Title: The Exodites & The Craftworlds: Chronicles of the Eldar Race (Part I)
In the vast expanse of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, the story of the Eldar race unfolds. A tale of survival, adaptability, and eternal vigilance, the Eldar’s saga is a testament to their resilience in the grim darkness of the far future. This blog spotlights the Exodites and the Eldar of the Craftworlds, two intriguing subgroups of the Eldar race.
The Exodites, as they are known, are the hardy survivors who, through sheer determination, adapted to the rigors of life in the wild. Relearning primitive skills like hunting, building homes, fabricating tools, and domesticating the indigenous reptilian ‘dragons’, they formed self-sufficient tribal communities. Each tribe owes allegiance to a supreme ruler, the king or queen of their world. While large-scale wars are uncommon among these tribes, minor clashes occasionally erupt between young warriors, sometimes with lethal consequences.
In a bid to safeguard their souls from the ravenous god Slaanesh, every Exodite carries a spirit stone. Upon death, the spirit is sealed within the stone and transported to a subterranean repository. Here, during a ceremonial ritual, the stone is shattered, and the soul is guided to the World Spirit, the planetary life force. Interestingly, a similar mechanism is found within the Eldar Craftworlds, which we’ll explore later.
Despite the dangers posed by marauding Orks, Tyranids, and Imperial Knights, the Exodites persist in their secluded worlds. Although they are considered outcasts by the mainstream Eldar, they are never forsaken in times of dire need, receiving aid from their more ‘civilized’ kin.
Switching our focus now to the Craftworld Eldar, or Asuryani as they prefer to be called, we find the last vestige of the Eldar culture as it stood during their galaxy-dominating era preceding the Fall. These prescient Eldar escaped the decaying Empire on colossal starships, the Craftworlds. Although many were lost to the warp storm following Slaanesh’s birth, a significant number endured.
Each Craftworld is a self-contained ecosystem, housing entire cities, lush forests, and hundreds of thousands to millions of inhabitants. The most crucial structure within each ship is the Infinity Circuit. It contains the soul stones of the deceased Eldar, which power the ships as the souls slowly fade into oblivion.
Among the most renowned Craftworlds is Ulthwé, caught in the outer orbit of the Eye of Terror, patrolling the wreckage of their former Empire. Despite rumors of taint from the Eye’s power, the Eldar of Ulthwé proudly consider themselves the guardians of their ruined Empire. Their proximity to the warp storm grants them unparalleled psychic abilities, enabling them to predict future events with uncanny accuracy.
Another notable Craftworld is Biel-Tan, whose inhabitants are driven by an aggressive ambition to resurrect the Eldar Empire, even if it means waging war against all other races. They believe that a new Empire, baptized in the blood of both Eldar and alien races, can only rise from the crucible of war.
In the next part of this series, we’ll delve deeper into the story of the Eldar Craftworlds and their intricate relationship with the rest of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
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