The Álfarii

The **Álfarii** (*Áelvarix dolosai*) ("The Children of Songs" or simply "The Song Born" in the Álfen Lexicon), also called the **Álfheimr Álfarii** as they were named before the fall of their lost realms, or the **Aelves** as they were long known to outsiders, are an ancient humanoid alien species whose vast empire once extended the width and breadth of the known galaxy. The Eidnálfar are a kindred of the Álfarii race who now live on vast, city-like starships called craftworlds.

The Álfarii Empire had once been without equal, and they counted themselves as the undisputed masters of the stars. But over thirty millennia ago, the Álfarii's overweening pride and their fall into hedonistic practices led to a divine cataclysm that all but eradicated their kind and led to the creation of the colossal reality tear now known to humanity as the Great Maw.

Despite their boundless power, the heart of their ancient civilization was torn out from the materium by this catastrophe of their own making, forcing many of the surviving Álfarii, now calling themselves "Aelvar" to outsiders and "Eidnálfar" among themselves, to flee upon gigantic, continent-size starships once used for commerce and trade that they named craftworlds. Now the Eidnálfar cling to survival by a thread, fighting the horrors of the galaxy with ritualized mental discipline and consummate martial skill.

The Eidnálfar rely on mystical technologies like psychocrystalline Spirit Stones and the psychoactive Draithil 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 behavioral modification to keep their darker impulses in check that shape the modern Eidnálfar lifestyle and define their culture as distinct from that of the other Álfarii sub-cultures.

The Álfarii 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 Álfarii homeworld was destroyed during the catastrophic collapse of the Álfarii civilization known as the Great Fall.

The remnants of Álfarii culture that survived the cataclysm among the Eidnálfar 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, Álfarii are physically very similar to Humans, although not entirely identical by any means. They possess longer and cleaner limbs, and fine ascetic features with darkly penetrating and slightly slanted, almond-shaped eyes.

Their ears are also heavily pointed as they openly split into two points, but otherwise they could pass as Human at first glance. The most obvious difference between Humans and Álfarii can only be seen when they move, for the movements of an Álfarii radiate a subtle grace which is impossible for a Baseline Human to emulate. This can be seen in even their slightest gestures or the dexterity with which they manipulate small objects.

The Álfarii mind, while similar in general form and function to the Human psyche, is far more inclined towards emotional extremes. Because of this, Álfarii are more intelligent but also far more intense than Humans. Although an Álfarii and a Human can both feel grief or joy, an Álfarii' experience is likely to be far more in the extremes.

This natural inclination towards emotional extremes is both a blessing and a curse to the Álfarii. On the positive side, it gives them an unparalleled appreciation of life and an unrivaled ability to express themselves through music and other creative endeavors. 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 Álfarii suffers mental torments which far exceed the boundaries of Human anguish.

The extreme nature of their temperament makes it very important that the Álfarii 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 Álfarii psyche -- and the source of the catastrophe that nearly caused their extinction.

For this reason, the Eidnálfar are defined as a culture by their pursuit of the Áellatarii Paths. 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 Álfarii and still defines their dark kin, of the Volb’narii.

The Álfarii are a naturally psychic species, and all Eidnálfar possess the potential to become powerful psykers if they choose to pursue this path. The Eidnálfar 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 Álfarii are still a dying people in the late 91st Millennium -- a shadow of their former glory -- and their species teeters on the brink of final annihilation.

## Anatomy and Physiology

The Álfarii on a surface level inspection appear very similar to Humans in their anatomical structure, although the comparison can only be made on a superficial basis, as in the minds and souls of the Álfarii are truly alien. The Clade’s of the Álfarii on average stand taller than the average Human male at roughly 6.7 to 7.4 (2-2.3 Meters) standard feet, with longer, cleaner limbs dotted by irregular scale and quill patterns and handsome, striking features to Human eyes.

Their long legs are formed into those of a predatory digitigrade - their long legs ending in two toed feet with auxiliary dew-claws sitting on either side of their ankles as an almost 2 meter long tail sways along with their unnaturally perfect strides. Their keen ears are heavily pointed into dual ends -the Structure of the Aelfen Ear is *‘Double Lidded,’* effectively two sets of conjoined pointed ears wherein one sits upon the other, the configuration of which differs greatly between the Aelfen Clades. Their eyes -of which are often an unnatural hue- hold a predatory slant to them, possessing a penetrating quality more akin to that of a hunting cat than any man.

Yet the most fundamental difference can be seen when the Álfarii 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 of theirs 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 Álfarii physiology betrays their alien nature. Their twin-linked hearts beat at twice the speed of a Human's, and their minds race through possibilities and process emotions at speeds that would cause mental implosion in baseline humans. Even their lives are far greater in span -- the Álfarii enjoy lives of rich sensation and experiences that can stretch over a thousand standard years, unsullied by illness, frailty or disease, unless they die by violence or accident. The Álfarii aren't even considered mature until they have lived for at least a standard half to 3/4ths of a century.

### Psychic Ability

All Álfarii, once they reach the age that is most analogous to a human 9 year old, can manipulate the surrounding eddies of the void through their own mental energies to a degree. Each is psychic to one extent or another; it is said the ancient Álfarii 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 intense 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 Álfarii mind such power also inclines it far more towards extremes than that of a Human. To an Áelf, 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. As such, an Áelf 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 cultures, 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 Álfarii, can taste such rich fruits in an uncontrolled way without consequence; for an Áelf 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 Great Fall of the Álfarii race itself.

The Áelves 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 psionic. In this way the leaders and Seers of the Áelfen Clades may live for several thousand standard years.

One matter of note is that the Álfarii have sometimes referred to Humans simply as *"mammals"* typically with a derogatory label in the Álfarii Lexicon like "*Mona'pish*," for Humans or implying that for their part, the Álfarii at least perseive themselves to have evolved from something else, something more advanced than the primates that are the ancestors of Mankind.

However, given the Álfarii's legendary arrogance, this may also simply be a way for them to put themselves above the other intelligent races of the galaxy, particularly the Humans who are currently the most dominant of the universes array of intelligent species, much to the Álfarii's disdain.

The Álfarii likely see themselves as completely separate from the normal classifications of animal groups. Indeed, as they are a species that did not naturally evolved at all, as they are the creations of the Primordial Minera, much like the Nexus and the Great Worms, created to defend the galaxy and the Primordial's golden civilization from the depredations of Chaos and their Primordial masters during the Wars in Heaven.

## History

### Children of the Stars

The ancient history of the Álfarii stretches back over the millennia to a time when they had dominated the stars completely. Yet, for all their splendor and might, the Álfarii brought a terrible curse upon themselves that sundered their empire forever, leaving the ravaged fragments of their race teetering on the brink of annihilation.

The starfaring history of the Álfarii is long, and encompasses glories and sorrows alike. When the Álfarii Empire was at its height, their homeworlds were paradises, their powers godlike and their armies unsurpassed. As the Terran millennia slid past, their status as lords of the galaxy bred an arrogance that led to a cataclysm.

A proportion of their race survived that dark time by fleeing from disaster upon the great vessels known as craftworlds. Others settled verdant planets far from the heart of their empire, and still more hid in private realms of their own making. Yet there was no real escape from what was to come.

Apparent perfection like that of the ancient Álfarii is all too often blighted by pride. For over a million Terran years ago, the Álfarii alone ruled the stars as the undisputed masters of their own destiny. Such a position was their right, they thought, and their preeminence was beyond doubt.

In many ways, the Álfarii had good reason for such hubris, for no other race had posed a serious threat to their wealth and stability for time immemorial. They were convinced that they no longer had anything to fear from the galaxy at large, and they may have been right, but the true threat came from within. The doom of the Álfarii, when it came, took a form far more subtle and dangerous than that of alien invasion.

At their peak, nothing was beyond the Álfarii's reach and nothing was forbidden. The ancient race continued their glorious existence unaware or unwilling to acknowledge the dark fate that awaited them. They plied the stars at will, experiencing the wonders of the galaxy and immersing themselves completely in the endless sensations that it offered them. Such was the technological mastery of the Álfarii that worlds were created specifically for their pleasure, and stars lived or died at their whim.

But this was far later in their histories, for the Álfarii were not always the galaxy's masters. For even a king can be born from dust.

### Third Age

Known as the Age of Sorrow

On hundreds of idyllic planets seeded across the stars, the Álfarii pursued their inclinations as they willed, indulging every dream and investigating every curiosity. They mastered the labyrinth dimension of the Webway, expanded their realms into the furthest corners of reality and learned much about the universe that has since been forgotten.

When their spirits eventually left their mortal bodies at death, they dissolved peacefully back into the Empyrean to be reborn again, for the Void did not yet hold the danger for Álfarii souls that it has since their Fall.

There were, of course, many wars. Even when the galaxy was young there were upstart species seeking to gouge out petty empires of their own, and the Álfarii waged wars against the sprawling Necrotair 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 Álfarii ever more sure of their ascendancy.

Even the greatest of all their wars, the conflict over sixty million Terran years ago that first forged their species in alliance with the legendary beings called the Old Ones, dimly remembered in the mythic cycles of the craftworlds as the War in Heaven, did not humble them. In their hearts the Álfarii reigned supreme, and no other power could end their dominance.

Second War in Heaven

The Great Fall

### Descent into Darkness

The catalyst that brought about the Álfarii race's fall came from the very depths of their collective psyche, the innate and growing need to fuel their passions and indulge in every extreme. Their people had long since outgrown the need for physical labor or manual agriculture due to the highly advanced and automated nature of their technology.

Álfarii society provided all the required necessities of life without individual effort, leaving long Terran millennia for the Álfarii to spend sating their every desire and whim.

Fueled by an inexhaustible curiosity, many gave way to their most hedonistic impulses. Exotic cults sprang up across the Álfarii domains that eclipsed the noble pursuits of old, each dedicated to esoteric knowledge or sensual excess.

The core of the Álfarii race began to look inwards, inexorably seeking new ways to explore the full range of emotion and sensation. Such behavior was perilously decadent and, in the end, corrosive to the soul of the race. The pursuit of excess gradually became a blight upon the whole society.

The acts of the pleasure cults began to transcend those of idle curiosity, or even extreme addiction. Álfarii from every corner of the empire wallowed in their most unnatural impulses in the pursuit of debauchery. As the cults gained a tighter hold over their society, the Álfarii became increasingly divided.

Those who saw the foulness that corrupted their people for what it was became known as Exodites, and they departed to found colony worlds on the fringes of the Álfarii Empire. As the civilization slid further into anarchy, others repented of their ways and fled into deep space aboard world-ships called craftworlds. Most Álfarii, however, continued to glut themselves on the pursuits of the depraved.

The sorrow of those left who mourned the loss of innocence such as the Ancient and Honorable Volb'narii would eventually turn to bitterness and spite. In time, brother fought brother, ancient clan fought clan, 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 Álfarii race, and blood flowed through the streets amidst the bestial roar of the crowd.

Their hidden realms within the Webway -- the network of tunnels that spread between realspace and the Void – 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 Álfarii race tightened its stranglehold, echoes of ecstasy and agony began to ripple through time and space. In the parallel dimension of the Immaterium, the psychic reflections of these intense experiences began to coalesce, for the shifting tides of the Empyrean can take form around intense emotion. Slowly, silently, a nascent god of excess grew strong in the depths of the Void.