Yvraine
 | |
|---|---|
| Title(s) | Daughter of Shades High Priestess of the Whispering God Emissary of Ynnead Amharoc[5a][7b] Opener of the Seventh Way[11a] True Child of the Aeldari[2a] |
| Homeworld | Craftworld Biel-Tan[11a] |
| Born | ~Thousands of years ago, Craftworld Biel-Tan[11a] |
| Species | Aeldari |
| Gender | Feminine |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Affiliation(s) |
|
Yvraine, the Daughter of Shades,[10] is an Eldar who serves as the emissary for the newly awakened Eldar God Ynnead.[1]
Contents
Overview
Yvraine was the closest living thing in spirit to the ancient Aeldari who existed prior to the birth of Slaanesh.[5a][7b] She is called the True Child of the Aeldari by some.[2a] She has travelled through every corner and strata of Eldar society, more so than any Eldar alive today. Her early chapters wer of a varied and turbulent life. At some point earning the name 'Opener of the Seventh Way' in reference to her ability to eschew strict adherence to a single calling, a rare trait amongst the Eldar.[11a] Many believe she is the Opener of the Seventh Way and nemesis of She Who Thirsts, as spoken of in Kysaduras the Anchorite's Prophecy of the Hidden Path.[2b]
After her investiture of Ynnead's power, Yvraine can draw the departing souls of those around her into herself, living on not as half-real revenants or echoes, but as willing allies. The same goes for those souls of inhabiting the Spirit Stones adorning her attire. Outsiders may think she is an insane fanatic talking to herself, but those who know of the Ynnari creed know she is listening to the souls of the dead that only she can hear. Changing personality in a heartbeat, her body harbours her own soul and many others. The other members of the Ynnari triumvirate, the Visarch and the Yncarne, also have this ability.[5c]
As Emissary of Ynnead, Yvraine has the ability to take on the power of the souls of the dead.[11a] She continues to have increasingly frequent dreams of the final experiences of Eldar across the galaxy before they died. Experiencing the events leading up to the individual's last moments firsthand. Some having had an enigmatic compulsion to take action, to throw themselves into combat for the good of the species, even if it guaranteed their death.
[Help]
History
Origins
Born thousands of years ago to one of the many noble families of Craftworld Biel-Tan, the first path she would take up was that of a Performer;[11a] specifically a dancer.[5a][7b] Still young, she took up the Path of the Warrior during the invasion of Gnosis Prime, following the craftworld's awoken Avatar of Khaine into battle. Learning the arts of Khaine amongst the Dire Avengers, she honed her courage, strength, and skill.[11a]
She later left the Path of the Warrior for the Path of the Witch, becoming a Warlock.[5a][7b][11a] With this she had mastered all of the most arduous craftworld disciplines. With such mastery she grew bored.[11a] Eventually exiled from Biel-Tan, she explored every corner of Eldar society. Becoming an Outcast she travelled the stars with a band of Rangers, learning the art of patience. Despite this she still felt restless in her life.[5a][7b]
While travelling aboard the Lanathrialle, she forsook her loose band of Outcast allies to join the void-faring crew, as she felt the call of the void. After many years and battles as a Corsair, she earned herself the name 'Amharoc', meaning 'Pitiless One' for her viscous streak and keen sense for opportunity. She became a famed Corsair commander and brought great riches to the Lanathrialle. Despite this some among her crew saw her as a pretender in life, only donning each new role superficially to be cast aside without ever truly committing. Yvraine herself admitted there was some truth to this. With every success she would quickly seek out a new challenge. When her crew finally mutinied, Lord Aracleo took control of Lanathrialle, but had fewer and fewer successes without their former captain. Yvraine was exiled at Port Vilifact in Commorragh.[5a][7b]
Now forced her to flee into the Webway,[2x] she had been humbled by her crew and all her former grandeur removed. She struggled to eek out a living on the streets of the Dark City, almost becoming one of the Starvelings roaming its dark alleys. She fought with every iota of strength she had in order to join the Wych Cults, carving out a place through ability alone. Her mercurial displays of stately elegance suddenly erupting into bloody whirlwinds if roused to ire, were nothing new, this behaviour was welcomed in the Dark City.[5a][7b] Her penchant for decisive application of excessive violence endeared her to most, if not all, Drukhari. With with countless foes bested in the arena with cruelty and fury, The Bloodbride's fame would grow. Large crowds would pay increasingly high prices to see her fight.[11a] Known as the 'Daughter of Shades' in Commoragh, the gladiatrix's outsider heritage made her a deliciously controversial figure amongst the ruling classes. Again rising through the ranks, Yvraine became a Succubus. It is debated whether this was through skill alone, or due entirely to her patronage from Malys, a shrewd and scheming former paramour of Supreme Overlord Asdrubael Vect. Regardless, this would eventually lead to a significant blow to Vect's rule being dealt.[5a][7b] Some even said she had potentially become a worthy opponent for Her Excellence, Lelith Hesperax.[11a]
Night of Revelations
On what would become known as the Night of Revelations, a grand gladiatorial spectacle was held in the Lelith's Crucibael. Many fought that night before the main event, a group of Sslyth mercenaries, dozens of wyches against Space Marines armed only with knives, and eventually the hordes of Tyranids cloned from those recovered during the Battle of Valedor. The main spectacle was a long anticipated match between the Daughter of Shades, Yvraine, and the master of the arena Lelith Hesperax herself. The cost of securing a seat was high, drawing no insignificant crowd, even Harlequins came to see Yvraine and her bloodbrides fight.[2c]
After a wide gamut of bloodshed had the crowd baying for more, Lelith and Yvraine would eventually enter single combat. The master of the arena decapitating a Lictor the Daughter of Shades was dueling, nearly killing Yvraine in this opening strike. Lelith would make a show of their duel, goading Yvraine's fury. After toying with Yvraine for a time, Lelith would cut off Yvraine's left hand and leave her with a deep stab wound to the gut before departing to provide other bloody entertainment in the eclectic arena full of blood, corpses, and enemies.[2c]
As Yvraine struggled to hide her waning strength, she met encountered a Priestess of Morai-Heg, Corag Hai. However, while her soul was between life and death she was resurrected by a slumbering eldritch entity, unbeknownst her her at that moment, this was the awakening god Ynnead, and the cosmic entity whispered one resounding word, "Daughter". Eldrad Ulthran's ritual on Coheria had stirred Ynnead in his slumber, momentarily awakening him at the exact moment that Yvraine died. Upon her rebirth through Ynnead's power, she found her left hand restored as an elegant, blood-red gauntlet. Her Husk Blade was also changed, imbued with Ynnead's power, turning foes to embers rather than dust. It had become the Crone Sword Kha-vir. She could now absorb the souls of those Eldar who died around her, housing their souls within herself. Her transformation sent out waves of the Whispering God's power that damaged much of the arena, turning swathes of spectators into flayed skeletons. But more importantly, it caused a great Dysjunction in much of the Dark City. Furious at the destruction caused to his realm, Supreme Overlord Vect would send many after Yvraine, but through the aid of the Visarch and his incubi she escaped the arena.[2d]
With her old corsair crew of aboard the Lanathrialle, they escaped Commoragh by crashing the flagship into a Webway Gate too small for the vessel. Those that survived the crash continued through the webway on foot. The wedged wreckage of the Lanathrialle formed an obstruction buying Yvraine and her rag-tag band of barely fifty individuals a few hours of respite from the pursuit by Vect's agents. Eventually becoming lost, they stumbled across a group of daemonettes dancing with the Masque of Slaanesh. Harlequins of the Midnight Sorrow would save Yvraine's group from the Slaaneshi trap. As the troupe departed after the brief battle for the Ultima Segmentum, the Solitaire amongst them stayed to guide Yvraine and her party to Biel-Tan.[2e]
Fracture of Biel-Tan
Yvraine, the Visarch, and her Commorite allies arrived at Biel-Tan in the midst of a battle against Slaanesh and Khornate forces, while the Masque of Slaanesh had beat Yvraine to the Craftworld and began confusing soul from it's infinity circuit. Alongside Phoenix Lord Jain Zar, the group of Ynnari stop the invasion and attempt a ritual to save the now-dying craftworld after being poisoned by the Masque of Slaanesh.[2x]
After saving Biel-Tan from a Daemonic invasion by sealing a Webway Portal on the Maiden World of Ursulia, Yvraine informed the Seers of Biel-Tan that Ynnead could be fully awakened without sacrificing the Eldar race, a process known as the Seventh Path. However, opening this path required an Avatar of Ynnead, and during the Battle of Biel-tan Yvraine performed a ritual on the Craftworld's Infinity Circuit that gave birth to Yncarne at the cost of millions of deceased Eldar souls. However, the effort was necessary in order to prevent The Masque from destroying the whole of Biel-tan's Infinity Circuit.[2x]
Rise of the Primarch
Gathering more followers, including elements from Ulthwé, Harlequins, and Altansar, Yvraine led an expedition to recover the Crone Swords, relics vital to the Seventh Path. After being offered the soul of Altansar Warlock Guentilian Onyxblade, Yvraine gained her Gyrinx Alorynis as a familiar. The adventure led the Ynnari to Belial IV and eventually Iyanden, where she led the successful effort to save the Craftworld from a Nurgle invasion.[2x]
After gathering the Crone Swords the Ynnari next undertook an expedition into the Webway to the world of Kalisus in the Cadian System, battling Ahriman's Thousand Sons along the way. During the battle, Yvraine demonstrated her ability to resurrect Rubric Marines, but she quickly killed the Chaos Space Marines once Ahriman had agreed to spare her.[2x]
On Kalisus, Yvraine was part of the Eldar expedition that met the Imperial survivors of the Thirteenth Black Crusade. There they forged an alliance with Humanity, guiding them to Ultramar.[2x] On Macragge, Yvraine worked closely with Belisarius Cawl to resurrect Roboute Guilliman. After Guilliman is reborn, Yvraine and the Visarch bid their farewells to the Imperials.[3]
Journey to Zaisuthra
Later, Eldrad Ulthran sent Yvraine to retrieve the Hand of Darkness from Mortarion's Whispering Tower on the Plague Planet in order to give it to Roboute Guilliman. Passing through trials of temptation by Slaanesh in the Black Library, Yvraine recovered a rose of Isha, said to grow only where the goddess walked, which allowed her to enter the Garden of Nurgle. Passing through the Garden and guided by the Harlequins under Idraesci Dreamspear, Yvraine was able to secretly enter the Whispering Tower and steal the Hand of Darkness.[4]
After stealing the Hand of Darkness, Yvraine and her entourage made a hasty exit from the Garden of Nurgle, battling hordes of Daemons along the way. They emerged in the dead city of Einerash in the Webway, encountering more Ynnari forces under the Autarch Meliniel battling the Thousand Sons and Daemons of Tzeentch. Discovering they are led by Ahriman who is once again attempting to enter the Black Library, Yvraine is able to use the Rose of Isha to empower herself to the point of beating back a Lord of Change.[8a] Afterwards, Yvraine meets with Ruisafoneth, a White Seer of the Black Library, who wishes to take the Hand of Darkness. Yvraine refuses, insisting that she deliver it to Eldrad as ordered.[8b]
Back on Ulthwe, Yvraine meets with Eldrad and Iyanna Arienal who inform her of the lost Craftworld of Zaisuthra, which could hold the key to the Gate of Malice, a portal to the tomb of Eldanesh where the last Cronesword might be. Yvraine agrees to lead an expedition to discover Zaisuthra alongside a force of Iyanden forces under Iyanna.[8c] Traveling to Iyanden itself to raise a host of Wraith Constructs for their mission after a contentious council with the Craftworlds Wraith Seers[8d], aboard the vessel Ynnead's Dream they initially receive guidance to Zaisuthra by the Harlequin Masque of the Midnight Sorrow. However at a certain point the Harlequins leader, Laedellin Starshone, says they can take the group no further as all roads to Zaisuthra end in folly.[8e] The Harlequins change their minds about pressing on after Yvraine, Iyanna, Meliniel, and the Visarch all agree to a psychic test to confront them with their greatest fears. All pass, but the Harlequins believe the Visarch will one day betray the Ynnari.[8f]
Eventually arriving into the Materium at Zaisuthra with the help of the Harlequins, the group meets with the Guardian of the Craftworld, Sydari, who is kin of Iyanna's own noble house. Iyanna is shaken by the reality of Zaisuthra, whose inhabitants all share a collective groupmind.[8g] They are welcomed into Zaisuthra, observing its dilapidated state and geriatric population. They soon discover the Craftworld, despite protections against Slaanesh due to their groupmind, to be secretly corrupted instead by Genestealer Cults.[8h]
Fighting quickly breaks down across Zaisuthra between the Ynnari and Genestealer-corrupted Eldar. Iyanna is captured by Sydari and brought before a corrupted Avatar of Khaine, mutated into a hideous Tyranid bioform. Iyanna rejects joining the Genestealer Patriarchs brood as the rest of the Ynnari battle at Withershield.[8i] Iyanna rejects drinking from the Patriarchs blood and joining the Cult after sensing the battle across the Craftworld. As the Ynnari sweep through Zaisuthra to purge the corrupted Genestealer Eldar, Iyanna is able to kill Sydari with the Spear of Teuthlas before being overwhelmed by the power of the Genestealer Patriarch. Together with Yvraine, the two are able to summon Yncarne and send him directly into the Groupmind of the Craftworld. The Patriarch and most of the Genestealer Eldar are immediately killed in the resulting psychic feedback.[8j]
This destabilizes the entire Craftworld, which begins to collapse. Yvraine, empowered by the souls of the dead Zaisuthrans, nearly loses herself to berserk bloodlust before the Visarch is able to bring her back. Rather than let Zaisuthra die, they decide to save it from destruction and purge the Genestealers in order to preserve the Gate of Malice.[8j] The group is eventually able to reach the Gate of Malice within the Craftworld. Entering the portal, they find themselves at the Well of the Dead, the tomb of Eldanesh. At the tomb they find the sword Anaris, which sends many of the Ynnari including the Visarch into a murderous Khaine-fueled frenzy.[8k] The Visarch attacks Yvraine as Meliniel and the Wraithlord Althenian Armourlost battle the most powerful Avatar of Khaine dubbed the Warshard. Althenian is destroyed by the Warshard while Yvraine allows herself to be struck down by the Visarch. Her "death" then unleashes the Yncarne fully into the Well of the Dead, who promptly resurrects Yvraine.[8l]
Empowered by Ynnead, Yvraine is able to finally defeat the Warshard. In the aftermath of the battle, Iyanna retrieves Althenian's Spirit Stone while Yvraine makes peace with the Visarch. They then enter Eldanesh's tomb but find no Cronesword. Instead they discover a ruby known as the Heart of Eldanesh, which turns Meliniel into Meliniel Pureheart, a pure vessel of the Warshards immense power. Yvraine accepts that the Cronesword will be found in time.[8m]
Agarimethea
Yvraine was later visited by Nuadhu Fireheart, his ailing father Chieftain Naiall Fireheart, and other Wild Riders from Saim-Hann aboard the Ynnead's Dream. Yvraine agrees to aid the Saim-Hann forces against the Necrons on Agarimethea, believing that perhaps the final Cronesword may lay on the world.[9a] Which Saim-Hann clans will exactly lead and take part in the assault creates tensions after Yvraine and Eldrad Ulthran express desire for Clan Fireheart to be the Windrunners (or leaders of the raid).[9b] Due to the presence of a Necron Null-field, Webway insertion is deemed impossible.[9c]
Inserting into Agarimetha from orbit via dropship, the null-field causes the Eldar to all experience discomfort, while Yvraine herself falls into agony and experiences a vision of the rebirth of the Eldar Gods. Agarimetha's commanding Necron Overlord, Hazepkhut, deploys Canoptek Wraiths to try and take out the Eldar leadership.[9d] After besting these foes, the Saim-Hann raiders are able to destroy several Tomb Spyders commanding Scarab Swarms, which disrupts the Necron forces enough for the Eldar to break through the Necron lines and reach the central Tomb complex. Pushing into the complex and battling increasingly fearsome Necron constructs and war engines, before coming to a portal of temporal distortion.[9e] Stepping inside the distortion, they discover the inside of the Tomb Complex to be an arid wasteland with pyramid-like structures covered in ancient Eldar runes. Eldrad uses his psychic abilities in an attempt to decipher these runes, and but doing so is struck down as a horde of Slaaneshi Daemons appear from a Warp Breach accidentally opened by the Farseer.[9f]
As the Eldar wage a desperate battle, they discover that Naiall has been subconsciously harboring the soul of Iyothia Icewhisper, Nuadhu's half-aunt and mother of his half-sister Caelledhin. Nuadhu and Caelledhin are able to get Naiall to relinquish her soul, allowing Yvraine to use her power to break through the Necron null-field and reconnect with Ynnead briefly.[9g] In desperation, Hazepkhut releases a C'tan Shard upon the Ynnari and Daemons alike. However the Daemonic tide still grows ever-larger, and Hazepkhut is forced to offer a truce to the Ynnari, agreeing to aid them in exchange for sealing the Tomb Complex of Daemons.[9h] After the C'tan Shard creates a path through the Daemons, Meliniel releases his Warshard power and engages a Keeper of Secrets.[9i] Using Iyothia's soul as fuel, Yvraine unleashes Yncarne, which battles the Keeper of Secrets as Caelledhin sacrifices herself to seal the Warp breach at the heart of the Tomb Complex. With the Warp portal sealed, the Daemons are banished back to the Immaterium as the Eldar agree to withdraw from Agarimethea.[9j]
Continuing Efforts
Yvraine has since been forced to avoid a wide array of assassination attempts. These include the hunts of Shalaxi Helbane and Drazhar, who has been employed secretly by Asdrubael Vect. Yvraine has repeatedly foreseen herself being slain by Helbane and having her soul consumed by Slaanesh. In her dreams she came to the conclusion that to save herself and thus the Eldar race she had to gather an array of champions from across all the Eldar cultures. She recruited Jain Zar and Lelith Hesperax to be her protectors alongside The Visarch and Yncarne. Her visions mandated that the last protector be one of the Harlequin Solitaires, a task that proved difficult.
Following her visions, Yvraine journeyed to the relic world of Iachi and received two visitors asking for her aid, the Harlequin exile Kyganil who told of a fresh cataclysm to come, and Sister of Battle Ephrael Stern who spoke of a hidden foe that would turn stars and souls black. She agreed to help the two in exchange for him providing a Solitaire.
Iathglas was the site of a great conclave of the Eldar race. Craftworld Eldar, Dark Eldar, Exodites, Harlequins, and Ynnari all met upon the world to discuss Yvraine's proposals for how to put an end to Slaanesh. During the meeting a glamour of Shalaxi Helbane appeared, nearly slaying Yvraine were it not for the intervention of her allies. The meeting ended with the agreement that only by finding and securing the fifth and final Crone Sword could She Who Thirsts truly be challenged.[5b]
Wargear and Abilities
In battle, Yvraine wields the Crone Sword Kha-vir. She is usually accompanied by her Gyrinx familiar, Alorynis.[5a]
Yvraine is able to channel the power of Ynnead to perform a number of abilities. Amongst these are curing the Dark Eldar of their thirst for inflicting pain on souls.[6]
Images
Yvraine Miniature
Yvraine and The Visarch observing an Eldar Fleet exiting a Webway Gate.
Initial Yvraine sketch by Jes Goodwin (2015)[11b]
.jpg)
.jpg)
See also
Related Videos
Related Publications
Sources
- 1: The Gathering Storm II: Fracture of Biel-Tan trailer
- 2: Gathering Storm: Fracture of Biel-Tan:
- 3: Gathering Storm: Rise of the Primarch
[Help] - 4: Hand of Darkness (Audio Drama)
- 5: Psychic Awakening: Phoenix Rising:
- 6: Lelith Hesperax: Queen of Knives (Novel), Chapter 1
- 7: White Dwarf May 2019:
- 8: Rise of the Ynnari: Ghost Warrior (Novel):
- 9: Rise of the Ynnari: Wild Rider (Novel):
- 10: Codex: Aeldari (10th Edition), pg. 66
- 11: The Gathering Storm Companion:
| Ynnari Forces | |
|---|---|
| Special Characters | The Visarch • The Yncarne • Yvraine |
