The Gods of the Aeldari

In my continuing adventures to clean up my Aeldari Encyclopedia, I turn my ancient eyes to the Gods. As always this is a personal enjoyment encyclopedia and is in no my own work. The information collected here has been collected from multiple sources and may include fan fiction.

The Pantheon of the Aeldari is considered to have been destroyed by the creation of Slaanesh, the great enemy. But whilst the Aeldari still reveres all the gods and preserve their stories within the mythic cycles, they do not call on them for aid or hope for their intervention any longer. In this collection of gods, possibly four of them still live and I have even discovered some Drukari gods.

"Feel the rush of the wind against your skin and hear her keening cry in your ears. Listen to her call well, for are we not the Wild Riders, the children of the storm?" - Nuadhu 'Fireheart' 

Asuryan: The greatest of all the Eldar Gods, and the one who bears the greatest influence amongst the others in heaven. Sometimes known as the Phoenix King, Asuryan was the king of the pantheon of Aeldari gods. While the mythic cycles seem to indicate that he held sway over all the others, he was nevertheless consumed by Slaanesh. He is often depicted in relation to fire and light, his chief symbols.

Cegorach: The God of the Harlequins is the other surviving god of the Aeldari Pantheon after Isha. The Laughing God was the trickster and artist of the pantheon. When all the other gods were destroyed, Cegorach fled before Slaanesh until Khaine rose to do battle with it. The Laughing God took this chance to escape into the realm of the Webway, as only he is said to know all the secrets of its passages. The master of the Harlequins, Cegorach is the only Aeldari god that still remains in his original form.

Gia (or Gea): A consort of both Khaine and Asuryan.

Hekatii: The Red Crone. Many traditionalist Wych Cults always invoke the favour of this legendary Wych before they enter any battle.

Hoec: Revered amongst the near-invisible assassins known as Aeldari Pathfinders, the mysterious wandering Aeldari divinity known as Hoec is said to be one with the Webway, and has walked the paths between planets since the stars themselves were young.

Isha: The Mother of the Aeldari race, Isha is a fertility goddess in many respects. She was imprisoned by Khaine for a period of time until Vaul paid her ransom. She is often depicted crying, and her symbol is a teared eye, symbolic of her sorrow in being separated from her mortal children. Her tears are said to have been formed into runes by Vaul so that she could communicate with her children. It is also whispered the Isha was taken from the jaws of Slaanesh by Nurgle and she currently remains his prisoner.

Kaela Mensha Khaine: The God of War, whose Avatars can still be summoned into the material universe to protect the Aeldari from its place in each Craftworld's Infinity Circuit, as long as a powerful Aeldari warrior sacrifices his life to serve as a vessel for the possessing god.

Kurnous/Kurnoth: God of the Hunt, the Father of the Aeldari race, and the consort of Isha. He is often shown in conjunction with hounds, hawks, and other trappings of the hunt.

Lileath/Lilcarth: The Eldar Goddess of Dreams, and whose name takes two forms, Lileath and Lilcarth, which literally mean the same Eldar Goddess.

Lhilitu: A Dark Muse and the Consort of the Void. Its worshippers, a mysterious sisterhood, are desired by Archons to have as their courtesans, both for being imaginative lovers and exceptional poisoners. They descend from the Cult of Llamaea, whose courtesans elite also worship Lhilitu, and use knowledge of poisons of Shaimesh.

Mathlann: God of Storms and Seas, a God of old believed to be the protector of the Aeldari Navy. Worship of him was given up a long time before the fall.

Morai-Heg: The Crone-Goddess Morai-Heg is the consort of Khaine and the third in a trinity of female Aeldari goddesses who appears as an ancient and withered creature who holds the fate of mortals inside a skin rune pouch.

In Aeldari myth she sought to partake of the wisdom contained in her divine blood. She manipulated Khaela Mensha Khaine to cut off her hand so that she might drink deep of her own vitae. It was the fingers of this lost hand that were fashioned into the Croneswords that now offer hope of an Aeldari resurgence to the Ynnari.

With this deed, Morai-Heg gained the knowledge that she sought, and in return, Khaine gained the aspect of the banshee.

The original homeworlds of the Aeldari Empire that were lost to the Eye of Terror after the Fall became known as Crone Worlds, a reference to the Crone Goddess.

The inhabitants of Craftworld Iybraesil are noted for being followers of Morai-Heg.

Qa'leh: Mistress of Blades. Traditionalist Wych Cults also often seek the ritual favour of the Mistress of Blades with a sacrifice for good fortune before combat.

Shaimesh: A Dark Muse and the Lord of Poisons. He is favoured by assassins and murderers and is the treacherous brother of the legendary figure Saim-Hann the Cosmic Serpent (presumably for whom the craftworld had been named). Dark Eldar Haemonculi consider themselves practitioners of Shaimesh's dark art.

Vaul: The Artificer, Vaul is one of the central gods of the pantheon, and an enemy to Khaine. In order to purchase the freedom of Kurnous and Isha, Khaine demanded one hundred potent divine blades from the smith god. Vaul was unable to finish the last blade in time, and so hid a mortal blade amid the others. This fooled Khaine long enough to get Isha and Kurnous to freedom, but when he realized the trick he cried out for vengeance. Vaul finished the final blade, Anaris the Dawnlight, and took it to do battle with Khaine. Though it was the greatest of all swords, Khaine was the better warrior and crippled Vaul. The smith is often shown chained to his anvil, the punishment that Khaine set upon him.

Vileth: Vileth is a being synonymous with the immense arrogance so often displayed by the Drukhari, and is particularly popular as an ideal to which many Drukhari Archons aspire. The "Scions of Vileth" are also known as the best aerial hunters of the Drukhari, piloting aircraft such as Razorwing jetfighters and Voidraven bombers. These Drukhari pilots will sometimes form mercenary aerial squadrons that will work for Kabals, Wych Cults, and the Haemonculi of the Dark City.

Ynesth: Ynesth is known to be a Dark Muse particularly revered by the Kabal of the Onyx Scar. It searches for her ashes in the Warp rift known as the Screaming Vortex in the Segmentum Obscurus, where they are rumoured held in a chalice on the pirate-held world of Sacgrave.

Ynnead: The God of the Dead. A potential god formed of the souls of the dead Aeldari contained in the Infinity Circuits of the Craftworlds. Ynnead represents the last, faint hope of the Aeldari that they will overthrow Slaanesh and free themselves of his curse. The Aeldari believe the Aeldari souls contained within the Infinity Circuits of all the Craftworlds are collectively forming a new god which will have the power to destroy Slaanesh, freeing their racial soul from destruction and consumption by the Prince of Chaos. As yet the souls contained in the Circuit can muster only a tiny amount of power compared to Slaanesh -- the Aeldari believe that only once every last Aeldari has died and their souls combined into what they call Ynnead, will it have the power to finally confront and destroy Slaanesh--and the Aeldari race can be reborn.

Exodite Gods

Cobra-God: The Cobra-God is an animistic creature of destruction who does not care who is caught in his wake; he is venerated by the Exodites.

Scorpion-God: The Scorpion-God is an animistic spirit of defence, brother of Cobra; he is also a spirit deity venerated by the Exodites.

Serpent-God: The Serpent-God is an animistic creature of secrets who knows all there is to know in the universe; he is the third major spirit deity venerated by the Exodites.

And with that our story is complete. As always drop me a comment and remember to follow my adventures.

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