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Kaelor is an extremely isolated minor craftworld of the Asuryani Aeldari. Under unclear circumstances, at some point in the distant past, Kaelor made a Webway jump to the edge of the galaxy and has not ventured back towards the galactic centre for several millennia. It has virtually no contact with the outside galaxy, and even the Harlequins barely remember its existence. Unlike most other craftworlds, Kaelor is governed by a strict feudal system controlled by an oligarchy of great noble houses.

The Kaelor craftworld is located in the Segmentum Obscurus in distant orbit of the Eye of Terror. The Craftworld Aeldari have little presence in the Calixis Sector, with the exception of Craftworld Kaelor, whose migration route brings it through the sector once in a thousand Terran years. On such occasions, Imperial authorities have strict -- and highly confidential -- instructions from the Ordo Xenos to give it a wide berth. Battlefleet Calixis is tasked with intercepting any Human voidships that would attempt to make contact with the craftworld.

As that time draws near once again in the 41st Millennium, Kaelor sends warriors out into the Koronus Expanse, for its Farseers have seen something approaching, something wreathed in shadows that their sight cannot penetrate, which promises only doom for those that cross its path. Some believe that it is the lost, Chaos-corrupted craftworld of Lu'Nasad, which they have known as Dresil'ach, the "Forgotten Ruin," which has recently resumed its travels through the void. It must be stopped, or the stars could grow cold and fall from the void.

Already, several of Kaelor's outposts and a number of the Maiden Worlds and Exodite Worlds under its protection have suffered sudden and catastrophic losses, leaving them utterly devoid of inhabitants and deathly silent save for the psychic echoes of something in great pain. In the last few Terran decades, sightings of Aeldari wearing Kaelor's crimson and orange livery within the Koronus Expanse have increased dramatically, particularly within the Heathen Stars region.

The current most influential leader of the craftworld is Farseer Ela'Ashbel, an especially gifted and powerful psyker. Blinded at a young age during a confrontation with Heretic Astartes of the Word Bearers Traitor Legion, she sheds tears of blood when she manifests her potent psychic abilities. Ela'Ashbel has a long history of manipulating Humans and using agents of the Imperium as her cat's-paws, often drawing them into conflicts that inexorably lead along paths of fate she has foreseen that always resound to the eventual benefit of Craftworld Kaelor.

History[]

Kaelor guardian

A Guardian of Craftworld Kaelor

Age of Anguish[]

The Asuryani of Kaelor have preserved a number of stories relating to the lamentable event known as the Fall of the Aeldari, although the craftworld's history is punctuated with periods in which memory of this most formative and cataclysmic event appears to have been lost. Consider in particular the craftworld's so-called "Age of Anguish," during which a number of the practices designed to protect the Asuryani from their own natures as well as from the Great Enemy were either abandoned or questioned.

Amongst some of the Knavir Aeldari of the craftworld, the term given to those Kaelorians who were alive at the time of the Fall, there appears to remain some skepticism about the historical legitimacy of the various stories of the Fall. On this issue, it might be lamentable that Kaelor has had such scarce contact with the Harlequins throughout its long, isolated history. According to the most common versions of the stories, typically those told by the Rune-singers of the craftworld's noble great houses, the Fall occurred dozens of eons into the ancient period, before the coming of the legendary Kaelorian figure known as Gwrih the Radiant. It happened at a time when the ancient Aeldari civilisation had reached its zenith, when its empire spanned the vastness of the galaxy. Its confidence -- and its arrogance -- knew no bounds.

It was at this time that the tendency of the Aeldari soul towards extremes of emotion and intellect finally gave rise to the great cataclysm that was the Fall. Feeding on their unrestrained hedonism and fuelled by the exotic pleasure cults that flourished throughout the breathtaking Aeldari Empire, the great Daemonic form of Slaanesh was birthed into the mire of Sha'iel. Hence, according to this story, the Great Enemy is the unholy child of the children of the goddess Isha, produced by the uncontrolled nature of the Aeldari themselves.

As hysterical and insane indulgence gripped the Aeldari, causing their civilisation to collapse under its own decadence and orgiastic violence, those who retained their senses and moral balance fled. At the same time, the Great Enemy worked its magic in the Warp, tearing the fabric of the Materium and producing immense maelstroms of Sha'iel (the psychic energy of the Warp) that started to consume the Aeldari Empire.

Some -- known as the Exodine Knovah (the "Exodite Knights") -- led populations to new, virgin planets in the furthest reaches of the known galaxy, seeking to hide their souls from the thirsting clutches of Slaanesh. Others fled to the stars aboard massive craftworlds -- huge, self-contained, space-faring bio-systems like Kaelor. Those who remained behind were no longer recognisable as the children of Asuryan.

It was on these craftworlds that the Asuryani Path (Ihnyoh in the Kaelorian Lexicon) was developed as a way of protecting the souls of the Craftworld Aeldari, now calling themselves Asuryani or "Eldar" to outsiders, from the temptations of their own extreme natures and hence as a way of keeping them from the clutches of Slaanesh, who constantly thirsts and quests after the slightest flicker of the extremist souls of those who first gave "She Who Thirsts" birth.

The Craftwars[]

Kaelor Farseer

A Farseer of Craftworld Kaelor

The craftworld of Kaelor remembers virtually nothing of its early history and its earliest known records begin with the so-called "Craftwars" between Kaelor and the Saim-Hann craftworld, and even information concerning that event is very scarce. What is known is that following a Webway jump, Kaelor found itself on a collision course with Craftworld Saim-Hann. The ensuing conflict supposedly ended with a Kaelorian victory, but this is highly doubtful.

All that is known is that Kaelor was virtually rent apart in the conflict and is now only held together through incredibly strong psychic bonds. During this time, one Kaelor Aeldari, known only as Gwrih the Radiant, came to prominence. Gwrih united the craftworld in an uneasy peace that has held for millennia; a single noble line, House Rivalin, was chosen for its heirs to permanently hold the position of leading Farseer of Kaelor.

The other great families were effectively exiled from the craftworld's capital city, the Sentrium, to the outer reaches of the great vessel. The Exarchs of the Aspect Shrines are accorded far less stature on Kaelor than on other craftworlds and they swore an oath to Gwrih that they would never intervene in the political struggles of the Kaelorian great houses.

The tenuous peace that held was so long that it led to a dangerous level of unbounded indulgence and decadence among the population of the Sentrium. What would have been purged as a Chaos-influenced pleasure cult on other craftworlds became accepted as "normal."

Kaelorian House Wars[]

The affluence of the Sentrium and the ever-greater deprivation of the other great houses could only have one outcome, and events finally came to a head with the outbreak of the Kaelorian House Wars some three thousand standard years ago, in the 38th Millennium of the Imperial Calendar. During the House Wars the Aspect Shrines retained their customary political neutrality, and thus the main opposing forces were the Guardian armies of Houses Ansgar and Teirtu. The struggle was long and bloody, but the final victory went to the Teirtu, and the head of House Ansgar was executed, though his heirs were spared.

Following the House Wars, House Teirtu, led by Iden Teirtu, emerged as the dominant political player on Kaelor, and House Ansgar was vanquished and exiled into the hinterlands of Kaelor. Iden Teirtu moved his house to the Sentrium and effectively held the chief Farseer of House Rivalin under house arrest, as his son had sided with House Ansgar during the House Wars.

Survivors of Strife[]

Kaelor Guardian Ela'Ashbel

The influential Farseer Ela'Ashbel of Kaelor and a Kaelorian Guardian

Distant and isolated even by the standards of the other Asuryani craftworlds, Kaelor lingers on the edge of the galaxy in the 41st Millennium, passing through the Calixis Sector only once in a Terran millennium. As that time draws near once again, Kaelor sends warriors out into the Koronus Expanse, for its Farseers have seen something approaching, something wreathed in shadows that their sight cannot penetrate, which promises only doom for those that cross its path.

Already, several of its outposts and a number of the Maiden Worlds under its protection have suffered sudden and catastrophic losses, leaving them utterly devoid of inhabitants and deathly silent save for the psychic echoes of something in great pain. In the last few solar decades, sightings of Craftworld Aeldari wearing Kaelor's crimson and orange livery within the Koronus Expanse have increased dramatically, particularly within the Heathen Stars region.

Craftworld Kaelor seems to have an especially close tie to a band of Aeldari Corsairs known as the Twilight Swords. These piratical Aeldari primarily operate in the Koronus Expanse, occasionally assisted by Kaelorian Aspect Warriors or supported by Kaelorian Dragonships.

What Kaelor gains from this relationship is an enigma, although some in the Calixian Ordo Xenos conjecture that Farseer Ela'Ashbel has made a pact with the Twilight Swords wherein the Corsairs serve in the role of a "stalking horse," drawing out potential enemies and scouting ahead for the forces of the craftworld. The Farseer may, in fact, be using the Corsairs for her own purposes, as she has been carefully directing their efforts in a search pattern throughout the Expanse. Exactly what, or whom, she is searching for is so far unknown.

The Asuryani of Craftworld Kaelor are more aware than most of the consequences of straying from the Asuryani Path of discipline and control. Over three thousand Terran years ago, the craftworld was engulfed in the divisive conflict of the House Wars amongst its own people. Many Kaelorians had turned away from the Paths and instead sought their own pleasures, a dark echo of the same behaviour that had heralded the Aeldari species' fall from grace and the birth of the Dark God Slaanesh ten thousand standard years ago.

This conflict was eventually brought to an end, and the craftworld reunited, but the Kaelorian Asuryani consider this event a most recent and distressful portion of their history. Thus, Kaelor is now home to a very pragmatic and dedicated populace, each with a keen understanding of their own relative vulnerability. This has led the Kaelorians to be very loathe to take risks unless forced into action, their outlook upon the universe coloured with caution and tempered with ruthless applications of practicality.

Kaelorian Beliefs[]

Asuryan the Phoenix King[]

Asuryan is the greatest of all Aeldari gods, the deity for whom the Aeldari of the craftworlds have named themselves, the Asuryani. Except for the genesis myths about the way that Asuryan separated the gods from the mortal Aeldari at the beginning of time, few of the mythic cycles relating to Asuryan appear to have been preserved on Kaelor.

This has serious implications for adherence to Ihnyoh, the Asuryani Path. The Kaelorian wraithsmiths seem to preserve a version of the legend of the Tears of Isha, in which the smith god Vaul caught the tears shed by Isha, the goddess of fertility and nature, when she heard that her children had been banished by Asuryan. Then Vaul fashioned those tears into Spirit Stones, which would permit the children of Isha to remain forever in contact with her. Despite the ostensibly unsympathetic portrayal of this great god, the people of Kaelor, like other Craftworld Aeldari, often refer to themselves as the "Children of Asuryan" -- the Asuryani.

Isha the Mother Goddess[]

The Asuryani of Kaelor, particularly the Seer Houses, preserve a number of the central myths about Isha. They appear to be aware of at least one of the versions of the story of Lileath's Dream, in which Lileath the Graceful, goddess of dreams, (more commonly known as Lileath the Maiden on other craftworlds) told Khaine, the god of war, about a vision of him being ripped asunder by one of the mortal offspring of Isha and Kurnous, the god of the hunt. According to the Kaelorian version of this myth, the mortal in question is Eldanesh, one of the first great Aeldari heroes. However, this addition to the story is probably the result of confusing the later Ballad of Eldanesh, in which he attempts to avenge the suffering of Isha by killing Khaine, only to be ripped apart by the Bloody-Handed God.

Similar events are related in the Kaelorian Cycle of the Avatar. Nonetheless, in response to this warning from Lileath, Khaine resolved to hunt down the mortal children of Isha -- the Aeldari. He slaughtered many of them before his bloodlust was arrested by Asuryan, the Phoenix King, who took pity on Isha when he saw the glittering beauty of her tears -- one shed for each of her hunted mortal children.

Hence, Asuryan separated the heavenly and the mortal realms, the Immaterium and the Materium, forbidding any contact between the two. This saved the mortal children of Isha from Khaine's wrath but doomed them never to see their divine mother again. In sympathy, it is said that Vaul, the smith god, fashioned Isha's tears into the artefacts known as Spirit Stones so that she could retain some contact with her cherished children.

Ehveline[]

There is a Kaelorian myth called The Lost Daughter, which is kept alive in a number of Seer Houses, including the House of Yuthran. It is a variation on the classic mythic cycle of the Tears of Isha. In this version, the goddess Isha manages to keep one of her most cherished daughters hidden from the Phoenix Lord when Asuryan banishes Isha's children from the heavens.

The myth tells the story of how this child was raised in secret by Isha, who taught her the secrets of the universe, until her powers grew so great that it became impossible to keep her hidden from Asuryan any longer. At that time, Isha transported her daughter Ehveline down into the mortal realms, placing her amongst the isolated and well-hidden Asuryani of Kaelor for her own protection from the wrath of Khaine and the suspicion of Asuryan.

It is said that the Ehveline's immortal soul then commenced a process of cycling through reincarnations in mortal Aeldari forms, always in the shape of a beautiful female with startling sapphire eyes. The legend suggests that the incarnation of Ehveline will never appear to grow beyond childhood, since the daughter of Isha descended from heaven before becoming fully grown. This is an interesting and unique Kaelorian myth.

Khaela Mensha Khaine - the Bloody-Handed God[]

The Craftworld Aeldari of Kaelor have managed to maintain a number of the central myths surrounding Khaela Mensha Khaine, the god of war and murder. However, it appears that some of the details have been lost or embroidered throughout the eons. The Rune-singers of Kaelor sing of Khaine as the vanquisher of Kaelis Ra -- the Yngir star-god that raged during an ancient war through the heavens.

In that myth cycle (called the Birth of Fear), Khaine fights alongside the great Aeldari hero Eldanesh and wields the immortal Blade Wraiths fashioned for him by Vaul, the smith god. Yet the Rune-singers also sing the (more reliable?) Cycle of the Avatar, in which Khaine wages war against the mortal Children of Isha, defying Asuryan, the greatest of the Aeldari gods, chaining Vaul to his anvil, and joining forces with the Yngir.

According to this cycle, it was Khaine that slew the heroic mortal Eldanesh and condemned the Aeldari to mortality. Horrified by the violence of Khaine, Asuryan cursed him, making his hands drip with Eldanesh's blood for all eternity -- hence, Khaine became known as the "Bloody-Handed God."

The storytellers of the Farseer's Court of Kaelor often relate only the Cycle of the Avatar, which explains why the war god's name is muttered with disgust by the Knavir Aeldari who remember life before the Fall of the Aeldari. Elsewhere on Kaelor, these myths are usually told in immediate succession, presumably to emphasise the unpredictability of the dual natured god of war and of the Aeldari soul.

In House Ansgar, the Cycle of the Avatar ends with Khaine's demise in his futile battle with the Great Enemy, Slaanesh. It is said that when confronted with this Daemonic threat to his people, Khaine threw himself into the battle without hope of victory, but buying the Aeldari time to flee from their own Fall into the abyss. It is said that Khaine's ruined body was shattered into pristine fragments of bellicosity and scattered throughout the galaxy, awaiting reinvigoration as an Avatar.

From these two myths, it seems that the great noble houses of Kaelor are keenly aware of the contradictory, heroic and tragic nature of the Bloody-Handed God. Unlike the Farseer's Court, the great houses appear to maintain connections with various Aspect Temples, wherein young Asuryani learn to draw their strength from Khaine.

Cegorach - the Laughing God[]

The Asuryani of Kaelor retain knowledge of one (contested) story of Cegorach during the War in Heaven, in which the Laughing God apparently tricked the Yngir Kaelis Ra -- the bringer of death -- into turning against his own silvering hordes of Yngir (a more common version of this myth on other craftworlds replaces Kaelis Ra with the mythical foe of Cegorach, the so-called Outsider -- Khamus. This version tallies well with the Harlequin prophecy of the Return of Khamus, in which the Outsider returns to visit its revenge on the children of the Laughing God).

A more popular myth surrounding Cegorach on Kaelor is that he escaped the effects of the Fall even without turning to the disciplined life of Ihnyoh, the Asuryani Path. The Esdainn (Rune-singers) of the Farseer's Court tell of how the Great Harlequin's mocking and irreverent nature distanced him from the decadence, hedonism and corruption that had enticed Slaanesh into existence. The fact that the Harlequins do not wear Spirit Stones has not escaped the attention of the Knavir Aeldari, who appear to interpret the Song of Cegorach as a parable that condones an indulgent lifestyle for as long as it is indulged in self-mockery. During the so-called "Age of Anguish," it appears that Cegorach became something of an icon for those Kaelorians who sought to abandon the Ihnyoh altogether.

Vaul - The Smith God[]

Vaul is the god of smiths and crafts, acclaimed in Aeldari Mythology as a craftsman without peer and famed as the creator of the legendary Blade Wraiths wielded by the ancient Aeldari heroes Ulthanesh, Eldanesh and Lanthrilaq the Swift.

It is said that Vaul was without morality and that his single purpose was the creation of beauty rather than the pursuit of truth. The wraithsmiths of Kaelor hold Vaul as their most potent patron, and Gwrih the Radiant built many monuments to honour his name.

Asuryani Path[]

Like the Asuryani of other craftworlds, those of Kaelor enjoy a naturally long life, especially when compared with the other mortal species in the galaxy. Unlike the other craftworlds, however, Kaelorians, particularly the so-called Knavir Aeldari who remember life in the ancient empire before the Fall of the Aeldari, do not seem to adhere very rigorously to Ihnyoh -- the Asuryani Path. Indeed, it seems that the storytellers have either forgotten the story of Asuryan or have been forbidden to relate it.

Amongst the Aspect Temples, the Exarchs and their Rune-singers (Esdainn) do seem to retain this knowledge, and a number of the great houses are consequently better informed than the Knavir. The basic shape of the story is conventional: the Path is conceived as a solution to the passionate and volatile nature of the Aeldari soul, which, left unchecked in the form of unrestrained self-gratification and decadence, resulted in the Fall. It is a cyclical path that sees the Kaelorian Asuryani dramatically changing their social role at irregular intervals -- the most high profile being the Paths of the Seer and the Warrior, although the Knavir are renowned for avoiding the latter and for lingering in the more artistic paths.

The basic concept, that a healthy mix of variety and discipline will resolve the innate tendency towards excess in the Aeldari soul, appears to be widely accepted on Kaelor. However, as on other isolated craftworlds, a small community of outcasts -- known as Rangers -- have turned their back on this Path, believing that it is too restrictive and that the dangers of abandoning it have been exaggerated by eons of mythic embroidery.

The Rangers of Kaelor have developed a rich mythic tradition of their own, largely centred around the heroic figure of Vhruar the Hidden, who was apparently the first of the Kaelorians to throw off the discipline of Ihnyoh in pursuit of something more essential and natural to the Aeldari spirit.

Kaelor is, however, almost unique amongst the Craftworld Aeldari in so far as its adherence to Ihnyoh often appears to be more formal than substantial, especially amongst the so-called Knavir. It seems that an unusually feudal societal structure combined with isolation and distance from other craftworlds may have led to a gradual decline in species-memory about the Ihnyoh on Kaelor, particularly in the highest echelons of court society. Consciousness of the Asuryani Path appears strongest amongst the Seer Houses and the great houses, who maintain close ties with the Aspect Temples.

The Webway[]

Kaelor is unusually reluctant to enter the Webway, perhaps because of its tendency towards isolation and solitude, even from the rest of the Craftworld Aeldari. The Kaelorian Rune-singers of Kaelor depict the Webway as being a construction of the Old Ones, who fashioned it when they originally took to the stars in the immeasurably distant past. To some extent, the vast network of passages through the immaterial dimensions that permits such rapid travel throughout the galaxy has become associated with the War in Heaven and with war in general.

Legend suggests that the last time Kaelor made a major journey through the Webway, it encountered the bellicose craftworld of Saim-Hann, resulting in the so-called "Craftwars." A number of other mythic stories (such as the Demise of Altansar) appear to have been modified throughout Kaelorian history. They now suggest that travel in the Webway constituted a serious risk of exposure to the ever-lusting eye of Slaanesh. Perhaps because of these narrative quirks, the Knavir Aeldari who date to the time before the Fall are ambivalent about the Webway, preferring to keep their vast craftworld in the thicker dimensions of realspace, hidden in the furthest reaches of the galaxy.

There are two obvious deductions that can be drawn from these unusual aspects of Kaelorian social lore. The first is that there may be some connection between this attitude towards the Webway and the disdain with which the Knavir Aeldari have tended to view the Aspect Temple of the Warp Spiders, which maintains a sophisticated portal into the Webway. The second is that there is a clear connection between this attitude and the lack of contact between Kaelor and the Harlequins.

Methods of War[]

Tactics[]

Kaelor Warp Spiders

A pair of Kaelor's famed Warp Spiders Aspect Warriors

The warhost of Kaelor follows a doctrine of aggressive defence, preferring to strike hard and fade away before the enemy can gain the initiative. Kaelor possesses many shrines to the Warp Spider Aspect Warriors. These Craftworld Aeldari wear a heavily-armoured suit containing a short-range Warp jump teleporter device. Warp Spiders follow a philosophy of war that perfectly matches Kaelor's approach, attacking and then vanishing in the blink of an eye. The Kaelor warhost also contains a large number of fast vehicles, including many anti-grav vehicles such as Falcons and Vypers.

It is not unknown for the currently most influential Kaelorian Farseer Ela'Ashbel to lead her kin in battle, riding a custom Vyper where her psychic powers can have the greatest effect upon the enemy. Although the Kaelor warhost generally avoids engaging the enemy with their full force unless absolutely necessary, they are quite proactive and aggressive when following the visions and prophecies of Ela'Ashbel. Under Ela'Ashbel's guidance, Kaelor's forces do not generally seek out conflict against the Imperium, preferring to use deceit and guile to mislead such Imperial forces as they encounter.

When forced into battle, however, the Kaelor warhost attacks without mercy. Unlike some other Asuryani craftworlds, who may see a host of equal threats in a hostile galaxy, Kaelor regards the Ruinous Powers as the most dire. The Farseers of Kaelor actively oppose the forces of Chaos, and they often guide the dragonships and Aspect Warriors of their kin to skirmishes and assaults that serve to hinder the servants of the Dark Gods.

Guardians[]

Kaelor Jetbike

A Kaelorian Guardian Defender mounted upon a Jetbike.

Asuryani Guardians make up the bulk of the armies of Craftworld Kaelor and consist of citizens from every strata of its society. At some time or another almost all Craftworld Aeldari serve as a Guardian and don armour and take up arms for their people. For some, this may be a brief time in their lives (of course, brief for an Aeldari may still cover many Terran decades) before they move on to other Asuryani Paths, either equally martial (such as in the service of one of the Aspect Warrior Paths) or more focused on the crafts and culture of their species.

Unlike the common conscripts of Humanity, Asuryani Guardians come to their calling already armed with a wealth of knowledge of war and combat, which they then hone for many more Terran years, focusing on the task as only the mind of an Aeldari can. This means that every Guardian is an expert at his or her role within their squad and capable of taking on other tasks should the need arise.

Aeldari also possess more independence and initiative than Human warriors, and while a Human soldier has their individuality beaten out of them, the Craftworld Aeldari embrace their uniqueness and accept that the false ranks so loved by Humanity are but titles which do not especially empower or elevate the man or woman who bears them.

The Asuryani of Kaelor choose to become Guardians for their craftworld because of a desire to protect their people, not because a far-off monarch or unseen authority has commanded it so. Where the forces of Kaelor are found, their Guardians are never far off, and for a Human explorer in the Koronus Expanse the presence of these Guardians is often the first sign of the craftworld's involvement, representing a mobilisation of its populace to war. In this way, the Asuryani Guardians are much the same across the galaxy as they are within the Expanse and represent the few remaining people of a dying race defending their species by turning to the ways of war.

Aspect Warriors[]

Asureah[]

Lkykosidae the 'Wraith Spider'

The Kaelorian Phoenix Lord of the Warp Spiders, Lkykosidae, the "Wraith Spider"

Asureah is the word in the Kaelorian Lexicon for the Aspect Warriors trained in the Aspect Temples of Kaelor. Although the Asuryani of Kaelor readily concede that Khaine, the war god, was a deity of contradictory blessings, the Aspect Temples are still viewed with fear, suspicion and awe by most. As on other craftworlds, however, many Asuryani pass through a period in their long lives when they hear the call of Khaine. Hence, as part of their journey along the Asuryani Path, many Kaelorians receive training as Aspect Warriors.

One of the unusual features of the Aspect Temples on Kaelor is that many of the Aspects have developed hereditary links with specific great houses, in whose domains they build their temples and from whose domains the majority of their warriors are drawn. Most of the largest Aspects are represented on Kaelor. The Dire Avengers have a number of large temples, supported by the patronage of the powerful House Teirtu. The Warp Spiders were once as numerous as the Dire Avengers, but their fortunes have ebbed and flowed along with those of their patrons, House Ansgar.

Kaelorians appear to subscribe to a conventional version of the story of the origins of the Aspect Temples. In keeping with the wider traditions, the storytellers of Kaelor explain that each of the Aspects draws its nature from one of the myriad aspects of Khaine. Each represents one of the violent predilections inherent in the Aeldari soul. Rather than presenting the Aspect Temples as theatres for the indulgence of these predilections, the Kaelorian storytellers present the temples as places of spiritual meditation and physical training, where Kaelorians can learn to harness, control and benefit from their unfortunate natures.

This functional view does not appear to be shared by everyone, and the Knavir, who remember the time before the Fall of the Aeldari, are well-known for their disdain of the Aspect Temples. Like other craftworlds, Kaelor supports the conventional origin story of the Aspect Temples in the enigmatic person of Asurmen, who is reputed to have founded the Path of the Warrior shortly after the Fall, believing that the newly nomadic children of Isha would need to learn military discipline to survive in an increasingly hostile galaxy.

The methods of practice Asurmen established were designed to condition the Aeldari psyche to embrace the violence within without permitting it to consume or pollute the purity of the soul. This was the Path of the Warrior. To this end, Asurmen established the first of the Aspect Temples, the legendary Shrine of Asur (which Kaelorians identify as coterminous with the Aspect of the Dire Avengers), from whence his finest students, later identified as the Asurya or Phoenix Lords, spread throughout the fragmented and nomadic children of Asuryan, carrying with them the teachings of this great warrior.

Yet each of the students embraced a different style of combat, reflecting the different ways in which Khaine had whispered into their souls. So it was that Jain Zar established the Howling Banshees, Fuegan moulded the Fire Dragons, Baharroth incepted the Swooping Hawks, Arhra created the Striking Scorpions, and the sinister Maugan Ra birthed the Dark Reapers.

On Kaelor, these legendary progenitors are called the Asurya, and one version of the mythic cycle tells of the way in which they fled the destruction of the Shrine of Asur when one of their own -- the so-called Fallen Phoenix -- turned against them. Surprisingly, given the history and power of the Aspect on Kaelor, there are no extant records concerning the progenitor of the Warp Spiders, which has led some to conjecture a connection with the Fallen Phoenix.

An intriguing Kaelorian legend speaks of the so-called Lhykosidae ("Wraith Spider"), which appears to be an unorthodox re-imagining of the concept of the Asurya. It is conceivable that Kaelorian folklore is building towards the conclusion that the Lhykosidae was the Fallen Phoenix, although this hypothesis has never been heard or seen explicitly.

Warp Spiders[]

Kaelor Warp Spiders

Kaelor Warp Spiders Aspect Warriors

The Warp Spiders of Kaelor believe that they draw their name and power from the tiny crystalline arachnoid creatures that roam the Webway and the craftworld's Infinity Circuit, purging them of all non-Aeldari psychic energy. Hence, the Warp Spider champion known as the Lhykosidae or "Wraith Spider" is held to be a monumental force of spiritual purification, returning to Kaelor every few Terran millennia at its moment of greatest spiritual pollution and atrophy.

The mighty Kaelorian wraithsmith, Vhaalum the Silver, posited an interesting interpretation of this myth, suggesting that the Wraith Spider was the personification of wraithbone. Both are entities that directly manifest the energy of Sha'iel, the Warp, in material form, albeit one becomes organic and the other mineral. Like the Aspect Temples themselves, Exarchs are viewed by the pre-Fall Knavir Aeldari of Kaelor as primitive and vulgar representations of the unsavoury side of the Aeldari soul. However, no Kaelorian appears to lack a sense of fear and awe when confronted with one.

Asurya[]

On Kaelor and a number of the other craftworlds, the mythical Asurya are identified with the persona and armour of the first Exarch of each Aspect Shrine -- those originally trained by Asurmen in the Shrine of Asur at the time of the Fall of the Aeldari. It is usually maintained that this glorious armour remains animated by the spirit of the Asurya and continues to fight as the incarnation of an aspect of the war god Khaine forever.

An interesting and indigenous idiosyncrasy on Kaelor is the Kaelorians' mythic solution to the problem of not knowing the identity of the first Exarch of the Warp Spiders. The Wraith Spider (Lhykosidae) is evidently a conception of the originator. Rather than seeking to identify the Asurya as a historical or legendary warrior, the Warp Spiders of Kaelor seem to believe that it is an expression of the energy of the little crystalline creatures that guard the purity of the craftworld's Infinity Circuit. They suggest that the Wraith Spider is somehow an incarnation of that essential energy -- an intriguing interpretation of the meaning of the Asurya.

Notable Locations[]

  • Sapphire Dell - The Sapphire Dell is the circular council-area of the domains of House Ansgar. It is a circular, blue-metallic pit, lowered into the ground to ensure that the councillors themselves are always on a level lower than those over whom they rule. Its structure is supposed to reflect the political commitments of the ruling House of Ansgar.
  • Sentrium - The Sentrium is the name given to the sector in the heart of Kaelor in which the ruling Circular Court is located; essentially the "capital city" of the Kaelorians.
  • Styhxlin Perimeter - The Styhxlin Perimeter is the great tectonic divide that was cracked into a chasm through the physical wraithbone structure of Kaelor during the so-called Craftwars between Kaelor and Saim-Hann in the period immediately preceding the Radiant Age of Gwrih. The chasm was never materially repaired, but rather it was psychically bonded. Hence, because of a quirk in the properties of Sha'iel-infused space, the long, jagged canyon appears to drop straight through Kaelor and out into the vacuum of space, no matter where you stand to look at it. Since Gwrih the Radiant established the Circular Court, the Styhxlin Perimeter has traditionally been seen as the line of division between the domains of the cosmopolitan, pre-Fall Knavir Aeldari of Sentrium and those of the provincial great houses -- the so-called "Outer Houses." One House Ansgar legend suggests that it was the result of an abortive but deliberate attempt by the Farseer at the time of the Craftwars to rid Kaelor of the warlords of the great houses altogether.
  • Ula Pass - The Ula Pass is a permanent, narrow corridor through the chasm of the Styhxlin Perimeter along the famous Innis Straight. It approximates the technology of the Webway, although on an infinitely smaller scale. It is one of the most heavily fortified access routes in the Sentrium and was the site of the last great battle of the House Wars, where the forces of House Ansgar were virtually wiped out following a suicidal drive through the Ula Pass by Bedwyr Ansgar. Local legend suggests that Ula was a Warlock from the domains of House Ansgar, trained in the Aspect Temple of the Warp Spiders. It is said that she expended her entire life-force in order to prevent Kaelor from cracking apart during the Craftwars by constructing the corridor as a bridge to bind the two sides together with the sheer power of her will. Some of the Kaelorian Rune-singers suggest that she became so infused with her creation that the energy of her soul still provides the structural integrity of the pass.

Flora and Fauna[]

  • Aereb-beetle - The aereb-beetle is a tiny, red insectoid creature that is reputed to have been one of the first life forms to evolve uniquely within the biosystem of Kaelor after the craftworld fled into deep space following the Fall of the Aeldari. Colonies of the creatures cluster around the moisture-vents of the craftworld's outer forest zones, where they survive in a peculiar yet persistent ecosystem, flittering and darting on their incredibly rapid wings. Because of its qualities and history, the little creature is greeted with considerable affection amongst the more sentimental Kaelorians, and its name has entered common usage to indicate a range of meanings: unexpected resilience, purposeful industry and determined speed.
  • Caradoch - The caradoch was a furry, mammalian quadruped originally native to the planet known as Lsathranil's Shield. The animal became extinct even before the desertification of that world because it lacked the faculty of suspicion. It became an affectionate name for an aging Aeldari amongst the Exodite colonists of Lsathranil's Shield, many of whom fled to Kaelor when the Great Conflagration consumed the planet.
  • Mrofth - The mrofth is a small, winged insectoid with no digestive apparatus. Hence, it never eats. Instead, it draws its energy directly in the form of thermal energy from fire. They can often be seen in small groups, circling and swooping through flames.
  • Tureir-iug ("Lumbering sloth") - Tureir-iug is the slightly disingenuous name given to the waercats of the world of Poupriah, which were domesticated by a group of prospectors from Kaelor several Terran millennia ago and then farmed within a number of the eco-domes that are speckled throughout the craftworld. Despite the clumsiness and disdain implied in the name, the Knavir of Kaelor who date to before the Fall of the Aeldari appear to be very partial to the meat of these creatures -- and their farming is virtually monopolised by House Ossian. This is an odd deviation from the norm on Kaelor, where most Asuryani appear to avoid eating animal flesh for reasons of ritual purity.
  • Umbhala - The umbhala is a rare tree found only in two locations on Kaelor, both of which are protected within defensive eco-shields. One is within the Sentrium, and the other is under the protection of the Aspect Temple of the Warp Spiders in the domain of House Ansgar. They flower once every two hundred Terran years, and it is said that the blooms are of such beauty that simply gazing upon them can heal any affliction. The wood from the tree is so hard that Kaelorian folklore declares it to be indestructible. In practice, it is so rare that it is never used for construction, although the Warp Spiders have been known to fashion it into combat staffs. It is also rumoured that the bark of the umbhala has psycho-toxic qualities that are sometimes employed by Seers in the form of incense.

Notable Kaelor Asuryani[]

  • Aingeal - Aingeal is the ageless Exarch of the Warp Spider Aspect Temple. The temple has an ancestral connection with House Ansgar, since a number of the Aspect's temples are found in the home sectors of the Ansgar on the craftworld and are thus supported by Ansgar tithes. A number of Ansgar have trained in those temples. Aingeal is the mentor of Naois Ansgar and Scilti Ansgar.
  • Bedwyr Ansgar - Bedwyr Ansgar is the deceased former patriarch of House Ansgar, executed by Iden Teirtu at the end of the House Wars. Like House Teirtu, the Ansgar can trace their family line back to the blood of the original ruling Farseers of House Rivalin. The Ansgar have close ancestral connections with the Kaelorian Aspect Temple of the Warp Spiders, and a number of the noble sons and daughters of House Ansgar have trained in the temple. Bedwyr is the father of Naois Ansgar and Ela'Ashbel.
  • Kaswallan Ansgar - The long-deceased father of Bedwyr Ansgar.
  • Naois Ansgar - Naois is the son of Bedwyr Ansgar, and heir to House Ansgar's leadership. He, like all of his line, is closely connected with the Aspect Temple of the Warp Spiders. He is the younger cousin of Scilti Ansgar and elder brother of Ela'Ashbel.
  • Uisnech Anyon - Uisnech is the head of House Anyon, one of the great houses of Kaelor, and one of the leading councillors on the Ohlipsean.
Ela'Ashbel - Kaelor Farseer

Ela'Ashbel, the governing Farseer of Kaelor

  • Ela'Ashbel - Sister of Naois Ansgar and daughter of Bedwyr Ansgar of House Ansgar, one of the great houses of Kaelor, allegedly by a different, unnamed mother -- rumours suggest a tryst between Bedwyr Ansgar and the beautiful Seer Lady Ione Yuthran. Ela'Ashbel is a Farseer of incredible power and currently the most influential of the Seers of Kaelor. She is ostensibly under the tutelage of Cinnia Yuthran in the Seer House of Yuthran. She is famed for her unusual and startling sapphire-blue eyes, which lend weight to the rumours that she is the reincarnation of the Kaelorian mythological figure Ehveline, the divine daughter of Isha, the goddess of fertility and nature. Ela'Ashbel is an especially gifted and powerful psyker. Blinded at a young age during a confrontation with Heretic Astartes of the Word Bearers Traitor Legion, she sheds tears of blood when she manifests her potent psychic abilities. Ela'Ashbel has a long history of manipulating Humans and using agents of the Imperium as her cat's-paws, often drawing them into conflicts that inexorably lead along paths of fate she has foreseen that tend towards the eventual benefit of Craftworld Kaelor.
  • Caeluthin Baharrudor, the Stormchaser - The Stormchaser is a legend spoken of fearfully amongst many of the Human crews that ply the Koronus Expanse, the vicious xenos pirate lord whose fleet emerges to strike vessels caught within the storms and tides of the Warp, attacking when their prey cannot escape, and leaving survivors enough only to whisper his name. The truth is little different. Caeluthin was born to a life of structure and discipline upon the craftworld of Kaelor, becoming a Mariner and sailing the void for many Terran years before his boredom and wanderlust became too great. Leaving his home in search of something more, Caeluthin became an Outcast, a willing exile from his people for so long as his wanderlust consumed him. Some five Terran centuries later, Caeluthin's sense of adventure is still strong, and he has risen to become the leader of the Twilight Swords Aeldari Corsairs, and does not feel he shall ever return to the life he had upon Kaelor. Caeluthin is cunning, but easily bored, and prone to variegated and ever-changing moods. He views Humanity with a sense of faint amusement at times, as a man might look at an animal capable of an interesting trick, while in other moods, he deems them little better than vermin, worthy only of annihilation. Overall, he sees Humanity as worthless creatures, useless to his plans. This viewpoint conflicts with the guidance of Farseer Ela'Ashbel of Craftworld Kaelor, and is the cause of contention as the two sides work together more often. It is possible that the Farseer's counsel may moderate Caeluthin's views -- or that her preference to use Humanity to further Aeldari goals may have some appeal.
  • Bhaine Dhûn - Warlock Bhaine Dhûn has been privy to visions that have affected many of those from Craftworld Kaelor over the past few solar months. The Asuryani know that the lost craftworld Lu'Nasad, which they have known as Dresil'ach, has recently resumed its travels through the void, beginning approximately thirty standartd years ago. It must be stopped, or the stars could grow cold and fall from the void. The fates, for reasons he cannot grasp, have shown that Human explorers must aid the Asuryani in their efforts to stop the damned craftworld. Warlock Dhûn is earnest in stating his opinions. He knows that these explorers will be reluctant to be involved in this matter. He is willing to stake Kaelor's gratitude and to offer the services of at least two units of Dire Avengers to assist in the matter. Sadly, the signs have shown that any greater involvement from his people would doom the mission to failure.
  • Ione Yuthran - Lady Ione is the senior Seer of the Seer House of Yuthran and consort to the House Teirtu patriarch Iden Teirtu. She is a powerful and popular Knavir Aeldari of the old school who remembers life before the Fall of the Aeldari. Despite some rumours about the precise nature of her relationship with Bedwyr Ansgar, the head of House Ansgar, whose children she saved from the wrath of Iden Teirtu at the end of the House Wars, her reputation remains immaculate.
  • Lkykosidae - "The Wraith Spider." Kaelorians also tell of a rogue Exarch -- the so-called Lhykosidae or "Wraith Spider." This legendary warrior appears once every few Terran millennia to bring justice and peace to Kaelor. He will rise out of the ranks of the Warp Spider Aspect Temple, but his powers will transcend even those of the Exarch. Amongst various other theories, it is conjectured that he is a kind of Asurya (Phoenix Lord), but since Kaelorian lore is ignorant of the origination of that Aspect, the Wraith Spider is said to take on the essential soul of the Warp Spiders, and this is done through a kind of spiritual awakening rather than by finding and donning the armour of a fallen Phoenix Lord, as described by the other main Aspect Temples.
  • Menmon, the Soul Taker - The name of a (probably fictional) Kaelorian Asuryani of the Seer House of Yuthran who supposedly learned the secret and forbidden arts of necromancy from a vagabond Ranger who made contact with the craftworld during its so-called Age of Anguish. According to legends, the Ranger was once a Spiritseer from the craftworld of Iyanden, and he gifted Menmon with the ability to capture the souls of her fellow Asuryani, enabling her to use them in the construction of so-called Wraithguard warriors. Whether or not this legend is based on truth is hard to discern -- its subject matter is so offensive to the sensibilities of the Kaelorians that it has all but vanished from public memory. In House Yuthran, Menmon gives her name to one of the most arduous and terrifying of the various rites of passage through which an initiate must pass in order to gain access to the inner sanctums of the great Seer House. Although the details of the rite are known only to those who have passed through it, it appears to be concerned with defences of the soul.
  • Mhyrune - An extinct Asuryani family line of famed fabric manufacturers from the Mhyrineq Nebula. In Kaelorian parlance, the word has come to be associated with any type of fabric or thread of extraordinary quality. In particular, the local legends suggest that the ancient weavers used to inscribe runes of power into each thread that they used in a weave, producing cloth with incredible and peerless psychic qualities.
  • Celyddon Ossian - Head of House Ossian, one of the great houses of Kaelor, and councillor on the Ohlipsean. He is famous for his unusually dark skin, golden eyes and his richly ostentatious robes.
  • Gwrih the Radiant - Gwrih the Radiant was the first Farseer of House Rivalin and the founder of the Circular Court of Kaelor. Legend has it that Gwrih was a great poet and wraithsmith, bringing peace and unity to his people through the power of his aesthetic glory. At least one version of the story of Gwirh depicts him as one of the original Exodine Knovah -- the Exodite Knights -- who first led the children of Asuryan away from their decaying and degenerate civilisation before the Fall of the Aeldari. Very few legends depict Gwrih as a warrior of any kind, and the rune-singers of the Kaelorian great houses tend to pay him little respect in their histories of Kaelor. In fact, it seems that he came to prominence on the back of a massive war between Kaelor and the craftworld of Saim-Hann, although the details and motivations for this so-called "Craftwar" appear to have been lost.
  • Ahearn Rivalin - Ahearn Rivalin is the oldest surviving Farseer of the grand lineage of House Rivalin, the dynastic line that has overseen Kaelor since the Fall of the Aeldari. His family witnessed (and designed) the glorious grandiosity of the Circular Court of Kaelor and of Kaelor's Radiant Age. Ahearn claims direct descent from Gwrih the Radiant, but the tastes of the Sons of Rivalin are rumoured to be unusually extravagant. Discontented Asuryani in the outer provinces of Kaelor whisper that Ahearn's farsight is failing him and that he can no longer see beyond his own death.
  • Kerwyn Rivalin - Kerwyn Rivalin is the son of Ahearn Rivalin and direct heir to the Farseer's throne.
  • Oriana Rivalin - Oriana Rivalin is the daughter of Ahearn and (slightly) younger sister of Kerwyn Rivalin. She is the consort of Morfran Teirtu, the bumbling son of Iden, the ruler of House Teirtu, and mother of Turi Rivalin.
  • Turi Rivalin - Turi Rivalin is the son of Oriana and Morfran Rivalin, hence the grandson of both Ahearn Rivalin and Iden Teirtu.
  • Bricriu Seosahm - Bricriu Seosahm is the head of the House Seosahm, one of the great houses of Kaelor, and a councillor on the Ohlipsean.
  • Scilti Ansgar - Elder cousin of Naois Ansgar and Ela'Ashbel. In the House Wars, he fought alongside his uncle, Bedwyr Ansgar, but as a young and inexperienced warrior. He was trained in the Aspect Temple of the Warp Spiders in the domain of House Ansgar.
  • Iden Teirtu - Iden Teirtu is a warrior lord and patriarch of the great and powerful provincial House Teirtu, able to trace his family bloodline back to the ancient House of Rivalin, many Terran millennia earlier. Iden was the victor in the House Wars against House Ansgar and he is the slayer of their patriarch, Bedwyr Ansgar.
  • Fedelm Tuireann - Known as Tuireann the Ancient, Fedelm Tuireann was an old Harlequin abandoned by her troupe on Kaelor as the craftworld fled the chaos of the Fall of the Aeldari. Despite being so old, her manner was always youthful, and her appellation has come to be used ironically to indicate an Aeldari behaving younger than their age.
  • Morfran Teirtu - The son of Iden Teirtu and approximate contemporary of the House Ansgar heir, Naois Ansgar. His consort is the fair Oriana Rivalin.
  • Yseult - A renowned warrior who is not part of the House Teirtu family line, but is pledged to the service of the Great House of Teirtu. She is the same age as the house heir, Morfran Teirtu. She was trained in the Aspect Temple of the Dire Avengers.
  • Vhruar the Hidden - Vhruar is the most famous of the historical Rangers of Kaelor, who reputedly spent a thousand Terran years searching for the Black Library.
Erandel Voidsinger

The venerable Kaelorian Farseer Erandel Voidsinger

  • Erandel Voidsinger - Erandel Voidsinger is said to be impossibly ancient, even amongst a species known to be all but immortal. Erandel has battled the enemies of the Asuryani on countless thousands of worlds across the entire galaxy, from the boiling galactic core to the silent, night-haunted Halo Worlds and beyond. She is said to have witnessed sights that would blast the sanity of even the most strong-willed of her peers, and to have conversed with beings of such utterly alien consciousness that they barely comprehend the existence of even the high-minded Asuryani. It is said that the Voidsinger was there when the Aeldari fell, and that she foresaw the rise of the Imperium of Man. Certain lines in the few Aeldari mythic cycles known to Human scholars even suggest she has trodden the sacred ground of Terra, though none who have ascertained this fact would dare propagate it, for fear of being burned upon the pyres of the Ordo Hereticus. Most of these tales are in fact true, while countless more unbelievable truths are yet untold. Throughout her impossibly long life, Erandel Voidsinger has fought alongside countless species and served in the war hosts of every one of the major Aeldari craftworlds. She has watched from the bridge of Corsair flagships as worlds have burned, tasted the pristine waters of untouched Maiden Worlds, and passed through the bone-strewn sub-realities of the Dark City of Commorragh. She has witnessed the great dance of the Harlequins more times than any other daughter of her craftworld, and shared counsel with at least one of the mysterious Solitaires. Some say she has leave to come and go at will from the Black Library at the very heart of the Webway, the terrible guardian of that fell place barely stirring at her passing. Little wonder then, that Erandel Voidsinger should serve as the representative not just of Craftworld Kaelor, but of all Asuryani craftworlds, on the Conclave of Tears, the council of all the Aeldari factions operating in the Jericho Reach.
  • Alastrinah Yuthran - Alastrinah Yuthran is the founder of the Seer House of Yuthran. She was a compassionate, beautiful and powerful psyker with a gift for farsight. As the consort of the first ruling House Rivalin Farseer -- Gwrih the Radiant -- she established a glorious lineage and a tradition of service in the Farseer's Court. The symbol of House Yuthran -- an eye filled with an ocean of water -- is said to reflect Alastrinah's soul. When she died, the ring from the third finger of her left hand was placed on an altar in the sanctum of the great house, and the sanctum was refashioned to mirror its perfect form; this is the so-called Ring of Alastrinah in which young wyches are initiated into the house. Yuthrani wyches of high standing or exceptional power will be granted a duplicate of the ring, fashioned out of psycho-reactive wraithbone, which they wear on their third finger as a sign of their sisterhood.
  • Cinnia Yuthran - Also known as "Maeveh of the Hidden Joy," Cinnia is one of the senior Seers in House Yuthran. She is also a representative of that house at the Farseer's Court. She is heir to the functions and responsibilities of Lady Ione Yuthran, and is mentor to the current most powerful and influential Kaelorian Farseer, Ela'Ashbel.

Kaelor Lexicon[]

Due to their long isolation from the other Asuryani craftworlds, the people of Kaelor have developed their own dialect of the Aeldari Lexicon which contains a number of terms in that language that are specific to the culture of this unique craftworld. Many of these terms are explored below.

  • Arachnir - A term used amongst the Warp Spiders of Kaelor to indicate a command-rank, junior to the Exarch but senior to the other Aspect Warriors.
  • Athesdan - "Farseer" or "High Warlock". It appears that this is an archaic term for the ruling Farseer of Kaelor, from the period during which the office of Farseer carried with it military responsibilities. The word has almost vanished from common parlance, but it is occasionally used by members of the great houses to express ironic disdain for the alleged weakness of the current House Rivalin Farseers.
  • Circular Court/Ohlipsean/Circle of Rivalin/Rivalin Court - The highest consultative assembly on Kaelor since the time of Gwrih the Radiant of House Rivalin, who established it as a means of unifying the various great houses in a centralised council. The Kaelorian great houses represented on it have tended to be those with some kind of familial or strategic connection with the Rivalin dynasty, leading to some dissatisfaction and unrest amongst the heads of the other noble houses.
  • Craftwar - The Craftwar is an ancient conflict between Kaelor and another Asuryani craftworld. Even the rune-singers of Kaelor appear to preserve very little information about why this war was fought, where it took place, and what happened during it. A number of works of poetry (such as the Tragedy of Ghurius) and several military epics (such as the Arc of Destiny) that claim to depict events from this war exist in the most comprehensive libraries of Kaelor. A copy of the Arc of Destiny that is kept in the house library of House Ansgar claims that the Craftwar was won by Kaelor because of the timely intervention of the so-called Lhykosidae or "Wraith Spider." However, the authenticity of all of these documents is highly questionable and for millennia they have been declared forbidden by the Circular Court of House Rivalin.
  • Dhanir - "Stage, path, way." This is the term used as a category for the particular social role that a Kaelorian Asuryani is currently occupying, be it the dhanir ("path") of the warrior, Seer, artist or whatever. It is to be distinguished from the more elaborate term Ihnyoh ("way" or "path"), which refers to the cyclical Asuryani Path itself. For most Asuryani on Kaelor, Ihnyoh consists of a series of specific dhanir, although some do become stuck in a single dhanir.
  • Dhamashir - The soul.
  • Dharknys - "Down-phase." A period of darkness that cycles through each sector of Kaelor, providing an artificial night on the massive craftworld. It is, in fact, a naturally occurring phenomenon or, at least, the Kaelorians have no technical understanding of how or why it occurs. A plausible theory suggests that it has something to do with the ebb and flow of the tidal currents within the craftworld's Infinity Circuit, which would make it an intriguing indicator of the life cycle of the craftworld. Dharknys passes into a period of laetnys (up-phase) in a regular cycle, everywhere except within the Shrine of Fluir-haern, where it is always light.
  • Eldreacian wine - An unusual, blue, intoxicating alcoholic beverage that is unique to Craftworld Kaelor, despite the relatively simple Eldreacian technology used to manufacture it. Many Kaelor Asuryani assert that it is actually toxic and poisonous to other Aeldari from off-Kaelor; this has proved to be so for some, but certainly not all. It is usually served chilled, but even at reduced temperatures it lingers on the point of vaporisation, sending out a constant mist of blue. Consequently, the wine is as much inhaled as drank.
  • Esdainn - "Warlock," also "Rune-singer." In common parlance on Kaelor this term has come to mean any psyker with tendencies towards and Aspect Temple training in the arts of war and violence. The cultural connotation of the word appears somewhat negative. Interestingly, the Kaelorians appear to have conflated this term with the label given to story tellers or rune-singers, particularly those who relate the great mythic cycles that contain tales of heroism, war and combat. The most famous of these is the young Deoch Epona who, despite her youth, is already a master of her craft. It appears that dedicating one's mind to combat (even to stories of combat) is frowned upon in Kaelorian culture. The unusual non-dualism between acting violently and relating violence might warrant further meditation.
  • Exarch - The keeper of an Aspect Temple. As on other craftworlds, Exarchs on Kaelor are those Aspect Warriors that have become consumed by their violent nature and unable to suppress their love of combat. Hence they become unable to pass out of the Path of the Warrior, remaining stranded in that aspect of their existence until their deaths. Exarchs come to personify the qualities that are expressive of their chosen Aspect, and it is to them that the temple looks for leadership and guidance. Most will never remove their armour, and Kaelorian legend is full of stories of Exarchs that became so infused with the psychoplastic substance of their armour that they were literally absorbed into it, leaving a psychic echo of their souls to guide and assist the next Exarch who dons the armour (other Craftworlds share similar stories, but the secrecy of the Aspect Temples makes it hard to verify them).
  • Faerulh - "The breath of the lost." A mythic breeze said to emanate from the very soul of Kaelor in the Infinity Circuit. The most sensitive Aeldari minds are said to be able to hear the voices of their ancient ancestors carried on the whispering wind.
  • Fluir-haern - Infinity Circuit, lit. " Spirit Pool." To some extent the significance of this hallowed and sacred repository appears not to be fully appreciated by sections of the population of Kaelor. In particular, the so-called Knavir seem to treat it as a chiefly ceremonial or ritual entity, with little functional or substantial importance. That said, the rituals surrounding the passing of an elevated soul into the Fluir-haern are amongst the grandest and most elaborate in the court. Outside the circle of the Knavir, in the great houses, the importance of the craftworld's crystalline matrix appears to be understood in more conventional terms. The rune-singers of House Ansgar, for example, are clear that the Fluir-haern is a repository for the souls of deceased Asuryani, where they are kept safe from the clutches of Slaanesh, and from whence they can be summoned for purposes of advice and wisdom by the living. According to this interpretation, the Fluir-haern is also apt to whisper its own messages to Aeldari with minds sufficiently open to hear it -- this "breath of the lost" is sometimes known as faerulh. One version of the House Ansgar myth also suggests that the Fluir-haern will eventually become a psychic force powerful enough to confront the might of Slaanesh with the combined power of millions of Kaelorian souls. This incredible force will be led by the mythical Lhykosidae (the Wraith Spider) in the battle of the Rhana Dandra or "End of Days." Hence, Kaelor must remain hidden long enough to build up this psychic arsenal. This seems to be a variant of the more common myth held among other Asuryani about the coming of Ynnead, the god of the dead. Such legends were proved true later in the Era Indomitus with the birth of the Ynnari faction of the Aeldari.
  • Riellietann - The Harlequin, the children of Cegorach, the Laughing God of the Webway. In common parlance on Kaelor this has come to mean an Aeldari with an opaque or mysterious nature. The Asuryani of Kaelor appear more than usually suspicious of them. One can only assume that this is because of the low frequency of contact between the Harlequins and Kaelor, although there is probably also an element of the opposite causality.
  • House Wars - The House Wars were the epic civil wars between the great houses that shaped present-day Kaelor. The term refers to a complicated series of political and military battles for political primacy between the great noble houses of Teirtu and Ansgar, with the Farseer's House of Rivalin caught in the middle. House Teirtu won this war under the leadership of Iden Teirtu, who promptly had the patriarch of House Ansgar, Bedwyr Ansgar, executed. For undocumented reasons, Iden Teirtu's consort, the Lady Ione of House Yuthran, pleaded for mercy on behalf of Bedwyr's infant son Naois Ansgar and baby daughter Ela Ansgar. Rumours and legends have grown up around the true parentage of these surviving heirs, fuelling the suspicions and paranoia of Iden Teirtu.
  • Ishyrea - Gifted of Isha, goddess of fertility and nature.
  • Knavir - One of the many names used on Kaelor to describe the terrestrial Aeldari who lived before the Fall of the Aeldari in the lost Aeldari Empire. It has come to have connotations of ancient respectability mixed with naive anachronism. The term is rarely affectionate and has become somewhat abusive and pejorative. A contested and highly politicised explanation of the origins of this term suggests that it is a distortion of the ancient class of Exodine Knovah -- the fabled Exodite Knights who were reputed to have been the heads of great Aeldari noble houses that led the first Exodites away from the declining Aeldari civilisation before the Fall, establishing a second generation of civilisations in other parts of the galaxy.
  • Laetnys - "Up-phase." A period of light that cycles through each sector of Kaelor, providing an artificial night on the massive craftworld following the period of darkness (dharknys).
  • Mon-keigh - This term refers to a race of sub-intelligent beasts that lived on the twilight world of Koldo. In ancient times, these beasts invaded the Aeldari lands and subjugated them for many Terran years. The mon-keigh of legend were cannibalistic, misshapen monstrosities, eventually cleansed from the galaxy by the hero Elronhir. This term is used by the Aeldari of Craftworld Kaelor to refer to a number of non-Aeldari intelligent species that the Aeldari deem inferior and in need of extermination, such as Humanity.
  • Momah - The name given to the tiny wraithbone carvings made by the master wraithsmiths in the Trials of Vaul, during which the smith demonstrates their mastery of the art. The intricate objects are little larger than a finger nail, but they contain many Terran years' worth of craftsmanship and detail. The word has also come to be an affectionate term for a talented or promising Kaelorian infant.
  • Path Stalker - The term that Kaelorian Asuryani use to describe another Asuryani that has become stuck on one specific dhanir or Path, hence escaping from the cyclical nature of the Ihnyoh or Asuryani Path. The most obvious examples are Exarchs, but on Kaelor bonesingers are also placed in this category. Interestingly, unlike on other craftworlds (where equivalent terms often do not exist), the Farseer is sometimes not regarded as a Path Stalker on Kaelor, since their status is a result of hereditary social position rather than necessarily a result of their having become stuck in the dhanir of the Seer. A related term is Path Finder, which is sometimes used to describe the function of Rangers on other craftwords. On Kaelor, however, the term has come to take on a broader significance. Whilst it remains a category that encompasses the Rangers on Kaelor, the reason for this is two-fold: first, it is because of the obvious fact that the Rangers are engaged in reconnaissance (i.e. finding paths), but second, it is because they are self-consciously free of the strictures of the Ihnyoh and thus they are forging a life path of their own. They are not stuck on a single dhanir like a Path Stalker, but they are outside the structure altogether -- attempting to find their own path that feels closer to authenticity. This second rationale contains a darker side on Kaelor, since it also appears to have become appropriated as a self-definition by those Kaelorians who are sceptical about the value of Ihnyoh in the first place. These are hedonists, not Rangers. The term entered common usage amongst the so-called Knavir Aeldari during the Age of Anguish.
  • Quihan - Teacher or master.
  • Ritual of Tuireann - The coming of age ceremony initiated in the Farseer's Court of Kaelor by Fedelm Tuireann, an old Harlequin abandoned by her troupe on Kaelor as the craftworld fled the chaos of the Fall of the Aeldari. Despite being so old, her manner was always youthful, and her appellation has come to be used ironically to indicate an Aeldari behaving younger than their age.
  • Sha'ielbhr - Wraithbone. As on a number of other craftworlds, the essence of wraithbone is drawn out of the Warp and fashioned into material substance by a category of wraithsmiths called the bonesingers. The material is incredibly tough and resilient (and therefore hard to manipulate), and it always retains its connection with the Warp, which makes it a perfectly efficient psychic conductor.
  • Sleehr - A technical term used by Kaelorian Seers and wraithsmiths to describe an imbalance between the material and immaterial energies of an entity. In common parlance it has become a term of derision to indicate a polluted, unbalanced, flawed or offensive personality -- e.g. sleehr-child.
  • Tyro - The term used to label an apprentice or trainee warrior in an Aspect Temple. It indicates the status of one who has not yet been inducted into the temple's secret teachings, or one who has not yet attained sufficient mastery of its arts to be called an Aspect Warrior.
  • Vaugnh - "Abomination." The origin of this rune is contested on Kaelor. The most contested (but popular) philological studies suggest that it was first inscribed on the hilt of each of the one hundred mythical blades created by Vaul, which according to Kaelorian myth were fashioned by the smith god as a gift for the war god Khaine in his fight against the Yngir, the Ancient Enemy. A more conventional version of this myth suggests that Vaul forged one thousand of these enchanted blades as a ransom payment to Khaine for the release of Kurnous and Isha, whom the war god had taken captive after Asuryan, the head of the Aeldari Pantheon, discovered the existence of the Tears of Isha. It is reputed that Vaul attempted to trick Khaine by including a normal, mortal-forged blade amongst the others when he could not complete the hundred blades on time; his trick failed. Although it is rumoured that at least one of these blades survived the terrible War in Heaven, allegedly in the care of the Harlequins of Arcadia, no Asuryani of Kaelor has ever been able to verify the truth of this.
  • Wayfarer - This term appears to have no equivalent on any of the other craftworlds known. It appears to refer to Asuryani who follow the normal progress of Ihnyoh, the Asuryani Path, moving from one dhanir or Path to the next in a cycle throughout their lives.
  • Tear of Isha - A Spirit Stone. Like all Craftworld Aeldari, the Kaelorians commit their souls to the sanctity of a Spirit Stone to keep their immortal souls out of the hands of the Great Enemy, Slaanesh, at the time of their deaths. Indeed, in a period of strife on Kaelor known as the "Age of Anguish" that followed the so-called "Radiant Age" of Gwrih, groups of Knavir Aeldari who remmebered life before the Fall of the Aeldari began to question the validity of the practice. The Kaelorian Age of Anguish was marked by an unprecedented disrespect for tradition, myth and legend among the Asuryani of Kaelor, which perhaps explains why so many of the great mythic cycles have fallen out of memory on Kaelor. In a manner typical of the people of many craftworlds, the Kaelorians wear their Spirit Stones around their necks, either on ornamental chains or fused into the chest plates of their armour.
  • Yngir - The Yngir are the C'tan Star Gods and masters of the Necrons against whom the Old Ones and the ancient Aeldari waged the War in Heaven millions of Terran years ago. According to Kaelorian myth, the greatest of the Yngir, Kaelis Ra -- the bringer of death and darkness -- was slain for the first time by the war god Kaela Mensha Khaine and his lightning-spear in the epic battle that left his own body riddled with shards of silvered poison, forever transforming Khaine's own visage into that of the reaper. But Kaelis Ra can never truly die, for it is death incarnate. The Kaelorian version of the mythic cycle of the Birth of Fear tells how the howling and raging essence of Kaelis Ra, freed from its physical form by the deathblow of Khaine, swept through the Materium and infiltrated the very fabric of the Aeldari species, infecting them with an inalienable fear of the grave. For some, this infection is a kind of sleehr (see above).
  • Zhogan - "The Vanquisher of Vice." A politico-military title awarded by the ruling Farseer of Kaelor's House Rivalin to Kaelorian military leaders who represent the interests of the Circular Court in battle, usually against other Kaelorian noble houses during the craftworld's civil wars. The title fell into disuse following the establishment of the Rivalin Circular Court, since incidents of battle on Kaelor between the great houses dropped off to almost nothing. Iden Teirtu was appointed to the rank of zhogan following his victory over House Ansgar in Kaelor's internecine House Wars. He appears to have interpreted this title to mean that he has effectively been given the powers of a regent, ruling in the name of House Rivalin's Farseer. Iden Teirtu was the first Kaelorian to receive this title since the Craftwars.

Sources[]

  • Dark Heresy: Creatures Anathema (RPG), pg. 77
  • Deathwatch: The Outer Reach (RPG), pp. 60-61
  • Rogue Trader: Edge of the Abyss (RPG), pp. 46, 59-61, 63
  • Rogue Trader: Fallen Suns (RPG), pp. 28, 63
  • Rogue Trader: Koronus Bestiary (RPG), pp. 60-61
  • Eldar Prophecy (Novel) by C.S. Goto
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