Draidheamh-Saar

The crown of Kaela Mensha Khaine with three blood drops bisected by a crescent moon

A Guardian of the Craele-Visigar Warhost

## Astrographical Information

### **Current location**

Primarily located in the Southern and South-Eastern Fringe, near the Veiled Region

## Military Information

### **Favored Unit**

Falcon Grav-Tank and Variants
Engines of Vaul

### **Combat Specialty**

Shock and Awe
Armoured Combat

### **Reputation**

Passive until provoked
Highly Skilled Artisans and Labourers

### **Allies**

Multiple Craftworlds, Exodite worlds, Corsair fleets

### **Main Enemy**

Drukhari, Followers of Slaanesh

**Draidheamh-Saar** (pronounced '*dreuth-sar*'), whose name means "Orphans of God", is a minor craftworld that had barely survived the Fall of the Aeldari and the Birth of Slaanesh due to the timely intervention of Iyanden. They had initially dismissed the warnings from the first of the Asuryani as hysterics, but were convinced to leave their fortunes behind by well-respected Farseers. Those who chose to cling to their material possessions or were too lost in the path of depravity were devoured by She Who Thirsts. As thanks for their rescue, Draidheamh-Saar forged an alliance with Iyanden and vowed to one day repay the favour. A favour that would be called upon when the Great Devourer arrived in the Milky Way and ravaged Iyanden in its wake. Ever since the halls of Iyanden became largely bereft of life and were instead populated by wraith constructs of Ghost Warriors, Draidheamh-Saar would henceforth stay by its savior’s side to help defend the remnants of the once magnificent shard of the old Aeldari Empire.

Formerly known as Leamh-Sidhruid, this community of artisans adopted Iyanden’s goal of creating new boundaries for the next Aeldari Empire and pursued rapid militarization following the Fall of the Aeldari. However, unlike the aggressive and militant Biel-Tan, Draidheamh-Saar encourages its people to pursue other paths whilst remaining vigilant warriors. In particular, the Path of the Artisan and the Path of Service are the most popular alternatives to the Path of the Warrior. The former allows them to return to their ancient roots as craftsmen of great renown and the pinnacle of Draidheamh-Saar’s artisan past is put on full display on their armor. Calligraphic runes, hand-woven fabrics and precious metals are implemented onto the wraithbone warplate of every warrior. From Craftworld Guardians to the most renowned wraith constructs, every citizen of Draidheamh-Saar is decorated in artistic livery. Many of such liveries incorporate venerations to Vaul, Lileath and Khaine as well as lamentations to the fallen. Although this is a means of self-expression that is typically denied by the strict insularity of the other Paths, there still are limitations on how much one could decorate their armor before they fall to the seductive lies of vanity. Those who lose themselves in the Path of the Artisan are tasked with recounting old glories and immortalizing these tales in tear-inducing beauty upon the wraithbone halls of the craftworld.

The Path of Service, the other popular alternative to the Path of the Warrior, is where things take an interesting twist. Before the Asuryani embarked on an exodus from their homeworlds, another group of Aeldari had already distanced themselves from the downward spiral of debauchery that had consumed the once mighty race. These Aeldari, henceforth known as Exodites, chose to live primitive lives to quell temptations as well as hide from the ever-hungering gaze of She Who Thirsts. After their rescue, Draidheamh-Saar discovered an Exodite colony and learned what they could from these farseeing paragons of pragmatic wisdom. This resulted in every craftworld dweller becoming self-sufficient and willing to perform any task regardless of its meniality. This would’ve made the Path of Service obsolete if it weren’t for Draidheamh-Saar’s insistence on always being prepared for war. Akin to the serfs of the Mon’Keigh’s Astartes, those who walk the Path of Service live to serve Aspect Warriors. From weapon and armor maintenance to assisting warriors during training exercises, these ‘Seir'Isead’ would tend to an Aspect Warrior’s needs outside of the battlefield until either one of them dies or either one of them finishes walking their path. Those who lose themselves in the Path of Service are venerated as ‘Warhailers’ for their unresting desire to ensure the survival of Draidheamh-Saar.

However, as previously stated, the Draidheamh-Saar are vigilant warriors despite their artisan roots. As such, they still cling to ancient ideals of honour and the mindset that dictates how one must wage war honourably. This does not mean that they wouldn’t use any means necessary to survive in the grim darkness of the 41st Millennium. However, Draidheamh-Saar does not actively seek conflict as they understand that to risk the precious lives of the dwindling Aeldari race is a decision that is made under the greatest necessity. While some of the more aggressive craftworlds view this as cowardice and the many bloodthirsty denizens of the galaxy view this as a sign of weakness, this pragmatic mindset also serves to lower the enemy’s guard at the thought of an easy kill. When Draidheamh-Saar are forced to march to war, they do so in a spectacle of overwhelming firepower. Boasting a large armory of grav-tanks and a collection of super-heavy Engines of Vaul, any who face this slumbering beast of a craftworld is pulverized under an unforgiving barrage of Brightlances and Prism Cannons with any survivors from the onslaught given an honourable end by Draidheamh-Saar Aspect Warriors.

## Craftworld History

### The Reinn-Fhighoiceir

The history of Draidheamh-Saar and the Leimh-Sidhruid has been lost to obscurity as many of those who had lived through the earliest era of the Aeldari Empire had been devoured by Slaanesh during the Fall. Only legends of triumphs and sorrows remain, and the greatest is about an unnamed Eldar who would only be known as the Reinn-Fhighoiceir or ‘Star-Weaver’. The origins of this enigmatic character vary greatly, with tales ranging from being an obscure Eldar God who chose to walk amongst their lessers to humble beginnings as a slave who fought their way to freedom. Regardless of what tale one chooses to believe, one constant trait that made the Reinn-Fhighoiceir such a revered character is their immaculate skill as an artisan. So much so that Vaul himself grew jealous and challenged the artisan in a series of competitions to prove his superiority.

Much to the surprise of many interested parties, the Star-Weaver refused the God of the Forge’s challenges because they feared Vaul’s retributive wrath. They knew that regardless of victory or defeat, Vaul’s jealousy would cloud his mind and tempt the god to ensure that no one would ever approach his prodigious skill ever again. So, the Star-Weaver went into a self-imposed exile to hide from the envious god’s gaze. Rather than make an extravagant creation to cloak their presence from fellow eldar or man, the Reinn-Fhighoiceir made a simple cloak of wool and furs counting on the fact that everyone held their skill so highly that they would not consider simplicity as its own form of humble beauty. For years, they drifted amongst the stars in search of a backwater world where they could make their refuge with peace of mind.

In their travels, they met a fellow wanderer named Fhoiraen. Where Reinn-Fhighoiceir was lauded for being an artisan without comparison, Fhoiraen was a warrior with many equals. A quiet and rather unremarkable soul, this vagabond was neither the swiftest nor the strongest. His mind wasn’t the most well-attuned to the Aeldari’s psychic potential nor is it capable of carrying out instantaneous calculus that immortalized ancient tacticians. If anything, his most distinct trait was that he was stubborn to a fault. Unwilling to concede to inevitable defeat or to give up on an impossible task, Fhoiraen would’ve been a perfect pawn in the battlefields of the future or in the political mechanisms of the era. In the company of the Star-Weaver, this hopelessly mediocre individual became an invaluable and cherished friend.

## Craftworld Warhost

### Ghost Warriors

The Ghost Warriors of the Draidheamh-Saar are treated with superstition by the craftworld’s denizens.

#### The Dowager

There is no greater manifestation of the Draidheamh-Saar’s superstitions about the Ghost Warriors than the legendary Wraith Knight known as “The Dowager”. Piloted by twin sisters, both of whom were former concubines of a tyrannous merchant lord that was killed during an accident whilst transporting exotic animals and slaves, the sisters were amongst the many refugees of Leamh-Sidhruid when the Fall of Eldar occurred. One sister, Deoiridh, became a bonesinger and artisan whilst the other, Cairist, lost herself in the Path of the Warrior and became an Exarch of the Howling Banshees.

### Unique Units

* ***Doomsingers*** - Within every sisterhood of Howling Banshees, a select few are set apart for they had walked the Path of Grief far longer than they had walked the Path of the Warrior. These Doomsingers are walking portents of calamity and are treated with pity by their kin as they would be forced to use their grief as a weapon. With the guidance of a Farseer, they would psychically attune themselves to a planet’s dormant World Spirit. Once this delicate connection is made, a cacophony of shrill screams and sorrowful songs would be let loose from their fracturing hearts. This psychic noise could be heard all throughout the planet and would resonate deep within the soul of any who would hear it. Those of weak-will are doomed to succumb to indescribable grief and suicidal nihilism whilst those of stronger minds are heavily disoriented onwards as the song would linger. However, this outburst of unfiltered grief emotionally fatigues the Doomsingers and they would be placed in the reserve to recuperate until victory is achieved or their uncanny and deceptively beautiful bladecraft is needed in the blood-stained battlefield.

## Combat Doctrine

### The Jade Bastion

An obscure Aspect Shrine unique to those who clung to glories from the War of Heaven, the Jade Bastion is the dwindling and nigh obsolete anvil to the Aeldari’s many hammers. Much like their contemporaries, the Crimson Hunters, the Jade Bastion is an Aspect Shrine whose ritual wargear is a unique vehicle tailored to an Aspect of Kaela Mensha Khaine. The Chalcosoma Grav-Tank is a heavily armed and heavily armoured vehicle whose primary purpose is to be an impenetrable wall of wraithbone against the enemy. This behemoth of a land vehicle is a physical manifestation of Khaine’s aspect as an unbreakable warrior who is able to withstand anything his foes throw at him. Although it saw extensive action during the War of Heaven, this grav-tank was all but forgotten at the epoch of the Aeldari Empire as it became obsolete due to the Aeldari’s increased propensity for high speed warfare. Following the Fall of the Eldar, a few Craftworlds clung to these relics of total destruction as a trump card should they be forced to fight a war of attrition with little to no chance of victory or escape.

The Chalcosoma is armed with two large Distortion Cannons that are similar to the ones found on a Cobra Super-Heavy tank as well as a Shuriken Cannon to protect it from large swaths of infantry. To compensate for the weight of these weapons of awe, the chassis of the Chalcosoma is enlarged in order to fit more anti-gravity generators and a much stronger Holo-Field generator is also installed as the size of it marks it as a high-priority target. However, even the most prodigious of Aeldari technologies and ethereal wraithbone construction could not save it from the greatest flaw that all vehicles of this caliber experience: the lack of speed. Every Chalcosoma is much slower than most Engines of Vaul and due to this, its role on the battlefield is limited. Regardless of this disadvantage, the Chalcosoma is still capable of reaching speeds that Mon’Keigh super-heavies could only dream of achieving. As such, those who face this Aspect will quickly learn that the price to destroy the Aeldari’s legacy is steeper than the depths of a black hole.

## Craftworld Appearance

In remembrance of their past, Draidheamh-Saar dons white and various shades of indigo on their panoply. The white symbolizes the moonlight that used to dance across their long-lost world during equinoxes as that period of time aligned with the day that victory was declared against the Necrontyr menace. Indigo is a homage to a genome of plants related to what the Mon'Keigh called 'nightshade'. These local flora were supposedly gifted to them by Isha herself when the first of the Draidheamh-Saar made her a shawl from the gases of a nebula and the light of a thousand stars.

Draidheamh-Saar’s world rune translates to “Beauty in Vengeance”. It is a crescent moon bisected by the Crown of Khaine with three blood drops pouring from the crown. Legend has it that the founder of Leamh-Sidhruid, Draidheamh-Saar’s precursor, found a lock of Khaine’s mane during the War of Heaven. They wore it as part of their armor and when the Necrons were finally driven back to their tombs, this unnamed warrior sealed this holy relic in a precious stone given to them by Lileath, the Eldar Goddess of Fortune. It is said that Leamh-Sidhruid’s legacy of artistry began with this act of remembrance. The three blood drops symbolize the losses that the Aeldari Empire had experienced in three major events: the War of Heaven, the Birth of Slaanesh, and the ongoing war for survival.