Eld

In days of yore, before even the eldari fell, there existed the Cult of Eld; a worshipful cult of eldar who revealed in the war and carnage of Kaela Mensha Khaine and later Khorne. Their blood rites ensure that they are ageless (even by Eldari standards), unmatched in combat, and able to transfer their spirit to anyone who defeats them with violence. Though comparably few in number they are a dreadful bane upon the Imperium, who refer to them as “Aeldari Vampiris”.
==First Blood==
In the debauched days before the fall of the Eldar, the Cult of Eld formed from a warrior cult of Eldar who sought the blessing of Kaela Mensha Khaine, the bloody handed god. His blessings gave them mastery over warfare and they used this power maliciously upon their own kind. Time works strangely for the Chaos Gods and when Slaanesh was born Khorne (who did not fully come into his own until the advent of humanity) reached back through time to protect his future followers. He revealed himself to them in the moments before the birth of Slaanesh and forged a pack with them- they would eternally serve him in exchange for eternal life. When the oath was given, Khorne took their spirits in his hands and protected them from the psychic backlash that wiped out so many eldar.
==Blood for the Blood Rites==
After the fall the Eld slowly turned to the worship of Khorne, though they initially believed him to be an aspect of Khaine. In truth they did not so much care that they were following a chaos god. As they began to raid and pillage the weakened Craftworld Eldar and slaughter other species they came across, the Cult of Eld grew in both number and in the glory of Khorne. The Cult of Eld recounts the bloody extermination of no less than 22 xenos species in their book “Carmina Sanguis” (note: This is the term used by the Inquisition and translates from Eldari as something like “Songs of Blood”). During this time their “Blood Rites” became increasingly perverse and included acts of cannibalism, blood drinking, torture, and even bathing in the liquified remains of their enemies to absorb their power.
==The Hunt of Seven Wonders==
In early M10 Khorne gave the Eld a quest to earn his favor. This quest, known as the “Hunt of Seven Wonders”, required a champion of the Eld to seek out and kill seven of the universe’s greatest heroes and bring their heart to Khorne. With each successful kill their champion made they would gain power over that species and if they managed to kill all seven the Eld would be made immortal and all powerful by Khorne.
The Hunt of Seven Wonders Included:
*Gimilzagar: The Eldar Phoenix Lord of the Dancing Blades aspect shrine.
*Warboss Last Nap: The ork Warboss of Klan Nork.
*Aun'el' T'au Fu'llasso: A Tau ethereal guarded by a hundred fire warriors at any given moment.
*Mazor the Unreal: A chaos sorceress of Tzeentch and seer who had transcended their physical form.
*Lord Ra-to-Neb: A necron lord who was among the first to awaken.
*Swarmlord Rhône: A powerful swarmlord from Hive Fleet Tarrasque who supposedly had an unbreakable carapace.
*The Emperor of Mankind: The last being who was to be slain was humanity’s Emperor of Mankind himself.
The Eld choose their greatest champion, a slayer known as Qildare, who was later known as “Alucard” to the Imperium, to undertake the endeavor. He was armed with “Mormacil”, a powerful cursed artifact of Khorne said to be able to rend any armor as if it were paper and kill the soul rather than just the body.
First he slew the Warboss of Klan Nork; he snuck up upon him while he was sleeping and attempted to assassinate him. Unfortunately Qildare was sucked into a mind duel that he only barely survived, though he did manage to kill the Warboss.
Next he sought out Lord Ra-to-Neb on his tomb world. The Necron lord was so sure of his immortality that he fought slayer Qildare in a duel, unaware of the powers held in Qildare’s sword Mormacil. After the necron lord did not return to life, Qildare took his prize and left.
Aun'el' T'au Fu'llasso, the Tau ethereal, was easiest of all to fell given the pitiful state of Tau technology at that time. Qildare took his time and butchered every fire warrior guarding the ethereal, drinking their blood, before killing Aun'el' T'au Fu'llasso with one of their ritual knives. (It should be noted that the famous semi-renegade Ethereal Aun’El Sari is descended from Aun'el' T'au Fu'llasso.))
Mazor the Unreal foresaw her own death and accepted it as it had been her price for the limited immortality she had up until that point. Her spirit however continued to reside in the mind of Qildare and does so to this day. Mazor the Unreal is said to whisper Tzeentch’s wishes into Qildare’s ear so that The Deceiver might control the Eld in some small way.
Qildare slew Swarmlord Rhône by taking advantage of a war between Hive Fleet Tarrasque and an eldar craftworld. He tricked the two into fighting each other and killed the Swarmlord when it had been injured by the Eldar. Qildare made a special trip to the damaged Eldar craftworld and aided in its ultimate destruction as a way of celebrating his kill.
His penultimate kill was a climactic duel between him and the Phoenix Lord Gimilzagar. A song/dirge was composed by the eldar warrior poet Saircallo Altalumenyárë of their duel called “A Thousand Knives And One Sword”. In the end, though Qildare was badly wounded, the Eld slayer was triumphant.
Finally came The Emperor of Mankind.
The slayer Qildare confronted the Emperor after besting several of his honor guards but even the mighty Champion of Khorne could not fell the Emperor. With haste Qildare was dispatched and with his failure the Eld failed in their hunt. Still, Khorne had other plans for them...
For Qildare’s success in killing six of the seven targets of The Hunt his people were given the power to dominate the Eldar, the Orks, the Tau, the servants of Tzeentch, the Necrons, the Tyranids, but not humanity or the other chaos gods. This power manifests itself in strange ways that seem more like fate or luck than any tangible effect: Eld raiding parties always seem to get lucky when attacking Eldar craftworlds, Tau sensors just happen to malfunction before an Eld raid, Weirdboyz explode rather than channel enough psychic energy to form a WAAAGH!, the perils of the Warp claim sorcerers of Tzeentch more often when they target the Eld, etc. But this gift paled in comparison to the greatest gift they received: the Gift of Transference.
==The Gift of Transference==
The Gift of Transference is a power bestowed upon the Eld. When an Eld is struck down in anger or with an act of violence they possess the body of the one who slew them. The more powerful the spirt of the slain Eld, the less likely it is for their killer to resist them. This warp power is terrifying and few can resist it; humans (who the Eld have no power over) are sometimes able to resist it but even things like machines can have their machine spirit replaced with the spirit of the Eld who they killed. Because of this the only true way for an Eld to die is to either be killed by another Eld, be killed without any anger or violence (mercy or compassion work well), or for their spirit to be resisted in the moment of death. The souls of Eld are consumed by Khorne and are twisted into pitiful chaos spawn in the Warp after they die.
==Eld Society==
The Eld are organized into “Courts” of about 10,000 Eld. Each “Court” is ruled by a bonded pair known as “Banes”. The Banes ostensibly co-rule their Court but are really trying to one-up each other. Within each Court there are about 50-100 “Eld Lords”- higher ranking Elds who have earned the Gift of Transference and command the lesser “Eldlings”; a degenerate underclass of heretical Khorne-worshiping Eldar mutants. There is a complex hierarchy with varying level of seniority, responsibilities, and loyalties among the lords that varies from Court to Court.
One enters Eld society in one of three ways. The first is to be born into it. Eld are born like most Aeldari are and are inducted into Eld society at an early age. The children of Lords, known as “Eld Princes” or “Eld Princesses” are given special training up until they reach maturity. Those born to the lower class of Eldlings must survive the brutal blood-dens and murder pits of their parents until they reach maturity. The third way to enter Eld society is to be “converted”- this means Aeldari who are captured and perverted by the teachings of Khorne (willingly or unwillingly) until they are nothing but a slobbering Eldling.
Upon reaching maturity all Eld become “slayers”; assassins who are sent far from their home to hunt the most dangerous foes they can. They seek their glory by killing the most challenging hunts possible and bring back trophies of their glory. Those who please their Banes with their kills are elevated to the status of Lord while those who fail are doomed to fail and become nothing but another expendable Eldling. Only about 1 in every 1,000 slayer becomes a lord as most are killed along the way.
There is a subclass called “Lordlings” who are Eldlings in the service of a Lord. Such creatures are seen as little more than tools to an end for Lords but are treated far better than the unwashed masses they come from.
New lords will often serve under a higher ranking one for a time to learn the ropes and so that they can accumulate enough wealth and glory to earn their own dominion/stronghold. Such lords have a lord/vassal relationship and the junior partner will eternally owe a bond of loyalty to the senior one.
===Other Species===
While much of Eld society is made up of the Aeldari Vampiris subspecies of Eldar there is a significant portion that is not. Humans, Tau, and other xenos fall into Eld society through conquest, capture, or even by choice. A great number of Khorne daemons can be found in Eld cities and mutations among those dark denizens who live in an Eld Court are twisted beyond recognition. Non Eld members of Eld society are called “Outsiders” and may never be anything other than a worthless Eldling. The only exception to this is if an Eld Lord’s soul is transferred to a new body (as it is their same spirit).
==Biology==
The Eld are a unique subspecies of Eldar, called Eldari Vampiris by the Inquisition’s Ordo Xenos, that still greatly resemble their cousins. They are paler of skin and possess fangs with small hollow centers like syringes that can drink the blood of prey. This is a mutation that all Eld share and is a symbol of their pact with Khorne. The Eld also reproduce twice as fast as normal eldar but are significantly less capable psykers. This last point is something of a misnomer however; their psychic potential is not dampened but instead perpetually tied up in channeling the might of Khorne. Their biology makes them gaunter (near skeletal at times) but physically stronger than your average Eldar and they are more susceptible to corruption and mutation.
==Virtues and Vices==
Notably absent from Eld society is slavery, torture, and duplicity. Despite their horrific and brutal ways, Eld society is organized and efficient (save for the occasional murder frenzy) with strict laws that make even the Imperium seem tame. The word of a Lord is law and Lords have absolute control over the life and death of Eldlings and brutally oppressing the masses is something of a favorite pastime of young Eld lords. All disputes can be settled by formal combat, either to first blood (which the winner may drink) or to the death. Lords may elect champions to fight for them so they train and keep a harem of elite Lordling warriors who form their personal retinue. The only thing that supersedes a Lord’s will is the will of a Bane.
War is everything for Eld society and they embrace the concept. Many an Empire has fallen because they stopped conquering their neighbors and the Eld not only admit this hard truth but celebrate it. They are always waging wars of conquest, revenge, or for glory and have no pretence about this; they do it both to survive and to thrive because Khorne wills it so.
The Eld also do not make use of sorcery, as they are dedicated to Khorne. Still, they are natural psykers so Khorne instead feeds on this psychic energy and grants them their eternal life instead.
==Home==
Eld Courts claim “dominions” that can be as small as a moon or as large as several systems. They subjugate and often murder all life within their dominon for the pleasure of their Banes and regularly seek to conquer new territory. Eld regularly and intentionally clash not only with their neighbors but other Eld Courts in brutal wars that they prolong even to the detriment of their own lives. This has given rise to a popular Eld saying, “The Only Good War is a Long One” (or “...and Eternal One” in some versions).
Scattered throughout a dominion are strongholds referred to enclaves or castles; with enclaves being more production/worship oriented population centers and castles are exclusively abode of Eld Lords or Banes and are the center of their military/political power. Subjugated populations pay tithes to these strongholds, often in the form of war materiel, conscripts, gladiators, or blood.
==The Bronze Council==
The Bronze Council is the highest court of the Eld and it is presided over by the Daemon Prince Alucard (formerly Qildare). This council has an iron grip on the rest of Eld society though oaths of loyalty, political might, divine right, and sheer firepower. Khorne speaks directly though the Bronze Council and their word is law even to Banes. The council is comprised of:
*Daemon Prince Alucard: The Eld formerly known as Qildare died while attempting to kill the Emperor of Mankind during the The Hunt of Seven Wonders. His spirit was elevated to the rank of daemon prince after his death and given dominion over the rest of the Eld for his service to Khorne. His chest has a hole in it where his heart should be- an eternal reminder of his failure to kill the Emperor of Mankind. Alucard still hunts for a way to slay the Emperor and complete the Hunt of Seven Wonders so that his pride may be healed and so the Eld can become truly immortal.
*High Countess Tereza: The most successful Bane of all the Eld, comparable in terms of skill and conquest to Lord Commander Solar Macharius, was eventually given a spot on the Bronze Council after her territory threatened to tip the precarious balance of political power. She is the de facto leader of the council politically and the future of the Eld is very much held in her hands.
*High Sultana El’Tats: An ancient one-eye Eld slayer and tactician who has seen the universe through the eyes of a hundred different individuals through the use of the Gift of Transference. All her forms share his wounded eye and cruel disposition. She is the wisest and most cunning of all the Eld.
*High Count Iancu: A horrific berserker of Khorne whose monstrous form is so profoundly mutated he resembles nothing more than a great spiked puma-bat hybrid who breathes blue flames. Despite this he can speak as articulately as the next Eld and only when he is in the midst of carnage does he give himself fully to his lust for blood.
==Units==
===Banes [HQs]===
A Bane is the co-rule of a Court. One leads an Eld warhost while the other remains in their Court to ensure its stability. They are comparable in skill to Asuryani autarch, though far superior in melee combat. Banes, as champions of Khorne, have been known to go toe-to-toe with Swarmlords, Space Marines Captains, or even Custodes.
===Counts [HQ]===
A Count is the highest, non-Bane, rank an Eld can hold. They often take the place of a Bane on the battlefield, particularly for ignoble or smaller engagements.
===Lords [HQs]===
An Eld Lord is a skilled Eld noble who has proved their worth on a hunt. They have prodigious skill, exotic wargear, and come with a large retinue of elite Lordlings. They are akin to division commanders and act with a high degree of autonomy after receiving orders from their commanders (either a Count or a Bane).
===Huntmaster [HQ]===
Each court has a huntmaster; an Eld who oversees the slayers and readies them for their rites of passage into adulthood. The Huntmaster also prepares combatants for their lord’s entertainment. Some Huntmasters are disgraced Lords, senior and trusted Lordlings, or even Slayers who have returned from their path after many decades and seek nothing more than to eternally hunt. They are often accompanied by a number of independent slayers who act on the huntmaster’s general directions.
===Slayers [Elites]===
Independent assassins who are either on the hunt for their glory or who have chosen to exile themselves from Eld society in order to continuously seek out and challenge greater and greater foes.
===Crimson Nuns [Elites]===
A crimson nun is an Eld surgeon who carries around great tanks of cursed blood to inject into the wounded and dying. While this does little to heal their physical wounds it gives them the strength to continue to fight, turning them into war-crazed corpse warriors for a time before exhaustion consumes them. Crimson Nuns are typically placed in charge of squads of Eldlings or Berserkers.
===Eld Berserker Squads [Assault]===
Unholy throngs of battle-crazed Eld crash onto the battlefield with little to no control. Dangerous demagogues of Khorne guide these half-mad Khorne cultists to their doom. Many set themselves on fire, ritually flay themselves, or paint themselves in blood before combat.
===Ticks [Assault]===
These Eld wear wing-like jetpacks that allow them to move silently. They are led by a Lord but are composed mostly of Lordlings. They are designed to latch onto larger vehicles and destroy them. The jetpacks themselves have various sapping devices on them so when attached they cause most vehicles to be destroyed or underperform. Removing ticks from vehicles is a process that can take weeks (if it is possible at all) due to the grotesque way they intrude and corrupt the vehicle’s machine spirit.
===Endling Squads [Troops]===
The mainstay of an Eld warhost is comprised of Endlings: normal Elds pressed into service by their Lords. While oppressed all Eld revel in the carnage battle brings and they are fierce warriors even unarmored. Among their ranks are not only Eld but Eldar, Xenos, and even the occasional human. An eldling squad is overseen by a Lordling.
===Mutant Host [Troops]===
In the undercities of the Eld gangs of hideous mutants are occasionally rounded up and prodded with shock-sticks onto the battlefield to both terrify and overrun their foes.
===Shrikes [Vehicle]===
The Eld equivalent of an Eldar Falcon is a Shrike. They are better armored and support only close range weapons, including deadly blades on either side of its backswept wings. They are used to transport elite troops to and from the battlefield. Numerous microscopic fish-hook-like spines cover its hull, causing any who brush up against it to become hooked on it and dragged across the battlefield.
===Crimson Devils [Vehicle]===
This long vatient of the Shrike has hundreds of monofilament wires that lash our at enemies around it. Not unlike a massive Harlequin's kiss. They are able to transport troop squads and “park” themselves in the middle of enemy formations before cutting them to bits.
===Thorned Roses [Vehicles]===
These Shrike variants serve as the Eld’s only artillery unit. The commonly fire “Impaler Storm Rockets”; projectile pods that rain down billions of tiny monofilament spears that can penetrate the cracks of even a space marine armor. They can be modified to fire hydraulic torrents of cursed blood at enemies to drive them into a frenzy (a variant called “Red Roses”), fire conventional artillery weapons (a variant called “Black Roses”), an anti-armor variant that fires concentrated energy beams not unlike a fire prison (called a “Flaming Rose”), and a rare titan-hunting variant known as a “Royal Rose”.
Category:Xenos
Category:Khorne
Category:Eldar
Category:Scoglads