Eliphas The Inheritor

Eliphas before he gets his awesome helmet

Eliphas the Inheritor or simply Eliphas is a Chaos Lord featured in the Warhammer 40K Dawn of War Vidya geym series. He made his first appearance in Dawn of War: Dark Crusade where he led the Word Bearers legion on Kronus and surprisingly made a future appearance in Dawn of War 2's expansion: Chaos Rising, as a champion of the Black Legion. Eliphas is an Ensemble Darkhorse. That means that he's a character who's gained a level of popularity that was unexpected. As he was was intended as a one shot character, being a villain protagonist/main villain in Dark Crusade. This was due to a number of factors, the most significant being that he was badass.

Eliphas was truly an anomaly. In a long line of incompetent Chaos Lords, he was actually a legitimately cool character. His was a personality of insane zealotry, berserk bloodthirst, and dark charisma, and tactical brilliance. He had excellent voice acting, an excellent aesthetic, and also had wondrous gameplay. He was without doubt one of the most deadly hero units in all of Dark Crusade. Capable of taking down and destroying utterly Gorgutz 'Ead Unter and the Necron Lord (unless he used that Essence of the Nightbringer ability, or simply blew him into tiny chunks with the lightning ability, or dicked around by turning incorporeal and regenerated to full health at the speed of light then popping back and raping him again, seriously, Artifacts allow the Necron lord to handily outclass Eliphas). Especially, considering that this was the time Dawn of War was gaining more RPG traits. He also was loved for his sinister, cruel quips and dickish manners. Consistently putting down his enemies not only on the battlefield, but also with his eloquence. He was also the one who revealed to the Blood Ravens their possible descent from a Traitor Legion, making him incredibly important to the overarching plot arc of the Blood Ravens.

Despite his apparent death in Dawn of War: Dark Crusade, Eliphas' legions of fans did not go unnoticed, and he was brought back as the main villain in the Chaos themed expansion to Dawn of War II, Chaos Rising. Here is where some people think it all went a bit down hill.

Eliphas was downgraded here from a mighty Chaos Lord into a mere Chaos Champion, under the command of an equally badass Chaos Lord named Araghast. This new appearance of Eliphas did away with the character's badass helmet and voice. As Paul Dobson was replaced with Steve Blum. Steve Blum's voice acting as excellent all the same and many consider him equal to Paul or indeed, surpassing him. However, others feel that the voice didn't need to be changed and were disappointed. Some fans felt alienated and when Eliphas was defeated yet again, some decided to look to Araghast himself as Eliphas' successor. Ultimately, Eliphas was less well received in Chaos Rising and a percentage of his fanbase were disillusioned with the character. It was also implied in the end that Eliphas in fact served the the most despised failure of a Chaos Lord ever to cheapen the Name of Chaos. This evoked the expected response

But that changed with Retribution, Eliphas was given Terminator armour and was made a playable character again. Where he was once again the single most powerful melee combatant in the game and could now get DAEMON SWORDS. He was also given some of the best writing and truly seemed like the brutal evil warlord he always used to be. Unfortunately, he had to suck up to Abaddon again, but hey. What did you want him to do? Spout out every reason why he's a failure to his face? Games Workshop would throw a bitchfit.

Dark Crusade

Eliphas was known to be already present on Kronus during the events of Horus Heresy, where he participated in a battle against the Ultramarines as a young champion. When the Word Bearers were routed by the Ultrafags, he was damned to the Basilica of Torments and returned to the mortal plane after a thousand years of torment as a mighty and terrible Chaos Lord of the Word Bearers and brought others under his warband.

Later, during the opening phases of the Dark Crusade, Eliphas and the Word Bearers were summoned back to Kronus by a Chaos cult at the Third Temple of Black Succession in the far south of the Deimos Peninsula. This cabal had turned to Chaos in light of their experiences with the recent rise of the Necrons on Kronus, and Eliphas had answered. Using the knowledge gained from The Book of the Epistles of Lorgar, their leader Virgilius planned to bring Eliphas to Kronus. On the eighth night of their visit to the Temple, Virgilius led them to the great chamber at the temple's heart, where he and eight of his cultists were sacrificed on an icon of Chaos. The Warp opened between the points of the eight-pointed star and Eliphas stepped forth, heralding the beginning of the Ninth Inheritance. Thus, presumably, we have an idea on how he got his name. Eliphas' objective is slaughter the other powers on the planet in glorification of Khorne and bring it under his Thrall as a daemon world. Throughout the campaign he has the following opportunities to get even closer to the Dark Gods;

He gets even more favour with the BloodGod by assraping the Orks and giving the big guy their skulls along with that of Crull's. Slaanesh's by busting open Eldar soulstones so that the hermaphroditic freak can have a late night snack, Papa Nurgle's by releasing a Great Unclean One from captivity, and Tzeentch's by pwning Necrons. also he can get the favour of Abbadon if he fuck off the blood ravens (maybe Abbadon was watching and decide that he has wonderful arms...you now) and the favour of Lorgar (because he hates the weeboo communists even more than /tg/ and that's saying something).

How much of this he actually accomplished is up to debate, though due to his closeness to Khorne, we can assume he at least retrieved Crull's skull from Gorgutz in a skirmish or something. In the end, however, Eliphas was defeated by Davian Thule and his Blood Magpies and was judged by Daemon Prince into oblivion.

Chaos Rising

As a result of his unexpected popularity, Eliphas returns in Chaos Rising. He fights as a champion for the Black Legion against the Blood Ravens in Aurelia, having been brought back to life by bargaining his way from the Warp and just fighting his way out in other segments. Like a true badass out of hell. He then joins forces with Araghast the Pillager and serves as his second-in-command. Only to SSSSINNNNDRRRIII his new master when he runs afoul of Force Commander Hair-Gel and his merry band of Hair-atics. Despite this apparent badassery, Eliphas was defeated by the Blood Ravens anyway during their attack on Keep Selanon, despite being the most fucking hard to kill boss in the game aside from Martellu (FFFFFUUUUUU!!!) and Ulkair (MOTHERFUUUU!!!)

He's later seen in the Judgement of Carrion, speaking to a strangely armed Abaddon. Though behind the scenes footage reveals that another Chaos terminator was in fact behind Abaddon serving as his arms. Eliphas swears to Abaddon that we will destroy the Blood Ravens.

Retribution

Eliphas back to being his awesome old self again...still needs a helmet though.

Eliphas apparently channels the spirit of Araghast's badassness in this expansion. His voice has grown angrier and he seems to exhibit some Blood Knight tendencies. He gets the one liners we all know and love from Dark Crusade back too. He also screams, 'BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!' very often, implying he's gravitating to Khorne. Yes, it seemed as if Eliphas was finally back to his old self...

Of course, that's before he starts sucking the minuscule cock of Failaddon. Yeah, that's right. Abaddon is in this game. With a VA no less. He sounds like if Araghast has his massive balls torn off, but hey, what did we expect from Failaddon. His only purpose in the game is to whinge at you, and screech about how he wants Kyras dead. And that's because if Kyras sacrifices the Blood Ravens, he'll become a Warmaster of Chaos and a Daemon Prince. Realizing that his own incompetence shall avail him naught against a Librarian Devotee of Khorne, he enlists/blackmails Eliphas into his service, who is no doubt unaware of the armlessness. However, many people have chalked up Eliphas' subordination to Abaddon as politeness. After all, we all feel a shred of sympathy for Abaddon. Even 10,000 year old, bloodthirsty humanoid abominations who fanatically worship All-Powerful Gods of Evil and who wield mighty weapons not intended for the hands of noble, right thinking men.

Even so, Eliphas is simply so much fun to play in this expansion. Hell yeah, specc him out as a Champion of Khorne with fully upgraded sweeping doom, spend all remaining points in Nurgle, point and kill. Switch on Sweeping Doom on a horde, hell yeah, everything dies. Additionally, upon becoming a Champion of Khorne, that alone causes him to outdamage both Diomedes and Bluddflag. Speccing the rest of your points as Nurgle turns Eliphas into an unstoppable rape-machine that makes those two look like simpering pansies. And then, when you get Eliphas a Daemon Sword, well, given the tremendously high damage he'll do with it, and from his auras, and his health leeching, any attempt to face him in combat will be met with said person being torn to bloody shreds in under a second. Let us simply say that; Eliphas is a badass.

He starts out in Typhon hunting Thule, he tracks the old bastard Dreadnaught down and takes him out to some rather badass exchange. Killing Davian Thule is however, the most emotionally crippling thing in the campaign. :( Well that, and not finding a Daemon Sword or a helmet. He goes after Kyras, killing copious amounts of shit and then takes the big-ass Daemon Prince down. Taking some time to make Kyras bow before him first before banishing him to the void. He then ascends to Daemonhood and kills the Inquisitorial forces in Aurelia. After sacrificing the Blood Ravens to Abaddon and the entire sector to Khorne.

Excellent campaign, excellent ending. Especially the implication that once he's done with Kyras, Abaddon is next. See, Eliphas has a bad habit of SINDRI-ing his superiors.

Eliphas'dialogues

• Being dickish with Captain Thule - In retrospect, this was oddly prophetic.
• Against Captain Thule - This was prophetic, too.
• Eliphas being dickish with Governor Alexander
• Even when about to face defeat, he's still a dick
• Dick+Comic Relief=lolwut

Trivia

• He seems to be suffering from a severe case of Throat Cancer as his voice constantly changes tone.
• People argue furiously over whether his Daemon Prince ascension piece of wargear is worth taking or not. Daemon Princehood is the Worst Wargear in the campaign, and in most respects is actually a downgrade in terms of both abilities, offensive and defensive power, and useful secondary effects (upgraded Chaos Lord Eliphas provides constant morale drain, is immune to knockback/knockdown, etc; Daemon Prince Eliphas does not, though Daemon Prince Eliphas is indeed immune to knockback) in Dark Crusade.
• He has equal appearances with Gorgutz, though he is the only evil character to return from the original DoW series and, so far, the recurring villain character in DoW II.
• He's either named after the first man to commit murder and to be executed in the state of New Hampshire, or some French Occultist.
• Ironically considering his origins as an undivided lord, speccing him out as Khorne is the only way to make him effective in the campaign unless you specifically intend to fuck around with the options the other options offer (and they lack the balls-out melee punch of the former). Speccing him out as Khorne makes him more effective a combatant than every other melee campaign hero put together. This is rather fitting, seeing as how Eliphas roars out; 'Blood for the Blood God!" and "Skulls for the Skull Throne!" very often during gameplay.
• Speccing him out as Khorne not only makes him the most damaging unit in the game, it also makes him into the most successful troll in the game aside from that asshole; Kyras. Any unit hitting him will become consumed with RAGE and start hitting each other. Using the Berzerk ability on Eliphas will also cause everyone else to become FUCKANGRY.
• Evidence from Retribution and Dawn of War: Dark Crusade show that Eliphas serves Khorne above all the other Chaos Gods. The proof for this is that, Khorne is the only Chaos God he invokes by name (along with Tzeentch) and generally acts pretty Khornate. He likes fighting and killing more than regular Chaos Lords and gets angry pretty quickly.He also invokes Khorne more than the other Chaos Gods. It is finally proved in Retribution, where he literally screams the infamous 'Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne!' warcry regardless of whichever specialization you give him and generally keeps invoking Khorne at the exclusion of every other God except Slaanesh when killing Eldar, and Nurgle, when he tells their followers to fuck off. And he's not respectful in either instance. He also has this frightening fixation on bleeding his enemies out, as is noticed in the first Chaos mission.
• Spends every Friday night with his friends prank calling Shas'O Kais, unaware that the confused Tau is only getting static. Everybody's phone bill goes up- nobody wins.
• Eliphas can be given a permanent helmet in DoWII Retribution via a very well done and easy to install mod. http://forums.relicnews.com/showthread.php?257214-MOD-Shuma-s-Wargear-room-Advertisement-Retribution-beta-ranked-compatible-mods. You can give me a blowjob later.
  • Would forcing my sister to give you a blowjob instead work?
  • Yes.

Memorable Quotations

• "BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!" - Eliphas, channeling Araghast's badassness.

• "SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!" - Because Khorne > Every other Chaos God.

• "Do not be so quick to make foolish offers, Daemon. Araghast too once though I would be an asset to his cause. Look to what has become of him." - Eliphas being a badass.

• "You wish to honor Lord Nurgle? THEN DO SO FROM THE GRAVE!" - Eliphas, upon slaughtering a coven of Nurglite guardsmen, also is funny because decomposition joke.

• "YOU FIGHT FOR NOTHING, YOU ARE NOTHING!" - Eliphas, upon soloing a Landraider.

• "Observe, brothers. Observe how Space Marines choose to die, and how little choice they have in the matter. Come Davian, we have unfinished business!" - Eliphas, just about to kill Davian Thule, the bastard.

• "THE ETERNAL WAR ENDS FOR YOU THIS DAY!!" - Eliphas, out-Khornate-ing a an Alpha Black Legion (what in the fucking eleven circles of hell would make you think that the deranged chaos champion was from the Alpha legion? Perhaps because he bore Alpha Legion colours? (Nonsensical rambling, no legion like that ever existed) Chaos Champion, while Typhon was getting the shit blown out of it. Said Champion died in one hit.

• "WHY DOES ANYTHING THINK I CAN BE KILLED!?!" - Eliphas, shrugging off bolter fire and in the mood for some rape.

• "Oh, Davian, He cannot hear you." - Eliphas upon killing Davian Thule, the bastard.

• "Such inspiring courage! Perhaps we'll mount your corpse on a golden chair and make an idol out of you as well." - The quote that solidified Eliphas' popularity amongst the Imperium hating Heretics.

• "An ambush, we are finished! /sarcasm" - Eliphas mocks the Blood Raven's unmanly attempts to kill him while also being sarcastic. Oddly enough, most people who hear this line miss the obvious sarcasm. Which can lead you to suspect that most people are monkeys.

• "Then I wont lie to you brother. You have been lied to enough." - Eliphas, to Thule.

• "No coward has ever remained hidden from the Black Legion! I will relish in your soul's eternal suffering!" - Eliphas expresses his idealized view of the Black Legion whilst calling Kyras' a faggot and calling him out to some FIGHTAN.

• "CAN YOU WEAKLINGS NOT FIGHT ANY BETTER?!" - Can YOU scream this to an on-rushing army of Orks after having slaughtered their Warboss? No, you can't.

• "These are the Blood Ravens; finest slaves of the Dead Emperor. We owe them much more than a quick death." - Eliphas, alluding to how he shall rape the Blood Ravens.

• "Yesss... Come into my home, Taldeer." - Eliphas killed the Vindicare Assassin and raped Taldeer. Truth.

• "The people here have already accepted the Black Testament. So will you." - Eliphas is a religious badass. Far moar so than any SPESSH MEHREEN.

• "Come! See the Faith of my Crusaders, they shall soon cleanse you of your disbelief."

• "Well done! You have come further in this blessed land than I ever thought! Lord Khorne shall drink your blood from the very soil!"

• "IN BATTLE, WE ALL HONOUR KHORNE!!!" - Eliphas always did worship Khorne above all the other Gods.

• "You cannot impede the Black Inheritance." - Eliphas, unlike a certain other Chaos Lord who's first name is Ezekyle, has a reason for his title.