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Commorragh

2018-03-29T05:32:02Z

2001:8003:3895:3A00:FD9D:852C:338B:7546: Undo revision 483337 by 203.13.3.106 (talk) SJW Nonsense

{{Infobox 40k Nations
|name=Commorragh
|image=[[Image:Dark Eldar Lexicon Flag.PNG|230px|center]]
|bgcolor=
|fgcolor=
|Capital= [[Commorragh]]
|Official Languages=Eldar Lexicon
|Power=Great Power
|Size=Unknown, presumed Galactic
|Head of State=(Incumbent) [[Asdrubael Vect]]
|Head of Government=Ythillian Dynasty, Kraillach Dynasty, Xelian Dynasty (prior to Vect), Various [[Archon|Archons]] (current)
|Governmental Structure=Authoritarian Aristocracy (M30-M35)<br> Libertarian Meritocracy (M35-current)
|State Religion/Ideology=State Atheism (''Post-Fall of the Eldar'') <br> Temple of Khaine, Dark Muses, Secularism (''32nd Millennium onward'')
|Demographic= [[Eldar]], [[Mandrakes]], [[Sslyth]], [[Humans]], various [[Xenos]], various slaves
|Military Force= Kabals, Wych Cults, Haemonculi Covens, [[Eldar]] [[Corsairs]] and Mercenaries.
}}

{{Topquote|Is an Eldar not entitled to the sweat of his brow? 'No!' says the Eldar in the Exodite Worlds, 'it belongs to the land.' 'No!' says the Harlequin, 'it belongs to Cegorach.' 'No!' says the Eldar in the Craftworld, 'it belongs to everyone.' I rejected those answers; instead, I chose something different. I chose the impossible. I chose... Commorragh. A city where the artist would not fear the censor; where the Haemonculus would not be bound by petty morality; where the Archon would not be constrained by the slave! And with the sweat of your brow, Commorragh can become your city as well.|<s>Andrew Ryan</s> Asdrubael Vect on Commorragh}}

{{Topquote|He that becomes protector of sin shall surely become its prisoner.|Augustine of Hippo}}

{{Topquote|If the galaxy was a giant rundown town, Commorragh would be the local nightclub-turned-insane asylum.|[[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device|Big E making his opinion on the city clear]] (Episode 24: Of Khans and Cages)
}}

'''Commorragh''' is the main realm (there really is no better word for it) of the [[Dark Eldar]]. It sits at the heart of the [[Webway]]. Games Workshop named them after/based them on the Camorra clans of Naples and the Biblical city Gommorrah.

Sounding like something that would be named by an [[Ork|Mon-Keigh]], it started out during the days of the [[Eldar]] Empire as a bunch of private realms where bored Eldar could do perverse things in privacy -- or in large groups, if that floated their boats. These realms' relative isolation from reality partially shielded those within from the birth of [[Slaanesh]], preventing them from being outright sucked into the [[Warp]], though they quickly realized that they were still in danger as their souls began to erode from within their bodies.

Then, they discovered that [[Grimdark|causing pain to other creatures allowed them to top up their souls and stay youthful and energetic]]. These realms slowly coalesced as their occupants found common purpose in raiding realspace for victims, and then bringing them home to torture them. Eventually, some of these raiders banded together under the banners of the old noble houses, and the alliances and mergers brought about the Dark City we all know and love.

Because [[Dark Eldar]] have no need for foolish things like supports or foundations, structures get built at all sorts of crazy angles, which makes things that much more entertaining for the residents; from jet-bike races among the rooftops to gladiatorial challenges in the arenas to the [[Rape|therapist's office]], Commorragh has it all!

Despite it being hidden in the Webway and being crazy heavily defended Commorragh was invaded multiple times: often by [[Orks]], one time by [[Space Marines]] ([[Salamanders]] and their successors, fittingly) or [[Chaos Space Marines]] ([[Death Guard]] of all people), but mostly by Daemons. Almost '''all''' of these invasions were engineered by the Dark Eldar themselves to deal with their rivals in the ensuring chaos of battle. Denizens don't even consider these incidents threatening anymore. If anything your average Cabalite sees it as an upgraded version of a realspace raid - you get the joy of the hunt without leaving the Dark City and subjecting yourself to a withering influence of materium sucking half of the energy you take from torturing your quarry, AND you can backstab your competitors, superiors or aspiring underlings as there's no realspace raid truce to stop you. Sure, some would die in the fighting, but most invaders don't have annihilating weapons and the nearest Haemunculi resurrection chambers that could regenerate you from a single finger phalanx are right next doors. Anyone who gets "accidentally" vaporized by "friendly" darklight fire certainly ''deserves'' to stay dead for not looking at his back.

However, in at least three instances the forces of the [[Imperium]] have displayed that they can locate, enter and exit Commorragh, with both the [[Deathwatch]] and [[Space Wolves]] having done so and the forces of the [[Forge World]] Stygies also having marched an army right into the city before.

==The History of the Dark City==

Commorragh's history begins with the rise of the Eldar Empire, a stellar nation which straddled the galaxy for countless millennia and was the dominant force in the galaxy until the Fall which saw their almost total collapse. One of the key advantages which allowed the Eldar Empire to grow so powerful was their ability to use the Webway, a form of movement left to them by their creators; the [[Old Ones]]. The Webway was the principle mode of transportation for the Eldar during the tenure of their Empire and, as a result, numerous port cities were constructed within it. Greatest of these was the city of Commorragh itself.

However, when the spiritual malaise and decay that would doom their species set in, places like Commorragh were not exempt, with the inhabitants becoming cruel and capricious creatures, seeking ever more decadent, and often violent, forms of self-gratification. When [[The Fall]] occured and [[Slaanesh]] was birthed into the galaxy in an orgy of...well just about everything, the Eldar Empire practically ceased over night, with countless Eldar simply falling dead.

The Eldar within the Webway, however, were shielded from this effect. Although Slaanesh had purchase on their souls, the Young God could not simply extract it at will, instead slowly draining the soul away. As a result the Webway, like the [[Craftworlds]], [[Cegorach]] or the World Spirits of the [[Exodites]], became a form of refuge for the surviving Eldar. Commorragh, as the greatest of these Webway Cities, became a hub for surviving Eldar to gather and exist in relative safety.

Unlike their Craftworld, Exodite and Harlequin cousins, however, the Eldar of Commorragh chose not to give up their old ways, even though it had now literally damned their souls to an eternity of torment. Instead they devised a method by which they could sustain and feed themselves off the misery and suffering of others, ensuring they could live and escape Slaanesh as long as they could get access to adequate amounts of pain, sort of like garmonbozia. Indeed the Dark Eldar are, effectively, pain [[vampires]].

In the initial history of Commorragh it was ruled by dynastic noble families and clans, feuding with each other, and leaving it a rather anarchic place. Their rule was, however, eventually overturned by a former slave known as [[Asdrubael Vect]] who was smart enough to realize that there wasn't anything that couldn't be solved by a Space Marine and, so, managed to lure the heads of the major noble families into fights with some Salamander Chapter Space Marines which saw them all promptly killed. In the aftermath Asdrubael took over and instituted a new system based off Kabals, and became the top authority within the Dark City. Of note the term 'Dark Eldar' only came to be used by the inhabitants of Commorragh to describe themselves following Asdrubael's rise to power.

During the [[Great Crusade]] the Dark Eldar were not heard from much, but continued to be the sadistic freaks that we know and loath today, but with one new addition to their gruesome to do list. In order to hold off Slaanesh from devouring their souls they needed slaves (lots of them) to take their place. The Dark Eldar proceeded to launch raids across the galaxy where they plundered countless defenceless worlds including [[Vulkan]]s adopted home world which certainly didn't help to convince the Imperium to drop its xenophobic views. In the aftermath of the Great Crusade the Dark Eldar were involved in one incident; it is believed that the [[Primarch]] of the [[White Scars]] went missing pursuing Dark Eldar into the Webway. What exactly happened is unknown though, but it is unlikely he ever was taken to Commorragh or found by any of the leadership of the Dark City as the Dark Eldar would most likely all be dead in that case.

After the Horus Heresy the next major event to occur to the Dark City was when the Champion of Slaanesh, [[Lucius the Eternal]] was briefly detained along with [[Fabius Bile]] within an outer satellite of Commorragh. The capture was revealed to be a ruse, however, by the [[Emperor's Children]] who proceeded to release Daemons to feast upon the souls of the Dark Eldar present. It was noted as being the largest single loss of Eldar life in ages, with the Daemons of Slaanesh so overjoyed that the entire Dark City was briefly cowed from action as they looked to their own defences.

Despite these incidents the reign of Asdrubael Vect only saw one serious challenge, from the domain of Shaa-dom, a powerful holdout of the former nobility. Although they proved a worthy adversary for a while the master of the Dark City eventually doomed the domain to a Daemon infestation, removing that threat. Although the leader of Shaa-dom was briefly restored to life by descendants of the nobility, and plunged Commorragh into war, this threat too was halted eventually at great cost. Only much later would another, more serious, competitor for power emerge in the form of a jilted former consort of his; Lady Malys.

Lady Malys became a powerful Archon with connections to the Harlequins, who seemed set to guide her on a path perhaps connected to the [[Ynnari]] as they helped bring [[Yvraine]], future Herald of [[Ynnead]] to her attention. For a while the Dark City began to devolve into tension from the rising enmity between Lady Malys and Asdrubael...as well as the ominous collapsing of the defences around a part of Commorragh named 'Khaine's Gate'.

==Fracture of Biel-Tan==
Of late Commorragh has been rather turbulent. The emergence of [[Yvraine]] as the Herald of [[Ynnead]] saw the largest dysjunction in Commorragh's history, the infamous Khaine's Gate tearing open and allowing a veritable flood of Daemons to begin overwhelming the city. Although Vect had put counter-measures in place, and the Kabals did attempt to counter-attack, these did little to stop the invasion, with the Daemons continuously gaining ground and feasting on the souls of the slain Dark Eldar. Indeed the situation became so grim that many Dark Eldar began to talk openly of overthrowing Vect for allowing such an event to occur in the first place.

Certainly the Dark Eldar did not help themselves by continuing to fight against each other and by dispatching some of their own even in such a dire time to chase down and slay the Ynnari.

However, just as things began to look truly dire for the home of the Dark Eldar two things occurred; first the famed Decapitator of the Mandrakes completed his ritual, causing the Dark Dimension to flood out into Commorragh proper and a tidal wave of Mandrakes to counter-attack the Daemons, and secondly the Haemonculi decided the threat was at last dire enough that they opened up their abattoirs and released their most deranged and fearsome of beasts. Combined these two attacks finally quelled the Daemon invasion, saving Commorragh from destruction.

In the aftermath, though, the status quo had shifted. The city is damaged like never before, Asdrubael Vect's position is now shakier than ever and the effects of the Mandrake's dimension intruding on Commorragh is not yet fully known.

== Law and Order ==
Yes, there are LAWS in this god forsaken place. Like all laws, it is something that stops the society itself from collapsing. For a society that runs on debauchery, piracy and slavery however, it is without an exception.

The laws are:

*Do not bring psykers or use any psyker power. This one in general has to do with the frigging gates of Khaine that's blocking the daemons from entering the city, as well as not letting Slaanesh itself sense their presence and follow it to the city.

*Obey Vect and Kabals. They are the top dogs of the city. If they tell you to jump, you jump. If they tell you to get fucked by Haemonculi or go on a death match in the arena, you do it.

That's pretty much it. However, since there are no police force in Commorragh, the city has a lot of personal freedom where you can murder people whenever you want, stealing shit and play grimdark cyberpunk grand theft auto. However, killing the wrong or important people like a member of a Kabal or a Haemonculi can grant yourself instant death sentence, where instead of people watch you gets publicly execute, you will find a mob of fully armed Commorrites on your asses. The same goes to messing with the fighting arena (dark elders needs their entertainment) and Haemonculi (dark elders needs their healing and resurrection).

Their religious situation in the Dark City has been complex. Given their tendency towards selfish hedonism, Commorites tended to play fast and loose with religion as a whole, some outright dismissing it and gods altogether for their own selfish desires. After the Fall of the Eldar, Slaanesh nommed all the Eldar gods save Khaine, Cegorach and Isha; coupled with their toxic culture, social Darwinist tendencies and selfishness many decided to just abandon religion altogether - although atheism was never officially enforced it was encouraged (this is commemorated in-universe with Iconoclast's Mound, a mountainous landfill of various religious icons from all different races, beginning with Eldar religious icons when the Commorites threw away their own beliefs). Later they learned that Khaine, Isha and Cegorach survived. Some Dark Eldar do revere Khaine and some occasionally join the ranks of the Harlequins, but most Dark Eldar are either non-religious or atheistic. Vect himself has some syncretized views on religion in Commorragh; he has no problem with the Cult of Khaine that the Dark Eldar Incubi emerged from, however he serves nor reveres no higher power, is ambivalent towards anti-religious sentiment or persecution, is dismissive of the Harlequins and Cegorach and brushed off Ynnead as a myth until Ynnead awakened his power in Yvraine in Commorragh.

As of the Gathering Storm, Yvraine's action of sudden awaken her inner Ynnead blessed power has broken one of the above law to not use any psyker power. As a result, demon poured in and Vect had to deal with this shit himself. Welp surprisingly, he failed and now Commorragh is more chaotic than before, riots everywhere with Dark Elders join either Lady Malys or Vect for more misunderstood infighting.

So yeah, order for the sake of disorder, ironic huh?

==A Tour Guide of Commorragh==
[[File:Commorragh_Better.jpg|thumb|400px|The skyline of Commorragh. Can--and will--be viewed from any angle.|right]]

If you're not a Dark Eldar, Harlequin, or a badass mercenary, Commorragh can be difficult to get around in. It's a city that destroys the weak, torments the slow, and kills the stupid. Of course, all the previous three will die, it just varies on how and when. Despite popular theory, non-Eldar can prosper in Commorragh, since there are several parts where aliens live in towns and the most fearsome can be recruited into Dark Eldar Kabals, mostly because outsiders are at least familiar with the concepts of loyalty and honesty, unlike your average Dark Eldar, and those are often in demand in the Dark City.

A list of tips for newcomers.

* Head to the district called 'Null City' and become a badass alien mercenary (humans are aliens to Dark Eldar).
* Don't fuck with [[Asdrubael Vect]].

Otherwise.

* You were most likely brought back so Dark Eldar could feed off your pain so Slaanesh won't eat their souls/ sacrificed to Slaanesh in their place.
* You may have been brought back to be a [[Haemonculus|Haemonculi's]] guinea pig, snack, pet, a diversion so they won't get bored (which still involves unspeakable torture) or all of the above.
* You may be sent to the gladiator arenas of Commorragh to fight for your life against Wyches, dangerous beasts ranging from Razorwing flocks to captured Carnifexes, or both at the same time. This will last until you die.
* You can be killed simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time (or even if you went where you're supposed to go).
* If you're a slave, you're expendable currency, or [[Rape|used for other things]].
* If you stare at Scourges for too long, they will fly down, pick you up and impale you on a spire.
* There's no night or day, just the dull, baleful glow of stolen stars. It also has many areas where light never reaches (Dark Eldar adapted by developing natural night vision).
* In the shadows you can encounter Mandrakes, who will kill and/or eat you.
* The unnatural geometry of Commmoragh can be extremely disorienting for visitors.

{{Template:40k-Governments}}
[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Dark Eldar]]

Aspect Warrior

2018-03-29T05:31:46Z

2001:8003:3895:3A00:FD9D:852C:338B:7546: Undo revision 483594 by 203.13.3.106 (talk) SJW Nonsense

[[File:Aspect Warriors Loadout!.jpg|640px|right|thumb|Earth! Fire! Wind! Water! [[Gay|Heart!]] With their powers combined, the Aspect Warriors call forth <s>CAPTAIN PLANET!</s> CAPTAIN Warlock!]]
'''Aspect Warriors''' are [[Eldar]] who have chosen to walk the Path of the Warrior, and thus to defend their [[Craftworld|craftworlds]] from aggression and to destroy the enemies of the Eldar. They comprise the vast majority of the Eldar military and are separated into different branches called Aspects, each one of which specializes in a certain method of killing things.

Aspect Warriors focus themselves to hone their martial abilities psychically, which creates a portion of their consciousness called a War Mask. This mental mask protects their minds against the horrors of war. This has the advantage of essentially protecting them from PTSD and turning them into stone-cold killers even if they were raw recruits who have never fought in battle before. A War Mask can be "removed" after the warrior has left the battlefield and he can return to his life as if nothing had happened afterwards.

However, due to Eldar anal-retentiveness, sometimes it can lead them to become utterly obsessed with their jobs, and Aspect Warriors can become incapable of separating their War Masks from their everyday personalities. Such warriors are known as [[Exarch]]s, and they lead squads of Aspect Warriors. Despite their leadership roles and badassery, other Eldar (and most Exarchs themselves) tend to pity and mourn them, as their original personalities are all but dead, supplanted by the battle focus of their War Masks, incapable of any emotions not related to their Aspect. Soulstones are placed in the armour of an Exarch to collect his knowledge of war, and these stones are then passed to other Exarchs so that the deceased warrior can share his knowledge and skills. In this way, Exarchs not only lose their personalities but are also denied the proper afterlife of the Eldar... [https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Infinity_Circuit such as it].

The rest of the Eldar army is composed of [[Guardian]]s. These are not professional full-time soldiers, but rather civilian militia conscripted from other [[Paths of the Eldar]]. These individuals do not have a War Mask and typically have their minds shielded by a [[Warlock (Eldar)|Warlock]] who has been an Aspect Warrior in the past to prevent the sensations of battle from overwhelming them (because seriously, who wants to stand beside a dedicated dreamer or mourner on the battlefield?). In addition, Guardians get assigned to more generalized or less hazardous tasks that Aspect Warriors would be wasted on.

=Aspect Warrior Types=

All Aspect Warriors fight according to one of the aspects of [[Khaine|Kaela Mensha Khaine]], the Eldar god of war. Each Aspect was founded by a warrior known as a [[Phoenix Lord]], who serves as the ultimate embodiment of that Aspect.

==Dire Avengers==

[[File:Dire Avenger Exarch.jpg|180px|left|thumb|Don't mind me, just posing.]]

Dire Avengers were the first Aspect Warrior path and the original founder of their temple was [[Asurmen]], the first Phoenix Lord. They are good all-round troops. In battle Dire Avengers operate in squads of five to ten warriors, which sometimes includes an Exarch, and can ride into battle within a [[Wave Serpent|Wave Serpent transport.]] These patient, methodical warriors are equally well suited for both offensive and defensive operations. Their training gives them the uncanny ability to read the ebb and flow of battle, knowing when to press the attack or feign retreat and fall back, luring their foes into a carefully prepared ambush. Dire Avengers are also trained in hand-to-hand techniques though, with the exception of their Exarchs, this is not the main focus of their training. When forced to conduct close combat Dire Avengers carry deadly ceremonial knives as a weapon of last resort. These blades are more traditionally used in ceremonies conducted prior to and after battle.

They have an uncanny knack of knowing when to follow this onslaught with a lightning-fast assault and when to carefully draw the enemy forward onto their blades. It is rare to find an Eldar force without a squad of these extravagant peacock heads at its heart.

Because of their adaptability Dire Avengers are also the most common Aspect Warriors used to conduct special missions outside of normal combat. These can range from recovering an ancient artifact, aiding [[Exodite|Exodites]] from an incursion by [[Ork|Greenskins]] to acting as bodyguards for a Farseer to even [[Wat|conducting business with the]] [[Inquisition]], who are sneaky, manipulative, and judgmental like the Eldar.

When not at war or embarked upon missions, the Dire Avengers spend much of their time at their Aspect Shrine, meditating upon battle, studying the tactics and strategies of their ancestors, and practicing their skills at arms. The ritual masks and armour that Aspect Warriors wear set them apart as the elite soldiers of their race.

A Dire Avenger Exarch can be upgraded with a [[power weapon]] or Diresword, or some sort of miniature void-shield. They are given Avenger [[Shuriken Catapult]]s and Aspect Armour, which gives them a decent save in comparison to other Eldar, and an increase on the range of their Shuriken catapults. They represent Khaine in his aspect as a noble warrior.

==Howling Banshees==

[[File:Howling Banshee Exarch %26 Warriors.jpg|270px|right|thumb|If not their screams, then their swords and pistols will tear you a new one. Still a good way to die.]]

The second Aspect temple created was that of the Howling Banshees, founded by [[Jain Zar]]. Their namesake comes from Eldar mythology, in which banshees are warp apparitions that foreshadow doom with their loud cries.

As the story goes, [[Morai-Heg]], the Crone Goddess, wanted to drink her own divine blood and learn all of knowledge stored in it. But the only creature capable of harming a deity was Khaine, who actually didn't want to help her out. So she sent her daughters to [[-4 Str|bitch and whine]] at Khaine until he relented and cut off her hand to shut her up. In return, he kept ownership rights to the Banshees and created an aspect.

Howling Banshees specialize in melee combat and carry power swords and shuriken pistols. Each Banshee wears a Banshee mask, which amplifies the wearer's battle cries into a psychic scream that disorients targets, giving the Banshees the initiative and allowing them to live up to their namesake as the [[Kharn|screaming harbingers of bloody murder]]. A Banshee Exarch may wield twin powerblades, a power sword and boomerang, or a badass Executioner, which is basically an Eldar power naginata. High initiative (as high as [[Slaanesh]]-marked [[Chaos Space Marines]]) and power weapons make them big trouble for power-armored foes. They are also a favored target of fa/tg/uy lusts due to their...form-fitting armor.

[[File:Space Faggots.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Male Banshees exist. Yep, it goes kinda like this.]]

On the tabletop, Howling Banshees have had a rough time of things since their 4th edition rules, due to being fragile at T3 with a 4+ save, striking at S3 when their main targets ([[Space Marines|Marines]]) have a toughness of 4 or better, not having quite enough weight of attack to deal with large numbers of enemies, and having Initiative and WS values only somewhat better than their targets of choice (and inferior to Wyches, who serve much the same role in [[Dark Eldar]] armies). This is compounded by a lack of assault grenades to strike first against enemies in cover or assault transports to bring them to their opponents safely.

6th edition slapped them hard right off the bat with the new power weapons rules, the many nerfs to assault (not being able to run and charge was especially devastating), and a restriction that only allows them to bring swords. They got a lateral buff at best with the new book, which really didn't fix their old problems but improved their competition (buffing Scorpions a bit and introducing Wraithblades). The Exarchs did get quite a lot better, but now, like Genestealers, they have been reduced to glorified sergeant escorts.

The new 7th edition codex gave them a rather significant buff—they still don't have plasma grenades, but they now ignore cover when charging and can charge further. Also, their masks now suppress overwatch fire, which helps them out quite a bit, especially against shooty folks like [[Tau]], or units with multiple flamers.

Furthermore, the entire Eldar book and indeed the meta as a whole really isn't lacking for AP3 killing capacity, thus further ensuring that the primary role Banshees will fill is that of shelf decoration—a cruel fate for one of the most iconic Eldar units that is seen in virtually all media involving them and is one of the first things that comes to mind when the Eldar are brought up. Although, given the similar prominence and screwing over of the [[Bloodletter]] for Chaos armies, the [[Tyranid Warrior|Warrior]] for Tyranids, or Tactical [[Terminators]] for Space Marines, they at least have company in misery.

They represent Khaine in his aspect as a harbinger of doom.

==Striking Scorpions==

[[File:StrikingScorpion3.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Shhhh...its all over now....]]

The Eldar answer to [[Khorne Berserkers]] and [[Ork]] Boyz. Their founder was [[Arhra]], but he was said to have been too driven by [[Dark Eldar|murderous impulses]], and so he went renegade and burned down the first Aspect Temple (the one belonging to Asurmen). It was [[Karandras]] who took his place and tempered their killing [[rage]] with patience so that they became stalking serial killers instead.

Compared to their closest cousins and fellow hoes, the Howling Banshees, Striking Scorpions are not as swift but instead more adept at moving through dense terrain, using every available nook and crevice to lie in wait of the enemy before unleashing their attack.

They are sneaky dudes with chainswords, shuriken pistols and mandiblasters built into their helmets. They can take a beating almost as well as they can dish it out. The Exarch can take a bigger, badder chainsword which grants [[-4 str|+2S]] or a powerfisty Scorpion's Claw, which doesn't slow him like Mon-Keigh fists, and with proper training the Exarch can hit with it as hard as Marines with their fists.

You may wonder why are they so sneaky if they carry what counts as a jet engine on a sword? Well, the best and reasonable answer is that they can sneak up on you without you hearing their chainswords. [[Reasonable Marines|Because Eldar chainswords trigger only after making contact with the target. Because that is smarter than Mon-Keigh chainsword design.]]

The Aspect Armor of the Striking Scorpions is similar in construction to that of other Aspect Shrines, but incorporates heavier, rigid armor plating for increased protection. While the extra weights means Scorpions are not as swift as their Howling Banshee sisters, the protection they provide is such that even Bolters are virtually useless against them, requiring concentrated fire from multiple weapons in order to bring down Striking Scorpions. The armor's coloring is predominately green, with different patterns of yellow, black or orange depending on each individual Shrine.

Striking Scorpions represent Khaine in his aspect as a silent hunter. They are also said to represent [[Gork]] and [[Mork]] in their aspect of being green, ded killy, 'ard as nailz choppy-dakka murdermachines.

As of 8th edition they do mortal wounds. I'm not shitting you.

==Fire Dragons==

[[File:Fire Dragon Aspect.jpg|200px|left|thumb|How do you want your tanks? Partially melted, or vaporized?]]

Fire Dragons are said to represent the mythical dragons who basically just destroyed EVERYTHING indiscriminately.

They specialize in destroying enemy war machines and fixed fortifications, as well as rooting out heavily-armored infantry and weapon emplacements. In this role each Fire Dragons wields a mighty Fusion Gun, capable of reducing an enemy to a cloud of superheated vapour in a second, or a battle tank into a pile of molten slag. Against targets too tough for even these weapons the Fire Dragons carry Melta Bombs, disc-shaped bombs which can be attached to any surface and detonated on command. However, the short range of their weaponry limits the Fire Dragons' effectiveness, especially when speed and tactical flexibility are needed. It is also the reason Fire Dragon Aspect Armour is thicker compared to a Dire Avenger's, including many spiny protrusions which make it stiffer and more resilient, so that the wearer can properly close with the enemy and deliver death and destruction upon them. Fire Dragon armor is painted in fiery colors, such as red or orange

Despite being scary mofo's, they seem to be inconsistent in their fluff. From the aforementioned fiery rape machines as mentioned above, [[Fail|to incompetent idiots whose Fusion Guns are so ineffective]] [[Wat|that they couldn't even get passed through a hastily constructed barricade made from scrap metal and cardboard...]][[CS Goto|then again this was written by a certain Irish Leper.]]

If they get within 12 inches of anything AV14 and below, it's going to blow up within the turn. Dragons are armed with either a fusion gun, which operates like an Imperial meltagun, or a fire pike, which is basically a long-range fusion gun. Their Exarch can also take a Dragon's Breath flamer weapon, but only if he wants to lose his only use on the battlefield. They also carry melta bombs to allow them to take out tanks on the charge.

Their Phoenix Lord, [[Fuegan]], is the bestest tank destroyer out there, better even than [[railgun]]s and [[Leman Russ Vanquisher]]s. He's also a beatstick in CC, carrying a burning axe that lets him fight like a monstrous creature. An often overlooked aspect (pun not intended) of Fire Dragons is that they train in demolition, sabotage, anti-tank warfare (i.e., identifying the weak spots of armored vehicles and fortifications), and siege warfare.

They represent Khaine in his aspect as a careless destroyer.

[[Meme|Fucking]] [http://wasted-knights.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/joys-of-melta.html Autarchs.]

==Dark Reapers==

[[File:Dark Reaper Exarch.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Bend over. And no, it won't be over soon.]]

The story goes that Khaine once battled the [[Nightbringer]] and wounded him. The injury caused shards of the [[C'Tan]]'s being to migrate into the psyche of all of the races of the galaxy ([[derp|except]] [[Orks]]), instilling the fear of death in all mortals. And according to the ancient tome known as Wikipedia, this urgent fear of death was what eventually precipitated the birth of the [[Chaos Gods]], CAUSING the very [[grimdark]] the 40k universe feeds on in the first place...[[FAIL|WAY TO GO]], Khaine! In return, these shards pierced Khaine's body and he gained a new aspect as the Destroyer.

The Phoenix Lord [[Maugan Ra]] founded this aspect. (Which is a bit weird, because Ra himself handles...absolutely nothing like his aspect.) He was said to be obsessed with death and stood apart from his fellow Phoenix Lords in that respect. Dark Reapers are something like a hybrid of Dire Avengers and Fire Dragons. Use them to kill [[MEQ]]s and AV10-all around vehicles. The Exarch can take a big missile launcher of the type only seen on support platforms or [[Wraithlord]]s, but with moar [[dakka]].

On the tabletop, Dark Reapers are essentially a squad of AP3 heavy bolters with T3, good accuracy, and a 3+ save. This means that they are very good against MEQs and have the range and weight of fire to be dangerous to lighter but more numerous infantry and annoy heavier infantry, as well as 3+ save monstrous creatures. The Exarch can either use a shuriken weapon (never do this) or a missile launcher that he can double tap and has all the same warheads as its Imperial counterpart (with the exception of the frag warhead being replaced by the better plasma warhead).

Dark Reapers are good at what they do, but they face competition from other Eldar heavy support considering cover saves are now everywhere, the entire codex is now excellent at Marine slaying, and their slot is shared with the more versatile [[Eldar War Walker|War Walkers]], [[Wraithknight|Wraithknights]], [[Fire Prism|Fire Prisms]], [[Night Spinner|Night Spinners]], other assorted [[Forge World]] Eldar tanks, and Vaul's Wrath batteries. The Eldar heavy support slot can be filled with excellent units and each of your three/six slots are precious. So while the Dark Reaper is by no means bad, it's a good unit that has to compete with a lot of excellent units.

6th edition brought back something they haven't had since 2nd: krak missiles. With long range anti-tank missiles available and an increase in squad size, their scores just went up.

Of course, you can now throw the FoC out the window (or, even better, use the Aspect host for +1BS), so have fun with them.

As of 8th edition, they are possibly one of the best Heavy Support units in the game. Regardless of all to-hit buffs on the enemy or debuffs thrown on them, they gained a special rule that specifically states that they always hit on a 3+. Period. Considering they have either single hitting S8 shots or multi-hitting S5 blasts that do multiple wounds per hit, they can effectively end most non-horde infantry and vehicles down wind of them.

They represent Khaine in his aspect as inescapable death.

==Shining Spears==

[[File:Shining_Spear_Space_Jousters.png|200px|left|thumb|HOW ABOUT A LANCE TO THE FACE!!!?]]

[[Boreale|SPACE JOUSTERS IN SPESS!!]]

Shining Spears are the fastest and most specialized Aspect, striking at ridiculous speeds and withdrawing in a flash. Shining Spears can be distinguished from all of the other Eldar Warrior Aspects for they are the only Aspect Warriors to make use of anti-gravity [[Jetbike|Jetbikes.]] The Shining Spears carry the fight directly to the enemy, pouncing upon them without warning to deliver a killing blow. Until recently, nobody knew their Phoenix Lord, but he has since been named as [[Drastanta]]. He went missing after the fall of the first aspect temple, so you still can't use him on the tabletop.

While Shining Spear squads are relatively small, just three to five warriors, a number which sometimes includes an Exarch to lead them, their mastery of the Eldar Jetbike is so complete that each one can execute complex high-speed maneuvers with but a single gesture. In this way even a small unit of Shining Spears can turn the tide of battle, delivering a devastating charge against the enemy before wheeling around for another attack, much like [[Exodite]] Dragon Knights.

The Shining Spears possess a bright and clear virtue that marks each one out as a warrior hero and a champion of the Eldar race. Eldar mythology is replete with examples of noble heroes at one with their steed and in the Shining Spears, the glories of legend are made manifest once more.

Exarchs wear more elaborate and ornate versions of Aspect Armour which incorporates the spirits of their past wearers, granting an Exarch not only wisdom and knowledge stretching across the millennia but a raw pool of potent psychic energy that can be used in combat.

Shining Spears ride Jetbikes into battle and wield laser [[lance|lances]] (unusual power weapons), and the Exarch can take a Star Lance for a more powerful stat line.

They represent Khaine in his aspect as a light-speed blade.

==Swooping Hawks==

[[File:Swoopinghawk vs scourge.jpg|200px|right|thumb|An Eldar Swooping Hawk going against a Dark Eldar Scourge. Who's the swoopiest of them all?]]

In Eldar mythology, hawks point out those marked by guilt so that everyone will know their crimes and judge them accordingly.

Of all the Aspect Shrines the Swooping Hawks are among the most mobile, thanks to their Swooping Hawk Wings, which allow them to lift off into the air at a moment's notice and fly across the battlefield. The speed and agility this gives the Swooping Hawks more than makes up for the fact that their Aspect Armour, compared to that worn by other Shrines, is thinner and offers less protection. The armor is typically colored like the sky, such as a pale blue or grey, with contrasting colors as well, especially on the wings.

The Phoenix Lord of the Swooping Hawks is [[Baharroth]], who was said to have been Asurmen's finest pupil, which is [[derp]] since on the tabletop he's probably the most mediocre of all the Phoenix Lords. Once used only for yo-yo grenade bombing, Hawks are now kings of glancing vehicles to death, being fast, decently armored, and equipped with haywire grenades. With the new codex update, they can grenade bomb while perfectly deep striking, and their Eldar flashlights became surprisingly terrifying through the sheer number of shots they deliver.

They are noted to be transported by a special Eldar craft called a Shooting Star which ferry Swooping Hawk Aspect Warriors onto a planetary battlefield. They briefly enter a planet's atmosphere where they remain undetected due to a complex cloaking system that masks them from enemy scans. Once in the atmosphere, their cargo hold of Swooping Hawks free fall to the surface, before the Shooting Stars return to their Craftworld.

They represent Khaine in his aspect as a precise predator.

==Warp Spiders==

[[File:Warp Spider Exarch.jpg|300px|left|thumb|Ah! A WAHP SPIDEAH! —[[Diomedes|Captain Diomedes]]]]

Warp Spiders are named for the beings of pure energy that inhabit the Infinity Circuit and travel through its links in the [[Webway]], purging it of foreign influences (such as daemons or psychic intruders). Though they are identified as Aspect Warriors, it is not entirely known what Khaine's connection to the Warp Spiders is, since they do not have a fixed Phoenix Lord and it has been established in [[Gav Thorpe]]'s ''Paths of the Eldar'' series that Khaine's influence has no place in the Webway, which in fact is why Exarchs and Phoenix Lords count as mini-Infinity Circuits on their own.

[[C.S Goto]]'s contentious book ''Eldar Prophecy'' presented Lhykosidae, whose armour materialised spontaneously at the Warp Spiders' shrine during a time of crisis when he was most needed, rather than being a suit of armour that gets passed from bearer to bearer, adding personalities to the sentience within the suit. If Lhykosidae is a Phoenix Lord borne of the Webway, then his personality would have to be the gestalt consciousness of the [[derp|ENTIRE SPECIES.]] Fucking Goto. That said, his title is "Wraith Spider", not Phoenix Lord, so (at least for now) we can readily get away with rejecting the idea that he's a Phoenix Lord.

The Eldar's premier jetpack infantry, Warp Spiders use the warp to teleport from place to place, allowing them to strike at their enemies from virtually any location in the blink of an eye. Their guns are called death spinners, which fire a mist of monomolecular threads that expand and slice through flesh and light infantry armor on contact with little effort. While this makes the Spiders fairly unreliable against power-armored units since the spinners' threads can't penetrate it properly (although they get an AP1 version of the Bladestorm rule... why AP1 when that only matters against vehicles is anyone's guess), they are nevertheless a frightening foe against the likes of Guardsmen and Gaunts, and are surprisingly effective against vehicles, especially if they get to their vulnerable rear armor (which is not a big deal with such mobility). Their Exarch is given two death spinners which are attached to the back of his armor for mobility and two power blades which he holds for close combat, though on the tabletop, he's generally outclassed in assault by any unit that can melee better than a Guardsman.

May represent Khaine in his aspect as an eternal guardian of the Eldar and Webway.

==Shadow Spectres==

[[File:Shadow Spectres Koronus Bestiary Vincent Devault.jpg|250px|right|thumb|BOOOO!!]]

The Shadow Spectres are a newer Aspect, thought lost until the armor of their Phoenix Lord, [[Irillyth]], was recovered from an Imperial world, as chronicled in [[Forge World]]'s [[Imperial Armour Volume Eleven: The Doom of Mymeara]] and is noted to be one of the most [[Derp]] of the Phoenix Lords.

They fly around on [[jetpack]]s and wear holofields, making them look kind of like ghosts, if ghosts also shot prismatic lasers of doom. Their weaponry is fairly high-strength as infantry weapons go (especially for Fast Attack infantry), and they can combine their beams into a super-beam of death that gets more powerful as more of them join it (in fact, the technology is the same as the [[Fire Prism]]'s main cannon).

The Shadow Spectres make use of a unique, complex targeting matrix known as the Ghostlight. This matrix further amplifies the effective range and power of the warriors' already-formidable weaponry.

When used, the Ghostlight will allow a Spectre squad to combine the beams of their Prism Rifles into a single, brilliant torrent of energy; the additional power allows the squad to fire a single incredibly long-ranged shot, allowing them to hit distant targets.

Between their ghost-like appearance and name, and their tendency to become [[Wraithguard]] after they die, they represent Khaine's aspect as an eternal warrior, even after death.

Tl;dr, Shadow Spectres are essentially the Dark Reapers of vehicles.

Unfortunately, the latest codex has enshrined Warp Spiders as the Eldar solution to Jetpack Infantry, which is clearly why Forge World invented these guys.

==Crimson Hunters==

[[File:Crimson Hunters 6th Ed.png|200px|left|thumb|[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1irgU2O4EMk. Riding to the DANGER ZONE]]]

A fairly new aspect but one on the rise. Rather than a blade or a gun the Hunters use a jet fighter called the [[Nightshade Interceptor]]. No Phoenix Lord has been mentioned for them, but it may be Amon Harakht, who was mentioned once as the Phoenix Lord of the Eagle Pilots.

Crimson Hunters are trained to become exceptional pilots, endlessly practicing all sorts of maneuvers as well as marksmanship. The Crimson Hunter'a Nightshades are armed with two Bright Lances and a Pulse Laser. The Crimson Hunters are few in number, though their Shrines are becoming more widespread. These temples of Khaine are unlike any other for they are tunnel-like collections of transparent atrium's that float around the periphery of their Craftworlds, allowing the Crimson Hunters and their recruits to freely train in their aircraft.

Crimson Hunters are known to give special veneration to the Eldar God Kurnous, often calling themselves the Hawks of Kurnous.

Crimson Hunters are known to give some Eldar penis envy with them being the only aspect able to pilot a pretty cool jetfighter while the rest are bogged down on the ground. As a side effect, they have even smaller balls than the already almost balless species of the Eldar.

They represent the Blinding Blades of Khaine, which were forged from the blood that constantly drips from his hands. They strike at the weakest points and leave the enemy easy prey for the close kill, therefore bringing down foes who think themselves above him.

==The Unknowns==

Whether these are actually Aspect Temples, have been retconned out, or were once supposed to be something, nobody knows.

*Slicing Orbs of Zandros: The strangest Aspect ever to be named. They were apparently *oooooOOOOOOooooo* mystEEEEEEEEyrious. But seriously, they just sound silly. They're still around, though, don't worry. Ever see "Phantasm"? That's probably their weapon of choice.
*Crystal Dragons: Probably became the Fire Dragons.
*Eagle Pilot: Some kind of fighter pilot. They're a subsect of the Shining Spears that pilot the Eldar fighter craft.
*Ebon Talons: mentioned in ''Asurmen: Hand of Asuryan''.

{{Eldar-Forces}}
[[Category:Eldar]]