Wraithknight

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Wraithknights are colossal Eldar Wraith Constructs made of Wraithbone.

Overview

Wraithknights towering above a Wraithguard[1]

The shell of a Wraithknight houses the Spirit Stones and the souls of a dead individual much the same way as the Wraithlord and Wraithguard. However, Wraithknights differ from their lesser cousins, as they also hold a living Eldar pilot within. Their pilots are rare and unusual warriors, as each was born a twin.[6] The psychic link between Eldar blood-relatives is strong, and that between Eldar multiples are like no other, allowing them to sense the proximity, mood, and even thoughts of their counterpart – or in the event of their twin's death, to fade away in sympathy. Sometimes, when such a division takes place, the surviving twin will sacrifice what is left of his life to pilot a Wraithknight. The essence of the dead twin is transferred into a Spirit Stone attached to the machine, whilst the surviving sibling is put into a near-permanent trance within his cockpit.[1] In this way, the Wraithknights also differ from the larger Eldar Titans as they are only built around single carrecenad Spirit Stones and not the much larger cystals of a Titan's Infinity Circuit.[7] Many Wraithknight pilots are recruited from Revenant Titan helmsmen who have lost their twin in battle and, driven to regain their kinship whatever the cost, give themselves over to the life of a Wraithknight pilot.[1]

Wraithknight rune.[10]

The clarity of thought provided by the living twin ensures that the construct moves with the speed typical of a living Eldar, while the psychic link of the departed sibling allows him to commune with the animating forces of his twin, but also spirits of former pilots of the construct. The great measure of control afforded by this mind gives the pilot mastery over the Wraithknights psychically-powered weapons systems and an acrobatic grace that seemingly defies its size, gigantic and heavily armed with a mixture of mighty Heavy Wraithcannons, Suncannons, Ghostglaives, Scattershields, and other heavy weapons, the Wraithknight's advanced design still allows it to be nimble enough to run through the ruin of a scattered city.[1]

Wraithknights are often deployed on Crone Worlds at the forefront of quests for new Spirit Stones, which often involve dangerous encounters with Daemons and other nightmarish denizens.[1] As the End Times approach for the Eldar and their race dies faster than it can give birth, fewer and fewer twins are born upon each Craftworld, and yet more unsettling is that it is rumoured that some Craftworld councils have removed the option of choice for such individuals.[1]

Skathach Wraithknight

A much rarer form of wraith construct than the Wraithknight itself, Skathach Wraithknights were designed to walk the endless paths of the Webway and to purge them of any who would dare trespass.[3] These macabre breed of Wraithknights are piloted by an Eldar torn by the separation from their twin. Grief-stricken, a pilot and his Skathach Wraithknight dwell in the Webway communing with the Infinity Circuit of their war construct. Usually Skathach Wraithknights protect the Webway from intrusion and rarely emerge into the realspace - only to aid Eldar forces on the brink of defeat or to defend the threatened Webway portals.[4] Equipped with complex Webway Shunt Generators and rare, specialised weapons, such as Deathshroud Cannons and Inferno Lances, Skathach Wraithknights are few in number, but devastating in battle.[3]

Notable Wraithknights

Images

Miniatures

Trivia

TriviaScrollTrans.png

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.

  • The name Skathach is possibly a reference to Scáthach, a legendary Scottish warrior-woman who trained the hero Cú Chulainn.

See also

Sources


Craftworld Eldar Vehicles
Light Vehicles Jetbike (Raptor Jetbike) • Hornet • Vyper
Walkers War Walker • Wasp Assault Walker • Scout Walker
Wraith Constructs Wraithblade • Wraithguard • Wraithknight • Wraithlord • Wraithseer
Artillery Anti-Aircraft Platform • Support Weapon Batteries (D-Cannon • Vibro Cannon • Shadow Weaver)
Grav-Tanks Falcon • Fire Prism • Firestorm • Night Spinner • Warp Hunter • Wave Serpent
Super-Heavy Grav-Tanks Cobra • Lynx • Scorpion • Storm Serpent • Void Spinner
Super-Heavy Walkers Eldar Knight • Eldar Titan (Revenant • Phantom • Warlock)
Aircraft Hemlock • Nightwing • Nightshade (Crimson Hunter) • Phoenix • Vampire Raider • Vampire Hunter • Dawnsail •
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