Drukhari
The Dark Eldar are an extraterrestrial species that feature in Warhammer 40,000.
Contents |
History
The Drukhari were a faction that splintered from the ancient Aeldari empire. Ten thousand years ago, the Aeldari had formed an interstellar civilisation that was the greatest seen in the galaxy since that of the Old Ones. This was until the terrible time of the Fall of the Aeldari, the great cataclysm that nearly destroyed the entire Aeldari species. It was an event so terrible that not only did it kill trillions of Aeldari, but it breached the dimensional barrier between realspace and the Warp, and gave birth to the Chaos God Slaanesh. A great Warp rift was created in the material universe at the site of what had once been the centre of the Aeldari civilisation, encompassing almost the entire Aeldari Empire and creating the Eye of Terror, thus marking the end of the era known to Humanity as the Age of Strife. Commorragh was originally the greatest of the Webway port-cities, impossibly vast and able to transport a fleet to any of the most vital planets of the Aeldari Empire by virtue of its many portals. Because of the access it granted to the far-flung corners of realspace, this mighty metropolis was reckoned to be the most important location in the entire Webway. It was too valuable to the Aeldari as a whole to belong to any single aspect of their empire, so it existed outside the jurisdiction of the great Aeldari councils of that time. Precisely because of its autonomy, the Webway city-port quickly became a magnet for those that wished their deeds to remain hidden from prying eyes. The realm of Commorragh expanded unstoppably as wealth flowed across its borders. It spread outward into the void, consuming other Webway port-cities, private estates and subrealms with each new expansion. Commorragh grew ever larger and more impressive as it fed on their plundered resources. Unseen, the dilettante lords who ruled Commorragh's spires and dens of vice grew in status alongside their adoptive city, initiating more and more of the Aeldari species into their shadowy creeds. Deep in the Webway after the Fall, the groups of Pleasure Cult survivors came together and laid the foundations of the vast new sub-realm that they named Commorragh, the Dark City, which was built on the foundation of the ancient Aeldari port-city within the Webway of the same name that had lain outside the jurisdiction of all the Aeldari authorities of their lost empire. As more and more Aeldari survivors from other sub-realms in the Webway began to arrive, they soon added their own regions to the new realm, slowly making it even larger and more heavily populated, until it became what it is today -- a vast domain, an infernal city of suffering and death.
In M18, the nodal port city of Commorragh was established in the Webway that became the primary such hub for the ancient Eldar. With each passing decade, it began to grow larger where it was held outside the jurisdiction of the Eldar council. This led to it becoming a magnet for those that wished to avoid attention. (Codex: Dark Eldar 3rd Ed)
Overview
In appearance, the Dark Eldar were humanoids notable for their alabaster skin that was almost corpse-like in its pallor as their was no true sunlight in their shadowy realm. Their warrior castes were tall and lithe without exception. Dark Eldar had athletic physiques that were lined with whipcord muscle, honed and enhanced until they were superior even to their Craftworld Eldar cousins as they prized martial prowess most highly. Their senses were keen to the point of paranoia and their shadowed eyes along with tapered ears alerted them to the slightest disturbance. Dark Eldar eyes had adapted to pick out prey in pitch darkness due to them living in their shadowy realm. Countless generations of physical conflict had ensured that the Dark Eldar had better reaction speeds and greater physical strength than any other members of the Eldar race. However, the innate psychic abilities of their forebeares had atrophied. It as known that their lifespans were capable of spanning millennia. (Codex: Dark Eldar 3rd Ed)
Under a witch-sight, the Dark Eldar were repugnant monsters who were eternally thirsting for anguish of others in order to fill the aching void at their core. Fiercely intelligent and devious to a fault, they operated as piratical raiders who revelled in pain. Their boundless and brilliant potential was put to every terrible purpose that they could imagine. By feeding on the souls of their foes, Dark Eldar became imbued with supernatural might and resilience allowing them to turn themselves into uncontrollable killing machines that were blind to any discipline. (Codex: Dark Eldar 3rd Ed)
Warriors from Commorragh knew all the ways to kill the denizens of the galaxy and delighted in the ways to perfect it. Their long lifespans meant that they had all the time in the world to perfect their stygian arts. The kabals struck swiftly and without warning only to disappear like ghosts when enemy resistance became too severe. Their piratical raids struck from above on-board their grav-craft before leaping into the battlefield to experience the slaughter first-hand. To them, the sweet look of horror on their victims was pleasing to them but also relished the breaking of their captives bodies with the true prize being crushing their spirits. To the Dark Eldar, nothing was more gratifying than securing the utter dominion over those that had resisted them. They drank every woe experienced by their captive until their victims gibbered and pleaded for death which was a mercy that the Dark Eldar were famously slow to grant. (Codex: Dark Eldar 3rd Ed)
Though treacherous and scheming, their strike forces operated like well-tuned machines on the battlefield. Raids were planned in meticulous detail by Archons and the Succubi that lead them. Kabals were responsible for regular piratical raids with much to be gained for those of the Dark Eldar. These included getting the thrill of hunting lesser mortals, the chance to personally capture new slaves and being revitalised by the feast offered from bringing about unbridled destruction upon the end of a hunt. Only the most capable were recruited for these realspace raids as any failure could help bring about the downfall of a kabal. This was the reason why Dark Eldar were such determined fighters and the reason for their rivalries. By working in concert, they ensured that the greatest amount of punishment was inflicted on those in realspace whilst also bringing about the maximum number of captives back to Commorragh. Any vendettas tended to be revisited once the captives had been divided as the Dark City was always in demand for fresh intakes of souls. Upon the return, thousands of slaves were traded like currency where some were put to work in hellish weapon shops, others rendered in flesh-troughs and some tormented to death where their demise was drawn out as long as possible so that the Dark Eldar could draw sustenance from their misery. (Codex: Dark Eldar 3rd Ed)
The Dark Eldar saw themselves as the true inheritors of the ancient Eldar empire. As such, they looked down upon everyone else as either cowards or dim-witted prey. It was said that they rarely sullied their tongues with the grunting languages of lesser races with them using translator technology in cases where communication was impossible. To the Dark Eldar, the Eldar gods died in the Fall of their civilisation and they despised them for it. They believed that the gods had become so weak that they could be consumed by their kind's collective depravity which was a sign to them that their deities did not deserve to exist in the first place. As such, they normally did not worship anyone apart from themselves. They did pay homage to those they respected with vaunted warriors and dark artists that came to be revered amongst their kind. This was not out of any attempt to honour their skill but rather to purely learn more of their power. There were, however, a few exceptions to this as they still held Kaela Mensha Khaine in high regard. In addition, another group within their pantheon were the Dark Muses who epitomised carnal and selfish vices where their clandestine worship had contributed to the demise of the original Eldar gods. They were originally mighty Dark Eldar from ages past that had become almost folkloric figures that were favoured by assassins and murderers. Among them included Shaimesh the Lord of Poisons who was the treacherous brother of Saim-Hann the Cosmic Serpent. Another was Lhilitu the Consort of the Void with the Cult of the Lhamaea paying homage to her. Powerful Archons meanwhile paid homage to the tenets of Vileth who was a figure of immense arrogance. Many traditional Wych Cults were also known to invoke the Red Crone Hekatii on the eve of battle or sacrifice victims to Qa'leh the Mistress of Blades. Some came to believe that Asdrubael Vect may one day rise to a position amongst the Dark Muses. (Codex: Dark Eldar 3rd Ed)
Dark Eldar were quick to fight with every weapon at their disposal in order to survive. Little distinction was drawn between the sexes as an individuals skill and cunning were deemed far more important than physical traits such as height or gender. (Codex: Dark Eldar 3rd Ed)
In the Dark City, those Dark Eldar who were not cautious did not survive for long. (Codex: Dark Eldar 3rd Ed)
Within the Drukhari army included:
- Incubi : these Drukhari were the highest calibre of warrior among their kind that honed themselves to the art of war and had the singular goal of killing as many enemies as possible. Thus, they were highly valued as both bodyguards and shock troops by their masters with the Incubi taking joy in proving their skill in combat. Whilst trained in various forms of blades, they tended to favour their great Klaives blades that were able to slice through enemy armour with ease.
- Wracks :
- Grotesques : these towering monstrous beings were creations of the Haemonculi who created the massive meat-hulks to be engines of destruction.
- Mandrakes :
- Scourge : rich and daring Drukhari surrendered themselves to the Haemonculi who went about grafting them powerful wings whilst hollowing their bones and providing adrenaline dispensers to give them the power of flight. These veteran warriors were prized by Kabal lords who paid handsomely for their services with Scourges being equipped with the best weapons and armour. They tended to fight long range and away from harms reach rather than engage in close quarter fighting against their enemies.
- Beastmaster : these Drukhari commanded the fearsome beasts that were let loose during raids into realspace where they stood aboard their skyboard to oversee their
- Lhamaeans : a mysterious sisterhood of Lhilitu that were often found within the ranks of courtesans of an Archon. They were desired above all else as they were poisoners without equal and had a supply of the most virulent toxins that they shared with their master during raids into realspace.
- Archons : the masters of Drukhari Kabals, they fed on the pain of others in order to invigorate themselves thus leading them to raid realspace and having the power to enslave entire worlds or destroy whole civilisations.
Drugs and stimulants were in widespread use in Commorragh even though they drastically shortened the life expectancy of those that take them. Among such combat drugs included Hypex, Serpentin, Grave Lotus, Painbringer, Adrenalight and Splintermind. (Codex: Dark Eldar 3rd Ed)
Though normally lithe and quick, Dark Eldar to known to further augment themselves through the use of surgery, experimentation and drugs. (Codex: Dark Eldar 3rd Ed)
Unlike the Eldar, the Dark Eldar manufactured their weaponry rather than psychically grew it. Despite that, it was just as advanced as those used by the Eldar Craftworlds. In matters of war, the Dark Eldar were supreme artisans with their technology refined to the point of appearing magical. Among their tools of war included splinter weapons that were favourite weapons which set every nerve aflame with pain. They also used darklight beams, whips that bleed acidic ichor and eldritch soul-traps. (Codex: Dark Eldar 3rd Ed)
Weapons included:
- Agoniser :
- Mindphase Gauntlet :
- Djin Blades :
- Husk Blade :
- Disintegrator Cannons :
- Haywire Blaster :
- Shredder :
- Heat Lance :
- Phantasm Grenade Launcher :
The Dark Eldar were confident in their own abilities to a point that their lightweight bodysuits incorporated bladed plates not only for protection but also as a weapon to use on those they preyed on. (Codex: Dark Eldar 3rd Ed)
They rarely sullied their tongues with the grunting languages of the lesser races. Instead, they used translator on occasions where they found communication to be unavoidable. (Codex: Dark Eldar 3rd Ed)
In terms of vehicles, they utilised the following:
- Cronus : this Parasite Engine was a disturbing torture device and war machine that had an armoured shell-like carapace that protected the Cronos as it contained hooks and chains along with segmented tendrils that it used against enemies.
- Talos :
- Venom :
- Raider :
- Ravager :
Drukhari, like most Aeldari kindreds, make use of advanced technology, including anti-gravity devices, dark matter weaponry, nanotechnology and psychic artifacts. While Drukhari do make use of psychic devices, they do not any longer use psychic powers themselves because of the danger that interacting with the Warp brings for those whose souls are desired by Slaanesh.
Within Webway, the Dark Eldar provided energy through captive dying stars that they called the Ilmaea (Translation: black suns). These were maintained by a few solar cults though the suns were looked upon with contempt by the Dark Eldar who saw them as another resource to be bled and discarded. (Codex: Dark Eldar 3rd Ed)
The Dark Eldar turned their back on the material dimension along ago. However, on those occasions where they emerged from their twilight realm it was to revel in their ability to outclass their foes. Warrior Kabals struck swiftly and without warning from their portals opened within their labyrinth dimension of the webway. They would then disappear like ghosts when enemy resistance became too severe. (Codex: Dark Eldar 3rd Ed)
Runic wards were known to protect the Dark City. (Codex: Dark Eldar 3rd Ed)
Commorragh had subsumed its vassal domains that were not destroyed with these ancient portals and gates linking these palatial sub-realms to one another. (Codex: Dark Eldar 3rd Ed)
Channelling the energies of Chaos within Commorragh would be to invite disaster as it would draw the attention of She Who Thirsts. As such, psychic powers were one of the few things forbidden in the Dark City. (Codex: Dark Eldar 3rd Ed)
Members
- Asdrubael Vect :
- Drazhar :
- Arhra :
- Lelith Hesperax :
- Sathonyx :
- Kheradruakh :
- Sliscus :
- Malys :
- Urien Rakarth :
Notes
- The Dark Eldar were created by Games Workshop where they featured in the setting of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
- During the 8th Edition, the faction were renamed as the Drukhari.
In other media
Video games
- In Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm, the Dark Eldar featured in the story mode and were a playable faction in the real-time strategy video game expansion. These Dark Eldar were part of the Kabal of the Black Heart who were led by Archon Tahril where he directed their activities within the Kaurava System.
- In Battlefleet Gothic: Armada II, the Drukhari appeared as a playable faction within the setting of the space-based strategy video game.
- In Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr, the Drukhari appeared as antagonists in the DLC for the video game. These Dark Eldar were referred to as being part of the Kabal of the Jagged Maze which had operated in the Caligari Sector for centuries. When the Triglav Subsector was cut off decades ago, the Kabal began preying on the Imperial worlds in the region and used the suffering to power 'pain catalysts' that provided them great power.
- In Warhammer 40,000: Gladius, the Drukhari appeared as a playable faction in DLC for the setting of the strategy video game. It was said that an arrogant Archon brought his Drukhari raiding party to Gladius Prime, to take advantage of the distracting Ork invasion to gather wealth, power and workers. Unfortunately, someone followed him, someone equally ancient and decadent.
- In Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, the Drukhari featured heavily in the plot of the CRPG video game. The Kabal of the Reaving Tempest led by Archon Iremeryss where they conducted raids on worlds within the Koronus Expanse. Among her followers was her brother the Dracon Marazhai Aezyrraesh who led the numerous raids into realspace. When one of these went awry, he came to realise that someone was attempting to hunt him and he moved to uncover who this party was among the worlds within the Von Valancius Rogue Trader protectorate. Meanwhile, the Haemonculi Tervantias the Archmachinator was responsible for leeching the star of the Rykad Minoris in order to power more of his foul experiments.
Appearances
- Warhammer 40,000:
External Links
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