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The Dark Eldar (Eldarith Ynneas)
"Spawned in the darkest pits of the universe, the piratical Eldar are a curse upon all races of the galaxy. For untold thousands of years they have preyed upon us, stealing forth from the shadows and dark places on their raids of terror and violence; massacring or capturing all whose paths they cross. That they are utterly evil and inhuman is without question."
-High Lord Khouron - Imperial Commander of Astherax
Among the cruel, the sadistic and merciless of the Grimdark Universe 40,000 years in the future there is one name spoken in absolute fear and hatred, one faction feared above all others; The Dark Eldar. Hidden away in the Dark City of Commorragh in the midst of the Webway (a labyrinth dimension that further straddles two other dimensions, "Real Space" or the Standard Universe along with the magical hellhole known as the Warp) this malevolent faction launches daring and bold Realspace raids for the sole purpose of capturing slaves from the "lesser species". As the Dark Eldar soul is slowly being eaten away by Chaos God Slaanesh, the cruel Commorroghans will then torture these slaves until the point where they are completely broken, mind, body and soul, with their anguish serving to sate the appetite of the Chaos God- temporarily of course.
Their cruelty extends even to their own kind, and the City of the Dark Eldar is a place where coups, murder, excessive torture, intrigue and political backstabbing are not only commonplace, but even expected AND demanded by those who live there. As a result even an average Dark Eldar is going to be excessively cunning, excessively cruel and above all else ambitious. To the Dark Eldar there are no allies, only tools to be used to further their own ends. This society is ruled over from the Fortress of Corespur, by Supreme Overlord Vect , called the "Great Tyrant" affectionately by his people, who actively seek to kill him by whatever means possible . The fact that he has reigned for over 7000 years over this populace is proof enough of Vect's boundless skill and cunning.
In this tournament the Commorroghans are once again on the offensive, eager to stake out new slaves and torture things that they have never tortured before! The Dark Eldar are going to be a highly elite and well-coordinated force, for their way of life can afford no imperfection. Their regular real space raids and long lifetimes would give the Dark Eldar a phenomenal amount of combat experience, vastly exceeding most other residents of their galaxy. But perhaps most of all these malevolent ancients will bring their own cunning minds and devious intellect, which is oftentimes alone enough to defeat their foes. For in the Grim darkness of the Far Future few can rival the terror and sadism of the Dark Eldar...
Dark Eldar Biology
The Eldar may resemble humankind more than any other race in the setting, however the similarities stop there. Compared to a human the Eldar is tall and lithe, allowing them to move about the battlefield with incredible grace. The face is both narrower and longer then a human's, with eyes stretched sideways in a predatory look. Ears are pointed, concealing numerous nerve endings.
Though Eldar have most of the same organs that Humans have, they all run with greater efficiency and purpose. Eldar hearts pump blood faster than humans allowing for faster movement, their senses are fine-tuned to perceive with near unfathomable clarify, and their minds run and think far faster then humans. In terms of lifespan they are capable of living over 10,000 years!
These are the traits all Eldar share across the three branches (Craftowrld, Exodite and Commoraghan) however years of clever genetic engineering and living in the mysterious web-way have altered the Dark Eldar to the point where they have almost become a subspecies of the Eldar race. Perhaps the most dramatic change is that the psychic connection which the Eldar are famous for is gone, deliberately suppressed with one notable exception. This is because, living in the Webway that sits astride both realspace and the Warp, they are a lot closer to the domain of Slaanesh . Thus the effect of any psychic disturbances on this realm , which can doom entire worlds in realspace, is amplified by a factor of ten here. For that reason, one of the few laws Commoragh has is that no psykers are allowed within the city limits (though, typical of the Dark Eldar, some do ignore this rule).
Though lacking the psychic spark that made ancient Eldar civilization truly great, the Dark Eldar are gifted in a manner their cousins are not; in terms of physical fitness they are unmatched. In combat their trained professionals can run faster, are a bit stronger, possess faster reflexes and display a greater aptitude for acrobatics then their Eldar cousins, who run circles around humans in that regard. In fact in order to effectively track individual Commoghans with human eyes captured videos of Kabalite raids have to be slowed to 1/4 their original speed. Stories of Dark Eldar dodging singular shots from lasguns, deflecting hyper-velocity rounds with their blades and kicking frag grenades back into the enemy's ranks are common. Agility seems to actually improve with age, and some of the oldest most well-trained Dark Eldar are described as dodging bursts of automatic fire and shearing through enemy ranks in demoralizing speed. Finally thanks to their lives within Commoragh Dark Eldar are able to see without any trouble in the dark, meaning that many a raid in real space is conducted in pitch black night.
Metaphysics and Slaanesh
In order to discuss the final, most important aspect of the Dark Eldar a detour is needed to discuss Slaanesh. During the end of the (now almost mythical) period of the ancient Eldar empire the Eldar of that time explored every depth, and every nuance of their psyche. Cults dedicated to pleasure and pain arose in every corner of the empire. The great webway cities- Commoragh among them- became infamous for the most debauched acts. Every passing decade saw the Eldar grow in decadence and due to the nature of the Warp, all these decadent thoughts, emotions and acts coalesced into one being. Eldar towards the end of the empire were summoning demons to make love to them, had a mirror or portrait of themselves every 5 feet within their manors, and were killing each other just for the thrill of it.
Around 10,000 years ago this creature, Slaanesh, burst unto the scene, wiping out 99% of the Eldar race. Worse still as Slaanesh was the sum of all the excess of the Eldar so too did it forever bond to the race in general. Each and every Eldar will, upon death, be transferred to Slaanesh for untold torment, unless a means to escape could be found. Worse in life Slaanesh would slowly drain upon their soul(known to the Dark Eldar as "The Thirst" , easing the descent into oblivion -with the effects of this soul-drain all the heavier in the Warp.
The Exodites were the most aghast at how far their grand empire had fallen and sought to deny themselves the excess that had corrupted their predecessors. Their lives appear simple compared to their other brethren, for they had given up much of the technology that made lives too easy for their ancestors. They utilized special spirit stones- magical gems essentially- to capture the Eldar soul upon death and transport it to the gestalt World Shrines. Craftworlders were meanwhile unwilling to completely give up the Old Empire's achievements nevertheless adopted some restraints on their lives, and likewise utilized spirit stones.
The Dark Eldar, in their arrogance, dismissed both of their cousins. Why should the Eldar punish themselves for their mastery of all of life sensations, they argued? Why should they deny their birthright to rule the stars as they pleased? Nevertheless even they realized the horrible doom in Slaanesh, and recognized that the Prince of Pleasure and Pain had to be satiated were they to survive. To the Dark Eldar the solution was simple- throw someone else into the Maw of Chaos.
Thus in order to survive without giving up their decadent lifestyle the Dark Eldar became a slaver society. Slaves were captured for no reason at all other to be tortured without mercy, each drop of pain and misery squashed from their miserable souls in order to save that of their Dark Eldar torturer's. They relish breaking the bodies of their slaves, but prize even more the process of crushing the mind and the spirit, for nothing is more gratifying to a Dark Eldar than securing true and willing dominion over an individual who formerly resisted them. They drink in every nuance and every inflection of pain until their captives gibber and plead remorselessly for death -- a mercy that the Dark Eldar rarely grant easily or quickly.
Over time, the Dark Eldar begin to suffer more and more from the Thirst. They develop an all-consuming and ever-increasing need to drink the souls of other beings. It is postulated that the cause of this is the Chaos God Slaanesh, the Great Enemy of the Eldar, who leeches the soul-essence of the Dark Eldar while they still live because of their pursuit of the hedonistic and sadistic activities that strengthen the power of the Dark Prince. Dark Eldar "drink" the souls of other sentient beings to stave off this leeching - perhaps by sating the thirst of Slaanesh, or perhaps by replenishing the essence of their own souls with that of the consumed one.
They are in the literal definition of the word parasites; beings who live off the blood and souls of other mortals in order to feed their terrible souls. The older and more powerful they are the more pain is required to satiate them until the point where only true massacres truly fill the void in the oldest of the Dark Eldar archons. Though successful Dark Eldar can live many times longer then their dark cousins and enjoy 10x the affluence, this method never fully unties Slaanesh's grip upon the Dark Eldar soul. Though Dark Eldar will deny the fact even to themselves in the end there is no escape for them from Slaanesh. Whether in 100 years or 10,000, Slaanesh is eventually destined to consume their souls.
Power From Pain
The sadistic need to inflict pain is reflected in their armament, a menacing assortment of poisonous splinters, electrified gauntlets and more. Per the Dark Eldar mindset they view these realtime raids as nothing more then great hunts of "lesser" beings who should know their place in the universe. Contrary to their Craftworld Eldar brethren the Dark Eldar actually enjoy the thrill of conflict, which only adds to the value their souls get from all the pain they inflict. Such enjoyment that they actually get more powerful, on the battlefield, the more pain they inflict.
These "powerups" ranges from everything from feeling no pain themselves, to increasing their physical stats to rendering them utterly fearless. Dark Eldars warrior can feed off of the pain of both enemy combatants AND their fellow Dark Eldar so killing Dark Eldar is painful fashions would just make the survivors stronger. In one raid against the Tau the Dark Eldar became so supercharged on pain that each Kabalite Warrior was said to be worth an entire squad of Tau Fire Warriors.
Some Dark Eldar are known to get particularly satiated (aroused) if certain criteria are met for inflicting pain in battle, usually a unique style of kill or torture. They are known by creative names such as
-Artful Torment: The Dark Eldar gets off from taking his or her time slowly carving up a bound or stunned slave with a knife or sharp object.
-Bountiful Slaughter: The Dark Eldar interested in this type of kill longs to breath in the dying breaths of defeated foes, to bask in their presence as death leaves their body.
-Cruel Demise : The Dark Eldar in question has immense pride in his or her ranged skill, and is especially enthused when he or she guns down enemies in a artsy way.
-Lingering Dread: This signifies that the Kabalite or Wych enjoys the look of fear on the enemy's face before battle, as reputation of the Dark Eldar starts to paralyze them.
-Sadistic Joy: Unlike the others, the Dark Eldar that enjoys this type requires no special condition. He or she just really enjoys pain, whether it comes from a ally or enemy.
The Downside of all this emphasis on pain is of course their need to inflict it. The Longer they go without satiating themselves on pain the more Slaanesh tugs on their soul which forces the Dark Eldar into increasing acts of desperation. Treachery would become even more common on the battlefield then before . Against enemies without the ability to feel pain (Droids) this would naturally prove to be an issue, though it might also spur the Dark Eldar to try and wipe their enemy out even quicker then usual (Dark Eldar real space raids usually don't last more then a couple days if that).
Dark Eldar Psychology and Culture of Betrayal:
All Eldar perceive and experience emotions with ten times the emotional intensity of humans. Their passions burn with intensity that normal Humans can never know, and for them every experience, nuance and opportunity are to be explored in depth. However the depth of Eldar experience comes at a horrible cost, for such passions are what caused Slaanesh to develop in the warp. The Exodite Eldar have tried to drown their desire to embrace all possibilities through constant, backbreaking toil and denial. The Craftworld Eldar invented a path system that allows a Eldar individual to explore all possibilities of any one path they choose (i.e. Path of the Sculptor, the Poet, the Aspect Warrior, the Seer ect) with the ability to leave a path for another when they grow discontent with it. This system is prone to flaws of course, and many Eldar become "lost" on the Path or trapped to forever excel and obsess over their chosen field and nothing else. Others leave the path system entirely, becoming Pathfinders or Corsairs.
The Dark Eldar system offers little such restraints. Though they will kill those that are outright in league with Chaos pretty much everything else is permitted. While the capture and torture of slaves is always going to be foremost on the Dark Eldar's mind, s/he is free to indulge in whatever desire or fancy that exists at a whim. All of them at once if they like. Thanks to this never ending exploration of the self and the unlimited ambition that comes with, Dark Eldar are perhaps the most arrogant non-Daemon creatures in 40k. They are extremely slow to recognize any flaws in themselves and have a supreme confidence in everything they do.
The concepts of morality - of good and evil, of insanity and sane, of decadent and frugal(with few limitations, as even the Dark Eldar don't sink as low as their predecessor empire did) - do not exist in Dark Eldar society. Only the pursuit of desire and the satiation of The Thirst matters. In battle Dark Eldar warriors take pleasure beyond what is required to satiate their need for torment; drinking in every kill, every dash for cover, even every wound they endure is part of the thrill. Out of battle all sorts of plots and schemes take place as each and every Archon jockeys for increased power or prestige or defend what they have from ambitious underlings. Dark Eldar are, by our standards, universally cruel and devious, to the point where in cunning they have few mortal matches in the notoriously deceitful Warhammer 40k universe .
A scant few laws do exist that were put in place by Vect long ago, with terrible consequences for those who violate them, however even these laws are not universally followed through, particularly when the Dark Eldar in question thinks s/he can get away with it. Many archons and other leaders do acknowledge a certain commonality of interests that include keeping Chaos out of their city, defending it if attacked, disdain for all non-Dark Eldar and joining together on slave runs. However not even these interests are free from infighting and even in battle, in front of the enemy, scenes of viscous betrayal and sabotage play out at least periodically among every level and rank. It is fortunate for them that Dark Eldar can think and perceive far faster then humans, for they must always be wary of threats both internal and external.
Not ever formal allies who have been so for many millenia- like the old noble houses in Path of the Renegade- are immune to such behavior. In one scene Archon Ylithian orchestrated an assassination attempt on one of his triumvirate allies and implicated the other, resulting in a mini-war between the two . To remove himself from suspicion he orchestrated an assassination attempt on himself that nearly succeeded, and timed his arrival to illustrate both that he had underwent a attempt on his life and in the middle of said war. This completely fooled one of his allies, and while the other had a few suspicions he had no basis to act upon without evidence. The resulting conclusion of the inter-house struggle improved Ylithian's standing and caused the other two to give into his demands, both convinced he was on their side.
However this is expected within Dark Eldar society, so common that it is essentially taught since birth. Not only does the nature of pursuing every whim make one extremely self-centered but the laws put in place by Vect long ago are oriented towards establishing a meritocracy. In Commoragh only the most cunning, brutal, and devious are able to truly prosper and rise in power. Those who fail are cast aside without remorse for being too weak. An astute observer might notice that such a system keeps the individual kabals perpetually against each other and suspicious of the motives of other archons, preventing them from uniting against the hated Tyrant Vect.
Common Dark Eldar Weaponry
Like Eldar weapons Dark Eldar equipment is both lightweight and efficient. However unlike the Eldar, whose craftmanship showcases majestic beauty, the Dark Eldar's creations are both terrifying and demented. As the intent of the Dark Eldar is to invoke as much terror in their enemies as possible, everything from their vehicles to weapons to armor is designed to be menacing.
In comparison to their cousins however Dark Eldar weapons do not possess psi-links or any other psychic supplement that allows for instant reloading or auto-aiming. However Dark Eldar are far more likely to dedicate their lives to mastering weaponry then the Eldar, and thanks to their impressive physical conditioning are extraordinarily accurate.
Note: Only weapons common to multiple units will be found below. Those specific to one unit shall be in their individual profiles.
Poison:
I want to detail this first simply because its such a common theme to Dark Eldar weapons.Simply put, the Dark Eldar in their desire to inflict as much pain as possible use it on nearly everything, amplifying the lethality of their weapons. These poisons can be fast or slow acting depending on how much the Dark Eldar want to draw out torment, however in battle they will try to drain as much pain in as short amount of time as possible, so they can then move onto other victims. Even a slight infection on the finger can prove fatal, as in 40k only the minions of Nurge can truly match the Dark Eldar . Their poisons are even effective against the Necrons due to the creation of certain acidic poisons. Some of the specific poisons created can be found in the Rogue Trader book Soul Reaver and are found below:
-Perfect Vitriol is the universal solvent, a corrosive agent capable of dissolving absolutely everything. Created by the trader-race Stryxis for reasons they refuse to explain and traded to the Dark Eldar no substance is proof against this liquid's fury, and it must be stored in magnetic suspension because no material container exists that can hold it. Not to be stymied in their quest to weaponise everything in their grasp, the Dark Eldar cleverly use fields and other exotic distribution systems to imbue their blades and projectiles with the vapours produced by this substance without degrading their own equipment too quickly for it to be of use. Naturally this is an example of something effective against even robotic enemies.
-Final Breath - A targeted paralytic agent that is derived from a plant , Final Breath causes rapid respiratory shutdown, swiftly making it impossible for the target to breathe.
-Heartfire - Heartfire is a substance produced by the razor-spined fungi that inhabit certain parts of the Gaelan Sphere. Apparently a defence mechanism against predators, this poison coats the spines and self-replicates within a victim's body, polluting his blood with a kinetically unstable chemical that may ignite at any moment. Vigorous motion is often sufficient to set the poisoned blood off, consuming the victim with a fire within his own veins and arteries, burning up the oxygen in his blood.
-Liquid Agony -Liquid Agony is a potent neurotoxin that amplifies nerve conductivity to extreme levels, turning even the weight of clothing and the caress of the air into torturous sensations. Liquid Agony is based upon the viscous bodily fluids of the Sandsnapper of Vaporious, a rare, segmented serpent that inhabits the deep deserts.
-Nightmare Philtre - This toxin creates terror in its victims, nothing more or less By chemically influencing the "fight or flight" reaction, and then triggering it, an overwhelming sense of panic and dread afflicts the victim, without obvious cause or reason — something that is arguably more terrifying than being afraid of anything specific. In many cases, the horrified psyche actually tries to invent some fearful apparition to justify the terror, a feat of self-delusion that only serves to act as a beautiful accompaniment to the Dark Eldar feeding upon this unreasoning panic. Hard-won experience has taught the Dark Eldar that this particular poison does not have an effect on all of their foes - even the most concentrated dose does not influence a Space Marine in any way, and it seems to merely enrage Orks.
-Sanguine Exodus - This toxin causes the victim to begin exsanguinating rapidly, his blood pouring from every wound as if seeking to escape from his body.
-Vitae Rebellion - A cruel and savage toxin, Vitae Rebellion is a genetic serum of incredible potency created By Haemonculli looking for a profit. Vitae Rebellion aggressively transforms the biochemistry of its victims, transmogrifying critical fluids into chemicals and compounds that react violently with one another. The end result is gruesome and spectacular, as the victim detonates in a shower of mutated gore.
These are only a short list of a tiny portion of the poisons available to the Dark Eldar. According to the codex the effects of the toxins of their guns can be modified to trigger blood-vessel explosion or implosion, pharyngal contraction, extensive haemolysis, skeletal disintegration, sclerotic corrosion, intercostal spasms, hyper-reacted thermoreceptors, subcutaneous necrolysis, Eustachian collapse, cardiac and respiratory atrophy or wide scale exsanguination --sometimes all at once!
Infantry Weapons:
For the next part I shall describe the most common weapon types first before moving onto the rest alphabetically.
"A Flawless shot; surgical in its precision, artistic in its placement, and splendidly sadistic in its timing. The Wreteched creature could not have known how near its death it was."
Splinter Weaponry are the primary weapon type used by Dark Eldar forces. They all operate around the same general mechanism as a Rail-Gun, splitting off shards of a Neurotoxin that has been solidified into a crystal up into thousands of tiny splinters and then launching them at incredible speeds towards an enemy. Each Needle Shard is loaded with a wide spectrum of virulent hyper-toxins, each designed to kill their foe in a excruciating fashion in just a few moments. It can even do this with the biological horrors of the Tyranids!
Fortunately for their enemies, what Splinter Rifles are generally lacking in penetrating power. They have difficulty breaking through the tough armor of the space marines or of certain tanks, for the most part just bouncing off. However they are fired in such mass quantities that invariably these tiny needles find joints, gaps or other segments where armor is weak and digs in as the target moves, eventually penetrating and unleashing its toxin.
Splinter weapons almost always have sharp, poison tipped blades attached, allowing them to function as melee weapons.
-Splinter Rifle:
The gun houses an ammunition disintegration generator to break up the crystal into shards, along with a cyclic ammunition feeder to house the shards before firing. Once fired, it routes the energy used to disintegrate the ammunition crystal through a magno-electric impulse chamber that accelerates the crystal to supersonic speeds, rocketing it towards its intended target.
--Utilized by: Kabalite Warriors, Venoms, Razorwings
--Utilized by: Kabalite Warriors, Venoms, Razorwings
-Splinter Pistol:
Usually paired with a Monomolecular Knife or Claw and used as a pair for added effectiveness in assaults. The Splinter Pistol uses the same ammunition and firing mechanisms as the rifle, although compacted and therefore have shorter range, and with a smaller ammunition crystal to reduce the weight even further. Splinter Pistol crystals are therefore the most frequently impregnated with toxins, as they are the weapons that most need the added effect. Typically splinter pistols can be found in the hands of Wyches and usually sport a knife on the end.
-Utilized by :Wychs of all stripes, Archons, Lhamean, Sslyth, Succubi, Haemonculli, Sybarites,
--ShardCarbine:
The Shardcarbine has an enlarged barrel able to launch even greater volleys of toxic crystal-ammunition than the normal Splinter Rifle without interrupting the shooter at all. Many Dark Eldar warriors utilize this, however it is most common among the winged Scourge. Once again, it can be affixed with blades.
Utilized by : Scourges, Sslyth, Kabalites
-Utilized by :Wychs of all stripes, Archons, Lhamean, Sslyth, Succubi, Haemonculli, Sybarites,
--ShardCarbine:
The Shardcarbine has an enlarged barrel able to launch even greater volleys of toxic crystal-ammunition than the normal Splinter Rifle without interrupting the shooter at all. Many Dark Eldar warriors utilize this, however it is most common among the winged Scourge. Once again, it can be affixed with blades.
Utilized by : Scourges, Sslyth, Kabalites
- The Splinter Cannon
The Splinter Cannon is the most lethal of the Splinter Weapons, and much more expensive to produce, as it incorporates several additions to allow the user to fire this large, bulky weapon even while charging into assault. In battle it is used as the equivalent of a machine gun.
The primary additions are a semi-liquid stabilization mechanism housed approximately in the center of the cannon, to provide a counterweight to the constantly fluctuating center of gravity on the weapon. Second, an auto-burst trigger will continue to fire splinters for four to five seconds after it has been pulled, in case the user loses his grip temporarily during the charge. Finally, and possibly most important, is the addition of magneto-impulse directional spines along the barrel, and a secondary power generator housed in the back of the cannon, to prevent stalling or improper functioning. These directional spines provide additional magnetic field stability, preventing the splinters from exiting the barrel traveling at an awkward angle or hitting the inside of the barrel and causing damage to the weapon.
The Splinter Cannon otherwise contains the same mechanism for loading and firing ammunition as the other splinter weapons, and comes with a very large ammunition crystal to allow for extended use of the cannon regardless of its high rate of fire. Likewise it can be affixed with blades.
The primary additions are a semi-liquid stabilization mechanism housed approximately in the center of the cannon, to provide a counterweight to the constantly fluctuating center of gravity on the weapon. Second, an auto-burst trigger will continue to fire splinters for four to five seconds after it has been pulled, in case the user loses his grip temporarily during the charge. Finally, and possibly most important, is the addition of magneto-impulse directional spines along the barrel, and a secondary power generator housed in the back of the cannon, to prevent stalling or improper functioning. These directional spines provide additional magnetic field stability, preventing the splinters from exiting the barrel traveling at an awkward angle or hitting the inside of the barrel and causing damage to the weapon.
The Splinter Cannon otherwise contains the same mechanism for loading and firing ammunition as the other splinter weapons, and comes with a very large ammunition crystal to allow for extended use of the cannon regardless of its high rate of fire. Likewise it can be affixed with blades.
Utilized by: Uncommon to Kabalites, Razorwings, Talos Pain Engine
Darklight Weaponry:
The Dark Eldar use a rather exotic, extremely dangerous energy dubbed Darklight in their anti-vehicle weaponry. How they harvest this energy is beyond current understanding, as it is believed that the only sources of Darklight that are available in the Materium are from black holes, warp storms, and similarly hazardous celestial phenomena.The device uses magnetic containment and stabilization fields to prevent the Darklight from damaging the weapon or its user. The Darklight is accelerated very rapidly down the barrel by these same containment fields. Upon making contact with its target, it reacts very violently, tearing through armor regardless of thickness or composition, and in the event of the Dark Lances use on infantry, it's incredibly rare that any sign of the unfortunate target is left whatsoever. For an enemy to look at this substance or resulting explosion is to risk permanent blindness (Dark Eldar wear protective gear). In the novel "Iron Harvest" a Baneblade gunner was still blinded temporarily by looking into the beam, and he had protective auger sites.
--Dark Lance:
The most commonly seen example of Darklight Weaponry is the Dark Lance. Similar in construction to the Bright Lance of their Eldar cousin's forces, a Dark Lance is redesigned to allow for the use of Darklight ammunition. It's commonly found mounted on Raiders and Ravagers, although Kabalite Warriors are seen carrying them across the battlefield as well. This will primarily be used by infantry against vehicles due to its power.
Used by Kabalite Warriors, Raiders, Ravagers, Razorwing Jetfighters, Scourges,
--Blaster:
Used By: Kabalite Warriors, Reavers, Scourges, Archon
--Blast Pistol :
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Essentially a smaller handheld version of the blaster, would replace splinter pistol. This allows the user to use a short-ranged version of devastating Darklight Weaponry while moving at full speed.
Used By: Archon, Succubi, Dracon, Syren, Sybarite, Hekatrix,
Misc:
--Haywire blaster:
Used By: Scourges, Talos Pain Engines
--Heat Lance:
Used by: Reavers, Scourges, Talos Pain Engine
--Hexfire:
The long-barreled Hexrifle fires crystal cylinders that each contain a tiny amount of the glass plague that assailed the Dark City of Commorragh in the 36th Millennium. On contact with bare flesh, the hexrifle's arcance payload spreads quickly, turning its victim into a transparent statue with an expression of shock etched upon its visage forevermore. Only the hardiest opponents can abstain from dying immediately from the weapon.
Used By: Haemonculli, sometimes Wracks
Liquifier Gun:
This collection of pipes and tubes can project a stream of highly corrosive fluids that eats through whatever it touches. Typically carried by a Haemonculli or its creations, this weapon is powered usually by the acidic blood of whoever is carrying it. It functions similar to a flamethrower having similar range, and causing as much devastation as material sprayed. Alas as its powered by blood, the creature using it might presumably get weak from unleashing its own ichor everywhere. Presumably, however Haemonculli are capable of some truly stupendous feats of biological engineering, so that might not be universally true. Maybe their creations can run without blood.
Used By: Haemonculli, Wracks, Grotesques,
Phantasm Grenade Launcher:
The Phantasm Grenade Launcher is a deadly weapon utilized by wealthier Dark Eldar. Consisting of a specially modified backpack that can hurl disc-shaped grenades from twin tubes, the ammunition of Phantasm Grenade Launchers are canisters which contain a powerful nerve gas, capable of plunging the victim into a fit of horrific nightmares and delusions on anyone within ten meters of the grenade's impact.
Used By: Archons, Dracons, Syrens, Sybarite, Hekatrix, Hellions
-Shredder
This small, lightweight gun has a chamber within which is kept a metallic monomolecular polymer. When the gun is fired at its target, a pair of magnetic web generators housed at the front of the gun quickly weave a net of sharp, barbed wire which is then launched at the victims at high speed, digging into their flesh more and more with each movement. Gradually it will tear the target apart, even with armor on.
Used By: Kabalites, Scourges
-Stinger Pistol:
Used by: Haemonculli, Some Wracks
--Plasma Grenade: The Eldar and Dark Eldar use plasma grenades in placement of the more crudely designed Frag Grenades used by the Imperium. They use a small amount of exploding plasma to blind the enemy and prevent them from properly using their terrain to defend their position against advancing enemy forces. Of course in addition to the precise blinding effect, it burn everything over a few meters with superhot plasma.
Used By: Wyches and their variants, Kabalite Trueborns, Succubus, Archon, Scrouges,
--Haywire Grenade:
Haywire Grenades are used by both the Eldar and Dark Eldar for disabling enemy vehicles. Each one sends out a pulse of electromagnetic energy which shorts out electrical wires and disrupts many energy systems. They don't have any effect on biological creatures.
Used By: Archon, Succubi, All Kabalites, All Wyches
Melee:
The most important first, followed by the rest in alphabetical order.
-Monomolecular Blade
The Monomolecular Blade is an incredibly sharp and vicious Dark Eldar weapon, able to cut through the ceramite of Space Marine Power Armour despite its light weight. They are attached to most Dark Eldar weapons in places which can cause the most harm. They are honed to, as the name suggests, a single molecule thick. Sometimes found in claw form.
Used by: Pretty much everyone as a backup lorewise. Wyches and their variants are the most prolific users.
-Power Weapons:
In 40k power weapons are a type of close combat instrument that has the ability to, upon activation, project a power field around it. This power field allows the weapon to ignore all but the most powerful physical armor. Thus a Space Marine with powerfists can rip the doors off tanks to kill the crew inside, Eldar can bypass armor of the said Space Marines and the Dark Eldar incubi, among others, can take down all but the heaviest vehicles in theory if close enough. Some power weapons are crafted to improve a physical stat of the one wearing it, too.
Used by: Basically all leaders and officers. Incubi in their own weapon form.
--Agonizers:
Agonisers are Dark Eldar weapons which come in many forms, such as whips or gauntlets, but they are designed to attach themselves to the victim's nervous system, take control of it and inflict immense pain which can disable or kill the victim. The size of the creature doesn't matter and often the larger the creature, the greater the potential for pain-infliction. Agonisers have the ability to harm vehicles as well, potentially disabling the crew or disrupting the vehicle's systems.
Used by: All Leaders and Officers
Electrocorrosive Whip:
An Electrocorrosive Whip is a deadly Power Weapon whose lash is a tongue of venom-soaked polymer with a high-yield dynamo embedded in its hilt. Its touch is painful and debilitating in the extreme, sapping the strength and robbing the will to fight.
Used by: Leaders and Some Officers
--Flesh Gauntlet: The Flesh Gauntlet is a truly nightmarish weapon, used by Dark Eldar Haemonculi. It is a claw-like glove with syringe-like protrusions and vials. Even a small touch on enemy will inject the victim with the most violent eloectro-steroids, which will eventually cause the victim to grow out of his or her skin. In the end there is only an undefined pile of heaving matter.
Used By: Haemonculli, Wracks, Grotesques
--Husk Blades:
Perhaps the most lethal weapon used by Dark Eldar archons, Husk Blades evaporate the moisture from everything they touch leaving only dust-like figures if used against living beings. Even the toughest foes have been struck down by these blades.
--Hydra- Gauntlets:
These gauntlets are extremely strange weapons of unknown origin that can grow and regrow multiple deadly crystalline blades in combat. As the novel Path of the Incubus shows, these will continually try and burrow into an enemies skin once contact is made, causing even more bleeding. Even though a Wych cannot control the amount of blades grown on gauntlets, they are still very lethal as they can cause many times more damage than conventional weapons.
Used by: Wyches known as "Hydrae" . Succubi
--Mindphase Gauntlets: Used by: Pretty much everyone as a backup lorewise. Wyches and their variants are the most prolific users.
-Power Weapons:
Used by: Basically all leaders and officers. Incubi in their own weapon form.
--Agonizers:
Used by: All Leaders and Officers
Electrocorrosive Whip:
An Electrocorrosive Whip is a deadly Power Weapon whose lash is a tongue of venom-soaked polymer with a high-yield dynamo embedded in its hilt. Its touch is painful and debilitating in the extreme, sapping the strength and robbing the will to fight.
Used by: Leaders and Some Officers
--Flesh Gauntlet: The Flesh Gauntlet is a truly nightmarish weapon, used by Dark Eldar Haemonculi. It is a claw-like glove with syringe-like protrusions and vials. Even a small touch on enemy will inject the victim with the most violent eloectro-steroids, which will eventually cause the victim to grow out of his or her skin. In the end there is only an undefined pile of heaving matter.
Used By: Haemonculli, Wracks, Grotesques
--Husk Blades:
Perhaps the most lethal weapon used by Dark Eldar archons, Husk Blades evaporate the moisture from everything they touch leaving only dust-like figures if used against living beings. Even the toughest foes have been struck down by these blades.
--Hydra- Gauntlets:
These gauntlets are extremely strange weapons of unknown origin that can grow and regrow multiple deadly crystalline blades in combat. As the novel Path of the Incubus shows, these will continually try and burrow into an enemies skin once contact is made, causing even more bleeding. Even though a Wych cannot control the amount of blades grown on gauntlets, they are still very lethal as they can cause many times more damage than conventional weapons.
Used by: Wyches known as "Hydrae" . Succubi
These high-tech gauntlets are used by Haemonculi and their minions such as wracks and grotesques. If an enemy (or anyone) is touched with these gauntlets, the victim's strength and will are sapped by neural controller gauntlets. Even monstrous Carnifexes can be stopped by these gauntlets, though against the most powerful foes it is not as reliable as against some humanoid beings.
Used by : Haemonculli, Wracks, Grotsques
Razorflail:
These weapons are a kind of retracting sword which can be wielded either as a solid blade or as a flexible whip-like series of segmented blades. Razorflails are usually wielded in pairs an are a difficult weapon to counter, as they are almost impossible to block or parry.
Used By: Wyches using razorflails are known as Lacerai. Succubi
--Shardnet and Impaler (combination) :
These weapons are a lethal combination - the impaler being a long, wickedly sharp close combat weapon, whilst the electrified shardnet leaves opponents unable to strike back at the wielder. Being caught by a shardnet is an extremely painful way to die as the net constricts around its victim, electrifying them, cutting through flesh, muscles and bone leaving a pile of shredded gore.
Used by :Yraqnae are Wyches who use a shardnet and an impaler. Also Succubi
-Venom Blade
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The Venom Blade is a hallmark of the Dark Eldar aristocracy. There are vast numbers of all kind of poisoned weapons like vambrace blades, knives, daggers, swords, scimitars, whips and more, even beyond human imagination. These venom weapons host thousands of micropores that constantly exude a distilled elixir of hypertoxins keeping the blade always as deadly.
Used By :Any leader or officer figure.
-Ghostplate Armor
Ghostplate Armour is worn by Dark Eldar who wish to combine substantial protection with great mobility. The armour itself is fashioned from hardened resins containing pockets of lighter-than-air gas and is thus far lighter then most armor. It also incorporates mini-forcefield projectors for additional protection.
Used by: Some Archons, Kabalite officers, Scourges
Gnarlskin
This is the term used to describe the toughened hides of Dark Eldar Haemonculi and their creations. The skin of these creatures has been so ravaged by abuse and abrasions that it has become leathery and resistant to attack, providing protection equivalent to some armors. Often this is in addition to some grotesque physical characteristic that gives the creature a lot of durability.
Used By : Haemonculli, Wracks, Grotesques
Kabalite Armor
Used by : Some Archons, his retinue, Kabalites
Wych Suit:
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Those worn by Hellions will incorporate armored collars and vambraces, while Reavers use masked cowls and heavily armored shoulders.
Used by: Wyches and all variants, Hellions, Reavers, Succubi
-Force-fields and Equipment
--Clone Field:
This device projects several hologram-like images of the wearer, all identical in every aspect and moving in perfect synchrony. Only through trial and error can the true wearer be identified, and few combatants have the time to find the real threat amidst a swarm of falsehoods. Obviously this makes the Archon rather difficult to target.
--Combat Drugs:
Though they drastically reduce overall life expectancy, Drugs are common among the Wyches. These include drugs that strengthen, greatly increase a Wych's speed, hit faster and more accurately, gives them increased pain resistance or start the battle already jacked up on pain. Not all Wych Cults (particularly Lelith's Cult of Strife) will use these, but those that do often come into battle with all types of syringes, allowing them to choose in battle which effect to bring out (though "stacking" these drugs is not a wise move).
Among the Combat Drugs available to them examples include:
-Accelerai - This stimulant alters the warrior’s adrenal glands, producing a substance that is far more potent. Harvested from the brain of a small, multi-legged, and extremely aggressive predator found on the ruined shell of the Light of Terra and certain Space Hulks that drift through the Koronus Expanse, Accelerai accelerates the user's attacks to a blistering tempo.
-Corpse Obmulen - Though inherently toxic, Corpse Obmulen is a popular additive to steroidal compounds that saturates muscle fibres and makes them superhumanly resistant to the stress and tension of use, allowing the warrior to exert himself to an extreme level for a protracted period of time.
Shudderstep - Tailored from a number of incredibly dangerous ingredients, including grass harvested from specific grave worlds and minuscule quantities of the stasis venom of the Ariadne Helspider, Shudderstep is designed to hyper-stimulate fast-twitch muscle fibres. A dose of Shudderstep enables a warrior to run at incredible speeds.
Murder's Boon - Distilled from the cranial fluid of slaves who have been poisoned with a combination of other drugs and toxins including Corpse Obmulen and Liquid Agony, Murder's Boon amplifies a warrior's killer instincts.
Eviscerine - Eviscerine is a derivative of the rare but seemingly uninteresting viperleaf found on certain worlds within the Koronus Expanse. Once refined into a useable drug, Eviscerine is a favourite of warriors who prefer to kill at close range. Heightening the adrenaline sensitivity of perception centres of the brain and the conductivity of synapses and nerve fibres, a dose of Eviscerine makes a warrior more able to perceive and avoid the attacks and defences of his enemies.
Soul Echo - The coalesced essence of a being who has been tortured not only unto death but far beyond it, Soul Echo is almost pure pain, containing the last tormented gasp of a spirit bound in eternal agony.Whoever drinks this gets supercharged on pain.
--ShadowField:
"The workings of the shadow field, and the locus that creates it, are indistinguishable from magic to all save the most skilled Commorite artisans. A shadow field locus has no obvious mechanical components, and no trigger mechanism. The bearer must will the device into life, and few races other than the Eldar have the strength of mind to do so.
No two shadow field loci are exactly the same. One might be an amulet, another a ring. Sometimes the locus is built into another artefact, such as a vambrace, or the pommel of a sword. Regardless of appearance, however, a shadow field locus always contains a black crystal known to the Eldar as nisariel. This name roughly translates to ‘devourer of the waking light’. It is an appellation well given, for a nisariel crystal drains all light from its immediate vicinity, and leaves only darkness. This is no ordinary gloom, but a shadow-veil possessing an almost tangible presence. Even if an enemy can make out the bearer’s form within the shroud, shots from energy weapons dissipate within the shadow, and physical projectiles lose all momentum. Even point blank tank rounds are not enough to bypass this potent barrier. It is said that some shadow fields – those generated by larger crystals – could be manipulated by the wielder, and directed to strangle or smother his enemies.
This awesome means of protection is primarily used by Archons , however those few that know the background of the device are wary of it. Long ago during the age of the Eldar Empire the great Drael Malcorvin, information broker and spymaster, invented the device . He knew every secret, every weakness, and he knew how they could be exploited. Through a vast secret army of agents he created a massive criminal empire, ruled over 1000 worlds directly and counter unless indirectly. Such was his control of the device that if any of his agents betrayed him, tried to stake out a living on their own, he could turn off the Shadow Field remotely, regardless of where his agent was. He did not do it for riches or ostentatious power, for he preferred the challenge of manipulating events from behind the scenes, plucking at the strings of his web until they made a tune pleasing to him.
Then, roughly a thousand or so years prior to the collapse of the Eldar empire, he disappeared. For a time his agents thought it was a clever ploy however soon they fell upon themselves, tearing apart the empire. When Slaanesh was born, all remants of this one great power vanished, and Malcorvin's history became a legend.....or so official stories say. Venture deep in Lower Commoragh, and they will say that he is not dead, rather he is just biding his time. If this is true, if Malcorvin escaped the horrors of the Fall and endured through the millennia that followed, then it must have been for some dire purpose, and it can only be a matter of time before he emerges from the shadows. On that day, those who bear his shadow fields may discover there is a price for the protection they offer, a price they may not be willing to pay…"
-Skyboard
These are single-pilot, anti-gravitic skimmers that are highly prized amongst the Hellions as symbols of their independence. Each Skyboard is personalized with trophies and Dark Eldar glyphs, though most have changed hands several times, won either in ritual knife-fights between gang members or claimed as bounty. Skyboards are sensitive to the slightest pressure. As a result of this, and for the sheer thrill of it, Hellions often take combat drugs that enhance their reaction speeds still further so that they can flip and jink like madmen, their reflexes now as sharp as their perfectly filed teeth.
Webway Portal:
Based on the Webway technology developed by the Eldar Empire and are actually a mobile form of portal which are used to link the Dark Eldar through the Webway. It is carried onto the field by the retinue of Dark Eldar leaders where it is deployed and activated. These devices offer no risk to travelers and cannot be destroyed when used. This is perhaps the most important piece of the Dark Eldar arsenal, as its both subtle in deployment, allows for rapid ambushes or fleeing if a battle has gone awry, and allows them to travel the entire galaxy in hours. Campaign books featuring them note that the Dark Eldar rarely follow traditional philosphies of "front lines" and they are notyed for their ability to raid in even already secured zones. Advanced Safeguards are put in place to prevent the lesser races from using it or following the Dark Eldar through the portal, so presumably only the most technologically advanced races in the PC (and their craftworld Eldar kin) could do so.
Used by :Haemonculli, Archons
Ground Vehicle Specific Weaponry, Armor and Equipment:
- Disintegrator Cannon :
The Disintegrator Cannon is a Dark Eldar weapon, able to fire burst of particles of unstable matter from a stolen sun.Essentially this can burn through all but the heaviest armor. It is similar to Imperial plasma weapons but more sophisticated and does not suffer from the same over-heating problems. It remains cool even in the fiercest battles despite the ravening energies housed within.
--Enhanced Aethersails:
Aethersails are used to capture the Aetheric wing that flies out of the webway. This allows for brief bursts of speed in battle. Many vehicle crews incorporate fricttioness alloys, vibro-pods and angled booms to further enhance the speed.
--Flickerfields
are pieces of defensive equipment used by Dark Eldar vehicles. These advanced optical force shields make the user appear to flicker in and out of reality, confounding enemy targeting.
Horrorfex Grenade Launcher:
--The Horrorfex/Torment Grenade Launcher is a grenade launcher which fires arcane grenades made of stolen Eldar Wraithbone and causes fear in the troops they land near. It is similar to the Terrorfex. These will be mounted on the hulls and Ravagers, as well as other vehicles, could expect to have several of them.
--Night Shield
is an add-on for either Raider or Ravager which creates mystic field of shadows surrounding the vehicle. Its main purpose is to distract the senses of enemies who attempt to fire upon the vehicle, so that they cannot determine its actual position.
--Retrofire Jet Engines:
These jet Engines can very suddenly slow a ravager's descent, allowing it in game to drop right in the middle of enemy infantry. Sometimes these can be further modified to make inhuman and terrifying wails as they jump in.
--Scythes and Snares
usually consist of viciously sharp blades which allow the vehicle to chop down many enemies as it passes by. They also make it very hard to assault the vehicle in close combat as the scythes provide an effective barrier. Oh and in typical Dark Eldar fashion they can be poisoned. everal barbed hooks and chains are hung to the underside of the Ravager, so that when they fly over enemy infantry they can gouge many to death or even snare a few to drag them to their deaths.
--Shock Prow: Shock Prows are energized rams mounted on Dark Eldar vehicles. These prows send out directional waves of electromagnetic force, allowing the skimmer to carve its way through infantry formations and even shatter enemy vehicles. Some prows are said to be atom splitting, annihilating foes in a explosive instant.
--Trophy Racks/Grisly Trophies: Trophy Racks are usually a selection of skeletons, skulls and other body parts placed on staves around the grav-vehicle. Some live prisoners may also be strapped onto the vehicle with barbed wire and seeing this has a devastating effect on enemy morale, as well as raise the morale of fellow Dark Eldar. They can also be mounted on vehicles.
Dark Eldar Organizations:
Though each Dark Eldar is in a way self-absorbed and prone to pursuing self-desires, they do recognize the importance of numbers. For to be a part of a group, even a shady one, is a better gaurentee of safety then being alone in Commoragh. There are three primary groups that a Dark Eldar can join: a Kabal, Wych Cult, or Haemonculli Coven.
Kabal:
Kabals are the direct result of the pleasures cults that dominated Eldar society prior to the Fall. Originally, they were a gathering of like-minded individuals who all strove to attain the same goal, usually to reach the pinnacle of a sensation, as was the goal of all Eldar, hence the birth of Slaanesh. These pleasure cults, at the lowest point of the Eldar's decline, had devolved into little more than street gangs feuding over the territorial rights to ritually torture or kill civilians. Once the Eldar were all but wiped out, the remainder of these cults found safe haven in the Webway, and each helped build Commorragh in the manner best suited to their beliefs. This further cemented their desires to keep and mark territory, which in turn spurred the creation of a more structured, militant organizational structure in the cult. At this point, they stopped being Pleasure Cults, and developed into the Kabals that exist today.
A Kabal is a paramilitary group of likeminded individuals who exist primarily for three concerns. One is of course the organized capture of slaves. The second is protection, for even the selfcentered Archons (rules of the Kbals) realize that if transgressions against even minor Kabalites can, if left unchecked, fester into something that threatens their own power. Third is the springboard from which one can launch a bid for power.
Though almost eternally against each other, the Kabals do recognize a certain commonality of interests and, reluctantly, the rule of the Kabal of the Black Heart. Thus they will band together if Vect orders it, or they are in need of more slaves, or if the "lesser species" needs to be put in places. Kabals can range from massive organizations with millions of members to small organizations with only a couple hundred.
At the top of the Kabal hierarchy sits the Archon, who almost always holds his place as a result of centuries of clever machinations. Depending how big the organization is there may be some sub-archons below him that rule sections of the organization but not the whole. Below that are scheming Dracon lieutenants, who command squads of Trueborn Kabalites in battle. Then near the bottom are Sybarite sergeants holding dominion over Kabalite Warriors.
Wych Cults:
The Dark Eldar as a society have the need to bathe in constant bloodletting, even when they are not on a real space campaign. For that reason the various Wych Cults evolved out of a need to inflict such pain, for entertainment value, and as artists. Wyches see themselves as more then mere entertainers but rather individuals who strive to completely perfect the art of the melee kill, each aiming for a particular theme . And in the arenas of Commoragh, there is no shortage of attempts to perfect their art. So much dedication do they put in it, that even the best Human athlete looks like a uncoordinated ape by comparison.
Predominately female, Wych Cults are funded by Archons of the Kabals both to secure patronage as Wyches join them in real space assaults and to keep the various lower classes happy and satiated with constant bloodletting. Led by their Succubi the various Wych Cult enjoy pitting themselves against the champions of the lesser races.
For the most part, Wych Cults are ruled by 3 Succubi at their top level, however in practice 2 of them hamstring each other so much that 1 has real power. Below that are Syrens, who lead packs of Hetraix Bloodbrides. Hekatrixes as individuals can hold sway over squads of regular witches.
Haemonculli Covens:
The Haemonculli Covens form a elite cadre dedicated torturers within Commoragh society. Having transcended for the most part the petty squabbles of the Dark Eldar Kabals, this dedicated group of torturers and their minions mostly keep to themselves deep in the tunnels below Commoragh. They are allowed to do so as they provide ressurection services to the various Archons in exchange for portions of souls and patronage.
Haemonculli Covens have rankings that go nearly as deep as the tunnels they reside in. At the top however are the Masters of the Covens such as Urien Rakaris. Below that are hundreds of different ranks of more ordinary Haemonculli and Haemonculli ancients, with a dividing line being somewhere in the list. Apocythists are the chief servants of the Wracks who form a division between between test subject and the enslaved.
Themed Organizations:
In their quest to master certain aspects of the battle, many Dark Eldar join groupings that possess certain themes that reflect the leader's unique tastes. The Dark Eldar consider themselves killers and artists both. Some of these specialties, such as the Kabal of the Flayed Skull's tendency towards lightning raids or Obsidian Rose's trait of carrying higher quality weapons then the norm, are helpful on the battlefield. Others, like that of the Last Hatred, range from the bizarre to universally deadly. Among such groups are:
Kabals:
-Kabal of the Wraithkind:
Before their transformation, the Kabal of the Wraithkind was a powerful Kabal that ruled the Pleasure City of Aur-Ilithain. However, their Archon Tliensic D'raque announced his plan to break the kabal away from Vect's rule and then proceeded to destroy the only hyperspatial bridge that lead from Commorragh to the Cyclops Gate of Aur-Ilithain.[
The next night Vect launched his attack as six secret portals suddenly opened across the city, allowing thousands of shadow-creatures to pour in. Before the night was over, the shadow-creatures had forever changed the inhabitants of the city by plunging it into a half-real state slightly out of phase with the rest of the Webway. Now, the Kabal of the Wraithkind can only feed when they leave the webway and enter Realspace, where they vent their extreme frustrations upon the lesser races
-Blades of Desire:
Led by the bloodthirsty warrior-queen Xelian, this Kabal is also a Wych cult comprised of many Wyches, Hellions and Reavers. Allied with the Kabal of the White Flames, Xelian is one of those who resents Vect's stranglehold of the city.
-The Fiend Ascendant
Archon Tarsidhe of the Fiend Ascendant has become so addicted to the gladiatorial spectacles laid on by his Wych Cult allies that his entire existence has become a cycle of theatrically inspired warfare. His Kabal and their affiliated Wych Cult allies have gouged their way across the Eastern Fringe these last two years, a rolling cavalcade of athletes, Beastmasters, blade-dancers, Harlequins, Medusae and exotic alien monsters that Archon Tarsidhe takes delight in 'showcasing' against whatever the empires of Man and Tau can muster to stop him.
-The Lords of Iron Thorn
The Lords of Iron Thorn can trace their origins to the founding of Commorragh itself. One of the greatest noble houses of the old order, the Thornlords are to this day a very powerful force in the Dark City, for they control the last remaining hanging garden of psy-lotus in all of Commorragh. Though they still consider themselves 'of true blood', the Lords of Iron Thorn wisely refrain from discussing their pedigree in front of the Kabal of the Black Heart, for Vect keeps a very close eye on his ancient rivals.
The current wearer of the Ironthorn Crown is the dangerously crazed Marquis Vaulkhere, a towering and bombastic lotus-fiend who spends only a few minutes every cycle in his right mind. The Marquis practically bleeds an aura of faded grandeur, but woe betide any who criticise his leadership, for under his velvet façade of sophistication lurks an unholy terror just waiting for an excuse to maim and kill.
The Last Hatred:
Known as the "Haters" the Kabal of the Last Hatred has a obsession with mastering the transition between life and death. Some say they want to transcend mortality altogether, others to kill off the Eldar race and enslave the entity that comes forth (Ynnead). For that reason this Kabal has a noted grudge against the Eldar Craftworlder and Exodites, fighting particularly vehemently against them.
That is the long run as in the short run they have managed to master the art of extracting every bit of possible pain from a soul, and can actually bind a soul to a cadaver, so death is not a escape from them. In battle they will send these corpses forward to distract and horrify their enemy while the Kabal goes for the final strike. With more corpses collected, they are moving forward with their goal of blurring forever the lines of life and death.
-The Shattered Throne:
This Kabal loves nothing more to see a petty king or regent torn from his throne and made to grovel as a slave.
-The Broken Sigil:
This kabal specializes in the delivering of terror and disorder among the lesser races, even at times forewarning them of the coming assault before launching it so by the time they have arrived, the fear has already built up. Tactics in battle include skywriting, hijacking enemy communication channels, and bombing with hallucinogenic gas.
The Slashed Eye
Formerly under the iron control of Archon Cythrax, the Kabal of the Slashed Eye is now little more than a tool for the audacious and resourceful Lord Hellion, Baron Sathonyx. Though Sathonyx prefers to remain behind the scenes, the Slashed Eye – though a relatively small Kabal in terms of Kabalite Warriors – wages war accompanied by dozens of swarming Hellion gangs; numerous enough to blacken the skies, and keen to earn respect in the eyes of their patron.
-Kabal of the Poisoned Tongue:
Arguably one of the two most important Kabals, the Kabal of the Poisoned Tongue is ruled by the ambitious and immeasurably clever Lady Malys. They are known for their unusually sharp wit, being able to dissect rivals through words alone. They have carved their empire through misleading their rivals, ensuring their "allies" bear the brunt of their losses in Realspace, and successfully framing others when their plans go sour. The only Archon Malys cannot second-guess is Asdrubel Vect himself, and that is starting to change....
-Kabal of the Black Heart:
The Kabal of the Black Heart is the largest Dark Eldar Kabal in Commorragh, ruled by Asdrubael Vect, who styles himself Supreme Lord of the Kabal of the Black Heart. In fact its so big that several sub-archons are part of its structure, though none are powerful enough to usurp each other or Vect and instead all compete for his favor. Perhaps the most successful is the infamous Valossian Sythrac, a archon who has made it his personal mission to kill every hero the humans value in order to break their species. As the novels show us, this Kabal has a presence in almost all of the hundreds of realms that Commoragh composes of in order to fully showcase that this is indeed his city. This is resented by the other Kabals of course however they can do little about it, as there is no real alternative to his rule in the city. Yet...
Wych Cults:
-Cult of the Cursed Blade:
Notoriously fickle even for Dark Eldar, this group is notable for frequently backstabbing its sponsors in battle (hence its name) and as such, few Archons hire them to accompany raids, thus forcing them to go by themselves. In the selection process these Wyches in training ensure only that the cleverest and most devious survive, as per their theme. Finally in battle these Wyches are noted for deceiving the enemy as much as possible, wearing harmless looking ornaments that conceal deadly weapons.
-Cult of Red Grief
More then any other group, this cult specializes in the art of the midair kill. Wyches of this cult will ride on Raiders, Reaver and Skyboards into battle, quickly jump onto the ground to kill a foe with a precision strike, then jump back on their barely slowed transports. The whole action takes place before the enemy body has a chance to fall to the ground.
-Cult of the First Blood:
Led by the infamously temperamental Ytcria "the Flayer Queen", this cult has painful wires implanted along what amounts to their nerves. Thus, in addition to being incredibly aware thanks to all that pain inflicted upon themselves (in addition to feeding off pain from one another), they are extremely pissed off, all the time. Their leader has been known to declare vendettas on entire Kabals for using her title .
-Cult of the Steel Fang
This cult bases its teaching off of the legendary Wych Steel Fang, who once broke apart a crystal statue to kill an autarch and his entourage on their own Craftworld and in another instance choked to death a Sslyth with hot sand. Essentially this cult specializes in finding unique and innovative ways of using the environment to kill their foes. These can be everything from clever and creative use of environmental weapons, to one example on a desert world where a wych would sneak up on Imperial patrols and cut open their water supplies when they were far from base, leaving them to dehydrate.
-Cult of Pain Eternal:
This cult targets the religious symbols of the "lesser races" seeking to snuff out the hope and serenity religion brings. They will defile the realms of saints, bring down the statues of gods, and desecrate shrines. Though some claim that this cult only seeks to prove that nothing is sacred, its Succubus claims that the goal is to bleed out the lifeblood of the gods themselves. Not surprisingly there is a notable grudge between the Adepta Soriotas and this Cult.
-Cult of the Seventh Woe:
In Eldar mythology the Seventh Woe refers to the destruction of the Maiden Goddess Lileath's hearth-moon at the hands of Khaine. This Cult trains its killers literally from infancy so that there is never a period of innocence among them .
- Cult of the Blade Denied:
Equipped usually only with haywire grenades to disarm vehicles, this cult specializes in using the weapons of their enemies to make a kill, disarming them in battle from their foe. In battle they deliberately put themselves in disadvantage positions , using the technology of the enemy on them.
-The Wraith Unbound:
The Cult of the Wraith Unbound strives to draw themselves into a half-berserk state in which almost all reasoning leaves them through the process of long and gory rituals. They become creatures of pure blood-lust. When battle joins the Wyches run alongside their abnormally large posse of beasts, reducing enemies to bloody chunks and generally behaving little different from their beats.
-The Cult of Strife:
By far the most infamous cult, this group of Wyches forgoes combat drugs and stimulants, emphasizing speed above all else in combat. Led by the legendary Lelith Hesperax, this cult is both allied to Vect's Kabal of the Black Heart and the most prolific in Commoragh. Every fortnight they launch a new raid, and every fortnight they come back with new trophies.
Covens:
Unfortunately not much information has been shared about the different natures of the individual Covens
RECONNAISSANCE usually consist of viciously sharp blades which allow the vehicle to chop down many enemies as it passes by. They also make it very hard to assault the vehicle in close combat as the scythes provide an effective barrier. Oh and in typical Dark Eldar fashion they can be poisoned. everal barbed hooks and chains are hung to the underside of the Ravager, so that when they fly over enemy infantry they can gouge many to death or even snare a few to drag them to their deaths.
--Shock Prow: Shock Prows are energized rams mounted on Dark Eldar vehicles. These prows send out directional waves of electromagnetic force, allowing the skimmer to carve its way through infantry formations and even shatter enemy vehicles. Some prows are said to be atom splitting, annihilating foes in a explosive instant.
--Trophy Racks/Grisly Trophies: Trophy Racks are usually a selection of skeletons, skulls and other body parts placed on staves around the grav-vehicle. Some live prisoners may also be strapped onto the vehicle with barbed wire and seeing this has a devastating effect on enemy morale, as well as raise the morale of fellow Dark Eldar. They can also be mounted on vehicles.
Dark Eldar Organizations:
 |
| The Forces of a Dark Eldar Kabal. |
Though each Dark Eldar is in a way self-absorbed and prone to pursuing self-desires, they do recognize the importance of numbers. For to be a part of a group, even a shady one, is a better gaurentee of safety then being alone in Commoragh. There are three primary groups that a Dark Eldar can join: a Kabal, Wych Cult, or Haemonculli Coven.
Kabal:
Kabals are the direct result of the pleasures cults that dominated Eldar society prior to the Fall. Originally, they were a gathering of like-minded individuals who all strove to attain the same goal, usually to reach the pinnacle of a sensation, as was the goal of all Eldar, hence the birth of Slaanesh. These pleasure cults, at the lowest point of the Eldar's decline, had devolved into little more than street gangs feuding over the territorial rights to ritually torture or kill civilians. Once the Eldar were all but wiped out, the remainder of these cults found safe haven in the Webway, and each helped build Commorragh in the manner best suited to their beliefs. This further cemented their desires to keep and mark territory, which in turn spurred the creation of a more structured, militant organizational structure in the cult. At this point, they stopped being Pleasure Cults, and developed into the Kabals that exist today.
A Kabal is a paramilitary group of likeminded individuals who exist primarily for three concerns. One is of course the organized capture of slaves. The second is protection, for even the selfcentered Archons (rules of the Kbals) realize that if transgressions against even minor Kabalites can, if left unchecked, fester into something that threatens their own power. Third is the springboard from which one can launch a bid for power.
Though almost eternally against each other, the Kabals do recognize a certain commonality of interests and, reluctantly, the rule of the Kabal of the Black Heart. Thus they will band together if Vect orders it, or they are in need of more slaves, or if the "lesser species" needs to be put in places. Kabals can range from massive organizations with millions of members to small organizations with only a couple hundred.
At the top of the Kabal hierarchy sits the Archon, who almost always holds his place as a result of centuries of clever machinations. Depending how big the organization is there may be some sub-archons below him that rule sections of the organization but not the whole. Below that are scheming Dracon lieutenants, who command squads of Trueborn Kabalites in battle. Then near the bottom are Sybarite sergeants holding dominion over Kabalite Warriors.
Wych Cults:
The Dark Eldar as a society have the need to bathe in constant bloodletting, even when they are not on a real space campaign. For that reason the various Wych Cults evolved out of a need to inflict such pain, for entertainment value, and as artists. Wyches see themselves as more then mere entertainers but rather individuals who strive to completely perfect the art of the melee kill, each aiming for a particular theme . And in the arenas of Commoragh, there is no shortage of attempts to perfect their art. So much dedication do they put in it, that even the best Human athlete looks like a uncoordinated ape by comparison.
Predominately female, Wych Cults are funded by Archons of the Kabals both to secure patronage as Wyches join them in real space assaults and to keep the various lower classes happy and satiated with constant bloodletting. Led by their Succubi the various Wych Cult enjoy pitting themselves against the champions of the lesser races.
For the most part, Wych Cults are ruled by 3 Succubi at their top level, however in practice 2 of them hamstring each other so much that 1 has real power. Below that are Syrens, who lead packs of Hetraix Bloodbrides. Hekatrixes as individuals can hold sway over squads of regular witches.
Haemonculli Covens:
The Haemonculli Covens form a elite cadre dedicated torturers within Commoragh society. Having transcended for the most part the petty squabbles of the Dark Eldar Kabals, this dedicated group of torturers and their minions mostly keep to themselves deep in the tunnels below Commoragh. They are allowed to do so as they provide ressurection services to the various Archons in exchange for portions of souls and patronage.
Haemonculli Covens have rankings that go nearly as deep as the tunnels they reside in. At the top however are the Masters of the Covens such as Urien Rakaris. Below that are hundreds of different ranks of more ordinary Haemonculli and Haemonculli ancients, with a dividing line being somewhere in the list. Apocythists are the chief servants of the Wracks who form a division between between test subject and the enslaved.
Themed Organizations:
In their quest to master certain aspects of the battle, many Dark Eldar join groupings that possess certain themes that reflect the leader's unique tastes. The Dark Eldar consider themselves killers and artists both. Some of these specialties, such as the Kabal of the Flayed Skull's tendency towards lightning raids or Obsidian Rose's trait of carrying higher quality weapons then the norm, are helpful on the battlefield. Others, like that of the Last Hatred, range from the bizarre to universally deadly. Among such groups are:
Kabals:
-Kabal of the Wraithkind:
Before their transformation, the Kabal of the Wraithkind was a powerful Kabal that ruled the Pleasure City of Aur-Ilithain. However, their Archon Tliensic D'raque announced his plan to break the kabal away from Vect's rule and then proceeded to destroy the only hyperspatial bridge that lead from Commorragh to the Cyclops Gate of Aur-Ilithain.[
The next night Vect launched his attack as six secret portals suddenly opened across the city, allowing thousands of shadow-creatures to pour in. Before the night was over, the shadow-creatures had forever changed the inhabitants of the city by plunging it into a half-real state slightly out of phase with the rest of the Webway. Now, the Kabal of the Wraithkind can only feed when they leave the webway and enter Realspace, where they vent their extreme frustrations upon the lesser races
-Blades of Desire:
Led by the bloodthirsty warrior-queen Xelian, this Kabal is also a Wych cult comprised of many Wyches, Hellions and Reavers. Allied with the Kabal of the White Flames, Xelian is one of those who resents Vect's stranglehold of the city.
-The Fiend Ascendant
Archon Tarsidhe of the Fiend Ascendant has become so addicted to the gladiatorial spectacles laid on by his Wych Cult allies that his entire existence has become a cycle of theatrically inspired warfare. His Kabal and their affiliated Wych Cult allies have gouged their way across the Eastern Fringe these last two years, a rolling cavalcade of athletes, Beastmasters, blade-dancers, Harlequins, Medusae and exotic alien monsters that Archon Tarsidhe takes delight in 'showcasing' against whatever the empires of Man and Tau can muster to stop him.
-The Lords of Iron Thorn
The Lords of Iron Thorn can trace their origins to the founding of Commorragh itself. One of the greatest noble houses of the old order, the Thornlords are to this day a very powerful force in the Dark City, for they control the last remaining hanging garden of psy-lotus in all of Commorragh. Though they still consider themselves 'of true blood', the Lords of Iron Thorn wisely refrain from discussing their pedigree in front of the Kabal of the Black Heart, for Vect keeps a very close eye on his ancient rivals.
The current wearer of the Ironthorn Crown is the dangerously crazed Marquis Vaulkhere, a towering and bombastic lotus-fiend who spends only a few minutes every cycle in his right mind. The Marquis practically bleeds an aura of faded grandeur, but woe betide any who criticise his leadership, for under his velvet façade of sophistication lurks an unholy terror just waiting for an excuse to maim and kill.
The Last Hatred:
Known as the "Haters" the Kabal of the Last Hatred has a obsession with mastering the transition between life and death. Some say they want to transcend mortality altogether, others to kill off the Eldar race and enslave the entity that comes forth (Ynnead). For that reason this Kabal has a noted grudge against the Eldar Craftworlder and Exodites, fighting particularly vehemently against them.
That is the long run as in the short run they have managed to master the art of extracting every bit of possible pain from a soul, and can actually bind a soul to a cadaver, so death is not a escape from them. In battle they will send these corpses forward to distract and horrify their enemy while the Kabal goes for the final strike. With more corpses collected, they are moving forward with their goal of blurring forever the lines of life and death.
-The Shattered Throne:
This Kabal loves nothing more to see a petty king or regent torn from his throne and made to grovel as a slave.
-The Broken Sigil:
This kabal specializes in the delivering of terror and disorder among the lesser races, even at times forewarning them of the coming assault before launching it so by the time they have arrived, the fear has already built up. Tactics in battle include skywriting, hijacking enemy communication channels, and bombing with hallucinogenic gas.
The Slashed Eye
Formerly under the iron control of Archon Cythrax, the Kabal of the Slashed Eye is now little more than a tool for the audacious and resourceful Lord Hellion, Baron Sathonyx. Though Sathonyx prefers to remain behind the scenes, the Slashed Eye – though a relatively small Kabal in terms of Kabalite Warriors – wages war accompanied by dozens of swarming Hellion gangs; numerous enough to blacken the skies, and keen to earn respect in the eyes of their patron.
-Kabal of the Poisoned Tongue:
Arguably one of the two most important Kabals, the Kabal of the Poisoned Tongue is ruled by the ambitious and immeasurably clever Lady Malys. They are known for their unusually sharp wit, being able to dissect rivals through words alone. They have carved their empire through misleading their rivals, ensuring their "allies" bear the brunt of their losses in Realspace, and successfully framing others when their plans go sour. The only Archon Malys cannot second-guess is Asdrubel Vect himself, and that is starting to change....
-Kabal of the Black Heart:
The Kabal of the Black Heart is the largest Dark Eldar Kabal in Commorragh, ruled by Asdrubael Vect, who styles himself Supreme Lord of the Kabal of the Black Heart. In fact its so big that several sub-archons are part of its structure, though none are powerful enough to usurp each other or Vect and instead all compete for his favor. Perhaps the most successful is the infamous Valossian Sythrac, a archon who has made it his personal mission to kill every hero the humans value in order to break their species. As the novels show us, this Kabal has a presence in almost all of the hundreds of realms that Commoragh composes of in order to fully showcase that this is indeed his city. This is resented by the other Kabals of course however they can do little about it, as there is no real alternative to his rule in the city. Yet...
Wych Cults:
-Cult of the Cursed Blade:
Notoriously fickle even for Dark Eldar, this group is notable for frequently backstabbing its sponsors in battle (hence its name) and as such, few Archons hire them to accompany raids, thus forcing them to go by themselves. In the selection process these Wyches in training ensure only that the cleverest and most devious survive, as per their theme. Finally in battle these Wyches are noted for deceiving the enemy as much as possible, wearing harmless looking ornaments that conceal deadly weapons.
-Cult of Red Grief
More then any other group, this cult specializes in the art of the midair kill. Wyches of this cult will ride on Raiders, Reaver and Skyboards into battle, quickly jump onto the ground to kill a foe with a precision strike, then jump back on their barely slowed transports. The whole action takes place before the enemy body has a chance to fall to the ground.
-Cult of the First Blood:
Led by the infamously temperamental Ytcria "the Flayer Queen", this cult has painful wires implanted along what amounts to their nerves. Thus, in addition to being incredibly aware thanks to all that pain inflicted upon themselves (in addition to feeding off pain from one another), they are extremely pissed off, all the time. Their leader has been known to declare vendettas on entire Kabals for using her title .
-Cult of the Steel Fang
This cult bases its teaching off of the legendary Wych Steel Fang, who once broke apart a crystal statue to kill an autarch and his entourage on their own Craftworld and in another instance choked to death a Sslyth with hot sand. Essentially this cult specializes in finding unique and innovative ways of using the environment to kill their foes. These can be everything from clever and creative use of environmental weapons, to one example on a desert world where a wych would sneak up on Imperial patrols and cut open their water supplies when they were far from base, leaving them to dehydrate.
-Cult of Pain Eternal:
This cult targets the religious symbols of the "lesser races" seeking to snuff out the hope and serenity religion brings. They will defile the realms of saints, bring down the statues of gods, and desecrate shrines. Though some claim that this cult only seeks to prove that nothing is sacred, its Succubus claims that the goal is to bleed out the lifeblood of the gods themselves. Not surprisingly there is a notable grudge between the Adepta Soriotas and this Cult.
-Cult of the Seventh Woe:
In Eldar mythology the Seventh Woe refers to the destruction of the Maiden Goddess Lileath's hearth-moon at the hands of Khaine. This Cult trains its killers literally from infancy so that there is never a period of innocence among them .
- Cult of the Blade Denied:
Equipped usually only with haywire grenades to disarm vehicles, this cult specializes in using the weapons of their enemies to make a kill, disarming them in battle from their foe. In battle they deliberately put themselves in disadvantage positions , using the technology of the enemy on them.
-The Wraith Unbound:
The Cult of the Wraith Unbound strives to draw themselves into a half-berserk state in which almost all reasoning leaves them through the process of long and gory rituals. They become creatures of pure blood-lust. When battle joins the Wyches run alongside their abnormally large posse of beasts, reducing enemies to bloody chunks and generally behaving little different from their beats.
-The Cult of Strife:
By far the most infamous cult, this group of Wyches forgoes combat drugs and stimulants, emphasizing speed above all else in combat. Led by the legendary Lelith Hesperax, this cult is both allied to Vect's Kabal of the Black Heart and the most prolific in Commoragh. Every fortnight they launch a new raid, and every fortnight they come back with new trophies.
Covens:
Unfortunately not much information has been shared about the different natures of the individual Covens
It is unknown at times how exactly the Dark Eldar acquire all the information that they get, only that their attacks are very well-coordinated and with few surprises managing to overtake them. From what I can find they certainly use their aircraft for quick fly-by missions, with a extremely successful rate of information gathering. Reavers would almost certainly make good scouts. In fact when Lady Malys ordered her troops to pause and look for a artifact they found it mere seconds after she made the demand. Dark Eldar ground troops, with their ability to see in pitch blackness as good if not better then they do in light, make fantastic scouts. Mandrakes, with their ability to wade through literal darkness, would make excellent nighttime scouts and assassins. They are also masters of the ambush and surprise attack(this is the trait that lore-wise they probably do better than any other 40k faction) , and could probably also plant a webway portal somewhere hidden for later use.
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| Ignore the 1st caption, but they have this |
Yes, the Dark Eldar in Path of the Incubi made use of camera put into small insects, guided to follow around certain individuals and report on their movements. Furthermore the Dark Eldar have plenty of advanced scanners, whether they be motion,heart detectors or even devices that trace a individual's psychic signature , that can both be outfitted on their persons and be used on the insect. They have devices to block out communications too, preventing some foe from sending word back to HQ, and can apparently themselves communicate via light pulses which are difficult but not impossible to intercept (though they mostly prefer to use scourges for some reason).Vect is known to use gene-coded messages. Lastly if they capture a enemy or neutral combatant they have ways of making said person talk.....for they are unparralled masters of torture.
INFANTRY
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| Kabalite Sybarite (Front) leading a Kabalite Halfborn |
Weapon Type: Splinter Rifle (main)
Armor Type: Body Armor
Mobility: 7
Training: 6 (regular Half-born) -7( Dracon)
Max Range: Assault Rifle
Preferred Range: Assault Rifle
Classification: Main Warrior-archtype
Role: Variable, Standard Infantry/raider
--Basic Description:
The innate danger of simply living in Commorragh gives its citizens training as warriors from birth, their entire lives a constant fight for survival leaving even women and children to be better able to defend themselves than their Craftworld cousins. The weak and dumb are quickly weeded out and killed, with the result being that even the average Kabalite Warrior is finely tuned towards survival, each brutal and merciless beyond measure. After all, it takes only a brutal and cunning killer to thrive in the city of Commorragh. Male or Female, the Kabalite Warriors forms the heart of the strike force.
Due to the need for a fast action raiding force, Kabalite Warriors are often paired with Venom or Raider transports.This allows them to quickly traverse the battlefield and reign down fire when they enter it.
- Ranged:Primarily Splinter Rifle. Some Kabalites would also be equipped with Blasters, Shredders, Splinter Cannons and Dark Lances.
- Melee:
- Defense: Kabalite Armor
-Special: Variants:
In addition to the regular Kabalite Warrior, there are going to be three sub-types, each more viscous then the last.
--Sybalite:
Sybarite is the title given to a Dark Eldar Warrior squad leader. The strongest, most ruthless, often most experienced member of a squad is granted this title by killing the competition by any means necessary, as is the Dark Eldar way. A Sybarite is still a fairly low ranking member of a Kabal, and the title really serves little purpose apart from creating rivalry within the Warrior squad and giving the new Sybarite a higher-ranking position to strive for. Still however they are given better weapons than most warriors. From what I can find, the average Kabalite squad is around 15-20 troops. Meaning that for every 19 Kabalite Warriors there shall be one 1 Sybalite, making them fairly common.
Armor: The Sybarite may equip himself with Ghostplate armor
--Trueborn Kabalite:
The Trueborn are Dark Eldar that were not grown in a vat, but were actually born from a Dark Eldar female (which is rare, as Eldar gestation period is said to last years and require a lot of dedication). These Trueborn are given more value than the half-born, and as such earn a higher place in the Dark Eldar society. The Trueborn form units of their own, and given their elevated status can afford better armour, weapons, and other equipment. Also, because Trueborn are not as numerous, they usually form smaller units than their half-born counterparts. More often then not the Trueborns are going to be the Kabalite Warriors accompanying the Archons or Dracons, due to some prejudice against "halfborn".
Weaponry: They can wield any weapon their halfborn brethren wield, as well as shardcarbines, swords, plasma and haywire grenades.
-Dracon
The Dracon is going to be the rarest of all these variants, more common then the yet-to-be-covered Archon and Succubus sure, but there will not be many of them. Which is fortunate as Dracons easily classify as elites, and would be had they not been listed as a sub-unit of the Trueborn.
A Dracon is the commander for a regiment of soldiers in a Dark Eldar Kabal. They are frequently seen leading their forces in large-scale raids, or joining up with a raid currently in progress upon receiving word that considerable resistance has been met.They will wield powerful armor, can use any weapon in any of the infantry profiles, and sometimes are allowed access to any of the weapons in the elite profiles (though a Dracon is careful to not equip himself as much as his Archon, lest the Archon think he is a severe threat).
It is quite common for a Dracon to have a specific Warrior retinue squad that they take on as their retinue, but these warriors are less like bodyguards, and more like disciples, blessed with being given the opportunity to train under a being of such distinction and skill as to achieve the rank of Dracon. This Warrior squad is usually given a special name, and is treated with increased kindness by their Dracon, while suffering increased contempt by their fellow Warriors. These elites usually swear fealty to the Dracon over the Kabal, and as such are often the fulcrum necessary for a successful coup d'etat. Unfortunately, this means in the event of the Dracon's plot being foiled, these elites are usually killed or enslaved regardless of whether they had anything to do with the matter.
Weaponry: Phantasm Grenade Launcher, Blast Pistol, and one of the following :monomacular sword, power weapon, venom blade, agonizer
Armor: may equip Ghostplate armor
--Additional Factors:
Squad Size: 20 Kabalite (Halfborn) Warriors with 1 being a Sybarite. For the elite section 10 Kabalite Trueborns, 1 Dracon.
Name:Wych (Hekatari)
Weapon Type: Close Combat
Armor Type: Light half-body Armor
Mobility: 8
Training: 6-8
Max Range: Pistol
Preferred Range: Melee
Classification/Role: Close Combat specialist
--Basic Description:
"What could be finer than the soughing kiss of blade on flesh? Come to me and I will love you with such strokes as will make you swoon. We will dance and caress with edges so fine that the very stars themselves are sundered by their divine movements".
--Qa'leh, Mistress of Blades, to Duke Vileth in Path of the Renegade
Wyches, the vast majority of which are female, are gladiatorial warriors of the Dark Eldar, they each belong to one of the various Wych Cults of Commoragh. Wyches fight in arenas in duels with one another and with various captured aliens and beasts; few survive their first duel but those who live learn quickly. Wychs train constantly in matches that are usually to the death. As a result the Wyches entering battle are often going to be the best of the best, as the weak are weeded out.
Ruled over by their Succubi, the Wyches are highly proficient at close-quarters combat, practicing their skills for their entire lives. In addition to this skill Wyches often use a cocktail of combat-enhancing drugs to improve their performance on the battlefield. For both of these reasons Wyches are even more agile then regular Dark Eldar, pretty much vaulting into battle as they contemptuously dodge armament meant to put them down at range. They are extraordinarily well-funded by archons, who are of the attitude that without the arenas of the Wych Cults the lower class Commoraghans would turn on each other. Llith'antu Klavu, "the knife that stays the blade" in their terminology.
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| A rare male Wych |
-Ranged:Splinter Pistol, Hayfire or Plasma Grenades
--Melee:
Wyches possess great variety of different kind of close combat weapons. These are, for example, weighted flails, vambrace blades, knives, swords etcetera. Each Wych owns an elegant dagger made individually for her only by artisans of Commorragh. These knives are kept in a sheath with an inbuilt sharpening field to ensure it stays eternally keen.
The Wych may also equip Razorflails, Shardnets and Impalers, and Hydra Gauntlets . May also equip Combat Drugs
- Defense: Wych Suit:
Wyches are hard to hit in close quarters to the super-eldar degree (which is much more "super" then superhuman) and as such dueling them in close quarters is extremely difficult to do, as they are often seen dodging attacks with frightening regularity. This applies also to ranged attacks too.
-Special: Variants
There are also three variants of the Wych, each increasing in skill.
Each wych squad (from what I can find a squad is about 10 individuals) is led by Hekatrix. These elite wyches form in time to time a clique of murderesses known as Bloodbrides. These Bloodbrides are under command of Syren who answers only to high command of Wych cult. Bloodbrides are known to have fierce rivalries between each other but in time of raids they unite their bloodthirsty powers on battlefield.When combat begins, Bloodbrides become an unstoppable force, ritually anointing themselves with the blood they spill from the foe as a foul testament to their own dark prowess in the arts of death, pain and terror. Hekatrix Bloodbrides are armored in Wychsuits, and normally make use of Plasma Grenades, a Splinter Pistol and close combat weapons like Razorflails, Hydra Gauntlets, Shardnets and Impalers, being essentially just more experienced Wyches. The Bloodbrides' commanding Syren normally uses a Blast Pistol (see Kabalite Warrior), a close combat weapon like a Venom Blade, Agoniser or another Power Weapon and sometimes keeps a Phantasm Grenade Launcher in reserve to deal with more immediate threats.*
Weapons:
-Hekatrix (lone): Blast pistol, Phantasm Grenade Launcher, and one of the following: Power Weapon, Agonizer or Venom Blade. Combat Drugs
-Bloodbrides: Anything a Wych can carry
-Syren: Blast Pistol, Phantasm Grenade Launcher, Combat Drugs and one of the following: Power Weapon, Agonizer, or Venom Blade.
--Additional Factors:
--Occasionally a Wych may come into battle on a Reaver or Helion Skyboard.
-The normal Wych squad is around 15 (1 Hekatrix per 15), while the elite Hekatrix Bloodbrides can be in squads of 10 (1 Syren per 10) . However smaller squads can be equipped if needed.
===ELITES===
I am going to split this into two sections. The First half for both the allies and regular Dark Eldar section will be for the "common" elites while the second half will detail boss characters and the like.
Weapon Type: Glaive
Armor Type: Body Armor
Max Range: Pistol
Proffered Range: Melee
Mobility: 7
Training : 7.5
Classification/Role: Shock Troopers/bodyguards
Basic Description:
"You fought well enough that killing you was not a complete waste of my abilities. Had you lived for another two centuries, perhaps you might have approached being a challenge. It is almost a pity that you did not live that long. "
-Incubus to fallen Commisariat
An Incubus is an elite Dark Eldar warrior, most commonly seen in service as an Archon's retinue in the field. Outside of combat, they act as personal bodyguards, protecting their client every second of the day. These guys are perhaps the only Dark Eldar even remotely trusted by their peers, due to their unique code of honor. However it is not any code of armor that we would recognize, for Incubi cheat as much as possible. Rather they merely don't care about the squabbles of Archons which is why they are trusted as bodyguards .-Incubus to fallen Commisariat
Incubui have a brutal, spartan-like training where the weak and the failures are culled and the strong are expected to learn and master quickly. They are described as training in every form of ranged and blade weapon. At some point in their training each and every Incubi must defeat another one and strip him/her of their armor, and that is only considered the halfway point. Every aspirant must then kill an Aspect Warrior of the Eldar Craftworlds in single combat, shatter their quarry's precious Soul Stone and rebuild it into a psychic torture device known as a Tormentor. After that, the aspirant can be considered an Incubus.
Incubi live for one reason and one reason only: war. They are obsessed with killing and will fight for any cause, anywhere, so long as they get to fight. In battle Incubi move so fast that even other Dark Eldar have trouble keeping up, and to the Eldar (who themselves vastly exceed humans here) they seem to be blurs. Incubi, even at their lowest levels, are extremely skilled warriors.
Loadout
-Ranged Weapons: None
-Melee:
The Incubi are primarily melee fighters utilizing their own specific weapons, and for that reason may wield one of the following weapons:
--Klaive:
The Klaive is a Dark Eldar weapon favored by elite Incubi over any other. Every Klaive is a masterpiece of a weapon. They are perfectly balanced and in the right hands they are also extreme instruments of death. Klaives are also power weapons on their own and because of that can even cleave through Space Marine power armor.
The Incubi are primarily melee fighters utilizing their own specific weapons, and for that reason may wield one of the following weapons:
--Klaive:
The Klaive is a Dark Eldar weapon favored by elite Incubi over any other. Every Klaive is a masterpiece of a weapon. They are perfectly balanced and in the right hands they are also extreme instruments of death. Klaives are also power weapons on their own and because of that can even cleave through Space Marine power armor.
-Defense:
The Incubi have their own form of power armor. Power Armour is fully sealed, isolating the wearer from the outside environment and protecting him from gas weapons and harsh atmospheres. It also commonly includes numerous auxiliary systems such as communicators and auto-senses. The backpack contains the main power plant, environmental system and additional stabilisers. The Incubus armor is tailor made to not inhibit agility and speed at all, and in fact Incubi are described as being able to walk without making a sound. Their armor is also covered in spikes in typical Dark Eldar fashion.
The Incubi have their own form of power armor. Power Armour is fully sealed, isolating the wearer from the outside environment and protecting him from gas weapons and harsh atmospheres. It also commonly includes numerous auxiliary systems such as communicators and auto-senses. The backpack contains the main power plant, environmental system and additional stabilisers. The Incubus armor is tailor made to not inhibit agility and speed at all, and in fact Incubi are described as being able to walk without making a sound. Their armor is also covered in spikes in typical Dark Eldar fashion.
-Special :
Incubus suits come equipped with the tormentor, a neural device mounted on the chestplate that can be activated to cause an incubi's opponent to be wracked with waves of pain. In this way the Dark Eldar, who feed on pain, will start off a fight with several advantages in addition to a nearly paralyzed opponent.
--Klaivex and Hiearchs:
Klaivex are Incubi squad leaders, and are exceptionally skilled even by Incubi standards to the point where they are said to have supernatural powers. They are in game capable of attacking and running faster then normal Incubi. The Hiearch is presumably a super-skilled Klaivex that is rarely seen on the battlefield outside their shrines, but would be extremely skilled given that they had to A. kill their predecessor to get the position and B. kill would-be challengers to keep it.
Klaivex may be equipped with
--Demiklaives: Demiklaves are small Dark Eldar melee weapons. Some Incubi sects prefer demiklaives over the Klaive. Demiklaives are two power swords which can be wielded as two close combat swords or as one mighty weapon. Changing from one weapon into two is so easy for Klaivex that they can do it in the midst of battle.
--Bloodstones, forged from the broken soulstone of an Eldar Exarch, are rare and exotic weapons which can boil the enemy's blood with a pulse of energy.Incubus suits come equipped with the tormentor, a neural device mounted on the chestplate that can be activated to cause an incubi's opponent to be wracked with waves of pain. In this way the Dark Eldar, who feed on pain, will start off a fight with several advantages in addition to a nearly paralyzed opponent.
--Klaivex and Hiearchs:
Klaivex are Incubi squad leaders, and are exceptionally skilled even by Incubi standards to the point where they are said to have supernatural powers. They are in game capable of attacking and running faster then normal Incubi. The Hiearch is presumably a super-skilled Klaivex that is rarely seen on the battlefield outside their shrines, but would be extremely skilled given that they had to A. kill their predecessor to get the position and B. kill would-be challengers to keep it.
Klaivex may be equipped with
--Demiklaives: Demiklaves are small Dark Eldar melee weapons. Some Incubi sects prefer demiklaives over the Klaive. Demiklaives are two power swords which can be wielded as two close combat swords or as one mighty weapon. Changing from one weapon into two is so easy for Klaivex that they can do it in the midst of battle.
A very few Incubi might have some of these old instruments.
--Punisher: The Punisher is a close combat weapon used by Dark Eldar Incubi. It is large and unwieldy but incorporates a shock field generator which is beyond the ability of the Imperium to replicate. They are often easily alterable to suit the user with an extendable shaft and a monomolecular blade attached to deliver the shock.
--Tormentor Helm: The Tormentor Helm is the name of the helmet worn by Incubi warriors, and is easily recognizable by the scorpion tail-like gun protruding from the top of the helmet. This gun is actually a miniaturized Splinter Pistol, allowing the Incubi some form of ranged attack, as well as allowing for increased ability in melee combat. While the gun functions the same as a normal Splinter Pistol, the method with which the gun is fired has been replaced by a neural sensor embedded in the helmet. This sensor monitors the thoughts of the user, and triggers the firing of the weapon once the command is thought.
Additional Factors:
--Squads or Bodygaurds: Incubi are often seen as bodyguards to Archons but also can appear on the battlefield as part of their own squad. 10 per squad, with one a Klaivex, they may also come into battle on Venom or Ravager transport.
Mandrakes
--Squads or Bodygaurds: Incubi are often seen as bodyguards to Archons but also can appear on the battlefield as part of their own squad. 10 per squad, with one a Klaivex, they may also come into battle on Venom or Ravager transport.
Mandrakes
Weapon Type: Sickles, Claws and Swords
Armor Type: Dimensional
Max Range: At least Galactic....
Proffered Range: Close Quarters
Mobility: 9-10 (can freaking emerge from your shadow!)
Training : 7
Role: Assassins, Terror Specialists
"There is a very good reason why so many of the galaxy's cultures and societies are afraid of the dark."
—Inquisitor Bastalek Grimm
Basic Description:
"A Mandrake is a foul humanoid creature related to the Dark Eldar of Commorragh that lurks within the darkest corners of the Webway's labyrinthine confines. Its name is a translation into Imperial Low Gothic of a word in the Eldar Lexicon. This vile breed is secretly feared even by other Dark Eldar, for a Mandrake can pull itself into any region of space-time through another being's shadow, emerging with a sibilant hiss to sink its frigid claws and teeth into flesh. Their ebony skins writhe with blasphemous runes and their faces shift and flow, one moment a featureless mask, the next parting to reveal a maw filled with sharpened teeth. Mandrakes exist both in realspace and a cursed shadow world that may be a part of the Immaterium. To fight them is to combat a living shadow.
"It was like fighting smoke. Every cut he made only showed the mandrake to be somewhere else. Its own attacks seemed to come out of nowhere ...." - Midnight on the Street of Knives
The true origins of the Mandrakes remain shrouded in time and secrecy. Some Eldar savants claim that the Mandrakes are descended from those of their race inhabiting the Webway who before the Fall of the Eldar engaged in heinous acts of lust with daemonic entities of the Warp when the lost Eldar empire was at its most decadent. Others hold that the living shadows are descended from a forbidden pleasure cult that found its own way to escape the devastation of the Fall, fleeing into a nightmare dimension of shadow within the Immaterium and reemerging as something no longer quite natural.
Mandrakes live in a shadow realm known as Aelindrach. Here senses are contorted and merged into one; i.e. you "see" sound and "hear" sight , along with the others. It is a dimension where will is the law. One with broken limbs for example can will them easily into locomotion. However a the same time, a lack of willpower can easily lead to one's doom.
Young Dark Eldar call the Mandrakes "creepers" and whisper that they crawl from one shadow to another and can emerge from one's reflection into the real universe. They believe that the Mandrakes are the absence of light given life, and in that they may very well be right. Such theories do not seem so far-fetched when one examines the Mandrakes' appearance. Their flesh is night-black and seems to absorb rather than reflect light, their featureless faces shift like rancid oil while their hair is the color of splintered bone. Surrounding them is an aura of darkness and cold that saps the strength from all those with the misfortune to be standing nearby."--The codex description
Mandrakes are pretty much feared by all who know of them, remotely know of them, or essentially are capable of fear, since these guys are pretty scary to be around. In fact even Archons are somewhat reluctant to deal with them, as the Mandrakes often ask for wierd requests such as a "heartbeat, a voice or a true name" . Worst thing is the archon, once he asks for a mandrake's help, cannot refuse them either as the Mandrake wears the skin of those who betray it, and would love to add more patchworks. Finally they are well-known cannibals, further adding to their terror value.
However Archons are willing to stomach the terror and employ mandrakes for their excellent assassination/infiltration abilities, for as beings who can literally emerge from someone's shadow, needless to say they are very good at their job. They are cloaked in "shadowskin" that makes them near invisible to the standard eye in all but the most powerful light. They are also described as having a terror aura and the first sign of a mandrake attack will be the sudden onset of freezing temperatures that freezes all moisture in the air. Then a aura that saps the very strength of those around it.
LOADOUT
-Ranged Weapons: None
-Melee:
Described as carrying an evil looking sickle or sword. They also apparently have extremely sharp claws and fangs that they like to tear into foes with.
-Defense:
Mandrakes don't actually wear armor, however they have something much better. As creatures of the other-realm they always exist partially in shadow, and thus they are extremely difficult to hit. Many attacks simply don't register against them. For terror value, they are usually clothed in garments made of skin.
-Special :
--Blaeblast: The Mandrake can still the life-force of enemies and use it to shoot blasts of cold-fire known as a Baleblast. This blast freezes the enemy in place (and in typical Dark Eldar fashion causes them immense pain) allowing the mandrake to quickly close into close quarters.
Finally there is apparently a variant known as the Nightfiend of stronger then ordinary mandrakes, with little else known about them.
Additional Factors:
--Squad Size: 10 Mandrakes, with 1 Nightfiend.
Name: Wracks
Weapon Type: Poisoned Blades
Armor Type: Gnarlskin
Max Range: Sniper
Proffered Range: Close Quarters
Mobility: 6
Training : 7
Role : Shock Troops/Special Servants
Basic Description:
Part one of the hideous servants of the Haemonculli , the Wrack is both more common then the Grotesque and just as terrifying. These creatures are genetically modified to the extreme to for their biology, with their limbs replaced with claws and sickles and their skin molded into tough gnarlskin. Sometimes additional weapon-limbs, courtesy of their twisted artisan-masters are added and the wracks themselves are filled with steroids. They are also enhanced to be able to take, or probably embrace to an extreme degree, pain to the point where it is not a factor to be used against them. The result is a highly formidable and fearless warrior, one that is described as wading into masses of Tyranids and just wrecking everything around them. Even taking massive wounds did not deter them. When the Tau fought them their morale took a huge plummet at encountering these creatures which just wouldn't accept death.
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the Wracks is that they have chosen this nightmarish form voluntarily. At some stage in their lives, after centuries of living in the nightmarish Dark City, some Dark Eldar go to Haemonculi and ask to be modified into a new and far more frightening form. This way those who have nothing to lose willingly give their pitiful lives into the hands of Haemonculi. This is often the only way to get out of ennui and make whole range of new, painful, experiences in their twisted life.
LOADOUT
-Ranged Weapons: Some Wracks can be equipped with a Liquifier Gun.
-Melee:
The Wracks finger and toenails usually get removed and replaced with metal gauntlets to better shred foes in battle, which like all Dark Eldar weapons can be filled with deadly poisons. Also they are often depicted with more then average limbs (some are said to have 4 arms taken from various species grafted onto their torsos with the Haemonculli ensuring that everything works) and can have some of their limbs replaced for battlefield purposes with sickle swords. The codex describes them as using sickle swords, corrosive whips, stun-rods and silvered hooks. Due to all their steroids Dark Eldar are going to be stupidly strong and can probably rip people into pieces with just strength alone. Oh and they have acid blood.
-Defense: Gnarlskin
Gnarlskin is the term used to describe the toughened hides of Dark Eldar Haemonculi and their creations. The skin of these creatures has been so ravaged by abuse and abrasions that it has become leathery and resistant to attack, providing protection equivalent to some armors. In addition the Wrack has jacked up natural durability, to the point where they can take the removal of limbs, being set on fire and massive volleys of Tau pulse rifle fire and just not go down. Even when they are in their death throes they could still kill many warriors around them.
-Special :
--Some Wracks, whether through generous Haemonculli masters or through increased status as the result of becoming a Acothyst (which are more powerful versions of regular Wracks) can be equipped with the following weapons :
Stinger Pistol, Venom Blade, Mindphase Gauntlet, Hexrifle, Scissorhand, Flesh Gauntlet, Agonizer, or Electrocorrosive Whip
Additional Factors:
-
--Dedicated Transport: Wracks are known to utilize venom or Raiders for fast rides into battle.
--Squad Size: 10 per squad, with 1 Acothyst per group. Also these guys aren't uncommon, with the Haemonculli having whole mini-armies capable of inflicting grievous injuries on the Tyranids.
Grotesques
Weapon Type: Their bodies
Armor Type: Gnarlskin, durability
Max Range: Sniper
Proffered Range: Close Quartters
Mobility: 5
Training : 7
Role: Shock Assault Monsters
Basic Description:
Part 2 of the 4 part Haemonculli creations, this lumbering giant is the result of one of the cruelest fates a Haemonculli can inflict on someone. If a Haemonculli is pissed off enough by someone, or is feeling particularly cruel on any given day, they will seek to capture their foes to turn them into a horrific monstrosity.
The process by which a Dark Eldar captive is transformed into a Grotesque begins with a series of painful and humilating chemical and surgical modifications to the body. Dark Eldar are by nature narcissists and the Haemonculi always take great joy in warping the flesh of those who have angered them. Though the process can take several Terran years to complete, the victim is constantly pumped full of growth hormones, macrosteroids and muscle stimulants until his or her form has swollen grossly out of proportion Bone growth is accelerated by injections of osseovirals, which results in the excruciatingly painful growth of external bone spines from the massively muscled back of the nascent Grotesque. A Grotesque's muscled forearms are augmented with blades and toxin-dispensing gauntlets and his hands are surgically replaced with grasping talons or dripping tubes that can eject a great spray of the Grotesque's own toxic blood-ichor.
At this point, the Grotesque has usually been clinically lobotomised, though some are left dimly aware of their situation the better to grasp the full horror of what has been done to them. The Grotesque becomes mindlessly obedient to its Haemonculus master, able to comprehend and execute only the most simple of tasks. His or her terror-stretched face is forever sealed behind a mask of black iron and the new monster lumbers forth from the Haemonculi's flesh-pods covered in ichor, a new and powerful battle slave for his foul masters.
When forced into battle racks of syringes depress into their spinal sumps to dump potent stimulants into their blood-ichor stream, ridged bellow-pumps connected to their primary lungs wheeze and contract at triple speed, and veins throb near to bursting as tube-punctured hearts are forced to pound.The Grotesque will only listen to the commands of their individual Haemonculli. Should their Haemonculli be killed or prevented from communicating with them the Grotesque will go berserk and kill everything around them with reckless abandonment (including Dark Eldar) .
LOADOUT
-Ranged Weapons: Some may come with a Liquifier
-Melee: They have dozens of external spines placed around their body, blades attached to their bodies, toxin-dispensing gauntlets, and are physically strong enough to rip the arm off one of the Tau's Crisis Battlesuits(meaning they would rip normal human sized foes into pieces pretty quickly). Hell these creatures are deployed to battle Tyranids in hand to hand combat-and were inflicting horrendous causalities despite the Tau-Dark Eldar force being extremely outnumbered (for they were briefly in a alliance at the moment)
-Defense: Gnarlskin: These creatures also appear to be tougher and overall more durable then Wracks. Also due to their modified physiology they begin battle already under the influence of the intoxicating effects of pain.
-Special :
Some Grotesques are made stronger and more beefed up then others, and these are known as Abberations. Abberations are known to be equipped with the following :
Venom Blade, Mindphase Gauntlet, Scissorhand, Flesh Gauntlet
Additional Factors:
--Squad Size: About 10, with 1 Abberation per squad.
Mini-Bosses/Minor Leaders:
Below are the section of individuals that will command entire small sections of wyches (Succubi) , the abominations (Pain engines, Grotesques, Wracks-Haemonculli) and everyone else (archons) .
Succubi
- The Ynnitach, the Brides of Death
Weapon Type: Anything from Wych profile
Armor Type: Wychsuit
Max Range: Assault Rifle
Proffered Range: Close Quarters
Mobility: 8.9
Training : 8 or better
Classifications/Role: Professional Duelists, minor leaders
Basic Description:
The Succubi, also sometimes called Archites, are the ruling elite of the Dark Eldar Wych Cults. Extraordinarily beautiful and possessed of an elegant but deadly grace, they are born to the fury of battle and stride through its chaos surrounded by coteries of their lethal Wyches who seek out worthy alien opponents for their mistresses to kill. Every Succubus is famed across Commorragh for the precision and artistry of her kills. Their every motion is an entrancing sight, their serpentine grace almost hypnotising the viewer as they flow like a lethal work of art towards their victims. The Succubi are the true celebrities in the gladiatorial arenas of the Dark City, and when they are in the heat of combat they enjoy a jealous envy from their peers that is as close as the Dark Eldar can ever get to veneration or admiration of another being.
Some rule only in name, some rule with a Iron fist, however no Succubus' position can be secure without regular demonstrations of her extraordinary skill in battle. As such, the Succubi often take the lead during the Dark Eldar's raids into realspace, not only to take their share of the plunder and slaves, but also to seek out champions of the lesser races and defeat them to showcase their own skills. Though the Dark Eldar generally look upon Mankind with utter contempt for what they perceive as its weakness as a species, a Succubus would gladly duel a Chapter Master of the Adeptus Astartes, as such a kill would carry respect even in the Dark City. Similarly, it is not unusual for a Succubus to have claimed similarly gruesome trophies from an Ork Warboss, a synapse creature of the Tyranids, or, the most coveted of all, an Autarch of the Craftworld Eldar. Each such kill is an opportunity for a Succubus to prove her superiority and maintain her position, so the more witnesses to these duels, the better.
Every Wych Cult is governed by 3 Succubi who collectively lead it in the form of a triune council. However, only one of the three actually rules the cult, whilst the other two simply try to outdo each other in the gladiatorial arenas in the hopes of increasing their power and popularity with the general populace of the Dark City. Competition among the Succubi is fierce, though any disputes between them are far more likely to be concluded through an artful decapitation or the twist of a poisoned blade than by the skillful political scheming preferred by the Archons. Succubi are vain to the point of obsession and with good reason, for the arena crowds desire not only the bloody spectacle of vicious combat but also slaughter that is aesthetically pleasing. Wyches with one too many scars have often found themselves facing unbeatable odds in an arena match simply for the crime of no longer being physically perfect enough for the jaded Dark Eldar crowd's taste.
LOADOUT
-Ranged Weapons: Splinter or Blast pistol. Haywire and Plasma Grenades
-Melee: A Knives, Razorflail, Electrocorossive Whip, Agonizer, Power Weapon, Venom Blade, Hydra Gauntlets, Shardnet and Impaler, Razorflails
Usually their skill in battle is to be considered extremely superhuman. One Succubus carved through 300 human prisoners armed with knives with her nails alone- in one arena match!
-Defense: Wychsuit: See Wych profile
--Incredible Agility: Wyches are hard to hit in close quarters to the super-eldar degree (which is much more "super" then superhuman) and Succubi, as the best wyches, are even harder.
-Special : anything from Wych category. Combat drugs definitely.
Additional Factors:
--Minor Leaders: Succubi are the leaders of their individual cults, and for that reason thay are more then trained and experienced enough to utilize excellent tactical decisions.
--3 per Wych Cult.
Haemonculi
Weapon Type: Various
Armor Type: Gnarlskin
Max Range: Sniper?
Proffered Range: Varies
Mobility: 7 - described as hovering above ground
Training : 8-9
CLASSIFICATION: Masters of Torture
Role: Torture Bonus, Genetic Engineering
Basic Description:
"So many believe that pain is inflicted only by the physical application of torment. Blades, hooks, chains, racks- these are all crude physical tools that serve their part in mortifying the flesh. Anticipation, repetition, conciliation and hope- these are finer instruments to be wielded when it comes to the mortification of the soul."
--Master Haemonculus Bellathonis
Dark Eldar Haemonculi are masters of pain and agony, no form of suffering is unknown to them. They proclaim that the infliction of this is one of the highest arts, if not the highest, and gleefully create choruses of screams and wails of agony whilst taking delight in every aspect of the discomfort of anyone unfortunate enough to fall under their blades. Haemonculi are also known as master manipulators of flesh, able to create horrific monstrosities and regenerate Dark Eldar slain in battle, provided enough of the body remains. Because of this, dark eldar of status will often make pacts with haemonculi, promising them fresh captives for their cruel art in exchange for medical treatment, biological enhancements, and even being brought back from the dead. Such is the Haemonculi's mastery of death and ressurection chambers, that they are described as going to their doom with a smile etched on their faces, dreaming of revenge on their foes. Like most Dark Eldar groups they form into factions, known as Haemonculi Covens.
While the physical modifications will differ from Haemonculus to Haemonculus, representing their personal tastes and particular brand of insanity, they are always attenuated and twisted in form. Their wan, pale-skinned frames do not have a spare ounce of flesh upon them, and their waists are devoid of internal organs to better present what they view as a fashionably disturbing facade. Some Haemonucli place their intestines, lungs and heart within a powerfully-muscled piece of additional tissue that sprouts from their shoulders and serves as a repository for stimulants and other alchemical mixtures as well as boasting secondary limbs of mechanical or biological origin.
Others replace their blood so that searing ichor or even a potent molecular acid now runs through their modified veins. Their spines have been elongated so that from the lower back, their vertebrae meld into prehensile bone-tails that can lash out at their victims. From their backs emerge horn-like protrusions of bone that frame the Haemonculus' head like an organic rack. These racks are hung with special syringes that channel their noxious concoctions directly into their spinal sump.
LOADOUT
-Ranged Weapons:
Splinter or Stinger Pistol. Rarely they might come with....
Destructor:
It resembles a long tube, with a cavity to slip one's hand into up to the elbow. The ammunition for the weapon is carried in a small container the Haemonculus wears, fed through a series of tubes. The Destructor sprays a wide stream of an incredibly corrosive organo-acidic compound when fired. This toxin can eat through any known armour, burn flesh, and once inside the target's system can cause, "blood vessel explosion or implosion; pharyngeal contraction; extensive haemolysis; skeletal disintegration; sclerotic corrosion; intercostal spasms; hyper-reacted thermoreceptors and chemoreceptors; Eustachian damage; retinal scarring; cardiac and respiratory atrophy and aqueous humor deprivation."
This device's effectiveness in combat has been confirmed time and again, with reports of a single Haemonculus able to decimate an entire squad of Space Marines with a single well-aimed volley, every man among them dying from sheer pain, or worse, leaving them alive but immobilized - blind, hideously burned, hemorrhaging blood from every orifice, wracked in unimaginable amounts of agony, helpless and in the twisted hands of the Haemonculi.
-Melee:
Venomblade, Scissorhands, Power Weapon, Flesh or Mindphase Gauntlets, Electrocorrsive Whip, Agonizer, Huskblade
-Defense: Gnarlskin:
-Special :
The Haemonculi Ancients are beings so old and grand that they hold positions of authority among the covens. The codex states that it is possible that the oldest of the these contain among their numbers those individuals who inaugurated the very first Eldar cults of pleasure and pain before the Fall, but this also remains unknown, as all Haemonculi physically alter themselves to the point that they barely even resemble other members of the species they mockingly still call their own.
The Haemonculli have access to a whole sampling of arcane wargear- which is wargear so intricate and old that it is hardly ever seen among other Dark Eldar unit types. These include:
--Amitus Vitae: The Animus Vitae is a special close-combat weapon. This detestable creation resembles a tightly-packed sphere of sentient barbed wire that can be made to explode outwards, capturing its prey and then contracting quickly to cut apart its victim. The psychic by-product is highly invigorating to those with the strength of will to consume it.
--Hexfire: The long-barrelled Hexrifle fires crystal cylinders that each contain a tiny amount of the glass plague that assailed the Dark City of Commorragh in the 36th Millennium. On contact with bare flesh, the hexrifle's arcance payload spreads quickly, turning its victim into a transparent statue with an expression of shock etched upon its visage forevermore.
--Liquifier Guns: See Wracks
--Archangel of Pain:
.JPG)
he Archangel of Pain is an ornate casket that contains the essence of a captured daemon, driven insane by the runes of binding that hold it within. Upon the daemon's release it appears as a winged, blinding figure before returning to the Warp, its triumphant screams incapacitating even the bravest foe.
--Casket of Flensing: When the Casket of Flensing is opened and the activation words spoken, invisible spirits fly outwards towards the bearer's prey. Before long the Haemonculus' foes find themselves covered in dozens of circular bites that manifest in flesh and armour alike. If enough of the bearer's ethereal imps find their mark, they will strip their prey's head clean of flesh, pull the skull free from the spine, and carry their grisly trophy back to their Haemonculus master whilst the brain inside writhes in abject terror.
--Crucible of Malediction: The Crucible of Malediction is referred by Haemonculi as "the kin-gift," for this extraordinary weapon is especially dangerous to their Craftworld cousins. Each Crucible contains the essence of psykers captured and tortured until death. When released, their unquiet spirits hurtle across the battlefield, shrieking and crying in a cacophony that drives nearby psykers insane. It has the potential to kill too.
--Dark Gate: A Dark Gate is a runic tetrahedron that opens a portal to one of the forbidden zones of the Webway. Many impossible entities make their lairs in these sealed-off fragments, and an open portal is an irresistible lure. Shortly after the dark gate is cast into the fray, a grasping tentacle or flickering pseudopod lashes out form the gate and crushes anyone it can catch in its clammy grasp.The gates are only unleashed for a few moments though, or else they stand a chance of overwhelming all present.
--Orb of Despair: An Orb of Despair is a heavy black sphere that has sat within the oubliettes of the Haemonculi for millennia, absorbing the pain and horror of the damned souls trapped within. When hurled at the ground, it sends out shockwaves of negative emotional energy that plunge those around into the darkest reaches of anguish.
--Soul Trap: These devices enable the Haemonculi, upon the death of a foe, to capture his/her soul essence and use it to double his own power (as well as torture it later).
--Shattershard: The legendary Shattershards were originally a part of a complex transdimensional portal called the Mirror of Planes. Since the portal's destruction, each shard has been painstakingly tracked down and weaponised by the demented genius Vorsch. By catching the enemy's reflections in the Shattershard and then breaking it to pieces, those reflected will find themselves shattered into pieces too.
--Terrorfex: Though not a arcane weapon, it has become rare enough in recent years that only a scant few Haemonculli would have it. Made from the twisted derbies of Craftworld Wraithbone structures, this hallucinogenic gas can be fitted into a grenade. Once unleashed on a foe it causes the worst hallucinations of a individuals worst fears to come to the forefront, trapping them in a hell of their own making.
--Vexator Mask: the Vexator mask is a devious device that allows the Haemonculi to take the form of its foe's friends, loved ones or beloved rulers, at a critcal moment to provide a momentary, and often fatal distraction.
--Webway Portals: These portable devices can allow Haemonculi to travel- or have their allies travel- to any location through the use of the Webway.
Additional Factors:
Power from Pain: such is the Haemonculi's mastery of pain that he starts out already feeling its effects.
--Haemonculi: Minor Commanders: Not only do the Haemonculi have whole eras of experience due to their extreme age, but they often command a army of grotesque monstrosites.
--Healers: Haemonculli and their Wracks are shown to be rather well at healing wounds of those Dark Eldar wounded or dying, staving that off for a little while with a heavy dose of pain and actual healing.
Archon
Weapon Type: Various
Armor Type: Various
Max Range: Sniper
Proffered Range: Wherever s/he feels comfortable
Mobility: 7
Training : 8-9.5
CLASSIFICATION/Role: Leadership
Basic Description:
"To live as a true eldar is to live on the knife's edge, to live as a archon is to live on the very point of the Knife."
--Path of the Incubus, pg226
The Archons of the Dark Eldar Kabals are the true lords of Commorragh. They sit at the apex of the Dark Eldar hierarchy that controls the Dark City and the Labyrinthine Realm of the Dark Eldar's portion of the Webway. Each wields enough political influence to collapse portions of realspace into the Warp, stall the progress of an Imperial Crusade or take the population of entire worlds as slaves. The overlord of a Kabal is always a potent foe on the battlefield, but he has attained his position not merely through martial prowess in the arts of war and violence but through consistently emerging as the victor in the most difficult game of all -- the byzantine intrigues that govern all things in the heart of the Dark City. Though every Archon is a conceited, solipsistic megalomaniac convinced of his mental and physical superiority over all other beings, he will retain his position as an overlord of Commorragh for only as long as he can stave off the endless coup and assassination attempts of his rivals, enemies and his own Dracon lieutenants. One false move in the upper echelons of the Dark City is almost inevitably fatal, and so all Archons have an uncanny ability to predict the motives and schemes of others and take great delight in turning their rivals' traps against them in bloody and often spectacular ways.
"While the Yegara clan had held sway in its own little fiefdom the great city of Commorragh had endured purges, revolutions, invasions, pogroms and regime changes in endless succession. Olthanyr understood now how they could seemingly read minds. The fact was that Commorrites – especially archons like Vyle and his relative Kassais – had been forced to learn to read expressions and body language with quite startling accuracy as a matter of survival. In Commorragh the obsessive perfectionism of the eldar race had been honed towards detecting the vaguest twitch that might indicate when someone was lying or an eye flicker that might indicate thoughts of betrayal." - Masque of Vyle, Page 66
When Vect took over in the 35th millennium he instituted a meritocracy- a regime in which the strong, the intelligent and- especially as the case for Commoragh- the clever rule. Just by surviving all the positions that it would require to rise to his or her position the Archon would have proven themselves clever and full of guile to a superhuman degree. Each one is going to have a labyrinth of secret dealings, secret weapons and strategies, and other cunning devices or ideas at their disposal. If at any time Archons are shown to be weak or even make a slight failure a rival or subordinate will make a attempt to size the crown.In this manner Archons are forced to remain competent or die, in contrast to sub-commanders of other factions who simply get book training or are appointed as a result of status.
These guys are so exceedingly cunning that even regular Eldar are baffled by their conniving manipulations, only to understand all too late the full depth of a Dark Eldar's imaginations. They are patient too, with Phil Kelly (the Dark Eldar designer) giving the example of one Dark Eldar building his tower taller then the rest around him so that, one day 500 years in the future he can have a excellent perch to snipe a potential rival. They are the master plotters of 40k, and entire worlds perish merely on their whims.Some Archons, known as the Lords of Twilight, actually seized power before the fall of the Eldar Empire, making them over 10,000 years old! Archons are generally masters of combat, which is a reason few have lived to fight a archon and tell the tale afterwards.
However revelling in the depths of suffering and madness for an eternity eventually extracts a price. Over the long Terran years that they have held the reigns of power or clawed their way up to hold their lofty positions, the Archons of the Dark Eldar have enjoyed the pain of others for so long that only a true atrocity invigorates them. Archons regularly lead full-scale planetary raids for their Kabals, as drinking in the agony of entire planets is the only way they can regenerate themselves. Thousands of slaves must be sacrificed for the eldest Archons every night and this still may not be enough to make the oldest and most corrupt look youthful once more. As a result, elder Archons usually cover their black-veined faces with masks. Some Archons' masks are stylised and beautiful; others are bloody, alien and terrible, fashioned from the flayed flesh of their rivals' faces.
LOADOUT
-Ranged Weapons:
Haywire/Plasma Grenades. Blast or Splinter Pistol
-Melee:
See Haemonculi and Kabalite Warrior profiles for the following:
Venom Blade, Electrocorossive Whip, Huskblade, Agonizer, Power Weapon
--Djin's Blade:
Djin Blades are Dark Eldar weapons usually taking the form of polished crystal with a scowling bestial face upon its hilt. Each djin blade has a bloodthirsty sentience of its own and sometimes may even harm the wielder of the blade. In Path of the Incubus, the soul inhabiting the blade is often times the previous overthrown archon, who was forced into the relic as a grisly trophy by his triumphant successor. Its a power weapon and attacks twice as fast as other weapons.
Finally it should be noted that there are accounts of archons butchering entire regiments by themselves, so this leader is usually incredibly skilled in battle.
-Defense:
May Select anyone piece of of armor and either of the forcefields.
--Kabalite Armor:
Archon Suits however, are usually covered in trophies and ornate fixtures that are better representative of their lofty position within the Kabals. It should also be noted that these suits possess a limited sort of A.I., with Nyos Ylithian describing them as smart enough to exclude blades on command or nip off a poisoned or effected limb to save the owners life.
--Ghostplate Armor:
--ShadowField: It surrounds any person in a dark miasma of energy. It is incredibly difficult to wound a Dark Eldar or Corsair utilising a Shadow Field, as the field absorbs almost all of the energy of an attack. However it is not indestructible and can be overloaded with enough damage, leaving the Dark Eldar vulnerable.
--Clone Field: This device projects several hologram-like images of the wearer, all identical in every aspect and moving in perfect synchrony. This makes the Archon rather difficult to target.
-Special :
--Webway Portal:
--Combat Drugs:
Retinue: COURT OF THE ARCHON
Not only does a Archon come into battle with a number of Incubi bodygaurds, but they might also have the following with them:
Lhamaeans:
An Archon may keep many strange humanoid beings as his courtesans, but the mysterious Dark Eldar sisterhood known as the Lhilitu are coveted above all others, for not only are they imaginative and passionate lovers but they are also masters of the arts of poison. Descending from the original Cult of Lhamaea, they draw from the knowledge of Shaimesh, the Father of Poisons, one of the Dark Muses. The presence of a Lhamaean in an Archon's court ensures his Kabal with a supply of the most virulent toxins which she will share with her Archon and, by extension, his Kabal before each raid into realspace. It is said that even a kiss blown upon the wind by a Lhamaean courtesan can kill hundreds in its deadly path.
Weaponry: Splinter Pistol and poisoned close combat weapons
Armor: Kabalite Suit
Special: Thanks to this agent's mastery of poisons everyone in the Archon's Kabal benefits from increased poison lethality.
Medusae:
Medusae are visored slave-beings used to record the roiling emotions of the battlefield. However, these creatures, usually humanoid slaves with psychic ability, are actually only the physical hosts for the alien entities of the Immaterium that are the true Medusae. These creatures are empathic parasites and in their true forms look like a collection of brains and spinal cords layered one atop another. In their natural state they float through the Warp like jellyfish, a form of psychic plankton who feed on daydreams and nightmares. Medusae can latch onto a host that intruded into their realm, absorbing their emotions directly and providing a portal into realspace. Though meeting the gaze of a Medusae's host can cause immediate emotional hemorrhaging, these hybrid beings are extremely valuable in Commorragh, for they can absorb and store extreme sensations for the Dark Eldar to enjoy later.
Consuming one of the Medusae's brain-fruits brings back all the exhilarating emotions of a raid or other experience as if it was happening once more. To give an idea of just how much estacy or pain it allows the Dark Eldar to remember (which, to the Dark Eldar, bring the same reaction) just the smallest nibble on one of these expendable brain fruits is enough to put a human in a permanent coma, overwhelmed with emotions. As the brain-fruits are expendable growths they can be harvested off the Medusae without killing the being, allowing it a certain longevity not common in Commoragh.
 |
| Medusae without armor |
In battle it wears kabalite armor, is incredibly agile and gets power from pain like normal Dark Eldar. Finally it has a special move called Eyeburst that occurs when the medusae opens its visor and paralyzes a foe with pure anguish, causing instant and fatal emotional hemmoraghing for most. Even the strong-willed foes will have to hold back from emotionally vomiting forth extreme grief and agony.
Sslyth:
As true Dark Eldar inevitably make extremely poor bodyguards as a result of their innately self-interested nature and penchant for treachery (exception: Incubi) , most Archons employ the more reliable alien mercenaries who inhabit the Dark City to protect them from the constant coup and assassination attempts. Though Dark Eldar bodyguards can be found among every intelligent race of the galaxy, the most favored are the Sslyth, massive serpent-bodied xenos whose race fell to the temptations of unbridled excess and the worship of Slaanesh many millennia ago. They are as loyal as a bodyguard race can come, throwing themselves in harm's way to protect their masters. The Dark Eldar somehow managed to "tame" them and become their exclusive employers.
Since they possess two sets of arms, Sslyth mercenaries can wield enough guns and blades to easily counter any would-be assassin or usurper. They have no problems with being able to utilize this many weapons, and some accounts show them sword-dueling someone while firing a pistol while reloading a carbine. Thanks to their Dark Eldar employers, they are modified to feel no pain and are exceptionally agile.
Imperial observors note that in battle the behavior of these slytherine xenos is almost as scary as their masters. While the Dark Eldar jeer, grin and generally look menacing in their malevolence, the Sslyth fights with seeming indifference to everything around it. Rare is it that the serpent shows any emotion to that which is around it, and one observer noted that they are like addicts, completely oblivious to everything around them but their primary target.
Weaponry: Sharcarbine, Splinter Pistol and Two swords (all at once)
Armor: Kabalite Armor
Ur-Ghuls:
Dark Eldar Archons maintain all manner of deadly xenos creatures in their courts, from worm-like Haemovores to greater Shaderavens, whose croaks and caws drive those who hear it insane. Though innumerable numbers of such hideous beasts prowl the dark ways of Commorragh, it is the Ur-Ghul that is the most frightening, a blind but dexterous troglodyte that originated on the world of Shaa-dom among its haunted and abandoned ziggurats. Once one of these whip-thin horrors gets the scent of prey in its rows of quivering, dripping scent-pits, it will not stop hunting that creature until either it or its prey has fallen.A Archon can use this intelligent being as a independent tracker, and there are authenticated accounts of a Ur-Ghul tracking its query across entire star systems. These guys are both agile and feel no pain, and attack with both needle teeth and claws backed up by superhuman strength. Furthermore their skin is akin to iron, and they can crawl along roofs or ceilings with ease.
Lore-wise the size of the archon's retinue depends on how powerful the archon is, with Vect having almost a horde of followers. In addition to tracking and assassination attempts, they are also usually deployed after a Dark Eldar raid en mase, to track down via scent any survivors that may have hid during the carnage. They are then dragged back weeping to their Dark Eldar masters.
Additional Factors:
-Notable Archons (Who may or may not appear in the Battle):
--Lady Maryls: See Heroes
--Vraesque: Lord Vraesque is the Dark Eldar Archon of the Kabal of the Flayed Skull, the second strongest Dark Eldar Kabal in Commorragh after the Kabal of the Black Heart itself. Beginning his long and dishonorable career as a lowly Reaver, Vraesque slowly climbed his way up through the ranks of the Dark City. He has since carried on his experiences as a Reaver to his military tactics, and is known as a master of airborne assault. Famously he once conquered a whole planet without once landing a warrior on the ground.
--Akhara'Keth: Notable for surviving hundreds of attempts on his life.
--Aestra Khromys: The "Queen of Splinters":
Aestra Khromys was originally a member of the Kabal of the Black Myriad, until she was enslaved and placed in a munitions factory for her refusal to bow down and kiss the hand of the Kabal's founder, Archon Vhloriac. Unlike most Dark Eldar exiled to such a place, Aestra wasn't driven insane by the monotony of the task and instead focused her attentions on creating weapons of such superior quality that her overseers couldn't fail to notice the skill of her craft.
Eventually she was purchased by the Kabal of the Obsidian Rose and given her own workshop and from there she placed her master plan into fruition, creating all manner of innocuous and concealable weapons ready for her audience with Archon Vhloriac. The element of surprise coupled with the mysterious failure of the Archon's Court weaponry gave her an easy assassination that propelled her to leadership of the Obsidian Rose.--Vorl-Xoelanth and Y'polleon : Twin brothers of the Falling Moon and Dying Sun respectively, one is obsessed with launching raids at sunset while the other loves moonlight battles, since he has a fetish for moons and satellites. . Recently come into contact over conflict on whether to destroy a solar system's sun or all of its planets via moons crashing into them.
--S'aronai Ariensis : Banished from Commorragh centuries before M41 after a botched coup d'etat against Asdrubael Vect, Ariensis lost his left hand in the process. After the humiliation he took his Kabal into space and now defiantly refuses to regenerate his hand. Going beyond that he forced everyone in Kabal to cut off their left hands , replacing them with deadly talons.
Nyos Yllitian : Nyos Yllitian is a Dark Eldar and Archon of the Kabal of The White Flame. Considered to be a master schemer by himself and those around him(which is superb praise for a Dark Eldar to say), he longs for the day where he can one day usurp Asdrubael Vect for control of Commorragh. Yllithian is of old aristocratic blood, and resents Vect's new system of Kabal supremacy over the nobility.To achieve his goals he formed an alliance with two other Kabals, The Kabal of the Realm Eternal and The Kabal of the Blades of Desire. He planned to raid an Exodite World and steal a pure soul, allowing its tortured screams and the aid of the master Haemonculus Bellathonis to resurrect the infamous Tyrant of Shaa-Dom, El'uriaq. Unfortunately El'uriaq ended up being possessed by a demon, and Nyos ended up causing the Dysfunction, which is a periodic event in which a horde of demons invade Commoragh. Nyos is currently trying to cut out any and all lose ends to prevent Vect from finding out, lest he be killed in a incredibly painful and imaginative manner that takes many millenia to come into fruition.
Kruellagh: Kruellagh, usually referred to as Kruellagh the Vile although she is known by many other aliases, such as "The Mistress of Skulls", "The Emasculator", "Da Skinna", and "Mistress Hell Fury". She is the Archon of the Kabal of the Flayed Skull.
The elite warriors she personally commands within the Kabal are known as "The Emasculators", known for lightning-fast precision assaults.She wields a unique weapon called the soul flayer, which directly drains a opponent's soul into her, and the Damnation grenades, which do equal parts terror and equal parts damnation.
--Tardsidhe: Tarsidhe is the current Dark Eldar Archon of the Kabal of the Fiend Ascendant. Addicted to the gladiatorial spectacles of graceful and exotic warriors, Tarsidhe employs many Wyches, Harlequins, Beastmasters, Medusae, and athletes in his rampages across Imperial and Tau space along the Eastern Fringes. He considers these bloody orgies to be "showcases" for the splendor and grace of his warriors.
Marquis Vaulkhere is the current wearer of the Ironthorn Crown, making him Archon of the Kabal of the Lords of Iron Thorn. A towering and bombastic individual, Marquis prides himself on his heritage and sophistication. However beneath this aura of faded grandeur lies a bloodthirsty soul looking for any excuse to kill
Vhane Kyharc is the current Archon of the Kabal of the Black Myriad.
He is a narcissist even by Dark Eldar standards, forcing the entire Trueborn population of the Tier-Nodal Spires to have their faces surgically altered to resemble his own, on the justification that it would confound assassination attempts. Soon the rest of the Kabal of the Black Myriad was similarly forced to wear stylised masks of Vhane's face. The height of his vanity was shown when he unleashed a doppelganger virus upon Phlogiston VI, causing every living creature on that planet to have their features reshaped in his likeness.
Maxillian: Known literally as Mad Max, this archon is one of the few not interested in the political manueverings of the Dark City, instead being solely interested in aerial combat. Because of that his entire force is composed solely of aerial assault forces, and he orders anyone who lands on the ground killed. Also famous for having a entire aviary just fool of aerial predators. Personality wise he is prone to fits of mania and paranoia that come without warning, meaning that his own servants fear him more then anyone else.
Maxillian: Known literally as Mad Max, this archon is one of the few not interested in the political manueverings of the Dark City, instead being solely interested in aerial combat. Because of that his entire force is composed solely of aerial assault forces, and he orders anyone who lands on the ground killed. Also famous for having a entire aviary just fool of aerial predators. Personality wise he is prone to fits of mania and paranoia that come without warning, meaning that his own servants fear him more then anyone else.
Volossian Sythrac of the Black Heart is a rare individual indeed - one of an ever diminishing clique of Archons to have consistently retained Supreme Overlord Vect’s favour. Vect long ago grew bored of Archons bearing news of the conquest of planets and star systems, for such mundane victories rarely last long in the grand scheme of things. Instead the Supreme Overlord rewards those with the wit to damage or topple entire galactic empires. Sythrac is such an individual - his ongoing quest to assassinate each of the Imperium’s most vaunted heroes is a hot topic within Vect’s courts. The practical applications of weakening the Imperium’s command structure aside, Sythrac’s tactic is to extinguish hope itself - to rob the upstart humnas of those that they hold hold dear, and deprive them of the will to fight against the enroaching darkness. Every Dark Eldar finds a perverse delight in reminding the lesser races of their place; Volossian Sythrac makes it his life’s work. Indeed he has consumed thousands of heroes, philanthropists, warriors, and leaders.
Archon Volossian Sythrac prized possessions are his collection of soul traps - vile devices that act much like the spirit stones of the Craftworld Eldar, though in a far more hideous and predatory way. The act of parting a soul from its mortal body is child’s play to Sythrac. A single scratch from his ancient huskblade will turn his victims to dust in seconds. The disembodied soul, torn so quickly from its physical vessel, is then easy prey for teh spirit vortex of Sythrac’s rapacious soul trap. Once a soul is claimed within for all eternity, its captive energies harnessed to energise Volossian Sythrac’s ancient body.
In battle, Sythrac is protected by a sophisticated shadow field that has proven effective against point blank volleys from imperial battle tanks. This reality-bending force-field, combined with Sythrac’s mastery of the webway portal technology, allows the Archon to strike straight at the heart of the enemy army. Once the target is isolated, the Kabal emerges right into the midst of the foe. It is then that Sythrac stalks forward like a hunting cat, duels with his human prey before turning them into dust with an elegant flick of his sword, and binds their souls to his servitude forever.
Harlequins:
Weapon Type: Various
Armor Type: Body Armor
Max Range: Unknwon
Proffered Range: Everywhere
Mobility: 9 (superhumanely agile even by Dark Eldar standards)
Training : 7-9
Classification/Role: Terror Squads?
Basic Description: Harlequins go into battle with an odd assortment of otherworlldy weapons and powers that amaze even other Eldar. They go into battle as they would a theater, in squad-like troupes and giant masques, and perform each role with as much dedication as they would a play. For to them War is the ultimate theater and the enemy, their partners.
Harlequins are a enigma among the Eldar, their purposes and plans often hidden even to those who regularly deal with them. They are the followers of the Laughing God Cegorath, guardians of the legendary Black Library and ardent foes of Chaos. Yet they are also seek the rebirth of the Eldar race, and wish to one day unite all three elements of the fragmented Eldar society- the down to Earth Exodites who represent the innocence of Isha, the disciplined Craftworlders of Asuryen, and even cunning and cruel Commoraghans who represent the warlike god of Khaine.
LOADOUT
-Ranged Weapons: (General)
---Shuriken Pistol: See Corsair Squad, Infantry
--Fusion Pistol: See Corsair Squad
-Melee:
---Harlequin's Kiss: The Harlequin's Kiss (Eldar: brathu-angau, translated "kiss of doom" or "kiss of evil") also known as Sting, is a tubular wrist-mounted Monofilament Injector. As the name suggests it is widely associated with the Eldar Harlequins. The Kiss is only effective in close combat. It contains a tightly-coiled retractable monofilament wire which is around 100 metres in length. When activated (often with a forward punching motion) the wire is violently released. Capable of piercing armour, if the wire penetrates its victim it instantly uncoils and lashes around violently, liquefying bones and internal organs, and causing immediate death. The wire then retracts back into the Kiss.
--They are also known to use the Close Combat weapons shown in the Eldar Corsair profile.
-Defense:
---Flip Belt: Flip Belts are suspensor, or anti-gravity, belts which allow wearers to pivot effortlessly at hip level, as well as increasing the Harlequins' already considerable agility. A short range negative gravity field is generated, allowing the Harlequin to use their already prodigious acrobatic talent to greater effect, bounding across battlefields and performing killing blows that are too fast and complicated to be blocked by enemies in combat.
--HoloSuits: Each contains a programmable holo-field which breaks up the outline of the wearer as they move. Whenever anyone wearing this armour moves, it appears that their outline explodes in a flash of light and when he stops the image reconstitutes itself. It is also known as a jigsaw field or domino field. Also, when the wearer stops moving his outline blends into the surrounding landscape. This makes them very hard to fight in combat, easily disorientating their enemies.
-Special :
Variants:
Harlequins are organised into two basic units, the troupe and the masque. A masque is composed of a number of troupes, plus certain additional individuals.
Each Troupe is going to contain 7 troupers, 1 troupe master, 1 Death Jester and 1 Shadowseer.
--Troupers(Rillietann) - Harlequin Troupers, called rillietann in the Eldar Lexicon, form the backbone of a Harlequin force. In performance they dance the chorus roles, and in battle they form the rank and file of the Harlequin troupe, if such a term is appropriate to the unique and free-wheeling structure of Harlequin society. The typical wargear of a Trouper consists of two close combat weapons (one of which is often a Shuriken Pistol), a visual disruption Holo-field and a holographic Refractor Field. These will be the most common variant in both a mask and a troupe.
--Troupe Masters (Arathair) also known as Avatars and called athair in the Eldar Lexicon, are the officers of the Harlequins, with each troupe being led by a Troupe Master. In performance, the Avatar dances the part of the Laughing God. Some Avatars are known to wear long coats to indicate their rank. An Avatar is usually armed with two close combat weapons (one of which is often a Shuriken Pistol), and equipped with a visual disruption Holo-field and Conversion Field emitter. In addition, some Avatars may have psychic abilities. The Avatars of some Harlequin troupes carry a number of lightweight batons, which unfold into a flag bearing the symbol of their masque. This is commonly left as a "calling card" after the destruction of enemy units and installations.
----Troupe Masters are sometimes equipped with armor-bypassing power weapons (see Corsair squad)
--Shadowseers(esdainn)- Shadowseers, known in the Eldar Lexicon as esdainn, are powerful Harlequin psykers whose abilities are centred around spreading confusion and fear. During a Masque the Shadowseers act as storytellers, releasing programmed hallucinations from their creidann grenade launcher backpacks which form scintillating phantoms that dance and duel in the air. In battle, they can force visions of unholy terror upon the foe, or even remove the recognition of the Harlequins' presence from their enemies' minds altogether.These Seers play the role of fate and fortune within their performances with it being said that they know the doom of all their companions - even for the Great Harlequin's themselves. These powerful psykers are known for their psychic abilities which are as great as those of a Farseer of the Craftworlds. Shadowseers, in terms of appearance, tend to wear masks like all Harlequins though theirs are uniquely blank and smooth. As such, it is claimed that those who see into their faces often see a different visage reflecting back at them which can either be their own face in a future or alternate time.
---Hallucinogen Grenades: These grenades, once unleashed, effect the enemies's ability to determine what is real and what is false.
---Veil of Tears: Compounding the grenades, this is a psychic power the Shadowseer uses to confuse and terrify her foes. IN Masque of Vyle, many a Dark Eldar was driven to absolute madness by the Shadowseer's antics.
--Death Jesters(margorach) - At the present time, Harlequins make use of no heavy weapons or tanks, save for the Eldar Death Jesters. The Death Jesters or Deathheads, called in the Eldar Lexicon the margorach, are the heavy weapons specialists of the Harlequin, and make use of a wide-array of heavy weaponry; from the humble Shuriken Cannon of the Craftworld Eldar, to the specialised Firepike, or the morbid Shrieker Cannon. Death Jesters stand somewhat aloof from other Harlequins -- and even from each other. They are renowned for their morbid and ironic sense of humour, something not normally considered an Eldar trait, which makes them quite popular in Commorragh among the Dark Eldar. On the battlefield, they stand off from the rest of the Harlequin force, firing their heavy weapons in support. Their costumes and equipment nearly always feature skulls, bones and other symbols of death, and the Death Jester's death's head mask has become a universal icon amongst them. In performance, the Death Jester dances the role of Death, and performs daring stunts of escapology and risk - "dicing with Death", as they are fond of saying.
--Shrieker Cannon: The Shrieker Cannon is the trademark weapon of the Death Jesters, as only they can create and maintain them. They are a variant of the Shuriken Cannon, but instead of firing a hail of projectiles, they fire only a single shot. This shot is impregnated with a virulent acid that causes the victim's blood vessels and insides to expand violently. This usually results in a small explosion that showers enemy squad mates with pieces of their companion, thus earning the shrieks that give the weapon its name.
Masque Performers:
--High Troupe Master (Ardathair)- The High Troupe Master, also known in ancient texts as High Avatars and called in the Eldar Lexicon the ardathair, is the leader of a Harlequin masque. During The Dance, he takes the role of the Laughing God only when the whole masque is involved in a performance, while Avatars from the individual troupes of his masque play the lesser Eldar deities and other mythological roles. High Avatars dress and behave in the same way as lesser Avatars, but they show a distinct preference for face-designs on their masks, especially the smiling face of the Laughing God, a snarling face of daemonic aspect, or a beautiful but impassive Eldar face.
--High Shadowseer (Athesdan)- The High Shadowseer, sometimes referred to in older texts as the High Warlock and called in the Eldar Lexicon the athesdan, is the overall commander of a masque's Shadowseers, and may overrule commands issued to Warlocks by their Troupe Masters -- though this rarely happens in practice. It is not unknown for a High Warlock to take the Warlocks from the troupes and form them into a separate unit under his (or her) own command. The High Shadowseer advises the High Troupe Master on all psychic matters pertaining to a masque. In performance, the High Shadowseer leads and coordinates the other Shadowseers as they play the role of a supporting chorus to his Storyteller; in battle, the High Shadowseer may coordinate the Shadowseers' grenade barrages, or act as a completely independent warrior.
--Mimes(Distaur) - Mimes, called in the Eldar Lexicon the distaur, are under the direct command of the Master Mime, instead of being allocated to individual troupes. In performance, the Mimes play mystical and daemonic roles, using movement and gesture only. Even in everyday life, the Mimes speak little, communicating among themselves by lambruith, the name given to their system of hand-signals. It is customary for Mimes to go in advance of a masque or troupe to announce their impending arrival for a performance. Frequently they simply appear on a Craftworld or in Commorragh, without anyone knowing when or how they arrived. This skill is also used in warfare -- the oft-repeated stories of enemy commanders suddenly and unaccountably finding a Harlequin "calling card" in their command centres are typical examples of the tactics Mimes use to undermine enemy morale. Infiltration and assassination are their specialties.
--Master Mime (athistaur) - The Master Mime, called in the Eldar Lexicon the athistaur, commands the Mimes of his or her masque, and advises the High Avatar on all matters of espionage, infiltration and politics. In performance, the Master Mime joins the other Mimes, generally playing the most prominent and demanding Daemon or deity.
Bonus: The Solitaire (Arebennian):
 |
| Motley |
The most chilling of all the Eldar Harlequin are those individuals known as a Solitaire, called in the Eldar Lexicon the arebennian. The Solitaires, as their name implies, are solitary individuals who roam the Webway, seeking out other Eldar they think might be talented enough to join a Harlequin troupe. During the great Harlequin performance or Masque that dramatises the ancient Fall of the Eldar known simply as The Dance, Solitaires are tasked with playing the role of the Chaos God Slaanesh who brought the Eldar low. Impersonating the deadliest enemy of the Eldar race as a whole is almost unbearable for the sensitive psyche of an Eldar, and thus only a trained Solitaire will be able to perform the role of "She-Who-Thirsts", as the Prince of Chaos is known to the Eldar. Various stories exist of other Harlequins who tried to perform the role, and were driven mad by the experience. The most startling truth of the Solitaires is that, unlike other Harlequins, who are protected by their faith in Cegorach, their souls are doomed to be devoured by Slaanesh, although the Laughing God attempts to intercede on the Solitaire's behalf after their death and force the Prince of Pleasure to compete for his or her soul.
Other Eldar prefer not to think about their great enemy. As a result, Solitaires are shunned amongst their own race. Whenever Solitaires are with a Harlequin troupe, they distance themselves from the others, and one is considered cursed if one exchanges words with a Solitaire. A Solitaire never shows any sign of emotion, either with other Harlequins or on the battlefield. Psykers of every race, even other Eldar, are known to be very depressed in the presence of a Solitaire as the mental landscape of the Solitaire is obviously disturbing to them. Psychic attacks on Solitaires will almost always fall short, and weapons which attack the enemy's mind, such as the Neuro-disruptor, will simply have no effect. In battle, Solitaires almost always fight as individuals. A Solitaire may live unknown among the Eldar (or even members of another intelligent race) for years or decades, and there are many rumours and folk-tales telling of Eldar who have met a Solitaire, and realized only later that this was actually the Great Harlequin, Cegorach himself.
It is known that Solitaires are among-st the few beings in the galaxy who are allowed to enter the Black Library at will.
Solitaires represent the pinnacle of the Harlequin ideal, and are truly formidable foes in combat. Every appearance they have had in a Eldar centric novel had them doing something truly spectacular. In Path of the Outcast just one solitaire fought entire hordes of demons in the very Eye of Terror and defeated a Greater Demon of Slaanesh in single combat. In Masque of Vyle the Eldar Solitaire Motley spun a web around a Dark Eldar Kabal, leading to its complete dissolution. Though the very rarest of the elites, and not even part of most Masques, those rare Solitaires shall quickly make their presences known.
Additional Factors:
--Fleet: Super Agile even by Dark Eldar standards
--Dance of Death: Harlequins are a extremely well coordinated troupe who weaves in and out of combat inflicting maximun carnage. As mentioned earlier to them battle is just yet another form of theater, and they treat it as such.
--Uncontrollable: Unlike Corsairs who follow their princes and the Duke, Harlequins do not call anyone save their god Cegorath master. Thus they can't be ordered around and might be somewhat random in their appearances.
===LIGHT CALVARY===
Hellion
Type of Armor: Body Armor
Weapon Type: Glaive
Speed: 100+ mph
Calvary Purpose: Fast Attack
CLASSIFICATION: Skyboard Raider
Basic Description:
A Hellion is a member of one of the vicious airborne skimmer gangs to be found in the Dark Eldar city of Commorragh. They are often used by Dark Eldar Kabals on raids as a form of jump infantry. The tortured skies of Commorragh are warzones as perilous as its xenos-riddled ghettos and its noble-ruled spires. Through the mists soar arrogant lords and winged hunters seeking the next kill. The most savage of these airborne horrors are the Hellions, gangs of feral Dark Eldar who descend upon their prey in a flurry of blades before soaring away, safely out of reach.
Hellions are Dark Eldar miscreants. Their numbers include aspirants not yet old enough to be chosen as Kabalite Warriors, those who have been exiled by their Archons and those who have rejected life in a Kabal in favour of one of continued autonomy, beholden to none. Packs of Hellions haunt the desolate regions of the Dark City, surviving through the use of their wits and taking pride in the scars they earn in the course of their savage lives. Hellions gather together into large gangs to better ensure their survival, some of which can be as large as a lesser Kabal. Hellion gangs often have fierce rivalries between themselves and with the Reavers and Scourges of the upper levels, for they resent above all those who flaunt their privilege and status. Though a Hellion in his typical bravado might outwardly claim that he lives as he does for the terror and anarchy he can spread on the mean streets of the Dark City, like all Dark Eldar each Hellion secretly burns with ambition to become a power in the city in his own right.
Unpredictable and wild, Hellions attack the Kabals just as often as they join with them to participate in realspace raids. In turn, it is unusual for the Archons to bring their wrath to bear on the roving Hellion gangs, for they consider such street scum to be beneath their lofty notice and a Kabal bounty hunter skilled enough to bring a particular Hellion to the torture chambers of his employers is a rare specimen better employed in other ways. However, the Kabals value Hellions as terror troops, and the Heliarchs that lead them are not above cutting deals with the Kabals and the Wych Cults -- if the price is right. Many realspace invasions undertaken by the Kabals are lead by waves of howling, drug-enraged Hellions atop their Skyboards.
LOADOUT:
Armament:
--Hellgalive:
In combat, Hellion gangs will swoop directly into the main body of the enemy, screaming curses and mocking taunts A Hellion's signature weapon is a Hellglaive, a double-bladed polearm with recurved hooks on each end that allow a skilled wielder to latch onto nearby objects and rapidly change direction while on a Skyboard. Each Hellglaive is viciously sharp, and it is common practice for Hellions to call out beforehand a particular part of the body of a foe that they intend to cut off on the next pass of their Skyboard. Such is their skill with the blades that a swarm of Hellions can fall upon a squad of enemy soldiers and lop off limbs and heads before scattering once more, while a single chosen victim is carried aloft into the sky to be cut apart at the Hellions' leisure.
--Stunclaw - A Stunclaw is a close-combat weapon that confers additional strength to its bearer and can also be used to grapple, to snare and entrap an enemy leader.
Defense: Wychsuit: Also speed.
Special:
A Heliarch is the title given to the warrior who leads a Hellion gang to anarchy and battle in the Dark City of Commorragh and on raids into realspace. A Heliarch is usually the strongest warrior and most skilled Skyboard rider in his gang and he possesses the finest weapons and the best wargear of any Hellion in the gang. Heliarchs earn their position in single combat with their predecessors, and this is a duel that always ends in a high-speed death amongst the spires of the Dark City for one of the combatants. They can wield, in addition to the Hellion weapons...
Additional Factors:
--Master of Hit and Run warfare: Darting back and forth into battle with their skyboards, Hellions are master of quick attacks.
--Forces of the Baron: The Hellions are "loyal" to the Baron more then the Kabals that hire them, and thus will be concentrated in greater numbers around him.
Reavers
Type of Armor: Skimmercraft
Weapon Type: Blades, Modifications, various
Speed: Almost certainly in the 100s to 200s, if not above.
Calvary Purpose: Skirmishing
CLASSIFICATION:Fast Assault Craft
Basic Description:
The Reavers of Commorragh are those Dark Eldar fascinated by bringing death to others at high speeds. They ride to war upon the most streamlined and pared-down of all Eldar skycraft -- the Eldar Jetbike, the perfect fusion of motion and lethal power. The Eldar experience sensations and emotions to a far greater degree than any other sentient race and their psyches are given over too easily to obsession. Reavers, having first gotten a taste for high-speed violence during raids into realspace, are those Dark Eldar consumed with achieving the maximum-impact kill. It is not enough for them to simply carry out acts of mayhem and murder or to soar through the air at overwhelming speeds. These savage sadists must accomplish both at once to have their vile obsession truly sated. When they accomplish a well-placed and mortal blow delivered at an obscene rate of speed, they feel that spike of pure joy that Reavers consider the ultimate thrill in life.
In the toroid racing arenas that girdle the highest spires of the Dark City, the Reavers duel amongst themselves for supremacy. These vain and mortally-competitive riders engage in death races each night, their Jetbikes screaming around each arena in a high-stakes battle that brings screams of ecstasy from the bloodthirsty crowd of spectators. No quarter is ever asked for or given in these races, for to come in last is literally a death sentence. Reavers will pull every trick they can on the back of a Jetbike to secure even a fraction of a second's advantage over their competitors. The arena champions endlessly modify their craft's vanes and blast-engines, install targeting holograms for their Jetbike's built-in weapons, pierce their craft's fairings so that the shriek of the air created by their passing is of a pitch that distinguishes them from their peers and wear flexible suits akin to "second skins" to eliminate air resistance.
Reavers, like many Dark Eldar warriors, use artificial narcotic stimulants to enhance their performance and capacity for sensation in the death races or in combat. They are cheats and liars like so many of their kin, and give respect only to those who can pull of an "elegant kill". It is considered improper to simply maim a fellow rider during the death races, while a well-executed decapitation while riding inverted can bring a smile even to the frozen face of the most jaded Kabal Archon. Because of this no-holds-barred approach, weapons are extensively employed during the death races in the most prestigious of the toroid arenas. The most infamous and celebrated Reavers employ underslung Grav-Talons to push their rivals into the artfully bladed contours of the arena's walls, or release clusters of proximity-sensing anti-gravitic caltrops that detonate in spectacular chain explosions behind them to the crowd's applause. Reavers are so attuned to their beloved Jetbike steeds that in combat on a realspace raid they will use them as if they were extensions of their own bodies.
LOADOUT:
Armament:
Reaver Jetbike - Reaver Jetbikes are highly customized and extremely variable in their configurations, with the frontal canopy, rear canards and keel blades all often shaped into different, but equally lethal, forms. It is unknown if these differing formations actually aid a bike's combat performance and maneuverability or are simply aesthetic choices of the individual Reaver.
They may also be equipped with Heat Lances or Blasters. Furthermore the Pilot carries a splinter pistol and a sword.
In addition Reaver jetbikes may have the following modifications:
--Splinter Rifle mounted on the Hull:
--Bladevanes: Blades are mounted on the sides of the jetbike, allowing it to sever limbs as it rolls by on high speeds.
--Grav-Talons are Dark Eldar weapons typically mounted by Reaver Jetbikes. These weapons are mounted underslung the Jetbike, slashing their foes as they pass.
--Cluster Caltrops are Dark Eldar weapons dropped by Reavers. These proximity-sensing anti-grav weapons detonate in spectacular chain explosions as the Reaver dashes across the battlefield.
In addition the Splinter Rifle may be upgraded to the following:
--Shredder:
--Blaster:
But mostly extreme speed.
Special:
Combat Drugs:
-Arena Champions: The most skilled of Reavers are those who have consistently proven the victors in the nightly toroid arena death races of the Dark City. During Dark Eldar realspace raids which make use of Reaver squads, they are often led by an Arena Champion who possesses enhanced wargear and represents the pinnacle of the already preternatural Reaver skill with a Jetbike. Arena Champions may posses the following (which I am pretty sure they can attach to the underside of their craft...):
Venom Blade, Agonizer or Power Weapon.
Furthermore additional modifications such as putting in a hologram projector into their jetbike are possible.
Additional Factors:
--Standard Dark Eldar traits are Standard
--Extremely skilled flyers: All of them are extremely skilled, routinely participating in death races to sharpen themselves. If they fail at any point in their "training" they die.
--Squad Size: 10 Reavers, 1 Arena Champion per squad.
Scourge:
Type of Armor: Light Skimmer
Weapon Type: Various
Speed: Potentially into the Hundreds
Calvary Purpose: Hit and run, Skirmishers
CLASSIFICATION: Hit and Run flyers
Basic Description:
""You think that's summer rain falling? Ha! It is the blood of those who crossed the Scourges, boy. You cannot see them, but your foolish kin adorn the spires and crenelations of High Commorragh like grisly fruit upon the bough. Up there they bleed out their last, moaning and helpless, impaled through and through. No! Do not look upward! Catch a Watcher's eye, and it will be your blood that rains down next..."
Edric Shiverhand, Slave-Elder of Gomor Sump
A Scourge is a genetically altered Dark Eldar mercenary who has had wings grafted onto his body and who now serves essentially as jump infantry in Dark Eldar raid forces.Scourges are an intrinsic part of the society of Commorragh. The omnipresent intrigues of the Dark City thrive on information, without which even the greatest of the Kabals is soon rendered impotent. The most secure forms of Vox transmission can always be intercepted and psychic communication is strictly forbidden to the Dark Eldar. Instead, the Dark Eldar aristocracy pays handsomely for the Scourges to take their missives to their destination by hand. Each communique is sealed with tailor-made toxins, the antidotes to which -- usually -- are only held by the recipient. The Scourges are so vital to the intrigues of the Dark City that to kill one is to invite a very painful death by his or her fellows.
Considered the pinnacle of Dark Eldar body modification, the metamorphosis from warrior to Scourge is a lengthy and painful process, as one might expect of the Dark Eldar. A rich and daring Dark Eldar may surrender himself to the mercies of the Haemonculi and request that his bones be hollowed out by the drills of a Talos, that bands of new, vat-grown muscle be grafted onto his torso, and powerful avian wings and adrenaline dispensers be attached to his shoulders so that he is capable of undertaking true flight. Even if the warrior survives this grueling procedure, he is still not yet a true Scourge, for he must then fly all the way to the corpse-strewn aeries of his new brethren. His still raw and bleeding wings carry him from the oubliettes of the Haemonculi to the topmost spires of the Dark City where the Scourges make their home and he must fight through the deadly fatigue, warring gangs of Hellions, vicious Reavers and all the other types of airborne terrors to be found in Upper Commorragh to get there. If he makes this vertical pilgrimage and manages to survive its dangers, he earns the right to call himself a Scourge, a member of a highly exclusive mercenary clique of skyborne warriors that looks with disdain upon those of their kin who remain tied to the ground.In combat Scourges prefer to engage the enemy at range, for they are highly protective of their altered and now fragile physiques. They lay down punishing salvos of firepower, glorying in the screams of their dying foes while using their enhanced senses before wheeling about for another pass.
LOADOUT:
Armament:
All guns are designed to fire mid-flight.
They can be equipped with Plasma Grenades, Shardcarbine, Shredder, Splinter Cannon, Dark Lance, Blaster, Heat Lance, Haywire Blaster
--Ghostplate Armor:
Special:
-Solarites are veteran Scourges who are now considered leaders amongst those winged mercenaries. They generally are more skillful in battle and carry more advanced wargear. They may also have pursued further body modifications from the Haemonculi, including having their skin replaced by feathers and their skulls elongated to give them the aspect of a great raptor. They may carry the following into battle with them:
Blast Pistol or Splinter Pistol. One of the following: Agonizer, Power Weapon, Venom Blade
Additional Factors:
--Squad Size: 10 Scourges, with 1 Solarite in there.
Beastmaster
Type of Armor: Wychsuit
Weapon Type: Beasts, Swords
Speed: Not as fast as the ones above
Calvary Purpose: Attacking them with hordes of beasts
Classification: Horde Mover
Basic Description:
Beastmasters are Dark Eldar that subjugate deadly beasts for use in war or in the gladiatorial arenas of Commorragh. The wild hunts they stage in the arenas remain a popular favourite of the crowds. Although the Beastmasters are part of the Wych Cults, they keep themselves distant from the Wyches and are also predominantly male, unlike the mostly female Wyches.
Some suspect that Beastmasters have roots in shamanic traditions, as when entering battle they adorn themselves in totems and masks that echo the beasts under their control. In fact, their masks contain complex sonic emitters and pheromone traps that can partially control the beasts, although all Beastmasters, even unmasked, have a natural ability to dominate lower creatures
LOADOUT:
Armament:
They ride a Skyboard
They can wield Whips, Swords, Sometimes Venom Blades, Power Weaponry or Agonizers
Defense: Wych Suit
Finally what else would a BEASTMASTER control other then Beasts? The following are the proffered creatures
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-Clawed Fiends: The Clawed Fiends are an alien species, originating from the Donorian Sector , who are semi-sentient monsters caring nothing for civilisation or war, only for their animalistic instincts of consuming prey. They are hulking monsters of muscle and fur with incredible senses capable of perceiving multiple spectrums at once, and are known to be at their most dangerous state after having been wounded as the scent of their own bleeding ichor sends them into a berserk fury that few warriors will be quick enough to escape.
In battle they are known to charge at such speeds that enemy soldiers at first have difficulty reacting, much less fire off a shot. Their claws are said to be able to tear through starship hulls given time , their teeth bite a man's head off effortlessly, hell even its tail is barbed. As the objective of the Clawed Fiend is to simply kill as fast as they can instead of eating, they do not pause to consume before all enemies in the area are dead. Its such a viscous fighter that no matter what environment its transplanted it always ends up a alpha predator.
--Khymerae are Warp-beasts born from the stuff of a Daemon World. They coalesce around vivid nightmares into terrifying forms of long-fanged, many-eyed, sinewy cat-like beasts with multiple tentacles spinning off all parts of the body. Dark Eldar Beastmasters enter dream-quests in order to hunt down Khymera in the spirit realm and draw packs of them back into Realspace. They then enslave them as half-real nightmares that can wreak utter havoc upon a battlefield before fading away like mist. For such reason, they are rather hard to hit.
 |
| "They came through the walls. We fought them with all we had...but they came through the walls." -Sgt Nestor Roderic, Dark Heresy series |
-Razorwing is to a bird what the most ferocious flock of piranha is to fish. Perhaps more so, for a flock of Razorwing's are truly fearless in who they attack from gigantic tank sized creatures to hordes of humans. It is a creature of blades, for not only does it possess razor-sharp talons and beak but every feather is in itself a blade capable of sawing through flesh. It is a pack hunter too, and together in a group can completely eviscerate a animal as large as a elephant in a few seconds.
Uncommon Beasts:
Chrono-gladiators:
A Imperial concept, unfortunately one day a slave made the mistake of talking about it where a Dark Eldar could hear. They loved the concept, and their sources were to be made the first test subjects. A Chronogladiator is a gladiator living on borrowed time, for they are attatched to a clock that will slay him when it reaches zero. The only way to delay death is to kill, which adds more time to the clock.
The Dark Eldar have added their own twists, and through a mastery of chemicals have addicted these gladiators to drugs that will both suppress all pain and make them far stronger, faster ect. These drugs are only released in limited quantities, so the gladiator needs to keep killing in order to prevail. Should they fail, the withdrawal systems causes portions of the gladiators bloodstream to explode, killing them very painfully.
Murderfiend Servitor:
Murderfiend Servitors are another example of a Mon'Keigh invention surprisingly stolen and added to the Dark Eldar collection. These are autonomous killing machines made from lobotomized prisoners that now exist only to kill. Armed with eviscerator blades attached to every stump and given stimulants, these beings take a lot of pain to put down.
Adriane Helspider:
Possibly the toughest creature here, Helspiders are creatures that exist in the near timeless realm of the Webway. For that reason they have evolved mystical powers such as manipulating the strands of fate in a way only a Eldar farseer could manage. Attacks made many meters away mysteriously hit their foes, blows struck against it seem to impossibly miss, and all but the most grievous wounds will heal with time. Its venom can actually freeze a foe in time temporarily.
Occasionally Rare beasts may be found in a Beastmaster's collection. These include:
--Giant Pterosaurs
--Eagles large enough to swallow a man whole
--Hordes of Ur-Ghuls
--Vespids
--Kroot
--Captured Space Marines
-Brutalized Tau Fire Warriors
--Hordes of desperate humans armed with knives or swords
--Tyranid Shrikes
--Giant Sabre Toothed Cats
Also some might have this:
- Omni-directional Whistle: The whistle has a strange and disturbing shape, reminiscent of a spiral shell, and seemingly formed from glass in colours beyond the human visual spectrum range, making it both compulsive and repugnant to the eye at once. Capable of being clearly heard in both realspace and the warp for massive distances; the whistle must be screamed into for it to be used and immediately afterwards blood will come pouring out of the user's mouth. The summoned warp beasts will appear as a mass surging towards the Dark Eldar's enemies, able to run along every surface from floor to ceiling, completely unaffected by gravity. Their forms are beyond counting, each one more terrible than the next. This would be a very rare weapon though.
Additional Factors:
--Standard Dark Eldar traits:
--New Beasts: The Dark Eldar are always on the lookout for new beasts to use, and it is possible that they might take some from their foes or the environment around them.
- Five Beastmasters per squad, and each beastmaster can bring with him either 5 Khrymae, a giant Clawed Fiend, or 2 flocks of Razorwings, in addition to some of the rare.
====ARMOR====
""Why do we ride atop these elegant craft? The better to hear the screams of our prey as we ride them down, to savor the fear etched on their faces, to taste the tantalizing tang of their blood in the air as an appetizer before the feast. But most of all we ride them so that the slaughter may begin as soon as possible.""
Ravager:
Weapon Type: Various
Armor Type: Light Vehicle
Speed: Probably high, given the description of its speed.
Classification: Fast Attack Tank
Basic Description:
The Ravager, also known as the Ravager Gunship is a Dark Eldar vehicle built on a nearly identical chassis to the Raider. The Dark Eldar commonly use it to come out of a Webway portal and wreak havoc on enemy armour, fortifications and personnel.
In battle, Ravagers are nimble and swift, using their maneuverability to destroy more lumbering Human or Ork tanks. Ravager gunships are so fast and maneuverable that they can ambush an enemy tank and destroy it in a single pass, vanishing before the enemy even realizes what hit them. Their capabilities are further improved through their tactics, with Ravager crews being well-trained and well-briefed about their targets capabilities. Their commanders will assign then specific targets in battle, ensuring that the Ravager formation operates as a unified, efficient killing machine. A well-trained and led Ravager squadron is capable if appearing from nowhere and destroying even a Titan of the Adeptus Mechanicus in a single volley and disappearing over the horizon before the behemoth machine has even toppled to the ground
Against these giant behemoths the Dark Eldar deploy specialized Ravagers that come equipped with shadow beams. After using a advanced technique known as "shadow Dancing" to hide themselves behind the silhouettes of enemy vehicles they get in close to the Titan/Gargant/insert massive unit here. Once the Ravagers get in close the lead figure turns on the shadow beam, which creates rifts of warp energy that causes weaknesses so minute in the titan that not even its crew can detect it. However the other Dark Eldar can, and they move forward to rapidly accelerate and destroy the titan by targeting those key areas.
The best thing about this tactic is not only does it exploit physical weaknesses in armor, but it also allows the Ravager squad to IGNORE energy shields as well. Requires 3-5 Ravagers to pull off the stunt though.
LOADOUT:
Armament:
May equip Dark lances and Disintegrator Cannons, to any combination out of 3 weapon slots.
Defense: Not much other then standard vehicle armor, however this is NOT a detriment. The Ravagers go by the philosophy that if they can get in,kill, and get out then they won't be anywhere near when retribution is sought. This tactic has worked on the Imperium many, many times. Even so, the Ravager does have some shielding that serves more optical illusion effects then protection.
Furthermore they can be equipped with Night and Flicker Shields.
Special:
Each Ravager can be given the following:
Shock Prow, Snares and Chains, Enhanced Aethersails, Retrofire jets, Horrorfex/Torment Grenade Launcher, grizzly trophies.
Additional Factors:
--Targeting Systems: The Ravager is said to have advanced targeting systems allowing it to fire efficiently at full speed.
--Skimmercraft, meaning it is capable of limited flight and usually hovers a few meters off the ground. Furthermore these tanks can be deployed from the aircraft or orbit into fortified enemy positions.
"They gained the exit to the space port, grateful as the road dipped into its cutting. The Titans of the Legio Crucis ran out to them, their enormous weapons blazing. They clear-burned a widening path behind the fleeing Imperial Guard, safeguarding their retreat.
And then, disaster. The inhabitants of the twilight city were artful and devious. Soaring on wings of gravitic waves, the three heavier skimmers banked around the buildings of the southern precincts. The men jogging alongside Cortein’s Honour ducked in fear, but they were not the intended prey.
The three craft, Ravagers in a slaughter squadron, sighted their potent weapons upon War’s Messenger of the Legio Crucis. Nine lances of dark energy burst forward, boring into the void shields of the Titan. The fields flared in opposition to the arcane energies of the Eldar weaponry. The first shield winked out, the skimmers banked around, their beams locked onto the same spot, dodging as the Warhound twisted at the waist to spit plasma bursts at its assailants. The second void shield flared and died, leaving the Titan vulnerable. The beams shut off as the murder squadron sped on, weaving their way through the barrage of projectiles coming off the god machines and the Baneblade.
Banking sharply, they turned, Eldar in weapons pods smoothly bringing their lances to bear once more. The guns fired as one, intersecting precisely at the delicate backwards joint of the Warhound’s knee. They boiled off layers of plasteel and ceramite, biting hard into the machine’s vulnerable spot. As the Titan turned, tracking those that hurt it, its leg gave out. Screeching metal heralded the fall of War’s Messenger as it crashed hard onto its right, plasma conduits tearing open and spraying super-heated gases across the rocky plain. The Eldars’ fighter craft screeched down from the uncontested sky, finishing what the Ravagers had started. Black light slammed into the stricken Titan’s cockpit, shearing it in half. The craft passed on, leaving the Titan broken, as secondary explosions consumed it."
-Iron Harvest Pg 27-28 (Mobi edition)
Talos Pain Engine:
Weapon Type: Various
Armor Type: Carapce
Speed: 40 mph ish?
Classification: Mobile Torture Chamber
Basic Description:
A Talos Pain Engine is the most widespread of the Dark Eldar's many so-called Engines of Pain. Festooned with multiple surgical apparatus and grotesque weapons of war, the Talos is a part organic and part mechanical device conceived by the creations of a mad genius. Created by the insane Dark Eldar masters of pain known as the Haemonculi, the Talos was first constructed as a torture device, but is now employed across the galaxy's innumerable battlefields. Sweeping forward upon anti-gravitic motors, the Talos catches its victims with its razor-sharp claws and then incinerates them from the inside out. The death spasms of those captured propel the Talos towards its enemies as its unique Sting wildly spews death in all directions and its many-bladed arms cut through armour and bone alike with lashing blows. These semi-sentient machines are invaluable to the Haemonculi, as they serve as both guardians and mobile torture chambers, inflicting punishment upon all those that displease their master. The fate of those caught within the death-grip of a Talos does not end with death. The remnants of the victims caught within its grasp is siphoned out to be used in the creation of potions and elixirs.
LOADOUT:
Armament :
--Ichor Injector: This nasty device injects victims with the Talos engines own nasty (and boiling) Ichor, ensuring a horrific but far from instantaneous death.
Twin-linked Splinter Cannon (meaning two of them put together that fire at once)
--Bladed forelimbs, all kinds of hooks, scalpel cutting instruments, drills and all sorts of nasty instruments.
In addition portions of the above can be switched out for the following:
--Twin Linked Heat Lances:
--Twin-linked Haywire Blaster:
--Twin-linked Liquifier Gun:
--Stinger Pod: This fires blasts of pure agony. Litte else known about the weapon, but other Dark Eldar around can use it as a potent option to charge on pain.
--Chain Flails: Multiple-barbed chains used to flail enemies.
Defense: Heavy Armored Carapace of a unknown make. Also its so large that it size alone would require a inordinate amount of ammunition even without armor.
Special:
Additional Factors:
--Role : Up front tank . Was used in the battle with the Tyranids to handle their elite forces.
--Both the Talos and Cronos engines are commanded by Haemonculli but have limited Artificial Intelligence
Reaper
Weapon Type: Storm vortex
Armor Type: See Ravager
Speed: See ravager
Classification: Anti-Vehicle ravager
Basic Description:
Akin to the more commonly encountered Ravager, the Reaper is a high speed attack gunship, but unlike its brother-craft, itssleek, dart-like hull is built around a single powerful weapon — the Storm Vortex projector. This cannon — like the smaller Haywire blaster — unleashes a cascading pulse of-electromagnetic energy but on a scale far more powerful than anything possible in a hand weapon. The vortex chamber at the heart of the Reaper is adage for howling energies harvested from the spires of Commorragh, which when unleashed creates a hurricane of lightning capable of crippling the heaviest enemy vehicles and burning out the nervous system of living creatures, roasting enemy soldiers alive from within. For all its offensive power, the
Reaper, like most other Dark Eldar warcraft relies on speed and maneuverability to survive on the battlefield, and disdains the brute attrition of armored warfare as practiced by the Imperium or the Orks in favor of bloody ambush and predation. The Reaper, though a rare and costly device, is greatly loved by the Kabals and Covens who field them, as the Storm Vortex can be used to easily disable fleeing refugee transports and shuttle-craft with the minimum of collateral damage — all the better for the Dark Eldar themselves to get at the delectable contents within.
LOADOUT:
Armament :
Stormvortex Projector:
The Storm Vortex projector is a massively powerful electromagnetic
wave cannon capable of firing either a confined beam of force, or a blast which detonates on striking its target in a storm of energy. It disables vehicles and incinerates normal enemies caught in the direct blast (though not too much splash damage, as Archons want prey alive!). The first is called Kill-shock, the second Haywire.
Defense: See Ravager
--Night and Flickershields:
Additional Factors:
--Somewhat Rare: Both this and the Tantalus are rarer then the Ravager.
Tantalus:
Weapon Type: Armor Type:
Speed: Very fast for its size
Classification: Dark Eldar Vehicle Clearer
Basic Description:
First crafted, so it is said, for the Archon Surasis Grief of the Kabal of the Dark Mirror, the Dark Eldar Tantalus is an assault skimmer, somewhat larger and more complex in design than the Raider, and accordingly better armed. Its distinctive twin-hulled design houses powerful engine-reactors slaved to enhanced drives and its unique scythevane armament.
One of the largest Dark Eldar vehicles yet encountered by the Imperial war machine, the cruel reavers who crew this sleek engine of destruction take delight in mounting high-speed attacks, slicing through the hulls of enemy vehicles and rending infantry into crimson shreds. Often times these vehicles alone are capable of cleaving through enemy lines, tearing apart armored bunkers with long range disintegrator fire before moving in quickly at supersonic speeds to cut down whats left.
Sometimes these ships are paired with Reapes in a formation known as the SkyScythe Slaughter Host. In this formation the Dark Eldar move quickly through hidden webway portals into enemy lines, appearing to the screams of terror in the sky. Without missing a beat Reapers quickly target and disable the ships that they can, while Tantalus vessels, carrying in addition to their own weaponry Kabalite Warriors armed with Splinter Cannons or Dark Lances, unleash havoc on the enemy. The Tantalus horde then moves to skimmer across the ground, literally cutting down what remains.
LOADOUT:
Armament:
--Scythevanes : These attached scythes are much larger then any other Dark Eldar vehicle, these gather power through molecular dissonance fields as the craft moves. At decent speeds it is described as cutting straight through vehicles.
--Twin Pulse-Disintegrators:
These powerful weapons fire rapid pulses of subatomic matter, vaporizing their targets explosively. Unlike other races utilizing this weapon type the Twin-Pulse disintegrators do not overheat or explode, and can maintain rapid fire.
Defense:
--Flicker and Night Shields:
Special:
Ehanced Aethersails, Retrofire Jets, Horrorfex/Torment grenade launchers,grizzly trophies
-Transport: The Tantalus is large enough to carry up to 16 people.
Additional Factors:
--Rare: Like the Reaper, this is a rare vehicle.
--Skimmercraft, meaning it is capable of limited flight and usually hovers a few meters off the ground. Furthermore these tanks can be deployed from the aircraft or orbit into fortified enemy positions.
??? Revenant Titan
For some odd reason the Dark Eldar now have Reverent Titans as of the Games Workshop Supplement Escalation. Presumably these would be very rare as they do not fit in with the Dark Eldar raider-like combat doctrine. To see the profile of the Revenant Titan, please check out this excellent bio here
http://www.scribd.com/doc/173471192/Eldar-Army-Profile
Sources of information:
-Generic Lexicanum and Warhammer 40k wiki
- Path of the Incubus
-Path of the Renegade (both by Andy Chambers)
- Path of the Outcast (Gav Thrope)
--Treasures of Biel-Tanth, Night on the Streets of Knives, Bellathonis and the Shadow King, and Curse of Shaa-dom (Andy Chambers mostly)
- Mistress Baeda's Gift by Braden Campbell (Short Story)
- Dark Eldar Codex, 3e
- Dark Eldar Codex 5e
- Dark Eldar Campaign, Dawn of War Soulstorm
--Harlequins 1 Source here
