Kysaduras
By our differences are we judged, by our shared heritage are we known.
| Title(s) | The Anchorite |
|---|---|
| Homeworld | Ulthwé |
| Active Period | ?-999.M41 |
| Death | 999.M41 |
| Cause of Death | Transmutive flames of Ahzek Ahriman |
| Species | Aeldari |
| Type | Asuryani |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Affiliation(s) | |
Kysaduras, known as The Anchorite, is an Eldar mystic,[1] Farseer,[2b][11b] old philosopher,[10] and wisest of Ulthwé's visionaries.[2c]
Contents
Overview
Kysaduras has long ago locked himself away in the wraithbone heart of Ulthwé, where he meditates in secluded chambers.[11b]
In 991.M41, he proclaimed that the End Times of the Eldar have begun. After a lengthy meditation alongside his close ally Eldrad Ulthran of Ulthwé, he preached to the High Seers that the Eldar's only hope of survival lies with Ynnead, the Eldar God of the Dead.[1]
During his long exile, Kysaduras journeyed far and wide. For a time, he even dwelt within the fabled Black Library of Chaos. His prior contact with the White Seers there enabled him to forewarn them of Yvraine's coming when she journeyed to the Black Library seeking the Hand of Darkness.[3]
Kysaduras later joined the Ynnari, but was killed by Ahriman during the War in the Labyrinth when the Sorcerer transformed him into a wooden statue with transmutive flames.[2e]
The famed Crystal Mirror is an Ulwean artefact that allowed Kysaduras to peer into the realm of the dead at will. Tiny shards of this cover the Ynnari artefact the Mirrorgaze, an ornate helmet that blinds enemies for a moment.[2a]
Known Works
Introspections Upon Perfection
Kysaduras' work Introspections Upon Perfection is somewhat discredited on Biel-Tan due to it sometimes being dismissive of Asurmen's role played in forming the Aspect Warriors.[10]
| Life is to us as the Maze of Linnian was to Ulthanesh, its mysterious corridors leading to wondrous vistas and nightmarish encounters in equal measure. Each of us must walk the maze alone, treading in the footsteps of those that came before but also forging new routes through the labyrinth of existence.
In times past we were drawn to the darkest secrets and ran wild about the maze, seeking to experience all that it had to offer. As individuals and as a civilisation we lost our way and in doing so created the means for our doom; unfettered exploration leading to the darkness of the Fall. In the emptiness that followed, a new way was revealed to us: the Path. Through the wisdom of the Path we spend our lives exploring the meaning of existence, moving from one part of the maze to another with discipline and guidance so that we never become lost again. On the Path we experience the full potential of love and hate, jog and woe, lust and purify, filling our lives with experience and fulfillment but never succumbing to the shadows that lurk within our thoughts. But like all journeys, the Path is different for each of us. Some wander for a long while in one place; some spread their travels wide and visit many places for a short time while others remain for a long time to explore every nook and turn; some of us lose our way and leave the Path for a time or forever; and some of us find dead-ends and become trapped. —foreword to Introspections upon Perfection[9] |
| In the spring storms of youth, it is common amongst our people to question the validity, and indeed sanity, of our ways, most especially the pursuit of perfection in but one field of endeavour at a time: the Path, as it has been called since our ancestors created it. While the young are intellectually capable of studying the tragic lessons of the Fall and the Great Enemy unleashed by our ancestors, their view of the universe is too narrow to truly see the lessons intrinsic in the terrible event which destroyed our home worlds and drove forth the survivors to wander the stars. It is true of all that in youth there is great bravery and great foolishness in equal measure, an abiding belief that no obstacle is too great to overcome. no foe too mighty to defeat, no problem so complex that it cannot be solved. Conversely it may be said that those who survive the galaxy's tumult for long enough come to believe that all obstacles, foes and problem may not be resolved, only allayed for a brief sliver of history, which in turn is but an instant in the slow dance of the universe.[7] Thus it is that young and old clash incessantly over the necessity of the Path. The young rail against the restrictions it imposed upon them. Much as out doomed forebears did, they wish to taste every sensation, every emotion within their new-found world as soon as possible. They do not fear the Great Enemy that was created by the desires of our ancestors, for their whole conception of her evil is gleaned from distant tales and legends, and that which brought fear in the nursery is spurned and ridiculed in adolescence. Only with time can they begin to feel the terrible thirst which we gave her and begin to understand that she is a mirror image, a reflection of our worst excesses given life by the debauchery and depravity which preceded the Fall.[7] Long ago our race realised that the only way to elude the Great Enemy was to shatter the reflection, to live a life of denial and focus upon but one aspect of life, pursuing it unto perfection. This is anathema to the young, just as it is to the Great Enemy.[7] The young do not desire the discipline of the Path, but rather their curiosity drives them to try every fruit from the tree. Thus it is that so many take the Path of Wandering or the Path of Damnation in their first years of adulthood, and so the great tragedy of our kind is played out again and again as the number of our people shrink from generation to generation.[7][5] |
| When war calls we all ought to answer. Would that it were not this way, but for our people to survive we must all tread the darkest of paths. Yet I regret that many of our kin have grown to see such obligations not as a duty, but a joy. I do not love the blade for its form or its keen edge, but only for that which it defends. Must we pay for existence with our very souls?[6] |
Prophecy of the Hidden Path
Lassister Mung III, last xenolexicographer of the Mung Dynasty and member of the Ordo Xenos, has attempted to make sense of this prophecy and decipher its potential meanings. This prophecy, among several others, were told to Lassister by a delirious captive after being administered the Grave Lotus elixir.[4]
In regard to the Prophecy of the Hidden Path below, Lassister Mung III speculates that the 'Pallid Moon', 'The stolen seers amassed', and 'blackened shield becomes the sword' likely refer to Coheria where eldar ritualists were disrupted by the Deathwatch Strike Team lead by Artemis,[4] during the events of the Battle of Port Demesnus.[8] In addition, 'The warning twice given' likely being first the warning given by Eldrad Ulthran to Fulgrim about the Ruinous Powers and secondly possibly being the warning given by Eldrad during Artemis' disruption of the ritual on Coheria. He postulates that the references to 'the voices' and 'the dead' have a note of being a source for salvation in the prophecy, and that these are likely referring to the Ynnari death cult. He believes that the 'One shall walk the forked path' is Yvraine, figurehead of the Ynnari cult as is detailed in the records of the Fortress of Hera.[4]
Eldrad and Kysaduras forsaw that Yvraine was the one to tread this thin strand of fate leading to the rebirth of their species. Many Eldar would proclaim she is the prophesied Opener of the Seventh Way, nemesis of She who thirsts, who weaves the skeins at the dawn of the Rhana Dandra.[2d]
|
Like ghouls in the dark, the wicked ones gather, Drawn to a tragedy unfolding. Warnings twice-given across the span of time, Stifled by pride and by hatred.
At the dawn of the Rhana Dandra. The death of all Eldar looms large, But fate can be twisted, even broken.
A threefold truth to weave the skein: Nemesis of She Who Thirsts, Opener of the Seventh Way.
The Rebirth of Ancient Days, Drinking, but not consuming; Taking in, but giving new life.
Our sorrow will be reforged. Our destiny becomes a weapon Fit to slay a goddess.
Shall turn into a sun Lit by the flames of unjust wars, A crucible of souls and dreams.
Gather unto them the Dead. Legion, they drift within the sands, Their voices raised as one.
Death knell rises to herald’s cry. The blackened shield becomes the sword, The yawning void becomes the path.
A whisper so fierce and strong It shall hush the stars forever.
|
Sources
- 1: Codex: Eldar (6th Edition) (E-Book), The Doom of the Eldar
- 2: Gathering Storm: Fracture of Biel-Tan:
- 3: Hand of Darkness (Audio Drama), Part II, ca. 00h:03m:20s
- 4: White Dwarf May 2019, pg. 29
- 5: Codex: Eldar (4th Edition), pg. 38
- 6: Codex: Craftworlds (8th Edition), pg. 6
- 7: Codex: Eldar (2nd Edition), pg. 45
- 8: Warhammer 40,000: Death Masque booklet, pgs. 7-9
- 9: Path of the Warrior (Novel), pg. 3
- 10: Path of the Outcast (Novel), Dislocation
- 11: Warhammer 40,000: Death Masque:
