vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Kaela Mensha Khaine - Elves: Within the Warhammer high fantasy universe Khaine also exists and is worshipped primarily by the Dark Elves and the High Elves. However, in this instance his full title is Khaela Mensha Khaine, with an "h" that is not present in the Aeldari rendering of his name; the meaning of "Khaela Mensha" remains the same.The High Elves worship Khaine as a god of battle, similar to his Aeldari incarnation. He is primarily worshipped during times of war, as he is seen to be a bloodthirsty deity and worship of him during peacetime is not considered appropriate. Khaine had a strong influence on the formative period of the High Elven kingdom, as the first Phoenix King, Aenarion, drew Khaine's sword to save the High Elves during their first war with Chaos. By drawing the sword, Aenarion became a living avatar of the god of war and brought down a great curse upon himself and his family. This curse still affects the current heirs of Aenarion's legacy, the twins Tyrion and Teclis.Khaine as he is worshipped by the Dark Elves is described as a god of murder. This suits the harsh society of Dark Elves, who view any sign of weakness as a fatal flaw. Holidays dedicated to Khaine, such as the Harvest of Souls and Death Night, invariably involve killing. Fueled by the social Darwinism of Dark Elf culture, devotees of Khaine elevate killing to an art form and will gladly kill anyone -- friend or foe -- who displays vulnerability.The primary Temple of Khaine resides in the fortress city of Har Ganeth in Naggaroth. It is a seat of great power, as the worship of Khaine is the official Dark Elf state religion. Morathi (the Queen Mother) and Crone Hellebron (the High Priestess of the temple) both claim supreme dominance of the temple, which often leads to conflicts. This power struggle is kept in check by Malekith, the Witch King of the Dark Elves.It has been implied that Khaine is the Chaos God Khorne by another name, or possibly a minor aspect of Khorne who has gained his own consciousness. This is vehemently disputed by both the Dark Elves, who see Khorne as a crude brute in comparison to the refinement and subtlety that defines their god of murder, and most human worshipers of Khaine, who consider their god to be an independent being.
Kaela Mensha Khaine - Humans: Among the Men of the Old World, Khaine is seen as the younger brother of Morr, the God of the Dead, and he is worshiped as the Lord of Murder by assassins and other professional killers. It is said that Khaine is jealous of Morr's rulership over the dead, and thus also over death.Therefore he tries to steal as many souls as possible to fill out his own underworld. It is from this realm of death that some human necromancers call forth the souls that they enslave. Khaine can only steal souls that that have been directly sacrificed to him or have not received proper burial rites and are thus unprotected by Morr.
Kaela Mensha Khaine - Canon Conflict: Khaine's precise nature in the Warhammer 40,000 cosmology remains undefined and contradictory, although due to his interaction with the Chaos Gods, he appears to be an entity of the Warp, although not one in nature like the Ruinous Powers.Some sources published by Games Workshop such as the background book Xenology by Simon Spurrier, imply that Khaine and the rest of the Aeldari gods are in fact members of the first self-aware species of the galaxy known as "the Ancients," which would be equated with the Old Ones, which were the creators of the Aeldari and many other intelligent species of the Warhammer 40,000 universe like the Orks and even the ancient primate precursors of Mankind itself.Other Games Workshop sources suggest that the psychically potent Aeldari were themselves created by the Old Ones so that they would produce living manifestations of their racial collective unconscious in the Warp who could then be used as potent weapons against the Necrontyr's C'tan masters during the original War in Heaven. After the Old Ones were defeated by the undying Necrons and disappeared, the Aeldari came to worship their own psychic creations as their gods, the sentient embodiments of their own most cherished metaphysical beliefs.
Kaela Mensha Khaine - Sources: Codex: Eldar (2nd Edition), pp. 4, 7, 15, 22, 33, 56, 72, 85Codex: Eldar (3rd Edition), pg. 8, 17Codex: Eldar (4th Edition), pp. 6, 9, 11, 24-25Codex: Eldar (6th Edition), pp. 7-8, 26Codex: Aeldari (9th Edition), pp. 6-7Rogue Trader: The Koronus Bestiary (RPG), pg. 62Warhammer 40,000: Compilation, "The Eldar Path"Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (2nd Edition) (RPG), pp. 171-183Xenology (Background Book)Fulgrim (Novel) by Graham McNeillAurelian (Novella) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
Kaelor - Kaelor: Kaelor is an extremely isolated minor craftworld of the Asuryani Aeldari. Under unclear circumstances, at some point in the distant past, Kaelor made a Webway jump to the edge of the galaxy and has not ventured back towards the galactic centre for several millennia. It has virtually no contact with the outside galaxy, and even the Harlequins barely remember its existence. Unlike most other craftworlds, Kaelor is governed by a strict feudal system controlled by an oligarchy of great noble houses.The Kaelor craftworld is located in the Segmentum Obscurus in distant orbit of the Eye of Terror. The Craftworld Aeldari have little presence in the Calixis Sector, with the exception of Craftworld Kaelor, whose migration route brings it through the sector once in a thousand Terran years. On such occasions, Imperial authorities have strict -- and highly confidential -- instructions from the Ordo Xenos to give it a wide berth. Battlefleet Calixis is tasked with intercepting any Human voidships that would attempt to make contact with the craftworld.As that time draws near once again in the 41st Millennium, Kaelor sends warriors out into the Koronus Expanse, for its Farseers have seen something approaching, something wreathed in shadows that their sight cannot penetrate, which promises only doom for those that cross its path. Some believe that it is the lost, Chaos-corrupted craftworld of Lu'Nasad, which they have known as Dresil'ach, the "Forgotten Ruin," which has recently resumed its travels through the void. It must be stopped, or the stars could grow cold and fall from the void.Already, several of Kaelor's outposts and a number of the Maiden Worlds and Exodite Worlds under its protection have suffered sudden and catastrophic losses, leaving them utterly devoid of inhabitants and deathly silent save for the psychic echoes of something in great pain. In the last few Terran decades, sightings of Aeldari wearing Kaelor's crimson and orange livery within the Koronus Expanse have increased dramatically, particularly within the Heathen Stars region.The current most influential leader of the craftworld is Farseer Ela'Ashbel, an especially gifted and powerful psyker. Blinded at a young age during a confrontation with Heretic Astartes of the Word Bearers Traitor Legion, she sheds tears of blood when she manifests her potent psychic abilities. Ela'Ashbel has a long history of manipulating Humans and using agents of the Imperium as her cat's-paws, often drawing them into conflicts that inexorably lead along paths of fate she has foreseen that always resound to the eventual benefit of Craftworld Kaelor.
Kaelor - The Craftwars: The craftworld of Kaelor remembers virtually nothing of its early history and its earliest known records begin with the so-called "Craftwars" between Kaelor and the Saim-Hann craftworld, and even information concerning that event is very scarce. What is known is that following a Webway jump, Kaelor found itself on a collision course with Craftworld Saim-Hann. The ensuing conflict supposedly ended with a Kaelorian victory, but this is highly doubtful.All that is known is that Kaelor was virtually rent apart in the conflict and is now only held together through incredibly strong psychic bonds. During this time, one Kaelor Aeldari, known only as Gwrih the Radiant, came to prominence. Gwrih united the craftworld in an uneasy peace that has held for millennia; a single noble line, House Rivalin, was chosen for its heirs to permanently hold the position of leading Farseer of Kaelor.The other great families were effectively exiled from the craftworld's capital city, the Sentrium, to the outer reaches of the great vessel. The Exarchs of the Aspect Shrines are accorded far less stature on Kaelor than on other craftworlds and they swore an oath to Gwrih that they would never intervene in the political struggles of the Kaelorian great houses.The tenuous peace that held was so long that it led to a dangerous level of unbounded indulgence and decadence among the population of the Sentrium. What would have been purged as a Chaos-influenced pleasure cult on other craftworlds became accepted as "normal."
Kaelor - Kaelorian House Wars: The affluence of the Sentrium and the ever-greater deprivation of the other great houses could only have one outcome, and events finally came to a head with the outbreak of the Kaelorian House Wars some three thousand standard years ago, in the 38th Millennium of the Imperial Calendar. During the House Wars the Aspect Shrines retained their customary political neutrality, and thus the main opposing forces were the Guardian armies of Houses Ansgar and Teirtu. The struggle was long and bloody, but the final victory went to the Teirtu, and the head of House Ansgar was executed, though his heirs were spared.Following the House Wars, House Teirtu, led by Iden Teirtu, emerged as the dominant political player on Kaelor, and House Ansgar was vanquished and exiled into the hinterlands of Kaelor. Iden Teirtu moved his house to the Sentrium and effectively held the chief Farseer of House Rivalin under house arrest, as his son had sided with House Ansgar during the House Wars.
Kaelor - Survivors of Strife: Distant and isolated even by the standards of the other Asuryani craftworlds, Kaelor lingers on the edge of the galaxy in the 41st Millennium, passing through the Calixis Sector only once in a Terran millennium. As that time draws near once again, Kaelor sends warriors out into the Koronus Expanse, for its Farseers have seen something approaching, something wreathed in shadows that their sight cannot penetrate, which promises only doom for those that cross its path.Already, several of its outposts and a number of the Maiden Worlds under its protection have suffered sudden and catastrophic losses, leaving them utterly devoid of inhabitants and deathly silent save for the psychic echoes of something in great pain. In the last few solar decades, sightings of Craftworld Aeldari wearing Kaelor's crimson and orange livery within the Koronus Expanse have increased dramatically, particularly within the Heathen Stars region.Craftworld Kaelor seems to have an especially close tie to a band of Aeldari Corsairs known as the Twilight Swords. These piratical Aeldari primarily operate in the Koronus Expanse, occasionally assisted by Kaelorian Aspect Warriors or supported by Kaelorian Dragonships.What Kaelor gains from this relationship is an enigma, although some in the Calixian Ordo Xenos conjecture that Farseer Ela'Ashbel has made a pact with the Twilight Swords wherein the Corsairs serve in the role of a "stalking horse," drawing out potential enemies and scouting ahead for the forces of the craftworld. The Farseer may, in fact, be using the Corsairs for her own purposes, as she has been carefully directing their efforts in a search pattern throughout the Expanse. Exactly what, or whom, she is searching for is so far unknown.The Asuryani of Craftworld Kaelor are more aware than most of the consequences of straying from the Asuryani Path of discipline and control. Over three thousand Terran years ago, the craftworld was engulfed in the divisive conflict of the House Wars amongst its own people. Many Kaelorians had turned away from the Paths and instead sought their own pleasures, a dark echo of the same behaviour that had heralded the Aeldari species' fall from grace and the birth of the Dark God Slaanesh ten thousand standard years ago.This conflict was eventually brought to an end, and the craftworld reunited, but the Kaelorian Asuryani consider this event a most recent and distressful portion of their history. Thus, Kaelor is now home to a very pragmatic and dedicated populace, each with a keen understanding of their own relative vulnerability. This has led the Kaelorians to be very loathe to take risks unless forced into action, their outlook upon the universe coloured with caution and tempered with ruthless applications of practicality.
Kaelor - Asuryan the Phoenix King: Asuryan is the greatest of all Aeldari gods, the deity for whom the Aeldari of the craftworlds have named themselves, the Asuryani. Except for the genesis myths about the way that Asuryan separated the gods from the mortal Aeldari at the beginning of time, few of the mythic cycles relating to Asuryan appear to have been preserved on Kaelor.This has serious implications for adherence to Ihnyoh, the Asuryani Path. The Kaelorian wraithsmiths seem to preserve a version of the legend of the Tears of Isha, in which the smith god Vaul caught the tears shed by Isha, the goddess of fertility and nature, when she heard that her children had been banished by Asuryan. Then Vaul fashioned those tears into Spirit Stones, which would permit the children of Isha to remain forever in contact with her. Despite the ostensibly unsympathetic portrayal of this great god, the people of Kaelor, like other Craftworld Aeldari, often refer to themselves as the "Children of Asuryan" -- the Asuryani.
Kaelor - Isha the Mother Goddess: The Asuryani of Kaelor, particularly the Seer Houses, preserve a number of the central myths about Isha. They appear to be aware of at least one of the versions of the story of Lileath's Dream, in which Lileath the Graceful, goddess of dreams, (more commonly known as Lileath the Maiden on other craftworlds) told Khaine, the god of war, about a vision of him being ripped asunder by one of the mortal offspring of Isha and Kurnous, the god of the hunt. According to the Kaelorian version of this myth, the mortal in question is Eldanesh, one of the first great Aeldari heroes. However, this addition to the story is probably the result of confusing the later Ballad of Eldanesh, in which he attempts to avenge the suffering of Isha by killing Khaine, only to be ripped apart by the Bloody-Handed God.Similar events are related in the Kaelorian Cycle of the Avatar. Nonetheless, in response to this warning from Lileath, Khaine resolved to hunt down the mortal children of Isha -- the Aeldari. He slaughtered many of them before his bloodlust was arrested by Asuryan, the Phoenix King, who took pity on Isha when he saw the glittering beauty of her tears -- one shed for each of her hunted mortal children.Hence, Asuryan separated the heavenly and the mortal realms, the Immaterium and the Materium, forbidding any contact between the two. This saved the mortal children of Isha from Khaine's wrath but doomed them never to see their divine mother again. In sympathy, it is said that Vaul, the smith god, fashioned Isha's tears into the artefacts known as Spirit Stones so that she could retain some contact with her cherished children.
Kaelor - Ehveline: There is a Kaelorian myth called The Lost Daughter, which is kept alive in a number of Seer Houses, including the House of Yuthran. It is a variation on the classic mythic cycle of the Tears of Isha. In this version, the goddess Isha manages to keep one of her most cherished daughters hidden from the Phoenix Lord when Asuryan banishes Isha's children from the heavens.The myth tells the story of how this child was raised in secret by Isha, who taught her the secrets of the universe, until her powers grew so great that it became impossible to keep her hidden from Asuryan any longer. At that time, Isha transported her daughter Ehveline down into the mortal realms, placing her amongst the isolated and well-hidden Asuryani of Kaelor for her own protection from the wrath of Khaine and the suspicion of Asuryan.It is said that the Ehveline's immortal soul then commenced a process of cycling through reincarnations in mortal Aeldari forms, always in the shape of a beautiful female with startling sapphire eyes. The legend suggests that the incarnation of Ehveline will never appear to grow beyond childhood, since the daughter of Isha descended from heaven before becoming fully grown. This is an interesting and unique Kaelorian myth.
Kaelor - Khaela Mensha Khaine - the Bloody-Handed God: The Craftworld Aeldari of Kaelor have managed to maintain a number of the central myths surrounding Khaela Mensha Khaine, the god of war and murder. However, it appears that some of the details have been lost or embroidered throughout the eons. The Rune-singers of Kaelor sing of Khaine as the vanquisher of Kaelis Ra -- the Yngir star-god that raged during an ancient war through the heavens.In that myth cycle (called the Birth of Fear), Khaine fights alongside the great Aeldari hero Eldanesh and wields the immortal Blade Wraiths fashioned for him by Vaul, the smith god. Yet the Rune-singers also sing the (more reliable?) Cycle of the Avatar, in which Khaine wages war against the mortal Children of Isha, defying Asuryan, the greatest of the Aeldari gods, chaining Vaul to his anvil, and joining forces with the Yngir.According to this cycle, it was Khaine that slew the heroic mortal Eldanesh and condemned the Aeldari to mortality. Horrified by the violence of Khaine, Asuryan cursed him, making his hands drip with Eldanesh's blood for all eternity -- hence, Khaine became known as the "Bloody-Handed God."The storytellers of the Farseer's Court of Kaelor often relate only the Cycle of the Avatar, which explains why the war god's name is muttered with disgust by the Knavir Aeldari who remember life before the Fall of the Aeldari. Elsewhere on Kaelor, these myths are usually told in immediate succession, presumably to emphasise the unpredictability of the dual natured god of war and of the Aeldari soul.In House Ansgar, the Cycle of the Avatar ends with Khaine's demise in his futile battle with the Great Enemy, Slaanesh. It is said that when confronted with this Daemonic threat to his people, Khaine threw himself into the battle without hope of victory, but buying the Aeldari time to flee from their own Fall into the abyss. It is said that Khaine's ruined body was shattered into pristine fragments of bellicosity and scattered throughout the galaxy, awaiting reinvigoration as an Avatar.From these two myths, it seems that the great noble houses of Kaelor are keenly aware of the contradictory, heroic and tragic nature of the Bloody-Handed God. Unlike the Farseer's Court, the great houses appear to maintain connections with various Aspect Temples, wherein young Asuryani learn to draw their strength from Khaine.
Kaelor - Cegorach - the Laughing God: The Asuryani of Kaelor retain knowledge of one (contested) story of Cegorach during the War in Heaven, in which the Laughing God apparently tricked the Yngir Kaelis Ra -- the bringer of death -- into turning against his own silvering hordes of Yngir (a more common version of this myth on other craftworlds replaces Kaelis Ra with the mythical foe of Cegorach, the so-called Outsider -- Khamus. This version tallies well with the Harlequin prophecy of the Return of Khamus, in which the Outsider returns to visit its revenge on the children of the Laughing God).A more popular myth surrounding Cegorach on Kaelor is that he escaped the effects of the Fall even without turning to the disciplined life of Ihnyoh, the Asuryani Path. The Esdainn (Rune-singers) of the Farseer's Court tell of how the Great Harlequin's mocking and irreverent nature distanced him from the decadence, hedonism and corruption that had enticed Slaanesh into existence. The fact that the Harlequins do not wear Spirit Stones has not escaped the attention of the Knavir Aeldari, who appear to interpret the Song of Cegorach as a parable that condones an indulgent lifestyle for as long as it is indulged in self-mockery. During the so-called "Age of Anguish," it appears that Cegorach became something of an icon for those Kaelorians who sought to abandon the Ihnyoh altogether.
Kaelor - Vaul - The Smith God: Vaul is the god of smiths and crafts, acclaimed in Aeldari Mythology as a craftsman without peer and famed as the creator of the legendary Blade Wraiths wielded by the ancient Aeldari heroes Ulthanesh, Eldanesh and Lanthrilaq the Swift.It is said that Vaul was without morality and that his single purpose was the creation of beauty rather than the pursuit of truth. The wraithsmiths of Kaelor hold Vaul as their most potent patron, and Gwrih the Radiant built many monuments to honour his name.
Kaelor - Asuryani Path: Like the Asuryani of other craftworlds, those of Kaelor enjoy a naturally long life, especially when compared with the other mortal species in the galaxy. Unlike the other craftworlds, however, Kaelorians, particularly the so-called Knavir Aeldari who remember life in the ancient empire before the Fall of the Aeldari, do not seem to adhere very rigorously to Ihnyoh -- the Asuryani Path. Indeed, it seems that the storytellers have either forgotten the story of Asuryan or have been forbidden to relate it.Amongst the Aspect Temples, the Exarchs and their Rune-singers (Esdainn) do seem to retain this knowledge, and a number of the great houses are consequently better informed than the Knavir. The basic shape of the story is conventional: the Path is conceived as a solution to the passionate and volatile nature of the Aeldari soul, which, left unchecked in the form of unrestrained self-gratification and decadence, resulted in the Fall. It is a cyclical path that sees the Kaelorian Asuryani dramatically changing their social role at irregular intervals -- the most high profile being the Paths of the Seer and the Warrior, although the Knavir are renowned for avoiding the latter and for lingering in the more artistic paths.The basic concept, that a healthy mix of variety and discipline will resolve the innate tendency towards excess in the Aeldari soul, appears to be widely accepted on Kaelor. However, as on other isolated craftworlds, a small community of outcasts -- known as Rangers -- have turned their back on this Path, believing that it is too restrictive and that the dangers of abandoning it have been exaggerated by eons of mythic embroidery.The Rangers of Kaelor have developed a rich mythic tradition of their own, largely centred around the heroic figure of Vhruar the Hidden, who was apparently the first of the Kaelorians to throw off the discipline of Ihnyoh in pursuit of something more essential and natural to the Aeldari spirit.Kaelor is, however, almost unique amongst the Craftworld Aeldari in so far as its adherence to Ihnyoh often appears to be more formal than substantial, especially amongst the so-called Knavir. It seems that an unusually feudal societal structure combined with isolation and distance from other craftworlds may have led to a gradual decline in species-memory about the Ihnyoh on Kaelor, particularly in the highest echelons of court society. Consciousness of the Asuryani Path appears strongest amongst the Seer Houses and the great houses, who maintain close ties with the Aspect Temples.
Kaelor - The Webway: Kaelor is unusually reluctant to enter the Webway, perhaps because of its tendency towards isolation and solitude, even from the rest of the Craftworld Aeldari. The Kaelorian Rune-singers of Kaelor depict the Webway as being a construction of the Old Ones, who fashioned it when they originally took to the stars in the immeasurably distant past. To some extent, the vast network of passages through the immaterial dimensions that permits such rapid travel throughout the galaxy has become associated with the War in Heaven and with war in general.Legend suggests that the last time Kaelor made a major journey through the Webway, it encountered the bellicose craftworld of Saim-Hann, resulting in the so-called "Craftwars." A number of other mythic stories (such as the Demise of Altansar) appear to have been modified throughout Kaelorian history. They now suggest that travel in the Webway constituted a serious risk of exposure to the ever-lusting eye of Slaanesh. Perhaps because of these narrative quirks, the Knavir Aeldari who date to the time before the Fall are ambivalent about the Webway, preferring to keep their vast craftworld in the thicker dimensions of realspace, hidden in the furthest reaches of the galaxy.There are two obvious deductions that can be drawn from these unusual aspects of Kaelorian social lore. The first is that there may be some connection between this attitude towards the Webway and the disdain with which the Knavir Aeldari have tended to view the Aspect Temple of the Warp Spiders, which maintains a sophisticated portal into the Webway. The second is that there is a clear connection between this attitude and the lack of contact between Kaelor and the Harlequins.
Kaelor - Tactics: The warhost of Kaelor follows a doctrine of aggressive defence, preferring to strike hard and fade away before the enemy can gain the initiative. Kaelor possesses many shrines to the Warp Spider Aspect Warriors. These Craftworld Aeldari wear a heavily-armoured suit containing a short-range Warp jump teleporter device. Warp Spiders follow a philosophy of war that perfectly matches Kaelor's approach, attacking and then vanishing in the blink of an eye. The Kaelor warhost also contains a large number of fast vehicles, including many anti-grav vehicles such as Falcons and Vypers.It is not unknown for the currently most influential Kaelorian Farseer Ela'Ashbel to lead her kin in battle, riding a custom Vyper where her psychic powers can have the greatest effect upon the enemy. Although the Kaelor warhost generally avoids engaging the enemy with their full force unless absolutely necessary, they are quite proactive and aggressive when following the visions and prophecies of  Ela'Ashbel. Under Ela'Ashbel's guidance, Kaelor's forces do not generally seek out conflict against the Imperium, preferring to use deceit and guile to mislead such Imperial forces as they encounter.When forced into battle, however, the Kaelor warhost attacks without mercy. Unlike some other Asuryani craftworlds, who may see a host of equal threats in a hostile galaxy, Kaelor regards the Ruinous Powers as the most dire. The Farseers of Kaelor actively oppose the forces of Chaos, and they often guide the dragonships and Aspect Warriors of their kin to skirmishes and assaults that serve to hinder the servants of the Dark Gods.
Kaelor - Guardians: Asuryani Guardians make up the bulk of the armies of Craftworld Kaelor and consist of citizens from every strata of its society. At some time or another almost all Craftworld Aeldari serve as a Guardian and don armour and take up arms for their people. For some, this may be a brief time in their lives (of course, brief for an Aeldari may still cover many Terran decades) before they move on to other Asuryani Paths, either equally martial (such as in the service of one of the Aspect Warrior Paths) or more focused on the crafts and culture of their species.Unlike the common conscripts of Humanity, Asuryani Guardians come to their calling already armed with a wealth of knowledge of war and combat, which they then hone for many more Terran years, focusing on the task as only the mind of an Aeldari can. This means that every Guardian is an expert at his or her role within their squad and capable of taking on other tasks should the need arise.Aeldari also possess more independence and initiative than Human warriors, and while a Human soldier has their individuality beaten out of them, the Craftworld Aeldari embrace their uniqueness and accept that the false ranks so loved by Humanity are but titles which do not especially empower or elevate the man or woman who bears them.The Asuryani of Kaelor choose to become Guardians for their craftworld because of a desire to protect their people, not because a far-off monarch or unseen authority has commanded it so. Where the forces of Kaelor are found, their Guardians are never far off, and for a Human explorer in the Koronus Expanse the presence of these Guardians is often the first sign of the craftworld's involvement, representing a mobilisation of its populace to war. In this way, the Asuryani Guardians are much the same across the galaxy as they are within the Expanse and represent the few remaining people of a dying race defending their species by turning to the ways of war.
Kaelor - Warp Spiders: The Warp Spiders of Kaelor believe that they draw their name and power from the tiny crystalline arachnoid creatures that roam the Webway and the craftworld's Infinity Circuit, purging them of all non-Aeldari psychic energy. Hence, the Warp Spider champion known as the Lhykosidae or "Wraith Spider" is held to be a monumental force of spiritual purification, returning to Kaelor every few Terran millennia at its moment of greatest spiritual pollution and atrophy.The mighty Kaelorian wraithsmith, Vhaalum the Silver, posited an interesting interpretation of this myth, suggesting that the Wraith Spider was the personification of wraithbone. Both are entities that directly manifest the energy of Sha'iel, the Warp, in material form, albeit one becomes organic and the other mineral. Like the Aspect Temples themselves, Exarchs are viewed by the pre-Fall Knavir Aeldari of Kaelor as primitive and vulgar representations of the unsavoury side of the Aeldari soul. However, no Kaelorian appears to lack a sense of fear and awe when confronted with one.
Kaelor - Asurya: On Kaelor and a number of the other craftworlds, the mythical Asurya are identified with the persona and armour of the first Exarch of each Aspect Shrine -- those originally trained by Asurmen in the Shrine of Asur at the time of the Fall of the Aeldari. It is usually maintained that this glorious armour remains animated by the spirit of the Asurya and continues to fight as the incarnation of an aspect of the war god Khaine forever.An interesting and indigenous idiosyncrasy on Kaelor is the Kaelorians' mythic solution to the problem of not knowing the identity of the first Exarch of the Warp Spiders. The Wraith Spider (Lhykosidae) is evidently a conception of the originator. Rather than seeking to identify the Asurya as a historical or legendary warrior, the Warp Spiders of Kaelor seem to believe that it is an expression of the energy of the little crystalline creatures that guard the purity of the craftworld's Infinity Circuit. They suggest that the Wraith Spider is somehow an incarnation of that essential energy -- an intriguing interpretation of the meaning of the Asurya.
Kaelor - Notable Locations: Sapphire Dell - The Sapphire Dell is the circular council-area of the domains of House Ansgar. It is a circular, blue-metallic pit, lowered into the ground to ensure that the councillors themselves are always on a level lower than those over whom they rule. Its structure is supposed to reflect the political commitments of the ruling House of Ansgar.Sentrium - The Sentrium is the name given to the sector in the heart of Kaelor in which the ruling Circular Court is located; essentially the "capital city" of the Kaelorians.Styhxlin Perimeter - The Styhxlin Perimeter is the great tectonic divide that was cracked into a chasm through the physical wraithbone structure of Kaelor during the so-called Craftwars between Kaelor and Saim-Hann in the period immediately preceding the Radiant Age of Gwrih. The chasm was never materially repaired, but rather it was psychically bonded. Hence, because of a quirk in the properties of Sha'iel-infused space, the long, jagged canyon appears to drop straight through Kaelor and out into the vacuum of space, no matter where you stand to look at it. Since Gwrih the Radiant established the Circular Court, the Styhxlin Perimeter has traditionally been seen as the line of division between the domains of the cosmopolitan, pre-Fall Knavir Aeldari of Sentrium and those of the provincial great houses -- the so-called "Outer Houses." One House Ansgar legend suggests that it was the result of an abortive but deliberate attempt by the Farseer at the time of the Craftwars to rid Kaelor of the warlords of the great houses altogether.Ula Pass - The Ula Pass is a permanent, narrow corridor through the chasm of the Styhxlin Perimeter along the famous Innis Straight. It approximates the technology of the Webway, although on an infinitely smaller scale. It is one of the most heavily fortified access routes in the Sentrium and was the site of the last great battle of the House Wars, where the forces of House Ansgar were virtually wiped out following a suicidal drive through the Ula Pass by Bedwyr Ansgar. Local legend suggests that Ula was a Warlock from the domains of House Ansgar, trained in the Aspect Temple of the Warp Spiders. It is said that she expended her entire life-force in order to prevent Kaelor from cracking apart during the Craftwars by constructing the corridor as a bridge to bind the two sides together with the sheer power of her will. Some of the Kaelorian Rune-singers suggest that she became so infused with her creation that the energy of her soul still provides the structural integrity of the pass.
Kaelor - Flora and Fauna: Aereb-beetle - The aereb-beetle is a tiny, red insectoid creature that is reputed to have been one of the first life forms to evolve uniquely within the biosystem of Kaelor after the craftworld fled into deep space following the Fall of the Aeldari. Colonies of the creatures cluster around the moisture-vents of the craftworld's outer forest zones, where they survive in a peculiar yet persistent ecosystem, flittering and darting on their incredibly rapid wings. Because of its qualities and history, the little creature is greeted with considerable affection amongst the more sentimental Kaelorians, and its name has entered common usage to indicate a range of meanings: unexpected resilience, purposeful industry and determined speed.Caradoch - The caradoch was a furry, mammalian quadruped originally native to the planet known as Lsathranil's Shield. The animal became extinct even before the desertification of that world because it lacked the faculty of suspicion. It became an affectionate name for an aging Aeldari amongst the Exodite colonists of Lsathranil's Shield, many of whom fled to Kaelor when the Great Conflagration consumed the planet.Mrofth - The mrofth is a small, winged insectoid with no digestive apparatus. Hence, it never eats. Instead, it draws its energy directly in the form of thermal energy from fire. They can often be seen in small groups, circling and swooping through flames.Tureir-iug ("Lumbering sloth") - Tureir-iug is the slightly disingenuous name given to the waercats of the world of Poupriah, which were domesticated by a group of prospectors from Kaelor several Terran millennia ago and then farmed within a number of the eco-domes that are speckled throughout the craftworld. Despite the clumsiness and disdain implied in the name, the Knavir of Kaelor who date to before the Fall of the Aeldari appear to be very partial to the meat of these creatures -- and their farming is virtually monopolised by House Ossian. This is an odd deviation from the norm on Kaelor, where most Asuryani appear to avoid eating animal flesh for reasons of ritual purity.Umbhala - The umbhala is a rare tree found only in two locations on Kaelor, both of which are protected within defensive eco-shields. One is within the Sentrium, and the other is under the protection of the Aspect Temple of the Warp Spiders in the domain of House Ansgar. They flower once every two hundred Terran years, and it is said that the blooms are of such beauty that simply gazing upon them can heal any affliction. The wood from the tree is so hard that Kaelorian folklore declares it to be indestructible. In practice, it is so rare that it is never used for construction, although the Warp Spiders have been known to fashion it into combat staffs. It is also rumoured that the bark of the umbhala has psycho-toxic qualities that are sometimes employed by Seers in the form of incense.
Kaeria Casryn - Kaeria Casryn: Kaeria Casryn was an Oblivion Knight of the Steel Fox Cadre of Vigilators during the Horus Heresy. In the War Within the Webway, Sister Kaeria was paired with the Custodian Diocletian Coros. During this conflict, the two formed a strong bond and grew to become close comrades. Coros had fought alongside the Silent Sisters for several solar decades and was able to understand Kaeria's meaning by simple facial expressions without having to sign to him in Thoughtmark.As a result, Sister Casryn eventually accompanied the Custodian outside the Imperial Webway as they attempted to recruit reinforcements for this clandestine war against the forces of Chaos. Later on, Sister Casryn would help implement the Unspoken Sanction as decreed by the Emperor, as she oversaw the sacrifice of a thousand captured psykers in order to power the Golden Throne long enough for the Emperor to leave it for a single solar day, to help bring the War Within the Webway to a successful conclusion, closing off the Imperial Webway from the gateway into the Imperial Palace.During the Siege of Terra, Casryn was one of those chosen to come before Malcador the Sigillite before he ascended the Golden Throne and carry out the final tasks he gave to them before his death. At his command she gathered captive psykers to sacrifice to the Golden Throne to aid Malcador in his struggle to power the ancient device while the Emperor confronted Horus upon the Vengeful Spirit.
Kaerls - Kaerls: The Kaerls are the Planetary Defence Force of the Death World of Fenris and much of its surrounding star system. They serve under the direct command of the Space Wolves Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes.Renowned as fierce and effective fighters, Kaerls are commonly equipped with skjoldtar projectile weapons and thick blast-armour. All Kaerls are trained to wield a blade and fire a skjoldtar, a heavy armour-piercing projectile weapon similar to the Autoguns favoured by the Aettguard, the body of elite, Carapace-armoured Kaerls committed to the defence of Leman Russ' ancient fortress-monastery.Kaerls are the children of a Death World, and from the youngest infant to the oldest crone they know the art of killing.Kaerls are rough-spoken and often strict towards the lesser Thralls of the Space Wolves. They do not think twice about landing a punch with a riflebutt for sloppy work, but are humane enough beyond that.They commonly partake in the imbibing of demi-mjod, the heavily alcoholic imitation of the Space Wolves' sacred battle-stimulant.
Kaggeran - Kaggeran: KaggeranFrontier WorldArkalas ClusterJericho ReachOnce prosperous, the planet had fallen to xenos-heresy long before the Achilus Crusade arrived, becoming a weapon supplier for both sides of the ensuing war between the Imperium and the T'au Empire.
Kaggeran - History: Like the worlds of Argoth and Rheelas, Kaggeran was colonised during the early years of the 32nd Millennium, under the expansionist mandate of a succession of reigning lords sector.Little in the fragmentary records of that era remains, but there is no evidence to suggest that any of the worlds in what was then known as the Arkalas Cluster were anything more than a collection of backwater colonies adjacent to a well-travelled Warp route.This changed in the latter years of the 8th century of the 41st Millennium, less than a solar decade after the conflict known as the Damocles Crusade.Expanding outwards from their homeworld, and having reached the coreward edge of the Jericho Sector, the alien T'au began to establish a strong presence within the region, variously conquering, treating with or simply colonising the worlds they came across.The trio of worlds were a distant goal at the time, many solar months travel for even their fastest ships, but all three were resource-bearing worlds, and thus a prize to be coveted.Swift messenger ships carrying Water Caste dignitaries followed the intelligence-gathering drone-scouts, conveying greetings on behalf of the T'au Empire and expressing a desire for peaceful cooperation, endeavouring to appeal to "The Unity" as like-minded individuals in a hostile galaxy.The T'au could attempt little more than this opening preamble before the Imperium arrived to reclaim their worlds.Unwilling and unable to fully muster a defence against the crusaders, the T'au fell back from Argoth, Rheelas and Kaggeran, while gathering a force to contest the Imperium on Wrath, closer to the worlds the T'au had already claimed.
Kaggeran - The Achilus Crusade: Kaggeran became the second Sept World to fall during Operation Hammerfall, with the first having been Rheelas. Within solar hours, the planet became garrisoned and was declared Compliant by the Achilus Crusade, having found only minimal signs of contact with the T'au.When the Adeptus Astartes led an assault on Ravacene, however, a rebellion surged across multiple Compliant worlds, including Kaggeran.It was only through the expert coordination of Deathwatch Kill-teams that the Unity seditionist group on Argoth, Kaggeran and Rheelas was put down.This destabilised and demoralised the T'au forces enough that the Astra Militarum could round up and execute the leaderless and scattered rebellion.
Kaggeran - Quarantine: Within solar days of his promotion to command of the Canis Salient, Lord Commander Sebiascor Ebongrave gave his first general order -- the quarantine of Argoth, Rheelas and Kaggeran, the three worlds that had suffered the worst of the T'au-sympathiser rebellions.
Kai Gun - Kai Gun: The Kai Gun is a huge, two-handed, ballistic weapon of archaic design similar to a Bolter that was developed following the loss of the Forge World of Kai to Warp Storm Gae-sann in the 34th Millennium. Possessing an advanced industrial culture, the Machine Smiths of Kai bartered their skills for a measure of protection, learning to fashion weapons in the Warp that they could not have conceived before.Their ploy eventually failed and the daemon hordes of the Warp descended upon them to fight for possession of these new domains. All that remained after the destruction of Kai was the weapons they had once built to appease their slayers. The Kai Gun is so large that a normal man would be unable to lift it, but one which a Chaos Lord or Daemon Prince would have no problems wielding. The gun is a psychic catalyst, turning the hate and malice of its wielder into tangible bolts of energy.
Kail Vibius - Kail Vibius: Kail Vibius is a Marines Errant Battle-Brother who serves as a Watch Captain in the elite xenos-hunting Deathwatch, the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Xenos. Vibius has a burning desire for vengeance against xenos, which has marked him out even amongst the alien-hunting ranks of the elite Deathwatch.
Kail Vibius - History: A Battle-Brother of the Marines Errant Chapter and a newcomer to the Acheros Salient of the Jericho Reach, Watch Captain Vibius has a burning desire for vengeance against the xenos, which has marked him out even amongst the alien-hunting ranks of the Deathwatch.An otherwise unremarkable skirmish during the Corinth Crusade between the Marines Errant and a raiding force of Drukhari ended with a squad of Space Marines -- Vibius amongst them -- captured and taken away to the dark realm of Commorragh. Stripped of his Power Armour and weapons, Vibius and his Battle-Brothers were forced to do battle in savage gladiatorial contests against other slaves, xenos beasts, and Drukhari Wyches.More than a few of the Marines Errant did not survive these trials, but every fallen Space Marine stoked the fire of Vibius' rage. In time, the Drukhari turned their attentions to newer playthings, and Vibius seized the opportunity. Stirring his fellow captives into action, the Marines Errant led a small but determined slave uprising that caught their languid Drukhari captors by surprise. The embattled Space Marines fought their way to freedom, and returned to the Imperium.Vibius bears a badge of honour marking him as one of the Marines Errant Chapter's Dark Void Elite for his accomplishments, and he was swiftly nominated for the honour of representing his Chapter in the Deathwatch. Vibius impressed his commander, Watch Captain Bron of the Dark Sons Chapter, and it was not long before the Marines Errant Battle-Brother was leading his own Kill-team. When Bron was mortally wounded during a confrontation with a Slaugth Overseer in the Black Reef, he recommended that Vibius be promoted to the rank of Watch Captain, a role he has held ever since.The Marines Errant have sworn ancient oaths that link them closely to the Rogue Trader House of Ecale, and it is known that Vibius has taken advantage of these links during his secondment to the Deathwatch. From time to time, voidships bearing the heraldry of Rogue Trader Ecale have docked at Watch Stations throughout the Acheros Salient.These voidships bear scrupulously correct Inquisitorial codes, and it is said that many times Vibius went aboard to confer with the vessels' mysterious passengers. There are few that know any further details about the link between the Watch Captain and the Rogue Trader, but many Deathwatch operations put into motion by Vibius after one of these meetings have been uncommonly successful.Vibius has personally led a number of Kill-teams into battle against the Stigmartus Chaos Cult in the region with great relish. There are many in the Deathwatch of the Jericho Reach who consider him uncommonly reckless and aggressive, particularly towards the corrupt soldiers of Cult-General Elak Sarda. Some whisper that Vibius' unusual zeal is merely disguised pragmatism -- that Vibius believes the sooner the threat of the Stigmartus is eliminated, the sooner the Watch Captain can resume his own quest for revenge against the Drukhari.
Kairos Fateweaver - Kairos Fateweaver: Kairos Fateweaver, also known simply as Fateweaver and the "Oracle of Tzeentch," is a two-headed Lord of Change, a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch. Fateweaver is the mightiest of the Lords of Change that serve Tzeentch and is blessed with access to all of his knowledge concerning the nature of fate and destiny.Fateweaver has gained infallible knowledge of both the past and the future, but cannot see what will occur in the present. As with all the gifts of Chaos, however, there is always a catch.One of Kairos' two heads will always answer with the truth. Unfortunately, the other head simultaneously responds with a contradictory answer, the falsehood being as believable as the truth.
Kairos Fateweaver - Invasion of the Stygius Sector: Kairos Fateweaver was among the many minions of Tzeentch who entered realspace in the Era Indomitus after the formation of the Great Rift to claim the Stygius Sector as the Architect of Fate's own domain. This Invasion of the Stygius Sector was prompted by Tzeentch's growing jealousy of his brother Nurgle's own creation of a realm in the mortal dimension in the Scourge Stars.
Kairos Fateweaver - Battle of Ulthwe: Following the creation of the Great Rift, in a dangerous move, every warhost of the Asuryani Craftworld Ulthwé is sent out across the galaxy, leaving the craftworld with few defences. The Seer Council states that need necessitates such daring, as the threads of fate must be twisted in many places simultaneously to avoid greater doom.Several of Ulthwé's warhosts cross the Great Rift to enter the darkened galactic north of the Imperium Nihilus. Upon the Ice World of Rimenok they aid the beleaguered Imperial forces led by the Space Wolves and Dark Angels.The Ulthwé forces provide a distraction, allowing the humans to safely withdraw. Other warhosts aid the T’au Farsight Enclaves on Vior'los and the Grey Knights upon the cursed moon of Tcharla. Each action by the armies of Ulthwé preserves allies needed for future battles against Chaos.During this time, Daemonic forces invade the defenceless Ulthwé, breaching the craftworld's surface to alight within the Dome of Crystal Portents. There, they are met in battle by the exiled Farseer Eldrad Ulthran and his faithful followers, along with warriors of the Ynnari and Harlequins.Despite the presence of Kairos Fateweaver and a sextet coven of Keepers of Secrets, the Aeldari swiftly banish their foes in what is known as the Battle of Ulthwe.