Eldar (Warhammer 40,000)
The Eldar are an extraterrestrial species that feature in Warhammer 40,000.
Contents |
History
The Aeldari were a humanoid extraterrestrial race that inhabited the Milky Way Galaxy. According to some accounts, the species were bred by the Old Ones to help wage war against their bitter enemies the Necrons.
When the Aeldari Empire was at its height, their homeworlds were paradises, their powers godlike and their armies unsurpassed.
The epicentre of the psychic apocalypse lay within the gilded heart of the Aeldari Empire in the northwestern region of the galaxy from Terra. All Aeldari within thousands of light years were reduced to lifeless husks, their souls forever claimed by She Who Thirsts. Even those who had foreseen the catastrophe and fled upon the craftworlds were overwhelmed, with only those furthest from the devastation surviving.
Overview
In appearance, Aeldari were generally similar to humans though were taller and slimmer where they had sharp features and pointed ears.
Of all the galaxy's ancient races, the Eldar had most closely resembled mankind. Averaging just over two metres, they were a little taller than humans, more slightly built and more delicately featured. In human terms, most Eldar were radiantly beautiful. Their skin colour was pale, in some cases almost white. Their ears were delicately pointed, but otherwise there had been little physical difference between Eldar and humans. Some accounts claimed that the two races were genetically so close that it was even possible for them to interbreed. Several theories had been advanced to explain the physical traits shared with humans; the most commonly held of which was that the two shared a common ancestor. (Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader)
The Aeldari had their own pantheon of deities that included:
- Isha :
- Kaela Mensha Kaine :
- Kurnous :
- Vaul :
- Cegorach :
- Ynnead :
Among the factions of Aeldari included:
- Asuryani :
- Drukhari :
- Rillietann : Harlequins
- Ynnari :
- Exodites :
- Anhrathe : Aeldari Corsairs
Their warriors were divided amongst the warriors Aspect Temples that included:
- Dire Avengers :
- Howling Banshees :
- Warp Spiders :
- Shadow Spectres : these warriors were disguised behind shimmering holo-fields and were covered in gossamer-thin robes that gave them a wraith-like appearance. They were armed with prism rifles that were potent anti-tank weapons and were equipped with jet packs that afforded them the mobility which allowed them to patiently hunt down their targets. Shadow Spectres seemingly emerged from the air in order to unleash their overwhelming firepower against their enemies.
Adventurers, as individuals or small groups, were not uncommon in the Imperium. They were tolerated by most authorities, and always attracted a good deal of attention. Occasionally they would take employment as bounty-hunters, treasure seekers or warriors. Larger groups of Eldar sometimes organised themselves into mercenary bands, which were both feared and respected. Mercenaries were unwelcome on peaceful, well-ordered planets, but were often sought and employed by malcontent factions, warring Imperial Commanders, or even as protection against alien raiders. The most famous, or rather infamous, mercenaries were composed of renegades from Eldar society; the psychotic, the malcontent, murderous or evil; characters at odds with their kin and shunned by other Eldar they might meet. Such groups might even turn to piracy, becoming enemies of the Imperium and humanity. Eldar mercenaries could be hired by any human governor or rebel with sufficient money and no scruples. These inhuman warriors were renegades amongst their own kind: murderers, psychotics, criminals, and anarchists. Only desperate men did stoop to employing Eldar mercenaries. Those who did so inevitably came to regret their action. These sell-swords owed nothing to anyone, and were quite happy to switch sides or pursue their own objectives when the opportunity arose. (Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader)
A typical squad of Eldar pirates included the worst elements of the race; misfits, lunatics, sadists, and the seriously disturbed. A typical squad of pirates numbered five warriors equipped with mesh armour and carrying a refractor field defence device. Some piratical groups adopted deliberately awesome dress, with all kinds of weird, convoluted, and distorted designs. Each pirate's dress also echoed some theme, for example a screaming face, a howling wolf, or throttling hands. (Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader)
Spirit Stones were made out of psycho-receptive crystals called Waystones. The Waystone was attuned solely to the mind of its owner, at which point it becomes a Spirit Stone.
A primary construction material used by the Asuryani Aeldari was Wraithbone that was an example of their psycho-technical engineering. It was a form of crystallized psychic energy that could exist as a solid in realspace that was brought forth from the Warp and shaped by an Aeldari concentrating their thoughts and intent upon it.
Weapons used by the Aeldari included:
- Shuriken Catapults :
- Starcannon :
Vehicles used by the Asuryani included:
- Wave Serpent :
- Phantoms : tall, slender and elegant machines that were the largest known pattern of Aeldari Titan. They were noted for being swift and agile that contrasted them from the human Titans with the Phantom being armed with deadly weaponry. They were considered the height of Aeldari Warcraft and were linked with a wraithbone core containing the living spirit of its previous pilots. The single pilot Steersman that controlled the Phantom Titan were Exarch's dedicated to their aspect of warfare where they were locked in a trance-like state with their consciousness merging with the spirit-sentience of the giant war machine allowing it to reach and manoeuvre at incredible speeds.
One relic used by their civilisation was the Webway that was an extra-dimensional space and dimensioned partitioned off from the Immaterium.
Members
- Eldrad Ulthran :
- Prince Yriel :
- Asurmen :
- Jain Zar :
- Karandras :
- Baharroth :
- Maugan Ra :
- Irillyth :
- Amallyn Shadowguide : a female Eldar who came from the Biel-Tan Craftwold who had travelled through the Webway for centuries and became one of the explorers of one of the newly discovered Blackstone Fortress's where she hoped that it would have means of restoring her fractured home.
Notes
- The Eldar were created by Games Workshop and featured in the setting of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
In other media
Video games
- In Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, the Eldar featured in the story mode and were a playable faction in the real-time strategy video game. A group of them were led by Farseer Macha of Craftworld Biel-Tan who was responsible for sealing a Greater Daemon within the Maledictim that was hidden on the world of Tartarus and sought to prevent the entity's release.
- In Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Winter Assault, the Eldar featured in the story mode and were a playable faction in the real-time strategy video game expansion. A group of them were led by Farseer Taldeer of Craftworld Ulthwé who was the leader of a strike force sent to Lorn V to prevent the awakening of the Necrons.
- In Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Dark Crusade, the Eldar featured in the story mode and were a playable faction in the real-time strategy video game expansion.
- In Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm, the Eldar featured in the story mode and were a playable faction in the real-time strategy video game expansion.
- In Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II, the Eldar featured in the story mode and were a playable faction in the real-time strategy video game.
- In Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Chaos Rising, the Eldar featured in the story mode and were a playable faction in the real-time strategy video game expansion.
- In Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Retribution, the Eldar featured in the story mode and were a playable faction in the real-time strategy video game expansion. Within the setting, the Eldar were led by Autarch Kayleth of Craftworld Alaitoc who commanded her war host on Typhon Primaris in the hope of preventing the destruction of the planet that contained an ancient buried Craftworld on it and thus she sought to save the Eldar souls within it.
- In Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade, the Eldar appeared as a playable race in the third-person action video game.
- In Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, the Eldar appeared as a playable race in the real-time strategy video game.
- In Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2, the Eldar returned as a playable race in the real-time strategy video game.
- In Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr, the Eldar appeared in the setting of the video game. Within the Caligari Sector, the Aeldari of Craftworld Tualthe existed for centuries in a tense peace with the Imperial forces of the Caligari Conclave. However, their position became dire when Chaos had infected their Craftworld causing it to slowly die with no cure for the disease. In desperation, they sought to migrate to one of the Maiden Worlds but it was subjected to Exterminatus by the Mechanicus in order to stem the tide from the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Garm. This caused a sense of bitterness from the Aeldar towards the humans and they made a desperate search for a means of saving their dying Craftworld.
Appearances
- Warhammer 40,000:
- Codex: Eldar:
