Avatar of Khaine

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Targetdrone.gif This article is about the incarnation of Kaela Mensha Khaine. For other uses of Avatar, see Avatar (disambiguation).
Rune of the Avatar of Khaine[11]

Avatars of Khaine are Avatars of War, incarnations of the Eldar War God Kaela Mensha Khaine,[5] creatures of supernatural power only rivaled by the energies of the mightiest Daemons.[14]

Overview

An Avatar of Khaine battles a Keeper of Secrets[9]

During the Fall of the Eldar, Khaine fought with Slaanesh shortly after his birth, following the destruction of the Eldar Gods.[1] Khaine was consumed by Slaanesh, as he was the part of Eldar nature which delighted in bloody violence, but was torn from the nascent God of Chaos by Khorne, as he was the war and rage of the Eldar – the two gods exhausted each other. During the battle, Khaine fell into Reality[13] and his essence was dismantled and scattered across the galaxy[1] where neither god could claim him,[13] landing in the hearts of the remaining Eldar Craftworlds. Wherever his essence landed it consumed the body of an Eldar[13] and a wraith artefact was created in its place, allowing future Eldar to be able to summon him when needed.[1] The Avatar sits at the heart of every one of the Eldar Craftworlds,[5] even those whose populace died during the Fall of the Eldar at the instant of Slaanesh's birth.[12]

These iron artefacts continue to remain sealed deep within the Craftworlds, seated upon a throne which connects directly to the Infinity Circuit core. Thus, the Avatar and Craftworld are fundamentally connected physically and physically. When the Eldar muster for war, the Avatar's Wraithbone vault thrums with ever-increasing aggression and his cold iron form begins to glow with heat as the shard of the murder god within yearns for blood. This aggression sweeps throughout the Craftworld, furthering the Eldar's own desire for the coming fight. Just before battle is to be joined and it is agreed that the Avatar will be necessary, the Exarchs don their ceremonial armour and enter the chamber to begin the Ritual of Awakening.[9]

The Ritual of Awakening

Avatar of Khaine dispatches a Space Marine[16]

Once a year, one of the Exarchs of a Craftworld is chosen by its Farseers to hold the title of Young King and will be ritually sacrificed to awaken the Avatar of Khaine, if needed. If the Avatar need not be awoken that year, then the warrior will returns to the duties of their former role. On Biel-Tan, the Exarch instead joins the Court of the Young King which aids in governing their craftworld alongside the seer council.[2b]

The Young King can be an Exarch or Aspect Warrior, and can be male or female. The Young King is brought before the enormous gates of the Avatar's Chamber, which is covered in stories of various Aeldari myths. Before this they are bathed in incense of dozens of different flower petals, saps of various fruit trees, and oils of countless crushed herbs.[10] Wearing nothing save for a wraithbone crown of thorns, the Young King stands naked in front the searing bronze gates of a stirring god.[11] The Exarchs of the respective craftworld usher the Young King into the scorching heat of the Avatar's Chamber, and open the gates to the roaring Avatar's domain.[10]

When a Craftworld prepares for a major war, its Exarchs begin to feel the Avatar's call[1] and should an Autarch call for war without the Avatar the naked ribs of wraithbone within the dormant avatar sound with a psychic roar heard throughout the craftworld.[14] The Exarchs, clad in ceremonial armour, go to the door leading into the Avatar's chamber. There they begin the ancient ritual to rouse the Avatar, where they anoint the Young King in bloody runes of Khaine[13] and sing battle hymns. The Young King is given the mantle of the Craftworld fastened with a golden pin, to identify to the Avatar of their allegiance, followed by filling a cup with the Young King's blood. Then the chamber's door opens and wielding Suin Daelle, The Wailing Doom, and the bloody Cup of Criel[13] in each hand the Young King waits outside the massive bronze doors of the throne room, watching as the door glows with heat and cracking flame, a Seer choir sings the "Hymn of Blood". The door opens and the assembled see the shadowed silhouette of the Avatar and as the Hymn reaches a crescendo the Young King steps forward and the doors close.[13]

The music and singing cease, all that is heard within is a thunderous rumbling. It may take hours or days, the Exarchs form a vigil but finally a terrible scream echoes from the chamber, loud and inhuman, and the Avatar rises: an explosion of hurricane force as the doors open[13] with a mighty roar.[14] There is no sign of the Young King, aside from their screams - it is unknown whether the Young King is united with Khaine, or is destroyed[3][8][11] now no remnant but the blood which drips down the Avatar's hand and the Spirit Stones which cover the avatar.[13]

Avatars at War

Lorgar defeats what remains of the Avatar of Khaine[12b] on the dead Craftworld Zu'lasa.[12a]

On the battlefield, the Avatar towers above the Eldar warriors, his presence filling them with memories of their glorious past and with savage bloodlust, thus making them more courageous fighters.[1] He is utterly fearless, and often spearheads the Eldar attack, slaying his foes with The Wailing Doom, a legendary weapon that can take the form of a sword, axe or spear. The weapon can even smite his foes at a distance, immolating them with a nimbus of burning psychic energy.[3]

In melee Avatar crush its foes with a mighty Hand of Khaine - a molten metal gauntlet that constantly bathed in the still-warm blood of a young Aspect Warrior.[6] In their right hand the incarnation of the Bloody-Handed God wields Suin Daellae, the Wailing Doom, which either takes the form of a spear, sword,[11] or axe.[2b]

An Avatar is a very tough being of super-heated iron, with a molten lava core. Heat-based weapons are rendered ineffective against him, due to the nature of his body.[3] So hot is an Avatar's body that most shots from projectile weapons, including bolters fired at point-blank range, will be incinerated before impact; the few that do penetrate the body will suffer a similar fate before they can explode.[4]

Even if destroyed, an Avatar's essence reforms in the Craftworld's central chamber upon his iron throne, so that he may return to continue the eternal struggle against those who oppose the Eldar.[1]

Notable Avatars

An Avatar[2a]

Images

Miniatures

40k

  • Rogue Trader (1991)

  • 2nd Edition (1994)

  • Forge World model (2007)

  • 9th Edition (2022)

Epic

Sources


Craftworld Eldar Forces
Command Autarchs • Bonesingers • Farseers • Spiritseers • Warlocks • Exarchs
Aspect Warriors
Troops Guardians (Guardian Defenders • Storm Guardians) • Windrider Squadrons • Rangers (Pathfinders • Shroud Runners) • Ghost-Warriors • Wraithguard • Wraithblades
Support Weapons Grav Platform • Support Battery • War Walker
Constructs Avatar of Khaine • Wraithknight • Wraithlord
Special Characters Amallyn Shadowguide • Eldrad Ulthran • Illic Nightspear • Iyanna Arienal • Nuadhu 'Fireheart' • Yriel
Phoenix Lords Asurmen • Baharroth • Drastanta • Fuegan • Irillyth • Jain Zar • Karandras • Lhykhis • Maugan Ra
Fortifications Webway Gate
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