Beastmaster

Go my lovelies!

Whip me harder daddy!

Overview

Because Games Workshop is unoriginal, they have reused several names for similar concepts between settings. This is one of those cases.

In Warhammer 40k

Over the millennia since Commorragh's founding its sand-filled arenas have drunk the blood of millions Billions! MOTHERFUCKIN' TRILLIONS! Most of which is due to the gladiatorial arena which is filled with dangerous beasts and psychotic, scantily clad ladies. These are the guys who just so happen to be the ones supplying the arenas with these deadly little critters.

Beastmasters are the Dark Eldar responsible in unleashing all the beasts in the battlefield. On their off times, they provide the animals necessary for the gladiatorial battles. 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. When accompanying a realspace raid, the Beastmasters will hover over the battlefield, goading their ferocious beasts to rend and maim anything nearby.

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. They are also contenders as having the biggest balls in Commorragh as not only do they need to tame these deadly animals, but some are from the Warp and thus, they need to risk their entire soul just to bait some Warp critters.

Other than taming the more common beasts used in battle, Beastmasters also tame Barghesi which are hyper-violent aliens (which Iron Lords are wary against), Helspiders which are giant spiders with a blade on each leg tip and the Megasaur which is a fucking dinosaur if you didn't already guessed its name already.

The Beastmaster stands firmly on a skyboard, a beautifully curved craft that features weapons as well as an array of skulls. The Beastmaster themselves are garbed in relatively little, only a few leather straps, chains, vials and gloves, whilst displaying his tightly muscled torso on which you could paint all manner of markings. In one hand he carries an ornate and powerful whip which looks kind of like a Agoniser, although it is not clearly stated. See also the Pursuer Cadre.

In Warhammer Fantasy

The Dark Elves, ever since their days as regular elves in Nagarthye, have had a sadistic side for taming and using great beasts to their own end. Io and behold, being slavers allows you to travel all over the world and capture random creatures who may be useful.

When a Dark Elf child shows exceptional aptitude at taming animals (or when a Dark Elf mother wants to get rid of some dead weight), they are sent to the slaving capital of the Dark Elfs, Karond Kar, in which beasts and men are treated the same.

From there the child is groomed (likely in all senses of the word knowing the Dark Elves), to be exceptional cruel and brutal to other living beings. Unlike humans, Elves have an innate psychic empathy in which they can feel what nearby creatures feel. Normally, this means Elves are extremely empathetic to the state of animals and compassionate to them. Dark Elves are not normal.

Instead, Dark Elves with exceptionally strong empathy use this intimate understanding of what causes the most pain to break all before them-both beast and man. Regardless of how strong, wise, clever or cunning they are, all are driven before the Beastmaster, or perish beneath their whip-and which is the perferred outcome for the Beastmaster ultimately likes very little difference, as pleasure and pain mix together in a bizarre cacophony of emotions.

If they become successful enough, they may be entrusted to lead an army, in which they become a High Beastmaster -aka a lord option.

Beastmasters worship Anath Raema, Goddess of the Savage Hunt of the Cytharai, above the rest of the Elven Pantheon. When the High Beastmasters of the Dark Elves go to war, they enact her will, and unleash her savage kin upon the enemy lines, breaking their will and enslaving more.