View source for Asurmen

{{otheruses|USE=Eldar warrior|OTHERUSE=novel by [[Gav Thorpe]]|OTHERPAGE=Asurmen: Hand of Asuryan (Novel)}}
{{QuoteBox
|quote = ''I am your evils returned to you. I am the justice your victims cry out for. The protector of the weak. The light in the darkness. The Hand of [[Asuryan]]. I am the avenger.''
|source=—Asurmen{{Fn|5a}}
|align = center
}}
{{Character
|Portal              ={{EldarPortal}}
|Name                ={{PAGENAME}}
|Image               =Asurmenart.jpg
|Caption             =
|Title               =The Hand of [[Asuryan]]<br>Iliathin <small>(Former name)</small>
|Homeworld           =[[Eidafaeron]] <small>(Formerly){{Fn|5}}</small>
|Birth               =Pre-[[Fall of the Eldar]]{{Fn|5}}
|Active Period       =[[M29]] - Present
|Death               =
|Cause of Death      =
|Species             =[[Aeldari]]
|Type                =[[Asuryani]]<br><small>(Founder)</small>
|Gender              =Male
|Relatives           =[[Tethesis]]<br><small>(Biological brother){{Fn|5}}</small>
|Occupation          =
[[Phoenix Lord]] of the [[Dire Avengers]]
|Preceded by         =
|Succeeded by        =
|Faction             ='' ''
*[[Craftworld Eldar]]
**[[Dire Avengers]]
*[[Ynnari]] <small>(Formerly){{Fn|6}}</small>
|Notes  
}}
'''Asurmen''' is said to have been the first [[Eldar]] [[Phoenix Lord]]. He was the founder of the [[Eldar_Path#Path_of_the_Warrior|Path of the Warrior]] and he created the first shrine of [[Asur]], the [[Dire Avenger]] shrine, which was to grow into the most wide-spread of the [[Aspect]]s. Asurmen's name means ''"The Hand of [[Asuryan]]"'' and it was he who led the Eldar race away from their doomed homeworlds at the time of the [[Fall of the Eldar]].{{Fn|5}}

==Biography==
[[Image:Asurmen Art.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Asurmen{{Fn|7}}]]
Born '''Iliathin''', the Eldar who would become Asurmen was born on the world of [[Eidafaeron]] and lived an uneventful and boring life there. Before the [[Fall of the Eldar]], he was skeptical of the prophecies of doom being spread by those who would become the [[Exodite]]s. Iliathin's brother [[Tethesis]] wanted to join the Exodites but his skeptical sibling refuses to take part. Once the Doom of the Eldar came, Ilaithin and his brother both somehow survived the calamity and waged a desperate struggle for survival amid the ruins of their world, now overrun with [[Daemon]]s. When Tethesis was possessed by a Daemon, Iliathin was forced to kill him. Afterwards, he managed to find shelter at an old temple which Daemons do not venture near due to the lingering presence of the [[Eldar God]]s.{{Fn|5}}

Contemplating suicide, Iliathin lived alone in the temple for several years but was saved by an Eldar feral child [[Jain Zar|Faraethil]]. Though initially shunning the girl, later when Faraethil was assaulted by [[Dark Eldar]], Iliathin renamed himself '''Asurmen''' after the god [[Asuryan]] and saved her. Asurmen agreed to take the girl as his disciple and they left the planet, eventually gathering more like-minded followers.{{Fn|5}}

Asurmen and his followers landed on a barren world and renamed it [[Asur]]. There, he founded the first of the Aspect shrines, the Dire Avengers, which have become the most common of all the warrior Aspects.{{Fn|1a}} Asurmen established the [[Asurya]], who went on to open new Aspect Shrines across the stars.{{Fn|2}}

He has traveled to more [[craftworld]]s than any other Phoenix Lord, teaching those Eldar who wanted to learn, and has founded more shrines than any other Phoenix Lord. The greatest of his students went on to found their own Aspect shrines and became Phoenix Lords themselves.{{Fn|1a}} Soon after the inception of the Aspect Shrines, the Hand of Asuryan vanished, but tales of his deeds continue to be reported. Experiencing various deaths but being reborn again thanks to his armour, notably at the hands of the [[Keeper of Secrets]] [[N'Kari]]{{Fn|3}}, he has been rumoured slaying the agents of [[Chaos]] in the [[Eye of Terror]] to the [[Eastern Fringe]]. His actions have even become legends to the lesser races.{{Fn|2}}

Asurmen later appeared under the command of [[Jain Zar]], now pledged to [[Ynnead]]. Asurmen took part in the battle to defend the [[Ynnari]] against the [[Thousand Sons]] and [[Tzeentch]] [[Daemon]]s in the [[Webway]], vanishing during the struggle.{{Fn|6}}

==Wargear==
Asurmen's ancient armour incorporates vambraces with integrated [[Shuriken Catapults]] known as the ''[[Bloody Twins]]'' and his [[Diresword]] (named [[The Sword of Asur]]){{Fn|4a}} was the first created and contained the spirit of his brother, [[Tethesis]], who was slain by a [[Daemon]].{{Fn|1a}}

Asurmen is capable of navigating the [[Webway]] thanks to his ship, the ''[[Stormlance]]''.{{Fn|5b}}

The ancient Eldar rune worn on Asurmen's chest is the symbol of the Eldar warrior spirit, synonymous with the Path of the Warrior. It represents the Eldar's fury of emotion, balanced with the cold surety of skill.{{Fn|4b}}

==Images==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
Asurmen.jpg|Asurmen Miniature (2nd Edition){{Fn|1b}}
Asurmen10th.jpg|Asurmen Miniature (10th Edition){{Fn|8}}
YinYang.jpg|Ancient symbol of the Eldar warrior spirit{{Fn|4b}}
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Phoenix Lord]]

==Sources==
*1: [[Codex: Eldar (4th Edition)]]:
**{{Endn|1a}}: pg. 55
**{{Endn|1b}}: pg. 79
*{{Endn|2}}: [[Codex: Eldar (6th Edition)]] (E-Book), pg. 88
*{{Endn|3}}: [[Iyanden: A Codex: Eldar Supplement]] (E-Book), pg. 83
*4: [[Codex: Craftworlds (7th Edition)]] (e-book):
**{{Endn|4a}}: ''Asurmen - Remnants of Glory''
**{{Endn|4b}}: ''Ancient Lore''
*{{Endn|5}}: [[Asurmen: Hand of Asuryan (Novel)]]: {{Cite Marker End}}
**{{Endn|5a}}: Chapter X
**{{Endn|5b}}: Chapter XI
*{{Endn|6}}: [[Gathering Storm: Fracture of Biel-Tan]]{{CME}}
*{{Endn|7}}: [[Warhammer 40,000 Collectible Card Game (game system)]] - Asurmen card - for details see [[Asurmen/Sources]]
*{{Endn|8}}: [https://web.archive.org/web/20241123030033/https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-us/articles/gw3wcpc7/world-championships-preview-aeldari-phoenix-lords-step-from-the-webway/ Warhammer Community: World Championships Preview – Aeldari Phoenix Lords step from the Webway (posted 22/11/2024)] ''(archived page, last accessed 22/11/2024, [https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-us/articles/gw3wcpc7/world-championships-preview-aeldari-phoenix-lords-step-from-the-webway/ original link here])

[[Category:Characters (Born: Segmentum Obscurus)]]
[[Category:Characters (Craftworld Eldar)]]
[[Category:Phoenix Lords]]
[[Category:Weapons (Eldar)]]

[[de:Asurmen]]
{{EldarUnits}}