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EldarOnline => Eldar => Topic started by: Lorizael on January 29, 2010, 05:11:24 AM

Title: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: Lorizael on January 29, 2010, 05:11:24 AM
Use this thread to post your own Craftworld background.

Include the name, some history, theme and a colour scheme using this painter (http://www.freewebs.com/grimdarkness/painterprogram.htm)

You can also read the article Designing Your Own Craftworld (http://www.40konline.com/index.php?action=articles;sa=view;article=950) to guide you in writing your background.
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: moc065 on January 29, 2010, 03:00:28 PM
(https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi38.piczo.com%2Fview%2F3%2Fg%2F2%2F8%2Fa%2Fi%2Fs%2Ff%2Fz%2Fl%2F5%2Fimg%2Fi10234391_65766.jpg&hash=0d65eb0cdfd681c4eefb7528a492b01ad5773aad)

Clan Saim-Lucster of the Saim-Hann

(https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi188.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fz251%2Fmoc065%2F40%2520K%2FEldar%2520WIPs%2F4K%2520ish%2520painted%2Fth_P3150001.jpg&hash=ece68df3d7d54cdb923d7293e1f6a79383ae8a6a) (http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z251/moc065/40%20K/Eldar%20WIPs/4K%20ish%20painted/P3150001.jpg)
{Click to Enlarge}

Background

     The Eldar race is in termoul all over, the Craftworlds are going their seperate ways as the evil spreads through our beloved race... It is almost impossible to imagine, but many of our Kin have resigned to their nature and forgone the true path; thus they must be erradicated as any other "Mon-Kiegh" before they establish themselves and their ways. It is unfortunate that some of our own Kin have succumbed to their Darker Nature; and even though some are actually close brethren to me and our clan, I Saim-Lucster will ensure that all Mon-Kiegh are elliminated so that the true path can once again be followed and Eldar can once again rule supreme in the multiverse.
     Son, your thoughts trouble me, and although you are the newly elected Clan Chief, you must be careful to curb your emotions or you too may succumb to the Darker Nature of our Race. Remember that I and the Farseer's have forcast this "Fall" from grace for some time now, and that you were selected to hold the Clan together through this time.... Your primary goal must always be to family, and then to race, and finally to others things with your emotions coming last. If you let your emotions fool you, then you will be no better than your brother who left the family to follow his Dark Nature. And you too will fall from grace and become not an outcast; but one of the "Hunted Dark Ones". Remeber son that I, Saim-Lir, have sworn to hunt all Mon-Keigh, and all Eldar that fall from grace, and although I love you... you are not above reproach.


     Saim-Hann was one of the first Craftworlds to depart before "The Fall". They always kept and still keep close ties to many of the Exodite worlds as well as those afiliated with "The Laughing God"; but Clan Saim-Lucster had ties that run very deep with these other Eldar. Clan Saim-Lucster is also refered to as the "Holders of the Secrets" as they have taken it upon themselves to shroud some of the Eldar past even going so far as to use all means to errase specific memories from Eldar they encounter.

     Thus, Saim-Lucster and Saim-Lir begin their quest to eliminate all Eldar that have fallen to the Path of Darkness. To systematically wipe them out as all mon-kiegh deserve. To show no mercer in their task, to take no repreave, and to only set their current family as a priority above this task. They may be seen as barbaric by some; but "The Holders of the Secrets" feel that all mon-kiegh must be quelled, and those that have succumb to the Path of Darkness have also become mon-kiegh.

Thus the Hunt Begins.
Beware Mon-Kiegh:
For the Wildriders are coming on their flaming Jetbikes, and Death follows closely behind them.


Saim-Lucster's Unit Selection process

     Some of the things that Clan Saim-Lucster considers when assembling their Host is the relevance of each unit to the entended tactica (Shooty – Close Combat – Versatility), the Saim-Hann theme associated with Speed, strike and then fade away, and recklessness – Also known as “Rapier” or “Surgical Scalpel”. Thus the units are placed in an order of preferred usage.

HQ: (1-2)
1.     Autarch on Jetbike, or with Wings, or with Warp Generator
        Farseer on Jetbike, with/without Jetbike Warlocks.       
2.     Baharroh, Asurman, Jan-Zair, Fuegan, and
3.     Avatar, Farseer Ulthan, Prince Yrial, Maughan-Ra, and Karrandas.

Troops: (2-6)
1.     Guardian Jetbikes, Guardian Squads  or Dire Avengers w/ **Wave Serpents**, and
2.     Rangers, Pathfinders, Guardian Squads, Dire Avengers, and Wraithguard.

Fast Attack: (0-3)
1.     Shining Spears, Vypers, Swooping Hawks, and Warp Spiders.

Heavy Support: (0-3)
1.     Falcon, Fireprism, Night Spinner (other Grav Tanks if listed as “Chapter Approved”), and
2.     Warwalkers, Wraithlords, Dark Reapers, and Support Batteries.

Elite: (0-3)
1.     Fire Dragons, Wraithguard, Harlequins, Howling Banshee’s, and
2.     Striking Scorpions.

In addition to the FOC and unit Selections made

• 1 HQ must be off the ground.
• Every army list should contain Jetbikes (of some form) and/or Vypers.
• The Troop and Fast Attack slots (Combined #) should always be equal to or greater in number than the Elite and Heavy Support slots (combined #).
• If using a "Ground" unit, then give it a means to become "Airborn".
• Units should be chosen for their Precision Strike abilties when possible.
• It is not common that units from position 2-3 would ever outnumber those from position 1 in the FOC guide.

Here is a Link to loads of Pictures of Clan Saim-Lucster (http://www.40konline.com/index.php?topic=197322.0)

Batreps
750pts Clan Saim-Lucster vs Imperial Guard (used 18 Jetbikers) (http://www.40konline.com/index.php?topic=207602.0)
1500pts Saim-Hann vs Tau, (used 26 Jetbikers) (http://www.40konline.com/index.php?topic=201078.0)
1700pts Mech Saim-Hann vs Space Marines (http://www.40konline.com/index.php?topic=192347.0)
1750pts POC Saim-Hann vs Dark Eldar (http://www.40konline.com/index.php?topic=177955.0)
1750pts POC Saim-Hann vs Orkz (http://www.40konline.com/index.php?topic=177955.msg2200009#msg2200009)
1750pts POC Saim-Hann vs Hybrid Eldar (http://www.40konline.com/index.php?topic=177955.msg2239856#msg2239856)
1750pts POC Saim-Hann vs Vaughn Chapter SM's (http://www.40konline.com/index.php?topic=177955.msg2247511#msg2247511)
2000pts Hybrid Saim-Hann vs Orkz (http://www.40konline.com/index.php?topic=167855.0)
2000pts Saim-Lucster's Lightning Brigade (3 Games from a tournie) (http://www.40konline.com/index.php?topic=200604.0)
 
The way of the Future for Clan Saim-Lucster
(https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi188.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fz251%2Fmoc065%2FBatReps%2FJetbikers%2F750vsIG%2Fth_P8210024.jpg&hash=7830a976e69f4d9a570984dcc262c9c98545c401) (http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z251/moc065/BatReps/Jetbikers/750vsIG/P8210024.jpg)

More to follow

CaHG ~~ moc065
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: whirling blade exarch on January 30, 2010, 07:07:31 PM
my craftworld is called Beltac-Asur, (meaning the favored of asuryan), their philosophy is that, according to a prophecy set down by Farseer Eltorac Asurkin, the only way for the eldar race to survive, is to resurrect Asuryan so he can slay slaanesh; and when the time comes, the eldar must prepare for a final war against Chaos. And so the secret Beltac-Asur craftworld circles the eye of terror, waiting for the day that Asuryan returns to battle slaanesh.

Beltac-Asur was the last craftworld to take off after the fall. they stayed behind to collect the last rain of the eldar homeworld, the final tears of asuryan. they hope that these tears may help to resurrect the phoenix king.


i also have a bio on one of the great heroes of Beltac-Asur, Phoenix Lord Kendrac Asurkin, brother of farseer Eltorac Asurkin.

Kendrac Asurkin was born in the aftermath of the First Chaos War on the tattered craftworld of Beltac-Asur. At the age of 150 (a mere teenager by eldar standards) he joined a temple of Dire Avengers where he soon exceeded the ranks of his bretheren. When he turned 200 (the dawn of adulthood) the Second Chaos War began. He and the rest of the Dire Avengers were ordered to stay on the craftworld to wipe out whatever forces of chaos made it through the assault. He was standing on a transport platform waiting with baited breath for the chaos to arrive when he saw a vision from his brother's mind. The chaos force coming from the eye of terror was a decoy, another chaos force had been assembling on the moons of Cadia, waiting for the order to attack. He tried to tell his commander about it, but the autarch wouldn't listen to an aspect warrior, albeit one with extraordinary capabilities. So Kendrac gathered a small strike force of his fellow Dire Avengers and took what he could from the armory in a courageous attempt to hold off the chaos invaders. His 100 men turned out to be a force to be reckoned with and Kendrac danced with a fury of blades, earning him the nickname Bahz-Turoc (meaning whirling blade). Nonetheless, his small force took enourmous casualties in driving off the invaders, even Kendrak himself died. His nine remaining troops wept for him, but the greatest tears of all were shed by the Asuryan's eye, the only remaining piece of him. The tears of Asuryan availed to resurrect Kendrac, who later went on to found the temple of the Whirling Blades Aspect Warriors.

as for the army of beltac asur; they like to get up close and personal, using assault shock troopers to penetrate enemy lines. because of this, howling banshees and striking scorpions can be taken as troops choices rather than elites choices.
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: CelestialDragonKing on February 16, 2010, 04:41:30 PM
Modified 5/10. Added in new images.

Craftworld Dan-Wen

(https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu107%2Fseekermage%2FBrians%2F40k%2520Figs%2FDan-Wen-Symbol.gif&hash=5c3b3f0dea50727b1753aefc4826ac303c7ac6dc)
Background
Before the Fall, the craftworld of Dan-Wen came from the most technologically advanced world in the eldar empire. The name of the world is now lost to time and has become a crone world inside the eye of terror. To them the fall of the eldar was plain to see. Many eldar on their world either gave up their studies to be a part of the pleasure cults or became "mad" scientists creating disgusting abominations.

Seeing the decline of the eldar race to decadence, they fled the empire to start anew in the farthest reaches of the galaxy where they encountered many dangers, both natural and unnatural. A few settled worlds to become exodites but many stayed on the craftworld to more easily defend those worlds and to continue their scientific and philosophic studies.

The eldar of Dan-Wen do not believe in the re-building of an eldar empire but they do not want the eldar race to vanish into non-existence either. They have made themselves the protector of eldar maiden worlds and some exodite worlds. The main area of their protection is the far galactic north-east in the area known bye the alien monkeigh as the ultima segmentum. They have fought many different alien creatures to keep them away from the worlds they protect or force them off if needed. They have currently deployed forces to the exodite world of Isha'zuun to fight off a splinter fleet of Tyranids.

Relations
They keep contact with other craftworlds and consider craftworlds Alaitoc and Iyanden to be allies but they hold suspicion of others. A few eldar corsair fleets have also called craftworld Dan-Wen home at one time or another. Currently they have the corsairs known as the Dark Stars lending their strength to their navy. They will not deal with the dark kin at any time and will ally with the Harlequins rarely. They have strong ties to many exodite worlds and will fight with them often.

Against chaos they hold no special hatred and do not seek out the old foes.  They believe it is better to conquer the chaos in their own heart than to fight it elsewhere. Chaos can not be destroyed but only tamed in each of them. But of course if threatened by any the of the followers of disorder they will destroy them.

Of the xenos like the monkeigh and orks, they see them as bugs constantly infringing upon eldar worlds and in need of culling. Of the Tau they are neutral at least until the  young race attempts to add an eldar world to their expanding empire. They however fear the Tyranids and Necrons. Believing them to be the greatest threats to the galaxy.

Tactics
Dan-Wen likes to use it's superior technology and speed against it's enemies. They will use mostly bikes, vehicles, warp gates, and titans when they can. This does not mean they will not use troops if they have to. They have many aspect temples to call upon for help as well as a well trained volunteer army and navy. On occasion they will have exodite Dragon Knights joining their forces when trying to defend their home world.

(https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu107%2Fseekermage%2FBrians%2F40k%2520Figs%2FGuardian.jpg&hash=7d773a2bdcb5f39dbbd4d4997666c04139820141)

Aspects Troops
Dan-Wen has most of the aspect temples known to eldar craftworlds. Dire Avengers being the predominant aspect and banshees being the least. But it is known for it's rare vehicle aspects and it's unique close combat aspect known as The Bloody Hands of Khaine.

Hammers of Vaul
Rare on the craftworlds is the Aspect known as the Hammers of Vaul. An aspect dedicated to the use of eldar Vehicles. Due to it's high technology, Dan-Wen has a few temples to this aspect.

For plus X points. Eldar vehicles may upgrade to this aspect. They gain +1 to BS and WS if applicable. In addition War Walkers gain the "Fleet" special rule.

In squadrons of 2 or more, one of the vehicles may further upgraded to an Exarch to gain a further +1 to BS or WS. Exarchs my take Exarch powers. (Regular 40k this is only War Walkers and Vypers)

Exarchs Powers
Tank Hunter
Crack Shot



(https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu107%2Fseekermage%2FBrians%2F40k%2520Figs%2FEldar-BloodyHandKhaine.gif&hash=1fbd0d289fad225d3ef5074d57a86803dfce166b)

Bloody Hands of Khaine
Dan-Wen is also home to the unique aspect temple, The Bloody Hands of Khaine. They represent the wanton destruction of Khaine the eldar god of War and Murder. The Bloody Hands are aspect warriors that use the deadly eldar power glove. A combination of eldar power weapon and force field technology. The eldar power glove is not nearly as bulky or slow as  the imperial or ork power fists. It doubles the wearers strength in close combat but also halves their initiative (rounded down) and is a power weapon. It can still be used in combination with another close combat weapon to gain an extra attack. In addition the force field technology gives them a 5+ inv. save in close combat. (Note: CC only!)

Elite Troop
Stats: Same as Striking Scorpions
25pts each, exarch upgrade +12pts
Squad: 5-10
Unit: Infantry
Weapons: Shuriken Pistol, Eldar Power Glove, Plasma Grenades.
Transport: The squad may be mounted in a Wave Serpent.

Exarch Wargear
The exarch may upgrade to the double power glove. A glove on each arm with integrated shuriken pistols. This gives +2 attacks as well as a re-roll to hit when shooting his pistols.

Exarch Powers
Master Strike. An exarch my give up all his attacks to strike once at triple his strength.

The aspects armor is golden with it's power glove being crimson. They also tend to be bare headed but this is not always the case.

Dark Stars
(https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu107%2Fseekermage%2FBrians%2F40k%2520Figs%2FDarkStars.jpg&hash=cb405a43467021c2a1631f867e8131aefb39dd9d)

Outsiders are eldar that tire of the rigid order of craftworld life. Some may become rangers that explore the galaxy through the web way or they may become corsairs. The Dark Stars corsair fleet has been with the Dan-Wen craftworld for many years. Most of the outsiders that make up the fleet are from Dan-Wen craftworld, though some are from other craftworlds as well, or even young exodites exploring the galaxy before settling down on their world. They are as likely to fight other eldar just as much as others. They will work as mercenaries for just about any race and even chaos if the price is right. There is nothing they will not do. For the last few decades they have been acting as scouts for the Dan-Wen, looking for rogue Tyranid ships and trying to lure them towards imperial settlements rather than eldar maiden or exodite worlds they were going towards.

(https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu107%2Fseekermage%2FBrians%2F40k%2520Figs%2Fth_DarkStarCaptain.jpg&hash=be0b20ed622e2047bf61dacc01655c162f6c832e) (http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u107/seekermage/Brians/40k%20Figs/DarkStarCaptain.jpg)  (https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu107%2Fseekermage%2FBrians%2F40k%2520Figs%2Fth_EldarScouts.jpg&hash=5a81f0c5bfd0092c9313e5956deef148a008ff46) (http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u107/seekermage/Brians/40k%20Figs/EldarScouts.jpg)  (https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu107%2Fseekermage%2FBrians%2F40k%2520Figs%2Fth_Falcontop.jpg&hash=d58c7b5915b4bb1039a0f5dd98053508afd3c6e5) (http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u107/seekermage/Brians/40k%20Figs/Falcontop.jpg)  (https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu107%2Fseekermage%2FBrians%2F40k%2520Figs%2Fth_Guardians1.jpg&hash=d2b706af48d10b6057a3a3d8eac1262a9a0b9f65) (http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u107/seekermage/Brians/40k%20Figs/Guardians1.jpg)  (https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu107%2Fseekermage%2FBrians%2F40k%2520Figs%2Fth_Wraithlord1.jpg&hash=3e18388309694296de70a28de35c275c9c9cc1af) (http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u107/seekermage/Brians/40k%20Figs/Wraithlord1.jpg)  (https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu107%2Fseekermage%2FBrians%2F40k%2520Figs%2Fth_eldarviper2.jpg&hash=eeb6456c4d088488490f65ff14ace138cd9ee111) (http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u107/seekermage/Brians/40k%20Figs/eldarviper2.jpg)(https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu107%2Fseekermage%2FBrians%2F40k%2520Figs%2Fth_GuardiansNew1.jpg&hash=ff7cd0bff6ea254d3278027ebf2eb337ba24f4d4) (http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u107/seekermage/Brians/40k%20Figs/GuardiansNew1.jpg)(https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu107%2Fseekermage%2FBrians%2F40k%2520Figs%2Fth_GuardiansNew2.jpg&hash=2172fa6716e5c892761b641caa73e6a5eadef53f) (http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u107/seekermage/Brians/40k%20Figs/GuardiansNew2.jpg)  (https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu107%2Fseekermage%2FBrians%2F40k%2520Figs%2Fth_Platform_Remote.jpg&hash=53db88fcf66152455aebf07c6f84935997c29111) (http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u107/seekermage/Brians/40k%20Figs/Platform_Remote.jpg)  (https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu107%2Fseekermage%2FBrians%2F40k%2520Figs%2Fth_WS_SS1.jpg&hash=6a62a60205ac248ee9075089ae98a3e27141ca42) (http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u107/seekermage/Brians/40k%20Figs/WS_SS1.jpg)(https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu107%2Fseekermage%2FBrians%2F40k%2520Figs%2Fth_ReaperExarch1.jpg&hash=6dd252dba51d0aadee3d1dfcde08b63f8f199770) (http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u107/seekermage/Brians/40k%20Figs/ReaperExarch1.jpg)   
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: Hailfire on February 22, 2010, 11:55:57 AM
The Athag-Mor banishers of strife and bane of the black library

Background
The Athag-Mor (meaning face of death) were founded long after the collapse of the eldar race and those who know of them; including the Athag-Mor themselves, do not truly believe them to be a craftworld; they are in many ways more similar to corsairs. Their huge wraithbone construct is merely a base of operations, useful for getting large amounts of eldar armour and infantry from place to place in order to launch raids or counter some threat and is heavily cloaked even from other eldar.

In truth the Athag-Mor are really a small organisation of thirteen eldar farseers and warlords all bound together in duty through knowledge granted to them by a single book, stolen from a place believed impenetrable. The Black Library. The book was bought to the farseers of Athag-Mor by a lone ranger who shortly after turned mad either from the extended period spent in the unstable webway or from the contents of the book itself. The closest translation of the books title is " the book of a thousand sorrows yet to come" and as the farseers of the Athag-Mor discovered the manuscript contained not only prophecies concerning the Eldar but of the fate galaxy itself. Henceforth the Athag-Mor are bound by destiny to prevent as many of these prophecies from coming into being as possible. Should they fail existence itself will be threatened.

Relations
As is to be expected the Athag-Mor rely on total secrecy. Should information regarding their book of prophecy fall into the hands of a corsair or even another craftworld they would be threatened  and potentially destroyed by attempts to steal such a valuable item. Henceforth only a few of Ulthwe's farseers even suspect their existence and any member of the organisation attempt to leave they would be quickly executed. Otherwise it is unwise to consider them particularly friendly or hostile to any race or group in the galaxy.

Thanks for reading all. I have enjoyed sharing this.
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: skanedog on March 25, 2010, 06:54:50 AM
The Naylte
My Eldar are Exodite (Naylte in their own tongue) who live on a Maiden World called Hlienes which they left the Eldar Home worlds pre-fall for similar reasons to the other Exodite cultures. I played a generic Eldar army for years, was Ulthwe (along with everyone else...) when Craftworld came out and since 4th I’ve been working up these guys. It’s pretty clear my inspiration is “Wood Eldar” but I liked the Dire Avenger Exarch conversion I did when I was bored one day and just ran with it.

Background
The Eldar who settled this world were part of a sect who unusually favoured Kournos from the Pantheon over the other Eldar Gods and have developed a culture based around hunting and natural law – with themselves firmly at the top of the chain. While they abandoned what they saw as the fallen practices of their brothers and sisters (whom they refer to as éneer-nyt, meaning The Miserable) they did not abandon the technological achievements nor stop developing such when they settled their new world. The core belief of the Naylte is that while the world spirit nourishes all life on Hlienes it does so not as a gift to the Eldar, but because they have mastered their planet. So while the world spirit causes the trees to grow and the rivers to run, the Naylte shape the forests and coastlines turning raw nature to their design.

The Naylte live in great cities that are built to harness the best of their surroundings; the Canopy Kingdom of Preen for example is built into the tree-tops of the great forests that spans the planets main continent, while Los is a city grown from coral that floats around the worlds oceans following the currents.

As followers of Kournos the imagery and tradition of The Hunt is very important to the Naylte thus they favour a fighting style that favours this convention regarding stealth and swiftness key attributes over brute force. While the use anti-gravity technology and advanced weaponry, they also will happily ride into battle on beasts; furthermore as reverence to Lord of the Harvest instead of Bonesingers of other Eldar colonies they have Branchsingers who craft artifacts out of the natural materials that are found on Hlienes. As followers of the natural world they change with the seasons; in spring and summer they are a lighter people but their mood changes as the days grow colder and they are at their harshest in the deep winters.

Though they chose to keep themselves to themselves mostly and do little to interact with the other branches of the Eldar family they have learned the ways of different Aspects as various warriors have visited them over the long years, and also are aware of (and known to) the Harlequins, the Webway and the Dark Eldar.

Their main sources of conflict come from the Tau and the Imperial Guard who are active in nearby star systems and see Hlienes as a bounty of natural resources, Sisters of Battle who come to purge the Eldar Witches, and  the Orks because they often turn up to fight everyone else.

Effect on the Table
The background I work to limits my unit choice a little. The core of the force is Dire Avengers and Guardians and for support I lean heavily towards Striking Scorpions, Rangers, War Walkers, and Vypers etc while less on “bulky” units like Fire Prisms, Dark Reapers, and Support Platforms etc. I tend not to use Jetbikes, but do have several models converted up from Wood Elf Hawk Riders that can satisfy as Jetbikes / Shining Spears if the need requires it.

I made a concession going into 5th that I needed to start using more Fire Dragons given the mech on the table and so I’ve justified that to my storyline but giving them a different paint scheme and considering them allies from a neighbouring city based in the mountains of the region surrounding the forest setting my main force is from. Likewise my version of Howling Banshees are “fluffed” as coming from the coastal cities so I tend to only use 1 unit of each of these max in a list. Also, partly to fit in with the overall aesthetic and because there wasn’t a model for it at the time, my Wave Serpents are all Dark Eldar Raiders with slight conversions to weapons and painted in greens and browns.

My biggest divergence from Craftworld Eldar is probably my Exodites take on Wraithguard/Lords. Running with the Branchsinger idea I use converted Treemen for my Lords, Treekin for my Wraithguard (though I don’t field these as standard and I haven’t finished painting them yet anyway), but I’ve taken this a step further and use Dryads as Storm Guardians reasoning that the Exodites have extended their mastery over the world spirit  to being able to create animated constructs to assist them in battle and it neatly side steps the problem of losing vast numbers of a small community in battle while still retaining a viable civilisation.

I tend not to use Phoenix Lords at all (with the exception of Karandras as he fits the style), Eldrad or Harlequinns as they aren’t really right for the idea. I do use a “counts as” Prince Yriel, but in my army he’s called El-ahrairah.

My home table is set up around very dense and heavy forest, hills and area terrain which though lacking in high LoS blocking makes for very close-fought games as there is a lot of cover and I can take advantage of my armies strengths in that set up (although my regular opponents spam flamers on me – but hey if I’m gonna live in a forest fire’s gonna be an issue ;) ).

So that’s my long-winded explanation of what I’m up to, and a general Hello from me, cheers and thanks for taking the time if you got this far – bonus points if you clicked where I stole all the names from!
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: ALshroth on May 31, 2010, 08:11:53 AM
Name: Althann
Location: Eye Of terror (in a pocket of isolated real space)
Symbol: None atm cant draw but its a sword through the biel tan Logo
Short Description: The last surviving members of the maiden word was belonging to bieltann.

Long Description: Details posted else ware.
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: General Cross on June 6, 2010, 07:03:25 AM
Craftworld Myren'Shal

"One hundred shards of burning flame, each crafted by a god. The fury of Khaine shall be rekindled, and with his merciless wrath the Dark Gods shall fall. Only then, shall we find peace amongst the stars.” Supreme Autarch Shim'Idel Heatforged

During the Fall Craftworld Myren'shal was fleeing but the cosmic blast sent it tumbling into the warp and an army of daemons invaded through a warp portal produced as a result. A young Eldar male called Shim'Idel accidentally awoke the Avatar in this time, which dueled a Keeper of Secrets over the craftworld. The daemon was too powerful and was about to defeat the Avatar, when Shim'Idel picked up one of the Avatar's severed fingers which formed into a spear. Shim'Idel provided enough of a distraction for the Avatar to destroy the daemon, but at the cost of his own life.

The Avatar used a portion of its power to resurect the Infinity Circuit and Shim'Idel, who became the first Supreme Autarch. Myren'Shal purged the daemons within it and entered realspace, making communications with the nearby craftworld Biel-Tan. Biel-Tan helped to reconstruct much of the craftworld and introduced Aspect Shrines and the Eldar Paths.

The most prominent Farseer of Myren'Shal, Orlithos Everflame, then had a vision from Khaine. It commanded the Eldar to find his sword, which Slaanesh had destroyed during their battle. If the Eldar can reforge Khaine's sword, and then merge the Avatars, the Eldar of Craftworld Myren'Shal believe that Khaine shall be reborn and slay the dark gods.

Other craftworlds are sceptical though, and some believe Myren'Shal to be tainted. Though shards of the sword have been found, many powerful Seers argue that Slaanesh came disguised as Khaine to Orlithos. If Slaanesh wields Khaine's Sword, he could open a warp portal so big that it could engulf the entire galaxy...

Colour Scheme and Army Format

Myren'Shal's Scheme is loosely tied to Biel-Tan, but tend to have darker tones of white and green on their armour (including Aspect Warriors).  Sprirt Stones are red. Aspect Warriors have colours associated with them which they have in their hair or on tabards (Red for Dire Avengers, Dark Blue for Reapers etc.).

Supreme Autarch Shim'Idel is represented by Yriel and his rules. The Spear of Twilight becomes Khaine's Wrath representing the power the weapon holds, with the curse becoming Khaine's ressurection wearing off. The Eye of Wrath is an explosion of flames caused by focusing Khaine's power, but requires time to recover.

Orlithos Everflame is represented by Eldrad, and wields the Staff of Flames, an artifact discovered in the Avatar's Chamber. His psychic powers are enhanced far beyond a seer of his age.

The Craftworld features a range of weaponry, but like Biel-Tan the main strength is Aspect Warriors. They do not possess many wraith-constructs as the artisans are preoccupied with reconstruction still.

Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: Ramath on November 18, 2010, 01:23:50 PM
Here is the history of my Eldar's Craftworld.  I designed my own color system, so I decided that I had a need of a new name for my new Craftworld.  And here it is.

I originally posted this story over on Astromonican (http://www.astronomican.com/showthread.php?12823-My-own-Craftworld-s-backstory) and received positive feedback.  I may have posted this here, but I am unable to find it, and I'm relatively certain that I posted it in the wrong place, anyway.

I appreciate anyone who reads it, and is willing to leave any feed back.

Pictures to come once I figure out how to use my wife's digital camera.

-----------------------------

   The soft sound of bare feet could be heard as the young warlock quietly made her way down the spacious hall.  The wraithbone pillars lined the crystalline walls, offering the only reminder of being separated from the shining sea of stars.  Majesty, even beyond the mind of the Eldar, was momentarily ignored as the young warlock quickened her pace.  She bit her lower lip as she tried to calm her mind.  Her robes softly whipped around her ankles as she walked.  Soon, the warlock stopped, finally standing at her destination.  She stood before a set of large double doors which had been gracefully crafted to depict a lone moon amid the cold stars.  She took a deep breath then quietly knocked on the doors.

   “Enter,” a soft feminine voice said from within.  The young warlock swallowed and slowly pushed the door open.  Warmth and comfort quickly washed over her, doing much to relax her agitated mind.  Across the large room, a woman sat at a large desk.  Tall book shelves lined the walls, giving the study an aura of an ancient library.  The owner preferred the archaic theme, as it often calmed the mind during times of meditation.  Soft carpet soothed the warlock’s bare feet as she made her way to the center of the room and stopped.

   “Did you summon me, Farseer?” the young warlock said, standing still with respect.  The woman behind the desk smiled and nodded.

   “Yes, Elynn, I did.”  The Farseer stood up and walked around the desk.  She was dressed in a simple black gown that simply outlined the lithe form of her Eldar body.  “Please, sit.”  The Farseer motioned to two large chairs.  The young warlock did as she was told and made her way to one of the chairs.  Elynn waited until the Farseer was seated before sitting down herself.

   “Thank you, Farseer Mangwé,” the warlock said, trying to make herself comfortable in her leader’s presence. 

   “It has come to my understanding that you are concerned with some of our records.  Mainly in reference to how I came to be here and have risen to Head Farseer.”  The young warlock blushed and looked down at her hands.

   “Yes, mistress,” Elynn said quietly.  She felt ashamed, now that she was sitting in the Farseer’s presence, to have felt any doubt, let alone to have expressed it. 

   “Lift your head, child.  There is no need to be ashamed.  It is only through our inquiry that we learn and grow.  You have every right to the questions that you have.  Unfortunately, our own recent histories are limited.  I have been working with our scribes to try and expand those records, but it is a slow task to make sure that each part is accurate.  However, I have come to understand that you would like to know about the missing parts of our recorded history, is this not so?”

   “Yes, mistress,” the young warlock said, now eager to learn. 

   “Very well,” the Farseer said, smiling.  She adjusted herself in her chair.  “My name is Saanah Mangwé.  I was born and raised as part of Craftworld Ulthwé.  Though that was many years ago.”  The Farseer’s eyes seemed to glaze over as she looked off into the distant past, to a world and a life that was long taken from her.  “As was typical of my people, I had spent a number of years as a Guardian.  I felt it was my duty to serve my Craftworld, but I did not enjoy that part of my life.  I had witnessed many of my friends’ deaths, and seen, first hand, the many horrors that lurk in the darkest corners of the galaxy.  Fortunately, I was given the opportunity to pursue the Witch Path, much like your self.”  The Farseer smiled warmly at the young warlock sitting in front of her.  Elynn hung on every word as she listened closely.  “It was one of the proudest moments of my life, when I was finally recognized as a Warlock of Craftworld Ulthwé.  My own sister, Q’sandria, many years older than myself, had been pursuing the Witch Path for quite some time, and had even been personally asked by Eldrad Ulthran to be one of his Protégés.  I wanted so much to be like her; to follow in her foot steps.  So when I finally achieved the title of Warlock, I truly felt worthy of being her sister.

   “Not long after, I was assigned to lead a unit of Guardians, due to my previous experience.  We had received word that a group of mon-keigh, dedicated to She Who Thirsts, was massing a force far from the Eye of Terror.  We were sent to halt their progress.  The whole of the Craftworld did not go, but instead sent a small fleet to handle the situation.  I was part of that assignment.  When we arrived, we were quickly surprised to learn that we weren’t simply dealing with the mon-keigh, but rather, the Space Marine Legion known as the Emperor’s Children.  I was sent, along with a unit of our Rangers, to move around the enemy’s open flank.  However, the battle quickly turned against us, and the main body of our force was fighting a loosing battle.  My own unit was ambushed, and although we had the aid of the Rangers, we were vastly out numbered.    My dear kin fought bravely and followed my every command with acute precision.  I do not remember much of what happened, I’m afraid.  At one point I was struck unconscious.  I later came to my senses and found myself in the company of only two of my Guardians and one of the brave Rangers.  I came to later learn that it was the remaining Rangers that provided a distraction allowing the one Ranger to drag us to safety.  I owe my life to him and what was left of my butchered command.”  The Farseer brushed away the moisture from her eyes as she took a deep breath. 

“The decoy met an ill fate, I’m sad to say.  They were eventually caught and by the end, only I and my small group remained.  We had lost contact with the main body of our forces.  As we made our way back to our own lines, we found nothing but an empty battle field.  It was clear that the battle did not go as planned.  We were able to surmise that our own forces were pushed back, and did manage to eventually retreat with the remaining survivors. 

“When I asked how long I had been out, I was told that I had been unconscious for many hours.  By the time I came around, the Ranger had been able to scout ahead and learned that our fleet had already left.  We could only assume that we were thought to have been killed along with the rest of our group.  We had been left behind.”  The young warlock stared in disbelief. 

“How did you survive?” Elynn asked, her eyes wide with confusion.

“Just the same as anything else, I suppose,” Farseer Mangwé said, shrugging.  “They looked to me for guidance.  I relied heavily on the skills of our Ranger.  He managed to keep us sheltered and fed, and the two Guardians kept their courage as we managed to defend ourselves from the various dangers of the wild.  We stayed clear of the Space Marines, however.  We knew we didn’t have a prayer of a chance in any kind of conflict.  Our ammunition was low and we had limited resources.  We were not about to throw our lives away needlessly.

“We were on that planet for many months.  We had tried several times to acquire communication equipment from the mon-keigh, but we were unable to lay hold of anything powerful enough to contact the Craftworld.  We lost both of the Guardians in our last effort.”  Saanah’s voice dropped to a whisper.  “We had started to loose hope.  There were only two of us left.

“Eventually, we were found, by other Eldar Rangers.  We were shocked beyond belief, as you might imagine.  They had been scouting the planet for various supplies when they found our encampment.  They came from Craftworld Ath-Ethonis.  Their story was even more bizarre than our own.

“Craftworld Ath-Ethonis had answered the call of help from Craftworld Iyanden when they were beset by the Tyranid hive fleet of Behemoth.  However, before they were able to reach Iyanden, Ath-Ethonis was attacked by a separate branch of the hive fleet.  They were unprepared for the sudden engagement and never made it to the aid of Iyanden.  Their Craftworld had taken severe damage and was sent spinning out of control and far off course.  The Ath-Ethonis Eldar were left drifting aimlessly with minimal lives left to tend the failing life support.  Their Craftworld drifted into a nearby solar system and ended up crashing into a small moon of one of the outer planets.  The collision was devastating and managed to knock the small moon from its orbit.  In addition, the Craftworld was fused with the small moon, and both drifted aimlessly for many years.

“Their fleet was all but destroyed, leaving only small fighters and transport shuttles in working condition.  It was by these crafts that the Rangers were able to scout nearby planets, when one came close enough, and search for any supplies or means of communication whereby they might contact one of our other kin’s Craftworlds.  It was during such a mission that their Rangers were able to find us.”  The young warlock shook her head in wonder as she listened to the Farseer’s tale.

“My self and my Ranger companion were taken back to their Craftworld, or what was left of it.  It could hardly be called such, for the Eldar living there were barely able to keep the life support working.  All communication equipment had been destroyed, and their leadership was minimal.  All Eldar of the Witch Path and the Path of the Seer had been killed during the battle years previously, or died shortly after.  They were left with the few remaining Exarches to lead them the best they could.  When I arrived, they quickly turned to me for guidance.  I have to say that I was overwhelmed by the task and felt unworthy of such a role.  However, my kin were resolute in their choice with following my direction. 

“I was very happy to find that the Infinity Circuit was still intact.  It was there that I often retreated for my answers.  I had no one to turn to when I was faced with a problem.  I had no mentor to guide my steps, and worst of all, I had no way of progressing along the Witch Path.  I had spent many long hours in deep meditation within the groves of the Infinity Circuit.  I soon found that my petitions for guidance were heard and answered by our long-passed kin.”  The eyes of the young warlock widened with wonder as she listened to the Farseer’s story.

“I was trained by the spirits of our ancestors along the Witch Path, growing steadily in might and power.  Along with my own training, I was given advice to the guidance of our Craftworld.  I was soon able to live up to the expectations of the diminishing Ath-Ethonis Eldar.

“Over time, my power grew and I was then trained in the arts of the Seer.  Thanks to the wisdom of those long passed, I was able to achieve the understanding and power to become a worthy Farseer.  It was during this time that I realized my love for the Eldar here was deep and true.  I felt as one of them.  I no longer felt of myself as a warlock of Ulthwé, but rather a true Farseer for these people.  I had been given the task to train new warlocks under me, passing on my own knowledge and wisdom to those coming up under me.  It was with these young warlocks that I counseled with, and decided to finally rebuild our world, rather than simply limping along just to survive.  My warlocks were overjoyed by my plans, and the excitement soon spread throughout all of the Craftworld.

“We started with the decision to rename our home.  I offered the name Lu-nasai, meaning Forgotten Moon, as a possibility.  It was accepted almost instantly.  I asked the spirits of the Infinity Circuit how I could train new Bonesingers, and was blessed with the knowledge to teach them.  It was not long before we were able to repair our world, and hope began to blossom throughout the Craftworld.  The warlocks came to me, asking to redefine our colors, to offer new respect to our new home.  They asked if they could use a variation of my old home, to pay a type of tribute to the place that raised their future savior.  I was deeply moved by the gesture, and humbly gave my permission.  I was about to suggest that they try not to mimic Ulthwé too closely, but the thought came to me to wait and watch.   So I did, and was happy to watch them design a wonderful array for Craftworld Lu-nasai.  Our black and white colors, trimmed with a deep red and grey proved to be very impressive.

“We were soon able to regain control of our Craftworld’s navigation systems and sang joyfully as our Forgotten Moon sailed straight and true among the stars once more.”  Farseer Saanah Mangwé let her voice trail off in quiet reminiscence.  The young warlock sat quietly for a while, pondering on what her mentor had shared with her.  A quiet reverence came over her.

“I’m sure you have much to think about, Elynn,” the Farseer said with a smile.  “You are free to leave whenever you like.”

“Thank you, mistress,” Elynn said, rising to her feet.  The young warlock closed the large double doors behind her as she left.  She took a moment to look at the relief that had been carved into the wood.  A lone moon stood proud among the cold stars.  Elynn smiled to herself, proud to be part of such a wonderful place.  She walked down the halls of her home, Craftworld Lu-nasai, the Forgotten Moon.

-----------------------------

Saanah Mangwé is my own rendition of Eldrad.  It makes no sense, story wise, to have Eldrad leading my Craftworld.  Saanah Mangwé is the leader of the Lu-nasai Eldar.
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: M071 on January 1, 2011, 12:19:50 PM
Craftworld Madeo: The Lonely Sanctuary

After Iyanden was nearly destroyed by the Tyranids, many of its inhabitants feared the world would not survive another assault. Among them was a Farseer, who had just been innitiated to the counsel. While most of the counsel wished to rebuild Iyanden, this Farseer, Moriath, as well as others, wished to move on. They felt that, though Iyanden was failing, that they might preserve its culture. After much argument, Moriath, along with several other Warlocks, Aspects, and even some of Iyanden's citizens, left Iyanden.
 Before becoming a Seer, Moriath had been a Wraithbone singer. Thus, with Prince Iryel's permission, he took a single Wraithbone seed from the Iyanden's core, and in a small fleet of ships, they travelled the webway, further into the Galaxy's "Northern" quarter. There, over several hundred years, Madeo, the Lonely Sanctuary, was created.
 Over the duration of its creation, Aspects and denizens from other Craftworlds joined them. This force included, but was not limited to Alaitoc, Ulthwe, and even Saim-Hann. It's namesake of "Lonely" is not because it is alone, but because it is hard to find. Because of Madeo's diversity, it was decided that no single symbol should represent Madeo. This is why there are few civilizations outside of the Eldar that even know of its existence. In the event that any of the craftworlds fall, Madeo will have chronicled its existence, and so that it may be possible to recreate it once peace returns. It's "Wraith-Library" is outmatched only by the Black Library, and its location is just as obscure. Though it is only 2/3 the size of an average craftworld, it is fitted with massive Holo-Field generators, and its many-faceted surface means that detection by radar or any scanning device is nearly imperceptible.
 Because of Iyandens' loathing for the Tyranids, Madeo warriors are very experienced agains them, and have fought them more often than any other army.

The forces include/are not limited to:
Wraithguard and WraithLords from Iyanden
Rangers and Pathfinders from Alaitoc
Psychers from Ulthwe; even Eldrad has intervened on Madeo's behalf on more than one occasion.
Shining Spears from Saim-Hann

Color Scheme: (Can't get the Grim Darkness painter to work)
Regal Blue: Primary
Ultramarine Blue: Secondary
Lich Purple: Detail.

 Madeo's sole purpose is to preserve the Eldar culture, and, though there are many conflicting opinions on how this may be achieved, Moriath is considered the voice of reason, taking no sides and saying only what he sees.

Madeo's greatest secret, one that has not been shared with any other Craftworld, or even the Black Library, is this:
 A way has been found to reverse time, and to erase The Fall.
The method itself involves the Webway and various gravity sinks, but in practice, it is still nigh impossible. By erasing The Fall, thus Madeo is erased, and the the Paradox ensues. Seers and Warlocks are reserching desperately to overcome this obstacle, but none has been found. Thus, this theoretical salvation is kept secret even from the highest Exarch.

This has not, however, kept them from... exploring...


[I am currently working on a Fanfic/Crossover: I won't say what, but you'll know it when/if I post it. Just know that it has something to do with a very popular movie that came out not to long ago.]
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: pheonix lord slinjak on February 12, 2011, 12:11:46 PM
my craftworld is called jaycorax. it was founded when the imperium first came in contact with the eldar.when the brothers Jay, Co and Rax where exploring space with there craftworld and they came across a time portal that took them to the current point in the 41st millennia. now they are trying desperately to adapt to the new time period.
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: Tweedz on March 15, 2011, 11:42:01 PM
Pulling my 6 year old Craftworld out of the infinity circuit, giving it new paint, updated lore and sticking it in a Wraith so i can fight with it again.

Craftworld Mar-Dinn

(https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg842.imageshack.us%2Fimg842%2F76%2Fcraftworldmarsymbol2.jpg&hash=c37f4cf7161f369aacca71b2d65628656993b2b3)

Background:

      Ever since the Fall and the birth of Slaanesh, every Eldar has lived with the fear of death. Without the spirit stone, death for an Eldar means certain oblivion at the hands of the dreaded enemy. There is but one hope for the declining race: Ynnead. Legends foretell of the day when the soul of every Eldar has been laid into the infinity circuit and Ynnead is born to destroy Slaanesh. Craftworld Mar-Dinn has dedicated its existence to the fulfillment of this prophecy.

     Mar-Dinn stands for (roughly) Death Guardians. Mar-Dinn is a small Craftworld, as they go. Its population is several factors less than some of its sister worlds yet it contains as many souls as the largest of them. Since the Fall, Mar-Dinn has worked tirelessly to seek out and recover the spirit stones of any fallen Eldar that, for whatever reason, failed to make it back to a Craftworld to be placed in the infinity circuit. Many of these are in true peril of being destroyed or their powers abused while others are simply buried under ages of dust and rubble. Regardless of their location, status or the reasons of their loss, all stones must be recovered. If the stone is located on a planet in the hands of a lesser race, the forces of Mar-Dinn will strike suddenly, swiftly, with out notice and with out mercy.

      Mar-Dinn tactics revolve around clearing enemies from the field swiftly and distracting reinforcements long enough for the Spiritseers to recover what they came for. To this end a strong line of Wraith and Lords is used to draw enemy fire and push them back while swift and mounted Aspect Warriors strike at the enemy’s weak points.

      Despite a fair amount of success in achieving its goals, Mar-Dinn suffers from a lack of manpower. It does not have a population sufficient enough to sustain a prolonged engagement or take on sizable enemy forces. If desperate, it can field a substantial number of Wraiths, but it will only consider doing so as a last resort. To compound this issue most of the seers on Mar-Dinn specialize as Spiritseers, in order to tend to the large number of Wraith, and very few of these seers ever advance to become a Farseer. For this reason, many other Eldar Craftworlds have spoken of Mar-Dinn as ‘shortsighted’. Mar-Dinn has found itself in dangerous situations that were not foreseen on many occasions. The few Farseers on Mar-Dinn are severely taxed as they attempt to insure the future of their Craftworld.

The Army:

The standard colors are bleached bone and hawk turquoise. Aspects will follow as close to their 'natural' color scheme while still using at least one of these.

Guardians standard paint (Though, as per fluff, they probably won't be used much)
(https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg823.imageshack.us%2Fimg823%2F5453%2Fp1000027m.jpg&hash=d8d8d35eea728fd2d7807ac70194d5b08715eda0)

Vehicles
(https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg638.imageshack.us%2Fimg638%2F3131%2Fp1000026r.jpg&hash=0dedc084b62d6b1ab9d95ab6393b614f44d8adaa)
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: Aireoth on March 21, 2011, 02:22:31 PM
Siyanto

Concept – Siyanto is the smaller sister craftworld to Iyanden, it was one of the first Craftworlds to leave the ancient Eldar empire, they followed the path of the Exodites, ending up in the far reaches of the Galaxy.

History - They shut down their Webway links for centuries, avoiding all contact with their fallen kin, only communicating with Exodite worlds. After many years of tranquility, far removed from the devastation of their kin, Siyanto began to colonize suitable worlds, creating various offshoot exodite communities closely linked to Siyanto. Due to Siyanto’s small size, these communities would provide warriors in times of need, a simple version of the webway system was setup to link these worlds to Siyanto. When these warriors were not enough, Siyanto would resort to Wraith constructs.

Return – Siyanto’s Seer council felt the cry for help and devastation of Iyanden during Hive Fleet Kraken’s assault. The psycic tremors where a cause for great concern for Siyanto’s council, their sister world was dying. Great debates swept the populace, as some felt they should return to aid Iyanden and maybe one day restore it, others argued that Iyanden was deserving of its fate, and aid would only lead to Siyanto’s ruin. It was decided that a small fleet would be dispatched to assess the conditions of Iyanden, and report back to Iyanto. This fleet is led by Siyanto’s Prime Farseer Cal’ya, the Autarch Ulrenth, Admiral Iyen and their accompanying council.

Future - My friends and I will be playing our battles with this in mind, I intend to work the outcomes into the craftworlds fluff (including the possibility that they will never return).

Primary Army Composition - Being closely link to Eldar before the fall, Exodites and Iyanden, this craftworld tends to field multiple fast vehicles, supported by Dire Avengers and Rangers. Think Saim-Hann/Iyanden with a small mix of Exodites (rangers). The primary aspect of the world is Dire Avengers, being the sister world of Iyanden. Siyanto is dead set against the utilization of Guardians.

Colors:
Under Armor - Dark Blue
Raised Plates - Golden Yellow / Sunburst
Weapons - Wraithbone
Misc - Blazing Orange

Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: Lord Ulthanash on March 23, 2011, 02:11:51 PM
The House of Ulthanash

On some craftworld's the idea of Clans and Royal Houses have survived, particularly on Saim-Hann and Kaelor, and amongst the Dark Kin some Royal Houses still exist, having changed their political structure into Kabals, but for the most part on most craftworlds these ancient organizations have lost their political power and have become merely tradition, a dim link to the distant past.

While Ulthwe craftworld is ruled by its prodigious Seer Council, one House still maintains clout and influence in the day to day runnings of the Craftworld. This is the House of Ulthanash, brother of the hero Eldanesh, and the namesake of the craftworld itself, for Ulthwe is merely a contraction of Ulthanash Shelwe - The Song of Ulthanash.

It is upon this Craftworld that the majority of Ulthanash's descendents, retainers and followers that managed to survive the fall came to rest, and from this base they still act, subtly manipulating events around them.

Ulthanash's House operates somewhat outside of the regular politics of Ulthwe, and this makes the Seer Council somewhat uneasy. The tense situation has been allayed by all members of the House of Ulthanash swearing a vow of loyalty and dedication to the craftworld and the Seer Council, and for the time being the House is allowed to operate.

The House has long lost its direct link to Ulthanash, but Eldar memory is long, and the members still hold true to the ancient vows of obedience that their ancestors swore to the long-dead Eldar hero. The House is now run by its Steward, a brilliant planner and warrior named Elariac Ulthamen (Elariac, the Hand of Ulthanash). He remains true and steadfast to his ancestor's friendship to the Eldar hero, and longs for Prince Yriel of Iyanden to return to Ulthwe, both to take his rightful place as Prince Yriel of the House of Ulthanash and to return the Spear of Twilight, Ulthanash's ancestral weapon, to the original Shrine of Ulthanash on Ulthwe.

The House of Ulthanash also maintains a small presence upon the Seer Council of Ulthwe. Q'sandria, the youngest of Eldrad Ulthran's proteges, can trace his ancestry back to the House of Ulthanash, and he keeps a close business relationship with Elariac, serving as a guide and seer for the House.

The House of Ulthanash tempers the dogmatic mission of Biel-Tan with the wisdom of Ulthwe. They hold a rare, pragmatic view on the future of the Eldar race. They know that the only hope for the Eldar to regain their past glory is to create a new Empire, and the exodite worlds are the perfect place to begin. However, they also know that unless the fragmented Eldar population can be reunited - Eldar, Dark Eldar, Pirate and Exodite - there will never be enough Eldar to survive. For the Eldar to have any chance at survival, the link with Slaanesh must be broken, whatever the cost. The House is aware of the idea of Ynnead, but they see this as a last hope, and have thrown their luck in with the Harlequins and Cegorach. It is not known what precisely occurred, but Elariac and Q'sandria have ventured deep into the Webway, some even say to the Black Library itself, and have learned at least part of the Harlequins plan for the Eldar race. Because of their militaristic mission, the House frequently clashes with the Imperium and Orks.

The House maintains a large body of standing guardians, even more so than normal for Ulthwe. This stems in part from the militaristic mission that the House holds and in Elariac's past - he has served as one of the trainers for the Black Guardians and once was a Shining Spear. The House's military might is even kept separate from that of Ulthwe's; although they must always heed the call to arms, they fight separately. Others on Ulthwe call them fickle, arrogant and aloof, but Elariac loathes the idea of the House losing its independence for fear that it would fall apart and become nothing more than a ceremonial figure. Despite this aloofness, even the House of Ulthanash must ask permission from Ulthwe for the already rare aspect warriors to be sent into battle. When the Seer Council agrees (due to the proddings of Q'sandria) only those aspect warriors who are members of the House are called to war. Consequently the House has become reliant on other means of warfare, particularly with Guardians. Vypers, War Walkers, Support Weapons and jetbikes are all common amongst the armed forces of the House of Ulthanash. The House also maintains a small, elite group of elite Wraithguard and a single Wraithlord, so ancient that none can remember the warrior insides name. When marching to war, the Eldar of the House of Ulthanash wear the traditional black armor of Ulthwe, as they are still in lament over Ulthanash's death, but supplement the colors with royal purple and grey. Every Eldar also wears a red glove upon one of his hands, to remind his/herself of the sacrifice of Ulthanash's brother Eldanesh to Khaine. This has become symbolic to the House of Ulthanash: as Eldanesh fought Khaine to protect the Eldar race, so the House fights the Imperium to protect the Eldar race.

In game terms, Elariac is a jetbike autarch, Q'sandria is a Farseer. There is a 1 unit limit to every aspect except Dire Avengers, who are limited to 2 units, and there is a 2:3 ratio of aspect warriors to guardians. Wraithguard and Wraithlords may not be taken except for games of 1750 points or more.

I take shining spears, but I do not use them as an 'aspect', they act as Elariac's bodyguard and retinue. They do not count into the aspect limitations (shining spears are my favorite unit, I couldn't not use them).


Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: Lachdonin on April 18, 2011, 09:35:14 PM
This has been a long time in comming. In fact, too long. Should have gotten off my lazy ass and done this years ago. Anyway, i'll put in the Craftworld rune and colours later, after i figure out whats going on with my desktop...


Loritain - Glory of Loritha

History - Bery briefly, the Loritain craftworld was launched well before the Fall, at the height of the empire. It and its sister-ships were to create a twin to the Eldar Empire in another galaxy, to spread the might of the Eldar and to solidify their power for the return of the Ygnir. This goal failed after generations of travel, and the Craftworld was driven back by a chance encounter with the Swarm, known to the rest of the galaxy as the Tyranids. Of the several Craftworlds launched for this mission, only Loritain survived, and returning it to the borders of our galaxy cost the lives of many of its Farseers. Seeing a galaxy in chaos, the ruling house of Loritain, Houst Loritha, set about settleing a small region of space in the galactic south-east and solidifying their possition to serve as the heart of a new empire.


Loritain possess equipment long since lost to the Eldar, and while the process is time consuming, are able to run a barren rock into a paradise ripe for settlement. They also posses a more comprehensive knowlege of Eldar history and technology. Relics long since forgotten fill the vast vaults of the Craftworld, and it is rumoured that they even posses the ability to create and repair branches of the Webway.

However, the Path system is new to them, and the ever-present specter of Slaanesh is something that they still battle with on a daily basis. They are also unfamilair with a great deal of the weaponry that has been designed or adapted since the Fall, ranging from the simple Shuriken Catapult to the towering Titans. This has left them overly cautious to commit to battle, even by Eldar standards. Instead, they prefer to the use of active allies, and have befriended several minor species in their region who act as their eyes and ears throught the galaxy. Notably, they have taken under their wing the population of a 'tratorious' Imperial world, led by a man who opposes the imperial church and the tennants of the machine cult. While few of the inhabitants of Loritain trust these allies, particularly the humans, they have faith in their leaders and so relationships, while strained, are stable.

The Craftworld its self is largely empty now, populated only by the House Guard of House Loritha, the temple priests, and the warriors of the so-called Prime-Shrines. It hangs in orbit of a large world, terraformed by the ancient and arcane devices housed within the vaults of the Craftworld, which no serves as the primary home of the Loritain population.

Hourse Loritha is ruled by the young Farseer, Terical Loritha, last of his line. He is a seer of notable skill, considering his age, and he has been the key figure in Loritains quest to not only rebuild the Empire, but create a stronger one than before. He beleives this is possible by bringing other species into the fold, combining the strengths of every goodly species in the galaxy into one unstoppable force. This mentality has caused strain with the other remains of the Eldar, particularly with Biel'tan, and the conflict of philosophies is likely to come to blows.

The primary focus of the Craftworld's warriors, however, is hunting down and destroying the Necrons where ever they are found. Their allies are directed towards other, more mundane targets, be they Ork, Imperial or the re-emergent swarm, while the true warriors of Loritain scour the galaxy for information and relics that can be used against the awakening star gods.
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: Hanith on April 30, 2011, 11:29:07 PM
Name: Craftworld Nal'Rah

Location: Spacial Anomaly Hadex

History: During the fall, craftworld Nal'Rah was consumed wholly by the newly formed eye of terror. The Eldar aboard who managed to survive the birth cries of Slaanesh were quickly set upon by warp spawn of every breed. During the slaughter, many were driven to madness. During the final hours of the stricken craftworld, only 11 Eldar were still alive; and each could be heard laughing hysterically as they gleefully slaughtered demons within the gore-painted passages of the craftworld. Despite their insanity, they had an agenda; bring turmoil to the demons who would kill them by trapping the demon's souls within modified soulstones and the craftworld's infinity circuit thereby permanently separating them from the chaos of the warp. The now rent and tainted infinity circuit exploded destroying what was left of craftworld Nal'Rah.
     These 11 Eldar later awoke to find themselves within the confines of an ancient craftworld devoid of life save themselves. The group then found the infinity circuit of the ship, a blackened twisted husk with a very dull white light pulsing in its depths. One of the group attempted to commune with the massive orb and was immediately reduced to ashes; shortly after, various systems aboard the floating city began to come online. Years passed as the survivors reactivated long dormant subsystems in hopes of leaving the craftworld. Eventually, one of the webway portals flickered to life and the group pass through to find themselves upon an exodite world closely guarded by Eldar of the craftworld Il-Kaithe. The survivors told leaders of the settlements of their finding and its purpose. Many joined their cause, including supporters from Il-Kaithe. With a force at their disposal the survivors now actively seek chaos, trapping and feeding chaos souls to the blackened heart of the craftworld.

Theme: Very heavy Malal influences

Colors: Dark blue plates and black under armor. Guardians have brown helms, brown shoulderpads and bisected black/white masks. Exarches have white shoulderpads and black/white bisected masks and helmets. HQ units have black/white bisected helmets and masks with white shoulderpads, splashes of red on cloth items, and purple chaos runes etched into helmets/flags/cloth hems/vehicle plating. Yellow soulstones on gear.

Typical battle strategy: Provide extremely heavy ranged support to cover storm guardians and warlocks responsible for capturing souls.
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: long eared assassin on June 21, 2011, 10:26:32 AM
Saim-ceash (serpent god world)   This is my craft world name
Idan-sistannaash (great protectors of wisdom and worlds)  This is the name for the fighting forces of Saim-ceash

Just after the first war with the C’tan the Eldar of home world decided to begin the preparations for an eventual return of the evil ones. The decision was made to construct a massive craft one so grand in scale it would function as a world. A ship so large it was scarcely capable of hyper space travel. It however would be able to support an entire world’s population. The vessel would be powered by an inexhaustible energy source able to sustain the almost 600 mile diameter craft. The purpose of this vessel would be to seed new worlds and later populate them with Eldar. The “Great star”(I-oriosa) was its name. This vessel was created with the collective mass of an entire asteroid belt. To populate it only the brightest and most capable Eldar were selected from all aspects of the Empire. Then it began a great gathering of scientist, educators, and the most highly trained and bravest of the military forces. They were asked to join the never ending expedition to the very edges of Eldar space. Knowing such a mass would make an easy target for any potential hostiles they might come in contact with. It was decided to attach at each of the four corners of the vessel One of the powerful Blackstone fortresses. Colossal ships used by the Eldar during the war against the C’tan. Each massive ship landed in a strategic position then would be affixed to the very landscape of the Great star. This still left an immense expanse in the center of Great star unprotected and unused. That is where the Citadel was erected. A structure with sentry towers over three miles high. Encased buy wraithbone enforced fortifications spreading out from center more than a hundred miles in all directions. The Citadel is protected by thousands of pulsar batteries, a myriad of pulse laser turrets, and the Cobra god cannon (a weapon used to destroy stars that may house C’tan). The craft is then protected with an energy field encasing the entire world protecting it from any ranged attackers. Finally it is masked buy a cloaking screen keeping it from being detected until within range of its striking power. When She Who Thirsts was born of the warp, Great star was hardly affected. The Eldar of Great star learned of Slaanesh’s birth from the Harlequins. The ship was in the southern Exodite worlds at the time seeding and populating them. When the Harlequins found Great star they told of the pleasure cults, and the downfall, of the slaying of the gods, and the plight of all Eldar. After the shock of the Harlequins tales set in, the Eldar of Great star came to realize a new truth. They were now the closest thing to a home world left in the galaxy, and they would be held responsible to reinstate the Eldar as a dominate race. The Harlequins were concerned that Great star possessed a library equal to that of the Harlequins own Black library called Ikan-xamanth (glorious library). With this knowledge the Harlequins could not leave it unprotected, they then relocated Ikan-xamanth into secret catacombs beneath the craftworld. The exact location known only by the Harlequins and the Master Farseer of Great star. It is also spoken that the Harlequins have posted sentinels watching over the glorious library. The Eldar of Great star knew now they would have to change the way they have lived for thousands of years in addition to their name. They became the “Idan-sistannaash“(Great protectors of wisdom and worlds). The craftworlds name has been changed as well to Saim-ceash (serpent god world). The serpent is the Eldar keeper of secrets, and knows all there is in the universe. The Eldar of Saim-ceash possess enough power to destroy whole worlds but choose to negotiate with the Imperium of man or the Tau rather than waist an Eldar life, if possible. The craftworld has never been close enough to the eye of terror to have crossed paths with their Dark kin. The Ork are a different story all together. Sometimes tricked into fighting for the Eldar but often Saim-ceash is at war with the
Ork. The C’tan (Necrons) and Chaos forces are hunted constantly by these Eldar. The Tyranid are killed on sight, but the Eldar of Saim-ceash have had an episode with a hive fleet in deep space that makes them wary. It was Light-years east of the southern Exodite worlds and long after the fall. Siam-ceash ran into what they called the Great Hive Fleet. It is thought this fleet consisted of both Kraken and Behemoth before the Eldar violently ripped them in two. The battle started by happenstance Saim-ceash opened fire with all its Blackstone’s and the full power of the Citadel. Yet they still had to resort to the Cobra-god cannon firing four cycles. This virtually tore the hive fleet in half thus allowing the Eldar to escape with few losses. They now believe this action is what doomed Iyanden. In order to make amen’s for this Siam-ceash have evacuated the southern Exodites. They are currently fortifying the northern Exodite worlds with refugees from the south who were willing to leave their own home worlds. The Exodites of the south trusted the Eldar of Saim-ceash after all Saim-ceash populated these worlds. They have started providing the Exodites with technology to aid in their defenses in addition to the dragon knights. The current policy of Saim-ceash is to stay in this part of space for some time in hopes of growing population on the great craft world, the Exodite worlds, and the maiden worlds within a few hundred light-years from this sector of space. They also wish to share technologies with the other Eldar. In hopes the others may have developed advancements in the many thousands of years since Saim-ceash departed from the old home world. However they are kept a secret from most other craftworlds and only make contact through the Harlequins networking or the occasional visit by Exodites. Saim-ceash is the only craftworld who allow the outcasts to base on their vessel. Simply due to its tremendous size the outsiders are never in contact with the general population. They would also never corrupt the infinity circuit of this craft world located within the Citadel. The colors carried into battle by Saim-ceash are forest green and golden yellow. The army also incorporated a scarlet red into the color of their firearms not used buy the rest of the craftworld. The standing army of Idan-sistannaash is the largest known of any craftworlds. It is supported by the largest population of Eldar known to be left after the fall. All of the Phoenix lords have been told of the craftworld and so Saim-ceash has built shrines in their honor. They have also learned from the Harlequins some of the more rare aspects of the new warrior style. Saim-ceash also possess tens of thousands of the ever guard aspect warriors from the old world. This craftworld does not favor any one style of warfare they incorporate what is thought to work best for the situation. They have the most warlocks of all craftworlds and are guided by a force of many Farseers who do not go to battle unless the situation becomes dire. Their leader is the Master Farseer and he does not make a decision except when the great seer council is summon. There is no political system on Saim-ceash such things are thought to be corruptible. At a very young age an Eldar from this world is probed by a warlock or seer to see the very traits that make up the individuals character. It is then decided the path for that Eldar to follow for the rest of their life. No time need be wasted trying to turn a seer into a warrior or builder into an artist. They will be taught only what they are best attuned to understanding and so guaranteeing their success in mastering life. An Elder is normally driven to the arts so one might think this system would leave a void of those who would be warriors. In contrary however due to the great hatred of Chaos and some of the invasive races like Ork and Tyranid, finding Eldar tuned to aggression is very common here. Idan-sistannaash believes that through the use of their vastly superior technology and concerted efforts to grow the population without unnecessary bloodshed. Saim-ceash and the Eldar race will once again rule the stars.

I have over 18,000 pts of Eldar so this fluff fits my army ( not counting my rouge trader Eldar that look terrible by today's standards ). I can field any force type I need ( also  good for apocalypse ) although I do not have a forge world or armor cast unit.

color: as mentioned in the fluff is forest green with a dark yellow trim, all weapons are a burgundy red color

let me know what you think. Thanks
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: The GrimSqueaker on June 21, 2011, 05:11:59 PM
Mate, you lost 50% of your intended audience immediately after they saw a big ol'wall of text without formatting. Please use paragraphs to break up the material. The content itself seems a little much as well. A craftworld with four Blackstones and another star destroying weapon? I'd tone it down a few orders of magnitude so that you're not overshadowing all the other craftworlds like a Galactus sized mary sue.
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: Alaran Nightshade on July 2, 2011, 11:33:16 PM
Alarm klaxons shrilled, startling Captain/Seer Alaran Nightshade out of his reverie and communion with the spirits of his parents.  With a fleeting touch of love and pride, their presences slipped back into the ship's Infinity Circuit.  The young merchant-prince swept his over-robe behind his legs and double-timed down the wraithbone-ribbed halls of his clan's Craftworld toward the bridge.  Stopping outside the doors to his command center, Captain Nightshade blessed the ascetic lifestyle that had kept him in such good shape that it was but the work of a Mon-Keigh's eyeblink to gather his dignity and bearing before entering.

Seated in his Captain's Chair, Alaran placed his palm on the wraithbone inductor pad and projected his query into the mind of his Master of Arms, T'rissana Neldona.  Her answer of rioting at the docks had him out of his chair and running along the corridors before his grim Ship's Gunner Caldyn Ronnar could pipe him off the bridge.

Arriving at the main loading bay, the first thing he saw was the bone-white armour and flaming red hair of his Armsmistress.  The young Seer froze in the midst of trying vainly to get T'rissana's attention over the cries of the rioters, as he could see flames shooting over the rooftops of the city's mercantile warehouses at the edge of the spaceport.  "The world burns!" he whispered, just now understanding the visions of a great hole opening in the heart of Eldar Homespace he had been plagued with lately, waking or sleeping.  Slapping his bare hand on an exposed Wraithbone rib Lord Seer-Captain Alaran Nightshade gathered his will and sent his voice ringing through the minds of all in the docks.  "SILENCE!" he 'roared'.  "Our world burns, and none of you did anything about it!  I will not have layabouts and parasites on my ship!  If you would be saved, grab cargo and become useful.  Put aside your petty games and maneuverings for status, your despotism and your decadence.  Swear yourselves to me and my line, to a new Way, and I will take you aboard.  Step out of line, though, and you'll be walking home through the Void!"

With a glad cheer, many willingly grabbed crates and boxes and rushed aboard the trading vessel.  Some of the others slunk quietly away, not willing to stoop to labor even to save themselves.  The strongest of will leapt toward the neural hoods that allowed interface with the wraithbone stevedore robots, and even the heavy loader-bots had a few operators.  Those less willful strapped into the superheavy load exosuits and started loading crates of vehicle parts.

T'rissana shook her head in fascinated bemusement as she looked at her Captain and lover. "How do you do it,
Cherital?  Embarrassed, Alaran shrugged gracefully.  "Have you seen?" he asked her, "The city burns, as I have seen in my dreams.  I do not know if we'll be in time to escape."  Sobered, the Armsmistress laid her elegant hand on his arm, so gentle in love, so strong around her trill's hilt in war.  "We'll make it, CheritalYou've been preparing for this for years.  Have faith in yourself.  I do!"

With that, the last of the refugees boarded.  As the massive doors closed on the now-full cargo bay, a great growl of sound vibrated the very hull of the great Craftworld.  Alaran and T'rissana glanced at each other, and as one abandoned dignity and decorum and ran to the bridge. 

Strapping himself into his command chair, Captain Nightshade barked his orders. "Release grounding tethers!  Cast off planetary power lines!  Blow the emergency disconnects for the refueling nodes!  Get us aloft, Mister Sarelias, NOW!" 

Pilot Tathnar Sarelias's long fingers danced over the inductor keys of his control board, disengaging the cables and tubes imprisoning the graceful vessel.  Resplendent in his traditional white and blue uniform, he grinned to himself as "his" ship floated up, free once more.  Reveling in the feel of the superbly crafted vehicle responding to his touch as ardently as a lover, he nearly missed his Captain's next, startling command.  "Prepare to engage psychic sails, Mister Sarelias!  Mister Araneae, prepare to open the Ship's Gate!"  "In the gravity well?" Tathnar's startled voice cut across the bridge as the webgate engineer Jarzen Araneae quietly used his neuro-manipulator belt's right hand to sign acknowledgement of the Captain's order while his other three hands flew across the panel in front of him.

"Do you have a problem understanding my orders, Pilot?"  Alaran's voice, dangerously quiet, still rang out in the sudden silence.  "N-no, Lord Captain," Tathnar stammered, "it's just that I don't know what the planet's gravity will do to the sails when combined with the Shipgate!"  The Captain activated the external sound and video sensors, linking them to the bridge's main holo-tank.  A dull roar filled the room as the image of the city below, burning with unnatural flames, filled the display.  "Look, all of you!" Alaran shouted.  "Look what we, as a race, have done!"  He touched other pads, splitting the display into hundreds of subscreens, the entirety of the Eldar Homeworlds appearing as seen from orbital platforms.  "Our Homespace burns!  We have destroyed ourselves! Look well, and remember.  This is what we must avoid for all future time!  We MUST NOT do this to ourselves, ever again.  Look, all of you, upon our works, we mighty Eldar, and despair."

"Ship's Gate ready, Captain."  The engineer's voice quietly announced into the stunned silence.  "Thank you, Mister Araneae," Alaran replied, once more in control.  "Mister Sarelias?"  "Psychic sails...deployed, Captain."  "Excellent.  On my mark, Mister Araneae.  Ready...steady..."

Before the command could be given, the sound from outside cut off for a nano-instant, then came back with a vengeance.  A psycho-physical scream rocked the vessel, blasting it through a hole in reality, tumbling out of control into the webway. A scream of pain, fury and despair; the Death-Cry of a race, the Birth-Cry of a God; Slaanesh, She who Thirsts, is come.

Alarm klaxons shrilled, startling Captain/Lord FarSeer Alaran Nightshade out of his reverie and communion with the spirits of his parents.  With a fleeting touch of love and pride, their presences slipped back into the ship's Infinity Circuit.  The mature Seer released the crystallised hands of his parents and turned to T'rissana, as always garbed in her ancient bone-white armour and with her mask already in place, her Executioner at her back.  Taking his Ghosthelm from her, he looked beyond his one-time lover to his former crew, all respectfully awaiting his preparations.  Slinging his Tempest Launcher, Caldyn bowed and handed Alaran his ancestral Witchblade as Tathnar, now an Exarch of the Shining Spears, belted the Captain's Shuriken Pistol holster on him.  Jarzen appeared with a crackle of warp energy to hand over Nightshade's Spellrunes and wraithbone armour, which T'rissana efficiently strapped on him.  As energy enlivened them, the spellrunes began to glow and circle Alaran under their own power.  T'rissana was given the honour of beginning the chant, but even as it began, Farseer Nightshade wondered -fleetingly- how much of his friends were left inside their traditional, beyond-ancient Exarch armour.  Then the chant took him too, and he let the thought slip.  Craftworld Men-Ran'Zen was called to war.

Blood runs, Anger rises, Death wakes, War calls!
*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *   
Men-Ran'Zen Eldar are characterized by their night-dark skin and bleached-out hair, caused by the radiation of a rogue star the Craftworld passed too close to during the endless-seeming tumble caused by the Fall.  The rads destroyed the pigment in hair and eyes, and darkened skin tones to a nearly uniform glossy ebony, and did so on a cellular level: even the DNA was altered.  This has caused Men-Ran'Zen to be referred to as "Raibh partente na rillie yirraith", or "Night skin and glittering eye".  The denizens of the vessel wear this title with pride, as they see it as a mark of survival. 

As far as location, Men-Ran'Zen is currently in orbit around the exodite world Tirithain, in the Segmentum Ultima, near the Segmentum Tempestus border.  Her closest Eldar neighbor is Biel-Tan, with Alaitoc also within (comparatively) easy travel.

As Men-Ran'Zen was originally a trading vessel, Farseer Nightshade is perhaps more concerned with the modern age than some of his peers.  The return of the Eldar to dominion over the galaxy is something to of course be desired, but since long-term plans like that are in the capable hands of others, he prefers to work toward the near future.  Repair and resuppy of his own ship is the first goal, and the best way to do that is to trade with the planet and the other two hapless ships stuck orbiting it: a Space Marine Battle Barge, damaged and nearly non-functional due to 10k years in the Eye of Terror and the Maelstrom, and a Sister of Battle convent-ship commanded by a radical Inquisitor.  A splinter group of the Dark Kin has a pirate base on a nearby moon, and Alaran has worked out a mutually-beneficial agreement: The raiders don't operate in this quadrant (or against Eldar), and Men-Ran'Zen will fence the goods captured in the raids.

Socially, Men-Ran'Zen welcomes refugees from other worlds and Craftworlds, as long as they do their share.  If said refugees want to live dirtside, there's a shuttle every 12 Standard Hours.  Likewise, if the Exodites from downstairs want to see the universe, they can use the warpgate to Biel-Tan or Alaitoc to take the first steps on the Path of the Outcast.  Traditionally, the Rangers and Harlequins get a lot of recruits from this sector, between Alaitoc and Men-Ran'Zen. 

As far as the Warrior Path, there are several shrines of each Aspect except for the Warp Spiders and  the Shining Spears, both of which have only one.  As Biel-Tan is so close, several of the Phoenix Lords pass through, as do many Harlequins and Pathfinders.  With all these skilled combatants within calling distance, the necessity of Guardians answering the call of Khaine is lessened, so a Men-Ran'Zen army usually consists of several Pathfinders, several Aspect Warriors, a troupe of Harlequins and (taking a page from Iyanden) a number of Wraithlords and Wraithguard.  Vehicles are not hard to come by, as just recently the Craftworld's own scouts found a cache of wraithbone hulls and shells, probably left by the first of Tirathain's Exodites after landing.


Thanks for reading!

Title: Designing my own Craftworld... The Fiach'anam
Post by: Avintril on July 16, 2011, 07:16:38 AM
Hello all. This post is to try and hammer out a few ideas about starting my own Craftworld. First off, I would like to say that I've thought about the early beginnings of a unique Eldar population of my own making and would like some input from the community on what I've come up with so far.

I first started with the idea that I wanted to run an Ulthwé army, but... that just seemed too.... boring. I like the paint scheme, their grim determination, and the fact they have "Seer Councils"  ;D ...but want to take it a bit further. My local LGS's opinion (at the time) on Ulthwé was grim at best... despite the fact that several Eldar players ran that Craftworld. So... I wanted to go in a different direction. I have since moved halfway across the country and my new (very small) LGS has only one Eldar player.... which runs Ulthwé.  ::) That only solidified the fact I want to run an Eldar army of my own creation.

Whilst keeping the basic colors (black/bone) of the Ulthwé, I have put a little spin on them; using blue and black washes for Dire Avengers; black with red washes for Fire Dragons, etc., I want to further delineate my craftworld from it's parent world. Next, after reading the excellent article on this forum Design Your Own Craftworld!: Submitted By Gutstikk. (I'm still a "noob" so I won't even bother with trying to post a link)... I started to think more in specifics about my new Craftworld. Firstly... a significant deviation that I came up with was that my craftworld was, obviously, a splinter of the Ulthwé world, but the Farseers of my world broke from their parent world because they wished to limit the mass death and destruction that would be wrought by the forthcoming "Fall". So, they sadly left their brethren and set out on their own. At first it was a sizable fleet of Wraithbone ships that was later sung into the craftworld itself.

Their new Path and purpose was not necessarily to ward off the emerging forces of Chaos... instead they would take on a more personal mission. They would become the Fiach'anam, or "Soul Guardians". They would scour the battlefields of the 41st Millennium, collecting the spirit stones of their brethren... left behind in the chaos of battle. Also, they would work closely with the Corsairs and other "space-fearing, web-savy" factions in acquiring new spirit stones from the Crone Worlds... in times of great need.

Well... that's about as far as I've gotten lol. The name was a mere hodge-podge of the Scottish Gaelic for "soul" and "raven". I first hit on a name when I was searching for mythology surrounding the "ferrying of the soul" from Life to Death, and back again... as many crows/ravens seem to do. I first came upon the Finnish word sielulintu meaning "soul bird", which protected the soul from being lost on the path of dreams. This was a fantastic idea!! (and I would LOVE to learn more about this myth... well, more than "wikis" can provide lol) But, it really didn't sound right... so the search continued. Next I came upon the Irisn myth of Babd Catha the "battle crow"... while closer to what I would perceived as Eldar sounding... it wasn't close enough in philosophy. So... after several other searches, I settled on the independent words for "raven" and "soul" in Scottish Gaelic; coming up with Fiach'aman. The apostrophe was added to be more... Eldar-ish  ;). The mythology of ravens/crows fit with my planned color scheme (black/bone) and equally fit in with the "mission" of my Eldar to seek out and recover lost Waystones, and integrate them back into the Wraithbone cores at the hearts of the communities from whence they came.

Well, I've rambled on enough... opinions? Thoughts?
Title: Re: Designing my own Craftworld... WIP
Post by: Cavalier on July 16, 2011, 08:45:23 AM
Sounds like a pretty cool idea. Not sure about merging an Eldar fleet together to make a craftworld though. You could just have your Craftworld be one of the several near to the Eye of Terror, and have them foster close ties with Ulthwe.


I had a cool idea while I was reading your description of the fluff concerning guiding the souls of the dead. I thought it would be cool if your Craftworld sent armies to the Crone Worlds to free the spirits of dead Eldar from the grips of Chaos.


Granted many of those may choose to worship Chaos, but it could be evangelical type thing or maybe your Craftworld has a psychic, or even sorcerous technique for purging the taint of chaos from Eldar souls.


Just an idea...
Title: Re: Designing my own Craftworld... WIP
Post by: Avintril on July 17, 2011, 04:51:24 AM
That is in interesting idea... and would like to explore that further.  :)  I had the idea of venturing to the Crone Worlds to occasionally acquire new Waystones. "Rescuing" Eldar souls from the taint of Chaos would be a really cool duty for my Craftworld as well! Would this be done like an "exorcism" of sorts? Or perhaps, another idea would be to provide an "underground railroad" for those Dark kin that wish to return to the Path? LOL! That would be funny.... my Farseers could have a small percentage to "win over/convert" Dark Eldar on the table-top lol.  ;)  Just a thought.....

As for the "singing ships into a craftworld". Nothing is really mentioned about that really... one way or the other... but without starting a fiery debate on craftworlds; their size, shape, etc.... it has been noted that:

"Prior to the Fall, Craftworlds were vast trading ships, effectively, whole self-contained communities housing hundreds of Eldar families." http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Craftworld (http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Craftworld)

It goes on to mention that during the Current Age, "Craftworlds have grown greatly in size since the Fall, when they became the sanctuary worlds of the Eldar race. They are now approximately 10 to 100 times bigger in volume than they were before the Fall." As to how they grew... it just says they did... no "cannon" fluff tells us how. So, since my branch of Eldar broke from their parent world pre-Fall... the "singing" of ships together to form something bigger would fit within a theory of how they grew.  ;)

Also, I was thinking my Craftworld would not risk its Guardians on such deadly and potentially catastrophic missions they frequently went on. Basically it would be an "elite" Eldar force. While the "known" Craftworlds have various flavor in paint and play style... players still can access pretty much any of the Aspect Warriors they see fit. Now if you want to play a "fluffy" world... as I do... these allowances and restrictions have to be different from anything that currently exists. Since most people are not in the habit of making up entirely new Shrines, rules, powers and such... one must work with what is currently available in our army choices.

So, as part of this "rediscovered" world... the Aspect Shrines are in full force. The missions are small, and with purpose. But "realistically" table-top games do not constitute vast battles that would be needing to take over a planet... or destroy the Imperium, etc. So, an "elite" force (with restrictions of course) would be appropriate to my Craftworld. Say, my "army" must always have a Farseer leading it. Dire Avengers would form the "core" of the army... much as other Worlds. But, say it would have a restriction of "no more than one unit of Aspect Warriors (excluding Dire Avengers) would be allowed." This represents that the Shrines are still very active, but limit their risk in losses to any one shrine. Also, say I didn't allow the use of Wraithguard in my army construction as that would seem to go counter to my trying to "free" these souls. But, on the other hand I might think Wraithlords were ok. Perhaps the "Chaos tainted" souls had to go through a period of "purification" housed in the Wraithlord construct in order to be allowed back in to the Craftworld core?

Anyway... those are some more thoughts. Opinions are welcome as I go through the "battery" of questions posed in the aforementioned Design Your Own Craftworld! thread.  :)
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: Cidias on October 17, 2011, 02:49:43 PM
Kionash Enaid'dyann  (Craftworld of the Gemstone Guardians)
Craftworld Enaid'dyann began its existence as a mining colony searching for planets that could serve as growing grounds for the psychically resonant crystals used as Spirit Stones and for beam weaponry.  They discovered a maiden world that fit their criteria perfectly, a world of dense jungle swamps and towering cliffs. The Eldar named this world "The Verdant Jewel" and got to work immediately searching out those deposits of naturally occurring  crystals, and the best locations for growing others. But like many gems, this one carried a hidden flaw. Nearly a third of the planets landmass was covered by tracts of barren earth, where nothing would grow. Deep scans showed no signs of anything untoward in these places, so the Enaid'dyannin, more concerned with making profit and keeping their clients happy disregarded these anomalous areas and focused on the task at hand.
   Upon the birth of Slaanesh, the psychic shockwave tore through the Verdant Gem and awoke the terrors sleeping beneath the dead zones. Necrons long dormant and shielded from view rose from their hidden tombs deep within the planet and began to cleanse their world of the invaders. Many Eldar were lost in the short time it took to evacuate back to the craftworld, and the survivors were horrified at the thought of losing their hard work, equipment and the homes they had come to love on their new world. The arrival of the Aspects and the Paths soon brought hope to the Enaid'dyannin, and they began to fight for their new home.
   For ten thousand years the Eldar of Enaid'dyann have struck from their refuge in the skies above the Jewel, keeping the Necron forces from escaping to wreak havoc among the stars. The ghastly caricatures of life strike without pause for two hundred years, than fall silent for a century of quiet before re emerging.
   Autarch Cidias of Enaid'dyann is a relative rarity among his rank, as he has not only walked and mastered the Paths of the Warrior, but has also trod the Witch Path and carries his Witchblade into battle as well has having enhanced his natural psychic energies to allow some of his skill and experience to spread to his allies.
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: XavianBlacksoul on December 4, 2011, 02:23:02 PM
My Craftworld is Xambala. Stolen from the floating city where gods hang out.

Craftworld Xembala is a comparatively small craftworld. They had left their world long before before the fall, disgusted with the excesses of their fellowman. The do not talk of their home world nor are there records about it. They are a rather stern and uncompromising nation who strive at all costs to protect the Exodite and Maiden worlds. It was on Xambala that the cult of silence was born and is still practiced. Many Eldar swearing vows believing their actions are stronger than words and that speaking easy brings about disaster. Due to their forthright views and Stoic attitudes they are viewed in a cold light by other Craftworlds, although their actions are highly regarded. The Eldar of Xambala have a reputation of being highly disciplined and aggressive force, which strike fast and hard before disappearing just as suddenly. 

For Countless centuries they have patrolled the furthermost eastern rim of the galaxy. They have strong links with the Exodite communities found there and often send young Eldar to these planets as a right of passage before adulthood. The Craftworld drifts somewhere between the Tau empire and the realm of Ultamar. This has led to many conflicts between the various forces that inhabit these sectors. Often these upstart races try to populate planets of Eldar origin and find to there cost the price in doing so.

Recently the various Tyranids tendrils have caused great strain on the Eldar of Xembala, But they will not budge from their sacred tasks. Chaos warbands appearing as if from random has not helped either, regardless the battle any and all who appear within their sector of space.   

Xembala is currently presided over by two twin brothers. Xar'en'Galad and Ada'en'Galad. En'galad being the title of lord of light. Xar'en is a highly respected Autarch of uncompromising nature while Ada is the craftworlds most powerful and foresighted Farseer. Between them the Craftworlds population is kept safe.

The Craftworlds colours are Green and gold, and their emblem is of a dragon.
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: magenb on April 19, 2012, 07:14:03 PM
Craftworld Belah’rea (Path of the rising Star)

(https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg210.imageshack.us%2Fimg210%2F9219%2Fcraftworldbelahrea6.jpg&hash=9fa7596f645faec3b4f738e6d6a6f959d1e0bdbf) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/210/craftworldbelahrea6.jpg/)

While few truly foresaw the extent of the Eldar fall, it was obvious to many that the empire was decaying from within. Indeed the exodus was a wakeup call for many of those still sane Eldar and it was one such group who started an ambitious project to save their people. While other group were constructing ever larger Craftworlds, Belah’rea worked on coupling and retro fitting existing vessels.

Based on the little information that survived from that time, the various vessels travelled the rim of the home worlds, attempting to find rational Eldar to join them, with the intention of using the webway to join the command vessel shortly after.  Like so many others, these ships faded into the forgotten pages of history.

A stranded ranger ship recently rediscovered a few vessels between the eastern fringe and the Dominion of storms by a stranded Ranger ship. Much to their horror all on board had died in the process of trying to escape the fall, however instead of their souls being eaten by she who thirsts, the souls were collected by the soul stones entwined in the wraith bone.

As the rangers discovered, Craftworld Belah’rea seems to have a built in purpose, this has been narrowed down to the recovery of living Eldar, soul stones and artefacts/salvage (such as armour, Avatar Shell, wrecked tanks, etc). The seers are given visions as to why they are in a giving area.

Each craft in the flotilla is thought to be controlled by those in the infinity circuits. This is a theory because there are a number of locations which are both physically and psychically inaccessible. This includes Navigation, webway portal control, defence systems.
Over the progressing years many new Eldar (mostly stranded Aspects) have joined, including exarch who build new shrines, expanding the field of study. Most notably an Avatar was recovered from a fallen Craftworld.

New arrivals also feel a presence, as if they are being constantly watched, over time this sensation fades, but this coupled with the automatous nature of the ship has led to whispers of the ship being “alive”

Each craft is entirely enclosed by a thick black wraith bone like substance. While making them effectively stealth vessels, it is also impossible to grown the ship any larger. Expansion is only possible by finding any remaining craft scattered though out the galaxy. So far two more have been recovered.

Colours: Various shades of blue (Ultramarine on their mechs) and Shinning Gold.

Socal:
Craftworld Belah’rea embraces the warrior-priest ideals. This is very similar to the path system on Alaitoc. It is common for those who have just left their Aspect path, to become priest or healers and vice versa.

The Craftworld is generally a peaceful place, but since recovered Eldar can be from a wide variety of Craftworlds with no way of returning, tensions can be high especially among new arrivals.

Other races: Being constantly on the move there are no standing alliances, however they have been known to trade with friendly races.

Governing system:  Technocracy
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: Bda_Gamer on June 22, 2012, 12:12:22 PM
This "background" was written before I had read the Path series of books. After reading the books I was amused how my interpretation was very similar to the philosophy of the Eldar presented in the books.

I was the Eldar craftworld generator questions to generate my ideas. I hope you like and feedback is always appreciated.


Craftworld Mul-Girtab - “Their heads touch the sky, their terror is awesome and their glance is death”

(https://www.40konline.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-SzZvJ3WG2Qo%2FT2KffO_B5eI%2FAAAAAAAAAFg%2FHVg8r-xvJPg%2Fs1600%2FEldar-Symbol.jpg&hash=4c76372e1e0f8b7ef406019d749fe287db9719e9)

Colours: Skull White, Lich purple; Aspect warriors follow tradition colouring patterns. Force includes an heavy presence of Striking Scorpions and Warp Spiders,

History:

During the Fall Craftworld Mul-Girtab was fleeing most of its citizens gripped in the initial madness and blood letting. They were hurled tumbling into the warp and pushed into a remote corner of the galaxy. Their sister fought brother, father fought wife and Mul-Girtab paid a heavy price. Far removed from their kin, Mul-Girtab began to colonize suitable worlds, a created various closely linked offshoot exodite communities.

As the communities grew, the wreckage and ruins of the craftworld were reclaimed. Due to the extended absense the Wraithbone forests had claimed vast areas of the craftworld. It was here the first Pathwalker was when a spirit scorpion stung a salvager. Putting him into a coma state, after 2 months he emerged reforming the society as Pathwalker Ci-caedr'aer . Setting them along their new found chosen Path, a path of deception, mixed honour and refined justice.

Each House world was defined by a specific task and sits as an equal on the Guiding Council. The council is overseen by She Who Guides, and it members elected by each worlds citizens. Mul-Girtab as a craftworld is known for its honor and secrecy, and has never reneged on an agreement with others, or dealt with them unfairly.

Mul-Girtab tactics revolve around deceptive ploys clearing enemies from the field swiftly and distracting reinforcements. Aspect Warriors are used to strike at the enemy’s weak points providing crippling blows, whilst other elements draw fire. IF the enemy is too strong preemptive strikes will be deployed to hamper the enemy whilst a Ci-can'a is mustered. All elements willing to die, as the future has no shadow to them.

Pathewalker Arahman currently leads Mul-Girtab as the continue along their Path. Mul-Girtab is currently reeling from loosing a world to Khronanus the Black-Hearted, Chaos Undivided Champion.

Known Named Characters:
Farseer Arahman
Farseer Onetsa
Autarch Yal-adrin - Harmonious Battle
Autarch Yal-adrin
Autarch San-shesh – Female (Swooping Hawk Wings)
Autarch Adzimehmed (Warp Spider Generator)
Exarch Tanorath (Striking Scorpions) Biting Blade
Exarch Danelon (Striking Scorpions) Scorpion Claw
Exarch Ta'ali (Howling Banshees)
Exarch Fisnes (Dire Avengers) Dual Shurican Catapults
Exarch Throezara (Dire Avenger) Power Weapon & Shimmer shield
Warlock Altin (Embolden) previous path Dire Avenger
Warlock Mitore (Embolden, Witchblade) previous path Striking Scorpion
Exarch Re-ther (Warp Spider) Dual Spinner & Powerblades
Exarch Ty'lion (Warp Spider) Spinnerette
Exarch Rennes (Dark Reaper) Tempest Launcher

What sort of government runs this society?

This society is run by a council following the path of Harmony and Hostility. The council is chaired by a Farseer, selected as the “She” Who Guides or Pathwalker, the other members of the council are selected from the satellite worlds and craftworld. Each Farsser and Autarch selects a replacement after serving for a period no less than 100 years. At the end of this time, during which his successor has been recognized, and trained thoroughly, in how best to manage the craftworld, he ascends to an inner circle of as a potential next offering to the Avatar

What sort of people are they in terms of relations to others?
Mul-Girtab as a craftworld is known for its honor and secrecy, and has never reneged on an agreement with others, or dealt with them unfairly.  Generally, it has stable relations with others as a result, though its enemies know no respite, and alliances are mostly made as a joint military venture, these ventures are often to only sort if it benefits Mul-Girtab. The craftworld's Houses sometimes engage in some trade with others.

Who do they interact with?
Mul-Girtab generally covertly interacts with the Imperium, the Tau, certain Space Marines (Black Consuls & Desert Tigers) and other Eldar.  Tyranids, Orks, the forces of Chaos are all to be shunned.  The Adeptus Sororitas and Grey Knights are generally not to be trusted as allies, though will engage a common enemy unbeknown in such a manner that the aid of the Eldar is never discovered. They have “adopted” some surviving member of the Black Consuls and have allowed them use of one of their worlds.

What sort of beliefs guide their culture?
The culture is guided by a deep sense of honour, refined justice and respect. The society is governed by strict adherence to the Paths of the Eldar and the social norm is always to seek out the best way to improve. Disputes are settled by a tribunal of peers, whose decision is final. More serious matters are sometimes settled in the “Arena” battles are never to the death.

How large is this society?
Mul-Girtab is a single craftworld, with four satellite worlds, with a population of about 100 million indigenous species.

Each world is designated to a function such as war craft, argicultutral, culture with additional functions in aiding the support systems of Mul-Girtab. A fifth world was recently lost in a Chaos execuriosn, the citizens sacrificed to the Dark Gods.

How much wealth is available to this society?
The society as a whole is fiercely independent and strives to provide everything needed for its maintenance without dependence on outside sources.  Its equipment and shrines are lovingly maintained, but the society as a whole is not exceptionally wealthy, valuing merit above material possession.  This means that trade between themselves and other Eldar is executed as necessity dictates.

What sort of environment does this society exist in?
The society is contained between the craftworld and satellite planets. Mul-Girtab is designed as a spacious forest wonderland, with each world having its own webway contained in the Heart Wood. Each world contains a smaller Heart Wood, linking to the other world and craftworld through a single webway with many paths. Besides its primary function, each world is designed, to be semi-sef sufficient as they serve as training grounds and in addition to additional functions. Much of the external commerce between Mul-Girtab is performed using the Houses as intermediaries.  As a result, the Houses are designed as both military and metropolitan areas of varying major portions, with a large area given over to shrines specific to the particular House in question.

How do smaller units of this society relate to the whole?
Mul-Girtab behaves as a fractured nation, each satellite world is treated as an equal.  The balance of power is held because most of the trade and defense of Mul-Girtab occurs through the actions of the sister worlds.  These are ruled by the members of the Inner Council who are subject to the will of the Path, who is always chosen from the council of Mul-Girtab.  The Council members form their own the Houses of Path whose members choose their successors from civilians of Mul-Girtab, though usually these will be civilians who have had extensive dealings on a particular world.

Army Philosophy -
Mul-Girtab place a premium on infantry with other elements serving supportive roles. They utilize preemptive strikes, whilst harassing the remaining elements of their enemy. The enemy is given varies feigns and lures never know which to be a true retreat. A favourite tactic is to retreat, then swiftly turn crippling the enemy in one blow. The tactics involved will be typical to the closing of a scorpions claw, focus on the claw and you will not notice the tail. Each part as deadly as the next.
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: Kogtoof on June 28, 2013, 11:02:02 PM
My army is an offshoot of Alaitoc. After Alaitoc was attacked by the Mon'Keigh (Black Library Path series) There was a large reconstruction effort amongst the citizens of the craftworld to rebuild their shattered homes. As the rebuilding occurred across the craftworld, debates started as to why the Farseers did not see the attack coming beforehand and move to avoid the battle.

One Farseer in particular Ae'uith claimed that the Farseers had grown complacent and weak. It is said that Ae'uith lost his brothers in the fighting though whether or not this is true is unconfirmed. He argued that revenge must be taken on the Mon'Keigh for the near destruction of their home. Farseer Ae'uith left the craftworld, taking with him several shrines who's exarchs agreed with Ae'uith's views, most notably the Shrine of the Silver Dart (dire avengers), and the shrine of the Hunting Shadow (striking scorpions). These shrines under Ae'uith's leadership travel the webway hunting for the space marine chapter that attacked Alaitoc. Ae'uith is branded a radical by most of the craftworlds, however some of his battles has seen him aided by Bel'Tan, the Harlequins, and even the Dark kin on several occasions.

Lately though Ae'uith's methods in hunting down the remainder of this chapter has been even more frantic, as though there is something more to his goal than simple revenge. His actions have been becoming more risky and often he has put his warriors in needless danger for a chance to exact his revenge. It is said by those close to him that he has become obsessed with his goals to the point where many claim he has become "lost". Though it is unknown if Ae'uith has indeed been consumed by his need for vengeance one thing is certain, the need to destroy this chapter has a greater importance than simple revenge.
Title: Craftworld Shaa'raim
Post by: Bigtakezo on July 5, 2013, 06:09:35 PM
This is a bit long; I hope that's not a problem. Obviously there's no obligation to read, but I've spent probably a bit too much time thinking about it, so I figured I would post. 


Craftworld Shaa'raim, the Few and Secret

"Asar un Nefer, myself made perfect; this is the secret way. None who know may speak, none who speak may know."
-Faelkir the Basilisk


History of Shaa'raim
   Centuries after the fall, a number of citizens of the Biel-Tan craftworld convened regarding the fate of their race and the motivations of their people. This coalition of individuals shared concerns about the xenophobic mindset and destructive bent of their society, and after long years of deliberation, they formed a splinter world of their own and departed with great sorrow from the living ship that had fostered and protected them through the tumultuous time of the fall. This small craftworld they called Shaa'raim, and it soon became known as a sort of space-faring monastery; a society of holy warriors who seek enlightenment and redemption through art, mysticism, and the path of the warrior.   

   The Eldar of Shaa'raim are mysterious and secretive, even by Eldar standards, and though militant in nature, they have turned from the xenocidal vendetta of Biel-Tan in favor of a path that they feel more appropriate to their dying race. They believe that in order for the Eldar to survive in this time of strife, then for the time being, they must learn to cooperate and coexist with the myriad species with whom they share the stars, so long as they do not pose a direct threat to Eldar interests. To this end, they willingly make alliances with races that their mother world would deem inferior in order to combat the more insidious threats that ply the void, such as the forces of the Dark Gods and the newly awakening kingdoms of the Necrons. Believing themselves to be enlightened and beyond the petty rivalries of other craftworlds, the Eldar of Shaa'raim choose to harbor close ties with their dark kin. An Eldar is an Eldar after all, and cooperation with their fallen brothers should not be turned aside in this time of crisis for all of Asuryan's children.

   Mystics and spiritual seekers all, the Eldar of Shaa'raim spend what time and energy they can in the pursuit of esoteric knowledge, which they believe is the only thing that can truly save their people from the great enemy and impending doom. A great number of Shaa'raim's citizens elect to follow the path of the warrior, hoping to attain enlightenment through the fervent crucible of battle. Many others walk the path of the seer, hoping to glean what knowledge they can of the fate of their race and the universe at large. The remainder of the Craftworld's citizens pursue the path of the artist, scholar, or artisan, and the gift of verse and song is strong amongst the people of Shaa'raim. They are obsessed with the Harlequins and their refusal to bear spirit stones, and so they make it their principle objective to free themselves of the bondage of the infinity circuit and the dominion of She Who Thirsts. The pursuit of this secret knowledge is of paramount importance to the people of Shaa'raim, and it is to this end that its seers and warrior-monks seek to attain.   


Philosophy of War
   There are a number of militant religious orders on the Craftworld. Similar to the holy warriors of our own history, such as the Knights Templar, Hospitaliers, and Yamabushi, many of the Eldar of Shaa'raim believe that that they will find enlightenment through the arts of war and the bloody service of their gods. There is one brotherhood in particular, known as the Order of the Snake, which is preeminent amongst the society of Shaa'raim and always leads its forces into battle. Mounted knights of unparalleled skill, these fearless warriors ride at the forefront of any strike force, thundering headlong into their enemies, all the while beseeching the favor of their holy triad of Khaine, Cegorach, and Ynnead respectively. On the table, this order of holy warriors is represented by a unit of Shining Spears led by an autarch, who is known as the Basilisk; the King of Serpents and high master of the order.

   Having been born of Biel-Tan, the Eldar of Shaa'raim adhere to the Bahzahkain method of warfare, favoring mobile, aspect-heavy forces that strike with swift precision and extreme prejudice. However, being far less numerous than their mother world, the Eldar of Shaa'raim are forced to choose their battles. They simply cannot afford to strike against their foes with impunity; rather, they prefer surgical raids and cooperation with other races in order to achieve their goals and defend their holdings. This, combined with their introspective temperament and clandestine tendencies, has served to keep the Craftworld alive and safe in times of dire conflict. Those battles that can not be won with a lightning strike are undertaken by furtive operatives of the craftworld, and so the Autarchs of Shaa’raim keep a readied reserve of killteams, composed of Striking Scorpions, scout Warwalkers, and Rangers on hand, should the need for silent warfare arise.


Livery
   The Eldar of Shaa'raim borrow the heraldry of their mother world, utilizing the sacred heart of rebirth as their world rune, and further personalize it with the inclusion of the all-seeing eye of Isha. Through this symbol, they communicate their belief that rebirth and restoration may only be achieved through the pursuit of esoteric knowledge. Their colors also mirror that of Biel-Tan, being primarily green, white, and red, though they place greater emphasis on the use of the color black. To the Shaa'raimites, each color has its own significance. White is the color of a pure heart and an unsullied purpose. Red accents and spirit stones represent magnanimity and bravery in the heat of battle, as well as the purification that results from conflict. The rich greens of the Craftworld symbolize strength of spirit and the mystery of the void, and their widely-used black communicates death, but also the change and rebirth that follows death, as well as the solemnity of will and purpose with which these Eldar undertake the paths they have chosen.


Governance
   The Craftworld is governed by a council of nine farseers who strive to make the decisions that they feel would best serve their people at large. The holy orders of Shaa'raim also have their own indirect say in the governance of the Craftworld. The grand master of each order receives the title of Prince of Shaa'raim- a title which is largely honorific, as there are no true royal houses that remain pure of blood on the Craftworld. The collective Princes of Shaa'raim comprise a council of their own, known as the Secret House or the Court of the Ascended Masters, which bestows spiritual guidance and instruction upon the citizens of the Craftworld, and often bends the ear of the seer council in times of conflict.

   This bureaucratic process can sometimes be cumbersome, as a hard majority is required in order to sway the council in one way or another, and opinions can often vary between the adherents of different paths. Should the council ever find itself in a deadlock on an important decision, it is not uncommon for the seers to turn to the infinity circuit, seeking the guidance of the original founders of their splinter Craftworld, known as the Secret Chiefs. In this way, the current governors of Shaa'raim are careful never to fall out of touch with the ideals that set their people apart.


Culture
   The Eldar of Shaa’raim are a curious lot. Their hugely magnified focus on esoteric pursuits has caused them to develop in somewhat of a different way than their less spiritually-minded counterparts. They hold a number of opinions that cause discomfort in their more traditional brethren, such as their open embrace of the dark kin. Shaa’raim’s ties with Comorragh are strong, as they do not look down on their fallen brothers for the lifestyles they have chosen. The seers of Shaa’raim will often direct the raids of the dark kin against their own foes, and in return, they offer safe haven and respite upon their craftworld. Emissaries and warlocks of Shaa’raim may sometimes be found wandering the halls of the dark city, treating with archons over campaign strategy and trade, or else delving for lost esoteric secrets amongst the shadowy alcoves of the ancient webway port.
   
   An essential belief held by the Eldar of Shaa’raim is the understanding that every Eldar life is precious. They know all too well that their race is dwindling and dangerously close to extinction. While their Biel-Tan brothers wished to reforge the ancient Eldar empire through a deluge of blood and at the cost of many lives, the people of Shaa’raim believe that the most solemn responsibility of all craftworld Eldar is procreation. On Shaa’raim, the cycle of love and birth among Eldar is celebrated and strongly encouraged by both the Seer Council and the Secret House alike. Citizens of Shaa’raim are typically not bound by marriage, and any unwanted children, though they are rare indeed, are gladly taken in with open arms by any of the various holy orders of the craftworld. Eldar children are scarce enough on any craftworld, and on Shaa’raim, they are venerated and protected with staunch resolution. The craftworld’s defenders will brook absolutely no invasion upon the ship’s surface, for fear that even one Eldar child be lost. Should the craftworld come under direct threat, the seers will swiftly guide the small vessel into the webway; a process that is made easier by Shaa’raim’s diminutive size. In the dire circumstance that escape is not possible, the Secret House is quick to muster every male and female Eldar on the craftworld to its defense, as each citizen would sooner sacrifice their own life than see the blood of a child spilt.

   The path of the warrior is highly esteemed amongst the people of Shaa’raim, and so it is that the craftworld’s population boasts a disproportionate number of dedicated warriors. Because of this, the craftworld’s autarchs long ago decided to forgo the fielding of guardian defender units, preferring to allow their warriors to meet the enemy on the field of battle and keep their civilians far from danger. Instead, the Windriders and Warwalkers that take to the field amongst Shaa’raim’s military are comprised of aspirants; those citizens of the craftworld who desire to join one of it’s sacred military orders and prove themselves in battle.
      
   Those citizens who need not take to the field are left with a much greater amount of time to practice their own crafts, and as such, the artisans and scholars of Shaa’raim are of an unimpeachable calibre, for those that do not follow the path of the warrior must pour all of their energies into seeking enlightenment through other arts. The craftworld strongly values the art of verse and song; often its warriors will ride into battle while chanting sacred hymns and liturgies to give them courage and strength. Song is used to invoke the favor of their deities, and verse is employed to immortalize the feats of the craftworld’s heroes. The citizens of Shaa’raim especially relish the visits of the Harlequins, and the Eldar come en masse when their enigmatic cousins stage a performance.
   
   Similarly, the Eldar of Shaa’raim adore ornamentation, and their vehicles and war gear are often bedecked with ornate patterns and decoration. In the case of armor and vehicles, this ornamentation is two-fold: it carries esoteric symbolism that gives Shaa’raim’s warriors strength and battle, but the curious repeat patterns and symbols, when in movement, also serve to confuse and confound the eyes of their foes.         


Recent Conflicts
   Previously, the Eldar of Shaa'raim were engaged in a bitter and long-standing campaign against the Tau. The conflict centered around a small fringe system; a string of life-sustaining planets upon which the rapidly expanding Tau wished to settle. The Shaa'raim Eldar vehemently opposed the colonization of these worlds, for a number of reasons. The planet system was of paramount importance to Shaa'raim, as the craftworld's seers sensed that hidden within the lush foliage of the planets was some artifact or piece of knowledge that would be instrumental in furthering the spiritual advancement of the craftworld. Beyond that, one of the planets was, unbeknownst to the Tau, a lost maiden world with a number of inactive webway portals which the Shaa'raim Eldar intended to reopen. Years of brutal conflict with Tau expeditionary forces resulted in heavy losses on both sides, leaving the small craftworld utterly spent. The bloody campaign was ultimately settled by a shaky ceasefire agreement, but only after the unexpected emergence of buried Necron forces. Shaa'raim's seers were correct in their assertions about the significance of the fringe system, but the nature of their assumptions was far from the truth. This event further sealed within the seers' minds the necessity of cooperation over conflict with the universe's younger races, and, swallowing their prodigious pride, the seer council of Shaa'raim entered into an alliance of necessity with the Tau in order to quell the Necron reactivation. After the long and drawn-out conflict, the Shaar'raimites withdrew into deeper space, electing to pursue other more pressing goals and leave the Tau to their enthusiastic expansion. They did, however, leave one webway gate open, should necessity ever demand Shaa’raim’s return. Since that time, the craftworld’s diplomatic relations with the Tau have steadied and healed, though a certain degree of hard feelings still remains between the two races.
   
   The craftworld’s current heading is leading them in the direction of Imperial airspace, and though the Seer Council of Shaa’raim is always ready to cooperate with non-violent subspecies, it is unlikely that the Imperium of Man will receive them with a warm greeting. Only time will tell. In this case, the seer council has decided to maintain stealth and anonymity while in Imperial airspace; at least until complete secrecy is no longer possible.
   
   Along their path, the craftworld’s outriders are always vigilant for any signs of Necron reactivation. The eldest citizens of Shaa’raim remember the days of the war in heaven and the terrible wrath of the Necrontyr, and they understand that if a new Eldar empire is to be forged, or even if the remaining remnants are to survive, then the Necron threat must be culled before it reaches critical mass.


Known Characters

Autarch Faelkir the Basilisk, Prince of Shaa’raim,
Ascended Master of the Order of the Snake
    In his youth, Faelkir was hot-blooded, impetuous, and arrogant- possessed of qualities that often caused others to overlook his keen intellect and unwavering bravery. The glory of combat appealed to him, and he displayed a natural affinity for it, but the harsh discipline of the warrior’s path made him reticent to adhere. Instead, for a time, he tread the path of the outcast. He wandered the stars, riding with a corsair fleet, raiding and plying the void. He even spent a number of years in Commoragh, living amongst the dark kin and treading a dangerous path that could nearly have been his downfall. When political upheaval amongst the kabals forced him to flee the city, he found his way to a lush, pristine maiden world, where he settled with the Exodites, learning their ways and customs. Over time, he won their trust. He conversed with their shamans and even rode with their dragon knights- a rare honor for outsiders. This time amongst the Exodites affected him, but there was one event that changed the course of his life. He received a solemn gift from a tribal leader: an ancient blade, forged before the fall and treasured by the secretive tribe. A Shard of Anaris. He named the black blade Anglachel, which roughy translates to “Iron of the Flaming Star,” and he has wielded the ancient weapon in every battle since.
   With a previously unknown sense of purpose blossoming within him, Faelkir returned to Shaa’raim and undertook the path of the warrior in earnest. Time and experience tempered more youthful elements of his character, but his blood still burned as hot as ever. He learned from each shrine in turn, excelling in whatever skill he acquired. The formidable force of his will could not be stopped. He was initiated into the Order of the Snake. In time, he rose steadily and implacably through the grades until he received the title of Ascended Master, and at the same time, was bestowed the rank of Autarch by the seer council.
   Faelkir now leads the warhost of Shaa’raim into battle, riding at the front of the spearhead on an ornate jetbike alongside his brothers from the order. It was Faelkir’s signature lighting strikes, as well as his eminence in the order and time amongst the dragon knights that earned him the title of Basilisk- the king of serpents.

Spiritseer Edrahil, the Shadowhand
   Edrahil is one of the elder seers of Shaa’raim. He holds an honored place on the seer council, and has a strong, influential voice regarding the affairs of the craftworld; but it was not always so. The Shadowhand was once a farseer, known and respected amongst his peers and revered by his followers. It was he who was given command of the warhost during the series of confrontations with the Tau along the eastern fringe. He struck with fierce confidence and prescient wisdom against his adversaries, but against this new and powerful foe, his campaign met with disaster. After a series of resounding defeats at the Tau gun lines, Edrahil began to question himself and his abilities. With the emergence of the Necrons, he forfeited command of the warhost and retired into seclusion and introspection. Greatly burdened by his failures and haunted by the spirits of the warriors lost under his command, Edrahil seemed on the brink of self-destruction. However, it was within this inner darkness that he found his true calling. In a moment of despair, he dove deep into the infinity circuit to beg forgiveness of his fallen comrades. While he lingered amongst the dead, hopeless and broken, he was met by the life essence Secret Chiefs. They compelled him to continue on, insisting that his journey was yet unfinished, and whispering to him esoteric secrets long lost to the craftworld’s elder seers. When Edrahil finally emerged from the infinity circuit, he solemnly took up the mantle of spiritseer, and now shepherds the dead into the craftworld’s wraith constructs and leads them on the field of battle, where they might redeem themselves and once again deliver the wrath of Khaine against their enemies. Revitalized by his new calling, Edrahil diligently studies the occult knowledge of his path and craftworld, and has become known on Shaa’raim as the undisputed master on matters of the spirit.     


Other Characters

Autarch Saeros Thunderheart

Farseer Sing’rah, the Laughing Owl

Wraithlord Aang’ma, the God of Death, Keeper of the Veil

Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: The GrimSqueaker on July 6, 2013, 03:40:59 PM
Never apologise for something being too long (insert that's what she said joke) as I'd rather read more detail than a condensed version. Not a bad background at all. You've avoided many of the usual traps of overpowering your Craftworld. One thing I'd suggest would be to mention how this Craftworld relates to the others perhaps in the manner of trade and expertise to counteract their lower resource base. Yes, Eldar are a post scarcity race by definition but there may be a need to replace war material at a faster rate than domestic production, as an example.

Good stuff.
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: DOGGED on October 21, 2013, 06:53:20 AM
OK so after a very long hiatus I recovered, revised and expanded the background relating to the Craftworld my Eldar forces hail from. As Lorizael suggested in the opening post, I followed the guidelines exposed in the excellent article by Guttstikk to flesh out the Craftworld (http://www.40konline.com/index.php?action=articles;sa=view;article=950 (http://here), and will post the resulting report both on Craftworld society and its translation as a fighting force in the game. In the meanwhile, let me share with you the introduction to Craftworld Angaur, and do not forget to throw opinions on it:

   Not long before the Fall, Angaur was being made, in its beginning, as just the prototype of a new massive weapon, one that was not only able to bring about destruction in an almost unheard of scale, but also it was capable of transporting itself to everywhere it should be. Its main goal was that of conducting neverending search and destroy missions against the strongholds of the dormant Yngir, the Eldar name for Necrons, to avoid their eventual rising. The Eldar developed what they considered as the last step in the growth of Distortion weaponry. The result was to be a truly colossal cannon, more than a hundred miles long. This cannon, powered by enormous batteries their size that of a hive city, had been developed to make orbital bombardments which were capable of vanishing whole armies off, wherever they may hide. Around this cannon a dedicated spaceship was designed, one which could house not jus the gun and its supporting batteries, not just the crew to man such a weapon and the whole ship and its own armaments, but also a vast army and its corresponding vehicles and installations.

   This new kind of ship was baptised as the Angaur class, for the Eldar word for "destiny", as it was thought by the Eldar as the true bringer of the ultimate fate which their enemies could expect. Each of these ships would be the center of a huge fleet which would give cover to the Angaur ships and ensure that they would get into a position from which to bombard the planetary surfaces, wiping out any trace of the enemies of the Eldar. Also, it was a weapon capable of fully destroying a whole planet, if need be, by repeatedly bombarding it. Finally, the possibility of using it when fighting  other fleets in space could ensure no one would bring capital ships to confront them.

   The resulting ships would house several wings of attack fighters, bombers and assault craft, and would have external docks to afford for a whole fleet to be docked. Support was carried for several such fleets in addition to its own craft, military personnel and machinery. The crew and troops transported could amount to several millions of people. Huge engines would propel the beasts along their journeys, even giving them warp travel capability (to trip out of the galaxy if need be). They had a good many warp portals for their own maintenance and to give them an assault craft performance; the sheer number of troops carried allowed to launch planetary assaults. Their defensive systems were more than enough to repel any spaceborne menace, as their shielding capacity and sheer mass gave them an uncompared survivability, with vital areas buried deep inside the structure, under kilometers of intermediate levels. If need arose, an own stern portal, the size of which rivals the ones to be seen in actual Craftworlds, could give access to spaceships of capital size.

   As it was considered a matter of the highest importance, accesses to the system where the Angaur prototype was being constructed, along its neighboring areas, had been long ago interdicted, as had been leaving from within. This interdicted area was called by its leaders as the Sercamvaul, the web of Vaul, for the Eldar smith god (the Eldar war machines are called engines of Vaul). Nevertheless, news still got getting into, and the depravity which had been pervading the whole Eldar civilisation from ages ago had already got a hold there. Some even dare to say it was a factor in the birth of the design for the Angaur. Those in charge of the project were however worried with its development, and considered the increasing degeneration and licentiousness to be not just a nuance but a real danger in their own. They could not allow the project to go astray, so a campaign was conducted to get rid of such organisations, and reeducation programs were carried out to ensure the Angaur development would suffer no delay. A side effect was that the individuals in charge saw the need to keep watch on outside events and processes, and when they colected enough information, they became very concerned. Their beloved civilization was spiralling into decadence with increasing speed; it was not any longer a matter of particular deviations, but degeneracy had become a general trend.

   When successive exploratory missions returned not only confirming these impressions but even strengthening them, those in charge felt their fears deepening. They at last resolved to hold a meeting to decide on the future of the project they were responsible for. That meeting stretched on for days and days until an agreement was made. The Eldar civilization was disintegrating, their rulers no more reliable, not to start with their subordinates, who were becoming more of a perverted courtisan lot than the respectable thoughtful leaders they were supposed to be. Already gigantic ships known as Craftworlds were being made out of the merchant and exploratory juggernaut like ships that Eldar had been using to reach up to the edges of the galaxy, for those groups which had decided to leave such a degenerating society and start anew far away where the degeneracy had not set its hands on. So the Sercamvaul leaders organised themselves into a Seer Council, to guide their fellows into a journey to find a new home and start anew. For the journey, the Angaur prototype was chosen as both their home and means of transportation.

   That fateful decision was to change their lives forever after, as they had chosen to depart. Such a weapon as the one they were completing was not one to let fall in the wrong hands, or those of degenerates who would not mind to use it arbitrarily, or even on their own breed. That was not an option. To remain was to risk such a chance. To remain was, too, to risk their fellows' depravation catch with them and slowly but surely infect their ranks. Their flight was not to be  a hasty one; a large task was awaiting them, as they had to rethink the Angaur design to make the ship able to house the people and their environment, and the large natural areas they were willing to save and take with them to the stars. Eldar civilisation was to be preserved, along with a patch, if more could not be saved, of their homes. Also, they somehow had to find something with which to strengthen their minds, to make them more able to resist the call of the vices which were already bringing down their whole civilisation.

   The answer to this last issue was to develope a philosophic trend of their own, one which enforced a sense of balance, discipline and self control and which gave its practitioners some measure of strength to resist the degeneration which, as it was suspected, would eventually get through the interdiction and reach into the Sercamvaul. This philosophy was called Istaubelah, the quiet path, and became something of an auxiliary path for the Angaurii, guiding them through their lives and ultimately defining them facing other Eldar.

   The Istaubelah worked and bought the necessary time to reform the Angaur  project into  crafworlds on their own, even if somehow small ones. Slowly but steadily the Sercamvaul was being penetrated and the pleasure cults were spreading into the interdicted zone. The leaders of the Sercamvaul were certain that it would in the end consume them too. It came a time, finally, when the Angaur Craftworld was wholly completed, and with no loss of time the people were evacuated to the immense ship. Their factories had been working from long ago, and enough machinery had come out to flesh out the Angaurii army and navy. Conflict almost erupted when the reality of departure sank on the Sercamvaul, because a good many of its denizens now contemplated the Angaur as the first of a series of vessels which could give them the upper hand over their neighbours; the so long anticipated treachery and rivalry between Eldars had set into the Sercamvaul. The Angaurii, this last sign of depravity showing itself, did not lose time in discussions, nor even prepared for conflict. They simply left. While the abandoned Sercamvaul inhabitants put up a fleet to pursue the escaping Angaur, it just could but scratch the gargantuan ship, while the return fire was of such a magnitude that any trace of pursuit was quicky abandoned.

   The Angaur made good their escape by putting its rebuilt and augmented engines to test. They worked every bit as fine as they had been planned to do, and so the newborn Craftworld ran a stretch of space so big as to be almost out of reach when the cataclysm which marked the end of the Fall occurred. Its psychic concussion wave still reached the Craftworld and was felt as a tide of sickness and horror which affected almost everyone on board. Nobody had perished in the main ships, but when the remnant of a rearguard patrolling fleet reached the Craftworld, the consequences of the catastrophic event appeared all the crude they were. Most of the ships had been lost, with all hands on board, their corpses being recovered by the surviving vessels, which themselves were badly undercrewed. Hundreds of corpses were aligned in the hangars, to the Craftworld inhabitants horror, staring blankly, with terrified faces, at which the Seers, who had been able to see beyond the mere psychic pain into it which had just been born into the Warp. told their fellows was the worst mayhem ever dreamed of.  The following times, nightmares haunted each and every Angaur inhabitant, until the tireless effort by the Seers brought calm to their fellows. Since then to this day, the Angaur has ploughed its way through space, ever in search of ancient enemies, ever vigilant and ever cautious.
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: volatilegaz on January 24, 2014, 05:08:44 PM
Fleet of the Rending Six (all puns intended)

Background.
The fleet is not a Craftworld, but rather a tight alliance of like-minded Eldar who have joined together for a common purpose. That purpose is war.
Originally formed a century ago by 6 Eldar heroes of battle hailing from different factions and craftworlds, The fleet consists of a rag-tag band of warp-capable ships carrying anywhere from 100 to 1,000 Eldar. The aim of the fleet is to serve the Eldar race by providing a highly mobile, battle-hardened force that is able to fight using whichever of the tactics and units employed by the disparate Craftworlds that is most suited to the task at hand. The Fleet of the Rending Six fight on behalf of the Craftworlds, but are not beholden to any of them.
All Eldar within the Fleet are volunteers, and serve for as long as they choose. Whilst they do serve however, they do so under restrictions that would ordinarily be unthinkable to the Eldar. These restrictions include mandatory conscription into the Fleet’s Guardian reserve forces (the fleet does not have the resources to support members that do not contribute to their ultimate purpose), and no children allowed (for the same reason). There are two restrictions that hold even once they have left the Fleet to return to their Craftworlds: One: The Law of Silence -The Fleet is never to be discussed with those that have never served. Two: The Law of the Eternal Warrior: Whilst you are in the Fleet, you fight in every conflict. Once you have left the Fleet, you can never return.

The Fleet are considered highly controversial amongst the Craftworld Eldar. Many see them as merely Corsairs with pretensions to a higher moral code which in reality is just there to excuse their blood-lust. Others see them as an even more dangerous element encouraging the merging of the Warrior and Outcast Paths, and risking their immortal souls in the process. This view is particularly strongly held amongst the Exodite worlds and the Outcasts that serve them; hence it is rare to see rangers fighting with the Fleet.  Their very name is derived from a disparaging term coined by one of their chief opponents within the Eldar, and refers to 6 founding members rending Eldar away from their home Craftworlds and leaving them depleted to pursue this dangerous folly.

With no Craftworld to support them and considered pariahs by many, they are constantly struggling to obtain sufficient ships, weaponry, volunteers and resources to keep their mission alive. Nonetheless the is a small but steady stream of Eldar youths willing to join the ranks of the Fleet of the Rending 6, and past members have formed an unofficial network of sympathisers that do what they can to keep the Fleet supplied with material and information.



Founding members.
1)   Kaela Mensha, Avatar.
An Avatar, but no-one knows from which Craftworld. He responds to the name Kaela Mensha (“The Bloody Handed-One”), but insists that to reveal his Craftworld would be to bring shame on it. He was awakened over a century ago and has not slept since. He does not intend to sleep again until he feels that the Fleet of the Rending Six has fulfilled its purpose. It has been theorised that he requires the near-constant battles engaged in by the Fleet in order to stay awake and should he fall into slumber again, he could not be re-awoken from anywhere but his own Craftworld. His presence infects all within the Fleet with a desire for combat, and he is a driving force behind their constant search for any battle that can be fought in service of the Eldar race.
2)   Querel Swiftthought, Autarch of Biel-Tan
Querel is the mastermind behind the original concept for the Fleet of the Rending Six. A concept formed after many years of frustration with the (in his view) unnecessary delays brought about by the need to discuss and agree strategy with the War Council, for the Farseers to study the strands of fate and the search for volunteers before a new campaign can be launched.
Querel was instrumental (along with Lilith) in gathering the first members of the Fleet together, in particular his strong ties with a number of Aspect Exarchs enabled him to quickly gather a fearsome cohort of likeminded warriors from his home Craftworld, many of whom have stayed with the Fleet since its inception.
Impulsive and aggressive, Querel is a brilliant general. Unlike most Autarchs however, his tactical and strategic skills manifest as flashes of insight rather than the result of careful deliberation. Regarded as reckless by many, none can deny his abilities.
3)   Lilith Dark-Bringer, Shadow-Seer of the Dark Carnival Harlequin troupe
The very day after Querel had decided to try and create the Fleet of the Rending Six, Lilith appeared at his doorway, with Kaela Mensha, and offered to help. As mysterious as any Harlequin, to this day she has never revealed how she knew of his intentions, or indeed how she met Kaela Mensha. It was she that insisted that the Law of Silence be adopted by all members of the Fleet. She never explained why.
4)   Antir Doomrunner, Farseer of Saim-Hann
Antir was second son of the clan-chief. When his father was slain in a duel with a rival clan, he temporarily assumed command until his older brother returned from a campaign in the far reaches of the Segmentum Pacificus. It was two days after this occurred when Lilith came to him and convinced him to join the Fleet. The ideals of the Fleet match closely with Antir’s own personal views, and as such he agreed to join up. He refused however to take his clan with him, insisting that it was his brother’s right to decide the Clan’s future and not his. On his return, his brother assumed command and refused Lilith’s invitation. Antir accepted this, but argued persuasively that those of the Clan who wished to join up should be allowed to do so. His brother, fearful of the damage it would do to the clan to loose so many of their warriors refused. Antir rebelled and left for the fleet anyway, taking many followers with him.
Antir is a brave and charismatic Farseer, often to be found leading the charge deep into the enemy ranks, using his considerable telepathic talents to cause chaos and confusion amongst the enemy ranks. He is however constantly wracked by guilt over the betrayal of his brother and his clan. This guilt has become the driving force for his efforts within the Fleet, as he forever looks for some form of redemption in battle. He often carries the fabled “Mantle of the Laughing God” in combat. A gift from Lilith, this perhaps indicates that she too feels some guilt over the emotional torment Antir suffers. Perhaps.
5)   Ryella Moondust, Spirit Seer of Iyanden
Ryella was approached directly to join the Fleet by Querel, and did not take much persuasion. Her enthusiasm for the project was due to her belief that a strike force like the Fleet could do a lot to take the martial pressure off her near-extinct Craftworld. Amongst her care were a number of restless spirits only too happy to join the crusade.
Since bone-singers rarely join the Fleet, Wraith Constructs are very hard to come by, and Ryella guards the ones she has jealously. During battle, she will invariably accompany her Wraithguard allies, using her not inconsiderate psychic talents to protect them. Since the death of her lover Jain (see below), her time out of battle is mostly spent communing with the spirit of her lost love.   
6)   Jain Longstride, Farseer of Ulthwe (deceased)
Jain was a reluctant founder of the Fleet.  A powerful divinator who trained under Eldrad Ulthran himself, Jain grew tired of seeing the grim future of his dying race laid before him. He left the Path of the Seer behind him and spent many years wandering the galaxy as a Ranger. During one of his rare return visits to Ulthwe he was approached by his old mentor, Eldrad. Eldrad told him his fate was inextricably linked to that of the Fleet, which would not survive more than 3 years without his presence. Despite serious misgivings about the philosophy and motivations of the Fleet, and a deep reluctance to return to the Path of the Seer, Jain gathered some acolyte Warlocks and joined Querel’s motley crew.
Eldrad, of course, proved to be correct. Jain’s powers of divination saved the Fledgling Fleet from numerous disasters in the early years, most notably when he foresaw the presence of the Ultramarines 3rd Company just in time to abort what would have been a suicidal raid on Tarsis Ultra. His powers failed him several years later, when he was slain by a stray shot from a fleeing Ratling during an assault on Ornsworld.
 Before his death, Jain and Ryella became more than lovers, their psychic abilities enabling a level of mutual communion and understanding inconceivable to mere mortals.
After the Ornsworld campaign, Ryella transferred Jain’s spirit into a Wraithlord construct. It seems the close bond they had enabled Ryella to transfer more of Jain’s personality than is normal, and the towering wraithbone figure can often be seen in battle sniping from cover at targets that threaten Ryella.

Colour Scheme <yes, this is largely here to excuse my laziness at painting)
The official fleet colour scheme is green and black –a deliberate variant on the scheme adopted by Querel’s home Craftworld of Biel-Tan. However it is common for volunteers to refuse to adopt these colours and instead use a plain black scheme to represent the fact that they do not intend to stay with the Fleet forever. Some take this notion even further and retain the colour scheme of their home Craftworld while fighting for the Fleet.

Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: Infernion on June 2, 2016, 04:24:43 PM
My Eldar were warrior craftworld for one of the smaller planets the Eldar inhabited before the fall. When the fall occurred they decided the way to honor their fallen comrades would be to hit the enemy where it hurt the most, the eye f terror. They threw themselves into combat against the chaos without really knowing what they were up against. They fought for many years until their resources were nearly out, and their army was depleted to the point where much of it was wraith constructs. It was at this point they realized that coming out was a whole lot harder than coming in. It was only due to the help of a harlequin troupe and their superior knowledge of the webway that they were able to escape. They currently struggle for survival with their numbers severely depleted, about 1/4 of their original force remains.
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: Saim-Dann on April 18, 2017, 04:08:28 AM
                                           The Dann clan are kin to the feared dead, chieftains of chieftains, Nuadu. He went missing in campaign against the Space Wolves chapter, towards the end of the "Fawth edishun" era. Saim-Hann is now lead by the warrior, Gher. His kin are now the prominent clan. Gher has declared Nuadu dead, as no Seer has seen him in their conjuring. Tabi-Thar, a Farseer who bonded with Nuadu before her calling to the Witch Path, claimed a sighting. It's because of their bond that her prophecy was ignored. Believing her want more powerful than her sight.

                                           The Dann clan's faith in Tabi-Thar is as strong as Nuadu's was. When she told of their future siblings riding alongside their chieftain upon his return to the craftworld, they chanted with a long lost confidence. With the clan's belief and strength of mind behind her, Tabi-Thar's clarity intensified. She understood the only way for this thread of possibility to become reality was for a host of Dann to take to the stars in search of Nuadu. Tabi-thar and the clan chieftain, Saim-Olthing, approached the head clan with the findings. Gher was off craftworld in negotiations with the Ulthwe. The Gher-kin listened to the plea from the pair. There became much discussion and debate when the Gher-kin finally yielded. The offer of an Aurora light cruiser came with a condition. DO NOT RETURN WITHOUT NUADU!

                                           Once Vaul's Armouries were stowed and the Host of Dann  made their final farewells to their loved ones, they boarded the craft they named "Bundii". Eldar for, home away from home. Tabi-Thar recalled Nuadu's words from their past. Words that bolstered her before one of their many battles. She placed this memory within the minds of the host, to turn their nerves to passion. "The apes must fear us beyond any measure. To hide behind armour so thick as to hinder their movement so. Without the dance, there is no art to war. Just thuggery in a paddock.

                                           Through the years, the Host of Dann fought as many battles as there is stars. Some clashes were for knowledge. Others were to manipulate futures outcome to the clan's favour. They rescued a lot of Eldar from captivity and loss of combat. Warriors from other craftworlds past on knowledge, then made their own way home. Rescued Saim-Hann and some Aspects joined the Odyssey of the clan. With this the Host swelled over the decades. A small Host of Saim-Hann were found just out from the warp. They were from a time, the apes called, the "Rogue Trader" era. They became caught within the warp and reappeared in the present. The Host of Dann hasn't found Nuadu yet... but their having a hoot trying!!             
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: Rhyleth on July 29, 2017, 09:48:38 PM
My Craftworld's background was always somewhat loose, though it had a name, colour scheme (stone grey with red helmets, black weaponry and gold or brass detailing), and a location (as there was a time I envisaged running campaigns and so developed a general setting). Here's a somewhat off-the-cuff version updating it with some of the latest background developments in 40k.

Craftworld Daal-En is entering its final days. Never before has the Craftworld's name - translating roughly as 'The Light of Lost Souls' - seemed so apt.

The Craftworld has strayed close enough to the human Forge World Ultima and the Chapter Planet of the Jade Hawks Space Marines to be familiar to the Imperium, whose occasional efforts to take punitive action against the Daal-En have ended in failure. It has been most notable to the Imperium for repeatedly coming into conflict with Imperial and alien forces alike in the unending warzone on the Imperial world Conquest.

The Daal-En have long conspired to keep secret from all factions that Conquest was an Exodite world that died before the Imperium ever found it. While recolonisation is not in their interest and complete eradication of the human infestation would have drawn unwelcome Imperial attention to a comparative backwater, the Daal-En have repeatedly taken action to conceal the existence of - and as necessary to maintain - the World Spirit that remains.

The Craftworlders have always succeeded in manipulating events to favour their ultimate survival, although not always without cost: barely a century past conflict with the Aemobenn eradicated the Spirit Hounds, Aspect Warriors restricted to the Craftworld who specialised in harnessing and projecting their innate psychic ability to cause fear among the Craftworld's enemies. Although the Aspect shrine survives, it lies empty and with no remaining Exarchs to take on the role of training new disciples.

The Craftworld's Farseers have, however, been unable to chart a path for the Daal-En in which they can survive the opening of the rift known as the Cicatrix Maledictum by more than a few scant centuries at best. This phenomenon is not of intrinsic interest to the Eldar in the way it is to humans - the webway, at least so far, is little affected. While the Eldar strain against Chaos in all its forms and most particularly in the form of the Great Enemy, their vigilance against the menace from the warp takes place as much in the infinity circuits, the World Spirits and their own waystones as in war in the material realm. Nevertheless, Daal-En was close to one of the points where the rift opened. The Farseers are presently unclear on how the opening of the Great Rift will lead to the Craftworld's destruction, or even whether it is merely a coincidence in timing, and the opening of the Rift simply closed any remaining paths that would have allowed the Daal-En to survive an unknown future threat, but it could be as simple as an attack from the warp itself or from its Chaos Space Marine puppets.

The Daal-En, like most Craftworld Eldar, make incidental common cause with aliens when it serves a broader purpose, and oppose them on the same terms. Their relationships with humans are more often aggressively adversarial than not, and in the recent campaign on Konor the Daal-En have been recorded fighting both the Chaos Space Marines of Slaanesh and the forces of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Imperial chroniclers may put this down to xenos perfidy or whim; the Daal-En themselves make little real distinction. They see little in the conflict between the Imperium and the forces of the warp than a civil war between servants of Chaos for what is their Emperor - a soul-devouring monster with only a vestigial presence in the material realm - but a nascent warp entity, feeding on faith and essence to fuel his emergence as a fifth god of Chaos? In that light, while it serves their broader purpose to take action on Konor for as-yet undisclosed reasons, they recognise no distinction between order and chaos in the conflict.

Military

The Daal-En military is principally based around infantry and rapid-strike operations: grav-tanks and atmospheric fighters are favoured and the walking constructs of the Spirit Hosts invoked both rarely and reluctantly. The Craftworld has a significant Warp Spider shrine. One belief prevalent enough among the Daal-En to have found expression in the idiom of the general populace - though  not restricted to the Craftworld - is that many of those lost while using warp jumps are marked by a Chaotic entity known as the Black Widow said to hunt in the webway, thought by some to be the lost, unknown Phoenix Lord of the Warp Spider Aspect (a possible source for the name, as the Warp Spider Phoenix Lord is widely thought among those Eldar not privy to knowledge of their identity to have been female), and by others a vengeful Exarch lost in and long corrupted by exposure to the warp. "Defying the Black Widow" is a Daal-En phrase that can be summarised as fighting against an inevitable fate.

The fate the Farseers now see in store for Daal-En is the more tragic because the Craftworld bears a trait shared by few others, and with none of the larger Craftworlds save Saim-Hann. The Eldar are truly said to be a dying race, and even at their most fecund they reproduce slowly. The Craftworlds are vast, most with surviving populations in the low billions, yet the sheer amount of space now unused is a testament to their gradual slide towards extinction. Yet while the Eldar as a race are in decline, here and there individual societies buck the galactic trend for any of a variety of reasons. Most Eldar population increases are confined to the Exodite worlds, and a small number of planetary colonies established over the centuries by Craftworld Eldar; the Daal-En are among very few Craftworld societies with an increasing birth rate. Although this fact has never made the Daal-En cavalier in battle - and they prefer to risk the small number of individuals required to crew their highly mobile war machines than deploy significant field armies - they do support a large Guardian corps.
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: Saim-Dann on July 30, 2017, 06:05:27 AM
WOW Rhyleth!
That was a hoot to read. Like the name of your craftworld. You've made the background so rich with character, mate. Being close to the Imperials, the Black Widow in the warp, the reason there is no WarpSpider Pheonix Lord and of course the reason your army is vehicle heavy. As a Saim-Hann player, Rhyleth, am proud to have my pointy ears shoulder to shoulder with your lads and lasses... Be well!
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: Rhyleth on July 30, 2017, 08:27:17 AM
WOW Rhyleth!
That was a hoot to read. Like the name of your craftworld. You've made the background so rich with character, mate. Being close to the Imperials, the Black Widow in the warp, the reason there is no WarpSpider Pheonix Lord and of course the reason your army is vehicle heavy. As a Saim-Hann player, Rhyleth, am proud to have my pointy ears shoulder to shoulder with your lads and lasses... Be well!

Thanks! I came up with thinks like the Black Widow years ago when thinking about Eldar fluff more broadly - I just managed to find a way to link them to the Daal-En backstory specifically.

Post Merge: July 30, 2017, 08:31:43 AM
In the future, please use the modify button. Double posting is against the forum rules, and for that reason, the system merged your posts.

WOW Rhyleth!
That was a hoot to read. Like the name of your craftworld. You've made the background so rich with character, mate. Being close to the Imperials, the Black Widow in the warp, the reason there is no WarpSpider Pheonix Lord and of course the reason your army is vehicle heavy. As a Saim-Hann player, Rhyleth, am proud to have my pointy ears shoulder to shoulder with your lads and lasses... Be well!

Thanks! I came up with thinks like the Black Widow years ago when thinking about Eldar fluff more broadly - I just managed to find a way to link them to the Daal-En backstory specifically. In my original background the Black Widow was definitively the WS Phoenix Lord - this version gives wriggle room in case GW decides to make one!
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: admironheart on December 24, 2017, 04:17:26 PM
Jhaden Craftworld was much like Altansar. It originally survived the close proximity to the Eye of Terror but in years much less than that aforementioned craftworld Jhaden Craftworld found itself consumed by the warp.

Shortly after the fall the small craftworld was still being outfitted on a distant provincial elder moon of Jobadan. The moon had a sizable population seeded with some of the earliest form of exodite settlers. The distant settlement and world Governor had instituted very strict measures to avoid most of the decadence.

Jobadan was in possession of a WebWay generator device when the horror happened.
In the few years after the Fall, Asurmen and his wife Ishara set up a Shrine to the Aspect warriors, as was done on countless other craftworlds.  However Ishara remained upon Jhaden as a Phoenix lord of the Dire Avengers. There she trained another who began the Silent Wraiths Aspect warriors. The only shrine of its kind.

As Jhaden was preparing to depart with as many of the inhabitants of Jobadan a massive warp flare shot out toward the Eldar. Pouring thru the warp hole was an immense horde of slaaneshi denizens.  Time was over, hope was lost, escape was impossible.  Then Ishara devised a risky plan with the seers and warriors and set the WebWay Generator on critical oversurge and pointed it straight into the warp flare. With incredible energies twisting the warp and shielding the craftworld, Jhaden, its fleets and as many of Jobadan as could, rushed into the warp tunnel bridging reality to the unknown. The edges of Jhaden burned off as it squeezed into the energies of the warp tunnel. Finally Jobadan itself was pulled into the maelstrom clogging the warptunnel, scattering the forces of slaanesh and eventually exploding into a cataclysmic event, known to them as the Convergence. The weird energies of the Warp twisted with the elder tech and destroyed all in nearby real space and beyond.

Now 10,000 years later Jhaden craftworld has emerged from the darkness of space. With them have come a host of exodite colonists who seek out maiden worlds of old. The eldar who have had contact with Jhaden leave with suspicions. There is something odd about they and the settlers. It is more than the mix of dark elder and elder technology, it is more than their strange responses and hidden or missing answers to their questions. It is even more than the ancient style of their weapons, vehicles and clothing, more than their mannerisms and their pride...It is their grief that shines so hotly that is noticed most by the eldar that encounter them.

With that they are regarded in the  most untrusting manner by the other craftworlds. What is their Secret? Are they tainted by chaos? Can they be trusted? When in truth it is far more simple and horrible....for the eldar of Jhaden and Jobadan are not decendants of the Fall like the other craftworld brethren. Much like that many Chaos Marines are the same actual forces from the Horus Heresy that have plagued the galaxy throughout time....These Eldar are indeed the living and surviving Eldar from 10,000 years ago! They have been thrust forward in time from the Convergence~!
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background: Craftworld Ainaarin
Post by: 40Kfandex on August 13, 2021, 09:30:33 AM
Craftworld Ainaarin exists as a warning to the few Aeldari that know of its existence, its slow descent from prosperity a reminder that even the Aeldari must be cautious in their application of technology, and judicious in their use of foresight.

Even among the Aeldari, the denizens of Craftworld Ainaarin were and are obsessed with prophecy.  The interpretation of prophecy, the Craftworld’s zealous adherence to the will of its Farseers, and the Craftworld’s uniquely powerful engines enabled the Craftworld to escape from many dangers, in particular the birth screams of Slaanesh that decimated the majority of the Aeldari race.  In the aftermath of The Fall, Ainaarin prospered through continuing to follow the timely divinations of its Farseers.  The Craftworld’s reputation (fed by its proud people) to anticipate and evade dangers of all kinds became its downfall.  Its reputation made it the target of the Drukhari - Aeldari possessed of an utterly evil nature.  The Drukhari made hunting the Craftworld and its people into a sport, and as the Craftworld’s legendary escapes fed its notoriety, so too did more and more Drukhari fleets seek to be the one to claim the Craftworld as a mark of their superiority.  Through countless Drukhari raids and sabotage, the Craftworld’s Infinity Circuit became damaged and despite repairs could no longer provide enough power to  simultaneously move the Craftworld at speed and maintain life-support systems for the Aeldari who lived on it.  Torn between keeping their people from freezing to death and evading the Drukhari, the Farseers directed their scientists to develop a technology that could create a pocket dimension for the Craftworld to exist in that was totally inaccessible from the Webway where the Drukhari made their lairs.  Despite circumstances proceeding at an extreme rush, the Craftworld’s engineers created the Gossamer Shoal - a pocket dimension that utilized technologies different from those of the Webway on the most fundamental levels.  As the Craftworld was folded into the Gossamer Shoal dimension, and its millions of occupants collectively holding their breath, the Aeldari were bitterly aware of how dire their circumstances were that they were forced to use an untried technology on such a massive scale.
   Initially, Ainaarin’s gamble paid off, and the Craftworld was safe from its enemies for a time, but the cost would soon become clear.  It was eventually discovered that the Craftworld could not leave the Gossamer Shoal dimension at both a time and place of its choosing.  If the denizens chose a particular location in Realspace to emerge, the process of emerging would have a totally unpredictable duration anywhere between nearly instantaneous to a million years.  Alternatively, the exact time of the Craftworld’s emergence could be controlled, but the location could be anywhere in the galaxy including the heart of a dying star, the middle of an Ork invasion, or any number of potentially disastrous locations.  Therefore, each time the Craftworld enters the Gossamer Shoal dimension, its next return to Realspace must be planned.  Entering and exiting the Gossamer Shoal requires a tremendous amount of energy, which places demands on the Craftworld’s Infinity Circuit.  Worse still, the more energy that is siphoned off the Infinity Circuit to initiate or terminate a visit to the Gossamer Shoal dimension, the less energy is available to maintain the delicate meteorological balance required for the Craftworld’s biomes to grow food, and there is not enough to go around even if no visits to or from the Gossamer Shoal are made.  When Ainaarin emerges near an inhabited planet, its military forces enact raids for the power sources and foodstuffs that it requires.  The Ainaarin are aware that these raids echo those viciously performed by the Drukhari, a resemblance that is the source of great, unspoken shame for the Aeldari of Ainaarin.
   Although initially it was the grim hope that the deaths of their warriors would fuel the Infinity Circuit and allow it to regain its power-generating capabilities, as more and more Aspect warriors and Guardians sold their lives to protect the Craftworld’s future, it became apparent that the Infinity Circuit could no longer exceed the power output that it maintained.  Determined to restore their Craftworld, the Farseers skeined the multitude of futures both near and distant for possible solutions.  As it had come to them many times before, a prophecy eventually arrived to the Farseers.  They foresaw with alarming clarity that unless every last member of their Craftworld - as well as every future member of the Craftworld - dedicated themselves to either the Path of the Warrior or the Path of the Seer, the Craftworld and all its people would be destroyed by an unrestrained civil war.  Shocked and appalled by this revelation, a small minority of Aeldari did the unthinkable by questioning the wisdom of the Farseers.  To an Aeldari - single-minded obsession is the only way they can exist.  To restrain their baser instincts for self-indulgence and to stave off the ennui, Craftworld Aeldari rigorously dedicate themselves to a Path, essentially a vocation that consumes them entirely until the Aeldari chooses a new path.  To extricate themselves from their existing Paths and swear off any future paths beyond that of either Warrior or Seer was anathema to the Aeldari of Ainaarin, and although only a few dared to voice their opposition to the Farseers, many were gripped by fearful uncertainty.  The leaders of the dissidents attempted a coup by recruiting a number of Aspect warriors to their cause and convincing them that assassinating the Farseers would unmake the prophecy and free the Aeldari from their fate.  The Farseers, predicting the coup, came to their most trusted military allies for protection.  Among these allies was Ekainsin Thotuil.  The tale of Craftworld Ainaarin was never decided by a single being, but the most impactful being in its history was without a doubt Ekaisin Thotuil, an Autarch whose profound sacrifice has forever altered the fate of his people.
To earn his place as an Autarch, Thotuil had mastered many of the Aspect Warrior disciplines, but had never become so focussed on any one of them that he became an Exarch, trapped eternally on a particular discipline.  During his service as a Warp Spider, however, Thotuil very nearly fell to the fate of an Exarch, so obsessed was he in understanding the underpinning philosophy of the Warp Spider Shrine, yet never feeling like his quest for this knowledge was satisfied.  When Thotuil was informed of the prophecy, and of the dissident’s plan to attempt a coup, his spirit broke, he understood the sacrifice that he must make, and he understood the Aspect of the Warp Spider as never before.  Resolving to slaughter every single dissident to avert civil war, Thotuil began with the deadliest of the dissidents - a Warp Spiders Exarch.  The graceful combatants clashed in staccato bursts of ringing metal, both pausing to reassess their strategies.  An unaugmented human would have been totally unable to track the movements of the duelists’ blades;  only the onlookers who knew the warriors best understood that when the two beings severed their ties to one another, the emotional wound would haunt the survivor forever.  Amidst the shattered wraithbone of the Warp Spider shrine, Thotuil executed his student, and in so doing killed a part of himself.  Ritually removing the late Exarch’s armor, Thotuil left the Path of the Autarch, and for the second and last time embraced the Path of the Warp Spider.  Assuming command of those Warp Spiders loyal to him, Thotuil and his shrine began the nightmare task of murdering the dissidents in ones, twos, and threes across the Craftworld, using their warp jump generators to attack without warning.  As he slaughtered his kin, the trauma of murdering his student burned itself into his soul, and he withdrew further and further into his war mask in a desperate attempt to distance himself from the trauma.  When the dissidents were finally eradicated, Ekaisin Thotuil was no more, replaced by his war mask and little else beyond a finely-honed killing machine.
Shockingly, to this day Craftworld Ainaarin reveres the Warp Spider Aspect Shrine above the other Shrines, for it is they who acted decisively and sacrificed a portion of their sanity in order to protect the Craftworld as a whole.  Craftworld Ainaarin continues to uphold the prophecy with unquestioning devotion.  Every Aeldari is prepared at a young age for either the path of the Warrior or the Seer, and they boast many Aspect Warriors and Warlocks.  In order for non-martial duties to be fulfilled, the Craftworld sparingly constructs Wraith constructs to ensure the Craftworld’s needs are met as best they can.  When the call to war is sounded Craftworld Ainaarin always answers, and their frequent wars largely revolve gathering resources for their damaged Craftworld. When prosecuting these wars Ainaarin is able to directly unfold their troops from the Gossamer Shoal dimension onto their target in Realspace, as the energy expenditure for an individual warrior is inconsequential due to its size.  It is relatively common for entire infantry-based armies to be deployed this way.

I am still looking for ideas for a symbol, but this is a basic idead of the color scheme. I don't know how to put an image on a hosting website but their scheme is basically the pre-heresy Warhounds (World Eaters) color scheme. I plan on doing the bases sandpapered smooth and black with a bright hex pattern so that they are terrain-agnostic, with the idea being that they are directly teleporting out of the Gossamer Shoal.





Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: Grizzlykin on April 12, 2022, 11:37:54 AM
Okay, that is one of, if not the most badass craft world story I have every read. This is brilliant. Well written sagely, and calmely constructed some fine work you have there mate.

This just taugh me how underwhelming mine is. I was wholefully unprepared. I made made based on the model I had, I should have though through this properly. Thanks for the lesson in story writing  ;D

If you want to had images, you need to had them to a hosting site and then link them in, using the image tags  ;) I use imgur personally and if you use it from pc, in the image info, (not the post info), there is a bbcode sharing option, you can just copy and paste that into your post because it has the tag included automatically.

I've been away for a while but I don't recognise that username, so welcome then :D
Title: Re: Eldar Craftworlds - Post your Craftworld background.
Post by: Kage2020 on April 24, 2022, 03:14:15 AM
It was, in all truth, inspiring. I need to come up with my own custom craftworld to make note of some of the ideas that I've had about Eldar over the years.

Thank you!