. |
Astral Spears - Chapter Badge: The Astral Spears' Chapter badge is not listed in current Imperial records. |
Astral Spectre - Astral Spectre: An Astral Spectre is a powerful entity composed of congealed psychic energy and Warp-stuff. When manifest in the physical world, these entities take the shape of incorporeal spectres: patches of moving darkness, unnatural mists boiling with flickering images, half-transparent figures that cast no shadow, and a host of other forms. |
Astral Spectre - Role: In the Imperium, psykers are feared not only for their strange powers but for the untold harm which can and often does arise when their powers are used carelessly. When the abilities of a psychically-active mind are wielded by those weak in faith or will, the psychic energy can congeal within the fabric of the Warp to form Astral Spectres. These malevolent shadow creatures attack humans and devour their soul–essence to replenish the psychic energy from which the Spectres were born.Although Astral Spectres vary greatly in appearance, there are a few common characteristics that all such Spectres share. They are vaguely humanoid creatures composed of patches of semi–translucent shadow, and their presence unnerves all sentient creatures in their vicinity, often causing said creatures to experience psychic phenomena. Without fail, their forms are both vile and horrifying. They possess no solid physical form but wield a variety of psychic powers which allow them to interact with and harm material beings.Spectres employ the full range of their psychic abilities in carrying out their evil plans. When pressed, Spectres first attempt to manipulate the minds of weaker opponents, causing them to interfere with or even attack their allies. Spectres almost always target psykers first, as they are far and away the greatest threat to a being of the Immaterium. When cornered, they either unleash their psychic powers in an all-out attack or attempt to possess one of their antagonists. Spectres are cunning and intelligent and always seek to take a host who is either capable of fighting his way out of the situation or one whose allies will be unwilling to attack him. Though Astral Spectres are far from the most powerful foe one may encounter in the Calixis Sector, they are amongst the most difficult to combat due to their nature as creatures of pure Warp energy.Although Astral Spectres are sustained by a combination of stolen life energy and the psychic flux of the Warp, they seem to relish causing terror. They are drawn to fear and will expend great effort to cause it. Often, they will even place themselves at risk in order to terrify a victim by appearing before him in their true, nightmarish form. What benefit if any they derive from this fear is unknown.Appearances of Astral Spectres are on the rise in the Calixis Sector. The reasons for this are many and varied. The violence and conflict in places like Tranch lead to a great deal of psychic energy being released when innocents are killed. Perhaps most significantly, the various Ruinous Powers seem to be turning their attention to the Calixis Sector and moving events in a direction intended to cause more chaos and death. One such Astral Spectre appearance involves the so-called "Alley Reaper" of Gunmetal City on the sector capital world of Scintilla. |
Astronomican - Astronomican: The Astronomican is a psychic navigational beacon located on Terra that is ultimately calibrated and projected by the Emperor of Mankind from within the Golden Throne through a massive apparatus located in the Chamber of the Astronomican beneath the fortress called the Hollow Mountain in the Himalazian mountain range. It is powered by the life forces of 10,000 specially-selected psykers called "the Chosen," up to 1,000 of which die every solar day.The Emperor projects this astropathic beam 70,000 light years across the Milky Way Galaxy which Human Navigators can detect and utilise to triangulate a course for the starships of the Imperium of Man through the otherwise unnavigable chaos of Warpspace. As the signal generated is psychic in nature, it exists within the immaterial universe of the Warp.The beacon can be psychically detected from almost anywhere in Warpspace and is vital for faster-than-light travel since the mutant Human Navigators use it as their only fixed reference point when calculating an accurate course through the Warp. Without it, long journeys through the Warp would be impossible and no Human starship would ever reach its intended destination.The Imperium could not survive as an interstellar society in the absence of a functioning Astronomican. Long-range Warp travel would be rendered impossible as starships would be restricted to cogitator-calculated Warp jumps of no more than 4-5 light years at a time.During the Age of Technology, before the Astronomican existed, its functions were fulfilled by a strange xenos techno-arcana device known as a Pharos which was later determined to have been built by the ancient Necrons. These devices projected a stable Warp-beacon for the Navigators to use as a reference point when doing their calculations.It was theorised by savants of the Imperium that there had once existed an entire network of these devices across multiple worlds in the Human-dominated part of the galaxy to facilitate Warp travel, but over time, many were lost or forgotten in the Age of Strife that swallowed the first Human interstellar civilisation.One such device, a xenos construct known as the Pharos, was later discovered by the Ultramarines Legion on the ancient world of Sotha beneath Mount Pharos. |
Astronomican - History: At the very start of the Great Crusade in ca. 798.M30, the planets closest to Terra were easily reached by blind jumps through the Immaterium. The Empyrean of that time had only recently calmed after the great turbulence of the Age of Strife following the birth of the Chaos God Slaanesh.However, it soon became clear that to travel further from Terra, the Imperium's Navigators would require a stable astronavigational reference point within the Immaterium to triangulate their current location against if longer Warp jumps were to be attempted with any hope of success.Following the successful conclusion of the Unification Wars, the Emperor first ordered the construction of the Astronomican on Terra, which would enable His forces to expand the Great Crusade to the stars beyond Sol. Huge numbers of Tech-priests were brought from Mars to oversee the project and the majority of the Terran population was drafted to construct the towering machine-buildings needed to support this labour.At the time the Astronomican was the single largest artifice on Terra, and the entire device was merely a focus through which the Emperor could direct His fathomless psychic energies to generate a partly self-sustaining telepathic signal through the Empyrean (although few were aware of this fact).The psychic navigational beam the Astronomican generated was able to propagate through the Warp and those attuned to its unique frequencies and modulations, the Navigators, were able to use it as a beacon and pole star when plotting journeys through the Immaterium. By this beacon the Warp could be travelled at speeds and with a margin of safety that had been unprecedented, although the risk could, of course, never be fully mitigated.The Astronomican was an incalculable boon to both the Great Crusade and the fledgling interstellar domain of Mankind that it was creating. In a similar way, the Emperor was able to shut down the Astronomican or interrupt the beam at will.Only a handful of individuals knew that the great signal was actually powered by the Emperor's psychic powers, and they lived in fear that should He be disabled or killed, the galaxy would be plunged into a new Age of Strife. Such was the Astronomican's effect that even in that distant age of the Imperium's first founding some referred to it as the "Divine Light," or the "Emperor's Light," often without fully realising the literal truth of those words.With His Imperial Webway Project only in its planning stages, the Emperor resorted to powering such a reference point Himself, using the focus chamber He had built earlier beneath the Imperial Palace to project a beam of unimaginable psychic power and range through the Warp. So colossal was the Emperor's psychic might that in the early days of the Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium He could power the Astronomican while He was off-world, leading the Imperial war effort personally at the head of the Principia Imperialis expeditionary fleet.For all His might, however, the Emperor still had limitations, and the task of powering the Astronomican so that its beacon was perceptible over the whole of the territory of the growing Imperium of Man became more and more taxing, weakening Him to the point He was nearly choked to death by a powerful Ork Warlord on the world of Gorro, only to be saved in the nick of time by His Primarch son Horus.The ever-growing demand of projecting the Astronomican upon the Emperor was one of the reasons He handed command of the Great Crusade over to the Warmaster Horus after the victorious Ullanor Crusade against the Orks and returned to Terra to complete His Webway Project, an initiative intended to make the Astronomican all but unnecessary.With an Imperial extension into the Aeldari Webway, the starships of Mankind would be able to cross the galaxy in the blink of an eye without having to deal with the deadly dangers of the Warp. Alas, such a dream was not to be, and the Webway Project was destroyed by the machinations of Chaos during the Horus Heresy. |
Astronomican - Astra Telepathica: In addition to this invisible beacon amongst the stars, the forging of the Imperium would not have been possible without the creation and continuation of the Astra Telepathica. This special corps of interstellar communicators was created by the Emperor during the final months of the conquest of Terra, as the Emperor had foreseen their absolute future need.For the most part, the Emperor did not favour the use of psychic talents in others. As a psyker Himself, albeit one of unprecedented power and control, He was well aware of the dangers inherent with Human contact with the Warp.Furthermore, the Age of Strife on Old Earth had its own "witch-kings" and possessed psykers to attest to those dangers, some of whom the Emperor had personally slain.However, He was able to identify those strong enough in will to maintain control of their abilities and aid their self-control through the ritual of soul-binding, and so with some prudence certain psykers were employed in a variety of special roles in the Imperium, and the astropaths of the Astra Telepathica were to be such an exception. |
Astronomican - Horus Heresy: During the Age of Technology before the Astronomican existed, its functions were fulfilled by a techno-arcana device known as a Pharos. One of these xenos devices, later determined to be of Necron origin, was discovered beneath Mount Pharos on the world of Sotha by the Ultramarines Legion during the opening days of the Horus Heresy.The Pharos was part of an ancient interstellar navigation system, both a Warp beacon and route-finder, and it also permitted instantaneous communication across unimaginable distances.Unlike Imperial Warp-Drive technology that used the Immaterium to by-pass realspace, the quantum function of the Pharos once allowed for site-to-site teleportation, perhaps through a network of gateways. Its fundamental function lay not in the utilisation of psychic energy, but with empathic power.It was believed that other devices like the Pharos still existed as way stations, or once did, on other worlds throughout the galaxy. Yet the Pharos technology did not act as a single beacon visible across the galaxy like the Astronomican.It was theorised that the Pharos and other stations like it were once used to create a network of navigational pathways between the stars, as opposed to a single, range-finding point like the Astronomican. In that sense, the Pharos was more a lantern than a beacon. The Pharos could be tuned and pointed, illuminating a site or location for the benefit of range-finding.Following the Battle of Calth, Erebus of the traitorous Word Bearers Legion had managed to complete a blasphemous ritual on Calth's surface, which summoned a Ruinstorm to the galaxy's Eastern Fringe -- a monstrous Warp Storm larger and more destructive than anything space-faring Humanity had witnessed since the days of the Age of Strife. It split the void asunder, dividing the galaxy in two and potentially rendering vast tracts of the Imperium impassable for centuries.Utilising the strange abilities of the Pharos, the Ultramarines were able to illuminate Macragge, lighting it up as a psychic bright spot that was visible throughout realspace and the Warp. Despite the effects of the Ruinstorm, the Pharos provided a directional beacon for Warp navigation in the absence of the Astronomican.Though Primarch Roboute Guilliman was loathe to use xenos technology, Ultramar had to be held together, and to rebuild the Five Hundred Worlds, the Loyalists had to restore communication and travel links by piercing and banishing the age of darkness initiated by the Traitors.Just before the outbreak of the Horus Heresy in the early 31st Millennium, the Emperor of Mankind's Imperial Webway Project had required more and more of the Emperor's psychic might as He sought to penetrate the corridors of the Aeldari's Webway and claim it for Mankind, a task that dangerously weakened the Astronomican's signal across the galaxy.Malcador the Sigillite suggested a compromise: the beacon would still be guided by the Emperor Himself, but a large part of the required energy would be provided instead by the psychic and life energies of 10,000 sacrificial psykers, allowing the Emperor to pour His own psychic might into finishing His great project.The Emperor approved the notion only with the greatest of reluctance, and also made it clear that it would be only a temporary solution, for He had no intention of claiming the lives of thousands of innocent men and women on a regular basis, indefinitely.Tragically, the Emperor would never resume His former role as the active ruler of the Imperium because of the mortal wounds He suffered at the hands of Horus during the Horus Heresy's climactic Siege of Terra. Although His mind would continue to calibrate the psychic beam's frequency following His physical internment in the Golden Throne, the Emperor was never able to resume powering the beacon solely by Himself, and the once-temporary measure of having the Astronomican powered by the regular sacrifice of thousands of psykers became permanent.At the present time, in the 41st Millennium, the Astronomican is a complex piece of machinery powered by 10,000 specially-trained psykers, whose life-forces are exhausted in a matter of solar months maintaining the beacon. Their ranks must therefore be constantly replenished with fresh recruits drawn from the tithe of psykers brought by the Black Ships to Terra to be used by the Adeptus Astronomica. |
Astronomican - Noctis Aeterna: The Noctis Aeterna, also known as the "Blackness" or the "Days of Blinding" in Low Gothic, was a catastrophic event which consumed the Milky Way Galaxy and the Imperium of Man beginning in ca. 999.M41.The Blackness began following the fall of Cadia at the climax of the 13th Black Crusade and the eruption of the Great Rift that cut the Imperium in half, and was marked by the loss of access to the Astronomican for FTL navigation and a disruption in all astrotelepathic communications.Beyond the Great Rift, in the half of the galaxy cut off from Terra by the great Warp rift known as the Imperium Nihilus, the Astronomican was no longer detectable by psykers and Navigators and the Blackness persisted indefinitely.These disruptions endured for variable times across the galaxy, lasting for only thirty-three solar days on Terra itself, but for solar decades or even standard centuries elsewhere. This period saw more devastating events consume the increasingly isolated worlds of the Human-settled galaxy than at any time since the Age of Strife.Such was the turmoil during the creation of the Great Rift and the period following it that there could be no reliable accounts of what transpired. As limited communications returned, Historitors and Chronotechs struggled to understand incoming reports.With the influx of Warp energies into such vast regions of realspace, time passed strangely, speeding up in some sectors, slowing in others compared to the sidereal time experienced on Terra, at the heart of the Imperium.These effects on the Warp from the birth of the Great Rift faded with the passage of time in the Imperium Sanctus, allowing for the reestablishment of interstellar communications with some regions and somewhat more reliable Warp travel. This restoration of stability, combined with the onset of the Imperial counteroffensive known as the Indomitus Crusade, eventually restored the grip of the Emperor over the Imperium Sanctus. But the Imperium Nihilus still remained beyond the Emperor's light.However, the price paid proved steep. Slightly less than half of the one thousand Space Marine Chapters known to operate across the galaxy remained unaccounted for, and no less than twelve Space Marine Chapter homeworlds were reported as destroyed during the Noctis Aeterna and the equally bitter campaigns that followed. |
Astronomican - Adeptus Astronomica: It is the duty of the portion of the Adeptus Terra called the Adeptus Astronomica to maintain all aspects of the Astronomican, including training those Sanctioned Psykers who will power it. The "psychic light" of the Astronomican is beamed from Terra, from the Chamber of the Astronomican buried deep beneath the Himalazian (Himalayan) Mountains.The Astronomican is powered by the psykers trained by the adepta, though it is the omnipotent will of the Emperor Himself that constantly directs this psychic energy across the depths of approximately 70,000 light years of galactic space.Although the Emperor does not provide the psychic energy of the beacon, only He has the psychic control required to handle such immense amounts of psychic energy and direct it across the galaxy.The psykers who power the Astronomican are recruited into the Adeptus Astronomica through the division of the Adeptus Terra called the Adeptus Astra Telepathica. They are initiated into the Adeptus Astronomica as acolytes, and are taught how to use their powers as well as the philosophy of the adepta and the pivotal role it plays in the continued existence of the Imperium.Astronomica acolytes learn the lore and technical arcana of the Astronomican. Some achieve a mystic state, gaining the status of "Chosen." It is these Chosen of the Astronomican who are eventually called to serve in the Chamber of the Astronomican.Here they fuel the Astronomican's beacon with their psychic energies; as their powers are drained by the Emperor to fuel the beacon, the life forces of the Chosen slowly fade and they die, their lives a necessary sacrifice for the continued good of the Imperium and the existence of Mankind in a hostile galaxy.This psychic power is then directed by the mind of the Emperor across the width of the approximately 70,000 light year range of the beacon. Because Terra is situated in the galactic west, the Astronomican does not cover the extreme Eastern Fringe of the galaxy. Warp travel beyond the Astronomican's reach is severely limited -- thus, it is the Astronomican's reach that effectively determines the true borders of the Imperium.Destroying the Astronomican would most likely halt or badly cripple all Imperial Warp travel within the galaxy, effectively bringing the Imperium of Man to its knees, both economically and militarily.The mutant Navigators, as well as other psykers of any intelligent species, can sense the Astronomican. It is described as a sensation of silvery light and a chorus of many heavenly voices, beginning first with a solitary voice and progressively growing into an angelic choir.It is suggested that "pious Space Marines" who can "hear" the Astronomican possess the ability to fall into a meditative trance when they focus on it, perhaps as a result of their genetic descent from the Emperor through the gene-seed of their primarchs.Captain Gabriel Angelos of the Blood Ravens Chapter of Astartes was known to occasionally enter a sort of battle trance when he "heard" the Astronomican while in battle, improving his prowess in combat for the duration of the trance. |
Astronomican - Astronomican Operation: The Chamber of the Astronomican is located deep beneath the Himalazian (Himalayan) Mountains of Terra. The original purpose of the device which would become known as the Astronomican has been lost to time; what is known is that it was built by the Emperor of Mankind Himself as a focus for His fathomless psychic power.Because of its vital role in the maintenance of the Imperium, the Astronomican has great religious significance for believers in the creed of the Imperial Cult and the Emperor's divinity and it is also sometimes metaphorically referred to as "the Light of the Emperor," "the Ray of Hope" or "the Golden Path." |
Astronomican - Limitations of the Astronomican: Warp Storm activity can affect the overall range of the Astronomican but it generally had a range of approximately 70,000 light years before the birth of the Great Rift.As the galaxy is about 100,000 light years in diameter and Terra is approximately 25,000 light years towards the galactic southwest, the Astronomican barely penetrates the Eastern Fringe of the galaxy; even less so in the wake of the arrival of the Warp-smothering Tyranid hive fleets. |
Astronomican - Tyranid Attraction: The Astronomican's potent psychic beacon is what is drawing the Tyranids like moths to a candle flame to threaten the Milky Way Galaxy after they were alerted to its location by the Pharos' activation during the Battle of Sotha in the Horus Heresy.It is now also drawing the hive fleets, inexorably and irresistibly, towards Terra itself. |
Astropaths - Astropaths: Astropaths, referred to in older sources as "Astrotelepaths," are psykers who are responsible for carrying out all of the superluminal communications that tie the Imperium of Man together using their telepathic abilities. Chosen from the multitudes of psykers born across the vast breadth of the Imperium, these individuals are detected and incarcerated within one of the fearsome Black Ships of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica and brought to Terra due to their great power and their potential use to the Imperium.The fate of the vast majority of these psykers is to fuel the insatiable fires of the Astronomican so that the Imperium might be held together for another solar day. Of those allowed to live, a tiny fraction are judged strong enough and possessed of enough willpower to undergo training and go on to serve the Imperium in a staggering array of capacities as a Sanctioned Psyker, from Inquisitor to Astra Militarum Battle Psyker to Astropath.The Warp influences communication between worlds spanning the Imperium and between vessels travelling between these worlds. This is the domain of the Astropaths, who stretch their minds deep into the Immaterium to connect with the psychic resonance of their own kind throughout the galaxy to pass information, messages, or warnings in an instant. Solar decades of training and the torment of the Soul Binding ritual strengthen the will of these psykers to withstand penetrating the terrors of the Warp without suffering mental instability or daemonic possession. |
Astropaths - History: Psykers first emerged amongst Mankind in the middle part of the long distant Age of Technology, a period of human history about which all but nothing is remembered in the 41st Millennium. Since that time, among the ever-greater numbers of humans within the Imperium of Man, some people are born different. Some fickle turn of fate or chance twist in the genome has seen them join the growing ranks of psychic individuals within the human race, and others still come into such powers later on in life.These psykers labour under a blessing and a curse. They have the rare talent to draw power from the Warp, the hidden dimension of Chaos that lurks beneath the fabric of reality, and shape it into all manner of strange and supernatural effects. Using such power, however, comes with a terrible risk. Whether they know it or not, the mind of each psyker shines brightly within the otherworldly dimension of the Warp, or Immaterium as it is also known. This psychic realm is home to unspeakable beings, hungry predators that look upon such soulfires with great anticipation. The denizens of the Immaterium -- Warp beasts, daemons and worse -- find great sport in weak and unprotected minds. An unwary psyker is easily attacked, consumed or used as a gateway from the Warp to the physical realm.Psykers are regarded in many different ways across the Imperium's countless worlds. On the more primitive planets, they are thought of as shamans, witches, and sorcerers. More sophisticated societies are usually aware of psychic abilities and refer to psykers by other titles such as "gifted" or "the touched." But in almost all cases, and on all worlds, they are feared for the darkness and chaos they can bring down on those around them. There are many that believe psykers represent a gross perversion of all that humanity is and a constant reminder of the terrible powers of the Warp. This idea seems to hold some weight as the majority of psykers succumb to madness and ruin, often at the cost of countless other lives. Those that can master psychic power, however, become a prized, if somewhat dangerous, commodity to the Imperium. |
Astropaths - The "Soul-Bound": The great sweep of the Imperium of Man far outstrips the reach of normal communications in size and breadth. Astropaths are capable of broadcasting and receiving messages across the vastness of space, although a message may be delayed, mangled or even lost by the turbulence of Warpspace. By their powers, the Astropaths can do what no others can; reach beyond the limits of time and space to allow humanity to continue communicating between its scattered domains in the vastness of interstellar space.At times the availability of an Astropath has determined whether entire worlds have lived or died, and whether millions have survived in the glorious light of the Emperor, or fallen to the darkness of humanity's enemies. In the nightmare depths of the Empyrean, the Astropaths listen to the missives of Mankind, and occasionally, those of a viler cast, braving terrible and constant danger to their sanity and souls in order to allow the Imperium to function as a coherent entity. The Adeptus Astra Telepathica oversees the arduous task of recruiting and training Astropaths in service to the Imperium, and regulating their number in operations.Astropaths themselves are born with the psyker's gift; taken by the Black Ships of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica and selected -- owing to the nature of their gifts and other arcane criteria -- to become Astropaths, by undergoing years of training and extensive indoctrination culminating in a techno-arcane ritual initiation called "Soul Binding", in which the body and soul are scoured clean of the taint of the Warp by the searing purity of the Emperor of Mankind's beneficence. In truth, the Emperor uses His own psychic strength to reshape the neural architecture of the psyker so that he or she will possess the willpower to better resist the temptations of Chaos. This process is what makes an Astropath what he is, and without it there would be no Astropaths.The benefits of the Soul Binding are that it allows the Astropaths some safety while opening their minds to the Warp's currents in communications from afar, and sifting the truth from the psychic static and perilous lies whispered beyond, and projecting their own messages into that void to be heard by others of their own kind. The Soul Binding is not without its price however, and despite the quality of candidates selected and their extensive preparation, not all survive or retain their sanity.Those that do are almost all permanently blinded by the ordeal for the Emperor's power can damage some of the more delicate neutral structures in the body, such as the optic nerves. However, in most cases the Astropath's abilities more than make up for this deficiency, and others might never know, but for their disturbing whited-out eyes or in some cases, empty, shrunken eye sockets. So intense is the ritual that the supplicants' sensory organs are almost totally overloaded -- leaving them blinded by the experience -- with many suffering further nerve damage, incurring loss of smell, touch, or hearing. What the Soul Binding does on a fundamental level is combine the psyker's own abilities with the merest fraction of those of the Emperor which transforms him and protects him in a way that makes the Astropath unique among human psykers.Being soul-bonded with the Emperor is necessary, however, as it greatly heightens an Astropath's already formidable psychic powers and gives them the ability for which they were chosen -- to send telepathic messages through space instantaneously across large interstellar distances, thereby becoming the main network of interstellar communications in the Imperium. Most Imperial starships have an Astropath on board and most Imperial planetary governments have access to Astropaths. Without the Astropaths' unique ability, long-distance communication in the Imperium would be impossible. However, their powers are still susceptible to the local conditions of the Warp (such as Warp Storms) and as such, their messages can be greatly delayed or lost. Due to the strenuous nature of their job and the result of their soul-bonding with the Emperor, many Astropaths are physically frail and can die quite young through mental exhaustion or overexposure to the energies of the Warp. |
Astropaths - Astropathic Communication: Just as travel within the Imperium is a complicated and inexact science, so too is the business of exchanging messages between the many and varied planets that make up the Imperium. Planetary communications systems such as Vox-casters, hardwired telegraph and telephony lines and the more advanced Vox-communicators suffice to pass messages amongst the nations of a world, yet have almost no use beyond the bounds of the planet's surface. Such devices require many Terran years for their signal to reach even the nearest planet of a star system and have no surety of even being detected when they arrive. The perils of Warp travel ensure that human or Servitor messengers are just as unreliable and potentially as slow as radio or other electromagnetic wave communications.The Imperium is forced to rely upon communication by psychic, or astro-telepathic means. Astropaths communicate with symbols and iconic images, projecting these messages through vast distances of space by means of psychic power drawn from the Warp. This process is usually exhausting and requires ritual and focus in order to keep the psyker in the right frame of mind. These can take a wide variety of forms, such as use of the Emperor's Tarot, vision quests, automatic writing, trances, séances and the like. The Gaolist Astropaths of Hredin, for example, spend many Terran years etching their messages onto painstakingly illuminated sheets of iron and then destroy the work of art upon a massive grinding wheel when they are ready to transmit the information. The pain of annihilating a much-loved labour is said to produce psychic messages of unparalleled clarity.These messages are received by fellow Astropaths in various ways. Some appear as vague and troubling dreams, whilst others appear as visions or mystic portents. Others appear within whatever ritual method or divination technique the receiving psyker happens to practise. Thus warning of an Ork invasion might appear as a glistening imperfection in fish entrails, a looming cloud of smoke, bleeding orifices or a worrying combination of runes or sigils within a holographic matrix. Astropathic messages must not only be transmitted from one Astropath to another but decoded at the other end. Each Astropath employs slightly different symbols and each has a preferred style or "flavour." Some messages take solar weeks of poring over tomes of augurs and symbolism before they can be reconstructed, though the best Astropaths can do this word for word. Some remain a mystery forever. Some messages are received by Astropaths at entirely the wrong end of the galaxy and must be passed on to others who are nearer the place in question.Some messages simply do not get to their intended recipient or are drastically misinterpreted along the way. In addition, there are too few Astropaths. Most worlds, especially those with small populations or on the fringes of the Imperium, have no Astropaths at all, and must rely on the infrequent visits of passing Chartist ships or Administratum census-takers to make contact with the outside galaxy at all. For this reason the Adeptus Terra cannot react quickly to every event in the Imperium, even when an event occurs that is great enough to attract the notice of the vast and ponderous bureaucracy. On most worlds, the Imperium feels very far away. |
Astropaths - Rites of the Soul Bound: Each Astropath has his own different way of utilising his power. An extensive ritual has to be performed to ensure that the Astropath is fully protected against the rigours of the Warp before he can impart his message, and he has to mentally shroud his message to protect it lest it be intercepted by the malign intelligences that traverse the æther. |
Astropaths - The Contemplation: Ideally, the Astropath should remove himself to a quiet retreat to prepare for the projection. He must centre his mind, unperturbed by the material world. Most Astropaths insist on having their own quarters separated from other officers and crew, to which they can retire to perform their talent. These quarters are set out according to the individual's taste. Some might be little more than ascetic cells, a brilliant white from floor to ceiling, sealed from sound to allow no sensory interference. Or they might be cavernous grottos draped with tapestries decorated in esoteric designs, the floor etched with hexagrammatic wards to keep the ravenous Warp at bay, brilliantly lit by an array of candles and choked with heavy incense that cleanses the Astropath's mind as a prelude to projecting a message. A certain Astropath might prefer to inhabit echoing libraries whose walls are crammed with tomes and scrolls, brimming with arcane knowledge. Vox Servitors might line the walls, reading aloud from selected grimoires, their monosyllabic chants sending the Astropath deep into a hypnotic state. Another might surround himself with the iconography of the God-Emperor, his quarters decorated with sacred statues and the relic-bones of martyrs and heroes, with Servo-skulls droning incessant hymns to bring his mind to peace.The setting prepares the Astropath's frame of mind for his task, and helps him clear his psyche of all distractions. He must spend time contemplating the mental odyssey ahead, cleansing his mind of all unnecessary thought. Many Astropaths find that external stimuli help with this process and resort to practices such as physical deprivation, bodily punishment, the ingestion of psychotropic substances, or the incantation of religious dogma. Some Astropaths might have Servitors suspend his fleshy frame on hooks swinging from the ceiling, or plunge their places of meditation into extremes of heat or cold, so that the physical anguish focuses their mental effort. Others might consume rare poisons that lift their mind free of physical baggage, leaving their bodies twitching and drooling during their meditative state. They might achieve a similar effect by inducing religious ecstasy with sacred mantras and hypnagogic prayers to the God-Emperor. When the Astropath finds himself in a heightened state of consciousness, he can begin to strengthen his mind against the dangers of the Warp and prepare himself for the psychic journey ahead of him. |
Astropaths - The Shrouding: Before an Astropath sends out his signal, he should cloak his message in psychic wards to protect it from interception. The creatures of the Warp can pick up stray thoughts projected through the æther. Mindless entities might simply consume the signal, feeding on its psychic residue, especially if its sender instilled fear or panic within the message. More cunning denizens delight in twisting the message to cause confusion and disorder upon its receipt. If the message contains information that might be of use to the enemies of the Imperium, it is vital that it should not fall into their hands. It is not just daemonic intelligences that can prove a problem -- xenos and Heretic sorcerers are known to scry the Warp precisely to apprehend Imperial signals, and even another Astropath might attempt to tamper with the contents of a rival's message.As well as attempting to hide their signals from the prying Warp, Astropaths encapsulate their messages in obscure mental ciphers known only to other Astropaths. Signals are often not just relayed as simple images or sentences. Information might be projected as whispered, coded messages, bewildering hallucinogenic visions, psychic puzzle boxes that must be mentally solved and unlocked, prophetic dreams masked in obscure allegory, solemn hymns whose sanctity repels the unclean, or even grand operatic performances whose subtle metre and notation hide clues to the meaning of the experience. |
Astropaths - Encrypting the Message: An Astropath shrouding his signal does so as part of the ritual described earlier and the base amount of time spent performing his contemplation increases from 5 to 25 solar hours. If he does not encrypt his message, there is a greater chance that his signal is intercepted by a malign intelligence within the Warp, and of its meaning being understood if intercepted. |
Astropaths - The Projection: The final stage of the Astropath's act of astral telepathy involves the projection of his thought-signal into the Warp. To do this, he must open his psyche to the Warp -- an extremely hazardous act that might lead to madness, daemonic possession, or death. However, a Soul-Bound psyker is strengthened against the dangers of Chaos as long as he maintains his composure. Before determining the effectiveness of his projection, an Astropath must decide whether he wants to send a focused message or a broadcast message. A focused message must be sent to a specific Astropath (or group of individual Astropaths) known to the sender. A broadcast message is simply projected out into the Immaterium in the hope that it is picked up by any Astropath. |
Astropaths - Focused Signals: Focused signals are intended for a specific recipient. This individual is almost always another Astropath and, at the very least, must be psychically prepared in order to receive the message. |
Astropaths - Broadcast Signals: The signal strength of a broadcast message is equal to the amount of the Astropath's psychic power used to send it, just as with a focused signal. However, broadcast signals grow unstable much more quickly than focused signals. A broadcast signal must cover a massive area, while a focused signal need only find a path between two points. As with focused signals, broadcast signals can only be picked up by individuals and entities which are gifted with psychic abilities and have a certain measure of psychic strength. |
Astropaths - Sending the Signal: Once the Astropath has completed his preparations, he can launch his mind-missive into the Warp, hopefully into the waiting consciousness of an ally and not an enemy. His concentration will be tested. The difficulty of this test is defined by his distance from the intended recipient (or the area he wishes to cover with the message). |
Astropaths - Warp Effects: When he opens his mind to the Warp, an Astropath endangers his physical body as well. The deluge of swirling energies assaulting his psyche can manifest as bizarre and disturbing effects on his recumbent form. |
Astropaths - Interception: There is a chance that the message might be intercepted by malign forces. Frequently, these are Warp entities, but sometimes mortal agents such as sorcerous Renegade psykers or even other Astropaths might attempt to intercept a message. |
Astropaths - Receiving Astral Signs: The way that an astral signal is received depends on whether it has been sent as a focused message or a broadcast message. |
Astropaths - Deciphering the Signal: An Astropath who picks up the signal may still not understand the message encrypted within it. He might receive it as a blur of conflicting images or a faint whisper in the back of his mind. His mind may have to sift through the message and make sense of any hidden meanings or puzzling oracles contained therein. This might involve not just strenuous mental agility, but also the perusal of arcane lore. A powerful Astropath can employ an entire army of Scribe-Servitors to pore through an archive of tomes, ancient data-slabs, and oracle-bones to interpret the garbled utterances he pronounces as he imparts his visions into words. Less influential Astropaths might only have a few scraps of parchment recording obscure prophesies that may or may not help decode the signal. The Astropath receiving the signal must determine whether he can make sense of it and how long that takes. |
Astropaths - Rogue Trader Service: The cold depths of the void far beyond the outer limits of Imperial space are a lonely place indeed. Were a starship to rely only on mere technology, it would be isolated; even the strongest Vox-caster would take Terran years, decades, or longer to transmit a signal, and its reception, if it arrived at all, might be faint or garbled from astral interference or void anomalies.Therefore, the Imperium must resort to more esoteric practices to enable the long-range communication that is vital to its survival. Just as the Warp provides a dimensional short cut between planetary systems, so it provides a link between the distant worlds and galaxies that comprise the sprawling Imperium of Mankind. Astropaths reach their minds across the madness of the æther, relaying messages to each other across unthinkable distances, and their minds must be strong, for always the denizens of the Warp scrabble for a handhold that allows them to slither into reality, bringing Chaos and woe in their wake.Rogue Traders consider Astropaths essential members of their crew. Operating beyond the protective wings of Imperial space, the Astropath is a Rogue Trader's only link to Imperial civilisation. A Rogue Trader's forays into the unknown are usually the first tentative steps of Imperial rule into uncharted space and it is vital that the secrets he unveils find their way back to the authorities so that they can plan the annexation of new worlds for the glory of the Emperor. It is also important for a Rogue Trader to keep tabs on his holdings back home and instruct his proxies how to divert crises or deal with challenges to his influence. No doubt his rivals seek to undermine his business interests and political influence while he is gone.In addition, keeping the officers and crew abreast with matters from home is good for their morale. If one severs that link, despair very often settles upon a ship -- a captain should broadcast news of the Imperium's latest victories to his crew to keep their spirits high when possible. Finally, in times of extreme danger, the Astropath is the ship's only means to summon help. Aid might never be forthcoming because of the vast distances from Imperial space that Rogue Trader vessels often operate, but at least the Astropath can give hope to an otherwise doomed ship. It might take many solar months, or even Terran years, for a stricken ship to be rescued, but a captain and his crew can cling on to that desperate chance of survival. At the very least, the Rogue Trader can send out warnings to other would-be explorers of what perils they might face should they attempt the same passage.In the case of Astropaths serving on board Rogue Trader vessels, the arrangement is not one of commercial interest, but of duty. The most ancient of laws requires the Adeptus Astra Telepathica to play its part in the ongoing expansion of the Imperium. Even though both Navigators and Astropaths are, in effect, hirelings of the Rogue Trader dynasty, they often gain such high status on board its vessels that they become more like partners. Astropaths, like Navigators, are often part of a Rogue Trader's most trusted entourage, for it is through their minds that the Rogue Trader's most valued secrets are transmitted. Even if the message is couched in such terms that the Astropath himself is unable to decipher its meaning, he nonetheless retains memory of it and its intended recipients.It is within the power of an Astropath to undermine or betray any endeavour or transaction his employer enters into and, as such, even the most haughty of masters show these psykers the utmost respect and consideration. When in the service of Rogue Traders, many Navigators and Astropaths come to take on some of the qualities of their master. They might become every bit as adventurous and buccaneering as any Rogue Trader and sometimes develop their own flamboyant mannerisms or idiosyncrasies. Amongst the crew of a Rogue Trader vessel, this might go entirely unnoticed, for many vessels are served by a bizarre mix of outcasts and miscreants. If and when they return to the fold of their parent organisations, however, such individuals are likely to be regarded with a combination of distrust and horror. For this reason, those that become enamoured of the perilous freedom they enjoy beyond the borders of the Imperium are often reticent to return. |
Astropaths - Astropath Transcendent: The Astropath Transcendent is a rare individual, indeed. He is a psyker whose powers and very essence has been touched by the light of the God-Emperor Himself and who is able to form a lifeline of communication across the limitless gulfs of space, his soul armoured against the gnawing taint of the Warp beyond. Each Terran year, uncounted millions of psykers are born across the vast breadth of the Imperium. Most are detected and interred until collected by one of the fearsome Black Ships of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica. These vessels travel the galaxy in great circuits, their stygian holds inexorably filling with nascent psykers with each stop they make. The fate of the vast majority of the psykers is to fuel the insatiable fires of the Astronomican so that the Imperium might be held together for another solar day. Of those allowed to live, a tiny fraction are judged strong enough to undergo tutelage and go on to serve the Imperium in a staggering array of capacities.As noted above, those chosen to become Astropaths undergo the ritual of Soul Binding, in which the body and soul are scoured clean of the temptations of the Warp by the searing purity of the Emperor's beneficence. After solar months of fasting, prayer, and ritual preparation, the psykers are brought into the very depths of the Imperial Palace in processions of a hundred at a time, there to undergo a ritual that will kill them, drive them insane, or bind them for all eternity to the Emperor. So intense is the ritual that the supplicants' sensory organs are almost totally overloaded -- leaving them blinded by the experience -- with many suffering further nerve damage, incurring loss of smell, touch, or hearing.Relying as heavily as the Imperium does on the Warp for galactic communication, it has a great demand for Astropaths, and each newly created Astropath who survives the Soul-Binding is inducted into the ranks of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica. There he learns to send his thoughts singing across the galaxy via the medium of the Warp, adding his psychic voice to entire choirs of his fellows, and communicating with others of his kind on planets light years distant.It is a rare Astropath indeed who rises beyond his given duties and responsibilities in the ranks of the psychic choirs. Of those few who do so, most are placed in charge of Astropathic facilities and relay stations dotted across Imperial space. Those with the sharpest wits become itinerant emissaries or officials of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica itself or serve on the staff of Inquisitors or Lord Militants. Some of the most self-aware and strong-willed of their kind serve their vigils alongside Rogue Traders, casting their thoughts out far beyond the realms of Man into the great voids beyond the Emperor's domains.It takes a special type of Astropath to serve on the fringes of what is known, and such Astropaths must be both hard-hearted and savvy individualists if they are to persevere. Though the experiences vary wildly from one Astropath to the next, many are driven slowly mad by what they describe as cold, alien thoughts echoing in the black gulfs at the edges of the galaxy, while others find themselves growing increasingly alone the further out they travel, as the psychic voices of their fellows recede into the celestial distance. Those few that can endure these rigours are granted the title of Astropath Transcendent, and are both respected and a little feared by their contemporaries.The duties of the Astropath Transcendent are a microcosm of those performed by the more established and ordinary psychic choirs of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica. Most Rogue Trader fleets are accompanied by little more than a handful of Astropaths, with perhaps only one being stationed on each vessel, and so their position is one of grave responsibility. They provide the only means of viable communication between widely scattered vessels, not to mention across interstellar distances, and as a consequence are highly valued members of the Rogue Trader's inner circle. Many Rogue Traders would not even consider setting foot on the soil of a new world without an Astropath Transcendent at their side, ready to summon aid at a moment's notice should disaster strike. |
Astropaths - Choirs of the Astropaths: Within the borders of the Imperium and beyond, psykers and Navigators are a necessary evil without which Mankind has no hope of fulfilling the destiny of which the Emperor so long ago dreamed. Every Warp-capable vessel numbers amongst its crew a cadre of Astropaths, generally formed into an Astropathic Choir and led by a Choir-Master Telepathica. Certain Astropaths are chosen to journey into the unknown void aboard Rogue Trader vessels; these are individuals able to face the awful void far from Terra without being driven utterly insane. To travel beyond the haven of the Emperor's light is, for an Astropath, a dreadful prospect, for the ever present song of so many other, similarly attuned minds is replaced with a limitless void, where the cold, alien thoughts of unknowable xenos species, some aeons dead, resound.Most vessels carry as many Astropaths as their masters can secure from the Astra Telepathica, for the majority inevitably perish or go mad amongst the alien stars beyond the Imperium's reach. Most Astropaths who survive their tenure in an Astropathic Choir go on to perform a more specialised role. Some ascend in the ranks and become masters at directing the mind-voices of their choirs. Others are scattered across the galaxy to serve as the personal Astropaths and advisors of powerful Adepts such as Inquisitors or Praefects, or are seconded to organisations such as the Administratum, the Adeptus Arbites, the Astra Militarum, or even the Adeptus Astartes. A very few return to Terra to take up a role in the Scholastica Psykana, mentoring other would-be Astropaths and teaching them the inner secrets of their order's vocation.Most Astropaths serving Rogue Traders in the Koronus Expanse come from amongst those serving in a Choir on the fringes of the Imperium. Such Choirs are generally those found aboard Imperial Navy defence stations guarding the outer marches, or perhaps those sitting on the very fringes, in the anarchic grey area between the frontiers and the lawless wastes. Serving in Choirs in such places, Astropaths inevitably pick up on what is variably thought of as the psionic background field, the echoes of the death cries of long dead species or the resonant thoughts of slumbering things that bear no relation to humanity's field of existence. Service in frontier Astropathic Choirs exposes the Astropath to numerous dangers, not least of which is constant low-level exposure to half-heard alien whispers that drive many to burn out or break down. Those able to survive, however, are considered ideal candidates to serve as Astropaths aboard Rogue Trader vessels. |
Astropaths - Port Wander: A traveller passing out of the Calixis Sector towards the Maw would be wise to layover at the Imperial Navy void station of Port Wander, if only because it represents one final opportunity to turn back. Port Wander serves numerous functions, acting as a naval depot, a defence station, and a port, as well as a refuge for numerous individuals of distinctly low character. The decks heave with crowds of off-duty voidsmen and the crews of Rogue Trader vessels. Its decks and companionways are at once violent and lawless and also subject to the brutal justice of the Imperial Navy provosts who prowl its depths in search of fresh meat to be press-ganged.Like any other Imperial Navy frontier station, Port Wander is served by a substantial Astropathic Choir. Those serving in the choir must contend with a vast range of unique trials. Most significantly, the proximity of the Calixis terminal of the Koronus Passage, as well as the Great Storms through which the Warp route plunges, places huge strain upon the psyches of any Astropaths using their powers here. In particular, the storm known as the Screaming Vortex is said to emit a shrill dirge that, when it reaches a periodic crescendo, can cause dozens of Port Wander's Astropaths to fit and convulse, cutting off communications for solar days. To make things worse, the Choir is subject to the capricious and tyrannical rule of a Regent Choir-Master, as the Adept assigned that role has not been seen outside of his sanctum in living memory.To ascend from service in the Port Wander Astropathic Choir, an Astropath must have proven himself able to survive the ebb and flow of tumultuous energies that are the result of the Great Storms raging nearby, as well as the incessant politicking of the Choir's own masters. Such individuals are often held to be somewhat cold and jaded, as if inured to human suffering and able to shut out the feelings of others on a whim. They are valued by those willing to risk the outer edges of the Great Storms, as well as the numerous other raging ætheric tempests to be found within the depths of the Koronus Expanse, for such places appear to hold less fear for them as they do others of their calling. Oddly, this state of mind does not extend to the Rifts of Hecaton, a region that veterans of the Port Wander Astropathic Choir hold in the greatest of dread. |
Astropaths - The Pits of Voices: At the other end of the Maw from Port Wander can be found the void settlement known as Footfall. Unlike its opposite number, Footfall lies outside of the domains of the Emperor, and the laws of the Imperium hold no more sway there than the rule of the despots, recidivists, and assorted scum who call it their home. Without an official Adeptus Terra presence, there can be no conventional Astropathic Choir in Footfall.Despite, and perhaps because of its outland status, Footfall is host to a group of Astropaths, though one quite unlike any within the Imperium's borders. The so-called Pit of Voices is a tragic, ramshackle imitation of a true Astropathic Choir, one served entirely by outcast or masterless Astropaths. While few are actual Renegades, the majority of Astropaths serving the Pit of Voices are broken in some manner. Some have been judged wanting in their abilities, or perhaps unsuitable in some other way, and somehow escaped being shipped to Terra to fuel the Astronomican.Travelling incognito beyond the reach (or so they hope) of their erstwhile masters, these outcasts come to such places as Footfall in the hope of fulfilling their destiny. Like many psykers, Astropaths who do not exercise their abilities grow afflicted by a cruel malaise known as "psisickness," and so a position in the Pit of Voices is to them a blessed release. Even if they court madness and worse under the direction of the Pit's mistress -- the soothsayer Attar Soloket -- the Astropaths are content to be plugged into the rusty, blood encrusted psi-caskets and to add their voices to the atonal dirge of Footfall's Astropathic Choir.On several occasions, the Choir's Astropaths and their leader have come under attack or been subjected to brutal assassination attempts. Most are carried out by bounty hunter scum, while others are the work of highly proficient assassins. On at least three separate occasions, a force of highly professional warriors clad in black Carapace Armour and bearing no insignia have infiltrated the void settlement and assaulted the Pit of Voices. In each case, it was only the mobilisation of the various underworld organisations that rely on the outcast Astropaths that fought them off.Very occasionally, Mistress Soloket recognises in one of her reject Astropaths a talent that, in her belief, should not have been rejected by the Scholastica Psykana. Though it is not actually within her power to do so, she lifts the choirmember from his station and declares him a "true" Astropath, perhaps using her celebrated powers to discern something in his future that may yet serve Humanity. How many Rogue Trader dynasties have unknowingly taken on an Astropath formerly rejected by the Imperium cannot be known, and most Rogue Traders who might have done so know better than to ask too many questions when taking on crew at Footfall. |
Astropaths - Explorator Choir: Most examples of Humanity to be found beyond the borders of the Imperium exist there because they shun the light of the Emperor -- pirates, rebels, Heretics, and worse. Others are there because they know no other existence, including lost human worlds that have every reason to believe themselves the sole survivors of the wars that shattered the galaxy during the distant Age of Strife. Only a small number go beyond the Imperium's frontiers with the blessing of the High Lords of Terra, and these include the Rogue Traders, far-ranging Space Marines, and the Explorator Fleets of the Adeptus Mechanicus.When the Adeptus Mechanicus travels into the outer void, they often leave behind them a trail of way stations. Staffed almost entirely by mono-tasked Servitors overseen under the care of aged Explorators approaching the end of their service to the Machine God, these way stations act as storage depots, repair facilities, data depositories, and often as astropathic relays.Those Astropaths seconded to service in choirs operating under the Adeptus Mechanicus are often left aboard the way stations seeded by the Explorator Fleets across the empty void as they plunge ever further into the darkness. They exist and operate in a very different way to their compatriots serving in more conventional Astropathic Choirs elsewhere in the Imperium. The way stations are almost exclusively served by mind-scrubbed menials and those few Tech-priests attending them have often undergone the Rite of Pure Thought or are otherwise so advanced in their service to the Machine God they are incapable of interacting with those outside of their order.It is a lonely existence indeed and, to make matters worse, when the Choir does receive a message to relay back to the Imperium, it is inevitably formed according to the unique frame of reference of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Many of these Astropaths go mad through a combination of exposure to the soulless grating machine code of the Adeptus Mechanicus that drowns out all other sensory inputs and the sheer isolation of their existence. Those few that survive their service are changed forever, but are invariably stronger for their ordeal. |
Astropaths - Astropathic Relay: The task of an Astropathic Relay is to serve as a conduit through which the astrotelepathic traffic of entire sectors is sent and received across the vast, trackless depths of the void between each sector. The psychic interchange is relentless and constant, and the burn-out rate phenomenal. At times of all-out war or other calamity, dozens, even hundreds of Astropaths might be sacrificed each solar day, simply to keep the relay open and communication flowing to and from the affected region. Were the relay to fall silent for even the blink of an eye, untold thousands of lives might be lost and entire worlds could fall. Needless to say, such relays are vital to the continued existence of the Imperium and the members of the Astropathic Choirs are fortunate indeed to survive them.An Astropath who has served, and indeed survived, in an Astropathic Relay is a rare individual indeed. He is able to withstand the raging torrent of the Warp, to shape it to his will, and send it onwards towards its ultimate destination. His mind-voice is strong and clear and other Astropaths find his messages much easier to rapidly comprehend than those of others with different histories. |
Astropaths - Colony Choir: The Koronus Expanse is scattered with the ruins of colonies established as some grand endeavour and laid low by the countless perils that haunt the outer voids. Most of these settlements were built according to some Rogue Trader's vision of building a new society, even the foundation of a new empire, with himself as the sole ruling authority. Almost all colonies founded in this manner fail within a generation, most within a solar decade and a significant number within a single season.No planet is without some danger to Mankind. Hostile fauna and flora can wipe out a colony overnight, especially if the initial survey overlooked it due to some unusual migration or breeding cycle, but numerous other threats exist. Aggressive bacteriological factors can destroy even the most well-prepared colony, as can environmental ones. Needless to say, the deathblow is often delivered by the hand of marauding xenos, in particular the Rak'Gol, but even more common are attacks by other human factions, from brutal slavers to bitter isolationists. Most of these colonies are little more than a few thousand "volunteers" desperately trying to survive in a hostile environment.A smaller number are provided with some basic resources, such as a light defence force, sub-stellar fleet assets, and, in some cases, a small Astropathic Choir. To acquire such a choir, a Rogue Trader dynasty must be exceptionally rich, influential, or just plain lucky, for the masters of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica are none too keen to risk their valuable Astropaths in such a way.Astropaths who have served in the lonely Choirs beyond the frontier have lived a life of extraordinary privation and danger that few others of their order could imagine. Cut off from the greater Imperium by the Great Storms, they have led an existence finely balanced between survival and extinction. Tasked with communicating with their masters, they have had to learn when to send their mind-voice singing out across the void and when to fall silent lest reavers and xenos be drawn to them. These individuals are blessed of a taciturn self-reliance rarely seen amongst others of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, and, as such, are highly prized by ambitious Rogue Traders. |
Astropaths - Psychic Disciplines: There are many different psychic powers that a psyker may possess, for the mutability of the Warp is as limitless as the human imagination itself. Some examples range from telepathy -- the power to communicate between one living mind and another -- to rarer and more occult arts such as the destructive force known as pyromancy, astral projection of the soul away from the body, the summoning of daemons, and the transmutation of matter at will. These abilities usually begin as a basic, almost rudimentary form of the power -- the first technique of the psychic discipline -- and over time, a psyker can learn more ways to fine tune that power for a greater variety of effects.Astral Telepathy - As part of the Soul Binding process, Astropaths become able to send and receive messages across vast distances using the Warp as a medium. Using astro-telepathic abilities in this way requires careful concentration, meditation, and freedom from distraction, and so cannot be done "on the move," let alone during combat or strife. Astropathic communication in this way is a matter of sending and receiving messages that must themselves be encapsulated and encrypted lest they become lost in the Warp, hopelessly garbled, or worse yet, intercepted. As a result, messages sent over long distances are often "packets" of information, akin in some ways to letters or brief recordings from the real world absorbed and sent on their way to be (hopefully) caught and possibly relayed on by other Astropaths to their intended destination. This process is not instantaneous. However, it is considerably faster than Warp travel -- an astropathic signal will cross a solar system in moments, across a subsector in solar hours, a sector in solar days and, if strong enough, a Segmentum in weeks and so on. An Astropath's "signal strength" broadly refers to how far, in average conditions in the Warp, they are able to clearly transmit with a successful focused use of their power.Smite - Lethal bolts of bio-lightning leap from the psyker's fingertips, tearing his foes apart. |
Astropaths - Psykana Discipline: Terrifying Visions - The psyker fills his enemies' minds with nightmarish images and visions of torment, seeking to send them fleeing in terror.Gaze of the Emperor - The psyker cages the immense power of the Immaterium within his physical form, and his eyes blaze with the Emperor's vengeful fury, unleashing pure psychic energy to smite the Master of Mankind's foes.Psychic Barrier - The psyker weaves an aegis of pure psychic energy around his allies, against which enemy fire sparks and spatters harmlessly.Nightshroud - Calling upon the power of the Empyrean, the psyker cloaks his allies in a flowing curtain of shadow, concealing them from the enemy.Mental Fortitude - Drawing on boundless reserves of inner strength, the psyker shields his allies' minds from mortal fears and the threat of sorcerous assault, dramatically improving morale.Psychic Maelstrom - The psyker unleashes the full telekinetic might of his mind, summoning a roiling psychic tempest that envelops his enemy, lifting them from the ground and wrenching them about like a rag doll. |
Astropaths - Other Astropathic Disciplines: Among the stars of the Koronus Expanse, thousands of Astropaths plumb the depths of the Warp as they pass messages between those loyal to the Imperium of Man. The vast majority of these psykers utilise the central disciplines of their training -- particularly the telepathic path. However, these worlds are incredibly distant from Terra and the training that transformed their minds.As they travel the distant stars, often far from others of their kind, many Astropaths experiment and develop new ways to engage their abilities. Through the centuries, these experiments have led to countless new techniques. Only a subset of these have been properly documented and classified into formal disciplines. While it is entirely possible for an Astropath to develop alternative techniques, the Voidfrost and Soul Ward disciplines presented below represent two that have become better established among the Koronus Expanse.It is not uncommon to encounter an Astropath who knows one of these Disciplines, and some may even be willing to pass on their knowledge. In addition to the existing repertoire of Disciplines and Techniques, an Astropath may also choose to learn powers from the Voidfrost and Soul Ward Disciplines. |
Astropaths - Voidfrost: As they travel the far stars, often shrouded from even the sacred glow of the Astronomican, many Astropaths spend countless solar hours searching for any psychic resonance among the void. As they stretch their minds ever further into the darkness, many begin to study the emptiness that surrounds them. A few even come to embrace the chill of the vacuum that extends endlessly beyond the boundary of their vessel's hull. It is believed that psykers who came to grips with the essence of the void were the first to develop the Voidfrost Discipline. The sharp distinction between the icy, uncaring void and the warm glow of the God-Emperor's embrace became a focal point for their new studies.Basic Technique: Ward the Chill - As psykers begin to embrace the ways of the Void, they must first grasp the necessities for unprotected survival amidst the very environment that they seek to master. The most crucial first step to this is learning to overcome the risks inherent in survival without a pressurised atmosphere and without the warmth necessary for life. Establishing the necessary techniques for calling forth a survivable environment from the depths of the Warp is a rite of passage for those who seek to master the Voidfrost Discipline. For some psykers, this first step is simply an intuitive reaction -- their understanding of the void naturally compels them to create a liveable environment. However, some psykers inadvertently exhibit this ability under life and death conditions -- such as being involuntarily expelled from their vessel.Embrace of Emptiness - Within the depths of the void, it is not uncommon for a vessel to suffer a catastrophe that leaves its crew injured and the craft distant from any aid. By exercising his understanding of the void, a psyker who has mastered this power can wrap himself or an ally in the void's icy embrace, stabilizing the target and allowing it to survive the harshest of conditions for some time. This technique requires delicate focus to take its full effect, and so it cannot place an unwilling target into the protective sleep it grants to allies. However, in a pinch, some Astropaths have used it to slow and disorient attackers. The psyker activates this technique intuitively. If he succeeds and his target is a willing ally, the target's core body temperature drops and all of his metabolic processes virtually cease. The person immediately enters a trance, which lasts for a number of solar days (the psyker chooses the number of days at the time of activation). For this time, the target does not need to breathe or eat, ignores environment effects including that of the vacuum, and he can even survive ongoing negative effects such as blood loss. Under the effects of Embrace of Emptiness the Astropath appears dead to all mundane senses. Further, they may not take any normal actions, nor may they exit this state until its duration expires or they have the assistance of a psyker trained in this technique.Quest for Warmth - Many psykers who embrace the Voidfrost Discipline do so as part of an effort to find other minds amongst the expanse of the void. This is typically a reaction to their desperate need for respite from their isolation -- particularly common among those Astropaths who man facilities that are distant from all of humanity. As these Astropaths continue to extend their minds into the void, they become ever more capable at identifying any signs of sentient life -- including the minds of xenos. A psyker who activates this power extends his mind deeply into the void, searching for any other active minds. If successful, the Astropath can sense from any direction and distance, any concentrations of sentient life within range and are immediately identified, regardless of any shielding or attempt at concealment.The Void's Touch - As a psyker's relationship to the dark chill of the void grows stronger, he often gains the ability to draw upon its inherent nature. One of the first stages of this process is in the mastery of a technique that siphons warmth from objects or individuals into himself, ripping the heat out of any objects between himself and his target, creating a frozen path straight to his foe. The attack seems slow-moving at first, but rapidly accelerates as the psyker directs it on towards the object of his enmity. It is also notoriously difficult to avoid this power, as the psyker can easily redirect the trail of frost with his mind, trapping his foe within an ever-shrinking cage of cold.Breathstealing Barrage - The void is tranquil, but that desolate quiet can kill. Life can hardly survive without some shelter from the lifeless emptiness. Some psykers embrace this destructive nature as a method to overcome their foes, while they maintain their own composure through contact with the icy chill of the void. The psyker focuses his will as a cluster of energy bolts. These bolts are a physical manifestation of the cold energy drawn from the depths of the void. These bolts first appear near the psyker, then must physically travel the distance to his target or targets where they blast the foe with frigid power.Black Sheep - The embrace of the void can offer comfort to an isolated psyker, but those who master its ways soon discover that it can also be a powerful ally. The chill of the void offers a myriad of options to those who commune with it to such a degree that its nature becomes an inherent part of their psyche. Critical among these abilities is the knack for inflicting the void's essence upon a foe's mind by forcing him to confront his insignificance in the vast, cold universe. While a psyker who has come to understand the nature of the void may find such truths comforting, other individuals who are less accustomed to the perspective rarely find it so pleasant, producing a raging, incapacitating terror.Void Substantiation - Through discipline, practice, and self-affirmation a psyker can come to embody the chill of the void. In doing so, he can learn not just to dwell within its isolation, but to find unity with the emptiness in doing so. An Astropath who masters this ability becomes capable of surviving and acting normally without warmth, pressure, or breathable air, and can also use this power to blunt the effects of extreme cold or toxic atmospheres.Freeze the Soul - There are few prodigies of the Voidfrost Discipline, but legends circulate of those who have completely mastered its ways. The stories tell that they drop the temperature in a room with their entrance and can freeze a man solid with a stare. The most terrifying of these tales are likely based upon the few psykers capable of using techniques like this one upon their opponents. The psyker is said to draw a chill wind from the lightless depths of the void down upon his foes, surrounding them with enveloping layers of ice and freezing their blood even as it pumps through their veins. Targets of this power die an agonising and rapid death, wracked by solar hours of exposure in the blink of an eye, shattering or crumbling in the unforgiving ethereal gale. This is a rare power, yet it has caused countless nightmares for those who have seen it used. Few can speak firsthand of the horror it inflicts upon its targets, for those who find themselves trapped within its pitiless blast rarely survive to recount the tale. |
Astropaths - Soul Ward: Every Astropath enjoys the grace of the God-Emperor as a consequence of his spiritual bond to Him on Terra. While all such psykers rely heavily upon the protection that this grants, a few are capable of making this trait the core of their abilities. Practitioners of the Soul Ward Discipline exploit their Emperor-enhanced essence to protect them and to grant the divine blessing of the God-Emperor to their allies. While still agents of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, such psykers are typically strongly devoted to the Imperial Cult and may even be mistaken for members of the Ecclesiarchy.Basic Technique: The Emperor's Guidance - Psykers who learn the Soul Ward Discipline expect to rally their allies so that they can hold the line against any threats to the Imperium. While a portion of this ability comes from their divine faith in the God-Emperor, a far greater portion comes from their direct connection to His grace in the form of their Soul Binding. By calling upon the power of the Warp through this connection, they can share the power of His grace with their allies. This can swiftly bolster their faith in their cause, so that their opponents might be vanquished.Know Thy Place - Through the majesty of the God-Emperor, the psyker comes to understand his place in the galaxy, particularly with reference to the majesty of the God-Emperor and the terrors of the Warp. This understanding represents a reassurance for a psyker who has come to grips with it, but to the uninitiated, the perspective may be terrifying.Heresy's Price - Those who oppose the God-Emperor cannot hope to stand before His majesty. The divine grace of the Astropath's soul bond represents a manifestation of His presence. A psyker who has studied the discipline of the Soul Ward is often capable of focusing the Warp's energy to display this glory in a way that may distract his foes. As they lose focus, they often become prone to mistakes in battle, so that His presence serves as their downfall.Bastion of the Imperium - A psyker who has begun to master the discipline of Soul Warding may pass the protection of the God-Emperor on to those who most need it. After focusing his will through a moment of prayer, the psyker hones in upon the essence of his Soul Binding. Channelling the energies of the Warp through his focus, he grants the target a temporary physical manifestation of that sacred protection, making them more resistant to attack.Chorus of the Righteous - Drawing upon his connection to the God-Emperor through his Soul Binding, the psyker may motivate his companions to fight with ever greater fervour. The psyker and all emblems of the Imperium briefly flare with a blinding white light. As this happens, targets can hear the voices of an Astropathic Choir join in song, in praise of their mission, and casting damnation upon their foes. All targets immediately sense a powerful rush of vindication in their battle against those who would dare to oppose their sacred cause and are able to fight more effectively.Strength of Truth - Those who choose to master the skills of the Soul Ward invariably have an incredible degree of trust in their abilities and in the cause of the God-Emperor. For some, this faith was instilled in childhood; for others, it came as part of their life experience. In all cases, an individual's survival of the Soul Binding process served as a confirmation of this faith. With this power, the psyker gains the ability to share his faith with others, using the Warp to make it physically manifest within the bodies and minds of allies, making them mentally more able to endure any obstacle.Enduring Faith - It is said that the God-Emperor lends His strength to those who display the faith required to help themselves. A psyker who has learned this ability may grant a restorative boon to those who have served Him already, that they might continue to do His most holy work without the need for rest. Legends say that some Astropathic Choirs have remained continuously active for Terran years by sharing this technique amongst their members.Reward of the Renegade - Those who would dare to act against the Imperium do so with the knowledge that they are in opposition to the divinely mandated will of the God-Emperor. To undertake such a path is to betray all of Mankind. This treason is a folly of the highest order, and yet there are those who continue to follow this path towards destruction. With this technique, the psyker uses his Soul Binding to punish these offenders, shielding his allies with a luminescent corona and turning the wickedness of his foes back upon them.Glory of the Just - As an Astropath's mastery of the Soul Ward school grows, so to do the methods by which he may grant the Emperor's blessing upon his allies. There are no limits to the number of ways that the God-Emperor may bless those who act in his name. He may reach across time and space to aid those who act in His service for the good of all Mankind. Those who receive the blessing bestowed by this technique may begin to realise just how far His reach can extend. Targets can feel the flow of time slow for their enemies as they become more capable of granting justice to those who have offended Him.Call of Faith - Those who have faith in the God-Emperor are often capable of performing actions of superhuman endurance. While many do so through nothing but their faith, those under the influence of this technique are aided by the energy of the Warp as focused through a psyker's Soul Binding. In this way, they may continue to serve the Imperium, overcoming even the most potent of foes. |
Astropaths - Astropath Shipboard Actions: The following actions can be used in starship combat by an Astropath. Any Astropath or Astropathic Choir aboard a vessel can perform these actions provided that the primary Astropath meets the individual prerequisites, given the scale of power required to have a noticeable effect in the cataclysmic battles between voidships.Control the Mind - The Astropath reaches out and temporarily controls the mind of a gunner on the enemy ship, making him fire on a chosen target.Dark Labyrinth - The Astropath disguises the interior of his ship, shrouding it with dark shadows and illusory twists and turns.Flash Fire - The Astropath attempts to cause psychic flames to burst alight aboard the enemy vessel.Ill-Omens - The Astropath spreads unnatural terror among enemy boarders, blunting their assault by eroding their will to fight.Mask of the Void - The Astropath makes his ship appear to perform a manoeuvre to trick his foes. The vessel shimmers and warps, seeming to be in more than one place at once.Psychic Deflection - The Astropath attempts to deflect an incoming shot with his psychic might, turning aside a blow that might fell his ship.Quell Flames - The Astropath dampens a fire within the ship with his mind, willing the flames to sputter and die.Unnatural Resolve - The Astropath dampens the crews' primal instincts with psychic energy, making them supernaturally fearless. |
Asur - Asur: Asur was a barren moon located in a pocket-realm of the Webway briefly settled by some of the Craftworld Aeldari who survived the Fall of the Aeldari and the birth of the Chaos God Slaanesh -- "She Who Thirsts" -- in the 30th Millennium. Settled by the first Phoenix Lord Asurmen and his disciples after he helped lead many of the craftworlds away from the remains of the Aeldari Empire during the Fall, it was named Asur in honour of its claimant.Asur was the site where Asurmen established the first Aspect Warrior Shrine and the first Exarchs who would go on to become the first Phoenix Lords -- the Asurya -- were trained. |
Asur - History: Asurmen, the "Hand of Asur," was the first Phoenix Lord of the Asuryani. Prior to the Fall of the Aeldari, Asurmen was the Aeldari who led the craftworlds away from the ancient homeworlds of their now lost interstellar Aeldari Empire and it was he who founded the first of the Aspect Shrines, the Shrine of Asur, upon a barren world of the same name his people initially settled.Asurmen found that he could not give up the Path of the Warrior to follow a different Asuryani Path, for he desired to use his skills to protect what remained of his species after the birth of the Chaos God Slaanesh, "She Who Thirsts." From the Shrine of Asur sprang the first Aspect Warriors, and the Path of the Warrior was opened for the very first time to all Asuryani.Those Asuryani who wanted to follow this new path learned at the feet of their master, and in turn they assumed the mantle of Exarchs before spreading throughout the craftworlds of the galaxy. The first Exarchs, the Asurya, the children of Asurmen, were the greatest of his students and went on to become the Phoenix Lords of the other Aspect Shrines, the first masters of the other specialised Craftworld Aeldari combat disciplines.Arhra, the "Father of Scorpions," founded the Striking Scorpions Aspect Shrine, which came to epitomise its founder's dark nature; its warriors were cunning, merciless and deadly. Arhra taught the warriors of his Aspect the ability to stalk the shadows, creeping ever closer to their prey before falling upon them like the wrath of the war god Khaine himself.Eventually Arhra's murderous nature consumed him, and he became lost to his Aspect, becoming known as the "Fallen Phoenix." Arhra was lured by darkness and betrayed Asurmen and the other Asurya, the first Phoenix Lords, by bringing Daemons into the First Shrine to wage war upon his fellows. Those loyal to Asurmen were defeated and scattered across the stars, but Arhra himself would eventually flee into the Webway, becoming "the Fallen Phoenix who burns with the dark light of Chaos."It is believed that after he began walking the Path of Damnation, Arhra fled to the Dark City of Commorragh where he became the first Drukhari Incubus Hierarch and founded the first Incubus shrine. Many Asuryani believe that Arhra survived into the present and became Drazhar, the Master of Blades, the greatest champion of the Drukhari Incubi.Karandras, a Striking Scorpions Exarch and the greatest student of Arhra, took over control of the Aspect Shrine after the corruption of its original Phoenix Lord. Karandras taught the Striking Scorpions the patience and discipline they needed so that they would not follow in their founder's wake and lose their immortal souls to She Who Thirsts when their bloodlust and murderous desires overtook them. |
Asurmen - Asurmen: Asurmen, born Iliathin, whose name means the "Hand of Asuryan," is the first and oldest of the legendary Craftworld Aeldari Phoenix Lords, those most ancient of Exarchs from whom the Aspect Warriors themselves were created and who are the absolute masters of their Aspect's form of combat.Each Phoenix Lord is a demigod of battle whose legend spans the stars, imbued with supernatural powers that grant them the ability to cheat death. Asurmen himself is the living embodiment of the warrior, just as the Avatar of Khaine is the incarnation of the Bloody-Handed God himself.It was Asurmen who founded the first of the Aspect Shrines, the Shrine of Asur, the forerunner of what became the Dire Avengers Aspect Shrine. Asurmen is the forefather of the Dire Avengers, most noble and vengeful of all the Aspects. Today, this Warrior Aspect is the most common amongst the Craftworld Aeldari, and their shrines are the largest amongst all the craftworlds. |
Asurmen - History: In the Aeldari mythic cycles Asuryan, the Phoenix King, is the chief and greatest of all the Aeldari gods and the king of the Aeldari Pantheon. Asurmen, also known as the "Hand of Asuryan," was the penultimate warrior of all the Aeldari, for his extraordinary powers placed him at the Pinnacle of Might.Prior to the Fall of the Aeldari, Asurmen was an Aeldari originally from the world of Eidafaeron in the Aeldari Empire who was named Iliathin. Iliathin lived an uneventful and boring life there like all his kind. Before the Fall, he was skeptical of the prophecies of doom for the Aeldari Empire being spread by those Aeldari who would become the Exodites.Iliathin's brother Tethesis desired to join the Exodites in their self-imposed exile from the increasing hedonism and amorality of the empire, but his skeptical sibling refused to leave Eidafaeron. When the Fall of the Aeldari finally began with the birth of the Chaos God Slaanesh, Ilaithin and his brother both somehow survived the calamity and waged a desperate struggle for survival amid the ruins of their world, now overrun with Daemons. When Tethesis was possessed by a Daemon, Iliathin was forced to kill him. Afterwards, he managed to find shelter at an old temple which the Daemons refused to approach because the presence of the dying Aeldari gods could still be felt there.Contemplating suicide, Iliathin lived alone in the temple for several Terran years. His life was ultimately given new purpose by the feral Aeldari female child Faraethil. Though initially shunning the girl, when Faraethil was later assaulted by the hedonistic Aeldari survivors now calling themselves Drukhari, Iliathin renamed himself "Asurmen" after the chief god of the Aeldari Pantheon, Asuryan, and saved her. Asurmen agreed to take the girl as his disciple and they left the ruins of what was now the Crone World of Eidafaeron behind, eventually gathering to them more like-minded survivors of the Fall.Asurmen and his followers, including Jain Zar, Baharroth, Fuegan, and Arhra, established a new home on a barren moon they named Asur located in a region of the Webway and called themselves the Asurya, the "children of Asur." There, he created the Path of the Warrior and the first of what would become the Aspect Shrines, the Dire Avengers, which later became the most common of all the Asuryani Aspect Warriors.Asurmen found that he could not give up the Path of the Warrior to follow a different Asuryani Path, for he desired to use his skills to protect what remained of his species after the birth of Slaanesh, "She Who Thirsts." From the Shrine of Asur sprang the first Aspect Warriors, and the Path of the Warrior was opened for the very first time to all Craftworld Aeldari, who had now come to name themselves the "Eldar" among outsiders, a lesser name for a diminished people, though they preferred the term "Asuryani," the "Children of Asuryan," among themselves.Asurmen then travelled amongst more of the different surviving craftworlds of the uncorrupted Aeldari than any other member of his species, teaching those Craftworld Aeldari who wanted to learn the Dire Avengers' suite of combat skills. Those Craftworld Aeldari learned at the feet of their master, and in turn they assumed the mantle of Exarchs before spreading throughout the galaxy.The first Exarchs, the Asurya, were the first and greatest of Asurman's students and went on to become the Phoenix Lords of the other Aspect Shrines, the first masters of the other specialised Asuryani combat disciplines. It was then that the different Warrior Aspects were formalised within the culture of the Asuryani craftworlds, taking as their model the skills and teachings of their founders.The Aeldari world of Asur was later destroyed by the consequences of the Fall and Asurmen's first incarnation ended in battle against the Daemonic Chaos legions of Slaanesh trying to defend his homeworld, but this was not the end of Asurmen. There would always be another hero drawn to his mould who would take up the armoured suit and sacred battle-gear of the Hand of Asuryan once more and become the new Phoenix Lord of the Dire Avengers through countless lifetimes.Asurmen joined the Asurya in founding Aspect Shrines and raised more shrines on more craftworlds than any other Phoenix Lord. His shrines were all dedicated to his own varied combat skills, considered the most well-balanced amongst all the Aspects and his Aspect Warriors became the Dire Avengers.Soon he vanished again, but tales of his deeds persisted throughout the passing millennia. He was reported fighting against the forces of the Aeldari's Great Enemy in the depths of the Eye of Terror. He was also seen on the galaxy's rim in the Eastern Fringe slaying the agents of Chaos, and tales of his valour spread from craftworld to craftworld. His actions have even become legends among the "lesser races" such as Mankind.Asurmen appeared in the 41st Millennium under the command of his fellow Phoenix Lord Jain Zar, who is now pledged to the service of Ynnead, the awakening Aeldari god of the dead. Asurmen took part in the battle to defend the Ynnari against the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion and Tzeentchian Daemons in the Webway, though he vanished from sight to destinations unknown in the midst of the battle. |
Asurmen - Wargear: Phoenix Armour - Asurmen's ancient suit of Exarch Armour makes use of vambraces that possess integrated Shuriken Catapults. These weapons are connected in such a way that they can be fired by either hand without sacrificing accuracy. This arrangement also leaves his hand free so that he can grasp his Diresword with both hands. The helmet contains the Spirit Stones of Asurman which hold the souls of every Dire Avengers Exarch to become the Phoenix Lord since Asurmen left the First Shrine on Asur himself millennia ago.Sword of Asur - Asurmen carries the first known Aeldari Diresword, called the Sword of Asur, which contains the Spirit Stone of his long-dead brother, Tethesis, who was killed by a Daemon, that he might continue to fight against the minions of the Great Enemy until the end of time.Master-crafted Shuriken Pistol - Despite being the Phoenix Lord of a Warrior Aspect more renowned for delivering punishing short-range volleys of fire, Asurmen is a phenomenal opponent at close quarters, effortlessly switching between one-handed and two-handed fighting styles with the Sword of Asur and his ranged weapon. This master-crafted Shuriken Pistol serves him well as a secondary ranged weapon when he favours a one-handed fighting style. |
Asurmen - Rune: The rune worn by the Phoenix Lord Asurmen is an ancient symbol of the Aeldari warrior spirit.Representing the balance between the fury of emotion and the cold surety of skill, it is synonymous with the Path of the Warrior. |
Asuryan - Asuryan: Asuryan, sometimes called the "Phoenix King" and the "Father of the Aeldari," was the ruler and the most powerful deity of the pantheon of Aeldari gods. Asuryan is known as the father of the gods and the ancestor of all living things. He was believed to embody the psychic might of the whole universe. While the ancient Aeldari mythic cycles seem to indicate that he held sway over all other gods, he was nevertheless consumed by the Chaos God Slaanesh after the Fall of the Aeldari.Asuryan's twin brother is the god of war, Kaela Mensha Khaine. The goddess Gea is said to have held both Asuryan and Khaine as her double consorts.Asuryan is often depicted in relation to fire and light, his chief symbols. Asuryan is a key player in many of the legendary cycles of Aeldari Mythology. Asuryan was the third primary contributor of knowledge to the Aeldari, after Kurnous, the god of the hunt, and Isha, the goddess of the harvest. Among Asuryan's gifts to the early Aeldari after their creation was wisdom and the ability to manipulate psychic energy. The psychic power bound into the Aeldari by Asuryan brought both boon and bane. Though the Aeldari's lifespan and already potent mastery over psychic energies increased following Asuryan's gift, it also decreased their fertility, leading the species to begin a slow decline.In the wake of the Fall, the Asuryani craftworlds found a new way of life focused on the pursuit of highly-structured careers and interests intended to channel their extreme emotions and quest for perfection into constructive activities. These interests became known as the Asuryani Path, and the people of the craftworlds renamed themselves the Asuryani, "the Children of Asuryan." To outsiders they called themselves the Eldar for many Terran millennia, choosing a diminished name for a diminished people.Some of the Aeldari's greatest Farseers, like Eldrad Ulthran, theorised that when all the Farseers gather together and focus the psychic might granted to their species by Asuryan, they can create and accomplish anything, such as giving shape to Ynnead, the recently awakened Aeldari god of the dead, or perhaps even one day reviving Asuryan himself.Craftworld Iyanden's world-rune, "Light in the Darkness," is a reference to the ever-burning flame of the shrine of Asuryan which is maintained by that craftworld and is the most sacred place still dedicated to the Phoenix King among the Aeldari.The first Phoenix Lord Asurmen, the founder of the Path of the Warrior, acted as the immortal scion of Asuryan, who he chose as his patron.The Craftworld Aeldari created the Sunstorm Squadrons in recognition of the ancient tale of Asuryan battling the Destroyer of Worlds and took their name from the legendary solar flare or "sunstorm" that the Father of the Aeldari brought to bear in the battle that all but destroyed Kaelis Ra, the Aeldari name for the C'tan called the Nightbringer (see below). |
Asuryan - History: In the oldest myths of the Aeldari, it is said that the goddess of dreams and fortune Lileath had a vision of the future in which Khaine, the god of war and murder, would be torn asunder by an army of mortals. In his rage, the god of war turned his wrath against the Aeldari as their divine mother, the goddess of fertility, nature and healing Isha, wept tears for her children.The Phoenix King heard her cries and upon learning of Khaine's plans to exterminate all of the Aeldari, created a great barrier that separated the realm of the gods from mortals for all eternity, thus creating the barrier that still exists today between the Immaterium and realspace. After he crafted this barrier between the mortal Aeldari and their gods in the Warp, Asuryan's heart was said to be heavy with reluctance at the separation.Isha was left even more distraught after being separated from her children and thus she, along with her husband, Kurnous, the god of the hunt, went before Vaul, the god of crafts and smiths, who fashioned from her tears the Spirit Stones through which she spoke to the Aeldari. After overhearing Isha speaking to her mortal children, Khaine informed his brother. Asuryan was enraged that his command for the gods to stop interacting with mortals had been broken. In his anger at their betrayal, he told Khaine to do with Isha and Kurnous as he pleased.During the events of the Aeldari's mythological "War in Heaven" that followed, a battle raged between the gods and their mortal children and the race of immortal giants known as the Yngir (C'tan). This is believed by most Imperial scholars who have studied the Aeldari xenos to be a legendary remembrance of the actual ancient war between the Old Ones and the Necrontyr that is also called the War in Heaven by the Necrons of the 41st Millennium. According to the myth, at that time Asuryan came to regret his hasty condemnation of Isha and Kurnous to the tender mercies of the war god.Even so, he refused to take sides during the conflict and neither favoured Khaine nor the mortal children of Isha. In this way, he remained as the impartial lord of both sides.It was said that the Father of the Aeldari battled the Yngir Kaelis Ra, actually the C'tan better known as Aza'gorod, the Nightbringer, but neither side was able to gain supremacy. In desperation to save his children, Asuryan rearranged the suns themselves to create a constellation that spelt out an ill omen for his foe and harnessed their might into a solar flare that mortally wounded Kaelis Ra. |
Asuryani - Asuryani: The Asuryani (Aeldarix dolosus) ("Children of Asuryan" in the Aeldari Lexicon, pronounced "ah-SUR-ee-AH-nee"), also called Craftworld Aeldari as they were named before the fall of their lost realm, or the Eldar as they were long known to outsiders, or even the "Eldar of the Stars," are an ancient, humanoid alien species whose vast empire once extended the width and breadth of the known galaxy. The Asuryani are a kindred of the Aeldari species who now live on vast, city-like starships called craftworlds.The Aeldari Empire was without equal, and they counted themselves masters of the stars. But over ten Terran millennia ago, the Aeldari's overweening pride and their fall into hedonistic practices led to a cataclysm that all but eradicated their kind and led to the birth of the Chaos God Slaanesh.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, now calling themselves "Eldar" to outsiders and "Asuryani" among themselves, to flee upon gigantic, continent-size starships once used for commerce and trade that they named craftworlds. Now the Asuryani cling to survival by a thread, fighting the horrors of the galaxy with ritualised mental discipline and consummate martial 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.The Aeldari species has a long and complex spacefaring history, so long in fact that little is known for certain about the course of their physical evolution and early planet-bound existence. The original Aeldari homeworld was destroyed during the catastrophic collapse of the Aeldari civilisation known as the Fall of the Aeldari.The remnants of 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.As a humanoid race, Aeldari are physically very similar to Humans, although not entirely identical by any means. They possess longer and cleaner limbs, and fine ascetic features with penetrating and slightly slanted, almond-shaped eyes.Their ears are also slightly pointed, but otherwise they could pass as Human at first glance. The most obvious difference between Humans and Aeldari can only be seen when they move, for the movements of an Aeldari radiate a subtle grace which is impossible for a Human to emulate.This can be seen in even their slightest gestures or the dexterity with which they manipulate small objects.The Aeldari mind, while similar in general to the Human psyche, is far more inclined towards emotional extremes. Because of this, Aeldari are more intelligent but also far more intense than Humans.Although an Aeldari and a Human can both feel grief or joy, the Aeldari's experience is likely to be far more extreme.This natural inclination towards emotional extremes is both a blessing and a curse to the Aeldari. On the positive side, it gives them an unparalleled appreciation of life and an unrivalled ability to express themselves through music and other creative endeavours.A melody or gesture made with grace and skill can elicit an intensity of pleasure which is unimaginable to a Human.But this potential for joy is paralleled by an equal capacity to feel despair, ambition and even hatred. Confronted by grief or other personal setbacks, an Aeldari suffers mental torments which far exceed the boundaries of Human anguish.The extreme nature of their temperament makes it very important that the Aeldari maintain a measure of self-control at all times, for it is dangerously easy for them to become entranced by and ultimately dependent upon the experiences that their culture offers them.They must learn to control the darker side of their natures, which is no less an essential portion of the Aeldari psyche -- and the source of the catastrophe that nearly caused their extinction.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 this path. The Asuryani can use these innate abilities to shape matter, which lies at the foundation of their extraordinary command of technology.Though highly advanced and feared across the galaxy, the Craftworld Aeldari are still a dying people in the late 41st Millennium -- a shadow of their former glory -- and their species teeters on the brink of final annihilation. |
Asuryani - 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 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 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 kindreds, it has become common for many of the Asuryani 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." |
Asuryani - Anatomy and Physiology: Superficially, 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 a 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 Craftworld 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.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 "the 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 and fickleness, 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. |
Asuryani - History: The ancient history of the Eldar, or Aeldari as they were known before their Fall, 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.All of the Aeldari alive today are essentially a refugee population, the scattered remains of a formerly vast interstellar empire. Even in such straits, however, they are still a deadly and influential force in the galaxy. Once, over ten thousand Terran years past, the Aeldari were perhaps the most powerful starfaring species in existence, dominating a significant portion of the galaxy and secure in their prosperity.Although there were other intelligent races who possessed advanced technology and potent military power in the galaxy, none were in a position to seriously threaten the state of the Aeldari Empire. When it came, the disaster for the Aeldari people was self-inflicted.Lost in the vastness of space, the craftworlds float in utter isolation like scattered jewels upon a pall of velvet. Distant from the warmth of sun or planet, their domes gaze into the darkness of empty space. Inner lights glisten like phosphorus through semi-transparent surfaces. Within them live the survivors of a civilisation abandoned aeons ago amidst terrifying destruction.These are the Craftworld Aeldari or Asuryani, who for so long called themselves the Eldar to outsiders, a race that is all but extinct, the last remnants of a people whose mere dreams once overturned worlds and quenched suns. The starfaring history of the Aeldari is long indeed, and encompasses glories and sorrows alike.When their empire was at its height, their homeworlds were paradises, their powers godlike and their armies unsurpassed. As the centuries slid past, their status as lords of the galaxy bred an arrogance that led to a cataclysmic end.A proportion of their species 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, interdimensional realms of their own making. Yet there was no real escape from what was to come. |
Asuryani - Children of the Stars: Over a million Terran years ago, the Aeldari alone ruled the stars of the galaxy 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 species 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 real danger 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 that point in Aeldari history, nothing was beyond their 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.Even death was no barrier, for when their souls eventually left their mortal bodies they dissolved peacefully back into the Immaterium to be reborn again in new Aeldari bodies, for the Warp did not thirst for Aeldari souls then as it does today.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 and superiority. Even the greatest of all their wars, known 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. |
Asuryani - Descent into Decadence: The catalyst that brought about the Aeldari race's fall came from the very depths of the Aeldari's collective psyche, the innate need to fuel their passions and indulge in every extreme of sensation.The Aeldari had long outgrown the need for physical labour or manual agriculture due to the highly advanced and automated nature of their technology. Society society provided all the required necessities of life without individual effort, leaving long Terran centuries for the Aeldari to spend sating their every desire.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.With no need to perform substantial work or labour, the Aeldari began to pursue their curiosities and desires with all the dedication that only their species could muster. In the later days of Aeldari civilisation, cults devoted to exotic knowledge, physical pleasures, and ever-more outrageous forms of entertainment sprang up.It did not take long for many of the Aeldari to pursue a darker path to achieve instant fulfillment as they came to revel in unbridled hedonism and violence. 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.Many of the Aeldari grew uneasy with the actions of their comrades, and the wisest of the Seers warned that this path could lead only to evil and suffering for the entire species. As these pleasure 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 early on became known as Exodites, fleeing to found colony worlds on the fringes of the Aeldari Empire. As the civilisation slid further into anarchy, others repented of their ways in the days just before disaster struck and left the central worlds of their empire to settle in the outlying regions of the galaxy, where they built great worldships called craftworlds.Other Aeldari stayed on the homeworlds to try and alter the path their people had taken. Most continued to glut themselves on the pursuits of the depraved.The heartfelt 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, interdimensional realms within the Webway 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 people tightened its stranglehold, echoes of their ecstasy and agony began to ripple through time and space.In the parallel dimension of the Immaterium, the reflections of these intense experiences began to coalesce, for the shifting tides of the Empyrean can take form around intense emotion emitted by thinking beings in realspace. Slowly, silently, a nascent god of excess grew strong in the depths of the Warp. |
Asuryani - Birth of a Dark God: The torture cults eroded the future of the Aeldari as a viable galactic empire. While this debauchery would have been destructive within any society, it was even more damaging for the Aeldari because of their powerful psychic abilities. Within the parallel dimensional realm of the Warp, the psychic emanations of these perverse activities began to gather, strengthened by the souls of departed Aeldari hedonists and pleasure cultists.As the Aeldari's vices grew, this dark mass of negative psychic energy did as well, producing the terrible Warp Storms that defined Humanity's Age of Strife and made all interstellar travel and communication impossible for the human colonies of this period. 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 image, a god grown immense and potent by suckling upon the dark fodder of the Aeldari spirit.Eventually, this growing mass of negative psychic energy came into a life of its own and came to consciousness over ten thousand standard years ago at the end of the Age of Strife as the newborn Chaos God Slaanesh, the Devourer of Souls and the doom of the Aeldari. When Slaanesh finally burst into divine consciousness, there was not one Aeldari alive who did not feel its claws in his soul.With a howl of raw power, Slaanesh roared into supernatural life. A psychic implosion tore at the universe. The psychic scream of Slaanesh's birth ripped the souls from the bodies of all the Aeldari within a thousand light years of it, sparing only those sheltered in the wraithbone hulls of the craftworlds, the Exodite inhabitants of the farthest flung Maiden Worlds, and those members of the pleasure cults who had taken up residence in the protected sub-realms of the Webway like Commorragh.Countless billions of Aeldari screamed aloud and fell dead. 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 draught, Slaanesh, named by the Aeldari as "She Who Thirsts," laughed and looked upon a universe ripe for the taking. |
Asuryani - Fall of the Aeldari: The epicentre of the psychic apocalypse lay within the gilded heart of the Aeldari realms. All Aeldari within thousands of light years were reduced to lifeless husks, their souls forever claimed by the newborn Dark God. 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 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 races were obliterated as well. Warpspace convulsed as a cosmic hurricane raged across the galaxy. The fabric of reality was torn apart and the Warp spilled from the newborn dimensional rift into the material universe, turning hope into despair and paradise into hell.Psykers of all species 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;" the largest area in the galaxy where the Warp and the material universe overlap until the birth of the Great Rift in 999.M41.Within its reaches daemons bathe in the raw energy of the Warp, whilst Daemon Princes and the worshippers of Chaos rule over Aeldari planets turned into nightmare worlds of fire and darkness.For ten thousand long Terran years before the Fall, the Warp had been riven with storm and tempest, making it almost impossible for the vessels of the lesser races to travel 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 Chaos Gods. With the Warp Storms around ancient Terra dispersed, the Emperor of Mankind was able to launch His Great Crusade. 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 Imperium, and Mankind inherited the stars. |
Asuryani - The Fight for Survival: In the aftermath of what became known as the "Fall of the Aeldari," the Aeldari have faced a long and painful decline. On far-flung planets teeming with natural life, the Exodites have carved themselves a survivalist niche. Savage, primal places where everyday life was hard, these realms helped the Exodites to remain focussed on the ascetic lifestyle they had chosen.At first, many of their number fought and died against dangerous aliens such as the greenskinned Orks and even the soldiers of the nascent Imperium, but many others survived, reaching equilibrium and living in harmony with their adopted worlds.In the darkness of space, the remnants of the Aeldari Empire cling onto what was left of their once-mighty culture, preserving the art and architecture of their people within the craftworlds and passing their ancient history from generation to generation via song, dance and the recital of myths and parables. 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 and to somehow survive in a galaxy more hostile than ever.Cloistered deep within the hidden city-realms of the Webway, those survivors who concealed themselves in their palaces of depravity still revel in the debauched lifestyle that led to the Fall. In that twilight realm between the material universe and the Warp, the Drukhari mock and jeer those ravaged by the downfall of their race. Even though they would never admit it, they know in their hearts that, try as they might to allay their fate, Slaanesh will claim them in the end.The slow decline into powerlessness is what the Drukhari, the so-called "Dark Eldar," fear most of all, for in birthing Slaanesh from the endless tides of the Warp, the Aeldari have created their greatest enemy. Slaanesh, in its dire awakening, has developed a taste for the souls of the Aeldari.Where before, when an Aeldari died, their soul would pass peacefully into the Warp in order to be reborn and reincarnated ina new body a short time later, now they face eternal torment, for Slaanesh has a perverse and twisted appetite that can never be sated.Unless extraordinary measures have been taken to prevent it, whenever an Aeldari dies, Slaanesh will be waiting on the other side to consume them. She Who Thirsts will not rest until it has claimed every Aeldari soul in the galaxy. The Aeldari are doomed, and they know it well. |
Asuryani - 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 no longer theirs. In the bloody wake of the Fall, 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.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. Raw manpower is the Imperium's greatest strength, but also its weakness. The teeming armies of Mankind, carving up the galaxy with the enthusiasm of a demented butcher, have swept aside many dangers whilst stamping their mark upon the stars.In the process they have awoken many more. Now, more than ever, the gods of Chaos find the galaxy ripe for conquest, for weak-willed humans make easy playthings, and they are truly without number. The Aeldari see in Humanity their own failings and fear the bitter destiny that they will reap, for the race of Man unknowingly feeds the Dark Gods with their constant wars and the rich fodder of extreme and dark emotion that results.The Ork race has spread across the galaxy from end to end, fighting with insane vigour purely for the sake of violence itself. 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. Should the Ork hordes unite their efforts, all the artifice and cunning of the Aeldari would not be enough to stop them from drowning the galaxy in blood.As the 41st Millennium draws to a close, new foes and old emerge in force -- foremost amongst them, the invasion fleets of the Tyranids. As hostile and inimicable to life as a plague made flesh, the Hive Mind has crossed the interstellar void purely to feed. Each craftworld and Exodite planet represents a bounty of biomass the Hive Fleets covet greatly. They will expend billions of weapon-beasts in order to devour Aeldari realms, fashioning ever deadlier creatures from the remains of their foes.However, at least the Tyranids are confined to the fringes of the galaxy. Not so the Aeldari's oldest enemies. From their tombs the dread Necrons awake -- nigh-immortal foes from before the Fall, their lords eager to renew their timeless war against the Aeldari race.For those Aeldari who yet survive, war is their only hope. Their foes -- both new and old -- lack the technology, wisdom and skill of the Children of the Stars; in numbers alone are their enemies insurmountable. Even when staring extinction in the face, the Aeldari will not flee nor yield. They are a proud people, determined that the flame of the craftworlds blaze brightly once more rather than flicker and die out. |
Asuryani - The Dathedian: Towards the end of the 41st Millennium, the galaxy was all but split in half by the Great Rift. To the Aeldari it was known as the Dathedian, and as a highly psychically attuned species, the aetheric phenomena that accompanied it affected them most of all.The Cicatrix Maledictum, that great tear across the fabric of time and space, has further divided the fractious kindreds of the Aeldari species. After the coming of that celestial cataclysm, the Aeldari craftworlds sent out psychic communiques, reaching out to one another across the void. Two of the world-ships did not respond, their spiritual traces dwindling with every passing hour. Some amongst the Spiritseers of the Asuryani believe their souls have empowered Ynnead, the god of the dead, and that those craftworlders will never be seen again.To a stellar empire as large as the Imperium of Man, this would have been considered acceptable losses, for Humanity's realm contains a million worlds and more. For the Asuryani it was a cost so high it wrenched at the heart. Perhaps one day the lost craftworlds would return, just as Altansar was drawn from the gullet of the Warp by the odyssey of the Phoenix Lord Maugan Ra. But for now, they were gone.Far from uniting the survivors against the tide of Chaos spilling into the galaxy, that great loss fomented discord, and the rift between the factions of the Aeldari grew all the wider. Simple geography was itself a contributing factor, for the craftworlds were too far scattered across the galaxy to easily unite, and even the Aeldari paths through the Webway -- that maze of metaphysical pathways that spanned the interstice between realspace and the Warp -- were now battered and torn at by the raging fury of the empyrean.Though the Harlequins continued to walk that strange unrealm at will and do what they could to unite the Asuryani and Commorrite Drukhari in purpose, the resentment and isolationism that had long characterised the fractured Aeldari species only worsened.In the cultural hearts of the Aeldari peoples, the wound of the Dathedian festered in silence. No civilisation could look upon a sky mauled by the Warp-stuff of Chaos and not feel affected by it. To a people as sensitive to psychic energies as the Aeldari, the scar in reality was a constant dull ache in the mind, a reminder of all they had lost.Perhaps it would never have existed at all were it not for the formation of the Eye of Terror, born from the sickening cataclysm of Slaanesh's birth. Across the galaxy, nightmares of guilt, doubt and surging aggression wracked Aeldari and Drukhari alike, and they steeped themselves in battle against tides of Chaos-worshippers in the hopes of assuaging these negative emotions.A new era of war began as the turmoil within was turned into merciless strikes against ancient enemies, emerging foes and former allies. Much of the blame for the disastrous events was put at the door of the rapidly growing Ynnari movement and, by association, upon Biel-Tan.There, the populace had been divided between fervent support for Yvraine, the leader of the Ynnari, and the outright condemnation that followed her visitation -- coinciding as it did with the subsequent invasion of the craftworld by a ravening Slaaneshi horde and the fracturing of its Infinity Circuit.Amidst that appalling catastrophe a new strand of fate was revealed, one that some believed would lead the Aeldari race to greatness once more. The being that Yvraine summoned from within Biel- Tan's broken wraithbone skeleton was an Avatar, of a sort, and its very existence was proof of Ynnead having stirred from his slumber. There was a chance that the Whispering God could save their souls from She Who Thirsts once and for all. |
Asuryani - Psychic Awakening: Barring only those dark kin of Commorragh whose powers have atrophied, all Aeldari possess some degree of psychic ability. Since the Great Rift split the galaxy, those gifts have burgeoned in a variety of different ways.It is generally accepted amongst the Farseers of the craftworlds that this is a direct result of the Dathedian introducing a vast bleed of psychic energy into the galaxy. Of all the Aeldari, the craftworlders are most in tune with matters psychic, and without the Asuryani Path system -- that cultural process by which an Asuryani focuses his or her mind upon a single pursuit or skill to avoid the temptation of all others -- they may have found this flare of psychic activity maddening, and possibly even disastrous.Yet the discipline of the Path was developed precisely to turn the Aeldari mind into a fortress against such unfettered activity. Of all the civilisations in the galaxy, the Asuryani could be said to have ridden out the swell of psychic energy the best, for in many ways they had been ready for it. Their entire culture was built around discipline, guardianship and self-denial, to prevent their worst excesses rising to doom them all.Those Asuryani who trod the Witch Path found their prophetic glimpses escalating into full and potent visions, magnifying their ability to parse the skeins of fate and react accordingly. On every craftworld their Runes of Warding burned out at a daunting rate, the protective symbols being used up almost as fast as they could be regrown from psycho-reactive material. But for now at least, the inner psychic threat posed by their daemonic nemeses was held at bay.With this influx of psychic energy came other new abilities for the Asuryani. Even those warlike souls who honed their physical skills over the mental found their talents blossoming when they brought the two into perfect balance. Aspect Warriors channelled the echoes of the Aeldari war god Khaine and focused the resultant energies through the lenses of their glorious Exarch leaders.When Howling Banshees charged en masse, the wind itself screamed its fury alongside them; when Striking Scorpions gathered in the shadowed recesses of the battlefield, they became all but invisible to the naked eye until they leapt from cover and fell upon the foe.Always the Asuryani had possessed such powers and employed them in battle, yet now they manifested in a heightened and doubly lethal form. Everywhere potential turned to talent, talent to mastery, mastery to supernatural prowess. The stage was set for the sacred phoenix of the Aeldari people to rise once more. |
Asuryani - The Ynnari: Some amongst the imperilled Aeldari species believe they can be saved from the brink of oblivion by the awakening of Ynnead, the Aeldari god of the dead. By harnessing the strange spirit magic of this rising deity and drawing upon the energies of the Aeldari dead, they wage their crusade with exceptional vigour and aggression.It has been said for millennia that the Aeldari pantheon of gods is long shattered, destroyed by their mortal followers' hubris and the galactic terror that is Slaanesh. The ascension of She Who Thirsts was a cataclysm of galaxy-splitting magnitude. In a single instant, the psychic shock wave of the Dark God's birth destroyed the most part of the Aeldari Empire and triggered a permanent Warp Storm of unprecedented size -- the Eye of Terror.But the true doom of the Aeldari came in a more insidious form. As the Asuryani tell it, their metaphysical cycle of reincarnation into new bodies after their souls passed into the Warp for a time was severed by the violence of Slaanesh's birth, and the gods that once ruled over them were consumed. After a titanic duel with Slaanesh, Khaela Mensha Khaine -- the Aeldari god of war -- was shattered into a thousand pieces that would take refuge in the Infinity Circuits of the craftworlds.The others members of their pantheon, barring the Laughing God Cegorach, were devoured by the newly emergent Slaanesh. From that point on, when an Aeldari died, their soul would enter the Warp and likewise be consumed by She Who Thirsts, a destiny far worse than mere oblivion.The various factions of the Aeldari have sought ways to escape this fate, or at least allay it for a time. The Asuryani, for instance, wear psychocrystalline Waystones that act as safe havens, absorbing their souls upon the moment of death.Later these Spirit Stones are interred within a craftworld's Infinity Circuit, allowing the soul to transfer to a construct of relative safety and from then on spend existence in a safe but lifeless grey limbo.The Drukhari instead ensure others suffer in their stead, drawing on the psychic energy emitted by their pain to perpetually lengthen their lives. This is a devil's bargain that only postpones their inevitable consumption by Slaanesh. Small wonder that many Aeldari hailing from either faction were quick toseize on the possibility that there was another way to evade their nemesis -- and perhaps conquer it forever. This they called Ynnead.There is an ancient and controversial school of thought regarding mortality in Asuryani society, recently brought back to prominence by the prophecies of Kysaduras the Anchorite. It posits that when every one of the Aeldari species has died and passed into the Infinity Circuits of the craftworlds,their departed spirits will form a gestalt consciousness. In doing so they will awaken and empower a new Aeldari god, a deity of the dead with the power to defeat Slaanesh and end She Who Thirsts' baleful curse.Some amongst the Asuryani claim that though the time of ending is nigh, not all Aeldari must die to escape Slaanesh's clutches -- that there is a hidden path to be found amongst the darkness. Foremost amongst these is Eldrad Ulthran, the High Farseer of Craftworld Ulthwé.Upon the crystal sands of the moon of the Imperial world of Port Demesnus, Coheria, Eldrad put into motion the grand plan that would alter thecourse of his people's destiny. Under the cover of their roving visitations, the Harlequin Masque of the Midnight Sorrow -- acting on the instructions ofEldrad -- abducted the crystallised bodies of long-departed Farseers from each Asuryani craftworld's Dome of Crystal Seers. These they took to Coheria, for Eldrad had identified the moon as a site of extreme psychic potential.By harnessing Coheria's pure crystal sands and using each grain as a miniature Spirit Stone, Eldrad intended to perform a grand ritual wherein he would summon every departed spirit from every craftworld at the same time. The stolen Farseers' crystalline remains would provide potent hyperspatial links -- though the transfer would rob all power and light from the donor craftworlds for a time, Eldrad judged the sacrifice worthwhile.With such a vast concentration of departed souls in one place at one time, the High Farseer intended to awaken Ynnead prematurely and set him against the Aeldari's eternal nemesis.Perhaps, if Eldrad's machinations had been completed, he would have succeeded in his immensely ambitious plan. But the elite Imperial xenos-hunters of the Deathwatch had followed the actions of the Ulthwéans for many Terran years. Led by the prescient Brother-Captain Artemis, they launched a sudden strike against Eldrad and his allies just as he was conducting his grand ritual.Forced to protect himself from a searing plasma blast, the High Farseer lost focus. In the swirling tides of the Warp, the composite sentience of slumbering Ynnead stirred, but did not awaken. From that partial apotheosis a fragment of the greater consciousness was born -- an animus that soon possessed a warrior-dancer known as Yvraine who was fighting in the arenas of Commorragh. She became the high priestess of a new Aeldari religion, and has since led her followers across the stars, uniting Asuryani and Drukhari behind her as she goes.After becoming invested with Ynnead's power during what became kwown as the "Night of Revelations," Yvraine became able to draw the departing Aeldari souls of those around her into herself, where they live on -- not as half-real revenants or echoes of a former glory, but as willing allies. To outsiders, it seems as if Yvraine is talking to herself, listening to voices only she can hear, or changing personality in a heartbeat.Those who do not know of her creed think her insane, but the Ynnari know the truth: Yvraine's body harbours not just her own soul, but many others.The Ynnari or "Reborn" who follow Yvraine's lead -- the devoted warrior known as the Visarch and the dread Avatar known as the Yncarne foremost amongst them -- share her uncanny ability. They wear the Spirit Stones of the dead upon their person,drawing upon the energy and wisdom of the departed in times of need. With the doom of the Aeldari close at hand, their need for that deathly strength is greater than ever before. |
Asuryani - Notable Events: The once-glorious history of the Aeldari is preserved only in myth; most of the truths of ages past have long been lost. In the millennia since the Fall, the Craftworld Aeldari have been locked in an endless struggle to survive, and they have no choice but to fight with every weapon at their disposal.An Empire Ascendant (ca. M15 - M20) - The Aeldari Empire reaches its zenith in terms of territory acquired and cultural and technological achievement. The Eldar of this age refer to themselves by their original species name of "Aeldari."Darkness Rising (ca. M18 - M30) - Throughout the Aeldari civilisation, a profound degradation in moral discipline sets in. Over the Terran millennia, there is a gradual slide into sensual excess. With the rise of the Cults of Pleasure, the worship of the Aeldari gods declines. Slowly, the foundations of the once-great empire start to crumble. As the Aeldari's quest for excess crosses the line into outright evil, a perverse new god begins to form in the Warp.The Hidden Kin (ca. M18 - M20) - The Aeldari Cults of Pleasure slowly take over the lawless port-cities of the Webway. Many of the leaders of the Aeldari Empire are among them. The largest and most influential, Commorragh, becomes synonymous with vice. The forefathers of the Drukhari are born.A Sickness of the Spirit (ca. M18 - M29) - The sheer luxury and indolence of the technologically advanced Aeldari Empire breeds a combination of curiosity and complacency amongst the Aeldari.The Great Exodus (ca. M30 - M31) - Those Aeldari able to see the rotten core of their empire for what it truly is flee. First to leave are the Exodites, followed not long after by the Craftworld Aeldari.Fall of the Aeldari (ca. M30 - M31) - The core of the Aeldari Empire is consumed by the cataclysmic birth-screams of the Chaos God Slaanesh. Trillions of sentient beings die as the centre of the empire -- over a thousand worlds -- collapses into the Immaterium, leaving the Eye of Terror and the Crone Worlds in its place. The unified Aeldari civilisation shatters, and the psychic backlash of Slaanesh's ascendance curses the immortal souls of all those Aeldari who survive to be subject to consumption by the Dark God upon death. The survivors of the Fall, regardless of faction, begin to refer to themselves as "Eldar" to mark the loss of their past. The Aeldari species' long battle against extinction begins.The Rise of Humanity (ca. M30 - M31) - The Warp Storms isolating the Human homeworld of Terra are swept away by the violence of Slaanesh's birth and the Emperor of Mankind unites Humanity in conquest during the Great Crusade under the aegis of the newborn Imperium of Man. Their stranglehold on space travel broken, the Aeldari are powerless to stop it.The Pride of the Phoenix (ca. M31) - Farseer Eldrad Ulthran of Craftworld Ulthwé contrives a parley with Fulgrim, the primarch of the Emperor's Children Legion, to warn him of the tendrils of Chaos already corrupting the Legiones Astartes. Tragically, the Asuryani's warnings fall upon deaf ears. They remain largely uninvolved in the great slaughter of the Horus Heresy that ensues.The Shattering of Lugganath (764.M34) - The Emperor's Children Traitor Legion ravages Craftworld Lugganath in Slaanesh's name, killing thousands of Eldar before the hedonistic Chaos Space Marines are repelled.The Ghoul Star Supernova (818.M35)The Ghostly Harvest (334.M36) - Twelve Alaitoc Wraithknights plunder Waystones from the ruins of Belial IV. The cavorting daemon hosts of the Crone World in the Eye of Terror attack in force, but the Eldar are able to forge a path back to their Webway portal and escape unharmed.War in the Webway (514.M38) - The Craftworld Eldar of Ulthwé and the Dark Eldar Jade Knife Kabal of Commorragh battle for dominance within the shattered spars of the Webway. An uneasy truce is called only when the death toll becomes unbearable for both sides.A Cruel Thirst (487-492.M39)The Sons of Khaine (741.M41) - A conclave of Autarchs decide the "lesser races" of the galaxy must be shown their place, leading to a great surge of Eldar taking the Path of the Warrior.The Coming of the Great Devourer (745.M41) - The Seers of the Eldar lament as the true magnitude of the encroaching Tyranid Hive Fleets becomes horribly clear.Maedrax Stirs (783.M41) - Eldrad Ulthran brings about the destruction of the Necron Tomb World of Maedrax before Imperial Explorators awaken it fully. In doing so, the Eldar uncover a vast Necron Dynasty that spans the star system.The Death of Gnosis Prime (786.M41) - Autarch Zephyrblade's warhost sweeps down upon the Imperial world of Gnosis Prime, outmanoeuvring its lumbering human armies at every turn. In alliance with Dark Eldar raiders, the Autarch sees the world brought to the brink of destruction.The Hounds of Khorne (794.M41) - Caelec the Wanderer, a famed Eldar explorer, breaches a sealed runic portal, only to find it leads to Khorne's realm. A warband of hound-headed fiends, Flesh Hounds, slays Caelec and follows his scent to his home Craftworld of Yme-Loc, causing utter carnage before it is finally banished to the ether.Fist of the Machine God (801.M41) - When Craftworld Yme-Loc refuses to yield its technological secrets to an Adeptus Mechanicus war fleet, battle breaks out within the armouries of Vaul. Millions die before the Tech-priests seize enough advanced Eldar technology to sate their predatory curiosity for forbidden xenostech.The Doom of Malan'tai (812.M41) - The Craftworld Malan'tai was destroyed by a splinter of the Tyranid Hive Fleet Naga and was the location of the first known encounter with the potent Tyranid Zoanthrope later called the "Doom of Malan'tai" by the Eldar. The derelict Craftworld became nothing more than a drifting, lifeless husk floating through the void. In 994.M41, Craftworld Iyanden came to Malan'tai to see if its people could find anything of use to help with repairs of their home after their recent battle with Hive Fleet Kraken, but instead, they found the abandoned Craftworld swarming with vile Orks. When the Eldar finally regained control of Malan'tai, they discovered that the Orks had stolen or destroyed anything of use. With heavy hearts, they altered the abandoned Craftworld's course towards the nearest sun and headed home.The Twin Betrayals (845.M41)The Perfect War (891.M41) - Upon the sludge-planet of Yurk, an army of Orks is engaged and destroyed by Craftworld Iyanden without Eldar loss. The pinpoint precision of the Eldar assault prevents the Yurkoid WAAAGH! and saves a virgin Eldar colony from destruction.Scorpion's Sting (928.M41) - Karandras duels his predecessor as Phoenix Lord of the Striking Scorpions Aspect Warriors, Arhra, the Father of Scorpions, in the ruins of the lost Craftworld of Zandros.Roar of the Beast (941.M41) - Whilst preventing a WAAAGH! that would have strayed into the path of Craftworld Idharae, Eldrad Ulthran of Ulthwé raises the Ork Warlord Ghazghkull Thraka to prominence, capsizing a huge swathe of the Imperium in the process.Time of Ending (991.M41) - The Eldar mystic Kysaduras the Anchorite proclaims the End Times to have begun. After lengthy meditation alongside Eldrad Ulthran of Ulthwé, he preaches to the High Seers of that Craftworld that the Eldar's only hope of survival lies with the awakening of Ynnead, the nascent Eldar God of the Dead.The Doom of Iyanden (992.M41) - Craftworld Iyanden is locked in a death-struggle against Hive Fleet Kraken. As the Craftworld teeters on the brink, the infamous Eldar Corsair Prince Yriel rallies the desperate defenders and slays the monstrous Hive Tyrant leading the invasion, saving his people.Sanctity Breached (998.M41) - At great cost, the Eldar defend the sacred Black Library in the Webway from the Chaos Sorcerer Ahriman of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion who seeks to claim its vast knowledge of Chaos for himself.The Bio-Purge (778.999.M41) - Using the Dark Eldar device known as the Fireheart that was capable of destroying the core of a planet, Craftworlds Biel-Tan and Iyanden unite in an uneasy alliance with their dark kin of Commorragh in the incineration of Dûriel and dozens of Imperial and Ork-held worlds within the Octarius System. In doing so, they deny Hive Fleet Leviathan precious biomass and bring about the destruction of one of its tendrils.Chaos Ascendant (999.M41) - Abaddon the Despoiler, the Warmaster of Chaos, launches the greatest invasion of realspace ever seen, his 13th Black Crusade. Ulthwé has waited long for this moment, and leads the Craftworlds to war. The Eldar cause horrific damage to the Chaos Space Marine Traitor Legions on dozens of worlds, suffering untenable casualties in their turn as the minions of the Great Enemy fight back. The death toll rises ever higher, with no end in sight.Rise of the Phoenix (999.M41) - The Eldar Phoenix Lords gather together for the first time in millennia.The Awakening of Ynnead (999.M41) - Ynnead, the Eldar God of the Dead, awakens within the Warp due to the actions of the Farseer Eldrad Ulthran on the crystal moon of Coheria at the Battle of Port Demesnus and chooses Yvraine, the Daughter of Shades, a child of both the Craftworlds and Commorragh, as his priestess and prophet. She founds a new Eldar faction, the Ynnari, the "Reborn," and for the first time since the Fall unites members of all the Eldar cultures under one banner. She calls on the Eldar to revive the legacy of the Aeldari and even to readopt the ancient name of the race for their own. For the first time in 10,000 Terran years, the Eldar dare to hope that the future offers more than extinction... |
Asuryani - Asuryani Technology: No other intelligent race of the Milky Way Galaxy has ever replicated the Aeldari's unique approach to technology, nor have the Aeldari applied knowledge from the "primitive" races that have inherited the galaxy in the wake of the fall of their empire. The brutality and ignorance of Mankind appalls the Asuryani, whilst in return the aloof arrogance and fickle nature of the Aeldari race fosters little trust in others.Asuryani technology adheres closely to natural biological shapes and structures. This is quite understandable, as there is no real difference between technology and nature in the Aeldari mind -- they are a single process by which the Aeldari imbue living things with function and functional things with life.The materials the Asuryani use in their engineering are complex and varied ectoplastics that can be formed into solid shapes under psychic pressure. In some respects they are more like living tissue than inert substances, growing and reacting to their environment in a similar way to plants. The completed device or artefact may work in a conventional manner, but it is always operated by psychic means.The greatest of the materials the Asuryani employ is called wraithbone: an immensely resilient substance that is grown rather than made, more resilient than adamantium and far more flexible. When a wraithbone construct is damaged, it will gradually repair itself, a process that can be accelerated by the psychic chanting of an artisan known as a Bonesinger. Because of this, the greatest Asuryani war-constructs and the craftworlds themselves are made almost entirely from wraithbone, giving them extreme durability and strength.As part of their potent psychic inheritance, one ability common to many Asuryani is called psychomorphism by the Human magi biologis of the Adeptus Mechanicus. In crude terms, this gives the Asuryani the psychic ability to shape matter and create simple artefacts from basic raw materials.More complex items can be made by several individuals with the ability working together or with the aid of forging machines that enhance the creative process. Asuryani can also move small objects using a form of psychokinesis and it is by this means that they build their most sophisticated devices.Some Asuryani can influence the structure of growing matter by a form of empathic telepathy. This empathic ability may have been particularly important during the early development of the Aeldari race, enabling them to promote the fertility and fruitfulness of edible crops and reshape the growth of trees to make simple shelters.During their primitive evolutionary stage, the Aeldari undoubtedly benefitted greatly from these abilities. The first Aeldari villages and towns are supposed to have been living structures grown from trees, often covering many square Terran kilometres and reaching high into the air. Structures like this can still be found on worlds colonised by the Aeldari Exodites in later times and aming the ruined cities of the lost Crone Worlds of the Aeldari Empire in the Eye of Terror.Because of their natural psychic abilities, the Aeldari learned how to make and shape raw materials at a very early stage of cultural development. By means of their mental abilities they were able to refine materials and shape the resulting metals and stone into whatever they desired. Asuryani technology thus has a very ancient history and the pace of its progress was closely tied to the slow overall evolutionary and cultural development of their species.There was never a sharply defined industrial phase of Aeldari history, as there was for the Humans of Old Earth during the Age of Terra, but rather a steady growth in competence and knowledge over a very long period of time.A particularly Aeldari aspect of all their technology is that its forms often adhere closely to natural biological shapes and structures found in the living world, as noted above. This is quite understandable, as there is no real difference between inorganic technology and nature in the Aeldari mind as there is to Humans -- they amalgamate into a single process by which the Aeldari imbue living things with function and functional things with life. |
Asuryani - Unique Asuryani Technology: Asuryani WargearShuriken Weapons - The standard weapon of the Asuryani military forces are shuriken weapons, armaments that use gravitic forces to fire thin discs only a single molecule thick at the enemy. These discs are so thin that they are usually fired in bursts. The Asuryani use these weapons in the form of pistols, cannons, and a light carbine known as a Shuriken Catapult.Spirit Stones - When the Aeldari die, their souls are in danger of being devoured in the Warp by the Chaos God Slaanesh. To prevent this, the Asuryani created special Spirit Stones, which capture and contain the psychic energy that comprises their souls at the moment of death. These stones are then collected and inserted into a craftworld's "Infinity Circuit", where they may rest along with the spirits of their ancestors. In times of need, the Spirit Stones of the craftworld's strongest warriors may be taken from the Infinity Circuit and placed inside wraithbone automatons such as the Wraithguard, Wraithlord and Wraithknight, to once again fight in defence of the craftworld, though most Asuryani find this process deeply distasteful and akin to necromancy.Webway - The Asuryani cannot travel through Warpspace in the same way the starships of the Imperium do, because they lack the equivalent of Navigators, making the trip extremely dangerous for a journey of any more than a few light years at a time. Instead they rely on a system of transportation through the Warp known as the Webway. The Webway is best imagined as a vast and tangled network of doorways connected through the Warp between fixed points in realspace, by which the Asuryani can travel far more rapidly than most other starfaring races.The Webway's technology is based on that of the Old Ones, who first developed a very similar system of transportation using Warp Gates and imparted the technology to the Aeldari after their creation. However, if there is not a Warp Gate near an Asuryani's destination, or the one present is not big enough to permit the necessary forces to pass through, they are at a disadvantage. Much of the Webway has fallen into obscurity and disrepair, with tunnels and doorways sealed or broken. This often forces the Asuryani to make connecting stops on their way to their destination. Finally, it is said that the fabled Black Library, a hidden craftworld that serves as a storehouse for all the accumulated knowledge of the Aeldari about Chaos, resides somewhere within the Webway, though only the Harlequins know exactly where.Wraithbone - This is the main construction material of the Craftworld Aeldari, and the staple of their psycho-technic engineering. It is brought forth into the physical world from the Warp and shaped by Bonesingers through the use of their well-trained psychomorphic power. It is used to create the craftworlds of the Asuryani, their tanks and other vehicles, constructs such as the Wraithguard and Wraithlords, as well as their weapons, tools and armour. Wraithbone is a psychically conductive material and so not only provides the structure for things built of it, but also can be used for power distribution and communications. Wraithbone is a highly resilient material, and capable of limited self-repair when exposed to psychic energy. It, and the other building materials of the Asuryani, will grow and react more like organic tissue and plants than the inorganic building materials of other races.Blackstone Fortress (Talisman of Vaul) - The Blackstone Fortresses were originally created by the Old Ones as weapons in the first war against the C'tan, and were known to the ancient Aeldari as the "Talismans of Vaul." To capitalise on the C'tan's vulnerability to psychic attacks using Warp energy, the fortresses were equipped with a Warp-cannon that could create a devastating rip in physical space and an eruption of psychic energy out of the Immaterium. The fortresses have since fallen into the hands of the Imperium and the Chaos Space Marines, and have influenced two of the most recent major wars of the Imperium of Man, including the Gothic War and the 13th Black Crusade. |
Asuryani - Remnants of Glory: Remnants of Glory are items of incredible rarity and power, each one an echo of the ancient Aeldari Empire's might. During times of great need, each craftworld brings out even the most prized of artefacts from their armouries.Kurnous' Bow - Aeldari myth recounts how Kurnous hunted across the stars and fashioned an arrow specific to each prey he sought. When loosed from his bow, these slaying missiles would seek out the weakness in their target, finding gaps in defences to reach the soft flesh beneath. Kurnous' Bow is a Shuriken Pistol created long ago in honour of these ancient tales. Its psycho-sympathetic ammunition reacts to the vulnerabilities of the foe, turning a shot that should have merely wounded into a killing blow.Shard of Anaris - When the war god Kaela Mensha Khaine slew the mortal warrior Eldanesh, he took the sword Anaris and claimed it as his own. When Khaine was shattered in battle with Slaanesh within the Warp, Anaris too was splintered, the fragments of both blade and wielder coming to rest within the craftworlds. Legend tells that the Shard of Anaris was then crafted into a blade to be borne by the Aeldari's mightiest warriors.Uldranorethi Long Rifle - Uldanoreth was an Asuryani Outcast whose wanderlust drove him to tread the stars. He braved the dangers of a thousand worlds, surviving only on his wits and ingenuity. Whilst on his long journeys, Uldanoreth perfected the art of the long-range attack, and crafted a formidable weapon capable of sniping enemies from incredible distances.Faolchú's Wing - When the mortal warrior Eldanesh fell battling Khaine, the great falcon Faolchú, Eldanesh's companion, was disconsolate. Faolchú gifted a single golden pinfeather to Eldanesh's heirs, that perhaps its swiftness might aid them where her own had failed. Legend tells that this artefact Jump Pack is that selfsame token of grief, handed down through generations of Aeldari, and surviving even the tumult of the Fall of the Aeldari.Firesabre - Many legends speak of Draoch-var, the great drake whose ethereal fires reduced the great forests of Velorn to inert ash, and whose wrathful strength toppled the pillars of the Temple of Isha. Reputedly, this Aeldari power sword was forged from Draoch's razored fang in celebration of Ulthanesh's victory. It burns with a fury that can never be quenched, and its fire spreads like a living thing.The Phoenix Gem - At the height of the War in Heaven, Asuryan himself was laid low by the chill blades of his foes. To save her beloved, Isha drew down the heat of a hundred stars into a glittering gem. The light and heat that had once nurtured countless planets drove the unnatural chill from the Phoenix King's bones and returned him to his people and his consort. It is said that the Phoenix Gem is the only surviving fragment of this ancient stone. Even now, millions of years hence, it can still return life to the fallen...The Spirit Stone of Anath'lan - Anath'lan was once one of Craftworld Biel-Tan's most skilled Farseers. Alas, pride caused him to misread the runes, dooming a Maiden World to a bitter demise. Unable to forgive himself, Anath'lan died of grief. His Spirit Stone refused to bond with the Biel-Tani Infinity Circuit, and to this day guides other Asuryani psykers away from the error that led to his own disgrace.Swiftshroud of Alanssair - Long before the first cameleoline cloak there was the Shiftshroud of Alanssair -- a garment that didn't so much camouflage or obscure its wearer as shift them from their plane of existence. Made using secrets gleaned from starfarers far more ancient than they, anyone wrapped in its fibres could all but disappear from plain sight. At one time some dozen such Shiftshrouds could be found preserved beneath crystal in Alaitoc; now, all but one remains, the others lost to the ages. Should a commander of Alaitoc have need of this powerful relic, they will withdraw it from the world-ship's deepest vault.Burnished Blade of Aliarna - The Aeldari hero known as Eliarna predates the Fall by many thousands of Terran years. As the tale is told, she was the greatest of warriors -- a precursor to the Howling Banshees with her finely honed bladecraft. To combat the Ork menace that beset many Aeldari kingdoms, Eliarna had forged a weapon imbued with eldritch properties especially deadly to the greenskins. Made of some unknown metal, this power sword gleams like a star, and the quiet hum of its energy field rises in volume in the presence of Orks. To this day, the Burnished Blade of Eliarna is still used by the greatest of warriors of Biel-Tan, and the weapon's keen blade still thirsts for Ork blood.Psytronome of Iyanden - The Asuryani psychic engineers known as Bonesingers are patient artisans who understand that true craftsmanship takes time. Growing and shaping wraithbone is both art and science, and cannot be rushed without ill effects. Yet the times have grown dire, and needs dictate that the artefact known as the Psytronome be removed from beneath its dome of preservation on Iyanden and taken to battle. Very much a weapon of last resort, the small pendant pulses when activated, resonating at such a frequency that its vibrations echo through all realms, including the Warp. For reasons unknown, this regular thrum boosts the growth and vitality of wraithbone, but such unnatural vigour comes at a cost. After an unprecedented burst of energy, the wraithbone becomes brittle, often cracking open.Novalance of Saim-Hann - To earn the right to bear the Laser Lance called the Novalance, a Saim-Hann warrior must win the clan challenge known as Tionchar. To all appearances, the weapon appears like any other of its kind, yet upon impact the release of pent-up energy burns brighter than a sun. A single blow from this fabled weapon has shattered battle tanks and toppled even Space Marine Dreadnoughts.Ghosthelm of Alishazier - The millennia-old Farseer Alishazier of Ulthwé harboured a deep terror that she would one day join the ranks of her crystallised predecessors. Unable to accept such a fate, she invested her psyche into the circuitry network of her ghosthelm, so that her spirit might forever keep others walking her Path of the Seer safe from harm.Blazing Star of Vaul - The Bonesinger Keáirde was the most famed of the weapon smiths from before the Fall, and his works have never been duplicated. The shuriken fired from Shuriken Weapons he crafted are infused with his peerless spirit, and leave contrails of light in their wake. So rapidly can they shoot that it is akin to a meteor storm, and to this day the few surviving weapons of his craft are still known collectively as Blazing Stars of Vaul.Shimmerplume of Achillrial - Achillrial was a fearless champion of great renown and one of the first of the Asuryani Autarchs. Upon his appointment to the Path of Command he was gifted a helm that could capture light itself, its resplendent plume reflecting colours like a sun-splashed prism. Blinded by his glory, none could best Achillrial in close combat, and although his radiance drew an inordinate amount of the enemy’s fire, no shot could fell him. It was treachery that ultimately bested Achillrial and led to the downfall of his craftworld of Féin-Cineál. Of that worldship, only the Shimmerplume of Achillrial remains. |
Asuryani - Asuryani Path: As protection against the lure of excess, and to guard against any recurrence of the Fall of the Aeldari, the people of the craftworlds adhere to a set of strictures known as the Asuryani Path. Through the rigid emotional discipline of the Path they master their inclination towards sensation-seeking, instead focussing their prodigious intellects and energies upon the pursuit of one specific goal.Since the Fall, those Aeldari who fled upon the craftworlds have faced their inescapable doom. The battles they have fought in the name of survival have been many and violent. Yet their most important struggle is a spiritual one, for the nature of their psyche remains fundamentally unchanged.As ever they were, the Asuryani are prone to emotional extremes. Perhaps the greatest difference between the ancient Aeldari and their descendants is that the craftworlders have learned to fear wanton experience, shunning the indulgences of the past. To ensure temptation is put behind them, the philosophy often called Ai'elethra, or "the Path," governs every aspect of Craftworld Aeldari life, enabling the Asuryani to harness their emotional and intellectual intensity safely, without jeopardising themselves or those around them.In adult life, every Asuryani chooses for themselves a discipline that they then make their task to master to the exclusion of all else. Each discipline is a Path unto itself, and each Path may necessitate further choices and specialisations. Once an Asuryani has walked a Path for long enough, they choose another, then another. Though they forsake each Path in turn, their soul is nourished by the experiences upon it.An Asuryani may tread many different Paths in their life, and the skills they learn on each journey serve to enrich further accomplishments. To the Asuryani, all avenues of experience are strewn with dangers, for their minds are capable of depth and understanding that goes beyond the concept of mere Human obsession.Such dangers are often likened to traps or nets, waiting to catch the unwary and hold them fast in the chains of compulsion. When an Asuryani's mind becomes so completely focused upon one thing that they can no longer make the change to another discipline, they are said to be lost upon the Path.This is a frightening and final fate for all Asuryani, and it can befall any of their kind despite the discipline and training that they receive. In the case of the Path of the Warrior, these individuals are called Exarchs, though there are examples that correspond to other Paths, such as the Farseers and the doomed Bards of Twilight.There are innumerable Paths open for an Asuryani to explore; some as common as the Path of the Artisan, others as rare and dangerous as the Path of the Seer. Each offers its followers a complete way of life.Those Asuryani who have mastered the less esoteric Paths are no less respected than their brethren. After all, the artisans are those who create the craftworlds themselves and their contents, calling masterpieces into being with the care a musician lavishes upon their harp or a warrior upon their sword. It is from the ranks of those upon "civilian" Paths such as these that the Guardian militia are mustered in times of need. |
Asuryani - Path of the Warrior: The Aeldari are a race beset on all sides by warfare. Would that it were not this way, for Aeldari generations are few and far between, and they can ill afford to lose their numbers. Young Asuryani often believe they can rebuild the glory of their empire with fire and passion, but their elders know well that their shattered civilisation is locked in a struggle for simple survival.Because of this unavoidable truth, more and more Asuryani walk the Path of the Warrior with every passing year. The Path of the Warrior teaches the arts of death and destruction. Such is the dark nature of the Aeldari psyche that the Warrior Path draws most of them onto it at some point in their long lives. In aeons past, the ancient Phoenix Lords taught the arts of war to both males and females, and as a result Asuryani warriors are as likely to come from either gender.As with many of the more complex Paths, the Path of the Warrior is divided into many separate branches. Each of these is known as a Warrior Aspect, representing a different facet of the war god Khaine, and bringing with it unique fighting techniques, weapons and abilities. The Aspects differ greatly in their methods of warfare, and offer specialist skills for specific battlefield roles.Each Aspect upon a craftworld keeps at least one shrine in which to practice the mastery of their Warrior Path. When the Asuryani go to war, the Warrior Aspects fight in a predetermined role associated with their shrine. They have their own warrior garb, a form of ritual battle suit, and distinctive weaponry, ranging from the Fusion Guns of the Fire Dragons to the sleek Nightshade Jetfighters of the Crimson Hunters. Their minds and bodies are honed with endless exercise, both physical and spiritual, until they become suffused with the aspect of Kaela Mensha Khaine that their shrine represents.The Aspect Warriors do not all live in the shrines, and when they put aside their ritual masks and uniforms, they can walk at peace through their craftworld.Only the keepers of each shrine, the Exarchs, live within them, unable and unwilling to escape. Some Aspects, such as the Slicing Orbs of Zandros, are unique to a specific craftworld.Others are common to most, with the most famous and well-established being the Dire Avengers, the Howling Banshees, the Striking Scorpions, the Fire Dragons, the Swooping Hawks, and the Dark Reapers. In battle, each unit plays its own part with the skill of a virtuoso, their singular abilities combining in a symphony of destruction that is far greater than the sum of its parts.From the most numerous horde to the mightiest enemy war machine, there is a cadre of the craftworld's warriors with skills and weapons suited to its annihilation. Combined with the prescience of the Farseers and the strategic genius of the Autarchs who command the warhost, even a small strike force can devastate its opponents with little fear of reprisal.The Asuryani ideal is to eradicate those who oppose them without a single loss from their own ranks, for the usurpers are many and the Asuryani few. They cannot afford to throw away their lives in the manner of the cruder races they face.Every Asuryani lost in battle will have been sacrificed because there was no other choice, and at great cost to the enemy, for in comparison the lives of other species are worthless. |
Asuryani - Path of the Outcast: Sometimes the rigid constraints of the Path are intolerable even for an Eldar to bear. Such individuals leave their craftworlds and voluntarily become Asuryani Outcasts. Many Eldar spend Terran years or decades in exile before they return to the Path. During this time, they must bear the terrible burden of their heightened consciousness without the protection of rigid self-discipline. Their psychically-sensitive minds are a beacon to predatory daemons and in particular to the Great Enemy Slaanesh, so only Eldar of especially strong character can survive for long. After years of adventure, wandering, and sailing the seas of space, most Eldar eventually return to the sanctuary of the Path.There are many kinds of Outcast, each with a varying degree of dissociation from their kin. They leave their craftworlds to carve out lives elsewhere, often wandering the galaxy and visiting the worlds of Men or 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. Outcasts are also disruptive in another sense, for simply by their presence they can distract the young and inexperienced from the Path, as romantic tales of travel and freedom follow in their wake. Some Eldar yearn for the undiscovered vistas of open space. They join fleets of exploration and disappear into the untrammelled warp space tunnels of the webway. Most do not return, though a few come home laden with alien treasures. They bring tales of new worlds, fabulous discoveries, and battles on the edges of the galaxy.The wildest of all the spacefaring Eldar become Corsairs and raiders. They often continue to trade with and visit their craftworld whilst plundering the ships of humans, Orks and even other Eldar. These mavericks may even sometimes hire out their services to alien races, while many a voyage of exploration has turned into a military venture. As home -- and the Eldar Path -- become increasingly remote, the naturally wild and amoral character of the Eldar resurfaces. Eldar pirates are quick-tempered and unpredictable, equally inclined to magnanimity and wanton slaughter. Fleets such as the Eldritch Raiders, the Steeleye Reavers and the Sunblitz Brotherhood are greatly feared as a result.To the ignorant, there is little to distinguish between the ships of the Craftworlds, the Corsair fleets of Outcasts and those of Dark Eldar pirates. All are seen as a constant, elusive menace that bring sudden death to the unwary. 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 cousins on a mission of war, all of which adds to the illusion that the Eldar as a whole are little more than a race of piratical raiders hell-bent on indiscriminate slaughter. |
Asuryani - Other Paths: While the Seer and the Warrior are two of the most visible Paths of the Eldar, there are hundreds of others. Many Eldar will choose the study of an instrument or art form as their Path, while others might devote themselves to the development of a science or the refinement of some technology. These Paths, while equally important to the survival of the Eldar, tend to be far more varied and far less all-consuming than those of the Seer and the Warrior. Notable among the other Paths is that of the Bonesinger; the title given to those that maintain and repair the psycho-active Wraithbone components of the Eldar Craftworlds. Also notable is the Path of the Mariner, the Path followed by those who devote themselves to crewing spacecraft. |
Asuryani - Warhosts: Like the shimmering blade of Khaine, Eldar warhosts carve through the ranks of their enemies. Guided by the military genius of their Autarchs and the prescience of their Farseers, they turn their minds to war with a single deadly purpose, dispatching their foes with blistering speed and masterful skill. Grace in battle and merciless efficiency are prized virtues of Craftworld Eldar armies. Eldar warhosts are led by those who epitomise such traits: the Autarchs. These are Eldar who have walked the Path of the Warrior for decades or even centuries, yet resisted the taint of Khaine’s red madness. Theirs is a vital role, for the Autarchs alone tread the esteemed Path of Command. If the Autarchs are the hand that grips the blade, then it is the Farseers who guide its aim. The bond between Autarch and Farseer can shape a warhost, and even if neither takes to the field directly, it is their combined vision that will be the difference between victory and defeat.Though some Eldar warhosts still comprise only Aspect Warriors, the millennia have taken their toll, and it is now all too common for warhosts to rely upon a core of Eldar Guardians, those who through necessity have donned the mask of the killer despite their Path being one of peace. It is a testament to the Eldars' skill at war that even their citizen militia can overcome the armies of the lesser races. Well motivated and expertly led, even a modest warhost of Guardians can outclass an army many times its size. If in need of a stalwart defence, an Autarch can order Guardian-crewed weapon platforms and eldritch artillery to swathe the battlefield in ash and fire, while Windriders, Storm Guardians and grav-tank squadrons dart in at his behest, providing lightning-swift spears with which to spit his foes. Driven by the peerless skill and obsessive focus of their Exarchs, the warriors of the Aspect Shrines form their own strike forces within the Eldar armies. These are the most adept of all their kin, and Autarchs must use their talents wisely. Like razor-tipped arrows, each one is loosed into the enemy where it might do the most harm. In times of great need, Autarchs can also call upon ghostly legions of wraith-constructs, keen-eyed Rangers, and even the Avatar of the Bloody-Handed God itself. As the 41st Millennium draws to a close, such warriors are forced take the field with disturbing frequency, knowing they must fight, or fade away forever. |
Asuryani - Asuryani Craftworlds: In the time leading up to the Great Fall, not all the Aeldari that remained on their empire's homeworlds fell to the lure of perversity and hedonism that birthed Slaanesh. Many remained behind, struggling to turn their species from its doomed path.Unable to do so, many of the greatest Seers caught glimpses of the darkness to come, and undertook a titanic effort to save their people. For each Aeldari homeworld of the empire a gigantic starship was created, sung from wraithbone and so massive as to be nearly a planetoid in itself. The last uncorrupted individuals from each world were loaded onto these ships, along with works of art, plant life and animals, all that could be saved.In these so-called "craftworlds" the final Aeldari Exodus began, and only barely in time. The psychic shockwave of Slaanesh's birth in the 30th Millennium caught some of the Craftworlds and destroyed them, while others were pulled into orbit against their will around the Eye of Terror, to be forever assaulted by the forces of Chaos until they are destroyed or corrupted.The rest drift through the galaxy, their exact number uncertain, as contact can be difficult and intermittent. There are several craftworlds of particular fame known to the Imperium.The craftworlds' populations, a people who call themselves the Asuryani, but were known as the "Eldar" to the Imperium and other outsiders, probably compose the majority of the surviving Aeldari species, although it is impossible to say just how many individuals this is.The craftworlds are certainly the seat of the remaining Aeldari industry, technology, and culture, as they contain the only vestiges of their original homeworlds' civilisation. Most of the craftworlds contain special biodomes that house plants and wildlife from the original homeworld of the craftworld's people, and these are carefully tended.Although each craftworld is essentially independent in its actions and governance, they will generally offer and accept aid and advice from one another. Although not common, sometimes craftworld disagreements will cause two to clash on the field of battle, though this is always a last resort.Every craftworld contains an Infinity Circuit, which is essentially the wraithbone skeleton of the craftworld itself. Within this crystalline matrix of solidified psychic power, the souls of all the craftworld's dead reside in a form of group consciousness, providing both a well of potent psychic power that can be harnessed by the ship during times of distress and a massive ancestral mind to advise and guide the living.With the rise of Slaanesh, the Infinity Circuit is the closest thing that the Aeldari have to an afterlife; if their souls are not caught and integrated into it, they will be lost into the Warp and devoured by the Great Enemy, whose resonant Chaos energies draw Aeldari souls into itself, much as moths are drawn to a flame.For this reason, the Asuryani will defend their craftworlds with a fury and tenacity almost unrivalled by other intelligent species; they risk losing not only their home but their very souls as well. |
Asuryani - 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. |
Asuryani - Black Library: The Black Library of Chaos, better known simply as the Black Library, is the secret craftworld that serves as the Aeldari's repository of forbidden lore concerning the Ruinous Powers that exists somewhere within the labyrinthine passages of the Webway.The Aeldari craftworlds became the only surviving sources of their ancient knowledge of sorcery and the Ruinous Powers of Chaos after the Fall of that race to the birth of Slaanesh.As the craftwords have drifted apart, this knowledge has consequently become fragmented, and as some craftworlds have become lost over the millennia, more precious Aeldari knowledge has been lost with them.The Black Library is governed by a body of the wisest Asuryani Farseers drawn from all of the craftworlds known as the "Black Council" and is protected by the masques of the Harlequins as part of their service to the Laughing God Cegorach.The Black Council is the closet the fractious Aeldari race has come to an advisory body that looks after the interests of the entire race. The Aeldari know more of Chaos than Mankind ever will, and still more was lost during the Fall.A single source of Aeldari knowledge has remained untouched and inviolate since the Fall. In a hidden location, some say at the very centre of the Webway -- the Aeldari's network of interdimensional tunnels that crosses the galaxy -- rests the tomes, books, scrolls, and codices describing the Aeldari's complete and extensive knowledge of the Warp.The forbidden lore of the Black Library describes the blandishments, influences, forms, creatures, perils, promises, and horrors of Chaos. The existence of the Black Library is known to only a few and entry is allowed to even fewer individuals.The library defends itself against the weak and those who would misuse its knowledge by refusing entry to all except those who have acknowledged and tempered the Chaos within themselves. The immature, who are still vulnerable to the promises and seductions of Chaos, find that they are unable to pass through its gateway.As a result, only the Solitaires of the Harlequin troupes are allowed to come and go freely, although some say that a Human, perhaps an Inquisitor, has also been allowed to do so. |
Asuryani - 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." |
Asuryani - 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. |
Asuryani - 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. |
Asuryani - 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. |
Asuryani - Minor Craftworlds: Altansar - Altansar is a small Craftworld that had been on the edge of the shockwave that created the Eye of Terror at the time of the Fall. It rode out the psychic shock waves that destroyed the Eldar empire but was subsequently caught in the gravity well of the newborn Eye of Terror. Although the Eldar of Altansar struggled valiantly against the encroachment of Chaos, their doom was inevitable, and within five hundred years of the Fall, their Craftworld was swallowed into the Warp. Amongst the entirety of Altansar's population, only the Phoenix Lord Maugan Ra escaped the Craftworld's consumption by Chaos. Altansar was long thought to have been lost in the birth of the Eye with the other homeworlds of the Eldar. However, there were reports of its sighting and even active involvement in the recently conducted campaign against the Eye of Terror, and doubt now exists as to its fate, though other Eldar will view any citizens of Altansar with suspicion, as no Eldar Craftworld has ever been known to exist within the Eye of Terror for so long without being corrupted by Chaos. The world-rune used by Craftworld Altansar is known as the "Broken Chain" -- not only in reference to the escape of Kurnous and Isha from the dungeons of Khaine, but also to the shattering of the links that bound Vaul to his anvil. The broken infinity loop above the world-rune has only been adopted by the craftworld since its narrow escape from an eternity of damnation within the Eye of Terror.Il-Kaithe - Il-Kaithe is one of the lesser-known Eldar Craftworlds. Being located close to the Eye of Terror, the Eldar of Il-Kaithe constantly wage war against the Forces of Chaos. Il-Kaithe, meaning "Knowledge of Blood", was once best known for its Bonesingers' creativity. Their talented Bonesingers are said to be able to practice their art even in the heat of battle. Since the dawn of the 41st Millennium, it has become renowned for its merciless crusades against the forces of the Dark Gods. The craftworld opposes the Great Enemy at every turn, no matter the cost -- it will readily ally with Commorragh and even with Mankind to thwart the machinations of Chaos. The Eldar of Il-Kaithe use the world-rune depicting the helm to remind themselves that knowledge can have a terrible cost. The world-rune of Il-Kaithe, known as the "Helm of Eldanesh", represents the all-seeing helm the Eldar hero Eldanesh received from Asuryan himself. The Lay of the House of Eldanesh describes how the Eldar hero defeated the gods and monsters alike with the prescience that it gave him, but in the end he fell prey to his own curiosity and foresaw his own bloody demise at the hands of Khaine. The Eldar of Il-Kaithe use the world-rune depicting the helm to remind themselves that knowledge can have a terrible cost.Iybraesil - Iybraesil is a largely matriarchal Craftworld society, fostering many Howling Banshees shrines and female Autarchs. As followers of the blind Eldar Crone Goddess of the Underworld, Morai-Heg, the Iybraesil Eldar constantly aspire to recover the hidden secrets of the Crone Worlds, the original homeworlds of the lost Eldar empire which now reside within the Eye of Terror. Dutiful and fierce, the gifted Seers of the craftworld labour long in their hunt for the hidden secrets of the Crone Worlds. They hope to secure not only the Tears of Isha, but also ancient technologies and doomsday artefacts that will allow them to tip the balance in the war for survival. The world-rune of Iybraesil, known as "Wisdom of Pain" and also the "Hand of Heg", is a reference to the Eldar myth wherein Morai-Heg, the Crone, persuaded Khaine to sever her hand so that she could drink of the wisdom of her own blood. The Eldar of that Craftworld make frequent references to this act, claiming that no knowledge is truly claimed without sacrificeKaelor - Kaelor is a relatively obscure and extremely isolated Eldar Craftworld. The Craftworld of Kaelor remembers virtually nothing of its early history and its earliest known records begin with the Craftwars between Kaelor and the Saim-Hann Craftworld, and even information concerning that event is very scarce. Virtually nothing of its early history is known except that in the distant past this Craftworld made a Webway jump towards the fringes of the galaxy and has not ventured towards the galactic centre for several millennia since then. It is known that Craftworld Kaelor's migration route brings it through the Calixis Sector once every thousand Terran years. On such occasions, Imperial authorities have strict —- and highly confidential —- instructions from the Inquisition's Ordo Xenos to give it a wide birth. Kaelor is effectively cut off and has virtually no contact with the rest of the galaxy. Even the Harlequins barely remember its existence.Lugganath - Perceived as little better than corsairs by other craftworlds, the Eldar of the minor Craftworld of Lugganath are a society of renegades who seek to foster close ties with the Harlequins of the Laughing God as the Lugganath Eldar hope to abandon this galaxy and start civilisation afresh and claim the Webway as their realm, reclaiming the Labyrinthine Dimension from the Dark Eldar. Reports of corsair fleets operating out of Lugganath are common, notably the Sunblitz Brotherhood, whose vessels often fight alongside those of Lugganath's navy in times of war. Lugganath is known to be active within the Western Quadrant of the Segmentum Obscurus. Lugganath's name translates as "Light of Fallen Suns". Their world-rune, the "Black Sun", is a reference to the lost glory of the original Eldar star systems. It is said that if a viewer were to look far enough into the void he would be able to perceive the last light of those dead stars -- as close to a metaphor for hope as the Eldar of Lugganath ever use.Mymeara - Mymeara was an ancient Eldar colony world that had escaped the Fall after the birth of Slaanesh because it was located on the extreme outer frontier of the Eldar empire and the corrupting influence of the Pleasure Cults had never gained a foothold. However, as the Fall consumed their race, the Mymearans finally descended into hedonistic depravity and madness. The wisest of the Mymearan elders had foreseen this fate and spent the last decades of their world's existence constructing a mighty Craftworld that was also named Mymeara. Lost in their grief for the death of their race and believing themselves alone in the galaxy, Craftworld Mymeara drifted across the galaxy for many Terran years. Craftworld Mymeara remained hidden for millennia, its continued existence unknown to the rest of the Eldar and the other intelligent races of the galaxy alike. Yet, in the late 41st Millennium, Mymeara's Farseers managed to locate the Phoenix Lord Irillyth's final resting place upon the Imperial Ice World of Betalis III. The world-rune of Mymeara, known as the "Cursing Eye", is a reference to the omniscient abilities of Asuryan, said to be able to perceive and to kill in the same instant. Asuryan's pitiless extermination of the brutal Yygghs epitomises the cull of a lesser race in its comparative infancy, eradicating it before it could grow to endanger the noble Eldar race in any way.Yme-Loc - The Eldar of the lesser Yme-Loc Craftworld are talented artisans, boasting many weaponsmiths who supply its warhosts with Engines of Vaul and lithe titans that dwarf the Gargants of the Orks and the God-machines of the Imperium. Though it is not openly spoken of, the craftworld also possesses an arcane engine of destruction that can destroy a continent in a single night. Their armies are supported by powerful grav-tanks and Eldar Titans. Its last known location placed it in proximity to the Eye of Terror between 989.M39 and 341.M40. The world-rune of Yme-Loc is known as the "Crucible of Souls". Eldar legends tells of the Crucible of Souls, within which the smith-god forged weapons of purest wraithsteel were alloyed with the spirits of the virtuous in order to wage the War in Heaven. It was in this crucible that the ninety-nine-and-one Swords of Vaul were created. Yme-Loc uses the symbol of the Crucible of Souls as its world-rune, claiming that the Eldar's fate is theirs to forge. |
Asuryani - Other Minor Craftworlds: An-Iolsus - The Craftworld of An-Iolsus forged a rare alliance with the Imperium of Man during the Gothic War of the early 41st Millennium to defeat the Forces of ChaosArach-QinAringheCairas MytharCtho - Ctho is the "the legendary lost Craftworld"Dolthe- Warriors of the Dire Avengers from the Dolthe Craftworld fought to defend and close a Webway portal on the contested world of Monthax. They were later joined by the Volpone 50th and the Tanith 1st Regiments of the Imperial Guard.Dorhai - Dorhai does not deal with other Craftworlds, believing themselves to be the only untainted survivors of the Fall of the EldarIl'sariadh - In 116.M38, when this Craftworld was visited by a large troupe of Eldar Harlequins, during their performance, the Solitaire was none other than the trickster Tzeentch daemon known as the Changeling. Killing the player who portrayed the Great Harlequin, he summons the Slaaneshi daemon The Masque of Slaanesh, who in turn, opens a portal that allows her daemon brethren to pour through. Il'sariadh effectively has its heart torn out with the loss of their brightest and best.Meros - Meros is remembered as "the doomed Craftworld".Miel CarnNacretineiStel-UitTelennar - Telennar is a minor Eldar Craftworld. Cordial relations between Alaitoc and Telennar have often brought the two Craftworlds together to battle against the Forces of Chaos, most recently during the Fall of Medusa V in 999.M41. Telennar is also known for going to war alongside the Harlequins of the Masque of the Twisted Path. It's well documented that the Twisted Path have an affinity with the Eldar of Telennar, for while the masque has been known to spirit victims, whether they be friend or foe, away into the Webway (never to be seen again), this never happens on Telennar -- some say it is because the souls on that Craftworld are too dark. Telennar's colours are bright orange and sable. The meaning of their world-rune is unknown.Tir-ValVaranthaYr-ArthiZahr-TannZandros - Home to the Slicing Orbs, an Eldar Aspect Warrior shrine unique to this Craftworld. |
Asuryani - Lost Craftworlds: Since the Fall of the Eldar some Craftworlds have been destroyed. These include:Anaen Bel-Shammon Idharae - Idharae was destroyed in an all-out siege launched by the Invaders Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes and the Legion of the Damned; its surviving population fled to Alaitoc, which earned revenge against the Invaders by destroying their homeworld of Ogrys in 895.M41, forcing them to become a Fleet-based Chapter.Kher-Ys Kolth'seLu'Nasad - Lu'Nasad was destroyed after fleeing from their civilisation's destruction during the Fall of the Eldar. The scholars, Farseers and Warlocks of Lu'Nasad had spent centuries studying and discovering lost paths within the Webway which led through the Empyrean that no living being had walked since time out of mind. As fate would have it, the dark, twisting, and largely unknown paths taken by Lu'Nasad took her not to salvation, but directly into the seething heart of the Rifts of Hecaton, located in the Koronus Expanse. There in the midst of these damned and forgotten stars, Lu'Nasad came face to face with powerful forces of the Empyrean that were manifesting in realspace. A desperate and largely futile battle ensued as Lu'Nasad's defenders were overwhelmed by the Forces of Chaos, and in short order the Craftworld fell silent and drifted further into the Rifts, her only survivors the powerful Farseer Anaris and the crew of his ship. Bathed in the energies of the Warp and infused with the taint of Chaos, Lu'Nasad became a twisted, ugly parody of herself.Malan'tai - Malan'tai was a minor Craftworld of the Eldar. It was destroyed in 812.M41 by a splinter of the Tyranid Hive Fleet Naga and was the location of the first known encounter of the potent Tyranid Zoanthrope later called the Doom of Malan'tai by the Eldar. The derelict Craftworld became nothing more than a drifting, lifeless husk floating through the void. In 994.M41, Craftworld Iyanden came to Malan'tai to see if they could find anything of use to help with repairs of their home after their recent battle with Hive Fleet Kraken, but instead, they found the abandoned Craftworld swarming with vile Orks. When the Eldar finally regained control of Malan'tai, they discovered that the Orks have stolen or destroyed anything of use. With heavy hearts, they altered the Craftworld's course towards the nearest sun and headed home.Mor'rioh'i - Destroyed by the military forces of the burgeoning Imperium of Man during the Great Crusade.Muirgaythh - Destroyed by the daemonic forces of Slaanesh.Thuyela - Thuyela was destroyed by the Tenth Company of the Space Wolves Legion during the Great Crusade.UthurielZu'lasa |
Asuryani - Exodites: During The Fall, the degeneration of the Eldar did not proceed wholly without resistance. Some Eldar, the more far-sighted, began to openly criticize the laxity and perversity of their fellow citizens, and to warn against the effect of Chaos cults. These people were mostly ignored or else treated as narrow-minded fools and religious fanatics. Soon the general collapse of Eldar society convinced even the most resolute amongst them that there would be no end to the reign of death and depravity. Some decided to leave the Eldar homeworlds, and settle new planets free of the creeping corruption. They were the ones still untainted by the touch of Chaos, and by now they were few. These Eldar are known as the Exodites.The Exodite worlds are generally considered backward and rustic compared to the rest of the space-roaming Eldar (and thus are commonly thought to be the equivalent of the Wood Elves instead of High Elves), although they still possess a good deal of the Eldar's advanced technology. One of the pieces of technology they have maintained is the Infinity Circuit, although on the Exodite worlds these are known as World Spirits and exist in the form of grids of stone menhirs, obelisks, and stone circles all crafted from psychoactive crystal. Despite the presence of some technology, these worlds are often agricultural, however, and it is not uncommon for groups of Exodites to exist in a primitive, nomadic state, living off roaming herds of pastoral animals and seasonal harvests. This is the most common image of the Exodite life among Craftworld Eldar. Many Craftworld Outcasts will find a refuge among these Eldar, who are generally more accepting.Many Craftworld Eldar regard the Exodites a sort of rural, backwater group that is quaint at best. To others, the Exodites represent the foundation of a new Eldar empire on the edge of the galaxy, composed of the descendants of those far-sighted and strong-willed enough to escape the touch of Slaanesh. The Biel-tan Craftworld is one of the chief proponents of the Exodite potential, and will often mobilize its forces in defense of one of the scattered worlds.Known Exodite militaries consist solely of the Exodite Dragon Knights. These Eldar ride various types of reptilian mounts into battle and are known as Exodite Knights and Lords. The Dragon Knights use a laser lance and wear carapace-style armor. |
Asuryani - Asuryani Religion and Mythology: The Craftworld 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 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. |
Asuryani - 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. |
Asuryani - 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.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. |
Asuryani - Asuryan, King of the Gods: Sometimes known as the Phoenix King, Asuryan was the king of the pantheon of Aeldari gods.While the mythic cycles seem to indicate that he held sway over all the others, he was nevertheless consumed by Slaanesh in the Warp. He is often depicted in relation to fire and light, his chief symbols.The Asuryani believe that it is Asuryan who taught them how to use the Asuryani Path to prevent their darker natures from overwhelming them and is the reason they named themselves the Asuryani, the "Children of Asuryan." |
Asuryani - Isha, Goddess of the Harvest: The Great Mother of the Aeldari race, Isha is a fertility goddess in many respects. She was imprisoned by Khaine for a period of time, until Vaul paid her ransom.She is often depicted crying, and her symbol is a teared eye, symbolic of her sorrow in being separated from her mortal children. Her tears are said to have solidified to form the Spirit Stones which keep the Asuryani safe from Slaanesh after their death.It is rumoured among the Asuryani that Isha has not been consumed by Slaanesh like most of the other Aeldari gods, for the Chaos God Nurgle, the Plague Lord, coveted the Aeldari fertility goddess, and rescued her from consumption by Slaanesh only to imprison her in his decaying mansion that lies within his foul realm in the Warp.These stories claim that Nurgle "cares" for Isha by keeping her within a cage and feeding her the various diseases he concocts, only for her to whisper the cures for each one to mortals in realspace when his back is turned. |
Asuryani - Vaul, God of the Forges: The artificer and smith of the Aeldari gods, Vaul is one of the central deities of the Aeldari pantheon, and an eternal enemy to Khaine.In order to purchase the freedom of his fellow gods Kurnous and Isha after they had been imprisoned by the war god for violating Asuryan's law against the gods remaining separate from their mortal children, Khaine demanded one hundred blades from the Smith God as payment for their freedom.Vaul was unable to finish the last divinely-crafted blade in time, and so hid a mortal-forged blade amid the others of divine craftsmanship. This fooled Khaine long enough to get Isha and Kurnous to freedom, but when the Blood-Handed God realised he had been tricked, he cried out for vengeance.Vaul finished the final divine blade, Anaris the Dawnlight, and took it to do battle with Khaine. Though it was the greatest of all swords, Khaine was the better warrior and crippled Vaul. The Smith God is often shown chained to his anvil, the punishment that Khaine set upon him for his deception. |
Asuryani - Morai-Heg, Goddess of Fate: The Crone Goddess Morai-Heg is also the consort of Khaine and the third in a trinity of female Aeldari goddesses including Lileath and Isha, who together represent Maiden, Mother and Crone. Morai-Heg appears as an ancient and withered creature who holds the fate of mortals inside a rune pouch made of Aeldari skin.In Aeldari myth she sought to partake of the eternal wisdom contained in her divine blood. She manipulated her husband, the war god Khaela Mensha Khaine, to cut off her hand so that she might drink deep of her own vitae.With this deed Morai-Heg gained the knowledge that she sought, and in return, Khaine gained the aspect of the banshee. Her severed fingers each became one of the Aeldari artefacts known as the Croneswords now sought by the Ynnari to fully awaken Ynnead, the god of the dead.The original homeworlds of the Aeldari that were lost to the Eye of Terror after the Fall of the Aeldari became known as Crone Worlds, a reference to the Crone Goddess.The inhabitants of Craftworld Iybraesil are noted for being devoted followers of Morai-Heg. |
Asuryani - Ynnead, God of the Dead: Ynnead, the Whispering God, is a dream, the embodiment of a possibility that has yet to be fully realized. Some Asuryani Seers long believed that when the last Asuryani dies during the Rhana Dandra (the Final Battle with Chaos), Ynnead will be born from the Warp with the strength of all the Asuryani souls stored in the Infinity Circuits of the craftworlds and the World Spirits of the Exodites.Ynnead will then have the power to destroy Slaanesh forever in a final battle, thus correcting the mistakes which led to the Fall of the Aeldari and allowing the race to be reincarnated into a universe free of the taint of Chaos.Or at least that is what the Asuryani believed would happen for almost ten thousand standard years. Then, in 999.M41, during the Battle of Port Demesnus on the moon of Coheria, the High Farseer Eldrad Ulthran partially completed a ritual intended to awaken Ynnead using the power of the souls found in the Infinity Circuits of every craftworld in the galaxy.While the intervention of the Imperial Deathwatch interrupted the ritual before it could be completed, the god of the dead was partially awakened, and sought out a champion and prophet to complete his rise in the form of Yvraine, the Daughter of Shades. Yvraine founded a new Aeldari faction dedicated to the Whispering God's resurrection known as the Ynnari.The Ynnari, with members drawn from the Craftworld Aeldari, the Harlequins, the Asuryani Outcasts and the Drukhari of Commorragh, seek the restoration of the ancient Aeldari race by collecting the artefacts known as the Croneswords from across the galaxy.Their combined ritualistic use at a single focused point in realspace will allow Ynnead to fully manifest his power in the Warp, where he will combat Slaanesh, hopefully destroying the Prince of Chaos and freeing the Aeldari from the soul-devouring curse of She Who Thirsts forever.Only then will the Eldar people, restored to the unity of the ancient Aeldari, seek to rebuild a new and better interstellar empire. |
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