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Adrielle Quist - Adrielle Quist: Adrielle Quist is an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor serving with the Achilus Crusade to retake the Jericho Reach for the Imperium of Man.Quist was first noted by Inquisitor Hezika Carmillus for her prodigious telepathic abilities. Her sharp, investigative mind distinguished her from her fellow acolytes, and during her time as an Interrogator she was one of a select few brought to the Tower of Brass when her mistress became Inquisitor of the Chamber at Watch Fortress Erioch.Five short Terran years ago, Quist earned her rosette and became a full Inquisitor. She remains Carmillus' primary hand in the field. Quist has a deep fascination with alien technology that she keeps tightly concealed.She is all too aware that many around her would brand her a Radical or a Traitor for her desire to see the Imperium match the technological advancement of alien species like the T'au. She is secretly one of the Crucible Resolviate's principal sources of xenos artefacts.Quist would greatly like to find Deathwatch warriors who share her open mind about the path to humanity's advancement, as it would make procuring xenos items from their missions far less laborious.In Watch Fortress Erioch, Inquisitor Quist resides in the Tower of Brass, the traditional home of the fortress' resident Inquisitor, keeping no guard outside as a show of her combat prowess.Pass the door and up two spiraling flights of stairs can be found her audience chamber: a patterned marble floor with one wall made of a transparent plate of glassteel facing into the void. During Erioch's waking cycle, it faces the dim light from the system's cold, rising star.
Adrielle Quist - Angelus Invictus: As the chief field agent of Watch Fortress Erioch's Inquisitor of the Chamber, Inquisitor Quist spends far more time in the void than she does on Erioch. Her starship, the Angelus Invictus, is modest in size but highly customised. She provides Deathwatch battle-brothers a communal but sizable room for the journey.Retractable metal slabs are built into the walls; their size is identical to the stone plinths of Erioch's cells, leaving little doubt that this room was made for the explicit purpose of transporting Kill-teams.The ship has only a skeleton crew; whatever cadre the Inquisitor has, they are obviously out upon their own missions. Other than a few servitors and a decrepit cherub that rarely shifts from its perch in the galley, the living crew is limited to a pilot, Navigator Saminal Modar, and Nihl Zee, a Vindicare Assassin.
Adrielle Quist - T'au Interests: Of the Inquisitors of the Ordo Xenos who frequent the halls of Watch Fortress Erioch, none are more diligent or zealous than Adrielle Quist.However, Quist is careful to hide her fascination with alien technology, particularly the intriguing developments used by the T'au Velk'Han Sept.Quist has directed a number of Deathwatch missions into and beyond the Black Reef, often including instructions to retrieve particular xenos artefacts of interest to her and certain magi of the Adeptus Mechanicus.However, the Inquisitor is also well-aware of her true duties to the Imperium, and many dire threats to the progress of the Achilus Crusade have been exposed and halted thanks to her efforts.She has been known to personally accompany a Deathwatch Kill-team from time to time, particularly if the current mission is important to her own interests or those of Inquisitor Carmillus, her nominal superior.
Adrion - Adrion: Adrion is an Imperial Industrial World and Chem World whose atmosphere has become so poisoned by industrial pollutants from the world's manufactoria that it eventually mutates anyone who lives on its surface.Much of the population is composed of former workers in the world's manufactoria, who were cast out and replaced after they could no longer do their jobs due to the rampant mutations that gradually accumulate through exposure to the world's toxic atmosphere. These mutants are then forced to fend for themselves. While some proved able to form successful communities outside the world's cities, they did not survive for long on Adrion's surface.Due to this incredibly high rate of attrition, a large portion of Adrion's workforce are immigrants imported from off-world to keep its manufactoria always running at full capacity.Adrion has one of the highest mortality rates of any world in the Imperium, a common problem for those planets designated as Chem Worlds.
Adulators - Adulators: The Adulators is a Codex Astartes-compliant Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of unknown Founding and genetic origin. This Chapter held a distant agreement to support the Shrine World of Ras Shakeh, in the Ras Sub-sector. However, by the 41st Millennium their ranks were so stretched in commitments across the galaxy that they declared themselves no longer able to contribute to its defence.For this reason, the Adepta Sororitas garrison sought the help of the Space Wolves Chapter, which had held a similar agreement with the Shrine World some five thousand standard years before, when the sub-sector was claimed by the Adeptus Ministorum.The Adulators were described by the Sisters of Battle of the Order of the Wounded Heart as dutiful, efficient and predictable -- even mordantly dull and unimaginative. They are considered to be steeped in the ways of the Sororitas and on surprisingly close terms with the holy orders of the Ecclesiarchy for a Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes.
Adulators - Chapter Colours: The Adulators Chapter wears dark blue-grey power armour with white trim on the shoulder plates. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest is also white.The white squad tactical specialty symbol -- battleline, close support, fire support, Veteran or command -- is indicated on the right shoulder guard.A black High Gothic numeral centred in the middle of the squad specialty symbol indicates squad number.The colour of a battle-brother's helmet indicates company number in accordance with Codex Astartes-approved heraldry -- i.e. white (1st Company), yellow (2nd Company), red (3rd Company), etc.
Adulators - Chapter Badge: The Adulators' Chapter badge is a large white skull centred on a field of dark blue-grey. A red Iron Halo icon is centred in the middle of the skull's forehead.
Adummin - Adummin: Adummin is the Xenos World that serves as the homeworld of the intelligent, blob-like species called the Galgs and is now part of the T'au Empire.It is located in the Segmentum Ultima and is not far from the Eastern Fringe.
Adummin - History: Several Terran centuries before the end of the 41st Millennium the T'au fleet made contact with the Galg's homeworld and offered to let them join the T'au Empire.The Galgs were excited by the proposal and promptly agreed to pursue the Greater Good.Since then the Galgs have served the T'au Empire, and some of them operate as auxiliary troops alongside the Fire Caste.The Galgs live in palaces that are built deep underground and illuminated by bioluminescent spores. The palaces are called soums and they are built under ceremonial mounds called vathries.
Advanced Stabilisation System - Advanced Stabilisation System: An Advanced Stabilisation System is a T'au Battlesuit support system available exclusively to XV88 Broadside Battlesuits. With this system equipped, all of the battlesuit's heavy weapons are upgraded with stabilising gyroscopes that enable them to be brought to bear at speed, even when on the move.As a result, the Advanced Stabilisation System allows its user a high degree of mobility whilst retaining the ability to fire even the heaviest of weapons accurately.
Advanced Targeting System - Advanced Targeting System: An Advanced Targeting System is a T'au Battlesuit support system available to most types of T'au Battlesuits, as well as a T'au vehicle support system.An Advanced Targeting System is a specialised target acquisition computer that identifies and picks out high-priority targets of value in the midst of battle before plotting efficient fire plans to counter them.With this system, tactically-important enemy figures such as squad leaders, special weapon wielders, and commanders can all be more effectively pinpointed as specific targets for elimination by a battlesuit pilot or vehicle gunner.
Aegis Defence Line - Aegis Defence Line: An Aegis Defence Line is an Imperial barricade built from crenellated armoured sections that link together into a solid shieldwall. Their simple design means that they can be built and deployed at great speed, lending them the nickname of "instant fortresses."Aegis Defence Lines are ideally suited for commanders wishing to hold ground in enemy territory or establishdefensive perimeters until such time when larger, more permanent fortifications can be constructed.An Aegis Defence Line can be protected by heavy weapon emplacements such as a quadruple Autocannon for anti-infantry protection or, for anti-air defence, an Icarus Pattern Lascannon.
Aegult Caidin - Aegult Caidin: Aegult Caidin is an Inquisitor Lord who is the chair of the governing High Council of Inquisitors of the Calixian Conclave of the Inquisition in the Calixis Sector. Caidin is a shadowy figure who is only ever seen in public wearing a mask that obscures the Inquisitor Lord's features and his true identity.From the Tricorn Palace in Scintilla's capital hive city of Hive Sibellus, Caidin supervises and directs the general policies and activities of the Inquisitors under his command, as well as individual specialist cabals of Inquisitors sent upon "special circumstance" missions. The Lord Inquisitor is seldom seen in public. It is said that he keeps his true likeness secret, even from close aides and allies, so as to be free to operate unmolested and unrecognised. His true age is not known.Lord Inquisitor Caidin chairs the High Council of the Calixian Conclave, a ruling body of seventy senior Inquisitors drawn from all three of the Inquisition's Ordos Majoris, which orchestrates and monitors the Inquisition's work throughout the sector's territories. Estimates suggest that over eight thousand Inquisitorial personnel toil in the officio of the Tricorn Palace, from lowly scribes to archivists, from scholars to specialist Tech-adepts.A small but potent army of Inquisitorial troops is garrisoned at the Tricorn Palace and dedicated voidships of the Inquisition are permanently stationed at high anchor above Scintilla for rapid response deployment. It is also suggested, but unconfirmed, that the Tricorn possesses its own astrotelepathic choir. In times of great crisis, the Officio of the High Council Calixis can call upon the help of any Imperial adepta it requires.
Aeldari - Nomenclature: The entire species of beings who once ruled the galaxy-spanning Aeldari Empire for millions of Terran years are called the "Aeldari." In the wake of the Fall of the Aeldari, the survivors of the great cataclysm adopted new names for their varying sub-cultures or kindreds.The Aeldari who fled their ancient empire in the craftworlds eventually called themselves the "Asuryani" since their culture was redefined by their decision to pursue the Asuryani Path that they believed had been laid out for them by the chief Aeldari god, the Phoenix King Asuryan.Linguistically reflecting their diminished status, the Asuryani made themselves known to outsiders as "Eldar," a name which came to be applied mistakenly to the entire species by Imperial scholars for many millennia.Likewise, the Drukhari were the malevolent faction of the ancient Aeldari who had chosen to remain within the Webway after the Fall and continued to pursue the decadent and hedonistic ways that nearly led to their extinction. However, they were often referred to by outsiders as "Dark Eldar," a term which they rarely used for themselves and which was first coined by Asdrubael Vect, the supreme overlord of Commorragh, from the Aeldari phrase "Eladrith Ynneas" in the 32nd Millennium.Those wilderness-loving Aeldari who settled on Maiden Worlds many solar decades before the Fall in the hope of avoiding the worsening corruption of the original Aeldari culture are known as "Exodites."The servants of the Aeldari Laughing God Cegorach, who were protected by his influence within the Webway from being slain during the Fall, are called the "Harlequins" in the most common translation of the Aeldari term for the faction into Low Gothic.In recent years, since the formation of the Ynnari faction which contains members of the Aeldari species from all of the other factions, it has become common for many of the different cultures to once more refer to themselves using the ancient term "Aeldari." This reflects the Ynnari belief that with the awakening of Ynnead, the Aeldari god of the dead, their species is once more on the path to resurrecting its lost glory.In the Era Indomitus, the term Aeldari has come to be preferred to Eldar, though the original name for the Asuryani best known by the Imperium of Man is still often used interchangeably. However, it is now more correct to refer to the Aeldari of the craftworlds as simply "Aeldari," "Craftworld Aeldari," or when comparing them to the other Aeldari kindreds, the "Asuryani."The Drukhari are still often referred to in the Imperium as "Dark Eldar."
Aeldari - Descent into Darkness: The catalyst that brought about the Aeldari race's fall came from the very depths of their collective psyche, the innate need to fuel their passions and indulge in every extreme. Their people had long outgrown the need for physical labour or manual agriculture due to the highly advanced and automated nature of their technology.Aeldari society provided all the required necessities of life without individual effort, leaving long Terran centuries for the Aeldari to spend sating their every desire and whim.Fuelled by an inexhaustible curiosity, many gave way to their most hedonistic impulses. Exotic cults sprang up across the Aeldari domains that eclipsed the noble pursuits of old, each dedicated to esoteric knowledge or sensual excess.The core of the Aeldari race began to look inwards, inexorably seeking new ways to explore the full range of emotion and sensation. Such behaviour was perilously decadent and, in the end, corrosive to the soul of the race. The pursuit of excess gradually became a blight upon the whole society.The acts of the pleasure cults began to transcend those of idle curiosity, or even extreme addiction. Aeldari from every corner of the empire wallowed in their most unnatural impulses in the pursuit of debauchery. As the cults gained a tighter hold over their society, the Aeldari became increasingly divided.Those who saw the foulness that corrupted their people for what it was became known as Exodites, and they departed to found colony worlds on the fringes of the Aeldari Empire. As the civilisation slid further into anarchy, others repented of their ways and fled into deep space aboard world-ships called craftworlds. Most Aeldari, however, continued to glut themselves on the pursuits of the depraved.The sorrow of those left who mourned the loss of innocence eventually turned to bitterness and spite. In time, brother fought brother, and sadistic killers stalked the shadows in search of victims for their vile lusts. No life was spared in the pursuit of pleasures both murderous and perverse. A sickness of vice overtook the Aeldari race, and blood flowed through the streets amidst the bestial roar of the crowd.Their hidden realms within the Webway -- the network of tunnels that spread between realspace and the Warp – became sprawling palaces of avarice and sadism, and entire worlds were bent to the pursuit of the darkest of sensations.As the moral corruption of the Aeldari race tightened its stranglehold, echoes of ecstasy and agony began to ripple through time and space. In the parallel dimension of the Immaterium, the psychic reflections of these intense experiences began to coalesce, for the shifting tides of the Empyrean can take form around intense emotion. Slowly, silently, a nascent god of excess grew strong in the depths of the Warp.
Aeldari - Birth of a Dark God: Within the Warp, thoughts and emotions generated in realspace flow together in the form of psychic energy, fed by fellow feelings until they achieve a consciousness of sorts. They become entities of greater or lesser potency depending on the intensity of their origin. Amidst the swirling psychic energy of the Empyrean, the corruption of the decadent Aeldari became manifest on a horrifying scale as the flood of raw emotions coalesced into a gestalt consciousness.What an unimaginably foul and sickening thing it was that the Aeldari unknowingly raised in the Warp; it was a dire shadow of themselves, of what they had become, of nobility and pride brought low by perversity and shamelessness.Worlds burned as the Aeldari slew and laughed and feasted upon the corpses of the dead. Slowly, the Great Enemy stirred towards wakefulness. Too late, the Aeldari realised that they had created a god in their own hideous image, a god grown immense and potent by suckling upon the dark fodder of the Aeldari soul.No creature was ever conceived that was as terrible or perverse as the major Chaos God Slaanesh. It is a name the Aeldari will not speak, instead whispering Sai'lanthresh, translatable into Low Gothic as "She Who Thirsts."When Slaanesh finally burst into divine consciousness, there was not one Aeldari alive who did not feel its claws in their soul. With a howl of raw power, Slaanesh roared into supernatural life. A psychic implosion tore at the universe. Countless billions of Aeldari screamed aloud and fell dead.From the moment that Slaanesh burst into being, the soul of every living Aeldari was forfeit. Upon the death of the body, an unprotected Aeldari soul would be dragged into the Warp, and thence to an eternity of hideous torment within the psychic gullet of She Who Thirsts.In a heartbeat, the shining Aeldari civilisation that had lasted for aeons had its heart ripped out, leaving a pulsing afterbirth of pure chaos in its place. The spirits of the Aeldari were drawn from within them and consumed as their blasphemous creation took its first infernal breath. Intoxicated with this potent draught of billions of souls, Slaanesh laughed and looked upon a universe ripe for the taking.
Aeldari - The Fall: The epicentre of the psychic apocalypse lay within the gilded heart of the Aeldari Empire in the northwestern region of the galaxy from Terra. All Aeldari within thousands of light years were reduced to lifeless husks, their souls forever claimed by She Who Thirsts. Even those who had foreseen the catastrophe and fled upon the craftworlds were overwhelmed, with only those furthest from the devastation surviving.The remote Exodite Maiden Worlds remained largely untouched, but within the space of a single moment, the Aeldari had become a doomed people. Their nemesis was born and would hunt them for the rest of eternity.Though the psychic shockwave focused upon the Aeldari, billions of Humans, Orks and creatures from other intelligent species were obliterated as well. Warp space convulsed as a cosmic hurricane raged across the galaxy. The fabric of reality was torn apart and the warp spilled from the dimensional rift into the material universe, turning hope into despair and paradise into hell. Psykers of all races howled with pain as their people died in storms of blood and madness.The roiling wound in realspace spread outward until it completely encompassed the Aeldari realms of old. This gaping lesion would come to be known as the Eye of Terror, and until its size and horrors were surpassed by the Dathedian, the Great Rift, it stood as the largest area in the galaxy where the Warp and the material universe overlap as part of a Warp rift.Within its reaches Daemons bathe in the raw energy of the Empyrean, whilst Daemon Princes and the worshippers of Chaos rule over former Aeldari paradise planets turned into nightmare worlds of fire and darkness.For ten thousand long Terran years before the Fall of the Aeldari, the Warp had been riven with storm and tempest, making it almost impossible for the vessels of the lesser races to travel any great distance between the stars. With the birth of Slaanesh, the Warp was becalmed, its rage temporarily spent. A new equilibrium was reached as Slaanesh joined the ranks of the major Chaos Gods.With the Warp Storms around ancient Terra finally dispersed at the end of the period known to Humanity as the Age of Strife, the newly risen Emperor of Mankind was able to launch His Great Crusade to reunify the scattered worlds of Mankind.A new power took its place in the galaxy as isolated Human worlds from across the stars were united under the same banner. In this way, the Fall of the Aeldari heralded the rise of the nascent Imperium of Man, and so Mankind inherited the stars.
Aeldari - Kindreds: The surviving Aeldari people are now divided into several different factions or sub-cultures sometimes called kindreds, each defined by the way in which they chose to save themselves from the great curse wrought upon them after the Fall of the Aeldari.No matter where they go in the universe, every Aeldari is at risk of having their soul consumed by She Who Thirsts upon death.It is this central fact of their existence that defines how each faction has chosen to carve out new lives for themselves in the wake of the Fall.
Aeldari - Asuryani: The Asuryani or Craftworld Aeldari are those of their race who repented of the ways of the pleasure cults only a short time before the Fall of the Aeldari and sought to leave the heart of the decadent Aeldari Empire behind before disaster could ensue.As the heart of their civilisation was torn out by this catastrophe of their own making, many of the surviving Aeldari, now calling themselves "Eldar" to outsiders and "Asuryani" among themselves, fled the core worlds of the Aeldari Empire upon gigantic, continent-size starships once used for commerce and trade that they named craftworlds.The remnants of the ancient Aeldari culture that survived the cataclysm among the Asuryani preserved much of their species' history in the form of traditional stories, songs and dance.Written records, monuments and visual records were almost completely destroyed except for a few instances where they were taken aboard voidcraft fleeing from the doomed worlds. Now the Asuryani cling to survival by a thread, fighting the horrors of the galaxy with ritualised discipline and consummate skill.The Asuryani rely on mystical technologies like psychocrystalline Spirit Stones and the psychoactive wraithbone Infinity Circuits that comprise the skeletons of their craftworlds to store their souls after death and prevent their consumption by Slaanesh.It is the use of these technologies and their pursuit of a rigid system of behavioural modification to keep their darker impulses in check that shape the Asuryani lifestyle and define their culture as distinct from that of the other Aeldari sub-cultures.For this reason, the Asuryani are defined as a culture by their pursuit of the Asuryani Path. This philosophy teaches them how to balance their potent minds and pursue constructive goals rather than falling to the amoral pursuit of pleasure and selfishness that ultimately destroyed the ancient Aeldari and still defines their dark kin, the Drukhari.The Aeldari are a naturally psychic species, and all Asuryani possess the potential to become powerful psykers if they choose to pursue the Path of the Seer.The Asuryani can use these innate abilities to shape matter, which lies at the foundation of their extraordinary command of technology.The Asuryani are further divided up into separate cultures based on their craftworld of origin. There are dozens of craftworlds scattered across the galaxy, but five of these have proven the most politically and militarily influential on their Asuryani kindred.
Aeldari - Alaitoc: Far out on the frontiers of the galaxy, on the edge of explored space, lies the Alaitoc craftworld. The Alaitoc Asuryani are zealous in their vigilance against the touch of Slaanesh, even more so than other Asuryani.Alaitoc is an unusually strict craftworld in making sure its citizens follow the Asuryani Path and other craftworld traditions; in response, many of the more freedom-loving individuals from this craftworld choose instead the Path of the Outcast, becoming Rangers or even Aeldari Corsairs who roam the galaxy and make their living raiding primarily Imperial commerce.While all craftworlds make use of the Rangers, who are the most highly accurate snipers amongst the Aeldari, none field or produce more than Alaitoc. Though Alaitoc Rangers do not reside upon the craftworld and prefer to travel the galaxy, these Rangers retain their loyalty to Alaitoc and will return to their home craftworld on occasion to visit family and friends.Aside from deploying large numbers of standard Rangers, Alaitoc is also the only craftworld to field the highly skilled Rangers known as Pathfinders. These snipers without compare can cause havoc amongst even the most powerful and numerous of enemy forces. In times of extreme need, such as when the Imperium of Man's forces invaded Alaitoc, the craftworld sometimes recalls its Rangers to contribute to Alaitoc's defence forces.Whereas their kin have forgotten their people's duty to watch for the return of their ancient enemies the Necrons, the Asuryani of Alaitoc have not. When the Necrons first began to awaken in the late 41st Millennium Alaitoc was quick to respond, sabotaging the systems of awakening Tomb Worlds, and lending aid to Exodites threatened by their reemerging enemies.Alaitoc uses a sword rune which represents the Sword of Vaul, the final divine weapon forged in Aeldari myth for the smith god's desperate battle against the war god Khaela Mensha Khaine. It represents the defiance and determination of the craftworld's people.Alaitoc and its forces are associated with the colours blue and yellow. The craftworld is known to be located in the Ultima Segmentum that was the heart of the ancient Aeldari Empire.
Aeldari - Biel-Tan: The most martial of the craftworlds, the people of Biel-Tan constantly strive to return the ancient Aeldari Empire to its former glory. For the Asuryani of Biel-Tan the Path of the Warrior, the life-stage that encompasses the Aspect Warriors, is always considered the first step upon the Asuryani Path.Upon reaching physical maturity a Biel-Tan Asuryani becomes an Aspect Warrior, and only once they have fulfilled this role can they continue along the Asuryani Path.The Asuryani of Biel-Tan have a strong honour code and believe that the best way to die is in battle fighting the enemies of Biel-Tan and the Aeldari. Consumed with bitterness, they wage an endless campaign of xenocide against those foolish enough to cross their path.Biel-Tan's armies contain the highest percentages of elite troops of all the craftworlds, and few of the staple citizen-militia called Guardians that most craftworlds call upon in times of war. Their highly-trained forces are known as the Swordwind, and they often come to the aid of Exodite worlds beset by Orks, Drukhari or other xenos dangers.As the Asuryani of Biel-Tan see it, when the time comes for the Aeldari to reclaim what is rightfully theirs, the paradise Maiden Worlds and the planets of the Exodites will be the first staging points for their conquest.The world-rune of Biel-Tan is also the Aeldari rune of rebirth and its name actually means the "Rebirth of Ancient Days."
Aeldari - Iyanden: The Iyanden craftworld was once one of the largest and most prosperous of all the remaining Asuryani craftworlds. The Iyanden barely survived an attack by the Tyranid Hive Fleet Kraken, which nearly destroyed the craftworld and killed four-fifths of its population.On the verge of total annihilation, Iyanden was saved from complete destruction by the exiled Aeldari Corsair Prince Yriel, who had formerly been the high admiral of the Iyanden fleet. Yriel and his Outcast Aeldari pirate raiders, even though previously vowing never to return to Iyanden, could not bear to have their home craftworld destroyed and launched an attack on the Tyranid fleet.The subsequent battles destroyed much of the craftworld's infrastructure. Today many of its sections are still in ruins and the population is spread thinly across its ruined sections.This forces Iyanden to often call upon the spirits of its fallen in its Infinity Circuit, raising more than the typical numbers of Wraithguard and Wraithlords to aid their dwindling warriors in battle.Asuryan the Phoenix King is the oldest and greatest of the ancient Aeldari deities. He is the father and king of the gods, the ancestor of all living things.The world-rune of the Iyanden craftworld means "Light in the Darkness," a reference to the ever-burning shrine that honours Asuryan and the flame of hope for the Asuryani of Iyanden.
Aeldari - Saim-Hann: The Asuryani craftworld of Saim-Hann was one of the first craftworlds to abandon the Crone Worlds as the Fall of the Aeldari approached, heeding their Farseers' warnings.As such they have spent far more time isolated from the rest of the Asuryani than the other major craftworlds, although the Saim-Hann do maintain contact with and have a very similar culture to the Exodite worlds. They are fierce warriors, who place upon martial honour a higher value than their sophisticated kin.This, coupled with their pride, has sadly led them into conflict with each other and different craftworlds. While this generally takes the form of an organised duel between representatives of each craftworld in which first blood is usually sufficient to end the matter, the high number of deaths from these conflicts has lent to the barbaric reputation of this craftworld among other Asuryani.In Aeldari myth, the Serpent is the only creature believed to exist in both the material and the psychic universes at the same time. Hence, the Serpent is said to know all secrets past and present.Saim-Hann means "Quest for Enlightenment," for the Aeldari word for snake and secret knowledge is identical: "Saim."The Asuryani of Saim-Hann bear the Aeldari world-rune that represents the Serpent as their heraldry, sporting it on the cowlings of their jetbikes, grav-tanks and aircraft.
Aeldari - Ulthwé: One of the largest craftworlds, Ulthwé was caught in the pull of the Eye of Terror after it erupted into being, and now orbits it. As such it faces a constant danger of attack by Chaos marauders and Daemons and has served as a bastion against the forces of the Dark Gods for thousands of Terran years.The constant war and risk of attack has hardened the craftworld's citizens, and it maintains a standing militia force known as the Black Guardians, who are highly skilled and better-trained than the Guardians of most other craftworlds.Its proximity to the Eye has also given Ulthwé an unusually large number of potent psykers, even for the Aeldari. One of the more famous and integral aspects of the Ulthwé craftworld is that of its Seer Council. Formerly led by the now exiled Eldrad Ulthran, who was banished due to his support for the Ynnari, the council both overtly and secretly interferes with other races, particularly Humanity, in an attempt to steer fate in the Aeldari's favour.This practice has no doubt allowed the Ulthwé to survive so long in such a perilous position.This craftworld's world-rune, the "Eye of Isha," symbolises the sorrow of Isha, the goddess of the harvest and fertility from whom the Aeldari believe they descend.Isha, it is said, wept bitterly when Asuryan, the king of the gods, ordered her separation from her mortal children.Vaul forged her tears into the first glittering Spirit Stones so that her grief might not be in vain and mortals might still be able to commune in some form with the realm  of the gods.Today, the warriors of Ulthwé bear this symbol as their sigil, a poignant reminder of the divinity they lost long ago.
Aeldari - Aeldari Lexicon: The Aeldari Lexicon, also sometimes called the "Eldar Lexicon," is the name given by Imperial scholars to the spoken and written language of the Aeldari species.Unfortunately, it is almost impossible for an outsider, particularly Humans, to understand anything but the most basic formulations of the Aeldari Lexicon, as many of its references are metaphors that draw directly upon the collective Aeldari psyche, incorporating mythical peoples and places and long-lost times and events in its basic structure.The Aeldari also communicate with poses and gestures because their senses are far more finely attuned to others' emotional and mental states as a result of their intensely psychic natures than the average Human; it is possible for two Aeldari to have an entire conversation using only their body language.The Aeldari written language is equally complex. Each written symbol, whether it is a rune, script or a hierogram, is not simply the letter of an alphabet like the written High or Low Gothic language used in the Imperium of Man. Instead, each Aeldari symbol represents an entire concept.Ultimately, the language of the Aeldari is an ancient and complex dialect built upon and refined over many millions of Terran years. Compared to the crude, blunt sounds of High or Low Gothic, its words flow from one to the next, each sentence a complete idea as much as a collection of letters or numbers. Humans can imitate Aeldari speech to a certain degree, with sufficient training, but compared to a native speaker they are slow and halting at best.The Aeldari Lexicon is used by all of the different Aeldari factions, including the Asuryani, the Exodites, the Harlequins and the Drukhari, though each faction may have different dialects or particular usages that differ from the others.The Aeldari Lexicon can differ from craftworld to craftworld, and most Aeldari can tell the origin of another member of their species simply by the differences in both their speech and body language.
Aeldari - Kaela Mensha Khaine, God of War: Kaela Mensha Khaine is one of the only two surviving gods of the Aeldari before the recent awakening of Ynnead. In the old Aeldari Pantheon, he was second only to Asuryan himself in power, and was often shown as the enemy of Vaul, the smith god. He is also the most violent and reckless of the gods.Asuryan was so appalled by Khaine's murder of Eldanesh, a mortal Aeldari, that he cursed Khaine and made his hands drip eternally with the blood of Eldanesh so that all would remember what he had done. The Aeldari say that when Slaanesh awoke, it (Slaanesh can appear as either gender at will) consumed each of the other Aeldari gods in the Warp in turn.While his counterparts were all devoured, Khaine took up his great sword and did battle with Slaanesh in the Immaterium instead. Khaine was not strong enough to destroy Slaanesh, but he was too powerful to be defeated. Instead his psychic signature in the Warp was broken, and scattered into pieces.These divine fragments were driven from the Warp where they had done battle and came to rest in the heart of the Infinity Circuit of each craftworld. These pieces of the god became the Avatars of Kaela Mensha Khaine that serve as the most potent unit to provide support to the Asuryani militaries of the craftworlds.In times of war the Asuryani can awaken the Avatars to lead them into battle, though the price is the sacrifice of an Exarch's life, for the Avatar needs to possess a physical body to enter the material universe.The Avatars of Khaine are towering monsters with skin of iron and molten cores, hands permanently dripping with blood as Khaine's did in the mythic cycles.
Aeldari - Cegorach, God of Tricksters and Artists: The only other known surviving god of the ancient Aeldari Pantheon, Cegorach, also known as the Laughing God, the Great Harlequin, the Great Fool and the First Fool, was a consummate trickster and the greatest artist among the Aeldari gods.While most of the Aeldari gods were destroyed by Slaanesh during the Fall of the Aeldari, according to legend this deity survived because his mocking and less self-interested nature distanced him from the collective psychic corruption and decadence of the ancient Aeldari Empire that birthed the Dark Prince.Other legends tell that when all the other gods were destroyed, Cegorach fled before Slaanesh until Khaine rose to do battle with She Who Thirsts. It is said that during the fight between Slaanesh and Khaine the Laughing God hid behind Khaine for protection, and in the aftermath of the struggle Cegorach fled into the Webway where Slaanesh could not find him.He still resides there, and is the only being in the universe who knows exactly where every door in the Webway leads. As the master and patron god of the mysterious Harlequins, Cegorach is the only Aeldari god that still remains in his original form and he is dedicated to finding a way for the Aeldari to defeat Slaanesh and reclaim their ancient greatness, a plan he and his followers call "the Final Act."The Harlequins are protected from the soul thirst of Slaanesh in a different way from their craftworld brethren. While the Asuryani wear Spirit Stones which absorb their souls when they die to prevent them from being devoured by Slaanesh in the Warp, the Harlequins are directly protected by their faith in their god's power, becoming one with his Warp emanation upon their death.The only exception to this are the Harlequin Solitaires whose souls must be won from Slaanesh after their deaths by the Laughing God.
Aeldari - Asuryan, King of the Gods: Sometimes known as the Phoenix King, Asuryan was the king of the pantheon of Aeldari gods.While the mythic cycles seem to indicate that he held sway over all the others, he was nevertheless consumed by Slaanesh in the Warp. He is often depicted in relation to fire and light, his chief symbols.The Asuryani believe that it is Asuryan who taught them how to use the Asuryani Path to prevent their darker natures from overwhelming them and is the reason they named themselves the Asuryani, the "Children of Asuryan."
Aeldari - Isha, Goddess of the Harvest: The Great Mother of the Aeldari race, Isha is treated as a fertility goddess by the Aeldari in many respects. She was imprisoned by Khaine for a period of time, until Vaul paid her ransom.She is often depicted crying, and her symbol is a teared eye, symbolic of her sorrow in being separated from her mortal children. Her tears are said to have solidified to form the Spirit Stones which keep the Asuryani safe from Slaanesh after their death.It is rumoured among the Asuryani that Isha has not been consumed by Slaanesh like most of the other Aeldari gods, for the Chaos God Nurgle, the Plague Lord, coveted the Aeldari fertility goddess, and rescued her from consumption by Slaanesh only to imprison her in his decaying mansion that lies within his foul realm in the Warp.These stories claim that Nurgle "cares" for Isha by keeping her within a cage and feeding her the various diseases he concocts, only for her to whisper the cures for each one to mortals in realspace when his back is turned.
Aeldari - Vaul, God of the Forges: The artificer and smith of the Aeldari gods, Vaul is one of the central deities of the Aeldari Pantheon, and an eternal enemy to Khaine.In order to purchase the freedom of his fellow gods Kurnous and Isha after they had been imprisoned by the war god for violating Asuryan's law against the gods remaining separate from their mortal children, Khaine demanded one hundred blades from the Smith God as payment for their freedom.Vaul was unable to finish the last divinely-crafted blade in time, and so hid a mortal-forged blade amid the others of divine craftsmanship. This fooled Khaine long enough to get Isha and Kurnous to freedom, but when the Blood-Handed God realised he had been tricked, he cried out for vengeance.Vaul finished the final divine blade, Anaris the Dawnlight, and took it to do battle with Khaine. Though it was the greatest of all swords, Khaine was the better warrior and crippled Vaul. The Smith God is often shown chained to his anvil, the punishment that Khaine set upon him for his deception.
Aeldari - Morai-Heg, Goddess of Fate: The Crone Goddess Morai-Heg is also the consort of Khaine and the third in a trinity of female Aeldari goddesses including Lileath and Isha, who together represent Maiden, Mother and Crone. Morai-Heg appears as an ancient and withered creature who holds the fate of mortals inside a rune pouch made of Aeldari skin.In Aeldari myth she sought to partake of the eternal wisdom contained in her divine blood. She manipulated her husband, the war god Khaela Mensha Khaine, to cut off her hand so that she might drink deep of her own vitae.With this deed Morai-Heg gained the knowledge that she sought, and in return, Khaine gained the aspect of the banshee. Her severed fingers each became one of the Aeldari artefacts known as the Croneswords now sought by the Ynnari to fully awaken Ynnead, the god of the dead.The original homeworlds of the Aeldari that were lost to the Eye of Terror after the Fall of the Aeldari became known as Crone Worlds, a reference to the Crone Goddess.The inhabitants of Craftworld Iybraesil are noted for being devoted followers of Morai-Heg.
Aeldari - Ynnead, God of the Dead: Ynnead, the Whispering God, is a dream, the embodiment of a possibility that has yet to be fully realized. Some Asuryani Seers long believed that when the last  Asuryani dies during the Rhana Dandra (the Final Battle with Chaos), Ynnead will be born from the Warp with the strength of all the Asuryani souls stored in the Infinity Circuits of the craftworlds and the World Spirits of the Exodites.Ynnead will then have the power to destroy Slaanesh forever in a final battle, thus correcting the mistakes which led to the Fall of the Aeldari and allowing the race to be reincarnated into a universe free of the taint of Chaos.Or at least that is what the Asuryani believed would happen for almost ten thousand standard years. Then, in 999.M41, during the Battle of Port Demesnus on the moon of Coheria, the High Farseer Eldrad Ulthran partially completed a ritual intended to awaken Ynnead using the power of the souls found in the Infinity Circuits of every craftworld in the galaxy.While the intervention of the Imperial Deathwatch interrupted the ritual before it could be completed, the god of the dead was partially awakened, and sought out a champion and prophet to complete his rise in the form of Yvraine, the Daughter of Shades. Yvraine founded a new Aeldari faction dedicated to the Whispering God's resurrection known as the Ynnari.The Ynnari, with members drawn from the Craftworld Aeldari, the Harlequins, the Asuryani Outcasts and the Drukhari of Commorragh, seek the restoration of the ancient Aeldari race by collecting the artefacts known as the Croneswords from across the galaxy.Their combined ritualistic use at a single focused point in realspace will allow Ynnead to fully manifest his power in the Warp, where he will combat Slaanesh, hopefully destroying the Prince of Chaos and freeing the Aeldari from the soul-devouring curse of She Who Thirsts forever.Only then will the Eldar people, restored to the unity of the ancient Aeldari, seek to rebuild a new and better interstellar empire.
Aeldari - Other Gods: Kurnous, God of the Hunt - Kurnous was the father of the Aeldari race and the companion and consort of Isha. He is often shown in conjunction with hounds, hawks, and other trappings of the hunt. Along with his wife Isha, the goddess of the harvest, he too was imprisoned by Khaine for violating Asuryan's edict against communion between the gods and mortals, an act which helped to unleash the mythical War in Heaven and the battle between Khaine and the smith god Vaul.Gea - Gea was a minor goddess who existed within the ancient Aeldari Pantheon. She is notable for being the consort of the twin deities Khaine the Bloody Handed God and Asuryan the Phoenix King.Hoec - Revered amongst the near-invisible assassins known as Pathfinders, the mysterious wandering Aeldari divinity named Hoec is said to be one with the Webway, and has walked the paths between planets since the stars themselves were young.Lileath, Goddess of Dreams (also known as Lilcarth) - Lileath the Maiden was the goddess of dreams and fortune in the Aeldari Pantheon.The Cosmic Serpent - In Aeldari myth, the Serpent is the only creature believed to exist in both the material and the psychic universes at the same time. Hence, the Serpent is said to know all secrets past and present. Saim-Hann means "Quest for Enlightenment," for the Aeldari Lexicon word for snake and secret knowledge is identical: "Saim." The Asuryani of Craftworld Saim-Hann bear the world-rune that represents the Serpent as their heraldry, emblazoning it on the cowlings of their jetbikes, grav-tanks and air support.Cobra-God - The Cobra-God is an animistic creature of destruction who does not care who is caught in his wake; he is venerated by the Exodites.Scorpion-God - The Scorpion-God is an animistic spirit of defence, brother of Cobra; he is also an animistic spirit deity venerated by the Exodites.Serpent-God - The Serpent-God is an animistic creature of secrets and wisdom who knows all there is to know in the universe; he is the third major spirit deity venerated by the Exodites.
Aeldari - Dark Muses: As far as the Drukhari are concerned, the Aeldari gods died in the Fall of the Aeldari and they despise them for it.That the gods had become so weak that they could be consumed by the ascendancy of Slaanesh indicates that they never deserved to exist in the first place.The exceptions are Khaela Mensha Khaine, the Aeldari god of war who is still held in high regard in Commorragh and the lesser powers known as the "Dark Muses" who are the embodiments of selfish vice and whose clandestine worship by the ancient Aeldari pleasure cults contributed to the demise of the Aeldari Empire.While the Drukhari thus do not really worship anyone apart from themselves, they do pay homage to those they respect. Vaunted warriors or dark artists may become revered amongst their own kind; not to honour their skill, but purely in order to learn more of their power.In this way truly mighty Drukhari from ages past have become almost folkloric figures. Many epitomise a particular form of vice, whose clandestine worship led to the weakening of the ancient Aeldari gods and, indirectly, the Fall of the Aeldari. These Dark Muses are figures of terrible power.Favoured by assassins and murderers is Shaimesh, Lord of Poisons, the treacherous brother of Saim-Hann the Cosmic Serpent. The courtesan elite of the Cult of Lhamaea pay homage to Lhilitu, Consort of the Void, whereas powerful Archons are more likely to follow the tenets of Vileth, a figure synonymous with immense arrogance.On the eve of battle many traditionalist Wych Cults invoke the Red Crone Hekatii, or make sacrifices to Qa'leh, Mistress of Blades.Though many Drukhari suspected Asdrubael Vect, the supreme overlord of Commorragh, would join the ranks of the Dark Muses upon his death, none foresaw thathe would claim the title for himself while still alive when he slew all of the Archons who had opposed him -- and many who had supported him -- in spectacularly sadistic fashion in the wake of the birth of the Dathedian.
Aeldari - Shaimesh, the Lord of Poisons: The Lord of Poisons is the treacherous brother of Saim-Hann the Cosmic Serpent, for whom the Craftworld Saim-Hann was named.Sahaimesh is the patron of all Drukhari assassins and murderers.The Haemonculi Covens of Commorragh consider themselves the practicioners of the Black Arts of Shaimesh.
Aeldari - Lhilitu, Consort of the Void: The Consort of the Void's worshippers comprise a mysterious sisterhood who are desired by powerful Archons to serve as courtesans in their courts.These Lhamaeans are renowned in Commorragh for being both imaginative lovers and exceptional poisoners.They descend from the Cult of Llamaea, whose courtesan elite also worshipped Lhilitu, and gained their knowledge of poisons from Shaimesh.
Aeldari - Vileth: Vileth is a being synonymous with the immense arrogance so often displayed by the Drukhari, and is particularly popular as an ideal to which many Drukhari Archons aspire.The "Scions of Vileth" are also known as the best aerial hunters of the Drukhari, piloting aircraft such as Razorwing jetfighters and Voidraven bombers.These Drukhari pilots will sometimes form mercenary aerial squadrons that will work for Kabals, Wych Cults, and the Haemonculi of the Dark City.
Aeldari - Hekatii, the Red Crone: Many traditionalist Wych Cults always invoke the favour of this legendary Wych before they enter any battle.