Handmaidens

**The Handmaidens**, known in the Eldar Lexicon as **Cammeilleth** are the enigmatic servants of the Crone Goddess Morai Heg and one of the many distinct subgroups of the Eldar race. Due to their nature, Handmaidens are known as the **Deathstealers**, the **Black Maidens** or **Phantoms** depending on the speaker's background. The Handmaidens are the guardians of Naeghe, a pseudo-Craftworld of Morai Heg's construction; it is a laberynthine maze of impossible rooms and interlocking corridors and, at its centre, houses over a million Soul Stones, resulting in its moniker of the *Soul Maze* or the *Labyrinth of the Dead*.

The Handmaidens are considered an ill-omen for the eldar as their primary goal is to retrieve and protect Soul Stones to ensure they are not destroyed by Slaanesh. Although their intentions are good, the greater Eldar know full-well the Handmaidens are only there because their seers have prophesied defeat, or at least heavy casualties. Alternatively, Handmaidens will appear in particularly large-scale conflicts, regardless of their outcome as on massive conflicts, even a small percentage of casualties can translate into large figures.

## Handmaiden Organization

The Handmaidens are divided into different Sects, each one has a similar organizational structure; a structure passed down through the oftentimes incoherent babblings of Croneseers from Morai Heg herself. Each Sect is nomadic not occupying a permanent headquarters and instead constantly on the move, gliding across the known galaxy in large, incorporeal vessels known as Phantom Striders.

### Known Sects include

* Sect of the Blind Raven
* Sect of the Bloody Coffin
* Sect of the Frenzied Ghost
* Sect of the Black Mist
* Sect of the Infinite Claws

Considering the comparatively tiny size of the Handmaidens as far as manpower, there are only a few dozen Sects numbering at roughly a few thousand in each. Each Sect is lead by an individual of the rank of Crone Lord and beyond that, the faction as a whole is lead by a triumvirate of three Crone Lords known as Phantom Queens. These three deadly and powerful rulers have a say as to what the faction does as a whole and are the only ones to have an audience along with Morai Heg herself in the most secretive depths of the Naeghe.

## Handmaiden Forces

### Infantry

* **Raven Keepers** - Raven Keepers form the bulk of a Handmaiden Sect's infantry, these warrior women serve the purpose of quickly darting onto the field of battle, extracting spirit stones and storing them in their pouches whilst also avoiding enemy attacks. Raven Keepers are equipped with Holo Shrouds to help them become harder to pinpoint however it is still a constant struggle.
* **Crowspeakers** - Crowspeakers are a scouting force of the Handmaidens whose responsibility it is warn Aeldari Commanders of oncoming casualties, so they may try to avoid it. Crowspeakers are the first units to step foot onto the battlefield but far behind the front lines, they require to have shadowy ethereal movements so they may slip effortlessly into Aeldari headquarters so they may inform leaders.
* **Furies** - Furies are the veteran elites of the Handmaidens, the greatest close-combat warriors in each Sect by far, used to ruthlessly destroy the Eldar's enemies as well as protect the Raven Keepers so they can safely fulfil their obligations and extract the Spirit Stones of their fallen kin. Furies wear masks of screaming anguish and torment and have undulant, flowing manes of pale hair upon them. In Battle they use devastating polearms to keep their enemies at a distance as well as cut them down.

### Heavy Support

* **Balors** - Balors are the heavy weapons specialists bent on the violent destruction of their enemies. Using the long-range weapon known as the Phantom Beamer, Balors can cut and rend armour to shreds in moments. After graduating from the role of Raven Keeper, a warrior has four choices, to become either a Crowspeaker, a Nightseer, a Balor or a Fury.

### Commanders

* **Crone Lords** - Crone Lords are the leaders of Sects, these warriors are the strongest their Sect has to offer and are also most intuned with the wishes beliefs of the Crone Goddess, Morai Heg. Graduated from their roles as Furies, Crone Lords are generally the strongest and most skilled combattants as well as generally the most capable leaders. Three of the greatest Crone Lords are chosen to lead the Handmaidens, these are known as Phantom Queens.
* **Nightseers** - The psychics of the Handmaidens, Nightseers usually perform two functions, one off and one on the battlefield. On the field of war, Nightseers sow illusions, chaos and disorder, crafting visions of fearsome crystalline temptresses and giant malevolent ravens. Off the field of battle, Nightseers serve to predict where and when Aeldari conflicts are being fought so they can make a timely arrival to ensure the safety of spirit stones
	+ **Croneseers** - Croneseers are a specific and heightened variant to a Nightseer that are capable of communing and accepting the demands of Morai Heg herself. Once a Nightseer has gone through a specific ritual which includes blindness, runes and several self-inflicted injuries, they are able to accept the whims of the Crone Goddess and serve as a second and more absolute tactician of a Sect.

## Wargear

### Weaponry

* **Crone Swords** - The Ultimate privilege among the Handmaidens, to even be in the same System as a Crone Sword is considered a brilliant honour but to hold one is described as life-changing. Weapons of unparalleled veneration among the Handmaidens, Crone Swords are given to the Phantom Queens, the Triumvirate of commanders-in-chief of the Handmaidens faction. Created originally from the severed fingers of their patron goddess and forged by the tools of another, these Crone Swords are of nigh-infinite value. Five are known to be in existence however only three are in possession of the faction.
* **Phantom Blades** - Phantom Blades are precious close-combat weapons that are only awarded to Crone Lords for their service. Being a Phantom weapon, a Phantom Blade is forged with wraithbone as well as Spirit stones found broken in battle. This is done for two reasons, to remind the Balor using it that their quest is eternal, that as long as there are spirit stones there will be those who break them, and also to give their woeful kin a last chance at destroying the Great Enemy, even if it is from beyond the grave.
* **Phantom Beamer** - An energy based weapon, the Phantom beamer, Being a Phantom weapon, is powered by the residual spiritual energies of shattered Soul Stones used to fire beams at a target for deadly effect.
* **Screaming Glaives** - Originally named Phantom Glaives, these weapons are used by Furies, the elite of the Handmaidens. Furies can utilise the shards of Soul Stone in their Glaive blades to unleash pained screams and despaired wails, causing terror wherever they strike.
* Shuriken Pistol

### Equipment

* **Rune Pouch** - A universal piece of wargear echoing the myths of their patron deity, keeping the fates of all humanity in a rune-skin pouch. Similarly, Rune Pouches are used for storing Spirit stones.
* **Soul Haven** - A wrist-mounted tubular piece of equipment for extracting Soul Stones. these are worn by all Handmaidens, although it is the Raven Keepers' primary function, other warriors may still be capable of it during lapses in the conflict.
* **Holo-Shroud** - A Cloak projecting a holo-field that is worn by a great many members of the Handmaidens. This makes their form ethereal and their outline indistinct, making it easier to do their jobs.

## Notable Handmaidens

* Phantom Queen **Ouroboros** - Sect of the Blind Raven
* Phantom Queen **Eru** - Sect of the Bloodied Coffin
* Phantom Queen **Nemae** - Sect of the Frenzied Ghost
* **Palewhite** - mysterious figure in the Handmaidens