Eldar Empire

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Eldar Empire
Capital: Worlds now within the Eye of Terror
Official languages: Eldar Language
Major Species: Eldar
Governing body: Unknown;
  • Myriad of different rulers[11b]
  • Aristocracy[4]
  • The first Haemonculi were said to be among its masters during the Fall[4]
Religion(s): Eldar Mythology

The Eldar Empire, Dominion or The Empire of Ten Million Suns,[6][Note] was the domain of the Eldar and the dominant power in the Galaxy following the War in Heaven, a state of affairs which lasted until The Fall. The Empire was known for its technological prowess and complete mastery of the galaxy, as well as its gradual descent into cruelty, excess, and hedonism.[1]

Overview

Worlds and Cities of the Eldar Empire.[20]

Little is known of the Aeldari Empire prior to its fall, even to the Aeldari of present day.[11a] What records that do exist suggest it was ruled by a myriad of different rulers, some of whom styled themselves as royalty. The nature of those who inhabited this ancient empire is also unknown. But most believe they lived more varied and full lives, full of vibrancy and emotion, freedom and expression, pursuing a variety of paths in life. Notably less restrained than those lead by the contemporary craftworld Asuryani.[11a][11b]

Some contemporary Eldar lead lives reminiscent of the ancient past. The Ynnari provide glimpses of what ancient aeldari are like. Their baroque aesthetic is that of ancient aeldari predating even Commorragh.[12a][15a] Their leaders are said to have lead lives similar to their ancient predecessors. Yvraine, High Priestess of Ynnead, was in spirit the closest living thing to that of the ancient aeldari when imbued with Ynnead's power.[12b][15b] Her champion, the Visarch, is an echo of the power of the ancient aeldari.[12c][15c] The Ynnari have repurposed the ancient aeldari practice of wrapping a red cloth around their arm or thigh to indicate the wearer is grieving for a friend or family member.[12a][15a]

In M15, prior to the beginnings of the empire's gradual descent, it is said that those who would become the first Haemonculi began to gain power. They plumbed the depths of their depravity, first out of malignant curiosity, then to stave off the ennui that plagues all immortals. The forefathers of the Haemonculi would begin to influence society. Eventually in M25, the spiritual malaise had infected the heart of Aeldari society and an exodus of Aeldari alarmed by this would begin, others would remain, utterly unrepentant.[4] The Haemonculi of today are echoes of the corrupt spirits of these architects of the Fall.[17b]

History

Before the Fall

Emerging from the ruin of the War in Heaven, with the Old Ones destroyed and the Necrons in hidden hibernation, the Eldar quickly became the masters of the Galaxy.[1][2] They also fought against the attacking Krork at the height of their power (far stronger than their modern Ork descendants). The Cythor and thousands of other Xenos races so terrible to be beyond Human comprehension were all defeated over the Eldar's long rule over the Galaxy.[6] The technological and cultural accomplishments of the Eldar soon eclipsed those of any other race, and they developed a dismissive and condescending attitude to the other civilizations of the Galaxy. With their mastery of the Webway, the Eldar went on to occupy a large portion of the Galaxy, pushing other "lesser" races such as Orks away to its fringes, dismissing them as a mere nuisance.[1][2]

As their power and prowess grew, the Eldar soon evolved past the need for physical labour, relying on psychomatons and spirit-drones to perform all basic economic functions. Thus on hundreds of Paradise Worlds seeded across the Galaxy, the Eldar pursued their inclinations according to their own will, indulging in every whim and curiosity. This initially allowed for the creation of beautiful accomplishments as the Eldar learned much about the universe which had since been forgotten. At this stage in history, when an Eldar died their soul eventually dissolved peacefully into the Warp to be reborn again. The Warp was not yet a hostile place for Eldar souls, and was inhabited by their own Gods.[1][2]

The Eldar Empire spanned a thousand[20] or ten thousand[5] or tens of thousands[21] (or possibly ten million)[6][Note] systems which mostly sat in the area of space has become known as the Eye of Terror[1] although the edges of its domain spread beyond the Eye.[7] Labour and even military conquest at this time was done purely by artificial constructs, which led to the Eldar themselves becoming bored and without purpose.[1]

Interactions with Humanity

Ancient Aedari knew of what would become humanity's home-world when it was still ruled by primordial reptiles.[6] During the earliest Ages of Mankind, some Aeldari took a passing interest in observing the nascent human cultures, taking note of interesting artwork and other novelties, but this amounted to little more than intellectual curiosity.[8]

In the waning years of the Aeldari Empire, their society turned increasingly inwards, resulting in opportunities for many lesser-races to have free reign over various systems, even cementing control over Maiden Worlds lacking aeldari inhabitants, left as edifices celebrating their gods. Many craftworlds that left the empire before its fall knew little of humanity save that they marshaled power far beyond their limited foresight. Some of the craftworlds carrying Exodite colonists back to the worlds they crafted millennia ago would pursue subtle means to remove firmly rooted Mon-keigh squatters from their maiden worlds, rather than attempting diplomacy or outright battle.[14]

During humanity's later Dark Age of Technology and beginning of the Eldar Empire's decline into depravity in M15 or M18,[10] there is evidence of interactions and even diplomacy between the two species. One example of this is Pontus Avernes, a theorised diplomatic venue built by ancient humans to cater to aeldari. The location also featured at least one strange and unique webway gate built by human hands.[9] The aeldari also did battle with ancient humanity at the so-called height of their power, easily defeating their unliving legions.[6]

Fall of the Eldar

Main article: Fall of the Eldar

However, slowly but surely, pride and excess began to eat away at the Eldar race[5] for there are Daemons which feed upon the souls of the proud and over-confident, and bit by bit these daemons grew in strength and numbers.[21] Thinking all secrets were theirs to uncover and all pleasures were theirs to partake, the Eldar spent their centuries-long lives fulfilling their every desire. Fuelled by an inexhaustible curiosity, many gave way to their darkest and most hedonistic impulses. Exotic "pleasure cults" soon sprang up all over the Eldar domains, each dedicated to esoteric knowledge or sensual excess. As these cults gained a tighter hold over the Eldar, they gradually declined into a cruel and hedonistic society. Eldar society eventually descended into full-scale anarchy as their excess grew past any limit thought possible.[5] The new Daemons were drawn into the minds of the Eldar: individuals, families, cities, and eventually whole worlds possessed.[21] Brother fought brother and sadistic killers stalked the streets in pursuit of victims for their vile lusts. No life was spared and in the pursuit of their murderous and perverse pleasures. Eldar feasted upon each other in the streets. As sickening vice took Eldar society, they were unknowingly feeding a powerful psychic entity in the Warp with their dark desires.[1][2] As what would become the doom of the Eldar grew, social order broke down and gangs battled vigilantes as many others fled as refugees.[5]

However, not all Eldar succumbed to these dark impulses. Some heeded the bad omens that haunted their dreams, fleeing to found Exodite Worlds or Craftworlds. Slowly but surely this psychic being, eventually becoming known as Slaanesh, fully matured in the Warp. It was to become a shadow of themselves, of what they had become: a noble and prideful being brought low by perversity and excess.[1][3] Iyanden was among the first craftworlds to flee the dying and corrupt Eldar Empire.[13]

When Slaanesh was finally born, shortly before humanity's Great Crusade, there was not a single Eldar who did not feel the pain. With a psionic cry, Slaanesh assaulted the universe and the spirits of the Eldar were drawn from their bodies and sucked into the warp. The fate of these unfortunate souls was not a pleasant one, for they had to suffer an eternity of torture at the hands of Slaanesh. Not even the Eldar Gods were spared; they too were consumed by Slaanesh, and it is said that only the Laughing God survived. The epicenter of the psychic implosion lay within the heart of the Eldar homeworlds where the Eldar population was concentrated. Most of the Eldar across thousands of light years died, their spirits sucked into the warp, and many fleeing craftworlds were overtaken. Far from Eldar space, many of the Exodite worlds survived the Fall, though some shared the fate of numerous Craftworlds and the homeworlds. The Eldar were now a scattered race, to be hunted by the Great Enemy for the rest of eternity.[1][3]

To avoid the fate of the Eldar Empire, the surviving Eldar abandoned their hedonistic ways and seek to concentrate their minds (most notably with the Path System). Not all Eldar changed their ways however, those within the Eldar Empire colonies of the Webway remained safe from Slaanesh's birth cries and continued to pursue the ways of their ancestors. These beings eventually become known as the Dark Eldar.[1][3]

Aftermath

The area that was the centre of the Eldar empire became the Eye of Terror. The ancient Crone Worlds of the Eldar are now the homes of the followers of Chaos. With the Eldar Empire all but wiped out, other races would come to inherit the Galaxy. Thanks to the violent psychic implosion that saw Slaanesh born, the Warp Storms that had barred humanity from interstellar travel during the Age of Strife finally subsided. This allowed the Emperor to launch his Great Crusade, reuniting the disparate human colonies into the Imperium.[1]

Notable Sites

Trivia

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The following information is not to be regarded as officially sanctioned and/ or is not written from an in-universe point of view. A detailed explanation of the term "Trivia" as used in the Lexicanum can be found here.

  • Note: In the novel Asurmen: Hand of Asuryan (Novel), Asurmen counts ten thousand years as "walking beneath ten thousand suns"[5b] so it is possible that the "Ten Million Suns"[6] the empire was known for describe the duration of its existence rather than the number Systems in its holdings.

Sources

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