vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Kabal of the Flayed Skull - Kabal Specialty: When the Kabal of the Flayed Skull goes to war, it strikes from the skies with furious purpose. The first priority is to establish air superiority, for Archon Vraesque will brook no threat to the movement of his raiding party.To this end, a Flayed Skull raid will be heralded by hurtling Drukhari aircraft that concentrate on eliminating all enemy air power. Behind these planes come the kabal's Raiders, Ravagers and Venoms, their weapons spitting fury as they knock out targets that the Razorwing Jetfighters and Voidraven Bombers have missed.There have been occasions when Flayed Skull raids have remained airborne right up until the last moment, the kabal's infantry barely setting foot on enemy soil. Certainly the warriors of the kabal like to brag of such victories, and tales of battles such as the Morresti Ambush and the attack on Thandium have spread throughout Commorragh.However, sometimes the prey may need to be rooted out of established defences, or ground-based objectives may need to be captured -- however temporarily -- to ensure force fields are lowered, air defences crippled or whatever else. In such instances, the Kabal of the Flayed Skull will deploy its Kabalite Warrior infantry forces in strength, backing them with mercenary killers such as Scourges and Mandrakes, whose unique skills ensure the attack does not lose momentum.Throughout these manoeuvres, the kabal's aircraft will continue to criss-cross the skies, cutting enemy reinforcements to pieces before they can reach the battlefront. Should Vraesque himself take to the field at the head of his court, these aerial sentinels will be doubly vigilant. During the raid on Parcival II, the archon was temporarily slain; upon his regeneration at the hands of the Haemonculi, the archon personally hunted down each and every pilot who had failed him, flaying them and staking them out to dissolve amid the fumes of the Poisoned Crown.However the Kabal of the Flayed Skull chooses to strike, it does so with a speed and precision that few foes can match. This small elite force must keep moving, keep killing and keep their prey on the back foot. In this way the Drukhari raiders can wrong-foot their opponents, strike at their weak points and then fade back to Commorragh like smoke on the breeze.
Kabal of the Flayed Skull - Kabal Appearance: The Kabalites of the Flayed Skull, as their name would suggest, take pains to cultivate an unusually savage appearance. The most notable expression of this is the blood-streaks that many Kabalites apply to their faces before every raid. This blood is their own, and has a strong ritualistic significance.Each Kabalite will take a blade and cut deep into their own flesh, striving to cause themselves the greatest possible pain in the process. They paint the blood onto their skin, applying it in long stripes or using it to daub themselves in bloody runes of mayhem. As they perform this ritual, many will brag that their blood will not be shed again that day, for the weapons of the prey will not touch them.Of course, in the violent society of Commorragh, this blooded visage has also become the kabal's calling card. Rival kabals have found their strongholds sundered from the sky, the bodies of the defenders scattered about, faces painted in their own split blood. None will forget the gory fate of the Kabal of the Despairing Scream, whose severed faces decorate an entire vault of the Poisoned Crown to this day.Equally, the Kabal of the Flayed Skull has been known to leave mementoes of this sort at the culmination of successful raids. Following the defence of Klenmann's Landing, for example, the Imperial Astra Militarum relief force found only the corpses of the PDF defenders, still posed carefully at their posts with the skin flayed from their skulls.There are similarly barbaric flourishes exhibited throughout the Kabalites' appearance. Their armour is decorated to hint at flayed skin and bone laid bare, its appearance in battle uncomfortably realistic. The hulls and sails of their grav vehicles are similarly adorned. The kabal's symbol is, naturally, a ritually flayed Aeldari skull. This macabre death's head is a terror weapon in itself, leaving the prey in little doubt of the horrific fate they face should they be defeated or, worse, captured by the kabal.Finally, the Kabalites make a great show of donning loincloths, cloaks and the like made from flayed and stitched skin. These items of clothing are often dyed rich, arterial red, the pigment itself a carefully refined blend of the blood of thousands. The best-crafted of these garments are provided by the Haemonculi of the Commorrite undercity, and boast still-moaning faces that gurgle and groan in disembodied agony as their wearer moves.However, even those Kabalites that cannot afford such ostentation will stud their skin-garments with barbed hooks and rattling chains, the better to sow terror amidst the foe. Such is the horrific aspect of the Kabal of the Flayed Skull: a mantle of barbarity that has seeped into almost every aspect of its warriors' existence. Yet still their savage appearance falls short of expressing the true cruelty and sadism that drives their every action.
Kabal of the Flayed Skull - Court of the Archon: Vraesque's Coterie - A collection of brutish Sslyth, slavering Ur-Ghuls and bale-eyed Medusae, this group of pets and bodyguards hang upon their master's every callous word.Scourges - "The Bloodwings" - Archon Vraesque recently forged a pact with the airborne mercenaries known as the Bloodwings, whose potent firepower now supports his kabal's raids.Mandrakes - "The Whispers in the Dark" - Packs of hissing Mandrakes often burst from the shadows during the Flayed Skull's raids. Their skills in battle are deadly, yet the price for their aid is high...Incubi - Shrine of the Splintered Bone - These Incubi claim the bones of slain foes, carving them into fetishes that line the inside of their segmented warplate, pressed close to their pale flesh.
Kabal of the Flayed Skull - Sources: Codex: Dark Eldar (5th Edition), pg. 61Codex: Dark Eldar (7th Edition), pp. 90-94, 101-103, 118-120, 177Codex: Drukhari (8th Edition), pg. 19Raiders of Commorragh - Dark Eldar Painting Guide, pp. 3-17, 62-81Colours of the Kabals (Defunct Site)
Kabal of the Last Hatred - Kabal of the Last Hatred: The Kabal of the Last Hatred is one of the greatest of the Drukhari Kabals of the Dark City of Commorragh that has a morbid interest in the forbidden arts of necromancy.Though they outwardly seek to master the transition between life and death, their aims are far grander than those of petty necromancers. Some say the Last Hatred seek to transcend mortality entirely, others that they wish to exterminate the Aeldari species and enslave whatever entity is born from the ashes.Madness this may seem, but any who have looked into their eyes will never truly dismiss their ambition, nor the depths of depravity to which they will go to fulfil their goals.So it is that they prosecute their kin-strife against the Asuryani and Exodites, but above all it is the Ynnari who are now shown the full measure of their fury, due to their dedication to reviving the fortunes of the entire Aeldari race.Originally famous for their pain-farms and a talent for keeping their wretched captives alive indefinitely, the drive to drain every last drop of suffering from their "clients" has led the Kabal of the Last Hatred into infamy.In recent years, the Kabal have mastered the technique of permanently binding a soul to the cadaver from which it would usually depart at the moment of death.Yet the carnival of corpses that accompanies them to war is merely a distraction to draw attention from something far more sinister, for down in the pits under their stronghold, the Kabal practises ever more complex rites.Here the Kabalites unpick the tapestry of life, studying the postponement of entropy in gardens hung with wax-skinned undead arranged in artful but unnatural poses. Should they ever succeed in their quest, the lines between life and death may be irrevocably blurred.
Kabal of the Last Hatred - Notable Campaigns: The Dancing Dead (327.M41) - The insane Archon Thyndrak of the Last Hatred launches a raid on the Hive World of Tamantra's Folly. During fierce fighting between her Kabalite forces and the Tallarn 8th Infantry, Archon Thyndrak abducts the planet's tyrannical governor and his entire sadistic household. Within the cycle, the luckless abductees have been fitted with neural restraints, dressed in improbable and torturous finery, and installed in life support tubes built into the ceiling of Archon Thyndrak's grand ballroom. Trapped in an agonising half-life, the Imperial nobles can be lowered down to the Archon's dance floor at will on wheezing brass armatures, their mere presence leaving the hall awash with an aura of pain and misery that the Commorrites find most refreshing. Needless to say, Thyndrak's new toys are something of a coup, her guests delighting in dancing and frolicking with the whimpering Humans amid the mocking laughter of their peers.The Long Midnight (891.M41) - The Kabal of the Last Hatred ravages the Hive World of Persya in a six-cycle-long siege, using arcane technologies to bring pitch darkness to its principal hive cities and sending Mandrakes and Ur-Ghuls into its confines. Many hive workers go mad with terror, but are taken back to Commorragh nonetheless. It is claimed that during this siege, Kheradruakh the Decapitator selects an unprecedented seven worthy skulls for his macabre lair.
Kabal of the Lords of the Iron Thorn - Kabal of the Lords of the Iron Thorn: As one of the oldest dynasties in Commorragh, the Kabal of the Lords of the Iron Thorn was amongst the first to rise to prominence in the wake of Asdrubael Vect's ascendancy. As masters of industry the skimmers produced by their vehicle factories ensured that the Lords of the Iron Thorn would grow to become amongst the wealthiest and most powerful of their kind.Masters of the sub-realm of Pandaimon within the Dark City, embittered remnants of a long-gone Aeldari aristocracy, the Lords of the Iron Thorn are Commorragh's pre-eminent weapons crafters. Prowling squadrons of Ravager gunships and sleek-sailed Raiders fill the skies of Pandaimon, sweeping between its spires in great numbers.Long ago, this proud and ancient Kabal were brought to their knees after an ill-fated rebellion against Asdrubael Vect by their then-master, Archon Draylin Qu. However, in the centuries since, they have rebuilt their power through ensuring the Kabal of the Black Heart remains well-supplied with Iron Thorn war machines.This Kabal's weapon factories and grav-docks are so sprawling they would cover the surface of a small moon, and they ring night and day with the hellish clamour of slave-driven industry.It is said that the mark of the Iron Thorn upon a Raider's hull is akin to Aestra Khromys' brand upon the stock of a gun -- a mark of quality that is second to none.The Lords of the Iron Thorn are highly active in the Drukhari raids upon realspace, not least because every successful attack proves afresh the power of their airborne armada.They believe in the application of overwhelming firepower, and delight in proving the superiority of their finely-crafted gunboats over the lumbering war engines of the lesser races of the galaxy.
Kabal of the Lords of the Iron Thorn - History: The nobility of the Lords of the Iron Thorn can trace their heritage back to the days before the Fall, when the ancient Aeldari first established the city-port of Commorragh in a vital junction of the Webway, and pride in the purity in of their bloodline has fostered a monstrous arrogance amongst their rulers through the ages.To be renowned for this trait even amongst others of their kind is a sign of hubris that truly knows no bounds. This attitude has been accompanied by insatiable ambition that has served them well, and has led to them becoming one of the most influential institutions in Commorragh.Yet it is the very same character flaw that once almost led to the Kabal's destruction.
Kabal of the Lords of the Iron Thorn - A Tyrant Spurned: In the long history of Commorragh, there are countless tales of treachery, murder and base depravity, but far fewer of defiance. However, despite Asdrubael Vect proving that he would ruthlessly crush any insurrection, one Kabal not only had the audacity to denounce him, but also the strength to withstand his fury: the Lords of the Iron Thorn.In the Imperial year 799.M38, the archon of the Lords of the Iron Thorn, an arrogant Trueborn by the name of Draylin Qu, declared the independence of the trans-dimensional satellite realm of Pandaimon from the rest of Commorragh. Most believe his motives were fuelled simply by greed -- that Qu sought to forge Pandaimon into his own empire, free from Vect's influence.Others believe that Qu's reason were economical, claiming he was attempting to light the spark of total war in Commorragh to make a financial killing from the supply of arms and skimmer craft to the warring factions. Regardless of the real motive behind his actions, Qu had thrown down the gauntlet to Asdrubael Vect.Bitter fighting soon erupted between the Lords of the Iron Throne and Vect's own Kabal of the Black Heart, as Commorragh's supreme overlord sought to rid himself of his insolent rival. However, Qu had anticipated the ferocity of Vect's response and had long prepared to meet his powerful forces in battle.The Lords of the Iron Thorn had more than quadrupled their output of attack craft, and Qu had spared no expense to ensure that his gunners were amongst the finest in Commorragh. Squadron after squadron of heavily-armed skimmers would blunt Vect's initial attacks and prevent him from securing a foothold in Pandaimon.Everywhere Vect's forces gathered for an attack, they were assailed without remorse by vast schools of Qu's craft, their own vehicles left in smoldering ruins before they could respond.Yet the numbers and fearsome fighting prowess of the Kabal of the Black Heart denied Qu the opportunity to gain any significant advantage in return. With neither side able to gain the upper hand, the bitter fighting raged on for many solar weeks.
Kabal of the Lords of the Iron Thorn - Betrayal: Ultimately, it was not Vect that would be Draylin Qu's undoing, but patricide -- Qu's daughter, Veryna, had secretly become one of Vect's consorts. Veryna kissed her father with lips coated in the neurotoxin known as "essence of bloodfire," and he died horribly as his nerves caught fire from within.With Qu dead, it was a simple matter for Vect, backed by the bloody-handed warriors of no less than five Incubi temples, to secure Pandaimon's unconditional surrender. The massacre that ensued in reprisal for their defiance was one of the most horrific in Commorragh's history -- quite a feat for a species renowned for their murderlust.Vect only ordered an end to the slaughter because he had been impressed with how well his adversaries had fought, and he believed they could prove to be a useful asset in the future. However, though Vect eventually withdrew his forces, he did not do so without a suitable memento.Draylin Qu's face, restored by the Haemonculi to rudimentary life, now adorns a banner depicting the sigil of the Lords of the Iron Thorn in the palace of Asdrubael Vect. Qu's wailing visage serves as a symbol of Vect's triumph and a clear warning to others that would seek to free themselves from his oppressive yoke.
Kabal of the Lords of the Iron Thorn - Back From the Precipice: Though the war with Asdrubael Vect left the Lords of the Iron Thorn at the brink of destruction, their formidable resources combined with the determination with which they fought saw them survive against the odds. It was time to rebuild their shattered domain and begin the long journey to restoring their former glory.Over the long standard years since their defeat, the Lords of the Iron Thorn have gradually recovered their strength and begun once again to impose their influence on their rivals throughout the Dark City. The rulers of the Kabal have used all of their malicious cunning to manipulate and bribe their way back into the favour of prominent figures throughout Commorragh, and their star is once again on the rise.As the 41st Millennium draws to a close, the master of the Kabal is a shrewd archon by the name of Khadys Abrahak. In his youth, he fought as one of his Kabal's Trueborn during Pandaimon's war of secession with the Kabal of the Black Heart, and Abrahak still harbours a bitter resentment of his Kabal's humiliation at the hands of Asdrubael Vect.Though he feigns subservience whenever the supreme overlord calls upon his Kabal's warriors or resources, Abrahak's spies are ever at work to undermine Vect.
Kabal of the Lords of the Iron Thorn - Fires of Industry: The secret to the survival and subsequent resurgence of the Lords of the Iron Thorn lies in the Kabal's sprawling workshops, which are amongst the finest in Commorragh, and many will pay handsomely to ensure that their realspace raids are equipped with anti-gravity attack craft that bear the mark of Iron Thorn.The manufacture of Raiders, Ravagers and Venoms is the lifeblood of the Lords of Iron Thorn, and as a result, the Kabal has gathered innumerable slaves skilled in the art of forging.Indeed, the Lords of Iron Thorn have launched many realspace raids for this explicit purpose.
Kabal of the Lords of the Iron Thorn - Lords of Iron and War: The Lords of the Iron Thorn launch their raids into realspace from the backs of a powerful fleet of Raiders.The gunners of the Kabal are amongst the most highly trained in all of the Dark City, and take great delight in blasting asunder the armoured vehicles of their prey with precision beams of darklight.So formidable is their firepower that the Kabal can afford to engage targets that are much better equipped that those singled out by the archons of other Kabals.This gives the Lords of the Iron Thorn a valuable advantage, for they have the means to cripple or destroy threats within moments of the outset of any engagement.Archon Khadys Abrahak leads many of the Kabal's realspace raids personally, meticulously planning when and where to strike for the greatest reward. Though the fleet at his disposal is the envy of many of his rival archons, he will not commit to battle without ensuring that the risks are heavily outweighed by the reward.So careful is Abrahak that his detractors claim he would rather lose a dozen of his Trueborn warriors than one of his precious skimmers.
Kabal of the Lords of the Iron Thorn - Harvesters of Pain: The archon of the Lords of the Iron Thorn is rarely seen without a powerful force of his Kabal's warriors to deter any would-be assassination attempts.The Harvesters of Pain are one such band of Kabalite Warriors. When not on duty in his capacity, they are often to be found in the workshops of Pandaimon, finding sport to sate their sadistic desires from amongst the slaves that work there.This can often result in some of the unfortunate workforce suffering agonising deaths for the sport of their tormentors. However, Abrahak does not censor them for their actions -- quite the opposite. By indulging their perversions, he ensures their loyalty.
Kabal of the Lords of the Iron Thorn - The Undying: Every member of the Undying has "lived" for over five Terran millennia, if such a word can be used to describe their existence. Each warrior has died dozens of times and been reborn in the growth vats of the Haemonculi.Such is their technological mastery that defiance of death is far from unusual amongst the Drukhari. To the members of the Undying, however, it has become such a common occurrence that it has become a source of mirth.The worst offender is Tylith Kroval, whose shattered remains have been reconstituted on no fewer than forty-two occasions.
Kabal of the Lords of the Iron Thorn - The Untainted: The Untainted, led by Meshael the Proud, have fought alongside Khadys Abrahak since the war of secession, and are rarely apart from their archon.In a culture where treachery and backstabbing is rife, it is rare for a clique of warriors to display anything that resembles respect for their master, let alone loyalty.Yet Abrahak earned the trust of these Trueborn warriors who would become his closest aides during the struggle against the Kabal of the Black Heart.
Kabal of the Lords of the Iron Thorn - Notable Lords of the Iron Thorn Kabal: Khadys Abrahak - The archon of the Lords of the Iron Thorn, Lord Abrahak is largely responsible for the Kabal's return to greatness in the aftermath of the war of secession with Asdrubael Vect. At times, he is every bit as arrogant a leader as the previous archons of his Kabal, but his first-hand experience of defeat by the Kabal of the Black Heart has tempered his attitude somewhat. His rivals believe that his fierce pride will nonetheless get the better of him one day, that he will end up repeating the mistakes of his predecessor. However, that day has yet to come, and none within his household have thus far dared to challenge him. Abrahak is a wily ruler, and suspects treachery at every turn -- a trait that is essential to any archon should he or she desire to remain in power for long. He has gathered to him a dangerous band of bodyguards and retainers, whose sole purpose is to look after his well-being at all times. The fact that his Sslyth guardian, Lid'sudu, towers over even the tallest of the Drukhari, and is the deadliest swordsman in Pandaimon, is no doubt an especially useful deterrent.
Kabal of the Lords of the Iron Thorn - Sources: Codex: Drukhari (8th Edition), pg. 23Codex: Dark Eldar (7th Edition), pp. 37-38, 108, 124-125Raiders of Commorragh - Dark Eldar Painting Guide, pp. 46-58, 106-118Colours of the Kabals (Defunct Site)
Kabal of the Obsidian Rose - Kabal of the Obsidian Rose: The Kabal of the Obsidian Rose is a powerful Drukhari Kabal of Commorragh that controls the greatest swathe of weapons shops in the Dark City. Through the inventive genius of their Archon and Overlord, Aestra Khromys, they maintain a death grip on the Commorrite arms trade, and when they raid the worlds of realspace, they do so armed with the best equipment in Commorragh.Every weapon, suit of armour and vehicle used by the Kabal is a work of art, finely detailed and honed for maximum lethality. A single one of these tools of war would be a prized artefact to one of the minor Kabals, but to the Obsidian Rose the achievement of perfection is not an elusive ideal -- it is the benchmark by which success and failure are measured. These same exacting standards are applied to every aspect of life in the Kabal.Before launching a raid, the Obsidian Rose practise every step, shot and contingency until each Kabalite Warrior can perform their part blindfolded. It is the duty of each Kabalite to ensure that their Splinter Rifle and Kabalite Armour are in pristine condition, not only so that they can efficiently inflict torment, but also to proudly display the Obsidian Rose's inherent superiority over their victims.It is not uncommon for Kabalite Warriors returning from a raid to be hoisted onto the bladed vanes of their craft next to the screaming captives, simply because they have allowed their weapon to become tarnished with enemy blood. Anything less than immaculate is considered an utter affront to the honour of the Obsidian Rose.
Kabal of the Obsidian Rose - History: Archon Khromys herself is an impossibly skilled artisan in the field of weapons manufacture, and a blade or pistol bearing her signature mark will sell for a huge price in slaves and souls. Yet she was not always the Kabal's leader. Having failed to bow down and kiss the hand of the Obsidian Rose's previous master, Archon Vhloriac, Khromys was flung into the Kabal's vast weapons shops to suffer death by ennui alongside the other slaves.Here she was forced to monotonously assemble the same parts over and over until her days blended together into a recurring nightmare. For the Drukhari, who are by their nature born hedonists, such a fate is far worse than death or torture, for in the relentless mundanity their very souls are starved. Many so fated go mad -- but Khromys developed a plan that would take many years to come to fruition.The first step was to sate her soul's need for extremes by constructing the most perfectly balanced and accurate weapons imaginable. The results of her prodigious craftsmanship were noticed by the factory overseers, and within a Terran year she was transferred to a graded workshop within High Commorragh. Such was the quality of her weapons that they were soon asked for by name, and a thriving trade in Khromys' weaponry circulated throughout the upper echelons of the Obsidian Rose.Eventually, Khromys and the team of master artisans she had trained were purchased wholesale by Archon Vhloriac, who had long since discarded any memory of his past encounter with the disrespectful weaponsmith. For him she produced finer armaments than she had ever before created, and her master boastfully equipped himself and his bodyguard with her wares.When Khromys and her team were summoned before their patron they brought gifts with them, seemingly harmless artefacts and trinkets that in reality harboured dozens of concealed weapons. The shock when Khromys' clique put their hidden armoury to use was compounded by the fact that the equipment borne by the Archon's Court stopped working at that very moment. It was an act of legendary Drukhari treachery that was meticulously crafted, and executed to perfection.Since that day, Khromys has ruled as Overlord of the Obsidian Rose, and the Kabal has a flawless reputation for its firearms and blades. In her perfectionism, Khromys does not tolerate any lapse of quality in her weapon shops' produce, or in the members of her Kabal, and will personally descend into the bowels of Commorragh to make an example of those accused of imperfect workmanship. These punishments are invariably horrific, administered as they are by Khromys' personal Pain Engine, "The Overseer."The Archon spends much of the rest of her time leading slave raids against realspace, for only Aeldari slaves -- be they Commorrite, Craftworlder or Exodite -- have the requisite dexterity to satisfy the Archon of the Obsidian Rose, and she prefers to select them herself.
Kabal of the Obsidian Rose - Notable Campaigns: The Raven's Prey (394.M41) -The Kabal of the Obsidian Rose suffer an unacceptable defeat when they are overwhelmed by the armoured might of the Cadian 346th "Ironheads" Regiment on the Mining World of Greystar. Determined to save face, Archon Khromys orders diversionary attacks against key points all across the planet. While battle rages, a single squadron of Voidraven Bombers -- crafted by Khromys herself for just such an occasion -- swoops undetected into the primary spoil-shaft of the northern polar mines. Hurtling through narrowing tunnels and jinking between slab-sided industrial machinery, the Voidravens' superior systems see them reach the deepest extent of the mine workings. Here, dangerously close to Greystar's molten heart, they deploy a trio of masterwork void mines that trigger an apocalyptic chain-reaction. Even as the Voidravens hurtle to safety, the Obsidian Rose retreat to the Webway laden with slaves and plunder. In their wake, Greystar tears itself to pieces, billions dying along with their planet in order to satisfy Khromys' need for revenge.
Kabal of the Obsidian Rose - Notable Obsidian Rose Kabalites: Aestra Khromys - The current Archon of the Obsidian Rose who was its greatest weaponsmith and rose from slavery through a profound act of treachery against her predecessor Vhloriac to become the new Overlord of the Obsidian Rose.Vhloriac - The former Archon of the Obsidian Rose who was replaced by his one time slave and weaponsmith Aestra Khromys.Vyishnar Kloh - Vyishnar Kloh is an eccentric Drukhari noble who pilots the Voidraven Bomber Myst Reaper for the Kabal of the Obsidian Rose. Kloh is a superb but extremely arrogant pilot, for it is not enough for him to simply strafe his target accurately or deliver a bomb at the exact right moment, Every action he performs in his aircraft must be absolutely perfect. A nosedive must leave those witnessing it open-mouthed in disbelief, a missile cannot just strike the target, but must pass through an open door or between the legs of an intervening foe. Such ludicrous affectations might deter some among the Drukhari from accepting his aid, but his skill is undeniable and his glories attract the greatest pilots from the Reaver raceways of the Dark City, all vying to fly with him.
Kabal of the Poisoned Tongue - Kabal of the Poisoned Tongue: The Kabal of the Poisoned Tongue is a Drukhari kabal that is extremely powerful within the murderous politics of the Dark City of Commorragh and is closely allied with the ruling Kabal of the Black Heart controlled by Supreme Overlord Asdrubael Vect.The Poisoned Tongue has insinuated itself throughout Commorragh, its agents working like subtle toxins in the Dark City's necrotic veins. The Poisoned Tongue are perhaps the most insidious of the kabals, yet when their schemes call for it, they are more than capable of flexing their violent might.The Kabalites of the Poisoned Tongue are universally sharp of wit, with a flair for duplicity so pronounced that they can tie their rivals in knots and dissect them with words alone. They have carved their own niche in the Dark City through constantly misleading and wrong-footing their rivals, ensuring their "allies" bear the cost in blood whilst they plunge the knife into the foe's delicate underbelly.They even use failure and mischance as weapons, elegantly scapegoating and framing others to achieve their means. Many an opposing archon has been torn to shreds by their own Kabalites due to the campaigns of misinformation spread by the Poisoned Tongue. Nobody trusts the honeyed words of this infamously sly kabal, but seeing as no Drukhari trusts another in any case, this is not much of a handicap.During their realspace raids, the Poisoned Tongue put their skills of deceit to deadly use. On worlds where the Kabal have trained their eye, the unfortunate inhabitants are often supplied with false signs of an impending attack, as well as fragmented messages and fleeting signatures of Drukhari raiding craft. They position their defences as best they can to repel the impending invasion, but when the Poisoned Tongue finally strikes it is inevitably where their victims least expect.The Kabal regularly employs infiltration tactics, assassinations and massed poisonings to ravage their enemies before ever meeting them on the field of battle. The result is that the raiding parties of the Poisoned Tongue are able to swiftly run through the disordered ranks of their prey before spiriting back their captives to Commorragh.
Kabal of the Poisoned Tongue - Notable Poisoned Tongue Kabalites: Aurelia Malys - Lady Aurelia Malys is the current archon of the Kabal of the Poisoned Tongue. Though less than a thousand Terran years of age, Malys is the only archon who has proven able to match Asdrubael Vect's soaring intellect time and time again. Even before the fateful events that led to her ascendancy with the aid of the Laughing God, Malys' mind was built like an incredibly complex timepiece, a latticework of tiny golden cogs each clicking away in its place. She is consummately cunning, but at all times she conducts herself with perfect decorum and even a frosty politeness that hides her lethal intentions. Her hauteur and aloof manner is echoed throughout her court, for only the quickest of wit are admitted to the Kabal of the Poisoned Tongue.Witherchill - Witherchill was the former archon of the Kabal of the Poisoned Tongue who led the kabal and its allies in raiding Hive Alarum for Human slaves. However, the hive city was defended by the Delta Company of the Astra Militarum's 92nd Cadian Regiment and in the battle that followed, Witherchill was killed by the Tempestor Prime Caltus and the Tempestus Scions of the 55th Kappic Eagles. Despite his death, the Drukhari kabal went on to inflict massive casualties on the Delta Company and forced them to retreat. Without the guardsmen to defend the hive city, its population was harvested by the kabal and Witherchill's body was recovered and placed within a regeneration tank of the Haemonculi for his eventual return to life.
Kabal of the Reaving Tempest - Kabal of the Reaving Tempest: The Kabal of the Reaving Tempest is a Drukhari kabal that was very active carrying our realspace slave raids on the worlds of the Koronus Expanse in the Segmentum Obscurus.The Dracon Marazhai Aezyrraesh was a member of this kabal who found himself outmaneuvered by his rivals. Imprisoned in Commorragh, Aezyrraesh formed an alliance of convenience with another individual trapped in the Dark City, the Rogue Trader of House von Valancius.The kabal's ruling archon was Iremeryss.
Kabal of the Wraithkind - Kabal of the Wraithkind: The Kabal of the Wraithkind is a Drukhari Kabal that has suffered a unique type of punishment inflicted by the ruling supreme overlord of the Dark City of Commorragh, Asdrubael Vect, after a failed attempt to secede from his rule.
Kabal of the Wraithkind - History: Once the rulers of the pleasure city Aur-Ilithain, one of the satellite realms of Commorragh within the Labyrinthine Dimension of the Webway, the Wraithkind were extremely powerful until their Archon, the Daemon-courting monomaniac Lord Tliensic D'raque, attempted to close his dark paradise off from the rest of Commorragh.By destroying the single hyperspatial bridge that led from the heart of the Dark City to the Cyclops Gate of Aur-Ilithain, D'raque announced his intention to secede from the rule of the Dark City's dictatorial overlord, Asdrubael Vect, the Archon of the Kabal of the Black Heart.The very next night six secret portals suddenly opened across Aur-Ilithain, and thousands of shadow-creatures spiralled through, chanting in an eldritch tongue. Before the next dawn, Vect's ethereal allies had plunged the pleasure city and its denizens into a half-real state slightly out of phase with the rest of the Webway.The Wraithkind were forever altered, changed into night-shrouded fiends similar to Mandrakes that can only feed upon the pain and despair of others when they step out of the Webway into the material world. When they do so, the venting of their frustrations upon the "lesser races" of the galaxy is truly shocking to behold.
Kabal of the Wraithkind - Notable Campaigns: WAAAGH! Rekkfist (995.M41) - The Aeldari Craftworld of Iyanden, struggling to survive in the aftermath of its pyrrhic victory over the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Kraken, is forced to engage the Ork WAAAGH! Rekkfist in order to prevent yet another alien invasion from assaulting Iyanden. Early engagements in the new conflict cause crippling damage to the Greenskin empire of the Warlord Rekkfist, but the Orks counterattack in force. Iyanden is left with no choice but to awaken more and more of their revered ancestors from their long slumbers within Iyanden's Infinity Circuit and place their Spirit Stones into powerful Ghost Warrior bodies in order to stop the Ork counter-invasion. Just when all seemed to be lost for the unfortunate Asuryani of Iyanden, the Drukhari Wraithkind Kabal and the Wych Cult of the Flayed Hand burst through the Webway portal at the craftworld's rear. The Drukhari proceed to fight alongside the Aspect Warriors of Iyanden and their sacred Ghost Warriors. The combined forces succeeded in driving away the Ork menace and preserving Iyanden. When asked by the Iyanden Council of Seers why they had intervened to save their hated kin, the Drukhari replied that they found Iyanden's angst-ridden pursuit of necromancy highly entertaining and did not wish to see their efforts halted by something as prosaic as their own deaths.
Kabalite Armour - Kabalite Armour: Kabalite Armour is the full suit of protective armour worn by the Kabalite Warriors of the Drukhari kabals. Due to the Drukhari's desire for speed and dexterity over enhanced defence from kinetic strikes and directed energy blasts, their standard armour is a thin, light-weight, flexible bodysuit, pressurised to allow Kabalite Warriors to traverse the vacuum of space.Just like standard-issue Mesh Armour used by the Craftworld Aeldari, Kabalite Armour responds to the neural impulses from its wearer and hardens on command, allowing for the Kabalite Warriors to shrug off civilian-grade firepower, but requiring them to rely on their superior combat abilities and superhuman reflexes to survive the engagement against more challenging or heavily-armed targets.Like Mesh Armour, Kabalite Armour is comprised of thousands of tiny pieces of a dense ceramic material known as thermoplas that hardens on impact to form effective, lightweight protection much like a suit of high-technology chain mail or fish scales. Kabalite Armour is usually part of a larger bodysuit that is secured in place with serrated barbs and hooks.The thermoplas also disperses heat rapidly, giving reasonable protection against directed energy weapons. The material is also psychically-sensitive, automatically reacting to the wearer's movements and thoughts to maintain a glove-tight fit as they move and fight. Kabalite Armour also contains additional features, including an independent air supply and heat-sensing and auto-targeting lenses to aid the wearer in ranged combat.
Kabalite Warrior - Kabalite Warrior: A Kabalite Warrior is the basic infantry unit of the Drukhari Kabals, and form the primary component of Kabal strike forces during raids into realspace.Utilising a wide array of exotic and fiendish weapons, these martially-gifted Drukhari are fierce warriors, tall and athletically built, more powerful in stature than the average city-bound citizen of Commorragh.
Kabalite Warrior - Sybarite: Each squad of Kabalite Warriors is led by an officer called a "sybarite," typically the most veteran and experienced among their number.Sybarites are not only veteran raiders of realspace, but also the Kabalites who have the honour and duty of initiating each new warrior into the always-brutal mysteries of their Kabal.While certainly no sybarite, or any Drukhari for that matter, can claim the loyalty of their underlings, the sybarites are obeyed for the simple reason that they are the masters of the craft of war and their orders when followed are more likely to lead to success in the raid...and survival.
Kabalite Warrior - Kabalite Trueborns and Halfborns: Naturally-born Drukhari are rare, due to the long gestation period of the Aeldari infant. The ones that are naturally birthed from their mothers' wombs, known as "Trueborns," are often very privileged in Drukhari society because of the circumstances of their birth.As such, they are arrogant and see themselves as far better than the majority of Drukhari, who are born in amniotic gestation tubes and whom the Trueborn derisively call the "Halfborn."Due to this prejudice, the Trueborn often gather only in squads of other Trueborn within the Drukhari Kabals, and serve as the elite Kabalite Warriors that escort their Kabal's ruling archon into battle and serve as their most elite unit of warriors.Trueborns usually sport many more advanced weapons than their fellow warriors, such as the Shard Carbine, a Drukhari weapon design that hybridises the Splinter Rifle and a Splinter Cannon and possesses a shorter range than either. Trueborn also often make use of Dark Lances and Splinter Cannons as well as Blasters and Shredders.The Trueborn are an elite group that excludes any "Halfborn" Drukhari birthed in an amniotic tube from their company. Led by an officer called a "dracon," these hardened killers carry a wide assortment of expensive and deadly weapons wherever they go, supposedly to better protect the life of their Archon but in truth only to better inflict more pain and death.Trueborn delight in dramatic displays of firepower, sending powerful fusillades into the enemy's ranks and leaving bodies and the broken carcasses of armoured vehicles in their wake.
Kabalite Warrior - Wargear: Splinter RifleKabalite ArmourShredder (Optional)Blaster (Optional)Shard Carbine (Trueborn only)Splinter Cannon (Optional, 1 for every 10 warriors in a squad)Dark Lance (Optional, 1 for every 10 warriors in a squad)Ghostplate Armour  (Sybarite only)Phantasm Grenade Launcher (Sybarite only)Splinter Pistol and Dark Eldar Close Combat Weapon (Any type, Sybarite only; replacement for Splinter Rifle)Blast Pistol (Sybarite only; replacement for Splinter Pistol)Venom Blade (Sybarite only; replacement for Close Combat Weapon)Monomolecular Blade (Sybarite only; replacement for Close Combat Weapon)Power Weapon (Sybarite only; replacement for Close Combat Weapon)Agoniser (Sybarite only; replacement for Close Combat Weapon)Raider (dedicated transport for squad)Venom (dedicated transport for squad)
Kabalite Warrior - Sources: Codex: Dark Eldar (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 23-40, 90-91, 158-160Codex: Dark Eldar (5th Edition), pp. 5, 26, 62, 89Codex: Dark Eldar (3rd Edition), pg. 10
Kaban Machine - Kaban Machine: The Kaban Machine was an artificially intelligent robot that was secretly developed and constructed by the Dark Mechanicum Heretek Lukas Chrom in the early 31st Millennium, just before the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.This machine possessed forbidden artificial general intelligence (colloquially referred to as "Abominable Intelligence" or "A.I."), which was considered tech-heresy by the Tech-priests of Mars and was a technology explicitly forbidden to the people of the Imperium of Man by the Emperor. This abominable machine served the forces of the Dark Mechanicum during the dark days of the Schism of Mars.Standing ten metres tall, the Kaban Machine was roughly spherical in shape with two Mechadendrite-like weapon arms. The robot was equipped with a fearsome array of weapons, the function of some of which were recognisable while others remained a mystery. The robot was a heavy tracked unit  that was outfitted with personal Void Shields to protect it from harm.
Kadaku - Kadaku: Kadaku is an Imperial Jungle World and Death World of the Recidious System that was invaded by a splinter of the Tyranid Hive Fleet Leviathan during the Fourth Tyrannic War of the Era Indomitus. It was known to be home to unusually deadly species of flora and fauna, leading to its further classification as a Death World, though this did not prevent the Imperium from constructing well-defended fortresses across the planet's surface.Before the Tyranid invasion, Kadaku had been home to a number of Adeptus Mechanicus research facilities, one of which was the site of "Project Aurora," a classified attempt by the local tech-priests under the leadership of Archmagos Nozick Beta-12 to build a Warp-based weapon that could banish all Chaos-corrupted foes to the Immaterium using the Chaos relic power source first encountered during the Liberation of Graia over a standard century before.During the subsequent Recidious Campaign Kadaku was successfully defended from the Great Devourer by the 8th Cadian Regiment of the Astra Militarum as well as the 2nd Company of the Ultramarines Chapter commanded by Captain Sevastus Acheran and assisted by Lieutenant Demetrian Titus.
Kadaku - History: Demetrian Titus had originally arrived on-planet as a Deathwatch Black Shield named "Nullus" serving with the Deathwatch's Kill-team Kasaeran who had been tasked with unleashing a virus bomb into the world's upper atmosphere in the hopes that it would stop the Tyranid assault in its tracks. He served alongside Brother Ulfar of the Space Wolves, Brother Keltros of the Blood Angels, Brother Beren of the Black Templars, and Brother Darius of the Dark Angels, all of whom were slain in the course of the mission after their Corvus Blackstar was unexpectedly brought down by a Tyranid air attack. Titus succeeded in launching the virus bomb but was mortally wounded in a fight with a Carnifex.Titus was recovered from the battlefield by the arrival of the Ultramarines 2nd Company under the command of Sevastus Acheran, but was forced to cross the Rubicon Primaris, what the Ultramarines called the "Calgarian Rites," as only the enhanced physiology of a Primaris Marine could ensure his survival. Persuaded by Chaplain Quintus to return to the Ultramarines' fold to seek redemption for his dishonour at Graia, Titus was reintegrated into the 2nd Company as a lieutenant and tasked with aiding the Ultramarines in defending Kadaku from the continuing Tyranid assault.Later, Titus and his Ultramarine allies were indispensable in stopping a plot by the Thousand Sons Sorcerer Lord Imurah and his thrall-bands of Heretic Astartes to claim the Chaos relic that served as the power source for Project Aurora. With the aid of Chapter Master Marneus Calgar, Titus defeated Imurah within his own construct in the Immaterium, and finally destroyed the power source that had haunted him since the Liberation of Graia over a standard century before. The victory in the Recidious Campaign convinced Titus that he had gained some measure of redemption from the events on Graia and that he was worthy to serve alongside his brothers in the Ultramarines once more.
Kae Drusil - Kae Drusil: Kae Drusil is a senior arbitrator of the Adeptus Arbites and the marshal-in-chief of its special Divisio Immoralis taskforce within the Calixis Sector.Drusil was recruited into the Arbites following the assassination of her great-aunt and the rest of her noble household at the Universitariate she was attending at the age of fifteen standard years. She remembered the Universitariate Enforcers and the interrogation by an unknown Arbites Judge. The Judge, whose name she never learned (and never sought), saw Kae's faith in the Imperial law, and her anger. He believed that these two traits would make her a fine recruit for the Arbites, and he was correct. As far as Kae Drusil could tell, the interrogation was her recruitment examination.Her belief in the incorruptibility of the Arbites and the inevitability of a future rule of perfect law was later demolished beyond repair by the things she was forced to do during a mission that was conducted under the auspices of the Inquisition. Approached by Lord Marshal Luthir Veremonn Goreman, the commander of the Calixian Great Precinct, Drusil agreed to command the Divisio Immoralis, the Lord Marshal's new experiment in Imperial law enforcement in the Calixis Sector.
Kae Drusil - Appearance: Kae Drusil is a thickset woman with a heavy-jawed, mournful face under a cap of slicked-back grey hair. Her skin is a dark copper-tan and her sleepy eyes a startling bright blue. Her body language is unassuming and she usually converses in a sighing mutter, but she has a powerful, ringing orator's voice when she chooses to use it.Drusil is unsympathetic to the Calixian Judges and continues to wear her Praetor's uniform, adorned with a red collar and the one medal she will wear, the one she was awarded at the end of the pursuit of the wolfpack.
Kaela Mensha Khaine - Kaela Mensha Khaine: Kaela Mensha Khaine, which means "Khaine the Bloody-handed" in the Aeldari Lexicon, but who is usually referred to as just Khaine, is the Aeldari god of war, wrath, destruction and murder.Khaine is one of only three surviving gods of the Aeldari in the wake of the Fall of the Aeldari. In the old Aeldari Pantheon, he was second only to his brother, the Phoenix King Asuryan, the leader of the pantheon, in power, and was usually depicted as the enemy of Vaul, the god of smiths and crafting.Khaine is also the most violent and reckless of the Aeldari gods. Asuryan was so appalled by Khaine's murder of Eldanesh, the first and greatest of the mortal Aeldari, that in the wake of the War in Heaven the Phoenix King cursed Khaine and made his hands drip eternally with the blood of Eldanesh so that all Aeldari would remember his crime. It was for this reason that Khaine ever after earned the honourific of the "Bloody-handed" from his people.